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- [00:00]
Colin Cowherd
This is an iHeart podcast.
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- [00:35]
Colin Cowherd
whether you want to maximize your performance or form healthier habits this year, knowing what
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Alexi Lawless
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Colin Cowherd
on the right path. With Quest, you can buy your own lab tests online@questhealth.com no doctor visit required for purchase. Quest has a huge selection of tests, including the new Elite Health Profile, a panel made for men and Women, and tracks 85 plus health markers affecting the heart, liver, kidneys, hormones, metabolism and immune system, delivering a ton of insights in one snapshot. For a limited time, save on select lab tests@questhealth.com with code herd10. That's herd10 at checkout. Terms apply. We all want the best without having to pay the most. That's where Verizon comes in. Get this now you can take your AT&T or T mobile bill into any Verizon store. They'll look at what you're paying and give you a better deal. Period. You get the amazing coverage you want while keeping more cash in your pocket. Visit your local Verizon store to start saving today. Must provide recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms and conditions apply. Get almost anything you need delivered with Uber Eats. What do you mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A little escape? No? Delicious bowl of grapes? Yeah. An afternoon stroll? Sorry, no. A burrito bowl? Happily, yes. How about the clear skies? Can't deliver that, but French fries? Yeah, get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. C app for details. Thank you thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It is Tuesday. We are live in Chicago. It's the Herd Wherever you may be and however you may be listening or watching, thanks for making us part of your day. Nick Wright, one hour. Alexi Lawless, 100 days out from the World cup here in the states. So 14,500 people is a lot of people to have in a survey. All 50 states, the Athletic did a survey of 14,500 sports fans and they asked him about baseball. Are you enthusiastic, hopeful, indifferent, disappointed, upset? And 4% of people are upset. They'd be upset if it was 74 in blue skies tomorrow. There's just a small percentage of very cranky people who aren't happy unless they're unhappy. But the remarkable thing about the survey is 67% of baseball fans today are enthusiastic and hopeful. That is triple when this survey was done in 2022. They don't do it every year. So before the Dodgers dynasty was created, the sport gave American sports fans an entirely different vibe. They are more enthusiastic as the Dodgers feel like they're pulling away. Should be noted, the Dodgers needed seven games to win the World Series over a Canadian team and were mostly outplayed for the World Series. Dodgers also lead in road attendance. So even if they're not your stars, you like paying to watch the Dodgers. So second in road attendance, the playoff Chicago Cubs, a very big brand who have elevated and added to their roster. They should be better next year. So the Cubs and the Dodgers are winning a lot and everybody is almost entirely happier. Three times more happy than three years ago. So what's hurting baseball and what hurts any store, any industry is, is lousy. What hurts baseball is the A's and the Marlins and the White Sox and the cruddy Cardinals and the Pirates. You put those products in the store, that hurts the store. The stores never hurt with the best bakery in town or the best produce in town. And the Dodgers are an all star team. And what this, I mean, you can't let Cincinnati and St. Louis economies limit everybody else. That's, that's a Mandami feel like There's a bottom 10% of everything but not getting in the way. And baseball's improved for a couple of reasons. Number one, they made necessary changes. Universal dh, pitch clock, defensive shift. They made necessary changes that I wish for the record, the NBA would do. And they have not gotten in the way of great. They have not gotten in the way. I mean, think about it. If you had a salary cap, it's not like suddenly the Cardinals would have all this money or players would want to play in Cincinnati. Let them go where they want to Go. They want to go to the Mets and the Padres. Right now you have like seven excellent teams. One in Canada, the Blue Jays, the Yankees, the Dodgers, the Astros, if they're healthy, the brewers, the Mariners were great. The Phillies, the Padres, Atlanta should be better. So. And for the record, in the last 10 years, half of the sport has at least gotten to a World Series, proving if you're well run, you will get there. But I think a lot of the negative discussion about the Dodgers is jealousy, number one. But it's also this fatalistic nature to society. Like I've been hearing for the last month, sports sex in sports journalism is dead. Well, that's funny, because I read the Athletic for at least 45 minutes a day and I see sports journalism all the time. I hear it with Pablo Torre's podcast. I read it all day on Substack. I see it with Jeremy Fowler and others at espn. I see sports journalism everywhere as much as I've ever seen. Well, what about local sports pages? They've been circling the drain since the late 90s because of Craigslist. Like I can remember a decade or so ago going to Birmingham, Michigan, opening up the Detroit Free Press, a legendary paper, and it had the depth of a In N Out burger menu. It was like seven items onto obituaries. Local sports sections have been dying forever. Doesn't mean all sports journalism is dead. And I mean, I hear about these fatalists with college sports. I'm watching college basketball this year. Michigan's great, Duke's great. Carolina, Arizona, Florida.
- [07:40]
Alexi Lawless
I know.
