May 12, 2021 • 40 mins
The NFL has released their new schedule
What we learned from Lakers-Knicks last night
Tim Tebow doesn't have the experience to play TE
Guest: Nick Wright
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday from twelve to three eastern,
nine to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS one.
Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports
Radio dot com, or stream us live every day on
the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox
Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Wednesday, live
(00:26):
in Los Angeles. It's The Herd wherever you may be
and however you may be listening Fox Sports Radio, iHeartRadio
FS one. It could not be a better day in
America for us. Not only is The Herd brought to
you by Jersey Mike Subs be a sub above. They
bring sandwiches on Wednesday. But tonight is the NFL schedule release.
(00:50):
I'm into it, you know how. You know this stuff
works for me? Schedule release draft stuff. I like building stuff,
and I just love the NFL schedule release. Tonight. We're
gonna have a party at the Herd Grotto tonight. Joey
Taylor is joining me. I love this stuff. That Week
one schedule is already out fired up. Well. You also
(01:13):
have a lot of theories around the schedule, like a
playing win loss is my favorite game. Like you just
go down like win las win loss. You don't, you
don't cross check or anything like. That's every whatever your
fan does. But you have a lot of theories around
high schedule plays out. I do. So the NFL has
released its schedule, and let me just say this, the
NFL is really smart. They do a couple things really well.
(01:35):
They understand that they're a television show, so they spread
their events out and make them events. Every month has
an event. You got free agency, you got the draft,
you got the combine, you got the preseason, you got
the schedule release. I mean they put it right in
the middle of the week Wednesday, knowing that guys like me,
you're going to talk about it today, Wednesday, Tomorrow, Thursday,
(01:57):
and some guys talk about it Friday. Put it right
in the middle of the week. They drop it right
before the NBA playoffs because sports is gonna get a
little cluttered here next week. So they put it right.
They think about everything, and then when the NFL does
have problems, they address them quickly. I mean, major League
Baseball has a three year problem. I don't know, it
feels like a big deal. Nobody can hit anymore. You
(02:20):
may want to address it. Crickets, NBA lost a third
of its audience last two years. Stars don't play in
the biggest games. You may want to address it. NFL
change their catch rule before the Super Bowl, like in
the game, like we got to make this better on television,
so that the schedule today is perfect. They think about everything,
(02:41):
They think about everything in the NFL. Great example, Cowboys Buccaneers.
So you get the biggest brand in the NFL against
the best team. And it's also I think going to
be a competitive game because the Cowboys offensive line is
old and you don't get seventeen games out of it.
But in week one, little super Bowl win, hangover Tampa
(03:04):
loving themselves. They got the fields for themselves. Here comes
Dallas Zeke's healthy, old line, healthy competitive football game. But
just look at how thoughtful they were here. So Jets
Panthers is a one o'clock game. Now, if you've played
that joy in week nine, nobody cares. But Sam Darnold
faces the team that dumped him week one and faces
(03:27):
his air apparent week one. Hell yeah, I'm watching. That's
exactly when you put that that game is less interesting
every week by week six. Nobody cares, but they put
it week one. They thought about it. Seahawks at the
Colts to Super Bowl contenders, Browns at the chiefs AFC
(03:47):
Championship contenders. Oh, Dolphins Patriots. When is Belichick most vulnerable September?
That's his history. So they bring in Brian Flores. It's
Belichick against his protege. It could be two against Matt Jones.
Then they go Packers Saints, two massive brands. They collide.
(04:07):
Plus we all want to watch that, right, Fox puts
that the late game. Aaron Rodgers, even if he's there,
he hates the team, he hates the GM, he's all upset.
And then you go Monday Night. Oh, by the way,
Bears rams NBC. Why why does that matter? First of all, Chicago, La,
huge markets. But why it matters is because Matt Stafford
and Sean McVay. There is a feeling in Vegas in
(04:28):
the betting community. Stafford's gonna have a massive year. So
the NFL doesn't want to wait to start that story.
The NFL Week one they're gonna They're gonna put at
night on NBC. They're gonna put Matt Stafford and McVay
Week one Sean McVay has been a great September coach,
a bunch of new tricks like Andy Reid in the offseason.
He's a very good play designer. Suddenly you got Stafford
(04:50):
with a big win, Stafford with a lot of points.
It's not gonna be cruddy Weather Bears in La big brand,
Matt Stafford, Sean mcvagh and the story's wrong. That Monday
Night football John Gruden used to broadcast on IT, John
Gruden and the Raiders host the Ravens. By the way,
if the Raiders were at Baltimore, it could be a blowout.
(05:10):
But but in Vegas, so you're gonna get the Cowboys
against the super Bowl champs Vegas, Los Angeles. Here's the
other thing. Here's how smart there. This is a true story.
What I'm about to tell you is a true story.
And this is where the NFL works very well with
(05:31):
their TV partners. So the four o'clock window, four twenty
five on Fox, they have the Broncos game against the
Giants and the Packers game. Color me non coincidental. If
(05:52):
Aaron Rodgers does go to the Broncos, Fox doesn't have
to change the games. Fox has them both. So if
Aaron goes, I'm going to Denver, get me out of here.
Fox has both the Green Bay game and the Denver game.
They cover themselves. That is thoughtful, that is smart. Years ago,
(06:17):
not many years ago, two or three years ago. I'm
not gonna say the network, but one of the networks
literally had to call Major League Baseball about their schedule.
I'm not going to tell you who. I'm not going
to tell you the network. Fox. We had to call
a Major League Baseball and say, you know, can we
help you with your schedule? Why are you putting all
these like cub Cardinal, Dodger Giant games in the week
(06:40):
Why don't you put your biggest rivalries on the week end.
The TV network had to go to the sport and
tell them how to schedule. In the NFL, the NFL
knows how to schedule, but they work were their television partners.
I would guess putting a Broncho Packer game back to back,
same time slot is protection hedging your bet if Aaron
(07:01):
goes to Denver, I don't think it's a coincident. Maybe
it is, but nobody wants in the media loves to
get the NFL credit because the NFL doesn't need the media,
and the media wants to be needed, and they don't
need you, they don't need me, they don't need anybody.
But they are so much smarter and better run. Just
(07:21):
with their schedule. They thought of everything to put Darnald
against the Jets in week one is brilliant. That game
is useless potentially by week six, when the Jets are
one in five, it means nothing. But in week one,
little revenge game for Sam Darnold at home against the
team that dumped him. I'm watching, I'm watching really smart,
(07:45):
all right. One team got a terrible break. I'll get
to that later, but let's start with this. So the
Lakers Knicks played last night was actually it's a really
entertaining game because really I've watched a couple back to
Nick games. They're feisty and fun. And it was a big,
meaningful win for the Lakers because New York's a real team,
(08:08):
and they won it an overtime. Lebron didn't play, Dennis
Shooter didn't play, Alex Caruso got hurt very early. Eighty
was not one hundred percent, and they beat a feisty
New York Knicks team. It was also a game that
highlighted the problem with the New York Knicks. The New
York Knicks, it's a baby step league. You don't go
from the Knicks crappy to winning the title. Same of
the Phoenix Suns this year. This game really highlighted the
(08:30):
New York Knicks. They just don't have enough juice. You
play hard in the NBA. It's a classic Tom Fibideau team.
He grinds his players. The practices are longer, they play
more minutes, they play harder. That wins you forty five
fifty games in the regular season, but teams are exhausted
by the postseason. And his teams lacked juice and energy
in the postseason. And if you looked at the Knicks
(08:52):
last night, I mean, this is what is going to
be their problem in the playoffs. Derreck Rose old rickety,
Derek is often there leading your second leading score. So
it was like Julius Randall, Derrick Rose and the rest
of the team shot thirty thirteen of thirty eight. Meanwhile,
the Lakers are built for the playoffs, and a prime
(09:13):
example is A, we know they have experience in the playoffs.
B they have a coach who's experienced in the playoffs.
But if you look at the box score, you had
Anthony Davis dropping twenty, Andre Drummond dropped sixteen, Kyle Kuzman
gave you twenty three, Harton Tucker gave you thirteen, and
Lebron and Shooter didn't play, so you'd had two more
(09:34):
guys in double figures when the Knicks Julius Randall thirty one,
Derreck Rose twenty seven, and a bunch of guys with
two and four. So you can't win in the playoffs
when you're you need juice, You need guys who could
you need five guys who can drop twenty. The Lakers
are really built for the playoffs, and last night it
was a great example for the Lakers. That's why they're
(09:55):
gonna be a playoff team. And I think they're gonna
be a really good playoff team as long as Lebron
is like fine healthy. They just got a bunch of
guys who can create their own shot or give you
twenty on any night, and the Knicks don't. It's kind
of Julius Randall, cross your fingers. RJ. Barrett's young and hot.
