June 23, 2025 • 31 mins
There have been 7 different teams who have won the NBA title over the last 7 years. Which means it is now harder to have a dynasty in the NBA
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
My mike was non Alexi Lallis, Hall of Famer Fox
Sports Soccer analyst a man I lean on often agree
and disagree with. I don't view you as controversial, but
the soccer people get very feisty with you.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Yeah. I don't view me as controversial either.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
As a matter of fact, we were just talking about
being a man of the people you claim to be
one I have been for many many years.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Can I do realize just for one second?
Speaker 5 (00:58):
What's your name over there? Martin Martin Martin?
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah, yeah, Martin Martin mart.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
I came on air today and we were backstage and
he was talking to me. It was the most the
kindest thing that's happened to me in a long time.
He was explaining that doesn't know anything about soccer, has
not watched soccer. Quite honest, isn't necessarily interested in soccer,
but he was saying that oftentimes when he sees me
talking about soccer, he sees that I have a passion
(01:23):
for it and I'm excited about it, and it gets
him excited about it. And that was just one of
the nicest things that anybody said to me in a
long time.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
So I really appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
And if that's happening, great, And we say in television,
as you know, if you're not excited about it.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Why should the viewer be excited?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Well, and I'm ridden with anxiety, so I said. At
the last World Cup we hold England scoreless. Netherlands is
an elite club. We're not there, but it was a
good test point for us. Here's a veteran, strong, physically
aggressive team. We're not there. We need four years. We
had all these on ball, midfield, poolistic, westn McKinnie so hopeful.
(02:03):
Then Burhalter, who I liked, maybe didn't love, gets booted
Parisio Pozatito, who has a history at Tottenham Hotspur of
young playing young players, and my take is, okay, I
don't need to see the second unit. So we go
into this friendly nosedive and Polisic doesn't play and it
feels like the wheels are coming off, and yet we
(02:25):
have a plus seven point differential. We're the highest scoring
team now. And my take is is it just bad
competition or do you feel better than you did two
weeks ago when this team was in a four game
skid friendlies albeit friendlies, but a four game skid.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
So quick answer is I feel better. And I think
winning just does that. It's it's not a magic elixir,
but it certainly helps you make you feel better. And
we also understand that success is not linear.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Right.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
So back in the previous World Cup when we were
talking about this team, but we're also talking about how
young they were yes week, strapolated it out. I don't
think in the summer of twenty twenty five we would
have envisioned that we would be here with this type
of anger and concern and angst and as I said
before last time I was on the show, an apathy.
So what this team in this moment has started to
(03:16):
do is kind of claw back some of that relevancy,
some of that caring belief. If you will, it's not
all there. Rob Stone and I were joking that when
we started this tournament, a lot.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Of people with their arms folded.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Right after the first round, like you said, undefeated, three wins,
sitting pretty maybe hands are out.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
In the pockets.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Now what is hopefully going to happen at the end
of the tournament is people start to embrace this team
and to clap. But to use I guess another sports analogy.
In the baseball game, right, they take batting practice, right, and.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
They throw the ball so that you.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Can hit and you can get a flow, and you
can get a feel and a rhythm and all that
kind of stuff. So I think that's what this group
stage was for this US team. Not in great competition.
They did what they needed to do, but they got
kind of a mojo back about winning. Now we get
into the elimination round. Costa Rica is a whole other level.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
So in my life, it could be Tim Howard, it
could be Brad Friedel, Casey Keller. We've been a hands country.
We have good goalies. We've always had goalies. Sometimes it's
been our best asset. Matt Freeze yesterday, really bad moment.
He Froze. I don't think they trust Turner. I wouldn't
(04:30):
trust Freeze after yesterday. This is a problem. So as
we've gotten more skilled. Now on the back end, there
are major concerns, are there not?
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Evidently as a soccer nation, we can't do two things
at once.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
I mean, how do we screw up goalkeeping?
Speaker 4 (04:45):
I mean that for so many years, like you mentioned,
all of the greats when it comes to goalkeeping, and
now we're at a point where we don't know who
our goalkeeper is, and even the goalkeepers that we have
are okay.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
And I think I'm.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Just excited to the fact that come next summer in
the World Cup twenty twenty six, we're going to have
a goalkeeper, whether it's Matt Turner, whether it's Freeze, whether
it's somebody else out there that we just kind of say, eh.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
But now isn't good enough.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Well, Maricio Pochettino, the new coach, is very aggressive. He
is not going to play. You know, for most of
my life, certainly on the teams you played, losing once
to a Brazilian team want nothing that went on to
win the World Cup is you were known for defense.
You were a great defender. You were a physical team.
You had to be. We have more offensive skill now,
we have more midfield creativity, and that allows us to
(05:35):
be more aggressive. So my take is, can you maintain
that aggressiveness because that's Pochattino style if you don't trust
the goal keeping.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Yeah, I mean goalkeepers are necessary evil, right, You can't
live with him, you can't throw them off a bridge,
but they will save your ass and in that moment
you accept and recognize that for all their eccentricities, and
they are.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
There kickers in the NFL exactly.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
So, because in that moment you need them to make
this and make the safe. And from a US perspective, traditionally,
historically we have had somebody back there that when it
breaks down, and it will break down, they come through
and that's important. And if we don't have that going forward, yeah,
I think that's a problem. But it goes back to
what you said about as we've tried to evolve, as
we've tried to progress as a soccer playing nation and
(06:23):
how we play, we just got to be careful not
to throw the baby out with the bathwater, because the
traits and behaviors and characteristics and personality that have been
established over the decades, there's some good stuff there. I'm
not saying we can't get better, and I'm not saying
we can't add.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
But some of that, you know, the physical play, the
set pieces.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
You know, the h for lack of a better word,
the spirit fight, all that kind of stuff that still
has to be maintained while still improving when it comes
to the skill and the technique.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
So if you look how we've pivoted from anxiety and
arms cross to now hands in our pockets over the
course of ten days, it leads me to believe that
when Adams or a McKinney or a Christian policic come back,
we'll have plenty of time to write the ship. So
I want you to take us because this is the
(07:12):
last major tournament before.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Last tournament period and least competitive situation.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
So take me. I'm you know me. I don't consider
myself a casual. I watch every time they're on television.
I watch, but a lot of our audience is. So
my take is you can play friendlies Puchatino. I could
go to USA Soccer and say I want more travel.
I want what do you expect if we thrive or
(07:39):
struggle going forward in this tournament. I need polistic western McKinney.
I need our top six players to play together consistently.
Does the schedule permit it with their European access.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
Yeah, there is specific windows, but the reality is that
we're only going to have eight to ten more games
before the World Cup kicksaw okay, and so yeah, that's
not a lot. I think best case scenario for Pochettino.
