The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 1 - Will the Lakers pace LeBron?

Episode Date: November 2, 2023

Lebron James played 42 minutes for the Lakers on Tuesday in an OT victory over the Clippers, but Colin hopes he can save himself for the full season. The situation continues to heat up at Michigan, and Colin thinks the school needs to defend Jim Harbaugh. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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That was about as good as an NBA regular season game as you're going to get in November. The Clippers have dominated the Lakers for years, even though the Lakers have all the banners and all the rings and all the legends and the rafters in recent history. The Clippers own the Lakers. What a game indeed, yes. And Colin, listen, we got a good NBA slate tonight. And I have clarity on Steelers tonight. Colin, Steelers, Will Levis. I think I have a bet that I just fired on right before the show.

All right. We'll get to that. So LeBron was remarkable last night. He filled up the box score 35, 12, 7 assists in 42 minutes. 42 minutes. That's not ideal. Listen, LeBron is better than any basketball player in the history of the world in year 21. But it's remarkable how much better he is.

At the end of the game, he had the most energy. He was the best player. He was the most efficient. If the NBA was March Madness and the playoffs were just one game at a time, everybody equally rested, one game, couple nights off, three nights off, another game, I think LeBron could peel off an NBA championship. I'm thinking right now, though, the NBA is long, the playoffs are longer, seven games against the best teams, the best defenses, the same players in a series,

They know all your tricks. They're long, hard minutes. He'll wear down. He'll get banged up. He won't be as effective. And that's why they're not going to win a championship. But it's year 21. Year 21.

He's not supposed to be in these wind sprints in November. It's supposed to be a marathon. And the Lakers are trying to scale back his minutes. And then it gets to the fourth quarter and it's the Clippers and you're at Staples and you can't beat them. And it is a rivalry. And it feels like a playoff game. And it really did last night.

Think about this. LeBron's played the second most minutes in the entire NBA. And if you count overtime, it's first. He's in year 21. It's not supposed to be this. And I would take a well-rested LeBron over 99.9% of the league in a big spot. Still, that's how much better he is than the league. So you say to yourself, well, the Lakers have failed him, right? Because they gave him A-D as a co-star.

Brittle doesn't give you 70 games. hot and cold on the offensive end. The last guy you want to give him. But it's not like the Lakers failed in when you really think about it. The sport did. LeBron entered the NBA and it was old school. Guys fighting to get on the floor. Now they're fighting for load management.

LeBron came into the league. It was old school. Not everybody was rich. It didn't work that way. You were fighting. Leaders didn't have to be great players. There were leaders in every locker room. Now, guys are just talented.

The NBA has done a remarkable job to find global talent. It has not done a great job to cultivate leadership. Too much coddling, too much load management. AAU basketball does not help the sport. So LeBron, it's very lonely at the top. LeBron's perfect teammate, and AD will do because he is an elite defender having a healthy, productive year. He's a good guy. LeBron likes him.

It's not like he's the worst guy he could be with, right? But ideally you would give LeBron a young player in his prime that could play 44 minutes a night, play 70 games a year, and gives you 26 points a game, and says, LeBron, two out of three, fourth quarters, you won't need to shift it into jet fuel. I'll take care of it. But that's not AD and that's not the NBA. There's only a handful of players, and it's a handful about 10 that give you 16. 65 games of 82 and 25 a game.

Janus plays less than he used to, but Jason Tatum's there, Luca, Yonitz, Yokic, there's just not many. Devin Booker. The league doesn't have that anymore. Trying to get stars to play 66 games, and I love the sport, and the league has done a remarkable job to cultivate global talent. That's why I'm watching last night. The quality is insane.

But LeBron, all these years in, entered old school, it's new school. And AD's personality, he doesn't know is want to lead. Jason Tatum's great. He's not really a leader. Lucas temperamental, does he play well with others? There are very few guys. The sport has not created great leaders.

It's created and discovered and cultivated great talent. So this is LeBron's reality. Fourth quarter and overtime, November regular season games, A.D. Reeves, get on my back. It's the world he lives in. Right now, LeBron, fourth quarter and overtime leads the NBA in minutes, points, second and rebounds, assists third, plus minus second. That's his reality. The Lakers didn't fail them. A.D. is about as good as you're going to get. But when you enter a business and it's old school, and over 21 years it becomes new school, it's your reality. This is LeBron's, and he delivered last night.

