Kawhi Leonard, championships, Lakers, NBA rankings, & running backs

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Thursday. This

(00:27):
is the Herd wherever you may be and however you
may be listening or on iHeartRadio, Fox Sports Radio and
FS one. Looking at my guest list. Just got just
got in the chair a little late today. Joey Taylor
is joining me in a Thursday. Joy, how are you.
I'm great, Good morning. Well, we've got uh the dust
us settled and all this free agency stuff. We also

(00:48):
have some good NFL stories. We have a breaking NFL
story I'll get to in about five minutes here. Uh,
We've we've got some football stuff seeping in and we'll
kind of segue into football here in the next couple
of weeks when camp I'm so open. But the dust
has settled with all these free agents and everybody now
is you know, making lists and who's good and who's not.
And you know, Bookie Cousins said yesterday this team on

(01:09):
papers unbelievable. This is a great Now, remember how players
see basketball. Players love Russell Westbrook, he didn't play winning basketball.
Players love Islan Iverson, he didn't play winning basketball. Players
love talent. You know, they like guys in the gym.
Players never brag about Kikey Vandaway or Alex English. You know,
players just like talent. Coaches like fit. That's what coaches like.

(01:34):
Coaches like stuff that fits together. It's a big crossword puzzle.
Bill Belichick isn't enamored with talent. Bill Belichick's enamored with
what fits with Tom Brady. Players love just talent, guys
who can play, even if they're way past their prime.
As I've said, the Lakers are a movie poster. I'm
not sure if it's going to be a good movie,
but it's interesting. Frank Vogel yesterday is talking about the

(01:55):
Lakers roster. I'm just not as high on it as
everybody else is. I think the Clippers are better than
the Warriors are better. I think the Jazz pieces fit better.
I think I think Denver could be better. I think
the Lakers again it's a I would say strange. If
The Lakers were a movie, they would have two stars
and seven Christopher Watkins, That's what it would be. It's

(02:16):
a lot of strange. You ever go to a circus
as a kid and there was a trapeze, and there
was the giraffe, and then in the corner they had
the tent with the guy with seven fingers and the
bearded lady. There's a lot of that with this Lakers.
You have guards that can't shoot. Genrondo. You have a
two guard in KCP two years ago that had some

(02:38):
many personal problems. He wore an ankle bracelet. JaVale McGee's
fun but quirky. Boogie Cousins struggles to get along with people.
You have a great defensive big and a d an
atrocious one in Boogie Cousins. You have Danny Greene, who,
by the way, can shoot, but can't create anything. It's
a roster full of size and shooters. But the juice

(02:59):
is all Braun James. He's the juice. He hopefully makes
it all work. But if you just start looking at
this thing, there's a lot of weird. And because they
waited for Kawhi Leonard, they got a lot of used parts.
A guy's passed their prime, got to overpay for Guy,
weird body Guy, Jared Dudley, Quinn Cook two small guy KCP,
too much drama, Guy Boogie can't defend guy. It's an

(03:22):
odd part with two stars. It reminds me a lot,
to be honest with you, of that Seattle Seahawk team
a couple of years ago that didn't have an offensive line,
didn't really ever go to running back, didn't ever respectable
tight end, had a couple of decent receivers, and it
was Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner on each side of
the football, and then a bunch of strange and Russell

(03:42):
Wilson was the only guy that had any juice. And
the whole season he led the team in rushing, he
let it in touchdowns, he left. Russell Wilson let it
in everything, and he was just trying to make all
these weird, disparate parts work. And by the way, they
were nine and seven because Russell Wilson's amazing. He's unbelievable.
Bleys one of the greatest players in the history of
the NFL, not just at his position in the league,
and he got to nine and seven. But it's the

(04:03):
only year he didn't make the playoffs. It's the only
year because he was the only guy that already had
any juice. And then Bobby Wagner was the one guy
in the defensive end that had juice. Then there was
a lot of guys you were hoping. You just lost
Richard Sherman and he was at the end of his
career and they were injured. It didn't work. And INTI
that's reminds me of like I'm not, I'm not. I

(04:24):
think it's a great movie poster. Utah's pieces fit. Clippers
pieces fit, Philadelphia pieces fit. I think Boston pieces fit,
Warriors pieces fit even DeAngelo Russell I thinks fit you have.
I was saying about this morning. You have so many
strange pieces. They're just too small, too old. Can't defend,
defends great defends, atrociously shoots, but can't create. Your best

(04:47):
ball handler, Rondo can't shoot. Your best shooter isn't really
a great ball handler or creator, Danny Green. So remember
players love Westbrook because players love guys who can ball.
They go into Jim, they sit down, they watch and
they're like, look at that guy. Michael Jordan loves Westbrook.
Michael Jordan's a horrible general manager. Remember that is terrible.
Players like one thing. Coaches like fit. That's what coaches like.

(05:12):
They like fit. That's why Brad Stevens is obviously a
great coach. But the Kyrie thing didn't work because Kyrie
didn't fit the other pieces, though Kyrie was easily the
most talented, and in the end it didn't work for
either person. So I never how many great players in
NBA history have been great GMS. Larry Bird, That's about it.
So what players see is the movie poster. I get it.
I like movie posters. I like movie trailers. What the

(05:34):
coach see, what the GMC is? Usually? Can these pieces work?
And when you waited for Kawhi forever, you know, you
ended up kind of taking some odd players. You overpay
for Danny Green and Warriors didn't really want to pay
Quinn Cook and Jared Dudley's kind of shot. But he's
a good guy and a good leader, but he can't defend,
and either can Boogie Cousins. And there's injuries and Boogie's

(05:57):
not getting a lot of offers, I was told. And
then suddenly became a Laker. And JaVale McGee. I like, actually,
I think he's funny in quirky and but he's a
little different. And as one NBA executive set about this team,
it's Lebron, a D and a bunch of I think
Joy said this specialists. There's a lot of specialists. Specialists
work for Russell Wilson in Russell's prime because he's filthy good.

(06:21):
Lebron's not in his prime. Lebron's in his seventeenth year.
So once again yesterday it was funny because Frank Vogel,
I had a story three days ago Lebron is the
point guard. Frank Vogel's like, no, he's not. Here's Frank
Vogel very positive. You know, it became very clear that
you know, I was going to have the support of
my best player in Lebron. There's no decisions made on

(06:42):
our starting lineup knowing him. In a plan to start
Lebron at the point guard spot, a lot of different
dominating lineups and combinations have to have been discussed, but
it's it's really way too early for any of that.
He'll be a primary ball handler in our system the
same way he has been his entire career, but was
certainly not gonna ask him to do anything that he
hasn't done his entire career, So this is interesting. So

(07:05):
it would be like saying with Russell Wilson, well he's
gonna be the not gonna be a running back for us.
But Russell Wilson led the Seahawks in rushing. So what
you're saying is, well, we're not gonna ask Lebron to
be a true boyt guard, but he's gonna handle the
ball the time. Well, hellie better, he's the only guy
with juice on this offense. I mean Anthony Davis. He

(07:26):
doesn't create shots for others. Danny Green doesn't create shots
for others. Rondo's passed his prime and can't shoot Jared Dudley. Similarly,
Quinn Cook too small. There's one guy he's This is
Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. He's the juice and Russell
and his prime made it happen. But even that team
had a low ceiling. So I just see the Lakers
as odd, disparate parts that make a great movie poster.

(07:49):
But I don't think it clicks. Maybe it does over time.
They make moves at the trading deadline, but but don't
be confused. I read on Twitter about a week ago.
It was a funny line. They said, God, this team
would been great four years ago. Four years ago, boogie
what didn't have two injuries and Lebron was in his
prime and four years ago Danny Green's young. And you're like, Okay,

(08:11):
now this is not This is old and weird spots
and can't shooting weird spots, and shooting can't do anything
else in weird spots. So I'd like four or five
teams better than the Lakers, even though I do think
they're really talented. We'll see how it plays out. Now.
We're getting to a point now where some NFL news
will start breaking here and here's the story. And the

(08:31):
world is changing in the NFL for one position. Actually,
the world's changing for every position except one position, running back.
If you look at what's happening in football in the
National Football League, everything's safer, right. There's less hitting in practice.
There's less practice. You can't hit quarterbacks, you can't hit
wide receivers and tight ends above the shoulders. They're thinking

(08:54):
about taking away the kickoff. If you talk to coaches
inside the league, the Rams barely hit during the regular season.
I was talking to a USC coach last year. He's like,
by Steptember, we stopped hitting at practice. Okay, the game
is getting safer, obviously because it needs to get safer.
New rules, new equipment, less hitting, less practice. Melvin Gordon,

(09:14):
running back for the Chargers, one year left and his
deal said, I'm not showing up. I want a new
contract now. I don't like guys breaking contracts. But here's
what's interesting about the running back position. It is the
last inevitably violent position in football. Everybody's getting hit less,
less hitting at practice, except running back. And Melvin Gordon's

(09:37):
entering the last year of his deal. He's a two
time Pro bowler, he's very, very good, and he's sort
of saying what Lavy in Bell did. I'm getting up
to be like twenty eight. I don't want to practice
as much, and I don't want to get hit in
the off season. And if you don't get the right
pieces around me and I don't get the right money,
I don't want to play. Running Backs in the NFL
are the only position. No longer we're protected by rules,

(10:02):
they're no longer protected by the culture of the game.
Quarterbacks now bubble screens, three steps, get it out, don't
get hit. Those don't get hit as much. Wide receivers.
I mean, there are so many rules now about when
you can hit a wide receiver and the answer is
almost rarely. Tight ends don't get banged up as much.
Offensive linemen don't grind like they used to. It's more

(10:23):
of a passing league than a running league. It's just
holding your block for a second, letting a guy go.
So here you have a running back. It's the one
position in the NFL running back with a timer on it.
And Melvin Gordon played four years of college and got
hit for four years. I mean, he was the guy
at Wisconsin, right and they run the football. Then he
goes to the Chargers and he's a guy for four

(10:45):
years he gets banged on. So he's now he's now
a couple of years away from the cliff year in
the NFL for running backs twenty eight years old. He's
one year away from the cliff. This is the position
with a timer. Even Todd Gur you watch him, Oh
oh it's getting close. Watch out. We thought he was
in his prime. So running backs have become the break

(11:07):
pads of the NFL. You can buy the very best.
There is a timer on break pads, and you're seeing
it now with Ezekiel Elliott. You're seeing it with running
backs around the league. They want to get paid, and
they want to get paid early, and if they have
a year left on their contract, they're looking around the league.
Everybody's taking shots now, everybody's getting hit less, everybody's protected more,

(11:29):
everybody practices less except my position. I don't like it,
and I gotta tell you, I don't like breaking contracts.
But we have a little culture trend and trend here
in football happening right now. And running backs they're the
break pads and the league is absolutely going out. And
by the way, the football NFL football has never had
less hitting, especially dangerous hitting. I mean there's just never

(11:52):
been less practices, fewer practices, less hitting quarterbacks, tight offensive guys.
You can't tag anymore except running back. So Chargers have
a little dilemma in their hands. Listen, he's a great
player and I would love for the next three years
frontload of the contract. I'd love to have Melvin Gordon,
and I'd love to pay him. But I think you're

(12:12):
going to see more and more of this. And though
I don't love breaking contracts. We talked about this yesterday.
Sometimes professions move toward you, sometimes your profession moves away
from you. And running backs are in a very strange
position right now. Coming up next, Why do we think
he's strange? He actually is a brilliant businessman that's coming up.

(12:37):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in non Eastern Ampacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one
and the iHeartRadio app. It's great to have you in. Yes,
I think the Lakers rosters full of Christopher Watkins doesn't
mean it won't be a great movie, but I gotta
wait to see it. There's a lot of quirky and
only two stars and only one guy that really has

(12:57):
any big time juice, and that's lebron On. And my
other take today as Melvin Gordon wants a deal a
year early. I don't believe in breaking contracts, but I
get it with star running backs in the NFL. I
want to transition into this. Kawhi Leonards contract came out yesterday,
new Clipper, three years, two Clippers and a player option.
A lot of us see I said this yesterday and

(13:20):
got some pushback. I said, folks, if Kawhi Leonard wins
next year, like he's in the Lebron Michael class, right,
like you, Well, I mean he's only scored eight thousand points. Well,
so what if points mattered? We talk about Karl Malone
on the show all the time. I'm talking about Karl
Malone a matter. We talk about titles. At twenty seven,

(13:43):
he's ahead of Lebron and Michael. Okay, twenty seven Michael
Jordan and Lebron combined had a title. He's got two,
been the MVP of both. If he wins this next
year with the Clippers and I think they should be favorites,
what are you going to say the next morning? Three titles,
three different teams, MVP of beach, how is he not
in that class? And you're like, well, he's good. The

(14:04):
problem with Kauai is the narrative that he's a weird
guy and we think that his path has been like
circumvented and odd and no it's not. Let's take a
deep breath and go back and look at Michael Jordan's path.
The greatness first four or five years, fired, coaches, got teammates, traded,
impossible to play with. Then he breaks his foot, then

(14:26):
he wins titles, then he quits to play minor league baseball.
There's gambling stuff surfaces, then he wins again, and then
he quits again. That's linear, that's traditional. Well what about
Magic Johnson? What about Magic Johnson? Maybe the second best
player I've ever seen? Magic Johnson gets drafted into one
of the great rosters in the league. That's rare, and

(14:48):
they went immediately, and then it starts to get bumpy,
and he gets Paul west Head fired, and then there's
the tragic Johnson Finals and people sell their stock on
Magic and then he comes back and he's dominant, and
then all of a sudden, at thirty two years ol,
he's got to retire early. What that's not usual? Look
at Lebron James out of high school. He's unbelievable, but

(15:10):
for seven years, Cleveland can't get him anything resembling an
All Star. So he holds a press conference to announce it,
gets crushed and even though he's the best young player,
becomes the league's villain. Goes into a final against Dallas
and appears afraid to post up jj Barea goes mental,
then comes back, tweaks his game, and for the next

(15:31):
five years, six years best guy in the league easily.
Then his superstar Kyrie bails on him and he ends
up in Los Angeles on a terrible roster. That's that's traditional.
But the difference is this Magic got a coach run.
Michael got coaches run. Lebron got coaches run. Kawhi couldn't.

