Hour 3 - The US Men's National Team

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd Episode: Hour 3 - The US Men's National Team
Release Date: June 11, 2025

The Herd with Colin Cowherd delves deep into the current state of the US Men's National Soccer Team (USMNT), analyzing recent performances, player decisions, and the overarching strategy under the stewardship of coach Mauricio Pochettino. Hosted by Colin Cowherd, with insights from Jason McIntyre and soccer analyst Alexi Lalas, the episode offers a comprehensive examination of where the USMNT stands as they approach the Gold Cup and prepare for the upcoming World Cup on home soil.

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1. Recent Performances and Team Criticism

The episode kicks off with a reflection on the USMNT's disappointing 4-0 loss to Switzerland, a result that has reignited debates about the team's capabilities and direction.

Jason McIntyre highlights the narrow talent pool:
"We have a group of five or six elite players, all overseas playing well, but our talent pool isn't as deep as countries like the Netherlands, Colombia, or Spain. Last night's loss was a wake-up call." [03:38]

Alexi Lalas expresses concern over the team's performance and commitment:
"This is the U.S. men's National Team that is looked upon with criticism and apathy. Not appearing for the Gold Cup is a bad look, especially a year before a home World Cup." [05:02]

2. Christian Pulisic’s Decision to Skip the Gold Cup

A significant portion of the discussion centers on Christian Pulisic's choice to sit out the Gold Cup to rest after a grueling season with AC Milan.

Jason McIntyre observes:
"Pulisic's decision might be sending a message about his fatigue and possibly his relationship with the new coach, Mauricio Pochettino." [10:00]

Alexi Lalas criticizes the decision, emphasizing the importance of leadership:
"If you were in crisis mode and chose to take a vacation instead of fighting for the team, it reflects poorly on both the player and the organization." [11:46]

3. Team Depth and Coaching Challenges

The conversation shifts to the broader issues of team depth and the challenges Pochettino faces in building a competitive squad.

Jason McIntyre points out the lack of depth:
"With the top players abroad, the rest of the squad hasn't stepped up to fill the void. Our talent pool is thin compared to top soccer nations." [06:30]

Alexi Lalas adds:
"Pochettino has a strong pedigree in club soccer, but international management is different. Additionally, the diverse backgrounds of our players lead to varying philosophies, making it hard to forge a unified team identity." [09:11]

4. The Importance of Team Identity

A recurring theme is the absence of a clear team identity, which hampers the USMNT's performance on the international stage.

Jason McIntyre draws parallels to other sports:
"In the NFL, teams like the New Orleans Saints have a clear identity based on efficiency and intelligence. The USMNT lacks this coherence." [19:51]

Alexi Lalas elaborates on the diversity issue:
"Our national team's diversity means a diversity of thought in how players approach the game. This makes it difficult to ensure all 11 players are aligned in the same direction on the field." [09:11]

5. Upcoming Gold Cup and World Cup Preparations

The panel discusses the significance of the Gold Cup as a preparatory ground for the World Cup, emphasizing the need for the USMNT to use this tournament to build momentum.

Alexi Lalas states:
"The Gold Cup is an opportunity to light a fire under the team. Performing well here can set a positive course for the World Cup next year." [17:38]

Jason McIntyre concurs, noting the team's potential if they can harness their existing talent:
"When top players like Pulisic are in the right mindset, the team can turn things around quickly, much like how good leadership can transform a political party." [18:55]

6. Comparisons to Previous Eras and Expectations

Reflecting on past USMNT teams, the panel draws comparisons to earlier eras, highlighting how expectations have evolved.

Alexi Lalas reminisces:
"Back in 1994, we might not have envisioned the team we have now, a year before hosting the World Cup. The current state is not what I had hoped for." [10:57]

Jason McIntyre adds a nostalgic perspective:
"Previously, teams like those with Landon Donovan played with a chip on their shoulder, focusing on defense and playing above their skill level. Today, we lack that clear strategic focus." [21:47]

7. Conclusion and Future Outlook

The episode concludes with a mixed outlook for the USMNT. While there are significant challenges, there is also hope that pivotal tournaments like the Gold Cup can serve as catalysts for positive change.

