Best of The Herd

Summary

"Best of The Herd" Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
• Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
• Description: The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.
• Episode: Best of The Herd
• Release Date: May 1, 2025

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1. NBA Playoffs Breakdown: Lakers' Sudden Exit

The episode kicks off with an in-depth analysis of the Los Angeles Lakers' unexpected exit from the NBA playoffs. J.J. Redick critiques the Lakers' strategic decisions, particularly highlighting coach Chris Finch's unconventional approach in Game 4.

"Simplest explanation. Chris Finch and his staff worked. J.J. redick and his staff and Minnesota's best players outplayed the Lakers best players." [02:02]

Redick emphasizes that Minnesota's superior size and effective use of star players like Rudy Gobert were pivotal in overcoming the Lakers, who appeared fatigued in crucial moments.

2. Coaching Decisions Under the Microscope

The discussion intensifies as Redick scrutinizes the Lakers' coaching strategy of maintaining the same five players throughout the second half of Game 4, a move he describes as "historically bizarre."

"J.J. redick's insistence to play only five guys the entire second half of game four, which is bizarrely. I mean, it's historically bizarre." [03:55]

Ethan Strauss supports this viewpoint, arguing that youthful coaches may sometimes make inexperienced decisions under pressure, which can cost teams dearly in high-stakes games.

3. LeBron James: Performance and Future Prospects

LeBron James' performance during the playoffs becomes a focal point, with Redick noting signs of fatigue affecting his gameplay.

"LeBron wasn't terrible in the fourth. He was clearly exhausted." [06:27]

The hosts speculate on James' future, discussing possibilities of retirement or continued dominance in the league, and how his decisions will impact the Lakers' trajectory.

4. The Role of Physicality and Officiating in the NBA

Strauss critiques the NBA's officiating standards, pointing out inconsistencies that lead to increased physicality and player injuries.

"When you can't trust that the rules are going to be called, they're going to use their bodies in ways that are not safe, and guys are going to get hurt." [43:44]

Redick echoes these concerns, highlighting how fluctuating officiating policies disrupt the flow of the game and compromise player safety.

5. NFL Insights: Rams vs. 49ers and Brock Purdy's Contract

Shifting focus to the NFL, Redick and Strauss analyze the competitive dynamics between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. Redick criticizes the 49ers' contract strategies, particularly concerning quarterback Brock Purdy.

"The Rams are drafting, they're hitting on more draft picks, they're using more discretion, and they're not top heavy." [52:30]

The conversation delves into Purdy's contract negotiations, comparing his situation to other NFL stars and discussing the broader implications for team building and roster balance.

6. Controversial Relationship: Bill Belichick and Jordan Hudson

A significant portion of the episode examines the controversial relationship between NFL coach Bill Belichick and Jordan Hudson. Redick and Strauss dissect the age disparity and the financial entanglements, questioning the professional boundaries involved.

"They are both benefiting in multiple ways from each other." [47:13]

Strauss adds context about the pressures and dynamics within professional sports relationships, emphasizing the potential conflicts of interest and ethical considerations.

7. Future Projections: Team Strategies and Player Development

Wrapping up, the hosts project future scenarios for key teams and players, emphasizing the critical role of coaching decisions, player health, and strategic planning in determining playoff outcomes.

"This is a tricky situation. If he doesn't lock in, it's not going to be like Dallas where everybody's just happy to have him there." [52:53]

Redick and Strauss discuss the necessity for teams to adapt and evolve, using examples from the Lakers' recent performance to illustrate the importance of responsiveness and flexibility in coaching.

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Throughout the episode, J.J. Redick and Ethan Strauss provide a comprehensive and critical analysis of current sports events, blending statistical insights with personal opinions. Their discussions offer listeners a nuanced understanding of the factors influencing game outcomes, team strategies, and player performances.

Notable Quotes:

• "Chris Finch and his staff worked. J.J. redick and his staff and Minnesota's best players outplayed the Lakers best players." — J.J. Redick [02:02]

• "J.J. redick's insistence to play only five guys the entire second half of game four, which is bizarrely. I mean, it's historically bizarre." — J.J. Redick [03:55]

• "When you can't trust that the rules are going to be called, they're going to use their bodies in ways that are not safe, and guys are going to get hurt." — Ethan Strauss [43:44]

• "They are both benefiting in multiple ways from each other." — J.J. Redick [47:13]

This "Best of The Herd" episode serves as a vital resource for sports enthusiasts seeking in-depth analysis and thought-provoking discussions on the latest happenings in the NBA and NFL.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[J.J. Redick]

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[Ethan Strauss]

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[J.J. Redick]

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[Ethan Strauss]

Games for the Lakers.

