Best of The Herd

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – "Best of The Herd" (August 5, 2025)

The "Best of The Herd" episode offers a comprehensive dive into the current landscape of American sports, touching on the evolving dynamics of the NFL, the rigidity of college football playoffs, in-depth basketball analyses, coaching philosophies, and the state of soccer in the U.S. Hosted primarily by Jason McIntyre, alongside contributors Nick Wright and Joel Klatt, the episode is rich with insights, debates, and forward-looking predictions.

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1. NFL Trends and Expansion

Jason McIntyre opens the discussion by presenting his evolving perspective on the NFL's trajectory. He posits that the league is becoming increasingly predictable, with fewer new teams breaking into the playoff scene. McIntyre elaborates on the implications of the NFL expanding to 18 games, suggesting that this extension will exacerbate the gap between top-tier and lower-tier teams, making the league more akin to the NBA in terms of predictability and disparity.

"I believe as much as everybody, myself included, wants change, the NFL is going to become the NBA. You kind of know, I mean, go look at the AFC. If you go look at the AFC, who's made the divisional round the last two years? Oh, Ravens, Bills, Kansas City, and it feels like it's the same teams every year."
— Jason McIntyre [04:30]

He discusses his skepticism about new playoff teams emerging, citing only a handful, like Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, as potential additions. McIntyre warns that the expansion and the league’s increased focus on quarterbacks may lead to a homogenization of team strategies and diminish competitive unpredictability.

2. College Football Playoffs and Dominance of Top Programs

Transitioning to college football, McIntyre critiques the expansion of the College Football Playoff, arguing that it fails to provide a competitive platform for "little guy" programs. He asserts that the depth of rosters and financial advantages perpetuate the dominance of established powerhouses like Texas, Ohio State, and Alabama.

"When you extend the season, you expand the playoffs and add more games. That all benefits the big dog. That all benefits Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, the new Texas. That's who it benefits."
— Jason McIntyre [06:15]

He draws parallels between the NFL and college football, emphasizing that both are leaning towards favoring programs with substantial resources and deeper talent pools, thereby limiting opportunities for emerging or traditionally underdog teams.

3. Basketball Analysis: LeBron James and Luka Doncic

A significant portion of the episode delves into basketball, focusing on the dynamic duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic in the Los Angeles Lakers. McIntyre speculates on the future performances and roles of both stars, predicting a divergent trajectory where Doncic emerges as a top-tier player while LeBron's influence wanes.

"One will look like a top three player in the league and one will look like he's 40. Good, but not nearly as consistent."
— Jason McIntyre [25:09]

He highlights Luka's improved physical condition and increased usage rate, forecasting that Luka will take on a more dominant role, potentially eclipsing LeBron's contributions. This shift, McIntyre suggests, could redefine the Lakers' strategy and performance dynamics moving forward.

4. Coaching and Media Influence: Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins

The conversation shifts to the Miami Dolphins and head coach Mike McDaniel. McIntyre critiques the media's favoritism towards certain coaches, questioning the tangible success behind the positive coverage. He contrasts McDaniel's analytical approach with the traditional physicality and toughness inherent in football leadership.

"I think there is an arrogance to the idea that, that in some ways that football is talked about when it comes to the actual physicality and toughness of the game gets lost in some of the math."
— Jason McIntyre [50:21]

Another contributor adds that while McDaniel is intellectually adept and innovative, there’s a perceived disconnect between his analytical methods and the gritty, hands-on nature required to lead a physically demanding sport like football.

"There is magic in the indefinable toughness stuff."
— Unnamed Speaker [49:43]

The discussion underscores a tension between modern analytical strategies and traditional coaching philosophies, suggesting that the Dolphins may struggle to instill fear and resilience comparable to more physically assertive teams.

5. The State of Soccer in America

Addressing Tom Brady's comments on soccer, McIntyre offers a defense of the sport's growing popularity in the United States. He acknowledges the passionate following but contends that soccer remains a niche compared to entrenched American sports like football and basketball.

"The World cup is coming to America in 2026. You can't imagine the fanfare when that happens."
— Tom Brady (Referenced by Jason McIntyre) [32:10]

McIntyre reflects on the cultural and historical depth of soccer, particularly in Europe, and suggests that while soccer has a dedicated fan base, it hasn't yet captured the mainstream American sports fandom to the same extent.

6. Media Presentation and Public Perception

Towards the episode's conclusion, McIntyre and his co-host discuss the influence of media presentation on public perception, using examples like Colin Cowherd's attire at press conferences. They debate the importance of appearance versus content, emphasizing that while presentation matters, substance should prevail.

"There are dress codes in life... It’s one thing to have a hat on backwards for a wide receiver in an interview on the field... but is a backwards visor a good look on anyone? I'm yet to see it."
— Jason McIntyre [43:07]

This segment highlights the broader theme of how media narratives and personal branding intersect with athletic performance and leadership.

