The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd-HOUR-3-Kawhiet Production, Rapid Testing, Best For Last

Episode Date: September 4, 2020

In this hour of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Doug Gottlieb--in for Colin--makes the case for Clippers' small forward Kawhi Leonard as the best player in the NBA--and he has the numbers to back it up. Also, college football writer and analyst Bruce Feldman of The Athletic and FOX Sports joins the show to discuss the Pac-12's new Covid-19 testing regimen and how it could bring college football back earlier than previously stated. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games.

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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. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild. 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 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 Herd. Fox Sports Radio. What up? Welcome in. This is The Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be making it as part of your day. Thanks so much. I'm Doug Gottliebilling in for Colin Cowherd. Who's growing a beard? Elijah's sitting here going like, I've had a beard. Why is this a big thing for Colin Cowherd? I've known Ryan Music for three years. He's my producer. He's produced today. Never seen him without a beard.

Cowherd growing a beard as if he's the first human being on Earth to grow a beard. Like my wife told me to grow a beard, so that's what I'm doing. Can we put it on the bottom line on Fox Sports One? For the record, I have a healthy scruff working. It's my George Clooney look. I know. I get mistaken for Clooney all the time. Like, are you George Clooney's brother with a big nose and eyes that look like you haven't slept in months? Well, yes, I am. You don't look anything like George Clooney.

That's what they say. That's what they say. You know, like we have, I'm the only one without a beard. Ryan's on the board. Ryan's got a beard. Elijah's got a beard. Ryan, music's got a beard. Gottlieb's got some lame scruff.

Towherd's got like stubble. And he's like, I look at this beard. Look at this beard. Music, how long have you had your beard? He's like 28 years old. You can't talk for that, Mike? Five years you've had the beard. Ryan, how long have you had your beard?

Five years? six, seven years. Never just like, I just want to shave it and see what my face feels like. I don't know. Okay. If I were your guy's age, Ryan's little closer to my age and music, I told you, Ryan, like, I wouldn't have a beer. Now, look, he's at some point when the pandemic's over, he's going to get married.

But I just, when you're young, look young when you're young. What's the matter with you people? There's some rules to this thing. This is like a basketball rule. Do you guys know this? in basketball always wear white sneakers. Because black sneakers make you look slower. They just do.

I do, right? And my rule with beards is like, I would always shave until I get to like my late 30s or 40s. Just when you're young, look young. Have that baby face. I also don't think it's a bad thing to go gray early if you're a dude. Right? If you go gray early, you're like, eh, if you go gray in your 20s and 30s, you may look like you're in your 40s, but it becomes stately. Then when you're in your 50s and 60s, nobody knows the difference.

Like, man, you look exactly the same as you did 15 years ago. That's because I went gray when I was in my 20s. Same thing with going bald. Let me get to Kauai in a second, but I do want to point out that conventional wisdom went out the door last night. Toronto Raptors down 2.5 seconds to go. And to take the ball in bounds, they chose Fred Van Vlake. Conventional Wisdom says always put a big guy on the ball. Taco Fall can't get any bigger than Taco Fall.

Also, can't get a better name than Taco Fall. Right? Is there a better name on Earth than Taco Fall? The center, Boston Celtics. And a great dude. Do you guys see he's learned how to swim in the bubble? It's pretty funny. And his Cantor teach him how to swim?

Hilarious. Also learned to play golf. I can't imagine the golf clubs. But Taco Falls on the ball in effect. Why? Because conventional wisdom says put a big guy always on the basketball and never have a point guard taking in he can't see. Kyle Lowry could see, deliver a pass on time in rhythm. Now part of it was that they got confused, right? The Celtics were in the zone. They get confused. O.G. is wide open on the weak side. There's a, you know, perfect pass. But a good portion of it is, you know, there's no fans behind there.

you got a big guy on the basketball. He was completely ineffective on Fred Van Fleet's ability to find him. Speaking of conventional wisdom, conventional wisdom now is, hey, the best players in the NBA are great three-point shooters. The mid-range is dead. You ever heard that? Mid-range is dead.

