Hour 1 - Love and Lafleur together are perfect, Marcus Freeman

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd Episode: Hour 1 - Love and Lafleur together are perfect, Marcus Freeman
Release Date: December 24, 2024
Host: Colin Cowherd
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

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Introduction

In this thought-provoking episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, host Colin Cowherd delves deep into the intricacies of quarterback development in the NFL, with a special focus on the Green Bay Packers’ unique strategy. The discussion also expands to broader NFL dynamics, playoff structures, and insights from Notre Dame’s head coach, Marcus Freeman. The episode seamlessly blends expert analysis with engaging conversations, offering listeners a comprehensive view of current sports narratives.

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Green Bay Packers’ Quarterback Strategy

Colin Cowherd initiates the conversation by applauding the Green Bay Packers for their distinctive approach to quarterback development. Unlike many other NFL teams, the Packers have a history of drafting talented quarterbacks in the first round and patiently developing them over several years without undue interference.

Cowherd [04:26]: "I always saw it as a weakness. Now I see it as a strength. All Green Bay does is whatever is best for the development of their young quarterback."

He contrasts this with other franchises, such as the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers, highlighting how owner meddling and egotistical demands can hamper a team’s progress.

Cowherd [06:00]: "Aaron Rodgers is 4 and 11 and now irrelevant. And in Green Bay, he was a back-to-back MVP."

The discussion underscores the importance of a stable and supportive environment for quarterbacks, citing historical successes of Packers’ QBs like Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, and optimistic prospects for Jordan Love.

J. Mac adds to the conversation by noting the Packers' record-breaking 37th playoff appearance, emphasizing the franchise’s consistency and the absence of owner interference as key factors.

J. Mac [04:24]: "Green Bay clinched their 37th playoff appearance last night. Number one all-time for the smallest market in the NFL."

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NFL Quarterback Performance and Coaching

Cowherd further explores the critical relationship between quarterbacks and their coaches, stressing that top-tier quarterbacks often cannot be separated from their coaching staff.

Cowherd [07:00]: "I can't separate the quarterback from the coach because there is such a huge gap between the really good coaches and the average ones."

He highlights the successful partnerships between quarterbacks and coaches like Matt LaFleur (Packers), Kyle Shanahan (Broncos), and Sean McVay (Rams), arguing that these relationships are pivotal for a team’s success.

Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame’s head coach, later joins the conversation to provide an academic perspective on team management and player development, reinforcing the points made about leadership and strategy in sports.

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Playoff Structures and Competitive Balance

The episode shifts focus to the NFL’s playoff structure, specifically the newly introduced 12-team format. Cowherd shares his support for this change, arguing that it offers teams a “mulligan” to recover from early-season setbacks.

Cowherd [45:16]: "I like the 12 team playoff. I thought there were going to be closer, but you know, what do I know?"

He contrasts this with previous playoff formats, suggesting that the current system provides a more equitable opportunity for teams to compete for the championship.

J. Mac and Cowherd discuss the strategic decisions teams face under this format, such as whether to rest starters or play their best lineups in crucial end-of-season games.

J. Mac [25:00]: "Dan Campbell, however, said it does not matter. He is playing his starters on Monday Night Football no matter what."

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Notre Dame Insights with Marcus Freeman

Marcus Freeman shares his experiences handling both victories and defeats, emphasizing the importance of mental resilience and continuous improvement.

Freeman [45:22]: "There’s schematic things we have to enhance and have to fix. But to me, the greater lesson to learn was we had to learn as a program."

He discusses the challenges of maintaining team morale after a significant loss and the strategies employed to keep the team focused and motivated.

Freeman [46:39]: "He is a competitive individual and I think the greatest thing for him was to learn in the first two weeks of the season..."

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NFL Team Analyses and Player Spotlights

The conversation shifts to specific NFL teams and players. Cowherd offers his take on the Baltimore Ravens and their playoff prospects, highlighting their strong roster and strategic advantage.

Cowherd [29:22]: "I think Baltimore is one of the six teams that could win the Super Bowl."

The discussion also touches on the Houston Texans and their defense, with insights into Lamar Jackson’s performance and the Ravens’ preparation for upcoming games.

J. Mac provides additional context, mentioning the impact of players like Klay Thompson and Lamelo Ball in the NBA, drawing parallels to the NFL’s quarterback dynamics.

J. Mac [23:17]: "Ant's nowhere in the top 10. What the hell happened?"

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Quarterback Performance Metrics

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to analyzing quarterback performance metrics, specifically interceptions and aggressive play styles. Cowherd expresses concerns about the evolving quarterback landscape, citing Caleb Williams as a promising yet cautious player.

Cowherd [34:59]: "I don't love what I see out of him, you know."

He argues that while interceptions are often viewed negatively, they can be a byproduct of an aggressive and successful play style, referencing legendary QBs like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.

Cowherd [35:05]: "Sometimes you got to let it go and nobody’s open. That's what concerns me is, is Caleb now because the team is losing, is he becoming a little obsessed..."

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Closing Remarks and Future Projections

As the episode concludes, Cowherd and J. Mac summarize their predictions for the NFL playoffs, highlighting teams like Kansas City, Buffalo, and Baltimore as strong contenders. The conversation wraps up with a reflection on Notre Dame’s performance and the broader implications for college football.

J. Mac [54:04]: "This Notre Dame Georgia game is going to be fascinating because you know all the subplots."

The episode ends on an optimistic note, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning, player development, and resilient leadership in achieving sporting excellence.

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Notable Quotes

• Colin Cowherd [04:26]: "I always saw it as a weakness. Now I see it as a strength. All Green Bay does is whatever is best for the development of their young quarterback."

• Cowherd [07:00]: "I can't separate the quarterback from the coach because there is such a huge gap between the really good coaches and the average ones."

• Marcus Freeman [45:22]: "We have to learn how to handle success as a program and we got to do those things that it takes to prepare mentally and physically for our opponent, no matter who it is."

• Cowherd [34:59]: "I don't love what I see out of him, you know."

