← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
THE HERD - Hour 1 - Mike Vrabel was the right choice, the legacy of Sam Darnold
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Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures who's going to win football's biggest game? With Webull predictions you can turn your opinions into strategic tradable outcomes for the big game only Webull is offering $0 commission on all big game related football markets. See what the fans are thinking in real time with live updates and market reactions throughout the game. Download the Webull app today to check it out. That's Webull on your App Store today. Event Contract trading is speculative and may not be suitable for all investors. Customers should carefully consider the associated risk before investing. Visit webull.com disclosures 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. Tom Brady stops by in one hour. It is a Tuesday. We are live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be watching or listening, thanks for making us part of your day. I understand that a lot of you have financial envy or animosity, but I saw this story this morning. Robert Crab not voted into the hall of fame class in 2026. So let me ask you where's the outrage? I mean, Bill Belichick, I had to spend three days on it. Where's the outrage? Well, Colin, come on. Owners don't matter. Oh really? Titans, Jets, Browns, perpetually hazmat spills. Nutty coincidence. Dan Snyder took over a Washington football team that had a 30 year season ticket waiting list. 24 years. Washington was a train wreck. The NFL kicks him out. The next year they're in the NFC Championship. I bet that's just a nutty coincidence too. New England was awful before Robert Kraft got there. Five straight years of losing seasons. In fact, in that half decade they had the worst record in the league. Robert Kraft buys them, the next year they're 10 and 6. What are the chances? Pre Belichick with Belichick, Post Belichick Super Bowls I've worked for over 35 years in radio and TV. I have had seven corporate owners. There is an inarguable, undeniable. I'll die on this hill. Direct correlation between the quality of the owner and the quality of the management and decisions that are made with people. Robert Kraft, 11 Super Bowls since he bought the team. That's more than the rest of the AFC east, the AFC north and the AFC south combined. Joe Burrow last several years has been the best quarterback in the league statistically. He can't make the playoffs. You Know why and I know why. It's not the right tackle or their lack of depth at inside mike linebacker. It's the cheap ownership. I mean, go look at baseball. The Yankees have as much annual revenue as the Dodgers. Dodgers have better owner. Dodgers have better owners. Excellence. In every company I've always worked at, every corporation starts at the top, and it is continually reinforced every day. Top down doesn't start at the bottom. I mean, look at New York. George Steinbrenner own the Yankees for 37 years, won seven World Series titles. It wasn't managers. He had 23 different managers. If you count hiring Billy Martin multiple times. He had multiple GMs, he had multiple players on the rosters. The only common through line was George Steinbrenner. 37 years, seven World Series titles, multiple managers, multiple stars, multiple infielders, multiple pitchers, multiple relievers, multiple GMs, multiple scouts. One common denominator, George. Since he's passed away, 15 years, kids took it over Bagel. No World Series title because they don't have his vision, they don't have his courage, they don't have. And they don't have his passion. I mean, I. I'll die on this hill. People don't like owners. Fed or rich guys. Give me a break. Every year I talk about this to be a dynasty. You can occasionally get lucky and win a Super Bowl. You know, you. You have. Yeah, you know, it all works out. You have a good roster. But generally, to be a dynasty, great owner, great gm, great coach, great quarterback, at least an A minus at all of them. It is to do a dynasty. So remember when Mike Vrabel got fired by Tennessee, considered one of the weirdest, most political ownership groups in the NFL. Tennessee said he didn't smile enough around the building. And Vrabel comes back to New England, gets hired. Remember what he said. I also want you not to take this organization for granted. I've been a lot of places. This is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction, great coaching. Enjoy it. It's not like this everywhere. Thank you very much. It's. It's not like this anywhere. It's the best owner in the league. I don't know Robert Kraft. I don't know his son. I've never met them. This isn't a favor. It's a guy that's been on the air for 35 years and had seven different corporate owners. Direct correlation. I say this all the time, that all of us make about 12 decisions a day. And I'm not talking about what pair of Pants to wear. But we all make 10 to 12 decisions a day that could influence somebody else or ourselves. And the better owners make the right decision 10 to 11 out of 12 times. I mean, William Clay Ford owned the Detroit Lions forever, and they were a mess. He passes his wife, takes it over and then his