Best of The Herd

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd: "Best of The Herd"

Date: May 20, 2026
Host: Colin Cowherd (with guest analyst RG3)
Network: iHeartPodcasts & The Volume

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Best of The Herd" is packed with Colin Cowherd’s insight on the current NBA Conference Finals, strategic shifts by teams like the Knicks, lessons for rosters around the league—particularly the Lakers—and deep dives into player usage, playoff performance, and team construction. The second half moves to a discussion on college football's playoff expansion and how financial shifts (like NIL) are impacting the landscape, as well as an in-depth interview with RG3 about quarterback competition and NFL/life crossovers for the coming season. Throughout, Cowherd stays true to his sharp, sometimes provocative, always-data-driven tone.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. NBA Conference Finals: Knicks’ Transformation and Usage Rate

(Main segment: 01:56–18:00)

• Knicks’ Alteration in Offense:

  • The Knicks have changed their playoff fortunes by moving the ball out of Jalen Brunson’s hands more often, giving Carl Anthony Towns (CAT) a bigger role in initiating offense.
  • Cowherd emphasizes how Brunson, previously too “ball-centric,” is now fresher late in games, leading to better team performance:

    “They said, you know Brunson so ball centric, he wears down. Let’s make Carl Anthony Towns have the ball in his hands and initiate offense to give Brunson some off ball rest.” (02:20)

• Statistical Impact:

  • The Knicks, since the shift, are averaging 124 points per game and are 8–0.
  • Brunson delivered 17 points in the last 7:45 plus overtime of the most recent game, outscoring the entire Cavaliers team in that span.

• Usage Rate & Playoff Longevity:

  • Colin argues that high usage wears down guards like Brunson, Harden, and historically, even Kobe, making them vulnerable both offensively and defensively:

    “A lot of these high usage rate guys like Luca, like Harden, like Brunson, they just wear down... Kobe Bryant [said]... 'You got to have energy. The game's going to be decided in the fourth quarter.'” (04:38)

  • The Cavs attacked Harden’s high usage, capitalizing as he’s no longer capable of giving both high offensive output and defensive balance.

• Knicks as Evolution:

  • Cowherd credits the Knicks' staff for their flexibility, contrasting early playoff struggles against Atlanta with their recent streak.
  • “This team was getting worked by the Atlanta Hawks, a bad basketball team... and they made an alteration.” (03:28)

Notable Quote:

• Mike Brown (Cavs coach) on Usage Rate Strategy:

  “Sometimes you gotta do what the game dictates… we were attacking Harden... we have to try to figure out different ways to guard Harden and Mitchell, they got to figure out different ways to guard Jalen.” (10:47)

Memorable Moment:

• MSG crowd, “one of the great basketball venues... was quiet” because the Knicks’ offense was so out of rhythm for much of the game—until the shift paid off. (06:42)

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2. Lakers, LeBron, and Roster Construction

(Main segment: 08:21–16:12)

• LeBron’s Contract and Team Impact:

  • Recent reports that LeBron won't take the veteran minimum “not in the cards at all” for Lakers.
  • Cowherd sharply warns: refusing a pay cut limits the Lakers’ ability to build a championship-caliber roster around stars who need defensive support.

• Lessons from Other Stars:

  • Draws parallels between Luca/Harden and the Lakers' “over-indexing” on offense and under-indexing on young, switchable defenders:

    “It’s like the Lakers’ breakfast: You have 12 eggs, no toast, no sausage... They’ve over indexed in offensive guys that need the ball, that can’t defend.” (09:53)

  • Reminds that Tom Brady took less money to help add talent in New England, unlike LeBron’s current posturing.

• Blunt Assessment:

  “If you won’t take the league minimum, then it puts a cap on your winning maximum. That is the absolute truth about the Lakers right now.” (10:19)

  • Doubts Lakers can compete with teams like OKC or the Spurs without an overhaul in their defensive assets.

• Roster Weaknesses, Big Picture:

  • Lakers lack “multiple, young, twitchy, athletic, switchable wing defenders,” which is the recipe that previously amplified Luka’s only deep playoff run. (11:45)

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3. Top 10 Players Left in NBA Playoffs

(Segment: 17:25–25:24)

Cowherd ranks the top remaining playoff talents, focusing on their uniqueness and impact:

1. Victor Wembanyama: “Unapologetically aspirational... intimidating, great teammate.” (23:45)
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA): “He’s your get-a-bucket guy.” (22:44)
3. Jalen Brunson: Praised for incredible fourth-quarter performances and the positive impact of handing off usage. (22:13)
4. OG Anunoby: “One of the most underrated players. Is he the best 3 and D wing in the league?” (21:28)
5. Stephon Castle: “Defensive bully... intimidating physically.” (21:00)
6. Carl Anthony Towns: “The new Carl Anthony Towns... tripled his assist numbers... has been sensational.” (20:39)
7. Dylan Harper
8. Donovan Mitchell
9. Jalen Williams
10. James Harden: “Huge defensive liability,” but still a capable offensive boost in certain settings.

