THE HERD - Hour 1 - People are not giving the Patriots a chance, the problem with the Lakers

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 1

Air Date: February 2, 2026
Main Theme: Why the Patriots Are Underrated in the Super Bowl & The Lakers’ Roster Problem

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Episode Overview

Colin Cowherd returns for Super Bowl week in Los Angeles, challenging the prevailing narrative around the big game: while Seattle is widely considered the superior team, he believes New England is being unfairly dismissed. The episode breaks down why the Patriots deserve more respect, examines trends in Super Bowl scheduling, and pivots to an in-depth critique of the Lakers’ flawed roster construction—especially compared to the surging Knicks. Additional discussion addresses recent NFL coaching moves, general manager philosophy, and the NBA’s ongoing struggle with entertainment value and rule changes.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Super Bowl Preview: Patriots Are Being Overlooked

• Colin’s Opening Take ([02:36]):

  • He repeatedly answers, "Seattle’s the better team, but I think I like New England," when asked for his Super Bowl pick.
  • New England: #2 in scoring, #4 in defense, excellent point differential—second only to Seattle.
  • The mainstream is treating the matchup as a potential blowout solely in Seattle’s favor.
  • Patriots’ rough September (losses to Steelers, Raiders) led to national disinterest, but since October they have been nearly unstoppable.
  • Team transformation: 15 new starters; needed time to gel. From late September on, dominated weaker competition.

• Strength of Schedule Debate ([05:13]):

  • “When you look at New England's schedule, it's almost worthy of a laugh. It's hard to find the good games.” (Colin)
  • New England played 11 games against teams who subsequently fired their coach: “Outrageously anemic.”
  • But historically, seven of last ten Super Bowl champs had top-10 easiest schedules—this is not a college football situation.
  • Key stat: “They’ve won 16 of 17 games.” (Colin, [07:45])
  • Only loss: Close, high-scoring game vs. Buffalo.

• Uniform Superstitions & Mindset ([10:46]):

  • Coach Mike Vrabel picks all-white uniforms: “Five and 0 with the white uniform, so there we go. Hope the tooth fairy comes tonight too. We’ll be real excited.” (Vrabel, paraphrased by Colin)

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2. Lakers vs. Knicks: Roster Construction & Defensive Flaws

• Lakers-Knicks Comparison ([11:30]):

  • Knicks: on a 6-game win streak, 31–18, not far from true contention.
  • The Knicks have tradeable assets and a new coach (Mike Brown), though still finding full cohesion.

• Lakers’ Issues ([12:36]):

  • Lakers also winning, but LeBron (41) and Luka are two of the slowest defenders in the entire league—stat: Lakers are -70 with LeBron and Luka on the court.
  • Colin: “Do not be fooled by the Lakers… What you’re watching with LeBron… the three slowest defensive players in the league: Harden, LeBron, Luka.”
  • “The Lakers should have watched what Dallas did with Luka… surround him with tough defenders—a wall of athletic defenders around your star.” (Colin, [12:55])
  • Instead, Lakers doubled down on mediocre defenders: Austin Reaves (not athletic, not a defender), LeBron (slow, aging), suggestions to add Deandre Ayton (below average on defense).
  • “That is the opposite of the answer.” (Colin)

• LeBron's Perspective on Retirement & MSG ([14:00]):

  • Quote: “At the end of the day, everything has to come to an end at some point. So, no matter what it is… This one will always have, like, a special place in the journey, because it is Madison Square Garden.” (LeBron James, [14:00])

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3. Super Bowl Picks & Banter

• Fired Coach Stat Reaction ([13:07]):

  • Guest blows up at the Patriots’ stat: “There's no way they have that many opponents that fired… 11. That's insane, Colin. I've never heard anything like that.”
  • Guest picks Seattle by double digits, referencing Sam Darnold’s MVP potential.

• Colin’s Loyalty:

  • “Well, yeah, I mean, I. I think it's well established. That's my guy.” (referring to Sam Darnold, [13:32])

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4. NFL GM Talk: Vikings’ Firing, Quarterback Decisions

• Vikings Fire GM Despite Extension ([17:12]):

  • Colin describes how missing on the QB pick can outweigh all other virtues.
  • “He got fired because he let Sam Darnold walk. Folks, if you get the quarterback right, your owner forgets about a lot. And if you don’t, they have long memories.” (Colin, [17:12])
  • Brings up Bills’ GM who saved his job by drafting Josh Allen despite other organizational weaknesses.

• Vikings’ QB Carousel:

  • Had Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones pass through, interest from Aaron Rodgers—let all go, stuck with J.J. McCarthy.
  • “If you watch Darnold play and you watch JJ McCarthy and you choose JJ McCarthy, you got to figure out the thing. That’s the thing.”

• General Manager Longevity:

  • “This guy went to Princeton. He went to Stanford. He was on Wall Street… He doesn’t understand quarterback play.” (Colin)
  • “You can be a really average general manager… But if you don’t get the quarterback right, you’re out.” ([22:17])

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5. NFL Coaching Carousel & Team-Building

• Raiders Hire Clint Kubiak ([23:59])

  • Colin: “For the first time since I can remember, I, I think they have the GM, the coach, and by late April, the quarterback.”
  • Discusses positive trajectory with cap space, plans for free agency and draft, and the importance of stacking the OL and skill positions.

• Arizona Cardinals Hire Mike LaFleur ([26:39]):

  • “Offensively they’ve got some really high skill position players, way more, way better skill than the Raiders.” (Guest Analyst)
  • Previous Jets OC experience with Zach Wilson was underwhelming, but optimism remains due to McVay’s coaching tree.

