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- [00:00]
Colin Cowherd
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Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app. The code is herdherd for new customers to get $150 in bonus bets when you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas. 21 Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void In Ontario, bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance for additional terms and responsible gaming resources see DKNG co B Ball thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and 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. Oh, it is a Monday and we are gonna be loaded. Jimmie Johnson, the Hall of Famer in one hour with Colin Right, Colin Wrong. Live in Los Angeles, it's the Herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. And once again, I did not see any of the movies that won the Oscars last night for the ninth straight year. I used to watch all of them. Now I watch none of them. J. Mack, you know, you said, and I said, you know, you're a little ahead of yourself. It's that young man, that young stallion energy of yours. You had Luca turning the Lakers into Bill Russell's Celtics and I was like, hold on there cowboy. But I will say they leaned on Luca last night and something is happening here. You start looking at the last six or seven games with Luca. They didn't even have Austin Reeves and Rui last night and they won. And there was a brief moment as they beat the Clippers last night that we thought tech CEO billionaire Steve Ballmer would overtake the Buss family and the Lakers, Jeannie and Jim Buss were struggling to get along. Yeah, that idea has been squashed. The Lakers better today. The Lakers future much brighter last night. Luka huge first half of the Lakers once again bolt out to a lead. And the Clippers, desperate to have relevance in a star, have the unlikable Kawhi who's never available and rarely talks, and James Harden who can still give you numbers but was -18 + and -Last night. The Lakers have lovable Luca. Everybody loves Austin Reeves and Whether you love LeBron or not, you have to worship at the altar of his physicality, his biology. He is playing like he's 27 years old. And the Lakers have always understood this. And the Clippers in their growth and their ascension don't understand this. It's not just about having a star. It's about in Los Angeles, having the right star. This is not Indianapolis. This is not Orlando. There are stars everywhere. It's about having the right star. Kawhi, James Harden, come on. No, it's about having Jim Harbaugh as coach or Matt Stafford or Shohei Ortani or Luca. Luka is big, and that's. The Lakers have always done that. I mean, they've had some stars who were stoic, like Kareem, but they got him Magic, Pau Gasol, bit more stoic. And they've got Kobe. The Lakers have understood it's not just a star. It's Magic, it's Shaq, it's Kobe, it's LeBron, it's Luka, bigger than life. A lot of stars out there in the NBA that don't. Don't translate to wins. The. The other thing about the Lakers is they get stars. They're not desperate to get them. Same with the Dodgers. Dodgers and the Lakers aren't desperate for stars. They want to get stars like Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts who win games, who are great postseason guys, who can do multiple things well. And I mean, the. Comparing the Clippers and Lakers is Six Flags to Disney. You gotta be more than roller coasters. You gotta bring more in than roller coasters. And that's the difference with The Lakers. Last 22 games, their first, second and third in every analytic that matters, first in wins. And there's so much inherent love and tradition and history with the Lakers in Los Angeles and the Dodgers that if you bring in a catalyst like a Shohei or a Luca, they're not only the biggest game in town, they're the biggest team in their sport. So they've won six straight. And give JJ Redick credit. Didn't have Austin, Reeves. Didn't have Rui. They're playing incredible defense. As Anthony Davis, arguably the best defenser in the league, left, they're playing out of their mind. He's experimenting with small ball lineups. It's got a little warriors feel to it. They don't have to have necessarily a center on the floor at all times. I know a lot of people questioned Redick, and I may have wondered if Luca was in the right shape, but last night was Luka's night and once again, the Lakers night. And here's the coach after. And it just seemed like throughout the game, when we needed a bucket, when we needed him to draw a second, third defender, at times he was able to make the right play minus the six turnovers. But he played fantastic tonight. And again, it was that. That verve and that spirit of competition, but also just something that is. Maybe it's an inner demon, I don't know. But it comes out and it's. And it's Fantastic for us when it does. Okay, this can't be overstated for a lot of places in this country. It's just about getting a star. That has never been it with the Lakers. It's not just about getting a star. Pau Gasol was the right fit for Kobe Bryant, who could be ball centric. Magic Johnson was perfect to bring out the best in Kareem. And I. I think what you're