The Herd with Colin Cowherd (Guest Hosts: Jason McIntyre & Rachel Nichols)

Hour 3: "Tomorrow’s Headlines Today"

Date: March 20, 2026
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts / The Volume

Overview

In this power-packed third hour of The Herd, Jason McIntyre and Rachel Nichols sit in for Colin Cowherd, delivering rapid-fire takes on the week's biggest sports stories. The hour highlights the surging popularity of flag football—days before its high-profile showcase featuring NFL stars and upcoming Olympic ambitions—then pivots to a wild NBA week (Luka Doncic’s 60-point performance), and NCAA tournament analysis. The episode closes with bold predictions and playful banter on the future of NBA expansion, college sports payments, and MVP races.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Flag Football’s Coming-Out Party & The Fanatics Flag Football Classic

[03:03–12:10]

• Flag Football’s Rise & Olympic Inclusion:

  • Rachel highlights the rapid growth: “Flag football has just exploded... this is going to be in the Olympics at LA28. So this is a preview of what you're going to see in the Olympic Games.” [04:03]
  • Michael Rubin (Fanatics CEO) explains the game’s origin — originally meant for Saudi Arabia with Tom Brady’s involvement, the event shifted to LA with an all-star NFL vs. USA Flag Football format.
  • “Could the NFL-based teams beat the USA flag champions? We went back and said, hey, we’re going to change the format… and this is going to be insane.” (Rubin, [05:06])

• High Stakes & Intensity:

  • The USA team, five-time champs, are 6.5-point favorites per sportsbooks—largely due to their specific skill in flag nuances.
  • NFL squads, including names like Tom Brady, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Jaden Daniels, Saquon Barkley, Stefon Diggs, and others, are motivated not to get embarrassed:
    • “The NFL squads are here to say, we’re the best NFL players in the world. We’re going to kick your ass.” – Rubin [06:12]
    • Extra $100,000 bonus for each USA team player if they win.

• NFL Embracing the Movement:

  • The NFL is all-in: “Robert Kraft showed up… Roger Goodell’s coming in today.” Rubin [07:36]
  • Rubin shares an anecdote from Jaden Daniels about growing up playing flag football, emphasizing the deep roots and passion for the sport.

• Hosts’ Picks:

  • Both hosts pick NFL teams to win, with Rachel leaning Brady/Hurts (“I've been around him and when he wants something, he wants something.” [11:29]) and Jason picking Jaden Daniels.

2. Luka Doncic’s 60-point Masterpiece & Lakers’ Surge

[15:51–26:10]

• The Big Night:

  • Jason recaps Lakers’ surprising win vs. Miami with Doncic scoring 60 after a brutal travel schedule:
    • “Sixty points in 38 minutes last night... the Lakers stun the Heat.” [17:58]
    • LeBron James, at 41, posts a 30-15-10 triple double: “Guys over 40, in the history of basketball, triple doubles—LeBron has four, the entire rest of the league has one.” [18:20]

• Context & Impact:

  • Doncic’s 60 points called “an authentic 60, not a Fugazi 60 ... 60 earned, a little more impressive than 83 given.” (refers to Bam Adebayo’s recent 83) [19:47]
  • Lakers’ attitude change relayed through Austin Reaves: “When he said he was playing, I was like, I can't let a 41 year old play and I don’t play.” [17:55]

• Narrative Flips:

  • Jason addresses previous doubts about LeBron fitting with the Lakers, calling LeBron a “narrative killer.” [18:35]
  • “Luka is shredding everybody. He's torching the league and he's torching the media.” – Jason [19:12]

3. NCAA Tournament & NIL: Worth the Spend?

[20:44–26:10]

• AJ DeBonsa & BYU’s Investment:

  • AJ DeBonsa star performance (35 pts, 10 reb.) in a losing cause prompts discussion: “For $7 million, they got one game in the NCAA tournament. Was the value there?” – Jason [23:44]
  • Comparison to NFL roster construction: “Would BYU maybe have fared better if they had two guys for $2 million and a $1 million guy?” [23:59]
  • Texas Coach Sean Miller: “[DeBonsa] puts so many fouls on the opponent...We just wanted to make sure that we did a great job rebounding.” [24:36]

• Takeaway on NIL:

  • The hosts speculate NIL’s effect, suggesting that spreading money among multiple players could provide better team results.

4. NBA Expansion & Franchise Health Debate

[26:14–29:59]

• Expanding to Seattle & Las Vegas:
  • The buy-in fee for expansion is estimated at $7–10 billion, with current owners pocketing $500 million each.
  • Rachel argues for relocation over expansion: “I would much rather see relocation. I think Seattle and Las Vegas, they should have NBA teams… But you have other teams that frankly aren’t working, and you’re going to water down the talent pool.” [26:35]
  • Cites Memphis and New Orleans as possible relocation candidates due to poor attendance and outdated arenas.
  • Jason counters with the difficulty and sensitivity of moving beloved teams.

