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- [00:00]
Colin Cowherd
You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off. Up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption card. Has no cash access and expires in six months. Virgin Voyages isn't your average cruise. It's a masterclass in luxury all in. Voyage pricing includes over $1,000 in value, Wi fi, tips, entertainment, even specialty dining. No hidden fees, no surprises. The cabins are next level private terraces, virgin red hammocks, unbeatable sea views. Add in the adult only factor. No kids. That's right, just relaxation. It's no surprise they're award winning. And the destinations? Caribbean this winter, Iceland, North America and the Mediterranean in 2025 and 2026. Virgin Voyages is where luxury meets travel. Book it and see what you've been missing. Learn more@virginvoyages.com or contact your travel advisor.
- [01:24]
Jason McIntyre
It's the last game of the season and with Amex, you can save time with card member entrances at select venues and go straight to the action so.
- [01:32]
Colin Cowherd
You can catch every moment.
- [01:34]
Jason McIntyre
That's the powerful backing of American Express.
- [01:37]
Colin Cowherd
Terms apply.
- [01:37]
Jason McIntyre
Learn more@americanexpress.com with Amex.
- [01:41]
Nick Wright
Introducing Instagram Teen accounts. A new way to keep your teen.
- [01:45]
Colin Cowherd
Safer as they grow. Like making sure they always have their seatbelt on. All right, sweetie pie, buckle up. Good job.
- [01:51]
Jason McIntyre
Or ring the bell on their bike. Okay, kid, give it a try.
- [01:55]
Colin Cowherd
Nice.
- [01:56]
Jason McIntyre
Or remember their elbow pads.
- [01:59]
Colin Cowherd
Knees too. Okay. Yep, there you go.
- [02:02]
Nick Wright
New Instagram Teen accounts. Automatic protections for who can contact your.
- [02:07]
Jason McIntyre
Teen and the content they can see.
- [02:09]
Colin Cowherd
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 herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
- [02:30]
Jason McIntyre
Now let's get this party started.
- [02:31]
Colin Cowherd
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go. It's hour two live in la. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. By the way, Big Ten ratings. Big Ten championship ratings. The best in like 10 years. College basketball, Caitlin Clarkson numbers last year. People may be moving away from pro basketball. They're not moving away from college basketball.
- [02:56]
Jason McIntyre
Big east ratings are massive for FS1.
- [02:59]
Colin Cowherd
Huge, huge record setting.
- [03:01]
Jason McIntyre
Listen, man, college basketball is going to.
- [03:03]
Colin Cowherd
Have a great tournament.
- [03:04]
Jason McIntyre
You need to start talking more brackets.
- [03:06]
Colin Cowherd
I talk college basketball two hours yesterday.
- [03:09]
Jason McIntyre
I know that's. Listen, I got to take a lot of credit for that because you're not a big college hoops guy.
- [03:12]
Colin Cowherd
It's not that I'm not a big college hoops guy. I love my guys. I bring four or five coaches. I love my guys. But it does feel sometimes like it's a bracket, not a sport. Like it all about the bracket. But I will say, if you look at the ratings for these conference championships, people were into them. By the way, St. John's being good is so huge for college basketball because they play some of their games at the Garden.
- [03:36]
Jason McIntyre
Yes.
- [03:36]
Colin Cowherd
So they kind of flip back and forth. College basketball. New York has always been an unbelievable basketball town because in New York, some people are Yankee fans, some are Mets, some people are Jet fans, they're Giants. Everybody's a Nick fan. Everybody's a St. John's fan. So I mean, when, when Syracuse and St. John were crushing college basketball, I mean, New York was just a mecca. I mean, you have usc, UCLA out here, but there's just, you know, the beach, the weather, the mountains. In New York, the winner of a college. The winner is basketball season. A lot of it. When the Knicks are humming and St. John's is humming, the energy in New York is. It's so good for college basketball.
- [04:19]
Jason McIntyre
There's a map floating around the Internet how if you cut the country almost in half, nobody's won a national championship since. I think Arizona in like the late 90s, like nobody west is. Is very good right now. Who's the best west coast team in college?
- [04:32]
Colin Cowherd
Well, Gonzaga is the most. Gonzaga is the most consistently good team. Arizona, I would say, is second. And that's it. All right, so before I get to Nick Wright, so, PFF came out today with the. They ranked all the rosters 1 to 32. I'm not going to do that, but I did take free agency and free agency, losses. I considered everything. So we have our coaching moves all set. We have free agency outside of Aaron Rodgers again, I think he maybe adds a win to wherever he goes, maybe two wins. But I don't think he's changing. He's not changing divisions. Forget about changing the sport. I just don't think he is. It's not a shot on him. I think Russell Wilson again, could be worth a win to a team that didn't have a right quarterback. But I will tell you what I think based on free agency gains and losses and kind of what teams are going through right now, where we stand with the top 10. I would put Green Bay at 10. They remain the youngest, the youngest offense in the NFL and the youngest roster. They overpaid for Aaron Banks at guard, but it was a position of need. And again, when you have a young quarterback, you've got to protect him. Now, Jordan Love did not play well in the last month of the season and that is a concern. Plus Chicago's better. Minnesota could be really good. The division is very good offensively. I have green bay at 10, number nine, Denver's going to improve. Good. How, how good was Bo Nix as a rookie? Well, how, how good do you think he's going to be? Year two with Sean Payton, they got Evan Ingram, which Sean Payton calls their joker position. Like Debo, he can do multiple things. They spent more money on free agency than any playoff team. And again Bo Nix an entire off season with Sean Payton. So getting Dre, Greenlaw and Hufanga, those are big, instinctive smart guys who will upgrade the defense. Everybody in the AFC west, including the Raiders, that division's getting really good, really fast. Number eight, the Commanders. Their O line last year was 10. Now they added Laramie Tunzel, a top three pass blocker. Debo Samuel is one of the great moves of free agency, the classic chess piece. So this is a team that could get four to five starters out of the draft. Got two absolute starters in free agency and again, Jaden Daniels as a rookie was amazing. Another off season to learn Cliff's offense. I have him