August 29, 2023 • 38 mins
Dan and Rich filling in for Doug as they discuss the breaking news that the Colts will not be trading running back Jonathan Taylor right now. Dan and Rich talk about Justin Thomas making the Ryder Cup team and wonder if a successful run by Thomas would justify the controversial selection. Rich tells Dan the story of him getting cut by Bill Bellichick and the Patriots. Dan and Rich react to Doug Gottlieb's take about Jim Harbaugh.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Thanks for listening to the Doug Otlap Show podcast. Be
sure to catch us live every weekday three to five,
twelve two Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local
station for the Doug Gottlieb Show at Foxsports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app
by searching appsco.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
You know something's kind of missing right now in the
National Football League and I can, Rich, I can put
my finger on it. That's in twenty minutes plus. You
have a story that is like so many other stories
that we're finding out in the NFL today as cuts
are being made, welcome in. We are broadcasting live from
the Tirec dot Com studios tiraq dot com. We'll help
(00:40):
you get there an unmatched selection, fast, free shipping, free
roadhassard protection, and over ten thousand recommended installers tirec dot
com the way tire buying should be. We're gonna get
to a big story in golf that actually is wide ranging,
and I think it goes to all sports and that's
where the conversation will evolve.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
But Rich, it is a busy, busy day of the.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
National Football League, and you know there's going to be
news happening, And right now we've got some breaking news
from the NFL.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Breaking news from Fox.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Sports Isaac long Cron. What's happening.
Speaker 5 (01:15):
ESPN just reporting a short time ago that the Indianapolis
Colts will not be trading all pro running back Jonathan
Taylor today. So that means, according to ESPN, the Taylor
is now expected to remain on the physically unable to
perform list, which means that he will be ineligible to
play the first four games of the regular season. The
(01:35):
Colts first four games, if you're wondering, against the Jaguars
at home at Houston, on the road at Baltimore, and
at home against the Los Angeles Rams. So again, ESPN
just reporting that the Indianapolis Colts will not be trading
all pro running back Jonathan Taylor today. The drama continues.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Woooooo not surprised one bit.
Speaker 6 (01:59):
No, No, I'm with you, Dan. I assumed he would
be a cult and you know his first start or
first reps would be with the Colts this season. I
just here's here's my whole problem with this thought process
of I'm gonna force my way out of Indianapolis. Here,
it's in two parts. One, well, that means somebody's gonna
(02:21):
have to spend draft capital on you, Okay, but then
the story doesn't stop there. They're also gonna have to
give you a ten million dollar plus contract at very
least on annual salary, and nobody wants to do that.
So I just I get it. I know it's frustrating.
Jonathan Taylor is earning way less than he deserves, and
(02:44):
the Colts are holding his feet to the fire because
they know they have his rights and they know that
he's gonna be in a buying trying to find a
trade partner. It stinks for Jonathan Taylor. It stinks right
now for the Colts because I bet you if they
gave him a boatload of that ankle would be ready
to go this season.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Yeah. I don't think you're wrong there.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I just always sided with Jonathan Taylor in this scenario
for the simple reason of it's not anything personal with
the Colts. It's you know what, if there was another
team that was willing to give him the money that
he wants, why not see if it's out there, And
I just I've always felt that his value is not
going to be as good, especially with Anthony Richardson now
(03:26):
their quarterback. It would have been a different story if CJ.
Stroud was the draft pick for the Colts and Stroud
fell the four, maybe even Bryce Young. But because of
Richardson's running capabilities, I just don't think Jonathan Taylor's going
to have the numbers that could match that would only
try to help him get that money. And I think
(03:46):
that he knows the situation, and it does seem to
be a little bit more seems to be that there
is some personal feelings involved in some of this. But
just from the get go, rich I had no problem
with it because I felt it was the only thing
that he could do. Now He's just not going to
be playing football right now for the first four weeks.
Speaker 6 (04:03):
Yeah, And let's be honest with each other. If this
works out where Jonathan Taylor drags his feet a little
bit longer and he stays on the pup list, and
he gives the Colts an opportunity to see how the
season starts with Anthony Richardson at quarterback and see where
they are and how needy they are for Jonathan Taylor.
Maybe the case is made for him. Maybe there's an
(04:24):
opportunity for him to get to the negotiating table with
the Colts front office and hammer something out to incentivize
him to play this upcoming season. I don't know. I
look again, I'm a player advocate, being a former player,
and I support any player looking to earn as much
as they possibly can through this extraordinarily short window where
(04:47):
you get to reach up and grasp life's golden ring.
I mean, this is it. This is probably the most
earning potential Jonathan Taylor will most likely have as an
entire life. You know, Jim or say, well, he'll continue
saving orcas or spending his money on signed guitars or
whatever the hell else he wants to do as Colts owner.
I mean, that's he's got a never ending pile of
(05:09):
cash that he's sitting on being an owner in the NFL,
unless he screws it up somehow. So yeah, I side
with the player too. But at the same token, like
we were talking about the Arizona Cardinals situation and the
fans being the ones that really struggle and really suffer
when you tank, even if it is to improve the
(05:29):
franchise in the future, I feel similarly about holdouts and
about protracted, prolonged negotiations where they find ways to shelve
players because they're discontented, because at the end of the day, yeah,
the Colts, the team won't be as good and that
stinks for the players in the locker room, and yeah
(05:49):
it's hard on Jonathan Taylor. But what about the Colts fans?
But what about all those Tailor jerseys in the audience,
like your heart for those people too.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
I wonder as well.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I don't think it's a I don't think it's a
foregone conclusion that Jonathan Taylor, if he returns to the Colts,
gets the franchise tag next year. I don't I know
that that has been thrown out there that that's how
he would get his money. I don't think that that's
I don't I just the sense of what's going on.
Would have to see the development of Michael Pittman or
(06:27):
you know, and maybe some of the other targets with
their rapport with Anthony Richardson, maybe it just becomes a
whole different offense. And maybe Jonathan Taylor's then, you know,
not wanted as much, so to heck with him going
somewhere and getting a long term deal. I don't think
it's a foregone conclusion that if he were to stick
around that the Colts would even use the franchise tag
on him, as crazy as that may sound. Yeah, and
(06:47):
if they don't have any intention maybe then they would
want to try to deal him before October thirty first
something to watch, but no Jonathan Taylor for the first
four weeks. There is going to be a Justin Thomas
and the US Ryder Cup team. And not to turn
this into a whole breaking down of the US Ryder
Cup squad, but Thomas was one of the six captains
picks by Zack Johnson on the squad that's going to
(07:11):
take on the European team next month in Italy. So
Justin Thomas was not in the top twelve, but only
the top six in the Ryder Cup points qualify and
then you have six captains picks and Justin Thomas has
not been informed. Heck, didn't make the FedEx Cup playoffs
and there was a lot of question on whether he
should be on the Ryder Cup team.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Well he ends up getting picked.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Zach Johnson, the captain, saying today like couldn't imagine a
team and I'm paraphrasing without Justin Thomas. He's the heart
and soul and has been there through other Ryder Cups.
But Justin Thomas was fifteenth in the rankings. Ricky Fowler
was thirteenth, He was on the outside looking in. He
made it. In Thomas fifteenth making it in. Keegan Bradley
and Cameron Young were the ones who were in the
(07:56):
top twelve but did not make the team. But Justin
Thomas makes the team. And it's not about debating whether
Justin Thomas deserved or didn't deserve.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I think there are a bunch of arguments.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
The question is will Justin Thomas validate his selection on
the Ryder Cup team by playing well? And this goes
back to the discussions rich of college football.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Does the team deserve to make the playoff?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
You know, I am in a pit on the fence
on this because my head is telling me one thing,
my heart is saying another. I say, even if Justin
Thomas plays all five sessions of the Ryder Cup and
goes five to zero, that's a different discussion than did
he deserve to be on the Ryder Cup team? And
you're talking to a guy who's an Ohio State fan
(08:45):
since I was eight years old, and in twenty fourteen,
beats out TCU and Baylor for that final playoff spot
and then goes on to win the national championship. So
you know, in my heart of hearts there I'm saying, oh, yeah, see,
they deserved it. But in real I think it's two
different discussions because maybe TCU or maybe Baylor could have
went on the same run that Ohio State did, but
(09:08):
they didn't get that opportunity to. So that's where this
discussion kind of falls in of you know, does validating
or having success after you're chosen, does that validate the
decision to put you on the team, And in this case,
I don't think that it necessarily does.
