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Colin Cowherd
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Jeff Schwartz
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Jeff Schwartz
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Jeff Schwartz
Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Chris Felica
Now let's get this party started.
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Colin Cowherd
Jeff Schwartz played in the NFL for almost a decade. Of course his brother is super bowl winner, right tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs. He is now joining us live, which we always appreciate him stopping by. Also host a Bear Bets podcast with our friend Chris Felica. So you know the Caleb Williams One of the comments off the Seth Wickersham book was there's nobody there watching film with me. So you tell me when you're watching film as a quarterback, is it a solo endeavor? Are there coaches always there?
Chris Felica
You tell me what I found interesting about that. That comment isn't really about the coaches helping them. It says there was no veteran to help them. That's how you learn watching film for veterans from guys have done it before. Yeah, your coaches can help you, but the coaches have to game plan if they meet on their own. And there's are specific times when you do meet with them and they do work with you. But a lot of time when you watch film quote unquote like on your own, it's with a veteran when you're a young player. I mean Jordan Gross was my mentor. Give him a shout out. He helped me learn how to watch film, how to lift, how to prepare, how to do all those things. And when you look at the depth chart last year of the Bears, there was no veteran. Like that was a huge mistake of theirs that they didn't have someone just there not to compete with him for the job, but just there. Hey man, here's how you prepare, here's how you watch film, here's how you watch a pressure tape, here's how you watch a base defense tape. Here's what you on Fridays, here's how you prepare on Saturdays. And of course Williams have to always do exactly what the veteran tells him to do. But but it's a good sounding board. It's someone to talk to has been through the battles of NFL season there was no one there to do that with. So coupled with probably not understand that coaches might not watch as much film with you as you'd like is you have to find a different way to learn. And that's a way a lot of guys learn. And so that was surprising to Me that I guess I hadn't thought about that then I wouldn't look back at the depth chart and there was no, no one there, no teammates to help.
Colin Cowherd
Him do his comments they bother Boomer Esias and do they bother you? In retrospect?
Chris Felica
They don't bother me. I do question sort of the timing of why they're out now the book that's it's not due till September. Last I checked, it's the middle of May. Are people rushing out to buy the book today? Because the comments are out. So that's, that's kind of. I don't know why they're out today. But look, his dad I think ended up being right in year one. Lot of dysfunction, not great situation. So, you know, in the end his dad was right. Now obviously now you can change the course of, of the history of the Bears, right? You bring in Ben Johnson, you bring in the additions they've made to the offensive line and on defense and you can become the Bears first 4,000 yard passer and change everything. But I think up until now his dad has been right. I mean his family's been right. It has been dysfunction. And look, I know they hope to change that with the Ben Johnson hire.
Colin Cowherd
You know, it's funny the world we live in. I can like a player, but in a salary cap sport, you know, I don't worry about it in baseball. Pay Juan Soto what you want if you're Steve Cohen. But I didn't like the TUA deal or the Dak deal. And I feel the exact same way about the Brock Purdy deal. I like Dak and TUA at the right number now. Revenues go up maybe 53. Feels like 48 in two years. But I feel the exact same way. I've called Brock pretty Jeff. The AFC TUA not as good in bad weather, little smaller than I'd love. Can struggle pushing the ball downfield again. It's a little windy or inclement and a couple injuries where one more. I'm not sure what I have. Do you feel that it's kind of like the two A deal.
Chris Felica
I feel like he's one of the quarterbacks that you have mentioned that needs a lot around him to elevate his team. Right. He's not a guy like an Allen Mahomes, Herbert Jackson, like we know that, right? That a guy that's going to elevate everyone around him. If things are going well, he's going to play really good. The thing we don't talk about with the Niners and with Some of these teams as well that sign these quarterbacks is how important it is to draft and develop when you play, when you pay someone this much money. The Chiefs have done it well, the Eagles, the Ravens, the Bills to some extent the Niners haven't. Go look at their roster right now, Colin. Find me the impact players they have drafted in the last five seasons.
Jeff Schwartz
Right?
Chris Felica
Not a lot of them. And that's what's going to hold them back is they have not drafted and developed and look, they lost multiple first round picks on the Trey Lance deal. They have a first round pick for a couple years. Hard to draft impact players in the third, fourth and fifth round like successfully year after year and they just don't have. So they're, they're, they paid Brock pretty much. They had to do, as you mentioned, like they had to, they had to do it. There was no option.
Jeff Schwartz
They.
Chris Felica
But now you look at the roster and you think, okay, when Trent Williams is gone, when Kittle's older, when McCaffrey is older, when all these guys get older, where they pack players. Now last year's draft was good. I think so far they got a guard and Pierce I think will be good, but obviously was hampered first half of last year with playing time. The problem with the Niners isn't they paid Purdy. It's like the rest of the roster. Where's the young, impactful players?
