Nick Wright (3:38)

Well, in my lifetime, John Paul ii. Okay. I just feel like he was an old timer. I also remember because I grew up Catholic. Yeah, I know.

Colin Cowherd (3:48)

That was a big deal. Yeah.

Nick Wright (3:50)

There. So I'm going to get this wrong, but there was some maybe Something happened where St. Patrick's Day maybe fell on a Friday during Len. There was something where it's like, oh, man, a bunch of Catholics want to eat meat this day, but it's a fright like a Friday during Lent when you're only supposed to have fish. I just remember that he was like, I talked to God and this one time it's okay. And I was like, that guy's awesome. I was like, he's pretty sick. All right. He audible I again, I never know anything that I read on the Internet these days, but if it's true that this is our first ever Pope to have a spicy Twitter presence, I like that. I also do think that in the midst of this Knicks run, the fact that the Pope went to Villanova has to be a good sign.

Colin Cowherd (4:46)

Well, I mean, right there, you know, he's a culture guy. I mean, nobody, everybody that goes to Villanova is part of some sort of cool culture.

Nick Wright (4:54)

I also, I got to tell you, I have probably over the last decade, maybe I You know, I don't want to say I've become less patriotic, but I. Maybe that's what it is. I'm not sure. It's. I've gotten less revved up. I feel like for most of us, people my age were at like, peak patriotism post 9 11. Like, do we need to sign up for the military? Like, I need American flag tattoo. And then maybe it's just waned slightly since then. I do have to say, when I heard them say American Pope, I was like, that is awesome. I was like, I didn't even know we were eligible. Like, for some reason I thought I was like, I didn't even know that was on the board. This guy went to Chic, he was born in Chicago, went to nova, now he's the Pope. That's pretty sick.

Colin Cowherd (5:41)

Well, you know, it's pretty sick. You know, Canada didn't have a say. They're pissed off of us.

Nick Wright (5:45)

So. Yeah, I mean, also then I was reading more again. This is gonna. I, I now feel like the people on Twitter I hate, who are just. If you check their timeline, over the last six years, they've been an expert on everything, right? From communicable. Communicable diseases to election standards to tariffs to inflation. They just know everything about everything. So I don't claim to know a lot about this at all, but I did read in the bio, I'm like, hold on. He got his big promotion was he got to recommend who got to be a Cardinal and who didn't. And then this. The new Pope is voted on by the Cardinals. So at least in my world, I'm like, well, all the guys voting kind of owe their jobs to him. He should have been way better than a hundred to one betting favor. Like dog. Like, he. He had an inside track. All these guys gotta like him. So I think it's pretty cool. I'm excited for it.

Colin Cowherd (6:41)

No, it's. I, I was actually into it today and somebody on the staff had said, all these people showing up. And I said, guys, you have to remember, if you're a devout Catholic, I mean, this is. People get excited when the Patriots have a new coach. You don't think they're going to get excited for a new Pope?

Nick Wright (7:01)

Oh, yeah. I do think that particularly the crowd is stunning and how emotional and moving it is for people.

Colin Cowherd (7:11)

Remarkable.

Nick Wright (7:12)

And I think folks that aren't devoutly religious, oddly, the best comp might be like, the way we get worked up about, like, if your team wins a championship, like, we'll go to the parade. Like, and it's not.

Colin Cowherd (7:30)

I'm agnostic. And it, it was emotional to me.

Nick Wright (7:34)

It's moving and seeing. And I also do. I also think it's an interesting reminder again, as someone who was raised Catholic, did, you know, first communion, all that stuff went hell. That's odd. Went to Catholic school until fifth grade. That it is a reminder of the, you know, when you see, like, how powerful the Catholic Church is, particularly in, like, Latin America, and you see the different flags. And it is. I think it is a cool, special thing. And I mean, there was not to get too, like, into, you know, world history, but there have been large stretches of human history when the most powerful person in the world was the Pope. You know what I mean? Where that was the high. Essentially the highest office in the land.

Colin Cowherd (8:26)

Right.

Nick Wright (8:26)

I don't know if that is necessarily still the case, but it is still. It's a. It's a heck of a thing.

Colin Cowherd (8:32)

And I feel honestly in my. Over the last six to seven years is that I think a lot of people look at religion for a grounding mechanism. You know, they don't necessarily read the Bible every day, but if they go through a crisis, they lose somebody in their family, it grounds them. It's a foundational, structural piece of their life. And I do think, you know, I told my wife this about a year ago. I said, people keep saying we're becoming less religious. I said, watch with AI AI, a lot of people don't know where it's going. You're going to be replaced. And I said, people are going to look for security and to get their feet on the ground. The more fluidity and the more change in the world, the more people seek structure. Almost as if when we're in wartime, ice cream sales go up, comfort food goes up. Well, AI, what's happening in the world with tech? But AI especially, I mean, there are people making predictions that 30% of jobs will be eliminated. I think during times like that, we have in an interesting way, as human beings to seeking the really important things, which is family, love, security, home. I think will become less mobile as a nation. People will feel disjointed if, you know, they're losing jobs and they feel a sense of what's real and what's not. And robots and I really do. I think religion. And again, I say this to somebody that's not religious. I think religion is making a bit of a comeback.

Nick Wright (10:16)

Religion making a bit of a comeback. I do. I love that. So I. So I have a lot of thoughts on this because So I, you know, this is the, the saying. There's no atheists in a foxhole. Right. So like that is, that is to me, like somewhat objectively true. So I'll just tell a anecdote from my personal life or a couple actually. So nine years ago, gosh, I think it was nine years ago I got, I got a call from one of my dad's friends. Yeah, that. And it was one of those things where I'm like, the moment I saw the name on the phone, I was like, well, this hat. I don't know how. I just like, this is bad. Like this guy wouldn't call me and it's at night and you know what I mean? The moment I got the call and he, my dad had had a medical event and he, and it was out of nowhere and he said, hey Nikki, you gotta come to the hospital. And I said, I'm like, okay. Is my dad okay? And he said, I don't know. And it was about a 15 minute drive from my apartment. This is when I was still in. So I'm set. I got it wrong. It wasn't nine years ago. I was still living in Kansas City. So 15 years ago, 12 years ago, whatever, maybe 12, 13 years ago. And, and on the way to the hospital, I guess I was praying. I was, you know what I mean? I was, I was talking to some. I was basically saying, like, please let my dad be okay. Like I, you know, I was doing a thing that a lot of people have done in those spots, which is like, you're like making deals.