- [07:40]
Colin Cowherd
Yukon, Gonzaga. It's all the blue bloods. They're all good. Where's the problem? I'm watching college football. All the college ratings up, up, revenue up, attendance up. Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Georgia, Texas, Miami. Where's the nil problem? There's just fatalists everywhere. And my take on the Dodgers have been, sure, there's going to be envy. But they lead baseball in row to tenants and the Cubs are second. I think the Yankees are third. I mean, if I own. You remember streamers and TV networks don't have an obligation to televise everybody. They generally televised my entire life since I was a kid. The top eight or nine teams. When I was a kid growing up in the 70s, you know who was on all the time? The Cincinnati Reds with Johnny Bench and Pete Rose and the Dodgers with the Garvey and the Lopes and Ron say and Bill Russell and Tommy Lasorda and. And that was late 70s and 80s or thereabouts. And then it was the Pittsburgh Pirates had Dave Parker and Willie Stargell and the Phillies had Mike. Shit, excuse me. And Greg Luzinski. And it was all the same teams. I didn't ever see the Milwaukee brewers or the Minnesota Twins on TV networks back in the, in the, in the 70s and 80s. Phillies and the Pirates, you know, the Dodgers and the Reds and the Royals had Brett Saberhagen and Amos Otis and Freddie Pottek and take a deep breath. Sports journalism isn't entirely dead. The platforms have changed. That comes from different areas. And baseball's fine because if you are a big market Philadelphia, the product's great. Toronto, Yankees, Dodgers, Astros of healthy Padres, they're putting a good product on television. I'll take like eight stacked rosters and not worry about the bottom 8% of the sport or bottom 12%. For the record, the Guardians were good. The brewers are excellent. The Mariners were excellent. Those are considered like small market teams. It's hard for me from the Northwest. I think of Seattle, a small market that feels kind of big to me and Microsoft and Starbucks and Downtown and the Waterfront. But you know, in baseball, maybe it is. But here's Dave Roberts, Dodger manager. And if the, if the Dodgers product, if it's bad for baseball, you know,
- [10:05]
Rob Parker
you always have to have somebody that teams and fans, you know, enjoy disliking and that's good for sports. I think I was one of those guys that didn't like the Yankees, but saw their value with the sport. I think scouting and player them. I think we do as good as anyone in baseball of that to get superstars to play well every night, to put out a good product every single night. I think we do a good job at that.
- [10:35]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, just fine. Lead the sport in road attendance. Cubs second, Yankees up there. Better the product. The more good products, the more stacked rosters, the better it is. Okay, so I like Rich Paul, LeBron's agent. Interesting guy. He's very powerful guy in the NBA. But we showed you a video yesterday of Luca and JJ Redick Saturday night against the warriors having a confrontation on the sideline. And J.J. redick tried to talk to him. Luca blew him off. Reddick chased him down the bench, grabbed his arm, sat there and kind of got into his grill. And it was pretty clearly a confrontation. And J.J. redick wasn't letting him walk by him and blow him off. He came down, looked him in the eye, did some barking and then left. And then Luca got up and Vanderbilt jumps in the middle. Rich Paul says that is very healthy for the relationship.
- [11:35]
Alexi Lawless
Here he is.
- [11:37]
Rob Parker
That leads to A healthy relationship because that means that there's a profound respect for the player and there should be a profound respect for the coach. And I think it ultimately leads to a healthy relationship when things happen in such a media robust environment that we're looking for the drama of it all and we want to talk about the drama of it all. But the reality of it is, hey, these guys are getting paid a lot of money to do a high level job.