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, they're hoping Mikel Williams is that they're hoping the kid they got in the first round is that, you know, it's a couple of weeks ago we had or a week ago we had the rookie minicamps. Now I am under the, I believe this, that Dylan Gabriel was a reach. I don't think he's an NFL quarterback of note. I think the front office of Cleveland, not counting the owner, wanted to draft a quarterback. So they get out of the Shadour conversation. My buddy John Middlekop mentioned this and then by the fifth round the owner knocked on the door and said, go draft him. That said, I think Shador is going to win the job. I don't think he's great, but I think he's accurate. He moves well enough. Where do you land on that circus? I mean, it's Kenny Pickett, it's Gabriel, it's Shador. It's like, where are you on the Cleveland quarterback situation?
Chris Felica
I feel like there's sort of two separate job applications jobs happening, right? There's like the Flacco, Kenny Pickett who's going to start. Like that's one Competition. Right. And the loser of that most likely is released. Okay. And then there's sort of like the Gabriel Sanders who's the primary backup. I don't think that at Gabriel Sanders camp unless they are so good early in training camp are going to overtake sort of the picket Flacco who's going to start competition. Right. Because look, those guys have experience and I mentioned this when the draft happened. There's four quarterbacks that need reps. You have single practices now you don't have two a days and now even practices you get every fourth day off and you have a load management day like there's just not enough reps calling unless you're is that good early on he's that much better than Flacco which he probably won't be in practice. Right. Flacco's done this a long time now so you basically would have to give him the job saying hey man, we just see so much of practice. There's not a lot to see in games yet. We'll give him jumps. I think early on it's probably Flacco picket whoever wins that job and then the primary backup will just be the winner of the Sanders. Gabriel. I think, look, Gabriel, I'm with you. I think he's a career backup but he's going to look good in practice. Like you're going to have to basically lose that job in the preseason and I think he will. I think Sanders will play better than. I think that right now. I think Flacco starts by the year as a quarterback. At some point though, Sanders overtakes him and gets you this. Flacco gives you only so much. Right. There's not a lot of upside in that. Just sort of get you through the first couple of weeks, maybe feel good about your offense, get some wins here and there, make a ton of mistakes. Eventually that's going to run out. We saw it in India last year they tried to bench Richardson for Flacco. Lasted like two weeks. So I think Sanders will eventually play but probably not start the season.
Colin Cowherd
Number one the I was, I was talking about this. There's been these questions about I'll circle back to Caleb Williams that there was a little bit of ego and I said well he was the first nil superstar so I've defended him and, and there was questions about Shador not wanting to like like you know, his dad kind of the charge on. So the last couple years we've had Caleb a little pushback on the emotion Nil. Shadour Sanders drops in the draft Dad's talking next year we have Arch Manning and again the Manning family is American royalty now. I think it's interesting how they've handled it. They have never transferred, they've been. He's making 6 million nil. Yeah, so. So I think the Mannings have because of dad, Eli Peyton, like they get the game, they get the quarterback position, right? Like just be a good sport, be a backup to Quinn yours. But you're a college football die hard. And I think I'm beyond the casual in college football. What do you make a year out? A year ago today, Quinn yours was a first round quarterback. Is Arch Manning, is the Manning name a bigger part of this than the talent? What do you see with him?
Chris Felica
Yeah, well, we just, he hasn't played a ton of football yet. I mean when he's played the football, there's obviously signs that he can mature into something that's, that's special. I think about this year in college football, it's the year the quarterback, I mean there's like eight quarterbacks right on the top of your head that could go number one. Now obviously they probably all won't be the ninth quarterback who goes first overall. But you look at, you look at Arch, you look at Club Nick and Nessmeyer and all these guys and I'm missing obviously a bunch of names here. Like there's going to be so many quarterbacks this year. It's going to be sort of like an ice cream flavor, right? Like you pick your favorite one and it might be different across different teams. Archers has to play more. When you see more consistent play, just hasn't played right. Yours has been the starter, he's spot started. He's looked good in those moments. But look, when you spot start, teams don't have film on you. You know, it's the fifth, sixth, seventh game in a row you played where teams start figuring out, okay, well when he rolls to his right, he does this. When he looks left, he does that. Here's the offense that they've designed for him. What if we take that away? What's next? So in the glimpses we've seen, he looks like a very complete quarterback. Just you see a full season, he'll get a full year. This year a lot of people predict Texas back in maybe a championship game, winning the sec. He'll have his moments this year, Colin. They have a hard schedule like they play at Ohio State and then they have Georgia as well. They might have Bama as well. Like they're, they're going to have an opportunity or he will have an opportunity to play the better teams in the country to show us whether or not he's good enough. Now, the last thing I'll say here, the NFL draft I think has gone away from what do you show me on Saturdays? And it's more what can you be on Sundays? So we might think a quarterback here and there doesn't have it in college. But teams look at his talent, his arm talent, his, his, his maturity, his, his mental capacity is his ability to, to see things, you know, happen in real time and, and say, we want that guy on our team. The college production doesn't matter as much. So this will be a fun year. There's so many quarterbacks this season, there could be seven, eight guys in the top two days.
