Tom Izzo (3:32)

Now, let's get this party started.

Colin Cowherd (3:34)

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go. In a rambunctious Monday live in Los Angeles, it's the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. One hour from now, where Colin was right. Where Colin was wrong. Tom Izzo, my friend and the legendary Michigan State Spartan head basketball coach is joining us this hour. Why? I'm rooting for Izzo and Rick Buttino in this tour tournament. J. Mac, I'll get to that in about five minutes. The warriors remain on fire. Free agencies mostly. Done. Hope you had a great weekend. We checked out Friday. I got Auburn winning the Natty. We'll give our picks in the second hour. I'm gonna go with Auburn. Is there a team off the top you like?

J. Mac (4:27)

Oh, boy, I love everything about the tournament. I'll say Texas Tech team I like, but Auburn's in some trouble in round two. I'll just tell you that right now. Louisville's got a home game. Colin, come on.

Colin Cowherd (4:38)

So I gotta start with this, though. For years and years, it was sort of understood that Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers, you know, they weren't really into each other and they were opposites. And then as I look at all the stories that emerged over the weekend, Vikings are going to pass. Looks like they're going to pass on Aaron Rodgers. The Aaron Rodgers waiting game in New York. Russell Wilson is ready to sign and doesn't have a team. And it's funny. Aaron and Russell. One is all worshiping of God and one push back on his family's religion. One is hopelessly optimistic to the point of cringy and the other, let's be honest, he's like a sad trombone in cleats half the time. And yet here's Russell and Aaron in the same boat. A little needy and most of the league not interested yet. Yet. To add another layer to that and I'm sorry for the radio audience. Since 2022, they are identical quarterbacks. Wins, losses, completion percentage, touchdown, passerate same guy. No playoff wins since 2022. And if you sign either, you're guaranteed something. With Russell, a new slogan, let's ride. And with Aaron, you will be notified very quickly if he's in the room. You're the second smartest person and what you find with both is this is not the NBA. It is not a player controlled league. Even if a player is a talented quarterback. It is a league where drama and noise and occasional semi conflict is bad news and you will tolerate it when a star is in his prime. Fortunately, unlike the NBA, you just don't get it much. In the NFL, most quarterbacks, good guys, all about winning, great teammates, quality people, no nonsense. But now I've always defended Russell Wilson because he was not a grass is greener guy. He wanted to stay in Seattle. They got rid of Russell and I used to be a huge fan, but Sean Payton bailed on him, Pete Carroll bailed on him and Mike P. Mike Tomlin just bailed on. At some point there is something here that coaches find it pretty easy to bail on Russell Wilson, but it was never a grass is greener thing. Meanwhile, Aaron was a Green Bay isn't doing me right thing. And the grass was incredibly green in Lambeau. But he wanted something else. But it is remarkable to me how these guys, Aaron always sort of, I was told, rolled his eyes at Russ and here was Russ. Hey, I'm not like the guy in Green Bay. No drama here. All about team, let it ride, Go Hawks. They've kind of become the same guy. In a sport where the shield, the gm, the coach runs the show. If your scene is a little high maintenance, whether it's passive aggressive or cringiness, most of the league is going to pass on you. So Tom Izzo later this hour I will tell you I've got, obviously I'm a huge Izzo fan. Mark Few college basketball is more about the coach. And in a year we don't have UConn. This year we don't have a 37 and 3 team. We don't have a. We don't have a. You know, Duke has some NBA guys. Last year UConn is one of the, I mean honestly, it's one of the, the best college basketball teams we've had in over 10 years. I mean they were blowing people out, including an excellent coach and an excellent Zach Heaty and an excellent Purdue team in the natty like, like last year. It was an easy one. I picked UConn. I mean, you could watch them once, but they look like an NBA team. Big, physical, a team I'm rooting for this year is St. John's a dead program. I'm rooting for Rick Patino, and I think they have a chance to win it. He is the story, and we see this a lot in America, of a really talented guy that kind of screwed his life up. There is an argument he is, along with John Wooden, Coach K and a few others, the greatest college basketball coach ever. What is this, his seventh Final Four, Potentially six programs? He's gotten into March Madness and he's taken over some dumpster fires. Now he's gotten a little help from the richest St. John's alum. The cat who created vitamin water has sprinkled a little green vitamins into St. John's nil. So they went and bought some good players. But what Rick Pitino is, he's kind of got a Bill Parcells feel, an Urban Meyer feel, a Jim Harbaugh feel. He's got a formula. Coaches hard, great eye for talent, teams play, suffocating defense. He's situationally brilliant. And here is his team again going into the tournament. He is a turnaround wizard. And a lot of programs, they didn't want anything to do with Rick Matino. If you go look at his coaching turnarounds, which I'm putting on the screen here, I never thought when he was coaching the Celtics or Kentucky he'd end up at Iona and a dead St. John's program. But, you know, he's a brilliant basketball coach and occasionally his moral compass has flipped around a little bit, hasn't gone as north as you'd prefer. So. But what's interesting with Pitino, and this is what's fascinating kind of about life as his strength, because of his kind of mess ups, is his flexibility, his mobility, his ability to be thrown into turbulence and course correct the program overnight. And for years and years, a college basketball coach would go to a program like Dean Smith and you just didn't leave. You stayed there forever. But now, with a transfer portal in the nil and so many college basketball coaches saying, enough of this nonsense, I'm out of here. Patino, the sport is leaning into Patino, his specialty. The salesman with a brilliant basketball mind, Right? A lot of guys in coaching, they don't want to be a salesman. They love basketball. We've seen a Boston College football coach last year said, I don't want to be a salesman. I want to be a Football coach went to the Packers. Most coaches are like that. A lot of great coaches. Jay Wright had plenty of years left. They want to do all this nil and transfer portal. It's just exhausting. And he become like a pro gm. But actually, if you look at Patino's career, it plays right into his strength. You can throw him into any room. And he can sell Rick, he can sell basketball, he can sell his ideology and his knowledge. And the sport now is built for Rick Pitino. And I'm gonna root for St. John's because a lot of really smart people occasionally in life screw up. That's. That's the world we live in. We can be an avalanche and bury him, or we can say, well, what are you gonna do? Put them in jail. So I am all for St. John's I think it's great for the sport. I love to see New York City care about college basketball because I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and my favorite conference wasn't the PAC12. It was the Big East. You had Rolly and John Thompson and Louis Carneseca, and they've been trying to get St. John's going for years, and the facilities still aren't great, but they got a big booster, they got some money, and they have arguably the best coach in college basketball, and he's heading to the tournament. Once again, here's Rick.

