Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts - Matthew Stafford’s Future, NFL Draft Combine, Steph Curry’s Impact On Basketball, Embrace Caitlin Clark

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Episode: Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts - Matthew Stafford’s Future, NFL Draft Combine, Steph Curry’s Impact On Basketball, Embrace Caitlin Clark
Release Date: March 1, 2025

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1. Matt Stafford’s Future and Giants-Rams Dynamics

Colin Cowherd delves into the ongoing discussions surrounding Matt Stafford's future with the New York Giants and the potential trade dynamics with the Los Angeles Rams. He highlights the mutual interest between Stafford and the Rams, emphasizing the Rams' appreciation for Stafford's abilities and the alignment with head coach Sean McVay's vision.

• Trade Negotiations:
  Colin explains, "Matt Stafford's agent and the Rams are going to meet at the combine this week and try to bang something out. The Rams like him. Matt likes him. They want to stay together" [05:00].

• Giants' Dilemma:
  The Giants are hesitant to trade down from the third pick, considering the quarterback market's current landscape. An unnamed sports analyst adds, "If I was a GM, I couldn't trade that valuable of a pick and pay a 37-year-old guy who does have some injury concerns at this point in time" [06:14].

• Rams’ Strategic Position:
  The Rams are portrayed as a well-run franchise that has learned from past contract regrets, making them a favorable destination for Stafford. Colin notes, "The value of Sean McVay for a quarterback and just the franchise and how well run they are now" [09:08].

2. NFL Draft Combine Insights

The conversation shifts to the NFL Draft Combine, focusing on quarterback prospects and team strategies.

• Sam Darnold’s Performance and Future:
  Colin discusses Sam Darnold's inconsistency towards the end of the season and his potential fit with teams like Las Vegas or Indianapolis. He states, "Sam is still in the middle of his prime... I think you put him in the AFC South with Shane Steichen. I think he can go toe to toe with a CJ Stroud on most Sundays" [14:44].

• Combine Strategies:
  The importance of the combine for player evaluation is emphasized, with an unnamed analyst criticizing teams that abstain from attending. "These are your most important assets. I mean all these guys are draft are going to get drafted. The majority of the guys go the combine" [21:47].

• Dual-Position Players:
  The discussion touches on players like Travis Hunter who aim to play multiple positions, raising concerns about their effectiveness and workload. "If you're going to be a both-way corner wide receiver... it's borderline impossible on the body" [23:31].

3. Steph Curry’s Impact on Basketball

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to analyzing Steph Curry's transformative influence on basketball, with guest Ethan Strauss providing in-depth commentary.

• Revolutionizing the Game:
  Cowherd and Strauss agree that Steph Curry has fundamentally changed basketball's playing style, particularly the emphasis on three-point shooting. Colin asserts, "Steph Curry has changed every single level of basketball. Everything he's changed" [32:01].

• Cultural Influence:
  Strauss elaborates on Curry's unique position as both an influencer and the best at what he does, stating, "The crazy thing about Steph is that he's been doing it for over 10 years and he has revolutionized the NBA and he's still the best at doing it" [34:35].

• Sustained Excellence:
  Unlike other revolutionaries like Mike D'Antoni, Curry has maintained his elite performance despite the widespread imitation of his style. Ethan remarks, "He gave them the recipe and he's still the best chef cooking it. That's unbelievable" [34:35].

4. Embracing Caitlin Clark and the WNBA

The episode concludes with a discussion on Caitlin Clark's rising prominence in the WNBA and the challenges she faces in gaining widespread recognition.

• Caitlin Clark’s Appeal:
  Colin draws parallels between Steph Curry and Caitlin Clark, highlighting Clark's unique shooting ability. "Holy shit. We found the female Steph Curry. She's taking shots women don't take" [37:08].

• WNBA Dynamics:
  The conversation addresses the internal conflicts within the WNBA, focusing on the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Colin expresses concern over the league's handling of star players: "If the chippy play continues, you may just lose me as a viewer" [39:25].

• Media and Popularity:
  Ethan discusses the complexities of media coverage and public perception, emphasizing that Clark's popularity stems from her performance and charisma. "She's the one who resonating. And we can either benefit from what it is, or we can tear apart everybody who's into it and make everybody feel bad about it" [40:33].

• Historical Context:
  The conversation places Clark within the broader history of basketball, comparing her impact to legendary players who have shaped the game's evolution. Colin notes, "no one ever had to explain Steph Curry. It was just" [41:22].

