Hour 1 - LeBron and Luka are still figuring it out

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd Episode: Hour 1 - LeBron and Luka are still figuring it out
Release Date: February 20, 2025

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1. Lakers vs. Hornets Game Analysis

Hosts: Doug Gottlieb (Guest Host)
Discussion Timeframe: [02:29] - [05:52]

In the opening segment, Doug Gottlieb delves into last night's Los Angeles Lakers versus Charlotte Hornets game held at the Crypto Arena. The game was a pivotal makeup matchup where both LeBron James and Luka Doncic were in the spotlight.

• LeBron James' Performance:
  LeBron secured a significant lead early in the game. However, after the All-Star break, with LeBron resting his ankle, the Lakers struggled to maintain their dominance. In the latter half, LeBron attempted two game-tying three-point shots but missed both, leading to the Lakers' eventual loss.

  Notable Quote:
  "LeBron got two clean looks at a three at game-tying threes. He misses both of them short." — [04:20]

• Luka Doncic's Struggles:
  Luka Doncic was unable to consistently outperform Charlotte's Lamelo Ball. His shooting efficiency was notably low, with statistics showing he made only 1 out of 9 three-point attempts and committed six turnovers. This performance suggests that Luka is still acclimating to his new team dynamics and rotations.

  Notable Quote:
  "Luka looked like he just hasn't found his rhythm yet. He was 5 of 18, 1 of 9 from 3, had six turnovers." — [05:00]

• Team Dynamics and Defense Issues:
  The Lakers are grappling with defensive shortcomings, particularly in rim protection and interior defense. The recent acquisition of Alex Len aimed to bolster their interior presence, but challenges remain as the team adapts to Luka's style of play alongside LeBron.

  Notable Quote:
  "They don't have the true ability to shut you down defensively, to turn you over defensively, to make you miss shots, to keep you out of the lane." — [06:00]

2. NFL Quarterback Market and Free Agency Insights

Guest: Mark Dominic (Former GM, Tampa Buccaneers)
Discussion Timeframe: [28:01] - [37:51]

Doug Gottlieb engages in an in-depth conversation with Mark Dominic about the current and future state of the NFL's quarterback market, especially as the league approaches the draft and free agency period.

• Drafting vs. Free Agency:
  Mark emphasizes the importance of drafting young quarterbacks to build a foundation rather than relying on free agency for experienced QBs. He points out that successful AFC teams have predominantly thrived by drafting and developing their quarterbacks.

  Notable Quote:
  "Your best path to success is to draft and build around a young quarterback who you believe in." — [28:19]

• Current Quarterback Landscape:
  The discussion highlights the uncertainty surrounding prominent quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Sam Darnold, and others in the free-agent pool. Mark predicts a carousel of veteran quarterbacks as teams reassess their strategies.

  Notable Quote:
  "What happens with Aaron Rodgers, what happens with Sam Darnold, what happens with so many of these retread quarterbacks..." — [02:25]

• Team-Specific Strategies:
  Using the Raiders as a case study, Mark outlines how a GM should prioritize team needs over solely focusing on drafting a quarterback. He underscores the significance of strengthening the defensive side and overall team culture.

  Notable Quote:
  "I think you're going to focus on the overall team and not just hone in and say, I've got to draft a quarterback in the first round. I think that's a mistake." — [28:42]

• Potential Moves and Negotiations:
  The conversation touches on potential moves for Aaron Rodgers, including possibilities with the LA Rams and Seattle Seahawks. Mark discusses the intricacies of contract negotiations and the challenges teams face in acquiring top-tier quarterbacks.

  Notable Quote:
  "Aaron Rodgers would love to play on the west coast, and I think he'd love to play for Sean McVay." — [29:56]

3. Bobby Portis Suspension and Substance Abuse Discussion

Segment: Herdline News
Discussion Timeframe: [16:56] - [25:41]

Doug Gottlieb reports on the suspension of Bobby Portis, a key Milwaukee Bucks forward, due to a positive test for the banned substance Tramadella.

• Details of the Suspension:
  Bobby Portis has been suspended for 25 games after testing positive for Tramadella, a pain medication now classified as a banned substance. This suspension effectively sidelines him for the remainder of the regular season.

  Notable Quote:
  "The NBA has suspended Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis for 25 games, which will take up pretty much all of the remainder of the regular season." — [17:01]

• Agent’s Explanation:
  Portis' agent, Mark Bartelstein, claims the positive test was an honest mistake. He explained that Portis intended to take Toradol, another painkiller, but was mistakenly given Tramadella by his assistant due to the similarity in drug names.

  Notable Quote:
  "Bobby was using the anti-inflammatory pain-reducing medication to deal with an elbow injury he has had this past fall and believed he was taking Toradol to alleviate some pain in preparation for that night's game." — [18:40]

• Credibility and Public Perception:
  Doug expresses skepticism about the legitimacy of the agent's explanation but ultimately finds it somewhat believable given the detailed circumstances provided.

  Notable Quote:
  "I do give him credit for at least admitting, here's what we took, here's what we meant to take, here's how it went down." — [19:52]

• Additional Sports News:
  The segment briefly touches upon an upcoming Hockey Four Nations Championship game between the US and Canada, noting the heightened emotions and national pride involved.

4. The Next Face of the NBA

Discussion Timeframe: [43:49] - [50:32]

Doug Gottlieb and his co-host discuss the evolving landscape of the NBA and ponder who might emerge as the league's next prominent face following the retirement of legends like LeBron James and Steph Curry.

• Current NBA Icons:
  The conversation acknowledges the towering presence of LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant in shaping the modern NBA. With their eventual retirements, the league faces the challenge of identifying new stars capable of carrying its legacy.