5. Around the NBA — Building the Perfect Player & Scoring Records

[30:43–36:38]

• Anthony Edwards on the ‘Perfect NBA Player’ ([30:43]):

  • Edwards’ picks: Handles (Kyrie), Shooting (Steph), Defense (Jaden McDaniels), IQ (Chris Paul), Dunking (Zach Lavine).
  • Rachel & Jason debate whether LeBron or Luka should get IQ, and argue over Curry vs. Kyrie for handles.
    • “When Allen Iverson says Kyrie has the best handles of all time, you got to listen to that.” – Rachel [33:09]

• Kevin Durant Approaching Michael Jordan in Points ([33:58]):

  • KD is 50 points away from matching MJ: “Jordan has always been my inspiration… I wanted to put that same kind of fear in the defender who’s guarding me.” [34:10]
  • Discussion on whether KD could ever catch LeBron, and how scoring environment and injuries affect legacies.

Tomorrow’s Headlines Today

[40:44–49:43]

• March Madness Upsets:

  • Jason calls for a Hofstra upset over Alabama, citing the loss of Bama’s #2 scorer to suspension ([41:22]).
  • NCAA champions prediction: “Arizona puts the rest of the field to sleep… Wildcats pajamas.” ([42:32])
    • Praises Arizona’s talent depth; notes coach Tommy Lloyd’s March record as the key risk.

• NCAA Final Four MOP Prediction:

  • “Basketball has been Betty. Betty’s good to me.” — Braden Buries (Arizona) as Most Outstanding Player, with special note of his clutch play. ([44:09])

• NBA Playoff and MVP Forecasts:

  • NBA Champion: “Diuretic Lakers flow. Flow right into finals.” — Lakers praised for their late-season surge under J.J. Redick and LeBron/Luka/Reaves buy-in. ([45:37])

  • NBA MVP: “How Luka can one guy be” (parodying “How lucky can one guy be”) — Luka Doncic’s dominant run secures both Finals and MVP picks from Jason. ([48:09])

    • “He is on another planet right now.” – Jason [49:16]
    • Rachel pushes back: “To say he is washed or past it at 27 is ridiculous.” [49:26]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Michael Rubin (on format switch):
  “We realized at the same time we’ve got an opportunity to actually really put flag on the map in the biggest ways… a round robin, two NFL-based teams and the USA flag football champions. This is going to be insane.” [05:06]

• Jason on LeBron’s triple-double:
  “Guys over the age of 40, in the history of basketball, triple doubles—LeBron has four of them. The entire rest of the league has one.” [18:20]

• Rachel on NBA Expansion:
  “I wish some of the richest people in the USA were a little less concerned with getting $500 million richer because I don't think expansion is the right move for the NBA.” [26:35]

• Debate on handles:
  “When Allen Iverson says Kyrie has the best handles of all time, you got to listen to that.” — Rachel [33:09]
  “I don’t, actually. I don’t have to listen.” — Jason [33:15]

Notable Timestamps

• [03:03] Show begins; flag football discussion starts
• [04:20] Michael Rubin discusses event’s origin and format
• [06:43] Intensity and rivalry building ahead of flag football contest
• [07:36] NFL’s support for the flag event (Robert Kraft, Goodell)
• [15:51] Transition to Luka Doncic’s game; Lakers’ performance analysis
• [18:02] Austin Reaves explains Lakers’ new mentality after win
• [20:44] NCAA Tournament and AJ DeBonsa discussion—NIL impact
• [26:10] NBA expansion vs. relocation debate starts
• [30:43] Anthony Edwards’ dream NBA player build—handles, IQ, etc.
• [33:58] Kevin Durant nears MJ’s scoring record
• [40:44] "Tomorrow’s Headlines Today" segment: NCAA, NBA champ, MVP picks
• [49:43] Luka’s exhausted postgame clip played
• [50:55] Rachel and Jason reflect on the grind of NBA travel and back-to-backs

Tone & Style

• Playful, irreverent, deeply informed, and fast-paced.
• Banter between Rachel and Jason brings energy and humor; never mean-spirited.
• Extended time is devoted to in-depth breakdowns as well as moments of light-hearted debate (especially when projecting headlines or arguing about basketball “handles”).
• Plenty of actionable insight for sports fans, especially NBA and NCAA tournament followers.

Summary

This episode of The Herd’s third hour blends eventful interviews (Michael Rubin on flag football’s major moment), detailed game breakdowns (Luka’s historic scoring night; NCAA tourney upsets), insider analysis of college sports economics (NIL deals under the microscope), a spirited debate on the NBA’s financial future (expansion vs. relocation), and plenty of bold predictions. Rachel Nichols and Jason McIntyre keep things moving with insight, argument, and humor—making even the hottest takes feel well-earned.

Must-listen segments:

• Flag football’s future & NFL star crossover [04:20–12:10]
• In-depth reactions to Luka & LeBron’s brilliance [15:51–26:10]
• "Tomorrow’s Headlines Today" for sharp, playful forecasting [40:44–49:43]