The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Jimmy G, and the Clippers

Episode Date: January 24, 2020

Filling in for Colin, Doug Gottlieb discusses why he feels Patriots QB Tom Brady is bluffing, why he says Giants Legend Eli Manning was good but not worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his thoughts on the rumor of possible drama in the Clippers locker room, and why he feels some media are too hard on Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Guests include Michael Rapaport, Rich Ohrnberger, and Ric Bucher. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel 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. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.

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What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. you just understood.

That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming until he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball.

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We're listening to Fox Sports Radio. What up? Welcome in. This is the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening to this show. Thanks so much for making it part of your day. Live from Los Angeles, I'm Doug Gottlieb, going in for Colin Cowherd. Who's having a ski day? Nothing says toughness, grittiness, and the feeling of sports fans like a good ski day in Park City.

Just kidding, Colin, enjoy the slopes. We'll see you in South Beach. Welcome in. We got a lot to get to. Michael Rappaport's going to join us. Rich Ornberger is going to join us. Rick Buecker is going to join us. Talk a little about LeBron.

Last night, getting a win in Brooklyn. All the dignitaries were there. We'll talk about his comments afterwards. Eli Manning just officially retired as a member of the New York Giants in 15 minutes. I will explain why Eli Manning is incredibly admirable, admirable for his career, which will but should not end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We got some Clippers chemistry issues. We got a lot to get to. And Zion Williamson plays again coming up tonight. Well, let's talk Tom Brady, though,

because apparently the New England Patriots have put Tom Brady on the clock. Now, there's a couple of different issues with Brady in regards to deciding sooner rather than later what his future will be. there's a March cut off for the end of the football year. The end of the football year is the middle of March. And in order for the Patriots to bury some of what would be a signing bonus on a new contract in this year, he has to do it sooner rather than later. So there's some logistics to it. But then there's just a reality to, hey, dude, we can't go and bring in other

quarterbacks and make other offers unless we know what you're going to do. forget about the draft, which is after free agency. It's the opposite, obviously, of the NBA, which makes the NBA free agency even more interesting. But we've seen this before with the NFL, where a quarterback will sign and we think he's the guy, and then they'll make a move in the NFL draft to get another guy who's the heir apparent,

and then there's kind of a dead man walking field to the start. That's not Tom Brady. You may draft the heir apparent, but you've got to decide with Tom Brady now. And I think what the Patriots are doing by telling Tom Brady, hey, man, we need to know middle of March, because otherwise we can't pursue other opportunities, is one, a little bit of respect.

Hey, you get right at first refusal. But two, it's calling Brady's bluff. Right? Like, look, Tom Brady technically could work in Indy because it's indoors and they have a good offensive line. But do you think for one second, and we'll get to Giselle and we'll get to Giselle, but do you think for one second that Tom Brady is going to play in the dome that was built for Peyton Manning? You think does anybody actually believe that?

If that's not happen. Tom Brady would put on many a jersey, and never put on a Jets jersey, never put on a Bills jersey, and he never put on a Colts jersey, and I don't think he's put on a Broncos jersey. Right? A Niners jersey was the most possible because he grew up idolizing Joe Montana and grew up in the Bay Area, but sorry, that's been taken by his heir apparent, right? His understudy. So he's not going to Indy.

He's not going to Tampa. This isn't a shot at Tampa. Tampa's great, but it's at the wrong body of water even for the state of Florida. He's not going to a place that close to the Redneck Riviera and bringing Giselle and the whole tribe down there. That Philip Rivers, maybe. Tom Brady doesn't play in Tampa. And, oh yeah, by the way, they're the worst and the least prestigious team in that division. And it's in the NFC South.

It's a better weather version of Buffalo in terms of the amount of attention paid to it nationally. He ain't going there. He ain't going to Indy. He is a superstar. He is an icon. He is a brand. And so the only places are New York, L.A., and maybe Vegas. And the Vegas thing does make sense on paper.

You're like, hey, what do old stars go and do when they're trying to collect one last check in perpetuity? You go to Vegas, right? Brittany's there. She plays. You know, Garth had this incredible show that he did, you know, several times a year. When it's not just Wayne Newton and all of the other old-time stars,

this is what people have done for years. You go and do a show in Vegas, collect a check. But do we really think that you're going to go from the patronage? to the Raiders, an organization that has had one successful year in the last 18, 19, that even though John Gruden may love him and love quarterbacks and want to move mountains, he's the opposite of what John Gruden technically likes in the lack of athleticism and footspeed at quarterback for play actions for movement in around the pocket. Plus, they're just not that good.

In addition to Vegas being a little bit off-brand form, even if it fits. it's this time in his career in comparison to this time in entertainer's career, you're going to go to the Raiders in Vegas and play from Mark Davis? And oh yeah, by the way, Tom Brady's a guy who likes it, how he likes it, and recreating that in Vegas with the Raiders and John Gruden and his strong opinions, that feels more like a hypothesis than a theory that will actually prove out to be true. And then you got the Chargers. Look, I believe I'm the only living Charger fan

who is on national or even local broadcast, right? Like, there are, like, this is, I'm in an empty room, where's Joy today? It's because I said we're having a meeting of Chargers fans. That's why the studio is empty. The Chargers are, and again, this is from an avid Charger fan who knows people in the front office and the players and the coaches and loves the roster that they have.

The Chargers are the fifth most important, NFL team in Los Angeles. Raiders are one, Cowboys are two, Rams are probably three, Niners are four, chargers are five. And I didn't even stack in

USC football, Dodger baseball, Laker basketball, and they're fighting now in tooth-and-nail with the clippers. So you're taking a team that lacks NFL relevancy with a town that doesn't really love the NFL yet. By the way, the Steelers probably more popular in Los Angeles than the Chargers are. The Packers probably more, the Chiefs possibly more popular. All right, enough.

Like, I got friends of the Chargers. Like, we get it. Nobody likes us. Okay. The only thing that makes sense, well, two things that make sense about the Chargers is they do have some dudes to throw to. They might have the best dudes to throw to in all of the NFL. They got a nasty pass rush. I don't know if they can block for them.

They got a play caller who's been calling plays for like five games. but the only thing that makes sense is technically it's in L.A. Right? And they'll actually play in Los Angeles. Unlike the Angels, they'll play in Los Angeles. But they'll have as much resonance as the angels in Los Angeles. Like that one just doesn't, that gentleman just doesn't feel like it makes sense. So why would Brady go to Vegas? Why would Brady float it out there?

Listen to all possibilities. Because Tom Brady, just like any of the. these guys has an ego. And between his ego, his wife's ego, the people around him's ego, like, look, dude, you've been taken less for a long time. With the idea in mind, they're going to put people around you to make you look great. And it has worked for a long time. But now, in your time of most need, look what they put around you. Right. You got Nikiel Harry who didn't play half the year, then couldn't remember what he was supposed to do the other half. you got Julian Edelman who

now he's having another surgery he's in his 30s he's already putting in pop for PEDs because he's just trying to keep up with the athleticism of the position they were surprised by Rob Gruncowski's retirement even though Grunk thought about retiring the year before what were you surprised by and they haven't been able you know Antonio Brown lasted for five seconds

Josh Gordon lasted a lot longer than anybody had him in the overrunner but he's not there there's nobody there you want me to come back to work, you're going to have to pay me. This isn't about changing jobs, and the Patriots know it. Patriots know this is about the bottom line. This is about money. I've done the right thing by you.

Now you've got to do the right thing by me. I'm the Jordan of the sport. Remember what Michael Jordan got. His last two years was in Chicago, $30 million. That's when back guys, the best players were making in the fives and the sixes. He made 30 because he was underpaid. most of his career. That's what Tom Brady wants. And the Patriots are calling his bluff.

I'm sure the Patriots have given him some sort of structure of what they're thinking and for how long they're thinking it. Hey, dude, let us know. Because they know that with Josh McDaniel not going anywhere, where's he going to go? He's going to go and build a new offense? It's not what he does. I know that Peyton did that in Denver,

but Peyton was the offensive coordinator when he was in Indy. and he told them when they were punting and when they weren't punting. That's never been Tom Brady. He's worked in partnership with Josh McDaniels, with exception when Josh was gone to Denver. They've worked hand in hand. And those guys together have built this incredible dynasty. And at this point his career,

the Patriots are like, you're not breaking that up. You're not starting all over. You're not teaching an entire offensive staff a new verbiage, a new way of doing things. if if McDaniel's got the job in Dallas okay I'm listening right I'm listening because they have a great offensive line they have a running game they have some guys that can catch the football they're playing indoors that helps his arm strength that stuff kind of makes sense if and the branding makes sense cowboys Brady morph them together you know those those things make sense the charges don't make sense I look I know I know Kyrie's signed with Brooklyn and Kauai signed with the Clippers. But we're talking about the most established brand in the National Football League, one synonymous with championships.

Tom Brady doesn't play another season to play another season. He plays another season to win another championship. And what's the place that he's most likely to achieve those goals? It's in New England. Where the Jets are still the Jets, Buffalo still doesn't think they have a real quarterback, even if they got a playoff team. Hey, Miami's a year away from being a year away. And he still got Josh and even devoid of talent outside the numbers last year.

They won 12 games and he had the ball down one with a chance to drive down and win another one. The Patriots are calling Brady's bluff. They know he has no other options. And they know it's all about money. And they know that Tom Brady doesn't want to make it about money. He's never going to mention being about money. He wants to beat Jeter and playing Kobe and play in one spot, but he wants to have that Michael Jordan-like payday at the end of it.

Because then it makes sense to Giselle, then it makes sense to his ego, then it makes sense to the rest of the league. All right, well, he stuck around for one last big payday and take one more shot at winning championship. And my guess is the Patriots are sitting there going like, you know, we had Jimmy G, he's shown that he's a Super Bowl guy, we got you for two Super Bowls, You're starting to fade.

We need, you may be worth all of that, but we can't spend all of that because at this point in your career, you're actually not as good as you were when you were making less and achieving more. The patriots are calling the bluff of Tom Brady. Let us know, big boy. You want to come? Here's your offer. It's reasonable. You'll end up a patriot for life. If you don't, just let us know.

And we'll be on to Cincinnati. Eli Manning just spoke at a retirement press conference. How should we describe Eli's career? How should we describe it? Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in.

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Michelin, Endurance, X-T, Silicon Wiper Blades, are real world proven for extreme weather performance lasting two times longer than of the braids. Blades, new Michelin Endurance, XT, Silicon Wiper Blades only available at Walmart. Doug Gottlie filling in for Colin, this is the herd and the IHeart Radio app, Fox Sports Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Dot com as well as FS1, our TV partner here, Colin's off. He will be in South Beach. We'll all be in South Beach next week here with Fox, of course, leading up to the Super Bowl, which is also on Fox between the Niners and the Can City Chiefs.

Today it became official. Eli Manning is now a retiree. Here's Eli talking about his career. From the very first moment, I did it my way. I couldn't be someone other than who I am. Undoubtedly, I would have made the fans, the media, even the front office more comfortable if I was a more rah-rah guy. But that's not me. Ultimately, I choose to believe that my teammates and the fans, fans learned to appreciate that. They knew what they got was pure, unadulterated Eli. For most of my life, people have called me easy. Believe me, there is nothing easy about today.

Wellington Mera always said, once a giant, always a giant. For me, it's only a giant. Thank you so much. Yeah, I'm not sure about that one. For me, I know what he's getting at. He's getting at that he's probably had opportunities. the last couple of years to leave, to walk away, and he chose not to do so. There's a very dignified manner in which Eli has always carried himself.

Look, it's not his fault that his brother is considered, if not the greatest, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. We have gotten this place where suddenly now, because Brady won a Super Bowl last year, that we stopped talking about Peyton. And maybe it's because Peyton did not have nearly the postseason success. But when Peyton retired, there was a lot of people. who know a lot more about football than you and me, they were like,

Hey, Peyton Man, he might be the greatest ever. I don't think he is, but he's in at least a conversation. It's not Eli. Eli should be judged on his own legacy. And it is a dignified legacy. It is a classy legacy. Fairly emotionless, which he discussed today. He's not a rah-rah guy.

He's not an up guy. He's not a down guy. There's a little bit of throwback to him in which he did throw the ball downfield. He did throw it to the other team at times. But what I love about the Eli legacy is he's clutch. Well, I guess was the only clutch when they won? He was not like he, we get to this point with guys that we respect, guys that we like, that we won't even mention the negative side to it.