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Notable Quotes:

• Colin Cowherd on Matt Stafford and the Rams:
  "Matt Stafford's agent and the Rams are going to meet at the combine this week and try to bang something out. The Rams like him. Matt likes him. They want to stay together." [05:00]

• Unnamed Analyst on Trading the Third Pick:
  "If I was a GM, I couldn't trade that valuable of a pick and pay a 37-year-old guy who does have some injury concerns at this point in time." [06:14]

• Colin Cowherd on Steph Curry’s Influence:
  "Steph Curry has changed every single level of basketball. Everything he's changed." [32:01]

• Ethan Strauss on Steph Curry's Sustained Excellence:
  "He gave them the recipe and he's still the best chef cooking it. That's unbelievable." [34:35]

• Colin Cowherd on Caitlin Clark:
  "Holy shit. We found the female Steph Curry. She's taking shots women don't take." [37:08]

• Ethan Strauss on WNBA Media Dynamics:
  "She's the one who resonating. And we can either benefit from what it is, or we can tear apart everybody who's into it and make everybody feel bad about it." [40:33]

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Conclusion

In this episode of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," listeners are provided with a comprehensive analysis of current NFL dynamics, particularly focusing on Matt Stafford's potential future with the Rams versus the Giants. The discussion seamlessly transitions into the intricacies of the NFL Draft Combine, offering insights into player evaluations and team strategies. A significant highlight is the in-depth exploration of Steph Curry's unparalleled impact on basketball, underscored by guest Ethan Strauss's expert observations. Finally, the episode addresses the rising star Caitlin Clark and the evolving landscape of the WNBA, emphasizing the challenges and opportunities within the league. Overall, the episode offers a rich blend of sports analysis, expert opinions, and thoughtful commentary, making it a valuable listen for both avid fans and casual enthusiasts.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption. Acquired card has no cash access and expires in six months.

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[Steph Curry]

The greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Go Greatest of Their Era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.

[Peja Stojaković]

Peja 5 Dirk Ford Paja is a link.

[Steph Curry]

You won't believe who Steph left off his list.

[Peja Stojaković]

That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.

[Steph Curry]

That's why we absolutely love it. Listen to Go G O T E Greatest of Their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ashlyn Harris]

We all have a moment that splits us wide open. On my new podcast, Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, I'll sit down with trailblazers from sports, music, fashion, entertainment and politics to explore their toughest moments and the incredible comebacks that followed. Listen to Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, an iHeart women's sports production on the iHeartradio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities big to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T mobile. Keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com Keep and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.

[Steph Curry]

Make some noise for the Greatest Shooter of All Time Steph Curry we went live from All Star Weekend for our new podcast called Goat Greatest of Their Era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.

[Peja Stojaković]

Peja 5 Dirk Ford Peja is a loop.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

I'm mad at him. I left him off my list, but.

[American Express Voice]

I still like my list.

[Steph Curry]

You won't believe who Steph left off his list.

[Peja Stojaković]

That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.

[Steph Curry]

Yes, absolutely.

[Peja Stojaković]

Love it.

[Steph Curry]

Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.

[Peja Stojaković]

When you have a scouting report and you're on the list as not just a shooter, but we have specific rules for how we guard you. There's a fear factor that's associated with anytime you're wide open. Like, you might as well just count that and get on back on defense.

[Steph Curry]

Listen to Go G O T E Greatest of Their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

The volume presented by our friends at Louisiana Hot Sauce bring the food at your party to a whole new level with the original, original Louisiana brand hot sauce. I put it on a pizza last night. It was great. Bold, authentic flavor embodies the rich culinary tradition of Louisiana. The original Louisiana brand hot sauce. Perfect for those who demand great flavor with just the right amount of heat. I use it on my eggs. I put it on my sandwiches. I put it on my pizzas. I love it. I talked about this before vacation. Then it happened during vacation and I was told by a source I really trust that Matt Stafford's agent and the Rams are going to meet at the combine this week and try to bang something out. The Rams like him. Matt likes him. They want to stay together. He understands the importance of McVay and Pukinakua and the organization and the Rams like him and it's a bad quarterback class and Aaron Rodgers is an option but not a preferred option. Stafford's better now, so. But here's an interesting thing. A lot of giants have pushed back on this. We're not giving up the number three pick. So my take is would you flip picks with the Rams because it's different if this was a great quarterback draft class, I'd be very reluctant to give it the number three pick because I could trade down. Right. Which the Rams would do. If they got the number three pick. They would trade down and get more picks. The Giants. Not necessarily, they're not necessarily going to trade down. They're just going to draft the quarterback. Or they would get Stafford so they wouldn't have to. But would you as a gm? I would have no problem getting Matt Stafford, giving him a three year deal, maybe four. You know, I would draft a quarterback second year into it and just say, okay, I'll take the Rams pick late first you get my draft top of the first. I would have no problem doing that because they've been unwatchable for a decade. The coach and the GM are on the hot seat in New York between Jaden Daniels and the Eagles roster. You're non competitive. You're not a competitive team going forward. But when I say that Giant fans are. You cannot trade the number three pick. There are drafts. I agree with that. This is. You're not getting Cam Ward. This is not one of those drafts to me.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

If I was a gm, I couldn't trade that valuable of a pick and pay a 37 year old guy who does have some injury concerns at this point in time. But those guys are fighting for their jobs. So I think if you sat in Brian Dabel shoes, he wouldn't hesitate to do that. I think he would just give the number three pick for Matt Stafford. Why would he not? He's going to get fired. And fair not like he would not get a job immediately after. And the general manager, let's also just speak in realities, would never get another job, right? So to me now, if I was the owner, I could not. We would not be doing that.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

