The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 2 - How healthy is Jalen Hurts?

Episode Date: February 8, 2023

NBA analyst Ric Bucher joins the show to put into perspective LeBron's impact on the NBA and how every player has benefited from his greatness Previewing the Chiefs-Eagles match up and the health of QB Jalen Hurts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

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

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Hurd.

Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go at Dower number two and a Wednesday live in Los Angeles. It's the herd. Wherever you may be in, however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. Tomorrow, we're in Arizona and on a very powerful set. The Super Bowl's on Fox on Sunday. It's going to be an unbelievable broadcast.

Last time we had the Super Bowl, from the beginning of the pregame show to after the game, was like six hours of TV or something like that. It was the best six-hour stretch of TV. I told my boss that. It was the commercials were unbelievable. The pre-game show was unbelievable. So it's going to be a fantastic production of Philadelphia and Kansas City. I still don't know who I like.

I'd like to see if Jalen Hertz is healthy. J-Mack is joining us. So tomorrow from Phoenix, we've never done a remote show together. Well, correct. Yeah. That's right. So a lot different vibe. Yeah.

And you're going to be boozing tonight. No, after the show. No, I don't, listen. Super Bowl, clear eyes. Can't mess around. I want clarity. You know the definition of power hour, right? I mean, come on, coward.

You better get ready to get after it down there. We'll have a blast. We'll have a blast. Okay, so, you know, the one, I don't think LeBron LeBron becoming an all-time scoring king, you know, does anything in the LeBron-Michael debate. You know, it's actually respectful to Michael Jordan that we still talk about him. I mean, that's how great he was. And Michael and LeBron are the two best basketball players I've ever seen.

I've always thought Magic got to nine finals, I think it was. I always thought he was a little underrated, actually. People just don't understand quite how great he was. But he had this guy named Larry Bird in the way and a dynasty on the East Coast in the way, so it took away some of those championships. But the one argument LeBron dissenters say is, well, it's easier to score today. They're right. It is. The three-point shot is now encouraged and practiced. It wasn't in Michael's Day. You can't hand check like in Michael's Day. So you can't stay in front of anybody. People can't stay in front of LeBron James. He's 6'9, 250, and in his 20th year. Nobody can stay in front of him.

You can't hand check. You could keep Michael at bay. And the third thing is, stars, elite players take more nights off. So a lot of times, I mean, can you imagine if LeBron, if Michael Jordan was playing the Pistons in a regular season game in Isaiah and Rodman Lambere took the night off? That's what happens now all the time. So that said, here's what's interesting about LeBron's career. So here's the three stages of the three-point revolution in the NBA. And LeBron's played through all of them. So the first about five years of LeBron's career, it was. still a power league, right? Three-point shots only to those that could shoot them.

You could have two or three guys on the floor that couldn't hit a three. Couldn't hit a jumper. LeBron averaged 27 a game in that stage. The next about five years, the league was pivoting to a three-point league where the smart teams were already in. The dumb teams weren't. LeBron averaged, again, 27 points a game. And then in the last 10 years, it's all in it is a three-point shooting league. And LeBron is averaged 27.8 points a game. Same guy. Pre-three-three-shot revolution, pivoting to three-shot revolution, all-in three-point revolution.

Same basic LeBron. Why? Because he's never been driven by points. LeBron has always been about elevating others. Those early Cleveland teams, they had good defenders. They had no other star. But in the end, LeBron was trying to elevate C players to at least B-plus players. He couldn't eventually left.

When he went to Miami, again, he gave up a lot of shots to Ray Allen and Mike Miller and D. Wade and Chris Bosch and Shane Battier could have scored more. He wanted to win. Here, he wanted. Anthony Davis after the bubble championship. To be ready to take that baton, 39 minutes a night, maybe 42. Anthony Davis came in out of shape. So now LeBron has to absolutely carry this team offensively. I mean, last night, ridiculous.

