Hour 3 - More on Aaron Rodgers

Summary

Summary of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" - Hour 3: More on Aaron Rodgers (Released March 19, 2025)

The Herd with Colin Cowherd’s third hour, titled "More on Aaron Rodgers," offers an in-depth exploration of current sports narratives, focusing primarily on college basketball, the evolution of NFL positions, and an insightful conversation with NFL veteran Mercedes Lewis. Hosted by Colin Cowherd and produced by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume, this episode provides listeners with a comprehensive analysis of the sports landscape as of March 2025.

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Regional Passion for March Madness

The episode opens with Colin Cowherd reflecting on the intense regional enthusiasm surrounding March Madness. He notes the geographical biases that influence the popularity of sporting events, emphasizing how the Northeast's deep connection to college basketball contrasts with other regions.

Notable Quote:

• Colin Cowherd (04:34): “My Northeast friends, they take work off for it.”

Colin discusses how March Madness has become a cultural phenomenon, particularly in the Northeast and Tobacco Road areas. He contrasts this with the West Coast's more subdued engagement, where watching games is often a social activity rather than a fervent obsession.

The Evolution of College Basketball and NIL Impact

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the transformation of college basketball, driven by Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policies. Colin highlights how these changes encourage top players to remain in college longer, enhancing team performance and fan engagement.

Notable Quote:

• Colin Cowherd (05:55): “We are becoming an event culture.”

He elaborates on the benefits of NIL, stating that it allows colleges like Duke to retain their best talent unless a player is exceptionally outstanding. This trend not only improves the quality of college basketball but also solidifies its status as a premier sporting event.

In-Depth Interview with Mercedes Lewis

The heart of the episode is an engaging interview with Mercedes Lewis, a distinguished NFL tight end with 19 years of experience. The conversation delves into the evolution of the tight end position, Mercedes’s personal career journey, and her insights on maintaining longevity in a physically demanding sport.

Notable Quotes:

• Mercedes Lewis (17:30): “Now, teams are starting to get more guys, you know, more depth at these different positions to kind of take the workload off of the number one guys.”
• Mercedes Lewis (19:14): “But my mentality is what sets me apart. Having a routine and my adaptability as well.”

Mercedes discusses how modern NFL teams are adapting by increasing depth at various positions, allowing star players to remain fresh and effective throughout the season. She attributes her long career to mental resilience, a robust routine, and adaptability, emphasizing that these traits are crucial for enduring success in professional sports.

Perspectives on Aaron Rodgers’s Career and Future

A significant segment of the conversation shifts to Aaron Rodgers, examining his illustrious career and contemplating his future in the NFL. Colin and Mercedes share their perspectives on whether Rodgers might retire or seek a new team.

Notable Quotes:

• Mercedes Lewis (26:34): “My guess would maybe be the Steelers.”
• Colin Cowherd (50:27): “I think he may retire… it’s a 50 called a career and again, an unbelievable career.”

Mercedes speculates that Rodgers might consider a move to the Pittsburgh Steelers, given his strong relationship with Coach Tomlin and the Steelers' strategic needs. Both agree that Rodgers's dedication and passion for football are unparalleled, making his next move highly anticipated.

The Cyclical Nature of Sports Popularity

Colin reflects on the cyclical trends in sports popularity, noting the shifts from boxing to UFC and the enduring dominance of the NFL. He expresses optimism about baseball's current favorable cycle, praising teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, and Cubs for their success and broad regional appeal.

Notable Quote:

• Colin Cowherd (10:00): “Baseball right now is in a great cycle.”

He also touches upon the NBA's potential resurgence, suggesting that with strategic team developments and healthy key players, sectors like the Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks could become title contenders.

Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

As the episode winds down, Colin reiterates his admiration for Moses Lewis and underscores the importance of mental fortitude and adaptability in achieving sustained success. The conversation closes with light-hearted banter about potential future collaborations and predictions for the upcoming sports seasons.

Notable Quote:

• Mercedes Lewis (24:49): “I’ll be ready when that time comes.”

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Key Takeaways

• Regional Influences: The fervor for March Madness varies significantly across different regions, with the Northeast showing exceptional enthusiasm.

• NIL Impact: Name, Image, and Likeness policies have positively impacted college basketball by enabling top players to extend their collegiate careers.

• Career Longevity: Mental resilience, routine, and adaptability are crucial for long-term success in professional sports, as exemplified by Mercedes Lewis’s career.

• Aaron Rodgers: Rodgers’s future remains a topic of speculation, with potential moves or retirement being key points of discussion.

• Sports Cycles: Sports popularity is cyclical, with different sports rising and falling in prominence over time. Current trends show a strong phase for baseball and promising developments for the NBA.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Colin Cowherd (04:34): “My Northeast friends, they take work off for it.”
• Colin Cowherd (05:55): “We are becoming an event culture.”
• Mercedes Lewis (17:30): “Now, teams are starting to get more guys, you know, more depth at these different positions to kind of take the workload off of the number one guys.”
• Mercedes Lewis (19:14): “But my mentality is what sets me apart. Having a routine and my adaptability as well.”
• Mercedes Lewis (26:34): “My guess would maybe be the Steelers.”
• Colin Cowherd (50:27): “I think he may retire… it’s a 50 called a career and again, an unbelievable career.”

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd successfully combines personal anecdotes, expert interviews, and insightful analysis to provide listeners with a nuanced understanding of the current sports environment. Whether discussing the fervor of March Madness, the strategic evolution of NFL positions, or the future of legendary players like Aaron Rodgers, this episode stands out as a comprehensive exploration of today's top sports stories.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio and noon to three EAs, 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.

[Unknown Speaker]

Now let's get this party started.

