The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 2 - NFL Kickoff, TJ Houshmandzadeh

Episode Date: September 4, 2023

In this hour of The Herd, Doug Gottlieb—in for Colin—looks ahead to the start of the NFL season as the Lions head to Kansas City to challenge the Chiefs on Thursday. Doug also examines the career of quarterback Patrick Mahomes up to this point in time. Later, former Pro Bowl wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh joins Doug to chat about Chris Jones' holdout from the Chiefs, expectations for the Detroit Lions, and much more! Finally, Doug celebrates the last year of the (surprisingly strong) Pac-12. 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. On the Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. For listening to Fox Sports Radio.

What up? Welcome in. This is The Herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be making this part of your day. I'm Doug Gottlieb. In for Colin Cowherd, it's Labor Day. It doesn't seem right that Jimmy Buffett died before summer was open, right? Jimmy Buffett married himself dies at the age of 76 over the weekend. And you're like, if you're not a parrot head, not a parrot head, but. My dad kind of became one, and there's probably about 10 iconic songs that anyone can throw on at your cookout today. Be like, hey, I go. What's that? A Jimmy Buffett. You may not know a Jimmy Buffett song, but you do know the term Margaritaville, right? Margaritaville is a famous Jimmy Buffett song.

Not a mythical place, also a restaurant that he created because of it. But that's – plus you have the no wearing white after Labor Day. When people say no wear white, that doesn't mean you can't wear white. Like obviously Penn State football the weekend you wear all white, but you don't wear white pants. Is that right? You don't wear white pants.

Although I have to tell you, I'm not really a white pants. I think you should throw in the don't wear white pants or seer sucker, although I've never worn seersucker. I'm not the sucker who's worn seer. I respect it. It's a brave move.

It definitely gives that yacht club on caddyshack sort of feel to it. All you need is some top siders. But I'm just telling you, the rules are no wearing white after labor. But more than anything, Labor Day not only signifies the end of summer, but the beginning of the NFL season. And we have an iconic matchup on Thursday night, right? The Chiefs who have a quarterback who should be in any discussion, any discussion of the greatest of all time.

You're like, whoa, whoa, hold on there, buddy, hold on there, fill in for cowherd guy. How could you say that about Pat Mahomes? How long has he actually been quarterback in the national football? He can't be deemed to be one of the greats of all time. Why? Why not? Well, he's only 27 years old. Like, okay.

He's won two Super Bowls and two Super Bowl MVP's and two NFL MVP's. If you play 20 years and you accomplish that, you're in the Hall of Fame, correct? This has not been going, if his career ended today, but if his career did end today, why, why not? How many years has he been starting quarterback

in the National Football League? The answer is five. And of those years, he's won two Super Bowl's lost in the Super Bowl, and the other two years, he's lost in the AFC championship game. The level of complete and thorough dominance of the league is remarkable.

And oh, yeah, by the way, we're in an era where the AFC is a better overall league, especially better at the top than the NFC. That's kind of inarguable. So you have a guy who right now should be in the discussion of the greats of all time. And you're like, well, Brady, okay, Brady's won more, a lot more opportunities.

Mahomes may not, but that's accomplished, not greatest ever. So, well, that's good. They're playing the Detroit Lions. The Detroit, now, let me, I don't need to refresh your memory on Detroit football being down. Or how good the Detroit story was last year. It's a good story. Everybody made fun of Dan Campbell when he got the job and then year one.

You're like, you know what? They're a little bit more competitive than I thought. In year two, they were fun and they were the team that kept the Packers. out of the playoffs. But let's also remember, like, this is the same team that started out, what were they, one and six? One and six? You know, on the other hand, of those, of that, you know, you end up nine and eight on the season. And yes, of those nine wins, of the nine wins, they beat Washington, Green Bay twice, Chicago twice, you know, the Jets. That's the bottom of the league last year, all non-playoff teams.