Doesn't fit analytical basketball until Kauai Leonard came around. That's because we always use the stat, hey, hey. if you shoot 50% from 2, all you have to shoot is 34% from 3, you're better off shooting 3s than 2s. You ever heard those numbers before? It's like, that's the simple math equation.

Because if you make 50 out of 100, you have 100 points. If you make 34 out of 100, you have more than 100 points. Let me make sure I've add that one up, I just got to make sure I do the 3, that carry the 1, that's 2, right, that's 102.

So 34% is better than 50% of 2. A funny thing happened on the way to that math problem because conventional wisdom tells you you always shoot 50% the best players shoot 50% from 2. Kauai Leonard is shooting 80% on mid-range shots between 12 to 14 feet in the bubble in playoffs.

80% well 80 out of 100 is 160 points. You know, it's a completely different math. He's averaging over 30 points a game, nine rebounds a game, four assists a game, 50% field goal, and 30%, 36% from three. And it's really hard to quantify the fact that he can guard all five positions. He's basically as good or a better version of Draymond Green at the defensive end.

And then has a, I don't know, his shot doesn't have any arc and still goes in, kind of like Jordan used to. Like he's just an efficient sniper, serial killer type of attack player on the offensive end. Why is he better than Janus? Because he can shoot. Why is he better than LeBron? Better mid-range shooter.

Better defender at this age. Better rebounder at this age. Not the passer of LeBron, I will give you. Why is he better than Hardin? It's called defense. And by the way, he's got more championship pelts, if you will. than anybody outside LeBron James, and he's on his way to catching LeBron James

if they can beat him in the playoffs. Give me a player, and I will tell you why he's better than him. James Hardens, defense. LeBron James, you know, defense is half the game. James Hardness because of defense. Russell Westbrook shooting defense. What I'm left with?

Janice, Jason Tatum, no. I mean, he's better than... Yonis is really, really good. Can't shoot. Can't shoot. can't shoot mid-range. And then I think the most impressive part is his improvement and development.

It's one thing to say he's great. It's another thing to go like, this guy went from an ancillary piece in San Antonio with Parker and Genoblee and Tim Duncan to a star piece, to a guy capable of carrying Toronto to a championship, to now a guy capable of carrying the L.A. Clippers to a championship. His improvement from a guy who no PAC 12 school offered a scholarship to.

His improvement from essentially a big guy growing up to now a wing plays some point guard, brings the ball up to court. He's always had that competitive gene, that nastiness and the ability to defend. And now you add in the skill of shot making. I'm not sitting here telling you that, at Kevin Durant's peak, Kevin Durant wasn't as good or better. Or LeBron James Peak, he wasn't as good or better.

But right now, there isn't a better player in the NBA. Not one than Kauai Leonard. Paul George's been up. Paul George's been down. He's even killed. They've had Pat Beverly in the lineup, out of the lineup, he's even kill. He guards, he passes, he posts,

he scores the mid-range, he's efficient everything you want everything you want don't give me this he only plays 65 regular season games like you don't even begin to care we didn't care how many games

guys played until Greg Popovich started holding guys out you didn't begin to care you care because you're trying to make an argument for your guy which is fine my argument is in one game or in one series who would you rather have

and there isn't another answer. That doesn't mean that Peek LeBron wasn't better, but we are not talking peak LeBron these days. And I used to think Kevin Durant, but he hadn't played in a year. He's hurt. And I don't know what at 31 years old you come back looking like from Achilles'10.

And that's not really... The argument is, who's the best player in the league right now? Not the MVP. You want to get to the Janus or LeBron? Fine. But who's the actual best player for one game or for one series? It's Kauai Leder. It really is.

All right, coming up next, Bruce Feldman's going to be our get- College Football Insider for Fox Sports. Are we actually getting closer to having football in the Big Ten and the PAC 12? We'll find out next. I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is The Hurt. Be sure to catch live editions of The HARD weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, 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, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball. to college football or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

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It's always fascinating to me when people do the, when people do the, while you look at the former players who are coaches in the NBA and the numbers don't, don't, the percentages don't equal out. It don't equal out in terms of what percentage of the NBA coaches really, really look like. Like, okay, okay.