  Notable Quote:
  "When those three go and we admit that LeBron's the most famous probably polarizing Steph Curry's incredibly popular Kevin Durant a little bit polarizing but I do think people are a little bit just resigned to he's awesome." — [43:10]

• Criteria for the Next Icon:
  Kevin Durant emphasizes that being the face of the league extends beyond on-court performance. It involves cultural impact, personal conduct, and the ability to inspire fans globally.

  Notable Quote:
  "With the access I think so many guys got an opportunity to make a huge impact as the face of the league." — [45:23]

• Potential Candidates:
  The discussion highlights emerging talents like Victor (presumably Victor Wembanyama), Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo as potential candidates. However, challenges such as player conduct and international status are noted.

  Notable Quote:
  "Can Luka be that guy? I don't think. I kind of think we're past the part of it having to be an American player." — [49:00]

• Cultural and Social Factors:
  The hosts debate the public's preference for American-born players as the league's face, with a particular emphasis on middle America's influence on this perception.

  Notable Quote:
  "There's a general backlash among the public. And we're talking like die-hard NBA fans that just want to see one of their own, an American-born player, be the face of the league." — [49:28]

5. Closing Remarks and Upcoming Segments

Timeframe: [50:32] - [52:17]

Doug Gottlieb wraps up the episode by teasing upcoming discussions, including insights from Kevin Durant on the future of the NBA's face and previews of other segments. He also promotes related podcasts and shows, encouraging listeners to engage with additional content.

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Key Takeaways

• Lakers' Struggles: The Lakers are facing challenges in balancing veteran talent like LeBron James with emerging stars like Luka Doncic. Defensive weaknesses and inconsistent offense are primary concerns.

• NFL Quarterback Strategy: Drafting and developing young quarterbacks remains a cornerstone strategy for long-term success in the NFL, as opposed to relying heavily on free-agent signings.

• Player Conduct and Trust: The suspension of Bobby Portis raises questions about player conduct and the credibility of explanations provided by agents in such situations.

• Future of the NBA's Leadership: Identifying the next face of the NBA will require athletes who not only excel on the court but also resonate culturally and conduct themselves impeccably off the court.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "LeBron got two clean looks at a three at game-tying threes. He misses both of them short." — [04:20]
• "Luka looked like he just hasn't found his rhythm yet. He was 5 of 18, 1 of 9 from 3, had six turnovers." — [05:00]
• "What happens with Aaron Rodgers, what happens with Sam Darnold, what happens with so many of these retread quarterbacks..." — [02:25]
• "Your best path to success is to draft and build around a young quarterback who you believe in." — [28:19]
• "The NBA has suspended Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis for 25 games..." — [17:01]
• "With the access I think so many guys got an opportunity to make a huge impact as the face of the league." — [45:23]
• "Can Luka be that guy? I don't think. I kind of think we're past the part of it having to be an American player." — [49:00]

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This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd offers a comprehensive analysis of current sports dynamics, focusing on key players, strategic decisions in the NFL, and the evolving identity of the NBA. Through insightful discussions and expert opinions, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and future prospects in major sports leagues.

Transcript

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[Tisha Allen]

You are cordially invited to the hottest party in professional sports. I'm Tisha Allen, former golf professional and the host of welcome to the Party, your newest obsession about the wonderful world that is women's golf. Featuring interviews with top players on tour, tips to help improve your swing, and the craziest stories to come out of your friendly neighborhood country club. Welcome to the Party with Tisha Allen is an iHeart Women's fourth production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Listen to welcome to the Party. That's P A R T E e on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podc.

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[Doug Gottlieb]

Now let's get this party started.

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[Doug Gottlieb]

What up? Welcome in this is the Herd, wherever you may be and however you may be listening to us today. Thanks so much for joining us on the show. I'm Doug Gottlieb in for Colin Cowherd. And we got a heck of a show for you. Mark Dominic's gonna join us in 25 minutes. Mark, of course, was a general manager with Tampa Buccaneers. He joins me in the Doug Gottlieb show weekly. Gives us real insight into the NFL including, including what's going to happen with the quarterback market now that we're, you know, getting closer and closer. Two months away from the NFL draft and that free agency market in the NFL is now, now, now, now, now. What happens with Aaron Rodgers, what happens with Sam Darnold, what happens with so many of these retread quarterbacks after the retread quarterbacks had such a good year this year on the market. We got Herdline News, Kevin Durant with some interesting comments about who should be the next face of the league. And Mark Medina will join us later on the show. Got a good show for you. Let's start with last night at Crypto where the Lakers playing a makeup game against the Hornets. And again, it's not the first time we see Luka and LeBron. But now that you had the All Star break, LeBron got a couple days off with the ankle. They got a chance to show what this version of the Lakers looks like and what it looked like. Off to a big lead and then they give up a 22 to one run in the second half. LeBron got two clean looks at a three at game tying threes. He misses both of them short. And the Lakers fall to the Charlotte Hornets as they could not especially late in the game. Luka could not stay in front of lamelo Ball. Here's LeBron James when he was asked about those final two shots. JJ talks about just the comfort and.

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The rhythm that you had for yourself.

[Doug Gottlieb]

There in the fourth.

[Tisha Allen]

How do you feel about the looks you got?

[LeBron James]

I felt pretty good. Those last two was pretty good looks. You run the set of the coaches, JJ draws up and you execute it to. And we execute it, we just didn't make it.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Here's JJ Redick talking about wanting LeBron to take that last shot.

[JJ Redick]

There's, there's some interchangeable parts in some of the late game stuff. And you know, you as a coach, you're excited that you have two guys that can be the passer and be the guy who gets the pass. But felt like, you know, LeBron, particularly in the fourth, just, you know, found a nice rhythm and felt really comfortable with that. And we got two good looks.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Here's Luca when he was asked about LeBron taking the final shot instead of him. I mean, it's both ways. You know, he had it going, so.

[LeBron James]

Obviously we're gonna go to him.