Now, MJ and Kobe viewed themselves as great scores. That's why all these years later, you remember the. exact number of points Kobe scored in his final game 60. He was defined by shooting and scoring. That's not LeBron. He could absolutely in the last 10 years be averaging 36 a night because it is easier to score. Three-point shots are encouraged. Stars take nights off all the time. So LeBron's often playing against backups, seventh men. And you can't hand-check. There's no question. Hand-checking would keep a Steph Curry, a John Morant. It'd be hard to hand-check LeBron in front of you.

But it did allow you to guide players, and it made it harder for Michael Jordan. No question. That era, it was tackling. It looked more like college football on certain nights and certain rivalries. But that thing, I think it is fascinating in LeBron's 20-year career, and Brady's got some of this. When you play a long time, the sport changes. Tom Brady walked into the league.

It was a defensive league. He left the league. offensively. LeBron was pre-3, pivot to three, in the three. Average 27 a game for all of them. And I think that largely defines what makes LeBron amazing is that he's going to be the all-time scoring champ he is now, the all-time scoring king, and he's not defined by points. I mean, I often think about this. How do you describe somebody like 20 years from now? Because we're all looking, we all have recency bias. I'm guilty as anybody on recency bias. You get worked up in a moment, a day.

We're all emotional. We all love sports. And I think about how will you view LeBron? And a big chunk of it will be longevity. Is that he was one of the first athletes, Brady and him, to really take the body seriously. You mean, it's interesting. If you're an academic, you're on a college campus. If you're a writer, you constantly write, people who write for a living, you know, they

write movies, they write screenplays. They write every day. They keep that muscle going. And, you know, with LeBron James, he really understood, it's all brainpower here. He was just smarter. He understood very early. He moved his game to the perimeter, less contact in the lane, took care of his body, and realized he's a business, and he could extend his career by more perimeter shots, fewer times getting decked and hitting the floor, move his game more outside. take care of your body.

It's an intelligence. Brady had it. LeBron's got it that they saw around the corner of the league. LeBron started pivoting to the three-point shot at the very end of Cleveland. And then by the time he got to Miami, he totally understood it and was on most nights, fairly dependable. Rick Buecker now joining us live on a historic night in the NBA last night. So how do you think last night fits into LeBron's legacy 20 years from now? what do you make of all-time scoring champ?

When I view him largely a little bit more like magic than Michael, more of a distributor, an elevator. How does it fit into his legacy? We're not going to know, to your point, Colin. We're probably not going to know until 20 years down the line. Because in part, it felt like it was supposed to be a momentous occasion. It should be a meaningful event. And yet, it was meaningless.

It was in a meaningless game in a meaningless season for the Lakers, which is a lot different than when Kareem broke the record, and they were on their way to the finals, and they didn't make as much of it then as we did last night. I kind of felt bad for TNT, because they were trying to make this into a big thing, and it, I don't know about you, but it ultimately did not feel like that for me.

So I believe as we move farther, away from the details and the specifics of what's going on, we will have a greater appreciation for what LeBron has accomplished. When you talk impact on the sport, I've said before, Michael was greater than Steph, but Steph has really revolutionized high school college and pro basketball. He's revolutionized the game. How do you view LeBron's legacy, impact, I should say, impact on the sport? I don't think he's impacted the sport.

I believe that he's impacted the NBA, and particularly the business of the NBA. He is empowered players like no other player has ever empowered them. He was the first one to basically say, I don't care about the contract. I want flexibility and freedom to go where I want, to play with who I want. And now every star in the league, every star in the league should feel beholden to LeBron James because of the power that he has created for all of them. To me, that's the biggest impact that he's had. And to your point, you were talking about how he's evolved as a scorer.

I don't even believe that he necessarily changed the game as much as the game has changed and it's benefited him. It's not as if he made the game less physical. The game became less physical. it became smaller. And he happened to be a big man with small man skills. So now he's the biggest guy on the floor night after night who's able to go from rim to rim. So I'm watching the game last night and I'm sitting there.

