The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 3 - Justin Herbert is amazing

Episode Date: October 4, 2023

Every week QB Justin Herbert shows us how much he can overcome Thoughts on the top NFL prospects Looking at the NBA offseason    Guest: Daniel Jeremiah, Chris BroussardSee 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.

For 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 in the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

By the way, as I've been talking about this, J. Max got something he wants to pass me a little note. And so listen to this story. This is one of my favorite stories ever. Now, we know Hollywood. There's a lot of money in being beloved in Hollywood. Nobody's popular forever. But if you can get in that four or five year window, which Taylor Swift is in,

where you're like the world's most popular person, you can make billions of dollars. So there is a theory out there. and I want you to address this, J-MAC, because I hadn't heard it, and I find it utterly fascinating. Sometimes I feel bad when I open my mouth and said this to you. So I want to be clear, I don't necessarily believe this. This is a theory being floated out there on TikTok and other places.

So one of the few knocks on Taylor Swift, according to people on the internet, is usage of a private jet, bad for the environment. She's supposed to fly southwest? Yeah, I don't get that. I don't understand that. And also, hey, we got a track where. Taylor Swift is, see who she's dating, let's follow her

private jet around. Okay? So Taylor Swift now goes to a New York Jets football game. Anytime you Google Taylor Swift Jet, thinking private jet, there's a billion pages of Taylor Swift at the Jets game. Look at all these photos with her friends

cheering on Travis Kelsey. So it basically erased the one controversy in her life. It buried it in Google. You can't find Taylor Swift Jet stuff on the first page of Google anymore because she was at a New York Jets football game. Now, would Taylor Swift be so crafted and thoughtful?

I know you know what the story about her family and a friend or something? Like, listen, she's thoughtful and smart. No, but she is strategic. There's no way. I find it extremely hard to believe. She is hot. And this is not a criticism. This is why she's brilliant.

Her family's brilliant. She is hyper strategic. So everything's got a plan. Let me meet someone. Nothing is happenstance. And then. oh, he's playing the Jets in two weeks. If I can't lead with the Jets game, let me go to the Bears game first,

then I'll go to the Jets game and it'll erase the Google. So that's really deep. By the way, Travis Kelsey, who has a growing social and television personality, he's on five commercials. Maybe it's a thing. Maybe it's a, you need this, I need this. I mean, he's bigger now than Aaron Rogers. Travis Kelsey's on five national commercials.

He wins games. He's playing. Taylor has a movie coming out next weekend from her era's tour. And she doesn't want that negative stuff on the internet. Now, you could argue that Jets was Swift was the second game. She was the week before, who did they play? Bears Chiefs in Arrowhead. Now, does she have an issue with Bears?

No, but it would be strategic. Oh, just so I'm not doing the Jets thing, I went to a Bears game too, you know. But I just want to make it clear. I don't necessarily believe this. I'm a believer in true love. I think these two love each other. other and are having fun. Well, celebrities have no morals, so maybe they're just, you know, hitting it.

I don't know. Do regular people have morals? Yes. Oh, okay. All right. Midwest morals. Now, the coastal people are out there. But, you know, maybe it's just two celebrities that are hot and, you know, they're attracted.

But where are you on the whole private jet thing, though? Like, that seems. I think it's an interesting theory that is worthy of three minutes, which we gave it. I think celebrities are strategic. I think Taylor Swift is brilliant. I think her family's smart. And if you've got a movie coming out, I'm not saying it's true, but it's worth the three minutes we gave it. You're, y'all say this.

J-Mack's wife. Oh, yeah, she gave this to me. I did not see it on TikTok. I refused to get into TikTok. She's very crafty. And by the way, she gives you good advice. You don't listen to it half the time. I definitely do not listen to the wife's.

You should because she's very pragmatic. You're a little out there. You met her like twice. Yeah, but I can tell from you, she's very pragmatic. She's smarter than I am, but, you know, that's not saying much. And think she is, but you know, if you like she is. I've got a great parley for you this weekend, thanks to Draft King Sportsbook. New users use the code heard, H-E-R-D when you download the app.

Let's have some fun. My parley picks of the week via Draft King Sportsbook. I'm going to take the Eagles minus four at the Rams. The crowd will be 60, 40 Eagles anyway, a semi-home game. They're undefeated for a reason. I don't know how the Rams offensive front. matches up with the Eagles defensive front. I'll take the Eagles minus four.

