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Unknown Host
This is an iHeart podcast.
Katie Couric
On the latest episode of Next Question with me, Katie Couric. I sat down with Jasmine Crockett, Democratic representative of Texas. She's holding down the fort for her party in one of the most conservative states in the union.
Jemele Hill
I think that ultimately who will become.
Unknown Speaker
The Democratic nominee for president will be.
Jemele Hill
Someone that has been out there and has shown that they won't allow themselves to be punched and just say thank you like they will punch back.
Katie Couric
Listen to Next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Freddy
We're breaking down SummerSlam, the biggest party of the summer on Wrestling with Freddy. From our bold picks to storyline breakdowns, we will discuss who walks out with gold, who shocks the night and which matches steal the show we call the winners, the upsets and the chaos to expect. Plus whatever swerves nobody saw coming. Listen to Wrestling with Freddie as part of the Michael Tura Podcast Network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Unknown Host
If you're looking for another heavy podcast about trauma, the saying it this is for the ones who had to survive and still show up as brilliant, loud, soft and whole. The Unwanted Sorority is where black women, femmes and gender expansive survivors of sexual violence rewrite the rules on healing, support and what happens after and and I'm your host and co president of this organization, Dr. Lea Tritate. Listen to the Unwanted Sorority. New episodes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Jemele Hill
I'm Jemele Hill, host of the sports and politics podcast Spolitics. And on the latest episode of Spolitics, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joins me for a candid conversation about the state of the Democratic Party. What do Republicans say to you privately that they won't say publicly?
Unknown Speaker
Many of them are in fear of their political lives. We continue to say to them, you were elected to defend your constituents and there's life after Congress.
Jemele Hill
Make sure to listen to this episode of spoletics on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.
Unknown Speaker
The Volume.
What is going on everybody? How are we doing? Hopefully everyone's doing well, getting ready for the weekend. Hopefully you had a a better day, better week than the commanders because their star wide receiver wants more money. They said no. Now he wants a trade and they said no. So weird situation brewing in Washington. I will give my reaction. Actually recorded the podcast. Then I saw that story broke. I'm like, I'll give my my take on that so that we'll put that near the front of the podcast and then we'll talk some quarterbacks from somehow the Madden rankings have Mahomes fourth, the gambling odds on DraftKings have the Chiefs below the Ravens and the Bills Pretty crazy. So we'll dive into is it now or never for the Bills or the Ravens? And some thoughts on some of the younger quarterbacks as well as Tom Brady telling Scottie Scheffler that that his mind and his process and his overall thoughts on winning a wrong as well as Fugazi Friday. Have we lost the plot on what actual controversies are in life? Because I think we might have the Sydney Sweeney thing, which I thought was going to be a blip, just has not gone away. And I do want to dive into do we even know what really real controversies are anymore? Because I'm not sure we do. So I'll probably save a mailbag for Sunday, which podcast for Monday for the weekend. And other than that, yeah, you guys know the drill. If you listen on Collins feed, make sure you subscribe to three and Out. If you listen to the mailbag or I mean if you if you like watching, subscribe to the YouTube channel. Got you cover, podcast feed, video feeds. We've got you covered from every angle possible. But you know, I gotta tell you about my friends, my partners in the official ticketing app of this podcast. Obviously, football's back in the air. We got football games after football games. Now, granted, if I were you, I wouldn't want to go to a preseason game. I've been to a couple, always regretted them sometimes. Didn't have a choice. I was working. But regular season football is not that far away, Obviously. The NFL starts in early September. College football starts a week before that. Any college football game you want to go to, any NFL game you want to go to, I've been to a ton of them. And you want to take a buddy, you want to take a wife, you want to take a dad, you want to get a present. Baseball is your team making a run. Playoff baseball is the best, obviously. Basketball will start in late October. We got concerts, comedy shows. Any event you want to do, we got you covered. And we'll even save you a little money while you're at it. So take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account and use a code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase terms. Apply. Again, create an account, redeem the code John for 20 off. Download the Game Time app today. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. Okay, we just had some breaking news from Jordan Schultz and Adam Schefter doubled down. I got Brandon Iuk like in the Instagram posts. Terry McLaurin has officially requested a trade from the Washington Commanders. And we have a bunch of different stuff going on around the league, right? Trey Hendrickson's doing a hold in, Micah Parson wants to get paid. We have contract situations now on a yearly basis. And Adam Peters, who's with the 49ers forever, who's the GM of Washington, has seen him from Debo. Debo once requested a trade. Then he showed up for OTAs for mandatory part training camp. I can't even remember, but they worked out a contract and obviously it didn't go that well. And now he's on the Washington Commanders. We've seen holdouts with Nick Bosa, like Adam Peters has had a long experience when he was with the 49ers of watching this situation happen. But I also think this brings into light why all these coaches and especially veteran players talk over and over and over again about every year's a new year, even with returning players, like, guys get worse, guys get better, guys get injured, we get new players, we get coaches come and go. You know, assistant coaches, schemes can change. You never know from year to year, right, how things are going to play out. And Terry McLaurin has been a part of this franchise when they were a joke and obviously is a leader of this team. And then as they finally break out, he becomes the number one target, scored 13 touchdowns, and it's just an elite player for them now. I also understand the complications. Like I'm always understandable when management pushes back on older players. Guys with their third contract in the NFL with enormous money, it makes teams uncomfortable. Seattle, I'm out on DK Metcalf, right? I know DK requested a trade. I promise you this. If Seattle would have put a lot of money in front front of him, he would have signed it, right? So we have seen guys this off season, Miles Garrett, TJ Watt, Max Crosby, get enormous third contracts. I'd say all three of those guys are somewhat outliers and played the second most important position behind quarterback. I do think Adam Peters, when he traded for Debo Samuel, which I like the move, I would have done it too. Had to impact Terry a little bit because this gm, this head coach, they didn't draft you, right? The contract you're on, they had nothing to do with even though you produced for them. And I'm sure they like them. It just shows you like, hey, he'll bring in his guy immediately when he give when given the opportunity. And myself like Debo are both in contract years. We're fighting for more money, we want to get paid more. And Terry coming off a good year, Debo is not but goes, hey, if you like me, now's the time. Why are we going to play this thing out? And if you're watched in like, hey, we'd like to see a couple years of this before we give you $35 million a year. And while Adam wasn't with the Niners last year, he just saw the 49ers give AIYUK different situation. It was IUK's first contract extension, a contract that they immediately regretted. And anytime that you're on this rookie contract, everyone's like, you got to load up, you got to load up. And that is true. But you got to feel comfortable about what you're loading up for now. Depending on, I mean would I want to give him $100 million guaranteed? I wouldn't feel comfortable doing something like that. And when you have a guy asking for 35 plus million dollars, he's not going to sign a two year contract. So it's pretty easy to do the math. The guaranteed number is probably going to be 85 to $90 million minimum is what he's looking for. And clearly Washington right now is uncomfortable doing that because if they weren't, I think a contract would already be signed. But this is not the NBA. When you demand a trade, you don't always go, okay, where do you want to go? As Schefter reported, the Commanders have no desire and no intention of trading the player. We, we plan on you being here so these situations can get weird. I saw Mike Silver, he interviewed Charvarius Ward, who is now on the Colts, who two years ago was an All Pro for the 49ers. He's had a great, great career. Started on the Chiefs, signed with the Niners, playing a bunch of big games, been a high end player. Last year he had a tragedy happen in his, in, in his life in the middle of the season with a young daughter who passed away. Just awful situation. But in this article he said, before