But they also beat the Giants who made the playoffs. They also beat Jacksonville who won a game in the playoffs and gave the chiefs a hell of a game. They also beat the Vikings. But I mean, I just, I want you to think about this for a second. If you go back a year ago Thanksgiving, not last Thanksgiving and the Thanksgiving before, what were we saying about the Lions? What were we saying?

Like, dude, are they, are we really going to put them? on Thanksgiving every year. You know, on Thanksgiving, so this is a year and a half ago, right? On Thanksgiving, a year and a half ago, they were 010 and 1. 010 and 1. And again, a franchise that had gone winless previously,

they were actually the first franchise to go winless. They were right on pace to do it again. And we were sitting here going like, are we really going to put the lions on Thanksgiving day? Like, is it, do we owe the city of Detroit that much? Like, what pictures do they have on the commissioner to, that's where we were? So now putting them on week one of the season? Seems kind of odd, doesn't it? Then you add to it that Chris Jones is still reportedly holding out. He wants $28 million per year for the next three years. It's a total of $84 million per a source

with knowledge, and this is from, I think, pro football talk. I'm not sure they aggregated it. The chiefs have offered to replace this current deal with 74 million over the next three years. Of that amount, 70 million to be guaranteed for injury with a lower amount fully guaranteed. He wants Aaron Donald money. That's, you know, Aaron Donald's 95 over three. He wants 84 over three.

They're at a difference of $10 million over three years. And oh yeah, by the way, with every game he misses, he loses a paycheck of $1.9 million. He's already sustained a ton of fines in the preseason. So the question becomes, do they bridge that gap? Do they wait it out? If you don't have Chris Jones, you don't have the full chees, but then they're going to, just it's a weird game. Isn't it?

Feels like a weird, feels like if you were to do with the NFL dartboard on teams, you'd want to see on Thursday night football to celebrate the game. I mean, I guess Detroit is a from the ashes rising like the Phoenix story, but it feels like cart way ahead of horse. We're like a year and a half removed from them being terrible to be a good football team. And maybe I'm missing it. Maybe we've been looking for the next team in the NFC North now at the Packers, replacing Aaron Rogers.

and no one really buying into Kirk Cousins and the Vikings or the Bears seemingly in that kind of quarterback abyss of, we like Justin Fields, but we don't love him. He was drafted by a previous GM and it's just okay. I don't know. We can all admit, like the Lions on the standalone opening game of the season was not on my bingo card. Was not.

I'm Doug Gottlieb in for Colin Coward. Coming up next. My guy, T.J. Hushman Zada, is going to join me. I want to get his thoughts on Mahomes. And isn't it very reasonable to have the conversation about Pat Mahomes being among any list of the greatest of all time? Like, it's not, you know, guy in the NFL draft or a guy who does it once. He's had as good a five-year run as anybody in the history of sport. What more do we need to see?

I guess more of more. Okay. Maybe. And what does T.J. think of the new look Ravens? New wide receiving core, new offensive style. Will Lamar Jackson succeed? And should Joe Burrow play before he gets that contract extension? That's all coming next.

I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is The Hurt. Be sure to catch live editions of The HARD weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeard Radio 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

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 Cliverts Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're 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 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 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Doug Gawley been for Colin. This is the herd, Fox Sports Radio. Iheart Radio app.

Like I said about Jimmy Buffett, right? And I'm sure Jay Stu kind of applies to you, right, when a Jimmy Buffett would come to town. It wasn't a concert that you would check off the box. Would it be? Probably not. But. I mean, an absolute legend in the craft and kind of created a genre of music that others have tried to get in on, right? Kenny Chesney basically kind of a country, let me do the Jimmy Buffett thing.

And in some ways, Old Dominion and others have gotten in on it as well. Nothing. Everyone loves talking about having a margarita somewhere warmer, somewhere sunnier, somewhere with no worries. But those days are over because now we're going to get to the fall. it's about sports. It just is. And we had the appriteef, if you will, over the weekend with the true week one in college football. Not a lot of great matchups, but still kind of got those feels going.