• OC Rumors: Giants’ Pursuit of Kingsbury ([29:03]):

  • “My take is, is it really a great place for him to go to New York with the loudest media… you don’t need that.” (Colin)
  • Kingsbury’s style may not fit “northeast, heavily scrutinized, loud media.”
  • Adds comment about the CEO role in the modern NFL: “It’s not about hiring a guy that’s good with schemes. It’s hiring a CEO that builds a culture.”

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6. NBA’s Problem with Star Power & Entertainment

• Face of the League Discussion ([32:15]):

  • NBA lacks a new “face of the league”—attributes this to the league ignoring college basketball as a marketing engine in favor of the G League.
  • “The NBA over the last 15 years treated college basketball like an enemy. And college basketball is a free marketing platform.” (Colin)
  • Praises impact of stars like Cooper Flagg coming up through college; compares this to Bird, MJ, etc.

• G League Critique:

  • “The G League’s always been overplayed. The face of the leagues have mostly been guys we fell in love with… at Duke, at Carolina… Magic, MJ.”
  • “You couldn’t get me to watch a G League game. If my car broke down and it was right next to the gas station, I wouldn’t watch the game. And I like basketball.” ([37:50])

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7. NBA’s Need for Rule Changes

• Praise for NFL & MLB Tweaks ([42:13]):

  • NFL constantly adjusts to improve viewer experience (example: kickoffs, catch rule).
  • “They’re never arrogant.” (on the NFL)
  • Praises MLB’s modernization (e.g., pitch clock), asserts it’s become far more watchable than the NBA.

• NBA’s Repetitiveness & Three-Point Problem:

  • NBA has become repetitive with excessive three-point shooting, especially corner threes.
  • “You’re taking the most athletic league and you’re making it unathletic. Anybody can come up the court, catch and shoot a three.” (Colin, [49:31])
  • Suggests eliminating the corner three to force more mid-range play, increase collisions and athleticism, and bring centers back into the paint.

• Playoff Physicality:

  • Regular season is soft and foul-heavy; playoffs become more physical, and ratings go up.
  • “Men win in the postseason. Young men win a lot in the regular season because men in the postseason, they swallow the whistle.” (Colin, [49:52])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Patriots’ Perception

  “Seattle’s the better team, but I think I like New England… People are talking about it like it’s going to be a blowout… They’ve won 16 of 17 games… That’s all I know.”
  — Colin Cowherd, [02:36–08:30]

• On the Patriots Playing Weak Teams

  “I will admit New England has played 11 games against teams that fired their coach, which is outrageously anemic.”
  — Colin Cowherd, [05:52]

• On Lakers Roster Flaws

  “The Lakers should have watched what Dallas did with Luka. When you have a star player who’s a poor defender… you surround him with willing defenders, tough guys, bouncers at the bar to cover for your star.”
  — Colin Cowherd, [12:55]

  “LeBron, 41, slow, can’t defend… that is the opposite of the answer.”
  — Colin Cowherd, [13:12]

• LeBron on Potential Last Game at MSG
  [14:00]

  “At the end of day, everything has to come to an end at some point… This one will always have, like, a special place in the journey, because it is Madison Square Garden.”

• Patriots’ Schedule Oddity

  “There’s no way they have that many opponents that fired… 11. That’s insane, Colin. I’ve never heard anything like that.”
  — Guest Analyst, [13:07]

• On GMs and QBs

  “If you get the quarterback right, your owner forgets about a lot. And if you don’t, they have long memories.”
  — Colin Cowherd, [17:12]

• On NBA’s Star Problem & G League

  “The G League’s always been overplayed. The face of the leagues have mostly been guys we fell in love with… at Duke, at Carolina… Magic, MJ.”
  — Colin Cowherd, [34:00]

  “You couldn’t get me to watch a G League game. If my car broke down and it was right next to the gas station, I wouldn’t watch the game.”
  — Colin Cowherd, [37:50]

• NBA’s Need to Tweak the Three-Point Shot

  “You’re taking the most athletic league and you’re making it unathletic. Anybody can come up the court, catch and shoot a three.”
  — Colin Cowherd, [49:31]

• On NFL & MLB Adjustments

  “The NFL does such a great job of tweaking their product… They’re never arrogant.”
  — Colin Cowherd, [42:13]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:36] – Colin’s Super Bowl initial take, Patriots being overlooked
• [05:13] – Patriots’ schedule quality and the easy-schedule Super Bowl champs trend
• [11:30] – Knicks vs. Lakers, analysis of team-building
• [13:07] – Reaction to Patriots’ 11-games-vs-fired-coaches stat, Super Bowl picks
• [14:00] – LeBron on legacy and playing at Madison Square Garden
• [17:12] – Vikings GM firing, importance of the quarterback in team-building
• [23:59] – Raiders hire Kubiak; positive direction for franchise
• [26:39] – Cardinals hire Mike LaFleur; discussion of skill positions and coaching trees
• [29:03] – Cliff Kingsbury, CEO vs. scheme coach debate
• [32:15] – NBA “face of the league” discussion, college basketball’s marketing value
• [37:50] – G League criticism, college basketball scouting
• [42:13] – NFL/MLB tweaks praised, NBA’s repetitive problems identified
• [49:31] – Three-point shot critique, suggestion to eliminate the corner three