It's like politicians with stats that go against them. They won't even share them. I mentioned this yesterday when I was here with Colin, which is like, okay, he's big game clutch. That was what happened the two years in which they went on. Super Bowl runs. They were in the playoffs four other times. They lost all four of the first games in which they played. Was it then in which he wasn't clutch? I struggle with that. You know, both of those Super Bowls that he won the MVP in, it was as much because of his

performance as they couldn't find one of the defensive linemen to truly give it to, right? Had they given it to, let's give the MVP award to the New York Giants pass rush. Like that would have been, everybody would like, yeah, that kind of makes sense. sense. It makes sense. Eli Manning might have purported himself in as classy or even more classy manner than Peyton Manning. He never let the media

get to him. Fans get to him. The turnovers get to him per se. All these things are accurate. He only played for one team. And I told, I said this before and I'll say it again. He's going to get into the Hall of Fame. But none of those things should be the reasons that he gets into the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame should be reserved for the absolute best of the best. The best of the best of the best.

And if you want to sit there and go like, yeah, he had an above average career, but he won two superpools, so that puts him in like, okay, if that's, if the strongest part of your argument is that he won two Super Bowl MVP's, that's a strong argument. but if he was so clutch or maybe if he was so good why they only have five double-digit win seasons 16 years five double-digit win seasons again i'm not talking about 14 win years or 15 win years or the 16-win year that tom brady had okay i'm not talking about that playing in the soup pool and losing the super pool heck playing in a conference championship game he did it twice he won twice. But there are plenty

years in which he didn't even appear in the playoffs or couldn't win a playoff game. I struggle with the he's clutch, but only in those two years. Right? Because I always thought that if you're clutch, well, like the Derek Jeter thing is this.

Derek Jeter has, I believe, almost the exact same, if not the exact same batting average in the playoffs as he does the regular season. He's the same guy. Pressure seemingly didn't affect him. If you think Derek Jeter is the greatest shortstop ever, or you think he's 10th or whatever, what you can't say about Derek Jeter is that pressure affected him because we have a huge sample size.

And the sample size tells us that he was basically the same guy in the playoffs he was the regular season, which is kind of by definition clutch or the ability to be just solid. We think of clutch as being slightly better in the most important situations. And I could point out different instances where Jeter was. But Eli wasn't. or maybe he was. In the regular season, he was a 500 quarterback, and the postseason, he was a slightly above 500 quarterback.

It's kind of who he is. And that usually does not reserve you a spot in Canton at the Hall of Fame. But he was classy. He was kind of understated. He did carry the weight of the Manning name and of being the little brother of Peyton, which is a lot. And playing in New York is a lot.

And it's good for something. Does that put you in the Hall of Fame? I think it will. I don't think it should. Let's get you to historically accurate newsman, John Gullet. No, no, no, no.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Hello, John. Hello, Doug. So LeBron and Janus were named captains for the NBA All-Star game after leading their respective conferences in fan votes. They will now draft

teams from pools of starters and reserves. The East starters, we know the starters are, we just know what team they're going to be on. The starters from the east are Kemba Walker, Trey Young, Pascal Seaccom, and Joelle Embed. From the west, it's James Harden, Anthony Davis, Kauai Leonard, and Luca Donchich.

The only snub people are a little mad at is that Jimmy Butler was not named a start. He got beat out pretty late, I believe, by Seacum. I'm sure he'll have something to say about that. It's another chip on his shoulder you can add to. Any reaction to the captains and the starters

being named? You know, I just, I don't think the Trey Young thing, I think statistically, obviously, this is like our, we fall in love with stats. I think Skip pointed out earlier, he's like third, he's using analytics. He's the third worst defender in the NBA. His team stinks. His team won the other night without him. You probably don't need analytics to tell you he's not a good defender. No, but we don't watch every game.

And sometimes what happens is people look at steals and like, oh, he gets a lot of steals. That means he's a great defender. He's not. And I think there's guys in the NBA to think Trey plays for the stats more than to win games. But he is, he's super fun to watch. He does and does it really, it's an all-star game. Does it really matter? Well, isn't, isn't, when I look at the starters, I think I'm very happy we have this format now.

Because the discrepancy east to west, it's pretty big. So at least now we won't have that. Well, Karee didn't make it, right? As a starter. Carrie's hurt most of the year, yeah. Yes, but is Karii better than Trey Young? Yes. is he better than Campbell Walker, yes.

And Kevin Durant's not playing. Right. So those are two pretty big ones in terms of the East, West, and the discrepancy. But you're right, right? This does speak. But also the West doesn't have Steph. You know, Clay's not available either. Right.

So I don't know. Can you remember the last NBA All-Star game you sat down and watched? I mean, I like watch. I'll watch the end of it sometimes. Sometimes it's fun to see the beginning. I love All-Star weekend. I don't love the game necessarily. but I like a lot of the other stuff.

Like what? I love the three-point contest. Always have, since I was a kid. Yeah. I always thought it was better in the dunk contest. Okay. The dunk contest is a little over the top

and now they got Dwight Howard coming back. I'm not super into that. That makes me more excited than a random rookie I've never heard of. Yeah, except that really I've seen Dwight Howard's mechanical big guy dunks. I just... Come on. He said he was going to bring in Kobe. That's, you've got to be in for that.

Okay. I'm sure Kobe will say no, but he's going to try. Yes. Staying in the NBA, other than you, Everyone was very excited Wednesday night after watching Zion Williamson's debut with the Pelicans against the Spurs. I wasn't not excited. I'm just, you have a very heated argument with Colin yesterday.

It was great. He looked heavy. He didn't move well. I understand, but if you're going to sit him out that long, make sure that he's in great shapes. He didn't hurt himself again. Fair point. Many fans were upset that he got pulled midway through the fourth quarter after that burst he had with the game still on the balance. Yes, it was silly to pull him.

But that was the plan. He was going to play short spurts. That was the Pelicans playing from doctors. The reigning MVP, Janice and Tentacupo, had some advice for Zion. Don't rush. Don't rush it. Don't rush the process. You're going to be a beast.

The whole league, no, you're going to be a beast. Just take a step, you know, step by step day by day. The Pelicans play again tonight against the Nuggets, not on national TV, unfortunately. How tough is it going to be for the Pelicans to continue to keep his minutes down and pull him from games? when everybody watching, everyone in the arena wants to see him play, and they are still alive for a playoff spot. I just thinking you have to do it when it makes sense, right?

Look, I think this could work out really good for them in that they use this minute's restriction, then they get to All-Star Week, all-star break, and All-Star Break, he shouldn't take time off. That's when he should even crank up, just continue to crank up the conditioning. To me, his whole career is going to be decided

based upon whether or not his body is right. If his body's right, it's going to be great. If it breaks down, he's not. And then he's probably going to gain weight. And it could be really bad. So, you know, but I didn't think with a couple of minutes left in the game, like, you can push him over. Like, this is not, it's harder, I think, to start and stop than it is to keep playing in terms of the possibility of injury. I think had Alvin Gentry known he was going to go on that run, he may have waited to put him in.

You know what I mean? Obviously, you can't predict something like that's going to happen. All of a sudden, he scores 17 points in 10 seconds. Right. And finally, Dak Prescott is not the only star player on the Cowboys that is without a contract for next season. Wide receiver Amari Cooper, also a free agent, and was asked how he's approaching a free agency yesterday. I don't want to rush it. I think it's not something that's imminent.

So it's taking the day by day. Do you want to be back in Dallas? I do. You know, I mean that wholeheartedly. I love Dallas. I feel like it's home. I feel like I want to live there for a long time. He also mentioned money is a factor, but it's not the biggest factor.

Location and quarterback play a big part in it. Dak Prescott was struggling last season in 2018 before they made the trade for Amari Cooper. And his numbers have skyrocketed since they got him. How important is it for the Cowboys to bring back Amari Cooper this off season? Well, it's important, but it's a juggling act, right? Because you can only franchise tag one of them. Right. Right.

So, you know, that means you got to figure out which one it's going to be. the other one, you have to negotiate in good faith and try and get it done before you lay the franchise tag down. I think it's important. I do. I don't think he's as good as people thought he was when he first came over. People forget a couple years ago with the Raiders, a lot of drops. This year, he wasn't great at times. No, he struggled on the road a lot. Yeah, which, look, so do I think he should get Michael Thomas money? Like, no, I don't, but that's where the bar has been set. I mean, even Sammy Watkins was making, was it 14, you know, so somewhere between 14 and 20 is a lot of money for Mari Cooper where you do feel like you can Gallup still kind of coming into his own, you know,

but again, the hard part is the timing of it. That's what Zeke kind of screwed up, which is they had a whole plan and Zeke's like, no, I'm going to cut in line and get paid first. So now what do they do next? I would expect them to get Amari done first and then a potentially franchise tag DAC because that's the biggest deal. There's the biggest room for negotiation there. And that's John Gulley with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News.

He's an actor. He's a comedian. He's a savant when it comes to sports. He's Michael Rappaport, sponsored by Mercedes. Best, the Best or Nothing. Rappaport joins us in studio on the Mercedes-Benz couch, a love seat or chair. What are you sticking out of your chest for? That's just the way it is, man.

That's the way it is? Yeah, that's the way my chest is. That's how you roll? Listen, I've been listening to you. I don't like a lot of what you're saying. Go. Go. Is it an Eli thing?

Yeah. What is with you New York guys and Eli Manning? What is the deal? The rest of us are like, look, we all got it. He's good quarterback. He's fine. He's fine. Yes, he's good.

He's fine. Let me tell you something. Deranged Doug. Yes. Okay. Delusional Doug. Ghalib. When you talk about the history of the NFL, you can't talk.

Talk about the history of the NFL without talking about Eli Manning. Can't know without talking about Jeff Hostetler? Excuse me. He won, yeah, he won not one, two Super Bowls versus the goat twice. And what are you, a New England Patriots fan? Because if you like the NFL and you can't stand the Patriots, you should be celebrating Eli Manning. Otherwise, Tom Brady would have eight rings.

We're talking about Eli with the lineage. coming up behind Archie and Peyton, Eli, the old Mississippi Messiah, Eli Manning, the number one pick who refused to go to San Diego, Eli, always standing in the pocket, strong, steady, Eli, always standing the wild card killer MVP, Eli, Iron Man, Eli, the giant killer, escaped, escaped hands, claws of the gate, great, Patriot defense deep to David Tyree, Eli, to the end zone. Why is Plexicoe so open in the end zone, Bill Belichick? What happened?

You were videotaping everything to Eli. Where's the defense defeated the undefeatable Eli? Iron Man, Eli, showed Danny Dimes the way Eli, Victor Cruz, Michael Strahan, will be fitting him for his Hall of Fame jacket, Eli Manning. That deplorable Doug Gottlieb. That is an amazing take. We do not write our takes here in the herd. Anyway, so.

So, yeah, Hall of Fame, my friend. I don't care about. So why, if he was so great, why were they so bad so many years? Because you know what? He outlived and outstayed the waves. Okay. He, 16 years. He started, what, 210 games in a row?

Yes. You couldn't even play in four celebrity All-Star games in a row without getting injured. Okay? Let me tell you something, Doug. Not getting hurt. Okay? And not getting hurt does not a Hall of Fame make. Like, right, Philip Rivers got hurt, you know, towards ACL, never missed a game, by the way.

You know what? Philip Rivers has a better win-loss percentage. Okay? He'll end up throwing for more yards in an inferior organization, one that Eli bailed on. I will tell you this about Eli. Like, one of the great things about Eli that goes underrated that you pointed out is he was an unbelievable politician. Policy, he doesn't speak.

No, he doesn't. Everything that's done with Eli is done behind the scenes, right? Even he never said, I don't want to play in San Diego. He never said a word negative about saying. Not one, but it was done behind the scenes. He got the great lineage. Archie and Peyton showed him the way. They're amazing.

They're amazing with how they manipulate things, right? He didn't get coaches fired. They just happened to get fired. Well, he's getting him fired? Yes. I thought the team stunk. He stunk. Okay, wait.

So if he stinks, why? isn't he in any way responsible? No, the coach would get thrown under the bus. Listen, I'm not going to sit here and say it. They kept McAdoo because they thought, well, Macadoo can show him a new offense and we can't get rid of McAdo. Macadoo the Wacadoo?

Yes. Macadoo who sat, Eli Manning for Gino Smith, who may or may not have been the person who bagged my groceries at Trader Joe's this week. Okay. I think it was him. I didn't ask because I won't embarrass him, but I'm pretty sure he's the guy who put my,

my vegetables in the bags of Trader Joe's this week. I just want to point out that Gino Smith was a back and quarterback with a Seattle Seahawks. Backup quarterback, you mean the guy who's like, you know, like taping ankles. Look, I understand. But again, even that, even the pushback over sitting Eli, which the head coach, the former general manager, and the owners were all in line with,

suddenly there was pushback. Where'd that come from? That's Eli and Archie and those guys pulling the strings. He's an amazing politician. He's not an amazing quarterback. Is he as good as Breeze? No. Is he as good as Peyton? No. Is he as good as Brady? Nope. Aaron Rogers. It doesn't matter.