You know, Lane Stadium, people jumping up and down in Blacksburg, Virginia, Penn State with a whiteout 110,000 people. Obviously, Dion Sanders marched into Fort Worth getting the win. That whets the appetite. Thursday the big boys come to play. and Pat Mahomes is back, ad quarterback for the Can City Chiefs. T.J.O.S. Manzada joins us. He's not only a former Pro Bowl wide receiver and one of the co-hosts of Up On Game, which airs each Saturday on Fox Sports Radio. You can podcast that on the IHeart Radio app. But he also, also is a guy who's like a wide receiver savant, works with all these guys and works with some of the elite quarterbacks, whose thanks for joining us. Happy Labor Day, Tia.

my man, the same to you. I mean, I'm sitting here going, I know we're supposed to talk like Mahomes has to do X, Y, and Z over the next five to ten years. But like, look, he's been a starting quarterback

for five years. He's been to three superples, AFC championship games in the other years. He's literally dominated the league. Like, did we need to see more to put him in any conversations? the best guy to ever do it? Oh, absolutely.

Play as short as he has played and automatically assume he's going to be the best ever. You have to go out there and continue to play because let's be honest, if he were to fall off of a cliff, everybody would say, oh, man, he was so good, what could have been. And so you have to continue to prove yourself each and every year. Now, with the amount of success that he's had, at such a young age, we assume it's going to get better

every year, and he's gotten better every year, and so that's the assumption. Okay, he'll be a little better this year than he was last year, so forth and so on. But yeah, you've got to go prove yourself each and every year because if he falls off a clip, the same people that are praising him are going going to be kicking him on the top of his head.

Like, what has happened to my home? And so every single year, you've got to go prove yourself, and he'll continue to get better. But I will say this, let Chris Jones not show up. It got a lot harder. Oh, I know, right? I mean, and, and, like, look at the surrounding cast.

Granted, he had backups and, and won a Super with it. He still has Travis Kelsey, but, I mean, does he have the dudes around him, considering who other people have around them? Like, compare his wide receiving core to what Justin Herbert's throwing out there. Compare his wide receiving core to what Joe Burroughs throwing out there. Does he have the dudes around him? I wouldn't pick against the Chiefs.

That'd be dumb. But on paper, it feels like everybody else has a better roster. I'm picking against him if 95 and it is not on that defense of front. That's a fact. Like, I'm telling you, Chris Jones single-handedly dominated games on defense. If Chris Jones is at playing, they don't beat the Bengals. They don't beat the Bengals. They don't beat the Jags.

Chris Jones to me means that much of the team and they're going to find out real soon but this is what I will also say about his skill position players Cadiris Tony was drafted in the upper half of the first round he can play he just didn't fit in New York because they didn't throw the ball as much

Daniel Jones wasn't that type of quarterback but Carderius Tony can play he was drafted there for Sky Moore was a high second round pick. Baldess Scatlin is the bigger guy to deep threat, but to me, it's going to be important that those two guys, Scott Moore and Carderis Tony,

play to where they were drafted to. If they can play to that potential, yeah, he has the guy. They just got to stay healthy and get out there and get it done. And I didn't even bring up Kelsey because we all know what he can do. But to me, the chiefs, I'm telling you, Doug, you can't tell Mahomes, oh, we're going. Sign this team friendly deal so we can sign everybody else. Mahomes is underpaid.

Travis Kelsey is underpaid. You let Tyree Kill go because what did you say? There's guys like Chris Jones coming down the pipe that we have to take care of. We'll take care of them then. There's a limit to that, right? Like they're $10 million off over three years. He wants $80, hold on. He wants 83 or 84 over three years.