that situation took place, in my mind I couldn't even focus on football and I just, I was out of it. I didn't even want to play in the off season. Coming off an all pro season like all the other guys on the team, I wanted a new contract. I was going into my Final year, I wanted a contract extension. And the, the front office looked at me and said, we're going to pay all these other guys. And then he said, guys started holding out. I'm at practice and they still get paid. I'm like, what the fuck's going on here? I was just an all pro. I play a premium position and you're not going to pay me. And that's, this was his point. Like, I was pissed off and I wasn't in a good frame of mind. So anytime I don't care who you are. For most normal people that aren't talking anywhere near the numbers these guys are talking. In your job situation, when you feel disrespected, especially if you work for a company or work for someone or partners with someone and you've been doing something for a long period of time, Terry's been there for a while. You go, I haven't been just a good soldier. I've been a productive member. I've been, you know, one of the reason, one of the bright spots for this dog place. And now that things are going well, I, I, I'm thriving. And you're like, yeah, we'll figure you out later. Like, it can get weird. And I also understand where Adam Peters is coming from. Like, hey, you're going to be 30 years old. Are we going to give you all this money? Like, you're a good player and obviously you're productive and you had 13 touchdowns last year, but am I going to pay you like you're Jerry Rice or Justin Jefferson or Jamar Chase? Because we know you're not that. So you get in these weird situations and this is why you got to be careful. And I liked what Adam did this offseason. Instead of using all the cap space they had inside, typically random average guys in free agency that you have to pay premiums for. He's like, you know what? I'm going to trade for veteran players, not high picks, but mid round picks for guys who are under contract that make good money. Laramie Tunzel is available. Trade a third round pick for him, Debo Samuel, who I know is in the contract year. I'll trade like a fifth or sixth round pick for him. And ideally we get some good football out of those guys, right? And then we can evaluate the end of the year, extend them, move on from them. But like, I know what I'm getting with the veteran guy, but sometimes when you do that and you bring in their money and then their demands, it kind of ruffle feathers inside the locker room. Because Terry McLaurin looks at Debo Samuel and goes, this year we're scheduled to essentially make the same amount. In what world can I make the same amount as this guy? I know he had success for that team a couple years ago, but not here. You know, I saw this clip today on social media of Jerry Jones. It must have been from Dion's, like, NFL Network, A football life, probably. And Steven Jones and Jerry Jones were telling the story of, you know, the cap had just started in the mid-90s, and Steven Jones was like, their cap guy. And Jerry didn't even ask him. Signs Deion Sanders and at the time, gives him, like, $13 million signing bonus to sign with the Cowboys after he had just won the super bowl with the Niners. And basically, the way they did it, gave him $13 million up front. And then they paid him, like, the veteran minimum for the next couple years. But they gave him a ton of cash relative to the NFL at the time. And Steven Jones was in this clip going, I looked at Jerry, I said, do you understand how mad it's going to make all these accomplished guys in our locker room? And Jerry said, don't worry. I will handle it like, it's on me to let Emmett Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin know why we did this. And even if they were mad, Deion Sanders was in the peak of his powers. Like, when you trade or sign Deion Sanders, everyone in the mid-90s goes, this is one of the best players in football. This guy has a chance to go down as one of the greatest players ever. So even if you do bring in someone to your locker room that you go, you know, this guy's now the highest paid guy in our locker room. We're a locker room full of guys that have had success, but, hey, this is one of the better players in the league, right? If you go, if. If Miles Garrett, instead of signing with the Browns, had been like, listen, you guys are going to trade me, and Jimmy Haslam will be like, okay, we'll trade you. Trades him to the Lions, right? And they give him a huge contract that he just got. Obviously he would immediately become their highest paid player. But I think people in the locker room would go, yeah, it's one of the best players in the league. You trade for Miles Garrett, you play from trade for Max Crosby. It's easy for people in the locker room to understand when you trade for Laramie Tunzel, even if he's a really good player, you go, this guy, just the left tackle for one of the worst offensive lines in the league, and he's going to want a ton of money. I know you just traded for him to eventually sign him. You trade for Debo, who, like, isn't the thing with this guy been. He's like fat and out of shape. And now we both make the same amount of money this year on this team. Like, it's easy to get locker room dynamics that we're dealing with human beings here that all their information, like, sometimes information in what we do, right. Unless you know the right people, you don't know what your colleague makes. You don't know what other people make, you know, for your company. So if you found out and someone that you thought you were five times more productive than was making two times more money than you, guess what would happen? You would be pissed off. What would happen if they brought someone into the company that you think you are 100 better than who has no loyalty to that, to your company because he's never been a part of it? And you find out he's making the same money as you might be mad as well. These are human reactions and human, you know, emotions that naturally come out. It's why it's on your boss. It's why it's on people, you know above you in the company to handle those situations as best they can. No different than Washington. It's on Adam. It's on Dan Quinn to try to handle these situations. But sometimes, you know, these guys are all rich, but money is about respect. And when you feel disrespected, things can get weird. And the moment they get weird, things can kind of unravel. It's why year to year, there is no. It's like what the. What the patriots did for 20 years, incredible. They kept on winning. What the. What the Chiefs have done these last five or six years is awesome. If the Eagles go back to back, that is such an incredible accomplishment. Hell, if you just tell me, like, hey, they're back in the NFC Championship game, like, that's really, really impressive. It's hard to do it year to year. It's really, really hard to sustain winning because as Charvarius Ward said in this article to Mike Silver, when you're good and you start winning, everyone wants more money, right? It's like Pat Riley talked about it. It's disease of me, disease of more. And then I remember John lynch or Warren Sapp or there was a documentary done on the. On those Buccaneers teams. And it's like that year after they won the Super Bowl, a couple contract holdouts a couple dudes like names on restaurants. It's like, okay, we're getting a little, you know, can we keep the focus? The main thing. The main thing. And it's hard because everyone's a business. Well, yeah, it is a business where you're dealing with human beings. They're young, making a ton of money, and easily have huge egos and easily disrespected. It's a tough business, you know, to handle this. I've always given a lot of respect. It's like, well, anyone you know, Joe Tory won with some of those Yankee teams. Like, it's hard to coach stars. You, you try to coach Kobe, Shaq and Michael Jordan. Godspeed. Best bet, most of you couldn't ask everyone that's tried to coach LeBron. He won't fucking listen to anybody. So it's like, it's harder to coach big egos, big stars than it is nobody's. And typically, the more you win in pro sports, especially football, the bigger, you know, your stardom becomes, the bigger your name becomes and the more money you want. So I think it's safe to say that Washington has a legitimate problem on their hands. Pro golfers drive for show and pup for some dough. And the easiest way to make you some dough betting on this week's tournament at DraftKings Sportsbook. From the opening round championship Sunday, DraftKings Sportsbook has you covered with live betting, player props, and so much more. If you've never bet on golfers before, it's easy. You can take them to win. You can take them to top 10. You can take them top 20. Some guys this week I like. We're making the push toward the FedEx playoffs. Ricky Fowler has been playing good golf. Hammer him to top 20. Max Homa, another guy who is trending top 20. Matt Fitzpatrick, also playing really well. If you want to get a little more aggressive. Top 10. Jake Knapp as well. Just had a good week of the 3M. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now and use the Go John. That's code JOHN for new customers to get 150 in bonus bets instantly. When you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York. Call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill casino in resorting Kansas. 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Boyd In Ontario, bonus bets expire seven days after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG Co Audio.