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Jeff Schwartz
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Colin Cowherd
So, you know, degree cool rush Deodorant, right? Well, last year they changed the formula and it did not go over well with our fans. So Degree's whole thing is it turns up the sweat and odor protection when you turn up the effort. And good thing it does because Cool Rush fans really turned up the effort to bring the original formula back. One guy even started an online petition and Degree listened.
Jeff Schwartz
They admitted they effed up.
Colin Cowherd
They're bringing back the original Cool Rush scent. They're bringing it back and it's exactly how you remember it.
Jeff Schwartz
Cool, crisp and fresh.
Colin Cowherd
It's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. There's a reason it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. It's the same reason why people were.
Jeff Schwartz
Not happy when it changed.
Colin Cowherd
So if you've never tried it, it.
Jeff Schwartz
Might be a good time to see what the fuss is about.
Colin Cowherd
Head to your local Walmart Target and try the OG Degree Cool Rush for yourself.
Jeff Schwartz
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Colin Cowherd
Jeff Schwartz, I want to leave you with this, and I said this last year I got some pushback. I said it last week, is that people are hyperventilating. The first thing the WNBA did is they just didn't understand how popular Caitlin Clark was. I mean, again with Taylor Swift, you got 10 years if you're Ticketmaster to figure out how popular she was. Sometimes you just don't know how big of a star she is. So I'm not going to crush the league for that. But it was funny watching the foul over the weekend that got upgraded to a flagrant and I thought, God, the league doesn't know how to officiate this rivalry yet. It's like nobody quite knows how to handle it. What did you make of this foul? The flagrant the talk after. What did you make of it?
Chris Felica
I like competitors that are fiery. I've said this for many years now, like, sports are emotional. It's okay if in the motion of a sport, two grown adults yell at each other and are angry. I've never had a problem with it. I don't get the flagrant foul system in basketball. I've never gotten it. That didn't look like a flagrant to me. They sort of deem like anything extra non intentional. That's a little bit hard as a flagrant foul. The thing that's so fascinating to me, and I'm gonna steal this from. From Josh Pay because he came up with this. With this term in 2023 when Colorado started three. You know, there were a lot of people talking about Colorado and Dean Sanders that did not talk about culture ever. And they said things that were, well, a little bit different. And that's the Dion tax, he said, right? Where it's people that don't really cover the sport, that don't. They don't pay attention to the sport. But now we're forced to talk about it because it's popular and they're on shows and they gotta say something. It feels like right now we're like a WNBA tax, a Caitlin Clark injuries tax, where people are commenting about the sport that a don't watch it. They don't watch sports a lot. They don't understand sports. Like, to me, yeah, it's a hard foul. It happens in sport. Injuries got upset. She yelled at Clark. Like, that's. That's what happens a lot all the time. NBA, NFL, NHL. You watch NHL? What's tons of NHL. They fight like all the time. They punch each other in the face. They get into it after a goalie gets hit. Like, so to me, that's sports. And there's nothing more or less than what happened during that play. But everyone has to talk about it because they want to talk about the popular thing that happened this weekend. So it's like it's a tax on new fans having. There was. I've seen stuff where people said, Colin, that she should not play against a Fever anymore. Angel Reese, like, what are we doing? This is sports. They're passionate athletes who. One one Fowler, one Yelder. Like, that's it. It's nothing more than that.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. Basketball is not soccer. We don't swap jerseys. Animosity is okay. There's a history from high school, aau, College of the Pros, where teams don't love each other. I mean, it was. I Covered UNLV and Duke. You remember this? You're old enough to remember this. I covered UNLV and Duke and the coaches loved each other, but there was a lot of good guy, bad guy. You know, the guys in the desert, the bad guys. The Duke kids are great. And there was a lot of animosity. And in the end, it was like.
Chris Felica
It was great.
Colin Cowherd
A lot of those players ended up liking each other or playing with each other. And I think to. Josh Page is a smart guy. To his credit, there's a lot of overreaction to what is just sports. That's all it is. It's just sports.