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Conclusion

The "Best of The Herd" episode encapsulates a critical examination of contemporary trends in American sports. Through thoughtful analysis and spirited debate, Jason McIntyre and his panel challenge prevailing narratives, urging listeners to reconsider the implications of league expansions, the sustainability of dominant programs, and the evolving nature of sports leadership. Whether it's the predictability creeping into the NFL, the rigidity of college football playoffs, or the nuanced dynamics within the Lakers' basketball roster, the episode offers listeners a nuanced perspective on where American sports are headed.

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Note: This summary focuses solely on the content-rich segments of the podcast, omitting advertisements, intros, outros, and other non-content sections as per the user's instructions.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[Nick Wright]

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[Joel Klatt]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Nick Wright]

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 [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

[Jason McIntyre]

This is the best of the Herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It is a Tuesday. Ready to roll. Joel Klatt, Nick Wright, it's the herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, thanks for making J. Mac and I part of your day. You know, J. Mac, I was thinking about something this morning. An overarching theme to start the show for the first 10 to 12 minutes. And I eat basically the same breakfast. I have the same routine every day. I get up, I have a strong coffee, I'll get in the treadmill, may have an English muffin, have a smoothie before the show. And I do. I live as much as everybody's searching for new stuff. If I, for instance, want to watch sports on tv, I go to NBC, Fox, cbs, ass. I know where to go. I don't go to Netflix. I don't go to Hulu. I go to the standard places where I've always watched sports. And I. I have this theory about the NFL that we think you never know who's going to win these games. But I believe for two reasons, the NFL is going to get starting. Three years ago, you're seeing a trend much more predictable. And that's my jumping off point today is this. So when I make NFL predictions now, I have two more tweaks to my predictions. I'm always looking for new teams to make the playoffs. And the one team I've looked at is Joe Burrow is going to make the playoffs, right? So I want to go to a quote from the Washington Post about a general manager talking about the Bengals and he talks about Mike Brown and he says it's the same old Mike Brown BS Said one general manager. Condition of anonymity to avoid violating the NFL tampering rules. It's the same crap that's been going on since Boomer Esiason and Carson Palmer. History always repeats itself. And I've said this before, if Carson Palmer would have gotten like a Sean Payton or an Andy Reid, we would consider Carson Palmer a top four or five quarterback ever. And I worry that Joe Burrow, same organization, same ownership, it's going to be the same thing. If Joe Burrow gets an Annie Reid, he's hoisting the trophies, not Patrick Mahomes. And I really firmly believe that. So I've thought about the Bengals a lot because I'm always looking for new playoff teams, right? Because there's like seven a year, right? Well, not actually last three years. It keeps coming down. Why is that happening? So we have many camps, OTAs, and the first week or so of training camps. So I have new information. So I looked over my predictions. I've got one more tweak. This will not be the official tweak, but I looked over my predictions that I made a few months ago. So in the AFC for instance, Josh Allen's going to win the division for as long as he's in his prime. The Patriots are the safest double your win total bet in the league in five years. Dolphins, Jets, I wouldn't change a thing. AFC north prediction Ravens are the class of the this division and I mean really one of the top three organizations in the league. I think because of all the noise around the Bengals all because of ownership I'd probably move the Bengals out. Steelers Brown's just not good enough. AFC south is weak. Texans are going to win the division. They have arguably the best coach and absolutely the best quarterback in the AFC West. Chargers, Chiefs, Broncos, Raiders. If I move Cincinnati out because I predicted they'll make the playoffs I would put the Broncos in. I mean they added Greenlaw, Bufanga, Evan Ingram. They're over under on DraftKings it's nine and a half wins. So if I was to make an AFC west prediction my my final big tweak I get the Bengals out and I'd move Sean Payton. I'd get noise out and I'd get a guy I've relied on for 25 years in the league Sean Payton in. If I go to the NFC it's the same basic theme. I like most of my picks NFC East Eagles Commanders Commanders class of the NFC east not close Eagles Commanders class of the division Giants, Cowboys of mess in the NFC north here's where I would make my change for the same reason I get the Bengals out I probably because I think the Bears have been very noisy so far in minicamp, OTA and training camp. I probably move the Bears out and the packers in again noise out like the Bengals reliable Sean Payton, Green Bay packers in Vikings JJ McCarthy feel like a 4th place team or a 3rd place team in the NFC south weakest division in my opinion in football. Bucks class of the division, best gm, best quarterback and you know I'll take the Bucks NFC west again I I'm not as high in the Niners as J Mac I go Rams, Seahawks the Niners have an easy schedule. I think they're old. I think the roster has holes. I think they wanted to keep Greenlawn Huanga. I do think Robert Sala coming