seeing with Luca and the reason they made the move, they already had AD and LeBron 2 stars, but their takeaway was Luca will be better with LeBron. Luca on the Knights. LeBron is a little tired. Luca can score 30 points and take over the game. You never knew if you were getting that with ad. AD was a star. His personality, more. More number two, little more stoic, little quieter, more reticent. But. But again, it's not just about the start. Meanwhile, the Clippers have Kawhi Leonard, who's almost never available. They give him an extension. They just want a star. Just. Just give us a star. We just don't want to be irrelevant. The Lakers are never irrelevant, so they don't have to worry about they get the right star. And that's the difference between those two organizations. Six Flags and Disney both have roller coasters. One of them is beyond that. One of them is hotels. One of them is movies. One of them is films. One of them is working the late Steve Jobs, connecting to people's hearts, not just going up and down on a roller coaster. Right. So when I'm watching Luca last time, like, once again, the Lakers do it. It's not just that, hey, we got a famous guy. That's not it. Spielberg can get a lot of famous actors. He leans on the really, really box office draws who can draw people into a theater. That's the difference. And I thought this was interesting this weekend. So you know the 49ers. I'll get to this later. They'll be fine. But Debo Samuel got traded to the Washington commander. So this is something J. Mac and I have been talking about. I think we even talked about this December, January, like Debo was unhappy. You know, where he'd fit Washington. So this was a pretty easy one to predict. The two things that jump out to me with this deal. Number one, it's a perfect fit. So Washington's got a ton of cap space and Cliff Kingsberry's offense, which there's a lot of motion, a lot of tricks, needs a chess piece. Debo is not your classic number one receiver. He doesn't really separate, I think he's had 1,000 yard reception year and that was four years ago. He's, he's not Jamar Chase or Justin Jefferson, but Debo Samuel is a great chess piece and Shanahan is a chess master and Cliff Kingsbury as an offensive coordinator is a chess master. So Debo really works with about a half dozen teams in this league. So that's the first thing. He's a good fit. The second thing though, they only give a fifth round pick now. Think about that, a fifth round pick. Okay. The Dallas Cowboys in their division gave up a fourth round pick for quarterback Trey Lance. And basically every quarterback that Kyle Shanahan's ever had, he makes them better. Kyle Shanahan gave up on Trey Lance. The Cowboys gave up a fourth round pick for Trey Lance. It didn't play. It's third string behind Cooper Rush. They gave up a fourth round pick the Cowboys did for Jonathan Mingo, who I told you the day they did it. That's a terrible move. Mingo, by the way, last year had five catches for Dallas, like I'm telling you, moves. I'm a sportscaster. You can't just give away picks. And, and you see this in the NFL, you start making two or three great moves, you get a Jaden Daniels, you get a Debo for a fifth round pick, you get Kingsbury, he was going to be a Raider or a Bear coordinator. No, you steal Kingsbury with an aggressive deal and then you on the other side in your division, you overpay a quarterback who's a B dak and make him a plus plus money quarterback. And then you give away fourth round picks and all of a sudden, one year later, you look at the Cowboys in Washington two years ago, Cowboys are winning 12 games, Washington is a laughingstock. Today. The Debo move considered Washington's a better team, a better organization, a better quarterback on a much better deal. That's how quickly it happens in the NFL. I mean, look at the Cowboys coaching situation. It was a mess being Mike McCarthy, basically begging for a job. Got one with Dallas and said, no thanks, I'm out of here. And from what I can tell, Jerry Jones walked down the hallway at 1 Cowboy Place and said, what's your name again? Schottenheimer. I knew your father. Would you like to be coach? I mean, it was a mess. It was a Friday news dump. So that one of the things that's great about the NFL in baseball, you know, there's, it takes a while to go from awful to good. In the NBA, you got to land the right stars, it takes a while. I mean, the draft, it's a bunch of 18, 19 year old kids. They can't even get into the hotel bar. They're staying at the Ritz. But, but in the NFL, you get the coach, right? The quarterback, right? Two years of making good deals in the front office. Houston Texans laughing stock to playoff team. Washington Commanders laughing stock that they are now a better team, better quarterback, better GM Savvier coach. Oh, by the way, their coach, Dan Quinn, they stole from the Cowboys and, and it, it did not appear to be great for Dallas. So yeah, I thought this move, I mean, forget Philadelphia, they lapped the Cowboys years ago. But this, you start watching the Commanders right now. From stealing Cliff Kingsbury, who everybody, he wanted to go to Vegas and Chicago. Washington, he's a, he's more of a Texas west coast guy. Washington gets him. They draft Jaden