I think it's risky business. I would also not be in business. Look at the last two quarterbacks that were older, they got a lot of money. That the packers, who are one of the best drafting teams of like all time were like, yeah, we're done with Aaron Rodgers. And then Kevin O'Connell was like, yeah, I'm done with Kirk Cousins. And both those teams regretted those moves immediately. I mean the Aaron Rodgers thing, well, they had to make that move. Like I don't blame them for making that trade the jets, but that was a disaster. The Cousins thing was even worse because at least Rogers at one point in time was one of the greatest players ever. Cousins always had some limitations coming off the Achilles. And let's face It Colin, they're probably going to cut him in the next seven, 10 days. He's going to get cut. So now Stafford at this point in time is better than that version of Rogers and definitely Cousins. But you know where I come with Stafford, you know he is going to accumulate. I looked. He made over $220 million in Detroit. His career earnings right now are about $360 million. So when his career is over, he will be over $400 million. So even after taxes and after paying agents, he will have accumulated before he's 40 years old, over $200 million in net income. I'm not even talking about what he's made off the field in la. I know he's. I see him on sleep number commercials. He is really, really rich. Right at this point in time when you spent a decade and a half almost in an irrelevant franchise and losing constantly in the peak of your powers, wouldn't you go like, look at what Tom did. Like, wouldn't it make sense to be, hey, Sean, it doesn't get any better in the Rams. I know we're well run. I know I have an elite coach. I'm in a huge market. I have made Peyton Manning level money and I have got my ass kicked and we draft in the top 10. Now I'm with a franchise who I don't even know. These guys are bringing in all of a sudden by mid season they're ass kickers. Like, why would I want what I would come out, I would have stopped this conversation. I will do whatever it takes. I'm not going to make $5 million. But why wouldn't he be like, I'm making 27 this year. Let's do a two year deal for like 40 million, guarantee every penny. You go out and buy players. I want to be here. I'm going to go Brady, I've already. People like don't count other people's money. This guy has made so much money and he played in such a bad franchise. Shouldn't he, like, I wouldn't want any part of the Giants. If you're Matt Stafford, what are we talking?

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I see.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

But he likes his money. There's no doubt. Like him and Jimmy Sexton there they have been, Peyton Manning, like every penny, every penny, every penny. And I don't blame the Rams. Like, no, no more. Every penny.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think Stafford wants to stay with the Rams. And to your point, I would want to stay with the Rams. The value of, the value of Sean McVay for a quarterback and just the.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

Franchise and how well run they are now.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

He saw The Lions for 15 years.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. No, I think a lot of this. I think when things go public and, you know, like Stephen A's contract went public, I always think when I see that, that the person actually wants to sign with the company, it goes public. You know, I mean, and I'm. This is not a shot at Stephen A. But I always think that whenever a person. Because I could make my stuff go public on my contract, and I don't. I'm not comfortable with it. But. But a lot of people are, and I'm not begrudging them, but Stafford and these people that it gets out either through their agent or sources. Stuff gets out when people want it wanted out. Right. Like in my entire life, stories get out when people want it out. That that's the reason stuff gets out. I've got secrets in my career in negotiations. Never gotten out because the company doesn't want them out. And I don't want them out. This time in my negotiations, nothing gets out. I don't want it out, they don't want it out. I always tell my bosses, keep it out of the press. I don't want anything in the press. But when people do, it does get out there, it's generally because the sides want a deal, they want to remain. So when I. When I see the Matt Stafford stuff, my take is Matt wants to stay in Los Angeles. He's got a gorgeous place near the beach, and I think Hermosa or Manhattan beach, it's great weather. He was in the Midwest for years. He's a Texas, Georgia kid. He probably likes warm weather. So I. And this. This is not an indictment on anybody that goes public, but it discounts in politics, if you're trying to get legislation passed, it counts in contracts. It counts when I. When I. I mean, stuff is out when somebody is trying to create leverage, but they truthfully, they want to stay where they're at. So I think he'll be around.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

I think. Yeah, I think this one's pretty clear because this kind of happened last year. It feels a little more out this year, is that the Rams are tough to negotiate with, you know, early on in their tenure with less. And Sean, they. They signed a deal that they clearly regretted in Todd Gurley. And ever since, they've been pretty good. Right. And they haven't got in these positions where, you know, the Niners have kind of found themselves the last couple of years, like, ah, we regret that Debo deal. We regret that I. You deal. And now they're kind of burned. And now they're pivoting like, oh, we got to be careful with doing that stuff. The Rams learned early on because Todd Gurley's knee just went right. And this Stafford thing, I think they have just been. They've been tough with him.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

You know, he's been, you know, with Detroit, they always bent right over and gave him. And he was always the highest paid guy. You know, the last couple of years, it's been hard. He's like, I'm only making 27. They're like, well, we'll give you a couple million dollars more. But we're not, we're not giving you two years, $100 million, Matt. That's just not happening.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

And we want you, you want us. We're winning. Listen, and I know you only have a chance, like once he leaves, he's probably not going to make when he's 42 years old, retired, $30 million his first job, whatever he does. So I understand you have the opportunity to make a lot of. But he's made so much in winning. Like, you could go down as a legendary player that I would be very careful about driving this hard in negotiation. Now, I think he also knows, like, what are. What would the Rams do? You know, Sean McVeigh, they're not really in the business of just like, oh, we'll figure it out on the fly. Like, they understand what they have, but I think they have some negotiating power because like you said, he doesn't want to leave. Look at his options. Like the Giants or the Titans are going to trade for you. What are we talking about?

