The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 1 - Sean Payton has an edge

Episode Date: July 27, 2023

Colin is back to explain why he loves what he's hearing from Broncos HC Sean Payton Aaron Rodgers taking a pay cut is the right choice The Angels have decided to not trade Shohei OhtaniSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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It's great to be here with a little cold, nonetheless. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. Thank you for making us part of your day. A lot of choices out there. It's great to be back. Went to the beautiful country of Canada, British Columbia, with friends.

A lot of good food, a lot of good views. It is great to be back. I read, you know, when you're on a boat, you got some time. A little fishing, a little kayaking. And so I came back and I thought, oh, I've got some big kind of big macro NFL topics. And Sean Payton handed me a lead. It's good to see you, buddy. Thanks for filling in.

It was outstanding, a lot of fun. Glad to have you back. Well, so I had the great pleasure of working with Sean Payton for one year. He sat on these chairs and joined me most months. Mondays during the football season. And I've said before, I've never learned more about football, and that is no knock on any previous guest I've had, but it was really for me. I'm a curious football fan like many of you.

I've never learned more football in my life from the conversations, the dinners, the coffees, the moments on the air and off than I did with Sean Peyton. And he took over a mess in Denver. And Jared Bell, an excellent columnist and reporter for USA Today, talked to him. yesterday and Sean Payton un- This is so Sean, it's great. He unloaded on the situation he took over. Let me throw up a couple of the quotes.

It's so authentic. He said it might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL. There's 20 dirty hands for what was allowed, tolerated in this freaking training rooms, the meeting rooms, the offense. I don't know, Hackett. A lot of people had dirt on their hands. It wasn't just Russell. he didn't just flip. He still has it. This BS that he hit a wall shoot, they couldn't get a play in.

They were 29th in the league in pre-snap penalties on both sides of the football. Sean Payton continued. It doesn't happen often where an NFL team or organization gets embarrassed. And that happened here. Part of it was their own fault relative to spending so much blanking time trying to win the offseason. the PR, the pomp, the circumstance, marching people around and all this stuff. Everything I heard about last season, we're doing the opposite. He continued on defending his quarterback Russell Wilson. This wasn't his fault. This was the parents who allowed it.

That's not an incrimination on him, but an incrimination on the head coach who was here, the GM, the president, and everybody else who watched it all happened. It's smoldering. I can feel the heat. I absolutely love Sean Payton and the confrontation to it. He's flawed. He's right. Nothing he said was incorrect. There's no BS. There's no waffling. It's pulp fiction. They got a mess on their hands and they called in the wolf. If you want to fix a culture, you got to nuke the old one.

This is not a remodel, a tweak here and a tweak there. It's a total rebuild. Hackett was completely over his skis, and the GM from that team is still there. This may have been strategic. But the older I get, the more I like this. We live in a world now where the mob is constantly seeking an apology. People are easily offended. Yes, actions do offend me.

Words rarely do. Dana White said shove it. Right in the middle of COVID. I'm going to lease an island. Don't like it. Don't watch. It's why one of the many reasons I'm going to another UFC fight this weekend. He's a man of action.

Flawed, imperfect, but doesn't cower when he gets criticized. Dionne Sanders, I said it a couple of weeks ago. Not everybody has to blow up a football program like him, but it is a way to do it. Dion Sanders walked in and said, there's the door. most of you stink. We're blowing this puppy up. You're bad and have been for a decade. You know what?

Dana White, Dion Sanders are not perfect. They've made mistakes. Welcome to being human. I love this from Sean Payton. If you're easily offended in the NFL, uh-oh, he stepped on toes. Whose toes?

Hackett was completely over his skis. And nothing he said was untrue. I love it. And something to think about. And I've heard this from coaches for years. Lane Kiffin and I had this conversation eight, ten years ago. The more money in sports, and now the Saudis are in, they're offering soccer players a billion dollars a year to play.

