The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson

Episode Date: March 17, 2025

Colin compares free agent quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson as they look to make their final decisions on which team to play for in 2025 The Warriors are the hottest team in the NBA Plus, he talks to Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo about preparing for the Big Dance and adjusting to the modern landscape of college basketballSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick.

Listen to Hey, Jonas, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the ice. Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, and on my new podcast, How Hard Can It Be?

I call on my Gen X squad from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. Unfiltered conversations from night sweats to futas to scheduling sex. Wait, what sex? Is it just me, or does every woman my age want to look at Pinterest instead of having sex sometimes? They say we can't polish a turn, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with love. laughs, tears, or tears of laughter. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva

on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHart Podcasts presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. Yeah. This is my best friend, Janet. Hey. And we have been joined at the hips since high school. Absolutely.

A redacted amount of years later, we're still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips. This is a podcast. We're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey. with all the snacks and drinks. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? Oh, they hit a bogo. Well, then you got them.

Listen to soccer moms on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox SportsRod or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go in a rambunctious Monday live in Los Angeles.

It's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. One hour from now where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. Tom Izzo, my friend in the legendary, Michigan State Spartan head basketball coaches is joining us this hour, why I'm rooting for Izzo and Rick Batino in this tournament. J. Mack, I'll get to that in about five minutes. The Warriors remain on fire. Free agency's mostly done. Hope you had a great weekend. We checked out Friday.

I got Auburn, went in the nattie. We'll give our picks in the second hour. I'm going to go with Auburn. Is there a team off the top you like? Oh, boy, I love everything about the tournament. I'll say Texas Tech a team I like, but Auburn did some trouble in round two. I'll just tell you that right now. Louisville's got a home game, Colin.

I know. So I got to start with this, though. For years and years, it was sort of understood that Russell Wilson and Aaron Rogers yeah, you know, they weren't really into each other. And they were opposites.

And then as I look at all the stories that emerged over the weekend, Vikings are going to pass, Looks like they're going to pass on Aaron Rogers. The Aaron Rogers waiting game in New York. Russell Wilson is ready to sign and doesn't have a team. And it's funny, Aaron and Russell, one is all worshipping of God and one push back on his family's religion.

One is hopelessly optimistic to the point of cringy. And the other, let's be honest, he's like a sad trombone in cleats half the time. And yet here's Russell and Aaron in the same boat. A little needy and most of the same. of league, not interested. Yet. Yet. To add another layer to that, and I'm sorry for the radio audience, since 2022, they are identical quarterbacks. Wins, losses, completion percentage, touchdown, pass, a rate. Same guy. No playoff win since 2022. And if you sign either, you're guaranteed something. With Russell, a new slogan, let's ride. And with Aaron,

you will be notified very quickly. If he's in the room, you're the second smartest person. And what you find with both is, this is not the NBA. It is not a player-controlled league, even if a player is a talented quarterback. It is a league where drama and noise and occasional semi-conflict is bad news. And you will tolerate it when a star is in his prime. Fortunately, unlike the NBA, you just don't get it much in the NFL. Well, most quarterbacks, good guys, all about winning great teammates, quality people.

No nonsense. But now, I've always defended Russell Wilson because he was not a grass-is-greener guy. He wanted to stay in Seattle. They got rid of Russell. And I used to be a huge fan, but Sean Payton bailed on him. Pete Carroll bailed on him and Mike Tomlin just bailed on it. At some point, there is something here that coaches find it pretty easy to bail on Russell Wilson. But it was never a grass-is-greener thing.

Meanwhile, Aaron was a Green Bay isn't doing me right thing, and the grass was incredibly green in Lambo. But he wanted something else. But it is remarkable to me how these guys, Aaron always sort of, I was told, rolled his eyes at Russ. And here was Russ. Hey, I'm not like the guy in Green Bay. No drama here. All about team. Let it ride.

Go Hawks. They've kind of become the same guy in a sport where. the shield, the GM, the coach runs the show. If you're seeing is a little high maintenance, whether it's passive-aggressive or cringiness, most of the league is going to pass on you. So Tom iso later this hour. I will tell you I've got, obviously, I'm a huge Izzo fan, Mark Few. College basketball is more about the coach.