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Summary

This hour of The Herd sets the table for Super Bowl week with Colin's contrarian support of the Patriots, given their overlooked dominance and schedule quirks. He moves seamlessly from football trends into an impassioned critique of NBA roster construction and league-wide entertainment values. Colin challenges institutional inertia in both sports—whether in the NFL's coaching decisions, the Lakers’ roster missteps, or the NBA’s hesitancy to adjust its product as successfully as the NFL or MLB. Ultimately, his analysis encourages fans to look past surface narratives and appreciate how real on-field and off-court decisions shape teams, stars, and the way we watch sports.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human we all want the best without having to pay the most. That's where Verizon comes in. Get this now you can take your AT and T or T mobile bill into any Verizon store. They'll look at what you're paying and give you a better deal. Period. You get the amazing coverage you want while keeping more cash in your pocket. Visit your local Verizon store to start saving today. Must provide recent consumer Mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms and conditions apply. I'm Colin Coward from the Herd. Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or thinking about getting started, you'll definitely want to check out season four of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Inuit QuickBooks. In the latest season, hosts Austin Hanquitz and Janiez Torres are talking to self starters about the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and how QuickBooks helps you to get more done in less time. You don't want to miss it. Listen to Mind the Business Small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember when people were nice? When we could occasionally stop fighting and come together? Well, here's some good news. The Ripple Effect is here. Hosted by comedian Jenna Kim Jones, it's a show about how powerful it is when we reach out to one another. It's the perfect weekly proof that goodness isn't gone. The Ripple Effect is more than a podcast. 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. Wasabi is purpose built to free your business from skyrocketing storage costs and fees from the big guys. Wasabi is the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams around the world. Check out Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cybercriminals. Wasabi driving innovation in data storage for up to 80% less than the other guys. Try for [e-mail], wasabi Hot Cloud Storage proud partner of the Volume Podcast Network. 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 [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR? Now, let's get this.

[J. Mac]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[Colin Cowherd]

Here we go. We are live in Los Angeles. It is super bowl week. Is that Sam Darnold going to another Super Bowl? Welcome in. It's the Herd, wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. It's good to be back in la. So this is the one week of the year where people come up to me because I've been a public figure for a while and everybody asked me the exact same question, who do you like in the Super Bowl? And I've given the exact same answer to everybody. Well, Seattle's the better team, but I think I like New England because I think what's happened is I just saw a headline this morning, Sam Darnold, favorite to win mvp. Seattle is going to be the only team talked about for the next six, seven days. Even though New England was number two in scoring, number four in defense, and these are the two best point differential teams in the league. Seattle 1, New England 2. People are talking about it like it's going to be a blowout. And I think what happened is the Patriots lost to the Steelers and the Raiders in September and people stopped watching them play. They were in a lot of one o' clock eastern windows. And. And I remember what I kept saying when they lost early J. Mac was crushing me. And I said, you guys, you have to slow play this team. 15 new starters. They have to break it before they rebuild it. They were a mess. I love their draft. They're going to have 50 new starters. Check back late October, early November, then we can evaluate them. So starting Sunday, September 8, they go and play Carolina, a team that could have beaten the LA Rams twice. And they crush Carolina. Playoff. Carolina blow their doors off. And I want to remind you, yes, their schedule. When you look at New England's schedule, it's almost worthy of a laugh. It's hard to find the good games. It is a lot of New Orleans, Tennessee, Cleveland, Jets, Atlanta Giants, Baltimore without Lamar Jackson kind of stuff. I mean, it's just to give you an example, it was the easiest schedule in the league. Second easiest was Denver. And Denver played Green Bl, Green Bay, Houston, Philly, the Chargers twice, the Chiefs and Mahomes and Reed twice. And they played the Colts early in the season, did Denver, when Denver lost to the Colts, because the Colts were actually good and they were healthy. So this is the easiest schedule I've ever seen. But here's the whammy. Seven of the last 10 Super bowl champs have had a top 10 easiest schedule. This is not college football style. Points matter in the NBA and they matter in college football. Go back and look at teams who had top 10 easy schedules. The 20, 24 Eagles, the Chiefs before them, the Chiefs before them, the Rams before them, New England. This will be their third team with an easiest schedule. That's what happens when you play the Dolphins and the jets twice a year. So I always look at this. Yes, I will admit New England has played 11 teams or 11 games against teams that fired their coach, which is outrageously anemic. They faced 11 games where a team fired a coach. And yes, I'll admit they beat the Chargers convincingly, but the Chargers had a bad O line. And then they beat the Texans, had three turnovers, but C.J. stroud had more and it was a blizzard. And then they faced a backup against Denver and. Well, and that was a blizzard too. And I admit it doesn't look pretty, but here's what I know. Starting with that Carolina game at the end of September when all the free agents and rookies, there was a certain symmetry. They played together for a month. They've won 16 of 17 games. 16 of 17 games. Head coach, a coordinator, a defense, a scoring output, a ownership, a close games, a. That's all I know. So everybody comes up. I keep saying Seattle's the better team, but they're, they're going to get all the love. It'll be a fire hydrant of Seahawk greatness until Sunday and kickoff. And I'm like, I know they didn't impress you. This is not college football. They've won 16 to 17 games. Their only loss in the last four months, 35, 31 to Buffalo. And many of you still think they got robbed by a bad call in Denver and should be in the Super Bowl. Here's Mike Vrabel on why they're wearing the all white uniforms in the game for the home team. We get to choose guys like the white uniforms. So five and oh with the white uniform. So there we go. Hope the tooth fairy comes tonight too. We'll be real excited. Meanwhile, yesterday, Knicks, Lakers played and it's interesting, The Knicks are 31 and 18 and I actually they're on a six game winning streak. I actually think the Knicks are not that far away. I think the Knicks can play with almost anybody. They got a new coach, but at 31 and 18, I think they're close and they've got several players. OG, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikhail Bridges, that If you put them on the trading block, people would be interested in them. The Lakers are 29 and 19, LeBron's 41. And when he and Luca are on the court together this season, they're on minus 70. They can't play together. Why? Because something I've been shouting from the beginning of the season. Do not be fooled by the Lakers. The Knicks are not fooling you. The Knicks fired a coach they shouldn't have. They brought in Mike Brown. He's a veteran. It's going to take him a while to figure it out. The Knicks fans wanted to jump off of one of those, you know, those, those New York, you know, midtown buildings. Take a deep breath. New coach. The Knicks have a lot of elements that a lot of teams would like to have. OG you could trade them tomorrow. Mikhail Bridges, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, even Cat can score against almost any big. The. The. The. The Knicks are not fool's gold. But what you're watching with LeBron, I saw a stat this morning. Do you know who the three slowest defensive players in the league are? James Harden is number one. Do you know who number two is? LeBron, you know, number three is Luca. In the entire league, they have two of the three slowest players. What does that mean? It's roster construction. And when Austin Reeves comes back, it's going to be fool's gold. The Lakers should have watched what Dallas did with Luca. When you have a star player who's a poor defender and Luca is Steph Curry, you surround him with Draymond Green, Klay Thompson in his prime, Andre Iguodala, willing defenders, tough guys, bouncers at the bar to cover for your star. Rob Palink. And the Lakers have doubled down on Luca. Just less talented. Austin Reeves, not super athletic, not a great defender. LeBron 41, slow, can't defend. Oh, let's go get Deandre Ayton. Below average defender. They just keep adding players who are not athletic, fast, quick and can defend. But when you go back to when Luca succeeded in Dallas, they had Daniel Jones, they had Gafford protecting the rim, they had the Duke rookie. Oh, they were athletic. You've got to cover for Luka. And I've said this before about Luka. When he came to the Lakers, I said, stop pretending he's LeBron. LeBron, Kobe, MJ in their prime. Duncan in their prime. Kareem in his prime, Bird in their prime. These guys gave you maximum defensive effort. D. Wade in his prime. Lucas, Carmelo, a better version. He's never going to be in great shape for any extended period. He's not interested. Defense is a hobby. Sometimes he's into it, and then he loses patience or interest. And so these new owners inherited this Lakers situation. Okay, the Knicks record looks like the Lakers record, but when they play, you can see the clear difference. They've got defense. Oh, geez. A defender. They. By the way, the Knicks realize Jalen Brunson's a below average defender. So they get guys who can defend Mikhail Bridges, OG Josh Hart. It gives you everything he's got, right? They had the kid divincenza, who, by the way, done a great defender, great effort player, but they had to eventually move off him. Another great tough guy. So I'm watching this yesterday and you see the records, and a lot of people would say, well, the Lakers have got it going because they've got the best player, Luka. But do the Lakers and the new owners realize, when you have Luka, you've got to build a wall of athletic defenders around him? And Austin Reeves and LeBron. That's not the answer. That is the opposite of the answer. Here's LeBron after the loss on playing potentially his last game at the Garden. At the end of day, everything has to come to an end at some point. So no matter what it is, it's gonna be like, I would never play again in Madison Square Garden. I would never play again. In certain arenas, I would never play again, period. So, I mean, at that point, you know, it doesn't matter. You're gonna always miss it. You're gonna miss the game in general. So it doesn't. This one will always have, like, a special place in the journey, because it is Madison Square guard. All right, J. Mac, you probably already made your bets. I usually, in a Super Bowl, I have a strong, definitive feel. I try to talk myself into stuff I shouldn't and out of stuff I shouldn't. And if somebody comes up today, I'll tell them again, Seattle's got the better team, but I think I like New England.

