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Ross Tucker
T Mobile stats are as impressive as your favorite athlete's highlight reel because T Mobile helps keep you connected from the heart of Portland to right where you are on America's largest 5G network. Switch now. Keep your phone and T Mobile will pay it off up to $800 per line via prepaid card. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com keepandswitch up to 4 lines of your virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service support in 90 plus days device, knowledgeable carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months. Make some noise for the Greatest Shooter of All Time, Steph Curry we went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Goat Greatest of Their Era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s. Peja 5 Dirk Ford Peja is a link. You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
Greg Cosell
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.
Ross Tucker
That's why we love it. Listen to Go G O T e Greatest of Their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're gonna be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101 free agents, we'll have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. What's up everyone? Julius RBinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.
Greg Cosell
We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.
Ross Tucker
The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.
Greg Cosell
Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?
Ross Tucker
Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.
Greg Cosell
Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.
Ross Tucker
Listen to EnergyLine with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Did you know that 70% of people get hired at companies where they already have a connection? I'm Andrew Seaman, LinkedIn's editor at large for jobs and career development, and on my podcast Get Hired, I bring you all the information you need to, well, get h. Getting a job may be tough, but get Hired is here for you every step of the way with advice on resumes, networking, negotiation, and so much more. Listen to Get Hired with Andrew seaman on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you like to listen. You are listening to the Dan Patrick.
Greg Cosell
Show on Fox Sports Radio final hour on a meat Friday, which means I'm about one hour away, actually less than that from getting some steak in my belly and trying to figure out how many. I don't know how big the filets are, but how many filet mignons I can put into the coffee cups that fit into my drink holders in my truck for the drive back to Pennsylvania. That should be fun. Love welcoming all of the people listening on all the Fox Sports Radio affiliates around the country. Of course, I like the people also that will tweet me tomorrow about something that they're listening to on the show via podcast. You can always check out the Ross Tucker Football podcast. We are @DP show on Twitter. I'm @ross Tucker NFL on all platforms. You can give us a buzz. Got to a couple calls last hour, actually. 8, 7 7, 3, DP show. You can check out our YouTube channel as well. We have two guests today in the final hour before we get to what we learned later on the show, Greg Cosell, who joins me every week on the Raw Stucker podcast. He'll be up in about 20 minutes. Nobody breaks down the quarterbacks like Greg, but it's college hoops time. It right now is when I get engaged with college basketball. Football's behind us. You know, we got a month and a half before the draft. Right now is when I engage Maverick and get ready to watch these conference tournaments as well as obviously March. Matt, you like that?
Ross Tucker
Paulie, as a nice quick reference, engage Maverick. Nice work.
Greg Cosell
You know what else I use from that movie A lot? Bs. This thing will be over in two minutes. Do you remember that?
Ross Tucker
Does it bother you when people don't get references like that? Like if you make that joke with a bunch of.
Greg Cosell
Yeah, because Marv's just looking at me like he has no idea what I'm talking about. Marv's, like staring through my, my, my soul right now. I am lost.
Ross Tucker
Is that from like a western or something? Maverick Seaton.
Greg Cosell
You know, you're messing with me.
Ross Tucker
Some type of western movie about.
Greg Cosell
I didn't see the new one yet, though.
Ross Tucker
You didn't see Maverick?
Greg Cosell
No.
Ross Tucker
How's that possible that you. I thought you'd be first.
Greg Cosell
I don't want. I don't. I. I don't watch very many movies with. I have kids. I care about my children. I like to spend time with my children.
Ross Tucker
You got to change that up, man.
Greg Cosell
What do you mean?
Ross Tucker
You got to care about them?
Greg Cosell
You watch TV shows and you go to movies. I spend quality time with my children. I'm a good dad.
Ross Tucker
Big mistake.
Greg Cosell
Seaton.
Ross Tucker
Did you watch the first one, Top Gun?
Greg Cosell
Of course. Like 20 times.
Ross Tucker
Yeah. Then you saw the second one.
Greg Cosell
Seriously?
Ross Tucker
Yeah.
Greg Cosell
So when I was leaving the Eagles post game super bowl party, that guy was walking in though. Miles Teller.
Ross Tucker
Oh, my. Teller.
Greg Cosell
He was. He was walking in while I was walking out. I had to catch the red eye back. But I've never seen the movie, so I don't really know much about him other than he's popular and he's an Eagles fan. Let's get to John Rothstein. He's a CBS Sports college basketball insider. By the way, when I first got in the media 2007, okay. I was still on injured reserve with the Washington football team. They had a different name back then. I did a TV show with John Rothstein. At times I don't even remember the name of the show. John, do you remember the. Remember this name of the show? Seth was the producer. It was like we would go around the horn kind of. You were in New York. I was in different. Do you remember that show?
Ross Tucker
I think it was out of line on cna or out of bounds.
Greg Cosell
Out of bounds.
Ross Tucker
Yes. I remember it vividly. Ross, great to be with you this morning.
Greg Cosell
Yeah, man, you are killing it. I. It's been fun to follow your career. It's funny, you probably hear this a lot, John. I know you're fully invested in it. I don't follow college hoops hardly at all until right now. And now this weekend and this week. I will root for like my, my. My wife and sister in law went to Bucknell. Right. I went. I went to Princeton. I will root for them like you wouldn't believe. I think it's the coolest part of maybe any sport is rooting for your alma mater or for smaller schools to have their chance at the dance.
Ross Tucker
Well, and that's the thing, Ross, that's become so interesting because of the changing landscape in college basketball. There's less player retention, especially at the mid major level. So we are going to enter all of these conference tournaments here over the next week and we are going to see different teams seeded a certain way entering these conference tournaments. Seeds have never Been more meaningless in these obvious conference tournaments than they are right now because of the lack of player retention. And another thing you have to remember, Last year only 12 teams out of the 32 conferences that won their respective regular seasons went on to win automatic qualifiers to the NCAA tournament by winning their conference tournament. Ross Tucker, this is March.
Greg Cosell
Wow. 1/3 actually won their conference tournament. So, so this is self serving. Okay. But I got to ask you about Princeton quick. All right. My understanding is that they have like the two best players in the Ivy League. They have Alec Pierce, the Colts receiver, his younger brother Kaden, and they have the point guard from Toronto that put his name into the NBA draft last year. I think his name, Xavian Lee. I just looked. John, we're in fourth place in the Ivy League. We're like seven and six. We. I've been working, I've been practicing every day for this. Why are we not good?
