Best of The Herd

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – "Best of The Herd" (Released July 7, 2025)

The Herd with Colin Cowherd presents a comprehensive and engaging exploration of the most pressing sports topics of the day. In the "Best of The Herd" episode, host Colin Cowherd, alongside guest analysts LeVar Arrington and Jonas Knox, delves into a variety of discussions ranging from post-Independence Day fireworks incidents to intricate NFL quarterback dynamics and the evolving landscape of the NBA.

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1. Fourth of July Fireworks Frenzy

Timestamp: 04:00 – 16:47

The episode kicks off with a vivid recounting of the chaotic fireworks displays that marred the Fourth of July weekend. Guest Ryan Music shares a firsthand account of an alarming incident involving a portable fire pit that inadvertently attracted emergency services.

• Ryan Music: "The girls went up to light the fire pit and put five doro flames on there... the flame was giving off black smoke... the firemen come out... they thought the house was burning down."

This incident not only caused confusion among neighbors but also highlighted the dangers of unsupervised fireworks usage. Colin Cowherd expresses his bewilderment at the recklessness displayed by some individuals:

• Colin Cowherd: "The number of people that decide... to fire off four or five mortar bombs within close proximity to somebody's house, children, and cars... just see what happens."

The discussion extends to the accessibility of fireworks, contrasting the past when obtaining them required traveling to specific locations like Fillmore, California, with the present ease of purchasing them from various retail outlets. The guests lament the surge in non-stop fireworks displays, questioning their safety and purpose.

• Ryan Music: "From 9am literally from 9am to 1am it was non-stop. You could hear the fireworks going off non-stop."

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2. NFL Quarterback Conundrums: Justin Fields, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson

Timestamp: 17:07 – 43:27

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to dissecting the current quarterback scenarios in the NFL, with a particular focus on Justin Fields of the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Russell Wilson of the New York Giants.

Justin Fields and the Jets: Jonas Knox provides insights into Justin Fields' transition to the Jets, emphasizing the skepticism surrounding his potential success given his past performance.

• Jonas Knox: "He has the athletic ability about him and the possibilities of his trajectory still going up... I don't think you're going to get to the next level of competition with a quarterback that can't break 3,000 yards plus throwing the ball during the course of a season."

Colin Cowherd echoes this sentiment, expressing doubt about the Jets' organizational stability and its impact on Fields' performance.

• Colin Cowherd: "I am skeptical that Justin Fields has this success... There's a reason why Rodgers was open to going there, because he saw that, man, this is a place where we could win."

Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson: The conversation shifts to Aaron Rodgers' tenure with the Steelers and Russell Wilson's challenges with the Giants. The hosts discuss the lack of consistent high-yardage performances from these quarterbacks and the implications for their respective teams.

• Jonas Knox: "Kenny Pickett's best year in Pittsburgh was in 2022 with 2,400 yards. Russell Wilson had no more than 2,000. Justin Fields didn't break 2,000 in Pittsburgh."

Colin adds a critical perspective on the Steelers' leadership and their handling of quarterback selections, hinting at possible organizational dysfunction.

• Colin Cowherd: "If the ownership and culture remains the same... I don't think there will be enough growth... to turn into the culture that Aaron Glenn is probably hoping that he's able to do."

Comparative Analysis: The hosts draw parallels between these quarterback situations and broader team dynamics, questioning the future prospects of the Jets and Steelers based on their current quarterback strategies.

• Colin Cowherd: "If Justin Fields thrives in New York, that's a really bad look for Aaron Rodgers and a really bad look for Mike Tomlin."

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3. NBA’s Star Dependency and LeBron James’ Legacy

Timestamp: 43:27 – 62:43

Transitioning from football, the episode delves into the state of the NBA, particularly focusing on the dependence on marquee players like LeBron James and the league's struggle to cultivate comparable stars.

LeBron James' Influence: There is a profound discussion on how LeBron James has been the central figure in the NBA, driving conversations and maintaining the league's popularity. The hosts ponder the implications of his eventual retirement.

• Ryan Music: "He's the lifeblood of topics and discussion in the National Basketball Association. Oh, he's good at it, he's great at it."

Colin Cowherd raises concerns about the NBA's ability to sustain interest without a dominant star:

• Colin Cowherd: "Without LeBron James, it feels like the NBA is on life support when it comes to interest, intrigue, and talking points."

Current NBA Stars and Media Attention: The conversation highlights the lack of a singular superstar in the NBA today comparable to LeBron James, noting that even prominent players like Steph Curry and Draymond Green don't command the same level of centralized attention.

• Colin Cowherd: "Steph Curry, Draymond Green... it's not to the level of what we're talking about with LeBron James."

The hosts discuss how the NBA's reliance on personalities has shifted in the social media era, making it challenging for players to build and maintain mega-star status.

• Ryan Music: "It has desensitized fans and athletes as well... How do you build as big as Shaquille O' Neal or Michael Jordan if you can get a hold of them so easily?"

Franchise Relevance and Market Impact: They analyze the importance of strong franchises and markets in maintaining the NBA's relevance, stating that without anchor teams like the Lakers or Knicks, the league struggles to captivate a broader audience.

• Colin Cowherd: "Green Bay is not a big market... The relevance of the franchise drives it."

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4. Community Support and Final Thoughts

Timestamp: 17:07 – 62:43

Throughout the episode, Colin Cowherd takes a moment to express solidarity with those affected by the Texas floods, highlighting iHeart’s partnership with the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.

• Colin Cowherd: "Our hearts are with everyone affected by the Texas flooding... Join us in supporting recovery [e-mail]."

In wrapping up, the hosts reiterate their support for the sports community and tease upcoming discussions, maintaining engagement with their audience.

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Notable Quotes:

• Colin Cowherd [07:59]: "The number of people that decide... to fire off four or five mortar bombs within close proximity to somebody's house, children, and cars... just see what happens."

• Ryan Music [12:12]: "The man's jewels was in his belly by the time. It's just, it's the dumbest thing that people do to try to go viral sometimes during the Fourth of July."

• Jonas Knox [30:00]: "The team has a good enough personnel where you can have success with Justin Fields as your quarterback."

• Colin Cowherd [51:17]: "If you are an adult, anybody over the age of nine, if you use bumpers when you bowl, you should be arrested immediately."

• Ryan Music [55:05]: "They have to drive it. They have to keep the Lakers as strong as they can... you have to try to keep those anchor teams, those anchor markets."