I'll take the Jets Plus 2 at Denver. The Broncos last week had some offensive success because they played the Bears, step up in class, best defense they faced. Zach Wilson righted the ship a little even though they lost. I'll take the Jets plus two. Cowboys plus three and a half of the Niners, I'll take Dallas. Listen, defensively, opposing quarterbacks have a 55 passer rating. Niners are better, especially in the Red Zone.

offensively, but the Cowboys have the better quarterback, offensive line special teams, and a little revenge I'll take Dallas. If you want to take the Hurd Parlay, check out Draft King's sportsbook, new users use the code H-E-R-D-HR-D-HRD when you download the app. 21-plus in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction. Eligibility restrictions apply. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-Gambler. In New York, call 8778-8-Hope-N-N-Y or text Hope-N-Y-4-6-7-369. See show notes for full details. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, 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 celebrate. 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 a 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 Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you 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, podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Well, he was a scout for three different teams.

Now he's one of the radio voices of the Chargers. He's on the NFL Network, highly respected DJ Daniel Jeremiah, NFL network analyst. Got a podcast, Move the Sticks with Bucke Brooks, one of our buddies. We want to talk NFL. I want to start with the Chargers because you do their broadcast. You know this team very well. And I said this a couple weeks ago. They should have beaten Miami.

And, you know, Chargers historically make a sweat for even the good game, so that's just kind of part of their identity. But tell people who have not watched Justin Herbert. I do believe that this is the kind of thing you can see because you're up above, you're watching the entire field. What has Kellyn Moore done for Justin that is a former scout and somebody that watches game film that maybe the casual fan wouldn't see? He's given a lot of freedom, Colin.

He's put a lot on his plate. They're running with more tempo. They're getting to the line of scrimmage. And that, you know, people see tempo. It's like, oh, we're trying to get the defense on their heels and they can't communicate. No, sometimes it's get up to the line of scrimmage so we can let our incredibly bright quarterbacks survey the landscape and get us into the proper play. So he's giving him more control there. And then they're also, because the offensive line is healthier with Rishon Slater, they're picking their spots,

but then they're able to get some of these chunk plays back in the offense. You saw it last week to end the game to Josh Palmer. So it's been a really good marriage between those two guys. And I think you've seen over the last two weeks that Justin start to use his legs a little bit more, too, which can take this offense to a whole other level. Okay, so you were a scout and a very successful one. There's this kid who I saw play in college at BYU in Washington and in Puka Nakua. Now, people think Cooper Cup was like an under the radar player, but he wasn't.

Everybody in the league, the Chargers and the Rams both liked him, because I've talked to both GMs, everybody like Cooper Cup. Puka Naku had been banged up. Was he fast enough? He is shattering NFL records. What do you make of it? Fifth round, shattering records. Well, I'll tell you, Colin,

we saw him at the Senior Bowl. And the first day of practice, nobody could cover him. In fact, if you went back and listened to the broadcast, I even said, this reminded me of Cooper Cup at the Senior Bowl, where he came in there and you're like,

I don't know, he's not really fast, but man, he's got a ton of production. He's really kind of instinctive. How are we doing one-on-ones? And then nobody could cover Cooper. Well, the first day, Pooka Nuku did the exact same thing.

And then unfortunately, he got hobbled and couldn't participate in the rest of the week. So I think if he had been able to finish out that week the way it was headed, I think you would have seen more attention go his way. But I'll give T.J. Hushman Zad a lot of credit as well because he worked with him and Michael Wilson. Those are the two guys he really, really spent a lot of time within the run-up to the draft. And when T.J. gives you his stamp on a guy, it means something. He did the same thing with T. Higgins when he was coming out. and this kid is, he's ready to play, man.

He's been rolling. Guys leading the league in receptions. It's incredible. C.J. Stroud is another T.J. Husman, Zada, a gem. So I had heard his comp, and I trust the scouts who tell me this, he was Jared Goff, maybe with a little more mobility. Well, that's a heck of a comp. Jared Goff has never been embraced.