Ross Tucker
Well, Princeton in a lot of ways is kind of the polar opposite of what Princeton went through last year. Last year Princeton was a heavy favorite going to the Ivy League tournament and was upset in that tournament as the team that everybody thought was going to be one of the best mid majors in the country. And now you look at what's happened to Princeton, yes, there's Xavian Lee, less there's Kaden Pierce. But look at some of the ancillary players. Zach Martini, no longer on Princeton from a year ago, he's on Rutgers. Because we have to remember right now that these players still have the ability to move and go to other places. Matt A. Locko, another player who was on that Princeton team from a year ago that was upset in the Ivy League tournament went and played for Notre Dame. So maybe we'll see if Princeton can reverse course. But here's one thing I want to point out and I know that people, especially at the mid major level, want to celebrate regular season titles. Nobody remembers in college basketball what people do during the regular season. You are judged by what you do in the NCAA tournament. And this is why what we're going to embark on right now over the next three and a half, four weeks is the greatest postseason that we have in sports. We spend days, we spend weeks, we spend months talking about the bubble from February 1st until now. We have to remember, Ross, that last year there were five different teams that stole bids during their respective conference tournaments. Now what is a bid stealer? A bid stealer is a team that was not projected to make the NCAA tournament who then wins its conference tournament and then earns a bid To March Madness. Last year we had Duquesne out of the Atlantic 10. We obviously had UAB out of the AAC, NC State out of the ACC. Won the ACC tournament five games in five days and then went on to go to the Final Four under Kevin Keats. New Mexico stole a bid out of the Mountain west and then Oregon did the same out of the PAC 12. That was five teams that were not projected to be into the NCAA tournament who then found a way to get to March Madness.
Greg Cosell
It is awesome talking with John Rothstein. As you can tell, he is the best college basketball insider. He does it for CBS Sports Company I work for as well. You know, you kind of hit on this, John, but I want to expound upon a little bit what I know it's all of the above, but what aspect of it do you think makes it so popular? Is it the fact that it's brackets? Like people just, I don't know what is about humans. We love like my like beer pong tournament bracket, like whatever it is. Like I love brackets. Okay. And also the betting. I mean people bet a lot on March Madness. And then it's the end. It's the underdog. It's the whole thing. If you kind of had to rank the reasons for March Madness popularity, where would you stack them up?
Ross Tucker
It's a one game tournament. It is not obviously a best of seven series. So the fact that we have this game that obviously is decided by a 68 team bracket with 67 games. If you have one bad half, if you have one bad game, every single thing can change. And then there is still the opportunity for with everything that's going on in college sports to have the most unexpected and unpredictable results. And you know, I remember two years ago, you know, I've been fortunate enough to work the first four for us in Dayton. I had the pleasure of, you know, covering Fairleigh Dickinson two years ago in 2023. Fairleigh Dickinson two years ago was not good enough to win the Northeast Conference tournament. Merrimack won the Northeast Conference tournament, but because of transitional rule to Division 1, Merrimack was not eligible for the NCAA tournament. So Fairleigh Dickinson lost in the finals of its conference tournament, but it got the automatic qualifier because Merrimack was ineligible. Fairleigh Dickinson then goes on to the first four, beats Texas Southern in the first four and then gets a matchup with Duke, who had the national player of the in Zach Edie and won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles. And still Fairleigh Dickinson was able then to pull off the biggest upset in the history of the NCAA Tournament by beating Purdue. This is the stuff that is in store. And again, if you're not in a situation where you're following College Basketball from November 1st until now, you're pretty much admitting that you hate fun.
Greg Cosell
All right, so I want to ask you about St. John's because they've won the Big east for the first time in 40 years. I know you talked about him a lot, I'm sure.
Ross Tucker
Yeah.
Greg Cosell
So is this, obviously, Patino's their coach? Is this a great coaching job, or is this John. Have we got to the point where some St. John's alums made a decision and they bought a really good team? I don't follow it. Right. So you explain to me how St. John's seemingly came out of nowhere to get this good.
Ross Tucker
St. John's has been a barren program for 25 years. St. John's has not won an NCAA tournament game since 2000. How long ago is that? Jay Wright was the head coach at Hofstra. But with all that said, St. John's this year was able to be in a situation because it hired a Hall of Fame coach, a can't miss coach, and Rick Pitino, and it put together a roster now that is, you know, 26 and 4 heading into tomorrow's game against Marquette that's the best in the Big East. It's the first regular season title outright for St. John's in the Big east that's been won by the Red storm since the 8485 season, which was the year that St. John's went to the Final Four with Luke Carter second, Chris Mullen. Look, one of the things that we've seen right now in this new landscape of college sports is the playing field is very level. So a program like St. John's that has the infrastructure in place to put together a strong roster can now compete with the Dukes, the Kansas and the Kentucky's. And then, conversely, some of the blue blood programs now might be falling back to the pack a little bit. Kansas will enter its Big 12 finale in the regular season tomorrow against Arizona. And in the last two years, Kansas is only a combined 20 and 17 in Big 12 regular season games. Remember, this was a program that from 2013 to 2018 under Bill Self, won at least a share. Excuse me. From 23 or so to 2018 under both, self won at least a share of almost every Big 12 regular season title. Remember, Ross, it's not anarchy, it's just college basketball.
Greg Cosell
I love his closing line of every. Of every Answer. All right, tell me about Cooper flag. Like for people that haven't watched him a lot, he's. I think a lot of people would probably say he's the name in college basketball that they recognize that they know, but a lot of people still haven't really watched him that much. Is there any weakness to his game? Is there an NBA guy that you compare him to that people can kind of get that visual in their head?
Ross Tucker
You know, Cooper flags like a cheat code. He's like playing Madden when you're a kid and putting it on the easiest possible level because that's how effortless he makes the game look. He's been every bit as good as advertised. I think there's a little bit of Andre Karolenko in his game, but he's got so much polish on the offensive side of the floor. But Duke without question has the best roster in the sport. I think one of the things that we've all been disappointed about and it's not Duke's fault, is this is the worst ACC that we have seen in our lifet. Unless there is a bid stealer at the ACC tournament, this league is likely to get only three of its 18 teams. Tournament that is just 1/6 of the conference. The ACC since 2017 has lost the following coaches. Rick Pitino, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Tony Bennett, Jim Laraniga, Buzz Williams, Mike Bray and Leonard Hamilton will leave after this year. So it has been a major, major transition for a conference that was the sport's most fabled for a very long time.
