May 14, 2025 • 46 mins
Colin wants to remove the "America's Team" label from the Cowboys as we prepare for the full release of the NFL schedule and why it's time to stop putting Dallas in the premier time slots. He credits the Pacers for closing out their series against the Cavaliers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season and why their star Tyrese Haliburton portrays everything we want out of our NBA stars. He also talks to Michael Holley from NBC Sports Boston about the Celtics being on the verge of elimination plus the reaction to Bill Belichick's relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson and her involvement with North Carolina football
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowver
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
It is a Wednesday NFL schedule release. Wednesday, we are live.
It's the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you
may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. Jmax,
I'm gonna let you throughout herdline news today announce a
lot of the schedules that are coming out, So tonight's
going to be great. I know you're enamored with the
(00:49):
Bears schedule. I understand it. I'm really interested in the
forty nine Ers schedule, but I you know, it's funny,
and we'll get to the NBA here in a secon.
But it's funny that, you know how the NBA they're
struggling to move off Lebron at Christmas right, It's like
(01:09):
I'm watching these playoffs. You know who's not involved, Lebron,
And I'm glued to the TV set like the NBA
needs to next Christmas. I don't need Lebron anymore, and
I thought i'd start the show with that. I think
the NFL, and because it's so powerful, the media hates
power being concentrated in one business or a few hands.
(01:30):
So the media has always been tougher on the NFL
and more congratulatory and softer on the NBA or baseball.
They're tough on the NFL. Roger Goodell. Roger Goodell's really smart.
It's a really well run league. I thought they made
a rare scheduling mistake. Cowboys are in the opener at Philly,
(01:51):
a game they never win. In fact, if you go
look at those games, the Cowboys are one in five
in their last six against Philadelphia. And this is the
best Eagles raw during the long time, and it's the
worst Cowboys roster in a long time. I don't need
to see that game. That feels like November. I do
not need to open the NFL. Now. Now there are
games you could open with. Then they have the Cowboys
(02:13):
against Kansas City on Thanksgiving. I don't need to see
that either Andy Reid and Mahomes against Dak off a
second surgery, and Brian Schottenheimer doesn't scream fascinating. Listen, there
are traditions like Thanksgiving, I'm not going to bail on,
and then there are traditions the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving,
(02:35):
we can bail on. No more Lebron on Christmas. Frankly,
I'd rather watch Tyrese Haliburton, okay, see, and I'm sorry
I would the Knicks Boston of Tatum comes back. I'd
rather watch those teams, I really would. So it's a
quarterback league. We all know Buffalo, Cincinnati, Kansas City. You know,
(03:02):
the Bills are just more interesting to watch. And not
only do the Cowboys have a second tier head coach,
maybe third tier. Dak's off a second surgery, and so
Dak has become much less dynamic as an athlete. He's
a little bit like Aaron Rodgers. Now you know the name,
the paid check is more fascinating than the player. Dak's
(03:22):
kind of boring. Great guy, great leader. Dak's kind of boring.
The Cowboys are kind of boring. And I was looking
at the numbers last year and I've been saying this
now for two years, Kansas City is America's team. Everywhere
I go, I see chief stuff. So last year, the
most watched team in the NFL was Kansas City. The
second most watched team in the NFL was Detroit, and
(03:43):
then the Cowboys are now tied for third with San Francisco, Buffalo,
and Baltimore. Those teams this year will surpass the Cowboys
because they'll be in more big games, and so the
Cowboys will be the fifth most watched NFL team by
the end of this year, maybe sixth. And the only
thing keeping the Cowboys TV numbers up is networks putting
(04:07):
them on and the NFL putting them on more. It's
really the NFL. What's the Netw're gonna do? You jam
him on Thanksgiving, you jam him in the opener. There's
nothing NBC can do. So this is one of these things.
The Cowboys were not a top twenty team last year offensively,
and they were thirtieth defensively. And I think the NFL
is usually incredibly proactive, but the openers should have been
(04:30):
maybe Detroit and Philadelphia. The two best rosters in the
NFC get Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, somewhere on that the
idea that Dallas has earned that spot. It's Lakers on Christmas.
Who cares. At some point, you've got to introduce people,
because I understand those one o'clock games, there's a lot
(04:52):
of games on simultaneously in the NFL. You got to
start introducing people, and not only that, but marketing, pushing
and promoting Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen every opportunity. By
the way, I'm not even mentioning Jaden Daniels, who I'm
fascinated to watch much more than Dak And you know
what this felt like by the NFL.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Remember when Apple.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Inserted the U two album on your iPod and you
didn't want it and you couldn't get rid of it,
and there was a backlash. That's what I feel about
the Cowboys. They're going to get beat by Philadelphia. They're
gonna get beat on Thanksgiving. I went and looked at
their Thanksgiving numbers. Of the last twelve games the Dallas
(05:37):
Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving, five of them have been
double digit losses. Okay, that does not scream get this
team on television. Same with the Lakers. There's just better
products out there. Speaking of better products Oklahoma City in
(05:58):
a very competitive series. Last night was a very competitive game.
I never bought into this. Denver is just gonna you know,
you have the best player in the world with Jokich,
It's going to be a competitive series. The odds will
lead you to believe it was gonna be it was
gonna be a sweep or a gentleman's sweep, and it wasn't.
Okac one last night could have lost, game was tied late.
(06:20):
So congrats to OKC. Beautiful roster construction. And that's really
what the league is about now. It's about roster construction.
Remember a few years ago, five years ago, it was like,
hey man, you just got to get three great players
put together. New CBA doesn't allow that. All these aprons
can't do that anymore. It's about roster construction, Boston, OKC,
(06:42):
what Houston and San Antonio are doing. It's not about
getting Luca and Lebron and let's see if we can
get Yannis. Doesn't allow you to do that anymore. So
the story's not just Oka. See congrats to them. They're
gonna be great for a long time. The story is Denver.
They're becoming if they don't make a move Milwaukee, and
you don't want to be Milwaukee. Look at the teams
(07:03):
right now that think they're better than they are Milwaukee
the last three years, the Clippers and the Lakers. Denver's
not there yet because of Jokich, They're getting close. He
is two hundred and eighty five pounds of duct tape.
They don't have a general manager, interim coach. It's time.
Outside of Aaron Gordon, who is hyperathletic, it's time to
move off everybody but Jokisch, yoll kitch, Aaron Gordon. I
(07:26):
would move or consider moving everybody because the Murray contract,
Michael Porter, you're locked into that stuff. And they have
value and they have moments, especially Jamal Murray.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
But I mean, yoll kitchen.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
This series is putting up games that haven't been duplicated
since Wilt, like multiple forty fifteen to five games that's Wilt.
And meanwhile Oklahoma City has a one SGA, has an
ascending to chet Holmgren, has a Swiss Army knife in
Jalen Williams, and then has like multiple four or five
(07:59):
high end rotation players. If Jokic isn't feeling it, this
team's not I mean they have no offense. You saw
him in one of the earlier games in this series
when Yokic, he's this guy. Guys bouncing off him didn't
have much. They don't have much. So and I think
what happens in this league is if you go look
at the NBA, and this is what I love about sports,
(08:19):
not just the games. I love the cultural changes. I
love analytics. I would prefer analytics. I think people have
gone too far into analytics and the NBA. Now the
New York Knicks are a great example. Are going to
beat the analytics team. Everybody loves Boston because analytics hitting
an occasional three, but really about physicality, leadership, resilient, toughness.
Analytics to meet are analytics thirty forty percent and then
(08:43):
sixty percent dudes in May, or in the NFL, dudes
in December and January, or in baseball in October. And
I think what happens is we're seeing something in the
NBA happen where it used to be kind of an
easy solve. If you were in beautiful Miami or Los Angeles. Hey,
(09:04):
let's just go get three guys, Wade, Lebron, Bosh, Let's
go get Anthony Davis and Lebron. You could just couple
up guys. Phoenix tried this and then Phoenix found out,
Oh the culture, the sand is moving beneath our feet.
All these multiple aprons, all the new CBA. It is
(09:24):
all about roster, construction, flexibility, lots of picks. You want
to be Houston, OKC, Utah and San Antonio. Boston's been great,
but they now because of the Tatum injury, they now
have to make big moves and it's not I'll just
give you an example of this is that since the
twenty twenty one Aaron Gordon acquisition, Denver hasn't made any moves.
(09:47):
They haven't making any They're losing guys. They keep losing guys.
No big swings. They need a massive swing. Jokish Gordon,
move the furniture, get new furniture. And I was thinking
about this this morning. Is that Denver to ne a
GM four years ago? Three years ago, we were looking
at Denver like we look at OKC. We're like, Oho,
could they win four titles?
Speaker 3 (10:08):
They lost?
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Tim Connolly was their GM. Since he's left, he went
to Minnesota. What team is now surging surprisingly in the
NBA West? His team Minnesota and their roster construction. So
it is now become NBA is becoming the NFL. Start
learning who the gms are. Guy built Denver leaves go
(10:30):
to Minnesota. Minnesota now is Denver, it was Yokich. They've
got Aunt, They've got their ascending star. And I just
think right now, if Denver does not take a big swing,
there are three teams in the West, and I think
they think they're better than they are. The old Warriors,
the old Clippers, and the old Lakers. They have no
chance to win a title. Denver doesn't either, but they're
(10:54):
not yet Milwaukee because Jokich is wilt, He's literally unstoppable.
But I think what's happening is we're seeing we're seeing
a sea change in the NBA with the new CBA.
They're not going to be any dynasties. They're even okay, see,
they're not going to be any dynasties. The big three
landing in your city don't matter. Advantage, best front offices win,
(11:15):
and that's what you see in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Look who's winning in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Little market, Kansas City, little market, Green Bay, little market, Buffalo,
little market. Did I say Baltimore, New York team stink
front offices run the NFL. That never happened in my life.
It was always about getting the star, the new Aprons,
the new CBA. It's all about roster construction. Denver needs
(11:39):
its next superstar GM or they're the Bucks by the
middle of next year.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
That's what they are.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
And congratulations to Oka see their future is unbelievable. They
just keep rolling guys out, six or seven high end
rotational players. Here's Jokis by the way, after the loss.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Only game said the second game was the kind of
blowout and every other game was kind of interesting game.