And I think Pochettino has been biting his tongue. I
think some of the things that he has seen, whether
it's Christian Polisic or others out there, and I guess
(08:11):
the old Guard, which we know is still kind of
still young, but it's still the old Guard, has made
him think about some things. And you know this and
your viewers know this. When it comes to sports, any sport,
it's not about the best players.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
It's about the best collection of players.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
And as he starts to think about it, I think
some of his decisions are going to be made. I
think this person, while not necessarily as talented as this person,
this person's going to run through a wall for me,
and this person isn't going to cause me problems. And
this person doesn't think that there you know what doesn't stink.
And I think there will be some messages sent and
(08:46):
I think there will be that will elicitit some consternation
out there because there undoubtedly is incredible quality that is
not with his team right now, but ultimately for Pochettino,
he's being paid rumored six million dollars a year to
do well in the World Cup. And whatever he feels
is appropriate to do well in the World Cup, whatever
that group is, that's what.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
He That's what he is being paid to pick.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Is it possible that our young players understand the Polisic
decision better than the staff does. And I've defended Polistic
because I have said, for the first time in my life,
we have multiple players flourishing abroad. And whereas I've seen
this in basketball. If you look at Jokic, he plays
in the Olympics, and he plays in the NBA Cash
(09:31):
and Country. Lebron Cash and Country, the FOBA Basketball tournament
they called Cam Johnson, right, they'll call it Derek White.
Is that our basketball stars have said, listen, man, we'll
play for the country. It's cash first. Well Ac Milan
for Polisics to cash and he'll be at the World Cup.
And I'm saying this is a new frontier. Is that
(09:53):
our best players look at this tournament and think I
got to make choices. This will no longer make the cut.
Does that irritate you?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
That irritates me.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
It irritates me because it lacks self awareness or just
general awareness of where we are right now. You know,
I mentioned the angst and the apathy that has crept
into this team. Now we are less than a year
from the twenty twenty six World Cup. I'm sitting in
this chair because of the nineteen ninety four World Cup.
We remember the nineteen ninety nine Women's World Cup. These
(10:23):
were seminal moments that didn't just change the way we
think about soccer, it ultimately changed soccer in our country.
And twenty twenty six can have that again. And so
a part of me says, you're abdicating that responsibility, Christian
Polistic or anybody else, because as people are kind of eh,
(10:44):
I don't only think about this team or I feel
like they're not that good a year before the World Cup.
That's ridiculous. So anything that you could do or I
put myself and I know I'm old guys, so it's
a different game, but I put myself in those shoes.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Why wouldn't I.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Do any anything in my power to do everything I
could to make sure that this is as successful as possible,
which includes energizing or re energizing, igniting or reigniting the
fan base out there that right now isn't showing a
whole lot.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Of excitement about what's going to happen next summer.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Give me a player or two, but this is mostly
our second this is well not mostly, it's our second
tier group. But are there give me two players watching
them when they play coast a riga that you think
could make the World Cup team.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Oh, there's definitely some players that will make it. I
even think a guy like Chris Richards, who is a
young player who's a center back, I think he's actually
right now a starter. And I'll be the first to
raise my hand. This probably happens in a lot of
other sports when when players are young, you look at
them and you're like, yeah, I don't get it.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
I don't see it doesn't quite move me.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
And yet, after a few years, because he was there
was an aloofness to the way that he played and
a lack of, for lack of a better word, seriousness
to the way they played. But he realized this is
his job. And yet he'd never lost this incredible smile
and joy. So I think he's going to be really
really important and he has matured into a man on
the field. Diego Luna is a kind of a wild card,
(12:13):
just bringing an incredible grit, young player, and I think
you just you see him on the field and you.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Say that's my guy, because he'll he'll run through the
wall for you.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
So those those are a couple of players that I
think you look at when this Costa Rica game comes up.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Next Sunday Wednesday, next time, Poulisic will join the lads
in a friendly.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Well if he is called in by Puchettino, because again
Huchettino like say, well you didn't want to come in
this summer. Maybe I'm going to go in a different direction,
not leaving him off, but again who knows, maybe he
sends messages.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
September there is a window and the US will be
playing games in September. Those will be friendly games. They're
not you know there.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
When is the ac Milan season start.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
So that starts in the end of August, so you
know the European season starts, but those windows, they're not
playing in Italy at that time, so all the Italian
players that are the players that he plays on it with.
Aci Milan will then go to their respective clubs in
that window to prepare for the World Cup.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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Speaker 3 (13:17):
Hi, this is Jay.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
I'm the producer of the Paula and Toni Fusco Show.
Usually in these promos they ask you to listen to
the show. I'm here to ask you please don't listen
to the show. The hosts are two absolute morons who
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Speaker 5 (13:32):
What the hell are you doing in our studio? Get him,
paul Ignore that fool.
Speaker 7 (13:40):
Listen to the Pauline Toni Fusco Show on the iHeartRadio
app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
He's still moving.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
So finally, what you know, Fochatino. We always blame the coach.
We always blame the manager here in the States, they
always do. Is there something that you either like or
are concerned about with our new guy? Is there is
there something that if I said, you know, actually, I
(14:08):
got a minute here. I'm a jump on a train.
Where are you on? The new guy?
Speaker 4 (14:13):
So what I'm concerned about is, this is a coach
who's never coached internationally, and coaching club is day in
and day out. Coaching coaching internationally is you got three
days here, three days here, and it's just it's a
very different type of proposition. So my concern would be
that he didn't do his due diligence in what he
has to work with and therefore what the realistic expectations are,
(14:37):
and now the reality is coming into into focus for him,
and he might have had the best laid plans and
now he has to pivot. That's a concern, but but
I'm okay in that. I hope he gets through that
and gets to the other side. If he is going
through that, maybe he's got it all planned out and
he's this has all been part of the master plan,
(14:57):
and he sees, you know, all the way around the corner,
which is next summer. What I like about him is
that I don't think he suffers fools, and I don't
think he cares how much money you make, how famous
you are, you, what has been said about you. He
will choose what he thinks on the field is going
to enable.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Him to win.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
And if you're not on board, I don't think that
he is going to have you on board.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Yeah, we're not the same team without Pulisic.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
No, no, and the politics. It's okay that we had
this moment and this controversy. He's going to be there.
Nobody's ever questioned his ability and his talent when he
gets on the field. And so if he needed a rest, fine,
I can disagree, and it can rub me the wrong way,
but ultimately take this rest. But now the illness is
on Christian Policic when he comes back, because there's no
(15:48):
more excuses, and I would expect to see the best
version of Christian Policic because we acquiesced he got what
he wanted. Fine, it's not a power play, but he
got what he wanted, all right, Now bring it back
and give us the best version arrested Christian Polisic, who
has a good another good season with ac Milan and
then comes all guns blazing next summer for the greatest
(16:10):
country in the world.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
It's great to see you. It's great to see you.
It's great to see you.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
I mean, I told you I walked in here, I
got one of the greatest compliments I've ever gotten.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
So and Martin doesn't hand him out much. Oh, it
can be irrascable and difficult. I mean the fact that
he was just so easy going. John Middlecoff, Thanks buddy
with the news.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
Turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
This is the Herdline news.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
Okay Gollan.