Daniels. Remember, a lot of people thought they were going to draft Drake maybe. Nope, The Jaden Daniels move, they get an NBA ish guy, Adam Peters, the gm, make him a football guy. Now they get Debo Samuel, which, yes, it was obvious it would work. I only gave up a 5th rounder. Didn't even have to give up Jonathan Allen, a good defensive lineman in the, in the move, which, which that was rumored, didn't have to. So the Silver Star in Dallas becoming a bit of a black hole. That's what I feel like this morning. Does not take long in the NFL. Two or three missteps, overpay for a quarterback, you go from a big brand to irrelevant. That's Dallas this morning. Who by the way, Jerry did not show up, reasons unknown. To the combine. They're giving away fourth round picks. You overpay Dak. That is a third or fourth round team. If Matt Stafford would have gone to the Giants, I'd pick Dallas for last. Aaron Rodgers reportedly still in line potentially for the Giants. If that happens, I'd pick Dallas last. J. Mack, you were right on Luca and his relevance. You know what's really interesting? When JJ Reddick got the job, everybody's like, well yeah, he's got a little bit of a dooky ego. He's coaching the hell out of this team. They are, they are exper. I mean last night it's like, okay, we need more Dalton, Dalton connect. I mean we, we, we need more from other guys. You don't get Rui in the corner. You don't have Rui side, you don't have the playmaking of Austin Reeves. LeBron only gave you 17 you needed Luca to be more centralized focus of the offense. JJ Redick is becoming a coaching star. I think he's a coach of the year, without question in the NBA. By the way, when you saw the Clippers start double teaming, Luca instantly goes to the bench. Dalton cannot get in there and he.
- [15:42]
J. Mack
Starts getting wide open.
- [15:43]
Colin Cowherd
Threes hit. Five threes. That's as many as Kawhi and James Harden hit combined. I mean, Colin, this Lakers team, they're going to the finals. I've been saying this now for two weeks. People yelling at me, laughing, oh, making fun of Lakers.
- [15:55]
J. Mack
You watch this team.
- [15:56]
Colin Cowherd
I mean, that 22 game sample size you posted about earlier, that's like a quarter of the season. They're playing amazing right now. Yeah. How's OKC beating this team? Just tell me. And, and you know, it's. It's hard when you give up stars. I mean, Jimmy Butler leaves Miami with a great coach and they're rudderless. Yeah. To be able to get Luka going into his prime and still be a very good defensive team. And it's really true. The Clippers just want a star. The Lakers picked the right star. They had one with A.D. i mean, you could have argued. I mean, why move AD because the Lakers are like, we think this star plays better than a star that already won A title with LeBron. AD and LeBron did work. We think we can elevate another level of a Shaq Kobe combination, Kobe Gasol. Like, we think we can be better with Luca LeBron than AD LeBron. And AD LeBron was very good. Can you imagine when Lucas starts actually making three pointers like he was last night? Like he's probably at 80 to 90% coming back from the injury. Probably 80 once he finds his legs. Oh, my God. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Omaha Steaks delivers the world's best steak experience and it brings people together with more than 100 years of family owned expertise as America's original butcher. Omaha Steaks legendary filet mignons are extra aged to maximize tenderness and are tested to the highest standards to maintain the coveted distinction of USDA certified tender. And now, during their semiannual sale, you can get 50% off site wide@omahasteaks.com plus our listeners get an extra $30 off with the promo code herdherd at checkout. This weekend was a great time to bust open my Omaha Steaks assortment. Pack air chilled boneless chicken breasts, rib eye and steak burgers. Gourmet Jumbo Franks. They're great butcher's cut top sirloins and for dessert, caramel apple tartlets. Italian doesn't get better than this. From legendary steaks to classic comfort food, bring home that exceptional handcrafted flavor and convenience of Omaha Steaks. Every steak perfectly aged. Five generations of uncompromising quality Omaha Steaks has been America's original butcher since 1917. Don't miss the semiannual sale at Omaha Steaks. Visit OmahaSteaks.com for 50% off site wide and for an extra $30 off, use the promo code HERDHERD at checkout. That's 50% off at OmahaSteaks.com and an extra $30 off with a promo code Herd at checkout. With Amex, there's always a new experience to explore, from curating the perfect vacation and chilling in the Centurion Lounge before you get there trying out that new trendy restaurant. Thanks to priority notify with global dining access by resy and getting straight to the action at the big game with card member entrances at select venues with AMEX Platinum you can experience it all. That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms apply. Access to the card member entrance not limited to the American Express Platinum card. Learn more@americanexpress.com with Amex, you can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Cart has no cash access and expires in six months.