Speaker 6 (09:25):
Yeah, yeah, Like okay, So I guess what it comes
down to is and I like the comparison. By the way,
when you're talking about Justin Thomas getting picked over the
likes of a Lucas Glover Keyan Bradley, you know that
there may have been other golfers performing better arguably who
(09:47):
could have lent more to this team, and outcomes do
justify the means. But I will say that it's a
little bit different because when you're picking, for example, up
playoff of four teams and you're doing it based off
of power rankings, but also TV ratings, and also interest
(10:07):
and also whatever other intangibles enter that boardroom or that
zoom call that all these you know, illuminaries meet on
prior to finding out who the final four is going
to be in college football's playoff. I look at this
more of like team building, Like there are certain players who,
from a statistical standpoint, don't benefit your team as much
(10:31):
as maybe, let's put in terms of baseball, another hitter
in your lineup, but they lend leadership like they're a
part of your starting nine because I don't know, as
a catcher, you know, the battery between catcher and pitcher,
the communication that he has with your starting rotation is
something that can't be replicated. So even though you may
(10:52):
be able to bring in a different catcher and they
would be a punchier hitter, you carry it two twenty
batting average because defensively and from a pitching standpoint, he
lends so much leadership to a group. Or you know,
look at it from a football standpoint. You know, there
are times where defensively, offensively, you may be starting maybe
(11:17):
a washed up veteran. In many cases, you could have
traded for or drafted a younger version of that player,
but they are so integral to the culture of the
locker room that you refuse to allow that person to
leave your roster while they still have some game left.
We see this all the time in basketball too, so
(11:37):
I don't have a huge problem with it, especially since
they're selecting teams. You have a captain. He gets to select,
and it makes sense to me to pick whichever team
you think is going to be most competitive for whatever
reasons you think it'll be the most competitive team.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yeah, you made really good points there, and I think
that's part of why Justin Thomas's previous experience on Ryder
Cup teams, and if we're just going with the golf sense,
this also helps the US because Zach Johnson has been
a vice captain, was a vice captain two years ago
to Steve Stricker, so he knows what it's like in
(12:13):
the room. And you know, for years there used to
be this revolving door of different people being Ryder Cup
captains and now it's more centralized.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Some like it, some don't.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
This may be an advantage and really an advantage for
Justin Thomas, but your point of team building is really
so important because when I went.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
When I was thinking about.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
This, I actually took it as what's the closest comparison,
And it wasn't the College Football Playoff originally rich that
popped into my head.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
It was an NBA All Star Game.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Because of there are guys that you know, everybody's going
to want to see Kevin Durant in the All Star Game.
You know, it's a given, and guys rack up eleven
twelve years, But it's sometimes tough to break through that
wall at a position because you've just got guys like, oh,
we could put Tim Duncan and Dirkdovitski and all, you know,
(13:06):
automatic All Star selections every single year, but that game
doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Like like you can take.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Away and I'm just gonna use Tim Duncan because he's retired.
You could have taken away one All Star appearance and
it wouldn't affected Tim Duncan's legacy at all.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Probably would have given him a weekend off.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Something that he would have appreciated, and then given it
to somebody who was maybe just a little bit less
of an All Star because the outcome didn't matter, you
know what I mean, Like it would have just been
good for that said player. To be able to make
that All Star team, but unfortunately they were in the logjam.
That's where I came from this sort of argument of
looking at it like from that team building aspect, but
(13:45):
in the end, nobody cared if it was East or West.
Nobody now cares if it's Team Yiannis or Team Lebron
who wins it because the game doesn't matter. This actually
does matter. They're trying to win for the first time
in thirty years on foreign soil. So so, yes, your
point is well taken.
Speaker 6 (14:01):
Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I just think when
you are in some sorts, a general manager or a
president of name the sport operations, right, your job is
not only to assemble the best players on a roster.
It's also to build a culture. Like look at the
(14:22):
New York Mets, for example. The New York Mets have
a top three payroll and they were sellers at the
trade deadline because guess what, you can't buy culture. Look
at the San Diego Padres. They have a top three
payroll and even though they were buyers at the trade deadline,
they have a sub five hundred record and they'll be
eliminated from the playoffs. Here in the coming weeks. You
(14:43):
can't buy culture. So when you're assembling a team, when
you're putting together a team, regardless of how talented the
players are, that doesn't necessarily guarantee outcomes because that's not
how you build a team. A team has to want
to fight for each other and want to play for
(15:04):
each other, and has to have some sort of chemistry,
even in a more individual sport like golf.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
I want to bring Jason Stewart in in a sec
but I do have a quick question for you. If
Justin Thomas went zero to five, does that change your opinion?
Speaker 6 (15:18):
Absolutely? I would call John E. J a complete idiot.
I mean, how could you?
Speaker 7 (15:24):
Jason Stewart, Yeah, when you brought this up before the
show is a topic, I thought of one specific thing.
I grew up a Syracuse basketball fan, and I remember
our very own Doug Gottlieb, who hosts the show in
this space every day. He went on CBS. I think
it was a selection show and just crapped all over
(15:46):
the selection of Syracuse into the twenty sixteen tournament. And
I remember how much a backlash he got for that,
especially as they won their first and second game. Then
they won the Sweet sixteen and Elite game into the
Final four. But at every step Doug didn't back down.
He doubled and tripled down. In fact, he said, no
(16:08):
matter how well they are doing, they did not initially
deserve to be in this tournament. So your topic here
just kind of reminded me of that in that I
think what you were saying initially, Dan, you were kind
of green with Doug.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Yes, I was, yep, and still do because it's not
to say and I used the Ohio State as an example,
and I don't know the other schools that were on
the bubble that year in twenty sixteen, but let's let's
just make up. Let's just say Colorado State. Let's say
Colorado State was one of the teams that was on
the outside. Who's to say that Colorado State shouldn't have
had the opportunity to And even if Colorado State lost
(16:45):
the game still doesn't necessarily discredit because when you try
to when you try to project, like or predict what's
going to happen in the bracket, that's when you start
to get in trouble. This team could only win one
or two games of this team, well, you don't know that,
So that shouldn't be based on anything. And so that's
why your point about the team aspect of this is
(17:09):
really important and central and maybe the other things that
Justin Thomas brings to this Ryder Cup team. But again,
if Justin Thomas goes five and zero, I think you're
gonna hear this, this chorus of Zach Johnson knows his stuff,
you may now get a motivated Justin Thomas or really
not that he wasn't before, but someone to really step up.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
But even if he plays.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
You know, out of his mind and wins all five
of his sessions, if you didn't think that he should
have deserved that, that shouldn't change your opinion.
Speaker 6 (17:38):
Yeah, yeah, look, I mean, we could make any bold
proclamations we want before actually seeing things shake out, whether
you know, to use the college football analogy and continue
down that path, whether it's a Cincinnati making a final
four in the College Football Playoff or TCU. A lot
of people didn't expect them to themselves into a championship game,
(18:01):
and yeah, I get it, they got boat raced by Georgia,
but they got there. Not a lot of people would
have taken those odds. It's just it's just how sports work,
and it's weird and it's messy and it's personal. And
so if if there is somebody who feels like they
(18:22):
have insight on how to build the best team possible
and they've been golfing for a long time and they
they see an avenue to success that seems unorthodox to
most or every most most people are everyone, and and
it works, well, then what do we say. Then? You know, oh,
well it was a fluke. Okay, sure you could say that,
(18:45):
or you could say, well, the the guy, the guy
had a plan. He's stuck to the plane, and regardless
of what people said about it, he was God. We
talked about the Seattle Seahawks last year. Pete Carroll was
telling everybody in the preseason, we think we're pretty good.
We think we're a good football team. Everybody's talking about
us like we're going to be an easy out, not
so fast. And then guess what they did. They went
(19:06):
out there with Gino Smith and won a whole mess
of games. So it's it's a weird thing teaming, it's
team buildings. So I never I don't second guess based
on outcomes either, because I think I think that's silly too.
