Hour 3 - Joel Klatt

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 3 featuring Joel Klatt

Episode Details

• Title: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
• Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
• Description: A thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.
• Guest: Joel Klatt
• Release Date: April 15, 2025

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1. College Football Holdout: Nico Iamaliava

Discussion Highlights: Joel Klatt opens the conversation by addressing the contentious holdout by Nico Iamaliava, a highly recruited quarterback ranked second in his class. Klatt emphasizes the complexity of the situation, suggesting that blaming the player outright oversimplifies the issue.

Notable Quotes:

• Joel Klatt [02:13]: "We had our first college football holdout with Nico Iamaliava, a really talented kid. He was number two, I think in his recruiting class to Arch Manning."
• Guest [03:08]: "The void in a lack of enforcement. That's who to blame."

Insights:

• The NCAA’s recent changes regarding Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal have created regulatory gaps.
• Tennessee’s aggressive stance, including suing the NCAA, has exacerbated the enforcement vacuum, leading to situations like Iamaliava’s holdout.
• The guest argues that the issue is systemic, rooted in the NCAA’s inability to enforce rules rather than the individual actions of players or schools.

2. NCAA Enforcement and the Impact on College Athletics

Discussion Highlights: The conversation delves deeper into how the NCAA’s withdrawal from regulatory oversight has led to a "total free for all," affecting both players and institutions. The guest draws parallels to past sports governance issues, such as the steroid era in baseball.

Notable Quotes:

• Guest [04:17]: "There's no way to enforce rules now, it's a total free for all."
• Joel Klatt [04:37]: "That lawsuit is what led to, almost directly, a memo being sent to the member institutions of the NCAA that said verbatim, basically, we no longer will enforce anything around NIL."

Insights:

• The lack of enforcement has resulted in inconsistent actions from universities, complicating player recruitment and retention.
• The guest believes that as the system evolves, mutually agreed-upon rules between players and stakeholders will emerge to provide better governance.

3. NFL Draft Prospects: Shador Sanders

Discussion Highlights: Klatt and the guest analyze the potential destinations and impacts of Shador Sanders in the upcoming NFL Draft. They discuss the strategic decisions by teams like the Giants and Steelers, and how Sanders' skills might fit into different franchises.

Notable Quotes:

• Guest [08:52]: "I don't think that you're wrong at all. I could see him back on the West Coast."
• Joel Klatt [14:37]: "Shador is the very because most of these guys are never as good as they were drafted."

Insights:

• Shador Sanders is viewed as a highly accurate quarterback with pro-oriented skills, making him a valuable asset for teams needing to elevate their offensive game.
• The guest highlights the Giants’ strategic interest in Sanders, suggesting that their public moves may mask deeper intentions to draft him.
• Comparisons are made between Sanders and existing NFL quarterbacks, emphasizing Sanders' potential superiority in accuracy and decision-making.

4. Quarterback Class Evaluation

Discussion Highlights: The duo evaluates the overall strength of the quarterback class in the draft, questioning whether the current crop can deliver Day 1 starters. They particularly focus on players like Jalen Milroe and Anthony Richardson, discussing their readiness and fit for NFL teams.

Notable Quotes:

• Guest [28:27]: "Anthony Richardson played 13 college games, and at best, he was a risky pick."
• Joel Klatt [30:58]: "Anthony Richardson is a bit more mechanical, but unlike Richardson, he has streaks of accuracy."

Insights:

• The lack of standout quarterbacks poses challenges for teams relying heavily on a strong QB presence.
• Milroe is praised for his athleticism and potential to fit into existing offensive schemes without major changes.
• Richardson is viewed as a high-risk, high-reward pick, with concerns about his mechanical consistency and readiness for immediate play.

5. Travis Hunter: A Generational Two-Way Talent

Discussion Highlights: A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to Travis Hunter, whose exceptional abilities on both offense and defense have garnered attention. Klatt and the guest debate whether the NFL is prepared to handle such a versatile player.

Notable Quotes:

• Guest [35:17]: "Travis Hunter, he played 753 snaps on offense, 87% and over 83% on defense."
• Joel Klatt [36:03]: "Going forward there's a lot more money catching the ball than defending it."

Insights:

• Travis Hunter is compared to Shohei Ohtani for his dual-role potential, positioning him as a unique prospect in the draft.
• The guest argues that Hunter’s intelligence and versatility make him a generational talent deserving of the top pick.
• Klatt suggests a strategic play: utilizing Hunter primarily on offense while leveraging his defensive skills as a supplementary asset.

6. NBA Playoffs Predictions

Discussion Highlights: Shifting focus to basketball, the conversation covers upcoming NBA playoff predictions, highlighting teams like the Celtics, Thunder, and Lakers. Klatt provides his rankings and rationale behind each team's potential success.