So in the last month, the Midas Touch Network beat Rogan, Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk and Ben Shapiro all.
Katie Couric
Combined Conservative podcasts can have a major political impact, but the Meisellis brothers, three siblings with a serious media strategy, are building an alternative to that. On the latest episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, I sat down with the brothers behind the Midas Touch Network to talk about how they built a progressive media powerhouse from the ground up. Why audience interaction is the key to political influence, what it takes to fight disinformation at scale, one download at a time.
Unknown Speaker
We should be focusing on the issues that actually occupy a lot of the mental space in Americans minds but are filled with conspiracies and we should fill it with the truth and solutions.
Katie Couric
Listen to Next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Unknown Host
Sometimes it's hard to remember, but going.
Freddy
Through something like that is a traumatic.
Unknown Speaker
Experience, but it's also not the end of your life.
Unknown Host
That was my dad reminding me and so many others who need to hear it that our trauma is not our shame to carry and that we have big, bold and beautiful lives to live after what happened to us. I'm your host and co president of this organization, Dr. Lea Tritate. On my new podcast, the Unwanted Sorority, we wade through transformation to peel back healing and reveal what it actually looks like and sounds like in real time. Each week I sit down with people who've lived through harm, carried silence, and are now reshaping the systems that failed us. We're going to talk about the adultification of black girls mothering as resistance and the tools we use for healing. The Unwanted Sorority is a safe space, not a quiet space. So let's lock in. We're moving towards liberation together. Listen to the Unwanted Sorority New episodes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Freddy
It's the biggest party of the summer. WWE SummerSlam is here and wrestling with Freddy is all over it. We're talking wild matches, big surprises, and our boldest predictions yet. From celebrity showdowns to the chaos inside a steel cage, we're breaking down every match and calling who we think walks out on top. This card is loaded from Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Rhea Ripley and and Tiffy, just to name a few. This lineup is ready to tear down the house. We'll give you our unfiltered takes, honest debates, and you already know a ton of laughs along the way. We're covering the upsets, the wild returns and the championship moments. Nobody expects. We'll get into the matches that steal the show, the storylines that explode, and those oh my God, did that just happen? Moments that make SummerSlam legendary. Don't miss it. Listen to Wrestling with Freddy as part of the Mike Kultura Podcast Network. Find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Unknown Speaker
I never envisioned being with a woman. I'll just be honest.
Jemele Hill
I'm Jamel Hill, host of the sports and politics podcast Spoletics. On this week's episode, I'm joined by basketball legend Candace Parker, who stops by to discuss her candid new book, the Can Do Mindset, in which she shares why she waited two years into marriage to come out.
Unknown Speaker
Like when I close my eyes at night, every night, I was like, I need to find my prince charming. Like it was never a princess. Like that never entered into my mind.
Jemele Hill
But you know, as I learned, sometimes.
Unknown Speaker
Life gives you things wrapped in a package that you didn't expect it and that was just, you know. And honestly, it took me a long time to be okay with myself.