And we keep the game close. You know, I feel like in the fourth quarter, that's when I'm at my best. And if the game is close, I feel like I make plays to help us win the ball game. So no matter who's out on the floor for us. Yes, he was very good. So here we go. This is getting very interesting in the Big Ten. Getting very interesting.

Big Ten coaches got on a Zoom call with the, Big Ten president. According to five sources familiar with the call, let me guess, coaches. Collectively, they want the Big Ten to act right now punitively against Jim Harbaugh. What are we waiting for? We all know what happened. Coaches use the words tainted, fraudulent, unprecedented. Every game they play is tainted, said the coaches, the sources.

the coaches acknowledged on the call, according to sources, NCAA enforcement timelines is not going to change this season. But the Big Ten technically has the authority under its sportsmanship policy to punish Michigan. Right now, right now. So what should the Big Ten do? Hmm. Now let's remember, I've never denied there's wrongdoing.

I've simply tried to contextualize how wrong and how criminal is this. Everybody steal signs in college football, but it's sort of like everybody's speeding on the freeway, you know, 65 miles an hour's the limit, everybody's doing 73, Harbaugh's doing 94 and his Maserati. It's making people uncomfortable. It's a little dangerous. I'm not denying it, but it does feel like it's more fudging on taxes than drug trafficking or embezzlement or robbing a bank. I mean, right, we've all stolen a pen from work, put it in our pocket, Harbaugh stealing the printer. It doesn't quite feel right. Joel Clatt yesterday on our show said this. It's in its infancy. You know, everyone wants this to come to fruition this year. And I don't

think that there's any chance that anything comes to fruition this year. Let's just say for sake of argument that the NCAA gave a notice of allegations to Michigan tomorrow. Bylaws say that they've got 90 days to respond. Season's over. And nothing's going to happen by the end of this season. And we'll see. And by the way, I have heard that the extension is back on the table. I wouldn't be shocked if he signs an extension at Michigan soon.

Now, there is a precedent for that. Harbaugh is a top five college coach. Bill Self is certainly a top five college basketball coach. Remember a few years ago? Kansas got in trouble. Five level one violations. Oh, oh, the most severe breaches of NCAA bylaws, including a lack of institutional control.

That brought down Tark. Ooh, Bill Self's in trouble. And Kansas said, yeah, we support him. We don't care. Signed him to a fully guaranteed lifetime contract. And a year later, they won a natty. And Bill Self today is doing just fine. Harbaugh and Self, in my opinion, were involved in things,

maybe at a little more uncomfortable level of antiquated laws and rules. I mean, let's be honest now. A lot of the violations in college football and basketball now are business. Self, Harbaugh, get involved in stuff that everybody's sort of doing, winning a lot. strong opinion people, winning big games a lot, dominating a conference a lot, everybody a bit uncomfortable. And Kansas said, yeah, we trust our guy, we like our guy. And my guess is Michigan's doing the same.

There is a precedent for this. From the very beginning, I've said, you can't go from, yeah, we're kind of doing it too, to sudden outrage. He won 10 games his first year in Michigan, right? 10 games. They were a mess. Ten games. Did that in the NFL. It's a really good coach. You may be uncomfortable with it. Those were uncomfortable

with Bill Self. But Kansas backed him. It went away. Never missed the tournament. That's my guess on what Michigan will do. Again, I'm not denying wrongdoing video here, allegations there, some truth here.

But it doesn't feel like robbing a banker embezzlement. On a freeway where everybody's speeding, he's just going a little more dangerously fast. We'll wait and see. At least that's the side I'm on. Jemak, Greg Kosell, joining us in 45, 50 minutes. Buddy, I've been trying to tell you for two weeks, this Harbaugh thing.

I'm with you. I don't think this is a big deal, but they're coming after him with both guns, both barrels pointed right at Jim, we're coming for you. This is the NCAA putting all their effort right on Jim Harbaugh. They just, they're angry with him. He embarrassed him and they want payback. Listen, I'm rooting for Harbaugh. This is getting bumpy.

Well, it's going to get worse. You know that, right? I mean, eventually something, another leg is going to fall. Well, for Bill's self, the violations were even more problematic. Those were like level one, lack of institutional control. That's brought programs like down. This stuff is, who's that goofy kid in the hat that we think was on your staff as a low, level went to seat geek and had an iPhone.

