Is Joe Burrow Disrespected? (Hour 4)

Howdy, how we doing? Zach Yelp shows CBS Sports Radio. So the NFL top 100 list is out. The top 10 players were announced last night. In at number 10, Chris Jones, 9 Micah Parsons, 8 Josh Allen, 7 Tyree Kill, 6 Joe Burrow, 5 Travis Kelce, 4 Nick Bosa, 3 Jalen Hurts, 2 Justin Jefferson, and then 1 Patrick Mahomes. So I'm about to say something about Justin Jefferson and Jalen Hurts. If you listen to this show, you know I'm an enormous fan of both Jalen Hurts and Justin Jefferson.

Justin Jefferson joined this show the day after he got drafted. And he said every team that did not take a wide receiver or did take a wide receiver in front of me are going to pay. And going into that draft, when people are talking about CeeDee Lamb and Henry Ruggs, and you go through the wide receivers, Jalen Rager too, and it was one other wide receiver that the name just escaping me. But you go through those wide receivers, Jerry Judy was the other wide receiver. I said, why are people sleeping on Justin Jefferson? Like, did we not watch him at LSU? And they're like, oh, he's not going to be an elite wide receiver.

I'm like, what are people talking about? So I've always been a big fan of Justin Jefferson. And for Jalen Hurts, at the time, I'll fully admit, I did not get the pick by the Philadelphia Eagles, but Howie Rosebud ended up being right.

There is no debate about that. And Jalen Hurts is everything that you want in a professional athlete, the way that he conducts himself in the locker room, on the field, and then away from the team as well. As much as I love those two guys, I don't see how right now, Justin Jefferson and Jalen Hurts are the second and third best players in the NFL. They got number one right in Patrick Mahomes. And sometimes they get cute about this and they don't give it to the best quarterback.

And I think that's stupid. We all know the most important position in the NFL and in all sports is the quarterback position. If you are the best quarterback, you're the best player in the NFL. And I'm not saying that the first five players on this list have to be all quarterbacks.

I'm not. If you want to give me a dominant defensive player at two, I'm fine with that. We've seen that in years past, right, with Aaron Donald and things along those lines. But a quarterback at two, a quarterback has to be one. And in this case, I think the two best players in the NFL are quarterbacks.

Mahomes is one and then I'll go Joe Burrow too. Now, with that being said, and this list is voted on by the players, Jalen Hurts, where there was that stupid PFF list that didn't even have as a top 50 player. And you knew he's going to be in the top 100 list. Since this list is voted on by the players, it speaks volumes that the players voted him as not only the third best player in the league, but the second best quarterback in the sport. Because for a while, I think it was Kimberly Martin who on ESPN first said there's national disrespect for Jalen Hurts. And I go after the year that he just had, where's the national disrespect?

And then you had that dopey PFF list. But the players spoke and they spoke in a big way by putting Jalen Hurts three. And Jalen Hurts should be in the Super Bowl once again this year, he should win the NFC with the Eagles. But I can't put him in front of Joe Burrow right now. If you want to tell me he's the third best quarterback in the NFL, I can live with that. Personally, right now I would rank Josh Allen three and then it's so close, you're splitting hairs. And I put Jalen Hurts four.

But in terms of who the two best players are in the NFL hickey, right now I go Mahomes one and I go Burrow two. So my biggest reaction here is that Burrow wasn't the second best quarterback on this list. He ended up being the third best quarterback on this list and the sixth best player in the league. And the other was I think the world of Justin Jefferson, but I was surprised that he was voted as the second best player in the NFL.

So those are my two big takeaways from this list. That's the only tricky part with this list is the fact that quarterback has obviously waited more. So it's like when you talk about the best overall player, like for the last few years, I think it was Aaron Donald that had the number one overall spot over Patrick Mahomes.

And you could make an argument. Well, Brady got it last year. Brady was one last year. Right, but I think before that, I'm pretty sure Aaron Donald at least had one, maybe two. Well, and that's why I said, as much as I like Aaron Donald and I think he's a dominant force and one of the more lethal human beings on the planet, I could never put a non quarterback in that number one spot as the best player in the league. The quarterback has the ball in his hands every time that they take an offensive snap.