[J.J. Redick]

Great. Okay, here we go. Simplest explanation. Chris Finch and his staff worked. J.J. redick and his staff and Minnesota's best players outplayed the Lakers best players. I mean, Austin Reeves a no show. LeBron last couple of games looked tired and Luca's worst qualities were exposed. There was a late sequence in this game with about 245 left. It was a late sequence where Julius Randle blew by Luca and scored. Okay, so he blows by Luca. It's right here, just blows by him and scores. On the other end, Luka misses a layup and then complains about it to the referee. And while he's complaining, the T Wolves in transition ant scores on the other end from a two point game to ball game. Luka Daisical. And by the way, I'm not saying the Mavs won the trade with the Lakers, but Nico Collison slept very well last night. Harrison. Excuse me, Nico Harrison slept very, very well last night. Listen, LeBron, in the fourth quarter, the last two games, you saw it. He was tired. He was gassed two for nine from the floor. And the Lakers in this series, in the fourth quarter, they got worked. And that was about a tired LeBron and a coaching staff in Minnesota that pulled all the right levers. The lakers in the fourth quarter scored 17, 13, 20, 19, 16. And J.J. redick's insistence got very stubborn. His insistence to play only five guys the entire second half of game four, which is bizarrely. I mean, it's historically bizarre. That's the only thing I can say. I'm not a coach. It's just historically, I've never seen it. I've never thought it would be discussed. This is a small ball team that was already outsized the entire series and out rebounded the entire series. So you're the smaller, less physical team and you're going to play your guys the entire second half. And one of them is in his 40s. Okay. And J.J. redick, before the game, got very defensive about this. Is there an assistant or someone maybe.

[Colin Cowherd]

That you'll lean on tonight?

[J.J. Redick]

Maybe to try to get, you know.

[Colin Cowherd]

Some other guys involved if that opportunity presents?

[J.J. Redick]

Are you saying that because I'm. I'm inexperienced and that was an inexperienced decision that I made. Do you think I don't talk to my assistants about substitutions every single time out? No, I just think there's a lot.

[Colin Cowherd]

Of coaches lean on their assistance in those situations.

[Ethan Strauss]

As do I.

[J.J. Redick]

Every single time. That's a weird assumption, bro. It's not the moment to be the coolest, smartest guy in the room. You went heavy small ball with the oldest star in the league. You didn't sub him. And LeBron looked tired in Game 4 of the end, and he looked tired last night. Plus Minnesota, which was already a bigger team, leaned into their size. Rudy Gobert, a defensive player, might as well have been Wilt Chamberlain last night. He was unstoppable. That's on coaching. And by the way, J.J. what is maxi Kleber doing on the floor late? This was a coaching mismatch. Julius Randle, Ant McDaniels, Gobert, they outplayed the Lakers players and the T Wolves own the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter is not just the stars quarter, it's the coaching quarter. This is not a complicated breakdown. Better coach, better decisions, a more complete roster, and better fourth quarters. I mean, LeBron wasn't terrible in the fourth. He was clearly exhausted. Probably not going to play him an entire second half when you're already the smaller team. And by the way, Chris Finch and his, his, his guys, his staff, they, they were already bigger. They made an adjustment to make Rudy go bear the centerpiece last night. And you're playing late. Maxi Kleber, what are we doing here? So in the playoffs, let's be honest about it, their truth serum, Austin Reaves, y'all love him. But in the playoffs, when it's the same teams playing the same guys night after night after night, Austin Reaves moves into town. You're Tired? You played last night. He drops 22. Wow. He's undrafted and Minnesota exposed him. They sent their drafted, better athletes at Austin Reeves and he didn't do anything. The playoffs are truth serum. And the truth is this Laker roster is incomplete. J.J. redick made a bad decision in game four and got defensive about it. And the fourth quarters t wolves players, we're better than the Lakers stars. It's not a shot at LeBron or even Luka. Although can we now all be honest about Luca's conditioning and defense. They're going after him regularly. Here was Charles Barkley on JJ Redick's pushback anger and rigidity. He just is a little sensitive now because, listen, one of the things that people say, they never watch television. We all lie, all jocks watch television. And he's been getting criticized the last 48 hours for playing those guys. And he's just sensitive. Just say, hey, you know what? If I had, everybody's afraid to say I was wrong. All he had to do is say, hey, you know what? I shouldn't have played those guys the whole second half. And. And that's it. Then. Then it would have been over. We always consider in America football to be the coaches sport. But you get into the playoffs and I watched this series and I'm not just saying this because I don't know JJ Redick, I know Chris Finch a little. But there was one coaching staff pulling all the right levers on this. And Minnesota, I mean, it was so obvious last night. Remember we talked about this yesterday. They were a six and a half point underdog. I'm like, are the Laker players getting taller? Is LeBron getting younger? Like they were bigger and they leaned in to Rudy Gobert. So they clearly, as a staff said, guys, we got an edge here. Size doesn't get smaller fast. Guys can get slower over a series, but size doesn't get smaller. And they just went all in on Gobert and he was unstoppable. Rudy Gobert, his entire career has been stoppable, completely stoppable. Last night he was unstoppable. I mean, Maxi Cleaver playing guys in the entire second half. I'm sorry, Coaching better players, better levers, pulled better roster. Okay, here's another thing. So I have been on this topic. The warriors got smoked and I mean, they waved the white flag eight minutes in. Good for Houston. I'm going to be wrong on this series. Golden State is going to go back home and probably win it. But I've been on this forever. You don't need seven games in the first round. When this league was at its Most popular with MJ, first round was 5 games. League was never more popular. It's all greed. I mean, you all told me Florida's gonna win the national championship in a sudden death tournament in March. They did okay. Four number one seeds made the final four. Okay. You don't need seven games to learn. Water's wet. So what happened last night is it was an embarrassment for the NBA. I mean, it was a white flag. Raise it three minutes into the game. The other thing that happened is Houston, the bigger, longer, more physical team with a lot of energy and a lot of good young players, they went after Steph Curry's hand, or at least that's what people are claiming, that they were grabbing him and banging on it. And I got to be honest, I'm not sure it's. It's a bad strategy. I mean, if you know that a team is already mailed it in, it'd be one thing if the game was close. You couldn't worry about that. You'd have to worry about the game. But Houston's like, yeah, the game's over. All right, let's. Let's leave a little bit of damage here, and let's grab and clust and push and bang on Steph Curry. And whether they did it purposefully or not, when you're playing games where one team has decided, hey, let's just take the flight home and wrap it up, you gave Houston an opportunity to think about some things, not have to worry about game strategy to maybe make this one a little more interesting when you go home. So this is why I've said before, first round should be three games. Well, what if Blankety Blank loses? Yeah, what if they do? College basketball has significantly inferior basketball to the NBA. Yet March Madness gets big ratings because you have to watch the games. You have to watch the games. But yet the number one seeds all show up. Florida, you told me they were going to win. Does why you don't need. You don't need seven games first round. You don't need. I don't think you need five. I'd go three games into five finals. Only for historical purposes. We can play seven. I would have no problem with the Finals being five, but World Series, NBA Finals, it's been seven. Let's just do it that way. But I thought this was a bad look for the NBA. And I'm looking at stats this morning is the average margin of victory in these playoffs. And there have been great games and great Series, it's the second highest ever. There's been too many unwatchable blowout games. And I mean, wave the flag, four minutes in games which gave the Rockets a chance to go step hunting. And here, here was Steve Kerr after.

