Hour 3 - Give Caitlin Clark her respect

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Hour 3 - Give Caitlin Clark Her Respect

Release Date: April 16, 2025

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1. Caitlin Clark's Omission from Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential Athletes

The episode kicks off with a heated discussion between host Colin Cowherd and co-host Chris Broussard regarding Caitlin Clark's exclusion from Time Magazine's prestigious list of the 100 most influential athletes.

• Colin Cowherd [06:05]: "How is Caitlin Clark not in this?"

  Colin expresses his disbelief and frustration, arguing that Caitlin Clark's impact on the WNBA and college basketball is monumental. He emphasizes her role in setting all-time ratings records for the WNBA and transforming the league's visibility.

• Chris Broussard [06:11]: "I think Caitlin Clark is one of the most influential, influential athletes on the planet right now."

  Chris concurs, highlighting Clark's significant influence and suggesting that her absence undermines the entire list's credibility.

The hosts delve into Caitlin Clark's contributions, comparing her influence to legendary athletes like Serena Williams and Michael Jordan. They argue that her dynamic performances and ability to draw massive viewership have reshaped the WNBA, pushing it into the mainstream spotlight.

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2. NFL Draft Insights and Tennessee's Quarterback Conundrum

Transitioning to football, Colin and Chris analyze the current NFL draft landscape, focusing on Tennessee's quarterback situation and the implications of Urban Meyer's recent comments.

• Colin Cowherd [04:50]: "Tennessee is screwed. They got a problem."

  Colin critiques Tennessee's quarterback depth, pointing out the lack of experienced players and the potential fallout from losing a high draft pick like Nico Iamaliava.

• Chris Broussard [08:03]: "I think Abdul Carter is a can't miss as it gets."

  Chris advocates for Abdul Carter, asserting his elite talent and likening him to Micah Parsons in terms of defensive prowess. He criticizes teams that might overlook such players due to character concerns, labeling it as foolish.

The discussion highlights the Dolphins' management issues, particularly criticizing GM Chris Greer's decisions, such as trading away Jalen Ramsey and failing to retain homegrown talents like Robert Hunt and Christian Wilkins. The hosts argue that these missteps signal a lack of leadership and vision within the organization.

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3. NBA Playoffs Preview: Warriors vs. Rockets and Lakers vs. Timberwolves

The conversation shifts to the NBA playoffs, with a focus on the Warriors facing the Rockets and the Lakers taking on the Timberwolves.

• Colin Cowherd [14:18]: "How do you see it playing out?"

  Colin questions whether the Houston Rockets can upset the seasoned Golden State Warriors, citing their rebounding strength and athleticism.

• Will [16:50]: "The Rockets are a tough matchup. They're a great rebounding team."

  Will acknowledges Houston's strengths but ultimately favors Golden State's experience and coaching under Steve Kerr, predicting a Warriors' series victory.

In another segment, the Lakers-Timberwolves matchup is discussed, emphasizing the Lakers' clutch performance capabilities with stars like LeBron James and Austin Reaves. The hosts express confidence in the Lakers' ability to overcome Minnesota's offensive threats, particularly criticizing Julius Randle's playoff performance history.

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4. The Rise of International Stars and Luka Doncic's Potential as NBA's Face

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the role of international players in the NBA, with Luka Doncic emerging as a central figure.

• Colin Cowherd [24:18]: "Why can't Luka be the face of the league?"

  Colin argues that Luka's dynamic playing style, combined with his personality and marketability, make him a prime candidate to lead the NBA's global image.

• Will [25:27]: "I used to feel like an international star couldn't be the face of the NBA, but now I see how players like Luka and Giannis are changing that perception."

  Will reflects on the evolving landscape of the NBA, acknowledging the increasing influence of international stars and predicting Luka's rise to prominence.

The hosts discuss Luka's leadership with the Lakers, his recent trade, and his ability to captivate audiences with his performances. They compare his potential to that of legends like Michael Jordan and argue that his influence transcends on-court achievements, positioning him as a pivotal figure for the league's future.

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5. WNBA's Growing Popularity and Caitlin Clark's Impact on Ratings

Returning to Caitlin Clark, Colin and Chris examine her direct influence on WNBA viewership and the broader landscape of women's basketball.

• Colin Cowherd [35:13]: "She changed the entire sport. The WNBA had 170% ratings increase because of overwhelmingly one human being that is iconic."

  Colin attributes the surge in WNBA ratings to Caitlin Clark's star power, emphasizing her role in attracting new fans and elevating the league's status.

