← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
THE HERD - Hour 1 - It's time for LeBron James to step down, too many people are upset with the Dodgers
00:42:09
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Colin Cowherd
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That's biology. EmDrive boost and burn support steady energy metabolism and fat burning so effort actually counts. Clinically tested ingredients find that it sprouts Amazon or mdrive for men.com mdrive for men who still show up. Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It's a Friday. There is shockingly a lot to talk about. We've had a really good week. Host the NFL live in Chicago. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thank you for making us part of your day. J Max off today. Our buddy John Middelkoff, former Scout 3 and out at the volume, is joining us. So, John Middelkoff, we've still got a lot of NFL stuff to talk about, but baseball, pitchers, catchers reporting this week. Dodgers are infuriating people. John lebron's doing his thing. John, I know you're a movie fan. I'm a movie fan. You're a music fan. I'm a music fan, but I want to start the show with this. I don't like my sports stars to end their careers like Elvis or Marlon Brando. I want it to look like Elway or Derek Jeter. Like, that's. I want it to be. I like my movies, my movie stars, my athletes to have a clean, tight ending like, like Elway and Jeter did it better than anybody. So LeBron, last night, Lakers beat the Mavs. And LeBron first 23 points of the game. He scored or assisted for the Lakers. Oldest player ever to have a triple double. He's still very, very good. Nobody would dispute that. And I really do think LeBron and Tom Brady, their arcs are very similar. Number one is they're the most productive players in the history of their sport. They got to a lot of world championships in basketball or Super Bowls, and they didn't win all of them, but they got to a lot of them. Both are the system, regardless of how good the coach is. I mean, Bruce Arians, hell of a coach. Tom Brady's like, Bruce, we're running my offense. Eric Spoelstra, amazing coach. He and LeBron butted heads. And fourth, they're both Brady and LeBron, pioneers in longevity. And I think, you know, MJ was flashier, more beloved and cooler. He's more Beatles pandemonium. LeBron's more Rolling Stones, still touring, really, really high level for a long time. And, and Mahomes and Elway are a little flashier than Brady, you know, better highlights maybe than Brady. But there's a fundamental truth. With LeBron, you saw it last night. And with Brady in his last couple years, the more obsessed you are by it, the more, the more disciplined you are as a professional athlete. You will be the goat. You will be the most productive you will dominate the record book. And there's no argument. You can say the other guy's cooler. LeBron has all the records and Brady has most of them. But I do wish LeBron would retire after the year. And I'll give you an example why. Because there's a list that he makes, my list that isn't great. And I've always thought about basketball this way. How do you judge the best player? It can't be scoring average. Do you play defense? Are you a good distributor? I mean, James Harden scored a bunch of points. Never the best player in the league. Tim Duncan wasn't flashy, rebounded, defended, scored. I mean, Tim Duncan's one of the seven or eight best players in terms of complete game ever. I always judge guys like this. And LeBron is now 41. If there's a tie game with two and a half minutes left, two and a half minutes left. I'm counting everything. Your stamina, your free throw shooting, your offense, your defense, your distribution. Who are the 10 guys in the NBA I would take in order? And here's my list again. Two and a half minutes, multiple possessions. I'm counting all of your game. Offense, defense, ball handling, stamina, free throw shooting. Number one would be Jokic. He is the best player in the world. Makes every teammate better. Third in clutch scoring. SGA would be two. Number one in clutch scoring. He's just a bucket. I mean, he's just a bucket. I would put Victor Wembanyama at number three, the best defensive player. Totally, absolutely disruptive. Also, you're going to get dunks and freebies. Number four, I would put Anthony Edwards behind sga. Number two in scoring. He can hit a three, he can handle the ball, he can make defensive stops. Number five, because he's actually playing again is Kawhi Leonard. I mean, cross your fingers. He may not in two days, but right now he's playing. And I said this years ago, get a bucket, get a stop. He is a wizard. There's a lot of MJ to his game. Number six would be Steph Curry, still at his age, unbelievable stamina. I don't think there's ever been an NBA player in that good of cardio shape. He is also right now three point shooting, 46% clutch three point shooting, that's insane. Number seven would be Cade Cunningham. He has the third most field goals in the league in clutch. He can defend, he's got size, he can ball handle. He now plays with a confidence he didn't three years ago. Cade Cunningham at seven, Colin Wears Luca. I would put him eight. Why? I don't like his stamina late in games. He's a revolving door on defense. I love him offensively, but he often doesn't include others. I'd put him eight. Number nine. I'm going to put KD on this until the day he retires. I'm sorry. Catch and shoot off a pick dribble. Kevin Durant is somewhere between five and 10 on this list. I'll put him nine because of his age. And number 10 is not LeBron. It's Jalen Brunson, who 2425 in the NBA was voted the clutch player. I trust them more at the free throw line than LeBron. He's not a good defensive player. He's a better ball handler. I trust his mid range game more than LeBron. I trust his free throw shooting more than LeBron. It's the first time I've ever done this list. LeBron's not part of it. LeBron. Last night I saw LeBron live this year at Chicago. Best player on the floor for about 12 minutes. And then there were gaps of stamina and energy. And I like, I like my actors. I want it to look more like a Tom Hanks. You don't see him in as many good movies because you don't see him in as many movies, but everything he does is tight and clean and good. I don't