He's a really good quarterback. There's not 12 guys in the world better. Are you surprised, though, with a banged-up online that he's been. error-free. I will say this. I'm not a scout, Daniel, but he does see the field. Like, I watch him play very composed. What was your grade? Are you shocked he's this good this early? I thought he had a chance to be a really good player. Now, I don't think anybody would have seen the early success that they've had on that team missing the pieces that they're missing. But you go back to the Combine. I said at the Combine, this is the best throwing session I've ever seen

at the combine setting. And it wasn't because, you know, I've seen guys throw it further than him. I've seen guys throw it with more velocity. But every throw was pinpoint accurate. It had the right trajectory. It had the right pace. He's just a naturally gifted thrower. Now, you go back in the draft process, Colin, it was like,

okay, I don't know how athletic he is. And then the Georgia game comes along and he showed you, he could get out of some trouble when they're playing against better players and kind of answered that question. So, I mean, I guess we shouldn't be surprised that he's having success because he's just, the game is slow for him. He plays with poise. He plays with a certain calm.

But I mean, Colin, I mean, no interceptions and what he's doing, making that team competitive each and every week. I don't think anybody could foresee that coming. Okay, we know Caleb Williams is going to be the number one pick. I counted again this morning. There's eight or nine teams that I know we're going to draft quarterbacks, five or six in the first round. The kid that's interesting that a lot of the country is not seeing

because Washington is geographically. up in the corner. And because USC and Oregon steals so much of the love in the Pact 12 is Michael Penix. He's got a great coach, two NFL receivers. For those who haven't seen Mike, I think he throws the prettiest ball of

all the quarterbacks I've seen. You've looked at film. You're breaking him down as a former scout. What do you make of him? Well, first of all, he's like a different human being from the one we saw as a young player at Indiana where he was running around, making plays with his legs. This is a sturdy, 225-pound

pocket passer. He's got that little three-quarter delivery release, Colin. The ball absolutely jumps out of his hand. I mean, he can really, really drive the football. You watch the Michigan State game. He's five yards deep in the end zone hanging on his back foot. He throws a post over the 50-yard line, just easy. So he's got a huge arm. He's seeing the whole field. You talk about, you know, working left to right and full field reads. He shows you that he can do that. And he's older. He's more mature. And I think that's one of the components. If you look at guys, that are having success early on, for the most part, they've played a lot of football.

They've got a lot of snaps under their belt. And he's going to enter the league in a very experienced quarterback, maybe a little older. You have to navigate around some of the health issues, the injury issues, do your homework there. But Colin, he's a first round pick all day every day. So Drake May is as well, didn't play quite as well early. And again, sometimes at Carolina,

you're not going to get the publicity of a Notre Dame quarterback, USC, Georgia, whatever. I mean, I saw him last year. My takeaway is big moves well, good arm, all the traits you want. Anything I should look for with Drake May, who many suspect could be the second player picked after Caleb. Yeah, I think he is. I mean, I think he's the second guy. You know, gosh, I was bummed out when his receiver, you know, they couldn't get him eligible.

And Mac Brown, you know, made his feelings pretty well known on that one. So he doesn't have an all-star cast that he's throwing the rock to. Josh Downs was there last year. He's gone. But everything you want, the checklist, big, athletic, can make every throw. He's good in clutch moments. He beat my alma mater in overtime in a really close game this year against App State where he kind of made the plays that he needed to make.

To me, he's a prototype. He's not a hard one to scout, Colin. Finally, we know Caleb's going number one, if healthy. I am not bothered. So I said this yesterday. There's been three stages of player empowerment in the last couple of years. Players missing bowl games, stars. I was okay with it, especially running backs.

Transfer portal explosion. I'm okay with it. Coaches move all the time. NIL, I'm okay with it. The fourth stage, and this will make people really uncomfortable, is a star quarterback every few years saying, yeah, I'm not playing for that NFL team. There are rumors that Caleb and his dad are like Arizona, Chicago, Giants.

No, thanks. it doesn't bother me. Elway, Eli Manning. How do you, is somebody that's worked, knows the college game and works in the pro game, how do you think that plays to NFL people? Well, you know, it's hard because there's only ever so often you're going to get somebody of that caliber that could try and maybe pull that type of a move. But I feel like it's been discussed with players in the past. We talked about with Joe Burrow, right?