Sometimes things are fluky, some things are lucky. But sometimes
(19:27):
an unconventional approach could get you outcomes that you were
looking for, when maybe the conventional approach could have gotten
you those outcomes too. Is there a wrong way, then,
I argue.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
Now, Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup
in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports
Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR
to listen live.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
It's the chill for the Tirech dot com studios. I'm
Dan Byer. He's Rich Ornberger, double duty today up early
in San Diego and now hanging with us this afternoon
on Fox Sports Radio. Also this afternoon, it was the
deadline for NFL teams to get their rosters down to
fifty three. Four o'clock Eastern time. Is coming gone, Bailey
ZAPPI let go by the Patriots.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
I know that Isaac lohin Crown will give.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Us the update at the bottom of the hour, telling
us who else has gotten their walking papers today. You've
got some cutdown day experience, Rich Hornberger from your NFL career.
Speaker 6 (20:26):
I remember year two with the Patriots. I was released
at the final cutdown. It was a complete surprise, like
a complete surprise. I had a good camp. I was
coming back from a second shoulder surgery, but I came
back stronger than the first one. After my rookie season,
or I should say yeah, after my rookie s yea,
(20:48):
I felt great. I felt like I performed all everything
was going well, and then all of a sudden, I
get a phone call from Bill Belichick calls me and
he goes, hey, so we're gonna let you go. We
have some injury issues in the defensive secondary where real thin,
we're gonna sign somebody else from the practice squad who
(21:09):
would be on the practice squad at the safety position
until we get some of our guys back healthy on
the back end of the defense. So you're gonna be
placed on waivers. And it's a twenty four hour period
where anybody can sign you, but if nobody signs you,
we're gonna sign you back on the practice squad. And
I was just like uh huh okay, and he goes
(21:30):
all right, goodbye.
Speaker 8 (21:31):
I'm just like right, And so I feel like wait, wait,
like you know, shouldn't I shouldn't I that should have
been a conversation with like my agent or like I
haven't heard from agent.
Speaker 6 (21:44):
So I like, I'm frantic.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Now.
Speaker 6 (21:46):
This is the first time I had been cut from
a team since middle school basketball, and I was just
absolutely panicked. So I call and I'm like, hey, hey,
uh so, yeah, you know, I just got cut and
my agent goes yeah, and I go, yeah, okay, I
don't think you heard me. I was like, yeah, I
(22:06):
just got cut from the team, dude, and he goes yeah,
and he goes, so, what's up. And it was just like,
what do you mean, what's up? I was like, I'm
not on an NFL roster right now, you guys, Oh yeah,
I know. They told me, you know, they had an
injury situation at safety. And he repeated to me the
exact same thing. He's like, yeah, they're gonna sign you
back to the you know, to the practice squad unless
(22:28):
you get claimed in waivers. I was like, well, what
the hell does that mean? And he goes, well, if
you get picked up over the next twenty four hours,
he goes, you gotta go and play for a different
team and most likely for a full season, they'll most
likely sign you to their practice squad or or no
you promised. I think at that time it was like
six weeks on the active roster, so you know, he
(22:49):
was like, most likely, and you'll end up staying on
with that team for the rest of the season. I
was like, so, could that be any team? He goes, yep,
there's thirty one others, so you could be awhere by
the end of the day. And I was like, for real.
He goes, yeah, for real. He was like, here's what
I would suggest you do. He was like, pack up
like a six month bag right now. Just go ahead
(23:10):
and pack it up, like you're leaving wherever you're renting
from right now and you're not coming back for six months,
and then you can figure it out when you get back.
I was like, is that seriously what people do? And
he goes, That's what I would do. And I was like,
oh okay, and so I get this is great. I
get off the phone with them and I'm like, first
(23:30):
of all, I'm stunned. I'm absolutely I'm awestruck. So I
say to my wife and we were out to like
lunch in Boston. My family was there, and I go,
I just got cut and she goes, yeah. I figured
she was like, we were watching you from across the restaurant.
You didn't look like it didn't look like it was
(23:51):
a good phone call. And I was like, yeah, no,
that was a bad phone call. That was a very
bad phone call. And she goes, well, so what do
we do now? I was like, I gotta go home
and like pack a bag for six months. So I
love you all, but apparently I could be like in
Minnesota or Seattle or Houston in like a matter of
minutes potentially, So I think we got to wrap up
(24:14):
this lunch and get get back down to Foxborough, so
I can you know, my apartments in Foxborough time, So
I pack up this bag and I'm just sitting there waiting,
looking at my phone, and my wife is just like, hey,
so do you want to do anything other than just
wait today or do you want to just like because
I'm cool with whatever you want to do, but do
you want to just like sit around all day? And
(24:36):
I'm like, yeah, maybe right. It was still early. We're
out to brunch before we came home, so it was
probably like some part of the afternoon.
Speaker 7 (24:42):
You know.
Speaker 6 (24:43):
Where we ended up going is out to a golf
course because I was like, I think I want to
be outside enjoy some fresh air. So we go play around. Basically,
what it turned into was me feeling like a complete loser,
barely playing golf, drinking Bloody Mary's while my wife drove
me around in a golf course. That's basically what it was.
And the conclusion of that story, dan is I ended
(25:05):
up exactly what happened, or exactly what was told to
me was exactly what happened. I cleared waivers, I signed
onto the practice squad. There was basically no difference in
my role on the team. I was just on the
practice squad for two weeks, and then when their safety
got healthy, I was re signed to the active roster,
and they even made it right on my contract, like
(25:26):
I made up the money I missed. Oh oh bumping down. Yeah,
it's kind of a classy move. And then yeah, so
it was just kind of it was. It was the worst,
to be perfectly honest with you, in that moment, you
feel like the first and only player to ever get
cut ever, and you feel like such a loser.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
It's the worst feeling in the world I have. We've
seen hard knocks, we've seen clips. I appreciate how Belichick
and really any other coach is hey coming in, Hey,
We're gonna let you go, like there is. You know,
you had a great camp. It comes later, but there is.
(26:04):
They don't allow for the time of you know, you
were great. We loved having you around, but we're sorry,
we're gonna have to let you go. It's the immediate
and it seemed like that's what you got, even before
all of the logistics that he laid out.
Speaker 6 (26:17):
Yeah, yeah, it was. It was interesting, dude. Nothing anybody
was gonna say, however, was going to make me feel
any better. No, because like it doesn't matter if somebody says, hey,
you did a really good job, but we just don't
like you.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
You know.
Speaker 6 (26:35):
It's like it's almost like when when you get broken
up with and you know, the girl goes, hey, yeah,
it's not you, it's me. It's like no, no, no, no,
it is.
Speaker 9 (26:46):
Yeah, because if I weren't me, then this would be working,
wouldn't It is another woman gonna pick me up in
twenty four hours, just so I know, maybe twenty four
to forty eight hours and I can go hang with her.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Yeah, that's what I would like to know.
Speaker 6 (26:59):
It's a dating waiver wire. Yeah, it's the same thing. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Hey, Rich Hornberger's single, you know, this has just come
across the wire.
Speaker 6 (27:08):
Ladies, I'm gonna swipe right good.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
The other part is your agent. It's not like I thought.
I thought that you're your agent was was just like
Bill Belichick, accustomed to everything.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
He filled in.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
As you said, you feel like you've been the only
person in the world that was cut. I'm sure your
agent has had, you know, multiple multiple clients go through
the same experience, which is why he wasn't reacting the
way that he did. But my favorite part of it is, well,
I would pack for six months, like like that told
me that wait a second, maybe he isn't as but
(27:50):
like if he was in that situation, not like I've
had other clients who have also want this and what
they like to do rich is they they just kind
of pack up just in case anything happened.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
But that is great.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Well, I mean, if it was me, I'd packed for
six months.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
The only logical thing.