• Freeman [46:39]: "He is a competitive individual and I think the greatest thing for him was to learn in the first two weeks of the season..."

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Conclusion

This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd offers an in-depth exploration of NFL quarterback dynamics, the strategic advantages of stable management as exemplified by the Green Bay Packers, and the evolving nature of playoff structures. With insightful commentary from both entertainment and academic perspectives, the podcast provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of contemporary sports challenges and triumphs.

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Note: This summary excludes all advertisements, sponsorship messages, and non-content sections to focus solely on the substantive discussions and analyses presented in the episode.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[J. Mac]

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[J. Mac]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[LeVar Arrington]

Hey, what's up guys? It's lavar Arrington here from up on Game. Wanted to talk to you about a serious issue Hate. You know, something personal that I have experienced and witnessed and watched is how the hate in our country is getting so out of control. It's at an all time high and people are facing way too much hate. A lot of people don't think it's a problem, but I do. I can recall growing up being in high school. One of my high school teammates, good dude too, just happened to wear a shirt that was a derogatory shirt towards my racial group. It it depicted Malcolm X moments after he was assassinated and it just made me feel really, really sad. It made me feel upset and so many other emotions. And it's really because we're supposed to be a team, but it's going to take all of us to stop that sort of hate. As I mentioned, we are a team in this country. So let's take a break from hate so our team can regroup and regain our momentum. We need to take a timeout against hate. Visit Stand up to all hate.org to help and join me in calling for a timeout against hate by following at what's up with Hate or posting the blue square emoji.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hey, so if I say Aflac, you probably think that famous duck, you should also think supplemental insurance. So that's like in football, what you'd call the second level of your defense. I mean, if there's gaps in your health insurance, Aflac's job is to help fill them. If you're sick or injured, Aflac can pay cash to help cover things your health insurance doesn't, unexpected medical bills, even rent or mortgage payments. To learn more about how Aflac can help fill the gaps health insurance can leave behind, visit aflac.com what gift are you going to get that person that's impossible to shop for. Give the gift of sound. JLab has the perfect gift for anyone with a variety of styles, sizes and colors. And they have products for under $100, under $50, and even under $25. I love that. Save up to 60% on select JLab products this holiday season on JLab.com look for the JLab Blue Box at retailers everywhere or visit JLab.com today. Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Here we go. Christmas Eve live in Los Angeles. Probably a little warmer, just a little warmer than when where many of you are at, it's the Herd. Thanks for making us part of your day. Hurt hierarchy One hour from now, Green Bay will bolt up our hierarchy. Marcus Freeman, the Notre Dame football coach, is joining us later this hour. Mark Sanchez, Nick Wright, so we're off tomorrow. J. Mac so we're bringing all the big guns out. Notre Dame's football coach, Nick Wright, the hierarchy. Mark Sanchez, got your family. You know, he did invite me. J. Mack, full disclosure, he invited me over and I'm like, can I bring gin and cigars? And you know it's inappropriate. He's got young kids. I'm the I'm America's guest starting the.

[J. Mac]

Show with Christmas Eve heat.

[Colin Cowherd]

Here we go. So I want to, I want to get to Jordan Love and the Packers. I'm going to get to that in about four minutes, but I want to start the show with this 34 nothing win. And they didn't ask Jordan Love to do much. But there's a reason the Green Bay packers, and only the Green Bay packers, and they've done it twice, have drafted a really great quarterback in the first round and sat him for three years because they have no owner, no ego, no meddling, no demands. Even the great owners, Stan Kroenke, Jeffrey Lurie, Robert Kraft, they would want to see their investment. They wouldn't want a first round pick on the bench for three years drafting and developing. Last week there's video of the crafts in their box wanting to be on camera reportedly telling cbs, get us on camera criticizing the coaches. Play calling. Last week a story out the jets, the jets owners, the kids harassing jets players in the Locker room yet. The packers clinched their 37th playoff appearance last night. Number one all time. You know who they surpassed? The Dallas Cowboys, whose owner, an egomaniac, needs to be on radio every week dissecting the win. The Panthers. Seven coaches in six years, if you count the interims. Look upstairs. That's why you're bad. Is it a shock? They're 4 and 11 in Carolina and here is Green Bay. No meddling, no owner. For years I always saw it as a weakness. Now I see it as a strength. All Green Bay does is whatever is best for the development of their young quarterback. Three straight quarterbacks. Star, star, star. All three Favre's in the hall of Fame. Rodgers will be. And Love looks like he's on his way. It's all football. Because as owners have gotten richer, all of them are billionaires now. And crazier and more impulsive. It gets in the way of the development of the most important position. Think it's a coincidence? Aaron Rodgers is 4 and 11 and now irrelevant. And in Green Bay he was a back to back mvp. And after Brady, the biggest star in the league. Do you think it is a coincidence that the Cleveland quarterback situation is the worst and messiest in the league? It's not the coach's fault. Stefanski's great. It's not the GM's fault. Andrew Berry's excellent. They draft well. It's the Haslam's. You think it's a coincidence that Sam Darnold is having an unbelievable year in and in Carolina? In the jets he was a tire fire. No, the Wolf family in Minnesota has always been very low profile. 99% of you don't know what the Wilf family looks like. It is not a coincidence. Only the packers and I used to see it as a weakness. Can draft a young quarterback who's talented and sit him and develop him for three years. Aaron could have played earlier. Jordan Love could have played earlier. But if you're just about football, no meddling, no ego, no impulsive crazy person, that's what you should do. Even these young quarterbacks. Now Jaden Daniels, he's good enough to play. But it wasn't the end of the world that Michael Penck sat. It wouldn't have been at the end of the world if Drake may or Bo Nick sat. But I'm watching what Green Bay does. Even after their win last night. Here's the locker room and what you don't see is an owner that needs attention.

[Marcus Freeman]

Listen, I love this team.

[Colin Cowherd]

I love this energy.

[J. Mac]

And we got something special Here.