in helps. So again like the AFC where I moved the Bengals out Sean Payton I'd probably move in. I would probably move the noisy Bears out and the packers in. But it's very interesting because I have spent as my staff knows, I spend considerable amount of time trying to find new playoff teams. And if I made these two changes, I'd only have two new playoff teams. New England in the AFC and Seattle in the nfc. Well, wait a minute, I can't do that. Or can I? So there's more games than ever, right? They added a game and they're going to add an 18th game and the leagues become more quarterback centric. So those two things in my opinion are making the NFL a bit more like the NBA. I talked about this last year. The bottom of the league is really bad and feels miles away from the top of the league. You're seeing more spreads that are like 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. It feels like to me, last couple of years that was always a college number. An NFL mismatch was like eight, eight and a half. Now you're getting double digit spreads. A lot, it feels like to me. So last year there were only four new playoff teams. That's tied for the fewest in 20 years. We're on a three year trend of fewer new playoff teams. And I believe as much as everybody, myself included, wants change, the NFL is going to become the NBA. You kind of know, I mean, go look at the afc. I was looking at this this morning. If you go look at the afc, who's made the divisional round the last two years? Oh, Ravens, Bills, Kansas City, and it feel like it's the same teams every year. So I, my take is everybody says they want change. I think going forward, when we go to an 18th game, and I've said this is the danger of extending the NFL two more games from several years ago and making the league incredibly quarterback centric, you're going to have a clear top and a really ugly bottom and it's going to become very predictable. So I don't think we're going to have six and seven new playoff teams this year. I am struggling outside of maybe Joe Burrow and the Niners, I'm struggling to find new playoff teams now last year because of Bo Nix, who was exceptional as a rookie, and Jaden Daniels, the Broncos in Washington. Whoa, surprised us. But that was a really good quarterback draft class. This wasn't. And from that I'll talk about another part of football that we thought we were going to see major changes in. And I think the opposite is true. So when the College Football Playoff was created, here's what you heard, oh, finally the little guy can compete. I mean, when you only have four teams, it's always going to be the big dogs. So there was this supposition, this belief that you would have a lot of little guys that would have a chance to knock off the big dog. Actually now with teams playing up to 16, 15 college games, same thing is true in the NFL. The deeper rosters have a much greater advantage. I mean Ohio stated the in the playoff was rolling through teams. They just had more good players, they had more NFL bodies. And this morning I looked up the coaches top 25 poll. The first seven teams, Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Clemson, Oregon, all made the playoff last year. And 8 and 9 are Bama and LSU football powerhouses. Where are all the new teams? It's the same old, same old. In fact, I'll make the argument. In the last 30 years of college football, there is only one new top 10 powerhouse, one Oregon. And it took Phil Knight's money and vision one new program. And by expanding the playoff to 12 teams, 14, 16. That doesn't help the little guy because a team like Arizona State. Cam scatter. Boo. Great story, but they emptied the tank against Texas. Texas right now has two five star freshman wide receivers. They're like fifth and sixth on the depth chart. They'd start for smu, they'd start for Arizona State and you'll get the occasional upset. But when you watched Indiana and Notre Dame playing the playoff, did you think the little guy had a fighting chance? That thing was over. Two series in. Do you watch the SMU game? So the old system, which Boise State could have one big bowl game against Oklahoma, Chris Peterson uses a trick play and they knock off the Sooners and the season ends in Boise, Idaho on a great note. Unbelievable TV game. Everybody in Idaho feels good. Those days are over. You're going to. All those teams that have nots are going to end their season with losses and often ugly losses. So this idea that the NFL, you extend the season, you expand the playoffs in college football, you expand it. Now folks, everybody is trying to engineer parody and it doesn't exist. People always separate. Businesses always separate. And so that, that's kind of my, my theme is college football now can have up to 15 games and the NFL is expanding to 17. And now they're going to expand to 18 games. Many believe next year it's not going to help the little guy, it's going to help the deeper roster, the richer organizations, the better quarterbacks and a handful of great owners. All right. J. Mac. I know that could be a downer, but my guess is you. You basically watch football on the same three channels you did 20 years ago, and you also eat the same thing for breakfast most days. And that. We're all creatures of habit and everybody's seeking new stuff. But, you know, in New York, if you could get a ticket to a concert, for a lot of people, it'd be a Billy Joel concert, which wasn't the case 20 years ago for New Yorkers.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It's funny you bring that up. I mean, you know, like, I'm. We're very similar in terms of creatures of habit. Like, you know, last week on vacation, I didn't wake up and go on Twitter and see what the news was. But now you're back and, like, that's kind of one of the first things you do, right? You gotta see what's up on sports and what's happening.

