Hour 3 - More on Caitlin Clark

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 3: More on Caitlin Clark

Release Date: June 18, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

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1. Introduction

In this episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, the hosts delve deep into the rising prominence of Caitlin Clark in the WNBA, discussing her impact on the league, the physicality of the women's game, and broader NBA topics. The conversation is enriched with insights from co-host Rick Bucher, providing a comprehensive look at current sports narratives.

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2. Caitlin Clark's Dominance and Style

The primary focus of this episode is on Caitlin Clark, a standout player in the WNBA whose performances have captivated fans and analysts alike.

• Caitlin Clark’s Offensive Prowess:

  • Rick Bucher remarks on Clark’s ability to consistently surprise opponents with her skill set, drawing parallels to basketball legends like Michael Jordan and Steph Curry.

    "[04:10] Rick Bucher: …you’re rarely shocked, you’re occasionally surprised, but you’ve seen everything three times. … I can remember the Michael Jordan, Steph Curry early years when these flashy, transformative players came in."

• Physicality in the WNBA:

  • Both Bucher and Cowherd discuss the inherent physicality of the women’s game, emphasizing that Clark’s aggressive style is part of a broader trend within the WNBA.

    "[06:30] Rick Bucher: …this league has been dirty and chippy. … they put a shoulder down." "[06:57] Colin Cowherd: … any player who can elevate others. SGA can do that. Brunson, Halliburton."

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3. Physicality and Responses in the WNBA

The conversation highlights how the WNBA has evolved to incorporate a more physical style of play, with Caitlin Clark at the forefront.

• Clark’s Aggressive Play:

  • Cowherd criticizes Clark’s tendency to engage in trash-talking and physical confrontations, suggesting that her actions contribute to how she is treated by opponents.

    "[04:24] Colin Cowherd: … the biggest issue I have is she’s being portrayed by way too many people as this sweet, sweet Caitlin Clark from Iowa … she’s being beaten up by these big bad WNBA players who resent her."

• League’s Adaptation:

  • Bucher notes that the physicality isn't unique to Clark but is a characteristic of the WNBA in general, which may surprise those accustomed to less contact in women's sports.

    "[07:36] Rick Bucher: … anybody who thinks this is a Caitlin Clark phenomenon. No, it is a WNBA phenomenon."

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4. LeBron James’s Comments on Rings

Shifting focus to the NBA, the hosts analyze LeBron James’s remarks regarding championship rings and the broader conversation about what defines a player’s greatness.

• Critique of Ring Culture:

  • Cowherd argues that LeBron has manipulated the narrative around championship rings to bolster his GOAT (Greatest of All Time) candidacy, despite his multiple team changes to secure titles.

    "[08:16] Colin Cowherd: … LeBron knows that he’s essentially done. … he’s trying to marginalize rings."

• GOAT Debate:

  • The discussion touches on how ring counts have become a significant, though sometimes overemphasized, metric in evaluating players’ legacies.

    "[09:29] Rick Bucher: … the difference between MJ and Barkley is the rings."

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5. Tyrese Haliburton's Assessment

The conversation then pivots to Tyrese Haliburton, assessing his performance and potential within the NBA.

• Performance Review:

  • Cowherd critiques Haliburton’s recent playoff performances, suggesting inconsistency that differentiates him from established superstars.

    "[10:13] Colin Cowherd: … he didn’t have that same aggression. … crucial to the Indiana Pacers being all that they can be."

• Potential for Growth:

  • While acknowledging Haliburton's game-winning capabilities, Cowherd remains cautious about labeling him a true superstar.

    "[10:13] Colin Cowherd: … he’s a superstar in the making. … he never question whether they are going to try to get it done."

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6. Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Rumors and NBA Landscape

Addressing trade rumors, particularly surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo, the hosts debate the future of Milwaukee’s roster and the potential impacts on the NBA.

• Trade Viability:

  • Cowherd and Bucher discuss the challenges Milwaukee faces in potentially trading Giannis, considering his immense value and the team's current roster composition.

    "[23:12] Rick Bucher: … if Jokic won. … If Jokic, if …"

• Comparisons to Other Players:

  • Bucher compares Jokic and Giannis, debating their respective skills and trade values, suggesting Jokic may offer more favorable terms.

    "[23:16] Jason McIntyre: … Jokic is better than Giannis, better passer, better shooter."

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7. New York Knicks and Kevin Durant’s Market

Discussion extends to Kevin Durant’s marketability and potential team fits, highlighting limited interest due to past team dynamics and ownership issues.

