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Colin Cowherd
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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. These days it feels like everyone is talking about how the American dream of home ownership has become out of reach. Well, Rocket is trying to give more people a chance to own their homes. They're making home ownership simpler and more accessible to more people, turning renters into owners. Rocket believes that everybody deserves a shot at the American dream. So are you ready? Own the dream. Visit Rocket.com or call 800-4Rocket. Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. Loaded, ready to roll. Live in Los Angeles, it's the hearse. Wherever you may be, however you may be watching or listening, thanks for making us part of your day. J. Mac, I've got an interesting lead today. There are things that I talked about this all week long. Outside of the NFL, all sports are sickening and that, you know, the Dodgers get Shohei Ohtani and it literally helped the entire league. Revenue sharing. Fox ratings were up. Shohei Ohtani just driving up I5 angels to Dodgers helped the league. NFL doesn't matter who ends up. But there's been a lot of talk about the NBA and they need a face of the league. And I'm going to tell you something right now. The only thing more overrated than face of the league is people that buy gigantic houses and they spend their next seven years yelling at their kids upstairs in a 27,000 square foot house. Whenever I see these rich people buy these huge houses, I'm like, you can't possibly have kids. You screaming constantly to find them. Smaller the house, the more the love in the house. You're around each other, right? And I've always had this feeling about face of the league. The NBA's had three all time. No, no. You think they've had eight, 10. Wilt wasn't the face of the league. He was flaky and weird. Kareem was the best player for over a decade. Stoic. I mean, you watched, you, you watched the HBO series on Kareem. That was very accurate. He was difficult to get along with. And Magic Johnson gets along with everybody the league has had. There's a story this morning. Jayson Tatum gets glossed over or ignored when observers consider face of the league. Hell, he wasn't face of the Celtics in the finals. Jaylen Brown was. Marcus Smart two years earlier was taking the ball from him. There's something about movie stars. Tom Cruise is a movie star. John Malkovic is a great actor. Denzel Washington, that's a movie star. Jeremy Irons, you could argue maybe a better actor. Some would say maybe not. But there's a cool and a charisma. Tatum's excellent. He's not. He's not in the same zip code as cool. Zion had a chance to be face of the league, but he ate himself out of playing time. Ja Morant maybe had a chance. He wasn't mature enough. There's been three faces of the league and I've been watching this league since I was on a bunk bed in 1972 watching Wilt and the Lakers. Old Wilt with a headband. Jerry West, Gale Goodrich. Yes, yes. That's why I got this gray hair. I've watched a lot of NBA in the 70s. The rest of you collected baseball cards. I collected NBA cards. Three faces of the league. Magic, Michael and LeBron. And that is it. Whoa. What about Kobe Bryant? He wasn't as popular as Shaq. People worshiped Kobe's talent. People liked Shaq. What about Steph Curry? He's close, but you can have one face of the league. And in his prime. LeBron was in his prime. And Steph's never really sold shoes. And by the way, you generally have to be the best player on your own team. For several years with kd, he wasn't. And I'm a huge Steph fan. So there's. There's a couple of factors that are really important. First of all, and this is why Steph is close. You have to have an otherworldly talent. We'd never seen anything like Magic Johnson. The smile, the passes. He was a 6, 9 point guard against the Sixers in the finals. He played center and scored 42 points. Michael Jordan, greatest player ever. Nobody played like Michael. He never seen anything like Michael. And LeBron James again walked into the league the first night of the NBA out of high school. He scored 20 points. He was scoring 40 later that year. So you have to have otherworldly talent. You also have to want it. Michael, Magic and LeBron are outstanding business guys. They read the business page before they read the sports page. And number three, it really helps if we're introduced to you early. We're watching Michael Jordan as a freshman at North Carolina. Who is this kid? We're watching Magic Johnson win a natty over Larry Bird national championship. Judd Heathcote, the Spartans. Who's this kid with all the crazy passes? And LeBron James in high school, the chosen one. This is where. This is where, like, Tim Duncan was good enough, but boring. Kareem was great enough, but stoic. Kobe, little moody, little difficult. Shaq was more liked. But it really helps if we're introduced to you early. And that's where it hurts the international guys. None of us. I mean, I'm not. I'm not sitting watching lithuanian basketball on YouTube. Maybe you are. Most people are not. And that's why Zion had a chance. His YouTube stuff blew up in his crazy dunks. And then he goes to Duke. And then there's the shoe deal where it explodes and it's Nike. And you're like, okay, here it goes. And he got a taste of that jambalaya and that New Orleans food, which I had for a week. And, you know, he went a little sideways. A lot of sideways. So international guys sort of get dropped onto bad teams. And then you look up three years later with Giannis and go, whoo. That guy's amazing. We. We like the journey in America. We love the journey. We want to be introduced to you. The movie Air with Michael Jordan. We want to see a struggle. I mean, Magic Johnson, the personal stuff, hiv. We've seen Magic's journey. We love Magic. If you're at a Laker game and this is the craziest thing, Magic's everywhere in Los Angeles. If you're at a Laker game and Magic Johnson walks into the arena, I am not joking. The crowd stands. It's insane. It's like he's all over town. You see him driving around town. Kareem walks into the arena, arguably a greater player. Nobody gets up. He's an intellect. He's fascinating. I have tons of respect for him. He was the best player when I was a kid. Better than Wilt, for sure. Greater offensive player than Russell, who I didn't see play live. But there is a charisma and a star power. Jaylen Brown, isn't it. Nobody's overlooking Jalen Brown. The only guy that's got an argument. To me, a real argument is Steph Curry. But there's one face of the league, and in his prime. LeBron was in his prime. And so. And I don't think. I don't think sports need to have a face of the league. I mean, Ohtani is the face of baseball with Aaron Judge. Both appear to be great guys. One in New York, one in la. Do you have to have one? I mean, to me, in baseball, it's more about what teams are winning. If the Yankees are