Yeah, Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

I just. I think I understand people seeking new. It could be a mayoral race in New York. Everybody wants new and new and new, but in the end, people basically go back. What makes people happy psychologically are certainties and habits. That's what makes you happy. Not waking up every day with no idea what's going on. People, like, want to work out, they want to walk their dog, they want to have their coffee. They want to play wordle, they want to read the local paper. We are creatures of habit and we're all seeking, we think football, college and pro. Adding more playoff teams, expanding the playoffs and adding more games. That all benefits the big dog. That all benefits the big that. That benefits Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, the new Texas. That's who it benefit. Doesn't benefit smu. It benefits the Longhorns.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I do wonder if, you know, we did. We briefly discussed the packers yesterday. As a team that's going to probably rise up. I'm surprised you're not on the Falcons. I got some really interesting data when we eventually talk about Atlanta and I think. Remember when you were on Tennessee earlier this summer and you suddenly backed off, off the Titans?

What happened?

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, I didn't love them. I had them as a wild card team. But when they. Their. Their supposed number one receiver gets hurt, they get rid of him. Now they've got a roster full of number three and four receivers. Cam Ward is acknowledged. You know, they're saying in camp they're struggling. It's become more and more of a wide receiver, quarterback league. They're struggling. I mean, it always feels like they're light offensively. So I didn't love them. New England's my guaranteed double your win total team. But I did think Cam Ward would add some electricity, but you know it's CJ Stroud's the best quarterback in the division. CJ Stroud made the playoffs. My guess is CJ Stroud will make the playoffs again this year.

[Unnamed Speaker]

So just just for the record, your CJ Stroud is a better quarterback right now than Trevor Lawrence, correct?

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes, okay, I would disagree, but why? I did not believe that two years ago. I believe it now. I think C.J. to me, I don't buy he had an off season. Tunzel, the left tackle didn't play well. They were missing two of their top receivers. He had a lot to overcome. I think C.J. stroud's really, really good. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app hey, this is Jason McIntyre.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Join me every weekday morning on my podcast Straight fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod, pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the Sportsbook and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight fire with Jason McEntire on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Joel Klatt]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Hi, it's Colin. I've been around long enough to know.

[Nick Wright]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Good stuff.

[Nick Wright]

No flash, no gimmicks. Smooth, clean tasting made the right way. Okay.

[Jason McIntyre]

I like things that are built to last.

[Nick Wright]

A great team, a well run organization. Same goes for my vodka Tito's. Made in Austin, Texas. Real care, attention to detail, distinct crisp taste. I was just telling my wife the other day Tito's is the one vodka it has a completely distinct taste. Been my go to for years so I like to keep it simple. Tito's Soda, one lime, lot of ice, refreshing, easy summer, winter, spring.

[Jason McIntyre]

Totally versatile. Always works. Listen, baseball season's here.

[Nick Wright]

Your team's going to play 162 games. A perfect time to kick back with some Tito's.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's what I pour.

[Nick Wright]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Nick Wright Top of next hour. Joel Klatu I you know this is a story that's had tentacles. So LeBron James did not show up for the press conference when Lucas signed his new Deal. Bronnie James wasn't apparently there either. And my take is we all know the deal here. LeBron is a global superstar. He's like in the Ronaldo Messi level. They play by different rules. If, if LeBron and Savannah and Bronny were on a yacht in San Tropez, I don't have a problem with it. I really don't. We all know that the Lakers drafted him and there was behind the scenes workings on that deal. It's the off season. It just doesn't bother me. And reportedly LeBron called him. That doesn't bother me. What bothers me going forward into this season is that it was okay last year when LeBron often dominated the ball with Lumpy Luca. But Luca and I'm looking at men's health. Like everybody else in the video clips. Luca is in the best shape of his career since like his rookie year and his second, third year in the NBA. And his usage rate I discovered this morning is the highest in league history. So I didn't have a problem. LeBron sharing the ball a lot with Lumpy Luka. That's not what Luka is going to be. This new relation. I would make an argument this Luka in shape. Luka fits better with KD, old KD than old LeBron because LeBron's always had to. You have to reshape your basketball ecosystem with LeBron. He always has the ball in his hands. He doesn't play as well off ball. He's also a great passer, but so is Luca. So the problem with the Lakers Now, Austin Reaves, LeBron and Luca are all much better with the ball, but in shape. Non Lumpy Luca should have the ball 80% of the time. Last year I was fine with sharing. He's been injured in camp, the trades mid season. He worked his way into shape. He just looked big and puffy and lumpy. And a lot of times LeBron was the twitchier athlete. He will not be this year. LeBron's average keeps going down. My, my, my sense is it will go down more this year because he just won't have the ball in his hands much. So the whole thing about LeBron, you know, not showing up for a presser or even Bronnie, it doesn't really bother me. I think y', all, I think we all know the game. There are certain athletes. I mean, it was great that Brady was as obsessed as he was, but Aaron Rodgers has a lot of defenders. When he goes to Egypt in the off season, he's got a lot of defenders, teammates. Like it's Aaron. He's been around. I wouldn't do it, but he's not the first guy to do it. But my take is this year is going to be different. I said this yesterday. I think you're going to see a huge gap in Luke and LeBron on the floor. One will look like a top three player in the league and one will look like he's 40. Good, but not nearly as consistent. And what's going to Happen Statistically is LeBron should not have the ball in his hands like last year. Absolutely not. Lumpy Luca, no problem with it. The Luca I'm seeing on these videos at the presser, Men's Health. That's like year two, three and four. Luca, when he led the NBA in usage rate and was virtually unstoppable as a kid. Unstoppable. By the way, here's Rob Polinka, the gm, you know, last week on the new contract for him.

[Rob Pelinka]

Make no mistakes. We're we're in win championship now mode always. We've been very intentional with keeping our optionality to make now moves if there's good now moves to Maeve or to have sort of our flexibility in the future. But I say all that, that the optionality is is there for us to use now if the right move comes its way. We want to make smart moves. But to be in a position of flexibility versus being stuck is really promising for how we're going to build this team moving forward.

