Hour 1 - Live from Las Vegas!

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 1: Live from Las Vegas!

Release Date: February 1, 2025
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Description: The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day. In this episode titled "Live from Las Vegas," Cowherd delves deep into the intersection of pop culture and sports, exploring how prominent figures influence sports fandom and the broader sports landscape.

---

1. Introduction to Live from Las Vegas

Timestamp: 03:03 – 05:22

Colin Cowherd kicks off the live broadcast from Las Vegas, energizing the audience with the excitement surrounding the upcoming Super Bowl. The focus quickly shifts to the unexpected surge in Kansas City Chiefs' fandom, attributed to the high-profile relationship between Travis Kelce and pop superstar Taylor Swift.

---

2. The Taylor Swift Effect on Chiefs Fandom

Timestamp: 05:22 – 09:11

Discussion Highlights:

• Travis Kelce Declining the Grammys:
  "Travis Kelce has to pass on the Grammys again... since he's been going to the Super Bowl every year."
  (05:22)

• Gracie Hunt's Statement on Fandom Surge:
  "Chief fandom is up over 40% thanks to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship."
  (05:45)

• Impact on Merchandise and Casual Fans:
  The hosts discuss how Taylor Swift's massive fanbase, known as "Swifties," has led to a significant increase in Chiefs merchandise sales and casual supporters who previously had no allegiance to the team.

• Comparisons to Steph Curry's Influence:
  "Steph Curry sort of saved that franchise... Made him cool for a future generation."
  (06:25)
  They draw parallels between Curry's impact on the Golden State Warriors and Taylor Swift's influence on the Chiefs, emphasizing how individual personalities can rejuvenate and expand a team's fanbase.

---

3. Comparing Influential Sports Personalities

Timestamp: 09:11 – 17:10

Key Points:

• Tiger Woods and Golf:
  Tiger Woods is credited with transforming golf from a traditionally older sport to one with a younger, more diverse fanbase.
  "You can't argue Tiger Woods' impact."
  (16:36)

• Michael Jordan and Nike:
  Michael Jordan's partnership with Nike revolutionized athletic endorsements, making him a global icon and boosting Nike's brand to unprecedented heights.
  (28:15)

• Hulk Hogan and WWE:
  Hulk Hogan is recognized as a pivotal figure in popularizing professional wrestling, turning WWE into a mainstream entertainment powerhouse.
  "You can't deny what he was and what he meant to that company."
  (18:21)

---

4. Impact on Women's Sports

Timestamp: 12:09 – 18:57

Highlights:

• Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese's Influence on the WNBA:
  The hosts discuss how Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have revitalized women's basketball, drawing significant attention and viewership to the WNBA.
  "Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese totally revolutionize women's basketball? No diggity."
  (12:09)

• Financial Growth and Popularity:
  Despite financial challenges, the increased visibility and popularity driven by these athletes are setting the stage for sustained growth and mainstream acceptance of women's sports.

---

5. Television and Media Influence on Sports and Entertainment

Timestamp: 14:25 – 20:38

Discussion Points:

• AMC's Evolution with Hit Shows:
  "The Walking Dead was on the channel, you're like, wow, now I'm tuning in."
  (14:25)
  The transformation of AMC into a premier network is attributed to groundbreaking shows that attracted diverse audiences.

• Howard Stern and SiriusXM:
  Howard Stern's move to SiriusXM significantly boosted the platform's subscriber base, illustrating the power of influential personalities in shaping media landscapes.
  "Howard Stern changed the landscape of radio."
  (16:03)

• Boxing's Spectacle Evolution:
  The hosts compare the modern spectacle of boxing to the NBA's entertainment value, highlighting the trend of elaborate ring introductions and celebrity endorsements.
  "It's almost like in the NBA now, it's like a walk, it's like a fashion show."
  (46:16)

---

6. Boxing Segment: Upcoming Fights and Commentary

Timestamp: 41:08 – 49:21

Key Discussions:

• Benavidez vs. Morell Showdown:
  The anticipation surrounding the fight between David Benavidez and Morrell is analyzed, focusing on the fighters' mindsets and the potential impact of personal animosity on the match's outcome.
  "If Travis gets down on one knee because they're the fairytale couple, it has to be the end."
  (17:17)

• Evolution of Boxing Promotions:
  The shift towards creating a more entertaining and spectacle-driven environment in boxing, akin to other sports, is highlighted. The incorporation of artists and elaborate walkouts is seen as a strategy to attract a broader audience.
  "With them walking through hall, it's like a fashion show for boxing."
  (46:25)

• Impact of Personalities in Boxing:
  The role of prominent figures like Mike Tyson in elevating boxing's popularity and viewership is discussed, emphasizing the need for larger-than-life personalities to sustain interest in the sport.

---

7. Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

Timestamp: 49:21 – End

Summary: Colin Cowherd, alongside co-hosts Martin Luther King III and Brian Custer, wraps up the episode by reiterating the profound impact that individual personalities have on sports and entertainment. They emphasize that the intersection of pop culture and sports not only rejuvenates fanbases but also propels entire franchises and disciplines into new realms of popularity and financial success.

Notable Quotes:

• "The Taylor Swift effect is real, whether you like it or not."
  (29:36)

• "You never know who's watching you and who's got your eye on you."
  (42:14)

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Travis Kelce on Grammys:
   "Travis Kelce has to pass on the Grammys again... since he's been going to the Super Bowl every year."
   (05:22)

2. Steph Curry Saving Warriors:
   "Steph Curry sort of saved that franchise... Made him cool for a future generation."
   (06:25)

3. Tailoring Brands with Athletes:
   "What Michael Jordan meant to Nike."
   (28:15)

4. Caitlin Clark's WNBA Impact:
   "Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese totally revolutionize women's basketball? No diggity."
   (12:09)

5. AMC's Transformation:
   "The Walking Dead was on the channel, you're like, wow, now I'm tuning in."
   (14:25)

6. Howard Stern's Radio Impact:
   "Howard Stern changed the landscape of radio."
   (16:03)

7. Boxing Spectacle Comparison:
   "It's almost like in the NBA now, it's like a walk, it's like a fashion show."
   (46:16)

8. Taylor Swift Effect Reality:
   "The Taylor Swift effect is real, whether you like it or not."
   (29:36)

---

Conclusion:
In this premiere episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd from Las Vegas, listeners are treated to an in-depth analysis of how influential figures from both the sports and entertainment industries can dramatically shape public perception and fan engagement. By drawing parallels across different sports and media landscapes, Cowherd and his co-hosts offer valuable insights into the symbiotic relationship between celebrity culture and sports marketing.

Transcript

[Bobby Bones]

Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirrorball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else are you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything. Listen to Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Arturo Castro]

Hi, I'm Arturo Castro, and I've been lucky enough to do stuff like Broad City and Narcos and Roadhouse. And now I'm starting a podcast because honestly, guys, I don't feel the space is crowded enough. Get ready for Greatest Escapes, a new comedy podcast about the wildest true escape stories in history. Each week I'll be sitting down with some of the most hilarious actors and writers and comedians. People like Ed Helms, Diane Guerrero, and Joseph Gordon Levitt.