Colin Cowherd (12:04)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (12:04)

Like if you let my dad be okay, all what. And by. I should have maybe led with this. My dad was. Walked out of the hospital a day and a half later and is, you know, still with us now and doing great and still working everything. So he was fine. But in that moment I was like, you know, I've always said I'm. I as an adult, I've always said I'm agnostic. But I sure didn't feel it in the then like, in that, in that. And then I'll. I'll tell one other much more contemporary, which is. We had a. It's coming up on a year here in a couple months. We had a very, very close young family friend pass suddenly it was really like the worst type of thing. Seemed seemingly totally healthy and just brain aneurysm just done. And it was, I was very close with this person, but this was one of my wife's two best friends in the entire world. Oh, and my wife is religious and that is something that, as a family, like, I. I don't think we're. We're not over it. And I think we're still. We're. We were with her mother day before yesterday. Like, we're still kind of all processing it. But I think the only thing that has allowed my White. That allowed my wife to not like, really break from it is her faith.

Colin Cowherd (13:33)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (13:34)

Is the fact that she believes. Like, they're. You know, they're. She still feels like she not talks to. I don't want to speak for her, but, like, can feel.

Colin Cowherd (13:43)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (13:44)

Her friend Ashley and a presence and like that. And so all of that. And I found myself a little envious almost, that, like, wow, that is. That's a pitch I don't have, which is. You know what I mean? Like, I. I think that's really cool. And also, I see the real utility in it. And I. Obviously. And then I'll stop work every day with an incredibly religious person in Brew. And I think I've said to anyone who. Whenever people ask me about Brew, and then, like, if we actually have a real conversation, I always say he, to me is the embodiment of what, in an ideal world, a religious person is, which is never preachy. I've never seen him be judgmental, but always carries himself, even as a grown man, as if, like, hey, I don't want to disappoint. Like, I. I have a standard to uphold, and I think it's for him the standard of the Lord and wants to help people.

Colin Cowherd (14:58)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (14:59)

And I find it so. I. I find it really, really endearing.

Colin Cowherd (15:04)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (15:04)

And so.

Colin Cowherd (15:04)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (15:05)

That the. I didn't. I obviously didn't know we were going to talk about this, but I love talking about this. I love talking about random stuff with you. And so that is. Those are kind of my. My Pope takes.

Colin Cowherd (15:15)

And there's an argument to be made. As you look at the camera, there is an argument to be made that I. And I believe this. There's about a 6% chance you are the Shroud of Turin. You do have. There is, like, somewhere between 6 and 8%.

Nick Wright (15:38)

So I have to tell you something. And maybe they can make this breakout video for Social. And I wish. And maybe one of the producers can text it to you so you can see it. So there was a Star wars character that. A Star wars cartoon. And I tweeted about it at the time. It's. I. I'm not a Star wars fan, so I can't remember it, but it would not be that hard to Find they made a Star wars cartoon about a young. A younger version of a famous older character. And that character, Colin, his likeness was me. It was. It was so me that I'm. This. This part's going to be embarrassing. I did briefly talk to a lawyer, like, hey, is this actionable? If Disney is making a billion dollar thing? And that's my face. It was unmistakably.

Colin Cowherd (16:37)

Yeah, I'm watching it right here.

Nick Wright (16:39)

That. Yes, that right there. So that. So that. That's a few years ago. There is a new. There is a new movie out.

Colin Cowherd (16:50)

I see.

Nick Wright (16:51)

It's. It's a Jesus movie. It's another cartoon. I don't know if they base the cartoon, the likeness of Jesus off that character or off me, but when I tell you and see if the producers can send this to you. When I tell you that the. In the new Jesus cartoon movie that came out two months ago, if you didn't know anything and you just got a still image of it, you would say, oh, someone drew a cartoon picture of Nick. And it is. It is stunning that because I've now grown my hair and I guess the beard and I guess in some depictions, Jesus must have a weird nose. That it. That there is that resemblance to how he is portrayed in modern media. And I'll tell you one funny story. I was at a casino in Paris, and I'm walking down the stairs, and it's a fancy casino, like, with a dress code. Like, you've got to wear a suit or a tux, whatever it is. And I'm walking down the stairs, and one of the security is like, I know you. And I have a moment where I'm like, this is awesome. I'm like, we're at a highfalutin casino in Paris, and I'm out here getting recognized. Like, in my head, I'm like, this is sweet. This guy's got a thick accent. I don't even know how much English he speaks. And he watches First Things First. And I'm like, oh. I'm like, yeah, I do sports tv. And he's like, no, that's not it. And then he starts laughing. He's like, jesus, that's where I know you. He was just making fun of me. And I thought. I thought he was a viewer, but he was just making fun of me because of the hair. Yeah, but so that's. That's.

Colin Cowherd (18:52)

That. See, the only. The only likeness I've ever had in my life, and it was bizarre. Here is, by the way, that new picture of you.

Nick Wright (19:08)

Yeah, that. Yes. Yeah, that one that's. They gotta do it. If there's even a better one. But that's the movie. I mean, come on. Like, what's happening here?

Colin Cowherd (19:19)

So our guys can also find. Guys find the picture of the Swiss World cup goalie. I am not joking. It lasted for a year. I literally went online to see if there. It was like, is there family heritage? Because a lot of people will send me stuff. It was. It looked like me at 36 years old. Exactly.

Nick Wright (19:47)

So I got. I. So what'll surprise people that didn't know me when I first started with you? Almost. God, now it's been almost 10 years. Believe it or not, I used to have a. Basically a shaved head.

Colin Cowherd (19:59)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (19:59)

And at that time I also lived in Texas and I'm Italian. So when I tan, like, my complexion gets kind of like more of like a. Olive.

Colin Cowherd (20:10)

Yeah, you're Sicilian almost. Yeah.

Nick Wright (20:13)

Right. So I got. And I used to not have the beard, just a goatee and a shaved head. I. It was. I got Shaka smart. The basketball coach all the time. I got Shaka smart. And then I got. There was an Ole Miss basketball player that everyone hated. That again, the producers could really put this together. Marshall Henderson. I got Marshall Henderson. Shaka Smart a lot. But the thing is, the reason I get a lot is the same reason Scott Van Pelt gets a lot. Scott Van Pelt. It's like, shit, got bald guy glasses. They think it looks like Scott Van Pelt. For me, it's. Does your. Is there anyone in the world who has like a roller coaster nose and your facial hair? And then they'll say I look like them. So I. There's a bunch of look likes. I also still to this day, sometimes people see me and ask. And this one is not complimentary because I get a bunch of not complimentary ones. I get Manu Ginobili. There was a guy named Frank Reverie who was a French soccer player who had a giant facial scar. And they still was. They thought it was me. But Tom Green. Tom Green. Again, the. I get a lot of bad ones. I'm just going to tell you. I've never. There's never been like a traditionally handsome man that people are like, is that you? It's always someone that has what you would call some unique facial features that they think I look like.