[Colin Cowherd]

We just got to keep building on it. All right. Way to handle your business. We go to the playoffs. 37th playoff appearance. Number one all time for the smallest market in the NFL, the smallest media, surpassing Dallas, who is. Jerry is aged, has regressed badly, and his need to talk right after the game and be on radio has increased. I do not believe it's a coincidence. And now let's talk Jordan Love. I'm finding this to be true, especially with young quarterbacks, but old ones, too. I can't separate the quarterback from the coach because there is such a huge gap between the really good coaches and. And. And Jordan Love has one and Matt Stafford has one and Lamar has one and Mahomes has one and Justin Herbert has one and Bo Nicks has one. I can't separate them. The position's never been more important. And there's a huge gap between the really good coaches and the average ones. And I look at Jordan Love, and I see Matt LaFleur. Matt LaFleur, Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVeigh. They're considered offensive wizards, but deep down, they love the power run game. I mean, you ever watch a Rams game, how often Kyron Williams, tiny Notre Dame or Kyron Williams, guy carries the ball 25 times a game. He's not Derek Henry, not built like that. Todd Gurley, if you go look at McVay's history, he wants to run the ball. Even with Stafford and with Goff, two top 10 quarterbacks. I mean, Shanahan. I mean, he has a losing record in San Francisco without Christian McCaffrey. The soul of Kyle Shanahan is the run game. And it's the same with Matt LaFleur. Where did he come from? Where did he build his resume? In Washington behind a Shanahan, a run coach, and in Tennessee with Derrick Henry. So Jordan Love is throwing fewer passes that he's ever thrown. Six straight games under 30 attempts, and yet five straight games scoring over 30. When I watch Jordan Love, I see Matt LaFleur. He has reduced his attempts. He's the captain. And Jordan Love is a great vessel. I feel the same way with Herbert. Jim Harbaugh is the captain. Herbert's the vessel. And it's amazing that in both cases, and you're seeing this in Philadelphia, too, the quarterback is throwing less but is winning more, and the team is often scoring more as the quarterback throws less. And we all know quarterback's the most important position in the league, but I. But what I'm finding in this league now, when I watch Green Bay, this is Matt levlore's team. This is basically Tennessee with a better quarterback. He had Derek Henry. Now he's got Josh Jacobs and I'm watching Josh Jacobs like this. When Aaron and Matt were together, it was Aaron's team. There were concessions. You have to have concessions with Aaron and I'm not. It's not a cheap shot. Just Mike McCarthy found it out. You'll see the door if you don't. But when I watch Green Bay, and this is not a knock at Jordan Love because I think He's a top 10 quarterback in this league or higher. There is a group of quarterbacks in this league and they have a connection with the coach and we can put it on the screen, but I can't think of Mahomes without Reed and I can't think of Stafford without McVay and Herbert and Lamar and Jordan and Sam Darnold. I just, I can't separate them. I mean, I see C.J. stroud as great and D'Amico Ryan is a great coach. I don't, I don't see a connection there. They're both excellent. And here was Jordan Love after the shutout. I still think there's a lot of, a lot more points out there for us, a lot more big time plays. I just think it's little things that, you know, when we start being more consistent and dialing in on these things that, you know, the sky's the limit for the offense. Yeah, it was, you know, something else that's happening and I won't waste a lot of time on it because it may be boring, but this year we have 10 teams in the NFL. 32% of the teams in the NFL have five wins or fewer. And they're, they're all going to mostly if, if New Orleans doesn't win. And if you watch them last night, that was pretty ugly. I mean, they didn't compete. That was maybe the most lopsided game of the season. A third of the league. It's like the NBA now is unwatchable and non competitive. Last year it was only five teams. Only five teams last year had five wins or fewer. We're at 10 and a lot of these teams are not getting to five wins. Forget five wins. We got one with two, we got five with three, we got three with four, and we got the Saints. And when you watch last night, I. It's hard to deny what is happening as quarterback has become more important, as billionaires are crazier and running through coaching staffs, more chaos. The gap between the haves and the have nots is huge. I mean, if, if Atlanta and Pennock stand first, there's a chance I'll get seven of the eight divisions, right? I've predicted seven of eight. Why there's a separation now if you have the quarterback and you have a competent coach, I mean, you are looking in your rear view mirror at the rest of this nonsense by like two weeks after Thanksgiving. I mean, that thing last night, that was embarrassing like that. Nobody wanted to be there except Packer fans. J. Mack Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame coach this hour, I saw something. We had Matt Hasselbeck on yesterday. I've got a bite from him. It was so good. I saw something that, and I know Christmas Day is generally an NBA day. It's not anymore two NFL games tomorrow. But I saw something about the NBA that is interesting. It's a player that you and I love. But there was an alarming lack of attention being given to him. And we both love this player. And last year at this time he was thought of as the rising star in the league. And I'm not talking Wemby and I'll get to that in a second. 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[Marcus Freeman]

The Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[LeVar Arrington]

[e-mail] hey, this is Levar Arrington here from up on Game and listen, I want to talk to you about something very serious for a minute, all right? Something personal to me and right now something that should be personal to you as well. In our country, the hate is at an all time high and it's like we're going backward. The hate is winning. We can't allow that, all right? It's out of control. So many different people, so many different groups are facing too much hate and it's enough. It's time for it to stop. We need to stop, regroup, change the momentum as a team because that's what we are. Everyone in this country is on the same team, so let's act like it. And when a team can't get it together, what do you do? You call a timeout. And that's what we need to do. Call a timeout against hate. Let's think about what we say and do. And when we see hate, when we see someone doing or saying those things we know are wrong and hateful, we need to call it out. I'ma call it out. You need to do the same thing. Visit stand uptoallhate.org to help and join me in calling for a timeout against hate by following at what's up with hate or posting the blue square emoji.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Marcus Freeman]

No, no, turn on the news. This is the Herd line News.

[J. Mac]

All right, Mr. Cowherd, let's pivot to the NFL. Two weeks left in the regular season, NFC north could go down to the final game between Lions and Vikings. However, Detroit this week plays on Monday night. Okay. And they'll have a sense of where things stand with Minnesota because Minnesota plays the packers this weekend.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac]

Dan Campbell, however, said it does not matter. He is playing his starters on Monday Night Football no matter what.

