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Colin Cowherd
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Jason McIntyre
Homes.Com is the best home shopping site. But why? Could it be their sleek, beautiful design, ad free interface, a distraction, free search is certainly a breath of fresh air. Or maybe it's their in depth school info. Perfect for parents wanting the best for their kids. With district details and reviews from multiple sources, they've got you covered. Or Perhaps it's the homes.com is the only site that always connect you directly with with the listing agent who knows the home best Is home shopping the way it should be? Homes.com, we've done your homework.
Colin Cowherd
Whether you're ordering wings for the game, whipping up a seven layer dip, or ordering pizza, there's something about football that makes me want to eat. And this football season, Uber Eats has the best deals for me on game day food no matter what I'm craving from two for one pizza. To buy one get one Wings. Uber Eats will be dropping new deals each week all season long. I'm in Uber Eats, the official on demand delivery partner of the NFL. Order now for game day. Terms and conditions apply. See app for details. These days it feels like everyone is talking about how the American dream of home ownership has become out of reach. Well, Rocket is trying to give more people a chance to own their homes. They're making home ownership simpler and more accessible to more people, turning renters into owners. Rocket believes that everybody deserves a shot at the American dream. So are you ready? Own the dream. Visit Rocket.com or call 800-4Rocket. Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Jason McIntyre
Now let's get this party started.
Colin Cowherd
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio Sports Radio. Oh, welcome in. It is a Wednesday live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may Be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. Greg Cosell is going to join us in one hour to wrap up the super bowl and talk about a couple of other things. Free agency is going to be a few weeks away. J Mac the Lakers play again tonight now in Salt Lake. Luka lebron heading to the Great Salt Lake. I was talking to a friend last night who went to the LUCA debut at Crypto and this is a person that has lived in various parts of the country, gone to a lot of big events, and he said it was the greatest basketball moment he'd been at since Kobe's last game as a Laker. Wow, he said. It's just hard to explain the buzz. Everybody standing. He doesn't matter if you were an influencer, if you were 45 years old, he said. There was just butterflies and anticipation and I was thinking about this. With the Lakers, are they the smartest or the luckiest team in the history of American sports? They have feasted on others mistakes. Let's go back to Kobe Bryant, the closest thing we've ever seen to MJ. They got Kobe Bryant, the 13th pick in the draft for Vlade Divots, who smoked after games, who wasn't at the time an all Star, who like many Europeans at the time was finesse, more of a passer than a scorer. Kobe got five rings, two MVPs in the Finals. Another MVP, iconic Jerry west, worked him out at the Inglewood YMCA. They put Michael Cooper on him. This is how good Kobe was out of high school. They put one of the great defenders of all time, Michael Cooper, gardnered him in an Inglewood YMCA. Jerry west called it the greatest 45 minute workout he'd ever seen. They got him for a guy that smoked after games. They got Pal Gasol from Memphis. What did they give up? A bunch of stuff including Kwame Brown, Javaris, Crittenton and lower first round picks for Pau Gasol, who with Kobe would win two more titles and one of Kobe's great teammates ever. They got Anthony Davis. You think? Well, they had to give up quite a haul for Anthony Davis. Well, Lonzo Ball had already shown a prone injury career. He got hurt a lot already. They gave up again lower first round picks because AD and LeBron together were going to be a top team in the league. Josh Hart's a good B player. I like him. And Brandon Ingram scores a lot, but there's not much there beyond. He makes a lot of money and scores a lot, but he's not a guy that's going to carry you anywhere. And then they get Luca for a six pack of Diet Coke and AD at 31. I mean, if the Lakers call about your superstar, hang the phone up. They stole Kobe, they pretty much stole Pau Gasol. I mean, they had to give up some picks at the end of the first round for AD But Luca for one first round pick, one first round pick. And Anthony Davis, who I like a lot but is now hurt and probably out for six to eight weeks. It's really remarkable what they've done. You know, maybe this is just the way business works, that the better teams and the bigger brands manipulate the bad GMs and the bad CEOs and the bad brands, but it's remarkable. You'll watch tonight. Utah's not a great team, but Luke is going to start here probably in about five or six games. Once he gets back into shape here because he was off since Christmas, he'll start dropping 30. LeBron's playing the best he's played in arguably a decade. Austin Reeves now is a not necessary, but a very good 3 to 4. They kept Dalton connect. I don't know. I mean, to me they're a rim protector away from being a championship team. Rachel Nichols on the show yesterday talking about this deal again. There wasn't a feeling prior to this trade that the Lakers were headed to the Western Conference finals. And now you can make that case. I think there's a lane there. I still wouldn't call them the favorite in the west, but I definitely think it's going to be interesting. And just that idea that if they wanted to, the Lakers could play either Luka or LeBron for 48 straight minutes often. Both of them is crazy. Yeah, it's more than that. Lakers, LeBron Luca again, game two together, this time in Salt Lake. So, you know, Super Bowls always resonate. One thing we do know, in the last decade, if you lose a Super bowl, no matter how good your quarterback is, there's only one exception, and that was the Patriots. Once that you go back and you crush again, everybody pulls back. If they lose a Super bowl, they get to the Super Bowl. They lose, they don't get back. It's just the way it is. And Travis Kelsey was on his podcast with his brother and, you know, he kind of disappeared last couple of games. He has been their number one target last three, four years and or longer. And he's just a very important person. He blocks, he's tough. The physicality, the temperament. But it may be time to quit.