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4. College Football Playoff Expansion, NIL, and Survival of Non-Revenue Sports

(Segment: 29:38–35:30)
Guest: RG3

• Necessity of Expansion:

  • RG3: Expansion to a 24-team playoff would help save non-revenue college sports now threatened by schools’ limited resources, as more money is funneled into football due to NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) obligations.

  • “A thousand plus programs since 2021... eliminated. It’s because of the rising costs of college football. If your roster costs $50 million... that's taking away from gymnastics, men's, women's tennis, everything under the sun.” (30:13)

• Solution Suggestions:

  • No four-loss teams allowed in the playoff.
  • Auto-bids for all 10 conference champions (if eligible by record), plus at-large bids by ranking, not by conference.

• Cowherd on College Sports Economics:

  • Sees college sports as a business—can't keep funding dozens of loss-making programs. (32:22)

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5. NFL Quarterback Competitions, Training Camps, and Roster Questions

(Segment: 33:16–41:11)

• QB Readiness and Scheduling:
  • Both agree teams pay close attention to scheduling for breaking in rookie QBs; easier opponents early in the season ("layup") can mean more confidence for rookies (Fernando Mendoza/Kirk Cousins discussion).
• Preseason Value (or Lack thereof):
  • NFL's reduced preseason is a trend—Cowherd would cut it further. “I’d get rid of it. Do inter-squad games.” (34:59)
• Veterans Skipping Camps:
  • RG3: For established QBs, missing voluntary workouts is “a complete non-issue.” (35:30)
  • References Lamar, Herbert, Rodgers—veteran QBs who have little to gain from mandatory offseason programs.

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6. NFL Schedules, Team Outlooks, and Rodgers’ Farewell Year

(Segment: 37:08–42:00)

• Kansas City Chiefs’ Grueling Schedule:
  • Chiefs face a brutal slate of elite QBs later in 2026, and Colin/ RG3 believe it’s by design—protecting Mahomes as he recovers early, saving heavyweight matchups for later.
• Aaron Rodgers' Final Season (as a Steeler):
  • RG3: Rodgers’ arrival makes Steelers serious contenders, but not with vintage Rodgers—needs to replicate Peyton's 2015 Broncos approach: “great at protecting the football, great at late game execution, and they had a hell of a defense and a running game. That's what the Steelers have to be with this version of Aaron Rodgers.” (40:44)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Let’s take the ball out of our best player’s hands, put it in our second best player’s hand...over the course of a long series, that matters.” — Colin Cowherd (03:50)
• “If you won’t take the league minimum, then it puts a cap on your winning maximum. That is the absolute truth about the Lakers right now.” — Colin Cowherd (10:19)
• “It’s like the Lakers...You have 12 eggs, no toast, no sausage...they’ve over indexed in offensive guys that need the ball, that can’t defend.” — Colin Cowherd (09:53)
• “A thousand plus programs...have been eliminated. It’s because of the rising costs of college football. If your roster costs $50 million... that's taking away from gymnastics, men's, women's tennis, everything under the sun.” — RG3 (30:13)
• “Aaron Rodgers coming back to the Pittsburgh Steelers makes them legit AFC North title contenders and legit Super Bowl contenders as well...But what this Steelers team needs to be is—the 2015 Denver Broncos.” — RG3 (39:30, 40:44)

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• Knicks’ offensive overhaul & usage rate: 02:00–12:00
• Lakers’ roster critique, LeBron’s contract implications: 08:21–16:12
• Top 10 Players Remaining in NBA Playoffs: 17:25–25:24
• College Football Playoff expansion/NIL impact (with RG3): 29:38–35:30
• NFL QB competitions, preseason value, camps: 33:16–37:08
• Chiefs schedule & Rodgers-Steelers Super Bowl formula: 37:08–42:00

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Summary Takeaways

This episode blends deep NBA playoff analysis (with practical lessons on usage rates and roster construction), a critical look at the Lakers’ team-building, breakdowns of top postseason talent, and forward-looking college and NFL discussions—always with Cowherd’s trademark blend of wit, data, and a willingness to challenge orthodoxy.