[Colin Cowherd]

Easy for everybody. That way all the critics can jump out and start attacking, but that way you don't have to debate them anymore. We're bringing everything we got to this.

[J. Mac]

Game and we are playing.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't care what it looks like.

[Marcus Freeman]

And where it's at or who's this, who's that.

[Colin Cowherd]

We're going out to play and win this game out on the West Coast. So there you go. Yeah. Belichick never rested Starters. I think it was Tony Dungy who did a few times with the Colts. I don't think there's a right answer. One of the things that's overrated in the whole playoff thing is rest and buys. Remember the Tennessee Titans, didn't they have a number one seed? They got beat by Joe Burrow. Like, like a team that came in from nowhere. I think if you have a young team like you're the LA Rams, that is defensively a really, really young team, those guys want to play. The Rams are red hot. I think if you have an older team, for instance, Kansas City, Chris Jones, Travis Kelsey, older players, Joe Tuney, I could see Kansas City give him a week off. But most of Detroit's players are ascending players just going into their prime. Omron, St. Brown, Gibbs, Goff, still in his prime. I think if you're a young or ascending team, Green Bay, they don't want any time off. Green Bay, the advantage Green Bay has is young energy, heal more quickly from injuries. You want Green Bay playing now. You don't want, you don't want rest.

[J. Mac]

Yeah, I remember that. The Titans loss, I just looked it up. 1916 Bengals won. That was the game where Burrow was sacked a billion times.

[Colin Cowherd]

Also had picks and they won. I mean, it was an ugly game that Burrow won.

[J. Mac]

There's no right answer. Like you said here, I don't know what I would do if I'm Dan Campbell. That being said, I think you've got to read your team and you know that's a banged up Lions team. You don't need more injuries on top of what you already got. So, I mean, maybe he's going to play his guys for a quarter or a half.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I don't mind that. I, I want him to go through. I, I want them to hit. I don't want four quarters.

[J. Mac]

But like, listen, you already lost Montgomery. Like, I don't want to say Gibson, bubble wrap. But Colin, if he goes down, you might like lose your first game.

[Colin Cowherd]

He had 20 carries against Chicago in the first half. That's not ideal.

[J. Mac]

Now I got, I got him in fantasy in the championship this week, so I'm hoping gets plays. But the reality is you got to read your team and the injuries. It's not as cut and dry as, hey, let's bench this guy. All right, next up, Colin, is Lamar and the Ravens. They head to Houston tomorrow to take on the Texans Christmas Day special. And Beyonce is going to be performing the halftime show. Lamar, like everyone else, is a huge fan of Beyonce and Lamar was asked about it. Take a listen. A little disappointing that she's gonna be.

[Colin Cowherd]

Performing at a halftime show that you can't watch. Nah.

[Marcus Freeman]

Cause I'm gonna go out there and watch. Yeah, go out there and watch, man.

[Colin Cowherd]

My first time seeing Beyonce perform and.

[Marcus Freeman]

It'S at our game.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's dope.

[J. Mac]

I'm gonna go out and watch.

[Marcus Freeman]

Sorry, Harwal.

[Colin Cowherd]

Sorry. Sorry, fellas. I don't know if I love that, but I don't think. I don't know half. My. My guess is there's not a lot that Lamar Jackson's going to glean at half. Well, I say that, but I've been watching McVeigh and Stafford the last, like, month and a half, and they've struggled early and done something at half, and the offense has clicked. So I. It's one of the few times I don't. I. I don't think Lamar should have said that. I don't think that's what people want to hear. It's happened before, though. It's not the first time it's happened. Our.

[J. Mac]

Our. Our guys here got some notes. So Evan McPherson Fearson, in the super bowl, went out at halftime to watch Dr. Dre, and then Michael Irvin admitted that he skipped out on halftime to go watch Michael Jackson during the Super Bowl 27 halftime show. Cowboys wanted a beat down in that one. I don't have a huge issue with this. I mean, here's the. More interesting. I think this could be a rematch in a playoff game in three weeks. It's looking a lot like the Ravens will go to Houston or Pittsburgh, one of those two. Whoever wins A, loses the division.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think if I'm Pitts, if I'm. If I'm Baltimore, I'd rather face Houston. I don't want to face Pittsburgh again. I don't like the idea of we just beat you soundly. I have to play you again.

[J. Mac]

Well, if they get the. If they win the division and they're the two seed, they would seemingly play or they would be the three. I guess they would maybe play Denver or the Chargers.

[Colin Cowherd]

Let me ask you this.

[J. Mac]

I'm not afraid of Houston. Are you?

[Colin Cowherd]

If I'm Baltimore, no. But George Pickens returns the games in Pittsburgh. That is just screaming. Lamar goes down first round. That is screaming upset. I mean, honestly, because we know Pittsburgh is very Pickens reliant. We know the secondary for Baltimore can be a liability and the Chargers are.

[J. Mac]

Probably going to beat. I think they had the Patriots this week, their favorite on the road. So you're right. If there's a chance, you know, you could. Baltimore going to Pittsburgh, not ideal. As for this game, I don't know why anybody would bet the Texans here. Colin. I don't like what I've seen from them. The vibes are bad.

[Colin Cowherd]

They're the one team this year in the NFL. I have no read on.

[J. Mac]

The Texans obviously is always in there, right. But this, this Ravens defense. Recently I read an article about how Kyle Hamilton has shifted back to his more natural safety spot. They had him in the box, they pushed him back to the back end and the defense has gotten a little bit better. I don't know that we've seen the best Baltimore here in the last month. And if we see the earlier season Baltimore, this is super bowl worthy. This is a Super bowl worthy roster.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right. I think it's, it's really close. It's. It's one of the best six rosters. Baltimore is one of the six teams I think could win the Super Bowl.

[J. Mac]

Give me your top three in the AFC right now.

[Colin Cowherd]

Best teams, Kansas City. Number one. Yeah. Buffalo.