And I know I'm not the only person thinking this. And I'm thinking he's the best player on the floor. There's a kid for Oklahoma City we all like. But we're talking leadership, experience, body. He's a best player on the floor. And on the Lakers, easily. And I'm thinking, if you inserted him tomorrow into the Celtics Warriors, Milwaukee for sure and maybe Cleveland, they'd go win the title. And if it was Milwaukee, they may win a couple.

Janice, LeBron. And I'm thinking to myself, here's LeBron. Is he just satisfied because he is so much about details, repetition, efficiency, and business. He does not like foolishness. nonsense and wasting his time. And it kind of feels like, now that he's got the record, he's wasting his time. And I'm sitting there thinking, Rick, he's not about to retire. He got two good years left.

Is there a 1% chance that he doesn't end with the Lakers? Sure. There is, because he was, Colin, he was advertising himself last night. Yes. He didn't say I still got enough left to win a couple more. with the Lakers. He said, I still have enough left to win a couple more, or I can contribute to a team trying to win a championship. I thought he was putting his shingle out last night in terms of, I'm available, I still want to go after this. Here's the problem. And I said it when he signed it.

When he signed the extension with the Lakers, that created the greatest roadblock for him to go any place else. Because you can't just acquire him. You have to be able to create room to take on him and that contract. And while I do believe that he can still contribute or could contribute to a championship team, you're not building your team around LeBron James at this point. He has to be more of a, I can't say complementary player, but he has to be a piece of the puzzle. rather than the piece. And that has what's always been the conundrum with having LeBron James

is that he can be your centerpiece and he can take you there, but you have to build a very specific team around him that essentially no one else can fill. So once you pull him out, once he's the jenga piece that you pull out, that whole thing is collapsing. And that's why I wonder,

it's not a matter of could he do, it, who's going to jump out there and say, we have to have LeBron James in order to play for a title in the next year or two. I don't readily see, maybe the Phoenix Suns because of their disappointment and trying to get over the hump. But I don't, why would Boston do it? Yeah. Why would Milwaukee do it? They already believe that they can do it as is. And why give up the pieces in order to to get LeBron just to take a shot with LeBron for a year or two. So listen, it's total speculation, but there have been growing signs that LeBron, and I think it was two years ago post-bubble title, is frustrated with the lack of clarity and commitment

from Anthony Davis and reliability physically. Last night, AD was emotionally disengaged, annoyed after the game. Now, it could be personal stuff, certainly possible. Maybe he thought LeBron took over the stage for the game, but this team's a 13th in the West. The game doesn't mean crap. They're not going anywhere. So it felt like something, and we've talked about moving Westbrook.

That's been advertised. Jason McIntyre said, that was weird. There's a reason it was all over the Internet. Is it possible AD at the deadline, which, by the way, Rick, is 3 p.m. Eastern tomorrow? Is AD on the block and has been in four? informed about it. I would be surprised if that was what causes, and I do not have an explanation for why, but the fact that he was sitting on the bench and did not even see, I mean, we have him here. He wasn't even watching when the legendary shot, the record-breaking shot went down. I guess he's

watching on the big screen, but like the rest of us. But without question, it was strange. I do not believe it's because he's been informed that he's going to be traded. If they do make a move with Anthony Davis, as with a number of the trades that are out there right now, I feel as if that the table is being set for moves that are going to be made this summer. It's really hard in season to move a contract and a player of Anthony Davis's magnitude and feel like you are getting the requisite talent back or assets back for that. them. So I wish I had an explanation for you, but it also, in watching it, it also reminded me when I think about the reaction of the Warriors to staff breaking the three-point record and the joy,

