The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd-HOUR-1-NBA, LeBron James

Episode Date: August 27, 2020

Colin talks about players deciding to continue the NBA playoffs, what we ask from our athletes, and LeBron James changing his mind.Guest: Chris Broussard Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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

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

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast.

For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians,

and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I 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. 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 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. This is The Hurt.

Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, live in Los Angeles, we thank you so much for joining us. Just in, the players have either voted or decided or elected to resume the playoffs. They will not play the playoff games today. There's three games. Those are canceled. But tomorrow, there will be playoff games. the players have elected to resume. This just down moments ago.

Just breaking news, according to Adrian Wozhenowski. Joy Taylor is joining me. So it was a lot of meetings, a lot of heated stuff, a lot of discussions. And Joy and I were talking last night. This is what we are. This is 2020. Yeah. This is 2020.

So I have three thoughts to start with. Number one. You go to social media. Everybody's got an easy answer. This isn't easy? This isn't easy. Everybody's an expert on social media. Oh, the answers are easy.

You just can't play. Social awareness can't play. Folks, this is why people argued all night. That's why LeBron is talking to Frank Vogel and Doc Rivers is talking to Kauai. These are not easy. This is why players argued all night. Reportedly players were up until 2 and 3 in the morning having discussions on this. stop convincing yourself to make you feel more comfortable.

This is easy. These are hard decisions. Billions and billions at stake. Social justice at stake. Awareness at stake. So that's the first thing. It's not easy. We don't argue about, you know, easy stuff.

You know, pay your mortgage. That's an easy one. You better. You get in trouble. You don't in America. Pay your mortgage. Don't walk out of the house naked. Put clothes on.

You know, that's the easy. We don't argue about that stuff. We argue about stuff like this because it's complex. The second thing is you can have two thoughts on the same thing in America. I can support Black Lives Matter and also think simultaneously, I think they should play the games because it raises so much awareness. You think I'm wrong on that? Well, then why did the players just elect to play? You think they suddenly are racist and don't support BLM?

you can have two thoughts in America. It's okay. My wife can love me and I can drive her crazy in the same 30 seconds. It's okay. Social things. You can have two thoughts. I don't like our current president, but I don't think the guy he's running against is any good.

You can say that. It's okay. You can support Black Lives Matter, but also think these platforms are unbelievably powerful. And that's what the players just decided a minute ago. we still care, but we love the basketball, and we love playing with each other, and we love this whole environment to raise awareness. And my third point is, platforms matter. Right now, the NBA players are leading the discussion in America on Black Lives Matter.

And the reason they are leading the discussion, I don't know if they care more about it than the average person on the street. I don't know, but I know they have platforms. We have seven networks. I'm on one of them now talking about Black Lives Matter. We have two networks broadcasting their games all day long. Games start at 10 in the morning in the city I live in, and they go all day long. Black Lives Matter on the court, on the jerseys.

Coaches talk about it before the game. They talk about it during the game. They talk about it after the game. You don't think that platform matters. You don't think, if we are seeking growth in America, growth comes from awareness. Why am I so aware of the talking points of Black Lives Matter? Because they're playing games. 36 hours ago, roughly, Doc Rivers, after a game, had an incredibly powerful moment.

Here it is. It's amazing Why we keep loving this country And this country does not love It's back And it's just It's really so sad Like I should just be a coach

And it's so often reminded of my color You know It's just really sad We've got to do better But we got to demand better I don't hear that if the players do not elect do play in a bubble two months ago. I don't hear that.

You don't hear LeBron about Breonna Taylor. You don't hear any of these. We are hearing it and seeing it. Where does growth come from? Where does learning come from? You learn. You hear. You see.

You listen. The games do matter because the games give these players an incredible platform to drive an incredibly important social cause. Draymond Green said it this morning. Draymond Green, and I'm going to quote him, said, why would we stop doing the very thing that offers us the biggest platform to speak for those that look like me and a lot of us? To do that is to actually give up the platform to speak for them.