Transcript

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Let's make Carl Anthony Towns have the ball in his hands and initiate offense to give Brunson some off ball rest. And the team's not as Jalen Brunson dependent. We talk about this all the time. Usage rate. The story last night was usage rate because Brunson's a smaller player. He's pounding that ball, he's by himself and he's great. But what happens is often, you know, he's not a great defender. Teams can target him, wear him down. But that's not the Knicks since they've made that alteration where he's off ball more. Yeah, they're averaging 124 a game and they're eight. No. And did you see all the energy Brunson had late in the game because he doesn't have the ball in his hands nearly as much. Last 7:45 of the fourth quarter in overtime, dude scored 17 points, the Cavs scored 11. The guy that was worn down was James Harden, who's now old and never been a good defensive player. But remember this, this team was getting worked by the Atlanta Hawks, a bad basketball team that wouldn't sniff the playoffs in the West. A team that was like sub.500 in March and it was Mike Brown was going to get fired and they made an alteration. Let's take the ball out of our best player's hand, put it in our second best player's hand, at least offensively, it's going to retain more of Brunson's energy. And over the course of long series that matters because sometimes people hunt him defensively and last night was a prime example. For the record, Carl Anthony Towns has tripled his assists this year in the playoffs. In seven fewer games, he's averaging as many assists. Now Cat is as sga, the reigning mvp. And by the way, speaking of usage rate, what did Mike Brown do? Because. Because the Knicks were out of sync. I mean the first three quarters of the game I'm like they're going to win this series, but man, they are out of sync. Offensively they were a bit of a mess. But what did Mike Brown do? Speaking of usage rate, let's go after their High usage rate guy, James Harden, and they just worked him. I mean, it was like the movie Momento over and over and over again. And we've seen this with Harden multiple times, but it used to be peak James Harden. You'd keep him on the floor late because he give you 31 and 10. Now you don't get 31 and 10. That's diminished. And he's still an absolute liability defensively. So he is really a regressing asset who you get spurts of. But it was just so interesting to me. The game was about usage rate. We've talked about this all the time. A lot of these high usage rate guys like a Luca, like a Harden, like a Brunson, they just wear down Kobe Bryant late. Kobe Bryant used to tell guys, guys, you got to have energy. The game's going to be decided in the fourth quarter. And so Harden was always kind of a losing playoff proposition because he was such a lousy defender. He's always saved his energy for offense, but now you don't get the upside offense as often. And he's still awful defensively. So I said yesterday, before this series started, I like the Knicks in five. I said, the key to this series is going to be Jalen Brunson's going to eat Jalen Brunson because now, oh, geez. Not 100% Jalen Brunson, they don't have anybody to guard him in this series. And I mean, for the Knicks to play, they were so out of sync offensively. I mean, this doesn't happen very often. The Madison Square Garden crowd was quiet. I mean, and that's one of the great basketball venues, maybe the best in the world. And it was pretty quiet because it's just hard to watch. They couldn't get any rhythm. And. And then all of a sudden, I mean, give Mike Brown credit. Last nine minutes of that game. And then inexplicably, Kenny Atkinson wouldn't call a timeout and doubled too late. By that time, the momentum was done, but it was usage rate. The guy with the Knicks that used to have the ball too much now has it less. That preserves his energy. And Mike Brown attacked their usage rate guy, James Harden to perfection. And here's Mike after. Sometimes you gotta do what the game dictates. And they were trying to do the same thing with Jalen. And so we said, okay, you know, we feel like we can play that game. We try not to play that game much, but we feel like we have a guy that we can play that game with. And Jalen and so, you know, just like we have to try to figure out different ways to guard Harden and Mitchell, they got to figure out different ways to guard Jalen. But we were, there's no secret, we were attacking hard. You know, we've always said the regular season and the postseason are different. What's interesting for the Knicks is their postseason and their postseason have been different. The first three games against Atlanta, a really mediocre team, you're like man, this, this, this isn't working from that point forward, 80124 a game. Brunson's got great energy in the fourth quarter and, and Carl Anthony Towns now takes a little bit of the load off offensively and Kat's always been a highly skilled player. I know Nick fans are like, Colin, you didn't like us. Well, you weren't this team. One of the reasons I didn't like you, I said you're a good team. But you know, how are you going to be late in games when people are hunting your two defensive liabilities and you got a ball centric guard? Well, they've really solved that latter issue. So I saw, here's what I saw this headline this morning, speaking of usage rate, LeBron James taking veteran minimum quote not in the cards at all. So I'm watching the Harden meltdown debacle and you know what I was thinking of watching this JJ Redick Lakers Coach okay, I like Luka more than Harden. He's just a bigger, stronger athlete. But Luca and Harden have a lot in common. They're not great athletes, just great scorers, never in the world's best shape, step back big part of their game and ball centric defensive liabilities. In