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Conclusion

The "Best of The Herd" episode offers listeners an in-depth analysis of recent sports events and trends, particularly emphasizing safety concerns around fireworks and the strategic complexities within the NFL and NBA. Colin Cowherd and his guests provide thoughtful commentary, rich with personal anecdotes and expert opinions, making this episode a valuable listen for sports enthusiasts seeking a nuanced understanding of current sports dynamics.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[LeVar Arrington]

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[Jonas Knox]

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[LeVar Arrington]

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[Colin Cowherd]

This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. It's a herd Fox Sports Radio. Levar Arrington, Jonas Knox in for calling Here you can listen to this show on the iHeartRadio app. You can also find us on hundreds of affiliates all across the country as we take you all the way up until 3pm Eastern Time, noon Pacific time here on the Monday after a wild fourth of July weekend.

[Ryan Music]

What do you mean a wild pre. A while. A wild pre show. Meeting of the minds and I mean we could have did a three hour show on the industry. You know, behind the scenes storylines, I mean they're really doozy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Ryan Music]

It'S the Celsius. I blame Celsius. I love yalls drinks though, by the way.

[Colin Cowherd]

It is. It's been a. How was the fourth of July weekend, huh? Did you.

[Ryan Music]

Good man.

[Colin Cowherd]

Because here's the pro. It's on a weekend. It started on a Friday. So you just gave people an excuse to get butchered for two days after.

[Ryan Music]

You want to hear the wildest story? So we got a rooftop lounge on. On my house, right? So we go upstairs, everything. Well it, it must not be. We were up there, we're hanging out and the way it's set up, you can't see us up there. So if something's going on up there, you can maybe hear it possibly. Or if you do something like say we were to shoot fireworks off or something like that, you, you might have an idea that okay, they can get up on the roof, whatever, right? But it's a balcony, it's a rooftop lounge. So we go up there and we have one of those. We have a. A safe portable fire pit. Fire pit gets let lit up. But here's what, here's the problem. The girls go up to do it and they put five doro flames on there.

[Colin Cowherd]

Five.

[Ryan Music]

So you got this big ass flame and the flame was giving off black smoke, right? So we're sitting up there, we're listening to music. We're having a good time, we're looking. We can See all of the fireworks from the piers in the beach city, South Bay, all the way out to wherever Orange county. You could just see all of the fireworks going off. So we're watching the fireworks and I'm like, man, these, these firemen are going, the police are going to have a busy night because you could see the random fireworks going up, right? Which by the way, fireworks in LA is really a thing, bro.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh my God.

[Ryan Music]

I heard fireworks from 9 00am literally non stop until I went to sleep at like 2am in the morning.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, why people light fireworks off during the day?

[Ryan Music]

I mean, it was the entire day. All you heard was the whole day. Anyway, back to my point. So the fire is going up and I'm like, man, firemen, cops, they gonna have to run around because, you know, you make these wildfires, this, that and the other we're not even thinking about. And sure enough, you see a, a fire engine come out. Fire engine comes out. Da, da, da. Boom, boom, boom. I'm like, oh man, you hear some fireworks going off in our area. So it's like the firemen come up in our area and it's like they turned the lights off, but they're coming up in the area. The next thing you know, they get up and they're like one street away from us. I was like, man, they right here, something going on. Right then I looked at our fire pit. I was like, this fire is high. They drive past the street. So I'm thinking they're about to go past the street. They turn the lights on, turn the lights on, turn down our street. I was like, yep, they come in here, I had to go down to the front grab, grab. And they were really, really cool. I'm big time, you know, supporter of first respond. I appreciate Redondo Beach Fire Department. Really, really cool people. So I walk them in, we walk up, they look at, they're like, man, everything's cool. He's like, but your neighbors are freaking out. They are freaking out. I go look over the edge and I see a whole crowd of people in 2, 3 yards looking up at, looking up at our house. They thought that bad boy was burning down. So anyways, I put, we put it out, but that was, that was an eventful deal. Not in, in your mind. We live in a day and age with, with cell phones that can record now. I didn't want to record it because anything shady might have happened. Like, oh, get it on. This is on camera. Da, da da. But it would have been interesting to see a camera shot of the fire engine pulling down our street, then the fire department coming into the crib, then us having a cool conversation up on the, on the rooftop and then them leaving the. That would have been cool because that's never happened to me before ever. So there you go. Emergency crew, first responders came to make sure the house wasn't burning down.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know what blows my mind? The number of people that decide. Knowing all the warning signs, knowing all the dangers, seeing all the injuries, seeing all that and still being like, I got it this year, I got it, don't worry. Let's fire off four or five mortar bombs within close proximity to somebody's house, children and cars, and just see what happens.

[Ryan Music]

Dude, we weren't doing that, by the way.

[Colin Cowherd]

But, but in L. A, everybody was.

[Ryan Music]

Yeah, they were. I mean, from 9am literally from 9am to 1am it was non. Like, I'm not, It is not an over exaggeration to say it was non stop. You could hear the fireworks going off non stop from 9 to 1am so.

[Colin Cowherd]

Growing up in Southern California and two of you might remember this, but it used to be if you wanted to get firework, you had to go to a place called Fillmore.

[Ryan Music]

Did you have to go somewhere out in the boonies? Right, you gotta, gotta go to film country area.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's. You gotta drive all the way inland to the small town of Fillmore. By the way, El Pescador, a great Mexican spot out there. But that was the place. If you, if somebody told you, hey, I'm going to Fillmore, it's like, ooh, hey, bring me back a roman candle. Like a box of piccolo Pete's. Like, it was like this undercover under the radar spot that you would go to get fireworks. Now, now seems like you can get them anywhere. Like somebody's got like a trunk, then they're selling fireworks out of them. Like there's some rock band trying to make it in the business selling T shirts out of the back of their car.

[Ryan Music]

Crazy how that works, right? You get fireworks, rocket launchers, grenade launchers.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't understand Uzis.

[Ryan Music]

It's just, it used to be really hard to get a hold of these things. And nowadays you can. Hey, right there. There you go. There's some more. There's some fireworks right there.

[Colin Cowherd]

Like, hey, I was like, over the weekend, I was talking to Isaac Loincron, who's an anchor here at Fox sports radio, and Isaac was telling me, he's like, oh yeah, we have fireworks alley. I was like, what's that? He goes oh, yeah, it's an alley near our place, and people light off fireworks there. And he sent me a video. I'm like, oh, you mean all this illegal activity on video? You mean all that? He's like, no, no, no. Sheriff came by and said, hey, you guys are good. Enjoy your Fourth of July. I'm all, what? That's just all of a sudden allowed? But apparently that's what Fourth of July's turned into.

