May 27, 2024 • 41 mins
Colin has seen enough, he's ready for a Mavericks-Celtics NBA final. He explains how Dallas has been able to handle Kyrie Irving and turned him into a team player. Plus, Lebron is destined to stay in LA.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to
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for listening to the Herd podcast. Here we go on
(00:24):
a Memorial Day, live in Los Angeles. Thank you to
the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives
for the freedoms. Many of us, including my family, possess
the families of those fallen heroes.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
God bless you, and you are in our thoughts today.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
And welcome to the Herd on a Monday Memorial Day,
Tom Brady in one hour, we thank you for choosing us,
jamac It's not official, but it's sort of official. The
Celtics lead their series three to all over the young
and hobbling Pacers, your Mavericks.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
You have been on them all year.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
They just keep disposing of really good teams. They believe
in themselves, and so I thought, on this Memorial Day,
let's talk about the final. That's not official, but it
sort of is, sort of yeah, So let's talk Celtics
and MAVs final. Oh forget Jinxes. That's what we're gonna get.
It's about as good as you can get in the NBA.
(01:20):
The big brand Celtics with two stars Jalen Brown and
Jason Tatum, and because of Mark Cuban's ownership, Dirk in
the title. The MAVs carry some some gravitas and wait
in this league. And they've got the two best closers
in the two best stars finishing games in Luca and
Kyrie Irving. You have arguably the best player in the
(01:40):
world Luca on a heater, and you have arguably the
best domestic player in Jason Tatum. You have the drama
of the Celtics duo when are Jalen Brown and Tatum
finally going to deliver a trophy to this story franchise.
And you have the Kyrie factor. He hated Boston, they
didn't like him. So four big factors. If you're not
(02:05):
going to have a dynasty Lebron, a Steph or a KD.
This is as good as the finals can get. And
if Porzingis is healthy.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I think I kind of.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Like Boston in seven, but I don't know that I've
been burying the MAVs all season. I didn't like him
against okees Okase. I didn't think they beat Minnesota. But
Boston to the finals is probably the easiest sports prediction
of the last year. They were forty one and eleven
against the East, and then the Knicks fell apart and
(02:41):
Haliburton's hurt and no Dame, no Jannis embiid wobbly listen.
That was an easy one. Everybody in the world picked
Boston in the finals. There was no reason to be
a contrarian. Dallas to the finals. Yeah, I missed that
about six times. I said it last week. I think
Boston in this group is too good not to win
at least one title. They're weird, though odd Historically, they're
(03:06):
a fifty to fifty bet at home against the Eastern
playoff teams. And I think Luca is too gifted and
too great for him not to win at least one championship.
And this series actually reminds me of one I covered
about twenty four years ago, the Blazers and the Lakers.
So the Celtics are the Blazers. More quality, b plus
(03:29):
above players a good staff gave the Lakers problems many
times in the series you thought the Blazers a Scottie
Pippin as a bonus, it could be Rashid Wallace, Damon Stodemeyer.
They had really good players. They had the Lakers pinned
in many games, took the lead in many games. That's
(03:52):
the Celtics, a deeper quality team of B plus players.
And then there's the MAVs, which remind me a little
bit of the Lakers. The two best closers, Shaq and
Kobe won the series in seven, the two best closers
at the time on the planet, one inside one perimeter.
That series went back and forth. Those were the two
(04:14):
best teams. Both would have been beaten Indiana in the finals.
One did the Lakers. Portland would have, but for a
majority of that series I was in Portland. I thought
Portland was better, and they were until that slam dunk
from Kobe to Shack and then the closers coffees for
closers closed it. And that's how I feel about this series.
(04:34):
I've been betting against Kyrie and Luca now for a
month and they're both in a heater, and Kyrie was
a big swing and aggressive wins in sports and offense
wins in basketball. I know, I know, I know, defense
wins championships. Yeah, I'm gonna take Mahomes fourth quarter. I
don't care what his defense looks like. And it is
really hard to bet against Luca and Kyrie because they
(04:57):
are the two best closers in this series.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Arkley talked about it after as a.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Guard A Michael A Kobe, Give me some other guys, Tamack,
step Curry. That's no substant You can't. You can't stop
great one on one players because you can make them
take tough shots, but they're gonna get the shot.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
They won't.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Kyrie and lucare gonna get the shot they won't.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Yeah, the degree of difficulty Luca takes with about half
his shots is remarkable, and it feels like sixty five
percent go in. So I think I like Boston if
Porzingis is healthy. But I've been saying this against every
team that faces Dallas. I thought Okac was gonna beat
him with their youth. Luca was all banged up. I
(05:45):
thought Minnesota would probably win their size in six or seven.
I even thought the Clippers would give the Mavericks problems.
He is wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, can't wait for it,
Celtics will wrap up their series. I presume tonight. Dallas
will wrap up Theirs in a couple of days. And
I want to talk about Kyrie Irving. I've had my
(06:06):
issues with Kyrie Irving, although when they made this deal
on February fifth, couple years ago, I said at the time,
you got to take a swing. Mark Cuban's taking a swing.
You got to get Lucas somebody, or he'll leave town.
Kyrie is actually fascinating. He is the dilemma even the
top gms in the NBA face when you have an
(06:27):
all time talent that can be moody and difficult on
a regular basis, what do you do? He was a
disaster in Boston, mostly a disaster in Brooklynd Before Lebron
got the Cleveland nobody liked him and his first year
was a tad turbulent in Dallas. But right now it's incredible.
(06:49):
And in the NFL it's different. In the National Football League,
your top stars usually get in line with the coach
and the culture and the offense, defense special team system.
They get in line. The NFL is not a star
driven league. It's not It's a roster driven shield driven
GM coach driven league with stars. The NBA is a
(07:09):
star driven league like international soccer, and they're going to
get what they want. And most guys are good guys,
but some guys are petulant and moody and difficult and
yet all world. And it's why even the best general
managers like Pat Riley are going to take swings on
a Jimmy Butler, a Kawhi Leonard, a Kyrie Irving, a
James Harden when you get these players that are just different.
(07:33):
If that players in the right frame of mind, you
get trophies. You secure your job, your coach's job, your
family's security. And that's why people take swings. I mean,
I think it's been PJ. Washington and Gafford have been very,
very nice supplemental pieces, but no Kyrie and Dallas is
(07:56):
already out of the playoffs. February fifth, twenty twenty three.
We looked it up this morning. I said, when Dallas
went after Kyrie, well, it's gonna be good or bad,
but they're gonna be a handful and they're gonna be
Knights that you can't stop them. And this is an
offensive league over a defensive league. Do you realize in
the playoffs. Kyrie leads the postseason and fourth quarter points.
(08:19):
And that's playing with Luca. That's playing with the best
scorer in the playoffs. So Luca needed a running mate.
They got him one with a history of being difficult
and moody and tempora mental and his own guy. But
I've been watching this league forever. An aggressive wins in sports,
and you gotta take swings. And the Mavericks' best two
(08:41):
closers in the world right now are planning in Dallas.
Here's some thoughts.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
Unbelievable, that's fine.
Speaker 6 (08:49):
They call him some people mister fourth quarter right. Just amazing.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
He scored with thirty three. Yeah, it's amazing. You know,
he's born for this situation.
Speaker 7 (08:58):
He bore it for that, you to so we just
give it the both to him. Going into Game four,
still zero zero. And that's the type of motivation and
mentality we have in that locker room. It's not just me.
We feel like the job isn't finished and we're going
against one of the greatest teams in the world. You know,
they still have the capability of beating us on any
given night. Got to appreciate where we are. But at
(09:19):
the same time, don't take it for granted, and don't
take the other team for granted, because they're pretty sure
they're going to watch this interview. They're going to study
all our habits and see if we, you know, lay
down a little bit and get comfortable. I don't want
to get comfortable at all. I want to push forward
even more so and have our best game game.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
For the best people in any business are in it
to get the ring, and Dallas looks like they're good
enough to keep Boston from getting it even one more time.
So J Mack, they have been your team. I will
say this, for a three to zero series, the t
Wolves Mavericks is a really fun watch. It doesn't feel
that lopsided. Whereas Boston feels like significantly better than Indiana,
(09:59):
Dallas feels better than Minnesota. But the games are tight.
Dallas has too many bad half court offensive possessions, and
when you have Luca and Kyrie, you have very few
of those. So the right team is leading the series.
But you could see Minnesota picking up a win.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
I doubt it.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
But Minnesota was built to beat Denver, as we've talked about,
they're not built to beat Dallas. And there's also something
about teams grow like Dallas. Before the PJ. Washington Gafford moves,
they weren't the same team. It wasn't the same So
they're a different team than they were early in the season.
So that's why when you went into the Minnesota Dallas series,
(10:36):
you could not take all their earlier matchups.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
We've seen that.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You see it in college football now teams have an issue.
Then there's the transfer portal, and you see it sometimes
in the NFL where Houston's a laughingstock. Oh wait, they
get CJ. Stroud and a good coach. They're a playoff team.
