December 16, 2020 • 25 mins
Chris and Rob explain why the latest College Football Playoff rankings prove the whole system is a farce and discuss if the Playoff field needs to be expanded, explain why it's hard to blame James Harden for taking advantage of the perks the Houston Rockets gave him over the year and discuss Aaron Rodgers' statement that there are too many so-called GOATs in football
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching f
(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Couple with Chris Brush and Rod Harker. The story of
the day outside of James Harden, was the rankings in
the latest college football Pole and the top four didn't change.
(00:43):
Alabama one, Notre Dame to Clemson three, Ohio State four.
All of them are undefeated except Clemson, which lost its
game to Notre Dame without Trevor Lawrence, their top quarterback,
who was out with COVID. The big story though, in
the Big Hub is about Florida, which lost to LSU
(01:04):
on a kind of a bizarre situation. You know, there
was a violation with a fan through something. What was
it exactly, um, rob G what was the violation that
threw a shoe? Yeah, threw a shoe on the field
and then that enabled that was a penalty. Obviously they
had to be it was a lebron and what couldn't
(01:26):
have been a pair of Jordan's must have been get
we get to that later. Actually, but LSU, which has
had a horrible year, was able to h capitalize on
the penalty and kick a field goal, the game winning
field goal, and LSU I believe it was three and five,
and they gave Florida their second loss. But Florida only
(01:49):
dropped from what number six to number seven? And people
are in an uproar. Cincinnati, which is undefeated having a
great season's number nine and uh, some people were in
a TIZZI what do you think about this? Right? Well,
not only that Tim Brando, you know who does college
football for Fox, good guy. He said he's done with
(02:12):
with the with the committee. I mean that's that says
a lot, you know, like here's a you know, this
guy was the original game day host Chris or the ESPN.
This is how long Brandy Brando has been on doing
college football, and he was disgusted by it, like this
is not basically I'm just I don't want to misspeak
(02:33):
for him, but he was saying, how this is just fraudulent.
It's like you have rob g see if you can
college yeah, rob G, try to find it. It was
really strong. And for for a guy who's a part
of the college fabric, you know what I mean, because
that's his that's you know, that could have impact him,
right right, that's so. But he cares about it and
(02:55):
and he just was what the same thing you mentioned
about Cincinnati getting jobbed and um, you know, and I
think it has turned out to be what we knew
it would be. Chris. This is about the five power
conferences and they want their schools to be in this playoff.
For the most part, they'll do by hooked by the
(03:16):
top four. Right to get us to explain it before
you go on, rob If Florida upsets Alabama in the
SEC championship game, it opens the door the possibility for
Florida to get into the playoffs. And that's what a
lot of people are upset about, like, you got two losses,
(03:40):
you shouldn't be there. I'm sorry, but they're still alive.
Iowa State's got two losses, Georgia's got two losses, and
they're all in the top eight. So those teams are
still alive. Rob G. You got Brando's tweet, Yeah, it
was It wasn't just one tweet either. It was like
a rant that he went on. But am I right, Rob, Yeah, Like,
this is a guy who's a college football guy, you know,
(04:01):
just exactly, who just goes off on the committee. One
of the most well respected voices in all the college
football as I worked for Fox. Here's what he said, truth,
the college football Playoff is flat out wrong, all caps,
and I'll no longer recognize it as a playoff. I'm
done with it. I test is code for pure playoff privilege.
(04:22):
It is not a college football playoff. It's a Power
five invitational, and from this point forward, I'm gonna call
it that Cincinnati got dissed beyond belief. It's a farce
filled with Power five corruption. I repeat, I'll never utter
the words college football playoff again, not until all the
college football gets to take part. It's exclusionary again, all caps,
(04:44):
until they expand. It's simply the Power five invitational. Period. Well,
he's on TV talking about it too, so he's gonna
apparently go on TV and not refer to it as
the playoffs. That's what I'm saying. This is this is
and everybody knows college football has always been about the
bigger schools. And you know, in the old days, the bold,
(05:06):
the bold thing, Chris was who travels well? Like when
they were trying to make up you know, like schools
that don't travel well, they didn't want to invite to
the bowl games because they want to sell tickets. And
you got to get people to show up and take
time off to go to these bowl games, right and
all that. So schools that travel well always got a
(05:26):
nod over over non traveling schools. But but for Brando
to have his panties in a bunch over, this tells
you that are you surprised, You're not really surprised that
that the that the Power of five are looking out
for their schools and know and and I think Brando's
right on the money. And Rob, here's my solution. And
(05:48):
I've been saying this for a long time, and people
get upset, and I don't even know if you agree
with me or not. The answer to this is a
legitimate playoff. A four team playoff is not a playoff
when you don't play the same schedule, you don't even
play close to the same schedules. So we don't know
(06:09):
a since look, Cincinnati is eight no and they ranked
ninth in the country. Now, there's no reason for me
to believe rob that Cincinnati is one of the best
four teams in the country. I get it, they're eight, No,
so what. They don't play an SEC schedule. They don't
(06:30):
even play a Big ten schedule. They don't play an
ACC schedule. Now, maybe this year is an aberration and
they got somehow they've got a spectacular team, but I
can't you know, I'm not gonna go with that because
they I don't know, based on the history, based on
(06:52):
the recruiting. We all know the other conferences get better
players than Cincinnati for the most part. So there's no
reason for me to believe that they're a top four team.
