The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd-HOUR-3-NBA bubble

Episode Date: August 25, 2020

Colin gives his thoughts on the NBA bubble so far, and why higher seeds have a disadvantage.Guest: Peter Schrager, Jim Jackson 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. On the Look Back at it podcast.

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

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, 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, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Hurd. Fox Sports Radio. Peter Schreger always does a great job for us based in New York.

He's doing good morning football in the NFL network. The New York Times bestseller. Really connected throughout the NFL. Good dude. He's on our Fox NFL Sunday show. And he's got salon perfect hair on almost every afternoon hit for us. And he is joining us via the Coward Global Center. I don't get to see it.

You know, off season I don't get to see you, Shreg. So now I'm in C. This is exciting time for us. You and I. Look at that. Very nice. So let's talk. The first big issue is Baltimore players said Earl Thomas,

you're not screwing this locker room up. So Seattle, Baltimore, Pete Carroll Harbaugh, player coaches are like, we're out. Is Earl Thomas too toxic to get back in the league? Dallas rumors? What do you make of that stuff? You know, it's very. rare that a player of that caliber gets released this late into the offseason into training camp.

It's even rare of that I make five texts and five phone calls Saturday and Sunday when this is going down and how upfront the people connected to this situation on the Ravenside where we're saying that this was not a good teammate and not a good guy to have in the building. And that this was not the only point of reason why he's out of there, but the boiling point and maybe truly the last item of many, many. Look, Brandon Williams, known as Big Baby there, is their big defensive tackle, beloved guy. Last year, they lose in week four to the Cleveland Browns,

and Earl Thomas apparently had an altercation with Brandon Williams, who's one of the defensive leaders, has been there forever, and he tried to start something with him. All right, then he was late to meetings. Then you go to this past weekend with the Chucky Clark incident. Of course, there's an altercation between the two of them, but then for him to post the all-22 footage, on his Instagram page to prove a point,

it's like, are you with us or not with us? And the comment I got from someone that's close to the situation said, they signed Mark Ingram last year on the same day that they signed Earl Thomas. Mark Ingram has been the ultimate teammate, the ultimate veteran leader, and has helped every young guy in that locker room come along. Earl Thomas was what they hoped he would be, what Ingram is, and he hasn't been. So they get rid of Ingram and, they get rid of, I'm sorry, Thomas. but here's the point, Colin.

Everyone on Twitter says, oh, my gosh, Cowboys can sign them, Seahawks can sign them, Bucks can sign them, Browns can sign them. The list of teams that everyone on Twitter wants to see him sign by is not dictated by any of that. It's dictated by what the marketplace is, and here we are, two days removed. And I don't have a suitor for Earl Thomas at the moment. He's a seven-time pro bowler who still has football left, and right now I can't tell you a team that's looking to sign them. There's so many interesting stories this year. Like I kind of feel like I know who the good teams are, and I kind of know who I feel the bad teams are.

And then there's one or two teams, and both could be in New York with the Jets and the Giants. And I'm like, I just don't know. I see talent with the Giants. Give me the whole Joe Judge thing. I saw a story the other day, Bill Parcells is like, just be yourself. New York media can eat you up.

What are you seeing hearing about the Giants? Because Daniel Jones, I was wrong, is way better. than I thought he would be. He looks like a young Eli. That potentially there's something there. What are you hearing about the Giants? Yeah, that was a great article by Steve Serby in the New York Post saying that Parcells told Joe Judge,

don't worry about everything. Just be yourself and be true to who you are and the rest will happen. What that means is Joe Judge has come in with a very strong hand. I don't know if this has been national news, but he was running full contact drills last week on the goal line, a drill called the Nutcracker, which was basically a, an offensive player has the ball here, the defensive player has here, and it's almost like an Oklahoma drill. He blow the whistle and they go, one player is going to go down.

The other one isn't. Who's going to be the bigger man in that situation? And the media was watching it was like, that's not what Pat Schumer was doing here. That is not what Ben McAfee was doing here. And truthfully, in a post-2011 CBA, we haven't seen much like that. And yet Joe Judge was like, this is what we want to do.