- [12:11]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, totally disagree. NBA is a star driven league. KD got his feelings hurt, left Golden State. LeBron didn't like David Black. David Black got fired. LeBron had his issues with Spo a great coach. He left Miami and didn't even give Bosh and D. Wade a heads up. Magic and Paul Westhead famously didn't get along. Magic got him fired. Rick Carlisle didn't see eye to eye with Luka's lack of defensive effort. Rick Carlisle was excused. This is a star driven league. It's totally different in football. Andy Reid and Travis Kelce can go chest to chest and Jeff Saturday and Peyton Manning can scream at each other and Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady can scream at each other. And Ben Johnson can be ticked off at Caleb Williams and Sean Payton and Bo Nicks on the sideline are barking at each other. And it's fine in football because football's not star driven. The football culture doesn't pander. The football culture, you can get cut. The coach has power too. So does the general manager. You need each other. You're not making $22 million a year on shoes and sports apparel. And the reality is there are no guaranteed contracts. And accountability is really important in football. The basketball culture is get drafted at 19, sign your supermax at 23, and if you don't like the coach, he Seacrest out. That's the basketball culture. So JJ Redick and Luka are not necessarily built to be best friends. JJ Redick was known as a grinder, an intense grinder. As a player, Luka, it made headlines this summer when he actually worked out. Hey, have you heard pro athlete jogging. I mean, they're not the same. Cat Luca is gifted. At 13 years old, things come easy for him. JJ Redick was a grinder in the NBA. And remember this? Five of the last seven Coach of the Year awards in the NBA. Five of the last seven. Five of the last seven aren't coaching the team they won the award for. It is a player league. So if there's animosity, this ownership group did not hire J.J. redick. And when J.J. redick got the job. What was the headline quote, lebron's buddy gets the head coaching job. I'm not sure how long LeBron's in town, meaning his buddy could be in trouble. So I don't buy the, oh, you know, there's a high paid guy. Our football culture is different. I mean, teammates come to blows during practice in football. Football is about accountability. You can get cut, there's less guarantees. You're not worshiped at 13. In fact, half of the players on the NFL rosters were undrafted. They're late bloomers, late developers. Their bodies take a while to rev up and catch up, you know, and that's not NBA. At NBA, you can spot the talent by 14, 15, 16 years old. I mean, Luka is playing for Real Madrid at 16, Tom Brady at 16. You know, at 16 years old, like you have your first crush. A lot of parents don't like to let their kids play until they're like 15 in football. So I don't buy that. It's just Kumbaya. It's just the way it is. I mean, again, I'm not saying it's the end of the world, but don't confuse basketball culture. When LeBron was blowing off Spo when he got to Miami, there's a lot of pieces of video. I remember going to a couple of games and a lot of times LeBron and Spo did not see eye to eye. LeBron left Pat Riley and Eric Spoelstra to go back to Cleveland. Some of that was LeBron wanted his way and he was the best player in the world. But, you know, I don't, you know, I don't think it's all just fine. J. Mac. Pretty convincing argument by me, you'd have to admit.
- [16:25]
Kelvin Washington
You patting yourself on the back there. Listen, I think it's actually a decent argument. I don't hate it, Colin. And I think it leads to why the basketball culture in America is so dominant among all the sports. That's why young people follow on social media. They love their athletes in the NBA. They're more popular than NFL, Major League Baseball.
- [16:44]
Colin Cowherd
All the numbers bear it out. It's an individual sport.
- [16:46]
Kelvin Washington
Exactly. And they think the basketball players are badasses. LeBron's dunking on someone. Luke is talking smack to his coach. He's not taking that garbage. Like there's, I know football players are tough, you know, because they're rugged and
- [16:57]
Colin Cowherd
beat each other's just different.
- [16:59]
Kelvin Washington
Yeah, the culture in the NBA is unbelievable. And I think that's why young people in America gravitate toward it. You go on a basketball courts. Yeah, you go to go to some Chicago basketball courts today. You see a lot of Luca step backs, a lot of LeBron dunking, a lot of jawjacking. You don't get pickup football games. It's just, it just doesn't really happen.
- [17:16]
Alexi Lawless
Yeah.
- [17:17]
Colin Cowherd
Interesting stuff today. Remarkably, as we get ready for free agency in a week, I think it's a week out starting tomorrow. There is one player who apparently has no market and I am shocked by it. Next, it's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, it's Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington
- [17:48]
Rob Parker
from the Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio. And in addition to hearing us live weeknights from 7 to 10pm Eastern on Fox Sports Radio, we are excited to announce brand new YouTube channel for the show.
- [18:00]
Colin Cowherd
That's right, you can now watch the Odd Couple Live on YouTube every day.
- [18:06]
Rob Parker
All you gotta do search Odd Couple FSR on YouTube again. YouTube. Just search Odd Couple FSR. Check us out on YouTube and subscribe.
- [18:17]
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- [18:46]
Alexi Lawless
All right, two truths and a lie. Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwain. I began my broadcasting career doing play by play for the Las Vegas Stars. And I've been a Verizon customer for 15 years.
- [18:59]
Colin Cowherd
Okay, I lied.
- [18:59]
Alexi Lawless
All three are true. Verizon isn't as expensive as you think. In fact, if you bring in your ATT or T mobile bill to a Verizon store, they'll give you a better deal. That's right, a better deal on the best network with the most ways to save on plans, streaming and phone deals. So take that at and T or T Mobile builder Local Verizon store today get a better deal and start saving based on root metrics. Best overall Mobile Network Performance U.S. 2nd Half 2025 All Rights Reserve must provide recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply.
- [19:35]
Public Advertiser
Support for the show comes from public.
- [19:37]
Nick Wright
Huh, I wonder if this can beat the market.
- [19:40]
Colin Cowherd
Everyone's talking about the NASDAQ 100, but
- [19:44]
Nick Wright
let's get more specific.
- [19:46]
Colin Cowherd
Software Actually, too broad.
- [19:49]
Nick Wright
How about software that's already profitable?