Yes, it does. Why does it matter? Those guys were Hall of Famers and show his Eli Manning is in the Hall of Fame. No. Okay, okay. Let me hold on. And what are you going to say? Are you going to say something about Michael Stray lead, straight hit?

Yeah. Derek Jeter, what? Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Absolutely. Okay. And who's the lunatic? Hold on. I don't know who the idiot is who didn't vote.

No, and that's the thing. It's like somebody draws George. Hold on. Right. No, that's not the thing. This is the thing. Okay. Larry Walker.

Great player, right? Yeah. Hall of Famer? Yes. No, no. He's getting into the Hall of Fame. Yes. Is he at the Hall of Fame the level of Derek Jeter?

No. Okay. He's even in the conversation of Derek Jeter. No. Okay. That's what I'm, that's the impetus of my argument, Michael, which is I'm not saying Eli wasn't really good,

but it's not the Hall of Really good. And oh yeah, by the way, he won a couple of soup bowls. Oh, it's the Hall of Fame. No, disrespect to Grand Hill. Grand Hill just made into the Hall of Fame of the NBA. And I love this. He made into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Okay, I'm just saying, just, we can't compare Eli to Joe Montana. Yes, we can. Yeah, okay. Then we compare him, and then we say we look at the rings, and we look at it on the biggest day. He had no Hall of Fame offensive people around him. Look at the people.

Remember, who were some of the people around Eli Manning? Ahmad, Bradshaw, B. Jacobs, Akim. He had Tiki Barber. Oh, and he had Tiki Barber. He was the MVP of the league, what he? Tiki Barber. Was Tiki Barber the MVP of the league? Yeah, and then he threw him under the bus.

Plaxico Baris. David Tyree, Amani, Tumor. He won on the biggest day, on the biggest day. on the biggest stage. That counts. We say championships count? Yeah. Well, they count.

They do. And when you're the MVP of the team. They don't count for everything. Larry Brown was the MVP of the Super Bowl. Okay. All right. Listen, here's what we're going to do.

We're going to bring you back. Okay. You had time to scribble down another hot take. Okay. And very poetic, by the way, which you wrote down there was a really kind of amazing way. You're saying there's something going where I prepared myself because I want to come and let you know, deplorable Doug, deranged Doug.

Yes. Okay. Delusional Doug. Yes. Okay. That's good. It's good. It really just flows off the pen, flows off the tongue.

I get it. All right, another punch to your New York Knicks. Wait to hear what Steph Curry had to say yesterday. Upcoming next. Michael Rapport, I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is The Hurd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Last night, a blown call changed a game.

This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending. Opinions are flying. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode we're cutting through the night. breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines.

We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

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 rapidly. 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, is we have real conversations about All healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys?

This is Clivert Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42.

Hey, Brett. My mama want you to weigh better. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021.

And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to hear some amazing Discover matches all the cashback you earn and in your first year automatically with no limit to how much will match millions of people are getting their cashback match. Discover cashback match. What are you waiting for? Learn more. Discover.com slash cashback match. Doug Gottlieb in for Colin Cowherd, Michael Rappaport alongside actor, writer, comedian, fantasy football playing savant. All right, Super Bowl, getting ready to take place.

Is Pat Mahomes the face of the NFL? Yeah. And I don't think that's a bad thing. I think it's a good thing. I mean, I think he's one of the faces. I think there's some other people that are emerging. Russell Wilson is still the face. I think Lamar is the face. But I think Patrick Mahomboi is a face and a good face. I think the NFL is in a good place with good hands. It's changing of a guard.

And I'm looking forward to a great competitive game. Would you like my prediction? Yeah. Thanks. You sound really enthusiastic when... No, but it's a little early for predictions, you know? I mean, it's okay. It's a little early.

The game's a week away, bro. Yeah. I know. Okay. Don't give me the score. I hate the score. I got my homeboy in them in a good, tight, fun game. I got Jennifer Lopez and Shakira putting on a fantastic halftime show.

I have no dog in this fight. I think they'll be able to outscore a very, very tough San Francisco 49er defense. And because they've had so much adversity in these last two playoff games, if things go awry, it's like, okay, well, they've gone awry really a rye in the last two weeks. It's fair, right? When you get down, 17, you get down 10 points twice last week, their ability to come back. I would caution people or caution really that I think the Chiefs know this, right? It's one thing to get behind to two wildcard teams when you're playing at home.

It's another thing to get behind against the Niners team that can run it even when you know it's coming. And it's a much more talented defense. This is probably the most talent-laden team that what John Lynch has put together, Kyle Shanahan is a play caller. The two of them, it's a perfect marriage. I love Pat Mahomes. I think he's the best player in the league. I just don't think he's the face of the league yet.

Who's to face the league right now? Still Brady, Rogers. Face of the league? Both those guys are reluctant faces at this point. No, they're not. They're both on, you know, Rogers is on a, remember, when Rogers and he are on a television commercial together, it's Rogers saying, have you met my new friend Pat Mahomes, right? They still have to, most of America, we think of most America being us that we love sports. We a lot of sports is all we do.

but there's, you know, 7,500 million people that have never seen him play down football. Well, after next week he'll be the guy. Well, if they lose. Even if they lose, they'll, like, there's going to be so much hype this week. And listen, he's got a very strange voice. We'll come to a frog. Yeah, but he's... But that can work, though.

It worked for Tyson, and Tyson had a strange voice considering all that he was, right? Well, the contradictory of, I'm going to knock you out, and then I have a high voice is weird. It'll be fine. The homeboy, they'll play to his strengths. He, I think he's very likable. and I think by the end of next week, win-loser draw, he'll emerge as the guy. And I think it's in good hand.

He's very likable. He gets it, and I think it'll, I think it's going to be a good Super Bowl. This one's going to come in a little bit low for you as a New Yorker. Go ahead. Doug. Steph Curry said, thinking back, this is in the 2009 draft. He was on the All the Smoke Podcast.

That's with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, where they smoke and talk hoops. Thinking back, I wanted to go to New York. I thought I was going to New York. I want you to think about all the pain, all the agony that you have suffered. Thank God he didn't go to New York. What did you go to that? Thank God he, the history.

And Tony would have been his coach. The history of the NBA would have changed. There would be no, there would be no Tray Young. He changed basketball. And it wouldn't have happened with New York. The New York Knicks would have somehow ruined him. They would have traded him to Orlando. They wouldn't have stuck with him.

They wouldn't have brought out the best with them. There would have been no Clay Thompson. him and Clay and Draymond, they're linked together. It was Destiny. And thank God the New York Knicks. Thank God that James Dolan wasn't his owner.

Thank God that the blues, the guy who's in a blues band wasn't the owner of Steph Curry's basketball team. I don't support that team and I'm happy for Steph Curry that the Knicks didn't draft him. At the time, I thought it was stupid. But when you look back historically,

look what they would have done to him. No, well, what they might have done. Because remember, he played for Mark, He played for Mark Jackson. Might have done. Play for Mark Jackson. He played for Mike Dantonie at a college. Look at the success that Mike Dantone had with Steve Nash.

Why couldn't he have had it? Look, you bring up a good point. I do think that all that other stuff does matter. It matters a lot. But remember, even the Warriors didn't know what they had. Like this was something I shared with Colin on this show years ago, and it's been written about since, which is when the Warriors traded for Andrew Bogot, they told the bucks, hey, you can have Monta Ellis or you can have Steph Curry.

Pick one. And they chose Montailles. So not only did the Bucks not know what they had, but the Warriors didn't even realize what they had until he got healthy, until Steve Kerr came over, and they all kind of matured and grew up together to this. But it is, it's got to be a gut punch. There's no gut.

There's no gut punches. This is the best thing that's happened in the NBA was Steph Curry not being picked by the New York Knicks. The New York Knicks are not worthy of a Steph Curry. the New York Knicks. Like he should be thinking his lucky stars that he wasn't drafted by the New York Knicks. The biggest star you've ever worked with in a movie is who?

I mean, at the time, DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Will Smith, probably Will Smith. Okay, so the Clippers apparently are having some issues adjusting to the fact that there's Paul George and Aquai Leonard and then rules for everybody else. How hard was that for you to deal with? You're a pretty big star, but then Will Smith comes in and usurps you a little bit.

I'm fine with it. As far as I get it, I think that this is fake news. Patrick Beverly and Lou William, who are the leaders of the team, who are the heart of the team and who are the biggest voices, Lou Williams being the guy, I think that this is fake news. They said it's fake news. I believe it's fake news, and I think that this will work itself out. I will talk about that next hour.

I think there's some reality to it, well, maybe it's not how they feel. There are moments in which you're like, man, it was a little bit more fun last year, even if ultimately the ceiling wasn't as high last year. Michael Rappaport, who I'm sure has a show that he's going to pitch at some point. And you'll see him on social media.

Thanks so much, Michael. Thanks, deplorable, Doug. Sometimes the media says something so dumb, a narrative they established that makes no sense. It's going to happen in the Super Bowl. We'll share it with you next in the herd. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day,

seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Hurd. to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. What up? Welcome in. This is The Heard, live from Los Angeles, wherever you may be, and however you may be making this part of your day. Thanks so much. I'm Doug Gottlie, filling in for Colin Cowherd,

whether you're watching it on FS1, listening on the IHeart Radio app, on AM 570 here locally in L.A., satellite radio, podcast. Welcome in. Man, do we have a good show for you? Just had Michael Rappaport. He wrote his take. Rich Ornberger, former NFL player, of course, does Radio Force down in San Diego. He's awesome.

He'll be here in a half hour. We'll talk to him about my thoughts here on Jimmy Garoppolo. Talk some Pat Mahomes. We'll talk some Brady and what Brady should do, what Brady will do. It could be a musical chairs in the NFL, unlike anything we've seen in terms of quarterbacks, right? Like Rivers, go to Tampa. Winston go to the Raiders? Who would go to

Cam Newton? Does he stay? Does he go? And of course, there's Tom Brady. And then there's the rookies, which are cheaper. And, you know, the hit rate seems to be higher than it's ever been in the past. Rich Hornberger, join us on set here in half an hour. LeBron James

talked about his roster, his team, and whether or not they have enough to win a championship. I'll give you my thoughts on what the way and where LeBron said, what he said last night, that upcoming in 15 minutes. Rick Buecker's going to join us later on as well. Let me get to this.

Jimmy Garoppolo has been asked about his lack of pass attempts in the playoffs. Remember Terry Bradshaw who's good, Terry Bradshaw bust his own chops all the time, right? He talks about, he's talked long, in long-winded

fashion about his own inadequacies as a passer and makes fun of how smart he is and whatever. And so when he busts his chops about his arm, not being tired, winning the N.C. Championship. It's what anybody would notice. I went through eight pass attempts. Here's Jimmy G. talking about his lack of past attempts in the playoffs so far.

Everyone has different ways to, you know, get motivated and very similar to Sherman. I do the same thing. You know, I hear all the stuff and everything. But it's just you can't, you know, you can't put that all out there all the time. It's just, you know, you have to do with it what you will and take it for what it is. Just, you know, at the end of the day, you got to go out there and play football. got to go out there and play football. They had two negative plays

running the football against the Green Bay Packers. Two. Two. 27 pass attempts in two playoff games. Three run plays for every one past temp. They are, they are sheltering. They are hiding him. They are, he is their Trent Dilfer. By the way, he's a friend of the program.

They're scared of Garoppolo. Look, Jimmy G is only thrown it 16 times since he threw a pick in the division round game. game. I think some of this is you have to learn from your own past. Not just Garoppolo's past, but Kyle Shanahan. What was he criticized so roundly for when he was in Atlanta and they're up 28 to three, right? Just run the football, stay ahead of the chains, kick a field goal, you're up 31 to 3. The game is over, Kyle, instead of, you know, trying to score points and dust the Patriots off and put a half a hundred on the board. They haven't trailed neither one of these games.

When they were tied with the Vikings, they had 15 plus plays and 12 run plays. They are constructed this way. You don't think Kyle Shanahan learned from his dad? How did his dad win two super bowls? Running the football. Outside zone. What, they have seven running backs. Is that what we calculated before the show?

Seven consecutive running backs with 1,000 yards. Some you remember, like Terrell Davis in the Hall of Fame. Some you've forgotten, like Ruben drones. Remember Ruben drones? and Mike Anderson. Didn't they have Clinton Portis one year as well? This is how his dad won. This was the mistake he made when he was in Atlanta.

And if he'd forgotten about those mistakes, yeah, his quarterback threw a pick and put him in a bad spot against the Vikings. And as much as we think of, Jimmy G, he's not terribly experienced. He's never started. This is his first full year he started in the National Football League. They're scared to let him throw. No, they're just doing what's smart.

