Hour 1 - LeBron Trade Rumors, Alex Rodriguez

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 1: LeBron Trade Rumors, Alex Rodriguez

Release Date: July 15, 2025

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Introduction

In the inaugural hour of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," host Colin Cowherd delves into the swirling LeBron James trade rumors, offering a critical analysis of their validity. The episode features insightful discussions with co-hosts J. Mac and Matt Hasselbeck, and culminates with a guest appearance by baseball legend Alex Rodriguez. The conversation spans across the NBA, MLB, NFL, and WNBA, providing a comprehensive look at the current sports landscape.

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LeBron James Trade Rumors

Colin Cowherd opens the discussion by addressing the persistent trade rumors surrounding NBA superstar LeBron James:

“I don’t buy them. I do not buy the LeBron trade rumors. Here's why...” (03:23)

Colin argues that trading LeBron, a highly productive player nearing his prime, doesn’t make strategic sense for the Los Angeles Lakers. He emphasizes LeBron’s value, citing his recent performance statistics:

“He was 24, 8 and 8 last year. He was all NBA second team. He was sixth in MVP voting. That's the highest in years.” (03:23)

Colin further critiques the motivations behind the rumors, suggesting they are more about media fodder and filling show time rather than genuine considerations:

“Now I do believe they will transition out of this potentially if things go south. But why now and why today?” (04:15)

Co-host Matt Hasselbeck adds to the skepticism, highlighting the Lakers' recent performance:

“LeBron had to all of a sudden adjust to being the second guy offensively... So you would expect them to be better.” (07:09)

Colin concludes that while trade rumors persist, the Lakers remain a strong and interesting team, albeit not championship favorites.

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All-Star Game and MLB Highlights

The conversation shifts to the MLB All-Star Game, with Colin expressing approval of the Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob MiSorowski’s inclusion despite his limited appearances:

“The kid is 6 7, averages 99 miles an hour on his fastball. He's probably going to go in middle innings and I can't wait.” (11:32)

Matt Hasselbeck supports Colin’s enthusiasm, noting the entertainment value MiSorowski brings to the game:

“For this young kid to be named All Star, I couldn't be more excited for him.” (11:37)

The hosts discuss MLB’s adoption of the ABS system, praising its efficiency and alignment with modern viewing preferences:

“Rob Manfred is unwriting the unwritten rules. He's getting rid of them... It's very quick. When I initially heard about it, I didn't like it, but it actually is fast, succinct.” (24:10)

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NBA Insights: Golden State Warriors and Championship Odds

J. Mac provides updates on the Golden State Warriors’ offseason activities and championship prospects. He notes the team's silence during the offseason but highlights Steph Curry’s confidence:

“Every year presents new challenges, and you got to solve that puzzle. We did a really good job of it towards the end of last year.” (23:34)

Colin assesses the Warriors’ championship odds, placing them alongside the Atlanta Hawks:

“They have the same odds to win the NBA title, plus 2500 as the Atlanta Hawks.” (24:04)

He further discusses potential roster moves, particularly focusing on Jonathan Kuminga:

“If you can't play with Steph Curry and LeBron, you've got a hole in your game.” (25:17)

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NFL Quarterback Rankings and T.J. Watt Trade Speculation

Colin reviews the NFL executives’ top 10 quarterback list, expressing disappointment over Baker Mayfield’s exclusion and highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the selected quarterbacks:

“I don't think any GM saw Lamar Jackson initially is an elite passer, but he has really developed.” (21:15)

The discussion shifts to T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers, with J. Mac questioning the team’s reluctance to trade the aging pass rusher:

“They haven't translated to postseason wins. He's getting up there in age.” (26:33)

Colin defends the Steelers’ potential move, emphasizing Watt’s value and the common practice among general managers to explore trades for veterans:

“This is what general managers do... Outside of star quarterbacks and star left tackles, almost everybody.” (27:42)

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WNBA Spotlight: Caitlin Clark as the League’s Face

Colin brings attention to the WNBA’s recognition of Caitlin Clark as the league’s future face, reflecting on the sudden surge in her popularity and its impact:

“In a runaway vote, it was Caitlin Clark with about 55% of the vote.” (45:54)

He critiques the WNBA’s unpreparedness for her rapid rise, comparing it to historical sports phenomena:

“If you go read Christine Brennan's book, there were a lot of signs she was going to be a superstar in the league.” (45:54)

Colin underscores the importance of Clark’s star power in elevating the league’s visibility and fan engagement.

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Interview with Alex Rodriguez

The episode features an engaging interview with Alex Rodriguez, reflecting on his All-Star Game debut and career highlights:

“It was a treat and it was an honor... I couldn't be at the All Star Game.” (32:03)

Alex shares his experiences of participating in the All-Star Game and the honor it represents among peers.