We were there, so I think we have a chance,
and uh, well play our best Nicole hopefully, you know,
I see it's a play. If it's a it's a
series meets, it's every game is different. So I think
you mean to day we had chances. We were up
(12:17):
twelve in one moment, so we just couldn't can can,
couldn't finish, gonna make shot.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
But one of the reasons they don't finish as well
is because Oklahoma City has so much.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Energy at the end of these games.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Yes, Denver is the best player, Oklahoma City's got the
roster and they just have fresher players at the end
of games. This is not to say that Denver couldn't
have taken it seven, but when you watch these games,
you had a you you could see the energy of ok.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
C Laighton games. It was obvious and they deserve to
win this thing.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Man, all those NBA players that said Halliburton was the
most overrated player in the league game, this has been
your team. So Jmack was on Halliburton, was it two
or three years ago? And then he had a hamstring
pull and that slowed his pace and he's a guy
that needs pace. He was not quite the same player
for half the year. But boy, you talk about you
(13:16):
talk about a difference maker that kid is. I mean,
they just took Cleveland out. You have to be surprised
by how they took him out.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
Well, nobody expected it to be done in five games.
But that being said, you know, you could just see
the Cavs were not the same team in the playoffs
that they were in the regular season. And you've alluded
to this that regular season in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Just just forget it.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
Next year when we're handicapping the playoffs, just ignore sixty
four win teams because it just doesn't really matter all right.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Coming up next, By the way, PFF, who I often
disagree with, is aligned with us top to bottom on
the off seasons. That will turn losers into winners and
winners into losers. In the NFL. Well, same three teams.
I'm paying attention due they are as well.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Welcome back Tonight's NFL schedule release. A lot of implications
for the Chicago Bears. Can't wait for some of the
games are trickling out. J McK will have more on that.
So there was this NBA and I really like this poll.
Every year they come out with the NBA Player Poll,
anonymous poll, and I think they mostly it's gms, it's players,
(14:36):
all this stuff, and they voted on a bunch of
stuff and they usually get a lot of it right.
One of the things they got wrong this year most
overrated player. NBA players are petty, very like provincial. They
protect their space and their guys. They had Tyrese Halliburton
of the Pacers who just mowed through Cleveland in five
games they had him as the most overrated player. Yeah,
(14:58):
I mean, you're a clown. I mean, listen, he is
exactly what an NBA star should be. The Pacers had
six guys in this series average double figures, and he's
not bothered by it. He encourages it. I could name
five NBA stars that wouldn't like that, like Embiid Harden.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
They need the ball.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Halliburton doesn't end up with that many assists, but he's
always sharing the ball. You only had I think six
assists last night. It doesn't matter. He controls pace. He's
mature high IQ high EQ I said this two weeks ago.
Indiana is fun to watch. I don't know how great
they are. They're fun to watch, and the NBA fanboys
have been selling me on Harden and Jahn Morant and
(15:39):
LaMelo Ball. They're fun. Not building my franchise around those guys.
I mean, Embiid and Harden melt in May. They just melt.
This kid's been in the playoffs twice. He'll they'll be
in the Eastern Conference finals for the second time. Because again,
ascending productive, mature doesn't get in secure. If you know
(16:02):
a player goes off and he doesn't like he wants
to win the game. I always defended Lebron James on
this is that for years and years people would bang
on Lebron because he wouldn't take the final shot. And
my take is no, he would get the best basketball shot.
And when you're being double teamed, and if Shane Battier's open,
or Ray Allen's open, or j R. Smith is open
(16:23):
on the wing with a wide open nineteen footer, pass
the ball. It's not that difficult of a concept to grasp,
but the NBA media sells flash and fluff. I'm looking
for Jalen Brunson. I'm looking for Halliburton. I'm looking for maturity, selflessness,
and I like, I don't know if there's a clutch gene,
(16:43):
but there is something about Brunson having played in so
many big tournament games at Villanova now in New York.
He's just built for the moment. And Halliburton. You take
out that hamstring injury when he had like a bad
I think it was the second half of the season
when he came down. The guy's just better. Every time
I watch him. He cares about the right stuff. He's
great in the big moments, and it's it's I just
(17:06):
don't understand you keep selling me in this league, LaMelo Ball,
that's not a winning player. Halliburton's a winning player. Brunson
is a winning player. And here's here's the guy who
won the series last night.
Speaker 6 (17:21):
Yeah, I mean, I know who I am, we know
who we are. Not worried about outside noise. But it's
a big win, a special win. We're not done yet.
You know, we got another series here coming up, and we.
Speaker 7 (17:32):
Got to be prepared.
Speaker 6 (17:32):
You know, our goal wasn't to get back to the
finals like Goals won the championship, and nobody has to
believe that as long as we do in the locker
room and all the people cheering for us. So we
just stayed within him. Man, keep playing pacer basketball and
live with the results.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
For the record, some of this is just our culture.
Halliburton's got one point two million followers on ig. LaMelo
Ball has ten and a half. He's got cool cars.
I don't have a problem with that. You could have
nice stuff. I don't mind players being slash. When I
was a kid, there was a player named world B
Free go look him up. I loved him. He wasn't
(18:05):
a winning player, right, I loved him. Doctor j was
a winning player and flashy. I don't mind flash. I
loved Michael Jordan, I loved Magic over Bird. I like flash,
but you got to be a winning player. Remember remember
a white chocolate Jason Williams. Remember him? Oh, I got
the talk of the league. It's not a winning player. Fun,
(18:28):
but you've been selling me a lot of this fluff.
You've been selling me guys. Derrick Rose was another guy.
I like Derreck Rose. I'm not building my franchise around
a six to two guy who has a small frame
that can't really shoot jumpers. He could later in his
career after multiple injuries when he was forced to. So
I've said this before. When you're six or four under,
if you can't shoot, I'm not interested. I'm just not
(18:50):
you have a role. I'm not building around you. Kyrie
can shoot, Steph can shoot, Jaylen Brunson can shoot. If
you're a smaller player, I'll take you. You got to
be able to hit jumpers, otherwise you're gonna have to
drive to the basket.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
You're gonna get hurt. Halliburton is not that.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Flashy, but when you watch him play, you always feel
like with Indiana, there's no wasted possessions.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
We talk about this all the time.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
You watch college basketball, the national champions Florida Gators will
have seven straight wasted possessions and they have an NBA guard.
When you watch Indiana, you always feel like they've got
a plan, they execute it.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
They're not the most talented roster.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
They're top six or seven, maybe top five, but it's
like this to me is the players I want to
build around. They're not consumed with points. They're consumed with
execution and winning. And you know now he has won
eighth the Instagram followers of guys with cooler stuff, which
(19:48):
I'm not opposed to. If I had a lot of
money when I was twenty three, well I wouldn't have
cool stuff because I have no style. But I'm okay
with a little flash. But let's remember that all sorts.
That's like second, third, fourth punch winning efficiency, elevating others
are the first three.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon eastern nin am Pacific.
Speaker 8 (20:12):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David, and together we're
Covino and Rich On Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 9 (20:17):
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Speaker 8 (20:24):
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We talk about everything, life, sports, relationships, what's going on
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We have a lot of fun talking about the stories
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Speaker 9 (20:39):
And the fact that we've been friends for the last
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(21:04):
you get your podcasts, and of course on social media
that's Cavino and Rich.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
So PFF came out. They graded all thirty two teams
on their off season coaching hires, free agency, and draft picks,
and those are all substantial.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
We know football is the coaching sport.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Most teams over spend in free agency, but you know,
when the Rams got Stafford, it didn't make a difference.
When you know, trades or free agency. When the Bucks
got Brady sort of made a difference. And the draft,
I do think is worth A good draft is worth
a winneror two, especially if you shore up your pass rush,
your offensive line. So PFF and I and I may
(21:48):
struggle like everybody else in America picking against the spread, okay,
but I do take pride in the fact that over
the last four years I've been pretty good at taking
bad teams and predicting they'll be much better. The Vikings,
the Rams you thought were going to rebuild Denver and
Washington last year. And I also, I think have done
a pretty good job saying this team is peaked Dallas
(22:09):
two years ago, San Francisco last year. So I agree
with PFF across the board. They like what Arizona's done,
which I said, this is a really good defensive coach,
and they went all in on defense this draft and
free agency. I think Arizona is going to be a
tough out. They like what the Bears have done again.
(22:32):
Quarterbacks young shore up the interior, zero line, and the
coaching staff leans offensive. They love what New England's done,
Frabel staff money, they'll be a much better defense, and
they don't like the team that I have said for
the last year. I love John Lynch, I know him.
I love Kyle Shanahan. I think the Niners are a huge,
(22:55):
magnificent brand. They gave the Niners a d they lost
Debo who fund Greenlaw, and instead they went heavy on
the defensive line. They still don't have a good offensive line,
and they're going to overpay for Brock Purty. So I've
said this. My knock on the Niners is I am
seeing something I saw the last three to four or
(23:17):
five years with Seattle and Pete Carroll and with Belichick
in his last five years, Belichick got too much power,
and absolute power corrupts absolutely and Belichick was drafting like
coaches draft, not like a GM. And Pete Carroll, who
I think is doing a great job of the Raiders,
but when Paul Allen died there was a void.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
He seized it.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
John Snyder almost left. I didn't like the Seahawks draft
for several years and said it on draft day. The
last two to three drafts that have been John Snyder drafts.
I love the Seahawks roster. Coaches tend to draft to
solve tomorrow GM's draft with a vision down the road.
That's why Green Bay to me drafts as well as
(24:00):
anybody in the last thirty years in this league. They're
drafting first round players They're not going to play in
three years. That's why they're ohways good. Belichick would grab
a guard because he needed a guard, but he would
reach around, as the Rams pointed out one time, to
get a guard. That's not who you draft. Yeah, maybe
he can solve an issue you kept reaching on players.
