December 31, 2024 • 19 mins
Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
I got a lot of stuff that I want to
get into today, and one of those things was my buddy,
my colleague at ESPN, my brother, Ryan Clark, an outstanding
NFL analyst for the Family, an outstanding hosts for the
podcast The Pivot, not to mention doing his Inside the
NFL show with Bill Belichick, Chad O, Joe Sinco and
(00:24):
those guys. He's a Super Bowl champion as a safety
for the Pittsburgh Steelers. We know what his background entails,
but he made a lot of noise this weekend, And
to be quite honest with you, I was upset about something,
and I want to explain what I'm upset.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
About after I play you this clip.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
This is Ryan Clark talking about Lamar Jackson and how
essentially his success is going to be the finishing touch
for the whole narrative about black quarterbacks and the question
marks and the skepticism that have been associated with black
quarterbacks throughout NFL history, not recent history, but certainly in
(01:06):
the past. Ryan Clark was speaking on first take, sitting
in my chair because I was on vacation on Friday,
across from l Duncan, across from Monica McNutt, who was
hosting in place of Molly carm and, of course across
from the one and only Cam Newton forming the Heisman Trophy,
winning number one overall pick for an NFL quarterback. Nevertheless,
Ryan Clark said some things that rubbed people the wrong
(01:27):
way before I commented on it.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
I want you to hear what he had to say.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Listen up, and I want to say it to you,
and I want to say it to Randall Cunningham, and
I want to say it to Russell Wilson, and I
want to say it to Michael Vick.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
This is the evolution of the position.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Without Randall Cunningham having to try to conform and be
a pocket passer and also show his athleticism.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
We don't get to Michael Vick.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
And without Michael Vick accepting that in working to become
a better passor working to become a better leader, we
don't get it Cam Newton yep. And if Cam Newton
doesn't bring the style of play that he had the
opportunity to bring from Auburn to the NFL and win
an MVP doing it, we don't have a Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
See, we've needed at that position because.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Of all the negativity surrounding whether or not people like
you can play it. We needed each of you to
get to this point, yes, and that's why we need
Lamar Jackson to take that next step and hold that
Lombardi Trophy the same way we all cried when Doug
Williams did it in the A.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Yes, now you heard Ryan Clark right there.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Personally speaking, I'd like to say that I'm disappointed, but
that's not the word. I'm pissed off. But I'm not
pissed off at Ryan. I'm not pissed off.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
At all of you guys.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Nor am I pissed off a Ryan Clark for what
he said. You know what, I have a problem with
that he deleted the post because when centicism and criticism
came in this direction, Ryan Clark somebody who runs for
no one, and I'm certainly not accusing him of running.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Now I'm mad he deleted the post. Now, I know
what a lot of people were saying.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
First of all, Ryan Clark didn't know what he was
talking about, because guess what. Patrick Mahomes is a three
time Super Bowl champion. He's the reigning two times Super
Bowl champion, having won back to back titles for the
Kansas City Chiefs here, he's a black quarterback and you're
bringing that up. That's really slick on your part, ladies
and gentlemen. Ryan Clark, was it wrong? Ryan Clark was right.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Now.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
He may have come across wrong because he gave you
an opening to bring up Patrick Mahomes to derail or
to squash his point. But that's not the point that
I interpreted him saying. What he's talking about. What he
was talking about is not the black quarterback, but the
(03:52):
black quarterbacks who have been questioned as to whether or
not they.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Should play quarterback.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Nobody was questioning whether Deshaun Watson was a quarter Nobody
was questioning whether Patrick Mahomes was a quarterback. They were
questioning whether Lamar Jackson was a quarterback. They were wondering
whether he should consider a different position going into the NFL.