[Colin Cowherd]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. There we go. It's hour three. I was thinking about this J Mac. Certain things are bigger on certain coasts. The UFC overwhelmingly started in Vegas and la. So when I worked at the other place over a decade ago or about a decade ago, I can remember going to them and saying, there's this sport called ufc and my friends think it's awesome. And they're like, no, it's too much. And I'm like, I'm just telling you, it's Hollywood celebrities, people going to UFC. This was like 15 years ago. I said, you should go buy it. Well, they ended up, you know, buying it for about 12 times the multiple they could have had it for. So I, I remember that. And a lot of that was just a geographical bias. Grow up in the Northeast. It started out west, obviously, Saturdays in the fall are much bigger in the south than they are anywhere else in the country. Midwest, they're big too. But in the Northeast, in the Fall, you're just going out with your wife or your friends because it's Sunday, football day, NFL day. March Madness, to me, has always felt bigger in the Northeast and Tobacco Road than everywhere else in the country. Because you grew up with the ACC in the Big east. And I was a West coast kid, so I grew up, you know, I grew up in the West Coast. My favorite conference was the Big east. Second was the PAC 12. I, I didn't even, you know, I didn't care about big 10 sec. I mean, it just didn't care about it. To me, I'm a, I'm a fairly young college guy in my early 20s. All I cared about was Louis Carneseca and, you know, Rolly Massimino or what, whatever this, you know, Rick Patino and John Thompson, Patrick, you. And however old I was at that time, I'm on the exact opposite side of the country, 3,400 miles away. I was totally into the Big east, so I love March Madness. But I've noticed you are a northeast guy. My Northeast friends, they take work off for it.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

My friends out west are like, yeah, I may get down to, you know, a bar and I'm gonna watch some of the, like, late afternoon games. People in the Northeast, like, they will travel to Vegas for a four day weekend to watch the game. So it's. We take it off as a show. We take Thursday, Friday off because we want to watch the games.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And we know we're going to have no audience. So my takeaway is, you know, that's the way we're going to be. You know, it's also like when I went to espn, I. One of the reasons I went there is I wanted to go to the heart of baseball country. So I had worked in Tampa, so I worked in the sec. I knew how big college football. I lived in all four corners of the country. I was in Vegas. I Know what boxing's like? They have boxing. Tyson, Sugar Ray, Hagler, Hearns. I'm 20 years old. That's what I was covering. And I was covering UNLV basketball. So in my moves around the country, every region is different. There's no. Every single region is totally different. March Madness is just different. East and Tobacco Road, it's just. It is everything. People live for it. There are writers, most of your great college basketball writers, most of them. They're all in that area of the country.

[Unknown Speaker]

I remember coming out here and a bunch of guys played basketball on a certain night on night. And I was like, guys, I can't play. I got to watch the national championship college football. And they were like, oh, can't you just miss the first half? And I was like, no, it's the national championship, and they're still playing games. I don't know, Colin. I. I love. Like you said, March Madness. I'm. I'm grateful that we're off.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, you know, we are. This is what I think helps college. There's two things helping college basketball a lot going forward. Nil.

[Unknown Speaker]

Oh, yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay. Like now, a lot of these kids would just stay. They'll stay one more year at Duke unless you're a Cooper flag in the best player in the country. So that helps. Instead of going to the G League. Well, we can pay more than the G League and you get a better coach. And the second thing that helps college basketball, we are becoming an event culture. So baseball, the NBA, and hockey are finding this out Monday through Thursday, Monday through Friday. It is harder to get TV ratings because we all got the phone and the TikTok. We're all distracted. World cup still gets great numbers. NFL gets great numbers. The Olympics, great, great numbers.

[Unknown Speaker]

Big east tournament and the Big Ten.

[Colin Cowherd]

Tournament got massive numbers because they're seen as events.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yes.

[Colin Cowherd]

So that's. And that's why College Football Playoff. Now, it's. We're not used to it yet. Last year was okay. Over the course of the next five or six years, it will become more of our schedule. It's like, hey, I'm not going here. I'm not going to ski this weekend. I'm watching, like, four college football games. But college basketball's had a lean 20 years where, like, the NBA almost marginalized them. They got two great things going for them. The NIL is going to keep some of your best players for one more year. So let's be honest. I can remember having a moment. I never forget this. I. I used to go by street and Smith was a magazine. And I, you know, I'm, I'm Phil Steele. For football, I would buy street and Smith, and I would buy that. So I would spend a weekend reading it. So I knew when the college season came, I had, you know, all the players down. I never forget going to a grocery store, however many years. This was ago, 18 years ago or something. The street and Smith all American team had three freshmen who I'd never heard of because they were in high school the year before. And it was like a Michigan State guy, a Kansas guy, and then guys I'd never heard of. And I'm like, this is a problem. Yeah, I'm a fan. I was at unlv. I covered the Rebels. Like, I'm a fan of college basketball. I never even heard of the best players. Forget the third tier guys. I don't even know the best players. So I think college basketball, we saw it last year with the March Madness ratings. I also think women's college basketball is benefiting greatly. They don't leave early. I found myself watching the WNBA draft this year. I knew the top eight players, knew all of them. NBA draft. I mean, unless you eat brie cheese, wear socks to bed and smoke cigarettes and follow French basketball leagues, you had no idea who the first eight guys were. Yeah, I mean, it was literally, I'm like, who? I'm not going to go on the Internet. And, you know, it was Frenchie Sacre blues shooting. God. Sorry, you lost me. I'm watching March Madness. So I think sports are cyclical. Boxing was big. Now it's ufc. By the way, UFC has their own challenges. Their pay per view numbers are down. Some of people are saying they're looking for the next Conor McGregor. So, like, the NFL is kind of bulletproof, even UFC. And I'm just reading this on the Internet, like the pay per view is down because they're, you know, they need Jon Jones, Conor McGregor. I bought every car. Those guy was on. Those guys are on. I am less inclined. Not that I don't like it, but there, there have been occasional cards where I'm like, I can miss this one. There's not the guy.

[Unknown Speaker]

So Ronda Rousey have a big moment?