daughter, and suddenly they're really good all the time. I don't buy it. I don't buy that it's a coincidence. So you tell me when Belichick doesn't make it, people dismiss the fact that I'm like, you guys do realize he will make it eventually and he should make it in, but he's won 44 and a half percent of his games without Brady, and you dismiss that? Well, I mean, Robert Kraft won pre Belichick, during Belichick, post Belichick, and if you ask me today, the next dynasty in the NFL. If I had to put my 401k on it, I would say Drake May, Mike Vrabel, Robert Kraft, Josh McDaniels. You think this was a terrible organization before Kraft, they were the New Orleans ain't the Saints. They were terrible. They were cheap. Nobody wanted to play for them. Nobody wanted to scout for the next year. They win 10 games. I don't think that's luck. I don't buy in coincidence. So if you're going to be outraged that Belichick didn't get in, you may want to be a little bothered that Jerry Jones is in and Robert Kraft isn't. That that doesn't bother you at all? A little does me. So Sam Darnold is sort of the talk of the super bowl, right? He's the odds on favorite to win mvp, and he had a bite this week. A lot of people have a right to be bitter. I don't think you ever should be. But you get bad parents, you get bad bosses, you get bad breaks. You didn't get good genetics. You're sick a lot. Like, there's a lot of reasons to be negative, right? Like to think you haven't gotten the breaks. Um, now, in pro sports, let's just say Sam Darnold did not get the best opening boss. Todd Bowles was his first boss, and he was on the hot seat as head coach. Go ask Caleb Williams in Chicago what it's like to enter the NFL with a coach that's on the hot seat. It unraveled. Then he gets Adam Gase. Disaster does not have in three years a Pro Bowler. Adam Gase was so bad, he has yet since he was fired to get a Full time NFL job. And Sam Darnold was never bitter. And then he goes to Carolina with Matt Rule. That was a complete circus. He gets benched at one point. Then in late November, he finally gets the starting job at Carolina again. Goes four, two. And then Kyle Shanahan brings him on and loves him and tells Kevin o' Connell the players loved him, the locker room loved him. He's good enough to start. He didn't for us. Brock Purdy did. In your life, if you don't get breaks, I understand. It's easy to play the victim and be passive aggressive. I mean, Baker Mayfield last week, he's still taking shots at people. Aaron Rodgers personality while he was winning was passive aggressive. Sam Darnold got a disaster with the Jets, a mess in Carolina. And when he was asked about it, did he point fingers? Was he upset? What? He's bitter about stuff. No, this is what he said. I was really blessed to be able to get drafted to the Jets. Obviously things didn't work out the way that I wanted to there. And then I went to, you know, the Carolina Panthers where I made a lot of great friends and then went to San Francisco, you know, was able to be a backup there. And for a great player in Brock Purdy, learn under, you know, great coach and Kyle Shanahan, Brian Greasy, the Kubiax, obviously. And. And then I went to Minnesota and again I was with some really great coaches, some really great players as well. Yeah, when you stumble in life, your personality and how you handle it will dictate how many other great opportunities you receive. And Darnold is totally respected by throughout this league. Not just because of the quality of play the last couple of years, but because of the quality of the human being. He had every reason to be bitter. I mean, Adam Gase has not had a full time job since the Jets. Zero Pro Bowlers went into the league in a hot seat, chaotic ownership. Then he goes to Carolina. He could have just said, man, I got my first round money, I'm going to go sell insurance, I'm gonna go start a band in Oceanside, California. Head down, humble, grateful. That's why the league is rooting for him. When you see a guy that's talented like a Jay Cutler and he suddenly is out of the league or Cam Newton and I got nothing against Jay Cutler, Cam Newton, but they didn't get extra multiple opportunities to reinvent themselves, that's on them, not the rest of the league. Darnold just kept getting phone calls, come on in, we're interested. And there was no reason after the jets in Carolina to be impressed. Kyle Shanahan, the league's quarterback whisperer, said, no, I hear good things. Brought him in. Then called Kevin o' Connell and said, he needs to start in this league. This is I would build my team around him. And then Minnesota let him walk out of the door and their GM just got fired. J. Mack I got a good night's sleep. I'm full of it today. I can tell. Very fired up boy. I mentioned an NBA player to you before the show and I mean it was like a 30 second rant. I loved it. I'm fired up. This is a good show. Should be a fun one with Brady. So there's a lot of talk. Tom Brady's coming up in 45 minutes. There's a lot of talk about Giannis and the trade deadline and there's a few days left. Be very careful about trade deadline moves. That's next. In la, it's the Herd. 