[Doug Gottlieb]

You know, I think he go both ways. So one time's gonna be a one time me. So I think it depends how the games go. And look, that that's reasonable. I've never understood this, like, well, who's gonna take the last shot? I remember that was at the warriors, the big thing, when they got Kevin. Who's going to take the last shot? Well, if. I mean, it's no different than if. Have you watched the documentary on the Olympics on the. On the basketball Olympics? If you have. You know, I think a lot of people made a huge deal of Kevin Durant when he threw the ball back to Steph Curry for Steph Curry's, you know, final of the four consecutive threes dagger three. But the reality is, like, that's how basketball is played. You know, you don't go like, well, listen, I know for 47 minutes, especially for the last, you know, 10 minutes or so, LeBron James had it going. But we're going to go back to Luca because he's a better, you know, traditionally a better closer than LeBron. Like, that's not how it works. You have two guys, whoever's hot, that's who gets the ball. But I would tell you that one of the things. One of the reasons that I think Kevin Durant wanted to stay in Phoenix and not go to Golden State is what you saw at Crypto last night, which is you just kind of have to play a certain number of games and things organically take care of themselves. Now, also pretty obvious that, you know, Charlotte shot 36 from the floor and still won. And late in the game, you know, they. They were going to lamelo, and they were clearly hunting Luka Doncic, who lives down to his reputation as a defensive player. Now, some of that stuff will, again, organically take care of itself in terms of LeBron or Luka having the ball late. That's something that has to. Has to just play out over 20 games where everybody then just like, you know, like LeBron, you've been great, but we're probably going to go to Luca or probably going to go to Luca, but, I mean, neither team shot it. Well, The Lakers shot 51 threes, and they all made only 15 of them. Luka looked. He just hasn't found his rhythm yet. He was 5 of 18, 1 of 9 from 3, had six turnovers. He looked like a guy coming back off of injury who's still not sharp still not ready and playing with a whole new team. And the rotations are different. Everything they're doing is different. Fine. But I do think that eventually he's going to have to be the closer or he'll be the closer. Except with the exception of games and where LeBron has it going like he had it going last night. And in the. And that those particular instances, in those particular instances, you know, LeBron gets the ball. But the Lakers aren't a perfect team. They're just not. They don't have the true ability to shut you down defensively, to turn you over defensively, to make you miss shots, to keep you out of the lane. You know, the reason that they wanted Mark Williams so bad is they needed somebody to defend the rim. And now they're playing Jackson Hayes. You know, that's why they went and got Alex Len, who's, you know, he. He was decent last night offensively, but they have to have somebody who protects room. But you can't guard against five guys driving like. It just doesn't work that way. But I thought, I just think it's interesting, right here's a team that they're still figuring out who they are, who gets the ball, had a big lead, Charlotte comes storming back. At the end of the day, I think a blind man could tell you that Lamelo Ball was the best player on the court late and the most confident player on the court late. He made the most plays late, and the Hornets come in and get a win. And while we could easily say, hey, the Hornets are not a playoff team, they're not a good team, I do give the Lakers a little bit of benefit of doubt because you're still figuring it out, still figuring out how to play with Luka, still figuring out, you know, what the kind of pecking order is, how they play defensively. They haven't had a lot of time. And the reason that I think kd, who said, I didn't want to leave Phoenix, because, you know, I didn't want to leave my guys mid season trades are just hard. This is the reason they're hard. This is the reason they're difficult. Yeah, Learning the plays is not that hard. Everybody, everybody has different calls for most of the same sets, but assimilating to playing with different guys, especially on the fly, really difficult, and then establishing kind of a pecking order coming into LeBron's team. And you know how it has to work. Early on, you get to LeBron's team, bronze team, he takes the big shots, but then you don't have Austin Reaves late. You don't have any sort of interior play late and you go with the hot hand. And Luka looks just like he's not quite there in terms of knowing where what everyone's supposed to be. Nor is he completely on his game, by the way. LeBron apparently I didn't see the stat is one of 29 since joining the Lakers on game tying or go ahead field goals in the final seconds of the game. That's a real stat. I saw that last night that seemed I thought he'd hit a couple shots with the Lakers. All right, coming up next, I'm Doug Gottlieb in for Colin. Coming up in the Herd, an integral part of the Milwaukee Bucks has been suspended for a banned substance and his agent has come out with an explanation as to what happened. Do we buy it? Let's discuss next in the Herd.

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[Doug Gottlieb]

So party of two, right this way.

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[Trevon Edwards]

What's up everybody? I'm Trevon Edwards, co host of the new podcast Got Greatest of their Era with Steph Curry. You don't want to miss our first episode that's out now. We went live from All Star Weekend, had special guest appearance by Steph Curry himself. Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.

[Steph Curry]

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.

[Trevon Edwards]

And we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.

[Steph Curry]

Peja 5 Dirk 4 Peja is elite.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Okay, okay, I'm mad.

[JJ Redick]

Him.

[LeBron James]

I left him off my list, but.

[Doug Gottlieb]

I still like my list.

[Trevon Edwards]

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

[Steph Curry]

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

[Trevon Edwards]

Yes, absolutely.

[Steph Curry]

Love it.

[Trevon Edwards]

Listen to goat greatest of their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tisha Allen]

I'm Tisha Ahlin, former golf professional and the host of welcome to the Party, your newest obsession about the wonderful world that is women's golf, featuring interviews with top players on tour, like LPGA superstar Angel Yin.

[Doug Gottlieb]

I really just sat myself down at the end of 2022, and I was like, look, either we make it or we quit.

[Tisha Allen]

Expert tips to help improve your swing and the craziest stories to come out of your friendly neighborhood country club.

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The drinks were flowing, twerking all over the place, vaping.

[Doug Gottlieb]

They're shotgunning.