[Ryan Music]

I will say some of the dopest fireworks shows. One is in State College, the one they do at Beaver Stadium. It's. It's like, connected and in sync with, like, music. It's pretty dope, man. Like, if you're able to go to a. A fireworks show, that's like, really a show. Like, even the one at Disney, they do every night. Yeah. Oh, that's with the lasers and fireworks and all that crazy, man. When you could do it when somebody's doing it, right. I've never got any type of a rush or any type of a crazy feeling with. With fireworks. I just rather watch them. It's never been a thing where I'm like, I gotta, like, this bad. Let's do it. Like, that's just never been my thing. I don't know. I mean, I don't know why that is, but. But some people really, really get off on letting off on those. Those fireworks, man.

[Colin Cowherd]

They love seeing the. They lighten the fuse, and it's like, dude, a gust of wind, that thing tilts over and points in the direction of either other fireworks or somebody, and we got a problem.

[Ryan Music]

Yeah, I mean, you've seen it all on social media where the joints go in a different direction. Went to the garage blue, start blowing the garage up, Hit the car, then blew the car up, hitting kids like, hit. Hit family members, like, what are you doing?

[Colin Cowherd]

Like, I always tell this story, but I remember reading about this. There was some dude in Maine. Him and his buddy were out in a field somewhere. They're like, I will be safe. You know, there's no. No property within. Within the distance. So we've got some. And the guy thought it would be a good idea to take a mortar bomb, put it on his head, and then light it.

[Ryan Music]

What?

[Colin Cowherd]

Here's how the ending of that story went. He wasn't going to Lids anytime soon. I'll put it that way. Okay. What are you doing?

[Ryan Music]

I just don't.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't think that was going to end.

[Ryan Music]

There's a couple of dudes that was lighting them and then squatting on top of them. And then it took off like, like that right there. And the captions, the captions be off the chain like, like, like in my stomach, like get in my belly. And you know what they were talking about? The man's jewels was in his belly by the time. It's just, it's the dumbest thing that people do to try to go viral sometimes is during the fourth of July. Fourth of July, weekends, the day. It's crazy what people do with these fireworks.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, it's, it's, it's. I don't, I don't understand it. I don't know. And I would also say this if you want to spoil yourselves because Colin's in Chicago and Ryan music will be out there. Let me just little recommendation, you go to Navy Pier. There's a restaurant at Navy Pier right up on top. And during the summertime they light off fireworks two days a week. It's awesome. And the best part is professionals are doing it.

[Ryan Music]

Go figure. How many professionals do you think do the fireworks during the course of the a fourth of July day? What do you think the percentage would be?

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, less than 1%. Damn. Yeah, less than 1%.

[Ryan Music]

All I know is you can't comprehend it unless you lived it. 9am I was awake and my windows are open and I'm listening and I hear it's not non stop. And at first I didn't know what it was. And then I asked a couple people like, man, yes, fourth of July. Like, what do you mean it's four for July. You wait till the night, you wait till dust point.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's like, it's like, hey, I'm gonna go lay out by the pool. It's ten o' clock at night.

[Ryan Music]

You wait till dust, you barbecue during the day, you, you set off a couple sparklers, you throw the little white dips that pop, pop, pop, pop. Like what? Why is it going all day long? Like, who does that? How is this possible that I can hear fireworks going off non stop from 9am until I went to bed at 1am in the morning?

[Colin Cowherd]

How many NFL players do you think woke up this morning and are like.

[Ryan Music]

Oh, thank God, well, made it another year. Everybody can't say that.

[Colin Cowherd]

I need to get to camp. I need to get away from these people. I gotta get the game.

[Ryan Music]

I mean, JPP was on the rundown. Ain't no trying to get back in the league. I mean, talk about a tailor to take caution of, of, of sorts.

[Colin Cowherd]

By the way, Jason Pierre Paul, under the radar, great career.

[Ryan Music]

Yes.

[Colin Cowherd]

I was looking at over the weekend. 94 and a half career sacks. He's talked to. He's like, he wants to get back in the league. It's probably not going to happen at this point, but, I mean, that would.

[Ryan Music]

Be cool for him to get back and break 100 sacks, but that would be pretty cool.

[Colin Cowherd]

All you think about with him is the fireworks incident.

[Ryan Music]

Well, I mean, because that's just how society works.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's almost got 100 sacks.

[Ryan Music]

He will be forever remembered for blowing his hand off. More so than having a dope career, by the way, because people don't remember things like, oh, you had a great career. Like, people forget guys that had great careers, they get drafted. How you forget about it. You forget about careers. You don't forget about crazy s that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Every Fourth of July, it's gonna come up.

[Ryan Music]

Every day.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's been 10 years.

[Ryan Music]

Every time, every Fourth of July.

[Colin Cowherd]

Guy's got almost 100 career sacks. He's got two Super bowl rings. And Lavar made a comment, you know, which I thought was insulting before the show when I was. I was pointing out, I was like, hey, man, you know, J got two super bowl rings. So I was like, yeah, where's he gonna put him? I thought was out of line, which I thought was disrespectful.

[Ryan Music]

Cause JPP is my man. Jpp. I did not say that, bro.

[Colin Cowherd]

But you look at his career, it is funny, though. You look at his career and you go, man, that guy had an. A great career and did a lot of that after the injury. And all anybody talks about is that moment on Fourth of July. And every single year, he's going to be reminded of it. The guy came back and remember when he came back and played with a cast on and still, you know, continued his career. So, yeah, it's. It's. This was a crazy weekend. Hopefully everybody, you know, didn't make any mistakes with those fireworks, even though some did, like they do every year. And. And now NFL players everywhere, like, all right, vacation's over. Training camps right around the corner. It's grind time, bar. This is tis the season. Grind time. Yeah.

[Ryan Music]

To be football. Listen, I'm excited for it. There's a lot going on and there's a lot to talk about. And that's what the NFL gives you, you know, And I know we shouts out to Independence Day, shots out to the Fourth of July, but now that we've gotten those things out of the way now, those are the topics of conversations we can touch on and also.