I don't care if they're undefeated, and I'm not trying
to disrespect Cincinnati or defend the committee. What I am saying, though,
(07:13):
is the only way to solve this is if you
have something like a sixteen twenty twenty four team playoff,
whatever you want to make it. Because the Division one A,
the FCS, they have a twenty four team playoff. How
in the world can they manage it? But the FBS can't.
(07:37):
What's the difference? They're going to school just like the
FBS students. They play regular season schedules just like the
FBS students. Rob. The only way to deal with this is,
let's say a twenty four twenty five team playoff, and
then when a Cincinnati, when a Boise State, when a
(07:59):
coastal liner, or one of these non traditional schools really
has a great team, it'll show and they'll either go
deep in the playoffs or they'll win the whole thing.
But that is the only way to solve this. This
is Rob. This is only a tad better than the
(08:19):
mythical championship. I'll give you that it's better, but it's
only slightly better. I think it's better than people sitting
in a room deciding who's the best team of without
them playing somebody. It's only I think it's only slightly better.
I think the mythical was always a joke to me
that it was some guys in a room with cigars
(08:41):
figuring out and saying who was better and all that.
But but but I think I don't I don't know
about the twenty four team playoff and all that. I
don't think they have any interest in football. Is totally different.
They don't have enough time to play six you know,
they play it at every other level, every single no,
I know, but to play all these others, to play
(09:02):
all these games. And then the other thing is why
can they do it in FCS But they can't do
it in because they because it's the same reason that
they canceled Division two and three football this year and
didn't play I mean because they look at that reason,
because they look at it differently and they want to control.
They don't want an upset. They don't want Alabama losing
to some school and not get to the championship game.
(09:25):
Or I know, Chris, you would say Alabama's not gonna
lose and they have this and they're better or whatever.
But this is what happens, is that they only want
to play ball with the big schools and uh, they
don't really want to cut in a little the smaller schools.
Look at the March madness. We're still waiting for a
(09:47):
a what they call um mid major to win a championship. Yeah,
but they get but they but they haven't and they
shouldn't because they're not as good. I mean, but that
that every once and maybe one I think one may
win it because now you know the best players freshman
sophomore age are going to the pros. So now you
(10:09):
got a chance for mid major. But they get a chance.
Rob It's not like they don't get a legitimate chance
to win a championship. They just haven't been good enough. Yeah,
I just think I don't I don't see football giving up. Um.
There their blue bloods, the schools that are you know,
the college football which when you think about college football,
(10:29):
those are the schools they want to be involved in this.
And I don't think they change those teams change. I mean,
Alabama had a down period, they have had it mostly
a down period for the last few decades. Yeah, but
those are still the blue bloods that they want to
work in there if those teams, I mean, I get
(10:49):
what you're saying, and obviously, at the end of the day,
you're saying it's about money, and what I'm saying is
what's fair. I agree with you, but it shouldn't be
just about that. And you would make money. You would
make bookoo money off of a playoff, and you could
make the bowl games the playoffs just like they do
(11:10):
now with the four teams. You could do that with
the twenty four teams. You could make these playoff games,
Bowl games, and you're right, every now and then one
of the top clubs would get upset, but I don't
think that would diminish the playoff. And I just think
the point of competition, athletic competition is to find out,
(11:34):
to the best of your ability, who is the best team.
And I don't think we find that out now, because
I mean, heck, maybe Cincinnati is one of the top
three teams in the nation this year, but there's no
reason to believe it because of the history and all that.
But at least let's give them a shot to prove it.
And we're not giving them a shot right now. I'm
(11:58):
not saying it's easy, but I think it could be
done for sure. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Odd Couple with Chris Brussar then Rob Parker week
days at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox
Sports Radio and the iHeart Radio app. James Harden let me,
I'm just gonna ask you this. There was a big
story today about how he had control of the organization
(12:19):
and some people there were saying that their culture is
whatever James wants. I just want to ask you this,
how do you think this thing ends up with Houston.
Do you think how do you think it is up?
