The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 1 - Running backs in the NFL

Episode Date: July 18, 2023

Colin is tired of hearing about running backs being underpaid and why it's time to stop with that narrative The Jets with Aaron Rodgers is the best situation the NFL & HBO Hard Knocks could have hoped for as the TV series is losing steam to the rise of Netflix Shohei Ohtani continues to prove why he's the best player in baseballSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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 tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule. of two. Listen to Stuff to Bo Your Mind 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 on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station

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Well, we signed off yesterday, and within an hour, Saquan Barkley and the Giants could not meet for a long-term contract, could not agree on it, so they're going to franchise. tagging, which, by the way, players CBA agreed to. Go play, go kick butt. Jay Mack, a lot of complaining about what's happening to football in the running back position. Feels like a running back revolution. Derek Henry, angry online, Christian McCaffrey.

There's a movement of foot right now about the running backs. I feel kind of bad for it, Colin. I do. Sequin Barclays upset. Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, Jonathan Taylor, Derek Henry. Running backs very upset. I hear this chorus of everybody defending running backs. Where were all you people for 40 years defending safeties?

Tide ends, interior linemen. Running backs care about running backs. I get it. We all care about ourselves. But the NFL, all sports actually are always evolving. People are getting paid differently now. Basketball analytics, the shooter. is now more valuable than the rebounder, the shooter.

Basketball analytics changed everything. Baseball analytics. What would Tony Gwynne now fetch on the market or Wade Boggs? People want power. Due to rule changes in the NFL, top wide receivers now, make what quarterbacks did 10 years ago. Tide ends are now finally getting theirs. Finally, running backs have made theirs forever. because of rule changes, concerns about safety, you can't grab a receiver, you can't cover a receiver,

you can't hit a wide receiver, they now attack you and the middle of the field. Receivers and tight ends used to avoid the middle of the field. Now they attack it. New rule changes. Running backs, as I've said for years, are the last offensive player. You can hit any time, anywhere from any angle. The entire league is being protected and they're the last pinata. And they don't last as long.

And by the way, all businesses evolve. Trees don't grow to the sky. There's no guaranteed jobs or income. Pilots make less than ever. Why? Cockpits are more automated. I saw a study this weekend where 35% of pilots acknowledge they nap during flights. in my business, I started in local TV.

Did sports. It's been mostly eliminated. Amazon, you buy things, they show up six hours later at your house. That's why malls are empty. Remember when there used to be travel agents? Everything changes. Taxis have been eliminated by Uber. Home phones eliminated by iPhones.

It's not that I don't have sympathy, but you got to evolve. Back to the basket centers are dinosaurs, relics, Jurassic, Yokic is the new center. All you young guys, learn to pass and shoot. Be able to run the floor, put the ball on it too. Running backs will still get paid. Saquan Barclay's getting $10 million a year. How much do you make? You have to be excellent, healthy, versatile,

and man does it help if you play with a second-tier quarterback or an overpaid one? The Giants, by the way, did make an offer. They were really close. But Sequin rolled the dice. Eventually, players have to settle for the franchise tag, which they've agreed to. But nothing's guaranteed for life. I tell people this all the time. I've been scrambling, it feels like, for 35 years.

You know, did local TV, did local radio. Now I write books. I have a new beer. You do what you've got to do. There's no guaranteed jobs. I'm watching Hollywood right now. actors and writers. It's crazy that because of new technology and AI, the studios now want to scan one time, scan extras, not the movie star, but the extras. That's a real career, right?

Most actors are extras. They want to scan you once and then use it forever. Don't want to have to pay you for four and a half months. Don't want to have to feed you for four to half months. Don't want to have to insure you for four to half months. That's crazy to me. But that's what technology does. I would put a foot down if I was an actor. Most actors, it should be noted, have side hustles. Do you know you have to make $26,000 a year to get insurance from SAG AFRA? They represent actors? 87% of actors don't qualify. Side hustle is part of it. It's hard. I think we need writers. I won't watch stuff with bad writers, but I'll watch football without running backs, but I don't like it as much. I don't like the CFL. They pass too much. I don't

They pass too much. I like running backs. I like physicality. I think Austin Echler is absolutely worse something. I think Sequin Barclay is. Derek Henry. Josh Jacobs, I said yesterday on the show, has a robust market to me. If I had a young quarterback and wasn't paying him, I would love Josh Jacobs.

