The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 1 - March Madness

Episode Date: March 20, 2023

Colin's thoughts on the crazy March Madness games over the weekend The hard truth about Aaron Rodgers' value  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeartRadio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go on a vibrant Monday. day. Lots and lots to talk about. It's Los Angeles. Another wet, cold front coming in like the rest of the country. It's the herd, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks for Megadess part of your day. What, uh, Colin Wright, Colin Wrong one hour from now. Plenty of both. A lot of stuff. What a fun weekend. I know it probably isn't healthy, but sitting on my couch watching college basketball from Friday afternoon until late last night as Gonzaga,

beat TCU in a very good game. I can't say the last time, I mean, during the NFL season, you and I, football season, you get a lot of that. But I just sat there. And I know college basketball, the high end, the NBA talent isn't what it used to be. But, and it's more of a defensive tournament. But, boy, the energy and the intensity, wasn't it great? Oh, unbelievable stuff, coward.

And, you know, at the risk of tuning my own horn, I'm leading two bracket contests after the first weekend and in the Fox Sports Radio talent pool. Take a guess who's number one. Right here, baby. It was a great weekend of basketball. Well, it wasn't great for me that way, but I got to start with this. Here's what's left. 11 conferences represented in the final 16 teams.

That's pretty cool. But it goes beyond that. Forget the brackets for a second. Just let's talk parts of the country. The West, fans out west, Gonzag is in it, UCLA is in it, San Diego State's in it. Let's go to the south. How about Arkansas? I thought they were dead middle of the season.

Arkansas in it, Texas in it, Tennessee's in it. Boy, they have a second half against Duke. How about the Midwest? Craton's around. Xavier's around. And Tom iso and Sparty are still alive. How about the East? Princeton, Yukon.

Just forget the brackets. Look, college football is never going to give you that. The one and done in the transfer portal, you can, you can, complain. about it and you don't like it. And sometimes I think there needs to be guardrails. But it works for college basketball. I mean, Princeton isn't lucky. Princeton's pretty good. I watch Florida Atlantic. They're talented. I watch San Diego State. Damn, they're good. I mean, right now, Gonzaga is a better basketball program than Kentucky. And San Diego State's better than arguably everybody in the Big Ten. Sorry, they are. With a transfer portal, you can

remake your roster in six weeks. Look what Arkansas did. You can go from wobbly to loaded in a couple of months. College football is more popular and there's more professional bodies on the floor. But college basketball is endless hope. Arkansas is a great example. At one point, they were, what, eight and ten in the SEC. I mean, you have two losses by October in college football. Enjoy a second-tier bowl game. Not here. Eight and ten. 10, middle of the season for Arkansas. I watched them play Kansas. My takeaway was, I don't know.

I think they're better. We have 16 teams left from 13 states. And you know I love my college football. But three states are overwhelmingly, and I can tell you who they are right now control college football this year. One will be from Georgia, one will be from Alabama, and Ohio or Michigan. Take your pick. This year, it may be Michigan.

And it's March. and college football season doesn't start for six months, and I love the sport, but it's too regional. It's why over the last decade, the ratings have gone down. I don't know if it's the one and done. I don't know if it's the transfer portal. I had a blast watching this weekend, and I know the athletes are better now than ever, but if they're really good, they're off to the NBA. But there's just enough offensive talent and just enough talent overall to make it really compelling.

I had a blast. College football now is the SEC Big Ten Invitational, occasionally add in an Oregon or a Clemson or in Oklahoma. That's what it is. Again, I can tell you who's in next year's playoff, at least two to three of them. So complain all you want. You can complain about things in life or you can embrace it because most stuff, most cultures here, it's changing, adapt or die. I thought it was spectacular. Forget just the brackets, the east, the west, plain states, Midwest. I thought it was absolutely fantastic basketball. I couldn't take my eyes off it. And it doesn't matter that Drew Timmy probably won't be a great NBA player. He's a great college player. And that's fine, too. All right, so this is interesting. You know, everybody wants to tell you how valuable they are, how important they are. And that's fine. We all should have a little bit of vanity. It's not terrible, right? I know they say pride before the fall, but it's okay. Feel good about yourself. But ultimately, you'll be judged. your value as a professional athlete or an actor or I'm going to see a movie premiere tonight. I never go see those things.