(24:23):
So this is what I see with the Niners. When
I watched the Niners last two drafts, I see a
coach trying to solve issues for the season opener. I
don't see a vision drafted too many wide receivers. You've
got enough already. Stop with the wide receivers and the
big contracts. So I think when I prime example this year,
(24:46):
I think Seattle John Snyder is one of the best gms.
He drafted a quarterback after just signing a quarterback. Why
would you do that? Because he wants Jaln Milroe in
two years if Darnold hasn't reached the level he thinks
he can, he wants Jaln Milroe, hyper athletic, to be
ready to play. That's how a draft. That's how Jordan
loves Aaron gets older and prickly. That's how you draft Aaron.
(25:09):
As Brett Farr was nearing the twilight of his career.
What you don't do is go grab a running back
in the first round because you need a running back,
but actually he Rashad Penny should probably be a late
second round draft, not a late first round draft. Or
go grab a guard in New England because it solves
a problem for the season opener, but that's not really
(25:29):
the best for the team long term. That's why Belichick leaves.
And the roster's got no juice. It's one of the
worst rosters. He kept drafting for the game, not the future.
And so I Arizona, New England, Chicago, they're gonna be
really good teams next year. And I think San Francisco,
(25:50):
you guys think I'm nuts on this. They peaked, don't
love the roster, don't love the offensive line, and they're
gonna overpay for party coming up next. The Belichick thing
is getting wilder by the day. Every day I come in,
there's a Huns, Jordan Hudson, Belichick story, and I'm here
(26:11):
for it.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
Live in Chicago, It's The Herd.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in noon Eastern non am Pacific.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
Saturday, it's Baseball Night in America as Matt Olson and
the Braves take on Alex Reregman and the Red Sox,
or the Twins battle to Brewers. Check local listings for
the game in your area, Saturday, seven eastern on Fox.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Transitions are hard for people. And I'm not a real
political talker, but DOGE is a transition. It's messy, it's turbulent,
it alienates people. But to argue our government is efficient
and lean is laughable. I'm gonna wait and see how
it plays out. College football, similarly, is going through a
(26:57):
massive transition. The nil the transfer port. Well, it's wild,
but it is also a great opportunity. The only way
little guys can ever catch the big guys, Ubert a
taxi is to be a disruptor, is to do it differently.
And so North Carolina to catch Clemson has said, well,
(27:21):
Clemson is digging their feet in to the old model,
No nil, no transfers. Carolina is a basketball school, and
Carolina's thinking, well, this is our moment, big old dog
with traditional advantages, digging their feet in the sand. We're
going to go one hundred percent pro model. We're going
(27:44):
to do the opposite of Clemson. And that's why I'm
supporting Carolina. Jordan Hudson and Bill Belichick is there's a
story out, you know, yesterday Bill's talking, he's promoting the book,
and Bill said he didn't have anything to do with
North Carolina football, which is kind of true, kind of not,
(28:04):
but the truth is what Carolina did and I respect it.
They said, Bill, take us to the pro model. Bill,
take us to the pro model. And Bill's doing it.
It is an absolutely a pro model right now and
I respect that. And Oregon did this years ago when
I covered Oregon. Oregon trailed USC and Washington and maybe
(28:28):
at the time UCLA and Oregon said we're gonna have
a thousand uniforms, a different one every Saturday, and we're
going to hire a coach from New Hampshire, and we're
going to have a play every thirteen seconds with no huddles,
and Oregon now is looking down at USC, Washington and UCLA.
The only way for the little guys to catch up
(28:50):
to the big guys is to do things differently. Here's
Belichick on the stories about Jordan Hudson getting in the
way of North Carolina football.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Really off to the side.
Speaker 10 (29:01):
It's a personal relationship and she doesn't have anything to
do with at UNC football. I'm excited to be back
in the coaches meetings and getting ready for June and
then August we at the training camp.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
What Jordan Hudson is is a catalyst for change. And
what Bill Belichick is is that change. And when I
hired Mike Lombardi, Mike Lombardi's one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
I know Mike.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
He's a hundred percent of an NFL guy. So I
look at Carolina like I look at Colorado with Dion,
like I look at Oregon with Chip Kelly. How does
Colorado catch a BYU? How do they catch And I'm
not saying Colorado is going to catch Alabama? But baby steps.
Carolina is a basketball school. That's all they are. They're
a basketball school and the only way for them to
(29:51):
catch a Clemson.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Is this Now.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
J Mac on a daily basis You have gone back
and forth on Belichick and Jordan Hudson and Carolina, But
do you buy My argument is this is how the
little guy catches a big guy. They look at Clemson,
who's dug their feet in, and they said, we're going
the opposite of Clemson.
Speaker 5 (30:13):
Yeah. When I had the website, the big lead, you
remember that I couldn't just cover sports the way the
mainstream media covered sports. I had to find certain angles
that would get me to get attraction and people would
notice the website. So, just like UNC going a different route,
I had to That's the way the underdog always operates.
I will say, though, Colin, this whole beauty pageant stuff,
(30:35):
and it is getting a little weird in the timing
of all of it coming out, just as he's promoting
a book and now she's getting offered dancing with the stars. Colin, Man,
I know you.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Liked this story. I'm just troubled by it.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
I don't know, Man, Well, we talked about this yesterday
when I heard the story about family concerns about Belichick.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
This is not a guy in the basement. You have
to feed soft foods too.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
He's making ten million, He's got control of the program,
and they brought him in. Let's be honest, they brought
Bill Belichick in for a pro model. This is what,
by the way, Alabama was Saban. Saban saw the change.
He didn't want to wait around until it was an
entirely pro model. I mean, one of the reasons Saban
liked college over the NFL is he liked the college
(31:24):
model where he had more control than once. The players
can transfer and need to be paid. It's more of
a pro model. And Saban's like, no, I dominated the
old model.
Speaker 7 (31:33):
You know.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Mike Krzyzewski. Jay Wright saw this. Jay Wright and Mike Skrzewski.
The Mike was getting to the age you retire. But
Jay Williams, Jay Wright could have coached for another five years.
But Jay is like, I don't want to be an
NBA coach. This is a little Dabosweeney. I want to
be a college coach. I built a college power the
sports changing, It's like, I'm good with it. I'll broadcast it,
but I don't want to be in it. I respect that.
(31:55):
But Caroline is just saying, we want to beat Clemson.
To beat Clemson, we can't be Clemson, right, we gotta
go Oregon used.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
To look up at USC. My entire life.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
They looked up at Washington, and Washington and USC had
these traditional helmets and these traditional uniforms, and Washington got
all upset years ago when they decided to change the
Huskies pants to white for a game. People freaked out.
Oregon's like, we're gonna have a million uniforms, and I
just I look at this whole thing. And by the way,
transition is messy. We're seeing it in government now. Some
(32:28):
will work, some won't. The cuts will be too deep,
will be problems. But when you're trying to make a
radical change like Carolina, this stuff, there's turbulence.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
It's gonna be a bumpy flight.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
So I kind of look at Jordan Hudson and I'm like,
this is part of She's a catalyst. Bill's a catalyst,
The NFL models a catalyst, and Carolina is a basketball school.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
So I'm gonna support all the mess That's a good one,
you know. An idea for ms Hudson.
Speaker 5 (32:52):
Perhaps he could gift I don't know, a private jet
to North Carolina for the basketball coach and everyone else
to use, and then she wins them over. You know,
I hear that's a good move to make to kind
of appease people who.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Are coming after you.
Speaker 5 (33:05):
I don't know it's an option for Jorde Hudson A listen.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
That felt a little snarky to me, but I do
appreciate it here on Oesday.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Yeah, come on. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Herd weekdays in neon eastern nine am Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
And without a guy, I respect a lot Michael Hawley,
NBC Sports, Boston, New York Times Bestsellers, joining US Lives.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
There was a ton going on in Boston. How are you, Michael.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
It's great to see you again, but continued success for you.
Speaker 7 (33:33):
Hey, good to see you too, Colin.
Speaker 11 (33:35):
I'm doing great, just getting ready for the depression that
is certainly coming tonight at Boston Garden.
Speaker 7 (33:42):
And I think it's.
Speaker 11 (33:44):
Officially a home game, Colin for the Celtics, but there
have been a lot of Knicks fans at Game one,
Game two.
Speaker 7 (33:51):
I'd say it.
Speaker 11 (33:52):
Was probably seventy five percent Celtics fans, twenty five percent Nicks.
Who knows some of your Celtics season tickets ticket holders
and say I'm all my tickets.
Speaker 7 (34:01):
Let these New Yorkers come in and celebrate.
Speaker 11 (34:03):
So I think it's going to be a fifty to
fifty atmosphere, a lot of orange and blue at the
Garden tonight.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
So it's interesting.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Obviously, the Tatum injury is awful, but new owner five
hundred million dollars pay roll, Horford, old Drew Holiday looked
really old porzingis not.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
The mystery illness.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
Could I not argue, and I know it, forget the
Tatum injury, but they were going to lose this series
to me, pre Tatum injuries. Four minutes before that injury,
New York was making every basket and had total control.
Could I not argue, regardless of the Tatum injury, that
getting knocked out is a little bit of a wake
up call that there are still elements here that it
(34:47):
needed tweaking. Anyway, what you don't want to become is
Milwaukee holding on to something after a title or Denver
now Michael holding on to Denver's not a title team.
Milwaukee got wailed. It is a glimmer of hope. Losing
to the Knicks is a little bit of a wake
up call.
Speaker 11 (35:04):
Maybe Yeah, it's just Colin, you know what, you know,
how it is New York Boston. You're right, but it's
you don't want the wake up call to come.
Speaker 7 (35:15):
Now in the second round. I supposed to come with
New Yorkers involved Boston, New York.
Speaker 11 (35:23):
That goes back years. But I would say this, I
think that was coming anyway. So let's say they win
the championship. Let's say they sweep New York and they
take on Indiana and beat them, they win the championship again. Well,
Drew Holliday was unlikely to come back because of these
payroll issues. For Zingis was unlikely to come back. Either
Horford's going to retire or go somewhere else, so they
(35:46):
had some tweaking to do. Anyway, This wasn't This wasn't necessary.