fact, the one time Luka had playoff success, Dallas surrounded him with switchable, twitchy, long, young, athletic wings and rim defenders. You know, the two food groups the Lakers have none of. So it just interesting watching Harden. So when LeBron and company leak, their side leaks. Not in the Cards will not take a player minimum. Well sorry guys, but you need about three assets, maybe four on that Laker team to protect Luca going forward. So the Lakers have talent. We've said that they've got talent but they've over indexed in guys that need the ball, that are also poor defenders. It's like the Lakers. You wake up for a Laker breakfast. You have 12 eggs, no toast, no sausage, no bacon, no butter, no coffee, no salt, but we got 12 eggs. They've over indexed in offensive guys that need the ball, that can't defend. So when, when LeBron says, and his camp leaks veteran minimum off the table. You know what? I see a door slamming on beating OKC or San Antonio the next five years. Because taking a league minimum, you know, if you won't take the league minimum, then it puts a cap on your winning maximum. That is the absolute truth about the Lakers right now. If LeBron's not taking that minimum, winning maximum is absolutely capped. You watch Harden. I mean, the Knicks figured it out. We got to get the ball out. And it don't conflate that the, that the Knicks don't love Brunson. They want Brunson to have that ball and have more energy late. They're protecting Brunson. That's how much the Knicks love him. We don't want our guy to have the ball 44 minutes in his hand. So I've said before, you've got to create a Laker roster where Luka, when he does get burned defensively, you've got a wall at the rim and you've got multiple, not one multiple, young, twitchy, athletic, switchable wing defenders. Lakers don't have any of those. So they've over indexed in one area and massively under indexed in another and the other one. That's what they need. So as I read that, you know what's funny is when The Lakers hired J.J. redick, they were hiring LeBron's broadcast podcast partner. We're going to see how close they are because the Lakers aren't moving off J.J. redick. He had a spectacular season and they're not moving off Luca. Never forget Lamar and his camp just moved out of Miami. Didn't even give D. Wade a phone call. I mean, and I've defended LeBron to the end, but you know, they've taken care of their own business first. Even d. Wade and LeBron were, I mean, they were, you know, tight and he just, he just moved on. Well, so maybe don't expect you get a, you know, three week heads up on, bro. That's, that's what we're offering. The league minimum. That's what I, I watch these games. I'm thinking other teams. Jason's just laughing over there, but I mean, it feels like stir the pot Wednesday. Cower not in the cards. So let's spin this forward. Okay, I'm the Lakers or I'll be LeBron. You be the Lakers. Hey, so yeah, I would consider the vet minimum. I need to know where you're going to spend that other $20 million you could give me. What are you going to do? I'm Going to get Jaden McDaniels from the T Wolves and Robert Williams to defend the rim. Okay, I'll take the vet minimum. That sounds easy. LeBron would probably take it if you could get those guys. What if you can't, though, Colin? What if you can't get Jaden McDaniels and Robert Williams or Mark Williams? Like, I mean, just. Should LeBron take less for them to take a flyer on guys like Jake Laravian? When Tom Brady wasn't taking the maximum he could, did he go to Belichick and demand, where are you spending the money? You think really, LeBron's going to be able to go to the Lakers and go, okay, I'll do it. But where you spend the money, you're a player. They're coaches, GMs and owners. It's different. And LeBron's not in his prime anymore. LeBron's now in his 40s. He's not going to dictate where we go and spend the money. Well, Tom Brady did famously leave New England, went to Tampa and said, hey, Gronk, come Antonio Brown, come on. After. After two dynasties in 20 years. Fair. Yeah. So I. It's this idea that LeBron at 41, can dictate terms. Okay, I'll do this if you do that. No, we're going to do this and you're going to do that or we're going to move on. I mean, the way you frame it, shucks, we might have seen the last of LeBron because he's not going to play in Orlando or Cleveland. LeBron, Golden State. Yeah, it's my take is two things are true. I can be a fan of LeBron the asset and LeBron the human and LeBron the player. But at 41, you're not dictating terms when we have three or four assets that we need to elevate. There's only one way Luke has ever had playoff success. That Dallas team that was young, long, athletic rim protectors and switchable defenders. Stuff the Lakers don't have. So you, you can watch WEMBY and OKC and delude yourself with Luke and Austin Reeves and LeBron are going to compete with that. No, they're not. Hell, we don't even know if Luke and Austin Reeves can stay healthy for a season. When you lean on them offensively to the level the Lakers lean on them. Yeah, that's to being totally fair. That's not an anti Laker take. That's just data. I mean, second straight year Luke is banged up. Second straight year, Austin's banged up. LeBron's getting a year older. I'm not saying anything the data doesn't show you is true. You think I'm out here stirring the pot? I'm just. I'm just opening the lid of the pot and letting you look into it. This soup is made. I'm just opening the pot for everybody to see. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, it's Ben, host of the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller. Would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking, what in God's name is the fifth Hour? I'll tell you it's a spin off of the Ben Mallershaw cult hit overnights on fsr. Why should you listen?