Jason McIntyre
I know everybody wants to know whether or not I'm playing next year, and right now I'm just kicking everything down the road. I'm kicking every can I can down the road, and I'm not making any crazy decisions. The fact that we keep going to these AFC championships and these Super Bowls, and that means I'm playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the, in the entire league. And that's a lot of wear and tear on your body. And it's a lot, It's a lot of time spent in the building.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, we've said this about LeBron. LeBron's played over three full seasons of just playoff games. You start looking at Travis Kelsey. In the last seven years, he's played another season of NFL football for playoff games. And we ask our tight ends to block, often the best athlete on the other side of the field. So let's be honest about Kansas City's offense. Remember when Tom Brady got to the end of New England and there was that piece of video, him screaming. It was a, maybe I've been a Thursday night game or a, a Sunday night game. He's screaming at his wide receivers, somebody get open. But New England was unable because they were paying other players, including Brady, and they didn't draft wide receivers well. So if you, if you really are honest about Kansas City, in the last three years, they've kind of been patchwork on offense. I mean, all five super bowl trips have had five different left tackles. They've never had a great left tackle. Patchwork. The wide receivers in the last three Super Bowls, Richie, James, McColl, Hardman, Sky Moore, Kadarius, Tony Marquis, Valdin, Scan, they're kind of bounce around the NFL guys. That's all they are. They don't have a ton of stability at running back. I mean, we're doing Kareem Hunt again. Isaiah Pacheco is a great story. Is he a great player? Clyde Edwards, Allaire was a bust. There are warning signs here. Now, some of it is Mahomes is super expensive. Travis Kelsey super expensive. Chris Jones, super expensive. They have a very good GM and they draft well. But if you remember, in the end, Tom Brady in New England, Tom Brady was sort of holding that offense up with duct tape. And after I'm watching that game against Philadelphia and the game against Houston, it's only Buffalo. They always score 35 points or more. You start, look in Buffalo's defense, the top corner was out. We don't consider it an elite defense. We don't. We consider the offense with Josh Allen and James Cook and Kincaid. That's the, that's the part of the Bills that is elite. You just start looking at this team when they played good defenses like Houston and Philadelphia, they got a bunch of B dudes. It's the Brady Patriots at the end. You're just holding it together. It's patchwork, guys everywhere. And again, I'll go to the super bowl runner up since 2014, patriots won the super bowl. You got, you got four different teams missed the playoffs. You got teams losing wild card and divisional round stuff. So I think it's pretty clear. And when you draft 31st in a very, very weak draft where draft people who I lean on say there are 12, maybe 13 max elite first round players, Kansas City's getting none of them. And they need one at left tackle, they need another one at tight end, they need another one at running back. And by the way, they need another interior offensive lineman. They gotta, they gotta spend some time and capital on that offensive line that got pushed around for four hours against Philadelphia. So my take on Travis Kelsey has been this is the perfect time for a clean break. He's got tons of money, lots of options. And I think one of the mistakes basketball football teams do is they cling to the end. You could say, well, what about LeBron? LeBron's still elite. LeBron's still a top seven player in the league. There are nights he's a top three player in the league. There's Knights that he's the best player in the NBA still, depending on the schedule. So I, to me, this feels like it's time for a clean break. He's expensive, he's a tight end. This is a good tight end draft, if they were going to move up and be aggressive outside of left tackle, it'd be for tight end. But J. Mac, when you lose those Super Bowls and you lose the way they did, it is interesting. It does change your opinion on stuff. Now you called it, you said it was going to be a D line rolling over Kansas City. I did not. But it's funny, two or three days later, you know, it sounds like, oh, it's, it's kind of a recency bias. But when you lose like that, it does change your opinion on a lot of things.
Greg Cosell
You know, there's a clip of Travis Kelsey, you're right around the 48 yard line near midfield, and he runs a little bit of the pass pattern and then just sits at the 48 yard line because he saw a flag like, does not engage in the rest of the play. And Chiefs fans are kind of ticked off online, Patrick Mahomes is scrambling for his life, and Travis Kelsey's literally just standing there. And Colin, I know this isn't right to say, but do you think the Chiefs quit a little bit in the super bowl when they were down 24? Nothing.
Colin Cowherd
Oh, I. The body language wasn't good. They started making really dumb mistakes, lining up offsides. Yeah, I think, you know, this is something else that the pressure of being number one. I remember listening to a baseball general manager 15 years ago, and he said, what you don't realize. He was talking about the Yankees. This was like 15 when I lived on the East Coast. He said, what people don't realize about the Yankees because they're good. Every year and in the playoffs, every year, you are taxing your bullpen, you're taxing your starters. It's an unnatural act to throw a ball 95 miles an hour. He goes, these pitchers go into spring, and you got to ramp it up again. He's like, we're playing 25 more games than everybody else. And they're intense national TV, high leverage situations. Now, in football, you don't have an unnatural act, but you have to remember when you're going to Super Bowls year after year after year, like the Patriots were doing, it beats up on your team. That's a tight end. Over the course of six years, being tackled another hundred times.
Greg Cosell
Okay, but hold on, Colin. Remember, they didn't play their starters week 18. Then they had the buy. It was like three weeks for Travis Kelce and he had a good game against the Texans, but then played. Had had to play the next week. Did nothing against the Bills. Got the bye week before the super bowl and did nothing in the Super Bowl.
Colin Cowherd
It looked like all the energy they had. You know, we, we. We always think Buffalo never beats Kansas City. They actually did two weeks earlier. Is that all the Chiefs energy went to beat Buffalo?
Greg Cosell
That's fair.
Colin Cowherd
They played a great game. They emptied the tank and they had nothing left.