They will still get paid. But I've been watching football my entire life. Interior linemen. Those careers end overnight. Their hands all ripped up. their shoulder surgeries and knees. Mark Schleris had 30 surgeries. We never had any sympathy for interior linemen.

Safeties forever. Major collisions. Last on the food chain of getting paid. Tide ends forever were viewed as blockers and little else. Everything changes. Analytics are changing baseball and football and basketball. And probably if I followed it closely enough, hockey. Running backs will still get paid.

But this is the world we live. and with technology and analytics. Side hustles, take a little less, be part of a winning team. Sequin Barclay was offered a longer deal. They got really close. He rolled the dice. It backfired. Not everybody gets what they want.

I have sympathy for Austin Echler. Bring him on the show. Think he's excellent. I think he's really underrated. And I think he's going to get paid by somebody. But you watch football long enough, this is what happens. It ebbs and flows. right now we're saying running backs don't matter for the record it used to be dangerous to have your

quarterback run now it's hard to draft a quarterback unless he does run at least a little that's what's great about football they're current unlike baseball they don't wait forever to get stuff right they're current they move maybe now they're moving too quickly maybe now they're disrespecting running backs too much there's an argument to be made i'm the chargers i want austin hecler in the backfield I'm the Bengals. I want Joe Migsin in the backfield. And I don't know what the Giants offense is without Seekwon Barclay. Boring is a good place to start.

He's worse something, but he's going to make $10 million for a year. And if he stays healthy and is productive and talented and works as hard as he has, there will be a market for him. It's just not the market. It was maybe 10 years ago. Speaking of New York football, the Jets. are going to now limit, did we call this,

HBO's access in hard knocks. They're going to limit what they can do. Aaron Rogers, always interesting, always handsome, is probably the reason they're doing hard knocks with the Jets. He had this opinion recently about the show. One of the only things I like about hard knocks is the voice of God,

who narrates it. Right. leave. I hope I get to meet him. But look, I understand the appeal with us. Obviously, there's a lot of eyes on me, a lot of eyes on our team, a lot of expectations for our squad. So they force it down our

throats and we got to deal with it. Listen, nothing against HBO, great company. The end is fairly inevitable with hard knocks. Maybe they have to add a baby next year. Isn't that what they do when shows are dying? Add a baby or a pet. It feels like

Netflix quarterback series talks about the one position I care about, gives you a little bit of their family. Mahalms, Kirk Cousins, Marcus Marriota. I prefer that show. I haven't been into hard knocks for years. I also have so much access to NFL guys. Listening to coaches and players doesn't interest me as much as it does meeting Patrick Mahomes or Kirk Cousins or Marcus Mariotas family. I like the Netflix docu series. So the Jets aren't the Raiders. Sometimes it feels like they're close, but they're not the Raiders, which are a bubbling volcano where there's molten lava right under the surface ready to explode.

But it could go south very quickly for the Jets. A prickly, wealthy, handsome veteran quarterback with the worst offensive line in his career. A head coach on the hot seat who always has strong opinions. A semi-meddling owner, an unrealistic fan base, an improved division, and it's New York. The Jets could go south very fast. add in a brutal early schedule. I looked at it this morning. Two and four is very possible.

They face great quarterbacks, great coaches, or both in Kansas City in the first six weeks. Two and four could happen. You think that New England game's a gimmy. I got news for you. When Bella checks the gimmy on your schedule and you're a quarterback with a new offense and a bad old line, that ain't much of a gimmy. The NFL is so corporate and has been more and more every decade. They usually squeeze the personality out of teams.

But Rex Ryan was on this show because he had a big personality. Aaron Rogers is on this show because he is more interesting. Aaron's like Phil Mickelson and golf. Winning or losing, I can't take my eyes off him. Aaron Rogers, losing to golf at home, I can't take my eyes off it. Aaron Rogers winning, going up against the Brady. Can't take my eyes off it. I said this last week.