We want to do it discipline. We want to do it safe. And we want to have contact because the Steelers are coming in week one. and we're not going to be singing kumbaya t j watt and minka fitzpatrick are going to be hit so he is laying down the law and he's got players running laps when they make mistakes that include sequan barclay and position coaches have even jumped in on that some position coaches when they make a mistake are running with the players so you see that and you're like all right this is the nfl that's not going to work this guy's 38 he's trying to be belichick junior it never works and yet you speak to people joe judge has a sense of humor

Joe Judge is well liked by the players, and this is a really young Giants team. Daniel Jones isn't the only young guy. You're talking Sequin is still young, and the leaders on the defensive side of the ball are young. And Colin, this team is buying into this approach. It's the complete opposite of what they've had in the past. So it's true, you know,

you're not going to be tackling all summer long because of what we just dealt with with the coronavirus and in a post-CBA world, there's not a lot of contact. Joe Judge is like, well, we've got to tackle at some point. I promise you on September 13th or 14th, when the Steelers come to town, they're not going to be soft on us because of what we've had to deal with. So I think it's working now. Let's check in in October if these players are still hitting in practice and how that's going over. But right now, they're buying in.

So it was about a year ago that Sean McVeigh was the talk of the league. And, I mean, he got to the Super Bowl. And I mean, if you had a cup of coffee with him, you got a job interview. And now you look this morning and you're like, Gurley's gone. Niners look better. Russell Wilson's not going away. Here comes Arizona. Really interesting season for Boy Wonder, Sean McVe.

Gough got the big contract now. Brandon Cook out. It looks like they've missed on a couple of free agent signings. Where are the Rams today? What are you here? It's amazing, isn't it? How quickly a year can change things for perception on the outside. Not only is Sean McVeigh, no longer the boy wonder.

I don't know anybody who's picking them. to even compete in the NFC West right now. They're in the Super Bowl two years ago. I spoke with him for a long time earlier this week. And what I come away from talking with Sean on a personal level is that during this pandemic and all that stuff, he did find a balance in work in life, meaning what? Meaning he knows the amount of time he needs to put into work, but he also said there are things outside of work.

And he's also delegating things, which is not his style. They hired Kevin O'Connell from the Washington football team, who was their offensive coordinator. He gets blown out when they fire the staff. Sean McVeigh hired him, and it's not like he's some ceremonial offensive coordinator. No, he's going to be working directly with Jared Goff. And McVey also hired a young defensive coordinator, a 38-year-old named Brandon Staley, who comes from Denver where Vic Fangio was and is letting him run the defense. So now you almost have this guy who was so in the weeds and almost coaching every position

last year to now taking a 30,000-foot view, being the CEO of the team, saying, okay, I can let go a little bit, let's see the big picture here. I think the Rams are going to be much improved. I also think you're going to see a huge outburst from Cam Acres, the rookie running back who's going to be filling in for Todd Gurley. And I wouldn't sleep on a player named Josh Reynolds. One of the reasons they got rid of Brandon Cooks is that Josh Reynolds has elevated his game. He's a wide receiver they really like.

Yeah. So you look at all the stars on this team. You look at McVans. The same people we were all hyping up and they added Jalen Ramsey from last year. I think the Rams are going to be a sneaky team. And that's crazy to say considering they were in the Super Bowl two years ago. So, you know, the Cam thing's interesting. I don't want to bore you with what I talked about earlier, but I said, you know,

So Popovich had Tim Duncan to kind of carry the water, take a pay cut, get barked at in front of the unit, and it was great. But when Duncan left and Kauai came in, Kauai is like, I'm not interested in that role. So Belichick similarly had his Duncan. It was Tom Brady. Pay cuts, bark at him, carry the water within the kind of rigid system. He leaves. It's interesting.

Belich, though, unlike Popovich. brings in Cam has been effusive with his praise. Yesterday for the third time in a week, I can't believe how coachable he is. My theory on that, Shrakes, is it Belichick's figured out. Listen, there are no other Brady's out there. I have got to be viewed with an NFL player circle, player-friendly, evolving.

I'll take new styles. That's what it feels like. I've never seen him compliment a player like he's done Cam three times in the last two weeks. What do you make of it? Well, then you haven't seen him talk about Johnny Hecker, the punter on the Rams. He loves his special teams. No, it's true.