So what's fun about sports if you pay attention are
the trade deadlines, the draft. The NBA draft does not
give you any immediate help like the NFL does, but
the trade deadline gives you help. Dallas is out of
(11:02):
the playoffs, even with Kyrie, potentially without this front line
to match up against an OKC and in Minnesota, so
the supplemental players, it's just give Dallas credit. Big swing
on Kyrie, big swing at the deadline. Dallas tends to
be that's kind of the way to do it. Big
swings in big d and they paid off. They went
after Porzingis back in the day, they thought he would
(11:25):
be the running mate for Luca. That kind of blew up.
They had Brunson. They blew that one right. They didn't
want to offer him the money.
Speaker 5 (11:31):
And now the third third pitch and they hit it
out of the park with Kyrie Irving. But to your point,
Minnesota has led in the final five minutes of all
the midfields, very very close. But again, when these games
are close late, one team's a brilliant offensive team, one
team's based on defense. And you cross your fingers of
cat is in the mood. Okay, but isn't your take
(11:52):
that Jason Tatum has struggled in late game scenarios.
Speaker 8 (11:56):
Does that give you pause.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
For the finals? There's no question, There is no question.
I said it is Blazers Lakers. That series came down
to a couple Kobe Shack plays. If you covered that series,
Lakers trailed by double digits.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
In most games.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Phil Jackson acknowledged, we don't have a game plan for
Rashid Wallace. We really don't know what to do. It
was just back and forth. But in the end, Kobe
and Shack with a difference. One of the great series
I've ever It's probably the best series I've ever covered
in terms of intensity and talent. So I mean, I'll
say this from an NBA perspective, Yeah, you cannot do
better than Luca Kyrie and the MAVs against Brown, Tatum,
(12:35):
the history Porzingis, Drew Holiday and the Celtics. That is
as good. We've been very lucky, March Madness, NFL Super Bowls.
We've been on a string here for a lot of years.
Celtics MAVs feels right. It's just a tough one for
rooting interests. I like tatm a lot.
Speaker 5 (12:50):
I love Luka Dante's like, there's no one to dislike
in this series.
Speaker 8 (12:54):
It's gonna be great. It should be a fun one.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
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Speaker 1 (14:33):
Well, Minnesota built to beat Denver and did that's pretty clear.
They're not beat built to beat Dallas. All the games
again have been very very close. Well, what's also clear
is it's a really great cliche that defense wins championships.
But in the NBA there has never been this much
offensive talent. It is remarkable. Even Biggs can pull up
(14:56):
handle the ball hit a three. I mean, the talent
level is sensational. And the difference is Luke and Kyrie
have been magical and Ant and Karl Anthony Towns for
the Tea Wolves have not. Karl Anthony Towns has always
been a player I like. I've seen him live multiple times,
seen him on TV for years, but he's inconsistent. You
(15:16):
never know which one you're gonna get a little Rashid
Wallace where on his best nights he's unstoppable, but that
happens sometimes not as much as you like, kind of infrequent.
Ant is going to be the face of the league.
I think he and Wemby by the end of next
year very possible, but he's not quite ready for the moment.
He was great against Phoenix, He was excellent against Denver.
(15:37):
He looks a little gassed. He's hot and cold with
his shooting. His game just isn't as refined. Although he's
got a higher ceiling in my opinion than a Jason Tatum,
He's not quite there yet. So Rudy Gobert maybe the
defensive player of the year, but I've never seen a
defensive player of the year get targeted more than Rudy Gobert.
So two things appear true with Minnesota. Ant is not
(15:59):
quite there yet and Karl Anthony Towns won't be there long.
They have got to get Ant a more consistent, reliable
number two today right now, this matchup going forward, I
just don't think. I don't think Minnesota's built to beat him.
And again, defense wins championships. I hear that in football,
(16:21):
but it's always Patrick Mahomes, even on Sundays. He doesn't
play well winning playoff games and big games and Super
Bowls and conference championships. And I look at you know,
I look at the matchups right now. The West is
so much better than the East, and there are better
teams defensively than Dallas, and there's that smooth symmetry with
(16:43):
all the Denver offensive peaches pieces in OKC is younger
and maybe even deeper. But I get Luca and Kyrie.
If you look at the field goal percentage, there's so
much talent now globally in basketball. So Minnesota is the
top rated defensive team in the league. And yesterday the
(17:06):
Mavericks shot fifty six percent from the field, fifty percent
on threes, and eighty nine percent from the free throw Lie.
Dallas can just shoot and there's not a lot you
can do to stop them. And Minnesota is just run,
running out of solutions, and they're gonna have to change
things up. And Draymond Green talked about it after.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
At some point, Chris Fin's got to make an adjustment.
You keep rolling the same guys out there with the
same game plan these games and you're following behind three. Oh,
So at what point are you going to make an adjustment?
Not worry about Phyllis. We can't worry about Kyl Anthony
Towns Phyllis or Rudy Goberts Phyllis. They need nas Read
out there, they need Kyle Emerson out there, and to wait,
you gotta figure that out.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
So Dallas is stars, veteran and offensively pretty dependable, Minnesota's
two stars. Karl Anthony town too erratic and ant, probably
too young, and that's why you have a three to
zero Mavericks series.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Lead J McK with the news.
Speaker 8 (18:05):
Turns this is the herd line news.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
Yeah, the trade Carl Anthony Towns deal is going to
be real fun. I don't think he's on the team
next year because remember because of the contracts paying go Beart,
they got to pay Ant.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Yeah, they paid.
Speaker 8 (18:20):
Cascot Daniels got paid. Somebody's got to be moved.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Yeah, and they're not moving an Ant.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
They probably there's not much of a market for Gobert,
so Carl Anthony Towns will absolutely have a market. He
is very much to me Rashid Wallace is. I covered
Rashid for years and he would play Tim Duncan to
a stand still. He would have Kevin Garnett in town
and out play him and then he'd face some stiff
and give you nineteen points four turnovers. He can get
thrown out at the end of the second quarter with
(18:45):
a technical. So Carl Anthony Towns has always been sort
of erradic, and I think what you have to get
When Michael Jordan had Scottie Pip and the best Robin ever.
You knew you were gonna get defense, length, slashing, an effort.
Scotty was hot and cold from the perimeter, but I
kind of got this guy every night, and as he
refined his game, you're gonna get twenty nine a night and.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Great energy and good defense going forward.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
He's not quite there yet, but Karl Anthony Towns is
not the right rob and he's not the right running mate.
You gotta Mike Conley is a perfect setup guy.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
But he's not a running mate.
Speaker 8 (19:16):
Turns thirty seven and not ten.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
They got to go find a guy that can give
you twenty three and ten and defend every night. You know,
an Anthony Davis level player, that kind of player that
doesn't need the ball but delivers mostly the same effort
every game.
Speaker 8 (19:32):
Kat had twenty three and twelve in Game seven against Denver.
He was awesome.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
But he's shooting thirteen percent from three in this year's
thirteen percent, Like, I mean, come on, that's not gonna
cut it. All right, Let's get to the NFL. Aaron Rodgers,
mister confidence, still has total faith in his team and
his play, even though he's coming off in Achilles injury. The
Jets are in win now mode with Rogers returning. He
believes in himself and his team chances now more than ever.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
I'm always confident, you know me.
Speaker 5 (19:57):
I feel like if I'm on the field.
Speaker 8 (19:58):
And doing what I'm cabled, number one.
Speaker 5 (20:01):
We always got a chance. And number two, more than that.
Speaker 8 (20:04):
We're one of those, you know, half dozen to.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
Ten teams that can actually win a championship this year.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
So that's that's what's exciting. You know, good luck, I'm
go good luck.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I'm gonna keep my eye on the Jets offensive line health.
That will, to me be a much bigger issue than
anything else. If the old line's healthy, upright and performing,
they're gonna be a good team. They'll battle Miami until
Week sixteen or seventeen or eighteen for the playoffs. They're
not gonna be Buffalo. Buffalo's got Josh Allen. Yeah, Miami,
New England's last, Buffalo's first. Let's talk about Jets Dolphins
(20:38):
battling for a watching.
Speaker 8 (20:39):
Card prediction Herd hierarchy. You'll do one before week one, right.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
I've got two left, I think okay, Yeah.
Speaker 8 (20:48):
The Jets will crack the top ten before week one.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
I don't know why you're laughing. What in the before
they play a game.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
Yeah, there's always preseason issues with a team. There's preseason injuries,
and you're gonna see the Jets look crisp and really
sharp and deep. I'm just telling you, if they don't
come in at ten, I'll be's shocked.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
The only thing crazier than that is my son jumping
out of a plane yesterday and landing safely.
Speaker 8 (21:11):
That's the only video, and it's not for the fate
of art. That's not for me. Next up, Joe Burrow Glass.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
Joe has not faced any limitations during OTA's following his
return from a right wrist injury. Bengals oc Dan Pitcher
says they are being smart with how they use him
right now, but confirms Burrow's not on any special pitch
count during practice. I don't know, Colin, We're kind of
(21:38):
not on the fence on Burrow, but it's one of
those this is a big season for him, Like when
two US keeps getting injured, like Burrow keeps getting hurt.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Yeah, I mean, I'm not on the fence on him.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I am on the concern list that if he gets
another injury, have to draft another quarterback doesn't have to
be a first round guy, but I think you now
have to seriously. You know, there's always the thing about
because I never like to call people injury prone, you know.