[Jason McIntyre]

Just look at how thin in a suit Luca looks compared to last year in a uniform. So he's got a heavy suit on. He looks 30 pounds lighter. And just, just remember that Luca, like early Luca, totally ball dominant and completely unstoppable. Last year he couldn't beat guys off the dribble. He couldn't be in attack mode. So I was okay with LeBron LeBron beating guys off the dribble. But you go to young Luca, rookie Luca, I think we talked about this one had 25 dunks. LeBron last or Luca last year had one dunk. Like we're going back to 20 dunk Luka lean Luca. He's got to have the ball in his hands 80% of the time. Austin Reeves can't have the ball in his hands and LeBron shouldn't have the ball in his hands. Lean Luka is not lumpy Luka. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Joel Klatt]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Hi, it's Colin. I've been around long enough to know.

[Nick Wright]

Quality when I see it. Or in this case, when I taste it. Tito's Handmade Vodka.

[Jason McIntyre]

Good stuff.

[Nick Wright]

No flash, no gimmicks. Smooth, clean tasting, made the right way.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay. I like things that are built to last.

[Nick Wright]

A great team, a well run organization. Same goes for my vodka, Tito's. Made in Austin, Texas. Real care, attention to detail, distinct crisp taste. I was just telling my wife the other day, Tito's is the one vodka it has a completely distinct taste. Been my go to for years so.

[Jason McIntyre]

I like to keep it simple.

[Nick Wright]

Tito's Soda one lime, lot of ice, refreshing, easy summer, winter, spring.

[Jason McIntyre]

Totally versatile. Always works. Listen, baseball season's here.

[Nick Wright]

Your team's going to play 162 games. A perfect time to kick back with some Titos.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's what I pour.

[Nick Wright]

You should too. Distilled and bottled by 5th Generation Inc. Austin, Texas 40% alcohol by volume saver. Responsibly. Everybody loves a good MVP story and the story of Wasabi Technologies is one of the best. Wasabi is purpose built to free businesses from skyrocketing storage costs and unpredictable egress fees from old and top heavy legacy providers.

[Jason McIntyre]

You know the big guys.

[Nick Wright]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Here we go. Hour two, Nick Wright's around the corner. We're live. It's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be watching or listening, appreciate it. So Men in Blazers is a very popular sports podcast and they had Tom Brady talking about soccer. And it's interesting. I always feel like I'm defending soccer and there's just a percentage of guys that are never going to buy into it. But I always feel soccer in America is appropriately popular. It happens every fourth year, the World Cup. Right. And so it's like those relatives you see every four years, they're not real family. Even though you're related, it's not like your own kids that you hold much more responsible. You get the highs and lows of, you know, the daily rituals and routines and that the truth is, when the World cup was here in 1994, it broke records that stand today in attendance. And the World cup, the next one in the United States will shatter those records. And Tom Brady was talking about, I don't think soccer needs anything in America. I think it's as popular as it's ever going to be. And I think it's really popular when you consider that we have massive infrastructure of college football and college basketball. We are an overstimulated, distracted country. It's bigger in Europe. Europe doesn't have our college football or basketball. They don't have the NHL like we do. I mean, we've got mls, NHL, nascar, NFL, NBA, Canada. By the way, Canada's got NHL, NBA, cfl. They don't even have our college system, this labyrinth of, you know, 350 Division 1 basketball programs like we have here. And so here's Tom Brady talking About a little bit what soccer needs.

[Tom Brady]

We need the youth in America. In soccer, we need a young phenom like a Yamin Lamal, a young Lionel Messi to take over. And I believe that there will be the most amazing kind of cultural revolution for soccer here in America. We love rooting for winners. We love rooting for the best of the best. The World cup is coming to America in 2026. You can't imagine the fanfare when that happens. Every stadium will be sold out. The American audience loves it.

[Jason McIntyre]

I always feel like hockey feels like Canada. The NFL and college football feel like us. But soccer, you know, 1700s, 1800s, there's 400 year old pubs in Europe. They're older than us. Soccer's old. There are 400 year old. You know, if you walk around Europe, it's like you're walking in an outdoor museum. I mean, just, just go to Vienna, go to, go to these European cities. I was in Florence a couple years ago. I felt like the whole trip was I was walking in a museum. I love Seattle. It doesn't feel that way. Right. I like Denver. It doesn't feel like a museum. So I always feel like soccer is appropriately popular. It's the relatives you see every three years and you love them, but they don't feel like your kids. And that's not a knock on soccer. I think Fox is going to break records. I think we still hold the 1994 World cup, still holds the attendance records. And I do think we have, I think Pulisic, I don't know where he ranks globally, but he's our best player ever. I think we have more skill than ever. I always feel like I am defending soccer and I don't think it needs defending. I think it's really popular here. But if you show up every four years, you're not going to be football or the NBA or college football. You're not going to be Ohio State, Michigan. That's the reality of it. And I love it. My friends outside of the NFL, the guys I hang out with, soccer is their number two. They'll watch the English Premier League over everything but the NFL. Seriously. So I, and I remember when I recently, 17, 18, 19 years ago, not recently got married and young boys in New England, Josh and Riley did not watch baseball. They watched the English Premier League downstairs in the house. And I was like, I remember watching that and thinking, wow, I'm in New England and they're not watching the Red Sox, they're watching soccer. So I never think soccer needs defending. Now sometimes Nick Wright does and he now joins us live. Nick Wright, First Things first is joining us.