And it was Lamar Jackson that had to tell them, Nah,
I ain't down with that. I'm a quarterback and I'm
gonna be a quarterback in the NFL, and I'm gonna
(04:18):
reak havoc and I'm gonna wreck shop and I'm.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Gonna show you what I bring to the table.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
That's what Lamar Jackson said, but they were trying to
convince him not to play quarterback. And that specter of
skepticism and criticism that came associated with Lamar Jackson before
he was drafted number thirty two overall in the first
round at the end of the first round by the
Baltimore Ravens is something that has happened.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Only two black quarterbacks. Where's the white dude?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
And if I'm wrong, I stand corrected, But I don't
recall a white.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Dude coming into the NFL.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Played the quarterback position in college and they were being
dissuaded from entering as a quarterback because people were accusing
them of not being able.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
To play the position.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Don't get us started with why they were saying that,
because usually when you have questions about a quarterback, it's
about their ability to throw, or it is their ability
to be a.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Dual threat at the running back position.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
With black folks back in the day, albeit back in
the day, there was a question about intellect and the
ability to comprehend and deciphering NFL defense and read through
your progressions and make the right call and make the
right throw audible at the line of scrimmage. Understanding and
(05:54):
comprehending and dissecting the.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Playbook, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
These are the things that were thrown into questions about
black quarterbacks. And so any time there's a black quarterback
that was being questioned as to whether or not they
should play the position, that was the first thing that
came to people's mind, because that's the level of skepticism that.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Historically has been associated with the black quarterback.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Until recently, nobody's accusing it of being that way now
because times are changed and things have drastically improved.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
You could go back to Randall Cunningham. You could go
to the Warring Moons of the world.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
You can go to the Dante Colepeppers or the Steve
McNair's of the world.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
You can go to the Michael Vicks of the world.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
You could come to the modern day era. Because there
was a time in the NFL in recent memory where
you had guys like a Russell Wilson toward Deshaun Watson,
to a Patrick Mahomes, who were the highest paid dudes
in the league. So not only were they playing the
quarterback position, but they were getting paid handsomely to do it.
(06:56):
That is not what Ryan Clark was talking about in
terms of what I saw him say on First Take
my day job every weekday more than on ESPN from
ten am to twelve noon this past Friday when he
was feeling it for me who was on vacation. That
man talking about Lamar Jackson was simply saying he's a
(07:18):
dual threat. His athletic ability is undeniable, whose running ability
is undeniable. His passing game has improved. He's done everything right,
and now what anybody and everybody is waiting for is.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
For him to deliver the goods.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Because Josh Allen to a lesson degree, Joe Burrow to
a lesser degree, but Patrick Mahomes to the umph degree,
is standing in his way. And just his conference alone,
we ain't even get it to the Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia,
the Jared Goffston detroits, or that Jordan loves in Green Bay,
or even a Sam Donald in Minnesota, Brock Purty last year,
(07:55):
Dak Prescott just because he's a cowboy, even though they
asked as a whole unofficially, of course, I mean officially
they're going home, but we know they won't be in
the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Everywhere you turned.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
There were guys, and so you're looking at Lamar Jackson
and you're saying you're two time League MVP.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Bro.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Nine dudes have won two league MVPs in NFL history,
every single one of them have been Super Bowl champions.
But you.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So you got to answer that call.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
I've agloviated about that on numerousications, But in the event
that he does answer the call, Ryan Clark is right.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
That should be it.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
In terms of seeing a dual threat at the quarterback
position with extreme athleticism being questioned as whether or not
they could play the quarterback position, what's the problem? I
see no problem. So I'm pretty ticked off that Ryan
Clark the lead of his tweet, according to.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
The reports, because would you take it down for you
were right?
Speaker 1 (09:05):
His point may not have been articulated as perfectly as
he would have liked, and he might have left the
hole here there for somebody to at least question it,
but its overall point I firmly understand, and he was right.