It's not a hot take. The reason the Jets are on this is not their mostly young and uninteresting roster. It's Aaron Rogers. And it's Robert Sala. They look like actors. They're confident. They're outspoken. They'll give you strong strident opinions.

They're fascinating. I'm rooting for Sala. And believe it or not, I want to see Aaron. succeed? Who wants to watch a bad Jets team? I watched that the last decade. It'd be nice if they were good for a change. I hope they're good. I think they'll be good. But this puppy could go south. Don't kid yourself. They're not the Raiders, but it could go south. And I think the Jets coming out and saying, we're going to limit some access. Damn straight they should. It's the right move by the team. It's the right move by Sala. The NFL is not in the business of hurting franchises. This is a new

It's a new system. It's a new city for a prickly veteran quarterback. And Aaron, I would say that to his face, can be a tad prickly. They need to push back. Teams need to protect themselves. The Jets are doing it here. And I totally agree with their take. Make a more boring show.

But why do the Jets care? Who cares? That's an HBO problem. That's not a Jets problem. J. Mack is taken back by the fact that I said I was rooting for the Jets. Yes, folks, I want to see Aaron Rogers in the last couple of weeks vying for a playoff spot. The playoffs are better. There's always that one team that makes the playoffs and like Taylor Heineke starting at quarterback

and you're like, do I want to watch that game or go out in golf, whatever you live or go out and do something? Like, it's better for the league of Aaron's in the playoffs or at least near the playoffs or surrounding the playoffs or fighting for the playoffs. I'm not rooting against the Jets. Jamek, a lot of stuff today. It's funny. I heard you say the Patriots game for the Jets, probably not a layup. Did you see who the Patriots open with, Colin?

Belichick ain't got no time to game plan for the Jets in week three. They open with the Eagles and then the dolphins. And the dolphins have had their number for the last couple of years. Belichick can't even think about the Jets until week three. And by then it's too late. They're rolling. Jets are rocking and rolling, baby. No, but your intro about running backs being devalued,

like we're hitting this analytics point in sports like baseball has kind of been flipped with money ball um basketball is all threes or layups and we're now entering this phase where it's like hey we're just going to plug in undrafted guy sixth round pick doesn't matter running back sorry that is our efficiency and you know efficient's kind of the buzzword we're now like spreadsheet sports in america like i know people aren't going to like it and christian mcalfre's sour online but that's kind of where we're headed like a quarterback dropping back has more value than a handoff to a running back. Well, it's why do we have streaming services?

It's more efficient. You buy what you want on your terms. You don't have to wait for Tuesday at 8 to watch a TV show. There was an inefficiency in the TV business. And so streaming eliminates some of that. People who are busier than ever, more frenetic and caffeinated than ever can watch TV on their terms. Last night, late, I watched the little Yankees, O-Tani, Angels.

And then later, I went to streaming. on my terms. So there was, anytime there's an inefficiency in the market, and I think we found in the NFL signing a running back to a second contract, it can be done. It's happening, but much less than years ago. You found over time the data compiled over 20, 30 years is teams that sign the running back to the second big contract paid the price.

You ended up with a beaten down player, wasn't as productive. Did this start with Todd Gurley and the Rams? Because remember, he was nearly the MVP of the league. Got a huge contract. And I know he had some knee issues. High profile running backs. Todd Gurley hurt the Rams. Zeke with the Cowboys.

By the third year, you're like he's lost his juice. Didn't the Jags pay Leonard Fournette? And then they were like, this is a total waste. And now he goes to Tampa. Fine. Leonard Fournet, I believe, as of right now unsigned. Zeke, Fournette, Kareem Hunt. They're like 27, 28 years old, Colin.

and they're essentially being considered washed by most of the league at 27 or 28. But I want to talk more about Saquan Barclay because something that nobody is discussing, that's a very real point about Saquan Barclay, that's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

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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 Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcast. Just like the Patriots. The Patriots had a price for DeAndre Hopkins. They got close but finished second. The Giants had a price for their occasionally injured running back Sequin Barclay. His agent and Saquan rolled the dice. So guess what? They finished second to the franchise tag.