Air, the MJ story, Matt Damon. And your value is when you're on the open market. And isn't this interesting? According to Albert Breer, teams not in the Aaron Rogers sweepstakes are saying they would not give up a first round pick for him. They would give up. The Jets should give up a second this year and then a conditional pick next. year. Now think about that. Two years ago, Matt Stafford with a losing record went for two first round picks, a second round pick, and a Super Bowl quarterback, Jared Goff. Aaron Rogers today,

second round pick, maybe a third rounder next year, conditional. Prickly, not committed, kind of old. If Patrick Mahomes was available on the market today, we were discussed on this as a team this morning. I got to say five first round picks minimum minimum in perpetuity until he retires I mean give him five first round picks thirds force in a player I mean good God Tyree kill a wide receiver went for five picks Christian McCaffrey a running back that struggles to stay healthy went for a collection of picks I know I know I know you think I'm picking on Aaron this is what the market is telling you and that's why Green Bay and the Jets are in a bit of a stalemate. It's because the Jets are like, we like him.

We're not giving you a first round pick. He doesn't commit to the offseason. We just watched him with young wide receivers. It wasn't great. We can't get him to really commit to us for anything beyond this year. You've got to combine all this stuff. When you're talking about a guy's market, it's not just, well, a couple years ago, he won the MVP.

Is he committed? Is he healthy? Is he in good shape? Does he come into camp focused? Is he willing to go to OTAs with young wide receivers and young backs in a rebuilt offensive line? But it's very interesting. Tyreek Hill went for five picks, a wide receiver. Right now, Jemar Chase and Justin Jefferson would go for more than a first round pick.

And the word on the market with Aaron Rogers, a first ballot Hall of Famer, no argument, a second rounder this year, and then we'll figure out if he plays next year, maybe a third. the market tells you what you're worth. I don't and you don't. Mark Slarathon last week on the potential trade compensation for AR. I don't know that they want to make him suffer, but they definitely want to try to maximize the value. So then you have to ask yourself, what is the value?

What is the value in regards to draft picks and potential compensation from that standpoint versus the value of just getting that number off your salary cap? And so, you know, I think the Jets are playing that. game like, hey, dude, you can't carry that number on your salary cap. So eventually you've got to make a deal with us. And we're not going to give you the capital that maybe the Broncos gave a 34-year-old quarterback in Russell Wilson last year. It's very interesting. Lamar Jackson, today doesn't have much of a market. Aaron Rogers doesn't have much of a market. So make of it

what you will. The market determines your value. I don't. The media doesn't. Second round pick. and maybe something next year if he plays. That's it. So going back, right, Colin wrong in one hour from now, going back to the tournament, I had Duke winning at all.

But I did think one of the things I really liked watching this tournament is that the teams are younger than ever because obviously the transfer portal, guys moving around. And I think if you're Mike Shishowski and your Jay Wright or you're Roy Williams and you're older, it's a lot. But I'll say this and I'll say it about college football.

I watched college football last year. I watched USC and LSU, Brian Kelly and Lincoln Riley, literally turn chaotic programs around in one season. And both LSU and USC got the offense right very quickly. It's very hard in college football to solve both sides of the ball in one transfer portal and recruiting class. Very difficult. But they both, Brian Kelly at LSU, Big Brand. USC Lincoln Rodney Big Brand. They definitely solved one side of the ball.

But in college basketball, it's different. You get three really good players like in Arkansas. You've solved everything. You can solve your guard. You can solve, I mean, I'm watching Tennessee beat Duke. And by the way, I am four. Like Kentucky's model is go heavy, heavy, heavy into 18-year-olds in high school five-star. But last year, never forget that Kentucky won the national championship.

add five-star guys, but their leading scores were a senior and two juniors. So Kentucky's become a little bit of a turn style. And what happens is you often have very young players playing against older players. So I'm watching like Texas this weekend. Texas got seniors. Texas has seniors everywhere. That's a big advantage when you're playing an 18 to 19 year old and your guys are 22 and can push young guys around.

Never forget. It's hard to win as good as the Fab 5 was. It's hard to win a college championship. with 18, 19-year-olds, and it's hard to win in the playoffs with 23-year-olds. As good as all these young guys are in the NBA, the history tells you. Old guys, Boston, Milwaukee, even Denver has got some veteran players. That's what wins in basketball these days. So I enjoyed the heck of it.

