The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 1 (Feb 23, 2026)

Main Theme:
Patriotism and resilience in U.S. sports, spotlighting the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey gold over Canada, the Celtics’ win against the Lakers, key NFL contract discussions, and collegiate basketball insights. Special guest: Tony Granato, former Team USA hockey coach.

USA Wins Olympic Hockey Gold over Canada

The Power of Olympic Hockey for Americans

• Patriotism and Underdog Spirit:
  • Colin opens with, “Nothing galvanizes America… quite like our Olympic hockey team.” (02:01)
  • Unlike some American teams, the U.S. men’s hockey team are rarely favorites, giving them the “chip on the shoulder Americans love.”
  • Remarkable resilience and commitment: “These guys fought for the right to play in the Olympics… Not just a demand, it was a stipulation, or they wouldn't sign the CBA.” (03:27)
• Cultural Contrast:
  • U.S. and Canadian athletes both prioritize playing for their country – a model Colin thinks other sports could learn from.
• Game Breakdown:
  • The USA was “mostly outplayed—especially in the second period,” facing an onslaught of Canadian shots and a tough penalty kill (5-on-3 for 90 seconds).
  • Goalie Connor Hellebuyck stood out with an "absolutely epic" performance (“It had a Jim Craig 1980 feel.” – 05:03). Canada had 42 shots to USA’s 28.
  • Survival led to overtime: “By the time it got to overtime, it felt like we had survived.”
  • Jack Hughes, one of two sets of brothers on Team USA, scored the gold-winning goal in overtime, clinching the win.
  • “Were we the better team? Well, we had the better goalie.” (06:19)
  • USA also slipped by both Sweden and Canada in overtime during the tournament.
• Impact:
  • Unsure if this win will grow the NHL, but it “continues to grow the respect you have to have for coaches and players.”
  • “They fought to play in the Olympics. Not just our guys, but the Canadians as well.” (07:40)

Player Quotes & Reactions

• Jack Hughes (USA forward, post-game):

  "This is all about our country right now. I love the USA. I love my teammates. It's unbelievable… Unbelievable game by Hellebuyck. He was our best player tonight by a mile… That's just a ballsy, gutsy win. That's American hockey right there." (08:36)

Celtics Beat Lakers – Team vs. Individuals

Game Summary & Analysis

• The Celtics “go to Los Angeles,” win with Jalen Brown (32 points) leading the way, despite missing star Jayson Tatum.
• Boston retains strong defense and team identity even when top players are out:
  • “They're actually statistically a better defensive team without him [Tatum].”
• Contrast with the Lakers:
  • “The Lakers are entitled. It’s a collection of individuals.” (10:05)
  • Celtics win “every 50/50 ball,” while Lakers “fold or complain about officials” when challenged.
  • Notably, the Lakers’ Big Three are winless against likely playoff teams, losing by an average of 18 points.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “When the going gets tough for the Celtics, they band together. When the going gets tough for the Lakers, you can see by the results they fold or complain about the officials.” (10:44)
• LeBron James praises Jalen Brown for his leadership and ongoing development.
• Cowherd continues the “team vs. individuals” theme, warning Lakers fans to recognize their issues.

Shifting Fortunes in North American Sports

• “Canada has not won a Stanley Cup final since the early 90s (1993). And now we’ve beat them in men’s and women’s Olympic hockey… It has been a very bad six months for our neighbors to the north.” (11:38)
• “We are on a heater between the Dodgers, Team USA, and the tariffs. I almost feel guilty about what's happening right now.” (12:20)

NFL Talk: Contract Windows, Rosters & Quarterbacks

Seattle Seahawks & Contract Windows

• Success opens a “window” before big cap hits make it hard to keep talent.
• “JSN… is now eligible for a contract extension… This is the downside to winning the Super Bowl. Everybody wants to get paid.” (14:39)
• Examples of teams capitalizing or missing their window:
  • Chiefs (seized the moment), Ravens/49ers/Bills/Lions (missed out as contracts balloon).
• “I think the Baltimore Ravens window, they didn’t hit it. It’ll be harder now… The 49ers to me—Brock Purdy, now go look at his cap hit. They've missed on too many draft picks. I think their Super Bowl window is closed.” (16:04)
• Best positioned: Bears and Broncos (“excellent quarterbacks… rookie contracts”).
• Quote from JSN (Seahawks WR) on contract:

  “I believe I deserve to be the highest paid in my position… I would play this game for free. I love this game so much. But you don’t have to.” (17:44)

Steelers & Aaron Rodgers Saga

• New head coach Mike McCarthy, uncertainty on Aaron Rodgers’ future.
• McCarthy: “We’re definitely preparing for both scenarios… He’s been doing some skiing of late, which I didn’t realize he did.” (18:26)
• Colin: Teams getting into business with Rodgers “know who you're marrying: a rock star who’s not giving you 12 months of connectivity.” (19:27)
• Minor debate about playoff value: “You can say what you want about Aaron Rodgers, but the Jets’ offense got worse when Aaron left and the Steelers offense got better when Aaron arrived… The Steeler offense got smarter the minute Aaron walked into the game.” (20:26)

Philadelphia Eagles & New Offensive Coordinator

• Saquon Barkley on working with Sean Manion:

  "You get something new… As a competitor, you love it. You love the challenge of putting yourself in a new system.” (21:41)

• Colin supports the youth and freshness, noting “getting hired by the Eagles means you had to blow somebody away in the interview process.”