[Tisha Allen]

Women's golf is a wild ride full of big personalities, remarkable athleticism, fierce competition, and a generation of women hell bent on shanking that glass ceiling. Welcome to the party with Tisha Allen is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Listen to welcome to the party. That's P A R T E e on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast presented by.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports, Doug Alibin for calling this the Herd. FOX Sports Radio iHeartradio app, Bobby Portis, you may have heard, suspended for 25 games. His agent has released a statement. We'll. We'll discuss it in Herdline News. Coming up. Then Mark Dominic's going to join us. You know, I. I find this time of year really interesting because obviously the NBA and the NFL work in opposite fashion, right? The NBA, they have the draft, then free agency. The NFL has free agency, then the draft. And, you know, you look, you look at trends in the NFL and what was trendy, obviously you still had Mahomes. You still had Josh Allen. You know, Herbert had a good year this year. Lamar Jackson could have been very easily, could have been the mvp. You, I mean, you go through the top, top five teams in the AFC and five of six of the top seven teams in the afc, eight of the top, excuse me, seven of the top eight teams in the SC and all have a quarterback that they drafted and they developed. And all except for the Texans. They're on their second under the second contract. And the Texans, the Broncos on the second contract. So if you want to mimic successful teams. You look in the afc, you're like, okay, you draft the quarterback. Now you go to the NFC and it's a little different, right? The nfc, the Lions traded for their quarterback. The Eagles drafted theirs in the second round. He's on his second contract. Buccaneers is Baker, right? He's on his, his third team. And on his second or third contract. Third contract, technically, Stafford's on his second team. Darnold, of course, became a journeyman after being a high draft choice. Commanders and packers all both drafted their quarterbacks. So as much as we want to sit there and go, hey, you know, it was the year of the Baker Mayfields. It was the year of the the traveling quarterback like Sam Darnold, who found finally found a home. Reality is your best path to success is to draft and build around a young quarterback who you believe in. But it looks like there's only two that grayed out as first round draft picks. So what happens in the NFL with Jameis? What happens with Darnold? What happens with Aaron Rodgers? What happens with guys that have had different levels of success for a different amount of times, but a different place, their career versus. Do you draft guys now who you're betting on the future? You're not paying them a ton. You're trying to build a roster around them. Well, that's Mark Dominic upcoming in about five minutes. In the meantime, let's get to Jason Stewart with the news.

[LeBron James]

Turn on the news.

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This is the Herd line news.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Hello, Doug. Hello. What's up, bud?

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The NBA has suspended Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis for 25 games, which will take up pretty much all of the remainder of the regular season. Portis tested positive for the drug Tramadella, a medication used to treat severe pain among adults. It's on the banned substance list now. Portis is a six man. I guess he's come in the top three of the last two years in the six man of the year. 13.7 points off the bench, 8.3 rebounds. What do you think of this development, Doug?

[Doug Gottlieb]

So, okay, so we're supposed to believe that he was taking Turtle and he mistakenly took Tramadol. Toradol is approved, although we've heard things about Toradol, his pain medication he used previously.

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This according to his agent, Mark Bartelstein, who issued the statement this morning.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Yeah, yeah. Tramadol, however, is not approved for pain medication released he added to the banned substance list this past spring. The tramadol pill he took came from an assistant of his with a valid prescription for the painkiller which he mistakenly told Bobby was Toradol. This again was an honest mistake because of the similarity in names of the drugs and the fact that they both serve a very similar purpose. Bobby was using the anti inflammatory pain reducing medication to deal with an elbow injury he has had this past fall and believed he was taking Toradol to alleviate some pain in preparation for last for that night's game. That is the weirdest coincidence ever, right?

[Tisha Allen]

That.

[Doug Gottlieb]

That's as strange. Do I believe it? I actually do because. And, and what I would love is I'd love for them to present those prescriptions that they have and why his assistant has a. Was able to get Tramadol. But I, I love when guys, you know, I. Look, I took something, I didn't know what it was, whatever. At least we're getting actual names of medication. And it becomes more believable. Now there's the other side to it, which is anyone who's ever told a fib before knows that the more facts you throw out, the more likely it is you're lying. No, no, no, I, I wasn't at Stacy's house. I was at Jim's house and it's down the street from Stacy's house. And then, and then at 11:20 we stopped by just because I left my car keys in my car and it was outside Stacy's house and I don't know how it got right. It does feel a little bit like. It's almost very hard to believe. But again, you got to give him credit for at least admitting, here's what we took, here's what we meant to take, here's how it went down.

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It sounds believable.

[Doug Gottlieb]

It does.

[Fox Sports Radio Ad]

And because it's not necessarily a performance enhancer, you kind of got to believe this. This was just to mask pain or to deal with pain. I don't know what the benefit would be on the court, but yeah, no, I kind of believe Bartlestein on this. Now, tonight, Doug, you and I don't talk a lot of hockey. And there's a reason for that. It's not a very entertaining sport. But tonight the US faces off against Canada in the championship game of the four nations. Face off. Now, Saturday night, of course, everyone remembers the game was in Montreal. The Canadian crowd booed the national anthem. There was three fights in the first nine seconds of the game. It actually, for the first time all year, we talked hockey. So lots of fights equals. And you put national pride in. You put some booing of the national anthem in. And I'm actually interested to See how it goes tonight. Doug, what do you think?

[Doug Gottlieb]

I, I am like, yeah, you, it, it makes it interesting. It makes it so that it shows you some. You, you kind of care because that's the problem with so many of these competitions right now. Right. That's the whole NBA All Star game issue is does anybody care? But again, it's. How physical are they going to be in comparison to how physical they normally would be in hockey when they're in the middle of their season? That's. That's the question mark. I'm, I'm intrigued. Will I watch? No. I'm not gonna lie to you and tell you I'm gonna watch you.