Colin Cowherd (21:45)

Yeah. I don't get a lot of George Clooney either, pal. So we're even that. The NBA 82 game grind is done. Now the real fun begins. The NBA playoffs. Love them. They're here. Time for drama. Clutch moments. Steph Curry LeBron jaw dropping plays. I can't wait. If you're looking to make the playoffs Even more exciting, DraftKings sportsbook has you covered. They're the official sports betting partner of the NBA, playing games all the way to the Finals. Now's the time to back your favorite players and teams as they chase glory. So all season long, DraftKings been the go to spot for NBA player props. That doesn't stop now. If you want to make your playoff experience even more intense, try placing a bet on your favorite player's performance. Will they drop 30? 40? Who knows? Or more? It's your call. If you're ready to place your first bet, download the Draft King sportsbook app takes 90 seconds. Lock in your bets and let's make the playoffs. Unforgettable. 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Nick Wright (27:39)

I can't believe you're not starting with a Tatum victory lap.

Colin Cowherd (27:42)

Okay.

Nick Wright (27:43)

I can't believe it.

Colin Cowherd (27:43)

Well, okay, so there's two things.

Nick Wright (27:48)

Where.

Colin Cowherd (27:50)

I don't think about this a lot, but I did think about it with Baker Mayfield is that because I'm older and I know I'm talking about younger athletes, I don't like to pick on them. And so I don't think people realize this. I was rooting for Baker Mayfield to eventually grow up and be great, and he has become that. And that makes me actually happy. Fans tend to think that it really bothers me when I'm wrong. You know me well.

Nick Wright (28:22)

And it doesn't, you know, this definitely not true.

Colin Cowherd (28:24)

Yeah, that's. My wife said, I think you almost root to be really wrong occasionally. So I think that's not what gets me worked up. The things I think about are being too hard on young people. And I think about this a lot. So Westbrooks, this revelation that Westbrook can shoot threes is I've been. I've made sure it makes every show Baker's emergence. And so here's funny.

Nick Wright (28:55)

I defended Tatum after game one.

Colin Cowherd (28:59)

Yeah. And here's what I said. Here's my take. He is so collaborative that he constantly beats people off the dribble. But collaborative. Jayson Tatum then pulls back and takes a worse shot because ingrained in this culture 3 at all costs, it's ingrained. Danny Ainge, Brad Stevens, it's who they draft, it's who they acquire, it's who they trade for. And so Kobe and Michael would have fought that shit regularly. He doesn't do that. He's a good kid. And so I defended him and I said, I've seen him beat people off the dribble and then pull back and shoot an off balance three. They're in his head, but so I'm defending him. And then in game two, he infuriated me. Two of his last three shots were fallaways, but I. And so I had to go back and just say today, basically, I said Jalen Brunson is work boots and Jayson Tatum is French leather loafers. If it's drizzly, you're best not to wear them. He's not built. He's not built for really intense, resilient moments. He's not. He literally, when he dunked it with 18 seconds left, you and I had the same reaction. Whoa, we should not have that reaction.

Nick Wright (30:33)

So. Agreed. So I have a. There's. There's two things that I want to talk about here. The first one is just a question for you, because I don't. And this I think the audience is curious about. Did you, when you did the few months ago, close your eyes and think of magic? Think of Michael, think of LeBron, think of Tatum. I. I know how. I know your, you know, kind of your process. So I know that, that I can kind of tell because I've been listening to you my whole adult life, but also because I now know you, I can, can. I can tell when something is totally off the cuff or if that was like kind of the prepared rant that wasn't going to go somewhere. So I know you, like, you knew what you were going to say. Did you have any idea when you did that? Did you think, oh, this is going to stick and resonate? Because I don't know if you saw it, but yesterday all over Twitter, when that game ends, people were just sending a screenshot of you with your eyes closed in that segment. And then today, people who I'm pretty sure not. I'm pretty sure I know it because they captioned the tweet with basically some along the lines of, I don't fucking like this guy. But he nailed this. Like, did you have a. When you finished that or when you did that, did you feel like, okay, everyone's going to get it, or was. Did it just kind of end up being a happy accident? And then I have a second.

Colin Cowherd (32:18)

I think that was just a very lucky, happy accident. So, as you know, I write notes down to remind me during a show. I don't do a script, but I yellow if somebody has a funny line or if I think of something, I'll write it down. So I'm not necessarily sure outside of my opening rant where I have lots of notes. It's. I get really dot, dot, dot, circle.

Nick Wright (32:43)

This, dot, dot, dot.

Colin Cowherd (32:45)

The start of my show. I usually have an absolute direction on where I'm going. So I'm not. And I never, ever. I have terrible instincts on what pops and what doesn't. All these years, I have no idea. Stuff I think is brilliant.

Nick Wright (32:59)

It's crickets. So that's. That's kind of what I thought. What I kind of thought was this is. This was planned. Like, Colin knew where he was going, but it wasn't like, this is going to cut through everything. But for some reason. Not for some reason. I think it's because it was a point that when you did it, a lot of people were like, holy shit, he's right. Like, I don't think there's nothing I can think of. So there's that. The other point, you and I today, right around the exact same time. It's so funny because I'm doing my podcast for the volume right around the time your show goes on the air. So, you know, so without knowing what you were going to say, and you obviously. Without knowing what I was going to say, you and I made a very similar point, which is for the sake of the sport, it's really important the Knicks pull this off.

Colin Cowherd (34:01)

Absolutely.

Nick Wright (34:03)

Because we are in such a copycat sports world that. And by the way, it will probably be an overreaction. The way the Celtics play is probably the right way to play, and probably so much so that the league just needs to change some rules like baseball did in a lot of different ways to stem the tide. However, I don't think the league is in a hurry to make massive rule changes. And I also think that if the Celtics get clocked by a team that couldn't beat a good team all year, and it's because they averaged 50 threes a game and just went cold, that a bunch of teams will just get cold feet and be like, screw that. Go down on the block. Go. Let's go get some muscle. Take some mid Rangers. And the league is more interesting that way.

Colin Cowherd (35:02)

Okay, so I want to throw something at you. I think you'll really like this. And I talked about this today. I said, why are we seeing so many underdogs win? Home teams lose? Why are there so many upsets? Yeah, because of two things. The use the heavy use of three ball and analytics simultaneously as the NBA decides we're going to make these the most physical playoffs ever. And so what has happened is the finesse teams, you know, the warriors pre Jimmy Butler didn't get to the line. The Celtics never get to the line. The finesse teams, the pretty teams, the teams that during a regular season walk into your arena, you're tired. They're not. They're young, deep, and can shoot. Blow your doors off. Oklahoma City can do this. And then the league goes, hey, little curveball. It's now pro wrestling. And that rewards the Knicks, Draymond Butler and the Warriors. The T Wolves against the pretty Lakers.