I mean, some guys like Lebron just get older. Some
guys like Brady have one really bad injury in their
entire career. Then there's guys like Eli Manning that never far,
(22:09):
never seem to get hurt. But you are getting to
a point with Burrow where instead, like Deshaun Watson's injuries
were almost mysterious. Joe Burrows, aren't we see him? It's
every year, it's at the start of the seat. He
hasn't had a good September yet in his career. So
if Cincinnati can just come out throwing some haymakers and
win and not have to like catch up to Baltimore,
(22:31):
I think they'll be fine because I think Burrow, his coach,
his weapons are excellent, and that's what the league is now.
Speaker 8 (22:38):
So I don't know, they open with oh gosh, they
opened with New England. That's a so those tart one
you know.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Then they face Kansas City, Washington Carolina. So there's optimism
yet for like a three and one.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Set have yet to have a really really gelling September
with Burrow.
Speaker 8 (22:53):
Let's they went to the super Bowl already once with Burt.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:57):
If I said next five years, well the Bengals be
back in the super Bowl. Knowing that Herbert has hardball.
Mahomes is still breathing, Aaron Rodgers probably has a year.
Lamar is the former MVP. Josh Allen is still if.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Burrow is healthy, the answer is yes, if you give
me five years for he's healthy, they'll get back to
a super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
That's how good he is.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
I still contend Josh Allen's the most physically gifted quarterback
in the world. Mahomes is the best. Burrow is built
to beat Mahomes. Alan not necessarily just great, but I
like Dan Marino may have not been built to beat Elway,
but you could argue he's a better talent arm talent, Right,
So I think Burrow, the way he plays very few
(23:37):
mistakes great and third and fourth down unbelievable ability. Homer
Row to be great situationally, He's built to beat Mahomes,
whereas Allan is built to make great plays versus everybody.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
Yeah, I mean, we're still Lamar Jackson's in the division.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
C J.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
Stroud ascending. We have not seen the best of Lawrence.
I'm just saying, wouldn't. I mean, you know that Marino
got to the super Bowl. I think the second year
in the league never got back. I'm not saying Burrow won't,
but I all thought I'd betting on the on the
Bengals to get it.
Speaker 8 (24:08):
I don't think it's automatic.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I don't even know what they're over under. It's like
nine and a half ten.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
Yeah, I mean there's like seven teams are in that range,
you know, like it's not gonna be easy.
Speaker 8 (24:16):
Final story is the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 5 (24:18):
Boy, the playoff success has not been there in recent years,
but other teams in and around Dallas are thriving, the
Texas Rangers or the reigning World Series champs. Both the
MAVs and the Stars are in their conference finals right now,
and Dak spoke about how that lights us a fire
for his team.
Speaker 8 (24:36):
It's not jealousy, but yeah, it fires you up.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
Yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 8 (24:40):
Nobody.
Speaker 5 (24:40):
I want it.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
I want it for him, trust me.
Speaker 8 (24:42):
I want it because it only, as I said, it
only raises stakes and and makes makes it tougher on me,
and I'm for that, and so go in it, Go
in it. Rangers did it? Other two, go do it?
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Put more pressure on us.
Speaker 8 (24:55):
This is a funny stat that our team came up with.
Speaker 5 (24:57):
Here. Look at this, YI twenty eight years Oh man,
I don't know.
Speaker 8 (25:03):
We talk about it like, will the Bengals get back
to the super Bowl?
Speaker 1 (25:06):
So the Maverick Stars and Rangers have all gotten to
a conference finals. The Cowboys haven't got it in twenty
eight years. Yeah, that's got to hurt Jerry. You know, well,
I think ownership has some saying that.
Speaker 5 (25:19):
But that's why I don't see them rebooting with a
new quarterback and just punting on Dak.
Speaker 8 (25:24):
I just it's tough for me to see that.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
Colin, Yeah, I don't either.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
I'll have my annual tradition of calling the Cowboys pretty good.
I'll be right, They'll be pretty good. They're not a
super Bowl team, but that's pretty good is what they've
been for most of the last twenty years, barring an
injury to Dak or Tony Romo.
Speaker 8 (25:42):
So they've been a be solid bee, not even a be.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Plasing you know what they are than the Minnesota Vikings.
You know, respect the organization, well run, good players, win
some big games.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Don't really consider them a Super Bowl threat.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Minnesota Vikings, That's exactly I mean to me, Dak and
Kirk Cousins the same guy. One just has a star
in their helmet. Their stats are even across the board.
It's the craziest thing, how even they are. But I
think the Minnesota Vikings I always are never in chaos,
never great, always solid. They're solid plus. And the Cowboys
are always solid plus. Make a few coaching changes, always
(26:19):
capable at quarterback to you can go to Dante Culpepper,
you can go back to fran Tarkington and Dante Culpepper
and Kirk Cousins and Brett Farr briefly generally the Cowboys
which eight men or a Danny Wide or Roger Staubach
or a Tony Romo or a Dak Prescott or a Bledsoe.
You know, both organizations always pretty capable to the most
important position. Star receiver here, great pass rusher there. But
(26:42):
there's a Green Bay in one division, and there's a
Philadelphia and the Giants in the other. When the Giants
were winning Super Bowl, So that's how.
Speaker 8 (26:48):
I feel about it.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
That it feels strange that Dallas it's been so long
since that epic run in the nineties, Like it still
feels pretty.
Speaker 8 (26:55):
Recent, does it not. I didn't know it's twenty eight years.
It feel like it's been that.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Well.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
It's funny because the Yankees are good again, really really good.
One of the few teams in baseball. They can hit
and pitch. But it's you know, the Yankees had a
down year and people freaked out, and I'm like, that
was the first down year the Yankees have had in
it felt like twenty years.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
A down year Dallas leaves you.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Bitter if you're a Cowboy fan, virtually every year, and
it's like, I mean, the Yankees at least have given
you titles, you know, not that far ago. They're not
like fourteen years. I think they generally get to the playoffs.
They've been beaten by better Houston teams or but I mean,
it's like Dallas isn't necessarily losing the great teams. Green
Bay was not a great team last year and they
(27:39):
got housed at home. They're not losing to the equivalent
of the Houston Astros where they're banging on garbage cans.
They have these covert systems and world class pitchers and
bullpen and they.
Speaker 5 (27:50):
Lost to the Niners twice, and neither of those teams
won the Super Bowl al though both were.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
I mean green Bay last year to come home in
being a playoff game against green Bay and get absolutely trounced.
That game was over like eight minutes ten. That's the
frustrating parts. One thing losing to eventual Super Bowl sho
like Buffalo is losing, Baltimore is losing, but you're losing
to Mahomes reading the Chiefs. I can live with that. Yeah,
j Mack with the news.
Speaker 6 (28:13):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
herd Line News.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
So I saw this story.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Lebron James is essentially now a free agent, according to
Rich Paul, his agent. He's said on TNT, you know,
he can go anywhere he wants. And this is the
interesting thing. He's the Lakers' only elite playmaker and he
is still overwhelmingly their biggest draw. Anthony Davis is great,
(28:41):
not a big draw, sorry, Austin Reeve fans. So the
Lakers are totally trapped. In my opinion, Lebron could go
to Philadelphia and join Joe lmbid and Tyrese Maxi in
the incredibly weak Eastern Conference and just assure himself a
trip to the Eastern Conference Finals at minimum. I actually
(29:01):
think he could go play with Jalen Brunson and all
those rotational shooters and players for the Knicks in again
the very weak East and almost assure himself in Eastern
Conference finals. But here's the thing.
Speaker 5 (29:16):
I know.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
You think nobody wants to live in LA. Well, sports
stars do, and celebrities do, and a lot of stars
threaten to leave LA. Kobe did, and some get traded
like Shack. But the weather, the vibe. Los Angeles is
a city of hills and canyons. You could have Denzel
Washington as a neighbor and never see him. And that's
(29:40):
what Lebron James like. You can't duplicate Los Angeles anywhere.
It is a nice, comfortable, breezy place to hide when
you're a sports star. The Lakers don't have the wherewithal,
the draft capital or the players to move anybody to
get a star pick. They're not moving Anthony Davis and
they're not moving Lebron James. He's their only playmaker. He
(30:03):
is still the face of the franchise. He's got his titles,
his legacy, the bag, several rings. I don't think he's
going anywhere. This is the game that Rich Paul and
Lebron James have been playing for years. They're playing it
again and Lebron will get a max deal and potentially
his son drafted with what the fifty to fifth pick,
(30:25):
Colin Wright, Colin Wrong top of next hour plus. Tom
Brady joins us about five minutes after the hour. But
really nice news for one of those NFL teams that
drafted a quarterback in the first round, and that's coming up.
Speaker 6 (30:42):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Eastern a em Pacific.
Speaker 8 (30:47):
Super Saturday on Fox.
Speaker 5 (30:49):
First it's Phillies Mets from London, followed by the Bellmont
Stakes Live from Saratoga, and in prime time it's Dodgers
versus Yankees, all on Fox and the Fox Sports Act.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
You see that umpire that throughout Bryce Harper and like
the first doing last week, unfortunately missed out with Yankees
Phillies in the World Series. What about Yankees Dodgers Phillies
are Honestly, I was thinking about it this weekend. The
Cubs before they won a World Series, were a transcendent brand.
