December 20, 2023 • 44 mins
Colin reacts to the Jets officially upgrading Aaron Rodgers to their active roster only 3 months since his Achilles injury and why this feels more like a PR move than Rodgers taking live game snaps. He discusses the greatness of Steph Curry after he carries the Warriors to a victory over the Celtics, who have the best record in the Eastern Conference. He explains why the Ravens are the perfect fit for Lamar Jackson as Baltimore is atop the AFC and Lamar finds himself in the MVP race once again. Plus, Super Bowl champion James Jones joins the show in studio to give his perspective on Rodgers' time with the Jets thus far
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio and noon to three Eastern nine am to
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
All Right, here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
It is a Wednesday breaking news sort of live in
Los Angeles. It's The Herd wherever you may be and
however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part
of your Wednesday Loaded today, lots of news. Guess who
starts our show today with breaking news?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Jaymax?
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Can can you give us sport as like a heads up?
Are we talking at NBA? Are we talking NHL or NFL?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
What do we got?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
The New York Jets can't win on the field, so
let's try to win with pr. So this came down
one minute ago. The Jets announced they're gonna activate Aaron
Rodgers off the ir It's a plus to have him
on the practice field for him and his teammates. Robert
(01:16):
Sala also reiterated he's not gonna play, which Aaron reiterated yesterday.
He's not gonna play. So if you can't win games,
let's try to win PR. Just the silly circus continues.
He's been on the sidelines, on the headset, he's traveling
with the team, he's on the sidelines, he's at practice.
We see him throwing the ball around. But now it's official.
(01:39):
He's been activated on the Jets roster because he's so
good around the team. Really, i've watched you play. He
ain't that good. He's not making that much of a difference.
He's on the headset shaking his head at Nat Hackett's calls.
You know what's interesting about this? You know also who else?
Torre's Achilles kirk Cousins, and yet haven't heard a word
(02:03):
because kirk Cousins doesn't need twenty four to seven validation
and attention updates on a weekly basis, doesn't need to
play a game with PR. Kirk Cousins, who's very secure
with himself, happily married, beautiful family. End of a cul
deeses act. Dogs life doesn't revolve around kirk Cousins. He's
(02:24):
part of a fabric of an organization of a family.
You'll find that happen a lot in life. The people
who are truly happy and content don't seek constant attention.
It should be noted that Aaron and Kirk Cousins have
played ten times. Kirk Cousins has won five, lost four
(02:44):
and tied one. Kirk Cousins has a better record against
Aaron Rodgers and vice versa. And you wouldn't know that
because Kirk Cousins wouldn't tell you about it, and because
you don't know how Kirk Cousins feels about politics in
the vaccine, because he represents a family and people beyond himself,
doesn't want to embarrass anybody, doesn't need to be front
(03:06):
and center. This entire Aaron Rodgers year has been about
Aaron and been an absolute circus. Aaron was never gonna
play yesterday, he announced, He conceded, quote conceded, He's not
gonna play this year. That's not breaking news.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Erin bro. Everybody knew it. You knew it, The world
knew it.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
But Aaron wanted us to believe he had some access
to some medical information, probably on some wacko conspiracy theory
reddit board. And Aaron wanted you and he does this
a lot. He wants you to think he reads stuff
that you don't read, and see stuff that you don't see,
and has sources and access that you don't have. And
it's all this, you know, this stuff that the mere
(03:51):
mortals aren't don't have at their fingertips, but Aaron does. No, bro,
you were never gonna play when you were hurt. Ever,
science works a lot most of the time. You know,
doctors have a practice, so it's not perfect, but the
stuff works most of the time. And you don't know
(04:11):
as much as an epidemiologist. You don't know as much
as team doctors. You don't have any revolutionary medical breakthroughs
or access. It's called a Reddit board. It's where old
single guys with no kids, no family, no dogs, and
fake friends hang out. Kirk Cousins has never had to
sell us on anything. He just works hard, head down,
(04:34):
good guy, family guy, take care of his family, good friend.
I'll be back next year. And by the way, kirk
Cousins could use pr He's a free agent. He can
use a LinkedIn, he can use Facebook, he can use
talk radio pumping him up. He's a free agent and
he's about the same age as Aaron. But It's interesting
(04:54):
to watch how both have handled it, Isn't it kind
of interesting? The circus can continues. So the Jets today
announce assistant Bear that franchise is embarrassing. I mean, you
got a needy franchise and a needy forty year old
quarterback that needs constant validation. Well, it's good to have
Aaron around the team. I mean, he's been around the team.
(05:18):
How good can it be Garrett Wilson's can planning last week?
People are shaking their head with Nat Hackett? How good
is it? Didn't prove anything, hasn't done anything, hasn't elevated anything.
If I said to you, what quarterback franchise has been
the biggest circus this year been the Jets? How much
has Aaron helped? I mean you're telling me today that's
(05:39):
why you're activating you you're not gonna play, not doing
it for that you're doing because he's helping. How's he helping?
Zach Wilson's had one great game all year. He can't
help that much. Zach Wilson probably needs to be left
alone to his own devices and own issues. Grow up,
a little bit kid, grow up with money, needs to
grow up doesn't need help. This whole thing's been just nonsense.
(06:01):
Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, same basic age, same injury.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Watch how they've handled it.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Wow, maybe I should have just spent the last five
minutes on Kirk and not Aaron. I should spend it
more on praise and not criticism. But like Kirk Cousins
just doing his thing, laughing about it. You know, it's like, hey,
I texted Aaron the other day. We should have like
Achilles anonymous. You know, it's just be a bunch of
guys go out. And I love that about Kirk. But
(06:30):
I mean, this Jets thing is it's a grift. It's
a con. Nobody had any medical information at all because
there's no medical access to.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Have other than history.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Nobody injures and Achilles ruptures it and plays twelve weeks
later the come on as nonsense. And also, by the way,
the vaccine did save lives. I'm sorry it did. I'm
not a doctor, but it did millions and millions of lives.
All right, So Steph Curry last night was amazing. Thirty
three points. Warriors rallied to be the Celtics. They shouldn't
(07:01):
because the Celtics are a deep, loaded roster with a
bunch of guys in their prime, and the Warriors are not.
They're a one man team. So Steph this year is
thirty five years old. He's averaging twenty eight a game,
forty one percent on threes, thirty four minutes a game.
I mean, Lebron may lead in longevity, but Steph's on
the same path. And this Warrior team's not real good.
(07:21):
Draymond's out, suspended, Klay Thompson shadow of himself, Andrew Wiggins
now comes off the bench. I'm not sure what happened
to him. Dario Sarich is one of their only bigs,
and he plays defense worse than those chairs. And their
bench doesn't give you a ton. And CP three's passed
his prime, and yet they're basically on a three game
winning streak and a five hundred team, and Steph remains
(07:44):
remarkably disrespected. So there was a moment last night in
the game where Jalen Brown backed him up, bigger, stronger
guard scored on in plus one, and he did that
kind of moronic gesture they do in the NBA. Now
you're small, You're too small. Nobody would do that to MJ.
Lebron and COVID. You wouldn't think of it for a second.
But Jalen Brown, no rings, no MVPs, not even the
best guy on his own team, scores a bucket on
(08:06):
Steph Curry and does the two small gesture. By the way,
Steph's playoff career average is ten points higher than Jalen Brown,
and his game six game seven playoff average is ten
points higher than Jalen Brown. So who's small? Who comes
up small? It's not Steph, It's Jalen Brown. The Warriors
are a one man team. They're zero to two when
Steph doesn't play. They're four and nine when Steph doesn't
(08:29):
score over thirty or thirty plus, and then they're excellent
when Steph has thirty plus, nine and three. They should
be a lottery team, maybe a lottery team or a
one man team. Celtics aren't. And yet, in the fourth
quarter in overtime, Steph Curry at twenty points, Tatum and
Jalen Brown combine seven, and what's remarkable, Steph picked up
(08:52):
his fifth foul on that Jalen Brown play. There were
six minutes to go in the third quarter, and the
Celtics just jacked up instead of attacking Steph, getting out
of the game, get another foul, jacked up threes. It
was another night to watch the bizarrely disrespected thirty five
year old one man team, Steph Curry and the Warriors
(09:14):
win over a Celtics team that down the stretch, fourth
quarter and overtime. Tatum and Jalen Brown sat and watched
the superior player who one of those guys Brown had
gestured he's too small? Who's small again? Late in the
game that mattered TNT. Here's Steph Curry spinning.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
Clucksterer moles coms no gaverns it in cluck a three.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
Seats.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Steve Kerr has watched all of this and had this
to say, after.
Speaker 6 (09:57):
Nothing shocks me with Steph. I mean that shot was insane,
the catch and shoe, the arc, but I fully expected
it to go in, and I think all of our
fans did too. Guy's magical. He just you can't explain it.
That's just the kind of stuff he does.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
I don't know if it's because his shoes not cool enough,
or he golfs a lot, or he's a family guy.
I don't know what it is with Steph Curry. Nobody
would ever do that small gesture to Kobe or Michael
or Lebron. He wouldn't even consider it be disrespectful to
them in the game.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
But with Steph, it's okay.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Remember years ago when people were asked if you could
start a franchise with Westbrook and staff and have the
player said, Westbrook, you out of your mind. You play
the game and don't know it. This guy is an
all timer, one on one, a unicorn once again. Last night,
Brown and Tatum watching as Steph took over the game
late at an ot J Mack, these are your jets,
(10:59):
These are the jets you were raised on and love.
And I thought today I'm maybe I'm a little harsh,
and you think, Colin, you're attacking Aaron. But this has
been a PR grift from day one, and I am
over it. The idea they're activating him off IR today
because he's good around the team. He's been around the
team all year. They don't lock him out of practice,
(11:21):
they don't kick him off the plane. He's on the
sidelines on the headset. This is just PR, Colin. You
know the viewers at home listeners, they can't see it.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
There's yellow crime tape around the set today because you
just committed a murder. You just killed Aaron Rodgers on
TV for like six minutes and it was listen, I've
been with you on the show here, what fourteen months? Yeah,
I think I was the best most incisive, biting open
you've had since I've been here.
Speaker 7 (11:45):
That was magical stuff.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Listen if the story broke, you know, literally forty five
seconds before we go on the air.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
But we've all been watching this stuff.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
And you know, as Aaron does all his darkness retreat
hey to each his own echinasia or whatever, he does
that to du up and vomiting, poop, ayahuasca whatever, I'm
not judging on that. Like, you do whatever you want
in life. It's I'm not here. I'm not a moralist.