[Colin Cowherd]

Gross. And I do think there's. I think the Aaron Rodgers thing has some legs. And I, and I'll say this, we know that coaching matters with quarterbacks. Last 10 games last year when Salo was gone, the jets were one of the poorest coach teams in the league. They up and down both sides of the ball and Aaron put up good numbers. Aaron, with McVeigh would put up good numbers. B plus numbers, maybe not A numbers. So I think that's something they've thought about. Aaron's got a place in Malibu and it's like, hey, if we get trapped here, we'll bring on Aaron for a couple year deal. Plus Aaron, from all the indications, Aaron wanted to be a jet and was dumped for the second time. So I think Aaron does not want to end his career like that. And again, I thought in his last 10 games he had like a 98 passer rating. He was pretty good. So My take is Aaron, it's. It's not a. I mean, I had somebody that I really trust tell me this, that Aaron Rodgers is who McVeigh would go after. I mean, he went after a guy in Baker Mayfield that came with baggage. He went after him in one second.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

Yeah. Carson Wentz, they got, you know, they've done a lot of that. He has. No, he's got. He's like the young version of Andy Reid. They. They'll take on problems. The difference, though, is, to me, there's a big difference is the player Aaron Rodgers wants no part of getting hit. He just will not. And that's still a quality. That Stafford will sit in there, get peppered as he delivers a strike and that, you know, the level in which the Rams, I mean, they're the only team that went toe to toe with the Eagles, you know, so it's like they're trying to compete for the Super Bowl. That difference in standing in there throughout the course of a season in the big games. I think there would be a drop off unless Aaron was just willing again to play like he did. And I don't think at 41 years old, he would be. I mean, that's. That is one thing. Stafford will sit in there kind of like the old school quarterbacks and still get hit. So I understand. Maybe he's negotiating like, hey, guys, you know, I'm taking a lot of hits here, too. Like, I need some money for this, for these bruises that I wake up with every Monday morning.

[Colin Cowherd]

Let's just throw this name out there because the combine starts this week. And before we get into that, free agencies after that, Sam Darnold had a couple of disappointing games. End of the season, Sam Darnold a really good season. Sam's got a market. Sam is still in the middle of his prime. What is your. I contend that Las Vegas and with Chip Kelly and the Colts with Shane Steichen are really good fits. Indy feels like Sam in that division can go toe to toe with those quarterbacks. You're not going toe to toe with a Herbert, I don't think, or a Mahomes, but I think you put him in the AFC south with Shane Steichen. I think he can go toe to toe with a CJ Stroud on most Sundays. What do you think happens with Sam?

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

Yeah, I mean, a lot changed. I remember going live with you right after he made that throw against Seattle, and I was like, this guy, how are they going to not give him a huge contract? And it shows you the power of these Primetime games. Let's face it, there was a lot, you know, obviously the division was on the line that Sunday night and then the playoff game was really, really bad. I still think at minimum he's going to get a Baker Mayfield, three years, $100 million type contract, isn't he? And clearly with good coaching you can, I mean, his team was 60 minutes away from the number one overall seed and he played a massive role in that. So I, I think you got to be careful. Yeah, I think that game exposed a little bit. When he starts getting blitzed, he starts, you know, I don't want to say seeing ghosts. He's come a long way since then, but he looked dramatically different in those two games that he did. But you'd also say he's, you know, Aaron Glenn became a head coach, one of the best defensive coordinators in the league and just was blitzing them every single Play. And Sean McVeigh and Shula are just, they had that defense rolling. I mean they went, they were hitting hurts, they made him look bad in that game. They were playing good defense. So I still would have no problem given. Now here's the thing, like, you know, these quarterbacks, the dominoes, all these teams looking are going to have some ranking going into the combine when they talk to the agents. So it's like, are you all in on Sam Darnold? Because if you draft or if you sign Sam Darnold to a multi year deal, you're probably not drafting a quarterback if you're the Giants, if you're the Titans, if you're the Raiders. But if you take Cousins or Rogers, you know, you're probably still have no problem drafting a quarterback really high. So I think Darnold would be the one guy that would just get signed and immediately become, you know, kind of not your long term starter, but at least in the immediate next couple of years starter.

[Colin Cowherd]

What do you expect? Combine starts on Thursday. Shador Sanders won't work out at the combine, which has become kind of a trend with quarterbacks. What are you expecting? What are you looking for?

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

Yeah, to me, Shador is a good example of like coming into this year. Every important college director slash assistant GM saw him play life. He was such a big prospect coming into the season. There is not an NFL team worth their salt. And every team, once they realized we needed a quarterback, price on him multiple times play game. So it's the combine for him. And I'd even say the same thing about Cam Ward. Remember when he transferred to Miami, he was the number one, essentially Free agent, college football. I think it would go for him as well, which wouldn't shock me. If he doesn't throw though, Shador isn't, you know, some elite prospect in terms of his qualities.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

Like if you're Josh Allen, you should throw at the combine.

[Colin Cowherd]

Why?