Speaker 7 (16:34):
Terry McLaurin skipped mandatory mini camp as he looks for
a new contract from the Commanders. McLaurin is entering the
final year of his current deal, coming off a career
high thirteen touchdowns. According to Albert Breer, McLaurin is looking
for something in the thirty million dollars per year range, now,
adding that.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
He thinks eventually the two sides will agree to a deal.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Well, you can do it for about three years with
Jayden and I. I also think McLaurin has I think
fairly been probably underpaid for a bit of his career.
There's a you know sometime you know this is a
scout there. It's a position that creates personality and it
can be in flame position. McLaurin is a grinder. He
(17:16):
is a wake up put on the gear deliver that's
one of those guys I don't love. I think there's
a bit of a wide receiver bubble economically in the league.
I really like him.
Speaker 7 (17:27):
I think there are some parallels, you know, production wise
in this offense. He's never going to be one hundred
and twenty catch a year guy, no like Tamar Chase.
But the going rate for these guys is thirty one,
thirty two.
Speaker 5 (17:38):
Thirty three million dollars. We saw Brandon Ayuk last year,
seventy five catch a year guy.
Speaker 7 (17:42):
They regretted that immediately. Now I feel like mclaurin's one
of the heart beats of this team.
Speaker 5 (17:47):
Oh I do too.
Speaker 7 (17:47):
Hadn't missed the gaming year's total tough guy. Adam Peters,
longtime John Lynch, you know right hand man has seen
these holdouts up close and personal debo years ago. Trent Williams,
Nick Bosa, he has an understanding.
Speaker 5 (18:01):
Like they got a lot of good vibes coming into
this year.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
Why is Laramie Tunzel on their team?
Speaker 7 (18:05):
He wants a lot of money too, you know, Deebo
Samuel contract here, So this is there's a lot going
on here. But they got a veteran coach. They got
a GM. That's while he's a younger guy, he's been
around the block. A lot of pressure on this team
to you know, it's it's easy when you get to
sneak up on everybody. They're not sneaking up on a
soul this year, going.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Yeah, And I do think I like the Debo acquisition.
I think, listen, when you're sometimes you draft a quarterback
like JJ McCarthy and it's bad luck they get hurt,
or it's Panics and they're not quite ready, or how
it's few when you get a guy as good as
Jayden and like over delivers. And I don't know if
I remember a rookie quarterback being that good, including Andrew Locke,
(18:45):
you almost owe it to him to go big on offense.
Draft your defense, keep it cheap and twitchy. Do kind
of what the chief certain rams are doing. Now, keep
your defense cheap. But they know Matt Stafford's got a
couple of years left. We're loading up the offense. I
think this kid for years, when he's this good, you
almost owe him a run. Because Philadelphia is the only
(19:08):
team I look at and think they're not beating Philly consistently.
Outside of that, I think they match up with a
lot of teams.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
Well, I mean they beat Detroit last year.
Speaker 7 (19:15):
Now Detroit was injured, but I would say that they
have added a lot more firepower just talent wise on
their team coming into year two of this regime. Okay,
Colin the Jacks. They have officially signed Travis Hunter to
a rookie deal over the weekend. Yeah, landing a thirty
point five to seven million dollars signing bonus paid upfront.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
Good in Florida.
Speaker 7 (19:36):
Hunter is the first non quarterback not drafted first overall
to get the signing bonus entirely upfront. Hunter has spent
the majority of votas in minicamp working on offense, but
he did the vote at least one full practice on
defense so far.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
I contend that you got to make Trevor Lawrence work.
I want him getting ten targets. I think, you know
how sometimes when you're trying to discover with Caleb Williams,
is he gonna work? You load up the offense. I mean,
Chicago's paying a lot of money for a lot of
people because they have to figure out in the next
seventeen games, is Caleb Worthen Jacksonville's already signed the deal.
(20:18):
So my take, it's almost like Dak go get George Pickens.
You're paying all this money for Dak. It has to work.
I think Trevor Lawrence at this point. I know Travis
can play defense, but we have to make this thing
work or financially as an organization. If Trevor Lawrence doesn't work,
if you decide it just it doesn't hit, where are
(20:38):
you then? So to me, I want to see him
be a twelve target guy.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (20:44):
I don't think it's possible to go both ways starting
out like he did in Colorado.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
I mean, the Big twelve's not exactly the NFL.
Speaker 7 (20:50):
But I also think you know what would a team
do if you put him out a corner, they would
pull a tackle. You're like, okay, he weighs one hundred
and eighty five pounds, so I think easing him in offense.
It's clearly I think that was the the mindset when
they picked them. But playing every down on defense, have
you seen the wide receivers in this league con the
guys you have to cover, and even John Harbaugh earlier
this offseason said they are not enough hours in the
(21:13):
day to do this and he liked the player, but
he's like.
Speaker 5 (21:15):
This is this is crazy.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
And I also think even if you're a great corner,
there's ways to manipulate it so you're less effective. I mean,
nobody's throwing to Patrick Sirtan Sauce Gardner was amazing and
then he suddenly wasn't. Jalen Ramsey aged past a receiver
with a top quarterback feels like they can last a
long time if they get along and if.
Speaker 7 (21:39):
He's good with Brian Thomas with the quarter I mean
the quarterback. A lot of pressure on him to succeed
this year. Like you said, Okay, last but not least
the Ravens they made it made a big addition to
their secondary last week, signing former Packer corner JayR.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
Alexander after his release from the Packers.
Speaker 7 (21:54):
Lamar Jackson played a role in recruiting the pro bowler,
and Marlon Humphrey spoke to adding Alexander of the defense.
Speaker 8 (22:02):
A quote that's never been said and probably will never
be said in NFL history is we got too many
corners that can cover. So I think that's a great
that's a great problem to have, and I'm really excited
to for that addition. Obviously he just got off the plane,
but I'm super excited to add him. I think we'll
add Mesh really well with the team and they'll be uh,
(22:23):
it'll be a good second hear.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
This to me. After Philadelphia is in the running for
second best roster in the league. Baltimore is pretty good.
Speaker 7 (22:31):
They have been for a while. I mean, defense is
never going to be their issue. They have lost in
these playoff games. You know Lamar the two turnovers last year,
Mark Andrews dropped, He did not play well two years
ago against the Chiefs. If the Lamar Jackson that we
have seen become a superstar these last couple of years
can put those games against Josh and Mahomes, they can
win a super Bowl because their defense has been calling.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
They've been good for twenty five years.
Speaker 7 (22:55):
The Baltimore Ravens defense is actually the one I think
the way we talk about the Steelers, Steelers defense hasn't
been as good as they were way back in the day.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
And it's very TJ. Watt reliant.