want it to end like Marlon Brando. I don't want to look like that. LeBron next year would still be a top 15 to 18 player in the league, but I just love the way Elway and Jeter ended it. It just. It's just so tight and clean. And I know that's just subjective and that's my opinion. I don't want an MJ ending. You got all the records. You beat him in the record books. Call it a career. You're averaging 20 a game. I think that'd be amazing. Here's LeBron last night on his longevity and his future. My game is not going anywhere. It's just, it's my body, it's all the other things. There's so many more factors that come with how long will I play the game. I don't think my game will ever suffer if I decided to continue to go. How long? However long that is. I just think it's like it has to be here. If this goes, then my body's gonna go. And once my body goes, then it's a wrap, you know, then the love goes and then the fun and all that stuff goes. He remains very good. But down the stretch, two and a half left defense, free throw shooting, stamina. I don't think he's a top 10 player. Pitchers and catchers report in baseball. In fact, the Dodgers pitchers and catchers report today. So Jeff Pass and espn, a wonderful baseball guy, writes a really interesting story today. That baseball's in a weird place. There's a renaissance. The attendance is up, the ratings are up. We've talked about this on this show. I went about 15 years. I stopped talking baseball the last two and a half years. The playoffs have been incredible. Why? Games faster, games quicker. And the Cubs are good and the Yankees are good and the Mets are interesting and the Dodgers are good and Houston's dominant and Boston had a good year. But he also pointed out in the article that Kyle Tucker signing that, that's going to guarantee a labor stoppage. He suggests that. And I just want to throw this out there. One year ago in the NFL, I want you to think about this. One year ago in the NFL, after the Eagles won the super bowl, the Tush push was a national crisis. Something needs to be done. This is unfair. People are meeting and flying and talking and debating and arguing. The tush pushing. And then this year, when the Eagles face planted. You know what? Nobody cared about the tush push. They weren't as good at it. It didn't matter. It suddenly wasn't unfair. Go ahead, do it as many times you want. But when the Eagles felt like they were unstoppable, they had an advantage, though it was legal. They were pulling away from the league. Nobody liked it. And that's our nature. We often hate successful people because they're successful. And what's interesting, when the Dodgers signed Mookie Betts, much better than Kyle Tucker, when they signed Freddie Freeman, both will be hall of Famers. Where was the outrage? Well, that's because at the time, the Dodgers weren't stacking World Series titles. I'm arguing and have that if the Dodgers would have lost to the Blue jays in Game 7, nobody'd freak out with Kyle Tucker. You'd be like, well, you spend a fortune. What you got one World Series, you choke. You think I'm wrong on that? Okay, because. So it was Kyle Tucker who the Cubs couldn't get out of town fast enough. That's the one. That's the straw that broke the camel's back. What's interesting, the Blue Jays lost the World Series. So nobody's really bothered that Vlad Guerrero Jr. Signed for $500 million or that the Blue Jays were the bigger spenders again in this off season because they didn't win a World Series because they're not stacking titles. Really. Freddie Freeman, why did he leave Atlanta was money. They knew Freddie Freeman was great. The Braves couldn't afford him, Dodgers could. Why did Mookie Betts leave Boston? They said they couldn't afford him. So the same reason they got Ohtani and Betts and Freeman was always money. Kyle Tucker really wasn't that expensive relative to those guys. But Kyle Tucker after back to back World Series titles, that stings. Tush push outrage this year. Whatevs. That's how it works. Here's an absolute fact data that you can't deny. The Dodgers in 2024 made 752 million. The Yankees made 730 million. Two biggest revenue teams in the sport. The difference is the Yankees only spend 49 and a half percent of their revenue on players and the Dodgers almost spent 75%. They make about the same. The Dodgers are more committed to winning. Steinbrenner's kids are more committed to committed to keeping more of that money. By the way, the Mets spend the highest percentage by a mile in the sport of the revenues they make. They don't make the Dodger money, they don't make the Yankee money. But Steve Cohen spends 90% of the money. Good for him. But we, it's human nature. We don't like people pulling away the idea that Kyle Tucker, who the Cubs couldn't get rid of fast enough, who everybody says he doesn't love the game. I don't know if he does or not. He not really passionate. I mean, they signed Mookie bats. Everybody's like, oh, great move by the Dodgers. Yeah, Kyle Tucker's got us all freaking out. Dave Roberts on this Dodger team. As pitchers and catchers report today, compared to previous Dodger teams, last year's team, very good team on paper, I thought 2021, I think was a very good team on paper. But this team, I think, yeah, looking at the guys in their prime, the experience, the talent, starters and the depth of the young players that we have coming behind them on the pitching side, probably the best team we've had on the table. Be totally honest, if the Dodgers would have lost in Game 7 to the Blue Jays, you would have all laughed. Suckers can't buy a World Series title. And by the way, the guy making the great catch in left center field for the Dodgers wasn't one of their great players. He was a defensive specialist. They couldn't figure out their bullpen, but the minute they won Game seven, that's separating and people don't like it. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app Stigatz here. I have a podcast empire. It continues to grow and I have brought it here to iHeart. I'm also doing a live radio show from 3 to 5pm Eastern because my wife wanted to K me out of the house. It's called Stugots and company Live, which is available in podcast form right when the show finishes every single day. Some of the biggest names in sports, a lot of phone calls. I love you guys show.
