The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd-HOUR 1-LeBron, Cowboys, Patriots, franchise QBs

Episode Date: September 25, 2020

The gap is huge between LeBron James and everyone elseThe Cowboys need to keep Russell Wilson off the field to winDolphins-Jaguars showed that the Patriots are better than Colin thoughtColin doubles down on franchise QBs wearing their hat on backwardsGuest: Chris Broussard 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 IHeard 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. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1.

Find your local station for the Heard at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeart radio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Friday, and we're packed. Live in Los Angeles, this is The Hurt. Wherever you may be, and however you may be listening, we're on Fox Sports Radio and right here on FS1. One hour from now, my Blazing Five, I can honestly say, I think they're my strongest five picks I've had since probably middle of last season. two weeks in

I feel like I know the league now my blazing five picks in one hour very excited joy Taylor is joining me in a Friday joy we looked like

looks like a Miami Heat Laker final is very close I want to get ahead of myself we got to finish it out we've seen a lot of upsets so I'm not going to say any predictions just let's just close us out tonight guys

let's get it done all right we're getting very close year 17 for LeBron James. That cannot be understated. Remember what Michael Jordan looked like in his final year? Couldn't really jump. Year 17 for LeBron. LeBron says, let me guard the hottest young guard in the NBA. He's 23. He's in his prime.

I'm a power forward. I got this. And shuts him down. A, most stars don't want to do that. And B, if you give it to him, they can. can't do it. This is what I would call the gap, and I've seen it twice in the NBA. When Michael Jordan was at his best, the gap between Jordan and everybody else in the sport, the stars, was massive. Magic was the only player that was reasonably close, and Magic could do one thing better than Michael,

elevate others. Michael didn't know us do that. But even scoring in defense, magic wasn't close to Michael, getting a bucket or getting a stop. The gap between. between LeBron and everybody else is now absurd. Let's take recent MVP's. You know, they should be close to LeBron. Janice, can't shoot three playoff series wins in the East in seven years. Harden, one-trick pony, all offense. Westbrook, three words, out of control.

Anthony Davis, completely irrelevant, and will he join LeBron. Like magic to Michael, Kevin Durant and Colleen Leonard have three. things, elements they can do better. Kevin Durant's just a better shooter. And Kauai right now at this point in his athletic prime, probably better at getting a stop over the course of eight, nine minutes. But it's not close. Kevin Durant isn't the leader and can't stay healthy.

And Kauai doesn't talk and communicate. And frankly, doesn't elevate others. He's just great. This is unbelievable what you see last night. LeBron's now done this twice. He did it against Derek Rose nine, ten years ago. Remember Derek Rose was the hottest thing in the NBA, Hottes guard, the talk of the league.

And LeBron James said, nine years ago, I'm six, nine and a half, two-fifty. I got this. And he handcuffed him for the rest of the series in the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, LeBron would say, I got D. Rose. What forward in the history of the league does that? Bird, Duncan, Dr. Jay. He don't do that. Derek Rose was the quickest guy in the league.

LeBron's like, I got him. And Derek Rose was awful in the fourth quarter. Last night, LeBron can no longer do it for a quarter. Jamal Murray's on fire. He's exploded. He's the next star guard in the league. Nobody can stop him. And in year 17, LeBron's like, I got him.

And creates enough chaos for Jamal Murray that all the scoring stops. I mean, you've got to be kidding me on this. It's just year 17th. Never forget this. LeBron's son is closer in age to Jamal Murray than LeBron is. year 17, year 13, guys quit playing defense in this league. Year 15, they're out of the league. Year 17, LeBron, I got this.

I've only seen five athletes like this, really in my life, where I'm not even sure who the number two is. Tiger Woods. I think in his prime the number two was Phil Mickelson, I think. But for 10 years, there wasn't a two. Serena Williams, who's been the second best women's tennis player? I don't think they exist. Tom Brady.

