Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports
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Sports Radio. What up? Welcome in. This is the Herd
(00:26):
wherever you may be and however you may be listening
to show. Thanks so much for making us part of
your day. Live from Los Angeles. I'm Doug Gottlie filling
in for callin Calherd on the iHeartRadio app on Fox
Sports Radio and here TV side on Fox Sports One.
Hope you're ready for a great weekend. We do have
some sports right Nascar, well, golf apparently Adult League Hoop
(00:51):
in Oklahoma City not quite fully back, but Phase two
in most places, Phase three in others. Welcome in. Greg
Jennings is gonna join me and we will talk about
Drew Brees's second apology and his thoughts on a Kyle
Shanahan statement about Jimmy g You're not going to want
(01:11):
to miss in one hour from right now, the Great unknown,
the great unknown in the upcoming NBA playoffs. Matter of fact,
let's start with the NBA playoffs two months ago. Doctor
Fauci was all the rave. Two months ago, there were
presumably a potential for no sports at all in twenty twenty.
(01:37):
Two months ago. People were fixated by the Tiger King.
Two months ago, was like, hey, this is kind of cool.
I'm going for two or three or four walks a day.
Dogs were happy, Families seemed to slow down a little bit.
As we actually had conversations at the dinner table which
(01:57):
we were all sitting at. Somebody came up with an
idea of a drive by birthday party. Whoever you are,
I salute you two months ago as a hell of
an idea. Number two months ago, maybe even two and
a half months ago. Having an NFL draft is a
bad idea. It's a bad look considering we're all under quarantine.
Two months ago. Because we found out what this company
(02:20):
called Zoom is, people start having Zoom virtual happy hours.
It is, in fact five o'clock somewhere two months ago.
Suddenly you're like, wait, why is everybody going after all
the toilet paper that was all two months ago? Two
months ago, It was a really smart idea to have
a bubble city where NBA teams could go finish up
(02:44):
the regular season, play in the playoffs, decide a champion.
That was two months ago. You know the expression life
comes at you fast, well, Adam Silver. In the NBA,
they have unleashed a plan that in two months will
conclude the NBA season. And so we're supposed to believe
(03:05):
that Lebron and Kauai and Janis and the rest of
the NBA Superstar brethren are going to play at an
optimum level when they're in the same hotel, in the
same not even city, in the same offshoot of a
resort for three months. This is not an average plan.
(03:30):
This is not a disappointing plan. This is a terrible plan.
One just the idea that anyone wants to spend two
or three months in the same hotel room, even if
it's a villa and two maybe most importantly, but if
you looked around, I'm not telling you that we are
(03:53):
completely out of the woods with COVID nineteen. I am
not a scientist. I am not a doctor. I do
not know about the second wave. What I do know
is that this was a two month old plan that
isn't going to go into effect until two months, and
what we have seen is mostly very good news where
(04:16):
the curve has been flattened and the rest of the
world is getting back to work. Meanwhile, if you've watched
the NBA, what happens every season to your favorite team?
They go on one long road trip. Right, there's the
San Antonio famously goes on their road trip, the Rodeo
(04:39):
road trip. Right, that's famous. The Lakers went on like
a fourteen day road trip. Do you remember who they
played at the end of the road trip? They played
the Milwaukee Bucks, And do you remember what they all said,
no gas, no juice. Have you ever stayed in a
hotel for more than a week. It's kind of cool,
right because you go down and the concierg's guy, you
(05:01):
actually know them by name. You have the usual when
you sit down for breakfast, you know what time everything's open.
You have your favorite people who are dormant. You have
your place where you know to pick up the uber.
You have your spots. Trust me, I've done it for
the last decade or so. Going to Super Bowls, going
(05:23):
to Final Fours, you're in town for about a week,
then you get to about day seven, you're like, you
know what I'm ready for to get the hell home, right,
And that's what's going to happen in the NBA. So
in addition to the fact that the level of play
is not going to be great, not just because there's
(05:43):
no fans and because you're going to have a limited
amount of juice in the building, and for teams because
they're staying in the same place and they're playing games
that are supposed to mean something but feel kind of hollow.
What happens when a team gets down three games to
none in an NBA best of five playoff series. You
(06:05):
know they used to chant one two three cancoon? Now
it's one two three home. Let's get the hell out
of here. We collected our per diem, we made some
money back, we got ourselves in the second round of
the playoffs. Now I just want to get home, because
even though I was quarantined for the better part of
two months, being quarantine in a hotel, when everybody else
(06:30):
in the free world is out and about, including Disney World,
which is going to at least be partially open when
they're there is it's more than laughable. Right, You're going
to feel like a like like you're a bubble boy.
Everyone else is riding their scooters and riding their skateboards
(06:54):
and bikes down the street and mom won't let you
come out and play. That's what NBA plays are going
to feel like like the first side too. It is
it took so long to figure out this plan and
it's so honestly dated. And I know you're like two
months old is dated, but that's the way it works.
(07:14):
It's like the same way with music. I know the
box is still number I think it's still number one, right.
My son updates beyond this. But my son will be
looking at iTunes and on the charts and they'll say
that song's old and be like, that song is two
months old. That's old, Dad. You don't understand how things change, right,
because people can make music now in the privacy of
(07:35):
their own homes. They have their own setup, they have
their own computer, they can mix it, they can send
it over to a producer. Like all this stuff can
be digitally done. You don't need a big you don't
need a big studio anymore to record music. So there's
constantly new stuff coming out. That's the same way we
should look at ideas with professional sports two months ago.
(07:57):
Don't get me wrong, this was this was an idea
that had it gone to effect this weekend, you'd be like,
you know, that's pretty smart. Just be smart. Roll it out.
Maybe then leave it up into the possibility of playing
in home cities. Forget about the fact they're going to
compete against football and lose. Forget about the fact that
the compete events college football and probably lose. You're also
(08:17):
fighting against the US opening golf, you name the sporting event,
World Series, Major League Baseball. If they play, that'll be
the time for the playoffs. Forget about all that. Just
think about the lack of quality of play. Do you
want an NBA championship decided when two teams just can't
wait to get the heck out of there are playing
(08:39):
in an empty arena, when by that time college football
is likely to have full or partially full stadiums. The
NFL the same. I understand that the world change changes quickly,
and that as it takes time to turn these massive
ships around and figure out a way to transport what
(09:00):
five people in a traveling party, there's twenty two teams,
eight hundred people roughly, right, like that's a lot of
hotel rooms. That's a lot of logistics, I understand, but
you have to take a breath and think about it.
Right In sports, when you stay somewhere too long, like
this is not like going out to dinner in Europe,
(09:22):
where let's just stay for whatever. Like you go in Europe,
you go to dinner, it's like eight thirty nine, you
don't start eating till ten, you start drinking, and you
don't walk out until one in the morning. But even
then you really want to be the last one at
the party. Three months that's how long you would stay
in Orlando in the same villa if you're going to
(09:44):
win an NBA championship. I'm not saying it doesn't mean
a ton to the players. I'm not saying they wouldn't
play hard and that when they won the championship, whoever
it is, Bucks, Lakers, Clippers, it wouldn't be a monumental
achievement to overcome not just the other team, but the coronavirus,
the layoff, the build up, the tournament, playing in a
(10:08):
neutral site, all of these things would make it a
great achievement. But a blind man can see this is
incredibly flawed, incredibly dated. Oh, I got an idea. I
got an idea. What if what if for your birthday
we have all your friends come and drive by and
honk the horns. Yeah, people have been doing that for
(10:32):
like two months. We actually can have a birthday party
outside with less than ten people. Oh what if what
if your daughter dies or cuts your hair? Yeah, I've
actually already done that. Got it. We're gonna be home
for a while. Let's get a puppy. Let's get a puppy. Yeah,
(10:54):
everybody the neighborhood already got the puppy. They're already a
house trained, like, they're all going for walks and Little
league starting back up? Summer leagues? Who starting back up?
I watched I watched Trey Young playing an adult league.
You know, there's like a league in Oklahoma City. I
was watching on social media. And in addition to the
(11:16):
fact that Trey Young was just torturing these dudes like
you cannot believe because well, he's a young All Star
NBA player. Regardless of that part, look in the stands.
I understand it probably is a bit too early, but
no one in Oklahoma City is wearing a mask. No
one is socially distancing and though the numbers continue to grow,
(11:41):
active cases do not mean people in critical condition. There's
a lot of asymptomatic people. I'm not declaring it over.
I'm not a scientist. I'm not a doctor. I'm not
a governor, I'm not a mayor, none of these things.
What I'm telling you, though, is that the world has
decided that quarantine on many levels is either ending or
(12:04):
has ended. And the only one who hasn't gotten the
memo is the NBA, and they're going to ruin what
could be an incredible tournament to conclude their season. All right,
coming up next. The more you try to convince me
how great this NFL quarterback is, the less I believe it.
(12:25):
That's because actions in a championship game speak much louder
than words. That's next in the Herd. Be sure to
catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and Nowneaster not
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Casper has everything to build the dream bedroom now. Casper
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(12:46):
Go to Casper dot com from more information. Terms and
conditions apply seecasper dot com slash terms Doug Gottliebin for
calling this is the herd Man. We got a great
show for it. Sam Amick's going to join us in
ten minutes. He writes for The Athletic and of course
he's covered the NBA since two thousand and four. We'll
get his take on the twenty two game end of
(13:09):
the regular season beginning of the playoffs to take place
in the Orlando Bubble, which I think I burst going
back about five minutes ago, because I I just think
it's a dated plan and the world has decided on
some level that we're ready to get back after it.
And look, we'll discuss this with Sam and a little
(13:30):
bit later on the show. One of the things that
people are going to have to wrap their heads around is,
and this goes to college athletes as well, that you
are actually safer on a college campus or in your
practice facility then you would be then you would be
at home, because now when you're at home, everybody else
(13:52):
is out and about and you're no longer truly under quarantine.
More on that to come. I saw this story from
Kyle Shanahan. Kyle Shanahan, first, he's growing a magnificent quarantine beard, really,
really really impressive. He's always been a good hat guy.
(14:12):
He's got good hair, young, sharp coach who Yes, they
blew the twenty eight to three lead in Atlanta, but
he did get in the twenty eight to three leade.
You know, he made Kirk Cousins into Kirk Cousins and
now he's made Jimmy Garoppolo into a Super Bowl quarterback
NFC champion. We got to remember, though, that Jimmy Garoppolo's
(14:36):
future in San Francisco was at least partially in doubt
this offseason when Tom Brady's name was bandied about. Brady,
of course, grew up in Northern California. He's always wanted
to play for the Niners and thought of finishing his
career with the Niners. And John Lynch, of course, their
GM and former colleague here at Fox, had admitted that
they did kick around the idea of Brady. Here I
(15:00):
believe in his basement is the head coach of the Niners,
Kyle Shanahan, defending the honor and potential trajectory of his quarterback.
When you have to talk to Jimmy about one of
the best quarterbacks of all time being available, I know
Jimmy has a goal to be that, and I know Jimmy.
I believe Jimmy has the ability to be that, and
that's what both of us are going for. And if
(15:21):
we can get him there and he has the ability
to do it, we're gonna be pretty happy with who
we have for a long time. Now. Look, I believe
you could be pretty happy with Jimmy Garoppolo. I think
you can win with Jimmy Garoppolo. My big hang up
on Garoppolo is when he missed Emmanuel Sanders. He missed
so badly and missed long. Miss You know, it's a
(15:44):
it's an explosive play when you set up and wait
for the entire game for a look, and it could
have won you the super Bowl. It's one thing to miss.
But he missed so badly and miss long and said,
if you missed short, you've got a chance to pass
interference that you have to you have to believe that.
Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch had a conversation or two
(16:05):
or three or five five saying did he miss that
because just in the moment he overthrew it, or did
you miss that because Jimmy Garoppolo is going to throw
one bad pick a game, which he did in Super Bowl,
and when push comes to Chevy just doesn't have it.
