The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 – NHL Surpassing the NBA

Episode Date: February 18, 2025

2 Pros and a Cup of Joe fill in on The Herd, and the guys believe the NHL capitalized on the first weekend without football. The Bengals cannot afford to slip into mediocrity as they pep for the franchise tag window. Plus, big changes to the CFB Playoff and more! #2prosSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an IHeart 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, 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 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 Deanna 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 hungry. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in to you, 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 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 SportsRedio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. It's the herd Fox Sports Radio.

And it's two pros in a cup of Joe. Filling in for Colin, LeVar Earrington, Brady Quinn, Jonas Knox with you here. We are going to take you all the way up until 3 o'clock Eastern time. That'll be noon Pacific time. And Brady Quinn, we are rocking and rolling here on a Tuesday. Yeah, we are. Feeling very patriotic today, by the way.

Are you? A little fired up. Wednesday weekend coming off some I don't know something about the Four Nations hockey thing then it kind of got me going it's not just the fights either just a lot of pride a lot of pride for this great country you live in you know now I noticed

you mentioned that before you mentioned any of the other festivities that took place this weekend were you not a fan of what else took place this weekend well I think there was Valentine's Day what else Friday of course yeah I celebrated that I went to a monster jam event that was fun I got to go see you know

my son and I we have our favorite monster truck, the black pearl. Can I ask this question? That was fun. Is that more of something that you got him into, or did he get into that? I got him in his Easter basket or his Christmas stocking. Either Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny got him a monster truck, just randomly, and he just was hooked ever since. And it's fun. It's a fun event. But I mean, there was that and there was, trying to think what else there was going on this weekend.

All the All-Star game festivities in the NBA. Oh, that's right. There was that. And yeah, I don't know, man. I mean, Kevin Durant's, you know, looking at the situation going, well, hey, listen, you know, people just like to criticize. It's more fun to criticize the NBA and the All-Star game on social media than it is to. Hi there. Then it is to.

Hey, Warren. Hi. Jesus? Is that you? I'm coming home. Where'd you park? Poyal loco. Going out to a ticket later?

No, no, it was a very interesting morning, though, I tell you. Yeah. 26-mile drive, an hour and 20 minutes. That's standard, though, for L.A., isn't it? I mean, that's a first for me. That's a first. Worst I've ever seen With no accident

Yeah that's That was interesting Yesterday was only 40 minutes to get in here But I guess it's because it was It was a holiday Yeah But yeah anyways I mean

Which would be a more interesting Conversation than obviously The one that we're having right now Listen Kevin Durant is Is a great personality He is one of the guys And one of the players that drives the

Dries the needle Keeps them relevant in some aspects in some regards. But, I mean, you can't be sensitive about the criticisms that are being levied their way and how, I guess, relentless and how aggressive the conversations of how bad some of these things have been, especially surrounding the conversation of All-Star Weekend. I mean, it just is what it is. And, again, that's just that the reality of it is,

is that you don't have enough personalities like Kevin Durant's in today's NBA that are building relations. You ever think about that? I was looking at our comments yesterday, and it's like the whole idea of what relationships are being built between player and fan? Who is really, what teams are really building these strong bonds like we used to see in the olden days of the NBA

when, who was the commissioner back then, passed away? Stern. Stern. When Stern was the, when Stern was the, commissioner. There was such a focus on building the reputations, building the personalities of these teams and of these players, and connecting them with their fans. There's a disconnect. Certainly a disconnect. I view this entire conversation because we kind of got railroaded there on the NBA, which Lord knows I don't want to talk about that as much, because I think what I witnessed was the game of

hockey in very similar lights. Well, you came in late, so you missed that on the initial part of the I did. I was just listening to it. So the Four Nations Hockey, exhibition, right? Like it doesn't matter for any of those players in regards to the Stanley Cup, right? We're not to the playoffs yet in hockey. So you can call it, whatever you want to call it. It was brilliant by the NHL. It had so much interest.

I think the ratings were somewhere over $5 million or so ended up watching for basically an exhibition game. Very similar what the NBA All-Star game is. and you have, at least in regards to the NBA, one of the greatest ambassadors in the history of the game in LeBron James, who for the first time ever opts out to play. Now granted, he's dealing with an injury and he's played forever, and he's made every All-Star for over two decades. So I guess he's got the right to do that.