[Guest Analyst]

Yeah, I think you just dropped that Patriot stat on the fired coaches. I had to look that up. I'm like, there's no way they have that many opponents that fired 11. That's insane, Colin. I've never heard anything like that.

[Colin Cowherd]

11 games. The team they played fired their coach.

[Guest Analyst]

So last year, one of us got the super bowl, right? Eagles and a romp. I'll go Seattle by double digits in this.

[J. Mac]

Wow.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, you know, it make me happy.

[Guest Analyst]

Sam Darnold, of course.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, yeah, I mean, I. I think it's well established. That's my guy.

[Guest Analyst]

The executives told me you may need to take a day off for the parade. If Sam Dardo wins it, you may need to go MC that bad boy. And I'll be like, fine. I'll, I'll, I'll all down the fourth.

[Colin Cowherd]

So coming up next, there's one thing I always thought the Vikings were well run. And then they just unraveled and went sideways. What did we learn? What did the Minnesota Vikings, what did we learn from them firing this bright young GM after they gave him an extension? Right? There is something to learn here. That's coming up. It's the Herd.

[J. Mac]

Be sure to catch live editions of.

[Colin Cowherd]

The Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am.

[J. Mac]

Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the iHeartRadio app.

[Colin Cowherd]

Stugatz. 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. Day. Some of the biggest names in sports, a lot of phone calls. I love you guys show. It's one of my favorites. A lot of interaction, guys not taking themselves too seriously. Those are just some of the things that you can expect from Stugots 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. All right, two truths and a lie. Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwaine. 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 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.