the collective joy they had. And certainly the Lakers were happy for LeBron, but it was really about LeBron and his family coming out and the celebrities that he knows. He shared more with them than he did with his teammates. And I was thinking, well, that's the price for moving around as much as he has. Yeah. That these guys really haven't gone through the wars with him. Yeah. It's like, oh, I'm playing a year with LeBron. Yeah, guess what? I played, I was, I was on the Lakers when LeBron broke the record, not like, LeBron and I did all this and I got to see the record. It was just, you know, there's, there's for every action, there is a reaction. And his ability to go from team to team and win championships in multiple places, the price is, is that he now kind of finds

himself doing these monumental things, but he's doing them all by himself. Finally, I got to throw KD's name out. So, you know, I've said, and I'm crazy, but if I was Milwaukee, I'd call and say, I'll give you Middleton. Ingle's and a picker three for Durant. And then like the Warriors, I've already won without KD. I could win after KD. But why not have a two to three year run where I've got two of the top five players in the league? Again, we're trading deadline discussion.

That's why we do this. It's fun. But do you think Durant stays? There's discussions today. Like he's in deep discussions with the organization. What's your guess on what he does? I would expect that he's going to stay. They convinced him to not go anywhere.

once. I have the feeling that they can do it again. I would imagine that the conversations right now are about, hey, let's finish out the season and then we can figure out where you want to go and make something work for both of us. If we're doing it now, the timeline is so difficult. Neither you nor us has the opportunity to find the ideal place for you to go. And KD has, unlike Kyrie has demonstrated that he's amenable to trying to do what's best, for everyone. So that's where I would expect that the conversations are going. I have no doubt that Kyrie leaving has convinced KD that it's time for him to move. I just believe that he's going to give the nets the wherewithal to be able to do a better deal than they could in the next 24

hours. Good stuff. Rick Buecker, record setting night. Good to see you again, Colin. Great to see you. He looked fantastic. We'll start hanging out more now because of the NBA. season. Yeah, sounds good. Maybe we'll shave, too. No, I'm not going to do that. I'm a masasola's up here. All right, good seeing you. All right. Tomorrow, on that big, burly

physical set, Fox in Arizona with Jason McIntyre and the crew, looking forward to it. 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.

Imagine an Olympics where doping 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. Okay, what you're saying? Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in the same. 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 was 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 this is the second episode where we've discussed crack so I'm starting to see there's a through line We also have AIDS

on the table right now so Thank you for finishing that sentence I don't think there's a more important year for black people Really? Yeah for me it's one of the most important years for black people

in American history Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts All right. Welcome back. Good to have you in. Save big on your bills. Water bills with Navian. 15-year limited warranty. Check out tankless made simple.com.

Tankless made simple.com. The conversations we have, we're going to Arizona. It's an hour ahead of us in time, really messing with our personal clocks. J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, the weird thing is we're both Capricorns. We're creatures of habit. Yes.

We wake up. I do the same routine. Aaron Rogers would not like us. He wants to just do random stuff. I eat the same thing for breakfast every day. You see, I've had the same shake here on the sit for the last six months. Joy Taylor was Capricorn. My wife's Capricorn.

Your Capricorn. My wife is Capricorn. She is. Yeah. I live in a structured world. I love some structure. Oh, I love it. I love to go off the reservation and do some wild stuff every now and then.

Yeah. Like maybe Arizona this week. But we'll see. We'll see. I've got to stay out of trouble. You will. You know, media members get in trouble down there. Don't Google anybody. But anyway, let's move on. Lamar Jackson's future with the Ravens up in the air, set to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year starts on March 15th. Raven's tight end Mark Andrews can't picture his longtime teammate playing anywhere else. Here's what Mark Andrews had to say. He's a Raven. He's a Raven for life. He's meant for the purple. I'm confident that they're going to be able to figure that one out.

I know Lamar wants to be a Raven. He's passionate about it. Being a part of this organization, I know they feel the same way about him. $100 million apart is the report. $100 million. Be very careful, though. Be very careful, though, about letting go of a quarterback who wins 75% of its games. There's not a lot of those guys out there.

