Jason McIntyre (3:12)

Austin Reeves. Now you like him, huh? He's your guy. All right. 72 and a half for the Lakers. Oh, they're going to the finals. Cowherd.

Colin Cowherd (3:20)

Well, let's just start with this. That's a little hot. That's a little hot this morning. But when I hear this, yeah, I don't know if LeBron and Luka are going to work together. Go back to Miami. D. Wade and LeBron, that wasn't a good fit. Both need the ball to excel. Neither are great shooters. They were just two great athletes and they ended up getting to four straight finals. Stephen, Katie and Klay Thompson. Yeah. One ball, three guys that need it last night. LeBron and the Lakers. Second highest plus minus for LeBron this season. And the Lakers had their second highest point title between the warriors, the Heatles and LeBron and Luka. What do all three have in common in basketball? Smart guys figure it out. A lot of stars can't. They lack self awareness, right? The egos, the lack of self awareness. I mean, the OKC Westbrook mellow thing, it just didn't work. Katie, Steph, Clay worked, the heels worked. LeBron and Luke, Austin, Reeves, it's going to work. I mean, last night before the game, LeBron's like, don't worry about fitting in. We'll work around. You just go score. And I think that's. Chemistry is an issue when you have selfish guys and insecure guys and guys with no self awareness. You know, Harden and Kyrie playing with Katie in Brooklyn, Katie was great. The other two guys were a pain. They hurt chemistry. So LeBron and Luca are engaged, they're smart, they have huge brands, so they're very, very secure in who they are. Both excellent passers. The only weird part for me is how the hell is LeBron still this good? What's in that wine he's drinking? I swear he looks like he's in year 12 or 13. LeBron's amazing. But if you go back to the Heatles in Miami, they didn't have any size. Joel Anthony, remember him? Joel Anthony was a six, nine and a half center. They had no true point guard but it was one of the smartest teams I've ever seen. Shane Battier, Ray Allen, LeBron Haslam, I mean it just everybody, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, they just made it work. Draymond, Steph Clay, you know kd, smart guys just make it work. So it now Luke is rusty. Okay, Never played with these guys. I don't care about practice. Never played game speed with these guys. Hasn't played in a long time. And the Lakers do have an issue and it's a real issue. They have no rim protection. Jackson Hayes is a fun guy on alley oops and you saw a lot of alley oops last night but they don't have any rim protection. So when the Mark Williams deal from Carolina did not go through the Charlotte deal, that's kind of a bummer. Now like Robert Williams who the Celtics had for years, he wasn't available very much but when he was available he changed the temperature in the room. So they're going to have to address that on on the market and see if they can find somebody. But I'll say this about the Lakers. Last night when I watched them, especially in the first half because they put the game away in the first half it felt young, it felt fun, it felt fresh. I looked it up this morning. 10 more threes. They took 10 more threes than average. There were more alley oops. You know what three pointers everywhere again. Austin, Reaves, LeBron and Luka. Yes, they all need the ball. But you know what smart guys figured out. And Staples was roaring all the Luka jerseys. I think this thing is going to be excellent and I'll get to in a second why I think they can win the west. But here is Luka and JJ Redick. After was a little nervous before. I remember was the last time I was nervous before the game so. But once I step on the core it was, it was fun and just being out there again felt amazing.

Jason McIntyre (6:58)

It's new team knew everything but like.

Colin Cowherd (7:01)

The way they helped me teammates, Rob, Jenny, Jeannie, it was, it's just a lot of support for me. You can see when I come into arena I saw the Luca jerseys. It was just surreal feeling. Sometimes you can have agendas in a game. I felt like this for our group was just a no agenda game beyond winning a basketball game and playing the right way with our three guys who are going to be our primary creators. Like they.

Joy Taylor (7:28)

They all did it really well and.

Jason McIntyre (7:31)

I think our guys will get accustomed.

Colin Cowherd (7:33)