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Concluding Discussions

Colin wraps up the hour with final thoughts on the MLB’s strategic adjustments, the Dodgers’ unique position in baseball, and reflections on the evolution of the sport. Matt Hasselbeck commends MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred for his initiatives to modernize the game:

“Anytime you make players and umpires more accountable, it's a great thing.” (38:17)

Colin echoes this sentiment, highlighting the balance between maintaining baseball’s rich history and embracing necessary changes to enhance the game’s appeal.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Colin Cowherd: “I don’t buy them. I do not buy the LeBron trade rumors. Here's why...” (03:23)

• Colin Cowherd: “He was 24, 8 and 8 last year. He was all NBA second team. He was sixth in MVP voting. That's the highest in years.” (03:23)

• Matt Hasselbeck: “LeBron had to all of a sudden adjust to being the second guy offensively... So you would expect them to be better.” (07:09)

• Colin Cowherd: “The kid is 6 7, averages 99 miles an hour on his fastball. He's probably going to go in middle innings and I can't wait.” (11:32)

• Colin Cowherd: “Rob Manfred is unwriting the unwritten rules. He's getting rid of them... It's very quick. When I initially heard about it, I didn't like it, but it actually is fast, succinct.” (24:10)

• J. Mac: “Every year presents new challenges, and you got to solve that puzzle. We did a really good job of it towards the end of last year.” (23:34)

• Colin Cowherd: “They have the same odds to win the NBA title, plus 2500 as the Atlanta Hawks.” (24:04)

• Colin Cowherd: “If you can't play with Steph Curry and LeBron, you've got a hole in your game.” (25:17)

• Colin Cowherd: “I don't think any GM saw Lamar Jackson initially is an elite passer, but he has really developed.” (21:15)

• J. Mac: “They haven't translated to postseason wins. He's getting up there in age.” (26:33)

• Colin Cowherd: “This is what general managers do... Outside of star quarterbacks and star left tackles, almost everybody.” (27:42)

• Colin Cowherd: “In a runaway vote, it was Caitlin Clark with about 55% of the vote.” (45:54)

• Colin Cowherd: “If you go read Christine Brennan's book, there were a lot of signs she was going to be a superstar in the league.” (45:54)

• Matt Hasselbeck: “Anytime you make players and umpires more accountable, it's a great thing.” (38:17)

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Conclusion

Hour 1 of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" offers a thorough exploration of current sports topics, anchored by Colin’s insightful commentary and enriched by expert opinions from co-hosts and guests. From debunking trade rumors to spotlighting emerging talents across leagues, the episode serves both dedicated fans and casual listeners with its engaging and informative discussions.

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Note: All timestamps correspond to the transcript provided.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Ian Pfaff]

I'm Ian Pfaff, the creator and host of the Uncle Chris Podcast. My Uncle Chris was a real character, a garbage truck driver from South Carolina who is now buried in Panama City alongside the founding families of Panama. He also happens to be responsible for the craziest night of my life. Wild stories about adventure, romance, crime, history and war intertwine as I share the tall tales and hard truths that have helped me understand Uncle Chris. Listen now to Uncle Chris on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you.

[Danielle Robaix]

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[Colin Cowherd]

I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling like butterflies.

[Danielle Robaix]

I'm Danielle Robaix and this is bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from hello Sunshine and I Heart Podcast, where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk, stars, and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry, and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

I knew I wanted to obey and.

[Unknown Speaker]

Submit, but I didn't fully grasp for the rest of my life what that meant for my heart. Podcasts and Rococo Punch this is the Turning River Road in the woods of Minnesota, a cult leader married himself to 10 girls and forced them into a secret life of abuse. But in 2014, the youngest escaped. Listen to the Turning river road on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Here we go. It is a Tuesday. It is great to be here again. A little siest, a little sabbatical. J. Mac filling in more than capably and appreciate that we are ready to go. The All Star game is tonight. We have Cal Raleigh. I grew up a Mariners fan. I wanted to be the voice of the Mariners. At some point the organization did not agree so I ended up doing this. A Rod joins us as well tonight. So it's all Star game night. Home run derby, NBA stuff. NFL camps are getting quick to open very soon around the corner. J. Mac, good to be back. Good to see you.

[J. Mac]

Yeah, great to have you back, big fellow. We're excited for today.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, here's a story that's been simmering and sort of hovering like those, like Those UPAs those UFOs over New Jersey were, remember that, for about a three week trial. Kind of hovering over what are they? That's what I feel the LeBron trade rumors are like. Nobody's quite sure what they are, what they mean. They're out there. I think maybe it's a plane. I don't buy them. I do not buy the LeBron trade rumors. Here's why. The best contract you can have in professional basketball is a superstar in his prime. Sga, Jokic, Luka. Those are the guys that win in May and June. Rookie contracts are nice. Best contract superstar in his prime. SGA wins a title. Jokic wins a title. The second best contract to me is a highly productive player with a lot of seasoning who is still good, probably out of his prime. And he has an expiring contract and that's LeBron. This is it. They can play with it. Leverage to the Lakers. They can move him at the trade deadline. They could move him now. I wouldn't. So why would you get rid of that? I mean he was 24, 8 and 8 last year. He was all NBA second team. He was sixth in MVP voting. That's the highest in years. He's highly productive and he's capable of helping you in a playoff series. I'm not trading that away. And by the way, his agent, Rich Paul has acknowledged publicly, yeah, LeBron knows it's Lucas team. So there's no real angst with LeBron James. He knows it's Lucas team. They're Gonna take care of him first. He'll get a new deal. So I don't buy the trade talks. Also, you know, this is the time of the year it's, hey, how do I fill my 3 hour show? How do I fill my column? I don't buy it. Now I do believe they will transition out of this potentially if things go south. But why now and why today? Remember, the Lakers got better. There's a lot of reasons to be hopeful. I do not believe they are going to be as good as Houston. I don't think they're Oklahoma City. I don't think they're as good as Dallas. But J.J. reddick's in year two. He'll be better. Bronnie's had a good summer league. He may contribute. Luke is going to be in great shape and they're better at center. I don't love deandre Ayton. He's allergic to defense. Always sees himself as a one. He's more of a three to a four. In a championship level team, it'll probably be a three or a four for the Lakers, we'll see. But that team is not a very good defensive team. And to win a championship, Oklahoma City just proved you can do it with defense. So the Lakers are going to be very interesting this upcoming season and they're going to be very good. They're not going to win a title, they're not going to hoist a trophy. They're not going to be great. LeBron's past his prime. Austin Reeves can be picked on defensively. Deandre Ayton's moody, never happy and doesn't defend. And Luka, he'll be in good shape, but. But you know, you're not getting much defense there either. But in Kobe's last year, they were uninteresting and won 17 games. They were awful. So this is not a bad place to be. Very good and very interesting. So I don't buy the trade rumors. Hosts have to fill space. I think at the trade deadline, as Chris Broussard said yesterday, things could be interesting if it goes south.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