Notable Quotes:

• Joel Klatt [37:29]: "I would put the Celtics ahead of the Thunder. I'd go Celtics, Celtics, Lakers, Thunder, Cavs."
• Guest [38:43]: "The Lakers have two of them. So even though they don't have that necessarily big, you mentioned Jackson Hayes blocked some shots."

Insights:

• The Celtics are favored due to their deep roster and versatile scoring options.
• The Thunder are seen as undervalued players poised for a strong playoff run if they secure key performances.
• The Lakers' offensive strength, led by trio playmakers, makes them a formidable contender despite defensive weaknesses.

7. Golf: Rory McIlroy’s Masters Performance and Tiger Woods Comparison

Discussion Highlights: The episode transitions to golf, where Klatt and the guest dissect Rory McIlroy's dramatic performance at the Masters. They draw comparisons between McIlroy’s resilience and Tiger Woods' legendary consistency.

Notable Quotes:

• Joel Klatt [18:03]: "When Rory won Sunday, I'm like, he's the face of golf because he makes me feel like Tiger Woods made me feel at the US Open."
• Guest [23:10]: "I love watching history. And we saw history with him winning the Grand Slam."

Insights:

• McIlroy’s victory is celebrated as a historic moment, showcasing immense pressure handling and emotional resilience.
• The guest reflects on Tiger Woods' precision and consistency, using it to highlight what makes a great athlete.
• Klatt emphasizes the influence of Tiger Woods on the modern golfing physique and approach, noting Rory’s alignment with this evolved athlete archetype.

8. Additional Sports Insights and Closing Remarks

Discussion Highlights: In the closing segments, Klatt and the guest briefly touch on other sports topics, including NFL team strategies, player transfers, and general sports news. They also promote upcoming episodes and related podcasts.

Notable Quotes:

• Joel Klatt [34:09]: "The Bears, to their credit with this hire in this offseason, have said, okay, we don’t want to be the stewards. Let’s go spend money on offense."
• Guest [36:46]: "I don't know how many happy employees are better employees. Let him play both."

Insights:

• Emphasis on strategic team building, particularly in how the Bears have strengthened their offensive line.
• Discussion on the benefits of allowing versatile players like Travis Hunter to maximize their unique skill sets.

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Conclusion This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd featuring Joel Klatt offers a deep dive into current sports topics, ranging from college football dynamics and NFL draft strategies to NBA playoff predictions and significant golf performances. Through insightful discussions and expert opinions, Klatt and his guest provide listeners with a comprehensive analysis of the evolving sports landscape.

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Notable Timestamps for References:

• College Football Holdout: [02:13] – [05:47]
• NFL Draft Prospects: [07:22] – [09:55]
• Quarterback Evaluation: [28:27] – [34:16]
• Travis Hunter Discussion: [35:17] – [36:46]
• NBA Playoffs Predictions: [36:46] – [38:59]
• Golf Analysis: [18:03] – [24:02]

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This summary aims to capture the essence of the discussions while providing key insights and quotes to engage both regular listeners and newcomers to the podcast.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Joel Klatt]

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[Joel Klatt]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Joel Klatt]

To the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

[Jordan]

Now let's get this party started.

[Joel Klatt]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Interesting. I said yesterday I I people got really worked up over it and I understand this. We had our first college football holdout with Nico Iamaliava, a really talented kid. He was number two, I think in his recruiting class to Arch Manning tall moves Got a whip. You know, he's young, needs to be refined. And so basically, Tennessee said, listen, kid, we paid you 2.5 million a red shirt. We. You know, I know it's easy to blame the kid, but when people get leverage, employees, and that's what college football players are, people use it. And I blame the NCAA for playing catch up on this nil and transfer portal for four years. First of all, let's start with this, because let's spend some time on this. What was your initial reaction? What were you mad at? Or who. Who was to blame here?

[Unknown]

The void. The void in a lack of enforcement. That's who to blame. I think it's really easy to just immediately jump on Nico Yamala. I think it's easy to take Tennessee's side right away. And I'm not saying that he's right and they're wrong. I just think that what's bigger than this situation is this void of enforcement, and that void is what has created this problem. It's eerily similar, by the way, eerily similar to. Do you remember after the 94 baseball strike, Colin and baseball turned a blind eye to the steroid era.

[Joel Klatt]

Yep.

[Unknown]

Because it brought the fans back.

[Joel Klatt]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And then all of a sudden, it was a problem, you know, and the NCAA basically, you know, abdicated their responsibility to govern the sport. And to be fair to them, they were forced into that situation because of litigation, and the courts basically told them they had no jurisdiction. Well, with no jurisdiction, there are no ways to enforce rules.

[Jordan]

Once.