Maybe he's the one. He's not going to want to go to Cincinnati. And then I think Joe Burrow going to Cincinnati, taking them to a Super Bowl, multiple AFC championship games, has proven that, look, there's so much parity in the NFL. If you're that guy, if you're that good, if you're Caleb Williams, you have all this ability, which he does. He can go on there and change any of these organizations. So I don't know if there will be followed through there. The only difference now is that he's in a situation with some of the NIL money that he has maybe a little more leverage on his side than anybody in history has had.

Yeah. All right. A further record, Brandon Staley. he's taking a lot of heat on this fourth down stuff. I believe in analytics. I believe in NBA baseball. I think analytics are important. I also think contextualization matters.

If the opposing quarterback is a rookie and Kaleel Mack is unblockable, you may want to pun it. Do you worry at all with the chargers? And I know you're the voice of them. But when you make these moves, if you win, nobody cares. but how do you think they play because there's some big swings here by Brandon? Yeah, he's done it consistently. You know, the interesting thing is you saw it in Cleveland last year.

You've seen it for the last two weeks where they didn't get it and they won all three of those games. So we talked to him after the game and he brought up an interesting point. Just kind of in passing was like, hey, at some point in time, we've got to get a yard. You know, we got to kind of make a play here and get that yard. It shouldn't be as hard as we're making that out to be. but that's just kind of who he's been. They've been aggressive. The defense has responded when he's made those decisions.

I'm old school, so I'm kind of more of a more conservative. Let's punt it away and put the defense out there. But look, he knows his team, and they've been able to respond even when it hasn't worked. So I don't see that really changing. I know our time's coming to an end here, Colin, so I do have to bring up one thing. J-Mack, you know, if you're going to be cooking a 60-year-old architect from the South Bay on the basketball court. We don't need video. We don't need to see the video of that. Okay. Come on. Enough. I mean, he thinks he's dame because he can hit an occasional three. He's really, he literally

thinks he's dame. You know, Daniel Jeremiah is a big time former basketball player, right? Big time in high school. AAU, all that stuff. You played with like superstars. Yeah. Yeah. You didn't. I did not. I got knocked out. My last high school game was against Baron Davis. I think I had about eight points. He had about 38 points. So it didn't quite go well. But I will say this. Colin, he does such a good job because if you look at the video when he's playing basketball, he crops out there walkers on the side of the team. They're just the players. The AARP magazines on the bench, they come over and read. All right. Good seeing you, DJ as always. All sorts of fun. You know, it is like Brandon Staley, and again, I know I come across is too hard on this, but I think

in analytics, you have to just contextualize everything. So last week, on a fourth and one, playing a rookie quarterback, a touchdown lead, and they can't block Cleo Mac. Just pun it. Minnesota, I felt the same thing. Minnesota could not block the pass rush of, and it was a touchdown lead. Just get it out of there. But they've won both games. So the truth is, you lose both of those.

You could have lost the locker room. In this sport, you win the game. If the Jets beat the Chiefs, even with the fumble, even with the fumble, the fumbles not a discussion Monday. Instead, it's a primary part. So the thing about the NBA, because you have a scarcity of games, there's so few. I mean, baseball's got 162, right? You know, NBA's got 82 minimum than the playoffs. Hockey, 82, right, playoffs. Baseball, or basketball, NFL, you just don't have how many games. So the game not only gets played, it gets discussed until the next game. So if you're an NBA coach, you know, Boston last year, coach, Bush, Bush,

a game against the heat, you know, you could play two days later. And we're on to the next game. But because there's a scarcity in the NFL, if you make a decision and it fails, it will in Chicago be on sports talk radio for four straight days until Friday when you move to the next game. So that's why these analytic decisions you have to remember as a coach, as a player, that's going to be discussed for a block. That's why in baseball, a bad outing, who cares? Go to the relief. People forget about it. Nine innings. Four more pitchers come out. You've got to start in three days.

You don't see a lot of that. We don't talk a lot about analytic stuff with baseball. You're angry driving home from the game and you call your sports radio station. Tomorrow you got another game. Jay Mack with a news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Jeremiah's good.

Daniel's very smart. As good as it gets. Yeah, yeah. All right. Let's start with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They're in their by week, but They're three and one. One of the big surprises. Remember all that talk we had about they were going to be selling off players at the deadline? Comeback player of the year, Baker Mayfield through a month. Through a month.

Well, the kid from Hamlin from Buffalo was a... Well, it's a great story, but Baker's the quarterback. What about Tua? Fine, Tua has to be second. Well, but Tua was pro bowl votes last year. Baker Mayfield, we thought was done. We thought this was a tank team. Career high 69.