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 kick me out of the house. It's called Stugac 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. It's one of my favorites. 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From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures breaking news not Everything's terrible. We repeat, not everything is terrible. The Ripple Effect is proof that the Internet hasn't ruined humanity entirely. Hosted by Jenna Kim Jones, it's funny and uplifting Podcast spotlights the quiet, powerful ways people still choose good. Each episode features real stories of kindness, of barbers changing more than just their client's haircut, of the secret life of leftover hotel soap, of vending machines that dispense just the help somebody needs. Like magic. If you're tired of outrage, if your thumbs are sore from doom scrolling, or if you just need a reason to smile again, this podcast is your new favorite Scroll Break. It's heartfelt, hopeful, a gentle reminder. Goodness is still out there. Surprisingly contagious too. So put down your phone, pick up your faith in humanity and join Jenna for the Ripple Effect. It's a reminder that you can start a ripple that changes everything. Listen to the ripple effect on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Lavar Arrington from Up on Game. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. It's a great time to apply for an Apple Card. You'll love earning unlimited daily cash on every Purchase. That includes 3% daily cash when you buy the latest iPhone, AirPods and Apple. Watch at Apple through this special referral offer. When you get a new Apple Card, you can earn bonus daily cash. To qualify, you must apply at Apple Co. Get daily cash Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch offer may not be available elsewhere. Terms and limitations apply. So listen, the NBA regular season is long and can be kind of tedious and repetitive. I mean, how many three pointers did you watch in last night's games? If there was any? So the trade deadline gets everybody fired up. But even if you get a star like Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks, they got swept in the first round of the playoffs. KD to the Suns. They won a playoff series that year and eventually got whacked. They mortgaged their future and it was a. It was a mess after that. So Giannis being traded gets everybody fired up. The Knicks are involved, the T Wolves, the Miami Heat, the Warriors. So Giannis is hurt Again, not going to be back until March. So it's just, it's this year, it's a sunk cost. You're, you're not winning a title because anybody that gets him, you have to remember you're getting a guy that's coming off an injury again. And Giannis is not a plug and play guy like kd. That's not what he is. He has a high usage rate, only Luca in the entire league. And Giannis is a much better defensive player than Luca, but only Luca for a star has a higher usage rate. It's like James Harden. You have to build the offense around Luka or James Harden or Giannis. He's not an off ball guy. He is defensively, he's remarkable defensively. So your entire offense has to be built around Giannis. That takes an, that takes a camp, that takes an off season. So it's like in the NFL, you can grab a pass rusher at the trade deadline or Seattle grabbed Rasheed Shahid, who's great on special teams and kind of a, a one route receiver, deep threat down the sideline. You're not grabbing a quarterback at the trade deadline and getting to Super Bowls and winning Super Bowls. It just doesn't happen very often. So that's Giannis. I do think the one team that makes sense because remember lots of injuries. He's 32 at some point next season. And as big guys get hurt, they don't get hurt less as they age. So I don't think he's a smart move necessarily for the Heat or the Knicks because I think the Knicks future is good with or without Giannis. And I think Giannis's future is limited. And I think the Knicks offense runs through Jalen Brunson. You would need an entire camp minimum to figure out Giannis who needs the ball and Brunson. Golden State to me is interesting because they don't have any immediate future. Minnesota is good with or without him. The Knicks are good with or without him. Golden State's not even remotely interesting without him. So are you willing to give up four draft picks and your future to bring Giannis to the Warriors? Yeah, because they've, they've, I mean, let's be honest about the Warriors. They're not interesting now. And everything is about Steph Curry's timeline. So you've already basically said we don't like young guys. We get rid of Kaminga Wiseman didn't work. Jordan Poole, we moved out. You have to work with Steph. And though Steph needs the ball in his Hands. He's not Luca. He's also great off the ball. Jalen Brunson needs the ball. Luka needs the ball. Giannis needs the ball. So the Knicks to me is weird. Golden State, the Knicks could get to the finals this year. My guess is Detroit or the Knicks get without Jason Tatum get to the finals. Warriors may not make the playoffs without Giannis. So why not? Why not sell your future? You've already told us you don't really care about your future in Golden State because you're willing to give up Kaminga and you move off young players. So that's the one that makes sense