November 2, 2018 • 50 mins
Doug tells you why Raiders head coach John Gruden has done a great job at tanking, while also convincing you the team is trying to win now. He also breaks down the drama between Luke Walton and Magic Johnson. FOX Sports' lead college football analyst Joel Klatt joins the show to discuss the biggest match ups of the weekend including Alabama vs LSU.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
from three to six pm Eastern Time, that's twelve to
three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station
for the Doug Gottlieb Show at Fox Sports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the I Heart
Radio app by searching fs R. This is the best
(00:22):
of the Doug Gottlieb Show on Fox Sports Radio Boom
one of America. Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio. I
will tell you this. My wife, kids and I we
miss fall like real fall Connecticut Fall twelve. The last
sixteen years of my life, I spent uh in the
(00:44):
Nutmeg State. But um, you know it's better than cool
crisp air of fall. Seventy degrees during the day, fifty
at night. It's about eighty degrees Yesterday, there's a believable
oh man. Welcome in to the Doug Gottlieb Show. By
the way, if you want to download the All Ball Podcast,
(01:05):
some great stuff on it. This week Keith Smith joined me.
He does the Celtics Blog and my boy m d
Clinton Darry McClinton, who has his own podcast. He's a
personal trainer, coaches AU team's former pro ballplayer in the
d m V give him the lowdown on on the
d C area. We talked some hopes. It's the All
(01:26):
Ball Podcast and we have a loaded, loaded, loaded show
for you. Let's start with last night. Do we have
the tape ye on yesterday's Picks of the Games? All right?
Ryan Music was doing um a celebratory dance last night
(01:46):
as the Raiders got pummeled by the forty Niners. Full disclosure,
I truly believe and up, I have not heard the
tape yet. I truly believe that I was picking the Niners.
The spread in spite of the fact that an unknown,
untested quarterback was starting for the forty Niners, because of
I mean everything I've seen from the Raiders and trade
away Amari Cooper, and the fact that I know they
(02:08):
would prefer to lose as opposed to win, I thought
I was picking the Niners. Take a listen end of
the show yesterday we made our picks here it was
what about you there, Ryan Music. I love the forty Niners. Tonight,
give me the Niners. I'm gonna go with the Raiders. Wow,
that was edited. Is that what you guys did to me?
(02:29):
I have no idea what you're talking about, Doug what
wait wait, wait what do you guys just completely cheated?
Edit Ramos? How are you going? And if you guys
don't know, John Ramos is a very very well respected
technical director, not just for Fox Sports Radio but in
the entire radio world. That's the best bad editing you
(02:53):
could do. I have Uh No, I did not touch
anything on their personally, John, John, John, you did not
touch anything personally? Is that is that? Is? That? Is that?
Originally how it sounded John that the pregnant pause is
(03:17):
all I need? Thank you? And look, I understand that
in the moment, it feels awful in the moment, John
Gruden seems like an idiot. In the moment, you can
declare the ten year, one d million dollar contract to
seem like the dumbest contract in the history of sports.
(03:39):
By the way, the Raiders, of course, n'm diaspy sixteen
million a year completely changed the course of history. That's
what made Durrell Reaves have to get paid so much
and ultimately led to him, uh going to Tampa and
then to New England and back to the Jets. It
wouldn't be the first bad contract they've ever handed out.
But the fact is that this is one of the
(04:02):
reasons he had to be paid for ten years and
a hundred million dollars. If you're going to go through tanking,
truly shedding any sort of viable asset and all the
viable contracts for the future, since you have cap space
and draft picks, you're gonna take a beating like why
(04:24):
would they give him? This is why, you idiots, He's
doing it for a reason. Well, you know it doesn't work.
Who's undefeated in the n B A Dan buyer will
tell you it's is Milwaukee Bucks. Go back and look
(04:44):
at what the they lost last night, But they were
the last undefeated team in the NBA. Why because they
got your honest they shed salary, cap space, they got
draft picks, they loaded up on talent, and I don't
think they're the best team in the East, but they've
got a lot better. You know who preceded them in tanking.
That would be the Boston Celtics. The Philadelphia seventies is
(05:07):
weren't the first ones to trust the process. We've seen
this before. The the Houston Astros did a two thousand thirteen.
They were talking about, well, this is what a joke.
It's bad for baseball. They're not competitive. This trying to
be a bad thing is stupid. Didn't they win the
World Series last year? Like I alright, fine, you need
(05:30):
business Marvel comics. Have you seen a Marvel movie this year?
The question isn't having have you seen a Marvel movie?
Have you seen a movie that wasn't a Marvel movie
this year? Right? Um? And so you look at Mark.
Did you know Marvel declared bankruptcy in the mid nineties.
Did you know Apple nearly declared bankruptcy? Donald Trump, of course,
(05:53):
was pointed out when he was on the campaign trail,
declared bankruptcy for different times with his company, whether it's
Chapter eleven or whether it's tanking. This is a business
practice that has been proven to work. And the only
thing more proven than the idea of the process of
(06:17):
tanking is that during the time in which you hit
rock bottom, everyone's gonna be pointing at the finger at
the person who's leading the ship down, knowing they're gonna
lead the ship back up. Here's Jon Gruden before the game.
It was a great interview with Howie Long the NFL
on on Fox. Here's a Gruden said before the game.
(06:38):
I got a cell phone, just like you and everybody else,
and I get a lot of phone calls from people
that are dying to come and play here. I'm just
telling you they're dying to play for the raid is
and to have salary cap space, and to have a
chance to talk to the people that you really want
to wear the silver and black, the guys, you really
want to wear the silver and black and represent this
(06:58):
team that's excited. He here's Gruden after the game. I'm
just trying to get people excited about the Oakland Raiders.
The Oakland Raiders is a great organization, and I know
it's not looking pretty right now, but I've heard a
lot of negativity, you know, over the last six or
seven months, and rightfully. So We're gonna build a championship
football team here, and I know a lot of people
as players, as fans, and you know, just in general
(07:21):
want to be a part of this. There's a line
from The Usual Suspects. I'm I'm a I'm a huge
Usual Suspects fan one of I don't know if you
go top five, I think probably uh top five. The
only issue with the Usual Suspects is I think the
first time you see it, the ending makes you want
(07:42):
to see it the second time, and maybe there's a
third time in it. I'm not sure if it's as
easy to repeat like the sixth Sense. You know, once
you know about the end of the sixth sens, you
go back and you watch the movie one more time,
and then you're kind of tapped out. John Gruden's has
convinced people the entire time he's had this job that
(08:03):
he wants to compete to win, and not just compete
to win, to compete to win. Now, that's really what's
an issue. It's not that they're tanking, because they're doing
so inglorious fashion right. They have five first round picks
over the next two years and at least seventy million
dollars in calf space in the coming season as genius.
(08:23):
That is brilliant, that is beautiful. The differences. He's convinced
you that he's not tanking, which reminds me of this line.
The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the
world he didn't exist. The greatest trick that John Gruden
ever pulled was convincing you that he was trying to
win now when everything else he's doing it's not what
(08:47):
he's saying, it's what he's doing. No, no no, No, we
want to win now. We want to win championships, want
to win this year. Yeah but John, you just trade
away your two best assets for first round trafficks. Now
we want to win now. Yeah but John, you have
seven dollars in cap space in the coming year. No,
we want to win now, John, you have a tenure contract.
What would be the Russian winning? Now? We want to
(09:07):
win now. The most amazing thing Gruten has done is
convinced you he's not tanking when he's clearly tanking and
doing a fantastic job at it. And oh yeah, by
the way, while some of you look at and go
tim quit on him and it's great. The only way
to truly find out who he wants to have where
(09:29):
silver and black is if you've got nothing to play
for except for pride itself and your own future, and
you're not wanting to compete. I don't really want you.
If you during this time of adversity, he can figure
out what's what, who's who, and who he wants to
go to war with he's artificially created all of this
adversity to where they get, you know, in which they
(09:50):
get completely eviscerated last night by a quarterback who no
one could pick out of a line. Hell, how great
is the story? He his Twitter Her account wasn't verified
before last night. I don't know how many UM followers
you have to have to have your Twitter account verified?
(10:12):
Do we do we know the stat on that, do
we know how that actually works? But Nick Mullins went
from I've never actually heard of Nick Mullins. If you
tell me he's in the NFL, fine too. Oh my god,
Nick Mullins might be a starting quarterback in the end
abow he's wanting Brett Farve's number. Brett Farve calls him.
Twitter account gets verified, people are talking about baby Jimmy
Grombolo doesn't have to come back with what C. J.
(10:33):
Pether did. Look what Nick Mullins did. That's how And
you think it's that type of embarrassment, Either you get
up and show you still want to play, or you quit.
And the dudes that quit he's gonna be done with
at the end of the year, and the guys that
don't are still gonna wear the radar uniform. That's what
(10:53):
we said about him losing the locker room last week.
The reports people are ticked, right, are you getting rid
of Mark Cooper? You're trying to lose down. Let's see
how you handle it. I know how you're gonna handle success.
Everybody handles success great. It's it's really if we're winning,
and everyboding is good. Is when we're losing, who's pointing fingers,
(11:16):
who's quitting on roots? When you're down thirty four to three,
who's still playing hard? Those are the guys who will remain.
He's created this artificial environment of angst against coaches, in
front office and fans and even each other, and the
(11:37):
strongest will in fact survive, and those are the guys
will take with him. But John Gruns convinced you because
he said over and over again that they're not tanking,
because you believe that. No, no, no guy who loves
football whatever, try and lose a game, and try and
I have to try and lose a game. You get
rid of enough good players, and you're not that good
to begin with, you're gonna lose football games. You play
(11:59):
enough young guys, you're gunna lose football games, and so
you don't like it, okay. Marvel Comics what they do?
They were all about comic books. They declared bankruptcy. They
started focusing on movies. There is no more powerful name
in Hollywood than Marvel Comics right now. Think about Apple,
(12:26):
They were almost declared bankruptcy. Microsoft bailed them out because
Microsoft was worried that they would be considered a monopoly
if Apple went under. So what Apple do They changed?
They diversified. They went to this thing called the iPod,
which became the iPhone, which is revolutionized smartphones. And you
(12:49):
tell me a room that doesn't have an Apple logo
on it. Oh. Yeah. By the way, they brought back
Steve Jobs, who had won for them in the past,
just the same way they Raiders head with Jon Gruden.
Last time the Raiders were good. Last time the Raiders
were relevant. Guess who is in charge? So I understand
(13:09):
it feels really icky. It feels like a like this
is a disaster. This is yeah intentionally, So be sure
to catch live editions of The Doug got Leap Show
week days in noon eastern three pm Pacific on Fox
Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app. I don't
know what I enjoy more with Facebook, going back and
checking out old pictures, are watching John Middlcoff just lay
(13:31):
into the Raiders on a weekly basis on on his
Facebook page. Download his three and Out podcast. It's right
next to my All Ball podcast, part of the Herd
Podcast Network. Course used to work in front office in
the National Football League now is basically your your sage
guide into the National Football League. Here on the Doug
gott Leap Show, My my take is this, I realized
(13:55):
they didn't do a good job in the draft this year,
but I didn't think the Raiders we're gonna win the
a f C West this year. And Gruden took the
big contract one because that's the only way to get
him out of TV. But too, it's the only way
to survive tanking. And when you step back and not
look at it as Jon Gruden and say, hey, seventy
million dollars in cab space with five first rounders over
(14:18):
the next two years, it's glorious the tanking they're pulling off,
and maybe even more surprising how people don't realize they're tanking.