[Colin Cowherd]

He did. And that's not a knock on the league. The NBA. Jimmy Butler to the Warriors, Luca to the Lakers. Rating shoot up. Yeah, take the NFL out. All these sports. I, you know, I love college football. People ask me, for about a decade, you don't talk college football anymore. And I said, it's become regional. It's Clemson, George Obama, nobody. Denver west cares. I'm on Seattle radio, L.A. radio. Phoenix, they don't care. The minute you're regional, you're uninteresting to a syndicated host. I don't care. So that's why I. That's why, like baseball right now. I don't understand ESPN not having baseball. Yankees are good. Mets are good. Dodgers are good. Cubs are interesting. Braves are good. You have every big region covered. All the best. Philadelphia is good. If you could. In Major League Baseball, if you could, okay, pick the five teams you want to be good, you'd go Dodgers, Yankees, Braves. If you ever been to the south, everybody all summer wears a Braves hat. Phillies, Phillies, Mets, Cubs. And. And by the way, Houston or Texas wouldn't hurt either. All those teams are good, like you. So baseball right now is in a great cycle. And I. And I've said this. The NBA could get so lucky. Cooper flag goes at least to the final four. And then Chicago wins the lottery. Because right now, think of the symmetry in the NBA. Two biggest markets on the West Coast, LA and San Francisco, great TV ratings. Two biggest markets on the East Coast, New York, Boston, great numbers. They're missing Chicago now. And I will argue that Dallas, when these guys get healthy, that Dallas team is good. I'll argue that all day long.

[Unknown Speaker]

We'll see, we'll see, we'll see. When Kyrie comes.

[Colin Cowherd]

PJ Gafford AD Kyrie, they gotta all get help. If they get healthy next year, Dallas is a title contender.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah. Keep an eye on Houston. If they get Kevin Durant, there's a chance. Houston's pretty good. What? Top five in the West.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, but it's just, it's funny. You have such passion for March Madness. And I have another friend who just is like, you like, it's just. I mean, J. Mac, yesterday, during a break, he's like, hey, thanks for getting us these days off. And I'm like. And it's like that. That's a very east coast thing. Like, I'm gonna watch. I'm gonna watch basketball for four days.

[Unknown Speaker]

When I told my family that you got us the two days off, I didn't get actually said, this is not a lie. I almost wanted to hug Colin. Like, I was so happy. Colin, when I worked normal jobs before I got out here, I would pretend to be sick leading up to the Thursday, Friday. So then I just call in Thursday, I'm not feeling good. I got to stay home because I was coughing yesterday, remember? And I would fake like a sickness just to stay home and watch the tournament.

[Colin Cowherd]

I've never done.

[Unknown Speaker]

That's how much I love.

[Colin Cowherd]

I've never done that.

[Unknown Speaker]

You're lying. You've done that.

[Colin Cowherd]

No. Influenza does not keep me away. No, but I mean, part of this was. I mean, it was out of respect to the audience. Thursday and Friday, nobody watches because it's an American event. And I've learned in my career, don't go up against events. You can go up against games all the time. You're not going to compete against March Madness, the World cup, the Olympics, an NFL game. You're not going to compete against it. America and I. So it's just fun to watch the cyclical nature of all these sports. And I think college basketball and baseball have a really. They got some Runway here to do some special stuff. I mean, I'm, I am genuinely into the Dodgers and that Cub series. Like, genuinely. I don't set my alarm for 3:45 in the morning for a lot of things. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Colin Cowherd]

A new way to keep your teen.

[Unknown Speaker]

Safer as they grow.

[Colin Cowherd]

Like making sure they always have their seatbelt on.

[Unknown Speaker]

Alright, sweetie pie, buckle up.

[Colin Cowherd]

Good job.

[Unknown Speaker]

Or ring the bell on their bike. Okay, kid, give it a try.

[Colin Cowherd]

Nice.

[Unknown Speaker]

Or remember their elbow pads.

[Colin Cowherd]

Knees too.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay. Yep, there you go. New Instagram teen accounts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Automatic protections for who can contact your teen and the content they can see.

[Ed Helms]

Prohibition. It's no secret that banning alcohol didn't stop people from living it up in the 1920s.

[Colin Cowherd]

When we're five years into prohibition, the government is starting to go, okay, this isn't working.

[Ed Helms]

In fact, you might even say it backfired spectacularly. I'm Ed Helms, and on season three of my podcast, SNAFU, we're taking you back to the 1920s and the tale of Formula Six. Because what you probably don't know about Prohibition is that American citizens were dying in massive numbers due to poisoned liquor. And all along an unlikely duo was trying desperately to stop the corruption behind it.

[Unknown Speaker]

They were like superhero crusaders turning the page on a system that didn't work, wasn't fair, and was corrupt.

[Ed Helms]

So how did Prohibition's war on alcohol go so off the rails that the government wound up poisoning its own people? To find out, listen and subscribe to snafu on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jeremy Hobson]

We live in a divided country.

[Colin Cowherd]

I am a lifelong Republican with all.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Kinds of different people.

[Colin Cowherd]

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.

[Unknown Speaker]

Anna, I'm calling from Las Vegas.

[Jeremy Hobson]

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

[Mercedes Lewis]

Thanks for having me, Jeremy.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Neil Degrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Thanks for having me.

[Jeremy Hobson]

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

[Unknown Speaker]

Hi, my name is Venkat.

[Colin Cowherd]

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.

[Colin Cowherd]

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.

[Colin Cowherd]

19 years in the NFL. How about that second oldest player looks great to Aaron Rodgers, by the way, who always appreciated you. Mercedes Lewis, the former UCLA Bruin. God, you were drafted back in 2006 by the Jags. That I remember your college career. So we were talking during the break. It is interesting. I can remember now. I'm old enough to remember when Benny Cunningham for the Steelers was like he make it a targeted game. And then you'd see Kellen Winslow and you're like, well that's a once out of 20 year player. It feels like there's a lot more Kellen Winslow. Ish guys coming out of college, what is the single biggest change at tight end from this past year to your rookie year?

[Mercedes Lewis]

Well, I would say obviously I came in at a time where it was more run, heavy play action pass, let's control the clock being an extra extension of the line and if we need you to stretch the field, great. Here you go. Catch a bone to come back and come block this power play, right? So as far as the change though, every, like Titans now are more spread out and I think the responsibility of the tight end is changing as time, you know, as time goes on. Right. Like you, when I came in, it was like, okay, you have your number one tight end and then, you know, you'll have two, two tight ends behind me. But they're not really going to be expected to do much work, right. It's stressor teams and if I need a break or my shoe comes untied, I'll come out, somebody comes in. Now what you're seeing, teams are starting to get more guys, you know, more depth at these different positions to kind of take the workload off of the number one guys. So for instance, Travis Kelsey, right, elite pass catcher, you know what you're going to get out of him? You want to keep him as fresh as possible, so you're going to have him there and then who's behind him? Noah Gray. You'll have Noah Gray. Who's your guy that can kind of do it. All right. And then the guy behind Noah Gray is going to be the more of utility guy, special teams guy, all in an effort to keep the number one guy healthy. Right. And continue to, to develop the guys behind Travis. But that's what it's more geared towards now. And I like it. It's kind of like when you think of like the running backs and you have like your, your guy is going to run in between the tackles, your bruiser, and then you got your guy that's catching, you know, catching the ball out the backfield, pitches, sweeps and things of that nature. But it keeps guys fresh. And throughout the course of a year, you need that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Some of, some of what you've done is, you know, I mean, I remember when you came out of college, it's like, could this guy play in the NBA? Remember Dave Winfield, the baseball player? You had a Dave Winfield quality. You're like, he just decided to play a sport. You could have played more than one. So. But I wonder how much of 19 years is just mindset. Do you think that matters?

