February 24, 2025 • 42 mins
Colin couldn't be happier to see LeBron and Luka come together to create a new excitement level in Los Angeles.
The Rams could look to Aaron Rodgers if Matthew Stafford leaves
The Four Nations game did exactly what it was meant to do, enjoying the moment rather than the purpose
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
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.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
All right here we are vacation is officially over. Live
in Los Angeles little New studio for a while. It's
The Herd wherever you may be and however you may
be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. Jmac,
we went to different places. You were on the beach.
I had a hammer and nails and was making things happen.
(00:47):
But it's interesting what happened. It was pretty good, pretty
good week to have take off. There wasn't a lot
going on, but over the course of the weekend we
saw some very interesting things happen. And with the Lakers,
with the Warriors, with the with the Celtics, and I
don't want to talk about that. So, you know, sometimes
people get blamed for stuff and sometimes they're at fault.
(01:08):
But Jimmy Butler is one of those guys that throughout
his NBA career, a lot of finger pointing. Jimmy's a problem.
But I had said about a month ago, the Warriors
need to create some inertia. They're boring. Steph looks bored.
They just look bored. And Jimmy Butler gets people worked up.
He's like, he works hard at practice. He'll get after
(01:28):
a coach. Well, the Warriors are now five and one
since Jimmy Butler arrived. By the way, how are his
old team, the Sixers doing with Joel Embiid. They've lost
seventh straight and Embiid got bench yesterday. And remember Embiid
was the franchise Jimmy Butler in Philadelphia was viewed as
a problem. He was also viewed as a problem in Chicago,
where he led him to the second round of the playoffs.
(01:50):
And they've been unwatchable since. He goes to Minnesota, great
numbers playoffs, they blamed him there. He goes to Miami,
they didn't blame him last four years twice Miami, a
very strong organization figured out, Hey, Jimmy's not for everybody.
But what Jimmy creates is intensity. And in the NBA, oh,
(02:14):
these guys are talented. I mean, you don't make the NBA.
Just think of how great you have to be to
be in the NBA. But I would argue, there's not
that many winning players. Lebron's not just talented, he's a
winning player. Steph Curry's a winning player. Draymond Green is
a classic. Not as talented as a lot of guys,
but a winning player. Well that's Jimmy Butler. Bulls playoffs,
te Wolves playoffs, Miami Heat Finals, and here he goes
(02:38):
to the Warriors. So the Warriors were kind of a
lifeless offense when Steph was off the floor. POD's was
like sometimes a one or a two, you can never
count on Wiggins. Well now they have a number two,
and what he's doing he's getting to the free throw line.
So the Warriors just didn't get to the free throw line.
(02:59):
And that is part of being a winning player. And
that's what Jimmy Butler is, right. I just look this
morning free throws made. They were near the bottom of
the NBA since he arrived their first of free throw percentage,
bottom of the NBA since he's arrived their second. That
is what a winning player does. And this organization needed fight, needed, feisty, needed,
(03:23):
to get to the line needed contact. And Jimmy is not.
By the way, Miami heat one and five since he left,
Warriors five and one since he arrived. And again I
get that Butler's not for everybody, but this is what
I said a month ago. This is a boring team.
They don't have any offensive energy. If STEP's done on
the floor, they're unwatchable. Jimmy Butler will just create things.
(03:47):
He'll get on his coaches, his teammates. Practice will be harder.
And he's a really nice offensive player. And the thing
with Butler, he's not a naturally gifted offensive player. He
is a grinder, so he gets banged up. He plays hard.
But when you watch the Warriors today, now Pods is
their third or their fourth guy. STEP's there one, Butler's
there two. At Kaminga now everybody it's like a pitching
(04:10):
staff that gets a true number two starter behind their
ace and it sets up everybody else to go against
a pitcher that's of the same talent. So they were
asking guys like Pods and to do things he's not
capable of. They wanted more consistency from Kaminga. At this point,
you don't know what's get that you know exactly what
you get with Jimmy Butler. He has created a lot
(04:33):
of things. Free throws, free throws made. They'll be better defensively,
better in the half court offense. And Steve Kerr five
and one since he arrived talked about Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Feels easier right now for US game. You can make
a mistake and keep playing and not feel like, you know,
oh my god, we got we gotta flip things right now.
The trade itself, I think I mentioned this after the
Sacramento game. We just we needed it, and you know,
we felt it. We were kind of treading water. Sometimes
(05:06):
you just you got to shake things up, and we
shook things up.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
For the record, Joel Embiid has become mostly a big
truck that half the time you can't even get out
of the garage. He's getting benched, he won't play back
to backs, and this is an organization where people are
going to lose their jobs because Embiid is not delivered.
He may have the worst contract now in professional sports.
He's getting hurt more often. I've never seen him as
(05:31):
a leader, but it was Embiid sometimes talent. Remember Durant
and Westbrook nobody can Deny Westbrook's energy, production and talent.
And Sam Presty's a brilliant GM. But Katie's like, I'm
the better player by far. Can I get a little love?
And I think I think Darryl Morey's a smart guy.
But in the end, the Embiid struggles forget getting along
(05:55):
with teammates. Embiid struggles to play well with others. Hell,
he struggled at the Olympics. Remember he was the one
guy that didn't work at the Olympics. Butler can work
with any team. There is no team. I don't care
if he went to the Knicks or the Celtics tomorrow.
Butler works with every team. He makes every team better.
He gets into the playoffs. Yes, he can wear you out.
(06:18):
Some relationships don't last forever. Steph Curry doesn't wear people out.
Jimmy can wear people out, but he'll make your basketball
team better. All right, Something else that happened over the weekend.
So this has been a long time coming. And this
is not a shot at Lebron James. But Lebron now
is in what year twenty two, Lebron at his best
(06:39):
is going to give you amazing four and five minute
flashes of brilliance, but he cannot be the initiator of
the offense anymore. If Luca sits down, he can be.
If lucas playing and Lebron sits down, Austin Reeves also
capable of being a playmaker. JJ Reddick finally said the
(07:02):
quiet part out loud as the Lakers beat Denver is
that Luca had his highest usage rate as a Laker
and it was his best game. This is how the
Lakers should play because remember, as great as Kyrie Irving
was in Cleveland, he was relegated to a shooting guard
with Lebron and probably should have been as great as
(07:24):
d Wade was in Miami. He was relegated to off ball,
and he's not a great pure shooter. Lebron has been
such a force of nature and so great for so
long that everybody wants him to play off ball. And
AD's great, but Ad can't be the playmaker. So Lebron's
entire career, it's not that Lebron's selfish. I always use
(07:46):
a statistic with Lebron James. He averaged like twenty eight
game his junior year in high school. He could have
averaged sixty his senior year. You know what, he averaged
one more point of senior year. Lebron wants to pass.
He likes to be a playmaker. I've always felt he's
more Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan. He wants others to score,
but he likes to control the offense. Finally, finally, he
(08:11):
has a teammate. This is due to two things. Lucas
a really good playmaker and Lebron's now forty, so the
combination of the two. A transformational young talent in Luca
and the fact that Lebron is older and is great
in spurts. But in the Denver game, when Lebron didn't
have to be the initial, the initiator of offense, his
(08:32):
usage rate was only twenty nine percent. That's well below
his average. Did you also notice since Luca arrive, what's
happened to Lebron's efficiency. It's gone through the roof. So
he's fresh for those flurries late in the round, late
in the quarter, late in the sequence, late in the half,
late in the game. So this is finally and now
(08:52):
now it's working now. Somebody said this too many years ago,
and it was really smart about Lebron. Whenever you play
with Lebron. You are playing in Lebron's offense. You just
have to figure out.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Now.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Kyrie got really frustrated with it. But I think Lebron
because of his age and because I think Luca's even
I mean, listen, Kyrie's an all time talent, but I
think he looks at Luca and goes okay. Finally, as
much as I loved ad, he's not a playmaker. Luca
is Austin Reeves is Lebron is. But this is what
JJ Reddick said after this winning Denver, and this is
(09:27):
the quiet part, finally finally being said out loud.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
Luca needs to be the guy that controls the offense
in Bonn and Ar because we're gonna stagger everybody. They're
going to have their times to be on the ball.
But three of those guys are very intelligent basketball players,
and we can create mismatches. We can get teams in
the blunder.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Nobody's ever said that like that has been thought about privately,
it's been whispered, it's been you know, it'd probably be better.
The whole ad time, we kept waiting for the baton
pass that against Denver, that was the baton pass that
was a moment. That's what I said. I think the
Lakers can play for the Western Conference Finals if they
(10:12):
play like that. You got Ruey in the corner, Austin
Reeves is your third best playmaker, Luke is your primary initiator,
and Lebron off ball, unless Lucas says. For the record,
Lebron sees it and said this after.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
I'm a natural born wide receiver and he's a natural
born quarterback, so it fits perfectly. You know, I'm I've
been running the floor and running lanes like you know,
pretty much my whole life. And he's been throwing great
passes pretty much his whole life. So it's not it's
not hard to get a rhythm when it comes to that.
You know, it's just all about you know, eye contact
and you know, him being a great quarterback like he is,
(10:51):
and Need being the recipient of it.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
This is not a small thing. This is like been
the discussion for years. This is what Kyrie complained about.
D Wade didn't complain about it. D Wade and Spolstra
figured it out after about two practices. This is gonna
be Lebron's team. Kyrie pushed back, but Lebron was better
at it ad. I'm not a playmaker. This is what
(11:13):
it can look like. This is what it can look
like at its best. Lucas the playmaker. He initiates it.