What's your take, Well, here here's the thing, Doug. In basketball,
you can tank because you can really control it with
the personnel in football. Gruden has attempted to do that
kind of similarly this year. I think the things I
(14:40):
would question is no player in football, especially Derek Carr,
is trying to lose these games, and coaches on game
day like he's calling these games attempting to win. He
tried to win that game last night. He did not
try to lose to Nick Mullins, a third string quarter act.
And I think the other big red flag is one
(15:03):
I don't think any team in the league would have
trade to clear back beside John Gruten, Mark Cooper wants
not crazy, and you gotta give him credit. That's good value.
The problem is his resume as a draft picker, you know,
as the general manager, is not good. So you go, yeah,
he's got five picks, which is by far the most
amount of first rounders over these next two years any
(15:24):
one team has. It's just who's the guy picking the players?
Because Gruden has proven I actually think he can be
a good offensive coach if you get him, if he
gets better players. But who's gonna get him the better players?
Because he struggles at that element of the job, and
that when you pay a guy a hundred million dollars.
He's in control, he's gonna be picking these players that
that that would be my big question mark. It's a
(15:47):
fair question mark. What about Nick Mullins. How much of
this is the Raiders are bad and they quit? How
much of it is Kyle Shanahan's a wizard, and how
much of it is hey, you know what, maybe the
kid who threw for four thousand yards during his junior
year can actually you play. I think it's a combination
of all those things. I think the writers defensively are
I saw a tweet this morning statistically giving up the
(16:08):
most yards poor play in the history of the league.
So I mean that they're bad. I think to Kyle
now in a year and a half has won NFL
games with three quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo, you'd say, well, most
coaches could win a game, true, c J. Beathard, No,
he's won multiple games with c. J. Bethard. That's decently impressive.
But to win a game with your third string quarterback,
(16:29):
I give you some credit. A guy that not only
had never thrown an NFL pass, he'd never taken the
NFL snap. Cool moment last night with Aaron Andrews with
Farv on the set calling in that's just third drink,
you know, Doug. They just don't win many games. One,
they don't ever play in. Two when they do play,
they look unserviceable. They look like you can't even function
(16:51):
as an offense again playing a terrible defense. But a
short week basically getting becoming a game time decision or
finding out you know, the night before that's I give,
I give Kyle, and I give Nick who I was
texting with a guy in the front office. They're like, God,
he works really hard. Clearly you know he had prepared
for the opportunity. But usually opportunities with backup quarterbacks do
(17:14):
not go that well, No, they go about like they've
gone for the Buffalo Bills for Derrick Anderson. Right, that's
that's more part for the course. The Buffalo Bills. Someone
told me earlier day they're on pace for six throwing
touchdowns for the entire season. Six. Nick Mullins last night
again playing the Raiders three touchdowns. So you name me
(17:37):
how many coaches in in NFL history have won a
game with their third string guy. We've seen a lot
of guys win games are backup, but third stringers they
just don't ever play. And again when they play, they
look atrocious, Like there is no to me, there's no comparison.
Kyle Shanahan is in a different world as a coach
than John Gruden, which back to the Raiders is a
(17:59):
problem because you're in this for ten years. He Gruden
has all the juice. He's already traded good players, Like like,
I know Kyle can work with players. I I do
question Doug Ken John work with the modern player. I mean,
we just saw what he said with Howie Long about
how players are lined up to come to the Raiders,
(18:20):
and then he was asked after the game, like don't
you feel that affected your team? You know these guys
that just basically just quit on you hearing you say that,
and he claimed no. To me, he's almost feels collegiate,
like he's more suited for college. Like in the NFL,
you don't need to sell yourself money. The Raiders have
a ton of cap space. You just pay guys, they
show up, they'll play for you. Gruden's almost I don't know,
(18:43):
it feels like he's becoming a character of himself. Oh,
now that part, there's no question, right, That's what happens
when you're on TV is you fail to see where
the TV character there. There's there's one fame, really really
famous broadcaster who you know, like the real guy I
really really liked, but he ceased to be the real guy.
(19:03):
He became the TV person, and that one was hard.
And I think Gruden's a little bit like that. You know,
people like, oh, I love the chucky thing, and you
you kind of become a caricature of the person that
used to exist. John. Do you think he's a good coach?
I do think. I think he's a good football guy.
Um I think that. Do I think this was ultimately
like the perfect plan? No? But I also think that
(19:25):
as it became more and more obvious they didn't have
the cash. I think they Here's what I actually know
is they didn't properly prepare for how much Khalil Mack
would be worth, or thought he would be worth, and
so they overspent on the free agent market in the
short terms, so that they were cash strapped. And then
when they realized that he wasn't bluffing and it wasn't
(19:47):
gonna end well, they said, well, we get two first
round picks. And they didn't think anybody would give him
to first round picks, and they got him, and so
they moved on and they moved into this all right. Look,
we weren't really good even when we made the playoffs
two years ago. The division was down and we went
for it on fourth down and went for two a
bunch and got it. But in order to get really good,
this is the way we need to do it. So
(20:08):
I think he's a good football guy. Do I think
he drafted well? No? Do I think he signed great
free agents? No? Um, but but a little bit of
it is a numbers game, right, Even the best guys
can miss on people and eventually and and eventually you
get it right, let me, let's get go around the
leaguere So Hugh Jackson goes on First Take today and
(20:31):
backing up some of his comments to Mary Kake have
It yesterday, essentially says, hey, look, I never got a
chance to run my offense because our players aren't any good. Right,
they weren't the guys that I that I wanted. Hugh Jackson,
you know, throwing previous and current personnel guys kind of
under the bus and taking not a lot of accountability
in terms of his failures as a head coach. Does
(20:53):
he actually have a point? I mean, it sure doesn't
feel like it because at the time here are a
previous comments that he made saying, you know, I liked Wins,
I just didn't think he was worth the number two pick.
And again, it's hard to totally tell unless you truly
know Hugh, and even people to know you kind of
say that he talks out of both sides of his mouth.
(21:13):
That was he just trying to be a good company guy.
Did he truly believe in the process. Did he get
screwed a little bit with the way that Sashi and
the tanking happened for sure? Did it turn out that
Hugh is really over his head as a head coach?
One percent. I think it's a combination of both things.
But I do think that him going on this rant
now trying to make it look like Q you were
(21:36):
given now three years and this year's team, like you
lost to the Raiders when when you were kicking there,
but like they came back and beat you, And I
can't no coach in like probably an NFL history, I
think he statistically has the second worst losing percentage ever,
like Q you you should not have lost this many games.
(21:57):
The the year they went I think it was two
years ago when they won one game. I somehow that
year ended up watching a lot of Browns games. They
easily shouldn't have been a five or six win team. Again, no,
no one thinks you're a playoff guy, Hugh. Right, Hey,
this this year, they should have won four or five games.
Oh easily, Like part part of the reasons you you're
tying these games is on you, Like if you just
(22:18):
are a little more buttoned up. I had always heard
around the office they're just very discombobulated. They're they're not
very deep. He's not a detail oriented guy. You know,
this year is pretty you know, proven he's an offensive guy.
But they had to bring in an offensive coordinator. But
we have, in fairness to Hugh, the one year that
he was with he had Andy Dalton role in that
Cincinnati you know team looked excellent on offense. It's not
(22:41):
like their head coach, Marvin Lewis is a defensive guy.
So that was all Hugh. So everyone's like, oh, maybe
he's really good, but it's proven that he's not. You
know that that year might have been more of an
anomaly than he was. Some excellent coach. And he's also
a pretty big me me guy, throw you under the
bus guy, which you know in football you gotta be.
And that's why BacT. I'm not trying to keep this
(23:02):
on Gruden, but Gruden's kind of got a little bit
of that. As a head coach, you gotta just always
take the arrows, even though when you know you're not
in the wrong. It's just part of the job. That's
why you make all that money. It's the team dynamics,
and I just think certain guys really struggle at it.
You know. It's it's interesting, and here's McVeigh, who has
been given so much credit for turning around the Rams.
(23:22):
You listen to him post game and it's completely about
the players, you know. I I listened to in post game.
I got in my car, I was driving around after
watching the game, went out to get a cup of coffee,
and I'm listening to the postgame locally in Los Angeles
and always says, you know, our offense wasn't and that's
on me. I put us in some bad situations. I
made some terrible calls. You know. Luckily, you know, guys
(23:44):
like Todd and look at the defense he started naming
guys who made big plays, and it's it's really it
doesn't mean you have to you have to appear to
be sincere, even if you're like, actually, we kind of
made some adjustments of coaches, right, and it goes a
long way, even if you're lying. Andy Reid is the
best at same way. And he never talks about himself.
He always talks about other guys, even when that guy
(24:04):
probably doesn't deserve as much credits he's gonna give him.
But you know these young players that they read the
they see it on Twitter, they know that means a
lot too. When the when an assistant coach gets a
little credit, when a backup linebacker gets a little credit
in a press conference. Even things that you know I
take for granted, this is an innocuous coach comment, means
something to the quarterback coach, or means something to the
(24:26):
nickel corner and the coaches. Even when you lose, like
you kind of go over the top of like taking
on all the blame on yourself and given it to
the other guy really impacts guys that are in their
mid twenties or a coach that's you know, trying to
be on the come up. And I think that's McVeigh
has been excellent at that. I watched every press conference
Kyle Shanahan gives and they have not won many games
(24:48):
clearly this year, and he's been really good at it.
These younger coaches, sometimes you would think can be overwhelmed
by the pressure of it, actually feel almost more better
suited in this day and age. UM. Also, here's a
comment he made. John midelcof our guest Gotlip Show Fox
Sports Radio, John's former scout in the NFL. Download his
Three and Out podcast. He said this in regards to
(25:09):
Baker Mayfield, I think you have to do everything you
can to make him successful. I think you have to
go back to Oklahoma, UM and UM and see what
what they did, uh, and use all the concepts that
made him the number one, number one pick in the draft.
That's what's gonna make him the best version of him.
I will I will, I will say that's exactly what
(25:31):
essentially what a GM told me is that look, when
he's in Oklahoma, they designed a system where he could
be successful, and they had better personnel than the than
most of the teams they played, and that's and he
had complete grasp of all their concepts. Like Baker's good,
but there's there's a ceiling there that's a little bit
lower because you gotta put him in specific that that though,
(25:51):
feels to most people like a shot at Baker. What's
your reaction, Yeah, I mean it is. It was a
bull pick at number one overall. I think anyone I
know you watch that conference and that team play a lot.