[Colin Cowherd]

Should point this out. Our hearts are with everyone affected by the Texas flooding. If you saw that over the weekend, devastating. It's tragic. Really, really sad for all those families and people involved. Iheart is partnering with the Community foundation of the Texas Hill country to support flood relief. The Kerr County Flood Relief Fund is helping provide food, shelter, medical care and long term recovery for those affected. All donations go to trusted local organizations. Join us in supporting recovery [e-mail] they could use your help, whatever you can do to try and provide some sort of support. Those family could use it right now because over the weekend it is the Herd. Here on Fox Sports Radio. It's lavar Arrington, Jonas Knox in for Colin and up next, apparently somebody's going to try and do something in the NFL that hasn't been done by a quarterback in a long time. We'll tell you what it is right here on fsr. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am.

[Ryan Music]

Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, what's up everybody? It's me, three time Pro Bowler Levar Arrington and I couldn't be more excited to announce a podcast called up on Game. What is up on Game, you ask? Along with my fellow Pro Bowler TJ Hushman Zada and Super Bowl Champion. Yep, that's right, Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up on Game. We're going to be sharing our real life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up on game with me, Lavar Arrington, TJ Hush Manzada and Plexico Burris on the iHeartRadio app, Apple, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast from.

[LeVar Arrington]

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[LeVar Arrington]

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[Ryan Music]

Yeah, it's a true story. Appropriate music is a perfect song for.

[Colin Cowherd]

Is the Herd here on fox Sports Radio. LaVar Arrington Jonas Knox in For Colin. By the way, when Lavar and I, you can normally hear us weekday morning, 6:00am Eastern Time, 3:00 clock Pacific alongside Brady Quinn. When it's just Lavar and I though we call the show Black and Drac because I'm pale, I look like Dracula and levar, he's not, he's dark, he's.

[Ryan Music]

Black and I'm strong and I'm alone and I'm on Get friction on Baby got back. Wait, wait, wait.

[Colin Cowherd]

Nevermind Song so we'll be in for calling today and tomorrow, by the way. Coming up in a little over 20 minutes from now, we are going to have another edition of the Herdline News, starring the great Ryan Music. So that'll be yours here again, little over 20 minutes from now. Justin Fields is the starting quarterback for the New York Jets. His teammate Andre Cisco spoke about what the expectations are from Justin Fields heading into this season, and he seems very optimistic.

[Ryan Music]

Getting to know him up close as.

[Colin Cowherd]

A teammate has been really, really special.

[Ryan Music]

I'm really glad that I get this opportunity to get behind him and just support him.

[Colin Cowherd]

As, you know, he takes on that.

[Ryan Music]

Role that we already know what quarterback.

[Colin Cowherd]

Means in the NFL, so I'm excited for him to just prove those who.

[Ryan Music]

Are down wrong and those who are.

[Colin Cowherd]

Supporting right, because I think he's going.

[Ryan Music]

To have a huge year.

[Colin Cowherd]

Tell me if you've heard this before. Jets. Jets get a quarterback and he's going.

[Ryan Music]

To be the one that's different.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is the one this time. No, no, but this time for real, like, this is the one that's going to be different. Like this one here. This is like when I count my son down when I'm trying to get him to do something. I was like, hey, I'm giving you to the count of five and then I'll get to four.

[Ryan Music]

I give them three. I give them three. Oh, yeah. But you got to know what the consequence is before you do the countdown, because if you don't have a consequence, then it will never work.

[Colin Cowherd]

The problem is I'm like the jets because I'll get to four and then I go four and a quarter.

[Ryan Music]

Oh, no.

[Colin Cowherd]

Four and a half.

[Ryan Music]

Oh, no.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know.

[Ryan Music]

Cause you know it's going to go bad. It's like, you know what's going wrong?

[Colin Cowherd]

It's like the jets do this with their quarterbacks where they're like, hey, you know what? He's the guy this time. And then it's like week 11 and they've won three games. Like, yeah, but no, no, no. This week, everything's going to change and it just gets pushed down the road and down the road and down the road. And I hope it works for Justin Fields. A lot of people think maybe he should have gotten more of an opportunity in Chicago. A lot of people, including people in Pittsburgh, think that he should have gotten more of an opportunity, especially later in the year when Russ was starting to struggle a little bit. But we've seen this so many times before and I think that's what makes the week one matchup so interesting is all the parallels because Justin Fields said no to the Steelers to join the jets, the jets said no to Aaron Rodgers and signed Justin Fields and now Rogers is with the Steelers and they're going to meet up in the first game of the, of the season. Yeah, it's just like all the parallels that make that make that matchup even more interesting as we get closer.

[Ryan Music]

You know, Tanner ing Strange, right Strand, he's the new coordinator. He, he was the passing game coordinator for the Detroit lines. They had some really, really good success with that scheme and what they've had, this is a team, this jets team has good bones. Personnel wise. You look at the offense, they have players everywhere. You look at the defense, they have players everywhere. There really is no real reasoning outside of how horrible the dysfunction is within the up top regions of, of the franchise as to why this team should be in the position they're in right now, which is a not very respectable, not very successful, not a winning organization. So when you look at this scenario for Justin Fields, I say, okay, they bring in a, a qualified guy that had success in Detroit with Aaron Glenn on the defense side of the ball. So Aaron brings him over to New York for Justin Fields. For the other guys that are part of this organization at this point, it's going to take a collective belief starting with Woody Johnson and allowing for the culture to be developed the way that Aaron Glenn understands. A culture needs to be developed to be able to win and to be competitive. Ken, Woody Johnson change the spots on his coat. From what they have been, the answer is unequivocally no. It's, it's not going to happen. But what you can do, what you can do for the sake of your, your, your team, for the sake of your franchise, for the sake of the fans, for the sake of your players, you can stop being a presence that creates the dysfunction. Remove yourself from the equation. Allow the people to do the job that you delegated that you hired to do the jobs. Allow Aaron Glenn to develop the culture as a head coach as that applies to the elements and the. In the spaces, it applies for this team. The team has a good enough personnel where you can have success with Justin Fields as your quarterback. That's not a qualifier. This is a top draft pick. Not too long ago that a lot of people were hanging their hopes and dreams on that he could be the quarterback of the future for another team that has done the same exact things in terms of what they've said about quarterbacks in Chicago. So to me, the fact that it didn't work out in Pittsburgh for Justin Fields, I think that's more so a wash scenario. I do not look at it as. Why would you think Justin Fields is going to have success in New York when he didn't even have success in Pittsburgh? I'm not going to draw that conclusion, Jonas. I am going to look at it from the perspective of does he have a fair opportunity to have success in New York? I don't know. I don't know because I don't know what the dynamic is between ownership and culture of the new head coach. If the, if the new head coach has an opportunity to build the culture in an organic, strong, intentional way, yes, all of them have an opportunity to have success and have it right away with the amount of talent that they have. But the big if here is if ownership and culture remains the same and it continues to, you know, keep, keep them in, you know, like bumpers and, and. And playing. Playing bowling, right. If you have the bumpers up and you're, you're. You're really restricting them in what it is they're able to do, I don't think there will be enough growth. I don't think there will be enough positivity and. And structure for it to, to turn into the culture that Aaron Glenn is probably hoping that he's able to do.