Oh, again, I'm with you. I'm agreeing that the weight of the position should matter, but I could like, there's an argument that again, not now, but maybe two years ago, three years ago, Aaron Donald was a better defensive tackle than Patrick Holmes was quarterback. Different discussion, but because of the position of its importance, because of how it determines who wins and who loses so much, you have to have a quarterback probably bare minimum one, two. Like if you put Jalen Hurts three, can I sit here and say that's Rodriguez? Absolutely not. Like if they go match, Patrick Holmes one, Joe burrow to Jalen Hurts three and then push Justin Jefferson, Nick Bosa back, you know, two spots.

I couldn't say that's crazy because again, you have to give extra weight to the position. Here's the reason why burrow needs to be in front of Hertz. Yes, Hertz outplayed Mahomes in the Superbowl. He outplayed him. He lost the game though. Now I don't crush him for that loss. People like, oh, the fumble that went for a touchdown. If you watch that game, Jalen Hurts was the best player on the field. He didn't win though. Joe burrow has gone toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes for the last two years. And he's defeated him three out of four times, three out of four times, twice in the regular season and once in the post season.

So we always get it like Sean Merriman had joined this earlier. He was making the case that Peyton Manning is the greatest quarterback of all time. He's not, but he even said that he hates that argument.

He hates even making that argument because to praise your guy, you almost have to slam the other guy. And in this case, I'm not slamming Jalen Hurts. I love Jalen Hurts, but I have to put burrow in front of Jalen Hurts. And not that there's been a lot more longevity, but if Hurts doesn't have that super bowl that he did, and I don't know when, like, I don't know when they take these votes.

Do you hickey here? It's always ambiguous this process. Well, sometimes in the off season, I don't know when, but yeah. So if that's right, if Hurts doesn't play the way that he did in the super bowl, he's, he's not going to be there at three. And that shouldn't wash away what Joe burrow has done for, for two seasons, really going toe to toe with Patrick Holmes. Also too for Joe burrow. I mean, in two, they each right Hurts and burrow been in the playoffs twice for burrow. It's super bowl AFC title game for Hurts. It's wildcard round loss super bowl. Yeah.

So again, in that situation, you've had burrow having more consistent, I get, I mean, put consistent air quotes because it gets only two years, but more consistent playoff success right now compared to Jalen Hurts and his early career. Did you see, by the way, how many quarterbacks were in the top 100? I did not see the overall number. No, there's what three in the top 10. There are four.

Yeah. Four. Cause Josh Allen was in it at eight overall.

And he was the fourth quarter. I will guess do this. How many of the 14 do you think you could guess?

You already have my home. I was going to say 12. Okay. Yeah. There was 14. You have my Holmes Hurts burrow and Allen, right?

So I need 10 more. Who do you think is fit? Aaron Rogers. Nope. Justin Herbert.

Yes. He is fit in terms of the top quarterbacks. Who do you think is six?

He is not. You will never be able to guess. Guess six, six is stunning. Six is stunning stunning. Lamar Jackson.

No, that's not, that wouldn't be stunning. We'll just go with the injuries. You also got to remember players respect Lamar Jackson a lot as they should because of that, the, the great unanimous MVP season that he had a bunch of years ago and how tough he is to defend. What, what number overall, do you have the overall ranking? I do not know. I mean, I'm just trying to honestly buy time by asking you that because I'm trying to rack my brain of who could be above Aaron Rogers. That is shocking. It is shocking because this guy, this is probably going to give it away. He is the definition Kirk cousins of, I was just about to say good, not great.

Yeah. It was Kirk cousins. Now I'm trying to see what the overall number was. So my Holmes was one overall Jalen hurts was the second quarterback with the third overall player in the league. Josh Allen was the eighth overall and the, excuse me, a borough was, was the third quarterback, six overall player. Josh Allen was the fourth quarterback, eighth overall player. And then the fifth quarterback was Justin, Justin Herbert. I'm trying to see where he pops up on this list. He was the 32nd overall player in the league. Now let's see how far I have to scroll to get to Kirk cousins 42. Maybe a lot of people watched a quarterback on Netflix.

Maybe the vote was more recent than we thought. So Rogers was seven coming off the injury. Okay. 51st. You can't tell me there's 50 players better in the NFL entering the season than that Rogers. Now, can you guess who the eighth quarterback was? And this is juicy. This is juicy. It's juicy, not, it is juicy because he's eight, but who's in front of him at a different position on the same team makes it juicy. One spot before him and it is juicy.