Career high 69. I guess Hamlin emotionally because of what he overcast. came would win it. I think he'd win the award. He's a heavy favorite in Vegas. But Tua is the next, I mean, he's barely played this season, but Tua is you know, the other guy. Baker, it's early. Let's settle down. 69%.

It's a better story. 100%. Yeah, so you're going to, it's a better story. But it is interesting that Baker now in a weird way, if they win eight games, they're out of the quarterback lottery. They're not winning eight games. Okay, let's slow down, all right. He's off to a good start. 882 passing yards,

seven touchdowns. Bowles has liked what seen from his quarterback so far. Baker's tough. I sit up here all the time. You don't want to take him too many of those. But he's tough. He's gritty. He's very smart football player.

He's a competitor. He's been like that his whole life. It hasn't changed. He has a lot to prove. He's having fun out there. He understands the offense. He's using every piece of weapon that we give him. And he's having a good time.

He is. I mean, you think they have eight wins? Maybe? I just think they caught a couple of these people. by surprise. Essentially what we're watching, it's way early, but it's a little Gino Smith. Now, I think Baker in Cleveland was better than

Geno in New York. But I mean, good God, look at these numbers. They're insane. These are career highs. It's not like he's just playing. He's faced the Vikings and Bears, two dregs of the league. They did face the Saints and Eagles. I mean, his numbers are, those are not

just average numbers. Those are fantastic numbers. Are you ready for reality? So after the faces Detroit. That's at home. I think Detroit will be favorite. So, so. Atlanta. So, again, big game. Wow. That's Buffalo. That's a big loss. That's a hard game. I getting a shelled. Houston, which is now plucky. Tennessee. Listen, everybody thinks I hate, I hate Baker. And you're right. The Hamlin story feels bigger, more emotional for all of us. So if he just plays a little, I think we'd give

him the award. I don't know. But I think, and maybe I'm overcompensating because everybody thinks I hate Baker, but he has been... It's been a good story. It's been a... Well, it's been more than a good story. He's been pretty good. He unraveled against Philadelphia in the second half, but he's been really good. Yeah.

You want to... Should we do a side wager on eight wins or not? I say under. Well, I'll take under. Yeah. I take seven or more. You take six. Well, now you're moving the goalpost.

He said eight wins. I misspoke. I have a right on live TV and radio to misspe. It happens. Seven. Seven. Okay. That's more.

Seven and ten reasonable than most the playoffs. So I say seven or more. You say six or fewer. But this is the thing that Tampa fans don't get. You don't want to win seven games. Now you take yourself out of a quarterback. I know. You're screwing yourself for the future.

It's like, what are we doing? And Todd Bulls probably going to get kept. Like, it's not good to win seven games. No, well, it's good for Baker. It's good for his brand. You're giving him Daniel Jones, but I don't know. All right. Next up.

Oh, let's talk about another crap team. The Raiders. They've lost three. straight since that lucky season opening win over the Broncos. Fans are calling for Josh McDaniels firing. Even going as far as to

straight to Mark Davis' face. Here's a video at the game over the weekend, Chargers, Raiders, where a fan came up to Mark Davis and was like saying stuff. Look at this. Oh, fans. What are they yelling at him for? What are they mad at? What do you mean? They're upset

with Garapolo. They're upset with McDaniels. They don't like this sign. Garoppolo was on the market. He's been to a Super Bowl. Listen, nobody likes McDaniels, man. Nobody. Well, whatever. I mean, I don't think Josh McDaniels in the last five years has been the primary problem.

Well, Raiders fans, you... In the list of problems, he's about eight. It's a fair point. O-Line can't block anybody. Yeah. By the way, did you see, there's also Raiders video, Sidney Crosby after that guy decked Herbert out of bounds and got ejected. Sidney...

Is it, Max Crosby? I'm sorry. Max Crosby goes up to Herbert and is like, man, man, that was a... messed up thing that he did. It was pretty nice thing. Raiders guy. You know, Max and I are buddies. Crosby? I think he's great. He's a huge dude, yeah. I think we saw him with the Super Bowl, right? I see him three times a year at UFC

fights. Max is my guy. Really? Oh, I love Max Crossey. He's one of my five favorite football players. Can you get him to a good team? Tell him to like... Well, first of all, he's having a great career. Why don't I want to screw with that? I'm not anti-Rater. Whoever wins, wins. I'm not anti-anybody. I'm trying to get him to a good team, because I like that guy. He's a good player. He's a great guy.