But what I'm pointing out is the difference in the intensity of both these games. And I think that's the connection with fans. if I'm going to take a piece of my life, if I'm going to go spend my hard-earned money and go watch a NBA All-Star game or a hockey game that's an exhibition. Like, I want to see the intensity that you care at least as much as I do.

And granted, you know, I think it's tough to compare when you've got, for example, four nations, people representing their country to compare it to the All-Star game, even though there's some international players, there's some guys who, their representation goes beyond,

just representing whatever it is in the All-Star game in the NBA. They're representing people back home, people in other countries. But to me, that's the disconnect. I'm not here to bash the NBA or NBA players because I think part of the reason why the game is where the game's at is because these are the most skilled NBA players we've ever seen. And so there's always going to be evolution in a game when it's like that. But what I saw in hockey, and maybe it's just the culture of hockey,

because they both play the same amount of regular season. games. And I'd make the case that the Stanley Cup playoffs is much more enduring because it's more of a physical sport anyway. And it's a longer road anyway to a championship than the NBA is. So like what's hard to watch is this load management era of athletes and this thought that like, yeah, it's okay to sit out and take up a roster spot and not play because I've done this so much and I'm one of the greatest of all time. And then meanwhile, you've got dudes who are dropping gloves as soon as the puck drops because they're ticked off. And, look, I don't care if it was planned or not,

because they're ticked off about, hey, the Canadian fans were booing and we're going to show them something, we're going to set this thing off right. And that's how intense this game's going to be. Even though it's just an exhibition. For me, like, that won me over.

Like, I really don't have a dog in the fight one way or another. I'm just a fan, right? You know, didn't play at either of those levels at a high level. I do have a family member who plays in the NHL, but, you know, I don't necessarily say, like, no, I'd rather watch one versus the other. But for me, that moment, that was a moment where I looked at hockey and said, yeah, I think you just won over a lot of fans. And I know not everyone tuned in, but you see the viral clips.

And then you see the win and everything else. And it gives you chills, man. It makes you think about, you know, different movies they've made in the past. And, you know, I just, I kind of sit back and go, that's the disconnect. Is the NBA thinks because they're so great, they're so skilled that people are going to want to watch. You're missing the point. You're missing the intensity of the game. That's what we love, man.

We love the passion. We love the intensity. Yes, when it was more physical and guys got in fights, we loved that too because we naturally love fighting. It's like when you're driving your car. You guys are both driving in right now. If two people popped out all of a sudden started throwing fists at one another, you'd stop and watch.

It's a human reaction. I get involved. Maybe I don't know. I mean, I was feeling good about sitting in this traffic. so, you know, I'd have had some time. You know, they'd have to fight back because they were in traffic. You were building up a lot of that intensity. I figure I'd get me some ones and get me a few in as well, you know what I mean?

But yeah, you're right. This isn't exclusive to the NBA. This is the same thing with a Pro Bowl. 100% because there's no intensity. Like you played in it. Back when you played, dudes used to get hit, especially towards the end of the game. Yes. Like they were still out there trying to win.

I was hunting hits. That's what sport is. I was hunting hits, especially if there was somebody on the other side of the ball that I didn't get a chance. to see during the season. I certainly wanted to feel... I remember when Corey Dillon was in the Pro Bowl, I wanted to get him so bad.

He was big, dude. That's why I wanted it. I wanted to feel what that felt like. You know, everybody was talking about Cory Dillon, Cory Dillon. And you know what? He's in the Pro Bowl this year. We're lined up against one another.

I was trying to get him, you know? I think that that's what you're talking about, though. It's like when Kobe saw Mike MJ in an All-Star game, he was trying to get him. And then what happens? MJ seeing that Kobe's trying to get him, so I'm trying to get you. Like, I'm with you on that.

I saw some of the hockey. I didn't see a whole lot of it. I saw some of it. I thought it was pretty cool. It kind of made me feel like it was like the Olympics, something to that effect. That's what it felt like, right? It felt like they were representing something bigger than themselves.

It did. It did. And I don't think, again, I'll come back to the connection. Like, there is a disconnect in today's athlete, which is, It's weird because you have every bit of the technology to connect with the fans in a way that you never have before. And I think that that's why the ones who choose to do it, when they do these podcasts and their player-driven podcasts, I think that's why they do so well.

