THE HERD - Hour 3 - Breaking down Notre Dame being left out of the College Football Playoff

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd (Hour 3)

Episode Date: December 10, 2025

Main Theme:
A deep dive into the fallout of Notre Dame being left out of the College Football Playoff, plus lively discussions on the state of college football, NFL quarterbacks, baseball dynasties, and NBA trade speculation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Notre Dame & College Football Playoff (03:41–06:57)

Colin Cowherd & Guest: Josh Pate (College Football Analyst)

• Notre Dame’s Frustration:
  Colin and Josh discuss the pettiness of Notre Dame canceling Ivan Maisel's book signing because he's on the CFP selection committee, highlighting broader frustrations in the aftermath of the selection process.

  • “This is ridiculously petty… Are you surprised by this academic powerhouse being this ridiculously petty?”
    —Colin Cowherd [03:41]

• Playoff Selection Process Debate:
  Both agree that, in the end, the committee largely got the top four teams right, but the process felt broken and mismanaged.

  • “98% of my vitriol was reserved for the process... the committee made it look in the end like they had no clue what they were doing when they had every reason to just go ahead and have Alabama above Notre Dame or Miami above Notre Dame.”
    —Josh Pate [05:27]
  • “What I wish Pete Bavacqua or anybody banging the Notre Dame drum would just stick to the main argument... If they could stick to the main argument, they’d get broad consensus.”
    —Josh Pate [05:27]

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2. The State of College Football & The Rise of Mega Conferences (06:57–10:01)

• Changing Landscape:
  Colin reflects on being from the West Coast and understanding the demise of the Pac-12, supporting the movement towards mega-conferences with big brands, NIL, and the transfer portal making college football feel more professional.

  • “I think now having two massive conferences... I don’t think college football has ever been crazier, wackier, more discussed or better or more diversified.”
    —Colin Cowherd [06:57]

• Josh Pate's Perspective:
  Josh likens college football to a favorite candy bar, indifferent to which company owns it as long as it "tastes the same." He acknowledges the current chaotic transition, advocating for eventual regional realignment for scheduling/logistical sanity.

  • “The regionality within the national scope of the sport is something we’ve lost… I’d love for the sport to get where it’s going and then in a very ironic twist... sort of resemble what it used to look like where scheduling makes more sense.”
    —Josh Pate [08:23]

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3. College Football Standouts: Fernando Mendoza & Indiana (10:01–12:21)

• Surprise Performances:
  Colin and Josh discuss Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, who shocked Ohio State and fans with his standout play, drawing parallels to Andrew Luck’s days at Stanford in terms of coming from relative obscurity.
  • “I’ve owned a TV my whole life... it was hard to wrap my brain around that performance because Indiana football has never looked like that ever.”
    —Colin Cowherd [10:05]
  • “If you’re not familiar with Fernando Mendoza… that personality is like a bucket of water to your face and you’re like, whoa, this dude really talks like this… America is now being introduced to Fernando Mendoza.”
    —Josh Pate [10:47]

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4. NFL News & Storylines

Philadelphia Eagles’ Struggles (18:15–19:47)

• Eagles have lost three straight; questions arise about QB Jalen Hurts’ form, the chaotic locker room, and possible need for drastic changes.
  • “Something has to change. I don’t think it’s all on Hurts… it’s just a bunch of nonsense.”
    —Colin Cowherd [19:24]

Drake May & Patriots Resurgence (19:47–21:06)

• Patriots (now 11-2) find success behind rookie QB Drake May, credited for his work ethic and in-season improvement.
  • “Drake deserves all the credit in the world because he came in and started learning and hasn’t stopped.”
    —Josh McDaniels (via Colin) [20:11]

NFL Quarterback Discourse: Caleb Williams, Justin Herbert (31:28–35:46)

• Caleb Williams’ Upside vs. Bo Nix:
  Danny Parkins believes Williams’ accuracy is “correctable”, with a much higher ceiling than Bo Nix.

  • “I think his ceiling is much higher than Bo Nix’s… I definitely think what I’ve seen on film in stretches suggest that he can be great.”
    —Danny Parkins [32:21]

• Justin Herbert’s Greatness:
  Discussion highlights Herbert’s elite performance despite poor luck and injuries, with Parkins asserting that doubting Herbert means dismissing football expertise.

  • “If you watch the NFL and do not have Justin Herbert as a top five quarterback, I’m not terribly interested in your opinion on anything else in football.”
    —Danny Parkins [34:24]

Chiefs: Reload or Rebuild? (35:46–36:54)

• Parkins labels the Chiefs a “retool” rather than a rebuild, as long as Mahomes and Reid are in place, expecting competitiveness with some tweaks.
  • “Maybe a tinker or two to the coaching staff, got to improve their pass rush, got to improve their running game. And I assume that they’ll be right back in the playoff mix.”
    —Danny Parkins [35:52]

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5. Major League Baseball: Dynasties and Parity (36:54–39:13)

• Are Big Market Dynasties Good for Baseball?
  Colin argues that the sport is bigger and more interesting with dynasties like the Yankees or Dodgers, while Parkins says there’s value in both competitive balance and star teams.
  • “Baseball needs these big Cubs win the World Series, Yankees, Dodgers... NFL doesn’t, NBA does, baseball doesn’t. I don’t think the Dodgers buying up top players hurts the sport, what say you?”
    —Colin Cowherd [37:57]
  • “I do not personally think that great inequities across sport is good for the overall health of the sport... But they are objectively interesting… I think this is one where both things can be true.”
    —Danny Parkins [38:01]

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6. NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Scenarios (22:18–43:40)

• Where Could Giannis Go?
  Panel riffs on potential Giannis trades, what the Knicks, Lakers, Heat, or Rockets could offer, and the calculus for both trading and acquiring teams.