Because without us using our platforms, which is afforded by our influence of the sport, it stops us from echoing what those in the back are. saying. Platforms matter. It's important. And for the record, when the players decided a couple of months ago

to go back in the bubble, LeBron James, and you're going to question his social concerns, LeBron James, his number one reason for going back during a pandemic was the platform. And LeBron helped negotiate through Adam Silver. I was

told I had lunch with a friend of LeBron, I was told they negotiated daily on the phone. Black Lives Matter, stuff on uniforms, the ability to speak after games, messages from the... Yes, it matters. Let's not just marginalize... It's just basketball. No, no, basketball is an unbelievable platform where these players get to tell you and I what matters to them.

And I want to shift gears to that. Let me ask you, what? What do you want, not just from NBA players, what do you want your athletes to be? And that's an important question. Okay, because dating back to Bill Russell in the 60s and Elgin Baylor in 1959 who boycotted a game, NBA players have been historically more outspoken than other players. And they often lead other players. Yesterday is a great example.

They postponed tennis players, tennis tournament stopped, MLS, Major League Baseball. So once again, NBA players were on the forefront and led other leagues. But the question becomes, what do you, the consumer, the person watching my show right now, watching Joy and I, what do you want from your players? Here's what I want from my players. I want them to care about winning. Right, right?

So who are the players in America that take less money to join other star players and win? Watch NBA players. So NBA players, not just players, not average guys. Kevin Durant, Paul George, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosch, regularly, stars in the league take significantly or at least marginally less money because they want to win games. Do you want players to just go where the most money is? That's not what I want. I want guys to care about the game as much as I do.

Second thing is, do I want my athletes to do. be meatheads, to not have any concerns beyond their money. Or do I think it's kind of cool that my pro athletes actually care about poor people and care about social issues? Yeah, I kind of like that. Like, do you just want them to not care about people beyond themselves? Folks, at the heart of social activism is sacrifice. Like, right, we all get that.

That's, I'm not, you know, breaking news here. So when people say, it's bad for their business, yes, perhaps it is. But that is at the heart of social activism. And that has always been at the heart of NBA players. We're going to take a little less money because we want to win. We care about people beyond ourselves. We're going to voice our opinions. It may hurt us, ratings, revenue.

Absolutely. What do you want your? your athletes to be. All about money, meatheads who don't care about anything but their cars and cool stuff, never talk about poor people, never give back to the community, never force billionaires to give back to the community. You and I do not have relationships with billionaires. NBA players are rare.

They have a line of communication with them and they have collective bargaining with them and they have influence over income with them. That's a rare opportunity afforded by kids who grew up around the country. Some poor, not some poor wherever NBA players grow up, burbs, wherever they grow up. They have an open relationship with billionaires. And occasionally, they make them a little uncomfortable. They ask stuff of them. But they also collectively bargain with them.

So, you know what? We'll take less money because we want to win games. I guess I can just keep going back to this. What do you want your athletes to be? I'm asking you. I know what I want my athletes to be. I want them to care about winning too. NBA guys do.

I kind of like to know about what they care about. Now, I do think basketball is why I go watch them play. But Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, Walter Payton, they cared more. And I knew more than just about their sports and stuff. Tommy Smith, I knew more. And Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali was my favorite boxer to this. day. And his legacy wasn't just fighting. It wasn't just boxing. He was on the right side of

stuff. So it was Jim Brown. So was Walter Payton. So it was Tommy Smith. So again, ask yourself, what do you want your athletes to be? I want him to care more than just about money. I want him to care about winning about people in their communities that don't have power leverage or money. I want him to tell me how they feel. I want them to emote. And by the way, I also want them to play basketball. And the players this morning, 10 minutes ago, Joy is my witness, they also decided they want to play basketball. Let's not make this into, they don't care about, they had leverage and chose to play. But they also chose to be heard. I'm good with that. I opt in on that. I'm not uncomfortable with that. I said it last night on Twitter. I do think they should have

elected to play. I think their platform, are you going to tell me the platform hasn't worked? You're going to tell me the bubble hasn't worked? Hasn't worked. It's been shockingly effective. Basketball and messaging. I do think they needed to play. But ask yourself questions instead of always pointing fingers. Why are you uncomfortable with change? What do you want from your athlete? Back in a second, The Hurt. Be sure to catch live editions of The HARD weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHard 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 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 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 what you need to be. 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. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84's big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all 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 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. 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. Trip 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, Keer Gaines,

as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. So according to now, more than one source, the players have elected to play.