[J. Mac]

Casey over Buffalo. Colin.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. KC Buffalo.

[J. Mac]

I would go Buffalo.

[Colin Cowherd]

Baltimore.

[J. Mac]

Yeah. Pittsburgh's not number three. We know they're starting to fade a little, but I.

[Colin Cowherd]

But again, if Pittsburgh's at home having just been dusted by Baltimore and Pickens returns, I think I would take Pittsburgh and I like Baltimore more. So it's all circumstantial now. It's at Pittsburgh often. Ugly loss to the Ravens three weeks earlier. Pickens is back. Now it's a different ball game then. I like the Steelers at home to upset Baltimore in the first round.

[J. Mac]

By the way, Beyonce, Christmas Day. That's a nice little get for the NFL. Nicely done.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, it's a pretty good get.

[J. Mac]

I'll probably switch over from the NBA. No, just kidding. Obviously, Beyonce at halftime rules.

[Colin Cowherd]

Final story.

[J. Mac]

Colin. Oh, we gotta talk about this guy. The football enigma, Aaron Rodgers. Gosh. So in his weekly paid TV appearance, Rodgers dropped some interesting lines yesterday, joking about being released in the off season, perhaps by Woody Johnson and his son, saying being released would be a first. Being released by a teenager, that would also be a first. Aaron Rodgers poking fun at that athletic.

[Colin Cowherd]

Story about Woody Johnson's kids.

[J. Mac]

Well, listen, it's true. Woody Johnson's kids are in the locker room handing out game balls like that's nonsense.

[Colin Cowherd]

And Woody Johnson is harassing and now acknowledges a former jets quarterback, Mike White. That's bad.

[J. Mac]

Total dope.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, listen, I always thought Aaron had a good relationship with Woody Johnson, so that comment to me was pretty telling.

[J. Mac]

Yeah, I think he didn't know what he was getting into and now he realizes. Okay, there's another thing. Um, Rogers added that he would be willing to take a pay cut.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I heard the announcer say that.

[J. Mac]

Sunday and mentor a young quote.

[Colin Cowherd]

I, I was surprised by both, but that's pretty cool.

[J. Mac]

That sounds like some guy saying, hey, get me out of here. I'll go anywhere else and mentors. I don't want to be with this team. Come on. Aaron Rodgers going to sit around and mentor somebody?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I don't think I will say this. I think Aaron was much more a mentor to Jordan Love than Favre was to Aaron. I don't think Aaron is selfish. I think he's a bit self obsessed. He's rich, he's good looking, blah, blah, blah. He's a superstar in America. I don't see Aaron is like a selfish guy. I think Aaron would help teammates. I. The stories, the stories. I heard. I have a pretty good source on this because I had a couple guys in the team. I knew that Aaron was not standoffish, aloof or prickly to Jordan Love. Like, he was a good teammate to him. You go read. You go read the Aaron Rodgers, Ian O'Connor book. I, I read that book. I was angry at how Brett Favre treated Aaron. Like it was really, really petty.

[J. Mac]

I would need to go back and look at the Jordan Love stuff, but I'm sure some of that was pre Covid. I just think we've seen a different human since the pandemic hit. I just. Aaron Rodgers has completely become a different guy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, he's very.

[J. Mac]

Everything he's seen says is. You look at his interviews before the pandemic and after, and this stuff just got to him so bad. He just seems just angry at what went down, which is understandable. I. I guess you could, you can have that take. But he's not the same guy he was. So maybe he was a mentor before to. To Jordan Love.

[Colin Cowherd]

And yeah, I think he was at. At. He was not hostile. He was professional with Jordan Love. I. And again, I'm trusting people who were in the building. He was professional with him. I mean, he didn't want to give him a lot of snaps. Brady wouldn't give Garoppolo snaps. I mean, that's just what star quarterbacks do. I get it.

[J. Mac]

Hey, listen, you don't want to give me a ton of snaps around here. I get it.

[Colin Cowherd]

You want six headline stories, I give you three. Begrudgingly.

[J. Mac]

A little frustrating at times, but I roll with the punches, you know.

[Colin Cowherd]

Team player J. Mac with the news.

[Marcus Freeman]

Well that's the news and thanks for.

[Colin Cowherd]

Stopping by the herd lie news it's Caleb Williams actually set an NFL record, the Bears quarterback. He's gone over 320 pass attempts without a pick. It's the longest interception less rookie streak by over 100 attempts. Now it's interesting, I, I've said this for I think 10 years. In fact I wrote about it in my first book. I think interceptions are overstated. Caleb Williams has no picks and nine straight games. He's owing nine. Elway threw him, Neymar threw him, Peyton Manning throw him. Stafford throws them, Mahomes throws them. Josh Allen throws him, Andrew Luck threw him. Take chances, throw the ball down the field. In today's NFL you have to throw with anticipation. You can't sit and wait for a guy to be open. That's high school and college. Matt Hasselbeck was on the show yesterday on his concerns with Caleb Williams.

[J. Mac]

This is a very strong rookie class of quarterbacks and I just think that like Caleb is the one guy to.

[Colin Cowherd]

Me that I, I don't see the.

[J. Mac]

Things that I believe are really important that I believe matter for sustained success for a long career. I haven't seen that. So much body language is a huge thing to me.

[Colin Cowherd]

I, I don't, I don't love what.

[J. Mac]

I see out of him, you know.

[Colin Cowherd]

So are there wow plays, are there splash plays? Yeah.

[J. Mac]

That's awesome. That's why you were drafted so high.

[Colin Cowherd]

But if you're going to compare, if.

[J. Mac]

I was just going to like nameless faces, I don't see the emblem on the helmet, I don't see the name on the jersey.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't know who was picked first, second, third, whatever.

[J. Mac]

I'm putting all those other rookie quarterbacks, Jaden Daniels, Drake May, Bo Nix in.