Jemele Hill
Make sure to listen to this week's episode of Spolitics on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Unknown Speaker
Well, the Madden ratings came out and let me just say, I love John Madden. John Madden was a Cal Poly alum where I went to school. John Madden lived in Northern California. John Madden was someone who was integral and played a massive role in my life as growing up a football fan. Him calling the Niners, packers and Cowboy games in the mid to late 90s is something that I consumed, which obviously helped lead me to where we're sitting today. My love of football began watching football games with John Madden on the mic and like most kids, I love playing the Madden video game, though I don't play video games anymore. So reacting to the Madden list of rankings, I'd be lying if I said I cared that much, but I don't think you could list guys. I got no problem giving people 99s, right? Great players, high rankings and if you're going to do it at quarterback, have no problem. If you go, you know, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson are going to get 90 nines. But if you do that, you have to give Patrick Mahomes the same number. You just middle coffee wasn't as good. Every single game that has ever mattered when he played those two guys, his team wins and he plays a major role in that fact. Like that is an undeniable spot where we're at. Yet those guys somehow Patrick Mahomes, the fourth ranked guy on Madden, which listen, do I think the Chiefs like live in this level of anger and animosity at the disrespect others give them. I don't. But I do think we've never seen it. Definitely in my life, a team that has accomplished more, get their star player, slash their organization, get less credit. Like when I was a kid, once Michael established himself as the big dog, the Bulls were favored every single year. If the Bulls didn't win and Michael was playing, it was stunning what Tom Brady and the Patriots became after those first couple of years. You just thought they were always going to. It was shocking when they lost in the super bowl or lost in the AFC championship. I mean stunning. Yet somehow. And listen, I bought into it two years ago. I bet on the Chiefs or bet against the Chiefs three straight weeks they were an underdog against the Bills, they were underdog against the Ravens and they were Underdog against the 49ers. They won all the games. And last year playing the Bills AFC championship, what happens? They win again. And I looked at DraftKings earlier today because I think I'm about dabbling a little. I actually kind of like, I think the best odds on the board would be splitting a bet somewhere in like Denver or the Chargers to win the AFC and Denver in the Chargers potentially to win the, the, the division though that's just, that's just best odds. One thing that is not the best odds is somehow the Chiefs that have won the conference five of the last six years, five of the last six years are not even the favorite to win the conference. Again. A team that they've beat like four times in the playoffs. The Bills, another team in which I was told this is one of the best teams we've ever seen. Two years ago, best defense, Chiefs beat them on the road. The Ravens and the Bills. Right now, obviously they're both heavy favorites to win their division. The Bills, I mean, feel like the lock of all locks to win their division. And it'd be a little stunning if the Ravens didn't win their division. But they're not just the favorites to win the conference, they're also the favorites to win the Super Bowl. They have better odds at 7 to 1 to win the super bowl than the defending super bowl champs who Essentially bring back everybody and are completely loaded and don't have to play each other because they're in the different conference. And the Chiefs, who have slayed both these two teams over the course of the last half decade, have worse odds than both of them. It honestly is kind of crazy, the amount of disrespect from a gambling standpoint, from a video game standpoint, that it's like, oh, yeah, these guys are just better than the Chiefs. I remember, you know, in the peak of Steph Curry's, you know, powers, you know, sometimes, like, James Harden would win the mvp. It's like, does anyone believe that James Harden is better than Steph Curry? It's like, oh, Chris Paul is the best point. God, what does that make Steph? You know, you could, if you had a year where you put their rankings and one guy was above the other, like, it's like, James Harden's A98 in this video game and Steph's A95. It's like, is there a human alive, especially working in the league, that would take that guy over this guy? Like, we all acknowledge, you know, Mahomes, one of the greatest players we've ever seen, accomplished the most, wins the most, and just gets it done when it matters the most all the time. Yet he is like, yeah, these other two guys. And listen, I think that Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are two of the better players I've ever seen. They're guys that should walk straight into the hall of Fame. But if they don't get it, like, if not now, then when? Now, I've been saying this for a while. There's been one team over the course of the last six, seven years that could truly be disappointed if they didn't win the Super Bowl. That was the Chiefs. And up until last year, I think there were a couple of teams, the Eagles, the Niners, that could be disappointed if they lost in the super bowl, you know, or if they didn't make the Super Bowl. But it's like, you know, the Niners, you guys haven't won a Super bowl since the mid-90s. The Eagles, you won one super bowl in the history of your franchise in 2017. Getting the super bowl is a really, really big deal. Now, if you get disappointed, you lose in the first round. I totally understand it. But is it truly super bowl or bust? Now, you could argue this year with the Eagles bringing most people back, could be super bowl or bust. I would say anything less than a Super bowl appearance for the Bills or the Ravens would have to be Viewed assuming, you know, all this stuff is assuming quarterback health a major, major disappointment. They're the betting favorites. Fuck. Madden's given their Quarterbacks 99 rankings and it's like they never won that game. The Bills have been in that position several times. The Ravens were in that position last year or two years ago. Then they fail every single time. So it's like, listen, everyone is acknowledging these two teams, these two guys in the peak of their powers, excellent defensive coaches, excellent cultures in the franchises. But it feels a little now or never or you kind of start to become like one of those teams. It's like, oh yeah, just sexy. Regular season team, really good, but can't totally depend on them when it matters the most. Speaking of young quarterbacks, think of what an advantage. You know, Caleb is in the headlines constantly, right? Ben Johnson, the training camp. I'd say J.J. mcCarthy's a little bit like this though. We know the coach, we know the defense, we know the roster is really good. Like, there are a lot of question marks with the Bears, but Jaden Daniels and Bo Nix are two guys that get to come into this training camp where there is no turnover in terms of their play caller, their head coach, their general manager, their overall organization. It is the same exact cultural philosophy, schematic ideas in plays that they were running last year. So the advantage they have of just working on their leadership, working on their growth, working on just getting better is much easier when you already know the place, when you already know the plays you like, when you don't like the things you need to work on. Caleb Williams is coming into this drinking out of a fire hose as any new player is or any young player is with a new coach and new scheme. It's intense. So whenever I read headlines like, oh, just offense had a shitty day, it's like, yeah, it's going to happen. This isn't easy. Like, this is difficult. But he's at a pretty big disadvantage relative to these other guys. And that's. We're comparing, like part of Caleb is being compared to the class, right? Everyone thought Sean Payton was an idiot for taking Bo Nix. I think the Broncos are gonna be pretty good. I'm one of the best defenses, if not the best defense in the league. They had Greenlawn Hu, Funga, who, you know, Greenlaw is one of the more physical players in the NFL and Funga a couple years ago was an all probably. So it's like their defense was already elite. So you had those two guys assuming that just one of them is healthy, let alone Two of them big additions and then offensively they're just going to be better. Their quarterback was pretty damn good last year for a rookie. This year he's going to be much more comfortable in this offense. The head coach is an offensive coordinator and they add this young running back which clearly the coach is really high on. I would say the coach has some experience of dealing with pretty good running backs. So like it's going to be pretty difficult. Like Caleb's going to have to play pretty well, Ben Johnson's Ben Johnson have to coach pretty well. And this thing's going to have to come together pretty quickly. This is the hard part about this modern day 2025 NFL. It's