Lebron will have more efficiency and more energy late in
the quarter half game and they blow out Denver. And
Denver's a team I don't know in the last fifteen
is Denver fourteen and one? Denver always beats the Lakers
(11:33):
and this wasn't even close. So I don't want to
get too crazy, but this is what it should look like.
J mac Listen. Hockey blew up when I was gone.
Aaron Rodgers, maybe a Ram Colin Wright. Colin wrong, NFL
may screw around with their kickoffs even more. I hope
you had a great time with the fam.
Speaker 6 (11:50):
I did, wife and I went to Graham Cayman. So
nice little get away down to the Caribbean. It's good
to be back and hear you saying nice things about Lebron.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Oh, my gosh, Colin, that's awesome. I wrong, No, you're right.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
It does feel like we're a little far away. I
feel like I have to wave or maybe cush out.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
A little louder for that may have been intentional. Oh
shots fire some Sunday, so I will say this, we are.
I'm not going to tell you why we're in a
makeshift studio. It's amazing how good of a makeshift studio
it was. They told me, Colin, I'm gonna have a
makeshift studio, and I thought we were gonna be in
a broom closet. So I came up here this morning
with very low hopes. My optimism wasn't a low nothing
(12:28):
against management. But I went up to a broom closet
and I'm like, all right, it's gonna be about four months.
I can't believe how nice it is. In fact, you
may want to cancel those plans and use that budget
for something else, because I am really comfortable out here,
feeling great. Rachel Nichols, Matt Hasselbeck is joining us today,
Colin Wright, Colin Wrong, don't forget the combine starts Thursday.
Very interesting week in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in neon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
So Aaron Rodgers is back in California, in fact to
southern California, working out over the weekend, TMZ caught up
with him. He says he wants to play for a
good team and one that wants him, and I do
believe I'd put this out there a couple of weeks ago.
I think if Matt Stafford leaves the Rams, Aaron Rodgers
is their choice. And I don't think the Rams want
to get rid of Matt Stafford, but he has made
(13:20):
three hundred and fifty three hundred and sixty million. I
would stay in Los Angeles, Stan Cronkey, Les Snead, Sean McVay,
indoor weather. He's got a place by the beach. He
played for a loser for twelve years in Detroit, he
got beat up. Rams have a good offensive line, a
run game, Poukin Nakua, and a great offensive coach. I
would not leave the Rams. You can't just chase money.
(13:41):
There's got to be more to it than that. And
if he goes to the Steelers of the Giants, and
those are the rumored teams, those are bad offensive lines
and those are offensively inep teams. But my take is
if he leaves, Aaron Rodgers will be the choice over
a Sam Darnold. Here's why the Jets had one of
the worst coaching staffs in the league after Robala left,
and yet Aaron Rodgers last ten games, and I've been
(14:03):
a critic of him, They're pretty good. Eighteen touchdowns, four picks.
He's pretty good now. He doesn't want to get hit anymore,
and he doesn't move like he used to when he's
passed his pond prime. But when he finally found his
rhythm after that ACL surgery, Aaron wasn't terrible. Secondly, Sean
McVay likes a good project, Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff. Third is,
(14:24):
Aaron doesn't want to play forever. He doesn't want a
four year contract. He's probably got a year or two left,
wants to hang out in the weekends. You know that
he's not playing in his Malibu mansion. So I think
it works. And I think again, there's an old sing
on Wall Street by the Dips, right, Saquon Barkley better
than his value on the market, Dereck Henry Raven's smart
(14:44):
team better than his value. Right now, the pendulum has
swung so far with Aaron Rodgers. He is undervalued. And
you know, I love Sam Darnald, but I think he's overvalued.
I think everything worked for Sam Darnald, the left tackle,
the coast, the wide receivers, the run game, the division.
I thought, I think, I think, and I love Sam,
(15:05):
but he's a little overvalued. Now Aaron, now by the dip,
he's undervalued. He may not be a fifty dollars stock,
but he's certainly not a twelve dollars stock. And if
you can give me those numbers with a second third
tier Jets coaching staff, go get him. And by the way,
people say, well, has Aaron been humbled? Aaron is what
(15:26):
Aeron is. He's complex. The vaccine stuff turned off a
lot of media people. I don't think the public cared,
but the media did, and they've just decided Aaron's not
worth anything. Yes he is. And one of the things
that's very attractive Stafford right now is a bad contract
relative to the top quarterbacks.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
In the league.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
I mean he's in I think right now he's paid
less than Tua. That shouldn't be the case. Okay, but
the Rams are gonna play hardball, and the Rams have
leverage here, and their leverage is we're well run. And
the teams that want you, the Raiders, the Giants, and
the Steelers offensively aren't. So the Rams have leverage here,
and I do think there's a chance that Stafford is
(16:06):
gonna have a market and the Steelers of the Giants
of the Raiders are gonna make a bit on him
because I think he has two really good years left
and maybe three. And if that happens, I said it
two weeks ago and I believe it. I think McVeigh
could get a really, really good year out of Aaron Rodgers.
And because they have a great defense. I mean it
(16:26):
gave Jalen Hurts all sorts of problems in the snow.
What he throw for sixty four yards in that divisional
playoff game. You saw Jalen Hurts against the Commanders and
the Chiefs up and down the field. He didn't do that.
Didn't do it against that Rams defense, young and getting better.
It's not a team that'll be carried by the quarterback.
You're not gonna ask Aaron Rodgers to be a savior.
(16:46):
It's got much more of a Tom Brady to Tampa feel.
We got good players, we got an offensive coach. Can
you keep this thing humming and make six to seven
big throws a game? That's it. It is much more
Brady to Tampa than it is Russell Wilson to Denver
or Aaron Rodgers to the Jets. So keep your eye
(17:07):
if Stafford leaves, I think Aaron's the answer, and I
don't think it's Donald. I think Donald right now. It's
getting a little rich in my opinion. J. Mack with
a news.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Turn on the news. This is the herd Line news.
Speaker 6 (17:23):
Hey, let's start with a Super Bowl champion. Philadelphia Eagles
smashed the Chiefs in a blowout, but they're gonna look
a little different next season. Colin oc Kellen Moore took
the job in New Orleans, and Philly recently promoted their
past game coordinator Kevin Petullo to replace Kellen Moore, and
AJ Brown is very fired up about this new promotion.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I truly feel like it's a great high.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
He already has.
Speaker 7 (17:49):
Been involved in almost everything him, Killen and Nick basically
called the players already.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
It's a great hire, and he's already.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Familiar with us.
Speaker 7 (17:57):
We have a great relationship can and he knows what
we need to work on because he's been there, and
he's been there for a while, and like I said,
he's already been a part of all the situations and
the conversations and everything, So I think it's a great higher.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I was thinking about this this morning when I saw
this story. In just a couple of years, this is
what's happened to the NFL. Bill Belichick is now coaching
the twenty third best college football program in the country,
and Nick Seriani is routing Andy Reid in the Super Bowl.
I don't think this is a I don't think this
is a coaching ross team. I think it's a roster
(18:33):
that is built by a GM. I think there's a
lot of different ways to win in the NFL. This
team is winning with their GM and their quarterback and
their roster. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
I mean, listen, Jalen Hurts is about to have his
fourth offensive coordinator in four years. I mean they had
Shane Stike and Brian Johnson, Kellen Moore and now Patullo.
I just wondered last time they promoted Johnson, remember within
after Stike and left, it was a mess. There were
a lot of problems. It was like, that's Jalen Hurts's guy.
I mean, Patullo is promoted from within. I don't know
how this is gonna go. I'm not ready to go.
(19:03):
Eagles will repeat they're certainly in the mix or one
of the five best teams in the league.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
No, go ahead, they'll be you know, it's a loud city.
It'll be a loud offseason. That's why Philadelphia the division.
Speaker 6 (19:13):
Jayden Daniels is here, and Matt Stafford. You know, we
started that super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Remember you did. You started it two weeks before the
Super Bowl. You said Stafford the Giants, and you were right.
Speaker 6 (19:21):
And now we'll see, well it's not done, but that
division all of a sudden gets much tougher. We'll get
to Dallas shortly. They're not gonna be tough, but the
NFC North is stacked. I don't think the Eagles are
a gimme to repeat. It's gonna be a great, great
NFC next season.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Colin.
Speaker 6 (19:35):
Let's move on to the Dallas Cowboys, who lost Dak
to that torn hamstring member in Week nine, ending their season.
Dallas will have a healthy Dack next season, but according
to EVP Stephen Jones, they want to draft a quarterback. Listen,
we know the messaging from Dallas is always crazy. They're
now saying, ahead of the combine, we want to draft
(19:56):
a quarterback. Really, that's like one of your needs Colin.
They say Cooper Rush is probably going to be priced
out by Dallas as the backup. You will Trey Lance
has been the third stringer back to back years. He's
probably not going to do that again. Once a crack somewhere,
I don't know if he's gonna get it. And now
a quarterback is need. We saw Zach Martin retired.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Well if ack, I'll make an argument this is a
great year, could be a great year to draft a
backup quarterback. Like I think there's a lot of guys
that aren't ready to start in the NFL. Kyle McCord,
Riley Leonard, you're talking about Jackson Dart. Those guys are
not ready to start in the NFL right now. They
(20:37):
all could be with a year or two behind somebody.
Like last year was a year that Jayden Daniels was
ready to play. Bow Knicks had sixty one college starts.
He was ready to play. Caleb Williams. This year's class
outside of cam Ward and Schaudern, I like Jalen Milroll,
he not ready to start in the NFL. Like so
this year is if you're looking for a backup for
(20:57):
two years, this is not a terrible quarterback class. It
is lacking start right away talent.
