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Colin Cowherd
The 2025 NCAA March Madness Men's Tournament is back and this time it is bringing all the feels. The biggest event in college sports is here with games happening all day long and you don't want to miss a second of the heart pumping action. Catch all the clutch shots, big time plays, upsets, Cinderellas, Blue Bloods and more. Tune in to the NCAA Men's Division 1 Basketball Championship March 18 through April 7 on TBS, CBS, TNT, TruTV and.
Doug Gottlieb
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Doug Gottlieb
Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. What up? Welcome in. This is the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be making this part of your day, thanks so much. I'm Doug Gottlieb in for Colin Cowherd. And on the first day of the NCAA tournament, I want to talk sports with you from Poway to Escondido, from Tijuana to Sherman Oaks for the next couple of hours. If you know, you know. By the way, the Blue Jays are putting on the Cardinals as Creighton is up 47, 27 with a minute 48 to go. Wow. Wow. Omaha. That's where Creighton is, by the way. You guys know what Creighton is in Omaha? Crayton's in Omaha. Anyway, my dad coached a Creighton long, long, long, long, long time ago. We got a lot to get to this hour. We'll keep you updated on all the scores. Purdue and High Point, they're in a tight one as Purdue was up 18 to 14. 11 minutes to go. Anyway, we'll keep updated on scores. You'll look at your brackets. If you pricked Louisville, you're probably in not in great shape. So that tournament is going on. You know, there are certain things where once you get to. I think once you get to 40, you are who you are right now. There are a lot of people in my life are like, man, you're different now than you were a year ago before you got this college head coaching job. Yeah, maybe. I'm definitely busier. My life in Green Bay is way easier. You know, it was two hours to get here, 22 to the 405 today. It's four minutes to work in Green Bay. So I got more time to be more productive. But I, I just kind of think like, okay, so who am I? I'm not great with time. I think everybody knows that. Okay, I am a really good communicator. Probably over communicate, especially via text. I. I generally am a pretty thoughtful person. It doesn't. I don't. Doesn't take extra things to do the extra things. You know, I'm. I completely disagree and always have with Colin. I wear my hat backwards. Always have, probably always will. That's who I am. Right. Well, I like comfortable sweats, comfortable T shirts. I don't overdress, I don't underdress. I just dress. I know what I like to eat. I mean, really, I like to eat just about anything. I don't eat pasta because I stay for the most part, because I stay away from the carbs and I don't eat Indian food. Because I just don't like it. Right? Stop trying to convince me that. No, no, no, no. This chutney is. I don't like curry. That's just Steph Curry. Like Seth Curry impressed by. But like, no one has a Seth Curry fan. Actual curry. No, not so much. Once you're 40, like you kind of are who you are and you surround yourself with people who they don't have to like every part about you, but they accept you for who you are. Aaron Rodgers is 40, is he not? Okay, so he still has not decided or publicly announced if he's playing next year. And with that, not only has he not decided or announced if he's playing next year, but the thought is that the one team he can still go start and it's a playoff caliber team that just added an absolute stud at wide receiver is the Pittsburgh Steelers. There's an expression that I think most of us know and we use and it probably gets overused, which is that tracks. That tracks. And that tracks generally means like, yeah, I got it. That's kind of par for the course, right? That's going to happen. I get it. Yep, that's him. That's who he is. He's 40. We got it. Right? Can we all come to the, the, the conclusion there? Aaron Rodgers is going to make a decision about playing football next year over this weekend. I, again, I don't think it will hijack the NCAA tournament and I don't necessarily think he's going to do it because it hijacks the NCAA tournament. I just think he's going to do it and it will partially hijack the NCAA tournament because that tracks. Am I making sense? A surprise to absolutely, positively no one. Cam Hayward is kind of the spokesperson for the, the, the current Steelers. Right. He actually has his own podcast. I thought he put it best when he said this the other day. I ain't doing that Darkness retreat. I don't mean any of that crap. Like either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don't. That's, that's simple. That's the pitch. 