[Colin Cowherd]

A week I might put Pennix up there above Caleb. And one of the concerns Hasselbeck has had with Caleb, he's not an anticipation thrower. He waits for you to be open, he plays it a bit safe and I want my quarterback to be aggressive. And if you're not a anticipation thrower, I don't think you're winning Super Bowls. Remember when Caitlin Clark had a lot of turnovers early for the Indiana Fever and I kept saying stop, it's a bad team, she's creating offense. She'll finally over time reduce the turnovers. Steph has turnovers, LeBron has turnovers. Peyton Manning had picks, Brady had a pick six and Won a Super bowl, by the way. Matt Stafford had two picks in a Super bowl and one Patrick Mahomes. Three Super Bowls, he's thrown a pick in each one of them. It's a. As long as it's not a red zone pick, which Geno Smith to me throws too many red zone picks. As long as it's not a red zone pick, I'm okay with it. Jared Goff won a game this season with five picks. Mahomes had a pick in the first seven games this year, went 7 and 0. So the anticipation throws. What has been my criticism of Aaron Rogers in big games, if he gets an interception early, he really plays safe football. He has a very long memory of picks. He'll shut it down. He won't, he won't throw with anticipation. And if you do, you're going to throw picks. You're throwing the ball and nobody's open. So it's one of those things. I'm not saying I'm rooting for picks, but I saw this this morning. The last five years in the NFL. If you think I'm wrong, you want to know who leads the NFL and interceptions. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, the best two quarterbacks in the league. Sorry, Sometimes you got to let it go and nobody's open. And that is, that's what concerns me is, is Caleb now because the team is losing, is he becoming a little obsessed and concerned about, okay, I don't want picks. I at least want to come out of these games and people go, gotta have a touchdown pass and no picks. And I get the psychology of that. But it's been the one thing with Aaron Rodgers that's always made me a little uneasy in big games. If Aaron has a blunder early, by the way, Stafford, Mahomes, Allen, they're aggressive, they come out slinging, they get first half picks. You got to have a short memory. You just got to keep throwing the ball, throw it downfield. I can't watch Dinkin dunk. There's never been a Dinkin Dunk quarterback that's won a Super bowl ever. It's never happened. You've gotta let it go. And again, last five years, Alan Mahomes most interceptions. I'm okay with it. Don't love it if it's in the red zone, but I'd rather have an aggressive guy throwing a pick every Sunday like Mahomes did for the first seven weeks and went seven. And oh, what makes the holiday special? The details from Genesis. My wife just bought one. The warm touch of the Heated steering wheel, room for all your gifts and family and friends. Festive holiday feast in the back. Napa leather seating surfaces, snow mode. They've got all electric vehicles, sporty SUVs, sleek sedans. And as one big final gift, Genesis is offering you a $1,000 bonus on select Genesis vehicles. Now that deal ends next Thursday, January 2nd, so you've got a little more than a week to get that thousand dollar bonus on select Genesis vehicles. Go to genesis.com details make the holidays they've got electric sedans, SUVs, something for everybody. Discover a vehicle perfect for your family, your needs, you need the space in your holiday adventures. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. This podcast is sponsored by PayPal. We've partnered with them to make this holiday season even better. With all the shopping, gifting and holiday prep, my PayPal debit card is my go to for getting more out of my purchases. Here's how it works. I choose my monthly category. Gas, restaurants, apparel, groceries, health and beauty, or just for the holiday season, tech. And I earn 5% cash back on up to 1,000 bucks in the purchases in those categories. Yeah, 5% cash back this month. I'm gonna go with tech. It's my category. It's a no brainer, right? Everybody loves the latest tech gifts. So whether it's stuff for the fam or adding new gadgets to my personal collection, that cash back adds up fast. So this holiday season, let the PayPal debit card do the heavy lifting. Sign up for the card when you download the PayPal app. Then pay in store and online and get cash back with a PayPal debit card. Don't just pay PayPal. Terms and limits apply. See paypal.com rewardspal the PayPal Debit MasterCard is issued by the Bancor Bank N.A. pursuant to a license by MasterCard International, Inc. And may be used everywhere. MasterCard is accepted.

[LeVar Arrington]

Hey, this is Levar Arrington here from up on Game and listen, I want to talk to you about something very serious for a minute, all right? Something personal to me and right now something that should be personal to you as well. In our country, the hate is at an all time high and it's like we're going backward. The hate is winning. We can't allow that, all right? It's out of control. So many different people, so many different groups are facing too much hate and it's enough. It's time for it to stop. We need to stop, regroup, change the momentum as a team. Because that's what we are. Everyone in this country is on the same team, so let's act like it. And when a team can't get it together, what do you do? You call a timeout. And that's what we need to do. Call a timeout against hate. Let's think about what we say and do. And when we see hate, when we see someone doing or saying those things we know are wrong and hateful, we need to call it out. I'ma call it out. You need to do the same thing. Visit stand up to allhate.org to help and join me in calling for a timeout against hate by following at what's up with Hate or posting the blue square emoji.

[Colin Cowherd]

What's on your list of popular game day foods? Probably multiple dishes with the bold flavor of the original Louisiana brand hot sauce. You can't beat the original with a 90 year history of great taste and quality. Tailgate house party, game day gatherings, whatever. Include real flavor sliders with the original Louisiana brand hot sauce. The beer cheese with that hit of Louisiana peppers. There has to be original Louisiana brand hot sauce on your game day food list. It's the perfect everyday hot sauce that complements every meal. There's a rich food tradition in Louisiana bringing bold peppery flavor with just the right amount of heat. Pigs in a blanket Pig's not in a blanket Spinach Artichoke Dip Artichoke Spinach Dip Wings are wingier than ever with the original Louisiana brand wing sauce. Perfect for self appointed flavor experts. The Original Louisiana Brand Hot Sauce the Game Day Flavor Changer Fresh Flavor Favors the bold. Available at a store near you. I'm Colin Coward from the herd Intuit. QuickBooks wants you to achieve your dreams of starting your own business and working for yourself. And if you're a small business owner launching a company, then you'll want to check out Mind the Business Small Business Success stories from iHeart's Ruby Studio and Inuit QuickBooks Season 1 and 2 are out now and Season 3 is launching Thursday, January 9th with new episodes coming out every other Thursday after that. So make sure you catch up and listen as hosts Austin Hencwitz and Jenice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their businesses and tackled the hurdles and challenges that come with being your own boss. From tracking money in and out to cutting through day to day management with an all encompassing platform like Intuit QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys. Listen to Mind the Business Small Business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Congratulations to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine for the first ever.