You do whatever you want in life. The darkness retreat,
you know, it's what an older, unmarried, single guy with
a lot of money does, what trying to find yourself
(12:15):
what have But the packers, for the record, tired of it.
He came out and they said, see you. So the
packers had had enough. They were less tolerant than I
was on it. The ayahuasca again, I don't feel like
pooping and vomiting I've done enough of that in my
life when I've been sick. But whatever, I'm not judging
you in that. And when Aaron got hurt, I came
out for ten minutes and said I felt terrible for
him because I love watching him play. But this whole
(12:37):
season is about seeking validation and pr and making sure
it falls right for me. And it's nonsense. And our
job is to hopefully have enough of a piercing radar
on this stuff. Where I'm having dinner tonight with an
NFL GM. You have dinners with people in the sports.
The fans mostly don't do that. And when you tie
had a Hall of Fame coach tell me two weeks ago,
(12:59):
he's like and wants he wants attention. I had a
current executive in the league and I asked him about Aaron,
and he said, Aaron needs attention. And I just watched
Kirk Cousins go through it, the family guy, the dog,
the kids, the family, same injury, better all time record
against Aaron, not a peep. And I'm not saying Aaron
doesn't have a right to political opinions. Joe Rogan can
(13:19):
have him, You can have him, I can have him.
I'm fine with it, but stop pretending you have access
and information that all of us don't have. It's what
all single, rich guys do with no kids, no dogs,
and no other sacrifices. They sit around on their phone
all day and stew up conspiracy nonsense.
Speaker 8 (13:35):
I don't know if you've noticed.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Anytime he gives an interview lately, he talks about how
reliable is He's trustworthy. Hey, believe me, don't believe the others.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Believe me.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
You know, those are the characteristics of a con man. Honestly,
he's been pulling a con on Jets fans all season
since that injury, and a lot of them they lapped
it up.
Speaker 8 (13:51):
Call him.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
It's sad, ridiculous. I know, Colin, this is very verse, visceral.
You're going after him. I'm over it. I waited until
this moment. The whole season. I've been like, yeah, whatever,
let it play. But don't tell me his presence helps
the team. It's the biggest circus in the league at quarterback.
If his presence is that important, then it wouldn't be
(14:13):
this nonsense. I mean again, if if Zach Wilson had
a you know, he won that game against Buffalo on
that magical night when Aaron got hurt, a horrible night
for the franchise, but a strangely interesting night for Zack Wilson.
And if Zack had improved all year, you could make
an absolute argument Aaron's been helpful. But instead it's been
about Aaron, not about improving quarterbacks, because Zach's been worse
(14:36):
than ever, so he's not helping.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
So don't take it.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Don't activate him because he's really the team loves him around,
well is he helping. I'm all for activating guys that help.
I would argue Kirk Cousins with the circus they've had
at Minnesota with their quarterback. And I am not saying
once you lose a star quarterback it's easy. Minnesota is
still viable. Jets aren't. But if you're gonna say you're
doing this move because the team loves him and it helps,
(15:02):
do not tell me that's certainly not helping the rush ends.
He's not a rush end. He's a quarterback. He should
be helping the quarterbacks. Well they're not. It's the biggest
nightmare in the league at quarterback. Cleveland is winning games
four different quarterbacks. The Jets can't score points with three
so I just I'm over it. Everybody's got a limit today.
That story is my limit.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I'm done.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
I try to be nice, I try to be positive,
Colin not today. Yeah, I'm maybe I should just let
it go. I'm done. I have a great parlay for
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(15:45):
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I get a quarterback edge off an ugly loss. Cowboys
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(16:06):
They'll be ready to be physical. And I'll take the
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(16:26):
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Speaker 8 (16:28):
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Speaker 3 (16:41):
All right, welcome back.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yeah, it's a bummer too because I like Robert Sala
and I like Joe Douglas. I actually think the GM
and the coach are pretty good. Anyway, if you didn't hear,
the Jets have activated aironoff ir, he's not gonna play,
Aaron says that, Sola says, but they just want to
activate him be part of the team. So there's a
(17:05):
story today, Y'aho's sports and the headline is remember no
team pursued franchise tag Lamar Jackson. That's right, and I
think there's a reason for it because he missed ten
games in December and January the last two years, and
Baltimore went two and eight, and everybody in the world
(17:27):
knew Baltimore was going to resign him.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Everybody in the world knew.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
You watched Baltimore last couple of years without Lamar Jackson,
did you think they were going to let him go?
And you've watched Baltimore this year number one seed, last
couple of years with Lamar Jackson number one, number two seeds,
did you think they were going to let him go?
I'll tell you Baltimore is never going to let him
go in his prime, and Kansas City's not gonna let
(17:54):
Mahomes go, and Buffalo is not gonna let Josh Allen go,
and the Chargers aren't gonna let Justin Herbert go. So
I think the reason there wasn't a big mad rush
to get Lamar Jackson was he'd been injured. That's part
of it. He was going to be expensive. Certainly Ravens
weren't letting him go, and everybody knew it. But the
NFL has a lot of poor owners and poor gms
(18:15):
and poor coaches. They lack vision. People in my business,
the good ones have it, the average ones don't vision.
A lot of people in the NFL, and every business
have to see something before they get something. In tech,
the money's in seeing stuff before it happens. Same in
(18:35):
the NFL. It's called Patrick Mahomes, it's called Brady in
every field. If you can see stuff before it happens,
they get the trophies, you get the wealth, you get
the stature. The Ravens have always had a vision for
Lamar Jackson day one and have adapted to his unique
stylistic traits throughout his career. There's been this discussion of
(18:58):
what Lamar doesn't do, but the Ravens have never been
concerned with that. Instead of concern, they've been consumed with
figuring out how to best support this unicorn, this one
of one. Even in the NFL with lots of smart people,
there's a bunch of followers. You need vision with Lamar
(19:19):
Jackson day one. You needed vision when you drafted him,
you needed vision his rookie year. You needed vision last week.
He's just different stylistically, personality, skill set. He's different, and
a lot of teams in this league draft out of fear.
(19:41):
They don't want to be mocked if they make a mistake,
and he was a different cat. I watched him in
college and I'm like, uhh, I didn't buy into that
he has to try out at receiver stuff. But I
was like, I don't know if that works. He run
around a lot. But it worked really fast. Week eleven,
it worked. I talked to two gms that played twice.
They're like, the first time you play him, if you've
(20:01):
never played him, he's gonna blow you out. If I
go ask to NFC teams this year who don't get
a play him regularly that have to go to Baltimore
and play them Detroit and Seattle, he'll wear you out.
I mean there's guys that are comps to Mahomes. There
are guys, I mean Matt Stafford can do arm angle
stuff like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts
can run around like Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
There's nothing like Lamar. They're nothing like him.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
And so I'm glad that he stayed with the Ravens.
I'm glad there wasn't a huge market. I'm glad somebody
didn't pursue Lamar Jackson. He has found the perfect family
and the perfect fit, and they've never been concerned with
how it would look. What they know is when Lamar
(20:47):
is healthy and Lamar has support, he ends up on
number one, two or three seed and he wins seventy
five to eighty percent of his games.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
This is one of.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Those you know, when Aaron and the Packers split, probably
would have been better staying together for the next three years.
Aaron wouldn't be in this circus. Jordan loved growing pains.
Divorces are tough. I've been through one. I love the
fact that the Ravens get Lamar. Lamar's loyal to the Ravens.
(21:18):
They've never been concerned with what he can't do, simply
consumed with what he can, and that explains why there
wasn't a market. He is the Ravens. He's committed, he's tough,
he's relentless, he's twitchy. He's unique. So are the Ravens.
It's a perfect match. I wouldn't want to see him
(21:38):
in any other uniform.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in Newoneaster non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS
one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
Hey, I'm Doug Gottlieb. The podcast is called All Ball.
We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's
more about the stories about what made these people love
their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way.
We talked to coaches, we talked to players, we tell
you stories. You download it, you listen to it. I
think you like it. Listen to All Ball with Doug
(22:13):
Gottlieb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
Celebrate the Holidays with the Gift of Football on Fox
on Sunday, It's an NFL doubleheader featuring a showdown between
the title contenders as Dat leads Caboche against the TUA
and the Dolphins. Then on Christmas Day, the Giants take
on Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, all on Fox.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Speaking of the Eagles, there are only six teams with
double digit wins in the NFL. Philadelphia is one of
them at ten and four, and they have the easiest
three game stretch remaining of all the double digit win teams.
It's very possible, maybe likely, they go thirteen and four.
(23:00):
I said this Monday. Chill Out said this Tuesday morning
on the show Chill Out. They're gonna be fine. There
is this sense, however, that they're not the same team
as last year. Yeah, you're right, they're not. If you
look at their offensive ranks. The last two seasons, they
went from first to about twelve. Big plays, big play
(23:21):
touchdowns second to ninth. And if you look at their
defensive ranks the last two years, they went from like sixth,
fourth eighth to like twenty second, twenty fourth. Yeah, there's
a reason they're not quite as dominant. Think about this.
They lost arguably the best offensive coordinator in football who
became a head coach. They lost a defensive coordinator good
(23:43):
enough to become a head coach. Most coordinators don't become
head coaches. They lost two that did. They lost two
very productive linebackers, one in Chicago's playing his butt off.
They lost a guy in the secondary that led the
entire Neational Football League in interceptions, CJ.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Gardner Johnson.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
They lost arguably their best defensive lineman, Hardgrave goes to
the Niners. I still can't figure out how they afford him.
They lost their top offensive guard to the Steelers. Okay,
so if you took a non playoff team and you
just gave them those players and those coaches, they would
be a playoff team.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Just the guys. They lost a top guard.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
A top defensive lineman in the league, a guy that
led the NFL and picks, two great linebackers, a top
defensive coordinator, the best OC in the game. If you
gave that to Atlanta, they'd be a playoff team this year. Yeah,
so Philadelphia now is good. They're not stacked, they're not
(24:50):
the Niners, they're not crazy all time gifted. So rule
number one in the NFL, you pay the quarterback, then
you gonna pay the price elsewhere. One of the things
I've never understood about fans. If I was still a
fan of a certain team, I always root for flexible.