Greg Cosell
So let me ask Cooper cup and the Rams are going to be parting ways.
Colin Cowherd
Cooper Cup.
Greg Cosell
You know, injuries, wear and tear, not really delivering expensive. The Chiefs go that route with Travis Kelce.
Colin Cowherd
If you're. If you're moving off Kelsey, you're saving money. Why would you bring in an older injury?
Greg Cosell
No, I don't mean bring in Cooper Cup. I just meant the way the Rams are moving off of him. Do the Chiefs say, hey, Travis, thank you for your service? Oh, yeah, but that's. It's a wrap.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I think it is a wrap. And that's Okay, I think it's a wrap. This is not the NBA where players control all those personnel decisions. I think it's a wrap. By the way. It's, it's folks, we've all got eyes. We're all watching it. We're watching what's happening. It's. The reality with Travis is it's been a remarkable career, but tight ends don't last forever. They're not quarterbacks, they're not kickers, they're not. This stuff ends quickly. I mean, Travis Kelsey last year acknowledged he'd had 10 surgeries. Yeah.
Greg Cosell
So they could look a lot different next year with no Travis Kelsey.
Colin Cowherd
Holy cow. So I saw something yesterday that is, I don't understand. I got an Aaron Rodgers story, I got a Kevin Durant story, but man, I saw a quote yesterday. Do we all understand what is happening to the biggest brand in America? And we'll talk about that next. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.
Jason McIntyre
Some might say homes.com is the best home shopping site. But why is it their sleek ad free user interface enjoy search experience without distraction. Maybe it's their unmatched school insight featuring district detail and reviews from expert sources like Niche, Every parent's dream. Or is it their super comprehensive agent directory? Or how they always connect you directly to the listing agent on every listing. Homes.com even offers a comprehensive search experience with 22 data visualization layers, 7 environmental layers, and an option to search by commute and architectural style. Homes.com is bringing you all the in depth info you need. Homes.com We've done your homework.
Colin Cowherd
Greg Cosell Top of our number two I was thinking about something the other day. We've you get into these moments, it never feels like what I'm about to say is true is half the biggest brands in sports are hitting, half the biggest brands in America are hitting and then half are reeling or rebuilding or remodeling or rebooting. And I was just thinking about the biggest brands in sports and let's just take a second to think about. So like if you go to Major League Baseball, you know the biggest brands, Yankees and Dodgers. So I mean the Yankees just bringing in Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, Max Freed, they just got to a World series for the first since 2009. They didn't get Soto but they upgraded their pitching. Dodgers. Meanwhile, I just, I was looking at Jim Bowden article this morning. He thinks the Dodgers Are the most improved team in the league and they just won a World Series. They have added all throughout their pitching staff. So the two biggest brands, the Yankees and the Dodgers are humming in major league baseball. Let's go to the NBA. Listen, the Luca trade is an unbelievable reboot for the Lakers. And the Celtics are the best team in basketball. Go ask the Knicks that have been run over steamrolled by them twice this year. But I would also put the Knicks as the third biggest brand. Forbes says it's the most valuable and this is the best knicks team since 1997. And I like the team. I don't think they can beat Boston. I think they can beat everybody else in the league. So Boston Lakers, Knicks very very strong. Let's go to college football. Very popular sport. Ohio State just won a Natty. Michigan won the year before. Notre Dame and Texas are exceptional. To me those are the four biggest brands in college football. Bama's big in the south, not as big nationally. It's Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas. They are all humming. Michigan pulled back last year, landed the number one quarterback in the country. They'll be good again and this year I think are they hosting Ohio State this year instead of going on the road? I don't know but they'll be very very good. Let's go to college basketball. Last 15 years, Yukon and Duke. Duke's got the number one player UConn back to back titles. I mean even non sports if you look at stock prices the three biggest brands to be in the in the nation you can argue just the biggest brands in the country. Apple, Amazon, Coca Cola up year over year and those are about as big a brands as you have in America. Coke, Apple and Amazon. I mean the only thing that's that appear to be missing. Let me think about this. Oh, the Dallas Cowboys are awful. They are the only big huge massive brand in America that is awful. And they just had they just hired a coach and they dumped it on a Friday news dump. And Dak Prescott said this yesterday and what do they say? The best problem, best way to correct a problem is to acknowledge you have a problem. So Stephen Jones about a month ago said drought. Remember he put it in quotes Drought. Like we're having a drought. It's been 29 years. Yeah, it's a drought. Jerry Jones said over the weekend hey we could have been here and Dak Prescott talking about the Eagles and the super bowl going forward.
Greg Cosell
I mean I feel like we compete with the Eagles and beat them for the most part.
Colin Cowherd
Man we Played them.
Greg Cosell
I don't want to say check the.
Colin Cowherd
Record when the other guy's holding the trophy right now.
Greg Cosell
So credit to them they've earned and.