[Unknown]

There's no way to enforce rules now, it's a total free for all. What's fascinating in this instance is that part of his recruitment. Nico's recruitment was brought as an infraction to the ncaa, and Tennessee fought it tooth and nail and actually sued the ncaa.

[Joel Klatt]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And that lawsuit is what led to, almost directly, a memo being sent to the member institutions of the NCAA that said verbatim, basically, we no longer will enforce anything around nil. So Tennessee created the vacuum and is now crying foul when that vacuum is being exploited by one of the players that play on their team. That's. So that. That's just like a little bit of, like a backstory, which I think is fascinating. And again, this is not. He's right. They're wrong. This is more about the fact that there's. There's very little rules, there's very little enforcement, if any. And that's really the problem here. These are growing pains for what will eventually be a system that has a better system of guardrails and rules that everyone agrees upon. Basically mutually agreed upon rules between the players and the stakeholders that then they can move forward with and then. Not the last thing, but I do want to finish with this on this answer. It's never exactly what we're hearing. Colin. This is. I, I do not believe that. Nico.

[Joel Klatt]

I am.

[Unknown]

Alva walked out on a Friday because he wanted a million and a half more dollars. I don't think that that's the case. I think that there's more at play. I have heard that he and his people wanted the offense to grow and change a little bit because that offense in its inception, that's a, that's the Art Briles old Baylor offense. And no quarterback has really succeeded going from that offense to the National Football League. It's, it's. And we see this by the way, in big moments that Tennessee has in big games is that their passing attack, which is so prolific at times really goes away. And we saw that, you know, even back with, with Hinden Hooker and others. And so he wanted it to grow and to change and through spring football, apparently that didn't. I think he's also being given some bad advice by people around him. So there's a lot at play here and I don't think it's just this narrative that it's one greedy player and he held out for this specific amount and then this, this school and good for them, they said no, I don't think that that's the entire story. Yeah.

[Joel Klatt]

For the record, let me just throw it out here. If he's the top free agent now, Lincoln Riley's got a good roster, his best. They're okay at quarterback. What about USC is a California kid. Jordan mentioned this. UCLA doesn't have the money. Tulane's not going to do it. Texas has their quarterback. I don't know. I Look at this. USC's and I owe now is close to 18 million. Oregon doesn't want him. I think USC makes sense. Am I wrong?

[Unknown]

I don't think that you're wrong at all. I could see him back on the West Coast. I would, I would think that he wants to be in the Big Ten, I would think. But I think he could wind up somewhere else. I think UNC is interesting. North Carolina, that's, that's just, just to keep your eye on that.

[Joel Klatt]

He's a lot for. But I don't know if North Carolina's got 4 million for 1 guy.

[Unknown]

Understandable, but I just, just keep an eye on it is all I would say. I Don't think that, that I would predict it. The LA schools make a lot of sense. Now, I have heard that there has been a huge, quiet influx of UCLA money. That's all. So I'm not going to be shocked if he winds up at ucla.

[Joel Klatt]

I would be, but that's interesting. I like that. All right, draft is what we got nine days away or something from the draft. And I saw a story today, the Giants were flying to Boulder. We want one more look at Shador Sanders. And my take is you don't want Shador Sanders. You want to send the message that you want him because you want the Saints to move up and give you picks because if you liked him, you wouldn't assign, you know, Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. What are you hearing? You know, has somebody that's been at Colorado, what's your guess on Shador Sanders? I hear Saints 9, Steelers 21. Where do you think he goes?

[Unknown]

Yeah, I think that the Saints are really in play. Here's the interesting part about the. Because you bring up New York, but I want to, I want to lump them in with Cleveland for a moment. Okay. Like they each need a quarterback, wouldn't you agree? They've got to come away with a quarterback in their first two picks. If they each pass on Shador and then he does get taken by either New Orleans or Pittsburgh, then that leaves those two picks early in the second round where they're fighting over Jackson Dart maybe and they're having to trade maybe back into the first round in order to pass one, one or the other in order to get Jackson Dart. So I, I think it really comes down to for Cleveland and for New York, like this evaluation of where do you have Shador in relation to Jackson Dart? And that's the evaluation that's going to matter. Now I happen to have Shador quite a bit above Jackson Dart.

[Joel Klatt]

Oh, he's a much more accurate thrower of the football. Absolutely.