I think it's Peyton Manning, but for most of Peyton's career against Tom, Tom was the clutch, and Peyton couldn't win the big game. Michael Jordan, obviously, and now LeBron. The idea most stars wouldn't want that assignment to guard somebody that's younger in their prime, different position, red hot, and ascending is a star. LeBron takes it and then accomplishes it and talked about it after. I know it was winning time and Jamal had it going. I told my teammates that I had them and everyone else can kind of stay at bay and stay home.

And I was able to get a couple stops and we was able to rebound in basketball, which is the most important thing. It's just I'll call it the gap. I've seen it five times. The gap. Tiger, MJ, Brady, Serena, and LeBron. I'm not sure who number two is. I mean, you're going to tell me, Yonis? too. AD had a playoff series win in seven years pre-laboran. The gap. You get it about once a decade,

maybe twice. All right, the game in the NFL that a lot of people will be watching, Dak and the Cowboys go to Seattle, Russell Wilson, and the Seahawks. Now, what a lot of teams in the NFL do to beat Russell Wilson, here's sort of the theory. Keep them off the field. Run the football. Keep them off the field. Mike McCarthy says, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. We are not going to do that. We are going to get in a shootout with Seattle. We think we can match up with Seattle offense, point for point, touchdown for touchdown.

We want to score as fast as we can as many times as we can, you know, as far as the start of the game and throughout the game. But, I mean, when you get down in the fourth quarter, that's, you know, that's part of the game management. Oh, you want to get in a shootout with Russell Wilson. You know what the Dallas Cowboys offense is? It's a political ad. It doesn't matter if you're a Republican or you're a Democrat, if you're Joe Biden, Trump, Bernie Sanders. It doesn't matter.

All political ads are sort of the same. They're very slick. They put in music and they always make the candidate look the best. But it's really more marketing than it is, you know, truth. Political ads aren't really truthful. It's just promises and hope. It's slick and it's clever. Dallas's offense is a political ad.

Oh, it's slick. It gets a lot of stats. We all think it's good. But let's be honest about it. They either score too early or never enough late. Let's go to last year. Go look at last year's schedule. And you look at all those points.

But let's go to three games in particular to start. Green Bay, Buffalo, and Chicago. Those games weren't close. Green Bay led 31.3. Buffalo led 26-7. Bears led 31, 14. and the fourth. Those games were never competitive. When you needed Dallas's offense, it was nowhere to be found. They got all their points in those games in garbage times when the games were out

of reach. Let's go to three other games against very good teams, at the Saints, at the Patriots, at the Eagles. In those games, the defense, the much maligned cowboy defense, was actually excellent. But they couldn't muster a second touchdown drive against the Saints. They couldn't muster a single touchdown drive at Foxborough. And they couldn't muster a single touchdown drive at Philadelphia. So in three of their games, it was just a bunch of garbage points where they couldn't get into a shootout. The other team was like, we're going to score on you. They couldn't. And at three other games, when the defense played great against good teams, playoff teams, nothing.

Six other biggest games last year. This is a hollow political ad on offense. They're an eight and eight football team that beat one playoff team last year. And again, this year, I see the exact same thing. I'll give you an example. So against the Rams, oh, it came down to the final play. They had six drives in the second half. Result against Sean McVeigh, one field goal.

and then Atlanta. They're down by 15 with five minutes left. Atlanta's in a pre-vent. They get all their points, and then they recover the goofiest, silliest, craziest, on-side kick of all time, or they'd be 0-and-2. Again, in these games, against the Rams

who were moving the ball, just like last year in those three games, against Buffalo, Chicago Green Bay, when you had to really ramp it up, they couldn't match them in the second half. And then like those three other games where, you know, you fall behind and you need real stuff and you just couldn't deliver.