(15:51):
His coach was a legend Popovic, so he couldn't just
get a coach fired. Instead, he kind of to engineer
a way out and go through Canada. He's ahead of Lebron.
If we're talking about titles here and you folks are
obsessive on this stuff, I'm not. I think Dan Marino
is one of the best quarterbacks I've ever seen, every

(16:12):
won a title. I think Charles Barkley is one of
the ten best basketball has ever seen. Everyone in title.
I'm not obsessed with titles. You are. And if you're
obsessed with titles, you can't now say that don't matter.
Kawhi went a title next year, third title, third team MVP.
Is Lebron done that? If Michael done that, the Bird
do that, the Imagine do that? They will do that.
Did Kareem do that? Did Kobe do that? No, you're

(16:35):
obsessed with titles third team MVP. He'll be twenty eight
six free peak years left. He's not as strange as
you think. His path isn't as weird as you think.
By the way, he's not that weird. He's just quiet.
You do get Megan Rapino taking controversial stances, or Lebron

(16:55):
or Muhammad Ali are unique. Most athletes are quiet. Mike
Trout's quiet, Pulisics quiet, Brooks Keefka is quiet. Tom Brady
didn't want to do politics like I don't think Kawai's
that crazy. I read a story yesterday in The Ringer.
He's the most powerful guy in the NBA, and this
idea that he's a weirdo I don't know. Looks like

(17:17):
he's pretty smart to me. Engineered his way out of
San Antonio, then engineered his way to the Clippers with
Paul George was on the phone and nobody knew it
in the league. He's quiet. Aren't most business people quiet?
Belichick's quiet. Belichick doesn't leak stories before they come out.
You don't hear anything about Belichick. I don't think his
path is that zaney. I think if you go look

(17:39):
at Magic and Lebron and Michael there's all sorts of crashes, controversies, messes, unpredictability.
It's never a traditional white picket fence. Go to a
prep school, then go to college, then get a great
job at IBM, and get a watch forty years later.
It's not the way it works for NBA stars. They
get a lot of pushback Summer villains. Some overcome it.

(17:59):
Some at had coaches. Some guys gotta run at you
find me the star. I mean, by the way, you
want to know the two Stars where it was just
perfect Utah, they never won a title, same coach, same arena,
same teammate, same guys, no controversy, couldn't win. Now that
that that you want that, I'll take kawhi Joy with

(18:19):
the news, No, no turn on the news. This is
the herd line news. So new Lakers coach Fank Vogel
has his work cut out for him, and while in
Vegas for the Summer League, Vogel opened up about his
interactions with his two stars, Lebron and Anthony Davis. What
have your interaction has been like so far with Lebron

(18:39):
James and Anthony Davis? Very very positive. Um, you know,
it became very clear that uh you know I was
going to have the support of my best player in
Lebron Um, you know, once I took the job, and
you know, since Anthony has come aboard, it's it's about
the same way. You know, we're very aligned in uh,
you know, the vision of how we're gonna play, what
we're gonna be able to get accomplished on the basket.

(19:01):
You know, there's a mutual respect there and I can't
wait to get started. I do think this is a
very interesting experiment for Lebron because we know how first
year coaches tend to fare with Lebron James that not well,
not well. It's usually struggle and you usually have to
have the severe backing of the front office to survive it. Yes,

(19:22):
but Lebron's a different place in his career and for
whatever reason, they didn't manage to put the guy that
everyone felt like should be there in Tylu and that's
no longer an option. So you really don't have time
to go through the process of not getting along with

(19:45):
Frank Vogel and not being on the same page and
then either firing him, and everyone feels like, you know,
Jason Kidd is lurking there in the shadows just kind
of like the guy that they kind of wanted but
couldn't really higher. Your first word was interesting. Okay, there's
a gap between great and interesting, like your take on
this is mind, which is, Oh, I think it's fascinating

(20:06):
movie poster. It's going to be It's going to be interesting,
very right, because we know how Lebron usually handles the
first year with a coach, but he's at a different
phase in his career. There's a much more serious sense
of urgency to win a championship than we originally thought
with the Lakers, and there's there's more pressure now and
you have Anthony Davis, so you really don't have any
more excuses built in last year. I think we all

(20:28):
kind of have reached the point where we're just going
to wash that as just an overall disaster. Just there's
blame enough to go around to everyone. What do we know? Oh,
it's true with Lebron, first year with a coach is
bompeede and he's not great with bigs. Those are facts.
He's got a new coach and a really good big,
so it can't be great for a while. It's going

(20:49):
to be very interesting from day one. But I think
that it's all going to fall on Lebron because we
do know that those things are a pattern in his career.
So Westbrook is probably heading to three o five. ESPN
is now reporting that people around the league think it
is inevitable that he will wind up there at this point,
especially since he could be the only team willing to
take on both Westbrook's money and personality. And Chris Bosh

(21:12):
says that he would have two of the fiercest competitors
in the league if they make this happen. I would
say definitely top three. And you know that's no disrespect
to other teams, but you know, if we're talking talent
and a big time game ability and just to hunger,
both those guys haven't won a championships, so they're very hungry.
You know, they're obviously very good, some of the top
talent in the NBA. I mean, hey, if I could

(21:34):
build around those guys for the next four years, I
would as well. Now interesting, in general, I look at
this mostly as irrelevant see move for the Heat to
get Westbrooks. I totally agree, but it is interesting because
he is right. They are two of the most high
motor guys in the league, two very big personalities, but

(21:56):
also both have a lot to prove yet left in
their career. And I do think that Westbrook in Miami
is interesting because Miami, despite the you know, big shiny
lights and South Beach and all that, the organization is
very stable, great ownership, and pat Riley is known for
bringing in guys who don't have the best reputation and

(22:17):
stabilizing them. Look at us on Whiteside. We think the
Warriors and the Heat are well run right right, Okay, So,
and I agree with you. I think the Warriors in
Heat have really smart people, both of them. One's going
to take Westbrook one D'Angelo Russell. The theory in the NBA,
pat Riley has done us a long time, and the
Warriors know what they're doing. It's better to take a

(22:39):
wildly talented star try to make it work than have
nine auto porters. And so what pat Riley is saying
is we're playing on a championship team. But you know,
if Westbrook Butler have some success, you can move players
like that. If Jan put a few pieces around them,
you can stabilize the situation. And I'm not in any

(23:00):
way comparing Westbrook to Hassan Whiteside Westbrook's obviously way better
and does not have any off the core issues right
or anything of the sword, but that all of that
is true, like you can completely turn around the situation.
Everyone thought the Boogie was going to be a disaster
with the Warriors disaster, it would was not that case.
It was all injuries that kept Boogie from having the

(23:21):
success that he was going to have. Westbrook and Butler,
if they're on television and you're an NBA fan, you
will watch. You would not have watched that team on
TV last year. No, and in the East. It's kind
of interesting. Yep. Finally, Dak Prescott could be the next
quarterback to receive a massive contract extension, but a lot
of questioned if he should be in the same conversation
as recently extended Carson Wentz for Russell Wilson. Pro Football

(23:44):
Focus is among the group that has questioned paying Dak
top quarterback money. They say, if it were us, it
would be a tough sell to keep Dak for anywhere
near the top ends quarterback market. While it would be
difficult to cut bait on one of the better stories
at the position in recent seasons, it is likely the
best decision of the Boys to make and Dak has
actually responded to that. He told USA Today. For somebody

(24:05):
to say that you can only make so much because
of the salary cap, or you can only do this
or that, I don't know how fair that is to say,
because with gambling and everything going into this league, everything
is going to continue to keep going up. It's more,
it's important for all these guys to get every bit
of their worth. I want to see myself up there,
and I don't think any of that is too far fast.
It's a really good article if you're a football fan
area because pro football focus is unemotional and analytic, and

(24:27):
there's a couple petrifying statistics. If you're a Cowboy fan,
there's a couple of stats in this article you're like,
oh god, you know there are some stats that would
scare you about Dak. He also has led the Cowboys
to a thirty two and sixteen record draw it. He
has one and three in the playoffs and after three
seasons and two division titles. Also, there's twenty one teammates

(24:48):
that currently account from more of the cowboys twenty nineteen
salary cap than Dak twenty one, thirty two and sixteen
I'm your agent. I'm thirty two and sixteen. I've been
saying this from the beginning with Dak, I really don't
understand what the Cowboys have up their sleeve. They must
know something that I don't know, because it's very hard
to find a franchise quarterback. Has everyone forgotten what happens

(25:10):
when Tony Romo went down before Dak got there? I don't.
I don't get it. He's paying what he's worth, and
he's right. Eventually it's gonna go up, and then the
next guy is gonna get more than him. He's not
going to be the highest paid quarterback in the league forever. Yeah,
you've had all these years with him on an incredible
contract and you haven't been able to put the pieces
around him to get to a super Bowl. Why would
he give you a discount? Yeah, he won't. There'll be

(25:32):
no discount. There'll be no discount from his agent. Who
else you have? I don't. I'm so confused. I don't
get it. Joey with the news, Well, that's the news,
and thanks for stopping by the herd lot Well, Joy
and I agree on the Lakers that it's fascinating, it's interesting,
but it's a first year of coach Lebron's overwhelmingly the juice.
It's it's two movie stars and a bunch of Christopher Walkins, who,
by the way, I love his movies, but there's a

(25:54):
lot of guys past their prime. Can't defan, can't create,
can shoot, but not much else. And Ron can create,
but can shoot. Nick Wright via the Coward Global Satellite
Network Caholes. First things first, let's start with my laker
rent because you like him more than I do, and
one am I saying that you don't agree with? Well,
I don't know. Two movie stars and some Christopher Walkins

(26:16):
and some Ving Rames and some oh man, that's pulp fiction.
Maybe the greatest movie episode to a couple of movie
stars and Chris Walking and some other odd of these
can actually turn out okay, Hollywood La Colin Gower. But
this I he just threw out there. Lebron's never played
well with bigs. Well, when the best big you've ever
had is zadrunas ilgauskis when you're twenty three, maybe that

(26:38):
has to do with it. It's not a perfect roster, obviously,
but Danny Green is a great addition. And if Kyle
Kuzma can get back to rookie Kyle Kuzma from three
point land thirty seven percent instead of inexplicably thirty one
percent last year, then they have adequate shooting. I don't
love Rondo at all, Boogie. I think you have to

(27:00):
just basically say anything you get from him is a bonus.
But this team, it's not about getting to fifty eight
wins and the one or two seed in the West.
To take the Clippers out of it for a moment,
go through the West. You tell me a playoff series
where someone can go toe to toe with Lebron or
a d Utah's got a great starting five they do.

(27:21):
I want to see boy On Bogdanovitch against Lebron. Oh.
I saw that in a playoff series a couple of
years ago. Donovan Mitchell. Okay, see him go toe to
toe the Rockets. I like the Rockets a lot, but
hardening Chris Paul against Lebron and Ad Denver Yo Kitch
is a great story, and they lost in the second
round last year. Yo Kitchen a series against a d
and Lebron. They Clippers and Lakers are clearly the two

(27:44):
best teams in the conference because they have the best
duo is in the conference and in the playoffs, that's
what will matter. They might end up being the third
and fourth seed, respectively, but that will not matter. I
think you're overselling and how much discord is on the
roster now real quick. All of that assumes Lebron plays
at an MVP level. All of that assumes right that

(28:07):
he has the best year seventeen anyone has ever had. Yes,
I will bet on that, and we'll see what happens.
I was saying about Kwhi Leonard is we like our
stories to work perfectly. I read the first chapter of
the second chapter, the third chapter, there's a little conflict,
the fifth sixth, the books over and the good guy wins.
We like our books to be like that. And we
watched Magic's career, and we watched Michael and Lebron, and

(28:28):
we see them be really good and really talented, then great,
then amazing, then dominant, then Moga and then Kawhi Leonard
comes out and we didn't watch him in college and
he won early in San Antonio and didn't get along
with the coach, goes to Canada and it's weird feeling,
and I'm sitting there looking dude's twenty seven two titles
best player in both could win a third, and I

(28:49):
don't have a problem if he does, saying, Okay, he's
in the magic Michael Lebron conversation, best two way player
in the game. His path is sooner and weirder. But
is it that strange? He just didn't want to be
with a heavy handed coach and he engineered a trade,
hung out in Canada for a year. I think Kahi
could be an all time great in a year. Okay,

(29:12):
pump the brakes, like listen, I got no problem with
I got no problem with the path, and I think
your point that what is the traditional path? There are
even Larry Bird one Team great man. They drafted him
a year when he had a year left in college,
sat on his rights. That's not a traditional path. So
I understand the lack of a traditional path part of it.