[Unknown]

Of course, of course. And he ran a much more pro oriented offense with. And what I mean by that is, is post snap decision making and discernment versus pre snap wins that then you exploit. You know, Lane does a great job offensively, but a lot of that is pre snap wins. You're leveraging an area of the defense and everybody knows where the ball is going before the snap of the football. That wasn't the case with Colorado. Now it led to a lot of sacks obviously, which you can't question Shador's toughness, but man, he's, he's very accurate and he he definitely operated an NFL system post snap as opposed to maybe some of the other guys in this draft. The other thing that I'll say is is this is not like even remotely the first time. The Sanders camp and the Giants camp have spent a lot of time together. And I'm talking way before the draft process. I'm talking during the fall they spent a lot of time and there was a bit of a feeling out process both directions and there was a feeling in the fall that the Sanders camp wanted to sign off on. Okay, yeah, I think we would be good going to New York. So I think that there's probably a little bit more smoke to this than people realize. I don't think that New York is just sending a message to New Orleans. I think that there's a real opportunity and possibility that they select him there. In the Top five be sure to.

[Joel Klatt]

Catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jeremy Hobson]

We live in a divided country.

[Joel Klatt]

I am a lifelong Republican with all.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Kinds of different people.

[Joel Klatt]

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

[Jeremy Hobson]

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 and callings from Las Vegas. Each week we bring together an All Star panel. Mark Cuban, so great to have you on the Middle.

[Colin Cowherd]

Thanks for having me.

[Joel Klatt]

Jeremy.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Neil Degrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle.

[Joel Klatt]

Thanks for having me.

[Jeremy Hobson]

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

[Joel Klatt]

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

[Jeremy Hobson]

And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one one item from the avalanche of news.

[Jordan]

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.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Greg Rosenthal]

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 gonna 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 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Joel Klatt]

Yeah, I gotta tell you, I generally, I always said this. If you wanted to win arguments at a sports bar, always say, I don't think that.

[Unknown]

Take me with you. I agree.

[Joel Klatt]

Just say when it comes to quarterbacks in the draft, I don't think he's as good as they where he got drafted. Shador is the very because most of these guys are never, I mean it could go to Trevor Lawrence. Most of them just aren't as good as you think. Almost all of them are, you know, a little overdrafted.

[Unknown]

I find the need outpaces the the ability almost every single time. Because the need is so great.

[Joel Klatt]

I find myself I'm the opposite with Shador Sanders. First of all, he is bigger in person than you think. There's multiple pieces of video him standing in pre or post game next to normal sized humans like you and I. He is a big kid. He is super accurate. He can take a hit. He got sacked like Jared Goff in college, just got ragdolled. And by the way, he's had money, his dad's Dion, so it's not like he's going to blow it. He is the rare player, I think better at his position than the League, I think the leagues get, you know what I think is happening. The league doesn't quite know. Know what to do with social media. So now players can say something goofy on the platform and now they get paid. And I think it turns off a lot of NFL front office guys, you know, Caleb Williams fingernails, and he jumped into the crowd. All this stuff was mostly happening, you know, a lot of this social stuff, you just didn't see it and now you see it and it's freaking people out. I don't know Shador, but his personality doesn't bother me and I think it does.

[Unknown]

I mean, I've spent time around him and I can tell you, like he's about football. Yes, he, he has a deep desire to be great and that's, that's, that's rare. More rare than you would think. You know, let me put it to you this way. There are guys that love football and there are guys that love being football players. Shador, as much as it looks like he loves the attention and being a football player, he loves football and has a deep desire to be great and believes that he will be, which, which again is also rare. Two things that you cannot question at all, really. Three, but, but two, his toughness. You already mentioned that he is as tough as they come.

[Joel Klatt]

He, Jared Goff, that was one of the things. He and Jared Goff just got crushed for two years, the last two years of college and don't get hurt.

[Unknown]

That's right. And he stayed in there and he hung in there and then you cannot question his accuracy. He is lethal. He can put the football in a shoebox, really anywhere on the field. Mostly inside the numbers. Not quite as strong of an arm as Cam Ward, who has the ability to really stretch and attack every blade of grass. But man, those, those are two things that you can't question and then you can't question the offense that it came out of. In terms of what I was talking about a little bit earlier, this idea of post snap decision making and post snap control of the field. And he certainly has that. I agree with you. Listen, I, I've been a huge believer in him. There's also this element and I've preached this on your show and several others. But Colin, I've told you how bad Colorado was before they got there. And everybody immediately talks about the coach prime effect or the Travis Hunter effect. What took them from one win to nine wins was, yes, those guys, but mainly it was Shador. It was the fact that he was a great quarterback. And so now he's going to go into a situation where he's going to be asked to take a program again that that is not where it needs to be. An organization that's not where it needs to be. And he's going to be asked to elevate the entire organization. He's already done that once.

[Joel Klatt]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And that's not the case all the time in this process. Remember, when we're evaluating these guys, most of the time we're taking quarterbacks that had the best players in college football around them, the best team around them, the most resources around them, and played inferior competition. And now we're trying to evaluate that player as it relates to a league in which he's not going to have those things at. With Shador, we can have an apples to apples discussion about what he did with lesser resources against better competition, just like he's going to be asked to do in the National Football League.