to me. But this idea at the trade deadline, I mean KD was the ultimate plug and play guy. Phoenix got him. They want to a playoff series. That is not Giannis. I mean he, he has the ball in his hands, has to. He's not an off ball offensive guy because he's not a shooter. J. Mac with the news. No, no, no, turn on the news. This is the Herd line news. All right, Super Bowl 60 right around the corner this Sunday. Colin and the players took part in opening night yesterday. Taking questions from the media. Drake May obviously in year two with the Patriots is already getting MVP attention and broke down what advice Tom Brady gave him ahead of super bowl week. I've met Tom a few times and one of the best things he said, there's no shortcuts to it, there's no shortcuts to, to putting in the work. And now the proof's in the pudding. And knowing that the shortcuts that you know that people take or can try to take, it's not worth it. The get the most out of what you put into it. And he's been great at that and he obviously showed that throughout his career. Yeah, that would be the advice Tom Brady would give. Yeah. What's the saying? The elevator to success is out of order. You got to take the stairs, you know. Yeah. That kind of deal. However, I got a number for you that's a little surprising. So Drake Bay's a young quarterback under the age of 25. Would you know that Mike McDonald's has faced 10 quarterbacks under the age of 25 in the last two seasons? Their record is 19 against Mike McDonald. Seven touchdowns, 12 picks, the one win. Brock Purdy. That's it. Young quarterbacks that struggled and struggled big time. Brock Purdy came out of college with a lot of start, so he was like an older rookie in terms of experience. Yeah. So young quarterbacks against McDonald's schemes have struggled and be real. Drake May's had a brutal postseason. Now, I know you can one half a weather against Denver, but I mean, if CJ Stroud isn't throwing the football all around the field, what do you have? Five turnovers and a half. Drake May hasn't been great. If you look at some of the Super Bowl MVP odds, not a lot of Patriot skill position players are high. Everything is telling you that the Patriots are going to struggle offensively in this game. Yeah, I think. Well, I think it's an under game. I think it's a lower score. I think it's 27, 23 or. Or it's. That would hit the over. Over was 46, 24, 20. Yeah, that would, that would work. I think it's a very low scoring game because I think New England's defense is underrated. And sometimes these young quarterbacks get to the super bowl first time and it ain't an easy go. Right, Drake? They might get back here. He's got a good coach. You know, I like Seattle. Tom Brady, by the way, coming up here in 40, 35 minutes, something like that. All right, let's move on to the New York Giants. John Harbaugh has himself an offensive coordinator. Colin, it's your guy. Matt Nagy. Yeah. Yeah. Kansas City Chiefs oc. They. I mean, he's so. He's so valuable to the franchise. They just said, you want to go find a job, go for it now, come on. They didn't. They didn't fire him. It was just a parting of ways. And Nagy hit the open market and he landed with the New York Giants. So our stat guys came up with the. You don't like him. How did the Chiefs offense do with NAGY the last three years? They finished 9th, 16th and 20th. That's with Patrick Mahomes. I don't. I'm a Jets guy, so I'm just a messenger. Go ahead, go ahead. I'm sure you're thrilled, right? What's his claim to fame? He got. He got to the playoffs. I always said Trubisky. He got Mitch Trubisky to the playoffs twice in a division where Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford and Kirk Cousins were all in their prime. Yeah. And. And what did Trubisky do outside of Matt Nagy? So I again, I think it's interesting. It's when you say, look at his Kansas City numbers, some of that is, in my opinion is the more Mahomes makes and Mahomes salary kicks in. They don't have a run game in Kansas City. That's not his fault. They don't have an offensive line you can trust. That is not his fault. And he wasn't calling plays to be fair. Andy Reid was the guy. I don't know. I'm just saying a lot of guys get second chances in this league. Robert Sala in New York, it was a mess. He gets a second chance. Matt Nagy got Mitch Trubisky to the playoffs twice, and he doesn't get a second chance. So he's not even getting a head coaching job here. He's just getting a good coordinator job. Well, there is pressure because I don't. I don't remember Harbaugh being a meddler on the offensive side of the ball in. I don't think he is. No. He's more of like a CEO. Right. So there's going to be some pressure on him with Jackson Dart here for. For Nagy to deliver. And you look at the giants numbers since 2017, they ranked 31st in wins, losses. Look at that record, 31st. This is how bad they've been the last eight years. Points per game and yards per game. And then you can see in the small fine print, the only team ranking 32nd in all those is the Jets. You know what's interesting? So points per game since 20, 2017. 19 points a game for the Giants. Do you know what Bill Belichick's career average of points is without Brady? 