Greg Cosell
Wow, that is absolutely wild. You got to check John out. He does a terrific job throughout the tournament. If you want to know what's going on with college basketball, follow John Rothstein on every platform. Does a terrific job as the college basketball insider for CBS Sports. That was perfect. Thank you so much, John.
Ross Tucker
Thanks, Ross. We sleep in May.
Greg Cosell
I love that dude. You know, he should actually. I mean, I guess it's great that CBS has him. The NCAA should pay that guy. I mean that, that guy is like a walking salesman for college basketball. That was amazing, Paulie.
Ross Tucker
One of my first jobs in media when I moved to New York City was working with like Jim Nance and the guys at CBS Sports as one of the blue shirts, the research people in the background. And we had to work the first four days of the NCAA tournament, but it was like 15 hour days. But there's nowhere better to be. We get the brackets a half an hour before everyone got the brackets. So you got to like chew it up. It Was just one of the cooler jobs of all time to see. Let's throw it back to Jim Nance in the studio for an update. And there he is. And it was.
Greg Cosell
Why do we love brackets so much? Like any type of brackets, my buddies like any bracket for youth sports or.
Ross Tucker
You know, simplifies everything. It makes everything easier to consume. The 8 is versus the 9. The 5 is versus the 12. You got their name, their record, their ranking. It's just you open it up. Back in the day you used to print it out, put it in your pocket, but it's on your phone.
Greg Cosell
I just like looking at it. Fritzi.
Ross Tucker
Yeah, it's a good looking thing. It's very simple. Little kids can do it. An elderly person is just you just circling teams. Sometimes you're doing it by color or mascot and all of a sudden one of your wild guesses is making it into the Sweet 16 or the Elite Eight. And it's just a fun, easy thing to do. It's a piece of paper you can walk around with an update with little checks and X's based on what happens through the course of the day. It's just. It's just a fun, easy thing to look at and play with.
Greg Cosell
By the way, this Fritz, he do this to you guys? Where he sent me an email. There was no text in the email, but the subject of the email said, will you please fill out a bracket again this year and be in our tournament? Like, what is that, Fritz?
Ross Tucker
I've done that many times. And Paul especially says, you know, has told me on many occasions. Sometimes it doesn't all show up on the screen or on the phone. And Mike Tirico used to call me Sl. Fritz. Single line Fritz. Because I put it in the subject line. I guess it was subject line.
Greg Cosell
Flitz you. There's nothing in the email. It's just all in the subject line.
Ross Tucker
Paulie, in all seriousness, Todd and I have been working together a long time. He puts long email texts into the subject line, like you said, and nothing in there. And it gets cut off. I've asked him at least 200 times directly, can you put this in the body, the email? It's easier for us to see and consume and. And I don't think he's hurt.
Greg Cosell
Why don't you do it for.
Ross Tucker
I don't know.
Greg Cosell
I'm just.
Ross Tucker
I'm not doing it to bother anybody, to be a hindrance or difficult. I just. Sometimes it's just easier for me to type a few words. And I realize sometimes I go shockingly long winded. And if you write too many words in the subject line, then you're not going to be able to see the whole thing. And then I'm just, it's just easy to type a few words, almost like a text message as an email into that one line and send.
Greg Cosell
It sounds like you should, like that there's things that you should get punished for. Like you should get a pie to the face the next time you do that. Cause you gotta learn. Like you gotta, you gotta learn one way or the other. Hey, speaking of learning, we are gonna learn a ton. Does your team need a quarterback? Cause guess what, a lot of them do. Jets, Giants, Colts, Steelers, Raiders. I'm missing some. Greg Cosell is the best in the business. The 45 year NFL Films legend. He'll break down the top college guys and tell you what he really thinks of guys like Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones and Justin Fields when we come back. 18 minutes past the hour here on the Dan Patrick Show.
Ross Tucker
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows@foxsportsradio.com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live. Hey, Steve Covino. And I'm Rich Davis and together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything, life, sports, relationships.
Greg Cosell
What'S going on in the world.
Ross Tucker
We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in.
Greg Cosell
The world of sports and pop culture.
Ross Tucker
Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out.
Greg Cosell
We like to get you involved, take.
Ross Tucker
Your phone calls, chop it up, as they say.
Greg Cosell
I'd say the most interactive show on.
Ross Tucker
Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and.
Greg Cosell
Rich live on Fox Sports radio and.
Ross Tucker
The iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich. Make some noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast podcast called Goat Greatest of their era. And we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
Greg Cosell
Peja 5. Dirk Ford.
Ross Tucker
Peja is a loot. Okay, I'm mad him. I left him off my list, but I still like my list. You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
Greg Cosell
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations. Absolutely love it.
Ross Tucker
Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.
Greg Cosell
When you have a scouting report and you're on the list as not just a shooter, but we have specific rules for how we guard you. There's a fear factor that's associated with anytime you're wide open, like, you might as well just count that and get on back on defense.
Ross Tucker
Listen to goat G O T e greatest of their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League, and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.
Greg Cosell
I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say, and not just about hockey.
Ross Tucker
Believe me, he does Energy Line with Nate. And JSB is the name of the podcast, and it's going to be, well, it's going to be quite the ride. We're officially linemates, Nate. We're the Energy Line.
Greg Cosell
We'll have plenty of folks join us. Current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers, and wait, you see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.
Ross Tucker
Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do. Provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?
Greg Cosell
I'm vibing, Julie. I'm ready to roll.
Ross Tucker
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, Will, do you ever get overwhelmed by how much science happens these days? Constantly. I'm like, ah, there's so much science, I can't keep track of it all.
Greg Cosell
Then it's a good thing.
Ross Tucker
Our podcast Part Time Genius is counting down the 25 greatest science ideas from the past 25 years. That's right, Mango. We're talking animals in a paper called, quote, chickens prefer beautiful humans. This was actually the title of the paper. They all discovered that, much like humans, chickens are attracted to symmetrical faces. Got it. We're talking medical miracles. He's an endocrinologist who found a way to stimulate insulin producing cells using, wait for it, the saliva of a Gila monster. There's no way to make that not sound crazy. We even talked to some of the experts behind these breakthroughs. It's a week full of fact packed stories you won't want to miss.