[Joel Klatt]

I want to end with this. So I asked Nick Wright and I, and I said this earlier, is that I do believe international players can be the face of leagues. Conor McGregor, UFC, Messi, MLS, Shohei Ohtani, baseball. It's all about American likes winners. And when Rory elected to stay with the PGA Tour, which I never, I defended all the guys that went live. I had no problem with it because golf was a charity. It didn't run the Masters or British Open, my two favorite tournaments. So I, you know, our government has relationships with the Saudis. I don't blame a golfer, but there is some value in retaining that PGA connection. And when Rory won Sunday, I'm like, he's the face of golf because he makes me feel like Tiger woods made me feel at the US Open with Rocco. Media. When I was no longer in the media, I was a fanboy. I was just a fan. I gave up my, my journalism cred, what little I have. And I'm sitting there with Rory and I'm like, yeah, I'm rooting. I'm a fan. It's over. And I don't, I'm not anti. Bryson, what did you make? As somebody who loves golf, knows golf, what did you make of that? 4 and a half hours of television.

[Unknown]

It was incredible television. I mean, I was so locked in. I would have been anyways, but, man, like, it was dramatic. There were wild swings every direction. You know, McElroy is down, he's up. Dechambeaus up, he's down. Rose is back. You know, Oberg is, I mean, it's, it was riveting television. Now, now this is a little bit different than the direction you want to take this. Do you know what I ultimately came away with on Sunday? As a guy who really loves the sport, I really do love golf. One, I love watching history. And we saw history with him winning the Grand Slam. And you saw that in the emotion as he made that final putt. But the other thought was Colin. It made me, in hindsight, appreciate Tiger woods even more.

[Joel Klatt]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Because as. As amazing as that was to watch the ebbs and flows, go back on YouTube and watch even in 2019, which Tiger is a shell of what he was in his prime, and watch his back nine, it's surgical. He doesn't hit gap wedges into the bunker.

[Joel Klatt]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

You know, like he doesn't dump an 80 yard shot into Ray's Creek on 13. The ball hits the correct spot on the green every single time. Yeah. And so we're watching this guy who's a talent, the face of the PGA Tour, fall all over himself and finally get to the line. You know, it's like he's. He's. It's just stumbling and stumbling. It just gets his nose across. And I'm thinking back to those. Those moments and I'm like, that's why Tiger was the greatest of all time, is because he never did that to us. He was a stone cold assassin. And that's what I. That was my takeaway. I was more impressed with Tiger woods after that, watching Rory McIlroy win the Masters, than I've ever been.

[Joel Klatt]

You know, there's only two athletes in my life, Michael Jordan and Tiger, that were always at their best in the biggest moments. Muhammad. Muhammad Ali lost fights that he was a favorite. Ronaldo and Messi have lost matches, they're the favorite. Rory, Phil, LeBron have lost finals where now LeBron's often been the underdog, but there's only two athletes, and it just.

[Unknown]

Even, even Brady, as great as Brady was, he lost as an undefeated.

[Joel Klatt]

I mean, it's like Tiger and MJ were in my lifetime, going back to Ali, who lost to Frazier once, Ken Norton. I mean, there were fights he was supposed to when he lost. Only two guys that were every time. And by the way, both built different. I mean, like, there's intense, then there's MJ and Tiger. Like, there's. It's funny, you know what another takeaway I had is that when I, When I used to watch Tiger on the tour, he didn't look like a golfer. He looked like Ed Reed. He looked like a rover. A safe. Right. He was the first guy. He was. He was what they call flat belly. Golf used to have guys in bad pants who were a little heavy. And then you look at Tiger. Now you watch these guys. Rory's cut. DeChambeau is a middle linebacker. Brooks Koepka's big. That's the influence of Tiger. Is that Tiger's like, oh, yeah, yeah. This is a marathon. This is. This is a fight. You got to be in great shape. And, God, it was good tv. It was.

[Unknown]

It was great. It was great. Like I said, I love history. Watching him bogey that 18th hole, I was. It was just like, I thought there was no chance he was winning. And by the way, by the way, Justin Rose made 10 birdies on Sunday. The fact that he didn't win is going to bury what I think could be maybe the greatest Sunday round in Masters history. 10 birdies. Gary Player didn't make 10 birdies when he won with a 64. Like 10 birdies didn't win.

[Joel Klatt]

I had nine when I played Saturday. So he topped.

[Unknown]

Is that right? Is that right? You were just. You were like. You were an assassin like Tiger. Just middle of the green, dropping putts.

[Joel Klatt]

I get into that zone with my five wood, you know. All right. Nobody hits a fairway wood. Who am I kidding? Joel Clapp. Good to see you, buddy, as always.