- [19:46]
J. Mack
Make some noise for the greatest shooter.
- [19:48]
Colin Cowherd
Of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Go Greatest of Their Era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
- [19:59]
J. Mack
Peja 5 Dirk Ford PA is a leak.
- [20:02]
Colin Cowherd
Okay, I'm mad him I left him off my list, but I still like my list. You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
- [20:10]
J. Mack
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations. Absolutely love it.
- [20:14]
Colin Cowherd
Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.
- [20:18]
J. Mack
When you have a scouting report and you're on the list as not just a shooter, but we have specific rules for how we guard you. There's a Fear factor that's associated with anytime you're wide open. Like, you might as well just count that and get on back on defense.
- [20:34]
Colin Cowherd
Listen to Go G O T E Greatest of their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. So every Monday I do.
- [20:43]
J. Mack
Right.
- [20:44]
Colin Cowherd
Wrong. This is a fun time of the year, by the way. We're getting into the NFL free agency. Debo Samuel, one of the first moves. It's going to be very busy next week. Plus, you love March Madness. I watched some college basketball this weekend to keep up with, you know, the guru over here, the Sven Golly for college hoops. I did go 8 and 2 on on Sunday. Posted the best. Yeah, I've never met anybody like you.
- [21:04]
J. Mack
One and three Sunday.
- [21:05]
Colin Cowherd
Not great, but all right. We do it every Monday at this time. It's called Colin. Right. Colin Wrong. Here we go. Where Colin was right. Debo to Washington. Both J. Mack and I thought this was an obvious one. He's a great chess piece. He's not your classic wide receiver, but for the right kind of play, designer Clif Kingsbury. I think it makes a ton of sense. He's only had 1,000 yard receiver, but I think, you know, I think Belichick in New England did this for years when they find chess pieces. Andy Reid does a good job with this. I like Debo. I think it was time to move on and I think Washington's the perfect fit. And we predicted it. Where Colin was right. We said Matt Stafford we thought would stay with the Rams, but the Raiders were making a real push. It's been announced yesterday the Raiders offered, and this was our guess, 100 million, 50 million guaranteed. Two years. I thought the Raiders would go to a third year to get him. They didn't and therefore he stayed with the Rams. I was told the Rams wanted him. They feel they're too close to a Super bowl and another trophy to move off him. Matt didn't make a lot of money last year relative to other star quarterbacks. He wanted a better deal. He'll get it. Where Colin was raw. I thought Travis Kelce would retire. I thought it was time. I thought he looked tired in the super bowl and he only had three playoff games. One touch catch. He still blocks. He's still tough. He's still great on third down. He's got a year left. And let's be honest about this. You'd rather have Travis Kelce on your team than not. He tends to be a very good big game player. But I had predicted that. I thought this was with Taylor Swift, his life, his podcast, it was a perfect time. He's had almost 10 surgeries but he's coming back at least for one more year. Where Colin was right. I love Kevin Durant but story this weekend he's going to get traded by Phoenix and he has been reduced to a guy that scores 27 a night on bad teams. And I think he's really valuable. I still think he's got two or three huge years left. I wish he would have considered the Warriors. He wasn't comfortable with that. Can't blame him I guess. But you know, five years ago we were talking about is he better than LeBron? And maybe he doesn't care but I feel like his legacy, I hope it remains all time top 10 stuff because he's one of the best basketball players I've ever seen. Where Collin was right, I didn't like Aaron Rodgers using his leverage to bring in Nathaniel Hackett and Alan Lazard and Devonte Adams. And story this morning the jets are going to move off Devonte Adams, who I like a lot. But in the end I think GM should GM coaches should coach. Quarterback should quarterback. Listen, you know how hard it is to be a good GM and a good coach quarterback should do what they do and that's okay. Aaron's a smart guy, but I never thought it was going to work. I didn't think having your buddies on the team matters. Sometimes being a great quarterb is being uncomfortable, not just comfortable where Colin was wrong. You know, I've been skeptical on Bill Belichick at college, but he has signed up for HBO Max. They do that Hard Knock show which no coach likes. He would never do it in the NFL and it tells me that Bill is a little bit more committed to the college game. And by the way, a couple of Bill's friends are Jimmy Johnson and Urban Meyer. So I mean he's got guys leaning on him if he has to have questions about it. But I've always thought this was kind of a one and done. But I think him going to Hard Knock shows Bill's willing to get uncomfortable because he would have never done this in the NFL and he's doing it now in college where Colin was right. Well, I predicted one of my five bold NBA predictions would