I think he starts the season with the Lakers. Now, if for some reason it goes terrible, would they try to move him at the deadline? Maybe get him to a team with a chance to do something in the playoffs? Yeah, something like that. But I don't see it going terrible. They were playing good basketball and that was on the fly, right? That was with a roster not built around Luka.

[Colin Cowherd]

It was on the fly.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

LeBron had to all of a sudden adjust to being the second guy offensively, and they still played good basketball. So you would expect them to be better.

[Colin Cowherd]

They will be better. They won't be great, but they'll be good and interesting. Why move off that now? All right, tonight's the All Star Game. Home run Derby champ from the Mariners, Cal Raleigh will be joining us one hour from now. A Rod, bottom of the hour. So baseball made a decision, which I totally agree with, actually two they're going to have. He's only had five appearances. He's 4 and 1. He's 6, 7. The kid throws absolute heat from the Milwaukee Brewers. Jacob Mizorowski, they call him Miz. And they decided only five appearances. Hey, we're getting him into the All Star Game. And the purists have grumbled, but they always take themselves way too seriously. Baseball's also going to use the ABS system in the All Star Game tonight. They used it in spring training. It's being used in the minor leagues and they're going to experiment with it. It's very quick. When I initially heard about it, I didn't like it, but it actually is fast, succinct. Not a huge replay fan. I know. I understand in football with only 17 games, you got to get it right. But they're going to do both. Baseball, strange. So when I was a kid growing up, it had all sorts of personality. Al Raboski, Mark Fidrich, Pete Rose, Mickey Rivers. It was all sorts of personality. Then it went through this weird 20 year span where it took itself way too seriously, way too rigid, way too beholden. The writers, broadcasters, everybody took it so seriously. And the sport got really dull. And you heard about unwritten rules. And there was a way to play the game. Those unwritten rules. Rob Manfred is unwriting the unwritten rules. He's getting rid of them. He's going to experiment with a kid tonight. The ABS system. And I'm sure purists don't like it, but he's called a phenom. You know what gets me to a television? A phenom. Not statistically superior player for the Phillies. Phenom gets me to a television set. I don't care if it's a phenom. Golfer Caitlin Clark came into the league. Phenom gets me to a TV set. I don't care if it's a musical artist. The kid is 6 7, averages 99 miles an hour on his fastball. He's probably going to go in middle innings and I can't wait. Those unwritten rules never made any sense. Like there are certain Unwritten rules in society we all understand. Like when you go to the bathroom, wash your hands before you come out. Or if you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth. But you can't bunt to break up a no hitter. Why not? My job is not put you in the record books. My job is to not elevate your legacy. It's a two nothing game, three nothing game. You lead, guy in front of me walks, steal second. I'm bunting to get him on. 8th inning. I don't care. That's a you problem. Remember the other one? In baseball, you can't steal a base leading big. I mean, I guess if it's 14 nothing or you can't stare at a home run, why not? You couldn't get me out. Throw harder, be more wicked. Get the splitty over. Whatevs. Rob Manfred's like, no, let's have fun. It's baseball. This is called an All Star Game. And this kid's a star. He's a phenom. He gets us to a television. Baseball got into real trouble when it got really precious and really beholden to history. Guys, we used to memorize baseball cards. That's what we did at 17. Kids don't collect them. They don't collect them. They don't run to the drugstore in your local town to get that piece of gum. And you know, that baseball card, it's all over. I mean, even the, even the industry of trading baseball cards, with few exceptions, nobody cares anymore. So I love what they're doing. Rob Manfred said, speed the game up. Every swing he's taken has worked everyone. You don't have to love them. All Star Game. Not all stats, not all superior production for a guy that's not getting us to a tv. I love it. I think it's great. And here's Dave Roberts.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

The All Star Game should be the best.

[Colin Cowherd]

The game's best players.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

It's about the fans and what the fans want to see.

[Colin Cowherd]

So.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

So for this young kid to be named All Star, I couldn't be more excited for him. He is thrilled to be here.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm going to get him in there.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

Probably the fifth of the sixth inning, something like that, the seventh. And it's going to be electric. So the fans, the media, you're going to love it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Tonight is a celebration. It's not determining home field advantage. Don't be precious, don't be pious. Baseball did that for about 20 years. They got really weird. And by the way, the, the, the Savannah Bananas, right? Like that thing is on fire, right? Why? It's selling out. The fans are telling you. Yeah, we go to the ballpark to have a beer with friends and have fun. This kid is not in this All Star Game tonight. If they don't put Miz in, what's getting me there? It matters. Six, seven throws heat. I want to watch. All right, J. Mac Nick Saban rumored to be headed back. Another rumor I don't buy to college football. We'll address that. The NFL execs came out with a quarterback list yesterday that I absolutely love. That probably drove you crazy.

[J. Mac]

Of course you love it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Of course.