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Innovation. From Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage, Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service. With triple protection against cybercriminals, data deletion and ransomware, Wasabi has taken the lead in big league data storage. Remember, Wasabi is up to 80% less than the other guys and doesn't charge a cent for businesses to access their own data. Wasabi is another championship story. Check them out [e-mail], wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, proud partner of the Volume Podcast Network. So I was thinking about the four teams left and when you get to conference finals and you get to the finals, you know, a lot of times that rotation cinches down a little bit. Oklahoma City's obviously got a great bench. The Knicks bench has bodies. One of the reasons the Sixers are done is they have no bench. So I think it's important. It's not, it's not going to win a title. But if I was Naming the top 10 players left in the NBA, we thought about it this morning. Who would be the top 10 players left? Actually, one of the harder spots is at the bottom. I would probably do James Harden at 10. Listen, everybody can beat up on him this morning and he's a huge defensive liability, but we have in he's his turnovers have shot through the roof. But there are times in playoff games where Cleveland needs a basket and if Donovan Mitchell's in foul trouble or Donovan Mitchell's not on the floor, he's an incredibly deft offensive player. I would put Harden at 10. Number nine is Jalen Williams. Again, didn't play much this season. Very good player. I'm not as high on him as everybody Else though, I think he's a very good player. He's going to give you 20 points, he's going to defend, he's going to give you, you know, five rebounds. I just always feel like the team is really centered around SGA and their bigs. People probably think I have this too low. But my number eight player I would put above him one spot is Donovan Mitchell, who gets criticized because he can't defend. That's fair. But he's the seventh highest point per game player in league history. In the playoffs, he's just behind LeBron James. Donovan Mitchell leads the Cavs in virtually everything. I mean like points, steals, assists, three pointers. Donovan Mitchell. When Donovan Mitchell gets hot, he can be on a class of very elite players in the league. Now he plays in the silo sometimes you give him the ball, you never see it back. He's not going to defend you. He's not a perfect player. I put him at 8. You're going to go crazy. But I would put 20 year old Dylan Harper at 7. He's the best rookie guard I've seen since Magic Johnson. I think he's going to be all NBA either next year or the next year. I mean, he is an insane talent. Rebounds for his size, incredible first step, can use both hands. He is a significantly better player today than four months ago. I mean you, he's got. Wemby's going to get all the discussion. And Wemby certainly improved, especially on the offensive end. This kid's exploding as a player. I put him seven. I would put Carl Anthony Towns, the new Carl Anthony Towns at 6, the one that has tripled his assist numbers. The one that has become a offensive initiator and hub. Now he's not much of a defensive player. He can be a little kooky. I mean he'll get four fouls faster than anybody. But we got to be fair. During this eight game streak when he has been a play initiator, the Knicks are eight. No, he's been sensational. Number five, Stefan Castle. He is a defensive bully. Just a tough heart. Now his, his jumper can be a little streaky. I love him though. I think the thing about him that I love is he can be intimidating physically. Like he'll, he'll go after your guys. Like that's why I think like he'd go after Brunson. He'll be like, okay, I'm gonna wear you out for six or seven games. I think he's a tremendous player. He's a 19, 5 and 5 guy. He's shooting 45% this postseason. So you gotta like that. He's still working on that. Everybody loves Stefan Castle, number four. I think he's one of the most underrated players players in the league. OG on an Obi, is he the best 3 and D wing in the league? I mean last night's a great example. He's playing at about 70% last night, dominates overtime, scores nine of his 14 points, gets to the free throw line eight times. If you talk to coaches and GMs in the league, they think the Knicks stole him from Toronto. He is a classy, hardworking, big body, tough three and D wing. He was money last night. He's just got that. He, I mean like there are certain people you see in the elevator and you were like, oh, you must be a pro athlete. That guy fills out the uniform. He's playing at about 75% now. I generally put him above Jalen Brunson, but he's planted about 75%. So number three would be Jalen Brunson. Yes, he can get worked, but he is, I mean if you look at his fourth quarter numbers since he has joined the Knicks, he's not only a good fourth quarter player, he's got 89 more points than anybody else in the fourth quarter. And because now he didn't have the ball in his hands as much with the new offense, with cat play initiating, he's got great energy. So yeah, I mean he's just one of those guys. It's just remarkable. He's in Dallas, he's a good player, but he didn't necessarily always fit with Luca and it just was a springboard to let him be the quarterback of the Knicks. And now the Knicks have said we love you so much, we're going to protect you and take the ball out of your hands at times. And it's been magic eight no since they started doing that. Number two would be Shea sga. Listen, reigning mvp. Not a wildly vertical player, Not a great defensive player. He can get hunted. Not like Luca, but he can get hunted. Not like Harden. But you know what he's. I mean if you just look, he's got an NBA best 25 games with 30 plus points over the last three postseasons. He's your get a bucket guy. We talk about the playoffs all the time. Got you need bucket getters. I love the Pistons. They need another bucket getter. SJ is as good as anybody in the league at that number one, I would have voted an MVP best defensive player, arguably ever youngest player 22 all time with 40 points and 20 rebounds in the playoff game. Is he wilt? Well, they have totally different games. Is he a young Lu al Cinder? Different games, but closer. I love everything about him. Unapologetically aspirational. He wants to win every award. I said he's steak frites. It may be traditionally French, but it's steak and potatoes. It's American, too. This kid is everything. Outspoken, smart worker, intimidating, great teammate. I even like the pose. I'm sorry, I think that's. I love this. It's a little American. It's a little us. So what? I love it. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