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 it. If you don't, no, no skin on my back. That's perfect, right? Is there, Is it that much? It's not like, do you know the culture of Pittsburgh? No, you don't. But Aaron Rodgers has been a professional football player for almost as much time as he has not been a professional football player. Am I making sense? Right. Like, he came out of Cal, so he was what, 21, 22 years old, right. So it's about even basically his entire adult life. This is what he's done. So it's not really, there's not really a lot of suspense. Is there a newness to playing for a new organization? Sure. Do I, do I, I, I think, I don't know. And Mike Tomlin hasn't said. My guess is, hey, dude, if you're going to come play for us, you're not going to do McAfee's pot. We know McAfee is a Pittsburgh guy. Okay? You can appear on it, but you're not doing the weekly thing. Like we want to win football games and the rest will take care of itself. And look, there's a good part of me that feels empathetic towards Aaron Rodgers and the report that came out yesterday, which is that apparently TV isn't interested in him. TV isn't interested in him, and I think they're not interested in him for reasons that I understand completely. Like when I call basketball games, I know it's about the basketball game. It's not a radio show. I've obviously had to learn the cadence and not to over talk and that takes time and that, the pace of things and getting in and getting out. And look, there's occasionally like, we'll have, we, we had fun moments when I would do games. But the issue that corporate America has is they want safe. They want safe. When I was at cbs, the now president of cbs, Dave Burson, who's a friend and I think good leader was there and he said, hey, our, our only issue with you is we don't know what you're going to say next. And I said, dave, isn't that like a good thing? Like, like you want to know, like, what is he gonna say next? He's like, yeah, it's like the, at the profile of games and studio stuff, you're going to be calling like, Barclay can get away with that. You can't. You can. And again, you look and Matt Ryan is in studio for CBS, right? And I think Matt Ryan's really good. J.J. watt is in studio for CBS. Tom Brady is calling game for, for Fox. Like Tom Brady. He's not, he hasn't figured it out yet. He will at some point. He'll be the real Tom Brady on air because I'm sure the real Tom Brady, he wouldn't have that many friends. And I mean, Edelman is an awesome dude, right? Once he gets away from being corporate Tom Brady, like he'll be really, really good. But the point is that the reason they like Tom Brady is not just all of the rings. It's that Tom Brady's safe. And I'm empathetic towards Aaron Rodgers because he has all these different thoughts, he wonders about things and he's been open about it and there's been a docu series about him writing a book written about it and every. And he's on McAfee and he expounds on it. My guess is if he's going to call a game, he'd actually just call a game. But tv, like man, I don't take that risk. So I'm empathetic towards. Here's a super bright guy, a multi time mvp, a first ballot hall of Famer, a guy who checks, has checked every box. There is not a box that Aaron Rodgers doesn't check as a player. Intelligence, athleticism, accuracy, arm strength, like clutch in key moments, toughness, all of those things he checks. And yet there's like one good team in the NFL that wants him and TV doesn't want him. So I'm empathetic towards it. But dude, pooper, get off the pot. Right? Right. I mean, you got Cam Hayward sitting there going like, if the Pittsburgh Steelers just had a quarterback, they haven't had a quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger's before his last two years, right? Remember when Antonio Brown like no showed at practice, right? That was the last time that Ben Roethlisberger was a relatively decent quarterback. After that it was like they haven't had an elite level quarterback. If you just put an elite, a high quality quarterback on the team last year, they might go to the Super Bowl. And came Hayward's like, hey dude, I'm not doing any of that stuff. Do you want to play for us or not? So the idea that Aaron Rodgers will hijack the. Will hijack the NCAA tournament is if I had to give a percentage, 95%. Right? There's like a 95% likelihood that Aaron Rodgers will make some sort of tweet or announcement or Schefter will put it out there or Glazer will put it out there probably in the next two days. It feels like 95% possibility because that's who he is. And once you're 40 years old, like it's kind of who you are, right? Lean into who you are, hire people or be around people who can either fill those voids or accept what you don't do. Because this whole idea of I'm gonna remake myself? Come on, man, all those guys remake themselves. Go to Turkey, get a hair transplant, buy a Porsche, change jobs. They're still the same guy at their core.
Colin Cowherd
All right.
Doug Gottlieb
Coming up next in the Herd, I'm Doug Gottlieb in for Colin Cowherd. The Dodgers go out and win a couple in Japan. I was the idea was this series Cubs vs Dodgers, real games in Japan. Was it a win for Major League Baseball? We'll discuss next in the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.
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Doug Gottlieb
So party of two, right this way.
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Colin Cowherd
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Doug Gottlieb
All right, buckle up. Good job.
Colin Cowherd
New Instagram teen accounts. Automatic protections for who can contact your teen and the content they can see.