It's hard. This is a hard, hard league. You saw the Ravens without him at the end of the year. Those games were unwatchable. They were hard to watch. So just be careful. We know there's only so many movie stars that get people to a theater. We know there's only so many NBA players that can win games and build dynasties.

There's about eight, nine guys in the league that can win you about 75% of their games if you give them some decent support. He's one of them. By the way, Ravens have to draft a quarterback this year at some point. Well, you should draft one every other year. Shouldn't you? Yeah. But if they use the exclusive franchise. tag, I believe they'll tag him back to back

ears, then he can walk out the door the way Kirk Cousins did. I'm pretty sure that's how it works. Colin, $100 million apart. That doesn't happen overnight. You don't suddenly, okay, we see eye to eye on this now. I don't think he's there for the long haul.

Your best guess? Listen, Green Bay in a worst division with a quarterback that's been there and appears to be ready to take it over and a quarterback that's not committed in the off season. Aaron, they're struggling, moving off Aaron.

So you know Baltimore struggling with it. Think about how hard this. You and I look at Green Bay and we're like, rip the Band-aid off. And there, good roster, weak division, looks like a capable quarterback, non-committed star quarterback, and they're struggling with it. Yeah. But they also drafted Jordan Love a few years ago. And I'm saying, so they're ready to do it.

And I think pulling the triggers hard for Green Bank. Baltimore's not ready. They don't have anybody in the... They don't have anybody in the locker room ready. They found Flacco pretty quickly. They drafted Lamar late first round. Who knew he would be great? It could be done.

They're way too good to get a great pick. So you're going to have to find... Are you going to hit two home run? You're going to get another Lamar at the end of the first round? Let's be honest. This guy's an MVP. 75% winner in a tough division. Anthony Richardson of Florida?

I mean, he's not remotely close to being ready. I'm not moving off. Lamar Jackson for Anthony Richardson of Florida. Of course not. And I think Anthony's interesting. I'm not moving off Lamar for that. No, no. All right. Next up, Kyle Shanahan made it clear at the end of the season.

There was no scenario where he could see Jimmy Garoppolo back in San Francisco. Despite the emergence of Brock Purdy and with Trey Lance still on the roster, it sounds like there may be another reason to let Garoppolo walk. This from the athletics, Tim Kawakami. Oh, he's good. He's good. The relationship between Jimmy G and Shanahan Lynch seems to have gone south in the days or weeks

leading up to the NFC title game loss in Philly. I don't know if there was a specific blow-up or conversation that led to this. We know Garapola won a lot of games in six years with the Niners and partially bailed about this season by agreeing to come back after believing he was going to get traded or cut last off season. Now, Colin, that timeline makes me wonder, was Jimmy G. ready to come back? and they were like, no, because he was inactive for that Eagles game.

I wonder what went down between Jimmy G. And that front office. You know, Carapolo, and I've been more of a supporter than most, but let me just throw this out there. I have heard before, Jimmy G. can disappear in the offseason. He works hard, but he doesn't work like Brady, Herbert, hard. Well, even like Herbert. He's not as committed as like Lamar is in the offseason.

And there are Kyle's committed. And I think sometimes he has frustrated the Niners with his sort of cool, likable dude approach. And they wish they had somebody. Like Brock Purdy, I've heard, is all-in committed. Well, yeah. It was a last pick in the draft. Yeah. But I mean, there's a lot of last picks on the draft that aren't that committed.

Purdy is more of a workaholic. I mean, Purdy was so devastated by the injury. He's like, I don't believe it. Give me another. So what Purdy provides and Shanahan sees is this kid that is just devouring the sport and will do anything to be great. With Garoppolo, good-looking guys, pretty talented, won games. I don't think Shanahan and Garapolo, if they, I don't think they're a perfect marriage, their ideology in it. I've heard this before that Jimmy has disappeared from people I respect that cover the Niners,

that Jimmy can kind of disappear in the offseason and nobody can get a hold of him. That's not what GMs and coaches want. And so he's an interesting, I don't know him, he's an interesting cat. It's weird because remember he took them to a Super Bowl. I don't know if he took them, but he was a quarterback when they almost beat Patrick Bowms in the Super Bowl. Then he was injured. They lost the NFC title game. And they got injured and they lost the NFC title game again.