A billion. A B. The more money in sports that is granted, given, furnished, and paid, the more production and results are demanded and more urgently. it used to be as a college football coach. You got three years guaranteed. And if you got fired before the contract ran out, the media was outraged. Now if you go to a USC, and I'm talking college and LSU, got to be around that

playoff by year two. Or you get ripped. And boosters start complaining. And the AD has no choice but to listen. And in pro sports, billionaires used to be worth $400 million. maybe eight. Now there are worth $20 billion. Rounding errors, $30, $40 million coaching contracts are simply rounding errors. They write them off. They get you out the door.

Sean Payton has to win and he's got to win urgently. He doesn't get a warm up year. He's got to completely nuke this mess and I love it. The more money, the more things are demanded, the less time you have to fix it. Dion knows it. Dana White knew it. Sean Payton knows it. And you know what? Sean's got what we do have down here. I spent a week in Canada. They are lovely people. Not much of an edge. We've got an edge. Our stars have an edge. They have it in Hollywood. They have it in sports. They have it in tech. They got it in Wall Street. We got Musk and Zuckerberg want to fight each other. Whatever. It's us. I love this. confrontation, head on, make people uncomfortable, don't apologize, don't be consumed if you offend people at every turn. Nobody's perfect.

They make mistakes, full speed ahead, and the winner will be the Broncos locker room, the Bronco fans, and the people who cover them. This is the Sean Payton I went to dinner with. I love it. Unleashing the Jared Bell, who's on the show later. So as we go into another football season, and I know sometimes I'm viewed, you think I'm, you know, I picked on Baker Mayfield. I was right, but be that as it may, you felt I picked on Johnny Mansell.

And a lot of you feel like last week, man, you were really tough on Justin Fields. He's 5 and 20. What do you want me to do? We're going into year three. But Aaron Rogers is different because Aaron Rogers is great. And about seven, eight years ago, I started saying, I don't like his body language. I hear things in the building. I've been doing this for a long time.

And I started about a seven year journey on, I like Aaron a lot. He's great. I'd vote him in for the Hall of Fame. But some of his problems, some of his failures are on Aaron. And nobody wants to say it. The rest of the media have come around, I think, to piggyback on many of my comments. But, but. I am a believer in redemption.

I am a believer that people can change. And sometimes they need a new environment. And I got tired of Aaron in Green Bay, constantly droning on about retirement, not being engaged in the offseason, going to a darkness retreat, then shock when he came out, didn't give the GM an answer on what he wanted to do,

and they moved off him. I got tired of that, Aaron. That said, I still always liked him more than Farr. He's smart. There's a coolness about him. I'm not cool. Maybe I look up to cool people. But I got tired of him in Green Bay. But Aaron Rogers did something and it's not a small thing. He took a $35 million pay reduction this week for the Jets. Folks, that's not a shave. That's a brand pivot. Okay. That is a realignment of your priority. these. That is saying I want to win. Brady did it. Breeze did it later. That is saying I want to win

games. I'm going to sacrifice. I made a bunch of money. I've never seen an owner give back 35 million bucks in any sport. They fight for every dollar. I think it's incredibly thoughtful, unselfish, and frankly, it does help you win more. You can get a couple more players. I know, I know, I know he's rich. I've seen a lot of rich people. They don't give him. money back. Sure as hell don't give $35 million back. Not in my lifetime. And I still have my issues with the Jets. They have an impulsive ownership group. I have questions about the O-Line. A lot of their good young players are good young players. The division's brutal. The AFC's a monster. There's stuff I worry about. I do think Saul is great, but he is a defensive

coach. It's an offensive league. But this is Aaron looking in the mirror and saying, you know, I probably was a little disengaged in Green Bay with the young players. He leans into it. He leans into all the young jets saying, you know, I kind of droned on about retirement. Aaron now doesn't want to talk about retirement. Aaron saying, you know, I did take the most money. That's not exactly the way to win. Aaron's saying, I'll give some back.

I like this, Aaron. Didn't always love him in Green Bay. Admired his talent. Didn't always like him as a leader. some people need a new environment, some people need a new change. Green Bay doesn't have an owner. There's not a lot to do. You can't go to the grocery store.