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And I have talked about this on our, on our daily show that I. What I love about hockey and the NHL is that they know their place. They, they are kind of a niche sport who have very passionate fans and I'll never take that away from them. I, I have many friends that are hockey fans and they swear by it and they'll always say, oh, you got it. You got to see it in person. It'll change your life. And I have seen it in person and it didn't. It's just not for me. But when you put national pride on the one, I have to give the NHL credit here. And in lieu of their all star game, they did this four nations face off thing and it seems to be a big hit. I wonder if the NBA could, could take notes on this or is that just completely gone?

[Doug Gottlieb]

I mean, I think the, I mean, like, look, you had, you had the Olympics, you have the World Cup. I just don't know what you can do middle of the NBA season.

[Fox Sports Radio Ad]

Yeah. Yeah. I guess if you, if you had to do like a three or four tiered tournament thing round robin, it wouldn't. So you and I speak a lot about this on our show. It's the, the NFL. The quality of the product has been much worse than it ever has been. But the interest in the game is higher than it's ever been. So there really isn't any motivation to fix the quality of play. Case in point, via David Purdom of ESPN.com the American sports betting industry had a record $13.71 billion in revenue last year, Doug. Most of that coming from betting on the NFL, the highest revenue ever by sports gambling. Now, obviously it hasn't been legal for many years, but that's still an astonishing number, Doug. And it's more reason that the NFL has to not fix their product.

[Doug Gottlieb]

It really is. It's, it's one of those things where you're. I mean, I was. We're watching the super bowl and you're like, this is not a great football game. And how many times have you said that this year now to the NFL, the metrics that they track are how many people are watching, how many people are gambling, how many people are showing up. And then I. I truly believe that the. How many of the starting quarterbacks were playing for their team in the playoffs? Like, all the player safety stuff is really so they don't get sued again, but also so they have the starting quarterbacks playing as much of the season as possible. And so it's a successful year. Like, how you gauge success, you have to kind of predetermine. And I don't think they predetermined success based upon quality of play. If they did, they'd have more practices, they'd have fewer games, you know, and just a stunningly successful season despite the fact. And you're right, J. Stu, like, I'm not completely to your point where you think all the games are so terrible and so poorly played. I think a lot of it is. And this is very similar to the NBA is that. And honestly, it's the reason Major League Baseball's All Star game doesn't have the same bite. We can watch every game now. So as much as we think, man, the product isn't as good as it used to be, and it probably isn't as good as it has been at times, the fact is we watch all these games with much more of a fine tooth comb because we can now without leaving our home, without having multiple satellite dishes. You can simply watch whatever game you want, wherever you want, if you truly desire to do so. And because of it, when you pay more attention to these games, you're like, wow, that's really not that good a football game. I contend that this is not as much a product of the sport being bad as we're watching the sport more closely. Same thing with the NBA. Like, man, these regular season games, there's not a lot of energy. You know, there's not a lot of energy. Was there a lot of energy back in the 90s when they played regular season games? We don't know, you know, why we didn't watch them, because we couldn't. So it's almost. It's almost the curse of being able to see any game anywhere, anytime. And that's Jason Stewart with the news.

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Well, that's the news.

[JJ Redick]

And thanks for stopping by the herd lie news.

[Doug Gottlieb]

You know, the other part to the Lakers losing last night is, I understand there's excitement in like Luca and LeBron, but when that move was made, I don't know of anybody who's like, well, now the Lakers are challengers. Now when the Mark Williams deal looked like it was going through, like, okay, that makes sense. They could be modestly decent defensively because he's such a phenomenal rim protector. But, you know, look, last night can be a bummer. Luca didn't look like he was in shape already. LaMelo kicked their butt and LeBron missed two shots to tie it late. But the Luca trade is a long term, not short term deal for the Lakers. It's long term. We can sit there and go like, well, how are you going to guard those guys? Like, when has that ever worked in the NBA playoffs? Never. Never. So even Luca at his best and LeBron at this age, like, expectations are not a championship team. But now you have Luca, you have the next superstar for the Lakers for the next however many years, they'll never let him get away and they got to build a team around him. So I'm not saying that they're to the level the Hornets, but my expectations were never super high once for the, the previous roster and then this roster, like, what do they have in terms of interior defense? And I don't know how you expect to play in the playoffs and play well if that's a decided weakness, as well as when you're not great at, you know, guarding inside, rebounding and defending, then you have Luca. And Dallas had to do everything in their power to have multiple rim protectors because he can't guard or won't guard or. A little bit of both. A little bit of both. Let's get to Mark Dominic, who joins us, of course, former general manager of the Tampa Buccaneers. He joins me weekly on the Doug Gottlieb show on Fox Sports Radio. And Mark, last year's off season was the off season of the moving running back who wanted a multi year extension. What's. What's this year's.

[JJ Redick]

Yeah, this year is the veteran quarterback carousel where they're going to end up, right? It's what happens with Matt Stafford. Where does Aaron Rodgers go? What about Kirk Cousins? That kind of a carousel, I think is the more interesting storyline that we're going to see, I think, this offseason. Anything else?

[Doug Gottlieb]

Okay, so. So who's the first domino to drop? How does it actually work with it with a gm? Say you're the GM of the Raiders, right? You take over and you don't have anything you necessarily want to keep. You have a draft pick, but the draft looks like there's two first round picks. What. What's the process like of trying to decide what you want to do?