And do you think they just need to go ahead
and trade him now and just you know, get get
rid of him, and just can't you can't give give
him away, so your god, and that's where I think
(12:39):
they might be at this point, So you can't, you know,
and with all of that coming out and all that,
just this isn't the time to do it. Let him play,
Let him show everybody how talented he is, you know
what I mean, Play a little bit, and then let
him play back into shape, you know, and just let
all the noise calm down, and then out of know
(13:00):
where you make you make that call, you know, you
put the feeler out that if you want him, you
could come get him now, you know, but not not
right now. He probably will be traded at some point
during the season. Yeah, you would think maybe before the deadline.
Here's the thing too, and I don't think this will happen.
I don't think they're a contender, And certainly I don't
(13:22):
even feel comfortable calling him a contender in the West
or even throwing that out there. But my point is,
if you look at that roster, rob it is talented
I mean John Wall, And I'm assuming john Wall is
close to what he was when he left. Now he's
looked good. I know it's preseason, but what if John
Wall is essentially what he was before he got injured.
(13:45):
What if Boogie Cousins, who you know, hasn't played in
a few years, it's still capable of giving me eighteen
to nine. Eric Gordon certainly is a very good fourth
fifth guy. PJ. Tucker's a very good role player. Uh,
Christian Wood is pretty solid as a center, kind of
(14:06):
a stretch guy. Like I mean, I think Harden the
only way that it could get better the situation, and
he is if they jumped out to a great start
like nine and one, nine and three something, you know,
where they really look good. I don't think. I don't
see that happening. But if one in eight, then you
(14:27):
got a problem. Yeah, you got a big problem. And
and and at that point, honestly, if I'm one in eight,
if I'm one in eight and Harden is actually trying
to play hard and and he's not causing problems, he's
just playing, but we're just losing, I got bigger problems
than James Harden Because that team should not be one
in eight. Yeah, I mean they got some decent talent.
(14:51):
I'm not saying they can win the West, but I
just don't know about John Wall And I guess we'll wait.
And you know you said he's look pretty good. Yeah,
I mean it's the early obviously season, you don't want
to wait read too much into it. But he's looked
he's looked pretty good in the preseason. He needs he
needs a big season because he's been off the grid.
And yeah, and all the stuff about him is just
(15:12):
all negative and well what I mean, whether it's his
fault or not, rys, I'm just saying, like, like his
dimension of him is not like pleasant, Like you don't right,
because even when he was playing well individually, they weren't winning, right,
I mean, you know, not at a high rate. And
they got to the second round in the playoffs, and
(15:32):
that's when the East was really, really, really bad. It'd
be a lot different now because the East is much tougher.
But here's the thing, Rob, Virtually, no matter how he plays,
there's no way he could make the All Star team
in the West. Right. It's just I mean, I don't
care what he does because the only play the one
you're gonna have one player from that team. It's gonna
(15:55):
be James Harden, Right, It's just and then there's just
too many other guards and people out there in the West.
It's almost impossible and right, and that's how there's some
good players who just can't get in the mix because
because of you know, just the talented depth is ridiculous, right, Yeah,
So be sure to catch live editions of The Odd
(16:17):
Couple with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven
pm Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and
the iHeart Radio app. All Right, Um, Aaron Rodgers was
on Pat McAfee's was it his podcast or his radio show?
His radio show and made it some interesting comments about
(16:37):
the whole goat discussion. Here he is, there's way too
many people labeled to go to. This guy is the
go to this, this guy's to go to that. He
used to be. Greatest of all time is one person,
but now because there's way too many goats, you have
to break it out in the specific categories. Best winner
of all time, person has won the most championships, best
(16:57):
player you know, which involves talent and ability and what
you did with that most talented player, you know, best
thrower of the football. It's all these different ways you
can break that out. But when it comes to those
maybe not with JA, but with most people, I'm probably
in that conversation interested Rob. And one thing you and
(17:19):
I do, and I don't see where I disagree with
Aaron Rodgers is I don't think there's that many goats
being talked about. I think in basketball we talk about
Lebron or Michael Jordan and maybe Kareem Abdul Jabbar. But
that's three people who all have the resume, and you know,
(17:40):
but it's pretty limited. I mean, you rarely hear Kobe
every blue moon. Somebody might throw him out, will Bill Russell,
but it's pretty much Jordan and Lebron and occasionally Kareem. Football.
It's most of what I hear is Tom Brady and
then some you know, like you and the others that
(18:01):
don't believe his Brady pretty much believe is Joe Montana.