Amartinez
Hey, it's Amartinez. The news can feel like a lot on any given day, but you can't just ignore la noticias when important world changing events are happening. That is where the Upverse podcast comes in. Every single morning in under 15 minutes, we take the news and boil it down to three essential stories so you can keep up without feeling stressed out. Listen up first from NPR on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Doug Gottlieb
Doug Alibin for Collins. I heard fox Sports Radio iHeartradio app. Welcome, welcome, welcome in. We'll get you updated on scores from the first two games of the NCAA tournament taking place. Purdue leading High Point and Creighton all over Louisville. Right now that game is in Lexington. Lexington the winner will most likely get Auburn, who takes on Alabama State, who won just a crazy finish the other in the first game of the first four. We got a Herdline news upcoming. Before we get to that, let's get to John Paul Morosi. JP Morosi joins us, of course, works for MLB Network. He's our Fox Sports Radio MLB Insider. And the Dodgers go and play the Cubs in Japan. And JP I obviously have five Japanese players. It's a celebration of the sport. How much different is it this year because they're real games being played in Japan.
JP Morosi
Well, Doug, good afternoon, good morning. Out in California, it really does add a boost in energy and relevance for the sport around the world. And I think the television ratings, the attendance in Japan I think speaks for itself. But I think just look at social media even here in North America the last several days and certainly plenty of talk about college hoops, as we should. But Ohtani homering in Japan seemed to really break through and get a ton of attention. And the debut of Sasaki yesterday in the first game matchup between Yamamoto and Imanaga, it's, it's a showcase of Japanese talent and, and not just, not just Japanese talent, but the way the game is received. And there's something invigorating, I think, Doug, that when you see something that you have loved for a long time, as the American public has with baseball, but maybe at different points, football has passed it by perhaps. And the relevance of national conversation, I think we could say, but maybe it allows the American public to appreciate our national pastime in a different dimension when you see just how much it matters around the world. And I do believe that there might be this renewed sense of appreciation of what we've got, that all it took was a couple baseball teams and certainly a couple high profile teams to fly over the Pacific and then be greeted as heroes in Japan. And by the way, not just Ohtani, but indeed everybody was regarded that way, it seems, to varying degrees. Obviously there's only one Ohtani, but all the players in the Dodgers and Cubs, like you're hearing their comments about just what the experience was like and what it meant to them. It just, it gives the sport a real boost as the new season begins.
Doug Gottlieb
Okay. With that said, mean Dodgers went out, spent a bunch of money and added to what was already a World Series champion. How'd they look?
JP Morosi
Pretty good, dog. They've got a, they've got a pretty talented team when you think about it. They, they didn't even have to have Blake Snell pitch and he was their, their highest profile in terms of dollars pitching acquisition in the, over the off season. Of course, Sasaki in terms of that was a relatively inexpensive investment of money to get Sasaki. But you signed Blake Snell, you're a year removed from extending glass now, and Ohtani and Kershaw aren't even ready to pitch yet. And you still go out there and win two games in fairly decisive fashion. They just have so much talent, Doug, and certainly it's possible that they will have injuries. And there's a reason why that we have not seen a team repeat as the World Series champion in a quarter century since the Yankees back in 2000. So what they're trying to do has not been done in a very, very long time. But it's. It's hard to imagine a more impressive team as the season begins in a team that deserves to be regarded as a more prohibitive favorite than what we're seeing right now from the Los Angeles Dodgers. And in some ways, Doug, they're only going to get better once. Once Ohtani can pitch and once Kershaw comes back and once Freddie Freeman comes back from this intercostal issue, once Mookie Betts is healthy. He missed those. Those two games due to illness. So of the. Of the big three, if you will, offensively, two were out and they still look great. And Edmond stepped up and Conforto got some starts. They're just. The depth of this team is unlike any that I have ever seen in my years covering the sport.
Doug Gottlieb
That said, there's obviously a tremendous amount of pressure, but, you know, Dave Roberts got a new big contract. They finally did win one. Does it. And again, I. You can't know or get a read. Does it feel different, though, around the Dodgers in regards to the pressure to win one?
JP Morosi
That's a really good question, because I. I think in some ways there was more pressure on them perhaps last year.
Doug Gottlieb
That's what I mean. That's. I mean, I mean, in terms of the relief of pressure, right? Like they, yeah, they had won a World Series, but it was. It was during COVID Right. So they had. And they had been to the playoffs so often, and the Padres felt like they were coming on strong, right? You're like, all right, I just. I just wonder if there's a different kind of confidence to their gate in that. All right, now we banked a World Series, and truthfully, we have two in the last five years. You know, we're not. Dave Roberts job is not on the line. Is there any difference in that, in that sense?
