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Best of The Herd - The Herd with Colin Cowherd | Wave AI Podcast Notes

Back to The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Best of The Herd

The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Wed Jan 01 2025

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – "Best of The Herd" (Released January 1, 2025)

The Herd with Colin Cowherd delivers an engaging and in-depth exploration of the most pressing sports topics of the day. In the "Best of The Herd" episode, hosts Lavar Arrington and Jonas Knox delve into the intricacies of the expanded College Football Playoff, discuss the controversial decisions surrounding star player Saquon Barkley, address the postponement of the Sugar Bowl, and share a memorable celebrity encounter. This summary captures the essence of their discussions, providing insights and notable quotes for listeners who missed the episode.

1. Expanded College Football Playoff: A Thorough Examination

Timestamp: [02:06] – [07:16]

Lavar Arrington opens the discussion by analyzing the outcomes of the first five games in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. He expresses frustration over the lack of competitiveness and predictability, leading to questions about the purpose of expanding the playoff format.

Lavar Arrington [02:45]: "Through the first five games of the College Football Playoff, what we’ve gotten is basically chalk. All the results that you expected and pretty uncompetitive games."

Jonas Knox counters by emphasizing the inevitability of complaints regardless of the playoff structure, comparing it to other sports and scenarios where outcomes don’t always meet expectations.

Jonas Knox [10:53]: "If a team gets granted and earns the opportunity to be in the playoff and the bracket is made, shut the F up and enjoy the bracket, enjoy the games."

Both hosts agree that while the expanded playoff aims to add intrigue, it hasn't quite achieved the desired excitement, and adjusting team selections or formats might not quell the inherent dissatisfaction among fans.

2. Saquon Barkley’s Record Chase: Team vs. Individual Goals

Timestamp: [21:32] – [38:23]

The conversation shifts to Saquon Barkley, who is on the verge of breaking the all-time single-season rushing record. Lavar discusses the Philadelphia Eagles' dilemma in deciding whether to rest Barkley to protect him for the postseason or allow him to chase the record against his former team, the New York Giants.

Nick Sirianni [22:12]: "I'll always do what's best for the team and then also what's the best for the individuals that are going for the record."

Lavar and Jonas debate the rationale behind the decision to rest Barkley, questioning whether personal accolades should outweigh team success, especially considering the significant impact on the team's playoff prospects.

Jonas Knox [25:35]: "They went to Saquon Barkley and said, 'What do you think?' If he would have put up any more fight whatsoever, I don't think they would have gone against him."

Jonas criticizes the decision, comparing it to how other sports figures are treated when approaching records, arguing that individual achievements should not be sacrificed for potential team benefits.

Jonas Knox [26:38]: "If I'm Nick Sirianni, we're going to get this record. You play the game. You play the game."

The hosts highlight the tension between honoring individual milestones and prioritizing team strategy, reflecting broader debates within sports management.

3. Postponement of the Sugar Bowl: Navigating Tragic Circumstances

Timestamp: [40:56] – [43:45]

Lavar Arrington updates listeners on the postponement of the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans following a tragedy. He references reports from the New Orleans Times Picayune and WDSU, an NBC affiliate, indicating that the game might be rescheduled to the following day.

Lavar Arrington [40:56]: "The Sugar Bowl is going to be postponed following the tragedy last night in New Orleans."

Jonas Knox speculates on the logistical challenges and fairness implications of rescheduling, especially concerning the playoff bracket and team rest periods.

Jonas Knox [42:52]: "I believe that they would have to move it back at least a day or two."

Both hosts express concerns about maintaining the integrity of the playoff schedule and ensuring teams have adequate preparation time.

4. Celebrity Encounter: Meeting Ralphie from "A Christmas Story"

Timestamp: [57:05] – [63:07]

Injecting a lighter moment into the episode, Lavar and Jonas recount their encounter with Ralphie, the beloved character from the classic film A Christmas Story. Jonas shares his experience meeting Ralphie, expressing excitement and disbelief.

Jonas Knox [57:27]: "I met Ralphie, bro. You shoot your eye out."

The discussion evolves into a nostalgic reflection on Ralphie's cultural impact compared to other child actors like Macaulay Culkin. They humorously speculate about Ralphie's life post-fame and his enduring legacy.

Jonas Knox [60:50]: "I met Ralphie, bro. You shoot your eye out. That is a serious feat."

This segment provides a personal touch to the episode, showcasing the hosts' ability to blend sports talk with pop culture anecdotes.

Conclusion

In "Best of The Herd," Lavar Arrington and Jonas Knox offer a balanced mix of critical analysis and personal anecdotes, engaging listeners with their perspectives on the evolving landscape of college football and beyond. From dissecting playoff formats and player decisions to addressing unforeseen event impacts and sharing memorable moments, the episode encapsulates the dynamic energy that The Herd with Colin Cowherd is known for.

Notable Quotes:

Lavar Arrington [02:45]: "Through the first five games of the College Football Playoff, what we’ve gotten is basically chalk."
Jonas Knox [10:53]: "If a team gets granted and earns the opportunity to be in the playoff and the bracket is made, shut the F up and enjoy the bracket, enjoy the games."