[Unnamed Speaker]

So what's up?

[Jason McIntyre]

Good to see you. You know, you don't want to make too much of little stuff, but I do think little stuff, I always call it the drip, drip, drip becomes a faucet that's leaking. And I've got last year and I've got minicamp and OTAs. Now I've got the net video with Caleb Williams and I'm like, shouldn't I be a little uneasy with the moodiness, the accuracy? It's a, I mean I watched Shaden Daniels and Bo Nix. They were good immediately. Can I have questions about what I.

[Unnamed Speaker]

See with Jones, Williams, Mac Jones good immediately too. I mean the good immediately is not always the, the right answer. Here's the thing I this, I do not care about him missing these passes especially because either the day before or the day after this video, I'm not sure the sequence of it in this exact drill he went 5 for 5 right into the bucket. So it's not, we know he can make that pass. The only part of this video that I is bothersome to me is that part the reaction. I do think that Caleb as an emotional guy needs to recognize his responsibility as the leader of the team and the quarterback and needs to do a better job of keeping his cool. So when he was in college, people made a big deal of the after the loss, I forget to whom. When he was with his mother and appeared to be crying, I kind of stayed out of that because it felt like a lot of the criticism, there was a wink and a nod criticism of he paints his nails, he carries a purse, now he's crying. And I felt it was untoward. What I do think would have been fair criticism and is fair criticism is whether it would have been him crying or if he had flipped over the Gatorade table and broken a cooler. We want our quarterback to be level headed, to be, you know, calm in the storm. And I think that, I do think that is an area he needs to improve. But I saw you yesterday, Colin, you, you know, you sold just a few of your Caleb shares and let me tell you, I had my brokers scoop them up. I was like, you know what? He's got to, he's going to sell the dip, I'm going to buy it, I'll take more of the Caleb stock and so and we'll see. I think he's going, I think Ben Johnson is trying, not in that drill but trying to throw a lot at him. Is fine with him struggling, is fine with him being frustrated so he can build him back up. I still believe in the transcendent talent, and I think Ben Johnson's a sharp coach, so I think it will work. But I just need him to be a little more even keeled.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay, so I'm going to bounce around here and I want to get to this topic. I said it's a basketball topic. I didn't have a problem with LeBron James or Bronnie because we all know the deal here. If they're on a yacht in San Tropez with Savannah and they don't make a press conference and they do a video call, I'm okay with it. LeBron is messy. He's Ronaldo. We're talking different ball game here. It's Brad Pitt. He can't make every, you know, carpet. I get it. But I said Luca being in the kind of shape he's in, it's year two and three Luca. And last year I got lumpy Luca. This year I get lean Luca. And I think LeBron. And maybe he can handle it or maybe he can't. I don't want Austin Reeves to have the ball. I don't want. I think old kd, you could argue, will play better with lean Luka than lumpy Luka. Last year he couldn't beat people off the dribble. He needed LeBron, who still can that. I think the struggle isn't whether he's at a press conference, is that you're going to get now year two and three Luca, where he not only beat people off the dribble, he finished dunking at the rim. That guy is back. And I. And his usage rate in those years was the highest ever. Is that I think LeBron's numbers for the first time in his career. You will watch Luke and LeBron and there will be a noticeable gap in performance. And we've never seen that with LeBron.

[Unnamed Speaker]