They were a brand beyond their region. We all wanted
(31:22):
the lovable loser Cubs to win, but now they won,
it's not as special. I don't think baseball has more
than one transcendent brand, and that's the Yankees. I don't
think the Dodgers have National Poll regional. I don't think
the Braves have National Pool regional. Same with the Cubs.
But I will tell you Philadelphia, from Bryce Harper to
(31:46):
their ballpark to the intensity of the fans. When I
watched Philadelphia, I think Philadelphia New York, even though it
would be very Northeast, would feel bigger than Los Angeles,
New York and and and the Dodgers draw, and that's
all good, but Bryce Harper gives them a different field
than other teams. Bryce Harper is one of He's the
biggest star in the sport. And the Dodgers have Otawani
(32:08):
and Mookie Betts, and I'm not denying that, But there
is something gritty about Philadelphia sports that is almost contagious
when you watch it. And there's a casualness to Los
Angeles sports that you know, the good looking crowd, they
arrive late, they leave early. Philadelphia bleeds for its teams.
And that's not to say the Dodgers don't draw. But
(32:29):
when I watch Philadelphia in a postseason game, you can't
turn it off.
Speaker 5 (32:33):
But doesn't Phillies Yankees have kind of a I don't know,
it feels like an SEC National championship game.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
We're only a certain probably get of the country cares
about it. I think I think that's I think it's true.
But I think at this point, if you get the
Yankees in, you'll take anybody. I just think get the
Yankees in. This is one of these Yankee teams that
can hit. They I mean they're starting pitching, they're hitting.
I mean there's like four or five teams Philadelphia, New
York Dodgers. Now a Kunya is out for the break,
(33:00):
that's bad news that he's a difference maker. So I
was thinking of this. So we do this every year.
The quarterbacks get drafted. About half don't make it. A
couple or busts. Maybe one hits. Big C. J. Stroud
was the big surprise. You know, it was a second pick.
It wasn't that big of surprise. He Jared Goff was
his comp Jared Goff's been to a super Bowl. It
(33:22):
wasn't like his comp was somebody that lasted a year.
But I kept saying as I saw bo Nicks beat
Oregon as a freshman, he beat Justin Herbert. I remember
that it was down in the South. I remember that game,
and I watched them go to Oregon and I watched
them live twice and won by a blowout over Utah
lost close to Washington. And my takeaway is, oh, yeah,
(33:45):
it's a first round quarterback sixty one college starts. Doesn't
make any mistakes, you know, not a guy that's going
to add lib a lot, a little like Drew Brees
with more mobility. Brew Breeze didn't throw a great deep
ball certainly of his career.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Bo Nicks isn't. It doesn't doesn't have a shot get
over the top. That's not what he is.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Accurate, insanely accurate, moves well, smart, accurate focus. Dad was
a coach. Sean Payton says, so far to OTAs, he's
been pretty blown away.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
He's farther along than most would be.
Speaker 5 (34:20):
I mean, you know, we're talking about a player wh's
played sixty one games.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
He's extremely smart. He's picked it up very quickly.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
So here's the thing with Russell Wilson, Sean Payton inherited
a lot, a lot of brand, a lot of fame,
a lot of salary, cap hit, a little bit of
cringe with bow Knicks. You saw him play sixty one times.
Go look at the film. You know exactly what you get.
(34:51):
Two conferences won the best sec the other probably the best.
The Pac twelve has been in my life about sixty
and he he was really accurate and really coachable, amenable
to anything you throw at him, moves well.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
And here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
Sean Payton with Drew Brees worked because they're both sort
of old school. Sean Payton talks like an old school coach.
He's not PC, it's not going to be politically correct.
He'll say some things it'll get him in trouble. He's
been in trouble. Drew Brees similarly, very old school, accurate,
no bs, old school. I think Bo Nicks feels like
(35:32):
that kind of an old school kid, family football, coachable,
never distracted, totally focused, all his priorities line up. And
you know I said this earlier that football are football stars,
even our stars, our biggest stars, our Josh Allen or
Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, our biggest stars, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice.
(35:56):
They all line up behind the logo and the team,
and you don't get a lot pushback. I don't necessarily
think Russell Wilson pushed back, but he never feels like
he joins everybody. It's almost branding. There's just been too
many players and coaches that have taken shots at Russell Wilson.
You don't do that with somebody you feel likes right
(36:17):
behind in the fox hole. You know, say what you
want about Aaron Rodgers. You don't see a lot of
teammates taking shots at him. Players like him, The media
may not. You know, the vaccine crowd gets very frustrated
with Aaron. Big media doesn't like him sometimes. I think
he's prickly in a little odd Green Bay got tired
of him. But you don't hear a lot of people
(36:38):
take shots at Aaron on the team, and nobody inside
a locker room cares what the media thinks anyway. So
I think bo Nicks is not a cringey guy. He's
a focused guy. He's not a distracted guy. All they
got to worry about is the plays follow direction letter
rep and I think it's gonna work. Tom Brady's going
to be joining us top of next hour. You know,
(37:01):
I was saying this to start the show. Is when
you get into these there's this weird thing. Once sports
gambling was legalized in America and it started rolling out
to states, and I don't even know how many states
now it's legal, like twenty five thirty, it'll probably get
to about forty five. They'll those be four or five
states conservative states that pass on it. But my and
(37:22):
I'm for pro gambling. I think you have to be
very careful with the prop betting where you know, especially
in the NBA Baseball, watch out for your prop betting.
That's where you can get into dicey situations. But I
am totally for it. I've been for it forever. I
lived in Vegas seven years. I knew guys that ran
sports books. I trust those guys as much as I
trust the guys with my money on Wall Street. They're
(37:45):
selfish people everywhere and distracted people everywhere, but by and large,
it's an industry trying to get it right. The NBA
was notified by Vegas about Tim Donneghey. But you know,
when I look at all this stuff, and I look
at where we're going in sports. I knew once sports
gambling was legalized, you would get this amplification, this constant
(38:07):
volume of it's rig No, it's not. If it's rigged,
then the New York Knicks wouldn't be bad for twenty
five years. Both LA teams would be out. You would
not have Dallas against Minnesota and the Pacers and the
conference finals. That's not the way it would work. And
Midwest base Kansas City wouldn't dominate the league, and Buffalo
and Baltimore wouldn't be as dominant, and Green Bay as
(38:29):
good forever. You wouldn't have the New York team's tire
fires DC at tire fire for ten years, the Chicago
Bears a tire fire forever. That's not the way it
would work. You wouldn't have the Saints and the Packers
and the Colts almost always viable and the New York
teams not. But so I just think whenever there's a final,
(38:50):
there's always this sense that, oh, yeah, this is what
the league wants. I gotta tell you, if you look
in hindsight now as to what the league would have
wanted in the NBA they would have preferred a Nick's
Celtics Eastern Conference Final, but New York fell apart. So
small market Indiana beat him in Game seven in New York.
(39:11):
But Boston and Dallas. Dallas is an interesting franchise. So
I said this for years and years when Mark Cuban
owned the Dallas Mavericks. If I was an NBA free agent,
Why isn't Dallas a hub? No state tax, beautiful people
right in the middle of the country. I never have
a five hour flight anywhere. It's a winter league. It's
(39:31):
got reasonable winter weather, not a lot of snow, gets chili, frosty,
not a lot of snow. Why wasn't Dallas a hub?
I could never figure it out. Somebody once told me
Mark Cuban was such a big star that sometimes agents
worried about putting a star there to be overshadowed by
Mark Cuban. Maybe it's a Dallas cowboy market. You know,
(39:53):
Dallas is football. It's always going to be high school
college in pro football, So why send your NBA stars there?
But they do have between Dirk Noovinsky and Luka, two
of the great offensive Europeans of my lifetime. It took
them forever to get Dirk the right cast, and it
was an odd cast to win a championship. Finally with Luka,
(40:14):
who's a better player than Dirk. I think he's just
more physically, more difficult to handle, bigger, stronger version of Dirk,
a better player than Dirk, although Dirk's a first ballot guy.
They One of the things I appreciate about Dallas is
they looked at their Dirk Novisky situation and said, we're
not going to sit back here and be cautious.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
We're gonna take huge swings. And they did.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
They went and got a Nike guy to run their
basketball Big Swing, Kyrie Irving off that mess in Brooklyn
Big Swing, and then of the trade deadline, gave up
some picks, gave up some people, and they went and
got a couple of frontline guys. So I just appreciate
what Dallas has done. I've never understand why more free
(40:58):
agents don't go there. I mean, you've got the arena
and beautiful hotels and residences you could live in right
across the street, no state tax, middle of the country,
great ownership, a lot of money, unbelievable fans. So I'm
happy that Dallas is in it. I think Dallas is
one of those brands in sports like Oregon football that's
a little bigger than you think. Everybody knows Michigan, Ohio State,
(41:19):
Notre Dame, Alabama, Texas. Oregon football because of Phil Knight
is a bigger brand than people think.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
And I think the Mavericks are.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
I think Mark Cuban made him relevant and discussed, and
Dirk and Lucas, so I can't wait. I think I
like Boston, but I could be talked out of it.