They're at like 74 over. three years. Like that's, that's the difference. There's, there is a limit to, like, the idea of, oh, I sign him. Okay, I want to sign him, but there is a budgeting that takes place. Doug, you can't, you can't have a quarterback that's underpaid. You can't have a tight end that's underpaid. You can't trade Tyree Kill with the premise of we have these other guys that we're going to pay and then don't pay them. You can't do that. You can't have it both ways. Right, but there's a, there's a limit to how much you can pay. You can't pay everybody top of the market. That's the point.

Who's on their team that's being paid top of the market? You tell me one player that's on their team that's being paid top of the market. They're not. That's my point. At the time, when Kelsey's deal was done, it was top of the market. When Mahomes deal was done, it was top of the market. Also, Chris Jones is not at the peak of his career, too, over the next three years. And you say that.

And watch what happens when they don't have 95 on that defense's front. Again, I'm not sitting here saying Chris Jones stinks. I'm not saying don't offer it. Like, we're speaking the same language only in a different, like, I'm just dealing with the reality, right? He's 29 years old. You're paying for him for three years guarantee. Okay, he's under contract this year.

They actually don't have to negotiate at all with him. They don't. Based on the contract, they don't have to. They don't have to do anything. But you want to do it for the cap number and for him to be paid appropriately. But you also, you just can't go like, what do you want? Great, we'll give it to you. That's not the way sports works.

That's not the way any contract works, especially with a salary. We all know he wanted what Aaron Donald was getting. Of course. He just come down from that in compromise, so obviously he's not going to get what he wants. So he's for sure going to compromise. This is what happened. When you got your best players that take team-friendly deals,

they think everybody else is going to take it. But Mahomes is making money off the field. Travis Kelsey is making money off the field. Chris Jones ain't making that money off the field. So he can't take a team-friendly deal because he's a defensive player. The majority of defensive players don't make money off the field.

Travis Kelsey and Mahomes makes money off the field so they can supplement that it make up for that. Chris Jones can't. And so they'll find out real fast. We're going to see Thursday. Mark Mark, we'll see Thursday. And they, oh, we better get 95 in the building.

It's just going to be a problem. But I believe, let's get back to what you were saying earlier, those receivers are going to have to play to their potential. They create separation. They're good players. But when you have Tyree Kill that is the ultimate

guy that can create separation because of the speed and the fear that he instills in the defensive players and the defensive coaches, the way Mahal's play last year was great. He had to adjust. But he has guys that I believe can play. They just got to figure out and go do it.

I'll also point out for people who don't know, yes, it's technically a team-friendly deal. This is a year where there's a big cap number. Mahomes deal takes up 18% of the cap. So some of it is all relative with this year and then kind of the cap magic with it. My guess is, by the way, that ultimately they get the deal worked probably before the opening game. That would be smart for everybody. It's just a question of how they move those money numbers around. Who's willing to kind of meet in the middle?

The other question is about the Lions. Okay. you've told me his stories. Doug Gottliebun for Colin. Of course, T.J. Hushman Zada, former Pro Bowl wide receiver. You can hear him up on game on Saturday or the podcast, which is always available on the Iheart radio app. He joins us here in the Hurt on a Labor Day Monday. You told me about the change in the Bengals once you got Marvin Lewis, and that thing flipped from a four-win team to a playoff team.

The Lions are going to play Thursday night, and they went from the laughing stock of the league to competitive last year. but there's a step that's really hard, right, in terms of now you're not as much the hunter. You're not the hunt did yet, but people aren't going out the night before you're playing the Lions because you're no longer the laughing stock. Is that next step to being a playoff team more difficult than to just being relevant the way the Lions were last year? Absolutely. It's one word and it's there. It's expectations now. Expectations. People within the context, finds of that building and in Detroit expect the Lions to do something this year. That has not been

the case for so many years, probably a decade. And so when you have expectations, you got to get out there and produce now. Like the Detroit Lions are playing the opening night football. Would we have ever thought that? And so Dan Campbell has come in and

change the culture. And the guys who you feel are going against that, they got to go. And that's what they did. They got rid of players just scratching her head like, wow, they got rid of him. You got rid of him? Trade a tight end within the division.