winning, if the Dodgers are winning. Atlanta Cubs viable, maybe the Mets. Baseball's fine. Phillies help as well, and that's why they're good. But this talk about face of the league, there's been three in my lifetime. It's not just about productivity or. Jeremy Irons would be the face of Hollywood. Denzel's been that. Tom Hanks has been that. Tom Cruise has been that. There's a. There's a. There's a formula for all this stuff, and that's why it's so damn hard. Some of the guys don't want it. I'm not sure Wemby wants it. I think Ant, by the way, if Ant played in Los Angeles, I think you'd Have a shot. If Wemby was in New York International, maybe a shot. But there's a lot of components to this stuff, and I don't think Jason Tatum, and this is not disrespectful to his game. But when I watch the finals, I mean, they shipped Marcus Smart out of town, a defensive guard, because he was taking the ball out of Jason Tatum's hands. Nobody took it out of LeBron's hands, including Kyrie Irving and D. Wade. Nobody took the ball to Michael's hands. And Kareem, you run the show. There is an alpha, There is a formula. Jason Tatum's a great player, but he's closer to Duncan in personality than Magic. Just think about this. Close your eyes. Unless you're driving and listening on radio. Let's close our eyes. Close our eyes. Think about Magic Johnson. You can see the smile. Think about Michael. You can see that cocky grin. Think about LeBron. You can see the imagery. Pregame chalk. You can close your eyes and there's images with stars. Close your eyes now and do it with Tatum. I don't see anything. 26 a night, I don't see anything. Close your eyes and do it with Duncan. You see a rebound. I'm not being harsh here. I can close my eyes and I see Magic Johnson smile and laugh. I see Michael Jordan in the documentary. He. His intensity, his brooding intensity, but his likability. LeBron James, say what you want. I close my eyes. I can see his game running down the floor, blocking things. There's a formula to this stuff. I don't think the NBA needs it, but we've had three all time. That's it. Okay, I got one other thing I want to touch on, and I may have been rambling there, but, you know, I feel strongly about that. So I've said this before. I'm divorced. When you get a divorce, you got to be a grown up. Okay, guys, if you're gonna get a divorce, you have to realize she may date somebody that's better looking than you and much more successful than you. Are you comfortable with that? Grass is always greener. Are you comfortable with that? So when the Dallas Mavericks made that trade, what we're finding out, they're now bad mouthing. The X. Stories are now leaking on Luca. Here's one of the stories that is leaking on Luca. Athletic had a story. According to Sam Amick, the people who witnessed Luca's last days in Dallas call him lazy. They talk about the weight issues. They mention the social habits. The Athletic has reported on such a taste for beer and hookah. That ain't the only thing they smoking in the NBA. I'm just saying. And if you've been in New York, go to a hookah bar. It's a good time, folks. Michael Jordan smoked cigars, drank wine, played 36 holes on days of playoff games. He's the go. Shaq came into the season out of shape. I mean, right now, pot is wine in the NBA. It's fine. The bottom line is they weren't ready for this divorce. They thought this divorce was all about Anthony Davis and getting the lazy guy out. They had no idea how much it would tick off Dallas fans, and now they're reeling. I saw a story this morning, and by the way, all those bad work habits got Luka five time, first team all pro. Okay. And hurt him that much? It didn't hurt Michael that much. He was playing late night games, smoking his 17th cigar in four hours. Leaking stuff makes him look bad. The Mavericks ticket prices have fallen 40%. And you know what? Luke is now dating somebody that's more successful. Got a lot of trophies, crypto arena, bigger brand. And they didn't think about it. They just didn't think about that. This was all about getting him out. They had no idea how big the Lakers brand is. They had no idea that it would create this incredible LeBron James joy and energy. And they're not here for it. So they're just leaking stuff to make him look bad. First of all, none of this stuff is a surprise. There's a piece of video years ago, Luka, after winning or getting to a championship level, somebody takes a beer out of his hand. The other thing is, kids drink earlier in Europe. Kids are drinking wine with their parents when they're 15 years old in Europe. Go there, more people smoke. It's just a different lifestyle. It's a very relaxed lifestyle. Long lunches, lot of cigs, lot of wine for kids, little chill afternoon siestas. So this, this is a team that. That thought they were ready for the divorce. And Luke upgraded and, and by the way, in the same conference, just moved down the street, drives by the house all the time and you don't like what it feels like. All right, a lot of stuff today. J. Mac got some NFL combine stuff. Do you see the report cards out?
J. Mac
I did, I did.
Colin Cowherd
Some of this stuff's actually funny. Do you see the Bengals got an F on food? They might want to call. How do you get an F on food?
J. Mac
They don't give their guys three meals a day. That's crazy. I mean, some of the stuff out there is bad. By the way, you mentioned a hookah lounge earlier. Met my wife at a hookah lounge in New York City.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
J. Mac
Now it starts at a who as a hookah lounge, and then late night, it gets into, like, a vibey lounge type spot where. Yeah, they move the hookahs to the side. But hookah lounges are great. Have you done that?
Colin Cowherd
I've done that. I took Ann to a hookah lounge in New York and we had. We did a lot of hookah in Luke. Hookah. Is it a verb? Is it a we? We just had a very good time. I still can't get did I text or it's just text.
J. Mac
Yeah.
Colin Cowherd
There is nothing beyond text. Is that plural? I don't know. But you go to a hookah bar and I. I just laugh at this because it's like we've all understood in the NBA KD docs about this. It's. It's pot is wine. Nobody cares. No, the bottom line is, do you have game or do you not have game? By the way, again, this would be a bigger deal. That's why Luke is not going to be the face of the league. Like, Michael Jordan wouldn't even talk about politics. Luke is unbelievably productive, but he wants his beer, he wants his hookah. He's not going to be in great shape. I've always said he's closer to Carmelo than he is to Michael Jordan. And by the way, Carmelo is a Hall of Famer. But there are certain guys that just aren't going to be the face of the league. And they don't. They don't want to be the face of the league. Jokic, the minute he won a title, they asked him about the parade. He was like, I gotta go to a parade. I just want to go home and play with my horses. Like, some guys don't want to be faces of the league.