at 8. Number 7. Really worry about Kansas City. Joe Tuni is one of the more valuable offensive linemen in the league left and they didn't want him to leave. They couldn't afford him. They don't have a left tackle. They paid a lot for Jalen Moore who's never been a starter. And there's pass rushers all over that division. By the way. They're not going to go 11, 0 in one score games. Raiders are better, Broncos will be better, the Chargers will be better. Listen, it never lasts forever. I think it's going to be a slight pullback here. I still have them as a playoff team. You're not going 11 and oh in one score games. The division now is simply too good. Number six, the Chargers. I think Najee Harris only player in the league, four straight thousand yard Seasons behind a bad Steeler O line and a tone deaf culture. Offensively now he goes to Harbaugh. By the way, Harbaugh's second year with the Niners got to the Super Bowl. So think of what Jim Harbaugh turned around in one off season. The worst defense to statistically a top two defense. Now you get another seven eight draft picks from a coach who just left college football. Najee Harris, Joe Alt, second year as a starting tackle. I think like Denver, the Chargers make a big jump. I have met six. Number five. I worry about the Lions. I like DJ Reed because their past defense has been lousy for years. I like that pickup. They lost both coordinators and they're not going to be as clever without Ben Johnson. They're just not. We saw Philadelphia lose both coordinators a couple of years ago and they plummeted. I also think the whole rah rah thing, I think it works early as you're building a culture, but now the culture, the rah rah stuff wears down. Are you as good schematically, because the NFC is getting better fast. I have the Lions at five, number four. Listen, they they got an extension for Josh Allen. I also think Joey Bosa and receiver Josh Palmer are upgrades. The extension by the way is fairly team friendly to allow for some flexibility. I thought for much of the year last year they were the best team and I think they've upgraded. I think Joey Bosa is a better version of Von Miller who was expensive and hurt a lot and became kind of a pass rusher. Only I have Buffalo at four number three Ravens rosters ranked number one by pff. They got Lonnie Stanley and again the number one offense last year. I don't see it regressing. This list is not about who's going to win the Super Bowl. It is how do I value your roster and your team right now based on free agency, gains and losses and extensions to your best player? I have the Ravens at 3 number 2. I thought the Rams crushed Puna 4 defensive line that was an area of need and Devonte Adams and retained Matt Stafford. And their defense Thanksgiving on was arguably the best in the league. Go ask Sam Darnold sack nine times. So this defense is just getting better every month because they're so young and inexpensive. I put the Rams at 2. Go back to that game in the snow in Philly. They're down to the 15 yard line with a chance to go with two turnovers with a chance to go in for the win. It's a real team Heading the right direction. Number one. Listen, they didn't overpay for Milton Williams. They had some free agent losses but they have drafted so well. Philadelphia's number one again, they are smart enough to know who to pay for and who to let go. And I thought all their moves made sense to me. Zach Bond, bringing him back the linebacker surprised me a little at that price point. But again, I'm going to give Philadelphia the benefit here. It remains the deepest roster with the most dexterity. And with that, Nick Wright is joining us. Probably not in the greatest mood right now as I have the Chargers at seven.
- [10:48]
Nick Wright
No, you have the Chiefs at seven, the Chargers at six. So Najee Harris worth seven wins. That's cool. That's sober minded analysis by America's honesty broker. So let's talk about this for a moment. Because you elevated the Bills because you like the Joey Bosa edition so much, if only one could tell what team he left. So Joey Bosa makes the Bills better by going there. The Chargers lose him, they improve. The Chargers, by the way, whose quarterback is tied for. Let me do all the math, dead last in NFL history in playoff wins. And the Chiefs quarterback who's second only to Brady in playoff wins. The Chargers, who haven't won the division in a decade. And last year again won 11 games. The Chiefs won 17 games. And this is the year, this is an annual tradition where you pick a new team to win the AFC west. And then midway through the year you're like, yeah, I probably shouldn't have done that. Also, and I hate to do this to you because you know how much I love you, but you said the Chiefs didn't want to lose Joe Tuney. What was there a gun to Brett Veach's head when he called the Bears and traded him? They didn't lose Joe Tuney, they traded Joe Tuney. So I just gotta say the rest of your bracket feels a lot like we are respecting the teams that were really good last year. Except for of course the Chiefs, which just makes no sense. And then I'll just ask you this question. We move on. What did the Ravens and Bills do to forget the Chargers? Which is just nonsense, but it's the L A warm Sierra I guess do to get better. Well, how did the Ravens and the Bills close the gap?
- [12:38]
Colin Cowherd
Because the Chiefs got noticeably worse at left tackle at offensive. Well, they're getting old.
- [12:43]
Nick Wright
They got worse at left tackle by signing a player. But they're the only team in the league. They had four guys there last year. They sign a player and now they got worse at that position.
- [12:54]
Colin Cowherd
Yes.
- [12:55]
Nick Wright
They're also, according to your analysis, the only team in the league that's not going to participate in the draft. I guess every other team, oh, they got the draft picks. They're going to prove of the draft. The Chiefs have the Titans third round pick which like a second round pick. But go ahead, tell me more about the team that's been to five of the last six Super Bowls.
- [13:11]
Colin Cowherd
Well, it is, I will say is all these teams. I called it last year, I called it 18 months ago with the Niners that when you get old and Chris Jones getting older and Travis getting older and here comes juju Smith getting older and it's like it's a, it's now another receiver got in trouble and you got to actually get a running back that you can kind of trust. It's just again they're not going to go 11 and oh, in close games they may go 8 and 3. But if you look at Harbaugh's history, Michigan, Stanford, everywhere he's been, year two is the pop year. He took over the worst team in the league, got him to the playoffs. That team is going to pop with more of his brilliance in the building for a year. So it's okay.