J. Mac (12:15)

You are a New Yorker.

Colin Cowherd (12:16)

You delivered on your promise to New York. What's your message to New York City as you head to the Big Dance? Well, we built this program now into a solid foundation. Now we're going to take off. This garden's packed every. Every night. I. I always say the ncaa. I've been knocked out in the first round. I've been to seven Final Fours. Nobody knows what's going to happen. Play it one game at a time. Yeah. Now, last year, we all kind of knew what was going to happen. UConn was going to end up in the Final Four and be favored in the national championship. But I think this year is a year for an izzo. Keep your eye on the coaches, because I, I. Auburn is the best team I saw, but Florida now is hotter. The SEC is completely stacked. I have two teams in the SEC going to the Final Four. Wouldn't be shocked if there was three. I would not be shocked if there was three SEC teams. I said this two months ago with JMAC on the air. I watched some SEC basketball in January. I'm like, it doesn't even look like any other conference. Like, it is six best Team is great. So my brackets got a lot of excellent veteran coaches moving up and moving out over players where I think there's just a lot of sameness. But I can't wait to see Patino Tom Izzo later this hour. And oh by the way, the warriors won again this weekend with Jimmy Butler, the hottest team in the NBA. You love J. Mac. You love the tournament. You bet the tournament. You're the only guy that's that follows Creighton basketball's depth chart. So I'm going to go. I do think coaching is going to be really important. I also think all these SEC teams, these Florida's, these Tennessees, these Auburns, they've all played each other all year and I think they're. It reminds me a little bit of growing up when the ACC or the Big east was stacked. I think the sec, those teams have been playing in like tournament level intensity for the last month.

J. Mac (14:05)

Yeah. And you know I've mentioned this many times to you. I'm a multi bracket guy. I'm like a fill out 20 brackets. Some of them will have three SEC teams in the final four. You're a one bracket guy. I'm trying to get you off that. Yeah, tough to teach.

Colin Cowherd (14:17)

I got two SEC teams in the final four.

J. Mac (14:19)

Interest. Two.

Colin Cowherd (14:20)

Yeah.

J. Mac (14:21)

And do you have Duke in there?

Colin Cowherd (14:23)

No, I do not have Duke.

J. Mac (14:26)

Favorable draw of any of the top.

Colin Cowherd (14:28)

Okay. I have, I have one dark horse in the tournament. I'm not going to give it away now. Give it away next hour.

J. Mac (14:33)

The staff got me on to who your dark horse is. I'm not going to say anything that dark. Don't love it. Don't love it. Colin, I'll be honest with you, but it should be a fun weekend.

Colin Cowherd (14:43)

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

J. Mac (14:52)

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Colin Cowherd (15:24)

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J. Mac (15:28)

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Colin Cowherd (15:30)

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J. Mac (15:31)

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Colin Cowherd (15:33)

This podcast is brought to you by Pfizer. If you're 50 or older, getting sick can keep you away from where you need to be. You don't want surprises like pneumococcal pneumonia or invasive pneumococcal disease. You're 6.4 times more likely to get pneumococcal pneumonia compared with adults 18 to 49. It's recommended that people 50 or older get vaccinated. Being sick could get between you and the people who rely on you, so schedule your shot@vaxassist.com this is Jonas Knox from Two Pros and a Cup of Joan. Today's podcast is brought to you by Ferguson Home. Whether you're a homeowner working on a remodel or a pro managing multiple projects, Ferguson Home is where great ideas become stunning spaces. It's designed for the way you want to shop. Explore the best selection of kitchen, bath and lighting products online or visit a local Ferguson Home showroom and get one on one support from an expert consultant. Go to FergusonHome.com to shop the latest style from top brands like Kohler or find a showroom location near you. Tom Izzo, Michigan State coach going to be joining us end of this hour. I am, I am rooting for Rick Patino among other people. I think it's going to be very interesting. I think it's kind of wide open. I think SEC teams are going to do really well in it. I do one bracket. I thought last year was much easier. We knew Purdue was really good with Zach Edie unstoppable. Had coaches tell us on this show, you can't stop me. He's unstoppable. And UConn was unbelievable. UConn, you just, you realize how good UConn was last year. 37 and 3 is where they ended. When you watch this year's team where the team struggled to generate, you know, offense, all those UConn guys went into the NBA and I think three of them were crushing. So that, that was a different level team. That was like an old school college basketball team. These teams as a lot of coin flips on Florida, Tennessee, Auburn just from the sec. So I, I'll tell you where there's not a coin flip. I think it's an incredible story. The warriors are now 14 and 2 since Jimmy Butler arrived and he's not shooting the ball well. It's all the other Stuff he adds to the team. And Draymond Green had a pretty blunt description of what Jimmy Butler has brought to the dubs.