• Chris Broussard [35:17]: "She's completely relevant. She's a dynamic personality and a great player."

  Chris reiterates Clark's significance, dismissing Time Magazine's oversight as a disservice to both the athlete and the sport.

The segment underscores the transformative effect Clark has had on women's basketball, from increasing live viewership to enhancing the league's marketability and overall appeal.

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6. Conclusion: Media Representation and Athlete Recognition

In the concluding remarks, Colin and Chris reflect on the broader implications of media representation in sports, using Caitlin Clark's exclusion from Time Magazine's list as a case study.

• Colin Cowherd [38:04]: "She changed my viewing habits in the summer. I led my show with WNBA basketball."

  Colin emphasizes how Clark's presence has not only influenced individual viewers but also reshaped the content focus of sports media.

• Chris Broussard [38:24]: "It discredits the entire list. It's ridiculous."

  Chris asserts that such omissions undermine the credibility of influential athlete recognitions and reflect broader biases within media institutions.

The hosts advocate for more inclusive and accurate representations of athletes across all leagues, highlighting the need for media outlets to recognize and celebrate contributions beyond traditionally dominant sports and figures.

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Notable Quotes:

• Colin Cowherd [06:05]: "How is Caitlin Clark not in this?"

• Chris Broussard [06:11]: "I think Caitlin Clark is one of the most influential, influential athletes on the planet right now."

• Colin Cowherd [24:18]: "Why can't Luka be the face of the league?"

• Will [16:50]: "The Rockets are a tough matchup. They're a great rebounding team."

• Colin Cowherd [35:13]: "She changed the entire sport. The WNBA had 170% ratings increase because of overwhelmingly one human being that is iconic."

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Final Thoughts

In this episode, "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" passionately advocates for Caitlin Clark's recognition as one of the most influential athletes today. Through in-depth discussions on football drafts, NBA playoffs, and the rising prominence of international stars, the hosts highlight the evolving dynamics of sports influence and media representation. The episode serves as a compelling argument for broader inclusion and acknowledgment of impactful athletes across all sports leagues.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Chris Broussard]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Chris Broussard]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Chris Broussard]

Products plus free shipping.

[Colin Cowherd]

Again, go to eatiqbar.com and Enter code BAR20. We live in a divided country and.

[Chris Broussard]

Our media couldn't be more polarizing. That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. 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 from all over the country. And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or.

[Chris Broussard]

Wherever you get your podcasts.

[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, 9 to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

[Will]

Now let's get this party started.

[Colin Cowherd]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Urban Meyer weighed in on the Nico Iamaliava story. The very talented quarterback. I'll argue that all day long all the Tennessee fans are like overrated. No, he's not. You got into the playoffs. He's a kid, tall moves, he's going to have a market. And Urban Meyer's on radio and he said this whole thing about taking a stand if you're Tennessee is going to backfire. As a guy that's been involved almost 40 years in this game, I can't believe this happened. Here's the reality is Tennessee is screwed. They got a problem. You lose a potential high draft pick. You have the backup quarterback left last year and now you have a redshirt freshman after nine passes and a freshman, you have zero experience. And the portal opens as we speak. They are going to have to go get one. Yeah, it's, you know, it's like in negotiations for anything. You could be trying to buy land and buy a house, buy a quarterback, whatever the negotiation is at some point. Pride before the fall. Are you going to get a quarterback that good in the market? No, because if that kid had a good year at Tennessee, he's a first round pick, means the number two quarterback. We. Well, how can you say that? Well, Arch Manning, people think it's going to be the number one pick. He was a backup last year. This kid played, got his team to the playoff. I think he's got a better arm than Arch Manning. I don't know if he's a better quarterback, but I think he's got a better arm. He's got zip. So sometimes, you know, you just, you can't win all negotiations. I wonder if Tennessee would circle back. Well, we told him we're not interested. You know, you could come back if you're Tennessee and say listen, we had a big misunderstanding and pay him two and a half, three because the kid find out he doesn't have the market. So apparently Pete Tamil at the Athletic is saying very good college football reporter is basically saying is people are waiting for the number to come down. So it's a family doesn't get as much as they were getting at Tennessee. It's embarrassing. It's like on the face it looks terrible but well it's, it's. This is interesting. First ever college football holdout. Very interesting. Jordan with the news.