If Lamar Jackson wins the Super Bowl, that's gonna go
a long way towards us ever questioning, ever, questioning again
(09:31):
whether a KAC can do it at that position.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Being a dual threat, a quarterback who can run.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
We're marveling to Jaden Daniels for the Washington Commanders because
of what he's doing. Ryan Clark is right. We want
to rave about Sam Donald, and we should. But I
will remind y'all that Sam Donald, who has led the
Minnesota Vikings to a fourteen and two record this year,
who's had thirteen games with a QBR over one hundred
(10:01):
this year, who has been absolutely sensational for the most
part for the Minnesota Vikings.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
That's Sam Donald.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
I gotta give credit where credit is due, that brother
right there. Fourteen wins, thirteen games with a pass away
a QBR of over one hundred. His fourteen wins are
the most by quarterback with a new team over the
last forty years.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Peyton Manning won thirteen and twenty twelve.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Steve McNeal won thirteen in two thousand and six with
the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
By the way, Sam Donald's been.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
The most productive deep ball thrower in the National Football.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
League this year. Twenty or more air yards, that's what
they said.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
And he's playing under the contract's playing him ten million
dollars for one year.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
That same damn Donald.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Before you go out there throwing a parade for the
brother like I've seen them at so the Vikers were
willing to do in the postgame locker room following Sunday's
victory over the Green Bay Packers, acting like they just
want a championship. I won't remind y'all as much as
Sam Donald deserves praise for the great, great year that
he's had, it was six years that preceded it when
(11:18):
he didn't. So I was sitting there talking about him
and praising him and what have you. Isn't it ironic
that were praising the dude who's produced, really for the
first time in his career that spans more than six years,
but a two time league MVP.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
We're constantly saying that ain't enough. You gotta do it.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
I'm just asking, isn't it ironic? I just wanted to
throw that out there. A couple other things that I
wanted to get on out of here. I wanted to
get to before I got out of here today. I
brought up Sam Donald because I thought it was fear
and it was necessary. Want to give love to Rock Bowers,
that tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders, balling the
(12:03):
way that he bawled because this brother ended up having
the most catches in the season by a rookie at
any position that was formerly held by Pooka the cour
for the Los Angeles Rams, by the way, And not
only did he do that, but brock Bauers had achieved
the most receiving yards in the season by a rookie
tight end, and that record was formerly held by Mike Ditka.
So I'm thinking about that. This guy was drafted the
(12:25):
thirteenth out of Georgia and balling for the Las Vegas
Raiders is the only bright spot that the Raiders have
had to rave about, So props to him. Props to
Baker Mayfield for his five touchdowns on Sunday afternoon, albeit
against the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still
in the race for the air for the NFC South
Division crown. Okay, but Sakwon Barkley. Have you seen this brother?
(12:54):
I mean, this brother has been so sensational. I got
to sing one of those songs, have you seen hell Me?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Have you seen them seen them? Wooh? That's an oldie
that's usually have you seen her?
Speaker 1 (13:06):
But I'm saying him for the purposes of Sakwon Barkley,
who rushed for about one hundred and sixty seven yards,
who finished right now he has over two thousand yards rushing,
had one hundred and seventy six yards and seventeen carries
and a touchdown against the Giants back in October. Had
a season high ten point four yards per carry in
that game. Why am I bringing that up because he's
(13:28):
less than one hundred and fifty yards from breaking Eric
Dickerson's all time single season rushing record next week, and
that's against the New York Giants, his old team.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
You know, the team that went on.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Hard Knocks talking shit about him, acting like they could
afford to lose him, acting like it wasn't a big
deal to let him go, to tell him to go
ahead and test the open market, and did it with
the cameras rolling on hard Knocks. Remember that team, that team,
his former team is who say Kwon Barkley is going
up against next week? Is it it poetic justice that this?
(14:00):
I mean, the Giants gonna play and they gonna do
everything they can to stop them. And if you're the
Philadelphia Eagles, you gotta be careful because you want them
to break the all times single season rushing rush rushing records.
But in the same breath, your Philadelphia Eagles, you got
a chance to win the Super Bowl. The Lions got
seventeen people on injury to reserve. The Vikings are still
being quarterback by Sam Donald. If you're the Philadelphia Eagles,
you gotta believe you could take them. You got the
green Bay Packers. They came on late, but they were
(14:21):
getting blown out before they came on late against the
Minnesota Vikings. Okay, they don't miss Vikers, don't miss those
two field goals. Green Bay wouldn't have been in a
position to come back and beat them. Then you've got
that in the NFC, and it's only one of those teams,
whether it's Kansas City, Buffalo, Baltimore, or whomever, it's only
one of those teams that could come out of the AFC.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
So you're the Philadelphia Eagles.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
You got a chance, and you got a decision to
make because you want sa Kwon Barkley to go for
that all times single season rushing record, especially against the
New York Giants.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
But the flip side is you don't want.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
To put yourself in a position where he could ultimately
get hurt because without him, Philadelphia ain't winning no damn
Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
So we gotta get that out the way right now.