Alexi Lalas emphasizes the urgency:
"We got to get ourselves in order, both on and off the field, to present a strong image to the world during the upcoming World Cup." [09:11]

Jason McIntyre remains cautiously optimistic:
"If the team can harness its existing talent and Pochettino can instill a clear identity, there's potential to turn things around. However, the next year is crucial." [19:51]

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Jason McIntyre [03:38]:
  "We have a group of five or six elite players, all overseas playing well, but our talent pool isn't as deep as countries like the Netherlands, Colombia, or Spain. Last night's loss was a wake-up call."

• Alexi Lalas [05:02]:
  "This is the U.S. men's National Team that is looked upon with criticism and apathy. Not appearing for the Gold Cup is a bad look, especially a year before a home World Cup."

• Jason McIntyre [10:00]:
  "Pulisic's decision might be sending a message about his fatigue and possibly his relationship with the new coach, Mauricio Pochettino."

• Alexi Lalas [11:46]:
  "If you were in crisis mode and chose to take a vacation instead of fighting for the team, it reflects poorly on both the player and the organization."

• Alexi Lalas [09:11]:
  "Our national team's diversity means a diversity of thought in how players approach the game. This makes it difficult to ensure all 11 players are aligned in the same direction on the field."

---

Final Thoughts:
Hour 3 of The Herd with Colin Cowherd offers a critical and insightful analysis of the US Men's National Soccer Team's current trajectory. With honest assessments from seasoned analysts, the episode underscores the urgent need for strategic coherence, enhanced team depth, and unified leadership to elevate the USMNT's performance on the global stage.

Transcript

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[Jason McIntyre]

The iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now, let's get this party started. You're listening to FOX Sports Radio. And he is now going to join us live after that, after that disheartening four nil loss to Switzerland last night. So the World Cup's a year away on US Soil. The Gold cup starts this weekend. So I'm going to throw a theory at you is that as we have more play, you were the first American, you played in the Italian league. You went over, what Was that, like 19? You went over and played in Italy 80. What was it?

[Alexi Lalas]

Previous century? Let's just say previous century, the 1900s.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay, so here's my take on this. That there's a slight pivot that Christian Pulisic and the top players are signaling. They're saying, listen, two things matter in soccer now. Our stars making money in Europe and the World cup. And this stuff in between doesn't matter like it did years ago now when you or Landon Donovan were going over, we didn't have the number of players, but Pulisic's like, I'm an AC Milan second season, 50 grueling matches. I don't care about the gold cop. Could I just say that the world. And it's actually, it's because of our talent that the world's changing, that the European money's number two, World Cup's number one. But maybe, maybe stuff like the Gold cup won't matter as much anymore.

[Alexi Lalas]

You can say it. I don't know if it's necessarily true. And if it is true, then it's a sad commentary on, well, I guess not how far we've come or how much we've regressed. Because, you know, I still look out and I see whether it's a Messi or a Cristiano Ronaldo. And I know they play in different. It's a different context in terms of where they play in the teams that they play for. But, and I try so hard, Colin, not to grumpy old man this thing, but I cannot fathom or understand or, or relate to if and when you are called to represent your country, a country that I feel is the greatest country in the world. You saying no? I'm willing to give Christian Pulisic some grace if he needs rest. That's Fine. I will remind Christian and anybody else out there, last time I was 100%, I was 10 years old. I think the bigger problem is for Christian Pulisic not to be here this summer is that you gotta read the room, dude. And I think this is a bad look for him, for his agent and for U.S. soccer because, look, I know we talk about politics every once in a while and I love politics. And this is a situation where we've just come through an era where at best you can call it, well, some dramatic spinning, but at worst, it's gaslighting. I am not here to do either one of those things to you or to your audience. You deserve better. And the truth is right now this is A team, the U.S. men's National Team, that is looked upon with criticism. There is plenty of angst associated with it. And I think the worst part is that there is apathy associated to this team. And so in this moment, when you have a chance, yes, it's the Gold cup, to come in to represent this country and to kind of set the course in a much more positive type of way and create some momentum that you need, by the way, a year before a home World cup, you say, no, it's a bad look for him.