But nobody's talking about this. San Juan Barclay, unlike 99% of other running backs in the NFL, was drafted very high in the first round. He is the third most, made the third most amount of money in the NFL at running back. Do you know who's made more than him? Two guys that deserve more. Christian McCaffrey, who could also start at wide receiver and is the most versatile running back in the league, hands down, is made more. And Derek Henry, who's the centerpiece of that offense and has been forever.

He's made more. Seekwans third. so because he was drafted high in the first round and almost no running backs are Bijon Robinson of Texas this year was that is rare in the NFL Zeke was so Zeke Adrian Peterson Sequin Barclay they got paid early really early a lot of these running backs fourth fifth sixth seventh round guys there's where I've got the real sympathy they have never been paid and may never get paid.

But if you look at the really good running backs in this league, a majority of them have been drafted first round, often high in the first round, some of the stars, and they got paid early. Sequon's just not getting the money late, although the franchise tag is going to pay him about 10 large, which again makes him one of the highest running back in the league.

The other thing, that's the reality of it, if you go look at the history of left tackles in the NFL, and I'm talking recent history 20 years, almost all the great ones are first round picks. I mean, if you start looking at left tackles in the NFL last 7, 8, 9, 10 years, the Jonathan Ogden, the Trent Williams, Andrew Whitworth, you go find a great left tackle last 10, 15, 20 years. They're mostly first round guys.

They're hard to find. You go look for the great edge rushers. A lot of them are first round. Max Crosby is a rarity with the Raiders. If you go look at great quarterbacks, most of the great ones, I know. You love the Brady story and the Russell Wilson story. Most of the great ones are first round. Running backs are everywhere.

The Chiefs went and found a guy in the seventh round. So certain coaches like Kyle Shanahan can make a six-round running back highly productive. So that's why. That's another factor here is, you know, there are these coaches in the NFL that can literally take that position. And with the right offensive line, they can win a lot of games and get a lot of production with like third, fourth, fifth, sixth round guys, seventh round guys. Doesn't happen much. Brock Purdy is a complete outlier in the NFL.

That's why when you talk about great quarterbacks drafted in the fifth, sixth, seventh round, there's always one or two that pop into your head. The best undrafted quarterbacks, Tony Romo, Kurt Warner, why do I know them? Because it doesn't happen very often. Undrafted running backs, six round running backs, fifth round running backs, happens all the time. And that's part of it. It is a position where you can get incredible value. But Sequin did get drafted.

it very high, and it's the third most money in the league at his position behind Christian McCaffrey, one of the most versatile running backs of my life, and Derek Henry, one of the real workhorses in NFL history, certainly the last couple of decades. Jay Mack with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So if you ask me who should be the third highest paid back, I'd probably say Seekwon Barkley.

If you asked me, the three guys in the last seven, eight years that should be paid the most, I'd be like McCaffrey, Henry, Sequant. I mean, he would be in the short list and that's where he's at. Can't really disagree with that. I think he just saw the McCaffrey money that he got. And I know it was in Carolina separate issue, but he saw that and he's like, I'm not being paid what McCaffrey is. All right. But do you believe in business timing matters?

This is a tough one. Yes, I do. I want to see Seaquin get paid. if he were on my jets, would I want to pay him what McCaffrey's getting? And that's a tougher, that's a tougher discussion. The answer's probably no. But I do want to see him get paid because, frankly, I think we would agree. They're not sniffing eight, nine, ten wins without Take Juan Barclay.

Well, he's going to play. It's called a franchise tag. Maybe. Maybe. Well, that's his decision, but I would take the money. It's not going to be an endless rainbow with a pot of gold at the end. Take the money, play, make $10 million. By the way, if he has a good year, you can make another $10, $11 million next year on the franchise.

Well, that's, what if I get laryngitis? What if I, my vocal cords get strained? That's life. You got to go to work. You can get hurt every day at work. What about a cop? What about a fireman? What about a longshoreman?