- [13:53]
Nick Wright
Listen, at one point, you know I like Harbaugh and I agreed with you last year that the Chargers could be a playoff team. But at some point, I'm just curious, does is Justin Herbert going to have to earn this benefit of the doubt? Justin Herbert's calling card last year was doesn't make mistakes. Only two interceptions all season and then in the playoff game he threw more picks in that game than he did all year long. And now, and I like Harbaugh as well, I don't think you think he's better than Andy Reid. So like what, at what point does Justin Herbert have to actually live up to the billing that you have given him for the last half decade? Like at some point he's got to like actually play well in a big spot. Once he's been in leagues five years, I feel like that's a fair ask. Once play big in a big spot. Well, right.
- [14:47]
Colin Cowherd
This is the year. It stuff isn't true until it happens. And so that, you know, I mean Mahomes wasn't great until he was great. And here we go.
- [14:55]
Nick Wright
Yeah, he. No, no, that's wrong. Mahomes was great immediately. Holmes was great immediately. But and Herbert, Herbert got eaten alive by a Texans team that then got walloped by the Chiefs who they then beat Buffalo who had beat Baltimore and you have them all ahead of Kansas City because they had, they lost Joe Tuney.
- [15:15]
Colin Cowherd
The difference is the Chargers played seven to eight rookies. They're not rookies anymore. Is this is going to be a team where they'll probably only get two starters out of the draft because they have like a real lineup now. So it's a real team going. Last year basically it was a bunch of kids filling holes. This year they don't have that many holes. They got a, they need an edge rusher and probably a tight end. That's about what they need. All right, I want to move on to this. I, I look at Shador Sanders, people are freaking out and they're saying, well, he's overrated. Well, Daniel Jones was a reach into the first round. I watched Daniel Jones at Duke. I never saw a first round player. I watched Jackson dart at Ole Miss. I don't see a first round player. Shador Sanders is the second best quarterback in the draft by almost all, you know, executive accounts.
- [16:04]
Nick Wright
Sure.
- [16:05]
Colin Cowherd
Is he the third pick? Well, that's what the Giants have your take on. If you were given the choice and you knew your job was on the line, would you go with better now Aaron or Shador Sanders?
- [16:19]
Nick Wright
Oh, well, no, no, I would. I the. I would absolutely not get in the Aaron Rodgers business. I mean that's, There is no question whatsoever that I think that is a non starter for any team that is serious about winning football games in 2025. I don't, I do not understand why this player who has not been above average by any metric in four years and four years ago he was awesome. But four years ago was two teams and a torn Achilles ago and he's now 41, going to be 42 this season. So I certainly wouldn't sign Aaron Rodgers. Shedeur does make me nervous though. And I do think that it is fair to say that if Shedeur were in last year's quarterback class, would he have been the sixth or seventh quarterback off the board? And this year is he being elevated because it appears to be such a weaker class that being the second quarter best quarterback in the draft might still mean you're the 25th best player in the draft. I understand why a lot of people believe the Giants have to take him because Shane and Dabel have to get that position. Right. So I get that. But I don't have any concerns about Shador the guy, the person. I think the fact that like oh, he has an ego, all that stuff I think is nonsense. I do have Concerns about whether or not he is going to translate to the pros and whether or not the offense they were running at Colorado prepared him for the pros. But if you're telling me it's one of two options, Aaron Rodgers or Shedeur, I would obviously take Shador.
- [18:06]
Colin Cowherd
So I was talking about this earlier, is that the warriors have a little issue, is that Steph looks exhausted. I watched the Nuggets warriors last night. Warriors had no energy. And so. But the difference with the Lakers and the warriors, when Steph sits out, they lose all their offensive oxygen. Butler's not a dominating scorer. Either is Draymond Kaminga's hot and cold yet. And I've always been, you know, a little passive on my love for Austin Reeves when LeBron leaves. Both Austin and Luca are great offensive initiators. They drive, they get fouls, they go to the line, they score. Now Austin Reaves now to me, has shown real value when LeBron's out. Now when LeBron comes back, he's not dropping 30. He's not going to get the ball as much. Rui is going to get more looks, you know, Jackson Hayes is going to get more pogo stick looks. But I will say LeBron leaves, Lakers can score 120, Steph gets in foul trouble or leaves, there's not a lot of offense. To me, I think to myself, that is the difference. Lakers warriors is that LeBron's figured out I got a tweak groin, Daddy's going to go home and take a Nap. See him three weeks, that's what the Lakers are doing. LeBron's like, hey, we can win this thing. I just want to be rested.
- [19:27]
Nick Wright
They can win. They can win this thing. I do. Again, not to be too combative. Did you, did you phrase your Austin Reeves takes as passive in my love for Austin Reeves? Or I would maybe use a different phrase. Openly skeptical, if not outright antagonistic about Austin Reeves historically. But listen, the shorter version of what you said is the Lakers have Luka Doncic and the warriors don't.
- [19:56]
Colin Cowherd
Yes.
- [19:57]
Nick Wright
Like, yeah, Luka is an offense unto himself and Austin Reaves is a very, very good third option. And I do. Here's what I wonder if from LeBron watching because nobody is shocked at all by how great Luka's been, even though last night he was what, 5 of 20 from the field? He actually, you know, his shot hasn't been what it normally is, but the last few weeks we've seen him look like Luka Doncic. People are probably surprised by the explosion offensively, From Austin Reeves. I wonder if LeBron watching this if when he comes back he does something that Broussard has talked about that he's always had available to him but has never been on a team that where it would make sense which is take on more of the traditional power forward almost Carl Malone role which is I'm going to get you 25 plus and 10 rebounds while allowing Luka and some Austin to run the offense while running it occasionally. Because the fact of the matter is this like of the warriors have looked prior to last night really, really good but that was still a team that I felt was probably a guy short. I gave him credit for the 142 run but no one is LeBron like Steph is 37 and wearing down a bit. LeBron is 40 and when he was playing was playing as well as he had played in the last three years or so. But it's not the point is as good as playoff Jimmy can be, he's not Luka. And offensively there's only one other guy in the league that can generate what Luka does and that's Joker. And so I think that the Lakers have a really good shot of coming out of the Western Conference. And I listen I look at the Western Conference right now as the Thunder are understandably the favorites but the Lakers are right next to them and those two teams are head and shoulders above the rest of the conference.