[J. Mac]

No Brock Purdy in the top 10. Of course you love it.

[Colin Cowherd]

I gotta look at 11 through 15. I didn't see him there either, but whatever. I don't want to rub it in this morning. Oh boy.

[J. Mac]

Oh, he's lobbing grenades early.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app hey, it's me, Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast Inside the Parker for 22 minutes of piping hot baseball talk featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the eye test, we've got all the bases covered.

[J. Mac]

New episodes drop every Thursday, so do.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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Greenriverwhiskey.com, please drink responsibly. All right, welcome back. Alex Rodriguez joining us in about 10 minutes. All Star Game tonight on Fox. So, you know, I, I'll be honest, I golfed a lot. I hung out, biked, walked, hung out with the dogs. Did not read a lot or watch a lot of sports, some. But one of the things that jumped out to me over the last 10 to 11 days was, was that NFL executives, coaches and scouts, many of them through the years have been very helpful to me in learning this game and sourcing this game. Release their top 10 quarterback. So this is the people that draft them, the people that coach them, the people that select them, the people that scout them. And it went in this order. Mahomes, Allen Burrow, Lamar Jaden, Daniels, Matt Stafford, Justin Herbert Goff, Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield. And I almost reached out to J. Mac, but I didn't want to get them all riled up. That's about as close to my list as you can get. Now, believe it or not, you're probably saying, well, what about Baker Mayfield? Well, after a second good year in Tampa, he's closer to 10 than 15. I probably go CJ Stroud at 10 because his size and accuracy. But he didn't have a great year. A lot of that was his receivers all got hurt. His left tackle didn't play well. But none of this bothers me now. The reaction on Jalen Hurts, who you know wins the super bowl being nine, was predictable by his coach, Nick Ceriani. That said, you know, this is a bunch of nonsense. I can't believe it. And that's what a coach should do. But here are three undeniable truths. Take a deep breath. According to PFF, the Eagles offense was top 10 in everything. Pass, blocking, run blocking, rushing, receiving. Yet they were 21st and actually passing. Jalen Hurts is responsible for that. Oh, by the way, 11 of his 32 total touchdowns came on rushes of one or fewer yards. Take out the tush push. He had the same number of touchdowns as Bryce Young. And number three, after a week five buy and a philosophical reset by the oc they passed the ball less than any team in the NFL at 24 times a game. So, you know, if your company, you know, goes to one of those off site weekend retreats and has a philosophical reset and they come back and they decide, listen, employee, we're gonna use you less. And they're more successful, that seems to be a pretty striking correlation. So bottom line, the organization literally had a philosophical Brady and Tampa and Bruce Arians had this. Remember, like late in the season, they never lost after that. They had a. And Tom was going to take more control of the offense than Bruce Arians. They didn't lose again. They beat Atlanta a couple times, they won all their playoff games and Tom hoisted another trophy. So the Eagles, basically, they had one of those, you know, philosophical resets. And what they decided was this offense is great as long as we pass the ball fewer times. That's a correlation. Now I don't have a problem putting in Jalen Hurts to my top 10. I think he has great moments, great character, great leadership, great power. I think pound for pound he's the strongest player in the NFL, certainly strongest quarterback. I like him a lot, but I don't think any GM sees him as an elite passer. I don't think any GM saw Lamar Jackson initially is an elite passer, but he has really developed. I still think Jalen hurts on third and seven from the pocket. I don't have great vibes all the time. I really don't. But I do think he has great moments, character and leadership and toughness and durability. Here's Matt Hasselbeck on the show yesterday saying he's undervalued by the league.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

I think he's definitely in that 6 to 10, but you could make the argument that he should be at number six. And I think why I say that, you know, people don't give him enough credit for the quarterback sneak. Like, they just don't. Like, they think like, oh, it's just a quarterback sneak, it doesn't count. It's just like a free play. We should make it illegal. That is real weapon that he uses. And like, so like sometimes it's maybe easy to gloss over some of the. Some of the other stuff because he's not, you know, he's staying in the pocket, he's not bolting. A lot of young quarterbacks just bolt outside the pocket. He stays in the pocket. He doesn't flinch.

[Colin Cowherd]

You're not going to get a ton of credit for a quarterback sneak. Like, he's the best at it, but it's like giving a baseball hitter a lot of credit because he's the league's best bunter. That's not getting you into the hof. You got to do more than that. Ichiro could do that, but he had a great arm, hit for power, and was uniquely gifted. He could also bunt if you wanted him to. That's not really the point. And so my thing with Jalen hurts is he is viewed fairly. And in my career doing this, I have found that athletes after they've been in a professional sport for five years are all fairly judged by the time you've been in it. 10 years and Hertz isn't there yet. Everybody knows your brand. Very early in Aaron Rodgers career. Super talented, a little aloof, can be prickly. Great talent. Is he a great leader? I think that's fair. It's not a criticism. It's what he is. Even at a golf tournament. Little prickly Aaron into Aaron, that's okay. But the idea that after all these years in Philly, you know, people just don't understand what he is. I think we all know what he is. Great kid, great leader, great talent. Strong as strong gets for that position, but he's not a top five guy. All right, J. Mac, he's got the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herd line news.