[Jason McIntyre]

How about this is that though we have a group of five or six elite players, all overseas playing well, right? That our talent pool is not as deep as, you know, countries that we in the Netherlands, it could be Colombia, it could be Spain. We're not as deep as France or as Italy now. I mean, those countries, like Germany too, they have rebuilding World Cups like they're not always at their peak, but our talent pool is pretty thin. And Mauricio Pochettino, who loves younger players, last night said, I'm going to roll the dice with our young guys. And last night he discovered that that talent pool is just not there. And so last night was simply a wake up call and it was something that he needed. How about that?

[Alexi Lalas]

I think you're a little bit letting Mauricio Pochettino off the hook. You know, he has a pedigree when it comes to the club game, but not the international game. And they are very, very different in terms of the time they that you are able to spend with your team. He is being paid, rumored to be $6 million a year. And so he has been hired to get us to a point that we haven't been before. And look, this has been an abject failure. And certainly over the last couple of games, ultimately he will be judged by the World cup, the Gold Cup. Like I said, it's an opportunity now to make sure that we are headed in a better direction. But those two games that we just saw against Turkey and against Switzerland, these are not elites of the world, but these are good teams. And obviously they've shown that in this form against this team, they were better.

[Jason McIntyre]

J. Mac had said this. I always felt. And you as a defender, I always felt our stamp. We were closer to Italy than Argentina or Brazil. We were not that skilled. We had good goalkeeping. If we did beat international teams, it was low scoring. We could be. We could be physical. Yourself, Clint Dempsey. We had a chip on our shoulder. Um, but we were defense first. We knew we weren't Argentina. We knew we weren't Brazil or the Netherlands. We knew that. And so there was a certain style and skill level that dictated that. I think this is a more skilled group. And again, I think we should be more aggressive. I always felt when we played like England and Germany, we were playing for the last 15 minutes and see if we could come out one nothing. We were just trying to keep it at bay. Defense, should we be more aggressive? And because that is Mauricio's history, he likes young players and he is aggressive. Do you. Because J. Mac said this during the break, he goes, what are we? With every good team in every sport is something. What are we right now with USA Soccer?

[Alexi Lalas]

So we are representative of a country that is completely unique relative to almost all of the rest of the world. Obviously, soccer is not king, but. But also, when you look at our diversity, that means incredible diversity of thought in the way that people think about the game. And I've talked about this fallacy that is the melting pot of a national team. We have players from all over, not just the country, but all over the world. And it's very difficult to get 11 players on the field, all headed in the same direction in a country that thinks about the game in as a diverse way as we do. If I ask 100American soccer people out there who are what is the beautiful game? I'm going to get 100 different answers. Now, that's not an excuse, but it is a reality. And so Pochettino's job is to make sure. If he's got to dumb it down, fine. But whatever it is, either you're on board or you aren't. And I cannot tell you the amount of people that have come up to me and said, you know what? I will take a less talented U.S. men's National Team at this point, as long as they show some of that traditional spirit and. And they make us proud by what they're doing. You know, the Supreme Court tried to define obscenity many, many years ago, and they said, look, we can't do that, but we know it when we see it. American soccer fans, they know it when they see it, and they have yet to see it with this group. And that is concerning a year out from the World Cup. Like I said, if you had asked me back in 1994 what we would look like in 2025, a year before the 2026 World cup, the men's World cup, returning to the U.S. this is not what I. What I have envisioned back then. So we got to get ourselves in order. We on the field and to a certain extent, off the field, because this is coming down the pike and it is coming fast. And it behooves us to make sure that this is a wonderful advertisement to the world in what we do on the field and what we do off the field.

[Jason McIntyre]

When Pulisic decided not to play now, I would defend him in that he's played 50 match seasons with AC Milan. That's rigorous soccer. And he just said, man, I'm. I need a break here. I don't love it, but I get the explanation. Tyler Adams is truly hurt. That's fine, but did Pulisic send a message? Could I read into that? I'm not sure if he loves this new coach. I. I always thought he and Berhalter got along. I thought the players like Burhalter. Now, Geo Reyna, we. We know about that situation, but is Pulisic sending a message to me that he doesn't necessarily love the guy that replaced Burhalter? Or am I overstating? Just he's fatigued?