[Ethan Strauss]

Players are going to do whatever they're allowed to do.

[J.J. Redick]

And so after every, on every release, you know, Steph's getting, getting hit, but it's basically within the rules. So this is how the league wants it right now. And you know, I know we got.

[Ethan Strauss]

30 coaches who all think it's, it's.

[J.J. Redick]

Just idiotic that we allow this. So players all over the league are.

[Ethan Strauss]

Just taking shots at guys, shooting hands.

[J.J. Redick]

After release because they know it's not going to be a foul. Yeah. Here's the other thing. Why I do not like a seven game series until the finals. One of the things all leagues want, I mean, if you were Major League Baseball, if you're Rob Manfred. I want Aaron Judge playing for the next 15 years. I hope he's wobbling out to the field. He's a star attraction in the NFL. I want Patrick Mahomes playing forever. That's why the NFL doesn't let you hit the quarterbacks. Keep your icons forever. You want all your stars playing in the Brady years in the basketball world. You want to extend Steph. The way to extend him isn't have him play meaningless games which your entire staff and organization acknowledges. Let's just get back home. I mean, Stefan Butler did not have a point. Between the two of them in the second quarter, a decision had been made. I'm not knocking the decision by Kerr. I'm not knocking the decision by the Warriors. They don't have the length, the size, the dexterity and frankly, they don't have the youth. They can't give you a great game and a loss. They're like saving the energy. I would do it too. Draymond, 30s, Butler, 30s, Curry, 30s. Pod's the only young guy they can count on. But I thought this was another example of what are we doing here. No reason this should be a seven game series. And it was. And Houston said, all right, you're going to mail it in. We can mess around a little. And whether they did or not, it's not illegal. All right, J. Mac, we, by the way, for those wondering about Steph, we have a picture of his thumb. It was bad going in. It's probably worse this morning. And you know, Steve Kerr was speaking for a lot of coaches when he said, you know, you're letting all this physicality happen. Again, I I am for physicality. You're against it. You know, you're more finesse, I'm more power. I'm not against it. I just think too much is too much. You want Curry getting hurt? You want Tatum getting hurt? I mean, geez, you lose Anthony Edwards or something to a goonish foul next round, it's like, come on, what are we doing? I just don't love the big time physical play. I'm sorry I'm not a huge fan. Okay, we got good stuff today. Rachel Nichols will have more about this coming up. Just a fun day. The Lakers are done and and I've mostly been a LeBron defender, but oh boy, here we go. Will he retire Willie? Will he not? We'll talk about that coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[J.J. Redick]

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[Ethan Strauss]

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[Unknown]

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[J.J. Redick]