Well, I will dismantle that argument momentarily. Like, well, the league is mostly black. Why are the former coaches that are getting it, or white coach is like, we'll discuss this in a reasonable manner. Like, I don't know how we got to this place, but we are in a place where we always default to race. When did we get there? When did we possibly get there? I don't know.

I don't know. We'll do that in a second. Let me first bring in Bruce Feldman. Of course, sideline analysts for Fox Sports, college football analyst, a college football insider for Fox Sports. writes in the athletic. He's also an outstanding author. You should read his books. He joins us in the herd on Fox Sports Radio. Bruce, now the PAC 12 is saying like, hey, there's these new tests out there that Larry Scott went on Dan Patrick. We may push up our schedule. Weren't those new tests already available and aren't

they being used tonight? They are. Now, what's different, Doug, in this case is the PAC 12, according to the head of this corporation is the first one to have it where they're going to be able to do it daily. And so the hope is that in the next month or so, they get up to that. Because remember, when the PAC 12 decided early last month that it could not play college football this fall,

part of the rationale was there was five hot spots within the conference that would need to have daily testing. And they didn't think they would get to that point until November. and maybe they will be able to be at that point a month and a half before that, but there's still some other challenges that are going on with the league's conference, with the league's teams to be able to get to that point to be back on the field. So as they say, this is a very fluid situation, and there's a lot of TBD going on, but at least there's some more optimism right now on the Pact 12 front.

Okay, what about the Big Ten? I don't know. The Big Ten is, I feel like as stepped on its message, so much and part of it, I think, has been that the PAC 12, I think, did a much better job of explaining its rationale behind its process, not just to its head coaches, to its ADs, and it's also the media that covers it. Whereas the Big Ten, and Kevin Warren, especially, the commissioner, he really offered very little specifics when he was pushed on it and really has offered very little in detail.

And so they've kind of been spinning their wheels. There's been a lot of pushback from the coaches in the league. There's been a lot of pushback now from the players and the parents of players. And it's gotten so messy. And I think there's been a lot of misinformation that has become coming out of there. There's a lot of wild speculation. And at this point, just as a reporter kind of talking to people, this feels a little bit like the old conference realignment stuff from 10 years ago.

Or people who are normally very credible sources, head coaches, ADs, sometimes they do not have the answers. They may have an agenda of what they want to push forward, but they're not in the positions of power where the conference presidents are the ones who really are the ones who matter here the most. And I think a lot of those folks have kept things especially close to the vest. And it's gotten very, very messy. Yeah. will we have football in October in the Big Ten? I would hope we could get to that point. My hunch is maybe not.

I think it would be optimistic to say maybe around the end, around that Thanksgiving time window, we had reported this late last week, that the optimism was around the time when regular students finish up their finals and leave campus. It's not a bubble per se as it is like what the NBA is doing, but it's probably as close to a bubble as what college athletics could do. And maybe then they can have a 10-game schedule,

assuming that here's a big assumption, Doug, that the cases aren't widespread on those campuses, the testing, which sounds like it's getting better and better and more efficient, that's in a good direction. But also that we've had basically three college football games, one last week and two last night, that what we have over the next month, things will stay on course and we will not have any really bad news relating to college football programs that are playing.

If those things happen, then I think there's a, then I do buy that there's a chance for that late November time window for the Big Ten to possibly start up. Maybe the presidents will take a pitch and they'll agree to it. Bruce Feldman, our guest, he of course is a college football insider for Fox Sports and for The Athletic. He joins us here in The Hurt. I'm Doug Gottliebilling in for Colin. he's actually authored a book which is really good called the QB. It's about the makings of modern quarterbacks. So let me ask you this.

Jamie Newman transfers and gets a waiver to play from Wake Forest at Georgia, right? Seems like a great, I mean, a guy who has a good year at Wake, a chance to really move up draft boards and play in the SEC and be a starting quarterback. And suddenly he opts out this week. J.T. Daniels is now going to be the starter. Did he opt out because he's scared of the Rona?

or because J.T. Daniels beat him out? I don't think it's because J.T. Daniels beat him out, at least not from what I heard. I think it's more of some other stuff that he's concerned about related to the virus and maybe some of the protocols. I think he's going to have to offer up more explanation. Not he's going to have to, but I did not hear that he was getting beaten out or anything like that. And he decided I'm out of here.