Not everybody has it. Like that's the thing that we
talk about clutch, and you know, Skip talks about clutch
(16:29):
Geen and Colin talks about who his clutch, and we
Nick Wright tries to use stats, but everyone who follows
sports understands, and people who play and coach sports understand
even more acutely that some guys just don't have it
whatever the it is to find a way to win
(16:49):
games that you know, when push comes to shove, my
late father likes to say nutcut and time right, they
just make a play. They just find a way, and
some guys don't. That's why wins and losses. Though you
can't directly correlate a team's wins and losses to a quarterback,
(17:09):
you look at one score wins and losses and you
kind of can. So you can tell me that, hey,
Jimmy Garoppolo has got a chance to be of the
hasbout to be one of the best of all time?
Is that why you let him throw eight times in
the NFC Championship game? And you can stop with the
a we did, boy, it took to win the game.
That game was over at halftime. If Kyle Shanahan now
(17:31):
only believed in his quarterback, or maybe he needs to
learn from this as a young head coach. To get
Jimmy Garoppolo to believe in himself, he had to let
him throw in the second half. Instead, it becomes the
budge of all jokes. Look, if they really thought he
had a chance to be one of the greats of
all time on first and second down, with the full
(17:52):
boated time outs at the end of the first half winds,
you have let him throw the football. I understand he
had thrown an interception the first half. If he could
be one of the greats of all time and you're
playing against the Chiefs defense, that it's not like that
the eighty five Bears. Okay, you wouldn't let him throw
the football. Your actions tell us that you're not really
(18:14):
sure what Jimmy Jimmy Garoppolo has beneath the hood. That's
why you kicked around the idea of Tom Brady, because
though Tom Brady couldn't run, the bootlegs couldn't run. You know,
the zone blocking schemes, stretch run game, just not that
athletic may not be able to have the type of
explosive games that Garoppolo could potentially have in the future.
(18:38):
If Jimmy Garoppolo has Immanuel Sanders running free in the
end zone in the Super Bowl, he gets a little
bit closer than ten yards, right, Like, you could have
kicked the ball closer to Immanuel Sanders than what Jimmy
Garoppolo throw. Brady might not have it for most of
the season, but you do have confidence that when comes
(19:00):
to show, he has it. You don't know on Garoppolo,
No one knows because to this point we haven't seen it.
And until we do, and especially considering how you call plays,
please don't go over the top of the praise. Don't
tell me one of the best of all time. Every
quarterback wants to be one of the all time greats.
(19:21):
You didn't have to say it, and you didn't have
to say that I think you can do it because
you don't really believe it. Let's get to John Goulet
with the news. No, no, this is the herd Line
news studded news award winning newsman John Goulet. So the
NBA announced that twenty nine of the thirty teams voted
yes on the twenty two team playoff proposal that we'll
(19:44):
have the NBA season resuming July thirty. First, we know
you're not a fan of it, but twenty nine teams
were the one team that didn't vote yes on it,
the Portland Trailblazers. According to Chris has Hands of Fox Sports,
the Blazer favored a twenty team format that would have
a limited neated the Kings and Spurs. Basically, they wanted
the format where they're like the last team in woad
(20:06):
is reporting that ownership voted based on what the players
were telling them. And remember Damian Lillard came out and
said if they didn't have a real shot at the playoffs,
he wasn't gonna play. Do you have any issue with
the Blazers voting no? No, no. If they said, hey,
we vote a no, we're not going, then I would
have problem. But you're allowed to vote no. You're allowed
(20:26):
to be a dissenting voice. You don't like the plan,
don't vote no. It's okay, Like it's you don't have to.
It doesn't have to be. I mean, and this was
not a protest vote. This was not a It's not
like the Derek Jeter not getting a you know, perfect
ballot going into Hall of Fame type of thing. They
just didn't like this plan as opposed to other plans.
I got a problem it. Did the NBA maybe miss
(20:47):
an opportunity to try something a little different. I know
they potentially are having a play in tournament, but really
it's the same playoff format. It's gonna be a you know,
one through it on each side. So what would what
in terms of trump things? You like the World Cup
idea where they have when they have the pool play.
I like that, but you still end up with the playoffs, right,
(21:07):
I mean that's I guess that's what I'm saying is
they have to have the volunity to try something because
it's such a weird year it is. It's the opportunity,
and maybe they end up kicking that down the road.
The idea of a what's called a cup, you know,
like they have this in when you play in Europe,
as I played in Israel and France and Russia, you
have a Cup league. That's usually when you have the
(21:29):
first and the second division teams from each country. They
compete against themselves during the year, and then they have
the Cup championship well before your regular playoffs are decided
and then you have a European Cups as well. I
think that idea is still on the table. I just think, look,
they want to try and decide a true champion, and
they need a volume of games, and so that's why
(21:50):
they gotta go with the seven game series. Did they
have the chance they did? Did they butcher it? No.
My biggest issue is not just the fact that their
stay in hotels for three months, so it's going to
hurt the quality of play. Like, there's nothing wrong with
the practices of the facilities. They have all these too,
almost all these teams have. They're beautiful, the brand new
and they can put people in them if they want to,
(22:10):
or if they want to upgrade to an arena. But
instead now you've locked yourself in. That's my bigger issue,
more so than the format. So most of us had
written off the season by the Brooklyn Nets because Kevin
Durant wasn't going to play recovering from an achilles injury
and Kyrie struggled to stay healthy all year. Now that
the NBA season is ending four months later than expected,
all of a sudden, the Nets season might not be done.
(22:33):
According to Foxbet, the Nets title odds are fifty to one,
so long shot, but that's not normally the odds you
would see for a thirty and thirty four seven seed
in a week Eastern Conference. Yeah, they're clearly factoring in
the possibility that Kevin Durant will come back and play. Now,
they would go up if he did, they would go
down if he didn't. It's kind of like a middle
(22:54):
ground set of odds. I know we're going to get
into this a little more later, but do you want
to see Kevin Durant come back and you think it's
a good idea for him to come back? Yes? And yes,
I mean why wouldn't I want to see Kevin Durant.
He was the NBA Finals MVP when he was last healthy.
Last time we saw him in Game six for a
(23:14):
short period of time, you're like, Oh, he's the best
player on the floor. Then he tears to kill, he's tended,
and then we get to see him again, this time
with Kyrie Irving potentially coming off from shoulder. And now
I know that the Nets going back a couple weeks
ago said he's not going to play, but that was
before the scenario was now a laid out but pushed
back to the end of July when you factor in
that he's going to get a training camp and then
he get potentially eight games to get ready, and everybody
(23:37):
else is also coming out of quarantine. So it's not
like it's not like he's it's not like he's merging
on the auto bon right, not like he's merging on
the autobon. This is basically and this is a great
LA Freeway reference. You know when they do that thing
where they stopped traffic and the cop goes back and forth,
and then you're all stopped and then the cop drives
off and then everybody goes. That's where Kevin Durant would
(24:00):
come on and on rap be like, oh okay, everybody,
I'm You're able to catch up with the floor of
traffic much easier. And finally, the Bears were firmly behind
Mitchell Trubisky all season and even in the off season,
even though they traded for Nick Foles. They finally since
admitted it's an open quarterback competition between Trubisky and Foles.
Bears receiver Alan Robinson said he's good with it either way.
(24:23):
To be quite honest, you know, I think that I
feel confident regardless. You know, I think it's more so
up to the staff on on what they want to see,
you know, because Agina doesn't really come down to me
as as Alan Robinson as far as what I want
to see. You know, it's a person who has to
lead a whole a whole group of minute, you know,
(24:43):
that has to lead the offense, has to you know,
I'm just I'm just a piece of to the puzzle,
you know. But again for me, Um, it's gonna be
it's gonna be a fun training camp. And now I'm
really looking forward to training camp. There's starting to be
some movement about the Bears in Vegas because last year,
Trubisky only through seventeen touchdown passes, yet they still went
(25:04):
eight and eight, and you figure if Nick Foles could
come in and just improve the offense a little bit,
that they're pretty They still got a great defense, they
have good receivers, they can run the ball, they have
a smart head coach. Do you like the Bears as
the playoff team this year? I do. From this perspective,
I don't think the Vikings defense is as good as
it was, and they lost Kevin Stefanski was their play
(25:25):
callers now the head coach of the Browns. I still
like the Packers win the vision. I mean, look, the
lines are interesting. I mean what would they look like
with Matt Stafford. We all think how bad they were
they didn't have Matt Stafford. I wouldn't sell all of
your Mitchell Trubisky stock yet. Look, do I think Foles
is very likely to be the starter by the end
of the year. Yes. And the reason he's the perfect
(25:45):
fit is he's played for Matt Naggy, their head coach,
Bill Laser, their offensive coordinator, and John D. Felippo, their
quarterback coach, was his oc last year in Jacksonville. He's
played for all of those guys. He knows this system cold.
But he's also the world's greatest back up. He's already
won a Super Bowl, He's already got a lot of money,
he's already really retired from the NFL. Like he's good
either way. They're gonna push Rubisky and let's see what
(26:09):
the kids got. He lost his confidence, they lost his
confidence in him, but he's still a very young player
and a talented player. I think they're look there. They
weren't terrible last year and the year before they're a
double doing field goal away from winning a playoff game. Um,
I wouldn't. I would buy the bear stock. I would
hold the rubisky stock because right now it's really layers
(26:30):
like him. Everybody likes him. That's one of the reasons
good Guy that they he's like the best he's That's
one of the reasons that they drafted him was because
he was replacing Jay Cutler, who nobody likes. That's Jangle
with the news. Well that's the news and spy third line.
All right, let's welcome in thanks to Mercedes Benz, the
(26:52):
best or nothing Sam Amick from the Athletic cover in
the NBA since two thousand and four. It wasn't quite
Sam two thousand and four when they concocted this plane.
It just feels like that long ago. It's like two
months ago. The bubble City made a lot of sense.
But man, now we're talking about two months from right
now they're gonna play, and then they were two plus
(27:15):
five months from now. They're going to have a champion
in front of no fans and these players have to
stay there for three months. Am I the only one
that thinks this is an awful way for the NBA
to get back to playing basketball. I mean, listen, Doug,
and thank you for having me. It's like I wrote,
you know, and it's ironic because I'm a basketball reporter.
I would love nothing more than to dive back into
(27:37):
what we do. But I wrote that I was nervous,
and I wrote that I think Adam Silver is probably
very nervous. I also wrote that I understand the motivation,
but we don't need to be naive or juvenile about
what the motivation is. This is a company that has
an annual revenue of eight billion dollars plus that, like
every company in the world and certainly in the country
(27:59):
right now, has been hammering money and they're trying to
recoup that revenue. And so because of the nature of
their TV contract nine years, twenty four billion dollars with
the ESPN and Turner, that's the economic lifeline that they
now want to take advantage of. But to your point, yeah,
it creates an incredibly unique, uncomfortable environment in Orlando that
(28:21):
I certainly have mixed feelings about. Yeah, I just like
I've talked to enough people in the NBA. They're like,
when we take a two week road trip by the
end of it. We're done. We're just done. Yeah, you're
kind of downe with each other. I mean part of
this is like you're kind of done with each other
and then you don't have the juice in your body.
I just and the end and we're talking three months
and oh yeah, by the way, they're at Disney World
(28:42):
where everything's going to be open. Like, I just is
there is there anything in this plan that would allow
them to change course and get back to you know,
home sites if in fact, you know, the world opens up. No,
I don't see that. They're They're concern on the medical
front is at this point, I'm fully convinced it's going
(29:03):
to lead to a single site location and I certainly
think it's still going to be Orlando. Now. They have
been putting some qualifiers on this in terms of, you know,
if that part of Florida were to become a hot
spot and the landscape changed, then could they pull out?