To the the Luca passes for sure. Listen, the Lakers felt like they went from analog to digital. And if you look at the Western Conference standings, why can't they get there? Memphis is number two. I don't trust them. They play very fast, great pacing. I'm not sure if that transfers to the playoffs. Denver is horrific defensively now Jamal Murray's healthy again and playing well. They're a bad defensive team. The Rockets can't shoot super young. I think they're a regular season team. I think they'll be a one and done in the playoffs. Clippers. Do you really trust them? So I look at the West. The best team I've seen in the NBA by a long shot is the Celtics. I watch them hammer the Knicks again. Boston's the best team in the league. OKC is very good, that I won't deny. And I'm not sure if the Lakers can beat him, although it feels like to me they've matched up with them pretty well the last couple of years with AD and LeBron. So my takeaway is I watched last night. It was a lot of threes, a lot of alley oops. It's only going to get better. I mean, Luke hasn't played in forever. First game with the guys. I think if they could figure out I said it before, if the Mark Williams thing would have gone through, I would have had no problem saying Lakers in the final. I don't know if they can beat Boston. Probably not, but I think they could get there. I don't know if they can win the west, but I'm watching all the. Listen, it's an offensive sport, right? I mean, defense matters, but people get frustrated when Jason Tatum doesn't take the game over offensively. Not defensively. So I'm reading this story about the super bowl ratings and 126 million viewers for the Super Bowl. 59, first of all, it's more than that. But it's hard to track how many people actually watch the Nielsen ratings. They do count out of home viewers, but you don't really have an exact count on that. You're kind of guessing at some point. I think it probably was closer to 136 million. The second thing is this wasn't, let's be totally honest about this, it wasn't a good game. The peak of the rating was in the second quarter. What if it had Been an overtime game. Could you get to 130, 35 million. But there's a lot of reasons why I think the NFL keeps extending their season and adding games because there's an insatiable appetite for it. We never get tired of it. And the other thing is there's a reason they keep playing games now in Australia and they're going to go to Brazil again and they're going to go. They won the US market. If you dominate America, spread your wings. So when people complain about games overseas, why not? They own the country. And I think there's a lot of reasons why the NFL is king. It's a once a week sport, but that's always been true. But we didn't have the iPhone and TikTok in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s. We are a very, very distracted nation. It is harder to get people's attention Monday through Friday and the NFL is a once a week game. The second thing is it's a really good television product. Not just because I work at Fox. NBC, cbs, ABC are great too. But the production of the television product is outstanding. The other thing, it's relatable football players. There is no load management. They play in the snow, they play in the wind, they play in the rain like the rest of us. They just go to work when they're not 100%, it's totally relatable. The other thing is they make big changes regularly. They bailed on Oakland, they upgraded to Vegas, they bailed on San Diego. I know it hurts. They upgraded in LA, they bailed on St. Louis, they, they'd bail on Jacksonville tomorrow if they could. They're not going to be burdened by tradition. They're. They're not going to worry about what the hardcore traditionalist and the romantic things. They're going to take swings and evolve. And I think they constantly pivot on rule changes. Baseball struggles with that. Basketball makes changes. Sometimes though, they feel a little bit like they're out of desperation. Last week they're talking about shorter quarters. Who's ever worried about how long a quarter is? We worry that you got too many games or load management. And so I think there's a lot of reason for the changes. I just think more than anything it's a very well run league by adults. Agents run, baseball players run the NBA. Economically, it is two times the size of the NBA, yet feels like it's nimble like a sailboat. It can turn quickly during a Super Bowl. Rule changes, always willing to change. And somebody told me this years ago that that in any time there's a change, basketball thinks of it first, baseball makes the most money out of it and football gets it right. And I think the NFL more than any league just consistently gets it right. When changes are needed, they don't pander agents and the players don't run the league. They're like every good company I've ever worked for. And none of the companies I've ever worked for that are very well run are run by the employees. They value the employees, they pay the employees, they treat the employees well. It's not run by the employees. I should not be running Fox. I should not be running it. I. I'm treated well. I shouldn't be running it. And so there you go. The number is huge. I think it's probably bigger than that. And it was not a very competitive game. We got a lot of things. Nick Wright joins us in 50 minutes. It's been a very rough 48 hours for Nick. You know, he was due for a bad weekend. J. Mac, he was due.

Jason McIntyre (12:52)

Can I give you a peek behind the curtain? One of our smart producers hit me up this morning, was like, hey, can you bring in a violin to play during the Nick Wright segment? And I tried to fight a violin this morning. No dice. But I, yeah, we feel bad for him. You know, it's just. Yeah, it's tough for those Chiefs.

Colin Cowherd (13:07)

I barely slept last night.

Jason McIntyre (13:08)

I tried to tell them they weren't a good team all season, record be damned.

Colin Cowherd (13:11)

You were right. They looked awful. Listen, if you go back to that Houston game, that was choppy, very friendly.

Jason McIntyre (13:18)

Whistle there, shall we say? I'll ask though, Colin, like, where was the leadership on the sideline when they were getting their butts kicked? 24, nothing. You know, there's a lot of video out there of Tom Brady in that Atlanta Super Bowl.

Colin Cowherd (13:29)

Oh, yeah. Firing up the troops. Let's go.

Jason McIntyre (13:31)

Come on, guys. We're not done. And I saw none of that. You know, Chiefs just look shell shocked, like, wait, we're not winning. We're not winning. We're not coming close to winning. It was kind of embarrassing. Where's the leadership? Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes. I didn't see it, did you?

Colin Cowherd (13:44)

Well, I don't look to my coaches for that. They got a headset on or they're trying to maneuver, I think. I think players have to inspire players. I think generationally it means more coming from another player. If a great player's on the sideline at 28 years old, barking at a 25 year old, I think that has incredible impact. I don't think coach barking at a player be coaches bark at players. It's called practice. And so when you get into a game, I do think it's up to players to help motivate players. There's a lot of tape of Troy Aikman. He's on his players, Peyton Manning on his players. And I, I think there's value. I mean, I've seen Lamar Jackson on the sideline talking to his own line, getting guys fired up. That stuff matters.

Jason McIntyre (14:22)

Something for Mahomes to work on in the off season.

Colin Cowherd (14:24)

Yeah, couple things. Gotta get a left tackle, baby. Be sure to catch Live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and.