JP Morosi
I think there is. And there is, I would say, by any reasonable thought on kind of this, just the circumstances here, there is less pressure on them now than there was a year ago. And I got the sense just in in seeing the images and the smiles on this team as they were going through the experience in Tokyo, it seems to me that, for lack of a better description, they're just enjoying being the sports world's version of the Beatles right now. They're having fun with this. And baseball becomes a much easier game to play when there is a context of fun. This is a stressful game. There's a lot of failure in it. And when you are failing a lot, and even you think about the Yankees and the way they struggled in the World Series last year, when you're supposed to win, this sport can really snowball on you in a difficult way because of how much failure is baked into it when. When you're putting pressure on yourself. And. And to that extent, yeah, they've added talent, which maybe on some level ups the expectation, but it can't be any. Any higher than it was last year when the expectation was championship or failure. And so they're used to that. I think it's. I'll be curious to see as the year goes along. We have not seen baseball teams feel inevitable, right. And whether it's the modern Chiefs in the NFL or. Or the warriors during. During their. Their dynasty runs, there's. It's rare in American sports that making the playoffs, at least in this one, is a given, is an absolute given when the season begins. It's just a question of how you get there and who the different heroes are. People want to play for this team because they want to be part of what is one of the great shows in American sports, really global sports, as we just saw this week. So this is the fun part for them. And I also like, by the way, Doug, that they've brought in some players that haven't won at all yet. In the case of Blake Snell, for example, you sign him and he's from the West Coast. Originally, he was a Padre, he was a Giant. And now he comes in and there's a little extra motivation for him. There's motivation for Michael Conforto. You bring in Sasaki, and he's got something to prove in his first year. So there's something for a lot of at least a number of the players to prove. Tanner Scott comes to mind. He hasn't won a World Series yet, and I think that when you have success, it's important to change out a few players to avoid the complacency. And I think that they have really helped combat the complacency. Doug was just how much fun they're having. This is a fun product to watch. And they're certainly the kind of team where if you're a baseball fan in St. Louis and in Washington D.C. and Milwaukee and Houston, you want to buy a ticket to watch this team play because in a way that very few baseball teams are, they are a spectacle unto themselves when they come to your town.
Doug Gottlieb
John Paul Morocci joining us here, Doug Gottliebin for Collins the Hurt Fox Sports Radio iheartradio app been told Red Sox incredible farm system, right? They try to build it ground up. What about the product on the field this year in Boston?
JP Morosi
The Boston Red Sox have a reasonable expectation of winning this division this season. Now, there are still some complexities how things play out with Devers now being more of a full time DH as they're working Bregman into the lineup. Bregman, by the way, has had a phenomenal spring. Devers was late to debut and is really, really not himself yet. Trevor Story has had a really good spring. Casas looks like what he can do for you at first base. So they have, in my opinion, you're right, one of the very best farm systems in the game. Marcelo Meyer has come and had a really good spring training. We've seen, I think, different flashes from Christian Campbell over at second base, Roman Anthony in the outfield. Not all of them will be on the opening day roster, but they all can make an impact in the major leagues this season. Or at the very least, as we saw with the moves they made with the Chicago White Sox and acquiring Garrett Crochet, they have the assets to get out, you know, bring in whatever pitcher they want at the deadline from the standpoint of just how talented their system is. So the Red Sox have, I think, a lot of resources right now at a time where the Yankees, with all the injuries they're dealing with, look pretty vulnerable. And out west of the American League, the Rangers, who were the defending World Series champions at this time last year, they've got some injuries. So the American League is more winnable right now than the National League. The National League is the Dodgers. It's their sport, their game, their league, league until someone proves otherwise. But in the American League, there is a, there is a bid to the World Series unless they change the rules. It's one National League team, one American League team. So you get a chance if you're in the American League to get your way through without having to beat the Dodgers until the final step. And I think that that should create a lot of aggressive plays on the, on the trade market. The Red Sox have the wherewithal to do that, in addition to now having a healthy Trevor story, they just signed Bregman. That's one of the better and more athletic left sides of the infield that you're going to see in baseball. So I like the Red Sox right now and their chances to win the American league East in 2025.
Doug Gottlieb
Okay. Again, I don't. Forgive me because I don't know how many people truly care and I haven't kept up with it. Okay, the. The A's are in Sacramento, right? Like, are they going to build the stadium in Vegas?
JP Morosi
Like, yes, they're in Sacramento. I can confirm that.
Doug Gottlieb
But are they actually going to build the stadium at the Tropicana site? Like, is that actually still going to happen?