Tom Izzo (17:47)

It's a real ball club.

Colin Cowherd (17:49)

Now, you know, with him on this team, whether they have 11 points, two.

Tom Izzo (17:51)

Or 30, they make us a real ball club.

Colin Cowherd (17:54)

And when we're a real ball club.

Tom Izzo (17:56)

We usually win championships.

Colin Cowherd (17:58)

You know, the warriors are starting to feel as J. Mack sort of snickers at that. But he's right. That one team with Andrew Wiggins that beat the Celtics was feeling like a real ball club. The warriors are starting to feel like a fashion trend. Just when you think they're uncool, they arrive again. It's like bell bottoms. Yeah. Nobody wears them. Then Kendrick Lamar at the super bowl has them. Everybody's like, oh, bell bottoms are back. That's the Warriors. And you look at the NFL and if you have a really good coach and a quarterback, you're always okay. Well, that's Steve Kerr and Steph Curry. As long as they're still near their prime, warriors are always going to be fine if they're healthy and have a legit number two. And I was thinking about this over the weekend, watching them beat the Knicks in a really good game. I said, here is why Jimmy Butler is a great fit. Because when you look at the warriors because of Steph and the Splash brothers and kd, you think of them as fun and glossy and flashy. But this team has had a chip on its shoulder, an anger and a resilience because of the makeup of the team. Steph Curry was overlooked, doubted, went to Davidson. Too small. The warriors, the warriors didn't know here Monte Ellis was the future Draymond Green, second round pick, undersized. What to do with him? Steve Kerr, tragedy in his family. Lost his father, got into a fight with mj. I covered him in Portland. Feisty is the word, along with intelligence I would use for one of the great coaches in league history. Steve is always up to conflict and getting in your face. It's what makes him great. And then there's Jimmy Butler. Juco. Tough childhood, bounced around the league. But if you look at all of them, Draymond, Steph Curr, Butler, they're winners. They don't run from conflict. KD did that. They'll all get in your face. Hey, Steph. Steph does not like losing. Trash talker. Likes to taunt a little bit. And I think Jimmy Butler is a perfect fit for this team. There's a little bit of an anger and a resilience. MJ had it. Brady had it. But we watch the warriors and they're so fun and they're so flashy that we don't. We think of them as sort of like, you know, guys having fun shooting threes. Nope. They're much more similar to that Michael Jordan's MJ Bulls team that always played with a little anger. They play with it too. They just shoot the ball better. Jimmy Butler had a quote this week. He goes, when it's my time, you'll know it's my time. Until then, I'm going to pass the ball to the open man, get my guys jumpers, get him out in transition. What's remarkable, he's only averaging 16 points for the warriors, shooting just 22% from three. And they're 14 and two since he arrived. It's that resilience, the toughness, the chip on his shoulder, which is what Draymond has, which is what Steph so has still had. And that fight in Steve Kerr. This organization is not all fluff and three pointers. There's a lot of tough minded conflict resolution in your face. KD wasn't comfortable. Nobody else left. KD wasn't comfortable with it because kd. Yeah, maybe he'd rather talk about it on Twitter. Maybe. But this team will get right in your face. And I think Butler's perfect for J. Mac with the news.

Tom Izzo (21:41)

No, no, no, turn on the news.

Colin Cowherd (21:44)

This is the third line news.

J. Mac (21:47)

All right, I know it's NCAA tournament week, but we'll starting with the NFL and the big news over the weekend. Jordan Schultz broke it. Congrats to him. Jamar Chase and T. Higgins are locked into long term deals to stay in Cincinnati. Listen, I know the salary cap's going up a column. This is getting a little silly. Jamar Chase, four years, 161 mil.

Colin Cowherd (22:06)

It's it' lot but it also there's a story out. They're talking now to Hendrickson so that if they, if they pay all four of their best players, I got no complaints.

J. Mac (22:16)

112 million guaranteed for Chase, making him the. And this is starting to get dumb, okay? Highest paid non quarterback in the league. This is some ego status game that players are playing because it was Max Crosby had to get it, then Miles Garrett, now Jamar Chase. Michael Parsons is waiting. It's so stupid.

Colin Cowherd (22:32)

Yeah. But you know what I'm seeing on this list? Jamar Chase, Miles Garrett Crosby, Jefferson Bosa, CD Lamb. You know what I'm seeing on this non playoff teams? No. Guys who are great and wildly productive. I have no this list doesn't bother me at all. Justin, Jefferson, Miles, Jamar, Max, Nick and CD Lamb. When?

J. Mac (22:52)

Just humor me. How many guys on that list? The top six that you see on the screen, how many were in the playoffs last year? Just hum.

Colin Cowherd (22:57)

Well time.

J. Mac (22:58)

How many? How many?

Colin Cowherd (22:58)

You have money, you got to spend it on somebody. I, as a general manager, would have resigned every one of these players for that money.

J. Mac (23:07)

I don't disagree with you.

Colin Cowherd (23:08)

What are you complaining about?