It's different. It's not all easy. New York is tough, but if you win, they love you. Here's Aaron on the realignment of his priorities. The team gave up significant pieces for just to be a one-year deal. I'm aware of that. Anything can happen with my body or with the success we have this year. But I'm having a blast, so I don't really see this as a one-year-and-done thing. Change can be difficult for sure, especially when it's that drastic, 18 years in one spot.

But if you can lean into it and embrace it, there's some really beautiful things on the other side. Credit where credit is due. I don't need to question his motivation. I don't care what his motivation is. I'm not interested in his motivation. Credit where credit is due. This is not a shave. It's a brand pivot. It's a realignment of priorities. It matters a lot.

I like this, Aaron. How about that? We don't need to drone on, speaking of droning on, about the Jets much anymore. I'd like to see some actual Ws for the first time at 11 years. But this is not a little thing. It's not little. Do not think it's little. I've been covering sports for 30 years.

I've never seen anybody give back $35 million. Owners don't do it. They don't. They always talk about players being loyal and players winning. All right, write me a check for $35,000. Captain, stooping. Yeah, they don't, ever, under any circumstances. So I like it a lot.

All right, it's nice to be back. I am kind of congested here. You know, I was out fighting the elements. Sorry to be obnoxious, more than usual. Good to have you back and good to be back. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

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

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

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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. 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 tontons 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 podcasts. You're now entering the no bull zone, Spencer, sponsored by credible great rates with none of the bull. I want to circle back to Sean Payton, the new coach of the Denver.

Broncos. And when I was gone last week, I had a lot of time. I was on a boat with a friend. Had a lot of time to read about the NFL and we'll get more to this later. Denver's really one of the teams that is really intriguing between the Chargers and the Broncos. I know I love the chiefs. I got my questions on the Raiders. I don't know what to do with these two. I'm going to watch the injury reports. Maybe that'll give me some answers. I love both quarterbacks, even though one came off a bad year, Russell Wilson. But this is important. Russell Wilson is somebody and he's got a quality I like is that Russell Wilson and I know everybody's cool is not really concerned with um he's got a Kirk Cousins quality and the more I watch that

Netflix special quarterbacks the docu docu series the more I like Kirk Cousins he's not cool he's a family guy he cares about his kids he cares about his community he's not worried about cool he knows what he is he knows what he's not there's an earnestness and a genuine quality about Kirk Cousins that I really, really like. And Sean Payton takes over a team, and a lot of people bailed on Russell Wilson. Some people think he's cringy. He's not a guy's guy. Some of it's jealousy.

He's rich. He's good looking. His wife's gorgeous. His kids are beautiful. It's the American dream. There's a lot of jealousy out there in all professions. But I want to go back to the Sean Payton quote defending Russell. And Russell Wilson never lashed out last year as everybody, even me, was critical of him.

Sean said on Russell Wilson's performance last season, that wasn't his fault. That was the parents who allowed it. That's not an incrimination on Russell, but an incrimination on the head coach, the GM, the president, and everybody else who watched it all happen. If you go to the numbers last year, beyond just Russell Wilson, the Broncos did nothing well offensively. They allowed the most sacks. They were awful on third down.

They had the most penalty yards, points per game. They were awful at everything. It's not all Russell Wilson. And what Sean Payton is doing there is what the late Robin Williams did to Matt Damon in Goodwill Hunting. It's not your fault. It's not your fault. It's not your fault. And I don't think Russell thinks it is, but it's always been a delicate balance.

between vulnerability and confidence for pro athletes. It always has been. You'll watch a golfer fold in the last four holes of a golf tournament. A great golfer, a Greg Norman. You'll watch an amazing golfer lose his mind. Get what they call the yips. Can't hit a pot. Can't chip.