[J. Mac]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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, 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. There are certain things in a marriage you've got to get right. You can mess up a lot. You can forget a lot. You want to get the anniversaries right. Birthdays matter, too. So this weekend, a Quezi. Adolfo Mensah is a very sharp. Went to Princeton, Stanford analytics whiz. You know, we were told for years he was just this great young ascending general manager. And then he got fired. And people are trying to either rationalize it or explain it. And there's a reason. He got fired because he let Sam Darnold walk. Folks, if you get the quarterback right, your owner forgets about a lot. And if you don't, they have long memories. Joe Douglas was the jets gm. He drafted two in a very short time, two rookies of the year, Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner and several other very good players. He bombed on the quarterback. Zach Wilson, he's out of work. Brandon Bean in Buffalo. Brandon Bean has no Pro Bowlers on defense. A couple of really lean drafts. Maybe the worst receiving core in the league for Josh Allen. But here's what the owner of the bill said when he recently promoted Brandon Bean. Success with the players. I think we've. I don't know if anybody knows it in this room, but Josh Allen wouldn't be here if it wasn't for this guy pushing and pushing, you know, and pulling a Houdini in that draft to get to the position where we could pick him. So, you know, I. That was my decision. So everybody wanted Brannon being fired. And the guy who signs the check said, that guy, he got me Josh Allen. And before Josh Allen, the Bills were an irrelevant franchise. That owner, that billionaire. The Bills are on Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football and merchandise sales and playoff games, and he got the quarterback right. So not only did they let Sam Darnold walk, but Sam now is with a very young team and a sharp gm. So the chances are you're going to be reminded every year you let Sam Darnold walk. The other thing is they had Daniel Jones in the building. They let him go. They were very interested in Aaron Rodgers, but reportedly Aaron was more interested than the Vikings, than the Vikings were in him. So think about that. They had Darnold in the building. Rogers was Interested? Daniel Jones was in the building, and they kept J.J. mcCarthy. If he gets Darnold to stay, maybe he doesn't last another three to four years, but he's still employed. I read multiple stories. Well, people are saying he took too long of a paternity leave. That got him fired. Two weeks. It didn't take two months. Well, you know, he and Kevin O' Connell didn't always see eye to eye. Sean McVay and Les Sneed don't always see eye to eye. Sean Payton and his GM don't always see eye to eye. That you don't have to see eye to eye all the time. You hope you have some symmetry in the working relationship. You don't have to get along with everybody. So if you have Daniel Jones in the building, he walks, you have Sam Darnold in the building, he's going to the Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers was interested, you weren't. And you take J.J. mcCarthy, who threw 23 games, 11 and 12, you're getting fired. It's like being a surgeon. You can never amputate the wrong leg, not even once. You can make a lot of mistakes. Surgeons aren't perfect. It's. You know, it's science. There's a reason doctor's office is called a practice. It's not everything. You know, there's things we do and don't know still about COVID It's medicine. Not that you're making it up, but it's. It's not always an exact science, right? Like drafting is an inexact science. You can be a really average general manager. I. I was having this discussion this morning. John lynch in San Francisco, because he signed off on Trey Lance. I think he'd be gone today if they didn't draft Brock Purdy in the seventh round. People forgot about Trey Lance very quickly once Brock Purdy came in. And Shanahan's like, I love this guy. If Brock Purdy didn't get drafted and they passed on him, what, six times? The Niners right now are unwatchable. They're probably playing Kirk Cousins. So you can. This guy went to Princeton. He went to Stanford. He was on Wall Street. He's really smart. He was great with analytics. He's a whiz kid. He doesn't understand quarterback play. If you watch Darnold play and you watch JJ McCarthy and you choose JJ McCarthy, you got to figure out the thing. That's the thing. J. Mac, with the news. No, no, no. Turn on the news.

[J. Mac]

This is the Herd line news.

[Guest Analyst]

All right, Colin, let's start with the Raiders. They made big news over the weekend. Clint Kubiak will be their next head coach. That's become official. According to every reporter in the NFL. The deal won't be finalized until after the super bowl, but Kubiak has interviewed multiple times. I think there's a pretty damn good job.

[Colin Cowherd]

I actually, for the first time since I can remember, I, I think they have the gm, the coach and by late April, the quarterback. And I haven't been able to say that about the Raiders. I thought Pete Carroll would stabilize it, but I still thought they were a mess at quarterback. This league is overwhelmingly gm, coach, quarterback. I mean, you can have a lot of flaws. Right. You don't have to be great everywhere if you get the head coach right, the quarterback right. And, and they also, I mean, they probably have to get another weapon, but they've got a couple of really interesting players. So I don't think I've been this positive about the Raiders. I don't think this is a stabilizing move. I think this is eventually a winning move because we both love Mendoza and remember, Mendoza means five years of stacking your roster. So like the, like the Bears did. Even though it's a number one pick, you think, oh, you pay them a lot. Look at the Bears roster. I mean, Ben Johnson came in after they had already added like DJ Moores and said, give me Joe Tunney and Drew Dahlman and Jonah Jackson and so you're going to get a very, very. They can go buy an offensive line with Fernando Menoza.

[Guest Analyst]

Yeah, they have the second most capped space in the.

[Colin Cowherd]

So we both love Colt Miller, left tackle. Just go buy the rest of the offensive line. Mendoza, Brock Bowers draft. I don't think their defense is as bad as people say. I think the whole thing was a mess.

[Guest Analyst]

But there's not a ton of like blue chip talent on the defense after Crosby. There just isn't.

[Colin Cowherd]

There isn't. No, no. I'm. And, but if you have to have one piece on your defense that works. It's, it's a pass rusher, but you could go buy left guard, center, right guard.

[Guest Analyst]

You also need some weapons. Now this draft is, is loaded with wide receivers.

[Colin Cowherd]

They're, they're.

[Guest Analyst]

Listen, they're not going to make a leap. Like, by the way, the two teams in the super bowl were not in the playoffs last year.

[Colin Cowherd]

They're not going to make a New England leap. No, but they are going to make a New England roster improvement leap. This roster is going to be very good after that draft. Yeah, there's going to be seven or eight really nice players. Just don't forget how bad New England was.

[Guest Analyst]

Okay, New England, they got Vrabel who.

[Colin Cowherd]

Was a prison winner. Not disputing that, but when you have the second most cap space and you've got a free quarterback for four years, but you can add six to seven like I mean high end starters.

[Guest Analyst]

Yeah, they should be able to nail the draft. I mean we're looking at an uptick in win. That division is going to be very difficult next season. Somebody's gonna have to fall back because I think Raiders are probably, you know, with Mendoza, 6ish win team 7, maybe plucky. We'll see how the schedule shakes out. Speaking of coaching hires, another one happened. Arizona made a move, landing Rams OC Mike LeFleur on a five year deal. Arizona had been targeting Kubiak and ultimately he picked Raiders. So they settled for the floor. Who will replace Jonathan Gannon? I actually think LaFleur's in a really good spot here. My hot take would be, you know, LaFleur's brother with the packers had Malik Willis last year. Malik Willis is probably the best free agent quarterback I totally could. Arizona, go grab him. And you've got the ready made offense. Trey McBride, James Connor, Harrison Wilson.