And in a year, we don't have you, con. this year. We don't have a 37 and 3 team. We don't have a, you know, Duke has some NBA guys. Last year, Yukon is one of the, I mean, honestly, it's one of the best college basketball teams we've had in over 10 years. I mean, they were blowing people out, including an excellent coach and an excellent Zach Eaddy and an excellent Purdue team in the Natty. Like last year, it was an easy one. I pick Yukon. I mean, you could watch them once, but they look like an NBA team. Big, physical. A team I'm rooting for this year is, St. John's, a dead program. I'm rooting for Rick Petino, and I think they have a chance to win it. He is the story, and we see this a lot in America, of a really talented guy that kind of screwed his life up.

There is an argument. He is, along with John Wooden, Coach K and a few others, the greatest college basketball coach ever. What is this, his seventh final four potentially? Six programs. He's gotten into March Madness, and he's taken over some dumpster fires. Now he's gotten a little help from the richest St. John's alum, the cat who created vitamin water, has sprinkled a little green vitamins into St. John's NIL, so they went and bought some good players. But what Rick Patino is, he's kind of got a Bill Parcell's feel, an Urban Meyer feel, a Jim Harbaugh feel. He's got a formula, coach is hard, great eye for talent, teams play suffoling. defense. He's situationally brilliant. And here is his team again going into the tournament. He is a turnaround wizard. And a lot of programs they didn't want anything to do with Rick

Matino. If you go look at his coaching turnarounds, which I'm putting on the screen here, I never thought when he was coaching the Celtics or Kentucky, he'd end up at Iona and a dead St. John's program. But, you know, he's a brilliant basketball coach, and occasionally his moral compass has flipped around a little bit. Hasn't gone as north as you'd prefer. So, but what's interesting with Patino, and this is what's fascinating, kind of about life, as his strength, because of his kind of mess-ups is his flexibility, his mobility, his ability to be thrown into turbulence and course-correct the program overnight. And for years and years, a college basketball coach would go to a program like Dean Smith,

and you just didn't leave. You stayed there forever. But now, with a transfer portal in the NIL and so many college basketball coaches is saying, enough of this nonsense, I'm out of here. Patino, the sport is leaning into Patino. His specialty, the salesman with a brilliant basketball mind. A lot of guys in coaching, they don't want to be a salesman. They love basketball.

We've seen a Boston College football coach last year, said, I don't want to be a salesman. I want to be a football coach. Went to the Packers. Most coaches are like that. A lot of great coaches. Jay Wright had plenty of years left. They don't want to do all this, NIL and transfer portal. It's just exhausting, and he become like a pro GM.

But actually, if you look at Patino's career, it plays right into his strength. You can throw him into any room, and he can sell Rick. He can sell basketball. He can sell his ideology and his knowledge. And the sport now is built for Rick Patino, and I'm going to root for St. John's. Because a lot of really smart people occasionally in life screw up. that's the world we live in. We can be an avalanche and bury them, or we can say, well, what are you going to do?

Put them in jail? So I am all for St. John's. I think it's great for the sport. I love to see New York City care about college basketball because I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and my favorite conference wasn't the Pac-12. It was the Big East. You had Roley and John Thompson and Louis Carnaceca, and they've been trying to get St. John's going for years, and facilities still aren't great, but they got a big booster.

They got some money, and they have arguably the best coach in college basketball, and he's heading to the tournament once again. Here's Rick. You are a New Yorker. You delivered on your promise to New York. What's your message in New York City as you headed the big dance? Well, we've built this program now into a solid foundation. Now we're going to take off.

This garden is packed every night. I always say the NCAA have been knocked out in the first round. I've been to seven final fours. Nobody knows what's going to happen. Play it one game at a time. Yeah. Now, last year, year, we all kind of knew what was going to happen.

Yukon was going to end up in the final four and be favored in the national championship. But I think this year is a year for an Izzo. Keep your eye on the coaches. Because Auburn is the best team I saw, but Florida now is hotter. The SEC is completely stacked. I have two teams in the SEC going to the final four. Wouldn't be shocked if there was three. I would not be shocked if there was three SEC teams.

I said this two months ago. with J. Mack on the air, I watched them SEC basketball in January. I'm like, it doesn't even look like any other conference. Like, it is. Sixth Best Team is great. So my bracket's got a lot of excellent veteran coaches

moving up and moving out over players where I think there's just a lot of sameness. But I can't wait to see. Petino, Tom is old later this hour. And, oh, by the way, the Warriors won again this weekend with Jimmy Butler, the hottest team in the NBA. You love Jay Mack. You love the

tournament, you bet the tournament, you're the only guy that follows Creighton basketball's depth chart. So I'm going to go, I do think coaching is going to be really important. I also think all these SEC teams, these Florida's, these Tennessee's, these Auburns, they've all played each other all year. And I think it reminds me a little bit of growing up when the ACC or the Big East was stacked. I think the SEC, those teams have been planning like tournament level intensity for the last month. Yeah, and you know, I've mentioned this many times to you. I'm a multi-bracket guy.

