Best of the Week on The Herd

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – "Best of the Week on The Herd"
Release Date: July 19, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd
Source: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

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Major League Baseball: A New Era of Entertainment

Colin Cowherd kicked off the episode by delving into the recent changes in Major League Baseball (MLB), highlighting the league's strategic pivot towards enhancing entertainment value to attract younger audiences. He praised the recent All-Star Game broadcast, emphasizing its superior production quality compared to other sports events.

"The Fox production on that broadcast last night was magnificent. A master class in TV production." (03:10)

Cowherd lauded the inclusion of interactive elements like miking Clayton Kershaw, drawing parallels to legendary broadcaster Sandy Koufax. This innovative approach, according to Cowherd, revitalizes the traditional aspects of baseball without overhauling its core essence.

"Baseball's growth is because Aaron Judge plays for the Yankees. They didn't need to revolutionize. They just kind of needed to retrofit what the 23-year-olds and 31-year-olds want to watch." (05:00)

He also discussed the competitive dynamics between the National and American Leagues, referencing dramatic game moments and player performances that have elevated the league's appeal.

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NBA Trade Speculations: The LeBron James Dilemma

Shifting focus to the NBA, Cowherd engaged in an in-depth analysis of the ongoing trade rumors surrounding LeBron James and the potential fallout for the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers. He proposed a hypothetical trade scenario, suggesting that trading LeBron could benefit the Mavericks by acquiring young talent and draft picks.

"If you did a trade, let's say you give them Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, two to three first-round picks... you have a great wing and a great big on rookie deals for years." (09:45)

Cowherd critiqued the Lakers' current roster, pointing out deficiencies in defense and depth. He argued that the Mavericks, under new ownership, are poised to rebuild effectively by leveraging their assets.

"When LeBron's contract is off the books and he's out, then you can go big game hunting in one year." (14:32)

He concluded that while the trade remains unlikely, the Mavericks stand to gain significantly should such a deal materialize, potentially shifting the balance of power in the Western Conference.

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College Football Insights with Urban Meyer

In a notable segment, Cowherd welcomed Urban Meyer, a three-time national champion, to discuss the upcoming college football season. The conversation touched upon coaching strategies, quarterback evaluations, and the pressures faced by top-tier players.

"Nick is never failed at anything, right? He has always been a winner." (20:03)

Meyer shared his perspectives on the evolving landscape of college football, including the impact of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulations. Both hosts expressed concerns about the financial strains on programs and the potential for reduced staffing flexibility.

"I think NIL actually protects the staff. You probably get a year or two more than you used to." (27:32)

The discussion also delved into quarterback prospects, with Cowherd expressing skepticism about certain players while acknowledging their athletic prowess.

"I like JJ McCarthy, but there's some skepticism out there about it." (23:56)

Meyer echoed the challenges of maintaining team performance amidst high expectations and the rigorous demands placed on student-athletes.

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UFC Spotlight: Dana White on UFC 318 and Boxing Ventures

Colin Cowherd concluded the episode with a vibrant discussion featuring Dana White, CEO of the UFC. The focus was on the upcoming UFC 318 event, featuring Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier, and White's foray into boxing promotions.

"UFC 318, Holloway Poirier, tomorrow. The Smoothie King Center in New Orleans is a great venue. It's going to be wild because Poirier is actually from there." (42:09)

White highlighted the significance of Poirier's career trajectory and his decision to retire after the event, underscoring the fighter's enduring legacy in the sport.

"Poirier was the one that said, I think I'm ready to retire... a legitimate badass fight for his last fight." (44:21)

The conversation also touched on the strategic expansion of UFC into other combat sports, including high-profile boxing matches.

"My first boxing match that I'm going to promote, other than McGregor Mayweather, is Canelo versus Crawford." (40:15)

White emphasized the importance of discovering new talent through platforms like Dana White's Contender Series, which has already produced multiple world champions.

"We've already had three world champions come off that show." (41:48)

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Conclusion

Throughout the episode, Colin Cowherd provided insightful analyses across multiple sports disciplines, engaging guests and delivering expert commentary. From MLB’s modernization efforts and NBA’s trade dynamics to college football's strategic challenges and UFC’s growth, the episode offered a comprehensive overview of the current sports landscape.

Notable Quotes:

• "Baseball's been a case study in how to pivot in a business that's got tradition and lore and history and a lot of purists." – Colin Cowherd (03:10)
• "If you did a trade... you have a great wing and a great big on rookie deals for years." – Colin Cowherd (09:45)
• "Nick is never failed at anything, right? He has always been a winner." – Colin Cowherd (20:03)
• "We've already had three world champions come off that show." – Dana White (41:48)

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This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd offers a multifaceted exploration of current sports trends, strategic decisions, and the personalities shaping the future of their respective leagues. Whether you're a dedicated fan or a casual observer, the discussions provide valuable insights into the ever-evolving world of sports.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Thanks for listening to the Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at noon.