Rams in Atlanta is the Cowboys last year. When you really need them, it's either too early or too late and it's just a slick political ad. A lot more marketing than the truth. The way to beat Seattle is not to get in a shootout. The way to beat Seattle is keep Russell Wilson on the sideline, that's what Cam almost did. That's what Cam did last weekend.

Where was Russell Wilson at the end of the game last week? Watching on the screen as Cam slowly and methodically kept Russell Wilson off the field. As a Patriot fan, would you have felt better if Russell had the ball with five minutes left? No. You felt good because Cam had the ball and Cam was moving and Russell was on the sidelines. That is the way. to beat the Seahawks and Russell Wilson. All right.

So coming up next, I think we all have to be, and this is going to be incredibly uncomfortable and make everybody furious, but I whiffed on something. I totally whiffed on something in the NFL. And it's just something that we're going to have to be honest about. It's here again.

And all of you hate it. but it's a reality about the NFL, and I saw the dolphins play the Jags last night, and I didn't think about the dolphins and the Jags. I thought about the NFL's villain, and they're way better than we think. We'll talk about that coming up, plus blazing five and 50 minutes.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard 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. 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 what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4.

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 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 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. Thank you 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, Keer 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,

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Discrete can't see them. So I'm watching Miami and Jacksonville play last night, and I'm not really thinking about Miami and Jacksonville by the end of it. I'm thinking, oh my God, New England's way better than I thought. I completely whiffed on New England. eight opt-outs, lost several key free agents, didn't replace them. Brady leaves. New England's way better than I thought. The Miami Dolphins just destroyed Jacksonville, a competent team through the first two weeks, destroyed them. The Buffalo Bills have the best defense in the league

from the beginning of last year until last week. New England and Buffalo have allowed the fewest yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick against Buffalo and against Jacksonville marched up and down the field. Four touchdowns, no picks. Completion percentage, 73 percent, passerating over 113. Against New England, he could not move the chains. No touchdowns, three picks, a passer rating of 44, 85 yards rushing. They got dominated in time of possession, couldn't run, couldn't convert third downs and had 260 totally yards. I watched that Miami New England game. Miami couldn't compete.

It was over at the end of the first quarter. They moved the ball up and down the field against Buffalo's defense. They moved the ball all over the field and dominated Jacksonville. And New England is a touchdown favorite at home this week to a Raider team that just backhanded the Saints, who everybody has as a Super Bowl team out of the NFC. I have apparently made an egregious mistake on the New England Patriots. I know I know I'm a homer and stuff. But I'm watching Miami last night, and I watched Miami last weekend.

They moved the ball against everybody up and down the field. And we liked Miami at the end of last year. They couldn't even compete against New England. New England goes on the road and comes within two yards in Seattle, cross-country flight, of beating what many believe is the second best team in the league, the Seahawks. This play, that's, you know, two yards and they beat Seattle. They're favored by a touchdown over the Raiders. They annihilate a Miami Dolphins team that gave Buffalo everything and destroyed Jacksonville.

That's what I saw last night. I saw Cam, I saw Belichick, I saw New England and thought, I'm betting the Patriots this week. Top of the hour, Blazing Five. Here's Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. The final Power 5 conference has announced its plan to start the 2020 football season.

Oh, PAC 12. Oh, okay. Courage. Picture of courage. Okay, okay, way? The PAC 12 will play this fall with a seven-game season beginning November 6th. The plan includes daily testing and cardiac monitoring for anybody who does test positive. That heart, those heart issues were a big concern for a lot of programs. multiple PAC 12 players have announced that they were opting out of the season.

So now they'll have to apply for reinstatement from the NCAA if they wish to opt back in NCAA bylaw rules, players, and eligible, whether their agreement to be represented by an agent is oral or written and obviously prohibits them from receiving benefits like gifts, cash, loans, et cetera, from that agent. If we have a COVID outbreak, a slight COVID outbreak, which conference will bail first? Well, I mean, this is what the daily testing is aiming to prevent. Like, this is why those conferences were not. And look, this, as we know, everything comes down to money. Testing costs money. Right, right.