Paul George and Joel Embiid would not even play 20 games together. And it's been announced that Joel Embiid shutting her down for the season so they will not play 20 games together. Listen, Embiid's an unbelievable talent, but bigs who get hurt early get hurt often. And this has been, we've got to be honest, been a disappointing career considering many were comping him to Shaq five years ago, where Colin was right, Ashton Genty, the running back from Boise State, announced this weekend. He said running backs are not only back, they're kind of integral to football. Yes, when the media a year ago said running backs are being treated unfairly, I said they're going to get paid. Running backs are a quarterback's best friend, especially in December, January and February when it gets cold and windy. They get first downs, they block for you. It's easier to find them out of the backfield. Running backs will always matter in the NFL. They create physicality, especially if they can do multiple things, which Genti can do. Look at Saquon Barkley's value, Derrick Henry's value in Baltimore. I think there's been a wide receiver bubble in the NFL. I never think there's a running back bubble. I will take a star running back. Physical toughness can block a little, catch a little any day of the week. Colin right? Colin Wrong on a Monday. One more herd the herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the iHeartRadio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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 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. This one's for the food obsessed for the phone eats first person for the influencer who knows about a new spot before it's popping and for the person who's all in on dining out with Amex Gold, you can earn four times points at restaurants up to $50,000 and up to $100 back annually in statement credits on eligible purchases at US resi restaurants so you can get rewarded for eating what you love. That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms apply. Cap applies. Learn more@american express.com With Amax, you can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile, keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heapandswitch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Cart has no cash access and expires in six months.
- [28:10]
J. Mack
Make some noise for the greatest shooter.
- [28:12]
Colin Cowherd
Of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Goat Greatest of Their Era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
- [28:24]
J. Mack
Peja 5 Dirk Ford PA is elite.
- [28:26]
Colin Cowherd
Okay, okay, I'm mad him. I left him off my list, but I still like my list. You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
- [28:34]
J. Mack
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.
- [28:37]
Colin Cowherd
Yes, absolutely.
- [28:38]
J. Mack
Love it.
- [28:38]
Colin Cowherd
Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.
- [28:42]
J. Mack
When you have a scouting report and you're on the list as not just a shooter, but we have specific rules for how we guard you. There's a fear factor that's associated with anytime you're wide open. Like you might as well just count that and get back on defense.
- [28:58]
Colin Cowherd
Listen to Goat G o T e Greatest of their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Mark Seal. And I'm Nathan King. This is Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli.
- [29:11]
J. Mack
The five families did not want us.
- [29:13]
Colin Cowherd
To shoot that picture. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli is based on my co host Mark's best selling book of the same title and on this show we call upon his years of research to help unpack the story behind the Godfather's birth. From start to finish, this is really the first interview I've done in bed. We sift through innumerable accounts. 35 pages isn't very much Many of them conflicting. That's nonsense. There were 60 pages and try to get to the truth of what really happened.
- [29:40]
J. Mack
And they said we're finished, this is over. It only is not gonna work. You gotta get rid of those guys.
- [29:44]
Colin Cowherd
It's just that Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli features new and archival interviews with Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Evans, James Kahn, Talia Shire and many others. Yes, that was a real horse's head. Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Well, Jimmy Johnson, I've said this before. There's been a handful of people in my life. When I used to do the weekend shows at Fox, I would hurry up and get the makeup on and then I would go into the break room and I would basically pester Jimmy Johnson for 30 minutes asking about pulling guards and SL receivers. And Jimmy Johnson would patiently answer all my minutia and nonsense. And he is joining us now live, the hall of Famer, the two time super bowl champ. So I owe you a debt of gratitude as I ask you about roverbacks and nickel coverage and dime coverage and you would smile at me impatiently as I sat there eating food and asking. And I just want to say thank you for that. Even in your off season you're willing to come on the show. So thank you. A genuine thank you from me, Jimmy.