Speaker 7 (23:05):
This team's got player young players, older players, veteran players,
Rokwan Smith, you know Wikets coming out of the draft
like him, Laarlon Humphrey resurrected his career moving into Nickel
last year. So I'm not worried about the Ravens on defense.
It's all about Lamar Jackson playing one up and in
these playoff games.
Speaker 5 (23:21):
That's that's really where they're at now.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yeah, John Middlecoff with the news.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The
Herd line news.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Joe has flown by today, Rick Buker and Alexei Lawless. Uh,
you know it's the NBA has moved into a sort
of a new Adam Silver era. I'm not sure what
to make of it. I felt last night it felt
like a little bit of a downer and didn't feel
like it had a lot of gravitas. But I'm happy
(23:55):
for okay, so and I'll wrap it up with some
thoughts on that coming up the Hurt.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter not a em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
So, as of last night, seven different NBA franchises have
won titles in seven years in succession. So I got
fooled a little bit. I thought Boston had a chance to,
you know, be a dominant repeat team. They were a
very good regular season road team this year kind of
quirky at home, and I thought Denver could not keep
(24:33):
really important pieces like Brown and the KCP. And you know,
Jokich feels like he just doesn't have enough support. He
didn't have another All Star. So I was saying, if
I take the last seven champions in terms of you know,
how good are they, none of them I believe are great.
I think you know, listen, if you're great, you win
multiple championships. Shaq and Kobe, Michael Jordan, Katie, Steph Duncan.
(24:58):
I mean, just San Antonio. Get to overlook. Duncan's arguably
a starter on the all time starting five man, who's
the best six man ever? And Tony Parker was an MVP,
and they had Bruce Bowen's you know, fighters, tough guys,
legendary coach, well funded, great international scouting, and that team's overlooked.
(25:19):
I think all those teams would take okay See to
the woodshed. Okase didn't have a consistent number two score.
Depth has never been that important. We don't talk about
depth with Michael Jordan's Bulls or Katie's Warriors. Depth wins,
now roster construction, the new Aprons and CBA. You have
to build with depth. So but I mean Sga is
(25:41):
their only dependable score and he's great, but he could
not shoot from three point land in this series twenty
four percent. So I would say of the seven last champions,
the weakest team was Toronto. Kawhi was absolutely a rental.
They were very Kawhi dependent offensively. In three rounds, they
went six plus games and got a very fortuitous bounce
(26:05):
against I think Philadelphia. So it was a team. It
was a great story, but a much better story than
an actual team. I would put the Thunder at you know,
number six. Listen, they don't have a number two score
of no consistently. Chet Holmgren will be much better over
the next three years than this year. I do think
the coaching is good, it's not sensational, and they were
(26:28):
five hundred on the road. I think the Bucks in
twenty twenty one because Jannis is better than Sga was
a much more dominant player on both ends of the floor.
Jannis was a basket if he got the ball within
five feet, and he was the best defensive player in
the league at that time. Chris Middleton drew Holiday. Now
they were a team. They were not a great team,
(26:48):
and they got old very fast, Chris Middleton especially, and
they fell behind o to two in series. So Milwaukee
again we thought maybe all time stuff, and they got
old two years later. I think number four as the Warriors.
It was their fourth title in an eight year run.
They you know, they missed KD. But I thought from
(27:09):
their coaching and their fortitude between Steph Clay Wiggins had
a nice final against Boston and Steve Kerran Draymond, I
think it was such an Intellectually, I think it's one
of the smartest teams ever, along with Lebron, Wade, Spolstra, Battier,
Ray Allen, those Hegel teams. I would put the Warriors
at number four. I would put the Nuggets at number
(27:29):
three because Jokich at that time had certified himself as
the best basketball player in the world. Dominant run in
the conference finals. In the finals, they only lost one game.
I was fooled by this team. They were so dominant,
so long, so confident. I love Malone the coach, but
again they lost some peripheral pieces and became very Jokic
(27:54):
centric in following years. I think number two is the Celtics,
who had the best roster by far of the last
Sean champions, but it was still Jalen Brown who was
winning MVP of the Conference finals in the finals, so
you were never quite sure who was going to take
that final shot. But they did not lose more than
one game in any series. Most would put them number one.
(28:15):
I would put the Lakers number one because I think
Ad is better than anybody on that Celtic team, and
Lebron at that point was better than anybody on that
Celtic team. And if you give me the two best
players in a series, I think I'll beat you. I
trust Lebron more than Tatum and Ad more than Jalen Brown.
They were not as deep as the Celtics. But don't
forget Alex Caruso was on that team before we all
(28:37):
knew who he was or realized how great he was.
And KCP was on that team. So now, yeah, they
also had the best record. People forget this. They had
the best record in the West before the league shut
down with COVID. So you're dinging them because of COVID,
and my takeaway is I'm giving them credit. That was
the quirky, weirdest year of sports in my life. Now,
(28:59):
Rick Yucker was apoplectic what I told him and showed
him my list.
Speaker 9 (29:04):
I agree with you at the bottom of the list,
but the fifth team should be the Los Angeles Lakers
winning in an antiseptic environment.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
No home court, no road.
Speaker 9 (29:17):
You just talked about the Oklahoma City Thunder having to
go through that. You have an Anthony Davis and Lebron
James who can't stay healthy through an entire season, and
we're gonna take three months off in the beginning. We're
gonna basically play two half seasons, and they win a
championship off of that, and you're gonna put them at.
Speaker 5 (29:31):
The top of the list.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Yes, I am now again it comes down to Lebron
ad in their prime or really close to it. I
think that's the best tandem of any team in this
seven year run. I mean, we have to be honest.
The Thunder are very good defensively. Who do you trust
after sje to hit a shot? Like? I think Jaylen
Williams is talented. I think j devis talented. He has
(29:57):
a big ceiling. He not there yet, He's still and
as sending player. So if you had to do this,
what would be your big push on this?
Speaker 7 (30:04):
I put the Lakers last Colin, but I've disliked the
Lakers for thirty years. I do think if you look
at the top teams over the last twenty twenty five years,
I don't think the Thunder would be a betting. They'd
be an underdog against the ball Katie Warrior, some of
the great lebron teams, some of the Spurs teams, obviously
the Kobe Shack. I mean, this is not the record,
(30:26):
and there are end results, but I don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
I saw a rating over the weekend. It's called the
I think it's called the SRR Jason, you may look
that up. You know, it's points four points against. It's
a fairly simplistic rating system. They said if Indie won
the title, they would be the weakest champion since the
nineteen seventy eight Washington Bullets, which was Elvin Hayes, West Hunseld,
Phil Schenier, Bobby Dandrich Kevin Grievy. I know I'm aging myself,
but I love that team. I didn't think that team
(30:51):
was weak at all, but they would be viewed as
one of the weaker teams. So it took a Halliburton
injury to ensure the championship. So hey, listen, congratulations, but
nobody in Oklahoma cares good for you. It's a great
day in Oklahoma, all right. We'll see you tomorrow
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon 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 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
My mike was non Alexi Lallis, Hall of Famer Fox
Sports Soccer analyst a man I lean on often agree
and disagree with. I don't view you as controversial, but
the soccer people get very feisty with you.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Yeah. I don't view me as controversial either.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
As a matter of fact, we were just talking about
being a man of the people you claim to be
one I have been for many many years.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Can I do realize just for one second?