What about anybody can get hurt? Those guys have really nice pensions, by the way. Not compared to NFL running backs. All right. Yesterday we talked about Joel Embeddeed and his comment about winning a title, whether it's with Philly or anywhere else. But then came Sam Amik of the Athletic, who said the Sixers believe. Embed's preference is to play for one team his whole career, kind of like Kobe.

Embed is currently the sixth longest-tenured NBA player with one team. He's got nine years in Philly. This year will be 10 on a list that includes Curry, Clay, Draymond, Lillard Janice. I see that as just spin control from the Sixers after Embed's comments. We talked about this yesterday. there's about eight to ten guys in the league that are on the no trade list. I would never trade them. Embed I would move off of if the offer was three first round picks and two really good players.

And I like him. But you talk about running backs. Biggs that get hurt regularly, he has not delivered in the postseason. Yes, postseason numbers leave something to be desired. But I'll say this in Mb's defense. You know Hardin's the second best player. I know Maxie will be, but Hardin was. He won them two games against Boston in the playoffs.

If Hardin says, I'm out and I'm out. want to go to the clippers. And you're Embed, and you're looking around the locker room, you're like, we're regressing, get me out of here too. I mean, part of me understands where Embed's coming from here. I don't think he'll get traded, but I can understand it's frustration, can't you? No, I think he's been paid appropriately. He's been very good.

He's been disappointing in terms of injuries and playoff performance. But I think we all know exactly what Ambid is. He's an all-time talented center. I think he's a really good guy. He's been well compensated. He's been disappointing in the playoffs, which a lot of players are until they hit that threshold. So, I mean, LeBron for years and years, and all of a sudden, okay, popped in Miami, and it was a – LeBron's had two careers.

Pre-second year in Miami and post. Like he delivers post. Earlier, he'd get in, sweat by the spurs, lose to the maps. Oh, wait. So, I mean, it takes a while. But I'm just saying there is no fuzz or gray area with Embed. Great, hurt a lot, disappointing in the playoffs. There's no argument on any of those.

Okay, well, from Embed's point of view, you guys have been talking about this process. We had Jimmy Butler. You traded Jimmy Buller. He's been to the finals twice now. Why did you do that? You didn't resign. We didn't retain Jimmy Butler. That's your fault.

You know, Ben Simmons, I know you guys thought the world of him, but look what he became. When we ship him out of town. Now we get James Hardin, and Hardin takes a pay cut last year, and now he don't want to say because you don't want to pay him. You guys are screwing up, the front office. That's what happened on LeBron and Cleveland, Colin. Remember, LeBron sees the Celtics get Ray, Allen, KG, Pulp, they're forming a big three. Danny Aange and company in the front office are like, yeah, we got to take down LeBron. And LeBron says, okay, Cavs, what are we going to get? And he's

like, yeah, we'll go get you a 34-year-old Shaq and Antoine Jameson and how'd that work out? I don't, you can certainly argue that, but I would argue we got your Tobias Harris, who you get 18 from a defense. We got your maxi and ascending star. We've given you and furnished you with excellent players. Yonis won a championship with a guy Chris Middleton who basically we got for a bag of nothing from Detroit. I thought Drew Holiday was what put Milwaukee over the top. And guess what? The front office went and got him.

They stole Drew Holiday out of New Orleans. Well, didn't all these media, NBA media denizens love the James Hardin acquisition? I have never thought. I was on the fence as well. I've never bought into him as a winning player. I've never bought into, you know who Westbrook is a winning player. I never bought into a lot of players.

So my takeaway is Embeded has been worth every penny. he's a great player, but some of this is on him. Janice has not had a perfect world. By the way, Yokic, Jamal Henry got hurt, Michael Porter didn't show up in the finals. They had to go get the second best, they had to go get a defensive player. I mean, Yokic made it work. Janus made it work. LeBron's entire career.

He's made erratic chirre work. He's made hobbled. Yolkich also, the front office went and got Aaron Gordon. That was a heist. If you're truly great, you make it work. Well, nobody does it by themselves. Absolutely nobody. I didn't say that.