- [30:56]
J. Mack
Well, thank you, Colin. As you know, probably the most fun I've ever had in my career, and that's counting Super Bowls and national championships, was at Fox Sports. You know, I have an absolute ball with my friends on the set and the best friends I've ever had there with Fox. And then I tell you, on top of that, you know, I love working for Eric Shanks, our CEO and our producer, Bill Richards. But I've made a extremely difficult decision. I've been thinking about it for the last four or five years and I've decided to retire from Fox and I'm gonna miss it. I'm gonna miss all the guys and I'll see them occasionally. But it has been a great run.
- [31:45]
Colin Cowherd
Starting back 31 years ago, you know, it's being met. I got a call this weekend from Shanks and this is something inside the building. We knew it was coming over the last couple years and they've talked you into it. One of the ways you are viewed in the building is the way you were viewed as a football coach. You're kind of the general manager and the coach of the show otherwise, you know, Bradshaw, he'll never stop talking. And you know, basically you have to, you have to coach the guys on the set. But. And don't be humble for a second. I think you loved that, is that you viewed your. That's how we viewed you. You were the coach on the set behind the scenes. And if you could for a moment share that with the audience. Why you love that?
- [32:34]
J. Mack
Well, you know, I guess it goes back to all the years that I coached. And you look at the guys on the set, you know, not only are they best friends, but, you know, I watched Terry play in college when he was at Woodlawn High School and we recruited him for Louisiana Tech. I coached Howie Long in the Blue gray game when he just left Villanova. I had Michael Strahan there in Dallas and I was going to draft him. And he reminds me of it many, many times. It was a mistake. I was trying to get him cheap and New York jumped in front of me so I wasn't able to draft him. I actually had a scout in his home on draft day. And so we're all very, very close. And Kurt Menefee was, he was in Dallas when I was in Dallas. And so it was just natural for me to be somewhat of a coach. And Bill Richards, who, you know, I love to death, you know, he kiddingly calls me my, calls me assistant producer because I would have suggestions on what to do on maybe our on the field segment, etc. So I just kind of played the same role that I played for many, many years as a head football coach.
- [33:48]
Colin Cowherd
You know, Jimm, a handful of people that have done it, none better than you. You were a dominant college coach. That's hard. Then you were a dominant NFL coach. I think that's harder. You were also then you're a Hall of Famer broadcasting Hall of Famer. They're all hard. How are you able? College coaching and pro coaching is different now. It's a little more similar now than it was in your day. Was there ever a moment? You're a Hall of Famer football broadcasting college. Do guys like you ever have self doubt? Was there ever a moment in Dallas that first year you thought this is a. I've been asked to chew a lot. I'm not sure I bit off too much.
- [34:36]
J. Mack
Colin? Absolutely not. I can, I can tell you the story and Dave wants it and Tony Wise, they can verify this. When I was at Oklahoma State University, I went to a little restaurant and we were struck. I said, you know, guys, hang with me. We're going to win a national championship. We were at Ancestor restaurant and we ended up winning a national championship at University of Miami because I took all of them with me and we were going through that one in 15 year. We went to a little Mexican restaurant right there close to Valley Ranch and I told the guys, I said, listen, I said, we're making some moves now that are going to hurt us in the short term. We traded our starting quarterback, we cut the leading receiver because he couldn't play the caliber that we wanted. And we made some trades, obviously trading Herschel Walker, but we made 51 trades in five years. And I told the guys, I said, listen, I know it's a real struggle right now, but you hang with me because we're going to win a Super bowl and that's it. I mean I might have sounded like a crazy man because we were going 1 in 15, but I said, we're making some moves now that are going to help us three years from now. And so you say, was there any doubt? No, there wasn't any doubt. And it wasn't that. We had a dream. And I said this at the hall of Fame induction. We didn't dream. We truly believed that we were going to get it done. I think if you believe that you're going to get it done, you work to make it happen. If you dream, you're hoping that it happens. But we work to make sure it happened.