Tom Brady, Colin Wright wrong on a Memorial Day next
Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
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. Thanks
for listening to the Herd podcast. Here we go on
(00:24):
a Memorial Day, live in Los Angeles. Thank you to
the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives
for the freedoms. Many of us, including my family, possess
the families of those fallen heroes.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
God bless you, and you are in our thoughts today.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
And welcome to the Herd on a Monday Memorial Day,
Tom Brady in one hour, we thank you for choosing us,
jamac It's not official, but it's sort of official. The
Celtics lead their series three to all over the young
and hobbling Pacers, your Mavericks.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
You have been on them all year.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
They just keep disposing of really good teams. They believe
in themselves, and so I thought, on this Memorial Day,
let's talk about the final. That's not official, but it
sort of is, sort of yeah, So let's talk Celtics
and MAVs final. Oh forget Jinxes. That's what we're gonna get.
It's about as good as you can get in the NBA.
(01:20):
The big brand Celtics with two stars Jalen Brown and
Jason Tatum, and because of Mark Cuban's ownership, Dirk in
the title. The MAVs carry some some gravitas and wait
in this league. And they've got the two best closers
in the two best stars finishing games in Luca and
Kyrie Irving. You have arguably the best player in the
(01:40):
world Luca on a heater, and you have arguably the
best domestic player in Jason Tatum. You have the drama
of the Celtics duo when are Jalen Brown and Tatum
finally going to deliver a trophy to this story franchise.
And you have the Kyrie factor. He hated Boston, they
didn't like him. So four big factors. If you're not
(02:05):
going to have a dynasty Lebron, a Steph or a KD.
This is as good as the finals can get. And
if Porzingis is healthy.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I think I kind of.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Like Boston in seven, but I don't know that I've
been burying the MAVs all season. I didn't like him
against okees Okase. I didn't think they beat Minnesota. But
Boston to the finals is probably the easiest sports prediction
of the last year. They were forty one and eleven
against the East, and then the Knicks fell apart and
(02:41):
Haliburton's hurt and no Dame, no Jannis embiid wobbly listen.
That was an easy one. Everybody in the world picked
Boston in the finals. There was no reason to be
a contrarian. Dallas to the finals. Yeah, I missed that
about six times. I said it last week. I think
Boston in this group is too good not to win
at least one title. They're weird, though odd Historically, they're
(03:06):
a fifty to fifty bet at home against the Eastern
playoff teams. And I think Luca is too gifted and
too great for him not to win at least one championship.
And this series actually reminds me of one I covered
about twenty four years ago, the Blazers and the Lakers.
So the Celtics are the Blazers. More quality, b plus
(03:29):
above players a good staff gave the Lakers problems many
times in the series you thought the Blazers a Scottie
Pippin as a bonus, it could be Rashid Wallace, Damon Stodemeyer.
They had really good players. They had the Lakers pinned
in many games, took the lead in many games. That's
(03:52):
the Celtics, a deeper quality team of B plus players.
And then there's the MAVs, which remind me a little
bit of the Lakers. The two best closers, Shaq and
Kobe won the series in seven, the two best closers
at the time on the planet, one inside one perimeter.
That series went back and forth. Those were the two
(04:14):
best teams. Both would have been beaten Indiana in the finals.
One did the Lakers. Portland would have, but for a
majority of that series I was in Portland. I thought
Portland was better, and they were until that slam dunk
from Kobe to Shack and then the closers coffees for
closers closed it. And that's how I feel about this series.
(04:34):
I've been betting against Kyrie and Luca now for a
month and they're both in a heater, and Kyrie was
a big swing and aggressive wins in sports and offense
wins in basketball. I know, I know, I know, defense
wins championships. Yeah, I'm gonna take Mahomes fourth quarter. I
don't care what his defense looks like. And it is
really hard to bet against Luca and Kyrie because they
(04:57):
are the two best closers in this series.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Arkley talked about it after as a.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Guard A Michael A Kobe, Give me some other guys, Tamack,
step Curry. That's no substant You can't. You can't stop
great one on one players because you can make them
take tough shots, but they're gonna get the shot.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
They won't.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Kyrie and lucare gonna get the shot they won't.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Yeah, the degree of difficulty Luca takes with about half
his shots is remarkable, and it feels like sixty five
percent go in. So I think I like Boston if
Porzingis is healthy. But I've been saying this against every
team that faces Dallas. I thought Okac was gonna beat
him with their youth. Luca was all banged up. I
(05:45):
thought Minnesota would probably win their size in six or seven.
I even thought the Clippers would give the Mavericks problems.
He is wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, can't wait for it,
Celtics will wrap up their series. I presume tonight. Dallas
will wrap up Theirs in a couple of days. And
I want to talk about Kyrie Irving. I've had my
(06:06):
issues with Kyrie Irving, although when they made this deal
on February fifth, couple years ago, I said at the time,
you got to take a swing. Mark Cuban's taking a swing.
You got to get Lucas somebody, or he'll leave town.
Kyrie is actually fascinating. He is the dilemma even the
top gms in the NBA face when you have an
(06:27):
all time talent that can be moody and difficult on
a regular basis, what do you do? He was a
disaster in Boston, mostly a disaster in Brooklynd Before Lebron
got the Cleveland nobody liked him and his first year
was a tad turbulent in Dallas. But right now it's incredible.
(06:49):
And in the NFL it's different. In the National Football League,
your top stars usually get in line with the coach
and the culture and the offense, defense special team system.
They get in line. The NFL is not a star
driven league. It's not It's a roster driven shield driven
GM coach driven league with stars. The NBA is a
(07:09):
star driven league like international soccer, and they're going to
get what they want. And most guys are good guys,
but some guys are petulant and moody and difficult and
yet all world. And it's why even the best general
managers like Pat Riley are going to take swings on
a Jimmy Butler, a Kawhi Leonard, a Kyrie Irving, a
James Harden when you get these players that are just different.
(07:33):
If that players in the right frame of mind, you
get trophies. You secure your job, your coach's job, your
family's security. And that's why people take swings. I mean,
I think it's been PJ. Washington and Gafford have been very,
very nice supplemental pieces, but no Kyrie and Dallas is
(07:56):
already out of the playoffs. February fifth, twenty twenty three.
We looked it up this morning. I said, when Dallas
went after Kyrie, well, it's gonna be good or bad,
but they're gonna be a handful and they're gonna be
Knights that you can't stop them. And this is an
offensive league over a defensive league. Do you realize in
the playoffs. Kyrie leads the postseason and fourth quarter points.
(08:19):
And that's playing with Luca. That's playing with the best
scorer in the playoffs. So Luca needed a running mate.
They got him one with a history of being difficult
and moody and tempora mental and his own guy. But
I've been watching this league forever. An aggressive wins in sports,
and you gotta take swings. And the Mavericks' best two
(08:41):
closers in the world right now are planning in Dallas.
Here's some thoughts.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
Unbelievable, that's fine.
Speaker 6 (08:49):
They call him some people mister fourth quarter right. Just amazing.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
He scored with thirty three. Yeah, it's amazing. You know,
he's born for this situation.
Speaker 7 (08:58):
He bore it for that, you to so we just
give it the both to him. Going into Game four,
still zero zero. And that's the type of motivation and
mentality we have in that locker room. It's not just me.
We feel like the job isn't finished and we're going
against one of the greatest teams in the world. You know,
they still have the capability of beating us on any
given night. Got to appreciate where we are. But at
(09:19):
the same time, don't take it for granted, and don't
take the other team for granted, because they're pretty sure
they're going to watch this interview. They're going to study
all our habits and see if we, you know, lay
down a little bit and get comfortable. I don't want
to get comfortable at all. I want to push forward
even more so and have our best game game.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
For the best people in any business are in it
to get the ring, and Dallas looks like they're good
enough to keep Boston from getting it even one more time.
So J Mack, they have been your team. I will
say this, for a three to zero series, the t
Wolves Mavericks is a really fun watch. It doesn't feel
that lopsided. Whereas Boston feels like significantly better than Indiana,
(09:59):
Dallas feels better than Minnesota. But the games are tight.
Dallas has too many bad half court offensive possessions, and
when you have Luca and Kyrie, you have very few
of those. So the right team is leading the series.
But you could see Minnesota picking up a win.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
I doubt it.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
But Minnesota was built to beat Denver, as we've talked about,
they're not built to beat Dallas. And there's also something
about teams grow like Dallas. Before the PJ. Washington Gafford moves,
they weren't the same team. It wasn't the same So
they're a different team than they were early in the season.
So that's why when you went into the Minnesota Dallas series,
(10:36):
you could not take all their earlier matchups.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
We've seen that.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You see it in college football now teams have an issue.
Then there's the transfer portal, and you see it sometimes
in the NFL where Houston's a laughingstock. Oh wait, they
get CJ. Stroud and a good coach. They're a playoff team.
So what's fun about sports if you pay attention are
the trade deadlines, the draft. The NBA draft does not
give you any immediate help like the NFL does, but
the trade deadline gives you help. Dallas is out of
(11:02):
the playoffs, even with Kyrie, potentially without this front line
to match up against an OKC and in Minnesota, so
the supplemental players, it's just give Dallas credit. Big swing
on Kyrie, big swing at the deadline. Dallas tends to
be that's kind of the way to do it. Big
swings in big d and they paid off. They went
after Porzingis back in the day, they thought he would
(11:25):
be the running mate for Luca. That kind of blew up.