• Ownership Influence:

  • Cowherd attributes the Knicks’ reluctance to pursue Durant to owner Jim Dolan’s strained relationship with the player.

    "[17:14] Colin Cowherd: … Jim Dolan is one of the most vindictive owners that there are in sports. … Kevin Durant not only spurned the Knicks, but he spurned them for The Brooklyn Nets."

• Team Considerations:

  • The hosts explore why potential suitors hesitate to extend significant contracts to Durant, citing factors like team rebuilds and financial implications.

    "[17:36] Colin Cowherd: … teams are looking at it and saying, I don’t know what we might have to give up for him …"

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8. Yankees' Slump and Roster Issues

Shifting to baseball, the hosts critique the New York Yankees’ recent performance downturn, focusing on offensive inconsistencies and roster depth.

• Offensive Struggles:

  • Bucher laments the Yankees’ inability to score, particularly highlighting slumps from key players like Aaron Judge.

    "[25:15] Rick Bucher: … Aaron Judge … is two for twenty."

• Roster Construction:

  • The conversation points to over-reliance on top-heavy contracts, leading to vulnerabilities when star players underperform or are injured.

    "[25:26] Rick Bucher: … they're paying Aaron Judge and John Carlos Stanton and Garren Garrett Cole so much money."

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9. Lamar Jackson’s Comments on Revenge

In football, the hosts touch upon quarterback Lamar Jackson’s sentiments regarding past losses and his drive for vengeance in future games.

• Persistent Motivation:

  • Jackson expresses a relentless desire to overcome setbacks, both personal and team-related, emphasizing that losses continue to motivate him.

    "[20:11] Lamar Jackson: … I never get over a loss. … when we come back, I feel like we’re going to have vengeance on our mind."

• Future Prospects:

  • Bucher anticipates Jackson’s continued growth and eventual championship success.

    "[20:57] Rick Bucher: … he’s gonna get one."

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10. Caitlin Clark’s Impact on Sports Conversations

Concluding the episode, Cowherd and Bucher reflect on how Caitlin Clark has become the central narrative in sports, overshadowing other major leagues and events.

• Dominant Storyline:

  • Cowherd asserts that Clark’s performances have made her the most compelling story in sports, even overshadowing traditional powerhouses like the NBA Finals.

    "[33:55] Rick Bucher: … if Rory McIlroy … she is the biggest story right now in sports."

• Transformative Influence:

  • The hosts recognize Clark's role in shifting media focus and altering perceptions of the WNBA’s visibility and competitiveness.

    "[36:54] Colin Cowherd: … she brings on. The reality is she gives as good as she gets."

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Notable Quotes

• Colin Cowherd on Caitlin Clark’s Aggression:

  "[04:24] … she talks trash and she walks like I’m going to embarrass you. … she brings it on."

• Rick Bucher on the Evolution of the WNBA:

  "[07:36] … anybody who thinks this is a Caitlin Clark phenomenon. No, it is a WNBA phenomenon."

• LeBron James and Ring Culture:

  "[08:16] … LeBron knows that he's essentially done. … he’s trying to change the narrative."

• Tyrese Haliburton's Potential:

  "[10:13] … he's a superstar in the making. … crucial to the Indiana Pacers being all that they can be."

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Conclusion

In this episode, The Herd with Colin Cowherd offers an in-depth analysis of Caitlin Clark’s burgeoning influence in the WNBA, while also addressing significant topics in the NBA, MLB, and NFL. The hosts provide thoughtful critiques and highlight the evolving dynamics in professional sports, positioning Clark as a transformative figure reshaping media narratives and league perceptions.

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Note: Timestamps correspond to the provided transcript for reference.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Rick Bucher]

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[Commercial Voice]

Now, let's get this party started.