[Alexi Lalas]

No, I do think that he generally thinks that he is fatigued, and he generally thinks that this is going to help him. But look, if the herd was in crisis, right, they came to you and said, listen, we don't know if we're going to continue on with this thing. You got a week to prove to us that you deserve for us to continue on. And you said, you know what? I got a vacation scheduled, so I'm just going to bring in whoever, but everybody else has to come in and work. That would look bad, and you would look bad in the process. And I would think if this really means something to you, that you would move heaven and earth to be there, to try to set this right. Now, does it mean that it's all going to go great? No. But at least you are there in the trenches in the most important moment before this World cup, helping this team. So yeah, I mean, look, Christian Pulisic is going to be fine. He's a big boy, all right. He's going to take his licks right now publicly, which is fine. He may hit back, I don't know. And I think he's going to be there next summer. And maybe in a strange way, this puts the burden, if you will, or the onus on Christian Pulisic to bring it because he's rested and we are going to expect more. Fine. Christian, you got to take the summer of 2025 off. That means that when you come in the summer of 2026, you live up to the hype, which he has, to be fair to him. But you are the best player on the field and you are a leader on and off the field. That takes us into a territory that we haven't been before.

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Satisfy you in the Gold cup starting this weekend? What will you be if it you they come out of it, they're not going to win it. But what would satisfy you if they didn't win it?

[Alexi Lalas]

Oh, no, I'm still expecting them to win it. I don't, I, I, I don't. This is still the Gold Cup. You can't have it both ways, okay? You can't, you can't tell me that the Gold cup is a lesser tournament and it's, and, and when it comes to competition and okay, relative to the, the World cup, fine, but, but, but then when we get to the world, to this Gold cup, even with the talent that we have, as poorly as they played in the last two games, that you shouldn't expect them to win it. Are they the favorites? No, but I expect them to rise to the occasion. They hear everything that is being said right now, all right? And I hope they take it to heart, okay? And it's nothing, believe me, it's nothing compared to other teams around the world when they falter right now. So whether it's Mauricio Pochettino and some of the heat that he's coming in for or, or whether it's this group of players that are there or the group of players that aren't there, I hope you hear it and I hope you react. We shouldn't have to do that. But I hope that it does light a fire under their asses and they bring it when it comes to the Gold cup and then obviously for the next year and then that magic happens next summer. But they got a long way to go.

[Jason McIntyre]

Alexi Lawless cutting through his O is my friend. Maybe I'm just getting too worked up. Maybe I care too much. That's my problem. I care too much.

[Alexi Lalas]

You never care too much. One cannot care too much, my friend. You're a lover, not a fighter. I know that's right.

[Jason McIntyre]

Exactly. Alexi Lawless, FOX Sports soccer analyst J. Mac Both you guys are very, you're being positive. But I do think, I do think your assertion that what are we matters. And I do think this stuff. I think about the US Soccer like I do political parties. If you get the right leader, you can turn things around quickly. We've said this in the NFL. CJ Stroud to make Orions, oh, Houston's laughing stock to a playoff team. There are certain sports. Baseball is not the case. You need arm. The season is so long in baseball, if you don't have two or three good arms A closer. And the Meteor batting order isn't productive. It can take you a long time. You need to hit on six, seven draft picks. But I do believe when Pulisic plays and everybody's in the right mindset, like a political party, you get the right guy, a party can be lost. You get the right leader, boom. You win elections. So I'm trying to be positive on this, but when you see what has happened over the last year, it's discouraging.

Yeah, I've waffled on this. Whether or not identity matters, you know, you could say like, well, what. What's the jets identity? Jason? I'll be like, bingo. We haven't had one for 15 years. We want to be a defense, and then our defense can't stop anybody.