J. Mac (23:10)

It's not a complaint, it's a discussion. It's a. Like the way you build a team is interesting. The salary cap's going up, right? So that means the star players get more. But as we're seeing, you can't play that. Pay the star guys at the top and build a good well.

Colin Cowherd (23:23)

Well, I'll push back. All of those guys that you look at, we can put that list up again. They were all drafted by that team. They're not buying guys in free agency. These were guys the teams drafted Most in the first round. The players delivered on the promise 100%. And the team said, we're going to reward you. I have no problem drafting a guy. He becomes arguably the best player. I'll pay those guys 100 out of 100.

J. Mac (23:49)

I agree. Now, are you applying the same to the NBA when it comes to Jaylen Brown making 70 million.

Colin Cowherd (23:56)

But here again, I'll say this about Jaylen Brown of the Celtics. I swear to God, the guy gets better every year. He's a dog. Plays on both ends, super smart, will pass up shots to hot teammates. I mean, I've seen him step aside for Derrick White. I pay Jaylen Brown now. Is it weird to pay two guys all that money? But you have to remember, between sports, gambling and television contracts, these leagues now, there are so much money. In the NFL, you're watching teams pay guards, huge money, and two years later, just walk away from it.

Tom Izzo (24:26)

Okay.

Colin Cowherd (24:26)

All right. So.

J. Mac (24:27)

Well, we're not done. T. Higgins actually got a four year deal, 115 mil.

Colin Cowherd (24:31)

Garrett, but again, deal super productive. And Burrow. Burrow made a point of addressing this multiple times. Yeah, some of this is you got to make Burrow.

J. Mac (24:40)

You've got to make Burrow happy. Okay. Do you remember, and a lot of the audience might be too young, the Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins in the 80s, they had Mark Duper.

Colin Cowherd (24:48)

Yeah.

J. Mac (24:49)

And Mark Clayton. The Marx Brothers. They went to the Super Bowl. They were awesome. That was their offense. No, that's. That's their team. Those three guys were their team. They never got back to a Super Bowl.

Colin Cowherd (24:59)

Yeah.

J. Mac (24:59)

I don't know if this is going to work. I, I applaud Cincinnati for rolling the dice.

Colin Cowherd (25:03)

Oh, no, I, but I, I, I'm very curious.

J. Mac (25:06)

Cullen. Could they have said to Carolina, hey, we'll give you T. Higgins, give us the eighth overall pick, we'll give you a third, you give us a fourth, whatever. The package works and you pay T. Higgins. I need cheaper guys because as Philadelphia has showed you, you need to draft well, develop. That is super important.

Colin Cowherd (25:22)

Okay? All these owners got a 450 million dollar check from the NFL this year. That doesn't count your attendance, that doesn't count your parking, that doesn't count your merchandise, that doesn't count your food. Every family that owns an NFL team, $450 million check. If I'm Cincinnati and you say you gotta pay four guys, Higgins, why do.

J. Mac (25:41)

You only have to pay four guys?

Colin Cowherd (25:42)

No, no, no, I'm saying or they leave. They're all, I mean like Henriksen leaves.

J. Mac (25:47)

Could you get eight guys to produce the same as the four for the same amount of money?

Colin Cowherd (25:50)

Who just won the Super Bowl? Do you remember who just won the Super Bowl?

J. Mac (25:54)

Philadelphia Eagles.

Colin Cowherd (25:55)

The team with seven great players. You have to have great players. If the borough. The Bengals today have four great players. Philly's got eight. But I'm not letting my great guys go for a fourth round receiver from Texas Tech.

J. Mac (26:10)

Philly's got more like, like 10 good players.

Colin Cowherd (26:12)

But you need great players to win it. You know the Niners for six years kept getting to the Super Bowl. Why? They had like eight great players. The Rams had Donald Ramsey, Stafford cup.

J. Mac (26:21)

They had cheap Garoppolo, they had cheap Brock Purdy.

Colin Cowherd (26:24)

You and I just different. My thing is I draft you. You're great, I take care of you. I'm not going to debate that. If I get top heavy, so be it. But what I won't do is go into free agency and pay for somebody like the Bears. I thought had a good free agency, but that's because they kept whiffing on their picks. That's what you don't want. Now I would take Joe Tuney on any team in the league and I think the Bears benefit from it. But you know who really benefited from Tuney? The Patriots. Yeah, I mean that's who really benefited. Who draft and developed him.

J. Mac (26:54)

That makes sense. I do have to ask, are people copying the Rams a little bit late? Remember the Rams with the top heavy? What was it? Screw those picks or whatever the verbiage was. And they went, Stafford Cup, I think Odell Beckham, Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey. And they were like, we're just going top heavy. And it worked. They got the Super Bowl. I feel like the Bengals are doing that, but like three years too late. And I think now you need a little bit more balance as the league has gotten a lot better.

Colin Cowherd (27:18)

Well, what hurts the Bengals is they don't pay money for a huge scouting staff. So Philadelphia's got twice the scouting staff. Baltimore does. So if you have a really great scouting staff with a lot of money, the Rams have a lot of money, big scouting staff, Eagles have a lot of money, big scouting staff. It's funny how the Rams and the Eagles draft so well. The Bengals have been hit and miss on drafting. Go to their website and look at their scouting department and look at the Eagles. So signing your players is one thing. And let's be honest, a lot of the Bengals best players were obvious. Everybody knew Burrow was great. Everybody knew Jamar Taste was great. Like T. Higgins came out of Clemson. Everybody loved T. Higgins out of college. So it's not like they found gems in the sixth round, which some teams have done. But I just think every team's getting a $450 million check. You have to make choices. The Bengals, if they're going to pay their four best players, I can live with that choice.