J. Mac
I do have to ask. I got a text during your rant about face of the league. You had magic, but no. Larry Bird don't know.
Colin Cowherd
Okay, great example. No.
J. Mac
Should they belong together as a pack?
Colin Cowherd
No. So because Larry Bird, grumpy, had no interest in it, didn't have the look or the charisma. Larry Bird is much more. John Malkovic, absolutely respected by everybody in Hollywood, almost worshiped John Malkovic walks into a room of actors. Everybody's like, there's the best actor. Denzel walks in, and everybody goes, damn, that's a movie star. I told you the other day, there's one person in Hollywood. Maybe Denzel too, but the one person in Hollywood. If they walked into this room, I would be nervous. It's not Jeremy Irons, it's Tom Cruise. And so Larry Bird was this French Lick grumpy. Didn't. I mean, really. I mean, go look at the movies. Done about like Magic and burn. He was grumpy. He hated the media. Magic is in Beverly Hills with Jerry buss and the convertible sports car, having the time of his life. And Magic, I mean, the name Magic.
J. Mac
Yeah. So Larry was growing up.
Colin Cowherd
Larry was very French Lick, Indiana. And I love Larry. But, I mean, ask yourself, I've said this before. Los Angeles is a global city. Boston's a domestic city. Boston is. It's, you know, the town departed. Like, every third guy's a mobster. Like, I mean, everybody I know, everybody I know from Boston has a chip on their shoulder. It's sort of insular. It's incredibly insular. It's one of the only cities in the country that does not watch any sports outside of their market. They did when I used to work at the other place. I saw a test on this. Boston watches Boston sports now. New York will watch the Rose Bowl. New York will watch the World Series. If they're not in it, they'll, they'll want. I mean, New York is a. They'll watch anything. LA will watch stuff. Seattle, Denver. Boston watches Boston. Boston people vacation in Massachusetts. They go to the Cape. New Yorkers go down to Florida. New Yorkers will go west. New Yorkers will go to Europe. Boston guy goes to the Cape.
J. Mac
That's a, that's a take right there. You just came up with that on the fly, didn't you?
Colin Cowherd
Hey, this thing never slips off clearly. Okay? If you feel like owning a home is out of reach, Rocket is here to give you back the keys. Because they believe everybody deserves a shot at the American dream. Visit Rocket.com or call 804 Rocket. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. 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.
Steph Curry
Make some noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from all Star weekend for a new podcast called Goat greatest of their era and we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
Podcast Host
Peja 5, Dirk Ford.
Colin Cowherd
Paja is elite.
Steph Curry
Okay, okay.
Colin Cowherd
I'm mad him.
Podcast Guest
I left him off my list, but I still like my list.
Steph Curry
You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
Podcast Host
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.
Steph Curry
Yes, absolutely.
Podcast Host
Love it.
Steph Curry
Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.
Podcast Host
When you have a scouting report and you're on the list as not just a shooter, but we have specific rules for how we guard you. There's a fear factor that's associated with anytime you're wide open, like, you might as well just count that and get on back on defense.
Steph Curry
Listen to Go T E Greatest of Their Era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colin Cowherd
All right, you're now entering the no bull zone, brought to you by credible great rates with none of the bull. So NFL combine is going on. It's. It's actually known as a week when a lot of executives go and deals get made. And you know, it's. It's not just guys in shorts running 40s and cone drills. It's a lot of executives go there late nights, cocktails, cigars, and figure out deals. So I saw a story this morning. The Giants met with Matthew Stafford's agent in Indianapolis. So there's. There's two scenarios where I will defend Matt Stafford if he stays with the Rams. Obviously, great coach, great org, very good roster, franchise momentum. McVeigh's had one losing season. They were driving to beat the Eagles in a snowstorm. If he stays and. And takes a little less, and I'm not going to get into players money too much, but I would defend him. I would also defend him on going to the Raiders because I think Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly are a really, really good combination as a staff. They don't have any momentum, but there's no state tax. They've got a good left tackle. Actually, I like some of the young offensive linemen at center and right tackle. They got Max Crosby and they have a weapon in Brock Bowers that you cannot cover. You can literally. He is the greatest tight end prospect now in the league. Last year as a rookie, they were bad at quarterback and you still can't cover him. So. And they're going to go in the draft and it's a great running back draft and the Raiders need a running back. So what they need, the draft is going to provide. I would excuse. Listen, if the rams offer him two years and 90 million and the Raiders offer him four years and 170 million in no state tax from California to get on the freeway west, east, head east. I, I, I'm going to defend that. But if he goes to the New York Giants, it's a money grab. I mean that's like Robinson Cano going from the Yankees to the Mariners. I lost respect. You're not about winning, you're not about competing. It's just a money grab. In a way. It would be like Katie to Brooklyn. Now KD to Brooklyn was not a money grab, but it was kind of weird, right? Like he just wanted to go where he wanted to go and he didn't feel loved. Matt Stafford is loved. Everybody loves Matt Stafford. But there are realities that you can get trapped very quickly in this league on old quarterbacks, Denver, Cleveland. If somebody's been banged up a few times and Matt Stafford's taking a lot of hits, the Rams have leverage here and their leverage is we're one of the five best run franchises in the league and the Giants are a bad organization. Eight years, one playoff game, one playoff win. I think it is. They're just not a, I mean the head coach and the GM and I think they both had a say. Let Saquon Barkley walk to arrival. That's probably more Joe Shane than Brian Thabel, but it's not a good organization. So I will defend him if he gets four years and goes to the Raiders because I think Pete and Chip Kelly are going to work. And it's a tough division, but can you imagine that division with Herbert, Bo Nix, Matt Stafford and Mahomes? Here's Albert Brew yesterday on Vegas. The fit for Stafford.