Do they trust him? I don't know. They trust the running game. They ran for 286 yards. I don't know if he's heard this stat, but the Niners are actually really good when they let him throw, too. They're 10 and 0 when he throws for 275 yards or more. That does not line up with the rest of the National Football League.

In the regular season, they had slightly more pass attempts than run attempts, and this is for a number one seed, 4756 to 440. They have balance, and they have taken what the defense is given them. And on Sunday, the Packers gave them as much as they wanted running the football. Look, I understand third and eight, you know, third and eight early in the game against the Packers. They could have thrown the football. Instead, they run it and they get a touchdown on it. But it was merely more of the fact that they ran it.

But if you want to use gross stats and volume of runs, bro, you weren't watching that game. That was a game which at every moment you thought they should run it, and the only times they threw it were late to Kittle, and it worked once, and they got a bogus pass interference call the second time. If you can't stop me, why would I stop doing it? Two negative plays. Two. They just absolutely, and it was a complete mismatch for the style that the Packers want you to drop back and throw 30 times.

The Smith boys are designed to, their team is designed to get a lead early, their ears back, rush the passer. That's the opposite of how the, that's the opposite of what the Niners did. We're not going to play into your strength. So if you want to say that they don't trust him, that they're scared to use him, that they're going to, that's fine, but that means you didn't watch the regular season. You didn't watch them go into New Orleans and uncork Jimmy G. And let him go out and win a game on the road in one of the toughest, if not the toughest environment in the National Football League. Kyle Shannon learned from his dad. He'd learn from his own mistakes. He learned from his own quarterback, and he's in the Super Bowl. And that game,

though it felt like it could have gotten, he was getting close there with about eight and a half to go. And, and, uh, Rogers got him within two scores. That was the closest they got in the second half was two scores. We really criticizing a gameplay? Like this is media narrative. We got too long to focus on this game. It was like, yeah, he threw the ball eight times. Eight. that's not a lack of trust. That's an understanding the time, the score, the momentum of the game, and that they can't stop you. If you want to know a team that doesn't trust their quarterback,

Blake Bortles was playing magnificent football for the Jaguars. This is going back three seasons ago, right? Three years ago. They go into Pittsburgh and he plays the game of his life. Wins a shootout. So they're up, I think, 14 in the first half against the Patriots. They get the ball back with 59 seconds to go. On the road in Foxborough.

The Jaguars take a knee twice, running the locker room with the lead. That is not trusting your quarterback. That is not trusting your quarterback. When the other team can't stop you and you're dominating at the point of attack, when the Packers can't seem to set the edge and every time they do,

they're too far up field and they're just one cut and cutting it back. When a running back has more success in one game than he had his entire career in college, you just feed the hot hand. You feed him till he burps. Nothing in sports is more intimidating than when you can't stop a team running the football.

That was like a high school game. They beat you left, they beat your right, they beat you up the middle. They beat you left, they beat you right, they beat you up the middle. If you think that's not trusting a quarterback, throw in the tape of the Jaguars with the lead in Foxborough with 59 seconds to go with a quarterback with a hot hand

and they take a knee and say, thanks, but no thanks, we'll play in the second half. That's not trusting a quarterback. All right, coming up next. LeBron James said that he believes the Lakers have enough for now. Do they have enough? Should they make a move? Should they?

I think it's an interesting quandary, interesting conundrum. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeard Radio app. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in.

I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered.

Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway 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 hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts show,

I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, rec, mom, I'm a one.

you to wave at her. What? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast.

I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We are headed to Miami, starting Monday, The Horde,

and all of our FS-1 shows will be live at Lemus Park and South Beach as we get ready for Super Bowl 54. We'll have great guests, including Russell Wilson, Michael Strayhan, and Terry Bradshaw. Speaking of Terry Bradshaw, he is guaranteeing a $250,000 jackpot for the Super 6 Super Bowl contest. Make sure you download the Fox Sports Super 6 app and play for free for a chance to win. Awesome. Got to look, Terry Bradshaw.

Cracks me up. Cracks me up. Can't wait to see all those guys in South Beach. Of course, Super Bowl coverage right here on Fox Sports 1 and on Big Fox for the big game. Do you own or rent your home? Surely you do. Fortunately, Geico makes it easy to bundle your home. home and auto insurance. It's a good thing too because

they're having a home is hard work. Go to geico.com. Get a quote. See how much you could save. Geico.com. Easy. Doug Ghalybin for calling. This is the hurt. We're just over a week away from the Super Bowl. And these are the two best teams, right? I mean, Can City up and down.

Niners. And it's an interesting thing about the Niners that we miss on. Seahawks were one yard away from beating them week 17. They would have been the five seat. They might have gotten to a Super Bowl, but think how much easier their road actually was. And if the Patriots take care of business, how much different is the Kansas City Chiefs

rule? We might have the Ravens matching up in the Super Bowl. I don't know, maybe the Packers. Like, I don't think the Packers are strong, but they're much better, Aaron Rogers is much better at home. There's a lot of speculation about additions. We're getting close to buyout season in the NBA. All-stars, starters were announced. Of course, you get the trade-downs. deadline looming here early in February. With the Lakers winning last night in Brooklyn, winning the night before against the Knicks, sweeping both teams on around the island of Manhattan. This is LeBron James on Spectrum Sportsnet talking about their roster heading into the trade deadline.

We have enough right now, but it's not about, you know, competing and worrying about June. it's about worrying about January and if we continue to get better throughout January and then we move on to February and continue to get better and if we continue this trend then we'll put ourselves in a position where we can compete for a championship

and have a chance and in this league and in sports in general all you want is a chance yeah I don't really understand the end part I do think it sounded like a good answer and it sounded like very very formal all I want is a chance is gives us a chance we have enough guys right now.

But look, they don't. No one thinks they do. Did you watch them against the Celtics the other night? Oh, no, they only lost because LeBron's routine was ruined. Did we watch them against the Milwaukee Bucks? Granted, Yannis hit five threes. He may never hit five threes again in an NBA game this year or in the next couple of years. But there have been times in which against the better competition against the clippers.

they have looked like they're missing a piece or two. But the difference between LeBron now and LeBron, even from last year, right? LeBron is, he's, look, I'm just going to try and win every game. We have enough right now. Do you think LeBron doesn't believe that Darren Collison or Derek Rose and point guard would make them better? Of course he does. Or an Andre Goda would make them better for the playoffs.

Of course he would. And also, remember, you're blocking other teams from getting out of those players. players. So it's not just adding guys to your team. It's keeping them from joining other teams that need similar, similar guys. But the difference between LeBron and Kyrie is obvious, right? Kyrie hasn't even played a game with Kevin Durant. Not a single game with Kevin Durant, and he's already saying, hey, when Katie gets back, then we're going to need a piece or two. and he named four other teammates, and there's been 15 guys in a team. LeBron's learned from last year where he made it obvious to everybody.

They needed to add something. They needed to make a move. And their inability to do it, completely spoiled the apple card, and it ruined their season. Whereas LeBron's just talk about being focused and winning one, he's doing the old cliche one game at a time. Because he's learned. Doesn't mean he doesn't know that they, need a point guard in the worst way. They need somebody to create shots because 34, 35 year old LeBron James in the shot creator like he used to be. Anthony Davis is a shot maker, not a shot

creator. Alex Crusoe has hit his ceiling. He struggled here recently because, look, he's a great story. He's got great energy. Good athleticism can really guard. But there's just a difference. When you get against the stars of the NBA, Alex Crucial looks like a guy who was undrafted for a reason. You know, there's a little bit of Dallas Cowboys to what the Lakers are doing, right, beating up on the bad teams, looking at their overall efficiency, look at how dominant way be. Like, sorry, we don't really care about those games. We care about the playoffs. And the Lakers know it. They know there's something kind of missing.

That's why they've missed games leading up to those big games. Anthony Davis came back and maybe he wasn't 100%, but he came back and played against. to Celtics for a reason because they're trying to measure themselves up. They're trying to see what do we in fact need. And now they know what they need. The last thing they're going to do is tell them. I guess that's maybe the biggest difference is there's no Magic Johnson telling everybody, we need to trade for a point guard.

Can't believe that leaked out. How'd that leak out? You set it in front of a microphone. Did I? Remember that random press conference? We just had you just spilled all the secrets. Like, look, if you put a microphone in front of magic? enough. He'll give you the bank codes.

Okay? Like, yeah, my ATM number is 32, 32. Right? You're the one on Jimmy Kimmel who went to the, I mean, you're, I continue to contend that Magic Johnson plays poker with his cards facing outwards and then it's surprised when people know what he has in his hand, right? Or he's like that little kid who's like constantly asking for help. What should I do here? What should I do here? Is this a good hand? Do I have a good hand? When there's LeBron, I'm not saying nothing about nobody to nothing. We got enough to win now.

We're trying to win now. Knowing damn well that LeBron James on the plane back to L.A. is sitting there wearing Rob Polink out, man. How do we get Darren Collison out of retirement? Let's get you to John Gullet with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the Herdline News. Sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance, only pay for what you need.

So the Chiefs present a unique challenge to opposing defenses by having two of the fastest guys, maybe the two fastest guys in the league, Tyree Kill and Nicole Hardman. Then on top of it, you have the by the way, Sammy Watkins is on the roster and arguably the best pass-catching tight end in the league in Travis Kelsey. 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Sala talked about the Chief's offense. Almost looks like they got their roster from the Olympic relay team and threw them all on the football field. Not to say that they can't run routes and catch either because they can do that.

They're the fastest team by far. It's, to try to compare it to another team would not do them justice, to be honest with you. Doug, how can the 49ers keep up with the Chiefs for 60 minutes? I mean, it's obvious, you know, you can try and shorten the game, run the football. They do that. And they have probably the fastest defensive line in the league. So you've got to get after the passer. and, you know, they're going to have to keep things in front of them.

They have to keep in front of them. Couldn't you argue that you can't keep up with the receipt. There is no corner that can run with those guys. So the way to beat them is actually how the Niners are built, which is get to Mahomes before he can throw them to ball. Right, but remember, the part of that is the genius to the Chiefs offense, which is they're great in the screen game. Yep.

You know, they're great. And we talk about athleticism, and Lamar Jackson, obviously he's the best athlete of the position, but Patma Holmes, Jimmy Garoppolo, all of these young quarterbacks, Russell Wilson, the reason that the older quarterback struggle, like Philip Rivers and Tom Brady, they're terrible in the screen game because their feet are so bad in terms of just moving and selling a screen or selling a bootleg.

But Kansas City can navigate that with, you know, a little wide receiver screens, little quick crossing routes, shovel passes, which I still don't understand how that's a pass. You get a credit for it. It goes forward. technically, right? But that's how you manage it. I would say that, you know, the other way in which Kansas, probably is going to try and tire them out, right? Run so many plays in such succession that you end up gassing those dudes and you get them off the field. But it's a fascinating matchup,

a team that should be able to shorten the game and should be able to pressure the passer. The problem is that their defensive backfield, if they don't, if he has the time to throw, like Richard Sherman is not fast anymore. No. Maybe he's never been fast. and now he's probably a step slow because of his age, but you can only do so much with your brain. At some point, you need the tangibles of being able to run. It's also tough to shorten the game against the Chiefs because they only need about 10 seconds to score a touchdown,

so they don't really care about your time of possession because they don't need all of it. Well, they violate the rules. It's a lot like the Golden State Warriors, right? Where they violate all the rules. You're not supposed to get behind. They get behind in two straight games. You're supposed to just rear back and throw every time.

They do, right? Ever since they had to run Kareem Hunoff, they've become a lot less balanced, and they're still just as hard to stop. LSU and head coach Ed Orsron have agreed on a six-year contract extension through 2026. Go-togh announced this morning. Not a shocker there. He had kind of a good year.

The deal will have a base annual salary of $6 million. They won the championship this season, went 15 and 0. He is 40 and 9 as the LSU head coach. And this stat is incredible. 11 and 1 in his last 12 games against top 10 teams. That's amazing. Smart of him to cash in now. He lost Joe Brady to the Panthers, the guy that brought in that new offense,

and he lost his defensive coordinator, Dave Aranda to Baylor. So it's probably only going to go downhill, at least temporarily. Kind of funny that he got that job as kind of a second or third choice for LSU. They were hoping to land somebody bigger and kind of settled on him. Do you think he will be at LSU for a long time? Is this a long run? Or is the standard too high? the standard that he has now created

is it too high for him to ever live up to what he just did in 2019? I think that's a fascinating question you asked. I don't know if people know this. Before Les Miles got there, LSU had never had back-to-back 10-win seasons. Right. Even saving. Even saving.

Now, part of it is we play more games now, so you're going to have more 10-win seasons? Like, let's just be honest, okay? That's why the records are how they are. And people should also remember, like, his first year there, he hired an offensive coordinator, to come in and revolutionize and throw the football. It didn't work.