  • “I would love to see him go to the Knicks, selfishly… Jalen Brunson and Giannis… As long as they don’t have to give up Bridges, Cat and two number ones.”
    —Colin Cowherd [23:54]
  • “Whoever gets the star wins the trade. Giannis is fascinating… He does not shoot from the perimeter, which is what the league is, but there are arguments for guys like Holmgren or Sengun.”
    —Colin Cowherd [41:34]

• Windows & Team Building:
  Colin and co-host weigh Giannis’ future championship window (2–3 years), emphasizing importance of surrounding him with shooters (e.g., Bridges, Hart).

  • “If I’m Milwaukee, I definitely want Sengun… That’s the guy I’m targeting.”
    —Colin Cowherd [43:09]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Committee Controversy:
  “Is that not the kind of stupidity that you normally see in an election season?”
  —Josh Pate [04:28]

• College Football’s Transformation:
  “Regionality within the national scope of the sport is something we’ve lost… I’d love for the sport to get where it’s going and then in a very, very ironic twist of fate, sort of resemble what it used to look like where scheduling makes more sense.” —Josh Pate [08:23]

• Fernando Mendoza Hype:
  “That personality is like a bucket of water to your face and you’re like, whoa, this dude really talks like this… America is now being introduced to Fernando Mendoza.”
  —Josh Pate [10:47]

• On Justin Herbert:
  “If you watch the NFL and do not have Justin Herbert as a top five quarterback, I’m not terribly interested in your opinion on anything else in football…”
  —Danny Parkins [34:24]

• Baseball Parity vs. Dynasties:
  “I do not personally think that great inequities across sport is good for the overall health of the sport... But they are objectively interesting…”
  —Danny Parkins [38:01]

• On Giannis Trade:
  “Whoever gets the star wins the trade. Giannis is fascinating… I love Giannis in New York.”
  —Colin Cowherd [41:34]

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Segment Timestamps

• Notre Dame playoff snub & committee process: 03:41–06:57
• Mega-conferences and college football’s future: 06:57–10:01
• Indiana/Ohio State & Fernando Mendoza breakout: 10:01–12:21
• NFL quick hits (Eagles, Drake May, QB chatter): 18:15–21:06 & 31:28–36:54
• Baseball’s dynasties vs. parity debate: 36:54–39:13
• NBA trade rumors, with a focus on Giannis: 22:18–43:40

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Summary Takeaways

This episode weaves together analysis and spirited debates on the ripple effects of college football’s changing landscape, the drama and structure of the playoff selection, breakout stars and NFL evaluations, as well as broader sports business topics — especially around fairness, super teams, and superstar trades in major leagues. Josh Pate's in-depth knowledge grounds the college football conversation, while Danny Parkins brings an analytical, stats-driven angle to NFL and baseball debates. As always, Colin’s rapid-fire, conversational style keeps things lively, with no lack of hot takes and witty asides.

For anyone who missed it, this hour offers equal parts sharp sports analysis, barstool banter, and an honest look at trends reshaping America’s major sports.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Public Podcast Sponsor]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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Now let's get this party started. You're listening to FOX Sports Radio. Let's switch to college football. I think the best young voice in the sport is Josh Pate's got his own YouTube channel. We think he's fantastic covering the sport for 15 years now. And Josh is joining us. So I saw this story this morning. This is fun. So Ivan Maisel is a wonderful guy known in for a long time. He's on the selection committee. So he wrote a book on Frank Leahy, the great Notre Dame coach. He was supposed to sign. He was going to South Bend to have a book signing at the Notre Dame bookstore, Josh, and Notre Dame canceled it because he's on the selection committee. It's ridiculously petty. Are you surprised by this academic powerhouse being this ridiculously petty?

[Josh Pate]

No. I guess with what I've seen over the past days slash week, no. Ivan, Mazel got 10 book purchases for me because of this headline, though. So I think he may end up all right. Is that not the kind of stupidity that you normally see, like an election season, the collateral damage of politics? Like, I know who your dad worked for. So I'm not going to buy the cookies from your Girl Scout troop.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Josh Pate]

I just thought, I thought we could keep it out, but apparently we can't keep it out of college football.

