The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd-HOUR 1-LeBron, Lakers, Vikings, Browns

Episode Date: October 12, 2020

LeBron James winning another title is simply amazingThe Vikings relied too much on analyticsThe Lakers could win the title next seasonColin isn't surprised the Browns are 4-1Guest: Michael Vick 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. For 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 you're 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 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. 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.

What a Monday. I got LeBron and Russell Wilson before I went to bed last night. Live in L.A. This is the herd, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Fox Sports Radio and right here on FS1, one hour from now, where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. A lot of wrongs this week. But last night was so very right. In America.

LeBron James, the title, Russell Wilson, the greatest drive this year in the NFL. Joy, Taylor, how are you? I'm okay. I'm okay. We had a nice season. Very nice. No, no one picked us to be there. That's right.

Went to six games. Everyone said it was going to be four or five. That's right. Come back next year. Absolutely. Maybe with Janus. Who knows? That would be nice.

It was a spectacular sports weekend, though. Oh, God. It was so good. Let's start with this. In Miami, year two title. Went back to Cleveland, year two title. Came to Los Angeles. Year two title.

That's what he does. Michael needed Scottie Pippen. LeBron just needs a ball. LeBron did not go to Golden State, already a stacked team that won a title without him. He went to three places and had to elevate each, physically and emotionally and structurally. I'll call him the Lakers brand the Lakers I was here for the previous five years they were a mess bad front office arguing siblings owning the team they kept drafting guys like lonso and d'angelo russell and julius randall and brandon ingram nice players but guys guys in a league where guys don't do anything i went back to cleveland ad chrie who was a diva who couldn't stay healthy that was his brand

pre-Lebron. Couldn't stay healthy at Duke, couldn't stay healthy in Cleveland, and didn't elevate teammates. Well, what about Miami? What about Miami? They hadn't won a playoff series in four years. And to this day, D. Wade was never a perfect fit for LeBron's game. They're just both great athletes. Neither is a pure shooter. One's not a point guard. This Laker roster, you keep forgetting. It was, you take out LeBron James. This roster is the 2018 New Orleans Pelicans. I'm not joking. The Pelicans had Drew holiday. They're better. I don't know who the greatest player ever is. I know who the greatest foundational piece in the history of American sports is, and it's LeBron James. He is the

greatest foundational piece in the history of American sports. Nine finals, 10 years, system doesn't matter, coach doesn't matter, franchise doesn't matter, teammates don't matter. He won when the second best player on the team was appointed. point guard, Kyrie Irving. He won when the second best player on the team was a wing, Dwayne Wade. He just won when the second greatest player was a big, Anthony Davis. Michael Jordan needed Scotty Pippen. Michael Jordan needed Phil Jackson.

LeBron needs the damn ball. He doesn't need a system. He doesn't need a coach. He doesn't need a robin. He had a small robin. He had a wing robin. He had a Bing Robin. Big Robin.

It doesn't matter. It does a great part of success to me. Like nobody thinks, you know, the trust fund kid is as heroic as the kid that overcome stuff. And this is not to say that Michael Jordan's road was easy. But Michael Jordan had a great set of parents. He had a great college situation. He landed in a cool city, Chicago, or once they started winning, everybody wanted to go there. then he had a great Hall of Fame coach

and to this day many say the greatest Robin of all time Scotty Pippin. LeBron didn't have any of those. We all know it's well documented. Tough childhood. Goes to Cleveland. Even when they won, they couldn't get players there. He got you on the phone.

I've been here seven years. We keep ending up winning playoff series. Chris Bosch. No, I'll stay in Canada. That's why he went to the aqua water in Miami. It's about over greatness is about what you overcome. We all acknowledge that. You know it, I know it. We don't have as much respect for somebody that has an easier path. I mean, Kevin Durant's a great player,

but LeBron never joined a Warriors that had already won a title. And I laugh at this whole thing, oh, but look at Miami. Yeah, look at him. They hadn't won a playoff series in four years. But by year two, he structurally, physically, emotionally, reboots everything. It's never easy.