That's why we didn't have testing in the whole country for a long time, that and access to test, right? So it's not like free. That's what's doing it for the NFL. They can test every player every day. And MLB and NHL. And NHL. These leagues have money so they can provide testing every single day and provide the facilities and the medical personnel to do that. Colleges are a different world altogether.

Not only, that's not to say that college football doesn't make money, but every school doesn't have the same access to money. Every conference doesn't make the same amount of money. The bottom of most Power Five conferences are like basketball schools or like Kansas. They don't even make any money with their football program. So, yeah, Ohio State and Kansas may play the same sport. Totally different business. Exactly. And that's what people will have to keep in mind.

Like the daily testing is very important. It's a big reason why all of these leagues have been able to start up. Now, obviously, the NBA is in a bubble, so that's a different situation. They're able to quarantine people, and for the most part, prevents any kind of access to the outside world. But if you're not in a bubble, daily testing prevents the outbreaks. Now, we've obviously still had games canceled, like college is a different world altogether than MLB or the NFL that aren't in bubbles. But the daily testing is important. I hope the NCAA doesn't prevent any players who opted out from coming back,

even if they received benefits. Like, this is an unprecedented situation. That's right. Let's not make it more complicated by arguing over money. Please, let the kids play if they want to come back. So the Browns have been one of the strongest rushing attacks in the NFL with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt on the roster. So where's that leave O'Dell?

Odell says he understands that with a run-focused offense, this might not be one of his better statistical years. One of my biggest growth has come in acceptance, in a sense. And for me, knowing it's probably not going to be that kind of season. Our team is very, very, very good at running the football. So you have to play to your strength. And then I think you learn where you fit in and where you're able to make your plays and how you can help the team.

Well, he's always said he's about winning. And when he says that, it's about winning. What he's saying is this was kind of the opposite of some other receivers that have driven me nuts. OBJ is saying, listen, we're a run team, and I'm going to be rarely used, and it's like, okay, then he gets.

See, this is the difference. Cam and OBJ have both illustrated, I understand this. I have self-awareness here. There's been other great players in basketball in the NFL that they don't understand how good the structure is,

or they don't understand what the team is. OBJ has always said, I'm about winning. His comments there tell you he's about winning. I love what he's saying. And O'Dell has completely bought into the situation in Cleveland in the very beginning. As we've spoken about many times, this wasn't Odell's choice in places to go.

He didn't want this wasn't his first choice. No, but he's bought in. He's supported the team. He's back the team. He's said all the right things. And he's saying the right thing there. For the rest of us, though, that's not really good news. But we knew this.

We knew before the season started that Cleveland wasn't going to be a team outside of the running game that was going to have big statistical numbers. There's too many weapons. The other thing is your team is always going to be elevated or limited by your quarterback's talent. Baker's not somebody right now. I want throwing 47 times a game. He's not. Baker throwing 26 times a game on play action with a good running game I'm totally comfortable with.

It would be different if Odell was with a quarterback. I trust Jared Gop to throw 40 times in McVeigh, I do trust him. I don't trust Carson Wentz this morning right now to throw 42 times with that offensive line. So in the current infrastructure of Cleveland with Baker and with that team, 26 throws is about what everybody in that organization is probably comfortable with. And that means if he gets four with all those weapons, that's what he is. Yeah. His last two season with the Giants, obviously his numbers were completely different than have been in Cleveland. But there's a lot of factors that play into that as well. And nothing is ever as simple as, It's just Baker and O'Dell can't get on the same page.