JP Morosi
That. That is. So that is what has been said that. Are there shovels in the ground right now? Not to my knowledge. But every time the commissioner has been asked, he has said they are going to move to Las Vegas. So that is. And now, by the way, the Sacramento plan is not just for one year, it's for several years while they're building the stadium in Las Vegas. So it's going to take some time. They can settle in here for a little while. And just given the relatively transient nature of baseball and how rare it is that any one player stays with any one team for more than three or four years in a row, a lot of the players that are on the A's roster now are going to be in Sacramento for a substantial portion of their time with the club. And I think that's how they're looking at it. But eventually the idea is they're going to go to Las Vegas. Now the other thing is you've got the Rays are playing at Steinbrenner Field, which is the spring home of the New York Yankees. And their situation in Tampa Bay is certainly more tenuous than what the A's have as they're looking ahead to Las Vegas because no one really knows where the Rays are going to play in a few years. Will it be in Tampa? Will they have to be sold and relocated? Will Stu Sternberg try to relocate them? But all these questions, the shovel in the ground, the ballpark in Las Vegas, the future home of the Tampa Bay Rays, all of those things have to be resolved, or at least on their way to being finally resolved by the time baseball talks about expansion. And baseball's wanted to do this for a while, the pandemic was a bit of an issue with respect to that. And now the stadium situations for the A's and to a greater extent, the Rays are hampering those efforts. Until that thing gets resolved, they can't go to 32 teams because you can't start awarding, awarding expansion franchises to cities if you need to keep them in play as possible relocation sites. So it's. And meanwhile, of course, you've got two years left on the CBA before this one expires after 26. So a lot of business of baseball, important conversations are happening right now. Doug.
Doug Gottlieb
JP Great stuff as always. Love your energy and enthusiasm. Listen, I'm, I'm interested. I've watched UC San Diego. They're really good. Really good. They in layup lines, you'd be like, no way, no way. They're one of the worst teams in looking in layup lines ever. But they can really play. I do think Michigan's going to win, but it is a pick that everybody seems to have. Everybody seems to have. So I wish I could tell you, tell you better things than that, but that's whatever. Enjoy the day. Thanks so much for joining us and we'll, we'll catch up with you soon.
JP Morosi
Sounds great, Doug. Looking forward to it. Enjoy the tournament, my friend. All the best.
Doug Gottlieb
All right, that's my guy, JP Morosi joining us here in the Herd. I'm Doug Gottlieb in for Colin. Let's get you to Ryan Music with news. No, no, no, turn on the news. This is the Herd line news.
Colin Cowherd
All right, Doug, of course we have the opening of March Madness today. So let's take you around where we're currently at halftime. Four seeded Purdue against 13th seed High Point, up by 10, 37, 27. We have early in the second half, ninth seed Creighton taking on eighth seed Louisville. Creighton is up currently 58 to 44 and very early. Just tipped off not too long ago, Wisconsin with an early lead. Third seeded Badgers taking on 14th seed Montana. So that's currently where we stand in the three games.
Doug Gottlieb
Yeah, Louisville started to be competitive here in the second half. They've cranked up some of the pressure. But I think Stephen Ashworth, who honestly is like, he's like a friend. I've covered him when he was at Utah State for a couple of years. This is second year at. Oh, he just hit a deep three. He's 25, married with a kid and you know, he went on his LDS mission obviously and they just, they look like the more experienced teams than Louisville does in this tournament. Louisville kind of settling for bad shots.
Colin Cowherd
Sure. All right, so that's where we stand with the tournament, we will keep you updated all throughout the morning here or afternoon if you're on the East Coast. But let's turn our attention back to professional basketball here. Trouble for an NBA title contender. Yeah. Milwaukee Bucks sliding, losing five of their last seven, including a loss to the warriors, who were without Steph Curry. NBA insider Chris Haynes is reporting. After that loss to Golden State head coach Doc Rivers, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard held the meeting to air the grievances and concerns about the current state of the team. It was described as mostly positive for everyone to get on the same page, but as you and I would say, stop it. Yes, that is exactly where I was headed.
Doug Gottlieb
Teams don't have done have players only or direct team meetings.
Colin Cowherd
Not only do you not have those meetings, but you certainly don't have those meetings after you've lost five of seven and had an incredibly disappointing loss to a Golden State warriors team who were without Steph Curry. And try and spin that as all good here.
Doug Gottlieb
We're good. Yeah, we're good. Hey man, we're good. Yeah. Yeah. I don't buy that either.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. So things not looking good for Milwaukee now?
Doug Gottlieb
They play the Lakers tonight.
Colin Cowherd
That is correct.
Doug Gottlieb
Let's Lakers.