19 points a game. So. So when everybody freaks out about Belichick not getting in, take Tom out of his career. Belichick averages 19 points. That's atrocious. Robert Kraft, I thought you'd save that one for Brady here in 30 minutes. No, I just. I mean, nobody's outraged that Jerry Jones is in the hall. Robert isn't. But I had three days. You have to fend off. By the way, Belichick came within, like, a vote of getting in, didn't he? He had 11 people vote. No. If he. If he had, I think I could be wrong on this, but I think he only missed it by a vote or two. So we don't. Yeah, that's interesting. All right, final story. Colin, let's go to the NBA. Listen, this. We've been hearing about this for a while. We've been on this for. For a minute now. The Lakers are building around Luka and Austin Reaves. That's clear. And it sounds like, according to a report from NBA insider Jake Fisher, that LeBron's time with the Lakers is over. Yeah, quoting Jake here. The Lakers are ready to move on from LeBron. And I think LeBron is ready to move on from the Lakers as well, adding. It's a foregone sentiment in LA right now. Now, my only pushback, Colin, is this idea that LeBron is going to leave his son Bronnie and just bounce to Cleveland or something. Son's not nine. His son's on the team. His son's not a child. His other son plays at Arizona. So you're gonna leave the west coast and just go, go, go play somewhere else for, for one more year for a farewell tour? I don't, I don't think. Why does LeBron need a farewell tour? So what do you think he does? Just. Well, let's, let's, let's talk about this, because I think it's substantial. The new owners of the Lakers, they had a piece before they bought them. So they bought a small chunk of the Lakers, infused Jeanie Buss and the Buss family with some money, but they never looked at the Lakers as an organization. They wanted to keep anybody. They got rid of all the buses. And so this year is kind of research development. They're, they're, they're basically not making any hasty moves. And LeBron and Rich Paul, they, they want to know what's going on. And the, and the Lakers owners are not going to give them the answer they want. Want. Just like Pat Riley years ago with LeBron, when LeBron wanted Spoelster fired, Riley came down 15 minutes later and didn't give LeBron and his guys the answer he wanted. And he always held some, some reservoir of resentment about that. And he left. Right. Which is, why would you leave, like, a really good organization like the Miami Heat for the Cavs, it worked, but it's weird. And so LeBron, his whole career has kind of gotten his way. And the new Laker owners shouldn't and aren't giving LeBron and his camp the answer they want. So the way to make this work is be totally respectful, build a statue, whatever you have to do. But we talked about this yesterday. If Luka is your star, and he is, and J.J. redick is your coach, offensive coach Austin Reaves, you can argue for him to be part of this, but you have to build a roster stacked with rim protection and athletic wings. LeBron doesn't qualify as both. And he's really expensive and he can't play big minutes every game. So it makes no sense to keep him or extend him. None. I can think two things. LeBron's unbelievable. He's been a good steward for the League. He's a little thirsty on social media, whatever, but who isn't? But it makes no sense on a financial athletic business macro view to retain LeBron. It makes no sense for this team. You could. You could. For his salary, you could go get multiple athletic young wing defenders. It doesn't make sense to retain him at a $50 million price tag. However, this is where it gets interesting. What if LeBron says, I love it here. I want to stay with my son. I want to. We've set up camp in L. A. I've got all these projects. I'll stay here for 20 million. Is that the kind of number that the Lakers are like, Bill? Boom, there you go. No, that is not LeBron's personality. Well, that is what we don't know. Now, he historically has wanted to control the chessboard and know what's coming. That's over. He's out of control. That's got to be tough. Listen, it's just like anything else, you know, when dad controls son and then son gets a strong opinion of his own, dad struggles with that. LeBron has literally controlled. I mean, Adam Silver during COVID called LeBron, remember, Kyrie Irving is like, cancel the year. You know, irrelevant player. Dwight Howard, cancel the season. Kyrie Irving, remember that? And LeBron came out, talked Adam Silver, and LeBron said, we're playing the season. Yeah. So the commissioner has leaned on LeBron and should have. When Kyrie Irving's going, you know, the earth is flat, let's cancel the season. Like, stop talking. So LeBron's had this control. I am sympathetic for somebody that's kind of run the show forever. Like, I'll give you an example. Tom Brady, less than 30 minutes. When Brady was in New England, he didn't run the show. Tom acknowledged he took pay cuts. It was Belichick show. Tom was always the good soldier. Tom was. And then the end of it, after 20 years of it, he's like, I'm tired of always being second kind of tier. Like, I'm tired of it. Then he goes to Tampa and he wins. So LeBron's the opposite. No pay cuts, take the most money. I'm the guy. And now