I do think that's a factor, but they've had three different head coaches. Baker is limited. Whether he's a starting quarterback or not, does not mean that he's not limited, as you said. And you have to play to your strengths if you want to win. Odell wants to win, so he's buying in. I would like to see O'Dell somewhere where he can thrive and be what O'Dell is best at, but it's just that's not happening right now. So the Patriots made a nice comeback last weekend against the Seahawks,

but came short of pulling off the win. And as they look ahead towards the 2-0 Raiders on Sunday, Cam Newton is not settling for almost. There's no moral victories. I mean, what did people expect? Like, honestly, like, what did you expect? So we expect to compete to win, not just to compete in each and every game.

You know, we're coached that way. We practice that way. We attack each day that way. So, yeah, you know, are people ticked off around? right here. Absolutely. By the way, is Cam, Cam looks thinner. Is it me? His face?

I think it's probably just the camera angle. Okay. Yeah. Because he looks, he looks like camera's out of the field. Actually, he looks healthy. Yeah. Which he hasn't in three years.

Well, I mean, he's been training like crazy as he's shown. He's right. I mean, this is, I am not a big moral victory person in general, but I did kind of feel like that was a moral victory last week. Oh, I don't know. to Cam or Belichick or the Patriots, which is right. Just on the growth of Cam and Edelman and Cam and Nikiel Harry, I thought it felt like a huge

win. And he lost to the Seahawks and the last play. I mean, again, that's not in consolation to Cam, as he's saying, and he's saying the right thing. And he's right. They're playing to win the game, not just be in it at the end. That's not the type of organization that they are and not the kind of way that Cam's constructed.

But I walked away from that game thinking that not only is this working, they're competing and it's in Cam's hands at the very end of the game against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. I don't know that I would have predicted that happening before the season starts. So moral victory for us, I guess, but not for the Patriots. Good stuff, Joy with the News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly News.

Chris Broussard, he's our Fox Sports NBA analyst, interested to talk to him after what we witnessed last night and what we're going to witness tonight, brought to you by Mercedes-Benz, the best or nothing. All right, Chris, LeBron. He did it nine years ago with Derek Rose. He did it last night. He said, okay, that's the hottest guard in the league. I got this.

I was kind of blown away by it. The fact that he wouldn't even want the assignment, what did you make of that? No, it was incredible. And look, Kauai Leonard, we all know. At this stage, we'd say he's a better defender than LeBron. But he didn't do this. He couldn't do this.

Even when he ended up taking Jamal Murray and Luca Donchage, I mean, at times he was okay, but he didn't shut him down like LeBron did. Janus, we know, didn't do it with Jimmy Butler in their series. And so it was incredibly impressive. And there was one play in particular. It was about three minutes, 50 seconds left. And LeBron contested Murray at the rim. He was amazing.

Forced him to miss. I don't know if this. Right. And then LeBron sprinted down court, got the pass from Rondo, and hit the layup. Colin. That's a play that a role player makes. You know, a guy that rarely gets touches that just wants to fit in and contribute and win.

And when your superstar, the best player in the world is doing it, that foreshadows a championship to me. And so LeBron was great. And I'm going to say this too, Colin. I think what I see too more from LeBron in this series, at least, is him fitting into a system rather than being the system. Yeah. Like when Rondo's out there,

LeBron's letting him run it and LeBron's doing his thing or LeBron's running the point and AD is the top score. I think that looks good for the Lakers in the future. People have bought into this notion that, oh, this is the last chance for LeBron to win a title. I'm not sure. I think the Lakers win it this year. And then the transition is AD becomes the top guy.

LeBron's number two, but he's still a top five, top 10 player in the world. And if they build around them wisely, Their championship window is still another two, maybe three years. You know, I thought of something, Chris, I hate load management. Okay, I hate it. But I thought about this last night. So, Kauai is not a great chemistry builder.

So when he adopts load management, chemistry gets really bad. LeBron is a great chemistry creator. He did it in Miami with other stars. This team with AD, Joy and I have been saying it, week one, we're like, The chemistry is unbelievable between Vogel and the staff. I know I hate load management, but I watch LeBron in this bubble, and you know what I see, Chris? I see a guy that got three months off on his legs. I see a guy that, because of an injury last year, got three months off on his legs.