Speaker 6 (21:05):
So I would agree, good time to find a backup.
But Dallas has needs all over them. Oh, I know,
you can't be taking a quarterback in the second round
when you're the Cowboys. Listen, there's a world where they're
like a five win team next year and then you
even have a better draft pick.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Like that world you're talking about is a reality. That's
not that you're not being over the top. Zach Martin retired.
Speaker 6 (21:25):
I looked at the Zach Martin retied.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
O best offensive lineman just retired.
Speaker 6 (21:28):
Yeah, but the rookie Geidon. I looked at PFF numbers
up terrible year last year. Now, maybe it's just a
bad rookie year, but they got needs all over the place.
Running back is a need.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
So we know.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Twelve first rounders will be overdrafted ten to twelve. That like,
that's the rule. This whole thing about Dallas taking a
running back in the first round, it's timeout. This is
the richest running back class I can remember. And I
saw the other day people have Woody Marks at USC
the best back since Reggie Bush. As a twelfth best
(22:02):
running back, Woody Marks is eighty five to ninety percent
of the Boise State guy. You can get him in
the third round. Like I know, everybody like Austin Jenny,
he's a really good running back. This year is the
classic wait until the third and fourth round to get
a running back. You're not there's there's only a handful
of great offensive tackles and rush ends. Those guys are
(22:25):
done by the late third round. So it's it's interesting
when I hear the Cowboys every mock draft has them
taking a running back. It's like, bro, this is not
the year to draft a running back in the first round.
Speaker 6 (22:38):
Cowboys defense has a lot of needs as well. There's
the Micah Parson stuff looming. I know people are sick
of us talking about the Cowboys, particularly you, but they're
interesting because right now it looks like a bit of
a tire fire, doesn't it.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
No, it is, yeah, I don't think. I don't think
there's anything looks like it at all.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
Final story, Colin is to the NBA where my knicks.
It was not a great win.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
They do not match up with Klee Boston. They cannot stop.
They can't stop. And by the way, Cleveland offensively annihially,
I mean they are their top four players, look at
their efficiency rating.
Speaker 6 (23:10):
Yet the Cavs beat the Knicks by thirty seven on Friday,
and then yesterday they were down I think by twenty
in the first quarter and they got smoked by Dallas.
There I'm sorry by Boston. They're zero to two against
Boston this season. After the game, Jalen Brunson spoke up
and it's like, I gotta be ready to step up
and lead. He's sitting on a grenade. He does not
have to. This is about Carl Anthony Towns and his
(23:31):
lack of defense. He cannot guard anyone.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
The last two times the Celtics have played the Knicks,
the first eight minutes, you can tell Boston comes out
and they attack Karl Anthony Towns like there's no doubt
about Those games are over eight minutes in so and
you know it's funny because the Tibbs is a defensive coach.
They got Mikhale bridges Og, They've got defensive players. Josh Hart. Yeah, like,
(23:56):
there's no reason they're this bad defensively. This is one
of the things that and I've watched Karl Anthony Towns
play in person four or five times. He's a remarkably
gifted offensive player. He really is, but he is he
is a hole defensively, and the good teams and the
teams with depth like Cleveland who's got real bigs, and Boston,
(24:16):
they just attack him.
Speaker 6 (24:18):
It's not great. I don't know that there's an easy fix.
Last year they had Hartenstein. Remember, well, you knew what
you were getting defense and rebounding from him.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Aren't they getting the big They're getting a big back.
He's gonna have to show up.
Speaker 6 (24:28):
But you need Towns on the court. I'm I'm at
the concern level with the with the Knicks right now
because Colin as it's slated, they're gonna face the Celtics
in the second round. They're not beating Boston.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
I think there's an argument though, the two best teams
in the league are Boston and Cleveland. No, I mean,
if you take those two teams out, you hardy.
Speaker 6 (24:45):
Forget your opening segment. The Lakers are one of the
two best teams in the league.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Okay, And I'm not surprised.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
You didn't say Oklahoma City, who's also given the next fix.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
I just think we'll over every Historically, every sportscaster overlooks
Cleveland just as a rule. But if you watch Cleveland
and look at their efficiency numbers, it's unbelievable how good
they are. They match up actually with Boston. Okay, so
I'll I'll just say this.
Speaker 6 (25:10):
We've been fooled many times by an NBA regular season
and everybody's like, hey, look at this team.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
They're amazing.
Speaker 6 (25:16):
Let's just pump the brakes the Knicks because they can't
beat the great teams. People are freaking out. Okay, see
steamrolling everybody, Cleveland steam rolling everybody. The playoffs, we know
this a different story. I think the Knicks are going
to be fine. I would take the Knicks.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Over Cleveland, and I would not, but I but I
also think I would not. But I first of all,
they don't match out with Boston. That one's done.
Speaker 6 (25:35):
That's not a great match up, right.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
But I think we have to be fair about this.
If the Cleveland team played in New York and the
New York team played in Cleveland, we'd all be high
on Cleveland. I think they're really good.
Speaker 6 (25:46):
Listen, man, they're a regular season team. Boston and so
is okay see, and the Lakers. We know the Lakers
are taken down. Okay See, that's a given.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
No, we don't know that you spent too much time
in the Caymans. You got too much sun.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
J Mack with a new Well, that's the news, and
thanks for stopping by.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
The Herd line Colin right, Colin wrong, top on next hour,
one more heard.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
The Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days
a week. Within the iHeartRadio app, Search Herd to listen
live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 8 (26:18):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together we're
Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You could catch
us weekdays from five to seven pm Eastern two to
four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.
Speaker 8 (26:32):
We talk about everything life, sports, relationships, what's going on
in the world. We have a lot of fun talking
about the stories behind the stories in the world of
sports and pop culture, stories that well, other shows don't
seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact
that we've been friends for the last twenty years and
still work together. I mean that says something, right, So
check us out. We like to get you involved too.
(26:53):
Take your phone calls, Chop it up. As they say,
I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio,
maybe the most interactive show on planning. Be sure to
check out Covino and Rich Live on Fox Sports Radio
and the iHeartRadio app from five to seven pm Eastern
two to four Pacific, And if you miss any of
the live show, just search Covin on Rich wherever you
get your podcasts, and of course on social media, that's
Covino and Rich Fox.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
The NASCAR Cup Series is in Texas, where the best
drivers in the world take on the twists and turns
at the Circuit of the Americas. Pre race coverage begins
at two thirty Eastern with the green flag at three
point thirty, only on Fox.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
So mostly when I take a vacation, I stay off
social media. I get out of here. I've been doing
this long enough. There about six to eight weekends or
six to eight weeks during the year that you should
take off. They're slow. So you do the NFL the
Super Bowl long season. We ask a lot of our staff.
Our staff doesn't take any days off. We're working Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
That's the way it is. So after the Super Bowl
(27:50):
you talk about it for four or five days. Hopefully
it didn't get stomach flu in New Orleans. I think
everybody did, ourselves included. And then you take a week
off and it's quiet. There was a little bit of noise.
And part of it is based on All Star games.
Let me say this, All Star games used to feel
really special. I'm old enough to remember when you know,
you got one Baseball game of the week on Saturday
(28:10):
and one on Monday, and there was an interleague play
and I couldn't wait to watch the Baseball All Star Game,
which remains the jewel of all star games. But it
doesn't feel as special. Okay, the Pro Bowl. I've said
this for since I've been a broadcaster, unwatchable and I
love football Hockey All Star Game so bad they gave
up on it. Get to that in a second NBA
(28:32):
All Star Game. The players make so much money now
they just don't care. And that's natural. Stuff you care
about when you're not worth one hundred and fifty million
may matter more than stuff once you are worth north
of two hundred and fifty three hundred million. A lot
of these stars and I don't want to hear that
(28:54):
NBA guys are bad guys. Because they love the Olympics.
I'm currently watching something a streaming service, watching something on
USA Basketball and in Paris, and it's wonderful and the
players are like kids and they still care. But All
Star Games are done. These guys want time off, you know,
these guys. The NBA just signed a seventy six billion
(29:15):
dollar deal for eleven years. The owners are happy, the
players are rich. Adam Silver's happy. The All Star Games
a shot weekend. Nobody cares. The stars would rather have
it off. The fact that they even show up is laudable.
But it's bad, and they're trying to tweak it and
just leave it alone and let it be and let
the young guys shine. It's just a different time in
the NBA. But hockey, to its credit, and that's the
(29:36):
sport that frankly, it's big in Canada. We don't watch
it here a lot, even the Stanley Cup final, we
just don't watch it. So hockey's like, our All Star
Game is brutal. So they went and did something called
four Nations Finland, Sweden, Canada, USA. We're gonna face each
other in a tournament. It was fantastic. You couldn't turn
(29:57):
it off. It was unbelievable, and it was a convert
gins of many things that got ten million viewers for
USA Canada. It was Trump poking Canada, it was Trudeau
poking back. It's USA versus Canada. I've never thought of
as as rivals and the Olympics. I always root for Canada.
I go to Canada every other summer. I love Canada. Okay,
most Americans I know love Canada. If not, we love
(30:19):
their moleson like they're nice people. But you know, we
got a little rivalry tariff talk, so that's part of it.