Nick Wright (36:05)

Is that it almost rewarded the Rockets against the warriors, they just couldn't score at all.

Colin Cowherd (36:10)

So the league, this is why I'm always, I call it manhlytics is baseball. Analytics are great in baseball and basketball for a long season, but in the playoffs, when a baseball manager will use starters out of the pen, suddenly you're analyt when. You know, a few years ago, Justin Verlander is now pitching in the eighth. It's like, okay, that's not really a bullpen. You manage differently in the postseason. And in the NBA, the league has gone, yeah, we're not blowing the whistle. Well, now you're rewarding the less skilled defensive mind. Limited teams like the warriors without Steph. Steph leaves that Minnesota game. They were just as effective because they just grabbed and pulled and held on. And the Knicks are built for these kind of playoffs. So that's why I'm. Oh, I always call them analytics. I love analytics. But postseason comes down to we're not going to blow the whistle. We're going to let things slide. And by the way, that's why Villanova guys, this is why it's so fun. Villanova guys all play defense. All were in close games. Kentucky had the personnel. Villanova had the soul. Villanova, even when they won national titles, they don't run through the tournament and beat the shit out of people. Kentucky did. Kansas does. So these Villanova players go to three to four years they've been playing defense. Three star guys get to the NBA overlooked. Then they go to Tibbs, who's like Jay Wright. Defense, practice. So the Knicks are built for a hyper aggressive playoff format. And the Celtics are still good, but they're flawed with the change of officiating.

Nick Wright (38:02)

So I. So there's, there's a million pieces of that. I want to jump on one, which is the giant sample versus the shorter sample. And trusting the math because something really interesting. And you'll find this interesting because you're not a poker player. So one of the things I have found really interesting is a lot of people who clearly don't play poker are making the Point that the Celtics are poker players. They're guard counters. They're professional gamblers that know, listen, it's 60, 40 my way. And I make that bet enough times, I eventually profit. But. And that does actually apply and work for blackjack, where it is truly just, you know, you have a sample size of infinity if you want it, and you know what, you can. The. But poker is different because the way the actual best poker players work in a tournament format where there is escalating. So again, I'm gonna have to explain a little about tournament poker, but I promise will be worth it to the audience. Say there's a hundred players in a poker tournament. Yeah, 80. And it. And it costs $1,000 to get into it. So there's a hundred thousand dollars in the prize pool. The first 85 people eliminated will get $0. Final 15 are the people who get money.

Colin Cowherd (39:41)

Yes.

Nick Wright (39:41)

And then if it was a hundred again, a hundred thousand.

Colin Cowherd (39:44)

That's how the World Series of Poker works, right?

Nick Wright (39:47)

Exactly right. You're exactly right. Except the numbers are bigger and it's more people. But just. It's the difference between tournament poker and a cash game. A cash game is I sit down with certain amount of money. I can get up whenever I want, up or down, whatever. And then 15th place under this tournament would probably. You'd get 1500 bucks. So you profit 500. First place, you get 35 grand. Second place, you get 20. And you know what I mean. It's tiered, but it is really rewards like getting into first or second or third versus just barely getting into the money. Okay? That's how tournament poker works. At the beginning of a poker tournament, a professional player, if they know, all right, I have a 60% chance of winning this hand, the money is. We're both, you know, I can call your all in pre flop, I have X ray vision. I know your cards. I'm a 60, 40 favorite. Even though two out of five times I'm going to lose. It's the beginning of the tournament. I need to get chips. I have to call there. I call and you take the risk.

Colin Cowherd (41:00)

That's.

Nick Wright (41:01)

That's smart. That's the way they will play. If at the final table of that tournament, that professional player looks around and says, I'm the best player here, I have a sizable skill advantage, then that player no longer has any interest in getting involved in 60, 40 confrontations, even when they have the 60%. Because they know, yeah, in the long run, all win. But this isn't a long run. This is a sample of one and I have a two out of five chance of losing. I would rather lower the variance, play smaller pots, but grind you down to where I'm eventually an 8515 favorite. So here's why I tell that whole story. The Celtics shouldn't be looking at this series like they're the best player at the table and they have a better option than adding all this variance by bombing threes. They should be saying, the last thing we want is a cold shooting night to cost us the game because we're better than you. The team that invented this strategy, the Houston Rockets with under Daryl Morey, did it because they were never the better team because they were trying to beat Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. So they said, we want to get into 4060 battles even if we're on the 40, because we're going to win those almost half the time. The Celtics, this is my biggest criticism. They are approaching this series like they can't beat them straight up. They're approaching the series like they need luck in their favor. I wouldn't mind this if this were the first two games of the NBA finals against Oklahoma City because they might look at Oklahoma City and be like, man, they're better than us. So let's shake the snow globe and add some variance to it. The Knicks, they shouldn't have felt that way. And their refusal. And here's the one other thing that I'm going to add to it. There is still an argument. Play the way you play for at least the beginning of the game. In both of these games, They've had a 20 point lead.

Colin Cowherd (43:28)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (43:29)

Late. That is obviously the moment to be like, hey, it's not a long run large sample anymore. It's. Can we play a style of basketball that will give us the best chance.

Colin Cowherd (43:44)

To finish these next 50 very conservative investors. Let's pull out tech stocks, buy bonds for the next eight minutes.

Nick Wright (43:52)

That's right. There you go. So that's your version of it. It's the difference between how you are told to invest your retirement.

Colin Cowherd (44:01)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (44:01)

When you're 30 versus when you're 62.

Colin Cowherd (44:05)

Right.

Nick Wright (44:05)

Like those are different strategies. And the, the Celtics approach of being like, we are going to play the fourth quarter of a playoff game the exact style we would play the first quarter of a February game is just. That's not staying true to who you are. That's being ridiculous.

Colin Cowherd (44:26)

Yes.

Nick Wright (44:27)

That would be as if in at the Chiefs, at their heyday of the. When Tyreek was there and everything, when they were just high flying and didn't have a good defense. If they, when they were up 10 in the fourth quarter of a playoff game, they're like, bombs away. This is what we do. That's not, that's not smart. That's not staying true to who you are.

Colin Cowherd (44:51)

That's why when the Miami Dolphins have Jalen Waddle and Tyree Kill, that works in September and October. But as the weather gets windy and cold and the all the best AFC teams plan lousy weather, what you really need to do, and this is a little bit of a flaw with Mike McDaniels is what you really need to do is start to change your offense about Thanksgiving because you're going to have to go to Baltimore, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Buffalo. And so what happens is this is what we do. We throw it downfield. Well, you have a small, modest, armed quarterback and you're still trying. And then you try to pivot to no, it's too late. And so it was always funny watching the Dolphins and I'm like, guys, you're falling in love with September and October football. This stuff works. Then the NFL, think about this. Name the last dome dynasty in the NFL. Name the last warm weather dynasty. They don't exist. Marino never won a ring because eventually fouls won one. You become a very warm weather offense. The Chargers with Dan Fouts were electric. No trophy.