Of course they could to this point, even though Florida
listened the last couple of days, the numbers are not good,
(29:24):
but Orange County, which is right next to where Disney
World resides, that the numbers are on the lower end
in that state. But the stuff that you're hitting on
is right on point, because everything I have heard about
the quality of life inside the bubble from a mental
health standpoint, and specifically as a professional athlete, I think
(29:45):
it's going to be challenging because, yes, at some point
it appears that they will be able to bring their
families in, but everybody is going to be very restricted,
and it's going to be for the most part going
to the arena, punching the clock and having that strange
environment with you know, some social distancing, maybe with a
matt you know, masks involved things like that temperature checks testing,
(30:07):
and then going largely back to your hotel room. There's
not going to be any sense that on the inside
of the bubble you can move as if you would
in your own community. Sam Amy joining us from the
athletic covering the NBA. I know the nets previously said
KD won't play this year, but again that was before
these plans came out. He'd have a training camp, he'd
(30:29):
have eight you know games or whatever to to to
get ready to get ready, so and he would It's
not like I use this analogy, it's not like he's
merging on the Auto bonn where everybody else has been playing.
You know, traffic has been stopped. He's starting up with
everybody else starting up. What's the likelihood that Kad comes
(30:49):
back and plays. I mean, it doesn't appear likely, but
I would be lying to you if I claim to
fully understand why based on just the timeline that has
been shared publicly, And I'm curious to learn more about
this going forward. A couple of weeks ago, we had
his agent and business manager, Rich Climan on our podcast
at the Athletic The Tampering Podcast, and Rich reiterated that
(31:13):
there was no plan for Kevin to be part of
the playoffs. But again, at that time, we did not
know the timeline. We didn't know that the games wouldn't
begin until July thirty. First, we didn't know, to your point,
that he would have a potential ramp up. So I
think for Kevin, it potentially is going to get a
little tricky for him to navigate the pr around his situation,
(31:34):
because at some point, naturally people are gonna wonder, you know,
is it a medical choice for you not to play,
or would you simply prefer to have a fresh start
next season, And then within that everybody's going to have
their own opinion. I noticed that the Pelicans have to
be included in these twenty two teams. Yes, shocking. You know, look,
(31:55):
I do think that you need some fodder, right, you
need some teams to beat up on. You can't call
him exhibition games with the kind of exhibition games. But
how much is the depth of teams about getting the
Blazers in, getting the Pelicans in a Maybee, getting Brad
Beale and getting you know, Phoenix in. How much is
(32:16):
is this a Zion play to get this many teams
down to Orlando. Nod It's a Zion play. Everything you
heard throughout this process is that the league would obviously
be ecstatic if the Pelicans found their way into the playoffs.
Now they cringe and get upset if you put that
out there in the public ether, because the inference is
that they have their their foot on the scale a
little bit. And I'm certainly not saying that. But Zion
(32:38):
is a ratings you know winner, and he's a guy
that is going to put people, you know, in front
of their couches and in front of their TV's and
they're gonna watch. And it kind of broke down in
the standings in the kind of way where they could
really justify this because you had these teams chasing Memphis
in the West, where you know they weren't that far behind,
and I'm fine with the move to that point. Wastchton
(33:00):
and Phoenix are the two puzzling ones where I end
up feeling like, for one, those teams clearly wanted to
be involved and they were playcated in this process. And
for two, the regional Sports network television contracts played a
part here as well. Not as lucrative at all as
the national TV deal, but a lot of money and
the giving idea Doug. I mean, the Lakers pull in
a million and a half dollars per game on their
(33:22):
RSN deal. Now all of a sudden, these eight games,
that's twelve million dollars back in their pockets. First round
of the playoffs, you know, same thing. So if you
know the Pelicans get in there and Zion's part of this,
that's another boost. This is a really side kind of
ansillary inside basketball question. Can teams go to watch other
teams play so that they're scouting That's a really good question.
(33:45):
I haven't asked it, I haven't gotten the answer. My
educated guests would be yes, in some form. You know,
even on the media side. I've been involved in some
discussions with the league trying to get clarity on what
that might look like. And so, okay, media will be
at the game, but I don't know how close. I
don't know the logistics involved within that. And that would
(34:07):
I think apply to opposing teams. I mean, because at
minimum you're talking about an advanced scout, right, just one
person to come watch the other squad. I think beyond
the advanced scout, if I had to guess, the league
would probably tell the other teams there's no need whatsoever
to add bodies to the environment. You can watch on TV.
What's the lungest you've ever stayed in one hotel? The Olympics,
(34:31):
So you're talking six weeks, five weeks, something like that,
and that was more of a apartment kind of, you know,
built for the Olympics type of setting in Brazil a
couple of years ago. The NBA Finals is you know,
then then you're bouncing back and forth where you go
a week here, you know, five days there. But this
would be different, and again it's not a normal hotel experience.
(34:54):
This is a lot of solitude, a lot of room
service and a lot of I think of the patients
of all involved. What is that feeling like of week
six in what was the Where was the last Olympics?
I'm trying to think, where's the Rio? Rio? Look? Rio
is but week six in your in your hotel? What
was that feeling like? Uh? Do week six and Rio?
(35:17):
It wasn't Rio. It was forty minutes outside of Rio,
with bus rides back and forth every single day. Shout
out to my great friend Jeff, they'll get at USA today.
We were roommates and our apartment had no window in
the kitchen, and so every single day the waft of
the nearby sewer would come through our apartment. So it
was not a great experience. We did finish well though.
(35:39):
We went on a little five day vacation at the
end at the fancy JW. Marriott in Rio, so we
we got good at the end. But it was a tough,
tough run for sure. Did just the glories of international travel.
Covering basketball in the Olympics. Everybody thinks that you stay
at the jaw the whole time. In said, you stay
at a wind in a window apartment forty forty minutes
(36:02):
from where you actually want to be Sam k Well
we're close. We don't love it, but at least we
get hoop back. Thanks so much for joining us. Thank you,
appreciate you. Ahi. That's Sam Amick from the Athletic. Nobody
seems to u um uh wait do we have Danny
Manning next? Or he's he's coming up next hour? Right?
Danny Danny Manning, former NBA star, former number one overall pick,
(36:23):
former Clipper and of course former head coach at Wake
Forest is uh um is going to join us? So
coming up next. Nobody seems to believe in this NFL quarterback,
but one very important person does and that's good enough
for me. Tell you who that is next. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and newon Easter.
Not a Empacific Doug Glivin for Calum. This is the Herd.
(36:48):
Oh wait you here at the top of the hour.
Who I think should be back playing very very soon?
How could change the entire landscape of sport and get
to that end? Eleven minutes in change, I saw this
from Chris Simms, who's a full disclosure of a a friend
(37:08):
he works over, but Pro Football Talk Chris Sims said
this and remember he spent I think a season with
the Patriots as an assistant On Jared Stidham quote, he
reminds me a little of Tony Romo. He's a very
pure thrower of the football. Now there's a bunch of
(37:29):
things to kind of make a deep dive in, right.
Joe Burrow, for example, doesn't have the greatest arm in
the world, but when you talk to NFL people, they'll
tell you it's about fifth in terms of importance. Right,
it's a position of leadership of intelligence. You know, can
you can you make the right play at the right time.
(37:50):
You got to have some level of athleticism to play
within your style. What does that mean? Like, Joe Burrow's
a really good athlete on Lamar Jackson, but he's athletic
enough to get out of the way of a pass
rush and still set his feet, get his balance and
make a throw. Lamar Jackson a crazy, freakish athlete, plays
a different style, but still a level of athleticism is
needed this day and age. So you kind of go
(38:13):
through the arm, strength, toughness, leadership, intelligence, whatever, These things
are all important. Romo obviously believes Jared Sidham can do it.
Jared Sidham. Is I believe what Chris sim excuse me,
believes that Jared Stidham can do it. I don't know,
right like, I'm most of you guys like, no way,
(38:34):
and who wants to be the guy to replace Tom
Brady no matter how poorly tom Brady played at the
end of last year, Still tom Brady? Right like, yeah,
they should have gotten any more weapons. Sure, Dante Scarnecki,
their offensive line coach, retiring hurt, I understand it feels
like last one out of Foxborough. Make sure to turn
(38:56):
off the lights. But here we are again questioning Bill Belichick.
I remember sitting in this very same set, right, and
Malcolm Butler had played one snap in the Super Bowl,
and I heard pundent after pundent host after host say,
(39:17):
Belichick's lost his mind. It's gonna lose the team. You watch,
He's gonna lose. The team didn't play him. They get
run up by the Philadelphia Eagles. And I said, at
the time, Hey, you know, here's the thing about Bill Belichick.
He's figured out a way to make it work in
the past. He'll figure out a way to make it
(39:37):
work in the future. Right, I mean that the big
thing was, well his ways don't work, and maybe they
don't work anymore. But Belichick may have lost that game
against Eagles, but then that was the reason that he
won the big Game the next year, because he got
all guys that were bought in. People forget that Malcolm
(39:58):
Butler wasn't practice. He went to the hospital instead of
the team doctors because there was something wrong with him.
Wasn't on the team flag to the Super Bowl like
everybody kind of annie didn't have a good year. You
question Bill Belichick. Then, when Bill Belichick knew we're not
gonna have Malcolm Butler, he's not all in. And if
Malcolm Butler is not fully healthy, all in, totally prepared,
(40:21):
I'm better off with a different option. It didn't work.
And oh yeah, by the way, they fixed the defense
that very off season and won a Super Bowl the
next year. Let me bring that around to Jared Stidham.
Jared Stidham was a five star recruit. He went to Baylor,
and while that may not resonate with you, now, this
is before Baylor fell apart. Baylor's was at the time
(40:42):
was an elite level program. When Baylor fell apart, he
then transferred to Auburn started there for two years. Both
those offenses are quirky, they're not really NFL offenses, but
everyone has believed that Stidham has the arm talent of
an NFL quarterback. Do I think that he's the answer? No,
I don't know. I don't know. I haven't been to
(41:04):
a Patriots practice, can't honestly tell you. But you know,
a couple of years ago they had Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissette,
and Tom Brady all on the roster. Something tells me that,
with the exception of Ryan Mallett, they've been pretty good
at evaluating the position, and it's kind of an old
lose for him. If they find a diamond in the
rough and Jared's did him a fourth round draft pick, right,
(41:27):
they can build a team around him while he doesn't
get paid. Book kiss, I don't like the Cowboys have right,
and if they don't, you trade Stefan Gilmore before the
trade deadline, and he'd take a shot an elite quarterback
like Trevor Lawrence in the upcoming draft. But I wouldn't
question Bill Belichick's judgment because he's got six rings, been
(41:49):
to nine Super Bowls and seems to know a thing
or two about player evaluation, especially ones that he's had
under his watch for a year. Coming up next, the
great unknown in sports could change the NBA. Tell you
what that is Next in the Herd one more Heard.
The Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days
(42:09):
a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd to listen
live or on demand whenever you'd like. What up? Welcome
in This is the Herd. Whoever you may be and
however you may be listening to the show, Thanks so
much for making a part of your day. One of
the all time grade college stars, Danny Manning will join
(42:30):
us thirty minutes. We'll get his thoughts on the ever
evolving NBA and college basketball landscape. Plus, man, you canna
fired like a month into quarantine to the weirdest thing ever.
Danny Manning will join us, And I know that my
(42:53):
first topic of this hour, Danny Manning has strong feelings
about because when Kevin Durant played at the University of Texas,
Texas played at KUS Kansas and Danny Manning what I
was told again this is the word of mouth said
that that Kevin Durant is the baddest dude he's ever
(43:13):
seen come and playing a visiting uniform at KU. Now
I'll ask him an a half past hour if that's
what he said. Keep in mind, I know Will Chamberlain
played there but was in a home uniform. Danny was
in a home uniform, and maybe he was just prisoner
of the moment. But Kevin Durant was a bad, bad
boy when he played at Texas and he's gotten even
better since playing in the NBA. But there is the
(43:39):
outside chance, the outside chance that Kevin Durant comes back
and plays this year in the NBA. And by this year,
I mean whatever we want to call this extension of
the regular season, which I don't love because the quality
of play probably isn't great and they're going to be
(44:03):
sequestered in these either villas or hotel rooms for the
better part of two to three months if they're any good.