Joy Taylor (14:37)

The iHeartRadio app some might say homes.com is the best home shopping site, but why is it their sleek ad free user interface Enjoy search experience without distraction. Maybe it's their unmatched school insight featuring district detail and reviews from expert sources like Niche, Every Parent's dream. Or is it their super comprehensive agent directory? Or how they always connect you directly to the listing agent on every listing? Homes.com even offers a comprehensive search experience with 22 data visualization layers, 7 environmental layers and an option to search by commute and architectural style. Homes.com is bringing you all the in depth info you need. Homes.com We've done your homework.

Colin Cowherd (15:19)

You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com Keep and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required Card has no cash access and expires in six months. Everyone's forgotten who runs this valley. Time to remind them. Yellowstone fans step into the Yellowstone universe. Our family legacy is this ranch and I protect I live my life. Hosted by Bobby Bones, the official Yellowstone Podcast takes you deeper into the franchise that's captivated millions worldwide. Action Explore untold behind the scenes stories, exclusive cast interviews and in depth discussions about the themes and legacy of Yellowstone. You know the first studs to settle this valley fighting was all they knew. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the ranch, welcome to the Yellowstone. Bobby Bones has everything you need to stay connected to the Yellowstone phenomenon. I look forward to it. Listen to the official Yellowstone podcast Now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Let's go to work.

Joy Taylor (16:55)

Jon Stewart is back at the Daily show and he's bringing his signature wit and insight straight to your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Dive into John's unique take on the biggest topics in politics, entertainment, sports and more. Joined by the sharp voices of the show's correspondence and contributors, and with extended interviews and exclusive weekly headline roundups, this podcast gives you content you won't find anywhere else. Ready to laugh and stay informed, listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Colin Cowherd (17:33)

So in New Orleans, there was a lot of talk about Debo Samuel potentially getting traded. Very good chess piece right from the San Francisco 49ers to maybe another team. They probably like to get him over to the afc. And Debo Samuel was asked and he didn't mind kind of tweaking the 49ers. There's an AFC team that he likes talking about.

Joy Taylor (17:58)

Onyx is playing really, really good ball right now. Defense is outrageous. You got P2 out there. Who's, I would say the best at the position right now? Probably been for the past two years. Got the other guy on the other side. I just think you need a couple more pieces and then it'll be what it need to be. And just have to get past Pat Mahomes every year Now.

Colin Cowherd (18:14)

I do think he has value. He seems like a nice kid, but he can be noisy often. And this is just a reminder to all the general managers in the NFL. Every top running back that went to a team. Derrick Henry to Baltimore, Josh Jacobs to Green Bay, Saquon Barkley to Philly, Joe Mixon to Houston, Aaron Jones to Minnesota. J.K. dobbins to the Chargers. Those teams all made the playoffs. They were productive and valuable and mostly quiet, good team guys. They changed the physicality of the team, the temperature of the offense. They were also very valuable for either older quarterbacks are new ones. All those running backs changed the teams. Now let's look at the wide receivers who moved around. Devonte Adams to the jets didn't move the needle. Calvin Ridley. Yeah, he went to Tennessee. How'd that work out? Stefan Diggs to Houston. D. Hop to the Chiefs. Did he play in the Super Bowl? Amari Cooper to Buffalo. Gabe Davis to the Jaguars. Did any of those guys have real impact in a really big game? Wide receivers, I'll say it again, are too often the convertible sports car of the NFL. Fun and flashy but when it gets cold and windy, December on not that useful. They don't make your team tougher. They tend to be at times, and I don't know exactly why. Needy. Pay attention to me. Throw the ball at me. Buffalo got better when Stefan Degs left. And I like Stefan Diggs. I like him. I like Devonte Adams. He didn't have any impact. Six of the highest paid nine receivers. Six of nine missed the playoffs. The Niners don't need Debo. You know what? Brock purdy needs Christian McAffrey back. I mean, look at Joe Burrow, how good Joe Burrow is. Look at how great of a year he had. He has Jamar Chase and T. Higgins, the best receiving combo outside of Philadelphia or maybe better in the league. They didn't make the playoffs. Okay, this whole idea a couple years ago of running backs, and this is a great running back draft. If you need a running back in the NFL like the Chargers do, if you need a running back or a defensive tackle, this is an unbelievable draft. It's not great for quarterbacks. It may not be great for centers or linebackers. Dts and running backs, it's unbelievable. Niners could use one. Chargers could use one. The Raiders could choose one. Use one. The Patriots could use one. A Tennessee could probably use one. But it's nothing against Debo. But the centerpiece of this team is Shanahan and Christian McCaffrey. It's not Brandon Iuk. It's. It's not Debo Samuel. And I. And I like both those guys. J. Mac with the news.

Joy Taylor (21:24)

No, no, no. Turn on the news.

Colin Cowherd (21:26)

This is the Herd line news.

Jason McIntyre (21:30)

Well, Colin, let's get started with Luka's debut last night against the Mavs. And I'm sorry, Luca's debut last night for the Lakers went spectacular. The Mavs were also playing at the same time. And Colin, it went extremely poorly. A fan shouted, fire Nico. And later held up a sign with the same phrase. Him and his buddy were escorted out of the arena. It was ugly in Dallas. I don't know if you see these videos.

Colin Cowherd (21:54)

Oh, no, I have.