Nick Wright (46:01)

So this is, this is a sneaky important thing and this is just random luck of the moment as far as who's good. Because you're exactly right that the afc, all the excellent teams are outdoor shitty weather. Yep. So like, and I think that oddly likely works against the Houston Texans ability to compete for championships in that they're not going unless they get home field advantage throughout a playoffs. They're just not going to be conditioned playing in the AFC south and playing in a dome. The NFC is the opposite. And it is such a unique potential edge Philadelphia has. So if you're the Eagles. Yep. And at for the time being now, maybe Washington will get great. They were really good last year. And maybe the Giants will get great, maybe the Bears will get great, maybe the packers will get great. So this all can change. But for the time being for the Eagles last few years, Rams, Detroit, San Francisco, Dallas, whoever wins the South, Tampa. So they are in a spot where if we can get home field, whoever's coming here ain't built for this, right? So like in the afc, home field matters a little less for the Chiefs, Bills, Ravens, Cincinnati, because it's like, all right, no matter what, this is going to be a pain in the ass. Tough like we're all, we're all built our teams knowing that the nfc it just how it, how it turned.

Colin Cowherd (47:50)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (47:51)

Where the Lions are in a dome and the Rams have so that can change but for the time being it makes it to where for Philadelphia specifically.

Colin Cowherd (48:01)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (48:01)

Home field advantage is wildly valuable.

Colin Cowherd (48:05)

Yep.

Nick Wright (48:05)

Wildly valuable.

Colin Cowherd (48:10)

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Product of Green River Distilling Company, Owensboro, Kentucky Alcohol by volume varies by product. Greenriverwhiskey.com Please drink responsibly. Now it's time for power players brought to you by BMW, the ultimate driving machine and today's power player is Shai Gilgeous Alexander, who gave an electric performance in OKC's beatdown of the Nuggets. SGA. 11 of 13 from the field and 11 of 11 from the line, leading the Thunder with 34 points and eight assists. What is that that sets apart these power players from the rest? Bottom line, it's their attention to detail, innovative playing styles and a relentless drive for performing at the highest level. The same goes for BMW ix. Everything you love about the ultimate driving machine Electrified so I want to throw something out here. It's I want to go back to the NBA And Draymond Green, obviously part of the volume. And, you know, there's certainly an argument he's. I think he's the best defensive player ever. I mean, his ability to take Shen Goon out of games to give. I mean, give. To give Giannis massive problems. Now to give you the greatness of Jokic, he just waves the white flag on Jokic, just like I can't do anything. Either could Anthony Davis, by the way. Anthony would hold him to 28. And Anthony was like, I played really good. And he did. So I mean, Jokic is. I mean, Draymond gives Giannis issues. He gives everybody issues. But one of the brilliant things about Draymond, and I think it's purposeful and intentional, he moves the line. So it's almost like if you're a parent, you don't want to yell at your kids all the time. So the kid that's a little inappropriate is constantly consciously or subconsciously testing his parents what he can get away with. And at some time, at some point, you as a parent will be harder on the good natured, well behaved kid who infrequently makes a mistake than the kid that's always in trouble. When I watched Draymond play, Mike Breen pointed this out. Draymond has moved the line that he did something the other night where people on the air were defending him. And I'm like, nobody would get away.

Nick Wright (54:14)

Nobody would get it. And so I've said this for a long time. So listen, Draymond and I have a very complicated relationship is not even the right word, but it's complicated because I am very tight with a number of people who love Draymond Green, who swear by Draymond Green, who. And Draymond does not, you know, have an affinity for me, and I have been critical of him in the past. But everyone, people whose opinion I really trust and value, say off the court, one of the best dudes ever. So it's a weird dynamic there. Simultaneously, I have said that I thought he should have won three straight defensive player of the year awards back when Kawhi won two of them. And I do think he is one of the most brilliant defensive players of all time. And I'm on the record that I thought he, not Clay, was the second most important person of the pre KD Warriors.

Colin Cowherd (55:21)

Totally agree. Totally agree.

Nick Wright (55:23)

Here is the other piece of it. There is no player in NBA history who is given more leeway than, and this is an important qualifier, Draymond Green. After getting one technical, sometimes I think the warriors are their most dangerous.

Colin Cowherd (55:47)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (55:48)

If Draymond gets a technical early, and I know Draymond is his most devastating defensively when he has five fouls.

Colin Cowherd (56:00)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (56:00)

Because Drake, if Draymond gets to five fouls, he does not foul out at six. He fouls out at nine. He gets three more. Damn it. Like, we're going to let it go. And Draymond, with one technical, can follow the ref up and down the court doing anything, and a ref doesn't want to throw him out. And so there is no question that the guys, the NBA refs do a. I think one of the things they need to do better about is guys who never complain get a quick trigger on text the one time they do. And guys who always whine and yell and complain. The ref seem to turn a blunt. A deaf ear to the it. Oddly, it doesn't really feel like it applies to Luca because I think Luca actually really irritates the refs because here's the difference between Luka and Draymond. Draymond is complaining or yelling about calls that go against him. Luca is yelling about calls he does not get. And for some reason.

Colin Cowherd (57:28)

Right.

Nick Wright (57:29)

I think refs are way more bothered by what Luca does than what Draymond.

Colin Cowherd (57:34)

Luca is saying, you missed it. Draymond is arguing, I appreciate the effort, but you went the wrong way.

Nick Wright (57:42)

Do it right. Exactly. Draymond. Draymond is saying, I'm innocent. Luca is saying, you're guilty. And so the refs seem to hate Luca. And with Draymond, they're like, ah, Draymond's being Draymond. But there is also. It's not just. It's not just on text. I'm going to tell. Like, people can look up the game log and they will see it. It's a really. So Draymond right now has two flagrant foul points.

Colin Cowherd (58:09)

Yes, four.