For those eager to dive deeper into these discussions, tuning into The Herd with Colin Cowherd promises a comprehensive and engaging sports commentary experience.

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Transcript

Colin Cowherd (0:00)

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Jon Stewart (1:07)

Jon Stewart is back at the Daily show and he's bringing his signature wit and insight straight to your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Dive into John's unique take on the biggest topics in politics, entertainment, sports and more. Joined by the sharp voices of the show's correspondents and contributors, and with extended interviews and exclusive weekly headline roundups, this podcast gives you content you won't find anywhere else. Ready to laugh and stay informed? Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Colin Cowherd (1:44)

Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app. Searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

Lavar Arrington (2:06)

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. I would like to say this and we are efforting catching up with lavar Arrington who by the way is in Arizona where his Penn State Nittany Lions took care of business last night and took care of business against Boise State and the game kind of played out pretty much how you expected the game to play out, that Boise State was going to battle because they play hard. If Ashton Gente didn't have a big time monster performance, then Boise State was going to be up against it. But ultimately Penn State was the better team. They were favored by 1112 points. Whatever, it closed at going into the game for a reason and Penn State got it done. And so what we've gotten thus far through the first five games of the College Football Playoff, this new expanded 12 team college football playoff, what we' gotten is basically chalk. You've gotten all the results that you expected and you've gotten, for the most part, pretty uncompetitive games. And so the feeling would be, all right, well then what was the point of this? I mean, I thought this was supposed to add some intrigue. I thought this was supposed to add some, some, a new layer to college football. I thought the, the College Football Playoff was supposed to give us a different viewpoint and a different look and, and a different vibe when it comes to the entire thing. So what was the point? And my pushback on that would be, what's the complaint? Like, there is no guarantees that when you go into this thing that you're gonna get good games. There's no guarantees. And I got news for you. There's no guarantees you're gonna get good games. Whenever you turn on football or basketball or baseball, like, there's no guarantees. You ever gone to a movie, walked in, been like, man, really excited about this thing. Half hour in, you're like, this sucked out loud. It happens. Now you could be one of those people who walks up to the person who ripped your ticket, who probably doesn't want to be there anyways and be like, hey, movie didn't live up to my expectations. Can I get my 1325 back? And by the way, the popcorn was a little dry. You could take that approach. You could be one of those nerds who, after Manny Pacquiao fought Floyd Mayweather and people shelled out a hundred dollars to watch the fight, who went and complained afterwards and said, I paid a hundred dollars for this and it didn't live up to my expectations, okay? And then they found out Manny Pacquiao had like a torn rotator cuff and they thought, you know what, he should have disclosed that before the fight because otherwise I would have felt a lot differently about shelling out my hundred dollars. Dude, what are you about? If the guy didn't fight, you would have complained. Then if you would have pulled out last minute and, and canceled. But this is the problem when it comes to college football. No matter what, you're going to have a complaint because I got news for you. It could have been a 12 team playoff. It could have been a 16 team playoff. You could have thrown in 20 teams. Christ, you could have done a 64 team field like college basketball and somebody somewhere would have found a way to complain. Because that's what it is. That's what college football has bred. Complaints. Like every single story that comes out of college football, somebody's on the opposite side pounding the table against it. Cam Ward decides, hey, you know what? I wanna go chase a record, and then I wanna sit out the second half. How dare he. Wait, wait, what? It was a pop tarts bowl. Like, you literally had an unhealthy toasted strudel jump out of a giant fake toaster at the end of the game and people were. Because some guy didn't participate in all of it. What, what are we talking about here? Did you see the Cheez it bowl yesterday? You had people get married at the Cheez it bowl. It's the Cheez It Bowl. Like there was a guy sitting in a jacuzzi filled with crackers talking about the snack. Not trying to win an Antonio Brown award. But if he wants to hand out any more of those, I'll gladly accept. But the point is, no matter what, there's gonna be a complaint and there's gonna be a problem. And I looked at last night var and I thought to myself, you know what? Hey, Penn State took care of business. Boise State played hard, but I would not rather go back to a four team college football playoff because at least you gave the underdog a chance in that spot.

Jonas Knox (7:16)