This has been a fusive praise, but it's also been such a difference over the last week of how we're hearing reports out of New England. Now look, Cam Newton has a lot going against him in this season. We say going against him. What do you mean? Well, it's an abridged season. He's been in New England for 30 days, and suddenly he needs to now learn the playbook, get up to,

speed and compete and do it so at a level that Belichick and Josh McDaniels demand. And yet that said, I think we've spoken about this on this show. I think you're going to expect a different offense, at least aesthetically. It's going to be one that uses a mobile quarterback quite a bit. And I would almost look at his Carolina days and see how they used him in those offices. Instead of Belichick reinventing the wheel, him and Josh McDaniel saying, what worked best for Cam Newton, let's use that. What I love about this is I see Cam Newton dancing. I see Cam Newton being himself. I see Cam Newton in a great mood, and I don't see Belichick suffocating that. And I don't see Belichick saying, okay, enough of the dancing during warm-ups. There's no place for that.

Instead, we get B-roll from these practices. Cam's throwing. There's Jed Fish, the coach, talking with him. He's doing all that. And then in between, he's serving as a high-energy guy for players like Jared Sidham and Brian Hoyer, who are there as well. So to your point, I think everyone needs to be flexible in 2020. I think Belichick seems to be as flexible as anyone. And even if he is giving praise to Cam Newton publicly and you think that might be a work or that might be something that he's doing intentionally, whatever works. I honestly think that the Patriots are up against it with all the players that they lost. And of course, a new quarterback and a new system that they're building. They want Cam Newton to feel as emboldened and as fulfilled and as satisfied going

into the season as they possibly can, considering such an abridged short season, short, offseason for him to learn the offense. By the way, I got to ask you this because Shregor's joy, he's very good at this. A couple years ago, Shreger was like, this kid named, Patrick Mahomes is going to blow the league up. And I was like, Schroger, and he's like, I'm seeing video. And Schreger was right. So I'm going to rely on you with Tua. Somebody this morning said, he's third string behind Josh Rosen.

Okay, you're tied in. I know you're tied in the Dolphins because you always have good insight with them. Give me the Tua updates. America, this counts. The rest of it's Twitter nonsense. What do we know about Tua, the camp, the dolphins, all that stuff? ahead of schedule looks great had an amazing pass yesterday that was caught online that he threw and it's still jarring seeing a left-handed quarterback back in the league but i would say be patient just the same reasons i just said on cam newton a bridged off season still learning everything and has a great mentor in ryan fitzpatrick long-term i don't think it's going to be right out of the gates but tuo will be the quarterback long term it will be awfully good there in my end all right shrague great seeing you shrague's you look happy you got football very it's a nice time for you and your fans

family. That's a great time, Colin. I love seeing you and I love talking to you. Enjoy always a pleasure. Thank you. Good morning football as well in the NFL network. Great show. Peter Schrager. Do It's called Loz. Go to loz. Go to loz.com. I built a bar cart, have a massive tray with my initials on it, which of course makes me the man. And I like to always let the family know who runs the place. I'm like Jerry Jones in my house. It's pretty good life. I'm such a jerk. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw,

unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

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

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer 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?

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 Hardway. Open your free Out Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the heard-my news. You be broke. Luckily, I'm very handy.

I'm building bar cards, I've got to fix the TV. Okay. So some pretty big news from Roger Goodell over the past few days. Emmanuel Ocho and speak for yourself right after us, interviewed him on his show, uncomfortable conversations with the black man and was making some headlines, talked about what he would say to Kaepernick. And Emmanuel also asked Goodell about players protesting the national anthem this year and

how he would address those who choose to kneel this season. And Godell said that he will support them and has no plans to penalize any player that decides to peacefully protest. So I know there's an ongoing conversation about the social justice issues in the NBA and the visible nature of that. And unfortunately, there was another shooting this week. Police involved shooting Jacob Blake. But this is going to continue for the rest of the season.

Well, for the rest of the year. And I think sports fans need to be very aware. You know, Roger Goodell having that conversation with Emmanuel is a very big deal. I mean, Roger was very transparent. He was talking about his father being a politician. I've always thought Goodell is way better with the media than he gets credit for. I've had dinner with him and I've talked to, we've had him on the show twice.

We had him on the show one time. We suggested something. We're like, we don't like this about your league. And he's like, yeah, I think you guys are right. Like, he's always been much more. I mean, we always give Adam Silver credit for listening. Goodell's never been. I mean, now, he's missed on the domestic violence stuff,

which my argument's always been. Get a committee for that. Like, get a committee with men, women, all ages. I've always thought Goodell listens. God, the NFL in my lifetime has always been. in the, we're going to try something new league. All the time. When we talk about all the time, you can't ask for progress and perfection in the same time.