We've never seen it. But like, there's. Listen, LeBron last year got the sixth most MVP votes and the sixth most all NBA first team votes. He finished sixth in both of those categories. He was, according to the voters, the sixth best player in basketball last year. Let's assume there's a little atrophy from there going now into year 23 of his career and where he's going to be turning 41. And let's say he goes from that to 9th or 10th best in the league. Luka is one of unequivocally the four best players in the league. I think he's one of the three best players in the league. I understand that it's a harder argument to make now because of what Shai accomplished, but I think Luka is better than Shai. Everyone thought that nine months ago. Now, seemingly only I and maybe Zach Lowe think it, but I think Luka is a top three player in the league. He's supposed to be much better than whomever his next best teammate is. Where I disagree with people about how LeBron will take that. I think LeBron, for the better part of the last five years had been hoping that he would be able to make this transition because of Anthony Davis. I think LeBron, as we saw in the Olympics and once they got Luka last year, relishes the opportunity to be able to give more of his energy on the defensive end because he doesn't have to carry all of the load on the offensive end. LeBron's issue has, and I know this has nothing to do with Luca or whether or not Luca has superseded him in the NBA player hierarchy at this point in his career. LeBron's singular issue is, are, is my timeline and the Lakers timeline now totally misaligned or are they still at least kind of together? Where the Lakers, yes, obviously they need to have a long term vision, but do they also think we can win a championship right now and we are going to go for that? Because this might be my last year. And here is why I would argue for the Lakers, they should. Unless they have a secret handshake agreement that Giannis is signing there in two years, the overwhelming odds that if we were to in three years when this extension for Luke is over, say, hey, who's the single best player Luka ever played with with the Lakers in his four years with the team? The answer is likely going to be LeBron. When LeBron leaves, the idea that they're going to get one of the six players in the league or seven players in the league better than LeBron as a running mate is unlikely. So if I were the Lakers, I would treat this season as we have. Luka can win MVP. LeBron's coming off a great year. We filled out the roster a bit. Maybe add one more wing or maybe a backup center and why can't we go win four rounds? That's what LeBron wants them to do. I don't blame him for that.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay, this, this may be below your standards of a topic choice, but now I have had kind of a thing and there's a lot of truth in it, although sometimes just to Be obnoxious. I go a little over the top and a little theatrical.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Tell me doing the visor. Tell me we're doing the visor right now. Yeah, go ahead.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay. So my thing is there are dress codes in life. There are members clubs, there's golf courses, there's events where you have to wear a collared shirt. It's one thing to have a hat on backwards for a wide receiver in an interview on the field to be the coach of the Dallas Cowboys, a backwards visor. I had a general manager text me this morning. He goes, you're going to get nothing but crap and you are on target. A general manager in the league said, don't stop on this. Here's a guy that nobody believes can coach. And he looks like the guy that when you call 1-800-JUNK picks up the boxes and the stuff from your garage. It's the Cowboys. It's bank of America. It's the biggest brand in the National Football League. That look bothers me.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, I know it does. I know it does. So a couple things, just one clarification for the audience. I don't know who you get on the other end of the line if you call 1-800-JUNK but I wouldn't call it. And that's not the number Colin meant, but the point is taken. So here's the thing, Colin. You have always been right about this and deep down everyone knows it. But because you are maybe a touch hyperbolic or theatrical, people attack you. But we all like, we all agree that every single day we are all making choices with how we present ourselves to the world. We all agree that Bill Belichick was the reason that his gruff, cut up dirty hoodie was considered cool was purely because a, he was an all time winner and B, it fit the theme that he was trying to present. Everyone knows that.

[Jason McIntyre]

Now does.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Is a backwards hat across the board necessarily as much of a faux pas as you seem to think it is? Probably not. But is a backwards visor a good look on anyone? I'm yet to see it. And do. Does everyone, even the biggest critics of you on this, does everyone agree It's a matter of degree that we are arguing about. Because everyone agrees that if he came to the press conference with mustard stained all over his face and shirtless, but said the exact same stuff, we'd be like, yeah, the presentation's wrong. We all agree that there is a level. Your level just happens to be at orientation of the cap or visor in this case, which again, I've never cared about Quite as much as you. But I also think if there were a hall of fame on 20 year sports topics, this is a first ballot entry. People now see people wearing backwards caps and they're like, oh boy, we're going to get four minute masterclass from Cowherd today. I mean, it's kind of your legacy. It might be a little sad thing, but it's in the first page of the obituary. Tell you that much.

[Jason McIntyre]

Probably is. Yeah. I probably need a second good take after 30 years of doing it. Okay, final, final thing on this is that the media does this with politics and they do it with personalities is that they pick people they like and they just decide, we like this guy. There was a Stephen Colbert. The media is like, he's a good guy. And my take is the show's losing 40 million. It went heavy political. The demographics got 69 years old is the average age. Nobody's gonna do a $40 million losing show on network TV in 20, 25, maybe 30 years ago. They're not. But the media decided they liked him and that's fine. But the media has decided they like Mike McDaniels. We're three years in. Brian Flores, the two years before Mike McDaniels got there, they had a better winning percentage than the last three years with him. And that's with the Patriots being a disaster and the jets being a disaster that the media has decided they didn't like Brian Flores. They didn't like him. They like Mike McDaniel. If I had an opening today, what are the Dolphins? What I knew at Flores after about eight weeks, about week nine on those Flores teams were nasty. It took him a while to develop it. I'm three years in with Mike McDaniel. Is this a case of the media deciding he's smart, we like him. Where's the There there with the Dolphins?

[Unnamed Speaker]

Okay, so a couple things. First is I think this is a take I agree with you on, unlike the Colbert take, which I vehemently disagree with you on. And we can save that for the next time I'm to going on the podcast. Probably not the time and place for it right now, but let's put a pin in that. We'll talk about it on the volume at some point. On Mike McDaniel, you are correct in that he reminds a lot of sports media of themselves.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Like that's just flatly true. Like the smaller Rye humor, you know, it signed kind of very almost dark humor yesterday. Analytical guy. I think there are a lot of people covering football that see themselves in him, which then makes you want to root for the guy to succeed you. Then also I do think objectively he is a very smart and inventive offensive play designer. And I also think he got the absolute most out of tua. I think there are some things to like, but where I think there is and whether this is not just about Mike McDaniel, this is about how football is covered today as analytics and as smarter people start having larger voices in covering a football. I think there is a experience gap in how physically brutal the game is and the type of people that actually play it at the highest level and therefore how hard it can be to actually lead that group of men.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes.