I mean, you can't lose back to back games at
home at the start of the series the way they did.
Like look at Game one, They're up by twenty points
in that game and the Knicks come back and win it.
(36:06):
So you could say, we'll never let that happen again.
We won't miss forty five threes again, we won't shoot
like that.
Speaker 7 (36:14):
And they came back in the next game.
Speaker 11 (36:17):
They were up by twenty and they did the same
thing again. So I don't know if that's a talent
issue or is that just your perspective is all wrong,
your philosophy is all wrong and you need to adjust that.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
Yeah, I thought Joe Mozoula has had a bad series.
I'm not somebody I used to Alway joke with Bill Simmons.
I said, you're too tough on coaches.
Speaker 7 (36:36):
Yehine, that's an understatement.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Yeah, I mean I said this. He has one we
has one club in his golf bag. It's like, guys,
when the three shots aren't falling, iso ball top of
the arc is not good enough. You watch Chris Finch
pull levers Spulstra curve for years, Tom Thibodeaux pull levers.
I don't think Joe has pulled the right levers. I
don't think they're gonna j Mack has said on my
show if Missoula gets embarrassed, he could be gone. And
(37:00):
as a former coach, I don't see Brad Stevens as
a run him out of the building guy to you.
Speaker 11 (37:07):
No, no, And the Celtics not only is Brad Stevens
not that guy, the Celtics aren't that organization. I'm trying
to think about the last time they fired. I guess
the last time they fired a coach, and it was
an unusual circumstance.
Speaker 7 (37:21):
It was Eme Udoka.
Speaker 11 (37:22):
But Doc Rivers was there for nine years, Brad Stevens
was there for nine or ten years. They had the
Udoka situation. But they loved Missoula and what he's doing.
This is not in a philosophy that he invented. It's
something that he endorses, but this is organizational. They loved
(37:44):
re Over too, and we like the pressure it puts
on defenses. We got guys who can shoot it, and
we're going to take advantage of it. So he has
had bad series before. I don't think this series, even
using in five games, which is a real possibility, I
don't think that will get him out to do it.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
So I just defended Belichick.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
I said, listen, you could be Uber trying to overtake Taxis.
You could be Oregon. Years ago, when I was on
the West coast, Michael was looking up at Washington and
USC and UCLA and they said, you know what, those
are traditional powers.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
We're going to wear a thousand uniforms.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
We're going to hire this guy from New Hampshire, Chip Kelly,
have offensive play every thirteen seconds.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
We are a disruptor.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
And now Oregon looks down at all those schools and
they're not Penn State. The advantage of not having great tradition.
You can go New North Carolina looks at Clemson. Now
Clemson's dug their feet in no nil, no portal, and
Carolina is like, you know what we're gonna do an Oregon,
We're going to go to a pro model. We're gonna
(38:48):
hire Belichick, Mike Lombardi. We're gonna go total pro model
or a basketball school. And Jordan Hudson and Bill are
actually simultaneously catalysts for the change. She's beautiful and cool
on social Bill's an NFL guy, not a college guy.
I am defending they are being disruptive and that is
(39:08):
the only way, Michael, as you know, to catch the
big dog, to catch Taxis is to be uber and
do it the opposite way. But that said twenty four
and seventy three makes people uncomfortable. How is it playing
for iconic Belichick in New England? What do people think
in Boston?
Speaker 11 (39:28):
They're freaked out. They're freaked out by the college and
I am too. This is so, this is so out
of character. For him not being in love or in like.
Speaker 12 (39:45):
Whatever he is with a beautiful woman. That's not out
of character for Bill. What's out of character is the
loss of control. He is a grade A control freak.
He doesn't like anybody to speak for him. He handles medias.
Speaker 11 (40:00):
You can argue sometimes he handles them poorly, but he
handles them himself. He doesn't like to be out there
and anybody to kind of represent him in a way
that makes him uncomfortable.
Speaker 7 (40:10):
But this has all changed, and I know we try
to walk it back.
Speaker 11 (40:14):
A little bit and saying Jordan has nothing to do
with North Carolina football.
Speaker 7 (40:17):
I don't believe that he gave her.
Speaker 11 (40:21):
He gave her power, and I don't think he has
taken that power away. She's not going to be as
visible with North Carolina football, but I believe she's going
to have a lot to do with it. So it's
just it's not the Bill Belichick that we saw. It's
not the on the Cincinnati Belichick. It's not the guy
grumbling in front of the media and giving you one
and two word answers. It's actually Belichick stepping back and
(40:43):
letting someone else come forward.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
It's shocking, So I was telling a friend.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
That was grumbling about politics in America, and he was grumbling.
He said, my party, Democrats were lost, and I said, listen,
Democrats were lost pre Clinton, then they weren't. Republicans were
lost pre Reagan, then they weren't.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
I said, if you.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
Find the right person, it's amazing what happens to a
political party. And I feel this about the NFL. Patriots
are lost. I think Drake May is the next Justin Herbert.
I think Grabel's great, and I think they will be
the most improved team in the league. The last three
years they have been lost. They've been toned af to offense,
(41:25):
they can't draft. I think this is the beginning of
a great ten to twelve year run.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Are people that I really do?
Speaker 1 (41:34):
I think again, I think if Michael It's a quarterback
coach league Buffalo was a mess, then they're not. I
think this is the beginning of the next great chapter.
Are you that optimistic?
Speaker 11 (41:49):
I am not that optimistic yet, So ten to twelve
years that's saying a lot. And and you kind of
toned it down because didn't I hear you say. I said,
I'm so glad we're talking today. I'm not gonna talk
to Colin about this. Didn't you say they're going from
worse to first? You got them in first place in
twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
No, I said, I said, they're gonna make the playoffs.
They're gonna be the they're gonna be. Every year, I
pick a team that's gonna double their win total. Last
year it was Washington, This year it's New England. The
year before, by the way, it was the Rams, who
were considered a rebuild team and made the playoffs. Year
before that it was Minnesota. I may stink picking winners
against the spread. I'm really good on finding a cruddy
(42:30):
team that gets good. And I think Gerard Mayo was
a wonderful guy, but I think he was a classic coordinator,
not a head coach. I think Rabel's worth four and
a half points alone.
Speaker 11 (42:41):
Again, okay, I'll give you that. I love Mike Rabel,
and I don't know if I've ever told you this story.
I covered him in high school. We were about the
same age, by the way. Okay, I had just started
at the Akron Beacon Journal, and he was at a
high school called Walt's Jesuit and he was a defense
have been tight end and the same wise ass then
(43:05):
that he is right now.
Speaker 7 (43:06):
So I've known for a long time. I root for him.
I'm a big fan of his.
Speaker 11 (43:11):
But I think their talent got to the point because
of Belichick.
Speaker 7 (43:15):
Their talent was so low.
Speaker 11 (43:17):
I mean, I think there are bottom five talent in
the league, and this infusion of free agents and draft picks,
I think best case scenario probably gets them to the
middle of the pack talent wise. They still have some
work to do, so I think they'll be much improved.
Speaker 7 (43:33):
I got them at seven or eight wins, Max.
Speaker 11 (43:36):
I'd be really surprised if they find enough in year
one under Rabel to get into the playoffs, because it's
just too much damage done the last four or five years.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
Finally, I want to circle back to the Knicks and
the Celtics. Is I think one of the things I
love about sports is the cultural changes. Three point shots
in the NBA. But it's really interesting. These playoff have
been fascinating, Michael, because the NBA has always swallowed the
whistle in the postseason.
Speaker 3 (44:05):
This year it's a tug of war, it's a fistfight.
And I'm going to.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
Make the argument circling back to this that if this
is what the league is going to allow.
Speaker 3 (44:14):
In May and June.
Speaker 1 (44:16):
That the Knicks today are better built than the Celtics
going forward, big physical, defensive coach, get a bucket superstar
guard that they don't. The Knicks don't need a massive swing.
They need to get more consistent at center. Can't can't
defend Mitchell Robinson, can't hit a free throw. But the
(44:38):
league this analytics sounds great, Michael, until the league says, yet,
we're going to officiate the playoffs totally differently than the
regular season, and that New York may be better built
going forward.
Speaker 7 (44:52):
I might buy that.
Speaker 11 (44:53):
If the league says we're going to be consistent with this,
we'll go back. We won't go back to the nineties
when the Knicks and Rockets were in the playoffs and
all those scores were was awful. All those scores were
in the seventies and eighties. We're not going to go
back there.
Speaker 7 (45:07):
But we're not going to allow just anybody. We're not
going to allow for nest ball.
Speaker 11 (45:12):
We'll do something in the middle that's right by that
I'll say right now. And I didn't think this last week.
Speaker 7 (45:19):
A better team the Celtics. YEP, But Colin I got
something for you.
Speaker 11 (45:24):
I'll tell you who's better than both of them, and
my pick to win the NBA Championship.
Speaker 7 (45:30):
Oh, get ready, Indiana Pacers.
Speaker 11 (45:33):
The Indiana Pacers I think are more physical than the Knicks.
Speaker 7 (45:38):
I think they're better than the Knicks.
Speaker 11 (45:40):
And I know New York says, hey, we had you
know we didn't have Jalen Brunson last year. He got
heard and broke his wrist. The Pacers are a team.
We're talking about Celtics in New York.
Speaker 7 (45:49):
We need to be talking more about the Pacers.
Speaker 11 (45:51):
And I think with your theory what the NBA allows,
I think that suits the Pacers more than anybody else
in basketball.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
Well, Haliburton and Kate and Clark. Middle of the country's
got their basketball point guards ready to go. Michael Holly,
who's been doing great work forever and New York Times
best selling offer multiple books on Belichick, looks about twenty
nine years old.
Speaker 3 (46:11):
You do not age, my friend.
Speaker 1 (46:12):
You are sharp, and I swear to God, Vrabel is
starting to look like me, and you look as always.
You do great work. You know I respect the heck addie.
I appreciate you coming on.
Speaker 7 (46:22):
I appreciate you man. Anytime you know that Colin
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio in noon to three eastern nine am to
nuone Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at
Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio
or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowver
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
It is a Wednesday NFL schedule release. Wednesday, we are live.