[J. Mac]

Oh, good to have you back, Cal Herd. Let's start with the Golden State warriors, Colin. They've been very quiet this offseason. Like, literally nothing. They haven't done anything. They've been linked to Al Horford, linked to another guard. But despite the lack of moves, Steph Curry talked this weekend about how confident he is in the team's ability to build a contender.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

The narrative outside versus inside might not always be the same. So, like I said, we have. We talk, we have communication, like, I know what's going on. And to the point, I have a lot of confidence in our ability to put together a winning team next year. That's all we. That's all I want. Every year presents new challenges, and you got to solve that puzzle. We did a really good job of it towards the end of last year. Gotta roll it back. And everybody has to be their best selves in every role throughout the organization.

[Colin Cowherd]

How about this one? Cow Herd.

[J. Mac]

They have the same odds to win the NBA title, plus 2500 as the Atlanta Hawks.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's reasonable. That's reasonable.

[J. Mac]

Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, well, because of the West. If you put the Atlanta Hawks in the west with Golden State, they'd have lower odds. I think a lot of that is just the Western Conference. So I, you know, it's the difference between the SEC and the Big 12. Like, what are your odds to get, you know, to, to, to get to a major bowl? It's just harder in the SEC or the Big Ten these days. So I think Butler and Draymond and Curry make you viable. They make you interesting. But they're going to trade Kaminga. Like I always say, if you can't play with STEPH CURRY and LeBron, you've got a hole in your game. Like, like, and Kaminga, I mean, like LeBron. Everybody can play with LeBron. I mean, I mean, seriously, when Dalton connects on the floor with LeBron, he's pretty good. Dalton connect. Without LeBron, you're like, he's not a first round pick. So, like, if you can't play with Curry, I just don't see as a viable future. So they're going to move him at the deadline. He can be, I think he's a guy that you could put on a bad team and he could give you 21 a night. He's long, he runs the. We saw, we saw him play without Curry late in the year. It was actually pretty interesting player.

[J. Mac]

Yeah, no, it's going to be. I don't know that anybody wants to pay him. Like, are you paying Jonathan Kaminga? Colin, if you watch it, he could not work with Steve Curry and Steph Curry.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, no, no. Again, I think not every player can play with LeBron James and Steph Curry. Like, not, not every player can. And the guys that can't are not going to play for the Lakers or Golden State. But I do think he has value somewhere in the league at 22 a game. I mean, you do see him flourish without Curry in that step ecosystem. You see him flourish well with Curry, though.

[J. Mac]

This is a contender in the West, a fringe contender. If he goes down for any stretch, they're dead in the water. They got, they got nothing behind Curry. They're one of the oldest teams in the league. Next up, TJ Watt. We've been talking about him for about a month now. Colin, the Steelers pass rusher. He wants a new deal and he's holding out with Pittsburgh. Well, training camp is rapidly approaching and reports are emerging. Pittsburgh is inquiring about Watts potential trade value, although they don't want to actually trade him. This is a tough spot because he's a fan favorite. He's clearly the number one jersey seller, but he hasn't translated to postseason wins. He's getting up there in age. Do you get off of him before he gets old and you know is a bad contract. Listen, I think this is a no brainer.

[Colin Cowherd]

When I suggested a year ago they should explore trading him, what was the reaction? When I suggested it a year ago, it was outrage. I can't believe it. The Steelers are doing it, folks. It's easy to sit there as a troll and react to stuff that happens, but actually the truth is in sports, what's fascinating is when you can see stuff before it happens. And I said this a year ago, they're not paying him big money yet and they are really reluctant to move off a lot of these big contracts. You have to explore it. They've led the NFL and defensive spending for four years and they're not paying T.J. watt the big money yet. So you could, if you could get two second round picks, you can, you can, two things are possible. You can love what a guy's done for your organization, but 30 plus as an edge rusher, want to get value for the move. So I could see them getting another player in a second round pick. But when I suggested this a year ago, it was outrageous. This is what general managers do. Outside of star quarterbacks and star left tackles, almost everybody, including a Jamar chase, you take phone calls on.

[J. Mac]

Yeah. Colin, as a minority owner of a sports team, I can tell you, you always move off guys before it's too late. And again, we've talked about Giannis with the Bucks. You better trade him now because that price is going to go down come the All Star break and it's going to go down next year. And for T.J. watt, if they had traded him last summer, I think you probably could have got a first and a third, a first and a fourth maybe.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep.

[J. Mac]

Now you've got to pay him a ton of money. He wants to be one of the highest paid guys. You can't give up.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is not, I don't know, get two twos. Colin, I don't think there are 30 players in the NFL. You take a phone call on everybody. You don't take it on Burrow. You know, there's the top seven, eight quarterbacks you don't take the phone call on and the top six or seven left tackles you don't. There's just not many left tackles. But even a star wide receiver, I mean, Devonte Adams was not that far removed from his prime. He was moving to the Raiders, he's moving to the jets, he's moving to the Rams. I mean there's, there's maybe 30 guys in the NFL tops that a GM just is not going to take a.

[J. Mac]

Phone call for even Miles Garrett, by the way, with the Browns.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I wouldn't take a phone call on Miles Garrett. I wouldn't. I think he's the best pass rusher.

[J. Mac]

Okay, so great. You've got a Lamborghini and you live in a shack with, like, no garage roofs. Like, that's what the Browns are. Their draft picks are getting arrested in trouble with the law. They have no quarterback. They're going nowhere. Why are you paying Miles Garrett? I would have just got whatever I could and start over.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, because he's by far and away your best player. And I think it ruins a locker room if you don't. You draft a guy and then don't reward him. What is the signal? It's a bad. And I think he's so much better than I think Jared Verse. By the end of this coming season, we'll look at him as possibly the second best pass rusher. I think he's that good. Garrett. Garrett is in another class.

[J. Mac]

Michael Parsons is still breathing. We'll see.