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

You're throwing 100 miles an hour. I remember Lamar Jackson when he got all the pushback about Polian's comment about the wide receivers. I'm not going to run. It's like, Lamar, you're going to run a 4:2. Everyone's head's going to turn and you're going to be the talk of the combine. It was a mistake not running. Now granted, it all worked out. I don't blame Shador for not throwing in this environment because it's not the best environment. If I'm Cam Ward, you have a huge arm throw. Yeah, I would. No one cares about completions, incompletions. You're throwing people you don't know. Let that ball rip. As all the coaches and GMs are sitting there in the boxes and in the seats right there in Indy. So I think those two guys and a huge part of the combine is the interviews and with a quarterback and I would throw Jackson Darton here. Who I think is going to gain some momentum as a potential first round pick is the person like what are you like as a guy? I mean last year you see some of these clips, it was a pretty high level class, you know, Jaden Daniels, really high level guy. Obviously Caleb, everyone had known him for years and he was a lock to go number one. But Drake May, Michael Penix, I mean the Bo Knicks, J.J. mcCarthy. So it was like they're going to crush these interviews coaches. This is the first. The GMs and the scouts have been watching these guys for years. The coaches, you know, NFL coaches don't really watch as much college football as the average fan would think. The head coach might have it on, you know, Andy Reid does. But a lot of guys are just so tunnel vision. They don't know that much about these players and definitely have never met them and a lot of times haven't really evaluated them. So this is kind of their first exposure. So meeting them as a human being and getting to know the guy and getting to know like their football smarts and their football iq. It's a huge, huge moment for all the guys that you know, are in the mix to. I mean all these guys are draft are going to get drafted. The majority of the guys go the combine, but definitely the guys that have, like, the ability to get drafted in the first round. I mean, there's just a lot of money on the line, you know, getting drafted.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, the combine's interesting. I think I was into it more 10 years ago, and I think some coaches feel the same way. They don't, necessarily. Some go, some don't. I. Have you been surprised as a former NFL scout? Some of these coaching staffs just don't go anymore. They just say, I'm not going, not wasting my time. Does that surprise you?

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

Yeah. Honestly, it's bothered me in the past because I go, well, Belichick always went. And now, I'll promise you this, Andy Reid's going to be there. It's like, well, if the best guy's there and values it, it doesn't mean he goes to everything. But he values meeting the guys because there's one thing to evaluate them off a tape. Everything's taped.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

Right. Your workout and even your interviews, and some of these guys now can be there in a zoom interview. There is a big difference if you're interviewing someone to be the 13th overall pick, standing there and talking to him and meeting him, seeing him face to face and zooming him. So I do believe you should go. I saw my guy, Tim Kawakami, in the Bay Area. Kyle Shanahan, like, McVeigh stopped going. Well, it's one thing when you're going to the super bowl or the NFC Championship every year. He reported, Kyle's probably going to go this year. Kind of need to meet these guys. But my thing is, like, if the top coach is there and Sandy Reed runs the league, like, you should be there. And so I do believe there's value not in, like, your change of direction in a, in a condra. Okay. But, like, you might draft this guy in the second round. It's kind of going to be a big deal when it's like a year in, you hate the kid, and it's your own fault when you didn't put in max effort to get to know him, to get to meet him every opportunity. I mean, at this point in time, the salary cap's almost $300 million. This is pretty big business.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

You know, these are your most important assets. So I, I, I do think the value is more less about the running and, and catching the gauntlet drill and more just sitting with the kid and interviewing them and being there with your coordinators. Not every coach needs to go, but to me, the head coach and the coordinators should all be present with the, with the scouting Staff.

[Colin Cowherd]

There are certain things that are just innate. They're true. You can't argue them. There's going to be a couple players in the top 15 that will be busts. They just won't be very good. And for a variety of issues, some. I mean, Roma Dunz is talented. I. He wasn't as good as I thought as a rookie. I think he'll. I mean, I thought there'd be more splash, but I think a lot of it was. It was such a mess, you know, it was all a mess. And I think he'll bounce back. I'm going to throw Travis Hunter out as a player that could be. That could underachieve. So I don't doubt he's good enough to be a number two receiver in the NFL and a number one corner. I don't doubt either. But to ask to be both, I mean, if you had a great linebacker who also played tight end, it's undeniable that the physical toll would hurt what you're best at. I would put him at corner, but he wants to be a receiver. I don't know if he's a number one receiver in the NFL. Maybe on a weaker team. He's certainly good enough. But you can't be a number one receiver if you have a young quarterback who's trying to get reps. Confidence in timing. It's a timing position. Rep. Running back isn't, cornerback isn't. You can. I mean, high school to college, college to the pros. Running back and cornerback. You can walk in and just play. You could just. I mean, those are two positions. I've been told this forever. You would know this as a scout. Running back and cornerback. You could miss some of camp. You could be. You could have a contract holdout. You're ready to play week one or week two.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

Well, it's a very instinctive position.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

Both of them.