you're being asked late in your career, bro, you don't make sense athletically. You don't make sense financially for the team. And I think it's really hard. I think LeBron is downplaying it. But if you listen to LeBron over the last. I've talked about this. You and I have talked about this the last month to two months. Listen to his comments after games. LeBron has shifted down. I mean, he is now very. I'm just doing the best I can. LeBron knows it's over. Reality is he, it's set in for. He's not bitter. He's had, he always says I'm about basketball. I'm being respectful here. LeBron is telling you he knows it's over. He's too smart not to know it's over. So it's interesting because the Cleveland Cavaliers rumors about LeBron returning next year are still out there. There's a world where Cavs fans have talked themselves into a pretzel. We can get Giannis, we move off Mobley. We get Giannis, we get James Harden. He can take a pay cut and we get LeBron on a pay cut and we've got this super team. No, it's Cleveland, and I don't, I don't see it happening. It's a fun topic. Would Giannis sign in Cleveland to play with old guys? Harden and LeBron, I mean, there's a lot of stuff out there. Colin, I, I, I, you. And I like LeBron. I think he, he's averaging 22. 7 and 6 or 6 and 5. It's, it's the NBA before the deadline. It's not hard to get a good shot. I mean, I went to watch a Laker game against the Bulls in the first quarter. It was practice. I mean, both teams were shooting like 57, 60%. They have 20 in the first half. Yeah, I mean, it's just nobody's playing defense pre trade deadline. I heard Tim Legler a couple weeks ago said he cannot believe the lack of intensity in some of these NBA games. I went to one. I mean, I turned my turn to my wife. I'm like, this is like a practice. It's a long season. Yeah. J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping by. The Herd lie news. The, you know, Tom Brady, Cam Hayward, and Sam Darnold's early quarterback whisperer, Jordan Palmer. He texted me over the weekend. He goes, I've got great Darnold stuff. The whole journey of Sam Darnold's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. All right, two truths in 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. Build to your local Verizon store today, get a better deal and start saving based on root metrics. Best Overall Mobile Network Performance US Second 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. Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. 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We repeat, not everything is terrible. The ripple effect is proof that the Internet hasn't ruined humanity entirely. Hosted by Jenna Kim Jones, it's funny and uplifting. Podcast spotlights the quiet, powerful ways people still choose good. Each episode features real stories of kindness, of barbers changing more than just their client's haircut, of the secret life, of leftover hotel soap, of vending machines that dispense just the help somebody needs. Like magic. If you're tired of outrage, if your thumbs are sore from doom scrolling, or if you just need a reason to smile again, this podcast is your new favorite scroll break. It's heartfelt, hopeful, a gentle reminder. Goodness is still out there. Surprisingly contagious too. So put down your phone, pick up your faith in humanity and join Jenna for the Ripple Effect. It's a reminder that you can start a ripple that changes everything. Listen to the ripple effect on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Lavar Arrington from Up on Game. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. It's a great time to apply for an Apple Card. You'll love earning unlimited daily cash on every purchase. That includes 3% daily cash when you buy the latest iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at Apple through this special referral offer. When you get a new Apple Card, you can earn bonus daily cash. To qualify, you must apply at Apple Co. Get daily cash Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch offer may not be available elsewhere. Terms and limitations apply. Insurance may all seem the same on the surface, but having insurance isn't the same as having State Farm as the leading auto and homeowners insurer in the US State Farm is there how and where you need them. Whether that's in person, with a local State Farm agent, on the phone, online or through their mobile app, State Farm can help you find the right coverage for your needs. Don't take a chance with insurance coverage that may not meet your needs. And don't settle for insurance that may only be halfway there when you need it. Get State Farm like a good neighbor. State farm is there. 