It's just bad for college football to be doing this to a really good team. They don't need the spying. Would they beat Michigan State? 49-0-0-4-2-0? Come on. I don't think the spying is the difference. Although, again, it's a freeway that everybody's on and everybody's

speeding. Have you been that guy where you're speeding? I'm not a speeder. I'm not a speeder. I'm pulled over. No, but I've been on a freeway where there's the Maserati guy who's going like significantly faster than me and I'm going 71. And I know he's going 98. You're not a 71 in the left lane guy, are you? I'm right in the middle of the pack, obeying American laws. I obey American laws at the front of the pack, baby. I'm a

leader. All right, I've got a great parlay for you this weekend. Thanks to Draft King's sportsbook, new users. Please use the code Hurd, H-E-R-D when you download the app. Now for my parlay pick of the week via Draft King Sportsbook. Dolphins at the Chiefs, Kansas, City overseas minus two and a half. Andy Reid off a loss. Mahomes off a loss. Kansas City has a much better O-line and defense. They rebound and I will swallow the two and a half points. Seahawks at the Ravens minus six. Better quarterback at home, better defense. I like the Ravens here. Ugly win over Arizona. They're a tough, tough home favorite. I like him here to beat Seattle in cover. Bingles minus two and a half.

like them hosting the bills to cover. I think Cincinnati's defense is more consistent. Burrow situationally at homes better than Josh Allen on the road. Three favorites, Chiefs, Ravens, bingles, I'll take all of them. You want to take the herd parlay. Check out Draft King's sportsbook. New users. Please use the code herd when you download the app. 21 plus in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction. Eligibility restrictions apply. Gambling problem. Call 1-800 Gambler in New York, call 8778 Hope and Why or text Hope and Y 4669. See show notes for full details. 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 I'm so great. Listen to Superhuman on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

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

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross

double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at a podcast. I'm Sam Jette. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. They're 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. So Green Bay's offense wasn't much to talk about for the first two games, but it's gotten progressively worse. And Brian Gudenkoons, I'm no body expert. I'm no body language expert. When anybody crosses their arms when you're talking to them, that's a bad sign.

Or anybody moves and you didn't really push them or they weren't nudged. It's a problem. Whenever I watch Brian Gooden-Cun's talking about Jordan Love, I see a guy that's a little uncomfortable, so he's talking about Jordan yesterday. He's quarterback. I think it's been a work in progress for the entire offense. There's been glimpses, particularly in the second halves, at really good football. but we have not started very well.

He's going to take you more than just this season to find out what you have in Jordan and if he is the guy going forward. I don't know. I think we've got 10 games left. He's going to be very important 10 games. You notice that? When he was controlling it, he stood there.

When somebody asked him a question, he moved a little bit. It's a little uncomfortable with that question. Look it up, just saying. I give quarterbacks until Thanksgiving. If you're a true rookie quarterback, Thanksgiving year two. It's about 24 starts. If you've been around a while, rookie Jordan Love, I give you Thanksgiving first year. We're four weeks from Thanksgiving, and unless this kid goes on a heater for the next three or four weeks, I've seen enough.

Jordan Love feels like a really long second date and the first one didn't go particularly well. And there were huge questions about him. He was a weak first round pick. He was Brandon Whedon or E.J. Manuel or Christian Ponder. there were a lot of doubters in the room. Two of his three years in college, a lot of interceptions. He had a bad final year at college. Oh, for four against power five teams.

Busted for pot, charges dropped. There were questions about his accuracy, his consistency, his judgment. Don't know him at all, but he was not a strong first-round pick, right? And even some of those bust. But you kind of look at him, and my takeaway is, just go back to his draft class. Herbert's been good for years. Burroughs been good for years.

Two has been good for a couple. Jalen Hertz has been good for three. We're still waiting for Jordan Love. And the worst part of this is that the Packers knew it. Remember they said lower your expectations. They signed that quirky two-year contract. So they were able to because they're a well-run organization to mask his limitations. But he's getting worse.