[Unknown]

You too, buddy. Have a good day.

[Joel Klatt]

All right. Herdline News around the corner. Live in la, it's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Unknown]

Hey, Steve Covino.

[Joel Klatt]

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.

[Unknown]

About the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture.

[Joel Klatt]

Stories that, well, other shows don't seem.

[Unknown]

To have the time to discuss.

[Joel Klatt]

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.

[Unknown]

Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say.

[Joel Klatt]

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 no Rich wherever you get your podcast and of course on social media. That's Covino and Rich.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's the last game of the season and with amex you can save time with card member entrances at the select venues and go straight to the action so you can catch every moment. That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms apply. Learn more@american express.com with amex.t mobile stats.

[Unknown]

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 four lines via virtual prepaid card allowed 15 days qualifying unlocked device credit service port in 90 plus days device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required Card has no cash access and expires in six.

[Joel Klatt]

Months.

[Jeremy Hobson]

We live in a divided country.

[Joel Klatt]

I am a lifelong Republican with all.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Kinds of different people.

[Joel Klatt]

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

[Jeremy Hobson]

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.

[Joel Klatt]

Anna, I'm calling from Las Vegas.

[Jeremy Hobson]

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

[Joel Klatt]

Thanks for having me.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Jeremy Neil Degrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle.

[Joel Klatt]

Thanks for having me.

[Jeremy Hobson]

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

[Joel Klatt]

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

[Jeremy Hobson]

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.

[Jordan]

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.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Greg Rosenthal]

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 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Joel Klatt]

Lively day. Good stuff on a Tuesday. Here's Jordan with the news.

[Jordan]

No, no, no, turn on the news.

[Joel Klatt]

This is the Herd line news.

[Jordan]

All right, Colin, the NFL kicks off. The NFL draft kicks off next Thursday, and there has been a consensus that the quarterback class is lacking Day 1 starters. But don't tell that to Seahawks GM John Schneider, who pushed back on that notion in a recent radio appearance.

[Unknown]

I think it's. It depends on the team, how they view the player, the quarterback again, how you're going to acquire him, where you're going to acquire him. But, you know, bringing him to the building is another. It's just, it's really about, okay, more time. We need more answers. We need more time with this player based on the questions that we need answered in terms of the vision we see for this player and the fit. It's not necessarily like it's separate from how you can acquire the player on draft weekend.

[Jordan]

Colin, I reported earlier that Jalen, Jalen Nilroe, he's visiting Seattle today.

[Joel Klatt]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

And I bring him up because he's a mobile quarterback and under the John Schneider era in Seattle, he's only drafted two quarterbacks, including Russell Wilson. That was the big one that hit. Could you see a guy like Jalen Milroe in Seattle? And when would Seattle potentially need a quarterback in this draft?

[Joel Klatt]

Well, I thought they should have gone last year for Pennix. That was my take. I didn't like they were too patient. I think Milro would be good for them because like Darnold, he's a mover. So you wouldn't have to change the offense significantly if you, you. Sam gets two good years and by Thanksgiving of Milro's second year, he's playing. He's a remarkable athlete and a hardworking, great kid. He's a bit mechanical, so I, my comp for him is a much, much. I don't see Lamar Jackson, who's more fluid as an athlete. I don't see Lamar Jackson at all. Lamar was always sinewy, moved well, very fluid, fluid, very beautifully fluid athlete. Anthony Richardson is a bit more mechanical. Jalen's very mechanical, but unlike Richardson, he has streaks of accuracy. He throws a really pretty accurate deep ball, but he is one of those he's transitioning from. I mean, Jalen with his shirt off at the combine looks like a Mike linebacker like, he is a great athlete. So I think you have to be totally patient. He's very much about where he lands. If Anthony Richardson had not played yet and this was his first time playing this year, it may be a different version, but we've seen all those mistakes. And what happens when you have to play early and you're not ready? You lose people in the front office, you lose the locker room guys want to win and you don't. So if Jalen could come in and just sit for two years, that's his best course to succeed.

[Jordan]

Yeah. And we've seen a lot of quarterbacks. Jalen hurts guys that have come in and not played right away and then had success. You mentioned Richardson. See, I would wonder if his lack of success his first two years in Indy hurts someone like Milroe, who probably isn't ready to play right now, needs a year, maybe two. Does that hurt someone like him? Because you see, okay, this is not a path to success.

[Joel Klatt]

I don't know. I have a hard time not drafting a player because a player from the same school. Yeah, I don't. Yeah, I just. Anthony Richardson played 13 college games, and at best, he was a risky pick.

[Jordan]

Yeah. And they took him fourth.