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John Middlekauff
It's one of my favorites.
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Colin Cowherd
A lot of interaction, guys not taking themselves too seriously. Those are just some of the things that you could expect from Stugouts Co. And Stugots Co. Live. So listen to Stegotson Co. Live and our original podcast. Please subscribe, rate and review Stugots Co. And God bless football. Taylor's livelihood depends on it. Do it today and you can check all of those out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast. This month, iHeartRadio is celebrating the stars of the 2026 Winter Games. Training out of Carlsbad, California, Kaylee Humphries.
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John Middlekauff
Is the definition of a track legend.
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Colin Cowherd
Already one of the most successful bobsledders in history, she returns to the driver's seat for Team USA with her eyes.
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John Middlekauff
Locked on the podium.
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Colin Cowherd
Navigating the twisting ice at 80 mph requires nerves of steel and perfect precision. As the reigning Monobob champion, Humphries is.
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John Middlekauff
Back to show the world that she still owns the fast lane.
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Colin Cowherd
For more Winter Games gold, search olympics.
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John Middlekauff
On the iHeartRadio app.
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Colin Cowherd
All right, two truths and a lie. Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwain, I began my broadcasting career doing play by play for the Las Vegas Stars, and I've been a Verizon customer for 15 years. Okay, I lied. All three are true. Verizon isn't as expensive as you think. In fact, if you bring in your AT&T or T Mobile bill to a Verizon store, they'll give you a better deal. That's right, a better deal on the best network with the most ways to save on plans, streaming and phone deals. So take that AT and T or T Mobile, build your local Verizon store today, get a better deal and start saving based on root METRICS Best Overall Mobile Network Performance U.S. 2nd Half 2025 All Rights Reserve must provide recent Consumer Mobile Bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Make your game day legendary with MGM Rewards. From unforgettable tailgate and viewing parties to world class dining, thrilling nightlife and entertainment that keeps energy going long after the final whistle, this is where fans come to celebrate. Show off your team spirit, cheer with friends and earn rewards on every experience you love. Because every play is bigger and every moment feels unforgettable in Las Vegas. So what are you waiting for? Make your game day legendary with MGM Rewards. Visit mgmrewards.com for details. Here's something that'll freak you out Most people think their insurance will cover them if disaster strikes. But here's the truth. Many are wrong. You pay your premiums. You assume you're protected. Then the fine print hits. Exclusions, loopholes, limits. Suddenly that coverage you counted on isn't really coverage at all. It's not your agent's fault. Their job is to sell policies. You need somebody in your corner who protects you, not the insurance company. That's why I like my policy advocate. I like what they're doing. They take your actual policies. Home, Life, Auto, break them down in plain English. They show you what's really covered and what isn't. Here's the best part. Cost 27 cents a day. That's it. Less than a cup of coffee for peace of mind to make sure your family's protected when it matters most. When disaster hits, you don't want surprises. You want certainty. Before you assume you're covered, go to mypolicyadvocate.com let them review your policy. You might be shocked at what you'll find. MyPolicyAdvocate.com so do you want to start.