[Rick Bucher]

You're listening to FOX Sports Radio. Well, we all watched the finals. We're watching Caitlin Clark, LeBron James comments, which I feel like is a little projection, little strawman argument on rings. Rick Bucher now joins us live. Let's, let's start with Caitlin Clark. And I've said the advantage to being in any business for a long time is you're rarely shocked, you're occasionally surprised, but you've seen everything three times. And so I can remember the Michael Jordan, Steph Curry early years when these flashy, transformative players came in. And I remember this with Hacker Shack, you're not quite sure how to officiate them, how to defend them. And when they score, they can humiliate you. Yeah, Karl Malone could score on you. He didn't humiliate you. Shaq dunking on you. Sean Kemp, Caitlin Clark, 33 footers. And I think the league's trying to kind of figure out a lot. So my take is this is part of the process. It starts with physicality, trapping, technicals, an ejection. They went and got Sophie Cunningham, who can be the Charles Oakley and protector. I think it's part of the process. I think people are overreacting. What say you?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I do believe that part of it is her ability to embarrass opponents. But I also believe a big part of it is that she is going to talk trash and she walks like I'm going to embarrass you. And that contributes to and that's the part that I, the problem that I have is that she's being portrayed by way too many people as this sweet, sweet Caitlin Clark from Iowa and she's being beaten up by these big bad WNBA players who resent her. Look, she's a bit of a flopper. She's certainly a trash talker. And the biggest issue I have is she'll do the pushing back and forth and she'll talk trash. And then she walks away as if nothing is happening. And then she gets bumped and she goes down. Look, if you're going to talk trash, if you're going to push people, if you're going to get in their face, then stand up and chances are you're not going to fall over when you get pushed. So I feel like she contributes to this, and there's a lot of people out there that are feeding into it like she's being treated in this malicious way. The reality is she brings it on. She gives as good as she gets. But I do think that a big part of it is because you got. First of all, you have competitive women out there who were here before she was, and she's walking in like, I'm all that, and they're going to push back on that. And then having a college Hooper daughter who's pretty good, she's told me about the back and forth that goes on. Women are going to go back and forth. I think we're not really accustomed to seeing it and seeing them compete in the nasty way that they can. It doesn't fit our profile of women. And yet when you put them on a basketball court or on a field of play, they are very much like men, if not more so.

[Rick Bucher]

You know, Rick, I said this, too, and I. And I had noticed this. I wasn't a big WNBA fan. It's not a vertical league. Nobody jumps over anybody to score. It's a horizontal league. It's actually been a chippy league for. For 15 years. This, this. I. I know people that watch the wnba and I asked them last year, they're like, this league has been dirty and chippy. And by the way, I'm not knocking them. But they don't jump over you to score. Yeah, they put a shoulder down that. I think that's part of it.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, there is a physicality to the women's game, an inherent physicality. And you're right, part of it is because it is a. It's not a vertical, vertical league. It's not a vertical competition. So there's that. But look, I went to the Seattle Valkyries game over the weekend, and there was just as much chippiness there. So anybody who thinks this is a Caitlin Clark phenomenon. No, it is a WNBA phenomenon. And if you don't watch it on a regular basis, then the physicality and the way that they play in the contact is going to shock you.

[Rick Bucher]

So I think I've mostly been a LeBron fan, but. But I, But I said today when he talked with. On his podcast with Steve Nash, and it was a bit of a strawman argument where he said, you know, the idea, this whole ring culture thing that. Am I supposed to believe that Allen Iverson is not great or Charles Barkley isn't great? My take is everybody knows they're great. Nobody's ever said they're not great. But the difference between MJ and Barkley is the rings. The difference between Marino and Brady isn't talent, it's the rings. And my take is LeBron now is not in the bubble, the NBA ring bubble. He's not going to win that. He knows it. And now he's trying to kind of marginalize rings. What did you do the first 15 years of your career?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Look, there is an argument to be made that the ring culture has gone too far as far as how we judge NBA players. There's no doubt about that. There's, there's too much conversation about that. And, and we should have have some discussion about it. LeBron James just isn't the one to, to lead that conversation because he literally changed teams three times chasing rings. He, he saw what the Miami Heat were. He decided, you know what, I want to go back to Cleveland and get one. He utilized all their resources. He got one there. He said, let me go to la, Let me finish up there. I'm going to get one more. So there's no question that what I believe is driving this conversation now is that LeBron knows that he's essentially done. He's not going to add any more accolades to his accomplishments. And he's still. And he realizes he's short of winning the goat conversation. So let me try to change the narrative or the measuring stick in order to see if I can convince people that I actually am the greatest of all time, in spite of the fact that I only won four out of 10 trips to the Finals.

[Rick Bucher]

So, you know, the difference between really good players and great players is often consistency. Now you could say that Halliburton, no points in game five, just an all time stinker. A star can't do that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Rick Bucher]

So I, and it's probably Chris Bosh had a finals game like that. My take is Halliburton's probably closer to Bosh than LeBron.

[Jason McIntyre]

Right.