- [22:04]
Colin Cowherd
By the way circle back to the NFL. I thought Denver did very well. I thought the Rams did very well. They they got the right players at the right price. I thought, you know DJ Reed of the Lions for a unit was smart. I said this earlier offensive line is a cohesion unit. The Bears O line will be better. It may not be better in September. You can't add three new starters who have never played together and be hey. And who by the way veterans don't play in the preseason, especially O linemen. So the Bears will be very good. It may be Thanksgiving when that O line clicks. Is there a team that you thought won free agency?
- [22:39]
Nick Wright
This is the one part of your tears or your hurt hierarchy that I agree with. Yeah, I would say the Rams. I would say the Rams because one they avoided what to me would have been a totally self inflicted catastrophe of moving off Matt Stafford. I have no idea why you would do that. He's obviously in the argument for the best quarterback in that conference. So as long as he wants to keep playing I think that makes sense. I assume that. I think they'll get one really good year out of devonte, Adams, they have drafted really well and so they've kind of replenished and revamped that defensive line. So I thought the Rams being able to add a couple pieces, but most notably keeping Matt Stafford made them the biggest winners of free agency because they would have been such losers of free agency for no reason by moving off Stafford. So I agree with you on the Rams piece of it. This is kind of always how it goes for you, Colin. You, you see the NFC so clearly and the afc, it's all foggy and like all confusing to you. But like, so like if we combined my AFC predictions and your NFC predictions, we'd probably never lose a bet. Like, I mean, it'd just be untouchable. But we just there get wires crossed for some reason.
- [24:03]
Colin Cowherd
For the record, I had all four AFC division winners and I had Denver is the surprise team in the league that may have just been lost in the fog, but I was.
- [24:15]
Nick Wright
Yeah, listen, I know you did and I give you credit on Denver. However, picking the four teams that won the divisions last year to do it again is not quite as hard as you make it out to be. Who do you like in the afc? I'll take Patrick, Josh and Lamar and then I guess in the south. C.J. like, yes, you did get that, Colin. But again, I just. Colin Coward. I go to you for a lot of things and the NFC takes are spot on, the AFC takes. It just, you know, hit and miss at times. I'm just being honest, you know. I love you.
- [24:47]
Colin Cowherd
All right, Nick Wright, first things first. He's the star of the show that's coming up after ours. Good seeing you, buddy. Always well dressed. Always well dressed. We've got Kyle Van Noy stopping by. Yeah, I think I one the reason I have, I think Denver is going to be much better because I get Bo Nix with Sean Payton for an entire off season. And I think Jim Harbaugh, if you go to year two, everywhere he's been, that's the pop year. He'll win the first year, set the culture. Year two, he gets the Niners to the Super Bowl. And whereas they had to play a lot of young players last year because holes in the roster, they don't. They need a tight end. They're not going into a season not knowing who they are on the offensive line. Now they've got Joel Alt, they've got Bozeman, the center offensive line is set. Najee Harris is a steal in free agency. So I think the Chargers are going to be a real team. We all need routines that bring us calm in a chaotic world. How about SimpleLife Home Security 50% off a new system if you sign up for a professional monitoring plan, there's no safe like SimpliSafe. One more herd the herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand, whenever you'd like.
- [26:06]
Jason McIntyre
With amex, there's always a new experience to explore, from curating the perfect vacation and chilling in the Centurion Lounge before you get there. Trying out that new trendy restaurant thanks to Priority Notify with global dining access by Resy and getting straight to the action at the big game. With card member entrances at select venues with Amex Platinum, you can experience it all. That's the powerful backing of American Express.
- [26:31]
Colin Cowherd
Terms apply.
- [26:31]
Jason McIntyre
Access to the card member entrance not limited to the American Express Platinum card. Learn more@american express.com With Amex, you can.
- [26:37]
Colin Cowherd
Count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in Some people just know they could.
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Jason McIntyre
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Colin Cowherd
Like, you know, to check for the.
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Jason McIntyre
Nearest bathroom first before the game starts.
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Colin Cowherd
Now you're heading in the wrong direction.
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Jason McIntyre
And it sounds like your team's taking the lead. Checking first is smart, so check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds.
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Colin Cowherd
You're in good hands with Allstate.
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Jason McIntyre
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- [27:35]
Colin Cowherd
Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and.
- [27:37]
Jason McIntyre
Affiliates, Northbrook, IL introducing Instagram Teen Accounts.
- [27:40]
Colin Cowherd
A new way to keep your teen.
- [27:41]
Jason McIntyre
Safer as they grow. Like making sure they've got the right gear for writing. Knee pads, check.
- [27:46]
Colin Cowherd
And helmet.
- [27:47]
Jason McIntyre
Done.
- [27:47]
Colin Cowherd
See you dad. New Instagram Teen Accounts Automatic protections for.
- [27:51]
Jason McIntyre
Who can contact your teen and the content.