Let's go the NBA. Hey, Los Angeles Lakers, fifth on Cowherd's list of title contenders earlier today. They kept their roster mostly intact. They added some decent pieces. But LeBron had an interesting comment this week about passing the torch to Anthony Davis, even calling A.D., the face of the franchise. He's right. He is the face, you know, and he's another, you know, you look at all these numbers that surround this facility,

all the greats that's come here, and A.D. is one of them, you know. So, you know, I was very happy and extremely proud and, like, just super dope to see him get that extension to be a part of this franchise for years and years and years. And it's been a treat so far playing alongside of them. And I hope we can do some great things. Yeah, I have them number five on my power list. Because everybody thinks I'm too hard in L.A. on the Lakers. And I did think last year they overachieve. I don't think they're Phoenix, Denver, Boston, Milwaukee.

But I think they're still better than SAC. I think Golden State got small. I love Golden State, but they got smaller with Chris Paul. So the league's getting bigger, they got smaller. Did you see the comments from Steve Kerr, that they're going to play Clay Thompson at Power Forward? Oh, brother. And he's going to defend Power Forward.

Okay. They're like, the numbers say he did a good job last year. You know, I love Curry more than anybody. I am the Steph Curry fan in sports media. And I'm telling you, that team this year is not going to be good. I think, yeah. I know, Draymond's your guy. No, I know, but I worry.

I don't know where this guy. I can't wait to watch it. I can't wait to watch Chris. Paul on the floor of an NBA game with Steph Curry. Really? Oh, I can't wait. I got my NBA package. I'm ready to go.

Don't mess around with me. I'm ready to go. Hey, you remember, you're looking for the team of destiny this year? You ready? Sacramento. No? A little spicier. Who?

Indiana Pacers. I just bet they're over win total. What's their win total? I don't remember. I'll have to go on the thing, but I think the Pacers are a playoff team. Top eight in these. They're bench scoring. Excellent.

Did you guys see the roll of eyes on Indiana facers? Tyrese Halliburton? He's good. He's a baller. Yeah. J-Mack, with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The Herd Live. 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. Hey, this is Tom Perducci from Fox Sports, MLB Network, and Sports Illustrated. And I'm Joe Madden, and we're going to be.

year round to talk a little bit about managerial decisions and what may have occurred to the dugout maybe in the 1980s it's the book of joe podcast i can't wait for this joe we're going to dive into what goes on in the dugout and behind the scenes in major league baseball cars whined whatever else we want to talk about yeah well there are no boundaries right listen to the book of joe podcast on the i heart radio app on 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 where you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper 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 Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down,

and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day but just so y'all know I mean at this point Mark this is the second episode

where we've discussed crack so I'm starting to see that there's a through line We also have AIDS on the table right now 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 podcast Show sponsored by BetterHelp Therapy, 10% off your first month, online therapy, private,

B-E-T-T-E-R-H-E-L-P-E-L-P-E-L-P-H-E-L-P. He is part of a great show that's on fire. First Things First. Chris Broussard is joining us. By the way, I thought Dame to Milwaukee. I said this in June or July. The guys had it on tape. I said, Dame, I thought fit Milwaukee better than Miami.

But then when Drew Holiday went to the Southics, I'm like, oh, wait a minute. That's the best team to me in the East. I got four guys who can hit a bucket. Did you feel the same way that for about a day Milwaukee was the best? But I felt Boston jumped them. I definitely feel like Dame got off great, right? I think he's in a better situation in Milwaukee than he would have been in Miami. And I hear you on the Boston deal I'd said before it was made that that's where I'd like to see Drew Holiday go.

my only concern though about the Celtics is their lack of size. And obviously under Joe Missoula, they're like all in on, we're going to outscore you. All right? We're not tough anymore. They defend on the perimeter. Drew Holiday obviously is a great defender, as is Derek White. And then Tatum and Brown are solid defenders too. So they can defend and Chris Stasworsingis can protect the rim.