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To 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific.

[Colin Cowherd]

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. Here we go. It is a midweek Wednesday. They tell me this is a slow week. It doesn't feel like it. We got a lot to Talk about. We are live. We're in Chicago. It's the Herd. J. Mac. Major League Baseball. I know on these shows nobody likes anybody in power. They don't like. They don't like people in campus. If you're the prime minister, everybody's divisive. Nobody likes commissioners. But Rob Manfred. Baseball's been a case study in how to pivot in a business that's got tradition and lore and history and a lot of purists. Last night was three and a half hours of great television for an exhibition. It was really good. Was that not fun? That was as good as all. Yeah. I mean, the Pro bowl is unwatchable. NBA All Star Games, unwatchable. I know I'm going to sound like a homer, but the Fox production on that broadcast last night was magnificent. A master class in TV production. Between that, the ABS system, lots of runs. Let's talk about it. Because Major League Baseball a couple of years ago got over itself and decided let's lean into entertainment. They didn't need to revolutionize. They just kind of needed to retrofit what the 23 year olds and 31 year olds. What do they want to watch? Home Run Derby. Ratings up last night? I'm sure ratings will be significantly up. Miking Clayton Kershaw, a legend. Our Sandy Koufax. Miking him. I could have sat and watched that for an hour. Here's a clip. I can't believe you're doing this, Clayton.

[Guest Speaker]

I can't either. I'm gonna try to throw some cheese real quick. Hold on. All right. Going cheese again.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, yeah. I mean, you and Paul Skeens are pretty much the same guy.

[Guest Speaker]

Right down the middle. I'm so glad he swing. What do you want, Smolty? What do you want?

[Colin Cowherd]

Cut her in. Slide her in. I don't throw a cutter.

[Guest Speaker]

Smolty. Slider. Son of them. All right, what's the count? Two.

[Colin Cowherd]

Two.

[Guest Speaker]

It's so weird talking to you guys.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's kind of weird for us, too. Hey, sit him down.

[Guest Speaker]

Thanks, guys. That was fun. That was fun. Thank you.

[Colin Cowherd]

That I could have just sat and watched that. That's fascinating. An inside glimpse. Lean into entertainment. Lean into technology. Now, some of baseball's growth is because Aaron Judge plays for the Yankees. No, Tani plays for the Dodgers. And the Dodgers have. Might as well have a National League All Star team. But there are stars in Kansas City and stars in Pittsburgh. And the sport just stopped fawning over tradition and stopped taking itself so seriously. And also wearing the real jerseys. Great for casuals. And purists alike that last two years have been amazing by this sport. And so the National League jumped out to a six nothing lead. I was just about ready to tweet NL once again better than the AL. But they had a big six inning, a couple of home runs for the National League and it looked like Paul Steens was going to walk out of there with a win. But that didn't last long because the American League roared back from a 6 nothing deficit because of. Hello, the Sacramento A's, Brent Rooker. Way to go, Pete Alonso. Let's hear it for the Sacramento A's. Bringing the American League back from a 6 to nothing deficit. So then as they eventually tied it, they didn't go to extra innings because teams don't want to have players then flying home off a 14 inning game. So they went to a swing off and the great Kyle Schwaber, who just hits bombs for a Living, went 3 for 3. And here's how it ended. Al rallied in the game. NL has rallied in the swing with the hat trick. Look out, chop house. National League takes the lead four three.

[Guest Speaker]

Unbelievable.

[Colin Cowherd]

The National League wins it in the first swing off. Kyle Schwarber wins it going three for three.

[Kyle Schwarber]

I gotta say, you know, it was pretty exciting. Like all of a sudden, here we go. And the, in the camaraderie that you kind of build these last couple days with the team, I think went into overdrive there. Like guys were, I mean our side to see how excited they were out there and like, you know, it's like, you know, wiffle ball in the backyard. Here we go. Let's do it again.