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah, I think that's a good point. Obviously the physical part of this game, you know what you're signing up for. I've been playing football since I was 7 years old, and it's something that I've grown accustomed to. But my mentality is what sets me apart. And having a routine and my adaptability as well. The game is gonna evolve. It's gonna, you know, continue to evolve. And if you want to have a long career, then you have to find ways to kind of keep that edge and do the same. And obviously when I came out of ucla, pass catcher, setting records, touchdowns, all of that got to Jacksonville. Those first three years was kind of like a culture shock because we didn't pass the ball at the rate, you know, I caught the ball in college. But what that did was prepare me for what the road was going to be ahead. Right. And that was getting that gristle on my bones and really embracing the grind. And I've been able to weaponize the grind throughout my career. And you know, nowadays when the expectations are a certain way, I've already been through that, I know what it looks like. So I'm able to lead from the front and help the guys that are coming behind me and let them know that, like, this is truly a privilege to be in this league. And if you want to play for a long time and you know, you want to have a really successful career, it's about the grit and the grind and that's what I thrive off of.

[Colin Cowherd]

So Cole Comet, Notre Damer, I met him at the USC Notre Dame game. Really engaging guy.

[Mercedes Lewis]

That's my guy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Really nice guy. And so you were in Chicago. I'm. I'm moving the base of our show to Chicago and I'm going there after the show and wife's family's there is, you know, J. Mac is like, ah, I can't take the cold weather. Now you're a West coast guy. Can you at least acknowledge to J. Mac, Chicago's a fun time?

[Mercedes Lewis]

I will say this, obviously. I played 12 years in Jacksonville, five in Green Bay. I just finished my second in Chicago. I think the city of Chicago is probably one of my favorite cities I've ever been in. And I was born in Long Beach, I went to ucla. Right. Love, love la. This is where I'm from, this is where the family is. But Chicago is probably one of my favorite cities to ever be in architecture. Everything, man, the food is amazing.

[Colin Cowherd]

The people are just great. People dress up.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah, no, it's. And you mentioned Nicole, like, yes, it is cold. We do understand that. But like, I feel like I dress the best when it's cold. You know what I mean? I can layer up. I can wear my trench coats with my hoodies and everything.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay. I tell him that, you know, you know, when I tell my wife this, yeah. I'm like, man, you are. In the winter, she's got layers.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Come on. Yes.

[Colin Cowherd]

Like, that's got good looking people.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yes. That's what it's about. Like I'm telling you when it's hot outside sometimes and when I'm in my house, I don't even know what I'm wearing. Like I'll leave out with swim trunks, with a hoodie just because I'm like, well, maybe cold. You know how LA is, it's like, yeah, it says 78, but the breeze, like I don't give me something that I know if it's going to be 60. I'm addressed like it's 60 and I know exactly what I'm walking into. So I enjoy it like it's a good time.

[Colin Cowherd]

So we do worry a little about Caleb Williams and I've said this, I love him personally. I think he's a good guy. His and I think this was a fair, not even a criticism, it was a fair kind of summation of him in college sometimes. And I think a lot of this was he didn't trust his own line. He just wouldn't out them publicly is that he was kind of a big play guy. Instead of taking the layup, which that's the NFL Mahomes takes a lot of layups, no doubt. You know, Michael Jordan about twice a night was jaw dropping. Other than that, Michael hit a lot of 18 footers come down and then he was a little prone to go wild, play over, just boom, boom, boom. Did you sense a little bit of that early in him growing out of that?

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah, I think, you know, when you have a guy like Caleb and the ability that he has to get that ball out of his hand and throw off platform and make it look, make hard stuff look very easy. And if you're doing it in college and you've been able to get away with it in college, obviously the natural progressions when you come into the league, you're going to try to do some of those things. And so I think, you know, in his defense, obviously with our offense last year, yeah, the firing of coaches, it was a lot going on and he was just trying to do the best job he could at trying to take on all the information. Obviously the, the offense kind of like shifted midway through the season. Like it was just, it was just a lot going on for him. And I think that you know, obviously bringing Ben Johnson in and being able to pair him with Caleb and Caleb's ability to kind of be who he is and Ben is, is going to be able to get in there and get into his mind and kind of create this offense around Caleb so that you know he understands the structure and how things should work in the NFL. And, you know, you're not going to question Ben's ability to put guys in position to make plays and. Right. You know, it. I'm looking forward to watching it. It's going to be.

[Colin Cowherd]

Are you going to play again?

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm at 19, obviously, that's all fine and dandy, but 20, just, you know where. I don't know where yet. You know, there's been a few teams probing to kind of see if I'm going to continue to play. And so it's all in the universe's hands and I'm just going to do my job like I've always done this off season and train my butt off and I'll be ready when that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Would you like to go to Chicago?

[Mercedes Lewis]

Of course. That's best case scenario.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay. It is.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

What's second best case scenario? You know, Chargers could use a. They could use a tough guy.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah. I'm going to leave that open to interpretation. I'm not going to. Obviously, for me to put Chicago out there. I've been there the last two years. I'm familiar with you got guys, the process and you know, that work and what they expect and what's expected of me. Right. And obviously they got. They fired their coaching staff, but they kept my tight end coach, who I've had the last two years there, and so would be great to finish my career with him. Jim Dre is somebody that I respect a lot and he, you know, brings the best out of us in that room and being able to continue to watch Cole commit, kind of develop and do his thing as he comes into his own and, you know, would just be a blessing. So, you know, obviously what I can control is being. Being my personal best and working out and doing my thing, and I'll be ready when that time comes.