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Colin Cowherd
Welcome in it is a Friday. John Midkoff is in for jmax. So I just saw this this morning. The highest graded rookie according to PFF in the entire league this year was Bears tight end Colston Loveland. It's very interesting. So Colston Loveland's taken 10th. Tyler Warren, the Penn State tight end 14th. Many most believe Tyler Warren was better than Colston Loveland. They're both great, both way better than any tight end in the class this year. And through weeks one through eight, Tyler Warren looked like the much better player. But from weeks nine on, Colston Loveland was unbelievable. He was the much better player. And a lot of that is because Colston Loveland got Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson and Tyler Warren had three different quarterbacks and they're both going to end up being unbelievable. But the Colston Loveland story is an interesting one and it illustrates how valuable fit is for a lot of these offensive coaches. People thought Sean Payton reached on Bo Nicks, best fourth quarter quarterback in the NFL since he showed up statistically. They also thought he reached on RJ Harvey, the running back. He was very good second round, very good this year because Sean Payton's just not drafting best available guy. He's got a vision, he's got a plan, he's off and I defensive guys may do it too, but you can really see it with offensive guys. Am I just drafting players? Because the Bears Ryan polls and Ben Johnson knew that if you took Loveland over Tyler Warren, you were going to get some criticism. The consensus was the Penn State kid who could literally do everything including punt was the more versatile guy. He was the better draft pick. And yet they're like no, no, no. Colston Loveland, that's what works for this offense. That's going to work in our system and that's very Sean Payton in Denver where a lot of people think he's been reaching in the last couple of draft drafts for some offensive players. And yet all of them go to Denver and they're all good. And this is not a knock on Tyler Morton. He's going to be great. These are great tight ends, but I've always believed Even in the NFL there's only about 10 to 15% of the players. 10%. They're going to be great wherever they go. Barry Sanders, Trent Williams, Jonathan Ogden. They're going to be great anywhere. It doesn't really matter. They were going to be great. I remember the first time I saw Brian Erlacher. I'm like, yeah, that's going to work with anybody. That guy just. I know he went to a small college. I'm like, yeah, that's going to work. That's going to work everywhere. But that's about 10 to 15% of the players. The other 75, 85% of the guys, it's fit. Who's your coach? I mean, Sam Darnold's the greatest advantage of that. You give him Kevin o' Connell and you give him right. The right offensive coordinator, Clint Kubiak. You're like, oh, my God, this guy's like getting MVP votes. And so, Colston Loveland for the Bears. People always say, what do you make of the Bears? And I say, listen, Caleb Williams is going to be great and occasionally is great. Ben Johnson, Day one on campus has been unbelievable. And for a young coach to already have a plan and a vision and to take a player who many teams had rated below Warren, he's like, no, that's my guy. That tells me Ben has a vision beyond just drafting best available guy. He sees before a player ever puts on pads. He sees how he fits in his ecosystem. That's. That's elite coaching to me. Here's Caleb Williams this past January on Colston Loveland. We got a home run with him, you know, and that's something my coach said the other day to me. We were, you know, sitting in his office, and now everybody goes back to draft night, and why did we get coast and leveling? Why did we do this and why do we do that? And it's Colson Loveland. You know what I mean? That's who he is. He's one of the hardest workers on his team. He's there late, he's there early. Reportedly, Sean McVeigh was pounding the table for Puka Naku in the fifth round. Like, you're. Everybody's like, whoa, whoa, whoa. And McVeigh's like, we've got to take him. I don't care. Need we have to. Because they had Cooper cup at the time. The offense was good, it was stable plus, and McVeigh's banging the table. He knew what he would do before he ever put on a Rams uniform. I don't think every coach is like that. I don't know if half the coaches are like that. John Middelkoff with the news. No, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herd line news.
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John Middlekauff
Okay. Speaking of offensive coaches, Colin, the 49ers and the Rams, they will play the first ever game in Australia next season. But here's the thing. There is no confirmed date and there is potential for this game to be played on Wednesday night before the defending champions Seattle would host a game. So we don't know the date, but this is kind of a big blow because it's going to be a Rams home game. As you know, been in LA in a long time. The 49ers dominate SoFi Stadium when they play. Now they also week one, this is a 15 hour flight, you know, from San Francisco, from Los Angeles. Even the Brazil game for Kansas City for example was a nine hour flight. So this is way longer. Yes, they basically had to go week one. But I actually think this is advantage for the Rams in the sense that look at the Niners this year. Went in there with Mac Jones and one why it's 75% 49er fans in these games.
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Colin Cowherd
Yeah. And I also think playing it Wednesday, it's, it's a, it's almost, almost like you get a first week buy because you don't have to play to the following Sunday. So people will complain about it. But you're going to get there probably three days early. You're probably going to make it a real, it's almost like college bowl game. My guess is you're going to get there three or four days early, get acclimated. I mean most 99% of the players and staff haven't been to Australia. I mean I've, I've always wanted to go. You go there three or four days early, you make it like a bowl trip. You play on Wednesday, you know you're going to have full NFL officials everywhere and then you get like an early season bye. So it doesn't bother me. But I would say that and I imagine Niner fans will travel to Melbourne better than Ram fans. It's. Listen, we all know this, John, the NFL years ago we all complained about European games. I like those early European. I love waking up. There's a game already on. I'm okay with it.
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John Middlekauff
Well, I think too if you told Kyle and McVay you had to play an international game, they would all sign up for week one, Right? You want at week one you can prepare during training camp. I'm sure they both head to Australia several days before Wednesday.
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Colin Cowherd
Okay.
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John Middlekauff
Colin. Another story. Jason Kelsey, the Hall of Famer had some comments. When it came to the Eagles, obviously they fell off this year after winning the super bowl, nobody knows the Eagles and that culture like Kelsey, who played there forever. He said that he wouldn't be surprised if they move on from Sirianni and try something new if the season doesn't go well. Pressure on Sirianni this year. Colin, is this a make or break year for Nick?