Nick Wright (58:11)

And you're suspended. That happened him in 2016. You get one for a flagrant one, you get two for a flagrant two. In Warriors Rockets game seven, early on, Draymond got fouled and then swiped his hand and hit. I think it was Fred. It would definitely. It was Fred Van Vliet. And the refs went and reviewed it, and they said, foul on Fred Van Vliet. And then dead ball technical on Draymond for hitting him in the face. With the justification being it can't be a flagrant because the play was over, technically over by a quarter of a second. So it's a technical. The very next game played in the NBA, Jokic got Fouled by Lou Dort and Jokic hit him in the head. And the refs went and reviewed it and they said, foul on Lou Dort, flagrant on Joker. And I'm like, that is the exact thing that Draymond. Literally the exact thing. And it was a different rule interpretation. And that was. I know it in my bones. Because the refs were aware. Oh, shit. Draymond is a. If we give him this flagrant, then on his next flagrant, which he is guaranteed to get at some point, he'll be suspended for a game. So let's just give him a technical. And so listen, if you can get away with it, it's smart. He can get away with it. And when Draymond. There was just a. I should have pulled it. There was an amazing graphic today, one of those little dot charts where it was players since the two minute report has existed players who have benefited the most. And it was like Mahomes, one of the NFL quarterback charts. Like, where there's like a whole bunch of dots here on this line. And then right here is Mahomes through five years or whatever, where he breaks the chart. It was Draymond. That not a. By three standard deviations, no player has had more calls where the two minute report says, yeah, that should have been a foul on them and we missed it. Than Draymond. He. So he. He has mind melded the refs into. I'm such a great defender, I probably didn't foul him. And gets away with all of it. And it's. And I give him credit because it's the only way to. The only way a guy with his shooting ability, his height, his limited athleticism could become a first ballot hall of Famer is playing this way. And he did it. He's done it.

Colin Cowherd (60:58)

It's like the great salesman who's not great on the details and, you know, like. And after a while, as his boss, you're like, well, you know, at some point, he is so good at this. I will acknowledge. I will eat that. And I think Draymond is so good and is so respected for his defense that I think that's just natural. I just think that's. That's why we don't have. You know, in baseball, you do need a robot behind the plate. But in basketball, it's like I always say, officiating. Basketball is officiating. Pass interference. In the NFL, you could call double. But here's the other thing. Have I ever told you my Jerry Sloan story? So for years, you know how I love theories so for years, I could never figure out why the Utah Jazz, in that 10 year, Stockton, Malone, run. We're such an average road team. I'm like, I mean, the Celtics now are better on the road than at home. All great teams are good on the road, excellent at home. The Jazz were great at home and kind of 500ish regularly on the road. I could never figure it out. And then John Ireland, voice of the Lakers, and I were talking one night, and he goes, do you remember Jerry Sloan as a player? And Sloan was like this inartistic bully. He was a foul machine. He was a tough guy. He and Bobby Jones, they were like, in fights. When the NBA in the 70s would, like, allow it, you know, it was just games weren't televised. The league was much rougher. So officials who never want to call every foul, especially in a raucous home environment, kind of gave the Jazz a little bit of a home pass. They were the most aggressive, handsy team. And then on the road, they just. It's about six, five or six different calls a game. Especially late, you're getting flagged for that. And that's just the way officials are because the proximity of fans to floor is so close. And so this Jazz team, which was so handsy, that was Jerry, that was, by the way, Stockton, some say, is the dirtiest player ever.

Nick Wright (63:18)

Dirtiest player ever.

Colin Cowherd (63:19)

Okay. Hornacek was a grabber. Malone was always late with the elbows.

Nick Wright (63:24)

Yeah, of course.

Colin Cowherd (63:25)

So they're the one team where they would go on the road and about six times a game, they would get. The other team got into the bonus, and I was like, oh, I hate that. I couldn't figure that out. So there is something to be said about there. And you're not mentioning this. Draymond gets even more latitude at home.

Nick Wright (63:46)

Oh, yeah, no. And it's what you can get away with is what you can get away with. And I just. The thing that I.

Colin Cowherd (63:56)

I.

Nick Wright (63:58)

Who was I talking about?

Colin Cowherd (63:59)

This.

Nick Wright (64:00)

Oh, this was a Shador Sanders take I had, but I'll give it to you because it applies to Draymond kind of loosely, but we go wherever on the show. So one of the greatest, in my opinion, one of the greatest radio shows in America, and it has now been on. You'll be more impressed by this than anyone for 23 years running in the same market is a show called the Church of Laszlo. And it's on. It used to be on an alternative rock station. It's now on a regular rock station. Doesn't matter. They. The. Their frequency Just changed. But it's been this dude, Laszlo and his buddy Slim Fast. I was their sports guy for years. And last, I'm going to tell a real, you know, quick tangent. People like it. Laszlo is to me, he was one of my mentors in radio and just also one of the coolest stories ever. He was from Detroit. Alcoholic, drug addict.

Colin Cowherd (65:05)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (65:05)

Went to the Navy, I think got kicked out of the Navy because of those two things I just mentioned. I don't again, I might get a story. Something wrong. Kind of. Was always a mess. Always did radio and then got sober. Started this state and is like a wild liberal on the radio in Kansas City, Missouri, where when he started his show, every single day he would start his show by saying, it has been X amount of days since George W. Bush declared mission accomplished in Iraq and then went on. And he has. He's on the air to this day because he's so talented and I think it's the funniest show in America, so say all that. So when I first started in radio, they were down the hall. They. They had actually just come back from Seattle, where they used to be simulcast in Seattle and Kansas City. And. And Laszlo said to me, he's like, listen, man. And this wasn't his original theory, but it was the first person I had heard it from. I'm like, 24. He's like, you got to know what type of horse you are for this company. I'm like, what do you mean? He's like, there's three horses in radio. He's like, there's the money horse, there's the show horse, and there's the workhorse. He's like, and you're going to screw up if you don't know which horse. You are like, okay. He's like, the money horse is the guy who's always going to have a job because all the big clients love him. He's like, the car dealership's his buddy and this guy. And so he does all the reads because they all love him. He's safe. He's like, the show horse is the guy who they want to be able to put on the billboard, the name we got. He's like, he's usually like someone who does, you know, a former athlete or does local TV and they feels like a celebrity. He's like, none of the advertisers know who the hell you are and nobody knows your name. He's like, that just leaves the workhorse. He's like. And that's what it sounds like. You're Going to keep your job because you're going to work harder than everybody. Do you need me to pick up that shift? I can do this. I can do that. You're also going to work. You're going to know everything. That's your path, man. And honest to God, it's one of the most important conversations I ever had in my career, because I was like, okay, that's who I'm going to be. And he was telling me this. He's like, you think you're the show horse. You think, like, you're a big name. He's like, but you're not. Maybe one day you will be, but you're not. And that. I was going to say this because Draymond recognized early on, I'm the workhorse. I've got to do the dirty work. I do all this. But the more interesting part of it is the Shador thing, which is Shador fell in the draft because he thought he was a show horse. And teams were looking at him as, are you a workhorse? And he thought, I'm Shador Sanders. I'm interviewing you. I've got all these people competing for my services, and they looked at it as, you're Shador Sanders. Are you going to pick up this mistake we put in the film? Are you going to know the playbook? Are you going to do this? And if you don't know the job you're applying for, how do you nail the interview? And so I think that is like a really. It's a really something I've just carried with me forever, like, poignant piece of advice, which is it doesn't so much matter how you view yourself. It matters in an employment setting. It matters how your employer or potential employer views you. And are you representing that? Are you? You know, and so that, I think, was Shador's biggest mistake is he didn't know what job he was interviewing for and he didn't know who he was to these teams.