College Basketball: Michigan vs. Duke, Cameron Boozer’s Rise

• Game Highlight:
  • Michigan vs. Duke: “Phenomenal game,” with Cameron Boozer as the star (“big time three pointer, unbelievable passing.” – 23:31)
• Player Analysis:
  • Boozer compared to Chris Webber and Shane Battier.
  • “All I know when I watch him, his feet and his hands, for his size, have a little Chris Weber feel to me.” (23:59)
• Tournament Picture:
  • Sport is “top heavy right now… there’s about six to eight teams max that could play for the national [title].” (25:19)
• Trend:
  • “College basketball feels like it’s 30 to 50% better this year than five years ago… The teams have more NBA players, more length, more Euros. The quality is shot through the roof.” (26:31)

NBA Parity vs. Powerhouses, OKC Thunder

• NBA hopes for parity, but Cowherd likes the “strong top”—as in baseball and collegiate basketball.
• Praise for OKC Thunder and Seattle Seahawks GMs for roster construction and depth.
• “OKC may be boring. It’s small market. Nobody wants to watch… But if you start looking, Seattle's window will close quickly, OKC's is not. They have a boatload of draft picks… They're missing four starters; it doesn't matter.” (29:00)

Special Guest: Tony Granato on USA Hockey (33:01–43:40)

The Hockey Culture & Olympic Buy-In

• Colin: “NHL players fought in their CBA to demand the right to play international events… I wish other sports in America cared as much.” (33:01)
• Tony Granato (Former Team USA Coach, on hockey buy-in):

  "The passion and love that we have for our sport… there’s nothing better. The players demanded in the CBA that if they had opportunities to play in Olympics and internationally, they should be able to do that.” (33:01–34:45)

Building a Winning Olympic Roster

• Granato: Building the roster means making tough choices—sometimes leaving out skilled players for better chemistry and specific roles (e.g., penalty killing).
• “Those players at the bottom end of the lineup… that weren’t a big impact offensively, they went 15 for 15 on the PK…” (35:37)

Overtime Format in Hockey

• Granato: “I love three on three when you win. I don't like three on three when you lose… From an Olympic thing and from a spectator thing… the excitement that 3 on 3 brings to the game... makes it special.” (38:41)

On Connor Hellebuyck’s Epic Performance

• Granato: “He’s been an NHL elite goaltender… But, yes, goaltender is your most important position. And when your goalie is able to play as well as he does, it gives your team the confidence and swagger.” (41:04)

USA Hockey’s Status

• USA can now say “we’re as good as Canada and be proud of it. We don’t have to tiptoe around anymore… We’re not, I don’t want to say brag, but we can be really proud and smile about what happened yesterday.” (42:20)

Closing Thoughts

• Colin reiterates the unmatched culture and camaraderie in hockey, likening it to football’s “team-first” ethos versus basketball’s “me-first” AAU culture.
• “It just flushes through the TV to watch these guys celebrate their teammate’s success… the whole thing was just class act, top shelf, way to go.” (43:44)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

1. “These guys fought for the right to play in the Olympics… Not just a demand, it was a stipulation, or they wouldn't sign the CBA.” – Colin Cowherd (03:27)
2. “This is all about our country right now… I love the USA… Unreal game by our team. That’s just a ballsy, gutsy win. That’s American hockey right there.” – Jack Hughes (08:36)
3. “When the going gets tough for the Celtics, they band together. When the going gets tough for the Lakers, you can see by the results they fold or complain about the officials.” – Colin Cowherd (10:44)
4. “You married the rock star. You’re in a relationship with a guy who’s not giving you 12 months of connectivity.” – Colin on Aaron Rodgers (19:27)
5. “He is a big with good handles and good feet. And you NBA scouts know a lot more than I do. But he is quick. Yeah, he gets up quick. He’s long, good feet.” – Colin on Cameron Boozer (23:59)
6. “OKC may be boring. It's small market… but they are insanely deep. And by hoarding all these draft picks, they can miss four starters. It doesn't matter.” – Colin Cowherd (29:00)
7. “You got that passion and energy. I feel like playing a hockey game right now… the enthusiasm and their appreciation for having an opportunity to play for their country shows… They were running over each other.” – Tony Granato (33:01–34:45)
8. “We don’t have to tiptoe around anymore and say, it’s Canada’s game… we’re good and we’re darn good.” – Tony Granato (42:20)

For listeners looking for in-depth insight on America’s hockey triumph, pro sports team-building, and evolving narratives in the NBA, NFL, and college hoops, this episode is a spirited, patriotic, and richly detailed exploration of what makes great teams—and national moments—so special.