But why wouldn't Kevin Durant play? Right? First of all,
if you know anything about Kevin Durant, that dude loves ball.
Basketball is what he does. I know Rich Kleman is
(44:25):
his business manager and friend, and he diversified his portfolio
and you know he wants to make him into the
type of you know, millionaire, billionaire, magnate that anyone in
the right mind could only dream of becoming. But he has.
He's got all that loot he can spread around and
he's done very well during his time in Silicon Valley.
(44:46):
But Kevin Durant is a baller, is a hooper. How
do you know if you're a hooper? In the back
of your card, you've got basketball shoes, shorts, basketball katie does.
Scott Brooks told me a story once Scotty used to
be his coach in Oklahoma City that after their first
playoff run they've played the Lakers, lost the Lakers, and
(45:08):
he had his exit meeting, you know, the next day,
and he said, Kevin, what are you gonna do this summer?
He's like, I don't know. I just I can't wait
to get back after He's like, listen, it's been a
long year. I want you to call this travel agent
and go fly somewhere, get away. Don't touch a basketball
for three weeks. For a month, you can watch it,
but you've been doing a lot. Your your body needs
(45:29):
time to heal. Promise me you'll get away and you
won't go anything. No problem, coach. So Kevin Rant flies
home to DC and the next day Scottie Brooks calls him,
texts him, no answer, no response, calls him, text no answer,
no response. Finally, about three and a half hours later,
(45:50):
he calls him, breathing heavily and says, yeah, I want
to get back to you. I was just I was
just hooping, right. He literally finished the NBA season, did
his exit meetings, the next day, flew back home, and
the very following and the following day he was playing ball.
Why it's Kevin Rant His post practice workouts are legendary.
(46:12):
It's one of the reasons that both teams that he
played with would try and keep their practices shorter because
Kadine not only liked to work out and liked to
play and like to get better, he'd liked to get
all those guys with him. So keep in mind that's
his mindset. And if he doesn't play, he's not going
to play competitive basketball till January. That's nineteen months removed
(46:33):
from having surgery. Any physical therapist or surgeon will tell
you that if he's healthy now, which he was basically
pronounced healthy before quarantine, why wouldn't he be healthy through
a couple of weeks of training camp or a month
of training camp and eight ramp up games. It doesn't
(46:57):
mean he has to come out and play forty five
minutes and drop forty for the Brooklyn Nets to win.
But think of how it changes the landscape of the sport.
There's also Kyrie Irving, who I know Kyrie Irving is
oft injured, but the injury that he sustained that that
caused him to finish the rest of his season was
(47:18):
a scope on his shoulder. You could have Kyrie Irving
and Kevin Durant on a team that was already going
to the playoffs. Got DeAndre Jordan to protect the rim.
You got Spencer Dinwiddi, who's a do everything guard who
can play point, can play two. You add Kevin Durant
like talking about hitting the lottery. Jack Vaughan, who's their
(47:41):
interim head coach, could wake up and have the two
best players in any series in the Eastern Conference, any series.
Kind of interesting that Caesar's Sports Book on Wednesday lowered
Brooklyn's odds to win a championship from seven hundred and
fifty to one, two sixty to one. I feel like
(48:03):
Brent Musburger Vegas always knows our friends in the Desert Lady.
All right, Caesar's director of trading, Jeff Davis said quote,
I would rather be cautious and deal sixty one than
get hurt. When I hear the news of Kyrie and
Durant returning, it's crazy. I don't want to post one
(48:25):
hundred fifty one one hundred and fifty to one odds.
The problem is if you take a bet of a
couple thousand dollars, you know, two thousand dollars, it pays
three hundred thousand dollars and you're stuck. If Durant is good.
Let's remember last year round this time Game six NBA Finals.
For a short period of time, the only game he
(48:46):
played in, he was the best player in the court.
The Warriors didn't lose because Kevin Durant faded. Now, we
don't know what he'll look like coming out of it
Achilles ten and tear, but thirteen months right now, and
it'll be, you know, close to fifteen months removed when
they'd actually play games. Kevin Rand's good to go unless
(49:08):
that surgery was but it was butchered, which it wasn't.
Why wouldn't he be cleared? And since he'll be cleared
The argument against playing cleared players has always been, you know,
like when Derrick Rose, Remember when Derrick Rose was cleared
to play right before the end of the regular season,
did not play in the playoffs with the Chicago Bulls,
(49:29):
and people went crazy. And my point then is the
opposite of my point now, or maybe it's the same point,
but it's a different subject. Point is this, for Derrick
Rose to sit out the entire year, joined the team
getting ready for the playoffs, play in the playoffs, that's
that's merging onto the auto bun. That's going zero to
(49:50):
one hundred. Something's gonna go wrong, right like when you
punch your car. That's when you you know, you run
down your tires. I oh yeah, by the way, you
can't really control it if you have a car that's
got a lot of power. But if you slow role,
you're if you merge into you know, ten mile an
(50:10):
hour fifteen mile hour traffic, that's what you have. With
Kevin Durant, he would be joining the Brooklyn Nets who
haven't exactly been active in their own right. Not every
player has been working out every day. I'm guessing KD has.
One of the things about rehabbing players is some of
them been able to use their facilities because they're still rehabbing.
(50:33):
So the best player in the NBA over the past
the two previous NBA finals could be healthy And do
you think the NBA wants a healthy scratch? How does
that look to their league partners, the TV partners, Zion's
gonna play. Kawhi might even play that one back to back.
They have, I guarantee thirty five wants to play. And
(50:55):
think of how it changes the landscape as of now.
They would match up with the Rono Raptors in the
first round, and I know Raptor fan, you're sitting there going,
Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, never underestimate the heart of a champion.
Let's go cliche on you and I would say, Kyrie
Irving and Kevin Ranner better players than anybody. A guy.
(51:20):
And the truth is, there isn't a team in the
West that would have two better in the excuse me,
that would have two better star players. And as much
as you want to say, like Brooklyn, this is, it's
not right that they would get in. Let me right,
they were on the roster, Kyrie played some of the season.
Do they benefit from the extra time spent away in quarantine. Sure,
(51:45):
but that by no means that's just luck. This was
Adam Silver last night on Inside the NBA talking about
the potential return of injured players. We're going to allow it,
and I'd only say, Charles and this has been the
best and forth with our teams. There's so much here
that's not fair, and I think we were choosing among
(52:06):
multiple batt alternatives. I'm given the pandemic we're dealing with.
I think ultimately, to that extent, the team has a
healthy roster and those players are able to come back,
they are eligible to play. The two teams that could
and should benefit the most from the time away in
(52:27):
quarantine and the training camp and the build up games
the Brooklyn Nets, because they could have one. Jack Vaughan
didn't get a chance to put in any of his
own stuff, right, he's simply running Kenny Atkinson stuff. But
you could have Kevin Rent Carrie. I that's that's that's
an upgrade. I love Spencer Dinwiddie, I love Karris Lavert.
Those are upgrades. And by the way, those guys don't
(52:48):
have to go away, they can still play. They don't
play together. And then there's the Clippers, right, What were
the questions about the Clippers? Could Paul George Kawhi Leonard
stay or be healthy? And what about their cohesion because
essentially half the season they didn't play without one or
two of their stars. Now you get a second training camp,
(53:11):
you get more games to play together, and the likelihood
of them all being healthy. Huge win, huge win. If
you ask Kevin Durant, he'll want to play. And if
he doesn't play, it's because somebody's holding him out with
some thought that he could get injured again. And the
truth is, if you asked any doctor, unless the surgery
is completely butchered, fifteen months with the training camp and
(53:35):
some ramp up games, not having to play every minute
and win every game by yourself, he's fine. And if
he's fine, and if he plays, and if you add
Kyrie Irving, it dramatically changes the Eastern Conference cut up
next to a tongue of Baoloa should sit his entire
rookie season. I'll tell you why I believe this is
(53:57):
the best plan, and why a long time quarterback coach
disagrees that's next. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Herd weekdays in Newon Eastern not a Empacific on
Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeart Radio app.
This weekend it's a full slit of racing from Atlanta
Motor Speedway. Tomorrow the trucks start us off at one
eastern on FS one, followed by the Xfinity Series over
(54:20):
on Fox. Then on Sunday it's the Folds of Honor
Quick Trip five hundred live at three eastern on Fox
and the Fox Sports App Folds of Honor. Pretty amazing
thing that they're doing there. I can't wait to see
Nascar on Fox. As I will say, I mean Nascar. Granted,
you know, you benefit greatly because you don't have to
(54:42):
have you don't have to have other people in the car.
But there's been so much Nascar on I find myself
watching it more and more and more, and it's been awesome.
Seven races and eleven days, and it's just it was cool.
It's cool. Similar to the basketball thing, but not all
at one site, and not for three months, and not
(55:03):
after a two month four month break, A little a
little different. Well, let's get into some football I Bruce
Arians had First of all, like Bruce Arians does seem
like a good time. He was here with us for
a short period of time. Bruce Arians had an interview
and he gave his thoughts on how he would handle
to a tongue of Ioloah if he was the coach
(55:23):
in Miami bigger. All depends on the sale, you know,
if he's healthy, I'm playing. I don't think you learn
anything holding on the clipboard. You know, I had Peyton
Manning his first year, Andrew Luck his first year then
was one of those guys that len him by accident
because Tommy Maddox got hurt. But you know, you miss
all the practice, rep, if you missed the game, Rep,
I don't know what you learned holding on the clipboard watching,
(55:46):
And look, I do you know from my playing background,
you don't learn a ton by sitting there and watching.
You just don't. Quarterback is different, and a lot of
it comes down to each individual guy, right because and look,
even if it's a bad first year, look what happened
with the Rams. You know, Jared Goff played in a
(56:10):
terrible offense and people thought he stunk. They change coaches,
they change styles, and suddenly two years later he's playing
quarterback in the Super Bowl. So you could make the
case that even a bad first year is quality reps
for that. If you have the right player, the right
team around him, the right belief, all the better. Now,
(56:32):
the first thing is the health, which is unavoidable with
any quarterbacks, specifically with two A tongue of voloha. And
even look, I know, I just didn't. I just get
done saying Kevin Durant should play. I did. But Kevin
Durrant is in his thirties. It's an achilles tendon. It's
over a year removed by the time he plays, if
(56:53):
you play from when he actually toured the Achilles tendon.
That's different than two A tongue of violoa, who this
passed football season against Mississippi State broke his hip socket
right had a major major surgery. And that's in addition
to the ankle problems that he's had, the risk problems
(57:13):
that he's had. So you can't avoid the health. But
this is a philosophical thing where Bruce Arians like Lam
just play the kid. I should point out that it
worked out okay for Carson Palmer. It seems to be
working out way for working out well for Pat Mahomes.
Now again it should be pointed out that Pat Mahomes
(57:34):
was not was not terribly refined. It wasn't like when
he came out. I remember talking to people like, man
his footwork and there's a high ceiling, there's you know,
there's a low floor there. If he doesn't clean some
things up. And he was backing up Alex Smith, who's
the consumman professional didn't take the shots that Pat Mahomes
did down the field. But if not for Alex Smith,
(57:55):
if not for the time to sit, to learn, to
get refined, I don't know if he's Pat Mahomes today
arguably the best player in the in the sport. And
look there's a hybrid between two. Lamar Jackson didn't play
right away. Eventually he got an opportunity later and then
went and played in the playoffs with the Ravens. I
think it depends on the guy, depends on does the
(58:16):
system fit the player. And for Tuah, if you have
Ryan Fitzpatrick and you want to make sure he's fully healthy,
well then you don't play him if he's it's his hip.
This is this is not a even a soft tissue thing.
We're talking about a hip injury is a major, major injury.
Then he gets hurt every time he seemingly every time
(58:37):
he plays football. Now, the one thing going for Tuah
is he does seem to be refined, you know, playing
in some form. You know, there was some spread elements
to it, but there was a lot of you know,
pro style offense in what they did at Alabama. And
by all accounts, he's got a really fantastic football brain.