[A]

Ready or not, here they come. The new generation of problem solvers, innovators and greatness is girls who are strong, smart and bold, who lift each other up and are forging their own paths forward. They're everything they set out to be and nothing you expect them to be. Our job is to make sure everyone recognizes the potential she already has and to give her opportunities to let it shine. With your support, these girls are well on their way to changing the world, whether you're ready for them or not.

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[B]

Yeah, Colin, I think for me the College Football Playoff has to expand. And it's the reasons that no one is like Trul really addressing. It's because of where we're at with NIL and other college sports having to be taken away because universities can no longer afford to pay both the athletes and cover all these other sports that are non money makers for them.

[C]

That's right. Most of them.

[B]

Right, Most of them. So I think so far there's been a thousand programs, a thousand plus programs since 2021, when nil became, you know, a thing. Or since 2025, should I say when the, the house settlement came, came through, that those programs have been eliminated. It's because of the rising costs of college football. Right. If your roster costs you 50 million to to spend, that's, that's 50 million that you're spending solely on football. That's taking away from gymnastics, men's, women's tennis, everything under the sun. So what I put out today was my criteria of what if I was the commissioner of college football, how would I structure the 2014 playoff to kind of alleviate some of the concerns that fans have? The number one concern I've heard is we don't want any four loss teams in the College Football Playoff. Cool. Make that a stipulation. If you have four losses, you don't get in.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

All right. Is it the power four and everyone else, or is it the fbs? Because if it's the FBS College Football Playoff, then I think there should be auto Bids for all 10 conference champions. As long as they don't have four losses, then you do 14 at large bids for the teams that are the ranked the highest. And you don't stipulate the Big ten gets this many, the SEC gets this many. Whatever it is, to me, that's the best way forward and we can finish college football before the second week of January so there's not this confusion of less hype going into the national championship game like there has the past few seasons because you're competing with the NFL. So I'm for the 2014 expansion because I actually like college sports and I don't want to see those go away. And college football is the one that supports most of these sports anyway.