It's because there is such a disconnect in today's athlete. And I say it's across the board. if you really were to go through from fan fans bases of different eras of time and you were to say run it like tell us who the players are tell us the team

what they represented you'd be able to do it you'd be able to do it that's why you had nicknames for the different teams in all the sports you had nicknames Broad Street bullies Purple People Eaters The Steel Curtain

the bad boys you had different because the connection with the fan was so important that everybody was in it together I don't feel like that it's like you're just watching more of a show

you're watching more of a product now and they are so skilled that it's like here we go shooting threes out there throw the ball hockey I can't really speak on hockey I don't really know it like that.

But I will say it just seems as though for a lot of times, for me especially, because I look at it as a fan as well. Outside of the playoffs, I just think they're playing. You're playing. You're almost to the point of where you look at it and you say they're going through the motions. They're so good. You're going through the motions. You get to the playoffs.

You know that it's intensified because you go home if you lose. That's it. Otherwise, I don't know all these players' names. and I am a former football player. I don't know all these guys' names anymore. I don't know what they represent. I don't know what the team represents. I don't know what it is.

There's a disconnect. It's like you decentralize the fan base, the fans. You have your niche market of fans, but then you go outside of that, and everybody's like, I've root for this guy because he's on my fantasy team. I'm root for this guy because I got a parlay. And that dictates who I want to see too well.

Okay, exactly. exactly well I'll tell you I probably lost that one anyways but it was also it was also the contrast you know first week we were mentioning this a little bit yesterday but first weekend without the NFL and you're looking for something

and the NHL gives you the four nations face off and they give you that and the NBA rolls out that and it's LeBron letting everybody know an hour and a half before the game yeah I'm just not going to play it just just a bad look man a bad look and you know hockey benefit benefited from it, you know, whether this, you know, is parlayed itself into better ratings for the league and

more people take an interest. Like, you probably, you probably captured some interest from people who looked at it and said, you know, maybe I'll give this a try because this is a different product than what I'm getting from the NBA. And so, again, they can get all sensitive about it all they want. It's not like people are rooting for it to suck. They just want it to be a little better. And that's where we are when it comes to, uh, comes to the NBA. By the way, way, Thursday night is the final, the four nations faceoff final between Canada and the USA.

USA's deal with some injuries, too, by the way. You know, got a little nicked up there. I mean, but you're all-stars, right? Well, you're representing your country. Yeah, the U.S. So it's the best of the best. Of the U.S. For the U.S.

But, like, yeah, there's obviously they're really good players on Canada. I mean, Canada, I think, was slated to... I mean, they're the best, aren't they? They're the best at hockey. we will USA beat him 3-1 in the most recent We're going to find out Thursday

whether they're the best I mean historically speaking The you know The Canadians Play hockey Differently than everybody else What do you mean by that man I don't know

Isn't there another place too Like doesn't Russia play it pretty well too Yeah they got other things going on right now Racist Dang Something going on there Yeah They're using different sticks over there

It's too soon It's part of the reason why Russia's not involved What, it was too soon? How's that racist? Lee would not include some of the content in the rundown. That doesn't, I mean, but that doesn't change the fact that they're good at hockey, though, right? I mean, you can admit that. Maybe, yeah.

Okay, I'm just saying. Got some good players. They're good shooters. They're not on the gas. But, again, that's, you know, teach their own. It is the herd here on Fox Sports Radio, LeVar Earrington, Brady Quinn, Jonas Knox. In for Colin. It is two pros and a cup of Joe.

in for Colin and company here on this Tuesday. We are going to have the herd line news starring Greg Tooie again. Greg Tooie did such a phenomenal job yesterday that people have been pounding the table for him to come back for more. So Greg Tooie is going to be featured in the Hurdline News throughout the course of the show.

And Pete Priscoe, good buddy of our show every single Tuesday morning, he's going to stop by an hour too and Pete's going to have to respond to some of the harsh criticism. He's gotten from a particular fan base in the NFL. So all that is yours here. as again we take you all the way up until 3 p.m. Eastern time, noon Pacific. We do, though, have an update.

One team in the NFL is going to get really bold. Borderline greedy this offseason. We'll tell you who they are right here on FSR. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, new? 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 throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how did 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. 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 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. What's up, fam, Isaiah Thomas? And I'm CJ Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about Define the Odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what.

He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid.