He last night he couldn't shoot, So it showed you
(10:16):
a lot last night. It showed you the Knicks have
a foundation. They play hard, but boy, you can see
their ceiling. They struggled last night, late in the fourth
quarter in overtime to get shots. They struggled to get shots. Well,
guess what. Milwaukee in the East like the Lakers last night.
They play real defense. I mean Philadelphia can play real defense.
(10:37):
Ben Simmons up there on defense. So now Brooklyn didn't
play any defense. But you know Milwaukee does. Miami heats
his historically Spolstra teams do. The Knicks have a real ceiling.
And you saw it last night. And the Lakers, without
two of their three best players, won a game. Bunch
of guys jumped in and scored. That shows you why
(10:59):
they haven't been a good regular season team, but why
they're built for the playoffs. Can't wait. It's a very
very entertaining game. So coming up next listen. It's only
one game, so we know Week one of the NFL schedule,
But god, did one team get the worst break in
the world. We'll talk about that coming up. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon
(11:21):
eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one
and The iHeartRadio app get Petty for the biggest season ever.
With the release of the twenty twenty one NFL schedule
tonight at eight pm Eastern on FS one and NFL Network,
don't miss the first look at the entire seventeen game
regular season, plus starting tonight. Fans can purchase single game
(11:41):
tickets at NFL dot com slash tickets, and we've got
a sneak peak of the week one slate here on Fox.
In the one pm window, we've got Eagles at Falcons,
Vikings at Bengals, forty nine Ers at Lions, and Seahawks
at Colts. And in the late afternoon window, we've got
American's Game of the Week, Packers at Saints, Broncos at Giants.
(12:06):
One team got a really bad break. I know, I know, Cleveland,
I'm picking on you. Cleveland got a bad break. They
got the worst break in the league. Cleveland's a good
football team. I think they're the best overbat nine and
a half wins. I think they're a ten eleven win team.
They got a terrible break. Andy Reid is the best
(12:29):
September coach in football. That's who the Browns open with
at Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes under Andy Reid in September
is ten and oh with thirty two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
It is the last place you want to play Kansas City,
(12:49):
and he reads the best NFL coach in September, and
he's the best NFL coach off a bye, and Week
one is essentially off a bye. Andy Reid berries his
playsheet until Week one. Go ask Belichick. He's humiliated Belichick
in September. Also, Cleveland's gonna have eight or nine new
defensive starters. So in week nine or ten, this is
a tug Award. This is a real game in Week one,
(13:12):
nine new defensive starters against the best game play designer
in the NFL and the best quarterback at home. Now
the good news, Cleveland, you're used to not winning in
Week one. You haven't won a Week one game in
seventeen years. So you'll be one one and you'll overcome
it because you're a really good team, you have a
really good coach. But that is a bad scheduling break,
(13:34):
you know. Again, Pittsburgh is not a team that I'm
fond of this year, but in Week one they're healthy.
Mike to big Ben's at his best early he deteriorates.
These old quarterbacks get worse late, right, Big Ben in September,
He'll give you a game. Pittsburgh would be better served
(13:55):
because I don't have a bunch of new defensive faces.
Pittsburgh would be better served to go to Kansas City
and compete week one, not a team with nine defensive
starters that are learning a system from other teams young.
This is a bad break for Cleveland. I still think
they're a really good team next year. This is Baker Mayfield,
just to show you Cleveland's history in Week one, Baker
(14:16):
Mayfield has two starts Week one, he lost forty three
to thirteen and thirty eight to six. So I'm not
going to do a blazing five, but I will bet
some games today. Uncle Colin does not waste opportunities to
make some lettuce if I either are blazing five today.
Because the lines often never get better on Fox Bet,
here's the best lines. Seattle plus three at Indianapolis. Seattle
(14:38):
tends to be again, same coach, same quarterback, many of
the same weapons. Indianapolis has a new quarterback and so
and their best young receiver, Michael Pittman's never worked with
Carson Wentz. I think the culture gonna be really good.
I don't know how good they're gonna be in Week one.
Last year they lost to the Jags in Week one,
so I would take Seattle in the points in Week one,
(15:00):
Atlanta minus one and a half. Now, you know, Atlanta
burns me every year, but Atlanta actually got beat up
last year. Atlanta now adds Kyle Pitts. They get Arthur
smith Us really really smart offensive mind is their head coach,
and they face a Philadelphia team at home. They only
have to give up put it up again, only have
to give up one and a half points. I think
(15:20):
Atlanta is a really good bet. I think the Philadelphia
Eagles made a just an egregiously bad hire at head coach.
I would take Atlanta minus one and a half against Philadelphia.
I would actually take the Cowboys plus four and a
half against Tampa because that line is probably going to
get bet up to about five and a half. Brady's
going to get a lot curry, a lot of the
(15:41):
favor of the general public. People are gonna say, oh,
Cowboys are gonna get blown out. Not in Week one,
not really in week What's when you win the Super
Bowl and you're having parades and you're throwing the trophy
around the Tampa Bay Week one, you could be a
little sluggish, little little Super Bowl hangover, rich Beneff, that's
hard to get guys, you know, motivated for a Week
one and Dallas's offensive line and Zeke will be healthy
(16:03):
week one. Dak's got a lot to prove. He's got
a big new contract. Dak wants to prove he can compete.
He's worth the money. I would take Dallas and the
Points Chargers at the Washington Football team. Now. I like
the Chargers a lot this year, but they have a
brand new offensive line and a brand new coach, and
they are facing Ron Rivera's defensive front, which is outstanding.
(16:25):
So you're taking the Chargers, who I think are gonna
be really good. That is a tough opener on the road,
six hour flight, veteran head coach, the system's already implemented,
and you've got Brandon Staley who's very very good. But boy,
oh boy, that's a lot to chew off in Week one.
I'd probably take the Washington football team. It's a pick
um and Kansas City minus four and a half against
(16:46):
the Browns. That number is gonna end up five or six.
That's the best number you're gonna get. Kansas City's gonna
curry a lot of favor with the betters. So I
would take a Kansas City minus four and a half.
That's today, I think the best bets on the board. Well, yea,
what do I know except everything? All right? Joey Taylor
with the news. No, no, this is the herd Line news.
(17:12):
It has been a good couple of weeks for you.
The draft schedules, trauma, Oh my gosh, Schulze balls, and
we got the gift. It's almost like Christmas, you know,
God's gift to us with Tebow. Yeah, that was a
big story instrument all of the week. Well, there's a
lot of skepticism about Jaggs potentially signing Tim Tebow as
(17:35):
a tight end, and apparently the same attitude is circulating
among the Jags coaching staff. According to Jeff Charlington, there
is serious disagreement within the organization about signing the former quarterback.
Beyond the emotional side of this and beyond the wonders
of why. It's just the reality that it's really not practical,
it's really not likely to work. Urban Meyer would say, hey,
(17:56):
I'm gonna add anybody to my team who has the
potential to better this organism, to which you could look
at this and say, how is this going to better
the organization? There's really not very much upside at all.
You're asking Tim Tebow out of the league for eight
years to become a new position. That's like asking a
punter out of the league for eight years to become
a kicker. Well, they're both kickers, not really, they're specialists.
(18:17):
To be a quarterback in a tight end, it are
two totally different positions. It's like saying, well, you work
at a hospital. Yeah, but a pediatrician's not a brain surgeon.
They're both doctors. Well, printers and kickers were the same position,
tight ends and quarterbacks with the same position. Why do
you need extra roster spots for specific positions? You're not
the same job, and the tight end position I would
(18:38):
argue this joy. The tight end position in football has
changed more than any position in football. It is now
often where you put an incredible athlete. You know, for
years and years it was like if you couldn't block,
you couldn't play the position. It's like Travis Kelsey's not
going to block. Nobody cares. The bottom line is Kyle
Pitch from Florida. He's not really a block. He went forth.
(19:01):
The bottom line now you put it, it's the place
where you put that six five and a half athlete
that has two good hands to put on defense. Like
it's become You start looking at the tight end position
in the NFL and you're like, they can become leading receivers.
Travis Kelsey is their top target. So Tebow seven years
(19:23):
ago wasn't athletic enough to be tied end. Now the
positions become hyper athletic. Well, Tebow hasn't been great since college.
He had a moment of good and I mean, listen,
everyone laughed at the baseball thing. I think he did
well at baseball. I mean he's did better than a
lot of baseball players have done over the years. It's
(19:43):
a fun story. It's a fun story. And look and look,
people are mad at the opportunities that Tim Tebow gets,
and I understand that it feels very unfair. It's more
about who you know than what you're actually capable of.