[Colin Cowherd]

What was interesting about the Cardinals this year and again outside of Arizona, people didn't watch them. But you and I, this is what we do. We watch. They, they scored a lot of points and we kept thinking, well they have a defensive coach. Arizona was kind of explosive and in fairness to Arizona, it's kind of a good division. Rams defense, Salah had the Niners defense, the Seahawk defense. So they were, they were fairly productive. I again if Matt LeFleur smart, I imagine his brother's pretty bright. He comes from the Rams So I mean McVay's tree at least. The offensive guys, Kevin O', Connell, Zach Taylor, I feel like they kind of know what they're doing. My Arizona is a bit of a mess right now. Not a Jets mess, but a mess. But I, you and I both believe the same thing. Offensively they've got some really high skill.

[Guest Analyst]

Position players than a lot of teams. Way more, way better skill than the Raiders. I will say he was the OC for the jets for a minute. He did have Zach Wilson at quarterback. I was not super impressed, but maybe he needed that run. Now he's back with McVay. I think this is a good hire by the Cardinals. Final story. Colin is. Let's go to the New York Giants. Interesting development here in that John Harbaugh is looking for an OC and reports are indicating Cliff Kingsbury is near the top of the list, as well as Brian Callahan, who was with the Titans before he got bounced. I'm just curious about Kingsbury because I am higher on him than most. I have been for years. I know you're not as high. Yeah, he was very successful. Jaden Daniels in D.C. and now he's looking for another job. And I just.

[Colin Cowherd]

Is.

[Guest Analyst]

Is it a lateral move to go in the division to the Giants?

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't feel. Kate. So I like Kingsbury. The knock on him at Arizona as a head coach, he's not confrontational. What happened in D.C. adam Peters, the GM, the GM of Washington is confrontational. And Cliff Kingsbury felt he was bullied by it. That's the report I got felt a little bit bullied. So my take is, is it really a great place for him to go to New York with the loudest media in this large media, you don't need that. Yeah. So I. Kingsbury, to me, maybe he's a college coach. I don't see him. He's. We talk about this all the time. It's not about hiring a guy that's good with schemes. It's hiring a CEO that builds. Builds a culture. Nobody doubts Kingsbury's intelligence, his work ethic. He's creative, he's a good guy, and he's good at his job. All those things have been. What I've said about Lincoln Riley, the pushback has been, well, can Lincoln create a culture? Right now, we don't know. And that's the knock on Kingsbury. When it gets uncomfortable, he's sort of the opposite of the variable. Like, he's just not. He. He doesn't. That's not his personality. And so New York, to me may not be a great fit. He may not be a Northeast, heavily scrutinized, loud media guy.

[Guest Analyst]

He's a little more chill, laid back dude. Much more chill. He'll have an opportunity to call plays in New York with Jackson Dart and if they go to the moon with 10 wins and make the playoffs, I mean, Kingsbury could be in line for a head coaching job next year. So there is that opportunity. Where are you on Brian Callahan? So he was really, really good with the Bengals. And Burrow. Yeah, goes for the Titans. I was optimistic. It was a flat out disaster.

[Colin Cowherd]

Again, I mean, another guy that was good at schemes, but not CEO.

[Guest Analyst]

Yeah. You read some of the stuff that was coming out of that locker room. It was not good.

[Colin Cowherd]

It was not good. So that's really changed in the NFL. Like, Vrabel's not a scheme guy. Although he's smart enough to be good at schemes, but that's not his go to Same with the Harbaughs. They're not scheme guys. So Shanahan, my knock on Shanahan. So let's say when. Let's say you get the scheme guy, right? Like Andy Reid's a great scheme guy. He's also proven he's a bottom line guy. They're one of the only teams in the league that still has hard practices. Shanahan's a great scheme guy. My knock on him is why doesn't he win coming from behind more? Because he's stuck to his play sheet. He get and Kyle gets stuck on the play sheet. And they have a bizarre number of comeback wins. Bizarrely low. And so we spend so much time, oh, this guy's schemes are great. McVay has good schemes. McVay is a culture builder. The player. He's hard on the players and simultaneously they love him. So with Kingsbury, they love him. But there's no sense that it's what happens when somebody goes sideways, he just lets it go. I've heard he has a hard time like owning difficult players. That's the job. Now J. Mac with the news.

[J. Mac]

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the herd lie news.

[Colin Cowherd]