[Colin Cowherd]

Final story.

[J. Mac]

Colin to my jets, been a quiet offseason, but they just locked up Garrett Wilson. Four years, $130 million extension. Again, some of that's funny money. 90 mil guaranteed is not with the new deal. Wilson slots in as the fifth highest paid wide receiver per year. And he's had a really good start to his career with no good quarterbacks. I don't know that he's going to make Justin Fields that much better, but.

[Colin Cowherd]

He'S a great player.

[J. Mac]

His numbers so far have been incredible. I don't think this is a bad deal at all. No, I don't think it's an overpay. And if you look at the average per year, I like the Garrett Wilson deal more than DK Metcalf, who's got a lot of tread on his tires and is a bit of a locker room issue.

[Colin Cowherd]

The jets have five or six really elite players. He's one of them. Pay him. I have no problem with this. I don't. I none. And, and, and by the way, Justin Fields, you don't want him having a moody wide receiver. Sometimes you got to pay a guy, get it done. Garrett's happy. So if his numbers go down, let's say Justin Fields isn't the answer. Garrett's not moody. Garrett got his. He'll be good in the locker room. You. You need him to actually to be a leader right now because the jets have a new quarterback and a new coach and a new quarterback. So I'm good with it. 100J Mac the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd lie news. A 14 time all star, a three time MVP, 22 years an icon. Absolutely beginning to end. Alex Rodriguez at the All Star game is now joining us live. Okay, so you made your All Star debut. You were 20 years old. I, you know, you obviously would not remember this. I remember being in the Mariner locker room years and years and years ago. And you were, you know, you'll talk of the team. And I was like, he's like 14 years old. Look at that kid. He's a kid. So you go, let's talk about Miz. So I have no problem putting him in the All Star Game. He's a phenom. Let's not get precious. I, I want to see a phenom. The kid. Six, seven, throws heat. I'm for it. I am all for it. Go back to you being an all star at 20. Were you overwhelmed by it?

[Matt Hasselbeck]

Oh my God, Colin. And hello. I was so overwhelmed that when I saw Cal Ripken for the first time, my childhood hero, you know, he was like, he was like a statue. He was tall, he had like little gray hair, he had these blue eyes. And that was like, oh my God, that's my hero and I'm his teammate. And that was the neatest part. It was at the old Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia and it was, it was quite fun.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, All Star Games are interesting. You're facing the best of the best. A lot of it is where are the shadows? Who do you face? Your second at bat, Your mindset there is, there's not a ton. You're almost like on Broadway. You're kind of performing like it's a really different environment. Go, go to your at bats. Is the all like, like you, you face some like peer pressure, but you don't face outcome pressure. Did you like All Star Games?

[Matt Hasselbeck]

I love them. And look, this is a celebration of all your hard work, dedication. One thing is make it to the major leagues. But to be one of 60 or 65 guys that are the best players in the world, in the best league in the world. It was a treat and it was an honor. I remember Colin, in 2000, we were playing right here in Atlanta for the All Star Game. I had hurt my knee and I didn't make it. And Derek went to replace me and he won the mvp. But I remember sitting at home so bummed and sad that I couldn't be at the All Star Game. Look, if you don't play in the World Series, that's the most exposure you're going to get. And you're showing off for the national fans, for the global fans, and also for the community of baseball, but especially your colleagues and the other 749 players.

[Colin Cowherd]

So there's a lot of interesting stories about this season. One of the ones that's fascinating. I've always said it's hard to go into prolonged slumps with hockey and basketball. The game moves too quickly. You don't have time to overthink. A missed shot, you get another shot in 14 seconds. But in baseball and golf, you got a lot of downtime to think about that 7 iron that went sideways or you're, you know, that, that at bat where you got fooled. And so Rafi Devers goes from the Red Sox. They suddenly, they're on fire. He goes to San Francisco. He is punching out like he is struggling. And I think a lot of it is when, when you, when you're called like, oh, he's the savior. He is what? I think it's in his head. Take me to that. Because you had one slump in your career. I remember in the playoffs. Not many, but some. I think this kid in San Francisco, I think it's. I think it's upstairs with him. What do you see?

[Matt Hasselbeck]

Well, first, let's address Boston. Sometimes when you clear what's perceived as a stressful situation and you clear the big brother, then it puts the onus and responsibilities on the other 25 guys in that locker room. And everyone says, all right, there's a sigh of relief. We've cleared the deck now is on us. Big brother's gone. So, I mean, I remember when Griffey left, we went on the next year to the playoffs when we brought in Mike Cameron and Freddie Garcia in Seattle. You remember those years? And then I left and they got even better, right? So it's not normal, but you have a rod and Griffey leaving back to back years, and the team keeps getting better and better. So there's something that's happening with the Red Sox on the Devers. Remember, he started the year really slow. In his first 25 at bats, he had like 20 punch outs and it takes him a little bit to go. He's also a streaky hitter, but he's a guy that's been his whole career, basically. From Dominican Republic to Fort Myers to Boston. Now he goes all the way west. So he's going from east to west. Adjustment number one. He's going from American League East. That he spent his whole career in to National League west and instead of being hot in Boston in the summer, is a little bit cooler in San Francisco. So there's a lot of adjustments you get used to. The ballpark is going to take him a minute. I think he's going to hit, but hopefully this could be a win win for both of them. But right now, Colin, you're right. It's more mental than anything else when you think about an adjustment.