The fights are part of it. Canada booing US at
our anthem is part of it. And it just made
for an unbelievable week of hockey that you could not
turn off. I thought it was fantastic, and you can
nitpick some stuff about it. Let's not let's enjoy it,
(30:41):
but not everything becomes something greater. Tim Tebow and Denver,
you can't recreate it. Lynn's sanity, Saint Peter's in March, Madness,
the Wildcat offense. You know, we spend so much time
instead of just loving the moment and going, damn, this
is good, just the moment. Years ago, I used to
(31:02):
cover boxing you'd get about one fight every two or
three years. That was magic, and they'd always have a rematch,
and the rematch was never as good, and generally the
sequel in movie making is never as good. And I
just thought this was wonderful. It was a convergence of
format and timing, and we were underdogs and we were
(31:22):
booed and you couldn't turn it off. You make Americans
underdogs and you get into fights with them, and you
challenge us. We've got a healthy enough ego and pride.
We're gonna fight back. So I thought it was wonderful.
I give the NHL a ton of credit for saying, listen,
our All Star Game is different. We're not gonna tweak it,
we're gonna blow it up. We're just gonna do something
(31:45):
completely different. And I think that's great. And Gary Bettman
gets a lot of crap. It is hard to sell
hockey in America. Canada does not have our labyrinth, labyrinth
of college and university sports. They don't have a march
madness like us. I mean, high school sports are big
in America. College sports, you know, Division two sports. We
(32:07):
are just wildly distracted. It is hard to sandwich in
Canada's favorite sport and say, everybody watch it. We don't this.
We watched. It's just for a moment due to several factors.
Remarkable television, and I loved every bit of it. But
(32:27):
it's not gonna mean anything. We're not gonna now. A
lot of hockey games play this weekend and Americans didn't watch.
Just enjoy it. Not everything needs a sequel. Now you
may do this on an you know listen. Italy's got
the Olympics in the twenty twenty six. It'll get feisty again.
We may in this country love hockey very situationally Olympics,
(32:49):
this tournament. This may be when we love it. And
that's okay. What we don't love about the NBA is
All Star Weekend, and it's very clear the players don't
like it. Draymond Green was complaining about it. Here's a
clip of that.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
I had to work so hard to play on Sunday
night of All Star Weekend. And because ratings are down,
because the game's bad, we're bringing in Rising Stars. That's
not a fix. I never played in the Rising Stars
game my first two years. I didn't touch that game.
And these guys get to touch the All Star floor.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Yeah. If I was the NBA, I'd leave it alone.
I'm serious, Just like it's not gonna be a big deal.
I'd let the young guys take over. There's tons of
young guys. I think the NBA is listening to their
critics and they're trying to tweak it and fix it.
Just let it be. Nobody really cares. The football season's over.
It's a boring week or two of sports. We're all
waiting for the Combine and NFL free agency in March madness. Okay,
(33:49):
here's another thing, now, some things speaking of. You don't
need to fix it, so you have to be careful.
I tell young broadcasters this. Whenever I speak to a
college class. One of the first things I say is
just don't listen to the noise, trust your instincts, work hard,
keep your head down, don't stay off your phone. Just
(34:10):
that stuff. I'm old enough now I don't care. But
when you're in your twenties and thirties, sometimes I watch
these leagues and they're listening to critics. Don't worry about critics.
I mean, the NBA just signed a mega deal. Who
cares what critics say? Owners, happy players, happy, Adam Silver happy. Now,
NBC may have reached and overbid. That's my feeling. They
won't be happy, but everybody else will be. But here's
(34:35):
something that the NBA, which is the great tweak league,
and I've always had respect for the NFL, is the
great tweak league. They are constantly tweaking stuff. I've seen
them change the catch rule in a Super Bowl. So
this year they tweak the kickoff and they have two concerns.
Too many concussions during the kickoff. This had been like
(34:56):
a decade concern. And there weren't enough return too many touchbacks.
So they tweaked it and people didn't like it. And
I said at the time, take a deep breath. You know,
nobody likes change. Just take a deep breath. I think
it'll be okay when the season's over. Well, the numbers
are in and there's a story this morning they want
to tweak it again, and my take is don't. So
(35:19):
the number one concern was concussions. Right, Concussions this past
year were down seventeen percent historic NFL low, So it worked. Okay,
let's talk about kickoff returns. Oh, let's look, Oh, kickoff
returns rose fifty three percent. In fact, there were more
(35:41):
forty plus yard kickoff returns than in any year since
twenty sixteen. So there were two objectives with this kickoff rule.
I know it looked weird. A lot of stuff looks
weird until you get used to it. They wanted fewer concussions.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Check.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
They wanted more kick returns, especially big ones. Check. Do
a Vegas dealer move, You're done. It worked, It's over.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
And.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
I said, day one, we all struggle. I've used this
stat before. Forty percent of Americans never move away from
their zip code. People don't like change, Like right now
in the White House, people are freaking out. There's a
lot of change, a lot of it good, maybe some not.
But people just don't like change. They don't like it.
People don't like to move. They don't like to move
out of their comfort zone. So the NFL kickoff room,
(36:31):
esthetically it was weird looking. It was like, Okay, they
can't move until they grab it. It's weird. They did
that for concussions. So the numbers are out. They both
worked and we had more big returns. We had more
returns by almost over fifty percent, and concussions were down.
And that's exactly and I'll give the NFL credit. It's
(36:52):
easy to make changes when you're bad. I always said
Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods changed clubs when he was the
number one golfer in the world. That takes courage. Okay.
Oprah Winfrey changed formats when she was the number one
daytime talk show host. That's courage. The NFL is number
(37:12):
one by a mile, and they're constantly tweaking total respect
for that. But the kickoff thing, it worked. You got
it right, Okay. I want to go back to the
Matt Stafford talk with the Giants because Albert Breer not
on the show today, but somebody we respect a lot
talked about this. So this Stafford has a bad contract
(37:33):
right now and he's made a lot of money, but
he's not happy with it, and they've kind of put
a band aid on it in the last year. But Stafford,
now this stuff gets out because Stafford and his people
want it out. They're unhappy. And so Albert Breer says,
the Giants, the Browns, and the Steelers and the Raiders
have all shown interest. Well, my take is you could
(37:54):
put a caution tape around those four franchises. Offensively, those
are bad danger stay away. The Rams have two big
advantages with Stafford here. Number one, they're really well run.
How many NFL franchises, if I ask you today, are
really well run Baltimore, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Rams, Niners? It's
(38:18):
not that many. And how many of the well run
franchises are also well coached that it gets down to
about six, and the Rams are one of them. So
sometimes your greatest leverage as a company is we've got
our act together. Steelers offensively don't. Giants don't. Raiders don't.
(38:39):
They're running through people. The Browns don't. So in this
you think to yourself, Oh, Stafford's got leverage. No, Stafford's talented,
and he's great, and he'd be crazy to leave. But
he spent twelve years in Detroit. Okay. That stuff doesn't
leave you, like they always therapists always tell you what
happened to you at nine will stick with you for life,
even if you go to things. If you're in a
(39:01):
bad twelve year relationship in the NFL with your organization,
that stuff doesn't leave. I mean, Aaron Rodgers right now
at a great relationship. Why Stafford was with the Lions,
he was with the Packers. Aaron goes to the Jets
for two years. He's like, oh, you don't think he'd
be interested in the Rams. Like I've been with a
bad franchise, it is no fun. So to me, Stafford
(39:22):
would be nuts to leave. I think if the Rams went, listen,
we're gonna give you forty million dollars a two year deal.
Eighty million total, forty million, two years, call to day,
you'll be forty it's over. I would take that in
a second. Stafford had won a third year, probably not
gonna give it to him. It's a much better college
quarterback draft class. And also Aaron Rodgers out there for
a year or two. But when I look at the
(39:44):
teams that are out there, my take is, Matt you've
made a lot of money. You've made three hundred and
sixty million dollars. If you signed forty million for two years,
you end up making close to four hundred and fifty million,
and you get a super Bowl. And I'm serious here,
Rams for the next two years with Stafford are in
the super Bowl bubble, and I'm not sure how far
they are off. You go to that game against Philadelphia,
(40:05):
more yards, more first downs. They held Jalen Hurst to
about sixty five yards passing. Remember that big completion Jmack
down the right side line to Puka. We were sitting
there going, wait a minute, are they gonna steal this game?
They haven't even played well. I mean, they hadn't even
played well, and they were driving down the field a
dome team essentially so far as a you know, semi dome.
(40:28):
They were driving for the win. And that d line
which destroyed the Commanders and the Chiefs front that after
that completion right there, you're like, holy crap, they're down
to the fifteen yard line. So for Stafford to leave
that I think would be a huge, huge mistake. And
(40:50):
I know J Max's theory is, ohwas strike when the
iron is high. But what if the iron is the Steelers, Giants,
Raiders Brown that's not a hot iron.
Speaker 6 (41:00):
Well, let's look at there. Have you looked at the
Rams free agency situation? It sounds like both tackles may
need to be replaced for the Rams. That's not ideal.
They don't have a second round pick, I believe because
they had to move up for the kid from FSC.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Haven Stein is getting old but is still a top
five right tackle.
Speaker 6 (41:17):
It sounds like Jackson's gonna command a lot of money
on the market, Rams may lose him. So now all
of a sudden, Stafford's looking around, like, damn, my tackle
situation's uncertain. After Pooka Cooper's gonna be gone. I think
two two hours a free agent. I think Robinson's gonna
be looking elsewhere as a free agent. And now you're like, oh,
we got a lot of holes on this team. You
gotta need to pay me.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
Their first pick is gonna be a left tackle, which
will free up money they would have to spend on
their left tackle for Matt Tyler, Higbee, Poka Nakua. They're
gonna draft a receiver I think was one of their
third round picks, wide receiver. It's not a terribly deep
wide receiver class like previous years, but it's good enough.