But they're not tough. They're not intimidating. they're not big anymore. So it's really like two teams going in different directions. Milwaukee, we're huge and we're offense. And they can play defense. We're huge and we defend. Even though Dave's not a great defender, they're going to be a great defensive team.

And Boston's going, we're small. Even our big Chris Daswazzo wasing is plays small and he can protect the rim, but he plays small offensively and they're going to outscore you. So I like Milwaukee slightly. But those two teams are clearly the class of the Eastern Conference. Yeah, what worries me a little with Milwaukee is Dame is older, Middleton's had injuries, Lopez is older, Janice aging, whereas I feel like Tatum and Jalen Brown are really in their prime. And I do think over a season, I worry about Milwaukee's age, injuries as the season extends.

Okay, let's go to the West. It's really hard to win back-to-back in this league. But I do think Denver sort of built their star is not. not a guy that wants to be a celebrity. They're very like under the radar, a Rocky Mountain team. I think Phoenix is going to be the best watch in the league. I think time has passed for Golden State. I feel like Denver is a little like the Duncan Spurs. They're kind of built to repeat. They'll still come into this year. We're going to fall in love with Boston, Milwaukee, Phoenix, and we're still not going to give Denver respect. That's how it feels for me, you.

No, I agree. And it's interesting. You mentioned. San Antonio, they never repeated, which is crazy, but obviously they were right there in the hunt every year. But I agree in that San Antonio was viewed as kind of a dull team because their superstar Tim Duncan was, he just wasn't out there and charismatic and like that in the public eye. And Yokic is similar. I do like watching this Denver team more than that Spurs team. I think they are more exciting. Yeah. Right? They're fun.

Because Yokic, even though he can't jump and he's not quick, he's fun to watch because he is so skilled. He's a great passer. And I like watching him. And then, of course, you have Jamal Murray and some other players. So I agree. I think Denver's got a great shot. You know, and we've seen some teams repeat lately. Obviously, Golden State.

You have Miami, you know, so there's been some repeats lately. So I think they do have a good shot. I agree. I think Phoenix is their biggest challenger in the West. and then the Lakers after them. All right, I did my Power 5, my preseason NBA Power 5, where I had, you know, Denver, a Phoenix. I think Phoenix, I don't care about their bench.

I think they're going to be really fun to watch, a lot of high-end skill. Then I went Boston, Milwaukee, Lakers. Lakers, too high or low? What do you make of the Lakers? I think the Lakers, you have them in the right space. I would put, I like Milwaukee more than you. And you made a good point about the age. That's legitimate.

But obviously Boston's got some injury questions too with Porzingis. They're counting on him being healthy. He's their biggest, he's their only player of consequence taller than 6'9. And then their other big Al Horford's 37 years old. So they could have some injury issues as well. But I would have Milwaukee 1, Denver 2, Phoenix 3, Boston 4, and then the Lakers. five. But those are five terrific teams. Oh, yeah. And man,

it's going to be fun to see how this plays out. Yeah, Nick's, Miami, Cleveland, Sacramento, Golden State, Clippers, all very interesting. Brew, you're doing great. First thing's first co-host. As always, Crush. Say hi to Nick and Kevin Wilds. Good seeing you, buddy.

You too, Colin. Thanks, man. All right. By the way, James Hardin showed up for camp today after a brief absence for the 76ers. So, I, you know. Did he have glitter on his beard or anything like that? I don't know. You know, he's a different personality. On this show, we are here for different personalities.

I'm a huge hardened fan. I would love to hang with the guy. He's clearly got the ends at all the right spots. I go to bed at 8.50, so I couldn't hang with the guy. You could extend that one night. You push it 9.45. I couldn't tell you the last time I went to bed and the sun was coming up. Had a couple days like that in Vegas.

What, what, like in 1994 or something? Yeah, around there. Good call. Yeah, I was just kidding. Yeah. In 1994, I can remember the last time I remember it. It was quite a night. Wow. I was in a convertible in Las Vegas, a Mazda RX-7 driving. The sun was coming up, Sunset Mountains. I was driving over the overpass. Caesars was to my right. Do you want to say who was riding shotgun? No, I'm not going to get into that. It was just quite a night.

I remember the song. Was it, oh, what a night by the four seasons? That's a classic. That's a banger, as the kids say. I remember the car, the moment, the sun. Not much else. All right. See you tomorrow. 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 Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but self. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok.

This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.