- [19:52]
Colin Cowherd
Companies that beat the last five quarters. Oh, and I want founders who are marathon runners. That's discipline.
- [20:00]
Nick Wright
Yeah, let's see what that looks like.
- [20:02]
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- [20:44]
Alexi Lawless
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- [21:36]
Colin Cowherd
Network Per the athletic that's almost like this is journalism. There is no current market in a league desperate for quarterbacks. There's no current marker for backup Mac Jones in San Francisco. So there's a market for small, injury prone and expensive Kyler Murray and tua. There is reportedly more journalism, a market for Anthony Richardson who can't consistently complete underneath throws, drag routes and screen passes. There's a market for Geno Smith, a turnover machine, Jimmy Garoppolo who hasn't played in years and Philip Rivers who was on a couch for half a decade and is athletic, as athletic as the microphone I'm talking into. Philip Rivers had a market. Mac Jones has none. He's 27. He was second in the NFL in completion percentage last year. Young, accurate, inexpensive, seasoned. You know what this is? This is the ultimate insider respect to Kyle Shanahan, Kyler Murray, Garoppolo, Geno Smith, Anthony Richardson and Philip Rivers have markets. And Mac Jones wouldn't work with Kevin o' Connell in Minnesota or Shane Steichen. I mean, Colts have a good O line, Jonathan Taylor at running back, ample weapons. Offensive coach. Mac Jones wouldn't work there. I mean, I am. I mean, this is people inside the league paying respect to Kyle Shanahan. So, I mean, if I. If there were five quarterbacks, draft and free agency or trades that I would take that I think are the five best on the market. Fernando Mendoza is absolutely number one. He. He'd be my number one. I would say Mac Jones would be by two because he is so inexpensive. I think Malik Willis, despite the scarcity of starts, is a really interesting addition. I'd go Ty Simpson, sit in for a year. And then Aaron Rodgers is cheap. So if there was a fab five of available quarterbacks, I'd have. Mac Jones may want to raise eventually, but I mean, seasoned, young. Also, Sam Darnold spent, you know, some time sitting on the bench behind Brock Purdy with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. He reemerged in Minnesota and crushed it. Now, I think Mac Jones is a pretty heady kid. I think playing behind Mac Jones, Brock Purdy playing with that ecosystem. With Kyle Shanahan getting a handful of starts, what do you get? Five and three and eight starts. I mean, this is Mac Jones during combine week on his current aspirations. I learned so much this year, and I've obviously been coached by some great coaches, and I know. I know a lot and I've learned a lot, but I really learned a lot this year. It's definitely motivating for me. I feel like I can get back and do that, and I have my swag back, and I feel like that's important to me and I can go out there and win games for forever. Yeah, the. I mean, listen, I think. I think Shanahan's great, but the first thing Mac Jones said is, boy, I learned a lot. You go talk to Sam Darnold about his year two and however long he was in San Francisco, I think it was a year he talks about. I learned so much from Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan. So I mean, I, I, I just am. I, I mean, again, I'm not saying it's Fernando Mendoza, and I'm not saying he's as talented even as an old Aaron Rodgers. But the price tag? A draft pick. I mean, the Colts gave up two first rounders for a corner who didn't finish last year because it was banged up. I cannot believe a Kevin o' Connell or a Shane Steichen isn't interested at all. But real journalism? I thought it was all. I thought it all dried up. The athletic reporting. There's no market. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific
- [25:54]
Apple Pay Advertiser
pay around the corner and around the globe Apple Pay is accepted at millions of places worldwide. Wherever you see the contactless symbol in stores or the Apple Pay button online and in apps, whether you're checking out on iPhone or Apple Watch, just double click pay and be on your way. Add your debit or credit card to wallet and you're good to go. Pay the Apple way Terms Apply.
- [26:22]
Alexi Lawless
All right, two truths in a lie. Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwain, I began my broadcasting career doing play by play for the Las Vegas Stars, and I've been a Verizon customer for 15 years.
- [26:35]
Colin Cowherd
Okay, I lied.
- [26:36]
Alexi Lawless
All three are true. Verizon isn't as expensive as you think. In fact, if you bring in your AT and T or T Mobile bill to a Verizon store, they'll give you a better deal. That's right, a better deal on the best network with the most ways to save on plans, streaming and phone deals.
- [26:51]
Colin Cowherd
So take that AT and T or
- [26:53]
Alexi Lawless
T Mobile Build to your local Verizon store today, get a better deal and start saving based on route metrics. Best Overall Mobile Network Performance U.S. 2nd Half 2025 All Rights Reserve must provide recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply.