- [27:53]
Colin Cowherd
They can see a lot of things going on today. I I I I. It kind of cracks me up how people look at the Dodgers. You know that there's this headline today, Are the baseballs Are Are Are the Dodgers. The Villains are the heroes of baseball. And sometimes villains are heroes. And you know, I mean, baseball needs a villain when they had the Evil empire. The Yankees, it was great. Houston was also a villain, but for the wrong reason. So I mean, I look at the dodgers. Sorry, better GM, better scouting, more committed. The Yankees have $140 million more of annual revenue. If the Dodgers have a roster that is so much better than the Yankees, why is that? Yankees have more money. Annually, the Yankees make more money. The gap between the Yankees and the Dodgers annual revenue is more than half the team spend in the sport. You know, on rosters like the Yankees don't have the Dodgers scouting their gm. Brian Cashman's not as good as the Dodgers gm Andrew Friedman. They have done unbelievable with players from the Pacific Rim. Sorry. I mean nobody complained when the Red Sox and the Yankees dominated the off season. The Dodgers are doing what every other billionaire could do. And so yes, I know it's easy to hate la, A lot of pretty people, perfect weather. The California economy is like fifth best in the world. And that's part of it. People just don't. Oh, but the governor and yeah, our governor's a little pretty, whatever. But I think it's envy. I don't think people hate the Dodgers. Go look at their road attendance. You show up because it's envy. The Yankees make significantly more money every year. They don't spend it as wisely. So like Ohtani is not just something that fell into their lap. They were, they were recruiting like an SEC football team. Ohtani 8 years ago before he was in this country. They are years ahead of other organizations in scouting. It's like Adam Wainwright said, they also don't get top five picks. So they just a better run organization. And it's not like other people can't win. The Nationals, the Royals, the Rangers, they've all won World Series titles since the Dodgers got their new owners. But what they are is interesting. I mean you just look at their batting order, it's just more interesting. They've got more good players. They re sign the good ones. And by the way, they let Zach Grinky go, Manny Machado. There have been guys, they don't make big runs on everybody. They have let players, players go sometimes players that are beloved here. Justin Turner, didn't they let him go a few years ago. He was beloved in Los Angeles. So they're just, I mean last year they, they got bad breaks with pitching. The Dodgers last year could not keep starting pitchers healthy. Now Ohtani is going to pitch. That's going to start in May. Dustin May is going to come and they've added Blake Snell and Roki Sazaki. The phenom from Japan. So this is an all time roster and staff and it's still. They're still not going to use Kershaw, Ohtani and Dustin May until later. So it's imperative. If you're going to get after the Dodgers, you want to do it early because it's a gauntlet of fresh arms and great arms starting in May. J. Mac with the news.
- [31:21]
Nick Wright
No, no, no, no.
- [31:22]
Jason McIntyre
Turn on the news.
- [31:23]
Colin Cowherd
This is the Herd line news. Your Warriors.
- [31:28]
Jason McIntyre
Colin had been looking unstoppable since picking up Jimmy Butler, but boy, they were really, really embarrassed last night by the Jokic list. Denver Nuggets. Also, Jamal Murray didn't play. They sacked Christian Brown. Wow. Steve Kerr said the warriors effort was awful and Steph needs some rest from carrying the team. I don't know, Colin, you feeling a little nervous about your warriors now? You stole them from me because, you know, Curry's my guy.
- [31:54]
Colin Cowherd
Well, they have a six game roadie coming up and Steph needs to take a couple of games off and they don't have a ton of offense when he doesn't play, so they're going to be fine. But they started so low. Even with the winning streak, they've only worked themselves up to about six place. And we do know that in the regular season at least, offense carries the lead. They're going to be a very good defensive team in the playoffs. Draymond and Butler are elite defenders, so they'll be a very good. Will the Lakers ever be an elite defensive team? No. Lucas stinks. Austin, Reeves. Okay, Dalton, connect.
- [32:32]
Jason McIntyre
When they were the number one defense.
- [32:34]
Colin Cowherd
This is regular season. In the playoff, Austin's not a great defender. Let's be honest. Jackson, Hayes, LeBron, Luca. So I, I think the warriors will be fine because playoff basketball becomes half court possessions. Coaching, playing real defense.
- [32:52]
Jason McIntyre
You gonna bet against LeBron's defense after he's getting a two week little siesta here?
- [32:56]
Colin Cowherd
Come on, we'll see those groin tweets.
- [32:58]
Jason McIntyre
By the way, I like Steve Kerr a lot, but I geez, I hope this doesn't come off bad. I'm detecting some whininess from Steve Kerr later. Just a little whiny.
- [33:10]
Colin Cowherd
What do you mean?
- [33:12]
Jason McIntyre
Seems like he's complaining a lot.
- [33:15]
Colin Cowherd
Well, what, what do you mean exactly? I don't know.
- [33:17]
Jason McIntyre
He's like, oh, Steph, Curry's exhausted. He's been carrying us like a lot of negativity from Kurt. That's not what I saw early on when he, you know, had Clay.
- [33:25]
Colin Cowherd
Well, I think he's being Honest, I think. I think I watched the game last night. I watched the first three quarters of that game. Warriors had no energy. Everybody was tired.
- [33:34]
Jason McIntyre
Well, you know how you play a lot of sports. It's like you go up against a team and they're missing their two best players. Oh, we got this. It's its cake. And you kind of let your guard down, and then you get embarrassed. I mean, hell, the Lakers, we were. Friday night, we're watching Lakers Nuggets. I kept thinking, what am I going to live bet Denver to blow them out? And the Lakers almost won the game. You know, lakers didn't have LeBron or Luke.
- [33:52]
Colin Cowherd
There is something in the NBA that's really interesting, and we've seen this with Boston. When Tatum sits is like when your best player sits. And last night, Denver's top two players sat. Other guys get looks and shots they never get, and everybody in the NBA can score. So Denver, last night, you know, all these guys are like, hey, we'll get the ball. Yeah, we get the ball in our hands. You see this When LeBron's out, look at Austin Reeves play like he's getting the ball in his hands. Significantly more when LeBron's out and Austin's.