J. Mac (28:10)

Can you live without making the playoffs?

Colin Cowherd (28:12)

I'd prefer to, but I can live.

J. Mac (28:15)

With it, I guess. Colin, final question. Like when you look at how Cincinnati's made up, like you can't name three of their defenders.

Colin Cowherd (28:22)

Right.

J. Mac (28:22)

Like the defense gave up. They just hemorrhage points all season. Yeah, it's putting a lot of pressure on Burrow. They basically have no room for error. If T. Higgins goes down for four games, I'm not trying to shaft it.

Colin Cowherd (28:32)

That's right.

J. Mac (28:32)

If Jamar Chase missed. And guess what? Burrow has missed a bunch of games. T. Higgins.

Colin Cowherd (28:36)

Yeah. If they drafted better, they'd be fine. But with a scout, small scouting department, they haven't drafted particularly great. And that's the spot you're in if you're Cincinnati.

J. Mac (28:44)

Next story is another wide receiver deal and that's Cooper Cup. The former Rams receivers headed to Seattle, technically headed home. He got a three year, 45 million dollar deal. Cup is from Yakima, Washington. I'm sure you can talk exquisitely about that area. And he attended Eastern Washington, so he's now going to be an option for Sam Darnold. They have jsn. I guess he'll move out of the Slot to the outside.

Colin Cowherd (29:11)

This is a lot of money for a guy that no longer separates and they have to. I think Seattle looks at it and thinks with our draft picks, we have got to solve number one, our offensive line number one. And they look at Cooper cup meaning, all right, we've got a number two or a number three. So I think you make choices in free agency. For instance, the Rams in free agency got went and got devonte Adams signaling unless something falls to them, they may not draft a receiver in the first couple picks. Now they may have something falls to them in the first round, but I mean, teams send you signals when you sign devonte Adams. What you're saying is we don't love this wide receiver draft. We don't think there's an impact guy in the first round and we need an impact wide receiver. The Bears telling you we got to get better on the O line and it's not a great O line year. So everybody sends you signals in free agency. And I, that's what I, I mean.

J. Mac (30:05)

I don't hate signing. He has familiarity in the division, knows the opposing defensive coordinators and the DBs. So CUP should have success there. But this to me is still like a six or seven. I don't know. You like them and going to the playoffs, 10 wins.

Colin Cowherd (30:19)

Sammy Darnold, playoffs again, final story.

J. Mac (30:22)

More NFL news. They've just given out contracts like candy here. Unbelievable. Adam Schefter is reporting. The Houston Texans have given Derek Stingley Jr. A three year, $90 million.

Colin Cowherd (30:36)

He's a great player. They drafted him.

J. Mac (30:39)

63 and a half million in New guarantees. Here we go. Stingley becomes the highest paid quarterback in NFL history.

Colin Cowherd (30:45)

Very good.

J. Mac (30:46)

You have to make that note surpassing J.C. horn who just did it last week. This whole like, I've got to get my guy out there and put this out there so he can like.

Colin Cowherd (30:55)

Well, that you can blame again. They drafted him. I think he got banged up a little early, but he's a great, great player.

J. Mac (31:02)

I'll give Houston credit. Smart to get this done before.

Colin Cowherd (31:04)

That's right.

J. Mac (31:05)

Gardner before Micah.

Colin Cowherd (31:06)

That's right.

J. Mac (31:07)

Because you know they're now going to their agent. I got to get more. I'm better first round.

Colin Cowherd (31:10)

I think he's a first round pick, has absolutely delivered. Arguably the most talented young Carter after Patrick San. He's really good. He's really good player.

J. Mac (31:20)

I know there's a Houston fan on staff getting in your ear about this. And our staff put together a, a little chart here. LSU's 2019 national title team.

Colin Cowherd (31:29)

Yeah.

J. Mac (31:30)

Burrow, Jefferson, Chase and Stingley all got massive.

Colin Cowherd (31:34)

Well, that's the most talented college roster ever. I don't think it's the best team, but I think it's the most talented college roster I've ever seen.

J. Mac (31:41)

Roster with Jameis Winston that had like 22 of 24 starters. Something insane like that make the pros.

Colin Cowherd (31:46)

But this team was loaded with high end NFL guys.

J. Mac (31:49)

Oh, major. Listen, I. I guess I can't hate it. Three years. 90 million. Whatever. Congrats. Distinctly.

Colin Cowherd (31:56)

Listen, he's a top five, top six corner in the NFL.

J. Mac (32:00)

Oh yeah, top six for sure.

Colin Cowherd (32:04)

One of us is willing to pay.

J. Mac (32:07)

I like. Listen, I'm. I'm down for paying.

Colin Cowherd (32:10)

Sounds like it.

J. Mac (32:12)

The Bengals one's interesting because I know some people are going to say, j. Mac, you'd be killing them if they didn't. If they didn't sign Higgins and they traded him. No, I wouldn't. I'm a moneyball believer, Colin. You can do stuff on the cheap.

Colin Cowherd (32:24)

Okay, first, those A's teams never won.

J. Mac (32:28)

Never won.

Colin Cowherd (32:28)

Okay, okay. Stingley last year was fifth. Pff. You know where Sauce Gardner was?

J. Mac (32:33)

He didn't have a great year.