[JJ Redick]

Yeah, I think when you go through, especially with the Raiders and what you're trying to do is you're looking at your full football team and saying, look, I think there's hope on the offensive line. There's certainly the tight ends. I feel like we're in a good spot. Could we add a receiver? Sure. You know, that kind of, you know, maybe a running back, but defensively, there are ways away right now, and I think that you're going to focus on the overall team and not just like hone in and saying, I've got to draft a quarterback in the first round. I think that's a mistake because I just don't feel like the option may be there. You're going to do your work in case, you know, for whatever reason, Shador is there or, you know, if you fall in love with somebody else. But I think you're going to look on the defensive side of the ball, take advantage of one of these defensive players, whether it's Travis Hunter, it's Will Johnson, the two corners, certainly Mason Graham's a lot of people are talking about, and then Abdul Carter, but he should be off the board before they ever get near it. I think you've got to just kind of reset the culture. I think that's why they brought Pete Carroll in there, to try to set the culture right and try to, you know, kind of bring back the confidence and the energy to the franchise. We'll see what that does. But I think the Raiders are in a tough spot in 2025 just because the quarterback carousel doesn't seem to be falling in their favor.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Aaron Rodgers paint the picture for where he could play football next year?

[JJ Redick]

Yeah, I've been saying it for almost a month now that all eyes should be watching what happens to me in LA with the Rams, you know, with Matt Stafford in that negotiation, does that come together? Does it fall apart? And if it falls apart, like there's been whispers of the numbers that could be. I think that he would love to play on the west coast, and I think he'd love to play for Sean McVay. And I think Sean McVay would say, hey, look, have the quarterback of the future, but at least we've got a quarterback for 2025 and we're in good shape and it's gonna be less expensive than what Matt's gonna ask for and how long we're gonna tie into Matt Stafford. I think that's a possibility. I also look at some other teams that could be that bridge person and I think of John Schneider as a possibility. Obviously the general manager of the Seattle Seahawks, he has a relation with Aaron Rodgers. He was in Green Bay back when Aaron was in his rookie deal. And so John may look at Geno and say, look, it might not be good enough. Let's try to take this up a notch and see against Seattle right now. And so I think that Seattle is one of those optional teams that could be in the mix for an Aaron Rodgers as well as you have to sit there and say the Raiders have to be a conversation piece just because of, like I said, I don't know if the draft's going to fall their way for the Raiders.

[Doug Gottlieb]

It does feel like though, if, if, if Pete Carroll is going to try and recreate the Seattle thing, does he take a guy second, third round and try and build around the fact he's not going to be making any money?

[JJ Redick]

Yeah, and I don't disagree. And I think the draft class is right in that range. Right. I mean, I think a lot of people know that basically, like it's, you know, Jackson Dart, Quinn Lewis or Jalen Mildrow are really going to be the guys you're talking about in that second, third round. And I think that those are all teams are doing a ton of work on that. We're going to get to see here next week, start to throw at the combine. And I think those are the names that, you know, I think everybody's familiar with, but certainly those are the guys you're trying to dissect right now with Jackson Dart having a little more momentum and I think when yours right now is lower on people's boards than where he'll end up.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Okay, there's. There's two AFC teams that are super interesting. Let's start with the Chiefs who won the afc. Pretty obvious they got to reshuffle some things on their offensive line like that, that it doesn't matter what you got. If you can't block, you got no shot. But the rest of the roster needs some tinkering as well. There's not a lot of star, star caliber guys outside of Mahomes on offense, especially with Kelsey aging. So if you're in that front office, knowing what you know, how do you work it? How do you, how do you, how do you reconfigure and sort of rebuild on the fly?

[JJ Redick]

Yeah, I think you've got to do priorities and I think Trey Smith is the priority and it's going to be a big number. Right? They're big right guard. You know, it depends. You know, you said it and you felt it in this, you know, Super Bowl. The Chiefs have lost two Super Bowls where their offensive line has been overpowered and just couldn't handle it. And you know, it's been a tough show for Homes both times. So, you know, Trey Smith, albeit was in the game, I think he's still a key component to it and I think he's probably their number one priority in terms of free agency. I think Nick Bolton comes in second, probably around the 10 to 15 million dollars range. I think Justin Reed's a third. I think the Chiefs are very fixable in terms of getting them back. I think the draft, clearly they've tried to draft offensive linemen. They've done it the last two years, taking a second to third rounder, trying to put it out there at the tackle spot. You can't stop. You got to keep. So, you know, even if you feel like you're missing on those guys, you got to keep pushing picks in the offensive line because that's your lifeblood like you just talked about, Doug, and it's perfect sense. But then they've got to get a running back. Kareem Hunt, Smarty P. Ryan are both free agents. Isaiah Pacheco I think is more of a situational type of back. So I want to back. I can turn around handed to and know that I didn't take some of the pressure off of Patrick Mahomes and they don't have that. And I think that's a key other piece of the puzzle, receiver wise with Rasheed Wright coming back, Rashid Wrights coming back, I think they're in pretty good shape. They'll get some other guys that are going to want to play there. So I think that's a good one. But I think focus on, you know, the offensive line, signing Trey Smith, draft another offensive lineman early, first or second round, and then you go to the defensive side and I think you put your money into Nick Bolton. If you can get him around that, that 10 to 12 per year.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Okay, how do you. How do you do it with the Bengals? Right. They're talking about, well, we want to hang on to Ty, you know, wanted to hang on to Ty Hilton. Plus they have Chase. And then, you know, you look at the defensive side of the ball and your best young, your defense isn't good, but your best defense player needs a rework contract. How do you do it? How do you work it?