Albert Breer
I think it makes some sense for the Raiders in that I think so much of what Tom Brady is doing and trying to establish there is to add credibility to the organization. Pete Carroll obviously is a very credible head coaching hire. John Spytek is well respected across the NFL. Coming in as his gm, you've got resources, which is part of how you pay say $6 million a year to go and get Chip Kelly. And adding Matthew Stafford at quarterback I think would make some sense from that standpoint in that you're going to be able to get competitive quicker.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I'll defend him on that. I'll defend him. I still think he's going to stay with the Rams. J. Mac with the news. No, no, no. Heard on the news. This is the Herd line news.
J. Mac
All right, let's start with the Philadelphia Eagles. Colin, before that super bowl victory, remember, there were a lot of rumors about drama with AJ Brown and Jalen Hurts. They had, like, a fractured relationship. Brandon Graham had said something on a radio show in December saying that their interactions had changed. And then there was an apology. But it doesn't seem to matter because Philly whooped the Chiefs in the super bowl and Brown addressed their relationship on a recent podcast.
Podcast Guest
I'll be sitting up here lying, tell you that if we, we never had any issues like, you know, we do. Two guys, two Alphas who, who wants to. To be the best and demand greatness from each other and everyone around us. So some reports are true, some reports aren't true. But me and him, good man, you know, we, we just want to be great. And like I said, we push each other and, and you know, sometimes, you know, we bump heads, but, you know, that, that's, that's normal, you know, and, and don't nobody sweat it.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I'm about over Chatty wide receivers calling out quarterbacks. Like, let's be honest about this team with devonte Smith, Dallas Garter, Saquon Barkley in that O line. You could move off A.J. brown. He's very, very good. No, I, I love him. I also, I love DK Metcalf. Seattle could move off him.
J. Mac
I think Seattle hasn't won anything with Metcalf. This guy is instrumental to winning.
Colin Cowherd
He's very, very good player, but I think, I think wide receiver is. Buffalo proved it. I mean, Kansas City proved it.
J. Mac
Buffalo hasn't won anything. KC Has Patrick Mahomes. Like, you're willing to move off AJ Brown right now or.
Colin Cowherd
No, I'm, I'm saying they have to move off players. Howie Roseman has come out in the last 48 hours and said it's going to be interesting. It's going to be a very. Just be patient with us. They've got to move off a couple of big pieces. Are you going to pay a linebacker? Are you going to pay that linebacker big money?
J. Mac
You can find a linebacker. You can't find an A.J.
Colin Cowherd
Brown. No, but I can find. Find 80% of A.J. brown. I, I'm, I'm over well built because.
J. Mac
Devonte Smith is amazing against zones. And if you go, man, Nobody can guard A.J.
Colin Cowherd
Brown.
J. Mac
You saw him cook McDuffie in the Super Bowl. Like, he's, I don't want to say unguardable, but he's definitely a top five receiver.
Colin Cowherd
I'm not. I'm not doubting that. But I. I will tell you, is December and January deep threats do not have the impact that they do early. This Philadelphia team soul is that offensive line, that quarterback and that running back. So if Saquon Barkley, who's like all class, would never call out a quarterback ever, under any circumstances, if he did, I'd swallow hard and deal with it. I'm not this. If I don't want to hear this stuff, I would call him in right now and say, you're not talking about the quarterback publicly, or we're going to move you, or we're going to move you to Jacksonville.
J. Mac
But before you say that, I think you should go to Mike Vrabel and be like, hey, how was life before and after A.J. brown in Tennessee? How'd that work out? Because apparently all the reports they.
Colin Cowherd
Rabel was crestfallen, but Tennessee didn't have anybody else. They've always been receiver.
J. Mac
Like had Derrick Henry and Tannehill, their number one seed in the AFC one year.
Colin Cowherd
You're comparing that Tennessee team to this Philadelphia roster. I would sit A.J. brown. I'd say, first and last warning, we don't talk about our quarterback publicly. We're not doing that. The soul of this team is the gm, the O line, Saquon and Jig.
J. Mac
A grown man who's wealthy and talented is going to take that.
Colin Cowherd
How's he gonna take being traded to Jacksonville? I'm sorry, Philadelphia. The one thing that's gonna unravel this thing is chatter.
J. Mac
Would that be like if you came to me and said, j Mac, no more Austin Reeves love on this show. You can't do it anymore. We're gonna ship you.
Colin Cowherd
If I had a better O line, I would. I'd ship you to the Bravo network. Oh, damn.
J. Mac
Next story is the Pittsburgh Steelers. They still haven't decided on a quarterback like Collins. There's more than the Iraqi navy right now in Pittsburgh. According to Steelers insider Mark Cabooli, the team wants Justin Fields over Russell Wilson now.
Colin Cowherd
What do you mean? The team is that.
J. Mac
Well, that's like everybody except the owner. Apparently, Justin Fields is the guy they want. But you can't put all your eggs in your. You can't put all the eggs in your basket. And while they wait for him, they've got to pretend like they're interested in everybody. Now, Art Rooney, apparently the owner really liked Russell Wilson. There's some speculative stuff about sponsors and Russell Wilson really plays well with them and all that nonsense out there. Apparently they cannot afford Matt Stafford. That's another report. So right now it's very chatty. And that's not normal in Pittsburgh, is it? Usually they're buttoned up. Right now it just feels.
Colin Cowherd
Oof. Does Pittsburgh realize is, is anybody in the media going to acknowledge this now? They're quickly becoming a have not. They really are. Their offense in the last eight years, look at it, it's an offensive league. They will again be the most money spent on defense. They are, they are tone deaf to the most important side of the ball. I don't care about a coach that's never been under.500 that like what they're like.