All right, welcome back. You're now entering the no Bull Zone, sponsored by Credible Great Rates. None of the bull. For the record, just to tell you, and I, and I think it's fair to say I'm not somebody that bangs on NBA coaches a lot, but Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert last night are out playing LeBron and Luca. That's coaching. Like, right? That. That is coaching. Part of that is playing Luca and LeBron in game four, the entire second half. I know they have a couple of days off, but they also had to fly cross country or, you know, Minneapolis to la. Three and a half hours. You know, you get in late, you got to shoot around the day of the game. Like. Like LeBron needs time off. That's why LeBron was more effective early in this series and in first halfs than late. So it's just a coaching decision I don't agree with. But the fact that Julius Randle, who had never been a great playoff guy, had a tremendous series. That's Chris Finch and the staff. And he. It was game one. It was like, guys, they don't match up with him. And then Rudy Gobert looking like Wilt Chamberlain last night. That's the best playoff game he's ever played. Why? That's. That's matchups. That. That's matchups. So, I mean, and we don't. We don't talk a lot of coaching. We talk about MJ this, MJ that. Michael Jordan was in Chicago and was really good, but he wasn't winning big titles in fourth quarters until Phil Jackson showed up. Coaching matters in this sport. So, listen, I've been a LeBron defender. I mean, 99% of the stuff, a little bit of the too much brawny kind of manufacturing stuff there, I don't love, but it's his son. I get it. But this is where LeBron's critics, you know, they've always said, oh, he plays the victim, he extends drama. And I, you know, whatever. He's a superstar in America. It happens. But he was asked last night if he's coming back. We all know the answer to this. Here was his thoughts. I don't know. I don't have the answer to that. Something I sit down with my family, my wife and my support group, and kind of just talk through it and see what happens and. And then just have conversations with myself on how long I want to continue to play. It's a business, too. So you don't know what the roster.

[Ethan Strauss]

Will look like next year besides the.

[J.J. Redick]

Guys that's locked into contracts. So we don't. I mean, I got a lot to think about myself, so I don't. I don't know what the roster will look like. I don't know what I'm. You know where I stand right now. I do. As one of the 10 best players. You're coming back. This is what he said last year after they lost to Denver. There's been a lot of comps to Tom Brady for LeBron, and they make sense. Totally committed. Winning late in their career, bizarrely good for their age. But this is where he's got a little Brett Favre kind of seeking, you know, assurance drama. Please come back. Stop. LeBron against the Timberwolves, struggled in fourth quarters. He should for his age, but he did average 25 and 9. That was second on the team and first on the team, by the way, his last 15 playoff games, he's averaged 27, 8 and 8, shooting 54%. He's a top 10 player in the game. He looked tired in this series. Yeah. Game four, second half had a lot to do with the last two fourth quarters. Sorry, that's on JJ Redick. I don't care if you asked LeBron, hey, man, can you play the entire second half? You don't play LeBron the entire second half. What you saw at the end of game four and the end of game five is LeBron basically losing his legs. Doing a great job defensively, but he didn't have his jumper, and he didn't have quite the burst, which is totally explainable. So, LeBron, you're coming back. Just ask yourself this. If LeBron announced his retirement in a week, would it not be shocking? Of course it would. If LeBron announced in a week he's coming back, would you be shocked? No. And that's why we don't need the drama. We all know the answer here. He's got another son he enjoys. I mean, listen, Luca was disappointing, but you didn't tell me he's not going to come back for Luca, who will probably be in, if not great shape, better shape. LeBron's coming back. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. 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, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. 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. We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and 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.

[Colin Cowherd]

So we all made mistakes, right? But owning up to them, it's the right thing to do. But we all know Degree Cool Rush deodorant well last year they changed the formula and it did not go over well with the fans. The grease, whole thing. It turns up sweat and other protection when you turn up the effort. And good thing it does because Cool Rush fans really turned up the effort to bring back the OG formula. One guy even started online petition and degree listen they admitted they effed up and are bringing back that OG Cool Rush sent back and it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. It's back at Walmart, Target and other stores for under $4. There's a reason why it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. It's the same reason why people are not happy when the recipe was changed. So listen, if you've never tried, it might be a good time to try. See what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart or Target and try the OG Degree Cool Rush for yourself.

[J.J. Redick]

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[Unknown]

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[J.J. Redick]