It's the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you
may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. Jmax,
I'm gonna let you throughout herdline news today announce a
lot of the schedules that are coming out, So tonight's
going to be great. I know you're enamored with the
(00:49):
Bears schedule. I understand it. I'm really interested in the
forty nine Ers schedule, but I you know, it's funny,
and we'll get to the NBA here in a secon.
But it's funny that, you know how the NBA they're
struggling to move off Lebron at Christmas right, It's like
(01:09):
I'm watching these playoffs. You know who's not involved, Lebron,
And I'm glued to the TV set like the NBA
needs to next Christmas. I don't need Lebron anymore, and
I thought i'd start the show with that. I think
the NFL, and because it's so powerful, the media hates
power being concentrated in one business or a few hands.
(01:30):
So the media has always been tougher on the NFL
and more congratulatory and softer on the NBA or baseball.
They're tough on the NFL. Roger Goodell. Roger Goodell's really smart.
It's a really well run league. I thought they made
a rare scheduling mistake. Cowboys are in the opener at Philly,
(01:51):
a game they never win. In fact, if you go
look at those games, the Cowboys are one in five
in their last six against Philadelphia. And this is the
best Eagles raw during the long time, and it's the
worst Cowboys roster in a long time. I don't need
to see that game. That feels like November. I do
not need to open the NFL. Now. Now there are
games you could open with. Then they have the Cowboys
(02:13):
against Kansas City on Thanksgiving. I don't need to see
that either Andy Reid and Mahomes against Dak off a
second surgery, and Brian Schottenheimer doesn't scream fascinating. Listen, there
are traditions like Thanksgiving, I'm not going to bail on,
and then there are traditions the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving,
(02:35):
we can bail on. No more Lebron on Christmas. Frankly,
I'd rather watch Tyrese Haliburton, okay, see, and I'm sorry
I would the Knicks Boston of Tatum comes back. I'd
rather watch those teams, I really would. So it's a
quarterback league. We all know Buffalo, Cincinnati, Kansas City. You know,
(03:02):
the Bills are just more interesting to watch. And not
only do the Cowboys have a second tier head coach,
maybe third tier. Dak's off a second surgery, and so
Dak has become much less dynamic as an athlete. He's
a little bit like Aaron Rodgers. Now you know the name,
the paid check is more fascinating than the player. Dak's
(03:22):
kind of boring. Great guy, great leader. Dak's kind of boring.
The Cowboys are kind of boring. And I was looking
at the numbers last year and I've been saying this
now for two years, Kansas City is America's team. Everywhere
I go, I see chief stuff. So last year, the
most watched team in the NFL was Kansas City. The
second most watched team in the NFL was Detroit, and
(03:43):
then the Cowboys are now tied for third with San Francisco, Buffalo,
and Baltimore. Those teams this year will surpass the Cowboys
because they'll be in more big games, and so the
Cowboys will be the fifth most watched NFL team by
the end of this year, maybe sixth. And the only
thing keeping the Cowboys TV numbers up is networks putting
(04:07):
them on and the NFL putting them on more. It's
really the NFL. What's the Netw're gonna do? You jam
him on Thanksgiving, you jam him in the opener. There's
nothing NBC can do. So this is one of these things.
The Cowboys were not a top twenty team last year offensively,
and they were thirtieth defensively. And I think the NFL
is usually incredibly proactive, but the openers should have been
(04:30):
maybe Detroit and Philadelphia. The two best rosters in the
NFC get Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, somewhere on that the
idea that Dallas has earned that spot. It's Lakers on Christmas.
Who cares. At some point, you've got to introduce people,
because I understand those one o'clock games, there's a lot
(04:52):
of games on simultaneously in the NFL. You got to
start introducing people, and not only that, but marketing, pushing
and promoting Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen every opportunity. By
the way, I'm not even mentioning Jaden Daniels, who I'm
fascinated to watch much more than Dak And you know
what this felt like by the NFL.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Remember when Apple.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Inserted the U two album on your iPod and you
didn't want it and you couldn't get rid of it,
and there was a backlash. That's what I feel about
the Cowboys. They're going to get beat by Philadelphia. They're
gonna get beat on Thanksgiving. I went and looked at
their Thanksgiving numbers. Of the last twelve games the Dallas
(05:37):
Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving, five of them have been
double digit losses. Okay, that does not scream get this
team on television. Same with the Lakers. There's just better
products out there. Speaking of better products Oklahoma City in
(05:58):
a very competitive series. Last night was a very competitive game.
I never bought into this. Denver is just gonna you know,
you have the best player in the world with Jokich,
It's going to be a competitive series. The odds will
lead you to believe it was gonna be it was
gonna be a sweep or a gentleman's sweep, and it wasn't.
Okac one last night could have lost, game was tied late.
(06:20):
So congrats to OKC. Beautiful roster construction. And that's really
what the league is about now. It's about roster construction.
Remember a few years ago, five years ago, it was like,
hey man, you just got to get three great players
put together. New CBA doesn't allow that. All these aprons
can't do that anymore. It's about roster construction, Boston, OKC,
(06:42):
what Houston and San Antonio are doing. It's not about
getting Luca and Lebron and let's see if we can
get Yannis. Doesn't allow you to do that anymore. So
the story's not just Oka. See congrats to them. They're
gonna be great for a long time. The story is Denver.
They're becoming if they don't make a move Milwaukee, and
you don't want to be Milwaukee. Look at the teams
(07:03):
right now that think they're better than they are Milwaukee
the last three years, the Clippers and the Lakers. Denver's
not there yet because of Jokich, They're getting close. He
is two hundred and eighty five pounds of duct tape.
They don't have a general manager, interim coach. It's time.
Outside of Aaron Gordon, who is hyperathletic, it's time to
move off everybody but Jokisch, yoll kitch, Aaron Gordon. I
(07:26):
would move or consider moving everybody because the Murray contract,
Michael Porter, you're locked into that stuff. And they have
value and they have moments, especially Jamal Murray.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
But I mean, yoll kitchen.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
This series is putting up games that haven't been duplicated
since Wilt, like multiple forty fifteen to five games that's Wilt.
And meanwhile Oklahoma City has a one SGA, has an
ascending to chet Holmgren, has a Swiss Army knife in
Jalen Williams, and then has like multiple four or five
(07:59):
high end rotation players. If Jokic isn't feeling it, this
team's not I mean they have no offense. You saw
him in one of the earlier games in this series
when Yokic, he's this guy. Guys bouncing off him didn't
have much. They don't have much. So and I think
what happens in this league is if you go look
at the NBA, and this is what I love about sports,
(08:19):
not just the games. I love the cultural changes. I
love analytics. I would prefer analytics. I think people have
gone too far into analytics and the NBA. Now the
New York Knicks are a great example. Are going to
beat the analytics team. Everybody loves Boston because analytics hitting
an occasional three, but really about physicality, leadership, resilient, toughness.
Analytics to meet are analytics thirty forty percent and then
(08:43):
sixty percent dudes in May, or in the NFL, dudes
in December and January, or in baseball in October. And
I think what happens is we're seeing something in the
NBA happen where it used to be kind of an
easy solve. If you were in beautiful Miami or Los Angeles. Hey,
(09:04):
let's just go get three guys, Wade, Lebron, Bosh, Let's
go get Anthony Davis and Lebron. You could just couple
up guys. Phoenix tried this and then Phoenix found out,
Oh the culture, the sand is moving beneath our feet.
All these multiple aprons, all the new CBA. It is
(09:24):
all about roster, construction, flexibility, lots of picks. You want
to be Houston, OKC, Utah and San Antonio. Boston's been great,
but they now because of the Tatum injury, they now
have to make big moves and it's not I'll just
give you an example of this is that since the
twenty twenty one Aaron Gordon acquisition, Denver hasn't made any moves.
(09:47):
They haven't making any They're losing guys. They keep losing guys.
No big swings. They need a massive swing. Jokish Gordon,
move the furniture, get new furniture. And I was thinking
about this this morning. Is that Denver to ne a
GM four years ago? Three years ago, we were looking
at Denver like we look at OKC. We're like, Oho,
could they win four titles?
Speaker 3 (10:08):
They lost?
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Tim Connolly was their GM. Since he's left, he went
to Minnesota. What team is now surging surprisingly in the
NBA West? His team Minnesota and their roster construction. So
it is now become NBA is becoming the NFL. Start
learning who the gms are. Guy built Denver leaves go
(10:30):
to Minnesota. Minnesota now is Denver, it was Yokich. They've
got Aunt, They've got their ascending star. And I just
think right now, if Denver does not take a big swing,
there are three teams in the West, and I think
they think they're better than they are. The old Warriors,
the old Clippers, and the old Lakers. They have no
chance to win a title. Denver doesn't either, but they're
(10:54):
not yet Milwaukee because Jokich is wilt, He's literally unstoppable.
But I think what's happening is we're seeing we're seeing
a sea change in the NBA with the new CBA.
They're not going to be any dynasties. They're even okay, see,
they're not going to be any dynasties. The big three
landing in your city don't matter. Advantage, best front offices win,
(11:15):
and that's what you see in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Look who's winning in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Little market, Kansas City, little market, Green Bay, little market, Buffalo,
little market. Did I say Baltimore, New York team stink
front offices run the NFL. That never happened in my life.
It was always about getting the star, the new Aprons,
the new CBA. It's all about roster construction. Denver needs
(11:39):
its next superstar GM or they're the Bucks by the
middle of next year.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
That's what they are.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
And congratulations to Oka see their future is unbelievable. They
just keep rolling guys out, six or seven high end
rotational players. Here's Jokis by the way, after the loss.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Only game said the second game was the kind of
blowout and every other game was kind of interesting game.