Then he started calling plays, and it was terrible. So then he got a better group of assistance on the offensive side. Added one added to Joe Brady. But now Joe Brady's gone. Dave Iranda's gone. Like, they've lost a lot. Yes, I think they've set the bar really, really high. But it is a play, and it's a division of football, which A&M thinks they've cracked the code, finally.

You still have BAMA. Auburn now has the highest paid defensive coordinator. in all of college football. Like even Mississippi and Mississippi State, I don't think those guys will ever win a title, but Mike Leach and Lane Kiffin are going to, Lane's going to recruit, and the pirate is going to win games.

So, no, I don't think this is sustainable. I just don't because it's hard to sustain it at LSU anyway, and now you're in the most competitive division in all of college football, and you're losing so many of your assistants and your star quarterback. I think it's almost impossible to expect those type of expectations. And what's funny is,

I think we argued on this show that we thought that was crazy for them to fire less miles for what you just said. The expectations are too high down there. And then they somehow just got higher because now they know that they can score points. I think it was less as resistance to change. Sure. I think that's really what it would in fairness.

Like I'm a less fan. I saw we did at Oklahoma State. But it's a bit of resistance to change. And look, what's amazing about the coach O thing and SC people don't want to admit it. I don't know if it works at S. see, because it's kind of hokey, it's very southern. Like, he's from Louisiana.

He works there. Of all places it can work, it's there. They want it to work there. I think they'll always have players. I think they'll always play hard. But this kind of magic that came together this year, I don't think that's a sustainable and something that you should expect on a yearly basis.

And finally, in the win over the nets last night, LeBron scored 27, bringing him just 17 points behind Kobe Bryant for third all-time on the scoring list. He will likely pass him tomorrow night, ironically, in Philadelphia, where Kobe is from. Kobe surprisingly happy for LeBron. He said, quote, you should be happy for the person that comes after you to be able to surpass things that you've done. It's kind of juvenile to think or to behave any other way. I don't know who wrote that quote.

It says it's Kobe. It doesn't sound like Kobe. I'm a little stunned. What is your reaction to that? I know you have a, you know Kobe a little bit. What happened to Kobe? What would happen? What happened?

Like, Kobe Bryant is the ultimate basketball serial killer. Yeah. Right? Like, he's the mama mentality. It's basically like, I'm going to get the ball and I'm going to score. And if I miss it, I'm going to get the ball.

And I'm going to try and score again. If I miss it, I'm going to get the ball. Like that, that's the book. There's the book. Print a book about it. And like, in the same calendar week, he said, hey, you know, there's three women that play in the WNBA that can play in the NBA.

I don't think he believes that for one second. And I don't think that he is really cheering for LeBron. James. He's, I think it'd be juvenile to say it and get it picked up, but in his heart, you, you, you, you cut Kobe Bryant open. You're like, LeBron James going to pass you all time scoring list. He would probably say, yeah, that's just because I stop playing, not because he's better than me, right? So I don't think he's doing cartwheels at all for LeBron. I don't know what happened to Kobe, but this quote machine, Kobe Bryant, I love everybody is not the Kobe that you, me, and everybody else knows is the Mamba. And that's, John late with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. All right, Rich Ornberg is a former NFL player, stud and radio, works for us down in San Diego. You see

him on Fox Sports One all the time. He joins us here in The Herd. So, Rich, here's my take on Eli. Okay? I like Eli. Like, most people would take Eli Manning as their quarterback, and Eli has shown in the biggest game

on Earth, or the biggest game in the United States to be able to perform. But I always thought that like, and I know he's going to get in the Hall of Fame, so I think it's a silly, will he get in, will he not get in, he'll get in? But I always thought the Hall of Fame was for Peyton and for Brady and for Rogers and for the best of the best. Are we putting him in as the Hall of Famer knowing full well that he's not really in that class? Well, he's in that class from one standpoint, and I know this for certain, he's a tremendous ambassador of the game. You know, I think when we talk about Hall of Fame, everybody assumes we're talking

analytically merited greats of the game and that's not so. We're not talking about your stat line. We're not talking this is all subjective. I mean it's feel. When these voters get in a room do they feel like Terrell Owens

is a Hall of Famer? For a lot of them for years they said no I don't feel like he's a Hall of Famer and even this just this month Donovan McNabb talking about how he was a distraction at times and Hall of Fame voters held that against him, did I feel like Terrell Owens was a Hallfamer? Yes, I did. And I still do. And I feel that way

about Eli, but that's my own subjective opinion. Now, I think the reason why there's some uproar is because of regular season issues, but postseason wise, this guy was an absolute road warrior. And during the greatest reign of any dynasty in any sport, he was able to topple the Patriots twice in the game that matters the most. And he did it by on the road both times. He's one, he's eight and four in the postseason. He's one of the better postseason performing quarterbacks in the history of this league. And he's in elite company as far as Super Bowl MVP is I think one of only five multiple Super Bowl MVP winners. So I mean, there is a resume here. And then again, you get back to subjectivity. Do you feel like he's a Hall of Famer or not? That's going to be really a discussion for

what ballot he goes in on. I also think the Manning thing throws people off because everyone thinks that ultimately is what pushes him in, whereas like anybody who has a sibling or raises kids understands that's got to be incredibly difficult. He does actually get an amount of sympathy to me, right, from me, because I understand like I have twin daughters and I know what it's like for one to try and keep up with the other one. One gets a little bit better grades. And And so you give more attention and more positive reinforcement because of the grades and drives the other one crazy, right? I mean, imagine your brother is Peyton Manning, who people, when he retired, people

consider him the greatest quarterback of all time. Your father's Archie. Right? And your father's Archie, you have to live up to that. And that's a lot. And so in addition, and you're playing at the same time as your brother. So it's a direct, it's not like your brother played, you know, it's not like high school, right? When your brother plays, he's set a bread's record.

And now you're trying to live up to your brother's legacy. Like, no, you're actually playing at the same time and the same sport. Competing against each other. I mean, it was such a fascinating time in NFL history. And if they end up both wearing gold jackets, we'll remember it very differently than we're talking about it right now. And I think that's also the reason why we give five years breathing room before the pro football Hall of Fame votes these guys in. Because some of the emotion is subdued after a weight. And people look at the brass tacks.

Also, you want to throw in some more subjectivity. How about where he played? He played in New York. It's one of the busiest media markets in the world. And we didn't hear word one from Eli. And then throw on top of it. So he's Peyton Brothers Archie's son. He's in New York, the busiest media market in the world, or one of them.

And then on top of it, he starts his career marred by forcing his trade out of San Diego to New York. So he raised expectations upon himself. And while he didn't speak negatively about the charges, he didn't speak negatively about the city of San Diego. It was clear he didn't want to play for them. Yes. It was clear he wanted to play for the New York Giants. And it ended up working out where he won them two Super Bowls.

This is a Hall of Fame story. Here's another one, right? Who's the guy who he replaced with the Giants? A Hall of Famer. Kurt Warner. Right? Like there is a, I have a friend who calls it social jiu-jitsu, right? Like, he is a black belt in social jiu-jitsu.

Because he didn't want to play for the charge. but he never said I don't want to play for the charge. Correct. Like he and Kurt, like, it wasn't great how it went down, but it never got public, right? When he got benched for Gino, obviously the Giants kind of under, didn't really realize how negative the name Gino Smith was in New York. But it also was, you can't tell me there was somebody in the Manning clan who didn't kind of generate and organize some of that pushback because the owner was on board,

the GM was on board, the coach. You don't just replace Eli Manning unless everybody's like, okay, let's go and do it. And they did it. And then everybody essentially got fired because of it because of the pushback. But he's been able to somehow stay above the freight. Like that maybe is the greatest accomplishment of his career is that in New York, there were never any fingerprints on anything that helped support him and keep him even through the toughest of times. He led the league in interceptions three times as well.

Oh, yeah. No, and I believe it's the only statistical category he ever led the league in during his career. But he had five double-digit winning seasons and, you know, but five in 16 years is not great. No, like, look, postseason, Flacco is a great post. But, but like, Flacco is a great postseason quarterback, right? Flacco won a Super Bowl, only one, not two. Right.

Flacco has a better regular season record. Now, we can sit here and go. Flacco played for a better organization, but the Giants are really well-run organization. $500 is a quarterback. Flacco wins the second Super Bowl. Flacco is going to be a hallfamer. It's just, there's something special about being able to do this twice.

And realistically, when you look at Eli's career, while there are definitely some negative aspects to it like any career, the durability also is impressive. The fact that this streak wasn't stopped by injury or the fact that he could in any longer, it was a decision by Ben McAdo to bench him for Gino Smith when it happened. And then later on when Daniel Jones was drafted, of course, and he got his curtain call and he got a beautiful send-off. and then his retirement press conference today.

Yeah, it was a complete filled, filled with class. Rich Wernberger joined us here in the herd. I'm Doug Gottlieb filling in for Colin. I said that Brady, I just don't think there's good options, right? Like, I love the charges. I'm a charger fan. I love the people in that front office. I played there.

Yeah. Right? You do radio down in San Diego where people pretend like they don't like the charge, but they'd welcome them back in a heartbeat. But, man, they're like the fifth most important professional football team in L.A. I just can't see it. I can't see the Vegas thing. Even the Vegas kind of makes sense.

He's not Gruden's type of quarterback, and he wants to do his own thing. He doesn't want to run Gruden's system. Can't bring Josh McDaniels with him. I just don't see him going anywhere. It feels like a push for more money. Am I crazy? Well, you're not crazy. I think that's a very valid and reasonable

sort of landing spotter conclusion for this argument, but I don't think he's motivated by money at all. I think his, Brandon, is image is particularly important to him and his legacy because of how much he's been able to do with this career. But I think the most important thing above all of that is winning, is winning and the next championship and sitting in the locker room with him for three years and really, I mean, I'm not studying the guy, but just hearing the way he taught and experiencing his

approach, not just during game day, but on a daily basis, even offseason. He's just looking to win. And so I think his best opportunity to do that is still with New England, even though they've been a little bereft of talent in certain places that would help him. But yeah, I don't see him leaving. Again, you know, like a lot of quarterbacks, I see the two most viable or realistic options for him being he retiring or him returning to the Patriots. I don't see him playing for a different team. You did I say about the Chargers.

You talk about a guy who doesn't get hurt, plays all the time, also a high turnover guy recently. What happens with Philip Rivers? I think he'll probably hang it up. Look, I grew up in New York. When people moved to Florida, it means they're retiring. And he just packed his bags from San Diego, and he moved to Florida, and I think he'll hang it up. Now, I could be dead wrong. But he's got nine kids now, his eldest, I believe, is graduating high school soon.

you know, it's been a heck of a career. And again, I don't think, I think this is the opposite. I think it's more likely that he plays with a different team or retires as opposed to Brady play with the same team or retired. Tampa? Now, I don't see it. Because also, if you think about Bruce Ariens, you want to, you want to either get a draft pick or stick it out with James because he's younger and he may have some of the same issues that Philip Rivers has. But if you believe it in his intelligence, you may catch him on the upswing and get some great things done in Tampa with Winston. All right. So who goes to the Raiders?

I think they stick it out with Derek Carr. It's so awkward. I get it, but I think they stick it out with Derek Carr. I believe now, Gruden isn't labeled as a QB Whisperer, a guy who's a great developmental coach. But that chapter may has yet to be written as they move into Vegas. I give that really a one-year lease at the quarterback position. and Derek feels differently about it right now, but he's not a decision maker.

Mayok and Gruden are the decision makers and really Gruden with a 10-year contract. So I think they stick it out with Derek for a year, and they may look to make a move in the future. There's going to be some great quarterbacks available next year's draft. Last thing, Cam Newton. Joe Brady's coming from LSU, right? He had Joe Burrow, you know, get rid of it, you know,

and be accurate with it. That is not what Cam Newton does. The only hands only 19 million and is Cam Newton. Do they try and make that work for one more year? There's potential there. I think he's going to be trade bait. See if there's a team that could use a veteran quarterback to help mold a room, to help mold a new draft pick, especially someone who's built like him,

who has a strong arm, who is mobile, you know, maybe a quarterback coming out of the draft, potentially even one of these teams scooping up his contract and having. a cheap rookie at quarterback who he can sort of show the ropes to. That, that I think is the most viable option. But if they have to eat $19 million and have him, who is a great community member in that locker room, that's not the worst thing in the world for the Carolina Panthers. Rich Ornberg, of course, you can see him on all of our shows on Fox Sports One,

longtime NFL player. Of course, hear him on the radio in San Diego as well. Rich, great stuff. Thanks for joining us. Yeah, thank you. All right, coming up next. People will say one thing publicly, but have a much harder time actually following through with it in their own

Lives. You're seeing it with one NBA team who frankly is a championship contender, maybe a championship favorite. We'll get to that next in the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. 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. Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode,

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Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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. 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's two different levels of trust.