Chris Felica
So it is. And I think, by the way, this is all great for the league. Like, I think they didn't realize what was coming with the last couple of years, but all this attention. More eyeballs. I've never watched more wnba, not. Not just Caitlin Clark, like, all of it, more often now, some of that is a sports wagering, of course, but nonetheless, like, I've watched more of it. I know you have. Like, we all have. And it's good for league. And they'll figure out sort of, I think, what the discourse should be when it comes to these two players.
Colin Cowherd
Jeff Schwartz, as always, buddy, I appreciate it.
Chris Felica
Thank you. Take care, bud.
Colin Cowherd
And how about J. Mack, now with the news?
Chris Felica
No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.
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This is the Herdline news.
J. Mac
All right, let's get started with that Nuggets Thunder series. It ended with a bit of a thud. Nicole Jokic got zero help from his. His boys on the road, and they got smashed. Interestingly, after the game, Colin, Nikola Jokic was talking to reporters, and he was pretty blunt about their chances next year with the same unit.
Colin Cowherd
Do you feel like this team could still win a championship as it's put together now?
Nikola Jokic
I mean, we didn't, so obviously we can't. If we. If we could, we will win it. So I don't believe in those if, if stuff. So we had the opportunity. We didn't. We didn't. We didn't win it. So I think we can't. The teams that has a longer rotation, longer ban sheet, the ones who are winning. Indiana was the name. Okc. So Minnesota, yeah.
Colin Cowherd
Denver is feeling a little old, a little brittle and a little expensive. Jamal Murray plays himself into shape every year. Like Aaron Gordon got banged up and. Yeah, I mean, I would move Porter. I would consider moving Murray. I thought Christian Brown played really well. He was good. Yeah. I mean, my take is Jokic and Aaron Gordon. I'm riding with those two. And Christian Brown, I think, really grew as a player. He's a bit. A bit stiff. He's not as fluid as I'd like. But in the end, I think Murray will probably come back because they have so much, like, institutional knowledge of each other. Jokic and Murray, they play together so many possessions. But I do think J. Mac, I think they feel a little old, a little brittle and a little expensive.
J. Mac
Yeah, no, you're spot on. Now. I do have the salary in front of him. Jokic is locked in for a while. Murray is locked in. They're not going anywhere. The issue is Porter. You said I would move off Porter. They owe him two years. $78 million.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
J. Mac
That's pricey. He was basically playing with one arm in the series. I think he averaged nine points. Colin a shell of himself. Maybe he gets healthy. If you want to move him, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to attach a number one pick to him. Like, nobody's taking Porter. Unless you're giving me something else. Then they got the Zeke Najee deal. He was a horrible move by the gm. They have no bench. Colin, like Jokic is saying it, this is unsustainable. We can't run it back. So you either got to play the young guys and take your medicine and lose a bunch of games or attach first round picks to get off quarter. This is not going to be helpful for Nuggets fans.
Colin Cowherd
But the future is very ugly, let's be honest. Look how valuable Russell Westbrook was in the playoffs. Why? Because he gave you great energy. When you watch Denver this year in the playoffs, did you not think this more than once? They look gassed. Well against the Cliffs. Yeah, well, I mean, I thought they looked gassed against okc. That's why Westbrook's energy was so vile. Everybody, all of a sudden, myself included, were like, oh, God, Westbrook's valuable. On this old team that's banged up, he was really valuable. They got to get younger and they have to get deeper. I don't think there's any question.
J. Mac
So the Westbrook has a player option. Do you think he picks it up and stays in Denver?
Colin Cowherd
Yes.
J. Mac
Or does he leave and say, I can make more than $3.5 million somewhere else?
Colin Cowherd
I think he stays there and I think they need him. I think he's good energy for them.
J. Mac
We'll agree to disagree on that. Let's move on to the Knicks. Colin very excited for this series against the Pacers. So game one is Wednesday. Knicks will have had A lot of free time to rest up. The get in price for game one, $703 at MSG. And that's for like nosebleed, upper deck. Worst seats in comparatively game one of the Timberwolves. OKC, $160. Slight difference. People in New York are very fired up. You saw the scenes from 7th Avenue on Friday. It was a party. Did you see the video of Timothee Chalamet? My guy, the actor, he was like in a car in the middle of the street, comes out the window, people are acting like he was like the President of the United States. It was awesome.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, well, I mean, there's also a lot of money in New York. I mean, let's just not, let's not kid ourselves here. It's going to be. I do think in terms of big picture, I think the Knicks will carry a lot of. I think this, I think the arena. I think New York feels just. It feels different. It's like for years and years you'd watch the Big east tournament in Madison Square Garden and it didn't matter that the ACC may have been better on certain years or the Big 12. It was like the Big east tournament felt bigger in New York. Louis Carneseca against John Thompson or whoever. It was like. So I just think, I think New York basketball jumps through the tv, so I think they'll get pretty good numbers. I don't think OKC Minnesota will do terribly well, but I think if you're a basketball head, I think you'll like it.