I mean, he Baker was a bowler in college and
he deserved me to be a first round pick. But
when you take a guy number one overall, you think
(26:11):
he can be a star, I mean, a consistent pro bowler.
At his hype now he is really accurate. He's not
a great athlete. Uh, he did benefit. He played in
arguably the most stable football power in the country and
they even had a coaching turnover and didn't even feel
that weird. It was like they just hit the ground
run with Lincoln Riley, and like you said, they playing
(26:32):
a loaded team. Think about this year, and I'm gonna
give Baker somewhat of a past this season because I
don't think he's played very well the last three or
four weeks. When in NFL history has a rookie starting
quarterback that was a high first round Pick had his
head coach and his offensive coordinator fired on the same day.
I meant, did that win two years ago when they
(26:58):
fired Jeff Fisher? But but Jeff Fisher is more of
a defensive guy, like you know, but then they fired
did they fired the offensive coordinator as well? I'm trying
to trying to think, I mean that that offense was
a joke. It was so it was that was might
have Jared Jared jeared Goss. I believe his rookie year
offense was like, hey, you guys, go out and get open,
go along. Okay, So the Rams might actually might have
(27:19):
done it. But that's a good example of you almost
just have to give the guy a pass. And I
think that's why this offseason is gonna be like, I mean,
I don't know where you stand on this. I think
Lincoln Riley wouldn't even waste the time interviewing with the Browns.
How would he leave Oklahoma to go to the Browns? Uh?
Here's here's here's a question I have, John, that you're
taking on the Chiefs. You go one of two ways.
(27:39):
They're they're good running team and they've shown themselves to
be a good running team this year. Um, I kind
of feel though, no offensive coordinat or no head coach
did they go bowl game offense right where you're like, dude,
just bet the over because they're gonna go out and
sling it. Isn't that what they do to that? This
week against the Chiefs? Yeah, I I just think the
Chiefs just so much better. But you know, I'm not
(28:01):
saying they win the game, but I'm just saying, in
terms of style wise, one of two things, like the
way to beat the Chiefs is probably to keep him
off the field to run the football long drives. But
considering the coaching change and some of the questions about
Baker and whatever and the limitations of the previous offense,
like they're like, hell with it, who cares, Let's go
oop to you, right, let's four on one side, one
(28:22):
on the other, and let's go. Yeah. I mean that's
clearly Baker is comfortable with right, Like what you said
in Oklahoma, Yeah, I don't hate it? Why not? Yet
you have nothing to lose. You also have a coach
in Greg Williams whose egos as big as any coach
in like NFL history. Why why not? I mean he
wants this job, he does he wants to keep it,
stay ab head coach this. He would get a lot
(28:43):
of credit. If somehow they beat the right, if they
beat the Chiefs, like like you said, they just throw
it around the yard and win thirty seven to thirty
two or something, he would get he would get a
ton of positive pub I just don't. I mean, this
kitchen's guy is never called plays in his life. I know.
The other problem, the other um is if you don't
have like the Baker concepts installed, you know, already in
(29:05):
your offense a big part of it, it would be
hard just to kind of do it in a short
week when all these coaches got fired. So it could
go the other way. You could attempt to do it
and it could look even worse. All right, I got
a bunch of quick ones, all right, Steelers Ravens. Ravens
go and beat him, and Joe Flacco was like, dude,
I thought it could have been a lot worse. I didn't.
I missed on a bunch of throws. This one's in Baltimore.
(29:25):
Ravens in a bad spot of for losing to in
a row when Justin Justin Tucker missing the kick two
weeks ago. Who do you like I like the Steelers.
I mean, I think John Harbaugh, I mean TikTok and
the thing's about to add for him in Baltimore. I
just don't think the Ravens. Something is just off about them.
And I liked them early in the season, but you
watching the last couple of weeks, I mean, they just
got their butt kicked. I think the Steelers are now rolling.
(29:47):
I just the Steelers lost to him earlier in the
season on that Sunday night game. Like you said, I
think they, like the Steelers just start rolling off wins
Pete Carroll. They seem to have found some more no
name guys that can play against the Chargers who no
one really wants to buy into, even though we should
buy into them, and they still don't have Joey Bosa.
Can the Chargers go in front the twelfth Man and
gonna win? I think they can. I mean, I I
(30:08):
am a believer this year in the Chargers, but for
some reason, I kind of like Pete Man. He's got
this team just playing hard. Russell's playing well. That place
a couple of weeks ago, I mean when the Rams
went in there was rocking, kind of old school twelve. Yeah,
that to me, is easily the best loss of the
season for any team. That was really impressive. I think
(30:29):
they take this game released. I think the Chargers can
lose this game and I still take them seriously. I
like Seattle, all right, Packers Patriots pick one quarterback, Brady
or Rogers. Brady not even close, not even clothes. I mean,
for me, I why I don't hesitate making the decision.
I'm not saying that Roger is not a great all
time player, but it's it's without hesitation. Tom Brady why,
(30:52):
I just think he's a total package. You know, would
be like you asking me Kobe or Duncan. I wouldn't
even flinch, and I'd take Duncan. I think there's more
to the quarterback than just I mean Rogers, he's the
Dan Marino of my generation or whatever. Now I know
he's one, so he's like a combination of Merino in Elway,
but there's just something about Montana that's just most people
put him on a different level from being a teammate
from and Brady is the highest level of just it all.
(31:15):
And I also think that when we talk about him
like that, it almost discounts how great, great of a
pocket how elite he is as a quarterback where Rogers
there is. You know, he can get off and do
his own thing, which a lot of times works, but
he's not the easiest guy to deal with it. And
again I like Rogers. I mean, he's probably top five
six quarterback ever. But when we were talking about Tom awesome,
(31:38):
uh incredible stuff. John Minekoff Three Out is the podcast
and the Herd Podcast Network. John Lovett, keep renting on Facebook.
I'll keep watching and thanks for joining us. Doug gott
lead next head coach of the Lakers probably probably probably not,
but I know he might be talking about than be
sure to catch live editions. So the Doug gott Leap
Show week days and neon Et three pm Pacific. I
(32:01):
think it stands to reason. And like how many coach
has Lebron James been through? Even you go back to
Cleveland when he won sixty one games his final year
in Cleveland the first time around. Remember they fired Mike
Brown before he'd ever and that before Lebron had announced
that he wasn't coming back to Cleveland going to Miami.
Fired him why because that the best guess was that
(32:24):
Lebron didn't want to play for Mike Brown. Then he
goes to Miami and while Eric Spoelster was his coach
for the entirety of those four years, if you remember
back during his first year, he challenged Spolstra's authority. It
was a story that came out about six months ago
that that, in fact was real that Lebron did go in.
It was in pat Riley's new book where he's like, look, Lebron,
(32:46):
did you know ask me if I thought about coming
back to coach? So Spolster, because he had the support
of Ryles, end up keeping his job. He comes back,
David blats his head coach. We know how that ended. Now,
the story comes out that after losing a couple of games,
really defensive numbers aren't good. Three point shooting numbers aren't good.
(33:06):
Maggie Johnson had a special meeting with Luke Walton. Here's
Luke Walton moments ago. I feel like I have a
great relationship with management. Yes, do you feel like you
have job security? I feel like I'm coming down here
to do my job and coach, and I don't. I
don't feel like I'm going into it now. Look, do
do I think that Magic wants to fire Luke Walton.
(33:27):
I don't. But on the other hand, this is a
results based business. He did not and Rob Polinka did
not hire Luke Walton. Only two guys in that building
that weren't brought on by the current staff. Remember we
said new president uh in college, new new athletic director
in college. Luke Walton's got the same thing. Luke Allan's
got new player, star player, and he's working for a
(33:49):
different general manager and a different president than the ones
that hired him. He and Brandon Ingram the only they're
like the last Mohicans. Now, is it fair to point
out that the the it the Lakers are playing at
a very fast pace, that the Lakers offensive efficiency is
actually ninth in the league, and that they're kind of
(34:10):
adjusting to learn Lebron's adjusting to learning to playing for
a new coach with a new team, and that they're
all learned. That's fine, but that that doesn't mean that
that doesn't mean that that that magic is okay with it.
They play with the fourth fastest pace in the NBA. Atlanta,
(34:33):
by the way, who got their asses kicked by Sacramento
last night, plays at the fastest pace in the NBA.
Their defensive efficiency, Oh not good twenty second in the NBA.
So could this be a stern talking too sure? But
this is the kind of the progress of events like
you don't. This is like in business when guys does
something wrong, you don't get fired for the first time
(34:55):
you do something wrong. You get fired because we warned you,
warned you, we warned you, and then something came out,
we fired you. That's how I feel about this with
Luke Walton. So I feel how it works where early
on it's Lebron, or maybe not Lebron, it's Magic saying, look,
(35:19):
you gotta get them playing better defense, you gotta get
figured this thing out. You gotta get more out of
brand in Ingram who's not playing well. Figure out a
way to get it done. As they go and take
on the Portland Trailblazers on the road, figure out a
way to close games because they almost gave away one
to Dallas. Big stretch for them because and I'll tell
(35:40):
you why it's a big stretch is not because of
the game against Portland's because the game against Toronto. Magic
Johnson wants them to look good, looks sharp, feel good,
feel sharp, feel like they have great spirit when Kawai
Leonard comes into their building this Sunday night, But it
doesn't feel like like he's gonna get fired right now.
(36:04):
It feels like the first in what will be two
or three warning kind of shots across the bow before
ultimately they come. For Fox Sports Radio has the best
sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our
shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com and within the
I Heart Radio app search f s R to listen live.
Let's bring in Joel Clapp, lead college football analists for
(36:26):
Fox Sports. He joins us in the Doug Otlip Show
on Fox Sports Radio. Joe, I haven't heard your opinion
on this. What's DJ Durkin has been fired after being
reinstated by the Board of Regions in Maryland. Obviously you
cover among conferences, you know, on a very firsthand basis,
Pack twelve, Big twelve, and Big ten. What do you
think about what went down to Maryland? Oh? Gosh, um Well,
(36:50):
first of all, I thought it was strange that they
were this blind to meaning the administration in the Board
of Regions, blind to what was happening within the team.
You know, Say what you will about the coverage of
this week or even the fan sentiment. And and I
(37:13):
think what ultimately maybe they weren't expecting was the division
and really I think a better term the fracture within
the team. UM So, I think some would have argued
that all, you know, this is them stating that winning
is above everything. But that's where I actually thought it
was interesting because rein stadium, I, reinstating UM I thought
(37:35):
was gonna be harder. I thought moving on was going
to be the best way to do this one because
you don't fracture the team. And two you and I
both know that would have been used as the first,
you know, bullet in the chamber for the opposing recruiting staffs.
You know, so you can't recruit if you're DJ Durkin.