- [27:11]
Public Advertiser
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- [28:18]
Alexi Lawless
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- [29:09]
Colin Cowherd
Network here we go. It's hour two. Alexi Lawless going to be showing up hour 300 days out from the World Cup. So I Mike Sando who does excellent work, he pulled four executives in the NFL and he said, you know, forget all these mock drafts. Four executives in the NFL. Give me your top 10. Give me your top 10 mock draft. And couple things just jumped out to me. Fernando Mendoza, Arvell Reese, David Bailey, Carnell Tate who feels can't miss bunch of Miami guys. Makai Lemon the receiver. Jeremiah Love the running back. Peter Woods, Clemson 0 SEC guys. Four NFL execs who used to fall over themselves to draft sec guys. 0 sec guys in the top 10. I'm telling you the nil has been a Netflix Uber level disruptor, the transfer portal and the NIL that they have hurt the sec, college basketball and college football. They don't have the money. I mean think about Alabama football. They have a first round quarterback, potentially a first round tackle offensively and an excellent head coach. Blown out by Indiana men's college basketball. Current AP poll top 151 SEC team. I mean just let me read you the teams ACC Big 12, Big 10, UConn. SEC. Big 12, Big 12, Big 10, Big 10, Big 12, Big 10, Gonzaga. ACC. Big 12, Big 10. One SEC team. I mean, that it is. Five years ago, we were worried about the lack of competitive balance in college sport. And I think it's funny, when the SEC was paying players, everything is rosy. Now that it's above board, we've got a real problem. College football and basketball. Now the problem is down south. One basketball team in the top 15. Top 10 according to Mike Sando. Four NFL execs. No. Best receivers, Big Ten, best back, Notre Dame. Best O lineman, Utah. Miami. Wow. Joel Klatt on the lack of SEC talent in the NFL draft. Poignant. Joel.
- [32:10]
Alexi Lawless
Clap.
- [32:12]
Colin Cowherd
You know, it's something. I mean, it was weird to watch. Alabama's got a great coach, great quarterback, a great left tackle and just gets housed by Indiana. And for the record, I thought the NIL would change college sports and make the Big Ten and the ACC more viable. I did not think it would become this. And this is nobody in the top 10. I will say I think the best corner I saw play college football this year played at lsu. I do think they have the best corner, but I mean, and Fernando Mendoza didn't even come from the SEC to go to Indiana. He was at Cal, whatever conference they're in now. So it's Cal to Indiana. So again, we all knew the transfer portal and NIL would change, but it's distinct. Here is clap. In my mock 1.0, I had 10 players from the Big Ten in the first round and only nine from the SEC. That's obviously a vast difference than what we saw in the late 2000 teens. 17, 18, 19, when it was just SEC littered with the SEC in the NFL. Best running back, Notre Dame. Best wide receiver. A debate between Carnell Tate and Makai Lemon, both from the Big Ten. So even the skill is sitting outside of that footprint, which is something that we haven't seen in a long time. And it's not going anywhere. Back to back to back. Natty's by I mean the Big Ten basketball conference and the Big 12 are a mile above the SEC this year. And if you go look at the quarterback play next year in the Big Ten, returning quarterbacks. I've never, ever seen a singular conference with eight quarterbacks who I think could play on Sunday, seven or eight. I mean, I think it's getting worse. I think the gap is growing. I mean, if you go look at the quarterbacks coming back to school next year in the Big Ten, it is incredible. The Pac12 was always a quarterback conference in their best year. I mean, there was. There was a year.
- [34:19]
Alexi Lawless
Was it.
- [34:19]
Colin Cowherd
Was it the. The Nick fs, Andrew Lock, Matt Barkley. There was a year the pack 12 had a several. You know, I never thought Matt Barkley was a top NFL prospector. Nick Foles, Andrew Luck was. But it's like double this year in the Big Ten with that Nick Wright. First Things first is joining us live on a Tuesday. So I like Rich Paul. I think he usually makes a lot of sense, but he said something about the J.J. redick, Luka Doncic, kerfuffle on the sideline. And I mean, it's confrontational and blowing somebody off. And J.J. redick is a. He's a, you know, he's a guy that's combative. He's going to give you his opinion.
- [35:01]
Nick Wright
Smug. I think smug is fair. Yeah. A little full of himself. I mean, we've known JJ Redick for 20 years. Yeah, he's kind of the same guy he's been since he walked onto the Duke campus. Smart guy, good coach. You know, I don't know if I would enjoy a round of golf with him. Maybe I would, but go ahead as you were.
- [35:23]
Colin Cowherd
So Rich Paul says very healthy. He said coach and star conflict healthy. And I said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. In the NFL, Andy Reid, Travis Kelsey, now that's the football culture, right? Y' all need each other. The basketball culture is LeBron didn't like David Blatt. Luca didn't like Rick Carlisle. Kawhi didn't like pop. KD got his feelings hurt in Golden State. The NBA is different. Come into the league at 19, supermax, 23, 24. The coaches, I mean, Spo and LeBron had their issues. LeBron left didn't give him a heads up. Like, I don't buy into this. Oh, it's no big deal. Do you?