[Colin Cowherd]

By the way, sidebar on that, if you are an adult. In fact, I'll just put it this way, anybody over the age of nine, if you use bumpers when you bowl, you should be arrested immediately. And I'm talking at least a month behind like, like hard time.

[Ryan Music]

You can't really bolt if you're a real bowler. There's no possible way you can bowl legitimately if you're a real bowler and you have.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, you can't be taking serious. No, you can't be taken serious.

[Ryan Music]

Yeah, you just can't spin it. You can't spin it the way that unless you're spinning it directly down the, the center triangle or maybe the second triangle out you can get it, but it's not going to be as good an angle if you're going to spin that bad boy and it's going to go out to that, like, third, fourth triangle on. On, you know, what is it on the. On the Runway or whatever you call it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, the lanes.

[Ryan Music]

The lanes.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, That's.

[Ryan Music]

That's. You can't have that because you're going to hit the bumper.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I would agree with you. All right.

[Ryan Music]

I'm just. Just making sure.

[Colin Cowherd]

So the jets side of this, like, I. I am skeptical that Justin Fields has this success. And, you know, like Andre Cisco says, well, we're going to see him. You know, I can't wait till he's going to prove a lot of people wrong. All right, well, I'm skeptical of it, as you laid out, because of what's going on around him, because the jets have. Have had a lot of talent over the years. Joe Douglas drafted. Well, they've. They've had a lot of talent there. And I'm always a believer of. Listen, it's not about the furniture. It's about the foundation, all right? If you've got really nice furniture in the home, but the foundation is cracking, sooner or later that stuff's getting. Getting sucked down into a sinkhole somewhere. It's just going to happen. And I look at it and I go, yeah, he's got all the talent. He's. There. There's talent there. There's pieces there. There's a reason why Rogers was open to going there, because he saw that, man, this is a place where we could win. They've drafted well, and the whole thing was a disaster. But let's just say hypothetical. Justin Fields thrives in New York. That's a really bad look for a Aaron Rodgers and a really bad look for Mike Tomlin, because Mike Tomlin reportedly was the guy who said, no, no, no, we're going to stick with Russ the entire way. There were people there like Arthur Smith, the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh, who wanted Justin Fields to take over. There was a lot of people there who didn't want Justin Fields to lose the job at all. And if all of a sudden he decides because the jets gay or because the Steelers gave him a low ball offer reportedly to go to the jets, and the guy that was in the building that people were telling Mike Tomlin should be the starter, goes to the jets, of all places and thrives, that's a really bad look for Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers, which is. Which is another subplot to this whole Matchup and this whole situation as the.

[Ryan Music]

Season plays out, what I'll say is he's never come close to breaking 3,000 yards passing the ball. He did not show the ability to push the ball downfield at a level that moved people to have the belief that he's the long term answer. That's just the reality of what took place last year. Now if that has something to do with the play calling or that has something to do outside of him, I don't know. But he. The what worked against him was when Russ got in, he was pushing the ball downfield and they were having success when he got in and, and that early success. Whoever made the decision, it made the decision which Mike Tomlin put himself out in front of it and said it was his decision. It made him look like he made a really good decision season. Now, what that looked like or what it looks like moving forward from what it looked like moving forward with Russ, they did not bring Russ back. So Russ did not do a great enough job where Mike Tomlin putting himself out in front of and saying Russ is our guy. That did not equate to him coming back and being part of the Pittsburgh Steelers for this next upcoming season. Now when I look at Justin Fields, I think it's a tremendous risk to think that he's going to go from a sub. He gets to mid 2000s. The highest he's ever gotten in passing yards is 2500 yards and passing the ball, that's not very impressive at all.

[Colin Cowherd]

Damn.

[Ryan Music]

Is that impressive? Is that impressive?

[Colin Cowherd]

No, it's not.

[Ryan Music]

I mean, I mean guys, guys challenge. Saquon almost ran for how many yards like the bot. The bottom line here is that, that I don't think you're going to get to the next level of competition with a quarterback that can't break 3,000 yards plus throwing the ball during the course of a season. I don't think you can call somebody an elite passer that can be a franchise guy for you. If they can't break and have those types of seasons where they produce more than 17 touchdowns in a season, it's just not that to me it's a, it's a stretch and it's a long shot to think that at this point you're actually going to be able to see Justin Fields be this quarterback that we've never seen at the pro level.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, it's all about his. Him using his legs like that's always been his. What separates him from everybody else. When he had those huge big plays in Chicago, it Was all about him using his legs. When, you know, there was a game his final year in Chicago where everyone said, man, this is why they got to keep Justin Fields and trade the number one pick, because he had one game late in the year against Atlanta and he was lights out. Unbelievable. But then the next week, they finished the season at Green Bay, and it was the same sort of Justin Fields that you've seen. And when you bring up the. Which. Which makes me think about this as well, too, when you. Because there's almost like a. Like a triangular quarterback storyline to watch, and it's. How does Justin Fields do? How does Aaron Rodgers do? How does Russell Wilson do? Because they're all kind of connected in a weird way to where Rogers had conversation with Brian Day Ball. They have, you know, a great amount of respect for each other. Russell Wilson's now with the Giants. Justin Fields and the Jets. Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. I don't even recall. And we talked about this at the time. Did Pittsburgh even try and make an offer or an effort to keep Russell Wilson? I know they did. Justin Fields.

[Ryan Music]

I didn't hear that.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't think they even tried.

[Ryan Music]

I did not. I did not hear that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Which, like, you look at those three quarterbacks, you go, well, Justin Fields hasn't really proven it. You know, Rogers, you know, seems like the end is near. Russ really wants to keep playing, and really. And Pittsburgh didn't even try and keep Russell Wilson. Like, there wasn't even a discussion about it. It was like, oh, cool, he wants to come back here. Nice. He doesn't get along with the offensive coordinator. So all three of those teams are kind of all connected in this weird way. And look, like I said, I hope it works out for Justin Fields. I'd like to see him get an opportunity. It'd be nice if the New York jets had some stability and we're back to their winning ways like they were when Rex Ryan was there. I'm just skeptical, man. And I also think, could you imagine being a Jets fan knowing deep down in your soul when you talk to people close to you, knowing, I'm never going to see my favorite team win a Super Bowl? What's that feeling like?