You might hear Marino every now and again. But I
don't think it's all these different categories. And you and I,
I know we make it a point to say no,
you're not, We're not the best winner, best the guy
(18:22):
that throws the best out patterns, who through the best
long ball, who had the quickest release, who's the gold
of that. We don't do that. We say there's one goat,
but we hear people. But people do call up here
with that, Chris. We've heard it because we've had to
stop people because they would try to like like make
it a specific area to be able to say somebody's
(18:44):
to go. Do you know what I mean, Like we've
had to We've said that, no, no, no, they said, oh, yeah, well,
if you're talking about like like like this is the
one we here for Kareem, if we're talking about that
their basketball career, it's Kareem abdul are who wanted high school,
who won in college and one of the NBA. But
that's you know what I mean, Like that's what they'll
(19:05):
try to use and we'll say, no, that's not what
we're talking about. We're talking about the NBA right the
highest level. We all know that if you just talked
about Kareem as a basketball player, there's nobody he's unmatched, right,
all those levels unmatched? Yeah. Um, and I look, Rogers
(19:25):
is making well, I don't think he's saying we should
have these different categories. But he's absolutely right that he's
in that discussion. He would probably be right. He seems
to know he would be in there as perhaps the
most talented player, uh certainly best thrower of the football.
(19:47):
Him and Dan Marine in it all the time, right,
But um, he understands he's not the goat. And I
think though, if you're dividing it into the like, I
don't like Rob calling Tom Brady the greatest football player ever.
I think that is ridiculous, to be honest, because when
(20:09):
I think of a great football and he's I think
he's the best quarterback. But when I think of a
football player, I picture this. If you go went to
a football camp and you had to you know, hit
the blocking dummies, you had to run a forty yard dash,
you had to catch the football, you had to throw
(20:30):
the football, you had to tackle somebody maybe you you know, oh,
I know this is outlaw, but Oklahoma drill. Like, who
would be Who's the best at that? At all those things?
That's the best football player to me? So it could
be could be a Jim Brown, It could be a
(20:50):
Walter Peyton nowadays who maybe a Derek Henry. You know what,
I'm saying, but there's no way that guy would be
Tom Brady or virtually wouldn't be probably any quarterback, you
know what I'm saying. But but the quarterback is and
we know this, they get too much of the credit
when they win, and they get too much of the
(21:10):
blame too when they lose. And we could talk about
that all the time. Just that's what we do. That's
that's because that's the that's where's the game most. It's
the most important position. There's no way to just even
though we have seen teams win with subpart quarterbacks, because
the Baltimore Ravens defense was unbelievable. Right when they won
(21:32):
Chris and Tampa Bay. I covered that Super Bowl. You
remember when Tampa Bay and Rob g I noticed hurts,
But the Raiders had the number one offense and Tampa
Bay had the number one defense. Chris that year and
if you remember that Super Bowl, the uh Tampa Bay.
(21:53):
The defense scored twenty one points in that Super Bowl,
if you remember, I mean they were running it back
to the house Brad Johnson. Yes, so they didn't have
a great quarterback, but that defense was unbelieved. But I
don't know exactly Rob do. You probably cried your eyes
out exactly how many points did the defense score? But
(22:13):
they had like three picks and a couple backs defense, Yeah,
it was, it was, but it was the first time
a number one offense played a number one defense in
the Super Bowls. I should have mend my statement, right.
I think quarterback is the most glorified position. It is,
but honestly the most and this isn't sexy. Nobody really
(22:35):
ever wants to play this position when you're growing up.
But the offensive line is are probably the most important positions,
I mean real talk. Well, because it starts there, because
if you don't have that, and you don't quarterback, you're
running back or your quarterback. If you don't have a line,
I'm sorry, right, you're not gonna be able to get
(22:56):
the ball off. You're not gonna be able to make
any plays if you're on your back, no doubt, right, Right.
So it's a it's a good discussion. I think it's interesting.
And and look, I mean we we've talked about this before,
rob When when you want to have the goat discussion,
and particularly in basketball, you know, because I think it's
(23:17):
I know, you don't believe it's Brady. But would you
agree that I really, I really don't. I think that
one is more undisputed, you know, and there are those
that disputed you and some others, but I feel like
Brady is more the undisputed goat than jordan Ists. Like
(23:38):
there are a lot of people Jordan mostly it would
probably get the most votes, but there's a healthy number
of people that are starting to say lebron see, I disagree.
I think that the Brady thing when people um are
honest about his career and really look at that team
and look at the first three champion and ships and
(24:00):
what the defense and Adam Venetari did. And that's not
to say that Brady didn't play or didn't have anything
to do with it. He led the game winning drives
every single victory. Yeah, he had one touchdown his first
you know, the tough rule we take away from the
Jackson on Monday night. I'm just led the game winning
drive because it was a field goal. All I'm saying
(24:22):
nobody also threw a touchdown to put them ahead. But
but I get your point. My point is that the
Brady's numbers aren't that great if you really are honest
and look at him, especially the first three, the first
three Super Bowls, they weren't eye popping. They barely They
won every Super Bowl by four points or less. I mean,
(24:42):
they didn't blow anybody out. Brady, I mean, you know,
but but but it talks about the defense, and I'm
saying Brady gets credit for those, but defense and kicking
were as important as Tom Brady. The first three. I'm
just saying the first three, that's all. That's why I
think I wouldn't argue that. But I do think the
six the individual numbers, because I do think rob it
(25:05):
is a combination. It's not just rings, just championships. If
it's championships, and also your individual numbers and his individual
numbers throughout his career are great
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching f
(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Couple with Chris Brush and Rod Harker. The story of
the day outside of James Harden, was the rankings in
the latest college football Pole and the top four didn't change.