[Martin Luther King III]

I love storytelling and I love you.

[Brian Custer]

So I can't wait.

[Arturo Castro]

Listen and subscribe to Greatest escapes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get podcasts.

[Bobby Bones]

Calling all Yellowstone fans, let's go to work. Join Bobby Bones on the official Yellowstone podcast for exclusive cast interviews, behind the scenes insights, and a deep dive into the themes that have made Yellowstone a cultural phenomenon. Our family legacy is this ranch.

[Unknown]

My protector of my life.

[Bobby Bones]

Listen to the official Yellowstone podcast Now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Martin Luther King III]

Welcome to my Legacy. I'm Martin Luther King iii, and together with my wife, Andrea Waters King, and our dear friends Mark and Craig Kilburger, we explore the personal journeys that shape extraordinary lives.

[Brian Custer]

Join us for heartfelt conversations with remarkable guests like David Oyelo, Mel Robbins, Martin Sheen, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and and Billy Porter. Listen to My legacy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Martin Luther King III]

This is my legacy.

[Brian Custer]

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.

[Martin Luther King III]

Writer and actor Dan Aykroyd.

[Unknown]

I love writing more than anything. You're left alone, you know, you do.

[Martin Luther King III]

Three hours in the morning, you write three hours in the afternoon.

[Unknown]

Go pick up a kid from school.

[Martin Luther King III]

And right at night and after nine hours, you come out with seven pages and then you're.

[Brian Custer]

You're moving on listen to. Here's the thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Martin Luther King III]

Hey, thanks for listening to the Covino Enrich podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 5 to 7 Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.

[Brian Custer]

Find your local station for Kavito and [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHear radio app by searching FSR. Yeah. All right.

[Martin Luther King III]

We are live from Vegas.

[Brian Custer]

Yeah. Day one of what seems to be like 10 days in a row of a lot of fun between Vegas then New Orleans. So lots of fun here on Fox Sports Radio.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah, but this is Vegas, baby. Vegas, Vegas, Las Vegas.

[Brian Custer]

Do you think a lot of younger dudes know all the swingers quotes that we abuse used for decades like no.

[Martin Luther King III]

Cuz the fighters that are fighting this weekend are born after 1996.

[Brian Custer]

Oh jeez.

[Martin Luther King III]

That movie came out in 96 and was a cult classic. Quotable. But yeah, I think only we know it. Get Cavino. That's rich. He's so money he doesn't even know it. And we be rocking out. Let's go.

[Brian Custer]

I was going say he took the words out of my mouth. I was going to say if you said that to Benavides, he'd be like, yeah, money, that's, that's great.

[Martin Luther King III]

You know why I was looking up Isak Pitbull crews? Because he's also fighting the undercard. And we'll talk about what to watch. We do it every Friday weekend hobnobbing here on the show. What you need to tune into in the world of sports and entertainment. And I looked him up. Born in 1998. Jesus. That's when I. Let's just say I was in college. Okay, Put it that way. So again we're broadcasting live from the Benavidez Radio Row. Benavidez Morrell at the MGM in Vegas, half our crew back at the tirerack.com studio on the west side of Los Ang. We're [e-mail] in Vegas and we'll help you get there. Tire rack's unmatched. Fast. Free shipping, free road hazard protection. Over 10,000 recommended installers. Tirerack.com the way tire buying should be.

[Brian Custer]

And be sure to check out fox Sports Radio's YouTube channel. You can see us and a lot of clips of the show. Our bonus podcast over promised. All there on the fox Sports Radio YouTube page. Subscribe and keep track of what we're doing. Man.

[Martin Luther King III]

Now yesterday's show we had David Benavidez, the Mexican monster, the headliner of tomorrow's fight. We had him on the show, catch it on the punishment podcast. We're going to touch on that throughout the day. But you never know who's going to stop by Radio Row. That's the fun of it. So I'm hearing Brian Custer's in the area. There's always fighters. I think I saw Caleb Plant in the lobby. But we'll be joined by Custer later on, I think Lampley for another bonus show later on. So we'll keep you posted here again, Kavino and Rich live from Vegas got in early today. It's always fun, it's always electric to be here.

[Brian Custer]

Now, lot of NFL because that's really what's on people's minds, right? I mean, we're headed to the super bowl in a couple days and I saw this morning that Travis Kelce has to pass on the Grammys again. No Grammys because since he's met Taylor, he's been going to the super bowl every year. So he can't support her, which is, you know, one sided if you ask me.

[Unknown]

What problems to have in life right now.

[Brian Custer]

She's winning Grammys, he's winning Super Bowls. But I bring that up because I saw the owner's daughter, Gracie Hunt said that since Travis Kelce started dating Taylor Swift. Yeah, I don't know how they came up with this number.

[Martin Luther King III]

Since they started dating, we haven't stopped talking about it.

[Brian Custer]

I don't know.

[Martin Luther King III]

It hasn't stopped tuning in.

[Brian Custer]

Is it merch, is it ticket sales? Is it just everything combined? They're saying there is a 40% plus surge, surge in Chiefs fandom. More Chiefs fans than ever before. And it got me thinking, what sports, what shows, what anything just totally benefited from a moment from a person like, where do you see those surges? And the first thing that comes to mind for me, the whole meme that before Steph Curry the only Golden State warriors fan was Danny Tanner.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah, Curry put him on the map for sure. Without a doubt. Made them cool or cool again however you want to look at it. But yeah, Steph Curry sort of saved that franchise. Made him cool for a future generation, a current generation Taylor Swift. Whether you like it or not, whether you believe it or not, the owner's daughter is telling you popularity up 40%, fandom up 40%. You have to imagine merchandise, Swifties up 40%, people caring about it up 40%. It's insane.

[Brian Custer]

How do you equate that? Danny G. And I were talking to Our Uber driver this morning on the way to the airport.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah.

[Brian Custer]

Because I can't shut up.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah. I mean, you talk to the wall, so you'll talk to anything.

[Brian Custer]

Danny, this guy did start the conversation. He was yappy.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And he was a sports fan. He had the iHeart app on and trust me, Kove. Before we got out of the car, Rich and I had him tuned into Fox Sports Radio.

[Martin Luther King III]

Rich was talking to the MGM lion statue in the lobby.

[Brian Custer]

So we're talking to our Uber driver, really nice guy, and he's like, you're like, how does that even happen? Like, how do you become a fan as an adult? And I go, you know, probably just people that didn't care and now care. Because he's like, don't you choose your sports alliance as a kid? So when you say a 40% surge, how do you just become a Chiefs fan? I'm like, you know, it's a lot.

[Martin Luther King III]

Of wives and girlfriends, casuals.

[Brian Custer]

Right.

[Martin Luther King III]

That's easy to understand because of the Swifty effect. That's really what that comes down to. It's people who never cared about football before all of a sudden care about the Chiefs and think the Chiefs are cool. And that's not to take away from the fact that, I don't know, they're going for a three peat.