That's a lot of winning. At some point, you're going to put up with some of his stuff, right? I mean, we talk about Kyrie Irving a lot, Colin. Mavs are willing to put up with his stuff to try to win. Like, not answering your phone calls in the off season? Hey, when you call me and I'm on vacation, you're coming up? If I don't answer, are you going to be put out? They're a little upset?

You got to think about that. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. No, I think there's a lot of, we tend to forget that all players have different personalities. And some of this stuff, as a sportscaster, seems simple. Just do this. We have unique needs for our family, our kids, our lifestyle. So to athletes, and they're rich.

And they've got offers. And I think sometimes we just think, oh, it's just everybody wants this and this. Garoppolo may not be as all in and committed and have the same desires as Shanahan. Garapolo could be like, I got 55 million bucks in the bank. I can go surf the bar. I don't care. Shanahan's like totally unfulfilled. He's never one of ring.

He's completely unfulfilled. So close, too. Oh, my gosh. At Falcons lost. Anyway, final story. All right, here we go. I know everybody's been waiting for it. Kyrie Irving had a turbulent three and a half years in Brooklyn.

Now is off to his fourth team in the Dallas Mavericks. So Kyrie, after one practice in Dallas yesterday, Colin, spoke with the media about his tenure in Brooklyn. All right. And this young man had the temerity to use the word he felt disrescise. respected by the Nets. Here's Kyrie Irvin. I just know I want to be places where I'm celebrated and not just tolerated or or just, you know, kind of dealt with in a way that it doesn't make me feel respected.

And there were times throughout this process when I was in Brooklyn where I felt very disrespected and my talent working extremely hard at what I do. No one ever talks about my work ethic, though. Everyone talks about what I'm doing off the floor. So I just want to change that narrative, write my own story and just continue to prepare in the gym. and now that I'm in Dallas, just focus on what I can control. That didn't land very well for a lot of people.

Nobody ever talks about my work ethic? Kyrie Irving, the guy who went AWOL, the team could not find him for two weeks in the middle of the season. This isn't Jimmy G. You know, off-season. This is literally the middle of the season. Kyrie Irving's not answering his phone. We don't know where he is. Work ethic?

A leader? Well, he's not a leader. He's a talent. Certain players are leaders. That's very rare. You know, like, again, again. This is his first practice in Dallas. We were wondering how long the honeymoon period will end.

One practice, and he's popping off and ripping the nets. He took down, remember he had to make an apology? The Nets made him apologize. He went and took it down as soon as he got to Dallas. Like, that's how petty this guy is. Colin, I know you want to give him a chance. And I joke that he was a young man. He's, I believe, 30 years old.

Is this Kyrie Irving ever going to grow up? The Peter Pan syndrome? I think at this point, point, if you're expecting people tell you who they are, believe them. He is a talent and an offensively gifted player with a nice layup package. He's not a leader. He's not, by the way, he can be brittle. He gets hurt a lot. All the time. He's not a leader. So I'm going to view him for what he provides, which is a sensational offensive package. And when he's on the floor, he's great. But I know when I make that move, I'm getting him 60 games a year.

I'm not going to depend on him to lead. He's my number two player, not my one. But he thinks he's the number one. He thinks in his head, Kyrie Irving is the best player. Well, expectations create happiness or unhappiness. If you see him as a two, 60 games a year, don't depend on him, and understand there'll be flare-ups annually with his personality.