(29:33):
But all time Great, just calm down. I saw I
heard you. I was listening. You already are giving him
next year's title, which is very kind of you. It
can go right alongside the third straight finals MVP you
gave Kevin Duran a few months ago, and the third
trade title he won in Golden State that never happened.
But like he was the unquestioned best player in the

(29:54):
playoffs this year, that first finals MVP, he was not
the best player on the Spurs that year. He might
have been the best player in the finals for the Spurs.
It's arguable, but someone had to win the finals MVP.
He's been the unquestioned best player on a team two
years in his career. The year two seasons ago when

(30:16):
that Spurs team looked awesome and then Zaza Petulia maimed him,
and then this seasons with the Raptors. Lebron meanwhile, in
sixteen straight years, has led his team in points and assists.
Let's give Kawai a little more time before we put
him with Lebron and Magic and Larry. Assuming we're not
just going we could assign him the next three straight titles,

(30:38):
in which case he's already there. But I'm not ready
to do that yet. I want to a segue to
something because two big NBA topics we touched on, but
I want to talk about dak because there's this thing
about the NFL. I always say, don't try to get
happier than happy. If you die happy, you've done a
great job. It's hard to be happy, right kids, profession bosses.

(31:02):
And I look at Dak. He's good enough. He wins
Divisions thirty two and sixteen, good enough to win the
locker room, gain the trust of his owner. But Andy
Reid had a quarterback that was good enough. He rolled
the die, Scott Patrick Mahomes, and they're gonna win Super Bowls.
So I'm kind of I'm kind of going against the

(31:25):
grain here. What I say is, don't try to get
happier than happy. Good enough Dak checks about nine out
of the ten good enough boxes. Does he nod? Yeah,
he's good enough. He's good enough to get your beat
if you pay him thirty million dollars a year. You
can't pay him thirty million dollars a year. I want
everyone to get paid, and if he gets it, good
for him. But I heard Joy's point earlier, which was

(31:49):
you had him on this very cheap contract and you
couldn't put the pieces around him. Well, maybe or despite
having an All Pro running back, the best offensive line
in football, and all Pro d tackle this year, an
All Pro wide receiver at the deadline, the quarterback wasn't
good enough. He's played forty eight games for the Dallas Cowboys.
The first sixteen and the last eight were very good.

(32:12):
The middle twenty four were not very good. And if
you want to bet on the come and pay him
like he's a franchise quarterback. Okay, I feel like he's
more likely going to be in the Matt Stafford ilk,
which is, yeah, he is pretty good and we're scared
to let him go. But the moment you pay him,

(32:33):
your team has a hard ceiling. There's three ways to
win super Bowls in this league. Have a superstar quarterback
that's paid, have a cheap quarterback on a rookie contract,
or the one way that the Patriots get to a
super Bowl every other year, a superstar quarterback that's not
paid that well. The one way to absolutely guarantee yourself
you're drawing dead is to pay a good, not great

(32:54):
quarterback great quarterback money. I'd make Dak play this year out.
You can hold the franchise tag over him, and I
would make him prove it to me because I'd be
afraid to commit myself to him for the next five years.
By the way, quickly Russell Westbrook to the heat, you
like it, it's interesting. I'd rather him go to the Spurs.
I think the Spurs can create an interesting package. To

(33:15):
Marta Rosen, it's an inspiring deal. The thunder want to
get off money and I think Russ would work there.
But yeah, they listen. Earlier today on the show, I
said the Nets could be a team that could win
the title. That's only if Kevin Durant comes back way early.
If he doesn't, there's only two title contenders out East,
the Bucks and the Sixers. If the Heat got Russ,

(33:36):
they could immediately be the third best team in the conference. Now,
can you win a title with him as your best player? No,
But in the last twenty five years only Michael Kobe
and Steph have been a guard as the unquestioned best
player on a champion. If you're under six six, you
really can't be the best, and Kobe and MJ worse

(33:57):
six six be the best player on a champion. In
today's NBA, you gotta be a wing. So Russ can
be the co star. But that would need Jimmy Butler
to take a major, major leap. But it would make
them interesting, and pat Riley's always about the team being interesting.
And then you see if you can develop a young
player or bring someone else in. By the way, I
just want to put this up best teams in the NBA.

(34:18):
First things first, co host, I'll put it up on
the board. We don't have a ton of time, but
he's got Bucks, Lakers, Clippers, Sixers, Rockets, Jazz, Nets. I
don't see Denver anywhere. I don't see the Warriors anywhere.
Your Lakers are way too high. Outside of that, I'm
good with it. Okay, okay, so real quick, listen again,
the Nets should have an asterisk. That's if Kevin Durant
comes back on the timeline. Kobe did two hundred and

(34:40):
forty days to be back super Bowl weekend, but so
just remove them. If Katie's not okay, the Nuggets would
be the next team. That's fine, But the Nuggets are
not going to beat the Lakers of the Clippers in
the playoff series. And then the Warriors. What Warriors? What defense?
They were a bad defense last year in their defen
This is going to get worse. Steve Kurrs beside himself

(35:03):
that Iggy and Sean Livingston are gone. You really think
DeAngelo Russell making twenty seven million dollars a year is
gonna go over well? When Draymond Green's making eighteen and
they have not given him a contract extension. We don't
know when Clay's coming back. The Warriors can be interesting.
They cannot win a title like that. No, they shouldn't

(35:24):
be on that list. That's why they're not on that list. You.
Of course, I would imagine have the Pacers and Lakers
neck to neck and neck, but that's your thing, Okay,
I gotta go something different about you, but look fantastic.
I can't figure out what it is, but there's something
has changed recently and it looks very very Thank you
so much. In congrats to your wonderful daughter about her
trip to South Africa. It's a really really cool thing.

(35:46):
Congrats to you and your family. Thank you very much.
Travels an amazing thing. Encourage it if you can. All
right back in a second, great stuff, Nick writes The Herd.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd week
dayson noun Easter not a Empacific Joy. Taynor found out
that I love Gwen Stefani. Well, no doubt. You said
that you sat around and listened to music for two
hours last night last night, which this is a nice thing.

(36:09):
I think if you, I think if I had forty
guesses of the artists that you were listening to for
two hours. I would not pick Gwen Stefani. Now you
don't think she's talented. I love Gwen Stefani. She's amazing.
She's amazing, but that's that does not I think she's
so I would not pay you for I watched car
Karaokes with James Gordon. I sat there and watched that

(36:30):
for an hour, and then I watched the Gwen Stefani one,
and I'm like, I just want to listen to Gwen
Stefani for an hour. I don't know. I was just thinking,
like Beatles, it's a little old for me. I'm not
a beat either. They're the best band of all time.
Mickey Mantell maybe the most talented baseball player. I didn't
watch him play. Maybe like Hoodie and the Blowfish, I'm
never into it. Nice guys never come my kind of music.
I was into YouTube. I liked rock and roll. I

(36:53):
never was into punk. By the way, I got into
kind of the hip hop thing. You wouldn't think I would,
but I like all, you know, like like my wife
likes like hip hop. We we think it's fun. So
my kids all like it so that you'd be amazed.
I never was a country guy. Oh I love Nirvana.
I love all that grungy stuff. I like Pearl Jam
v Sound Garden. Yeah. But Gwen Stefani Anaheim girl. Unbelievable town.

(37:19):
You learn new things every day. By the way, the
Dak Prescott story is funny because there are Pro Football
Focus is something I rely on. They are unemotional and analytic.
It's not a bunch of commentary nonsense. I don't believe
in opinion from anybody, but a Pro Football Focus has
a couple of numbers that are frightening. Um. Last year, Prescott,

(37:39):
with a great running back, good receivers, amazing offensive line,
and an offensive minded coach through for thirty eight hundred
yards and twenty two tds. Those ranked fifteenth and sixteenth,
respectively among quarterbacks. That's with a lot of help offensively.
Here's the other one. In the most predictive aspect of
quarterback plate meaning this will tell you what your quarterback is.

(38:01):
Pro Football Focus says the ability to avoid throws graded
negatively by Pro Football Focus. He was twenty fifth among
qualifying quarterbacks this season ago and meaning he's got a
lot of negative throws, he leaves a lot on the table.
But Dak is the ultimate NFL dilemma. He's good enough
at quarterback. He's good enough to win a division. He's
done it twice. He's good enough to go thirty two

(38:21):
and sixteen. He's good enough to win the locker room.
He's always available, he never gets hurt. He's good enough
to unseat Tony Romol. And that's a dangerous place to be. Now.
Kansas City at a quarterback, good enough Alex Smith, good
enough to win a playoff game, good enough to win
the division, good enough to win games, good enough to
get everybody a contract extension on the coaching staff. Nobody
gets fired with Alex Smith. And then they rolled the

(38:44):
dice and they went to Patrick Mahomes. And that's good.
And so, by the way, the Raptors were good enough
with Dwayne Casey and Damarta Rozen. They were good enough.
They were number one seed. And then they fired the
coach and they got rid of the player and they
won a title. And the Warriors won seventy three games
without they were good enough, and they went and got
kd and became a dynasty. It's a really there's also

(39:05):
an ethical thing and this is it. You wouldn't think
billionaires care about this, but there is a little ethical
thing with Dak when somebody comes to your business and
you feel like, I mean, Dak Prescott increased the value
of the Cowboys, and this is a reasonable little thing

(39:27):
two hundred million dollars. When Tony Romo got hurt and
they went into the tank, people started taking the Cowboys
off television. They started taking the Cowboy listen. The Lakers
for the last four years until Lebron showed up, were
off television. Like networks didn't fight for the Lakers until
last year with Lebron. So Lebron brings more than just excitement.
Lebron gets you on television, you sell more jerseys, you

(39:49):
sell more tickets. Dak Prescott, there's an ethical thing here.
Does Jerry Jones feel like, Okay, I got him in
the fourth round. He saved our franchise one hundred, two
hundred million dollars, he kept us on television. I can
see if I owned a team, I'd be like, I'm
gonna pay him more than the market suggests. Cross my fingers.

(40:09):
The salary cap goes up. Now, That's why I'm not
a billionaire, because ethically, I would feel somehow I owe
him a little bit like things are too good for us.
He saved the franchise. They're sort of a saved the
business fee that's unspoken and not negotiated that I would
feel I owe him. See, I'm not even looking at
it from that perspective. Well, that's fair. I think there's

(40:31):
things that you can help him with off the field,
you know. Those are the endorsements that you get him,
and the business adventures and introducing him to people for
the future. I just don't are you planning on drafting
another Patrick Mahomes you feel like that's that's what you're
capable of doing. I like my scouting department of very talent.
I mean, you must love them almost as much as
Gwen Stefanie all Right. Hour two is coming up. Bill Plashky,

(40:56):
Rob Parker, LaVar Arrington. It's The Herd one more Herd,
The Herds Dreams twenty four hours a day, seven days
a week. Within the iHeartRadio app, search Herd to listen
live or on demand whenever you'd like. Ah, this is
the Herd Hour two. Wherever you may be and however
you may be listening live in Los Angeles, iHeartRadio, Fox

(41:18):
Sports Radio and FS one. Bill Plashki in fifteen minutes.
Award winning La Times columnist Rob Parker, Leavar Arrington Joey
Taylor is joining me. I've been talking about the last
couple of weeks. We've had a very good month at Fox.
The Women's World Cup was amazing, broke all sorts of records.
The US Open was amazing, broke all sorts of records
for US. And we had the All Star Game couple

(41:38):
of nights ago. We have a Pakiow Keith Thurman fight
July twentieth pay per view, which is like every year
in boxing you get about or UFC combined, you get
about one fight or two fights that are really interested.
Pak Keith Thurman is probably Thurman's never lost. He's twenty nine,
pakiows at the end, but highly skilled. We've had a

(42:01):
We've had a very good month at Fox Sports and
FS one, and now the NBA stuff is kind of
the dust is settled, and everybody's, you know, kind of
all right, here's what the teams are. I'll get I'll
give you my top ten teams. Dust settled in a second.
But we're getting close into football We've got some very
good football stories today. I will say this on you know,

(42:22):
I've read everything every company, you know, the Ringer, this company,
you know, every blog. I'm reading all this stuff on
Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant, and you know it's funny.
Don't confuse quiet with odd Mike Trout's quiet. Don't confuse
late Bloomer with strange. That's Brooks kept cut. Don't confuse

(42:49):
love your sport. And don't want to talk about a
lot else with weirdo. That's Tom Brady. You know, if
you look on paper at what Kawhi Leonard's done, it
doesn't sound like a weird guy. He's cunning. He engineered
his way out of San Antonio. By the way, Magic
Lebron and MJ just got coaches fired. Kahi couldn't, so
he entered engineered his way out of there. He didn't

(43:11):
like the system. He didn't like it, so he couldn't
get the coach fired. So he's like, get me out
of here. I'm gonna have a mysterious injury. It wasn't
that mysterious. He wanted out of San Antonio. They ship
him to punish him to Canada. He went to title,
and then he's got this incredibly cunning, smart move with
Paul George to go to the Clippers. None of that
sounds strange to me. That sounds like a really good businessman.
But when you push back on authority in America, who,

(43:35):
especially successful authority, WHOA You're a weirdo, You're difficult, you're strange,
you're needy. I don't think he's any of those. If
you look on paper what he's done, he's cunning, he's strategic,
he's shrewd, and he signed with a legendary Jerry West
and a Hall of Famer Doc Rivers. That does sound
sound strange to me. Nothing's strange about that's very cunning.