J. Mac
How about this? So the Steelers are in the playoffs.
Colin Cowherd
They've got a really high floor. The Steelers ceiling is way lower. Last four or five playoff games, they've been blown out.
J. Mac
Okay, so let's say you were born in 2012, right? And you're an NFL fan. Basically you're a fan of the Steelers. You're in the playoffs every year.
Colin Cowherd
You're.
J. Mac
You're contending. What if you're a Jets fan born in 2012? No, never stiff.
Colin Cowherd
First of all, if you're, if you're born in 2012, you're 13 years old. You couldn't buy any of the products or tickets anyway. Who cares?
J. Mac
You know my point? Like the Steelers fans have something to cheer. Every year we're in the playoffs, we're contending. Meanwhile, you got other have nots like the jets, who are not even in the playoffs. I think you should be happy.
Colin Cowherd
I think the Steelers have become a high floor, incredibly low ceiling team. I, I don't even. I don't. I mean, if I.
J. Mac
There's something wrong with that. Not everybody's gonna win the super bowl every single year.
Colin Cowherd
When you've got trophies, like how many? They got five trophies. I think it is a problem. It was a problem with the Dodgers until last year. You're looking around and going, okay, you're great. Every year winning your division outside of that shortened season, like it. Was it a strike season or a shortened season? They won a World Series. It was like, the Dodgers are like, no, no, we're the Dodgers. We lead the league in revenue. We're second to the Yankees. We sell at our stadium attendance. We have huge payroll. You gotta win. You have to win in baseball in October, the Yankees have had one bad season in 15 years and that was not acceptable. So when you're sealing the Steelers, the Packers, the Yankees. These are big brand Georgia football. Eight wins is not good enough in the NFL.
J. Mac
It's more about the quarterback than the brand.
Colin Cowherd
Right.
J. Mac
Since Mahomes, Allen and Jackson. They got that conference on lock for the next decade. Colin Steelers are. There's no way they're cracking those guys. They're not beating those guys.
Colin Cowherd
I don't care what you do a quarterback. They're a stale franchise.
J. Mac
All right, final story is the Kansas City Chiefs fell short of the three peat attempt and one of their biggest off season questions is Travis Kelce, is he going to come back? GM Brett Veatch spoke to the media this week and discussed Kelce's status.
Colin Cowherd
I'm not sure how coach answered that. How we left at the end of the season is that he was fired up. He has one more year under contract and still think he has that fire and desire to play. And as far as I'm concerned, there is no deadline. I think we left it as he'd be back and we're excited to get him back and get him going. A lot of people selling that stock in Kansas City. I'm going to say this, there'll be a playoff team next year.
J. Mac
Oh, way to go out on a limb there. So you demanded yesterday I do a mock draft. It's almost complete.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. When are you going to get that done?
J. Mac
I have the Chiefs going tight end. The Michigan tight end. Loveland.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. Good player.
J. Mac
So Kelsey tutors him, shows him how to be a pro and then goes off into the sunset with I, I.
Colin Cowherd
That's not who they're going to pick. They're going to pick. They're going to pick an offensive tackle from Minnesota.
J. Mac
I have him. Oh yeah. Wow, look at you. You're on your mocks, huh? That guy, he's on my list here.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I was told. I was told even pronounce I was told. I was told to let me say what's the date today? I was told three months ago at a hookah bar I was told that he was the most underrated offensive lineman in the draft. The kid from Minnesota.
J. Mac
He's very good.
Colin Cowherd
J. Mack with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by. The herd lie news. The no, it's so is a mock. When's the mock draft come out?
J. Mac
Should be complete here in the next hour and then I'll send it to the the editors, the big powers and they will make it look pretty.
Colin Cowherd
What did you make of the Abdul Carter surgery? Why not just have surgery today? Yeah, I mean I to me get it. I don't think this is a strong enough draft to hurt him. I think he's going to be the number two pick. Number three. He'll be a top three pick regardless. I don't think it matters if you're the number one pick. The top three picks make some pretty good money.
J. Mac
If the Giants get their quarterback here, whether it's Stafford, Rogers, whoever, then, yeah, they'll take Abdul Carter at 3. And the draft starts with the Patriots at 4. Do they go, I don't want to go too long here, but the Patriots are setting up for a Penne Sewell versus Jamar Chase decision.
Colin Cowherd
Let me, let me.
J. Mac
Do you go offensive line or do you go Travis Hunter? And who's this with the Patriots at 4? Because they need an offensive line. They have.
Colin Cowherd
I mean, I, I would say this New England for the last three years feels like they've been the slowest team in the league. So to me, if you bring in Travis Hunter and I'm Mike Vrabel, I'm sorry, I'm like, dude, I need you at receiver because I actually think the Patriots corners are pretty good.
J. Mac
Yeah, Gonzalez is excellent.
Colin Cowherd
I'd say, listen, you're going to make more money at receiver. Travis, I want you at wide receiver if you want to be in nickel packages, but I want you to get, I want you to eat because I. New England just is not dynamic enough. They don't have enough speed. And so I think Travis Hunter works for them.
J. Mac
Yeah, no, like Travis Hunter, 4.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, yeah.
J. Mac
Mock draft season, baby.
Colin Cowherd
I'll tell you. You know, let me, let me ask you this question. It's a combine question. I think this is a draft of mostly B quarterback talent. But if B quarterbacks drop and end up with A franchises, isn't that better than A quarterback prospects ending up on C franchises? So if you look at Shador Sanders, I don't think he would drop, but if he dropped the jets, well, hell, that's a good roster. So my take is this year you're going to have Kyle McCourt at Syracuse, Jackson, Darth Riley, Leonard. Okay. If they were more talented, they would be draft higher to bad franchises. I would not be shocked if Kyle McCord goes to the second round to like a really good football team.