not like, hey, give them a couple years, they'll figure it out. Because if these guys have really good years and their teams are really good again, right. We know how good Washington was. If the Broncos take a step and like are much more of a real threat, even if the Bears like make progress and look like they're heading in the same in the right direction and they win like eight games, it'll be viewed like these other guys are in a different universe than him. So I think, you know, sometimes in football for young players having cohesion and listen, I don't blame the Bears for firing everybody. I would have done it. Hiring Ben Johnson's a no brainer. But that transition, Ben's got to learn on the job. Ben's never been the head coach. Slash also called the place and had to deal with like as guys get in trouble, as guys get, as guys get injured, as guys feelings get hurt because they get benched, like that's all the stuff you have to deal with. I was watching the Lions do, it's called like the Den or something. It's on, on their YouTube page. It's really, really well done. And I was just watching how they put their staff together and some of the guys they hired, I mean they hired North Dakota's longtime offensive coordinator, they brought in David Shaw, they bring in Johnny Morton who's been with Gruden and Sean Payton forever and really highly thought of and just some of the guys that they've brought into their coaching staff. It's all about Dan Campbell. Like he's the guy setting the tone, interviewing these guys running the culture and he just listen, are the Lions possibly going to take a little step back potentially? Yeah. Maybe they're not a 15 win team and maybe they're 11 win team. Right. But I'm pretty confident with him leading the charge. I call him, the third Harbaugh brother, that they're going to win, that they're going to have a good season. And you feel that way about John Harbaugh, Jim Harbaugh, it's like, why are people buying into the Raiders? Because, like, Pete Carroll knows what he's doing. What Pete say, like last week, they're like, what if you're, what are your expectations this year? He's like, to win. He's like, I've been winning 10 plus games for 20 years. I think I showed up here to lose. I don't know if you realize I've been making a lot of. I don't need the money. I'm not here to get some extra paychecks. I'm here to win. And obviously all coaches want to win, but I think some guys have to figure out how to win before. And I think that's a huge, you know, question mark. I think with the Bears, and I would say for the other young quarterbacks, I'd say the same thing with Michael Pennix, who I'm a big fan of. But that's an organization that has just not been winning. We have no clue if their head coach, if their coordinators know how to win. Right. So learning and figuring that out is a really, really big deal. No matter how much talent you have, no matter how many good players you draft. Right. This is two things really matter in football beside, like, the physical characteristics and the scheme and all that stuff. Chemistry matters. Chemistry really matters. And cohesion and playing together for a while matters. This is not one of those. It's why college football, you know, has become more interesting in the sense of how many transfer guys they have. Like, one big advantage for Ohio State last year is most of their guys returned right now. They added Caleb Downs, they added Will Howard, they added a couple pieces. Jeremiah Smith was a true freshman. But the core of their team were returning players. Two years ago, when Harbaugh and Michigan won the national championship, what did they hang their hat on? The same core group of guys, like the 21 of the 22 starters had played together for years. Years. It's kind of like that in football. What's a huge advantage the Chiefs have had? All their guys played together. And sometimes building that level of cohesion, especially with a new coach on the job, can be really, really challenging. Like, well, what about Drake May and Josh McDaniels? Yeah, I mean, it's going to be a work in Progress. Josh's offense, 1. When he's, when he's left the umbrella of Brady And Bill has not been good, you know, and he's got Drake May. They don't have that many pieces, but where I feel good is like their head coach knows what he's doing. And this is a coach and quarterback league. So, yeah, I don't feel that great just because he's an unknown on Drake May. But I'm a big believer in the head coach. And when you're a big believer in the head coach. We learned this last year with the Chargers, everyone's like, oh, the team's not good enough. They got rid of Mike Williams, I got rid of Keenan Allen. Who's he going to throw to? I don't know. They got Jim Harbaugh. And when you have that guy, you'll figure it out. Like, I, I don't know if the Raiders team is good enough. Slash, their division is so good. And honestly, their record, you know, they only could win a couple more games. Like, if they go 7 and 10 this year, it wouldn't shock me, but it would be like, oh, they'd be a respectable team. You better buckle your chin strap every time you play them because whoever they're rolling out, like, they're going to know what they're doing. They're going to know what's expected. Is their talent going to be good enough? I don't know, but you better get ready. And that's. I think when you look at this league like, you know, Ben Johnson, it's just, I know he's a good play caller, but he never had to deal with this stuff because Dan Campbell handled it all like Raheem Morris, like, obviously a good guy. Sean McVeigh loves him. The media loves him. Does he know what he's doing? Does he have any clue what he's doing as a head coach? Because we've seen great. Vic Fangio is an elite defensive coordinator at head coach is like completely over his head. So I'm just, I'm fascinated with that aspect of kind of that class. And as we know, we always assume, like all these guys are going to hit. Historically, if, if there are four quarterbacks drafted in the first round, we know two of them are going to suck, right? And if one of them becomes like an all Pro, that's a hit and the other guy's a multi year, multi contract guy, that's a win. Well, there were six guys drafted in the top 15. And, you know, if we assume Jaden Daniels and Bo Nix are going nowhere, some of these other guys are going to be flops. Some of these other guys are not going to work. So I don't know. Better buckle up. Anyone. When. If you're married, depending on how long, you know, like when you first started dating your wife, that honeymoon phase, obviously for some of you single guys, they've been in different relationships. There's nothing like that. That early time when you're dating someone, like if you go on to date them for a year, two years or whatever, that first couple months is pretty special, right? You're having sex with someone new, you just. Everything's happy. The expectations of just being around someone new, you don't. The judgment on different things are just. You're just so much more open minded to everything. And obviously the sex helps, but it's just, it's just a great time. And that honeymoon phase is for most people, the easiest time in their relationship. And then eventually, if you date someone long enough, you know, you're gonna hit some rocky times, you're gonna have a big disagreement, you're gonna have a bad fight, maybe you have a reaction. The more and more you start hanging out with people's family and people start wanting you to do things that you don't want to do, and you kind of. You go through a period where it's like, okay, is this really going to happen? Are we really in this for the long haul or are we going to go our separate ways right now? So that honeymoon phase, whenever it does come to an end, it comes to a screeching halt. It doesn't mean that some of those good things don't continue, ideally the rest of your life if you stay with the person. But life becomes real, right? It doesn't just become fantasy. And I think sometimes in training camp, I'm watching McAfee yesterday at Steelers camp, and you talk about the honeymoon phase. You got Mike Tomlin smiling ear to ear, talking about Rogers. You look at Rogers, you know, for this quote unquote guy that's polarizing. He looks, the place is chanting for him. He's smiling, he's having a blast. You got T.J. watt, new contract, ear to ear, smile. You got new DBs, you got the GMs. Like, God, am I underestimating the Steelers? And then I started thinking, you got to be careful. Even Rogers mentioned this. Everyone's 0 and 0 right now. No one's lost a game. Everyone, for the most part, if as long as you don't have any major injuries, is pretty happy during this period of time, right? Everyone's in a pretty good mood. I do feel, when I watched the Steelers, felt like they were in extra good, good mood, but they are going to be defined. Like, obviously they got some big name guys and they got talent on the team and they got a roster who, unlike some of those things we just talked about with the Bears, like, they've won, they know how to win now, do they know how to win big enough games? Obviously they haven't been doing that lately, but they've won a lot of games for a reason. They're a well run operation. They're going to be tested