At the end of the season, there's only one team that can call themselves NBA champs. Only one player that can call themselves the number one pick in the NFL draft. Well, there's only one electric SUV worthy of the title. The Ultimate. The all electric BMW ix. What I love about the IX is that it delivers legendary BMW performance while its sleek design exudes innovative style from the inside out. Not to mention how much space and utility it provides. Over 75 cubic feet of cargo space, the IX is completely changing the game with an all electric suv. The greatest legends of sports never compromise any part of the game, so why would you settle for anything less from your suv? After all, there's only one ultimate the BMW ix. Everything you love about the ultimate driving machine Electrified. First of all, Tom Pelissaro was on the Rich Eisen show yesterday and said the Niners and Brock Purdy are not close. He thinks it'll get them, but he said, hey, they're not close. And my take on that is if brock Purdy wants $57 million a year. And his agent, not necessarily a well known agent, want 57 million a year. It should not be close now. Do not cave. He's got a year left on his contract and there are people like a Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen. I will pay early. Max Crosby. Oh, you can identify certain players after a year in a camp. Oh yeah, he's beating all of our tackles. Yeah, he's got 11 sacks. Let's sign him early and get a better deal. That's not Brock Purdy. But let's be brutally honest about here. The Niners biggest rival is in their division, the Rams. And it felt like three or four years ago the Niners had the edge. The Rams have passed them and blown by them. McVeigh eight years, missed the playoff once and he's got a trophy. Shanahan eight years, missed the playoffs four times. Last year was bad, no trophy. And by the way, the rosters right now, the Rams have far more good, young, inexpensive players. And that's why, that's why you can keep Matt Stafford. So I'm looking. One of the primary reasons I think the Rams have blown by him. The niners pay Christian McCaffrey, Patreon Williams, I get George Kittle. You gotta, you gotta start making decisions here on safeties and linebackers and right tackles and, and you can't pay every receiver. You can't pay Debo and Iuk. Right. And so the Rams have a much better defense and they're paying nobody on that side. They have the better quarterback, I think they have the better coach, arguably they have the better offensive line. You have to use discretion on this stuff. And I think this is a classic example, is that, you know, the Rams are a little like McVeigh is, a little like the Godfather. It's not personal, it's business. And they've told Vaughn Miller that and they've told Jalen Ramsey that, and they told Jared Goff that, and they've told multiple people that. They told Matt Stafford that. We really like you. It's not personal, but this is the number. I'm not letting Brock Purdy push me around. And I say this all the time, you know, like your sports, love your family. Don't run onto the court like Halliburton's dad, you know, shoulder. Hire an agent. Right? Like, like love your family, like your sports. And this is the way when I look at The Rams and McVeigh and Les need, they like their players, but they move off Todd Gurley and Cooper cup and Jalen Ramsey very quickly. The Niners fall in love with players. Yeah, maybe Trent Williams in his prime. Just send me the check, I'll sign it. But I. You go look at the Dallas Cowboys. They're the example here. Dallas Cowboys pay a good quarterback A plus money. And look at that roster right now. Once you do that, you cannot whiff on draft picks. And it looks like last year Cowboys may have whiffed on a first round pick. And this year people are saying they overdrafted another offensive lineman. You start paying your big stars. The Niners have missed on some draft picks and the Rams have missed on like one interior lineman a couple years ago. So the Rams are drafting, they're hitting on more draft picks, they're using more discretion, and they're not top heavy. And so when I hear this story on Brock Purdy, people think, I don't like Brock Purdy. No, I don't like paying Brock Purdy 57 million. I love Brock Purdy at 31. I like him at 41. I'm not caving at 53. So. Okay, the Bill Belichick Jordan Hudson story has taken an interesting turn. So I had two strong opinions on this story. I now have three. My first opinion was bit cringy. He's 70 plus, she's 24. Then I watched the CBS interview, which she stepped in front of and like a professional, said, you're not talking about our private relationship. My second opinion was, it's still age wise, a little creepy. But in college football, old Bill needs this. He just happens to be dating it too, but he needs this. Then another story came out and skeletons are starting to be unearthed and reporters are starting to report. There was a story in the New York Post yesterday that Jordan Hudson has amassed $8 million in real estate, multiple homes, starting at the time she started dating Bill. Who am I to pry? Another part of this story is looking back at her family who had a fishing business that went bankrupt. Her mother moved to Cape Cod. And now I'll only say this once manages a sex toy shop and museum. Didn't know they existed. The museum part doesn't sound like the Smithsonian, but who am I to be snarky? The family's a little different. It does appear now I'll have a third opinion, which is they are both benefiting in multiple ways from each other. Whatevs. It's gone from cringy to crucial to crypto. I don't know what the hell I'm going to get tomorrow. That's why I don't invest in it. And here's the Thing. She is providing a service. Take your mind out of the gutter. She is providing a service as his social media director, and she'd like to be compensated for it. That's, I think, where we are. But let's go back to the beginning and my skepticism when this happened. What was my first opinion like, the day it happened? Bill doesn't even watch much college football. I can tell from his drafts he's terrible. Bill's an NFL guy. He's not spending Saturdays on the couch like his contacts. Like he'd call Urban Meyer or Nick Saban. What do you got for me? Herm Edwards. But I never thought of him as a college football guy. College football coaches. Nick Saban may seem grumpy. Nick Saban's funny. Nick Saban, social. Nick Saban's personal. I've been around Nick once or twice. He lights up a room. Nick is funny. He's a good storyteller. He can laugh at himself. That's not Bill. Bill's a pro football coach. And. And that's not a bad thing. But Bill never had this. Like Urban Meyer to me, always been a college football coach. Urban Meyer told me years ago, I love Urban. He's a friend. He told me years ago, I don't watch pro football on Sunday. I watch Ohio State game tape. Like, Urban took the job, made his money. He was always a college football coach. The NFL thing didn't fit. Bill was always an NFL coach. Then he brings Mike Lombardi, who I know he brought him over. Lombardi's an NFL guy. And I said this when it happened. I said, you think Bill Belichick had no patience for Robert Kraft? He had no patience for NFL owners. You think he's going to sit around and have an SID run the show or an athletic director or some goofy donor? Or that this was always an uneven relationship? The minute UNC gave him $10 million a year to a guy who'd never coached college football. Yeah, his dad coached at Navy, but he never showed any great inclination for it. In fact, the only reason this thing makes sense is because of nil, where Bill can now buy players and doesn't have to hop in a jet every 15 minutes and recruit guys. So I do think it potentially could work through nil, but this was an uneven relationship. Carolina was desperate, and Bill's like, all right, I want 10 million bucks. And, oh, by the way, if I want to leave in a year, I can. No other college contract is paying a guy 10 large a year plus, and he can just leave whatever he Wants to. It was always an uneven relationship. So Bill's going to do what he wants. And again, I do think Jordan Hudson. I mean, these stories, I don't know what to make of it. I just, they're both, they're, they're both benefiting. And you know, my wife does, you know, you know, she's, you know, I get a lot of. This is just inappropriate. Yeah, I get that crowd. Like, like. But this, you know, people get into relationships, whatever. I'm not here to judge. I do think she is providing something that he would not tolerate. Having some SID chase him around the field telling him he's got to talk to this radio station and that it's not going to work with Bill. That's just not his personality. And that was always my question. I'm like Mike Lombardi and Belichick. These are NFL dudes. Remember when Charlie Weiss came to Notre Dame and everybody was like, he's an NFL guy. He's a little gruff. And my take was Charlie tried. Charlie would go on shows. Charlie played the game. If Charlie Weiss was in the nil era, maybe it works better. He could just buy players. I think this, this model now can work for NFL guys. But this stuff that's coming out now, it's. Okay, I'll say it one more time. I don't know what a sex shop slash museum is. It doesn't sound like the Guggenheim. I don't know what it is. I. And here's the other thing. I don't, I don't want to know what it is. I, If I go to that town, I'm not stopping for red lights. If I, I'm just driving straight through that town on Cape Cod. This thing's getting weird. It is. It is bitcoin. Nobody knows what's happening tomorrow. Don't listen to anybody. There could be six other stories cooking on this. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. His name is Ethan Strauss, author of the Victory Machine, the Making Unmaking of the Warriors Dynasty. House of Strauss is his podcast. So I don't call out coaches a lot, especially basketball coaches, but over the course of a seven game series, as you know, you covered the warriors in the dynasty. Steve Kerr often pulled the right levers in a close series. And J.J. reddick's a kid. He went from player podcaster, coaching the biggest brand in the sport and he's gotten real defensive. What did you make of his game? For no subs. His reaction before last night's game and last night's game. Just your thoughts on the entire kind of moment for J.J. redick in the last 48, 72 hours?