First round pick, you got rid of him. They didn't match what he wanted. So he had to get rid of guys. And they bought in, you know, oh, we're going to bite their kneecaps and everybody was talking about Dan Campbell, but he had a vision. He got the players in there that he feels has the same vision that he has.

But when you have these expectations, does you've got to understand. It's so much that comes with it. But you have a very even-killed quarterback in golf. And I think that's been there. He's been to the mounteop, played in the Super Bowl, number one pick. And he's just an even-killed type of dude. He never seems to get rattled. But the lions, to come from where they were and what they are now,

I mean, you have to give Dan Campbell a ton of credit because it's not easy to change a culture of a team when it's constant losing and loot. You've got to change grown men's mindsets and their work ethic and an understanding of what I want. And if you can't do this, you've got to go. T.J. Spanjana, join us. in the herd. You know,

um, you know me, I like to talk about what everyone's missing now what everybody's talking about. And I, I think this time of year is the perfect example, right? We're fascinated by the jets. I want to get to them. We know the Bengals, if Burrow is healthy,

they're going to be there. We know the chiefs are going to be there. It feels like the chargers are real based upon their talent. But are we missing the, the, the jaguars, right? Like, I get that the chargers should have put them away.

But they've been loaded. up on talent for years. Trevor Lawrence took a step last year. They're coached by a legitimately very good NFL head coach. Like, are we missing the Jaguars in this discussion of the AFC? Absolutely, we're missing them because when we speak of the best teams, they are probably the last team we're going to name. But let's just be honest.

They're going to win that division. They're going to get in a playoff. Who's going to prevent them from winning their division? So they're going to be a playoff team. but the teams that you named prior to bringing up the Jacks, I think many would say they have a better team than Jacks, at least right now on paper, the Bengals, the Chargers, the Jets, the Jets, the Chiefs, the Dolphins, the Bulls, the Ravens, we would all probably say if they had to play a pay-off game right now,

we would take those teams over the Jags. But with that being said, to Jags have a team like you said, you know, when you bring in Calvin Ridley and I've said this for a while and now many people are finally starting to realize what I said a long time ago. Calvin really is one of the best receivers in the league. No question.

You talk about can play it every phase of the game. He can run a short intermediate route, create a ton of separation. He can run a D ball. He can run by you. He's a big dude. Like Calvin Ridley is one of the best receivers

in the league and now he's going to play with one of the better young quarterbacks in the league. the Jags have a really good team. But they have been overlooked, but the teams that we're talking about, at least right now on paper,

they're a better team than the Jags. Could be hard for a former Bengal. Obviously, you guys had the back and forth with the Steelers. But there's a lot of talk, and Colin has had a lot of talk about, hey, the Steelers are kind of back, right? Obviously, George Pickens looks like the real deal. What do you think of this Steelers roster

as it's comprised now. Man, the Steelers are always going to be good. One thing is a constant. The Steelers is going to play defense, and every time you play them, it's going to be a hell of a battle. I worked with George Pickens a little bit prior to the draft.

I felt he should have been a first-rounder. I thought the Packer should have drafted him. They seem to do all right with Christian Watson and Romeo Dobbs, but the Steeler, as long as Mike Conlin is there, they're going to be competitive. He is just a great moment. The Steelers are a great franchise and organization.

They are not an organization in the team that's going to be embarrassed. Every time you play them, you know what you're going to get. Great defense, sound, guys that know what they're doing. Very rarely are they going to make mental mistakes? That's just what it is. If Kenny Pickett can take that next step, which I believe he will, man, that division is the toughest division in football. Because all four teams being the Bengals, the Ravens, the Steelers, and the Brown,

they all have really good teams. I think the Bengals are the best, but you've got to go out there and play. But the Steelers, listen, the coat when I was playing, I swear, coaches would walk into that meeting on Wednesday. They were nervous like they had to play the game. I'm like, damn, you didn't act like this last Wednesday? Why are you acting like this now? We played Steelers.