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What's up, guys? This is Clifford Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff, like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This line is. You know these kids. This linebacker whops up to me.

He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue of 42. Hey, rep, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker.

Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the. internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself.

And on my new podcast, Hope I'm a Hippocrat. I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike! I'm a comedian! I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary.

Oh, cream a chicken suit. Hey, cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from a Hypocrite as part of the Mike Cultura podcast network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. computer systems and cars are the new normal, but advanced tech like the touchscreen displays and sensors are expensive to fix if and when they break. That's why you need CarShield.

Call 800, Car, 6,000, and mention the herd or visit CarShield.com. Use the code herd to save 10%. The deductible may apply. Doug Gottlieb in for Colin, this is The Herd on Fox Sports Radio on the IHeart Radio app. Apparently there's a little bit of whining and complaining going on with some or some by. in the Clippers organization. Okay, so here's basically what's happened. The Clippers were a lot like the Brooklyn Nets.

Those are the two teams that everybody said, man, they got great chemistry. Man, they look like they're having a lot of fun. And then they went out and both added two superstars. Now, this is from the Athletic, and it should be pointed out that Patrick Beverly retweeted it and said fake, fake, fake news. But again, this is a report from the Athletic

to valuable resources like Sam Amix one, right or right. And who's the other one? Yovan Buha. Those are two guys that cover and know the league. So somebody told them something. At pulling off one of the most impressive off-season we've seen in a long time, the story begins. Signing Kauai and Paul George.

The Clippers made an immediate leap from possible playoff team to title favorite. So far, however, their brilliant summer has not led quite the success they were hoping for. They're 31 and 14, which is good for third place, but four and a half back of their roommates, the L.A. Lakers, the top spot in the West. This from the athletic. Off the court, sources say that some teammates

who have struggled with the organization's preferential treatment that is afforded to Leonard and George, on the one hand, there is a sort of superstar handling and somewhat commonplace in the NBA, but that element didn't exist with the Clippers last season. where they were largely an egalitarian ecosystem. It's been an adjustment for multiple players to see newcomers come in and have a significant influence on everyone's schedule.

When walkthroughs were unexpectedly canceled this season, for example, sources say some of Leonard's teammates who had been eager to work believed he was the one who made the final call. Doc Rivers denied this was the case for the athletic. In other words, like, look, man, we had a way of doing things and it was working. It was about chemistry and cohesion and being, you know, for the common good. And now you got Kauai's like, yeah, I don't feel like shoot around today. Let's cancel that thing, Doc.

And any good coach has to, on some level, adhere to the whims of their star. Paul George's had dual shoulder surgeries. He wasn't ready in the preseason. Like, look, this is the problem with the NBA is it's a league of respect. You've got to have the respect of your peers. you have to earn that respect as a player, as a worker, as a person. You have to earn that respect. Once you get it, though, there's an amount of entitlement that comes to it.

It's an amount of entitlement. And either you deal with it and slowly merge in your chemistry or you fight it. Look, the Lakers struggle with this. They struggle with it when LeBron was hurt. When LeBron's out, how do you handle it? And think about it. And again, you can be sympathetic towards some of these Clippers players. like before you got here

we were having a lot of fun everybody got shots I knew what my minutes were now I don't know if Kauai is playing tonight and if Kauai's playing I'm going to play half as many minutes now if he is playing we got a chance of winning but we're also playing through him so my role changes

so this is the true challenge to Doc Rivers right this is NBA coaching is a little bit about basketball a little bit about finding mismatches and making adjustments a lot about handling personalities. These are the dog days of summer in baseball,

only in winter or in basketball. Because look, once you get to the playoffs and you're winning, nobody, dude, you buy your role, you get your role, and all these guys are going to play every night. But this has happened to the Nets, which were team chemistry last year in the East, and to the Clippers, team chemistry in the West,

both added superstars, and both have done the exact same thing, where they've hurt their own chemistry, chemistry, hurt who they are in the culture of what they built, because they're grasping at the brass ring and trying to win the whole thing, and to win the whole thing, you've got to have a dude or two, and this is what you do when you have a dude or two. Sadly, this is the NBA.

This is the NBA. The bronze, not alone in his desire to have it his way. Most of the stars do. It makes the Spurs even more, even more respected. Tom Brady's not going anywhere. I can explain why. Upcoming next. I'm Doug Gottlie.

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Welcome in. This is the herd live in Los Angeles, wherever you may be, and however you may be making as part of your day. Thanks so much. I'm Doug Gottlie, filling in for Colin Cowherd. You're listening live on Fox Sports Radio, the IHeart Radio app, the Coward podcast, or maybe watching on Fox Sports One, where we are packing up and we are headed to South Beach.

Headed to Miami. I will point out, Colin's going to be there Monday, right? Monday and Tuesday of Super Bowl Week is a lot like getting, to a party that people say starts at 7 at like 6.30. You get there and wife still got her hair and curlers. The husband just got home from the golf course. He's like, I got to take a shower. Do me favor.

There's a couple beers in the fridge. You want to take a couple out, I'll be right down. You know, then like 7 o'clock, you know, like people start showing up. They're like still setting out like, no, we get to a party at 7 at 7. But Miami, a very good event town. You know, it's like a less. dangerous, slightly less fun, better weather, more secluded New Orleans. Is that good? Do we be good there? Yes. Like there's some stuff that goes down,

not to the level of New Orleans that stuff that goes down, but plenty of stuff can go down. Weather's usually good, although can be rainy, right? It gave us, I remember when Peyton played in the Super Bowl and they beat the Saints, how bad the weather was then? That was terrible. terrible. Of course, since then, what used to be Joe Robbie, and I would challenge that this stadium has had more names than any stadium in the NFL. I'm just going to throw that out there. Through no research at all, I think Dolphin Stadium has had more names than any stadium in the NFL. I can think of six off the top of my hand, and I am not Wikipedia at all. But I don't think, though Dolphins, Stadium, which is really cool. They did a really cool redo a couple years ago where they have, everything's covered except to the field with the, like, almost like a tarp over the top roof.

You know, you got seats that are like 50-yard line. You got like a TV in front of you. It's really cool. You know, he's not going to play there, not just this weekend, but next year as a home team player is Tom Brady. Like I had heard, well, what about Miami? It's got Brian Flores like, yeah, they're not close. It's not like you go like, hey, you put Tom Brady in here, you move some stuff around. Like, nah, that's not what they're doing. Like the dolphins have a plan. The plan was Tua, and whether or not they stick with Ryan Fitzpatrick or not, while letting Tua get healthy, that seems like a viable, possible plan.

You don't go from the Patriots who won 12 games with one of their worst rosters in terms of skill position players on offense to go to the dolphins. to try and beat the page. Like that's, I don't, that's not happening. So what are the possible destinations for Tom Brady? Super Bowl week was always Brady week. He's been the nine of these. Nine.

Nine. One of you think about this. Goulet, is Tom Brady been a quarterback, starting quarterback 18 years in the league? Or is it 19? If you think about it, if it's 18 years in the NFL, he has been to the Super Bowl just as many times, as he has not been to the soup pole in his career.

That's crazy. Crazy. And so now he's a burgeoning free agent, a possible free agent. And this is from Adam Schefter, but it's obviously completely and totally believable. The Patriots said, hey, dude, you got to let us know. We want you, but you got to let us know. That's the Patriots saying, we are not doing a bidding war. We're not doing that.

We don't need to do that. Here's how much we'll pay you. We'd like to get it done sooner rather than later because then we can put some of that money on last year's salary cap. Here's how much. Here's for how long. We don't need to introduce to your coaches.

We don't need to tell you who the offensive coordinator is going to be. The sooner you commit, the sooner we can go out and add skill position pieces. We'll have Edelman coming back off of knee surgery. We'll have more time to figure out the tight end position. You know about your running backs. Nikiel Harry will be back for a second year. He couldn't be worse than he was in his first year.

We can fix it. We need to know. That is the Patriots calling the bluff of Tom Brady because they know what I'm about to tell you. It's not just that Dorothy was right. There's no place like home. There's just no other place that makes a ton of sense. This was LeBron choosing the Lakers.

Staying Cleveland didn't make sense. Philadelphia didn't make sense. The Knicks didn't make sense. You can't go back to Miami. You had to go to the Lakers. It made the most sense. Staying in New England makes the most sense for Tom Brady. Had Josh McDaniels gotten the Cowboys job?

Or, heck, even got the Giants job, maybe. Maybe that it makes sense. But the marriage of convenience with the Raiders. Think about all of the things that John Gruden has always wanted in a quarterback. The most success he ever had, with any quarterback was when he built a team that went to the Super Bowl with the Oakland Raiders. His quarterback was Rich Gannon. Here's how athletic Rich Gannon was.

He was drafted in the NFL as a defensive back. From Brad Johnson to Rich Gannon, like he doesn't even dare a car. He didn't like statues back there. And it's not like the Raiders are a quarterback away. Does it make sense to play a show once a week in Vegas and your retirement tour? Sure, plenty of people have done it. Brittany's doing it now. Shares done it. You know, they've all,

you name it, they've all done it. It's a great way to collect a check. You go out and play golf. But like, you're going to teach him a new system in year 20? The chargers on paper to somebody who's never been to Los Angeles makes sense. They're going to play in the best stadium on Earth. Like that stadium, SoFi Stadium, is going to be ridiculous. And what he didn't have in New England skill position players, they have coming out their nose in L.A. with the Chargers.

Mike Williams on one side, Keenan Allen on the other, Hunter Henry, who is playing now for the Chargers. Healthy. Okay, you got Austin Eckler. Maybe you have Melvin Gordon. If not, you move on from Melvin Gordon. You get more. Like they have an embarrassment of riches at skill position.

Their problem has been an offensive line, which, by the way, is a big issue with Tom Brady. He's got a play call that's been calling plays for like five games. You're going to learn a completely new system, and Brady's going to have to teach a coordinator exactly what play. And the bigger thing is this. We're talking about building Tom Brady's brand. Does it build his brand to be in the Chargers as the second NFL team in L.A.?

and maybe the fifth most important NFL team in L.A.? I'm not saying anything that Chargers brass doesn't know. The Raiders, the Steelers, the Niners, the Cowboys, and probably the Rams are more popular in L.A. Will Brady level some of that off? Yeah, because he's Brady. Like David Beckham came and played for the Galaxy, and it was kind of a thing. But it never measured up to all the big pro sports franchises in Los Angeles. just not. The Galaxy was never on par with college football, NBA basketball, Dodgers,

maybe even the Angels. The only reason Brady would go out and get more offers is because he wants more money. Money equates to respect. Hey man, I've been doing it for less for a long time. Now I'm fighting off my wife. I'm fighting off father time. Taking a beating back there. You're not providing me with the type of, you told me if I took less money, you'd give me the best players. and we don't have the best players. So which is it? And now I'm done being the nice guy. I want a big fat check, and I want players around me.

You guys figured out. Everybody else seems to figure it out. But the Patriots laying down the early law, hey dude, let us know now, we got a plan. I mean, that's, listen, you're coming to the party, not coming to the party. The party is taking place whether you're going to be there or not.

It's not a Tom Brady celebration. The Patriots are. are calling Brady's bluff because they know he doesn't really fit with the Raiders, and they're not that good. He doesn't really fit with the Chargers. Giselle's not moving to the Midwest, not doing Indy, something like that. The dolphins are a year away from being a year away. The best place is to stick with Josh, stick with the Patriots,

stick in New England where he's had all his success. And that's why they're pushing it. Got to know now, got to know now. because they know he's not an idiot. He might ask for a little bit more money, but he'll end up settling because he's always settled for a little bit less to be comfortable. Be comfortable.

All right, coming up next, Rick Buechers joins the show. Do the Lakers need to make a move before the deadline? And if so, what is that move? That's upcoming next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I Heart Radio app.

We are headed to Miami, starting Monday, The HARD, and all of our FS1 shows will be live at Loomis Park and South Beach as we get ready for Super Bowl 54. We'll have great guests, including Russell Wilson, Michael Strayhan and Terry Bradshaw. FS1 Super Bowl Week live from Miami is only three days away. Nobody reads a promo like John Goulet. Nobody.

Nobody. You can be big voice guy on a Fox movie very, very soon. Doug Gottlieb in studio for Colin. Colin's on his way to South Beach with a short stop over in Park City on the slopes. Don't hit a tree, Colin. Or if you do, I'll fill in for you. It's cool.