Why? Because now people have film on him and know what he can't do. and they can no longer protect him. They've got to put him out there. I don't need 12 wins here. I don't need 10. I need wow moments. And as my source said during camp,

I said it on the air multiple times, there's no wow there. So his first two games, six touchdowns, no picks. And his last five, five touchdowns, eight picks. So what they provided, the Packers did to Jordan Love was cover. Remember, preseason, didn't get hit, safe stuff.

We kept saying everything's underneath. But now you've got to win games. Getting windy, getting cold, got to make plays. Everybody's got film on everybody. And he's getting worse, not better. Young quarterbacks that have it, Trevor Lawrence, get better. Andrew Luck, get better. Burrow, get better.

It's a bumpy first year. Better, better, better, better. Thanksgiving's a month out. Better go on a heater. But I think they know. I think the body language tells you, the contract tells you, the words tell you. J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, no.

This is the Herd Line News. I cross my arms and leans sideways. Very unhappy with that taking. It's one thing if you talk and make a statement. But if you're asked a question and you move or get a little uncomfortable, just a little. Body language experts will tell you you're uncomfortable. Well, Dak Prescott has not been uncomfortable against the Eagles in his last three starts. The numbers are staggering.

11 touchdowns, one pick with a 143 passer rating. They face off again this Sunday and Nick Siriani gave some praise to Dak ahead of the matchup. He's done really well against us the last couple times he's played us. And so, you know, just like any quarterback, what I'll say is like any quarterback, you have to try to confuse, you have to try to hit him and to try to try to knock him off his rhythm. And so, but can't tell you how much respect I have for Dak. You know, I just feel like he's one of the top, one of the top, one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.

And, you know, we have our hands full going into this game to make sure that we contain him. Well, he is one of the top quarterbacks, but if you're top 12, you're one of the top quarterbacks. So, you know, there's a lot of noise and numbers. So I did look up these three games. Are you ready? Yes. So one last year was against Gardner Minshu. He was an abomination.

And, you know, I know Daxil had to move the football and deliver. But it was against Gardner Minshu. The game before that was a week 18 game against the Eagles when they sat 10 starters, including six on defense. They elevated practice squad guys. Dak was going against second and third unit guys. So the other game was September 2021. That's a long time ago in football. That's over two years ago.

So Dak had three teeny passes. They were to Amari Cooper and Cedric Wilson. They're not on the roster anymore. So he had 21 completions in that game. Only four were to guys currently on the roster. Yeah, so the numbers, that's why I haven't talked about. Yeah, it's like the Miami Dolphins early in the season. A lot of fake loafers and leasing the speedboat.

These numbers against Philadelphia don't mean anything. This is a different team. They're not resting starters. Jalen Hertz now is a much better quarterback. There's no Gardner Minshu. There are times you look at historic numbers and they matter. You know, a coach against the coach. Andy Reid off a bye.

Patrick Mahomes is a favorite of under a field goal. Yeah, yeah. But these numbers against Cowboys Eagles are nonsense. They don't mean anything. That being said, do you think this line, it was at three? Do you think it's more likely to go to two and a half, meaning money on the Cowboys? Or three and a half money on the Eagles? I think sports betters in America, and I think this is why it's tougher.

Last year I hit 55 percent. This year I'm on pace to do the same. I'll get there. And sports betters are savvier than ever. Ten years ago, I would have said the money's going to pour in on the Cowboys. I think smart football fans realize A lot of Dallas's brand, a lot of Dallas's big game performance. They'll pull back.

They've done it twice already this year. Dominating win, pull back. Watch them pull back. So the tough part of this handicap is if Jalen is not keen on running as much, what's going to happen when Micah Parsons is chasing him down? And Michael will chase him down, even though that offensive line is awesome for the Eagles. You got to run right at Micah Parsons. It's going to be, I can't.

Are you doing this in the Blazing Five? I try to stay away from high emotion games, but I think it has a chance to be the best game of the year in the NFL. You know, if Miami, Kansas City wasn't in London, which takes a little bit off it, you know, it's better at night. It's better in the late Fox window. I think Dallas, Philadelphia. My guess is it will be a really, really good football game, one of the five best games of the year in the regular season. Division rival, competent quarterbacks, offensive coaches, good old lines, both teams. should be able to move the ball.

I just think Philadelphia has got top to bottom more talent. But I think to me it feels very 27, 23 Philadelphia. I don't know. All right. Next up, the Jets. So there's an interesting report that came out after the fact, of course. There was no whiff of this before.