Colin Cowherd (32:34)

30 seconds.

J. Mac (32:35)

Okay, fine.

Colin Cowherd (32:36)

You going off one year, he was on the sauce.

J. Mac (32:38)

Do the other two years matter?

Colin Cowherd (32:40)

All I care about are you great now Stingley's great today.

J. Mac (32:44)

He had a good year and a contract year. Let's see if he shows up next year after he's got his money.

Colin Cowherd (32:49)

Old hatery. A JMAC with a news. Well, that's the news.

J. Mac (32:54)

And thanks for stopping by the herd lie news.

Colin Cowherd (32:57)

So there are certain arguments in sports we should just put to bed, you know, forever. It was day as Pete Rose, a Hall of Famer. They get tired, they're cliched, it's exhausting. And you kind of grow up at some point. Here's another one. I can't believe Blankety Blank team didn't get in and instead Blankety Blank other mediocre team did. It's a television show. Once you get down to the final one or two teams. I'll take a Carolina. Good branding over West Virginia. Sorry, I'm not losing sleep. It's an inexact science. I've said when you're talking about the top four seeds, that's a different ball game. But if you're talking the last team to get in, West Virginia, North Carolina. I'm sorry, I know all you couch college basketball experts think the Mountaineers should get in. But more teams make this tournament than any tournament In America, and nobody was snubbed. West Virginia just didn't win enough. They weren't good enough. What you have to do in life is get out of arguments, be too good to even qualify for the argument. Yeah, North Carolina, very good. Early didn't do good against the Quad ones. Man. Since 2018, outside of 8 and 9 matchups, which have always been a coin flip, the committee gets it right 74% of the time, the favorites win. I know you're all absolutely sure that VCU didn't get the respect they deserve. Oh, boy. I mean, in college football, some of you lost your mind. How can you not have Indiana in. Yeah, they got in in football and were embarrassing, okay? And that's the 12th team. I'm just not losing sleep over Carolina getting in and West Virginia not getting in. It's not. Nobody plays victim more than college basketball coach on the hot seat or college administrator defending his program. Nobody plays victim like that. And especially when you find, like, you know, jocks who went to the school defending their school. Everybody's a victim. I said before cbs, tnt, all these networks that pay billions of dollars for this tournament, they get a say in the seating chart, too, you know, and if it comes down to the last team and it's a coin flip, I'll take Carolina. Let's go for it. Would you be shocked? If they want a game, it's a playing game, who cares? But, I mean, it's like one of those arguments in sports. Are we still arguing about this stuff? Like it's not worth the diatribe? Tom Izzo is around the corner. March Madness. It's a fun week. It is a fun week. Live in Los Angeles, the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. Hey, Steve Covino. And I'm Rich Davis. And together we're Covino and Rich on FO Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved, too. Take your phone calls, chop it up as they say, I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich Live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Ko Vino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course, on social media, that's Covino and Rich.

J. Mac (36:41)

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Colin Cowherd (37:08)

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J. Mac (37:13)

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J. Mac (37:20)

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Colin Cowherd (37:29)

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J. Mac (37:34)

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Colin Cowherd (37:37)

This podcast is brought to you by Pfizer. Let's talk health. You may not know about pneumococcal disease, but if you're 50 or older or 19 or older with certain medical conditions like diabetes, you're at risk. And it could turn your plans, big or small, into a hospital visit. So get vaccinated. It's one action you can take to help protect against pneumococcal pneumonia, an invasive pneumococcal disease. Keep enjoying everything you're looking forward to, even if it's just a podcast. Schedule a shot@vaxassist.com when it comes to college basketball and the big tournament, one thing is for sure, nothing's for sure. Upsets, buzzer beaters, Cinderella advancing top seeds, going home early. It's all gonna happen. You know it. Bet the unexpected. Every upset, every day would Draft King Sportsbook Live betting, Exclusive content, promos and parlays DraftKings is the ultimate college basketball destination for March. Are you ready to make your first bet? Check out the matchups pick a team to win. That simple first time. Here's something special just for you. New DraftKings customers bet just five bucks to get $200 in bonus bets instantly. I love it. Bet the unexpected with DraftKings Sportsbook. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and the code is HERD. H E R D. That's code Herd for new customers to get $200 in bonus bets. When you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings, the crown is yours.

J. Mac (39:05)

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Colin Cowherd (39:40)

Coaches in college basketball and a friend. And how lucky are we? I asked the guys, I said, just get me. Just get me Izzo and Mark Few, and I'm good. And Tom Izzo. Thirty seasons at Michigan State, eight Final four appearances. Okay. I've watched you play four times. You defend the three. You don't shoot it particularly well. Okay, I'm just being fair. Your teams always defend. They rebound. They're tough, like Patino. You coach your players hard and they respond to it. What, what about this team? What's the secret sauce about this team? That why you like them?

Tom Izzo (40:17)

They're connected, you know, and everybody talks about being connected, Colin, but this team is really connected. It's been connected. And, you know, we've kind of put our egos aside and everybody's playing for each other. And that doesn't always happen. We're playing nine, 10 guys. We're. We do rebound pretty well. We actually score it pretty well. We shoot free throws well. And yes, you are correct. You did your scouting report. You did not shoot the three very well. But the last two, three weeks were been moving up drastically from the three. And if we can get that down, I think we could really do some damage.