Colin Cowherd (69:01)

Well, and I'll throw something at you. I. One of the things why we didn't get an honest read, because clearly Pittsburgh never viewed him. They viewed him as Kenny Pickett. Daniel Jeremiah said that when his intel was that they viewed him is a little better than Kenny Pickett as a prospect. Well, Kenny Pickett, by the two GMS, two of the GMs in the league that I really respect, one of them with a couple trophies, viewed Kenny Pickett as a top to middle of the third quarterback. And that's exactly what he is. He's a backup and an Occasional starter. If somebody gets hurt, which is his role potentially in Cleveland, I don't think he'll be there long, but that's his current role. So the reason that Shadour didn't get an honest evaluation is because Deion Sanders knows so many people in the NFL and he's worked at many broadcast companies, and nobody wanted to be honest. This is what I've always said about bullies. And Dion is not a bully. The downside to being forceful and intimidating and a bully is you actually get lied to by everybody in your life because nobody wants confrontation. People don't like it. Your wife doesn't, your kids don't. So the big brash bully, the top sales guy, the egomaniac Bobby Knight, in his prime, never got an honest opinion because he intimidated people. So you're much better having relationships where you ask questions. You don't always have an opinion, where people feel free to criticize you, and that. That will give you a more honest appraisal of who you truly are and what you need to accomplish. Bullies get lied to more than anybody. Although they think they're always demanding and getting the truth, the exact opposite is true. They have visions of. They're deluded to a degree because they're always being told, yes, you're right. And absolutely. And all sorts of the other group that never gets an honest appraisal are superstars and celebrities. You know, nobody ever told George Clooney in his prime. Yeah, you're not really. It's not working for me on this because he was so big, you didn't want to piss him and his, you know, it's like Leonardo DiCaprio in his prime. Don't offend him. That won't go well. And so being a superstar, Deion's like a superstar. I mean, he's doing commercials with Nick Saban, and he's a Father 500 coach of Colorado. That's all you need to know. Right. So I think that's what hurt Shadour is nobody just came out and just said, and by the way, Arch Manning may get a little bit of this, too, is that people are. Nobody's going to come out and say, I got to be honest, he couldn't beat out Quinn yours. There's a reason he's okay.

Nick Wright (72:03)

So I. Oh, well, that's. Well, that's a. That's a. I've just assumed Arch Manning is a guaranteed top five pick. But I. So. But that. But I don't know as much about college football as you, and I'm not even saying that's what you're saying. Here's the other thing. The Shador thing revealed to me, and it's not that I needed it revealed. I. It was it. It shined a light on. We have traded as a sports public, true insiders, for instant transactional gratification. We. We have valued who is going to have this thing that was going to be announced by the team in 90 minutes anyway. First over what is actual informational journalism, which is somebody said this and again, I wish I could quote him, but I can't. Journalism is publishing or uncovering information that otherwise would not get out there. That's what it is. Like, I. This story would remain hidden or fact or whatever it is. Don Van Natta did a lot of that. Like Seth Wickersham, we know the people who've done it in sports. Simply being the first to say this player is signing with this team when that player signing with that team was going to become public knowledge no matter what is a different. I'm not saying it's not journalism. It's a different thing. But that is the thing that we in the general public seemingly value because that is the thing that people get paid for and get famous for as reporters. The only way to these days do that job really well is to have everyone like you. Which is why in modern sports journalism, every draft pick is great, every surgery is ahead of schedule, every MRI was better than expected, and everything is positive. Every single thing is positive. And so, no, the fact that none of our insiders said, I've talked to 15 teams and 12 of them don't have Shador in their top 50. Like, nobody had this. Nobody had. Like, it was. It went from, is he going to be the first pick? To, okay, it'll be Cam Ward. But then, you know, shedor Giants Browns to, oh, shit, he might slide to the Saints. And then by draft day, it was, wow, what does it mean for Aaron Rodgers? Because Shador could maybe be there at 21 and they could draft him the entirety of the NFL world. Nobody had he. He'll be very fortunate if he is taken with the Browns or Giants second pick. Not one person. And by the way, I'm not. I obviously didn't have it. I'm acting like I had it. But I'm an insider. And so I, I found that really telling that man, what information are we actually getting? Like, what, what is the real, real. And are the guys who actually have the real information like, well, I know the truth here, but it's not worth it because It'll piss the wrong relationships, agents, teams, whatever, off. And so I also think that what is so stunning about this, and this last thing I'll say, because I know now we're a month old on, is shocking that Dion didn't have the information either. That nobody privately told Dion.

Colin Cowherd (76:30)

That's right. That's the downside, like a bully, of being a beloved superstar.

Nick Wright (76:36)

Beloved. You don't get Dion. Hey, man, you're like, listen, maybe they're all wrong, but the league has real questions over whether or not your son's a starter. So you got to tell him. He's got to blow their socks off in this because Deion is. Whatever anyone thinks of Deon, he's obviously a loving, devoted father. That's undeniable.

Colin Cowherd (77:01)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (77:02)

And he just.

Colin Cowherd (77:03)

He got.

Nick Wright (77:03)

He had. Didn't have the information.

Colin Cowherd (77:05)

That's right. Think about that. Think of how many friends he has in the NFL and not a single person. I'm telling you, Arch Manning, be very careful. The Mannings are American football royalty. Will it now? I will say there's a little less. They've got their own egos, but Deion's always been over the top. You know, he's been almost at times a wrestling heel, like he loves to, you know. And the Mannings, you know, with Arch, he's been backing up Quinn Ewers, who he's clearly better than, and they never transferred. I mean, it was so they've handled it with grace. And I think that's the Mannings brand. But this really does go back to bullies and superstars. You'd think they'd get the inside info. They're lied to more than everybody else. You know who you don't lie to? Your cranky neighbor who you don't love. But you're going to tell them, don't mow the grass at six o' clock on a Saturday. You're going to give them a real honest, cranky opinion. The people that you don't have anything to lose, like just people that you don't adore. You're always willing to say, bro, that's not going to work. Don't do that.

Nick Wright (78:14)

Correct.

Colin Cowherd (78:15)

That's hard to say to a Manning or a Deion Sanders. It's hard.

Nick Wright (78:18)

Yeah, that's right. That's really interesting.