It shouldn't be crazy heart, but she cut out OTAs
(58:59):
you cut out the chance to work hand in hand
in person with coaches for substantia amount of time, and
no coaches are coming back. We'll see about players, and
I would just be cautious. The Miami Dolphins have been
waiting since the nineties early nineties to find their next
Dan Marino. If you have to sacrifice half for a
full season, is it that big a deal. Plus, it's
(59:19):
not like Ryan Fitzpatrick is terrible. You know what's gonna
happen with Ryan Fitzpatrick. He'll play really well early and
people like, maybe they should give Ryan Fitzpatrick the job
and then he'll come back down to earth and maybe
that's when you play to him. You know, he'll throw
five touchdowns, three touchdowns, two touchdowns, four touchdowns, three picks,
two picks, four picks, they're like, Okay, the fitzmagic has
(59:41):
worn out. That's what happens, and he'll go back to
being the consummate backup who's ready in case you're starting
gets hurt. So I'm not saying Bruce arians Is is
wrong because he's lived it. Talking about Peyton Troy Aikman
took a beating his first year. Now, Roethlisberger did have
(01:00:03):
to play early, but it very much depends on the player,
on the system, on the fit, who the backup is,
who's the starter initially, all of those things, and how
good the team is, all of those things do matter.
I mean, the perfect example is what's going to happen
with the Chargers. Yeah, they drafted, they drafted a quarterback
(01:00:26):
at six in the draft, but you have Tyrod Taylor
who's not only gotten to the playoffs, but when he
got to the playoffs, Anthony Lenna's head coach was the offense,
was the play caller. Then he knows the offense like
the back of his hand. And you got a kid who,
though he won a Rose Bowl, the offense wasn't nearly
what they're doing. So you give him time, there's no rush,
(01:00:48):
you're more likely to win in Shane Steikin's offense with
Tyrod Taylor now than you are rushing a kid and
getting ready. It depends upon the player, depends upon the health,
and depends upon the situation like does the team fit
and can you protect the guy? Let's get to joungle
with the news. No, no turns. This is the herdline
(01:01:12):
news sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance. Only paid for what
you need. So as we know, Speaking of Bruce Arians,
Tom Brady left the Patriots for the Bucks this offseason,
but according to Jason lackom Hora CBS, there was a
different team in the NFC South that was interested in
Brady had Drew Brees retired and I bet he was.
(01:01:32):
She had The Saints and Brady had mutual interest. Brady
reportedly followed Breese's decision very closely when he was deciding
if he was going to retire or come back. He
ultimately signed a two year, fifty million dollar deal to
stay with the Saints. Are you buying that report? No?
Thank you not buying that. Tell me why you're not
(01:01:52):
buying I know why I'm not buying it. Tell me
why you're not buying it. Look, I think that. I
do believe they're all in untastom Hill. I think they
want to they think football is changing, and they want
somebody athletic. The only part I buy is I do
think that older quarterbacks want to play either in really
good weather, but really like to play in the dome
because the dome cuts out the element it helps him
throw the football up. Sure, you know, but I just
(01:02:18):
I never saw Drew Brees retiring. I didn't see that happening.
I think the only reason he contemplated it was because
the Romo TV contract change everybody. Yeah, well you can
make how much calling games and I don't have to
get hit sign me up? And so he ultimately got
a TV deal with NBC. So I just I don't
(01:02:43):
know if he fits how they play. It's such a
different system. And I don't feel like Sean Payton, though
he's brilliant, I don't feel like he's going to change
his system to fit Brady. I mean he could try,
Whereas I do feel like Tampa is going to really
really I mean, you got by left which a very
much an unproven offensive coordinator. They're gonna collaborate much more
(01:03:04):
so than I think Peyton would. I don't know it,
just that seems like an outfit. It was never mentioned.
I talked to two of the other teams and they
knew just about who is at play. Yeah, I think
he wanted to go to the Chargers. I think that
he wanted LA He thought they had the best team,
the best roster, the best plan. Shane Stekeen has only
called plays for half the year. They could work together.
(01:03:26):
I think the Giselle wanted Miami because that's where she
wanted to live, and they settled on Tampa. There's two
reasons I don't buy it. From the Saint side. Remember,
they had Teddy Bridgewater, So if that like their backup
plan would have been, why don't we just keep Teddy
for less money? And maybe he's the guy in the
future and we have Taysom Hill. From Brady's side, he
wouldn't follow Drew Brees and new Orwins. Yeah, that doesn't
(01:03:47):
make any sense. Done the same thing with the indie thing, right,
But there's some separation there, you know, there would have
been a gap there. He's gonna directly follow Breeze. Yeah,
I don't see that. Yeah, I'm not a chance. Hey,
you remember Jadavion Clowney. He was with the Tech Sands
and then the Seahawks, and he was going to make
a huge amount of money this year and he hits
free agency. Well, that hasn't happened yet. He's even dropped
(01:04:10):
his price tag significantly and still remains unsigned. The team
that has reportedly offered him the most money is that
Cleveland Brown. Browns offer the most, but they haven't come
to an agreement. No one's really sure why. Maybe he
just doesn't want to go there. Maybe the amount of
money isn't as high as we think. Mary kay Cabot
of Cleveland dot Com was on ninety two three The
Fan in Cleveland when she said, there is still a
(01:04:32):
chance it could happen right now fifty fifty. I still
think it comes down to the money. I still think
that the Browns are interested in him, and he's looking
for a certain number or maybe even a certain amount
of years on a contract. And it's not over until
it's over. How seriously do you take the Browns if
(01:04:53):
they bring in Jadeveon Clowney with an already pretty good
defensive front. Oh really, seriously, Look, here's the thing. Dave
Connie is not what he was presumed to be, or
maybe he thinks he is in terms of an elite
defensive lineman. Right. Part of it is there's a sense
he doesn't play hard all the time, and he's been
hurt a lot. Yeah, he's been hurt at the microfracture.
(01:05:15):
There's also what he's best at doesn't really show up
in stats because you say, all pass rush for how
many sacks does he have? He's actually a very good
run stopper, but there's no number for that. You don't
look at. You know, he's a really good play. The
problem is he's done what's called chase the market in
real estate. This happens all the time, right. Somebody lists
(01:05:35):
to their house for like fifty grand more than they
probably should, and then people come in to the house
and they're like, I like the house, but fliss price
is too high. So then they start lowering the price.
We start lowering the price, and people look on the
MLS like, why they lower the price by two hundred grand?
It's got to be something wrong with us? Is there
somebody die there and something wrong with it? And you
(01:05:56):
assume that there's something wrong with it, and you end
up selling the house. Are far less than you wanted
to when you you were just trying to capitalize on
a hot market, chasing the market. He thought he was
gonna get seventeen eighteen million a year, and oh, he know,
he thought he was gonna get twenty million a year.
Then he lowered it seventeen eighteen, and the Seahawks were
down around thirteen. And the problem with the Seahawks bring
(01:06:17):
them back. Even if they could get him at that prices,
he'd be disgruntled because it's hard to go back to
a place where they said they loved you, but for
like seven million a year less than you thought you'd
go back to. So at some point you're running out
of options here, and I do wonder what the financial
landscape looks like. You might want to sign that deal
(01:06:38):
if you're a clowney for a year and then play
the feud the next year. And finally, the Major League
Baseball Players Association has reaffirmed their stance for a fully
pro rated pay and rejects the league's offer. Baseball proposed
an eighty two games schedule member originally with a sliding
pay skill that didn't go over well. Players didn't want
(01:06:59):
a hundred and fourteen games. I don't know when they're
planning to play all those games. But okay, cool, So
now we know the NBA is not starting until July
thirty first, right that is, we now know that Baseball
has said they need three weeks of spring training and
then they can go. Yes, isn't this a huge whiff?
Like they could have July all themselves, just a full
(01:07:20):
month of Hey, every day baseball games on, no football,
no basketball, and they're you're you're right, everybody's right who
says this? Okay, but but this is really important. Jeff
Passing from ESPN. He has an article out today where
he goes through and shows how much money they're gonna
lose with no fans in the stands every game. Now, look,
(01:07:43):
we can argue, we can argue exact figures for each team, okay,
but players have to understand there's a new economy out there.
We have no idea what's gonna look like. A thousand
minor leaguers lost their jobs. Minor league teams are going
to go under it, so there will be guys in
the markets that will play for nothing. Eventually. I understand
(01:08:06):
that the MLBPA like, hey, we thought we had a deal,
but times do change, and the MLBPA is very concerned
with the CBA, which you can expire after next year.
If it's me at some point, you just gotta hold
your nose, swallow hard and sign the deal. Just get
it done, get on the field for as many games
as possible. But the owners are playing hardball. They were
(01:08:27):
at they're at eighty two, like, n we want one fourteen,
Like well what if we played sixteen? By the way,
I mean, just the idea that they were okay with
playing eighty two games. Then they went to sixty after
the players went to one fourteen. You know, eighty two
minus twenty two is sixty. Eighty two plus twenty two
is one fourteen. Pretty obvious where the owners want to
(01:08:48):
end up, isn't it. No, it's thirty two. My math
is up. Somebody don't put that on social media. That's
John Gala with the news. Well that's the news, and
thanks for stopping the herd line news. They were at wait,
they were at fifty. Excuse me, at fifty they're fifty games.
Let me make sure I get this right, because there
(01:09:08):
are people that's the one that's thirty two either way
to thirty two either way. The math worked in my head,
and then I haven't. I'm not able to get Usually
you get coffee when you do Colin Show. There's no
coffee here. That's my excuse. All right, let's get to
the Herd Global Satellite Network for one of the all
time college basketball legends and NBA star Danny Manning kind
(01:09:29):
enough to spend some time with this. I got a
bunch of things I want to get to. What's the
longest you've ever stayed in one hotel room? The longest
I've ever stayed in one hotel room, Doug. I'd probably
say there were a few places where I got traded,
and before I could find a home, I was in
those hotels for a while. So I'll probably say when
I got traded to the Milwaukee Books, I was at
(01:09:51):
the hotel for a couple months. So that was a
good little time. Okay, do you think you could have
played at your optimum level? Because that's the plan here
for the NBA. They're gonna go to hotels maybe villas,
you know, and be on site in Orlando, and the
teams that compete for the championship, Danny, they're gonna be
there for three months, three months. How do you think
(01:10:12):
that affects the quality of play on the floor. Well,
I think the quality of play will be okay because
I think you'll you'll get quite a bit of rest
because there won't be a lot of things to do
in those situations. I think the biggest thing is reconnecting
and bonding with your teammates and finding that chemistry level
that you need to have to be successful on the court.
(01:10:34):
Danny Manning joining us here in the herd. You've come
back from injuries before. Kevin Durants, a guy who tours
achilles tendon like a year ago, it would be I
think thirteen months in change out. He'd have a training camp,
he'd have eight ramp up games and be able to play.
If he chooses to not play, you'd roll that over
(01:10:56):
and probably play in December or January. That's when the
NBA is gonna going to start up. If you were
advising Kevin Durant and he's cleared to play, what would
you tell him. I'd probably tell him the way, going
through what I went through with three acls in my
fifteen year career in the NBA. I think the longer
you wait, the stronger you come back, the more effective
(01:11:18):
you are as a player. I thought each time that
I was fortunate enough to come back from those injuries
that first year. That first season was more survival modes
than anything of trying to get through it, whether it's
the treatments that you're going through and things of that nature.
And so for me, I think he should wait based
upon my experiences. Well, you were drafted by the LA Clippers,
(01:11:40):
but the LA Clippers were so much different than they
are now for people who right like, look I was,
I was in Los Angeles the time I was twelve
years old. You were the savior coming to town for
people who've forgotten what that Clipper group was. Like, what
do you remember about being drafted number one overall? Well,
remember being fortunate and blessed to be in that situation
(01:12:02):
and thankful that had that opportunity. Um, you know, playing
in the NBA was a lifelong gold and it was
a tremendous honorum. But you know, we we we went
through some things in terms of an organization and young
players living in the city of LA with the Lakers
on the other side of town, and um, I thought
we got to a point where we were we were
(01:12:24):
a team that you know, made the playoffs and coach Brown,
Larry Brown was our coach, and we were moving in
the right direction. And you know that didn't last long.