I mean, we crossed our fingers this week and, oh, Anthony Davis has now heard. I saw Anthony Davis hobbled off the court and I thought, you've got to be kidding me. You have got to be kidding me. It's just never quite easy. Until this year, when I kind of feel like LeBron,

the basketball gods gave him a little bit of a break. Just a tiny little bit of a break. Somebody knocked the clippers out. Anthony Davis stayed as healthy as he's ever been. And the pandemic, let's be honest, it gave LeBron his 17th year legs. A little bit of a break. But in the end, if it's about overcoming, I mean, all you have to ask yourself is look at,

LeBron also had to face the legacy of Michael Jordan. That thing just hovered over him for the last 10 to 12 years. The Michael Jordan thing. just hovers over him. What hovered over Michael? A couple tough years with Orlando Woolridge. I mean, what hovered on? Number one pick, Michael wasn't.

Cover of Sports Illustrated at 16. You can argue who the best player is, but as a foundational piece, nobody has ever changed the league. Cities irrelevant, coach is irrelevant, teammates irrelevant, systems irrelevant. Here's LeBronham. Personally, thinking I have something to prove, fuse me. And it fueled me over these last year and a half since my injury.

It fueled me because no matter what I've done in my career, but to this point, there's still a little rumblings of doubt or, you know, compare me to, you know, the history of the game. And has he done this, has he done that? You know, so having that in my head. having that in my mind, saying to myself, why not still have something to prove? I think it fuels me. Yeah.

Listen, I'm not saying perfecting a system and staying at one place of work isn't awesome. I'm not saying that. I'm never going to take away anything from Brady and New England. But let's say Russell Wilson someday leaves Seattle, goes to the Colts and does it again, and then goes to the Cowboys and does it again. wouldn't you be more impressed? I've never seen an athlete in any sport, any time, any era where franchise number two player, coach and system is overwhelmingly irrelevant.

MJ needed stuff. He needed a coach and he needed Pippin. LeBron just needs a ball. All right. Really, really wildly emotional days. in the NFL yesterday in Dallas. I mean, from a gutting, heartbreaking, choked you up watching the game injury to DAC,

and then you have to reconcile that, like, because right after that Andy Dalton comes in and has the greatest drive Andy Dalton's at in about seven years, and Dallas wins a wildly dramatic game. I feel with the Cowboys, when DAC is starting this year, I thought they feel like an 8-18.

This morning with Dallas, I feel like there are 7 and 9 and 8-18. Listen, the DAC situation is gutting. It's awful. It's heartbreaking. He'll be back, though. He'll make money. Yesterday, I thought one of the interesting moments as he was let off the field,

he wasn't crying because of pain, which had to be incredibly, inarguably brutal. I felt he was crying because he felt he was letting down teammates, which, of course, he was not. Dak is a special dude. He is a special dude. He'll get paid eventually. He'll win games. but DAC and Dalton have one thing in common. They cannot overcome the structural realities of this franchise.

The New York Giants had scored this year 16-13-99. Yesterday they dropped 34. They looked like the Kansas City Chiefs. You have an owner who doesn't want to be challenged and a coach who doesn't want to be threatened. And I don't think Dak or Dalton, as talented as they are, they're good guys. And I think Andy Dalton's probably the first or second best backup in the league,

New England, rumor this year, they were going to roll with him. I don't think they can overcome the reality structurally of Dallas. If Dallas was a friend, they'd be a lot of fun, but you couldn't trust him with money or take you to the airport. They're the tabloid at the supermarket. You can't help but open it. The headline's remarkable. Aliens in the White House. You grab it, you open it.

And there's not a lot of substance or sourcing you can really trust. I feel awful for Dak, but he'll overcome. I'm happy for Andy Dalton. He is what he is. But I can't feel differently about either one in the Dallas situation. Dak was struggling to overcome the Cowboys holding on to try to lead the Giants. And Andy Dalton holding on for dear life at the end to narrowly beat them. Dak will be back.

Dak will get paid by somebody. Dak is a great kid. Dax's injury will not define him. I just worry that the cowboys will define him. I just, they had certain things in this organization. I don't think Dack or Dalton can frankly overcome. Coming up next, I know everybody loves analytics, baseball, basketball, and football. But I hated what the Minnesota Vikings did last night against Russell Wilson.