[Colin Cowherd]

So, you know Aaron. Well, I said I kind of thought he would. Minnesota works. I would have gone to Minnesota. I could see Aaron at this point saying, you know what I kept telling people, I think he likes New York. I think he's a smart guy, likes the city. It's fabric. I think New York is like Chicago.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Big smart cities for, you know, museums and architecture. And there's just. There's always somewhere to go in New York and Chicago or London. I could see him going to New York. They got a left tackle, offensive coach, weapon, great running back, draft. But I could also see Aaron saying, Listen, man, 41, a little bumpy at the end. First ballot hall of Famer. If you had to guess today, retirement, Steelers, Giants. Do you have a guess?

[Mercedes Lewis]

My guess would maybe be the Steelers.

[Colin Cowherd]

You like the Steelers. They don't have a left tackle. That worries me.

[Mercedes Lewis]

I think, I just think that him coming from the jets, obviously already being in New York, I don't know, me knowing a Rod, I don't know if you want to just go right over to the Giants after being with the jets. Like, I just, I feel like he want more of like just a. Something completely new, completely different, potentially get out of New York. I know him and Tomlin have a really good relationship and a good, you know, rapport there. And it's just a still city. I feel like that's the piece that they would need to potentially put them over the top as well. But if I, you know, was having a conversation with Aaron right now about coming back, I would just say chase joy, not happiness. Happiness is fleeting. If you don't find joy in football and everything that comes with it anymore, as far as, you know, being scrutinized and everybody picking you apart from the outside, you've done enough. You know, you are one of the best that have ever done it. And like you said, first ballot and a really good friend of mine. So I just, whatever it is, take the time to kind of figure that out. He always knows he can lean on me and hit me up whenever he wants to kind of sort through it, but he's definitely done enough. So it'd be interesting to see.

[Colin Cowherd]

Is he misunderstood?

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah, I mean, I think for people that don't know me, I would be misunderstood as well. You know what I mean? Like, it's just one of those things like if you don't know somebody personally, you're going to form your own opinions based on secondhand and third hand information that you've gotten. And does a rod kind of provoke it a little bit because he knows.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think I've said this before, he can be combative, no doubt, with his family. I'm not making stuff up and I've said and I, I've met Aaron once at the SBS very, very quick and even in that little 45 second moment, he's got a big opinion and he'll tell you and he didn't know me and I'll never say what was said, but my take is that's who he is.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah, I mean, yeah, exactly. I mean, I. That's just who he is. And if you don't really have the time to kind of like sit there and get to know him and be with him on the day in and day out basis, your opinion is probably going to be just like everybody else's opinion that don't really know him. And so, you know, I'm grateful to have had those moments with him. And, you know, we've actually spent holidays together and, you know, spent a lot of time together kind of picking his brain. And it's just a different psychosis that makes you great. And he's one of those guys.

[Colin Cowherd]

And he loves football.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah, he loves it, man. Just how he prepares, how he comes to work, you know, a lot of people don't understand too is. And I'll leave it with this, you know, friendships and connections as far as who you respect at the professional level, even really at the college level, is based on how you come to work and what you. What you do in the film room, how you are on the field, how you treat people around the building like that. That's your value. And if you're one of those guys that does it the right way and he is, and how he leaves from the front in the building, you're going to be best friends. And if you're not, you know, he's gonna. He's gonna find out real quick. You know, a Rod is one of those guys. Like, he's not. He's not necessarily going to pull you aside and, hey, man, I don't really like this. He's just not going to talk to you. You know what I mean? Like, that's just what it is.

[Colin Cowherd]

Everybody's different.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Who's the biggest trash talker you line up against? Career and currently a guy that, like Max Crosby, he said he's like a radio announcer. Like, he's just talking.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah. So dang. Max. Max does talk a lot, but Max backs it up a lot. So he could. He could say whatever.

[Colin Cowherd]

Handful.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah, He's. He's a dude. And he's one of those guys. Whether it's Max Crosby, Miles Garrett, whenever I've gone against those two guys, I know that the night, like, the night before, my body feels different. Why? Because I know that, like, come Sunday morning, I'm gonna need all of what I have in order to get my job done. And I think that's the beauty of competition in general. And if I don't feel that, then there may be an issue, and I have to, like, sometimes muster that up. Right. And.

[Colin Cowherd]

And Max is one of those guys. Yeah, it's just different.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah, it's just different. You just know that you're gonna get. You're Gonna. You're gonna get a handful. Every single play, nonstop. This is what it is. Whether you block him. Great. Just know that the next play, he's coming after you and. But that's what I thrive off of. Like, that's. You don't have guys like that no more. Like, Max is an old school guy.

[Colin Cowherd]

He is a raider from the 70s.

[Mercedes Lewis]

You know what I mean? Like, he's just an old school guy. And, like, I think for me, that's what I appreciate more, are guys that are that way. And you're gonna have guys that talk a lot, but if you're not backing it up like that, then it becomes whatever, right? Like, you can watch the film and he jumps off the film every single place. You know what you're getting, right? And you know, those are the type of guys you respect every day. So.

[Colin Cowherd]

Man, we only get you, like, twice a year.

[Mercedes Lewis]

I know, man, I gotta.

[Colin Cowherd]

You're busy. You have a life.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah, I gotta stop by more.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, no, no, no. It's not your responsibility. I'll just have to fire my guest booker. It's no big deal. So you. Do you still live over by my favorite restaurant?

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah, so I'm still over there. I'm actually now in Studio City, though. I moved down. I just wanted to try something a little different. It was. Mendocino was kind of far.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, yeah.

[Mercedes Lewis]

You know, coming back this way. But I'm enjoying Studio City and I'm there for now, so we'll see.

[Colin Cowherd]

Man, I'd love to see you with the Bears.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Oh, man, let's see what happens.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm in the burbs now, too.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah, no, they have my number.

[Colin Cowherd]

Boring. But, you know, I like it.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Like, I like being just far enough away. But if I want to go get it, you know, I mean, it's la.

[Colin Cowherd]

So maybe who's the biggest personality in the Bear? Like a funny guy. Every locker room's got a funny guy.