- [34:21]
Jason McIntyre
Delivering, it's like when you have a sick day and I'm in the driver's seat and let me cook, and I'm just going off dropping a 50 burger on somebody's head. All right, next up, the phrase hometown discount has kind of gone out of style. Colin, as we see everybody just resetting the market. However, in the NFL, Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley made it clear he wanted to return to Baltimore, and he made it easier for the Ravens to bring him back. Take a listen.
- [34:46]
Colin Cowherd
I knew I was going to give Baltimore, you know, the best kind of.
- [34:51]
Nick Wright
The best bargain that I would, you.
- [34:53]
Jason McIntyre
Know, offer to any other team.
- [34:55]
Colin Cowherd
That being said, I still wanted to.
- [34:56]
Jason McIntyre
Be happy with, you know, what I'm.
- [34:58]
Colin Cowherd
Making and make sure I'm getting the value that, you know, I feel like I deserve. NBA is pretty much just get the bag. Oh, NFL guys. NFL guys, they don't want to bounce around the league.
- [35:12]
Jason McIntyre
How many guys? Well, he's the highest paid.
- [35:15]
Colin Cowherd
Well, timeout. Matt Stafford, team friendly deal. Josh Allen, team friendly deal. Ronnie Stanley, team friendly deal.
- [35:22]
Jason McIntyre
Straight off season, Stafford whined to complain, Trade me. I want out of here. Oh, wait, okay, I'll stay. Like, come on. All these guys are greedy, and they should be. Well, the shelf life is not long.
- [35:30]
Colin Cowherd
In the NFL, but in the NFL especially, I mean, like, if You're Matt Stafford. You're not going to do better than McVay. You're not going to do better. So I think in basketball, it's more about, I'm good, I get my shot, I'll go anywhere. I think in the NFL, you have to be part of a collective, and nobody wants to play for a lousy team. So if you get on a good team as an offensive player and your coach is andy Reid or McVeigh, why leave?
- [35:53]
Jason McIntyre
Okay, so let's say it's not happening, but let's say the Panthers at all offered Ronnie Stanley $8 million more. Are you going to the Panthers? Are you staying with Lamar and getting a shot at the Super?
- [36:01]
Colin Cowherd
I, I want to. I want to play with the Ravens.
- [36:03]
Jason McIntyre
Oh.
- [36:04]
Colin Cowherd
I think it's as well run a team as the league has, so.
- [36:06]
Jason McIntyre
So you would give Fox a hometown discount as opposed to Lee?
- [36:09]
Colin Cowherd
How do you know I didn't? Oh, well, I'm just saying, I, I.
- [36:14]
Jason McIntyre
You like what I put you on the spot there, huh?
- [36:16]
Colin Cowherd
There's a, there's value in life. I've said this for years to you. Don't chase money. Chase good management. There's a sea of money. There is not a sea of good managers. That's, you know, you can just keep running around in the NBA getting paid. And maybe it's better in basketball because it's all about the individual player. Wherever LeBron goes, they win. Or, you know, wherever the great players go, you generally win. But I think in football, there's kind of an understanding. Do you want to compete or do you want to be in a crappy locker room, of which half the league last year was. I mean, like, there were eight horrible NFL teams last year. It's hard. Football practice is hard. Do you really want to drive to the football stadium on Sunday knowing you're gonna get boxed? It's a horrible life.
- [37:01]
Jason McIntyre
It is. Yeah. Final story. A lot of people were surprised when Larry McTuncil, who is the most famous person that I know that's been photographed wearing a gas mask, taking a bong hit. People were surprised when he left and was traded to Washington, but he is super excited to play with Jaden Daniels. I'd have to make a huge impact on just talking from a player standpoint.
- [37:26]
Colin Cowherd
What I bring to the table.
- [37:28]
Jason McIntyre
Pass protector, a damn good run blocker. I damn sure can't wait to block the Jaden Daniels. He's a baller, and just from seeing this on TV and watching film, it seemed like he's a better dude too.
- [37:40]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, he made a little mistake in calling.
- [37:43]
Jason McIntyre
No, no, I'm having fun with him. Everybody I know in college took a bong hit wearing a gas mask. Every single person I know.
- [37:50]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, same, same.
- [37:52]
Jason McIntyre
Right, so it's not. It's just funny, you know, that he got kind of exposed by that. But this is a huge upgrade for him. I think Washington's a legit super bowl contender. You have the Texans in your top 10 earlier.
- [38:02]
Colin Cowherd
I didn't. I have them 11.
- [38:04]
Jason McIntyre
They're not 11.
- [38:06]
Colin Cowherd
Okay.
- [38:06]
Jason McIntyre
You think they're that good?
- [38:08]
Colin Cowherd
Well, I thought they gave Kansas City a real game in Arrowhead, so.
- [38:11]
Jason McIntyre
Colin, listen, they were all banged up. I just gotta call you out sometimes if you're gonna be. Chicago upgraded the offensive line. They got three new guys. Or look, you've gotta downgrade the Texans. Who lost their offensive line.
- [38:23]
Colin Cowherd
Well, I did. I didn't have them in my top 10.
- [38:25]
Jason McIntyre
And now the Vikings. By the way, you see their center? He's out.
- [38:27]
Colin Cowherd
Yep. I didn't have the Vikings in my top 10.
- [38:30]
Jason McIntyre
Smart man. I mean, again, you know, I think.
- [38:33]
Colin Cowherd
Chicago's gonna be good. They're just not gonna be good in September because offensive lines take forever to gel.
- [38:39]
Jason McIntyre
That's a premature take, my friend. We haven't seen the schedule. What if they open with Indy? I don't, I'm just throwing out teams and they all of a sudden are three and. Oh, and you're, you're. You're in the Windy City flying that Bears flag.
- [38:50]
Nick Wright
Let's go super bowl or bust J.