(41:57):
I'm gonna say mcvaan, the Rams will score point. It's
with or without Saffron next year. Colin right, Colin wrong.
Speaker 4 (42:03):
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.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
All right here we are vacation is officially over. Live
in Los Angeles little New studio for a while. It's
The Herd wherever you may be and however you may
be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. Jmac,
we went to different places. You were on the beach.
I had a hammer and nails and was making things happen.
(00:47):
But it's interesting what happened. It was pretty good, pretty
good week to have take off. There wasn't a lot
going on, but over the course of the weekend we
saw some very interesting things happen. And with the Lakers,
with the Warriors, with the with the Celtics, and I
don't want to talk about that. So, you know, sometimes
people get blamed for stuff and sometimes they're at fault.
(01:08):
But Jimmy Butler is one of those guys that throughout
his NBA career, a lot of finger pointing. Jimmy's a problem.
But I had said about a month ago, the Warriors
need to create some inertia. They're boring. Steph looks bored.
They just look bored. And Jimmy Butler gets people worked up.
He's like, he works hard at practice. He'll get after
(01:28):
a coach. Well, the Warriors are now five and one
since Jimmy Butler arrived. By the way, how are his
old team, the Sixers doing with Joel Embiid. They've lost
seventh straight and Embiid got bench yesterday. And remember Embiid
was the franchise Jimmy Butler in Philadelphia was viewed as
a problem. He was also viewed as a problem in Chicago,
where he led him to the second round of the playoffs.
(01:50):
And they've been unwatchable since. He goes to Minnesota, great
numbers playoffs, they blamed him there. He goes to Miami,
they didn't blame him last four years twice Miami, a
very strong organization figured out, Hey, Jimmy's not for everybody.
But what Jimmy creates is intensity. And in the NBA, oh,
(02:14):
these guys are talented. I mean, you don't make the NBA.
Just think of how great you have to be to
be in the NBA. But I would argue, there's not
that many winning players. Lebron's not just talented, he's a
winning player. Steph Curry's a winning player. Draymond Green is
a classic. Not as talented as a lot of guys,
but a winning player. Well that's Jimmy Butler. Bulls playoffs,
te Wolves playoffs, Miami Heat Finals, and here he goes
(02:38):
to the Warriors. So the Warriors were kind of a
lifeless offense when Steph was off the floor. POD's was
like sometimes a one or a two, you can never
count on Wiggins. Well now they have a number two,
and what he's doing he's getting to the free throw line.
So the Warriors just didn't get to the free throw line.
(02:59):
And that is part of being a winning player. And
that's what Jimmy Butler is, right. I just look this
morning free throws made. They were near the bottom of
the NBA since he arrived their first of free throw percentage,
bottom of the NBA since he's arrived their second. That
is what a winning player does. And this organization needed fight, needed, feisty, needed,
(03:23):
to get to the line needed contact. And Jimmy is not.
By the way, Miami heat one and five since he left,
Warriors five and one since he arrived. And again I
get that Butler's not for everybody, but this is what
I said a month ago. This is a boring team.
They don't have any offensive energy. If STEP's done on
the floor, they're unwatchable. Jimmy Butler will just create things.
(03:47):
He'll get on his coaches, his teammates. Practice will be harder.
And he's a really nice offensive player. And the thing
with Butler, he's not a naturally gifted offensive player. He
is a grinder, so he gets banged up. He plays hard.
But when you watch the Warriors today, now Pods is
their third or their fourth guy. STEP's there one, Butler's
there two. At Kaminga now everybody it's like a pitching
(04:10):
staff that gets a true number two starter behind their
ace and it sets up everybody else to go against
a pitcher that's of the same talent. So they were
asking guys like Pods and to do things he's not
capable of. They wanted more consistency from Kaminga. At this point,
you don't know what's get that you know exactly what
you get with Jimmy Butler. He has created a lot
(04:33):
of things. Free throws, free throws made. They'll be better defensively,
better in the half court offense. And Steve Kerr five
and one since he arrived talked about Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Feels easier right now for US game. You can make
a mistake and keep playing and not feel like, you know,
oh my god, we got we gotta flip things right now.
The trade itself, I think I mentioned this after the
Sacramento game. We just we needed it, and you know,
we felt it. We were kind of treading water. Sometimes
(05:06):
you just you got to shake things up, and we
shook things up.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
For the record, Joel Embiid has become mostly a big
truck that half the time you can't even get out
of the garage. He's getting benched, he won't play back
to backs, and this is an organization where people are
going to lose their jobs because Embiid is not delivered.
He may have the worst contract now in professional sports.
He's getting hurt more often. I've never seen him as
(05:31):
a leader, but it was Embiid sometimes talent. Remember Durant
and Westbrook nobody can Deny Westbrook's energy, production and talent.
And Sam Presty's a brilliant GM. But Katie's like, I'm
the better player by far. Can I get a little love?
And I think I think Darryl Morey's a smart guy.
But in the end, the Embiid struggles forget getting along
(05:55):
with teammates. Embiid struggles to play well with others. Hell,
he struggled at the Olympics. Remember he was the one
guy that didn't work at the Olympics. Butler can work
with any team. There is no team. I don't care
if he went to the Knicks or the Celtics tomorrow.
Butler works with every team. He makes every team better.
He gets into the playoffs. Yes, he can wear you out.
(06:18):
Some relationships don't last forever. Steph Curry doesn't wear people out.
Jimmy can wear people out, but he'll make your basketball
team better. All right, Something else that happened over the weekend.
So this has been a long time coming. And this
is not a shot at Lebron James. But Lebron now
is in what year twenty two, Lebron at his best
(06:39):
is going to give you amazing four and five minute
flashes of brilliance, but he cannot be the initiator of
the offense anymore. If Luca sits down, he can be.
If lucas playing and Lebron sits down, Austin Reeves also
capable of being a playmaker. JJ Reddick finally said the
(07:02):
quiet part out loud as the Lakers beat Denver is
that Luca had his highest usage rate as a Laker
and it was his best game. This is how the
Lakers should play because remember, as great as Kyrie Irving
was in Cleveland, he was relegated to a shooting guard
with Lebron and probably should have been as great as
(07:24):
d Wade was in Miami. He was relegated to off ball,
and he's not a great pure shooter. Lebron has been
such a force of nature and so great for so
long that everybody wants him to play off ball. And
AD's great, but Ad can't be the playmaker. So Lebron's
entire career, it's not that Lebron's selfish. I always use
(07:46):
a statistic with Lebron James. He averaged like twenty eight
game his junior year in high school. He could have
averaged sixty his senior year. You know what, he averaged
one more point of senior year. Lebron wants to pass.
He likes to be a playmaker. I've always felt he's
more Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan. He wants others to score,
but he likes to control the offense. Finally, finally, he
(08:11):
has a teammate. This is due to two things. Lucas
a really good playmaker and Lebron's now forty, so the
combination of the two. A transformational young talent in Luca
and the fact that Lebron is older and is great
in spurts. But in the Denver game, when Lebron didn't
have to be the initial, the initiator of offense, his
(08:32):
usage rate was only twenty nine percent. That's well below
his average. Did you also notice since Luca arrive, what's
happened to Lebron's efficiency. It's gone through the roof. So
he's fresh for those flurries late in the round, late
in the quarter, late in the sequence, late in the half,
late in the game. So this is finally and now
(08:52):
now it's working now. Somebody said this too many years ago,
and it was really smart about Lebron. Whenever you play
with Lebron. You are playing in Lebron's offense. You just
have to figure out.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Now.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Kyrie got really frustrated with it. But I think Lebron
because of his age and because I think Luca's even
I mean, listen, Kyrie's an all time talent, but I
think he looks at Luca and goes okay. Finally, as
much as I loved ad, he's not a playmaker. Luca
is Austin Reeves is Lebron is. But this is what
JJ Reddick said after this winning Denver, and this is
(09:27):
the quiet part, finally finally being said out loud.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
Luca needs to be the guy that controls the offense
in Bonn and Ar because we're gonna stagger everybody. They're
going to have their times to be on the ball.
But three of those guys are very intelligent basketball players,
and we can create mismatches. We can get teams in
the blunder.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Nobody's ever said that like that has been thought about privately,
it's been whispered, it's been you know, it'd probably be better.
The whole ad time, we kept waiting for the baton
pass that against Denver, that was the baton pass that
was a moment. That's what I said. I think the
Lakers can play for the Western Conference Finals if they
(10:12):
play like that. You got Ruey in the corner, Austin
Reeves is your third best playmaker, Luke is your primary initiator,
and Lebron off ball, unless Lucas says. For the record,
Lebron sees it and said this after.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
I'm a natural born wide receiver and he's a natural
born quarterback, so it fits perfectly. You know, I'm I've
been running the floor and running lanes like you know,
pretty much my whole life. And he's been throwing great
passes pretty much his whole life. So it's not it's
not hard to get a rhythm when it comes to that.
You know, it's just all about you know, eye contact
and you know, him being a great quarterback like he is,
(10:51):
and Need being the recipient of it.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
This is not a small thing. This is like been
the discussion for years. This is what Kyrie complained about.
D Wade didn't complain about it. D Wade and Spolstra
figured it out after about two practices. This is gonna
be Lebron's team. Kyrie pushed back, but Lebron was better
at it ad. I'm not a playmaker. This is what
(11:13):
it can look like. This is what it can look
like at its best. Lucas the playmaker. He initiates it.
Lebron will have more efficiency and more energy late in
the quarter half game and they blow out Denver. And
Denver's a team I don't know in the last fifteen
is Denver fourteen and one? Denver always beats the Lakers
(11:33):
and this wasn't even close. So I don't want to
get too crazy, but this is what it should look like.