[Colin Cowherd]

Listen, I thought Josh and you're a mile Deep on this. As long as Miami got in. And I don't think Miami's great, but they're common opponents head to head. My thing was Notre Dame, you played A and M and Miami, you gotta be one of them. And you can complain about at Bama. Bama went to Athens and won. And not a lot of people. I don't know if Ohio State could do that. So my take was I. I'm not into the small school stuff, but mostly I thought the committee got it right in the end. Did you?

[Josh Pate]

Yeah. I didn't complain about the rankings at all. 98% of my vitriol was reserved for the process. I wish, you know, I said this morning, Colin, I wish Pete Bavacqua or anybody banging the Notre Dame drum would just stick to the main argument. If they could stick to the main argument, they'd get broad consensus. I may disagree with a Notre Dame fan that they should have gotten in versus shouldn't have gotten in. I'm with you. Like, I think the rankings are pretty much what they should be, absent the G5 thing, which it's its own conversation. But the process was so screwed up. It was so mangled. And it really occurred to me at the 11th hour that the committee you sort of retroactively had Notre Dame ranked too high. They probably, in a knee jerk reaction, bumped Alabama too low. After the Oklahoma loss. They probably bumped Miami way too low. At the outset of the rankings. They were all the way down at 18th. And I think they just kind of shook the snow globe and hoped everything would work out. And it never. It never worked out. And so they, they had this mess in their lap at the 11th hour. And Pete Babaqua, the, the one really, really prescient thing that he said, which he should have stuck to, was we got misled. Independent of what you think about the outcome, we feel like we got misled. Cause he's got every reason to feel that way because the players do as well. Marcus Freeman does as well. Everybody does. Because the committee kind of made it look in the end like they had no clue what they were doing when they had every reason to just go ahead and have Alabama above Notre Dame or Miami above Notre Dame. So that part was insanity to me.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I, I grew up with the PAC 12. You're. You're from Georgia, I'm from the Pacific Northwest. But when the PAC 12 disbanded, I got it. USC had been complaining for years. Why are we making the same money as Washington State and Oregon State? We're in Los Angeles. So there was a kind of a lack of vision. The stadiums weren't very. And so I remember getting the call. I was, I was vacationing with my family and I got a call. Ucla, usc, Oregon, Washington, going to the Big Ten. And I'm like, I get it and I'm for it. Because I do believe Texas, Oklahoma, USC and Oregon are glamorous programs and that ESPN and Fox looked at college football and said, you know what, if we could just be a little more like pro football, the players are going to get paid anyway. Now there's a transfer portal. Let's just kind of pivot these big brands into these big conferences. I think the nil and I know we all, you know, if you grow up in the south, you thought Bama, LSU, GA winning every year in Clemson, a lot of people did. But you're a bigger picture macro guy. My take was it was hurting the sport. I think now having two massive conferences, which by the way, the Big Ten brought it goes through four, three time zones. It's not like it's all in the Midwest. I don't think the college football has ever been crazier, wackier, more discussed or better or more diversified. That's my view. As somebody who's from the south, watch that dominate. How do you feel about the sport now?

[Josh Pate]

You are right in that growing up, I thought, hey, if Georgia and Auburn and Alabama are doing good, the sports doing good, right? So I had a little bit of a blind spot. We, we are born without the rear view mirrors, even on the car. So you don't even, you don't really know what's going on outside of that. I will say this, you know, like my favorite candy bar is Crunch Bar. So Crunch Bar in my lifetime has been owned by 13 different companies, but the packaging has always looked the same and the taste has always been the same. So I don't really care who owns it. And I really think down the road, when this process is complete of the SEC and the Big Ten gobbling up all of the value properties and commodities in the sport, what I'd really love to see is an understanding that mega conferences have made a complete mess of things like conference championship pictures. But also scheduling, it's so incongruent right now. And secondly, the regionality within the national scope of the sport is something we've lost a little bit. I love if the Big Ten feels like gobbling up the Big 12 or the SEC gobbles up what's remaining of the ACC. If we're headed down that slope anyway, I'd love for us to slip pretty quick down there and then redistribute the country up like it used to look. And I don't care if the PAC 12 is a subsidiary of the Big 10. I don't care if the ACC or the Big 12 or even the Southwest Conference is a subsidiary of the sec. What I love is I love for the sport to get where it's going and then in a very, very ironic twist of fate, sort of resemble what it used to look like where scheduling makes more sense. A regionality still matters, but it's just kind of in a new world order of regionality.

[Colin Cowherd]

Fernando Mendoza.

I don't know. Six, five, humble, grateful big arm. How shocked were you that he's the best player on the field when they play Ohio State? That like the Penn State game, he makes all the big throws? Not in a home game was the Indiana. I said the other day, I said I was. It was hard to wrap my brain around that performance because I've had a TV my entire life. Like Indiana football has never looked like that ever. I mean even, even Colorado pre Dion had a couple of, couple of big time teams. What did you make of Indiana Mendoza and, and pushing at times pushing Ohio State backwards from the Hoosiers.