[Joel Klatt]

Yeah, he was a. At best. You know, remember, Indy got trapped because Andrew Luck retired, and then Irsay got impulsive and said, Carson Wentz, get out of here. So the Colts, Chris Ballard has basically been bailing water at quarterback for multiple years. None of it his fault.

[Jordan]

Yeah.

[Joel Klatt]

So they. They were forced into an Anthony Reeves. Chris Ballard would have never picked him there if he. He could have had still Carson Wentz or Philip Rivers.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

You know, and you mentioned Ursay, too. Last point I'll make is some of these franchises in this year's draft, for example, Cleveland, Haslam, Giants, Mera, you wonder how much the owner will be involved when it comes to quarterback. That's something to really, really monitor. And we just heard Joe Klatt say that the Giants have done a lot of work on Shadora Sanders dating back to October. So you would. You would think. As to your point, they already know who he is. You know, there's no real reason to go to Boulder unless you really feel like there's a smoke screen, which is what you're. What you've been saying. The Bears have made some moves this offseason, headlined by bringing in Ben Johnson. Another addition was former Rams guard Jonah Jackson, who had an injury plague season, missing 13 games. Jonah Jackson talked about how Chicago is a great place for him to revitalize his career saying, quote, all that matters is how you bounce back. I'm excited to get back to it, string a full season together and get a damn ring. It's worth noting that Chicago has made a lot of upgrades, grades on their offensive line, including Drew Dahlman, the center from Atlanta. The Bears have not won a playoff game since 2010. I thought the Ben Johnson hire was the perfect hire. I also recognize that this roster, although improved, is still probably a year away, but I do think they have a chance to win 9, 10.

[Joel Klatt]

Yeah, I don't think the roster's a year away from anything. I think it's a really good roster. I mean, if I, if you gave me their 10 best players and I went, you know, Caleb Williams is somewhere in there, sweat. Jalen Johnson, D.J. moore, Dunes A year two Dolman, Joe.

[Jordan]

Tuney, you get a good tight end.

[Joel Klatt]

No, Cole Comet, you get to about seven or eight players. They're all good. This is not Carolina's roster. You've got seven or eight. I mean, Keenan Allen would be like nine. Yeah.

[Jordan]

The problem is that division, I mean, Minnesota, Green Bay, Detroit.

[Joel Klatt]

I don't think it's a, I don't think it's a talent issue. I said this about Denver. When Sean Payton took it over. They had Garrett Bowles, they had Cortland Sutton, they had a good rush end from Oklahoma. They had a running back I like. They had a safety I love. They had the best corner in the game. They had linebackers that ran well. It's like Sean Payton just had to get quarterback right. And it's like, oh, they're a playoff team. Chicago's roster is very much like Denver. If they can get the quarterback right, you can, you can make the playoffs with the Bears roster. This is not a rebuild. This is a good roster.

[Jordan]

Yeah, he also, Ben Johnson also brought a lot of his staff from Detroit. There'll be a lot of, I think, synergy there already, which is sometimes hard for a first year head coach that doesn't have the staff in place.

[Joel Klatt]

Joe Tunis, a top three guard. They got him. Drew Dolman's a top five center. They got him.

[Jordan]

Yeah.

[Joel Klatt]

So, I mean, they, they. And they love their right tackle. So it's like three of their five linemen are elite. They really like.

[Jordan]

So really it just comes down to the quarterback and there's no reason to believe he won't be significantly improvement.

[Joel Klatt]

What if they get Ashton Genty? Then all of a sudden the running back room is like, wow, okay. Because the tight end room's good. Receiver room's good.

[Jordan]

Yeah.

[Joel Klatt]

Coach offensively is clever. O lines fixed. The Bears issue is they have been so Pittsburgh. Their whole identity has always been defense. And you know the packers over the last 30 years, their identity's been offense. Look who's still winning. So the league pivoted to offense. The Bears, to their credit with this hire in this offseason, have said, okay, we don't want to be the stewards. Let's go spend money on offense. Let's go get cheap and draft defense.

[Jordan]

Yeah, I agree. Speaking of defense, maybe offense. Travis Hunter, easily one of the most intriguing draft prospects in recent memory due to his two way ability. Now, Hunter has met with many teams in the lead up to the draft calling, all of which haven't had any issues with him playing on both sides of the ball. However, Hunter made it very clear that if a team did tell him to pick just one position, he said he'd rather, quote, never play football again. Now, I think, I think the NFL is looking at this wrong. I think Travis Hunter is Shohei Ohtani. If I told you, Colin, you could have Shohei Ohtani, would you be interested in him? Yes. Travis Hunter, he played 753 snaps on offense, 87% and over 83% on defense. He can do it. Now, I don't know if that means he can do both all the time, but the fact that he is so smart, so gifted and so special and the fact that this is key. Deion already said the time in between plays isn't really an issue. And you get more time, 36 seconds in the NFL compared to 32 in college, he'll have more time to adjust. I just think Travis Hunter, if we're really looking at him as a generational prospect, which he is on both sides of the ball, then not only should he be in contention to be the number one overall pick, but we should be looking at him like a future all Pro.