Greg Cosell
So listen to the Part Time Genius.
Ross Tucker
Countdown of the 25 greatest science ideas of the past 25 years starting Monday, March 3rd on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Ever wonder what it would be like to be mentored by today's top business leaders? My podcast this Is Working can help with that. Here's some advice from Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase on standing out from the leadership crowd.
Greg Cosell
Develop your EQ A lot of people have plenty of brains, but EQ is do you trust me? Do I communicate well? You know, when you walk in a room, do people feel good you're there?
Ross Tucker
Are you responsive to people?
Greg Cosell
Do people know you have a heart? Develop the team, develop the people.
Ross Tucker
Create a system of trust.
Greg Cosell
And it works over time.
Ross Tucker
I'm Dan Roth, LinkedIn's editor in chief. On my podcast this Is Working, leaders like Jamie Dimon, Mark Cuban and Richard Branson share strategies for success and the real lessons that have shaped them. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty and my latest interview is with Kai Dickens. It was remarkable to be in that room and see someone reading someone else's.
Greg Cosell
Mind over and over and over again.
Ross Tucker
When you see it, you can't unsee it. Have you listened to telepathy tapes? Non speaking children on the autism spectrum are able to read the minds of people. It is mind blowing. Kai is the host of a new podcast series called the Telepathy Tapes. Please welcome Kai Dickens. How would you describe or explain what telepathy actually means?
Greg Cosell
Telepathy historically is reading someone's mind. You know exactly what they're thinking. Parents are saying right away, this isn't just sheer telepathy. We think we might be sharing a consciousness.
Ross Tucker
These abilities that those of us that are mere mortals can develop.
Greg Cosell
I think that everyone has these in us to a certain degree.
Ross Tucker
The amount of messages parents for telling me that they were receiving from the other side through their child was wild. Listen to on Purpose with Jay Shetty.
John Rothstein
On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts only have.
Greg Cosell
Like 30 minutes left here time flies when you're having fun. Little bit later on in the hour, we'll get to this day in sports history as well as what we learned. Ross Tucker in for Dan on a meat Friday. I just saw the stakes, by the way, and yes, I will post pictures to at least Twitter and Instagram at Ross Tucker NFL. They look absolutely incredible. I mean, no, I don't get paid in meat, but I would consider it when I come here on Fridays. I absolutely love talking with this guy every week on the Ross Tucker Football podcast. I call him the Civilian Goat because I think he is the best film watcher and film breakdowner, if that's a word, of anybody that did not play or coach in the NFL. He's been doing what he's doing a lot longer than a lot of people have been doing what they've been doing 45 plus years. He is the great. Greg Cosell joins me typically Thursdays on the Ross Tucker podcast. But we got to talk quarterbacks because there's a bunch of teams that need them. Greg, always great to talk with you. We're doing it twice this week, not just once. Appreciate the time. I guess let's start with the college guys because there's going to be at least one, maybe more NFL teams that find their starting quarterback via the draft. And so is there a guy that was a clear number one when you broke down Shador Sanders and Ward and all these guys who kind of jumped out to you?
John Rothstein
Yeah. And I think just before I give you that person and people who maybe listen to us and listen to me know that I believe it's Cam Ward. But I think the important point to remember is quarterbacks have different traits and different attributes and different characteristics. That doesn't mean that they can't play in the league. It just means that the, the variables that come into play, the different variables that come into play, Ross and you know, this having played in the league now you start getting into things like team scheme, players around them, coaching. You know, there's so many factors involved that just because a quarterback might not be high on my list or might not be number one, doesn't mean he can't play in the league. It's just you have to understand what their traits and attributes are and what that means when you project them. So I thought, when I watched Cam Ward, I thought that he was the most physically gifted of the quarterbacks in this draft, that he had high level traits in order to, you know, ideally become a good player in the league. He's got a live arm. He's got a playmaking dimension to his game. Obviously, he's got some things he has to clean up. I actually watched him speak at the podium at the combine, and he said quite clearly, which is true, that there were times he held the ball too long and that some sacks are on him and that's something he has to clean up. And I think that's another thing that people have to realize is that none of these quarterbacks enter the league as a finished product. And there's things that have to be coached and developed and that takes time. And those things can show up in the NFL and it doesn't mean that they're going to be bad players. So there's so many factors involved. But I thought clearly him, Ward, to me was. Was a defined number one quarterback prospect in this draft class.
Greg Cosell
And so. Okay, and we know he's going to get drafted, where he's going to get drafted, drafted. But when you look at him, Greg, did you think like number one pick type quarterback?
John Rothstein
I started to feel that way the more I watched him, yes. And again, it may or may not happen. You know, when you hear the Tennessee Titans brass talk, you kind of get the sense they hold a number one pick, that they'd like to get more players because their roster is kind of depleted. So I don't know. Again, you never know if teams wants, want to trade up. We won't know that probably for a while, but I started to feel the more I watched Ward, and I just want people to understand that. I watched him last summer, seven, eight games at Washington State. I think I watched nine games this year at the University of Miami. And the more I watched him, as I said, there are definitely things that need to be cleaned up. There's no question there's a little bit of a looseness and lack of discipline at times to his game. That must be coached hard. But he can work the pocket, he can make progression throws. He can make outstanding outside of structure throws, which were prevalent throughout his tape. So I came to believe that, yes, he could be that kind of prospect.
Greg Cosell
All right. Some of these other guys, Greg, you know, Shador Sanders and Jackson Dart, just watching the video, which is what you do, was there. Who would you say was the next most impressive guy on video?
John Rothstein
I mean, if you're just going by tape. And again, I'm not going to sit here and say this is where guys are going to get drafted, but I would say just watching tape, I came away really impressed with, with Tyler Schuck out of. He played for three teams in his college career, but he ended up this year at Louisville. It was the first year that he truly played as a full time starter and played pretty much all the games. I mean, he was in, he came out of Arizona, it seems like he came out 20 years ago as one of the top rated quarterbacks in the country. But again, he's a very intriguing player because of his age, which by the way, most GMs don't view that as a problem. It's more the injury history. But you know, I thought that he did a lot of the little things really well. Ball security, always kept both hands on the ball when forced to move out of the pocket. Whether climbing or escaping laterally. He has a very easy delivery. He works from a firm base. He could sit on his back foot with bodies around him and drive the football, yet he could throw with pace and touch. He could layer throws. He had enough movement that he's not a playmaker, but he had enough movement where he's not a statue. I thought his traits were strong and I thought his tape was really, really good. Now again, I don't know where he's going to get drafted. I'm sure he's going to be polarizing in draft rooms. I'm sure there's some people listening right now that probably think, oh, he's, you know, he's a third round player and he's not going to make it. You know, we don't know the answer to these questions, but the tape was very good. And you know what? He's 65 and he's 225. And as you know, Ross having played in this league, that's a trait. There's a big difference between being 6:1 and 6:5 when you're a quarterback.