[Josh Pate]

I've owned a TV my whole life is just such a perfect synopsis of this. I too have owned a tv. So am moderately to severely shocked by what SIG has done there. And if anything last year's performance was supposed to be sort of a one and then back to earth and they've gotten better and look, they won that game 13 to 10. It got a huge rating. So a lot of people watched it. I know but for people who didn't watch it, they may be thinking oh it was some mistake prone like snooze fest of a game. Well, it kind of may have put you to sleep, but I watched it calling in the fourth quarter and my mentality was I can't believe this is still close. I can't believe this is only a three point game. As far as Mendoza, I'm not comparing the two players, so please don't misunderstand me, but it feels to me like a generation ago when Andrew Luck was coming through Stanford. Again, the talents aren't comparable but he plays for a program you don't typically watch. And I remember with Luck people were hearing about Andrew Luck before they were watching Andrew Luck. And similarly I think people have heard a lot about this, this Fernando Mendoza kid at Indiana. They're not watching Indiana games. Well, I mean the numbers state. A lot of people watched that game the other night and if you're not familiar with Fernando Mendoza. Yeah, and Jenny Taft put that microphone in his face after the game. That personality is like a bucket of water to your face and you're like, whoa, this dude really talks like this. Absolutely. Go look at his Cal interviews, man. We watched some of his post game interactions at Cal. He sounds the exact same way. It's just America is now being introduced to Fernando Mendoza.

[Colin Cowherd]

Josh, as always, buddy, you crushed it. Great seeing you. It's going to be an amazing December, early January. Thanks bud.

[Josh Pate]

I appreciate it brother.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, Covering college football for a long time. Josh Pate, College football show on YouTube. Love him so much. Funny, funny guy. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Fox Sports Radio is taking over YouTube and you can be a part of it. Pay attention. Just go to YouTube and search Fox Sports Radio. Hit that subscribe button and smash that notification bell and catch all the videos from your favorite shows. Two pros and a cup of Joe Dan Patrick, Colin Cowher, Doug Gottlieb, Kavino and Rich the Odd Couple with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington, the Jason Smith show with Mike Harmon and the Ben Maller Show.

[Danny Parkins]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Subscribe. Hit that thumbs up icon and comment away.

[Public Podcast Sponsor]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Josh Pate Mark Slear at Danny Parkins before the end of the show. He doesn't agree with me. I think baseball's best server with a reigning wildly interesting dynasty and having several other really good teams. Yankees are good. The Cubs are good. I'm not Padres are good. The brewers are excellent. The Mariners were good. This idea a little guy can't compete. The Baltimore Orioles just stole Pete Alonso from the New York Mets.

By the way, Chansity Chiefs dynasty is done. That's over. Do you think that's going to hurt the league? Colin?

I mean, like I think the NFL is bulletproof. I think every other sport it matters who wins. College football, college basketball. Duke's in the final.

[Public Podcast Sponsor]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

By the way, if the Lakers were 251 or whatever the OKC Thunder are, the NBA would be on fire right now. Everybody would love it.

There's no question.

Ticked off.

Yeah, yeah, I'm with you J. Mac with the news. No, no, no. Heard on the news. This is the Herd line news.

Start with The Eagles, man. Three straight losses starting to hearken back to that 2023 collapse. Remember, they were 10 and 1, then lost five of six and got seven smashed in the wild card round. Nick Sirianni says he's still going to be involved in the offense. I mean, a lot of people in Philadelphia land right now are coming out and saying not nice things about the OC Shady McCoy one of them. I I just saw a report that Geno Smith doesn't sound like he's going to go Sunday. So this line's off the board. If the Eagles can't get right against the Raiders, they I'm just officially done with them. Everybody gets a turn working on the Raiders, right?

[Danny Parkins]

We've seen.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, you can't move the ball in the Raiders.

Laugh at the Raiders now, but.

They may be in the pole position in about two weeks for Fernando Mendoza.

If that were the case, I'd trot Geno Smith out there because he's killing this team. Offensively, he's been brutal. Mendoza to the Raiders would be interesting. Is he a good cultural fit?

Yes.

Nerdy, smart guy going to rowdy Vegas.

Vegas is already cool. They don't need a cool guy. The last thing you need is the next Johnny Manziel. You need Andrew. You need Andrew Locke. You need Fernando Mendoza. He would change the franchise. Yeah, you may have to change the coaches, but he would change the franchise.

You talk about change. I just. I don't think you would bench Jalen. Hurts. But I'll be honest. When he threw like the third interception, I was like, what's. Do you need to pull him? Like, I know that sounds insane. I don't. I don't know. Something has to change. Something. I don't think it's all on hurts. This AJ Brown stuff, the bet, the bunny in the locker room, like it's just a bunch of nonsense.

[Josh Pate]

No question.

[Colin Cowherd]

Poor Eagles. All right, let's go to a positive story. And that's Drake May and the New England Patriots. One of your best off season calls. Patriots are 11 and 2 on top of the world. How about this? Drake May is plus 200 to win the MVP. He's second behind Matthew Stafford. One big change for May was the addition of Josh McDaniels. Here he is talking about his quarterback's growth this season.

Drake deserves all the credit in the world because he came in and he started learning and he hasn't stopped.

[Josh Pate]

And I was so proud last Monday.