LeBron has not looked this fresh in five years. He has more energy than these kids, and I thought to myself, LeBron doesn't have to worry about chemistry because he's a magician at it. he may want to adopt load management. LeBron may want to just say, I'm playing 60 games next year, and I honestly hate it, but if this is the energy I get, I got to tell you, Chris,

I haven't seen LeBron play like this on both ends in five, six years. Well, and I think the way LeBron would load manage would be during games. Like he would play as 35, 34 minutes, whatever it is. But, you know, pace himself during the game. game. And I don't think, Colin, you're going to see him play this type of defense in the regular season. Maybe at the end of a tight game if they're in a battle with the clippers, as we saw in the first game of the bubble when he guarded Kauai. But I think he would save this type of stuff for the playoffs. And to be honest, rightly so. So I think he's going to continue to play

his 70-ish or 70-some-odd games. But I think he'll pace himself. To me, a nice line, Colin, for next year is LeBron averaging 22, maybe 23 points, 11, 10 or 11 assist and seven rebounds and letting AD be the leading score by a good couple of points. But that's good for the Lakers. And I think they, like I said, their championship window will not shut after October 12th or whatever the last day of the finals is. Chris Brasar joining us. Okay, tonight Miami can close it out, beat the Celtics and get to the finals.

I'm going to say something. This is a blasphemy. Nobody wants to hear this, especially in Miami. But even though it's 3-1 heat, I watch this series, and a lot, I think, Boston's got more good players. Boston's a better team. And then they're down 3-1. And I know you're not supposed to say that, but I've watched this. The other night, Jason Tatum doesn't score in the first half.

The Tyler Hero plays the greatest game any 20-year-olds ever played, and it's a one-point game late. And I'm like, I still think Boston has a pulse in this series. Do you? I pick Boston in seven. Look, I do think Miami at this point is going to win. I don't know how many more times we can see a team come back from a 3-1 deficit, you know, this late in the playoffs. But I agree with you. I think Boston has more talent.

Jimmy Butler even said himself that they have more talent. But Miami's tenacity and hard-nosed play, I think, is just wearing down the Celtics, which sounds crazy because they got Marcus Smart. They've got high character guys that don't quit, but they're not bringing it at the level that Miami is. And again, Brad Stevens, very good coach. Eric Spolstra is looking like all of that. I mean, with the zone defense he's employing, you've never seen an NBA team play zone as much as Miami is, and it's got Boston out of sorts at the right times.

So I do think at this point, Miami's probably going to win the series. I'll take Boston tonight. And I'm going to say this, Colin, because we all assume the Lakers win the West, and I think the Lakers win the championship. But I think either team in the East will make it a tough series with the Lakers, a six or seven game series. And I think Miami would really make it tough on the Lakers. I think you could put Bam out of Bayou or Anthony Davis,

and he can make it tough on it. He's not going to shut him down. You can put Jimmy Butler on LeBron, and he's going to make it tough on him, spell him with Jay Crowder. And then obviously they can go zone at times. And LeBron and AD neither are great shooters. And Miami shoots it well. So I think Miami will make it a surprisingly competitive series

assuming those are the two teams that get there. Chris Broussard. Finally, it is the bubble is different. I mean, we're dealing with a pandemic. It's a bubble. We have seen young players. thrive in the bubble and many veteran players like the Clippers veterans struggle like the Bucks veterans struggle you have a lot of sources in this league you talk to a lot of players

what do you what do you make of the bubble and how it's affected some players differently than other players well what I'm hearing Colin is that in the bubble it's all about ball and if you the guys that are excelling are the gym rats, the guys that just want to play. That's all they think about is playing basketball. There are guys in the league and every league and every endeavor actually who love what they do and then there's guys who like what they do. And you got NBA players who like ball, but what they really love is all that it brings,

the fame, the women, the lifestyle, the money, all of that. And there's none of that in the bubble. It is just about playing ball. even the guys that get charged up by the crowd, this is different. So this is like a lot of times when NBA players play in the summers at UCLA or in Houston or Atlanta, wherever they may be, you would go there, Colin, see some big names, see some so-so names. And some of the mediocre guys are getting off. And you're like, why is this guy bawling like this against these all-stars?