[Brian Custer]

Yeah.

[Martin Luther King III]

So just by default, when dynasties are built that way they get a lot of casual fandom, front running fandom. The same way you love the bulls in the 90s, the same people jumped on the Yankees of the early 2000s. Any team that wins, when you think back growing up, who are the teams we rooted for? Cowboys, Redskins.

[Brian Custer]

I mean, you're right, you know, the.

[Martin Luther King III]

80S teams I'm talking about, it's the teams that win. So you can't discredit the fact that the Chiefs gave people to something to cheer about.

[Brian Custer]

But on top of that, the biggest pop star in the world is like, that's my team. So you're right. There's a lot of, you know, let's be honest, women, wives, girlfriends, daughters that are like, I don't really care, but I guess I like the Chiefs.

[Martin Luther King III]

But now they're excited about it.

[Brian Custer]

My daughter's best friend, little Reagan, she's like, go Chiefs. I'm like, what do you, what do you know about the Chiefs, buddy? She's like Travis Kelce's Taylor Swift's girlfriend. So there are.

[Martin Luther King III]

And that is a seven year old that, you know.

[Brian Custer]

So 40% boost. So other than Steph Curry giving the Golden State warriors life, they Were people that probably didn't even know where Golden State was. Like, what's Golden State?

[Martin Luther King III]

Well, I don't know if you would put this into this conversation, but one of the first things that came to mind for me was it wasn't necessarily that he saved the franchise, but he saved the stadium. When Ken Griffey took Seattle to the playoffs, you know, eventually made them a team that people cared about, I feel like he changed the culture in Seattle at that time.

[Brian Custer]

I don't know what level of truth is behind that, but I've heard the same thing. That Seattle would have lost the Mariners.

[Martin Luther King III]

That's the spot.

[Brian Custer]

Griffey Jr. Not been the force he was.

[Martin Luther King III]

Kane was a force. Everybody loved him. The kid marketable, hitting bombs, sweetest swing ever. Then they made it to the playoffs in 95, beat the Yankees.

[Brian Custer]

Could it be that he alone save that franchise?

[Martin Luther King III]

That's what they say. They claim that to be true. So you could say that hey, Ken Griffey was there. That made other big star players want to be there. You had Edgar and Tino and Ichiro and a rod like you had a bunch of stars there. But they Credit Ken Griffey Jr. For being that guy to save baseball in Seattle.

[Unknown]

How about an owner we all watched winning time. You saw what Dr. Buss did with the Lakers organization.

[Martin Luther King III]

Dude, that definitely applies for sure.

[Brian Custer]

The. The NBA was a, you know, as the story goes, people would watch pre tape games, they would air games that already had happened. And the NBA was sort of struggling to gain their fandom. And if not for the Celtics Lakers rivalry and what Dr. Buss did for the Lakers, the Lakers girls, the vibe, the celebrities like that sort of brought. And Magic Johnson, that brought the Lakers to a different level. Yeah.

[Unknown]

And then on the other side, Red Auerbach and what he did for Celtics.

[Martin Luther King III]

Lore, I would say in the same breath you got to credit Magic and Bird, right?

[Brian Custer]

Yeah.

[Martin Luther King III]

And what they did for the game to popularize it. But you're right, it started with Bus getting Magic Johnson and creating that Lakers dynasty. But there's so much going on here too. Rich, you got my wheels turning. And we'll get your phone calls at 87799 on Fox live from Vegas at Covino and Rich at Fox Sports radio. The way we think of those teams of the 80s and 90s that we grew up on, right? The shiny 49ers and the Cowboys and those great teams that won a lot, the Chiefs are about or could do something that's never been done before. So they're that to a younger person times like 10.

[Brian Custer]

The same way some kid gravitated towards Michael Jordan and the Bulls. Yeah, There's a kid now gravitating towards Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Now, I don't know if cheesesteak Sammy, I was saying back at the studio will agree or not, but when I think of the wnba, I'm not saying they. I'm not saying they were on life support.

[Martin Luther King III]

Boop, boop, boop.

[Brian Custer]

I feel like Caitlin Clark's presence, like resurrected women's basketball because I almost feel like that league was a couple years away from, like, having to make some possible decisions, and now they're headed in the completely opposite direction. And listen, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese has a meal at McDonald's now. The Angel Reese meal. So I was saying, would you agree that Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese and some of these young women totally revolutionize women's basketball? No diggity. No doubt.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah. Who's going to debate that? I mean, that's obvious, and it's a great answer.

[Unknown]

They still got to get their financials right, though, because they were still in debt.

[Martin Luther King III]

They will.

[Unknown]

The season was over.

[Martin Luther King III]

Actual NBA keeping them afloat, but definitely got people tuning in where we weren't tuning in before. The same way the Chiefs got all these fans that weren't there. Again, if you just joined us, Kelsey, part one is Kelsey can't go to the Grammys. He's got other things going on. That's the story today that your wife or girlfriend's gonna tell you about.

[Brian Custer]

I'm busy. Busy doing what? I don't know, preparing for the Super Bowl.

[Martin Luther King III]

Trying to get a chief, Pete. And the other story, the side story is Taylor Swift. Because of the Taylor Swift effect and her fans, chief fandom is up 40% according to Gracie Hunt, the Chiefs owner's daughter.

[Brian Custer]

Yeah.

[Martin Luther King III]

So what other franchises were really put on the map because of one star player? A coach, a moment? Something like that. You know what comes to mind for me, Rich? Not that. And I'm going to take it off sports just for a second. Not that it wasn't a thing. All of these things were a thing. But it went next level once this happened. Amc, it was always there. But once the Walking Dead was on the channel, you're like, wow, now I'm tuning in. Before that, your mom was tuning in to watch an American movie classic. You weren't ever tuning into amc. All of a sudden you're like, oh, yeah, the Walking Dead. I'm tuning in. Oh, Breaking Bad, then Breaking Bad.

[Brian Custer]

You know you're talking about.

[Martin Luther King III]

But it was the Walking Dead first.

[Brian Custer]

It was, was it?

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah.

[Brian Custer]

Breaking Bad debuted. Breaking bad debuted in 08. Walking Dead in 2010.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah. What? No way. Breaking Bad is before that.

[Brian Custer]

Yep.

[Martin Luther King III]

Wow. But before those shows and before that run, I wasn't tuning into AMC, wasn't on my favorites.

[Brian Custer]

Say it again, buddy boy. 2007, Mad Men was on AMC. So I think they really got it started.

[Martin Luther King III]

I love the little Don Draper too.

[Brian Custer]

I was saying you could, you could link those shows.

[Martin Luther King III]

Give me some Roger Sterling.

[Brian Custer]

That, that trifecta of Mad Men, Walking Dead and Breaking Bad put AMC American Movie Classic. It made it one of the premier networks for the 2000, for the 2000s.