(37:58):
So there's a I mean, shoot man, there's so many
different angles you can take on this, But just from
that standpoint, I was shocked that they did it just
based on that much less just the human element, the
responsibility element, all of those um And I guess I
guess the question I get the correct conclusion. I guess
the question is this. I read the report because I
(38:19):
really want to know what it actually said, and the
report didn't really Linkedink Dirk into any of this. Obviously,
what happens is there were some that didn't like the
strength coach, and the strength coach had uh some accusations.
Here's why I had a problem with that report, Doug,
and and you and you, and I was a firsthand
(38:40):
knowledge of this. The strength coach, for any head coach
is his chief of staff, if you will, I mean,
it is his wing wingman. It's it's generally the number
one higher for anybody. And and a lot of times
even maybe in the basketball sense, but certainly in the
football sense. And and so when I read the report, yeah,
(39:04):
the report from a technical perspective absolved some of what
DJ was involved with and what he wasn't involved with.
But my problem is is that I'm so tired of
these coaches in a multitude of different sports, claiming responsibility
for all the wins and getting paid millions upon millions
of dollars, and then when anything goes wrong, they're like,
(39:25):
I didn't know, it wasn't my job, and it's not
my responsibility, you know what. I'm sorry, but the buck
has to stop somewhere, and the head coach is responsible
for the culture. He's responsible for his own hires. You
can't hire someone that acts that way and not be
somewhat responsible for it. So when I read the report,
(39:48):
I thought that it went way too far in absolving
DJ from a technical perspective of some of the responsibility.
I look, I think that's that's accurate, and I think
it's an interesting p My issue is more, I don't
think abusive behavior is what led to this death, or
any sort of culture toxicity led to this death. Right, Like,
(40:09):
if you read it, which I know you did, is
you know, no I had I didn't know that he
had a d D and was on medication. And I'm
guessing that maybe some of the trainers that were treating
him didn't know or didn't assess the fact that that
could have been what was leading to uh, you know,
what was leading to heat stroke even though it wasn't
particularly hot outside, you know, or that he was a
(40:30):
medical perspective, you're you're probably right, yeah, But but there
is the culture where he was only um, you know,
taken to the training room by two students, trainers who
didn't put him in the cold tub for fear that
if he passed out they wouldn't be able to get
him out. Well, how why is that? I would argue
that that's actually the culture in play, because no one
(40:53):
cares about somebody who they they feel like this is
slacking off, right, So that's where the culture did absolutely
affect this instance. Now, from a medical perspective of what
was happening inside of Jordan, I would I agree with you.
You know that this might have happened whether he was
in the coldtub or not. But but the nonchalant care
(41:14):
I think absolutely speaks to the culture who was dealing
with him, who was caring for him, and when he
ultimately got the care that he needed, I think absolutely
speaks to the type of culture and the type of
environment that was going on during that conditioning practice. Joel
clad joining us in the Doug Gotlib Show Fox Sports Radio.
I think it should be fascinating to see how the
(41:34):
team responds. Taking a Michigan State team that that has
had their own kind of tumultuous season. They went through
some of the stuff off the field. Obviously not a
tragic death last year, but but there, you know, they
were they had their own issues off the field last year.
Um playing at home, Matt Kent has actually done a
really good job making them cohesive. They have a scuffle
(41:56):
between punters yesterday and that makes it on to social media.
H how do they play against Michigan State? Boy? I
think this could go. I mean, I think that this
is the ultimate pendulum. It's either going to be really
good or really bad. I don't see them just coming
out and being you know, average. I really think there's
(42:18):
either totally galvanizes them or they completely fall apart, and
I would lean towards fall apart. You know, with the
way there is just too much pressure on these kids
and too much focus on on what's happening. And I
can't even imagine what they're going through emotionally this week.
You know, half the team wants the coach back, then
they get what they want, then it's taken away from him.
(42:40):
Half the team want them fired. They walk out of
a meeting. Now they're excited. That's not just like division.
You know, who starts at quarterback can sometimes cause a
divisive locker room. This locker room seems and and is
proving to be totally fractured. So it's either going to
be one or the I think there's there's the ultimate
(43:00):
A or F type of situation, and I would lean
towards F. But you never know. Alright, let let's get
to Kentucky, a team whose defense has been outstanding and
their offense did just enough and got one. Uh they
got one mulligan last week so that they could beat
Missouri on the road. What's the likelihood they upset Georgia.
I don't think it's very likely at all. Their defense
(43:22):
is outstanding here exactly right, exactly right, and they've got
a pass rusher named Josh Allen that's a really, really
good He's gonna be a really a high top prospect
in the draft. He is sensational. The defense is sensational. Uh.
No one's come close to running up a bunch of
points on him. But Georgia found something last week, and
they found something that made them great a year ago. Namely,
(43:45):
it's their efficiency and ability to convert and score on
third down. Three of their touchdowns happened on third down.
Jake from was sensational on third down. That's something that
he was a year ago. That was not quite the
case during the course of this season. But he found that.
And I think Georgia's defense is really good. The bottom
line is this, Kentucky cannot throw the ball, and I
(44:05):
don't think you can be Georgia at all if you're
one dimensional on offense with Benny Snell and just have
a great defense. I think Georgia wins. I think they
went pretty handily, quite candidly of the you know, there's
probably I would call it six teams in the rankings
that I think are just wildly overrated and overranked and
and Kentucky is one of them. And I think that's
(44:26):
going to be proven out This week. West Virginia takes
on Texas. Is a Texas team that just got thumped
by Oklahoma, said did come back? Make it it? Make
it a game in the second half. You'll be calling
it on Fox. Of course you get a chance to
see Will Greer, one of the elite quarterbacks, and maybe
you know, I know they lost to Iowa State, but
there's still a chance because they still have a chance
(44:47):
to match up with Oklahoma Nott once, but potentially two
games with with Oklahoma or maybe two games with Texas upcoming.
What are your thoughts on West Virginia and if they
can fix what was wrong with them when they lost
their names. Well, yeah, that Aimes game was weird. I
watched it on Selman one. You gotta give Matt Campbell
and the Iowa State Cyclones a lot of credit. They
(45:08):
did a great job defensively forcing Weilkerire to hold the ball.
And I think you're gonna see Texas try to do
a lot of that tomorrow. I know I certainly would,
because Baylor was unable to do that, and they ran
Baylor out of the building last Thursday night. I'm a
bit worried for Texas in the sense that West Virginia
played last Thursday night and then Texas had that, you know,
barnburner of a game in Stillwater on Saturday night. So
(45:29):
you're talking about a much shorter week for the Longhorns
than than for West Virginia, who played at home on
Thursday against Baylor. Um, I will tell you that I
think that West Virginia's defense is going to get their
sternest test of the year thus far. Now, they did
play Texas Tech, but remember Bowman got hurt in that game,
and they didn't see Texas Tech at their best offensively,
(45:50):
And so I think a Texas team that's averaging thirty
one points a game with eleanor are playing really well
with those big, tall wide receivers on the outside. This
is certainly gonna be West Virginia's big test. UH. And
in Texas plays very well at home. Their four no
at home, they beat USC, they beat TCU, They've taken
care of business at home, and their defense UH is
pretty good. I think Will Grea is gonna have to
(46:12):
play his best with that good core deep core of
wide receivers around him uh to win the ball game.
I can't wait to watch it play out. I will
tell you, I feel like we're going to be in
for a high scoring affair, maybe a similar type of
game that we saw Texas and Oklahoma State play last week.
And and you're right. I mean Oklahoma State was unbelievable
in the fourth first quarter two sixty total yards, jump
(46:33):
out to a sevent team seven lead, make it seven
soon after in that second quarter, and Texas just didn't
have enough to come back. They tried, got within three,
but then made a couple of crucial mistakes. Um we
caught a punt inside the ten yard line that backed
him up, they punted the ball away after a holding call,
and then Oklahoma State scored. So Texas is going to
have to write that ship very quickly if they want
(46:54):
to get a win. Penn State escaped last week against
Iowa at home, and they escaped the first week against
app State at home, escaped against Indiana. UM lost two
close games Michigan State at home, Ohio State at home.
Now they travel on the road to take on Penn State. Uh. Look,
I I know everybody likes Trace McSorley and they got
(47:15):
some talent out wide, especially a big, big target like
Juwan Johnson. But it feels like something's missing with this
Penn State team. Am I Am I wrong? No? I
don't think you're wrong at all. And I think what's
missing his leadership. On defense. They lost a lot of
great players from a year ago, especially right down the
middle of defense stackle, middle, linebacker, and safety. They don't
have stay Kwon Barkley, they don't have Joe moorehead and
(47:36):
they've actually overperformed to this point in the season to
be at the point where they are. In my estimation,
Trace mcstorley is down twelve in his completion percentage, and
they're facing a defense in Michigan that is I gotta
tell you, I think, hands down the best core defense
in the country. They get up to the pastor they
(47:57):
stopped the run and then they are unbelievable ball against
the past. Penn State does not run the ball with
any consistency, and you can't tell me that Trace McSorley
is going to throw the ball against that defense in
a year in which he's averaging less than completion percentage
and went on the road. You know, the last time
Penn State lost badly was actually at Michigan two years
ago in two thousand and sixteen. And since then they've
(48:20):
only lost five games, and they've had the lead in
the fourth quarter in all five of those games. I
think we get another blowout. I actually think that Michigan
off of by arrested. With all those tight games that
Penn State has played up to this point, I think
Michigan beat him, beat him soundly. I wouldn't be shocked
at all if this was a two touchdown gap, if
not more. All right, let's get to the game of
(48:40):
the week, maybe the game of the year. I remember
it was the game of the century in two thousand eleven.
Then they played again. It's in the championship game. L
L s U a prohibitive underdog, but it's under lights
in baton rouge coach ow and and and Joe Burrows.
But Joe Burrows is not your run pass threat, right,
That's not the type of quarterback that generally generally gives
(49:01):
Nick Saban problems. Can he give Nick Saban problems? I
don't think so. I don't think so at all. This
is still a pretty good defense their number tenants scoring defense.
I know they haven't you know, played to the levels
that they've played at the last couple of years. The
FAMIN is still very good on defense. And here's where
it all boils down to for me, Even if L
s U played outstanding defense, I'm talking about outstanding defense.
(49:24):
I think Alabama offensively is to a point where Oklahoma
has been over the last few years, which is, and Doug,
you've seen this. You can play great on defense and
they'll still score thirty five points on you. Like that's
holding them down, right, Like that's playing great. So you
if that's the case, which I certainly think is going
to be the case, and that's what's given credit to
(49:45):
L s U. That means that Joe Burrow has got
to score thirty eight. I mean, do you think that's
gonna I don't know. I don't think that's gonna happen.
And so people are always asking me like, wow, you
can you believe that that spread is there? No, I
can absolutely believe it. First of all, I think l
ifew is overrated, quite frankly, because they don't play great
on offense. And I think the middle of the SEC
(50:05):
is a vastly overrated league. I know I get thrown
under the bus a lot for that, but the middle
is absolutely what I've said, and that's overrated by the media. UM.
And that that's who they've beaten. UM. So we'll see.
I know that they beat Georgia. Georgia turned the ball
over four times. If Alabama can hold on the football,
they're gonna beat them by more than two touchdowns. Awesome stuff, Joel.