I thought it was so much fun. I want to talk about John Calapari, what to do with what they have at Kentucky 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-Hart Ration. 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, 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 Clivert 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 Podcasts, 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 a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at a podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick you here, unpack what you? went down and tried 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 all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. 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. Yeah, one of the differences of college basketball, Michigan State, I think it shot 12% from 3 in 1. Kansas State couldn't hit the broad side of a boat in the first half. I think they were over 12 on threes, and I think they led Kentucky. So in the NBA, it's very much driven by the three-pointer, not good or bad. It's just I, I tend to like, layered basketball. I like having a classic big school, Drew Timmy for Gonzaga down low. I like that. But Kentucky's a fascinating story because last year they lost to St. Peters. Now losing in the tournament, the great coaches of all time lost in the tournament a lot. Mike Shoshchewski, Roy Williams, Bill Self, it's okay. Last year they lost to St. Peters. That's not acceptable for Kentucky.

That would be Alabama, you know, 10 years into Nick Sabin's reign, losing it home to Troy. He just can't do that. So here are the 10. teams that have made the final four since the last time Kentucky did. There's 18. Many of these are football schools. Auburn, Baylor, Duke, Gonzaga twice, Houston, Kansas, Oregon, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Michigan State, Michigan, Loyola of Chicago, South Carolina, Syracuse, Texas, Tech, UCLA. Can't wait for UCLA Gonzaga.

What a game that'll be. Villanova, Virginia. So there's a three-year trend for Kentucky, and they are underachieving as full. fair. I think it's temporary. They were the first to really embrace the one and done, and they deserve a ton of credit for it, and they had a lot of success. They did win a national championship. One, just one, but they still won, and they deserve credit for it. Then Duke came in, Kansas came in, and those guys have both won a title since. And it should be noted again, when Kansas won the title last year, their three scores, leading scores, were two juniors and a senior. I think Kentucky's

in a weird spot where they're not quite sure what they are. Are they going to go back to the high school five-star players, that's what I would do, or are they going to do the transfer portal? They could nibble at that. But I would go back to what they do really well. It's a great program. I'd go back heavy to the high school kids. Some will be one and done. Not all of them will be.

But right now, Villanova and Gonzaga, I would prefer doing it that way. I don't want the drama. I don't need five stars. I don't like the turn style college programs like Kentucky. I think it's harder to coach, harder to create chemistry. and, you know, Texas, their best eight players, six are seniors. I like that. Bigger, stronger, physical men, not kids, but Kentucky's had a great deal of success.

I think they're trapped in the middle. Do they want to be a transfer portal team? That certainly works. Do they want to be a five-star one-and-done program? They had great success with that. But next year, Kentucky's five best players, I looked this morning at recruiting. Four of them will be high school players. That may be their best avenue and go very light in the transfer.

transfer portal, make it a glamour program with the high school kids. But I mean, AT&T is doing a commercial making fun of Kentucky one and done. We can make fun of it, but they had a lot more success just doing that than what they are now. Here's John Calipari after. I understand what this program's about. And I think, again, that's what makes it what it is. And that's why I tell players this isn't for everybody because the expectations are so high. And the same with coaching. It's not for everybody. This thing is, there's a high expectation level, and it is Kentucky. You put that on.

The other team's going to play out of their minds, and they're going to play like they have nothing to lose. And that means you've got to play that way. Yeah, listen, the reality is he's a great recruiter and a great salesman. He's always been fair to the media, sometimes feisty. I think he deeply cares about his kids. He's built this program up. Kentucky basketball can be a hornet's nest. You know, with Duke, not that Duke is easy, but it's a small school.

There's an academic lean. I always feel like it just works as a basketball school with its academics and its history. And everybody, the professors, the athletes, everybody's all in. You know, Kentucky, you had Calipari this year sparring with a football coach. So I think it's a hard job. There's media swarming all over it. The expectations are out of this world. but I do think they're kind of caught in a weird place.

I feel like Duke, Gonzaga, UCLA, I think they know what they are. And I feel like Kentucky's got to go back to being sort of this glamour program with the high school stars. That's what they are. That's what they won with. I think he's a really good teacher. Whether he's the best X as and O's coach, I don't know. I'm not a coach. I don't know.

I never think Kentucky's poorly coached. I've asked some coaching friends. They think Kentucky's well coached. So we'll see. right now they're underachieving. And five years ago, they were the glamour program. So success is hard. There's animosity.