after something weird happens, whether it's a major injury in the season, whether it's a two game losing streak, and their relationship, especially Mike and Aaron and Arthur Smith and the cohesion of the group, Jalen Ramsey, how that comes together. And honestly, like the relationship, you can guess, you can assume it's going to go well, but you never know till you're in it. And here's the other thing. Sometimes in a relationship, when you hit hard times, when you hit a bad fight, sometimes you realize like, I actually don't really like this person that much. I don't really want to figure out how to work through this. And there are other times where you're like, I will do anything possible to make sure this works out. I'll look in the mirror, I'll be introspective, I'll fix these problems. We saw the jets because they had the same honeymoon type phase with Aaron Rodgers and then they hit hard times and everyone just kind of tapped out and it was a disaster. Because no different than relationship teams are the same way. Some people look at each other and they're like, I will fight for you, right? I will fight for the man next to me. I will fight for my coaches, I will run through a wall for these guys. Even though we just went 13 in the month of October and now we started four and oh, now we are, you know, five and three and lost three of our last four games. We are trending, but we're gonna, we're gonna dig our way out of this. And we see teams all the time go one way or the other. And one thing that they are going to battle is in terms of chemistry as a group. These guys haven't been together for that long. And one thing I did see there, and I do agree with, there is a power in going away for training camp. There is just a natural bonding of having to spend a lot of time together, which you don't necessarily do. And I understand why these teams, like when I was with the Eagles, Andy Reid loved going away he went to Lehigh, he went to Kansas City. They go away as well. The Steelers have been going to La Trobe, I think, since the 60s. Some of these teams still go away. The 49ers do not. The Raiders do not. The Eagles no longer do. So obviously it's much easier from an infrastructure standpoint with your meeting rooms and everything to do. But the chemistry, unless you already have it built in, could be difficult to build because it's 7 o' clock when maybe a meeting ends. Like, hey, we got tomorrow off, everyone can just go home. You might just want to go home and go to your bed. Well, if you're a training camp together, it's like, well, let's do something. We're all here together, what else are we going to do? That that is a big advantage for the Steelers. And I do wonder, even the last couple years when their talent hasn't been quite as high as some of these other teams, if that does benefit them. Just their. Their short microwaved chemistry session during the three weeks at La Trobe. It cannot be a negative. I have a theory, and most of you probably saw the Scotty Scheffler video several weeks ago that went viral about how golf essentially does not define his life. And sometimes he asks himself, like, what's the point of this all? I think I talked about it last week and, you know, basically if it ever impacted his family life, he would just quit. And Tom Brady, I think there's a newsletter I might need to subscribe to that was almost offended and essentially said, like, why do your family and your profession need to be mutually exclusive? Like, aren't they intertwined in a cliffed out version of what he said is essentially like part of my work ethic and my desire and drive to be great at football and try to win was showing my children as an example of what it's like to work hard. And I do agree, as someone who's not a parent yet, but obviously you saw my dad growing up and you know, my other close friends, parents who some of these guys were really, really successful. You know, as a parent, I think your number one job beside like early on keeping them alive, breathing and eating is as they age, you know, follow your lead, be a good example for them on how to treat people, on what it's like to work hard, on what it's like to, you know, deal with your mother or their mother in a proper fashion and manner. But I do somewhat agree with Brady is they shouldn't be mutually exclusive. But I have a, I have a theory And I looked this up in Tom Brady's first 10 years in the NFL. And obviously Tom came in in 2000. So through the 2000s, he had made $75 million by. He'd won an MVP. He'd been to, I think four Super Bowls. He'd won three of them. He had been. He was just an absolute rock star. And don't get me wrong, 75 million in 2010, that's a ton of money. Like, Tom Brady was rich then. But the level of money that these guys earn now, basketball, football, baseball, golf, is in a different stratosphere. For example, Scottie Scheffler, it's basically the end of July, So the last 19 months. So the seven this year, the two last year, I would guess, give or take. And honestly, in the next month, it could be $120 million. He plays golf for a living and made $120 million on the course. To put that into context, Tiger woods, over the course of his on course career, made $120 million. So my point is, and I've always said this, I admire people like Tom, like Tiger, like all these individuals that basically, till their body gives out on them. Peyton was the same way. The money, they are completely unfazed by it. And I do believe that Scotty is unfazed by it. But when you make that much money that fast, because Scottish really became a good PGA Tour player like three years ago, and then two years later, boom, he's made $100 million on the course. Not even factoring, I'm sorry, that would just change your life and the way you view things a little bit. I don't, I don't care who you are. And I see it with these. I was listening to someone the other day discussing the NBA. You know, before, especially when I was a kid, these guys were making good money. Like if you were a good NBA player, you made five, six, seven million dollars. But you could basically double that by working with corporations, being on commercials. Like most NBA stars when I was a kid were prominent members of commercials. And obviously from a shoe standpoint, weren't just shoe salesmen. They literally went to places and pushed shoes. Right? Because it was a way for them to make a ton of money. Well, now you get guys like, let's use Devin Booker for example, who I think's a good player, I don't know, was just on a team that was God awful, is going to be making over $70 million a year playing basketball. In what line of work, outside of basketball, could someone pay him enough money? To go, yeah, I. I'm not interested. Shoe company, too. Like, he doesn't need to do anything. So there is a level of. Once you get to a certain position and a certain level of wealth, which now these guys make more money than, like, guys in the top 10, 20 companies in America. I mean, how many W2 employees make 50, 60, 70, $80 million a year? Got news for you. The list is small. People that do not own the entity. Like what? Roger Goodell, the money he makes, it's kind of unique, right? Obviously, he's, I guess, the leader kind of. I mean, the owners kind of are, but he works for the owners that have this several. I don't know how we'd value the NFL, but worth billions upon billions upon billions of dollars on a yearly basis. But he doesn't own anything to, like, he owns a team, doesn't own the league, doesn't own the media. Right. He owns nothing. He's just an employee. And I think sometimes when you get to that, it's like, shit, I don't need any. What's all this for? Like, I don't. I have no worries in the world. So I do understand where Scotty's coming from. I understand where Tom's coming from. And this is what. Whenever I get asked about players, when you're scouting a player and GMs, reiterate this all the time. Every person's their own. Just like me and my brother were very different. I'm sure anyone listening to this that has siblings, they're very different. Anyone that has multiple kids, like, their personalities are much different. If you get two multiple dogs in your house, usually one dog, and the other dog, they act way different. So part of life is everyone thinks a little bit differently. And that helps, I would say, make up an interesting or the ability for these guys to be interesting, because they're not all the same.
So in the last month, the Midas Touch Network beat Rogan, Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk, and Ben Shapiro all combined.
Katie Couric
Conservative podcasts can have a major political impact, but the Meisellis brothers, three siblings with a serious media strategy, are building an alternative to that. On the latest episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, I sat down with the brothers behind the Midas Touch Network to talk about how they built a progressive media powerhouse from the ground up, why audience interaction is the key to political influence, and what it takes to fight disinformation at scale. One download at a time.
Unknown Speaker
We should be focusing on the issues that actually occupy a lot of the mental space in Americans minds but are filled with conspiracies and we should fill it with the truth and solutions.