(50:27):
Joel Safe travels to Austin. Thanks so much for joining us,
absolutely man, talk to you soon.
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
from three to six pm Eastern Time, that's twelve to
three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station
for the Doug Gottlieb Show at Fox Sports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the I Heart
Radio app by searching fs R. This is the best
(00:22):
of the Doug Gottlieb Show on Fox Sports Radio Boom
one of America. Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio. I
will tell you this. My wife, kids and I we
miss fall like real fall Connecticut Fall twelve. The last
sixteen years of my life, I spent uh in the
(00:44):
Nutmeg State. But um, you know it's better than cool
crisp air of fall. Seventy degrees during the day, fifty
at night. It's about eighty degrees Yesterday, there's a believable
oh man. Welcome in to the Doug Gottlieb Show. By
the way, if you want to download the All Ball Podcast,
(01:05):
some great stuff on it. This week Keith Smith joined me.
He does the Celtics Blog and my boy m d
Clinton Darry McClinton, who has his own podcast. He's a
personal trainer, coaches AU team's former pro ballplayer in the
d m V give him the lowdown on on the
d C area. We talked some hopes. It's the All
(01:26):
Ball Podcast and we have a loaded, loaded, loaded show
for you. Let's start with last night. Do we have
the tape ye on yesterday's Picks of the Games? All right?
Ryan Music was doing um a celebratory dance last night
(01:46):
as the Raiders got pummeled by the forty Niners. Full disclosure,
I truly believe and up, I have not heard the
tape yet. I truly believe that I was picking the Niners.
The spread in spite of the fact that an unknown,
untested quarterback was starting for the forty Niners, because of
I mean everything I've seen from the Raiders and trade
away Amari Cooper, and the fact that I know they
(02:08):
would prefer to lose as opposed to win, I thought
I was picking the Niners. Take a listen end of
the show yesterday we made our picks here it was
what about you there, Ryan Music. I love the forty Niners. Tonight,
give me the Niners. I'm gonna go with the Raiders. Wow,
that was edited. Is that what you guys did to me?
(02:29):
I have no idea what you're talking about, Doug what
wait wait, wait what do you guys just completely cheated?
Edit Ramos? How are you going? And if you guys
don't know, John Ramos is a very very well respected
technical director, not just for Fox Sports Radio but in
the entire radio world. That's the best bad editing you
(02:53):
could do. I have Uh No, I did not touch
anything on their personally, John, John, John, you did not
touch anything personally? Is that is that? Is? That? Is that?
Originally how it sounded John that the pregnant pause is
(03:17):
all I need? Thank you? And look, I understand that
in the moment, it feels awful in the moment, John
Gruden seems like an idiot. In the moment, you can
declare the ten year, one d million dollar contract to
seem like the dumbest contract in the history of sports.
(03:39):
By the way, the Raiders, of course, n'm diaspy sixteen
million a year completely changed the course of history. That's
what made Durrell Reaves have to get paid so much
and ultimately led to him, uh going to Tampa and
then to New England and back to the Jets. It
wouldn't be the first bad contract they've ever handed out.
But the fact is that this is one of the
(04:02):
reasons he had to be paid for ten years and
a hundred million dollars. If you're going to go through tanking,
truly shedding any sort of viable asset and all the
viable contracts for the future, since you have cap space
and draft picks, you're gonna take a beating like why
(04:24):
would they give him? This is why, you idiots, He's
doing it for a reason. Well, you know it doesn't work.
Who's undefeated in the n B A Dan buyer will
tell you it's is Milwaukee Bucks. Go back and look
(04:44):
at what the they lost last night, But they were
the last undefeated team in the NBA. Why because they
got your honest they shed salary, cap space, they got
draft picks, they loaded up on talent, and I don't
think they're the best team in the East, but they've
got a lot better. You know who preceded them in tanking.
That would be the Boston Celtics. The Philadelphia seventies is
(05:07):
weren't the first ones to trust the process. We've seen
this before. The the Houston Astros did a two thousand thirteen.
They were talking about, well, this is what a joke.
It's bad for baseball. They're not competitive. This trying to
be a bad thing is stupid. Didn't they win the
World Series last year? Like I alright, fine, you need
(05:30):
business Marvel comics. Have you seen a Marvel movie this year?
The question isn't having have you seen a Marvel movie?
Have you seen a movie that wasn't a Marvel movie
this year? Right? Um? And so you look at Mark.
Did you know Marvel declared bankruptcy in the mid nineties.
Did you know Apple nearly declared bankruptcy? Donald Trump, of course,
(05:53):
was pointed out when he was on the campaign trail,
declared bankruptcy for different times with his company, whether it's
Chapter eleven or whether it's tanking. This is a business
practice that has been proven to work. And the only
thing more proven than the idea of the process of
(06:17):
tanking is that during the time in which you hit
rock bottom, everyone's gonna be pointing at the finger at
the person who's leading the ship down, knowing they're gonna
lead the ship back up. Here's Jon Gruden before the game.
It was a great interview with Howie Long the NFL
on on Fox. Here's a Gruden said before the game.
(06:38):
I got a cell phone, just like you and everybody else,
and I get a lot of phone calls from people
that are dying to come and play here. I'm just
telling you they're dying to play for the raid is
and to have salary cap space, and to have a
chance to talk to the people that you really want
to wear the silver and black, the guys, you really
want to wear the silver and black and represent this
(06:58):
team that's excited. He here's Gruden after the game. I'm
just trying to get people excited about the Oakland Raiders.
The Oakland Raiders is a great organization, and I know
it's not looking pretty right now, but I've heard a
lot of negativity, you know, over the last six or
seven months, and rightfully. So We're gonna build a championship
football team here, and I know a lot of people
as players, as fans, and you know, just in general
(07:21):
want to be a part of this. There's a line
from The Usual Suspects. I'm I'm a I'm a huge
Usual Suspects fan one of I don't know if you
go top five, I think probably uh top five. The
only issue with the Usual Suspects is I think the
first time you see it, the ending makes you want
(07:42):
to see it the second time, and maybe there's a
third time in it. I'm not sure if it's as
easy to repeat like the sixth Sense. You know, once
you know about the end of the sixth sens, you
go back and you watch the movie one more time,
and then you're kind of tapped out. John Gruden's has
convinced people the entire time he's had this job that
(08:03):
he wants to compete to win, and not just compete
to win, to compete to win. Now, that's really what's
an issue. It's not that they're tanking, because they're doing
so inglorious fashion right. They have five first round picks
over the next two years and at least seventy million
dollars in calf space in the coming season as genius.
(08:23):
That is brilliant, that is beautiful. The differences. He's convinced
you that he's not tanking, which reminds me of this line.
The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the
world he didn't exist. The greatest trick that John Gruden
ever pulled was convincing you that he was trying to
win now when everything else he's doing it's not what
(08:47):
he's saying, it's what he's doing. No, no no, No, we
want to win now. We want to win championships, want
to win this year. Yeah but John, you just trade
away your two best assets for first round trafficks. Now
we want to win now. Yeah but John, you have
seven dollars in cap space in the coming year. No,
we want to win now, John, you have a tenure contract.
What would be the Russian winning? Now? We want to
(09:07):
win now. The most amazing thing Gruten has done is
convinced you he's not tanking when he's clearly tanking and
doing a fantastic job at it. And oh yeah, by
the way, while some of you look at and go
tim quit on him and it's great. The only way
to truly find out who he wants to have where
(09:29):
silver and black is if you've got nothing to play
for except for pride itself and your own future, and
you're not wanting to compete. I don't really want you.
If you during this time of adversity, he can figure
out what's what, who's who, and who he wants to
go to war with he's artificially created all of this
adversity to where they get, you know, in which they
(09:50):
get completely eviscerated last night by a quarterback who no
one could pick out of a line. Hell, how great
is the story? He his Twitter Her account wasn't verified
before last night. I don't know how many UM followers
you have to have to have your Twitter account verified?
(10:12):
Do we do we know the stat on that, do
we know how that actually works? But Nick Mullins went
from I've never actually heard of Nick Mullins. If you
tell me he's in the NFL, fine too. Oh my god,
Nick Mullins might be a starting quarterback in the end
abow he's wanting Brett Farve's number. Brett Farve calls him.
Twitter account gets verified, people are talking about baby Jimmy
Grombolo doesn't have to come back with what C. J.
(10:33):
Pether did. Look what Nick Mullins did. That's how And
you think it's that type of embarrassment, Either you get
up and show you still want to play, or you quit.
And the dudes that quit he's gonna be done with
at the end of the year, and the guys that
don't are still gonna wear the radar uniform. That's what
(10:53):
we said about him losing the locker room last week.
The reports people are ticked, right, are you getting rid
of Mark Cooper? You're trying to lose down. Let's see
how you handle it. I know how you're gonna handle success.
Everybody handles success great. It's it's really if we're winning,
and everyboding is good. Is when we're losing, who's pointing fingers,
(11:16):
who's quitting on roots? When you're down thirty four to three,
who's still playing hard? Those are the guys who will remain.
He's created this artificial environment of angst against coaches, in
front office and fans and even each other, and the
(11:37):
strongest will in fact survive, and those are the guys
will take with him. But John Gruns convinced you because
he said over and over again that they're not tanking,
because you believe that. No, no, no guy who loves
football whatever, try and lose a game, and try and
I have to try and lose a game. You get
rid of enough good players, and you're not that good
to begin with, you're gonna lose football games. You play
(11:59):
enough young guys, you're gunna lose football games, and so
you don't like it, okay. Marvel Comics what they do?
They were all about comic books. They declared bankruptcy. They
started focusing on movies. There is no more powerful name
in Hollywood than Marvel Comics right now. Think about Apple,
(12:26):
They were almost declared bankruptcy. Microsoft bailed them out because
Microsoft was worried that they would be considered a monopoly
if Apple went under. So what Apple do They changed?
They diversified. They went to this thing called the iPod,
which became the iPhone, which is revolutionized smartphones. And you
(12:49):
tell me a room that doesn't have an Apple logo
on it. Oh. Yeah. By the way, they brought back
Steve Jobs, who had won for them in the past,
just the same way they Raiders head with Jon Gruden.
Last time the Raiders were good. Last time the Raiders
were relevant. Guess who is in charge? So I understand
(13:09):
it feels really icky. It feels like a like this
is a disaster. This is yeah intentionally, So be sure
to catch live editions of The Doug got Leap Show
week days in noon eastern three pm Pacific on Fox
Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app. I don't
know what I enjoy more with Facebook, going back and
checking out old pictures, are watching John Middlcoff just lay
(13:31):
into the Raiders on a weekly basis on on his
Facebook page. Download his three and Out podcast. It's right
next to my All Ball podcast, part of the Herd
Podcast Network. Course used to work in front office in
the National Football League now is basically your your sage
guide into the National Football League. Here on the Doug
gott Leap Show, My my take is this, I realized
(13:55):
they didn't do a good job in the draft this year,
but I didn't think the Raiders we're gonna win the
a f C West this year. And Gruden took the
big contract one because that's the only way to get
him out of TV. But too, it's the only way
to survive tanking. And when you step back and not
look at it as Jon Gruden and say, hey, seventy
million dollars in cab space with five first rounders over
(14:18):
the next two years, it's glorious the tanking they're pulling off,
and maybe even more surprising how people don't realize they're tanking.