Colin Cowherd (40:54)

You know, it's funny, a lot of coaches, my buddy Jay Wright, like, I think there's a lot of coaches that look at nil and transfer portal and go, get me out of here. And I don't know if Jay did that, but I think, you know, Jay's such a great guy, but you have kind of said like, hey, this is the world. I can complain or I can adapt. Why have you, with all this fluctuation, why are you still Michigan State? Why are you still good? Why have you adapted so easily?

Tom Izzo (41:22)

Well, since you were honest with me about my three point shooting, I'm going to be honest with you. I don't like it. I don't like it. I don't like it for a lot of reasons, especially the transfer portal. I think more kids are going to get hurt, but that's another story in another day. But like Jay Wright, like Nick Saban, you know, those guys are friends of mine. They decided to go another way. I'm too dumb and stubborn to do it. I guess I just. I just figured that I got to get back to the basics. Last year I was on all kinds of committees. I worried about it. This year I kind of stuck the coach in my team and I've been lucky. I got some good players. I got a couple of guys that have really elevated their game. I got one of my former stars, Jason Richardson son, who has really elevated his game. And when you got a player's son from the past, that either means you're getting old or you survive. Oh, and I don't know which one.

Colin Cowherd (42:16)

You know, it's interesting. Years ago, it's funny about the tournament. Everybody loves Florida and I said, be very careful, hot teams. It doesn't translate all the time. You got to be care for years and years. Everybody always said you got to have great guard play. Well, you know, what does matter in your years of doing this? Is there one or two things that absolutely translate from regular season to March?

Tom Izzo (42:41)

Well, you know, I'm a big football guy. I love football. And I think in football, you know, at the end of the day, yes, still all the fancy stuff comes and goes. You still got to build a block and tackle and not turn the ball over. Well, if you ask me, in basketball, you still got to be able to defend and run and you can't turn the ball over. So there are some things that are similar no matter what sport you're in. Ours is a little different because that damn ball's got to go in the basket sooner or later. And you could run all the best offense. If the final shot doesn't go in, it hurts. But I think what translates defense carries just like it does in all other sports, whether it's hockey, baseball, basketball or football. We've been pretty solid. That's why I think we've had a pretty good run. But you know, getting to the free throw line, I think matters and making shots. Because in the tournament you get down to the nitty gritty and people are following you. So you got to be able to make free throws, which we can do. Other three point line, we're improving.

Colin Cowherd (43:45)

Listen, I'm not a scout. I just watched your games and I'm like, okay, that's not what they do. You know, it's interesting. I was talking to Mark Few Friday, and when I've talked to Mark privately and I'm like, hey, do you ever steal stuff from coaches? And he's like, oh, God, yes. I take stuff from everybody. When you've been around as long as you've been, do you ever find yourself during the court, you're sitting at home and all of a sudden you watch a game and you're like, oh, I must steal that. I like that inbounds plate. Do you do that?

Tom Izzo (44:12)

I'm so dumb. And Mark Few and I are good friends. We're both on these committees that we just went through all this stuff. But I'm so dumb, I not only steal it, but I name it after the team I steal it from. So if I got a Zags play or if I got a 76ers player, a Lakers play, it's because I stole it from them. So my plays are named after a lot of people or a lot of teams, which means I'm stealing a lot.

Colin Cowherd (44:40)

Yeah. So listen, I watched the SEC this year and I said this. I picked Auburn to win it. And I said, I think it helps when your conference is good because you get battle tested, you're in close games. Is there? I ask everybody this. In fact, I asked Few about this and he said, houston, is there a team you've either played or scouted that you've looked at and you think to yourself today, yeah, I'd rather not see them until maybe the Final Four. Who's a team that guys like me won't pay attention to? But you've seen them and you're like, yeah, that team's trouble.

Tom Izzo (45:17)

Well, it's interesting. Mark said houston, believe it or not, I replaced Kelvin Sampson here as a ga. He used to work for Judd Heathcote many years ago. And I think my teams are tough and pretty good defensively. I think his teams are insane. They're like the 85 or six bears, whatever it was, you know, they're. They're phenomenal defensive team. They got toughness. What he's done is he's added the three point shot and now they're a Better shooting team. So I'd have to agree with Mark. They're. They're one of. But I saw Auburn in person in Hawaii. We didn't play him, but I saw him. They were impressive. Florida's been impressive as of late. I still think the Alabamas, but I. I played against them last year. I think Tennessee still brings those intangibles. Yeah, they have toughness, they're well coached. Rick is a great coach. And they're really, really good defensively.

Colin Cowherd (46:17)

Tom, so that was a politician's answer.

Tom Izzo (46:19)

I gave you a bunch of them.

Colin Cowherd (46:22)

By the way, I see right behind you you have lunch. So you look fantastic for your age. What do you have back there? Vegetables? A kale salad. What are you having for lunch?

Tom Izzo (46:32)

It's a salad, man. You got good eyes. Your scouting reports are pretty good. You got that. We get you threes. That I eat salad for lunch. This is a hell of a deal, man.

Colin Cowherd (46:42)

Tom Izzo. The great Tom Izzo. Good luck, coach. Thanks for coming on the Herd.

Tom Izzo (46:46)

Thanks, Colin. See you, buddy.

Colin Cowherd (46:48)

All right. Tom Izzo. A great coach. I actually have J. Mac. I have Tennessee in my Final Four.

J. Mac (46:54)

Interesting.

Colin Cowherd (46:56)

Interesting. I also have a ridiculous dark horse.

J. Mac (46:59)

Go ahead, tell them.