They had Brunson. They blew that one right. They didn't
want to offer him the money.
Speaker 5 (11:31):
And now the third third pitch and they hit it
out of the park with Kyrie Irving. But to your point,
Minnesota has led in the final five minutes of all
the midfields, very very close. But again, when these games
are close late, one team's a brilliant offensive team, one
team's based on defense. And you cross your fingers of
cat is in the mood. Okay, but isn't your take
(11:52):
that Jason Tatum has struggled in late game scenarios.
Speaker 8 (11:56):
Does that give you pause.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
For the finals? There's no question, There is no question.
I said it is Blazers Lakers. That series came down
to a couple Kobe Shack plays. If you covered that series,
Lakers trailed by double digits.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
In most games.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Phil Jackson acknowledged, we don't have a game plan for
Rashid Wallace. We really don't know what to do. It
was just back and forth. But in the end, Kobe
and Shack with a difference. One of the great series
I've ever It's probably the best series I've ever covered
in terms of intensity and talent. So I mean, I'll
say this from an NBA perspective, Yeah, you cannot do
better than Luca Kyrie and the MAVs against Brown, Tatum,
(12:35):
the history Porzingis, Drew Holiday and the Celtics. That is
as good. We've been very lucky, March Madness, NFL Super Bowls.
We've been on a string here for a lot of years.
Celtics MAVs feels right. It's just a tough one for
rooting interests. I like tatm a lot.
Speaker 5 (12:50):
I love Luka Dante's like, there's no one to dislike
in this series.
Speaker 8 (12:54):
It's gonna be great. It should be a fun one.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
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Speaker 6 (13:53):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon Easter non a Empacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 8 (14:02):
Two NBA Insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you
right into the NBA Great Five.
Speaker 9 (14:09):
All happening in only one place. This League Uncut, the
new NBA podcast with Me.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Chris Haynes and me Mark Stein.
Speaker 9 (14:18):
Join us as we team up to expound on everything
we're covering. Hearing and Chason.
Speaker 8 (14:23):
Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein.
Speaker 9 (14:27):
On the iHeartRadio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get
your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Well, Minnesota built to beat Denver and did that's pretty clear.
They're not beat built to beat Dallas. All the games
again have been very very close. Well, what's also clear
is it's a really great cliche that defense wins championships.
But in the NBA there has never been this much
offensive talent. It is remarkable. Even Biggs can pull up
(14:56):
handle the ball hit a three. I mean, the talent
level is sensational. And the difference is Luke and Kyrie
have been magical and Ant and Karl Anthony Towns for
the Tea Wolves have not. Karl Anthony Towns has always
been a player I like. I've seen him live multiple times,
seen him on TV for years, but he's inconsistent. You
(15:16):
never know which one you're gonna get a little Rashid
Wallace where on his best nights he's unstoppable, but that
happens sometimes not as much as you like, kind of infrequent.
Ant is going to be the face of the league.
I think he and Wemby by the end of next
year very possible, but he's not quite ready for the moment.
He was great against Phoenix, He was excellent against Denver.
(15:37):
He looks a little gassed. He's hot and cold with
his shooting. His game just isn't as refined. Although he's
got a higher ceiling in my opinion than a Jason Tatum,
He's not quite there yet. So Rudy Gobert maybe the
defensive player of the year, but I've never seen a
defensive player of the year get targeted more than Rudy Gobert.
So two things appear true with Minnesota. Ant is not
(15:59):
quite there yet and Karl Anthony Towns won't be there long.
They have got to get Ant a more consistent, reliable
number two today right now, this matchup going forward, I
just don't think. I don't think Minnesota's built to beat him.
And again, defense wins championships. I hear that in football,
(16:21):
but it's always Patrick Mahomes, even on Sundays. He doesn't
play well winning playoff games and big games and Super
Bowls and conference championships. And I look at you know,
I look at the matchups right now. The West is
so much better than the East, and there are better
teams defensively than Dallas, and there's that smooth symmetry with
(16:43):
all the Denver offensive peaches pieces in OKC is younger
and maybe even deeper. But I get Luca and Kyrie.
If you look at the field goal percentage, there's so
much talent now globally in basketball. So Minnesota is the
top rated defensive team in the league. And yesterday the
(17:06):
Mavericks shot fifty six percent from the field, fifty percent
on threes, and eighty nine percent from the free throw Lie.
Dallas can just shoot and there's not a lot you
can do to stop them. And Minnesota is just run,
running out of solutions, and they're gonna have to change
things up. And Draymond Green talked about it after.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
At some point, Chris Fin's got to make an adjustment.
You keep rolling the same guys out there with the
same game plan these games and you're following behind three. Oh,
So at what point are you going to make an adjustment?
Not worry about Phyllis. We can't worry about Kyl Anthony
Towns Phyllis or Rudy Goberts Phyllis. They need nas Read
out there, they need Kyle Emerson out there, and to wait,
you gotta figure that out.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
So Dallas is stars, veteran and offensively pretty dependable, Minnesota's
two stars. Karl Anthony town too erratic and ant, probably
too young, and that's why you have a three to
zero Mavericks series.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Lead J McK with the news.
Speaker 8 (18:05):
Turns this is the herd line news.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
Yeah, the trade Carl Anthony Towns deal is going to
be real fun. I don't think he's on the team
next year because remember because of the contracts paying go Beart,
they got to pay Ant.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Yeah, they paid.
Speaker 8 (18:20):
Cascot Daniels got paid. Somebody's got to be moved.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Yeah, and they're not moving an Ant.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
They probably there's not much of a market for Gobert,
so Carl Anthony Towns will absolutely have a market. He
is very much to me Rashid Wallace is. I covered
Rashid for years and he would play Tim Duncan to
a stand still. He would have Kevin Garnett in town
and out play him and then he'd face some stiff
and give you nineteen points four turnovers. He can get
thrown out at the end of the second quarter with
(18:45):
a technical. So Carl Anthony Towns has always been sort
of erradic, and I think what you have to get
When Michael Jordan had Scottie Pip and the best Robin ever.
You knew you were gonna get defense, length, slashing, an effort.
Scotty was hot and cold from the perimeter, but I
kind of got this guy every night, and as he
refined his game, you're gonna get twenty nine a night and.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Great energy and good defense going forward.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
He's not quite there yet, but Karl Anthony Towns is
not the right rob and he's not the right running mate.
You gotta Mike Conley is a perfect setup guy.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
But he's not a running mate.
Speaker 8 (19:16):
Turns thirty seven and not ten.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
They got to go find a guy that can give
you twenty three and ten and defend every night. You know,
an Anthony Davis level player, that kind of player that
doesn't need the ball but delivers mostly the same effort
every game.
Speaker 8 (19:32):
Kat had twenty three and twelve in Game seven against Denver.
He was awesome.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
But he's shooting thirteen percent from three in this year's
thirteen percent, Like, I mean, come on, that's not gonna
cut it. All right, Let's get to the NFL. Aaron Rodgers,
mister confidence, still has total faith in his team and
his play, even though he's coming off in Achilles injury. The
Jets are in win now mode with Rogers returning. He
believes in himself and his team chances now more than ever.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
I'm always confident, you know me.
Speaker 5 (19:57):
I feel like if I'm on the field.
Speaker 8 (19:58):
And doing what I'm cabled, number one.
Speaker 5 (20:01):
We always got a chance. And number two, more than that.
Speaker 8 (20:04):
We're one of those, you know, half dozen to.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
Ten teams that can actually win a championship this year.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
So that's that's what's exciting. You know, good luck, I'm
go good luck.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I'm gonna keep my eye on the Jets offensive line health.
That will, to me be a much bigger issue than
anything else. If the old line's healthy, upright and performing,
they're gonna be a good team. They'll battle Miami until
Week sixteen or seventeen or eighteen for the playoffs. They're
not gonna be Buffalo. Buffalo's got Josh Allen. Yeah, Miami,
New England's last, Buffalo's first. Let's talk about Jets Dolphins
(20:38):
battling for a watching.
Speaker 8 (20:39):
Card prediction Herd hierarchy. You'll do one before week one, right.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
I've got two left, I think okay, Yeah.
Speaker 8 (20:48):
The Jets will crack the top ten before week one.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
I don't know why you're laughing. What in the before
they play a game.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
Yeah, there's always preseason issues with a team. There's preseason injuries,
and you're gonna see the Jets look crisp and really
sharp and deep. I'm just telling you, if they don't
come in at ten, I'll be's shocked.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
The only thing crazier than that is my son jumping
out of a plane yesterday and landing safely.
Speaker 8 (21:11):
That's the only video, and it's not for the fate
of art. That's not for me. Next up, Joe Burrow Glass.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
Joe has not faced any limitations during OTA's following his
return from a right wrist injury. Bengals oc Dan Pitcher
says they are being smart with how they use him
right now, but confirms Burrow's not on any special pitch
count during practice. I don't know, Colin, We're kind of
(21:38):
not on the fence on Burrow, but it's one of
those this is a big season for him, Like when
two US keeps getting injured, like Burrow keeps getting hurt.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Yeah, I mean, I'm not on the fence on him.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I am on the concern list that if he gets
another injury, have to draft another quarterback doesn't have to
be a first round guy, but I think you now
have to seriously. You know, there's always the thing about
because I never like to call people injury prone, you know.