I don't. But it is. And look, it's one of those things that could have the opposite of the intended effect, right? Let's say he's a mid-round draft pick. By opting out, and obviously he'll have to answer NFL teams more than have to answer to the media. But they're like, look, you quarterback of Georgia, they have all these protocols in it. If you want to play football, why wouldn't you play football? That doesn't, that goes, and look, they can say in front of the camera whatever they want in the NFL. The truth is, they want dudes that want to play football,

especially at quarterback in the NFL. I don't, I think there's, really hurts, you know, what could be his draft standing? He's going to have to explain it to them for everything you just said, especially as a quarterback. I mean, when he was, he had some really good moments. He's got some really, you know, good tools to work with. This would have been an interesting situation. It's a largely rebuilt offensive line, well-respected offensive coordinator coming in there, but a new coordinator in Todd Munkin. Obviously, they'd be playing at the highest level in college football in the SEC.

You know, I don't know how much, you know, based on the Wake Forest offense and the film he has from last year, how much that they could glean from that, even what they see from him in drills, because he's a big physical, impressive kid, he's got a good arm, he moves very well. But it would be hard. I think it would be a stretch for anybody to look at based on what he's already done and just not the film and maybe what they see in. in person, be sold enough to say, hey, I'm going to spend the top 50 pick on him.

Whereas if he played and had a great year at Georgia, I think there was a lot more potential for him to go up in people's eyes. But ultimately, he had to do what he is most comfortable with. I mean, I find it, you know, I don't know. I mean, if he really was steering clear of, because remember, Jakey Danil hadn't even cleared yet. I mean, we expect he will get cleared, but just the idea of. okay, J.T. Daniels hasn't played a game.

They're still, what, three weeks away from their first game? To me, the timing doesn't quite add up if that was the case. This isn't like J.T. Daniels is about to get named the starter, and now he's going to make his decision to go to bail. To me, that doesn't seem quite right. It doesn't, but like, I mean, like, look, Todd Munkin was with Cleveland for years, their O.C.,

you know, going back to last year. He was with Tampa as their O.C., the year before, but Tampa for a couple years with Jacksonville. I know him obviously during his time as offense coordinator Oklahoma State for a year, and he actually had two stints there. But just like, everybody talks in football, as you know, that's how you do your job. And when you bail on your team three weeks before they play their first game, you were going to be the starting quarterback of Georgia.

Like, wow, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, that's a interesting one that they will definitely be talking about and could do some damage to his pro career, even if he thinks he's protecting his pro career based upon this decision. Last thing, most important thing. Texas is back? Ballmer is back? Yeah, are they back? That's the yearly, that's the yearly?

I'm going to hold out, you know, here's the thing. Like, I like Sam Ellinger. I think he's a very talented quarterback. I need a terrific leader. I think he's the best thing that UT has going on in football. Tom Herman really basically flipped over his almost his whole staff. And those are some good coaches, by the way. Todd Orlando, I think is a really good defensive coordinator.

I think there was some really good assistance that got blown out of there after year three. I don't look at that team. Now, Bejohn Robinson, who was a big time freshman running back who they got in there. I think they have some good personnel. I think they have a pretty good offensive line. But I don't look at them on defense and think, okay, this is a team that is ready to compete for a national title. Is it a team because of what they have on offense with the line and Sam and Robinson?

Is it a team that could win the Big 12? Sure, I think they could. But for me to say Texas is back is a little like, is Miami back? You know, they're back when they're having a parade, you know, after the season, not because they went and they were a top 10 team. I mean, because, again, when Texas was great, they were cranking out NFL picks in the draft. And they're not there yet. I don't even think they're that close to that.

So I think they can be good. I think they can be the maybe the second best team behind Oklahoma, maybe even beat Oklahoma for the Big 12 title. But I think the gap between where they are and where they need to get to to be a real serious, I can win the playoff team. I don't think they're at that point right now. Bruce Feldman. Bruce, what's your first game, by the way?

I am in studio with the Big Noon guys. season. Wow. Breaking news. Yeah. Breaking news, you'll be breaking news. Yeah. So there's going to be a lot of news, probably more than seasons past.