J mac Listen. Hockey blew up when I was gone.
Aaron Rodgers, maybe a Ram Colin Wright. Colin wrong, NFL
may screw around with their kickoffs even more. I hope
you had a great time with the fam.
Speaker 6 (11:50):
I did, wife and I went to Graham Cayman. So
nice little get away down to the Caribbean. It's good
to be back and hear you saying nice things about Lebron.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Oh, my gosh, Colin, that's awesome. I wrong, No, you're right.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
It does feel like we're a little far away. I
feel like I have to wave or maybe cush out.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
A little louder for that may have been intentional. Oh
shots fire some Sunday, so I will say this, we are.
I'm not going to tell you why we're in a
makeshift studio. It's amazing how good of a makeshift studio
it was. They told me, Colin, I'm gonna have a
makeshift studio, and I thought we were gonna be in
a broom closet. So I came up here this morning
with very low hopes. My optimism wasn't a low nothing
(12:28):
against management. But I went up to a broom closet
and I'm like, all right, it's gonna be about four months.
I can't believe how nice it is. In fact, you
may want to cancel those plans and use that budget
for something else, because I am really comfortable out here,
feeling great. Rachel Nichols, Matt Hasselbeck is joining us today,
Colin Wright, Colin Wrong, don't forget the combine starts Thursday.
Very interesting week in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in neon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
So Aaron Rodgers is back in California, in fact to
southern California, working out over the weekend, TMZ caught up
with him. He says he wants to play for a
good team and one that wants him, and I do
believe I'd put this out there a couple of weeks ago.
I think if Matt Stafford leaves the Rams, Aaron Rodgers
is their choice. And I don't think the Rams want
to get rid of Matt Stafford, but he has made
(13:20):
three hundred and fifty three hundred and sixty million. I
would stay in Los Angeles, Stan Cronkey, Les Snead, Sean McVay,
indoor weather. He's got a place by the beach. He
played for a loser for twelve years in Detroit, he
got beat up. Rams have a good offensive line, a
run game, Poukin Nakua, and a great offensive coach. I
would not leave the Rams. You can't just chase money.
(13:41):
There's got to be more to it than that. And
if he goes to the Steelers of the Giants, and
those are the rumored teams, those are bad offensive lines
and those are offensively inep teams. But my take is
if he leaves, Aaron Rodgers will be the choice over
a Sam Darnold. Here's why the Jets had one of
the worst coaching staffs in the league after Robala left,
and yet Aaron Rodgers last ten games, and I've been
(14:03):
a critic of him, They're pretty good. Eighteen touchdowns, four picks.
He's pretty good now. He doesn't want to get hit anymore,
and he doesn't move like he used to when he's
passed his pond prime. But when he finally found his
rhythm after that ACL surgery, Aaron wasn't terrible. Secondly, Sean
McVay likes a good project, Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff. Third is,
(14:24):
Aaron doesn't want to play forever. He doesn't want a
four year contract. He's probably got a year or two left,
wants to hang out in the weekends. You know that
he's not playing in his Malibu mansion. So I think
it works. And I think again, there's an old sing
on Wall Street by the Dips, right, Saquon Barkley better
than his value on the market, Dereck Henry Raven's smart
(14:44):
team better than his value. Right now, the pendulum has
swung so far with Aaron Rodgers. He is undervalued. And
you know, I love Sam Darnald, but I think he's overvalued.
I think everything worked for Sam Darnald, the left tackle,
the coast, the wide receivers, the run game, the division.
I thought, I think, I think, and I love Sam,
(15:05):
but he's a little overvalued. Now Aaron, now by the dip,
he's undervalued. He may not be a fifty dollars stock,
but he's certainly not a twelve dollars stock. And if
you can give me those numbers with a second third
tier Jets coaching staff, go get him. And by the way,
people say, well, has Aaron been humbled? Aaron is what
(15:26):
Aeron is. He's complex. The vaccine stuff turned off a
lot of media people. I don't think the public cared,
but the media did, and they've just decided Aaron's not
worth anything. Yes he is. And one of the things
that's very attractive Stafford right now is a bad contract
relative to the top quarterbacks.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
In the league.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
I mean he's in I think right now he's paid
less than Tua. That shouldn't be the case. Okay, but
the Rams are gonna play hardball, and the Rams have
leverage here, and their leverage is we're well run. And
the teams that want you, the Raiders, the Giants, and
the Steelers offensively aren't. So the Rams have leverage here,
and I do think there's a chance that Stafford is
(16:06):
gonna have a market and the Steelers of the Giants
of the Raiders are gonna make a bit on him
because I think he has two really good years left
and maybe three. And if that happens, I said it
two weeks ago and I believe it. I think McVeigh
could get a really, really good year out of Aaron Rodgers.
And because they have a great defense. I mean it
(16:26):
gave Jalen Hurts all sorts of problems in the snow.
What he throw for sixty four yards in that divisional
playoff game. You saw Jalen Hurts against the Commanders and
the Chiefs up and down the field. He didn't do that.
Didn't do it against that Rams defense, young and getting better.
It's not a team that'll be carried by the quarterback.
You're not gonna ask Aaron Rodgers to be a savior.
(16:46):
It's got much more of a Tom Brady to Tampa feel.
We got good players, we got an offensive coach. Can
you keep this thing humming and make six to seven
big throws a game? That's it. It is much more
Brady to Tampa than it is Russell Wilson to Denver
or Aaron Rodgers to the Jets. So keep your eye
(17:07):
if Stafford leaves, I think Aaron's the answer, and I
don't think it's Donald. I think Donald right now. It's
getting a little rich in my opinion. J. Mack with
a news.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Turn on the news. This is the herd Line news.
Speaker 6 (17:23):
Hey, let's start with a Super Bowl champion. Philadelphia Eagles
smashed the Chiefs in a blowout, but they're gonna look
a little different next season. Colin oc Kellen Moore took
the job in New Orleans, and Philly recently promoted their
past game coordinator Kevin Petullo to replace Kellen Moore, and
AJ Brown is very fired up about this new promotion.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I truly feel like it's a great high.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
He already has.
Speaker 7 (17:49):
Been involved in almost everything him, Killen and Nick basically
called the players already.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
It's a great hire, and he's already.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Familiar with us.
Speaker 7 (17:57):
We have a great relationship can and he knows what
we need to work on because he's been there, and
he's been there for a while, and like I said,
he's already been a part of all the situations and
the conversations and everything, So I think it's a great higher.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I was thinking about this this morning when I saw
this story. In just a couple of years, this is
what's happened to the NFL. Bill Belichick is now coaching
the twenty third best college football program in the country,
and Nick Seriani is routing Andy Reid in the Super Bowl.
I don't think this is a I don't think this
is a coaching ross team. I think it's a roster
(18:33):
that is built by a GM. I think there's a
lot of different ways to win in the NFL. This
team is winning with their GM and their quarterback and
their roster. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
I mean, listen, Jalen Hurts is about to have his
fourth offensive coordinator in four years. I mean they had
Shane Stike and Brian Johnson, Kellen Moore and now Patullo.
I just wondered last time they promoted Johnson, remember within
after Stike and left, it was a mess. There were
a lot of problems. It was like, that's Jalen Hurts's guy.
I mean, Patullo is promoted from within. I don't know
how this is gonna go. I'm not ready to go.
(19:03):
Eagles will repeat they're certainly in the mix or one
of the five best teams in the league.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
No, go ahead, they'll be you know, it's a loud city.
It'll be a loud offseason. That's why Philadelphia the division.
Speaker 6 (19:13):
Jayden Daniels is here, and Matt Stafford. You know, we
started that super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Remember you did. You started it two weeks before the
Super Bowl. You said Stafford the Giants, and you were right.
Speaker 6 (19:21):
And now we'll see, well it's not done, but that
division all of a sudden gets much tougher. We'll get
to Dallas shortly. They're not gonna be tough, but the
NFC North is stacked. I don't think the Eagles are
a gimme to repeat. It's gonna be a great, great
NFC next season.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Colin.
Speaker 6 (19:35):
Let's move on to the Dallas Cowboys, who lost Dak
to that torn hamstring member in Week nine, ending their season.
Dallas will have a healthy Dack next season, but according
to EVP Stephen Jones, they want to draft a quarterback. Listen,
we know the messaging from Dallas is always crazy. They're
now saying, ahead of the combine, we want to draft
(19:56):
a quarterback. Really, that's like one of your needs Colin.
They say Cooper Rush is probably going to be priced
out by Dallas as the backup. You will Trey Lance
has been the third stringer back to back years. He's
probably not going to do that again. Once a crack somewhere,
I don't know if he's gonna get it. And now
a quarterback is need. We saw Zach Martin retired.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Well if ack, I'll make an argument this is a
great year, could be a great year to draft a
backup quarterback. Like I think there's a lot of guys
that aren't ready to start in the NFL. Kyle McCord,
Riley Leonard, you're talking about Jackson Dart. Those guys are
not ready to start in the NFL right now. They
(20:37):
all could be with a year or two behind somebody.
Like last year was a year that Jayden Daniels was
ready to play. Bow Knicks had sixty one college starts.
He was ready to play. Caleb Williams. This year's class
outside of cam Ward and Schaudern, I like Jalen Milroll,
he not ready to start in the NFL. Like so
this year is if you're looking for a backup for
(20:57):
two years, this is not a terrible quarterback class. It
is lacking start right away talent.
Speaker 6 (21:05):
So I would agree, good time to find a backup.