[Rick Bucher]

He's a really special player. And I do think the NBA going forward is going to be point guard driven because you can't have stack rosters.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Rick Bucher]

And you need players who can elevate others. SGA can do that. Brunson, Halliburton. My take is did we get too hot on Halliburton? Did we get too infatuated, myself included, with Halliburton? And, and he's a good player. He's not a great player.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. The tricky part with Halberton is that he, he made a number of game winning shots, miraculous game winning shots. And yet I think at his Heart. That's not who he is. He's a. He's a facilitator and he's a distributor and he's capable of making those shots and those are superstar moments. But I'm not going to judge him strictly on his points. I'm going to judge him on how much flow the Indiana Pacers offense has because their secret sauce has been they have multiple guys who can score. And Halliburton has been at the heart of that, getting you big shots, making big shots when he needs to. But for the most part, it's his dribble penetration, getting into the paint and either shooting from there or as a result of the defense collapsing, getting easy looks for everybody else. And my great issue with him in game four and game and particularly game five, is that he didn't have that same aggression. And we've seen that lack of aggression at various times. And it is just crucial to the Indiana Pacers being all that they can be. So I said that he's not a superstar, that he's a superstar in the making. And I still, at 25 years old, I don't want to close the door on his potential of growing into that. But superstars, for me, you never question whether they're going. Some of them, they may not get it done, but you never question whether they are going to try to get it done. There's just been too many instances, injury aside, throughout these playoffs, where every now and then you have a Halliburton game where you think, where is he? What's he doing? Why is he playing so passively? I've just never known the superstars as I define them, where you ever question that they may not get it done. Derrick Rose didn't always get it done. He was stymied by the Miami Heat when they met in the Eastern Conference finals. But I never got the sense that Derrick Rose wasn't trying to get it done.

[Rick Bucher]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Rick Bucher]

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[Rick Bucher]

Okay, so I'm a KD fan. I don't always love his choices, but I. I'm a fan. Only two guys in the NBA scored 25 points a game and shot 40% from threes, Jokic and KD. Yet he doesn't appear to have a big market. Now he wants a new contract, but he's not getting a max. He may get two years, 100 million, whatever. Yeah, he is still the number one rated jump shooter in the league according to the analytics.

[Jason McIntyre]

And he.

[Rick Bucher]

He's 26 a night.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Rick Bucher]

Where's the market? Yeah, he's a good guy. He's not a disrupt. I mean, that Brooklyn thing was a mess. He wasn't. Yeah, Phoenix was a mess. He wasn't.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Rick Bucher]

Where's his. I don't get it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. First of all, the New York situation is a result of. I believe the reason they don't have any interest is because Jim Dolan is one of the most vindictive owners that there are in sports. And back in 2019, Kevin Durant not only spurned the Knicks, but he spurned them for The Brooklyn Nets, the team next door, and that stuck in Jim Dolan's cross. So the fact that they're not interested in getting him, I believe is driven first and foremost by the owner and the history. Also, Rich Kleiman, KD's guy, was, was looking to be the team president of the Knicks at one point. And I'm sure Leon Rose doesn't want that competition. So that's the New York Knicks. But by and large, at 37 years old, this is a little bit like the Jimmy Butler situation. It's not so much the teams don't want KD and couldn't use KD as much as what are we going to have to give up for him and are we going to have to extend him, and if we're going to extend him, how much. And the teams that could really use him are these young teams that have a lot of pieces. And as we saw with okc, look, a year ago, they didn't get out of the second round. A lot of people were like, should they go back? Should they go get kd? Should they go get a superstar, established superstar as the final piece? And they decided, you know what? No, we're going to let our young guys grow and develop. And that makes more sense than giving up a bunch of our young guys to go have a short term rental. That's essentially what KD is at this point. And I think the reason that you're not seeing a more robust market for him is because teams are looking at it and saying, I don't know that within a year for what we might have to give up. That KD really moves the needle at this point, in spite of his individual numbers and the Phoenix situation. To your point, like, he went in there, didn't move the needle. You got Devin Booker and you got Bradley Beal. You had enough pieces around him where you thought that kd, if he's still capable of elevating a team that at the very least, at the very least he was going to get them into the postseason and he was unable to do that.

[Rick Bucher]

Rick Bucher is always.

[Jason McIntyre]

Bukes.

[Rick Bucher]

Great seeing you, man. Appreciate you stopping by.

[Colin Cowherd]

You got it.

[Rick Bucher]

Yeah, it's. I'm a Durant fan, so I. I like buckets. I like easy buckets. J. Mac with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herd line news.