Jason McIntyre (21:55)

The Dallas team spokesperson said the Fans broke the NBA's code of conduct. Saw that for a sign that said fire Nico. And then Jason Kidd, knowing he was reading the room, he said, you know what? I'm going to skip the post game press conference. But the Mav did lose in overtime. DeMar DeRozan had a big time clutch shot. Klay Thompson did not duck the media. Here's what he said about the Shenanigans.

Colin Cowherd (22:18)

It'S not our job to get deflated because people are upset. Our job is to try and convince them that there's really great days ahead. Not just for this year, but for the next few years. I really believe that we can do something incredibly special. People are gonna say stuff and that's understandable. I was a fan, I'm still a fan. If I didn't agree with the trade, I'll probably voice my opinion too. That's the beauty of sports. You know, you go there to yell and be rambunctious sometimes.

Jason McIntyre (22:46)

Things are not trending well for the Dallas Mavericks.

Colin Cowherd (22:49)

Now, in fairness, in fairness for this year, I could argue they are much better constructed soup to nuts than the Lakers are. Well, if health, then you had a note, right? But let's be fair to Anthony Davis. I mean, lost in all of this, all this emotion by Dallas, Anthony Davis a top six seven player. Kyrie's an unbelievable scorer. They have excellent size. They have an excellent coach.

Jason McIntyre (23:13)

Well, Colin, here's the problem. Nobody's healthy. AD's probably gonna miss 10 to 12 games either. PJ Washington did not play last night, okay? It was the Kyrie Irving show. He's logging heavy minutes on that old body that has been prone to break down. Daniel Gafford got injured last night, played 10 minutes. Lively's out. Probably the rest of the regular season. Stuff starting to add up. Then you add in this fan stuff that's going on. I'm on record. I wrote this for Fox Sports before the Luca trade. I think the Mads are going to miss the playoffs. And I'm an Anthony Davis guy. I like him. I think top seven is a little rich. But Colin, if they miss the playoffs, do you have to fire this guy?

Colin Cowherd (23:49)

Nico Harrison, you know, he did make the Kyrie deal. He got criticized for it. It's been a great deal. Well, he did make the trade deadline deal last year. That was a great deal.

Jason McIntyre (23:58)

But that was all around Luka. Hey, Luka, you got a number two in Kyrie Irving. Great Kyrie. You don't have to be a leader because Luka's the guy.

Colin Cowherd (24:06)

All GMs in the NBA, outside of like R.C. buford and Pat Riley, they all get fired. So pretty much, yeah. I mean, I will go back to something a source told me about Nico and he's known this, this, my source has no Nico for 22 years, I think. I think ownership was staring down the barrel of paying a player 74 million a year. 74 million is like double what Mahomes is Making close to it, but the cap's going up. Come on. Yeah, yeah. You know what? Fox is making more money. They're still looking at numbers at the company and thinking, does that valuation work for somebody that's out of shape, doesn't play defense and not available. Luka was not playing like I.

Jason McIntyre (24:49)

Injured. He was injured. It happens. You know, really, defending these.

Colin Cowherd (24:54)

Doesn't happen to LeBron.

Jason McIntyre (24:55)

Hey, do you remember when the Mavs had a press conference way back celebrating Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic? Remember that?

Colin Cowherd (25:03)

Yeah.

Jason McIntyre (25:04)

They lost both of those guys. Those are top 10 players in the league, Colin. This is bad. Dirk Nowitzki, Mr. Mavs was out here at the Laker game last night.

Colin Cowherd (25:12)

I know he was.

Jason McIntyre (25:14)

I'm just telling you.

Colin Cowherd (25:15)

Maybe, you know, Mark Cuban sold a majority of his steak. Maybe he knew something. Maybe he knew this was coming. Coming.

Jason McIntyre (25:21)

Well, you know, the, the other story is one of the Bucks owners unloaded a bunch of his stuff and people are thinking, oh, wait a minute, what's going on with Giannis? I. I think, is Giannis going to be in play this off season?

Colin Cowherd (25:31)

I think Giannis, absolutely. And I, I think with the. Milwaukee's not going to beat Boston. Like, let's get past that.

Jason McIntyre (25:39)

Are they getting out of the first round? I. I mean, are they good?

Colin Cowherd (25:42)

Well, I think Dame's playing much better. I think Dame's had a really good year.

Jason McIntyre (25:47)

So this Luca thing's eye opening around the league, like if Luca concentrated.

Colin Cowherd (25:50)

But let me, Let me just. I'm not defending the Mavericks now. I'm saying it was one thing when the max contract was playing LeBron. 35 million. So congratulations to the players in getting all this money. But when you're asking me to pay you double of Mahomes and you're not in great shape, back to back camps, you weren't there. You're not playing. You don't necessarily care about half the game. The defense. It's a whole different ball game. Now, it's one thing if I'm paying, if I'm a billionaire and I have to pay because remember, Luca qualified not only for the max contract, but because of his MVPs, he was gonna make 75 million. I'm watching Kawhi, I'm watching Embiid. I'm watching my hurt guy who's not in great shape. It's really easy for everybody that's not writing the checks to just say, at 74 million, he's great. You start. The NBA players, the superstars thought they won. Look, at what we can get with a map, the max. But when the max is 75 million, I'm gonna count everything. Your defense, how you treat teammates. Are you in good shape? Are you available? I think these owners are looking around at Kawhi and Embiid and they're like, no, I'll go buy three other players.