And so we have Big Noon has been extended to two hours. And so I'm looking forward to getting back with Rob Stone and Matt Leiner, who I've worked with before and Brady Quinn, who, you know, we were together on the road for, I think, three seasons. And obviously, Urban and Reggie. So it's going to be fun. It'll be different. But, you know, I'll miss being on the road.

the road. We would have a lot of big 12 games this year and I there's no energy like being on the sideline of a game day on Saturday. Especially because especially because so many big 12 mascots are armed right like Texas Tech guns up Oklahoma State right obviously I mean you go West Virginia the Mountaineers is armed like there's a certain energy when you're standing behind somebody like I think it's blanks but I don't know if it's blanks plus and and we take Ralphie back anytime Ralphie runs down so that's I think the biggest thing we miss from Colorado not being the Big 12. Bruce, can't wait to see you.

Go ahead. Doug, I did a CU Nebraska game. It was they stormed the field after CU came back. And I remember coming off the field trying to interview and amid a sea of students, interview Mel Tucker. And there's nothing like being in the middle of that and the energy from that. That was an awesome Saturday. And, you know, TV doesn't even do it justice to feel the energy of that.

And I will definitely miss those, you know, doesn't happen often. But those things are pretty special. and I get why the passion is so strong for the sport because the fans feel it. I mean, do you remember that? I mean, even the road wins, like UCLA last year against Wazoo. Like, Wazoo is a zoo. I remember when they beat, who they beat the year before? They beat two years ago.

They had a huge upset two years ago, and they stormed the field. That's when we first got to know Gardner Minshu, right? And then it was at sea on like a Thursday night. And then last year, UCLA goes up there and has... Wild comeback after dark. crazy. Two in the morning, Eastern. It was amazing, yes.

I mean, look, I'm glad college football is back, but we do need the students to be back for it to officially back. Can't wait to see you on the Big Noon Kickoff Show. Thanks for joining us. Appreciate it. Here's Ryan Music with the News. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the Heard Line News. So great to have college football back. Always great to have Bruce Feldman on, Doug. And we are going to talk some NBA here. Jaw Morant is. is your NBA rookie of the year of the Memphis Grizzlies. He received 99 out of the 100 votes. That one vote that he missed out on went to Zion Williamson.

Interestingly enough, he actually finished third. Second place went to the heats Kendrick Nunn. So John Morant, your rookie of the year, Zion Williamson, receiving one vote but finishing third. Oh, look, he had a tremendous impact when he played. He just didn't play enough. Even in a short and season, he didn't play in that. Yeah, and I thought the weight gain when he left the bubble. I don't know what he left the bubble for.

I thought that was a mistake. But look, they're two tremendous players, two very different players, and I think they'll both be impactful. Obviously, Kendrick Dunn is the one who's the most surprising. Yeah. And it'll be interesting, as you said, to sort of see what becomes of John Morant. We've sort of seen this Rookie of the Year award isn't always reflect. of who becomes the best NBA player long term in terms of their overall career in the long run.

So it will be interesting to see if Zion Williamson is able to stay healthy and have a better career despite not ending up winning the rookie of the year. NFL here, Doug. We're going to move to the Jacksonville Jaguars that everyone seems to be talking about. They have their eyes on. They have just had a complete exodus of players due to cuts, trades, This leads to a lot of, I'll call it, quote unquote, speculation that they are tanking. Well, their quarterback, Gardner Minshu, has addressed that issue.

Saying realistically, I know if we're tanking, Coach Doug Marone, general manager Dave Codwell, and me, we're all going to be out of jobs. Us three and a lot of the guys in the locker room are not going to let that happen. I feel very confident in everyone's desire to win. You know, it's interesting. The last two teams we thought were tanking, or the Miami Dolph, last year. They did not have the worst record in the NFL. And the New York Jets, the year before, two years before, they end up winning six

games. So part of it is you get the competitiveness to these guys. It becomes really hard to tank. Well, and you mentioned it with a lot of the cuts that have been made, you know, sort of the whispers behind the scenes in Jacksonville have been, they weren't the best team guys.