Speaker 6 (28:06):
I mean, he couldn't have sound more nonchalant with the
conversation I have, Like I mean, I'm pretty sure I
interrupted him while he was eating lunch, so I like,
in between questions I have for him, I heard him
like lipsmacking over a tune of Sandwich or something, and
it was just like, you know, it's it stinks, you know,
(28:26):
it's a bad rap man. Hopefully you stick around in
New England because I know you like the squad and
I think you've got a home there, you know, with
that offensive line, but you never know, there are a
couple of other teams that are like offensive line, need
you right now. I'm just like, okay, well, could you
tell me, like what some of those teams are so
I have an idea of what city I might be
(28:47):
traveling too. He's like, oh, you know, pretty much all
of them. Anyways, it's a busy day for me on
this and catch you later.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
It was just like it was just.
Speaker 6 (28:57):
A normal day for the rest of the universe, and
my world had been flipped upside down. I mean, think
of it from this standpoint as a football player from Okay,
from eighth grade when I started playing football all the
way through the I guess you could say, but my first,
my rookie season, the rookie season through that training camp,
(29:20):
my second year in the NFL. So at that point
I have been playing football. Oh, let's call it a
dozen years. A dozen years of football. I had never
not been on a team because I was good enough
to be on the middle school team. I was elevated
a varsity as a sophomore in high school, I got
a scholarship to play at Penn State. I was drafted
by the Patriots. I was like great, Like this is
(29:41):
just what I do. And then all of a sudden,
sudden somebody calls you and go, you know, on second thought,
you're not good enough, so gotta run it. Just your
whole world crashes down. So I promise you there's going
to be a lot of people who are gonna say
a lot of things like ah, this guy got cut
and that guy got cut. For the majority of these players,
(30:03):
for about twenty four to thirty six hours, it feels
like their world is upside down. It's a very tumultuous day.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
I just saw a clip recently, and it was from
years back, because Kevin O'Connell was playing. Yeah, when Mike
Tannebaum of the Jets let him go? Did you see
that clip as well?
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Like it was?
Speaker 2 (30:21):
It was It was basically Tannebomb comes in and says
we're gonna let you go, and it basically says we
traded for you, you know, just didn't work out, You
didn't live up to expectations. We feel Calton's a better fit.
I believe it was Kellen Clemens back then and that's
who they ended up going as their backup. But this
(30:42):
was like like Tannebom was like sliding in like these daggers,
and O'Connell was just like yep, appreciation, you know, appreciate it.
But it's like, you know, we traded for you, you know,
just just didn't work out, didn't get the value, just
like shot after shot, and I'm like, man, this is harsh.
This is a lot like the Hard Knocks that I
see now is like, hey, you know, we're gonna call it,
let you go. It could be a team that gets you,
love the way you run, Good luck to you, see
(31:03):
you later. Yeah, you know, but this was like it
was like shot at their shot. I've felt bad for
Kevin O'Connell.
Speaker 6 (31:08):
Yeah, I remember watching that as a player. You know,
I had played with koc in New England before he
was traded to the Jets, and then watch that, So
this is somebody I had a personal relationship with, like
had gone out to the movies with during our time
together in New England and then to watch that whole
(31:31):
exchange happen on that week's episode of Hard Knocks My
like my legitimately, my heart was in my throat. Yeah,
because it is very easy, and I don't blame any fans.
I don't blame anybody who's never been through it for
being a little bit more like the morbid curiosity rubbernecking
(31:52):
the car accident on the side of the freeway, Like like,
just we get to watch this guy's worst day ever. Okay,
Mike tannanbound's about to cut him. Let's see what happens. Like,
I get it, there's a morbid curiosity there, but I
promise you what was what was happening inside of Kevin
O'Connell is this indescribable emotional explosion that you have to
(32:18):
pretend is not happening while somebody is telling you you're
not good enough to your face and then explaining in
pretty blunt terms all the reasons why that was. That
was a rough watch.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
Yeah, I saw it the other day and I thought
it was rough. So yeah, hopefully that I'll cut down days.
I like that for players. He's Rich torn Burger.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
I'm Dan Byerliff at thedireq dot com Studios.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
We're not gonna cut Isaac lown Crown.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
He's our main man at the news desk, giving us
the latest of what's happening today.
Speaker 5 (32:46):
What's the deal with the bedside manner of Rich's agent?
Man Rich? How would it sound if your agent was
a doctor giving a patient the news that they had
a fatal, incurable disease and only had months to live.
How would your agent deliver that news?
Speaker 6 (33:08):
Probably about two weeks?
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Doc? Wait?
Speaker 6 (33:10):
What two weeks of what of life?
Speaker 3 (33:17):
Wait?
Speaker 6 (33:17):
Wait? Wait? Lifelike? You mean on earth like all together? Yeah? Yeah, yeah,
it's the bad kind. You caught the bad kind. So anyways,
my nurse is gonna be in. I've got a ham
and Swiss I gotta get back to. She'll answer any
questions you have left. Yeah, that's how that would go.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
App one one and now two May rips It.
Speaker 6 (33:48):
Day till I Failed and that is over The Master too,
Red Hold Rat and a cycle for Whose Hel to Me?
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Astro's latest thirteen the form that was the Progressive player
of the day. Progressive is making things even easier. They'll
help you bundle your home in car insurance together so
you can save on both Lenmurroprogressive dot Com or one
eight hundred Progressive Sports Talk, seven ninety KB Emmy and
the Astros Radio Network. On the call as the Stros
(34:19):
topped the Red Sox by a score of thirteen to five,
He's rich Hornberger. I'm Dan Byer. It is the Doug
Gottlieb Show on Fox Sports Radio. As we are in
for Doug today. Richard know, Doug's a busy guy, and
the reason we're in for him was because he was
in for Colin Cowherd earlier today in a segment that
we're about to hear from, Doug.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
Called and now say so.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Jim Harbaugh of Michigan has been on this pay the
College Players rant, and Doug responded to that rant.
Speaker 10 (34:48):
What is he even talking about? Hey, he wants a
system which is equitable. I think most people in college
sports would agree he wants, but he wants players to
be compensated.
Speaker 6 (35:01):
They are.
Speaker 10 (35:02):
If anything, the reality of the current system is the
imbalance has actually worked the other way.
Speaker 3 (35:09):
It's worked the other way. It's worked to where players.
Speaker 10 (35:12):
Have way too much power, make money far above their
actual name, image, likeness value, and there's no real connection
or tied to the university, which is the real reason,
the real reason that the schools are being compensated handsomely
(35:33):
for broadcasting football games. There's no easier parallel than to say, hey,
let's take the there's what the USFL and the XFL,
and my guess is that those teams would wipe the
field with college football teams wipe the field with them.
Why because they're grown men, they're professionals, And you're like, no,
(35:56):
they wouldn't, Yeah, they would, they would. This is much
like the G League as opposed to college BASKETBALLJ League
teams are way better than college basketball teams. What's more
valuable to broadcasts, well, the colleges. Why the name on
the front of their shirt, the connection to the fans.
Speaker 6 (36:15):
Fascinating right like where we're at in college football, because
there are a lot of coaches that will they will
draw a line in the sand and say, these players
are abusing this system for their own personal gain and
it's destroying the merit and the traditions of college football.
(36:38):
Lane Kiffin has been on record many times and sort
of echoing a lot of the sentiments that Doug just
laid out there, while at the same time, you know, stating,
but hey, you know, it's the game we got to play,
and we're going to try to play it to our
best of our ability. Jim Harbor obviously taking a completely
different stance. Here's the line you have to straddle if
you're a head football coach at the college foot level
(37:00):
right now. You have to say things that are going
to appeal to your players and at the same time
appeal to your bosses the universities that you work for.
And so I think Jim Harbaugh is one of those
singular voices who's really doesn't sound like he's all that
worried about what his bosses think about what he says.
(37:21):
And I don't know why that exactly is. But maybe
maybe he's speaking the one hundred percent unadulterated truth, or
maybe he's saying exactly what he thinks players want to
hear so he has an easier time recruiting. I don't
know which side he falls on. So it's impossible to
say like Jim's missing the boat, because maybe Jim's on
the boat and he's just trying to play the game
(37:42):
to his favor.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
And yeah, he's been on this boat for a while.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
I just find the timing convenient when there's so much
else going on around the Michigan program. Oh right, back
end that, Johnny. He's Rich Hornberger. I'm Dan Bier. We
don't even gonna need the back end it because we're
running out of time. Get Rich on social media, hit
him up at Ornburger can find me at Dan Bayer
on Fox Football is almost here, Rich, we'll have to
do it again sometimes, So for Rich, spend the Doug
(38:07):
Gottlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio.