[Colin Cowherd]

Didn't need to revolutionize the sport, speed it up, retrofit it, make moments big events that felt big last night. That's the best All Star game in any sport I've watched in five or six years. And the last time I saw a great All Star game, it was baseballs. But now, and you know, listen, some of it is the stars are in Philadelphia and L A and New York, the Mets and the Yankees and, and some of it's that Chicago. But a lot of it is Rob Manfred just saying, leaning into networks, listening to Fox and other networks on making more moments big. The technology was great. It doesn't hurt that Joe Davis sounds like a young Vin Scully. It just felt magnificent. It felt big. And baseball's been in about a three year heater. Two things can be true. You can respect tradition but not be beholden to it. And that's what baseball's done a very Good job of and last night, fantastic, just fantastic. Television beginning to end. I watched an hour and a half of the pregame show. That's how much I was into it. Okay, So I said yesterday, this, you know, it's July, so any little breadcrumb of an NBA or star rumor, it's. It's an inferno. I don't buy LeBron James is going to get traded. He's still really good. It's an expiring contract. Let's see what happens to the trade deadline. The Lakers could have even more leverage. But I'm looking at the betting odds today and they are heating up that Dallas, Dallas is the favorite now to get LeBron James. Well, if that's the case, LeBron wins again. No state tax upgraded. Coach Cooper Flag reunited with Anthony Davis. Are you kidding me? Let's be honest about the lakers. I think J.J. redick had a decent first year. I like him. We don't know if he's as ever going to be as good as Jason Kidd. Maybe not. He got worked in the series against Minnesota. DeAndre Ayton doesn't defend and has an attitude and has in Phoenix and Portland. Austin Reeves, I'm told can't. Can't trade him. Really? Seriously, not much of a bench, not much size so or no state tax Jason Kidd, unbelievable size including AD I mean I said this, yet you have Luca, but here's a potential lineup. Now for simplicity's sake, I said if you did a trade, let's say you give them. You give them Klay Thompson, P.J. washington, Daniel Gafford, two to three first round picks. This is the Mavericks lineup. Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flag, LeBron Anthony Davis and Derek Lively. Now again they'll probably need a third team and you'll have to give up a couple of first round picks, but who cares? You have Cooper Flag and Derek Lively. You got a great wing and a great big on rookie deals for years. So you're telling me this is a punishment for LeBron? I would sign up for that today. Better coach reunited with two guys I've played very well with and won a title with. Kyrie and Anthony Davis and the great domestic star. And here's the thing with LeBron. LeBron is 41 years old. He does not want to be in the floor defending at an elite level. He doesn't. Well, Anthony Davis and Lively are great rim protectors, so you don't have to worry about that. And Cooper Flag, at least at the college level, is an excellent defender. I don't know if Cooper Flag is going to be a great offensive player in the NBA. He's going to be a really good defender. Okay, so he May only average 24 tops. I don't know. He'll defend year one. So if this is the punishment for LeBron James, sign up now for it. I don't think it's going to happen. Here was Anthony Slater from the Athletic on a potential LeBron trade out of LA.

[Anthony Slater]

The Lakers, you know, can go search for, you know, a younger co star for Luka Doncic in the market if they want to. Flexibility optionality has become a popular term in the league and that's clearly what the Lakers are prioritizing here. And it's, it's understandable. Just look at the ages, right? LeBron's going to turn 41 next year. It's unbelievable what he's been able to do. But as you mentioned, locking into longer term money on him, you know, kind of handcuffs them a little bit on building around LUCA.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen, if LeBron won a fourth title and that team with Anthony Davis, if you could keep Lively and Anthony Davis as rim protectors, because you're going to have to give. They have so much depth in Dallas in their front line. They're huge. Best center rotation in the league. Lakers need. I mean, DeAndre, you're going to be over him by like January 15th. You're going to be over his act. So you could get some size from Dallas, a bunch of draft picks and I think that's what the new owners want. They don't want to be tied to like gigantic, massive contract. You probably have to give up Klay Thompson. He could come back to Los Angeles. Michael Thompson, his dad, a very nice guy, played for the Lakers, send him draft picks, size. But if that's punishment, I said this, you know, sports is a little like the stock market. It just depends on the day. The tariffs are going to ruin the economy. I don't know. I looked at the stock market this week. It's at 44,000 plus the Dow. It just depends on the day, the moment, the reaction, investor sentiment. When this trade got done, Luca to the Lakers, it was the end of the Mavericks franchise. And I said on this show in front of this microphone, no, it's not. Now, Dallas fell apart physically, so it looked far worse than it was. But Laker fans got a glimpse of what Luca is singularly a profoundly gifted offensive player. That's what he is. And he kind of feels like he's aging quickly. So, you know, I've always said this. You can, you can Talk about guys all you want. When they're on your team, you pay close attention. Everybody said Lakers are going to win titles and Dallas is done. And I kept saying, no, they're not. They've got a great coach. It's an attractive place. They got Kyrie, they've got Anthony Davis and a massive center rotation. And in the NBA, guards and bigs are really important right now. So you know you're going to have to defend Jokic, going to have to defend Wemby, you got to defend Giannis, you know you got to have bigs. OKC won a title, had two bigs, Holmgren, Hartenstein. So this, it's just so funny. The way sports works is everybody thought Dallas was doomed if this thing came to fruition. Sign me up for Dallas minimum Western Conference Finals. J Mac doesn't want to hear it. I'm becoming a Mavericks fan. My only question is, would the gm, Nico Harrison want to make another deal? I would do that deal in one second. I'd give you two bigs, three first round picks. Klay Thompson, put in a third team in every. I've said this before. Austin Reeves with LeBron James. You're. You're talking yourself into, wow. Put Austin Reaves in Washington and he disappears. He disappears. Kyle Kuzma disappeared in Washington and he's as talented as Austin Reaves or close. So Colin. Yeah, yeah.

[Guest Speaker]

Obviously, if you're the Mavs, you do this deal in a heartbeat. What's in it for the Lakers?

[Colin Cowherd]

What are we doing?

[Guest Speaker]

Those picks are going to be garbage. There's two or three picks, they're going to be like 27 to 32.

[Colin Cowherd]

Remember, you have new ownership and they want to build it there. What did the Dodgers do when Mark Walter came in? Give us draft picks, get our front office right. They do not want aging players. They want the Lakers. History is size. Wins. Get draft picks. And by the way, when LeBron contract is off the books and he's out, then you can go big game hunting in one year. I don't think it's going to happen. I don't. But if that's punishment for all the people that think LeBron's going to get traded, I would sign up today for that deal.

[Guest Speaker]

Well, wait a sec. If I'm the Lakers, there's no way I'm doing the deal. But if you swap out Gafford for Lively. Lively is younger. He does seem a little injury prone. Younger and cheaper. I want that. I don't want. I'm sorry, I don't want the Daniel Gafford contract on my books. By the way, the Lakers want clean books because they think maybe Jokic could be available in a year or two. Giannis could be available in a year or two. I don't know. Would they come to LA to play with Luca? I don't know.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, if San Antonio starts winning, you're going to have to go through Wemby. So if I'm the Lakers, the reason I think of doing this deal with Dallas is I need a front line. Deandre Ayton doesn't defend. We're very we may see it this year. With all the way the dominoes are falling for San Antonio. The west may go through San Antonio, not Denver, Oklahoma City. If Wemby becomes what we think, it's because Wemby's already got a couple of kids next to him that can really play. So if it has to go through Wemby, you can't have Jackson, Hayes or deandre Ayton. You need multiple bigs and multiple fouls.

[Guest Speaker]

What about the Houston Rockets? Does Kevin Durant have a team right now?

[Colin Cowherd]

I love that team this year and the next year that's a two year team with kd. Let's see what transpires. 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, it's me, Rob Parker.

[Rob Parker]

Check out my weekly MLB podcast, Inside the Parker for 22 minutes of piping hot baseball talk featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the eye test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

And with that, Urban Meyer, three time national champ is now joining us live as we're getting fired up for the college football season. So it's interesting. Nick. Nick is one of those guys who's older, like Pete Carroll, but he doesn't play old, young, dynamic. He's an innovator. And I do think Nick and Belichick are tight. I do think like Jim Harbaugh, there's that little, that little scratch. Nick's never failed at anything, right? He's been good. And that Miami thing is a little unsettling. I do think Nick would take a call about an NFL job.

Do you Urban, you know, I have not talked to him about this. I could guess because I know him fairly well and competed against him that it's not a little scratch, it's probably pretty big scratch. That that's the one area that he has not, you know, you know, he was like you said, he's getting things going at Miami. I actually visited him when he was down there. But I don't think he'd go back to college. I don't see that fit. I think you're, you know, the whole idea that where the heck is Alabama? Why are they not in the top 10 in spending? I don't understand that one. And push the board. I'd be asking some hard questions, say, what's the problem here? We can't compete, but we can't pay our players. So I agree with you. I would say very little to no chance he would get involved in college, but I think he would take phone calls from the NFL.

Yeah, I mean, let's talk Jim Harbaugh. Jim Harbaugh was rumored for years to go to the NFL and he, the minute Justin Herbert needed a head coach, Jim's like, yeah, I like that one. As you well know, you can win a national championship without a great quarterback in college. But I would argue in the NFL they're all bad jobs if you're bad at quarterback. So I mean to, to me, I think, I think Nick's going to, I mean like when you look at the NFL it almost feels like it's a quarterback driven league, does it not?

Well, that's kind of what got me. Not kinda. I mean, I still think Trevor Lawrence will go down as one of the great quarterbacks. I think he's going to end up having a great career. But that's so intriguing when you see a player of that caliber. If Nick Saban can get that kind of position where he, he believes that this is a Hall of Fame future Hall of Fame quarterback or a world champion quarterback, the more I'm thinking, I think he's going to take that call. I really do. And once again, I've not talked to him about that. He's doing a great job on game day and I know Mark Ingram and him play golf together and he has a great life, but he's a competitor and I think he'd do very well.

So we've been talking about JJ McCarthy. Full disclosure, I liked Bo Nix better than JJ McCarthy. He'd had like five college coordinators. He was good with all of them. I watched him beat Justin Herbert as a freshman When Herbert was at Oregon, he was a freshman at Auburn and I watched him beat him. So I thought Bo Nix was going to work. I think Caleb does. I like Drake May I love Jaden Daniels. Going into NFL, I was hit and miss on JJ McCarthy and my criticism was like an Alabama quarterback, never trails, not asked to carry a team, doesn't get hit much. Great coach. I mean, this is one of the reason Ohio State quarterbacks haven't historically been great. They always have the better coach and the better O line, the better receivers. I'm not a huge believer in JJ McCarthy because he hasn't been. He hasn't lived that NFL college life where you have to throw to non NFL receivers and you don't have protection and you play from behind. Where are you on jj? I know you may have to be diplomatic, but where are you on him as a talent?

No, I don't have to be diplomatic. I like jj. I covered him quite a bit on Fox Big Noon. We had him all the time. I thought he was a great game manager to say he's going to be a great NFL quarterback. I got, I'm skeptical a little bit because I think he's a tremendous athlete. He knows how to distribute the ball. But he, like you said that last year, that Wolverine football team that he was a quarterback, the national championship, they were loaded, they had a great defense, great offensive line, best offense line in college football. He did not get hit much. And if you remember his, his junior year, he had really. Or his third year, his had a hard time completing the ball downfield. They were not a downfield throwing team and he struggled with that. So I think if they surround him with great players, I think he'll be successful. But that's like all quarterbacks. But there's a lot of question marks about JJ McCarthy because of what you just said. Has he really had to bring teams from behind? He has a skill set. The thing that I like best about JJ McCarthy, he's a competitor and he's a selfless player. There was times they won games where he threw the ball 15 times and you never heard him complain about it. So I'm a JJ McCarthy fan, I like him. But there's some skepticism out there about it.

Okay, so I think the guy that two years ago didn't work for me and I think, I think he has a chance to be the best quarterback in college football is Drew Aller. So I watched him two years ago and I thought he was a bit wild. And then last year I watched him, he was the feet were better. He was more composed, he was more accurate. And I'm like, oh. I'm like, oh, this guy can really play. Give me your break. I think Penn State's going to play for the national championship with Texas. I think this kid, the difference between sophomore, junior year or when I saw him two years ago and last year was like, oh, that's a first round quarterback. What do you think?

I think night and day. Very concerned about Drew Rallies actually from Ohio. And I saw a high school tape on him and then we covered him his sophomore year and he struggled Last year he was much better fundamentally. But the question I have for Penn State, they have two great running backs. They have one of the best offensive lines in the country, certainly in the Big Ten. Do they have this skill on the outside? Last year they did not. That was not a typical Penn State receiving corps. And I don't know if they made it better. You know, I keep trying to research that and we'll see them early in the season, but I'm hoping they have better skill on the outside. I think everything about Penn State is a national championship contender. My question is, do they have NFL draft picks on the outside like they used to?

You know, I was, you know when, when. And this happens a lot in life where you see something happening and you're worried about it, but it actually plays benefit. So when the NIL came out, I think a lot of coaches like Dabo Sweeney are like, I don't want to pay my players. That's not what college football is about. Here's where the NIL helps coaches because you spend so much time raising money to pay the players. You can't buy out coaches anymore. Alabama can't pay Kaylin DeBoer 60 million and pay Saban more money and pay. They don't have the money. And so I do think coaches, I mean, like Lincoln Riley, I know the number. He not going anywhere. There's no way they just spent 300 million on facilities. 18 million in nil. He's got an $80 million buyout. So I think nil actually urban protects the staff. You probably get a year or two more than you used to. What say you?

Every time I come on your show, you come up with something. Colin. I'm like, what is he talking about? And this is one of those moments. I think you're.

[Dana White]

You're.