- [36:07]
Nick Wright
Well, I don't think it's nothing. I maybe don't think it's quite as big of a deal as it appears. You do. Listen, Luca annoys his coaches. Luca annoys a lot of people. Luca, his incessant griping at the officials and kind of stubbornness in style of play can be grading for I think his coaches, his management, fans of other teams. Now it's the tax on a guy who this year, in what is universally being regarded as a down year, is going to win the scoring title, is scoring 33 a night and giving you 8 rebounds, 9 assists to go along with it. And so the Juice is obviously Worth the squeeze. Yes, I do think it is incumbent upon coaches, even young coaches like jj, even former players like jj, to remember I'm not allowed to be immature. The player is. It's unfair. But that's reality. Like we saw the other night, Chris Finch tell Anthony Edwards, pass. When you're double teamed. And Anthony Edwards then got triple teamed and took the shot anyway, made it, and then started screaming at Chris Finch, this is who I am. This is what I do. And Chris Finch just kind of had to eat it in the moment. And then privately they can chat. They have a great relationship because players can be emotional, players can be immature, coaches can't be. So I wouldn't have thought this video was a huge deal. What I like about it the least is, and I don't know if it's going to loop one more time, it start. The confrontation starts because Luka won't give JJ a handshake. Like, if you really watch what happens here. Al Arrington pointed this out on the show yesterday. Like, JJ's trying to give Luka five. Luka won't do it. So Luka walks away. And they go back and forth and they're barking at each other. And then watch the end before JJ walks away, Luca relents and puts his hand out to get right there to give him five. And JJ won't give it to him. Like, you didn't give me five, I won't give you five. And that's what got Luka going. Now shout out to Jared Vanderbilt for playing peacemaker.
- [38:25]
Alexi Lawless
Right.
- [38:26]
Nick Wright
But I just don't. I think JJ cannot meet Luka's immaturity with his own. JJ is the literal adult, the coach. He has to be, I think better than that. And he also has to recognize this in this moment right now, Luka Doncic is way better at his job than J.J. redick is at his. Luka Doncic is one of the handful of very greatest players in the league. Even with his flaws, JJ Redick has not earned that distinction yet.
- [38:59]
Alexi Lawless
Yeah.
- [39:01]
Colin Cowherd
Don't you think everybody, you know, J. Mac thinks I'm constantly hating, but LeBron is older. But that said, he played well immediately with Austin Reaves. He actually was the best teammate AD's ever had. He worked with Kooky JR Smith. Kyrie Irving was a. Was kind of a broken brand in Cleveland before LeBron got there. I mean, Dwyane Wade and LeBron never really fit, but it worked. LeBron works with everybody. It's like salt in a kitchen. It's good on everything. And my Take is yet when LeBron and Luke are on the floor together, it's the Lakers worst tandem. Doesn't that give you a little pause on that? Jalen Brunson becomes a star when he leaves him. LeBron's struggling to make it worse work. Doesn't that give you some pause with Luca?
- [39:52]
Nick Wright
I. I do. It does give me some pause, however, not enough to overwhelm the fact that that I saw this guy be in my opinion in the discussion for best player alive and carry an underwhelming team to the finals. Now it does not long ago that a year and a half ago he's in the finals with again. Kyrie's a really good player, but not a superstar. And it was role players. What is definitionally true is Luka is not easy to build around. You need specific archetypes of players to build around him.
- [40:37]
Colin Cowherd
Yes.
- [40:37]
Nick Wright
And to me, what is such a shame of the Lakers squandering last year their first year with Luka and this year is the reason they didn't have the right pieces. The right players to put around Luka Doncic is because they didn't have the right pieces put around LeBron James because it's the same type of player. Who do you need for old LeBron James? Defenders and three point shooters. Who do you need for young Luka Doncic? Defenders and three point shooters and they didn't get them. And so it is a. He is not an easy of a fit to plug into a team as Kevin Durant. Like Kevin Durant just drop on any team. He's going to take his 17 shots, he's going to score his 27 points, going to be awesome. Luca is different. What has surprised me is this Colin LeBron this year career low in usage rate. That's not surprising. He's 41. He's in year 23.
- [41:36]
Colin Cowherd
This would be the Luca before the year I said, folks, there's going to be a gap LeBron and Luka Luke is going to take over the offense. So LeBron doesn't have the ball that much.
- [41:45]
Nick Wright
And that, and that part's fine. LeBron being at his career low makes sense. What doesn't make sense is Luka's usage rate this year with the Lakers is higher than any year of his career with the Mavs. So it doesn't make sense that Luka with LeBron who is no longer one of the 10 best players in the league, but still one of the 20 best players and Austin Reaves coming on that Luka actually has a higher usage rate than he had when he was playing Daniel Gafford and P.J. washington D. That is confusing and confounding and not ideal for the Lakers path forward.