Colin Cowherd (47:00)

I'm not gonna get into saving it. I want to save it for the audience. No, later in the next hour. I got to give the audience some gems. I have Auburn winning it. I do have Tennessee in the Final Four. Okay.

J. Mac (47:15)

I can't hate it. No, no love for Cooper Flag and Duke. How good did Duke look without Cooper Flag in the ACC tournament? I know the ACC was a great.

Colin Cowherd (47:22)

Anybody can go total shot. You have to have at least a four seat in there.

J. Mac (47:26)

Is that what the minimum is, a four seed?

Colin Cowherd (47:28)

Well, I mean, that's. Historically, not a lot of five seeds get in.

J. Mac (47:32)

Like last year, NC State two years ago, fau. Like somebody always sneaks in.

Colin Cowherd (47:36)

I have a sneaky team. They play.

J. Mac (47:40)

Is it as sneaky as UC San Diego?

Colin Cowherd (47:42)

God, everybody is on that.

J. Mac (47:44)

Wait, I talked about him last week.

Colin Cowherd (47:46)

Michigan.

J. Mac (47:47)

Yeah, I already bet it. Money line. And with the points.

Colin Cowherd (47:50)

Michigan's big.

J. Mac (47:51)

They are big, but they don't have any depth. And there's a history of Big Ten tournament. Teams trying super hard in the Big Ten tournament where you scout well and you care. Four games in four days, and then you got to turn around and play quickly, you know, let down.

Colin Cowherd (48:05)

You know what's ridiculous? College basketball is the only sport where the. Your conference tournament means nothing. Well, I mean, like Michigan.

J. Mac (48:12)

I mean, pride.

Colin Cowherd (48:13)

Well, Michigan got a fifth seed, didn't they? They won the tournament. Didn't get anything out of it.

J. Mac (48:19)

That's a fair point. Yeah.

Colin Cowherd (48:21)

Michigan is very big as UC San Diego that just became a Division one couple years ago. Now they're eligible.

J. Mac (48:27)

They're a great story. The Athletic had an awesome story on them. This is gonna sound so nerdy. I stole some of his coaching principles and applied it to my kids. Youth basketball leagues, they do this no middle defense where everybody keeps a foot in the paint. We're not giving up layups. You're not getting in the lane. Even though they have no size and it works great.

Colin Cowherd (48:45)

Listen, man, that sounds like the Wildcat offense. That's what it sounds like.

J. Mac (48:49)

Are you teasing?

Colin Cowherd (48:50)

No middle defense. I guarantee you it'll work for a week.

J. Mac (48:54)

That's all you need. Well, three weeks to win the title. You see, they're not. They're not winning the title, obviously.

Colin Cowherd (48:59)

So I've watched Michigan State. Michigan State's the kind of team that's going to win multiple gay. They play too hard. They play defense, they rebound. They just don't shoot threes. That's not what they do.

J. Mac (49:06)

They got to get Jason Richardson's kick. Gets more shots there. Is those a little too balanced? No, we gotta. We gotta sub him out and get all these up. Richardson's a stud. That kid is awesome. He's gotta get more shots. Keep him on the floor.

Colin Cowherd (49:18)

This is such a fun time of the year.

J. Mac (49:20)

This is the greatest.

Colin Cowherd (49:21)

Yeah. There's only one time of the year I don't talk to my wife about finances. It's this weekend.

J. Mac (49:27)

You know, I'm gonna go ahead and guess Aaron Rodgers makes a decision like Thursday or Friday. Because it's got to be about Aaron all the time, you know, and he's going to try to steal the thunder from the end.

Colin Cowherd (49:36)

That felt like a little bit.

J. Mac (49:37)

How's your boy doing? Is he in a darkness retreat? I haven't heard anything.

Colin Cowherd (49:39)

Boy, a lot of shots fired. I am. You know what is. You might bump into him at Erewhon here in Malibu. You got to be very careful.

J. Mac (49:47)

I'm not going to Malibu. All the earthquakes are hitting over there.

Colin Cowherd (49:50)

I had a shaker yesterday.

J. Mac (49:51)

Yeah, I didn't feel it.

Colin Cowherd (49:52)

Oh, I did. I did.

J. Mac (49:54)

Locked in on brackets.

Colin Cowherd (49:55)

So. Yeah, I thought it was the gin and soda. It was just that. It was just a default line. Hour to next.

J. Mac (50:01)

Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like, you know, to check for the nearest bathroom first before the game starts. Now you're heading in the wrong direction and it sounds like your team's taking the lead. Checking first is smart, so check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Savings vary, subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois this is Nikki Glaser.

Colin Cowherd (50:28)

From the Nikki Glaser Podcast. Have you guys seen this new commercial from Stand up to All Hate? It's basically Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady going back and forth with reasons that they hate each other. But then when you really listen to them, the reasons for the hate are just so stupid. I don't know. This. This commercial really got me. It's a strong reminder that hate in our country continues to be out of control. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up. Call it out. Your voice is a powerful tool in this fight. You can learn more by following supwithhate. Prohibition is synonymous with speakeasies, jazz flappers, and, of course, failure. I'm Ed Helms, and on season three of my podcast, Snafu, there's a story I couldn't wait to tell you. It's about an unlikely duo in the 1920s who tried to warn the public that prohibition was going to backfire so badly it just might leave thousands dead from poison. Listen and subscribe to snafu on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

J. Mac (51:29)

What's up, everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal, and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs, mock drafts to my top 101 free agents, agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.