8,000 rounds. Forgets how to chip. It's a delicate balance. I watched A-Rod once dropped to 8th in a batting order during a playoff series. think it was against Detroit. He lost it. He couldn't hit. It was A-Rod. At the time, he was the most talented player in the game. It happens. And all last year, nobody, not one time did Russell Wilson fire back at the critics, fire back at the heat. He took all of it, which is exactly what you'd want a franchise quarterback to do. He didn't get defensive. He didn't get snippy. He didn't get snarky.

He didn't point fingers. He took all of it and deserved a lot of it, but took all of it. He didn't go to the podium on Wednesday, hat backwards, trying to be a cool guy, a snarky guy, not his game. And there's two things that are going to make Denver good this year. One, Sean Payton gets Russell Wilson back to being Russell Wilson, and two, getting the guys in the locker room to believe him. And a lot of guys probably bailed on him. a lot of guys this is the NFL you get about a six year window to make your money guys aren't patient owners aren't gms aren't players aren't not a lot of loyalty in this league almost none i get it

i got years to make money NFL players got four to six years so there this is the classic it's not your fault he's not only building up russell he's sending a message to that locker room Don't blame the quarterback. Nobody could have succeeded with that coach, those decisions, the pom-poms, the PR nonsense in this division. J-MAC with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Let's start, Colin, with your favorite quarterback.

Joe Burrow, next in line to get a massive extension. Yeah. Justin Herbert got five years, 262 mil. So then the question becomes, what is Burrow going to get? And here's Joe Burrow talking about his contract extension. The point I'm out now, I'm one of the best in the world. And if I just continue to improve every day, I'm going to help myself a lot more than if I set these goals for myself that are tangible. I'm focused on getting a deal done that's good for us, good for me, good for the team, good for everybody.

It gets done when it gets done. Do you see a thread here in the NFL? Jalen Hertz, humble, Burrow Humble, Herbert Humble, Mahomes Humble. Do you see kind of a thread here? Aaron Rogers, new Aaron Rogers, giving back, love the team. I'm having a blast. Quarterback is leadership. It's not just, hey, I throw a good football.

That's why you and I say, is Jalen Hertz going to be as good without Shane Stuyken. I don't know, but I love the guy. Wait, you left off one guy in that list who signed this year. Lamar Jackson. I think he's humble. You don't think he is? Well, he didn't say any burrow titles. I didn't mention him because I mentioned, on top of my head, I mentioned her. Yeah, I mean, I just, he wanted a lot of money.

No, no, no. Not full guarantee. Yeah, but I don't think, when I watch Lamar Jackson play, I see a kid who's all about winning, completely committed, frustrated, worried that his injuries will negate his career, but I don't see Lamar Jackson as cocky at all. But with this quarterback, with this window to make money in the NFL, seeing, you know, other position guys struggle to sign lengthy contracts,

shouldn't these guys maximize, get whatever they can? I'm not a believer in that. Again, I'm a capitalist like everybody else. But I have never, when I've got into a negotiation, I've never made money the ultimate priority. I want to get paid, but I want more time off. I want to be able to get certain people on my staff. There has to be more to life than money.

And I'm, again, I have pivoted off. I've changed in 20 years. First got in the business, get me mine. But over the course of time, I figured out, don't be a dummy. It's better to have a bigger staff, smarter people, happiness, be joyful, not bitter. I think these young quarterbacks, I've said this, we're very, very lucky in all of our sports right now, that most of our stars, I mean, imagine you at 23 and I gave you 100 million.

Could you have handled it? Of course. I think we're really lucky to have your Jalen Hertz, your Burrow, your Mahomes, your Herbert. And like Herbert's saying, like, there's value to not always getting everything. It's okay. You don't need every last dollar as a pro athlete. How about Leonel Messi turning down the Saudis? A billion dollar offer comes to MLS.

And by the way, family happy. Now he gets to bring his dudes over. How great has that been? I mean, talk about exceed expectations more than a goal a game. Unbelievable. All right. Next up, let's go to Mack Jones. Boy, this guy, one of your favorite quarterbacks, who I still don't understand.