I mean, some guys like Lebron just get older. Some
guys like Brady have one really bad injury in their
entire career. Then there's guys like Eli Manning that never far,
(22:09):
never seem to get hurt. But you are getting to
a point with Burrow where instead, like Deshaun Watson's injuries
were almost mysterious. Joe Burrows, aren't we see him? It's
every year, it's at the start of the seat. He
hasn't had a good September yet in his career. So
if Cincinnati can just come out throwing some haymakers and
win and not have to like catch up to Baltimore,
(22:31):
I think they'll be fine because I think Burrow, his coach,
his weapons are excellent, and that's what the league is now.
Speaker 8 (22:38):
So I don't know, they open with oh gosh, they
opened with New England. That's a so those tart one
you know.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Then they face Kansas City, Washington Carolina. So there's optimism
yet for like a three and one.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Set have yet to have a really really gelling September
with Burrow.
Speaker 8 (22:53):
Let's they went to the super Bowl already once with Burt.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:57):
If I said next five years, well the Bengals be
back in the super Bowl. Knowing that Herbert has hardball.
Mahomes is still breathing, Aaron Rodgers probably has a year.
Lamar is the former MVP. Josh Allen is still if.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Burrow is healthy, the answer is yes, if you give
me five years for he's healthy, they'll get back to
a super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
That's how good he is.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
I still contend Josh Allen's the most physically gifted quarterback
in the world. Mahomes is the best. Burrow is built
to beat Mahomes. Alan not necessarily just great, but I
like Dan Marino may have not been built to beat Elway,
but you could argue he's a better talent arm talent, Right,
So I think Burrow, the way he plays very few
(23:37):
mistakes great and third and fourth down unbelievable ability. Homer
Row to be great situationally, He's built to beat Mahomes,
whereas Allan is built to make great plays versus everybody.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
Yeah, I mean, we're still Lamar Jackson's in the division.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
C J.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
Stroud ascending. We have not seen the best of Lawrence.
I'm just saying, wouldn't. I mean, you know that Marino
got to the super Bowl. I think the second year
in the league never got back. I'm not saying Burrow won't,
but I all thought I'd betting on the on the
Bengals to get it.
Speaker 8 (24:08):
I don't think it's automatic.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I don't even know what they're over under. It's like
nine and a half ten.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
Yeah, I mean there's like seven teams are in that range,
you know, like it's not gonna be easy.
Speaker 8 (24:16):
Final story is the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 5 (24:18):
Boy, the playoff success has not been there in recent years,
but other teams in and around Dallas are thriving, the
Texas Rangers or the reigning World Series champs. Both the
MAVs and the Stars are in their conference finals right now,
and Dak spoke about how that lights us a fire
for his team.
Speaker 8 (24:36):
It's not jealousy, but yeah, it fires you up.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
Yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 8 (24:40):
Nobody.
Speaker 5 (24:40):
I want it.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
I want it for him, trust me.
Speaker 8 (24:42):
I want it because it only, as I said, it
only raises stakes and and makes makes it tougher on me,
and I'm for that, and so go in it, Go
in it. Rangers did it? Other two, go do it?
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Put more pressure on us.
Speaker 8 (24:55):
This is a funny stat that our team came up with.
Speaker 5 (24:57):
Here. Look at this, YI twenty eight years Oh man,
I don't know.
Speaker 8 (25:03):
We talk about it like, will the Bengals get back
to the super Bowl?
Speaker 1 (25:06):
So the Maverick Stars and Rangers have all gotten to
a conference finals. The Cowboys haven't got it in twenty
eight years. Yeah, that's got to hurt Jerry. You know, well,
I think ownership has some saying that.
Speaker 5 (25:19):
But that's why I don't see them rebooting with a
new quarterback and just punting on Dak.
Speaker 8 (25:24):
I just it's tough for me to see that.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
Colin, Yeah, I don't either.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
I'll have my annual tradition of calling the Cowboys pretty good.
I'll be right, They'll be pretty good. They're not a
super Bowl team, but that's pretty good is what they've
been for most of the last twenty years, barring an
injury to Dak or Tony Romo.
Speaker 8 (25:42):
So they've been a be solid bee, not even a be.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Plasing you know what they are than the Minnesota Vikings.
You know, respect the organization, well run, good players, win
some big games.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Don't really consider them a Super Bowl threat.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Minnesota Vikings, That's exactly I mean to me, Dak and
Kirk Cousins the same guy. One just has a star
in their helmet. Their stats are even across the board.
It's the craziest thing, how even they are. But I
think the Minnesota Vikings I always are never in chaos,
never great, always solid. They're solid plus. And the Cowboys
are always solid plus. Make a few coaching changes, always
(26:19):
capable at quarterback to you can go to Dante Culpepper,
you can go back to fran Tarkington and Dante Culpepper
and Kirk Cousins and Brett Farr briefly generally the Cowboys
which eight men or a Danny Wide or Roger Staubach
or a Tony Romo or a Dak Prescott or a Bledsoe.
You know, both organizations always pretty capable to the most
important position. Star receiver here, great pass rusher there. But
(26:42):
there's a Green Bay in one division, and there's a
Philadelphia and the Giants in the other. When the Giants
were winning Super Bowl, So that's how.
Speaker 8 (26:48):
I feel about it.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
That it feels strange that Dallas it's been so long
since that epic run in the nineties, Like it still
feels pretty.
Speaker 8 (26:55):
Recent, does it not. I didn't know it's twenty eight years.
It feel like it's been that.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Well.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
It's funny because the Yankees are good again, really really good.
One of the few teams in baseball. They can hit
and pitch. But it's you know, the Yankees had a
down year and people freaked out, and I'm like, that
was the first down year the Yankees have had in
it felt like twenty years.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
A down year Dallas leaves you.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Bitter if you're a Cowboy fan, virtually every year, and
it's like, I mean, the Yankees at least have given
you titles, you know, not that far ago. They're not
like fourteen years. I think they generally get to the playoffs.
They've been beaten by better Houston teams or but I mean,
it's like Dallas isn't necessarily losing the great teams. Green
Bay was not a great team last year and they
(27:39):
got housed at home. They're not losing to the equivalent
of the Houston Astros where they're banging on garbage cans.
They have these covert systems and world class pitchers and
bullpen and they.
Speaker 5 (27:50):
Lost to the Niners twice, and neither of those teams
won the Super Bowl al though both were.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
I mean green Bay last year to come home in
being a playoff game against green Bay and get absolutely trounced.
That game was over like eight minutes ten. That's the
frustrating parts. One thing losing to eventual Super Bowl sho
like Buffalo is losing, Baltimore is losing, but you're losing
to Mahomes reading the Chiefs. I can live with that. Yeah,
j Mack with the news.
Speaker 6 (28:13):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
herd Line News.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
So I saw this story.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Lebron James is essentially now a free agent, according to
Rich Paul, his agent. He's said on TNT, you know,
he can go anywhere he wants. And this is the
interesting thing. He's the Lakers' only elite playmaker and he
is still overwhelmingly their biggest draw. Anthony Davis is great,
(28:41):
not a big draw, sorry, Austin Reeve fans. So the
Lakers are totally trapped. In my opinion, Lebron could go
to Philadelphia and join Joe lmbid and Tyrese Maxi in
the incredibly weak Eastern Conference and just assure himself a
trip to the Eastern Conference Finals at minimum. I actually
(29:01):
think he could go play with Jalen Brunson and all
those rotational shooters and players for the Knicks in again
the very weak East and almost assure himself in Eastern
Conference finals. But here's the thing.
Speaker 5 (29:16):
I know.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
You think nobody wants to live in LA. Well, sports
stars do, and celebrities do, and a lot of stars
threaten to leave LA. Kobe did, and some get traded
like Shack. But the weather, the vibe. Los Angeles is
a city of hills and canyons. You could have Denzel
Washington as a neighbor and never see him. And that's
(29:40):
what Lebron James like. You can't duplicate Los Angeles anywhere.
It is a nice, comfortable, breezy place to hide when
you're a sports star. The Lakers don't have the wherewithal,
the draft capital or the players to move anybody to
get a star pick. They're not moving Anthony Davis and
they're not moving Lebron James. He's their only playmaker. He
(30:03):
is still the face of the franchise. He's got his titles,
his legacy, the bag, several rings. I don't think he's
going anywhere. This is the game that Rich Paul and
Lebron James have been playing for years. They're playing it
again and Lebron will get a max deal and potentially
his son drafted with what the fifty to fifth pick,
(30:25):
Colin Wright, Colin Wrong top of next hour plus. Tom
Brady joins us about five minutes after the hour. But
really nice news for one of those NFL teams that
drafted a quarterback in the first round, and that's coming up.
Speaker 6 (30:42):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Eastern a em Pacific.
Speaker 8 (30:47):
Super Saturday on Fox.
Speaker 5 (30:49):
First it's Phillies Mets from London, followed by the Bellmont
Stakes Live from Saratoga, and in prime time it's Dodgers
versus Yankees, all on Fox and the Fox Sports Act.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
You see that umpire that throughout Bryce Harper and like
the first doing last week, unfortunately missed out with Yankees
Phillies in the World Series. What about Yankees Dodgers Phillies
are Honestly, I was thinking about it this weekend. The
Cubs before they won a World Series, were a transcendent brand.