We were there, so I think we have a chance,
and uh, well play our best Nicole hopefully, you know,
I see it's a play. If it's a it's a
series meets, it's every game is different. So I think
you mean to day we had chances. We were up
(12:17):
twelve in one moment, so we just couldn't can can,
couldn't finish, gonna make shot.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
But one of the reasons they don't finish as well
is because Oklahoma City has so much.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Energy at the end of these games.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Yes, Denver is the best player, Oklahoma City's got the
roster and they just have fresher players at the end
of games. This is not to say that Denver couldn't
have taken it seven, but when you watch these games,
you had a you you could see the energy of ok.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
C Laighton games. It was obvious and they deserve to
win this thing.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Man, all those NBA players that said Halliburton was the
most overrated player in the league game, this has been
your team. So Jmack was on Halliburton, was it two
or three years ago? And then he had a hamstring
pull and that slowed his pace and he's a guy
that needs pace. He was not quite the same player
for half the year. But boy, you talk about you
(13:16):
talk about a difference maker that kid is. I mean,
they just took Cleveland out. You have to be surprised
by how they took him out.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
Well, nobody expected it to be done in five games.
But that being said, you know, you could just see
the Cavs were not the same team in the playoffs
that they were in the regular season. And you've alluded
to this that regular season in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Just just forget it.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
Next year when we're handicapping the playoffs, just ignore sixty
four win teams because it just doesn't really matter all right.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Coming up next, By the way, PFF, who I often
disagree with, is aligned with us top to bottom on
the off seasons. That will turn losers into winners and
winners into losers. In the NFL. Well, same three teams.
I'm paying attention due they are as well.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Welcome back Tonight's NFL schedule release. A lot of implications
for the Chicago Bears. Can't wait for some of the
games are trickling out. J McK will have more on that.
So there was this NBA and I really like this poll.
Every year they come out with the NBA Player Poll,
anonymous poll, and I think they mostly it's gms, it's players,
(14:36):
all this stuff, and they voted on a bunch of
stuff and they usually get a lot of it right.
One of the things they got wrong this year most
overrated player. NBA players are petty, very like provincial. They
protect their space and their guys. They had Tyrese Halliburton
of the Pacers who just mowed through Cleveland in five
games they had him as the most overrated player. Yeah,
(14:58):
I mean, you're a clown. I mean, listen, he is
exactly what an NBA star should be. The Pacers had
six guys in this series average double figures, and he's
not bothered by it. He encourages it. I could name
five NBA stars that wouldn't like that, like Embiid Harden.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
They need the ball.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Halliburton doesn't end up with that many assists, but he's
always sharing the ball. You only had I think six
assists last night. It doesn't matter. He controls pace. He's
mature high IQ high EQ I said this two weeks ago.
Indiana is fun to watch. I don't know how great
they are. They're fun to watch, and the NBA fanboys
have been selling me on Harden and Jahn Morant and
(15:39):
LaMelo Ball. They're fun. Not building my franchise around those guys.
I mean, Embiid and Harden melt in May. They just melt.
This kid's been in the playoffs twice. He'll they'll be
in the Eastern Conference finals for the second time. Because again,
ascending productive, mature doesn't get in secure. If you know
(16:02):
a player goes off and he doesn't like he wants
to win the game. I always defended Lebron James on
this is that for years and years people would bang
on Lebron because he wouldn't take the final shot. And
my take is no, he would get the best basketball shot.
And when you're being double teamed, and if Shane Battier's open,
or Ray Allen's open, or j R. Smith is open
(16:23):
on the wing with a wide open nineteen footer, pass
the ball. It's not that difficult of a concept to grasp,
but the NBA media sells flash and fluff. I'm looking
for Jalen Brunson. I'm looking for Halliburton. I'm looking for maturity, selflessness,
and I like, I don't know if there's a clutch gene,
(16:43):
but there is something about Brunson having played in so
many big tournament games at Villanova now in New York.
He's just built for the moment. And Halliburton. You take
out that hamstring injury when he had like a bad
I think it was the second half of the season
when he came down. The guy's just better. Every time
I watch him. He cares about the right stuff. He's
great in the big moments, and it's it's I just
(17:06):
don't understand you keep selling me in this league, LaMelo Ball,
that's not a winning player. Halliburton's a winning player. Brunson
is a winning player. And here's here's the guy who
won the series last night.
Speaker 6 (17:21):
Yeah, I mean, I know who I am, we know
who we are. Not worried about outside noise. But it's
a big win, a special win. We're not done yet.
You know, we got another series here coming up, and we.
Speaker 7 (17:32):
Got to be prepared.
Speaker 6 (17:32):
You know, our goal wasn't to get back to the
finals like Goals won the championship, and nobody has to
believe that as long as we do in the locker
room and all the people cheering for us. So we
just stayed within him. Man, keep playing pacer basketball and
live with the results.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
For the record, some of this is just our culture.
Halliburton's got one point two million followers on ig. LaMelo
Ball has ten and a half. He's got cool cars.
I don't have a problem with that. You could have
nice stuff. I don't mind players being slash. When I
was a kid, there was a player named world B
Free go look him up. I loved him. He wasn't
(18:05):
a winning player, right, I loved him. Doctor j was
a winning player and flashy. I don't mind flash. I
loved Michael Jordan, I loved Magic over Bird. I like flash,
but you got to be a winning player. Remember remember
a white chocolate Jason Williams. Remember him? Oh, I got
the talk of the league. It's not a winning player. Fun,
(18:28):
but you've been selling me a lot of this fluff.
You've been selling me guys. Derrick Rose was another guy.
I like Derreck Rose. I'm not building my franchise around
a six to two guy who has a small frame
that can't really shoot jumpers. He could later in his
career after multiple injuries when he was forced to. So
I've said this before. When you're six or four under,
if you can't shoot, I'm not interested. I'm just not
(18:50):
you have a role. I'm not building around you. Kyrie
can shoot, Steph can shoot, Jaylen Brunson can shoot. If
you're a smaller player, I'll take you. You got to
be able to hit jumpers, otherwise you're gonna have to
drive to the basket.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
You're gonna get hurt. Halliburton is not that.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Flashy, but when you watch him play, you always feel
like with Indiana, there's no wasted possessions.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
We talk about this all the time.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
You watch college basketball, the national champions Florida Gators will
have seven straight wasted possessions and they have an NBA guard.
When you watch Indiana, you always feel like they've got
a plan, they execute it.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
They're not the most talented roster.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
They're top six or seven, maybe top five, but it's
like this to me is the players I want to
build around. They're not consumed with points. They're consumed with
execution and winning. And you know now he has won
eighth the Instagram followers of guys with cooler stuff, which
(19:48):
I'm not opposed to. If I had a lot of
money when I was twenty three, well I wouldn't have
cool stuff because I have no style. But I'm okay
with a little flash. But let's remember that all sorts.
That's like second, third, fourth punch winning efficiency, elevating others
are the first three.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon eastern nin am Pacific.
Speaker 8 (20:12):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David, and together we're
Covino and Rich On Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 9 (20:17):
You could catch us weekdays from five to seven pm
Eastern two to four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and
of course the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 8 (20:24):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.
Speaker 9 (20:26):
We talk about everything, life, sports, relationships, what's going on
in the world.
Speaker 8 (20:30):
We have a lot of fun talking about the stories
behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture,
stories that well other shows don't seem to have the
time to discuss.
Speaker 9 (20:39):
And the fact that we've been friends for the last
twenty years and still work together, I mean that says something.
Speaker 8 (20:43):
Right, So check us out. We like to get you
involved too, take your phone calls, chop it up. As
they say, I'd say the most interactive show on Fox
Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planetar. Be
sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox
Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app from five to seven
pm Eastern to four Pacific, and if you miss any
of the live show, just search Kovi non Rich wherever
(21:04):
you get your podcasts, and of course on social media
that's Cavino and Rich.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
So PFF came out. They graded all thirty two teams
on their off season coaching hires, free agency, and draft picks,
and those are all substantial.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
We know football is the coaching sport.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Most teams over spend in free agency, but you know,
when the Rams got Stafford, it didn't make a difference.
When you know, trades or free agency. When the Bucks
got Brady sort of made a difference. And the draft,
I do think is worth A good draft is worth
a winneror two, especially if you shore up your pass rush,
your offensive line. So PFF and I and I may
(21:48):
struggle like everybody else in America picking against the spread, okay,
but I do take pride in the fact that over
the last four years I've been pretty good at taking
bad teams and predicting they'll be much better. The Vikings,
the Rams you thought were going to rebuild Denver and
Washington last year. And I also, I think have done
a pretty good job saying this team is peaked Dallas
(22:09):
two years ago, San Francisco last year. So I agree
with PFF across the board. They like what Arizona's done,
which I said, this is a really good defensive coach,
and they went all in on defense this draft and
free agency. I think Arizona is going to be a
tough out. They like what the Bears have done again.
(22:32):
Quarterbacks young shore up the interior, zero line, and the
coaching staff leans offensive. They love what New England's done,
Frabel staff money, they'll be a much better defense, and
they don't like the team that I have said for
the last year. I love John Lynch, I know him.
I love Kyle Shanahan. I think the Niners are a huge,
(22:55):
magnificent brand. They gave the Niners a d they lost
Debo who fund Greenlaw, and instead they went heavy on
the defensive line. They still don't have a good offensive line,
and they're going to overpay for Brock Purty. So I've
said this. My knock on the Niners is I am
seeing something I saw the last three to four or
(23:17):
five years with Seattle and Pete Carroll and with Belichick
in his last five years, Belichick got too much power,
and absolute power corrupts absolutely and Belichick was drafting like
coaches draft, not like a GM. And Pete Carroll, who
I think is doing a great job of the Raiders,
but when Paul Allen died there was a void.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
He seized it.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
John Snyder almost left. I didn't like the Seahawks draft
for several years and said it on draft day. The
last two to three drafts that have been John Snyder drafts.
I love the Seahawks roster. Coaches tend to draft to
solve tomorrow GM's draft with a vision down the road.
That's why Green Bay to me drafts as well as
(24:00):
anybody in the last thirty years in this league. They're
drafting first round players They're not going to play in
three years. That's why they're ohways good. Belichick would grab
a guard because he needed a guard, but he would
reach around, as the Rams pointed out one time, to
get a guard. That's not who you draft. Yeah, maybe
he can solve an issue you kept reaching on players.