[Martin Luther King III]

And you want to really go back, go back to the early 2000s even. I think it might be 99. If it wasn't for the Sopranos, we wouldn't be tuning into any of those cable networks for those type of shows.

[Brian Custer]

Well, the Sopranos sort of revolutionized how we looked at Sunday night. Sunday night was like, what did you watch? Remember as a kid you watch football with your dad and then when football was over, there was the ABC Disney movie of the week, like Flight of the Navigator or something. There was nothing on Sunday nights. And then all of a sudden it was like, wait a minute, the Sopranos are all going to gather around. And then, you know, through all the years, all these Sunday night shows on Showtime, hbo, Cinemax, all the way up to the Game of Thrones and.

[Martin Luther King III]

But you know what was different about the Mad Men, Walking Dead, Breaking Bad trifecta? It made you realize that you'll find the shows wherever they are. Like it didn't matter at that point if it was on some sort of major network. So it definitely brought a whole new slew of fans to all different networks that were never there before. Alright, so your phone calls, your feedback, it's the Taylor Swift effect. Who else had that for what franchise? What else comes to mind for you? 87799 on Fox. I'll give you one that's a little. Well, it's true. I mean, we work for SiriusXM. Still on the music side.

[Brian Custer]

Yeah.

[Martin Luther King III]

It went from 30,000 subscribers to like 3 million subscribers overnight when Howard Stern signed on.

[Brian Custer]

Yeah.

[Martin Luther King III]

So it became like a household thing once he signed up.

[Brian Custer]

Howard Stern changed the landscape of radio.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah, we were there, we saw it.

[Brian Custer]

But we were part of a new company, Sirius Satellite Radio. And you're right, there were tens of thousands of people. Howard Stern signed on and then it went from. Where do you Work Cyrus radio to, oh, you're on Sirius. And then look at what it's become.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah. Put it on the map. And people knew how to pronounce it, that's for sure. So he was definitely one of those guys.

[Brian Custer]

I got one. I'm curious if our pal Dan Beyer agrees, because while golf has always been huge, Tiger woods took golf from like, oh, your dad's watching the Masters or you watch a golf. To like a real younger fan favorite dude to root for.

[Martin Luther King III]

No question. Yeah, no question.

[Brian Custer]

I mean, you can't argue Tiger woods impact.

[Martin Luther King III]

No. So who else comes to mind? We'll take your feedback again at 87799 on Fox ovinoenrich@fox sports Radio.

[Unknown]

And let's hope this is the last super bowl with Taylor Swift.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah. You know, we said this on our bonus podcast over Promise.

[Unknown]

I saw.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah, we said some things.

[Unknown]

Saw it on YouTube.

[Martin Luther King III]

If Travis gets down on one knee because they're the fairytale couple, if they went for the fairy tale ending and he asked her to get married, it has to be the end. He has to retire. Sort of like you don't propose on national TV if that were to happen, and then come back next year and play again.

[Brian Custer]

But do we all agree? Because I know we talk about the Chiefs fatigue, and while it's a beautiful love story, pun intended, we've sort of had enough of Taylor Swift. Travis Kelce. If I told you the super bowl resulted in a Chiefs win, a proposal, but that also meant they get married and go off into the sunset, do you say sure, yeah.

[Martin Luther King III]

I mean, sign me up again. That would be the quote unquote cliche perfect ending. But enough after that. And I say that respectfully.

[Unknown]

How about the Eagles win? He still proposes, she says no, and both of them disappear.

[Martin Luther King III]

Hey, that'd be cool.

[Brian Custer]

And she goes home with Saquon Barkley.

[Martin Luther King III]

But hey, you can't deny the effect she's had on that franchise. I got another one. I'm so surprised Rich didn't bring it up. I was waiting for him to bring it up.

[Brian Custer]

Oh, damn.

[Martin Luther King III]

But one of the biggest organizations in the world as far as sports and entertainment, the WWE, would be Nava. You could say Vince McMahon, but it's really Hulk Hogan. It's nothing without the stars. He's the guy. I mean, people hate Hulk now, but on his back. No, hey, that's fine. But you can't deny what he was and what he meant to that company and the growth of that company to where it is right now.

[Brian Custer]

It's A great answer if you're talking about game changers and if you're just.

[Martin Luther King III]

Joining us, he was the game changer.

[Brian Custer]

This all started because there was other.

[Martin Luther King III]

Stars, but he was a superstar.

[Brian Custer]

Gracie Hunt, the daughter of the Chiefs owner, said Taylor Swift is responsible for the Chiefs fan base growing almost 50%. And you got to think about the impact people and players. What Griffey Jr. Meant to Seattle, what Tiger woods meant to golf, what Caitlin Clark means to the wnba. And we were going over some of these big ones. You can't leave Hoaxer, Hogan and Vince McMahon because before that, when you're grandpappy, because my grandfather was one of those guys who'd be like, oh, Bruno. Simultaneously your grandparents might have watched like old dudes grappling, like. Now it is a spectacle. If you watch Raw on Netflix, These wrestlers have 10 minute ring entrances with fireworks. And it is.

[Martin Luther King III]

And there was all these integral moments of Andre the Giant, him body slamming him. And again, he needed other stars to feed off of at that time. We grew up with all of them. We know, but he was the guy and he was the centerpiece of all of it. That put it on the map. Whether you like him or not, you still have to say Hulk Hogan for sure.

[Brian Custer]

I have an answer that I'm almost embarrassed we forgot the. You should be ashamed.

[Martin Luther King III]

You should be ashamed. You're a big wrestling guy.

[Brian Custer]

You should be ashamed because you're missing.

[Martin Luther King III]

One that you're going to want to.

[Brian Custer]

Punch yourself in the throat.

[Martin Luther King III]

If you say the Paul Brothers for boxing, I'm going to choke you.

[Brian Custer]

No, you're going to want to hit your head against this table here.

[Martin Luther King III]

But you know what, I hate to say it, but I bet you the Paul brothers have a similar effect to boxing that Taylor Swift has to the Chiefs because there's so many young kids that are tuning in just because of those guys.

[Brian Custer]

Hey, dingbat.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah?

[Brian Custer]

What's your baseball team?

[Martin Luther King III]

The Yankees.

[Brian Custer]

You ever hear of a guy named George Herman Ruth? I mean, we were, you know, just a twinkle. We weren't even a twinkle in our Grandpappy's.

[Martin Luther King III]

Back to 1980.

[Brian Custer]

No, but I'm saying we weren't even a twinkle in our grandpappy's pantalonis yet. But back then baseball was a thing. But Babe Ruth became a spectacle. Like a must see, like a larger than life, almost circus like character from what you read and hear. Babe Ruth. Baseball.

[Martin Luther King III]

Baseball.

[Tisha Allen]

That's it.

[Martin Luther King III]

Babe Ruth, what he meant to baseball. So based on the Taylor Swift story, who else comes to mind? The game changer for that franchise, that person changed the stigma or impression of what you previously thought. That person saved the team or the.

[Brian Custer]

Trajectory of, like you said, of a franchise. Right.