His teammate is one spot before him. Yes. And it is juicy.

Very juicy. I mean, is it Lamar Jackson? No. What player in the offensive side of the ball would be?

I don't know. I'm just trying to think of how many more quarterbacks are better than Lamar Jackson. We talked about the top eight quarterbacks. We're going to hit eight. Use your head here. He's not the eighth best quarterback.

NFC or NFC. I just seen one hits. Oh, Jared Goff. Nope. Dak Prescott.

Yep. And he's just, he's the eighth quarterback, 56 player overall in front of him. Tony Pollard. That's the NFL player saying we feared Tony Pollard more than Dak Prescott last year.

And if you judge that game up against the 49ers, when Tony Pollard goes down, they're not wrong. The ninth best quarterback, according to the players, by the way, shout out to my guy, Deebo Samuel, who loves to hang up the phone on me. He was the 61st player in the league. He was top 10 player, I think last year on this list.

How he's falling down to 61, at least top 15. Lamar Jackson. No, you've already mentioned this player. Jared Goff.

Yep. Jared Goff is the ninth best quarterback, according to the player, 66 overall. You want to try to take a stab here at 10. I'm going to keep guessing Lamar Jackson until he's there.

It is number 10, 72 overall. Now the 11th best quarterback in the league. I think this will elicit a response from you.

From me specifically, Anthony Richardson, NFL already given the respect he deserves. Do me a favor. Go dunk your head in some scorpions.

Why don't you? All right. So you have four quarterbacks left. I know for a fact there is it just, it's just a field. No, he is on the list. Yes.

I know because we talked about that because it's ridiculous. Yeah. I know those two are coming in later. I think actually maybe the last two. If I give you this hint, it will, it will totally give it to you. Don't give, don't give me a hint. So we have two quarterbacks left. I'll give you two guesses here.

And then I will give you the hint that will give it away. Two guesses. What, what number is this? This is the 11th best quarterback in the league, according to the players. 77 player overall. Is it my guy, Matthew Stafford?

Stafford was not on the list. Give you one more guess. And then I will basically give you the answer. Do do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do.

Now between two, but I'm bum bum bum bum bum bum. Uh, I'm going to say Deshaun Watson. Incorrect. Deshaun Watson. Not on this list. One of them played what, six games list? Some people wrote this guy off.

He did not write back. He had a good year. He deserves it. Geno Smith, the 12th quarterback on this list.

82nd player overall. You're a big fan of this. Is this Justin Fields? No, you're a big fan of this guy. Russell Wilson. You're a big fan of this guy.

Russell Wilson wasn't on the list. A big fan of this guy. Huge. Brock Purdy. Six games. Nope.

Not rocking out with your Brock out on this one. Tua? Yep. Tua Tonga by Loa. 82nd overall. Trevor Lawrence. Oh no, Justin Fields, then Trevor Lawrence. Justin Fields was the 13th quarterback on this list. 86th overall. And then Trevor Lawrence. This is how dumb this list is. You're telling me there's 95 players better in the league than Trevor Lawrence? Apparently. Don't love that for bolt-to-bolt material, but... That's stupid.

That really is. Now, where do you think the first running back was? Because that's in the news as well. Oh, first running back. First running back. I'm going to guess it's Christian McCaffrey. I will say he's... Nope. You're not even close. One, two, three, four, five running backs in front of Christian McCaffrey.

Christian McCaffrey. What? I'll remember. He had a great year last year. Yeah, he did.

That's true. He was tremendous. No, no, no.

You know what I was going to say? I was going to say he was banged up, but that's not the case. It's just because when you look at the numbers, it was split between the Panthers and the 49ers. Didn't he play an extra game? I think he played... I forget when the bye week was, but he played a good amount of games. I don't think he missed one. He played 17.

Okay, so there you go. Played a full season. But it's like, mentally, we break that off into two different seasons, but it was one. I guess Josh Jacobs has won. Josh Jacobs has won. Running back wise. He is the 12th.

Oh, I'm going to say 22nd. The 12th player overall. Who do you think is the second best running back in football? Jonathan Taylor. By the players.