J. Mac
So if the Knicks make the finals, Colin, you all. We could throw out all the, hey, we need to change the three point line and, and the league is too poor. Too many old stars just get there next to the finals. That makes me wonder, are they going to get a favorable whistle or do you not want to delve into conspiracy? I think two days before getting one.
Colin Cowherd
I think the most fascinating. Remember people predicted years ago that when Utah played Michael Jordan, people thought it was going to be terrible ratings because of small market Utah, but because Utah was built to stop Michael and they had, it actually ended up being a great finals. It got huge. To this day, it may be one of the. I think it's the highest rated final ever. Colin.
J. Mac
That was like 1998. I don't even know that the streaming existed. Like, come on, that was a different era.
Colin Cowherd
No, no, it was the story, Jason. Television's about stories. The Subway Series got a terrible World Series. Nobody outside of New York cared. Utah was a good story. Small market Utah against Michael Jordan and the flu game became a great story. Oklahoma City, the small market and New York the deepest roster and a team that plays five guys, that is a great story.
J. Mac
So if you gave Adam Silver truth serum, do you think he would want Nick Thunder or Nick's Anthony Edwards?
Colin Cowherd
Well, I think Ant is, you know, ant in New York performing but to me sports has always been Caitlin Clark. Is she as good as Cheryl Miller? She's a great story. Midwest girl, non traditional power. The next Steph Curry like some of its aesthetic, some of its story. And I think Denver, by the way, I liked him but Denver wasn't a fascinating story. Their star was a second round pick. I think the Knicks will carry the day and you know, I think Knicks OKC is great but I ant in the finals probably is a better marquee. Ant against the Knicks is probably again I'm saying story is probably the better story.
J. Mac
Final story, Colin, is to the NFL where we have one, maybe two NFL quarterback competitions and the Cleveland Browns is front and center currently. Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are the veterans and you've got the young kids, Dylan Gabriel and Shador Sanders. With OTA set to begin next week, there are early reports out of Cleveland. Wait for it, Colin. That Kenny Pickett is the front runner for the Cleveland Brown job. As Colin. If you can't see him on tv, he is definitely making a face. He doesn't like to hear that. Kenny Pickett apparently will get the bulk of the first team reps and he's going to be given an opportunity to win the job.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, and that's fine. But he is, he is not as good as Flacco and he is not as good as Shador. So that's fine. You can give whoever you want. You know, they, they may be looking to move people. I mean they're not going to carry. They're probably going to carry two quarterbacks, not four or five. So you want to give him reps. Kenny Pickett probably nice kid, you know, went to Philadelphia, was a backup probably as a market as a backup, but I think Jeff Schwartz nailed it. Once you get into real camp, how are you going to give these guys snaps? Dylan Gabriel and Shador need some snaps. I wouldn't have a problem if the organization just went Shadour one Dylan Gabriel two. I have no problem. Just go two rookie quarterbacks. One a clear backup, one clearly bigger, better arm, better player.
J. Mac
Okay, so you wouldn't have a problem with that. Kevin Stefanski is the coach. He drafted Dylan Gabriel. He, that's that was his guy. Two rounds ahead of Shadour. Do you really think he's going to start Shadour?
Colin Cowherd
I think Kevin Stefanski wants to win games. Whether you like it or not, Shador will pop after a very short time as your best player. I really believe it. I really believe that's not a, that's not like PC. Like I, I said this. I, I, I understood those who let him drop to the middle second round. Like you just don't think. But if there was no noise around him, no noise, you know, his dad wasn't famous. There was no noise. It's hard for me to believe that he's not at least a mid to a late second round pick. Dylan Gabriel, fifth round pick who moved up.
J. Mac
So that's interesting. So you think just on talent, if you remove the last name, I could.
Colin Cowherd
I can see Peter. Not that many teams needed a quarterback and I can see people liking Jackson Dart more than Shador. I didn't, but I get it. Like, I can see there was only about six teams that needed a quarterback. And nobody's going to fall in love with Stor. He's not big, he's not elusive. There's nothing there. Cam Ward, There are things you watch his elusiveness, his arm strength. You're like, there's wow. There's no wow to Jackson Dart. There's no wow to Shador. I think they're both second round quarterbacks. Probably I would take Shador late first and be okay with it. Jackson Dart I thought was a reach. Dylan Gabriel, a reach. I thought the kid From Louisville who's 45 years old, I thought he was a reach. But I think, I think you're kidding yourself if you think Shedeur is a fifth round. He's a better prospect than that Dylan Gabriel.