(00:43):
Alabama one, Notre Dame to Clemson three, Ohio State four.
All of them are undefeated except Clemson, which lost its
game to Notre Dame without Trevor Lawrence, their top quarterback,
who was out with COVID. The big story though, in
the Big Hub is about Florida, which lost to LSU
(01:04):
on a kind of a bizarre situation. You know, there
was a violation with a fan through something. What was
it exactly, um, rob G what was the violation that
threw a shoe? Yeah, threw a shoe on the field
and then that enabled that was a penalty. Obviously they
had to be it was a lebron and what couldn't
(01:26):
have been a pair of Jordan's must have been get
we get to that later. Actually, but LSU, which has
had a horrible year, was able to h capitalize on
the penalty and kick a field goal, the game winning
field goal, and LSU I believe it was three and five,
and they gave Florida their second loss. But Florida only
(01:49):
dropped from what number six to number seven? And people
are in an uproar. Cincinnati, which is undefeated having a
great season's number nine and uh, some people were in
a TIZZI what do you think about this? Right? Well,
not only that Tim Brando, you know who does college
football for Fox, good guy. He said he's done with
(02:12):
with the with the committee. I mean that's that says
a lot, you know, like here's a you know, this
guy was the original game day host Chris or the ESPN.
This is how long Brandy Brando has been on doing
college football, and he was disgusted by it, like this
is not basically I'm just I don't want to misspeak
(02:33):
for him, but he was saying, how this is just fraudulent.
It's like you have rob g see if you can
college yeah, rob G, try to find it. It was
really strong. And for for a guy who's a part
of the college fabric, you know what I mean, because
that's his that's you know, that could have impact him,
right right, that's so. But he cares about it and
(02:55):
and he just was what the same thing you mentioned
about Cincinnati getting jobbed and um, you know, and I
think it has turned out to be what we knew
it would be. Chris. This is about the five power
conferences and they want their schools to be in this playoff.
For the most part, they'll do by hooked by the
(03:16):
top four. Right to get us to explain it before
you go on, rob If Florida upsets Alabama in the
SEC championship game, it opens the door the possibility for
Florida to get into the playoffs. And that's what a
lot of people are upset about, like, you got two losses,
(03:40):
you shouldn't be there. I'm sorry, but they're still alive.
Iowa State's got two losses, Georgia's got two losses, and
they're all in the top eight. So those teams are
still alive. Rob G. You got Brando's tweet, Yeah, it
was It wasn't just one tweet either. It was like
a rant that he went on. But am I right, Rob, Yeah, Like,
this is a guy who's a college football guy, you know,
(04:01):
just exactly, who just goes off on the committee. One
of the most well respected voices in all the college
football as I worked for Fox. Here's what he said, truth,
the college football Playoff is flat out wrong, all caps,
and I'll no longer recognize it as a playoff. I'm
done with it. I test is code for pure playoff privilege.
(04:22):
It is not a college football playoff. It's a Power
five invitational, and from this point forward, I'm gonna call
it that Cincinnati got dissed beyond belief. It's a farce
filled with Power five corruption. I repeat, I'll never utter
the words college football playoff again, not until all the
college football gets to take part. It's exclusionary again, all caps,
(04:44):
until they expand. It's simply the Power five invitational. Period. Well,
he's on TV talking about it too, so he's gonna
apparently go on TV and not refer to it as
the playoffs. That's what I'm saying. This is this is
and everybody knows college football has always been about the
bigger schools. And you know, in the old days, the bold,
(05:06):
the bold thing, Chris was who travels well? Like when
they were trying to make up you know, like schools
that don't travel well, they didn't want to invite to
the bowl games because they want to sell tickets. And
you got to get people to show up and take
time off to go to these bowl games, right and
all that. So schools that travel well always got a
(05:26):
nod over over non traveling schools. But but for Brando
to have his panties in a bunch over, this tells
you that are you surprised, You're not really surprised that
that the that the Power of five are looking out
for their schools and know and and I think Brando's
right on the money. And Rob, here's my solution. And
(05:48):
I've been saying this for a long time, and people
get upset, and I don't even know if you agree
with me or not. The answer to this is a
legitimate playoff. A four team playoff is not a playoff
when you don't play the same schedule, you don't even
play close to the same schedules. So we don't know
(06:09):
a since look, Cincinnati is eight no and they ranked
ninth in the country. Now, there's no reason for me
to believe rob that Cincinnati is one of the best
four teams in the country. I get it, they're eight, No,
so what. They don't play an SEC schedule. They don't
(06:30):
even play a Big ten schedule. They don't play an
ACC schedule. Now, maybe this year is an aberration and
they got somehow they've got a spectacular team, but I
can't you know, I'm not gonna go with that because
they I don't know, based on the history, based on
(06:52):
the recruiting. We all know the other conferences get better
players than Cincinnati for the most part. So there's no
reason for me to believe that they're a top four team.