So for years I've said I think face of the league is overrated. I don't think you need a face of the league. In my lifetime and I've been watching the NBA since 1972, there really hasn't been a face of the league. I mean, Magic was, Bird was, LeBron was, Michael was, Steph was. But Tim Duncan was great. He wasn't face of the league. Kareem was great. He was too stoic. He wasn't face of the league. I don't think you need it. It's great when you have it. But one of the reasons I think it's been difficult to create a face of the league over the last 10 years. I mean, Steph Curry is still the most popular player today. Number two is probably LeBron. And I believe there's a reason for this. The reason is that the NBA over the last 15 years treated college basketball like an enemy. And college basketball is a free marketing platform. Instead, they put their arms around the witness protection program, otherwise known as the G League or Ignite. G or G Ignite. Irrelevant. Nobody. There's never been a single NBA top jersey seller 25 years out of the G League. It's in arenas you don't want to go to, with coaches you've never heard of, in cities that you would hope your car doesn't break down in. The G League's always been overplayed. The face of the leagues have mostly been guys that we fell in love with. We fell in love with magic. Right now you could say, well, what about LeBron? He didn't play college. LeBron's arguably the single greatest prospect in league history, but the league's become very European. So we don't watch those players when they're 17, 18, 19, and fall in love with them. And then the one and done culture is, well, a lot of these guys go to Europe. They go to the G League. Cooper Flag now, and I don't know if he's going to be face of the league, but he outplayed and dominated Kevin Durant this weekend and he went to Duke. And the reason we all wanted to watch Cooper Flag is we watched him in college. We heard about him from Maine. He was one of our guys that went to a Duke or a Kansas or a Yukon. So I don't know if he's going to be face of the league, but I will tell you, for a long period of time, the NBA was anti college basketball. And this is another reminder how valuable college basketball and March is to the NBA. It's where we get introduced. So I've watched Cooper Flag over the last week play in the two most talked about games in the league and Dallas isn't any good. And he just turned 19 years old. I'm telling you, if he played in the G League, we wouldn't care. Jalen Green was going to change the league. He went to the G League. Invisible anonymous witness protection. So statistically, if you look at where he is in jersey sales and where he is in numbers, you know who it reminds people of? MJ and Bird. By the way, I'm old enough. I fell in love with Bird at college, Indiana State, Sycamores, mj. I fell in love with him at Carolina. I'm not saying everybody has to come from that route, but there is such incredible value of embracing college basketball. And I don't think it's shocking that Cooper Flagg went to Duke and the kid at Charlotte, his roommate, went to Duke. And this draft, the first 11 players, they all played. I think 10 of 11 played college basketball. So. And his team's bad. But this is the second time in a week we've talked about Cooper Flag and you know people, it's Jason Kidd's one of the all time great point guards. He's gotten a lot of flack on playing Cooper Flag who's like six, nine and a half at point guard. And he talked about it this weekend. That's how he's built. He's built to win. He's going to try to do everything to help his team win. And he's not done that, you know, all season. And so I've built players so I know what the I'm doing. So to take criticism, it only makes me better because if I wasn't doing it right, you guys wouldn't be poking holes at what I've done. So. Mark Few was recently quoted saying the the best path to the NBA is college basketball. Better coaching. You go to a college campus and you're surrounded by people you wouldn't normally be surrounded by. It's a little uncomfortable. The crowds are electric when you're playing when, when you're playing at Carolina or Kansas or how do you watch the Michigan, Michigan State game when you're playing in games like that. And the intensity of the crowd, that's like NBA basketball. The G League's not. The G League is just, you know, gyms with nobody in them. So I think Cooper Flag, I don't know if he's going to be face of the league, but I think I look at the last two drafts. I look at this draft coming up. The Peterson kid at Kansas, especially college basketball is backed. The domestic star is back. There's nothing wrong with international players, but most of them don't really have an interest in dealing with the media selling shoes. That's not who they are. They want to hoop it and go back, you know, to Europe. So I think this is a tremendous, tremendous week for the NBA on what Cooper Flag is doing. And I'm not somebody who just started ranting on this. I said it for years. You couldn't get me to watch a G League game. If my car broke down and it was right next to the gas station, I wouldn't watch the game. And I like basketball. I don't care. Duke's on every time. Duke's on. And the games at Cameron Indoor every single time. Or a Michigan State is at home and there's a big game and it's on my tv, I stop and watch it. That's how I get introduced to all these guys. Colin, right? Colin wrong. Top of next hour. And the NFL made a tweak because it's what they do. And it again paid off. 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 McElwaine, 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 to 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.

[J. Mac]

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. From renewable energy companies with high frequency 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 P500. 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 transact for 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.

[Colin Cowherd]

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.

[Guest Analyst]

The Great American race returns with back to back champion William Byron looking for a historic repeat. Doesn't get bigger than this. The 68th running of the Daytona 500, February 15th, only on Fox.

[Colin Cowherd]

How'd you like the NBC NBA coverage? How'd you like that?

[Guest Analyst]

I thought that was spectacular yesterday. Yeah, two really good games.

[Colin Cowherd]

They went old school.

[Guest Analyst]

Old school.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. They got Costas doing the, you know, the monologue, the narrative to start.

[Guest Analyst]

Got you fired up.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. And they, you know, we already know the Michael Jordan stuff. So I, I sound critical of the NBA. I love NBA playoff basketball. I have said for a long time I think the NBA has an issue. I'll give you an example. I saw a story so, and, and this is pretty instructive. So the NFL, 74% of NFL kickoffs were returned this year. Last year it was 32%. So the NFL tweaked pats. They said it's boring. They, they keep tweaking the kickoff. So the strength of the NFL. Well, they only play once a week. Well, college football only plays once a week. And it's not half as popular as the NFL. The, I mean, college football couldn't figure out their playoff until the network stepped in. The NFL does such a great job of tweaking their product. It can be the catch rule. The pat the kickoff. And I really appreciate this. They're not arrogant. Even though it's the dominant number one TV show in America for 25 years running. They're never arrogant. They're not one of the, you know, this is not like, oh, people like get. They stop paying attention. And I'll give an example. So baseball, and maybe it's the people that cover it are a little precious sometimes. Baseball can be a little northeast and a little snooty and a little high minded. They got so arrogant for 30 years. And that's why I've defended Rob Manford, the, the commissioner. He's like, we're speeding up the game with a pitch clock. Go try and watch a baseball game from seven years ago. It's unwatchable. The game was so slow I could not get through three innings. I watched baseball games all summer. The last two years, the playoffs have been un. Unbelievable, gripping. I've watched more baseball than NBA in the last two years. Why? Because they kept, they. Rob Manfred came in and all the tweaks have worked. All of them. They don't listen to traditionalists. They're going to be watching. Don't listen to baseball. Traditionalists get watchable. So I've said this about the NBA and this is why the NBC's coverage is interesting. So NBC is bringing back people from a bygone era. Why? Because that's when you loved the NBA and one of the reasons you love the Pistons and the Bulls and the Lakers, because the physicality. Why? Because it was a mid range game. So remember the playoffs this past year? J. Mac and I were really into the playoffs. They were very physical. Why? Because in the playoffs the games get more physical. The ref swallow the whistle. We love that physicality. We love when players care. Because be honest, if you're playing a basketball game at the Y or in the NBA and you're on my you know what and you're bumping me and I'm pissed off. That's better competition than me coming down and jacking a three. So the NBA has a very repetitive problem. The three point shot eliminates a lot of physicality, gets very repetitive. So this is a super Athletic league. I can shoot at three. That's not athletic. Athleticism is a crossover finishing at the rim. That's athletic. So I've had this theory is that even though we looked at baseball as stuck in the past, they made six very progressive moves. They've all paid off. The NFL is constantly tweaking. You see this year's kickoff? So I've Always said in basketball, you can keep giving me reasons that the NBA is not popular. It's that Barkley show. They're too critical, it's too international. But yet we loved the playoffs because it was physical and it wasn't repetitive because everybody's mid range games. You're my. Any great NBA player has a different mid range game. A three is a three. I catch and shoot. Shoot it. They all look the same. So I've always had a belief on what the NBA's got to do. One major tweak. They think it's the NBA cup. That ain't it. Oh, I told you before, here we go now. It's not that different. I'm sorry to the radio audience. The minute the three point shot goes into the corner, it's. You can't defend it. You. And so teams cater to it. We have had, listen to this. The staff went and found this this morning.