(25:10):
I don't want my team to be trapped. All you
out there screaming get the bag, get the bag. It's
the dumbest thing you want for your team. You wanted
a player that you love to sign a team friendly
deal so your team can be flexible. Mahomes keeps reworking
his deal. Right now, Mahomes is the number one cap.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Hit in the league.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Have you watched the chief secondary Have you watched the
Chiefs receivers, especially the ladder, they're learning on the job.
I don't mind a guy getting the bag. You don't
want him to get the bag that is so overwhelmingly
in his favor. And I'm not saying Jalen Hurts did,
But when I hear people do fans say that making
a small bag a mini bag fun size, get the bag,
(25:54):
be set for life. But you pay the quarterback, you
pay the price. Elsewhere, they lost two great linebackers, a
great guy in the secondary, their top defensive linemen, their
best guard. Those are elite players that if you just
took those guys and put them on a team like Atlanta,
they'd be a playoff team. So they're not great, and
(26:14):
that's totally understandable.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
This year.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Something else I was thinking about this morning. You know,
we got into this MVP stuff and I've never been
into awards. I don't care about the Heisman. I had
a vote one year. I thought it was tribal, regional
and stupid. I mean, Phil Jackson has as many Coach
of the Year awards as Byron Scott. Do you think
(26:42):
I care about this stuff? Goodfellas did not win an
Oscar MVPs Heisman's I don't care. Lebron has been the
real MVP for all but about the last three years
in the league. Jannis Jokicic now should win it, and
Lebron's got four. I've seen people when Emmy's in my business.
(27:05):
That means so much to those people. Congrats, but they're
not really elite talent. There are people in Hall of
Fames in broadcasting. I rolled my eyes at whatever. Tom
Cruise has never won an Oscar, probably because he's too
busy saving Hollywood. We all know that Brock perty can play,
(27:26):
and we all know that Christian McCaffrey's great. We all
know that John Lynch knows it, Kyle Shanahan knows it.
Brock Purty knows it about Christian. Christian knows that about Brock.
I don't want this to ruin what is a marvelous
season because I think San Francisco is uniquely the best
(27:46):
team in the league. Like they have the best roster
since the Seahawks, Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas.
I think it's one of the great rosters we've seen
in ten years. I think it's just remarkable, And I
think you got to be careful that the discussion doesn't
overtake the beauty of what's happening. Do you want to
be on the rocket ship or do you want to
(28:08):
win a science ribbon? MVPs are science ribbons. We all
know they can both play. Christian McCaffrey in a league
that doesn't like running backs, won't pay running backs, won't
embrace running backs, is gonna end up with twenty four
touchdowns in twenty two hundred yards. And Brock Purdy never
misses a big throw? Now are they you know? Contextually?
(28:31):
Are they designed perfectly? Does he have great talent? Yeah,
but he makes way too many good throws to not
be a good player.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Is he very good? Probably? Is he great? I don't
think so.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Maybe, But I think what the truth of this matter is,
it's a rocket ship, and we don't get these very
much in the NFL. In baseball, you can literally sign
O Tawny, defer his payment, and stack your roster. Whether
or not that's good for baseball, it's legal. It's literally
legal to say, hey, Mocgee Batts, come on over here
for your payment, Freddie Freeman, O Toaddi for your payment,
(29:02):
and then go steal Tampa's first or second best picture.
The MVP discussions, the Heisman discussions, they're science ribbons instead
of the actual rocket ship. And I think what you're
watching here is the most talented roster in the NFL
in a decade. And look when I watch him play
I don't mind the MVP discussions, but I think we're
(29:25):
watching something between Christian McCaffrey season, Brock Purty's story and
this roster nuts. Can we just admit this brock pretty
story is awesome, Christian McCaffrey's productions insane, and this roster
could be better than both. To me, that's the rocket ship,
not the science ribbon.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
There he is. He's hiding behind the cameras.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
James Jones, the former Aaron Rodgers teammate, is listening to this,
consuming it and thinking, O, what's coward gonna have to
me on the stuff?
Speaker 3 (30:01):
But you know it is It is funny.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
So you know this because you were in Green Bay
for eight years and you went to the Raiders and
it was a mess. And I think about this all
the time. The one thing about pro athletes that that's
difficult that I don't have to face. I can do
this until I'm eighty. Yeah, pro athletes get a very
short time. And I've always defended all athletes on this.
If I was traded. It would crush my self esteem.
(30:26):
If Fox said we're trading you device for two producers
and an editor to be named later, I'd be like.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
I'm no good.
Speaker 7 (30:32):
Even if it's big money, I still wouldn't like it.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Okay, So I've always defended athletes on being traded.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
It's hard.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
That's why these quarterbacks win and they look at the
camera and they drop it's Drew Locke. People quit on me.
It's it's Jake Browning. Nobody believed in me. I'll always
defend athletes. We the consumer do not understand what it's
like to be traded as a human.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
It's kind of awful.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
The second thing is, you guys have very small windows
to make your money. Now you make enormous mon he
compared to the relative to the rest of society, there
is that grass is always greener thing. And when you
go back to Green Bay and you compare it to
other players in the league, can you acknowledge it's pretty
damn good there.
Speaker 9 (31:15):
Yeah, And it's totally different Green Bay is. Green Bay
is just a totally different vibe. It's a family vibe.
You know, when you get there, it's not just the
owner wants to see you do good, or the owners
invested in you.
Speaker 7 (31:29):
Everybody is invested in you to.
Speaker 9 (31:31):
All the way to the guy that cuts the grass,
to the coaches, to the fans, like what can we
do to make sure you're good and you can play
at the high level? Buffalo Buffalo did playing Buffalo, But
Buffalo's possibly like that. But Green Bay is different from
that sense. It's everybody's in this thing to make sure
this is a go.
Speaker 7 (31:51):
And I'll never.
Speaker 9 (31:51):
Forget when when I first had got to Green Bay
and we were making a run, Coach Mike brought all
the wives and all the girlfriends into the team meeting four.
Speaker 7 (32:01):
If it ain't good at home, they not gonna be
good on the football field. And we need y'all too,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 9 (32:06):
But it just was like a family oriented organization that
everybody has one cause, and that's to make sure how
good can we make Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
And I've said this for years. I call it the
Green Bay quarterback syndrome. So quarterbacks are different, so far
of and Aaron have very little in common. One's west,
one's southern, one's the gunslinger. One was meticulous. One was
thought of as one of the great talents. Ever one
was overlooked how to go to a JC. But yet
(32:35):
it ended the same way, and ironically they went to
the same team initially, Jets. And I said, is it
the reality of being a quarterback in green Bay? So
whereas James Jones and Jordy Nelson can go to the
grocery store and sign an autograph, Yeah, Farvan Rogers arguably
with the biggest stars in the league in their prime,
it's like no other city in law Demon Stadham, I
(32:59):
remember great basketball player when I interviewed him one time
in Portland, Oregon. And Dame's a nice guy.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
He and I.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
He hated me when he played because I was critical,
but he's a good dude. And he said this once.
I asked him, where's your favorite place to play? He's
from Portland. He said Toronto. I said why, He said, glasses.
I can hide international city. He goes in Portland, Oregon.
Speaker 3 (33:17):
I can't. I can't go out for a stake.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
And I do think that being a quarterback for green
Bay far of Rogers nothing in common. It ended the
same way. Thoughts of retirement worn out. No owner to
lean on, couldn't get free agents that Green Bay is
strangely comforting but difficult to be a superstar quarterback.
Speaker 9 (33:39):
Yeah, I mean because Green Bay is small market, you know,
so like a yeah, if Aaron Rodgers and bretfarre did
what they did in their careers in Dallas are in
New York, you know what I mean. I mean, my goodness,
we'd be talking about him even with one ring, probably
up there with Tom Brady, right.
Speaker 7 (33:53):
You know, it's strictly because of where they play.
Speaker 9 (33:56):
Green Bay is a really really small town, really really
small market, So you're not it's not a lot of
eyeballs on you, you know what I mean.
Speaker 7 (34:02):
But unless it's unless.
Speaker 9 (34:03):
You're Aaron Rodgers or bread for all, they they can't
go to the grocery store. They can't go have a steak.
I mean everything. You got to bring the food to
the house or it has to be a I'm coming
through the back door and this is what's gonna happen.
Speaker 7 (34:14):
But you know that's always.
Speaker 9 (34:16):
Been in Green Bay. I mean we're not even at
the quarterback position. We used to talk about that as
the receiver spot. It's a lot of great receivers that
came out of Green Bay that really do not get
a lot of credit because it's small market, it's small town,
and it's not a lot of eyes on you, you know.
I mean even when you talk to Donald Drivers, the
Greg Jennings, the Antonio Freeman's. I it's a lot of
great receivers that if they were elsewhere, you know what
(34:37):
I mean, with a different helmet on. I mean, they
would still be talked about. It's probably one of the
greats right now. So playing in Green Bay is special.
But yes, it's not a lot of eyeballs on you.
You don't get a lot of media coverage and all that,
so you know, you kind of slide.
Speaker 7 (34:50):
Under the radar.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
So I know Aaron's your buddy. I get it, and
obviously he done like me and I get that.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
I'm not bothered by there's a lot of well I mean, listen,
I've been criticals in the last night. I was very
favor for. I was always an Errand guy over a
Farv guy for years. I thought he was a thinking
man's player. I thought he was super, I thought he
was detailed. I'll say this, I was always Aeron over
far of day one. Still am I do not like
the last three years because I do think football is unique.
Is that in the NBA, if you have two great players,
(35:17):
you'll win. In baseball it comes down to who has
the most money. But in the NFL it is a collective.
Even a quarterback needs a left tackle. You got to
buy gifts for your offensive linemen. Steph doesn't need buy
gifts for the backups. So it's a collective. And I
do feel Aaron.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
You know, he is.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
He's a single guy, he's rich, he's doing his own thing.
He lives a different gold stream life than I'd ever live.
And maybe I'm jealous or something.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Who knows.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
I like the life I have, But I think the
last several years it's felt more about Aaron than the collective.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
And I don't love that. Is that fair?
Speaker 7 (35:50):
But see don't.
Speaker 9 (35:50):
I don't think that's true, though, because I think the
last couple of years, Aaron has really.
Speaker 7 (35:54):
Been all about team, you know, even even when you
come over here.