Eventually, they're kind of trying to figure out when to play. You know, the other thing that I often stay off social media and I let myself for an hour to collect thoughts. Everybody learns at a different speed. When things happen, I tend to appreciate people who don't rush to give me their opinion on something. It's why we do two hours of prep every day.

I mean, I change my opinion on multiple things this morning during our prep. meeting. LeBron James was very hurt, was very bothered. There was a story last night at about 8 or 9 p.m., I'm out for the season. And there was a different story this morning at 2 a.m. They had discussed it, and he was leaning toward a season. And then Chris Haynes, our friend Chris Haynes, covers the NBA. He had a tweet this morning saying there was a change in position from last night with LeBron, among others, relaying that it was in their best interest to finish out the season. It's okay. These are hard, emotional decisions.

LeBron has the right to be deeply bothered. He has the right in his life to laugh and cry on the same day, to think this at 8 p.m. and this at 11 and then this at 2 a.m. and then this in the morning. That's okay. I said this on Bill Maher a couple of weeks ago, the TV show. We're all demanding growth and perfection, and they can't coexist. LeBron James last night, his opinion changed. It's not called waffling, it's called listening and having meetings and talking to people.

I want more of this. I want people to change their minds more in America. If I ran for president, that would be my platform. Change your mind all the time. LeBron yesterday multiple times went back and forth on it. And then he landed, I believe in my opinion, in the right spot. If this is about awareness and growth, then platforms matter. And man, NBA players have a remarkable platform.

Not only that, they have aced it. The quality of play is great. The digital enhancements, the messaging. You know, it's funny. When they write the book on Michael, Jordan, it will mostly be about basketball. That's okay. When they write the book about LeBron James, it will be about basketball and social justice and social changes.

That's okay. I would argue today, the most relevant boxer in the history of the world is Muhammad Ali. His legacy is 50-50. It's half boxing and half boxing. religious and social beliefs. Jim Brown. I mean, I'll be honest with you. It used to be football.

I think now it's like 60, 40 social stuff. I think Jim Brown, I think social stuff. He's arguably the best player in the history of the league. In fact, if you look at Jim Brown, like they vote all-time best players. He's always like top five. Hasn't played him with 60 years. Boy, that's power. A Walter Payton, his legacy is a lot of football.

but he played on bad teams mostly. It's a lot of what a great guy he was and how he cared about other people. I was just writing a list this morning about some of the most popular athletes, Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, Kareem. Their legacies are not just about their sport. All are held in high academic, intellectual levels. We think of Kareem as an intellect, as an academic. And Muhammad Ali,

is courageous and forced people to be uncomfortable. Yes, LeBron's, and by the way, Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, Kareem and Tommy Smith, they were all on the right side of history. They were all right, right? Like you get now, when you read it, you're like, oh, yeah, that fist in the air thing kind of, it was on the right side on that thing. LeBron's on the right side of this.

LeBron's not telling you he doesn't care about business. He's not telling you that. LeBron has unbelievable impact, power in this, like Jordan did. And I'm not knocking Michael Jordan. It was a different time. We live in different times. We celebrate different things based on different times.

And in Michael's era, the league was not as political. We live in a more divided country, more political country. In LeBron's time, he is more political. That's okay. The most famous, relevant boxer, the best running back, the best center. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is considered the best. center, the highest score in the league. It's okay.

There's so much pushback. And I think there's so much hypocrisy. Y'all telling me you don't like politics with your sports. And then you send me conservative talk show host talking points all day. I thought you didn't like politics with your sports. Because you keep sending me that conservative sports columnist, his column. It's just about politics. I thought you didn't like politics in your sports.

No, no, no. You like politics in your sports when they align with your beliefs. All I'm saying is LeBron's legacy is going to be a lot about basketball and other things. And that's okay. He continually is willing to adapt and willing to change. He changed three times last night. I'm out. Let me think about it. I'm in.