- [36:13]
Colin Cowherd
You know, I think more than ever coach and quarterback and I've always said this, if you get the coach right and the quarterback right, everything else will work itself out. Every, you'll figure it out. I've said Sean Payton and Bo Nicks, that I got Sean, I got Bo Nix. I don't know what's going to happen if they win trophies, but they're going to be fine in Denver, they're going to be fine. But, but quarterbacks now make 70 million, 60 million. They're, they're social media stars, shoe deals. You didn't deal with that. But I, I still contend that the Andy Reid's and the Peytons and the guys like you, you just make it work. I look at you and Troy, Troy gets emotional. When, when you got into the hall of Fame. I'm watching that. That makes me emotional. What was the relationship even then? Because Troy was getting banged up, he was getting criticized. Quarterbacks go 1 in 15. They don't, you know, Dallas media was not giving you guys a pass. How did your relationship get so tight? Or was it always like that?
- [37:16]
J. Mack
No, it wasn't always right. I. I actually tried to recruit Troy to Oklahoma State there in Henrietta, Oklahoma. I was in his home when he was a sophomore and junior, and Troy was just here at the house two weeks ago. We had a strained relationship that first year because I drafted Steve Walsh with a supplemental pick, and I knew Troy was our guy. But I wanted to take Steve Walsh because quarterbacks are so valuable. I knew that I would be able to trade him. I actually started trying to trade Steve Walsh a month or two after I drafted him, but I had to kind of walk a tight rope because I couldn't brag on Troy knowing that I was going to trade Steve Walsh. So I had to kind of brag on both of them. I kept saying, we got two quarterbacks, but I knew exactly what I was going to do. And then I ended up trading Walsh for a 1, 2, and a 3. But that upset Troy that I didn't go all in on him that first year. But after the first year, then, you know, I started making overtures to Troy to get our relationship better. And like I said, we're best friends now. He was just here two weeks ago. So, yeah, again, it was a strained relationship because of the way we were dealing with things. Plus, we went 1 in 15. That'll strain any relationship. But it got better, and now it's fantastic.
- [38:42]
Colin Cowherd
You know, Bill Belichick, I remember when he left New England, I think he was grateful for Bob Kraft. But in the end, richer owners now, Jimmy, they're all billionaires. And the richer owners get. They'll just run. They'll 50 million to rounding air. They'll just blow out his staff. I have never seen more impulsive owners in my life. In the NFL, there used to be one crazy guy or two. Now it feels like half the league's owners think they're coaches. And when Belichick left, he acknowledged that you had relationships that may have been impulsive, but you turn it into championships. Do you think it's harder to coach today? I mean, there's a lot of ways it could be easier. But the owners, Jimmy, they're all billionaires. And that has a way of making owners think they know a lot more football than they do.
- [39:36]
J. Mack
Yeah, I think it's. It's more difficult with the owners. But what makes it a lot easier is if you got a great quarterback, if you got a great quarterback, that you can overcome a lot of things. But, you know, you're talking about billions of dollars. And, you know, Jerry and I, our relationship was fine for a while because he borrowed $140 million. He was trying to pay off that loan. So he spent all of his time trying to make money to pay off the loan. So he really didn't bother me. Now, once he got the loan paid off, after we won the first super bowl thing, he wanted to jump in the football business. But, yeah, I think the relationship with Bill and Kraft probably was a. At the end, I told Bill, in fact, he came down here right after he left New England with his girlfriend, and I was talking to him and I said, you know, yeah, the NF NFL stuff, but, you know, college football with the nil and the transfer portal, that's a headache. He said, yeah, but they were headaches in the pro football as well.
- [40:44]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. When you ultimately made this decision, if you just joined us, Jimmy Johnson has announced his retirement from fox. You kept coming back and we talked into it about four different times. That's the truth. And I. There are people in the hallway this morning that are a little melancholy about all this. How do you hope. I mean, you achieved everything. Three different hall of Fames. How do you hope you're viewed?
- [41:19]
J. Mack
How do I.
- [41:22]
Colin Cowherd
Obviously, you're successful. You're successful at three different hall of Fames. What matters if somebody. If I'd never met Jimmy Johnson, I walked up to somebody said, tell me about Jimmy Johnson. What, at a value level, what matters to Jimmy Johnson? Why? What? Your relationships, you know, the guys that.