[Guest Analyst]

That's my shot. You know, in, in basketball, the corner three. It's. It's the best shot in basketball, especially.

[Colin Cowherd]

For short guys who can't play. So no, that would be the shot you would take.

[Guest Analyst]

Well, Chad Holmgren lines up and he's 6 11. Just shoots him all the time.

[Colin Cowherd]

So eliminate that. What does it do? It's easier to defend the three because you've eliminated the corner three. What does that mean? I'm going to try to beat you off the dribble and get closer to the basket. So this does two things that are harmful. It takes centers away from the basket. Those are collisions. I want those collisions. Centers have to go guard the corner. It takes Chet Holmgren and Wemby out of the paint. I want him in the paint. I want a guy going right at Wemby and dunking on him. You ever notice when you show highlights of the NBA how often it's Jordan jamming over Ewing? It's not threes. It's all those physical plays. Jordan's pushing. Jordan dunking, running for the ball. That's what people love. This is not soccer. With flopping, we like physicality. So if you eliminate the corner three, it makes the other threes easier to defend. Right? Then the three point shooters don't get as many easy looks. You have to take people off the dribble, drive to the basket. That's where physicality ensues. Collisions ensued. More dunks at the rim, more animosity, A few more fights. I mean, say what you want, people like the bench is clear. It's okay once a week. I don't want malice in the palace. But I miss the physicality. Yeah. So what's, what's funny to me is baseball was seen as a sport that was set in its ways. They made six brilliant moves. Basketball's always been seen as the progressive sport, almost liberal. We. And they're stuck. They won't tweak the three point shot. Listen to this. Hold on. I got to find this number. I can't even believe this number.

[Guest Analyst]

I mean, the analytics say the corner three is one of the best shots in basketball because it spaces the floor.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, great, Great. Last year, 390 games. 390 games. There were 80 or more threes. A decade ago. One wasn't a decade ago the time we loved the NBA. Well, we were watching the dynasty with the warriors and isn't that funny? Cavs, Warriors, 380 games. 80 or more threes. So you're taking the most athletic league and you're making it unathletic. Anybody can come up the court, catch and shoot a three.

[Guest Analyst]

That's a big one. Taking away the corner three. I will say your point about the physicality. One thing that hurt the NBA last year with the playoffs is because you don't call a lot of fouls during the season. And then all of a sudden in the playoffs you're doing the opposite. It's like, well, wait a minute, what are we doing? There was no, like, announcement that, hey.

[Colin Cowherd]

We'Re going to call it the NBA. Let everything go.

[Guest Analyst]

They didn't do that.

[Colin Cowherd]

There's always a reason men win in the postseason. Young men win a lot in the regular season because men in the postseason, they swallow the whistle. So it's the bigger, stronger, more physical players that win in May and June. The kids, Jalen Green will have great games in, in January. Nobody's calling anything right? Or, or they're, or they are calling things. When you get to the postseason, it becomes physical. The ratings go up and the older players and the mid range game has more value. I know people get bored with me talking about this, but I'm watching all these tweaks in the NFL and I'm watching all these tweaks in baseball and the ratings are through the roof. And my take is basketball. You're the progressive league, you're the athletic league. Tweak your game. NFL did with the kickoffs, literally double the number of kickoff returns. 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, Hogo Sticking. Teleporting. 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 second half 2025. All rights reserved. Must provide a very recent postpaid consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life. Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a day. Most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs, and fewer headaches. With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. I love my electric vehicle. It's easy. No more gas stations. The way forward is electric. Learn more@electric for all.org Black history lives in our stories, our culture, and the conversations we still having today this Black History Month. The podcast I Didn't Know, maybe you didn't either digs into the moments, perspectives, and experiences that don't always make the textbook. Let me tell you about Garrett Morgan Bruh had to pretend he didn't even exist just to sell his own invention. Listen to I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either. From the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or simply wherever you get your podcast. What is something you've had to unlearn about love?

[Guest Analyst]

That it's earned, That I was unworthy of love?

[Colin Cowherd]

That it needs to be forever for it to count. February is the month of love. Whether you're in a relationship, casually dating.

[Guest Analyst]

Or proudly single, it's a great time.

[Colin Cowherd]

To reflect on yourself and what you want. I'm Hope Woodard, host of the Voice Over Podcast, and each week we're looking at love from every angle. Listen to Boy Sober. That's B O Y S o B E r on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you can at your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human.