What's your take, Well, here here's the thing, Doug. In basketball,
you can tank because you can really control it with
the personnel in football. Gruden has attempted to do that
kind of similarly this year. I think the things I
(14:40):
would question is no player in football, especially Derek Carr,
is trying to lose these games, and coaches on game
day like he's calling these games attempting to win. He
tried to win that game last night. He did not
try to lose to Nick Mullins, a third string quarter act.
And I think the other big red flag is one
(15:03):
I don't think any team in the league would have
trade to clear back beside John Gruten, Mark Cooper wants
not crazy, and you gotta give him credit. That's good value.
The problem is his resume as a draft picker, you know,
as the general manager, is not good. So you go, yeah,
he's got five picks, which is by far the most
amount of first rounders over these next two years any
(15:24):
one team has. It's just who's the guy picking the players?
Because Gruden has proven I actually think he can be
a good offensive coach if you get him, if he
gets better players. But who's gonna get him the better players?
Because he struggles at that element of the job, and
that when you pay a guy a hundred million dollars.
He's in control, he's gonna be picking these players that
that that would be my big question mark. It's a
(15:47):
fair question mark. What about Nick Mullins. How much of
this is the Raiders are bad and they quit? How
much of it is Kyle Shanahan's a wizard, and how
much of it is hey, you know what, maybe the
kid who threw for four thousand yards during his junior
year can actually you play. I think it's a combination
of all those things. I think the writers defensively are
I saw a tweet this morning statistically giving up the
(16:08):
most yards poor play in the history of the league.
So I mean that they're bad. I think to Kyle
now in a year and a half has won NFL
games with three quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo, you'd say, well, most
coaches could win a game, true, c J. Beathard, No,
he's won multiple games with c. J. Bethard. That's decently impressive.
But to win a game with your third string quarterback,
(16:29):
I give you some credit. A guy that not only
had never thrown an NFL pass, he'd never taken the
NFL snap. Cool moment last night with Aaron Andrews with
Farv on the set calling in that's just third drink,
you know, Doug. They just don't win many games. One,
they don't ever play in. Two when they do play,
they look unserviceable. They look like you can't even function
(16:51):
as an offense again playing a terrible defense. But a
short week basically getting becoming a game time decision or
finding out you know, the night before that's I give,
I give Kyle, and I give Nick who I was
texting with a guy in the front office. They're like, God,
he works really hard. Clearly you know he had prepared
for the opportunity. But usually opportunities with backup quarterbacks do
(17:14):
not go that well, No, they go about like they've
gone for the Buffalo Bills for Derrick Anderson. Right, that's
that's more part for the course. The Buffalo Bills. Someone
told me earlier day they're on pace for six throwing
touchdowns for the entire season. Six. Nick Mullins last night
again playing the Raiders three touchdowns. So you name me
(17:37):
how many coaches in in NFL history have won a
game with their third string guy. We've seen a lot
of guys win games are backup, but third stringers they
just don't ever play. And again when they play, they
look atrocious, Like there is no to me, there's no comparison.
Kyle Shanahan is in a different world as a coach
than John Gruden, which back to the Raiders is a
(17:59):
problem because you're in this for ten years. He Gruden
has all the juice. He's already traded good players, Like like,
I know Kyle can work with players. I I do
question Doug Ken John work with the modern player. I mean,
we just saw what he said with Howie Long about
how players are lined up to come to the Raiders,
(18:20):
and then he was asked after the game, like don't
you feel that affected your team? You know these guys
that just basically just quit on you hearing you say that,
and he claimed no. To me, he's almost feels collegiate,
like he's more suited for college. Like in the NFL,
you don't need to sell yourself money. The Raiders have
a ton of cap space. You just pay guys, they
show up, they'll play for you. Gruden's almost I don't know,
(18:43):
it feels like he's becoming a character of himself. Oh,
now that part, there's no question, right, That's what happens
when you're on TV is you fail to see where
the TV character there. There's there's one fame, really really
famous broadcaster who you know, like the real guy I
really really liked, but he ceased to be the real guy.
(19:03):
He became the TV person, and that one was hard.
And I think Gruden's a little bit like that. You know,
people like, oh, I love the chucky thing, and you
you kind of become a caricature of the person that
used to exist. John. Do you think he's a good coach?
I do think. I think he's a good football guy.
Um I think that. Do I think this was ultimately
like the perfect plan? No? But I also think that
(19:25):
as it became more and more obvious they didn't have
the cash. I think they Here's what I actually know
is they didn't properly prepare for how much Khalil Mack
would be worth, or thought he would be worth, and
so they overspent on the free agent market in the
short terms, so that they were cash strapped. And then
when they realized that he wasn't bluffing and it wasn't
(19:47):
gonna end well, they said, well, we get two first
round picks. And they didn't think anybody would give him
to first round picks, and they got him, and so
they moved on and they moved into this all right. Look,
we weren't really good even when we made the playoffs
two years ago. The division was down and we went
for it on fourth down and went for two a
bunch and got it. But in order to get really good,
this is the way we need to do it. So
(20:08):
I think he's a good football guy. Do I think
he drafted well? No? Do I think he signed great
free agents? No? Um, but but a little bit of
it is a numbers game, right, Even the best guys
can miss on people and eventually and and eventually you
get it right, let me, let's get go around the
leaguere So Hugh Jackson goes on First Take today and
(20:31):
backing up some of his comments to Mary Kake have
It yesterday, essentially says, hey, look, I never got a
chance to run my offense because our players aren't any good. Right,
they weren't the guys that I that I wanted. Hugh Jackson,
you know, throwing previous and current personnel guys kind of
under the bus and taking not a lot of accountability
in terms of his failures as a head coach. Does
(20:53):
he actually have a point? I mean, it sure doesn't
feel like it because at the time here are a
previous comments that he made saying, you know, I liked Wins,
I just didn't think he was worth the number two pick.
And again, it's hard to totally tell unless you truly
know Hugh, and even people to know you kind of
say that he talks out of both sides of his mouth.
(21:13):
That was he just trying to be a good company guy.
Did he truly believe in the process. Did he get
screwed a little bit with the way that Sashi and
the tanking happened for sure? Did it turn out that
Hugh is really over his head as a head coach?
One percent. I think it's a combination of both things.
But I do think that him going on this rant
now trying to make it look like Q you were
(21:36):
given now three years and this year's team, like you
lost to the Raiders when when you were kicking there,
but like they came back and beat you, And I
can't no coach in like probably an NFL history, I
think he statistically has the second worst losing percentage ever,
like Q you you should not have lost this many games.
(21:57):
The the year they went I think it was two
years ago when they won one game. I somehow that
year ended up watching a lot of Browns games. They
easily shouldn't have been a five or six win team. Again, no,
no one thinks you're a playoff guy, Hugh. Right, Hey,
this this year, they should have won four or five games.
Oh easily, Like part part of the reasons you you're
tying these games is on you, Like if you just
(22:18):
are a little more buttoned up. I had always heard
around the office they're just very discombobulated. They're they're not
very deep. He's not a detail oriented guy. You know,
this year is pretty you know, proven he's an offensive guy.
But they had to bring in an offensive coordinator. But
we have, in fairness to Hugh, the one year that
he was with he had Andy Dalton role in that
Cincinnati you know team looked excellent on offense. It's not
(22:41):
like their head coach, Marvin Lewis is a defensive guy.
So that was all Hugh. So everyone's like, oh, maybe
he's really good, but it's proven that he's not. You
know that that year might have been more of an
anomaly than he was. Some excellent coach. And he's also
a pretty big me me guy, throw you under the
bus guy, which you know in football you gotta be.
And that's why BacT. I'm not trying to keep this
(23:02):
on Gruden, but Gruden's kind of got a little bit
of that. As a head coach, you gotta just always
take the arrows, even though when you know you're not
in the wrong. It's just part of the job. That's
why you make all that money. It's the team dynamics,
and I just think certain guys really struggle at it.
You know. It's it's interesting, and here's McVeigh, who has
been given so much credit for turning around the Rams.
(23:22):
You listen to him post game and it's completely about
the players, you know. I I listened to in post game.
I got in my car, I was driving around after
watching the game, went out to get a cup of coffee,
and I'm listening to the postgame locally in Los Angeles
and always says, you know, our offense wasn't and that's
on me. I put us in some bad situations. I
made some terrible calls. You know. Luckily, you know, guys
(23:44):
like Todd and look at the defense he started naming
guys who made big plays, and it's it's really it
doesn't mean you have to you have to appear to
be sincere, even if you're like, actually, we kind of
made some adjustments of coaches, right, and it goes a
long way, even if you're lying. Andy Reid is the
best at same way. And he never talks about himself.
He always talks about other guys, even when that guy
(24:04):
probably doesn't deserve as much credits he's gonna give him.
But you know these young players that they read the
they see it on Twitter, they know that means a
lot too. When the when an assistant coach gets a
little credit, when a backup linebacker gets a little credit
in a press conference. Even things that you know I
take for granted, this is an innocuous coach comment, means
something to the quarterback coach, or means something to the
(24:26):
nickel corner and the coaches. Even when you lose, like
you kind of go over the top of like taking
on all the blame on yourself and given it to
the other guy really impacts guys that are in their
mid twenties or a coach that's you know, trying to
be on the come up. And I think that's McVeigh
has been excellent at that. I watched every press conference
Kyle Shanahan gives and they have not won many games
(24:48):
clearly this year, and he's been really good at it.
These younger coaches, sometimes you would think can be overwhelmed
by the pressure of it, actually feel almost more better
suited in this day and age. UM. Also, here's a
comment he made. John midelcof our guest Gotlip Show Fox
Sports Radio, John's former scout in the NFL. Download his
Three and Out podcast. He said this in regards to
(25:09):
Baker Mayfield, I think you have to do everything you
can to make him successful. I think you have to
go back to Oklahoma, UM and UM and see what
what they did, uh, and use all the concepts that
made him the number one, number one pick in the draft.
That's what's gonna make him the best version of him.
I will I will, I will say that's exactly what
(25:31):
essentially what a GM told me is that look, when
he's in Oklahoma, they designed a system where he could
be successful, and they had better personnel than the than
most of the teams they played, and that's and he
had complete grasp of all their concepts. Like Baker's good,
but there's there's a ceiling there that's a little bit
lower because you gotta put him in specific that that though,
(25:51):
feels to most people like a shot at Baker. What's
your reaction, Yeah, I mean it is. It was a
bull pick at number one overall. I think anyone I
know you watch that conference and that team play a lot.
I mean, he Baker was a bowler in college and
he deserved me to be a first round pick. But
when you take a guy number one overall, you think
(26:11):
he can be a star, I mean, a consistent pro bowler.