Again, what do you want from your athletes? That's what I want. I don't want rigid athlete. LeBron changed his mind three times last night. From 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. to 8 this morning. I'm good with it. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. Well, there were a lot of emotional responses to what happened yesterday, and Robert Ory had a very emotional response to what's been happening in the country. He opened up on Spectrum Sports Nets about the difficult conversations that he's had to have with his children. and it's hard to tell your 14-year-old son that I worry about him when he walks out that door. I have a 21-year-old son.

I worry about him because black men are endangered species, pretty much. People are these cops are just killing because they feel like if they don't have their body cams on, they have a right. And I tell my kids all the time. I say, dude, I don't care what's going on because at the end of the day, I want you coming home to me.

If you have to lay down the ground and they can kick you, beat you, at least you're going to go to the hospital and you're going to come home to me. I already lost one child. I don't need to lose another. And I don't think people understand, especially white people, how hard it is for black people to watch that. his daughter Ashland died of a genetic disorder, a rare genetic disorder at age of 17 in 2011. So that's what he's referring to and he said he already lost a shout.

That was very difficult for me to watch this morning. I mean, I've had that conversation with my father. I've had that conversation with my brothers and my nephews. And it is something that, you know, if you're in a black family in this country, you have to have that conversation about the police and how you have to behave in certain situations to, you know, make a... sure that you get out of the situation or do your best to make sure that you get out of that situation alive. So obviously we know sometimes you do comply and it doesn't it doesn't work out

that way. But I do think it's so important that, you know, we're having these conversations and you're hearing it not just from current players. You know, I tweeted yesterday. I feel really, I feel really proud. I know there's a lot going on today. Like 2020 has been wild for everyone. And I know everyone keeps, you know, trying to get over it and we'll get to 2021 and everything gets back to normal. And I want things to get back to normal as well, normal as far as, you know, the pandemic. But I do feel really proud to everything that you're just saying, all I've heard my whole life is my generation is the lazy one and we have our phones and we don't care about anything but ourselves and we're selfish and we're going to, you know, run through Social Security. Like, we're the worst. And we're the ones making sure

that this doesn't continue for the next generation. Like, I firmly believe that the power that athletes and I know people hate talking about celebrities but like these are the people with platforms and they're using them to try and end this cycle that we've been going through in our country for so long. That's a great thing. Don't you want all this

to end? Like don't you want our country to be great for everyone? Isn't that the whole point? Yeah, I've always you've heard me say this a lot. This is on brand for me. Everybody's on phones complaining about young people. These are all created by young people. All the

platform. Everything, we're doing all the social stuff, all the platforms. And a lot of young people are driving the platform. They're creating the platform. Facebook was created by, oh, wait, Mark Zuckerberg in his 20s. Like, don't be old guy barking at young people. Every generation, our generation, like for instance, I'm not even to ask how old you are because that's... I mean, I'm a millennial. I'm 33. Okay. So, I mean, LeBron's 34. Yeah, like, like, every generation, finds things important that other generations didn't because they didn't have to. And secondly, millennials often have their personality shaped by the mistakes of the older generation.

So I watched my dad and go, ooh, I like that. Ooh, I don't like that. Exactly. So millennials are like, you know what? I don't want to work at a company for 48 years and at the end get a gold watch. I'm going to have some power as an employee. So millennials are like every generation. They watch generations ahead of them.

They take things they like from it, and they avoid the mistakes of the previous generation. So just barking at young people, you see the world, you and I are aligned in a lot of stuff, but you see the world differently than me because you watch the mistakes of my generation. Like I watched my dad's generation make mistakes on certain social issues. And there's a lot that I appreciate about the old school

because that's how I was raised in a very old school environment. I show up to work every day. You appreciate that about me. I love that. I love that about you. But no, I do think that this generation is working very hard to make sure that it doesn't continue for the next generation. And I feel very proud to be a part of that. So all three WMBA games initially scheduled to be played Wednesday were postponed after the players also decided to sit out.

So they stood in solidarity with the NBA who chose to strike from their games. and instead they made a powerful statement by taking a knee and linking arms on the court. They wore shirts, as you can see, them walking in now with Jacob Blake on them. And the back of the shirts actually have seven gunshots. So they had already planned this. Now, didn't they change too? Because initially they were going to play but take a break every seven minutes. Yeah, so they changed.