[Martin Luther King III]

Give us a call. Who else comes to mind? 87799 on Fox. We're live from Vegas. Benavidez. Morrell. I'm pumped about it. Never know who's gonna stop by Radio Row. We are Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.

[Unknown]

FOX Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.

[Bobby Bones]

Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday podcast Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirror ball trophy from Dancing with a Star. So where else are you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? Based in Nashville, we're more than just your basic NFL show. We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything because we got lots to say. I texted you and you texted me back. Now, I don't know if you have the update, but like, all the little thumbs up and heart and stuff, like, it's all colored. They changed it and the heart's a little pink. It felt like I told you I loved you. I'm going to be honest, it was a little pink.

[Brian Custer]

There was something sentimental when you, when you send it. It was like, do I send the heart now?

[Bobby Bones]

I don't like the color edition.

[Brian Custer]

It's extremely pink.

[Bobby Bones]

Listen to Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Brian Custer]

The forces shaping markets and the economy are often hiding behind a blur of numbers.

[Unknown]

So that's why we created the big Take from Bloomberg podcasts to give you the context you need to make sense of it all.

[Brian Custer]

Every day in just 15 minutes, we dive into one global business story that matters.

[Unknown]

You'll hear from Bloomberg journalists like Matt Levine.

[Martin Luther King III]

A lot of this Meme stock stuff is, I think, embarrassing to the sec.

[Unknown]

Amanda Mull, who writes our Business Week Buying Power column.

[Brian Custer]

Very few companies who go viral are, like, totally prepared for what that means.

[Unknown]

And Zoe Tillman, senior legal reporter. Courts are not supposed to decide elections. Courts are not really supposed to play a big role in choosing our elected leaders. It's for the voters to decide.

[Brian Custer]

Follow the Big Take podcast on the iHeartRadio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

[Tisha Allen]

What's going on, everybody? This is Justin Pennik from John Boy Media, the host of the Football Today podcast, Bobby Skinner and Chris Rose. We're rolling three times a week on Mondays, on Wednesdays, on Fridays, breaking down everything you need to know about the NFL. We're talking about the MVP race. Is Josh Allen going to pull it out? Lamar Jackson? Can Saquon Barkley even break the rushing record? Can the Steelers keep up their momentum? We talk about everything. We break it down. Stats, analytics. And of course, Chris Rose is bringing his perspective on being a pro in the media world as well. Listen to Football Today on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts and you will be glad you did. Hope you could join us for the postseason run.

[Bobby Bones]

Tickets are on sale now, y'all, for our 2025 I Heart Country Festival presented by Capital one, happening Saturday, May 3rd at the Moody center in Austin, Texas. Don't miss your chance to see country music's biggest superstars, Brooks and D. Thomas, Rhett, Rascal Flash, Cole Swindell, Sam Hunt, Megan Maroney, Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith, all on one stage hosted by Bobby Bones. I Heart Country Festival, streaming live only on Hulu and you can be there in person. Tickets are on sale now. Don't miss out.

[Brian Custer]

Austin, Texas.

[Bobby Bones]

Get yours before they sell [e-mail] that's Ticketmaster.com and we'll see you at our 2025 I Heart Country Festival presented by Capital One.

[Unknown]

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 like LPGA superstar Angel Yin.

[Brian Custer]

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

[Unknown]

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

[Tisha Allen]

The drinks were flowing, twerking all over.

[Brian Custer]

The place, vaping, they're shotgunning.

[Unknown]

Women's golf is a wild ride full of big personalities, remarkable athleticism, fierce competition, and a generation of women hell bent on shaking that glass ceiling. Welcome to the Party with Tisha Allen is an I Heart women's sports product 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.

[Brian Custer]

Elf Beauty, founding partner of I Heart Women's Sports.

[Martin Luther King III]

Hey, welcome Back to the show. Covino and Rich live from Vegas. Live from the Benavidez Radio Row at the MGM and the TireRack.com studio. Rapid Radio. They're the walkie talkie for the big game, Rapid Radio. We brought them to Vegas, we're bringing them to new or they're push to talk offering national LTE coverage. No subscription ever. Perfect for instant contact with your friends. We use them on the show. Go to rapidradios.com now for up to 60% off and free shipping.

[Brian Custer]

I didn't see it in your carry on. Where'd you put it?

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah. Again, I'm Steve Covino. That is Rich Davis back in la. We got Sam and Bersch and Byer with your updates. Danny G, super producing spot, he's here on the videos. And we got Brian Custer stopping by later on. Never know who's going to stop by Radio Row. And Benavidez, the Mexican monster was on our show yesterday. So catch that on the podcast.

[Brian Custer]

All right, so a little boxing, a little bit, but lots of NFL today.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah.

[Brian Custer]

The story this morning was that obviously Travis Kelce had a decline his invitation to the Grammys this weekend because he's preparing for something called the Super Bowl. Yeah, but the daughter of the chief's owner, Gracie Hunt said that thanks to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship, chief fandom has spiked over 40%. And it gets you wondering what other team shows, networks, actors like who has propelled a product, a team, a city. And there are some good answers. What Caitlin Clark did to the wnba, you were saying the Sopranos, what that did to Sunday night cable television. There's great answers. Let's go to you guys.

[Martin Luther King III]

You know, I'm also thinking you mentioned Steph Curry and what he meant to the Golden State Warriors. Right. But what about Steph Curry meant to Under Armour? What about what Michael Jordan meant to Nike?

[Brian Custer]

That is true.

[Martin Luther King III]

These were companies that weren't doing that great until these guys put it on the map. So 87799 on Fox is our number. What comes to mind?

[Brian Custer]

That's funny you would say that. Right? I want to go the phones. But it's funny you would say products because when you watched Air, if you haven't great movie.

[Martin Luther King III]

It was really great.

[Brian Custer]

Yeah. Ben Afflecks and who else is in that?

[Martin Luther King III]

Matt Damon.

[Brian Custer]

Matt Damon. You watch that movie. And yes, I said ass Flex. You realize Nike was a running shoe company that was like financially, you know, taking big chances. And that chance paid off. I was just looking at the Pixar company Pixar was hemorrhaging money and was looking for buyers. They were going to shut down. Toy story made over $300 million, and since then, Pixar cleaned up.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah. You often hear about movies that saved the company, that saved the production company, or artists that saved the record label that was going nowhere. So again, we gave you our examples. The Taylor Swift effect is real, whether you like it or not. People did hit us up on social media at Covino and Rich. Well, what happens when he retires? Well, I think they still keep their alliance to the Chiefs because these are clearly casual fans that had no alliance or allegiance to a team.

[Brian Custer]

So maybe moving forward, it's like, yeah, I guess I'm a Chiefs fan for.

[Martin Luther King III]

The rest of their life. When people ask, who do you root for? Like, yeah, I mean, I kind of got into the Chiefs, and that's the merch they're going to lean toward for the rest of their life and maybe even pass that down for their kids. So what she did for that franchise is amazing.