It's because they just love to ball. And they're not worried about all the ancillary stuff that some of the other guys are worried about. So the Clippers, great example, I was hearing leading up to the bubble that a lot of their guys really weren't that excited about going to the bubble, whether it was coronavirus, whether it was the Black Lives Matter or whatever the situation. But we know Lou Williams was hesitant to go. And it led me to almost pick against them. I still stuck with them, but I thought about going against them. If they aren't really all in, then I don't know that they're going to be able to win it. And obviously, you saw they underachieve because when push came to shove, they weren't all in like some of these other guys.

And these young guys, a lot of them just won a ball. They don't have families. They don't have other concerns. A lot of them don't have kids. So they just about ball and they're fine in the bubble because it's all basketball. Chris Broussard, Heat Celtics tonight. Miami tries to wrap it up. Good seeing you, bud.

All right, Colin. All right, top of the hour, Blazing Five. I think it's my best pick since the middle of last season. I absolutely, and I take some favorites this weekend. We're starting to see a trend. Favorites are covering some favorites I like this weekend. Coming up next, Greg Kosell yesterday said something I've never heard him say about a great player in the NFL. And also, you didn't like my backwards.

Hat rant, did you? I will double down on it. Coming up next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. 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 it. on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app,

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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 for finishing that sentence. Yes.

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Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Carsield.com. The code is heard. Carsheel.com. America's number one auto protection provider, carshield.com. It is great to have you in. Top of next hour, blazing five picks.

I love my picks. all of our odds always provided by a fox bet. So this is often what happens with really, really all-time greats, is that they do something you can't teach. They do something. The word I would use is innate. It's just in them. Like you couldn't explain Michael Jordan and Tom Brady's obsessiveness.

Where does it come from? They have great families. Why are they so obsessed? They're like Michael Jordan is still, it's been out of the sport for 15 years. He's still poking everybody. the ribs. You can't explain it. It's just, it's Michael, it's innate. You can't explain that Tom Brady, who has a Super Bowl trophy wing in his house, still has a chip on his shoulder.

Peyton Manning had a trait where his feet, he tapped his feet a lot. That's usually a bad sign. That's a sign like, oh, he's got nervous feet, nervous quarterback. Peyton made it work. Aaron Rogers holds the ball too damn long his entire career. He's Aaron Rogers. He makes it work. Greg Hosell talked about the greatness of Russell Wilson that he does something all his years, 41 years NFL films watching quarterbacks. He does something he's never seen but makes it work. He has the ability when there's past rush pressure to drop his eyes, look at the rush, which you would never teach anybody to do, then refocus his eyes downfield and still make throws at the intermediate and deeper levels. I can't recall in all my years doing this, seeing anybody do that.

And I think that makes Russell Wilson incredibly special. Speaking to Russell Wilson, there is a picture out there where he has his hat on backwards. It's in a practice uniform and he probably just walked out of the locker room and he's got a hat on backwards, probably a walk through before a game. And everybody's like, oh, Colin Russell Wilson's got his hat on backwards. You can wear your hat on backwards. Yesterday at the very end of my show, I talked about wearing your hat on backwards. and fans ripped me.

It was very hurtful. I did not sleep last night. Barely closed my eyes. It was very painful. But I'm going to double down on something I've always believed. And when I saw Carson Wentz with his hat on backwards after another bad performance and bad loss, standing in front of the proud Eagles banner, I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all. Let me just ask you something.