He made a pro bowl as a rookie. Was quite bad last year with a shaky offensive coordinator anyways. He's talking about the 2023 season and gave a update about his relationship with coach Bill Belichick. I think we're good. But I think the biggest thing that we've all talked about is just having a fresh start. I think there's a lot of learning experiences from last year that we've talked about. And this year it's all about just working together, right? You've got to come up with a plan and then obviously talk about it and then execute it.

So I'm excited for that part of it. Really just for me, just trying to be really consistent, try not to ride the wave and just stay in my course. And hopefully everybody on our offense feels that too. I think Coach O'Brien does a great job laying out what we do well so far. and we're going to learn every day what we do well. And then from there, you just keep moving forward and execute the plan. So I definitely excited for that. You know, did you like that or no?

Again, it seems to me that speaking from a leadership perspective, us, we do well as a group. You know, obviously people know you. They come up to me, everyone. What's it like working with Colin? How is it? How's your relationship? I've never said, I think we're good. I've never said, I think we're good.

Matt Jones opens with How are things with Belichick? I think we're good. You did that really? You think that's nothing? I think we're good? Well, Belichick didn't have dinner with Brady for 20 years. So I think Bill, he's also a defensive coach,

so he's not in the meeting rooms with him. Bill's different. Bill's not warm and fuzzy. That's not who he is. He is, I mean, it's just, you know, Bill's just different. He's not a warm, fuzzy guy. I think some of these defensive coaches, Belichick and Brady, Pete Carolyn Russell Wilson, Brian Flores and Tua.

It's just different. Defensive coaches grow up in sacrifice and collision and play hurt. And offensive guys grow up in this sort of community of choreography, and I need this, and can you get me that? They need protection. So I just, if you're looking from warm and fuzzy from Bill, I've given up on that, but I can still think somebody's great if they're not always patting you on the back. So I'm looking at the Patriots schedule now.

They open with the Eagles. It's not easy. First game. And then they go play the genius McDaniel and Tua. He's probably going to be healthy for me too. And then they play Aaron Rogers. I know. And then they go to Dallas.

And then they play New Orleans. Colin? It's a rough schedule. Listen, O and 5 is certainly in play for the Patriots. Don't scoff. I think they're underdogs in all those games. Yeah, I do too. Maybe not the Saints game.

I'm not disagreeing. I think when you play really great teams in the NFL, some of your production has to come off script. And so if you combine Mack Jones' inability to make stuff happen off script, and the wide receiver tight-end group, which is not a group that can create stuff off script, you have to coach and play perfectly in New England to win. Garrett Wilson can just bust open a play.

Jalen Waddle, Tyree K. Hill can just bust open a design play. Stefan Diggs has that. Josh Allen certainly has that. So when you get into these great matchups, go to the Super Bowl. Mahomes with a bad leg runs 40 yards or 30 yards. Is that New England's issue is not that they don't have talent, but they don't have off-script, offensive talent.

And so you have to coach perfectly. They're going to have to score on 11 play drives. And by the way, so does Kansas City. So will Dallas. But occasionally, C.D. Lamb will rip off a 60-yard play. And so I look at New England as a team that has to win a certain way, no turnovers, fewer penalties, time of possession. You can win nine games. Good luck on the AFC winning 13 were that way.

Final story is the U.S. women's soccer team. Boy, you know, they look okay against Vietnam in the opener, and they just look downright, not good. for long stretches against Netherlands yesterday, giving up a goal in the 17th minute, but then in the second half, Lindsay Horan got tackled in the box and then headed in a corner kick following the tackle, and they ended in a 1-1 draw.

Here's the incident. Yeah. You love that fire, right? I like it. A little trash talking, and then literally 30 seconds later on the corner. Bang! That was an awesome goal.

That was a great. Listen, you win two World Cups in a row, and you're kind of marked, everybody's gunning for you and they're getting their best. You're getting everybody's best match. They don't look as dynamic and dominant. And it's early. You know, they're working in a lot of new pieces.

Right. But, you know, I'm on a soccer thread with some guys who I play soccer with. And a lot of questions about, like, what are we doing at halftime? Like, there's legit concern that, you know, we're not, we don't look like the team to beat through two games, you know, not a world cup.