We saw this in Miami. Even when Adam Gase was still there, and then it continued on when Brian Flores took over, they got rid of a lot of guys sort of like what's happening in Jacksonville right now that sort of in the moment at the time sort of raised some eyebrows like oh really they're going to cut that guy oh they're going to trade that guy and to your point you're not left with the most talented roster that you've ever had but you're usually left with all guys who want to be there and know that they're

playing for a job and so you start off the year really tough because you don't have the talent but then you end up winning more games than you think you should because everyone's actually playing hard and they're not in it for themselves, they're in it for the team. I think what you do is, and this is what Brian Flores did, we've seen this in basketball, where you want to find out which one of these grinders

wants to get better. Like you said, who's really in it for, everybody's like, man, I'm really in for the team. All right, will you play hard when you're one in five? Will you come in, lock in and anybody can come in early to work, lift weights early, get treatment early when you're five and one.

Will you do it when you're one and five? That's how you find out. And to address your questions from earlier, Doug, I've been working for Fox Sports Radio for over six years now. And that was when I used to wait tables, the job requirement was having a shaved face. So since I started working for Fox Sports Radio, that's the last time that I shaved. So even my fiancé has not seen me with a clean shaven face. So that's the answer your question. I know that. And that is Ryan Music with the news.

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. All right. Well, we continue to have this discussion in regards to the paucity of black head coaches in the NBA. And I will offer this up. Like, I just, Nick writes a friend. And he appears on the show.

He's on first things first. And his take today was he, Danny Connell tweeted out, it's not white privilege, it's athlete privilege or star athlete privilege, which I do actually agree with, right? Magic Johnson got to be the head coach of the Lakers. It didn't go well. But the reason that it happened was he's Magic Johnson, right? Magic Johnson, by the way, got to be the president of the Lakers. And it was, frankly, a disaster.

yes he signed lebron james but i'm not sure lebron james wouldn't to sign there anyway um but i i do think that what cannell said what what dana cannell said is accurate that there is a certain amount of of star athlete privilege you know the problem is that when you know when you go back and you you say well look at the white former players who are coaches right now and why aren't there more black weren't players who are coaches? Okay, like let's go through it. It's okay.

Scotty Brooks, I, Scottie Brooks is going on on one of my, another guy idolized. He played at UC Irvine. He used to dominate me and pick up games and talk trash to me galore. Scotty Brooks coached in the ABA. Scottie Brooks was an assistant with the Supersonics

and then they moved to Oklahoma City. P.J. Carlissemer got fired like, I'm going to say, eight, ten games in the season. And Scotty took over a young team that was rebuilding, and the players took to him, liked him. A lot like what I would say

with Jock Vaughn, the only difference is in Oklahoma City, they're like, look, we got to coach, we're building. And he coached him all the way of the NBA finals. They stuck by him. They did fire him after a completely injury-plagued year. Now he's got the Washington Wizards gig. So, yeah,

as a grinder as a player, he became a grinder as a coach. Coaching is not an easy profession. I know we only look at the head coaches, but there's a depth of assisting coaches as well. Guys did grind. Rick Carlisle, look at his path to becoming a head coach. Billy Donovan was an NBA player.

And then he went and he was the head coach of Marshall. By the way, he coached in college basketball where he won back-to-back national titles. Again, you're making the case that doesn't actually make all that much sense. In the NBA, they've essentially tried everything. And we do

this thing where we default to race has got to be a factor. I swear to you, it is not. It is not. In no way. It's actually, in any way, it's the opposite.

Because you have to, if you're going to be white, in the world of the NBA, you have to be able to at least relate to the fact that it's not only a black man's game, right, dominated by black players or European players far more so than American-born white players. By the way, Steve Nash is not American-born. He was born in South Africa and he grew up in Canada. But there's a couple different, there's other things at play here.

Some coaches come up and grind. They start in the G-League or their video guy. Eric Smolstra. His dad was in the front office in Portland. He went and played at the University of San Diego. Where, by the way, Mike Brown played as well. And then he was a grinder, started as a video guy and climbed the ladder. And there are a lot of former NBA players that would love to be head coaches.