J. Mac
Pittsburgh Steelers.
Colin Cowherd
Well, just like a really good roster with stability. So it's an interesting year where the quarterback. I think Cam Ward absolutely has some A traits. I think he's got a big time army and he's really mobile. He's a little too AD Libby for Me. But there's no question you will watch Cam Ward at multiple times next season and go, wow, he has got Travis Hunter. Wow. I don't know if it wears well. I don't know if he can sit in the pocket, but he's got eight traits. Shador doesn't. Shador is a B guy across the board, really accurate, but there's not a lot of wow to his game. He's super accurate and he's had to carry Colorado with no run game and a battle line. That's my favorite part of him. But in a, in a, this almost happens all the time. Like in the NBA. It's different in the NBA you can go, this is a bad draft. Remember the Victor Oladipo draft, like there. And you can look at basketball because I think you can see basketball talent when it's 15 years old. I mean, if you got 42 inch hops and you've got the shoulders and the game. I've always told the story. I walked into a gym in Hartford, Connecticut and my daughter was playing basketball. And there were seven gyms. There were seven gyms. I sat down, there was a bunch of coaches there and I sat and it was like seventh, eighth, ninth grade girls. I sat down with a coach and in 30 seconds I go, who's that girl in the far court with the handles? He's like the best player. I mean there was 75 girls playing. And in your eyes went, oh, who's the girl breaking ankles over there? And he's like, yeah, she's in eighth grade. She'll be, she'll. You con. Will be looking at her. You can go to a football camp. Football players develop more slowly because, because it's so much about power and physicality. A lot of times you have a 340 pound kid and he's got good feet. But I, I talk to a lot of like recruiting coaches. A lot of times are like these high school kids that come to college, even Alabama, they're not strong enough. They're just not strong enough. That's not an issue in the NBA. Kobe Bryant at 17 years old could play with NBA guys. Tracy McGrady, LeBron at 16, they could play with NBA guys, right? So there's a difference. I mean, all NBA guys, even the big guys, Michael Jordan, if you put him next to Barry Bonds, Michael looked like a straw, he was so skinny. So there's a physicality to football. So a lot of guys in football, it's really hard. If the NFL was like college and you got one year of playing 80% of the first round would be bust. You need to let football players grow and develop. I mean, let's be honest about football. Offensive players have to memorize essentially a playbook the size of LA's phone book. So it's, it, there's an intellectual thing to it. Can you, can you learn quickly? And a general manager told me this years ago, he said, and I thought it was a great line. He's, it was. He had talked to Ray Lewis years ago and he said, you know, Ray Lewis made a point to this GM and it's like there is something when you've been a great high school player, if you go to a good college, you dominated high school, you ran over kids and then you go to college and you're challenged. But if you're really great, you still run over guys. In the NFL, outside of Derrick Henry or Adrian Peterson, nobody's running over anybody. And so much of it all is, is it here? Do you want to get into a car wrecked 62 times every Sunday at the line of scrimmage? I mean, Ray Lewis knew, Ray Lewis used to do this thing on Saturday night. He talks about this, he would light the candles. It was a religious experience. Like Ray Lewis looked at it like, I'm going into battle, I am going into the Octagon for three and a half hours. So, so much of Ray Lewis's greatness. He wasn't the biggest linebacker, he wasn't the fastest linebacker, he wasn't the best linebacker in space. Ray Lewis was the nastiest linebacker. Like he had the late Junior Seow. Like you just, you just didn't want to get tackled by Junior Seau. You didn't want to get tackled by Erlacher. So football is a different dynamic. And so when you, you need four years of film to figure out who can play. And even with that first rounds, 30% busts. So I think when you have all these B quarterbacks in this draft, they're going to go to A franchises. I think Kyle McCord at Syracuse, nobody's talking about him. If he goes in the second round like, and he goes, by the way, I'm trying to think of a team where you get an older quarterback, he drops to a well run franchise and you sort of look up in three years and go, Jesus, Kyle McCord's really good. Well, that's what happens when you have quote, good parenting. You know, three all. That's why Green Bay, Jordan love. I mean half the GMs I knew didn't like Jordan Love. They're like this is. There was the marijuana thing. He was too loose. Interceptions he regressed his last year. You look up now and you're like, he's a star. Why? 80% of that's Green Bay. 80% of that is Green Bay. All right, we take a break live in la, it's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.
Steve Covino
Hey, it's 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.
Colin Cowherd
To have the time to discuss.
Steve Covino
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.
Colin Cowherd
You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile, keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com Keep and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.
Steph Curry
Make some noise for the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. We went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Goat Greatest of their era. And we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
Podcast Host
Peja 5 Dirk Ford.
Colin Cowherd
Paja is elite. Okay, okay, I mad him.
Podcast Guest
I left him off my list, but I still like my list.
Steph Curry
You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
Podcast Host
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.
Steph Curry
Yes, absolutely.
Podcast Host
Love it.
Steph Curry
Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.
Podcast Host
When you have a scouting report and you're on the list as not just a shooter, but we have specific rules for how we guard you. There's a fear factor that's associated with anytime you're wide open. Like, you might as well just count that and get back on defense.
Steph Curry
Listen to Goat G O T e greatest of their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts tomorrow.
J. Mac
Fox College Hoops Friday tips off at 8 Eastern with a Big Ten showdown as 20th ranked Purdue looks to stake their claim for the conference crown against ucla.
Colin Cowherd
By the way, give the audience a heads up. Who's your final four right now?
J. Mac
Oh, geez. After a rough night in college hoops.
Colin Cowherd
For me, well, UConn struggled, Purdue struggled a little bit. It's tough.
J. Mac
Duke, Duke's Cooper flag. You have to put them in there for sure. I like Houston a little bit. They're, they're looking pretty sharp. Auburn is incredible. And I'll go Alabama as well.