They can't coexist. It doesn't make sense. Like if there's nothing, if you're perfect, there's nothing to fix. Right. So he admitted like he would wish he had listened earlier and they made some mistakes along the way and now they're listening now. And I think as we've been talking about for the past month or so, I think all of the commissioners and all of the leagues have done an incredible job of listening to players on every single level. Yeah, and you have to be careful on the NBA ratings thing.

Here's my takeaway. First of all, we've never had so many day playoff games. It's also August. It's completely unprecedented everything that's happening with the NBA. Well, first of all, when it comes to the broadcast ratings, there's this. People who are paid to break down broadcast ratings can't even always explain what it is that's affecting the ratings. You have people that are streaming things. That's not taking into accounts.

That's right. The numbers that are gone away from the broadcast ratings from cable. There's so many different factors. The NBA doesn't play in August, usually. There's not middle of the day games. We've never had NBA playoff games at one in the afternoon. There's nothing to compare to for this drop-off to exist. It's unprecedented what's happening.

Not to mention, we're in the middle of the pandemic, and it's an election year. With the most polarizing White House of my life. So you don't, you know, by the way, the convention numbers have been much smaller. The Republican convention. I guess people don't care about politics as much anymore. It says you can't. Everybody wants to line up on a side. just like let's stuff breathe.

We're just trying to get through 2020. That's all we're trying to do. Let's just get through it. All the leagues are going to survive. And just be a little more flexible in understanding with your neighbors. Right. And your players. Right. Everything's not about you in your opinion. So the Thunder rallied in game four to beat the rockets 117, 114.

OKC was down by 15 points in the third as the rockets were shooting threes at a record pace. They were 18 of 32 from beyond the arc to build that double digit lead but got cold and went five for 26 from three for the rest of the game. Yeah, well, see, that's the knock on Houston, but Houston's got a formula. We shoot threes. And they're not flexible. And when they're not dropping, they look horrible.

They look like a rag-tag team that didn't practice. But everyone knows that. You live by the three, you die by the three. So knowing that that is your style of play, yeah, maybe we have a plan B in case things start to go awry. So this has always been my thing on why I think, and I've told you this, I think Kauai is historically underrated and Chris Paul.

Chris Paul knows what he isn't. Great leader, great defensive guy, very vocal, great mid-range shooter. I know all the analytics say differently. You cannot tell me in close situational games, having the best mid-range shooter in the NBA, Kauai, isn't more valuable than a guy that shoots threes because at the end of a basketball game, I'm not talking about the volume.

For a course of a season, Joy, shoot threes. But when you have two and a half minutes left, and I need a damn bucket, I'll take Kauai over Hardin, and I know Hardin is the better offensive player. But to your point, that's the difference between great regular season teams and great playoff teams and great championship teams. It's situations, adjustments, and understanding what it takes to win in close moments. You're not going to blow everybody out in the playoffs. That's not how this works. in the first round usually, but this is not

the, clearly that's not the situation. The Thunder came to play. Ask yourself this. If I said to you, give me your four players in the NBA. There's 30 seconds left in the NBA. Everyone's healthy. Everybody's healthy and who do you want with a ball? I would go LeBron, Kauai, Katie.

Well, Katie's not healthy. No, I'm saying like if everyone is healthy. To get a bucket, I would be Anthony Davis, LeBron, Kauai. By the way, they don't shoot threes. But they're great, I know I can Go to AD, he shoots 51% on the year. Like all these three guys, I don't.