[Will]

No, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

[Chris Broussard]

Okay. Jalen hurts, fresh off his second super bowl appearance, gets the super bowl, raises the Lombardi, takes home super bowl MVP honors. Colin. Following his champions season, Time magazine has named Jaylen to their 100 most influential people. Now Herz is one of a handful of athletes to make this this year's list and he was put in the quote icons category. Others included Simone Bile, Serena Williams, Brianna Stewart, Nafisa Collier. Colin, what makes someone worthy of a times 100?

[Colin Cowherd]

How is Caitlyn Clark not in this?

[Chris Broussard]

That's.

[Colin Cowherd]

She's a joke. I mean the fact that she's Becker.

[Chris Broussard]

Should be in this.

[Colin Cowherd]

Caitlin Clark took the WNBA and they set all time ratings records. If Caitlin Clark's not in this, the list is nonsense. Who's. Who did the list? Time magazine.

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And there's no Caitlin Clark.

[Chris Broussard]

No, no, I don't think so.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's idiotic. That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen.

[Chris Broussard]

I think Caitlin Clark is one of the most influential, influential athletes on the planet right now. She's going firmly in the history.

[Colin Cowherd]

In the history of American sports.

[Chris Broussard]

Could I not argue? Serena is probably.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I'm talking about because women's tennis was popular when Billie Jean King, Chris Everett, Stephanie Graf, Martina Navratilova. If you talk about league changing athletes in America. Tiger and golf.

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Phelps, Michael Jordan in basketball.

[Chris Broussard]

A league changing.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's.

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Caitlin Clark, Tiger change, golf ratings.

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay. Michael changed NBA rating, NFL players. Not now it's not just about ratings but literally the WNBA was a non existent league. It was, it was being subsidized by the NBA. They were going to small arenas, they flew on commercial flights. Time magazine. If you don't have Caitlin Clark and maybe she is. You have the list.

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah, it's not on here.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, that's just dumb. That's a dumb media list. Dumb y. Don't know what they're doing. Don't, don't. They're. They're trying to. I mean they're. I don't even even know that that's the first name. I mean again, I love Jalen hurts but Caitlin Clark? You gotta be kidding me. She's the most influential athlete, I would argue man or woman in America in the last year. Did you see the women's March Madness TV ratings? They lost half of them. Half the ratings just evaporated because she wasn't playing college basketball.

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah. Yeah. With the draft coming up, I'm fairly confident, I think we all are. That the first two picks. Cam Ward to the Titans, Browns, Travis Hunter. The Giants seem to be leaning towards Abdul Carter, but there have been, quote, character concerns. I. This stuff drives me nuts going into the draft that could give teams pause for concern. However, Albert Brear believes that teams would be idiotic. I agree to pass up on Carter due to the character concerns because he plays a premium position. Now. I, I think Abdul Carter is as can't miss as it get gets. You look at Micah Parsons, you can see the obvious similarities. Same position, same number, same team. He is fantastic. It would be foolish for the Giants to say, you know, we have a pretty good defensive line. We have Dexter Lawrence, we have Thibodeau. We don't need another. The Giants need and I know you said Shador earlier, potentially they need elite players. Abdul Carter is an elite player. There's no way in my mind he should slip past three in this draft.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, in a strong draft, if you had the injury and character questions, he'd probably drop from 6 to 14. In a weak draft where he's arguably the second best athlete, it's a non factor.

[Chris Broussard]

The last great player to drop because of character concerns was Jalen Carter. Ends up going, I think was at 9 to Philly. That was. You look back on that draft, he might go one. He's one of the most dominant young defensive players in football and Philly got him because people were worried about his character. It's nonsense. This one's really interesting to me because the Dolphins just in general appear to be a mess, rudderless. They just paid Jalen Ramsey at the start of last season, handing him three years, 72.3 million. But it looks like we won't see the end of his contract in South Beach. Speaking ahead of the draft, Dolphins GM Chris Greer confirmed to the media that the team is looking to trade their all pro corner.

[Colin Cowherd]

Really?

[Will]

After a couple weeks of discussions between.

[Chris Broussard]

Ourselves internally and Jalen and his representation.

[Colin Cowherd]

We decided that it was probably in.

[Chris Broussard]

The best interest for all parties to move forward.

[Will]

So I will say these decisions aren't.

[Colin Cowherd]

Done quickly and they're not taken lightly.

[Chris Broussard]

Because we spent a lot of time this off season working through this, talking through things.

[Colin Cowherd]

At the end of the day, Jalen.

[Chris Broussard]

Did not ask for a trade, by the way.

[Colin Cowherd]

Jags moved off him, Rams moved off him, Dolphins moving off him. There you go.