[Colin Cowherd]

Night because there was things we didn't.

Do right in Cincinnati that we got right in Monday Night Football. And for him to make progress this late in the year, November, December, and fix something that, you know, we identified. And he again, deserves all the credit because he put the work in and then he has to do it.

Yeah, he's. Every about five years, we get an Alzheimer's. Kind of feels like he's the guy. Accurate, size, moves smart, works hard, wins games.

He's a winner. I don't. This is one of these cheesy handicaps. I don't know that Josh Allen lets the Bills lose this game. Does that sound dumb to say? But when he wants to take over, he can, right? He could just go into like Superman.

Before I examine this game, there is something like Indiana played Ohio State. Joel Klatt was on the show yesterday, and Joel said. Kurt Signetti said before the game, it means more for us. You know, Ohio State spit in this game many times. We haven't. You just played Michigan. We haven't like. So there is something to be said. It's very easy to sell to a locker room. Guys, they beat us the first time. This is our last chance. This is it. We got to get into the playoffs. You're going to see a very unified Bill's team. That's not to say New England won't be, but Buffalo's a favorite, so the guys in Vegas are feeling it.

The Bill's defense, though, is leaky.

Oh, God.

And May could be able to take advantage over the top.

How about Joe Burrow drive? After they went up by two touchdowns, Burrow got the ball. Bang, bang. Higgins touchdown. Like Leakey is being kind.

In the snow.

In the snow as a road team.

Yeah, I gotta see the injury reports. I'm leaning Bills, but I, I, I don't know.

You got anything here?

I would take New England. Better team at home points, but there's an interesting. I've gotten hot on a game that May eliminate it.

[Josh Pate]

Oh, okay.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, let's wrap up with some NBA here. Giannis Atenoko. Hopefully I said his name right. Listen, man, the Bucks are in a bad place. Everybody knows Giannis is gone, either at the deadline or in the off season. But according to Chris Haynes, Giannis held a team meeting to discuss. Hey, we need to focus on the importance of basketball and not allow outside distractions to interfere with the process at hand.

Oh.

Giannis's big point was that he's here and for the time being. And I think everybody understands what's going on, but at some point, what Miles Turner looks and says, so, Giannis, are you staying or going?

Well, I don't think anybody's going to know. Somebody asked me this last night. Where do you think he's going?

I don't know, but he wants to go somewhere.

Not Milwaukee. I think he wants to go to more of a cultural hub in America. A Miami, a New York, a Los Angeles.

He had Dells, and it was very. It was like a cultural crossroads in Milwaukee.

Come on, we need Frank. Wisconsin. I border Wisconsin. It's a beautiful state with wonderful people.

How much time have you spent there, by the way?

None, but I'm planning on a couple of big summer trips.

Yeah, listen, I know some Bucks fans are distraught over this. He brought them a title, right? What more can you ask for?

Listen, I don't feel sorry. You have the Packers. Yeah. The Brewers. You got to be kidding me. Are the Brewers? Brewers are so immaculately run. You have not. Everything's great. And the Bucks are still going to make the playoffs.

Let me take a minute and count all the Brewers World Series crowns, All right? I don't know. Knicks, Lakers. There's some Rockets chatter out there. Miami.

I would love to see him go to the Knicks, selfishly.

Oh, God, that's great for the league.

Jalen Brunson and Giannis.

Yeah, as long as they don't have.

To give up Bridges, Cat and two number ones.

Not parting. Nope. I'm driving a hard bargain. If I'm the next.

Who are you not giving up?

You can have Cat and any picks you want. I'm not giving up anyone else to get Giannis. Yeah.

I'm holding on to Bridges and two first round picks. Oh, boy. That's all I get?

No, no, you could have more stuff, just not any other.

Kale Bridges, who's a B player, but he's a Villanova dude. I want. I want Cat. I want two firsts. I want Mikhail Bridges and a bench guy.

Pound sand. No, I. I don't know. That's a tough one, man. You're giving two of your top five players for Giannis?

I get Brunson and Giannis. They work together much better because Giannis is an elite defender and Cat's a liability.

The counter, of course, is. This is the year in the East. Like, who's the best team? It might be the Knicks. Already the best team. I don't know.

Listen, you gotta go for it. Jayson Tatum's coming back. Halliburton's coming back.

Not this year, are they?

No, go for it. You're the Knicks. It's. It's your conference, dude. Brunson and Giannis, the next five years, you will compete for a title. This team right here in the west is a five seed. They can't defend.

You are driving. Bridges is having like, one of the best seasons I know. Iron man never misses a game.

I love him. He's a B +BB guy. He's a hard worker.

What if I swapped out Josh Hart for Bridges?

I like Josh Hart.

I love Hart.

Hart does everything.

He's the heart of the Knicks.

No, no, no. He. So I get no way. I got to do better than Josh Hart.

Cat and a pick and a few picks.

Mikhail Bridges is a higher end player, a wing defender.

Austin Reeves, by the way.

I don't want to give Hart up. I want Brunson, Giannis and Hart.

Okay.

He's gonna be the glue guy.