I don't care if they're undefeated, and I'm not trying
to disrespect Cincinnati or defend the committee. What I am saying, though,
(07:13):
is the only way to solve this is if you
have something like a sixteen twenty twenty four team playoff,
whatever you want to make it. Because the Division one A,
the FCS, they have a twenty four team playoff. How
in the world can they manage it? But the FBS can't.
(07:37):
What's the difference? They're going to school just like the
FBS students. They play regular season schedules just like the
FBS students. Rob. The only way to deal with this is,
let's say a twenty four twenty five team playoff, and
then when a Cincinnati, when a Boise State, when a
(07:59):
coastal liner, or one of these non traditional schools really
has a great team, it'll show and they'll either go
deep in the playoffs or they'll win the whole thing.
But that is the only way to solve this. This
is Rob. This is only a tad better than the
(08:19):
mythical championship. I'll give you that it's better, but it's
only slightly better. I think it's better than people sitting
in a room deciding who's the best team of without
them playing somebody. It's only I think it's only slightly better.
I think the mythical was always a joke to me
that it was some guys in a room with cigars
(08:41):
figuring out and saying who was better and all that.
But but but I think I don't I don't know
about the twenty four team playoff and all that. I
don't think they have any interest in football. Is totally different.
They don't have enough time to play six you know,
they play it at every other level, every single no,
I know, but to play all these others, to play
(09:02):
all these games. And then the other thing is why
can they do it in FCS But they can't do
it in because they because it's the same reason that
they canceled Division two and three football this year and
didn't play I mean because they look at that reason,
because they look at it differently and they want to control.
They don't want an upset. They don't want Alabama losing
to some school and not get to the championship game.
(09:25):
Or I know, Chris, you would say Alabama's not gonna
lose and they have this and they're better or whatever.
But this is what happens, is that they only want
to play ball with the big schools and uh, they
don't really want to cut in a little the smaller schools.
Look at the March madness. We're still waiting for a
(09:47):
a what they call um mid major to win a championship. Yeah,
but they get but they but they haven't and they
shouldn't because they're not as good. I mean, but that
that every once and maybe one I think one may
win it because now you know the best players freshman
sophomore age are going to the pros. So now you
(10:09):
got a chance for mid major. But they get a chance.
Rob It's not like they don't get a legitimate chance
to win a championship. They just haven't been good enough. Yeah,
I just think I don't I don't see football giving up. Um.
There their blue bloods, the schools that are you know,
the college football which when you think about college football,
(10:29):
those are the schools they want to be involved in this.
And I don't think they change those teams change. I mean,
Alabama had a down period, they have had it mostly
a down period for the last few decades. Yeah, but
those are still the blue bloods that they want to
work in there if those teams, I mean, I get
(10:49):
what you're saying, and obviously, at the end of the day,
you're saying it's about money, and what I'm saying is
what's fair. I agree with you, but it shouldn't be
just about that. And you would make money. You would
make bookoo money off of a playoff, and you could
make the bowl games the playoffs just like they do
(11:10):
now with the four teams. You could do that with
the twenty four teams. You could make these playoff games,
Bowl games, and you're right, every now and then one
of the top clubs would get upset, but I don't
think that would diminish the playoff. And I just think
the point of competition, athletic competition is to find out,
(11:34):
to the best of your ability, who is the best team.
And I don't think we find that out now, because
I mean, heck, maybe Cincinnati is one of the top
three teams in the nation this year, but there's no
reason to believe it because of the history and all that.
But at least let's give them a shot to prove it.
And we're not giving them a shot right now. I'm
(11:58):
not saying it's easy, but I think it could be
done for sure. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Odd Couple with Chris Brussar then Rob Parker week
days at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox
Sports Radio and the iHeart Radio app. James Harden let me,
I'm just gonna ask you this. There was a big
story today about how he had control of the organization
(12:19):
and some people there were saying that their culture is
whatever James wants. I just want to ask you this,
how do you think this thing ends up with Houston.
Do you think how do you think it is up?
And do you think they just need to go ahead
and trade him now and just you know, get get
rid of him, and just can't you can't give give
him away, so your god, and that's where I think
(12:39):
they might be at this point, So you can't, you know,
and with all of that coming out and all that,
just this isn't the time to do it. Let him play,
Let him show everybody how talented he is, you know
what I mean, Play a little bit, and then let
him play back into shape, you know, and just let
all the noise calm down, and then out of know
(13:00):
where you make you make that call, you know, you
put the feeler out that if you want him, you
could come get him now, you know, but not not
right now. He probably will be traded at some point
during the season. Yeah, you would think maybe before the deadline.