[C]

Yeah, it's always been interesting to me, like in government, I know that a lot of government programs, social programs, they're not built to make money. Like we all know that. Right. But I've argued with my friends, business is built to make money, but government's not business. But college sports has always been in the middle. A lot of it's like, well, it's good for society to have a fencing team. And my take is no, college sports is business. It's not government. You can't have 36 programs and 34 hemorrhage money, like at some point. And the point was about three years ago Bills are due. Okay, so we've talked about. I mean, it's interesting. When you went to Washington, you're a rookie quarterback. And I look at Mendoza and I'm like, okay, so with a college football, he played 16 games, great schedule. He started at Cal, he got a lot of starts. They did enough things at Indiana that had a pro vibe to it. Right. Also, he's a pretty mature, focus kid. I think that matters. He's, he's, you know, he wouldn't even go to the White House. He's like, I, I'm not going to do that. And then I look at the first team they play, Miami, probably the weakest roster at home. New coach, new system, new quarterback. And I'm like, I like starting my. This is the layup. This is the only layup on a schedule. Do you think that would influence a coaching staff? That it's Miami and it's at home?

[B]

I think coaching staff will tell you, Colin, that they don't look at those things, but they 100% do. And what I feel about Fernando Mendoza is all the things that you just said. He's got the experience, he's got the right head on his shoulders. And it's not like with Kirk Cousins in the roster. They're just, you know, a quarterback away from making it to the Super Bowl. So if you're trying to protect Fernando Mendoza away from bad scheduling or maybe getting too many losses on his record too early and maybe it crushes his confidence, I don't think that's the case. I think Kirk Cousins is there. If you're going through the off season program, you get into training camp and you're like, you know what? Fernando's just not ready. We're going to start Kirk. And then if it doesn't go well with him, Fernando can come in and he can be the hero. But I think in, in our experience and what we've seen, even a guy from my own draft class with Russell Wilson, when they brought in Matt Flynn in Seattle and they thought to themselves, all right, we're going to start him. He's going to be the guy. But Russell just outplayed him. I think that's what you have to look at here with Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins, yes, it's a hefty price tag to have him there being the backup with that amount of money paid to him. But if Fernando's the guy, I believe he's the one that brings the mentality and brings the bravado and the confidence for the rest of those young guys. The Aston genties, the Brock Bowers so they can grow together. I'd rather see those guys go out there and play and, and start to build those bonds than to protect Fernando if he's ready to roll.

[C]

So years ago when Sean McVeigh got the job with the Rams, he didn't play any of his starters in the preseason. And everybody said, oh, you got to build calluses, it's a big mistake. Well, Rams go eight. No, everybody's copied him since. Is that, I mean even the NFL is reducing games and the preseason's pretty awful. College football doesn't even have a preseason and you're talking 19, 20 year old kids. So I think the preseason maybe I think you should do inter squad games. I'd get rid of it. If you're going to ask him to play 18, I just get rid of it. So it's interesting when I, you know, Justin Herbert's not at camp. Lamar is not at camp. Aaron Rodgers is a mystery man. You know, he shows up. Is it possible that camps are overrated for quarterbacks?

[B]

For veteran quarterbacks who are established, it's overrated. Like I totally agree with Fernando Mendoza skipping the White House and showing up because he's trying to show his teammates that it's not about what I did in the past, it's about what I'm going to do in the future. Right, that's just checks the box for you. But I think this issue with Lamar Jackson is a complete non issue. Like you just brought up, Herbert's not at camp. I remember Brady wasn't at camp and, and Rogers wasn't at camp. And that you could say, yes, 100% justified. Brady did it after he won Super Bowls, Rogers did it after he won Super Bowls. But LaMar Jackson's a two time MVP. He's a proven player. They know what they're going to get from him and he's been there for the majority of the offseason workouts. So you know, we're not talking about Marlon Humphrey not being there. We're not talking about Calais Campbell not being there. Shout out to my guys. I'm not trying to throw them on the bus. It's just more of a situation of these are veteran players that are also leaders on the team. And I get it, you got Declan Doyle there, the new offensive coordinator and you want him to work in with Lamar. And I think Lamar has done that by being present. And if Lamar Jackson is missing off season workouts that are voluntary, I mean, we both know Allen Iverson said we're Talking about practice here. Practice, yeah, I'm okay with that. If he's giving back to the community, which I've seen him be doing, he got his jersey retired, he's out there playing with the kids. All those things. I think Trump going to a voluntary workout. But at this point, it is about perception, and I think Lamar has been aware of that, which is why he's shown up more in recent years instead of skipping out on the entire program. But I think it's a complete non issue.

[C]

So the two schedules that jumped out to me, one of them is the Kansas City Chiefs. So this team, when they let go of Trent McDuffie and Joe Tuney the last two years, those are two great players in their prime. They are now old at key spots and unproven at others. Outside of Creed Humphreys, right, There's some old guys and unproven guys. They face six Pro bowl quarterbacks in a row late in the year. That's a lot. I mean, if you go last year, the Lions and the Giants had similar runs against Pro bowl quarterbacks, and it just unraveled their seasons. And not only to the defense, but if you're a quarterback and you look at that schedule, you're like, do you start pressing? Be like, I, this is. I'm. Because let's be honest, you're playing a great quarterback. You're thinking about it all week. When you look at, I think the chief schedule is outrageously brutal. Do you think it matters?