J. Mac
What round do you think he would have been?
Colin Cowherd
I think he's a fifth round quarterback. I think he's a career backup. That's fine. He's a good career. Back J. Mac with the news.
DraftKings Advertiser
Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by. The Herd lie News.
Colin Cowherd
Sam Amick stopped by from the Athletic. Jeff Schwartz. Do we wrap it up live in Chicago? It's the Herd.
DraftKings Advertiser
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Steve Covino
Hey, Steve Covino.
Rich Davis
And I'm Rich Davis.
Steve Covino
And together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.
Rich Davis
You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course, the iHeartRadio app.
Steve Covino
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Rich Davis
We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world.
Steve Covino
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.
Rich Davis
And the fact that we've been friends with for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right?
Steve Covino
So check us out. We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say.
Rich Davis
I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth.
Steve Covino
Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific.
Rich Davis
And if you miss any of the live show, just search Kobe Noanrich wherever you get your podcast. And of course, on social media, that's Covino and Rich.
Jeff Schwartz
Summer is almost 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. Looking to transform your business through better HR and payroll? Meet Paycor, a paychecks company. The powerhouse solution that empowers leaders to drive results. From recruiting and development to payroll and analytics, paycor connects you with the people, data and expertise you need to succeed. Their innovative platform helps you make smarter decisions about your most valuable asset, your people. Are you ready to become a Better Leader? Visit paycor.com leaders to learn more. That's paycor.com leaders. Hey, so we all make mistakes but owning up to them is the right thing to do.
Colin Cowherd
So you know Degree Cool Rush deodorant, right? Well, last year they changed the formula formula and it did not go over well with their fans. So Degree's whole thing is it turns up the sweat and odor protection when you turn up the effort. And good thing it does, because Cool Rush fans really turned up the effort to bring the original formula back. One guy even started an online petition and Degree listened.
Jeff Schwartz
They admitted they effed up.
Colin Cowherd
They're bringing back the original Cool Rush scent. They're bringing it back and it's exactly.
Jeff Schwartz
How you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh.
Colin Cowherd
It's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. There's a reason it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. It's the same reason why people were.
Jeff Schwartz
Happy when it changed.
Colin Cowherd
So if you've never tried it, it might be a good time to see.
Jeff Schwartz
What the fuss is about.
Colin Cowherd
Head to your local Walmart Target, and try the OG Degree Cool Rush for yourself.
Jeff Schwartz
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Colin Cowherd
Welcome back. The it was this time. Was it last week or the week before that? The sports world exploded with a Cooper flag, apparently headed toward the Dallas Mavericks. And I thought, you know, again, when you've been doing what we've been doing for as long as we've been doing it, there's just something about the NBA where anytime there's a whiff of the conspiracy theory, it resurfaces. I find it comical. Like you'd want Zion going to the Pelicans. Like you'd want Cleveland winning multiple lotteries or Orlando winning multiple lotteries. How come the Lakers aren't winning lotteries? You know, I mean, this. This league, like every Industry, you just have certain general managers who are smarter. Danny Ainge has worked a lot of GMs. Brad Stevens, Sam Presti. There's bad GMs, there's bad pilots. Some guys can land on the Hudson, some guys you don't trust landing at lax. Like, the reality of the NBA. I just. The idea that you would have picked Dallas. My take is if San Antonio would have won it and you get three straight potential rookies of the year, that would feel like, oh, that was a gift to Greg Popovich. I never even thought for a second. I mean, there's not one part of me that thought the NBA wanted to reward Nico Harrison. Like, why he made a bad deal. If anything, it was a bad light on the NBA. Well, Luka ended up in Los Angeles. Well, Luka just been to the finals in Dallas. The Lakers are always okay. They're always fine. So here was Jason Kidd, by the way, on the Dallas Mavs podcast about the upcoming draft. So who you drafted on June 25.