Duke nibbled away at their success. And right now, you know, Duke's in a better spot overall as a program, despite Mike Shoshesky being gone. Here's J-Mack with the news. Turn on the news. This is the Heard Line News. Got to say, I love the college basketball start to the show. Very exciting.

Oh, just an awesome tournament. And Kentucky's in a world of hurt right now. is. I don't know who's more upset. Kentucky fans at their coach or Purdue fans at Matt Painter. I had some Purdue fans. A guy who played there on buddies with, they are just irate. I mean, Payner every year at March. Well, in fairness, the Big Ten doesn't have a history in the last 25 years of winning the tournament. And Michigan states, are they the lone survivor now out of the Big Ten? Whereas the SEC, Tennessee looked great. Arkansas looked great. Texas is moving into the conference. They look great. So I don't know if in that footprint.

print, or they're more just great athletes in the south, perhaps in Texas, perhaps. That's probably it. But, I mean, Purdue leaned on a seven-foot-two kid, Eadie. Seven-four. Seven-four kid. So he's a really, really, really good college basketball player. There's no perimeter game. I think he's a little slow-footed for the NBA. You could expose him. Great college basketball kid. And they leaned on him. And, you know, when you kind of are one player, I mean, Gonzaga has Drew Timmy, but they've got a lot. of talent and a lot of experience and a lot of guys can score. I felt Purdue felt like they were,

they really depended on Edy a lot. And, you know, it's hard in the tournament. The coach just refusing to come out a man to man. All they did was attack Edy in the pick and roll. 7-4, like you said, doesn't move his feet well. And he didn't take a shot, I think, for like six minutes down the stretch. Guys were just bricking open threes. Oh, tough one for Purdue. All right, let's get to the NFL, Colin. Interesting Lamar Jackson news from over the weekend. Still, uh, nobody really talking to them, but ESPN's Jeremy Fowler gave an update. Listen to these four teams. Right now, there's no real firm offer sheet for Lamar Jackson that I'm aware of. Teams are slow playing this. The draft will be a good indicator. You have a team like the Colts at four. If they can't get

the quarterback of their future in the draft, maybe they pivot to Lamar Jackson. The Jets, should they strike out with Rogers, they could pivot. Then you have wild cards like Tennessee, New England. You never know. What do you make of this? Well, I read a story last night before I just finish up TCU and Gonzaga, and I'm sitting there, you know, reading sports stuff before I go to bed. So those sports stories are percolating in my head. And there was a story about an offensive lineman for Tennessee, Ben Jones, leaving.

And I thought, oh, I know Vrable loves Ben Jones. Are they clearing space? So that may, I told you, I thought Aaron and Tennessee, I always thought, if he was going to leave Green Bay, that was the place. So I think the Jets will get him. But Mike Vrable's too good of a coach and he's got power in the franchise. Don't you think there's some ego there that he wants to now that he controls more of the franchise to win more? And he also looks at Trevor Lawrence knowing they've got a star quarterback in this division.

They play twice a year. So the idea that Mike Brable is just going to sit back there with the Willis kid, the young quarterback, Malik Willis. It seems like the jubes. GM who's been ousted wanted Willis. And I don't know that Vrable did. Because remember, late in the season, playoffs on the line, you've got to beat Jacksonville. They started the kid Josh Dobbs instead of Malik Willis.

So I don't know that Willis is in the future plans. You could be on to something. I wonder what do they do with Tannahill, big cap hit? Would he be willing to move off him? I just, Vrable's really smart. And he looks around the AFC and he sees Mahomes and Burrow and Herbert and Lawrence and Lamar. he can't think what he's got now is even in his own division. I mean, if the Colts got Lamar Jackson tomorrow,

Lamar Jackson and Trevor Lawrence, you're fighting for third with Houston. Yeah. Now, the New England aspect is kind of interesting here. Bill Belichick did remember go for Cam Newton a couple years ago after Brady left. They don't have much on offense there. There were skill position players kind of spotty. There was a talk of D'Andre Hopkins, possibly.

Patriots and Lamar Jackson, that feels like the Ravens would never let him go. Because remember the history of Harbaugh and Belichick. I would love that. But let me ask you, then where would Mack Jones go? Anywhere the Patriots want him to. You and I defer greatly on Mac Jones. If the Patriots all of a sudden said, we got Lamar, who wants Mac Jones? Do you think there's a robust market for Mac Jones out there?