You've got, you know, your group stage, and then your knockout stage. And over the course of time, You can tweak it a little bit. You generally know what you're getting going in. And we knew that we had, I think, 14 new members on this team. So it was a work in progress. So this was never going to be fluid and beautiful from the beginning.

What you hope is just over time, attrition, you can just kind of stay alive, stay alive, stay alive. But they're trying to do something that's never been done. I don't think anybody's ever won three straight World Cups, men or women. So we knew this was a transition year. Like we kind of felt like we talked about it with the Warriors this year Young guys old guys can you bridge the gap it was hard They got to the playoffs but in the end It was all the young guys in their prime for Denver that rolled over people

So they got Portugal next that'll be a they'll handle Portugal And then the knockout rounds come Which are going to be a little more thrilling and maybe nerve-racking than we thought it was Yeah I think it's great Yeah J-Mack with the news Well that's the news And thanks for stopping by

The Heard Lye News Did you see the Angels went late last night to the White Sox, and they went and got a top line starter and a reliever? Artie Moreno is giving a shot. Since the All-Star break, Angels playing excellent baseball, they're going to roll the dice. They gave up their top two prospects. Angels said, you know what?

They weren't getting a ton of offers because Otani is such a weird guy to trade for. Like, how many players can you, if you give up too many players, starters, then basically you're back to be in the Angels where you need more top-end starters. So the Angels last night, big move with the White Sox, got a top line, and their pitching's not been good. They haven't had since Jared Weaver feels like the last ace they had. It's been about a decade. So they went out and traded away prospects and said, we're going to roll the dice and see if we can keep him. So very interesting for them.

Hey, Mike Trout stayed, Ichero, Joe Mauer and Minnesota could have gone to the Yankees and other teams, I believe. Some guys just want to be comfortable and they like where they're playing. What's more interesting to you, Otani gets traded or stays? Well, what's more interesting is he stays. The angels try to make the playoffs in the last couple of weeks. If they do, then you get a second. I mean, this has been interesting. Then you'd get a second run.

The Otani situations, we talked about this, baseball is different. Soccer stars, NFL quarterbacks, and NBA stars. We hold it against your legacy if you don't win a world series. Or if you don't win a championship. In baseball, Ernie Banks, Ted Williams, Barry Bonds,

Tony Gwyn, Ken Griffey. Go through the names of guys that did not win a World Series. Nobody holds it against him. Nobody holds it against the kid, Ken Griffey. Ernie Banks, Barry Bonds, Ichiro,

Yaz, Rod Carew, Best Hitter of My Childhood, Don Mattingly. Again, I think I think I I said, Ted Williams, baseball doesn't hold it against you if you do not win a world series. If you're a great player and Otani is the greatest individual talent I've ever seen in baseball, and the angels aren't getting a ton of offers because he's such a unique player. He's a star pitcher and a star hitter.

What do you give up? Like, nobody's quite sure. Do you gut your farm system? Well, how many prospects do you have to give up for him? Seven? You just gutted your farm system. You need some of those cheap guys coming up because you're going to pay him $700 million. So the angels aren't getting the offers they wanted.

And I think they're saying, we're going to go for it. And Ichiro stayed, Mike Trout stayed, Joe Mower stayed. Baseball has a, there's two sports, golf and baseball with a lot of downtime. Hockey is so fast. Football, they've eliminated mostly huddles. Basketball, you're up and down. Soccer. But golf and baseball is a lot of downtime.

and the sport can completely get mental and get into your head. And you can see great golfers and baseball players go into the tank after a bad, at bat or a bad hole. And so I think the mental part of it, look at the Padres this year. And the Mets, they tried to buy relevance and wins. They bought stress and pressure and they've tanked. And so I think, you know, there's a lot of baseball players. They like the habit, the drive to the ballpark, the familiarity with the stadium.