Colin Cowherd (78:22)

Hey, so we all make mistakes, but owning up to them is the right thing to do. So, you know Degree Cool Rush deodorant. Right. Well, last year they changed the formula and it did not go over well with their fans. So Degree's whole thing is it turns up the sweat and odor protection when you turn up the effort. And good thing it does, because Cool Rush fans really turned up the effort to bring the original formula back. One guy even started an online petition and degree listener, they admitted they effed up. They're bringing back the original Cool Rush scent. They're bringing it back and it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. It's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. There's a reason it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. It's the same reason why people were not happy when it changed. So if you've never tried it, it might be a good time to see what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart, Target and try the OG degree Cool Rush for yourself. You know, finally, you gotta bless Dallas Cowboy fans heart. They're so excited for George Pickens. And I was saying this today when Kyle Shanahan said, I can't make Trey Lance work. I made Matt Schaub a pro Bowler. Brock Purdy, I got him to a Super Bowl. Garoppolo. I got to a Super Bowl. I can't make Trey Lance work. And the Cowboys were like, Oooh, here's a fourth round pick. Okay, When Warren Buffett says, be careful with bitcoin, I'm careful with bitcoin. When Mike Tomlin says about a receiver, listen, I can't make it work. Chase Claypool, AB Martavius Bryant. I mean, the list goes on.

Nick Wright (80:00)

Deontay Johnson, Deontre Johnson.

Colin Cowherd (80:03)

If Mike Tomlin, who is two things, great motivator and incredibly patient with immature players. When Mike says, yeah, guys, I'm out, but Jerry, this is a personality trait. Jerry loves to save. He loves to give people jobs that need him. Chan Gailey, Mike McCarthy, Jason Garrett, Brian Schottenheimer, they feel like Jerry. Jerry is saving, that he's giving a job that's not available. McCarthy couldn't get interviews. Parcells and Jimmie Johnson didn't need him. That wore Jimmy out.

Nick Wright (80:44)

Yeah.

Colin Cowherd (80:45)

Dak Prescott, fourth round. He loves. Hey, Tony Romo. Undrafted Cowboys never draft quarterbacks in the first round. They don't need Jerry. So when he goes and gets George Pickens, the reputation is out. Basically, Tomlin, I'm out. Jerry's like, I'm here. I'll make it work. I think this is Jerry's wildcatting oil days where he would hunt for gems. And I think that is literally his mindset with coaches and Sometimes draft picks and players is that he feels like Pickens. He's, he's. The rest of the league is out. I am in and I don't think long term. I think that's why the Cowboys are where the Cowboys are currently in the NFL.

Nick Wright (81:37)

I think that George Pickens is one of the more overrated players in the whole league. And the reason I feel that way is because I think certain football fans this is one of my, this is one of my favorite and kind of relatively newest take which is talent has become wildly overrated and particular particularly in the NFL. Obviously you need a requisite level of talent that goes without saying. However, this idea that talent is some cure all when this guy has been a pain in the ass every step of his football life. It is why he fell in the draft. It is why you were hearing rumors about him being available during his second year. During his third year he was traded. Here it is the he. It's you know when you are potentially trying to get a contract in the off season and your team is in the middle of a losing streak and you show up to the Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs 90 minutes before kickoff, you show up three hours before your TV show. Colin, you have 220 of them a year. He's got 17 football games and he like you're just not a serious person and you're not going to contribute to winning the way your talent says you should. And so there's that. There is also the fact that trading a third round pick for a player with one year left on his contract means you probably should give him a contract extension. The only thing worse in my opinion than trading a third round pick for one year of George Pickens then letting him be a free agent is giving that guy 50 million guaranteed. So the Cowboys put themselves in a position where it's no win. Do we pay this guy early when he has never. He's never been the top 10 in the NFL of anything. He's like his career numbers are pedestrian. He's never outpaced his production, has never outpaced his targets.

Colin Cowherd (84:06)

Right. And he quits on routes which quarterbacks.

Nick Wright (84:09)

Despise routes and is he gets unnecessary a million problems there so you can't pay him. But the other thing you shouldn't do as a smart franchise is keep trading these mid round picks for rentals. And so I two years ago, Colin, the Chiefs ended up winning the Super Bowl. But two years ago when the Chiefs had nothing but drops everywhere and the receivers couldn't do anything Pickens was available then and Wilds and Brew couldn't believe me. I was like, I don't want him. I was like, the Chiefs already are on thin ice with Kadarius. Tony like they, you know and they get they got the chief straight for Canary is Tony. They gave up a fifth round pick. He had three years left on his deal and that's still listen he had the amazing partner turn of the super bowl but he's still ultimately got can't get right guys. Can't get right and so I I'm not a Pickens guy. I also think he's a somewhat overrated player and I also think for if Mike Tomlin had a hard time keeping him inside the lines Brian Schottenheimer in his first year as a head coach, how much of Brian Schottenheimer's time is going to be about Micah's podcast and whatever the hell George Pickens did? A lot of it is the answer.

Colin Cowherd (85:32)

If a rehab center's like, we're done.

Nick Wright (85:35)

Yeah, we're out of here. Exactly. It's insane.

Colin Cowherd (85:39)

Nick Wright Great hour, buddy.

Nick Wright (85:42)

Great to see you. Talk to you soon. Colin.

Colin Cowherd (85:45)

The Volume Blending Vice's signature dynamic storytelling with the high octane world of sports, Vice Sports brings an exciting and diverse range of programming that goes beyond the game catch action packed live events and exclusive sports documentaries and profiles only on Vice tv. Okay, have you heard about this?

Nick Wright (86:07)

Last year, Degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant.

Colin Cowherd (86:10)

Their fans rebelled and wanted the old.

Nick Wright (86:12)

Sim back and Degree listened. That doesn't happen often.

Colin Cowherd (86:15)

They admitted that they effed up and are bringing the original Cool Rush scent back. And it's exactly how you remember it.

Nick Wright (86:22)

Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason it's the number one.

Colin Cowherd (86:26)

Manzani purse Sprint and is back in Walmart, Target and other stores for under $4. So try it and see what the fuss is about. Head to your local stores to try the OG Cool Rush for yourself. This podcast is supported by Talkspace. When my husband came home from his military deployment, readjusting was hard for all of us. Thankfully, I found Talkspace. Talkspace provides professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatric providers. Online. Military members, veterans and their dependents ages 13 and older can get fast access to providers, all from the privacy of their computers or smartphones. I just answered a few questions online and Talkspace matched me with a therapist. We meet when it's convenient for me and I can message her anytime. It was so easy to set up and they accept Tricare Therapy was going so well, my husband and I started seeing a couples therapist through Talkspace too. Talkspace works with most major insurers, including Tricare. Match with a licensed therapist today@talkspace.com military go to talkspace.com military to get started today.

Nick Wright (87:33)

That's talkspace.com military you're listening to an iHeart podcast.