Speaker 5 (00:58):
What's your name over there? Martin Martin Martin?
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah, yeah, Martin Martin mart.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
I came on air today and we were backstage and
he was talking to me. It was the most the
kindest thing that's happened to me in a long time.
He was explaining that doesn't know anything about soccer, has
not watched soccer. Quite honest, isn't necessarily interested in soccer,
but he was saying that oftentimes when he sees me
talking about soccer, he sees that I have a passion
(01:23):
for it and I'm excited about it, and it gets
him excited about it. And that was just one of
the nicest things that anybody said to me in a
long time.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
So I really appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
And if that's happening, great, And we say in television,
as you know, if you're not excited about it.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Why should the viewer be excited?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Well, and I'm ridden with anxiety, so I said. At
the last World Cup we hold England scoreless. Netherlands is
an elite club. We're not there, but it was a
good test point for us. Here's a veteran, strong, physically
aggressive team. We're not there. We need four years. We
had all these on ball, midfield, poolistic, westn McKinnie so hopeful.
(02:03):
Then Burhalter, who I liked, maybe didn't love, gets booted
Parisio Pozatito, who has a history at Tottenham Hotspur of
young playing young players, and my take is, okay, I
don't need to see the second unit. So we go
into this friendly nosedive and Polisic doesn't play and it
feels like the wheels are coming off, and yet we
(02:25):
have a plus seven point differential. We're the highest scoring
team now. And my take is is it just bad
competition or do you feel better than you did two
weeks ago when this team was in a four game
skid friendlies albeit friendlies, but a four game skid.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
So quick answer is I feel better. And I think
winning just does that. It's it's not a magic elixir,
but it certainly helps you make you feel better. And
we also understand that success is not linear.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Right.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
So back in the previous World Cup when we were
talking about this team, but we're also talking about how
young they were yes week, strapolated it out. I don't
think in the summer of twenty twenty five we would
have envisioned that we would be here with this type
of anger and concern and angst and as I said
before last time I was on the show, an apathy.
So what this team in this moment has started to
(03:16):
do is kind of claw back some of that relevancy,
some of that caring belief. If you will, it's not
all there. Rob Stone and I were joking that when
we started this tournament, a lot.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Of people with their arms folded.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Right after the first round, like you said, undefeated, three wins,
sitting pretty maybe hands are out.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
In the pockets.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Now what is hopefully going to happen at the end
of the tournament is people start to embrace this team
and to clap. But to use I guess another sports analogy.
In the baseball game, right, they take batting practice, right, and.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
They throw the ball so that you.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Can hit and you can get a flow, and you
can get a feel and a rhythm and all that
kind of stuff. So I think that's what this group
stage was for this US team. Not in great competition.
They did what they needed to do, but they got
kind of a mojo back about winning. Now we get
into the elimination round. Costa Rica is a whole other level.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
So in my life, it could be Tim Howard, it
could be Brad Friedel, Casey Keller. We've been a hands country.
We have good goalies. We've always had goalies. Sometimes it's
been our best asset. Matt Freeze yesterday, really bad moment.
He Froze. I don't think they trust Turner. I wouldn't
(04:30):
trust Freeze after yesterday. This is a problem. So as
we've gotten more skilled. Now on the back end, there
are major concerns, are there not?
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Evidently as a soccer nation, we can't do two things
at once.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
I mean, how do we screw up goalkeeping?
Speaker 4 (04:45):
I mean that for so many years, like you mentioned,
all of the greats when it comes to goalkeeping, and
now we're at a point where we don't know who
our goalkeeper is, and even the goalkeepers that we have
are okay.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
And I think I'm.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Just excited to the fact that come next summer in
the World Cup twenty twenty six, we're going to have
a goalkeeper, whether it's Matt Turner, whether it's Freeze, whether
it's somebody else out there that we just kind of say, eh.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
But now isn't good enough.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Well, Maricio Pochettino, the new coach, is very aggressive. He
is not going to play. You know, for most of
my life, certainly on the teams you played, losing once
to a Brazilian team want nothing that went on to
win the World Cup is you were known for defense.
You were a great defender. You were a physical team.
You had to be. We have more offensive skill now,
we have more midfield creativity, and that allows us to
(05:35):
be more aggressive. So my take is, can you maintain
that aggressiveness because that's Pochattino style if you don't trust
the goal keeping.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Yeah, I mean goalkeepers are necessary evil, right, You can't
live with him, you can't throw them off a bridge,
but they will save your ass and in that moment
you accept and recognize that for all their eccentricities, and
they are.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
There kickers in the NFL exactly.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
So, because in that moment you need them to make
this and make the safe. And from a US perspective, traditionally,
historically we have had somebody back there that when it
breaks down, and it will break down, they come through
and that's important. And if we don't have that going forward, yeah,
I think that's a problem. But it goes back to
what you said about as we've tried to evolve, as
we've tried to progress as a soccer playing nation and
(06:23):
how we play, we just got to be careful not
to throw the baby out with the bathwater, because the
traits and behaviors and characteristics and personality that have been
established over the decades, there's some good stuff there. I'm
not saying we can't get better, and I'm not saying
we can't add.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
But some of that, you know, the physical play, the
set pieces.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
You know, the h for lack of a better word,
the spirit fight, all that kind of stuff that still
has to be maintained while still improving when it comes
to the skill and the technique.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
So if you look how we've pivoted from anxiety and
arms cross to now hands in our pockets over the
course of ten days, it leads me to believe that
when Adams or a McKinney or a Christian policic come back,
we'll have plenty of time to write the ship. So
I want you to take us because this is the
(07:12):
last major tournament before.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Last tournament period and least competitive situation.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
So take me. I'm you know me. I don't consider
myself a casual. I watch every time they're on television.
I watch, but a lot of our audience is. So
my take is you can play friendlies Puchatino. I could
go to USA Soccer and say I want more travel.
I want what do you expect if we thrive or
(07:39):
struggle going forward in this tournament. I need polistic western McKinney.
I need our top six players to play together consistently.
Does the schedule permit it with their European access.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
Yeah, there is specific windows, but the reality is that
we're only going to have eight to ten more games
before the World Cup kicksaw okay, and so yeah, that's
not a lot. I think best case scenario for Pochettino.