Oh, I think I. I mean, I'll. You name an NFL team and I'll tell you that I think identity is huge because I think in crisis, you know, I. You own you. I own a company. I talk about this all the time. What's our identity? What's the there there? What are we? And so my quite when people say. I think it's a very fair criticism. What is USA Soccer today? And I don't think there's an identity.

Want to be attacking? Do we want to be defensive? Do we want to play out of the back? There's so many, I think. Let me pick an NFL team for you.

[Colin Cowherd]

Ready? Okay.

[Jason McIntyre]

Atlanta Falcons don't have an identity.

[Colin Cowherd]

Not very good.

[Jason McIntyre]

New Orleans Saints have an identity. I mean, with Peyton and Drew Brees, it was efficiency and iq. They were one of the smartest offenses in the league.

So an easier one. Let's go with the Cincinnati Bengals offense first. Offensive passing, right? Yeah, that works. Let's go NBA real quick. What are the New York Knicks? What's their identity?

Villanova. Professionally.

Yeah.

Wow. That's a real identity. That's an identity.

And USA Soccer just kind of sort of struggling with run right now. They just.

They don't have.

They got a new coach. Maybe there's a grace period even.

Even when you had the Josie Altador, Clint Dempsey teams, I always felt like we were physical and we were feisty. We were limited. We. We didn't have great attackers. We weren't highly skilled, but we had great goaltending. We had tough Clint Dempsey. I always felt like we played above our skill. Yeah, we were a fight, you know, Alexi Law. We played above our skill level. Everybody knew that. That you. Nobody was afraid of us. But in the World cup you had to take us seriously because we would play above our skill level. I feel like this team, there's no identity.

If you look to, like, South American nationals, Brazil, Argentina, flair, amazing fun soccer. You go to Europe, it's Spain with the skill, Germany with the skill. Right. The, the. The teamwork, the passing, and us just kind of doesn't really. Now, to be fair, you could argue Canada and Mexico, they don't have identities now, either, and that's why our whole region is down. But they got a year to fix it before the World Cup.

All right, J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, turn on the news.

[Alexi Lalas]

This is the Herd line news.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, Colin. We are a couple weeks away from the NBA draft, and everybody wants to know, is Giannis going to get moved? Moved? Well, there's now skepticism on the other side of it with an anonymous NBA executive saying Giannis is not going anywhere this summer, adding that the Bucks still feel like they can win with him. Now, Giannis did speak this week. He's in Brazil for something. I saw he was, like, doing some pickup basketball and slipped on the court. Now, oh, my gosh. He said, I'm rooting for good basketball in the finals. I hope to be back soon with the Bucks. So now there is skepticism that the Bucs will move Giannis. And I will say they're not going to win anything because Dame Lillard's out next year. But, Colin, 50 years ago this month, the Bucks traded Jabbar. They had not won a title since trading him. It took them forever. They get Giannis. Do you kind of just say, we're not trading Giannis. He's our best bet to be competitive, to contend things fall our way. Maybe we get back in the mix. Maybe you just say, we're not trading.

Well, I think there's something happening in the NBA vis a vis college basketball. The NIL is now. We just saw this with your. That kid from Auburn you like. So two things are happening. The nil. The American capitalism and exceptionalism is buying the best European players to come play college basketball.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay.

[Jason McIntyre]

And that nil money is keeping college players like Zach Edie in college another year. What does that mean? That college basketball, the overall quality over the last two years, Houston, Florida, UConn is noticeably better. These are much better teams. What does that mean? Older players, more skilled players, more mature players in college going forward. What does that mean? Do not give away draft picks. So my take is, if you trade Giannis, if you didn't trade it him, if you trade Giannis, the draft picks you will accumulate are much Better draft picks than 10 years ago. The hit rate on draft picks 12 years ago was not very good. My take, if you go look at this past this, this NBA draft, I mean you're. There's about 12 guys that people think can be border. I, I just read Jonathan Giovanni I think is the name. I'm sorry, but yeah, Giovanni, I mean I, I looked at his draft profile. He had about 10 to 12 players that people think can be All NBA, All Star or high end starters. That is a good draft. Hell, Rutgers has two of them. They couldn't even make the tournament. So my take is if there was about a 20 year stretch where you could just give draft picks away. The number six pick was a non player I think going forward because of nil's ability to keep pros in college another year and steal the best European, 17, 18, 19 year olds. I think that means draft picks mean more. So my take is if you trade Giannis and you get four picks, three of those could be much higher end players than a decade ago.