Colin Cowherd
I think the SEC is the best. I've never seen a conference with that many good teams loaded. It's like nine deep, 10 deep at the SEC. It's incredible. So yesterday we talked about this briefly. The nflpa, the National Football League Player association, hands out grades for their teams. It's anonymous, so they vote on coach, owner, food, travel, weight room and treatment of family. So it doesn't mean anything to me. I don't really care that much. The largest decline of any team in the league that went down year to year the most, the Philadelphia Eagles. By the way, number one is Miami and they haven't won a playoff game in 25 years. The Raiders are near the top, the Chiefs are near the bottom. So I can remember when usc, the last time USC football was a national power, Pete Carroll was there. They had horrible facilities. I mean, I'd seen I, I, I prisons had better weight rooms. Now they have beautiful facilities and they can't beat Maryland and Minnesota. What does it matter? So when I hear about, you know, food and elite travel, apparently Patriot players were upset. They don't get good wi fi on the plane. Sorry, you can't watch Netflix Tackle better. The one place the Chiefs got an A plus head coach, and I've said this to friends, I love that I get free coffee at Fox. I get Cafe Americanos. I have like four a day and they got gummy bears everywhere. The best part About Fox Management lets me say whatever I want to say and leaves me alone. It's all about coaching. I don't care about your plane. Player empowerment, treatment of family. It would be great. If you offer daycare for all the kids all the time. It would be great. But I've always had this feeling. I covered Mike Tyson in his prime, and I was a sportscaster in Las Vegas. And he. His favorite gym to work out at was the darkest, dingiest, smallest gym in Las Vegas. It was called Johnny Tocco's Ringside Gym. Rest in peace to a. A beautiful older boxing guy. Johnny was a wonderful human being. I would hang out in his gym. I, I watched so many fighters in that gym. Tyson loved it. And you know why Mike Tyson loved it? Because he was going to work. He was going to work. And when he walked into the ring, black trunks and a torn up hoodie, he was going to work. If you're sitting worried about Wi Fi and having the shiniest locker rooms, you don't care about what matters. Now in college football, it's a little different because the players choose you. So I do think it matters that Ohio State and Texas and Oregon have beautiful facilities. It matters some, but in the end, it's all about coaching and GMing and the fact that Philadelphia had a major decline and the Raiders are near the top. And I've heard this, by the way, I know the GM formerly in Vegas, and he said the facilities are amazing. I wish the owner was that good. I wish they get the better coaches. So I don't, I don't take a lot of stock in this stuff. I think in college football, facilities matter. But the one category that I think was promising is that 20 coaches received A's. And so I think Albert Brewer talked about this yesterday, is that players like their coaches and that matters.
Albert Breer
One thing that's definitely notable is it's gotten better. Like, it seems like what they're doing is working. You know, they, they showed us a whole bunch of different statistics and metrics that show that there are far fewer failing grades for teams that players are handing out. And I think a big part of that is that a lot of these guys were embarrassed by some of the stuff that was out there on their teams. And so I do think to some degree, some of that stuff's been fixed.
Colin Cowherd
Now Cincinnati, and I don't even know how this is possible, got an F on food. Now, I have noted many times, cheapest organization in the league. I do not know how you get an F on food. Are you giving These guys Ho hoes and ding dongs for breakfast. Like, how do you get an F on food? I mean, you can't. What. What are you serving Joe Burrow for lunch that you would get an F on TV dinners?
Nikki Glaser
Again, Guys, this is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser podcast. On a more serious note, I'm still thinking about that commercial with Tom Brady and Snoop Dogg hating on each other. Because when you listen to the reasons for hating someone or something, you realize just how stupid they really are. There is too much hate in this country and it's gotta stop. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up, call it out and you can learn more by following ot'supwithhate.
Steph Curry
Make some noise. For the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry, we went live from All Star Weekend for a new podcast called Go Greatest of Their Era. And we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.
Podcast Host
Asia Five Dirt Ford.
Colin Cowherd
Asia is elite.
Steph Curry
You won't believe who Steph left off his list.
Podcast Host
That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.
Steph Curry
Yes, absolutely.
Podcast Host
Love it.
Steph Curry
Listen to Go T E Greatest of Their Era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colin Cowherd
I'm Mark Seal. And I'm Nathan King. This is Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli.
J. Mac
The five families did not want us.
Colin Cowherd
To shoot that picture. This podcast is based on my co host, Mark Seals best selling book of the same title. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli features new and archival interviews with Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Evans, James Caan, Talia Shire and many others. Yes, that was a real horse's head. Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This past season on my podcast, here's the thing. I spoke with more actors, musicians, policymakers, and so many other fascinating people like writer and actor Dan Aykroyd. I love writing more than anything.
Podcast Host
You're left alone.
Colin Cowherd
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 moving on. Listen to here's the thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Hour 1 - Faces of the League
Release Date: February 27, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
In the inaugural hour of "Faces of the League," Colin Cowherd delves deep into the dynamics shaping the leadership and star power within professional sports leagues, primarily focusing on the NBA and NFL. Engaging in insightful conversations with guest J. Mac, Colin dissects the criteria that define a league's face, the impact of player behavior on team dynamics, and the intricate balance between talent and marketability.
Colin initiates the discussion by challenging the concept of a single "face of the league" in the NBA, questioning its relevance and discussing the attributes that make certain players emblematic leaders.
Historical Context:
Colin reminisces about past NBA icons, emphasizing that while players like Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were legends, their personas didn't always align with the modern idea of a league face. He asserts, “There are three faces of the league, Magic, Michael, and LeBron.” [12:45] This trio exemplifies not just on-court prowess but also charisma and business acumen that transcend the sport.