Colin Cowherd
You know, it was interesting with Colin yesterday, I believe after that loss, you know, sort of looked at Giannis and you know, he went from such an unknown to exploding onto the scene as a two time mvp. Had that great run to win a title, but mostly questioning that, you know, he still isn't a great shooter. And at what point, now that he's 30, do we start to wonder how much longer will that window of dominance last in a league Today that's all about sort of space and shooting.
Doug Gottlieb
It is, but you just had to put shooting around him like he's so physically dominant that he can get to. But yeah, no, I mean, it's weird. Most guys shoot better the longer they're in the league and he's worked the opposite way.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, he is not quite developed that sort of skill that we thought we could maybe see. And you know, obviously now he's gone from being the Greek freak to now people call Wemby the alien. And Wemby comes in and has all those skills, plus even taller, longer. So keeping an eye on Milwaukee, things not so rosy. But as you pointed out, they played the Lakers tonight who are still without LeBron James, so could could end up bouncing back into the win column. All right, let's talk some NFL football here. Lots of moves in free Agency, including an exodus of players departing the 49ers for new teams. Well, their general manager, Their general manager, John lynch, he spoke on that, and here's what he had to say. Bottom line, you're always looking at years out. We forecast it. We got some big things coming our way, and you have to clear the requisite room to be able to do that. You don't want to get to a point where you're doing things, where you have to sacrifice things to keep the roster afloat. You want to have flexibility. I believe the insinuation there with big things coming is obviously the large contract that people expect Brock Purdy is in line to receive at some point in the near future.
Doug Gottlieb
Yeah. Have you seen all the players, all the star players that they've kind of jettisoned, they've traded or walked away from?
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, quite a bit.
Doug Gottlieb
I just, like. I get it. He's really good. But Colin and I, we don't agree on a lot, but I think all of us agree, like, he's good, but is he 50, $60 million good? No. No.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. I think the. The clearest thing which Colin has said is what we know about Brock Purdy is he has been better with the San Francisco 49ers than Jimmy Garoppolo was.
Doug Gottlieb
Yeah.
Colin Cowherd
Outside of that, where you want to rank him.
Doug Gottlieb
But part of why he's been better, like, he's been better. Okay. But he hasn't been, like, super clutch. And that was a big thing with Jimmy Garoppolo was he was hurt and then he kind of butchered away a Super Bowl. Right. Sure. It's not like Brock Purdy's been great in the playoffs.
Colin Cowherd
Right.
Doug Gottlieb
You know, and been surrounded by better players, I think, than even Jimmy Garoppolo was.
Colin Cowherd
Sure.
Doug Gottlieb
And the more you pay him, it doesn't mean that they're not going to have talent around, but they'll be less talent. There's just no. Something has to give when you give a guy that big contract.
Colin Cowherd
Definitely. And then we'll wrap up with this. Also, this time of year, we get some proposed rule changes thrown out from around the league for the competition committee to consider. This time around, we will focus in on banning the Tushbush. This is being proposed by the Green Bay packers. And essentially the rule change they are trying to suggest is to outlaw this seemingly automatic play that the Philadelphia Eagles have become to know. Become to be known for. And what this rule would say is, you cannot line up a teammate directly behind a player who receives the snap and push them from behind to advance them past the line of scrimmage. So they're not trying to ban the QB sneak by any means. You just cannot have a teammate directly behind someone who takes the snap and immediately push them forward once the snap has been received.
Doug Gottlieb
I. I think that's the easiest way to make it an illegal play. Right. Is the. You, you can have the tush, you can't have the push.
Colin Cowherd
Oh, okay.
Doug Gottlieb
Push. No push.
Colin Cowherd
That's. That's fine. We're fine with the tush, just not the push. Okay.
Doug Gottlieb
Yeah.
Colin Cowherd
Now, so you're, you're good with the brotherly. Just no shove.
Doug Gottlieb
Yes. Nice.
Colin Cowherd
Okay.
Doug Gottlieb
Brotherly, just no shove.
Colin Cowherd
Got it. Got it.
Doug Gottlieb
I like Philly. Not that special.
Colin Cowherd
Wow.
Doug Gottlieb
And that's right news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the herd lie news. I got leave in for Colin. What do we do with the Lakers now? Let's discuss next in the hurt. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.
Colin Cowherd
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 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 Kobe Noanrich wherever you get your podcast. And of course, on social that's Covino and Rich.
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Colin Cowherd
Introducing Instagram Teen accounts. A new way to keep your teen safer as they grow. Like making sure they always have their seatbelt on.
Doug Gottlieb
All right, sweetie pie, buckle up. Good job.
Colin Cowherd
Or ring the bell on their bike.
Doug Gottlieb
Okay, kid, give it a try.