[Colin Cowherd]

Wide receiver. Especially with a young quarterback. It's a timing position. Hell, Brady was an old quarterback. If he didn't trust you'd be in the right spot, Tom would ghost you. I think Travis Hunter, I think this coming to a bad team, he'll have a lot of leverage. He'll play both ways. I could see that being a problem.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

Well, he. You know, and we'll find out. It was just a name on a paper. Did announce he's going to the combine as a corner. Now all the top guys will be interviewed. They go to the podium. It'll be interesting if he says I'm here as a corner. But I also plan on Playing wide receiver. I do think it's fair to say most high level people in any industry are very singular focused and it is very difficult to spread yourself thin, especially when you're factoring in youth. I mean he's very young. I think it's impossible to go do what he did. What he did in college was the Big 12, wasn't the SEC or the Big 10, but it was still one of the greatest athletic achievements we've ever seen. The amount of snaps he's playing, do you agree with.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh yeah.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

But if you're going to be a both way corner wide receiver, just playing corner alone, think of the wide receivers right now in the NFL. The talent on a weekly basis of just pick up a random team who their schedule is on a week. You're chasing those guys for 60, 70 snaps. He would be the number one corner and then you would try to play full time wide receiver. I think it would be borderline impossible on the body. I don't think it's. And you go back to look at Deion Sanders. I don't even think he had that many catches in his career. And this is. And Dion, I mean, was just a better prospect.

[Ethan Strauss]

Yes.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

I mean Charles Hunter's a great prospect. Give me a break. Dion's one of the greatest athletes in the history of America. Right. So I do think he just needs to focus on one of the positions and I hope and I think he's making the right decision right now at corner and then he can be just a high level corner. I don't think it's possible to go both ways. And I don't think any team wants him to be. That doesn't mean you can't, you know, a Ben Johnson type coordinator can't run a trick for him, bring him in on offense. They used to do that with Dion when I was a kid. But like I want you to be a lockdown corner. Derek Stingley, he's probably going to get $100 million this offseason. Why? Because he goes up against your number one wide receiver who are all making $180 million and locks them down. Derivas did it, Sherman did it. You get paid a lot of money and he's. It's more valuable because it's harder to find. It's much easier to find a wide receiver than it is a corner. There just aren't that many. Most teams don't have one good corner. Right. The teams that have two are like complete outliers in the national football.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

So I hope he stays just at 1 now. We'll see. I think, you know, Deion, who's essentially like, feels like his father constantly talks like he's going to do both ways. Like so he's not slowing it down. And I do think Deion speaks for Travis a little bit and Travis hasn't walked away from it. So I, I do think it's going to be interesting to see in Indy when he talks exactly what he says because if he does say, like, I plan on doing both, like he's telling you, like eventually you got to just listen to what he's saying and believe him.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Ethan Strauss]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

But you look at the warriors, and as somebody that covered them, can you make an argument if they're a $8 billion franchise, that seven and a half of that have been driven by. By Steph Curry?

[Ethan Strauss]

I know it's the number with a B. I'll say that much about it. Whatever it is. I feel like Logan Roy, the Logan Roy line where nobody wanted to watch the warriors, but then we got Steph Curry and we got some draft picks, and look at them. It's amazing how forgotten it is, how irrelevant they were. And I remember being in those locker rooms where a tumbleweed could have blown through because there's no media at all. That's how I got to covering them. Colin, is that I was just blogging about them as a fan on a fan site, Warriors World, back in the day. And I had other jobs that I was doing, and the guy running the blog said, you know, we can get a credential. And I said, really? He says, yeah, nobody's going to these games. Like, they're desperate for somebody to go to one of these games because they've got the beat writer and then they've got the other beat writer. Half the time, those two beat writers are talking to each other and they're saying, hey, if you don't show up to practice, I won't show up to practice. And then we both get the day off. That was happening back then, and nobody would show up to practice and get any kind of story. It's been driven by Steph. It's been driven by more than Steph. I'm a little bit defensive on behalf of your guy Draymond Green's legacy. I know he can annoy people, but I Think because he annoys people, they start rewriting history. I see people say, oh my God, Draymond was drafted into the perfect situation. Nobody has been drafted into a more perfect situation. And I go, when he showed up, there was no situation. There was no situation to speak of. Nobody cared about this team, nobody cared about this franchise. Nobody expected Anything good on 2012 draft night. And that guy was a second round pick, no guaranteed spot, and he had to scrape claw wrench jobs away from guys getting paid a lot more money with a lot more organizational investment. He became the best defensive player of his generation, which then merged with Steph Curry being the best offensive player of his generation. And a lot of other things have gone right in between some other things going wrong. But it's a crazy, just miracle of a story. And yeah, I think you're right to hit on it that we almost take it for granted. We almost act as though this has always been a glamour franchise. They've always been here. It's was not that way. They were Clippers North. It was different.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think there's an argument to be made, and I haven't given it that much thought, that Steph Curry, more than any basketball player, football player, golfer, tennis player, or hockey player, changed his individual sport more. I don't think there's ever been a player in the. I mean, Ohtani is great, but we had Babe Ruth. He pitched and batted too. You look at the great football players. Well, Mahomes was great. So was John Elway and Dan Marino and Brett Favre. And I think you're. I mean, Philadelphia has the tush push. People are a little uncomfortable with it outside of Philadelphia, it's not changing football. It's just a really good fourth down play. Steph Curry has changed every single level of basketball. Everything he's changed. I mean, I look at the shots being taken now and like anything else, any cultural change is that at some point they all go south. Like analytics for baseball, you're like, yeah, the game is more efficient. Oh wait, now it's more boring. Oh wait, three pointers. The math are better than two pointers. Oh, wait, now it's boring. That's the way analytics all work, is that these are TV products and initially they make the game more efficient and they work on a volume scale regular season. But ultimately, analytics don't generally work in any sport quite as effectively in post seasons and they generally aren't good for television. And so Steph, now there's a little bit of a. Okay, we all fell in love with small ball And Steph. But now it's been copied so often and people are doing at such a much more a poor level. They don't. I mean, Houston can't shoot and they're. I mean, we got Wemby and guys shooting too many threes. Joel Embiid's never shot more threes. He shoots 29%. So. But I do think Steph, more than any athlete of my lifetime, literally changed Muhammad Ali, personality driven athlete. I think he was for a long time. Ali was what people looked at and went, oh my God, look how big you get if you let your personality out. But I mean, that's just my take that Steph Curry is really one of one in a cultural changing a sports aesthetic and style of play.