Jason McIntyre (27:02)

Since you referenced Mahomes, we've talked about his dad bot on the show that it's not like that guy's an underwear model. Okay? So let's not bag on Luka Johnson being, like, out of shape. Sure, he showed up maybe a little chubby. Was.

Colin Cowherd (27:15)

255, 75 million. I'd like you to be in shape. I'd like you to show up for camp. I know it's asking a lot. They'd like me to be here at least four days a week.

Jason McIntyre (27:24)

How about Jokic? You see any abs on that guy? Or you see some man boobs? What's going on there? Come on, listen, some of these guys are not in super shape like LeBron. All right, let's get to the NFL. Ian Rapaport. The NFL Network reports the Saints have hired Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. They're finalizing a deal. He's. I didn't realize. Kellen Moore's only 35. Unbelievable. He's starting a new job for the fourth season in a row, but it's his first time being a head coach. Interestingly, Colin, Brandon Staley is a hot name to be his defensive coordinator. Reuniting the coordinators from the Chargers a couple years ago when it didn't quite work.

Colin Cowherd (28:03)

He'll be fine.

Jason McIntyre (28:04)

Oh, really?

Colin Cowherd (28:05)

I, I, they don't have any cap room. They got a lot of issues. I, I think that's going to be for the next couple years. A dead franchise.

Jason McIntyre (28:12)

Will they have a winning record before he's fired in four years?

Colin Cowherd (28:15)

Oh, he won't last four.

Jason McIntyre (28:17)

Three. Yeah, I think that's reasonable.

Colin Cowherd (28:19)

It's not going to go well. I just. They don't have cap space. They don't have a quarterback. I mean, does Derek Carr feel like he's just, he's a New Orleans guy. It doesn't feel like breeze. It does. I just don't think they have enough good players. And I think the nfc, as we watched Philadel the playoffs, the NFC is getting better really, really fast. And it's like New Orleans feels like they're in cap hell.

Jason McIntyre (28:39)

They, they might finish last if Carolina continues.

Colin Cowherd (28:42)

Oh, I think I would. If I picked today, I would have Saints Last because I think Carolina's on the way up.

Jason McIntyre (28:47)

They're on the uptick. This seven wins, baby. Final story is interesting with the Dallas Cowboys. You know they spent last offseason dragging out contract extensions for Dak and CD Lamb and they did come to terms of four week one, but it was a distraction all summer. And now you've got Micah Parsons and all this chatter. Will he be traded? He's heading into the final year of his rookie contract. Is he going to break the bank? Does he get traded? Well, CD Lamb has weighed in Colin saying, aren't y'all tired of this? Every off season, top of the charts, let's just win ball games. And that's with 11. Shaking my head now. He's got a good point. This is almost a direct shot at Jerry Jones, is it not? This is every off season in Dallas. Let's string it out. We're in the headlines. That's what Jerry wants. Is this good for the team?

Colin Cowherd (29:35)

No, I'm telling you, there are so many interesting teams in this league and Dallas is not one of them. I don't even find their chaos interesting. To me, they're the Saints. Like I just. They're not. They're. Are they topic worthy. I mean there's so many teams now. I mean Philadelphia is obviously great. Here comes Washington, you know, the Packers, Minnesota, Chicago. Next year is fascinating. Chiefs, Buffalo, Baltimore. I mean there's just so many Chargers with Harbaugh now all of a sudden the Raiders with Pete Carroll. If they get Shadour Sanders, I'm like, oh, that's interesting.

Jason McIntyre (30:10)

Can the Giants get a quarterback and get out of the basement?

Colin Cowherd (30:13)

That Stafford story in New York is crazy to me. If you're Matt Stafford, I'm going to leave playing indoors with Les need as my owner, Sean McVay as my coach, Puka Nkua is my leading receiver and that defense, I'm going to go to New York.

Jason McIntyre (30:24)

Well, if you can get Cooper cup and Malik neighbors, they can climb out of the basement. They will not be last place in that division.

Colin Cowherd (30:30)

You want to play the Eagles twice, Jaden Daniels twice. You're in a division now with Kyler Murray, Brock Purdy, Geno Smith indoors, richest owner, arguably best or second best coach and a defense that will carry you for the next four to five years. I'm leaving that because I don't get what I want. That's not.

Jason McIntyre (30:50)

Rams almost beat the Eagles. They had a drive right there at the end of the game. They were, they played the Eagles the toughest of anyone in the postseason, and they had.

Colin Cowherd (30:58)

In the last two years, they've lost to the Lions and the Eagles on a play when they completed that ball up the sidelines to Puka Nakua. You're sitting there thinking, holy, they're gonna win this game.

Jason McIntyre (31:08)

Yeah.

Colin Cowherd (31:09)

And I'm leaving that to go to the Giants.

Jason McIntyre (31:12)

Sounds like a leverage play. You think?