- [41:40]
J. Mack
Were here, like I said a couple of weeks ago, some former coaches and Troy and, you know, players, etc. Yeah, they were talking about it. I said, you know, the thing I try to do is I try to bring out the best in everybody. Everybody that I came into contact with, and I tried to have some interaction. The way you bring out the best in people is you have interaction with them, you communicate with them. The biggest problems I ever had with anybody is when I didn't communicate. And that's what happened to Jerry and I on our relationship until it got fixed here later on is we stop communicating. And, you know, it. It never gets better if you don't talk about it. It never gets better if you don't interact. And, you know, not. Not necessarily, you know, pumping somebody up and praising them, but, you know, just acknowledging them, you know, and saying, hey, you need to pick it up a little bit. You know, maybe in a kidding way, but you need to have some interaction with individuals. But I tried to bring out the best in everybody that I came into contact with. I don't care what their role was. I don't Care how important they were. I don't care if they were a Hall of Fame player or an intern on our set. I tried. I tried to bring out the best in everybody.
- [42:57]
Colin Cowherd
How are you going to watch football next year and not say. And not send Eric Shanks written notes on email about things he needs to tweak?
- [43:10]
J. Mack
Colin, I've got three TVs set up and you know how much I love watching football. Terry Bradshaw, he told me that day before yesterday, he said, God, you're gonna be able to sit at home and watch all those college games without me and you're gonna watch all those pro games without me. I said, yeah, but I'll be watching them with a cold beer.
- [43:32]
Colin Cowherd
Absolute pleasure. One of the best people I've. And smartest people I've ever met in this business. And you've always treated not only people behind the scenes here, interns, producers, nobody sees. But I just want to put it out there. You treated me great. And I appreciate it.
- [43:49]
J. Mack
Coach Colin I loved every minute of it. And thank you. I appreciate it. And hey, thanks to Flock Sports. I mean, it was really the best time of my entire career. And you mentioned the hall of Fame, college hall of Fame, pro hall of Fame thing, broadcasting. The best time of my career was with. With Fox Sports.
- [44:12]
Colin Cowherd
Great to see you, Jimmy. Thanks, man. The great Jimmy Johnson retiring at Fox. You know, I had all these football questions I was going to ask him. Yeah, forget it. Doesn't matter. Let's talk about the stuff that matters for people that don't know. Behind the scenes, Jimmy was essentially, along with Bill Richards, that's been number one for, I think, 31 years in a row. The Fox show's been number one for 31 years in a row. Bill Richards is the producer. And it's a lot. It's a lot. There's a lot of live shows and it's. You do live television, you bounce around a city to city to city. It's a lot of work. It is hard. And on any given segment, it can go sideways fast. And the guy on the set, that was the glue. Menifee, the host, obviously, and. And Jimmy Johnson. And with that, we take a break. Jimmy Johnson retiring from Fox Sports. It's the Hurt. This is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser podcast. On a more serious note, I'm still thinking about that commercial with Tom Brady and Snoop Dogg hating on each other. Because when you listen to the reasons for hating someone or something, you realize just how stupid they really are. There is too much hate in this country, and it's gotta stop. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up, call it out, and you can learn more by following. Hat's upwithhate.
- [45:35]
J. Mack
Make some noise for the greatest shooter.
- [45:37]
Colin Cowherd
Of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Go Greatest of Their Era, and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
- [45:48]
J. Mack
Peja 5 Dirk Ford.
- [45:49]
Colin Cowherd
Peja is a link. You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
- [45:53]
J. Mack
That's so tough. That's why we tap these conversations. Absolutely love it.
- [45:57]
Colin Cowherd
Listen to Go T E Greatest of Their Era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This past season on my podcast, here's.
- [46:09]
J. Mack
The thing, I spoke with more actors.
- [46:12]
Colin Cowherd
Musicians, policymakers, and so many other fascinating people like writer and actor Dan Aykroyd. I love writing more than anything. You're left alone, you know, you do three hours in the morning, you write three hours in the afternoon. Go pick up a kid from school and write at night. And after nine hours, you come out with seven pages and then you're moving on. And actor and comedian Jack McBrayer. The most important aspect is the collaboration with people that I like, I trust are talented. That has been the most amazing gift to me about this crazy business that we've chosen. Meeting these people who have such diverse talents and you're able to create something together. Listen to here's the thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, you guys, I'm Katherine Legg. I'm a racing driver who's literally driven everything with four wheels across the planet. And I've got a new podcast. It's called Throttle Therapy. This season, I'm competing in some of the world's most notorious racing events. Events. Tune into my new podcast, Throttle Therapy with Catherine Legg, an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.