Then you make the move. Listen, talent always gets a third, fourth chance. every business, talent gets multiple chances. Part of this thing, Kyrie Irving said, I left them in fourth place. Like, that was some kind of like, hey, I left you guys in fourth place. Like, that's some kind of honor that the Nets were in fourth place. He dragged Kevin Durant there, could never win anything, couldn't even get to the finals, feuded with James Hardin, taken off social media, making some idiotic statements.

Finding redeeming qualities in this guy is one of the most difficult things I can talk about. I get it. I'm, I, he drives me nuts too. He drives me nuts, but I'll say this. The difference is, Ben Simmons gives you nothing. Kyrie gives you spectacular moments, and that's what Dallas is banking on.

Ben Simmons is the biggest mess in that whole situation. Durant gets hurt. Kyrie's kooky. Hardin was out of shape. Simmons gives you nothing. Well, remember, James Hardin almost, I don't know if it's on the record, but Moto reports that Kyrie Irving is burning incense in the locker room,

And James Harden walks in, is like, what the hell is going on? What did I get myself into? And instantly Hardin and him were like at each other's throats. Good luck to Luca Donches. By the way, Luca's not going to put up with this. Okay? You know Luca has been playing with like grown men since he was like 14. No, that's a good point.

He's seen some of this garbage. I like, uh, I like fireworks. I think this one could get. It is absolutely a potential tire fire on the 405. And you love a good tire fire. I love a good tire fire. J-Mac with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lye News. 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, what's up, everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVore 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 Plexicote 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 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 which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations,

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right 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-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 a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all right. Yeah, yeah, literally. 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 there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you 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. Super Bowl 57 comes. with a chance to win $1 million of Terry Bradshaw's money playing Fox Bet Super 6. Download the free app on your phone and enter your six predictions for a chance at the jackpot. Fox Bet Super 6 has given away over $8 million to over 80,000 players to date, so don't miss out.

I do not remember a Super Bowl where more people have no strong conviction on the Super Bowl. I don't ever remember that. The feeling I talk to have some people that are what they call sharps, they're professional betters. Their takeaway is kind of my takeaway, and I'm certainly not a sharp, which is if you told me Jalen Hertz was healthy, like 90, 95% healthy, I like Philadelphia. I have no idea. I thought he was really bad against San Francisco.

I thought his short stuff was low, as long stuff had no touch. There's a couple of graphs out there showing Jalen Hertz post-injury, and Jailen Hurts pre-injury, he no longer throws to the right, and he's not very good on deep balls. Well, if that's the case, I like Kansas City. So I've said this. A lot of times with fights, I want to watch the first round. A lot of times with this, I'd like to watch the first two series. I want to see what Jalen Hertz looks like, because I did not think he played well against San Francisco.

Some of it's the Niners defense, but a lot of guys were open, and he didn't hit him. And so I know Mahomes. I saw him two weeks ago. I know he's going to be fine. And I know what I kind of get from Kansas City. They're not going to blow out Philadelphia. Philadelphia, if they get rolling and Mahomes doesn't have pressure, I could see Philadelphia.

I mean, they just rolled the last two teams they played. I could see Philadelphia getting a lead, dominating time of possession. Mahomes on the sidelines. I can see it getting a little ugly. I can't see Kansas City blowing out Philadelphia. but to me, the game comes down to Jalen Hertz. What's his health like?

If he's in rhythm, he's got time. They have 60, 40, I like them to win the game. So here's a story. Derek Carr, it's beginning now. I know you're convinced, many of you, nobody wants him. But the New Orleans Saints are the first on the list. They've flown him into town. I do not think this is a fit for Derek Carr for a lot of reasons.

Number one, he's a West Coast guy. New Orleans, sort of a party, East Coast place. It doesn't feel like a right fit. Michael Thomas, very talented, incredibly difficult. I've been told that by two people that work or have work for the Saints. Not a bad guy. It can be difficult. Can be moody.

They're over the cap. Now, I do think there is a match for him, and I think it's in division. It's Carolina, an offensive coach, an agreeable wide receiver, and an excellent defense. It would all work. I think they have a little bit more cap space. But this is something I've said so often. It's obnoxious. I want an offensive coach.