[JJ Redick]

Yeah, okay, so. And I agree. Trade got a big contract coming to him. I mean, here's everybody's reporting, people are talking about. There's a lot of reports Jamar Chase is looking for 40 a year. Right. The problem is he still got one more year on his contract. As you know, that's fully guaranteed. But they were just under $22 million, which is a ridiculous bargain. Key Higgins, they have the option to franchise tag him. That's just over $27 million. So, you know, the Bengals could play the Bengals here and just be like, hey, look, we can't find a way to get to 40 million. So there's no. And that's why I don't think Jamar Shake. He can shoot for 40 million, but when you're negotiating against the Bengals, I don't think you're going to get there. And I think T. Higgins, because he wants to, I think be there. In my personal opinion, he wants to play with Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase. I think you could find T. HIGGINS north of 30 instead of the 35 that people are reporting. I think if he goes to free agency, he might get to 35, but I think he'd be willing to take 30, 31 to stay there. Jamar Chase is probably going to have to come off at 40. I just don't see the Bengals being that team that's going to turn around and pay 40 million worse for Jamar Chase right now. Not with Joe Burrow where he is at. And like you just said, with Trey Hendrickson, you know, obviously needing a pay raise. So you got to prioritize again. I know I can control him with. With obviously the fifth year option for Jamar, the tag for Higgins. I certainly consider doing those two things as I try to work through Trey Hendrickson, and then I come back to maybe the tag, and then I come back to Jamar at the end if I can't, you know, if they're not moving off their numbers and you know, Jamar's got decided how he wants to play 20, 25. You want to play for 21 million fully guaranteed, and risk free agency knowing that there's a bag that's right around the corner for Jamar Chase, too. It's. It's a really good spot for the Bengals to be in because how hard ball they play, Doug. And I think that's the one thing those players all know, that they don't have the leverage right now at all, even though they've Got their credentials and certainly the statistics.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Does. Does the media, fans, social media, because the points you point out are the parts that, you know, we've come to realize is that as much as it feels like, well, the players can sit out, it's like there's nowhere you're going. Right. We own your rights. There's no, you're not. We don't have to give in to you at all. And this is a team that traditionally does play hardball. Now, they traditionally also pay their own guys, the guys they draft. That's. That's what they do. They don't go get free agents. Does the pressure of the outside noise matter at all in Cincinnati?

[JJ Redick]

Yeah, you think it would, but, you know, with the family so entrenched in the organization for so many years, you know, they're so used to, you know, having tough times this Cincinnati and great times with Cincinnati that the noise doesn't get to them. I don't think. I just don't think it does. I think they're. They're affected by, wow. What's going on here. Instead, they can kind of the pictures like, we're just trying to keep this team together. They can play. The woe is us. We're doing the best we can to try to find ways to get deals done with our guys, but right now, we just can't seem to get it done. So I don't think the noise is going to be too much for them. You know, I think if you're an agent for Jamar Chase, certainly T. Higgins you're pointing at Joe Burrow said you did him after three years. I don't understand why you wouldn't do my guy now. That's as good leverage as you can use based off those two guys going into, you know, another tag and his fifth year. But again, they have all the leverage. The only thing a player can do, as you know, Doug, is suddenly a little bit of a foot sprain. You know, my ankle hurts. I feel like I twisted my Achilles a little bit, and I can't make it this week. That's the only downside is the player can slowly kind of pick and choose and when he's going to play, but he's not going to sit the season out.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Mark, great stuff as always, man. Really appreciate you joining us. Look forward to talking to you as the draft gets closer and closer. Thanks so much for your guest on Fox Sports Radio.

[JJ Redick]

Yes, sir. Next week, Combine. Looking forward to it.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Next week is the combine in India. Doug Gottlieb in for calling. This is the hurt fox Sports Radio iHeartradio app and coming up next, wait till you hear what Kevin Durant said when he was asked about who he believes the next face of the NBA is. That's next. I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is the Herd.

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Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Jason Stewart]

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.

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[Trevon Edwards]

What's up everybody? I'm Trevon Edwards, co host of the new podcast Got Greatest of Their Era with Seth Curry. You don't want to miss our first episode that's out now we went live from all Star weekend and had special guest appearance by Steph Curry himself. Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.

[Steph Curry]

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.

[Trevon Edwards]

And we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.

[Steph Curry]

Peja 5 Dirk Ford.

[Jason Stewart]

Peja is elite.

[Doug Gottlieb]

I'm mad him I left him off.

[LeBron James]

My list but I still like my list.

[Trevon Edwards]

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

[Steph Curry]

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

[Trevon Edwards]

Yes, absolutely.

[Steph Curry]

Love it.

[Trevon Edwards]

Listen to goat greatest of their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Everyone's forgotten who runs this valley.

[JJ Redick]

Time to remind them.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Yellowstone fans step into the Yellowstone universe. Dark family legacy news this ranch and our protector of my life. Hosted by Bobby Bones, the official Yellowstone podcast takes you deeper into the franchise. This 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.

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Bobby Bones has everything you need to.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Stay connected to the Yellowstone phenomenon. I look forward to it. Listen to the official Yellowstone podcast Now.

[Fox Sports Radio Ad]

On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Wherever you get your podcasts. Let's go to work. Doug Ali been for Colin. This is the herd. Fox Sports Radio iHeartradio app. Welcome, welcome, welcome in. You know there's a lot of talk about what happens when LeBron and Steph Curry retire because you know you have and I do think this the Olympic team documentary is you know doing a good job of highlighting I just how special it is to have Kevin Rand who's he's the best scorer of this generation. Steph Curry who has completely changed the way we look at shots and the game and, and, and and the dynamic of players who don't fit the stereotypical size and positional kind of ideas of the past and of course LeBron James who's a just been a physically dominant player since the day he arrived in the NBA. Now we're 20 plus years into it, right. So when those three go and we admit that LeBron's the most famous probably polarizing Steph Curry's incredibly popular Kevin Grant a little bit polarizing but I do think people are a little bit just resigned to he's awesome. I don't know if I love him or not, but who's the next face of the NBA? Especially when you're considering of the elite players in the NBA. Jason Tatum's like how many American born players are there? And there's some thought that well you can't have a non foreign born player, a Luka Doncic, a Joker, you know obviously Giannis, he's I think in that realm of he's obviously slightly younger but of lebron and KD and it though he's beloved, he's not and probably will never be the face of the league. Here's KD on who he thinks should be next.