(24:23):
So this is what I see with the Niners. When
I watched the Niners last two drafts, I see a
coach trying to solve issues for the season opener. I
don't see a vision drafted too many wide receivers. You've
got enough already. Stop with the wide receivers and the
big contracts. So I think when I prime example this year,
(24:46):
I think Seattle John Snyder is one of the best gms.
He drafted a quarterback after just signing a quarterback. Why
would you do that? Because he wants Jaln Milroe in
two years if Darnold hasn't reached the level he thinks
he can, he wants Jaln Milroe, hyper athletic, to be
ready to play. That's how a draft. That's how Jordan
loves Aaron gets older and prickly. That's how you draft Aaron.
(25:09):
As Brett Farr was nearing the twilight of his career.
What you don't do is go grab a running back
in the first round because you need a running back,
but actually he Rashad Penny should probably be a late
second round draft, not a late first round draft. Or
go grab a guard in New England because it solves
a problem for the season opener, but that's not really
(25:29):
the best for the team long term. That's why Belichick leaves.
And the roster's got no juice. It's one of the
worst rosters. He kept drafting for the game, not the future.
And so I Arizona, New England, Chicago, they're gonna be
really good teams next year. And I think San Francisco,
(25:50):
you guys think I'm nuts on this. They peaked, don't
love the roster, don't love the offensive line, and they're
gonna overpay for party coming up next. The Belichick thing
is getting wilder by the day. Every day I come in,
there's a Huns, Jordan Hudson, Belichick story, and I'm here
(26:11):
for it.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
Live in Chicago, It's The Herd.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in noon Eastern non am Pacific.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
Saturday, it's Baseball Night in America as Matt Olson and
the Braves take on Alex Reregman and the Red Sox,
or the Twins battle to Brewers. Check local listings for
the game in your area, Saturday, seven eastern on Fox.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Transitions are hard for people. And I'm not a real
political talker, but DOGE is a transition. It's messy, it's turbulent,
it alienates people. But to argue our government is efficient
and lean is laughable. I'm gonna wait and see how
it plays out. College football, similarly, is going through a
(26:57):
massive transition. The nil the transfer port. Well, it's wild,
but it is also a great opportunity. The only way
little guys can ever catch the big guys, Ubert a
taxi is to be a disruptor, is to do it differently.
And so North Carolina to catch Clemson has said, well,
(27:21):
Clemson is digging their feet in to the old model,
No nil, no transfers. Carolina is a basketball school, and
Carolina's thinking, well, this is our moment, big old dog
with traditional advantages, digging their feet in the sand. We're
going to go one hundred percent pro model. We're going
(27:44):
to do the opposite of Clemson. And that's why I'm
supporting Carolina. Jordan Hudson and Bill Belichick is there's a
story out, you know, yesterday Bill's talking, he's promoting the book,
and Bill said he didn't have anything to do with
North Carolina football, which is kind of true, kind of not,
(28:04):
but the truth is what Carolina did and I respect it.
They said, Bill, take us to the pro model. Bill,
take us to the pro model. And Bill's doing it.
It is an absolutely a pro model right now and
I respect that. And Oregon did this years ago when
I covered Oregon. Oregon trailed USC and Washington and maybe
(28:28):
at the time UCLA and Oregon said we're gonna have
a thousand uniforms, a different one every Saturday, and we're
going to hire a coach from New Hampshire, and we're
going to have a play every thirteen seconds with no huddles,
and Oregon now is looking down at USC, Washington and UCLA.
The only way for the little guys to catch up
(28:50):
to the big guys is to do things differently. Here's
Belichick on the stories about Jordan Hudson getting in the
way of North Carolina football.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Really off to the side.
Speaker 10 (29:01):
It's a personal relationship and she doesn't have anything to
do with at UNC football. I'm excited to be back
in the coaches meetings and getting ready for June and
then August we at the training camp.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
What Jordan Hudson is is a catalyst for change. And
what Bill Belichick is is that change. And when I
hired Mike Lombardi, Mike Lombardi's one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
I know Mike.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
He's a hundred percent of an NFL guy. So I
look at Carolina like I look at Colorado with Dion,
like I look at Oregon with Chip Kelly. How does
Colorado catch a BYU? How do they catch And I'm
not saying Colorado is going to catch Alabama? But baby steps.
Carolina is a basketball school. That's all they are. They're
a basketball school and the only way for them to
(29:51):
catch a Clemson.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Is this Now.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
J Mac on a daily basis You have gone back
and forth on Belichick and Jordan Hudson and Carolina, But
do you buy My argument is this is how the
little guy catches a big guy. They look at Clemson,
who's dug their feet in, and they said, we're going
the opposite of Clemson.
Speaker 5 (30:13):
Yeah. When I had the website, the big lead, you
remember that I couldn't just cover sports the way the
mainstream media covered sports. I had to find certain angles
that would get me to get attraction and people would
notice the website. So, just like UNC going a different route,
I had to That's the way the underdog always operates.
I will say, though, Colin, this whole beauty pageant stuff,
(30:35):
and it is getting a little weird in the timing
of all of it coming out, just as he's promoting
a book and now she's getting offered dancing with the stars. Colin, Man,
I know you.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Liked this story. I'm just troubled by it.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
I don't know, Man, Well, we talked about this yesterday
when I heard the story about family concerns about Belichick.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
This is not a guy in the basement. You have
to feed soft foods too.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
He's making ten million, He's got control of the program,
and they brought him in. Let's be honest, they brought
Bill Belichick in for a pro model. This is what,
by the way, Alabama was Saban. Saban saw the change.
He didn't want to wait around until it was an
entirely pro model. I mean, one of the reasons Saban
liked college over the NFL is he liked the college
(31:24):
model where he had more control than once. The players
can transfer and need to be paid. It's more of
a pro model. And Saban's like, no, I dominated the
old model.
Speaker 7 (31:33):
You know.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Mike Krzyzewski. Jay Wright saw this. Jay Wright and Mike Skrzewski.
The Mike was getting to the age you retire. But
Jay Williams, Jay Wright could have coached for another five years.
But Jay is like, I don't want to be an
NBA coach. This is a little Dabosweeney. I want to
be a college coach. I built a college power the
sports changing, It's like, I'm good with it. I'll broadcast it,
but I don't want to be in it. I respect that.
(31:55):
But Caroline is just saying, we want to beat Clemson.
To beat Clemson, we can't be Clemson, right, we gotta
go Oregon used.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
To look up at USC. My entire life.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
They looked up at Washington, and Washington and USC had
these traditional helmets and these traditional uniforms, and Washington got
all upset years ago when they decided to change the
Huskies pants to white for a game. People freaked out.
Oregon's like, we're gonna have a million uniforms, and I
just I look at this whole thing. And by the way,
transition is messy. We're seeing it in government now. Some
(32:28):
will work, some won't. The cuts will be too deep,
will be problems. But when you're trying to make a
radical change like Carolina, this stuff, there's turbulence.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
It's gonna be a bumpy flight.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
So I kind of look at Jordan Hudson and I'm like,
this is part of She's a catalyst. Bill's a catalyst,
The NFL models a catalyst, and Carolina is a basketball school.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
So I'm gonna support all the mess That's a good one,
you know. An idea for ms Hudson.
Speaker 5 (32:52):
Perhaps he could gift I don't know, a private jet
to North Carolina for the basketball coach and everyone else
to use, and then she wins them over. You know,
I hear that's a good move to make to kind
of appease people who.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Are coming after you.
Speaker 5 (33:05):
I don't know it's an option for Jorde Hudson A listen.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
That felt a little snarky to me, but I do
appreciate it here on Oesday.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Yeah, come on. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Herd weekdays in neon eastern nine am Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
And without a guy, I respect a lot Michael Hawley,
NBC Sports, Boston, New York Times Bestsellers, joining US Lives.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
There was a ton going on in Boston. How are you, Michael.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
It's great to see you again, but continued success for you.
Speaker 7 (33:33):
Hey, good to see you too, Colin.
Speaker 11 (33:35):
I'm doing great, just getting ready for the depression that
is certainly coming tonight at Boston Garden.
Speaker 7 (33:42):
And I think it's.
Speaker 11 (33:44):
Officially a home game, Colin for the Celtics, but there
have been a lot of Knicks fans at Game one,
Game two.
Speaker 7 (33:51):
I'd say it.
Speaker 11 (33:52):
Was probably seventy five percent Celtics fans, twenty five percent Nicks.
Who knows some of your Celtics season tickets ticket holders
and say I'm all my tickets.
Speaker 7 (34:01):
Let these New Yorkers come in and celebrate.
Speaker 11 (34:03):
So I think it's going to be a fifty to
fifty atmosphere, a lot of orange and blue at the
Garden tonight.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
So it's interesting.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Obviously, the Tatum injury is awful, but new owner five
hundred million dollars pay roll, Horford, old Drew Holiday looked
really old porzingis not.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
The mystery illness.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
Could I not argue, and I know it, forget the
Tatum injury, but they were going to lose this series
to me, pre Tatum injuries. Four minutes before that injury,
New York was making every basket and had total control.
Could I not argue, regardless of the Tatum injury, that
getting knocked out is a little bit of a wake
up call that there are still elements here that it
(34:47):
needed tweaking. Anyway, what you don't want to become is
Milwaukee holding on to something after a title or Denver
now Michael holding on to Denver's not a title team.
Milwaukee got wailed. It is a glimmer of hope. Losing
to the Knicks is a little bit of a wake
up call.
Speaker 11 (35:04):
Maybe Yeah, it's just Colin, you know what, you know,
how it is New York Boston. You're right, but it's
you don't want the wake up call to come.
Speaker 7 (35:15):
Now in the second round. I supposed to come with
New Yorkers involved Boston, New York.
Speaker 11 (35:23):
That goes back years. But I would say this, I
think that was coming anyway. So let's say they win
the championship. Let's say they sweep New York and they
take on Indiana and beat them, they win the championship again. Well,
Drew Holliday was unlikely to come back because of these
payroll issues. For Zingis was unlikely to come back. Either
Horford's going to retire or go somewhere else, so they
(35:46):
had some tweaking to do. Anyway, This wasn't This wasn't necessary.