But with this situation and what Jeff Darlington is referring
to is which you don't want to do in bringing
in Tim Tebow is leaves so many questions about how
(20:05):
it is you are actually building your organization. Are you
truly interested in bringing in the best people for the job,
because there's no question there are better people for the
job than Tim Tebow. Of course that question. The worst
tight end that got cut last year in the league
is better than Tim Tebow right now? Of course, So
what is the actual reason you voted a theory yesterday?
(20:29):
Pension which could entirely be possible? Right now, Tim Tebow
has vested three years in the league, so his pension
is around a little less than twenty thousand dollars a
year a year. Yes, if he's vested as a four
year player, it goes up significantly doubles. I mean, it's
very difficult to get the exact numbers on all of this,
but he basically plays three or four more games and
(20:51):
he's vested as a four year player, it's going to
go up significantly. Like it's going to go up to
sixty or seventy thousand dollars a year from twenty thousand dollars. Now,
that doesn't seem like a lot, but if you play
three more games in the NFL, hey I get extra
money for coming in as a check every year for
the rest of my life. Now, that seems a bit
hacky that you would sign Tim Tibo to play three
games for that amount of money that Tim could probably
(21:12):
make doing an appearance. It's just it's it's it feels
a little forced. It feels like there's too many questions
around it for it just yes. So the Lions were
on the phone with a final offer to trade up
when the Falcons were on the clock with the fourth
overall pick. They obviously ended up taking Kyle Pitts, but
in a video the Falcons posted yesterday from inside their
(21:32):
draft room in their war room, Atlanta General Manager Terry
Fontineau takes a call from the Lions when the Falcons
are on the clock. Good one, it's the same we
talked about. Ye appreciate all right, so did m. Presumably
(22:01):
the Lions GM have a short conversation that they show there,
basically saying, this is not a better deal than we
had already talked about it. We're gonna go ahead and
pick and take Kyle Pitts. Now, we don't know who
the Lions were targeting. They obviously ended up taking Pinay
soul At seven, which is good because Goff needs a
good old line. Now, Jared Goff's a different quarterback battle line,
good old line. That's I honestly think Kyle. I like
(22:24):
that pick. I just I'm so curious to know who
they were trying to trade up to take. They couldn't
have been trying to trade up for Pinay Seul. Who
you're talking Detroit? Yeah? Oh, I think they wanted Kyle Pitts.
Can you do that if you're Detroit. I think Kyle
Pitts is so great. They've lost Kenny Galla day. I
(22:44):
actually think Detroit's better off. Actually, Kyle Pitts works with
a veteran quarterback, and I like Atlanta's old line, right,
Jared Goff needed Pennay Seul or he wouldn't have time
to throw to Kyle Pitts. I actually think Detroit in
Atlanta got the perfect player for that. But do you
think that Detroit was trying to take a swing for Yes, yes,
(23:06):
I think they were. I don't think. I never bought
into this the Carolina is gonna draft another quarterback and
Detroit's gonna draft I never bought those stories. I mean,
I don't know. I'd like to know, I think you're
probably right, because why do you make that move for
Jared Goff? And I think that Jared Goff is good
enough that you can build around him. Like we've seen
some coaching, if you give Jared Goff three and a
(23:27):
half seconds, he'll complete passes. He showed when it gets
down to three seconds or two seven five, it's not
the same quarterback ext the fall apart. All right, Well,
Oakland's I don't know what to tell you. Oakland Athletics
reportedly affirmission from MLB to seek relocation with the team's
current ballpark situation in Limbo. The A's have been trying
to get a new stadium for years, but the plans
(23:49):
keep getting tied up by government officials. According to Jeff Hassan,
the current proposal involves the Athletics privately funding one billion
dollars to the stadium. The team is asking for an
eight hundred and fifty five million dollar commitment from the
city for infrastructure improvements, and they're also seeking four hundred
million dollars to be funded by the taxpayers. Good luck
(24:09):
California getting that well. According to the mayor's office, the
city said it's willing to bear its resources to help
make division of reality. However, the requests for public investment
investment at the high end of projects of this type nationwide,
they're not bottom line. If Silicon Valley has trillion dollars
days at some point, if the A's are going to
(24:31):
remain in Oakland, go to Silicon Valley and say, hey,
any you guys like baseball, We'll give you a big
chunk of the team. You can't ask taxpayers, No, not
a four hundred million dollars, not a city of Oaklands
for a stadium. No, especially in California, New York and California.
Good luck going to your taxpayers and asking for more
(24:51):
money anywhere. We just came out of a pandemic. We're
still in a pandemic. Actually, like we're still in a pandemic.
You can't ask before the pandemic. You couldn't ask with money.
But four je a million dollars for a stadium is absurd.
I get it. The stadiums do bring in an incredible
amount of revenues to the cities. They can provide a
boost for the communities that they're in, or they can
(25:12):
do quite the opposite and not provide a huge influx
of money into the area. I mean, a great example
of this is Marlin's Park, which was funded by the taxpayers,
and it was pretty much the crown jewel of why
you don't get taxpayer money to build these stadiums and boondoggle.
That's been a total boondoggle. It's the park is beautiful,
it's great, but it was supposed to just have all
(25:34):
these stores and shops and nothing. It's pay It's a
billion dollars organization. You make plenty of money pay for
the stadium yourself, so you cannot ask taxpayers to give
four hundred million dollars for a stadium. Good stuff. Joy
with the news. Well that's the news, and thanks for
stopping by the herd line. All right, We're getting close
to the playoffs here, and you can tell in the
(25:54):
last couple of in the last four or five games,
you can tell the league gets more ramped up. I mean,
the Lakers and the Knicks last night. At the end
of those games, those teams were playing playoff defense like
the nate. Lakers were desperate, and the Knicks, who don't
have a lot of offensive juice, couldn't get their own shot.
I watched the Clippers Nick Sunday, it felt like a
playoff game. You can feel now the effort ramping up,
(26:15):
some desperation for teams here in some seating. Let's bring
on Nick Wright, my buddy. First things First, brought to
you by Mercedes Ben's the best or Nothing I will
I said this yesterday about the Knicks. They're a regular
season team. If you play hard, you can win half
your games. But everybody plays hard in the playoffs and
they'll be exposed. But I will say this, for the
(26:36):
first time in twenty years, I like watching them. I
kind of feel like they've there's something. The house has
a foundation. Well, your thoughts on them overall, Well, my
thoughts on them are, if they happen to move back
up to the four and get Atlanta in round one,
then they could win a playoff series. They could beat Atlanta.
(26:59):
Anyone else they play in round one, they're drawing dead
against whether it's Miami, Milwaukee or Brooklyn. They've got no shot. However,
what is more and it's a great job by Thibodeau,
great job by Derrick Rose and Julius Randall's having a
phenomenal season where the Knicks matter to the bigger NBA
landscape is this. If you watch that game yesterday, Colin,
(27:21):
that's what they do to everyone. They beat the hell
out of you. And if you are Milwaukee or Brooklyn
and you have real championship aspirations, the difference between getting
the Knicks in round one versus Charlotte or Atlanta or
one of the other teams you could get coming out
of the play in moving up to seven is massive.
(27:43):
The Knicks are gonna take a hunk of flesh out
of whomever they play, so all of a sudden, that
three seed is not as attractive as otherwise would be. Like,
it's gonna be very interesting to see where the Knicks
fall because whomever they play, whomever beats the Nixon round
one is going to be going into round two limping
(28:05):
a bit. And I think that's gonna matter. You know.
It's funny. I hear all these Laker fans, Oh, we
don't want the Warriors, and I'm like, the Warriors are
a tiny team. The Lakers at drum and they're a
huge team. I would like the Lakers in that matchup.
But in your opinion, are you concerned about the Lakers
in a one game situation if Lebron's back in a
(28:25):
d are Are you concerned about a playing game for them? No?
I don't think the Lakers are gonna end up in
the play in because I think Portland's about to lose
two out of three and the Lakers will slide to
the six. But if when Lebron comes back, he doesn't
look immediately fully functional, if it looks like he's going
(28:46):
to need some time to ramp up, Not only am
I not worried about the play in, I would argue
the play in could be preferable than going into the
playoffs as the six seed and facing the Clippers in
round one. You know, I did not at all believe
in the Clippers last year, and while I don't believe
(29:07):
in them as a championship team this year, they are
better than they were last year. And if people are like, oh,
the play in, the play the play in, there is
no concern of the play in. The Warriors would have
to beat you, and then the Spurs or Grizzlies would
have to beat you two days later. That's not happening.
I think the bigger concern is if the if shrewders
just getting back off the COVID list. If ad is
(29:30):
you know, still dealing with little Nixon bruises and Lebron
doesn't have his win yet. And immediately in the first
round of the playoffs, if you're the sixth seed, you
get the Clippers. That could be tough. I think what
would be preferable to that is staying at the seven,
waxing the Warriors of the Grizzlies and the one game
playoff play in and then you get Phoenix or you
get Utah, neither of which can deal with the Lakers.