But you know what they don't want to do? I don't want to climb the ladder. I spent 15 years away from my wife and kids. I have all this money. I don't want to make $125,000 sit behind the bench and feed basketballs to a star player who I think I was better then. They don't want to do that. And I don't blame them.

But what you can't do is go like, yeah, well, I should be a head coach. Sorry, not the way it works. Not the way it works. I think that what happens is now, guys have been, the union has done such a good job. Those contracts have been so good for so long that many former NBA players, they want to go into TV, or do pods, or they have different, like, look at Baron Davis.

Like, he's producing movies and, like, that's a brilliant guy with a super high basketball IQ, but he don't want to coach. Because now somebody, because basically nobody, when guys play sports for 25 years for their entire life, somebody's telling them where they have to be. Right. The hardest thing you're going to go through when you get done playing team sports is, nobody tells where you have to be anymore. Do you want to go work out?

I don't know. Can I skip today? Like, yeah, you can skip every day. It doesn't really matter. Nobody cares. What do you mean? I can skip to that, right? When you play, you got to be somewhere.

Treatment. Got to be lifting weights, working out, practice, interviews, all this crap you don't want to do. You're like, wait, I just looked at my bank account, and I have two commas in my bank account. I don't want, I don't want somebody tell me where I have to be. Okay. You know? And I don't want. And I don't want guys.

I mean, like, look, there's also still the fight between former players and current players where former players are like, yo, it used to be tougher back in the day. But it was real. It was grinding. And guys like now, like, yeah, you guys could not shoot at all. You didn't move the ball. You weren't as skilled as us. You think former players want to go and, and again, I think people think that every NBA coach

makes just a killing. They don't. I know several of them. Make less than $200,000 a year. Which, again, to me and you, that's a lot of money. but to an NBA player, the NBA league minimum when you come in as a rookie is like $400,000.

Vetter minimum is like a million dollars. Right? Like, I'm not, and star players, like, that's like a game check. Do you want to be a scout? You're going to make less than $100,000. You've got to fill out expense forms. You've got to go and see high school kids and college kids

and write up some report on what they're going to look like. And just some dudes you don't want to do that. Like, man, I want to open a facility. I want to own, I want to take my money and invest it and make more money. There's actually not a lot of money in it. Unless you can get to becoming a head coach, which is really, really hard. Really hard. And at no point in the discussion does anybody go like, well, you know, he's done a hell of a job, but he's black.

So we're not going to hire. Like, that doesn't happen anymore. Why do we make, why do we always make that negative assessment in basketball? it absolutely doesn't happen. This is not me telling you that Steve Nash is going to be a great coach. I have no idea. But if you think you got the job in any way because he was white

or if you think that the gentleman who have jobs, who are former players, it's because they're white. I'm sorry, you're going to have to come at more than like, well, look at their faces and they don't look like the faces of the NBA. Okay, well, do a little research

into each individual coach and how they got the job. The Scotty Brooks, is perfect. He coached the Las Vegas team in the ABA. Derek Martin was his point guard. Club said Cedra Sabalos was his best player. I was playing for the Phoenix team for a guy named Maz Track who has worked for Scott Brooks as an assistant coach. We played them in a church in Phoenix. That was his first head coaching gig. We had to beg to get our money.

I was making like a thousand a week. That's what we had to get. begged and if we didn't get it, we wouldn't practice. We're playing in a church with NBA players in front of 200 people. In a league where you got $20 a day per diem. And if you stole the ball in the back court, you got an extra point. Coaching is a grind, man, and you don't have to be 6, 4, 6.5 and above to do it? It's about, do you know, do you love the game? Can you relate to players?

And are you willing to work and work your way up? And I know, I sound like a hypocrite. I want to get a head coaching job without being assistant coach because athletic privilege. And I've covered the game. I know the game. There's the, I get it. And you know what? I didn't get the job.

And I didn't get the job because Mike Boynton is black. I got the job because Mike Boyton had a great relationship with the players and people around the university like, that guy is on the up and up. He's on the come. We're going to get him. And he is, everything is a human being that you can hope to be. That's actually the way it really works. I know. I know we've watched so many movies. We think that race plays a factor.