Virgin Voyages Representative
Nice.
Colin Cowherd
Or remember their elbow pads.
Doug Gottlieb
Knees too. Okay. Yep, there you go.
Colin Cowherd
New Instagram teen accounts. Automatic protections for who can contact your teen and the content they can see.
Amartinez
Hey, it's Amartinez. The news can feel like a lot on any given day, but you can't just ignore la noticias when important world changing events are happening. That is where the Up first podcast comes in. Every single morning in under 15 minutes, we take the news and boil it down to three essential stories so you can keep up without feeling stressed out. Listen up first from NPR on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Doug Gottlieb
You know there's no real analysis that went with it, right? There was just emotion. And so now the dust is settled. And look, I'll just tell you quite honestly that my analysis, and again, if we're being honest, is right in the middle of my season. So when I saw it, I called a bunch of my NBA guys like, okay, how does this make sense? And most of them said, well, it doesn't. But it does from this standpoint. If Anthony Davis was healthy and Kyrie Irving was healthy, that team that went to the NBA Finals last year was better than it was in regards defensively than they had been previously. And one of the reasons they went to the NBA Finals the previous year was, yeah, Luca was amazing, but the rest of the team was incredible defensively. Right? So I thought that the Mavericks, they didn't have a point guard. And I know what you're thinking. Kyrie Irving is a point guard. No, he's not. Bringing the ball up from one baseline to the front court does not a point guard make. He's a score. Can he pass? Yes. But they didn't have anybody who was a table setter for Them, it was like the one flaw in the makeup of the Mavericks. Well, Anthony Davis gets hurt and is out, you know, struggling to come back. And then of course, Kyrie tears his acl and we'll never know what that team look like. The Lakers, meanwhile, it felt like at the time of that trade that they got worse defensively, but they solidified one. Rob Pelinka is going to have a job for the next five years. He's got Luca and they had the next star for whenever LeBron wants to retire. And it also feels. Does it feel to anybody else like he's going to have Bryce on the Lakers in two years as well? He's going to keep doing this thing. Does kind of sort of feel that way. And Bryce is not nearly as far along as Bronnie was coming out. But, you know, he's been able to be so successful statistically and the team is competitive. And when you have Luka, he doesn't have to do as much. Most people I know thought he did the brawny thing. And then next year is the kind of grand tour and bye bye, I'll, I'll ride off into the sunset, you know, do movies and whatever, maybe do some tv. I don't know. Not crazy to think that he stays around long as his body is healthy. You know, he takes his march break as he does every March. You watched Luca last night. You look at the success of this team, how talented they are offensively. And then again, if you're honest with yourself, the Nuggets aren't nearly what they were a couple years ago. The Thunder are the favorite, but they haven't done it in the playoffs. The Mavericks have no shot. The warriors, we think they're better than they've been with Jimmy Butler, but are they actually good? So do I think they're a favorite? No. But when the trade was made, I thought they weren't contenders. I take that back again. And that's under the purest definition of contender contender. They're in the discussion of if things go right, that could go really right. You know, they get the right. Draw the right teams. Like again, I don't think. I think Minnesota's right there, you know, Although I don't know if Julius Randle is, is an upgrade. He's just different than Carl Anthony Towns. But they've never won anything, right? Denver's won it, but not nearly the same. Oklahoma City has the best team, but they haven't done it. And the Lakers, they're going to get every call with LeBron and frankly with Luca. And they have an unbelievable offensive team. So this is not me saying, hey, my bad. Lakers are favorites. Lakers in five. But you look at Luca, and he's a guy who is able to carry a team last year to the NBA finals. Not crazy. Not crazy. That's not hedging. That's not. Well, you're just. No, no, it's just. It's just honest. Oklahoma City is the favorite. You know, Houston hasn't really done it super young. Feels like Oklahoma City of last year. And the rest of the league all has. Rest of the conference all has, like, two guys and trying to figure out who else can make plays. Now on the same. Same token, I would say that the warriors are also contenders, but would slot them behind the Lakers. So contenders is not favorites, but it is also not. Hey, man, don't buy green bananas because they're going to be out of the playoffs after one series. Fair. Yeah, I just. I think that's what was. Has been lacking in regards to the Lakers and the Mavericks is honest. Take a breath. Let's see what it actually looks like. Analysis. Because the emotion of it is like, you traded Luca at 25 because he was out of shape and couldn't stay healthy for Anthony Davis, who, though in shape now, was out of shape for a good portion of his career. And shocker got hurt yet again. That one seemed weird. I will also. I will also point out that the Celtics were sold