Speaker 9 (35:57):
Like I said on this show, I strictly believe that
the only reason why he is trying to come back
is because what those people in the New York Jets
office and those players that he's built relationship with has
done for him.
Speaker 7 (36:08):
Right, this is an achilles injury.
Speaker 9 (36:09):
You should be sitting here saying, hey, I'll be back
next year, you know, but for you to be on
the practice squad running around and you know, trying to
let everybody know that you're ready. Like, I truly believe,
if this team had a chance to make the playoffs,
Aaron was coming back to help his team strictly because
he loves those people in that building and what they
have done for him and.
Speaker 7 (36:28):
For me just watching him in the turnover that he's made.
Speaker 9 (36:31):
You know what I mean as a player and as
a teammate, man, I mean, I like this Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
But players all knew nobody's coming back from this in
the history. I mean, I called two athletes and they're like, dude,
if you ropture an Achilles in thirty nine, it's over.
Speaker 7 (36:47):
Yeah. I understand what they saying.
Speaker 9 (36:49):
But to see him moving the way he's moving, and yes,
I know this offensive line a line is bad, But
I truly believe, deep down in my heart of hearts,
if this team was in the playoffs right now and
Aaron had chance to come back the way he's moving
him being on practice, I think he would have tried it.
I truly do. I think he would have tried to
come back because I know Aaron. I know what these
people in the Jets organization, the Jets players, and what
(37:11):
they mean to him. I think it was a goal
for him to if we're in the playoffs, to come
back and help this team.
Speaker 7 (37:16):
I truly do.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Could I argue Aaron would be better served to stay
in Green Bay. The Jets do not do quarterback well.
The Bears do not do quarterback well. They don't know
how to do it.
Speaker 9 (37:26):
Yeah, well, you're always gonna get the yes from me,
because I never wanted to see him leave Green Bay.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
I know.
Speaker 7 (37:32):
I always wanted to see him. Tell that. Yeah, I
always wanted to see him finish his career in Green Bay.
You know what I mean. You know, I never wanted
to see him leave.
Speaker 9 (37:40):
And we all know I mean organization, you know, your head,
But I mean that happens with a lot of different quarterbacks, you.
Speaker 7 (37:46):
Know, and sometimes you just need to change of scenery.
Speaker 9 (37:48):
And only you know that, you know, so you know,
can't nobody tell Aaron Rodgers how to feel or how
to think, or you know, what he thinks is best
for him. But I always wanted to him to finish
his career in Green Bay possibly when another there if
that was, you know what was written for him.
Speaker 7 (38:02):
But you know, I never wanted to see him getting
a jets helm.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
How did they treat you in Green Bay?
Speaker 7 (38:06):
Lovely? They still treat me lovely.
Speaker 9 (38:08):
It's like family every time I go back, you know,
Green Bead's like family.
Speaker 7 (38:11):
I tell people all the time. Man, it's one of
the best places in.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
The world to play football, all right, So you don't
have any animosity.
Speaker 9 (38:16):
Nah, no, no, no, I love everybody over there. Charles
Woolson always told me when I was a player, man,
you can't. He told me, you can't hold any grudges
in this business. At one point it's gonna be your
time period. So you know, at the end of the day,
you can't be sensitive. You can't hold any grudges in
this building. At one point it's gonna be your time.
Speaker 4 (38:37):
Man.
Speaker 9 (38:37):
Enjoy to Rye. Go out there, do what you're gonna do.
However your career may in and play ball.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
So Michael Irvin was deeply bothered by Sean Payton yelling
at Russell Wilson. Now I know Sean pretty well and
he's very authentic and a lot of emotion that got
him into trouble sometimes in New Orleans. He didn't yell
at Drew Brees, but he yelled. He yells a lot.
His best friend, Mickey Loomis, the GM probably yelled at
Mickey who this is who he is.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
If you were.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
Golfing with Sean Payton, he'd be giving you crap. He's
just an authentic guy. A lot of coaches aren't. They're inauthentic.
It's all bs. Sean's just bleeding. He just bleeds on you.
He's a storyteller. And so when I saw that, I thought,
Sean's Piston's gonna let you know. But I understand players
look at this, and a lot of players don't like
this stuff.
Speaker 3 (39:23):
What did you make of it?
Speaker 9 (39:26):
I grew up like this, you know what I mean.
I grew up with coaches in my face. Coach is
hard on me, you know. So I don't mind this
at all. And I know a lot of people want
to say, but he's a superstar, and he's a Hall
of Famer.
Speaker 7 (39:36):
Who cares.
Speaker 9 (39:37):
We are in a heated moment, we are trying to
win a football game.
Speaker 7 (39:41):
We are losing.
Speaker 9 (39:42):
I want everybody on the same page. I mean, my
man could have been saying we worked on this all
your week, right, we could have challenged you hold the
ball with whatever. We don't know what they're talking about,
but I grew up like this. I hate when players
is like just because of where you're at, career status
and all that, it's like a coach can't talk to
you like that. No. I used to tell coach Mike
McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers, if I'm not doing get on
(40:04):
me like like that. That's part of that's part of
the business. We are trying to win. Get on me.
Speaker 7 (40:09):
So I don't mind this at all. Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers,
Tom Brady, I don't care.
Speaker 9 (40:13):
If it's you that's messing up and you that needs
to be yelled at, then that's what you.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Guys get sensitive.
Speaker 9 (40:19):
A lot of guys get sensitive, but not me. I'm
good with the coach yelling at me. I'm good with that.
This is a competitive sport. We are trying to win.
We got an opportunity to get in the playoffs. The
way this season started off, right, we're not playing well
out here in Detroit. I don't care what your name is.
We need to get in the right play We need
to do our job, point blank PIDs. So I'm cool
with that, you know, just like if I'm playing a
(40:40):
game with my wife, Say, if we're playing the spades game,
all right, and I'm like, listen, if I leave spades,
I want to see your highest spade.
Speaker 7 (40:46):
If she don't do that, what are you doing?
Speaker 3 (40:49):
Were trying to win?
Speaker 7 (40:51):
It don't mean I don't like you.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
I love you, but we're trying to win.
Speaker 7 (40:53):
Come on, Yeah, it's all good man.
Speaker 6 (41:02):
To win.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
Okay, So you and McCarthy get along. I I said this,
I I I've been hard on Mike, but I also
think you have to acknowledge I've been nice about Aaron
and I crushed him today. I've been critical of McCarthy,
but I think he's had a hell of a year
and that kicker now takes away with some of the
clock management stuff. But when they deliver a dud like that. Yeah,
(41:27):
you didn't see Belichick's teams do it?
Speaker 3 (41:29):
You don't.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
You don't see Shanahan's teams doing a lot. We think
they're really good. What do I make of that? When
you're non competitive and you're actually bad on the road.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
What the heck am I supposed to make of that?
Speaker 7 (41:43):
Yeah, and this is.
Speaker 9 (41:46):
This is concerning because you're gonna have to go on
the road in the playoffs now, I mean, now you're
gonna have to go on the road in the playoffs.
And we've seen you on the playoffs against the Cardinals,
I mean on the road against the Cardinals. We've seen
you on the road against the San Francisco forty, and
we've just seen you on the road against the Buffalo
Billy one. But for me, it's just where's the energy?
Speaker 2 (42:06):
None?
Speaker 7 (42:06):
None, like I mean sideline dead.
Speaker 9 (42:08):
The players looked at I mean, for you to give
I mean cook one hundred plus rushing yards in the
first half, that's you not coming off the bus ready
to play, you know what I mean. I can understand
you get out schemed a couple on some of these plays,
because that's that's coming off the bus, not ready to play.
Are coming off the bus like we just gonna beat
these boys down in surprise, surprise. We in playoff mode,
(42:28):
y'all are not. We're playing with way more energy than
you guys right now. And the Buffalo Bills just put
it on the Dallas Cowboys. So for me, they got
to get this fixed because if you're trying to go
where you're trying to go, You're going to have to
go on the road and bring your own energy and
win a football game and play at a high, high level.
Speaker 7 (42:44):
And they have not done that this season on the road.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
That was weird. You know, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
I remember there was a clip of Belichick years ago
and it was maybe a documentary. I don't know if
it was Tom Burst time or something. There was a
moment I love with Belichick and it was a It
showed it in the film room and Belichick was showing tape.
Is Monday tape Day or Tuesday tape Day? Tuesday and
he's showing tape and they lost a game and Belichick
new England scored a touchdown and he turned to his
(43:10):
players and he's like, there's no energy. Why aren't you
going to graduate your teammate. You just scored a touchdown,
You had an eighty eight yard drive. And Belichick was like,
you should celebrate.
Speaker 3 (43:21):
It's hard.
Speaker 7 (43:22):
It's hard to.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
Push other men around eighty eight yards. And when I
watched Dallasy, you're right. And by the way, one of
the things I always look about Pete Carroll's teams win
or lose they are running through a wall. You've never
seen by the way, Mike Tomlin team. Mike tom teams
running through a wall. Hardball teams.
Speaker 3 (43:42):
They lose, they are relentless. That Dallas team was just
nothing that flat.
Speaker 9 (43:49):
And they even look flat against the Niners. And these
are these are big time games. Like you're not on
the road man against Carolina Panthers or you know what
I mean, like you're on the road against Josh in
the Buffalo Bills or Cal Shannon and the forty nine ers,
and it just was it just they just came out flat.
I mean, it wasn't no game playing issues and all that.
The Cowboys played the defense they played all season long,
(44:10):
they ran the offense they ran all season long. But
just the energy, man, I mean, you've seen Buffalo. I mean,
you've seen the Buffalo was fire.
Speaker 7 (44:17):
You've seen the.
Speaker 9 (44:17):
Clip of my man driving them all the way to
the end zone, like you know, like it was a
movie script or something like that. But they're in playoff
mode and they just had way more energy than the Cowboys.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
James Jones, Man, you're good on the spreciative man. Today
we were a little combative.
Speaker 7 (44:30):
That's all good.
Speaker 3 (44:31):
You had to defend Aaron.
Speaker 7 (44:32):
That's all good.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
I liked it all right. Confrontational,
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio and noon to three Eastern nine am to
noon Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at
Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio
or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
All Right, here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
It is a Wednesday breaking news sort of live in
Los Angeles. It's The Herd wherever you may be and
however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part
of your Wednesday Loaded today, lots of news. Guess who
starts our show today with breaking news?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Jaymax?