It drove me nuts. I would never do this against Russell Wilson. I thought it was a coaching mistake. And this is why when you play Mahomes and you play Russell Wilson, you have been warned what not to do. That is coming up next. 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. 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 I'm saying. Yep. That's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

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

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

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. 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 Podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host,

and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations

with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize

that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross,

because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines,

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You can't go wrong. Even heat. Do it from your phone. So I get analytics. I get analytics. I'm not anti-analytics. I prefer analytics, which is analytics, but use the testosterone of great pro athletes.

They're not stats. They're not numbers. They're men. Lean on their physicality. Lean on their emotion. I like analytics. which is doses of analytics, but alpha males in sports. And I'll give you an example, the NBA.

Oh, three-point shooting, three-point shooting. Who dominated last year's finals? Kauai Leonard, mid-range specialist. Who dominated this year's finals? Jimmy Butler, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James. None of them are three-point specialists. Jimmy Butler doesn't like to take them. Guys that are physical, they attack you, they go at you, they defend you, they get in your face.

analytically, where's James Hardin when it matters? The bottom line is the NBA may be a three-point league, but to me it's a defend the basket league and a situational offense league. And with five minutes to go, I'll take a Kawhi, a Jimmy Butler, a LeBron James, and an Anthony Davis over a James Hardin who can, you know, fire up threes. Analytics wanted the Minnesota Vikings to go for it last night. Fourth and two, 2621, put it away. Analytics say you go for it.

but if you don't get it, then Russell Wilson gets the ball at home. He's great in the rain, drives the field, and beats you. Right here. Wet ball, wet field. Lot bad can happen. Analytics will tell you you go for it and you seal the game. But if you kick a field goal, instead of 26-21, it's 29-21,

and Russell Wilson not only has to score a touchdown, but a two-point conversion, and at worst, it goes to overtime, where I've totally outplayed the Seahawks. Because they did outplay the Seahawks. They had 40 minutes time of possession, 450 yards. They outplayed Seattle. Completely outplayed. And analytics. And I like aggressive play calling, and I don't question play calls.

I don't with coaching. I never do that. But you have a wet field, a wet ball, a running back can slip. He can lose the ball. And then you give it to Russell Wilson. And if I'm facing, analytics tell you to go for it. If I'm facing Mahomes or Russell Wilson, I am not going for it there. I'm getting the points.

I'm forcing Russell Wilson or Mahomes to go down, score a touchdown, then get a two-point conversion because this is Russell Wilson. So he runs for 17 yards and you can just feel the air coming out of the Vikings defensive balloon. And then he goes up the left sideline. At this moment, you and I are both saying, now the game's over. What, you've never seen this before? He's the best closer in the sport. I get analytics.

except when I'm facing Russell Wilson or Patrick Mahomes. Give me points. I want to lead by 8. Even for Russell Wilson, two-point conversions are under 50%. It really is the hardest play in the NFL, a congested red zone. It's hard for everybody. Russell tried it at the end of the game. They couldn't get it.

Two-point conversions are brutal for everybody, especially late in the game. You're exhausted. You've emptied your playbook. I just, I totally disagree. Mike Zimmer after defended it. And I always hear this. We didn't come here to tie. But you came there to win, and analytically, leading by eight would have at minimum

gotten you to overtime in a game in which you controlled it. A game in which Russell Wilson until the last drive didn't even play well, and you get about two of those a year when Russell's really not playing very well. Here's Mike Zimmer. We came here to win, and so I'm not going to second guess anything. that stuff. So it's just, we didn't get it done. It was about a half yard. If we got the half yard, we win the game. So I was trying to win it. I told them on the, I told them in headset, you know, we didn't come here for this. Let's, let's go win it. Wet field, wet ball,

Russell Wilson, I'm getting the points. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat fell short of their goal of winning an NBA title this year. Congrats to Los Angeles Lakers, by the way, an incredible season. Could you hear some celebrations last night? First of all, I heard two booms at about 9.15. And I don't live in a big party town, but I think there were major fireworks going off all over Los Angeles. Then I went online because it kind of, it wasn't asleep yet.

online and downtown L.A., like Figueroa, downtown was just crazy town. Yeah, downtown L.A. was crazy. I could hear the fireworks and people were... Where you live? I'm not in a party's part of town either, but all of L.A. was freaking out last night, and rightfully so. But Jimmy Butler said he's more determined than ever to deliver on his promise of bringing a championship back to Miami. I told them that I would win them one and I didn't hold up. I ended up a bargain. So that means I got to do it next year. I told I told Coach, I'm here to win one. This is where I belong.