Voted by the players. You know what? No, he actually had a bad year last year.

I don't know if he... JT's not even on this. This is what's frustrating. Is it a lifetime achievement award, or is it just strictly going into this year only based on last year? That's what I think it is.

Okay, that changes my thinking then a little bit. Derrick Henry? Derrick Henry was the third running back on this list. 25th overall. The second one is an obvious one. Obvious. Well, it's not Christian McCaffrey. A guy that is a dear, dear, dear, dear, dear friend of the show. All-Satur.

Mm-hmm. 21st overall. Now, some may argue this is the best running back in football. As the fourth running back on the NFL Top 100 list.

Some may argue that? For a big reason. For a big reason. There's your hint. Now, do I have to do the Johnny Manziel?

I know that documentary is coming out, I think tonight. Do I have to do the Johnny Manziel money sign? Why I say it's for a big reason? Saquon Barkley? Nope. He didn't get paid on that $900,000 incentivized tag. Al Kamara?

Nope. Who got paid? The last guy to get an extension from the running back in 2021, a big deal. Nick Chubb. Saquon was the fifth best running back. 31st overall player in the league. McCaffrey, sixth.

35th overall. Tony Pollard at 55 overall. Aaron Jones, 64. Dalvin Cook, 91. And then Jamal Williams who touched that machine last year in at 95.

So that's some reactions right there. Do you believe Justin Jefferson entering the season as the best wide receiver in the league? In the NFL? I would say Tyree Kill. I think it's very close. You would?

Very close, yes. Okay. What about Devante Adams? Third. Because I do think those are the three best wide receivers in the league.

You can order them pretty much however you want. Personally, entering the year I would go, Devante won. Justin Jefferson, two. And then Tyree Kill in at number three. And do you believe that Nick Bosa is the best defensive player in the sport right now? Because he was the fourth best player in the league, voted on by the players.

I would say so. I think Micah Parsons needs one more year. I think he'll overtake him. I like his versatility.

But right now I'll give Nick Bosa the edge going to this year alone. It is Zach Gelb's show on CBS Sports Radio. We will come on back with a news brief. Some interesting stuff that was revealed by Ron Rivera and Eric Bienemy. You don't want to miss it.

You're listening to The Zach Gelb Show. Time for your daily news brief. We get you caught up on the rumors, reports and reconnaissance from the day in sports. Alrighty, let's start things off with Ron Rivera. He admits that players have complained about Eric Bienemy's coaching style.

So Hickey, I have not heard the entire press conference, but he was just asked about Bienemy and revealed this stuff. I know there was a Jonathan Jones article, but I think that was after the press conference based off what Rivera said or a conversation that he had with Rivera. Why would Ron Rivera, when you're trying to bring in a new offensive coordinator, and this probably shouldn't factor into it, but there's so many people that root against Bienemy and I would love to see Bienemy get a head coaching job, but the last few years with how much this guy's been talked about, it seems as if people are rooting against this guy to get a head coaching job. Why would you ever say that when you're bringing in a guy who's basically the head coach of your offense, that the players have complained about him and if the players are complaining about him. Now, last time I checked and don't get me wrong, there's some good players on the commander's offense, but that offense has not been where it should be. So maybe you should listen to the guy in Eric Bienemy who's not the end-all be-all and the savior necessarily, but the guy that has had championship offenses the last few years. I don't get, unless I'm missing something here, why Rivera would just so openly say this and admit this. He also in that clip mentioned college football and young guys, meaning it's probably first and second year players on offense that he's talking about.

Help to zip it. Why would you take their opinion at this point when they don't know any better, either never been through NFL training camp or have been through one so far and say, you know what, I got to bring this to light. If Tara Maclaurin is saying something, okay, maybe different story. At least someone who's been around the block and has some sort of cache in the league. There's honestly two players, Tara Maclaurin, as you said, I'm talking about the offense side of the ball. And not that this player should have this clout, but they need Sam Howell this year because he's their starting quarterback. If Howell has a problem with the offense, Courtney, that's a different story. But then once again, Sam Howell, what the heck have you done in this league? That's why if you're Ron Rivera, you squash that right away.

You don't make this a public story. You put them in their place. You say, suck it up. This is coaching.