No, I'm going, I'm going Dame, LeBron, Kauai. A lot of layups, dunks, and two. And if KD is healthy, KD. And by the way, if it's the end of the game, it's a championship, and I have to have the ball in someone's hands, that's who I want to have. Okay, by the way, who are the two best mid-range shooters in the NBA, Kauai and KD? I mean, I know this lived by the, die by that, but when you get to 90 seconds,

I need a stop and I need a bucket. You just have to adjust the game. I understand shoot or shoot. You got to shoot your way through these slumps and you don't stop shooting, but maybe just bring it in a little bit. It's not working out. So the Mabs are going to be short-handed again tonight

against the Clippers. Chris Stapps was a late scratch in game four with right knee soreness. He was originally considered a game-time decision going into game five, but today he was downgraded to out and he will not be available to play. So Dorian Finney Smith is also

listen as questionable to left hip strain and right hip so i think the clippers whack him tonight they're going to be a little short-handed tonight yeah yeah clipper i like clippers big tonight but yeah yeah joy with the news well that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd line jim jackson joins us from the bubble jimmy's been in the bubble it's been there for a couple weeks like buenos vista yeah you've been there for a couple weeks come on we know i want to know is the food good he likes golfing florida's got all sorts I think all that original stuff has calmed down now. I think he's having the time of his life down there. He may just move into the bowl.

Jim Jackson next. 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. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes

of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me

or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so 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. 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 Hard Way 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. Trip 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. Are you a good person because you're afraid?

Because that's two different intentions. bro absolutely and that that's two different levels of trust I want you to just really be a good person join me care games is we have real conversations about healing growth fatherhood pressure and purpose on my new podcast learn the hard way open your free iHeart radio app search learn the hard way and listen now casper dot com code heard free shipping pillows betting they do it all casper dot com jim jackson who played in the NBA for 14 years for a lot of different environments, coaches, rosters, teammates.

He is now officially in the bubble, heard him call him the Thunder Rockets game, and he is now joining us live. He's getting his golf in in Florida. Joy and I just say he just may move down there into the bubble with all this golf he's getting. I knew you'd like it down there. So let's talk.

I mean, I guess we could say, oh my gosh, look what the Thunder are doing. But Jim, they almost won the same number of games. I mean, didn't we think this was going to be a tight series? How surprising is it to you? Well, I mean, first of all, I mean, yes, you thought it would be a tight series. Keep in mind, they were two and one against the Rockies during the regular season. That was before they traded Clint Capella.

So they knew it was going to be a different kind of series. I think a lot of people kind of underestimated the ability for this OKC team to compete with, you know, the small lineup of the Houston Rockets. But look at the back court. I mean, Chris Paul, Shai Gilgis Alexander, Gildjus Alexander, and also Dennis Schrooter coming in off the bench, have performed in the wins exceptionally well. So I'm not surprised just because now you don't really have home court advantage.

We talked about that a lot. Yeah. You don't have the travel. So it kind of equals itself out, so to speak. And plus the way Houston plays are always going to allow you. to get back in the game just as it was the other night because they shoot so many three-pointers. Yeah. You know, they do that.

It's a good point. When they're not hitting, you can get those games where the rockets are up and down. Now, you're going to be doing the Bucks game five with Orlando. Here's what's interesting. And I had said this. When you're an MVP, an MVP-level player, I have always supported those guys. If you're in a small market and you can't get free agents, go make your money and go get your branding and get your shoe deals and get your titles. So, Janus, because Chris Miller,

Middleton's a max player. And Yonnes would be a max player in Milwaukee, and they don't have room for a third player. I've contended if Middleton struggles, if they can't get to the finals, doesn't Yonis have to consider, hey, I could be trapped in a small market with two max contracts.

Like I think Middleton is, the pressure's on him. What do you make of Milwaukee going forward if they struggle Orlando another game? Toronto, potentially Boston. Well, I mean, you can say the same thing about Dame Lillard in Portland in regards to what he's been able to do. I think both are very similar in regards to wanting to bring a championship or a championship opportunity to the current situation they're in. The toughest part, like you said, is being able to go out and get three agents who want to be a part of something. Now, LeBron had the same issue.

And again, this was LeBron. When he was in Cleveland on that first go-around, he couldn't get a Chris Basha, Amari Stadamara, Camelo, Anthem. guys like that who are free agents to come to Cleveland. Right. Now he went to Miami, won and came back and made Cleveland a little bit more attractive to the situation. But keep in mind, the addition that he got was a Kevin Lump via a trade. It wasn't really a big-time free agent that said, I'm going to Cleveland.

So you do have that the limit. And it is a challenge. I think it depends on the makeup of the person. Yonis, because he's, you know, from overseas. I don't think he gets caught up into, I've got to be a. in New York. I got to be in Chicago. I got to be in L.A. I don't get that sense from him. But at some point, especially the way the Eastern Conference is set up and gearing up with Brooklyn, going to be a contender. You figure Boston is going to continue to grow if he can't get to that championship.