[Mercedes Lewis]

I would say DJ Moore. DJ is like. He's unassuming too. Like, DJs quiet at, like, face value. But, like, once you get to know him, it's pranks, jokes. Like, he's. He's a dude. I love dj.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's also a great player.

[Mercedes Lewis]

No doubt.

[Colin Cowherd]

Mercedes Lewis. What a pleasure. Maybe we'll go into business someday.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Let's do it.

[Colin Cowherd]

I got a podcast company, Sign Me up, which is very popular. Kids like it.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yeah. We've been talking about this for a long time now, and I got one more that I want to get. Get 20 and then.

[Colin Cowherd]

Wow.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Let's get it, man.

[Colin Cowherd]

Not like you'd need it, but you're gonna have quite a pension.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Hey, you know what's funny about that is, like, you don't really think about those things because you're, you're literally in the grind. And then guys don't necessarily play for this long, so you don't really even. Yeah, but here's the wild thing. Yes, there'll be a pension there, but it's more so like some of the things you can't even have access to to your 45. I'll be 41 in May. Like, who finishes playing. And then like, if I wanted to, it's like, oh, yeah, cool. Two or three years, I could just.

[Colin Cowherd]

You could be president, like in 42. The number on presidency. Think I just retire bears and run for office. Believe me, we could, we could use lots of leadership. Oh, my gosh, Mercedes, look, great seeing you, buddy.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Likewise. Appreciate you, brother.

[Colin Cowherd]

Appreciate it. Back in a second. 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.

[Steve Covino]

Hey, it's Steve Covino and I'm Rich Davis. Together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved, too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino Enriched 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 KO Vino and Rich, wherever you get your podcast. And of course, on social media, that's Covino and Rich with amex.

[Jason McIntyre]

There's always a new experience to explore, from curating the perfect vacation and chilling in the Centurion Lounge before you get there trying out that new trendy restaurant. Thanks to priority notify with global dining access by resy and getting straight to the action at the big game. With card member entrances at select venues with AMEX Platinum, you can experience it all. That's the powerful background. Speaking of American Express terms apply. Access to the card member entrance not limited to the American Express Platinum card. Learn [e-mail] with Amex.

[Unknown Speaker]

Introducing Instagram Teen accounts. A new way to keep your teen safer as they grow. Like making sure they've got the right gear for writing.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Knee pads.

[Unknown Speaker]

Check.

[Colin Cowherd]

And helmet.

[Unknown Speaker]

Done.

[Colin Cowherd]

See you, dad.

[Unknown Speaker]

New Instagram teen accounts. Automatic protections for who can contact your teen and the content they can see.

[Ed Helms]

Prohibition. It's no secret that banning alcohol didn't stop people from living it up in the 1920s.

[Unknown Speaker]

When we're five years into prohibition, the.

[Colin Cowherd]

Government is starting to go, okay, this isn't working.

[Ed Helms]

In fact, you might even say it backfired spectacularly. I'm Ed Helms, and on season three of my podcast, Snafu, we're taking you back to the 1920s and the tale of Formula 6. Because what you probably don't know about Prohibition is that American citizens were dying in massive numbers due to poisoned liquor. And all along, an unlikely duo was trying desperately to stop the corruption behind it.

[Unknown Speaker]

They were like superhero crusaders turning the page on a system that didn't work, wasn't fair, and was corrupt.

[Ed Helms]

So how did Prohibition's war on alcohol go so off the rails that the government wound up poisoning its own people? To find out, listen and subscribe to snafu on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jeremy Hobson]

We live in a divided country.

[Colin Cowherd]

I am a lifelong Republican with all.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Kinds of different people.

[Colin Cowherd]

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.

[Unknown Speaker]

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.

[Unknown Speaker]

Thanks for having me.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Jeremy.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Neil Degrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Thanks for having me.

[Jeremy Hobson]

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

[Unknown Speaker]

Hi, my name is Venkat.

[Colin Cowherd]

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.

[Colin Cowherd]

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.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, let's close out strong. Final 12 minutes off tomorrow and Friday. We're watching March Madness. You're watching March Madness. And I appreciate that. It was. So I talked to Mercedes Lewis for about eight minutes during the break. That guy is gonna end up being a. A front office exec of some renowned. Over the course of his time.

[Unknown Speaker]

I saw the way you were gushing over him. That's how I act around Mark Sanchez, you know, former jets quarterback. He's here. I'm always like, sanchez, talk to me.

[Colin Cowherd]

Mercedes knows everybody in the league completely, right? Temperament to be an executive. You know what I mean? Like, he's just even. You don't get highs and lows. It's all matter. It's all common sense.

[Unknown Speaker]

I think you told me you like that about me. When I show I'm very even. No, I don't get high. You're never get too high, never too low.

[Colin Cowherd]

Your game on the court is like your personality. A lot of gunning, not quite prepared. Just let it rip. And mostly successful, but occasional airballs.

[Unknown Speaker]

Hey, like Giannis. You showed video of Giannis throwing up air balls from the free throw line. I think he's one of the best players in the league. Or is he washed at 30? I don't.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. All right. Let's end strong. It's called tomorrow's headlines. Today we head into March Madness. I can't wait for this. What. What is the headline for the first big upset?

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay, so they came to me. They were like, j. Mac, let's do some upsets. So listen, it's tough. They're tough, okay? You got to pick some. You got to lie down with some dogs and get some possible fleas. So, Colin, I'm looking at Purdue and High Point, and I know you know a lot about High Point. Yeah, Panthers, very strong team. The headline will be, per, don't do drugs. Boilermakers get smoked by High Point. Now, listen, Purdue obviously had a great season last year with Zach Edie. Yeah. Went all the way to the national championship.

[Colin Cowherd]

Lost.

[Unknown Speaker]

Obviously, there is some regression that they've struggled with this year. They have lost six of eight coming into the tournament. And Colin, they've really got one guy, Braden Smith, who's awesome. There is a lot of chatter on the Purdue message boards. I have some friends who check It Braden Smith, they're talking. He may enter the portal and leave. So there is some potential upheaval in the program. I think High Point can take advantage. They're a good offensive team. Purdue's defense has just been just not good this year. They missed the rim protector. Ed, listen, high points on only an eight point dog, which seems like a smart. A small number right. Against Purdue. So I'm on a High Point money line and with the points, I think they surprise Purdue.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's a. I like that. I like where we're going. Tomorrow's headlines. Today, the second major upset.