So just the aura of how the coaches approach the Steelers game is completely different. The Steelers can play. The coaches respect them. I respect the hell out of them because I know what I'm going to get out of them every single week when I played. The Ravens are betting on OBJ to get open. Obviously they got J.K. Dobbins back, who's very good at catching the ball of the backfield. We know what Mark Andrews does. But the overall offense, we're told is going to change.

It's going to be more pass-heavy than run-heavy for Lamar Jackson. Is that the best thing in your mind for the Ravens? If they want to evolve and take that next step, yes, because if you look at the early part of Lamar Jackson's career, it was a run first offense. It seems as if that approach took them as far as it could take them. They couldn't really advance further in the playoffs and winning one playoff game with Lamar Jackson as their quarterback. And to take that next step, They had to change things, so here we are. It will be interesting to see if what they've been telling us,

they're going to throw the ball markedly more than they've done in years past. If it's successful, okay, let's see how they can take this into it. But if it isn't, how long before they go back to what they've done? That's the biggest key. If they can do it, then great because I applaud them. You've done it a certain way for a while, and you haven't gotten over the hump. So now we are going to change what we've been doing.

And the Ravens are exactly what I just described with the Steelers. And they're going to always be competitive. They're going to always play deep. And they're going always have good players. Now it's up to those good players to see if this new offense with Todd Munkin can get it done as opposed to what they had, what Greg Roman just running the ball. The Dallas Cowboys are,

coming off back-to-back 12-win seasons. And just for perspective, it had been since 96. 96 that they come off back-to-back double-digit win seasons, since 95, since back-to-back 12-win seasons. So they just have been consistent. You're talking about it in 20 years. But you talk about a team looking for that next step, right? The division, everybody in that three teams in that division made the playoffs last year. Some pressure on DAC in a contract year.

they've got the offensive line now situated contractually. Could the Cowboys be the team in the NFC? Everybody looks at the NFC like, oh, man, it's a three-team race. The Eagles, the Niners, the Cowboys, and then it's everybody else. And that may be the case, but I'm not so certain. The Cowboys, because they are the Cowboys, are always going to be put on a pedestal. Man, they have the best roster in the league. Oh, the Cowboys, this is a year they go to the Super Bowl.

When you look at them, where's the weakness? Look at the defensive front. Stout, linebacker, Stout, secondary now with Gilly there, Gilmore, Stout. You just spoke of the offensive line very good. You got a number one receiver, C.D. Lamb. Oh, you had Brandon Cook, very good. Tony Pollack, if you can come out, you've got to run a game.

Right now, many will say, damn, it is the only weakness. Jack Prescott? If that is a weakness, can that take them to where they want to go? That to me is the biggest key. Can that Jack Prescott play his best football when his best football is needed in the playoffs? Can you avoid the type of game that you had versus the Niners in the playoffs? That will be the key to get them where they want to go. But when I look at the Cowboys roster on paper,

I don't know if there's a better team top to bottom. than what they have. And so it's going to be very important that DAC can take them where they want. He's just going to have to play better football. It's simple as that. He had a thumb injury last year. I don't know if when he came back, he was

completely ready to play, but people better take into account. Killamore, he isn't there anymore calling him plays. You talk about Kelimore all you want. One thing he can do is call plays. He's going to really good at that and I think the people in