- [42:24]
Colin Cowherd
One of the things that's always been true in the NBA and as I was watching the spurs and the Knicks on Sunday, I watched the whole game and one of the things that's always been true is if you're a talented team that doesn't have a title, you play harder in the regular season. And then once you get the title like in Oklahoma City last year or a Celtics team, you know, a little different vibe. That Bulls team with Derrick Rose, you know, they played like it was game seven of the Finals all regular season. So I'm watching the Knicks. Their net rating I think leads the league. They very good defense against a kind of worn down San Antonio team. But I still see a completely flawed team that will get to the postseason. And you can hunt their two best stars, Jalen and Cat. You can just go after him or do you think there's something. There's a secret sauce, Mike Brown. It's different because right now this is about as well as they have played in the last two to three years.
- [43:19]
Nick Wright
Yeah, I mean I think that they have to be. I was actually at this Knicks spurs game and it looked like the spurs were going to blow them out of the water. They were up I think 22 to 7 early. And then the Knicks just hit an onslaught for the next hour and the game was over. I do really like this Knicks team. I think it is it. It makes sense the way it's built. If your two best stars, one is going to be undersized in Jalen Brunson, the other is going to be a defensive liability in Cat. If those are going to be your two leading scorers, then you must build the exact type of supporting cast they built. They built with og, with Hart, with Mikhail Bridges, Mitchell, Robinson length and defense on the wings, a good backup center. I like the addition of Alvarado. I do think that they are more likely to use their depth this year with Mike Brown than they did with Tibbs. And so I do. The team makes sense. And the east does feel wide open. I think Detroit is really good and Detroit has dominated the Knicks this regular season.
- [44:26]
Colin Cowherd
Detroit's a very limited half court offense. They don't have a dependable great second score. You know, in the playoffs when you can just basically drop a game plan for five games against Kate Cunningham, you know there's a ceiling with Detroit.
- [44:40]
Nick Wright
That's what worries me. I I, I maybe wouldn't be quite as, as, as adamant as you, but that they were Detroit, it worries me a little bit like Houston did last year where it's like, man, this is a really good team having a great season, but can you trust him to go get a bucket in a seven game series repeatedly? Other than Cade, I don't know. So Cleveland I don't trust at all. And then there's Boston, which if Jayson Tatum, I believe is coming back soon, if Jayson Tatum is even 80% of Jayson Tatum by the playoffs, they're the team to beat in the East. But right after them is New York. And because Tatum's coming off an injury, I think the Knicks are a very live threat to make their first finals this century, which would be awesome. And then listen, going into the finals last year, I don't think anybody thought Indian Indiana had a shot. They find themselves in game seven with a lead before Halberton goes down. You make the finals, you can win the title.
- [45:42]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I got about five questions I could ask you here. And I, and I, and I, and I got one more. Fernando Mendoza met with Matt Hasselbeck this weekend and he said, I know I'm a goober. And, and Hasselbeck said, you know, I, I played with Andrew Locke. Just lean into being a nerd. And Mendoza is a funny player. Like we've. I talked about this earlier. Cameron Boozer is not flashy. Either is Cade Cunningham. There's a lot of guys in the NBA that aren't flashy, but they're really winning players. Kaminga's flashy, Ja Morant's flashy. Zach Levine's flashy. Zion's flashy. Like in the NBA, the culture flash sells. Like, I totally get it. Fans wear their favorite basketball players gear, so you're more loyal to a player. Even if Zach Levine doesn't win games in football, there does feel like there's this reality is that a lot of the great quarterbacks are kind of nerds, are kind of not cool. How do you land with Mendoza? You, you don't love college football, but you watch a lot of sports. What do you make of the nerd thing? I don't think it will tell. Adam Morrison came into the NBA out of Gonzaga. I remember a GM telling me he will not fit in the locker room. He's just too odd. But it doesn't seem to matter in football.
- [47:09]
Nick Wright
No, I listen, if the quarterback's great, then I don't think it really matters. I think luck is a good comp. I think they're, you know, it worked until it didn't for Russell Wilson who has a unique personality. You know what I mean? Nobody cared so much as long as he was still a really good player player. So my concern Mendoza is less about, you know, his column, very unique interview style and all of that. And it's more this. If we were to take Colin, all of the quarterbacks taken in the top 10 in the last five years, where would he stack up? And that's where I fear like that this is. He is the number one quarterback kind of by default. Like is he a better prospect than, you know, Caleb Drake, Jaden? No. So he's at BET in that class. He's at best fourth.
- [48:12]
Colin Cowherd
He's not better than Gilbert or Burrow either.