[J. Mac]

Malcolm Gladwell Tipping Point designation at this year's Unconventional awards by T Mobile for Business. The University used integrated IoT devices and 5G solutions from T Mobile to enable multiple synchronized health monitors allowing for real time remote data collection and analysis.

[Colin Cowherd]

The initiative will shape patient care moving.

[J. Mac]

Forward and for that, T Mobile congratulates the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, there were rumors he was going to go to the NFL and Notre Dame put a stop to that. They got an extension in front of Marcus Freeman, who's the Notre Dame football coach. They beat Indiana to start the first ever 12 team playoff and he is joining us. It's Christmas Eve. He's in the office, you know, he's in the office getting ready to play Georgia. So first of all, the first thing, why I like the playoff because years ago you guys lost early in the season in Northern Illinois at home and you'd have been done. It's like, okay, you're not playing for the Natty. This allows a mulligan. Heck, I could argue Alabama had two mulligans, Vandy Oklahoma, and they still almost made it in. So when you lost to Northern Illinois, you had to really sell your team on. We're a good team. It's okay, it happens. Let's go back to that loss. What did you say that week of practice? Because you've played different, you've been more aggressive, you've gotten better each week. How did you sell your team after a devastating home loss?

[Marcus Freeman]

Well, I think immediately after the game you tell them, I've been here before.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right?

[Marcus Freeman]

I told him, listen, it's going to be a rough week. It's going to be a long week. But I've been here before and I think it took me a day or two to figure out, okay, what was my messaging going to be. And what I told him on Monday in our meeting was there's schematic things we have to enhance and have to fix. But to me, the greater lesson to learn was we had to learn as a program. I had to learn as a head coach how do we handle success? This was the first year in my three years the head coach that we've won that big game early. The first two years we lost to Ohio State early in the season and I said we have to learn how to handle success as a program and we got to do those things that it takes to prepare mentally and physically for our opponent, no matter who it is. And all season long, I've continued to tell them, keep the pain, keep the pain. Because we can't let a loss continue to teach us the lessons that we need to learn to prepare. So they've done a wonderful job of continuing to find ways to get better. But the preparation has been the key in the mindset.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, so you're playing Georgia. Both J. Mac and I said yesterday, I kind of like Notre Dame in this game, but you're facing Gunner Stockton and you, you have almost no footage on him. He's the backup quarterback. So I don't think he's the thrower that Beck is, but he may be just as good a runner. What do you do when you don't know much about the quarterback?

[Marcus Freeman]

Well, I think you look at the 13 games they've played, they're not going to be a completely different offense with a new quarterback. You evaluate. There's about 83 plays of him that we have in a cut up from the second half of the SEC championship and some other time during the season. And so there's some things he does really, really well within their system. He makes really good decisions. He makes fast decisions. He obviously can extend plays with his feet a little bit more QB run and. But. But we're still going to plan to see the things that we've seen their offense do no matter who's been at quarterback.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. So it's interesting. I have been advocating, I believe Riley Leonard is going to end up being a third or a fourth round pick and he will be a starter in the NFL. I've said there's some. There's a little bit of Josh Allen here where in a little Drake May where he's not quite polished yet, but he went to Duke in Notre Dame. He's smart, he's 6 5. You just told me off the air he's got a relentless work ethic. And I look at him and you ask a lot more of him than Duke did. So tell me about Riley Leonard that I don't see. I can see the athletic ability, you told me the work ethic. What separates him, what makes him special?

[Marcus Freeman]

Well, I think he's an ultra competitive individual. Now you would talk to him and he's going to be the nicest person in the world. But when he steps into the weight room, he steps into the meeting room, he steps on the practice field. He is a competitive individual and I think the greatest thing for him was to learn in the first two weeks of the seasons the highest of highs being a quarterback at Notre Dame to the lowest of lows. Yeah, you know, you can't worry about throw an interception. You can't worry about what anybody's going to say. You got to go out there with confidence and be the player that we know you could be. And so you've seen him grow in confidence, but also grow in the preparation in terms of learning exactly what is demanded of him. And you've seen our coaching staff ask him to do things that he does really, really well. But he is a relentless competitor, he has a tremendous work ethic and he'll continue to ascend as he goes throughout his football career.

[Colin Cowherd]

So listen, I like the 12 team playoff. I thought there were going to be closer, but you know, what do I know? First round was ugly. I still, I would take that over the pop Tart bowl. So I'm for this thing now, you guys. Marcus, because you don't have an official conference affiliation, you don't get a first round buy. That'll never happen. Now I think stuff can be negotiated. Your take on if even if you went 12 0, you wouldn't get a buy. Did that first game actually with Indiana, did you like it? Did you like. Because you have a young team, is it an advantage or a disadvantage?

[Marcus Freeman]

Well, I have to look at it as an advantage. Right. And not look at anything that happens to us as a disadvantage. To play a first round playoff game at home was an experience like no other. And to have our guys understand, okay, here's what the playoffs are all about because it's a first for everybody in terms of having four games or three games if you had a buy. And so it was to me a great advantage to go and prepare and to have that first game. And now you got to reset and get ready for your next opponent. Again, this is something I've never really had to dealt with because in the season, you know you got the next game in a bowl game, you're preparing, you know that's the last one. And this is unique where you don't know if this is going to be your last game or not. And the minute we won that game, you had to reset your mind and say, okay, we got to get ready for this next event opponent, which is going to be a tall task.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, so Riley Mills is out for this game. Is that right? Riley Mills, the linebacker? Yep. He's a heck of a. He's a heck of a player. That's not great. How do you compensate for that?