Katie Couric
Listen to Next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Unknown Host
Sometimes it's hard to remember, but going.
Freddy
Through something like that is a traumatic.
Unknown Speaker
Experience, but it's also not the end of your life.
Unknown Host
That was my dad reminding me and so many others who need to hear it that our trauma is not our shame to carry and that we have big, bold and beautiful lives to live after what happened to us. I'm your host and co president of this organization, Dr. Leetra Tate. On my new podcast, the Unwanted Sorority, we wade through transformation to peel back healing and reveal what it actually looks like and sounds like in real time. Each week I sit down with people who've lived through harm, carried silence, and are now reshaping the systems that failed us. We're going to talk about the adultification of black girls mothering as resistance and the tools we use for healing. The Unwanted Sorority is a safe space, not a quiet space. So let's lock in. We're moving towards liberation together. Listen to the Unwanted Sorority. New episodes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Freddy
It's the biggest party of the summer. WWE SummerSlam is here and wrestling with Freddie is all over it. We're talking wild matches, big surprises, and our boldest predictions yet. From celebrity showdowns to the chaos inside a steel cage, we're breaking down every match and calling who we think walks out on top. This card is loaded from Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, and Tiffy, just to name a few. This lineup is ready to tear down the House. We'll give you our unfiltered takes, honest debates, and, you already know, a ton of laughs along the way. We're covering the upsets, the wild returns, and the championship moments. Nobody expects we'll get into the matches that steal the show, the storylines that explode, and those oh my God, did that just happen? Moments that make SummerSlam legendary. Don't miss it. Listen to Wrestling with Freddy as part of the Mike Kultura Podcast Network. Find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Jemele Hill
I'm Jemele Hill, host of the sports and politics podcast Politics. And on the latest episode of Politics, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joins me for a candid conversation about the state of the Democratic Party. What do Republicans say to you privately that they won't say publicly.
Unknown Speaker
Many of them are in fear of their political lives, and that's been part of the challenge. But we continue to. To say to them, you were elected to defend your constituents, to stand up for your constituents, and there's life after Congress, and you should be willing to actually want to be able to look back on your time in the House of Representatives knowing that you can keep your head held high because you did the right thing. Donald Trump is gone in three and a half years, but their legacy or their failure to stand up to the extremism and the unprecedented assault on America as we know it will be with them forever.
Jemele Hill
Make sure to listen to Spolitics on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Unknown Speaker
Okay, let's end on this Fugazi Friday. I try more now than ever to just spend less time on the Internet scrolling and getting angry. Because I would say a decade ago, five years ago, you just spent so much time getting worked up about, like, what is the point? Why am I mad over some person's take on something that I honestly, I would never meet this person. If I did meet this person, I would never spend a second with this person. I hate this person's opinion that 10 before social media, you wouldn't even know that person existed. And nowadays people just argue back and forth in the comments and nothing is accomplished, right? You go to YouTube, you go to, like, the athletic. Any. Any article, people just be arguing in the comments, like, what is the point of any of this? I do think the word controversy is used to, like, hold some weight, right? Like, it's controversial. Should we go to war? Should we raise taxes? Right? Or something. Let's use a sports analogy. Like Barry Bonds and those guys using steroids. Tom Brady, should he get suspended for deflating the balls. Belichick using cameras to steal signals on the field against the jets in 2007. Now there would be people, depending on what side you were on, who you were associated with, you would have an opinion on the controversy. But I think we'd all agree, like, there were things that were clearly controversies now with social media that an ad. You know what's funny is I think sometimes these controversies in a weird way are such, like in a niche lane, yet they become so mainstream because people that still hold these jobs, like, I'm the producer of Good Morning America, or I'm the producer of some show or whatever, where do I get my information now? It's not the LA Times, I'm not surfing the San Francisco Chronicle. I'm on Instagram, Twitter. That's where I'm getting my information. And in fairness, like, I get a lot of podcast topics from social media. I'm not against gathering information on social media, but I think sometimes Sydney Sweeney, who ironically my wife, who's a 33 year old woman who you know is on social media, sees things. I brought it up like, hey, that American Eagle ad. Seen this even she's like, what are you talking about? She had no clue what I was talking about. And I think three or four days ago, if you just went to the street and brought this up, like, have you seen the controversy of the American Eagle Sydney Sweeney ad? People would have looked at you like you had three heads. One, they wouldn't even know what the ad was. And two, if you tried to explain it to them, they probably just would have walked away. Like, what the bleep are you talking about, you whack job? I think nowadays that you could do anything and someone and in this situation, some like fat, smelly, ugly white chick could just post how offended they were by a commercial. And in theory, no one should see that post and no one with common sense or a brain, if they did see the post, would spend more than two seconds on the post, let alone thinking there is like validity behind the post. But nowadays if something happens and you post the extreme opposite view and you throw in, you know, some buzzwords like racism, supremacists, Sydney Sweeney, all of a sudden people repost you on the opposite side and then you create a controversy out of thin air, something that did not exist now exists. And then all these producers of these shows that need to fill different airtime start going, we got something here. And then a controversy is created by literally from nothing. And I, I am not anti technology, social media, the iPhone, just in general, because I think most of this stuff kind of starts and ends there, right? Doesn't end there, but really starts and catapults from there. But I have made my career over the last decade because of that thing. I owe a lot of, I owe the house. I'm sitting in here right now because of technology and because of that iPhone. I do think it has led to situations like this, which you try not to pay that much attention to, like, this is stupid, it's going to go away. And then you feel like three, four or five days later, not only is it's not going away, every single human is talking about this and it's like, how did we get here? It's like Stephen Colbert, he was Fired, right? And it became a huge controversy. It's like, I can't believe. Did the government force CBS to fire him? And then it comes out. He had been losing 40 to $50 million a year. He had a staff of 200 people. And this is an industry that's like, well, hey, it's just a weird year, right? They'll be fine. Like, this year, they'll probably, you know, turn a profit. It's like, no. They have lost over half their advertisers in the last eight years. Their average viewer age is close to 70. They are fucked. If this was a stock, you would short the living shit out of that show if you could. And if you could have, you would have just made a ton of money. Yet it becomes controversial because people are like, oh, my God, this happened. No, this is capitalism and business, and this show is a dog. I mean, this show, in any other line of work, in a podcast, if I was in a similar situation, even if the numbers were different, right? We're not talking 50 million. Let's say I'm losing a couple million dollars if you fired me. There is zero controversy there. There is. You are bad for my business. That is what that is. And these things now, because people can go on these rants even if you just have 100 followers, then someone with a big following picks it up. Who's anti what you're saying amplifies it. And then it just becomes in the ring of people arguing back and forth, and nothing actually happens beside the fact that anyone with the brain goes, that is fucking moronic. What are we talking about? And I just think we've crossed the line where anyone can just stand up, be like, why are we talking about this? Like, why is this happening? And it feels like it happens all the time now. Is something out of nowhere that no one, or at least 99.9%, anyone you or I would meet or know would even think twice about. And then it just becomes something. And then it not only becomes something, it just grows and grows and grows. It's like you had fertilizer to it. You add some gasoline to it, you light the match, and all of a sudden it's like, is this the biggest story now in America? How is this possible? And I listen. This is. I guess so. My fugazi is like, I just don't know what happened to, like, normal controversies. They were just like, we all could agree on. Like, that's pretty crazy. That's pretty nuts, right? Like, O.J. simpson getting off. Like, did he kill her? Like, that was like everyone had an opinion. That was a legit story. The Sydney Sweeney ad is not a legit story. Yet in a weird way, because of the process and the creation of social media has become one. Like, do you think you could meet any human being if this story had never happened? Right. And the ad just existed that ever would have mentioned it besides like, yeah, she's fucking hot, man. She looks good in those jeans. No, I don't believe so. I. I believe that to my core, to my soul. But that's not the world we live in anymore. The Volume.