Their family's happy. Their friends are around. Mike Trout, Ichiro, Maurer, like, no, I'm going. here. I'm good. I'm comfortable. I've got my, I'm a creature of habit. Baseball players are more than any athletes I've known superstitious, creatures of habit, continuity. So I think they, I, that was a big, big swing last night. Apparently the angels, since the All-Star break, I'm told, have the best record. So they're playing a really good baseball, and they went and got an ace, and they went got a top reliever, and they're going for it.

And he is a very, he's like two players. He's like an ace and Aaron Judge. What do you trade for him? Do you got your franchise to bring him in? I mean, you essentially have to give up like, you thought Rudy Gobert got nine guys. What does he get? I mean, seriously, well, I don't even know what you give up.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Two NBA insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you right into the NBA great buy. All happening in only one place. This League Uncut. The new NBA podcast with me, Chris Haines. And me, Mark Stein. Join us as we team up to expound on everything we're covering, hearing, and chasing.

Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haines and Mark Stein. On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the 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 fourth. 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 part. podcast. Saturday, it's baseball night in America on Fox. Giancarlo's Stanton powers the Yankees against the Orioles or the raised battle the Astros or the Red Sox take on the Giants. Saturday at 7 Eastern on Fox, check for the game in your area. So when I was on the five-day vacay, last couple of days especially, especially you saw all sorts of extensions and players salaries, the Sequin Barclay stuff, the Aaron Rogers giving money back. So we're officially now really into football season.

What is clear, as I read over the athletic, which is the subscription sports writer site, what's really becoming clear as I looked at all the previews is the conclusions are more defined than I can ever remember. As the sport

due to safety concerns has protected the quarterbacks and elevated the quarterbacks and protected offensive players outside of running backs, it has been to the demise of running back salaries, but it has been a surplus for quarterbacks and wide receivers and left tackles. They've never made more money. They'd never been more important. And what I found with all the predictions I was reading is I don't think I remember a year when a division was more clearly

defined, all of them top and bottom. We can argue about second and third place. Those are good arguments to have. But if you go through the division, overwhelmingly, here's how they land. on what I read over the last five days. The first place team would be the bills based on their talent. They drafted to their weakness, offense, and the last would be the Patriots. They just don't have offensive players in an offensive league that separate. AFC North, the Bengals are the overwhelming favorite and should be with their offensive surplus. The Browns, you know, you can argue about who's going to finish in last, but ownership, quarterback,

There's a lot of questions about the Brown's direction going forward. And I think people like the momentum late in the year with Pittsburgh. And as JMAQ has pointed out, there's a lot of believers in Baltimore from PFF to a lot of data that love the Ravens this year. In the AFC South, people like the Jaguars easily to win the division, maybe the best record in the league. And the bottom is two teams with new quarterbacks, Texans and Colts. AFC West, overwhelmingly, Chiefs win at Raiders are last. If you go over to the NFC, again, there's almost a unanimous understanding. The Eagles will win the division.

They should best roster easily. Commanders are last. New ownership hopefully helps. Then in the NFC North, yes, the Lions are the favorite best offensive line. Have shorted up their defense. A lot of momentum. Probably best roster. Last place, Packers Bears will battle for it.

We don't know if Justin Fields is the guy or Jordan Love. Fields has shown promise. Love, we just have no proof. NFC South, Saints' overwhelming favorite, can't argue there. Derek Carr in that roster, easily the class in terms of personnel in the division. Bucks are a mess. They'll be in the running for Caleb Williams. And then in the NFC West, similarly, Niners easily best roster, Cardinals, easily weakest roster. So there's some arguments at the bottom of a couple of divisions.

The ones that I struggle with, I'll give you an example, Miami and the Jets. I think Miami's got an amazing coaching staff. I think Vic Fangio may be the best defensive coordinator in the league right now, older guy. And then I think Mike McDaniel's brilliant and their offensive personnel's excellent. But I look at the Jets. Aaron Rogers now pulling back on salary. What I worry about the Jets is the offensive line.