(29:53):
So that's the long way of saying the play in
does not concern me in the least. I think it
actually might be preferable some circumstances. Listen, and I never
get more hate mail than when I criticized Tim Tebow,
and I said yesterday, it's it's time for somebody to
tell Tim it's time to get a real job. Like
(30:13):
baseball was fun, football is great. Like you've been out
of the league eight years, go'll be a broadcaster. You're
terrific at that. That's my takeaway in the Tebow thing.
He's a nice kid. Everybody feels like, oh, like my
daughter to marry Tim Tebow. But this is like folly right,
Like you don't buy the tebow thing to the Jags. Colin,
you said, he's a nice kid. He's my age and Colin,
(30:37):
if I had been out of broadcasting for a decade
and I called you up, you're my Urban Meyer, and
I'm like, Colin, I think I gotta get back into
the game. I need you to give me a gig.
Do you know what you would do as a friend,
You'd say, Nick, the dream's over, buddy. You had a
(30:58):
good run, or maybe you didn't, but either way, this
is not you. At some point you gotta get a
real job. And at some point you've got to move
on past what was your childhood dream. I my seven
year old god lover. You know these days this will
make you laugh. She doesn't want to be an actress.
(31:19):
She wants to be a YouTuber and so good third
maybe that'll work out. But if when she's thirty five,
she's like, Dad's still gonna be a YouTuber And I say, honey,
you gotta you gotta get a real job now, Somebody,
what you said yesterday is spot on, and I am
you know Urban far better than I do. But I
have massive respect for Urban Meyer. I'm shocked he's doing
(31:43):
this Jacksonville, to me, had great momentum. They hired the
right coach, and they got the lottery ticket of Trevor Lawrence,
the winning lottery ticket of Trevor Lawrence. Why they are
acting like this is a literal minor league baseball team
and you've got to bring in the little person to
take it bats and then the seven footer to take
(32:05):
it bats, to draw fans into the stands that this
is the NFL. And so I don't I'm I'm surprised
by this. I don't get it. I have no reason
to believe he'll be good at it, and it just
doesn't seem like something Jacksonville, which finally had some positive momentum,
needed to do. Yeah. I think the reason you hired
(32:25):
urban Meyer was to feel bigger, and this makes them
feel smaller. Finally, Yeah, I agree entirely. Yeah, I like
Cleveland this year. I do not like them at all.
With nine new defensive starters at Arrowhead Week one. I
think it's the one game I looked at I thought,
good God, if there was one game Cleveland didn't want,
(32:46):
you wouldn't mind playing New England week one. Belichick struggles
in September. You wouldn't have minded that Packer game week
one because it seems like Aaron Rodgers resents the organization.
Brown's Chiefs weak one. I imagine you like a city
in this one. Well yeah, I mean, I'll probably all
do win loss like you do win loss, and it's
(33:08):
gonna be hard for me to find a loss. For
the Chiefs. They're angry they got the new left tackle.
I mean, I'm not saying they're gonna go undefeated, but
preliminarily speaking, probably sixteen and one with them resting people
in week seventeen. Yeah, anybody that had to come to
Arrowhead week one, it was gonna be tough. Yeah, the Browns.
What I will say for the Browns is this their
last experience in Arrowhead. While it was a playoff loss,
(33:31):
it's not like they got totally outclassed in that game. Now,
Mahomes went down, which changed the trajectory of it. But
I actually think that can be a Here's why I
think it can be a good thing for Cleveland if
everyone can agree the road to the super Bowl goes
through Arrowhead, which since Mahomes has been there, that's the case.
(33:51):
They've gone to two and the one they didn't get
to Brady beat them in Arrowhead. You get to see
how close you are immediately week one, you get to see,
all right, we're measuring ourselves against the best in our conference.
How where do we need to get better? Where? You know?
Where are we already good? What are our deficiencies? And
then we hope to see you again four months from now.
(34:13):
So I don't think it's a The only terrible outcome
possible is if the Browns somehow win, and that's a
terrible outcome for you. I'll be fine, The Chiefs will
be fine for Colin. If Baker, after winning a playoff game,
probably fresh off a new contract, goes into Arrowhead, Joy,
you better be ready to step in because first Monday
(34:34):
the NFL season, Uncle Colin might have the Baker flu,
might miss a m might miss a Monday NFL show
for the first time in years. But I don't think
that's gonna happen either, Ea, duly, first of all, mahomes
in September? What's that? Not? Only is he ten and
l what was the number two touchdownds? No picks? Yeah,
he's a good player. I think he's gonna do well,
(34:56):
all right, Buddy, good seeing Nick right, all right, great
great stuff. By the way, you know, people just say
awful things to me when I, you know, say that
Tim Tebow to the Jags feels like a Ted Lasso story.
Players are not going to buy that in the locker room,
but it is. It is interesting. One of the comments
(35:17):
about that from apparently somebody inside the organization. Not everybody
in Jacksonville likes it. Some thoughts on that coming up.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter nin a Empacific. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast Straight Fire
(35:37):
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sportspod pushing the
same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire
gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,
accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book,
and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and
listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app,
(35:58):
Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Still running
your business on quick books, call it quicksand bigger. The
company grows the faster you sync with outdated software, go
to NetSuite offering one of a kind financing NetSuite dot
com slash heard so. According to Jeff Darlington, very good
NFL reporter, breaks a lot of stories. He said, not everybody,
(36:22):
obviously Urban Myers is the one behind this. Not everybody
in the Jags building is thrilled with this. Darlingston said,
they don't think that it's necessarily sending the proper message
to the rest of the team in the locker room
and the guys trying to make the team. That was
my question yesterday, what's the message? And I do think
Jacksonville's Gator territory, so it will be accepted in Jacksonville.
(36:44):
It would be laughed at in New York, laughed at
in La laughed at in Denver. Big cities would just
roll their eyes laughed at. But I do think in
the South and Jacksonville, which is really a better college
football town than a pro football town, you know, people
will buy into it. But Urban Meyer one of Chris
Collinsworth podcast yesterday and extrapolated kind of gave the story context,
(37:04):
which I thought was a smart thing for him to do.
We have not signed him. There's a thought going around.
You know, he was in the best shape of his life.
Asked to see if he can work out with a
couple of our coaches. I wasn't even there, and they
came back to me and said, wow, this guy's in
an incredible shape. And I said, then I went another
time and watched him try him out and they said,
(37:27):
go work on these things. He comes back later, they
try him out again. I'm not there, and they come
in and they said, wow, you know this guy's ball skills.
He's a great athlete. He looks like he's eighteen years old.
I'm not twenty whatever. He is thirty three. And I said, guys,
you don't understand now this guy is. You know, he's
the most competitive maniac you're ever going to talk to,
(37:47):
and let's give it a shot. Tim was also the
most competitive maniac in Minor league baseball, and in better
shape than anybody at double A. He still couldn't hit.
Tim was in the best shape I've ever seen any
NFL quarterback. Remember that shot when he was walking in
the rain, New York with his shirt off and he
couldn't throw football. If being in great shape got you
(38:10):
to the pros, then every HGH and steroid freak at
Gold's gym would be in the NFL. But they all
walked like this because they're stiff and they overlifted, and
they're not athletes. They just looked good with their shirt off,
and Tim looks great with his shirt off. I'll give
an example to is still Ripped at forty seven, Shannon
Sharp at fifty two, and Ocho Sinko to as one
(38:34):
of the best NFL bodies of all time. He tried
out for the Seahawks in his late thirties. He took
a shirt off, worked out, and he looked the part,
but he couldn't separate. And TiO at one point was
a great NFL player. Tim Tebow was bad. I know
he had a win streak. I know, I know, we
(38:57):
all know. But he is a not below Taysom Hill athletically,
and Taysom Hill, in my opinion, not a franchise quarterback.
This is not anti God or anti Tebow. It's pro
reality is that if being in shape mannered or being
a maniac mannered well, then Tim Tebow would have been
(39:19):
a star in baseball and a star in football. It
doesn't matter. Tim Tebow is six two. There are no
six two tight ends in the NFL, especially now, he's
never played tight end. He was not particularly athletic when
he did play. He was just he had a dream,
he had a love, he had a passion. But he
was a four to seven forty guy. That's not Cam
(39:43):
that's not Kyler Murray, that's not Lamar Jackson. Justin Herbert bigger, stronger, faster, better, arm, faster.
Justin Herbert's a much better athlete than Tim Tebow in
every box. But Justin Herbert hasn't put his faith out there.
He didn't win a Heisman, he didn't win a national title.
He's not iconic. He's just way better than everything. So
(40:07):
it's not anti Tim. But if if you knew you
can wear the chef jacket and you can buy new knives,
doesn't make you Bobby Flay. Oh he loves to cook.