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Can can you give us sport as like a heads up?
Are we talking at NBA? Are we talking NHL or NFL?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
What do we got?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
The New York Jets can't win on the field, so
let's try to win with pr. So this came down
one minute ago. The Jets announced they're gonna activate Aaron
Rodgers off the ir It's a plus to have him
on the practice field for him and his teammates. Robert
(01:16):
Sala also reiterated he's not gonna play, which Aaron reiterated yesterday.
He's not gonna play. So if you can't win games,
let's try to win PR. Just the silly circus continues.
He's been on the sidelines, on the headset, he's traveling
with the team, he's on the sidelines, he's at practice.
We see him throwing the ball around. But now it's official.
(01:39):
He's been activated on the Jets roster because he's so
good around the team. Really, i've watched you play. He
ain't that good. He's not making that much of a difference.
He's on the headset shaking his head at Nat Hackett's calls.
You know what's interesting about this? You know also who else?
Torre's Achilles kirk Cousins, and yet haven't heard a word
(02:03):
because kirk Cousins doesn't need twenty four to seven validation
and attention updates on a weekly basis, doesn't need to
play a game with PR. Kirk Cousins, who's very secure
with himself, happily married, beautiful family. End of a cul
deeses act. Dogs life doesn't revolve around kirk Cousins. He's
(02:24):
part of a fabric of an organization of a family.
You'll find that happen a lot in life. The people
who are truly happy and content don't seek constant attention.
It should be noted that Aaron and Kirk Cousins have
played ten times. Kirk Cousins has won five, lost four
(02:44):
and tied one. Kirk Cousins has a better record against
Aaron Rodgers and vice versa. And you wouldn't know that
because Kirk Cousins wouldn't tell you about it, and because
you don't know how Kirk Cousins feels about politics in
the vaccine, because he represents a family and people beyond himself,
doesn't want to embarrass anybody, doesn't need to be front
(03:06):
and center. This entire Aaron Rodgers year has been about
Aaron and been an absolute circus. Aaron was never gonna
play yesterday, he announced, He conceded, quote conceded, He's not
gonna play this year. That's not breaking news.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Erin bro. Everybody knew it. You knew it, The world
knew it.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
But Aaron wanted us to believe he had some access
to some medical information, probably on some wacko conspiracy theory
reddit board. And Aaron wanted you and he does this
a lot. He wants you to think he reads stuff
that you don't read, and see stuff that you don't see,
and has sources and access that you don't have. And
it's all this, you know, this stuff that the mere
(03:51):
mortals aren't don't have at their fingertips, but Aaron does. No, bro,
you were never gonna play when you were hurt. Ever,
science works a lot most of the time. You know,
doctors have a practice, so it's not perfect, but the
stuff works most of the time. And you don't know
(04:11):
as much as an epidemiologist. You don't know as much
as team doctors. You don't have any revolutionary medical breakthroughs
or access. It's called a Reddit board. It's where old
single guys with no kids, no family, no dogs, and
fake friends hang out. Kirk Cousins has never had to
sell us on anything. He just works hard, head down,
(04:34):
good guy, family guy, take care of his family, good friend.
I'll be back next year. And by the way, kirk
Cousins could use pr He's a free agent. He can
use a LinkedIn, he can use Facebook, he can use
talk radio pumping him up. He's a free agent and
he's about the same age as Aaron. But It's interesting
(04:54):
to watch how both have handled it, Isn't it kind
of interesting? The circus can continues. So the Jets today
announce assistant Bear that franchise is embarrassing. I mean, you
got a needy franchise and a needy forty year old
quarterback that needs constant validation. Well, it's good to have
Aaron around the team. I mean, he's been around the team.
(05:18):
How good can it be Garrett Wilson's can planning last week?
People are shaking their head with Nat Hackett? How good
is it? Didn't prove anything, hasn't done anything, hasn't elevated anything.
If I said to you, what quarterback franchise has been
the biggest circus this year been the Jets? How much
has Aaron helped? I mean you're telling me today that's
(05:39):
why you're activating you you're not gonna play, not doing
it for that you're doing because he's helping. How's he helping?
Zach Wilson's had one great game all year. He can't
help that much. Zach Wilson probably needs to be left
alone to his own devices and own issues. Grow up,
a little bit kid, grow up with money, needs to
grow up doesn't need help. This whole thing's been just nonsense.
(06:01):
Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, same basic age, same injury.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Watch how they've handled it.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Wow, maybe I should have just spent the last five
minutes on Kirk and not Aaron. I should spend it
more on praise and not criticism. But like Kirk Cousins
just doing his thing, laughing about it. You know, it's like, hey,
I texted Aaron the other day. We should have like
Achilles anonymous. You know, it's just be a bunch of
guys go out. And I love that about Kirk. But
(06:30):
I mean, this Jets thing is it's a grift. It's
a con. Nobody had any medical information at all because
there's no medical access to.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Have other than history.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Nobody injures and Achilles ruptures it and plays twelve weeks
later the come on as nonsense. And also, by the way,
the vaccine did save lives. I'm sorry it did. I'm
not a doctor, but it did millions and millions of lives.
All right, So Steph Curry last night was amazing. Thirty
three points. Warriors rallied to be the Celtics. They shouldn't
(07:01):
because the Celtics are a deep, loaded roster with a
bunch of guys in their prime, and the Warriors are not.
They're a one man team. So Steph this year is
thirty five years old. He's averaging twenty eight a game,
forty one percent on threes, thirty four minutes a game.
I mean, Lebron may lead in longevity, but Steph's on
the same path. And this Warrior team's not real good.
(07:21):
Draymond's out, suspended, Klay Thompson shadow of himself, Andrew Wiggins
now comes off the bench. I'm not sure what happened
to him. Dario Sarich is one of their only bigs,
and he plays defense worse than those chairs. And their
bench doesn't give you a ton. And CP three's passed
his prime, and yet they're basically on a three game
winning streak and a five hundred team, and Steph remains
(07:44):
remarkably disrespected. So there was a moment last night in
the game where Jalen Brown backed him up, bigger, stronger
guard scored on in plus one, and he did that
kind of moronic gesture they do in the NBA. Now
you're small, You're too small. Nobody would do that to MJ.
Lebron and COVID. You wouldn't think of it for a second.
But Jalen Brown, no rings, no MVPs, not even the
best guy on his own team, scores a bucket on
(08:06):
Steph Curry and does the two small gesture. By the way,
Steph's playoff career average is ten points higher than Jalen Brown,
and his game six game seven playoff average is ten
points higher than Jalen Brown. So who's small? Who comes
up small? It's not Steph, It's Jalen Brown. The Warriors
are a one man team. They're zero to two when
Steph doesn't play. They're four and nine when Steph doesn't
(08:29):
score over thirty or thirty plus, and then they're excellent
when Steph has thirty plus, nine and three. They should
be a lottery team, maybe a lottery team or a
one man team. Celtics aren't. And yet, in the fourth
quarter in overtime, Steph Curry at twenty points, Tatum and
Jalen Brown combine seven, and what's remarkable, Steph picked up
(08:52):
his fifth foul on that Jalen Brown play. There were
six minutes to go in the third quarter, and the
Celtics just jacked up instead of attacking Steph, getting out
of the game, get another foul, jacked up threes. It
was another night to watch the bizarrely disrespected thirty five
year old one man team, Steph Curry and the Warriors
(09:14):
win over a Celtics team that down the stretch, fourth
quarter and overtime. Tatum and Jalen Brown sat and watched
the superior player who one of those guys Brown had
gestured he's too small? Who's small again? Late in the
game that mattered TNT. Here's Steph Curry spinning.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
Clucksterer moles coms no gaverns it in cluck a three.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
Seats.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Steve Kerr has watched all of this and had this
to say, after.
Speaker 6 (09:57):
Nothing shocks me with Steph. I mean that shot was insane,
the catch and shoe, the arc, but I fully expected
it to go in, and I think all of our
fans did too. Guy's magical. He just you can't explain it.
That's just the kind of stuff he does.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
I don't know if it's because his shoes not cool enough,
or he golfs a lot, or he's a family guy.
I don't know what it is with Steph Curry. Nobody
would ever do that small gesture to Kobe or Michael
or Lebron. He wouldn't even consider it be disrespectful to
them in the game.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
But with Steph, it's okay.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Remember years ago when people were asked if you could
start a franchise with Westbrook and staff and have the
player said, Westbrook, you out of your mind. You play
the game and don't know it. This guy is an
all timer, one on one, a unicorn once again. Last night,
Brown and Tatum watching as Steph took over the game
late at an ot J Mack, these are your jets,
(10:59):
These are the jets you were raised on and love.
And I thought today I'm maybe I'm a little harsh,
and you think, Colin, you're attacking Aaron. But this has
been a PR grift from day one, and I am
over it. The idea they're activating him off IR today
because he's good around the team. He's been around the
team all year. They don't lock him out of practice,
(11:21):
they don't kick him off the plane. He's on the
sidelines on the headset. This is just PR, Colin. You
know the viewers at home listeners, they can't see it.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
There's yellow crime tape around the set today because you
just committed a murder. You just killed Aaron Rodgers on
TV for like six minutes and it was listen, I've
been with you on the show here, what fourteen months? Yeah,
I think I was the best most incisive, biting open
you've had since I've been here.
Speaker 7 (11:45):
That was magical stuff.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Listen if the story broke, you know, literally forty five
seconds before we go on the air.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
But we've all been watching this stuff.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
And you know, as Aaron does all his darkness retreat
hey to each his own echinasia or whatever, he does
that to du up and vomiting, poop, ayahuasca whatever, I'm
not judging on that. Like, you do whatever you want
in life. It's I'm not here. I'm not a moralist.
You do whatever you want in life. The darkness retreat,
you know, it's what an older, unmarried, single guy with
a lot of money does, what trying to find yourself
(12:15):
what have But the packers, for the record, tired of it.
He came out and they said, see you. So the
packers had had enough. They were less tolerant than I
was on it. The ayahuasca again, I don't feel like
pooping and vomiting I've done enough of that in my
life when I've been sick. But whatever, I'm not judging
you in that. And when Aaron got hurt, I came
out for ten minutes and said I felt terrible for
him because I love watching him play. But this whole
(12:37):
season is about seeking validation and pr and making sure
it falls right for me. And it's nonsense. And our
job is to hopefully have enough of a piercing radar
on this stuff. Where I'm having dinner tonight with an
NFL GM. You have dinners with people in the sports.