Tobias Harris, Maxie Hardin, is not by yourself. Hold on. I got to look this up. How many All-Star games for Tobias Harris? Just curious. Who cares? He's not that good. He's a number four player, which is what he was on the team last year.

If Tobias Harris is your four, a hell of a basketball team, maybe you can win a second playoff series. Tobias Harris has zero NBA honors. Not like all defense. Last three years, what's the average? He's a very good wing. player and he's asked to be their four. He's averaging like 1917 again.

As a four. And you're telling me Mbd doesn't have, Maxi's exploding, hardens a Hall of Famer, Tobias is your four, and you can't win a second playoff series? I take Tobias Harris. Tomorrow was a four. The Clippers thought he was a two. He wasn't. He's more of a three.

The Sixers use him as a four. And Embedds always got excuses. It's a side of cowherd I have not seen defending Tobias Harris. The undefensible. He's making $34 million. He can't sniff an All-Star game? Coward. I got news for you.

Okay. How many guys in the league? How many make the All-Star game? You ever watch an All-Star game? No, there's 50 million. It's all-deges. It's all-star game. I mean, go look at the All-Star game.

Trey Young, Damon Lillard, Steph Curry. Shuckers. Yeah, yeah. I get that. Well, I mean, it's hard to make All-Star teams. It's nothing, but this isn't Pro Bowl in the NFL where half the guys drop out. And by the end of it, you got some. he got some guy with 12 starts at quarterback.

Who was the quarterback in the Pro Bowl? Tyler Hunley made the Pro Bowl. That's right. Okay, so I don't want to hear about the NBA to not make the All-Star game. Tobias Harris is going to, right now is 19 a game, defends, wing, rebounds, good guy, no. You tell me, and there's a four, if you have MB, that's a championship team. I'm just asking you get to a finals.

Woof, coward, all right. Next up, the Jets, the quarterback issues solved with Aaron Rogers. obviously. But of course, he's coming off a not great season and one AFC scout told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, I think everyone is afraid to say he's declined a little. I don't know how much of this is impacted by Russell Wilson's struggles in Denver. You know, getting up there in age. Russ, really rough year with Hackett. I don't know. How do you even quantify declined a little? The MVP of the league twice.

Okay. And I would tell Aaron, if he was sitting here this, is that I don't think he's declined as a thrower of the football. I think as he is aged, he's not as mobile. Athletes lose their legs first, not their arm. Dan Marino could still sling it in the parking lot. So his arm is great, his upper body's fantastic, his brain powers second to none.

Where Aaron's lost a little off the fastball. players lose their legs first. Aaron's not quite as twitchy and nimble moving. And secondly, and this happens when anybody, man or woman, gets really rich. There's a certain way you want to do things. There's a certain rigidity that comes into your life. As I'm older, I'm willing to do certain things, not willing to do others, right? Like so, it's ego, it's vanity, it's rigidity.

So Aaron's still great. I think he's not quite, you know, lower extremities, first thing that He's Quarterbacks can, Drew Bledso today with a football could throw a 35 yard out on the money. So lower half of the body, not quite as good and as sturdy. And I think he's, and I say this, by the way, in defense of Aaron, I think as you get older and richer and you have titles in the bag, is you're not quite willing to do as much as often,

not take every bit of direction from every coach. You're not as, you know, not saying he's not hungry, but I just think. So the decline is not what people would think in throwing a football or brain. Aaron's never been smarter. He's never had a better arm. He's never had defenses better. But I think, and I think you could ask Brady about the plyometrics. It's the legs.

I mean, Brady, what did he finally say in New England? I want control. Wasn't about anything athletically. Tom was rich. Tom was like, I want control. Now, you could say that's ego, but I think that's very, that's common with men and women in America, ask yourself whether you're a mom or a CEO. There's lines we all draw on the sand as we age. We tend to prune our social tree, put up with less crap, right? And so I think Aaron's at that point

where he's not going to put up with less crap. He's going to put up with less crap. I'm defending Aaron today. How do we quantify decline? If you look at his stats, Kirk Cousins had a better year. So you're saying his legs weren't there. What if the counter is, hey, Colin, I was, I was kind of checked out. I did not love the front office. I didn't love what they did with the wide receivers, Devante Adam. That would be the above shoulder stuff I just talked about. Right. So what if all that is now flipped? He's in New York. It's new. It's exciting. He's got new teammates. He likes it. He's kind of out to prove something. You could just throw this decline out the window if that's the case. Well, no. Not the lower, not the lower extremities.