I mean, you can't lose back to back games at
home at the start of the series the way they did.
Like look at Game one, They're up by twenty points
in that game and the Knicks come back and win it.
(36:06):
So you could say, we'll never let that happen again.
We won't miss forty five threes again, we won't shoot
like that.
Speaker 7 (36:14):
And they came back in the next game.
Speaker 11 (36:17):
They were up by twenty and they did the same
thing again. So I don't know if that's a talent
issue or is that just your perspective is all wrong,
your philosophy is all wrong and you need to adjust that.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
Yeah, I thought Joe Mozoula has had a bad series.
I'm not somebody I used to Alway joke with Bill Simmons.
I said, you're too tough on coaches.
Speaker 7 (36:36):
Yehine, that's an understatement.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Yeah, I mean I said this. He has one we
has one club in his golf bag. It's like, guys,
when the three shots aren't falling, iso ball top of
the arc is not good enough. You watch Chris Finch
pull levers Spulstra curve for years, Tom Thibodeaux pull levers.
I don't think Joe has pulled the right levers. I
don't think they're gonna j Mack has said on my
show if Missoula gets embarrassed, he could be gone. And
(37:00):
as a former coach, I don't see Brad Stevens as
a run him out of the building guy to you.
Speaker 11 (37:07):
No, no, And the Celtics not only is Brad Stevens
not that guy, the Celtics aren't that organization. I'm trying
to think about the last time they fired. I guess
the last time they fired a coach, and it was
an unusual circumstance.
Speaker 7 (37:21):
It was Eme Udoka.
Speaker 11 (37:22):
But Doc Rivers was there for nine years, Brad Stevens
was there for nine or ten years. They had the
Udoka situation. But they loved Missoula and what he's doing.
This is not in a philosophy that he invented. It's
something that he endorses, but this is organizational. They loved
(37:44):
re Over too, and we like the pressure it puts
on defenses. We got guys who can shoot it, and
we're going to take advantage of it. So he has
had bad series before. I don't think this series, even
using in five games, which is a real possibility, I
don't think that will get him out to do it.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
So I just defended Belichick.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
I said, listen, you could be Uber trying to overtake Taxis.
You could be Oregon. Years ago, when I was on
the West coast, Michael was looking up at Washington and
USC and UCLA and they said, you know what, those
are traditional powers.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
We're going to wear a thousand uniforms.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
We're going to hire this guy from New Hampshire, Chip Kelly,
have offensive play every thirteen seconds.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
We are a disruptor.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
And now Oregon looks down at all those schools and
they're not Penn State. The advantage of not having great tradition.
You can go New North Carolina looks at Clemson. Now
Clemson's dug their feet in no nil, no portal, and
Carolina is like, you know what we're gonna do an Oregon,
We're going to go to a pro model. We're gonna
(38:48):
hire Belichick, Mike Lombardi. We're gonna go total pro model
or a basketball school. And Jordan Hudson and Bill are
actually simultaneously catalysts for the change. She's beautiful and cool
on social Bill's an NFL guy, not a college guy.
I am defending they are being disruptive and that is
(39:08):
the only way, Michael, as you know, to catch the
big dog, to catch Taxis is to be uber and
do it the opposite way. But that said twenty four
and seventy three makes people uncomfortable. How is it playing
for iconic Belichick in New England? What do people think
in Boston?
Speaker 11 (39:28):
They're freaked out. They're freaked out by the college and
I am too. This is so, this is so out
of character. For him not being in love or in like.
Speaker 12 (39:45):
Whatever he is with a beautiful woman. That's not out
of character for Bill. What's out of character is the
loss of control. He is a grade A control freak.
He doesn't like anybody to speak for him. He handles medias.
Speaker 11 (40:00):
You can argue sometimes he handles them poorly, but he
handles them himself. He doesn't like to be out there
and anybody to kind of represent him in a way
that makes him uncomfortable.
Speaker 7 (40:10):
But this has all changed, and I know we try
to walk it back.
Speaker 11 (40:14):
A little bit and saying Jordan has nothing to do
with North Carolina football.
Speaker 7 (40:17):
I don't believe that he gave her.
Speaker 11 (40:21):
He gave her power, and I don't think he has
taken that power away. She's not going to be as
visible with North Carolina football, but I believe she's going
to have a lot to do with it. So it's
just it's not the Bill Belichick that we saw. It's
not the on the Cincinnati Belichick. It's not the guy
grumbling in front of the media and giving you one
and two word answers. It's actually Belichick stepping back and
(40:43):
letting someone else come forward.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
It's shocking, So I was telling a friend.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
That was grumbling about politics in America, and he was grumbling.
He said, my party, Democrats were lost, and I said, listen,
Democrats were lost pre Clinton, then they weren't. Republicans were
lost pre Reagan, then they weren't.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
I said, if you.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
Find the right person, it's amazing what happens to a
political party. And I feel this about the NFL. Patriots
are lost. I think Drake May is the next Justin Herbert.
I think Grabel's great, and I think they will be
the most improved team in the league. The last three
years they have been lost. They've been toned af to offense,
(41:25):
they can't draft. I think this is the beginning of
a great ten to twelve year run.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Are people that I really do?
Speaker 1 (41:34):
I think again, I think if Michael It's a quarterback
coach league Buffalo was a mess, then they're not. I
think this is the beginning of the next great chapter.
Are you that optimistic?
Speaker 11 (41:49):
I am not that optimistic yet, So ten to twelve
years that's saying a lot. And and you kind of
toned it down because didn't I hear you say. I said,
I'm so glad we're talking today. I'm not gonna talk
to Colin about this. Didn't you say they're going from
worse to first? You got them in first place in
twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
No, I said, I said, they're gonna make the playoffs.
They're gonna be the they're gonna be. Every year, I
pick a team that's gonna double their win total. Last
year it was Washington, This year it's New England. The
year before, by the way, it was the Rams, who
were considered a rebuild team and made the playoffs. Year
before that it was Minnesota. I may stink picking winners
against the spread. I'm really good on finding a cruddy
(42:30):
team that gets good. And I think Gerard Mayo was
a wonderful guy, but I think he was a classic coordinator,
not a head coach. I think Rabel's worth four and
a half points alone.
Speaker 11 (42:41):
Again, okay, I'll give you that. I love Mike Rabel,
and I don't know if I've ever told you this story.
I covered him in high school. We were about the
same age, by the way. Okay, I had just started
at the Akron Beacon Journal, and he was at a
high school called Walt's Jesuit and he was a defense
have been tight end and the same wise ass then
(43:05):
that he is right now.
Speaker 7 (43:06):
So I've known for a long time. I root for him.
I'm a big fan of his.
Speaker 11 (43:11):
But I think their talent got to the point because
of Belichick.
Speaker 7 (43:15):
Their talent was so low.
Speaker 11 (43:17):
I mean, I think there are bottom five talent in
the league, and this infusion of free agents and draft picks,
I think best case scenario probably gets them to the
middle of the pack talent wise. They still have some
work to do, so I think they'll be much improved.
Speaker 7 (43:33):
I got them at seven or eight wins, Max.
Speaker 11 (43:36):
I'd be really surprised if they find enough in year
one under Rabel to get into the playoffs, because it's
just too much damage done the last four or five years.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
Finally, I want to circle back to the Knicks and
the Celtics. Is I think one of the things I
love about sports is the cultural changes. Three point shots
in the NBA. But it's really interesting. These playoff have
been fascinating, Michael, because the NBA has always swallowed the
whistle in the postseason.
Speaker 3 (44:05):
This year it's a tug of war, it's a fistfight.
And I'm going to.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
Make the argument circling back to this that if this
is what the league is going to allow.
Speaker 3 (44:14):
In May and June.
Speaker 1 (44:16):
That the Knicks today are better built than the Celtics
going forward, big physical, defensive coach, get a bucket superstar
guard that they don't. The Knicks don't need a massive swing.
They need to get more consistent at center. Can't can't
defend Mitchell Robinson, can't hit a free throw. But the
(44:38):
league this analytics sounds great, Michael, until the league says, yet,
we're going to officiate the playoffs totally differently than the
regular season, and that New York may be better built
going forward.
Speaker 7 (44:52):
I might buy that.
Speaker 11 (44:53):
If the league says we're going to be consistent with this,
we'll go back. We won't go back to the nineties
when the Knicks and Rockets were in the playoffs and
all those scores were was awful. All those scores were
in the seventies and eighties. We're not going to go
back there.
Speaker 7 (45:07):
But we're not going to allow just anybody. We're not
going to allow for nest ball.
Speaker 11 (45:12):
We'll do something in the middle that's right by that
I'll say right now. And I didn't think this last week.
Speaker 7 (45:19):
A better team the Celtics. YEP, But Colin I got
something for you.
Speaker 11 (45:24):
I'll tell you who's better than both of them, and
my pick to win the NBA Championship.
Speaker 7 (45:30):
Oh, get ready, Indiana Pacers.
Speaker 11 (45:33):
The Indiana Pacers I think are more physical than the Knicks.
Speaker 7 (45:38):
I think they're better than the Knicks.
Speaker 11 (45:40):
And I know New York says, hey, we had you
know we didn't have Jalen Brunson last year. He got
heard and broke his wrist. The Pacers are a team.
We're talking about Celtics in New York.
Speaker 7 (45:49):
We need to be talking more about the Pacers.
Speaker 11 (45:51):
And I think with your theory what the NBA allows,
I think that suits the Pacers more than anybody else
in basketball.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
Well, Haliburton and Kate and Clark. Middle of the country's
got their basketball point guards ready to go. Michael Holly,
who's been doing great work forever and New York Times
best selling offer multiple books on Belichick, looks about twenty
nine years old.
Speaker 3 (46:11):
You do not age, my friend.
Speaker 1 (46:12):
You are sharp, and I swear to God, Vrabel is
starting to look like me, and you look as always.
You do great work. You know I respect the heck addie.
I appreciate you coming on.
Speaker 7 (46:22):
I appreciate you man. Anytime you know that Colin
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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