[Ryan Music]

Well, especially when your favorite team, they don't. I mean, I don't know. I don't want to make this about the Steelers either, but, I mean, if you think about it, there's a consistency. Kenny Pickett's best year in Pittsburgh was in 20, 22, 2400 yards. All right, Russell Wilson. Russell Wilson had no more than 2,000. Justin Fields had. Didn't break 2,000 in Pittsburgh, but. But Russell Wilson had what I believe to be 2500 as well. So nobody is breaking. Nobody is breaking the bank on passing yards in Pittsburgh, which. Which begs for the question of what is. What is the idea of what you had 2400, 24, 82 yards for Russell Wilson last year and last season. Nobody's getting a ton of yards passing the ball from Pickett to Justin Field to Russell Wilson.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, they haven't. Pittsburgh hasn't had an answer at quarterback since probably second to last year of Big Ben. Cause I think the last year it was a little rough. They tried to draft Kenny Pickett and make that work. That didn't work at all. That. That fell apart and he ended up elsewhere. And then they bring in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields because it was on the cheap. Justin Fields, they were winning games, but Russell Wilson came back from the injury that he was. That he was dealing with. I believe it was a calf issue in training camp. And then he came back and yeah, he did give them a threat to throw deep. He gave them something down the field. But it just. They haven't had an answer there in six, seven years.

[Ryan Music]

2022, 2023, 2024. You have had three quarterbacks play for your team. And now going into 25, have you will have four.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Ryan Music]

To me again, now, if I'm the New York Jets, I'm saying I am going to have a measured feeling of confidence towards Justin Fields, but at least he's younger. He still has an athletic ability about him and the possibilities of his trajectory still going up, trending up is a possibility because I don't feel like guys are being utilized the right way in the Steelers offensive system. That would be what I'm thinking. If I'm the New York Giants. And that's what I'm thinking if I'm the New York jets. And that's what I'm thinking if I'm the Cleveland Browns.

[Colin Cowherd]

And.

[Ryan Music]

And to me, now we get an opportunity to have comps in terms of what is Russell Wilson going to do this year?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Ryan Music]

What is Kenny Picket going to do this year? What is Justin Fields going to do this year? Year. And all of those things will relate back in a way to what's taking place in Pittsburgh and what Aaron Rodgers is doing in Pittsburgh and how they're coaching things in Pittsburgh. I'm curious, Can Aaron Rodgers break 3,000yards throwing the ball in Pittsburgh this year?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Ryan Music]

Okay, you're saying yeah, he should if he stays healthy.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think he will.

[Ryan Music]

Well, let's see.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, it is.

[Ryan Music]

The last three quarterbacks there have not done it. Yeah, well, I mean they're not Aaron Rodgers, I get that. But the last three quarterbacks in. Russell Wilson isn't a bad name. He's got same amount of Super Bowls as him.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean listen, Mason Rudolph might have done it if he didn't get assaulted by Miles Gary. You never know.

[Ryan Music]

Things are that's what you're going to take it to.

[Colin Cowherd]

It is the herd here on fox sports radio. LaVar Arrington, Jonas Knox in for Colin one more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Two different worlds it is the herd Fox Sports Radio LaVar Arrington, Jonas Knox filling in for Colin. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app. You can also find us on hundreds of affiliates all across the country. You can find Lavar and I weekday morning, 6:00am Eastern Time, 3:00 clock Pacific, alongside Brady Quinn. It's called Two Pros and a Cup of Joe. And when there's no Brady Quinn, it is black and Drac here on this Monday morning after a long holiday weekend. I got it first after a long week. I don't know why we can't just be happy for Deshaun Watson. Why do you have to be so negative about the whole thing? The guy got married.

[Ryan Music]

Congratulations to Sean Watson.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's got a $1.3 million ring.

[Ryan Music]

He does.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Ryan Music]

Or she does.

[Colin Cowherd]

Says his his band is worth up to 1.3 million.

[Ryan Music]

Some people had that saying you can't have money.

[Colin Cowherd]

Let me ask you that.

[Ryan Music]

Why?

[Colin Cowherd]

Why is it worded that way worth up to 1.3 million?

[Ryan Music]

Because it's only worth what Somebody's willing to spend. Right. It could. It could appraise for that amount.

[Colin Cowherd]

What, is there incentives in it? Like, well, if you meet all these incentives, It'll be worth 1.3 million. Like what? Like, don't go to the Grab Lab. It'll be worth 1.3.

[Ryan Music]

You can't clean it with a towel. That keeps the value.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's.

[Ryan Music]

That's the incentive.

[Colin Cowherd]

Don't.

[Ryan Music]

Don't clean it with a towel. Towel is cleaner.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's a great point. All right, so with that being said, speaking of. Speaking of Ohio, okay, LeBron James was hanging out at the Cavs practice facility.

[Ryan Music]

And was he really?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, there was a. There was a picture that went out of him there. And some people started to speculate, oh, is he going back home? Is he going back to Cleveland? This and that. And he basically responded on social media with something along the lines of, I live here. I practice here every off season. There's nothing different about this.

[Ryan Music]

You practice at the Cavaliers?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, he works out there all the time. He works out there constantly because he lives out there. And so he said that's not strange? No, I don't think so. If he does it every year and he's.

[Ryan Music]

That's not strange every year.

[Colin Cowherd]

Not. I mean, whatever. He's. He's working out there. It's their practice.

[Ryan Music]

That's strange to me.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't know. All right, but he.

[Ryan Music]

There's a hundred different places you could go work out other than another team in the National Basketball association, so that doesn't come across this strange.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, he's.

[Ryan Music]

I'm starting there, but. Okay, that's fine.

[Colin Cowherd]

But his.

[Ryan Music]

You're in the area.

[Colin Cowherd]

His point was, I'm here every off season. Are you all that bored? Go get another plate of food.

[Ryan Music]

Okay, but is every off season like this for LeBron James? That's the question LeBron has to ask himself, and that's the question that needs to be asked and answered. Does this offseason give you something different than any other off season? And the answer has to be yes.

[Colin Cowherd]

Really?

[Ryan Music]

Yes, it does. Because of the uncertainties of what's going to take place based off of the selling of the team, of the Lakers, based off of bringing in Luka Doncic, based on. On where. Where they are as a team. And. And to me, it just seems like the handwriting is on the wall that. That this Lakers team is possibly positioning themselves to be able to move on from LeBron James. So in that context, yes, It. I mean, he has to know that.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't I mean, you can't be.