Everybody loves to cook. Everybody wants to open a restaurant
because they got a chili con Carney recipe that mom loves.
Doesn't make you Bobby Flay. Hour two next
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday from twelve to three eastern,
nine to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS one.
Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports
Radio dot com, or stream us live every day on
the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox
Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Wednesday, live
(00:26):
in Los Angeles. It's The Herd wherever you may be
and however you may be listening Fox Sports Radio, iHeartRadio
FS one. It could not be a better day in
America for us. Not only is The Herd brought to
you by Jersey Mike Subs be a sub above. They
bring sandwiches on Wednesday. But tonight is the NFL schedule release.
(00:50):
I'm into it, you know how. You know this stuff
works for me? Schedule release draft stuff. I like building stuff,
and I just love the NFL schedule release. Tonight. We're
gonna have a party at the Herd Grotto tonight. Joey
Taylor is joining me. I love this stuff. That Week
one schedule is already out fired up. Well. You also
(01:13):
have a lot of theories around the schedule, like a
playing win loss is my favorite game. Like you just
go down like win las win loss. You don't, you
don't cross check or anything like. That's every whatever your
fan does. But you have a lot of theories around
high schedule plays out. I do. So the NFL has
released its schedule, and let me just say this, the
NFL is really smart. They do a couple things really well.
(01:35):
They understand that they're a television show, so they spread
their events out and make them events. Every month has
an event. You got free agency, you got the draft,
you got the combine, you got the preseason, you got
the schedule release. I mean they put it right in
the middle of the week Wednesday, knowing that guys like me,
you're going to talk about it today, Wednesday, Tomorrow, Thursday,
(01:57):
and some guys talk about it Friday. Put it right
in the middle of the week. They drop it right
before the NBA playoffs because sports is gonna get a
little cluttered here next week. So they put it right.
They think about everything, and then when the NFL does
have problems, they address them quickly. I mean, major League
Baseball has a three year problem. I don't know, it
feels like a big deal. Nobody can hit anymore. You
(02:20):
may want to address it. Crickets, NBA lost a third
of its audience last two years. Stars don't play in
the biggest games. You may want to address it. NFL
change their catch rule before the Super Bowl, like in
the game, like we got to make this better on television,
so that the schedule today is perfect. They think about everything,
(02:41):
They think about everything in the NFL. Great example, Cowboys Buccaneers.
So you get the biggest brand in the NFL against
the best team. And it's also I think going to
be a competitive game because the Cowboys offensive line is
old and you don't get seventeen games out of it.
But in week one, little super Bowl win, hangover Tampa
(03:04):
loving themselves. They got the fields for themselves. Here comes
Dallas Zeke's healthy, old line, healthy competitive football game. But
just look at how thoughtful they were here. So Jets
Panthers is a one o'clock game. Now, if you've played
that joy in week nine, nobody cares. But Sam Darnold
faces the team that dumped him week one and faces
(03:27):
his air apparent week one. Hell yeah, I'm watching. That's
exactly when you put that that game is less interesting
every week by week six. Nobody cares, but they put
it week one. They thought about it. Seahawks at the
Colts to Super Bowl contenders, Browns at the chiefs AFC
(03:47):
Championship contenders. Oh, Dolphins Patriots. When is Belichick most vulnerable September?
That's his history. So they bring in Brian Flores. It's
Belichick against his protege. It could be two against Matt Jones.
Then they go Packers Saints, two massive brands. They collide.
(04:07):
Plus we all want to watch that, right, Fox puts
that the late game. Aaron Rodgers, even if he's there,
he hates the team, he hates the GM, he's all upset.
And then you go Monday Night. Oh, by the way,
Bears rams NBC. Why why does that matter? First of all, Chicago, La,
huge markets. But why it matters is because Matt Stafford
and Sean McVay. There is a feeling in Vegas in
(04:28):
the betting community. Stafford's gonna have a massive year. So
the NFL doesn't want to wait to start that story.
The NFL Week one they're gonna They're gonna put at
night on NBC. They're gonna put Matt Stafford and McVay
Week one Sean McVay has been a great September coach,
a bunch of new tricks like Andy Reid in the offseason.
He's a very good play designer. Suddenly you got Stafford
(04:50):
with a big win, Stafford with a lot of points.
It's not gonna be cruddy Weather Bears in La big brand,
Matt Stafford, Sean mcvagh and the story's wrong. That Monday
Night football John Gruden used to broadcast on IT, John
Gruden and the Raiders host the Ravens. By the way,
if the Raiders were at Baltimore, it could be a blowout.
(05:10):
But but in Vegas, so you're gonna get the Cowboys
against the super Bowl champs Vegas, Los Angeles. Here's the
other thing. Here's how smart there. This is a true story.
What I'm about to tell you is a true story.
And this is where the NFL works very well with
(05:31):
their TV partners. So the four o'clock window, four twenty
five on Fox, they have the Broncos game against the
Giants and the Packers game. Color me non coincidental. If
(05:52):
Aaron Rodgers does go to the Broncos, Fox doesn't have
to change the games. Fox has them both. So if
Aaron goes, I'm going to Denver, get me out of here.
Fox has both the Green Bay game and the Denver game.
They cover themselves. That is thoughtful, that is smart. Years ago,
(06:17):
not many years ago, two or three years ago. I'm
not gonna say the network, but one of the networks
literally had to call Major League Baseball about their schedule.
I'm not going to tell you who. I'm not going
to tell you the network. Fox. We had to call
a Major League Baseball and say, you know, can we
help you with your schedule? Why are you putting all
these like cub Cardinal, Dodger Giant games in the week
(06:40):
Why don't you put your biggest rivalries on the week end.
The TV network had to go to the sport and
tell them how to schedule. In the NFL, the NFL
knows how to schedule, but they work were their television partners.
I would guess putting a Broncho Packer game back to back,
same time slot is protection hedging your bet if Aaron
(07:01):
goes to Denver, I don't think it's a coincident. Maybe
it is, but nobody wants in the media loves to
get the NFL credit because the NFL doesn't need the media,
and the media wants to be needed, and they don't
need you, they don't need me, they don't need anybody.
But they are so much smarter and better run. Just
(07:21):
with their schedule. They thought of everything to put Darnald
against the Jets in week one is brilliant. That game
is useless potentially by week six, when the Jets are
one in five, it means nothing. But in week one,
little revenge game for Sam Darnold at home against the
team that dumped him. I'm watching, I'm watching really smart,
(07:45):
all right. One team got a terrible break. I'll get
to that later, but let's start with this. So the
Lakers Knicks played last night was actually it's a really
entertaining game because really I've watched a couple back to
Nick games. They're feisty and fun. And it was a big,
meaningful win for the Lakers because New York's a real team,
(08:08):
and they won it an overtime. Lebron didn't play, Dennis
Shooter didn't play, Alex Caruso got hurt very early. Eighty
was not one hundred percent, and they beat a feisty
New York Knicks team. It was also a game that
highlighted the problem with the New York Knicks. The New
York Knicks, it's a baby step league. You don't go
from the Knicks crappy to winning the title. Same of
the Phoenix Suns this year. This game really highlighted the
(08:30):
New York Knicks. They just don't have enough juice. You
play hard in the NBA. It's a classic Tom Fibideau team.
He grinds his players. The practices are longer, they play
more minutes, they play harder. That wins you forty five
fifty games in the regular season, but teams are exhausted
by the postseason. And his teams lacked juice and energy
in the postseason. And if you looked at the Knicks
(08:52):
last night, I mean, this is what is going to
be their problem in the playoffs. Derreck Rose old rickety,
Derek is often there leading your second leading score. So
it was like Julius Randall, Derrick Rose and the rest
of the team shot thirty thirteen of thirty eight. Meanwhile,
the Lakers are built for the playoffs, and a prime
(09:13):
example is A, we know they have experience in the playoffs.
B they have a coach who's experienced in the playoffs.
But if you look at the box score, you had
Anthony Davis dropping twenty, Andre Drummond dropped sixteen, Kyle Kuzman
gave you twenty three, Harton Tucker gave you thirteen, and
Lebron and Shooter didn't play, so you'd had two more
(09:34):
guys in double figures when the Knicks Julius Randall thirty one,
Derreck Rose twenty seven, and a bunch of guys with
two and four. So you can't win in the playoffs
when you're you need juice, You need guys who could
you need five guys who can drop twenty. The Lakers
are really built for the playoffs, and last night it
was a great example for the Lakers. That's why they're
(09:55):
gonna be a playoff team. And I think they're gonna
be a really good playoff team as long as Lebron
is like fine healthy. They just got a bunch of
guys who can create their own shot or give you
twenty on any night, and the Knicks don't. It's kind
of Julius Randall, cross your fingers. RJ. Barrett's young and hot.