And we assume, I got to tell you, I think in many aspects, especially in basketball, we've evolved past that. At least I hope so, because that's how my brain works. We have an unbelievable best for last. You don't want to miss it. It's next in the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. 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. 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-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 a little camp? 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 y'allon,

But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast. Learn the Hardway with me, your host. and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month,

I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it,

and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Men boost healthy testosterone and burn fat try M drive boost and burn feel more energized and lean M drive boost and burn check it out at mdrivefor men.com M drive for men dot com RIP to the Mexican pizza at Taco Bell it has been eliminated from the menu apparently

Taco Bell trying to go green I've been told and I've read that apparently the pre-packaging whatever there's just too much that goes into it they want to make their menu more concise. So with that, the Mexican pizzas, many people, John Middokov joins, it's his favorite fast food menu. Item. With that, we get to the best for last.

It's almost the end of the show, but that doesn't mean we're phoning it in. Nope, we grind to the very last segment. It's time for best for last. All right, our best for last. Here's what we're going to do. We're going to do our top 10 orders from

fast food joints. Got it? Good. Let's go. Number 10. Wendy's triple. Like Wendy's, I have a Wendy's app. My son is big on all the spicy nugs from Wendy's and Popeyes and canes and whatever. So we go around trying them. And I've reconnected with Wendy's. No, their fries are not the fries that I will mention later on.

But if you order a frosty and dip the fries in the frosty, you welcome America. Number nine. Gotta give Taco Bell some love. I love a good beef mexie melt. Don't know what it's in it. Don't really care. But at 2 a.m., when that bell is calling my name, beef mexie melt is my order.

Number eight. This is an L.A. thing. I do love Fat Burger, but Tommy's Burger, Tommy's World Famous, is better. Chili on every burger. And it's like the all-meat chili. Tommy's chili cheeseburger. If you're in Southern California, Tommy's Chili Cheese.

It is a chain. You're welcome. Number seven. I love a good Sonic. I went to school at Oklahoma State. That's where Sonic is located in Oklahoma City. We used to hit Sonic all the time. We hit Sonic now.

We've been to like every Sonic seemingly on the map. Chocolate Coke. Chocolate Coke from Sonic is the best order. There's great desserts. Of course, you can also do the cherry lime aid, but chocolate Coke from Sonic. Sonic. Number six. In-N-Out,

three-by-three animal style. There's been a lot of nasty comments about in-and-out. Keep them to yourself, people. Number five. Steak burger. Steak and shake is more Midwest. Steak burgers, they cost a little bit more, they

take a little bit longer. They're really, really damn good. Plus, you can knock that thing down with a cherry Coke. They put the real cherry syrup in the coat. Number four. I was stuck here. I needed to go chicken. I wanted to go Popeyes,

but I think I'm going to go Raisin canes. Raisin canes. Cains, they got the good sauce to dip in. Plus, they're open on Sundays where my number three is not. Number three. Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich.

Classic. I don't know what's in Chick-fil-A sauce. I believe it's a substance that is more addictive than crack cocaine. I've never smoked crack cocaine. I don't know. but I think Chick-fil-A sauce is more addictive than it. Number two.

Maybe the greatest menu item in the history of fast food is the McGrittle. What's the McGrittle you say? Take two pancakes, douse them in surf and soak it in. Then you take some sausage. Then you take some egg. Then you take some cheese. And then you eat it. Number one.

McDonald's French fries is the best thing I've ever had. And now look, when they're cold or lukewarm, they're not great. So if you go to McDonald's on a road trip this weekend, say, listen, I will wait a little bit longer, but could I get a fresh batch? And can you throw a little extra salt on it? I didn't say anything to these things were good for you, but we've been through a lot here. Quarantine, not having sports, riots, the elections, have yourself some McDonald's French fries. That's number one. There's your best for last.

Best orders you can make fast food, road trips this weekend. Listen, have yourself a great, safe, happy weekend. We do have a lot of sports on television. I believe the Lakers win big tonight, and I think the Bucks are in trouble. I think they're in real trouble. I think they win, but it's a really, really close game. Colin is back on Monday with his full-grown beard.

I'm Doug Gottlieb, and this is The Herd. 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. 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Keer Games.

This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to.

Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 celebrating.

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 podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.