Yes. Changed. They listened and made an adjustment. So they were going to play and take a break every seven minutes to make a statement. And they decided to not play. There's no word on when the games will be reschedule. the three games today haven't been officially postponed yet, so they may actually play the games today

based off of the news from the NBA. This morning, finally, the NBA referees showed their support for the players and their decisions to not boy or to strike from the games yesterday. They marched together in the bubble this morning, wearing shirts that read Everybody versus Racism. The referees union also said in a statement

that its members were marching against racism and to grieve for the black lives taken too soon. So a nice show of solidarity from, the referees who we all have a love, love, hate, respect relationship with, obviously. But I thought this was, I thought this was very nice. No people on social media were saying, you know, what is this doing?

And, you know, they're marching around the bubble where everyone is, like, no one's going to see it. You're watching it now on television. I think just stop being so skeptical of everything that people are trying to do. Right? Like, this is, nothing's going to be perfect, like you said. Just showing that you care is enough sometimes.

Like, that's a healthy first step. to just listen and show that you that you care. That's really what this whole year has been about. Like it's been about adjustments and change. But most of all, overwhelmingly, the tie through everything that's happened is empathy. This is what we're supposed to be as Americans, right? We're supposed to care about our fellow Americans. Well, half the country is saying to listen, let's just, you know, just reach across the aisle and maybe just listen.

Yeah. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lie News. Our friend Chris Broussard, Fox Sports NBA analyst, joining me now live, brought to you by Mercedes-Benz, the best or nothing. So let's go back to, you know, I was saying, Chris, that LeBron James,

over the course of the last 12 hours, has changed his mind three times. These are difficult decisions. He wanted it out. He wanted to think about it. And then he wanted to play. And I said, I appreciate LeBron's willingness, his lack of rigidity, his willingness to listen and talk. and that's one of the reasons I like LeBron

is that he's a curious soul, incurious people, wear me out. Are you surprised that the players did elect to play, according to reports this morning? I'm not.

Yesterday, as all of this news was breaking and we were talking about it on our radio show, myself and Rob Parker. I felt like the most likely scenario was that they would start playing within a few days. But then, when the reports came out about the clippers and the Lakers last night, not wanting to resume the season,

that's when I started thinking, okay, this season really, it truly is in jeopardy because obviously, as Udina's Haslam said in the meeting, you can't have the playoffs without the two best teams in the Western Conference. So that got me skeptical, but I figured, you know, guys would go to sleep, sleep on it and get up not quite as emotional as they were last night. and, you know, I think what I want to hear is, are there any, I don't even know if concessions is the right word, but have the, what have the players talk with the owners about? Because remember, LeBron said in the meeting reportedly that he wants the owners to be held more accountable. And the owners have a lot of power.

You know, I've seen on social media people criticizing the players and saying, well, what, what's boycotting the league going to do? The league is not the one to give. the players. I think the power is in the owners. They are very powerful people in this country, very wealthy. They have connections at the highest levels of American society. They can be in touch with lawmakers. Just yesterday, think about it. The Milwaukee Bucks basketball team was able to get the attorney general and the lieutenant governor on a Zoom call like that. That was done by the Buck's owners. Look at Robert Kraft. Robert Kraft got, he went to visit Meek Mill, the rapper,

and said in prison, and said he shouldn't be here. Two weeks later, Meek Mill was out of prison. All the charges were dropped. The judge on the case had been changed. Rick Ross, J. Z, Philadelphia Eagles players, Kevin Hart, they had all been trying to get Meek Mill out of prison for five months. Robert Kraft visits him, says, one statement and he's out in two weeks. That's the type of power that these owners wield and the players are beginning to understand that. So there are people that are talking, forget defund the police.

What about abolishing some of the police unions? That is something the owners could talk to talk to police commissioners and chiefs about and perhaps get done. Only half the police belong to the union anyway. But that can be a hindrance to justice. Those are the things I hope that the players will address with the owners say utilize your power on our behalf and we'll play the games. Hopefully that's the kind of discussions that are going. I'll throw something out at you.

I heard a story this morning I thought was brilliant. The Indianapolis Colts registered every player to vote yesterday. And I thought that is incredibly bright. How about this? owners around the NBA, you can now not only register to vote in the arenas, but you can vote inside the arenas. Absolutely. To me, that's an obvious one.