He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything. everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers,

why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah. You figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time.

You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that Ness was going to be.

Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How can it be? How can it be? Getting naked at 50 with the new guy. That one's kind of hard, well, that's lighting. 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, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of my Cultura podcast network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get back now. Come on. It's a herd on Fox Sports Radio.

Levar Erington, Brady Quinn, Jonas Knox with you in for Colin. Coming up here in, we'll call it a little over 20 minutes from now. We are going to tell you about some big time changes coming to the playoffs. but which playoffs are we referring to? You'll find out here in the herd line news. Y'all real professional today, man. Let me put my professional hat on today. Well, yeah, that's the way we normally operate.

Oh, really? Dang, I just thought I was professional. I wasn't real professional. I've never been real professional, but all right, let me try. Let's do it. Let's do it, guys. Not really a big fan of you of misrepresenting us here at a different type slot, Johnson. Come on, Johnson.

My most sincerest apologies to you both. Let me do my best to be as professional as I possibly can. In the calling cowher time space. Yes, that's right. All right. Here we go. Well, listen, we do have an update because here we go again. You want it to smile.

The team that is hijacking the NFL offseason early on and the NFL is none other than your Cincinnati Bengals. And the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, And they're aiming to keep their trio of stars, T. Higgins, Jemar Chase, Trey Hendrickson. According to Fowler, who said, you know, they're likely to place the franchise tag on T. Higgins. It'll buy him some time to try and work out a long-term deal. But the goal is, at least, to maintain Jemar Chase, to keep Trey Hendrickson, to which I say, well, yeah, of course that's the goal. But whether or not that actually happens, because it's the Bengals, remains to be seen.

least we know that the plan is for the tag when it comes to T. Higgins, at least temporarily, if they can't get a deal done. All right. Let's go back to Joe Burroughs draft. Okay. He's coming off of, again, the greatest season we've ever seen, an individual season for a college football player. I would say that was Joe Burroughs final year at LSU.

I mean, the gauntlet of games they went through undefeated, crushing everyone, winning every award possible, along with us teammates, winning a lot of the game. every word possible. I mean, it was an incredible year. And he had a lot of leverage that at that point. And the Bengals had the number one overall pick. Now, granted, he's from Southern Ohio. He originally went to Ohio State before he transferred to LSU.

I wonder how many oftentimes, too, Ohio State fans think about if they would have had a national championship before this year, if Joe Burrow would have stayed and what that would have meant for that team. Instead of ended up being Dwayne Haskins. But I digress. I just, that's kind of one of those like, what would have been if, you know, if Joe Burrow would have been the starter instead of Dwayne Haskins. But anyway, you know, before that draft, do you guys recall the conversation about Burrow and him never, I shouldn't say never, but he was reluctant to talk about the Bengals specifically. You know, they had the number one pick, but he didn't really talk about them necessarily like, you know, hey, it'd be great to be drafted by the Bengals.

I know they're picking a number one. I grew up close to there. He never would say the Bengals. And now he kind of would backtrack at, you know, there's different articles about this. He backtracked at the combine saying he wouldn't be presumptuous because he knows a lot of things can happen and someone else could potentially, you know,

trade up or take him. And he didn't want to presume that they were going to draft him at that spot. But he never said since then until after the fact, how excited he was and playing close to home and everything else. I felt like there was little smoke there. Did you guys feel that way before the draft? Do you recall this? Yeah, because it was, obviously the appeal would be well because it's Ohio,

but you looked at the situation and said, yeah, but it may not be the best situation for him because they were terrible. Like I think that they were, was it a four-win season? Two wins and four wins, I think. Yeah, the first pick. And there was talk Zach Taylor was going to get clipped. And I think it was, because I remember, Brad, I remember this how, God, this is a long-ass time ago.