They were a brand beyond their region. We all wanted
(31:22):
the lovable loser Cubs to win, but now they won,
it's not as special. I don't think baseball has more
than one transcendent brand, and that's the Yankees. I don't
think the Dodgers have National Poll regional. I don't think
the Braves have National Pool regional. Same with the Cubs.
But I will tell you Philadelphia, from Bryce Harper to
(31:46):
their ballpark to the intensity of the fans. When I
watched Philadelphia, I think Philadelphia New York, even though it
would be very Northeast, would feel bigger than Los Angeles,
New York and and and the Dodgers draw, and that's
all good, but Bryce Harper gives them a different field
than other teams. Bryce Harper is one of He's the
biggest star in the sport. And the Dodgers have Otawani
(32:08):
and Mookie Betts, and I'm not denying that, But there
is something gritty about Philadelphia sports that is almost contagious
when you watch it. And there's a casualness to Los
Angeles sports that you know, the good looking crowd, they
arrive late, they leave early. Philadelphia bleeds for its teams.
And that's not to say the Dodgers don't draw. But
(32:29):
when I watch Philadelphia in a postseason game, you can't
turn it off.
Speaker 5 (32:33):
But doesn't Phillies Yankees have kind of a I don't know,
it feels like an SEC National championship game.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
We're only a certain probably get of the country cares
about it. I think I think that's I think it's true.
But I think at this point, if you get the
Yankees in, you'll take anybody. I just think get the
Yankees in. This is one of these Yankee teams that
can hit. They I mean they're starting pitching, they're hitting.
I mean there's like four or five teams Philadelphia, New
York Dodgers. Now a Kunya is out for the break,
(33:00):
that's bad news that he's a difference maker. So I
was thinking of this. So we do this every year.
The quarterbacks get drafted. About half don't make it. A
couple or busts. Maybe one hits. Big C. J. Stroud
was the big surprise. You know, it was a second pick.
It wasn't that big of surprise. He Jared Goff was
his comp Jared Goff's been to a super Bowl. It
(33:22):
wasn't like his comp was somebody that lasted a year.
But I kept saying as I saw bo Nicks beat
Oregon as a freshman, he beat Justin Herbert. I remember
that it was down in the South. I remember that game,
and I watched them go to Oregon and I watched
them live twice and won by a blowout over Utah
lost close to Washington. And my takeaway is, oh, yeah,
(33:45):
it's a first round quarterback sixty one college starts. Doesn't
make any mistakes, you know, not a guy that's going
to add lib a lot, a little like Drew Brees
with more mobility. Brew Breeze didn't throw a great deep
ball certainly of his career.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Bo Nicks isn't. It doesn't doesn't have a shot get
over the top. That's not what he is.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Accurate, insanely accurate, moves well, smart, accurate focus. Dad was
a coach. Sean Payton says, so far to OTAs, he's
been pretty blown away.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
He's farther along than most would be.
Speaker 5 (34:20):
I mean, you know, we're talking about a player wh's
played sixty one games.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
He's extremely smart. He's picked it up very quickly.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
So here's the thing with Russell Wilson, Sean Payton inherited
a lot, a lot of brand, a lot of fame,
a lot of salary, cap hit, a little bit of
cringe with bow Knicks. You saw him play sixty one times.
Go look at the film. You know exactly what you get.
(34:51):
Two conferences won the best sec the other probably the best.
The Pac twelve has been in my life about sixty
and he he was really accurate and really coachable, amenable
to anything you throw at him, moves well.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
And here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
Sean Payton with Drew Brees worked because they're both sort
of old school. Sean Payton talks like an old school coach.
He's not PC, it's not going to be politically correct.
He'll say some things it'll get him in trouble. He's
been in trouble. Drew Brees similarly, very old school, accurate,
no bs, old school. I think Bo Nicks feels like
(35:32):
that kind of an old school kid, family football, coachable,
never distracted, totally focused, all his priorities line up. And
you know I said this earlier that football are football stars,
even our stars, our biggest stars, our Josh Allen or
Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, our biggest stars, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice.
(35:56):
They all line up behind the logo and the team,
and you don't get a lot pushback. I don't necessarily
think Russell Wilson pushed back, but he never feels like
he joins everybody. It's almost branding. There's just been too
many players and coaches that have taken shots at Russell Wilson.
You don't do that with somebody you feel likes right
(36:17):
behind in the fox hole. You know, say what you
want about Aaron Rodgers. You don't see a lot of
teammates taking shots at him. Players like him, The media
may not. You know, the vaccine crowd gets very frustrated
with Aaron. Big media doesn't like him sometimes. I think
he's prickly in a little odd Green Bay got tired
of him. But you don't hear a lot of people
(36:38):
take shots at Aaron on the team, and nobody inside
a locker room cares what the media thinks anyway. So
I think bo Nicks is not a cringey guy. He's
a focused guy. He's not a distracted guy. All they
got to worry about is the plays follow direction letter
rep and I think it's gonna work. Tom Brady's going
to be joining us top of next hour. You know,
(37:01):
I was saying this to start the show. Is when
you get into these there's this weird thing. Once sports
gambling was legalized in America and it started rolling out
to states, and I don't even know how many states
now it's legal, like twenty five thirty, it'll probably get
to about forty five. They'll those be four or five
states conservative states that pass on it. But my and
(37:22):
I'm for pro gambling. I think you have to be
very careful with the prop betting where you know, especially
in the NBA Baseball, watch out for your prop betting.
That's where you can get into dicey situations. But I
am totally for it. I've been for it forever. I
lived in Vegas seven years. I knew guys that ran
sports books. I trust those guys as much as I
trust the guys with my money on Wall Street. They're
(37:45):
selfish people everywhere and distracted people everywhere, but by and large,
it's an industry trying to get it right. The NBA
was notified by Vegas about Tim Donneghey. But you know,
when I look at all this stuff, and I look
at where we're going in sports. I knew once sports
gambling was legalized, you would get this amplification, this constant
(38:07):
volume of it's rig No, it's not. If it's rigged,
then the New York Knicks wouldn't be bad for twenty
five years. Both LA teams would be out. You would
not have Dallas against Minnesota and the Pacers and the
conference finals. That's not the way it would work. And
Midwest base Kansas City wouldn't dominate the league, and Buffalo
and Baltimore wouldn't be as dominant, and Green Bay as
(38:29):
good forever. You wouldn't have the New York team's tire
fires DC at tire fire for ten years, the Chicago
Bears a tire fire forever. That's not the way it
would work. You wouldn't have the Saints and the Packers
and the Colts almost always viable and the New York
teams not. But so I just think whenever there's a final,
(38:50):
there's always this sense that, oh, yeah, this is what
the league wants. I gotta tell you, if you look
in hindsight now as to what the league would have
wanted in the NBA they would have preferred a Nick's
Celtics Eastern Conference Final, but New York fell apart. So
small market Indiana beat him in Game seven in New York.
(39:11):
But Boston and Dallas. Dallas is an interesting franchise. So
I said this for years and years when Mark Cuban
owned the Dallas Mavericks. If I was an NBA free agent,
Why isn't Dallas a hub? No state tax, beautiful people
right in the middle of the country. I never have
a five hour flight anywhere. It's a winter league. It's
(39:31):
got reasonable winter weather, not a lot of snow, gets chili, frosty,
not a lot of snow. Why wasn't Dallas a hub?
I could never figure it out. Somebody once told me
Mark Cuban was such a big star that sometimes agents
worried about putting a star there to be overshadowed by
Mark Cuban. Maybe it's a Dallas cowboy market. You know,
(39:53):
Dallas is football. It's always going to be high school
college in pro football, So why send your NBA stars there?
But they do have between Dirk Noovinsky and Luka, two
of the great offensive Europeans of my lifetime. It took
them forever to get Dirk the right cast, and it
was an odd cast to win a championship. Finally with Luka,
(40:14):
who's a better player than Dirk. I think he's just
more physically, more difficult to handle, bigger, stronger version of Dirk,
a better player than Dirk, although Dirk's a first ballot guy.
They One of the things I appreciate about Dallas is
they looked at their Dirk Novisky situation and said, we're
not going to sit back here and be cautious.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
We're gonna take huge swings. And they did.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
They went and got a Nike guy to run their
basketball Big Swing, Kyrie Irving off that mess in Brooklyn
Big Swing, and then of the trade deadline, gave up
some picks, gave up some people, and they went and
got a couple of frontline guys. So I just appreciate
what Dallas has done. I've never understand why more free
(40:58):
agents don't go there. I mean, you've got the arena
and beautiful hotels and residences you could live in right
across the street, no state tax, middle of the country,
great ownership, a lot of money, unbelievable fans. So I'm
happy that Dallas is in it. I think Dallas is
one of those brands in sports like Oregon football that's
a little bigger than you think. Everybody knows Michigan, Ohio State,
(41:19):
Notre Dame, Alabama, Texas. Oregon football because of Phil Knight
is a bigger brand than people think.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
And I think the Mavericks are.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
I think Mark Cuban made him relevant and discussed, and
Dirk and Lucas, so I can't wait. I think I
like Boston, but I could be talked out of it.
Tom Brady, Colin Wright wrong on a Memorial Day next
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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