At his hype now he is really accurate. He's not
a great athlete. Uh, he did benefit. He played in
arguably the most stable football power in the country and
they even had a coaching turnover and didn't even feel
that weird. It was like they just hit the ground
run with Lincoln Riley, and like you said, they playing
(26:32):
a loaded team. Think about this year, and I'm gonna
give Baker somewhat of a past this season because I
don't think he's played very well the last three or
four weeks. When in NFL history has a rookie starting
quarterback that was a high first round Pick had his
head coach and his offensive coordinator fired on the same day.
I meant, did that win two years ago when they
(26:58):
fired Jeff Fisher? But but Jeff Fisher is more of
a defensive guy, like you know, but then they fired
did they fired the offensive coordinator as well? I'm trying
to trying to think, I mean that that offense was
a joke. It was so it was that was might
have Jared Jared jeared Goss. I believe his rookie year
offense was like, hey, you guys, go out and get open,
go along. Okay, So the Rams might actually might have
(27:19):
done it. But that's a good example of you almost
just have to give the guy a pass. And I
think that's why this offseason is gonna be like, I mean,
I don't know where you stand on this. I think
Lincoln Riley wouldn't even waste the time interviewing with the Browns.
How would he leave Oklahoma to go to the Browns? Uh?
Here's here's here's a question I have, John, that you're
taking on the Chiefs. You go one of two ways.
(27:39):
They're they're good running team and they've shown themselves to
be a good running team this year. Um, I kind
of feel though, no offensive coordinat or no head coach
did they go bowl game offense right where you're like, dude,
just bet the over because they're gonna go out and
sling it. Isn't that what they do to that? This
week against the Chiefs? Yeah, I I just think the
Chiefs just so much better. But you know, I'm not
(28:01):
saying they win the game, but I'm just saying, in
terms of style wise, one of two things, like the
way to beat the Chiefs is probably to keep him
off the field to run the football long drives. But
considering the coaching change and some of the questions about
Baker and whatever and the limitations of the previous offense,
like they're like, hell with it, who cares, Let's go
oop to you, right, let's four on one side, one
(28:22):
on the other, and let's go. Yeah. I mean that's
clearly Baker is comfortable with right, Like what you said
in Oklahoma, Yeah, I don't hate it? Why not? Yet
you have nothing to lose. You also have a coach
in Greg Williams whose egos as big as any coach
in like NFL history. Why why not? I mean he
wants this job, he does he wants to keep it,
stay ab head coach this. He would get a lot
(28:43):
of credit. If somehow they beat the right, if they
beat the Chiefs, like like you said, they just throw
it around the yard and win thirty seven to thirty
two or something, he would get he would get a
ton of positive pub I just don't. I mean, this
kitchen's guy is never called plays in his life. I know.
The other problem, the other um is if you don't
have like the Baker concepts installed, you know, already in
(29:05):
your offense a big part of it, it would be
hard just to kind of do it in a short
week when all these coaches got fired. So it could
go the other way. You could attempt to do it
and it could look even worse. All right, I got
a bunch of quick ones, all right, Steelers Ravens. Ravens
go and beat him, and Joe Flacco was like, dude,
I thought it could have been a lot worse. I didn't.
I missed on a bunch of throws. This one's in Baltimore.
(29:25):
Ravens in a bad spot of for losing to in
a row when Justin Justin Tucker missing the kick two
weeks ago. Who do you like I like the Steelers.
I mean, I think John Harbaugh, I mean TikTok and
the thing's about to add for him in Baltimore. I
just don't think the Ravens. Something is just off about them.
And I liked them early in the season, but you
watching the last couple of weeks, I mean, they just
got their butt kicked. I think the Steelers are now rolling.
(29:47):
I just the Steelers lost to him earlier in the
season on that Sunday night game. Like you said, I
think they, like the Steelers just start rolling off wins
Pete Carroll. They seem to have found some more no
name guys that can play against the Chargers who no
one really wants to buy into, even though we should
buy into them, and they still don't have Joey Bosa.
Can the Chargers go in front the twelfth Man and
gonna win? I think they can. I mean, I I
(30:08):
am a believer this year in the Chargers, but for
some reason, I kind of like Pete Man. He's got
this team just playing hard. Russell's playing well. That place
a couple of weeks ago, I mean when the Rams
went in there was rocking, kind of old school twelve. Yeah,
that to me, is easily the best loss of the
season for any team. That was really impressive. I think
(30:29):
they take this game released. I think the Chargers can
lose this game and I still take them seriously. I
like Seattle, all right, Packers Patriots pick one quarterback, Brady
or Rogers. Brady not even close, not even clothes. I mean,
for me, I why I don't hesitate making the decision.
I'm not saying that Roger is not a great all
time player, but it's it's without hesitation. Tom Brady why,
(30:52):
I just think he's a total package. You know, would
be like you asking me Kobe or Duncan. I wouldn't
even flinch, and I'd take Duncan. I think there's more
to the quarterback than just I mean Rogers, he's the
Dan Marino of my generation or whatever. Now I know
he's one, so he's like a combination of Merino in Elway,
but there's just something about Montana that's just most people
put him on a different level from being a teammate
from and Brady is the highest level of just it all.
(31:15):
And I also think that when we talk about him
like that, it almost discounts how great, great of a
pocket how elite he is as a quarterback where Rogers
there is. You know, he can get off and do
his own thing, which a lot of times works, but
he's not the easiest guy to deal with it. And
again I like Rogers. I mean, he's probably top five
six quarterback ever. But when we were talking about Tom awesome,
(31:38):
uh incredible stuff. John Minekoff Three Out is the podcast
and the Herd Podcast Network. John Lovett, keep renting on Facebook.
I'll keep watching and thanks for joining us. Doug gott
lead next head coach of the Lakers probably probably probably not,
but I know he might be talking about than be
sure to catch live editions. So the Doug gott Leap
Show week days and neon Et three pm Pacific. I
(32:01):
think it stands to reason. And like how many coach
has Lebron James been through? Even you go back to
Cleveland when he won sixty one games his final year
in Cleveland the first time around. Remember they fired Mike
Brown before he'd ever and that before Lebron had announced
that he wasn't coming back to Cleveland going to Miami.
Fired him why because that the best guess was that
(32:24):
Lebron didn't want to play for Mike Brown. Then he
goes to Miami and while Eric Spoelster was his coach
for the entirety of those four years, if you remember
back during his first year, he challenged Spolstra's authority. It
was a story that came out about six months ago
that that, in fact was real that Lebron did go in.
It was in pat Riley's new book where he's like, look, Lebron,
(32:46):
did you know ask me if I thought about coming
back to coach? So Spolster, because he had the support
of Ryles, end up keeping his job. He comes back,
David blats his head coach. We know how that ended. Now,
the story comes out that after losing a couple of games,
really defensive numbers aren't good. Three point shooting numbers aren't good.
(33:06):
Maggie Johnson had a special meeting with Luke Walton. Here's
Luke Walton moments ago. I feel like I have a
great relationship with management. Yes, do you feel like you
have job security? I feel like I'm coming down here
to do my job and coach, and I don't. I
don't feel like I'm going into it now. Look, do
do I think that Magic wants to fire Luke Walton.
(33:27):
I don't. But on the other hand, this is a
results based business. He did not and Rob Polinka did
not hire Luke Walton. Only two guys in that building
that weren't brought on by the current staff. Remember we
said new president uh in college, new new athletic director
in college. Luke Walton's got the same thing. Luke Allan's
got new player, star player, and he's working for a
(33:49):
different general manager and a different president than the ones
that hired him. He and Brandon Ingram the only they're
like the last Mohicans. Now, is it fair to point
out that the the it the Lakers are playing at
a very fast pace, that the Lakers offensive efficiency is
actually ninth in the league, and that they're kind of
(34:10):
adjusting to learn Lebron's adjusting to learning to playing for
a new coach with a new team, and that they're
all learned. That's fine, but that that doesn't mean that
that doesn't mean that that that magic is okay with it.
They play with the fourth fastest pace in the NBA. Atlanta,
(34:33):
by the way, who got their asses kicked by Sacramento
last night, plays at the fastest pace in the NBA.
Their defensive efficiency, Oh not good twenty second in the NBA.
So could this be a stern talking too sure? But
this is the kind of the progress of events like
you don't. This is like in business when guys does
something wrong, you don't get fired for the first time
(34:55):
you do something wrong. You get fired because we warned you,
warned you, we warned you, and then something came out,
we fired you. That's how I feel about this with
Luke Walton. So I feel how it works where early
on it's Lebron, or maybe not Lebron, it's Magic saying, look,
(35:19):
you gotta get them playing better defense, you gotta get
figured this thing out. You gotta get more out of
brand in Ingram who's not playing well. Figure out a
way to get it done. As they go and take
on the Portland Trailblazers on the road, figure out a
way to close games because they almost gave away one
to Dallas. Big stretch for them because and I'll tell
(35:40):
you why it's a big stretch is not because of
the game against Portland's because the game against Toronto. Magic
Johnson wants them to look good, looks sharp, feel good,
feel sharp, feel like they have great spirit when Kawai
Leonard comes into their building this Sunday night, But it
doesn't feel like like he's gonna get fired right now.
(36:04):
It feels like the first in what will be two
or three warning kind of shots across the bow before
ultimately they come. For Fox Sports Radio has the best
sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our
shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com and within the
I Heart Radio app search f s R to listen live.
Let's bring in Joel Clapp, lead college football analists for
(36:26):
Fox Sports. He joins us in the Doug Otlip Show
on Fox Sports Radio. Joe, I haven't heard your opinion
on this. What's DJ Durkin has been fired after being
reinstated by the Board of Regions in Maryland. Obviously you
cover among conferences, you know, on a very firsthand basis,
Pack twelve, Big twelve, and Big ten. What do you
think about what went down to Maryland? Oh? Gosh, um Well,
(36:50):
first of all, I thought it was strange that they
were this blind to meaning the administration in the Board
of Regions, blind to what was happening within the team.
You know, Say what you will about the coverage of
this week or even the fan sentiment. And and I
(37:13):
think what ultimately maybe they weren't expecting was the division
and really I think a better term the fracture within
the team. UM So, I think some would have argued
that all, you know, this is them stating that winning
is above everything. But that's where I actually thought it
was interesting because rein stadium, I, reinstating UM I thought
(37:35):
was gonna be harder. I thought moving on was going
to be the best way to do this one because
you don't fracture the team. And two you and I
both know that would have been used as the first,
you know, bullet in the chamber for the opposing recruiting staffs.
You know, so you can't recruit if you're DJ Durkin.
(37:58):
So there's a I mean, shoot man, there's so many
different angles you can take on this, But just from
that standpoint, I was shocked that they did it just
based on that much less just the human element, the
responsibility element, all of those um And I guess I
guess the question I get the correct conclusion. I guess
the question is this. I read the report because I
(38:19):
really want to know what it actually said, and the
report didn't really Linkedink Dirk into any of this. Obviously,
what happens is there were some that didn't like the
strength coach, and the strength coach had uh some accusations.