Colin Cowherd
They deserved it by all means. But yeah, very close. Okay, not quite acknowledging the issue. We could, we, we think we can stack up with Philadelphia. You got two guys who could play CD Lamb and Micah. I'm not sure anybody else gets on the field and I'm dead serious. Zach Martin maybe, but I'm not sure. The Cowboys have two starters two that start for Philadelphia and Phillies players. Many of the best ones are like rookies in second year guys, they're getting better. So I was thinking about this for the record, it also shows you how powerful the NFL is. They just got 127 million people to watch the game of record and Dallas is in the toilet. But I told this, I told the staff this morning if you just went to the nfc, forget the Ravens, forget Harbaugh and the Chargers, forget the Chiefs, forget Buffalo, forget those teams. Houston, let's just go to the NFC. If you told me next year the top 10 teams in the NFC, I don't have Dallas in it. I think Philadelphia easily the best roster. Detroit second best roster. Aiden Hutchinson coming back. Rams aren't missing on draft picks of Stafford stays they Green Bay and Washington with Jaden Daniels are a handful. The Niners will figure it out when Christian McCaffrey gets healthy. I don't think they're a top three or four team but they'll get better. Minnesota and Seattle have too many good players and I think, I think Baker's better than Dak. I'll put them nine. And I do think Ben Johnson and Chicago's roster will make noise. I don't know if they're a playoff team. Dallas is not in the same class as Philadelphia and from what I've seen with Jaden Daniels, they're not close to Washington. So if Shador Sanders landed with the Giants, I'm not so sure Dallas isn't a fourth place team. So yesterday as sort of a joke I, I, I said the dynasty was dead in Kansas City. I, I had a little tombstone. Let's be honest. We have a real tombstone. Go ahead, we can show the real tombstone. It, it's over. It's the last brand in American sports. I mean huge brand that is in the toilet and it's not close. Dak second surgery. Dak is going to be the biggest salary cap hit in league history next year. Unless Jerry, who from what we can tell is tapped, figures out a way to pay some of it early. J. Mac with the news.
Jason McIntyre
No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.
Colin Cowherd
This is the Herd line news. It's amazing. All the brands in this country, the big ones. Yeah, I mean all the big sports brands.
Greg Cosell
It's been quite a fall for Dallas and let's start with another franchise that had a fall and that's the 49ers. They pulled back after going to the super bowl, missed the playoffs, finished 6 and 11. They can blame injuries, they don't have a completely inept gm. But heading into the offseason, owner Jed York is confident in the brain trust of their GM and head coach saying there's no one I respect more and trust more than lynch and Shanahan to get us back on track. Obviously those two have to navigate this Brock Pie deal. And Colin. Listen, there's a world where guys like Sam Darnold, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford, there's a lot of guy quarterbacks on the market. I don't know if they're definitely going to say, brock, we're not paying you. We're going to. We're going to roll the dice with Sam Darnold for two years.
Colin Cowherd
This is going to come down to Brock Purdy and his agent. If they are willing to accept a Daniel Jones contract, then I think he's the quarterback. If they try to argue they deserve a DAC contract, you have to move on. This is not. By the way, Brock Purdy and his agent think they have leverage. No, they don't. Next year's a very good quarterback draft out of college timeout.
Greg Cosell
But you got to be awful to get one of the good quarterbacks. The 49ers aren't going to fall off the map, right?
Colin Cowherd
Will.
Greg Cosell
Will they? If they.
Colin Cowherd
Well, do you have to be awful or do you have to be Average? Draft about 14th. Give away a couple of picks to get your guy.
Greg Cosell
I don't like moving up. The Bryce Young deal soured me on trading.
Colin Cowherd
Now remember a lot of these quarterbacks. Mahomes went 10. Josh Allen didn't go number one. You start look at where did Justin Herbert go? Where did Jalen Hurts go? The idea that all the best quarterbacks go in the top five is simply not true.
Greg Cosell
Okay, fair. But I guess the pushback would be there is looking at the landsc only a handful of good quarterbacks in this league. You could argue right now that 12 teams need quarterbacks.
Colin Cowherd
But now this is an interesting topic. So over the last. I think it's six to eight years. We've had three different college drafts that have produced at least four franchise quarterbacks. Now remember, you and I grew up where everybody always talked about that one draft that had elway and Marino, 83. We've had three of those doubled in the last six, seven years. Quarterback play is much better in high school and college. So next year is another year projected for four to five first round quarterback. This is a weak year. Next year is back to four to five first round quarterbacks. Somebody's gonna go one, somebody will probably go three. Somebody will go eight, somebody will go 13. Remember? Where did Michael just start looking around with these quarterbacks? Bo Nix, first year. What did he get drafted? 12 or 13. So? So Lamar Jackson, late first round. Patrick Mahomes, 10. If you finish middle of the pack in the NFL next year, the following draft, you will get a first round quarterback.
Greg Cosell
One of those. I just listened to the three names you shot out. It was Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Bo Nix. So the coaches, Sean Payton, Andy Reid.
Colin Cowherd
Yes.
Greg Cosell
And John Harbaugh. Like three winning franchises.
Colin Cowherd
Well, smart. Well, San Francisco's got Kyle Shanahan.
Greg Cosell
They do. But I thought you were out on him. No, I'm not out on him, all right?
Colin Cowherd
I am out on this franchise. If you're trying to convince me Brock Purdy is a $60 million quarterback. You know, J. Mac, there's a lot of things I like. I bought a car six months ago. I liked it for the price, okay? If I'd have paid double what I paid for my average, you know, nice car, not spectacular. I liked it for the price. Everything's got a price. But six quarterbacks, I'll pay top dollar. That's about it. Everybody else, I'm looking for value.
Greg Cosell
How do you think Brock Purdy feels about that?
Colin Cowherd
I'm not concerned. A seventh round pick.
Greg Cosell
You don't care about your franchise quarterback.
Colin Cowherd
If you make 40 million a year from a small town in Arizona and you're the last guy picked. Sometimes in life, don't, don't try to get happier than happy. He's in a great spot. He inherited. He inherited Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Kyle Shanahan. A world class organization. Oh, he didn't get paid his first contract. That's your problem. You make 40 million for four years, you'll never work again.