Greg Cosell
Talking with the great Greg Cosell from NFL Films here, you can check him out on social media at Greg Cosell. I think a lot of people listening, Greg, on the Fox Sports Radio affiliates or watching on Peacock are probably surprised that the, the second most impressive quarterback to you was not Shador Sanders. So what did you see when you broke down Shador Sanders tape? Since there's obviously the subject of a.
John Rothstein
Lot of conversation and again, his tape's not bad. You know, that's the issue you face, Ross, as you know this. You talk every single day and you know the way people respond. What I'm about to say is not a knock at all on Shador Sanders. I just think you, you need to understand what kind of quarterback he is. And by the way, you can be very Very good in the league. He's an easy, natural thrower of the football. He does not have higher level arm strength. And you can. That's a discussion that people have all the time about the relative merits of arm strength in the NFL. Some believe it's important. Some believe it's. It's not one of the most important traits. That's a discussion people have all the time when they evaluate quarterbacks. You know, just as a quick aside, when I hear the phrase he can make all the throws, that tells me he can't make all the throws. And I'm talking about Chador. I'm talking about when I hear that about quarterbacks in general. Because why are we saying that? You know, so, you know, if a quarterback can make all the throws, then why are we even having, you know, saying that? But anyway, getting back to Shador, I think she door is much more of a ball distributor and executor of an offense. That's the style of quarterback he is. And by the way, you can be a really good quarterback in the NFL playing that way. I think, as with Ward, that I mentioned a few things that need to be cleaned up. There's a few things with Chador that need to be cleaned up. Number one, he has a tendency to hold the ball with one hand when he feels pressure, you know, as well as I do that has to be cleaned up in the NFL. And that'll be one of the first things that's cleaned up because you cannot give the ball away in the NFL. And second of all, he has a tendency to retreat backwards. You cannot retreat backwards in the NFL, but you're dealing with a guy that at his best is rhythmic. He's a distributor. He's an easy thrower for the most part. His ball placement is pretty precise. There's a lot to like, but I think he's a ball distributor. You know, I think in some ways, you know, I thought of CJ Stroud when he came out of Ohio State. I thought Stroud was a better prospect in a number of ways, but they're both sort of at their core, pocket quarterbacks. And, you know, I think Sanders is not at the level of Stroud when Stroud came out, but he's that kind of player stylistically.
Greg Cosell
Interesting. Talking with Greg Cosa. I want to transition Greg to the veteran quarterbacks because we've got free agency next week.
John Rothstein
Yeah.
Greg Cosell
And there are guys that I think are going to find jobs. Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, Justin Fields, Aaron Rodgers. Let's start with Darnold. Because there still seems to be some debate as to whether or not he's the guy he was in the first 16 games last year or he's the guy that he was in the last two games. What do you think any team that would sign Darnold will be getting with him?
John Rothstein
Well, I think the discussion probably revolves around whether he's a scheme specific player or whether you can put him in any scheme and be effective. Because don't forget, you know, the year prior to Minnesota, he was a backup quarterback for the Niners. And then he went to Minnesota with Kevin O'Connell, who pretty much everybody understands is a really good pass game schemer. The schematics of that offense really present clean, defined throws for the quarterback at the intermediate and deeper levels. And that's a rarity in the NFL these days with so many short balls being thrown. And Darnold was phenomenal at that. Here's a statistic that blew me away. And he led the league in passes that went more than 20 yards in the air. Ross. From the line of scrimmage. Think about that. More than 20 yards in the air from the line of Scrimmage, Darnold completed 57% of his passes that led the league. By Contrast, Mahomes completed 26% of his passes. And I'm not suggesting Darnold's a better quarterback than Mahomes. That's not.
Greg Cosell
Nope, you already said it. It's on social media.
John Rothstein
Yeah, yeah, there you go.
Ross Tucker
So.
John Rothstein
So, you know, I mean, so I think that that's the discussion with Darnold as to whether you could sign him, plug him into any system and he would be successful, or whether what he did a year ago was very foundationally a product of working with Kevin O'Connell. And that's probably one of those things that there's no, it's not a mathematical equation. No one knows the answer to that specifically, and that I don't get into the money. But that will probably dictate what teams offer him. If people felt you could put them in any system, Ross, and he'd be great. He'd probably be in the 45, 50 million range. If people feel that that's not the case, he'll probably be closer to the 30, 35 million range and we'll see where it goes from there. But we're dealing with a 6, 4, 225 pound guy with a big arm and, and need. I say he can make every throw.
Greg Cosell
Ross, I love. Sorry, Greg.
John Rothstein
And of course he's mobile. He can move as well.
Greg Cosell
Yep. Absolutely love Greg Cosell comes on the Dan Patrick show and drops a stat of the day on Sam Darnold, throwing it over 20 yards downfield. Greg, what about Daniel Jones? You know, I'm curious about him. Is there any chance Daniel Jones could be this year Sam Darnold or two years ago's Baker Mayfield? That he could be sort of the, the reclamation project in Cleveland or somewhere and play at a high level?
John Rothstein
A true enigma for me, Ross, because, you know, up to this point I'd have to say that I was wrong about him. I liked him coming out. Now I didn't like him the way I thought he'd be Josh Allen, but I liked him coming out. And as we probably all remember, I know you do. His rookie year he was very good. There was a sense coming off his rookie season that he could be, you know, a quality NFL starting quarterback. Now we can start looking at any number of reasons why it didn't happen. O line, lack of weapons, but you have to also look at the player, you know. And one of the things about Daniel Jones that I thought started to really show itself and again now you get into team scheme and other factors is even though he is mobile as a straight line runner, he's fairly robotic in the pocket. And one thing that he lacks, and I think this is a really important trait, one thing that he lacks is pocket movement and that's a difference between running out of the pocket. There are two totally different traits. Pocket movement is the ability to move within the pocket. Think of an area that's smaller than let's say the size of a boxing ring. But just to give you a sense of sort of confined space to be able to move in the pocket within the pocket, to avoid pressure, keep your eyes downfield, maintain your focus, not lose your focus of the routes and the coverage and still then reset your platform to deliver the ball. I think that that's a trait that he needs that he hasn't really shown and I think that's really imperative for the style of quarterback that he is.