(43:58):
By the way, Kevin Durant, we never say strange, but
he had a burner account on social media. Mostly Kawhi
avoids social media. Kevin Durant left the Hall of Fame
coach and a Hall of Fame team, and a dynasty
and a Hall of Fame GM, and then when he
signed with a new team, he didn't even talk to him.
He just talked to a player. He didn't talk to

(44:20):
the owner, he didn't talk to the GM, he didn't
talk to the coach. That sounds weird to me. Kevin
Durant stuff, I'm like, that's odd, that's not I wouldn't
do that. If a strange guy would leave a great situation,
enter a new situation and not communicate with anybody except
one player in the process, that sounds strange to me.

(44:40):
Kawhi Leonard was on the phone with everybody, and he
went to dinner with Jerry West, he went to Doc
Rivers house, they met Steve Ballmer. It was very strategic.
And then by the way, when he went back to Toronto,
we put up all these demands and he met with
the owner, and he met with a GM and he
met with a coach and put all these demands up.
That doesn't sound strange at all to me. That's how
that's called business. That's how Bruce Springsteen run his music.

(45:00):
That's how Bill Gates runs his company. You sit down
with people, you communicate, here's my demands, can you meet them.
I don't think Kawhi strange at all. He's a late bloomer,
he's quiet, he's got a tight social circle. I don't
know that that's that doesn't sound strange at all. The
Durant stuff, some of that stuff. You put it on paper,
leaving Steve Kurr, leaving Steph Curry, leaving Klay Thompson, leaving

(45:23):
that team, leaving a dynasty. You're the best guy, burner account,
seeking constant validation even though you're the best basketball player
in the world. That seems odd. Kawhi is not seeking
anything like that. You're not seeking validation, very comfortable with
who he is. So you know, I'm gonna just the
dust is settled, the draft's over, summer league's going on,

(45:46):
free agents are done. So I'm just gonna put mine
on record just so if I'm wrong, you can rip me.
So I'm just gonna tell you who I think the
best ten teams in the league are as of today,
and you can hold me accountable to it. Here we go.
I think boss about number ten. I don't think they
can win a championship. I think they lost too much offense.
They lost Al Horford, very good playoff guy. They lost

(46:06):
Kyrie Irving, their host talented guy. They lost Terry Rozier,
Marcus Morris. I think they lost too much offense. So
I think they're good and I think they'll get to
the playoffs. I think their chemistry will be better. But
chemistry gets you so far. Toronto had great chemistry for years,
then they got Kawhi Leonard and won a title. You
need a guy, and so I think Boston's not a
championship team. And they're a good team. They're number ten,

(46:28):
number nine. I don't think the Rockets are a championship team.
You know, they kept Gerald Green and Austin Rivers, but
in the end, we've got a coach who had to
fire all of his coaching staff. We've got an impatient owner.
I'm hearing a lot of rumors to keep the team relevant,
but we now have a pattern where James Harden is
great in January and looks exhausted by May. I don't

(46:50):
think it's a championship team. I think the West has
gotten better. I think it's a very good team that
could win a playoff series. Houston nine, number eight, Portland Trailblazers.
I think they could be a championship team. They're not today.
I think they'd have to move Hassan white side at
the trading deadline and get like a Kevin Love player
of four that can hit a jumper again. They lost
a lot of offense. They lost Seth Curry, they lost

(47:11):
Cantor Aminu, Heartless, Myers, Leonard, they lost a lot of points.
They still have a great backcourt and they got a
bunch of bigs. But I think they have to move
one right now. And I love their coach and I
love Nielo sha their GM. I think Portland's really good,
but they got to make a move at the trading
deadline to get more points. That could be trading Hassan
White Sides expiring deal for Kevin Love. Something like that
to me, Okay, now, I think you're gonna move up

(47:32):
in that top five be a championship team right now.
I have Portland at eight, number seven Denver Nuggets. Again,
I don't think they're a championship team, but I think
they're very very good and they're getting very very close.
The joker is you know what he is. If our
Venus Sabonis would have played in America in his prime,
that's what he is. He can dribble it, he can,
the best passing big man in the game, easily, the

(47:54):
best passing guy in his team by a mile, can
shoot it. Jamal Murray's a very good number two, deep,
excellent chemistry. Probably need one more guy Denver at number seven,
number six, Philadelphia six. I don't think they're a championship team,
but I think they're pretty darn close. They're gonna be
great defensively, they're massive, but again it's a shooters league.
Like Boston, they let too many points go. I got

(48:17):
jj Reddick, those are gone. I got dore R sarch
a couple of years ago. He's gone. I got Jimmy
Butler's points, he's gone. Now I got Ben Simmons, who
doesn't shoot. They drafted a kid out of the University
of Washington who can't score and beats fantastic. Cross your
fingers on his health. And I like Al Horford. They
built a team to beat Milwaukee and Jannis. They're huge,
they're tall, they're physical. I don't think they have enough shooters.

(48:39):
I have them at six, number five. Now I get
into teams that I think can compete for a championship.
I think Utah's pretty good. I thought Utah was good
last year, and I go to Utah a lot, and
I talked to Quinn Sneider about this. They needed two things.
They needed an offensive minded point guard. They got Mike Conley,
maybe the most underrated guy in the NBA, and they
needed shooters, and they got a guy Bogdanovic and Conley.

(49:01):
They also Derek Favors was getting expensive, and they went
and got Ed Davis, who's sort of a ninety percent
of it cheaper version. I love their chemistry, I like
their bench, I like their coach. I love their back court.
Donovan Mitchell gets better. They got enough shooters now, I
think Utah is a championship team again. They'd need a break.
They need the Lakers to be a little dysfunctional. They'd
need somebody for the Clippers to not quite play as

(49:22):
well as you think. Number four. This is where I
think Joy and I this is where the Lakers are interesting,
a great movie poster. I don't know if they're a
good movie. Yes they have Lebron and yes they have
a d so they're gonna be a really good championship
level capable team. But there's a lot of guys that
can't create. A couple of guys that can't shoot, two
or three guys that are great defenders, two or three

(49:43):
that can't defend, several guys that are too old. I
think Rondo's shot Boogie Cousins across your fingers kcp's never
been defendable. Quinn Cook's too small, but I kind of
like him. Danny Green's good, but not if you're paying
him twenty seven minutes tonight. I'd like him at nineteen.
They're good. They got Lebron and a a new coach who's
the point guard. There's a lot of interesting there. I

(50:05):
don't see a lot of great number three Warriors. Listen,
they got to the finals. They were thirty eight and
five last couple of years without Kevin Durant. Yes, Willie
Collie Stein. They got their big they got Looney and
Willie Collie Stein. They got their bigs. They'll get Clay,
they already have steff In D'Angelo. They've got their guards.
They're not great at wing. Their bench won't be as good.

(50:26):
But I'm sorry, new arena, new energy, Draymond Looney, Steph Clay, D'Angelo,
Willie Collie Stein, I'm sorry. That to me's a championship team.
And I don't buy into D'Angelo. Russell's not gonna work.
Why is everybody think Westbrook's great in Miami, but D'Angelo
doesn't work with this system. De'angelo Russell's an all star
level player. Maybe not an All Star in the West,

(50:46):
but he's good and he can make plays, and Steph
Curry works with everybody. I like the Warriors. Number two
Milwaukee now, I don't think they're gonna be I don't
love losing Malcolm Brogden and Wesley Matthews is good but
never been the same player post acl tear. But they're
young and getting better. So Jannis is just gonna get better.
Chris Middleton's just gonna get better. They have now Lopez brothers.

(51:09):
One of them is a good shooter. They have a
very good coach, they have a very good culture, and
I think in the East, to be honest with you,
they're gonna win a lot of games by fifteen, and
they're not gonna have to play Yannis ad two games.
I think Milwaukee has got everything I like. I would
like one more shooter, but the East is easier than
the West, and I think they can stay healthy. They
can rest people and win fifty five games. Number one

(51:32):
Clippers not overwhelming, but it looks like everything fits. I
get a great coach, I get a great bench, I
get depth. I get Lou Williams can shoot, Patrick Beverley
can defend. I get two of the top three two
way players in the league. To me, this just feels
like everything kind of fits I do. Unlike a lot
of people, I don't think they should be an overwhelming favorite.
Lou Williams is old. Patrick Beverley has got a lot

(51:54):
of wear in those tires. Paul George has a history
of getting banged up, not being great in great spots.
But if you're talking about owner, GM bench, culture, coach
stars depth as the best team in the NBA the
LA Clippers, there you go. By the way, I only
think about five teams can win a title, Utahs, the last, Clippers,
or first. So I was just putting that on a record.

(52:14):
I don't have a major problem with this. I do
think Boston is going to be better than people think,
but I agree I think you need a guy. Yeah. Yeah,
By the way, a lot of teams are good, but
that doesn't mean like in the NFL next year, I
think there's a lot of good teams, like Baltimore is
going to be good. I don't think that our championship team.
We're both higher on the Clippers than most people, though

(52:38):
I don't know how you would not be. I don't
understand what's the pushback, don't they have. They have size, shooters,
age youth. By the way, the Clippers have the perfect
unlike the Lakers. They've got two or three really good
young players. They've got a young center, a young ford,
a young guard. They've got say that's what Worri has
been about the Lakers, and they're coming in with momentum,
winning momentum. Yeah. But by the way, all you Laker
fans wanted to give away Kyle Kuzma, take away Kyle Kuzma.

(53:02):
Look at the age of your team. Somebody's got to
play seventy seven games. Somebody's got to be in their
twenties early twenties. So I think Clippers have everything. Age, wisdom,
size shooters, smart team, glue stars. I think it's a
really good basketball I think it could be if it
all comes together, it could be one of the better
basketball teams in the NBA in a long time. I

(53:23):
really do. I think you go back to the Miami
Heat teams with Lebron They were small and Mario Chalmers
drove me crazy at point. They really were there one
of the worst rebounding teams. There's nothing the Clippers won't
be good at. They'll be a top five defensive team,
a tower, a top five bench team. There'll be a
top five offensive team. They'll be a very efficient team.
There's nothing they won't do well. I think they have

(53:44):
an identity and the Lakers don't. And that's why I'm
higher on the Clippers. Boom boom. That's it. They've got
an identity. Tell me what the Clippers won't do well.
I can tell you some things. The Lakers, if Lebron
sits the night out, who creates offense? They just got
random shooters and specialists. Clippers have more good players, all right.