J
We love that kid from Duke. Been studying him a little bit. And so that's the answer. That's the real answer. I mean, this draft is. Is really talented. You have some young men at the University of Rutgers, and so it's exciting. But right now I'm studying the. The young man that used to play at Duke.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. I think it's interesting for Dallas, they've had Dirk and they've had Luca. This would be their first major. Even Nash was from Canada, their first major domestic star. I think it plays well. Yeah, I think, you know, it's just. There's something about the NBA, and maybe it's because if you. You know, there's always been this sense that if you get the star, you know, you're. You're golden. Like, oh, the Knicks got Patrick Ewing. Well, it's okay if New York occasionally wins a lotter. If you really look at the lottery odds, what they've done, they've made it into a raffle. It's just nobody has an advantage. What they don't want is tanking working. So the teams with the worst record, I think it's three years in a row. This year, it was Utah. They end up with a fifth pick, and that's what they wanted. So they've engineered it, they have fixed it so that the teams that are absolutely awful in case they are tanking don't get the number one pick. So they get good picks, they don't get the great pick. So it's got a very much a raffle feel to it. But I can remember. People really believe this. I remember. I'll tell you a conspiracy theory. I covered UNLV for years when they lost. So they won the national championship the year before. They had crushed. It was in Denver. I was there. They crushed Duke. Duke had Bobby Hurley. I think Bobby Hurley got sick, stomach flu during it. And Allah Abdul Nabi was on that team. And Larry Johnson and Stacey Dogman and Greg Anthony and Anderson Hunt and Moses Scurry and David Butler. And they roll Duke. So they come back the next year as an overwhelming favorite and they lose to Duke. And people are like, oh, somebody was out gambling. This is not. This has to be thrown. Well, no, Grant Hill was not on that team in Denver. Grant Hill, the high school basketball player of the year. Grant Hill was on the next Duke team that played Laitner. Bobby Hurley. Grant Hill. Grant Hurl was a spectacular, spectacular college basketball player even as a freshman at Duke. And also it was hard for unlv. They had just thrashed this team to try to make them believe this Duke team was going to beat them. I was at that game as well. Right out of the tip, Duke got an alley oop, slam dunk. I think it was to. It may have been to Grant Hill. And I was there for that game. And. And late in the game, Greg Anthony got into foul TR trouble. And UNLV is a heavy favorite. Tark was never a great, like, late.
Jeff Schwartz
Game coach because he was in so.
Colin Cowherd
Many blowouts in those weaker western conferences he was in. And so it got to be a close game. Krzyzewski was kind of working him. Greg Anthony was hurt. Anderson Hunt really wasn't a true point guard, though he was small and should have been. And Grant Hill was exploding on the scene. So it's just. And by the way, there have been sports. Have tennis matches years ago been thrown? Yes. Was the mob infiltrating some college basketball? Henry Hill, absolutely. Tim Donaghy situation was real. But when you get into this NBA is rigged thing, folks, I told somebody the other day, I was having a cigar at a place, he goes to the NBA. And I said, listen, things get rigged when somebody's not getting taken care of. Things get rigged. I said, everybody's getting rich in the NBA. The commissioner, the owners, the players, the coaches, the role players. Everybody's getting rich. You have scrupulous people and you have fixes in when somebody's not making money. The mob to college basketball. College basketball players are starving on a college campus not making money. They're easy targets.
Jeff Schwartz
Right.
Colin Cowherd
Like everybody in the NBA is getting theirs. So you know, there's just not. There'd be no reason to fix anything, right? Especially after the 11 year $76 billion contract when you can find somebody that's kind of getting ripped off. That's why I always said college basketball, that's a sport you could infiltrate. You have 360 Division 1 programs. Half of them never get on TV regularly. Nobody's watching the game. And college players until like 4 years ago, the nil weren't making anything. That's something that could get fixed. The NBA people are making now too much money. Even in the 70s and 80s when Michael was around in the 80s and 90s you were splitting pies. Michael didn't have a huge contract. Magic was making a million a year. Role players now making 20 million bucks a year. All right, we'll see you tomorrow. First, first things first is right around the corner. Fun today on a Monday. We'll see you tomorrow on FS1.
Jeff Schwartz
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Colin Cowherd
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Jeff Schwartz
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Colin Cowherd
You're listening to an iHeart podcast.
The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Episode Summary: Hour 3 - NFL News and Notes Release Date: May 19, 2025
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume, "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" delivers a compelling and opinionated exploration of the day's top sports stories. In this episode, Colin Cowherd, along with guests Jeff Schwartz and Chris Felica, delves into various topics surrounding the NFL, the Denver Nuggets' season, and the evolving landscape of sports entertainment.
Duration: 03:00 – 05:35
The discussion kicks off with a focus on the quarterback landscape in the NFL, highlighting the challenges teams face in developing and supporting their quarterbacks effectively.
Chris Felica emphasizes the importance of veteran mentorship, stating, “When you watch film as a quarterback, is it a solo endeavor? Are there coaches always there?” [03:23]. He underscores the absence of veterans in teams like the Bears, which hinders young quarterbacks like Caleb Williams from receiving the necessary guidance.
Colin Cowherd shares his skepticism about recent quarterback deals, comparing them to past contracts: “I didn't like the TUA deal or the Dak deal. And I feel the exact same way about the Brock Purdy deal.” [05:00]. He questions the sustainability of these high-profile contracts without the necessary supporting cast to elevate the teams.