And this is how you're going to get better. Not to mention, what have the commanders done on offense anyway? Nothing. It's like they know what the standard of success is. They were like the 20-something offense last year. And they're going to really complain that a guy who just came over from the defending world champs on offense is coaching them. That has the respect of Patrick Mahomes.

Right. Like who are you to say bare minimum like, this guy is, I don't like the way he's coaching. And the other part of this conversation as well is Rivera, who I give him credit. We get him on the show each and every year. So I like Ron Rivera.

But I have to be objective here. Last year with the whole Wentz situation, he made that a bigger deal than what it needed to be, storming off in that press conference and getting so emotional. And unless I'm totally missing something, he just opened this stuff up. That doesn't make any sense to me. It's confusing.

He stepped in it and should have been a non-story. This is, you know, coaches, like sometimes they have blown a message. They want things to be out in public to kind of send a message. Yeah. This is one where this did not have to be public. You did not have to say anything. You squash behind closed doors.

If anything, it makes them look weak because now you need to almost, you know, have the public kind of shame these young players instead of doing it yourself. So here's the thing with B enemy. Eric B enemy should be head coach in this league. But the one thing that people say, which we don't know is how does he interview? And every time I hear Eric B enemy speak, I'm like, the guy's a good quote.

Yeah. I can't imagine this guy interviews poorly. So let's hear our B enemy responded to this stuff today. This is Eric B enemy on his coaching style. I'm always going to be loud and I'm always going to be vocal. I'm always going to demand from our leaders, but sometimes they may not like it. And I'm perfectly fine with that because that's my job. Because if I ain't doing my job, my ass get fired.

It's my job and my responsibility to make sure, and I'm getting our guys to do what I expect them to do. And Eric B enemy says he's tough on players, but also supports them more than anyone. Eric B enemy is, is who he is.

Okay. Eric B enemy knows how to adapt and adjust. Eric B enemy is a tough, hard nose coach, but also understand I'm going to be the biggest and harshest critic, but I'm also the number one fan because I got they back and I'm going to support them at all times. Isn't that how a lot of people view their dad, Hickey, where your dad could be your biggest critic, but he will always support you.

And in theory should have your best interests. Those two clips by the enemy. I like what I'm hearing a lot from Eric B enemy right there, because that's not an easy situation that he was thrown into, which didn't need to be said. And I thought the enemy could not have handled that more perfectly.

The only crime he committed there is referred himself in the third person. You can't do that. I'm sorry. The message was great. Like you said, he had a father figure like response and that's what you want.

That's a good point. You can't be saying Eric B enemy is tough. Eric B enemy is a great leader or an adapter. I think he said you come on. Well, I will say when people have called in to question your mustache, I thought I heard you earlier say Ryan Hickey knows fashion.

Ryan Hickey knows what a good mustache is. I thought I heard you say that earlier. If players want to complain that they don't like Eric B enemy saying Eric B enemy knows offense run this play the way Eric B enemy says to run the play.

I you know what? I'll back on that stance only. That's the only thing I will stand by the players with it. That's truly their complaint.

So I just used the dad analogy. I would say that Marco Belletti could be your harshest critic, but he's also your biggest supporter. Marco sitting there smiling like a proud pop right there. I've never seen a grin that big on Marco Belletti's face when he used the third person. That was the first thing that I heard when I heard the clip.

I was like, you can't talk to yourself in the third person. So right. The fact that you picked that out immediately kudos to you. Perfectly done.

Look at that. Now, what do you think about Hickey's mustache by the way? You know, I will admit like I walked into there. I walked into the studio a little while ago because I needed to say something to Hickey and it kind of made me stop in my tracks. Now I give you credit for this. Take some guts to walk around like that does take some business.

Take some guts. So I'll give you that. I'm talking to Marco. Do I think it's a good look? No, I don't.

No, I don't. But then again, you're coming to me for fashion. So hey, just take the compliment. Okay. I mean, take it for where it's worth. But this is what did you hear what he just said?

What? He goes, I'm a tough guy. Like a mustache now makes you tough.

No, the fact that he's willing to walk around like an ass clown and be okay with it. That takes some toughness. It does. Because you got to not care what people think about you. And that's a good quality to have. So in that regard, good for you.

Do I think it looks good? No, I don't. I don't. So each and every Bill Belichick press conference, I've been avoiding it because I love playing this game Hickey where I don't want to hear it.