[Ethan Strauss]

Yeah, it was not good. And I think J.J. redick is a really smart guy, and people who've worked with him in entertainment would say that he's a nice guy and he works well with others. So even if he comes off as smug, maybe behind the scenes, he's great to work with. But this conversation has opened up. Young coaches, they bring a lot to the table. They've got energy, they've got innovation. But when you're hearing George, Carl and some other older coaches push back, they do have a point. I think insecurity can be a problem with young coaches. And you know, Colin, you might like this. This might sound weird, but I think to win in the NBA, you have to be willing to lose. And some of these more inexperienced coaches, they're judged according to what just happened, and they might just get tight and have to win that game right there, play all their guys for an entire half and not see the big picture. There's an example of this with the warriors series where I think Udoka is a good coach, too, and he might win that series. But you know what drove me crazy, Colin, is that with a week to go in the season, the Rockets played the warriors, and they pulled this really smart move of having Shingoon guard Moody, which completely screwed up the warriors screening actions with Draymond. Really smart move. One problem, the playoffs hadn't started yet, and when they did it in that first game, one, the warriors weren't discombobulated. They ran Moody in a bunch of screening actions and they won it. So I think what you're seeing with some of these younger coaches is they get a little insecure and they're not willing to lose a game. And for that reason, they can lose the series.

[J.J. Redick]

Yeah. And I also think even a young NFL coach has leverage and power for a couple of years. I mean, in the NBA, you have a bad road stretch. You can get in trouble fast in this league. Mark Jackson thought he was secure. Mark Jackson's gone and into broadcasting. I want to talk about warriors because it actually sent a signal to me when they raised the white flag. Second quarter or late first against the Rockets, what it was telling you is, we're better. We'll go home. You don't give up a game in the series unless you feel like we're going to wrap up the series. But the physicality And Steph Curry's injury is fascinating. Kerr took a shot at the officials. You covered this league for a long time. I love the physicality. I don't think there's much of a downside to it, do you? Kerr sounds like he thinks there is.