Colin Cowherd (31:15)

I mean, I like Matt Stafford, but he's not getting younger. And the Rams finally got their offensive line figured out, and they're drafting an offensive tackle. First or second pick, less need. Sean McVeigh, Stan Kroenke playing indoors in a market where the media leaves you alone. I mean, the LA media basically leaves. Jared Goff was invisible when he was here, and he got to a Super Bowl. You couldn't find him in a phone book. You can hide in Los Angeles. You quarterback the Giants. You are front back page of the tabloids. It's not a good roster. We don't love the gm. The owner's not as rich like, I. It's. I'm not saying that because I live in Los Angeles. Angeles. There are places he could go, and I would be like, oh, I get it. That's not one of them. J. Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the Herd line news. I got so much stuff today. I am. I am. I know you're. I know you're thinking like, oh, that's an LA take. No, no, no, no, no. If I'm just thinking off the top of my head, if Matt Stafford was like, okay, Seattle's interesting. Well, I like Seattle's roster. I mean, dk, Metcalf, Smith and Jigba, good running backs. Like, I could see, like, that. It's not going to happen. He's not going to go to, you know, they're not going to move him. He's not going to go to Seattle. But, like, that roster is interesting to me. And there are. There are places. I mean, like Minnesota says, you know what? We don't want J.J. mcCarthy. We want Matt Stafford. I get Kevin O'Connell. I get Justin Jefferson. I play indoors at home. It's like, no, I get that move, too. The Giants. What are you doing? That doesn't even seem interesting to me at all. Yeah, I want to throw this out there. So every time somebody gets close to Tom Brady and you start talking about, maybe Tom's not the goat, bad things happen. So Aaron Rodgers, back in 2014, got his second MVP. He had a Super bowl trophy. Remember, everybody started saying, aaron throws a little Better ball than old Tommy. From 2015 until today, Aaron Rodgers ran through head coaches five and five in the playoffs. There was Peyton Manning in 2013 when you started hearing after his fifth MVP. Manning may be better than Brady. And though he did have success in Denver, he aged very fast by 38 years old. And he did win a Super bowl in a year where he threw nine touchdowns and 17 picks and had a 75 passer rating in the super bowl run. Tom, when he retired at 45, was still a top five quarterback. And Mahomes this season, you started really hearing about it early in September and October. If he wins a third, I think we have a new goat. Mahomes finished the regular season as the 16th highest passer rating and just turned in the ugliest super bowl performance arguably of our lives. So just to give you a sense on the gap between Brady and everybody else, if you just think about this, if you cut Tom Brady's career in half and just take the final 12 years, just the final 12 years, so it's the end in New England and Tampa. He has four Super Bowls, an MVP and 54,000 passing yards, which is more than John elway. He has 20 playoff wins just in the second half of his career, which is the most playoff wins by any quarterback of all time. I'm not counting the early dynasty. Just think about that. And old Brady, by the way, did face Patrick Mahomes, blew him out in the super bowl and beat him in overtime at Arrowhead in the AFC Championship. In a game of inches, Brady is several hundred yards from number two, from Joe Montana, from Elway, from Peyton Manning and from Patrick Mahone. But Colin, if he would have won Sunday, it's not just that he lost. It's just for the second time in the Super Bowl. He was awful, didn't adjust, overwhelmed, looked shook. And not just losing it, whatever that was. That leaves a mark. Like, right, like you can lose. I mean, Tom Brady lost to Philadelphia, Philly special. He never punted. He lost because the head coach benched Malcolm Butler, which really, really disrupted the locker room vibe. The defense just did not come to play for the only time in Belichick super bowl history. Didn't show up. Players bothered by it, that that was the biggest loss in Tom Brady's super bowl career. It was a Philadelphia game where he didn't punt. So it's like whether it's Aaron Peyton or Mahomes, the minute you start getting into that, you know it's. It's a coin flip. It could go either way. Nah, it couldn't 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 Fox 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 Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich.

Joy Taylor (37:41)

Some might say homes.com is the best home shopping site, but why is it their sleek ad free user interface Enjoy search experience without distraction. Maybe it's their unmatched school insight featuring district detail and reviews from expert sources like Niche. Every parent's dream. Or is it their super comprehensive agent directory? Or how they always connect you directly to the listing agent on every listing. Homes.com even offers a comprehensive search experience with 22 data visualization layers, 7 environmental layers and an option to search by commute and architectural style. Homes.com is bringing you all the in depth info you need. Homes.com We've done your homework.

Colin Cowherd (38:21)

You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption. Required card has no cash access and expires in six months. Everyone's forgotten who runs this valley. Time to remind them. Yellowstone fans, step into the Yellowstone universe. Our family legacy is this ranch and I protect, I live my life. Hosted by Bobby Bones, the official Yellowstone Podcast takes you deeper into the franchise that's captivated millions worldwide. Action explore, untold behind the scenes stories, exclusive cast interviews and in depth discussions about the themes and legacy of Yellowstone. You know, the first stuns, the seventh this valley fighting was all they knew. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the ranch, welcome to the Yellowstone. Bobby Bones has everything you need to stay connected to the Yellowstone phenomenon. I look forward to it. Listen to the Official Yellowstone Podcast now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Let's go to work.