- [38:54]
Colin Cowherd
Mac with the news. Well, that's the news.
- [38:57]
Jason McIntyre
And thanks for stopping by the Herd line news.
- [39:00]
Colin Cowherd
You guys noticed Nick Wright got a little defensive today about the Chiefs offensive line. Right now the Chiefs O line is bad. It's a battle lot. You can't lose Joe Tooney and go. I feel great. Trey Smith. Now Trey got the bag. Watch out. Left tackle. No big game experience. Watch out. I'm just saying, little thin skinned on. Last year I called the Cowboys and Niners to regress. This year the Chiefs are gonna regress. Think I'm on to something live in la. It's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd. Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. FS1 and the IH. 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 app why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich.
- [40:36]
Jason McIntyre
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- [41:07]
Colin Cowherd
Count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.
- [41:42]
Jason McIntyre
Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like you know to check for the nearest bathroom first before the game starts.
- [41:51]
Colin Cowherd
Now you're heading in the wrong direction.
- [41:53]
Jason McIntyre
And it sounds like your team's taking the lead. Checking first is smart, so check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds.
- [42:00]
Colin Cowherd
You're in good hands with Allstate.
- [42:02]
Jason McIntyre
Savings vary subject to terms, conditions and availability.
- [42:05]
Colin Cowherd
Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and.
- [42:07]
Jason McIntyre
Affiliates Northbrook, Illinois Introducing Instagram Teen Accounts.
- [42:12]
Nick Wright
A new Way to keep your teen.
- [42:14]
Colin Cowherd
Safer as they grow.
- [42:15]
Nick Wright
Like making sure they always have their seatbelt on.
- [42:17]
Colin Cowherd
All right, sweetie pie, buckle up.
- [42:19]
Jason McIntyre
Good job. Or ring the bell on their bike. Okay, kid, give it a try.
- [42:24]
Colin Cowherd
Nice.
- [42:25]
Jason McIntyre
Or remember their elbow pads.
- [42:28]
Colin Cowherd
Knees, too. Okay. Yep.
- [42:30]
Jason McIntyre
There you go.
- [42:31]
Nick Wright
New Instagram teen accounts. Automatic protections for who can contact your.
- [42:35]
Jason McIntyre
Teen and the content they can see. In just two weeks, get ready for the college basketball crown. Sixteen teens from the top conferences put it all on the line in a new postseason tournament. It all tips off. March 31st on Fox and FS1.
- [42:53]
Colin Cowherd
So this is interesting. I saw this headline. Steelers are stuck in quarterback limbo. If Aaron Rodgers rejects them, what's next? And I said this earlier. It's. It is a little bit like some of these offensive coaches are playing chess and some of these defensive coaches are playing checkers. It's mid March. You don't know who the quarterback is. I mean, McVeigh moved off Jared Goff when he was 42 and 20 under McVeigh and had been to a Super Bowl. Moved off him, Stafford. I mean, literally last two years. Here's what we can pay you. Here's what we can't. Like, McVeigh feels like he is two years ahead of these defensive coaches. Like the Dodgers are with some of their scouting. Like, they're just ahead of the curve, and defensive coaches are, well, you know, we'll do what we have to do it at quarterback. It. That's not the position. And I've said this. Ron Rivera, I thought it hurt him. Tomlin, it's hurt him. I mean, listen, Kevin O'Connell had. Darnold had. Daniel Jones had J.J. mcCarthy, and he was still reaching out to Aaron Rodgers. He was like, no, we'll just. We'll just make it better. So is he going to be. Is Aaron going to be a Steeler? Cam Hayward, a current Steeler on his podcast, didn't seem that fired up about the recruiting pitch. Doing.
- [44:10]
Jason McIntyre
Either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don't. That's. That's simple. That's the pitch. Like, if you want me to recruit, that's the recruiting pitch. You know, Pittsburgh Steelers. If you want to be part of it, so be. If you don't. No. No skin on my back.
- [44:25]
Colin Cowherd
Okay. I think sometimes with older quarterbacks, I mean, Mike Tomlin has a great line, he always says, I want volunteers, not hostages, meaning I want guys who want to be Steelers. I get it. But sometimes in free agency, when you don't have a quarterback, you got to put on the telemarketer salesman cap and have a little bit of a pitch to attract a quarterback. Pittsburgh's not terribly attractive right now. O line's a mess. Just lost their left tackle, lost their best running back, and they spent a ton on defense. So sometimes, I mean, I get it, you want guys who want to be Steelers. I get it. But can you imagine if you were in college football saying, hey, either want to be a Georgia bulldog or not. And Alabama and Tennessee and Ohio State and Michigan are putting on the salesman hatch. That's what made Nick Saban great. The salesman hap, you gotta do it. Even in pro football sometimes you gotta, you gotta show some love when you don't have a quarterback. These guys want to believe and especially Aaron's got a couple options here. Giants, Steelers, or retirement. I was telling people this morning, I think Aaron may retire. I think he wants Minnesota. And if he doesn't get Minnesota, he's like, yeah, I've done rebuilding teams. I'm not doing the Giants. And I just, I look at the Steelers and they've got a couple of high maintenance receivers, but am I a Pittsburgh guy? So I right now, J. Mac, I honestly believe this. If the Vikings offer Aaron, he goes. If not, I think he retires. I think he's got other interests. I mean, I think he's shown his hand on that. He has other things. Aaron's not desperate. He's got 300 million bucks, house in Malibu. He loves a lot of things beyond just playing football. I think he'd just say, hey, last couple years were bumpy. I played well my last 10 games. I have some pride. I ended playing pretty darn good football. I had multiple teams offer and I said no, it was on my terms. I think, I don't think that's the. I don't think that's a terrible ending. Your last 10 games as a pro, you were pretty darn good. I mean, look at his numbers. And by the way, lost a lot of games. You weren't desperate. Yeah, I mean, giants offer you, Steelers offer you. And you're like, nah, I'm not going to do it. I, I think if I was Aaron right now and the Vikings said, hey, we're going to pass, I think I'd retire.