Greg Cosell
Sorry, but even though he sees his peer, like, how would you feel if Sam Darnold got a bigger contract than him?
Colin Cowherd
Sam Darnold's a first round quarterback.
Greg Cosell
Who cares? That was like eight years ago.
Colin Cowherd
Bigger, stronger, More athletic, doesn't struggle when it. When it drizzles.
Greg Cosell
Struggle when it matters. Except week 18 in the playoffs. Brock Purdy dominated last year. He was great in the playoffs. Playoffs coming.
Colin Cowherd
Except when it drizzles. Drizzles.
Greg Cosell
Little disrespectful for my guy, Brock Purdy. I'm gonna still keep up for him. I think we're gonna revisit this at some point. All right, next story, Colin, is the Green Bay packers have made the playoffs in both seasons with Jordan Love starting under center, but they still don't have a true number one target. Now, we heard Josh Jacobs last week say, hey, we could use a number one receiver. Now, Jordan Love was asked about adding a veteran like a Devonte Adams, and here's what he had to say.
Jason McIntyre
You see it every week. I mean, the playmaking ability that he has. When I was with him, I don't think. I mean, he might have dropped three passes in the years that I saw him. So he's just phenomenal receiver, you know, creates so much separation off the line and, you know, that's. That's his game. When you add those good players, you.
Colin Cowherd
Know, it's only going to help our.
Jason McIntyre
Offense, I think, and it's got to be the right guys, you know, right.
Colin Cowherd
Fit for the group we have.
Jason McIntyre
And, you know, it's all about the mindset. You want guys that's going to come in and want to win and want to, you know, push the envelope and do all the extra things.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I think that's overrated.
Greg Cosell
What's going on in that locker room?
Colin Cowherd
I don't.
Greg Cosell
Two people from the offense calling out the wide receivers, basically.
Colin Cowherd
Well, Christian Watson is a little fragile, always hurt. But everybody else, maybe they're young, a little immature.
Greg Cosell
Well, Dobbs had the moment where he did not get the ball and, like, got suspended.
Colin Cowherd
Immature.
Greg Cosell
Jaden Reed is awesome, but doesn't show up every game. Or maybe he could be skied down.
Colin Cowherd
I don't have a problem going and buying like, like T. Higgins could fit. I don't think you have to spend a fortune. And again, I like T. Higgins, depending on the price point. He's not a dominant player. He's a really good player. When Jamar Chase is doubled, When Jamar Chase is doubled and you get the second best corner. And very few teams outside the jets have two great corners. So T. Higgins always faces the second best corner. Now you go to Green Bay, oh, we're putting the best corner on you. It's a whole different ballgame. I like T. Higgins like I like my car. What's the price? Jamar Chase, I'll break the bank. Justin Jefferson, Mike Evans. I'll spend whatever.
Greg Cosell
It's different sounds like so that's two stories here. Somebody's trying to go a little frugal, doesn't want to pay the players the coastal elite coward does not want to pay the quarterback of the receiver. Final story is the NBA. Colin. Listen man, look at this highlight right here. Joel Embiid, game on the line. Passes up an open 3, fumbles it in the look at this.
Colin Cowherd
What is he doing by the way? What is he doing in the perimeter you're game?
Greg Cosell
He's soft now. He doesn't want to injury. He said he needs another surgery Con this is embarrassed. He got booed off the court after should should with seconds left. Philly ended up losing to lowly Toronto. The Raptors were like tanking basically now it seems like they're going to try to make the play in the Sixers are A season worst 13 team games under 500.
Colin Cowherd
Yep.
Greg Cosell
Well you know what confidence when you.
Colin Cowherd
Pander to players and they have injuries, egos, this is what you get. Nobody to blame but Philadelphia. Yeah, Embiid's been an issue for years. I don't know how you watch the Olympics and watch how he struggled to fit in with the world's greatest players and came out of that Olympics thinking I really like this guy. This is the future of the franchise. That was a cautionary tale.
Greg Cosell
You remember when he went all in for the MVP award?
Colin Cowherd
Remember that?
Greg Cosell
He was like I gotta get the mvp. He got it. He has not been the same player since. Man, he's constantly hurt. It's like he went put all his energies into winning a frickin MVP award. He has still never been to a conference finals. It's not happening.
Colin Cowherd
Has he ever won a second playoff round? Has he ever won in one season a second playoff series? Think so.
Greg Cosell
No.
Colin Cowherd
And by the way, if you look, here's the thing about Philadelphia, it's all ego and nonsense. When I look at the Knicks or I look at the Celtics or I look at Cleveland, I just don't sense anything other than chemistry winning. Those teams are well built. Cavs, Nick, Celtics. I don't see any disruptions. I don't see any variants outside of go to work, play hard D up every night. All three of those teams will d you up.
Greg Cosell
So let me ask you better career Anthony Davis or Joel Embiid?
Colin Cowherd
Anthony Davis easily.
Greg Cosell
Just making sure there's a lot of Embiid fanboys out there. And Colin, here's the thing. Ain't nobody trading for this guy, okay? He's going to have a surgery in the offseason. I don't know what the market value of Paul George is. I feel a little bad for your boy Tyrese Maxey. Who? He got locked up last night by the Raptors. But, I mean, he's having a good season.
Colin Cowherd
I. What? You watched the Knicks last night?
Greg Cosell
They got a nice win.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, over the Pacers.
Greg Cosell
Over the Pacers. Checking out NBA. Did you watch any?
Colin Cowherd
I got a flat tire. So I sat in a car dealership for an hour watching the Knicks win.