But you know, I enjoyed my time with the Clippers.
I thought it was very challenging, but I had a
chance to grow as a young man and definitely as
a basketball This has to bring up memories to you, right,
because I remember it was in Anaheim that you guys
(01:12:46):
had to play in the playoffs I think against the
Utah Jazz because the LA riots and the LA riots
occurred because uh, you know, because of of of the
beating of Brownie King and what happened to police officers.
Right like this, this has to bring up old memories.
It does. I was reflecting back on it. Um, I
was in a restaurant in Inglewood with one of my
(01:13:07):
friends having a meal and the verdict comes on and
it starts going not guilty, and I'll look at him
and I'll go, we gotta get out of here. And
by the time we got back to my house, Um,
the riots that started, and um, you know, the questions
about racial um injustice and racism really started to kick in.
(01:13:28):
Are we at the same place from from your perspective
as as a black man who's a who's a parent
and also has been a coach and a leader of
men and assistant coach? Are we at the same place
we were then and we had a better place? From
from your personal perspective, where are we we need to
be in a better place period? Um? Yeah, there's been
(01:13:50):
some growth, but but nowhere near what it needs to
be or what it should be. And you know, we're
talking about racism now and you know this was we're
talking about what ninety two, when when those riots happen,
and um, you know the racial injustices that have happened
before then and since then, or just we're just at
a point where you know, you don't want to deal
(01:14:11):
with those anymore, and we expect more, we want more.
And that's where all these riots and these protests are
coming from. Danny Manning joining us here in the herd
to clear it, clears up of what's this what's this
been like for you? You know, like you are a
people person, you light up a room and we've been
under under quarantine. What's this experience been like for you?
(01:14:33):
It's been unique. Um, has definitely been challenging. I think
a lot of it for me has been UM, you know,
you reflect back on all the positive and wonderful relationships
that you have with people, and you let them know
that you appreciate them, and you let them know that
you love them, and you thank them for their contribution
to to your journey along the way. And UM, you
know that's probably been the biggest thing, is just letting
(01:14:54):
all your loved ones know. UM, when you had that opportunity, Hey,
I appreciate you, I think, thank you and I love you.
Beautiful strategic placement over your left shoulder? What is that?
What is that trophy? For people who are are watching
you on Fox Sports one my left shoulder. Um, I've
got a Uh, you can turn and look. It's okay.
(01:15:16):
I think it's well for me. I've got I've got two.
I've got one is a six man Award from the
NBA and another one is a Wooden Award from from college.
So very fortunate and blessed and definite shout out to
all my teammates that helped make that happen. Yeah, and
of course Danny and the miracles. You want won the
championship and you wanted in Kansas City playing for for
(01:15:37):
for uh, for Larry Brown. Um, you've you've done almost
every almost everything in basketball. Um, and I know you
you love the sport, but coaching the sport gives you
a different perspective, and coaching college is really really challenging.
Now you have this G League Select team. Now you're
unique because you're back in an era where you played
(01:15:58):
your entire college career at Kansas. Then you're the number
one overall pick, and you have a long storied NBA career.
What are your thoughts on this G League Select team
and some of the young high school stars that are
not going to go to the NBA, but they're also
not going to go to college instead play for Brian Shaw, Well,
I think, first of all, we have to understand it's
only going to affect a handful of young men and um,
(01:16:20):
you know, so we've got to keep that in mind.
I think college is not for everybody, and these guys
are opting to take a different path. I think it'll
be educational form, but I still think there's great value
in college. I think the majority of our college basketball
players will need their degree at some point in time
to be very functional, to to create wealth and provide
(01:16:45):
for their families. And so I definitely feel that there's
a value with that college education. But I also understand
that some guys don't need to go that route, and
you know, this has given them an avenue or a
platform to go a different way. I guess the question, though,
is I understand that there's gonna be a select number
of kids that can do it, But as you and
(01:17:05):
I both know, just because only a handful can do
it doesn't mean that there won't be a hundred other
kids that think they can do it, or their parents
or advisors can think to do it. How do you
protect kids from making a bad decision of assuming you know, look, man,
I don't need the great stuff. I don't need to
worry about that. I'm going to the G League select team.
(01:17:26):
I'll think a lot of it just going to be education,
and I think a lot of it will be based
upon who's selecting and that criteria of selection. So I
don't think a lot of people are going to have
that opportunity, to be honest with you, because if they're
not selected for the team, then they're not selected, and
so then you know they'll have to look at alternate avenues.
But everyone always sees their child or sees the person
(01:17:47):
that they're connected with through rose colored glasses. And you know,
for me as a college coach, that became very frustrated
at times because you don't know how hard it is
to be a professional athlete or to play in one
of those leagues where you're the best of the best,
and it's extremely challenging and it's not easy. Yeah, there's
four hundred and fifty NBA players, four hundred and fifty
(01:18:08):
in the entire way eight million people, four hundred and fifty.
And of course if you go into a high school gym,
they all think they're going to the league. Danny Manning,
Danny Manning joining us here in the herd Um, I
got I got one more for you, really really quickly.
I'm sure you watched the Last Dance you got a
chance to play and live in the Jordan era when
(01:18:29):
you watch that ten part documentary series, would you think so,
I'll be honest, if I didn't watch it, what I
did not watch it. I've not watched it yet, and
I've seen different pieces of it, whether it's on the
news or quick you know, broadcast, but I've not watched
it in its entirety. Um kind of got a feel
(01:18:49):
for it because I had you know, one of my
better friends and teammates, Ron Harper, was a part of it.
And you know I played in that era. But you
know I can't I can't speak on it in terms
of all right, I have did this, I lied, I'll
get I'll get one more. Did you, in fact tell
Bill self that Kevin Durant was the baddest dude to
ever play on the floor at KU. I did at
(01:19:11):
that particular time. You know, when Kevin Durant came in
and I was assistant of Kansas working under Bill's self. Um,
you know, you go through your scouting reports and you know,
we're we've got guys that are doing a really good
job in terms of textbook defense and things of that nature.
I'm just like, he's a bad boy coach. We you know,
we we're gonna win the game, but he's a handful
(01:19:32):
and he's going to be something that we're going to
have to navigate because he's a tremendous talent. You and
we're a handful as well. So as rapeul friends. Some
of the Alton, Paul Pierce, some of the all time
greats were in the k uniform. Hey Danny. Great to
catch up. I'm glad you're safe and healthy. Can't wait
to catch up in person. Thanks so much for joining us.
Thank you very much. Have a great day. All right.
That's Danny Manning, one of the all time greats. Not
just guys that play college basket play in the NBA,
(01:19:54):
but but men in the profession of basketball. One of
the top coaches in Kyle football has a new recruiting
tactic and I think it's totally phony. Tell who that
is next in the Herd. Be sure to catch live
editions of the Herd weekdays and neon Eastern a Empacific.
Doug Gotlieban for Colum. This is the Herd on Fox
(01:20:15):
Sports Rady. How great was Danny Manning? Interesting? Remember like
he was with the Clippers when the LA Riots broke out,
and I may I remember when I was, where I
was when the when the verdict came down as well.
Brings up memories and that that Clipper team was fun, fun, fun,
(01:20:35):
good good bunch that lost to the Utah Jazz in
the NBA. Plus to play at the Anaheim Convention Center,
which is I don't know, ten minutes from I grew up.
It's pretty cool. Um, Lincoln rise the head coach of Oklahoma.
Of course, he's done an amazing job taking over for
Bob Stoops as their head coach. If you play quarterback
for Lincoln Riley, it's gonna help you either win a
(01:20:55):
Heisman or come close. Right. I mean, it's been really remarkable.
This is what he said about not allowing Some teams,
including my old modern Oklahoma State, have allowed players back
on campus to begin volunteering workouts. Not so much for Roeu.
Here's Lincoln Riley's reason why. The thing I'm proud of
(01:21:17):
is we didn't wait for somebody else to do it.
We didn't wait for somebody to tell us what we
could do. We just did simply what we believed was best.
And we didn't wait till one of our competitors did it.
And when our competitor said they're bringing back early, we
didn't fletch. And so I think that's a sign of
strong leadership in our university. And you know, we said
our priorities and what we felt out was best and
(01:21:39):
we stuck with it. Yeah, I think this is I
call bs. I do. I think Lincoln Riley wants them back.
I think this is his way of trying to win
the fact that right now Oklahoma is being very, very
cautious because the truth is now. Look, Oklahoma State has
had three players test positive for COVID nineteen. I believe
(01:22:00):
all three are asymptomatic. I understand if you're going from
being quarantined to bringing in eighty five scholarship players over
one hundred guys on a college campus, now of a sudden,
you have the possibility of collecting all their germs as well, right,
I get that. But in Oklahoma specifically, and in Texas,
(01:22:22):
where most of their players are from, there isn't anymore quarantine.
So it's not like you're coming from a bubble. You're
actually getting into a bubble once you get to campus.
And by the way, once you get there, college campuses,
college football programs have the financial wherewithal to pay for
testing and can treat you and can quarantine to you,
(01:22:44):
can quarantine you. The medical care is better, the testing
is better, the prevention is better. And in truth, though,
when you first get back, you'll have all of the
germs from all the communities of all of the players
you're having that when you're at home, restaurants are open.
(01:23:04):
You know, Little League is being played social distancing. This
is not New York or California or some of the
states where there have been major outbreaks. In Oklahoma, the
numbers are very low, and the governor's reacted and said
let's get back to business. So that that sounds like
he's being really thoughtful. But the truth is, I think
(01:23:25):
Lincoln Riley's grandstanding over something that a policy that even
he doesn't love. We decided to not bringing back early
and that's where we're going with. But that's recruiting, that's
college sports. That's how it works. You got to turn
every negative into a positive. All right. Coming up next,
I think the NBA's making a huge mistake, not in
coming back, but in the plan for how and where
(01:23:48):
are they going to come back. I'll explain why next time.
Doug Gottlieb, This is the Herd. Be sure to catch
live editions of The Herd weekdays and newon Easter not
a Empacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio.
Doug Gottlieb in for Colin This is the Herd. Casper
as everything to build the dream Bedroom. Now. Casper's offering
free contactless delivery as always free returns go to Casper
(01:24:11):
dot com from more information. Terms and conditions apply seecasper
dot com slash terms. Let's get to the Herd Global
Satellite Network as we welcome in a Super Bowl Champion.
Friend of the show you see him on Fox Sports
and Fox Sports one, Greg Jennings looking at all swoll
in front of his in front of his jerseys. Greg, Look,
(01:24:32):
I want to start with the NBA because you, like me,
love the league, follow the league, have opinions on the league,
and I understand why the preliminary plan was the bubble,
But in addition to other things like three months with
just your dudes around, you're gonna end up hating your
best friend. Like that doesn't work. I remember I talked
(01:24:52):
to the coaches at Duke one year and they played
in China and Dubai, like in October, and they lost
rule in the NCAA tournament. I was like, well, what
happened to you guys? You guys faded down the stretch.
He's like, you know what, we were around each other
too much. Do you like this plan for the NBA
that's been made now it feels like it's been made
(01:25:14):
two months ago, but it's going to play out in
two months. Yeah, I actually do like the plan, and
one of the reasons why I would kind of come
back at you when it comes to what they're doing
and how they're doing it as a destination and the
guys being around each other so long for a period
(01:25:34):
of time. No one in history, or I shouldn't say history,
but no one that's playing in the league right now
to date has ever gone through something like this and
then wanted to play with the sport that they love
so desperately and so bad. No one's going to be
thinking about, oh man, I'm gonna have to spend three
(01:25:56):
months with just the guys. They just want to get
back on the hardwood. Whether there's fans, yes, does that
play a role, of course, but that's not the game.
That's not the focus, that's not your mentality right now.