Thanks for listening to the Doug Otlap Show podcast. Be
sure to catch us live every weekday three to five,
twelve two Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local
station for the Doug Gottlieb Show at Foxsports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app
by searching appsco.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
You know something's kind of missing right now in the
National Football League and I can, Rich, I can put
my finger on it. That's in twenty minutes plus. You
have a story that is like so many other stories
that we're finding out in the NFL today as cuts
are being made, welcome in. We are broadcasting live from
the Tirec dot Com studios tiraq dot com. We'll help
(00:40):
you get there an unmatched selection, fast, free shipping, free
roadhassard protection, and over ten thousand recommended installers tirec dot
com the way tire buying should be. We're gonna get
to a big story in golf that actually is wide ranging,
and I think it goes to all sports and that's
where the conversation will evolve.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
But Rich, it is a busy, busy day of the.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
National Football League, and you know there's going to be
news happening, And right now we've got some breaking news
from the NFL.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Breaking news from Fox.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Sports Isaac long Cron. What's happening.
Speaker 5 (01:15):
ESPN just reporting a short time ago that the Indianapolis
Colts will not be trading all pro running back Jonathan
Taylor today. So that means, according to ESPN, the Taylor
is now expected to remain on the physically unable to
perform list, which means that he will be ineligible to
play the first four games of the regular season. The
(01:35):
Colts first four games, if you're wondering, against the Jaguars
at home at Houston, on the road at Baltimore, and
at home against the Los Angeles Rams. So again, ESPN
just reporting that the Indianapolis Colts will not be trading
all pro running back Jonathan Taylor today. The drama continues.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Woooooo not surprised one bit.
Speaker 6 (01:59):
No, No, I'm with you, Dan. I assumed he would
be a cult and you know his first start or
first reps would be with the Colts this season. I
just here's here's my whole problem with this thought process
of I'm gonna force my way out of Indianapolis. Here,
it's in two parts. One, well, that means somebody's gonna
(02:21):
have to spend draft capital on you, Okay, but then
the story doesn't stop there. They're also gonna have to
give you a ten million dollar plus contract at very
least on annual salary, and nobody wants to do that.
So I just I get it. I know it's frustrating.
Jonathan Taylor is earning way less than he deserves, and
(02:44):
the Colts are holding his feet to the fire because
they know they have his rights and they know that
he's gonna be in a buying trying to find a
trade partner. It stinks for Jonathan Taylor. It stinks right
now for the Colts because I bet you if they
gave him a boatload of that ankle would be ready
to go this season.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Yeah. I don't think you're wrong there.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I just always sided with Jonathan Taylor in this scenario
for the simple reason of it's not anything personal with
the Colts. It's you know what, if there was another
team that was willing to give him the money that
he wants, why not see if it's out there, And
I just I've always felt that his value is not
going to be as good, especially with Anthony Richardson now
(03:26):
their quarterback. It would have been a different story if CJ.
Stroud was the draft pick for the Colts and Stroud
fell the four, maybe even Bryce Young. But because of
Richardson's running capabilities, I just don't think Jonathan Taylor's going
to have the numbers that could match that would only
try to help him get that money. And I think
(03:46):
that he knows the situation, and it does seem to
be a little bit more seems to be that there
is some personal feelings involved in some of this. But
just from the get go, rich I had no problem
with it because I felt it was the only thing
that he could do. Now He's just not going to
be playing football right now for the first four weeks.
Speaker 6 (04:03):
Yeah, And let's be honest with each other. If this
works out where Jonathan Taylor drags his feet a little
bit longer and he stays on the pup list, and
he gives the Colts an opportunity to see how the
season starts with Anthony Richardson at quarterback and see where
they are and how needy they are for Jonathan Taylor.
Maybe the case is made for him. Maybe there's an
(04:24):
opportunity for him to get to the negotiating table with
the Colts front office and hammer something out to incentivize
him to play this upcoming season. I don't know. I
look again, I'm a player advocate, being a former player,
and I support any player looking to earn as much
as they possibly can through this extraordinarily short window where
(04:47):
you get to reach up and grasp life's golden ring.
I mean, this is it. This is probably the most
earning potential Jonathan Taylor will most likely have as an
entire life. You know, Jim or say, well, he'll continue
saving orcas or spending his money on signed guitars or
whatever the hell else he wants to do as Colts owner.
I mean, that's he's got a never ending pile of
(05:09):
cash that he's sitting on being an owner in the NFL,
unless he screws it up somehow. So yeah, I side
with the player too. But at the same token, like
we were talking about the Arizona Cardinals situation and the
fans being the ones that really struggle and really suffer
when you tank, even if it is to improve the
(05:29):
franchise in the future, I feel similarly about holdouts and
about protracted, prolonged negotiations where they find ways to shelve
players because they're discontented, because at the end of the day, yeah,
the Colts, the team won't be as good and that
stinks for the players in the locker room, and yeah
(05:49):
it's hard on Jonathan Taylor. But what about the Colts fans?
But what about all those Tailor jerseys in the audience,
like your heart for those people too.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
I wonder as well.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I don't think it's a I don't think it's a
foregone conclusion that Jonathan Taylor, if he returns to the Colts,
gets the franchise tag next year. I don't I know
that that has been thrown out there that that's how
he would get his money. I don't think that that's
I don't I just the sense of what's going on.
Would have to see the development of Michael Pittman or
(06:27):
you know, and maybe some of the other targets with
their rapport with Anthony Richardson, maybe it just becomes a
whole different offense. And maybe Jonathan Taylor's then, you know,
not wanted as much, so to heck with him going
somewhere and getting a long term deal. I don't think
it's a foregone conclusion that if he were to stick
around that the Colts would even use the franchise tag
on him, as crazy as that may sound. Yeah, and
(06:47):
if they don't have any intention maybe then they would
want to try to deal him before October thirty first
something to watch, but no Jonathan Taylor for the first
four weeks. There is going to be a Justin Thomas
and the US Ryder Cup team. And not to turn
this into a whole breaking down of the US Ryder
Cup squad, but Thomas was one of the six captains
picks by Zack Johnson on the squad that's going to
(07:11):
take on the European team next month in Italy. So
Justin Thomas was not in the top twelve, but only
the top six in the Ryder Cup points qualify and
then you have six captains picks and Justin Thomas has
not been informed. Heck, didn't make the FedEx Cup playoffs
and there was a lot of question on whether he
should be on the Ryder Cup team.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Well he ends up getting picked.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Zach Johnson, the captain, saying today like couldn't imagine a
team and I'm paraphrasing without Justin Thomas. He's the heart
and soul and has been there through other Ryder Cups.
But Justin Thomas was fifteenth in the rankings. Ricky Fowler
was thirteenth, He was on the outside looking in. He
made it. In Thomas fifteenth making it in. Keegan Bradley
and Cameron Young were the ones who were in the
(07:56):
top twelve but did not make the team. But Justin
Thomas makes the team. And it's not about debating whether
Justin Thomas deserved or didn't deserve.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I think there are a bunch of arguments.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
The question is will Justin Thomas validate his selection on
the Ryder Cup team by playing well? And this goes
back to the discussions rich of college football.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Does the team deserve to make the playoff?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
You know, I am in a pit on the fence
on this because my head is telling me one thing,
my heart is saying another. I say, even if Justin
Thomas plays all five sessions of the Ryder Cup and
goes five to zero, that's a different discussion than did
he deserve to be on the Ryder Cup team? And
you're talking to a guy who's an Ohio State fan
(08:45):
since I was eight years old, and in twenty fourteen,
beats out TCU and Baylor for that final playoff spot
and then goes on to win the national championship. So
you know, in my heart of hearts there I'm saying, oh, yeah, see,
they deserved it. But in real I think it's two
different discussions because maybe TCU or maybe Baylor could have
went on the same run that Ohio State did, but
(09:08):
they didn't get that opportunity to. So that's where this
discussion kind of falls in of you know, does validating
or having success after you're chosen, does that validate the
decision to put you on the team, And in this case,
I don't think that it necessarily does.