Here's the thing too, and I don't think this will happen.
I don't think they're a contender, And certainly I don't
(13:22):
even feel comfortable calling him a contender in the West
or even throwing that out there. But my point is,
if you look at that roster, rob it is talented
I mean John Wall, And I'm assuming john Wall is
close to what he was when he left. Now he's
looked good. I know it's preseason, but what if John
Wall is essentially what he was before he got injured.
(13:45):
What if Boogie Cousins, who you know, hasn't played in
a few years, it's still capable of giving me eighteen
to nine. Eric Gordon certainly is a very good fourth
fifth guy. PJ. Tucker's a very good role player. Uh,
Christian Wood is pretty solid as a center, kind of
(14:06):
a stretch guy. Like I mean, I think Harden the
only way that it could get better the situation, and
he is if they jumped out to a great start
like nine and one, nine and three something, you know,
where they really look good. I don't think. I don't
see that happening. But if one in eight, then you
(14:27):
got a problem. Yeah, you got a big problem. And
and and at that point, honestly, if I'm one in eight,
if I'm one in eight and Harden is actually trying
to play hard and and he's not causing problems, he's
just playing, but we're just losing, I got bigger problems
than James Harden Because that team should not be one
in eight. Yeah, I mean they got some decent talent.
(14:51):
I'm not saying they can win the West, but I
just don't know about John Wall And I guess we'll wait.
And you know you said he's look pretty good. Yeah,
I mean it's the early obviously season, you don't want
to wait read too much into it. But he's looked
he's looked pretty good in the preseason. He needs he
needs a big season because he's been off the grid.
And yeah, and all the stuff about him is just
(15:12):
all negative and well what I mean, whether it's his
fault or not, rys, I'm just saying, like, like his
dimension of him is not like pleasant, Like you don't right,
because even when he was playing well individually, they weren't winning, right,
I mean, you know, not at a high rate. And
they got to the second round in the playoffs, and
(15:32):
that's when the East was really, really, really bad. It'd
be a lot different now because the East is much tougher.
But here's the thing, Rob, Virtually, no matter how he plays,
there's no way he could make the All Star team
in the West. Right. It's just I mean, I don't
care what he does because the only play the one
you're gonna have one player from that team. It's gonna
(15:55):
be James Harden, Right, It's just and then there's just
too many other guards and people out there in the West.
It's almost impossible and right, and that's how there's some
good players who just can't get in the mix because
because of you know, just the talented depth is ridiculous, right, Yeah,
So be sure to catch live editions of The Odd
(16:17):
Couple with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven
pm Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and
the iHeart Radio app. All Right, Um, Aaron Rodgers was
on Pat McAfee's was it his podcast or his radio show?
His radio show and made it some interesting comments about
(16:37):
the whole goat discussion. Here he is, there's way too
many people labeled to go to. This guy is the
go to this, this guy's to go to that. He
used to be. Greatest of all time is one person,
but now because there's way too many goats, you have
to break it out in the specific categories. Best winner
of all time, person has won the most championships, best
(16:57):
player you know, which involves talent and ability and what
you did with that most talented player, you know, best
thrower of the football. It's all these different ways you
can break that out. But when it comes to those
maybe not with JA, but with most people, I'm probably
in that conversation interested Rob. And one thing you and
(17:19):
I do, and I don't see where I disagree with
Aaron Rodgers is I don't think there's that many goats
being talked about. I think in basketball we talk about
Lebron or Michael Jordan and maybe Kareem Abdul Jabbar. But
that's three people who all have the resume, and you know,
(17:40):
but it's pretty limited. I mean, you rarely hear Kobe
every blue moon. Somebody might throw him out, will Bill Russell,
but it's pretty much Jordan and Lebron and occasionally Kareem. Football.
It's most of what I hear is Tom Brady and
then some you know, like you and the others that
(18:01):
don't believe his Brady pretty much believe is Joe Montana.
You might hear Marino every now and again. But I
don't think it's all these different categories. And you and I,
I know we make it a point to say no,
you're not, We're not the best winner, best the guy
(18:22):
that throws the best out patterns, who through the best
long ball, who had the quickest release, who's the gold
of that. We don't do that. We say there's one goat,
but we hear people. But people do call up here
with that, Chris. We've heard it because we've had to
stop people because they would try to like like make
it a specific area to be able to say somebody's
(18:44):
to go. Do you know what I mean, Like we've
had to We've said that, no, no, no, they said, oh, yeah, well,
if you're talking about like like like this is the
one we here for Kareem, if we're talking about that
their basketball career, it's Kareem abdul are who wanted high school,
who won in college and one of the NBA. But
that's you know what I mean, Like that's what they'll
(19:05):
try to use and we'll say, no, that's not what
we're talking about. We're talking about the NBA right the
highest level. We all know that if you just talked
about Kareem as a basketball player, there's nobody he's unmatched, right,
all those levels unmatched? Yeah. Um, and I look, Rogers
(19:25):
is making well, I don't think he's saying we should
have these different categories. But he's absolutely right that he's
in that discussion. He would probably be right. He seems
to know he would be in there as perhaps the
most talented player, uh certainly best thrower of the football.