[Ethan Strauss]

You said a lot there. I love this topic. This is a great topic. I totally agree. And I think what's remarkable about staff and we need to add it when we say nobody has changed their sport more. When that happens, people can become a victim of their own influence. Mike D'Antoni revolutionizes basketball, but then he's almost a less. He's almost a less effective coach because all these other people learn how to do it and maybe even refine it and maybe even do it better and he gets overrun and he doesn't actually become a championship winning coach. The crazy thing about Steph is that he's been doing it for over 10 years and he has revolutionized the NBA and he's still the best at doing it. He showed people the way it could be done. He gave them the recipe and he's still the best chef cooking it. I didn't mean to make a Chef Curry joke right there, but you see what I'm saying? That's unbelievable to do that, to be so influential and yet remain the best at what you're doing. Now the other part of it that you said, the malign influence on the sport with analytics, the optimization problem, I think that's real. There are these strange things where sometimes we like something when one person does it, but we don't like when a bunch of other people are doing it. I felt that way about Zach Lowe's writing. Zach Lowe, probably the greatest NBA writer of all time. He had a very particular sort of style that was highly informational and could be a little bit quirky, but was fairly dry. But the way he did it was great. But so many younger writers coming up and bloggers coming up, they wanted to be like Zach Lowe because Zach was the man. And I looked at what they were doing and I went I don't know if I like you doing this. It doesn't work when you do it. This isn't a recipe that works when somebody else does it. It would have been better if you went something else. And maybe even a generation before that, Bill Simmons might have been that guy where. I loved Bill Simmons columns, but then I'm watching people try to be irreverent and funny in the way Bill did it. And it's just. This doesn't scale. This isn't what I want. This isn't what I want. I just want Bill doing it. That's what it feels a little bit like right now in the NBA where a lot of people loved watching Those warriors in 2015, 2016, not everybody loved watching these teams that emulated the three point shooting. As optimization takes over, and now most of the shots are going to be three pointers.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know what I thought was really interesting because I thought Caitlin Clark. I was really disappointed in the WNBA is that I thought Caitlin Clark's appeal was very simple. Holy shit. We found the female Steph Curry. She's taking shots women don't take. I didn't think there was anything to it. And when she. When. And then all of a sudden and she has this Angel Reese, you know, competition in college, like Magic and Bird, it pivots to the professional league and it's fascinating. And Angel Reese, I think her success helps Caitlin Clark. I think it feels Bird magic. Although I don't think angel is close to Kalin as an influencer. Bird and Magic both had. They kind of ended up in the perfect cities. Bird in kind of Tough Guy Boston and Magic in, you know, showy Los Angeles. But it was funny because with male sports, I feel. Sometimes I feel bad for Caitlin Clark, the wnba, that people are trying to explain her popularity. Nobody ever had to explain Steph Curry. It was just. Did he just shoot from 34ft off balance and make three in a row? And there's part of me that feels sympathetic to the WNBA and part of me that doesn't. First of all, I feel like when you're young, when Bryce Harper came into baseball, he went through an Andy Dufresne tunnel for about three years because he was flashy, right? And baseball doesn't like flashy. So Caitlin's not the first athlete to deal with this. Tiger woods had to deal with a lot of comments and a lot of traditionalists pushing back. And the network only shows Tiger. So Caitlin's not the first to go through it. But I do think the WNBA has gotten To a point where I want to say, girls, girls, she's the female staff. Just embrace the hell out of her. You're getting on private jets. So I try to be. I tried to defend the WNBA initially, but. How does that land for you? Because I think they've gotten to a point where I'm finding it hard now. If the chippy play continues, you may just lose me as a viewer.

[Ethan Strauss]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, it reminds me of they say about academia that the fights are so vicious because the stakes are so small. And the wnba, there wasn't money to be made. And so attention is the money, and suddenly this player comes in and is getting all the attention. And this is the primary thing that you care about if you're not getting any sort of pay in accordance with what you think your value is. And there was a ton of resentment towards her. And a lot of people in that league seem to get caught up on this whole versus is problem. You know, there are people that can really grapple with what is. And there are people who get really stuck on how it ought to be, and they're just fixated on it. It ought to be. It ought to be. Asia Wilson ought to be a huge superstar. Asia Wilson ought to be the person Nike is promoting because she's the best player in the league, and she is the best player in the league. But that's just not what it is. People are interested in Caitlin Clark. They like watching Caitlin Clark, Asia Wilson's game. It's more analogous to a Tim Duncan. People are not as interested in that. You can say there's a racial element of that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay.