The conversation also delves into the Cleveland Browns' quarterback competition, where Colin expresses his doubts about quarterbacks like Shadoor Sanders outperforming veterans like Joe Flacco, concluding, “Shadoor will pop after a very short time as your best player.” [28:35].
Duration: 07:00 – 31:05
A significant portion of the episode examines the Cleveland Browns' quarterback situation, analyzing the prospects and potential outcomes of their current roster.
Chris Felica critiques the Browns' drafting strategy, noting the lack of impactful players in recent drafts: “They have not drafted and developed... They lost multiple first-round picks on the Trey Lance deal.” [07:05].
Colin Cowherd discusses the potential of Kenny Pickett versus Shadoor Sanders, stating, “Kevin Stefanski wants to win games. Whether you like it or not, Shadoor will pop after a very short time as your best player.” [29:20].
The debate extends to the viability of developing rookie quarterbacks and the need for the Browns to invest in young talent to remain competitive.
Duration: 21:00 – 24:23
Transitioning to the NBA, the hosts analyze the Denver Nuggets' performance in the recent Nuggets-Thunder series.
Colin Cowherd critiques the team's aging roster and high salary expenditures: “Denver is feeling a little old, a little brittle and a little expensive.” [22:44].
J. Mac reinforces the unsustainable financial commitments, particularly pointing out star players like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray: “They owe him two years. $78 million.” [22:58].
The discussion highlights the potential need for roster changes and the challenges of maintaining a competitive team without sacrificing financial stability.
Duration: 16:00 – 20:20
The episode shifts focus to the WNBA, addressing a controversial foul incident and the broader implications for sportsmanship and league officiating.
Colin Cowherd comments on the overreaction to the foul, drawing parallels with other professional leagues: “I think it's a hard foul. It happens in sport. Injuries got upset. She yelled at Clark.” [17:47].
Chris Felica discusses the cultural shift and increased attention in the WNBA, stating, “This is all great for the league... They'll figure out what the discourse should be when it comes to these two players.” [20:20].
The conversation underscores the passionate nature of sports and the necessity for leagues to balance competitive intensity with fair play.
Duration: 37:00 – 43:25
In the latter part of the episode, the hosts explore the NBA draft process, addressing common conspiracy theories and the strategic decisions behind team selections.
Colin Cowherd dismisses conspiracy theories surrounding draft picks, sharing personal anecdotes to illustrate the randomness and fairness of the process: “I can remember... people believe this conspiracy theory... this is not a sport where the outcome is fixed.” [40:31].
J. Mac adds context to the draft’s unpredictability, highlighting the balance teams must maintain between market demands and genuine talent: “It's the reality of the NBA... There’s scrupulous people and you have fixes in when somebody's not getting taken care of.” [40:31].
The discussion emphasizes the importance of meritocracy in sports drafts and the role of genuine talent over market influence.
Duration: 10:22 – 20:45
The episode also touches upon the increasing significance of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights in college sports, particularly focusing on star athletes like Caleb Williams and Arch Manning.
Colin Cowherd reflects on how NIL has changed the landscape, questioning whether fame might overshadow talent: “Caleb Williams... has been the first NIL superstar... The Mannings have become like American royalty now.” [11:38].
Chris Felica discusses the future potential of these athletes in professional leagues, noting the shift from college performance to professional readiness: “The NFL draft... teams look at his talent, his arm talent, his, his, his maturity...” [13:40].
The conversation highlights the delicate balance between leveraging NIL opportunities and maintaining athletic integrity and performance.
“When you watch film as a quarterback, is it a solo endeavor? Are there coaches always there?” – Chris Felica [03:23]
“I didn't like the TUA deal or the Dak deal. And I feel the exact same way about the Brock Purdy deal.” – Colin Cowherd [05:00]
“They have not drafted and developed... They lost multiple first-round picks on the Trey Lance deal.” – Chris Felica [07:05]
“This is all great for the league... They'll figure out what the discourse should be when it comes to these two players.” – Chris Felica [20:20]
“I can remember... people believe this conspiracy theory... this is not a sport where the outcome is fixed.” – Colin Cowherd [40:31]
In this episode of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," the hosts provide an in-depth analysis of current NFL quarterback strategies, the Denver Nuggets' season challenges, and the evolving dynamics of college sports under the NIL framework. Through engaging discussions and expert insights, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and strategic decisions shaping today's sports landscape.
For those seeking a nuanced and thoughtful exploration of sports news and trends, this episode serves as a valuable resource, offering perspectives that cater to both avid fans and casual observers.