I think it's bigger than you think. He's on a rookie deal. He's on a rookie deal. I think Kyle Shanahan would look. I think Robert Sala, if this thing drags out, would look. In the division. Okay. People do that all the time now.

It's not like it used to be. I mean, it used to be you didn't do that. This year, the Lions trade a great tight end to Minnesota. And we were both like, what in the people now, they make trades. It feels weird. Bring it in the new offensive coordinator to work with. with him. All right. All right. Just throwing it out there. All right. Next up. How about the Lakers last night? Coward. What a performance from Austin Reeves. The Oklahoma Legend. Look at that 35 points career high.

He was on fire. He carried them. People were looking for Anthony Davis, you know, needing a win in this one after the brutal loss on, I believe it was Friday to the Mavs. And Austin Reed just took over the game. Final 10 points of the night. Here he is talking about his career night. Every time I take the court, play with a sense of urgency, and, you know, leave it all out on the floor. Because, I mean, I just feel like that's how basketball should be played. And for them to, you know, recognize, you know, what I do, obviously not an MVP, caliber player, guys that are really good. But for them to do that for me is special. means a lot to me. So, you know, shout out Lake Nation.

I took the weekend off of the NBA. I was all on college basketball. He's a great story. Undrafted kid, right? Undrafted out of Oklahoma. He was a three-star high school recruit. Not a ton of interest. And I'm telling you, do you remember his final game at Oklahoma? Because I did tweet about this. I don't. They played Gonzaga, which was undefeated at the time. And basically it was Austin Reeves against, like, a bunch of future pros. Jalen Suggs was there for Gonzaga. And Corey Kisper, both of them won the first round. Austin Reeves was the best player on the court. Timmy had 30, but it was Austin Reeves against the world. He had 27, kept them in the game for a while. And you could just tell, this is that kid who hung around college for a while. He knows how to play, not afraid of anyone. There's value in these guys. And the NBA loves,

oh, give me the 18, 19 year old who's young. This guy came into the league. He's been damn good on the Lakers two straight years. No, it's a good story for the Lakers. I mean, we've been critical of some of their, you know, some of their moves through the years being too star obsessed. But I, you know, If you start looking at the Lakers and when they went and got Rui and they have Reeves, they've got some like Malik Beasley, they've got some really dependable role players. They didn't go get a star coach. They went and got Darvin Ham, who's a defensive guy. By the way, since Westbrook left, the Lakers, I think, are the number one defense efficiency

rating in the league. Reef could defend. It's very unlaker-like, where it's not star-driven, it's not about offense. It's Darwin-Ham defense and role players, and they're semi-viable. You think they're going to get in? No, I don't. Do you remember last week we talked about why is Troy Brown playing so much? Why is Austin Reeves chained to the bench and Lonnie Walker's not even playing? Like, I don't know what's going on with the rotation. By the way, Brian Winhorse, do we both know? He said that he believes LeBron may not be coming back until like the very end of the regular seat. They're going to need nights like this from Austin Reeves. Did you watch the Friday night Mavs buzzer beater. I saw a highlight. I was all locked down. I told you Friday afternoon on. But it was tough not to. Anthony Davis had a brutal. final minute.

I heard. Bad foul on a, foul the three-point shooter, missed a free throw, and then lost his guy who hits the game-winning three. It was a rough weekend for the AD truthers out there

in Laker Nation. And there aren't many left, Colin. You were early on this. I think you were saying it like January. Anthony Davis' day is field number in L.A. All right. Final story is the World Baseball Classic. It's been great.

By the way, watch the teams here. If you want to know if this thing is successful, first of all, a million people were watching the games last week. Watch the reaction. of the players. They're going crazy. And did you notice, oh, look who it is.

Paul Goldschmidt. Ryan, do you remember that? What have I been saying? The most Hall of Fame or most underrated player in the sport for a decade, Paul Goldschmidt has been vital for Team USA. Don't they play Cuba tomorrow night? Well, let me catch up here. So they beat Cuba 14-2 yesterday in the semifinals.