[Commercial Voice]

All right, Colin, we got Lamar Jackson talking to the media. Listen, it was a tough loss back in January to the Bills. Obviously, Lamar didn't play great. Two turnovers, but it was Mark Andrews, who dropped the potential game time, two point conversion. Speaking for the first time since that playoff loss, Lamar Jackson talks about seeking revenge.

[Lamar Jackson]

I don't think I get over any loss, to be honest. I got losses from youth football that still hunt me, you know, so I never get over a loss. I don't care how small it may be to someone else or how great it might be. It's always the same for me. It's football. Everything not going to go our way, man. You know, before it was like, oh, you can't win a playoff game. No, we won a playoff game. We got to the LC Championship two years ago, and we just fell short, like two games short this year. But we don't bounce back. And when we come back, I feel like we're going to have vengeance on our mind.

[Rick Bucher]

He's gonna get one. J. Mac. So's Josh Allen gonna get one.

[Commercial Voice]

What?

[Rick Bucher]

Big trophy. Joe Flacco got a trophy. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, different era, different.

[Commercial Voice]

I mean, you think Lamar's breaking through? Colin?

[Rick Bucher]

Yep, Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Commercial Voice]

Can you give me, like, a timetable.

[Rick Bucher]

On that or next two years.

[Commercial Voice]

Wow. Bold takes here on a Wednesday. Colin, let's move on to the NBA. Oh, geez. Doc Rivers, probably the biggest choke artist from the coaching spot in NBA history. Sorry, it's just the facts, you know, he's talking about this Giannis situation. Well, Giannis request a trade, blah, blah, blah. Well, Doc Rivers called out the bogus rumors around his superstar in Milwaukee.

[Doc Rivers]

Now, I don't know how many more times Giannis has to say he wants to be a buck and he wants to win a title with a buck.

[Rick Bucher]

And.

[Doc Rivers]

And it's so cool to me, you know, because it's not the way it's done anymore. But with a. With certain guys, you know, I don't think Steph Curry would ever leave Golden State, ever. And I'm hoping, obviously, Giannis is the same way. That's the way he's been so far. And it's been great. It's been awesome.

[Rick Bucher]

That's fine. But I don't know how you rebuild this roster. All I know is I'm looking around the lead at what Orlando just did. Orlando is now four elite players. Indiana, four elite players is the young kid, Ben Benedict, Matheran. He's going to be, I think, by next year, a really, really special player. Indy's got four. New York's not going anywhere. Boston eventually will be good again. So, I mean, they'll be good. They'll be great again. I just think if you look At Milwaukee. Okay, you got, you got the $10,000 chandelier. What's the rest of the house like? You got to give me something besides the sports car in the front. What's the house like?

[Commercial Voice]

Here's the problem, Colin. So we're seeing in these NBA playoffs, youth and depth are driving forces. Indiana, Minnesota, obviously. Okc. Do you know when you look at Milwaukee's roster, how many guys they have over 30 who are in the rotation? They're an old broken team. I'm sorry to say it, but with Dane Lillard and the Achilles out for next season, I mean, are they bringing back Lopez, who is now like in his mid-30s? I, I just, I don't see a path to anything. And people are saying, oh, Giannis is a nice guy. He won't ask for a trade. All right, well, Giannis will stay irrelevant for the next five years in Milwaukee.

[Rick Bucher]

Yeah, they got a championship like Denver if, if Jokic won.

[Jason McIntyre]

If Jokic, if.

[Rick Bucher]

I mean, right now, for Jokic, you'd get four first round picks, an All Star and two reserves. Now, you're not trading Jokic, but Giannis is going to get somewhere in that ballpark. Jokic is better than Giannis, better passer, better shooter.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Rick Bucher]

So, I mean, and not the injury. So Jok. Better than Giannis, But Giannis is going to get you four first rounds. And like I, I've said, Houston would have to give me Shen Goon four first round picks and two other guys that are either number five starters or like first guy off the bench.

[Commercial Voice]

So here's the thing. It doesn't take that long to turn the, the Titanic around. Look at okc. Colin.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's right.

[Commercial Voice]

It was in three years. They got their act together. You just got to make the right moves. Trading Giannis is the first right move. Bottom out. You'll have a top five pick next year. Let's wrap up with baseball. Colin, how about this one? My Yankees lost their season high fifth straight last night. 4 nothing to the angels. Worst part is it was their third straight game getting shut out. They have a scoreless streak of 29 innings.