LA where the charges are going to see that very soon. That's going to be an adjustment. Mike McCarthy been wanting to call play since he got there. He was forced to give it to Kellermore. Mike McCarthy make him better than, because this is what you wanted. You threw Keller Moore under the bus. Oh, I would like to have

run the ball more. Well, Ridingmore, you're the head coach. What you mean? You would have liked to do it. You're the head coach. You're wearing the same headset, bud. You're wearing the same headset. Right. To me, I felt like he threw him under the bus. But you look at what Kellynne Moore has done as office of coordinator, be better than that then. Because if you can

be better than that, you've got a chance. But they're going to miss Kellemore, at least in my opinion. T.J. O'Smanzada, Pro Bowl wide receiver, of course for the Bengals. You can hear my up on game every Saturday on Fox Sports Radio. Also, I encourage you to download that as a podcast as well. Who's

you the best, man? Have a good Labor Day. Doug, you the best, man. Keep it up, bro. Let's get to Jason Stewart with the news. Doug, unfortunate news for Dodgers and Dodger fans. Jeff Passon of ESPN sent out the following tweet. Los Angeles Dodgers starter, Julio Urius, was arrested in charge with felony domestic violence charges late last night. An officer with the LAPD tells ESPN.

Urius 27 was booked late under Sunday and released early this morning on $50,000 bond. important to note here Doug that in 2019 Urias was suspended 20 games by Major League Baseball through their joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy. I don't know the details here. They're coming out and obviously we'll let it play out legally. But the Dodgers seem to have no tolerance about this stuff.

and I don't know if he's going to pitch again for the Dodgers. He was going to be a free agent at the end of this season and it wasn't looking like the Dodgers were going to resign him. But bad news for the near term as it pertains to the team trying to win a championship and just an awful story to hear about one of the Dodgers, bright young stars. Well, I would say this. again, we have to be fair and allow the legal course to run its course, right?

We just, just because you're arrested and charged does not mean you're convicted. It has to be fair. But if you're a Pete offender of domestic violence, you should never pitch in a baseball game ever again. Right? Like, that's not, I'm not saying anything that's crazy. We're a world of second chances. And though, I mean, I've never laid a hand. on a woman and will and never will.

And most of us, I think, sit there and go like, I just don't have that in me. I just don't. And then on the other hand, like, again, what happens, you just, you don't know what happens within the confines of somebody's house, bedroom, whatever. You know, I was, there was a time in which a team I was on, an assistant coach was fired on the spot because of a similar charge and turns out that his wife at the time went after him and they didn't allow him to continue coaching just because of the bad PR of it. Okay. So I'm willing to contend that there is a story that will play out and we have to be

fair. That's part of who we're supposed to be. And why, I mean, we learned from the Bill's kicker situation last year. Let's let all that back. But are you, you kidding me? You know, right? Are you kidding me? A second time? Yet, no one. And I would also dispute that, Jason, in terms of they have no tolerance of it. They did have tolerance of it. He was suspended 20 games, and yet he's still the Dodger. So without getting into the details of the first time around, don't know anything about the situation, I can only tell you.

And yes, if you want to just look at baseball terms, devastating. Devastating. He's been terrible on the road, but very good at home. Didn't he close out the World Series when they won the World Series? He was one of the heroes of that postseason in 2020, when Kenley Jansen was struggling. Yeah, and he closed out at least a couple games in the World Series against the race. I mean, the Dodgers got him at an early age.

They brought him through. I think the criticism is they kind of coddled them a little too much with the pitch counts and whatnot. He rarely ever pitches past six innings. But, yeah, just really rough news here. And, you know, I was going to talk about the Dodgers dropping three or four this past weekend. as part of the news here. And Ronald McCune just kind of going off. But it just seems like, yeah, the team and it struggles secondary to this news

and the details that obviously will come out as it plays out legally. But rough news for Dodgers. And remember, of course, this is coming after the players placed on waivers, right? That was – but they had to be claimed by August. 31st. So there were some starting pitchers that were available, only now they're not. Yeah. And I know you're sitting there going like, dude, we're really talking about waiver transactions like, yeah, yeah, because I mean, this is the type of this is what happens when a guy single-handedly torpedoes a team because of his own actions. And now what are the Dodgers going to do? I mean, that's the thing too. It's like, I really do believe that the Dodgers are playing with house money this year. I don't think anyone in that front office thought that they were going to be. this good. I think they almost saw it as