And I think Pochettino has been biting his tongue. I
think some of the things that he has seen, whether
it's Christian Polisic or others out there, and I guess
(08:11):
the old Guard, which we know is still kind of
still young, but it's still the old Guard, has made
him think about some things. And you know this and
your viewers know this. When it comes to sports, any sport,
it's not about the best players.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
It's about the best collection of players.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
And as he starts to think about it, I think
some of his decisions are going to be made. I
think this person, while not necessarily as talented as this person,
this person's going to run through a wall for me,
and this person isn't going to cause me problems. And
this person doesn't think that there you know what doesn't stink.
And I think there will be some messages sent and
(08:46):
I think there will be that will elicitit some consternation
out there because there undoubtedly is incredible quality that is
not with his team right now, but ultimately for Pochettino,
he's being paid rumored six million dollars a year to
do well in the World Cup. And whatever he feels
is appropriate to do well in the World Cup, whatever
that group is, that's what.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
He That's what he is being paid to pick.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Is it possible that our young players understand the Polisic
decision better than the staff does. And I've defended Polistic
because I have said, for the first time in my life,
we have multiple players flourishing abroad. And whereas I've seen
this in basketball. If you look at Jokic, he plays
in the Olympics, and he plays in the NBA Cash
(09:31):
and Country. Lebron Cash and Country, the FOBA Basketball tournament
they called Cam Johnson, right, they'll call it Derek White.
Is that our basketball stars have said, listen, man, we'll
play for the country. It's cash first. Well Ac Milan
for Polisics to cash and he'll be at the World Cup.
And I'm saying this is a new frontier. Is that
(09:53):
our best players look at this tournament and think I
got to make choices. This will no longer make the cut.
Does that irritate you?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
That irritates me.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
It irritates me because it lacks self awareness or just
general awareness of where we are right now. You know,
I mentioned the angst and the apathy that has crept
into this team. Now we are less than a year
from the twenty twenty six World Cup. I'm sitting in
this chair because of the nineteen ninety four World Cup.
We remember the nineteen ninety nine Women's World Cup. These
(10:23):
were seminal moments that didn't just change the way we
think about soccer, it ultimately changed soccer in our country.
And twenty twenty six can have that again. And so
a part of me says, you're abdicating that responsibility, Christian
Polistic or anybody else, because as people are kind of eh,
(10:44):
I don't only think about this team or I feel
like they're not that good a year before the World Cup.
That's ridiculous. So anything that you could do or I
put myself and I know I'm old guys, so it's
a different game, but I put myself in those shoes.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Why wouldn't I.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Do any anything in my power to do everything I
could to make sure that this is as successful as possible,
which includes energizing or re energizing, igniting or reigniting the
fan base out there that right now isn't showing a
whole lot.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Of excitement about what's going to happen next summer.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Give me a player or two, but this is mostly
our second this is well not mostly, it's our second
tier group. But are there give me two players watching
them when they play coast a riga that you think
could make the World Cup team.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Oh, there's definitely some players that will make it. I
even think a guy like Chris Richards, who is a
young player who's a center back, I think he's actually
right now a starter. And I'll be the first to
raise my hand. This probably happens in a lot of
other sports when when players are young, you look at
them and you're like, yeah, I don't get it.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
I don't see it doesn't quite move me.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
And yet, after a few years, because he was there
was an aloofness to the way that he played and
a lack of, for lack of a better word, seriousness
to the way they played. But he realized this is
his job. And yet he'd never lost this incredible smile
and joy. So I think he's going to be really
really important and he has matured into a man on
the field. Diego Luna is a kind of a wild card,
(12:13):
just bringing an incredible grit, young player, and I think
you just you see him on the field and you.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Say that's my guy, because he'll he'll run through the
wall for you.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
So those those are a couple of players that I
think you look at when this Costa Rica game comes up.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Next Sunday Wednesday, next time, Poulisic will join the lads
in a friendly.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Well if he is called in by Puchettino, because again
Huchettino like say, well you didn't want to come in
this summer. Maybe I'm going to go in a different direction,
not leaving him off, but again who knows, maybe he
sends messages.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
September there is a window and the US will be
playing games in September. Those will be friendly games. They're
not you know there.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
When is the ac Milan season start.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
So that starts in the end of August, so you
know the European season starts, but those windows, they're not
playing in Italy at that time, so all the Italian
players that are the players that he plays on it with.
Aci Milan will then go to their respective clubs in
that window to prepare for the World Cup.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in newon Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Hi, this is Jay.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
I'm the producer of the Paula and Toni Fusco Show.
Usually in these promos they ask you to listen to
the show. I'm here to ask you please don't listen
to the show. The hosts are two absolute morons who
have the dumbest takes on sports imaginable. Don't listen to
the show so it can get cancel.
Speaker 5 (13:32):
What the hell are you doing in our studio? Get him,
paul Ignore that fool.
Speaker 7 (13:40):
Listen to the Pauline Toni Fusco Show on the iHeartRadio
app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
He's still moving.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
So finally, what you know, Fochatino. We always blame the coach.
We always blame the manager here in the States, they
always do. Is there something that you either like or
are concerned about with our new guy? Is there is
there something that if I said, you know, actually, I
(14:08):
got a minute here. I'm a jump on a train.
Where are you on? The new guy?
Speaker 4 (14:13):
So what I'm concerned about is, this is a coach
who's never coached internationally, and coaching club is day in
and day out. Coaching coaching internationally is you got three
days here, three days here, and it's just it's a
very different type of proposition. So my concern would be
that he didn't do his due diligence in what he
has to work with and therefore what the realistic expectations are,
(14:37):
and now the reality is coming into into focus for him,
and he might have had the best laid plans and
now he has to pivot. That's a concern, but but
I'm okay in that. I hope he gets through that
and gets to the other side. If he is going
through that, maybe he's got it all planned out and
he's this has all been part of the master plan,
(14:57):
and he sees, you know, all the way around the corner,
which is next summer. What I like about him is
that I don't think he suffers fools, and I don't
think he cares how much money you make, how famous
you are, you, what has been said about you. He
will choose what he thinks on the field is going
to enable.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Him to win.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
And if you're not on board, I don't think that
he is going to have you on board.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Yeah, we're not the same team without Pulisic.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
No, no, and the politics. It's okay that we had
this moment and this controversy. He's going to be there.
Nobody's ever questioned his ability and his talent when he
gets on the field. And so if he needed a rest, fine,
I can disagree, and it can rub me the wrong way,
but ultimately take this rest. But now the illness is
on Christian Policic when he comes back, because there's no
(15:48):
more excuses, and I would expect to see the best
version of Christian Policic because we acquiesced he got what
he wanted. Fine, it's not a power play, but he
got what he wanted, all right, Now bring it back
and give us the best version arrested Christian Polisic, who
has a good another good season with ac Milan and
then comes all guns blazing next summer for the greatest
(16:10):
country in the world.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
It's great to see you. It's great to see you.
It's great to see you.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
I mean, I told you I walked in here, I
got one of the greatest compliments I've ever gotten.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
So and Martin doesn't hand him out much. Oh, it
can be irrascable and difficult. I mean the fact that
he was just so easy going. John Middlecoff, Thanks buddy
with the news.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
Turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
This is the Herdline news.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
Okay Gollan.