I'm like a fill out 20 brackets. Some of them will have three SEC teams in the final four. You're a one-bracket guy. I'm trying to get you off that. Yeah. I got two SEC teams in the final four. Interest two. Yeah.

And do you have Duke in there? No. I do not have Duke. Who has the most favorable draw of any of the top? Okay. I have one dark horse in the tournament. I'm not going to give it away now. Give it away next hour.

The staff got me on. to who your dark horse is. I'm not going to say anything. It ain't that dark. Don't love it. Don't love it, Colin. I'll be honest with you. But it should be a fun week, man.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, it's us, the Jonas brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. A pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember.

I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Oh, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey Jonas,

and then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite.

Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicelife-Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs' tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. Every match, every upset,

and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jen she went. I mean, she went down at three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck.

Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. by Capital One, founding partner of I Heart Women's Sports. Tom Izzo, Michigan State Coach, going to be joining us. End of this hour. I am rooting for Rick Petino, among other people. I think it's going to be very interesting.

I think it's kind of wide open. I think SEC teams are going to do really well in it. I do one bracket. I thought last year was much easier. We knew Purdue was really good with Zach Edy Unstoppable. Had coaches tell us on this show, you can't stop me, he's unstoppable. And Yukon was unbelievable. Youcon, you realize how good Yukon was last year.

37 and 3 is where they ended when you watch this year's team where a team struggle to generate, you know, offense. All those Yukon guys went into the NBA, and I think three of them were crushing. So that was a different level team. That was like an old school college basketball team. These teams, there's a lot of coin flips on Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, just from the SEC. So I'll tell you where there's not a coin flip. I think it's an incredible story. the Warriors are now 14 and 2 since Jimmy Butler arrived, and he's not shooting the ball well.

It's all the other stuff he adds to the team, and Draymond Green had a pretty blunt description of what Jimmy Butler has brought to the dubs. It's a real ball club now. You know, him on his team, whether he have 11 points 2 or 30. He makes us a real ball club. And when we're a real ball club, we usually win championships. You know, the Warriors are starting to feel as J.M.J.M.A. Snickers at that. But he's right.

That one team with Andrew Wiggins that beat the Celtics was feeling like a real ball club. The Warriors are starting to feel like a fashion trend just when you think they're uncool. They arrive again. It's like bell bottoms. Yeah. Nobody wears them. Then Kendrick Lamar, the Super Bowl has them. Everybody's like, oh, bell bottoms are back.

That's the Warriors. And you look at the NFL and if you have a really good coach and a quarterback, you're always okay. Well, that's Steve Kerr and Steph Curry. As long as they're still near their prime, warriors are always going to be fine if they're healthy and have a legit number two. And I was thinking about this over the weekend, watching them beat the necks in a really good game. I said, here is why Jimmy Butler is a great fit. Because when you look at the Warriors, because of Steph and the Splash Brothers and KD, you think of them as fun and glossy and flashy. but this team has had a chip on its shoulder, an anger, and a resilience because of the makeup of the team.

Steph Curry was overlooked, doubted, went to Davidson, too small. The Warriors, the Warriors didn't know if he or Monta Ellis was the future. Draymond Green, second round pick, undersized, what to do with him. Steve Kerr, tragedy in his family, lost his father, got into a little bit of a little bit. a fight with MJ. I covered him in Portland. Feisty is the word, along with intelligence I would use for one of the great coaches in league history. Steve is always up to conflict and getting in your face. It's what makes him great. And then there's Jimmy Butler, Juko, tough childhood, bounced around the league. But if you look at all of them, Draymond, Steph, Kerr Butler, they're winners. They don't run from

conflict. KD. did that. They'll all get in your face. Hey, Steph, Steph does not like losing. Trash Talker likes to taunt a little bit. And I think Jimmy Butler is a perfect fit for this team.

There's a little bit of an anger and a resilience. M.J. had it. Brady had it. But we watch the Warriors and they're so fun and they're so flashy that we don't, we think of them as sort of like, you know, guys having fun shooting three. Nope. They're much more similar to that Michael Jordan's MJ Bulls team that always played with a little anger.

They play with it too. They just shoot the ball better. Jimmy Butler had a quote this week. He goes, when it's my time, you'll know it's my time. Until then, I'm going to pass the ball to the open man. Get my guys jumpers. Get him out in transition. What's remarkable. He's only averaging 16 points for the Warriors, shooting just 22% from three. and they're 14 and 2 since he arrived. It's that resilience, the toughness, the chip on his shoulder, which is what Draymond has, which is what Stephso has still had,

and that fight in Steve Kerr. This organization is not all fluff and three-pointers. There's a lot of tough-minded, conflict resolution in your face. KD wasn't comfortable. Nobody else left. KD wasn't comfortable with it because KD. Yeah, maybe he'd rather talk about it on Twitter maybe. But this team will get right in your face, and I think Butler's perfect for him.

Jay Mack with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right, Colin, I know it's NCAA tournament week, but we'll start with the NFL and the big news over the weekend. Jordan Schultz broke it. Congrats to him. Jemar Chase and T. Higgins are locked into long-term deals to stay. in Cincinnati. Listen, I know the salary cap's going up a column. This is getting a little silly.

Jamar Chase, four years, 161 mil. It's a lot, but it also, there's a story out. They're talking now to Hendrickson. So if they pay all four of their best players, I got no complaints. 112 million guaranteed for Chase making him the, and this is starting to get dumb, okay? Highest paid non-quarterback in the league. This is some ego status game that players are playing because it was Max Crosby had to get it, then Miles Garrett, now Jamar Chase. Michael Parsons is waiting. It's just so stupid. Yeah, but you know what I'm seeing on this list?

What you're doing guys? Miles Garrett, Crosby, Jefferson, Bosa, C.D. Lamb. You know what I'm seeing on this? Non-playoff teams? No. Guys who are great and wildly productive. I have no... This list doesn't bother me at all.

Justin Jefferson, Miles, Jamar, Max, Nick, and Cedilam. Just humor me. How many guys on that list? The top six that you see on the screen. How many were in the play? playoffs last year. Just humor me. Time out. How many? How many? You have money. You got to spend it on somebody. I as a general manager would have resigned every one of these players for that money. I don't disagree with you. Well, then what are you complaining about it? It's not a complaint. I think

it's a discussion. It's a like the way you build a team is interesting. The salary caps going up, right? So that means the star players get more. But as we're seeing, you can't play the, pay the star guys at the top and build a good. Well, well, I'll push back. All of those guys that you look at we can put that list of again they were all drafted by that team they're not buying guys in free agency these were guys the teams drafted most in the first round the players delivered on the promise 100 percent and the team said we're going to reward you i have no problem drafting a guy he becomes arguably the best player is i'll pay those guys a hundred out of a hundred i i agree now are you applying the same to the nba when it comes to jaylon brown making 70 million

But here, again, I'll say this about Jalen Brown or the Celtics. I swear to God the guy gets better every year. He's a dog, plays on both ends, super smart, will pass up shots to hot teammates. I mean, I've seen him step aside for Derek White. I pay Jaylen Brown. Now, is it weird to pay two guys all that money? But you have to remember, between sports, gambling, and television contracts, these leagues, now, there are so much money in the NFL.

You're watching teams pay guards huge money, and two years later just walk away from it. All right, so we're not done. T. Higgins actually got a four-year deal. 115 mil garrick-a-gare deal. But again, super productive. And Burrow made a point of addressing this multiple times. Some of this is you've got to make Burrow happy. You've got to make Burrow happy.

Okay. Do you remember, and a lot of the audience might be too young, the Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins in the 80s. They had Mark Duper and Mark Clayton, the Marks brothers. They went to the Super Bowl. They were awesome. That was their offense. That's her team.

Those three guys were their team. They never got back to a Super Bowl. I don't know if this is going to work. I applaud Cincinnati for rolling the dice. Oh, no. But I'm very curious, Colin. Could they have said to Carolina, hey, we'll give you T. Higgins. Give us the eighth overall pick.

We'll give you a third. You give us a fourth, whatever the package works, and you pay T. I need cheaper guys because, as Philadelphia has showed you, you need to draft and develop. That is super important. Okay. All these owners got a $450 million. check from the NFL this year. That doesn't count your attendance. That doesn't count your parking. That doesn't count your merchandise. That doesn't count your food. Every family that

owns an NFL team, $450 million check. If I'm Cincinnati and you say you got to pay four guys Higgins. Why do you only have to pay four guys? No, no, no. I'm saying, or they leave. They're all, I mean, like Hendrickson leaves. Could you get eight guys to produce the same as the four for the same amount of money? Who just won the Super Bowl? Do you remember money? Who just won the Super Bowl? Philadelphia Eagles. The team with seven great players. You have to have great players. The Bengals today have four great players.

Philly's got eight. But I'm not letting my great guys go for a fourth round receiver from Texas Tech. Philly's got more like 10 good players. But you need great players to win it. The Niners for six years kept getting to the Super Bowl. Why? They had eight great players. The Rams had Donald, Ramsey, Stafford.

They had cheap Garoppolo. They had cheap Brock Purdy. You and I just different. My thing is I draft you, you're great. I take care of you. I'm not going to debate that. If I get top-heavy, so be it. But what I won't do is going to free agency and pay for somebody.

Like the Bears, I thought, had a good free agency. But that's because they kept whiffing on their picks. That's what you don't want. Now, I would take Joe Tuny on any team in the league, and I think the Bears benefit from it. But you know who really benefited from Tooney? The Patriots. I mean, that's who really benefited who draft and developed him. That makes sense.

I do have to ask, are people copying the Rams a little bit late? Remember the Rams with the top heavy? What was it? Screw those picks or whatever the verbiage was. And they went Stafford, Cup, I think Odell Beckham, Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and they were like, we're just going top heavy. And it worked, they got the Super Bowl. I feel like the Bengals are doing that, but like three years too late.

And I think now you need a little bit more balance as the league has gotten a lot better. Well, what hurts the Bengals is they don't pay money for a huge scouting staff. So Philadelphia's got twice the scouting staff. Baltimore does. So if you have a really great scouting staff with a lot of money, the Rams have a lot of money, big scouting staff. Eagles have a lot of money, big scouting staff. It's funny how the Rams and the Eagles draft so well.

The Bengals have been hit and miss on drafting. Go to their website and look at their scouting department and look at the Eagles. So signing your players is one thing. And let's be honest, a lot of the Bengals' best players were obvious. Everybody knew Burrow was great. Everybody knew Jamar Tase was great. Like T. Higgins came out of Clemson. Everybody loved T. Higgins out of college.

So it's not like they found gems in the sixth round, which some teams have done. But I just think every team is getting a $450 million check. You have to make choices. The Bengals, if they're going to pay their four best players, I can live with that choice. Can you live without making the playoffs? I'd prefer two, but I can live with it. I guess, Colin, final question, like, when you look at how Cincinnati's made up, Like, you can't name three of their defenders, right?

Like, the defense gave up. They just hemorrhage points all season. It's putting a lot of pressure on Burrough. They basically have no room for error. If T. Higgins goes down for four games, I mean, they're kind of shafted. That's right. If Jamar Chase missed. And guess what?

Burrow has missed a bunch of games. T. Higgins. Yeah. If they drafted better, they'd be fine. But with a small scouting department, they haven't drafted particularly great. And that's the spot you're in if you're Cincinnati. Next story is another wide receiver deal, and that's Cooper Cup. The former Rams receivers headed to Seattle, technically headed home.

He got a three-year, $45 million deal. CUP is from Yakima, Washington. I'm sure you can talk exquisitely about that area, and he attended Eastern Washington. So he's now going to be an option for Sam Darnold. They have JSN. I guess he'll move out of the slot to the outside. This is a lot of money for a guy that no longer separates.

I think Seattle looks at it and think, With our draft picks, we have got to solve number one our offensive line. Number one. And they look at Cooper Cup, meaning, all right, we've got a number two or a number three. So I think you make choices in free agency. For instance, the Rams in free agency got DeVonte Adams signaling unless something falls to them. They may not draft a receiver in the first couple picks. Now, they may have something falls to them in the first round.

But, I mean, teams send you signals. When you sign Devante Adams, what you're saying is we don't love this wide receiver draft. We don't think there's an impact guy in the first round, and we need an impact wide receiver. The bear's telling you, we got to get better on the O line, and it's not a great O line year. So everybody sends you signals in free agency, and I, you know, that's what I... I mean, I don't hate the signing. He has familiarity in the division, knows the opposing defensive coordinators and the DBs. So Cups should have success there, but this to me is still like a six or seven.

I don't know. You like them to go into the playoffs? Ten wins. Sammy Darnold. That's bold. Playoffs again. Final story. More NFL news. They've just given out contracts like candy here. Unbelievable.

Adam Schaefters reporting the Houston Texans have given Derek Stingley, Jr. a three-year, $90 million extension. He's a great player. They drafted him. 63.5 million in new guarantees. Here we go. Stingley becomes the highest paid quarterback in NFL history. He's got to put that.

You have to make that note. You're passing J.C. Horn, who just did it last week. This whole, like, I've got to get my guy out there and put this out there so he can, like, put the headlines. This is nonsense. Again, they drafted him. I think he got banged up a little early, but he's a great, great player. I'll give Houston credit, smart to get this done before. That's right.

Because you know they're now going to their agent. I got to get more. I'm better. First round, I think he's a first round pick, has absolutely delivered, arguably the most talented young Carter after Patrick Sertan. He's really good. He's really good player. I know there's a Houston fan on staff getting in your ear about this.

And our staff put together a little chart here. LSU's 2019 national title team, Borough, Jefferson, Chase, and Stingley all got massive amounts of money. Well, that's the most talented college roster ever. I don't think it's the best team, but I think it's the most talented college roster I've ever seen. FSU roster with James Winston that had like 22 of 24 starters, something insane like that. make the pros, but this team was loaded. With high-end NFL guys.

Oh, major. Listen, I guess I can't hate it. Three years, 90 million, whatever. Congrats to Stingley. Listen, he's a top five, top six corner in the NFL. Oh, yeah, top six, for sure. One of us is willing to pay.

I like, listen, I'm down for paying. Sounds like it. The Bengals one's interesting, because I know some people are going to say, Jay Mack, you'd be killing him if they didn't sign Higgins, and they traded him. No, I wouldn't. I'm a moneyball believer, Colin. You can do stuff on the cheap. Okay, first, those A's teams never won.

Never won. Okay. Stingley last year was fifth PFF. You know where Soss Gardner was? He didn't have a great year. 30 seconds. Okay, fine. You got off one year.

He was on the sauce. Do the other two years matter? All I care about, are you great now? Stingley's great today. They had a good year and a contract year. Let's see if he shows up next year. And after he's got his money. Old Hatery.

A J-Mac with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. So there are certain arguments in sports. We should just put to bed. You know, forever it was there. Pete Rose, a Hall of Famer.

They get tired. They're cliched. It's exhausting. And you kind of grow up at some point. Here's another one. I can't believe blankety-blank team. didn't get in and instead blankety blank other mediocre team did it's a television show once you get down to the final one or two teams I'll take a Carolina good branding over West Virginia

sorry I'm not losing sleep it's an inexact science I've said when you're talking about the top four seeds that's a different ballgame but if you're talking the last team to get in West Virginia North Carolina I'm sorry I know all you couch college basketball experts think the mountaineers should get in. But more teams make this tournament than any tournament in America. And nobody was snubbed. West Virginia just didn't win enough. They weren't good enough.

What you have to do in life is get out of arguments. Be too good to even qualify for the argument. Yeah. North Carolina, very good early. Didn't do good against the quad ones. Nah. Since 2018, outside of eight and nine matchups, which have always been a coin flip, The committee gets it right, 74% of the time.

The favorites win. I know you're all absolutely sure that VCU didn't get the respect they deserve. Oh, boy. I mean, in college football, some of you lost your mind. How can you not have Indiana in? Yeah, they got in in football and were embarrassing. Okay. And that's the 12th team.

I'm just not losing sleep over Carolina getting in and West Virginia not getting in. It's not. Nobody plays victim more than college basketball coach on the hot seat or college administrator defending his program. Nobody plays victim like that. And especially when you find, like, you know, jocks who went to the school defending their school, everybody's a victim. I said before, CBS, TNT, all these networks that pay billions of dollars for this tournament, they get a say in the seating chart too. you know and if it comes down to the last team and it's a coin flip i'll take carolina let's go for it would you be shocked if they want to get it's a playing game it's a playing

game who cares but i mean it's like one of those arguments in sports are we still arguing about this stuff like it's not worth the diatribe uh tom iso is around the corner march madness it's a fun week it is a fun week live in los angeles the herd be sure to catch live editions of the herd Weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's Steve Kavino. And I'm Rich Davis. And together we're Kavino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio,

and of course the IHeart Radio app. Why should you listen to Kavino and Rich? 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 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out.

We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio. Maybe the most interactive show on Planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino & Rich live on Fox Sports Radio on the IHeart Radio app from 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich, wherever you get your podcast and, of course, on social media.

That's Coveino and Rich. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, name? Huge news. We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts.

We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. And we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this.

We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel

help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear.

The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris.

Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jenchian went. I mean, she went down at three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lina Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world. right now and I actually can win on any surface because if she's serving well good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open.

Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Coaches in college basketball and a friend and how lucky are we? I asked the guys, I said, just get me, just get me Izzo and Mark Few and I'm good. And Tom iso 30 seasons at Michigan State. Final four appearances. Okay, I've watched you play four times. You defend the three. You don't shoot it particularly well. Okay, I'm just being fair. Your teams always defend. They rebound. They're tough. Like Petino, you coach your players hard and they respond to it. What about this team? What's the secret sauce about this team that why you like them? They're connected, you know, and everybody talks about being connected. Colin, but this team is really connected. It's been connected. And, uh, you know, we've kind of put our egos aside and everybody's playing for each other. And that doesn't always happen. We're playing

nine, ten guys. We're, uh, we do rebound pretty well. We actually score it pretty well. We shoot pre-throws well. And yes, you are correct. You did your scouting report. We did not shoot the three very well. But the last two, three weeks we're been moving up drastically from the three. And if we can get that down, I think we could really do some damage. You know, it's funny, a lot of coaches, my buddy Jay Wright, like I think there's a lot of coaches that look at NIL and transfer portal and go, get me out of here. And I don't know if Jay did that, but I think, you know, Jay's such a great guy. But you have kind of said like, hey, this is the world.

I can complain or I can adapt. Why have you, with all this fluctuation, why are you still Michigan State? Why are you still good? why have you adapted so easily? Well, since you were honest with me about my three-point shooting, I'm going to be honest with you. I don't like it. I don't like it for a lot of reasons, especially the Transfer Portal. I think more kids are going to get hurt, but that's another story and another day.

But like Jay Wright, like Nick Saban, you know, those guys are friends of mine. They decided to go another way. I'm too dumb and stubborn to do it, I guess. I just figured that I got to get back to the basics last year. year. I was on all kinds of committees. I worried about it. This year I kind of stuck the coach in my team and I've been lucky. I got some good players. I got a couple of guys that have really elevated their game. I got one of my former stars, Jason Richardson's son, who has really elevated his game. But you got a player's son from the past. That either means you're getting

old or you survived. Colin, I don't know what you're like. You know, it's interesting. Years ago, It's funny about the tournament. Everybody loves Florida. And I said, be very careful. Hot teams, it doesn't translate all the time. You've got to be caring. For years and years, everybody always said, you've got to have great guard play. Well, you know, what does matter?

In your years of doing this, is there one or two things that absolutely translate from regular season to March? Well, you know, I'm a big football guy. I love football. And I think in football, you know, at the end of the day, you still, all the fancy stuff comes and goes. You still got to build a block and tackle and not turn the ball over. Well, if you ask me in basketball, you're still got to be able to defend and run and you can't turn the ball over. So there are some things that are similar no matter what sport you're in.

Ours is a little different because that damn ball's got to go in the basket sooner or later. And you can run all the best offense if the final shot doesn't go in, it hurts. But I think what translates, defense, carries. just like it does in all other sports, whether it's hockey, baseball, basketball, or football. We've been pretty solid. That's why I think we've had a pretty good run. But, you know, getting to the free throw line, I think, matters

and making shots because in the tournament, you get down to the nitty-gritty and people are following you. So you've got to be able to make free throws, which we can do. Now, the three-point line, we're improving. Listen, I'm not a scout. and I just watched your games, and I'm like, okay, that's not what they do. You know, it's interesting. I was talking to Mark Few Friday, and when I've talked to Mark privately,

and I'm like, hey, do you ever steal stuff from coaches? And he's like, oh, God, yes, I take stuff from everybody. When you've been around as long as you've been, do you ever find yourself during the court, you're sitting at home, and all of a sudden you watch a game and you're like, oh, I'm going to steal that. I like that in-bounds play. Do you do that? I'm so dumb, and Mark Few and I are good friends.

we're both on these committees that we just went through all this stuff. But I'm so dumb, I not only steal it, but I name it after the team I steal it from. So if I got a Zags play or if I got a 76ers play or a Lakers play, it's because I stole it from them. So my plays are named after a lot of people or a lot of teams, which means I'm stealing a lot. Yeah. So listen, I watched the SEC this year, and I said this, I picked Auburn to win it, and I said, I think it helps when your conference is good because you get battle tested. You're in close games.

I ask everybody this. In fact, I asked a few about this, and he said, Houston. Is there a team you've either played or scouted that you've looked at and you think to yourself today? Yeah, I'd rather not see them until maybe the final four. Who's a team that guys like me won't pay attention to, but you've seen them and you're like, yeah, that team's trouble. Well, it's interesting, Mark said Houston. Believe it or not, I replaced Kelvin Sampson here as a GA.

He used to work for Judd Heathcote many years ago. And I think my teams are tough and pretty good defensively. I think his teams are insane. They're like the 85 or 6 bears, whatever it was. You know, they're phenomenal defensive team. They got toughness. What he's done is he's added the three-point shot. And now they're a better shooting team.

So I'd have to agree with Mark. They're one of. But I saw Auburn in person in Hawaii. We didn't play them. But I saw them. They were impressive. Florida's been impressive as of late. I still think the Alabama's.

But I played against them last year. I think Tennessee still brings those intangibles. Yeah. They have toughness. They're well-coached. Rick is a great coach. and they're really, really good defensively. So that was a politician's answer.

I gave you a bunch of them. By the way, I see right behind you you have lunch. So you look fantastic for your age. What do you have back there, vegetables, a kale salad? What are you having for lunch? It's a salad, man. You've got good eyes. Your scouting reports are pretty good.

You got that we can't chew threes. And I eat salad for lunch. This is a hell of a deal, man. Tom iso, the great Tom Isso. luck coach thanks for coming on the herd thanks god see you buddy all right tom iso a great coach i actually have jac i have tennessee in my final four interesting yeah interesting i also have a ridiculous uh dark horse go ahead tell tell them i'm not gonna get into it i know i want to save it for the audience i got to go tomorrow or no later in the next hour i got to give

the audience some gems i have auburn winning it i do have tennessee in the final four okay i can't hate it. No love for Cooper Flag and Duke? How good did Duke look without Cooper Flag in the ACC tournament? I know the ACC was a great this year. Anybody can go total shot. You have to have at least a four seat in there. Is that what the minimum is? A four seed? Well, I mean, that's historically

not a lot of five seeds get in. Like last year, NC State, two years ago, FAU. Like somebody always sneaks in. I have a sneaky team. Is it as sneaky as UC San Diego? God, everybody is on that. Well, wait, I talked about him last week. I wrote about it to Fox. Yeah, I already bet it. Money line and with the points.

Michigan's big. They are big, but they don't have any depth. And there's a history of Big Ten tournament teams trying super hard in the Big Ten tournament where you scout well and you care four games and four days, and then you've got to turn around and play quickly and they let down. You know what? You know what's ridiculous? College basketball is the only sport where your conference tournament means nothing.

Well, I mean, like, pride. Well, Michigan got a fifth seed, didn't they? I didn't get anything out of it. That's a fair point, yeah. Michigan is very big. As you see San Diego, that just became a division one couple years ago, now they're eligible. They're a great story. The athletic had an awesome story on them.

Great story. This is going to sound so nerdy. I stole some of his coaching principles and applied it to my kids' youth basketball leagues. They do this no middle defense where everybody keeps a foot in the paint. We're not giving up layups. You're not getting in the lane. Even though they have no size and it works great. Listen, man.

That sounds like the wild cat offense. Are you teasing something? No middle defense. I guarantee you it'll work for a week. That's all you need. Well, three weeks to win the title. They're not winning the title, obviously. So I've watched Michigan State.

Michigan State's the kind of team that's going to win multiple. They play too hard. They play defense. They rebound. They just don't shoot three. That's not what they do. They got to get Jason Richardson's kids more shots. Is those a little too balanced?

No, we got to sub them out and get all these up. Richardson's a stud. That kid is awesome. He's got to get more shots. Keep him on the floor. This is such a fun time of the year. This is the greatest. Yeah.

There's only one time of the year I don't talk to my wife about finances. It's this weekend. You know, I'm going to go ahead and guess Aaron Rogers makes a decision like Thursday or Friday because it's got to be about Aaron all the time, you know, and he's going to try to steal the thunder from the Antsaint tournament. That felt like a little bit. By the way, how's your boy doing? Is he in a darkness retreat? I haven't heard anything.

Boy, a lot of shots fired. I am, you know what? is he may bump into him at Arawan here in Malibu. You've got to be very careful. I'm not going to Malibu. All the earthquakes are hitting over there. I had a shaker yesterday. Yeah, I didn't feel it.

Oh, I did. I did. Locked in on brackets. I thought it was the gin and soda. It was just a default line. Hour to next. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers.

I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called. Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it.

We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite.

Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, Streeter Seidel, help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, and on my new podcast, How Hard Can It Be?

I call on my Gen X squad from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. Yes. Unfiltered conversations from night sweats to futas to scheduling sex. Wait, what sex? Is it just me or does every woman my age want to look at Pinterest instead of having sex sometimes? They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year. on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season,

and I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was crying. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to him. He's like, you know, I love you, dog. You know, it's all love.

This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.