[Colin Cowherd]

So, you know, the Dodgers have done this over the last several years. They have like a June or July. They. I don't know if it's distracted. They often. It feels like they're setting up their pitching for August and September and they've had a ton of injuries, in fact, part of their payroll. The advantage is they've gone out and acquired guy guys on the mound with some pitching injuries that they don't need the volume in the regular season they're looking for, you know, in the postseason. So some of what they're going through, I think is fairly predictable. 2 and 7 in their last nine. Go to the most talented team you ever played for. Did you ever have a 2 and 7 streak? What are the players talking about? Because you have All Stars everywhere. Yeah.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

I mean, the Dodgers are such an anomaly and they're such a unicorn. They're the really the best run franchise in the sport today. 2009, we won the title with the New York Yankees when we beat the Phillies. We got off to a horrific start that year in April. We were actually in last place. And then somewhere around I came back from my hip surgery somewhere in early May and Colin, we probably paid 700 baseball, not 750. We were almost unbeatable, but we were really bad in April. The Dodgers play a different game. Right. They have more resources than everybody. They have more talent. They're Amazon, they're Google, their Apple. They're top of their game. And they're signing as many people as possible, leaning on the resources, and they're making a bet whether that's Ohtani getting ready as they ramp him up, or they're hoping that of the 25 pitchers, they have that eight or nine good pitchers are healthy October 1st, and that's really the only thing they're playing for.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, I think Rob Manfred deserves credit. I said this earlier when I was a kid growing up, baseball had wild personalities. Pete Rose and Mark Fidrich and Al Raboski and Mickey Rivers. I mean, there was just. It was wild. There was just all sorts of personalities. And then they went Through a period. Some of it you dealt with where there's a way to play the game. It got a little precious, a little beholden to history. It's like, guys, the reason we all love Ken Griffey. It was fun. The hats on backwards, it's fun. And I think baseball is doing that again. One of the. I've been very pro. Rob Manfred. I didn't initially like the idea of the ABS system. I'm like, okay, I can barely tolerate NFL replay. I just like keep the game moving. But then I've watched it and it. It's pretty quick. So I'm kind of like begrudgingly moving toward, okay, let's do it. How do you land on it if you talk to players about it?

[Matt Hasselbeck]

Yeah, I agree with you. I'm a big Rob man for fan and I think he deserves a lot of credit. Little single handedly. I mean with the changes he's made the last two or three years to really save our game, he probably belongs in Cooperstown. But the reason why I like this, Colin, technology's made the game better. Anytime you make players and umpires more accountable, it's a great thing. Going back 10 years, that strike you see right there on the screen 83% of the time, the umpires were getting it right 10 years ago. Today that numbers balloon to 97%. So it's a much better quality, much better game, much better accuracy. All those things are good. Now the application of it, we have to go see how it works. I know it's been doing they've been doing in the minor leagues. I am really looking forward to tonight to see how that plays out because I'm a little bit on the fence, but I'm more pro because I think Rob Manford deserves some credit. He's built some equity here over the last three or four years with his changes. And I think the game has the gift and the curse of being so married to their history. I think some of the other leagues have really pushed the envelope. And look, I'll give you one example because this one bothers me. I love the kid from Milwaukee being there as you. As we started this conversation, he's only had five stars.

[Colin Cowherd]

Fine.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

But if this is a game of stars and entertainment and you have partners like Fox, Juan Soto needs to be in Atlanta because there's no one I'd rather have on the set. And you can't tell me there's 60 players or 60 stories more compelling than Juan Soto, who's had a phenomenal June. He was a player of the month back in the day I watched Larry Bird and Magic. I could care less if they had a bad first half or an average. I want to see Burden Magic in the All Star Game every year. A year. And then you're out.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. You and I agree. Finally, having been in major league baseball, a former number one pick, Texas. It's the Yankees. It's a broadcaster, it's the Mariners. Now you're a co owner of an NBA team. The cultures are totally different. Whereas the NFL is all about the shield, baseball is all about the 10 year contract. The NBA is kind of all about the superstar. Just tell me, having watched the NBA, now a co owner, is there anything that surprised you about it? Is there anything as somebody that knows sports about as well as anybody I know as a former player that is the culture's different, more fun, more interesting, captivating. Where are you with that?

[Matt Hasselbeck]

Well, the history is much different. Colin, what's been I've been part of Major League Baseball now for over 30 years and I've had some highs and I've had some lows. But I've learned a lot of lessons along the way. What's interesting about the biggest difference is that, you know, we had Marvin Miller as a players union. Then we had Don Fear as the head, then we had Michael Weiner. Now we have Tony Clark. You know, from the minute you come into the big leagues, the enemy has been owners. Players and owners have really had a really long, tough relationship. Where in the NBA owners love, love the players. The players have a really good relationship with the owners and that's been the biggest difference that I've seen firsthand.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Alex Rodriguez, Fox Major League Baseball analyst, Tonight, the All Star Game in Atlanta. Great seeing you as always. Appreciate you giving us some time.

[Matt Hasselbeck]

You got it. Thank you.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, yeah. His point on Juan Soto is my on, on, on Ms. To some degree, which is it's an all Star game. And if you're going to be flexible, this is the time to be flexible. People want to see stars. Story on Caitlin Clark. Is the WNBA coming around? Nick Saban, back to college football. We'll address those and more. Next, it's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[J. Mac]

Tonight it's the Midsummer Classic. It's Judge o Shohei. And baseball's biggest stars head to Atlanta for the MLB All Star game. Coverage begins at 7 Eastern, 4 Pacific only on Fox.