[Unknown Speaker]

Now, these guys pulled a big upset last year. They took down Auburn. People were shocked. That ruined a lot of brackets. It was either on day one or day two. But the Yale.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes. Bulldogs.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah. Bulldogs. Yes. They are playing a tough opponent. The headline will be Revenge of the nerds. Yale closes book on Aggie.

[Colin Cowherd]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker]

Now listen, this is an SEC team. They have lost five of seven. One of the. One of the trends I look for is how are you playing heading into the tournament. That could be a predictor of success or failure. Texas A M struggling a lot. And Colin, this Yale team matches up great. Texas A and M cannot shoot threes at all. 317th in the country. Yale's ninth. Now, Yale would have to catch fire, but they're a great rebounding team. Texas A and M number one on the offensive glass. Again, this is one of these matchups where it's like, hey, man, we played in the sec. We're not afraid of anybody. We could take on anything. Yale, man, this is a very good, smart, fundamentally sound, nerdy team, if you will. They shoot the three. Well, if they can hit the glass. I think Yale pulls the upset of Texas A and M. That is exciting.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. The Yales have been Harvard football and Yale and Princeton basketball from Ivy.

[Unknown Speaker]

Princeton has pulled big upsets. Princeton, Yale, they. They, unlike some other conferences, they actually show up in March.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, if you can shoot the ball today and Yale can. Don't turn it over. You can shoot the ball. Don't turn it over. You can play with teams. All right, tomorrow's headlines today now the third tournament upset.

[Unknown Speaker]

Now listen, I'm sure Seinfeld fans will remember, I love the Drake. Remember the Drake's coffee cakes, Obviously. And this Drake team is fun. They got a new coach that he brought in all these Division 2 players from his old school. And it's like, ah, what's their story? They've been awesome this season. Can they keep it going? The headline will be Drizzy Draked Bulldogs turn Tigers off at halftime. Another SEC team I have going down, Missouri. Listen again, they've been a very good team this year. And I know, Jason, you're picking on the SEC. Well, they got 14 teams.

[Colin Cowherd]

No somebody. They're going to have a couple teams got to lose.

[Unknown Speaker]

And this Drake team, they've got a. They're a great story. Now, I had Fran for Shella on my podcast. You know him from your other job. He knows the sport well and he's like, jason, just be careful, man. Drake overachieved all season.

[Colin Cowherd]

They got a bunch of D2 guys and encyclopedia.

[Unknown Speaker]

That's amazing. And you know, they have overachieved to a point. But they got this point guard, Bennett Sturts. He's a great story. The whole team, they took down Kansas State in a major shocker earlier this year. And again, everything has to go right to pull the upset. But Colin, you know the history of March Madness. These games start in the middle of the day often, right? They're in unfamiliar arena.

[Colin Cowherd]

There's nobody there.

[Unknown Speaker]

Nobody there. Midweek travel. And the underdogs can play that card. Like, hey, man, nobody believes in us. We're a bunch of Division 2 players. We're going to shock the world. And they pull the upset. I like Drake.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Sometimes you get these big favorites playing in an empty arena and they have no, no energy, no juice. Tomorrow's headlines today. How about the fourth upset?

[Unknown Speaker]

Now, listen, I had hyped this last week and over the weekend they won their conference tournament and everybody got on board. You have mocked me soundly multiple days since I talked about Michigan being in trouble against the UC San Diego Tritons. Look at the look on his face. America's like, oh, cowherd's sick of this. The headline will be, Mason blew it. Michigan sinks under Triton Tsunami.

[Colin Cowherd]

They can shoot.

[Unknown Speaker]

Hell of a headline. Listen, man, this team, if you just look at who plays the hardest in the country, I think they've got to be top five. I'm telling you, man, this team, a bunch of scrappy D2 and D3 players.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker]

Are emerging as we can hang with these guys. Now, they play in a conference. UC Irvine is pretty good. They took them down. Michigan does have two seven footers, Colin.

[Colin Cowherd]

Which makes Michigan is big.

[Unknown Speaker]

But big doesn't win in March. What wins in March?

[Colin Cowherd]

Guard play.

[Unknown Speaker]

Guard play. You know this. You follow forever. And I'm just telling you, this team, you just look at how they shoot it. They're unafraid to just let her Rip from deep. Great three point shooting team. They play the no middle defense again. I know. You know, you coached your kids in sports. Probably a little bit. You might have been too.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I know. The no middle.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah, you just pack it in, no layups. We'll give you all the shots you want. And Michigan does not shoot it. Well, Remember, they needed a buzzer shot by the kid.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I watched Michigan, Michigan State. Well, those are not teams that shoot the three.

[Unknown Speaker]

They. They just don't shoot the three. Well, they want to go one on one ISO off the dribble. I like UC San Diego lines coming my way. It's a popular pick. Maybe too popular at this point, but I'm pot committed.

[Colin Cowherd]

By the way, this is not a headline. Oklahoma or UConn. Who are you taking?

[Unknown Speaker]

I got Oklahoma.

[Colin Cowherd]

So do I. Yeah, tomorrow's headlines thing that we have four upsets. How about a for sure. Yeah, headline.

[Unknown Speaker]

So you know we got the big Calcutta tonight. I've been told by our team we cannot talk. Jason, don't talk about it on air. We don't need to put anything out there, but we all agree. Everybody knows Duke's the best team in the country. Colin, the headline will be Duke mom, no hands. Blue Devils cruise to Final Four. Colin, I've gone through the bracket all week. I don't see who's touching very young in this bracket. I know, but Arizona, you know we're in an nil era, right? Where you got 24, 25 year old kids against Cooper Flag. Yes, bro, Cooper Flag played against Auburn, beat him now, wasn't home. They faced Illinois, they smoked them by 30. They've played a lot of top competition. I know the ACC's down, but again, net rating, one of these stats that measures basically everything says Duke is the best team in college basketball in the last 20 years. According to stats. They got a big dude who patrols the middle. And I swear this is silly, but to me he looks like Joel Embiid. Defensively, it's like, you're not scoring on me. They got size, they got shooters. The kid Proctor's awesome. And when Cooper Flagg comes back, my daughter actually texted me, dad, is the Duke player injured? Because all like the boys in her sixth grade class are asking, so, hey, what does your dad think about Duke and Cooper Flag? Guys, I'm just telling you, Cooper Flag is can't miss. And you know I don't like that. Can't miss?