This is the worst offensive line in his career and his legs aren't as vibrant as they were years ago. This is what you see with baseball pictures. You can get the legs vibrant again. Come on. I don't think so. Strength and conditioning. You know, he's going to be, you know, he's got a new girlfriend now. This is the way it works in life.

Who is it? No, I'm saying, you know, the metaphor. Oh. You get the new girlfriend. You're on your best behavior. Aaron's got a new girlfriend now. Make sure he looks good. He's going to be in a good mood.

He's going to be on his best behavior. He's going to work a little harder to get the best reservation. Yeah, I get it. He'll be great for six months. But Aaron, at this point, is a stat. Like Tom Brady. So Tom goes to do. Tampa and everything's good. And then in week 12 with Bruce Ariens, he sits down and says,

hey, champ, I know my stack of money and I know yours. We're running my offense. Year one, Tom put up with everything. Week 12 by, sat Bruce down, Bruce. And by year two, Bruce moved upstairs. That mean Tom's a bad guy. But when you get to be Aaron and Brady and Peyton Manning at the end, you've got a stack of cash and you've got influence and you got rings. Bruce, why don't you go upstairs and consult the offense. I'm going to run it. Yeah, Brady was, I think, seven and five in Tampa. So if Rogers, three and three out of the game, not the end of the world. That's what I'm saying.

Aaron's going to play nice. Tom played nice until week 12. They had a bye week, and Tom said, Bruce, I'm going to run the show. Go talk to ownership. Can I just put you on notice if the Jets beat the bills in that opening night game on Monday? That Tuesday show is going to be eight. It's just going to be great. I'm really excited about it. I would slow down on making predictions for Tuesday shows.

In September? Final story. This one is, I think this is going to have some legs. So Belichick has a total of zero playoff wins since Tom Brady left. And his lack of success in the post-Bradie era has some people wondering how much you relied on Brady. Yesterday, Tom Curran, who's been a fixture in New England forever. He went on the Rich Eisen Show to discuss how much pressure is. is on Bill Belichick right now.

You know, you talk about avoiding the hot seat. Rich, he's on the hot seat, and he's been there at different levels of warmth since 2019. But if they look disorganized, dysfunctional, the discipline's out the window, then they might say that was a great run. But can you go upstairs and just watch the ride coach next year? Are you buying that?

Bill Belichick's been on the hot seat for, like, practically four years. Now, there's a lot of details that we can dig into it later in the week, But, give me one. Well, apparently it started with Brady said, I want a two-year, $50 million deal. And Belichick said, eh, and push back a lot. And according to Curran, that was the moment Brady said, I'm done. I'm out of here. And Kraft is still not thrilled with that.

But I cannot wrap my head around the idea of Kraft saying, Bill, you're fired. Or, Bill, you're moving upstairs. He's not doing that. He's walking out the door if they say, hey, can you move upstairs? Like, why would you do that anyway? It's not like his drafts have been great. So I just have a hard time. You know, billionaires are very comfortable saying,

I appreciate your service. I'm making a change. I think billionaires are very comfortable doing that. I work at a company that sold off their esteemed and legendary movie business. Rupert Murdoch one day decided business is changing. By the way, it was a brilliant move. And he decided all these movies, searchlight, that small,

independent movie thing we had, the big movies, think about the Murdoch's commitment to movies. And one day he said, the world's changed. I'm selling it. To my rival. You don't think Robert Kraft can go down the hallway and say, I'm tired of losing to my rivals.

I'm going to get a new football coach. I think billionaires are in the business. Good luck with that billionaire craft. Good luck. Firing Belichick, the greatest coach in NFL history. Yeah. By the way, how was it worked out for Miami since Shula, since they lost on Shula back in the day? Oh, boy.