What I worry about Miami, a big concern is, Tua's health. I've said if Tua plays 15 games, I'd give it to Miami to potentially win the division. I think they have a stacked roster. You don't have to have a great O line. The Bengals didn't and got to a Super Bowl. You don't have to be a great O line or run team. So that's a really interesting argument. And to me, I'm going to watch camp.

Who's healthier coming out of camp? Somebody's going to go down. You know, if all of a sudden Bradley Chubb got hurt for the dolphins, where's their pass rush? If Garrett Wilson, you know, tweaks a knee and is out for four or five weeks, early schedule for the Jets, that's not good. He's an emerging star at wide receiver, and Aaron needs one. The other battle is Denver against the Chargers, and I know people all through the Chargers

building. I like them. It's not a humble brag. I just like them. But I have been the last two years very reluctant to embrace them. And it's not because I don't like the personnel, but it's just the defense in the middle has been so-so. And, you know, I got trust issues with the Chargers.

If you've lived out West, you got trust issues with this franchise. And then there's Denver where new owners, new coach, implementing a new system, I think Russell Wilson will return to Pro Bowl-ish level form. I don't think he's Mahomes or Burrow or Allen, but I think he's going to become a top 10 quarterback again, somewhere between like 6 and 9, 6 and 10 is my guess. They do have good talent. They short up the offensive line.

Then you go to the Chargers. The Austin Echler thing's a little unnerving, but the Chargers don't have a lot of. of flaws outside interior D-line is okay, not special. They don't have a lot of issues other than we never trust them. Nobody shrinks in big spots and loses more weird games than them. I think the best division could be the AFC North with Cincinnati, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland. If Cleveland's fourth, that's a really talented fourth-place team. Miles Garrett may be the best edge rusher along with Vaughn Miller in a decade. I mean, the guy's

unbelievable and unblockable. But Pittsburgh last year, won seven of their last nine when Kenny Pickett kind of figured out, light bulb went on a little bit. They don't lose when T.J. Watt plays, and most of Pittsburgh's best players are healthy. Baltimore is stacked, but of their top players outside of Mark Andrews, most have a history of getting injured. Cincinnati, I think, is the class of the division.

But again, a lot of that's on Joe Burrow and an unbelievable receiving core now with better protection. So, but it really did appear to me as I looked at it. The league is becoming more defined and more quarterback and coach-based. If you've got a star quarterback and a competent coach, I'm going to take you to win the division. That's kind of what has happened. And we also know if you don't have a great quarterback or you have quarterback chaos or quarterback youth, and we don't know about your coach, Raiders, Arizona, you're last in the division. It feels like it's becoming more defined and clear.

And the arguments are now between second and third. and not first and second or first and fourth. Could be wrong. That was my takeaway on five days of reading about the NFL. Jalen Ramsey, by the way, carted off at Dolphins Camp today. Jason will have it in a next hour update. That's the thing I just said a minute ago about, I said Bradley Chubb. So that's what I'm looking at with Miami Jets, Chargers, Broncos, Raven Steelers,

those number two and three arguments, I'm going to watch camp. I'm going to see what happens. An injury to a key player. Garrett Wilson goes down, knee issue for six weeks in that schedule. I don't feel the same about the Jets. Jalen Ramsey's now carted off the field. That's a thing. By the way, less than 12 hours after Aaron Rogers got his new contract,

Delvin Cook will be visiting the Jets this weekend. It matters. You think? I mean, but we don't have to rush Breeze Hall back now from injury. We don't have to. I can't say we? Can I say we? Can I say we? We don't have to. I can't say we?

Joe Hayden was on here yesterday saying we for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Well, he does play in the league. He did. He's not currently with them. Come on. I'm an honorary jet up here. We. We don't have to rush to call. I try to be at least reasonable with USC football.

Unreasonable with the Jets. Okay. All right. Well, we are looking forward to the show today, aren't we? Brock Heward, Nick Wright, Jared Bell, who broke that story with Sean Payton. Good final two hours coming up. Good to be back. It's the herd. 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, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. on the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 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 podcast.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.