Like, really, for the average guy like you and me, not a billionaire, for the average guy like you and me, our power is in voting. That's really where our power is. So make it easier to vote. So I wonder if that's been discussed, the voting issue. I would imagine that has, especially remember LeBron's got the voting, initiative he put together. So I'm sure that that's the case.

We saw that I think in Houston, they're opening up the arena as a voting site. All the arenas should do that. Make it easy on the people whose votes have been suppressed historically to get out and vote and they don't have to be there all day. It's as simple as it is for the people out in the suburbs.

Your initial, my initial reaction last night was, wow, And my initial reaction, after about an hour, I kind of read stuff and watched stuff. I went on Twitter and I said, I don't know if canceling the season is great because I think the platform's been amazing. What was your initial reaction last night when you heard it about the players, just the bucks, what they did? What was your initial reaction? Well, like you, the first thought was wow. I think that was everybody's first thought.

But after that, I got to be honest, Colin. I've never been more proud of black athletes in my life. I've always felt that they should use their power and their platform to work on behalf of the masses of African American people, not even so much on themselves for themselves because they have their league unions, but on the behalf of the masses of African American people who aren't in the privileged position that they are in. And I thought last night was a step in that direction. And I say that about athletes because I feel like black athletes are the most beloved, most well, connected to corporate America in terms of the corporations.

They're the wealthiest by and large, and they are the most irreplaceable African Americans in the country. That gives them a leverage that other black people do not have. And so I want them to use that on behalf of the masses of our people for equality and justice. And I thought they did that yesterday. And even though they're going back to play, that now the owners know of all the leagues, to be honest, that this is. now a possibility. If something else happens, God forbid, outside of the bubble that really

rankles these players, then they could move again and say, look, we're done, we're not playing the season, we're not doing it again. And so that gives them leverage. And I like that and I want them to use that going forward. So I was very proud of them. And I just had the highest respect for them and for the white players that supported them as well. Yeah. Good to seeing you. I've see you on a lot of platforms last couple of days with strong opinions. We always appreciate you giving us time because we know you're a busy dude. And I got to tell you, I think Joey and I were talking last night. You know, I got some pushback when I said, I think the platform matters to create awareness because awareness starts with me hearing you and me seeing you.

and it is interesting. I think the players in the end, I do believe made the right decision, Chris. I do believe the platform is so powerful. I mean, I wouldn't have heard Doc Rivers two days ago. I don't hear them without games. I think the platform is definitely powerful. As you said, I mean, Doc Rivers, Jalen Brown, Fred Van Vleet.

A lot of these guys have made very poignant statements. But I think the players were feeling, when they saw what happened to Jacob Blake, they were feeling like, well, what, okay, yes, we're wearing the Black Lives Matter shirts, we're kneeling, we're making comments after the game about these issues, and it happens again. So I think that's what led them to go ahead and boycott yesterday's games

because they felt like the platform, yeah, it's there, but it's not doing anything. It's not working. And so they took it to another level, which I think was good, and now hopefully that will have bring about the change that they want to see that we all want to see. But yeah, the platform is valuable.

They do, look, obviously these guys have social media. They can still get out there and make a comment. It won't be quite the same, but it is a platform. But no, it's not the same as being in the bubble and having all the eyes of the world on you. Good stuff, Chris. Thank you so much, buddy. All right, Colin.

B.J. Armstrong, next hour, Tristan Thompson. Jay Glazer stops by his. too. I want to talk a little bit about that coming up next. People say, would the NFL do this? What is the NFL going to do? We have seen multiple teams today. I think the Jets, the Packers, the Colts, bears. Yeah, if there's a new one, you can talk in my ear and tell me they have canceled practice today. I want to talk about football. It is not the same sport, not the same sensibility as the NBA, mostly, but we'll talk about that coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at 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 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,

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What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84's big to me. not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.

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

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Search learn the hard way and listen now. When it comes to reaching health plans, change your mindset. Not just your body. It's called Noem. Empowers you with tools you need to change your habits. N-O-O-M.com slash her newm. So Pete Carroll yesterday was talking about the NFL and does he see potential changes like the NBA. And Pete Carroll said, you know, changes happening.