The fans mostly don't do that. And when you tie
had a Hall of Fame coach tell me two weeks ago,
(12:59):
he's like and wants he wants attention. I had a
current executive in the league and I asked him about Aaron,
and he said, Aaron needs attention. And I just watched
Kirk Cousins go through it, the family guy, the dog,
the kids, the family, same injury, better all time record
against Aaron, not a peep. And I'm not saying Aaron
doesn't have a right to political opinions. Joe Rogan can
(13:19):
have him, You can have him, I can have him.
I'm fine with it, but stop pretending you have access
and information that all of us don't have. It's what
all single, rich guys do with no kids, no dogs,
and no other sacrifices. They sit around on their phone
all day and stew up conspiracy nonsense.
Speaker 8 (13:35):
I don't know if you've noticed.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Anytime he gives an interview lately, he talks about how
reliable is He's trustworthy. Hey, believe me, don't believe the others.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Believe me.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
You know, those are the characteristics of a con man. Honestly,
he's been pulling a con on Jets fans all season
since that injury, and a lot of them they lapped
it up.
Speaker 8 (13:51):
Call him.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
It's sad, ridiculous. I know, Colin, this is very verse, visceral.
You're going after him. I'm over it. I waited until
this moment. The whole season. I've been like, yeah, whatever,
let it play. But don't tell me his presence helps
the team. It's the biggest circus in the league at quarterback.
If his presence is that important, then it wouldn't be
(14:13):
this nonsense. I mean again, if if Zach Wilson had
a you know, he won that game against Buffalo on
that magical night when Aaron got hurt, a horrible night
for the franchise, but a strangely interesting night for Zack Wilson.
And if Zack had improved all year, you could make
an absolute argument Aaron's been helpful. But instead it's been
about Aaron, not about improving quarterbacks, because Zach's been worse
(14:36):
than ever, so he's not helping.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
So don't take it.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Don't activate him because he's really the team loves him around,
well is he helping. I'm all for activating guys that help.
I would argue Kirk Cousins with the circus they've had
at Minnesota with their quarterback. And I am not saying
once you lose a star quarterback it's easy. Minnesota is
still viable. Jets aren't. But if you're gonna say you're
doing this move because the team loves him and it helps,
(15:02):
do not tell me that's certainly not helping the rush ends.
He's not a rush end. He's a quarterback. He should
be helping the quarterbacks. Well they're not. It's the biggest
nightmare in the league at quarterback. Cleveland is winning games
four different quarterbacks. The Jets can't score points with three
so I just I'm over it. Everybody's got a limit today.
That story is my limit.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I'm done.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
I try to be nice, I try to be positive,
Colin not today. Yeah, I'm maybe I should just let
it go. I'm done. I have a great parlay for
you this weekend thanks to DraftKings Sportsbook. New users use
the code HERD that's me atr D when you download
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parlay pick of the week via Draft Kings Sportsbook, and
(15:45):
we had a very good week last week. I'm gonna
take the Jaguars plus one. Getting points at the Bucks,
Tampa Bay has been a good story. Jacksonville's a better team.
I get a quarterback edge off an ugly loss. Cowboys
plus one and a half at the Dolphins. Miami struggled
with physical teams. Dallas didn't look like it against Buffalo.
(16:06):
They'll be ready to be physical. And I'll take the
Broncos at home minus six and a half again off
an ugly, disappointing loss. They'll circle the wagons and beat
a Patriots team that is pretty lifeless. If you want
to take the Herd parlay, checkout Draft Kings Sportsbook sign
up quick. New users use the code HERD when you
(16:26):
download the app AHRD.
Speaker 8 (16:28):
Twenty one plus in most eligible states, but age varies
by jurisdiction. Eligibility restrictions apply. Gambling problem called one eight
hundred gambler in New York call eight seven seven eight
hope and wire text hope and WY four six seven
three six ' nine. See show notes for full details.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
All right, welcome back.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yeah, it's a bummer too because I like Robert Sala
and I like Joe Douglas. I actually think the GM
and the coach are pretty good. Anyway, if you didn't hear,
the Jets have activated aironoff ir, he's not gonna play,
Aaron says that, Sola says, but they just want to
activate him be part of the team. So there's a
(17:05):
story today, Y'aho's sports and the headline is remember no
team pursued franchise tag Lamar Jackson. That's right, and I
think there's a reason for it because he missed ten
games in December and January the last two years, and
Baltimore went two and eight, and everybody in the world
(17:27):
knew Baltimore was going to resign him.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Everybody in the world knew.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
You watched Baltimore last couple of years without Lamar Jackson,
did you think they were going to let him go?
And you've watched Baltimore this year number one seed, last
couple of years with Lamar Jackson number one, number two seeds,
did you think they were going to let him go?
I'll tell you Baltimore is never going to let him
go in his prime, and Kansas City's not gonna let
(17:54):
Mahomes go, and Buffalo is not gonna let Josh Allen go,
and the Chargers aren't gonna let Justin Herbert go. So
I think the reason there wasn't a big mad rush
to get Lamar Jackson was he'd been injured. That's part
of it. He was going to be expensive. Certainly Ravens
weren't letting him go, and everybody knew it. But the
NFL has a lot of poor owners and poor gms
(18:15):
and poor coaches. They lack vision. People in my business,
the good ones have it, the average ones don't vision.
A lot of people in the NFL, and every business
have to see something before they get something. In tech,
the money's in seeing stuff before it happens. Same in
(18:35):
the NFL. It's called Patrick Mahomes, it's called Brady in
every field. If you can see stuff before it happens,
they get the trophies, you get the wealth, you get
the stature. The Ravens have always had a vision for
Lamar Jackson day one and have adapted to his unique
stylistic traits throughout his career. There's been this discussion of
(18:58):
what Lamar doesn't do, but the Ravens have never been
concerned with that. Instead of concern, they've been consumed with
figuring out how to best support this unicorn, this one
of one. Even in the NFL with lots of smart people,
there's a bunch of followers. You need vision with Lamar
(19:19):
Jackson day one. You needed vision when you drafted him,
you needed vision his rookie year. You needed vision last week.
He's just different stylistically, personality, skill set. He's different, and
a lot of teams in this league draft out of fear.
(19:41):
They don't want to be mocked if they make a mistake,
and he was a different cat. I watched him in
college and I'm like, uhh, I didn't buy into that
he has to try out at receiver stuff. But I
was like, I don't know if that works. He run
around a lot. But it worked really fast. Week eleven,
it worked. I talked to two gms that played twice.
They're like, the first time you play him, if you've
(20:01):
never played him, he's gonna blow you out. If I
go ask to NFC teams this year who don't get
a play him regularly that have to go to Baltimore
and play them Detroit and Seattle, he'll wear you out.
I mean there's guys that are comps to Mahomes. There
are guys, I mean Matt Stafford can do arm angle
stuff like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts
can run around like Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
There's nothing like Lamar. They're nothing like him.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
And so I'm glad that he stayed with the Ravens.
I'm glad there wasn't a huge market. I'm glad somebody
didn't pursue Lamar Jackson. He has found the perfect family
and the perfect fit, and they've never been concerned with
how it would look. What they know is when Lamar
(20:47):
is healthy and Lamar has support, he ends up on
number one, two or three seed and he wins seventy
five to eighty percent of his games.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
This is one of.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Those you know, when Aaron and the Packers split, probably
would have been better staying together for the next three years.
Aaron wouldn't be in this circus. Jordan loved growing pains.
Divorces are tough. I've been through one. I love the
fact that the Ravens get Lamar. Lamar's loyal to the Ravens.
(21:18):
They've never been concerned with what he can't do, simply
consumed with what he can, and that explains why there
wasn't a market. He is the Ravens. He's committed, he's tough,
he's relentless, he's twitchy. He's unique. So are the Ravens.
It's a perfect match. I wouldn't want to see him
(21:38):
in any other uniform.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in Newoneaster non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS
one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
Hey, I'm Doug Gottlieb. The podcast is called All Ball.
We usually talk all basketball all the time, but it's
more about the stories about what made these people love
their sport and all the interesting interactions along the way.
We talked to coaches, we talked to players, we tell
you stories. You download it, you listen to it. I
think you like it. Listen to All Ball with Doug
(22:13):
Gottlieb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
Celebrate the Holidays with the Gift of Football on Fox
on Sunday, It's an NFL doubleheader featuring a showdown between
the title contenders as Dat leads Caboche against the TUA
and the Dolphins. Then on Christmas Day, the Giants take
on Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, all on Fox.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Speaking of the Eagles, there are only six teams with
double digit wins in the NFL. Philadelphia is one of
them at ten and four, and they have the easiest
three game stretch remaining of all the double digit win teams.
It's very possible, maybe likely, they go thirteen and four.
(23:00):
I said this Monday. Chill Out said this Tuesday morning
on the show Chill Out. They're gonna be fine. There
is this sense, however, that they're not the same team
as last year. Yeah, you're right, they're not. If you
look at their offensive ranks. The last two seasons, they
went from first to about twelve. Big plays, big play
(23:21):
touchdowns second to ninth. And if you look at their
defensive ranks the last two years, they went from like sixth,
fourth eighth to like twenty second, twenty fourth. Yeah, there's
a reason they're not quite as dominant. Think about this.
They lost arguably the best offensive coordinator in football who
became a head coach. They lost a defensive coordinator good
(23:43):
enough to become a head coach. Most coordinators don't become
head coaches. They lost two that did. They lost two
very productive linebackers, one in Chicago's playing his butt off.
They lost a guy in the secondary that led the
entire Neational Football League in interceptions, CJ.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Gardner Johnson.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
They lost arguably their best defensive lineman, Hardgrave goes to
the Niners. I still can't figure out how they afford him.
They lost their top offensive guard to the Steelers. Okay,
so if you took a non playoff team and you
just gave them those players and those coaches, they would
be a playoff team.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Just the guys. They lost a top guard.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
A top defensive lineman in the league, a guy that
led the NFL and picks, two great linebackers, a top
defensive coordinator, the best OC in the game. If you
gave that to Atlanta, they'd be a playoff team this year. Yeah,
so Philadelphia now is good. They're not stacked, they're not
(24:50):
the Niners, they're not crazy all time gifted. So rule
number one in the NFL, you pay the quarterback, then
you gonna pay the price elsewhere. One of the things
I've never understood about fans. If I was still a
fan of a certain team, I always root for flexible.