If Chris Middleton is not that Robin to his bad man, I do believe at some point he'll start to look at the landscape of the NBA and say, listen, I can put up all. all the numbers I won. I can be the reigning MVP. I can have it two to three times. But if I'm not competing for a title, yes, I'm making this money and this, you know, with a max deal, but the ultimate goal is to be considered one of the best and be talked about with the LeBron James or Kevin Durant, Steph Curry. And the only way you are enter that conversation outside of just being really good is when you win or at least get to a championship. Yeah. Luca, compare, go back to your career. Who does he?

compare to it, 21. Who is he? Well, he's an iteration of a lot of different aspects because the size and the bulk that he has remind you of a bigger Larry Bird in regards to his build. Larry was a little slim up top, but Luca at 6.8, you know, has the size. But here's the thing about it is that we're always going to compare him to, you know, a Larry Bird because of the way he plays. But it's just like, you know, when LeBron came out, it was, is he Michael? Is he magic? But as he played, he created his own space on who we view LeBron. That's what we're doing. That's what we're going to do with Luca because as well as he, you know, he does so many things well,

he passes the basketball. He can shoot from deep. He can put the ball on the deck. He can get through the lane and finish with contact. Now, is he going to grow? His free throw shooting percentage continues He needs to continue to improve that. But I do believe the more that he plays, he hasn't even stretched the surface yet, I don't think, Colin, on how great he's going to be. He's going to carve a niche out of his own that we're going to start comparing later on

whenever he's done, players to Luca Dantor. You know what I mean? Yeah, no, I totally. By the way, we got a couple, just a minute and a half left. How's life in the bubble? You talk to players. Is everybody getting through it okay? Because the aesthetic, it looks great on television.

Well, you know what? It's ironic because we're where the media is at, we're not in the same location where the players are at. We're located on the other side of campus. So they have different zones in which each, you know, group is situated. So where we're at is pretty cool. You've got a lot of the ESPN, NBA people, and also Turner people. So, but, you know, for me, it's real simple.

I can play golf every day. I smoke my cigars. We hook up. You know, we watch games. You know, I'm not leaving anywhere. I mean, now it can be monoton. if you're going to be here all the way to October. But listen, Carla, I'm blessed to be a part of history,

so I don't complain at all. I get a chance to call the game that I love, be a part of something special. And like I said, play a lot of golf. Yeah. If Jim's hitting his driver, Jim is happy. Yeah. Yeah.

I can chip and putt. But that thing is going like this, man. I mean, when I'm hitting the drive, I'm just like, man, can you just keep it in the fairway? Keep it in the fair way. Keep it in the fair way. You'll be okay. Great.

seeing you call it the Bucks magic game tomorrow NBA TV. Very proud of me. He does a great job. One of our favorite people, Jim Jackson. Keep it up, bud. You look great. All right. Thank you. Joy. Yeah, Joy and I have said this. It is, we're asking a lot of players and coaches and commissioners and, you know, some media people. Tip of the cap to all you. You've done a great job. I mean, I think the MLS did a great job.

I got friends in the MLS. Baseball's doing a great job. NFL, no positive tests. No positive tests. you cross your fingers on the SEC, the ACC and the Big 12, you cross your fingers. And I do think the media also has to be responsible on this. Baseball, you're asking a bunch of kids that travel around the country. They're going to be a hookup or two. You're going to have a, come on, just be realistic about this.

Kids make mistakes. When you get old like me, you don't make any mistakes. I try to tell my wife, I don't make any mistakes. But those are all done. But, you know, we're going to have some positive tests. people have bad judgment. We're talking 27-year-old millionaire athletes. Good-looking guys out there.

They'll make a couple of mistakes. They'll be a little peer pressure, but the leagues are doing a great job. Leagues are doing a... NFL's going to have some fans in some spots. You know, we're going to have some tests. We're going into flu season in about 65, 70 days. Thank you to Lowe's. Home projects.

Go to Lowe's.com or hashtag Lowe's goals. Supported us. Never been a better time to do those do-it-yourself products. Check it out with Lowe's. Also, check out MDrive for men.com. The only supplement for driven men, get lean, get tight, get more energy. MDrive for Men.com. 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.

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Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast.

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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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.