(19:47):
Him and Dan Marine in it all the time, right,
But um, he understands he's not the goat. And I
think though, if you're dividing it into the like, I
don't like Rob calling Tom Brady the greatest football player ever.
I think that is ridiculous, to be honest, because when
(20:09):
I think of a great football and he's I think
he's the best quarterback. But when I think of a
football player, I picture this. If you go went to
a football camp and you had to you know, hit
the blocking dummies, you had to run a forty yard dash,
you had to catch the football, you had to throw
(20:30):
the football, you had to tackle somebody maybe you you know, oh,
I know this is outlaw, but Oklahoma drill. Like, who
would be Who's the best at that? At all those things?
That's the best football player to me? So it could
be could be a Jim Brown, It could be a
(20:50):
Walter Peyton nowadays who maybe a Derek Henry. You know what,
I'm saying, but there's no way that guy would be
Tom Brady or virtually wouldn't be probably any quarterback, you
know what I'm saying. But but the quarterback is and
we know this, they get too much of the credit
when they win, and they get too much of the
(21:10):
blame too when they lose. And we could talk about
that all the time. Just that's what we do. That's
that's because that's the that's where's the game most. It's
the most important position. There's no way to just even
though we have seen teams win with subpart quarterbacks, because
the Baltimore Ravens defense was unbelievable. Right when they won
(21:32):
Chris and Tampa Bay. I covered that Super Bowl. You
remember when Tampa Bay and Rob g I noticed hurts,
But the Raiders had the number one offense and Tampa
Bay had the number one defense. Chris that year and
if you remember that Super Bowl, the uh Tampa Bay.
(21:53):
The defense scored twenty one points in that Super Bowl,
if you remember, I mean they were running it back
to the house Brad Johnson. Yes, so they didn't have
a great quarterback, but that defense was unbelieved. But I
don't know exactly Rob do. You probably cried your eyes
out exactly how many points did the defense score? But
(22:13):
they had like three picks and a couple backs defense, Yeah,
it was, it was, but it was the first time
a number one offense played a number one defense in
the Super Bowls. I should have mend my statement, right.
I think quarterback is the most glorified position. It is,
but honestly the most and this isn't sexy. Nobody really
(22:35):
ever wants to play this position when you're growing up.
But the offensive line is are probably the most important positions,
I mean real talk. Well, because it starts there, because
if you don't have that, and you don't quarterback, you're
running back or your quarterback. If you don't have a line,
I'm sorry, right, you're not gonna be able to get
(22:56):
the ball off. You're not gonna be able to make
any plays if you're on your back, no doubt, right, Right.
So it's a it's a good discussion. I think it's interesting.
And and look, I mean we we've talked about this before,
rob When when you want to have the goat discussion,
and particularly in basketball, you know, because I think it's
(23:17):
I know, you don't believe it's Brady. But would you
agree that I really, I really don't. I think that
one is more undisputed, you know, and there are those
that disputed you and some others, but I feel like
Brady is more the undisputed goat than jordan Ists. Like
(23:38):
there are a lot of people Jordan mostly it would
probably get the most votes, but there's a healthy number
of people that are starting to say lebron see, I disagree.
I think that the Brady thing when people um are
honest about his career and really look at that team
and look at the first three champion and ships and
(24:00):
what the defense and Adam Venetari did. And that's not
to say that Brady didn't play or didn't have anything
to do with it. He led the game winning drives
every single victory. Yeah, he had one touchdown his first
you know, the tough rule we take away from the
Jackson on Monday night. I'm just led the game winning
drive because it was a field goal. All I'm saying
(24:22):
nobody also threw a touchdown to put them ahead. But
but I get your point. My point is that the
Brady's numbers aren't that great if you really are honest
and look at him, especially the first three, the first
three Super Bowls, they weren't eye popping. They barely They
won every Super Bowl by four points or less. I mean,
(24:42):
they didn't blow anybody out. Brady, I mean, you know,
but but but it talks about the defense, and I'm
saying Brady gets credit for those, but defense and kicking
were as important as Tom Brady. The first three. I'm
just saying the first three, that's all. That's why I
think I wouldn't argue that. But I do think the
six the individual numbers, because I do think rob it
(25:05):
is a combination. It's not just rings, just championships. If
it's championships, and also your individual numbers and his individual
numbers throughout his career are great
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