Reportedly, the Jets reached out to check in on the availability of Devante Adams, Mike Evans, and T. Higgins. Yeah. Okay? They were shut down on all three. talks never progressed past an exploratory stage. A, do you believe this?

And B, more importantly, why is this getting out now, Colin? Well, I generally do believe a report. Who's the reporter? If it's a veteran reporter, I would trust it. It's getting out now because somebody wanted it out. And my guess is the Jets wanted out because people are grumbling. They didn't make a move with the deadline and other big playoff teams potentially did. so the Jets wanted out there that we made calls.

Okay. Do you remember a few weeks ago when I speculated, why is Aaron Rogers flying to New York? What is this? Like, what's going on? And that, you know, Robert Sala needed his support. We know they have an impetuous owner who does silly things. Billionaires kind of tend to do that.

So Aaron might still play, Colin. He could still play. There's hope. They're really selling hope to their fans. Have you heard that in the last week? No, no, nowhere. Hope springs eternal. Yeah.

And now, hey guys, we tried. Robert Sala and Douglas really tried. They're making an effort. They went after Devante and T. Higgins. All of this is signal to the owner. We're trying. Don't break this up. Do not break this up, Woody Johnson.

Sala, Rogers, Douglas, we've got to. Give us another chance. The fact they have to do that is really freaking sad. It's really sad. You don't. Listen, Sala and Joe Douglas. Joe Douglas's issue is he whiffed on a left tackle and a quarterback, But overwhelmingly, he's got about a 75% hit rate in the draft, which is above league average.

He just whiffed on bad places to whiff. Well, at the top. Right, right. And quarterback and left tackle are arguably the two biggest positions in the sport. Sala clearly knows his side of the ball. His team plays hard. He's completely handicapped by the quarterback he has, who is a miss at number two. So they're not the problem.

The Jets first pick should be a left tackle. and if Aaron's back and healthy, this is a playoff team next year. With just another draft of decent pieces. Also, the line on Chargers is now headed toward three and a half almost everywhere. So it was three and now three and a half. A lot of it has to do with that Jets offensive line issue. Are they going to be able to, the backup's going to be able to block Bosa and Mack and the young kid from USC who's playing really well for the Chargers?

Yeah, he's good. Final story for the first time in franchise history, that Texas Rangers are World Series champs. They beat the Diamondbacks, five nothing. beat down in Arizona to clinch the series. Here's the call of the history making. Final out. And their 63rd season,

So long World Series for the Texas Rangers, champions in 2023. And in two short years, they've delivered. In one short year, he's delivered. Bruce Bochie has his fourth World Series ring. What a moment. And what a year for the Texas Rangers. First of all,

I don't know how much managers mean, but Bruce Boshi has won a lot of big games as a manager. Why did the Padres ever let him go? The other thing is there's only two players in the history of baseball. This is remarkable. That have been World Series MVP for two different teams. Reggie Jackson and Corey Seeger. It's crazy. I saw that and I was like, holy cow, Cory Seeger must be amazing.

And then you look at his career and you're like, is this guy a Hall of Famer? I don't know. It's like the Eli Manning aspect. Well, I think this, immense. It has to be, right? It's like Eli, yeah, it's the Eli Manning. Is he a Hall of Famer? There's an argument.

This puts it into the yes. Delivering the postseason when it matters most, you know? I looked it up. He's got like four All-Star appearances. Oh, no, no. Cory Seeger's going to, this will get Corey Seeger into the Hall of Fame. And by the way, should. Should, yeah.

Yeah, Eli Manning, Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame. Absolutely. Not only did Eli Manning win two Super Bowls. He beat Brady and Belichick in him. Like, that matters too. So, yeah, it's, you know, Texas, Bruce Bochy, true story 30 years ago. 32 years ago, I am on a plane, America West Airlines, now defunct or purchased, and Bruce Bochy,

I work for the Las Vegas stars, Bochy's the manager. And Boch, I think he was like a third base coach. I don't know if, I think Larry Bow was the manager. He was a coach. Really, really nice guy, gentle giant. He's sitting next to Sean Abner, who was a Mets number one pick, traded to the Padres, really fun-loving center fielder. And they're playing something called what they told me was rotissory baseball.

and they're trying to explain it. I'm right behind him on the plane. We're flying to Colorado Springs from Vegas. And after about 10 minutes, I'm like, this seems hard. And Abner's like, oh, this is unbelievable. You watch the games. There's my Bruce Bochy story. So I worked for a year around him in Las Vegas.