[Colin Cowherd]

No, he's label. He's Jason Tatum. He does everything well. He may not be amazing at One thing, he is B plus, a minus in every part of the game.

[Unknown Speaker]

If he goes to the Bulls or the Wizards, he's gonna be a 20 and 8 guy as a rookie. I'm not kidding. He's that good.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker]

And he could do pretty much everything, handle defense.

[Colin Cowherd]

John Shire has done a very good job. Generally when the legend retires and they hire somebody connected to the program, it almost never works.

[Unknown Speaker]

Usually. Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And Shire has been. He's an unbelievable recruiter. And Duke's got a lot of money for nil. But when you watch Duke play, it's like JJ Redick with the Lakers. You can see what they're trying to do. They're a well coached team.

[Unknown Speaker]

Imprint is on the program. So the last couple, the last two losses that they had that were tough were to Tennessee in the tournament. They kind of got punked by Tennessee a few years ago. And then last year NC State just bodied them inside. I don't think that happens this year with the size they have. The only team that could is Alabama and they don't play great defense. So Colin, I'm looking up and down the bracket. I'm sorry, Wisconsin, they're not, they're not meeting Duke in the Elite eight. So who is it? Your Arizona Wild.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes. A lot of veteran point guard.

[Unknown Speaker]

You like them? You like the chucker they got in the back court from uncle. I just don't see Duke getting touched now. Duke Houston in the Final Four. Duke Tennessee. That's a hell of a game. But if you're asking me for a lot for the Final Four, I, I think it's got to be Duke.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, so we talked about something earlier. I want to readdress this. So I, I said before, one of the things I look at is when your quarterback is ripped. I'm looking for a fluid athlete to play quarterback. You get bent in multiple directions. So Jalen Milroe looks like, you know, I mean he's built like a bodybuilder. He's great. And he's a great kid with a great reputation, a remarkable family. People love him. But he can be a bit mechanical, which was my knock on Will Levis. It's. He's not fluid. It looks, it looks mechanical. Lamar Jackson is in Mahomes. I mean, just, it's easy, you know, Aaron Rodgers flipping off his back foot. There's nothing mechanical about Aaron or Lamar or, or Mahomes Burrow similarly. Just, he's just moving, can angle arm. It can do anything. So just to give you an example, I'm going To show you some quarterbacks who were, you know, poster guys, like great looking guys.

[Unknown Speaker]

Ripped, chiseled.

[Colin Cowherd]

I. This is not. Do we have the shot of this? This is generally. Okay. These guys are ripped now. They're good looking dudes. I'm not saying that these are like underwear model guys. You know what? I don't see a lot of there. I don't see a lot of super bowl trophies. This is what I want my quarterback to look like. Let's go to what I want my. My quarterback to look like.

[Unknown Speaker]

Oh, yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Lot of Lombardi trophies. Eli. Tommy.

[Unknown Speaker]

Eli Manning doesn't have a six pack. He's got a keg there. Down there.

[Colin Cowherd]

By the way, these guys, they got a little bit of pudding. That pudding takes the hits on Sunday. So I'm just saying. I don't know.

[Unknown Speaker]

Josh Allen was so out of shape.

[Colin Cowherd]

He's not out of shape. It's the off season. He's probably got a couple of bud Lights in there. He's having a good time.

[Unknown Speaker]

Okay.

[Colin Cowherd]

Doesn't mean he's out of shape.

[Unknown Speaker]

You want to go to the beach with the super bowl winners so you look better. You don't want to stand next to Cam Newton on the beaches.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, listen, Cam Newton, you know, he could do modeling, right? Like, I get that. I'm just saying. I. I said before the draft will Levis to me was too cut. 12 Super Bowls with the dad bods.

[Unknown Speaker]

How many for the.

[Colin Cowherd]

Not many.

[Unknown Speaker]

The Shredded guys. The Shredded Cam did go to a Super bowl, but he did refused to jump.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen, he had some great years. He was mvp.

[Unknown Speaker]

A couple.

[Colin Cowherd]

Couple. Yeah. I'm not.

[Unknown Speaker]

Dan Prescott was on that list.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen, you want 12 packs, I want 12 Lombardis. That's the difference. It's okay. I got you.

[Unknown Speaker]

Oh, boy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Dad bods eat or what is the slow feet eat? Something like that. Whatever. Whatever.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right. Mercedes Lewis was great. Albert Brewer stopped by AJ Przinski.

[Unknown Speaker]

Will Aaron Rodgers have a home when we return to the air?

[Colin Cowherd]

I think he may retire. I. I think. I don't. I'm. It's 50. 50. Called a career and again, an unbelievable career. And he deserves credit for that. We'll see you Monday.

[J]

This is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser podcast. Have you guys seen this new commercial from Stand up to All Hate? It's basically Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady going back and forth with reasons that they hate each other. But then when you really listen to them, the reasons for the hate are just so stupid. I don't know. This. This commercial really got me. It's a strong reminder that hate in our country continues to be out of control. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up. Call it out. Your voice is a powerful tool in this fight. You can learn more by following OTs upwithhate.

[Ed Helms]

Prohibition is synonymous with speakeasies, jazz, flappers, and, of course, failure. I'm Ed Helms and on season three of my podcast Snafu, there's a story I couldn't wait to tell you. It's about an unlikely duo in the 1920s who tried to warn the public that prohibition was going to backfire so badly it just might leave thousands dead from poison. Listen and subscribe to snafu on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm Mark Seale.

[Unknown Speaker]

And I'm Nathan King.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli.

[Unknown Speaker]

The five families did not want us.

[Colin Cowherd]

To shoot that picture.

[Unknown Speaker]

This podcast is based on my co host Mark Seals best selling book of the same title.

[Colin Cowherd]

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli features new and archival interviews with Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Evans, James Caan, Talia Shire, and many others.

[Mercedes Lewis]

Yes, that was a real horse's head.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.