One game left, say Kwon Barkley.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
He's just one hundred and one yards away from Eric
Dickerson's all time Russian record one hundred and one yards.
You gotta put him out there to go for it.
But in the same breath, you gotta be careful not
to jeopardize his health.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
You got to because it ain't worth it. It just ain't.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
So let's be very very clear about that and leave
it at that. My last point is in bringing up
sain kuon Barkley, is to go to the New York Giants,
Ladies and gentlemen, The New York Giants.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Are awful, just awful. GM's gonna deserve to lose his job.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Don't think about firing Brian Gable Dable without getting rid
of the GM shine.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Don't even think about it.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
That's a man I got to lose his job, and
the head coach loses the job because Brian David was
the Coach of the Year a couple of years ago.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
He ain't forget out of coach. He just don't have
that talent to coach.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Okay, you got rid of Saintkwon Barker because you're invested forty.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Million a year. Daniel Jones was now gone. Don't tell
me you got to keep your GM Hell with that.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
I know, Christmas is here, it's still a holiday season,
Christmas is passed, and.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Now it's the new year.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
But damn it, the truth is the truth and nothing
but the truth.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
To help me, God, he got to go.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
That ain't the man to keep and light it up
in aptitude that we've seen from the New York Giants
this season, they are awful, just awful. So with that
being said, let me also understand something is another word
that I wanted to give to the New York Giants.
And I didn't want to say this, Okay, I really
(16:42):
really didn't. And I got one of my producers Galing
here because he's a Giants fan, so you know, he's miserable.
He has all of these numbers because he's miserable as
shit because they suck and he kind of knew it,
but he didn't think they'd be this bad. But they
are this bad. And just reading from the notes that
he just sent to me, the Giants sent it Sunday
with a fifty seven percent chance of finishing with the
number one overall pick in the draft. According to ESPN analytics,
(17:02):
it would a balloon to eighty six percent with the loss. Instead,
it dipped to five percent. The Patriots, meanwhile, are now
the heavy favorites at over seventy eight percent to land
the top pick in the upcoming NFL draft this spring.
Why is that important because you got four quarterbacks that
are going to be in the draft. According to mel
kiper Jr. My colleague at ESPN, the absolute guru when
(17:23):
it comes to this kind of stuff, should Door Sanders
out of Colorado number one, can Ward out of Miami
number two, Jalen Milroe out of Alabama at number three,
Carson Beck for University of Georgia number four. I want
to hear that the damn thing about Carsson back. I saw
the brother throw eighty interceptions in three games.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
I don't want to hear about costing back on the slitt.
I don't want to hear it. And then he was injured,
so I had to have surgery and Georgia got to
play a freshman because Connor Beck ain't available.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
That brother, listen, if he's the fourth quarterback in the draft.
It's because it's just those three and a damn person else.
Because he didn't look great this year. I'm not saying
he can't look great, but he was a mistake waiting
to happen.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
He just was so got your door.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Sanders, Camwarden, Jaylen Milroe and the Giants are projected to
get the fourth pick. What surprised me at or if
they missed out on that? How the hell are you
winning football games and you know you need a quarterback
and you ain't going no damn place. So when they
needed you to win and to show that you were respectable,
you were getting your ass kicked on a weekly basis.
And now that your season is over, now is the
(18:32):
time when you want to go out there and win.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
What the hell is wrong with you?
Speaker 1 (18:35):
That's stupidity, absolute positive stupidity. But that's the New York Giants.