[Chris Broussard]

But here's my issue. It's more. It's not just the J. Last season off season, the Dolphins gave extensions to Jalen Ramsey, Tyree Kill. And they then let homegrown talents like Robert Hunt, Andrew Van Ginkel, Christian Wilkins, all pro caliber, Pro bowl caliber players leave the building this offseason. They let Jim on Holland leave the.

[Colin Cowherd]

Building and that was another one of their draft picks.

[Chris Broussard]

Exactly. Terrific young players. Colin. You win in this league by rewarding quality homegrown talent.

[Colin Cowherd]

Great for the locker room.

[Chris Broussard]

It is. And if you're the Dolphins and you just keep on making the same mistakes, if you're Chris Greer, this is what happens to rudderless organizations that lack leadership. When you're a young player, especially a good one, you expect to be rewarded by the team that drafted you. So this is. This isn't just about Jalen Ramsey is a bigger problem that's happening in Miami and specifically related to Chris Greer. If I'm a Dolphins fan right now, I'm frustrated because the same thing continues to take place.

[Colin Cowherd]

By the way, the staff told me that not only did Caitlin Clark not make Time magazine's 100 most influential athletes, two other WNBA players did. Which I don't have a problem with. Three players making it from the WNBA. Caitlin Clark's not influential.

[Chris Broussard]

It's a joke.

[Colin Cowherd]

Literally changed the entire sport. It was on its. It was just a non factor.

[Chris Broussard]

It wasn't. It was completely irrelevant. Completely irrelevant.

[Colin Cowherd]

An irrelevant league.

[Chris Broussard]

Ahead of the draft, many teams bring in top 30 players for visits at their respective facility in an attempt to get a better idea of how players interact with the rest of the staff in the building. Well, Colin, the Jags did not hold any pre draft visits with prospects at their headquarters this offseason. And new GM James Gladstone spoke to the decision.

[Colin Cowherd]

The sourced intel from those who have lived with these individuals is likely to.

[Chris Broussard]

Be more accurate than me sitting down with a prospect for a short period of time.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't view myself as having this extreme superpower of deciphering the complexity of.

[Chris Broussard]

A person in an hour. Right. I would probably say I can work that in tandem. But there are other mechanisms that we.

[Colin Cowherd]

Tend to lean into to help us.

[Chris Broussard]

Determine whether or not a player is in fact a fit for us. Yeah. Important to consider. Gladstone comes from the Rams and they have a similar approach. They don't love pre draft visits. They've obviously hit on a lot of picks. Have a great head coach in Sean McVay.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think pre draft visits. Cloud.

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

I want to see your college tape. I want to see at the Senior Bowl.

[Chris Broussard]

Right.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'll do a quick interview may your pro workout day. Let me read your body language. I don't need another a second, third interview. Then I start liking you and making a bad decision.

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah, you also, you have to remember teams are spending time with players at the combine and at the Senior bowl. Sound like they haven't been around them. So if I'm, if I'm the Jags and I'm looking to build a culture for the first time, I don't need to have you in my building beforehand. I need to know, can you play or not? And that's really what it comes down to. I like it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Jordan with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping the Herd lie. Chris Broussard, CO host First things first, joining us live from New York. I said this. I. I understand Steve Kerr says the warriors are tired, but the Rockets are a tough matchup. Long, deep, athletic. Amon Thompson can guard Steph Curry. He's their best athlete, I think. I mean, if there's a. If there's an upset in the offing, I think Houston is a rough matchup. They're also a great rebounding team. And you saw last night the problem Zach and his size gave the Warriors. I'm surprised. Golden State, I guess. Steve Kerr, veterans. I think Houston's gonna win the series. Am I nuts?

[Will]

Warriors in six, Colin. What? Warriors in six. No, look, you're not. Now, Zach, Edie looked like an all star yesterday against the war. He really did. He was dominant. I mean, 17 rebounds. They could do nothing with him. You're hitting on the warriors weakness, which is their lack of size. That's there. I've been harping on that for the last few years. If you go back, I know 22, they weren't that huge. You know, Kavana Looney was playing more than when they won the championship. But go back to all their previous championship teams and they had an Andrew Bogut, they had a Festus, Azilia, Zaza, Pachuya. They had size. It wasn't great size, but it was size that they could put out there. Now they don't have that. And Houston, to your point, is the best rebounding team in the league. And the last. The warriors are actually a good rebounded team, too, despite their lack of size. But the last three games, for whatever reason, they have been crushed on the glass, including last night. And that's the key to this series. If they get destroyed on the boards, then Houston's got a great chance. You mentioned the athleticism Amen. Thompson. Yes he can, you know, bother Steph Curry because he's long and athletic. But I think ultimately Colin, when you look at this series, as great as Ime Udoka is, best coach is Golden State, best player is Golden State, second best player I think Jimmy Butler, Golden State best defender Golden State, Draymond Green and obviously the wealthy of experience. So Rockets, great season. I think they'll, you know this will be good for them going forward in the future. But I don't see them after having never made the playoffs in the last five years or four years and then all these young guys, Shin Goon, Green, Amin, Thompson, this is their first taste of the postseason against a seasoned champion. I think they're going to learn from this. But go down and sit.