Here's why I had a problem with that report, Doug,
and and you and you, and I was a firsthand
(38:40):
knowledge of this. The strength coach, for any head coach
is his chief of staff, if you will, I mean,
it is his wing wingman. It's it's generally the number
one higher for anybody. And and a lot of times
even maybe in the basketball sense, but certainly in the
football sense. And and so when I read the report, yeah,
(39:04):
the report from a technical perspective absolved some of what
DJ was involved with and what he wasn't involved with.
But my problem is is that I'm so tired of
these coaches in a multitude of different sports, claiming responsibility
for all the wins and getting paid millions upon millions
of dollars, and then when anything goes wrong, they're like,
(39:25):
I didn't know, it wasn't my job, and it's not
my responsibility, you know what. I'm sorry, but the buck
has to stop somewhere, and the head coach is responsible
for the culture. He's responsible for his own hires. You
can't hire someone that acts that way and not be
somewhat responsible for it. So when I read the report,
(39:48):
I thought that it went way too far in absolving
DJ from a technical perspective of some of the responsibility.
I look, I think that's that's accurate, and I think
it's an interesting p My issue is more, I don't
think abusive behavior is what led to this death, or
any sort of culture toxicity led to this death. Right, Like,
(40:09):
if you read it, which I know you did, is
you know, no I had I didn't know that he
had a d D and was on medication. And I'm
guessing that maybe some of the trainers that were treating
him didn't know or didn't assess the fact that that
could have been what was leading to uh, you know,
what was leading to heat stroke even though it wasn't
particularly hot outside, you know, or that he was a
(40:30):
medical perspective, you're you're probably right, yeah, But but there
is the culture where he was only um, you know,
taken to the training room by two students, trainers who
didn't put him in the cold tub for fear that
if he passed out they wouldn't be able to get
him out. Well, how why is that? I would argue
that that's actually the culture in play, because no one
(40:53):
cares about somebody who they they feel like this is
slacking off, right, So that's where the culture did absolutely
affect this instance. Now, from a medical perspective of what
was happening inside of Jordan, I would I agree with you.
You know that this might have happened whether he was
in the coldtub or not. But but the nonchalant care
(41:14):
I think absolutely speaks to the culture who was dealing
with him, who was caring for him, and when he
ultimately got the care that he needed, I think absolutely
speaks to the type of culture and the type of
environment that was going on during that conditioning practice. Joel
clad joining us in the Doug Gotlib Show Fox Sports Radio.
I think it should be fascinating to see how the
(41:34):
team responds. Taking a Michigan State team that that has
had their own kind of tumultuous season. They went through
some of the stuff off the field. Obviously not a
tragic death last year, but but there, you know, they
were they had their own issues off the field last year.
Um playing at home, Matt Kent has actually done a
really good job making them cohesive. They have a scuffle
(41:56):
between punters yesterday and that makes it on to social media.
H how do they play against Michigan State? Boy? I
think this could go. I mean, I think that this
is the ultimate pendulum. It's either going to be really
good or really bad. I don't see them just coming
out and being you know, average. I really think there's
(42:18):
either totally galvanizes them or they completely fall apart, and
I would lean towards fall apart. You know, with the
way there is just too much pressure on these kids
and too much focus on on what's happening. And I
can't even imagine what they're going through emotionally this week.
You know, half the team wants the coach back, then
they get what they want, then it's taken away from him.
(42:40):
Half the team want them fired. They walk out of
a meeting. Now they're excited. That's not just like division.
You know, who starts at quarterback can sometimes cause a
divisive locker room. This locker room seems and and is
proving to be totally fractured. So it's either going to
be one or the I think there's there's the ultimate
(43:00):
A or F type of situation, and I would lean
towards F. But you never know. Alright, let let's get
to Kentucky, a team whose defense has been outstanding and
their offense did just enough and got one. Uh they
got one mulligan last week so that they could beat
Missouri on the road. What's the likelihood they upset Georgia.
I don't think it's very likely at all. Their defense
(43:22):
is outstanding here exactly right, exactly right, and they've got
a pass rusher named Josh Allen that's a really, really
good He's gonna be a really a high top prospect
in the draft. He is sensational. The defense is sensational. Uh.
No one's come close to running up a bunch of
points on him. But Georgia found something last week, and
they found something that made them great a year ago. Namely,
(43:45):
it's their efficiency and ability to convert and score on
third down. Three of their touchdowns happened on third down.
Jake from was sensational on third down. That's something that
he was a year ago. That was not quite the
case during the course of this season. But he found that.
And I think Georgia's defense is really good. The bottom
line is this, Kentucky cannot throw the ball, and I
(44:05):
don't think you can be Georgia at all if you're
one dimensional on offense with Benny Snell and just have
a great defense. I think Georgia wins. I think they
went pretty handily, quite candidly of the you know, there's
probably I would call it six teams in the rankings
that I think are just wildly overrated and overranked and
and Kentucky is one of them. And I think that's
(44:26):
going to be proven out This week. West Virginia takes
on Texas. Is a Texas team that just got thumped
by Oklahoma, said did come back? Make it it? Make
it a game in the second half. You'll be calling
it on Fox. Of course you get a chance to
see Will Greer, one of the elite quarterbacks, and maybe
you know, I know they lost to Iowa State, but
there's still a chance because they still have a chance
(44:47):
to match up with Oklahoma Nott once, but potentially two
games with with Oklahoma or maybe two games with Texas upcoming.
What are your thoughts on West Virginia and if they
can fix what was wrong with them when they lost
their names. Well, yeah, that Aimes game was weird. I
watched it on Selman one. You gotta give Matt Campbell
and the Iowa State Cyclones a lot of credit. They
(45:08):
did a great job defensively forcing Weilkerire to hold the ball.
And I think you're gonna see Texas try to do
a lot of that tomorrow. I know I certainly would,
because Baylor was unable to do that, and they ran
Baylor out of the building last Thursday night. I'm a
bit worried for Texas in the sense that West Virginia
played last Thursday night and then Texas had that, you know,
barnburner of a game in Stillwater on Saturday night. So
(45:29):
you're talking about a much shorter week for the Longhorns
than than for West Virginia, who played at home on
Thursday against Baylor. Um, I will tell you that I
think that West Virginia's defense is going to get their
sternest test of the year thus far. Now, they did
play Texas Tech, but remember Bowman got hurt in that game,
and they didn't see Texas Tech at their best offensively,
(45:50):
And so I think a Texas team that's averaging thirty
one points a game with eleanor are playing really well
with those big, tall wide receivers on the outside. This
is certainly gonna be West Virginia's big test. UH. And
in Texas plays very well at home. Their four no
at home, they beat USC, they beat TCU, They've taken
care of business at home, and their defense UH is
pretty good. I think Will Grea is gonna have to
(46:12):
play his best with that good core deep core of
wide receivers around him uh to win the ball game.
I can't wait to watch it play out. I will
tell you, I feel like we're going to be in
for a high scoring affair, maybe a similar type of
game that we saw Texas and Oklahoma State play last week.
And and you're right. I mean Oklahoma State was unbelievable
in the fourth first quarter two sixty total yards, jump
(46:33):
out to a sevent team seven lead, make it seven
soon after in that second quarter, and Texas just didn't
have enough to come back. They tried, got within three,
but then made a couple of crucial mistakes. Um we
caught a punt inside the ten yard line that backed
him up, they punted the ball away after a holding call,
and then Oklahoma State scored. So Texas is going to
have to write that ship very quickly if they want
(46:54):
to get a win. Penn State escaped last week against
Iowa at home, and they escaped the first week against
app State at home, escaped against Indiana. UM lost two
close games Michigan State at home, Ohio State at home.
Now they travel on the road to take on Penn State. Uh. Look,
I I know everybody likes Trace McSorley and they got
(47:15):
some talent out wide, especially a big, big target like
Juwan Johnson. But it feels like something's missing with this
Penn State team. Am I Am I wrong? No? I
don't think you're wrong at all. And I think what's
missing his leadership. On defense. They lost a lot of
great players from a year ago, especially right down the
middle of defense stackle, middle, linebacker, and safety. They don't
have stay Kwon Barkley, they don't have Joe moorehead and
(47:36):
they've actually overperformed to this point in the season to
be at the point where they are. In my estimation,
Trace mcstorley is down twelve in his completion percentage, and
they're facing a defense in Michigan that is I gotta
tell you, I think, hands down the best core defense
in the country. They get up to the pastor they
(47:57):
stopped the run and then they are unbelievable ball against
the past. Penn State does not run the ball with
any consistency, and you can't tell me that Trace McSorley
is going to throw the ball against that defense in
a year in which he's averaging less than completion percentage
and went on the road. You know, the last time
Penn State lost badly was actually at Michigan two years
ago in two thousand and sixteen. And since then they've
(48:20):
only lost five games, and they've had the lead in
the fourth quarter in all five of those games. I
think we get another blowout. I actually think that Michigan
off of by arrested. With all those tight games that
Penn State has played up to this point, I think
Michigan beat him, beat him soundly. I wouldn't be shocked
at all if this was a two touchdown gap, if
not more. All right, let's get to the game of
(48:40):
the week, maybe the game of the year. I remember
it was the game of the century in two thousand eleven.
Then they played again. It's in the championship game. L
L s U a prohibitive underdog, but it's under lights
in baton rouge coach ow and and and Joe Burrows.
But Joe Burrows is not your run pass threat, right,
That's not the type of quarterback that generally generally gives
(49:01):
Nick Saban problems. Can he give Nick Saban problems? I
don't think so. I don't think so at all. This
is still a pretty good defense their number tenants scoring defense.
I know they haven't you know, played to the levels
that they've played at the last couple of years. The
FAMIN is still very good on defense. And here's where
it all boils down to for me, Even if L
s U played outstanding defense, I'm talking about outstanding defense.
(49:24):
I think Alabama offensively is to a point where Oklahoma
has been over the last few years, which is, and Doug,
you've seen this. You can play great on defense and
they'll still score thirty five points on you. Like that's
holding them down, right, Like that's playing great. So you
if that's the case, which I certainly think is going
to be the case, and that's what's given credit to
(49:45):
L s U. That means that Joe Burrow has got
to score thirty eight. I mean, do you think that's
gonna I don't know. I don't think that's gonna happen.
And so people are always asking me like, wow, you
can you believe that that spread is there? No, I
can absolutely believe it. First of all, I think l
ifew is overrated, quite frankly, because they don't play great
on offense. And I think the middle of the SEC
(50:05):
is a vastly overrated league. I know I get thrown
under the bus a lot for that, but the middle
is absolutely what I've said, and that's overrated by the media. UM.
And that that's who they've beaten. UM. So we'll see.
I know that they beat Georgia. Georgia turned the ball
over four times. If Alabama can hold on the football,
they're gonna beat them by more than two touchdowns. Awesome stuff, Joel.
(50:27):
Joel Safe travels to Austin. Thanks so much for joining us,
absolutely man, talk to you soon.
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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