Gentlemen, one of the great guys in the sport, and I don't know how much managers are worth in terms of games, but the Padres, the Giants, the Rangers, I don't think it's happenstance. I mean, it's like Dusty Baker. Managers, we always sort of dilute their power. Analytics certainly has added to that. But Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker win a lot all the time, multiple places.

And he's a wonderful guy. Four World Series wins for Bruce Bochie. And Texas has had a lot of good teams. And Texas has had a lot of good players and a lot of pitchers. And it's this team with Bochy that wins. It's not a coincidence. Good stuff. J. Mack with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. Also, Bochie's the classic guy who wears well. Like, again, I only spent about a year around him, but when you're around, Bruce Bochy, like, baseball seasons are long. That team had Larry Boa as a manager. Boa is a brilliant guy, but he doesn't wear well over time. He's very intense.

Bochie just soothes the temperature, kind of an alpha without having to speak. So good for him. A class, class guy in Major League Baseball. So it is, um, the Warriors won again. last night. Now, Deer and Fox didn't play and they beat Sacramento. That's obviously profound. But it is remarkable

to me how one employee can positively or negatively affect a team. I don't want to pick on Jordan Poole. But last year at this time, the Warriors' chemistry was awful. The defense was not very good.

They were atrocious on the road when you really have to bond. This year, they're winning. They won again last night. They're running. They're joyful and they're deep. And all they did, exit Jordan Poole, enter Chris Paul. So last year, terrible road team. Now, three of their four wins on the road.

Last year, average defensively. Now, top six. It was just one move. NBA locker rooms are small, just like a lot of the cubicles and workspaces for you. One agitator removed, one lubricator included, changes everything. In the NFL, offense to that side, defense to that side, special teams guys over there. Baseball, bully down there, bullpen. Pitchers over here, hitters over here, position players, pitchers, catchers report different times to spring training.

NBA 13 dudes all together. One jerk, one ball hog, one agitator ruins everything. I mean, you knew Jordan Love was, Jordan Poole was trouble because the agreeable and selfless, Steph couldn't solve him. The Zen Master, 2.0, Steve Kerr couldn't solve him. The ultimate chill bra. Clay Thompson couldn't solve it. One out, one in. Look at the Warriors now. They're playing 10 guys. They're deep. Chris Paul off the bench. Better defensively, excellent on the road.

And Draymond Green has absolutely taken notice. Last year we had an awful team as far as chemistry goes. It was pathetic. It was hard to come to work, not fun. And so this year you see the joy on guys' face when they come in the building. You got guys like staying over two and three hours after just sitting around talking, getting here two and three hours early just to be here. You know, it's like you start to see that and you're like, okay,

this is a group that likes being together. years ago, three or four years ago, and I don't do this very often, I told my wife, I'm going to make some cookies. I do it like once a year. It's going to be a nice husband. And I left out one key ingredient. I did actually, sugar. And they were awful. One ingredient. Eggs, flour, yeast, got everything else right. It's amazing. One ingredient added or subtracted. ruins the cake. So it all matters. Lubricate her in, agitator out,

watch the Warriors. Completely different locker room. 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. Hey, we're Kavino and Rich. Fox Sports Radio every day, 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern. But here's the thing. We never have enough time to get to everything we want to get to.

And that's why we have a brand new podcast called Overpromised. You see, we're having so much fun in our two-hour show. We never get to everything. Honestly, because this guy is over-promising things we never have time for. Yeah, you blubber lips. Blame and me. Well, you know what? It's called Over-Promise.

You should be good at it because you've been over-promising women for years. Well, it's a Kavino and Rich after show, and we want you to be a part of it. We're going to be talking sports, of course. But we're also going to talk life and relationships. And if Rich and I are arguing about something or we didn't have enough time, it will continue on our after show called Overpromised. Well, if you don't get enough, Kavino & Rich, make sure you check out Overpromise,

and also uncensored, by the way. So maybe we'll go at it even a little harder. It's going to be the best after show podcast of all time. There you go. Overpromising. And remember, you could see it on YouTube, but definitely join us. Listen to Overpromised with Kavino and Rich

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. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

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

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

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam 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 is big to me, not just because. of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now.

Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your Start Saturday Strong with Big Noon Saturday on Fox as 7th ranked Texas host number 23 K-State.

It all starts with Big Noon kickoff at 10 a.m. Eastern Live from Austin. Then it's K-State, Texas, all on Fox and the Fox Sports app. So we were just talking about Corey Seeger. He's 29 in his prime, three more four more great years, two-time World Series MVP, shortstop, 292 hitters. So he plays a key defensive position, played for two teams, Dodgers, Rangers. National League Championship Series MVP, two-time World Series MVP, key position over a 290 hitter at shortstop, sensational. And everybody's like, I don't know, I don't

know if he's a Hall of Famer. If he has four more good years without any big banner awards, shortstop, 290 hitter, Reggie Jackson, Corey Seeger. Football understands the value of the moment. Baseball's the duration, the treadmill, the volume. But I don't know. To me, is just because all you writers are miserable having to sit in that press box for 200 games a year, don't make the rest of us suffer. Great is great, even if it's in short spurts. Compilers, guys who play all these games, Corey Seeger is great in the biggest moments.

A shortstop that hits plus 290 with power. That's pretty good. He's in his prime. He's been in the MVP of two World Series and a nationally championship series. And by the way, he left the Dodgers. I think he signed for like 350 million. like the Dodgers wanted them, they just couldn't afford him. They had other people.

They were, you know, mouse to feed. But I don't know. That feels like a Hall of Fame level player to me. I always thought Steve Garvey was a Hall of Famer. Now he's running for Senate. But when I was a kid growing up, he was a first baseman, a powerheading first baseman, a gold glover, consistent as a day as long. And he had great moments in big spots.

I thought Jim Rice was in no doubt about it, Hall of Fame guy for a decade dominant power hitter American League. Took him forever because people thought he was grumpy. Corey Seeger feels like a home run to me. Like, do you say to yourself, if a Hall of Famer to me is, can you explain their career in a sentence or two? Corey Seeger. Great hitting shortstop, two-time World Series MVP for over a decade. That's a, that's a, if you're a great player for over a decade, 10 years of greatness at a key position in key moments.

If that's not a Hall of Famer, I don't know what is. You guys are all into compiling and hit by batsmen and the most walks in your seventh year and you led the league in doubles once. and were twice, you know, a silver slugger runner up. That's never great. Corey Zieger's been great in the biggest spots against the greatest pitching and the greatest crisis moments. All right. Greg CoSell, top of next hour.

So Brandon Bean is the general manager of the Buffalo Bills. And I think this is really interesting. So he says something. He's honest and it's true. And I think it's a little bit concerning about the bill's current ideas. identity. This team is still forming its identity. And while we know a lot more than we knew probably four or five weeks ago, I wouldn't say we know exactly where this team's going to be.

When you lose some guys at once the way we did on defense, some leaders and different positions in Milano and Trey and Dayquan, we're human. Those guys are human. It naturally rocks you a little bit. Like, all right, who's stepping up? So Brandon Bean's really good. He's very smart and very respected. But the Kansas City Chiefs have rebuilt a defense one year, rebuilt a wide receiving corps for the second time, and have rebuilt an offensive line.

And they keep ending up in Super Bowls. And I'm not demanding that for the bills, but Stefan Diggs is in his fourth year. Josh Allen's in his seventh year. Your best offensive lineman's been a bill for seven years. Josh Allen's six, not seven. The safety tandem, the best in the league. arguably, they're in their seventh year.

You've never really rebuilt your defense. You've just added to it. The GM's been there seven years. The head coach has been there seven years. There's nothing but continuity. You've added to a good defensive line. You never rebuilt it. I mean, my question is,

how is Kansas City able to continually rebuild entire units, defenses, entire sides of the ball, receiving core, defenses, O-line. I mean, Philadelphia has bailed on winning head coaches and quarterbacks, Super Bowl winning quarterbacks and head coaches, and they're always good. San Francisco's constantly adding pieces. A left tackle here, a running back here, take a big swing and a first round pick here.