[Colin Cowherd]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific balancing work, family and education isn't easy, but American Public University makes it possible with online courses, monthly start dates and flexible schedules. APU is designed for busy professionals who need education that fits their lives. And Affordability matters, too. APU offers the Opportunity Grant, giving students 10% off undergraduate and master's level tuition, helping you reach your goals without breaking a bank. Plus, they provide career services and 247 mental health support at no extra cost. Visit Apu Apus Edu to learn more. That's Apu Apus Edu looking to transform your business through better HR and payroll? Meet Paycor, a paychecks company. The powerhouse solution that empowers leaders to drive results. From recruiting and development to payroll and analytics, paycor connects you with the people, data and expertise you need to succeed. Their innovative platform helps you make smarter decisions about your most valuable asset. Your people. Are you ready to become a better leader? Visit paycor.com leaders to learn more. That's paycor.com leadership leaders t mobile stats are as impressive as your favorite athlete's highlight reel because T Mobile helps keep you connected from the heart of Portland to right where you are on America's largest 5G network switch. Now keep your phone and T Mobile will pay it off up to $800 per line via prepaid card. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com keepandswitch up to 4 lines of your virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service port in 90 plus days device in eligible carrier and timely redemption. Required card has no cash access and expires in six months. This podcast is sponsored by IQ Bar.

[Chris Broussard]

I've got good news and bad news. Here's the Bad news, most protein bars are packed with sugar and unpronounceable ingredients.

[Colin Cowherd]

The good news?

[Chris Broussard]

There's a better option. I'm Will and I created IQ Bar Plant Protein bars to empower doers like you with clean, delicious, low sugar, brain and body fuel. IQ bars are packed with 12 grams of protein, brain nutrients like magnesium and Lion's Mane and Zero Weird Stuff. And right now you can get 20% off all IQ Bar products plus free shipping. Try our delicious IQ Bar Sampler Pack with seven plant protein bars, four hydration mixes and four enhanced coffee sticks. Clean ingredients, amazing taste and you'll love how you feel. Refuel smarter, hydrate harder, caffeinate larger with IQ Bar.

[Colin Cowherd]

Go to eatiqbar.com and enter code BAR20 to get 20% off all IQ Bar.

[Chris Broussard]

Products plus free shipping again go to.

[Colin Cowherd]

Eatiqbar.Com and Enter code BAR20. I gotta ask you, I like the Lakers over the T Wolves and one of the reasons is even though Ant's been very good in the playoffs, he's kind of their go to answer offensively. Julius Randle's never been a good playoff guy. Good player but not a great playoff player. Rudy go Bears limited Mike Conley age whereas the Lakers have three offensive playmakers and initiators and sometimes in the playoffs in these close games. I said this yesterday. T Wolves Lakers are going to be104.104.4 minutes left and I've taken Luka Lebron and Austin Reeves over one guy. Ant. I like the Lakers in this series and I think it will become very apparent early in the series that Minnesota doesn't have the firepower. How do you see it playing out?

[Will]

Yeah, I'm with you on this one. If the games are close and we hope they are just for entertainment value, but the Lakers are a very good clutch team. Not only do you have Lebron and Luka you can go to, but Austin Reaves remember when they lost that game on the half court heave recently to Chicago? Austin Reaves was the guy getting the buckets at the end of the game. So they're very good in the clutch and Minnesota is terrible now. Anthony Edwards gets a ton of points. I think he led the league in points in the clutch. But they lose those games. They're like 19 and maybe 24 or something like that in clutch games. So they're not good at closing out games. So I agree with you there. I think this is an interesting series though. I think the Lakers win. I actually have them winning in five. Whether or not Minnesota can push it to six is all based on Julius Randle. Like you said, he has been one of those guys in the league that is an all star during the regular season and just goes kaput in the playoffs. This is a chance for him to change that image. If he does, maybe Minnesota makes it competitive. If not, the Lakers should cruise and I think Anthony Edwards will play well, but the Lakers will cruise.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I let's be honest. The NBA regular season doesn't get huge numbers and guys like Stephen LeBron and the Celtics and the Knicks steal the thunder. And I pivot to the Thunder. Oklahoma City put up the greatest point differential in league history. They have, they create turnovers, but they don't have turnovers. They've got a dominant MVP level score. They've got a good coach, tremendous depth, they've got size. And there's part of me that thinks we just, we just don't want them to win because we want LeBron and Steph and the Celtics. But if they flew through the Western Conference playoffs, would you be surprised or do you think their youth in big road playoff games and Chris Young players on the road in the playoffs are different than they are at home? What do you think transpires with the Thunder? Are they a buzz saw in the playoffs like they were in the regular season?