[Joel Klatt]

Well, I think in 2025, I would put him on offense and then I would use him on defense, but I would, I would make him a centerpiece. Offensively, he is long, fast, athletic, incredible catching radius. I just think in today's game, get him to the offensive side, get him 65 snaps. If I get him 28 snaps on defense. And by the way, anybody that gets him at the top of the draft's a bad team. If you want to play him 100 snaps, go for it. But I do think going forward there's a lot more money catching the ball than defending it.

[Jordan]

Sure, yeah, but, but I just Think if he wants to do it and you've seen the tape, that he can, then he should be given the opportunity.

[Joel Klatt]

I don't know how many happy employees are better employees. Let him play both.

[Jordan]

Yeah, especially if he's in a bad team and he can really learn both because it's going to help him playing both positions. You know, it'll help him understand it. To the NBA where the playoffs tip off tonight in the play in game. We talked a lot about this. Hawks, Magic, Grizzlies, Warriors. Odds makers have given the Thunder a slight edge over the Celts to win the Larry O'Brien plus 180. Boston just behind them plus 190. Here's the rest of the top five. So it goes Thunder, Celtics, Cavs, Lakers, Warriors, warriors plus 1500. The public's betting favorite are the Lakers plus 1300. Where do you stand?

[Joel Klatt]

I would put the Celtics ahead of the Thunder. I'd go Celtics, Celtics, Lakers, Thunder, Cavs, Cavs fourth only because warriors are too high. Cavs fourth only because they have to face the Celtics should be number one. We're, we're undervaluing how deep and good they are. They have, they have nine guys who can shoot, pass and hit a three. Nobody in the league can match that. So Celtics should be number one. Put them in any order after that. I do think we're, we're, we're overvaluing the Clippers late regular season surge and we're undervaluing how good the Lakers three headed playmaker Luca Austin LeBron is in the class. You get into playoff games and it's 104 each, three and a half to go. Nobody except Boston in this league has three guys who you trust to take a shot except the Lakers. I think the Lakers offensively are and again I'm not counting Rui from the corner. Jackson Hayes kind of a pogo stick, you know, alley oop guy. I think the Lakers are, they're not a great defensive team but I you know Denver won a title several years ago and it was middle of the pack bench and defense. So I don't think that's the be all end all.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

When you the only way to do it and Denver by the way is +3000 is if you have a truly transcendent player. The Lakers have two of them. So even though they don't have that necessarily big. You mentioned Jackson Hayes blocked some shots. The fact that they have two, three closers is pretty significant.

[Joel Klatt]

Jordan with the news. Well that's the news and thanks for stopping by The Herd line news. Good show today. Nick Wright was, as usual, very entertaining. Joel Klatt stopped by as well. Yeah, good show today. Nick Wright's around the corner. The the warriors tonight, they're seven point favorites. They got actually a very fortuitous matchup. Memphis is a team that's talented but young and not always trustable in big spots. So the warriors, and it depends on the night, they're not always a wildly dynamic team. If Buddy Heald and staff are both hitting threes, watch out. But I like the warriors tonight. I'm, I'm, I'm not sure how close it is. I, I like Golden State to win. This is a really good matchup for them. But keep your eye on the warriors because this Jonathan Kaminga situation. Yeah, very interested to see if he plays. Not playing him Sunday is kind of a signal that, hey, NBA, he's available. And they were really hoping when they got Butler and got hot that he would be the next piece, but it's not working. All right, we'll see you tomorrow. It's the Herd.

[Jeremy Hobson]

We live in a divided country, and 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. Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Greg Rosenthal]

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 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Joel Klatt]

What's up, everyone?

[Colin Cowherd]

Julie Swearbinks here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

[Unknown]

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Joel Klatt]

The Name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Unknown]

Each week will get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

[Jordan]

Exactly.

[Colin Cowherd]

And you'll never know who will drop.

[Joel Klatt]

By to join us.

[Unknown]

Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

[Joel Klatt]

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.

[Jordan]

Or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joel Klatt]

You have to be very careful with.

[Unknown]

Tradition, because sometimes tradition is just dead people's baggage.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm Jemele Hill, host of the sports and politics podcast Spolitics. On this week's episode, I talk with comedian Roy Wood Jr. About the lack of African American star power in Major League Baseball.

[Unknown]

Baseball needs an Anthony Edwards, and I don't know who that could be. Mookie Betts is Steph Curry. He's exceptional and likable. Million Dollar Smile. But you also need Chaos Negro.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen to Politics on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.