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Colin Cowherd
Well, I think it is, John, because he is the rarity. He is an offensive coach, yet dependent on his coordinator. Most we know defensive coaches are very beholden to their offensive coordinator. I mean, Belichick at one point put Matt Patricia in there, had no feel for it. But offensive coaches, your Andes, your Sean's, your McVeighs, your Kyle, your Liam Cohen. If an offensive coordinator leaves, there's. There's no major regression. They'll get on the headset. I think Nick. I think the concern with Nick is what does he do? Like, if he. If he can't call the plays he did when he first got there, if I recall the first year, and it was bad, and then Steichen took it over and suddenly the. The team flourish. So my take is, I mean, why did they dovetail last year? They didn't have the right coordinator. Why did they do it before? Because they didn't have the right coordinator. Find me another offensive coach that's dependent on an offensive coordinator for success.
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John Middlekauff
Well, I agree. I think Dan Campbell might fall under.
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Colin Cowherd
That category maybe, but. But.
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John Middlekauff
But clearly Jeffrey Lurie and Howie like Nick, because two years ago they thought they could pivot off them. Then they come back, they win the super bowl this year. It felt like that they stood by him. Are we sure that Jalen Hurts is just on scholarship? They've proven before they paid Carson Wentz, Howie Roseman, the Eagles, you know, mentality and culture, they are aggressive.
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Colin Cowherd
If he doesn't play better.
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John Middlekauff
I think we all talk about Nick.
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Colin Cowherd
What about the quarterback, though? Colin? Yeah. No. There was an article this week in the Ringer that talked about how inefficient and unsuccessful since he started playing quarterback. Jalen Hurts is throwing the ball over the middle of the field. And I had a source tell me in August, this summer in the NFL that and this was somebody very, very tight with Harry Roseman and the people in the building that Jalen's a great kid, that you're not the most popular guy. You know, it's one of those things where a lot of teams like Philadelphia keep a lot of the stuff under wraps. But people that knew their front office people and knew some of their players and somebody that was Very connected to the entire. I mean, you're connected to the Eagles organization. It was somebody that knew the people upstairs, didn't know Lori, but knew the people upstairs, knew a couple of the, you know, agents dealing with players. And the takeaway, I was told, is Jalen's not the most popular guy in the room. Like Brady was popular to the end. Mahomes is. Peyton Manning was. Jalen's not that guy. He's not. Dak Prescott is. Jalen's not.
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John Middlekauff
Jalen's also a dual threat quarterback that will no longer run, you know, so it's like this isn't exactly working. Okay. Last but not least, John Harbaugh, who's now in New York as he's the new Giants coach after spending 18 years with the Ravens. In a recent podcast appearance, Harbaugh spoke to the end of his time in Baltimore. Let's take a listen.
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Colin Cowherd
What happened? What happened, what needed to be done. And the opinion of Steve, you know, is what was done. So it's cool. If we had won four games and won the super bowl after that, I'm pretty sure I'd still be there right now. I don't know, that'd be my guess. But it didn't happen that way, so it doesn't matter, you know, and again, I understand completely the thinking behind it and, you know, it's all good. Yeah, you know, it's, it's. Yeah, he was there forever. It's just one of it was like that John Harbaugh leaving there feels like Andy Reid in Philadelphia. You know, he's a great coach. You know, he's going to get a job in 15 minutes, but it was probably time.
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John Middlekauff
I think that's a great comparison. The other thing you notice is like when Andy went to Kansas City and now John is going to the Giants. There's a positive energy that there's no bitterness. Remember a couple of years ago, Belichick, it was very bitter as like, we got to pivot here, put a smile on your face. And though you know John Harbaugh, good spirits, I know you're high on the Giants. I think a lot of people by the time the season comes around are going to be pretty high on the Giants.