San Francisco's adding stars, quarterbacks, and they just keep winning. My question is, do you have the right coach? I'm asking. It's been nothing but continuity. You've added pieces, but Stefan Diggs now year four, Josh Allen year six, best align in year seven. This defensive line's been good for years. You've moved off some linebackers, but your tandem at safety's outstanding. They've been there now for seven years.

I need more late season wins. It's like who's captaining the ship? Stop running a ground. Stop hitting icebergs. I mean, at some point, there's nothing but continuity here. Philadelphia is changing constantly. Kansas City's changing constantly. San Francisco's in-in-doubt coach is,

quarterback's moving. Brock Purdy now. Why are they going further in the playoffs? Usually a star head coach and a star quarterback. You have an immediate identity. Mike McDaniel was in Miami-Watua for two hours. Fast, fast, fast, fast, fast. Speed, speed, speed, motion, speed, fast.

Immediately. Solo with the Jets. Physical, punishing, tough. Six weeks into his career. Jets have an absolute. identity without a star quarterback. The Miami Dolphins have an absolute identity with Mike McDaniel. Sala, identity.

Mike McDaniel, identity. How can you be searching for an identity? Got the quarterback, the receiver, your best offensive lineman, most of your pass rushers, your best safety tandem. I've been around forever. It just shouldn't take this long. You know what the identity is? Same thing it was five years ago.

good defensive front and hey Josh Allen put the Superman cape on save us I got nothing against Sean McDurbit how do you not have an identity your best safety is awful health and alignment receiver quarterback you're not rebuilding anything you just went and got a by the way I like their GM they went and got Rousseau Douglas a really feisty corner that's not rebuilding anything it's a free agent acquisition to a defense that's already stacked Well, remember when Daibol was there, they went heavy three wide receiver sets, and it was just offense, offense, offense up and down the field. Then you have a couple of playoff flame outs, especially that Bengals won.

And it's like, I think your guy McDermis taking the reins and says, whoa, let's run the football more. So they go two tight ends, they draft Kincaid. Well, now Dawson Knox is hurt, and you can't really run the two tight ends. So are we going to morph back into the three wide receiver sets? Like, I think this is kind of on McDermott. I do too. So there's two or three things I look at when you have.

have a coach. And I'm not saying McDermott's bad. We don't have a Brandon Staley situation here. We don't have a Joe judge here. Nobody's saying that. But the standard when you get Josh Allen is Super Bowls. You get Mahomes. You get Burrow. You got to get to the dance. That's the standard. When you have the star quarterback, you've got to start winning a lot of games. And one of the things that has worried me about Mike Tomlin with the Steelers, what's the identity of Pittsburgh's offense. There is none. How many years do you get? What's the identity of the Buffalo offense? Josh Allen's great. Like I do think offensive coaches, Sean McVeigh created an identity with the Rams first year. Kyle Shanahan's teams, clever, situational, red zone, Mike McDaniel, heavy motion,

Andy Reed, clever, play calling. I think offensive coaches, when I watch football, I see an identity. With defensive coaches, I see toughness, emotion, and that's part of football too. But, man, you can't still be selling me. We're trying to find an identity. Your safety is your best O'Lyman, your best receiver, your best, your quarterback. You've got a lot of the same guys around. Philadelphia is, I mean, they are turnstiling it.

San Francisco. Miami adds pieces. How many pieces has Miami ads? of the last two years. I still know exactly what Miami's identity is, exactly what it is. Buffalo's identity when they play Miami, Miami can't stop Josh Allen. So Buffalo's beat Miami. Maybe you don't need an identity if you have Josh Allen and you play Miami. But I don't like you selling me that. All right, Greg Coe sells around the corner. James Jones stops by too. A lot of stuff. What a night last night, that Lakers Clippers game. If you don't live in Los Angeles

and you didn't stay up late. The Clippers are the second-tier franchise in the city, but have owned the Lakers for years, and that thing felt like a playoff game. You were texting me. I had three or four people that were at the game. They're like, this is playoff stuff. Like, it was wildly intense.

Load management, stars, we want you to play. It's funny. Seen a lot of good games early in the season, haven't we? Marathon, not a sprint, cowherd. I need LeBron sitting out this weekend wherever they're playing. All right. Coming up next, Greg CoSell, Our 2. 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 progress. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all?

You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast.

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