- [48:15]
Nick Wright
Oh no. And that's going back even further. He might be end up a better player. He's not a better prospect than Trevor, but I think we can go. I don't know that he is. He's. I do think he's a better prospect than Cam Ward was who also felt a little bit by default the number, you know, the, the number one pick of the draft. And so it is. I look at him as he would make a ton of Sense as the third quarterback off the board in the 12th pick of the draft. But because it's a quarterback draft where Ty Simpson is going to go the second quarterback, he's the number one quarterback by a mile. And that's again not putting a ceiling on what he can be. I the, you know, your guy Bo Nix, I didn't see it at all. He's had an awesome two years. A lot of people love JJ McCarthy. He's fighting for his job. So I'm not, I'm not saying it's definitive on what he'll be, but this is not to me the type of number one pick where it's like, man, how lucky did the Raiders get? It's more like, okay, you might have your guy. That's where I land on Mendoza.
- [49:32]
Colin Cowherd
Hey, any World cup story that listen, it's on our soil. I think it's going to be. It's the most since I was a kid when I'm sold that when soccer started the best player we had was Kyle Rote Jr. Who was looked like more of a football player. But he was the best guy and he loved soccer. And so, you know, and then we got into, you know, Clint Dempsey, Alexi Lawless, Landon Donovan and now we're a point with Christian Pulisic.
- [49:57]
Nick Wright
We got real players.
- [49:58]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, well, we have, we have strikers, we have goal scorers that play internationally. So I do think we're a top 12ish. Maybe we're better than that on home soil. What is your thought on the World Cup?
- [50:10]
Nick Wright
So that, listen, if you can tell from my setup behind me, we're, you know, we're 100 days out from the World cup and our set looks like it. We do have Chris Richards on the show later today. So I'll give you one U.S. take and one outside of the U.S. take for kind of storylines 100 days out for the U.S. this is the way fans should look at it. They are going to get out of the group stage, particularly because this year with the expanded field, it's 32 teams make it out of the group stage instead of fewer as the way it used to be. So it would be a catastrophe not to make it out of the group stage. They'll make it out of the group stage. The goal should be. Let me rephrase it. The expectation should be make it to the final 16 and the hope should be make the first quarterfinal in my adult life. You said they're around the 10th to 12th best team in the world. That's about right. Can you play a little above your seed because it's at home and get to the final eight and set up the biggest American soccer game in 32 years? That would be. That, to me, is a realistic hope. Anything past that is gravy and anything short of the final 16 is a disappointment. And if somehow they were to not make it out of the group stage, it's an utter travesty. Like. But I don't think that's going to happen. So that's for the US and for the world at large. Spain is a deserving favorite. And what I there you have arguably two of the three greatest soccer players ever for in Messi and Ronaldo four years ago. I don't think anybody thought either one of them would be playing in this tournament. Both of they're both playing. Assuming health. Both of their teams, particularly Messi's, the defending champ, have a legit shot. So all of that with my own personal storyline of. You talked about your life growing up watching soccer. My life growing up watching soccer. It was who's going to get to lose to Brazil, because Brazil's just the best.
- [52:21]
Public Advertiser
Yeah.
- [52:21]
Nick Wright
And the last 20 years, Brazil has been wildly disappointing in this tournament. They have only made one deep run and it ended in a 71 loss in the semifinals. Brazil's talented enough to change that. This year I Wonder if they do. So there's my little World cup primer, which I am super into. You always preface. You kind of undersell my college football affinity because I'm not a nerd like you. I like college football, but I love the World cup and so I'm super excited.
- [52:54]
Colin Cowherd
No, it's going to be unbelievable. June is usually a dead time for our business. It is going to be a the biggest June of our lives, certainly at Fox.
- [53:06]
Nick Wright
Speaking of Fox stuff, can I give you one other plug? How about this? What a great. If I can pat myself on the back. Company man I am. Guess where I'm going this weekend, Colin. Now, is it to cover the event? Maybe. Do I just happen to be there? No way to tell. But I'll be in Tokyo for the World Baseball Classic. I'm going to go to some games, go to some WBC games. I'll be a man on the ground for first things first. You always joke. Our show with an unlimited budget. We're sending a correspondent to Tokyo to watch Japan take on South Korea Round 1 of the World Baseball Classic. How about that?
- [53:42]
Colin Cowherd
I'm impressed. I will tell you it'll be good. Bitter at your unlimited budget, but I'm impressed. It'll be good seeing you, buddy.
- [53:49]
Nick Wright
See you, buddy.
- [53:49]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. World Baseball Classic. Yeah, I was just. I mean it's, it's, you know, when you watch the hockey team which everybody but sports writers loved in America, men's and women's. And then you watch the World Baseball Classic and then you got guys like KD are like, yeah, I want to play for the country as much as everybody's like, you know, these athletes, these pro athletes, these guys care. Ohtani's there and Bryce Harper's gonna be there and it's gonna be fantastic.
- [54:17]
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