I mean, they weren't the underdog. They were ranked higher, they came in seated higher. They, they had a bye week because of what they accomplished during the season. I think that there's going to always be debates of why people like something and why they don't. Otherwise there wouldn't be any topics like nobody's ever going to get a perfect scenario for a playo off. And you're not always like, to me, I've been really thinking about this, right? It's like they're saying their commitment is to get the best teams into, into the playoff. And, and so there's all these different variables, your strength of schedule and stuff like that. There's all these different variables. But at the end of the day, Jonas, you set up the schedule, you know what the schedule is coming in, right? So if a team wins out with their schedule, knowing when they come into the season that it's not a schedule that's strong enough to outweigh the other schedules that are, are out there, then you, you, I, I would say you judge it based off of that if you want to try and do it based off of strength of schedule. But at the end of the day, I think to me if you win your conference and if, if you're a team that, that has shown with their record, if, like, say it's an independent like Notre Dame, if you've shown with your record that you should be in the playoff, then be in the playoff. And, and let's line them up. Let's, let's do the playoff. And who wins, wins. Who loses, loses. I just think that it gets crazy to me because here's the narrative. Here's the narrative. Oh, these aren't the best teams. The best teams aren't in there. Alabama should have been in there. Alabama just lost yesterday. Alabama loss. Like, oh, this team, this team should have been in there. Miami should have been in there. Miami lost. Okay. Oh, you had opt outs. Maybe the opt outs play, maybe Cam Ward plays. I don't care. They lost. They lost. So there is no justification for saying some of these teams that didn't play in the playoff should have been in the playoff because some of those teams have lost their bowl games that they're playing in. So to me, if a team gets granted and earns the opportunity to be in the playoff and the bracket is made, shut the F up and enjoy the bracket, enjoy the games. Like, what else is there to it? I, I don't understand why there's such outrage. If Boise beats, if Boise beats Penn State, are people complaining? If Indiana beats Notre Dame, are, are people complaining? If the lower seat teams that get in beat the higher C teams, are people still complaining? They'll probably find something different, a different narrative to complain about, but they're still going to be complaining. You're not going to make all of the pundits happy. You're not going to make all of the fans happy. You're not going to make everybody happy with what it is that, that the college playoff represents. So keep the number the same. I love the fact that there's a bracket in a tournament that, that has this many teams. I like the fact that you have matchups and, and the matchups have been made by the schedule makers, by the bracket makers, the tournament makers. Just, just accept it for what it is and enjoy it. My God, what is all of the outrage for all of the time. It's weird.

Jonas Knox (28:01)

I just don't like it. I don't like it. I don't like it. I don't like for him to have to be put in a position where that's just like him being a good guy can ultimately, sometimes that can work against you. And that might sound selfish and that might sound like, you know, you know, I, I don't know what it sounds like, but I don't like it. You're that close to it. You're a professional. It's the game, it's the season. And you work towards things like, you, you work towards greatness, you work towards immortality because you know the moment you're not playing that game anymore, you start to see and feel your, Your mortality. You're not an immortal anymore. And now you, you start down a different road in your life when you have the opportunity and the ability to be able to do things like break records of the greatest of the greats. So you're telling me they would, look, they would rest LeBron James. If LeBron James had the opportunity to break a record from Michael Jordan or, or any of the other greats. You know, when he broke Kareem Abdul Jabbar's record and stuff like that. You're going to arrest him like that? To me, that's a overstated. That, That's a overstated cop out, if you ask me. Like resting. You're in season. Aren't you preparing for a season? When you're preparing for the season, you're not preparing for every game that you're going to play and possibly play in the playoffs. All right? He's not. I mean, he's not crazy old. I know he's had injuries and, And I'm sure you take that into consideration. It just, it's. It. He'll. He probably will never come this close to that record again. He'll probably never come that close to this record again. And it's, oh, he's a nice guy, so go ahead and rest him because he's not going to care. Or that, that Record. Well, maybe it'll matter to his kids, maybe it'll matter to his grandkids. You know how much that record matters to Eric Dickerson. He don't want nobody to break that record. Just ask and he'll let you know. That is a, that is a serious feat. And people say, oh, well, it's, he played more games. Well, you know the record that, that he broke. O.J. simpson played less games too. So I don't care about the whole idea that, well, Saquon is doing it in, in more games than what Eric Dickerson did. I don't care.

Jonas Knox (48:22)

I don't know, just gotta wait and see. I mean, these guys are on the verge of. I mean, they're already making history with what they're doing. I tell these guys on the field, I said, everything you guys do from the moment you started playing in the playoffs, you are carving out your own space, your own legacy within the. The tradition of what we have represented, all of these schools. And that's another thing that, you know, maybe doesn't get enough attention. Jonas, when. When we're talking about all, like, people rather focus in on, oh, this team shouldn't be here. This team should, like. How about you focus in on the fact that these teams are, are making history, you know, okay, so the, you know, a team has to win, a team has to lose, and there will be a loser. And to say that, oh, well, as a loser, you're. You're not. Not. You're not touching history. These, these young men have prepared, they played, and they're touching history by playing in this, this new playoff. And, and they're being home games and, and they're being by weeks. So, you know, I think that there's a lot to be said about the, the changing, you know, the changing environment of how many games are played and how these playoffs are taken. But this is the first time. This is the only time. This will be the first time time. And it feels like that. Like it felt like that at the game. The energy of it felt like that. And man, I really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed it felt. It's almost like each of these games are a national championship game, bro. I'm telling you, that's what it feels like. Like the energy of it, the electricity of it. It's like this isn't. It's like every game these young men are playing in is the equivalent of the national championship game game. And so to me, I was, you know, I was really, really driving home to these guys. You know, I was talking to Abdul and, you know, Kobe King and the rest of those guys just about how every single thing they do will go into the, the annals and the history of, of Penn State football.