He last night he couldn't shoot, So it showed you
(10:16):
a lot last night. It showed you the Knicks have
a foundation. They play hard, but boy, you can see
their ceiling. They struggled last night, late in the fourth
quarter in overtime to get shots. They struggled to get shots. Well,
guess what. Milwaukee in the East like the Lakers last night.
They play real defense. I mean Philadelphia can play real defense.
(10:37):
Ben Simmons up there on defense. So now Brooklyn didn't
play any defense. But you know Milwaukee does. Miami heats
his historically Spolstra teams do. The Knicks have a real ceiling.
And you saw it last night. And the Lakers, without
two of their three best players, won a game. Bunch
of guys jumped in and scored. That shows you why
(10:59):
they haven't been a good regular season team, but why
they're built for the playoffs. Can't wait. It's a very
very entertaining game. So coming up next listen. It's only
one game, so we know Week one of the NFL schedule,
But god, did one team get the worst break in
the world. We'll talk about that coming up. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon
(11:21):
eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one
and The iHeartRadio app get Petty for the biggest season ever.
With the release of the twenty twenty one NFL schedule
tonight at eight pm Eastern on FS one and NFL Network,
don't miss the first look at the entire seventeen game
regular season, plus starting tonight. Fans can purchase single game
(11:41):
tickets at NFL dot com slash tickets, and we've got
a sneak peak of the week one slate here on Fox.
In the one pm window, we've got Eagles at Falcons,
Vikings at Bengals, forty nine Ers at Lions, and Seahawks
at Colts. And in the late afternoon window, we've got
American's Game of the Week, Packers at Saints, Broncos at Giants.
(12:06):
One team got a really bad break. I know, I know, Cleveland,
I'm picking on you. Cleveland got a bad break. They
got the worst break in the league. Cleveland's a good
football team. I think they're the best overbat nine and
a half wins. I think they're a ten eleven win team.
They got a terrible break. Andy Reid is the best
(12:29):
September coach in football. That's who the Browns open with
at Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes under Andy Reid in September
is ten and oh with thirty two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
It is the last place you want to play Kansas City,
(12:49):
and he reads the best NFL coach in September, and
he's the best NFL coach off a bye, and Week
one is essentially off a bye. Andy Reid berries his
playsheet until Week one. Go ask Belichick. He's humiliated Belichick
in September. Also, Cleveland's gonna have eight or nine new
defensive starters. So in week nine or ten, this is
a tug Award. This is a real game in Week one,
(13:12):
nine new defensive starters against the best game play designer
in the NFL and the best quarterback at home. Now
the good news, Cleveland, you're used to not winning in
Week one. You haven't won a Week one game in
seventeen years. So you'll be one one and you'll overcome
it because you're a really good team, you have a
really good coach. But that is a bad scheduling break,
(13:34):
you know. Again, Pittsburgh is not a team that I'm
fond of this year, but in Week one they're healthy.
Mike to big Ben's at his best early he deteriorates.
These old quarterbacks get worse late, right, Big Ben in September,
He'll give you a game. Pittsburgh would be better served
(13:55):
because I don't have a bunch of new defensive faces.
Pittsburgh would be better served to go to Kansas City
and compete week one, not a team with nine defensive
starters that are learning a system from other teams young.
This is a bad break for Cleveland. I still think
they're a really good team next year. This is Baker Mayfield,
just to show you Cleveland's history in Week one, Baker
(14:16):
Mayfield has two starts Week one, he lost forty three
to thirteen and thirty eight to six. So I'm not
going to do a blazing five, but I will bet
some games today. Uncle Colin does not waste opportunities to
make some lettuce if I either are blazing five today.
Because the lines often never get better on Fox Bet,
here's the best lines. Seattle plus three at Indianapolis. Seattle
(14:38):
tends to be again, same coach, same quarterback, many of
the same weapons. Indianapolis has a new quarterback and so
and their best young receiver, Michael Pittman's never worked with
Carson Wentz. I think the culture gonna be really good.
I don't know how good they're gonna be in Week one.
Last year they lost to the Jags in Week one,
so I would take Seattle in the points in Week one,
(15:00):
Atlanta minus one and a half. Now, you know, Atlanta
burns me every year, but Atlanta actually got beat up
last year. Atlanta now adds Kyle Pitts. They get Arthur
smith Us really really smart offensive mind is their head coach,
and they face a Philadelphia team at home. They only
have to give up put it up again, only have
to give up one and a half points. I think
(15:20):
Atlanta is a really good bet. I think the Philadelphia
Eagles made a just an egregiously bad hire at head coach.
I would take Atlanta minus one and a half against Philadelphia.
I would actually take the Cowboys plus four and a
half against Tampa because that line is probably going to
get bet up to about five and a half. Brady's
going to get a lot curry, a lot of the
(15:41):
favor of the general public. People are gonna say, oh,
Cowboys are gonna get blown out. Not in Week one,
not really in week What's when you win the Super
Bowl and you're having parades and you're throwing the trophy
around the Tampa Bay Week one, you could be a
little sluggish, little little Super Bowl hangover, rich Beneff, that's
hard to get guys, you know, motivated for a Week
one and Dallas's offensive line and Zeke will be healthy
(16:03):
week one. Dak's got a lot to prove. He's got
a big new contract. Dak wants to prove he can compete.
He's worth the money. I would take Dallas and the
Points Chargers at the Washington Football team. Now. I like
the Chargers a lot this year, but they have a
brand new offensive line and a brand new coach, and
they are facing Ron Rivera's defensive front, which is outstanding.
(16:25):
So you're taking the Chargers, who I think are gonna
be really good. That is a tough opener on the road,
six hour flight, veteran head coach, the system's already implemented,
and you've got Brandon Staley who's very very good. But boy,
oh boy, that's a lot to chew off in Week one.
I'd probably take the Washington football team. It's a pick
um and Kansas City minus four and a half against
(16:46):
the Browns. That number is gonna end up five or six.
That's the best number you're gonna get. Kansas City's gonna
curry a lot of favor with the betters. So I
would take a Kansas City minus four and a half.
That's today, I think the best bets on the board. Well, yea,
what do I know except everything? All right? Joey Taylor
with the news. No, no, this is the herd Line news.
(17:12):
It has been a good couple of weeks for you.
The draft schedules, trauma, Oh my gosh, Schulze balls, and
we got the gift. It's almost like Christmas, you know,
God's gift to us with Tebow. Yeah, that was a
big story instrument all of the week. Well, there's a
lot of skepticism about Jaggs potentially signing Tim Tebow as
(17:35):
a tight end, and apparently the same attitude is circulating
among the Jags coaching staff. According to Jeff Charlington, there
is serious disagreement within the organization about signing the former quarterback.
Beyond the emotional side of this and beyond the wonders
of why. It's just the reality that it's really not practical,
it's really not likely to work. Urban Meyer would say, hey,
(17:56):
I'm gonna add anybody to my team who has the
potential to better this organism, to which you could look
at this and say, how is this going to better
the organization? There's really not very much upside at all.
You're asking Tim Tebow out of the league for eight
years to become a new position. That's like asking a
punter out of the league for eight years to become
a kicker. Well, they're both kickers, not really, they're specialists.
(18:17):
To be a quarterback in a tight end, it are
two totally different positions. It's like saying, well, you work
at a hospital. Yeah, but a pediatrician's not a brain surgeon.
They're both doctors. Well, printers and kickers were the same position,
tight ends and quarterbacks with the same position. Why do
you need extra roster spots for specific positions? You're not
the same job, and the tight end position I would
(18:38):
argue this joy. The tight end position in football has
changed more than any position in football. It is now
often where you put an incredible athlete. You know, for
years and years it was like if you couldn't block,
you couldn't play the position. It's like Travis Kelsey's not
going to block. Nobody cares. The bottom line is Kyle
Pitch from Florida. He's not really a block. He went forth.
(19:01):
The bottom line now you put it, it's the place
where you put that six five and a half athlete
that has two good hands to put on defense. Like
it's become You start looking at the tight end position
in the NFL and you're like, they can become leading receivers.
Travis Kelsey is their top target. So Tebow seven years
(19:23):
ago wasn't athletic enough to be tied end. Now the
positions become hyper athletic. Well, Tebow hasn't been great since college.
He had a moment of good and I mean, listen,
everyone laughed at the baseball thing. I think he did
well at baseball. I mean he's did better than a
lot of baseball players have done over the years. It's
(19:43):
a fun story. It's a fun story. And look and look,
people are mad at the opportunities that Tim Tebow gets,
and I understand that it feels very unfair. It's more
about who you know than what you're actually capable of.
But with this situation and what Jeff Darlington is referring
to is which you don't want to do in bringing
in Tim Tebow is leaves so many questions about how
(20:05):
it is you are actually building your organization. Are you
truly interested in bringing in the best people for the job,
because there's no question there are better people for the
job than Tim Tebow. Of course that question. The worst
tight end that got cut last year in the league
is better than Tim Tebow right now? Of course, So
what is the actual reason you voted a theory yesterday?