This is what makes me smile. This is what makes me happy. I wish I could have done it for the city. I wish I could have done it for my teammates, for the organization. But I'm still glad that it happened. Jimmy Butler, I think, cemented his NBA legacy with his performance in these finals. I think we said this ad nauseum. I've never seen an NBA player who had a brand.

And it was fair. It's like, boy, he struggles to get along. He moved out of here. He moved out of there. He moved out of Philadelphia. And I was like, talented dude, but I've seen this act in the NBA a million times. Great dude doesn't fit. Total team leader.

I thought yesterday, and you could tell late in the first quarter, I'm like, oh, Jimmy's done. Like, Jimmy's got nothing left. Well, I mean, if he looked exhausted at the end of game five, and you could barely walk when he was done with the media. I forget who tweeted out, but there's a video of him. He can barely get off of this stage. I played 33 minutes in game one, 45 and 2 and 3, 43 and 4, 47 in game 5, and 45 last night. Remember years ago when I used to defend LeBron and say, folks, you can't ask guys to play 44 a night in the playoffs. So people go, oh, I thought he's the chosen one.

You saw Jimmy Butler. A young athlete was shot last night. He was done. He didn't. And by the way, there's no flying now in this bubble. You cannot ask these guys to play 45 minutes. Hey, guard LeBron on one end, drop 40 on the. Yeah, those are hard 45 minutes.

It's not like he's out there with Bam and Goron every game. Like that was really, once Bam and Goron went out, it really felt like it was not going to be a competitive series. So I'm completely comfortable with them going six with the Los Angeles Lakers. And Lakers were incredible all season. And a lot of people didn't pick them to be there, us included. I thought it would be the Clippers. So it really was, you know, this is L.A. Hollywood writes amazing stories.

And this was a really just Hollywood season for the Lakers. In my life, I've never seen a championship team that did not have a third dependable player in my whole life. I mean, to overcome the Kobe tragedy, the beginning of the season, the bubble, which is an unprecedented situation, everything that was going on with the social unrest in this country and to be at the forefront of that and the face of that, LeBron James being the face of the league, the players not playing in games and like having to come together for meetings. Like that what they've gone through in the NBA and to have the success of that bubble is, I mean, there's nothing been like it in the history of sports. And that's no knock on any of the other bubbles who have also been incredibly successful. But the NBA was the spotlight of all kinds of criticism and still is. And they managed to pull all of it off. Not a single positive test.

That is unbelievable. Not a single positive test in the NBA. I remember when the bubble started, we were all saying, and I thought we were realistic and I thought we were fair. We were like, these guys, these are 26-year-old man, there's going to be a lot of side stuff going on. Not a single positive test. Not one. It's unbelievable.

And the NHL had an incredible bubble, MLS, WMBA, all did an amazing work. Like, whatever they're doing, obviously it understands a controlled situation can't compare it to the rest of society. But they figured out how to do it and congrats because it was absolutely incredible. So the Falcons last 2316 to

the Panthers to start 0.5 this season. season and the team finally decided to make some big changes. Atlanta has fired head coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitrov. I wonder how long. I know Matt Ryan's good, but he made a throw yesterday in the end zone. And I'm watching this league change and becoming more dynamic. I, if you get a new coach, I know it sounds crazy. I sound out of my mind.

But you start looking around football right now and I'm watching what's winning games. The new coach and GM may not be all in on Matt Ryan. either. And I know it sounds nuts, but they are not a consistent winning franchise. And the best quarterbacks in this league, the Russell Wilson's and Rogers, they win their division. They win. Atlanta's an inconsistent operation. And Matt Ryan has to own a lot of that. And this league moves fast now. However impatience the NFL was before, it has exploded because of the availability of quarterbacks. Like that used to be it. Like, all right, well, like, we're not going to be able to get a quarterback in free agency. That's done.