Not only are they inept and bereft of talent necessary
to win football games on an NFL level, most weeks,
(18:56):
they're all so stupid. They when they should be winning,
and they win when they should be losing. The Giants
should have been throwing games just to ensure that they
were gonna get themselves a quarterback for the upcoming season.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
They didn't do.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
That, which means, in all likelihood what we're seeing from
the Giants ain't gonna change anytime soon, because you can't
win without a quarterback in the National Football League. As
the saying so goes, it is what.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
It is. Hard to say anything else. It really really
isn't
I got a lot of stuff that I want to
get into today, and one of those things was my buddy,
my colleague at ESPN, my brother, Ryan Clark, an outstanding
NFL analyst for the Family, an outstanding hosts for the
podcast The Pivot, not to mention doing his Inside the
NFL show with Bill Belichick, Chad O, Joe Sinco and
(00:24):
those guys. He's a Super Bowl champion as a safety
for the Pittsburgh Steelers. We know what his background entails,
but he made a lot of noise this weekend, And
to be quite honest with you, I was upset about something,
and I want to explain what I'm upset.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
About after I play you this clip.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
This is Ryan Clark talking about Lamar Jackson and how
essentially his success is going to be the finishing touch
for the whole narrative about black quarterbacks and the question
marks and the skepticism that have been associated with black
quarterbacks throughout NFL history, not recent history, but certainly in
(01:06):
the past. Ryan Clark was speaking on first take, sitting
in my chair because I was on vacation on Friday,
across from l Duncan, across from Monica McNutt, who was
hosting in place of Molly carm and, of course across
from the one and only Cam Newton forming the Heisman Trophy,
winning number one overall pick for an NFL quarterback. Nevertheless,
Ryan Clark said some things that rubbed people the wrong
(01:27):
way before I commented on it.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
I want you to hear what he had to say.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Listen up, and I want to say it to you,
and I want to say it to Randall Cunningham, and
I want to say it to Russell Wilson, and I
want to say it to Michael Vick.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
This is the evolution of the position.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Without Randall Cunningham having to try to conform and be
a pocket passer and also show his athleticism.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
We don't get to Michael Vick.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
And without Michael Vick accepting that in working to become
a better passor working to become a better leader, we
don't get it Cam Newton yep. And if Cam Newton
doesn't bring the style of play that he had the
opportunity to bring from Auburn to the NFL and win
an MVP doing it, we don't have a Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
See, we've needed at that position because.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Of all the negativity surrounding whether or not people like
you can play it. We needed each of you to
get to this point, yes, and that's why we need
Lamar Jackson to take that next step and hold that
Lombardi Trophy the same way we all cried when Doug
Williams did it in the A.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Yes, now you heard Ryan Clark right there.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Personally speaking, I'd like to say that I'm disappointed, but
that's not the word. I'm pissed off. But I'm not
pissed off at Ryan. I'm not pissed off.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
At all of you guys.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Nor am I pissed off a Ryan Clark for what
he said. You know what, I have a problem with
that he deleted the post because when centicism and criticism
came in this direction, Ryan Clark somebody who runs for
no one, and I'm certainly not accusing him of running.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Now I'm mad he deleted the post. Now, I know
what a lot of people were saying.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
First of all, Ryan Clark didn't know what he was
talking about, because guess what. Patrick Mahomes is a three
time Super Bowl champion. He's the reigning two times Super
Bowl champion, having won back to back titles for the
Kansas City Chiefs here, he's a black quarterback and you're
bringing that up. That's really slick on your part, ladies
and gentlemen. Ryan Clark, was it wrong? Ryan Clark was right.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Now.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
He may have come across wrong because he gave you
an opening to bring up Patrick Mahomes to derail or
to squash his point. But that's not the point that
I interpreted him saying. What he's talking about. What he
was talking about is not the black quarterback, but the
(03:52):
black quarterbacks who have been questioned as to whether or
not they.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Should play quarterback.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Nobody was questioning whether Deshaun Watson was a quarter Nobody
was questioning whether Patrick Mahomes was a quarterback. They were
questioning whether Lamar Jackson was a quarterback. They were wondering
whether he should consider a different position going into the NFL.