Like you said, Paul Goldschmidt and Trey Turner each drove in four runs. Awesome performance. they will face tomorrow night they'll face the winner of Mexico, Japan, which is tonight. That's right. That's right. Here's USA manager, Mark DeRosa, after the game on how team USA is jelling. They're swinging the back. It's good. They're having fun being around each other. They're passing a baton. They're not having selfish A-Bs. Constant pressure. I'm blown away, by the way, these guys control the strike zone.

Trey Turner's in the zone right now, hitting everything he sees. So just, like I said, able to get everybody in there, have some fun, relax, and let the pitchers do their thing. It's been great. The players are totally into it. And, yeah, so Japan's mostly no, Otani could pitch for them. We're more about offense. Other nations, Japan's more about dominating pitching. But the ratings have been very good, like double and tripling major league baseball regular season games. And the teams are totally into it and the fans are into it.

I think the key word here is urgency, right? This is a short tournament. It's, like, condensed, and everybody's, like, deeply into it. Baseball season is a long slog. Even college hoops, you could see the energy over the weekend in the Sweet 16. It's like your season, your career is over with the World Baseball Classic. Like, tonight, Mexico, Japan, that's going to get a big number. That's a huge game to see who the U.S. will face tomorrow on FS 1, 630 p.m.

Now, you guys all laughed at me. Didn't you guys laugh at me when I said Paul Goldschmidt's a Hall of Fame? I did not laugh because I wouldn't know Paul Goldschmidt if he delivered a pizza to the studio right now. But, yeah, I think someone over here, over my shoulder laughed a little bit. Baseball guy, Ryan. When I said that, I said he's the most underrated player in the sport for a decade. And you guys all like, and I'm like, isn't he a Hall of Famer? That's what we were laughing at you for.

I don't think most people are arguing against Paul Goldschmidt being a bad player. I'm saying a Hall of Famer. You don't think he's all. I think most people think, yeah, he's definitely on track to be a Hall of Famer. considering he just won an MVP. Only I in America have noticed his talent. I will set out the Paul Goldschmidt Hall of Fame discussion. I'll let you two go at it.

I got heat for my Derek Carr could be a Hall of Famer. So Goldsmith just piled. Can the guy win a playoff game first before you put him in the Hall of Fame? Just one playoff win, that's all. All right. Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The Hurd Live news. And I hear baseball fans are getting all worked up because there's been a couple of injuries. the Mets lost a closer. There's another guy that got hurt over the weekend. Folks, it's baseball. Who plays 162 games? I mean, that's the reality of the sport. Think about how long the NBA season is.

Double it. That's the baseball season. That doesn't count the long spring training. If you win a couple series, you're playing another 15, 20 games postseason. You can potentially play 200 games in baseball. Guys get hurt. Nobody's playing all those games.

So to me, baseball, I always think about this. You watch the Little League World Series. Wild Celebration. You watch college baseball world series in Omaha, wild celebrations. You watch the World Baseball classic, wild celebrations. Why don't we see that in Major League Baseball? It's fun. When I turn on the College World Series or the Little League World Series are this,

the energy jumps through the television. That's palpable. You can totally feel it. Major League Baseball, lighten up, let guys have more fun. I think the sport's doing a better job of this. But when I watch this, my takeaway is, look at the fans. Look at the players. They're completely into it.

It's a success, period. the numbers validate it. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Two NBA insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you right into the NBA great fight. All happening in only one place. This League Uncut. The new NBA podcast with me, Chris Haines. And me, Mark Stein.

Join us as we team up to expound on everything we're covering, hearing, and chasing. Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haines and Mark Stein. on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes

for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, 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 Cliverts 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 Podcasts, 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 Jette. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, 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. 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. This is the football you live for, the real deal. The official start of the new season of the USFL kicks off April 15th and 16th on Fox, FS1, and NBC. So O'Dell Beckham is denying that he wants 20 million. There was a story that came out a couple weeks ago,

and we kind of rolled our eyes at 20 million. I would love to have OBJ and my team as a number two or a three receiver. He's as talented as a number one receiver. He's not Justin Jefferson. I don't think he's Jamar Chase, Stefan Diggs. But he's really, really talented. I'd love to have him on my team. I would love to have him as a number two.

I thought the Rams used him brilliantly. you had Cooper Cup as the volume wide receiver, OBJ, kind of the burner, up the field wide receiver. Van Jefferson is a three-user tight ends, McVeigh's offense, Matt Stafford. I thought it was great. And he was having a great Super Bowl. Then, you know, he's 30 years old. He's increasingly brittle. I'm not building my franchise around him, but the $20 million he is saying he didn't put that out there.