Greg Cosell
Check him out on social media at Greg Cosell. So you know, wherever he's at, especially when he joins me on Thursdays typically on the Ross Tucker football podcast, obviously 45 years NFL films, just incredible. Greg, thank you so much as always.
John Rothstein
Ross, really appreciate being on with you today. Thanks for having me.
Greg Cosell
Absolutely. I love the sports history stuff and what we learned. Very, very fired up. Not only do I love talking with Greg, Greg would actually be perfect for sports history there, but I love going over this date in sports. And I agree with something Seaton said yesterday on the show. I'll tell you what that is when we come back. 40 minutes past the hour here on the Dan Patrick Show.
Ross Tucker
Be sure to catch the live edition.
Greg Cosell
Of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at.
Ross Tucker
9Am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Make some noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Goat Greatest of Their Era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
Greg Cosell
Paja 5 dirt for Peja is elite.
Ross Tucker
I'm mad him I left him off my list, but I still like my list. You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
Greg Cosell
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.
Ross Tucker
Yes, absolutely.
Greg Cosell
Love it.
Ross Tucker
Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.
Greg Cosell
When you have a scouting report and you're on the list as not just a shooter, but we have specific rules for how we guard you.
John Rothstein
There's a fear factor that's associated with.
Greg Cosell
Anytime you're wide open. Like, you might as well just count that and get on back on defense.
Ross Tucker
Listen to Goat G o T e Greatest of their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League, and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.
Greg Cosell
I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say and not just about hockey.
Ross Tucker
Believe me, he does Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's going to be, well, it's going to be quite the ride. We're officially linemates, Nate. We're the Energy Line.
Greg Cosell
We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers, and wait to see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.
Ross Tucker
Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?
Greg Cosell
I'm vibing Julie. I'm ready to roll.
Ross Tucker
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, Will, do you ever get overwhelmed by how much science happens these days constantly. I'm like, ah, there's so much science, I can't keep track of it all.
Greg Cosell
Then it's a good thing.
Ross Tucker
Our podcast Part Time Genius is counting down the 25 greatest science ideas from the past 25 years. That's right, Mango. We're talking animals in a paper called Chickens prefer Beautiful Humans. This was actually the title of the paper. They all discovered that, much like humans, chickens are attracted to symmetrical faces. Got it. We're talking medical miracles. He's an endocrinologist who found a way to stimulate insulin producing cells using, wait for it, the saliva of a Gila monster. There's no way to make that not sound crazy. We even talked to some of the experts behind these breakthroughs. It's a week full of fact packed stories you won't want to miss. So listen to the Part Time Genius countdown of the 25 greatest science ideas of the past 25 years, starting Monday, March 3rd on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Ever wonder what it would be like to be mentored by today's top business leaders? My podcast this Is Working can help with that. Here's advice from Google CMO Lorraine Twohill on how to treat AI like a partner.
Greg Cosell
I see AI as an incredible copilot.
Ross Tucker
You may use different tools or toys.
Greg Cosell
To get the work done, but ultimately, as editor, as creator, as maker, you own it and it needs to be good. AI is just the latest flavor of that.
Ross Tucker
You're still the judge of what good looks like. I'm Dan Roth, LinkedIn's editor in chief. On my podcast this Is Working. Leaders like Indra Nooyi, Ray Dalio and Rich Paul share strategies for success and the real lessons that have shaped them. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty and my latest interview is with Kai Dickens. It was remarkable to be in that room and see someone reading someone else's.
Greg Cosell
Mind over and over and over again. When you see it, you can't unsee it.
Ross Tucker
Have you listened to telepathy tapes? Non speaking children on the autism spectrum are able to read the minds of people. It is mind blowing. Kai is the host of a new podcast series called the Telepathy Tapes. Please welcome Kai Dickens. How would you describe or explain what telepathy actually means?
Greg Cosell
Telepathy historically is reading someone's mind. You know exactly what they're thinking. Parents are saying right away. This isn't just sheer telepathy we think we might be sharing a consciousness.
Ross Tucker
These abilities that those of us that are mere mortals can develop.
Greg Cosell
I think that everyone has these in us to a certain degree.
Ross Tucker
The amount of messages parents were telling me that they were receiving from the other side through their child was wild. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty.
John Rothstein
On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Ross Tucker
Us.
Greg Cosell
I'm not in love with some of the new stat of the days. Some of the new stat of the days. Like the one yesterday. I couldn't even tell that they were saying stat of the day. I didn't even know it was the stat of the day. And then Seaton came in. You guys, really, you had a lot of bad comments yesterday. You guys don't want to be DK Met. You don't want to look like DK Metcalf.
Ross Tucker
If you weren't playing sports.
Greg Cosell
I'll cut off both my pinkies to look like DK Metcalfe. Are you kidding me?
Ross Tucker
But if you see a guy at a gym who's completely shredded intact.
Greg Cosell
Yeah, that sounds amazing. What's the problem?
Ross Tucker
Well, I guess you'd say, like, is all that work, what's it for? Just to look awesome, but you're not actually making money off it, right?
Greg Cosell
To look awesome, to get girls to be in great shape.
Ross Tucker
But you could be, like, to make.
Greg Cosell
Other men feel bad about themselves. There's a lot of good reasons.
Ross Tucker
Good point.
Greg Cosell
I mean, it is funny though, because, like, I'll see guys now my age that are in like ridiculous shape. And I guess I always have two thoughts now. Number one is, is he taking testosterone? Like, what's he taking? Because to really be jacked when you get in your 40s and 50s, that is hard if you're not pharmaceutically enhanced, number one. Then number two, it's like, does he have any fun? You know what I mean? Like, I look at someone and I just want to say to them, like, hey, man, have you ever had a burger? Like, have you ever had a beer? It tastes so good when it touches your lips, Paulie.