And it was Lamar Jackson that had to tell them, Nah,
I ain't down with that. I'm a quarterback and I'm
gonna be a quarterback in the NFL, and I'm gonna
(04:18):
reak havoc and I'm gonna wreck shop and I'm.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Gonna show you what I bring to the table.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
That's what Lamar Jackson said, but they were trying to
convince him not to play quarterback. And that specter of
skepticism and criticism that came associated with Lamar Jackson before
he was drafted number thirty two overall in the first
round at the end of the first round by the
Baltimore Ravens is something that has happened.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Only two black quarterbacks. Where's the white dude?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
And if I'm wrong, I stand corrected, But I don't
recall a white.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Dude coming into the NFL.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Played the quarterback position in college and they were being
dissuaded from entering as a quarterback because people were accusing
them of not being able.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
To play the position.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Don't get us started with why they were saying that,
because usually when you have questions about a quarterback, it's
about their ability to throw, or it is their ability
to be a.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Dual threat at the running back position.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
With black folks back in the day, albeit back in
the day, there was a question about intellect and the
ability to comprehend and deciphering NFL defense and read through
your progressions and make the right call and make the
right throw audible at the line of scrimmage. Understanding and
(05:54):
comprehending and dissecting the.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Playbook, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
These are the things that were thrown into questions about
black quarterbacks. And so any time there's a black quarterback
that was being questioned as to whether or not they
should play the position, that was the first thing that
came to people's mind, because that's the level of skepticism that.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Historically has been associated with the black quarterback.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Until recently, nobody's accusing it of being that way now
because times are changed and things have drastically improved.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
You could go back to Randall Cunningham. You could go
to the Warring Moons of the world.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
You can go to the Dante Colepeppers or the Steve
McNair's of the world.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
You can go to the Michael Vicks of the world.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
You could come to the modern day era. Because there
was a time in the NFL in recent memory where
you had guys like a Russell Wilson toward Deshaun Watson,
to a Patrick Mahomes, who were the highest paid dudes
in the league. So not only were they playing the
quarterback position, but they were getting paid handsomely to do it.
(06:56):
That is not what Ryan Clark was talking about in
terms of what I saw him say on First Take
my day job every weekday more than on ESPN from
ten am to twelve noon this past Friday when he
was feeling it for me who was on vacation. That
man talking about Lamar Jackson was simply saying he's a
(07:18):
dual threat. His athletic ability is undeniable, whose running ability
is undeniable. His passing game has improved. He's done everything right,
and now what anybody and everybody is waiting for is.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
For him to deliver the goods.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Because Josh Allen to a lesson degree, Joe Burrow to
a lesser degree, but Patrick Mahomes to the umph degree,
is standing in his way. And just his conference alone,
we ain't even get it to the Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia,
the Jared Goffston detroits, or that Jordan loves in Green Bay,
or even a Sam Donald in Minnesota, Brock Purty last year,
(07:55):
Dak Prescott just because he's a cowboy, even though they
asked as a whole unofficially, of course, I mean officially
they're going home, but we know they won't be in
the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Everywhere you turned.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
There were guys, and so you're looking at Lamar Jackson
and you're saying you're two time League MVP.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Bro.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Nine dudes have won two league MVPs in NFL history,
every single one of them have been Super Bowl champions.
But you.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So you got to answer that call.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
I've agloviated about that on numerousications, But in the event
that he does answer the call, Ryan Clark is right.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
That should be it.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
In terms of seeing a dual threat at the quarterback
position with extreme athleticism being questioned as whether or not
they could play the quarterback position, what's the problem? I
see no problem. So I'm pretty ticked off that Ryan
Clark the lead of his tweet, according to.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
The reports, because would you take it down for you
were right?
Speaker 1 (09:05):
His point may not have been articulated as perfectly as
he would have liked, and he might have left the
hole here there for somebody to at least question it,
but its overall point I firmly understand, and he was right.