Speaker 7 (16:34):
Terry McLaurin skipped mandatory mini camp as he looks for
a new contract from the Commanders. McLaurin is entering the
final year of his current deal, coming off a career
high thirteen touchdowns. According to Albert Breer, McLaurin is looking
for something in the thirty million dollars per year range, now,
adding that.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
He thinks eventually the two sides will agree to a deal.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Well, you can do it for about three years with
Jayden and I. I also think McLaurin has I think
fairly been probably underpaid for a bit of his career.
There's a you know sometime you know this is a
scout there. It's a position that creates personality and it
can be in flame position. McLaurin is a grinder. He
(17:16):
is a wake up put on the gear deliver that's
one of those guys I don't love. I think there's
a bit of a wide receiver bubble economically in the league.
I really like him.
Speaker 7 (17:27):
I think there are some parallels, you know, production wise
in this offense. He's never going to be one hundred
and twenty catch a year guy, no like Tamar Chase.
But the going rate for these guys is thirty one,
thirty two.
Speaker 5 (17:38):
Thirty three million dollars. We saw Brandon Ayuk last year,
seventy five catch a year guy.
Speaker 7 (17:42):
They regretted that immediately. Now I feel like mclaurin's one
of the heart beats of this team.
Speaker 5 (17:47):
Oh I do too.
Speaker 7 (17:47):
Hadn't missed the gaming year's total tough guy. Adam Peters,
longtime John Lynch, you know right hand man has seen
these holdouts up close and personal debo years ago. Trent Williams,
Nick Bosa, he has an understanding.
Speaker 5 (18:01):
Like they got a lot of good vibes coming into
this year.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
Why is Laramie Tunzel on their team?
Speaker 7 (18:05):
He wants a lot of money too, you know, Deebo
Samuel contract here, So this is there's a lot going
on here. But they got a veteran coach. They got
a GM. That's while he's a younger guy, he's been
around the block. A lot of pressure on this team
to you know, it's it's easy when you get to
sneak up on everybody. They're not sneaking up on a
soul this year, going.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Yeah, And I do think I like the Debo acquisition.
I think, listen, when you're sometimes you draft a quarterback
like JJ McCarthy and it's bad luck they get hurt,
or it's Panics and they're not quite ready, or how
it's few when you get a guy as good as
Jayden and like over delivers. And I don't know if
I remember a rookie quarterback being that good, including Andrew Locke,
(18:45):
you almost owe it to him to go big on offense.
Draft your defense, keep it cheap and twitchy. Do kind
of what the chief certain rams are doing. Now, keep
your defense cheap. But they know Matt Stafford's got a
couple of years left. We're loading up the offense. I
think this kid for years, when he's this good, you
almost owe him a run. Because Philadelphia is the only
(19:08):
team I look at and think they're not beating Philly consistently.
Outside of that, I think they match up with a
lot of teams.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
Well, I mean they beat Detroit last year.
Speaker 7 (19:15):
Now Detroit was injured, but I would say that they
have added a lot more firepower just talent wise on
their team coming into year two of this regime. Okay,
Colin the Jacks. They have officially signed Travis Hunter to
a rookie deal over the weekend. Yeah, landing a thirty
point five to seven million dollars signing bonus paid upfront.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
Good in Florida.
Speaker 7 (19:36):
Hunter is the first non quarterback not drafted first overall
to get the signing bonus entirely upfront. Hunter has spent
the majority of votas in minicamp working on offense, but
he did the vote at least one full practice on
defense so far.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
I contend that you got to make Trevor Lawrence work.
I want him getting ten targets. I think, you know
how sometimes when you're trying to discover with Caleb Williams,
is he gonna work? You load up the offense. I mean,
Chicago's paying a lot of money for a lot of
people because they have to figure out in the next
seventeen games, is Caleb Worthen Jacksonville's already signed the deal.
(20:18):
So my take, it's almost like Dak go get George Pickens.
You're paying all this money for Dak. It has to work.
I think Trevor Lawrence at this point. I know Travis
can play defense, but we have to make this thing
work or financially as an organization. If Trevor Lawrence doesn't work,
if you decide it just it doesn't hit, where are
(20:38):
you then? So to me, I want to see him
be a twelve target guy.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (20:44):
I don't think it's possible to go both ways starting
out like he did in Colorado.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
I mean, the Big twelve's not exactly the NFL.
Speaker 7 (20:50):
But I also think you know what would a team
do if you put him out a corner, they would
pull a tackle. You're like, okay, he weighs one hundred
and eighty five pounds, so I think easing him in offense.
It's clearly I think that was the the mindset when
they picked them. But playing every down on defense, have
you seen the wide receivers in this league con the
guys you have to cover, and even John Harbaugh earlier
this offseason said they are not enough hours in the
(21:13):
day to do this and he liked the player, but
he's like.
Speaker 5 (21:15):
This is this is crazy.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
And I also think even if you're a great corner,
there's ways to manipulate it so you're less effective. I mean,
nobody's throwing to Patrick Sirtan Sauce Gardner was amazing and
then he suddenly wasn't. Jalen Ramsey aged past a receiver
with a top quarterback feels like they can last a
long time if they get along and if.
Speaker 7 (21:39):
He's good with Brian Thomas with the quarter I mean
the quarterback. A lot of pressure on him to succeed
this year. Like you said, Okay, last but not least
the Ravens they made it made a big addition to
their secondary last week, signing former Packer corner JayR.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
Alexander after his release from the Packers.
Speaker 7 (21:54):
Lamar Jackson played a role in recruiting the pro bowler,
and Marlon Humphrey spoke to adding Alexander of the defense.
Speaker 8 (22:02):
A quote that's never been said and probably will never
be said in NFL history is we got too many
corners that can cover. So I think that's a great
that's a great problem to have, and I'm really excited
to for that addition. Obviously he just got off the plane,
but I'm super excited to add him. I think we'll
add Mesh really well with the team and they'll be uh,
(22:23):
it'll be a good second hear.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
This to me. After Philadelphia is in the running for
second best roster in the league. Baltimore is pretty good.
Speaker 7 (22:31):
They have been for a while. I mean, defense is
never going to be their issue. They have lost in
these playoff games. You know Lamar the two turnovers last year,
Mark Andrews dropped, He did not play well two years
ago against the Chiefs. If the Lamar Jackson that we
have seen become a superstar these last couple of years
can put those games against Josh and Mahomes, they can
win a super Bowl because their defense has been calling.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
They've been good for twenty five years.
Speaker 7 (22:55):
The Baltimore Ravens defense is actually the one I think
the way we talk about the Steelers, Steelers defense hasn't
been as good as they were way back in the day.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
And it's very TJ. Watt reliant.