[Rick Bucher]

Wow.

[Commercial Voice]

@ the end of last night's game, Yankees broadcaster Michael K. Kind of went off. Listen to him.

[Michael K.]

And here's the payoff. Swing and a miss. And that will do as the Yankees get shut out for the third straight time, only the seventh time in the franchise's history, which started in 1903, that they've been shut out in three consecutive games. 29 straight scoreless innings. And when you see a Lineup with this sort of talent base, it's almost incomprehensible that they have been shut down to this extent.

[Rick Bucher]

Well, did they fire their hitting coach?

[Commercial Voice]

Colin, listen, I don't want to go overboard. What is this like, honestly, are we freaking out about three games out of 162? What is that the equivalent of like a bad half for Patrick Mahomes?

[Rick Bucher]

Well, and you have the best hitter in the lineup. In that lineup. And you. That means the guys before and after him are getting good pitches. It's kind of not acceptable.

[Commercial Voice]

Just feels what 3G. You can't have a bad 3 game stretch. Listen, I'll be honest. Aaron Judge a couple weeks ago was flirting with 400. He's on a 2 for 20 streak. So that, that's out the window. But like, come on, man. Everybody.

[Rick Bucher]

I felt.

[Commercial Voice]

Listen, you have a clunker every now and then. Let's be real. Okay.

[Rick Bucher]

Yeah, I don't. But I understand your metaphor. I would say this because they're paying Aaron Judge and John Carlos Stanton and Garen Garrett Cole so much money. So John Carlos Stanton's hurt. Garrett Cole's hurt so that two of their big contracts aren't playing well. What's the problem? The roster is uneven. I noticed it in the World Series last year. Is that when you watch them against the Dodgers, they had holes defensively, they had holes in their roster. They really were only viable in the games. Garrett Cole pitch. So it's an. It's like we always talk about. The Dallas Cowboys are top heavy. I mean, Garrett Cole, Aaron Judge, John Carlos Stanton are making a fortune. And they don't. They're not as aggressive upstairs as they were in the George. I mean, George Steinbrenner here. So my takeaway is this team was out of World Series contention when Garrett Cole got hurt. They're two top heavy. It'd be like CD Lamb getting hurt. They're out of that. I don't care what their record is. This is not a World Series winning team.

[Commercial Voice]

Really?

[Rick Bucher]

The Padres, Cubs, Tigers.

[Commercial Voice]

You don't think the Yankees could get to the World Series?

[Rick Bucher]

Not without Garrett Cole, no. I think there's holes in their lineup. Oh, my. My bad. Stanton just came back. So he is now back. He was gone for a long time. So I mean, I just. I look at the Yankees and it's. It's a bit. If you. And I'm not somebody that sits and watch the Yankees every night. But this team feels like there's holes in the roster. Do they manufacture runs?

[Jason McIntyre]

Ask.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't know.

[Rick Bucher]

Do they?

[Commercial Voice]

Colin, hold up. Timeout. Timeout. They have the second best record in the American League. They have the highest run differential in the American League by 16 runs. Like.

[Rick Bucher]

The National League is better than the America.

[Commercial Voice]

Yeah, it is, but I don't care about the National League. I just got to get to the World Series. Then let's see what happens. But, like, the idea that the Tigers are that much better than the Yankees.

[Rick Bucher]

Like, come on, you think the Yankees are better. But I guess my take is this, is that the minute Garrett Cole got hurt, it's not a World Series team. It's not a World Series. It can be a good team. It can win a division. It's not a World Series team. And if you watch them against the better rosters in baseball, there's holes in it. So my question is, around now, Stanton just, just, just started playing right, hasn't played. So now around Judge, before Stanton came back, what is there? And now Stanton's back, so he'll, you know, take him a while to get back in and played in a long time. So I just don't know if this is the kind of roster that if Aaron Judge and he's on a slump. So if Aaron Judge is in a slump. You said he was two for. Are they scoring runs? How are they manufacturing runs?

[Commercial Voice]

All my Yankee fans on the east coast listening to this are going to clip it off. And when they're headed to the World Series in October, they're going to just tag you left and right and be like, coward, don't count the Yankees out. I mean, it's.