That's entirely possible. Matt Ryan made it throw in the end zone yesterday, and I sat there and I thought to myself, he's not Philip Rivers, but there are some of the same issues. Arms strength, the inability to move, never make special plays. It's like needs everything perfect to succeed. And I think Matt's good, but Matt Stafford's good. I'm about over the inconsistency right about now. Well, it just felt like they never recovered from the Super Bowl situation.

Yeah, well, you know, you have to be a lot of them. You have to run these decisions by me. I'm an idiot. But unfortunately, they did move on for me. I don't like firing coaches mid-season. I don't understand the point of it unless it's a toxic situation. I understand, like, sometimes you want to appease the fans, and it just feels like you just have to make a move just to do something.

But, like, where does this leave you? So now you have an interim coach for the rest of the season, so there's no more development that's going to happen. You're not going to hire someone else mid-season. So what does this really do? I just don't see the value in it other than appeasing fans. of firing in coach midseason unless it is a completely toxic situation. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Finally, Alex Smith made his NFL return nearly two years after his devastating leg injury. Nervous wreck. He entered the game against the Rams with two minutes left in the second quarter. He got hit a bunch. Kyle Allen got hurt. Everyone got hit a bunch. They gave up eight sacks in that game. I was a nervous wreck watching this game.

And he kept getting... This acts six times. By the way, Aaron Donald is so much... better than the second best player in the league at his position. I mean, like, Mahomes is great, but there are nights Russell Wilson's better. Aaron Donald is so much better than the second best interior defensive lineman in the last 10 years in the league. There's nothing like him in the entire league.

He's really taking 32-pound guards and throwing them. It's crazy. Well, after the game, Alex Smith said it felt good to be back out there and take a few hits. It was great. It was great to be out there. I've worked, you know, I think the feeling, the range of of emotions, the good and the bad, is why I thought so hard to come back. You know, I think sometimes you can take it for granted.

And certainly being away from it for a couple of years, I've missed it. It was nice to, you know, as you know, that you're fine and going out there. And, you know, it was nice to kind of get the cobwebs off, so to speak. Wasn't it a Dwayne Haskins issue, I'll tell you that. That old line is bad. That seems like it's an old line issue. Oh, my God. It was, and the Rams, beyond Aaron Donald, do not have a consistent pass rush.

So don't, don't, this is not the 70 Steelers. Like the Rams outside of Darnold struggled to get to the quarterback except yesterday. They looked, I mean, it was, you, we can say all I want about Dwayne Haskins, but everybody's under duress there. They came up eight sacks. It's incredible. It used to be like a season high in the NFL. It's a weekly thing.

Like, of all the, of all the ways that Alex Smith could come back after that surgery, He comes back to a game where they give up eight sacks and six of them are on him. It's wild. Anyway, Ron Rivera said Allen will be the starter going forward if he's healthy. So we will see Kyle Allen back out there. But congrats to Alex Smith. He's had a long, hard road back. You could also see by the plays Washington was running.

They didn't trust the O-line because everything was a dump-off. Like you could tell their play calling was get the ball out of the quarterback's hands. Joey with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie news. 13 years in the NFL got hit a few times as well. Four-time Pro Bowl are.

friend Michael, Vic, brought to you by Mercedes Ben's, the best or nothing. By the way, watching Alex Smith, I was a nervous wreck watching Alex Smith. When you were watching Alex, how are you feeling, Michael? Alex is a good friend of mine, so, you know, just my heart was with him, but as excited as I was to see him out on the field, I also wanted him to protect himself and just get through the game. You know, when you're coming back from an injury like that, it's all about just getting hit for the first time. getting a field for the game again, getting that floor of the game, and just trying to, you know, jail with your teammates and figure out what the game is really all about again.