Modern Contenders:
The conversation shifts to current stars such as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Colin critiques their marketability and public presence compared to their predecessors. He states, “Jason Tatum's a great player, but he's closer to Duncan in personality than Magic.” [14:30]
Qualities Beyond Talent:
According to Colin, being the face of the league requires more than exceptional skill. It demands an "otherworldly talent," business savvy, and an early introduction to the public eye. He highlights LeBron James, noting his immediate impact upon entering the league, “LeBron James walked into the league the first night of the NBA out of high school. He scored 20 points.” [13:10]
The discussion pivots to Luka Dončić’s situation with the Dallas Mavericks, examining how personal habits and media narratives can influence a player's standing and team reputation.
Media Scrutiny and Player Image:
Colin criticizes the Mavericks for leaking negative stories about Luka, labeling them as “lazy” and highlighting his off-field habits like “a taste for beer and hookah.” [17:10] He draws parallels to Michael Jordan’s era, stating that despite similar behaviors, Jordan's legacy remains untarnished.
Impact on Team Dynamics:
The host argues that such leaks are detrimental not just to Luka’s image but also to the team's brand, mentioning a “40% fall in ticket prices” as a consequence. Colin posits, “They weren't ready for this divorce. They thought this divorce was all about Anthony Davis and getting the lazy guy out.” [18:00]
Transitioning to the NFL, Colin and J. Mac explore potential quarterback movements, focusing on Matthew Stafford’s possible transfers and their implications.
Stafford’s Potential Destinations:
Colin assesses Stafford’s options, defending a move to the Raiders as a strategic choice under new coaching, “Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly are a really, really good combination as a staff.” [24:50] He contrasts this with a potential move to the Giants, dismissing it as a mere money grab.
Team Assessments:
The conversation touches upon the Raiders’ favorable conditions, such as no state tax and promising young offensive linemen like Max Crosby and Brock Bowers. Colin contends, “If the Rams offer him two years and 90 million and the Raiders offer him four years and 170 million in no state tax, I'm going to defend that.” [25:00]
Colin addresses the rumored tensions between AJ Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts within the Philadelphia Eagles, exploring the impact on team morale and performance.
Public Apologies and Reality:
Despite public apologies, Colin remains skeptical about the authenticity of the reconciliations, emphasizing, “If Saquon Barkley were to call out a quarterback publicly, I'd swallow hard and deal with it.” [27:30] He underscores the importance of undisrupted team harmony, especially in high-stakes environments.
Player Empowerment vs. Team Loyalty:
J. Mac and Colin debate the balance between player autonomy and organizational control, discussing how public disputes can unravel team cohesion and fan support.
The discussion shifts to the Pittsburgh Steelers, highlighting their indecision between Justin Fields and Russell Wilson as their next starting quarterback.
Team’s Strategic Dilemma:
Colin critiques the Steelers for their apparent indecisiveness, noting that the team is "quickly becoming a have-not." He remarks, “Their offense in the last eight years... they are tone deaf to the most important side of the ball.” [29:35]
Impact on Competitiveness:
He expresses concern over the Steelers’ ability to compete in a tough division, asserting, “There's no way they're cracking those guys. They're not beating those guys.” [32:14]
Colin and J. Mac discuss the future of tight end Travis Kelce with the Kansas City Chiefs, speculating on his potential departure and its ramifications.
Kelce’s Contract and Performance:
GM Brett Veatch’s optimistic stance on Kelce remains in focus, with Colin confident that “there’ll be a playoff team next year.” [32:41] He highlights Kelce's unwavering performance and importance to the team’s dynamic.
Potential Draft Strategies:
They speculate on Chiefs' draft moves, including targeting offensive tackles from Minnesota, with Colin stating, “They’re going to pick an offensive tackle from Minnesota.” [33:37]
In a brief segment, Colin and J. Mac preview the upcoming Fox College Hoops Friday, highlighting key matchups and favorite teams.
Colin reviews the NFLPA's anonymous team grades, focusing on areas like coaching, owner relations, and player treatment.
Evaluating Team Performance:
The Philadelphia Eagles receive criticism for their decline, while teams like Miami and the Raiders score highly. Colin remains dismissive of certain categories, emphasizing the primacy of coaching over amenities, “It's all about coaching. I don't care about your plane.” [47:39]
Facilities vs. Coaching:
He contrasts teams with excellent facilities but poor performance, such as USC, against those prioritizing coaching and GM strategies, reinforcing his belief that “coaching and GMing... that matters.” [48:05]
Colin Cowherd wraps up the episode by reiterating his key insights: the importance of charismatic and talented leaders in sports leagues, the detrimental effects of internal team conflicts, and the nuanced decisions surrounding player trades and draft picks. Throughout the hour, Colin emphasizes that while talent is crucial, the intangible qualities of leadership, marketability, and organizational support are paramount in defining a league's face and ensuring sustained success.
On Overrated Personalities:
Colin Cowherd [12:00]: “The only thing more overrated than face of the league is people that buy gigantic houses and they spend their next seven years yelling at their kids upstairs in a 27,000 square foot house.”
On Luka’s Media Portrayal:
Colin Cowherd [17:15]: “They weren't ready for this divorce. They thought this divorce was all about Anthony Davis and getting the lazy guy out.”
On Matt Stafford’s Potential Move:
Colin Cowherd [25:00]: “If the Rams offer him two years and 90 million and the Raiders offer him four years and 170 million in no state tax, I'm going to defend that.”
On the Steelers’ Quarterback Decision:
Colin Cowherd [29:35]: “Their offense in the last eight years... they are tone deaf to the most important side of the ball.”
On Coaching Over Amenities:
Colin Cowherd [47:50]: “It's all about coaching. I don't care about your plane.”
"Faces of the League" offers a compelling exploration of what truly makes a sports star iconic and the various factors that influence their standing both on and off the field. Colin Cowherd’s candid analysis provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of the intricate balance between talent, personality, and organizational support in shaping the future of professional sports.