Speaker 7 (23:05):
This team's got player young players, older players, veteran players,
Rokwan Smith, you know Wikets coming out of the draft
like him, Laarlon Humphrey resurrected his career moving into Nickel
last year. So I'm not worried about the Ravens on defense.
It's all about Lamar Jackson playing one up and in
these playoff games.
Speaker 5 (23:21):
That's that's really where they're at now.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yeah, John Middlecoff with the news.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The
Herd line news.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Joe has flown by today, Rick Buker and Alexei Lawless. Uh,
you know it's the NBA has moved into a sort
of a new Adam Silver era. I'm not sure what
to make of it. I felt last night it felt
like a little bit of a downer and didn't feel
like it had a lot of gravitas. But I'm happy
(23:55):
for okay, so and I'll wrap it up with some
thoughts on that coming up the Hurt.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Easter not a em Pacific.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
So, as of last night, seven different NBA franchises have
won titles in seven years in succession. So I got
fooled a little bit. I thought Boston had a chance to,
you know, be a dominant repeat team. They were a
very good regular season road team this year kind of
quirky at home, and I thought Denver could not keep
(24:33):
really important pieces like Brown and the KCP. And you know,
Jokich feels like he just doesn't have enough support. He
didn't have another All Star. So I was saying, if
I take the last seven champions in terms of you know,
how good are they, none of them I believe are great.
I think you know, listen, if you're great, you win
multiple championships. Shaq and Kobe, Michael Jordan, Katie, Steph Duncan.
(24:58):
I mean, just San Antonio. Get to overlook. Duncan's arguably
a starter on the all time starting five man, who's
the best six man ever? And Tony Parker was an MVP,
and they had Bruce Bowen's you know, fighters, tough guys,
legendary coach, well funded, great international scouting, and that team's overlooked.
(25:19):
I think all those teams would take okay See to
the woodshed. Okase didn't have a consistent number two score.
Depth has never been that important. We don't talk about
depth with Michael Jordan's Bulls or Katie's Warriors. Depth wins,
now roster construction, the new Aprons and CBA. You have
to build with depth. So but I mean Sga is
(25:41):
their only dependable score and he's great, but he could
not shoot from three point land in this series twenty
four percent. So I would say of the seven last champions,
the weakest team was Toronto. Kawhi was absolutely a rental.
They were very Kawhi dependent offensively. In three rounds, they
went six plus games and got a very fortuitous bounce
(26:05):
against I think Philadelphia. So it was a team. It
was a great story, but a much better story than
an actual team. I would put the Thunder at you know,
number six. Listen, they don't have a number two score
of no consistently. Chet Holmgren will be much better over
the next three years than this year. I do think
the coaching is good, it's not sensational, and they were
(26:28):
five hundred on the road. I think the Bucks in
twenty twenty one because Jannis is better than Sga was
a much more dominant player on both ends of the floor.
Jannis was a basket if he got the ball within
five feet, and he was the best defensive player in
the league at that time. Chris Middleton drew Holiday. Now
they were a team. They were not a great team,
(26:48):
and they got old very fast, Chris Middleton especially, and
they fell behind o to two in series. So Milwaukee
again we thought maybe all time stuff, and they got
old two years later. I think number four as the Warriors.
It was their fourth title in an eight year run.
They you know, they missed KD. But I thought from
(27:09):
their coaching and their fortitude between Steph Clay Wiggins had
a nice final against Boston and Steve Kerran Draymond, I
think it was such an Intellectually, I think it's one
of the smartest teams ever, along with Lebron, Wade, Spolstra, Battier,
Ray Allen, those Hegel teams. I would put the Warriors
at number four. I would put the Nuggets at number
(27:29):
three because Jokich at that time had certified himself as
the best basketball player in the world. Dominant run in
the conference finals. In the finals, they only lost one game.
I was fooled by this team. They were so dominant,
so long, so confident. I love Malone the coach, but
again they lost some peripheral pieces and became very Jokic
(27:54):
centric in following years. I think number two is the Celtics,
who had the best roster by far of the last
Sean champions, but it was still Jalen Brown who was
winning MVP of the Conference finals in the finals, so
you were never quite sure who was going to take
that final shot. But they did not lose more than
one game in any series. Most would put them number one.
(28:15):
I would put the Lakers number one because I think
Ad is better than anybody on that Celtic team, and
Lebron at that point was better than anybody on that
Celtic team. And if you give me the two best
players in a series, I think I'll beat you. I
trust Lebron more than Tatum and Ad more than Jalen Brown.
They were not as deep as the Celtics. But don't
forget Alex Caruso was on that team before we all
(28:37):
knew who he was or realized how great he was.
And KCP was on that team. So now, yeah, they
also had the best record. People forget this. They had
the best record in the West before the league shut
down with COVID. So you're dinging them because of COVID,
and my takeaway is I'm giving them credit. That was
the quirky, weirdest year of sports in my life. Now,
(28:59):
Rick Yucker was apoplectic what I told him and showed
him my list.
Speaker 9 (29:04):
I agree with you at the bottom of the list,
but the fifth team should be the Los Angeles Lakers
winning in an antiseptic environment.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
No home court, no road.
Speaker 9 (29:17):
You just talked about the Oklahoma City Thunder having to
go through that. You have an Anthony Davis and Lebron
James who can't stay healthy through an entire season, and
we're gonna take three months off in the beginning. We're
gonna basically play two half seasons, and they win a
championship off of that, and you're gonna put them at.
Speaker 5 (29:31):
The top of the list.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Yes, I am now again it comes down to Lebron
ad in their prime or really close to it. I
think that's the best tandem of any team in this
seven year run. I mean, we have to be honest.
The Thunder are very good defensively. Who do you trust
after sje to hit a shot? Like? I think Jaylen
Williams is talented. I think j devis talented. He has
(29:57):
a big ceiling. He not there yet, He's still and
as sending player. So if you had to do this,
what would be your big push on this?
Speaker 7 (30:04):
I put the Lakers last Colin, but I've disliked the
Lakers for thirty years. I do think if you look
at the top teams over the last twenty twenty five years,
I don't think the Thunder would be a betting. They'd
be an underdog against the ball Katie Warrior, some of
the great lebron teams, some of the Spurs teams, obviously
the Kobe Shack. I mean, this is not the record,
(30:26):
and there are end results, but I don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
I saw a rating over the weekend. It's called the
I think it's called the SRR Jason, you may look
that up. You know, it's points four points against. It's
a fairly simplistic rating system. They said if Indie won
the title, they would be the weakest champion since the
nineteen seventy eight Washington Bullets, which was Elvin Hayes, West Hunseld,
Phil Schenier, Bobby Dandrich Kevin Grievy. I know I'm aging myself,
but I love that team. I didn't think that team
(30:51):
was weak at all, but they would be viewed as
one of the weaker teams. So it took a Halliburton
injury to ensure the championship. So hey, listen, congratulations, but
nobody in Oklahoma cares good for you. It's a great
day in Oklahoma, all right. We'll see you tomorrow
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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