Greg Cosell
Oh, wow. Flat tire.
Colin Cowherd
Hey, I could have done it myself on the 405.
Greg Cosell
What was the last time you changed a tire?
Colin Cowherd
Not going to get into that.
Greg Cosell
Yeah, that's what I thought.
Colin Cowherd
When's the last time I considered doing it? 20 years.
Greg Cosell
Dude, you got to call AAA. They'll come and fix your flat tire in a heartbeat.
Colin Cowherd
I just pulled into a dealership and I watched and I. I wasn't happy about it until. They were a great dealership. Totally took care. They were really nice people.
Greg Cosell
Well, they probably saw, like, oh, there's a famous guy with a flat tire.
Colin Cowherd
No.
Greg Cosell
You sign any autographs?
Colin Cowherd
I saw a schmuck who was a sad dog walking into the dealership. But I sat. The good news is, I mean, I had a. I had a cappuccino and I Sat and watched 45 minutes of the Knicks and Pacers. It was great.
Greg Cosell
Cigar last night to celebrate the flat tire?
Colin Cowherd
No, I didn't have anything to celebrate it. J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the herd. It was actually funny. I called the dealership. I said, I. I. So I'm. I'm. For two days, I've been stopping off at every gas station, putting air in my tire, and it just doesn't hold. And so I finally called him and I said, I'm driving up on Thursday. I got a long drive Thursday in crappy weather. Can I get a new tire? And the lady says, if you can get here in 30 minutes before we close. I got in my car and I'm not joking. LA rush hour. I think I hit a dozen straight green lights. A dozen straight.
Greg Cosell
Feels good, doesn't it?
Colin Cowherd
I got in there and there was about five minutes to go before they closed the doors. And it was like, you know what? There's an angel over me tonight. I could be changing this puppy on the 405. I got lucky, watched the Knicks, had a cafe cappuccino. It was clutch. Yeah, it was clutch. Boy, what a cautionary tale for an NFL team that next live in la, the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. Hey, it's Steve Covino and I'm Rich Davis and together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartradio at why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything, life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Koveno, Enrich wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich.
Jason McIntyre
Some might say homes.com is the best home shopping site, but why is it their sleek ad free user interface enjoy search experience without distractions. Maybe it's their unmatched school insight featuring district detail and reviews from expert sources like Niche, Every parent's dream. Or is it their super comprehensive agent directory or how they always connect you directly to the listing agent on every listing. Homes.com even offers a comprehensive search experience with 22 data visualization layers, 7 environmental layers and an option to search by commute and architectural style. Homes.com is bringing you all the in depth info you need. Homes.com We've done your homework.
Greg Cosell
This Sunday, the great American race takes center stage as NASCAR's greatest drivers battling the biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500, where champions become legends. Sunday at 2:30 Eastern only on Fox.
Colin Cowherd
There was a story yesterday we didn't spend a ton of time on it, but basically Aaron Glenn is the new coach of the New York jets. And Aaron Glenn went to Aaron Rodgers and said listen, you have to show up to training camp and you Got to be there. Mandatory practices, off season stuff, even before camp starts. And you can't be on anybody's show and making weekly appearances, which I don't think that big of a deal. But you know, Aaron Glenn does not want the distraction. And I think my wife, when we were, you know, our kids were younger, we're raising kids, she always had a great saying, is that as a parent, be a great example or a horrible warning? They both work. There's a lot of teams that now will look at the Philadelphia Eagles and say, wow, that's how you build a team. But part of building a pro football team is not making a disastrous decision out of desperation. And acquiring a quarterback out of desperation, which is what the jets did, never ends well. You could say, what about New England? Tom Brady went to Tampa. Tampa was not desperate. They were a 500 team. They had a very good roster. They have a great gm, they had continuity. But Jameis was mistake prone. So they upgraded at quarterback. They weren't desperate. They were a 500 team. What about the Rams with Stafford? They weren't desperate. Golf got to a Super bowl, was 42 and 20. They wanted to upgrade. Three teams in the last couple of years were desperate at quarterback and went and got a big name. Denver with Russell Wilson, Cleveland with DeSean Watson, and the jets with Aaron Rodgers. And all three were an abject disaster. And here's one of the things I was thinking about this this morning and the hidden danger to being desperate is not just the draft capital you give up, but that the star quarterback knows you're desperate. What did Russell Wilson do in Denver? Hey, let me get my own office cringy. No, he never did that in Seattle. What did DeShawn Watson do in Cleveland knowing he had the Browns over a barrel. He was once cleared to play in a game and he's like, yeah, I know, but I just don't feel like it. And then there was Aaron Rodgers. I want you guys to sign Lazard, I want Nat Hackett, I want my buddies on team. And I'm going to go to Egypt during camp, you know, I went to some of the practices, but I'm going to go to Egypt. Russell, DeShawn and Aaron in a position in American sports, quarterback, which is sort of the glamour position. And I'm not blaming Russell, DeShawn or Aaron for having an ego. You got to have one to be a pro athlete, especially a quarterback. But when teams are desperate, the quarterbacks know they are desperate and they lean into it. And poorly run businesses get into these spaces. And what's interesting about the jets now, they won't be as good at quarterback next year because Aaron played pretty well down the stretch. But they won't be desperate, they won't be good at quarterback. They won't be desperate. Why? Because the new GM and coach have a pass for a year to build a culture and Dan Campbell's lines were awful his first year. Secondly, next year's college quarterback draft, you're going to have four first round guys. And the third thing is if the jets can land, let's say a tight end and a defensive tackle in this draft, Mason