I'll get the upgrade hotel-wise. Rick Buecker joins us. Of course, you see him on all of our shows here on Fox Sports 1. Read his work and bleach report, long-time NBA writer. All right, let's start with the Lakers from last night. They go and they beat the nets. And afterwards, LeBron James. Do we have that ready?

LeBron James was talking about needing whether or not they need another player, need another weapon. This is on Spectrum Sportsnet. Take a listen. We have enough right now, but it's not about, you know, competing and worrying about June.

It's about worrying about January. And if we continue to get better throughout January, and then we move on to February and continue to get better. If we continue this trend, then we'll put ourselves in a position, where we can compete for a championship and have a chance. And in this league and in sports in general, all you want is a chance.

So it tells me two things. Okay. One, he's smarter than Kyrie Irving. Yes. And two, he's learned from his past mistakes. Thank you. That's it. If you're asking me the question that he was asked,

do they have enough? No, they do not. Of course not. They need another piece. But there's no reason for LeBron James with his history or his position with the Lakers to open that can of worms and say this is what we need. What is the matter with Kyrie Irving? Like, help me out.

And he, for people who haven't been following it. Turned to Dr. Phil. No, but just listen, for people who haven't been following it. So Kyrie going back like a week ago said, you know, hey, we don't have enough. Now, he hasn't even played a game with Kevin Durant yet. Right. So who knows. When he comes back, we're going to be a guy or too short.

He named like four other guys. 15 guys in a roster. And Joe Harris and Jared Allen notably not mentioned. Right. Not not mentioned. Right. So then he kind of, I should have named all 15 guys, whatever.

Like, no, no, you shouldn't. And then he said, you know, Dr. Martin Luther King, you know, was like, dude, please don't like yourself to Dr. Martin Luther King. Like, we asked you about your team and you said you don't have enough. And then you didn't mention like,

I don't know, nine guys currently on the roster. Like you did this, what's wrong with Kyrie? Well, he said many times that he learned how to lead from LeBron James. He's read a little bit too closely. We've seen LeBron do the same thing. Yes. LeBron will say something.

It will not land the way he had intended, and he will try to revise it and say, well, what I meant was. And then if people aren't buying that, he will turn himself into a victim as far as you guys don't understand what it's like to be me, et cetera, et cetera. So look, I don't know Kyrie well enough to say why he is the way he is. But he acts. As someone observing him, he acts like a narcissist. It's always you don't get me. And my view of things, if you don't see it my way, then that's your fault, not my fault.

and I think in some ways he doesn't he sees himself in one way and yet doesn't have the ability to actually be the person that he thinks that he is. It's really interesting. I said this early in the show. The two teams that everyone in the NBA I talked to said had great chemistry last year with the clippers and the nets. Everybody's like, man, they look like they're having fun. Yes.

Right? Yes. Because the NBA regular season, reasons not fun. They were better than the sum of their parts because of their chemistry. The some of their parts was better than the individual pieces. Exactly right. Right? Yes. Okay. And they looked like they were having fun like, they're not that much fun to go and play

like the Lakers played New York and then they play Brooklyn and then they play in Philly. You know, it's cold and you're like, oh, more games that don't matter. But the Nets and the Clippers somehow made it fun last year. For sure. Okay. They both added two superstars. The Nets don't have one playing. The Clippers occasionally have both playing. Right. But I just wonder, and you know, there's a story about the Clippers, which I know Pat Beverly said is fake news, but I do think there's some reasonable. Sure. There's people who are like, man, it's a lot with Kauai sometimes playing, sometimes not playing. Without

question, anytime there's a double standard, there's going to be issues within a team. But the reality is in the NBA, there are always double standards. There are double standards everywhere you go, superstars, people who drive the bus, are treated differently. They're afforded different things. Now, this is a new situation for the Clippers, and this is where it's different from the Nets, because the expectation is, one, that they're going to win a championship, and two, you have four guys led by Montres Herald who are on contract years. So is it a problem?

No. Is it real? Yes, it is. In that there are some rumblings. There's some discord. But it's not any discord that we haven't seen with the calves or the Warriors. The Warriors had all of this the last couple of years. Yes, but are they equipped to handle it? That's the big question. That's, we don't know because they haven't climbed the mountain and navigated those issues and then successfully won a championship.

But when I look at, I don't see any way in which Mantra is. Harold and his desire to get paid doesn't benefit from them winning a championship. So ultimately, when everybody has to put everything aside, I believe that they will. Rick Buecker joining us in The Hurt. I'm Doug Gottliebilling in for Colin. Let's dial back, and this does include the Clippers. In regards to the Lakers, we both agree they don't have enough. Right. You think Andre Godalas solves all their problems.

I do not. I think there's a reason you've heard Derek Rose. There's a reason you've heard Darren Collison, who they wanted in the off season. LeBron is not a – he can bring the ball up the court. He can start an offense, but he's not a point guard, especially for the most of the game. Rondo's not good enough. I love Caruso. They love Caruso.

They love Caruso. Who can play with LeBron. Do they not? They do. Honestly, they need both. I don't think that they're one piece away. I think they're two. I think they need another dynamic.

wing player, particularly a defensive wing player like an Iguodala, a guy with experience. Look, I don't know ultimately that they're going to move Kyle Kuzma. I've been told that all the talk about, you know, the discord between him and LeBron, they realize the problem is Kuzma's contract. You can't get back requisite talent for him because he's paid so less. A rookie contract that's not at the top of the draft. Exactly. So I agree with you and that they need to upgrade at the.

point guard position. They need another playmaker, but I would also say that they need both. They do need both. Are they going to get a move done before the trade deadline? I don't know that they're going to make them a trade deadline, but I would expect that they're going to pick somebody up afterward. Yeah, the interesting part is going to be, you know, they could have DeMarcus Cousins roster spot. They could cut him, but that would give them just a depth of point guards that they don't need. And I don't think they're getting rid of Caruso. And I think Queen Cook can make some shots and can be the 15th guy.

I almost feel like you're not going to bump Rondo down a peg. I think you'd cut Rondo if you get a point card. Yeah. I also wonder where they are with Quinn Cook and with Avery Bradley. Avery Bradley, to me, feels like the guy. Yeah. Who's the odd man out. Because Rajan, you can look at him and say, well, he's got a lot of experience.

But he hasn't been good. I'm not arguing. I'm not arguing that. Avery Bradley's not playing well. Rajan Rondo's not good anymore. Right? Bradley can play better. Okay. Rondo cannot.

But the counter to that is Rajan has been very special in the postseason. When? When he hasn't been good in the regular season? But when? When was the last time? Chicago. How many years ago was that? How many years ago was that?

I understood. I'm not arguing that. I'm not arguing that. Dude, my space was the bomb. But you believe... Back when my space was the bomb. Here's the thing. When a guy has that requisite experience and it has it in his DNA, you at least go, he's done it.

For Avery, no offense to Avery, but Avery has never done it. So if I'm going to roll the dice on one or the other, I can at least make a case that Rajan has demonstrated me when the lights are brightest, he has come through. Hmm. Okay. They're all fighting over Darren Collison. Does he want to go to the Lakers or the Clippers? I would gather by his previous relationship with Doc that he would prefer the Lakers. That would be his first choice. But I would also say, I've been told, that he would take the Clippers over any other option rather than leaving L.A. Yeah, it's fascinating. Like a guy who grows up in Southern California, plays at UCLA, has a chance to be, maybe kind of the savior for the Lakers. If he doesn't take that gig, that would be more surprising than Kauai and Paul George,

not playing for the Lakers. But he's a different cat, right? A Jehovah Witness, a guy who walked away from a $10 million offer to not play for anybody this year. He still may end up making money back and whatever, but he is clearly, clearly a different cat. All-star announcements, starters were announced yesterday. You have any problem, like with the Jimmy Butler snub? Yeah, big time. this is what I don't understand.

Why is Jimmy Butler in the front court? Why do we make him be part of the front court? He should be a starter regardless. You can make him a guard. Who do you take out? Trey Young. Yes. Well, look, my argument against Trey Young is this.

Is he better than many people thought he would be statistically in the NBA? Yes, but his team isn't any good. And if he's the best player and he's an all-star, they have to be a little bit better. Whereas Jimmy Butler has gone and all of a sudden, Miami is competitive at the top of the NBA. Now, I don't think that's all Jimmy Butler, but I think a good portion of it is. And the fact that then you use the statistical analysis, which tells you Trey Young is the third worst defender in the NBA. And his team loses, that tells you something about the value of the two guys. If we are making the All-Star game all about being entertaining, which is essentially why we have to fan vote.

Trey Young is an all-star. Yes. But if we're using it. So is Zion Williamson, by the way, if we're going by that. Sure, absolutely. But if we're going by, we want to reward the guys who are having the best season, then Jimmy Butler is a starting all-star guard. I'm not going to get like.

So we have to make a decision. Right. Like what is it? Because the coaches, the coaches select on who the best players are. The fans select on who they like and who's the most. entertaining. And so we have a conflict in what the definition of an All-Star is. I think it's where you go with All-Pro more than All-Star, right, don't you? In terms of who's really had it. So that's my, so that's my, my, my suggestion is that we just make the All-Star game

entertaining. Make it the fan vote. Make it all fan vote. Make it like just, I just want to see the most exciting players who are going to put the, like Al Horford, God bless him, you can be an All-Star. I did not want to see him. Yeah, we just want Zach. We want Zach Levine. Yes, we want Zach Levine. Absolutely. Right.

And so. Can't win a game. Awesome, awesome dunker score. He can win some games. Okay. We can have this conversation some other time. But then expand the all NBA, the all pro teams. Pick five of them at the end of the year.

Now you're picking the best 25 players in the league and we know what is what. All right, Buk, I got to ask you. So Zion plays two nights. He's going to play again tonight against Denver. Mm-hmm. What was, your impression watching him? He surprised me

in being able to do things that I did not expect him to do, passing the ball, his floor vision, the three points shooting. I don't know if that's sustainable, but it was impressive. I was struck by one, that he's not in shape

after all these months, and that he runs like a guy whose feet or his knees or something hurt. him as he goes up and down the floor. And it concerns me. Like, and normally I, I take great issue when load management and protecting players by not playing them is an issue. After watching him, I had no problem with them sitting him down the last few minutes because I thought he's fatigued. He's not in shape. He's carrying a little too much weight. And he has an injury history.

Why is he carrying too much weight? Why would they put him on that basketball floor if he's not at the, at the optimal weight? What is the rush? What and why after all these months could you not get him into shape? I can only assume that there's something about his diet or his metabolism that he picks up bad weight easily. Because, again, it's one thing if you're 285 and 6-6, if you're 285 and 6-6, and you've had three injuries basically over the last year, that's a problem. Yeah. Now, have you seen him in person before? I don't think I have.

Okay. So that's one of the things that I think some people are, you know, you see him in highlights, you see him at Duke. I saw him play Duke Louisville in person last year. And when you're watching him warm up, you're like, wow, he really is. And at the time, people thought he was like 6, 7, you know, and you're like, wow, he really is six, five. He looks, his build is not that of a basketball player.

Right. Like basketball players are not built that thick, you know, from his leg. Like he's, most basketball players have little stick legs, right? And even when they have broad shoulders and then they have a thin torso, right? and they got that perfect V. He's not that. He's like a block of muscle and probably some fat as well. But I was struck by, I knew he could pass.

I know he can play. The shooting was wide open. And obviously that's the stuff that you work on most when you're sitting out. But the fact that they let him on the floor when he wasn't in, like you can not be in basketball shape and lose your wind. That I understand. But I would have thought he'd be, you know, 2.45, 250 flying around the court. Yes. You know, looking like a guy who would drop 20 pounds.

And he didn't. And that alarmed me to where, like, is this the best shape he can get in? Yeah. Maybe they think just playing him into shape the way that Shaq used to play into shape. But the problem is that when you play heavy, that's when you get hurt. And when, yes, when you're not in shape and you're playing heavy and you're picking up the game, 40 games in, when everybody else has been playing for 40 games, like that doubles, that doubles the amount that you have to catch up on.

Rick Buecker, check him out on. speak for yourself upcoming. Of course, read his work in the Bleacher Report. Awesome stuff, Duke. Thanks so much. Let's get to John Gullet with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So Doug, everyone is weighing in congratulating Eli Manning, who had his retirement

press conference today, including a quarterback he will forever be tied to, Tom Brady. Brady tweeted, congratulations on your retirement and a great career, Eli. Not going to lie, though, I wish you hadn't won any Super Bowls. first of all, that's pretty funny. As Brady goes, that's hilarious. Yes. Right? Like for Brady, that's more than a knee slap.

You're like, oh my God, Tom, fire coming out of your fingertips. Great tweet. He only had two days to get that tweet ready. Yes. It's got to bug Brady what Eli Manning blocked him from doing, correct? He ruined his perfect season. He's the Billy Bob of Varsie Blues. You room up perfect season, Billy Bob?