I want to see if I could guess it. So you right on the slug line here, Bill Belichick doesn't commit to Mac Jones starting the first preseason game. Do you have any idea something along the lines of what the question was? Was it just who's your starting quarterback for the first preseason game? What are the reps going to be and will Mac Jones start the first preseason game on Thursday? You'll find out when we get on the field. We're not going to give any titles at this point, and you'll have to wait and see. Let's hear.

What's your plan for Thursday night with the snap counts for each quarterback? Yeah, I'm still working on that. But the players who are at least experienced will get the most playing time. I can tell you that. Yeah, I don't know. So he says, yeah, I don't know, but he basically gives you the answer where he goes the guys at the most experience. I think he said starter are going to play from the jump. Whatever he said there will get the most playing time.

Yeah, so Max going to start the game. It's just that much more experience than Bailey Zappi. Not by much. What a year does he consider that a substantial amount? This is now his third year in the NFL. So I'm saying it's not that big of a gap. Like I could easily see Bill Belichick playing a mental game of, well, it's.

But Mac Jones has played a lot more games than Bailey Zappi. Yes, yes. So I think it's just whenever you ask the follow up when he basically gave you the answer without saying the answer, that's when Belichick gets real moody. Why can't you say yes like a normal coach? I agree.

That's actually up for debate. We have Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask in Tampa for these backup quarterback with Kyle Shanahan who you love. We have Trey Lance or Sam Darnold. Let's go to Dan Campbell is fired up to the Lions.

Sold out their season tickets. I feel wind underneath my freaking wings, man. That's what I feel. Truthfully. Truthfully. It uplifts you. Absolutely. Absolutely. I love this, man. This is outstanding. I love our fans.

I love that. And they feel it like we feel it. And no, this is not a burden. This is not pressure. This is not weight. This is man.

This gives me inspiration is what it does for me. Marco, you would agree that nationally a lot of people are pulling in and loving Dan Campbell, right? No doubt. Would you also agree a lot of people love Mike McDaniel, the head coach of the Miami Dolphins? Different reason.

Yes. Both of those coaches better win this year because I think the act, even though Dan Campbell's really entertaining, right? Man's man and Mike McDaniel is strange and he comes off as very funny. I don't really get the jokes I feel like with Mike McDaniel, but if those guys don't win, I think their act or the way they conduct themselves in press conferences, they're going to get old.

I would say McDaniel 100%. Campbell, no. Just because of how intimidating he looks? No, I think it's just also because I think it's genuine. I think it's fun and it's the Lions.

So as much as we would want to get on him, I think we almost give it a pass simply because of the way he acts and because it's the Lions. Pete Thamel discusses the chances the ACC gets Stanford and Cal. This was on SportsCenter. Nothing gets college presidents more excited than an affiliation with two of the most elite academic institutions in the country. Obviously Cal, one of the premier public institutions. Stanford, obviously one of the elite private institutions.

Stanford top to bottom, I don't think anyone would argue is the best athletic department in the entire country. Second reason they are distressed assets with nowhere to go right now. So I think picking up the phone and doing some vetting and exploratory talks and sources of caution me, these are early talks. They are formal talks because people are getting on the phone, but they are early.

They don't see a lot of a lot of drawback into at least having the chat and running out the ground ball, if you will, to see where they are. So, Hickey, I think the ACC should learn from what happened with the Big 12 and the Pac-12 here. Through time, you're going to lose some ACC schools, especially when you get further along in that contract that expires, I believe, in 2036. Like Florida State's going to leave. You may have a few other schools as well. I would be proactive here rather than reactive to those schools eventually leaving and just take a few extra schools here when inevitably some of those schools do leave.

That would just be me. Why I would say no is just because of that TV contract, you're not getting more money by bringing in Cal and Stanford. So you already have schools wanting to leave because they feel like they're not getting enough money for what they're worth.

Now you're going to be taking some away, a little bit away from what the little they already get. So it's only going to, in a way, almost incentivize schools like Florida State, Miami, Clemson to want to leave faster. But can't you do something like Cal and Stanford really have no like to stand on right now. So can't you do something like what happened with Washington and Oregon, where you don't give them the full rate? Because they're only getting $30 million until the new deal per year, I believe.