Speaker 6 (09:25):
Yeah, yeah, Like okay, So I guess what it comes
down to is and I like the comparison. By the way,
when you're talking about Justin Thomas getting picked over the
likes of a Lucas Glover Keyan Bradley, you know that
there may have been other golfers performing better arguably who
(09:47):
could have lent more to this team, and outcomes do
justify the means. But I will say that it's a
little bit different because when you're picking, for example, up
playoff of four teams and you're doing it based off
of power rankings, but also TV ratings, and also interest
(10:07):
and also whatever other intangibles enter that boardroom or that
zoom call that all these you know, illuminaries meet on
prior to finding out who the final four is going
to be in college football's playoff. I look at this
more of like team building, Like there are certain players who,
from a statistical standpoint, don't benefit your team as much
(10:31):
as maybe, let's put in terms of baseball, another hitter
in your lineup, but they lend leadership like they're a
part of your starting nine because I don't know, as
a catcher, you know, the battery between catcher and pitcher,
the communication that he has with your starting rotation is
something that can't be replicated. So even though you may
(10:52):
be able to bring in a different catcher and they
would be a punchier hitter, you carry it two twenty
batting average because defensively and from a pitching standpoint, he
lends so much leadership to a group. Or you know,
look at it from a football standpoint. You know, there
are times where defensively, offensively, you may be starting maybe
(11:17):
a washed up veteran. In many cases, you could have
traded for or drafted a younger version of that player,
but they are so integral to the culture of the
locker room that you refuse to allow that person to
leave your roster while they still have some game left.
We see this all the time in basketball too, so
(11:37):
I don't have a huge problem with it, especially since
they're selecting teams. You have a captain. He gets to select,
and it makes sense to me to pick whichever team
you think is going to be most competitive for whatever
reasons you think it'll be the most competitive team.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yeah, you made really good points there, and I think
that's part of why Justin Thomas's previous experience on Ryder
Cup teams, and if we're just going with the golf sense,
this also helps the US because Zach Johnson has been
a vice captain, was a vice captain two years ago
to Steve Stricker, so he knows what it's like in
(12:13):
the room. And you know, for years there used to
be this revolving door of different people being Ryder Cup
captains and now it's more centralized.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Some like it, some don't.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
This may be an advantage and really an advantage for
Justin Thomas, but your point of team building is really
so important because when I went.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
When I was thinking about.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
This, I actually took it as what's the closest comparison,
And it wasn't the College Football Playoff originally rich that
popped into my head.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
It was an NBA All Star Game.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Because of there are guys that you know, everybody's going
to want to see Kevin Durant in the All Star Game.
You know, it's a given, and guys rack up eleven
twelve years, But it's sometimes tough to break through that
wall at a position because you've just got guys like, oh,
we could put Tim Duncan and Dirkdovitski and all, you know,
(13:06):
automatic All Star selections every single year, but that game
doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Like like you can take.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Away and I'm just gonna use Tim Duncan because he's retired.
You could have taken away one All Star appearance and
it wouldn't affected Tim Duncan's legacy at all.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Probably would have given him a weekend off.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Something that he would have appreciated, and then given it
to somebody who was maybe just a little bit less
of an All Star because the outcome didn't matter, you
know what I mean, Like it would have just been
good for that said player. To be able to make
that All Star team, but unfortunately they were in the logjam.
That's where I came from this sort of argument of
looking at it like from that team building aspect, but
(13:45):
in the end, nobody cared if it was East or West.
Nobody now cares if it's Team Yiannis or Team Lebron
who wins it because the game doesn't matter. This actually
does matter. They're trying to win for the first time
in thirty years on foreign soil. So so, yes, your
point is well taken.
Speaker 6 (14:01):
Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I just think when
you are in some sorts, a general manager or a
president of name the sport operations, right, your job is
not only to assemble the best players on a roster.
It's also to build a culture. Like look at the
(14:22):
New York Mets, for example. The New York Mets have
a top three payroll and they were sellers at the
trade deadline because guess what, you can't buy culture. Look
at the San Diego Padres. They have a top three
payroll and even though they were buyers at the trade deadline,
they have a sub five hundred record and they'll be
eliminated from the playoffs. Here in the coming weeks. You
(14:43):
can't buy culture. So when you're assembling a team, when
you're putting together a team, regardless of how talented the
players are, that doesn't necessarily guarantee outcomes because that's not
how you build a team. A team has to want
to fight for each other and want to play for
(15:04):
each other, and has to have some sort of chemistry,
even in a more individual sport like golf.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
I want to bring Jason Stewart in in a sec
but I do have a quick question for you. If
Justin Thomas went zero to five, does that change your opinion?
Speaker 6 (15:18):
Absolutely? I would call John E. J a complete idiot.
I mean, how could you?
Speaker 7 (15:24):
Jason Stewart, Yeah, when you brought this up before the
show is a topic, I thought of one specific thing.
I grew up a Syracuse basketball fan, and I remember
our very own Doug Gottlieb, who hosts the show in
this space every day. He went on CBS. I think
it was a selection show and just crapped all over
(15:46):
the selection of Syracuse into the twenty sixteen tournament. And
I remember how much a backlash he got for that,
especially as they won their first and second game. Then
they won the Sweet sixteen and Elite game into the
Final four. But at every step Doug didn't back down.
He doubled and tripled down. In fact, he said, no
(16:08):
matter how well they are doing, they did not initially
deserve to be in this tournament. So your topic here
just kind of reminded me of that in that I
think what you were saying initially, Dan, you were kind
of green with Doug.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Yes, I was, yep, and still do because it's not
to say and I used the Ohio State as an example,
and I don't know the other schools that were on
the bubble that year in twenty sixteen, but let's let's
just make up. Let's just say Colorado State. Let's say
Colorado State was one of the teams that was on
the outside. Who's to say that Colorado State shouldn't have
had the opportunity to And even if Colorado State lost
(16:45):
the game still doesn't necessarily discredit because when you try
to when you try to project, like or predict what's
going to happen in the bracket, that's when you start
to get in trouble. This team could only win one
or two games of this team, well, you don't know that,
So that shouldn't be based on anything. And so that's
why your point about the team aspect of this is
(17:09):
really important and central and maybe the other things that
Justin Thomas brings to this Ryder Cup team. But again,
if Justin Thomas goes five and zero, I think you're
gonna hear this, this chorus of Zach Johnson knows his stuff,
you may now get a motivated Justin Thomas or really
not that he wasn't before, but someone to really step up.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
But even if he plays.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
You know, out of his mind and wins all five
of his sessions, if you didn't think that he should
have deserved that, that shouldn't change your opinion.
Speaker 6 (17:38):
Yeah, yeah, look, I mean, we could make any bold
proclamations we want before actually seeing things shake out, whether
you know, to use the college football analogy and continue
down that path, whether it's a Cincinnati making a final
four in the College Football Playoff or TCU. A lot
of people didn't expect them to themselves into a championship game,
(18:01):
and yeah, I get it, they got boat raced by Georgia,
but they got there. Not a lot of people would
have taken those odds. It's just it's just how sports work,
and it's weird and it's messy and it's personal. And
so if if there is somebody who feels like they
(18:22):
have insight on how to build the best team possible
and they've been golfing for a long time and they
they see an avenue to success that seems unorthodox to
most or every most most people are everyone, and and
it works, well, then what do we say. Then? You know, oh,
well it was a fluke. Okay, sure you could say that,
(18:45):
or you could say, well, the the guy, the guy
had a plan. He's stuck to the plane, and regardless
of what people said about it, he was God. We
talked about the Seattle Seahawks last year. Pete Carroll was
telling everybody in the preseason, we think we're pretty good.
We think we're a good football team. Everybody's talking about
us like we're going to be an easy out, not
so fast. And then guess what they did. They went
(19:06):
out there with Gino Smith and won a whole mess
of games. So it's it's a weird thing teaming, it's
team buildings. So I never I don't second guess based
on outcomes either, because I think I think that's silly too.