If Lamar Jackson wins the Super Bowl, that's gonna go
a long way towards us ever questioning, ever, questioning again
(09:31):
whether a KAC can do it at that position.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Being a dual threat, a quarterback who can run.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
We're marveling to Jaden Daniels for the Washington Commanders because
of what he's doing. Ryan Clark is right. We want
to rave about Sam Donald, and we should. But I
will remind y'all that Sam Donald, who has led the
Minnesota Vikings to a fourteen and two record this year,
who's had thirteen games with a QBR over one hundred
(10:01):
this year, who has been absolutely sensational for the most
part for the Minnesota Vikings.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
That's Sam Donald.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
I gotta give credit where credit is due, that brother
right there. Fourteen wins, thirteen games with a pass away
a QBR of over one hundred. His fourteen wins are
the most by quarterback with a new team over the
last forty years.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Peyton Manning won thirteen and twenty twelve.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Steve McNeal won thirteen in two thousand and six with
the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
By the way, Sam Donald's been.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
The most productive deep ball thrower in the National Football.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
League this year. Twenty or more air yards, that's what
they said.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
And he's playing under the contract's playing him ten million
dollars for one year.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
That same damn Donald.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Before you go out there throwing a parade for the
brother like I've seen them at so the Vikers were
willing to do in the postgame locker room following Sunday's
victory over the Green Bay Packers, acting like they just
want a championship. I won't remind y'all as much as
Sam Donald deserves praise for the great, great year that
he's had, it was six years that preceded it when
(11:18):
he didn't. So I was sitting there talking about him
and praising him and what have you. Isn't it ironic
that were praising the dude who's produced, really for the
first time in his career that spans more than six years,
but a two time league MVP.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
We're constantly saying that ain't enough. You gotta do it.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
I'm just asking, isn't it ironic? I just wanted to
throw that out there. A couple other things that I
wanted to get on out of here. I wanted to
get to before I got out of here today. I
brought up Sam Donald because I thought it was fear
and it was necessary. Want to give love to Rock Bowers,
that tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders, balling the
(12:03):
way that he bawled because this brother ended up having
the most catches in the season by a rookie at
any position that was formerly held by Pooka the cour
for the Los Angeles Rams, by the way, And not
only did he do that, but brock Bauers had achieved
the most receiving yards in the season by a rookie
tight end, and that record was formerly held by Mike Ditka.
So I'm thinking about that. This guy was drafted the
(12:25):
thirteenth out of Georgia and balling for the Las Vegas
Raiders is the only bright spot that the Raiders have
had to rave about, So props to him. Props to
Baker Mayfield for his five touchdowns on Sunday afternoon, albeit
against the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still
in the race for the air for the NFC South
Division crown. Okay, but Sakwon Barkley. Have you seen this brother?
(12:54):
I mean, this brother has been so sensational. I got
to sing one of those songs, have you seen hell Me?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Have you seen them seen them? Wooh? That's an oldie
that's usually have you seen her?
Speaker 1 (13:06):
But I'm saying him for the purposes of Sakwon Barkley,
who rushed for about one hundred and sixty seven yards,
who finished right now he has over two thousand yards rushing,
had one hundred and seventy six yards and seventeen carries
and a touchdown against the Giants back in October. Had
a season high ten point four yards per carry in
that game. Why am I bringing that up because he's
(13:28):
less than one hundred and fifty yards from breaking Eric
Dickerson's all time single season rushing record next week, and
that's against the New York Giants, his old team.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
You know, the team that went on.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Hard Knocks talking shit about him, acting like they could
afford to lose him, acting like it wasn't a big
deal to let him go, to tell him to go
ahead and test the open market, and did it with
the cameras rolling on hard Knocks. Remember that team, that team,
his former team is who say Kwon Barkley is going
up against next week? Is it it poetic justice that this?
(14:00):
I mean, the Giants gonna play and they gonna do
everything they can to stop them. And if you're the
Philadelphia Eagles, you gotta be careful because you want them
to break the all times single season rushing rush rushing records.
But in the same breath, your Philadelphia Eagles, you got
a chance to win the Super Bowl. The Lions got
seventeen people on injury to reserve. The Vikings are still
being quarterback by Sam Donald. If you're the Philadelphia Eagles,
you gotta believe you could take them. You got the
green Bay Packers. They came on late, but they were
(14:21):
getting blown out before they came on late against the
Minnesota Vikings. Okay, they don't miss Vikers, don't miss those
two field goals. Green Bay wouldn't have been in a
position to come back and beat them. Then you've got
that in the NFC, and it's only one of those teams,
whether it's Kansas City, Buffalo, Baltimore, or whomever, it's only
one of those teams that could come out of the AFC.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
So you're the Philadelphia Eagles.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
You got a chance, and you got a decision to
make because you want sa Kwon Barkley to go for
that all times single season rushing record, especially against the
New York Giants.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
But the flip side is you don't want.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
To put yourself in a position where he could ultimately
get hurt because without him, Philadelphia ain't winning no damn
Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
So we gotta get that out the way right now.