[Ryan Music]

Be upset and up in arms if people are looking at you doing something that you've always done. But in the moment of where you. That could be a possibility of a destination for him to land, he's there working out. That's strange.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, but that's strange. Like, if he was working out in south beach, if he was working out. I mean, I, I don't know if he's.

[Ryan Music]

Hold on now. If he's in south beach and he's working out on the beach or on Ocean Ave. You might be like, okay, speculate. And he can give you a legitimate. I just like being in Miami. I'm always in Miami. If he's in Cleveland and he's in the Flats or he's just doing what he's doing somewhere in and around Cleveland, he can take the speculation and he can drown out the special speculation. He can, he can, he can delete it. He can, he can eliminate it. You're working out at the Cleveland Cavaliers facility. That's weird.

[Colin Cowherd]

I, I don't think it's that weird.

[Ryan Music]

If I was playing for the Washington back when I was playing for the Washington Redskins, but then Washington Redskins. If I were to be in Texas and I'm working out at the Dallas Cowboys facilities, because I've always worked out there, first and foremost, why would I always work out at the Dallas Cowboys facility? Man, that's weird, bro. Well, that's weird. I, I don't know how you don't see it that it's weird or you're being an instigator.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm not. I don't think it's weird.

[Ryan Music]

That is weird.

[Colin Cowherd]

He does it every office. There's nothing new about this. There's nothing different.

[Ryan Music]

The first time he did it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, but if he does it this.

[Ryan Music]

Many, it doesn't make it unwe that he's doing it for years. It makes it weird that it's not weird.

[Colin Cowherd]

I, look, I think that he enjoys the speculation. I think he stirs that up a lot. I think that's, you know, he, he can try and be dismissive of it and say, well, you know, you guys need to get a life basically, and go get another plate of food. And I, I'm here every off season. I think he likes to stir it up. He probably knows deep down this is going to generate some sort of reaction some way or another. I look at it from a general standpoint. This is another indication that the NBA without LeBron, what do you got? Because when he's gone and the end is near. What, what is there like? He, he really is the lifeblood of topics and discussion in the National Basketball Association. Oh, he's good at, he's great at it.

[Ryan Music]

He's good at it.

[Colin Cowherd]

And if he, if this is all winding down and he's out in the next couple of years, people that cover the NBA, people that, that love to talk about the league and all, it's not as bad as everybody thinks it is. And you know, they get pissed off and we point out that the separation between the NFL and the NBA, you better start stirring up some other storylines or stirring up some other stars in the league. And I don't. This isn't a face of the NBA. It's a life of the NBA. And without LeBron James, it feels like the NBA is on life support when it comes to interest, intrigue and talking points. What else is there?

[Ryan Music]

Talent? Yeah, I'd say there's talent.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, there, there's talented players, talented stars.

[Ryan Music]

You have some older talented stars. You have star power in the NBA.

[Colin Cowherd]

Is it interesting?

[Ryan Music]

I, I would say the better question would be, does the NBA have enough relevance and enough to me cache to be interesting outside? Like what LeBron James or like Shaquille O' Neal or like a Kobe Bryant or like a Michael Jordan or a Magic Johnson, do they have the ability to. Is there a player that exists that can transition into those positions of interest outside of the talent on the court? I don't, I think there are personalities within the NBA that could be those. But I, I found myself asking the question, are we in a day and age, are we in a time where social media and different things have taken away. It's really taken away the ability. It's desensitized fans. It's desensitized fans. And for what it's worth, I think it has desensitized athletes as well. How do you build as big as Shaquille o' Neal or Michael Jordan if you can get a hold of them so easily? Now, granted, when LeBron James was coming in that transitional phase was that stage was taking place, so he wasn't all the way fully acclimated to being in a, a world where social media dominated it, technology dominated it, it. Now, while you may see the NFL because it leans so deep into the brand and the shield that they don't seem to be losing any momentum, in fact, maybe even picking up momentum, but in basketball, it's such a personality driven sport that when you see the guys like Shaquille o' Neal, you see them in person and it's like you've met and like somebody that came like from somewhere else. You. You meet these guys and there was this sense of, of just, wow, I just met this person. That. That element is gone. And I think the homie element is, is there like working out at a different facility that is in the NBA and you play for another team, the exchanging of jerseys, which happens in football. But I just feel like it's weird how cool guys are these days and they're not only cool with one another, they're cool with the fan bases. Like, that connection is there. And I don't think that the relevance of like the praise factor or the, the, you know, posting them high on a pedestal type deal, I don't, I don't feel like that's prominent anymore. And I don't think that players actually prioritize trying to be that type of a personality or a brand. I really don't.

[Colin Cowherd]

We've talked about this before to where the NFL has its own ecosystem, where the NBA is starved for. We need a superstar. We need big markets.

[Ryan Music]

They have to drive it.

[Colin Cowherd]

And in the NFL, Patrick Mahomes plays in Kansas City like Rogers was in Green Bay. It doesn't like the NFL. Anybody could be a great team with a great quarterback. And because it's its own ecosystem, it supersedes all the other big market celebrity status that comes along with it. Man, it's not like Patrick Mahomes has got this, you know, vibrant personality and this real colorful. No, he just plays football. He's. He plays football and he's on a team with, with, you know, with a tight end who's dating Taylor Swift. Like, it's just. It's a whole.

[Ryan Music]

Became more relevant than football. So don't think that football isn't guilty of trying to find ways to leverage celebrity as well.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, but football's not. Not determined on one player. Like the success and conversation around the NFL isn't just determined on one player, man. Tom Brady retired. Sweet. Next the next. Like John Elway.

[Ryan Music]

I think it comes down to what you mentioned earlier is the relevance of the franchises. Like, Green Bay is not a big market. It's not a great market. But the relevance of the franchise drives it. Right? The people love their. Their franchise. The communities rally around their franchise. They create a very, very nice size captive audience. You have that in the NFL, and it's because of the shield and it's because of the brands of those franchises. You have that in a few teams in the NBA, but you don't have that collectively. So the relevance of what you're trying to do has to exist in certain, certain markets in order for it to be as impactful as you need it to be. And that's why you always try to keep the Lakers as strong as you can, maybe keep the, the, the Knicks as strong as they can, try to keep the Chicago Bulls as strong as you can. You saw what they. Dallas Mavericks. You can't try to keep the Dallas Mavericks as strong as you can. You have to try to keep those, those anchor teams, those anchor markets. You got to try to keep them stocked up with some type of relevant talent, because you're not the, the, the franchises in these different markets. You just had OKC win, Win it all. What's the buzz?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, that's.