But he also had a tweet this weekend saying, I think I'm worth more than $4 million. I actually think $4 to $6 is where the market is at. here's the problem. He plays a wide receiver. He plays a position that college football now gives the NFL more than any position in football. College football produces 20 receivers a year they give to the NFL. There's maybe one great edge rusher a year, maybe two. There's two great quarterbacks.

There may be two great left tackles. Four or five good running backs, very few great interior defensive linemen. literally college football gives the NFL 20 receivers a year and six or seven make big, big rookie impacts. So there used to be a term called diva wide receiver and it's over. There's too many Devante Adams and Cooper Cups. There's too many Mike Evans, Chris Godwin's. There's too many guys out there.

You get no drama. And I'm not anti-OBJ, but he comes with drama. I thought he did a pretty good job in Cleveland, came to L.A. He likes attention. that's okay. He's young. I get it. He makes a lot of money on Instagram and social stuff and shoe stuff. Totally understand it. But I don't think he has much of a market. In 1995, Nebraska, the best college football program in the 90s, Nebraska had one wide receiver on the field most of the game. Now, Alabama is a wide receiver school. Ohio State is a wide receiver school. These programs that were known for defense and toughness and lineback.

and corners and those are wide receiver schools. So I think OBJ is absolutely worth something. But Kansas City got rid of their dramatic wide receiver. Tyree Kill got five picks and won a Super Bowl with a bunch of number two and number three castoffs and a rookie wide receiver. Now it's Mahomes. I get it. But you start looking around the NFL, not been a lot of drama on Super Bowl winning teams.

There's not a lot of drama. And I do think with OBJ, that's part of. it. So you've got the brittle thing, the drama thing. I think he works hard. He never gets tired. He's an unbelievably conditioned athlete. He can be spectacular. He's fast. But 30, brittle at the wrong position is not a place I'd want to be if I was Odell Beckham. The other thing, speaking of wide receivers, I saw the Cowboys picked up Brandon Cooks. So this story kind of cracked me up. So everybody's freaking out. So Dallas gave up a fifth and a six-round pick to get Brandon. and cooks from Houston. That's what they got for Amari Cooper. I'd rather have Amari Cooper.

Amari Cooper last year, nobody was watching. But Amari Cooper last year was sensational. Nine touchdowns, 78 catches with Jacoby Brissette and a rusty Deshawn Watson. Amari Cooper last year was sensational. But they had to let him go because of the Zeech contract and because they overpaid DAC. So if you gave me this morning CD Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Dalton Schultz, that is an elite receiver tight end group. If you give me Brandon Cook, C.D. Lamb, and maybe Dalton Schultz, who may get an offer, nothing special.

So again, lesson learned, hopefully for Dallas. I got nothing against Brandon Cooks. There's been some concern with concussions. He may retire very soon. This would be his fifth team and eight seasons. and what would worry me about Brandon Cooks, who bailed on him? Sean McVeigh bailed on him. Sean Peyton bailed on him.

Bill Belichick moved off him. Those are three of the, if you threw Andy Reed in there, arguably four of the best coaches in the last decade in the NFL. So I think Brandon Cooks is fine. He can run. He's really fast. But McVeigh moved off him very quickly. Belichick did.

Sean Peyton did. He's not solving anything for Dallas. If C.D. Lamb twisted an ankle in week two, Brandon Cooks is your number one. You're not a playoff team. So I'm not anti, but there's some concussions. How durable, 15 and 8 years. Great coaches moved off him.

I think this has been the offseason of the Dallas Cowboys, not adding great players, hopefully learning a lesson. Do not pay a running back two years early because the owner likes it. him and do not wait until the very end so Dak Prescott has more and more momentum. Pay him early, pay him in the 20s, not the 40s. I got nothing against Dak, but he's Kirk Cousins with a better brand. You can't be paying him top of the market. It's like paying Ryan Tannehill, top of the market.

You can't do it. You just can't do it. You can't afford good players. So that's where we stand today. Colin right, Colin wrong next hour. Something else that jumped out to me over the weekend. So when I watch college football, if you watch an SEC game, or even a Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, LSU, Georgia.