I want an offensive coach. The final four coaches in the NFL this year coaching are offensive coaches. Here we have in the NFC championship, the AFC championship, offensive coaches. And it's not as though I think you can't win with a defensive coach. But it is becoming very clear that defensive coaches in this league do not have the urgency. They don't get the urgency. see how the sport is changing. Belichick just throws a defensive coordinator in with Mack Jones in year two.

What are you doing? I could look at Ron Rivera. I could look at all these defensive guys. Brandon Staley, I don't feel like those teams have an offensive identity. Even Buffalo, just calling plays. What is the offensive identity? So Dennis Allen bombed with the Raiders as a coach, struggling with the Saints. The other thing is, and I think about this all the time, you know, maybe I'm too cynical,

but when somebody's selling a car, I'm like, why are you selling the car? Even though you could be selling it because you like a new car. But Sean Payton's best friend ran the Saints. Mickey Loomis, great friends. He loved the owners. He loved the city. His wife is from West Virginia. So Southern City.

Sean loved it. Loved so many of the players. Why did he leave? Because I think Sean knew it's trouble. They don't have a quarterback. They don't have any cap space. Why did Sean Payton leave? he made a lot more money coaching than he did broadcasting.

Why did he leave? I'm a little, it's not a suspicion. It's more of a, I don't know, like Sean Payton's best friend. He loved the owner. He had real power. And he left. And you say, well, I didn't have a quarterback. Well, we don't know what we have a quarterback in Denver.

Like we're not quite sure how that works out. So it's another sort of problematic situation. And another team that lacks cap space. So he was willing to take that job, but he left the other job where his best friend runs it. He didn't know this GM. So, you know, there's a lot of questions and obstacles in Denver. It's very similar to New Orleans. You got some really good defensive players.

You have a quarterback situation. You've got to wrap your arms around. There's a lot of uncertainty. And you got to kind of figure it out the jigsaw puzzle. But he left a place he loved and knew to join a place. He doesn't know at all. He doesn't know Denver much. Talk to Sean about that.

So I think the New Orleans situation is not good for Derek Carr. That one I don't like. Now, listen, a lot of times somebody goes somewhere and you make your own reality. But he and Frank Wright, Carolina, agreeable receiver, cap space, very good defense. That feels like they'd win the division day one. That's what it feels like to me. Groundbreaking runs in the family. Safety runs in the family.

Learn more about the eight new SUV. at Mercedes-B-U-S-A.com. Back to the Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. We'll be in Arizona tomorrow, leaving after the show today. I think, you know, we were talking about this this morning as a staff, is if Kansas City wins this game with a roster with a lot of rookies, a lot of first and second-year players because they paid Mahomes, they couldn't afford Tyreek Hill, couldn't afford Ward the Corner.

These are decisions you have to make when you pay the quarter. It does really double down on a reality of the league. If Kansas City can win with less of a roster and absolutely holes that you could attack, it empowers the quarterback to an even greater level. But as great as Mahomes and Reed are, if Philadelphia gets ahead of steam rolls over Kansas City, I think J. Mack was on to something. It'll send the message. Hey, Brock Purdy can get you to the NFC championship game.

Jared Goff got you to do a Super Bowl before you paid him. It kind of will start having a situation where everybody's drafting a quarterback in this league every year, building up that roster with the goal being build a roster. You keep drafting quarterbacks, third, fourth, fifth round, you don't pay them anything, and you can dominate your division, keep your job. So I think the outcome of this Super Bowl is really interesting. And as of today, I am not sure who I like. I am waiting for word or video.

Remember, when we got video on Mahomes, it gave you a sense is, okay, he's fine. He walked off the podium, full participant in practice. I'm waiting for that stuff on Jalen Hertz. News, video, how's he feeling, a comment from a player? Power Hour next. 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 podcast. Guess. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J.

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

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.