[Unknown]

Oh, we were talking about record companies.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

If you saw Straight out of Compton, you know, some of the story of Priority Records. Yeah, they were releasing lots of compilation albums. They even released the California Raisins, the singing cartoon characters.

[Brian Custer]

My wife loved those. She said, as a kid, remember those? The Claymation Raisins.

[Unknown]

And then they signed this little group called nwa.

[Martin Luther King III]

Put them on the map, dude. Saved it.

[Unknown]

The rest is history.

[Martin Luther King III]

So cool. Yeah, there's a lot of stories. Stories like that of record labels that were just going nowhere, failing, ready to fold, and then someone busts out and they're the next big thing.

[Brian Custer]

All right, who do we got on the phones?

[Unknown]

Danny G. All right, let's start with Tony in Virginia.

[Brian Custer]

Yo, what's up? Tom Cavino and Retro in Vegas. Then headed to New Orleans. What's up?

[Unknown]

Listen, I wanted to go along the lines of the Taylor Swift external influence. The Knicks were more bun franchise. Madison Square Garden was dead until Spike Lee started sitting on the sidelines. And then we got the 30 for 30 with Reggie Miller, and that got that whole thing revived. So that's.

[Brian Custer]

That is not a crazy answer at all. Spike Lee, what he did courtside for the Knicks, it gave him a vibe in the 90s when, you know, you had Ewing, Starks, Anthony Mason, all those great characters. But to deny that Spike Lee created a vibe that it was must watch basketball courtside.

[Martin Luther King III]

I like to think my ego tells me that Covino and Rich created a vibe at Fox Sports Radio like the studio was dead. The Only person at the studio was Big Mike who runs the place. At the same time. Covid sort of ended around that time. So it really had nothing to do with us, but I like to think it did.

[Brian Custer]

No, I'm convinced that we brought the energy and fun back to Fox Sports Radio.

[Martin Luther King III]

My ego says, yo, we brought this place back to life. But really people just went back to work. I know.

[Unknown]

You guys just made me think of Barry Bonds who built the stadium, the baseball stadium in San Francisco spot. What did it start off as? His pack bell part it that wouldn't have been built had there been no Barry Bonds.

[Brian Custer]

You know, I saw a clip of Barry Bond. Speaking of which, not to be ADD radio, but during the strike season in baseball he said he would have been 50, 50. He's like, what Ichiro did is amazing. He wasn't trying to take anything away. But he said, yo, that was his best shot at 50, 50. And he's like, I would have done it. He's like, a lot of guys would hit 60 home runs that year. Go.

[Martin Luther King III]

I mean Mickey Mantle is famously quoted for saying if he knew 4040 was a thing, he, he'd done it any every year. So 50, 50, possibly. Back to your phone calls. 87799 on Fox again at Covino and Rich.

[Unknown]

All right, let's say what's up to Dave in Vermont.

[Brian Custer]

Yo, what up, Dave?

[Martin Luther King III]

Hey, listen. So what's up boys?

[Unknown]

The I was thinking Peyton Manning with the Colts because that before he was.

[Tisha Allen]

There, he took it, it was like.

[Unknown]

A basketball town, you know, he boosted football, turned it into a football town.

[Brian Custer]

You know how I know this is true? Because when we were kids, if you got a cult helmet out of the supermarket vending machine, you ain't kidding, dude, you were mad.

[Martin Luther King III]

And by the way, I grew up in New Jersey and Rich grew up in Long island and we have the same exact memory of trying to get those little helmets in that quarter machine at the supermarket. You got a Colts one, you might as well stomped on it right then and there. The weakest.

[Brian Custer]

So Colts. To say that Peyton Manning made the Colts relevant, made him cool might be the understatement of the, of the 90s and the 2000s in football.

[Martin Luther King III]

Made him cool. And that's how you know the, the power of somebody, the impact of an important player like a Peyton Manning. Alright, so again, we're Covino and Rich and I know you have Taylor Swift and Chiefs fatigue, but the facts are the facts and they're going to be in the super bowl and probably More than ever going to watch because of it.

[Brian Custer]

Yeah, no doubt.

[Unknown]

Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.

[Bobby Bones]

Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirror ball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else you can find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? Based in Nashville, we're more than just your basic NFL show. We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything because we got lots to say. I. I texted you, and you texted me back. Now, I don't know if you have the update, but, like, all the little thumbs up and heart and stuff, like, it's all colored. They changed it and the heart's a little pink. It felt like I told you I loved you. I'm gonna be honest. It was a little pink.

[Brian Custer]

There was something sentimental when you. When you send it. He was like, do I send the heart?

[Unknown]

Now?

[Bobby Bones]

I don't like the color edition.

[Brian Custer]

It's extremely pink.

[Bobby Bones]

Listen to Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Brian Custer]

The forces shaping markets and the economy are often hiding behind a blur of numbers.

[Unknown]

So that's why we created the Big Take from Bloomberg Podcasts to give you the context you need to make sense of it all.

[Brian Custer]

Every day in just 15 minutes, we dive into one global business story that matters.

[Unknown]

You'll hear from Bloomberg journalists like Matt Levine.

[Martin Luther King III]

A lot of this Meme stock stuff is, I think, embarrassing to the sec.

[Unknown]

Amanda Mull, who writes our Business Week Buying Power column.

[Brian Custer]

Very few companies who go viral are, like, totally prepared for what that means.

[Unknown]

And Zoe Tillman, senior legal reporter. Courts are not supposed to decide elections. Courts are not really supposed to play a big role in choosing our elected leader. That's for the voters to decide.

[Brian Custer]

Follow the Big Take podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

[Tisha Allen]

What's going on, everybody? This is Justin Pennik from John Boy Media, the host of the Football Today podcast alongside Bobby Skinner and Chris Rose. We're rolling three times a week, on Mondays, on Wednesdays, on Fridays, breaking down everything you need to know about the NFL. We're talking about the MVP race Is Josh Allen going to pull it out? Lamar Jackson? Can Saquon Barkley even break the rushing record? Can the Steelers keep up their momentum? We talk about everything. We break it down. Stats, analytics. And of course, Chris Rose is bringing his perspective on being a pro in the media world as well. Listen to football Today on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast and you will be glad you did. Hope you could join us for the post season run.

[Bobby Bones]

Tickets are on sale now y'all for our 2025 I Heart Country Festival presented by Capital one. Happening Saturday, May 3rd at the Moody center in Austin, Texas. Don't miss your chance to see country music's biggest superstars, Brooks and Dunn, Thomas, Rhett, Rascal, Flash, Cole Swindell, Sam Hutt, Megan Maroney, Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith, all on one stage hosted by Bobby Bones. I Heart Country Festival streaming live only on Hulu and you can be there in person. Tickets are on sale now. Don't miss out.

[Brian Custer]

Austin, Texas.

[Bobby Bones]

Get yours before they sell [e-mail] that's Ticketmaster.com and we'll see you at our 2025 I Heart Country Festival presented by.

[Unknown]

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 like LPGA superstar Angel Yin.