When you watch big games, it looks a lot like the NFL, four wide NFL bodies everywhere. Because in college football, you have to stay minimum three years. Most guys stay four. But in college basketball, you don't. You can want and done it. So there's a lot of young, talented players. I've always said college basketball is a bit like an airport. Nobody, you know, nobody really wants to be there very long, especially if they're talented.

It's an apartment complex. It's an airport. People want to get there, get situated, get in the next plane, get in the next place to live. But Drew Timmy's fascinating. So I think sometimes it bothers college basketball fans that some of their best players are not built for the NBA. Drew Timmy's not built for the NBA. He would be exposed defensively. He doesn't shoot from the perimeter.

He's a back-to-the-basket mostly old-school guy who's a tremendous college player. He blocks some shots at the college level. Not that he couldn't do that in the NBA, but he's not, I don't, I view him as a late second round player. He doesn't shoot threes like the kid at Purdue. He doesn't shoot threes. Neither one, both could be exposed. If you go, think about this, if you go to the last 10 most outstanding players in the

tournament, the last 10, a decade, that's a real fair sample. one has been a stud in the NBA, Anthony Davis, one of 10, 10%. And Anthony Davis is different. Anthony Davis is bigger, longer, stronger, runs the floor, could handle the ball. It's nothing against Drew Timmy, but I think he is the classic great college basketball player. And that's okay. College basketball doesn't even look like the NBA. In the NBA, if you're 0 for 16 shooting threes, you're in.

big trouble. Kansas State couldn't hit a three-pointer in the first half. I think they led Kentucky. Michigan State's been terrible at it. And if you watch Michigan State's win, it really came down to defense. They're big. Got a couple of crucial blocks at the end of the game, and that's why they won the game. Wasn't about offense. Very few teams in this tournament now are going to win because of offense. It's a defense and coaching tournament. That's fine. But that's not what the NBA is. Not the defense doesn't matter. But on most regular season nights and a lot of playoff nights, you got to hit threes. of score points. Remember this. People always talk about great defenders.

The glove. Glove didn't stop Michael Jordan. Nobody ever stopped Kobe. Bill Russell is the greatest defensive player all time. Wilk Chamberlain scored 40 and 50 points, I'm sure, more than once against Bill Russell. Wilk Chamberlain scored on everybody. Michael scored on everybody. Kobe scored on everybody. Right now in the NBA, Kevin Durant can score on everybody.

It just doesn't matter. Booker can score on everybody. So, Devin Booker. So I think Drew Timmy is a terrific college player, and that's it. And that's okay. College basketball doesn't look like the NBA at all. College baseball doesn't look, frankly, a lot like Major League Baseball. But college football does, and that's why it gets bigger ratings, it does look like a reasonable facsimile to the NFL.

You're getting three and four years. You're getting men playing against men with NFL bodies everywhere, forced to stay into college minimum three years. Most guys stay four, some stay five. It's not what college basketball. A lot of the best players are 19 years old. They're not refined. They're not polished.

You see all the time in the NFL where a guy comes into the NFL from college, and Jamar Chase is immediately an elite, elite NFL player. It is, sauce gardener, elite player. Very rarely do you see a college basketball player come in? They have weight issues, injuries, issues. They hit a wall in game 60. They're not refined offensively. Even LeBron James out of high school got totally exposed defensively his first year and a half, two years in the NBA. He could score great in transition, but he didn't have to play defense. Been playing high schoolers this whole life.

So that's where we are. Gone Zag and UCLA, I think he'll be the best game in the tournament. Let me ask, what would you advise Drew Timmy? I believe he'll have a fifth year due to the COVID year. do you say, hey, Drew, you got one more year if he does, of eligibility. Stay at a good Zag. Make the NIL money. Maybe you win a title with the Zags, or do you want to go be a second round pick, sit on the end of the bench? I think he's been such a dominant. His dad and mom were both really good athletes.

So he comes from an athletic family. Neither his mom or dad made a fortune in sports. They were just good athletes. He probably wants to make some money. And so I think somebody will draft him in the second round. And he'll be, you know, remember the guy that Wisconsin a few years ago who was a great college player. Sam Decker? No, no, he said he was a... Frank Kaminsky.

Frank Kaminsky's a great example where he was just built to be a really, really, really dominant college player. You know, in the NBA, that's not... He's going to get exposed on the defense event. That's okay. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an

a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away.

such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.