(54:06):
I love balance. I'll explain what that means. And a
list came out on the best NFL teams last decade.
It was mostly horrific, but they got one thing right.
I don't want to pick on any writers, but that's
coming up. Plus Bill Plashky, Rob Parker, LeVar Arrington. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and
noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS

(54:26):
one and the iHeart Radio app. We've got a full
slate of baseball heading your way Saturday on Fox. In
a World Series rematch, Cody Bellinger and the Dodgers take
on Mookie Bets in the Red Sox and other regional
action the Giants battle the Brewers, or the Nationals face
the Phillies. It all starts at seven eastern on Fox
and the Fox Sports app. Checklist localist things for the
game in your area. Sorry for apologiz, Oh sorry, or

(54:49):
I apologize for being interrupting you there. That was a
very good journalism. Now that would be goal, kay journalists,
we've got broadcasting. Yeah, I just jumped right in. He's
gotta get the last little bit in. We were very excited.
What was would say? Well, I'm excited now because we're
past the All Star Game and I live in Los
Angeles and the baseball team in my area is a
baseball team is very good, and so now to me,
the baseball it's like after the NBA trading deadline, I

(55:10):
kind of gear up to the I don't watch on
a ton of the NBA early it's like nonsense. And
then and then after trading deadline, I'm like, okay, I'm in.
Now baseball is like, okay, games matter now. Now games
matter now. Everybody suddenly isn't hurt now people are trying
to get playoff position. Good All Star Game is Billy
ready are? He's a seven time National Sportswriter of the
Year by the Associated Press, author of five books, legendary

(55:33):
columnists since the mid nineties at the LA Times, a
friend of mine, panelist around the Horn, not to show
on some other network I've never heard of. All Right,
Bill Plaski's joining us. All Right, Billy, let's start with
us this morning. LA is the epicenter of basketball in
the country. Joy and I like the momentum, the culture,
the Coats, the front office of the Clippers, and we
think Kawai and Paul George work. We think the Lakers

(55:56):
are a great movie poster. We're not sure it's a
good movie. Where do you land on the Laker Clipper rivalry?
Who do you prefer after the dust settles? Yeah, I
land just where you guys land. I think the Clippers
have a deeper team, they have a better organization. I
think their coaches a known quantity. We're not sure how
Frank Fook was going to work with with with the Lakers.
I think a lot of this has to do with

(56:17):
how much is Lebron's gonna be in now and how much?
How can can he really play point guard? Can he
play defense. As for the point guard position, Kenny, you know,
Kenny Houses, how's he gonna hold up physically? How's they
gonna hold up plasically. There's not a lot of young
legs on that team, on that Laker team, so they
you know, so they may. They made the big move
for Anthony Davis and they've they've filled and it was
it's interesting everybody saying when they they've builed so many

(56:39):
great holes around him compared to last year. Last year
was the nightmare. So of any anybody they got this
year would be better. Danny Green, I mean, Avery, Brad Lake,
Quinn Cook. I think they're good, some good three and
D guys, But I don't know, you know, I see
the Lakers as a fourth Steed or maybe a foster. Yeah,
I don't see them. I don't see them, you know,
blowing everybody's doors off. And you know what this is

(57:00):
that I don't want to feel fuck with this for
the show. But it's the question that people in LA
haven't increasingly been asking, is this a greater Paul George?
Is it a greater triumph for the Clippers or a
greater defeat for the Lakers, Because remember the Lakers could
have had both these guys. They could have Paul George
last year. He wouldn't take a minting with them, and
Kawhi Laard wanted to come there. I mean, you know,

(57:21):
and I'm convinced if not for the front office and stability,
Kwhi Leonard would be a Laker. I am convinced to that.
I think the Clippers have a chance to be an
all time great team. I think they have bench, youth age, coaching,
smart execs. Everything I want an NBA team they have.
And you don't have to be perfect. When an NBA
championship Warriors haven't had much of a bench last three years,

(57:41):
Miami Heat didn't have size, you don't have to be perfect.
I think the Clippers. I look up and down and
I see God, I see everything I want. I got size, shooters, young,
old stars, defense, offense. I I don't think I'm being hyperbolic.
I think the Clippers could be a great basketball team.
I mean, I'm talking. We haven't had a lot of
great NBA teams. I think Kevin Durant Warriors was really great,

(58:04):
show Shaq Kobe Lakers were really great. Am I being
a little over the top saying if the Clippers click.
This is all time stuff here. No, I think you
may be a little over the top because here's my issue.
Lou Williams great sixth man. You can't overstate his importance
to that team. Last year. He led, He's a team leader,
he was the MVP last year. How is he gonna

(58:25):
do coming off the bench when there's another scorer on
the floor. He's always been the only guy when he
comes off the bench, the balls in his hands all
the time, and when he does it, he has a
tendency to disappear when there's other scores around. So let's
just see. I'm gonna hold my breath and see if
Lou Williams can be the same great you know again,
he was a bench or not. He's the best pleaser,
the best player last year. How he will adjust to

(58:46):
all what's going on? But I think you're right. I
think they have all. They also they have the desperation.
The fact that Kawai signed a two year deal means
they got to get it done now. They have to
get it done now. They could they could lose him
to the Lakers in two years. They've got to get
it done now. And I think they all know that
over there and there is and you know, of course
we're trying to get the arena bill down Inglewood, so

(59:07):
this is yeah, they have they have all the ingredients
for it. But I just want to see how last
year's team, now Montrez and Lou mesh with the new guys,
and I want to see how that, how that works,
how that dynamic work. You know, I got a lot
of heat from Lebron fans last year and even those
close to Lebron, because I said I felt the optics
were bad. I thought he was distracted. And my favorite yeah,

(59:28):
and my takeaway was Los Angeles can eat people up.
I'd been coming to LA. I'm a West Coast kid,
so by the time I moved to LA, I'm not starstruck.
Like I go and do my thing, and I go
to work and I have my family. But I've seen
executives and athletes come to Los Angeles and just it
overwhelms you. The beach, the mountains, the people, the shopping,
the stuff, the distractions. I thought Lebron looked distracted last year.

(59:51):
Do you believe this morning that basketball rules his world,
that he is willing to play forty minutes, that the
win a title in his legacy, or have we moved
to the mogul stage where he's into it but he
didn't have the hunger. Well, that's the question. The whole
legacies is based on. Part of me thinks he feels

(01:00:12):
snubbed by Kawai. Kawai didn't want to play with him,
could play with him, because could have come played with
him doors open, didn't want us. Part of me feels
like he's been embarrassed, and part of me feels like
he feels like he's on a mission with he's got
his guy Aden out with him. Another part of me wonders,
if you're right, maybe last year was this was the
new Lebron, the distracted. I mean, I can't tell you, Colin,
how frustrated it was to be in there prest room

(01:00:34):
before a game and the big news about Lebron is
the latest star on the shop or Space dam two
is getting made. Yeah, I mean it's coming up, that's coming.
This is before the before tip off I saw anybody's
talking about and he's out there and he's not playing defense.
I mean, he did not, And any Lebron fan was
if they if they look in the mirror, they got
to tell themselves this guy was not all in last year.
He was not invested, he was not emotionally engaged. Will

(01:00:56):
he be this year? He could go one or two ways.
Part of me thinks he does feel snow. He has
to feel like again a great player could have come
and brought him a championship and chose not to. He
has to net player now dresses two doors down the hallway.
He has to feel snub He has to feel like
people are doubting him, because they are, because I'm doubting him.
A lot of LA, but most of LA is doubting Yes,

(01:01:17):
right now, I don't think that's that that's the real Yeah.
I mean you saw you saw when he passed Michael
Jordan's He's got a type of ovation for the only
All Times flooring list, you know. And and the fans
didnt recognize him, and he didn't recognize him. I don't
know that if that's changed. He's got to change that.
If he changes that, and Lakers can be a contender.
If he doesn't, they'll be, like I said, a fourth
or fight or fourth or fifth seated best. It will

(01:01:38):
be a fun little story, a lot of drama, a
lot of Hollywood, not much substance Bill Plashkey. Do you
think son Jerry West or Doc Rivers one of those
three had the most pull to get Kawhie of the
Clippers the sun? Jerry West or Doc? Which was it
the sun? Yeah? No, no, no, I mean, can you

(01:02:01):
like this like the sun? Like it's sunny here, it's
it's la you know the weather? No? No, no, no no,
because if he could have gone to the Lakers for
the weather. I think Doc wills. My understanding is Doc
closed the deal. Jerry was Jerry was there with Balmer
and he's he's Bomber's right hand man. But I think
Doc close the deal. I think they really wanted to

(01:02:21):
play for Doc. Players love him, of course, the media
I love Doc. Yes, he's great, perfect right, would you
agree he's perfect for this down oh? Doc? Doc Rivers
is First of all, Doc is social. He's funny, he's easy,
he's intense. He's got just enough of an ego to
not get overwhelmed in this city. He looks and feels

(01:02:43):
and sounds and talks and he is la like he
he will. You know what. He reminds me a little bit.
There's a there's a little pat Riley with Doc Rivers.
When Pat was here, You're like, Oh, that's what a
Laker coach should that's what a Laker coach should look like.
Doc is what an NBA basketball coach in Los Angeles.
That's exactly right, That's exactly right. And I think from
what I understanding was he closed the deal. He got

(01:03:03):
it done. They met in his Malibu home. Isn't interesting.
They met Doc at his Malibu homes. They met the
Lakers in a sterile hotel in Westlake, Siwards. You know
that that's it was. And that was a big difference
in the organization. That's the organization, that's they You know,
these guys were joined in spam Wolk. They feel like
his family. So I think Doc. I think Doc closed
the deal and its as the Lakers didn't even bring

(01:03:24):
Vogel into the meeting. Frank Vogel wasn't even in on
the pitch meeting because I because I don't think they don't.
They aren't even sure if he's gonna end up being
the coach by the end of the year. I mean,
poor Frank Vogel starred already on the hot seat. But yes,
I think Doc those three things, I think Docs voke
the Deal, seven time AP Sports Columnist of the Year,
five bucks, Bill Plashki at the La Times good talking

(01:03:45):
to me about him than Doc really does it? Really?
Does you know? It's when Joe Tory managed the Yankees.
I always said, you know what Joe Tory was. This
is how it fell for me because I had a stepdad,
and my stepdad remind me of Joe Tory. You could
joke with it, but don't get him mad. Like Joe
Tory is one of those guys. He just physical presence

(01:04:05):
was big enough. You didn't mess with Joe Tory. Joe
Tory looked like because he had a little bit of
a temper as a player and a manager. Joe Tory
looked like one of those guys like you could joke
with Joe, but there was a line with Joe, and
when Joe walked into the room, you had to be
a grown up. Like same thing with Doc. Doc's funny
glass of wine. See him at dinner, but Doc will chewya.

(01:04:26):
Pat Riley's got a little bit of that. You've been
in Miami. Pat is fun, He's got a beautiful wife,
a great life. But behind the scenes, you don't want
to mess with Pat Riley. Yeah, in general, you let
those kind of people tell the jokes. That's what you mean,
when you can just like they tell a joke and
then you laugh, right, and that's the end of the
jokey time. Yeah, there are people and I think, and

(01:04:46):
this is I think when you're in Miami, New York, LA, Philadelphia,
I think presence matters. I mean that's kind of in
the knock, hasn't it on Jason Garrett with Dallas. He's
a pretty good coach. Does he have a presence? I mean,
shouldn't the Cowboys have? Jimmy Johnson, Bill Parcells, Tom Landry.
I don't think you necessarily have to be have to
have a tough presence, but you have a presence some

(01:05:09):
sort like even to like. No one describes Tony Dungee
as having an aggressive presence, but he is widely respect
he has it. He has a different type of presence. Yes,
Tony Dungee, I've been around him. I covered him in Tambath.
Tony's got a presence. Tony's got a kind of an
um no nons Again, you can joke with Tony Dungee,
but when Tony comes in, it's business. Tony's got a

(01:05:33):
kind of a conservative life. This is how we do it.
Don't screw around by the way, Mike toml and I've
been critical love Mike's got a presence. Pete Carroll, I've
been critical. Love Pete's got a presence. Doc when you're
in I'm in the room several times with Doc or
at a restaurant. He feels like an NBA coach in
Los Angeles. Does Vogel have that? I don't know. And

(01:05:53):
we'll see that that's not an easy team. Joy with
the news, No no turns. This is the herd line
news Well. Mark Cuban recently shared his thoughts on the
big signings in twenty nineteen free agency, and he said
he's happy with the player movements and formation of new
super teams. In terms of the movement, I think it's

(01:06:14):
great for the NBA now instead of having one super
team that everybody's trying to beat and then at Lebronze
and Attraction, now we've got a bunch of super teams.
And even though super teams only have two superstars, right,
none of them really have three that I've been able
to count, And so you know, it takes a little
bit of luck and it takes. It takes building the team. Yes,
I I mean Kauai kind of did this. Kawi Durant

(01:06:35):
started it, I suppose, but by going to the nets.
But Kawai kind of finished it. He sort of thanos
the NBA with the super teams because it really isn't
super teams anymore. It's a great player and another good player.
By the way, you said something last couple of weeks,
we forgot how good Kawai was because he disappeared. Right,
We'll do the same with Durant. By the way, do

(01:06:55):
not forget how good Porzingis was. Yeah, Like the Knicks
have been a fire for a decade. Porzingis didn't play
last year, right injury? Okay, the guys unbelievable. He's a
seven four slasher. You cannot stop. In transition, we are
very much a what have you done for me lately? Society,
and we need to be constantly reminded of what those

(01:07:18):
players are. And that's exactly what happened with Kawai's what's
gonna happen with Durrant. You're right, it's what's gonna happen
with Porzingis. And the super team is kind of it's
kind of dead for the moment. Like it's very it's
very even. Nobody can really say without I mean if
they unless they just want to, if they know what
everyone's going to be. It doesn't have the same feeling
it has for the past couple to do lawyers. It's

(01:07:39):
a duo league, not a super team league. And by
the way, if you count Jimmy Butler and Westbrook, if
they come together, yeah, that's like twelve duos, maybe thirteen,
So it's really gonna matter. And they're all very, very good.
I mean, obviously we feel like Kawhi Leonard and Paul
George on a different level, and Lebron and a d
are on a different level. But I mean Damon cj

(01:08:00):
Are also on a different level. So it's really become
what are the pieces around them? And that's that's why
I like the Clippers more than the Laker situation right now.
Speaking of that, Anthony Davis is not shying away from
the spotlight now that he is in Los Angeles. He's
putting out a very clear message when it comes to
his place in the league and what he brings to
the table. He told Sports Illustrated, Obviously, you have players
like Kawhi Katie, Lebron step all of those guys who