today for $61.1 billion. And again, I don't know. I mean, whit gross spec. Like, look, dude, you. You buy a team for 300 something million dollars, and you can sell for 6.1 billion dollars. How quickly can we get that ink to dry, you know? Like, wait, wait. You want to pay how much? Six billion? Yeah, we're good. Like, I'm not even sure I would ask for, like, lifetime season tickets. Like, no, you just listen. You take it. It's a lot. Like, I bought a house in Green Bay. I don't know if I told you. Told you guys this. I bought it with the furniture with everything else in it. I was just like, hey, I just. Just wrap it up. I'll take it as is. Like, really? Yeah, yeah. I don't want to go out and buy a bunch of furniture. Like, I'm gonna buy furniture, but, like, not right now. I feel like if you're selling the Celtics for $6.1 billion, you're like, hey, dude, take whatever you want. Just. Let's get this thing done. But the point is, there has to be at least a portion of it where your own, you own a team, you win two championships and you know that you have two $300 million contracts in two players and you're like, this is probably not great business long term. I'm going to get out while the getting's good. And I use that as the jumping off point for. Well, that makes a little bit more sense with Dallas where like, look, do we love Luka? Yeah. Do we love Luka at $350 million and knowing he's still not going to get in shape and still drink too much in the off season? All right, coming up next, NCAA tournament has has kicked off and I think the gap between the haves and have nots is greater than before. How so I'll share with you next. I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is the Herd.
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Amartinez
Hey, it's amartinez. The news can feel like a lot on any given day, but you can't just ignore la noticias when important world changing events are happening. That is where the Up first podcast comes in. Every single morning in under 15 minutes, we take the news and boil it down to three essential stories so you can keep up without feeling stressed out. Listen up first from NPR on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Doug Gottlieb
What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs, mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Prohibition is synonymous with speakeasies, jazz flappers.
Amartinez
And, of course, failure. I'm Ed Helms, and on season three.
Doug Gottlieb
Of my podcast Snafu, there's a story I couldn't wait to tell you.
Amartinez
It's about an unlikely duo in the.
Doug Gottlieb
1920S who tried to warn the public that Prohibition was going to backfire so badly it just might leave thousands dead from poison. Listen and subscribe to snafu on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 2: Is MLB Making a Mistake?
Release Date: March 20, 2025
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Description: The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.
The episode kicks off with a comprehensive update on the 2025 NCAA March Madness Men's Tournament. Host Doug Gottlieb provides real-time scores and insights into the unfolding games.
Current Standings at Halftime:
Key Insights:
A significant portion of the discussion centers around Aaron Rodgers' future in the NFL. Doug Gottlieb speculates on Rodgers potentially joining the Pittsburgh Steelers and its implications.
Key Points:
Notable Quotes:
The segment delves into Major League Baseball’s decision to have the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs play real games in Japan. This pivotal topic aligns with the episode’s theme: Is MLB making a mistake?
Discussion with MLB Insider JP Morosi:
Positive Impact:
Strategic Benefits:
Investment and Team Performance:
Assessing the Move:
JP Morosi provides an in-depth analysis of the Boston Red Sox's farm system and their prospects for the 2025 season.
Farm System Strengths:
On-Field Expectations:
Notable Quote:
The conversation shifts to the Oakland Athletics and their ongoing plans to build a new stadium in Las Vegas.
Current Status:
Future Implications:
Quote:
The episode examines the Milwaukee Bucks’ recent struggles in the NBA, shedding light on team dynamics and future prospects.
Team Performance:
Key Insights:
Notable Quote:
The discussion touches upon the San Francisco 49ers' recent roster changes and general manager John Lynch's strategies.
Roster Overhaul:
Strategic Goals:
Quote:
A proposed rule change by the Green Bay Packers aims to outlaw the "tush push" tactic commonly used by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Rule Details:
Discussion:
Notable Quote:
The episode also includes brief updates on various other topics, maintaining a dynamic and engaging flow throughout.
Instagram Teen Accounts Safety:
Promotional Content:
Hour 2 of The Herd with Colin Cowherd offers a multifaceted exploration of current sports events, with a primary focus on Major League Baseball’s strategic moves. The decision to have the Dodgers and Cubs play in Japan is scrutinized, revealing both its immediate benefits in global engagement and potential long-term challenges. Coupled with insightful discussions on NFL roster strategies, NBA team dynamics, and NCAA March Madness, the episode provides listeners with a thorough analysis of the sports landscape in 2025.
Notable Quotes:
This structured and detailed summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who haven't tuned in.