Yes. No. Basically, he's been seen varsity blues. I have seen varsity blues. But in this scenario, Tom Brady is Bud Kilmer. That's not great. No. No.

No. Perfect season. Remember, we had a 10, because of Eli, we had a 10-year gap for Brady with Super Bowls. It wasn't just Eli. It was who rolled up on his knee the next season. Here's what people, here's what people can forget about Tom Brady that I haven't, which is they lose. losing the Super Bowl, but they had, that was the best team we'd ever seen.

That was 50 touchdown passes. That was 18 and 0. The league started to catch up at the end, right, where the Giants almost beat him last game of the regular season, Ravens almost beat him, and then they get the Super Bowl and the Giants do beat him. But they had everybody back. They had Rainy Moss in his prime, and Tom Brady misses the year with a torn ACL. It was Bernard Pollard, by the way.

Bernard Pollard rolls up on him Thursday. Bernard Pollard kept us from having Tom Brady back, winning another Super Bowl or another couple of Super Bowls. I don't think Eli Manning did. Remember, the first one, David Tyree with the miracle catch. Yeah. But I know that Eli was the MVP. The real MVP was the defensive line.

Absolutely. And the defense line, Tom Brady couldn't stand in the spot. He was completely under pressure. He didn't look like himself. He didn't play well. We're like misremembering the Super Bowl. So I don't think he's bitter about. Brady's been to nine.

He's won six. I don't think that he's that upset with that one. Tom Brady isn't the only future Hall of Fame quarterback that is a free agent this off season. Drew Brees still has a decision to make whether he wants to come back and play in 2020, but he says if he does, it will only be in one place. To me, it's been each one of these contracts, which I don't know how many it's been, you know, with the Saints. I've played with them 14 years, but each one, it's just, it's not a matter of if it gets done.

It's win. And, you know, obviously at this stage in my career, it's, you know, not a given that I'm coming back every year. It's just, but when that time comes, then, you know, I'll always be a saint. It's kind of funny hearing him say I'll always be a saint, whereas Brady's like, can't wait for free agency. But obviously, Breeze has already played somewhere else before. By the way, the charges can need a quarterback. How great would be that.

But let's have Drew Breeze. We're playing in a dome, Drew can help your arm. Do the Saints have one more run in them or with Drew Breeze? Or is he coming back to a team? team that might not be able to get to the Super Bowl, which is really the only reason he's still playing. I think what he has is one of the things that Brady has wanted, right? I don't think Brady would ever let Taysom Hill come and take snaps for him. No.

But they look, they have other options. They have other weapons. I mean, look, it worked out perfectly for Breeze. Last year at the end of the year, he faded. This year he wasn't, like, he used to get in a pass for how bad he's been in playoff games. Yeah. You know, people forget that after the past interference call was missed, they got the ball in overtime and didn't score you through interception.

And then this year wasn't great. So I think, you know, look, you got arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. You got an unbelievable weapon in your backfield who can line up out wide or run the football. You got Tayson Hill. You got a great play call. You got it right now a great backup in Teddy Bridgewater. We'll see. So, and you had a good defense.

I think, yes, they will have another run in them. I think the only reason he's thinking about leaving is, like, look, there's rivers, breeze, and maybe one or both of the mannings, those guys are going to be on TV. Like, Troy Aikman's not going anywhere, right? He's our guy. He ain't going anywhere. But Romo, if he stays, if he goes,

there's going to be another seat. There's going to be another seat open. And who's going to take that seat? And I think that Drew Breed's like, man, I can do that for 20 years, 30 years. And look at how much Romo's enjoyed it. I think that's what's more intriguing to these guys than anything. Well, also, it's kind of weird

because the Saints have a succession plan that will get, If Breeze comes back, it's likely Bridgewater says, okay, well, I'm going to leave then. I'm going to go start somewhere else. And they won't have a succession plan. Meanwhile, the Patriots are Jared Stidham, sign Amy Dalton. There's not really a plan B. And finally, last night, LeBron and Yannis were named the captains for the NBA All-Star game after leading their respective conferences in fanboats. They are the two they get to draft their teams from the pool of starters that have already been determined and then reserved.

the East starters, Kemba Walker, Trey Young, Pascal Seacum, and Joel Embed, the West. Sounds a little better on paper. James Harden, Anthony Davis, Cawai Leonard, Luca Donchit. A little better? A lot better. That's a varsity in the JV.

Who would your first pick be? If you were one of these guys with the first pick, who's the first guy you're taking? In a real game? All-Star game, real game. I mean... The All-Star game is not a real game. In a real basketball game, you take Kauai Leonard. He's the best player.

Okay. For an all-star game, though, he's not fun. No. No, for an all-star game, uh, I might take Tray Young or James Harden. I, but James Hardin, I mean, James Hardin is the, is the best all-around offensive player.

Let me ask you this. If you're LeBron, do you have to take a D? You have to take Andy. Okay. Yeah, he's like, this is like me at my, I'm coaching my son's baseball team. Like, look, I got a couple of these kids. They're my son's friends, so we're going to have to draft them.

We all have friends of family. like, all right, I need a dad with a good, my, one of the things I rank, whose dad has the best pool for the pool party, right? Who can go to practice when I don't want to go to practice, right? I don't want any psychos, right? There's no kids, no fifth and sixth graders being drafted. So, straight out of the NBA is like fifth or sixth on your list. Yeah, talented player take Kauai Leonard.

Not a question. Helps you both ends, big shot maker, you know, two-time finals MVP, no question. All-Star game might take Trey Young first. If now, I'll take James Hardin. And that's John Gulley with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News.

Make 2020 your year you could start. Your New Life is an IT pro. And as little as four months, classes are on campus or live online. Go to My Computercareer.edu and take the free career evaluation today. So Eli Manning retired as of today. He's a lock to be in the Hall of Fame. But who should be in the...

the Hall of Fame. That's part of our best for last. It's next in the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeard Radio app. Ready to upgrade your wiper blades. Michelin Endurance XT Silicon Wiper Blades are real world proven for extreme weather performance that lasts two times longer than other blades. The new Michelin Endurance XT Silicon Wiper Blades are only available at Walmart. Doug Gottliebin for Colin. This is the heard. Don't worry. We did in fact save 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. Eli Manning made it official today saying goodbye to the media, his teammates and his organization, got me thinking to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which I do assume he'll be a part of. There are some current players we know are locks, and there's some other players that have compiled impressive numbers and we'll call them knocks, right? Knocking at the door of the Hall of Fame. Why don't we play Hall of Fame lock or Hall of Fame knock, knock? Is that okay, John Gle?

I'm ready. I think we should put a little disclaimer that you have a very high standard for the Hall of Fame more than, I say, higher than most people. That I, again, don't yell at me. I didn't. I'm just telling you. You have a very high. I want people to know.

I have high standards. High standards. Everybody with myself. Let's start with a pretty easy one. Tom Brady. Six times Super Bowl champ, three-time MVP. That's a Hall of Fame lot. That's how it locks down to Fed.

What about Eli Manning? Everyone's been talking about that this week. All right, two-time Super Bowl MVP, two-time Super Bowl champion. 117 and 117 career record. You know? That ain't great. Nine out of 16 seasons, they finished with less than 10 wins. Like 10 wins, that's not a high bar.

You talk about a high bar. It's not a high bar. Only one playoff games in the two Super Bowl years. I'm going to say knock-knock. How about another guy, associated with Eli, same draft. Philip Rivers. See a lock or is he knocking? More passing yards than Eli.

Only been to an AFC championship game. Six all time in passing yards. Never reached a Super Bowl. Only played one team. So far. You know, so far. But it's put up ridiculous numbers and has a better regular season record by 20 games better than Eli Manning. Still put him in knock knock.

How about Aaron Rogers? Best NFL past rating NFL history. Two-time MVP Super Bowl champion. champion. He's a lot. Okay, let's go to some running backs. Okay. Frank Gore. Oh, Frank Gore. Love Frank Gore. Torbo with the ACLs. Still playing.

He's like, he's like Joe Lewis, right? Joe Lewis was 72 years old. Right? That's the same thing with Frank Gore. Frank Gore's third most rushing yards in the NFL, never want a super bowl. Stat compiler. Everybody likes the longevity at a position that doesn't have longevity. Good leader now. I'll put him as a knock knock.

Yeah, he played a lot longer than most running backs. Yes. Adrian Peterson. But now he was MVP, plus he's the comeback player of the year. Fifth most rushing yards in NFL history in a passing era. Fourth most rushing TDs. He had a thousand yards rushing last year with Washington. People forget. I think he's a lock hall of fame.

Let's go to the defense. Aaron Donald. See a lock or is he a knock knock? Two-time DPOI, defense player of the year. Five-time all pro. highest paid player and a defensive player and nobody even winces at it?

Yeah, he's a lot. What about Terrell Suggs? He was defensive player of the year. He did win a Super Bowl, but he was on a defense that was loaded with other dudes, right? You know, you got Ed Reed, you got Ray Lewis, a loading not up for a good portion of time

when he was in Baltimore, a dominating deep. I think he's more of a knock-knock. Richard Sherman. Third Super Bowl He's led the NFL in interceptions since 2011.

Look, Richard. That's a tricky stat because sometimes the guys that don't throw it at Dorel Rivas. I would say, look, some of it is his own self, you know,

his grandiose statements. Like, look, he's walked the walk, he's talked to talk, but he's walked the walk. I think he's a lot. I think he's a lot. What about Akeem to leave? He's talked to talk. He's walked some of the walk.

One is super bowl with the Broncos. Great defense. 10th career interceptions return for TDs. He calls him clean looks. Clean looks. He's got some clean looks he's taken to the house. He's had some off-to-field baggage. It's unavoidable to not discuss with a key, but he's definitely matured.

Respecting the league. And I'd say there's guys in the league that would say, hey, he might actually been better at times than Dorel Rivas, but I think he's more knock-knock. Let's go back to the offense. Okay. You're a Chargers guy. Antonio Gates.

He's not quite as good looking. I mean, nobody's as good looking as Tony Gonzalez. He's like a not as refined version of Tony Gonzalez. Plus, he got caught with PEDs once a couple years ago. But he's what? Most receiving touchdowns by tight end in NFL history. Third and receptions by third most receptions in tight end. He's a lock.

He's getting it. Also. They now scout basketball players to play football because of him. That's because of one person. Right. Well, Tony Gonzalez, too, but Tony Gonzalez was a football player basketball. Sticking with tight ends. Jason Witten.

I think he's a knock, knock. Now, he's a ring of, this is what, like, he's a ring of honor guy with the Cowboys. Second most receiving yards receptions by tight end NFL history, but played a long time. Stat compiler. Didn't feel like he was as dynamic as Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates. Never played a Super Bowl. I think that hurts him, although Gates didn't either. I'm kind of angry as a Cowboys fan.

Whatever, moving on. Larry Fitzgerald. He's a lock. When Kurt Warner took them to the Super Bowl, like, you asked Kurt, he was like, look, it helped that I played indoors, and it helped that we had a great offense, you know, but it really helped that I had Larry Fitzgerald, like his three. That was, Larry Fitzgerald was the best, maybe the best player in the league that year. He's 11-time pro bowler, pure class, and move from the outside.

and inside changed his game mid-career because his skill set changed. I think he's a Hall of Famer, first ballot, no question. And wide receivers generally aren't first ballot. Last one, this one gets tough. Yes. Julian Edelman. I think he's a knock, knock. No all pro selections, no pro bowls.

You could say he's more, he's like Eli, you know, to Peyton as West Welker is to him. Wes Welker was the most dominant third down, wide receiver in the league. It's most important down the league. Wes Welker has in many ways better numbers, more Pro Bowls, more all pros. He does, Julian Ellen doesn't have any. But he did come up big, clutch, huge catch in his last Super Bowl win or two Super Bowl against the Falcons. He had the incredible catch in the end zone.

I'll say he's a knock knock. All right. There's our locks and our knock knocks. Is that a fair list? You had the most problem with Witten? Witten was great for a long time. I think he as a tight end, it's not just pass catching, it's blocking. And he was a better blocker than a lot of those tight ends you think we'll get in.

Yes, and I agree. I agree. Tony Gonzalez wasn't a very good blocker and Tony Gates wasn't a very good blocker, but I thought they're better pass catchers and that's what they're getting in for. It's probably completely unfair. Completely unfair. All right. So Zion plays tonight.

We'll report back on that on Monday. Colin will be, everybody be live in Miami. That'll be a ton of fun. Plus, we'll get you ready for the Super Bowl. I don't think Tom Brady is going anywhere. I just think this is a chase to get the most money he can possibly get, which is what you do at the end of your career. That's what Jordan did, and he is the Jordan of this football generation.

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