[Ethan Strauss]

It's a balance. I love the physicality, too. I think people don't like when it's 140 to 130. I think there's a platonic ideal of an NBA game. I think they want it to be around 100 and they'll say they want the ref swallowing the whistle. But at a certain point when there are no rules, you got problems. There is that injury in game, too, that Jimmy Butler injury. And whenever something bad happens, people play the blame game. They go, oh, was Amin Thompson shoving him? Or did Draymond shove Almond Thompson? I didn't think anybody was at fault. I think if you look at that play, what you saw. What you saw was guys rebounding when there are no rules. And they can't trust that the rules are going to be called. And you can't trust that when you box somebody out, he won't go over your back. And you wouldn't want to go on the freeway if the night before they painted over all the lane lines. That's what you're seeing. You're seeing guys trying to get through the rebounding scrum like a defensive tackle, just throwing their body at the situation. And it's a situation where nobody perhaps is playing dirty. But in that kind of chaos, when you can't trust that the rules are going to be called, they're going to use their bodies in ways that are not safe, and guys are going to get hurt. So I think what fans want, they want an absence of bs. They don't want James Harden flinging his head back and throwing his arms up and going to the free throw line. And that's what you got to get out of the game. But you can't just do this stuff the NBA has been doing where one month they call no fouls, the next month they turn fouls back on. They got to have it, be consistent so people know what to do and what not to do. And the system is imbalanced.

[J.J. Redick]

This next topic, this is really built for you. I don't think the league needs a face of it, but if you do have a face of it, it probably helps. If it's a domestic star, not essential, but probably helps. We all know the NFL plays by its own galaxy and rules. Everybody else is struggling with Regular season ratings. Everybody else probably needs a face of the league. The NFL doesn't. Ratings were fine when Brady and Manning left. I think Ants it because as the kids say, and my staff was shocked. He's got Riz, okay. Like he leans into it. Do you think he could be the face of the league? And do they need it?

[Ethan Strauss]

Oh, yeah, they. I don't know if they need it, but it makes them better. And Ants just got that thing. He's got charisma, he's got an authenticity to him. He does some things off the floor that people don't like, but he's got that magical quality where you just forgive it and you don't care because in his presence, he's an entertainer and you just like to. You like to see what he's going to do next and you feel like he gets the big things about the sport, right? So I think he could be that guy. I also think Luca, I know it's hard to say in the aftermath of that defeat where people are sharing memes of him looking like James Corden in a Laker jersey because of how he's playing defense, but Luca can be. Even though he's from Eastern Europe, it feels like he can be a big star just because of the shock of his storyline and him being taken out of Dallas and now he's on the biggest brand and they're building the team around him and we see him cry when he comes back to Dallas. We get a sense of his personality. That situation in LA is one where he could be the big American sports star who's not American if it goes right. But that Lakers situation right now, a little precarious, a little high variance. We'll just have to wait and see.

[J.J. Redick]

So, I mean, at least for a week, Nico Harrison, if not validated, gets a little bit of a reprieve because I think now, again, I don't think JJ Redick did any favors. Having a guy with conditioning questions and an old guy playing every minute, that's just weird. But I said. I remember when I said this, I said, Lakers won the trade, but Luca is a much better Carmelo Anthony. There have been a handful of very few, but a handful of stars. James Harden, Mello Luca, they don't play on the defensive end and none of them decided eight years in, I'm going to be a great defensive. That's something like you're either into or you're not. M.J. kobe, it could be Kareem Most. Bird wasn't a great defender, nor is Steph. But they put forth an effort. Can you watch this series with Luca and say, okay, I get why Nico moved off him. He just didn't get close to enough. Did it validate at least taking the call and discussing a trade?

[Ethan Strauss]

I think it validated, validated that I think it will always be a bad trade because they didn't get enough. And if you're dealing somebody like that, you've got to build for the future in a Sam Presti esque way. When Sam Presti traded stars, he got a bunch of picks to build for the future. Nico with the win. Now, I don't think it made sense, but I do think we suppressed some issues with Luca and suppressed some criticism of him as a media collective because we wanted to hammer home how bad a trade that was. And that got us almost locked into a take. We all had the same take. 90% of us had the same take. This was a crazy bad trade. And because we were always looking for validation of that take, we weren't saying some stuff. We weren't going. They don't have a center. Yeah, they got great names in the marquee. The roster doesn't make sense. And by the way, it's crazy that a professional athlete isn't in shape. I mean, this is something that's expected of everybody in the sport. He looks like he's in worse shape than the coach and the gm. And you live with it because he's a prodigy and he's a genius and he's incredible. But there was this absence of criticism, this assumption it should all work out. And now you've got a situation in la. I think they're doing the right thing. Run it back, bring LeBron back. That's what it sounds like. Add some centers. But it's almost a little. It's a little bit of tension. So people are watching. They noticed that Luca and LeBron aren't really talking to each other on the court. It's a little like Shaq and Kobe, except this time the older superstar is the guy who's very goal oriented, keeping himself in tip top shape. And the young superstar is the guy getting out of shape and not taking things as seriously as you might want him to. And so that's a tricky situation. If he doesn't lock in, it's not going to be like Dallas where everybody's just happy to have him there. I think the Lakers fans at a certain point and the pressure is going to be a broader conversation of this continues and he's not doing everything he can do to win them A championship.