[Colin Cowherd]

Absolutely. I never thought of it that way. But how about the Wolverines? One of the best brands and biggest brands are expecting a 27,$27 million shortfall. Teams are going to start. I'm worried about this. Start dropping sports. Where is this money coming from? And what you just said, to go pay off a coaching staff because the head coach has a buyout, but then you also have to pay off all those assistant coaches. So this is one of those moments. Colin, you got me again. I think you're absolutely right that you're going to see the. The Texas A and M paint off coaches like they used to. I don't think you can do that anymore. There's not enough money.

Finally, I think the best player in college football, and he won't be eligible, is Jermaine Smith. I think Ohio State's receiver, and I'm trying to think of somebody. I'd have to go back to Hugh Green, that played for Pittsburgh, where I literally saw somebody and I thought, oh, he'd be an elite NFL player. As a sophomore in college, Jamar Chase at LSU felt like that. You're like, yeah, he's an NFL player playing on Saturdays. He's way too good for college football. How do you coach a guy that is so good and so gifted? How do you keep him engaged? How do you keep him focused? How do you keep him happy? Because he doesn't even look like a college player.

I've had. I can't say I've had a Jermaine Smith, Jeremiah Smith, but I've had a couple that you just got to constantly challenge them. The best thing that Ohio State has is incredible defense. So his biggest challenges a lot of times aren't necessarily the games on Saturday. It's the Tuesday and Wednesday practice. And I felt that when I had the Nick Bosa or I had Percy Harvin or some of those guys that are just so much better than really everyone else, a lot of times better than anybody else. You play until you get to those big games, then you challenge the heck out of them in practice. And that's the good thing about Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State. His biggest, you know, his biggest challenges a lot of times are. Are going against each other in practice. That's when iron sharpens iron. And I dealt with that. And I know that's what's happening in Columbus. They got some good corners, and that's one of his biggest challenges. Motivate him every day to go to work.

Jeremiah Smith, not Jermaine. I made a mistake. Jeremiah Smith. Finally, Texas. Ohio State play in the opener. We all want to see Arch Manning. I want to see Arch Manning. What. What will you need to see? How are you going to view that game? I don't care a lot about stats. I want to see what happens when he faces pressure. That's the, that's what I want to see. This will be the best front he faces. My guess is what are you looking for from Arch Manning?

Really interesting here. And I got a strong opinion because I coached Tebow after he won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore. He won the national championship as a junior his senior year. The scrutiny, the expectations. We'd be Tennessee by 14 points, he'd throw the ball and he'd be getting hammered by the media. He didn't play well enough. So I think this will be the player with the highest expectations in the last decade. I put it at the T ball level. Where is anything going to be good enough other than a perfect game? And he plays in the sec. He's going to face SEC defenses each week. He's placed in the playing Ohio State Buckeyes early. I think he's a tremendous talent. But Sark, I'm glad he's got a head coach like Sark that knows how to handle pressure like this because the pressure on, on him will be immense. And it's going to be pressure. I think it's. We haven't witnessed this kind of pressure on a player, I'm saying since Tim Tebow senior year at the University of Florida. It was, it was non stop even. We'd win again. We went 12 and oh his senior year and nothing was good enough. And I worry about that. That wears on you, that wears on the staff. But most importantly it's going to wear an Arch Manning.

So I did a national championship bubble yesterday. I think there's five to six teams. Yeah. Okay, so here I have Clemson, Bama, Notre Dame. I don't know if Clemson has the athletes they, they. I don't know if they match up with Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Penn State. I just don't know if they do. But I like their coach and quarterback, Bama Notre Dame. I have to watch them play because I don't know what they are. At quarterback, Bama's playing a guy who hasn't played. He'd been there three years. But there are five teams that I believe look different. I love the staffs, I just, they, they're different. To me, like, like the backfield for Penn State is just different. It's all NFL guys. Anything you disagree with here?

No. I would probably throw one other team on the bubble though. I would throw that LSU team on the bubble. You know, I think coach Kelly is a heck of a coach. And they got a returning quarterback that I think is a stud. So I would throw one more out there and LSU is never going to be short. They were the one team and I know you can't just stereotype a team. They were the one team when I coached in the sec. Them and Georgia came walking out of that tunnel. They look different and that stadium is a tough place to play, so I like it. I'd like your top five, but I'd throw one more bubble team in there and that's lsu.

Urban Meyer, three time national champion Coach as always, you're making time for us and we love that. Thanks.

Good to see you, Colin.