(01:08:22):
are the same way. I'm the best in the world.
I think I can do a lot of things that
a lot of players can't do. As far as a
complete game. I can play on the block, play on
the perimeter, play defense on both ends, switch one through five, guard,
score the basketball. I want to be the most dominant
player in the game, and I'm going to continue to
do that. I like that. I like that confidence. I
wish you would that more often. I wish he was

(01:08:44):
a little cocky. It doesn't fit him, it's at all.
It's very confused by this quote. Obviously, I very much
disagree he's I do not think he is the best player,
very good. I don't think he's the best player in
the world. With Katie not playing for a year, I
still think he may not be the best player in
his own team. Is better, oh, Anthony Davis, Oh No,
he's not. I think Lebron is better. I mean, at

(01:09:05):
some point, and I have no problem with saying you're
the best in the world, you have to have extreme confidence.
That's That's not what I'm picking a part here. It's
just that he's not the best player in the world,
like Lebron is better than you, he's on your team.
I think Katie is better. I think Kawhi is better.
And then you can get into the conversation of it
is Anthony Davis in the top five? To me? My,
I guess lack of confidence in Anthony Davis lies and

(01:09:26):
that he had a team and he wasn't able to
get them where they needed to go by himself, and
now you need another talent around him, as everyone does.
But in fairness, one year of college, nineteen year old kid. Again,
Lebron first four years in this league didn't do anything,
and he's the best high school player of all time.
I think some of the Anthony Davis stuff is, let's

(01:09:49):
be honest, he did get a team to the playoffs
and they did sweet Portland. That may have been all
at twenty four years old he was capable of right,
but then but still also, you're not the best player
in the world though, like that's there there, there's there's
both sides of that argument, because Lebron did eventually get
over that hup. It'll be interesting to see though now
because Anthony Davis is going to have some talent around him,

(01:10:10):
to see what he truly is. And finally, Josh Norman
is known for making headlines, and this is a different
type of headline. He went running with the bulls and Pamplona, Spain. Um.
I don't, I don't. I've never had a desire to
do That's Josh Norman there running and running past the bull. Um.
Five people have been uh gored by bye bulls in

(01:10:33):
this nine day event so far, which started on Sunday.
I'm surprised that this is actually a offseason activity that
is approved on his contract. Well, basketball players generally can't
ski or do stuff like that. Yeah, I have. While
I have found this tradition to always be very interesting,
I have never had a desire to try and escape
a bull. Yeah. I don't like pain. I can't. I don't.

(01:10:58):
I really don't enjoy physical cold pain. Well I don't
know that. I don't. That's not really the kind of
that's death. So there's pain and then there's death, and
this is like one of those things where where you
could die. I don't enjoy activities. I'm not a thrill seeker.
I think life is yeah, is enough, my daughter is Yeah.
I'm not interested in jumping out of a plane or

(01:11:19):
running with the bulls, like, I'll go watch other people
do it. That's fun. Have you ever gone skydiving? Oh
that won't happen. No, not one time. I mean, I
just have no, I've no desire to do it. I
have a piece of video of my daughter in South Africa.
I'm not gonna put it on the internet, but it's
unbelievable that she did I have I showed you the video. No, okay,

(01:11:40):
I'll show you in the break and we'll talk about
it after. Okay. You won't believe it. You will not
believe I can't believe this. This is crazy, all right,
Joey with the news. Well that's the news, and thanks
for stopping by The Herd Line News. Rob Parker's going
to argue with me next to Herd. Be sure to
catch live editions of The Herd week days and NOONI
stre Nati and Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one

(01:12:04):
and the iHeart Radio app. I have a piece of video.
My daughter's an adventure what she did in Africa. You
will South Africa. You will not believe it. We're not
going to show it to the right, but you wanted
to show it out. Speaking of adventure, Yes, you once again,
you're on an island. You think Lebron getting Anthony Davis
is a miss, and your takeaways opposite of what everybody
else thinks. That it's a great day to be a Laker, right,

(01:12:26):
not at all. I mean people can talk themselves into
it now, but the bottom line is that Lebron James
has been left at the altar twice now, and this
one really really hurts. If you don't want to believe
that players don't want to play with him, go back
to remember the Rachel Nichols interview he did where Lebron
kind of blamed Cleveland. Will you know I couldn't get
anybody to come to Cleveland. That wasn't a case in Miami,

(01:12:48):
in La, wait and see, so two years in a row,
Paul George had a chance to come. He talked about
it for two years about about coming to LA and
being with the Lakers. Lebron came, wouldn't he take a
meeting with Magic Johnson? Then this year, Kawhi, you want
to talk about having it on a platter. That's why
everybody ran with the oh yeah, ninety five percent chance

(01:13:09):
he's coming, it's a done deal. Almost all that because
everything lined up. Kawhi's from southern California. He grew up
as a Laker fan. The money they had, the money
to pay him, he didn't have to give like a
hometown discount and all of that. Plus he was going
to be a part of a big three column, which
would have been the Big three of the ages, right,

(01:13:32):
Anthony Davis, Lebron James, and Kawhi Letter who's coming off
a championship and he goes stall, stall, stall until Clippers
can make something happen. And they make something happen. You
can look now and say, oh, it's great. And you
know that narrative that nobody wants to play with him.
A d's playing with him. He's a part of the
same agent. You know, he has the same agent, so

(01:13:54):
he's with Clutch Sports. So I don't look at it
like a guy who comes from another camp who's says
I want to be with Lebron James. Look at all
the guys who were available and nobody wanted to come. Well,
it's certainly an argument that ad came here because he
had a house here, he liked La it was chill,
and his agent thought it was good for business. That's fair.

(01:14:15):
That's why I think Lebron is I think, and I
think the one critic it's not really a criticism. I
think it's fair to say about Lebron. Lebron says I
want to be more than an athlete. I'm okay with that.
In fact, I kind of like it. But with that
comes a bunch of noise. Kad said, it's a circus.
Some players are turned off by it. Paul George was like,

(01:14:36):
it's too much. So I do think it's not a
criticism of a Lebron. It's the reality of Lebron is
that it just comes with a bunch of noise, and
a lot of guys don't want noise exactly. And Katie
used the term toxic. It's a toxic environment. And here's
the other thing too. I think this is the other
part Lebron, and rightfully so. He's one of the greatest

(01:14:59):
players who ever. If he wins Colin, it's all about Lebron.
He gets all the credit. Fair If he doesn't win
a d you're the scapegoat. Lebron's the goat and you're
the scapegoat, so you don't really wind up winning. Well,
how do you win? I heard an agent told me
that about a year ago, he said that he goes.

(01:15:19):
Lebron has created a business that if he wins, he
gets the love, and if he loses, you gotta fire
the coach. There is now, whether that's fair or not,
it does live. It's a living organism in the NBA
that some players feel like, if I don't win with Lebron,
I got crushed. If we win, you get all the love.
In fact, I've heard Kauai thought about that that like, listen,
if we win, it's just gonna be all Lebron talk.

(01:15:41):
And and I do think for some players it's not
that they want their own team, they just don't want
to be overwhelmed by Lebron's brand. And that's what would
have happened. And Kawhi, let's just face it, he's in
a better spot. He got everything that he wanted without
the noise, without the toxicity. He got everything. He's in
Las playing at the Staples Center right and he has

(01:16:02):
a chance to elevate himself because if he takes the
Clippers and wins a championship, no other players won three
championship with three different teams, So that would put him
on a level by himself. And then you would go,
this guy's got to be one of the greatest players
who've ever played, because he just took two teams that
had never won championships, Toronto and now the Clippers, who

(01:16:26):
have been basically laughing stocks for most of the existence
in the NBA. Now, I think it's very fair and
they should be favorits. I want to shift to football.
So Pro Football Focus is a website I trust. There's
a lot of goofy bloggers, but they're analytical. They're unemotional,
and when they say something, their grades are usually very accurate.
They're not perfect, but they're not wildly inaccurate, and I

(01:16:46):
think they're consistent in their analytics. They had a couple
of stats on Dak Prescott that are frightening they have.
They have two stats on Dak Prescott. One of them
in the most predictive aspect of quarterback play, the ability
to avoid throws. Graded negatively by Pro Football Focus, Prescott
was the twenty fifth best quarterback in the NFL. That's

(01:17:08):
a real stat for them. But we get to a
point where he did save the franchise. He's won the
division twice, He's won a playoff game against Seattle, he
won the locker room. Why don't Japan big because everything
has to be right for him to win. And he's
talking about having a running back. We saw it when
he didn't have the running back there. He didn't nearly
look like the quarterback he's been he's got that. He struggled. Yeah,

(01:17:31):
and the offensive line, remember was a juggernaut. It wasn't
as good I think the last year, but before that
the offensive line was great and defensively they were good.
So a lot of stuff has to I'm just waiting.
I don't feel like he's a guy who can win
you a game on his own like he can. Okay,
we don't have the running game today. The defense has

(01:17:51):
given up a lot of points, you know what I mean,
And that's stopping anybody. But I can still go out
there and win that game. What about the fact that
he saved your franchise, kept John TV one two divisions
one a playoff game, and you're paid nothing. You're still
paying nothing for him that ethically you owe him something.
You do owe him something. I'm not saying he shouldn't
get paid at all. I just don't know if you

(01:18:13):
back up to bring struck because this is one of
those contracts to me that could turn the other way,
like really quickly. I agree. If some pieces don't work
out or things don't mess with the Cowboys, they'll be
in trouble. Saying, how in the world did you paid
Dak Prescott all that money? Melvin Gordon, Chargers year left
on his contracts, says, I want to be paid. And
he's a great running back. By the way in La,

(01:18:35):
what football people say in Las, Gordon's better than Todd Gurley.
Todd Gurley just gets all the press. But Gordon's the
better running back. Whether that's true or not. He's certainly
the healthier running back. He was a workhorse at Wisconsin
for four years, being a workhorse for the Chargers for
four years. He's twenty six years old. He's about two
years from hitting the running back cliff where they just
do this. Would you pay him? Would you pay him early?

(01:18:57):
Would you let him break out of his contracts? He
said today, I'm not plan you don't pay me. I
would pay him, but they don't do that. They devalue
running backs. That's why when everybody bashed Leveon Bell Colin
he had four hundred touches with the Steelers and they're
just waiting for something. Oh we can't pay you. Look,
you're heard, you're this, you're that, And I don't think
that's fair because you have such a short life as

(01:19:19):
a running back. So Melvin Gordon, more power to him.
I applaud a guy who wants to get paid. He's
done nothing but produced for You paid the guy. But
they don't. They string these guys along until they're burnt
out and they say, oh, we can't give you that
kind of deal. Well, you know what happens in the NFL.
It's less violent than ever. There's less practice, there's less hitting.

(01:19:42):
You can't hit a tight end, a wide receiver, a quarterback.
The one position in football that you can't protect is
running back, right, you just can't. It's it is the
inevitably violent position in football where it's the only position
in football. Now you can hit a guy pretty much
anywhere and he's not ready for it, and it's okay.
Because wide receivers you can't be defenseless, right, I can't

(01:20:04):
be defenseless a tied end of wide receiver. Quarterbacks. The
one guy in football you can hit is the running back.
Defenseless high you know, they never called for hitting and
running back too high. They don't running backs put their
head down. So I get his now. He hasn't overperformed
his contract. He was a first round pick. He's been
very good. He hasn't overperformed it. But I gotta tell
you they're not the same team without him. Nope. And

(01:20:26):
and you have to know your wealth and your worth
and be willing to stand up for yourself. The problem
is if you don't do it and you don't get paid,
and God forbid, he gets hurt or you never you
never get paid and you put in four hard years
in the NFL. Song, Well he did get he was
a first round pick, so he not broke. He may

(01:20:47):
Oh no, no, I got that. Still, Yeah, you just
said it. Girly got paid. He wants to get paid
like these other guys. Lavian got paid. You know what.
I think Lavian Bell started a little bit of a
trend where Laban's like, Okay, by the way, I'll go
work out Florida. I'm not taking a beating against Baltimore.
I'm I'm not taking a beating against Cincinnati and Cleveland
twice a year. Sometimes you get these tipping point moments

(01:21:08):
and tipping point athletes. Lab and Bell showed a lot
of running backs. Oh, you'll get paid the next year.
Take a year off if you don't get it. Rob Parker,
by the way, Inside the Parker Podcast, The Herd Podcast Network,
Odd Couple Radio with Chris Bruce, Sorry Best New showed
American Sports Radio Hour three Decks, One More Herd. The
Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days a
week within the iHeartRadio app, Search Herd to listen live

(01:21:30):
or on demand. Whenever you like great news, quick and
easy way you could save money, go to Geico fifteen minutes,
say fifteen percent Geico dot com. By the way, the
nice thing about Baker Mayfield. Somebody came to me yesterday
and said, you know Baker Mayfield. You don't like him.
I said no, no, no, no no. I talked about
him all the time. I say he's great for the league.
I wouldn't make him my quarterback. I like balance. I

(01:21:51):
love Andrew Luck. I don't want thirty two Andrew Lucks.
I like a crotch grabbing, taunting quarterback. I just don't
want him to be my quarterback. But do I think
Er Mayfield's good for the NFL? Oh? God, absolutely. I
can't have thirty two Andrew Lucks, they'd be boring. You
gotta have Patrick Mahomes thrown behind the back passes and
have Tom Brady, who is very by the book. I

(01:22:13):
like everything in fact right now in sports, the stuff
that drives people crazy makes me very happy. My wife's vegan.
It's too drastic for me. I don't like drastic. I'm
not a drastic person. I like moderate. I like balance. Politically,
I'm socially left, fiscally right. I'm in the middle. I'm
not interested in chaos. I like some of my athletes
to be political. Lebron, Megan Rapino, Serena, they're political. I

(01:22:37):
like Mike Trout, Brooks, Keepka and Kawai and Tom Brady
not to be. I don't want all my athletes to
be non political. I like to have some disruptors, so
I got Lebron. I'm more than an athlete, Megan Rapino swearing.
Serena's got strong opinions. I like disruptors. I like an
occasional uber, but I also like taxis. I like tradition,

(01:22:58):
but I like it occasionally disrupt it. That's what makes America.
I don't care if you're whack in the president. I
don't care if you whack on any president. That's what
separates us from a lot of countries. You're allowed to
you're uncomfortable with it. I'm totally comfortable having disruptors, liberals, conservatives, DEM's, Republican, outspoken, mutes, quiet, political,

(01:23:21):
a political I like all the balance. Now. I don't
want Bakers my quarterback. It's too much chaos. But I
like him in the league. I think he's very valuable
for the league. I like an outspoken cocky, grabs his stuff, taunts,
throw act incredible for business. You can't have thirty two
Andrew Locks. You can't have thirty two guys like Tom
Brady drink Kale milkshakes all day. You gotta have a

(01:23:42):
guy that drinks too much beer. Joe Namath, Joe Namath
was good for the league. He was a playboy. Brett
Favre was good for the league. He was a little crazy.
Aaron Rodgers good for the league. I don't want all
my athletes to be the same. I like Megan Rapino
and by the way, our border our men's soccer team
is boring. I think our women's soccer team's fascinating. I
can't have two teams like the men rudderless, passive, no controversy,

(01:24:06):
boring again, have two national teams like I want one now.
Generally the guys are the cocky, obnoxious ones. This time
the women are like, now we're gonna swear and stuff.
I'm good with it. I like balance. I like a
little of both. All right, So this morning anybody's staff
gave me this top ten NFL teams in the decade,
some writer for the NFL dot com. I hate the list. First.

(01:24:27):
Of all of his ten, only three won the Super Bowl.
How can you be a best team? Couldn't he won
the Super Bowl? And he's got a bunch of qualifiers, Like,
no franchise can be used more than once? Why why
can't I do well? Entertainment value considered? What is this
a circus? It's a football team. I don't care about
that stuff. Yeah, what do you mean you can only
use every team once? That's like saying, you know what

(01:24:48):
top ten movie studio list, but one per city? Well
like eight or in Los Angeles. Your list doesn't make
any sense if you haven't qualified ten best beaches America, Well,
six are in Florida. Three are in California. If you
have four, if you have to have one in every state,
best cheese, Wisconsin is going to have most of it.

(01:25:08):
I don't like qualifiers to my list best places to retire. Okay,
then don't say, with this income best places to retire.
Just give me the list. I don't need the cheapest
town of the richest town. So my point is this
list put a bunch of qualifiers and it makes no sense.
But I will say this, they got one thing right.

(01:25:29):
They have the Seattle Seahawks number one, because I honestly
believe I've been watching the NFL since the early seventies,
nineteen seventy two, and it's like over fifty years, there
have been five great teams for one season, the five
best teams I've ever seen. Seattle is one of them,
and all of them were for a season, although most

(01:25:52):
one a Super Bowl or two. The first great team
I ever saw was the Pittsburgh Steelers in nineteen seventy six.
I just started watching football. They had three shutouts in
a row. Even back then you didn't do that. They
had seven Pro Bowlers on defense. They overwhelmed teams. Terry
Bradshaw was a star, big strong, Lynn Swan, John Stalworth,
best offensive line, best defensive line, arguably best quarterback, arguably

(01:26:18):
best coach. They just looked different than everybody else. The
seventy six Steelers they shut out opponents five times in
an eight game stretch. That would be unbelievable if Alabama
did that. The second team I saw that I thought
was just absurd was the nineteen eighty five Chicago Bears.
That's the one with Ditka and Jim McMahon. They looked different.

(01:26:38):
They looked like Mike Tyson early in his career. People
were afraid of them. They won fifteen games by double digits,
including the playoffs. That Chicago Bear team was. They were absurd.
They allowed ten points in three playoff games. They shut
out the Giants in the Rams and gave up ten
of the Patriots in the Super Bowl. That was the
second unbelievable team I ever saw. The third team was

(01:26:58):
the twenty thirteen seat Seahawks, and they're as good as
any of them. First of all, they held the number
one scoring offense in NFL history to eight points in
the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning literally overwhelmed Peyton Manning. They
won seven games in the NFL the parody League by
twenty points, including thirty five point win in the Super Bowl.
They only allowed one team four hundred yards all year.

(01:27:20):
And by the way, this is a league now which
all the rules go offense. All of them go offense.
You couldn't move the ball on the Seahawks. They were
the hardest team to get three straight first down on
in a row in succession, probably in the last twenty
five years. The twenty thirteen Seattle Seahawks. Then another team
I want to throw out, there's the nineteen ninety two

(01:27:41):
Dallas Cowboys. That was the Troy Aikman Cowboys. Arguably the
best defensive line, the best offensive line. Emmett Smith, was
a running back, Michael irv And you had the best coach,
arguably in Jimmy Johnson. The only way I can sum
it up is sixteen games, twelve by double digits. And
that was a time the NFC had all of good teams.
They had deep threats, they had a tight end, they

(01:28:02):
had a running game, they had power, they had finesse
Akman was accurate, threw over the top. They had a
great staff. They had pass rushers. It was hard to
run against them. They had hitters, they had pure corner covers,
they had good special teams, won the Super Bowl by
thirty five points over the Bills. And the last one
of the last teams is the two thousand and seven Patriots.
That was the first and only team that's ever gone

(01:28:24):
sixteen and on the regular season outscored opponents. This doesn't
even make sense. They outscored opponents by three hundred and
fifteen points. Again, Alabama doesn't do that. They crushed everybody
except the Eagles and the Ravens in the regular season,
and they lost in the Super Bowl. But to me,
the five best teams I've ever seen in terms of
chronological order seventy six Steelers, eighty five Bears, ninety two Cowboys,

(01:28:48):
two thousand and seven Patriots, twenty thirteen Seaks. By the way,
I don't have any forty nine ers in here. Those
teams were great, but I never felt they had a
the greatest team. Now, I did think they're arguably the
greatest dynasty after the Patriots. But the teams I'm mentioning
here all have one thing in common. They literally felt

(01:29:09):
like they intimidated other professional athletes like Mike Tyson, intimidated
other big boxers like that's when you're dominant. When you
look like oh that you're you're playing with an extra
man defense. Seattle looked like they were playing with an
extra man defensively. You could not get back to back

(01:29:30):
first downs on them. They were faster than everybody. In fact,
Bill Belichick faced them the following year in the playoffs,
and Belichick's theory on beating them was, when you catch
the ball against the Seahawks, just go down. Don't try
to get extra yards because they'll hit you and strip
the ball. He was literally, catch it and just go
to the turf. That's when you're good. Joy with the news.

(01:29:53):
This is the herd line news. I have never rooted
harder for a team that I did not care about
than I did in that two thousand Nate Super Bowl
with the Giants and Patriots. You were rooting for the Giants. Oh,
I mean, what a glorious moment. I can't have them
go undefeated, have the seventy two Dolphins. It's the last
thing we got. I can't have that in the Patriots.

(01:30:14):
Forget it. Oh, thank you, Eli Manning. I always offend
you because of that. So new coach Rank Vogel has
his work cut out for him with the new look Lakers,
and while he was in Vegas for the Summer League,
he opened up about his interactions with his two stars,
Lebron and Anthony Davis. What have your interactions been like
so far with Lebron James and Anthony Davis? Very very positive. Um,

(01:30:35):
you know, it became very clear that, uh, you know,
I was going to have the support of my best
player in Lebron. Um, you know, once I took the job,
and you know, since Anthony has come aboard, it's it's
about the same way. You know, we're very aligned in uh,
you know, the vision of how we're going to play,
what we're going to be able to get accomplished on
the basketball court. Um, you know, there's a mutual respect
there and I can't wait to get started. So interested

(01:30:58):
in the storyline with the Lakers this year because it's
just with Lebron, it always seems like nothing is ever
really that simple, you know. But I do also think
he's coming off his first major injury. There's a sense
of urgency for the end of his career. He has.
Anthony Davis is the piece that he wanted. But story

(01:31:19):
history will tell you he struggles with the coach in
the first year. Is it possible that he's easier to
coach now than ever, because I'm easier to manage now
that I was in my twenties and thirties. Like, as
you age, you mature, you become easier to coach. You know,
you know, when you get to the end and you're
a professional athlete, you're like, listen, man, I don't want
to practice quite as much, but I'm pretty coachable. I

(01:31:42):
still want to get the checks. I don't want to
hit as much in practice. We may get a Lebron
who's more coachable. I'm not saying for sure, but he
may be in that stage where, listener, I want to
win games. Give me about nine days off. I'll skip
a few practices, but I'll be more of a distributor now.
I don't want to put in forty four minutes. No,
I agree. That's why I think it's so interesting, because
I think he has passed into a different point in

(01:32:02):
his career, like he's going to have to relent a
little bit of control, it seems. Or but if the
season is so long, like if stuff sos to fall
apart and there starts to be drama and you know,
one bad injury and things starts to take a turn.
I don't know what happens, but I am We're all
going to be watching, that's for sure. So Westbrook is

(01:32:22):
probably heading to the three h five. ESPN is now
reporting that people around the league think it's inevitable that
he will wind up there at this point, especially since
the Heat could be the only team willing to take
on his money and personality, and Chris Bosh says that
Heat would have too the fiercest competitors in the league
if they make this happen. I would say definitely top three.
And you know that's no disrespect to other teams, but

(01:32:43):
you know, if we're talking talent and a big time
game ability and just to hunger, both those guys haven't
won a championships, so they're very hungry. You know, they're
obviously very good, some of the top talent in the NBA.
I mean, hey, if I could build around those guys
for the next four years, I would as well. So
Westbrook's owed at least thirty eight million each of the
next four years, including a forty seven point one million

(01:33:06):
dollar player option for twenty twenty two twenty three. It's
not a great contract. It's not a terrible contract. Because
here's the thing, John wall is a terrible contract. Russell plays,
Russell fills the stadium, and Russell gets you to the playoffs. Right,
It's not a terrible contract. They don't pay that for
a reason. Yeah. No, there are bad contracts in the league,
average guys making a fortune. I can live with Westbrooks

(01:33:28):
contract he'll get if I own a team, you can
put people in the butts he's gonna get. By the way,
my franchise is gonna get on TV all the time.
I'm a sell more merchandise. They're bad contracts. Westbrook. You
can't put in the top five. I've heard this before.
Chris Paul's contract now is bad. He's hurt. Don't put
westbrook top five. Bad contract. It's expensive. You get about
thirty percent back in. I believe with Westbrook in image. Yeah, relevance,

(01:33:54):
talking points. His contract is worth it. And you have Butler,
so it's not like you're bringing him into be the
only guy. Now. It's gonna make it tight, of course,
but and they're gonna need another team to be involved
to make it happen. But it's looking like it is
going to happen if nothing else, that makes them extremely
relevant and interesting. But I do think that in the
East you can have some things happen throughout the season

(01:34:16):
and they could emerge if that happens. So finally, we've
talked about this a lot today. Dak Prescott could be
the next quarterback to receive a massive contract extension, but
a lot of people have questioned if he's in the
same conversation as Carson Wentz or Russell Wilson, and Pro
Football focuses among the group that's questioned paying him top money.
They said, if it were us, it would be a
tough sell to keep Dak for anywhere near the top

(01:34:37):
end of the quarterback market, but it would be difficult
to cut bait on one of the better stories the
position in recent seasons. It's likely the best decision for
the Boys to make, and Dak actually responded. He told
USA today, for somebody to say you can only make
you can only take so much because of the salary cap,
or you can only do this or that, I know it.
I don't know how fair that is to say. Because
with gambling, with everything going into this league, everything is

(01:34:59):
going to continue going up. It's important for all these
guys to get every bit of their worth. I want
to see myself up there, and I don't think any
of that is too far fetched. Now. I've been on
the van wagon and paying dad for a while now,
and mostly that's because I just don't think that franchise
quarterbacks are that easy to come by. Like Nick Wright
mentioned Matthew Stafford earlier in the show, what else are

(01:35:22):
they going to do? Is there another quarterback out there
that's of Matthew Stafford's level? The only thing the Cowboys
have going for him, it's a very strong quarterback draft
next year that there's like three guys everybody loved. George's
got a kid, Oregon's got a kid, Bama's got a kid.
So there's three potential stars. That's the one. But Dal's
gonna be too good to be up there, so they'd

(01:35:42):
have to trade a fortune to get in the top
three in the draft. Right, So you're in a position
this is the fear though you're gonna be too good
to ever get a high draft quarterback or too bad
to make it all the way for the money that
you're paying him. But I also think that there is
value in having consistency. He is won in big spots
and he's available like you paid Carson Wentz. Carson Wentz said,

(01:36:05):
how many major injuries? Now, No, he's not taking a
I'm not saying he's more talented than Carson Wentz, But
what's talent if you can't play? No, Dak doesn't get hurt,
didn't get hurt in college, doesn't get her. You got
beat up in college too, Dad got smoked in college
a lot. Joy the news. Well that's the news, and
thanks for stopping by the herd line news. Eight NFL seasons,

(01:36:25):
a three time Pro bowler. Let's get LaVar Arrington here
on all these different topics. The Pro Bowl linebacker Washington,
New York Giants, juan in LaVar All right, let's bring
him in. If we had you on about three or
four months ago and we told you to get it
back over here, and you're back over here, by the way,
I'm so we have a weird thing going on in

(01:36:46):
the NFL where running backs is the last inevitably violent position.
Can't hit a tight end, can't hit a quarterback, can
hit a receiver, offensive lineman less practice, fewer pads, rams
don't hit after September. If I'm Melvin Gordon. I'm like, um,
I've played four years at Wisconsin, four years in the NFL.

(01:37:07):
I don't like breaking contracts. But Leavar, I get it right.
Like we all get what Melvin Gordon's saying right. Business
is business, and if you represent yourself for business, you
you certainly want to make sure that you're handling your worth,
your self worth, your brand, what it means, you know,

(01:37:28):
I think you know. The question that continues to float
around is was this a smart decision for him to
basically issue ultimatum an ultimatum? Right, I would say handle
your business. If you want to issue something as strong
as an ultimatum, colon, do it behind closed doors. From

(01:37:49):
the other side of it, someone who has been a
part of a contract situation that went awry because you
try to do and in that moment, I was doing
what I felt was best for the franchise, not even
for myself. I was, you know, during a last second
contract to help us get under the salary cap because
one of the other players that was on the team
was not willing to do so, and it went bad.

(01:38:12):
Business went bad. So it is not a bad idea
for Melvin Gordon to represent his best interest here and
say that I believe, based upon my production, this is
my worth, and you need to pay me. What's fair
fair market value for what I bring to the table.
What's fair market value for Dak? I mean whatever someone's

(01:38:38):
willing to pay him. I mean, I go back to this.
There is I can make a compelling argument when the
brand is as big as the Cowboys. When Romo got hurt,
Networks didn't want to put him on the air. He
kept the Cowboys on the air for three years. That's
a lot of Jersey's just old, all right, So let's
do this because I think this is an interesting conversation

(01:39:00):
and based upon the defining of a franchise quarterback. When
I played a franchise quarterback was even if they came
out of obscurity like a Kurt Warner, he became a
franchise quarterback. Why because of his results? You look at

(01:39:20):
guys like, uh, Tom Brady franchise quarterback, Drew Brees franchise quarterback.
What is a franchise quarterback these days? Because I've heard
and I know this might not be popular, but the
debate of franchise quarterback and then you're throwing around names
like Tony Romo. See to me, I played against Troy Aikman.

(01:39:44):
That is a franchise quarterback? Did you think was Initially?
I do not think that Troy. I do not think
that Tony Romo should go down in the annals of
what the historical context and dictionary term of franchise quarterback
should be. Tony Romo, I don't see him as historically

(01:40:05):
a franchise quarterback. So is Dak Prescott a franchise quarterback?
I believe that that answer is yet to be answered,
has yet to been defined. If Andy Dalton was, he won, no,
and he'd been paid like one you can be. And
that's why my first initial answer was what they're willing

(01:40:27):
to pay you? Because I think, well, I don't think
it's it's very certain that you're going to pay a
quarterback that you believe can win you games. But you
cannot make the discussion point, is he a franchise quarterback?
Should he be paid as a franchise quarterback? Or should
he get paid because of the value that he brings
to your team. It's two different things, all right. So

(01:40:49):
if you're looking at Dak Prescott as someone who brings
a value to your team, it's America's team. He stabilizes,
He stabilizes your franchise. He gives you a lot of positives,
something that you have not seen since Tony Romo. And
maybe people did not believe that they would see a
quarterback be able to transition into the position that Dak has.

(01:41:12):
And there's a lot of value to that. But I
don't think you have to place the pressure of and
I've heard, Okay, Carson Wentz just got paid. Well, you
know Carson Wentz, whether they are talent wise the same
or not, He's got a Super Bowl and people will say, well,
Nick Foles played in the Super Bowl. Wentz did the
heavy lifting during that season. All right, if you're getting

(01:41:36):
a quarterback franchise contract from the Philadelphia Eagles, it would
be very warranted to say that this man that did
the heavy lifting for the most historical season connected to
the franchise and franchise history would give you grounds to
give the I mean, I'm from western Pennsylvania. They nicknamed

(01:41:57):
Pennsylvania Winsylvania. I think that speaks for herself. No, I listen,
I think it speaks for herself there there. I don't
think it's ridiculous to say what I'm about to say.
Ok we know the Lakers signed Kobe the last two
years for business. It stunted the growth of their young players.

(01:42:17):
So we know a big iconic brand in America. The
Lakers signed Kobe's last deal because Time Warner said, we're
not giving you money for D'Angelo Russell. We want Kobe
on the games. So big historical franchises are different. Okay, Okay,
because there's so much money involved, I can make an
argument strictly on value with Dak that Dak kept the

(01:42:40):
Cowboys on TV instead of a rudderless revolving door quarterbacks.
He kept the Dallas Cowboy brand on TV for three years,
won two divisions, He got money night games Thursday Night.
Nobody wanted them on when Romo got hurt. That is
worth thirty million a year. If because when it comes
to this is not perdue foot, this is Ohio State.

(01:43:01):
This is not the Mets, it's the Yankees. I'm his agent.
I walk in and say, forget football. The value of
revenue I have increased the franchise is worth you overpaying us.
And I think that's a very legitimate argument. That's how
Kobe got paid. Well, I'll say this. I'm a big
Kobe fan, and I'm also a fan of wisdom and knowledge,

(01:43:22):
so I will respect your opinion, but I will respectfully
disagree that he stunted the young guy's growth by his presence,
because I think the value of a Kobe Bryant is
his wisdom and his knowledge. He's not a guy that
doesn't teach the younger guys and guide the younger guys.
He is certainly. I mean he trains now, he opened
up Mamba Academy. I mean he does training now. I

(01:43:45):
don't think he's stunted them. But there was a value
to having Kobe Bryant on the court one hundred percent
agreeable kid warners like, Okay, we'll give you this massive amount, which,
by the way, elevates the brand of the Lakers. Okay,
stick around. I got a bunch of stuff a on
talking about LaVar Arrington. Take a break back and the Herd.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio

(01:44:07):
FS one and the iHeart Radio app. LaVar Arrington number
two pick overall by Washington eighteen nineteen years ago, one
of the most dominant college football players I've ever seen
played for the Redskins and the New York Giants in
the NFL. We're just talking about a variety of things.
First of all, there was a story last week. We
were just talking during the break about underreradded players in
your life, and it's funny to listen to a pro

(01:44:28):
athlete and you're like, Fred Taylor's the best player I
ever played against. Never got love. Mark Brunel's the best quarterback.
Never got love. Now I'm gonna talk about somebody that
gets all sorts to love. Tom Brady. Tom Brady a
week ago is playing cash with Gronk. Does that mean
anything to you? Bronks retired? Does that mean anything with you? No?
You know, Tom throws with everybody you know. He's been
his report, He's been at UCLA, thrown with Tony Gonzalez

(01:44:50):
at times, which I mean I was there at one
of those practices where he was throwing the ball. He
just loves being on the field. He just loves working.
I think I could be wrong, but he's always doing
something on the field, so I wouldn't be. And Gronk
is the same way. Oh, he's the same way. Man.
He's a workaholic. He works hard. He is a hard

(01:45:11):
worker Westpa guy. You know, I mean not originally from there,
but went to Woodland Hills. Shout out the Westpa football.
Did you really come on get out of here? Look
at that. That was random. That was random and I
did not know that fact I went to North Hills
h Yes, so you you were really played each other.

(01:45:33):
We weren't rivals, but we played against each other. Yes,
who was the historically better? I mean we are we
are better at No. No, you had more players, so
we were better? No? No, no, no, did you pay players?
We know we Hills more than they beat us. We
were a better football team. They had better players. What

(01:45:57):
does that mean? That's just make believes. No, oh, no,
you could have a better football team. We played a
team one year out of Philadelphia, PA, from a school
called Glenn Mills. Yeah you heard of it. It's like
it's like the movie with the Rock right, you know,
good Gridiron Gang. So you go there. It's a reform school. Yeah,

(01:46:18):
you're you're in jail. You're in jail. They had better
players than everybody. They just weren't well coached. All right.
We whooped them pretty good, like we did Woodland Hills.
You had a better coach, you had a better player.
I ran for almost three hundred yards. It depends on
the years. Years. That's why I was so good at linebacker.

(01:46:40):
You're running back, that's correct. I ran a four to
three nine at one point in my life. Lord, yes,
two twenty you were a big high school running back. Yes.
But speaking of um getting hit so uh. Carl Lawson
came out with the Bengals. Uh. Last week. He's a
good player, and Carl said, Aaron Rodgers is easy to hit.
He's running around, He's live it now. It should be

(01:47:01):
noted with Aaron Rodgers. He has had a lot of injuries, concussions,
two shoulders, calf, spring, blah blah blah. He's missed more time.
Do you buy that? Do you buy that? Aaron's ad
holding the ball makes something easier target. He has a
ton of success on the field, So whatever you want
to call it. At Living one of the best at

(01:47:24):
Livers I recall playing was by the name of Michael Vick.
Was that his name? Oh? Okay? How did his at
libs work out for him? You know? So, are you
a target to get hit when you're buying time for
your receivers. It is one of the most difficult jobs
that someone will ever have to do in the sport
of football is to cover somebody for over two to

(01:47:47):
three seconds. So if you have a quarterback that can
buy you that type of time, that was one of
the worst guys you got to play against. I'd rather
have a statuesque guy that stands in the park pocket.
I know the ball is coming out, one, two, three
is coming out. If you don't have that type of setup,
and a guy like a Roethlisberger or Aaron Rodgers is
someone that could actually pull it down, maybe run, but

(01:48:09):
maybe not run, maybe throw it, maybe not throw it.
There's so many moving factors in that small period of
time that when you have a guy like Aaron Rodgers
out there, if he's good at at living, is that
is that a takeaway? Is that a detracting statement? Aaron
Rodgers has done it as well as any quarterback in
the history of the game. We got about five guys
who move really well, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers. I actually

(01:48:33):
think Lamar and Trubisky are both movers. Sam Darnold will
be eventually a pocket guy is kind of a mover.
Buy and large. The league's prototype is don't run, but
we got about six guys. Ben doesn't runs as much
as he used to. Aaron doesn't run as much, I
feel like as he used to. I think Trubisky and
Lamar Jackson are limited throwers. They'll end up being big runners.

(01:48:56):
But I can live. I think the world. I think
what happens with the NFL now. I like some mobility,
Like if Brady was available again today. There's a part
to me that think Brady would be overlooked in the
draft still a little bit today because he not very athletic.
I think he'll eli Manning. By the way, in Brady today,
are they first round guys, they're not very athletic. I

(01:49:16):
don't think that it's still I think it's still a
position where they don't value athleticism as much. I've always
said it's funny because people people make the I tend
to compare quarterbacks to like race car drivers pretty much, right.
You know, you got to be in physical condition to
be able to drive the car, but you don't have

(01:49:37):
to be fast. You don't. It's not it's not one
of those type of deals where you say, is it
a sport? Right? And I always say, as a quarterback
an athlete, and most people Peyton Manning can throw the
ball down. That's mechanics. They got a little strength. Look
at the bodies some of these guys, man, If you
compare the quarterback's body to the linebacker's body or the

(01:49:58):
safety's body, it's it's very different. It's very different more
often than not. That's why when you get a David
Carr that comes around every once in a while, you
get some of these physical specimens, everybody's blown away back
because that's not what you look for in a quarterback. Yeah,
Eli with his shirt off, didn't I was in the
locker room with him. I looked away, all right. LaVar Arrington,

(01:50:24):
Pro Bowl linebacker, all time guy who knew they went
to rival high school? About that. It's great, Rob Parker,
Bill Plashkey, Nick right, LaVar Arrington, we'll see you tomorrow
is tomorrow, Friday is wow. This week. Week has flown
by NFL seasons getting closer, LaVar thanks for coming on,
thank you. It's the herd

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