Who would you rather have, Bridges or Aust Austin Reeves?

Bridge is a better defender.

Reeves has proven he can be a high end too, bro.

He needs the ball in his hands, and Brunson always has the ball in his hands. Bridges can play off ball.

Milwaukee's got nobody. I mean, I don't know. It's a fascinating story.

What did the Lakers give him? Austin Reeves, 2. First round.

You could have Marcus Smart Rui.

[Josh Pate]

What?

[Colin Cowherd]

That's like a Christmas. The stocking. When you're praying you'll at least get some M and M's. Oh, geez. M M's. Well, I mean, I'm just saying. You're giving me. What do they call it? The poo poo platter.

Yes, that is exactly what I'm.

I get Mikhail Bridges.

You can't call the shots. Giannis wants out. What are you gonna do?

Well, don't you call some shot.

[Josh Pate]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

The team to watch is a Miami Heat.

That's the. What do they have? Tyler Herro. What do I get?

Tyler Hero.

I get Eric Spoelstra. Give me Spoelstra, tyler hero and three first rounders.

I give you Pat Riley, the GM. He's like 81 years old.

Pat's not leaving SP Bolstra.

Would you leave south beach for Milwaukee?

Can you not? Sorry. Milwaukee is an emerging tech hub. Whatever. Stop J. Mac with a news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the Herd. It's an emerging something positive. It's the Herd.

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Public Podcast Sponsor]

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 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 EFTs 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 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 investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures [e-mail] disclosures so next summer.

[Colin Cowherd]

The biggest soccer event on earth is coming to the US for the first time in over 20 years. Now is the time to get in on the action. Every rivalry, every crazy skill and of course every goal. And we all know that every goal starts with an assist. It's true for soccer and it's true for health. That's why Halion, makers of Advil, Tums, Sensodyne, Centrum and Voltaren, is teaming up with US Soccer to launch for the Assist. It's a new campaign that celebrates those everyday acts of support that help people achieve their goals. Whether it's the fans cheering their hearts out in an electric stadium or the rec player who's keeping fit for weekend games, Helion is there for them. To learn more, go to helionassist.com PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite processors are made to go the distance with blazing fast performance, next level efficiency and multi day battery life. Snapdragon processors are built to tackle it all, from highlight reel editing to intense player research so you can be at the top of your game wherever the day takes you. Learn [e-mail] laptops snapdragon the heart of your PC battery life varies significantly based on device settings, usage and other factors.

[Rob Gronkowski]

This is Rob Gronkowski from Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and jules for the second season in a row, I partnered with T Mobile's Friday night 5G lights powering up hometown football across America. This year, T mobile invested over $4 million in prizes to help schools take their Friday nights to the next level. The votes are in and now it's time to crown our $1 million grand prize. Winner. Congratulations to Derrick's High school and Derrick's Arkansas, home of the Outlaws and your 2025 T mobile Friday night 5G lights champion. The Outlaws and their community rallied to help them score a game changing home field upgrade, a Gronk Fitness Weight Room makeover, an epic 2026 tailgate party and a VIP trip to the SEC Championship game. To every school that competed, posted and rallied your communities. Thank you and to T Mobile for making it all possible. This season may be over, but the story isn't. Stay tuned for season three in 2026. Congratulations again to Derek's High School Outlaws.

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[Colin Cowherd]

See them every day on First Things first.

From Chicago. Cubs and Bears always on his mind. And both are interesting today for different reasons. Our friend Danny Parkins now joins us live. So we've. I've talked about Caleb Williams. I say when you criticize Caleb Williams, you gotta add Bo Nix because it's the same thing. Brilliant offensive coach, bunch of wins, uneven, great late. You wish they were more consistent and more accurate. It's. They're all, they're way above average athletically, can miss badly on simple stuff. It's the same guy. So just with the same circumstances with a brilliant coach. But, but Caleb, because he was the number one pick, is getting more heat. Do you think his accuracy is correctable or this is who he is?

[Danny Parkins]

I think it's correctable. I would like to believe that it is. He had high completion percentage numbers in college, so I saw some of the throws that he makes. It's like, how can you make that throw but you can't hit the layup? The throw to Zacchaeus, I honestly like the throw to Zacchaeus in that game. I was like, does he have the strongest arm in football? Like, is his arm stronger than Josh Allen, Justin Herbert? Like, I think it's a legitimate question. Out to the right touch pass over the defender where he drops it in a bucket to Cole Comet. It's like, oh, well, that's prime. Aaron Rodgers, 99% difficulty throw. And then, you know, he loses the game on the interception when he goes for the hero shot to Comet and he saw it late, through it late and under threw it and then he goes, I make that throw nine times out of 10. It's not that difficult. So I think his ceiling is much higher than Bo Nixon. I definitely think what I've seen on film in stretches suggest that he can be great. But that's Ben Johnson's job. Ben Johnson's job is to raise his floor because his ceiling is frankly just natural, raw ability.