Right. But still, like the ACC, like they're not getting more money, though. Like the ACC, whatever. Let's just say they get $1 billion. Pick out a number for the TV contract that they divvy up between the 14 schools. That $1 billion is not changing.

Sure. So now instead of 14, it's 16. And even if you're getting less, it's still you're taking away money from somewhere to give it. You're robbing Paul to pay Peter. You're still having to take money away in order to give it to Cal and Stanford. But when you look at the ACC, you would probably agree there's probably only going to be three or four schools in there that will be attractive to the Big 10 and the SEC. So that's if they want them at all.

Yeah. So that's why I would be focused on the majority of schools there, not just the top three or four schools, because those schools inevitably will leave through time. Jimbo Fisher says he doesn't like it but understands conference realignment. I'm not saying I like it either. But I understand the administrative point of it, that if you get left out of it from a financial standpoint, you can become insignificant. I get both worlds of it. And you got to be careful what you create as the monster you create in college athletics. And like I say, I think, is it a perfect world?

No. But it's inevitable. Change is inevitable.

It's going to keep happening. So, unfortunately, we're in a time now that everybody's fighting over the dollar. So it's tough to follow Jimbo there. And he's right.

Everyone's fighting over the dollar. But I always feel like coaches sound so tone deaf when they say these things. Because Jimbo Fisher left the ACC to go get that big contract in an SEC school in Texas A&M. How is that any different than a school leaving a conference to go get the big money dollars here? I don't know if Jimbo was being overly critical there. He kind of lost me. But I always feel like it's better for these coaches here to kind of just shut up when it comes to talk about NIL and all the conference realignment.

Because I don't think, Hickey, there's much to gain here. I don't think what he said is wrong. I mean, maybe a little hypocritical. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

And being that Texas A&M left the Big 12 to go to the SEC, it's not like they're innocent either. But it's a tough place. He's not wrong. You may not like it. You may not agree with it. But it's unfortunately a necessity to make these moves. Otherwise, it's like adapt or die. If you don't adapt, you're dead in college football.

Right message, wrong messenger. And finally, so I slammed John Angelos yesterday. Just suspending. I know he's going to return the broadcaster, Kevin Brown, for basically just giving stats about how the Orioles for the last few years haven't been able to do anything. A chop a can of field up against the Rays. Here's one of the preeminent broadcasters in baseball, Gary Cohn, on SNY, crushing the Orioles for their suspension of Kevin Brown. Let me just say one thing to Baltimore Orioles management. You draped yourself in humiliation when you fired John Miller and you're doing it again.

And if you don't want Kevin Brown, there are 29 other teams who do. It's a horrendous decision by the Orioles. I don't know what they were thinking, but they've gotten exactly the reaction that they deserve. And it's just a shame because the Orioles are playing so well. And now they've diverted attention from that and now made themselves laughing. So there's an Orioles game going on right now and there are loud free Kevin Brown chants at the game.

Now, I will say this. I already ranted about this yesterday. I have exhausted all energy about this topic. I feel like this topic really annoys Marco Belletti because you hate when people say people are just stupid and petulant and do stupid things because they're insecure, especially when all Kevin Brown said was the truth and not even an offensive way. Insecure is the right word. That's all it is.

You're thin skinned, you're insecure, and you want to complain about things that really have no business complaining about. And you got all the reaction that they needed. This is good in one way. This is great for Kevin Brown, and I'm thrilled for him because let's be fair, most people around the country had no idea who Kevin Brown was.

You're not wrong. And now we do. And we know why. And we know that he did his job. So this is all on Angelos. And this is Kevin Brown giving him an opportunity to stand up and he's going to get his job back and he's going to be in the spotlight that he needs to be.

Hopefully, this will elevate his career even more. That's the shining light that comes out of this. But the fact that you I mean, you own a baseball team. Yeah, right. What are you listening to? What bothers you? What? Because you're losing? What?

You're actually having a great year. What? What is the problem? And when I first saw the headline, baseball announcer suspended, I thought this was like a Tom Bredeman situation. I thought there was going to be something overly offensive and awful and things that should never be said. And I watch it. I go, did they upload the wrong clip?