Because, you know, he's two years removed from playing his last game. So, you know, things have changed a little bit. But I know he's a smart guy. He's paid attention to, you know, how the game has transpired. But at the same time, getting that first hit and knocking off the cobwebs. It's something I know that he was excited about. So Russell Wilson is the best closer in this league, and I don't know what it is, Michael, but some guys get tight late in games, some guys get loose late in games.

What do you think it is about Russell that he didn't even play well last night? He struggled the whole game. And then there's a minute and a half left, and he's absolutely brilliant. What is it about his makeup that makes it work? But the fact that he was able to fight through the elements, a wet ball, you know, raining all night. That was one thing, and that was key. To be able to handle that was something special within itself.

But, you know, Russell's going down as one of the greatest of all time, man. And he just got ice water in his veins. Nothing seems to faze him. He believes in itself. And you can almost look at his eyes and just his mannerisms throughout the game and know if he's going to be awful on that night. And 90% of the time he's on, like he's. He's just one of the greatest, one of the best ever doing it, and I admire him so much.

You know, if my son grew up and play quarterback, you know, I'm going to make sure that he watch a lot of Russell Wilson's going. There's something about Russell, his conviction, he's not afraid to fail. They're just certain. He's got just some, there's just some bedrock quality to him that he believes in himself. You know, it's his, maybe it's his religious background. It gives him some certainty in his life. He's not, he's very, he calls it being neutral.

He doesn't get high, he doesn't get low. And I love Brady, but Brady can yell and scream, and you just don't see it from Russell. It's a great innate quality he has. Now, the Dak Prescott situation, as somebody who's played in this game, and do you think it hurts Dak going forward as the cowboy quarterback?

Do you think they'll franchise him again? What do you think happens next year for Dak? You know, I think Jerry Jones, he honors Dak and what Dak has stood for over the last four to five years. It's been nonstop for Dak ever since he came out of college and just being thrust into the lineup, you know, having to, you know, be the predecessor for Tony Romo was not an easy task. America's team and, you know, everything that comes along with that, he's handled it extremely well and, you know, sometimes positive, sometimes negative press has been

surrounding him, but Dak has been one of the guys who has rose to the occasion. I think we all love him for that and we respect them for that. And obviously his teammates does as well. So I think moving forward, Jerry Jones will pay it forward to that. It might not be the most lucrative deal, but it'll be something respective. And, you know, just, you know, for everything the deck is still for and how hard he's worked, man, I think he deserves another, you know, three or four years to show, you know, that he's the, you know, the Cowboys franchise quarterback for the next, you know, up and coming years.

You know, we said Andy Dalton is efficient. I don't think he's DAC, but he's efficient. Can they, could they still win a division with Andy Dalton? Absolutely. I always been a big fan of Andy Dalton. I thought he was one of the guys. Even in Cincinnati, when he didn't have the most talent, he made the most of what he had.

And one of my former coaches, James Urban, work with him throughout the course of his career early, and just had a lot of praise and a lot of great things to say about him. And it showed up. It showed up on the field when he had weapons out there. He was able to, you know, win games. And I think he's an efficient quarterback. And certainly Jerry Jones is patting himself on the back for this move. And I'm glad that they made this move so that the Cowboys just don't tank.

Because when you don't have a good backup quarterback, you know, it becomes dismal for the entire team. And guys just, you know, they started to give up and feel like the season is a wash. And that's not the case here. It's still allowed to fight for NFC East Wide Open. talk about and I can't wait to see where Andy Dalton is going to do filling in for that. Yeah, I mean, Washington, New Yorker and rebuilds, Philadelphia is not a lot of dynamic playmakers there. So I think Andy Dalton can make, I don't think they'll be quite as mobile at quarterback, but this is a wide receiver-driven franchise right now anyway.