So in the last month, the Midas Touch Network beat Rogan, Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk and Ben Shapiro all combined.
Combined.
Katie Couric
What happens when three brothers take on right wing media and start winning? I find out on the latest episode of Next Question with me, Katie Couric.
Unknown Speaker
We just want people to live their.
Lives and be happy and be able.
To enjoy it without some, you know.
Lunatic screaming in their face every three seconds.
Katie Couric
Listen to Next Question with me, Katie couric. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Freddy
We're breaking down SummerSlam, the biggest party of the summer on Wrestling With Freddy. From our bold picks to storyline breakdowns, we will discuss who walks out with gold, who shocks the night and which matches steal the show we call the winners, the upsets and the chaos to expect, plus whatever swerves nobody saw coming. Listen to Wrestling with Freddy as part of the My Kultura Podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Unknown Host
If you're looking for another heavy podcast about trauma, this ain't it. This is for the ones who had to survive and still show up as brilliant, loud, soft and whole. The Unwanted Sorority is where black women, femmes and gender expansive survivors of sexual violence rewrite the rules on healing, support and what happens after. And I'm your host and co president of this organization, Dr. Leah Tritate. Listen to the Unwanted Sorority. New episodes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
Jemele Hill
I'm Jemele Hill, host of the sports and politics podcast Spolitics. And on the latest episode of Spoletics, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries joins me for a candid conversation about the state of the Democratic Party. What do Republicans say to you privately that they won't say publicly?
Unknown Speaker
Many of them are in fear of their political lives. We continue to say to them, you were elected to defend your constituents and there's life after Congress.
Jemele Hill
Make sure to listen to this episode episode of spoletics on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
Unknown Host
This is an iHeart podcast.
Episode Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Episode Title: 3 & Out - Terry McLaurin REQUESTS A TRADE, Caleb Williams UPDATE, Steelers are in the HONEYMOON PHASE
Release Date: August 1, 2025
The episode kicks off with a deep dive into the recent trade requests and contract holdouts within the NFL, focusing primarily on Terry McLaurin's trade request from the Washington Commanders.
Key Points:
Notable Quotes:
"Terry McLaurin has been a part of this franchise when they were a joke and obviously is a leader of this team. And then as they finally break out, he becomes the number one target, scored 13 touchdowns, and it's just an elite player for them now."
[02:35] Unknown Speaker
"When you have a guy asking for 35 plus million dollars, he's not going to sign a two-year contract. So it's pretty easy to do the math."
[09:15] Unknown Speaker
The conversation shifts to the broader implications of high-profile trades and how they affect team dynamics and locker room chemistry.
Key Points:
Notable Quotes:
"These are human reactions and human, you know, emotions that naturally come out. It's why it's on your boss... to handle those situations as best they can."
[12:45] Unknown Speaker
"If you find out and someone that you thought you were five times more productive than was making two times more money than you, guess what would happen? You would be pissed off."
[14:30] Unknown Speaker
A critical analysis of Adam Peters' management strategies with the Washington Commanders is presented, emphasizing his approach to navigating player contracts and team performance.
Key Points:
Notable Quotes:
"I liked what Adam did this offseason. Instead of using all the cap space they had inside, typically random average guys in free agency that you have to pay premiums for. He's like, you know what? I'm going to trade for veteran players..."
[16:20] Unknown Speaker
"These guys are all rich, but money is about respect. And when you feel disrespected, things can get weird."
[18:10] Unknown Speaker
The discussion transitions to the Madden video game rankings and their reflection (or lack thereof) of actual team performances and player capabilities.
Key Points:
Notable Quotes:
"Patrick Mahomes, the fourth ranked guy on Madden... it's like, Patrick Mahomes... they have worse odds than both them."
[23:50] Unknown Speaker
"We have never seen a team that has accomplished more, get their star player, slash their organization, get less credit."
[25:30] Unknown Speaker
The host discusses the challenges faced by young quarterbacks like Caleb Williams in new organizational setups, drawing comparisons to established systems.
Key Points:
Notable Quotes:
"Caleb Williams is coming into this drinking out of a fire hose as any new player is... it's intense."
[30:45] Unknown Speaker
"Chemistry really matters. Chemistry really matters. And cohesion and playing together for a while matters."
[35:10] Unknown Speaker
The episode concludes with an analysis of the Pittsburgh Steelers' current "honeymoon phase," examining their potential for sustained success amidst internal and external challenges.
Key Points:
Notable Quotes:
"I think what we may see is just like one of those teams. It's like, oh yeah, just a secondary regular season team, really good, but can't totally depend on them when it matters the most."
[40:25] Unknown Speaker
"The chemistry, unless you already have it built in, could be difficult to build because it's 7 o'clock when maybe a meeting ends."
[42:50] Unknown Speaker
The host wraps up the episode by reiterating the complexities of managing star players, maintaining team chemistry, and the unpredictable nature of team dynamics in the NFL.
Key Points:
Notable Quotes:
"These are human reactions and human, you know, emotions that naturally come out. It's why it's on your boss... to handle those situations as best they can."
[44:00] Unknown Speaker
"Money is about respect. And when you feel disrespected, things can get weird."
[45:15] Unknown Speaker
This comprehensive overview encapsulates the main discussions from the episode, providing listeners with a clear understanding of the intricate dynamics within NFL teams, the impact of player contracts, and the importance of team chemistry.