(20:29):
Pension which could entirely be possible? Right now, Tim Tebow
has vested three years in the league, so his pension
is around a little less than twenty thousand dollars a
year a year. Yes, if he's vested as a four
year player, it goes up significantly doubles. I mean, it's
very difficult to get the exact numbers on all of this,
but he basically plays three or four more games and
(20:51):
he's vested as a four year player, it's going to
go up significantly. Like it's going to go up to
sixty or seventy thousand dollars a year from twenty thousand dollars. Now,
that doesn't seem like a lot, but if you play
three more games in the NFL, hey I get extra
money for coming in as a check every year for
the rest of my life. Now, that seems a bit
hacky that you would sign Tim Tibo to play three
games for that amount of money that Tim could probably
(21:12):
make doing an appearance. It's just it's it's it feels
a little forced. It feels like there's too many questions
around it for it just yes. So the Lions were
on the phone with a final offer to trade up
when the Falcons were on the clock with the fourth
overall pick. They obviously ended up taking Kyle Pitts, but
in a video the Falcons posted yesterday from inside their
(21:32):
draft room in their war room, Atlanta General Manager Terry
Fontineau takes a call from the Lions when the Falcons
are on the clock. Good one, it's the same we
talked about. Ye appreciate all right, so did m. Presumably
(22:01):
the Lions GM have a short conversation that they show there,
basically saying, this is not a better deal than we
had already talked about it. We're gonna go ahead and
pick and take Kyle Pitts. Now, we don't know who
the Lions were targeting. They obviously ended up taking Pinay
soul At seven, which is good because Goff needs a
good old line. Now, Jared Goff's a different quarterback battle line,
good old line. That's I honestly think Kyle. I like
(22:24):
that pick. I just I'm so curious to know who
they were trying to trade up to take. They couldn't
have been trying to trade up for Pinay Seul. Who
you're talking Detroit? Yeah? Oh, I think they wanted Kyle Pitts.
Can you do that if you're Detroit. I think Kyle
Pitts is so great. They've lost Kenny Galla day. I
(22:44):
actually think Detroit's better off. Actually, Kyle Pitts works with
a veteran quarterback, and I like Atlanta's old line, right,
Jared Goff needed Pennay Seul or he wouldn't have time
to throw to Kyle Pitts. I actually think Detroit in
Atlanta got the perfect player for that. But do you
think that Detroit was trying to take a swing for Yes, yes,
(23:06):
I think they were. I don't think. I never bought
into this the Carolina is gonna draft another quarterback and
Detroit's gonna draft I never bought those stories. I mean,
I don't know. I'd like to know, I think you're
probably right, because why do you make that move for
Jared Goff? And I think that Jared Goff is good
enough that you can build around him. Like we've seen
some coaching, if you give Jared Goff three and a
(23:27):
half seconds, he'll complete passes. He showed when it gets
down to three seconds or two seven five, it's not
the same quarterback ext the fall apart. All right, Well,
Oakland's I don't know what to tell you. Oakland Athletics
reportedly affirmission from MLB to seek relocation with the team's
current ballpark situation in Limbo. The A's have been trying
to get a new stadium for years, but the plans
(23:49):
keep getting tied up by government officials. According to Jeff Hassan,
the current proposal involves the Athletics privately funding one billion
dollars to the stadium. The team is asking for an
eight hundred and fifty five million dollar commitment from the
city for infrastructure improvements, and they're also seeking four hundred
million dollars to be funded by the taxpayers. Good luck
(24:09):
California getting that well. According to the mayor's office, the
city said it's willing to bear its resources to help
make division of reality. However, the requests for public investment
investment at the high end of projects of this type nationwide,
they're not bottom line. If Silicon Valley has trillion dollars
days at some point, if the A's are going to
(24:31):
remain in Oakland, go to Silicon Valley and say, hey,
any you guys like baseball, We'll give you a big
chunk of the team. You can't ask taxpayers, No, not
a four hundred million dollars, not a city of Oaklands
for a stadium. No, especially in California, New York and California.
Good luck going to your taxpayers and asking for more
(24:51):
money anywhere. We just came out of a pandemic. We're
still in a pandemic. Actually, like we're still in a pandemic.
You can't ask before the pandemic. You couldn't ask with money.
But four je a million dollars for a stadium is absurd.
I get it. The stadiums do bring in an incredible
amount of revenues to the cities. They can provide a
boost for the communities that they're in, or they can
(25:12):
do quite the opposite and not provide a huge influx
of money into the area. I mean, a great example
of this is Marlin's Park, which was funded by the taxpayers,
and it was pretty much the crown jewel of why
you don't get taxpayer money to build these stadiums and boondoggle.
That's been a total boondoggle. It's the park is beautiful,
it's great, but it was supposed to just have all
(25:34):
these stores and shops and nothing. It's pay It's a
billion dollars organization. You make plenty of money pay for
the stadium yourself, so you cannot ask taxpayers to give
four hundred million dollars for a stadium. Good stuff. Joy
with the news. Well that's the news, and thanks for
stopping by the herd line. All right, We're getting close
to the playoffs here, and you can tell in the
(25:54):
last couple of in the last four or five games,
you can tell the league gets more ramped up. I mean,
the Lakers and the Knicks last night. At the end
of those games, those teams were playing playoff defense like
the nate. Lakers were desperate, and the Knicks, who don't
have a lot of offensive juice, couldn't get their own shot.
I watched the Clippers Nick Sunday, it felt like a
playoff game. You can feel now the effort ramping up,
(26:15):
some desperation for teams here in some seating. Let's bring
on Nick Wright, my buddy. First things First, brought to
you by Mercedes Ben's the best or Nothing I will
I said this yesterday about the Knicks. They're a regular
season team. If you play hard, you can win half
your games. But everybody plays hard in the playoffs and
they'll be exposed. But I will say this, for the
(26:36):
first time in twenty years, I like watching them. I
kind of feel like they've there's something. The house has
a foundation. Well, your thoughts on them overall, Well, my
thoughts on them are, if they happen to move back
up to the four and get Atlanta in round one,
then they could win a playoff series. They could beat Atlanta.
(26:59):
Anyone else they play in round one, they're drawing dead
against whether it's Miami, Milwaukee or Brooklyn. They've got no shot. However,
what is more and it's a great job by Thibodeau,
great job by Derrick Rose and Julius Randall's having a
phenomenal season where the Knicks matter to the bigger NBA
landscape is this. If you watch that game yesterday, Colin,
(27:21):
that's what they do to everyone. They beat the hell
out of you. And if you are Milwaukee or Brooklyn
and you have real championship aspirations, the difference between getting
the Knicks in round one versus Charlotte or Atlanta or
one of the other teams you could get coming out
of the play in moving up to seven is massive.
(27:43):
The Knicks are gonna take a hunk of flesh out
of whomever they play, so all of a sudden, that
three seed is not as attractive as otherwise would be. Like,
it's gonna be very interesting to see where the Knicks
fall because whomever they play, whomever beats the Nixon round
one is going to be going into round two limping
(28:05):
a bit. And I think that's gonna matter. You know.
It's funny. I hear all these Laker fans, Oh, we
don't want the Warriors, and I'm like, the Warriors are
a tiny team. The Lakers at drum and they're a
huge team. I would like the Lakers in that matchup.
But in your opinion, are you concerned about the Lakers
in a one game situation if Lebron's back in a
(28:25):
d are Are you concerned about a playing game for them? No?
I don't think the Lakers are gonna end up in
the play in because I think Portland's about to lose
two out of three and the Lakers will slide to
the six. But if when Lebron comes back, he doesn't
look immediately fully functional, if it looks like he's going
(28:46):
to need some time to ramp up, Not only am
I not worried about the play in, I would argue
the play in could be preferable than going into the
playoffs as the six seed and facing the Clippers in
round one. You know, I did not at all believe
in the Clippers last year, and while I don't believe
(29:07):
in them as a championship team this year, they are
better than they were last year. And if people are like, oh,
the play in, the play the play in, there is
no concern of the play in. The Warriors would have
to beat you, and then the Spurs or Grizzlies would
have to beat you two days later. That's not happening.
I think the bigger concern is if the if shrewders
just getting back off the COVID list. If ad is
(29:30):
you know, still dealing with little Nixon bruises and Lebron
doesn't have his win yet. And immediately in the first
round of the playoffs, if you're the sixth seed, you
get the Clippers. That could be tough. I think what
would be preferable to that is staying at the seven,
waxing the Warriors of the Grizzlies and the one game
playoff play in and then you get Phoenix or you
get Utah, neither of which can deal with the Lakers.