Joy Taylor (39:57)

Jon Stewart is back at the Daily show and he's bringing his signature wit and insight straight to your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Dive into John's unique take on the biggest topics in politics, entertainment, sports and more. Joined by the sharp voices of the show's correspondents and contributors, and with extended interviews and exclusive weekly headline roundups, this podcast gives you content you won't find anywhere else. Ready to laugh and stay informed, listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Colin Cowherd (40:35)

Welcome back. The so last night LeBron and Luca in Los Angeles and first half was great and Utah's not very good. Now LeBron and Luka go to Salt Lake City I think is it tomorrow night they play them. So it's one of those you see that a lot feels like on the west coast you get those back to back games. So listen, I think Utah's got a bunch of draft picks. They're like a younger version of Oklahoma City. Like they haven't landed their stars but they've got Kessler, the big guy, they got Lori Market and they got, they got some dudes. They're just not there yet. Very young team. But I was thinking about LeBron and Luca last night and listen, I've always said I think Austin Reaves is a number four in a championship team, maybe a three. He's playing really good basketball. But I was thinking about the best tandems in basketball right now and it's not just scoring. I think there's a lot of components that go into it. I think the Lakers are not very good around the basket defensively. Jackson Hayes is more of an offensive guy and alley oop guy, kind of thin, not a defensive guy. But I was thinking to myself what are the best 10 best 10 tandems? Because I'm watching LeBron and Luka last night, they looked great And Luke is not close. I mean, he didn't shoot the ball particularly well. He doesn't have his legs under him. It's the first game of the new guy. I mean, he could drop 30 against Utah in Salt Lake City, and you wouldn't be surprised. So these are my top 10 current duos in the NBA. I actually think Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler work because one's the ball handler, shooter, and one's the defender and the aggressive guy that can score. They're two and, oh, since they put them together, and I. I think Steph just needed a really good number two. When Jimmy's a number one, I don't think you're a championship team. If Jimmy's a two and you've got a good three in Draymond Green, then I think we'd win a playoff series or two. Steph, Steve Kerr, run the show. Draymond. Jimmy Butler, aggressive defense. I like him. I'd put him at 10. I would put SGA and Jalen Williams at number nine. Now SGA's a bucket. He's just impossible to stop. Jalen Williams is only. I looked it up this morning, 23 years old. Lord. Now a lot of people think it's SGA and Chet Holmgren, but Holmgren, to me, is just not healthy enough to consider him an elite duo. At number eight, Giannis and Dame. Giannis is banged up a little bit. Dame's playing very, very well. Like last year, they were struggling to figure out the chemistry, and Dame was coming off injuries. I think he's playing really good right now. And I also think they do fit because Giannis covers up some of Dame's weaknesses defensively. When they had to move Jrue Holiday to bring in Dame, he got better on offense, worse on defense. I still think. I think Kyle Kuzma was a nice get for them because I thought Khris Middleton had peaked and was going down. I think Kuzma helps. I don't know how much it helps, but it helps. I think number seven. I think these guys are underrated. Kyrie and A.D. now A.D. is banged up. A.D. don't listen to J. Mac. This guy has been a top six or seven player in the NBA the last two years. He got hurt. He hadn't been hurt much. He's a tremendous player, and again, not a lot of ego. Great defensive player, can give you 25 a night. And, you know, Kyrie can be some maintenance, but he got along well with Luka, and he is a tremendous scorer. So I would put them at seven I think Wemby and De'Aaron Fox is really good. They're probably a year away. I don't think people realize how good of a score De'Aaron Fox is. He's 25 a night and they got Chris Paul on this team. You got the UConn guard who's just getting better with time. San Antonio is a year away from potentially winning the West. I think this is a great move for them. I really like their scouting and drafting. I just think they're too young. But I put Wemby and De'Aaron Fox at the six best NBA duo. I would put Jalen Brunson and Cat. They really feed off each other. By the way, Jalen Brunson's assists, almost eight a game, career high. Why Cat? And Cat, by the way, is shooting 43% from three. Why? Because a lot of it. He's getting open looks. Because Jalen Brunson draws so much attention. I don't think this is a championship team. I've watched him play the Celtics twice and just get bulldozed. But I like this duo. Karl Anthony Towns can drive you crazy, but there is no doubt he is a very, very gifted offensive player. Number four, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. They're young, but at least Mobley is. They're. They're both averaging 20 a game plus and five assists. They have the number one offense in the NBA. I know we stopped watching them when LeBron left. They're fun to watch, young, aggressive. You know, Mobley's a guy that came out of USC and he was a fast riser in the draft. He just keeps getting better. So I'd put them at number four. I'll do Jokic and Murray at number three now. Murray is healthy again. Jokic is absolutely great. He's averaging a 30 point triple double this season almost. So I think Jokic remains the best player in the league right now. Unstoppable player. They don't play a lick of defense, so I don't think they're a championship team. Murray is on pace to average 21 and a half points and seven and a half rebounds during this five or six game streak when he got healthy again. I always like Jamal Murray. Not as much as J. Mack, who has beaten that drum for years. They're a bad defensive team, but I would put them at number three. I would put number two, Tatum and Brown. They're not the highest scoring duo, but they're versatility, smart guys both ends. They're just excellent. And. And by the way, they've Been playing together so long now they take turns closing out quarters in games. They're excellent. And they're different personalities. I think Jalen Brown's more aggressive, but they're both in their prime. They're both signed long term. They're both coachable. They don't need to score to affect games. I'd put them at two. And I think LeBron and Luke are number one. I. Lucas, not close to where he's going to be after give this thing 10 games, Luke is going to be back to 32 a night. I can't even figure LeBron out. I can't figure out how he's this good. It makes no sense. LeBron is playing like it's year 13. So I think they're the number one now. Now they're. They're a more lethal scoring duo than Brown and Tatum, but Brown and Tatum are both in their prime, so. J. Mac, first of all, your reaction. I'm sure you were overjoyed with this.