[Will]

No. If they ran through the playoffs in the West, Colin, I would be shocked. Now I wouldn't be shocked if they win the west but if they just run through it the way they did the regular season, yeah, I'd be surprised. Now remember, I don't know the exact record but they were of around.500 against the best teams in the west. And I mean like the four best teams in the west, something like that. So they didn't dominate the West Elite. I also think you hit on it with the youth. This team, I've said it before on this show be it will be the youngest team ever to reach the finals and the youngest team to win it of course. But they also have only won one playoff series together. That's just. It's very unusual for a team with such little experience to go ahead and get all the way to the finals. Especially when you got to go through the all time greats that they do. Obviously the Lakers have them, Jokic with Denver staff in Golden State and so I would be surprised if they run through these playoffs. They also only have one star and we saw it Colin last weekend when they were playing the Lakers or a week and a half or so ago. Yeah, the Lakers were. They rolled them obviously in the first game and in the second one, they were up by a point in the fourth quarter when Luka Doncic got ejected. So I thought they showed everybody that if the Lakers and OKC meet in the Western Conference finals, I'm taking the Lakers because you got two great stars, Luke and LeBron, against one great star in Shea. And I'll take that experience all day.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, finally, I'm going to throw this out there. I threw this out to Nick Wright. I said, right now, Rory McElroy is the face of golf. Messi's the face of the mls. Ovechkin was arguably the face of hockey for the last decade. Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are the face of baseball. And Conor McGregor. The UFC was never more popular than When Ireland's Conor McGregor was the biggest draw. And this idea, the NBA can't have an international star. And I told Nick Wright, I said, I. I always was. Maybe, maybe not. But the thing about Luka, he's very domestic. He barks at refs, he barks at fans. He's got an attitude, he's fun. He's got a crazy bag of tools. Right? And there's part of me that thinks if he averages 36 in the finals and the Lakers won, Chris, I. I think he's a bigger personality than Wemby. I think his game has got a lot of tools. I think Luca come. I mean, if. If he goes through Jokic, who doesn't want to be the fan, he goes through sga, who's pretty reticent and quiet. What if Luca just blows these playoffs up? Why can't he be the face of the league?

[Will]

Well, he can. And look, I used to feel like about, I don't know, seven years ago, I said I don't think an international star could be the face of the NBA. But I didn't foresee the. I mean, the three best players in the league being international guys, if not more than that, this will be what, when Shay or Jokic wins? I think it'll be Shay, but this will be like, I think the seventh straight international MVP or seventh straight year and international players won the mvp, and there's just more coming. Luke is going to win one at some point.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Will]

Wimby's going to probably win several at some point. Like, it's not stopping. And so I. Yeah, the face of the league. The only American out there because Ja has kind of hurt himself off the court, like the only. Anthony Edwards is like our last hope for an American player to be the face league. Jayson Tatum, if they win it. But I don't know. He doesn't captivate people like that. Luka, to your point, he has the game. His game is flashy, doesn't. He doesn't dunk like he used to early in his career, but he still got all the moves and the craftiness. He's fun to watch. He does have an attitude. He's with the Lakers. And Colin, I think this trade. Yeah, this trade just made him even more popular, Right. And it made him somewhat sympathetic because the Mavericks just ripped him anonymously, of course, but ripped him on the way out. He was, you know, he drinks too much, he eats too much, he's not in shape, he doesn't play defense, all that. And now you see him go to the glamour franchise of the league. And if he wins it, he will have proved Dallas wrong. But also, I think people feel like, man, this dude got a raw deal. He loved Dallas, and they did him wrong. And I do think if they win the championship and he's the mvp, he is the Lakers best player. With all due respect to LeBron, it's LeBron's team, clearly. But Luke is the best player right now. And yeah, if they win the championship, he could. He. He will become the face of the league.