But Dallas has needs all over them. Oh, I know,
you can't be taking a quarterback in the second round
when you're the Cowboys. Listen, there's a world where they're
like a five win team next year and then you
even have a better draft pick.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Like that world you're talking about is a reality. That's
not that you're not being over the top. Zach Martin retired.
Speaker 6 (21:25):
I looked at the Zach Martin retied.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
O best offensive lineman just retired.
Speaker 6 (21:28):
Yeah, but the rookie Geidon. I looked at PFF numbers
up terrible year last year. Now, maybe it's just a
bad rookie year, but they got needs all over the place.
Running back is a need.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
So we know.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Twelve first rounders will be overdrafted ten to twelve. That like,
that's the rule. This whole thing about Dallas taking a
running back in the first round, it's timeout. This is
the richest running back class I can remember. And I
saw the other day people have Woody Marks at USC
the best back since Reggie Bush. As a twelfth best
(22:02):
running back, Woody Marks is eighty five to ninety percent
of the Boise State guy. You can get him in
the third round. Like I know, everybody like Austin Jenny,
he's a really good running back. This year is the
classic wait until the third and fourth round to get
a running back. You're not there's there's only a handful
of great offensive tackles and rush ends. Those guys are
(22:25):
done by the late third round. So it's it's interesting
when I hear the Cowboys every mock draft has them
taking a running back. It's like, bro, this is not
the year to draft a running back in the first round.
Speaker 6 (22:38):
Cowboys defense has a lot of needs as well. There's
the Micah Parson stuff looming. I know people are sick
of us talking about the Cowboys, particularly you, but they're
interesting because right now it looks like a bit of
a tire fire, doesn't it.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
No, it is, yeah, I don't think. I don't think
there's anything looks like it at all.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
Final story, Colin is to the NBA where my knicks.
It was not a great win.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
They do not match up with Klee Boston. They cannot stop.
They can't stop. And by the way, Cleveland offensively annihially,
I mean they are their top four players, look at
their efficiency rating.
Speaker 6 (23:10):
Yet the Cavs beat the Knicks by thirty seven on Friday,
and then yesterday they were down I think by twenty
in the first quarter and they got smoked by Dallas.
There I'm sorry by Boston. They're zero to two against
Boston this season. After the game, Jalen Brunson spoke up
and it's like, I gotta be ready to step up
and lead. He's sitting on a grenade. He does not
have to. This is about Carl Anthony Towns and his
(23:31):
lack of defense. He cannot guard anyone.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
The last two times the Celtics have played the Knicks,
the first eight minutes, you can tell Boston comes out
and they attack Karl Anthony Towns like there's no doubt
about Those games are over eight minutes in so and
you know it's funny because the Tibbs is a defensive coach.
They got Mikhale bridges Og, They've got defensive players. Josh Hart. Yeah, like,
(23:56):
there's no reason they're this bad defensively. This is one
of the things that and I've watched Karl Anthony Towns
play in person four or five times. He's a remarkably
gifted offensive player. He really is, but he is he
is a hole defensively, and the good teams and the
teams with depth like Cleveland who's got real bigs, and Boston,
(24:16):
they just attack him.
Speaker 6 (24:18):
It's not great. I don't know that there's an easy fix.
Last year they had Hartenstein. Remember, well, you knew what
you were getting defense and rebounding from him.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Aren't they getting the big They're getting a big back.
He's gonna have to show up.
Speaker 6 (24:28):
But you need Towns on the court. I'm I'm at
the concern level with the with the Knicks right now
because Colin as it's slated, they're gonna face the Celtics
in the second round. They're not beating Boston.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
I think there's an argument though, the two best teams
in the league are Boston and Cleveland. No, I mean,
if you take those two teams out, you hardy.
Speaker 6 (24:45):
Forget your opening segment. The Lakers are one of the
two best teams in the league.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Okay, And I'm not surprised.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
You didn't say Oklahoma City, who's also given the next fix.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
I just think we'll over every Historically, every sportscaster overlooks
Cleveland just as a rule. But if you watch Cleveland
and look at their efficiency numbers, it's unbelievable how good
they are. They match up actually with Boston. Okay, so
I'll I'll just say this.
Speaker 6 (25:10):
We've been fooled many times by an NBA regular season
and everybody's like, hey, look at this team.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
They're amazing.
Speaker 6 (25:16):
Let's just pump the brakes the Knicks because they can't
beat the great teams. People are freaking out. Okay, see
steamrolling everybody, Cleveland steam rolling everybody. The playoffs, we know
this a different story. I think the Knicks are going
to be fine. I would take the Knicks.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Over Cleveland, and I would not, but I but I
also think I would not. But I first of all,
they don't match out with Boston. That one's done.
Speaker 6 (25:35):
That's not a great match up, right.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
But I think we have to be fair about this.
If the Cleveland team played in New York and the
New York team played in Cleveland, we'd all be high
on Cleveland. I think they're really good.
Speaker 6 (25:46):
Listen, man, they're a regular season team. Boston and so
is okay see, and the Lakers. We know the Lakers
are taken down. Okay See, that's a given.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
No, we don't know that you spent too much time
in the Caymans. You got too much sun.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
J Mack with a new Well, that's the news, and
thanks for stopping by.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
The Herd line Colin right, Colin wrong, top on next hour,
one more heard.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
The Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days
a week. Within the iHeartRadio app, Search Herd to listen
live or on demand whenever you like.
Speaker 8 (26:18):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together we're
Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You could catch
us weekdays from five to seven pm Eastern two to
four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.
Speaker 8 (26:32):
We talk about everything life, sports, relationships, what's going on
in the world. We have a lot of fun talking
about the stories behind the stories in the world of
sports and pop culture, stories that well, other shows don't
seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact
that we've been friends for the last twenty years and
still work together. I mean that says something, right, So
check us out. We like to get you involved too.
(26:53):
Take your phone calls, Chop it up. As they say,
I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio,
maybe the most interactive show on planning. Be sure to
check out Covino and Rich Live on Fox Sports Radio
and the iHeartRadio app from five to seven pm Eastern
two to four Pacific, And if you miss any of
the live show, just search Covin on Rich wherever you
get your podcasts, and of course on social media, that's
Covino and Rich Fox.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
The NASCAR Cup Series is in Texas, where the best
drivers in the world take on the twists and turns
at the Circuit of the Americas. Pre race coverage begins
at two thirty Eastern with the green flag at three
point thirty, only on Fox.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
So mostly when I take a vacation, I stay off
social media. I get out of here. I've been doing
this long enough. There about six to eight weekends or
six to eight weeks during the year that you should
take off. They're slow. So you do the NFL the
Super Bowl long season. We ask a lot of our staff.
Our staff doesn't take any days off. We're working Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
That's the way it is. So after the Super Bowl
(27:50):
you talk about it for four or five days. Hopefully
it didn't get stomach flu in New Orleans. I think
everybody did, ourselves included. And then you take a week
off and it's quiet. There was a little bit of noise.
And part of it is based on All Star games.
Let me say this, All Star games used to feel
really special. I'm old enough to remember when you know,
you got one Baseball game of the week on Saturday
(28:10):
and one on Monday, and there was an interleague play
and I couldn't wait to watch the Baseball All Star Game,
which remains the jewel of all star games. But it
doesn't feel as special. Okay, the Pro Bowl. I've said
this for since I've been a broadcaster, unwatchable and I
love football Hockey All Star Game so bad they gave
up on it. Get to that in a second NBA
(28:32):
All Star Game. The players make so much money now
they just don't care. And that's natural. Stuff you care
about when you're not worth one hundred and fifty million
may matter more than stuff once you are worth north
of two hundred and fifty three hundred million. A lot
of these stars and I don't want to hear that
(28:54):
NBA guys are bad guys. Because they love the Olympics.
I'm currently watching something a streaming service, watching something on
USA Basketball and in Paris, and it's wonderful and the
players are like kids and they still care. But All
Star Games are done. These guys want time off, you know,
these guys. The NBA just signed a seventy six billion
(29:15):
dollar deal for eleven years. The owners are happy, the
players are rich. Adam Silver's happy. The All Star Games
a shot weekend. Nobody cares. The stars would rather have
it off. The fact that they even show up is laudable.
But it's bad, and they're trying to tweak it and
just leave it alone and let it be and let
the young guys shine. It's just a different time in
the NBA. But hockey, to its credit, and that's the
(29:36):
sport that frankly, it's big in Canada. We don't watch
it here a lot, even the Stanley Cup final, we
just don't watch it. So hockey's like, our All Star
Game is brutal. So they went and did something called
four Nations Finland, Sweden, Canada, USA. We're gonna face each
other in a tournament. It was fantastic. You couldn't turn
(29:57):
it off. It was unbelievable, and it was a convert
gins of many things that got ten million viewers for
USA Canada. It was Trump poking Canada, it was Trudeau
poking back. It's USA versus Canada. I've never thought of
as as rivals and the Olympics. I always root for Canada.
I go to Canada every other summer. I love Canada. Okay,
most Americans I know love Canada. If not, we love
(30:19):
their moleson like they're nice people. But you know, we
got a little rivalry tariff talk, so that's part of it.
The fights are part of it. Canada booing US at
our anthem is part of it. And it just made
for an unbelievable week of hockey that you could not
turn off. I thought it was fantastic, and you can
nitpick some stuff about it. Let's not let's enjoy it,
(30:41):
but not everything becomes something greater. Tim Tebow and Denver,
you can't recreate it. Lynn's sanity, Saint Peter's in March, Madness,
the Wildcat offense. You know, we spend so much time
instead of just loving the moment and going, damn, this
is good, just the moment. Years ago, I used to
(31:02):
cover boxing you'd get about one fight every two or
three years. That was magic, and they'd always have a rematch,
and the rematch was never as good, and generally the
sequel in movie making is never as good. And I
just thought this was wonderful. It was a convergence of
format and timing, and we were underdogs and we were
(31:22):
booed and you couldn't turn it off. You make Americans
underdogs and you get into fights with them, and you
challenge us. We've got a healthy enough ego and pride.