So that, that's interesting because you could go like that, give me Jaylen Brown from the Celtics instead of picks or give me Amen Thompson and picks. But you're saying you actually prefer picks going forward.

Well, no, if I trade Giannis, you gotta give me like let's say I go to Houston, I get Shangun. You've got to give me an all star. Okay, now, now he is not Giannis nor will he ever be. You got to give me an all star. But if I go sengun and I don't want Jalen Green, I want three picks or, or I get a rotational player, a Max Christie level player. So I get an all star, a lower end all star. I get a rotational guy, first guy off the bench in three picks. I think those three picks today going forward are much better than three picks 10 years ago. That's my take on what's happen Nil. It's fortifying college basketball.

I like it. Let's move to the NFL where the Rams moved on from Cooper cup and upgraded to Devonte Adams. Devonte has just barely been in LA for a minute, but he's already seeing a big difference in comparison to his previous stops.

[Tua Tagovailoa]

I feel like this is what I needed just based off the vibe and the aura of the, of the building and everybody's in a, you know, a good mood. It's not like a, you know, a dark cloud over the building and obviously experienced that quite a bit over the last few years. So it's a glaring difference when you come into a building like this.

[Jason McIntyre]

Wow, that signing got no big play. Devonte Adams, Puka Nukua, Kyron Williams, Matt Stafford, McVeigh.

This is a real offense, this whole dark cloud business. You know, he played for the jets and Raiders recently.

Dark clouds. What's not true about more, you know.

Kicking, kicking my jets while they're down. It's been a long time, you know, I may have to, you know, like lean back as Fat Joe said on the jets here going forward, there's they're not that exciting. Aaron Glenn, have you seen they're they're, he's giving no sound bites. They're trying to get rid of the dark cloud by just being quiet. The jets are saying nothing.

Think about this. Almost think about this. The NFL generally over the last 20 years has a pretty small bottom. Now last year I thought there were seven or eight like unwatchable teams, but a pretty small bottom. The hopeless teams next year arguably are both New York teams, which is for the record is very encouraging for a league because if the two worst baseball teams were the Mets and the Yankees, it would hurt baseball. Or the two worst NBA teams were the Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets, it would hurt base NBA who is more hopeless? Because I think, I think now Carolina has a coach they like and I think Bryce Young played well at the end of the year. If I said on the hopeless meter, NFL hopeless meter. I think jets and Giants are 1 and 2.

I really do wanted to be in there. The Brown.

Okay, but the Browns have two. Remember the Browns didn't reach on Jackson Dart. The Browns have two first round picks. So next year if the Browns don't like what they have in the quarterback room and they're going to be bad anyway, I'll make the argument that Cleveland could have the number one pick in the draft and won't have to give away one of their other first round picks. Yeah, also say it again.

Saint. Don't forget the Saints. They are terrible.

Okay, I think the Saints are the Saints, Jets, Giants are the three. I don't think Cleveland's got Cleveland's got the best pass rusher in football, a top five or six offensive coach and two first round picks. And Shador Sanders.

By the way, did you see shady McCoy on the show before us wearing a Shadour jersey? I didn't know why he was doing that and I texted him hey, why are you wearing a Josh Gordon jersey? And he got so upset because I can't give him the props. Anyways, final story, Colin is this is interesting. Tua and the Miami Dolphins, I mentioned them earlier as Mike McDaniel in trouble. Well, they were 8, 9 last year and Tua's entering his sixth season says he's noticed a shift in the vibes in Miami.