Jason McIntyre (46:52)

Oh, dear. So make sure Wes, when he posts this on social media, mentions no Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

Colin Cowherd (47:02)

I can't.

Jason McIntyre (47:03)

Well, really? Because I don't know. I mean, I had one Benyama and Fox on mine, but, like, combined, they have zero playoff series wins.

Colin Cowherd (47:10)

Well, they're, they're, they're. First of all, there's an argument San Antonio in the second half of the regular season now will be a significantly better than the first. I mean, De'Aaron Fox, you're just throwing a bunch of kids together. I told this during the morning meeting this morning. The one team in the NBA to watch out for is the San Antonio Spurs. They're going to get into the playoffs and they're going to knock somebody off. Because that team, they just threw De'Aaron Fox into this thing and they got that kid from UConn, that guard, Castle.

Jason McIntyre (47:41)

He's awesome.

Colin Cowherd (47:42)

He is awesome. So San Antonio is the team that is. We saw this with Dallas last year. A team starts rising. They make moves at the trade deadline, and you look up and you're like, nobody wanted to play Dallas. San Antonio's not quite that good, but the spurs are dangerous the next three months.

Jason McIntyre (47:59)

Booker and KD is one omission. You could make a case. DeMar DeRozan and Sabonis and Sacramento. I'm just kidding. One of the Kings fans on staff put me up to that. But the legit one that I got to ask about, and I know you're not a fan, is John Morant and Jaren Jackson in Memphis. They are playing out of their minds. John Morant's got his act together. Jackson's having the best season of his career. He might be all NBA.

Colin Cowherd (48:23)

I had them at 11.

Jason McIntyre (48:24)

Damn, he just nipped that right.

Colin Cowherd (48:26)

Spurs just added De'Aaron Fox and they're only three wins behind the Suns.

Jason McIntyre (48:31)

Yeah, they're 12th in the West.

Colin Cowherd (48:33)

And that's not a knock on Booker and Kevin Durant. But when I say that, do you think dynamic? I think there are things Booker does very well score. There are other things also interesting.

Jason McIntyre (48:45)

I see 1, 2, 3, 4 of these duos just got together last week. That's pretty wild, huh? A great it was a monster week for the NBA if people weren't oh.

Colin Cowherd (48:54)

It'S the best week of the NBA in years. Years.

Joy Taylor (48:57)

Some might say homes.com is the best home shopping site. But why? Could it be their sleek, beautiful design, ad free interface, a distraction free search is certainly a breath of fresh air. Or maybe it's their in depth school info. Perfect for parents wanting the best for their kids. With district details and reviews from multiple sources, they've got you covered. Or Perhaps it's the homes.com is the only site that always connect you directly with the listing agent. Who knows the home best Is home shopping the way it should be? Homes.com we've done your homework.

Colin Cowherd (49:30)

Whether you're ordering wings for the game, whipping up a seven layer dip, or ordering pizza, there's something about football that makes me want to eat. And this football season, Uber Eats has the best deals for me on game day. Food no matter what I'm craving from two for one pizza to buy one, get one wings. Uber Eats. We'll be dropping new deals each week all season long. I'm in Uber Eats, the official on demand delivery partner of the NFL. Order now for game day. Terms and conditions apply. See app for details.

Joy Taylor (50:00)

Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This past season on my podcast, here's.

Colin Cowherd (50:04)

The thing, I spoke with more actors.

Joy Taylor (50:07)

Musicians, policy makers and so many other fascinating people like writer and actor Dan Aykroyd.

Colin Cowherd (50:15)

I love writing more than anything. You're left alone. You know, you do three hours in the morning, you write three hours in the afternoon. Go pick up a kid from school and write at night. And after nine hours you come out with seven pages and then you're, you're moving on.

Joy Taylor (50:28)

And actor and comedian Jack McBrayer.

Colin Cowherd (50:31)

The most important aspect is the collaboration with people that I like, I trust are talented. And that has been the most amazing gift to me about this crazy business that we've chosen meeting these people who have such diverse talents and you're able to create something together. Listen to here's the thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Calling all Yellowstone fans, let's go to work. Join Bobby Bones on the Official Yellowstone Podcast for exclusive cast interviews, behind the scenes insights, and a deep dive into the themes that have made Yellowstone a cultural phenomenon. Our family legacy is this ranch, my protector of my life. Listen to the Official Yellowstone Podcast now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.