You just want an opportunity to accomplish and finish what
you set out to do, and that's to potentially win
(01:26:16):
an NBA championship if you're any team that has a shot,
and from what we're seeing the format, so many teams
have a shot. So I think it's going to be
exciting and they're just going to be simply ecstatic to
be back doing what they love to do. Oh. I
think they'll be extat to be back when they have
training camp and they have the first eight games and
(01:26:38):
maybe into the playoffs a little bit. But when you
start to like, you're there for three months, what's along?
What's along? As you've ever stayed in one hotel? Probably
a week and a half, almost two weeks, But Doug,
what you had. What you have to realize is we're
talking as if we haven't all been in one location. Yes,
(01:27:00):
it's been our own homes or for some maybe not
even but we've been quarantined already. So this is this
is the norm. I understand, I understand, but everyone but
now you're in a world where everyone else isn't quarantined
and you're back into quarantine. I just I don't know
how the how, how the mind that works with them.
(01:27:21):
They're not going to see it as the fact that
they're quarantined all over again. They're just They're just not
They are going to appreciate the fact that we can
get back to what is a glimpse of normality for us,
and playing a sport that brings so many people so
much joy and frees the mind and just becomes an
(01:27:42):
escape for not only us as performers and athletes, but
for Navice Fan, for individuals who look for these outlets
to get away from what's going on in our everyday lives.
All right, let's talk about what's going on. UM. Drew
Brees apologize yesterday in written form. Today he apologized in
(01:28:03):
video form on Instagram, from the answer to a question
about flag protesting the flag potentially in this coming year
to the apologies. What's your take on the Drew Brees thing.
You know, my take yesterday before he issued the apology
was one of I felt that it was callous and selfish.
(01:28:26):
And then once he issued the apology, I'm again I'm
an individual that will accept that. I Am not one
that's saying that you forget all of that, But you
understand that a guy has the opportunity to either apologize
or not apologize, and he took the high road of apology,
and you must move forward. If you're a teammate if
(01:28:48):
of Drew Brees, like to me, it struck me as
lacking empathy, right because he went into almost like almost
like he was a politician, went into his stock answer
about what the flag means to him, which I honest,
I'll be honest. He has every right to have the
flag mean what the flag means to him. The problem
was the timing, the lack of feeling and warmth and
(01:29:12):
understanding of what else is going on. So I think
that's but there are others and look, I'm not black,
so I can't. I don't know how it lands with you.
Was it so bad that this will forever change how
you look and how others feel about Drew Brees. Well,
I wouldn't say for me personally, is going to change
(01:29:35):
my complete understanding and knowledge of Drew Brees and relationship
the small relationship that I do have with Drew Brees,
simply because as a teammate, anytime you've spent that amount
of time with an individual, you tend to know pretty
much who they are, or you have an idea of
who they are. And in terms of football, Drew Drew
(01:29:59):
made a mistake and he didn't say anything that was
wrong per se, but his timing was not right. And
what I mean by that is Drew Brees is a quarterback.
He is playing in an ultimate team sport, and so
if any individual who is on the field with him
(01:30:19):
is thinking of anything outside of winning the game and
what we can do to win the game. Then he
doesn't in that moment want anything to do with them.
And that's that's all I'm saying when it comes to
my vantage point and what I was able to hear
and digest from his words, You weren't in the game
(01:30:42):
in that moment, Drew. You you were talking about something
that's not relevant right now. And that's what the that's
where the disappointment for me enters in. Because Drew, again,
as I mentioned, he's an ultimate team sport player. He's
at the top in one of the highest regarded positions
at quarterback. You must remain locked in and if you
(01:31:05):
participate in which he did to a degree whatever in
a blackout Tuesday, you you you've identified that you know
what's going on, so you know we're in the fight.
You know where, you know what the agenda is, so
let's stay focused on the agenda in the task at hand. Yeah,
it was interesting because he actually had talked about it
(01:31:26):
in other answers in the same interview, and that he
went to an answer that wasn't really about how the
question was asked, and that did it struck me as
odd as well. Greg Jennings, our guest longtime wide receiver
in Nashootball League, Super Bowl Champion of course colleague here
at Fox Sports as an NFL analyst. Let me play
with what Kyle Shanahan. Kyle Shannon was doing an interview
(01:31:48):
and he had this to say about Jimmy Garoppolo. When
you have to talk to Jimmy about one of the
best quarterbacks of all time being available, I know Jimmy
has a goal to be that, and I know Jimmy
Jimmy has the ability to be that, and that's what
both of us are going for. And if we can
get him there and he has the ability to do it,
we're gonna be pretty happy with who we have for
(01:32:10):
a long time. So it strikes me that first Drew
Brees backpedaling because of his comment and apologizing. This is
the Niners saying like, yeah, we may have talked about
Tom Brady, but we think Jimmy Garoppolo cane of the
greatest quarterbacks of all time. I see the smile. Do
you buy it? I don't buy it. I don't buy it.
(01:32:30):
And this is a this is a quarter Kyle Shanahan
is a very smart, relatable, young coach. He gets it.
If he has an opportunity to what he what looks
like to him to make an improvement, he's gonna do it.
And he saw that potentially in Tom Brady. But when
you have and you know what he just said, you
(01:32:53):
have someone within your house and your your fold that
has potential to be an all time great, the all
time great, you don't consider removing that piece. You understand
it may take time, but I'm not moving that piece.
That piece stays until I'm completely I'm completely forced to
(01:33:15):
either rid myself of it or what I thought does
not manifest. And so for him to now say that
you didn't truly feel like that, and you don't truly
feel like that, because if you had, and if you do,
you would have never considered offering that piece up and
trying to acquire what you thought was better. You don't
(01:33:39):
do it, and so I'm not buying it. I get it.
I know why. And he's a quarterbacks coach as well
as an offensive coordinator as well as a head coach.
You have to be on the side of your players
and make sure your players know that I have your
best interests at heart. But as we all saw, he
had the team's best interests at heart. He ends John
(01:34:00):
Lynch when it came to the potential acquisition of Tom Brady.
Did you when you played, were you better when you
were mad? Were you better when you're hungry, when you're fed,
when you were like in a zen state where you
were calm? Like, what was the mood that you played
your best football in? For me, I think it was more.
(01:34:21):
If I was to relate to one of those words,
it would be more of a zen state. If I'm mad,
then sometimes that can become a distraction. If I'm hungry,
I think being in a zen state, it creates a hunger,
It creates a thirst in a desire to fulfill whatever
(01:34:41):
it is you've envisioned yourself fulfilling and playing out. And
so that zen state is, in my opinion personally for me,
was the best place for me to be. I'm not
too high, I'm not too low. I'm ready to go though.
I ask you that because I kind of feel like
Aaron Rodgers place best when he's ticked off. And I
(01:35:04):
think this whole between the Jordan love thing and and
and and look, you know, he's very much supported his
teammates on social media, but I think he uses everything discussed,
everything as as fuel, and now he has kind of
legit fuel. I think this can really help the Packers,
the fact that they drafted Jordan Love and that he
(01:35:25):
wasn't He even admitted he wasn't all that. All that
jazz about not getting a weapon. Is that accurate? That
he plays better when he's ticked off. Yeah, we've seen it.
We've seen it when his back has been against the wall,
and that team's playoff birth was against the wall. And
we go back to the season a few years ago
when he issued the statement of relax. He knew right
(01:35:49):
then and there I got to back these words, and
he was really he was willing and ready made to
back those words to the fullest. It was just a
matter of everyone coming on board. And that's what great
players do. They find a way to really tap into
not only themselves emotionally, but everyone else around them emotionally.
(01:36:12):
So they feel like, yeah, they slighted all of us,
not just you, Aaron. They're not just doubting you, they're
sliding all of us. They're saying that we don't have
what it takes. They're saying that we can accomplish this.
And so with you sliding Aaron or and it's not
a slight. They're just doing what they feel like. It's
best to move forward if and when he decides to
(01:36:34):
move on and be prepared for that. But that's not
how players see it. If a player is drafted of
your position, you're like, Okay, I see what you're doing,
but I have to do something about it to make
sure you know I'm going nowhere. Bruce Arians says, hey,
you don't learn anything on the sidelines, which I I mean,
I think most of us agree with. But the Twa
(01:36:56):
thing is interesting, right because he's been hurt a lot
and he have Fitzpatrick. And it's not like the Dolphins.
We think they're playing for a super Bowl this year.
I mean maybe that that division is fairly open. The
Bills is probably the best team. We'll see about the Jets.
If you're the Dolphins, what's your thought process on if
and when you play TA this year? To be honest,
(01:37:18):
my thought process, I'm gonna let it play out. And
if I have the opportunity in the luxury to allow
him to gain experience from Ryan Fitzpatrick and start him,
and if Twas surpasses him, then so be it insert him.
But if I absolutely have the luxury to let him
(01:37:41):
sit back and absorb and learn and be more educated
and have more time to develop and to see the
speed of the game to become to understand it before
he actually is thrown in the fire, if he's more
well equipped to handle the fire, he's going to be
better suited for. That doesn't mean that he wouldn't perform
(01:38:03):
well if he does get thrown into it. But I
think every coach would rather sit a player unless he's
just outright shows I am ready to go. And I
think that's what a coach from the outside and just
all of us from the outside looking in will disregard
because we don't have to truly make that decision. Like
(01:38:24):
the Miami Dolphins. He wears the Seisch medium shirt. Okay,
he might not pass the Fox Sports peed test, but
he is a great guy in a form, a two
time pro bowler. He's Greg Jennings joining us from someone
from Chateau Jennings with the jerseys hanging in the background. Gee,
have a great weekend, thanks for joining us. Appreciate that
YouTube does all right, that's that's Greg Jennings. He just
(01:38:45):
did some bicep curls during the break right before he
joined us. Look at all Swoll, let's get to uh
equally Swoll. People don't know John Goule. No, no, turn
on the news. This is the online news. I don't
I didn't know that either. So okay, so shape round
is a shape absolutely. Uh. So I was gonna hit.
(01:39:08):
I was gonna play that Kyle Shanahan sound. He played
it with Craig. So I'm gonna come it's all good.
I'm gonna come up with a different angle because I
feel like I actually have to stand up for a
quarterback that is twenty one and five as a starter
in the NFL. I understand that he's bad passes. I
think he's good. I'm looking again, and I know we
cut I've looked up, so we cut out things, and
(01:39:29):
I don't know if he has it. I'm only telling
you some of the misses in the Super Bowl. We're like,
sure he last year four thousand yards, twenty seven touchdowns,
thirteen pick. Everybody brings up the Saints game, which he
was great. Sure if he just improves a little bit,
Yes he's a thirty ten touchdown interception guy. Yes, four
thousand yards. Remember he isn't very experienced. He's he's started
(01:39:54):
less games than Baker Mayfield. Are you are you? Kyle
Shanahan's like at Pachet, like no, this is all this
is all their talking points, Like I get it, I know,
I get it, Okay, And he got hurt and he
got to learn the system. Yeah, I mean, look, the
system is very very effective. Matt Ryan win the MVP
with it. Sure, So it's the same type of deal.
So it's hard to tell as the player is the
(01:40:16):
system is the combination of the two. Um. I guess
we'll just we'll find out. Like he does, he does
have the luxury of having George Kittle. They do run
the football really well. I think he fits the system
exceptionally well because he's very athletic. The big thing is
the one bonehead pass that he makes like per game,
maybe per half. That's the one that he's got to
(01:40:37):
cut out. He's not Mahomes And I'm with you with
the Shanahan of like all time great again probably, I mean,
he really is ceiling. He can't even be a top
top two quarterback for his franchise all time, but he
doesn't have to be for them to win the Super Bowl. Right,
I mean one pass and they win the Super Bowl? Correct? Okay,
speaking of or of overhyped quarterbacks, Patriots quarterback Jared Stidham
(01:41:00):
has wasted no time trying to get in better rhythm
with his receivers. He's been working with a group of
six teammates at a private field in Massachusetts and reportedly
has been the catalyst for organizing these activities. He's the
one who sends a group text. Right. According to a
lot of quarterback gurus, Jordan Palmer loves him. Chris Simms
loves him. He is a very talented quarterback that's going
to shock people. In reality, he's a fourth round pick
(01:41:22):
that some people think won't beat out Brian Hoyer for
the starting job. Where do you fall on Sidham? I'm
normally on the show. Colin is kind of like, I
don't really get it. I don't see how he's going
to revolutionize things. But I love Jordan Palmer and he
loves this guy. I listen. I love Jordan as well. Okay,
(01:41:42):
I love Jordan. We cannot take the word of quarterback
gurus and guys that they work with that just doesn't
you know. That's like when we get these political debates.