[Tua Tagovailoa]

You know, I think there is a culture shift and I know it. I mean I feel it just as much as everyone that's been here since I've, I've gotten into the league. League we always hear about, man. Yeah. Oh, culture shift. You guys have a change of this. You guys are doing this. Always optimistic, but I really do feel in my heart that this is a, a change of scenery for our guys in the locker room and then it also transitions to our coaches as well.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, I, I, I don't, I, I've never liked their culture and I don't, I don't know what's shifting. I, I, I still some. Here's where my problem with the Miami Dolphins is. If you have two as a quarterback, there's two a good backup quarterback and an excellent O line that you could argue they're the weakest in the league. I mean it honestly, it's a bad old line, has been for years. And they don't have a good backup quarterback. Like if you have Josh Allen, you don't need the best offensive line in the league and you don't need a great backup quarterback because he doesn't get hurt. So I, I question when I look at Miami, my take is two is your quarterback, you don't have a capable backup and you can't protect him. But hey, let's go spend money on Jalen Ramsey and another fast receiver. Like I think they're, I, I just don't trust upstairs for this organization. I don't try, I don't trust the executive suite. I don't that's fair.

I think I should be pointed out. So interestingly, Tua didn't sniff that Chris Simms top 10 list. I don't think he would sniff yours. However, our guy Warren Sharp, you know, was digging into some of the numbers the last three years, some advanced stats. Tua's a top five quarterback in many of them. Colin yards per attempt, success rate, completion percentage. Colin Tua is kind of sort of when healthy, doing his job, he's directing the offense and playing kind of well.

No, no, I listen it, this is the same system that got Brock Purdy pay. So this is a very productive system. I've always said Tua is Brock Purdy in Miami smaller than you'd like, not any wow, physical trait but certainly comprehensive, hard working, head down, cognitively bright and it's a great system for quarterbacks. But I, I I think Brock and Tua are weather influenced. I wouldn't trust either with 20 mile an hour winds if it was cold I wouldn't so but I at least with San Francisco there is a direction and I can sense a plan. With Miami it's like guys, get your old line right. Who is your starting quarterback? You have to be good up front and they're not and haven't been for years. J Mac with the news well that's the news and thanks for stopping by the Herd LIE news. It's got a lot of, you know I'm worked up today or tonight is Game three Indiana plus five and a half at home against okc. I think I like the Pacers. Be sure to catch live editions of.

[DraftKings Announcer]

The Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Podcast Announcer]

Hey we're Covino and Rich, Fox Sports radio every day 5 to 7pm Eastern. But here's the thing. We never have enough time to get to everything we want to get to. And that's why we have a brand new podcast called Over Promised. You see, we're having so much fun in our two hour show. We never get to everything honestly because this guy is over promising things we never have time for. Yeah, you blubberlips.

[Colin Cowherd]

Blaming me.

[Podcast Announcer]

Well, you know what it's called Over Promise. You should be good at it because you've been overpromising women for years. Well, it's a Covino and Rich after show and we want you to be a part of it. We're gonna be talking sports, of course, but we're also gonna talk life and relationships. And if Rich and I are arguing about something or we didn't have enough time, it will continue on our after show called Over Promised. Well, if you don't get enough Covino and Rich, make sure you check out Over Promise. And also uncensored by the way, so maybe we'll go at it even a little harder. It's gonna be the best after show podcast of all time. There you go. Over Promising. And remember, you could see it on YouTube, but definitely. Join Us Listen to Over Promised with Covino and rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Banking with Capital One helps you keep more money in your wallet with no fees or minimums on checking accounts and no overdraft fees. Just ask the Capital One bank guy. It's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Oh really? Thanks. Capital One Bank Guy what's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com Bank Capital One NA Member FDIC 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.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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. Granger Grainger offers professional grade products for every industry from hydraulic oils and hoses. So much more. Plus fast, dependable 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-granger click grainger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Jason McIntyre]

Sunday, Alex Pulo looks to continue his legendary season with another victory as the fastest racers in the world head to St. Louis to duel it out under the arch in prime time. The Indy car series continues Sunday at 8pm Eastern on Fox.