[B]

I think it does matter, and I think it was done on purpose. You talk about, like the mindset of a quarterback when you're going into a week and you know you're playing the creme de la creme, it's a more competitive thing for you. It doesn't mean if you show up there and you know the quarterback across from you is, is, you know, not good at all. Like you're not going to work hard. It's just more of like, you take that competitiveness of, I got a Hall of Famer or a Pro bowl guy all Pro across on the other side, I want to show that I'm the best guy. And coaches look at it that way, too. So, yes, it does matter to the players, but I think this is even bigger for the NFL. They, they understand that Patrick Mahomes is coming off of a significant knee injury, and they probably didn't want to load the schedule too early with those types of games. But they know that as the season goes on, if Mahomes does play week one, he's only Going to get better and more healthy as the year goes on? You would assume so. Backloading the schedule really puts the Chiefs in a situation where, yes, you have to finish strong, but hopefully your quarterback is now at 100% when you go into those games and the offense is clicking on all cylinders. So I think it's a very strategic move by the NFL to backload the schedule, not knowing what Patrick Mahomes is going to be like early in the year.

[C]

All right, Aaron Rodgers just spoke to the Pittsburgh media, told him this will be his last year in the NFL. What is your. Yeah, what do you. What. How's that land for you?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, it's a fair world World tour. You know, I think Aaron Rodgers is one of the all time greats, but I also think that him coming back to the Pittsburgh Steelers makes them legit AFC north title contenders and legit super bowl contenders as well. And I said that, you know, a few days ago to some, you know, maybe some pushback, maybe some agreeance. But I just think when you look at this Steelers team last year, they were abysmal throwing the football. I mean, they couldn't protect him. He couldn't push the ball down the field. And if you go look at who he had on the roster, it was like, God, you know, I kind of get it. You know, who is he throwing to now? He's got DK Metcalf. They bring in Michael Pittman Jr. From the Colts, they draft Jeremy Bernard from that from Alabama, and Now he's got 6 foot 4, 6 foot 4, 6 foot 1 wide receivers out there that he's used to throwing the ball to. So, Colin, as I was going through all this, it's like, yeah, we can talk about the improvement of the offensive line and how this team is going to be. Their identity is going to be running the football with Jalen Warren and Rico Dowdle. But really what this Steelers team needs to be is they need to be the 2015 Denver Broncos. Peyton Manning was not. Yeah, I know. I'm pretty sure he hates when I say this or when other people says he was not great in 2015 when they won the Super Bowl.

[C]

That's right.

[B]

But he was great at protecting the football on their playoff run. He was great at late game execution and they had a hell of a defense in a running game. That's what the Steelers have to be with this version of Aaron Rodgers because he's not as mobile. But I do think that there is hope and he wouldn't come back and partner with the guy that he won a Super bowl with and Mike McCarthy in Green Bay if he didn't feel like they could win it all.

[C]

Good stuff, Robert. Good seniors always.

[B]

Hey man, appreciate you, brother. You're the best.

[C]

You bet. College and pro stuff. Always thoughtful. Yeah, Aaron's last year. I mean, we said it yesterday. If you look at the schedule, they're going to start really well. The question is the last eight games, the first eight games, if Pittsburgh 6 and 2 or 7 and 1, they're healthy. Remember, they went out and got Michael Pittman. So they got another. They got another wide receiver. I mean, the roster's fine in that division. It's fine. We tend to think the Bengals schedule plays into them. They they short up their defensive line. Baltimore's got the best roster in division I still think should do or Cleveland has drafted so well the last two years. I think the Browns are going to stumble into five or six wins. I really do. I think Cleveland's got I think Andrew Barry's really smart as gm. I think they draft really well. He went and got four starters this year.

[A]

Day one Starters, ready or not, here they come. The new generation of problem solvers, innovators. And greatness is here. Girls who are strong, smart and bold, who lift each other up and are forging their own paths forward. They're everything they set out to be and nothing you expect them to be. Our job is to make sure everyone recognizes the potential she already has and to give her opportunities to let it shine. With your support, these girls are well on their way to changing in the world, whether you're ready for them or not. Girls Inc.

[C]

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[B]

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[A]

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[C]

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