One game left, say Kwon Barkley.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
He's just one hundred and one yards away from Eric
Dickerson's all time Russian record one hundred and one yards.
You gotta put him out there to go for it.
But in the same breath, you gotta be careful not
to jeopardize his health.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
You got to because it ain't worth it. It just ain't.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
So let's be very very clear about that and leave
it at that. My last point is in bringing up
sain kuon Barkley, is to go to the New York Giants,
Ladies and gentlemen, The New York Giants.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Are awful, just awful. GM's gonna deserve to lose his job.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Don't think about firing Brian Gable Dable without getting rid
of the GM shine.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Don't even think about it.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
That's a man I got to lose his job, and
the head coach loses the job because Brian David was
the Coach of the Year a couple of years ago.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
He ain't forget out of coach. He just don't have
that talent to coach.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Okay, you got rid of Saintkwon Barker because you're invested forty.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Million a year. Daniel Jones was now gone. Don't tell
me you got to keep your GM Hell with that.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
I know, Christmas is here, it's still a holiday season,
Christmas is passed, and.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Now it's the new year.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
But damn it, the truth is the truth and nothing
but the truth.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
To help me, God, he got to go.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
That ain't the man to keep and light it up
in aptitude that we've seen from the New York Giants
this season, they are awful, just awful. So with that
being said, let me also understand something is another word
that I wanted to give to the New York Giants.
And I didn't want to say this, Okay, I really
(16:42):
really didn't. And I got one of my producers Galing
here because he's a Giants fan, so you know, he's miserable.
He has all of these numbers because he's miserable as
shit because they suck and he kind of knew it,
but he didn't think they'd be this bad. But they
are this bad. And just reading from the notes that
he just sent to me, the Giants sent it Sunday
with a fifty seven percent chance of finishing with the
number one overall pick in the draft. According to ESPN analytics,
(17:02):
it would a balloon to eighty six percent with the loss. Instead,
it dipped to five percent. The Patriots, meanwhile, are now
the heavy favorites at over seventy eight percent to land
the top pick in the upcoming NFL draft this spring.
Why is that important because you got four quarterbacks that
are going to be in the draft. According to mel
kiper Jr. My colleague at ESPN, the absolute guru when
(17:23):
it comes to this kind of stuff, should Door Sanders
out of Colorado number one, can Ward out of Miami
number two, Jalen Milroe out of Alabama at number three,
Carson Beck for University of Georgia number four. I want
to hear that the damn thing about Carsson back. I saw
the brother throw eighty interceptions in three games.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
I don't want to hear about costing back on the slitt.
I don't want to hear it. And then he was injured,
so I had to have surgery and Georgia got to
play a freshman because Connor Beck ain't available.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
That brother, listen, if he's the fourth quarterback in the draft.
It's because it's just those three and a damn person else.
Because he didn't look great this year. I'm not saying
he can't look great, but he was a mistake waiting
to happen.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
He just was so got your door.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Sanders, Camwarden, Jaylen Milroe and the Giants are projected to
get the fourth pick. What surprised me at or if
they missed out on that? How the hell are you
winning football games and you know you need a quarterback
and you ain't going no damn place. So when they
needed you to win and to show that you were respectable,
you were getting your ass kicked on a weekly basis.
And now that your season is over, now is the
(18:32):
time when you want to go out there and win.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
What the hell is wrong with you?
Speaker 1 (18:35):
That's stupidity, absolute positive stupidity. But that's the New York Giants.
Not only are they inept and bereft of talent necessary
to win football games on an NFL level, most weeks,
(18:56):
they're all so stupid. They when they should be winning,
and they win when they should be losing. The Giants
should have been throwing games just to ensure that they
were gonna get themselves a quarterback for the upcoming season.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
They didn't do.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
That, which means, in all likelihood what we're seeing from
the Giants ain't gonna change anytime soon, because you can't
win without a quarterback in the National Football League. As
the saying so goes, it is what.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
It is. Hard to say anything else. It really really
isn't
Host
Stephen A. Smith
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