So we do this now on a daily basis because I do think it's noteworthy and significant. Once again, we have a Cleveland Browns practice. First the OTAs and now mandatory minicamp. Oh, let's look at today's June 11th. Today's Browns minicamp. Joe Flacco was three of seven. Kenny Pickett, as always, six of 11. Dylan Gabriel when he could see over his offensive line, 9 of 16 and Shador Sanders, 8 of 9. I mean, balls don't touch the ground. So Shedeur through OTAs and minicamp. 77% completion percentage, nine touchdowns, one pick. I don't know it it and I'm the crazy person. When a quarterback has a college game, first thing you look is, oh, does it translate to the NFL? Like when you watched Kyler Murray and college, you're like that dude delusive. And then you watch them in the NFL and you're like, oh, that dude's elusive. Like Johnny Manziel in college was elusive. But then you watch them in the NFL and you're like, oh, he's not elusive. He's not as good an athlete as we thought. Or Tim Tebow. Oh, my. He runs around in college. He's elusive. And then he got to the NFL and you're like, he looks like a tight end. He's not that elusive. Does your college skill translate to pro football? Like Caleb Williams, Whoa, he has got an army. And then you watch him in the NFL and you're like, yeah, even by NFL standards, Caleb Williams has an arm. Or you watch Jaden Daniels and you're like, God, he, he's, he moves really well in college. He is fast. And then you watch him in the NFL and you're like, oh, Jaden Daniels is fast against NFL. So shoulder Sanders, his primary strength was he's really accurate. The ball does not touch the ground a lot in the NFL. He is easily the Browns most accurate quarterback. Now, is he holding the ball longer? Mary Kay Cabot, somebody I trust. I go, I'll read her stuff. Driving home today. We'll see. By the way, his only interception, in fairness, came off a deflection. That's it. His intercept. You know, we've said this before, not all interceptions are on the quarterback. So it was a deflection. But J. Mac, it does feel like something, right? Like his primary strength.

It doesn't.

[Alexi Lalas]

It.

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, it doesn't.

No, it doesn't. I mean, I. I don't mind doing this with you every single day. And it's kind of sort of fun. Why are you just so. Why are you so excited for Shador? Why have you planted your flag in the ground first? Ador sand? Like what, what, what's. What's the deal here?

Because I like to be right. And I do believe he was a mid to a lower first round pick or a high second. And I do think that Deion's super bowl media parade was incredibly damaging. I think having a draft room that said legendary was not great. I think he was a bit defensive in the New York Giants one on one interview with Day Ball there. There are a lot of reasons he fell, but fifth round is below his talent level in my opinion.

Let me ask you, should Shador at this stage in the game go to his dad and tell him basically, dad, I love you. You've done a lot for me. You've put me in a position to succeed. I need you to put a cork in it. And anytime anybody asks you about my situation, say nothing. Just do not answer it. I'm rooting for the Browns. Let's go. Can you do that for me? Is it fair for Shador to say that to his dad? He's 23 years old, basically a grown ass man now.

Well, Dion's going through some physical stuff right now, so I don't want any strong comments about that. We wish him well. I think dads would always feel guilt if they felt like they were an obstacle in their son's success. Now that doesn't mean he will be an obstacle in Shador success. It does mean Shedeur's first contract is a paltry sum compared to what it could have been. I mean, just reverse it. Let's say Deion would have gone out during the super bowl week and said, listen, this kid, he'll go play anywhere. We are so excited. Come on Saints. Come on Giants. Do I believe he would have been drafted in the fifth round? Absolutely not. There is no question. In fact, I heard this from somebody I trust in the league. You know, Dion's worked at the NFL Network and I think cbs. He's got media allies. I don't know him. I, I don't have a strong opinion either way. I think he's interesting. I think he helped college football, but just reverse it. If Dion would have been positive and said positive things, there's no way Shador drops to the fifth round because you can go to his college film. I watched, I watched him play 10, 12 times at Colorado. He's not a fifth round quarterback.

He's good.

He moves way better than you think. He, he's, he has escapability. He's tough. He got, he got ragdoll for two years. He had no run game and against really good teams. He was productive. He was productive. He may have lost, but he was productive. So 77% completion percentage so far, nine TDs, one pick on a deflection.

And Dylan Gabriel's still running with the starters.

I'm not a tinfoil hat guy, but don't like what I see, don't like what I hear in Ohio.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Proud partner of the Voluum Podcast Network. This is an iHeart podcast.