Anything could happen. But every league in my life has had, a different sensibility. For instance, I have people come up to me and they ask, how come the Major League baseball players are not playing in a bubble? And the answer is, because the Major League Baseball players have the strongest union.

And it was suggested they play in the bubble. And they're like, nah, we want to be with our families. That's why. Simple as that. NBA players' union, not quite as strong. They elected to play in the bubble, but they did get many things they wanted. NFL players have the weakest union.

It's not that they don't care about social justice. Don't marginalize them. Players can get cut in football. NFL players can just get cut. Tom Brady could have been cut at any point in New England, and you'd suffer a salary cap hit for a year. So, you know, a lot of times, I hear this, again, a lot,

that NBA players just care more than everybody else. Well, NBA players are more important. LeBron James literally goes to a team, and they play in the finals, and he leaves a team, and they're horrible. I mean, Kansas is, city got to the playoffs without Patrick Mahomes. And they won a Super Bowl with him, but they weren't, when Patrick Mahomes gets hurt,

you can still win games. Average NFL player, a great player's worth like four points a game. Like Russell Wilson, five points. LeBron James is the Eastern Conference. He left the ratings disintegrated. So NFL players live in a different sort of reality, which is they can be cut. They don't have the union strength. And so for them, they may have.

have to, they may have a different sense ability on their power structure is different. NBA players have a ton of power, a lot of leverage. I mean, I watch NBA games because of players. Like, I won't watch 20 of the teams. I watch the 10 teams that have players. I watch Portland because of Dame. And I watch Houston because of Hardin in Westbrook. And then I watch the Lakers because of LeBron.

And I watch the Clippers because I watch the NFL regardless. as long as you're good, I watch. And so the NBA players, and I'm not discounting their social justice impact or discussions. What I'm saying is even NBA players, they are in business with their owners. Remember, I'm an employee. Joy and I are just employees. NBA players, they are business partners with their owners as our football and baseball players. So, you know, we can, the NBA players, I think, came to the right.

the resolution and the decision was right. The platform matters, and to give them leverage and power going forward in collective bargaining agreements, they need games. You don't want to hand all you've worked for for years back to people who own the teams. You want to have power and leverage and the ability to go, we matter, we're playing. This is a business partnership. And I guess my ultimate point is, you know, the NFL power structure is different. NFL's never been really a player's league in my mind.

life. It's kind of been a GM and a coach league. If it's a players league, it's a quarterback league, right? Like Lamar Jackson plays, Baltimore wins. Flacco at the end plays they lose. So you have quarterbacks that have power. And it should be noted if Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rogers, you know, seven or eight real powerful players in the NFL said we don't want to play, then you'd have an issue. The powerful players in the NBA, I mean, we all know LeBron has power. LeBron, in fact, I was reading a quote this morning when we were going to going back and forth on are we going to play in the bubble? LeBron. Remember LeBron had a quote or a tweet where he said, I think we should play.

And Patrick Beverly came out that day and said, LeBron says we're playing, we're playing. That's understood in the NBA. Michael Jordan kind of carried the torch for the league. He mattered more. LeBron matters more. And LeBron changed his mind from not playing to let me think about it to playing, and now we're playing. So the powerful players in all these sports have really the impact. They're the driving force.

but I don't think it's fair to criticize NFL players and say they don't care as much about the social justice. The power structure is different. They do not quite have the power of NBA players. NBA players have more power because they should. I mean, literally the commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, did not like Kevin Durant going to Golden State. It's almost like the league conceded,

they're going to win the championship. That doesn't happen in the NFL. You could give five good players to, Russell Wilson doesn't guarantee anything. So, you know, I do always appreciate the social stands of NBA players, but they do have more power. They do have a stronger union. They should have more power. And I do think that's part of it.

The power structure of all these sports is totally different. Listen, Major League Baseball wanted the players to play in a bubble. And the player said, nah, we're not doing that. And the commissioner knew the players, unions. is more powerful than me. And that's the reality of baseball. The Hurd. 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 eye 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 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 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The 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 Podcasts, 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.