[Colin Cowherd]

Chris Broussard, first things first. Good seeing you, buddy.

[Will]

You too, Collins.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Yesterday we had merchandise jersey sales. Luca was way up. Luca was number one, wasn't he? Wasn't Luca number one. So Luca was number one over LeBron and Steph. So, I mean, Jason Tatum was four or five. Yeah. I mean, top selling NBA jersey. This is before the playoffs. So the NBA ratings triple in the playoffs. Double and triple. So you say, well, you know, he, you know, the Laker jersey is new. He hasn't. I don't want to hear that. I mean, Victor Wembanyama's Jersey's new. He's 6, so Steph Curry's 2. And everybody's had that jersey. Who wants it? That's a popularity contest. Why can't Luca be the face of the league? And I. When you throw in this, he's great. His game's highly offensive. He's on the Lakers. He's polarizing because of the trade. And he's a trash talker. I mean, you know, Michael Jordan talked a little trash. Michael Jordan, a little edge. Larry Bird had a little edge. Shaq and Kobe had a little edge. You don't have to be the likable guy. Kobe Bryant was, was kind of a trash talker. Bird was a trash talker. Michael Jordan talked trash. And Michael, like Luca, was somebody that had like a rival and some controversy and the Pistons and the cell. There were a million reasons to like Michael, a lot of reasons to like Luca. You're not, you're not face of the league because you play great defense. Can you drop 38 on any given night? Do you play for a big market team? Do you have a little polarization? Do you have a trophy? If they win a trophy, to me, Luke is the face of the league. Live in LA, it's the herd. 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. 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 every 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 Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course, on social media, That's Covino and Rich. Balancing work, family and education isn't easy, but American Public University makes it possible with online courses, monthly start dates and flexible schedules. APU is designed for busy professionals who need education that fits their lives. And Affordability matters, too. APU offers the opportunity grant, giving students 10% off undergraduate and master's level tuition, helping you reach your goals without breaking a bank. Plus, they provide career services and 24. 7 mental health support at no extra cost. Visit Apu Apus Edu to learn more. That's Apu Apus Edu. Looking to transform your business through better HR and payroll? Meet PayCor, a paychecks company the powerhouse solution that empowers leaders to drive results. From recruiting and development to payroll and analytics, paycor connects you with the people, data and expertise you need to succeed. Their innovative platform helps you make smarter decisions about your most valuable asset, your people. Are you ready to become a Better Leader? Visit paycor.comleaders to learn more. That's paycor.com leaders this podcast is sponsored by IQ Bar.

[Chris Broussard]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Chris Broussard]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Chris Broussard]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Chris Broussard]

We live in a divided country.

[Colin Cowherd]

I am a lifelong Republican with all.

[Chris Broussard]

Kinds of different people.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother.

[Chris Broussard]

That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation.

[Will]

Anna, I'm calling from Las Vegas.

[Chris Broussard]

Each week we bring together an all star panel. Mark Cuban, so great to have you on the Middle.

[Will]

Thanks for having me, Jeremy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Neil Degrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle. Thanks for having me.

[Chris Broussard]

And hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country on the most important issues.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hi, my name is Venkat. I'm calling you from Atlanta, Georgia.

[Chris Broussard]

And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news. We should be examining what our government spends its money on and are these jobs necessary? And what are we doing here? But that doesn't seem to be what we're doing in this situation.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson.

[Chris Broussard]

On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Academia in America leans almost exclusively left. They do. I've Always been kind of a moderate politically, probably socially left, fiscally right. But I like. It's a lack of trust. People just don't trust the media. And when Time magazine comes out with it. Now, I know this is not a big deal and nobody really cares, but it is a list. And. And it matters. And a bunch of editors at Time magazine sat down and had to make a decision. And you're telling me of the hundred most influential athletes. Caitlin Clark didn't make the list. And two other WNBA players did. It was an irrelevant league until she arrived. Like the ratings exploded. Now it's just. It's the time most one most influential person list or sports list.

[Chris Broussard]

People.

[Colin Cowherd]

So it's all people.

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah. They have an icons list that includes athletes. And that's where you see Jalen hurts. And that's where you don't see Caitlin Clark.

[Colin Cowherd]

Now what I icon. I mean step. She's obviously. Caitlin Clark is a icon.

[Chris Broussard]

100% man.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean like Tiger woods was an icon by year one on the tour. Year two. That is so weird.

[Chris Broussard]

Baffling.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Chris Broussard]

There's not. There's no logical explanation. I'm just trying to think what could they have.