[Rick Bucher]

I would say this. They're very. Aaron Judge on a heater dependent. The minute Garrett Cole is out, they are very. By the way, the Dodgers are not Mookie Betts dependent or Freddie Freeman dependent. Ohtani's great, but if he goes, you know, he draws the collar and doesn't get a hit. They win games. They got Max Muncie. They got so. And I, and I feel the same way with the Padres. The Padres are a good team. Didn't last year, they lost, like, one of their best pitchers late.

[Jason McIntyre]

They were still a great team.

[Rick Bucher]

So I, I remember this Yankee team last year had Soto, so they lost Garrett Cole to start the season. John Carlo Stanton was gone until two games ago. They don't have Soto. It's not the same team. It's not the same. You know, they, they can't manufacture runs when Aaron Judge is not hitting. He is the heart. He is the heartbeat of that offense. That's my Take from from. From thousands of miles away. J. Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie news. All right, wrap it up. Next, the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Jason McIntyre]

Summer is here, and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now, what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A day at the lake? That's a no. A Philly cheesesteak? That's a yes. A nice tan. Sorry. A box fan? Happily, yes. What about a day of sunshine? Not happening. How about a box of fine wines? Yeah, that's happening. Delivery's on its way. Okay. How about some clear skies? Nope. Well, how about some French fries? Yeah. So how about a freshly cut lawn? Can't help you there. But a barbecued prawn? Order it and it's on its way. Even throw in some paper towels. Clean up after the feast. So while you can't get fun in the sun delivered, don't worry because you can get pork buns delivered. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. At the end of the season, there's only one team that can call themselves NBA champs. Only one player that can call themselves the number one pick in the NFL draft. Well, there's only one electric SUV worthy of the title. The ultimate. The all electric BMW ix. What I love about the IX is that it delivers legendary BMW performance. While its sleek design exudes innovative style from the inside out. Not to mention how much space and utility it provides. Over 75 cubic feet of cargo space. The IX is completely changing the game with an all electric suv. The greatest legends of sports never compromise any part of the game. So why would you settle for anything less from your suv? After all, there's only one ultimate the BMW ix. Everything you love about the ultimate driving machine. Electrified if you own a home, here's an interesting fact for you today. American homeowners are sitting on a record amount of home equity. That's the part of your home you own outright. The value you can tap to fund other life goals. In fact, the average Rocket Mortgage homeowner has about $170,000 in untapped equity available now. Rocket Mortgage can help you understand what home equity is and how to use it wisely for what matters to you. They've made it easier than ever to turn your home equity into cash with Rocket Mortgage. So now the home you work so hard for can work hard for you in plenty of different ways. Home equity can help you fund a home renovation, pay for your kids college tuition, or pay off and consolidate high interest debt from credit cards. To learn more Call 804 Rocket or visit Rocket.com today.

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[Jason McIntyre]

If you're an inventory specialist in a warehouse, Grainger knows you've probably faced a situation like this before. Your forklift, your facility's workhorse is leaking hydraulic fluid and with a full schedule of shipments on the docket, this has the potential to cause a major delay of game. But you're not worried. You're prepared for this type of situation and you have an ace in the hole. Grainger Grainger offers professional grade products for every industry from hydraulic oils and hoses. So much more. Plus next day delivery. So you can be confident that you'll have the product you need on hand to fix that forklift and get it back in the game. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Rick Bucher]

J. Mac Sophie Cunningham's jersey for the Indiana Fever, according to fanatics, is officially sold out. The defender, the enforcer on the Indiana Fever, who's a very attractive lady but is also the team's enforcer, she did the tackling at the end of the game last night. She's got quite an ig, quite a profile.

[Commercial Voice]

Yes, she does. She is very popular among young men who follow the wnba.

[Rick Bucher]

Yeah, Fanatics. Navy Explorer edition Fast Break Replica jersey out of stock.

[Commercial Voice]

Wow. Nobody sounds like 6 months ago got.

[Rick Bucher]

A little UFC feel to it. Reacting to it.

[Commercial Voice]

By the way, if she had grabbed you like that by the head, you're coming up swinging that. That I, I thought that was out of pocket. I get the defending Caitlin, but that angle where she's just. That's not a basketball play. Come on.