[Brian Custer]

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

[Unknown]

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

[Tisha Allen]

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

[Brian Custer]

They're shotgunning.

[Unknown]

Women's golf is a wild ride full of big personalities, remarkable athleticism, fierce competition and a generation of women hell bent on shaking that glass ceiling. Welcome to the party with Tisha Allen is an I heart 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.

[Brian Custer]

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

[Martin Luther King III]

From Pete Alonso to the Mets. Are we doing requests and dedications?

[Brian Custer]

I mean, I hope he comes back, right?

[Martin Luther King III]

Cavino and Rich, live from the Benavidez Radio row in Vegas. Tyrack.com studio I'm Steve Covino. That is Rich David, super pumped about the fight. And then from Vegas, we go right to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.

[Brian Custer]

So hope you packed enough chonies.

[Martin Luther King III]

Oh, my goodness. We're gonna do a lot of damage, put it this way. And to be honest, I don't know if I have enough choney's, but you never know who's gonna stop by. Radio row. And it's a pleasure to welcome our next guest, our first guest here in Vegas right now. Gotta take you back to 2013. Covino enriched. We started doing TV. SNY New York. And there were two guys that walked around that place with super swag, sense of confidence. One of those guys, Kevin Burkhart, Right. Always so cool, but he had that swag about him. And the other guys to my left, let's welcome Brian Custer. So good to see you, man. And it really does say a lot to me. And I think a lot of people listening when they're the new guys and the veteran guy is there and he's cool to the new guys because he's so confident in himself, in what he does.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Martin Luther King III]

And you were that guy to us for sure. Always appreciate that.

[Unknown]

Listen, I thought you guys were hilarious. That's number one. Number two, it. It trips me out that when I'm driving around now and I'm listening to my Sirius XM radio and I turn on the, you know, FS1 and Fox radio and all sudden I'm hearing Cavito Rich. I'm like, I knew them when I knew them when.

[Martin Luther King III]

Can you believe that was 2013. Ain't that crazy? Crazy.

[Unknown]

What's even more crazy is Kevin Burkhart when he was in studio, because obviously he was the Mets reporter. And so when they had home games, he would come into the studio and his desk was across from mine.

[Brian Custer]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And we would sit there like, man, I gotta get outta here.

[Martin Luther King III]

And I gotta tell you, we saw these dudes on their grind and we knew as guys, you know, coming up and working there for the first time again, SNY New York, we saw guys like you and we're like, yeah, it's only a matter of time before they move on and blow up to something bigger.

[Unknown]

SNY was great for our careers. So I love it. Every time I see us, we look.

[Martin Luther King III]

Back at those days. Extremely fond of that time and of what we did as well. But he was hosting a show called the Wheelhouse. The Wheelhouse at the time, which was huge in New York. And we'd watch it every day, especially Rich. As a Mets fan, I thought it.

[Brian Custer]

Was the coolest place to work as a Mets fan. And then, Brian, I see you and I'm Like, I feel like Brian knows a little of everything. Is boxing something you always gravitated towards, or is it just a pocket that you're like, yo, I'm really. This is. This is for me.

[Unknown]

No, I'll give you. I'll give you a really. A really good story. You know, at the time when I was at sny, you know, they had. They had a show on there called Broadway Boxing.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And I. I was doing that, and, you know, we would do local fights all around the city. I never got paid to do them at all.

[Martin Luther King III]

You just did them.

[Unknown]

It just did them. And, you know, one day, just out of the blue, president of Showtime Sports called S and Y. And so can I speak to Brian Custer? He said, look, I'm in town in New York and I'm watching this program, Broadway Boxing. And how would you like to be the voice in the face of Showtime Championship?

[Martin Luther King III]

Wow. Again, that's how.

[Unknown]

That's how I got the job story.

[Martin Luther King III]

Because we always say, you never know who's watching. No matter what you're doing, you never know who's watching you and who's got your eye on you. And you were doing great work back then. So again, just from the outside looking in, you left sny. You left us in the dust. And, you know, we were doing our show, Sny to Showtime and all the boxing stuff. And then, of course, I seen you on Sports center and ESPN and Prime. So tell us, like, tell us about.

[Unknown]

The journey, the crazy thing. Another story about that. When. When he could call.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

At the time, you remember, Kurt Gowdy Jr. Was the vice president of. Of SNY.

[Brian Custer]

Of course.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown]

So I told him my contract was coming up at the end of the year. And this, at this time, I want to say it might have been August or September. And I went into Kurt's office and I said, you know what? This has been a great, you know, nine, 10 years or whatever it was that I was there. And I just said, I think it's. It's something. Time for me to change. And I think I'm just going to do boxing full time at this point. And I remember Kurt Gowdy Jr looked at me and said, what are you doing? And he said, that's probably be the dumbest thing you've ever done in your career. And I'm telling you this because I love you is what he said. He said, boxing is dead and your career will be dead if you do this.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah. Because you were covering all sports to now just boxing.

[Unknown]

And so I left. But I left and went to Showtime and as soon as I went to Showtime Sports, everybody called me. It was like from radio to. And at that time Fox Sports called me because that's how I got the job at Fox Sports. I was calling, you know, college basketball, college football games at Fox Sports. SiriusXM radio called me. I had a show on Sirius XM Radio.

[Martin Luther King III]

Love that.

[Unknown]

Everything came because I made that move to. They saw me on the, on the.

[Martin Luther King III]

National platform and that was a risky move you bring up.

[Brian Custer]

You know, is boxing your specialty? Because Jim Lampley has told us that they assigned him boxing when he first started as a way to be like, get him out of here.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Brian Custer]

And that was not even something he was interested, hoping he failed to so they could get rid of him. So, you know, we've noticed over the last 10 plus years of doing a lot of these boxing events, the boxing world is very welcoming.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Brian Custer]

Like if you want to be in it, they. There's no egos, honestly, in the press area. Everyone. You want to cover us? Come on.

[Unknown]

Absolutely. You know, the good thing is that you, you open it up to a broader audience and you know, like people ask me all the time about the YouTubers and Jake Paul. Hey, look, I'm not one of those purists to say, oh, boxing should only be the. Hey, if we can get more eyes to the sport. It's good for it. Oh yeah, it's good for it.

[Martin Luther King III]

Any thoughts on the fight this weekend?

[Unknown]

I think it's going to be really. Let me tell you something. And I'm not just shilling for prime, but if you look at this fight card.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Especially the pay per view, those are four really good fights.

[Brian Custer]

I was going to say never. Never. Do you see the, the billboards and the posters with four fights. Cuz they're all good fights.

[Unknown]

All good fight. I mean, at the top, everybody's been wanting to see Benavidez and Morel.

[Brian Custer]

It's like we're gonna have to get dinner early because we're not going to want to miss these fights.