[Colin Cowherd]

So a guy that's been around in the league, I think I said this earlier, I put up a graphic and I said, I'm going to put up a graphic of all the quarterbacks in first place, plus Joe Burrow and the leading candidate for mvp. And I put them up and their size and they're all six three or up. It's a big man sport. And I watched Jalen Hurt struggle and Tua struggle and Kyler Murizo was hurt. Same with Brock Purdy and I and my Feeling is a great example of where size matters is Justin Herbert. He's been hit 106 times, broken hand, no run game and he's in the playoffs today. Tua. If he is hit just seven times in a game is one in six. I think Herbert finally has the right coach and then finally his offensive line disintegrates. Herbert's the one really high end quarterback in this league that there's major pushback on. Where, where you are on Justin. Where are you on him?

[Danny Parkins]

I think if, I think if you watch the NFL and do not have Justin Herbert as a top five quarterback, I'm not terribly interested in your opinion on anything else in football like it is. It is so obvious. I mean by the way, the numbers are great like the, the, the career numbers, the aggregate numbers, most passing yards through the first five years of any player in the history of the NFL. So it's not like he has no numbers. But you just mentioned it. And I can give you more quarterbacks this year when they're sacked five or more times. Herbert was sacked seven, of course against Philadelphia. Justin Herbert this year, 4, 0. The rest of the NFL nine, 38 quarterbacks when they're pressured 20 or more times. This year Justin Herbert was pressured 28 times against Philadelphia. Herbert this year is 2 and 2. The rest of the NFL is 3 and 25. I want for one time to see Justin Herbert have a year where he has competent coaching, competent kicking and above average health around him. I legitimately believe if he gets that, he will win a Super Bowl. And I also know this isn't possible. But you mentioned Jalen Hurts, so I'll bring it up here. If Justin Herbert was on Philadelphia, Philadelphia would be undefeated. Like he is so great. I think that is so clear to anyone who watches and it drives me insane when people doubt him because of wins or losses in the past.

[Colin Cowherd]

Are the Chiefs a rebuild or a retool?

[Danny Parkins]

A retool. I think as long as you have Patrick Mahomes in his prime and Andy Reid, I think you're going to go into most seasons as one of the favorites and deserve it. Last year's team was 15 and two. They probably should have been 11 and six or 12 and five. They were 12 and what? 12 and oh, in one score games like completely unsustainable. This year they only have one win in one score games. Their underlying statistical profile actually suggests they've been a little unlucky this year. They should be a little bit better than they've been one game. It's Been drops one games, it's been penalties one game. Mahomes has an uncharacteristically bad game. I actually don't think the Chiefs are that far away from being a pretty good team. They just had a lot break against them this year. So maybe a tinker or two to the coaching staff, get some new ideas in there on offense, got to improve their pass rush, got to improve their running game. And I assume that they'll be right back in the playoff mix and the super bowl mix, frankly, as soon as next year.

[Colin Cowherd]

So when George Steinbrenner was around back, you know, it's 98, 99, 2000, 2001, the Yankees had their dynasty and the sport was really hot. There was the Red Sox and the Yankees and Steinbrenner's mercurial personality and the coverage and the sport was big. And then it felt like for about 20 years it felt regional and small, less significant. Football took over the country and now it's big again with another dynasty, the Dodgers, another coastal powerhouse. So the last two times baseball has felt like, I mean I watched more baseball in October in the playoffs then a lot of football. The last two times I felt that was the Yankee dynasty when they just owned the hot stove league and bought all the players they wanted. And now with the Dodgers doing the same. So I hear all the fear mongering and my take is baseball needs these big Cubs win the World Series, Yankees, Dodgers, NFL doesn't, NBA does, baseball doesn't. I don't think the Dodgers buying up top players hurts the sport, what say you?

[Danny Parkins]

So we disagree here and it has nothing to do with anything that you said about the Dodgers or World Series ratings or even popularity of the sport globally. Like I think all those things are objectively true. Like the dynasties do make sports interesting. If the Dodgers are in it, the World Series ratings will be through the roof because of Ohtani and his global brand and his reach in Japan and Asia. It does feel very big. They signed the last great local television deal. You get to keep your local media revenue and everybody else is struggling in that way, in a way that the Dodgers aren't. So I do not personally think that great inequities across sport is good for the overall health of the sport. I don't think it's good that the Dodgers can afford every player and big market teams get outbid on all of them. I don't, I don't think it's good if every good player goes to one team. But they are objectively interesting when they get I think this is one where both things can be true. It's good if the Dodgers are in the World Series, but if all of the good players are on the Dodgers and then they're not in the World Series, so the teams that are aren't all that talented, then it's like, well, then I don't really care as much about what I'm watching.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, that's fair. Have you. I've been on a little bit of a heater. No reason to go, you know, into too much deal on my picks last year you were very, very warm. How have you fared this year?