[Unnamed Speaker]

And so it to me, this is a cousin of. Sometimes I see some of the smartest people, supposedly smartest people covering football ball, who I think truly believe the way they present it every time you run the ball is stupid because the EPA per play on a bad pass is higher than on a good run. And this, that and all of it makes sense except for the fact that there is when for 80 years every person that's ever played the game has one of the first things they have talked about is the importance of being able to run and like the way it can. You can kind of SAP the will of your opponent.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

At some point you just got to be like, they probably know what they're talking about. Like, I haven't been out there, but like, I don't know, it seems like if, like you can make the D tackle frustrated, there might be a value that doesn't show up in the numbers. So that's a long explanation to get to McDaniel, which is, I think there is some of the reason that the media loves him might also be related to why his team pretty clearly does not fear him the way they seem to some of the more effective coaches. And I like McDaniel, but it seems like it's gotten away from him a bit with the Dolphins. And I want to make this clear. I'm not an anti analytics guy. I'm not an anti kind of, you know, smart learning the game thing. But I think that there is an arrogance to the idea that, that in some ways that football is talked about when it comes to the actual physicality and toughness of the game that gets lost in some of the math.

[Jason McIntyre]

No, I, this, this is something I had a, I had an executive tell me years ago. He said, and this was years and I was at the other place. And he said the hardest part about the draft is you just don't necessarily know on tape am I drafting somebody who is willing to impose his will and soul on another equally big strong man. And Ray Lewis could be smaller and slower. You turn the lights off, put Ray Lewis in a room with any other player. Ray's coming out of the room. And there is value in the NFL in just toughness.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Well, there's, Can I add to that real quick? I know we have to go, but I, I have said, and again, I'm not an anti McDaniel guy, but I think people should go back and watch the Chiefs Dolphins playoff game. Two years ago when the Chiefs were. Came limping into the playoffs, they, you know, I think I'm, you know, they were, it was when they had the first road games. Now they of course ended up going to and winning the super bowl because they're the Chiefs, but they seem to be a vulnerable team. And that was the third coldest game in NFL history. And Andy Reid came out and he looked like Andy Reid. He was dressed like Andy Reid is dressed even though by halftime he literally had icicles on his mustache. And Mike McDaniel came out as bundled up as you've ever seen a human being. And I said, I said on the air that week, I was like. Because the Dolphins had no interest in being there. They, you know, they got annihilated from the very beginning. And I said, I can't prove it, but I feel like the Chiefs saw their coach acting like this is a normal game, normal business. And they were. And they internalized it. And the Dolphins saw their coach acting like this is the coldest I've ever been in my entire life. And they internalized that. And I just think there are little. I think football's so different because it's so physically painful, it's so dangerous, it's so brutal that there is just a lot of magic in the indefinable toughness stuff. And I think that's kind of what I'm getting at here.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, no, I'll close it on this. Years ago I was sitting watching. It was Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in a playoff game in Foxborough and Jim Nance is doing it and he's going to a commercial and they, they show a pre game shot. We're coming back with a kickoff next. And they show Peyton Manning and he looks like he is, he's with I think the Colts at this point. He looks like he's freezing. And I'm like, it's over. Brady's out there high fiving and, and Peyton Manning, who plays in a dome in Indy. And I thought, oh, that's just terrible body language. And I think we agree on that. All right, buddy.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Absolutely. Great to see you. See you, Colin.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, we'll get to that Stephen Colbert thing on a podcast near you.

[Nick Wright]

I swear we will.

[Jason McIntyre]

No, I think it there is something to be said is that I'm not anti analytics ever. But I've said this before about the NBA. Those analytics go out the window in the playoffs because you just coach differently. And the NBA officious officiates differently. Analytics in baseball, it's built for the volume of 162 games you go into the playoffs. Dave Roberts is going to use his bullpen differently in the playoffs than he does any other time of the year. So all the analytics are built for volume of games. But what happens when you get down to a five game, seven game series? Well, in the NBA, the games are officiated differently. You don't get the whistle. You don't get the regular season whistle. So I, I like analytics in football, but a lot of it comes down to mental and physical toughness. And I mean, Philadelphia's best play is gaining half a yard. All the analytics of football. Tom Brady was unstoppable on quarterback sneaks. If it was fourth and one. Brady got the first down, he mastered it. So with all the analytics with football, sometimes it's like Philly and Tom Brady have mastered getting a yard in January. And Buffalo, by the way, with Josh Allen, was a circus trying to get a yard. Sometimes the game is just that, the will and the toughness to get a yard in lousy weather. Okay, have you heard about this?

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[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast.