June 9, 2025 • 41 mins
Colin Cowherd gives his thoughts on the Thunder's bounceback win in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Aaron Rodgers finally signing in Pittsburgh, why the Knicks were far too impulsive when firing Tom Thibodeau, and more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
Here we go live. It's the Herd. Wherever you may.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Be and however you may be listening. Thanks for making
us part of your day. Jaymafter is good to be back.
Mischie Buddy, had some fun traveled with my son.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Hang out in the East Coast last night. Things are good.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
But I gotta tell you watching Oklahoma City, it's nothing
to your ratings Bonanza. They are business like. They are
a business like organization. They're very young, and Indiana's got
their hands full.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Be using a B word, I would use boring. That's
what I thought a game too.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Yeah, I think third quarter blow out sie.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So let's start with that.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
First of all, let's start. I've never liked seven game
NBA series. Baseball is different because you have to work
your way through the starting staff. But basketball march madness
beats the NBA ratings in the playoffs normally with far
less talent. And the reason is it's sudden death basketball.
One bad call, one bad possession, it's over. And there's
(01:23):
a reason one hundred meters dash is more interesting than
the marathon at the Olympics.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
So this series feels small.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Game ones Thursday, Game two is Sunday, Game three is Wednesday.
I'm forgetting about this series. That is a forgetful, business
like series for ok See, they're a this is one
of these games. Another downside to a long series seven games,
even five games, there will be games built into a
series that you know the winner before the tip off.
And last night, I'm sorry, okay see, it was winning
(01:51):
that game and they were gonna win it comfortably. I mean,
you got Aaron Wiggins is hot and Jalen Williams and
Alex Caruso. Forget SGA, who's gonna break all or it's
a playoff records, But I mean OKASE has not lost
back to back home games all season. You have to
go to last year for them to do that, when
they were even younger, and SGA is getting better every year.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
So that game was decided.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
We can pick up ourt HALLI Burton slow start, you know,
they made their customary run. This is what the Pacers do.
They fall behind, they can start very slow, but here
they come from behind. And they've done this through the
entire playoffs. But the rosters aren't necessarily that even I
like Indiana's roster, I love Oklahoma City's roster. But through
two games, OKAC has led for ninety one minutes and
(02:34):
through two games, Indies led for two and that's kind
of the series. So this series does not have a
lot of star power. Obviously, I don't think market size
of markets matters that much. I mean, I think the
highest rated NBA final ever included Utah, So I don't
think it matters that much. But there's not a lot
of star power. And even SGA's game, it's very business like.
It's not dynamic, it's not flashy, and it's not going
(02:57):
to be a series we talk about much in between games.
Oklahoma City's going to dominate it statistically. The question is
Oklahoma City is so young and they've never been here before.
Are they going to get tight when they go back
home or a chance in Indiana to seal it? Is
this young team gonna get tight because The best player
(03:18):
in this series is Sga. I'm looking at numbers this morning,
thirty plus points, five assist games. He's tied with Lebron
and Michael Jordan. He's gonna blow through that. But he's
not necessarily a fascinating player. And there are a lot
of businesses and teams that are efficient and they're calculated,
and they're highly productive, and they're not that interesting. This
(03:38):
series feels like that Saturday Night Live when the celebrity
host doesn't have a lot of star power and you're
kind of wishing Tom Hanks would host it again, or
Bill Murray would host it again, or anybody not named
Steven Sagall would host it again. Just anybody to host
it that you've heard of and that you care about.
And the band's not very good and there's no star payer.
(03:59):
We need a dream on green in this series, something inappropriate, anything.
It feels very business like to me. And the team
that has led ninety one of the minutes is the
team we all thought would lead ninety one of the minutes,
and here is about to be record breaking SGA.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
On evening the series, you can't just throw the first punch.
You get to try to throw all the punches all
night and yeah, that's what we did. We sew enough
punches tonight t tow. You know, this is where I
feed out. This is where we are, and you can't
go back in the past. You don't need to try
to make the future better. So that's what I'm focused on.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
All right.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
So I was gone Colin Wright, Colin wrong in about
an hour from now and Matt Hasselbeck.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
So I was gone.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
And there was some news with Aaron Rodgers, who's not
nearly as interesting as he used to be, but it
is news. The Pittsburgh Steelers are top four or five brand,
and Aaron over the last fifteen years has been a
top four or five brand in the NFL. Discount double
check guy like a lot of ads, a lot of commercials. Now,
some controversy, so he signed with the Steelers. But my
takeaway on this is when the stories came out over
(05:05):
the last three days. Quarterbacks can be a lot of
things in the NFL. They can be small Kyler Murray,
they can be Old Brady was Joe Flacko. They can
be unorthodox Philip Rivers. They can be kind of unathletic
or the second best quarterback in the family Eli Manning.
But they can't be weird. Head coaches and quarterbacks can't
be weird. Even if you're quirky, go be a kicker.
(05:29):
You start looking at the stories that came out. According
to Adam Schefter, Aaron Rodgers was the Steelers third choice.
They wanted Matt Stafford and they wanted to keep Justin Fields.
Here's another story from another reporter, Sean McVay. Aaron Rodgers
offered the Rams a major discount, obviously a house in Malibu.
Wanted to play for the Rams. In McVeigh. They offered
him nothing, so he went to the Rams, told his agent,
(05:55):
I'll play for the cheapest deal possible. McVeigh passed. Oh,
by the way, the Vikings Kevin O'Connell. According to another reporter,
Rogers had major interest playing for the great play caller.
Kevin O'Connell not interested. And that office story i'll talk
about later. Ross talker says, Vikings aren't sir. JJ McCarthy's
the guy. What's that tell you? Even Aaron Glenn with
(06:19):
a Jets a defensive coach, they don't have a quarterback.
First thing you did is we get Aaron Rodgers in
that weird meeting, almost uncomfortable, meeting out of the building.
So all these secret marriages in ayahuasca and darkness retreats
and passive aggressive nonsense and conspiracy theories, weird doesn't work
(06:41):
because weird is unpredictable, and you want your coach to
be predictable, and your quarterback, even if he's limited, even
if he's unathletic, even if he's small, even if he's old.
You want to know what you're getting on Sunday and
in camp and at halftime and with Aaron, because the
NFL is unpredictable, and when adversity strikes in the NFL,
(07:04):
which is, by the way, the second quarter of Week
one after Labor Day, the league's all about adversity, and
you're not sure what you get with Aaron. So he
wasn't this odd, He wasn't this combative in his prime.
But people age differently based on a lot of factors.
Aaron got old and rich and for a long time
was a single, and now he's got a wedding ring,
so he's not and I guess I'm happy for him,
(07:25):
but who knows.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
I just know this.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
All these great quarterbacks in this league, the Lamar Jackson's
and the Joe Burrows and the Josh Allens and the CJ. Strouds,
and obviously the Patrick Mahomes and the Justin Herberts are
all totally committed.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
None are weird.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
They're kind of predictable, you know what you get, and
Aaron's not. And I've had two general managers in the
league tell me over the last couple of years, Aaron
comes off as odd, You're not really sure what you get.
A lot of a passive, aggressive stuff. Nobody wants to
deal with that, And so I think Aaron's career when
you hear about Sean McVay saying, nah, Kevin O'Connell, nah,
(07:59):
I thought Kyle Shannon would be interested. Apparently that was
a nah, Aaron Glenn, no, thanks, Mike Tomlin, Adam Schefter
reports third choice.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
They wanted Justin Fields.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
But by the way, when you go back and look
at the Pittsburgh Seater, Justin Field's numbers, we'll talk about
that later, they weren't terrible. So I think Aaron's career
is ending the way a lot of careers end for
relatives and musicians and actors, that the hat they wear
becomes a little bit more tinfoil, they start doing their
own homework. And when you got all these offensive coaches
(08:28):
who have watched Aaron Rodgers probably at some point worshiped
Aaron Rodgers, who would have loved to win his prime
had Aaron Rodgers all say even at a discount double check? Nah,
no thanks, Aaron's aging the way weird ages JMT. Colin
Wright Colin wrong on top of next hour. There's a
(08:49):
lot of things going on right now in the NFL.
Because you know what happens, my guy should or Sanders.
So OTAs are voluntary right starting tomorrow, mini camps are mandatory.
So tomorrow j mack old chedure Sanders with all the
(09:11):
veterans in tow in Cleveland, Are you ready for what
I think is? Remember a couple of years ago, you
and I know this that the off season in the NFL,
our job is basically football season and then waiting for
football season. And you go through all these camps and
what do they mean and what do they not mean?
Exhibition season doesn't mean anything anymore. Nobody plays, And a
couple of years ago we were all out of the
(09:32):
Kenny Pickett dilemma or the Kenny Pickett story, Like how
is he going to be in Pittsburgh. The Shadure Sanders
story is that. But my take is Shadour Sanders as
much better than Kenny Pickett. But it's one of these
AFC North teams and we're all waiting for this quarterback.
So tomorrow is official Chadure with the veterans in camp.
And you know what veterans do, J Mack. They leak
stuff to the press.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Yeah. Interesting.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
You know, my favorite part of your vacation was when
you took time off of cycling around Europe to shine
in on social media about how great Schedure Sanders was. Meanwhile,
he's not even throwing the first teamers, Colin, I know
that irked you.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
I'm sure you saw Cam.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Newton came after me upset with my Shodur take listen,
I'm just gonna rock with Stefanski.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
If he likes Dylan Gabriel, I like Dylan Gabriel. If
he likes Kenny Pickett, I like Kenny Pickett. I think Kevin.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
Sefanski doesn't really love Shadour at this point, and that's
it fair to say, right.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Uh. Yes, I want to talk about this because I
think all of us in the media are forgetting about
the most important factor with Shador Sanders and it's not
Shaduur and it's not his dad. And I'll tell you
what that factor is coming up next.
Speaker 6 (10:45):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Eastern non a em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (10:54):
Hey, we're Cavino and Rich Fox Sports Radio every day
five to seven pm Eastern. But here's the thing. We
never have enough time to get to everything we want
to get to.
Speaker 8 (11:03):
And that's why we have a brand new podcast called
over Promised. You see, we're having so much fun in
our two hour show. We never get to everything, honestly
because this guy is over promising things we never have
time for. Yeah, you blubber list lame and me.
Speaker 7 (11:17):
Well, you know what it's called over promise. You should
be good at it because you've been over promising women
for years.
Speaker 8 (11:22):
Well, it's a Covino and Rich after show, and we
want you to be a part of it. We're gonna
be talking sports, of course, but we're also gonna talk
life and relationships. And if Rich and I are arguing
about something or we didn't have enough time, it will
continue on our after show called over Promised.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Well, if you don't get enough.
Speaker 7 (11:37):
Covino and Rich, make sure you check out over Promised
and also Uncensored, by the way, So maybe we'll go
at it even a little harder. It's gonna be the
best after show podcast of all time.
Speaker 8 (11:46):
There you go, over Promising. Remember you could see on YouTube,
but definitely join us. Listen Over Promised with Covino and
Rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
So I'm reading a Yahoo Sports column today and they're
giving the odds on who's going to be starting for
the Cleveland Browns at quarterback. So Joe Flacco fifty percent,
Kenny Pickett at forty percent, Dylan Gabriel at nine percent,
and Schaduur Sanders at one percent. Okay, Shadeur Sanders has
(12:18):
two things going for him. And don't kid yourself, this
is how the league works. The owner of the Cleveland Browns,
Jimmy Haslam, is really impulsive. He drafted Johnny Manziel over
better quarterbacks. He drafted Baker Mayfield. He signed to Shan
Watson too a ridiculous guaranteed deal. Despite all sorts of
allegations personally against him, horrible contract, probably the league's worst contract,
(12:44):
and in a quarterback room with zero star power except
Shadeur Sanders, he's going to get a chance. And I
mean this is a owner. They don't have the Cedars
roster or legacy. They don't they're not as well run
as Pittsburg, and they don't have Joe Burrow. So that's
the first thing. There's a lot of belief in the
(13:06):
NFL that Jimmy Haslam is the reason that of all
the teams, Cleveland finally drafted Shador Sanders. He is desperate
to be recognized and for star power. The second thing
Cleveland has going for it shouldre has going for it
is Cleveland's rosters the weakest easily in the division, and
the early schedules brutal. Not only are five of the
first six teams they face playoff teams, but the first
(13:28):
five teams they play are all top ten offenses. And
there's a lot of flashy quarterbacks Jordan Love and Joe
Burrow and Lamar Jackson. So you think old Joe Flacco,
dol Kenny Pickett, small Dylan Gabriel. When the team's getting
beat thirty three to seventeen, and the quarterback for the
(13:49):
Browns looks small and old and average against exciting Jordan
Love and Lamar Jackson are brilliant Joe Burrow or again
highly deductive Jared Goff. Even in week six, it's Aaron
Rodgers who will be the biggest star in the building.
So my prediction, you start looking at that schedule between
(14:10):
week seven and ten, Shadeur Sanders is going to get
a shot here. Shadur's on this roster because Jimmy Haslam
wanted him on the roster. My guy, the former NFL
scout John Middelkoff was the first to say it. They
drafted Dylan Gabriela around before he should have been drafted
so they could get out of Shaduur Sanders sweepsteaks and
as Jay Mack pointed out, I don't think Stefanski's in
(14:31):
love with Shador Sanders, even though I think he's a
likable kid. I thought the draft room was a little much.
But I'm going to make a prediction here. Haslam is
starving for a star quarterback. He doesn't have the Ravens roster,
he didn't have Burrow, he didn't have the Steelers brand.
It's a weak roster that really. I mean, they're an
(14:55):
injury or two away, maybe one injury away from having
the weakest wide receiver room in the league. Cross your
fingers with Jerry Judy staying healthy. So this is a
team that's going to be boring offensively. You know what
will make him not boring? Schure centers taking snaps, win
or lose.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
J Mack with a news no, no, no, the news.
This is the headline news.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
All right, let's be legendary, Colin. Let's start with Aaron Rodgers,
your favorite quarterback. So we know he's signed in Pittsburgh,
but there were a lot of reports last week that
he was waiting for Minnesota. Well now stuff's coming out
of Minnesota that they decided to pass on your boy
Rogers because they saw a three year window to win
(15:43):
a championship right now with JJ McCarthy because he's on
his rookie deal.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Obviously missed all of last year.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
But because he's on the rookie deal, they can pay
justin Jefferson all of the money they're able to fortify.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
In free agency.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
That defense is low, nasty, like seriously, one of the
quietest good defenses.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
In the league, led by Brian Florett.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
They've got a good offensive line member, Darris I will
come back from injury. I believe everybody's sleeping on Minnesota.
It all comes down to McCarthy. Do you think they
could win.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
A Super Bowl in the next three years with Kevin o'canafa.
Speaker 6 (16:16):
In the South?
Speaker 2 (16:17):
No, listen.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
All you need to see is all the flirting the
Vikings have done with Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones and
Aaron Rodgers. Would you flirt like that if you were
with the person you wanted to marry. No, they're flirting
because they don't know exactly what they have. And there's
concerns about JJ McCarthy and a second surgery, and he's
kind of small, and he only threw the ball thirty
times once in college. So these are all the things
(16:39):
I had said when he came out. I don't see it.
I don't see a franchise guy that you can sit
and drop back forty two times in a division with
I think just better offensive quarterbacks or o lines. So
here's Caleb Williams, and then Jared Goff and then Jordan
Love and and I think if you have the third
of the fourth best quarter in your division. You can't
(17:02):
just hope that you're brilliant coach. And I think Kevin
O'Connell's really smart. You can't have him out scheme. You
can't win in this league by out scheming. At some point,
you have to have players to win games. I mean,
Andy Reid was not winning super Bowls and he was
out scheming everybody for ten years in Philly.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
You've got to have players.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
We got to a super Bowl. But let me point
this out. There have a lot of similarities between these vikings.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
And what the Niners did with rock perty Right, they realize, oh,
this guy's really good.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
He can process quickly and deliver the.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Ball shuts he could be our guy, and we have
a long super Bowl window because he's cheap.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
They get to the NFC title game and he gets.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Hurt, then they get to the super Bowl. Like, I
don't know why that blueprint can't work for JJ McCarthy.
Kevin O'Connell is as good of a scheme guy asks Laando.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
But brock Purty, to his credit, had to carry Iowa State.
And there's a history in the NFL that quarterbacks in
college that don't play with stars the trail that have
to base drive the offense like Brock Purty had to,
like Jared Goff, had to, like Aaron Rodgers at.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Cal had to.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
These quarterbacks like JJ McCarthy that come out never throwing
the ball thirty times, rarely trailing, having better players in
all but one game of the year. You get it
to the NFL and the other thing about him, So
I just don't see it. I think Michigan the last
two years at Michigan felt like a Saban Alabama team.
Great run game, great protection, star receivers, always leading, unbelievable defense,
(18:30):
always had the best coach. That's the opposite of the NFL.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Sorry, I'm not buying the college stuff. You know what's
his name? The Niner? Rock Purty was like six and
five in Iowa State. Patrick Mahome got a losing record.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Forget now, it's not about that.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
But Purdy was asked to carry his college team. Aaron
was asked to carry col Philip Rivers was asked to
carry North Carolina State, Matt Ryan BC JJ McCarthy turned
and handed the ball off for three years. But you're
not that's not an NFL life.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Isn't there a world.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Where Kevin O'Connell says, I'm not gonna have McCarthy throw
twenty five to thirty times anyway. Look at the Donald
model last year, Colin, the less Donald threw, the more
successful they were.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Okay, but that's that ideally, you're right, but it's the NFL.
You're gonna have to throw it thirty eight times a game,
six times because defenses get Remember, defensive players get hurt.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
That division's got all.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Now you got Ben Johnson in that division, Chicago's got off.
You're gonna get into track meets in that division, Matt Lafleur,
Ben Johnson, Van Campbell.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
You have offensive coaches there.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Yes, So I am nervous going all in on the vikings.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
But it worked for you last year with your Washington prediction.
You're Denver, so now I'm going heavy Vikings. We'll see
how it works out for me, all right. Next up
is Lamar Jackson. Colin, I feel like we do this
every summer with him. He missed the second week of
OTA's last week. After it comes that GM, Eric Tacosta
discussed and extension talk with Jackson. However, Sean Harbaugh is
(20:03):
not concerned that Lamar missed five of six OTASS.
Speaker 9 (20:09):
For any players how they play. I'm not measuring you know,
really the attendance. I mean it's a voluntary camp, you know,
so measuring net I mean I love being out here,
and I think all the players doing. When Lamar is
out here, I promise you he loves being out here.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
You could see it and he was out here.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
So yeah, it doesn't bother me. Not the end of
the world. He's in his prime, he's totally committed. I'm fine.
It's not he's by the way, he's been to this
organization how many straight years. When you're a new guy
on a new team, I want you OTAs. When you're
an older quarterback, I want you committed, focused learning new teammates.
(20:44):
As quarterbacks get older, sometimes it's harder to relate and
connect with young receivers. But if you've been with a friend,
if Mahomes, Missus an Ota or Josh Allen or Lamar,
they know the offense, they know the coach, they know
the coordinator, they know the personnel.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Lamar's fine, So this is no big deal.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
Your starting player two time MVP just knows you.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
No, No, he's nothing new, He's been he knows the
personnel in the playbook.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
He's good.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
You know, I know the person on the playbook here, Colin,
I think next week I'm gonna bounce.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Is that cool?
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Look good with this? Is gonna know so?
Speaker 4 (21:18):
By the way, I couldn't believe this stat our guys
found it. Lamar passed up on seven hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. That's his bonus for attending eighty percent of
off season activities because.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
He missed so many OTAs. He can't hit that anyway.
He just said, I don't need.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I would rather I
don't know what he's doing, but Colin like, but listen,
we do this every summer off with Lamar, every single summer.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
At some point, you know, maybe show up.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
Well, I don't.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I don't feel it's like Luca Dongs where he's playing
himself in the shape. He comes into the season in
impeccable shape, and I can see Lamar Jackson saying, guys,
I'm good here, I'm good. And by the way, I
think Lamar feels he's a little bit underpaid in the league.
This is his well whatever, this is his sort of
he's winning seventy six percent of his games.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
But again, I think it goes back.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
To this same coach, same personnel, same division, same quarterback,
Zave Flowers, Derrick Henry now and he'll show up to
mandatory mini camp. But an ota for a guy who
knows the system and the coach and the staff, it
(22:30):
just doesn't bother me.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
We'll wrap with this like I do believe Burrow, Mahomes,
and Josh Allen will all show up. That's just my prediction.
And Lamar will be one of the big four. You know,
you got the what do they call the Magnificent seven stocks,
you got the.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Big four in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (22:46):
If three or four show up and Lamar does it
not a great look. Final story, Colin is Yannis. Everybody's
waiting for the big guy. Is he going to demand
a trade?
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Will he not? Well, there's growing.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Skepticism about whether he will actually.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
Request a trade.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Adding, according to this report, executives will believe it when
they see it. And another report, because everybody's got one
on Yannis, claims.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
That every team in the NBA has.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
Called the Bucks, every single one about Giannis and Colin.
There is an interesting parallel here, and that's the Kawhi
Leonard move right. Kawhi was not going to sign an
extension anywhere, but Toronto was willing to roll the dice.
Do you think someone's willing to roll the dice for
Yannis for two years because that changes the equation right?
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Well?
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Yeah, I mean look at the arrow we're in right now.
If OKC wins the title, what is it? Seven champions
in seven years. If I was an owner or a
general manager and I could bring in Yannis and I
felt for two years I could be a favorite or
a co favorite to win a title, yeah, I would
strongly consider it. Depends on what I have to give up.
But again I look at Houston. Well, Houston's not as
(23:54):
good as OKAC period and as Wemby develops. If they
first of all, they now have not only Wemby, but
they have two other star young players and the Aaron Fox.
So if I'm Houston and I'm sitting there and I'm
thinking to myself, I don't know what Jalen Green's going
to be. You can't touch Aman Thompson, but what is Houston?
Is Houston going to become the Sacramento Kings that could
(24:16):
never beat the Lakers? Because I think Wemby is going
to Those young players in San Antonio are gonna rise,
and I think o Case's head and shoulders above everybody else.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
What is Houston?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
If I'm Houston and I have to make a deal
which is really front heavy for the organization where I
don't know the middle and late outcomes, I think you
have to consider it. I think in this league now
you gotta be aggressive. Things change fast, be aggressive.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Totally agree.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
I thought the Knicks were out of it, but this
Jason kids stuff that bubbled up all weekend.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
You know, Jason Kidd and Yannas are tight from.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
Their time in Milwaukee, and I think my guess is
the Knicks are back in the Gyannis mix and that's.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
Gonna be a big story here in the funning weeks.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
I don't know what they give up everything except Karl
Anthony Towns at Bridges take a period.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Well that's not good enough?
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Well not really, but what.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Other what are you betting against? Like ares Stefan Castle
gonna do it?
Speaker 1 (25:17):
I still all throw it out there, Boston, Jalen Brown.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Expiring contracts. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
I want an All Star If you go to Houston,
she goon, you know, I don't want Jalen Green, but
you got to give me an All Star. I got
to get an All Star back.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Arlanthe Towns is an all NBA. Forget all Star. Did
I sell you on this?
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (25:44):
J Mack with the news, Well that's the news, and
thanks for stopping by the herd Line News.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
So when I was gone, I want to address this.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
The Knicks fired Tom Thibodeaux calling right wrong top and
next hour thirty minutes away, that'll be in it.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
I wouldn't have done that.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
The last two to two and a half years, the
Knicks have been something they haven't been in twenty five years.
The Knicks have been something in the last two years.
I'll say it again, they haven't been in twenty five years.
Well run, organized, patient. James Dolan has owned this team
for a long time, nineteen ninety nine. The last two
(26:23):
years are the first time the Knicks have had back
to back fifty win seasons. So James Dolan at his
core is an artist. He's emotional, he's in a band.
He's an artist. He inherited cablevision. Is he a businessman? Buscher?
A lot of artists. Mick Jagger's a businessman too, so
(26:43):
it's Paul McCartney. But the reason the Sphere is so
brilliant and it works for Dolan, it's his vision because
he's an artist. It's right in his wheelhouse. And for
two years as he was building the Sphere and the
vision the Sphere which if you haven't gone and I haven't,
but it's remarkable. There's nothing else like it in the world.
(27:05):
And James Dolan deserves a lot of credit for the Sphere,
But he removed himself from the day to day stuff.
He's a very emotional guy. He's an artist. It really is.
His dad's the businessman, he's the artist. He removes himself
from the Knicks, and it's just world wide Web. It's TIBs,
it's Leon Rose. And they ran a very highly patient
(27:27):
and competent basketball operation and they built a great culture.
They built an excellent roster. It's smart, it feels like
Villanova professionally, it's tough. It's a really good basketball operation.
But Dolan was guiding the Sphere project and for those
two years he was sort of removed, at least emotionally
from the Knicks, and in the process they built a
(27:50):
great culture. And so again he's own him since like
ninety nine, and these are the best back to back
years since he bought them. So it's pretty obvious the
artist can kind of sort of a little bit get
in the way of some basketball stuff. And remember Dolan
was never a huge fan of Tibbs, So Dolan the
artist liked star power, Isaiah Thomas, coach Phil Jackson, general
(28:15):
Man Carmelo, Anthony, Amari Stodemeyer, That's what he loved. Tibbs
is a grinder, a defensive guy, a workaholic. He's sort
of gruff. He doesn't feel like a star, even though
in NBA circles he's highly respected.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
So I sort of look at it. Even Mike D'Antoni.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
When they hired Mike D'Antoni, he was mister offense, remember
from Italy.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
It was kind of a sexy hire.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
That was all Dolan and Tibbs isn't really of Dolan's DNA.
They're not the same guy. So I think the firing
here was sort of inevitable. I don't love it, I think,
and this happens a lot. Is that listen, Jim Irsay
was a fascinating man, totally compl lacks, wonderfully charitable, a
(29:03):
really neat complex human being with obviously some demons and
a dark side. I think there's an argument the Colts
will be more centered and more patient and less impulsive.
Even though he was a wonderful human being. Owners drive
the bus. We forget about this.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Most of them.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Aren't stan Kronky. Like a lot of artists, they inherit
the wealth. They're very impulsive, they've always had money. They
want their way. They're all very unique and different. And
Dolan is really got a feel for music and entertainment
and star power and art. I don't doubt any of it.
But when he removed himself from the Knicks and the
(29:46):
sphere had his attention for two years, they built a
hell of a basketball culture.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
It's a really good team.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Even the cat move I like. And so this firing,
to me feels a little impulsive. This is a player's league.
The Knicks need another score. I don't think it was
a TIBs issue. In fact, last year we were like, ah,
they're worn down. They practiced too hard. This team did
not run out of gas. They didn't practice too hard.
(30:15):
That was not the issue with this team. They needed
another catch and shoot guy like KD and the Kat
and Brunson on the floor. At the same time. It's
problematic defensively and sometimes even offensively, but they made steps
and stages.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
They're a good team. I don't like the firing.
Speaker 6 (30:34):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter not a Empacific Sunday.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
Alex Pollo looks to continue his legendary season with another
victory as the fastest racers in the world that do
Saint Louis. The Indy Car Series continues Sunday at eight
pm Eastern on Fox.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
You know, Jay mc I was thinking about this during
the break. If you j McK and I were talking
about SGA is not really a fascinating player. He's just
a great player. But if you start looking at a
lot of these teams. I just saw a story this
weekend Wemby Is he going to become a monk? I
thought story was on the internet. And SGA and Jokic
(31:16):
and Jason Tatum. I'm not disputing how good the players are.
They're not fascinating people. Jordan was fascinating.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
He was a meteor.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Lebron and Staff and magic and a lot of these
stars now they're international, they're stoic.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
They're like mature above their ages.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I mean, I wasn't as mature as Jason Tatum or
SGA if I had that money at that age. And
so what's happening in the NBA is there was a
certain level, and I think a lot of it's this.
It used to be that everybody was fighting for a
piece of the pie. Now these guys are all rich,
and they're not as combative, and they're not as feisty,
and they're tremendous. They're more skilled, they get better coaching,
(32:00):
they have better training, they eat better. But there's not
there's not a lot of you know, it's it's business
like there's so much money in professional basketball now you
don't hear stories of NBA guys as often going broke
and used to do documentaries on that and the fights,
and then why would you want to get into a fight.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
Everybody's rich.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
The coaches are rich, the commissioner's rich, the owners are rich,
the players are rich, the assistant coaches are rich. Between
the pensions and the salaries, the league just signed a
seventy six billion dollar deal, there's not a lot of
dysfunction in the NBA. I mean it overwhelmingly. It used
to be almost like hockey, that every NBA team had
a tough guy.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
You had a very low skilled Charles Oakley, or you
had a guy that a Rodman.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
I remember, there's a guy for a Sonics with Dennis Autry.
I remember, you'd have a tough guy. You'd have a
tough guy who would protect your star, like somebody skating
with gret Ski and protecting him. In the league now
is much more functional. It may be a little too
political for some people's taste, but it's functional. It's more mature,
(33:10):
even though the players come into the league younger. It's
more international, it's more European, and it doesn't necessarily make
it more fascinating.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
It just makes it more talented and skilled.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Like everybody looks at Halliburton and they're like, oh, he's
a trash talker. How does anybody not like Halliburton. He's
like the most likable guy in the league. He's constantly smiling.
And so there was something I was saying. This series
needs Draymond Green, it needs a second round or with
a chip on his shoulder. It needs Roden, but it
needs Bill Lamber, it needs a Kurt Rambus. It needs,
(33:42):
it needs somebody that's a little off center. But these
guys now are there's so much money. They've got trainers,
they eat right, they go to bed, They're not going
out to the night clubs. I mean James Harden, obviously,
they've got a jersey retired to the Houston Strip joint
for him. You know, God love him. But by and large,
the players are younger, they're more skilled, they're more mature,
(34:02):
they're bigger stars, they make more money with shoes and
their contracts. And so I've said this about Jason Tatum.
He's got no aura. He's just really talented. They don't
have any aura. I keep waiting for aunt. I'm not
sure if he wants the mantle to be the greatest player.
So I think we've just segued to a different time
in the NBA where the skill level is through the roof,
(34:24):
but it doesn't always make for fascinating basketball. I was
thinking about this that there's a story Pro Football Talk
doesn't necessarily love Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
That's fine.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
They were saying the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers is more
desperado than renegade. Kind of a desperate move, regardless of
what you think here's what is interesting about Aaron Rodgers
to the Steelers, and the Steelers are a huge brand,
and Aaron, although a regressing brand, is still you know,
if he's on television playing, he's always interesting to watch.
(34:56):
But last year, Justin Fields Mike Tomlin sat Justin Fields.
But if you go to Justin Field's numbers last year
in his six starts for the Steelers, it's pretty interesting.
Four touchdowns, two picks, ten total touchdowns, only two giveaways.
His completion percentage, I think was the best of his
career at sixty six and a half percent.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
His passer rating was ninety four.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
So if you extrapolate that over seventeen games Justin Fields
would have had you'd have been a pro bowler, he
would have been eleven and six with twenty eight touchdowns
and six turnovers with a ninety four passer rating. Now,
now would that have been the case necessarily, Well, I'm
just telling you, if you get six games is not
a small sample size. That's more than a third of
(35:39):
the NFL season. And I'm not a huge Justin Fields fan.
But he's young. People like him. He's athletic, all are
you all day? Dude's got a win he's got an arm.
You can say what you want about kid can move.
He's got an arm. I don't think he sees the
field particularly well, kind of the Zach Wilson issue.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
But he's got traits.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
And if you go to Aaron Rodt and again we'll
show some video of him, there's no question he does
things that are special.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
It's just as you see the field. I don't think
he does.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
But if you go to Aaron Rodgers' numbers last year
in New York, they were awful, and just for a
radio audience, it's like passer rating was just ninety twenty
eight tds thirteen, giveaways five and twelve. We could say, well,
the Steelers are a much better run organization than the Jets.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
I'm not disputing that.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
But if Aaron Rodgers' numbers are as good of what
Justin Field's numbers could have been had he been allowed
to play seventeen games, you would be overjoyed with that.
So my guess on what Aaron's season looks like, I'll
put my projection up. He's eight nine or nine and eight.
(36:49):
He'll miss a couple of games. I think the offensive
line's pretty average. No Nause Harris dk Metcalf, you know,
will be productive Aaron. They're an eight and nine nine
to eighteen. They start reasonably well, but Aaron gets banged up,
misses a couple of starts. But I do think it's
interesting to note that this idea that well, the production,
(37:14):
this is why there's a story out that Aaron was
the third choice they wanted Matt Stafford. Well, Matt Stafford's
at a different level than Aaron right now, it's not particularly close.
But if Justin Fields this idea that Aaron's going to
elevate the quarterback position goal to go with, Justin Fields
did in six starts, and I'm not a huge Justin
Fields fan, but it's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
And you know, he's bigger than Aaron, he runs better
than Aaron.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
He doesn't have the release of Aaron, but he's a
much more dynamic athlete than Aaron. And behind an average
offensive line with no nause Harris, there's an argument to
be made that Justin Fields would have been the better fit.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Just an argument.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
Okay, so this is interesting. This is interesting. So now,
the majority of fans are usually not right when it
comes to sports gambling, right, otherwise they wouldn't be building
gigantic casinos and the draft Kings of the world wouldn't
be doing as well. But this is interesting. Betters North
(38:14):
Carolina to go under seven and a half wins.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Now, remember.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
Belichick and Carolina are in the ACC. It is an
awful conference. It's the weakest major conference right now. Of
the four, I think the Big Ten's the best. SEC
is close. Big twelve is third. Big twelve's got some
Utahs in Kansas State, and you know I mean that
BYUS Houston. They're feisty programs. ACC is a mess. So basically,
(38:46):
the betters to go under seven and a half wins
with this dog food schedule is incredible by both the
total number of wagers and the total dollar wagered. Under
seven and a half wins. So what's interesting about new coaches,
(39:07):
especially star coaches. Let's consider Deon Sanders Colorado, Mario Christobal Miami,
Lincoln Riley USC, and Brian Kelly LSU and LSU is
a great football brand, Caroline is not.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
With Belichick, all of them struggled.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
Christa Ball went five and seven, Dion went four and eight,
and we all bragged about that he tripled wins. Now,
Lincoln Riley did win eleven games first year, but it
was a house of cards.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
They didn't have any.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
NFL players, not any good ones except Caleb and he's unproven.
So Belichick's an NFL coach, so these people pounding the
under it's fascinating because he's an NFL coach. So there's
not a lot of NFL coaches that have crushed At
the college level. Players have classes, players have distractions. You're
on a college campus. You got to deal with the
(39:58):
NCAA whatever that is. Also there's limitations for practice time.
My biggest issue is the staff. So Belichick's got two
of his sons on it and Mike Lamarty's sons, and
it may work, Mike Lombarty's son, it may work, but
it feels like it's more about like allies and Crony's
(40:20):
and loyalists to Bill Freddie Kitchens.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
It's not a great staff. Its sons. It's people he trusts.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
And maybe that explains the Jordan Hudson relationship and U
n C and she's his social muse whatever, But that's
my issue with it. I don't think it's a great staff.
And when Ryan Day just won a national championship at
Ohio State, he hired Chip Kelly. He didn't hire a relative.
And when Jim Harbaugh and you think of John Harbaugh,
Jim Harbaugh's rival is his brother. He's not on the staff.
(40:54):
So I football is not a family reunion or a
backyard barbecue, let's all get together.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
That's just not what it is.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
So it's fascinating that the most bet in terms of
total number of bets and the money wagered, the biggest
bet in college football in future bets is under on
North Carolina. And again I think I would go over
just because the acc is so awful. But it's fascinating.
Maybe it's the Jordan Hudson effect, he's distracted. I don't know,
(41:23):
but that is interesting. And I think one thing that
is clear, Lincoln Riley, Christabaul, Dion Sanders, Brian Kelly that
first year the nil you can go buy players, you
can't buy chemistry.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
Colin right.
Speaker 5 (41:37):
Wrong.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
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 noone Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sportsradio 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.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Here we go live. It's the Herd. Wherever you may.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Be and however you may be listening. Thanks for making
us part of your day. Jaymafter is good to be back.
Mischie Buddy, had some fun traveled with my son.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Hang out in the East Coast last night. Things are good.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
But I gotta tell you watching Oklahoma City, it's nothing
to your ratings Bonanza. They are business like. They are
a business like organization. They're very young, and Indiana's got
their hands full.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Be using a B word, I would use boring. That's
what I thought a game too.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Yeah, I think third quarter blow out sie.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So let's start with that.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
First of all, let's start. I've never liked seven game
NBA series. Baseball is different because you have to work
your way through the starting staff. But basketball march madness
beats the NBA ratings in the playoffs normally with far
less talent. And the reason is it's sudden death basketball.
One bad call, one bad possession, it's over. And there's
(01:23):
a reason one hundred meters dash is more interesting than
the marathon at the Olympics.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
So this series feels small.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Game ones Thursday, Game two is Sunday, Game three is Wednesday.
I'm forgetting about this series. That is a forgetful, business
like series for ok See, they're a this is one
of these games. Another downside to a long series seven games,
even five games, there will be games built into a
series that you know the winner before the tip off.
And last night, I'm sorry, okay see, it was winning
(01:51):
that game and they were gonna win it comfortably. I mean,
you got Aaron Wiggins is hot and Jalen Williams and
Alex Caruso. Forget SGA, who's gonna break all or it's
a playoff records, But I mean OKASE has not lost
back to back home games all season. You have to
go to last year for them to do that, when
they were even younger, and SGA is getting better every year.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
So that game was decided.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
We can pick up ourt HALLI Burton slow start, you know,
they made their customary run. This is what the Pacers do.
They fall behind, they can start very slow, but here
they come from behind. And they've done this through the
entire playoffs. But the rosters aren't necessarily that even I
like Indiana's roster, I love Oklahoma City's roster. But through
two games, OKAC has led for ninety one minutes and
(02:34):
through two games, Indies led for two and that's kind
of the series. So this series does not have a
lot of star power. Obviously, I don't think market size
of markets matters that much. I mean, I think the
highest rated NBA final ever included Utah, So I don't
think it matters that much. But there's not a lot
of star power. And even SGA's game, it's very business like.
It's not dynamic, it's not flashy, and it's not going
(02:57):
to be a series we talk about much in between games.
Oklahoma City's going to dominate it statistically. The question is
Oklahoma City is so young and they've never been here before.
Are they going to get tight when they go back
home or a chance in Indiana to seal it? Is
this young team gonna get tight because The best player
(03:18):
in this series is Sga. I'm looking at numbers this morning,
thirty plus points, five assist games. He's tied with Lebron
and Michael Jordan. He's gonna blow through that. But he's
not necessarily a fascinating player. And there are a lot
of businesses and teams that are efficient and they're calculated,
and they're highly productive, and they're not that interesting. This
(03:38):
series feels like that Saturday Night Live when the celebrity
host doesn't have a lot of star power and you're
kind of wishing Tom Hanks would host it again, or
Bill Murray would host it again, or anybody not named
Steven Sagall would host it again. Just anybody to host
it that you've heard of and that you care about.
And the band's not very good and there's no star payer.
(03:59):
We need a dream on green in this series, something inappropriate, anything.
It feels very business like to me. And the team
that has led ninety one of the minutes is the
team we all thought would lead ninety one of the minutes,
and here is about to be record breaking SGA.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
On evening the series, you can't just throw the first punch.
You get to try to throw all the punches all
night and yeah, that's what we did. We sew enough
punches tonight t tow. You know, this is where I
feed out. This is where we are, and you can't
go back in the past. You don't need to try
to make the future better. So that's what I'm focused on.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
All right.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
So I was gone Colin Wright, Colin wrong in about
an hour from now and Matt Hasselbeck.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
So I was gone.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
And there was some news with Aaron Rodgers, who's not
nearly as interesting as he used to be, but it
is news. The Pittsburgh Steelers are top four or five brand,
and Aaron over the last fifteen years has been a
top four or five brand in the NFL. Discount double
check guy like a lot of ads, a lot of commercials. Now,
some controversy, so he signed with the Steelers. But my
takeaway on this is when the stories came out over
(05:05):
the last three days. Quarterbacks can be a lot of
things in the NFL. They can be small Kyler Murray,
they can be Old Brady was Joe Flacko. They can
be unorthodox Philip Rivers. They can be kind of unathletic
or the second best quarterback in the family Eli Manning.
But they can't be weird. Head coaches and quarterbacks can't
be weird. Even if you're quirky, go be a kicker.
(05:29):
You start looking at the stories that came out. According
to Adam Schefter, Aaron Rodgers was the Steelers third choice.
They wanted Matt Stafford and they wanted to keep Justin Fields.
Here's another story from another reporter, Sean McVay. Aaron Rodgers
offered the Rams a major discount, obviously a house in Malibu.
Wanted to play for the Rams. In McVeigh. They offered
him nothing, so he went to the Rams, told his agent,
(05:55):
I'll play for the cheapest deal possible. McVeigh passed. Oh,
by the way, the Vikings Kevin O'Connell. According to another reporter,
Rogers had major interest playing for the great play caller.
Kevin O'Connell not interested. And that office story i'll talk
about later. Ross talker says, Vikings aren't sir. JJ McCarthy's
the guy. What's that tell you? Even Aaron Glenn with
(06:19):
a Jets a defensive coach, they don't have a quarterback.
First thing you did is we get Aaron Rodgers in
that weird meeting, almost uncomfortable, meeting out of the building.
So all these secret marriages in ayahuasca and darkness retreats
and passive aggressive nonsense and conspiracy theories, weird doesn't work
(06:41):
because weird is unpredictable, and you want your coach to
be predictable, and your quarterback, even if he's limited, even
if he's unathletic, even if he's small, even if he's old.
You want to know what you're getting on Sunday and
in camp and at halftime and with Aaron, because the
NFL is unpredictable, and when adversity strikes in the NFL,
(07:04):
which is, by the way, the second quarter of Week
one after Labor Day, the league's all about adversity, and
you're not sure what you get with Aaron. So he
wasn't this odd, He wasn't this combative in his prime.
But people age differently based on a lot of factors.
Aaron got old and rich and for a long time
was a single, and now he's got a wedding ring,
so he's not and I guess I'm happy for him,
(07:25):
but who knows.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
I just know this.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
All these great quarterbacks in this league, the Lamar Jackson's
and the Joe Burrows and the Josh Allens and the CJ. Strouds,
and obviously the Patrick Mahomes and the Justin Herberts are
all totally committed.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
None are weird.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
They're kind of predictable, you know what you get, and
Aaron's not. And I've had two general managers in the
league tell me over the last couple of years, Aaron
comes off as odd, You're not really sure what you get.
A lot of a passive, aggressive stuff. Nobody wants to
deal with that, And so I think Aaron's career when
you hear about Sean McVay saying, nah, Kevin O'Connell, nah,
(07:59):
I thought Kyle Shannon would be interested. Apparently that was
a nah, Aaron Glenn, no, thanks, Mike Tomlin, Adam Schefter
reports third choice.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
They wanted Justin Fields.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
But by the way, when you go back and look
at the Pittsburgh Seater, Justin Field's numbers, we'll talk about
that later, they weren't terrible. So I think Aaron's career
is ending the way a lot of careers end for
relatives and musicians and actors, that the hat they wear
becomes a little bit more tinfoil, they start doing their
own homework. And when you got all these offensive coaches
(08:28):
who have watched Aaron Rodgers probably at some point worshiped
Aaron Rodgers, who would have loved to win his prime
had Aaron Rodgers all say even at a discount double check? Nah,
no thanks, Aaron's aging the way weird ages JMT. Colin
Wright Colin wrong on top of next hour. There's a
(08:49):
lot of things going on right now in the NFL.
Because you know what happens, my guy should or Sanders.
So OTAs are voluntary right starting tomorrow, mini camps are mandatory.
So tomorrow j mack old chedure Sanders with all the
(09:11):
veterans in tow in Cleveland, Are you ready for what
I think is? Remember a couple of years ago, you
and I know this that the off season in the NFL,
our job is basically football season and then waiting for
football season. And you go through all these camps and
what do they mean and what do they not mean?
Exhibition season doesn't mean anything anymore. Nobody plays, And a
couple of years ago we were all out of the
(09:32):
Kenny Pickett dilemma or the Kenny Pickett story, Like how
is he going to be in Pittsburgh. The Shadure Sanders
story is that. But my take is Shadour Sanders as
much better than Kenny Pickett. But it's one of these
AFC North teams and we're all waiting for this quarterback.
So tomorrow is official Chadure with the veterans in camp.
And you know what veterans do, J Mack. They leak
stuff to the press.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Yeah. Interesting.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
You know, my favorite part of your vacation was when
you took time off of cycling around Europe to shine
in on social media about how great Schedure Sanders was. Meanwhile,
he's not even throwing the first teamers, Colin, I know
that irked you.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
I'm sure you saw Cam.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Newton came after me upset with my Shodur take listen,
I'm just gonna rock with Stefanski.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
If he likes Dylan Gabriel, I like Dylan Gabriel. If
he likes Kenny Pickett, I like Kenny Pickett. I think Kevin.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
Sefanski doesn't really love Shadour at this point, and that's
it fair to say, right.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Uh. Yes, I want to talk about this because I
think all of us in the media are forgetting about
the most important factor with Shador Sanders and it's not
Shaduur and it's not his dad. And I'll tell you
what that factor is coming up next.
Speaker 6 (10:45):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Eastern non a em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (10:54):
Hey, we're Cavino and Rich Fox Sports Radio every day
five to seven pm Eastern. But here's the thing. We
never have enough time to get to everything we want
to get to.
Speaker 8 (11:03):
And that's why we have a brand new podcast called
over Promised. You see, we're having so much fun in
our two hour show. We never get to everything, honestly
because this guy is over promising things we never have
time for. Yeah, you blubber list lame and me.
Speaker 7 (11:17):
Well, you know what it's called over promise. You should
be good at it because you've been over promising women
for years.
Speaker 8 (11:22):
Well, it's a Covino and Rich after show, and we
want you to be a part of it. We're gonna
be talking sports, of course, but we're also gonna talk
life and relationships. And if Rich and I are arguing
about something or we didn't have enough time, it will
continue on our after show called over Promised.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Well, if you don't get enough.
Speaker 7 (11:37):
Covino and Rich, make sure you check out over Promised
and also Uncensored, by the way, So maybe we'll go
at it even a little harder. It's gonna be the
best after show podcast of all time.
Speaker 8 (11:46):
There you go, over Promising. Remember you could see on YouTube,
but definitely join us. Listen Over Promised with Covino and
Rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
So I'm reading a Yahoo Sports column today and they're
giving the odds on who's going to be starting for
the Cleveland Browns at quarterback. So Joe Flacco fifty percent,
Kenny Pickett at forty percent, Dylan Gabriel at nine percent,
and Schaduur Sanders at one percent. Okay, Shadeur Sanders has
(12:18):
two things going for him. And don't kid yourself, this
is how the league works. The owner of the Cleveland Browns,
Jimmy Haslam, is really impulsive. He drafted Johnny Manziel over
better quarterbacks. He drafted Baker Mayfield. He signed to Shan
Watson too a ridiculous guaranteed deal. Despite all sorts of
allegations personally against him, horrible contract, probably the league's worst contract,
(12:44):
and in a quarterback room with zero star power except
Shadeur Sanders, he's going to get a chance. And I
mean this is a owner. They don't have the Cedars
roster or legacy. They don't they're not as well run
as Pittsburg, and they don't have Joe Burrow. So that's
the first thing. There's a lot of belief in the
(13:06):
NFL that Jimmy Haslam is the reason that of all
the teams, Cleveland finally drafted Shador Sanders. He is desperate
to be recognized and for star power. The second thing
Cleveland has going for it shouldre has going for it
is Cleveland's rosters the weakest easily in the division, and
the early schedules brutal. Not only are five of the
first six teams they face playoff teams, but the first
(13:28):
five teams they play are all top ten offenses. And
there's a lot of flashy quarterbacks Jordan Love and Joe
Burrow and Lamar Jackson. So you think old Joe Flacco,
dol Kenny Pickett, small Dylan Gabriel. When the team's getting
beat thirty three to seventeen, and the quarterback for the
(13:49):
Browns looks small and old and average against exciting Jordan
Love and Lamar Jackson are brilliant Joe Burrow or again
highly deductive Jared Goff. Even in week six, it's Aaron
Rodgers who will be the biggest star in the building.
So my prediction, you start looking at that schedule between
(14:10):
week seven and ten, Shadeur Sanders is going to get
a shot here. Shadur's on this roster because Jimmy Haslam
wanted him on the roster. My guy, the former NFL
scout John Middelkoff was the first to say it. They
drafted Dylan Gabriela around before he should have been drafted
so they could get out of Shaduur Sanders sweepsteaks and
as Jay Mack pointed out, I don't think Stefanski's in
(14:31):
love with Shador Sanders, even though I think he's a
likable kid. I thought the draft room was a little much.
But I'm going to make a prediction here. Haslam is
starving for a star quarterback. He doesn't have the Ravens roster,
he didn't have Burrow, he didn't have the Steelers brand.
It's a weak roster that really. I mean, they're an
(14:55):
injury or two away, maybe one injury away from having
the weakest wide receiver room in the league. Cross your
fingers with Jerry Judy staying healthy. So this is a
team that's going to be boring offensively. You know what
will make him not boring? Schure centers taking snaps, win
or lose.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
J Mack with a news no, no, no, the news.
This is the headline news.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
All right, let's be legendary, Colin. Let's start with Aaron Rodgers,
your favorite quarterback. So we know he's signed in Pittsburgh,
but there were a lot of reports last week that
he was waiting for Minnesota. Well now stuff's coming out
of Minnesota that they decided to pass on your boy
Rogers because they saw a three year window to win
(15:43):
a championship right now with JJ McCarthy because he's on
his rookie deal.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Obviously missed all of last year.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
But because he's on the rookie deal, they can pay
justin Jefferson all of the money they're able to fortify.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
In free agency.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
That defense is low, nasty, like seriously, one of the
quietest good defenses.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
In the league, led by Brian Florett.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
They've got a good offensive line member, Darris I will
come back from injury. I believe everybody's sleeping on Minnesota.
It all comes down to McCarthy. Do you think they
could win.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
A Super Bowl in the next three years with Kevin o'canafa.
Speaker 6 (16:16):
In the South?
Speaker 2 (16:17):
No, listen.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
All you need to see is all the flirting the
Vikings have done with Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones and
Aaron Rodgers. Would you flirt like that if you were
with the person you wanted to marry. No, they're flirting
because they don't know exactly what they have. And there's
concerns about JJ McCarthy and a second surgery, and he's
kind of small, and he only threw the ball thirty
times once in college. So these are all the things
(16:39):
I had said when he came out. I don't see it.
I don't see a franchise guy that you can sit
and drop back forty two times in a division with
I think just better offensive quarterbacks or o lines. So
here's Caleb Williams, and then Jared Goff and then Jordan
Love and and I think if you have the third
of the fourth best quarter in your division. You can't
(17:02):
just hope that you're brilliant coach. And I think Kevin
O'Connell's really smart. You can't have him out scheme. You
can't win in this league by out scheming. At some point,
you have to have players to win games. I mean,
Andy Reid was not winning super Bowls and he was
out scheming everybody for ten years in Philly.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
You've got to have players.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
We got to a super Bowl. But let me point
this out. There have a lot of similarities between these vikings.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
And what the Niners did with rock perty Right, they realize, oh,
this guy's really good.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
He can process quickly and deliver the.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Ball shuts he could be our guy, and we have
a long super Bowl window because he's cheap.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
They get to the NFC title game and he gets.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Hurt, then they get to the super Bowl. Like, I
don't know why that blueprint can't work for JJ McCarthy.
Kevin O'Connell is as good of a scheme guy asks Laando.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
But brock Purty, to his credit, had to carry Iowa State.
And there's a history in the NFL that quarterbacks in
college that don't play with stars the trail that have
to base drive the offense like Brock Purty had to,
like Jared Goff, had to, like Aaron Rodgers at.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Cal had to.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
These quarterbacks like JJ McCarthy that come out never throwing
the ball thirty times, rarely trailing, having better players in
all but one game of the year. You get it
to the NFL and the other thing about him, So
I just don't see it. I think Michigan the last
two years at Michigan felt like a Saban Alabama team.
Great run game, great protection, star receivers, always leading, unbelievable defense,
(18:30):
always had the best coach. That's the opposite of the NFL.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Sorry, I'm not buying the college stuff. You know what's
his name? The Niner? Rock Purty was like six and
five in Iowa State. Patrick Mahome got a losing record.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Forget now, it's not about that.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
But Purdy was asked to carry his college team. Aaron
was asked to carry col Philip Rivers was asked to
carry North Carolina State, Matt Ryan BC JJ McCarthy turned
and handed the ball off for three years. But you're
not that's not an NFL life.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Isn't there a world.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Where Kevin O'Connell says, I'm not gonna have McCarthy throw
twenty five to thirty times anyway. Look at the Donald
model last year, Colin, the less Donald threw, the more
successful they were.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Okay, but that's that ideally, you're right, but it's the NFL.
You're gonna have to throw it thirty eight times a game,
six times because defenses get Remember, defensive players get hurt.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
That division's got all.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Now you got Ben Johnson in that division, Chicago's got off.
You're gonna get into track meets in that division, Matt Lafleur,
Ben Johnson, Van Campbell.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
You have offensive coaches there.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Yes, So I am nervous going all in on the vikings.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
But it worked for you last year with your Washington prediction.
You're Denver, so now I'm going heavy Vikings. We'll see
how it works out for me, all right. Next up
is Lamar Jackson. Colin, I feel like we do this
every summer with him. He missed the second week of
OTA's last week. After it comes that GM, Eric Tacosta
discussed and extension talk with Jackson. However, Sean Harbaugh is
(20:03):
not concerned that Lamar missed five of six OTASS.
Speaker 9 (20:09):
For any players how they play. I'm not measuring you know,
really the attendance. I mean it's a voluntary camp, you know,
so measuring net I mean I love being out here,
and I think all the players doing. When Lamar is
out here, I promise you he loves being out here.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
You could see it and he was out here.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
So yeah, it doesn't bother me. Not the end of
the world. He's in his prime, he's totally committed. I'm fine.
It's not he's by the way, he's been to this
organization how many straight years. When you're a new guy
on a new team, I want you OTAs. When you're
an older quarterback, I want you committed, focused learning new teammates.
(20:44):
As quarterbacks get older, sometimes it's harder to relate and
connect with young receivers. But if you've been with a friend,
if Mahomes, Missus an Ota or Josh Allen or Lamar,
they know the offense, they know the coach, they know
the coordinator, they know the personnel.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Lamar's fine, So this is no big deal.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
Your starting player two time MVP just knows you.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
No, No, he's nothing new, He's been he knows the
personnel in the playbook.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
He's good.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
You know, I know the person on the playbook here, Colin,
I think next week I'm gonna bounce.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Is that cool?
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Look good with this? Is gonna know so?
Speaker 4 (21:18):
By the way, I couldn't believe this stat our guys
found it. Lamar passed up on seven hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. That's his bonus for attending eighty percent of
off season activities because.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
He missed so many OTAs. He can't hit that anyway.
He just said, I don't need.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I would rather I
don't know what he's doing, but Colin like, but listen,
we do this every summer off with Lamar, every single summer.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
At some point, you know, maybe show up.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
Well, I don't.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I don't feel it's like Luca Dongs where he's playing
himself in the shape. He comes into the season in
impeccable shape, and I can see Lamar Jackson saying, guys,
I'm good here, I'm good. And by the way, I
think Lamar feels he's a little bit underpaid in the league.
This is his well whatever, this is his sort of
he's winning seventy six percent of his games.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
But again, I think it goes back.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
To this same coach, same personnel, same division, same quarterback,
Zave Flowers, Derrick Henry now and he'll show up to
mandatory mini camp. But an ota for a guy who
knows the system and the coach and the staff, it
(22:30):
just doesn't bother me.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
We'll wrap with this like I do believe Burrow, Mahomes,
and Josh Allen will all show up. That's just my prediction.
And Lamar will be one of the big four. You know,
you got the what do they call the Magnificent seven stocks,
you got the.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Big four in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (22:46):
If three or four show up and Lamar does it
not a great look. Final story, Colin is Yannis. Everybody's
waiting for the big guy. Is he going to demand
a trade?
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Will he not? Well, there's growing.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Skepticism about whether he will actually.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
Request a trade.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Adding, according to this report, executives will believe it when
they see it. And another report, because everybody's got one
on Yannis, claims.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
That every team in the NBA has.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
Called the Bucks, every single one about Giannis and Colin.
There is an interesting parallel here, and that's the Kawhi
Leonard move right. Kawhi was not going to sign an
extension anywhere, but Toronto was willing to roll the dice.
Do you think someone's willing to roll the dice for
Yannis for two years because that changes the equation right?
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Well?
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Yeah, I mean look at the arrow we're in right now.
If OKC wins the title, what is it? Seven champions
in seven years. If I was an owner or a
general manager and I could bring in Yannis and I
felt for two years I could be a favorite or
a co favorite to win a title, yeah, I would
strongly consider it. Depends on what I have to give up.
But again I look at Houston. Well, Houston's not as
(23:54):
good as OKAC period and as Wemby develops. If they
first of all, they now have not only Wemby, but
they have two other star young players and the Aaron Fox.
So if I'm Houston and I'm sitting there and I'm
thinking to myself, I don't know what Jalen Green's going
to be. You can't touch Aman Thompson, but what is Houston?
Is Houston going to become the Sacramento Kings that could
(24:16):
never beat the Lakers? Because I think Wemby is going
to Those young players in San Antonio are gonna rise,
and I think o Case's head and shoulders above everybody else.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
What is Houston?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
If I'm Houston and I have to make a deal
which is really front heavy for the organization where I
don't know the middle and late outcomes, I think you
have to consider it. I think in this league now
you gotta be aggressive. Things change fast, be aggressive.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Totally agree.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
I thought the Knicks were out of it, but this
Jason kids stuff that bubbled up all weekend.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
You know, Jason Kidd and Yannas are tight from.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
Their time in Milwaukee, and I think my guess is
the Knicks are back in the Gyannis mix and that's.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
Gonna be a big story here in the funning weeks.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
I don't know what they give up everything except Karl
Anthony Towns at Bridges take a period.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Well that's not good enough?
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Well not really, but what.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Other what are you betting against? Like ares Stefan Castle
gonna do it?
Speaker 1 (25:17):
I still all throw it out there, Boston, Jalen Brown.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Expiring contracts. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
I want an All Star If you go to Houston,
she goon, you know, I don't want Jalen Green, but
you got to give me an All Star. I got
to get an All Star back.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Arlanthe Towns is an all NBA. Forget all Star. Did
I sell you on this?
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (25:44):
J Mack with the news, Well that's the news, and
thanks for stopping by the herd Line News.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
So when I was gone, I want to address this.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
The Knicks fired Tom Thibodeaux calling right wrong top and
next hour thirty minutes away, that'll be in it.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
I wouldn't have done that.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
The last two to two and a half years, the
Knicks have been something they haven't been in twenty five years.
The Knicks have been something in the last two years.
I'll say it again, they haven't been in twenty five years.
Well run, organized, patient. James Dolan has owned this team
for a long time, nineteen ninety nine. The last two
(26:23):
years are the first time the Knicks have had back
to back fifty win seasons. So James Dolan at his
core is an artist. He's emotional, he's in a band.
He's an artist. He inherited cablevision. Is he a businessman? Buscher?
A lot of artists. Mick Jagger's a businessman too, so
(26:43):
it's Paul McCartney. But the reason the Sphere is so
brilliant and it works for Dolan, it's his vision because
he's an artist. It's right in his wheelhouse. And for
two years as he was building the Sphere and the
vision the Sphere which if you haven't gone and I haven't,
but it's remarkable. There's nothing else like it in the world.
(27:05):
And James Dolan deserves a lot of credit for the Sphere,
But he removed himself from the day to day stuff.
He's a very emotional guy. He's an artist. It really is.
His dad's the businessman, he's the artist. He removes himself
from the Knicks, and it's just world wide Web. It's TIBs,
it's Leon Rose. And they ran a very highly patient
(27:27):
and competent basketball operation and they built a great culture.
They built an excellent roster. It's smart, it feels like
Villanova professionally, it's tough. It's a really good basketball operation.
But Dolan was guiding the Sphere project and for those
two years he was sort of removed, at least emotionally
from the Knicks, and in the process they built a
(27:50):
great culture. And so again he's own him since like
ninety nine, and these are the best back to back
years since he bought them. So it's pretty obvious the
artist can kind of sort of a little bit get
in the way of some basketball stuff. And remember Dolan
was never a huge fan of Tibbs, So Dolan the
artist liked star power, Isaiah Thomas, coach Phil Jackson, general
(28:15):
Man Carmelo, Anthony, Amari Stodemeyer, That's what he loved. Tibbs
is a grinder, a defensive guy, a workaholic. He's sort
of gruff. He doesn't feel like a star, even though
in NBA circles he's highly respected.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
So I sort of look at it. Even Mike D'Antoni.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
When they hired Mike D'Antoni, he was mister offense, remember
from Italy.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
It was kind of a sexy hire.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
That was all Dolan and Tibbs isn't really of Dolan's DNA.
They're not the same guy. So I think the firing
here was sort of inevitable. I don't love it, I think,
and this happens a lot. Is that listen, Jim Irsay
was a fascinating man, totally compl lacks, wonderfully charitable, a
(29:03):
really neat complex human being with obviously some demons and
a dark side. I think there's an argument the Colts
will be more centered and more patient and less impulsive.
Even though he was a wonderful human being. Owners drive
the bus. We forget about this.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Most of them.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Aren't stan Kronky. Like a lot of artists, they inherit
the wealth. They're very impulsive, they've always had money. They
want their way. They're all very unique and different. And
Dolan is really got a feel for music and entertainment
and star power and art. I don't doubt any of it.
But when he removed himself from the Knicks and the
(29:46):
sphere had his attention for two years, they built a
hell of a basketball culture.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
It's a really good team.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Even the cat move I like. And so this firing,
to me feels a little impulsive. This is a player's league.
The Knicks need another score. I don't think it was
a TIBs issue. In fact, last year we were like, ah,
they're worn down. They practiced too hard. This team did
not run out of gas. They didn't practice too hard.
(30:15):
That was not the issue with this team. They needed
another catch and shoot guy like KD and the Kat
and Brunson on the floor. At the same time. It's
problematic defensively and sometimes even offensively, but they made steps
and stages.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
They're a good team. I don't like the firing.
Speaker 6 (30:34):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter not a Empacific Sunday.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
Alex Pollo looks to continue his legendary season with another
victory as the fastest racers in the world that do
Saint Louis. The Indy Car Series continues Sunday at eight
pm Eastern on Fox.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
You know, Jay mc I was thinking about this during
the break. If you j McK and I were talking
about SGA is not really a fascinating player. He's just
a great player. But if you start looking at a
lot of these teams. I just saw a story this
weekend Wemby Is he going to become a monk? I
thought story was on the internet. And SGA and Jokic
(31:16):
and Jason Tatum. I'm not disputing how good the players are.
They're not fascinating people. Jordan was fascinating.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
He was a meteor.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Lebron and Staff and magic and a lot of these
stars now they're international, they're stoic.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
They're like mature above their ages.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I mean, I wasn't as mature as Jason Tatum or
SGA if I had that money at that age. And
so what's happening in the NBA is there was a
certain level, and I think a lot of it's this.
It used to be that everybody was fighting for a
piece of the pie. Now these guys are all rich,
and they're not as combative, and they're not as feisty,
and they're tremendous. They're more skilled, they get better coaching,
(32:00):
they have better training, they eat better. But there's not
there's not a lot of you know, it's it's business
like there's so much money in professional basketball now you
don't hear stories of NBA guys as often going broke
and used to do documentaries on that and the fights,
and then why would you want to get into a fight.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
Everybody's rich.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
The coaches are rich, the commissioner's rich, the owners are rich,
the players are rich, the assistant coaches are rich. Between
the pensions and the salaries, the league just signed a
seventy six billion dollar deal, there's not a lot of
dysfunction in the NBA. I mean it overwhelmingly. It used
to be almost like hockey, that every NBA team had
a tough guy.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
You had a very low skilled Charles Oakley, or you
had a guy that a Rodman.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
I remember, there's a guy for a Sonics with Dennis Autry.
I remember, you'd have a tough guy. You'd have a
tough guy who would protect your star, like somebody skating
with gret Ski and protecting him. In the league now
is much more functional. It may be a little too
political for some people's taste, but it's functional. It's more mature,
(33:10):
even though the players come into the league younger. It's
more international, it's more European, and it doesn't necessarily make
it more fascinating.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
It just makes it more talented and skilled.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Like everybody looks at Halliburton and they're like, oh, he's
a trash talker. How does anybody not like Halliburton. He's
like the most likable guy in the league. He's constantly smiling.
And so there was something I was saying. This series
needs Draymond Green, it needs a second round or with
a chip on his shoulder. It needs Roden, but it
needs Bill Lamber, it needs a Kurt Rambus. It needs,
(33:42):
it needs somebody that's a little off center. But these
guys now are there's so much money. They've got trainers,
they eat right, they go to bed, They're not going
out to the night clubs. I mean James Harden, obviously,
they've got a jersey retired to the Houston Strip joint
for him. You know, God love him. But by and large,
the players are younger, they're more skilled, they're more mature,
(34:02):
they're bigger stars, they make more money with shoes and
their contracts. And so I've said this about Jason Tatum.
He's got no aura. He's just really talented. They don't
have any aura. I keep waiting for aunt. I'm not
sure if he wants the mantle to be the greatest player.
So I think we've just segued to a different time
in the NBA where the skill level is through the roof,
(34:24):
but it doesn't always make for fascinating basketball. I was
thinking about this that there's a story Pro Football Talk
doesn't necessarily love Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
That's fine.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
They were saying the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers is more
desperado than renegade. Kind of a desperate move, regardless of
what you think here's what is interesting about Aaron Rodgers
to the Steelers, and the Steelers are a huge brand,
and Aaron, although a regressing brand, is still you know,
if he's on television playing, he's always interesting to watch.
(34:56):
But last year, Justin Fields Mike Tomlin sat Justin Fields.
But if you go to Justin Field's numbers last year
in his six starts for the Steelers, it's pretty interesting.
Four touchdowns, two picks, ten total touchdowns, only two giveaways.
His completion percentage, I think was the best of his
career at sixty six and a half percent.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
His passer rating was ninety four.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
So if you extrapolate that over seventeen games Justin Fields
would have had you'd have been a pro bowler, he
would have been eleven and six with twenty eight touchdowns
and six turnovers with a ninety four passer rating. Now,
now would that have been the case necessarily, Well, I'm
just telling you, if you get six games is not
a small sample size. That's more than a third of
(35:39):
the NFL season. And I'm not a huge Justin Fields fan.
But he's young. People like him. He's athletic, all are
you all day? Dude's got a win he's got an arm.
You can say what you want about kid can move.
He's got an arm. I don't think he sees the
field particularly well, kind of the Zach Wilson issue.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
But he's got traits.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
And if you go to Aaron Rodt and again we'll
show some video of him, there's no question he does
things that are special.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
It's just as you see the field. I don't think
he does.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
But if you go to Aaron Rodgers' numbers last year
in New York, they were awful, and just for a
radio audience, it's like passer rating was just ninety twenty
eight tds thirteen, giveaways five and twelve. We could say, well,
the Steelers are a much better run organization than the Jets.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
I'm not disputing that.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
But if Aaron Rodgers' numbers are as good of what
Justin Field's numbers could have been had he been allowed
to play seventeen games, you would be overjoyed with that.
So my guess on what Aaron's season looks like, I'll
put my projection up. He's eight nine or nine and eight.
(36:49):
He'll miss a couple of games. I think the offensive
line's pretty average. No Nause Harris dk Metcalf, you know,
will be productive Aaron. They're an eight and nine nine
to eighteen. They start reasonably well, but Aaron gets banged up,
misses a couple of starts. But I do think it's
interesting to note that this idea that well, the production,
(37:14):
this is why there's a story out that Aaron was
the third choice they wanted Matt Stafford. Well, Matt Stafford's
at a different level than Aaron right now, it's not particularly close.
But if Justin Fields this idea that Aaron's going to
elevate the quarterback position goal to go with, Justin Fields
did in six starts, and I'm not a huge Justin
Fields fan, but it's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
And you know, he's bigger than Aaron, he runs better
than Aaron.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
He doesn't have the release of Aaron, but he's a
much more dynamic athlete than Aaron. And behind an average
offensive line with no nause Harris, there's an argument to
be made that Justin Fields would have been the better fit.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Just an argument.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
Okay, so this is interesting. This is interesting. So now,
the majority of fans are usually not right when it
comes to sports gambling, right, otherwise they wouldn't be building
gigantic casinos and the draft Kings of the world wouldn't
be doing as well. But this is interesting. Betters North
(38:14):
Carolina to go under seven and a half wins.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Now, remember.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
Belichick and Carolina are in the ACC. It is an
awful conference. It's the weakest major conference right now. Of
the four, I think the Big Ten's the best. SEC
is close. Big twelve is third. Big twelve's got some
Utahs in Kansas State, and you know I mean that
BYUS Houston. They're feisty programs. ACC is a mess. So basically,
(38:46):
the betters to go under seven and a half wins
with this dog food schedule is incredible by both the
total number of wagers and the total dollar wagered. Under
seven and a half wins. So what's interesting about new coaches,
(39:07):
especially star coaches. Let's consider Deon Sanders Colorado, Mario Christobal Miami,
Lincoln Riley USC, and Brian Kelly LSU and LSU is
a great football brand, Caroline is not.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
With Belichick, all of them struggled.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
Christa Ball went five and seven, Dion went four and eight,
and we all bragged about that he tripled wins. Now,
Lincoln Riley did win eleven games first year, but it
was a house of cards.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
They didn't have any.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
NFL players, not any good ones except Caleb and he's unproven.
So Belichick's an NFL coach, so these people pounding the
under it's fascinating because he's an NFL coach. So there's
not a lot of NFL coaches that have crushed At
the college level. Players have classes, players have distractions. You're
on a college campus. You got to deal with the
(39:58):
NCAA whatever that is. Also there's limitations for practice time.
My biggest issue is the staff. So Belichick's got two
of his sons on it and Mike Lamarty's sons, and
it may work, Mike Lombarty's son, it may work, but
it feels like it's more about like allies and Crony's
(40:20):
and loyalists to Bill Freddie Kitchens.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
It's not a great staff. Its sons. It's people he trusts.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
And maybe that explains the Jordan Hudson relationship and U
n C and she's his social muse whatever, But that's
my issue with it. I don't think it's a great staff.
And when Ryan Day just won a national championship at
Ohio State, he hired Chip Kelly. He didn't hire a relative.
And when Jim Harbaugh and you think of John Harbaugh,
Jim Harbaugh's rival is his brother. He's not on the staff.
(40:54):
So I football is not a family reunion or a
backyard barbecue, let's all get together.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
That's just not what it is.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
So it's fascinating that the most bet in terms of
total number of bets and the money wagered, the biggest
bet in college football in future bets is under on
North Carolina. And again I think I would go over
just because the acc is so awful. But it's fascinating.
Maybe it's the Jordan Hudson effect, he's distracted. I don't know,
(41:23):
but that is interesting. And I think one thing that
is clear, Lincoln Riley, Christabaul, Dion Sanders, Brian Kelly that
first year the nil you can go buy players, you
can't buy chemistry.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
Colin right.
Speaker 5 (41:37):
Wrong.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
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