[Colin Cowherd]

So on. In a stunning development, WNBA players are acknowledging Caitlyn Clark's really good I saw this week that the coach of Yukon Gino or acknowledging yeah, I missed on that he let his Yukon bias get in the way of it. But I saw a poll. WNBA players were polled on who's going to be the face of the league in five years. And in a runaway vote, it was Caitlin Clark with about 55% of the vote. Juju Watkins and Paige Beckers really, really good young players, dynamic players were second and third. And I do think this is fair to say for any employee base in any industry, in any company, for the employees to go from ignored to widely discussed and criticized is really difficult. It was a tsunami of attention. The league, the commissioner wasn't ready for it. The arenas, the ticket salesman, they weren't ready for it. So you went from in the shadows to in the spotlight and it was a microscope. It's almost like I remember when I was a young broadcaster, I moved to Vegas and Mike Tyson came out and a legendary old trainer said, you can't prepare for a Mike Tyson left hook. It doesn't matter who your sparring partners are. It doesn't matter how many fights you've had at 24 years old, if Tyson delivers a left hook, you're not ready for it. And I don't think, I mean, I. Taylor Swift had been in music several years before the ERAS tour, but I think that even caught people a little off guard where it sold out SoFi Stadium, seven straight nights. And I just don't think the league was ready for. For Caitlin Clark. And so I said, listen, I'm going to give. The league should be ready. You knew her sophomore year at Michigan, she's dropping 40 plus or sophomore year at Iowa, she's dropping 40 plus against Michigan. If you go read Christine Brennan's book, there were a lot of signs she was going to be a superstar in the league and sell a lot of tickets and shoes and merchandise. So I'm going to be punitive on the league, but the players, I get six to nine months to kind of get your arms around it. So I just like my kids when they went to college. Freshman year, you're going to have fun. Sophomore year, hit the books, grow up. And I kind of feel like the players now. This poll is encouraging. It's, you know, it's progress. And I do think it was hard. I mean, there's. Nobody's quite ready. Like, everybody knew. I remember when everybody was talking about Tiger woods when he was winning the juniors and I was in Oregon and people at Nike were saying, this kid, man, this kid is really good. I don't think anybody thought he was going to literally change course design because he was so long off the tee and dominant. I mean, he was ahead of golf equipment. Golf equipment over the last five to ten years, even hacks like me can hit the ball a little bit. I mean, he was a mile ahead of golf equipment. He was ahead of the sport, and we all knew he was great. I don't think anybody could have predicted LeBron James would rival Michael Jordan as the best player ever. Nobody really thought that. There were people that thought you should have drafted Carmen Carmelo Anthony over him. And I think, I think Caitlin Clark, what do you do? How do you prepare? I think the league should have been more prepared. But I will mostly defend players in that first nine months of kind of like being juvenile and not getting it now. I think they have to grow up now and get their feet beneath them. But this is an encouraging sign that they're acknowledging, yeah, she's the face of the league. And also there are members of the media that are going to pick and choose isolated insulin incidents and kind of stoke the fire of what's happening in the league. But I think the fairest criticism of the WNBA is to the commissioner and the league really not getting it. When she broke into the league and they had her playing like the most road games and the worst, hardest schedule of any WNBA team in the first month. That's just not having enough foresight. But this is encouraging. J. Mac, here's the by the way, her head coach, Stephanie White, on Caitlin going up against Paige Beckers last weekend. I mean, everybody wants to see star players. You think about when, who, who, who tunes in to watch LeBron and Steph, right? It's, it's those kinds of matchups. And I think to watch these guys for the first time, you know, going against each other and then their WNBA careers is going to be special. In my day, it's watching, you know, Cheryl Swoopes and Lisa Leslie, you know, and in their day, it's, it's watching Caitlin and Paige. Do you realize, J. Mac, I was thinking about this when I was flying back. By next Monday and Tuesday, camps will be open in the NFL. We're getting really, really close. I was, I was thinking, I was, I was watching some shows and watching some stuff and reading a lot, flying back and I'm thinking, okay, the silly season's almost over. The let's make up big stories. LeBron's getting traded, Nick Saban's coming back to college football. All the nonsense. I'll address that top of next hour. But yeah, I mean, I think we're at a point now. This time next week. Camps are open. We're ready to roll, baby.

[J. Mac]

Obviously you're going to meet me in Vegas in August, right, to lay down some futures bets for the upcoming season.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right. I got six new playoff teams. I'm ready for it.

[J. Mac]

Six?

[Colin Cowherd]

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I'm Ian Pfaff, the creator and host of the Uncle Chris Podcast. My Uncle Chris was a real character, a garbage truck driver from South Carolina who is now buried in Panama City alongside the founding families of Panama. He also happens to be responsible for the craziest night of my life. Wild stories about adventure, romance, crime, history and war intertwined as I share the tall tales and hard truths that have helped me understand Uncle Chris. Listen now to Uncle Chris on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Just like great shoes, great books take you places through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think any good romance, it gives me the this feeling of like butterflies.

[Danielle Robaix]

I'm Danielle Robe and this is bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from hello Sunshine and I Heart Podcast, where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk stars, and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book club on the iHeartRadio app. Apple Podcasts are wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

I knew I wanted to obey and.

[Unknown Speaker]

Submit, but I didn't fully grasp for the rest of my life what that meant for my heart. Podcasts and Rococo Punch this is the Turning River Road in the woods of Minnesota, a cult leader married himself to 10 girls and forced them into a secret life of abuse. But in 2014, the youngest escaped. Listen to the Turning river road on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an I Heart Podcast.