Because I believe in life, time and place and location and association and assessment. assignment matter. There are certain things you just wouldn't wear if you were introduced to the pope or the president. Time, place, location, assignment matters. If you want to wear a hat on backwards in your garage, in your yard, if you want to wear it at the beach, at the gym, in your car, I don't care. Never, never really care. In fact, Joy is my witness, I don't care if you ever wear it backwards as a baseball player, as a basketball player. I mean, baseball players wear hats all the time. What do I care? I don't even care if you wear it backwards as a linebacker in football, a cornerback,

a receiver, a tight end, an offensive lineman. I don't care. I don't care. But if you are a quarterback and you have your once-a-week podium discussion and the organization and the Philadelphia Eagles are brilliantly owned, respectfully built, smartly designed, and you have the Eagles banner behind you

with a major corporate sponsor, Toyota behind you. And you're telling me this, for a $5 billion face of the franchise, is no different than this. I think you're wrong.

I'll totally double down. Let me speak slowly. Time matters. Location matters. Assignment. Let me give you a person. I don't know him. He's very poled.

popular on the interweb. His name is Dave Portnoy. He created Barstool Sports. He's very edgy. He can be very, very funny. He's very talented. Barstool Sports attacked me yesterday. Very hurtful. This is, you know, I've got children. You have to be nicer to me. They just ravaged me yesterday. So Dave Portnoy is this very raw, you know, Hawaiian shirts, sometimes no shirts, authentic, in your face. I don't care about anybody. And, very effective. But it is interesting that a month ago he interviewed the president

and he wore suit and he was a real professional and he was respectful and he didn't swear. It's almost as if kids assignment matters, location matters, time

matters. Most of you won't be as successful as Carson Wentz or Dave. So maybe you just don't get it. But when you stand in front as the face of the franchise, don't care if you're Ken Griffith. You're a baseball player. What do I care?

I don't care if you're a hockey guy. I don't care if you're in your yard. Your gym, a bar on a date. I don't care if you wear your hat on backwards. I don't care. I've worn it in my garage. I've worn it in my yard. But on that weekly podium, you are standing in front of the logo, a major spot.

Do you know how much you have to pay? as a sponsor to get DAC in front of that logo on Tuesday. They have a casino in Dallas. They pay millions of millions of dollars. Do you know how much Toyota pays to get that logo, that sponsorship? It's not about wearing the hat. It's about the symbolism and the respect. It's why Dave wore a suit at the White House.

Because assignment matters. It's the president. Like him or not, it's the president. time, location, situation, place. You don't wear a hat on backwards, meeting the Pope. You don't interviewing the president. And I believe you don't as a franchise quarterback in that weekly press conference, especially after a loss in which you were awful.

Because I'm already questioning your judgment. You want to look like a frat boy? Go for it. Go for it. It's not me. It's not my football team. Bengals beat you this weekend. O for three wear two hats backwards.

What do I care? I'm just thinking. You're not going to pressure me into believing. that time, place, assignment, location don't matter. Hell yes, they matter. You meet with your boss, it's different than meeting with the intern. You meet with the president, it's different than meeting with a local lobbyist. And you stand at that podium as a quarterback, O&2, logo, advertisers.

You're trying to send a message. Remember Tom Brady in New England used to do the Monday radio show in Boston? Do you remember that? He didn't do it for money. Tom Brady never did that for money. Why did Tom Brady do the morning press conference for years in Boston radio? I got paid $1,000 a $1,000. The guy's worth $700 million.

He did it to spread the message for the week. Did he and Belichick arrive at a message and he is spreading the message for the week? If they lost, optimistic. If they won, we've got a lot to work on. It was symbolic. It was irrelevant. He didn't need the money. He did it for symbolism as the face of the franchise.

This is the message Bill and I want going forward. I'm doubling down on that hat thing. Wear it in your garage. Just not as a franchise quarterback at the podium. Blazing five next. 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 is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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 IHeard 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. On The Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to be. to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors.

Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.