[Ryan Music]

What, what was the, what was the, the. What was the parade like after, you.

[Colin Cowherd]

Know, and I, and I asked this question. For anybody that's driving around right now or listening on the podcast, take LeBron James out of the NBA. What do you want to talk about? Like, honestly, you have to be a.

[Ryan Music]

Real fan of the game to be able to answer your question. And I think that's the biggest indictment.

[Colin Cowherd]

I, I loved the NBA Finals. I thought it was great because it was great basketball and you didn't have any drama. There was no, like, no subplots or issues going on. It was just two really good teams who were pretty evenly match, Much more evenly matched, I think a lot.

[Ryan Music]

How many Brands Comparable to LeBron James or Shaquille O' Neal or Kevin Garnett or there's Kevin Durant or Steve, Steph Curry. How many of those guys were in that series?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, that's the thing.

[Ryan Music]

How many?

[Colin Cowherd]

None. But that's. But, no, but that's. That's great. That's the thing. And those were the two best teams in the playoffs. You know, it was a great series. I thoroughly enjoyed it. But I look at the NBA differently to where I think a lot of people focus on this storyline attached to it and the name brand attached to it. And after LeBron, you don't have a lot of that. There's not a lot of that going on. And with LeBron's career winding down, I think people are going to get a harsh dose of reality when he's gone. Oh, we've got to actually, like, put some work in and really start pushing some.

[Ryan Music]

You don't realize how much he carries on. Wow, that's a great point. I mean, and even early, earlier you talked about, we talked about JPP and the fireworks situation. If you have something that happens in a major market, which, by the way, it's interesting that JPP was a giant and Odell Beckham makes the catch as a giant. Like, it's certain markets where if you do something personally, it can take your brand beyond the scope of just being a helmet and jersey and cleats, but it doesn't happen very often. You get used to seeing guys with helmets on being totally covered up and, and it's what, what the team is doing. In fact, in most cases, it's actually set up for the coaches to actually become the stars of what's taking place. You look at the coaches and, and they're, they're singled out. You know, look at how many times we looked at Xerces on, on the New York sideline before he got.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, Robert, before he got my guy can.

[Ryan Music]

Right, right. You look at Stefanski, he, he's got to look to him. You, you look at Day Ball, it's like, ah, he's got to look to him. You, you look at, you know, any of these coaches in and around the league, they get a ton of attention because you can see them. You can see them. The dynamic of how we, how we bring in or, or how we digest and how we receive the content from, from football is much different than how we receive it from basketball. We are looking, we almost look at basketball players as entertainers, like singers or actors. Right? Because you can see them. You can see them. And so with that being said, if you can see these guys and listen, they're putting them in commercials. Like the, I think Progressive had the OKC Thunder kits and the guys in their commercial and you had the big three in their commercial and stuff like that, that they get commercials and they are, they are relevant to the audiences that are consuming them. It's just that you don't have that next level brand like a LeBron James that's in the pipeline to actually carry it. From a mega star standpoint, there's not one that exists. I can't think of one personality. Anthony Edwards is the only personality that you could say is comparable to the personalities that we've gotten to know through the years. Where you want to know that individual in particular, but you don't have a Kevin Garnett, you don't have a Paul Pierce. You don't, you don't have those type of very big personalities that are making you look at the game from entertainment standpoint of the storylines, not just the game itself and what the outcomes of the games are. And that's something that once LeBron James leaves, you're gonna have to figure out what that conversation is. Bone dry.

[Colin Cowherd]

The well is dry once he's gone. By the way, Steph Curry.

[Ryan Music]

You got Steph Curry. Yeah, that's about it. Steph Curry, Draymond Green. And, and, and I mean, if we're talking in the annals of being a the greatest ever, you'll say maybe Steph Draymond falls in like a Dennis Rodman type of category story, right? Like you had a superstar in Dennis Rodman, but was never the star, but yet his brand was very pronounced. That's Draymond Green. So you have it in Draymond Green, Steph Curry. There might be a couple more if we really, really dig deep for it. But, man, I mean, it's just, it's not to the level of what we're talking about with a LeBron James.

[Colin Cowherd]

By the way, our hearts are with everyone affected by the Texas flooding. Iheart is partnering with the Community foundation of the Texas Hill country to support flood relief. The Kerr County Flood Relief Fund is helping provide food, shelter, medical care and long term recovery for those affected. All donations go to trusted local organizations. Join us in supporting recovery efforts@community foundation.net it is the herd here on Fox Sports Radio. Lavar Arrington, Jonas Knox in for Colin.

[LeVar Arrington]

Okay, have you heard about this? Last year, Degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant and their fans rebelled and wanted the old scent back.

[Colin Cowherd]

Back.

[LeVar Arrington]

And Degree listens. That doesn't happen often. They admitted they effed up and they're bringing back the original Cool Rush scent. They're bringing it back and it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason it's the number one men's any purse grip and it's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under four bucks. So try and see what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart or Target to try the OG Degree Cool Rush for yourself.

[Jonas Knox]

This episode is brought to you by Hendrix Chin. I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, host of the podcast Brain Stuff, where we are serious about curiosity. And so is Hendrix. Their signature gin is infused with rose and cucumber, and their master distiller is always crafting limited releases that riff on those flavors so that you can create something new. Hendrix is the refreshingly curious choice for marvelous summer cocktails. To learn more about Hendrix and to find more cocktail recipes, visit hendrix gin.com us Drink responsibly. Hendrix Gin 44 alcohol by volume 2025, imported by William Grattan Sons Incorporated, New York, NY. On the latest episode of Next Question with me, Katie Couric. I sat down with Jasmine Crockett, Democratic representative of Texas. She's holding down the fort for her party in one of the most conservative states in the union. I think that ultimately who will become the Democratic nominee for president will be someone that has been out there and has shown that they won't allow themselves to be punched and just say thank you like they will punch back. Listen to Next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Who are the 25 greatest football players to grace the gridiron since the year 2000? Introducing NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years Join me, Greg Rosenthal and an all star cast of media personalities including Mina Kimes, Steve Weiss, Kevin Kevin Harlan and more for a look at football's best since the turn of the century. Listen to NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years starting on June 30th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jonas Knox]

This is an iHeart podcast.