How's that going to? By the way, Wonstat made the playoffs multiple times. Did he really? With no quarterbacks. Wow. Mike Ditka, since he left the sideline with the Bears, how have they done? Yeah. Not easy to replace greatness.

You're on one today. You've already got the Jets leading the AFC East. After one week. You already got the Tuesday show laid out. You're holding topics from me. J-MAC with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The Hird Line. Be sure to catch live editions of the HARD weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, what's up, everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVar Arrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game, you ask? Along with my fellow Pro Bowler, T.J. Hushman Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right.

Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up on Game. We're going to be sharing our real-life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up on Game with me, LaVar Arington, T.J. Hushmanzada, and Plexico Burris on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast from. 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, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 Blow Your Mind on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your problem. podcast. The world's catching up to us. Little nervous. Big soccer weekend. Women's World Cup. Messies debut. Yep. Very exciting soccer weekend. So, uh, Shohei Otani is the best baseball player I've ever seen. I'm sorry, Seemheads. He is. He was on display last night. The Yankees who want him and would like to make a deal with him. But, you know, their concern is if they make a deal

right now and make trade for him, is he going to stick around and do a long-term deal? So last night he had a home run. They intentionally walked him later. I mean, the guy's just bat flipping it. He's really an all-time talent. But the question is, what do the angels do? Do they trade him and get a bevy of picks back? I would love to do that. That's what I would do. Or do you roll the dice and try to sign him because no GM and the owner, R.D. Moreno, don't want that on their hands and on their legacy that they traded Shohei Otani. But have you noticed that Otani and his agent are being very vague. they're being very vague. When people are vague, they've got something they don't want to tell you. What does Otani and his agent not want to tell the angels?

That he wants to be a Dodger. And that behind the scenes, the Dodgers have been making moves for 12 months, letting Otani's agent know, we've got an opening. There's a vacancy. Is that everything is a mystery. And it's a mystery because Chotaunay, O'Tani and his agent probably feel a little guilty. Now, for those of you not in Southern California, and this is not a shot at the Angels, but the Dodgers are VIP class.

The Angels are more economy in terms of executives, in terms of stadium and culture, and winning and farm systems historically. The Dodgers tradition is second to very few. The Angels tradition is second to the Dodgers in Southern California. Artie Moreno, the owner of the Angels, has, said, I'm not going to make a deal with the Dodgers. I get it. You get divorced.

You don't want your ex living across the street. I get it. It's too close. The proximity. But I think that's why we're seeing vague. I think Otani. Jeter always felt like an East Coast guy, even though he was from the Midwest. He sounded, he acted.

He was an East Coast guy. Otani feels West Coast. It's closer to the Pacific Rim. The culture, the weather. I think he likes Southern California. I think he loves it. But he liked to win, and the angels don't much, and the Dodgers do often. So if you're wondering why there's all this sort of, you know, and Dodger stars are always happy.

Freddie Freeman left a great organization in Atlanta. He looks happy. Mookie Betts left a great organization, Red Sox. He looks happy. These guys leave Braves, Red Sox. They come to L.A. The weather's better. The culture's cool.

The Dodgers are the Yankees without the stress. I mean, people in Los Angeles want them to win, but they average almost 10,000 people per game more than anybody else in baseball. The weather's always perfect. The fans are always packing the joint, even on Thursdays. Wednesdays it's 43,000 people. I think Otani wants to be a Dodger, and it's sensitive, and Marty Moreno and the Angels are not willing to make a deal.

Whenever people are vague, they've got. something they know is either going to hurt my feelings or make me mad. And I think the Angels, the one team they don't want to see Otani end up on is the Dodgers. And the Dodgers have been moving chess pieces for the last year to make it work. They can pay $700 million. He will win. So he was on display last night. I mean, he's remarkable.

He's just a remarkable. And the bat flip, you've got to be honest, that was pretty good. I am not opposed to bat flips, unlike a lot of baseball players. The bat flip was just a perfect fitting icing for that moment against the Yanke. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite,

on Humor Me with Robert Smygel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform?

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the 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 IHard 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 tauntons 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