[J.J. Redick]

It's called the House of Strauss. I think it's also interesting is that if you go look at Nico Harrison, when they first made the move for Kyrie and Luca, initially it was. They couldn't stop anybody because they're both poor defenders. The trade deadline, Nico went and got size, and it literally transformed the team. So they told you how you have to build around Luca and JJ Redick in this series went small ball, which to me is. I mean, that's. That's a big part of this series was Minnesota wins, they fly to la and they decided to go even bigger against the Lakers. So I think Nico, for all the criticism he gets, he gave the Lakers an idea of if Luke is your star, if that. If that deal comes down with Charlotte in their center, we may be having a different discussion today. Did not Nico tell you how to build a team? He just gave Luka waif too cheaply.

[Ethan Strauss]

Oh, yeah, no. He showed them the blueprint, and it's have big defensive centers who are great rim runners and can catch a lob on the other side because Luke is great at throwing that lob. The issue maybe is just, does this all fit together? It's almost like people are very captivated with this three of a great thing with playmakers and shot creators in Luca LeBron and Austin Reeves. But I. I like Austin Reeves a lot. I kind of wonder if this is a situation. Not saying these are exactly similar teams, but there have been these situations like in Portland, where, looking back, the Blazers should have made a choice between Lillard and McCollum and traded one of those guys for the sake of roster balance. I kind of feel that way about Reeves because I don't think you can get rid of LeBron, even if he's 40 years old, just because of his capital in the league. Reeves is somebody where, for the sake of roster balance, you might have to start shopping around in order to fill it out.

[J.J. Redick]

I totally agree with that. I. And by the way, in the playoffs, which have always been truth serum, he got exposed. He could not get to the free throw line. All right, Ethan Strauss. It's called House of Strauss substack as well. It's great stuff. One of my favorite, if not my favorite, listen when I go out for long walks, as always, Ethan, it's great seeing you, buddy.

[Ethan Strauss]

Thanks for having me, Colin.

[J.J. Redick]

All right. One of my favorite exercise podcasts, and that's when I listen to him. Ethan Strauss. Yeah. I mean, they. The Mavs kind of gave you a roadmap. You have Luca get rim runners. He'll get a Mali. Oops. And they're Julius Randall late in that or in that game. 245 to go. Julius Randle blows by him. You got a center that that's not a basket. And then, by the way, Lucas, stop complaining about stuff. With two minutes left in games, get back on defense. What are you doing?

[Ethan Strauss]

Okay, have you heard about this?

[J.J. Redick]

Last year, Degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant.

[Ethan Strauss]

Their fans rebelled and wanted the old.

[J.J. Redick]

SIM back and Degree listened.

[Ethan Strauss]

That doesn't happen often.

[J.J. Redick]

They admitted that they effed up and are bringing the original Cool Rush scent back. And it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason it's the number one men's antiperspirant and it's back in Walmart, Target and other stores for under $4. So try it and see what the fuss is about. Head to your local stores to try the OG Cool Rush for yourself. Interested in investing in Bitcoin but not sure how to get started? Well, with the Gemini Credit Card you can dip your toes into Bitcoin without even trying. Just spend like you normally do groceries, gas or a night out and instantly earn up to 4% back in Bitcoin or one of over 50 other cryptos straight to your account with no annual fee. The Gemini Credit Card is pretty much a no brainer and right now you can grab a $200 bitcoin intro bonus. So go to gemini.com card to learn more and start earning today. Terms apply. Again go to gemini.com card start building your Bitcoin stash now. Terms apply. The Gemini Credit Card is issued by Web bank in order to qualify for the intro $200 crypto bonus, your application must be approved by June 30, 2025 and spend $3,000 in your first 90 days. Terms of Apply Some exclusions apply to instant rewards, in which rewards are deposited when the transaction posts this content is not investment advice and trading. Crypto involves risk. For more details on rates, fees and other Gemini Credit Card terms, see Rates and Fees.

[Unknown]

Did you know? Women are more likely than men to develop dry eyes, which may be due to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle or after menopause and the use of oral contraceptives. Give your dry burning or irritated eyes a daily refresh with Refresh Optive Mega 3 Lubricant Eye Drops, a preservative free formula that provides fast acting, lasting relief. Refresh Optive Mega 3 is safe to use as often as needed. Find Refresh online or in the eyedrop aisle at all major retailers.

[J.J. Redick]

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