[Ethan Strauss]

I don't know what to do with that. We can't just replace Caitlin Clark with somebody else. She's the person who showed up for this particular job of being Caitlin Clark. She's the one who is resonating. And we can either benefit from what it is, or we can tear apart everybody who's into it and make everybody feel bad about it and try to stop it from happening. That latter move seems completely insane to me, and yet it's entirely infected a lot of the coverage of the WNBA from people who support the league, at least support it, you know, in quotations, because they're not helping it when they go about it that way. And even the, you know, Time magazine and even some of these publications that cover it. It's like they're scared. They're worried if they're not giving enough attention to the other players.

[Colin Cowherd]

Look at the history of basketball. Kareem Giannis, Jokic did not move the ratings needle. Yeah, Steph Michael. Smaller players did. This is the history of basketball is that my son's not a sports fan. He likes Steph Curry because he feels like, oh, I could do that. I'm not that huge. Steve Nash had a wildly entertaining game. He wasn't a dunk machine. I didn't think as a kid growing up, Bob Lanier was fascinating. His game didn't work for me. So the truth is basketball's history. The WNBA should take a deep breath and realize basketball's history is best score. Alex English led the 80s in scoring in the NBA. Alex English. There have been so many players. Kiki Vandaway, I don't remember a basket. He just never missed. But there are players that are just. Ant is dynamic and fascinating. Kobe was fascinating, but a lot of the bigs like. And that's something we just have to be honest about. Russell Westbrook's game. I've said this before. In his prime, had a paid to watch him play. He couldn't shoot. I didn't love his handles, but sweet mother of vertical jump. The guy was like. It was popcorn in a hot skillet. He was flying through the air. So the NBA is so caught up on, well, she's the leading scorer. People like different. And no other woman shot 33 footers. It's that simple.

[Ethan Strauss]

Yeah, they like what they like. Not even Logan Roy could make Asia Wilson the biggest sneaker saleswoman in basketball. And it's no detraction from her game. She's excellent. But she's somebody, especially in the Time story when she did an event with the 2K video game, who's just complaining about the lack of attention she's gotten and how it's not in accordance and it's not at the level it should be at. And it's, look, life to a certain degree is not fair. And that's actually what makes basketball sort of fascinating to me. That's why I wrote the Steph Curry article in 2016. There's this ineffable charisma of stardom, of superstardom, that you just know it when you see it. And we're not always sure about all the elements you need for it to happen and for you to really pop in the way that Michael Jordan did, in the way that Allen Iverson did, in a totally different way, in the way that Steph Curry did. And the people who do it are worth billions of dollars to the league and to these sneaker companies. And then there are players who are effectively at the same tier or level that just can't and just don't. And there's just something human about it and it just is what it is and you're just going to make yourself miserable trying to figure out how it ought to be and change reality.

[Colin Cowherd]

Ethan Strauss his podcast is House of Strauss. He's got a wide variety of guests. He is a podcaster with dexterity. He can talk business, he can talk sports, he can talk media. You and Glass Beagle get all. You know. It's one of my favorite. You guys get into the into the weeds on stuff, which I'm completely fascinated by, and you do all this amazing homework and I just want you to know. I don't know the download numbers, but all that wonky media stuff for a guy that's been in it probably too long, I find fascinating. Buddy.

[Ethan Strauss]

Oh, I really appreciate that and thanks so much for all the kind words and this has been fantastic. Thanks so much. Colin Foreign.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser Podcast. On a more serious note, I'm still.

[Ashlyn Harris]

Thinking about that commercial with Tom Brady.

[Colin Cowherd]

And Snoop Dogg hating on each other.

[Ashlyn Harris]

Because when you listen to the reasons.

[Colin Cowherd]

For hating someone or something, you realize just how stupid they really are.

[Ashlyn Harris]

There is too much hate in this.

[Colin Cowherd]

Country and it's gotta stop.

[Ashlyn Harris]

So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up, call it out and you can learn more by following oupwithhate.

[Steph Curry]

Make some noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Go Greatest of Their Era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.

[Peja Stojaković]

Peja 5 Dirk Ford.

[Colin Cowherd]

Peja is a leader.

[Steph Curry]

You won't believe who Steph left off his list.

[Peja Stojaković]

That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations. That's why we love it.

[Steph Curry]

Listen to Go G O T e Greatest of Their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get.

[Ashlyn Harris]

Your podcasts, we all have a moment that splits us Wide open. On my new podcast, Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, I'll sit down with trailblazers from sports, music, fashion, entertainment and politics to explore their toughest moments and the incredible comebacks that followed. Listen to Wide Open with Ashley Ashlyn Harris, an iHeart women's sports production on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts presented by Elf.

[Colin Cowherd]

Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Calling all Yellowstone fans, let's go to work. Join Bobby Bones on the Official Yellowstone Podcast for exclusive cast interviews, behind the scenes insights and a deep, deep dive into the themes that have made Yellowstone a cultural phenomenon.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

Our family legacy is this ranch protector of my life.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen to the Official Yellowstone Podcast now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or.

[Unnamed Sports Analyst]

Wherever you get your podcasts.