Sometimes things are fluky, some things are lucky. But sometimes
(19:27):
an unconventional approach could get you outcomes that you were
looking for, when maybe the conventional approach could have gotten
you those outcomes too. Is there a wrong way, then,
I argue.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
Now, Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup
in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports
Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR
to listen live.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
It's the chill for the Tirech dot com studios. I'm
Dan Byer. He's Rich Ornberger, double duty today up early
in San Diego and now hanging with us this afternoon
on Fox Sports Radio. Also this afternoon, it was the
deadline for NFL teams to get their rosters down to
fifty three. Four o'clock Eastern time. Is coming gone, Bailey
ZAPPI let go by the Patriots.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
I know that Isaac lohin Crown will give.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Us the update at the bottom of the hour, telling
us who else has gotten their walking papers today. You've
got some cutdown day experience, Rich Hornberger from your NFL career.
Speaker 6 (20:26):
I remember year two with the Patriots. I was released
at the final cutdown. It was a complete surprise, like
a complete surprise. I had a good camp. I was
coming back from a second shoulder surgery, but I came
back stronger than the first one. After my rookie season,
or I should say yeah, after my rookie s yea,
(20:48):
I felt great. I felt like I performed all everything
was going well, and then all of a sudden, I
get a phone call from Bill Belichick calls me and
he goes, hey, so we're gonna let you go. We
have some injury issues in the defensive secondary where real thin,
we're gonna sign somebody else from the practice squad who
(21:09):
would be on the practice squad at the safety position
until we get some of our guys back healthy on
the back end of the defense. So you're gonna be
placed on waivers. And it's a twenty four hour period
where anybody can sign you, but if nobody signs you,
we're gonna sign you back on the practice squad. And
I was just like uh huh okay, and he goes
(21:30):
all right, goodbye.
Speaker 8 (21:31):
I'm just like right, And so I feel like wait, wait,
like you know, shouldn't I shouldn't I that should have
been a conversation with like my agent or like I
haven't heard from agent.
Speaker 6 (21:44):
So I like, I'm frantic.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Now.
Speaker 6 (21:46):
This is the first time I had been cut from
a team since middle school basketball, and I was just
absolutely panicked. So I call and I'm like, hey, hey,
uh so, yeah, you know, I just got cut and
my agent goes yeah, and I go, yeah, okay, I
don't think you heard me. I was like, yeah, I
(22:06):
just got cut from the team, dude, and he goes yeah,
and he goes, so, what's up. And it was just like,
what do you mean, what's up? I was like, I'm
not on an NFL roster right now, you guys, Oh yeah,
I know. They told me, you know, they had an
injury situation at safety. And he repeated to me the
exact same thing. He's like, yeah, they're gonna sign you
back to the you know, to the practice squad unless
(22:28):
you get claimed in waivers. I was like, well, what
the hell does that mean? And he goes, well, if
you get picked up over the next twenty four hours,
he goes, you gotta go and play for a different
team and most likely for a full season, they'll most
likely sign you to their practice squad or or no
you promised. I think at that time it was like
six weeks on the active roster, so you know, he
(22:49):
was like, most likely, and you'll end up staying on
with that team for the rest of the season. I
was like, so, could that be any team? He goes, yep,
there's thirty one others, so you could be awhere by
the end of the day. And I was like, for real.
He goes, yeah, for real. He was like, here's what
I would suggest you do. He was like, pack up
like a six month bag right now. Just go ahead
(23:10):
and pack it up, like you're leaving wherever you're renting
from right now and you're not coming back for six months,
and then you can figure it out when you get back.
I was like, is that seriously what people do? And
he goes, That's what I would do. And I was like,
oh okay, and so I get this is great. I
get off the phone with them and I'm like, first
(23:30):
of all, I'm stunned. I'm absolutely I'm awestruck. So I
say to my wife and we were out to like
lunch in Boston. My family was there, and I go,
I just got cut and she goes, yeah. I figured
she was like, we were watching you from across the restaurant.
You didn't look like it didn't look like it was
(23:51):
a good phone call. And I was like, yeah, no,
that was a bad phone call. That was a very
bad phone call. And she goes, well, so what do
we do now? I was like, I gotta go home
and like pack a bag for six months. So I
love you all, but apparently I could be like in
Minnesota or Seattle or Houston in like a matter of
minutes potentially, So I think we got to wrap up
(24:14):
this lunch and get get back down to Foxborough, so
I can you know, my apartments in Foxborough time, So
I pack up this bag and I'm just sitting there waiting,
looking at my phone, and my wife is just like, hey,
so do you want to do anything other than just
wait today or do you want to just like because
I'm cool with whatever you want to do, but do
you want to just like sit around all day? And
(24:36):
I'm like, yeah, maybe right. It was still early. We're
out to brunch before we came home, so it was
probably like some part of the afternoon.
Speaker 7 (24:42):
You know.
Speaker 6 (24:43):
Where we ended up going is out to a golf
course because I was like, I think I want to
be outside enjoy some fresh air. So we go play around. Basically,
what it turned into was me feeling like a complete loser,
barely playing golf, drinking Bloody Mary's while my wife drove
me around in a golf course. That's basically what it was.
And the conclusion of that story, dan is I ended
(25:05):
up exactly what happened, or exactly what was told to
me was exactly what happened. I cleared waivers, I signed
onto the practice squad. There was basically no difference in
my role on the team. I was just on the
practice squad for two weeks, and then when their safety
got healthy, I was re signed to the active roster,
and they even made it right on my contract, like
(25:26):
I made up the money I missed. Oh oh bumping down. Yeah,
it's kind of a classy move. And then yeah, so
it was just kind of it was. It was the worst,
to be perfectly honest with you, in that moment, you
feel like the first and only player to ever get
cut ever, and you feel like such a loser.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
It's the worst feeling in the world I have. We've
seen hard knocks, we've seen clips. I appreciate how Belichick
and really any other coach is hey coming in, Hey,
We're gonna let you go, like there is. You know,
you had a great camp. It comes later, but there is.
(26:04):
They don't allow for the time of you know, you
were great. We loved having you around, but we're sorry,
we're gonna have to let you go. It's the immediate
and it seemed like that's what you got, even before
all of the logistics that he laid out.
Speaker 6 (26:17):
Yeah, yeah, it was. It was interesting, dude. Nothing anybody
was gonna say, however, was going to make me feel
any better. No, because like it doesn't matter if somebody says, hey,
you did a really good job, but we just don't
like you.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
You know.
Speaker 6 (26:35):
It's like it's almost like when when you get broken
up with and you know, the girl goes, hey, yeah,
it's not you, it's me. It's like no, no, no, no,
it is.
Speaker 9 (26:46):
Yeah, because if I weren't me, then this would be working,
wouldn't It is another woman gonna pick me up in
twenty four hours, just so I know, maybe twenty four
to forty eight hours and I can go hang with her.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Yeah, that's what I would like to know.
Speaker 6 (26:59):
It's a dating waiver wire. Yeah, it's the same thing. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Hey, Rich Hornberger's single, you know, this has just come
across the wire.
Speaker 6 (27:08):
Ladies, I'm gonna swipe right good.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
The other part is your agent. It's not like I thought.
I thought that you're your agent was was just like
Bill Belichick, accustomed to everything.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
He filled in.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
As you said, you feel like you've been the only
person in the world that was cut. I'm sure your
agent has had, you know, multiple multiple clients go through
the same experience, which is why he wasn't reacting the
way that he did. But my favorite part of it is, well,
I would pack for six months, like like that told
me that wait a second, maybe he isn't as but
(27:50):
like if he was in that situation, not like I've
had other clients who have also want this and what
they like to do rich is they they just kind
of pack up just in case anything happened.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
But that is great.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Well, I mean, if it was me, I'd packed for
six months.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
The only logical thing.
Speaker 6 (28:06):
I mean, he couldn't have sound more nonchalant with the
conversation I have, Like I mean, I'm pretty sure I
interrupted him while he was eating lunch, so I like,
in between questions I have for him, I heard him
like lipsmacking over a tune of Sandwich or something, and
it was just like, you know, it's it stinks, you know,
(28:26):
it's a bad rap man. Hopefully you stick around in
New England because I know you like the squad and
I think you've got a home there, you know, with
that offensive line, but you never know, there are a
couple of other teams that are like offensive line, need
you right now. I'm just like, okay, well, could you
tell me, like what some of those teams are so
I have an idea of what city I might be
(28:47):
traveling too. He's like, oh, you know, pretty much all
of them. Anyways, it's a busy day for me on
this and catch you later.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
It was just like it was just.