So yesterday, it was, it was Jimmy Garoppolo was coming off a little bit of an ankle injury and Mike, he was awful. It was, I mean, it was, he threw into a cover two one. time and that's like a high school mistake. Is it the injury? Give me your thoughts on what happened because it was hard to watch. Yeah, I watched the game and it's certainly the injury. You can see Jimmy G.

trying to compensate and make certain throws. It's basically not the end. One thing about an ankle injury, you just lose a lot of power in your lower body. And you've got to be able to step into throws and not be worried about if that ankle is going get rolled up again because it's something that be, it's on your conscious consistently, you know, when I had my ankle injury and coming back, the only thing I didn't want to do is get it rolled up on again. So it was kind of like altering, you know, my throwing motion and now I'm a little out of sync in terms of my base. And those are things that has to happen on the throw like that. If you don't

have your base up under you, the ball sale on you. And you just got to be nice and compact in the pocket and confident. And it certainly showed. And the Miami Dolphins defense, they knew that. They knew. he wasn't 100% he was probably 80 to 85% and that's just not good enough at the quarterback position maybe if it was an upper body injury a rib or a shoulder injury he could have he could have made it through but certainly not not the lower body it's just a totally different animal when you're dealing with that uh michael vick joining us for the record um i get analytics but i do think all sports are best served when you listen to all the analytics but there's still moments where you're where I'm just going to lean on my alpha males.

So I did not like, and you tell me, I did not like the Vikings going for it last night. Because my takeaway was, I know who the other quarterback is. And Russell Wilson, I've seen him do this. They went for it on fourth and one and a half and didn't get it. If they kick a field goal, they're up by eight. The worst they can do is overtime. That's the worst they can do. If you're a quarterback, you probably fight to go for it.

But what would you make of the call by Minnesota? I would have had a long talk with my coach before this call was made. And if we had a timeout, I probably would have called timeout to just talk it over, just to reassure him, you know, if we kick this field goal, then they got to get a touchdown and a two-point conversion in a difficult situation, you know, with the elements and just how well we played throughout the game. I feel like, you know, the Vikings had some momentum. I would have kicked the field goal and I would have made Russ.

drive the length of the field and those elements have to score a touchdown and get a two point and get a two point conversion, which is sometimes not ideal and easy to do. And those are the type of decisions that get coaches fired. Yeah. Because now you go from, you know, I think you're one and four now, when you could easily have been two and three. It makes a big difference for the morale of the team. And when you're a coach, you got to think about the team overall. And I understand being aggressive, you know, and it's a time and a place for that. But, you know, on the road, you know, in Seattle, facing Russell Wilson, you just don't make that decision right there and there.

You kick the field goal and show your defense that you believe in them. Yeah, it's interesting, too, because the Bears won in your division on Thursday night. Green Bay is on fire. So to your point, like, I'm looking at that and I'm thinking, my division keeps winning. Right. Yeah, and so, you know, I am not a guy that doubts play calling at all, but I didn't like, plus wet field, wet ball, a running back can have it.

You can be open, cut back and fall. To your point, I didn't like it. And you see they had to make some miraculous plays just to get down the field after they got the ball on what, you know, four-yard line and went 96 yards. I mean, it's amazing, man. Russ is amazing. Good stuff, Michael. Appreciate you stopping by.

Thanks for having. We're going to have to readjust how we think about LeBron and athletes in their prime. And the Cleveland Browns are four and one. Four and one. Baker in my face. I'll address that coming up. 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 on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, 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 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 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. 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking.

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

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

Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, our Heart Radio app. Search, Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Michigan Endurance XD Silicon Wiper Blades,

only available at Walmart last two times longer Real World Proven. By the way, top of the hour, Colin Wright, Colin Wrong, and a Monday. It is great to have you in. I remember and it wasn't that long ago. I was in like Las Vegas out of college. Wasn't that long ago, really. I may have some gray on my beard, but I remember it well.

That eating pasta, just having a big bowl of pasta, that was health food. You just learn. I mean, my mom just plied me with bran when I was a kid. I never stopped eating raisin brand. And then about like 15 years ago, there was a study that came out and it just said, yeah, it's just doesn't really have any effect. Just, you know, don't smoke cigarette. You'll live long.

walk around the park a couple times a week. We just keep learning about nutrition and all this stuff. We're going to have to sort of reboot what we think about in their prime means. LeBron James just won an MVP at like 35 years old. He's still the best player in the NBA. Jimmy Butler looked tired. LeBron James did not. Raphael Nadal over the weekend won the French Open.

He's 34 years old. That used to mean like you were done. Your knees gave out. You were done. Raphael Nadal's got three more French opens. Federer's 39. He could still win a tournament. Jokovic is, you know, 33, 34 years old.