[Marcus Freeman]

Well, I think all season long, which I'm sure every team deals with. You deal with injuries, and we've lost some guys, the season ending injuries, some really important people, and you feel horribly for them as an individual. Riley's a guy that decided to come back to try to improve his draft stock and he's a captain. But you gotta. You know what? The next man has to get the next opportunity and he's got to go do it. And I've always said this. You've earned the trust and the opportunity way before you get thrust out there in front of the national tv. You earn that opportunity in practice and the trust from your coaches and the guys we'll put out there have earned that trust and will do a great job. But you're not going to replace Riley Mills with one person. It's multiple people that have to make up for some of the production that he's had. But we'll have some guys ready to roll.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, you've done a remarkable job. And I know college coaching with all the transfer portal and nil stuff. I got three minutes left. I actually think you have an advantage in the transfer portal because I think kids that go to Notre Dame are special and they just don't go for a handout. Do you view it that way?

[Marcus Freeman]

We always say that the guys that choose Notre Dame choose hard. And there's some requirements that you have on you here that you might not have everywhere else in the country, but they've chosen this place and they understand the value of, obviously the football program, but the education and what this university can do for you in the longevity of your life. And so it's a special place, special culture, special people. We haven't had a guy since the portal was open in December. Enter the portal and we'll see what happens after the season. But to me, it speaks volumes about the young people that are committed to this program.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, when Notre Dame is rolling, college football is better. You're crushing it. Don't go to the NFL. Stay in college. You know what? Your winners are a little rough. They'd be rough in Chicago or New York. Just stay at Notre Dame. All right, Marcus?

[Marcus Freeman]

Absolutely, man. I appreciate the advice, Colin.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right. Great coach, Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman. Good luck against the Georgia Bulldogs. So they're missing their best defensive player. Georgia's missing their quarterback, Carson Beck. So he's out. They, you know, for the entire playoff. So we'll see. I. I was very impressed. Notre Dame just seized Ohio State and Notre Dame seized physical control of their games. To me, like, by the second series, you Just felt they were physically taking over the game. Clemson hung, Clemson scored first against Texas. Clemson had a punch. I, I thought Notre Dame and Ohio State, the physicality early there was, there was a sense that, oh, you don't want to be Indiana and Tennessee and I mean early, like second series. So I, I think I like Notre Dame. I think Boise State keeps it close. I'm going to go Buckeyes and Texas. I think we're aligned. I do think Boise State is, it's hard to sell Penn State players who just routed smu and those players had heard of smu. I think it's hard to get a dominant favorite ready to go for a second game when you cakewalk through the first. So I could see Penn. And by the way, Penn State could be looking ahead to a Notre Dame Georgia game. I don't love this spot for Penn State. They're clearly the better team. Awful blowout. Heavy favorite with Notre Dame, Georgia.

[J. Mac]

Yeah, I think, yeah, I'm aligned with you on that one. This Notre Dame Georgia game is going to be fascinating because you know all the subplots. Everybody wants the SEC to go down. The SEC was a little overrated this year. They've struggled from the jump. The usc, LSU game since that opening weekend. SEC struggled. And I, I think a lot of people would love to see the Irish because remember, everybody remembers Notre Dame, Alabama in that national championship.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, that was, Remember Manti Tank? Yeah, but that was way early. Brian Kelly, they didn't have the, they didn't have the person.

[J. Mac]

And the SEC was totally dominant then. They're not dominant now. They have deep teams. Obviously Texas could win it all, but like Alabama, Georgia, dude, when I watch, they've regressed. They do not have the rosters they used to.

[Colin Cowherd]

When I saw Tennessee, I was a first round knockout. It was like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I watched Tennessee play three or four times. When I watched Ohio State, that is a Tyson first round knockout. You're like Big Ten, best conference, one more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day.

[Marcus Freeman]

Seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app.

[Colin Cowherd]

Search her to listen live or or on demand whenever you'd like from the Delta Sky Club. Welcome back Ms. Klein to the JetBridge. Delta Air Lines relies on 5G solutions from T Mobile for business to power operations and serve customers faster. Together we're putting 5G into the hands of ground staff so they can better assist on the go. Travelers with real time information throughout the airport. This is elevating customer experience. This is Delta Airlines with T Mobile for business. Take your business further@t mobile.com Now I'm partnering with PayPal. The holiday season is here and I'm gonna save big with cash back offers in the PayPal app. It's easy. I browse deals from my favorite brands, save offers in the app, and use PayPal checkout online. Really, really easy. Whether I'm buying gifts for my family or treating myself to something nice, I'm earning cash back and you can too. Don't just pay PayPal check offers in the app. For details and exclusions. Cashback earned as points redeemable for cash and other options, see PayPal rewards terms. As we gather together during this holiday season, let me share a gift that keeps on giving. Chase Freedom With Chase Freedom Unlimited, you'll not only experience the joy of 1.5% unlimited cash back, but also the freedom to create cherished memories with your loved ones. Discover the magic and learn [e-mail] and let this season be filled with love, laughter and the delight of extra cash in your pocket. Cards issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC we've all got a thing, an obsession. For some of us, it's vintage fashion, our cars, anything we can collect, they all live under one. EBay. It's where closets get filled with statement pieces and vintage finds, where must have sneakers wait for you. And designer handbags are the real deal on ebay. Doors open to stacks of the rarest trading cards and a garage stocked with all the car parts you need for any DIY job. EBay's home to whatever thing you're into that keeps you up at night. Ebay Things People Love this is Doug Gottlieb from All Ball with Doug Gottlieb. Listen, I'm gonna get serious for a minute. The hate in our country is getting out of control.

[J. Mac]

In fact, it's sadly at an all time high. But it's going to take all of.

[Colin Cowherd]

Us to stop it. I mean, we're all on the same.

[J. Mac]

Team in this country.

[Colin Cowherd]

So let's take a break from our.

[J. Mac]

Hate so our team can regroup. We need to take a timeout against hate.

[Colin Cowherd]

Visit stand uptoallhate.org to help and join me in calling for timeout against hate by following OTs upwithhate or posting the blue square emoji.