Speaker 6 (28:57):
A normal day for the rest of the universe, and
my world had been flipped upside down. I mean, think
of it from this standpoint as a football player from Okay,
from eighth grade when I started playing football all the
way through the I guess you could say, but my first,
my rookie season, the rookie season through that training camp,
(29:20):
my second year in the NFL. So at that point
I have been playing football. Oh, let's call it a
dozen years. A dozen years of football. I had never
not been on a team because I was good enough
to be on the middle school team. I was elevated
a varsity as a sophomore in high school, I got
a scholarship to play at Penn State. I was drafted
by the Patriots. I was like great, Like this is
(29:41):
just what I do. And then all of a sudden,
sudden somebody calls you and go, you know, on second thought,
you're not good enough, so gotta run it. Just your
whole world crashes down. So I promise you there's going
to be a lot of people who are gonna say
a lot of things like ah, this guy got cut
and that guy got cut. For the majority of these players,
(30:03):
for about twenty four to thirty six hours, it feels
like their world is upside down. It's a very tumultuous day.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
I just saw a clip recently, and it was from
years back, because Kevin O'Connell was playing. Yeah, when Mike
Tannebaum of the Jets let him go? Did you see
that clip as well?
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Like it was?
Speaker 2 (30:21):
It was It was basically Tannebomb comes in and says
we're gonna let you go, and it basically says we
traded for you, you know, just didn't work out, You
didn't live up to expectations. We feel Calton's a better fit.
I believe it was Kellen Clemens back then and that's
who they ended up going as their backup. But this
(30:42):
was like like Tannebom was like sliding in like these daggers,
and O'Connell was just like yep, appreciation, you know, appreciate it.
But it's like, you know, we traded for you, you know,
just just didn't work out, didn't get the value, just
like shot after shot, and I'm like, man, this is harsh.
This is a lot like the Hard Knocks that I
see now is like, hey, you know, we're gonna call it,
let you go. It could be a team that gets you,
love the way you run, Good luck to you, see
(31:03):
you later. Yeah, you know, but this was like it
was like shot at their shot. I've felt bad for
Kevin O'Connell.
Speaker 6 (31:08):
Yeah, I remember watching that as a player. You know,
I had played with koc in New England before he
was traded to the Jets, and then watch that, So
this is somebody I had a personal relationship with, like
had gone out to the movies with during our time
together in New England and then to watch that whole
(31:31):
exchange happen on that week's episode of Hard Knocks My
like my legitimately, my heart was in my throat. Yeah,
because it is very easy, and I don't blame any fans.
I don't blame anybody who's never been through it for
being a little bit more like the morbid curiosity rubbernecking
(31:52):
the car accident on the side of the freeway, Like like,
just we get to watch this guy's worst day ever. Okay,
Mike tannanbound's about to cut him. Let's see what happens. Like,
I get it, there's a morbid curiosity there, but I
promise you what was what was happening inside of Kevin
O'Connell is this indescribable emotional explosion that you have to
(32:18):
pretend is not happening while somebody is telling you you're
not good enough to your face and then explaining in
pretty blunt terms all the reasons why that was. That
was a rough watch.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
Yeah, I saw it the other day and I thought
it was rough. So yeah, hopefully that I'll cut down days.
I like that for players. He's Rich torn Burger.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
I'm Dan Byerliff at thedireq dot com Studios.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
We're not gonna cut Isaac lown Crown.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
He's our main man at the news desk, giving us
the latest of what's happening today.
Speaker 5 (32:46):
What's the deal with the bedside manner of Rich's agent?
Man Rich? How would it sound if your agent was
a doctor giving a patient the news that they had
a fatal, incurable disease and only had months to live.
How would your agent deliver that news?
Speaker 6 (33:08):
Probably about two weeks?
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Doc? Wait?
Speaker 6 (33:10):
What two weeks of what of life?
Speaker 3 (33:17):
Wait?
Speaker 6 (33:17):
Wait? Wait? Lifelike? You mean on earth like all together? Yeah? Yeah, yeah,
it's the bad kind. You caught the bad kind. So anyways,
my nurse is gonna be in. I've got a ham
and Swiss I gotta get back to. She'll answer any
questions you have left. Yeah, that's how that would go.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
App one one and now two May rips It.
Speaker 6 (33:48):
Day till I Failed and that is over The Master too,
Red Hold Rat and a cycle for Whose Hel to Me?
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Astro's latest thirteen the form that was the Progressive player
of the day. Progressive is making things even easier. They'll
help you bundle your home in car insurance together so
you can save on both Lenmurroprogressive dot Com or one
eight hundred Progressive Sports Talk, seven ninety KB Emmy and
the Astros Radio Network. On the call as the Stros
(34:19):
topped the Red Sox by a score of thirteen to five,
He's rich Hornberger. I'm Dan Byer. It is the Doug
Gottlieb Show on Fox Sports Radio. As we are in
for Doug today. Richard know, Doug's a busy guy, and
the reason we're in for him was because he was
in for Colin Cowherd earlier today in a segment that
we're about to hear from, Doug.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
Called and now say so.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Jim Harbaugh of Michigan has been on this pay the
College Players rant, and Doug responded to that rant.
Speaker 10 (34:48):
What is he even talking about? Hey, he wants a
system which is equitable. I think most people in college
sports would agree he wants, but he wants players to
be compensated.
Speaker 6 (35:01):
They are.
Speaker 10 (35:02):
If anything, the reality of the current system is the
imbalance has actually worked the other way.
Speaker 3 (35:09):
It's worked the other way. It's worked to where players.
Speaker 10 (35:12):
Have way too much power, make money far above their
actual name, image, likeness value, and there's no real connection
or tied to the university, which is the real reason,
the real reason that the schools are being compensated handsomely
(35:33):
for broadcasting football games. There's no easier parallel than to say, hey,
let's take the there's what the USFL and the XFL,
and my guess is that those teams would wipe the
field with college football teams wipe the field with them.
Why because they're grown men, they're professionals, And you're like, no,
(35:56):
they wouldn't, Yeah, they would, they would. This is much
like the G League as opposed to college BASKETBALLJ League
teams are way better than college basketball teams. What's more
valuable to broadcasts, well, the colleges. Why the name on
the front of their shirt, the connection to the fans.
Speaker 6 (36:15):
Fascinating right like where we're at in college football, because
there are a lot of coaches that will they will
draw a line in the sand and say, these players
are abusing this system for their own personal gain and
it's destroying the merit and the traditions of college football.
(36:38):
Lane Kiffin has been on record many times and sort
of echoing a lot of the sentiments that Doug just
laid out there, while at the same time, you know, stating,
but hey, you know, it's the game we got to play,
and we're going to try to play it to our
best of our ability. Jim Harbor obviously taking a completely
different stance. Here's the line you have to straddle if
you're a head football coach at the college foot level
(37:00):
right now. You have to say things that are going
to appeal to your players and at the same time
appeal to your bosses the universities that you work for.
And so I think Jim Harbaugh is one of those
singular voices who's really doesn't sound like he's all that
worried about what his bosses think about what he says.
(37:21):
And I don't know why that exactly is. But maybe
maybe he's speaking the one hundred percent unadulterated truth, or
maybe he's saying exactly what he thinks players want to
hear so he has an easier time recruiting. I don't
know which side he falls on. So it's impossible to
say like Jim's missing the boat, because maybe Jim's on
the boat and he's just trying to play the game
(37:42):
to his favor.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
And yeah, he's been on this boat for a while.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
I just find the timing convenient when there's so much
else going on around the Michigan program. Oh right, back
end that, Johnny. He's Rich Hornberger. I'm Dan Bier. We
don't even gonna need the back end it because we're
running out of time. Get Rich on social media, hit
him up at Ornburger can find me at Dan Bayer
on Fox Football is almost here, Rich, we'll have to
do it again sometimes, So for Rich, spend the Doug
(38:07):
Gottlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio.
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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