2026 NASCAR cup season begins under the lights in prime time with the clash at Bowman Gray. Let the mayhem begin tomorrow night, 6 Eastern on Fox. You know who J. Mac I haven't heard from last couple weeks. Who's it? Who's that? Crypto Bros. Oh yeah, Where'd they all go? Well, they went back to their fast food jobs. That's what happens when the market crashes. They were all lecturing us for years how they were going to, you know, financial expertise. Crypto Bros. Now I went to out to eat the other night. I said, hey, can I pay in bitcoin? They said no. Shocker. So okay, the staff and I have a disagreement. They're trying to sell me on something. I do not buy it. So Dak Prescott wants the Cowboys to resign. George Pickens, okay, I think the most overrated player in the NFL and at any one time, there's about seven in the league is talented but needy star receiver. So the Seahawks moved off DK Metcalf, Super Bowl, Kansas City moved off Tyreek Hill, two Super Bowls, Pittsburgh moved off George Pickens made the playoffs with a 42 year old quarterback. New England won six Super Bowls without Randy Moss, none with him. And I like Randy, can be a little high maintenance. San Francisco this year went 12 and 5. Brandon Iuk didn't play a snap for the record either did Debo. Debo went to Washington. They went from great locker room to not a great locker room. So I looked up this morning, the highest paid wide receiver average in the NFL. Find me all the playoff wins. Jamar Chase, CD Lamb, DK Metcalf, Justin Jefferson, Garrett Wilson, Terry McLaurin. I always loved Terry McLaurin. Then he got a big fat contract and now I don't love him as much. AJ Brown, lot of drama. Brandon Iuk, Tyree killed. Where are all the playoff wins? So because I and I've said this, Dak Prescott. When DEZ Bryant left, his interceptions went down, his passer rating went up, his yards per game went up, his completion percentage went up. Because Dak didn't have to babysit. I've talked about this privately for a long time. I'm not babysitting adult men. And a lot of athletes come into the NFL and it for whatever reasons, it's often wide receiver, you end up having to be a babysitter and it's like, I'm sorry, but George Pickens. Dak Prescott's made every cowboy receiver a star. He made Amari a star and CD Lamb a star. I mean, did he not. He's made, look at George Pickens. Everybody careers over, made him a star. They have a six round pick. I think it's his second year in the league. Ryan Flournoy for the Cowboys. I thought last year, I'm like, oh, this kid's good. Dak's going to make this kid rich. So I, I'm, I'll die on this one. I do not believe receivers make quarterbacks. I think if you have a B plus, a A minus, A plus quarterback, they make the wide receivers. For years and years, people left Brady. Where did they go? Witness protection program. Where'd all the receivers go? I mean, Tom Moss was invisible. Goes to New England star leaves Tom. Randy Moss wasn't less talented before or less talented after. Like you. You receivers are. I love jsn. You never hear from him. He doesn't demand the ball. He. And by the way, just because you demand doesn't make you a bad person. I don't think. I don't Des Bryant not a bad person or Brandon Ayuk. But football, this is not the NBA. You cannot pander to your star. I mean for years obj it was like, oh, the Giants revolt. O. BJ is not winning games. He's just a talented kid. Really talented. Just a really talented guy. So I saw this here's, by the way, Dak Prescott. You know what he's going to say? Quarterbacks, they like their security blankets. Here's Dak. We got to make sure that we are complacent with what we've done on our side of the ball. We've got to get one of our guys signed and make sure that we take a big step on offense as well. You said getting one of your guys signed? Yeah. Which one are you talking about? Yeah, the guy out here. The guy out here that doesn't have a contract, no matter in whichever way that they got to do it. He's an important piece of this offense, important piece of what we're trying to do. And so leave it to those guys. Obviously, if I need to get involved, I've said it before, I will, but confident in Jerry. Yeah, whatever. I think they're fine without George Pickens. I think the high maintenance, the. I need the ball kind of center of attention. Wide receivers. Go look at the highest paid receivers in the league. Find me the playoff wins quarterback, coach, left tackle, great pass rusher, veteran center, interior linebacker that can call defensive plays or interior, you know, free safety, strong safety. Give me. Give me somebody in the middle of the field that can kind of direct traffic. You can have the expensive wide receiver who's drama creating. Go for it. Knock yourself out. So when the Rams won the super bowl, they've only had one first round pick in the last, I think it's nine years. And it was Jared Verse. They hit on it. But during the parade, the gm Les Snead said, f them picks. And it was funny. It's. It's made into merch. It's been. It's very, very funny. So obviously draft picks matter, but the Rams won a Super bowl without those first round picks, right? And so it was funny because they won. You can say f them picks when you win. You can be cocky if you're Gordon Ramsay or you're Bill Maher and you have a history of success and a history of success and. And you've been relevant. Brandon Bean is the GM who just got a job promotion with the Bills. And this is. He basically used the same language. He was interviewed by Ty Dunn, excellent journalist who we brought on this show. And he basically said on the Joe Brady hire f the outside. He's talking about the fans here. F the fans. It's about the right selection for the team. If we win, they'll love it. It's the same thing I said when I took Josh Allen. Can we stop