Graham, first pick, maybe move up and get a good tight end. They actually have a playoff roster. It's actually a really good roster. I like the jets roster. Didn't like the coach necessarily, didn't like the ownership group. But go look at Denver, go look at Cleveland, go look at the jets in all three. It's not just giving up draft capital. That's not just it. Draft picks are a 60, 40, 50, 50 proposition to begin with. What it's doing is that quarterback knows you've got the team over a barrel and they lean into it. So I'm going to throw this out. So J. Mac used to, I'm not sure if, if he still does had a relationship with Kevin Durant. So I love Kevin Durant the player I in my lifetime, I believe Kevin Durant is the greatest catch and shoot player in the history of the basketball worlds. In fact, I've said before, if you did an all time one on one tournament takeout centers, if you did a one on one tournament, the only guy that I think beats Michael Jordan is Kevin Durant. I don't think Michael can stop him. I just think Kevin Durant is, he is a bucket. You can give him the ball late in the possession, he doesn't need to set it up. He's an all time talent. But last night he became the eighth player to score 30,000 points. And I think it's interesting, it's a milestone on an irrelevant team in a loss and that sort of sums up his career. But what's amazing is that everybody loves to bang on coaches in the NBA and general managers. That guy for Dallas is getting crushed. But I said it at the time and I was shocked at the lack of agreement within NBA media. Kevin Durant tanked his own career. He really did. He was at the time when he was at Golden State, Kevin Durant was a. There were a half the people covering the league said he was better than LeBron. He was beating LeBron. He was a better offensive player. He made Steph look small. He was MVP of finals. The league thought it was twice. The league thought it was unfair. I mean, Adam Silver was uncomfortable with how dominant they were. And then he decided, I want to go play with Kyrie in Brooklyn. The hell. And I've always felt the difference between LeBron and KD is not their games. They're both all time great players. The difference between LeBron and KD is LeBron is more like a Gordon Ramsay or a Jay Z. I'm not a businessman, I'm a business man. And Kevin Durant is more the artist who halfway through the tour, cancels the tour, sues Ticketmaster and gets into a fist fight with his drummer. Is like all basketball players because it's the most creative of our sports. They're all artists. Kobe was an artist, Michael's an artist, all great basketball scores, Carmelo's an artist. They, there's, I mean they've all got a different looking shot. There is nobody that copied the skyhook outside of Jordan. Nobody played quite like him except Kobe. There is no duplicate for Larry Birder Magic. I've never seen anybody that plays like him. It's the most artistry. The difference is, and neither are starving artists but one, and you see this a lot, Bono with U2, Gordon Ramsay, Jay Z. That artist can compartmentalize business in the art. And Katie doesn't like it's just all art. And in the end, he literally could be a top three to four player ever. And he left. And what the funny thing is, Steph's about the easiest guy in the world to play with. And Klay Thompson may be the second easiest guy star to play with. And so when he sets that record last night, he's the eighth player to score 30,000. There's a warm spot in my heart because I think he is one of the great artists of my lifetime to play basketball. I love watching him play. I think he would win a one on one all time basketball tournament. He's one of the few guys I would pay to watch as a professional athlete. I think he's a really nice guy. But I, I often look at that and I said it at the time. If Patrick Mahomes in the middle of the dynasty would have said, you know, I want to go play with my friend Nicole Hartman with the Jets. You'd be like, excuse me, you're not leaving Andy Reid. You're not, you're not leaving Travis Kelce, you know, but in basketball, because there's so much artistry that we kind of, we kind of say like, hey man, it's just ball. You gotta let the artist perform. Football, we don't. They're all gladiators, right? They're all tackling each other. Shorter careers, they beat on each other, they're wobbling, they're all hurt by like week four. But so last night he set the record and immediately they were talking about his future in Phoenix. If you had your choice in the matter and it's not into your control, would you rather just play the rest of your career in Phoenix?
Jason McIntyre
I'm a focus on Houston tomorrow. Man. We ain't going to go there right now.
Colin Cowherd
Again to the end, incredibly likable. It just interesting. You go back when he was with the warriors, you were probably one of those saying, is he better than LeBron? That was a real discussion in America. LeBron has always been very good at manipulating the business side. Again, a lot of these star chefs, there's a sad ending, a lot of star musicians, sad ending. And then you get Mick Jagger or Bono or Gordon Ramsay and it's like yeah, they get the business side of it. Jay Z gets the business side of it. And that to me that's, that's the difference. LeBron is great at that. And KD is just more artists. It's about the ball, it's about performing. Depends on the mood. And I know you love him. Are you still in a relationship where you can discuss.
Greg Cosell
I have not DMed with him lately but there was a time when he was a two time finals mvp. He was the best player in the league. No disrespect to LeBron, he was. I beat him head to head in the finals twice.
Colin Cowherd
I, I was arguing at people who were saying that and I'm like. But it was a real argument for about a six year stretch. No KD is better than LeBron and offensively I do think he's more gifted. I don't think I, I'd take. I would argue that all day long. Hour two next.
Jason McIntyre
Some might say homes.com is the best home shopping site. But why could it be their sleek, beautiful design, ad free interface, a distraction free search is certainly a breath of fresh air. Or maybe it's their in depth school info. Perfect for parents wanting the best for their kids. With district details and reviews from multiple sources. They've got you covered. Or Perhaps it's the homes.com is the only site that always connect you directly with the listing agent. Who knows the home best is home shopping. The way it should be. Homes.com we've done your homework.