The reality here is Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Breeze is 41, Brady's 43, Aaron Rogers, 36, Big Ben, 38. Right now, 17 games, they're 13 and 4 that we all think that are in Super Bowl teams. Green Bay, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, we just have to rethink its nutrition, its training, and its commitment. And the Lakers should be favored next year. If you really think about it, Avery Bradley comes back. I mean, LeBron, they blew through the West. They didn't even get the advantage of it. of playing at home.

They were the number one seed and had to play in a bubble. They didn't even get the advantage of playing at home in Los Angeles. So they want Avery Bradley comes back. They were 16 and 5 in the playoffs. They blew through four different teams. So, you know, there is, I start looking at it. LeBron is just so committed. LeBron, Tom Brady, and Russell Wilson are just so committed.

And I, you know, it's, I kind of laugh sometimes people are like, I don't want to be owned by the man. we're all kind of run by somebody. Either it's genetics, the man upstairs. LeBron, Brady, and Russell Wilson have just said, I'm going to change the way. I'm going to take trainers on vacations. And I know that for a lot of you, surfer dudes,

that just doesn't, you know, you can't reconcile that. I'm on vacation, man. But the reality is, you know, you wake up, you go for a jog, you work out for about an hour and a half, you still hang out with your family. These guys take trainers on the road with them. And what does it mean? that means you're more available for longer for your teammates and your franchise.

I look at LeBron and if he's not favored next year, I can't imagine why. Here's LeBron. I put myself and my body and my mind and position to be available to my teammates. I've never missed the playoff game in my career. And the best thing you can do for your teammates is be available. And for me to be available to my teammates and put into work, I just hope I make my guys proud. And that's all the matter to me.

I made my guys proud, make the fan-based crowd, my family back home. I can't wait to get back home to them. Akron, Ohio, we did it again. And, you know, that's what it's all about. Greatest investment you can make is in yourself. And Russell Wilson, Brady, and LeBron make huge investments in themselves. Cleveland Browns are four and one. I know what you're saying.

In your face, Colin Baker Mayfield is dominating. Actually, this is not a surprise. We predicted they'd be a playoff team. Everything Cleveland is doing to this point is incredibly predictable. They lost to the only great team they faced Baltimore. They got hosed 38 to 6. We predicted Baltimore would be much better. They beat four very average teams.

We said they're going to be way too talented to not be a viable playoff team. They're led by their running game. We predicted they'd be led by their running game. They have a much better head coach than Freddie Kemp. Kitchens. We said last year, Freddie Kitchens wasn't even a college head coach. They're still, their quarterback is still mistake prone. And when you ask Baker Mayfield to throw 35, 40 times, like yesterday, he threw in the high 30s. He had a couple of really bad picks. They have too much talent to lose to really average teams. We've seen that. But they're not talented enough

to overcome what I think is maybe the 15th, the 17th, best. quarterback in the NFL. This week, they face the Steelers. They're four-point underdogs. That's exactly what they should be. By the way, in this division, we predicted Cincinnati would be bad. They are. Baltimore would be the best team. I think they are. Cleveland would be a playoff team. I think they are. My only whiff in this division is Pittsburgh, which I said is a 500 team. Right now, they're playing very well. I still have my reservations about the Steelers forno. I have a right to criticize a four-and-o team. Pittsburgh is not. quite there offensive lead. Nobody drafts better wide receivers than them. I'll say that.

There's nobody quite like the Steelers drafting wide receivers. But nothing Cleveland is doing is surprising. They're better coached, more reliant in the run game, too talented to not beat teams like Cincinnati, Washington. And yesterday when Phillip Rivers went Phillip Rivers, they're too good not to beat the Colts. Colin Wright, Colin Wrong next. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite, unhumored me with Robert Smygel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L'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. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me I'm Sam Jay

And I'm Alex English Each episode We pick a year unpack what went down And try to make sense Of how we survived it With our friends Fellow comedians

And favorite authors Like Mark Lamont Hill On the 80s 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 A win is a win A win I don't care what you'll say Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok. Podcast Network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.