bringing up that you drafted Josh Allen? It was a long time ago, okay? There was a band back in 2003 that created the song Stacy's Mom. It was a huge hit. You don't know the band. You know the song, okay? Nobody cares about the draft or the gm. They know Josh Allen. So again, if you're successful over the course of time, you know, Bill Parcells, Belichick, kind of that dismissive, snarky, cocky stuff I think plays really well. It plays well at a Super bowl parade where Tom Brady has had a few too many margaritas or less. Need is saying F them picks. But the reason he said F the outside is because a fan poll said only 8% of Bill's fans. These are the people that get up, jump off their van, jump on tables before games that literally snow blow the driveways of Bill's player who Bill's players. They will go to the stadium on the day before or the day of a game to shovel snow. And you're saying F the fans. You're not successful enough to say that. If you had a couple trophies, maybe it would land differently. It just doesn't land well. I mean, this is probably the most loyal fan base. My wife used to have to go to Buffalo a lot. She's like, nicest people in the country. Buffalo. I wouldn't say F the picks during a Super bowl winning parade is funny. F the outside slash fans is not funny. It's dismissive, cocky, and stop bringing up Josh Allen as your pick. We know you hit on it. And this is the same general manager who when popular local radio hosts, I think it's WGR legendary Buffalo station, came out and questioned their draft and said, you didn't get enough wide receivers. And we found at the end of this year, they probably could have used two more wide receivers. This was Brandon Bean's reaction. You guys were bitching in 2018 about Josh Allen. You guys wanted Josh Rosen, and now you guys are bitching that we don't have a receiver. I don't get it. You got to have a show and you gotta. You gotta have something to bitch about. But bitching about wide receiver is one of the dumbest arguments I've heard. It actually landed for the hosts at the end of the year. They were going to Brandon Cooks was their go to guy. They didn't have a perimeter wide receiver, so. And whenever I hear Yeah, I get you guys have to have a show. Well, the Bills also have to have a gm and you're it. But to me, f the outside is basically saying, f the fans. You may have the best fan base in the country. These people grab shovels and go to the stadium. Like, I wouldn't be shocked if Terry Pegula doesn't demand that Brandon Bean offer an apology. I think this is really bad. And I got, I don't know him. I don't care. I've got six or seven GMs I talked to. He's known as a good cap guy. But f the outside, the outside is snowing and your fans have shovels clearing the stadium. That doesn't play to me at all. And I, by the way, I like a little cocky. I love parcels. And I, I, I lie. You know, Greg Popovich in his prime was tough on reporters and, and Gordon Ramsay and Bill Maher. I can take snark. I'm okay with it. Gotta have a couple trophies. You can't be the organization in the league that we look at and go, why don't they have a trophy? That GM can't be snarky. Just me, Tom Brady, top of the hour. The guy that's never snarky. So I, I'm still on this thing. Outraged that Belichick doesn't get in. Nobody cares that Kraft doesn't. You don't. You're not bothered? I'm unbothered. Correct. I, I, what has Kraft done to get in the hole? Like, owners getting in the hall of Fame is tough. You could be like, well, they have all these championships. Well, how did they get them? Belichick, Brady. Oh, who hire, who hires them? The owner. Well, technically, I guess the GM could hire the coach. Craft has to say no. They don't like each other. You know that, right? Craft of Belichick. It was an ugly ending. Yeah, but, but, but Belichick's one. Pre Bill, post Bill, during Bill. You just don't think, I mean, you're an, you're a co owner of a soccer team. Do you think you have influence over the coach, the roster, the morale, and the direction? Not as much as I'd like, but it's fun to be part of the discussion. When you say, not as much as I like. What you're telling me is you do think you have the ability to change direction, morale, revenue. Owners matter. You may hate them, but they matter. Yeah. Think Verizon is expensive? 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Savings versus Comparable Verizon plans plus the cost of optional benefits, plan features and taxes and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third line free via monthly bill credits. Credit stop if you cancel any lines. Qualifying credit required At CVS it matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night. And we want everyone to feel welcomed and rewarded. It matters that CVS is here to fill your prescriptions and here to fill your craving for a tasty and yeah, healthy snack. At cvs, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters. So Visit us@cvs.com or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you. Store hours vary by location. You ever wonder how far an EV can take you on one charge? Well, most people drive about 40 miles a day, which means you can do all daily stuff no problem. 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