(25:10):
I don't want my team to be trapped. All you
out there screaming get the bag, get the bag. It's
the dumbest thing you want for your team. You wanted
a player that you love to sign a team friendly
deal so your team can be flexible. Mahomes keeps reworking
his deal. Right now, Mahomes is the number one cap.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Hit in the league.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Have you watched the chief secondary Have you watched the
Chiefs receivers, especially the ladder, they're learning on the job.
I don't mind a guy getting the bag. You don't
want him to get the bag that is so overwhelmingly
in his favor. And I'm not saying Jalen Hurts did,
But when I hear people do fans say that making
a small bag a mini bag fun size, get the bag,
(25:54):
be set for life. But you pay the quarterback, you
pay the price. Elsewhere, they lost two great linebackers, a
great guy in the secondary, their top defensive linemen, their
best guard. Those are elite players that if you just
took those guys and put them on a team like Atlanta,
they'd be a playoff team. So they're not great, and
(26:14):
that's totally understandable.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
This year.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Something else I was thinking about this morning. You know,
we got into this MVP stuff and I've never been
into awards. I don't care about the Heisman. I had
a vote one year. I thought it was tribal, regional
and stupid. I mean, Phil Jackson has as many Coach
of the Year awards as Byron Scott. Do you think
(26:42):
I care about this stuff? Goodfellas did not win an
Oscar MVPs Heisman's I don't care. Lebron has been the
real MVP for all but about the last three years
in the league. Jannis Jokicic now should win it, and
Lebron's got four. I've seen people when Emmy's in my business.
(27:05):
That means so much to those people. Congrats, but they're
not really elite talent. There are people in Hall of
Fames in broadcasting. I rolled my eyes at whatever. Tom
Cruise has never won an Oscar, probably because he's too
busy saving Hollywood. We all know that Brock perty can play,
(27:26):
and we all know that Christian McCaffrey's great. We all
know that John Lynch knows it, Kyle Shanahan knows it.
Brock Purty knows it about Christian. Christian knows that about Brock.
I don't want this to ruin what is a marvelous
season because I think San Francisco is uniquely the best
(27:46):
team in the league. Like they have the best roster
since the Seahawks, Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas.
I think it's one of the great rosters we've seen
in ten years. I think it's just remarkable, And I
think you got to be careful that the discussion doesn't
overtake the beauty of what's happening. Do you want to
be on the rocket ship or do you want to
(28:08):
win a science ribbon? MVPs are science ribbons. We all
know they can both play. Christian McCaffrey in a league
that doesn't like running backs, won't pay running backs, won't
embrace running backs, is gonna end up with twenty four
touchdowns in twenty two hundred yards. And Brock Purdy never
misses a big throw? Now are they you know? Contextually?
(28:31):
Are they designed perfectly? Does he have great talent? Yeah,
but he makes way too many good throws to not
be a good player.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Is he very good? Probably? Is he great? I don't
think so.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Maybe, But I think what the truth of this matter is,
it's a rocket ship, and we don't get these very
much in the NFL. In baseball, you can literally sign
O Tawny, defer his payment, and stack your roster. Whether
or not that's good for baseball, it's legal. It's literally
legal to say, hey, Mocgee Batts, come on over here
for your payment, Freddie Freeman, O Toaddi for your payment,
(29:02):
and then go steal Tampa's first or second best picture.
The MVP discussions, the Heisman discussions, they're science ribbons instead
of the actual rocket ship. And I think what you're
watching here is the most talented roster in the NFL
in a decade. And look when I watch him play
I don't mind the MVP discussions, but I think we're
(29:25):
watching something between Christian McCaffrey season, Brock Purty's story and
this roster nuts. Can we just admit this brock pretty
story is awesome, Christian McCaffrey's productions insane, and this roster
could be better than both. To me, that's the rocket ship,
not the science ribbon.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
There he is. He's hiding behind the cameras.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
James Jones, the former Aaron Rodgers teammate, is listening to this,
consuming it and thinking, O, what's coward gonna have to
me on the stuff?
Speaker 3 (30:01):
But you know it is It is funny.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
So you know this because you were in Green Bay
for eight years and you went to the Raiders and
it was a mess. And I think about this all
the time. The one thing about pro athletes that that's
difficult that I don't have to face. I can do
this until I'm eighty. Yeah, pro athletes get a very
short time. And I've always defended all athletes on this.
If I was traded. It would crush my self esteem.
(30:26):
If Fox said we're trading you device for two producers
and an editor to be named later, I'd be like.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
I'm no good.
Speaker 7 (30:32):
Even if it's big money, I still wouldn't like it.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Okay, So I've always defended athletes on being traded.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
It's hard.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
That's why these quarterbacks win and they look at the
camera and they drop it's Drew Locke. People quit on me.
It's it's Jake Browning. Nobody believed in me. I'll always
defend athletes. We the consumer do not understand what it's
like to be traded as a human.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
It's kind of awful.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
The second thing is, you guys have very small windows
to make your money. Now you make enormous mon he
compared to the relative to the rest of society, there
is that grass is always greener thing. And when you
go back to Green Bay and you compare it to
other players in the league, can you acknowledge it's pretty
damn good there.
Speaker 9 (31:15):
Yeah, And it's totally different Green Bay is. Green Bay
is just a totally different vibe. It's a family vibe.
You know, when you get there, it's not just the
owner wants to see you do good, or the owners
invested in you.
Speaker 7 (31:29):
Everybody is invested in you to.
Speaker 9 (31:31):
All the way to the guy that cuts the grass,
to the coaches, to the fans, like what can we
do to make sure you're good and you can play
at the high level? Buffalo Buffalo did playing Buffalo, But
Buffalo's possibly like that. But Green Bay is different from
that sense. It's everybody's in this thing to make sure
this is a go.
Speaker 7 (31:51):
And I'll never.
Speaker 9 (31:51):
Forget when when I first had got to Green Bay
and we were making a run, Coach Mike brought all
the wives and all the girlfriends into the team meeting four.
Speaker 7 (32:01):
If it ain't good at home, they not gonna be
good on the football field. And we need y'all too,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 9 (32:06):
But it just was like a family oriented organization that
everybody has one cause, and that's to make sure how
good can we make Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
And I've said this for years. I call it the
Green Bay quarterback syndrome. So quarterbacks are different, so far
of and Aaron have very little in common. One's west,
one's southern, one's the gunslinger. One was meticulous. One was
thought of as one of the great talents. Ever one
was overlooked how to go to a JC. But yet
(32:35):
it ended the same way, and ironically they went to
the same team initially, Jets. And I said, is it
the reality of being a quarterback in green Bay? So
whereas James Jones and Jordy Nelson can go to the
grocery store and sign an autograph, Yeah, Farvan Rogers arguably
with the biggest stars in the league in their prime,
it's like no other city in law Demon Stadham, I
(32:59):
remember great basketball player when I interviewed him one time
in Portland, Oregon. And Dame's a nice guy.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
He and I.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
He hated me when he played because I was critical,
but he's a good dude. And he said this once.
I asked him, where's your favorite place to play? He's
from Portland. He said Toronto. I said why, He said, glasses.
I can hide international city. He goes in Portland, Oregon.
Speaker 3 (33:17):
I can't. I can't go out for a stake.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
And I do think that being a quarterback for green
Bay far of Rogers nothing in common. It ended the
same way. Thoughts of retirement worn out. No owner to
lean on, couldn't get free agents that Green Bay is
strangely comforting but difficult to be a superstar quarterback.
Speaker 9 (33:39):
Yeah, I mean because Green Bay is small market, you know,
so like a yeah, if Aaron Rodgers and bretfarre did
what they did in their careers in Dallas are in
New York, you know what I mean. I mean, my goodness,
we'd be talking about him even with one ring, probably
up there with Tom Brady, right.
Speaker 7 (33:53):
You know, it's strictly because of where they play.
Speaker 9 (33:56):
Green Bay is a really really small town, really really
small market, So you're not it's not a lot of
eyeballs on you, you know what I mean.
Speaker 7 (34:02):
But unless it's unless.
Speaker 9 (34:03):
You're Aaron Rodgers or bread for all, they they can't
go to the grocery store. They can't go have a steak.
I mean everything. You got to bring the food to
the house or it has to be a I'm coming
through the back door and this is what's gonna happen.
Speaker 7 (34:14):
But you know that's always.
Speaker 9 (34:16):
Been in Green Bay. I mean we're not even at
the quarterback position. We used to talk about that as
the receiver spot. It's a lot of great receivers that
came out of Green Bay that really do not get
a lot of credit because it's small market, it's small town,
and it's not a lot of eyes on you, you know.
I mean even when you talk to Donald Drivers, the
Greg Jennings, the Antonio Freeman's. I it's a lot of
great receivers that if they were elsewhere, you know what
(34:37):
I mean, with a different helmet on. I mean, they
would still be talked about. It's probably one of the
greats right now. So playing in Green Bay is special.
But yes, it's not a lot of eyeballs on you.
You don't get a lot of media coverage and all that,
so you know, you kind of slide.
Speaker 7 (34:50):
Under the radar.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
So I know Aaron's your buddy. I get it, and
obviously he done like me and I get that.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
I'm not bothered by there's a lot of well I mean, listen,
I've been criticals in the last night. I was very
favor for. I was always an Errand guy over a
Farv guy for years. I thought he was a thinking
man's player. I thought he was super, I thought he
was detailed. I'll say this, I was always Aeron over
far of day one. Still am I do not like
the last three years because I do think football is unique.
Is that in the NBA, if you have two great players,
(35:17):
you'll win. In baseball it comes down to who has
the most money. But in the NFL it is a collective.
Even a quarterback needs a left tackle. You got to
buy gifts for your offensive linemen. Steph doesn't need buy
gifts for the backups. So it's a collective. And I
do feel Aaron.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
You know, he is.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
He's a single guy, he's rich, he's doing his own thing.
He lives a different gold stream life than I'd ever live.
And maybe I'm jealous or something.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Who knows.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
I like the life I have, But I think the
last several years it's felt more about Aaron than the collective.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
And I don't love that. Is that fair?