[Danny Parkins]

Well, thanks for following Parkins picks, Colin. Yeah, no, I noticed. I noticed that you started putting up your win loss record at the beginning of Blazin 5 when you're out in front of it. I noticed that you're introducing totals this year. I didn't want to say that. Nick Wright and I have a group chat with a couple of other gambling friends that are maybe doing audits of. Where's Colin getting these Lions? I didn't have this number available at the right time. Wow. It's in his favor on the underdog and it's against. I'm not saying that that's something that people are talking about. I'm just saying that maybe people are talking about it. I don't know. But I'm hanging on above.500 this year. I'm above Nick Wright in the standings, but it's a far cry from my 65% record from last year. Last year was a good year to have a good year. My first year on national tv.

[Colin Cowherd]

J Mac and I, Rams over the Lions. It's a strong one. This way if you need any help, not that you would, but we.

[Danny Parkins]

Appreciate that.

I appreciate the charity you guys are if that. If that win loss record at the beginning of blazing five is accurate. You guys are absolutely crushing it and crushing me this year. Lions have beaten the Rams both times that they've played them since the Stafford. The Stafford golf trade. So. The Stafford golf trade. Yeah. So is that the best win win trade in the history of sports, by the way?

[Colin Cowherd]

We just talked about that earlier today. Literally both teams hit a home run. They needed draft capital and a competent quarterback and the Rams needed a slight upgrade like home run for both and.

[Danny Parkins]

And virtually identical records, virtually identif identical yards per game. Golf gets a home, Stafford gets a ring. Lions get younger. Just. Just truly one of the greatest trades in the history of sports.

[Colin Cowherd]

Can you tell Danny if he needs some help with the picks Just fade. The Chiefs, I think they're owing 5 against the spread in their last 5. Yeah, a bit of a dumpster fire. That's an easy, easy layup there for you.

[Danny Parkins]

Yeah, well, I was on the Texans plus the points last week. That was. That wasn't a problem. I have not been on them all five, though.

[Colin Cowherd]

Good seeing you, buddy.

[Danny Parkins]

Always, Colin. Good to see you.

[Colin Cowherd]

J. Mac, Danny Parkins. First things first, after our show.

No, it's, it's, you know, a lot of trades. It's like the honesty, generally speaking, in NBA history, whoever gets the star wins the trade. Giannis is fascinating. So he's 31 and he's had injuries. He does not shoot from the perimeter, which is what the league is. He's a devastating defensive player and low post score. But there are arguments that, you know, Chet Holmgren or Wemby, who can hit the three and are in their prime without as many injuries, are. And by the way, the Shen Goon at Houston, he's awesome. Now, he's not as dominant defensively. Beautiful touch, beautiful player. So I love Giannis in New York because I think you'd have two of the top four players in the east, and I think Giannis feels like culturally big New York, and I do think Mikhail Bridges two first Cat and a bench guy feels like. That's not bad.

What do you think the window is for Giannis to win a title wherever he goes? I would say the next two, three years. Two or three.

Okay, two or three.

Because, like, Curry is competing deep into his 30s. LeBron's deep into his 30s. I don't know what Giannis age is like at like 37 when he's making like 50 mil a year, I don't know what he's going to look like. I don't think anybody can. Well, as you said, he can't really shoot outside the paint.

No.

It's not his game.

No. And Brunson can. And I mean, if you kept Josh Hart. I have Hart, Brunson, Giannis, I can. I can figure the rest out.

Well, Bridges is actually a better shooter than Hart, and I want shooters around Giannis. That's what I want. I mean, you get Giannis in the pain, he's going to take anybody one on one. If I'm Milwaukee, though, I definitely want Shingoon. That's the guy I'm targeting.

No, that. That might.

He's better than Cat. He's better than Reed.

Best trade for Milwaukee is with Houston. Yeah, you and I both love Sengun. I think he now he's not as physically dominant, but a soft, velvety finesse passer score. Jen Goon is one of those guys. He's overshadowed by a lot of bigs and he's 22.

My guess is after these playoffs with the I think the Rockets are going deep.

Probably to them I would go Shen Goon. The money doesn't make sense.

No, you find you can make the money make sense.

Fred Van Vliet.

He's hurt, but yeah.

All right, first things first, around the corner, Tom Brady Tomorrow on the show, I'm a I'll grill him. I'm America's honesty bro Broker Support for.

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[Colin Cowherd]

By Snapdragon X Elite processors are made to go the distance with blazing fast performance, next level efficiency and multi day battery life. Snapdragon processors are built to tackle it all, from highlight reel editing to intense player research so you can be at the top of your game wherever the day takes you. Learn [e-mail] laptops snapdragon the heart of your PC battery life varies significantly based on device settings, usage and other factors. Everybody has goals and every goal starts with an assist, whether it's on the field or off. That's why Halion is teaming up with US Soccer to launch for the Assist. It's a new campaign that celebrates those everyday acts of support that help people achieve their goals. As the makers of trusted brands like Advil Centrum Tum, Sensodyne, and Voltaren Halion knows how to support everyday wellness goals. To learn more, go to helionassist.com get almost anything you need delivered with Uber Eats. What do you mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A little escape? No. Delicious bowl of grapes? Yeah. An afternoon stroll? Sorry, no. A burrito bowl? Happily, yes. How about the clear skies? Can't deliver that. But French fries? Yeah. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. CIAPP for details.

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You're almost at the finish line. But first.

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