[Rick Bucher]

Well, she got, you know, she, she ended up leaving the floor there. So she I. It really is gripping. It's really good television. It is. I'll say this. You and I have talked about this. We are loyal to interesting. Obviously the NFL is, is a sport. We talk about probably 65% of the show, 70% of the show. But even in the NFL we don't talk a lot of one o' clock window teams. We don't do Carolina, we don't do a lot of Atlanta, we don't do a lot of Houston. Although they've gotten better. We tend to talk about the biggest brands in the NFL. By week six, I'm down to about 12 teams that we talk about. Max. Same with college football mid October. You're talking about a handful of teams. There are not a lot of stories right now in American sports. There are not a lot of stories more interesting than Caitlin Clark. I, you, you start naming them. I mean, if Rory McElroy, who's going through kind of a weird cycle of anti media and dysfunction, if he was, if he won the US Open after winning the Masters, okay, that, that would be big. She is the biggest story right now in sports. If I would have told you five years ago, you're not going to believe this, but the WNBA is going to trump the NBA Finals and be like, what happened? It was there a moment. No, like all the time. You talk about it all the time. I mean, we've got stuff happening. Pulisic stiff arms, the United States men's national team, the NBA Finals. We've got stuff happening. Aaron Rodgers to the Steelers. This is more interesting. We just had a U.S. open. We didn't talk about it. No, Juice, it's she. This is this, this, this league right now. And I shouldn't say this league. Caitlin Clark and how the league officials down are processing her and responding to her is absolutely fascinating. And you can't argue about certain things. The late John Madden used to talk about this all the time when he worked at Fox. Some games just sound big. You know, the Connecticut sun and the Indiana Fever does not sound big. So the fact that it dominated half our show today, it just tells you how significant and transformative Caitlin Clark is. And I thought Rick Bucher, Rick Bucher said, hey, she's not a victim all the time on this stuff. She's bringing a little heat on herself.

[Colin Cowherd]

The biggest issue I have is she'll do the pushing back and forth and she'll talk trash and then she walks away as if nothing is happening. And then she gets bumped and she goes down. Look, if you're going to talk trash, if you're going to push people, if you're going to get in their face, then stand up and chances are you're not going to fall over when you get pushed. So I feel like she contributes to this. The reality is she brings it on. She gives as good as she gets.

[Rick Bucher]

Yeah, I mean, there's some Truth in that. I think if you look at the players that get tackled and get, if not hazed, get a level of physicality for their game, it tends to be players who have a certain aesthetic. Michael Jordan could humiliate you, not just score on you. Kobe Bryant got some stuff. Steph Curry. Caitlin Clark has been a lot of great players in the NBA, but they score their points undramatically. Ant Edwards is the kind of guy that can be really dramatic. You know, I, I just think her, stylistically, some of it, the tongue out the 33 footers and she's now starting to demand the ball. So she's getting more performative on the court, which I think is great. But I never, I never thought of her as drawing attention. I thought she was kind of awkward. But her interviews now she got a little more, just a little more in the last couple of weeks. And her inner style is. When she came back, back, it's almost like she got injured. She was out five games and it's almost like a bye week in the NFL. Like teams improve dramatically off the bi week. You know, they, they start scouting themselves, they're off the treadmill. It's almost like she left for five games. She sort of watched the league and she convinced herself I'm not aggressive enough. Like I'm not aggressive enough because she came back and she was hyper aggressive and even, even the trash talking feels like it's gone up another level. So she had, she had played 185 consecutive games going back to her freshman year at Iowa. So she had been on the treadmill. She hadn't, she hadn't had a lot of time to sit back and watch her team. She was the star. She played the most minutes, she took the most shots. And she just got a couple of weeks off the treadmill to watch the league, watch the games and she came back and she has got a little edge to her.

[Commercial Voice]

Hey, do you remember Colin, when LeBron was took like a little sabbatical that one January, I think he was in Cleveland and he vanished to Miami for like, yeah, eight or nine days. Classic. I need a little breather. Caitlin Clark gets a breather, comes back and his breathing fire and the players.

[Rick Bucher]

Are responding and they did last night. We'll see you tomorrow.

[Jason McIntyre]

Summer is here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber eats. Now what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A nice tan. Sorry, a box fan. Happily, yes. A day of sunshine? No. A box of fine wines? Yes, Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. Just like how true champs master both offense and defense, the BMW IX masters both ultimate performance and un unbeatable space. Love mine. The greatest legends in sports never compromise in any aspect of their game. So why would you settle for anything less from your suv? What I love about my BMW IX is that it redefines the electric vehicle experience seamlessly integrates powerful performance. It's bold, daring design, a refined interior, details, cutting edge technology. Basically pushes the boundaries of innovation. Thousands of details went into creating the ultimate electric suv. Compromise. Not one of them.

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[Rick Bucher]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Wow.

[Jason McIntyre]

Thanks dad.

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[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast.