The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Colin Cowherd Podcast - ABC Reinstates Jimmy Kimmel, Packers HUGE Advantage, New York vs. Chicago Sports
Date: September 26, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guest: Danny Parkins (FS1, former Chicago radio legend)

Episode Overview

This episode blends sports, media, and cultural commentary, featuring insightful conversations between Colin Cowherd and Danny Parkins. The focus ranges from ABC's reinstatement of Jimmy Kimmel and the nuances of free speech debates, to the unique organizational structure of the Green Bay Packers, to the psyche of sports fans in cities like Chicago and New York. Miscellaneous reflections on the media landscape, platform responsibility, and how personal opinions evolve over time round out a wide-ranging, energetic discussion.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. ABC Reinstates Jimmy Kimmel & The Free Speech Debate

• Main Theme: The controversy around Jimmy Kimmel’s temporary removal by ABC, the media’s handling, and the broader implications for free speech and broadcast vs. podcast responsibilities.

• Key Points:

  • Colin avoided public commentary on Kimmel but had a strong private stance: comedians should not be taken off air for offensive content, pointing to a long history of both left and right “canceling” comedians ([05:12]).
  • Danny Parkins underscores Kimmel’s entrenched popularity in Hollywood and how industry and creative pressure made ABC’s decision to reinstate him inevitable.
  • Unique insight into corporate decision-making: Both host and guest highlight how institutions like Disney are shaped by geography, personnel, and industry ties—particularly in Southern California’s creative economy ([07:45]).
  • Notable distinction between public outrage and government action—removing a comedian via FCC intervention being more severe than being denied event gigs ([12:48]).

• Memorable Quotes:

  • “I just don't think...I think it's a bad precedent. I don't care what somebody says, how offended you are. Don't take comedians off the air.” — Colin Cowherd [05:23]
  • “I don't know how much credit I'm supposed to give you for...doing the right thing because it was so easy.” — Danny Parkins [06:30]
  • “That's not the same. That's government overreach. This was appalling to everybody.” — Colin Cowherd [12:48]

2. Responsibility of Major Media Figures & Free Speech Absolutism

• Main Theme: Should personalities like Joe Rogan use their platforms to speak on major societal issues? The expectation vs. the individual’s brand.

• Key Points:

  • Colin and Danny agree: having a large platform doesn’t universally demand political commentary, especially if it doesn’t fit your brand or core focus—sports, in Colin's case ([16:28]).
  • Nuance: If someone’s brand is built on free speech (like Rogan), there’s an expectation to comment when issues arise that touch their foundational message.
  • Both are not free speech absolutists—allowing that platform size should come with discretion, and not all voices automatically deserve amplification ([19:27]).

• Memorable Quotes:

  • “I don't think Howard Stern had a responsibility to talk politics. This is where I'll defend Rogan.” — Colin Cowherd [15:25]
  • “If that's your thing...then when an actual First Amendment free speech overreach happens, I do think you owe it to people to be on the front lines of that conversation too.” — Danny Parkins [17:31]
  • “I am not. I think you have to...earn your way on—just saying anything idiotic, that's hateful, I'm not going to put you on any of my platforms.” — Colin Cowherd [19:27]

3. What Makes a Story Worth Covering in Sports Media?

• Main Theme: The decision-making behind which stories get airtime, driven by audience interest and format—TV, radio, podcast.

• Key Points:

  • Colin shares his personal experiences filtering out “boring” topics (e.g., NCAA bureaucracy, LeBron James’ China controversy) because they don’t land with his audience ([25:25]).
  • The difference between mass-appeal TV/radio and the more niche, opt-in culture of podcasting—where hosts are freer to share personal interests ([28:52]).
  • Both emphasize that the best content comes from authentic passion, even for offbeat or less ‘national’ topics ([29:12]).

• Memorable Quotes:

  • “I would always err on, like, I'm going to talk about what is interesting to me.” — Danny Parkins [27:30]
  • “On television...mass appeal, you're trying to cater to everybody. But if you were really interested, like a podcast, I think by definition is more niche.” — Colin Cowherd [28:52]

4. Small Market Parity and the 2025 Baseball Season

• Main Theme: The baseball season’s surprising parity, with small markets contending and big markets stumbling.

• Key Points:

  • Colin raves about how smaller markets like the Brewers, Guardians, and Mariners thrive while traditional powerhouses falter, bucking fan anxieties about unfair resource distribution ([32:15]).
  • Discussion of obsessive culture in sports—how focused small-market teams often outperform distracted big-market teams, not just in baseball but across sports ([33:29]).
  • Both note event-driven consumption—the regular season doesn’t captivate, but playoffs and major moments do ([36:13]).

• Memorable Quotes:

  • “Obsessive wins. And when you're in big cities, it's more distracting...in cities like Dallas and New York and Miami and Los Angeles, it's more distracting. Not just for the athletes, for the executives, for everybody.” — Colin Cowherd [33:29]

5. Regional Sports Fan Character: New York vs. Chicago

• Main Theme: The cultural DNA of fanbases in major cities, with special attention to how anger, toughness, and optimism play out.