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Colin Cowherd
Yeah, yeah. I think they'll double, triple. I think they're a 9, 10 win team in that division because I don't trust Dallas right now and I don't love the direction Philadelphia is going. And cross your fingers on Jaden Daniels help. Agree. John Middlekopf with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Line news. Ethan Strauss, House of Strauss. Great podcaster substacker joining us. Top of the hour on that. Steve Kerr, Jonathan Kaminga, Mass. He's always so good on big macro topics with the NBA, which he covered for years. So listen, this happens every year. NFL season ends, baseball hasn't started, and we start criticizing the NBA. And the NBA is terrible. When the playoffs show up, the NBA will be very, very interesting. Even the late David Stern used to admit nobody really watches us in the regular season. But there are some things with the NBA that I don't think are great. I've said I the game is too competitive, too many three point shots. I don't love that. I would change the three point arc. That'll never happen, but I would do it. I think the game's gotten very repetitive and you've made all these great athletes, all three point shooters. But this week, Bill Simmons this week, and Bill's like an NBA guy. Even he questioned Adam Silver's leadership on the tanking stuff on the, on the state of the league. There's like huge fundamental issues with the league. The regular season has real issues. It's too long, guys are getting hurt too much. Everybody is making so much money. The only reason to have 82 games is because you make money from it. Everything they're doing, they're not serving. The larger picture of what do fans want? How do we keep our players healthy? How do we have a competitive season from start to finish? How do we avoid over 1/4 of our league not giving a shit for the last two months? How do we fix this? And it's the first time I've really wondered, like, is, do we have the right guy running the league? So I used to have David Stern on twice a year when I was at espn and we would go back and forth. I my favorite interview of the year, I've had Adam Silver on once on this network. It's one of my favorite interviews. Really smart guys. In fact, I just started reading, I'm almost finished with a book called the Bookie. Art Manteris wrote a book and he talks about sitting down with David Stern and talking about the gambling stuff before it exploded. And I think Adam's really, really bright. But there's a difference between David Stern. You did not get this level of tanking. I mean, just recently the Jazz and the Pacers, NBA had to find him. And I think David Stern was loud and emotional, could be verbally abusive and was threatening. And I've heard that from multiple Sources. That's not my opinion. I've heard that from broadcast executives who. Who were in the room with him. He was a daunting presence, short guy, but a daunting presence, very loud, very emotional, and really had no problem getting on the phone with a GM and a coach and airing it out. Even a player. He didn't care. And. And in fairness, Stern took over a wobbly league and made it a great league. So he had a. He had a real battle on his hands. Adam Silver took over a very successful, rich league, but Adam Silver is not the yell, scream into a phone guy. David Stern did not care about how. What you thought of him. And frankly, he didn't care about the feelings. The players are paid to play play. Adam Silver was quoted two years ago saying, quote, my players are truly unhappy. Okay? So I think the one criticism of Adam Silver that is fair, because I think he's. I mean, he got them a lot of money. They're on multiple networks. I like the NBA cup early. I mean, it's not the biggest thing in the world, but I like the swing. And there's a lot of things he's done well. He likes. I don't necessarily love it. He likes the parody. Everybody can win. David Stern was much more comfortable with three or four teams separating. He was much more comfortable. I mean, why should the Celtics, the Knicks, the Sixers, and the Lakers have to play down to Portland's economy? Like, listen, if they separate, they separate, whatever. But I think the bigger difference is any of you had a dad or a stepdad? Stepparent. They're not biological. Right. Adam Silver isn't officially related to players, but there's that stepdad that you'd either never want to disappoint or never want to piss off. And that was David Stern. Like, you knew if you just didn't play because you weren't in the mood, David Stern would call you directly and be abusive to your gm, to your coach. People fear David Stern. And I know two executives that were in meetings multiple times with him. He was rough. That's not Adam Silver. And so I think what happens is, is when you are a boss or a leader, if there's not 5 or 10%, like, yeah, he would fire me in a second because I've seen what he's done to people. People take advantage of you. I mean, the load management now, the tanking is really. I'm not sure what you do other than fines and suspensions. I don't know what you do with tanking. They've Been doing it forever. But they did it a lot less with David Stern because I think they. People fear David Stern. The load management so out of control now. People did it on opening night. People are doing it going into the All Star break. I mean, David Stern was a commissioner for 30 plus years. There were only eight different champions and he didn't care. And you loved those teams. You didn't have to live in Chicago to love the Bulls. You didn't have to live in LA to love Kobe and Shaq. Right. You didn't have to live in the town to be a fan of Bird and Mikhail or Magic and Kareem. You have to live in the town now outside of the town where the champion is crowned. Man. So I guess to wrap a bow on this and Ethan and I will talk about this. I think players take advantage of Silver. He's not as loud. I mean, people can say what they want about Trump. People fear Trump. I mean, people can diametrically be opposed to him in Congress. He's threatening, won't go through half of them or 90% of them. But there is something to the dogma and the intensity and the volume of David Stern is people didn't take advantage of him very often. And if they did, they heard it. And I think, I think this load management is a massive problem. The other night, Luka Lebron and Austin Reeves don't play against the Spurs. Just nonsense. What if a kid. What if a kid from Victorville or Palmdale goes to one game a year? That's the game he goes to. I mean, that's just not. I mean, I grew up in a small town. I went to like one NBA game every four years. If Gus Williams, Downtown Freddie Brown and Jack Sigma, whoever it was as a kid, weren't available, it's not the same game. It's not the same experience. Dynasties and domination. David Stern didn't care. Life's not fair. Life's not even. Why should the NBA be even live in Chicago? It's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. All right, two truths and a lie. Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwain. I began my broadcasting career doing play by play for the Las Vegas Stars. And I've been a Verizon customer for 15 years. Okay, I lied. All three are true. Verizon isn't as expensive as you think. In fact, if you bring in your ATT or T mobile bill to a Verizon store, they'll give you a better deal. That's right, a better deal on the best network with the most ways to save on plans, streaming and phone deals. So take that at and T or T mobile builder Local Verizon store Today get a better deal and start saving based on root metrics. Best Overall Mobile Network Performance U.S. 2nd Half 2025 All Rights Reserve must provide recent Consumer Mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Make your game day legendary with MGM Rewards. From unforgettable tailgate and viewing parties to world class dining, thrilling nightlife and entertainment that keeps energy going long after the final whistle, this is where fans come to celebrate, show off your team spirit, cheer with friends and earn rewards on every experience you love. Because every play is bigger and every moment feels unforgettable in Las Vegas. So what are you waiting for? Make your game day legendary with MGM Rewards. Visit mgmrewards.com for details. Here's something that'll freak you out. Most people think their insurance will cover them if disaster strikes. But here's the truth. Many are wrong. You pay your premiums. You assume you're protected. Then the fine print hits. Exclusions, loopholes, limits. Suddenly that coverage you counted on isn't really coverage at all. It's not your agent's fault. Their job is to sell policies. You need somebody in your corner who protects you, not the insurance company. That's why I like my policy advocate. I like what they're doing. They take your actual policies Home, life, auto, break them down in plain English. They show you what's really covered and what isn't. Here's the best part. Cost 27 cents a day. That's it. Less than a cup of coffee for peace of mind to make sure your family's protected when it matters most. When disaster hits, you don't want surprises. You want certainty. Before you assume you're covered, go to mypolicyadvocate.com let them review your policy. You might be shocked at what you'll find. MyPolicyAdvocate.com so do you want to start.
- [42:44]
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- [43:43]
Colin Cowherd
Hey, it's Ben Ma. Ready to tackle your financial goals with Webull? You don't have to sit on the sidelines. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, Webull puts you in the game with powerful tools that help you make the moves you want. Trade stocks, options, ETFs and more, or play the long game with cash management and retirement accounts all on one platform. WE Bull's intuitive app pairs advanced analytics with real time data so you can read the defense, adjust your strategy and stay in control. And now meet Vega, your personal AI market assistant. Ask questions like Analyze my watch list or what's the outlook for this stock? And get real time stock analysis, volatility insights and fundamentals that turn complex signals into plain English. Want a wider view of the field? Use portfolio X ray to spot trends, manage risk and optimize the performance of your portfolio. So stop punting your financial future. Join WE Bull's community to discuss markets, trending topics and ideas with fellow investors. Download the Webull app today and on mobile or desktop that's W E B U L l or visit webull.com and stay ahead of the game. We Bull Financial LLC Member SIPC FINRA Investing involves risk. For more information visit weble.com disclosures the.
- [45:12]
John Middlekauff
Great American Race returns with back to back champion William Byron looking for a historic three peat. It doesn't get bigger than this. The 68th running of the Daytona 500 Sunday at 2230 Eastern with the pre race coverage starting at 1230 only on Fox.
- [45:31]
Colin Cowherd
Christian Fourier, Former NFL player, outspoken talk radio. His son played briefly for Colorado. Caleb and and Christian Fourier is paid now to give big opinions. I don't agree with all of them, but he he kind of took a shot at Deion Sanders and again his son was there very very briefly. That could be part of it. It gets personal, gets emotional, but he took kind of a shot at Deion Sanders. I'm just not a fan of the coach. I'm not. I'll never be a fan of the Coach, I love the school and this isn't me picking on Deion Sanders because I pick on Joe Gibbs. The worst coach I've ever had was Joe Gibbs. So me picking on Deion Sanders is. There's nothing. I just don't like the way he coaches football. I don't think he's very bright. I don't think he can manage a game. I think there's a lot of flash, but I think there's no substance. I think Joe Gibbs was pretty good. My opinion, but I do think the last thing he said, the way I look at Deion Sanders. So he's 2 and 8 against ranked opponents at Colorado. And one of those is the first game TCU they were ranked. They ended up being really, really bad TCU team. So he's beaten really one legitimate ranked team now. He took over an irrelevant program. He's made them relevant. They sell out all their games. I have friends in the family that go to Colorado. He's made Colorado football fun and relevant and talked about and there's no question. But Kurt Signetti is an elite coach. Because Kurt Signetti goes to Indiana and by year two, they've got elite O lines and D lines. Their receivers are good. Their D line has like really big time pass rushers. Forget the fact that Colorado doesn't beat ranked teams. They don't really beat anybody. We're three years into the Deion Sanders experiment and they're 16 and 21. That's tied for 94th. They can't run the football. They can't stop the run. All the substance stuff. All the stuff. The trenches where Indiana insignetti and they've got more money, yes, than Colorado, but