You know, you go to the guy, he's like, oh,
guy killed it, like your guy was awful? You know so,
And I don't I'm not trying to impugne all of
his credibility. Jared Sidon was highly recruited, yes, you know,
(01:42:04):
five star kid Baylor Auburn and and because Auburn's kind
of a quirky offense, so it's hard to tell. And
I think and I've talked to Trendifer, also an elite
leven guy where you know Jared Sidon was, and he
loves He's like Stidden's really good. I don't know. I
guess we'll just see. I do think that Belichick has
(01:42:26):
some sort of faith in him because they didn't freak
out and go after any other quarterback, which they could have. Yeah,
and I know they have salary camplementations, but they've found
a way to move money around. I think you'll get
a shot. I think don't remember any of these guys
when they took him in the fourth round just over
a year ago, being like, Wow, what a steal. I
just remember them being like, okay, backup quarterback, And now
that he might be the starter, it's like he's really talented. Yeah,
(01:42:48):
but you go back a couple years ago and they
got her set in the third round, right, and then
they got Garoppolo as well. I mean, so they've they've
done pretty well in their Their quarterback evals terrible at
wide receiver value, is good at quarterback evaluation. So where
am I? I think he's the guy. I don't think
Lawyer's the guy. I think Lawyer is exactly what you
think is. Certainly Hoyer's not the guy. I mean well,
(01:43:10):
I mean, I mean for this year. If Howyer's the guy,
then what is Stidham? Because Horyer was kind of available
for anybody. Yes, he's the consummate perfect backup who can
play in a pinch and is like a second coach,
and he's going to try and you know, and I'm
sure they'll actually ask Howyer like, do you think he's
got it? You know, I think he's got Then they'll
see that's where they're in a gap year. They're in
(01:43:31):
a gap year. They're so stuck with the cap thing.
Bunch of stuff comes out the cap at the end
of this year. If I think believe they're top five
and dead cat money, which is basically a guarantee that
you're not going to win in the NFL. Very difficult.
And finally, the NBA announced that twenty nine of the
thirty teams voted yes on the twenty two team playoff
proposal that will have the NBA season resume in Orlando
on July thirty first. For one team that did not
(01:43:54):
vote yes, the Portland Trail Blazers. According to Chris Haynes
of Fox Sports, we blazered they weren't a against it,
but they favored twenty teams instead of twenty two would
probably make their path into the playoffs potentially a little easier.
That would have eliminated the Kings and the Spurs, which
I don't know that I would. I'm going to be
racing to watch Kings or Spurs games when they come back.
(01:44:15):
Rhodes is reporting that ownership voted not based on what
their players were telling them. CJ. McCollum was very complimentary
of that on Twitter, saying that they listen to their players.
I think most teams listen to their star players. That's
kind of how the NBA works. This comes after Damian
Lillard recently said he did not want to play if
he didn't have a true opportunity to make the playoffs.
(01:44:36):
The Blazers just kind of trying to be the one
to speak up. Do you have an issue with them?
I don't have an issue with it. I think it's
definitely something that they they're trying to get to the
playoffs and they weren't healthy all years. Zach Collins, I
think we'll be back and ready to go, so it
should change them, and they're going to try and manipulate
things the best they can. You know. It's like I
(01:44:59):
think people would think, well, if you bring in the
Kings in the and the Spurs, that means that means
you have more wins. Yeah, that also means the other teams,
the Grizzlies, who they're competing with and trying to get
that eight playoff spot, they could get some more wins.
So there's there's some logic and thought process. Those are
two really smart guys in the in the backcourt of
the Blazers especially, you know, and and CJ put a
(01:45:20):
ton of thought into it. It backfired. I don't mind
a one protest vote. Um, sometimes you know it's gonna pass, right,
So why not just just to kind of make a point,
just to make thoughts out there. Yeah, just to make
a wink and that's jungle a with the news. Well
that's the news, and thanks for stopping by. The third
line new imagine picking up your smartphone, open and app
(01:45:42):
of control in your grill remotely from anywhere. Do what
I did. Get the best, Get a wreck tech grill
that's rerectech grills dot com or ec Tec grills with
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might be my favorite best for last I've ever done.
(01:46:04):
Share with you next in the Herd. Be sure to
catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and noon Easter
not a Empacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and
the iHeart Radio app Dog got Leeban for Colin. This
is the Herd. I hope you're have a great day
and get ready for a great weekend. Remember to use
this time to band together, not break apart. And that's
(01:46:26):
exactly what we're gonna do with the best for Last.
See here's the thing. Okay, we live in a polarized country,
you know, I mean we're divided on so many topics
that for the Best for Last, I thought I would
celebrate the fact that. Did you know today is National
Donuts Day? And of course I'm sitting on the Fox lot.
You think of Fox and donuts, you think of Homer J. Simpson.
(01:46:50):
Don't you I sow my soul for a donut? Right?
What is it? Was the famous line that Homer Homer
had about donuts? Nine donuts? Is there anything they can't do? Right?
Save Springfield from the Monterareil? Do you guys remember the
monorail course monorail Monterreil MONTERI So look, here's the thing
about donuts. I'm not saying you love donuts, but I
(01:47:13):
I don't think there's a human being alive that doesn't
at least like them. There's not a human being alive
that's like, no, I hate donuts. Right. Spiders some people
like somebody like it's a spider. Some people call the
family and let's kill the spider. There's you know, there
(01:47:33):
are people that don't like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
There are people that don't like hamburgers and cheese. But
I don't know what's the matter with them. But there
are people people that don't like pizza, and there's people
that are like sushi. You pick it you can find somebody,
but no one says like donuts gross. You may not
have one because if you have too many could be unbecoming.
You may not love all of that sugar in the morning.
(01:47:55):
Although suggestion donuts for dessert also not bad, right, And
if you have leftover donut they get crusty, you can
heat them in the microwave. All of these suggestions care
of Uncle Duck. And while you're at it, why don't
you take my top ten donuts list with number ten?
All right, number ten donuts. Let's start with the plane donuts. Yes,
(01:48:18):
this is a little bit of a tip of the
cap to just plain yogurt from spaceballs. If you ever
get like an assortment of donuts, there's always the plane
donuts to be like, who's gonna eat those? Somebody does,
and we'll leave them hanging around in our list. They're
not bad to sop up other stuff with, right, Like
you can use them with your eggs if you're trying
(01:48:39):
to stay away from the sugar, you dip them in
your coffee or in your hot chocolate. They are actually useful.
They have survived this long. They should survive. They should
make it to our top ten list. Number nine, powdered sugar,
carefully eating them on the highway to get pulled over
by a cop. They may think it's not powdered sugar.
(01:49:01):
Of course they come. I used to get these at school. Right,
you get the little mini powdered sugar ones and find
they're tasty. They're yummy. They work well with the with
the bread. Powdered sugar at nine. Number eight. Now these
usually come as glazed, but for whatever reason, we think
of them as their own thing. Donut holes not only
(01:49:23):
does no one dislike donuts, nobody nobody. Nobody dislikes a
donut hole because it's like a regular donut, only a
quarter of the size. Right, It's like the calories don't count.
I didn't have any donuts. I just had fifteen donut holes.
I'm good. Number seven sprinkles sprinkles, Right, they kind of
(01:49:48):
make you feel like a kid again again. You know,
you call them bumpies or I don't. They call him
Jimmies Jimmy's in New England. I've earned bumpies of her
Jimmies sprinkles, especially with the pink frosting on top. I mean,
now we're geting it kind of like a cookie. I
don't know what that frosting tastes like, kind of a
fake strawberry taste. They're fine. They make the middle of
(01:50:09):
the list. Number six Devil's Food. It's just chocolate. The
more chocolate and then chocolate, right, and I don't I mean,
I'm a dark chocolate guy. Some people are milk chocolate guys.
But a chocolate donut that's good eating. Number five Boston Cream.
Now we get a little bit more clever, right. You
(01:50:30):
have the chocolate on top, you have a little bit
of the breading, maybe a little bit of the glazed.
Then you bite in and there's like, whoa, what is
that cream on its own? Not so much. I mean, look,
the jelly doughnut, jelly filled donut did not make the list.
Why because jelly has no use in this world unless
it's combined with peanut butter or occasionally just toast. Okay,
but inside of a donut doesn't work for me. Boston Cream.
(01:50:52):
It's the chocolate and the cream and the bread combine. Yum.
Number four the chrome nut, Like, what's the krona? That's
the cross croissant donut, lighter, flakier. Oh, yes, you're like
a California, Corona. Sure, fine, okay, how except that the
number three, the maple bacon donut. Now, listen, I didn't
(01:51:16):
go the high end variety. There are some great high
end variety donuts for the most part. But whoever, whoever
you are out there, who came up with the idea,
let's put bacon on it, I salute you. Let's put
maple and bacon on it. You sir, deserve some sort
of statue. Maple bacon is good eating. Number two glazed donut.
(01:51:38):
Like when somebody says, do you want a donut? This
is what you expect. All the other stuff you have
to kind of name if you just say yeah, like
I'm sure I have a donut. This is what and
it's solid. And whether you get the Crispy Kream's kind
or you get the kind of more ornate you know,
made to order Sidecar Donuts is the spot down the street,
or you get a Dunkin Donuts one, whatever you do,
(01:52:00):
you can't go wrong with a glazed donut, can you.
Number one? Now, this is my list, so it's my
personal favorite. I like, I like the sugar donut, the
granular sugar donut. I don't know if it's a texture thing,
or if it's it makes the breading lighter um or
the fact that I get to get it everywhere and
(01:52:21):
it feels like sand all up in my face. I'm
not sure what it is, but the sugar donut is
my number one donor nuts Happy National Donuts Day. Sugar
one glaze to maple, bacon, three, chrownut, four, Boston Cream five,
Devil's Food, six sprinkles, seven donut holes, eight powdered sugar
(01:52:41):
nine and we keep the plane donut in there because
they're always in there. Who are who are the added
respects respect day? Right? It's a it's a what kind
of selection? It's a it's a legacy. It's a legacy selection, right?
Who Who are the plane donut? I don't know. They
just threw it in They just threw it in there.
(01:53:02):
Why is it bakers dozen thirteen? Does think? Can anybody
answer that one? For me? I don't really know, don't know,
and I do believe that no one dislikes a donut.
All right. We have not solved all of the world's
problems today, but sports for the most part today. If
you missed any of it, you can download the Herd
podcast quick side note. I have a podcast called all Ball.
(01:53:24):
It's usually all basketball. At the time, I sat down
with t J. Hushminzada, who you can hear on this
show and other shows. You will not believe his personal
story of how he grew up, where he grew up
and didn't graduate from high school, goes to Torito's junior college,
goes to Oregon State, becomes a pro bowler and leads
the league and catches when your unbelievable stories called all
(01:53:45):
Ball on the Herd Podcast Network. Herd Podcast Network. Love
that the NBA is back, just don't like the plan.
And here's all you need to think about. I never
did a spring break trip, but do a cross country
drive with your best friend, with your wife, with your family.
Good way to get divorced, right. Imagine being sequestered in
(01:54:09):
a basketball bubble for three months with only your basketball
teammates and probably your significant other. I'm not sure I
see that as optimum preparation for an NBA championship, but
at least sports is back. I'm Doug Gottlieb Collins back Monday.
This is the hurd