And then I watch it again and watch again and watch again. I go, he's just saying that the team was bad for a while, gave the stats that were in the game notes that were on the graphics. And he didn't even give any opinions and didn't even give an opinion. And then it ended with they have a chance to do this today. That's what I mean. There wasn't even an opinion. And that's the story of the Orioles, where they've been bad for so long.

And now they're having this great season. What? You can't you have to ignore the last 10 years. I don't understand that concept. I don't realize I don't get why you would have to sit there and put the wool over everybody's eyes like, no, no, let's never talk about anything.

Why? What are you so afraid of? What do you think is going to happen? Do you really think that fans will stop paying or leave your product because you talk about something that happened when you were bad in the back?

What do you think is the problem? I don't grasp. I don't get it. Imagine if Hickey was the and I know we got to take a break. Imagine if Hickey was the play by play broadcaster for the Indianapolis Colts. Now, the Colts had, what, two losses, two wins on the season when they ended up getting Andrew Luck. And that first year, didn't they go to the playoffs, Hickey, with Andrew Luck? 11-5.

Yep. Imagine if Hickey was the broadcaster were like a year ago, Peyton Manning was injured. They only won two games. And now Andrew Luck has taken this team to the playoffs.

And then Jim Arce was like, Hickey, you're suspended indefinitely. You know, again, there's too many owners and too many organizations that get way too involved in what their broadcasters are doing that we know. And that's something that's that's unfortunately prevalent a lot of places. And you do have to toe the line to a point because you have to understand where your check comes from.

I get all of that. But the idea that you can't even discuss facts, not not even your opinion, it's beyond thin skinned. It's to the point where it's like, then don't own the club.

If this bothers you, then you know what? Get out of the game. You're in the wrong business. Sell it. Get your money. Go home. Because obviously you can't handle anybody saying anything negative about you. Get out of sports, because if you can't handle negativity, don't do this.

Just don't do it. There we go. You're listening to The Zach Gelb Show. The Defense of Player of the Week is sponsored by the Navy Federal Credit Union, who proudly serves the Armed Forces, DoD veterans and their families. Their members are the mission.

Learn more at navyfederal.org. How about Brewers starter Freddy Peralta? He was dealing on Monday night, tossing seven innings of one hit ball and striking up 13 batters en route to Milwaukee's 12-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Over the last three games, Brewers starters have combined to allow just seven hits to five earned runs while striking out 27 hitters. So this Johnny Manziel documentary has come out on Netflix. Hickey, this is probably the least surprising thing ever, and I love Johnny Manziel in college.

I was never a big believer that he was going to be a great quarterback in the NFL, but I was hoping he was going to be because of how electrifying he was in college. I'm reading a clip right now from Ari Mirov of My Sports Update from the doc. Johnny Manziel admitted in the new Netflix documentary that he watched zero tape during his time with the Browns. The GM called his agent and said his iPad hours, zero.

How about that? Like it's not stunning because Manziel did not give a bleep in the NFL, but had the same amount of iPad hours as Jamarcus Russell is actually impressive. I mean, even at A&M, they're winning games because he's purely an athlete and was able to outrun everyone else. Wasn't scheme wasn't him reading defenses to his credit. It's almost impressive that you can do that little work. Well, everyone else is out working you and you're still having a lot of success and you're still beating Nick Saban in his house. But yeah, not exactly surprising.

You go to the NFL and he flamed out as fast as he did. So you have this, which I'm very intrigued, right? We saw the man Titeo documentary that I was in, which was phenomenal. You had the last dance, which really gave us a ton of content during COVID. I think there's a Florida documentary coming out next week. Is that next week? Should be the 12th of Angora's somewhere around there. 14th.

I hope that lives up to the hype because there's so much there with that Florida football team. So I'm curious to see that. So I guess I'll go home tonight and I'll watch this. Is this is this a docu series or it's just one one? Just one, I believe. Okay.

Hard Knocks starts tonight, too. If you're interested. That's right. With the JTS Jets, Jets, Jets.

All right. That's all the time we have to that we have for you today. Maybe we'll go eat a GD snack as well. Channel our inner Rex Ryan going back to the last time the Jets were on Hard Knocks. Fun show today. Big thanks to Sean Merriman for joining us in studio.

John Coon and Brian Jones. We'll be back tomorrow for a Wednesday edition of the show. Thank you for listening, calling and tweeting. We out. Bye bye.