Colin Cowherd
Whether you're ordering wings for the game, whipping up a seven layer dip, or ordering pizza, there's something about football that makes me want to eat. And this football season, Uber Eats has the best deals for me on game day food no matter what I'm craving from two for one Pizza. To buy one get one Wings. Uber Eats will be dropping new deals each week all season long. I'm in Uber Eats, the official on demand delivery partner of the NFL. Order now for game day. Terms and conditions apply. See app for details.
Episode: Hour 1 - The Lakers Keep Doing This
Release Date: February 12, 2025
Host/Authors: Colin Cowherd, Jason McIntyre, Greg Cosell
Platform: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
The episode kicks off with Colin Cowherd welcoming listeners to a live broadcast from Los Angeles. He sets the stage for an in-depth discussion about the Los Angeles Lakers, their recent strategies, and broader topics in the NBA and NFL.
Colin delves into the Lakers' recent moves, questioning whether the team is the smartest or luckiest in American sports history. He traces the Lakers' history of capitalizing on others' mistakes, highlighting key acquisitions that shaped their championship runs.
Colin compares the Lakers' approach to assembling talent with shrewd business tactics, emphasizing their ability to draft and trade effectively for key players like Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
The conversation shifts to the NFL, focusing on the Kansas City Chiefs' performance and the future of their star tight end, Travis Kelce.
Chiefs' Offensive Patchwork:
Colin criticizes the Chiefs for their inconsistent wide receiver lineup and unstable running back roster, suggesting that their offensive line needs significant improvement. (07:10)
Travis Kelce’s Future:
Discussing Kelce's longevity, Colin argues that it's an opportune moment for the Chiefs to part ways with him due to his high salary and injury history.
Notable Quote:
"Travis Kelsey has tons of money, lots of options. And I think one of the mistakes football teams do is they cling to the end." – Colin Cowherd (09:00)
Greg Cosell adds that the Chiefs' offense resembles a patchwork scheme, lacking stability despite their recent Super Bowl appearances.
The discussion moves to the Green Bay Packers, highlighting their consistent playoff appearances without establishing a primary receiving target.
Lack of a Number One Target:
The Packers struggle to secure a true number one receiver, impacting their offensive dynamics despite Jordan Love's presence.
Notable Quote:
"They still don't have a true number one target... It's only going to help our offense." – Jason McIntyre (27:44)
Colin and Greg scrutinize the Dallas Cowboys, one of the most valuable brands in America, yet currently underperforming on the field.
Performance Decline:
Colin declares the Cowboys' dynasty dead, citing injuries and poor management decisions as key factors. He highlights Dak Prescott's injuries and Jerry Jones' ineffective strategies. (22:31)
Brand vs. Performance:
Despite being a top-tier brand, the team's on-field struggles have led fans to question their future prospects.
Notable Quote:
"Michigan is very very good. We have a real tombstone... Dallas is in the toilet." – Colin Cowherd (22:31)
The conversation turns to the NBA, focusing on Joel Embiid's performance and the overall condition of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Embiid’s Decline:
Colin criticizes Embiid for his lackluster performances and frequent injuries, questioning his impact on the team’s success. Greg counters by defending Embiid's contributions but acknowledges recent setbacks. (29:38)
Team Dynamics:
The 76ers are portrayed as plagued by egos and poor team chemistry, contrasting with other well-built franchises like the Knicks and Celtics.
Notable Quote:
"He's soft now. He doesn't want to injury... It's all ego and nonsense." – Greg Cosell (29:38)
"Philadelphia is all ego and nonsense... Those teams are well built." – Colin Cowherd (30:48)
Colin discusses the New York Jets' recent acquisition of Aaron Rodgers, drawing parallels with other teams that made desperate quarterback moves leading to instability.
Desperation in QB Acquisitions:
Colin warns against teams acquiring high-profile quarterbacks out of desperation, citing the Jets, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns as examples where such moves backfired. (35:23)
Future Prospects:
He suggests that the Jets could pivot towards drafting a new quarterback, emphasizing the importance of building a robust roster without overreliance on star players.
Notable Quote:
"When teams are desperate, the quarterbacks know they are desperate and they lean into it." – Colin Cowherd (35:23)
The hosts reflect on Kevin Durant's career trajectory, contrasting him with LeBron James in terms of business acumen and athletic artistry.
Durant vs. LeBron:
Colin praises Durant's on-court artistry while critiquing his off-court decisions, suggesting that LeBron's business savvy gives him an edge beyond athletic performance. (44:30)
Legacy and Impact:
Despite Durant's scoring milestones, Colin argues that his career choices have undermined his legacy compared to other all-time greats.
Notable Quote:
"Kevin Durant is more the artist who halfway through the tour, cancels the tour, sues Ticketmaster and gets into a fist fight with his drummer." – Colin Cowherd (44:30)
"KD tanked his own career. He really did." – Greg Cosell (45:24)
Colin wraps up the episode by reiterating the importance of strategic team building and the pitfalls of chasing star talent without a solid foundation. He emphasizes the need for stability in both NFL and NBA franchises to ensure long-term success.
Final Thoughts:
Colin underscores that while star players can elevate a team, sustainable success hinges on comprehensive team development and smart management.
Notable Quote:
"The difference between LeBron and KD is LeBron is more like a Gordon Ramsay or a Jay Z... That artist can compartmentalize business in the art." – Colin Cowherd (45:38)
This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd offers a comprehensive analysis of major sports teams' strategies and performances, providing listeners with insightful commentary and critical perspectives on current sports dynamics.