kind of a transition year. We saw it as they saved money in the offseason. They didn't go after any big money guys at the trade deadline. Seemed to be making a big push for maybe Shohei. So this was kind of a bonus year, kind of a house money year, and this just kind of

dampers all that stuff. So anyways, that's the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herdline News. I'm Doug Allibin for Colin Cowherd. Coming up, I'll tell what I make of the PAC 12 having an undefeated start to the first two weeks of college football. That's next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific.

This is Steve Kavino and Rich Davis. And together we are Kavino and Rich. Kavino and Rich. Thanks, buddy. That's right. Kavino and Rich, Fox Sports Radio's newest hit show. Heard weekdays from 5 to 7 Eastern 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I-Heart Radio app. Every Covino and Rich show is available as a podcast. Just search Covino and Rich

wherever you get your podcast and subscribe. I'm such a rocking dude. The show features our unique take on sports, injected with some fun, humor, and relatability. Listen to Covino and Rich five days a week on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Covino and Rich, give me a hell, yeah. 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. Clever Taylor the Forrest. 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 Little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. 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 there's a through line We also have AIDS

on the table right now So 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 podcast Doug Gottlieben for Collins to heard, Fox Sports Radio, Iheart Radio app. Hey, let's celebrate the Pact 12's going away year, right?

Undefeated so far. Undefeated. Look, here's the disconnect with college football fans and just sports fans in general. And even, you know, the bravado of the SEC and the Big Ten and the, the Pac-12 won't cease to exist. because the Pac-12 was bad. Let me repeat, the Pac-12 is not going to cease to exist because the Pac-12 was bad. I get we could make fun of the Bill Walton,

Conference of Champions. But the fact is, Pac-Tol was an unbelievable league. Now, had it fallen on some hard times in recent years in college football? Sure. Changing landscape of things. I mean, if you want to kind of get down to it,

you know, NIL and the Transfer Portal, it really is going to kill Stanford and kill Northwestern and kill Vanderbilt. Because those programs, one, you don't have the donors that want to pay money to a collective, you know, to go after some of these top kids. And then academically, it's really, really hard to get players to transfer in from even very reputable. Like, Big Ten schools are good schools, right? These are not SEC schools are not. bad schools. But most of those elite academic schools, you can't have online classes. Notre Dame, you can't take online classes. Those credits don't transfer. So it limits you. You know, you combine both those things and it's really hard to compete. So what brought down

the PAC 12 talent-wise? Well, Cal's been an abject disaster. That should be a big-time program. but basically it's USC, right? Oregon went through a transition process, but if USC is, had not had the last, I don't know, six, seven, ten years previous to Lincoln Riley, the league wouldn't be laughed upon. Utah's been legit.

Oregon's, with exception to a couple years, been legit. You know, the other schools, obviously Stanford now is down, I think, because of the new era. But don't associate the Pact 12 being bad, with that's why the Pact 12 broke up. That has nothing to do with it. Very little to do with it.

Very little to do with it. It has to come down to how many eyeballs. And the Pacti's biggest problem was, not that they're in big cities and that people don't care. No. Some of it is that alumni don't care as much as they care in the Midwest because they have other things in their lives.

But a good portion of it is they're in the Pacific Times. time zone and never forget the stat. This is all the stat you need to know. Sixty-six percent of sports viewers are in the Eastern time zone. So it's very difficult to ask them to stay up to 10 at night to watch the kickoff of a Pac-12 game. We'll get more than that plus. Speaking of the Pac-12, how about Colorado's win this weekend? Does it save college football? By out next in the hurt. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite, unhumor me with Robert Smygle and friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an

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

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

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