Speaker 7 (35:50):
But see don't.
Speaker 9 (35:50):
I don't think that's true, though, because I think the
last couple of years, Aaron has really.
Speaker 7 (35:54):
Been all about team, you know, even even when you
come over here.
Speaker 9 (35:57):
Like I said on this show, I strictly believe that
the only reason why he is trying to come back
is because what those people in the New York Jets
office and those players that he's built relationship with has
done for him.
Speaker 7 (36:08):
Right, this is an achilles injury.
Speaker 9 (36:09):
You should be sitting here saying, hey, I'll be back
next year, you know, but for you to be on
the practice squad running around and you know, trying to
let everybody know that you're ready. Like, I truly believe,
if this team had a chance to make the playoffs,
Aaron was coming back to help his team strictly because
he loves those people in that building and what they
have done for him and.
Speaker 7 (36:28):
For me just watching him in the turnover that he's made.
Speaker 9 (36:31):
You know what I mean as a player and as
a teammate, man, I mean, I like this Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
But players all knew nobody's coming back from this in
the history. I mean, I called two athletes and they're like, dude,
if you ropture an Achilles in thirty nine, it's over.
Speaker 7 (36:47):
Yeah. I understand what they saying.
Speaker 9 (36:49):
But to see him moving the way he's moving, and yes,
I know this offensive line a line is bad, But
I truly believe, deep down in my heart of hearts,
if this team was in the playoffs right now and
Aaron had chance to come back the way he's moving
him being on practice, I think he would have tried it.
I truly do. I think he would have tried to
come back because I know Aaron. I know what these
people in the Jets organization, the Jets players, and what
(37:11):
they mean to him. I think it was a goal
for him to if we're in the playoffs, to come
back and help this team.
Speaker 7 (37:16):
I truly do.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Could I argue Aaron would be better served to stay
in Green Bay. The Jets do not do quarterback well.
The Bears do not do quarterback well. They don't know
how to do it.
Speaker 9 (37:26):
Yeah, well, you're always gonna get the yes from me,
because I never wanted to see him leave Green Bay.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
I know.
Speaker 7 (37:32):
I always wanted to see him. Tell that. Yeah, I
always wanted to see him finish his career in Green Bay.
You know what I mean. You know, I never wanted
to see him leave.
Speaker 9 (37:40):
And we all know I mean organization, you know, your head,
But I mean that happens with a lot of different quarterbacks, you.
Speaker 7 (37:46):
Know, and sometimes you just need to change of scenery.
Speaker 9 (37:48):
And only you know that, you know, so you know,
can't nobody tell Aaron Rodgers how to feel or how
to think, or you know, what he thinks is best
for him. But I always wanted to him to finish
his career in Green Bay possibly when another there if
that was, you know what was written for him.
Speaker 7 (38:02):
But you know, I never wanted to see him getting
a jets helm.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
How did they treat you in Green Bay?
Speaker 7 (38:06):
Lovely? They still treat me lovely.
Speaker 9 (38:08):
It's like family every time I go back, you know,
Green Bead's like family.
Speaker 7 (38:11):
I tell people all the time. Man, it's one of
the best places in.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
The world to play football, all right, So you don't
have any animosity.
Speaker 9 (38:16):
Nah, no, no, no, I love everybody over there. Charles
Woolson always told me when I was a player, man,
you can't. He told me, you can't hold any grudges
in this business. At one point it's gonna be your
time period. So you know, at the end of the day,
you can't be sensitive. You can't hold any grudges in
this building. At one point it's gonna be your time.
Speaker 4 (38:37):
Man.
Speaker 9 (38:37):
Enjoy to Rye. Go out there, do what you're gonna do.
However your career may in and play ball.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
So Michael Irvin was deeply bothered by Sean Payton yelling
at Russell Wilson. Now I know Sean pretty well and
he's very authentic and a lot of emotion that got
him into trouble sometimes in New Orleans. He didn't yell
at Drew Brees, but he yelled. He yells a lot.
His best friend, Mickey Loomis, the GM probably yelled at
Mickey who this is who he is.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
If you were.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
Golfing with Sean Payton, he'd be giving you crap. He's
just an authentic guy. A lot of coaches aren't. They're inauthentic.
It's all bs. Sean's just bleeding. He just bleeds on you.
He's a storyteller. And so when I saw that, I thought,
Sean's Piston's gonna let you know. But I understand players
look at this, and a lot of players don't like
this stuff.
Speaker 3 (39:23):
What did you make of it?
Speaker 9 (39:26):
I grew up like this, you know what I mean.
I grew up with coaches in my face. Coach is
hard on me, you know. So I don't mind this
at all. And I know a lot of people want
to say, but he's a superstar, and he's a Hall
of Famer.
Speaker 7 (39:36):
Who cares.
Speaker 9 (39:37):
We are in a heated moment, we are trying to
win a football game.
Speaker 7 (39:41):
We are losing.
Speaker 9 (39:42):
I want everybody on the same page. I mean, my
man could have been saying we worked on this all
your week, right, we could have challenged you hold the
ball with whatever. We don't know what they're talking about,
but I grew up like this. I hate when players
is like just because of where you're at, career status
and all that, it's like a coach can't talk to
you like that. No. I used to tell coach Mike
McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers, if I'm not doing get on
(40:04):
me like like that. That's part of that's part of
the business. We are trying to win. Get on me.
Speaker 7 (40:09):
So I don't mind this at all. Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers,
Tom Brady, I don't care.
Speaker 9 (40:13):
If it's you that's messing up and you that needs
to be yelled at, then that's what you.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Guys get sensitive.
Speaker 9 (40:19):
A lot of guys get sensitive, but not me. I'm
good with the coach yelling at me. I'm good with that.
This is a competitive sport. We are trying to win.
We got an opportunity to get in the playoffs. The
way this season started off, right, we're not playing well
out here in Detroit. I don't care what your name is.
We need to get in the right play We need
to do our job, point blank PIDs. So I'm cool
with that, you know, just like if I'm playing a
(40:40):
game with my wife, Say, if we're playing the spades game,
all right, and I'm like, listen, if I leave spades,
I want to see your highest spade.
Speaker 7 (40:46):
If she don't do that, what are you doing?
Speaker 3 (40:49):
Were trying to win?
Speaker 7 (40:51):
It don't mean I don't like you.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
I love you, but we're trying to win.
Speaker 7 (40:53):
Come on, Yeah, it's all good man.
Speaker 6 (41:02):
To win.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
Okay, So you and McCarthy get along. I I said this,
I I I've been hard on Mike, but I also
think you have to acknowledge I've been nice about Aaron
and I crushed him today. I've been critical of McCarthy,
but I think he's had a hell of a year
and that kicker now takes away with some of the
clock management stuff. But when they deliver a dud like that. Yeah,
(41:27):
you didn't see Belichick's teams do it?
Speaker 3 (41:29):
You don't.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
You don't see Shanahan's teams doing a lot. We think
they're really good. What do I make of that? When
you're non competitive and you're actually bad on the road.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
What the heck am I supposed to make of that?
Speaker 7 (41:43):
Yeah, and this is.
Speaker 9 (41:46):
This is concerning because you're gonna have to go on
the road in the playoffs now, I mean, now you're
gonna have to go on the road in the playoffs.
And we've seen you on the playoffs against the Cardinals,
I mean on the road against the Cardinals. We've seen
you on the road against the San Francisco forty, and
we've just seen you on the road against the Buffalo
Billy one. But for me, it's just where's the energy?
Speaker 2 (42:06):
None?
Speaker 7 (42:06):
None, like I mean sideline dead.
Speaker 9 (42:08):
The players looked at I mean, for you to give
I mean cook one hundred plus rushing yards in the
first half, that's you not coming off the bus ready
to play, you know what I mean. I can understand
you get out schemed a couple on some of these plays,
because that's that's coming off the bus, not ready to play.
Are coming off the bus like we just gonna beat
these boys down in surprise, surprise. We in playoff mode,
(42:28):
y'all are not. We're playing with way more energy than
you guys right now. And the Buffalo Bills just put
it on the Dallas Cowboys. So for me, they got
to get this fixed because if you're trying to go
where you're trying to go, You're going to have to
go on the road and bring your own energy and
win a football game and play at a high, high level.
Speaker 7 (42:44):
And they have not done that this season on the road.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
That was weird. You know, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
I remember there was a clip of Belichick years ago
and it was maybe a documentary. I don't know if
it was Tom Burst time or something. There was a
moment I love with Belichick and it was a It
showed it in the film room and Belichick was showing tape.
Is Monday tape Day or Tuesday tape Day? Tuesday and
he's showing tape and they lost a game and Belichick
new England scored a touchdown and he turned to his
(43:10):
players and he's like, there's no energy. Why aren't you
going to graduate your teammate. You just scored a touchdown,
You had an eighty eight yard drive. And Belichick was like,
you should celebrate.
Speaker 3 (43:21):
It's hard.
Speaker 7 (43:22):
It's hard to.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
Push other men around eighty eight yards. And when I
watched Dallasy, you're right. And by the way, one of
the things I always look about Pete Carroll's teams win
or lose they are running through a wall. You've never
seen by the way, Mike Tomlin team. Mike tom teams
running through a wall. Hardball teams.
Speaker 3 (43:42):
They lose, they are relentless. That Dallas team was just
nothing that flat.
Speaker 9 (43:49):
And they even look flat against the Niners. And these
are these are big time games. Like you're not on
the road man against Carolina Panthers or you know what
I mean, like you're on the road against Josh in
the Buffalo Bills or Cal Shannon and the forty nine ers,
and it just was it just they just came out flat.
I mean, it wasn't no game playing issues and all that.
The Cowboys played the defense they played all season long,
(44:10):
they ran the offense they ran all season long. But
just the energy, man, I mean, you've seen Buffalo. I mean,
you've seen the Buffalo was fire.
Speaker 7 (44:17):
You've seen the.
Speaker 9 (44:17):
Clip of my man driving them all the way to
the end zone, like you know, like it was a
movie script or something like that. But they're in playoff
mode and they just had way more energy than the Cowboys.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
James Jones, Man, you're good on the spreciative man. Today
we were a little combative.
Speaker 7 (44:30):
That's all good.
Speaker 3 (44:31):
You had to defend Aaron.
Speaker 7 (44:32):
That's all good.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
I liked it all right. Confrontational,
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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