[Unknown]

Fulton and Figueroa, that fight was so good. The re. Everyone's crying for the rematch. Pitbull. People love Pitbull.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah. And he's coming off a loss, so we want him to see, you know, where he is now in that division. You know, I wanted to ask you about this because we had Benavides on the show yesterday and he looks so focused and so in the zone. And the Mexican monster. I love everything about this kid. Right. But he seems to be in A different mindset now because he genuinely dislikes Morell. That's the storyline. Yes. You know, because he talks so much smack about his family and his father, everything El else does that help or hurt a fighter? It makes it more exciting for the fans, no question, when they dislike each other. But does it take him too much out of his own. What are your thoughts on that?

[Unknown]

I think that that's going to be really crucial for both of these guys because of the. The dislike is real.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And you don't want to come out there firing away at the beginning. That's when you make mistakes.

[Martin Luther King III]

Right.

[Unknown]

You make mistakes. So if you're morale, you got to keep your cool. If you're Benavidez, you got to keep your cool to some point. Now, I understand you want to give a guy a beating, but you, you start talking stuff once you hurt him, not when you come right out the gate. Because then that's when you can make mistakes and you get clipped.

[Brian Custer]

Hang in with Brian Custer here on Fox Sports Radio. Covino and Rich. Now, we were talking to Benavidez about it yesterday. You're calling the fights.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Brian Custer]

These ring introductions and walkouts went from a couple minutes, I think.

[Martin Luther King III]

What?

[Brian Custer]

What? Last time we were at a Fury fight, it's like 15, 20 minutes. Are they a little overboard or do you love the spectacle?

[Unknown]

But I think it's now it's almost like in the NBA. You know how in the NBA now it's like a walk. It's like a fashion show.

[Brian Custer]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

When they. When they walk through the hall, coming to the. That's what it is for boxing. They take the ringwalk. So if you're like, let's say we have Tank. We have Tank in Barclays in there in a month.

[Brian Custer]

Right.

[Unknown]

You know, Tank is going to come with the hottest hip hopper.

[Martin Luther King III]

You almost have to. Now you have to. You're not bringing it right now.

[Brian Custer]

So now it is all about, how.

[Martin Luther King III]

Can I have Ben Feeders doesn't come out with mariachis.

[Brian Custer]

He told us he's bringing out artists. You have to.

[Martin Luther King III]

Yeah. Or else you're not big time.

[Brian Custer]

You're not big time. Which is why when. When Tyson fought Jake Paul.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Brian Custer]

And Tyson just walked out. Everyone's like, just what? He just walked out.

[Unknown]

What are you doing?

[Martin Luther King III]

We asked him about that, too. He's like, I don't know. I just walked out. Nobody was with you. Nobody even wanted to be with me. Nobody wanted to be with you. It's so weird, man. What did you think of that fight by the Way you said you love the, the exhibitions, you love the Jake Paul stuff.

[Unknown]

I thought, I thought it was going to go the way it was. Everyone was like, oh, but, but you know, we're, we're married to, to the, the 30 year old, 28 year old Mike Tyson. The man's 58 years old and he needs, you know, medication, stay level.

[Brian Custer]

Brian, I was the fool. I, I heard Portnoy on barstool saying, any dope that bet on Tyson? I, I was one of those, you know, we, we were betting with our heart and we were thinking it was 1990 again.

[Unknown]

Absolutely. And you saw, after that second, you.

[Brian Custer]

See his, them legs he had after.

[Unknown]

The second round, he was done.

[Brian Custer]

After the first round, I was like, I should have just lit those couple hundred dollars on fire. I did.

[Martin Luther King III]

We threw that out the window for sure. It's Cavino and Rich. Radio Ro Vegas here with Brian Custer. It's great to be here. You mentioned Gervonte Davis. We asked Benavidez, what fight besides you and Canelo? Canelo, what fight do you want to see? He said a rematch between him and Garcia with no weight clause.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Martin Luther King III]

How do you think that goes? And what do you think of that division too? There's so many great fighters.

[Unknown]

I still was, I was still Tank. I was still going Tank, without question.

[Martin Luther King III]

With like a healthy Garcia. Without question.

[Unknown]

Without question. Because listen, you know, with. He gonna throw a left hook. Devin Haney, he's gonna throw the left hook. Where did Devin Haney get hit with the left hook. So, so he couldn't hit Tank really with that left hook. And his boxing skills are too superior for me.

[Martin Luther King III]

Dude, you imagine sitting next to Brian Custer at the barbershop and everyone's spitting their opinion. And this guy, meanwhile, this guy's calling the fight. Did he recognize you all the time when you're at the barbershop?

[Unknown]

When I'm around now, wait a second.

[Martin Luther King III]

He's the guy, right?

[Brian Custer]

What do you think?

[Unknown]

Here's the crazy thing is I trip out even more when I'm out. And people would be like, yo, S.

[Brian Custer]

And Y, I'm the profession.

[Martin Luther King III]

That's crazy, right?

[Unknown]

That's even more crazy. But I'm proud of y'all, man.

[Brian Custer]

Dude, thank you, man. Continued success. We love rooting for you, man. Brian Custer, Covino and Rich. And we got more next talk. A little NFL, little NBA. And of course, more preview of this weekend. Benavidez, Morrell and your thoughts at Covino and Rich here on Fox Sports Radio. More next live from Las Vegas.

[Bobby Bones]

Hey, It's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirrorball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else are you gonna find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything. Listen to Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Arturo Castro]

Hi, I'm Arturo Castro and I've been lucky enough to do stuff like Broad City and Narcos and Roadhouse. And now I'm starting a because honestly, guys, I don't feel the space is crowded enough. Get ready for Greatest Escapes, a new comedy podcast about the wildest true escape stories in history. Each week I'll be sitting down with some of the most hilarious actors and writers and comedians. People like Ed Helms, Diane Guerrero, and Joseph Gordon Levitt.

[Martin Luther King III]

I love storytelling and I love you.

[Brian Custer]

So I can't wait.

[Arturo Castro]

Listen and subscribe to Greatest escapes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bobby Bones]

Calling all Yellowstone fans, let's go to work. Join Bobby Bones on the Official Yellowstone Podcast for exclusive cast interviews, behind the scenes insights, and a deep dive into the themes that have made Yellowstone a cultural phenomenon. Our family legacy is this ranch and.

[Unknown]

I protector of my life.

[Bobby Bones]

Listen to the Official Yellowstone podcast Now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Martin Luther King III]

Welcome to my Legacy. I'm Martin Luther King III and together with my wife, Andrea Waters King, and our dear friends Mark and Craig Kilburger, we explore the personal journeys that shape extraordinary lives.

[Brian Custer]

Join us for heartfelt conversations with remarkable guests like David Oyelo, Mel Robbins, Martin Sheen, Dr. Sanjay, Graham Gupta and Billy Porter. Listen to My legacy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Martin Luther King III]

This is my legacy.

[Brian Custer]

We all have a moment that splits us wide open. On my new podcast, Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, I'll sit down with trailblazers from sports, music, fashion, entertainment and politics to explore their toughest moments and the incredible comebacks that followed. Listen to Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, an iHeart women's sports production on the iHeartradio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.