We're gonna fight back. So I thought it was wonderful.
I give the NHL a ton of credit for saying, listen,
our All Star Game is different. We're not gonna tweak it,
we're gonna blow it up. We're just gonna do something
(31:45):
completely different. And I think that's great. And Gary Bettman
gets a lot of crap. It is hard to sell
hockey in America. Canada does not have our labyrinth, labyrinth
of college and university sports. They don't have a march
madness like us. I mean, high school sports are big
in America. College sports, you know, Division two sports. We
(32:07):
are just wildly distracted. It is hard to sandwich in
Canada's favorite sport and say, everybody watch it. We don't this.
We watched. It's just for a moment due to several factors.
Remarkable television, and I loved every bit of it. But
(32:27):
it's not gonna mean anything. We're not gonna now. A
lot of hockey games play this weekend and Americans didn't watch.
Just enjoy it. Not everything needs a sequel. Now you
may do this on an you know listen. Italy's got
the Olympics in the twenty twenty six. It'll get feisty again.
We may in this country love hockey very situationally Olympics,
(32:49):
this tournament. This may be when we love it. And
that's okay. What we don't love about the NBA is
All Star Weekend, and it's very clear the players don't
like it. Draymond Green was complaining about it. Here's a
clip of that.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
I had to work so hard to play on Sunday
night of All Star Weekend. And because ratings are down,
because the game's bad, we're bringing in Rising Stars. That's
not a fix. I never played in the Rising Stars
game my first two years. I didn't touch that game.
And these guys get to touch the All Star floor.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Yeah. If I was the NBA, I'd leave it alone.
I'm serious, Just like it's not gonna be a big deal.
I'd let the young guys take over. There's tons of
young guys. I think the NBA is listening to their
critics and they're trying to tweak it and fix it.
Just let it be. Nobody really cares. The football season's over.
It's a boring week or two of sports. We're all
waiting for the Combine and NFL free agency in March madness. Okay,
(33:49):
here's another thing, now, some things speaking of. You don't
need to fix it, so you have to be careful.
I tell young broadcasters this. Whenever I speak to a
college class. One of the first things I say is
just don't listen to the noise, trust your instincts, work hard,
keep your head down, don't stay off your phone. Just
(34:10):
that stuff. I'm old enough now I don't care. But
when you're in your twenties and thirties, sometimes I watch
these leagues and they're listening to critics. Don't worry about critics.
I mean, the NBA just signed a mega deal. Who
cares what critics say? Owners, happy players, happy, Adam Silver happy. Now,
NBC may have reached and overbid. That's my feeling. They
won't be happy, but everybody else will be. But here's
(34:35):
something that the NBA, which is the great tweak league,
and I've always had respect for the NFL, is the
great tweak league. They are constantly tweaking stuff. I've seen
them change the catch rule in a Super Bowl. So
this year they tweak the kickoff and they have two concerns.
Too many concussions during the kickoff. This had been like
(34:56):
a decade concern. And there weren't enough return too many touchbacks.
So they tweaked it and people didn't like it. And
I said at the time, take a deep breath. You know,
nobody likes change. Just take a deep breath. I think
it'll be okay when the season's over. Well, the numbers
are in and there's a story this morning they want
to tweak it again, and my take is don't. So
(35:19):
the number one concern was concussions. Right, Concussions this past
year were down seventeen percent historic NFL low, So it worked. Okay,
let's talk about kickoff returns. Oh, let's look, Oh, kickoff
returns rose fifty three percent. In fact, there were more
(35:41):
forty plus yard kickoff returns than in any year since
twenty sixteen. So there were two objectives with this kickoff rule.
I know it looked weird. A lot of stuff looks
weird until you get used to it. They wanted fewer concussions.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Check.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
They wanted more kick returns, especially big ones. Check. Do
a Vegas dealer move, You're done. It worked, It's over.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
And.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
I said, day one, we all struggle. I've used this
stat before. Forty percent of Americans never move away from
their zip code. People don't like change, Like right now
in the White House, people are freaking out. There's a
lot of change, a lot of it good, maybe some not.
But people just don't like change. They don't like it.
People don't like to move. They don't like to move
out of their comfort zone. So the NFL kickoff room,
(36:31):
esthetically it was weird looking. It was like, Okay, they
can't move until they grab it. It's weird. They did
that for concussions. So the numbers are out. They both
worked and we had more big returns. We had more
returns by almost over fifty percent, and concussions were down.
And that's exactly and I'll give the NFL credit. It's
(36:52):
easy to make changes when you're bad. I always said
Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods changed clubs when he was the
number one golfer in the world. That takes courage. Okay.
Oprah Winfrey changed formats when she was the number one
daytime talk show host. That's courage. The NFL is number
(37:12):
one by a mile, and they're constantly tweaking total respect
for that. But the kickoff thing, it worked. You got
it right, Okay. I want to go back to the
Matt Stafford talk with the Giants because Albert Breer not
on the show today, but somebody we respect a lot
talked about this. So this Stafford has a bad contract
(37:33):
right now and he's made a lot of money, but
he's not happy with it, and they've kind of put
a band aid on it in the last year. But Stafford,
now this stuff gets out because Stafford and his people
want it out. They're unhappy. And so Albert Breer says,
the Giants, the Browns, and the Steelers and the Raiders
have all shown interest. Well, my take is you could
(37:54):
put a caution tape around those four franchises. Offensively, those
are bad danger stay away. The Rams have two big
advantages with Stafford here. Number one, they're really well run.
How many NFL franchises, if I ask you today, are
really well run Baltimore, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Rams, Niners? It's
(38:18):
not that many. And how many of the well run
franchises are also well coached that it gets down to
about six, and the Rams are one of them. So
sometimes your greatest leverage as a company is we've got
our act together. Steelers offensively don't. Giants don't. Raiders don't.
(38:39):
They're running through people. The Browns don't. So in this
you think to yourself, Oh, Stafford's got leverage. No, Stafford's talented,
and he's great, and he'd be crazy to leave. But
he spent twelve years in Detroit. Okay. That stuff doesn't
leave you, like they always therapists always tell you what
happened to you at nine will stick with you for life,
even if you go to things. If you're in a
(39:01):
bad twelve year relationship in the NFL with your organization,
that stuff doesn't leave. I mean, Aaron Rodgers right now
at a great relationship. Why Stafford was with the Lions,
he was with the Packers. Aaron goes to the Jets
for two years. He's like, oh, you don't think he'd
be interested in the Rams. Like I've been with a
bad franchise, it is no fun. So to me, Stafford
(39:22):
would be nuts to leave. I think if the Rams went, listen,
we're gonna give you forty million dollars a two year deal.
Eighty million total, forty million, two years, call to day,
you'll be forty it's over. I would take that in
a second. Stafford had won a third year, probably not
gonna give it to him. It's a much better college
quarterback draft class. And also Aaron Rodgers out there for
a year or two. But when I look at the
(39:44):
teams that are out there, my take is, Matt you've
made a lot of money. You've made three hundred and
sixty million dollars. If you signed forty million for two years,
you end up making close to four hundred and fifty million,
and you get a super Bowl. And I'm serious here,
Rams for the next two years with Stafford are in
the super Bowl bubble, and I'm not sure how far
they are off. You go to that game against Philadelphia,
(40:05):
more yards, more first downs. They held Jalen Hurst to
about sixty five yards passing. Remember that big completion Jmack
down the right side line to Puka. We were sitting
there going, wait a minute, are they gonna steal this game?
They haven't even played well. I mean, they hadn't even
played well, and they were driving down the field a
dome team essentially so far as a you know, semi dome.
(40:28):
They were driving for the win. And that d line
which destroyed the Commanders and the Chiefs front that after
that completion right there, you're like, holy crap, they're down
to the fifteen yard line. So for Stafford to leave
that I think would be a huge, huge mistake. And
(40:50):
I know J Max's theory is, ohwas strike when the
iron is high. But what if the iron is the Steelers, Giants,
Raiders Brown that's not a hot iron.
Speaker 6 (41:00):
Well, let's look at there. Have you looked at the
Rams free agency situation? It sounds like both tackles may
need to be replaced for the Rams. That's not ideal.
They don't have a second round pick, I believe because
they had to move up for the kid from FSC.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Haven Stein is getting old but is still a top
five right tackle.
Speaker 6 (41:17):
It sounds like Jackson's gonna command a lot of money
on the market, Rams may lose him. So now all
of a sudden, Stafford's looking around, like, damn, my tackle
situation's uncertain. After Pooka Cooper's gonna be gone. I think
two two hours a free agent. I think Robinson's gonna
be looking elsewhere as a free agent. And now you're like, oh,
we got a lot of holes on this team. You
gotta need to pay me.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
Their first pick is gonna be a left tackle, which
will free up money they would have to spend on
their left tackle for Matt Tyler, Higbee, Poka Nakua. They're
gonna draft a receiver I think was one of their
third round picks, wide receiver. It's not a terribly deep
wide receiver class like previous years, but it's good enough.
(41:57):
I'm gonna say mcvaan, the Rams will score point. It's
with or without Saffron next year. Colin right, Colin wrong.
Speaker 4 (42:03):
Next
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!