[Colin Cowherd]

Brianna Stewart made it. And the fisa. Collier made it. And Kayla Clarkson.

[Chris Broussard]

Brutal. Man.

[Colin Cowherd]

That is so maybe.

[Chris Broussard]

Hey, we're talking about it.

[Colin Cowherd]

They had a hundred. The. The WNBA had 170% ratings increase because of overwhelmingly one human being that is iconic. That changed the industry.

[Chris Broussard]

That's the definition of like she. She changed the league. She changed the sport.

[Colin Cowherd]

She changed their travel. She's like a human Uber. She changed the travel. They fly now private.

[Chris Broussard]

Correct.

[Colin Cowherd]

Forever. They were just on commercial planes. You could. You could get on a commercial flight and have the Chicago Fire on it. She got them on private flights. She's their Uber. If that's not iconic, I don't even know what is. That is. But this is why people look at the media and roll their eyes.

[Chris Broussard]

But what's the agenda to not have Caitlin Clark. There's nothing about her that's really controversial. She. She is a dynamic personality, a great player. And she is without question the face of the league. She's the face of the sport right now.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't even think this is an argument. If you took out LeBron and Steph. Is she the most popular basketball player in North America?

[Chris Broussard]

I still think Giannis.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, I don't think so. She was selling out WNBA arenas. I said she's Taylor Swift and tennis shoes. I never seen anything like it. It was incredible. I mean I loved her game in college, but she's just. I mean, she's a dynamic player, and her game is very Steph Curry. Nobody else plays like her. No, I mean, she's taking shots that by NBA standards, you'd be like, that's a little deep. That's. That's a little far out. Time magazine top 100 most influential people. God, Caitlin Clark would be in my top six. Couple senators, a couple of tech people. Elon Musk is obviously, you know, very influential. Like him or not. Zuckerberg flying people into space, Retail giant influential. You know, there's a couple politicians we can figure out. Very influential.

[Chris Broussard]

So when you put Caitlin Clark as.

[Colin Cowherd]

The number one athlete, you're taught the word is influential.

[Chris Broussard]

That's what I mean.

[Colin Cowherd]

Number one, Jalen Hurts is not a top three quarterback. Is he influential? Well, he won the Super Bowl. I mean, I think that that's. I mean, again, I. I just think.

[Chris Broussard]

This omitting her discredits the entire.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, the list is silly.

[Chris Broussard]

Ridiculous. I'm.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's just so bizarre.

[Chris Broussard]

As a sports fan, I find myself disappointed because it really does bother me.

[Colin Cowherd]

And. And for the record, it's not the end of the world. No, but when I notice it, when I said to you where you. You mentioned like, eight players, I'm like, well, where's the obvious? It would be like naming most influential musical artists and not putting Taylor Swift on it. You'd be like, you don't have to love her music. She literally. She changed. She came to Los Angeles, did seven shows, they all sold out. She was part of a movement in the country.

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Like, so you don't have to like Taylor Swift's music. Influential. There's no, like, you don't have to like Elon Musk influential. He is arguably the most influential. I would say Elon Musk is the most influential American. Between Doge, Tesla, SpaceX, South African.

[Chris Broussard]

Well, I mean, influential person.

[Colin Cowherd]

Do you have to be born here?

[Chris Broussard]

Well, he can't. He said, I can't be president, but I can influence the election, which is what he did.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm told there's international people all over the list. By the way, who is number one, by the way? No, it's not ranked like that. Oh, I mean, I would say Elon. Again, regardless of what you think of Tesla, I.

[Chris Broussard]

It discredits the entire list. It'd be like having best NBA players or most influential NBA players and not.

[Colin Cowherd]

Having Steph on there.

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And it doesn't matter that she just arrived. People are influential musical artists. Movie stars are influential with their first movie. So it's. Maybe Caitlin Clark is.

[Chris Broussard]

She's a lighting.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, I never, ever spent any time watching the wnba. She changed my viewing habits in the summer. I had at least 12. I'd never talked WNBA in this show. I had probably 12 to 15 segments. I led my show with WNBA basketball.

[Chris Broussard]

And it's enjoyable.

[Colin Cowherd]

She's great. I mean, she makes that angel. Reese is part of it.

[Chris Broussard]

No, but she's on it. She's three levels up.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, it's, you know, so weird. Media's weird. We are working with a bunch of weirdos. Thank God we're a couple of normal guys. A bunch of weirdos everywhere. All right, we'll see you tomorrow. It's the herd.