it's the way Signetti built it. Now Signetti's first year at color Indiana, it was cream puff schedule. It was a lot of, a lot of fraud. They, the good teams, they played, they couldn't move the ball. They get Mendoza, they get more money and Indiana is a real football team. I've never felt that Colorado is a real football team. I bought into them like everybody when they beat tcu, TCU ended up being awful. So I think Mario Cristobal, what did he do at Miami? The trenches. O line. D line play. The. What did Harbaugh do at Michigan? He didn't have great quarterbacks for years. O line, D line. A lot of, A lot of what Dion does is it's, it's. I mean even his son, the legendary draft room, it's a little thin on substance. You get a lot of flash. Heisman winner, good perimeter players. They can't run the ball, they can't stop the run it. Now, in fairness, Colorado still doesn't have a lot of money, though more has been generated because of Dion. And they get on TV a lot. They are talked about. We have to be fair. Dion does just like when he was on the NFL Network, he is jumps off the TV screen. But I mean last year they were the worst team in the country. Three years in worst team in the country in stopping the run. Deion's about motivation. He's about aura. He's a little bit about shtick. You know, I never felt when he was an NFL analyst, I was getting the most researched points on football, but he delivered them in a very entertaining way. And I kind of feel it's the same thing with Colorado football. It's entertaining. The games are sold out. It's fun when they're on television. I watch them, I didn't before. So I think he has delivered on largely what Colorado wanted. We're going into nil. We got to raise some money. We got to be relevant, we got to be fun. He's absolutely delivered on that. Is he a great in game coach? I don't think he's great. I don't think he's as bad as his critics say, but I don't think he's great. I couple times he's done things I wouldn't do late in games, but whatever. It's a coach. But I think Deion, the guy, even when he was a great football player, he didn't like to defend the run. You know, he didn't like the tackle. He was great defending. He returned a punt. So I think Deion has lived up to what Deion is and I think you become your personality. Jim Harbaugh is a tough guy. His teams are tough. Mike Vrabel's a tough guy. His teams are tough. Ben Johnson is a really detailed, smart guy. Go look at the Bears offense. Very clever. You know what I mean? Dion is motivation and aura and a little stick and big personality. And that's what Colorado football is. Another speaking of Colorado, Travis Hunter, Liam Cohen was on our show during super bowl week. Did a great job with the Jags. I mean, really good offensive coach. And you know, it was a year ago in the draft we were talking about Travis Hunter and what's really fascinating about Travis Hunter all year long in seven games, one touchdown and 28 catches and a big chunk of his yards came against one team. They were getting nailed. They were getting crushed by the Rams and he put up some big numbers late. That was his big game when he was 50, 50 offense and defense. He didn't do anything in that Rams game he was like 85, 15 offense and he was productive. Now it was garbage time, whatever. But in his first six games he was a non factor. In fact, what was fascinating when he got hurt and left is when the Jags got hot because they went and got a real receiver who has a specific skill. And this has always been my thing on Travis Hunter. Put him on offense, make him a number one wide receiver. There's not enough time in the day for the coaching staff to worry about you. And the minute he got hurt and the Jag staff stopped worrying about making sure Travis Hunter, who they moved up to draft, making sure it worked. The minute he got hurt, the team got red hot and they went and got a guy, Jacoby Myers, who doesn't run a 4:2:5 who is not in a world class elite athlete. He runs really good routes and has really good hands. I mean the best receiver in the NFL right now is jsn. He is not big, he's not super fast. He is a great route runner. I like my pro athletes to be specifically great at things. Even in the NBA if you're not a great scorer. Marcus Smart had a hell of a career being an elite defender. Tony Allen, elite defender. Like I always worry about, hey, this guy is in high school. In college, elite athleticism carries the day, especially in high school and lower division football. When you get to higher division football, LSU playing Bama five years ago. Next year Ohio State playing, you know, the tough teams on their schedule. You got to give me, I like my guys to have specific skills. So it's just interesting when Liam Cohen, they're talking this off season. Hey, how are we going to get this thing with Travis Hunter? He's on track. He's coming back. What is he specifically great at? Is he a great route runner? Does he have great hands? I know he's fast. I mean he and I know he is relentless and I know he can really move. They got good when he didn't play. Think Verizon is expensive? Think again. Anyone can bring their AT&T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal. So bring us your bill. Walk in, running, pogo sticking, teleport if you can ride on the back of a rollerblading yak or flying on the wings of a majestic falcon. Any way you can bring your AT&T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal on the best network based on RouteMetric's best overall mobile network performance US 2nd half 2025. All rights reserved. Must provide very recent postpaid consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Make your game day legendary with MGM Rewards from unforgettable tailgate and viewing parties to world class dining, thrilling nightlife and entertainment that keeps going long after the final whistle, this is where fans come to celebrate, show off your team spirit, cheer with friends and earn rewards on every experience you love. Because every play is bigger and every moment feels unforgettable in Las Vegas. So what are you waiting for? Make your game day legendary with MGM Rewards. Visit mgmrewards.com for details. Whether you want to maximize your performance or form healthier habits this year, knowing what your body needs can help put you on the right path. With Quest, you can buy your own lab tests online@quest health.com no doctor visit required for purchase. 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