[LeBron James]

I keep hearing that what is the face of the league? Like what does that entail? What do you do when you got our face of the league? Understand what comes with that? Because it seemed like it's just more than basketball. So when we talk about I want to know you got an answer for me I think it's a little bit more than that because. I mean from. Because Ant playing great ball and they said he's not fit to be the face of the league or Lucas playing great and sometimes people don't. And then they said international players can't be the fate. Like I don't understand what the face of the league is and what that entails. I think all of these guys have impacted in the culture of basketball. So many players are probably watching Victor and or Luca and trying to emulate what they do every day. And they also watching them off the court and see what they do in their personal lives as well, you know. So with the access I think so many guys got an opportunity to make a huge impact as the face of the league, you know because they're inspiring so many people so easily so quick. You know the access is, is there for everybody to watch and see what they go through. So yeah, I don't even know what that. When people say that term, just throw that term out. I need to, I need an explanation or a definition of what that truly means because a lot of these guys, regardless of where they come from, are impacting people all around the world. You know what I'm saying? It's not just one guy, it's not just two guys. It's a. This whole generation of era of players is going to impact the world in a different way than the guys forum. So I just think That's a term we use just so we can have conversation.

[Doug Gottlieb]

I actually think KD nails it. I kind of thought he nailed it, right? Like those guys, people with the access people have, we can pay attention to everything and anything about these players. And he talked about some of the guys that kids are watching and emulating what they do and how they do it. I mean Shea Gilgeous Alexander is probably, I mean he should be the MVP of this league, right? And because he played in the States in college, because he has, you know, he's. Though he doesn't represent our country in the Olympics. Heck, the president has his way. Maybe he's an American by the end of, in the next four years anyway. I don't know. I don't think that's likely, but it's possible. It's a, it's actually a great question, like what is the face of the league? It reminds me a little bit of kind of the discussion we started the show with, which is, it's like who's going to take the game winning shot for the Lakers? Like, well, who's hot in that given day and who's open. But I do think that KD nails it and that the face of the league is not just about who the best player in the league. And I think what people are wondering and the reason they're saying face the league is we've been through this before. We've been through this for. If you're in your mid to late 30s and really beyond and into your 40s and 50s. You remember when Jordan retired, there was more talent. Then there was kind of late in his second run, right? There was when the league expanded and they created the Hornets and the Magic. There was, it was a little bit watered down. There's a little bit. A couple too many teams. And then slowly but surely the international players started performing very well and those voids were filled. But when he left the league, it was Iverson, Rasheed Wallace, Vince Carter, Grant Hill, like Jason Kidd, those are the next guys. And some of it, some of it is going to be on each one of those guys. Grant Hill couldn't stay healthy. Vince Carter was never on a great team. Allen Iverson off the court was, was sort of messy and you know, he was like the people's champions. But he didn't play a lot of defense and he was an inefficient player. Kobe Bryant, it took them a while before it was Kobe and Shaq, right? They were all part of that, all part of that, that, that kind of dry area. There where the spurs won titles and they were seen to be too boring. The game was too physical. The Knicks were boring, whatever. But I. I think we're preparing for that. What happens when LeBron and Steph go bye bye? Can anyone be as popular, as successful, as talented? And oh, yeah, by the way, neither of those guys anything negative off the court. Is that possible? Right. So if it's. If you have to. If you have to take in the off the court, that cuts John Morant out of it. Right. And then you start having to go through, like, can Luca be that guy? I don't think. I kind of think we're past the part of it having to be an American player. J. Stu, maybe you're the best guy to call out on this. Not because you're a xenophobe.

[Fox Sports Radio Ad]

Thanks. Thank you for that.

[Doug Gottlieb]

I said not because you are. Yeah, I know that you have in your mind, hey, doesn't have to be an American player. And I guess the question is like, I mean, we saw. We've seen this with soccer where these guys come over late in their career and they're crazy, crazy popular now. Maybe it's because the image they established before they played in the United States. I don't know. Like, why can't Luca be the face of the league?

[Fox Sports Radio Ad]

I just think that there has been like a general backlash among the public. And we're talking like die hard NBA fans that just want to see one of their own, an American born player, be the face of the league. I just think that that exists mostly in middle America.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Well, it's interesting. I mean, like, again, I don't think Anthony Davis has the dynamic as a person. He's just not something he's ever loved in terms of the spotlight. But he's amazing. He's American born. Jason Tatum just won NBA title for whatever reason. I don't think people love that. I don't. Let's get back to that. Top of the hour. I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is the Hurt. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like, you know, to check for the nearest bathroom first before the game starts. Now you're heading in the wrong direction and it sounds like your team's taking the lead. Checking first is smart, so check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Savings vary subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.

[Tisha Allen]

You are cordially invited to the hottest party in professional sports. I'm Tisha Allen, former golf professional and the host of welcome to the Party, your newest obsession about the wonderful world that is women's golf. Featuring interviews with top players on tour, tips to help improve your swing, and the craziest stories to come out of your friendly neighborhood country club. Welcome welcome to the Party with Tisha Allen is an iHeart Women's fourth production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports Entertainment. Listen to welcome to the Party that's P A R T E e on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Doug Gottlieb]

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.

[Steph Curry]

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.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Go pick up a kid from school and write at night.

[Steph Curry]

And after nine hours you come out with seven pages and then you're moving on.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Listen to here's the thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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This is Mel Reid, LPTA Tour winner.

[Trevon Edwards]

And six time Ladies European Tour winner.

[Doug Gottlieb]

And Kyra K. Dixon, NBC Sports reporter and host.

[Trevon Edwards]

And we've got a new podcast, Quiet.

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Please with Mel and Kira.

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We are bringing you spicy takes on.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Sports and pop culture, some interviews with incredible people who have figured out how.

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To make golf their superpower and iheart Wins Sports Production in partnership with Deep.

[Trevon Edwards]

Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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