Great to see you. Urban Meyer on our show, which is, you know, Fox Sports College football, hein? Big Noon, Big Noon. Things happen on that show from what I, from what I hear. I read a lot and there's a lot of stuff. There are a lot of moving parts on that show. I'm not going to get into it, but Big Noon, there's things moving there. The wheel is spinning there. That's what I hear. May want to pull up a stool and sit down and read about it. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Apus edumilitary introducing the new Dell AI PC. Powered by the Intel Core Ultra processor, it's not just an AI computer, it's a computer built for AI. That means it's built to help do your busy work for you so you can fast forward through editing images, designing presentations, generating code, debugging code, running lots of apps without lag, creating live transitions and captions, summarizing meeting notes, extending battery life, finding that file you were looking for, managing your schedule, meeting your deadlines, responding to Jim's long emails, leaving all the time in the world for more you time and for the things you actually want to do. No offense, Jim. Get a new Dell AIPC starting at $[e-mail] aipc how those ahead stay ahead. All right, hour three, we finally had Dana White. He's busy. He's in New Orleans. UFC 318, that's gonna be a great card, highlighted by one of those classic fights. Remember when McGregor and Nate Diaz would meet two and three times, and you're like, Saturday, you knew what you were going to be doing. And I think we got Dustin Poirier, who's one of the all time most likable fighters, most interesting, most entertaining. Against Max Holloway, they're meeting for a third time. I don't want to waste Dana White's time. He's the CEO and the UFC president. He is joining us live from New Orleans, and we appreciate he's a busy guy. So it's interesting, in the history of ufc, the best fighters I've ever seen are John Jones, who was unbelievable in his prime, and I think Khabib, who made even Conor McGregor look completely outmatched. But Dustin Poirier, who fights Holloway tomorrow, is one of the more entertaining, likable, interesting guys. He's on that second tier of guys that when he fights, I have to watch. Did you envision him when you found him being this great, this captivating for this long? Dana, which who?

[Dana White]

Max and Dustin.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, they both handed these guys up. Yeah, yeah.

[Dana White]

Well, you never know. You never know. Obviously, you know, when he first faced Conor, they were really early in their careers, and Conor won that fight. And you never know how a guy is going to bounce back from a loss. But if you look at Poirier's last 11 fights, I mean, it's all been straight killers, and seven of them are former world champions. So he's absolutely a very special fighter, as is Max Holloway, which is what makes this fight so intriguing.

[Colin Cowherd]

In the history of the ufc, nobody's landed more strikes than Holloway, and Poirier will sit in the middle of the ring and throw blows is. You know what's interesting about your sport? And I was talking to a member of the staff. When Caitlin Clark came to the wnba, they weren't prepared for it. They weren't well run. They. They weren't well organized. She's overwhelmed them. The officiating's bad. You got you. And the Fertittas ran a great sport. So when Conor McGregor arrived, you were prepared for it. But like Caitlin Clark, he was so damn popular so fast. And I want you to talk about that. You have not only been on the ground floor, but you had your Caitlin Clark. You had a superstar emerge that was literally the most viral human being in American sports. So as the WNBA is struggling with Caitlyn. Go back to the Connor days of what it's like to run a sport, and here comes a superstar, a Taylor Swift into your lap. Do you remember? Was it great? Did it create anxiety? Take us back to that time.

[Dana White]

Yeah, no, I mean, the first time that I ever sat down and had dinner with Conor McGregor in Las Vegas, he flew out from Ireland, and I left the dinner, and I called Lorenzo Fertitta, and I said, let me tell you what, I don't know if this guy can fight or not, but if he can even throw a punch, he's going to be a huge superstar for us. And. And obviously, you know, we leaned into that, and you're right. Listen, Caitlin Clark is a massive superstar. I'm a fan. So all the stuff that I got going on right now, I actually had my assistant look to see when I have season tickets to the Aces. So I had them find out, you know, when she was coming to town, and I'm clearing my schedule so I can go to that game and watch her play live. I agree with what you're saying.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. So you are. Apparently. I just read this the other day, and this made news. Are gonna have a card at the White House. So you've gone to an island, you travel around the country. Now you're gonna have something at the White House, obviously. I mean, there's security and all these things. Were you shocked when that was offered to you, or did you know that was coming?

[Dana White]

I did not know it was coming. Yeah. But when he offered it up, I was like, oh, yeah, I'm all in on this. So we've already sent a logistics team out there that have walked the White House. There's calls going back and forth every day between Craig Borsari, my head of production, and the White House. And then we will have all these renderings done within the next 10 days, and we're gonna fly out, sit down, and walk them through it and see what he wants and what he doesn't want.

[Colin Cowherd]

So you're also going getting involved in boxing with Canelo and Crawford. So you and I have talked about this. We both grew up boxing fans. I grew up with Muhammad Ali and Frazier. I grew up with Sugar Ray and Hearns and Hagler. You did, too, as a Boston guy. And then you're part of ufc. I have. I prefer ufc. I think it's more consistent. I think the quality the women's division. But I still have a soft spot for a great boxing match. I saw Pacquiao fight six Times. So as you go into boxing, why did you choose to do it?