Ross Tucker
It's when it hits your lips, it tastes so good. Yeah, but that's another thing. If you're 40 years old and shredded, you must be eating unbelievably disciplined, right? And that cannot be fun in perpetuity. Like a 10 year stretch.
Greg Cosell
Definitely not. It's like, I saw one time, he's a friend of mine, but I saw where Dan Orlovsky, who, who I'm friendly with, said that food is Fuel, you know, and he only look like, you know, who I don't want to be friends with or hang out with people that say food is fuel.
Ross Tucker
Right.
Greg Cosell
I want to hang out with people that say food is fun, is joy.
Ross Tucker
I've seen Orlowski eating before. He lives not far from me and he'll eat like a chicken breast unseasoned with nothing else on it. Maybe like a squeeze of lemon.
Greg Cosell
Yeah.
Ross Tucker
And he's perfectly happy.
Greg Cosell
He hates flavor.
Ross Tucker
Yeah.
Greg Cosell
Food is happiness, you know, like, food's one of the great joys in life.
Ross Tucker
Correct.
Greg Cosell
I. I, like, I'm amazed that you would just deprive yourself of a joy like that. That's like. That's like being like, I'm not gonna watch sports because, you know, it's not serious unless, you know, I'm. Sports are silly.
Ross Tucker
Unless you're DK Metcalf and you're doing it to be a star wide receiver, you know, Then you have a purpose to eat like that or not.
Greg Cosell
No, no. But do you know, you know, DK Metcalf steal, Right?
Ross Tucker
No.
Greg Cosell
He, like, doesn't eat anything all day until like 8:00 at night, and then he eats like three bags of Skittles or something. Crazy.
Ross Tucker
Yeah, he's like a big sugar guy, right?
Greg Cosell
Hey, I had a roommate. I had a roommate. Okay. I won't say his name. I don't know if you want me saying that.
Ross Tucker
I.
Greg Cosell
His roommate when I was in the NFL, he was remarkably shredded. Okay. I ate everything the Bills told us to eat. I had all my meals at the facility, like the, the low fat pancakes or like whatever they told us to eat. I ate it to a T. I come home, I would bring home a salad or whatever. He would eat, like Hamburger Helper. He'd sit there and eat a whole bag of Doritos or a whole sleeve of Oreos. I swear, his forearms would just get bigger. Like, there would be another vein would pop in his forearms or his ab would pop. I'd be like, how is that? You would not know him because he's a. He was a career special teamer, but he was so shredded and I was so frustrated. Fritzi.
Ross Tucker
The other thing, though, other than depriving yourself and not being able to enjoy food or being on such a tight, low calorie diet or things you can't eat. There's also people I believe I've seen at the gym over the years that are so obsessively working out. Where are they enjoying life? Is it become an obsessive Compulsive disorder, where you're constantly having to work out and run and lift, like every waking hour that you have a moment or you feel really guilty and horrible if you didn't do that.
Greg Cosell
So I have a little bit of that. I work out, I would say, 1.5 times a day. And I feel like a POS until. And I don't mean point of sale. I feel like a POS all day until I work out, so. Which is why I normally work out first thing in the morning. So this morning at the hotel, I did 30 minutes on the elliptical interval sprints. So minute average a minute hardcore. And I did 30 minutes on the treadmill, the last 20, which backwards. Because everything we do is so quad dominant and so forward focused. The Bills taught me when I was in Buffalo, actually, after every workout, we would walk 200 yards backwards because you're kind of like resetting your body a little bit. People don't do enough things going the other direction anyway. All right. On this date in sports history, March 7, this is crazy. Baseball decided that nine innings constitutes an official game, not nine runs in 1850. So back then, you had to win. You had to score nine runs. And then how about this? In 1954, the Lakers and Hawks experimented by raising the baskets from 10ft to 12ft. The Lakers won 65, 63. It was a great game, by the way. How did they score that many points on 12 foot baskets? It's crazy. Absolutely nuts. I like. I want to make sure we have time for what we learned today. Fritzi. What did I learn? We all learned. You have no plans to turn the.
Ross Tucker
Meat Friday steaks into cubes to put in a cup for the car ride back to Pennsylvania. You're going to pick that steak up and just gnaw on it.
Greg Cosell
Well, you know what? I don't think the filets were gonna fit, and you guys sliced them and diced them, but I didn't want to take a metal fork. So I have steak, and I took one of your pointer fingers. Here. I'm going to stab it. There you go. While. Look at, like, stab it, like spearheading. Yeah, I'm going to spear it like. Like a man.
Ross Tucker
Like Lord of the Flies.
Greg Cosell
Yeah. Seaton.
Ross Tucker
Greg Cosell is the best tape breaker downer in the business.
Greg Cosell
That's right. There's no better tape breaker downer than Greg Cosell. Marv, early in your career, you worked.
Ross Tucker
On a show with John Rothstein called out of bounds.
Greg Cosell
Nice. I like that. All right, Paulie.
Ross Tucker
We all learn. It's Cha Chuck.
Greg Cosell
Kachuk. It's Kachuk. I learned today that I only use shampoo and conditioner. I try to wait till I'm in a hotel to save money. That's bad. By the way, when's the last time you just shampooed but you didn't condition or you condition without? I don't even know what conditioner is. All I know is it like it was in the fight with Adam Sandler and Billy Madison. I make it silky and smooth. Check me out on social media. Ross Tucker, NFL have a great weekend, everybody. This show is the best, and so are you.
Ross Tucker
Make some noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Go Greatest of Their Era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
Greg Cosell
Asia 5. Dirk Ford.
Ross Tucker
Asia is a lieutenant. You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
Greg Cosell
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.
Ross Tucker
Yes, absolutely.
Greg Cosell
Love it.
Ross Tucker
Listen to Goat G O T E Greatest of their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal, and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs, mock drafts to my top 101 free agents, we'll have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday, keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone? Julie Swearbinks here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.
Greg Cosell
We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.
Ross Tucker
The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.
Greg Cosell
Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?
Ross Tucker
Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.
Greg Cosell
Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.
Ross Tucker
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Ever wonder what it would be like to be mentored by today's top business leaders? My podcast, this Is Working can help with that. Here's some advice from Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, on standing out from the leadership crowd. Develop your eq A lot of people.
Greg Cosell
Have plenty of brains, but EQ is do you trust me? Do I communicate well? Develop the team, develop the people, create.
Ross Tucker
A system of trust.