• Key Points:

  • New York (and Philly, Boston) fans: pride in being rough, impatient, quick to boo—supported by comparably tough media.
  • Chicago: similarly tough but buffered by ‘Midwest nice’, making their criticism less acerbic and more regretful ([40:21]).
  • Ownership woes are rampant in both cities, but strong management can still overcome them—e.g., with the Cubs and Bengals ([42:00]).

• Memorable Quotes:

  • “I do think that there is...a big three, and it's New York, Philly, Boston. And then there is a gap, and then Chicago is like the biggest of everybody else and the toughest of everybody else.” — Colin Cowherd [39:45]
  • “Is Chicago angry? Isn't Philly angry? Midwestern people saying, yeah, they're just not as angry...” — Danny Parkins [40:21]

6. Green Bay Packers’ Organizational Structure: Curse or Superpower?

• Main Theme: The Packers’ unique ownership (or lack thereof) goes from being a supposed disadvantage to an immense strength, especially amid rising impulsiveness among billionaire NFL owners.

• Key Points:

  • Colin shares his evolution from seeing Green Bay’s lack of a single owner as a drawback to now viewing their patient, non-impulsive structure as a key edge. They draft and develop exceptionally, free from billionaire whims ([48:27]).
  • Danny agrees they’re well-run, but attributes much of their success to luck in landing two top QBs. However, he concedes their draft and develop focus is outstanding ([54:05]).
  • Both highlight the contrast with New York or Dallas, where pressure and impatience can disrupt team-building ([54:50]).

• Memorable Quotes:

  • “Green Bay now, I believe, has a huge advantage where they don't answer to any impulsive owner.” — Colin Cowherd [49:48]
  • “Isn't it luck?...I mean, our sample size, there is two...Like, the fact that like, so and so Packers fans don't understand how good they have it, but allow me to just push back a little bit.” — Danny Parkins [52:38]
  • “They draft so exceedingly well...you do in life what you have to.” — Colin Cowherd [54:05]

7. Changing Opinions: Sports Takes the Hosts Have Reversed

• Main Theme: Both hosts discuss takes they’ve reversed over time as their perspective changed.

  • Colin: Used to believe bad in-game management warranted firing coaches; now values overall program-building more, with game management a secondary concern ([58:11]).
  • Danny: Open about evolving his stances as experience, evidence, and context change.

• Memorable Quotes:

  • “I used to want to fire coaches for bad game management decisions…But the biggest part of coaching is Monday through Saturday, the game plan...that’s what Andy Reid is the best I've ever seen in my lifetime.” — Colin Cowherd [60:19]
  • “The dirty little secret is...our jobs are to be interesting and to have big, strong opinions which are interesting and hopefully entertaining. But...we're operating with limited information.” — Colin Cowherd [65:00]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jimmy Kimmel/Media Pressure & Free Speech: [05:12]–[14:12]
• Platform Responsibility (Rogan, Maher, Accountability): [15:25]–[19:27]
• Sports Talk Decision-Making: [25:25]–[30:32]
• Baseball Parity & Market Analysis: [32:15]–[37:45]
• NYC vs. Chicago Sports Fans: [39:07]–[43:05]
• Packers Ownership Structure & Advantage: [48:27]–[58:11]
• Reversing Strong Opinions/Coaching Philosophy: [58:11]–[65:00]
• Confessions about Media & Opinion Culture: [65:00]–[68:23]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Easy. Yeah, it was an easy one.” — Danny Parkins on reinstating Kimmel [06:29]
• “I've kind of moved back into Conan actually...” — Danny Parkins, on shifting TV preferences [13:30]
• “I miss it... it's unbelievable how much more affordable Chicago is.” — Danny Parkins on cost-of-living differences [38:36]
• “Green Bay now has a huge advantage where they don’t answer to any impulsive owner.” — Colin Cowherd [49:48]
• “The dirty little secret is...our jobs are to be interesting and to have big, strong opinions...” — Colin Cowherd [65:00]
• On Veep and Frank Rich: “Veep, which is an incredible comedy...by the way, I did not know that.” — Colin Cowherd [67:50]

Episode Tone & Style

• Bright, energetic, and opinionated banter.
• Both hosts are candid, self-aware, and not afraid to critique their own industry.
• The conversation flows smoothly across topics, mixing humor with insight, and illustrating the shifting ground beneath both sports and media.

Summary

This episode of The Herd is a masterclass in the intersection of sports, media, and culture. Colin Cowherd and Danny Parkins deliver sharp takes on the Jimmy Kimmel reinstatement and broader free speech issues, draw insightful contrasts between major sports fan cultures, and dissect why the Packers’ “no owner” model is evolving into a major strategic advantage. The hosts also reflect openly on their own changes in perspective, admitting where their strong takes have softened with time and context. Lively, passionate, and wide-ranging, this episode is essential listening for anyone interested in sports media’s current landscape and the reasoning behind what stories, teams, and personalities dominate the conversation.