[Dana White]

You know, I've been talking about it for a long time. You know, I've had a lot of criticism of boxing over the years, and now here I am. It's time to put my money where my mouth is. And. And tickets go on sale today, actually, for Canelo Crawford Legion Stadium, September 13th. Tickets on sale today. You know, for me to be able to. My first boxing match that I'm going to promote, other than McGregor Mayweather, is Canelo versus Crawford. You know, two of the greatest fighters of our era. And in a big, massive fight in a stadium in Las Vegas. I mean, this whole thing just sort of fell in my lap. I have other plans in 26 and what I'm going to do with boxing, but this fight here, yeah, this just sort of happened. Shake Turkey. And I ended up doing this deal for me to promote this fight.

[Colin Cowherd]

So, Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier tomorrow. One of the hard things for you, even a Nick Khan at the wwe, although UFC is different, obviously, is finding your next star. Now, in the NFL, you have a draft. You have seven rounds of draft, and they come to you. But in your world, where do you find. Take me behind the scenes on this, Dana. Where do you find your next Dustin Poirier? Where do you find your stars? Are you flying around the globe to find. Do you have a team of people that do that?

[Dana White]

Yeah, we do. I have matchmakers that are always looking for up and coming talent, but we're really coming from right now. We do a show called Dana White's Contender Series.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Dana White]

Starts in August. And the best unsigned fighters in the world fight each other on this show to see who earns a contract. And it's. It's been unbelievable for creating talent. We've already had three world champions come off that show. So, yeah, that's. That's really where it is right now.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay. UFC 318, Holloway Poirier, tomorrow. The Smoothie King center in New Orleans is a great. By the way, it's a great, great venue. It's going to be wild because Poirier is actually from there. Holloway's from Hawaii. Before I let you go forever, there was this stupid stigma about you can't have pro teams in Vegas. And, you know, it was ridiculous. I mean, it just abs. I mean, nobody monitors sports gambling like Vegas. They don't want games thrown. So now you've got hockey, ufc, you've got baseball coming, you've got the Raiders. For people that haven't Been to Vegas in a while. Are you surprised how willing over the last five years pro sports have been? I mean, you were the first in that really, you, you. Because boxing was all over the place. Are you surprised that people have finally embraced Vegas over the last half decade?

[Dana White]

Well, I think it was the gambling issue. I think that, you know, they were so stuck on the gambling issue and once that get over, you could tell if you grew up in Vegas. When you think about the UNLV Runner Rebels, they were like the pro team when I was a kid and they were so well supported and, you know, financially and people buying tickets and the list goes on and on. I knew, listen, if you're going to go to an away game for your team anytime during the year, which one are you going to pick? You're definitely going to Vegas. It's, it's a no brainer. You go in there, you have an unbelievable weekend. Tons of hotels, the greatest restaurants in the world, the best shopping. There's always something to do and it's just a no. I mean, there are so many sports teams. There's going to be a ping pong league there pretty soon. Vegas is the sports capital of the world right now.

[Colin Cowherd]

Dustin Poirier, before we go, when I, when a boxer gets older and do they say to you, hey, Dana, this could be my last fight, do you approach them sometimes and go, you know what, man? We care about your health. We care about you as a guy. When you get a Poirier who's still very good, how, who makes the decision, Dana, is it. Do you ever lead that and say, hey, guy, I think you got about two fights left?

[Dana White]

Well, Poirier and Holloway are ranked number.

[Colin Cowherd]

Four and number five in the world.

[Dana White]

In the nastiest division in the sport. So, you know, it's not like they're, they're on this huge decline or anything like that. And you know, Poirier was the one that said, I think I'm ready to retire. And he wanted to do it here, you know, in his home state. And think about this. Highest grossing event in arena history tonight, over seven or Saturday night, and over 17,000 in attendance. So still a huge superstar, still, you know, on top of his game and a legitimate badass fight for his last fight, you know, his retirement fight. So, no, there's not. I would never go to a guy like Poirier and say, hey, you should think about, you know, retiring. There have been guys, but it's usually guys that are on a skid and don't want to retire. Those are usually the ones that I say, you know, you should probably hang.

[Colin Cowherd]

It up, so I'm buying it tomorrow. Max Holloway Dustin Poirier, UFC 318 Danny, you're a busy guy. I always appreciate you stopping by and giving the herd 10 minutes.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Edu Military this is an iHeart podcast.