(29:53):
So that's the long way of saying the play in
does not concern me in the least. I think it
actually might be preferable some circumstances. Listen, and I never
get more hate mail than when I criticized Tim Tebow,
and I said yesterday, it's it's time for somebody to
tell Tim it's time to get a real job. Like
(30:13):
baseball was fun, football is great. Like you've been out
of the league eight years, go'll be a broadcaster. You're
terrific at that. That's my takeaway in the Tebow thing.
He's a nice kid. Everybody feels like, oh, like my
daughter to marry Tim Tebow. But this is like folly right,
Like you don't buy the tebow thing to the Jags. Colin,
you said, he's a nice kid. He's my age and Colin,
(30:37):
if I had been out of broadcasting for a decade
and I called you up, you're my Urban Meyer, and
I'm like, Colin, I think I gotta get back into
the game. I need you to give me a gig.
Do you know what you would do as a friend,
You'd say, Nick, the dream's over, buddy. You had a
(30:58):
good run, or maybe you didn't, but either way, this
is not you. At some point you gotta get a
real job. And at some point you've got to move
on past what was your childhood dream. I my seven
year old god lover. You know these days this will
make you laugh. She doesn't want to be an actress.
(31:19):
She wants to be a YouTuber and so good third
maybe that'll work out. But if when she's thirty five,
she's like, Dad's still gonna be a YouTuber And I say, honey,
you gotta you gotta get a real job now, Somebody,
what you said yesterday is spot on, and I am
you know Urban far better than I do. But I
have massive respect for Urban Meyer. I'm shocked he's doing
(31:43):
this Jacksonville, to me, had great momentum. They hired the
right coach, and they got the lottery ticket of Trevor Lawrence,
the winning lottery ticket of Trevor Lawrence. Why they are
acting like this is a literal minor league baseball team
and you've got to bring in the little person to
take it bats and then the seven footer to take
(32:05):
it bats, to draw fans into the stands that this
is the NFL. And so I don't I'm I'm surprised
by this. I don't get it. I have no reason
to believe he'll be good at it, and it just
doesn't seem like something Jacksonville, which finally had some positive momentum,
needed to do. Yeah. I think the reason you hired
(32:25):
urban Meyer was to feel bigger, and this makes them
feel smaller. Finally, Yeah, I agree entirely. Yeah, I like
Cleveland this year. I do not like them at all.
With nine new defensive starters at Arrowhead Week one. I
think it's the one game I looked at I thought,
good God, if there was one game Cleveland didn't want,
(32:46):
you wouldn't mind playing New England week one. Belichick struggles
in September. You wouldn't have minded that Packer game week
one because it seems like Aaron Rodgers resents the organization.
Brown's Chiefs weak one. I imagine you like a city
in this one. Well yeah, I mean, I'll probably all
do win loss like you do win loss, and it's
(33:08):
gonna be hard for me to find a loss. For
the Chiefs. They're angry they got the new left tackle.
I mean, I'm not saying they're gonna go undefeated, but
preliminarily speaking, probably sixteen and one with them resting people
in week seventeen. Yeah, anybody that had to come to
Arrowhead week one, it was gonna be tough. Yeah, the Browns.
What I will say for the Browns is this their
last experience in Arrowhead. While it was a playoff loss,
(33:31):
it's not like they got totally outclassed in that game. Now,
Mahomes went down, which changed the trajectory of it. But
I actually think that can be a Here's why I
think it can be a good thing for Cleveland if
everyone can agree the road to the super Bowl goes
through Arrowhead, which since Mahomes has been there, that's the case.
(33:51):
They've gone to two and the one they didn't get
to Brady beat them in Arrowhead. You get to see
how close you are immediately week one, you get to see,
all right, we're measuring ourselves against the best in our conference.
How where do we need to get better? Where? You know?
Where are we already good? What are our deficiencies? And
then we hope to see you again four months from now.
(34:13):
So I don't think it's a The only terrible outcome
possible is if the Browns somehow win, and that's a
terrible outcome for you. I'll be fine, The Chiefs will
be fine for Colin. If Baker, after winning a playoff game,
probably fresh off a new contract, goes into Arrowhead, Joy,
you better be ready to step in because first Monday
(34:34):
the NFL season, Uncle Colin might have the Baker flu,
might miss a m might miss a Monday NFL show
for the first time in years. But I don't think
that's gonna happen either, Ea, duly, first of all, mahomes
in September? What's that? Not? Only is he ten and
l what was the number two touchdownds? No picks? Yeah,
he's a good player. I think he's gonna do well,
(34:56):
all right, Buddy, good seeing Nick right, all right, great
great stuff. By the way, you know, people just say
awful things to me when I, you know, say that
Tim Tebow to the Jags feels like a Ted Lasso story.
Players are not going to buy that in the locker room,
but it is. It is interesting. One of the comments
(35:17):
about that from apparently somebody inside the organization. Not everybody
in Jacksonville likes it. Some thoughts on that coming up.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter nin a Empacific. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast Straight Fire
(35:37):
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sportspod pushing the
same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire
gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,
accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book,
and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and
listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app,
(35:58):
Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Still running
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to NetSuite offering one of a kind financing NetSuite dot
com slash heard so. According to Jeff Darlington, very good
NFL reporter, breaks a lot of stories. He said, not everybody,
(36:22):
obviously Urban Myers is the one behind this. Not everybody
in the Jags building is thrilled with this. Darlingston said,
they don't think that it's necessarily sending the proper message
to the rest of the team in the locker room
and the guys trying to make the team. That was
my question yesterday, what's the message? And I do think
Jacksonville's Gator territory, so it will be accepted in Jacksonville.
(36:44):
It would be laughed at in New York, laughed at
in La laughed at in Denver. Big cities would just
roll their eyes laughed at. But I do think in
the South and Jacksonville, which is really a better college
football town than a pro football town, you know, people
will buy into it. But Urban Meyer one of Chris
Collinsworth podcast yesterday and extrapolated kind of gave the story context,
(37:04):
which I thought was a smart thing for him to do.
We have not signed him. There's a thought going around.
You know, he was in the best shape of his life.
Asked to see if he can work out with a
couple of our coaches. I wasn't even there, and they
came back to me and said, wow, this guy's in
an incredible shape. And I said, then I went another
time and watched him try him out and they said,
(37:27):
go work on these things. He comes back later, they
try him out again. I'm not there, and they come
in and they said, wow, you know this guy's ball skills.
He's a great athlete. He looks like he's eighteen years old.
I'm not twenty whatever. He is thirty three. And I said, guys,
you don't understand now this guy is. You know, he's
the most competitive maniac you're ever going to talk to,
(37:47):
and let's give it a shot. Tim was also the
most competitive maniac in Minor league baseball, and in better
shape than anybody at double A. He still couldn't hit.
Tim was in the best shape I've ever seen any
NFL quarterback. Remember that shot when he was walking in
the rain, New York with his shirt off and he
couldn't throw football. If being in great shape got you
(38:10):
to the pros, then every HGH and steroid freak at
Gold's gym would be in the NFL. But they all
walked like this because they're stiff and they overlifted, and
they're not athletes. They just looked good with their shirt off,
and Tim looks great with his shirt off. I'll give
an example to is still Ripped at forty seven, Shannon
Sharp at fifty two, and Ocho Sinko to as one
(38:34):
of the best NFL bodies of all time. He tried
out for the Seahawks in his late thirties. He took
a shirt off, worked out, and he looked the part,
but he couldn't separate. And TiO at one point was
a great NFL player. Tim Tebow was bad. I know
he had a win streak. I know, I know, we
(38:57):
all know. But he is a not below Taysom Hill athletically,
and Taysom Hill, in my opinion, not a franchise quarterback.
This is not anti God or anti Tebow. It's pro
reality is that if being in shape mannered or being
a maniac mannered well, then Tim Tebow would have been
(39:19):
a star in baseball and a star in football. It
doesn't matter. Tim Tebow is six two. There are no
six two tight ends in the NFL, especially now, he's
never played tight end. He was not particularly athletic when
he did play. He was just he had a dream,
he had a love, he had a passion. But he
was a four to seven forty guy. That's not Cam
(39:43):
that's not Kyler Murray, that's not Lamar Jackson. Justin Herbert bigger, stronger, faster, better, arm, faster.
Justin Herbert's a much better athlete than Tim Tebow in
every box. But Justin Herbert hasn't put his faith out there.
He didn't win a Heisman, he didn't win a national title.
He's not iconic. He's just way better than everything. So
(40:07):
it's not anti Tim. But if if you knew you
can wear the chef jacket and you can buy new knives,
doesn't make you Bobby Flay. Oh he loves to cook.
Everybody loves to cook. Everybody wants to open a restaurant
because they got a chili con Carney recipe that mom loves.
Doesn't make you Bobby Flay. Hour two next
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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