Greg Cosell
And it works over time.
Ross Tucker
I'm Dan Roth, LinkedIn's editor in chief. On my podcast this is Working Leaders Share Strategies for Success. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Did you know that 70% of people get hired at companies where they already have a connection? I'm Andrew Seaman, LinkedIn's editor at large for jobs and career development, and on my podcast Get Hired, I bring you all the information you need to, well, get hired. Landing a job may be tough, but Get Hired is here for you every step of the way with advice on resumes, networking, negotiation and so much more. Listen to Get Hired with Andrew seaman on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you like to listen.
The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 3: Jon Rothstein & Greg Cosell
Release Date: March 7, 2025
In this engaging episode of The Dan Patrick Show, hosts Ross Tucker and Greg Cosell dive deep into the current landscapes of college basketball and NFL quarterback prospects, joined by special guest Jon Rothstein, a renowned CBS Sports college basketball insider. Skipping the typical advertisements and intros, the conversation zeroes in on pivotal topics, enriched with insightful quotes and professional analysis.
Jon Rothstein kicks off the discussion by highlighting significant shifts in college basketball dynamics, particularly the decline in player retention at mid-major programs. This trend has led to increased unpredictability in conference tournaments.
Jon Rothstein [07:51]: “There’s less player retention, especially at the mid major level... seeds have never been more meaningless.”
The hosts explore how this instability affects team performances and the excitement surrounding tournament outcomes. The focus is on how shifting player rosters can dramatically alter team strengths year over year, making predictions more challenging.
The conversation delves into the critical role of conference tournaments in determining NCAA tournament bids. Last year, only 12 out of 32 conference regular-season champions secured their spots by winning their respective tournaments.
Jon Rothstein [07:51]: “Last year only 12 teams out of the 32 conferences that won their respective regular seasons went on to win automatic qualifiers by winning their conference tournament.”
This statistic underscores the volatility and opportunity present in conference tournaments, where "bid stealers" emerge—teams not originally projected to participate in March Madness by winning their tournaments. Examples include Fairleigh Dickinson's historic upset over Purdue in 2023, illustrating the tournament's unpredictable nature.
Jon Rothstein [10:37]: “Fairleigh Dickinson was able then to pull off the biggest upset in the history of the NCAA Tournament by beating Purdue.”
A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to St. John’s University and their remarkable achievement of winning the Big East regular-season title for the first time in 40 years. This success is largely attributed to the hiring of Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, which has revitalized the program.
Jon Rothstein [13:30]: “St. John's this year was able to be in a situation because it hired a Hall of Fame coach, Rick Pitino... it's the first regular season title outright for St. John's in the Big East since the 1984-85 season.”
The discussion emphasizes how strategic coaching hires and strong program infrastructure enable traditionally mid-major teams to compete with powerhouse programs like Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky. This leveling of the playing field has reinvigorated competition and fan engagement across college basketball.
Ross Tucker [15:04]: “A program like St. John's that has the infrastructure in place to put together a strong roster can now compete with the Dukes, the Kansas and the Kentucky's.”
Transitioning to individual player analysis, the hosts discuss Cooper Flags, highlighting his exceptional shooting prowess and comparing his skills to those of NBA veteran Andre Karlenko.
Ross Tucker [15:33]: “Cooper Flags like a cheat code... He's been every bit as good as advertised.”
This segment underscores the importance of elite shooting in NBA success and how players like Flags can influence both team dynamics and game strategies.
Greg Cosell elaborates on the enduring appeal of March Madness, attributing its popularity to the bracket system, the thrill of betting, and the allure of underdog victories. The one-game elimination format adds a layer of excitement and unpredictability that captivates fans nationwide.
Greg Cosell [11:24]: “It's a one game tournament... the fact that we have this game that obviously is decided by a 68 team bracket with 67 games.”
The hosts discuss how these elements contribute to widespread engagement, making March Madness a quintessential American sports phenomenon.
Shifting focus to the NFL, the conversation turns to quarterback prospects entering the draft and those navigating free agency. Cam Ward is highlighted as a top draft prospect, praised for his physical attributes and on-field performance, yet noted for areas needing improvement like discipline and decision-making.
Jon Rothstein [29:46]: “Cam Ward, he was the most physically gifted of the quarterbacks in this draft.”
In contrast, veteran quarterbacks such as Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones are analyzed for their potential in free agency. Darnold is recognized for his arm strength and ability to make deep throws, while Jones is identified as needing better pocket movement and discipline to enhance his performance.
Jon Rothstein [36:15]: “Sam Darnold can make every throw.”
Jon Rothstein [38:46]: “Daniel Jones lacks pocket movement, which is imperative for his style.”
These insights provide listeners with a nuanced understanding of the quarterback market, influencing team decisions and fan expectations for the upcoming season.
Throughout the episode, Ross Tucker and Greg Cosell infuse humor and personal anecdotes into their discussion, maintaining an engaging and relatable atmosphere. Topics such as pop culture references to the "Maverick" movie and playful banter about workout routines add a lighter dimension to the technical analyses.
Greg Cosell [52:10]: “I have a little bit of that. I work out, I would say, 1.5 times a day...”
The episode wraps up with a recap of key insights:
Unpredictability in College Basketball: The evolving dynamics and lower player retention rates heighten the excitement and uncertainty in conference tournaments and March Madness.
Impact of Strategic Coaching: Hiring experienced coaches like Rick Pitino can significantly elevate a program's performance, as seen with St. John’s.
Elite Player Analysis: Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of top players like Cooper Flags and quarterback prospects is crucial for team strategies and fan engagement.
Enduring Appeal of March Madness: The bracket system and the potential for Cinderella stories continue to drive the tournament's popularity.
Notable Quotes:
Jon Rothstein [07:51]: “There’s less player retention, especially at the mid major level... seeds have never been more meaningless.”
Greg Cosell [11:24]: “It's a one game tournament... the fact that we have this game that obviously is decided by a 68 team bracket with 67 games.”
Jon Rothstein [13:30]: “St. John's this year was able to be in a situation because it hired a Hall of Fame coach, Rick Pitino... it's the first regular season title outright for St. John's in the Big East since the 1984-85 season.”
This comprehensive discussion offers listeners a thorough understanding of the current trends in college basketball and the intricate evaluations of NFL quarterback prospects, all delivered with the trademark humor and insightful commentary characteristic of The Dan Patrick Show.