- [46:43]
Jason McIntyre
Great. Go enjoy Coachella and whatever. Burning man in the desert.
- [46:47]
Colin Cowherd
A lot of people like those travel the world.
- [46:49]
Jason McIntyre
You had a good run. You're going to be a first ballot hall of famer. Good riddance. We can move on. I'm honestly done talking about this guy. And we Can. What are the Steelers do? A quarterback. I'm looking at the depth chart. Mason Rudolph.
- [47:00]
Colin Cowherd
Yes.
- [47:00]
Jason McIntyre
And Skyler Thompson.
- [47:03]
Colin Cowherd
That's not great.
- [47:04]
Jason McIntyre
You might as well just tank for Arch Manning. Just forget it. You're not going anywhere with them.
- [47:07]
Colin Cowherd
No, you know the Steelers.
- [47:08]
Jason McIntyre
You're gonna go with your tail between your legs. Russell Wilson, please come back to us. Is that what you're doing? What are the other options?
- [47:16]
Colin Cowherd
Well, here's what's funny. The. The Colts had a quarterback. They went and got another one. Daniel Jones. They have an offense.
- [47:22]
Jason McIntyre
Did they get a quarterback? They got Daniel Jones. Did they get a quarterback?
- [47:25]
Colin Cowherd
Listen, they had a starting quarterback and they sensed urgency in the position. I mean, McVeigh had Stafford two years ago. Let's go get Garoppolo. Let's draft the kid out of Georgia. The offensive coaches, they don't consider quarterback just another position. Ron Rivera did with Washington. That's what they do in Pittsburgh. I mean, Aaron's at the end of last year. Aaron Rodgers Last 10 games, 18 touchdowns, four picks in the 97 pass rating with bad coaching. So.
- [47:59]
Jason McIntyre
Okay, are you ready? Somebody did a drill down a deep dive on those numbers, and they're total fugazi. Colin, I'm telling you, they're trailing after three quarters and he's just chucking and ducking in the fourth quarter. You go look at devonte Adams numbers with the Jets. A lot of it was just stacked in the fourth quarter because they were down 20 points in every game. So it's not like he's coming out and making great throws and the jets are in games. I'm watching all these games because I'm a Jets fan. Like, I'm like the last jets fan on the earth. And Aaron Rodgers was not good, despite what the numbers tell you. So I don't think it's the worst thing in the world if the Steelers miss out on Rogers. Can you imagine the drama with him and Mike Tomlin?
- [48:37]
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, but I'd like to have something better than the current two Steelers on the roster.
- [48:42]
Jason McIntyre
Marginal upgrade over Mason Rudolph.
- [48:45]
Colin Cowherd
Mason knows the system.
- [48:46]
Jason McIntyre
There you go.
- [48:48]
Colin Cowherd
It just seems to me that it's mid March. You should have more of a plan than finger crossing.
- [48:55]
Jason McIntyre
Seriously, Unless they like somebody in the draft a lot.
- [48:59]
Colin Cowherd
No, no, no, I. That's not crazy.
- [49:01]
Jason McIntyre
Well, the last quarterback they drafted high was Kenny Pickett. Well, what's he doing?
- [49:05]
Colin Cowherd
I think Jackson Darts got a better pro future than Kenny Pickett. I do. This is Nikki Glazer from the Nikki Glaser podcast. Have you guys seen this new commercial from Stand up to All Hate. It's basically Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady going back and forth with reasons that they hate each other. But then when you really listen to.
- [49:22]
Nick Wright
Them, the reasons for the hate are just so stupid.
- [49:25]
Colin Cowherd
I don't know. This. This commercial really got me. It's a strong reminder that hate in our country continues to be out of control. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up. Call it out. Your voice is a powerful tool in this fight. You can learn more by following ot'supwithhate Geico's motorcycle expertise means I'm covered by people who know bikes like I do. I'm happy as a clam. No conclusive scientific research has shown clams can experience happiness. I just meant that I feel really good about my coverage. I mean, even if you took the clam out for the best day ever, visiting the zoo, taking a scenic ride, knowing you're insured by specialists, and sharing a strawberry ice cream cone together, the clam would not feel happy and your strawberry cone would taste sorta clammy. Ew. Geico's motorcycle specialists who know bikes like you do, assume no liability for clammy ice cream cones. Geico expertise for your motorcycle.
- [50:11]
Nick Wright
We live in a divided country, and our media couldn't be more polarizing.
- [50:15]
Colin Cowherd
That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson.
- [50:18]
Jason McIntyre
It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation. Each week we hear from ordinary Americans.
- [50:26]
Nick Wright
From all over the country.
- [50:27]
Jason McIntyre
And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses.
- [50:32]
Nick Wright
On just one item from the avalanche of news.
- [50:35]
Colin Cowherd
Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson.
- [50:37]
Nick Wright
On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [50:42]
Colin Cowherd
Hi, I'm Bob Pippman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. I'm excited to introduce a brand new season of my podcast, Math and Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. I'm having conversations with some folks across a wide range of industries to hear how they reach the top of their fields and the lessons they learned along the way that everyone can use.
- [51:00]
Nick Wright
I'll be joined by innovative leaders like.
- [51:02]
Colin Cowherd
Chairman and CEO of Elf Beauty Tarang Amin, legendary singer, songwriter and philanthropist Jewel. Being a rock star is very fun, but helping people is way more fun. And Damian Maldonado, CEO of American Financing. I figured out the formula.
- [51:16]
Jason McIntyre
You just have to work hard, then that's magic.
- [51:18]
Colin Cowherd
Join me as we uncover innovations in data and analytics, the math and the ever important creative spark, the magic. Listen to math and Magic on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.