I remember we talked about it because was it Ryan Lindley was a quarterback for the Bengals and he was getting some playing time and then late in the year, they went ahead and put Andy Dalton in. It was either the first or second year

of Zach Taylor's time there and remember we were kicking around like man, he must really feel like there's some heat on him to win some games. Otherwise, why do you make the move at that point? And then Burrow got there and it was like he had no clue what you were supposed to expect from him in that situation there his first year. And what was interesting about it is, if anyone has followed the Cincinnati Bengals,

and I've talked about this at length, I've tried to make this case, because this is what's going on this time of year behind the scenes, is there an ownership group that doesn't have a ton of money? And they've never spent a ton of cash. That's why Carson Palmer ended up leaving going to Arizona Cardinals. Another guy who was supposed to be the guy and was very prolific during his time there. but ultimately, I mean, LeVar, you work with TG,

I mean, Hush can talk about it. You know, they weren't going to shell out the type of contract that a lot of their teams could, and they weren't going to construct a roster like everyone else potentially could, and they were never going to be able to have the team built out around

that position in order to allow them win a Super Bowl. And so you look at then, they go through Andy Dalton, and then they get the Joe Burrow. And so you could understand some concern if you're a player who, is just coming off the greatest season ever in college football history,

and you have aspirations of wanting to win a Super Bowl, and aren't naive to the fact that it takes an organization. It's not just you as the quarterback. You're not fixing, solving everything. As good as Joe Burrell was last year, it still didn't help them win enough games because they didn't have a defense that could help him out. So he's got on this campaign this offseason

to really put pressure on the Cincinnati Bengals front office, their ownership, to say, let's do these deals. Like, give me these guys back. Give me Jamar Chase. Give me T. Higgins. We got to have help on defense. You need Trey Hendrickson, who's had 35 sacks the last two years.

Like, shell out the money and figure out how to make this work because we're looking at another team into Philadelphia Eagles, and they figure out how to make it work. So don't tell me you can't make it work. Like, we just watch them win a Super Bowl doing it. So it just seems appropriate that you're starting to kind of hear, you know, the owner, Jeremy Fowler's report now coming out about, oh, this is what they're aiming to do. Yeah, they should be aiming to do it.

And they better do it. Otherwise, and Cincinnati Bengals fans can get upset for me saying this. But eventually at some point, there may be a fracture between Joe Burrow and the Bengals because of his aspirations of wanting to win a Super Bowl. And if they're not giving him every opportunity to do so, there might be some teams that are out there, that are willing to trade for him and the potential chance to build out around him to go do that.

I mean, there's one that's literally sitting in the back of my mind right now. Cleveland? No. Oh. No. I thought maybe because you're Cleveland fan. No, I would just say this. I would just say this.

I think there's certain ownership groups that we've seen in front offices that we've seen that have been super aggressive. And so if that spot becomes open, you wonder, you go, okay, like I could see that potentially being a suitor. You know, a team that's willing to give up a lot of first round draft. a team that for a period of time didn't even draft guys in the first round because they traded away all their first round

Oh yeah, yeah. Oh, less need. Oh, less need. Slangney. Coming out here? I'm just saying if Stafford, whenever that's done or if he's not there, didn't New England trade their picks away though?

They were a team. No, they've taken a lot of first round picks. It's usually they're in the back end. So they might like traded back or something during the draft. Okay, trade back. Okay, I got you. Huh. the Rams

I don't know man listen they made it to the Super Bowl with this team and I think they found their sea legs I don't know why they started so slow this upcoming or this past season but I would

not have any reservations of thinking that they start fast as a team this upcoming season and a large part of that would be having that trio guys still on your team with him And Higgins still there. And obviously with Jamar Chase, that's a trio that you want to have there if I'm,

if I am Joe Burrow. And you're right there at it. You're talking about a team that doesn't, like you said, they don't have all the money. There's a lot of things that they have working against them. But let's be clear, they can figure it out. They can figure it out if they want to figure it out. And if you want to figure it out because you want to keep Joe Burr, happy, which I would think would be the singular biggest reason to do so.

Second being to win, go figure, and maybe you could interchange them, but I don't want to lose Joe Burroughs' confidence or belief in our organization to that point of him ending up somewhere else. So I think they have to make as much of an assertive effort to keep this group of guys together because if they slip, if they slip and become a mediocre team with the type of quarterback and the player that Joe Burrow is, and not to mention even the player that Jamar Chase is, I mean, that's, that's, you got to say that's the oblivion of oblivion. You're never going to see the Cincinnati Bengals get any closer than what they are to being a Super Bowl

contending and possibly winner in the NFL. You've drafted Hall of Fame players in consecutive drafts, you should probably try and keep them together. Like, that would be, and their connection and what they've done, going all the way back to LSU has been phenomenal. And Joe Burrow, by the way, he's a smart guy, and he's pretty calculated. I mean, you know, somebody, you know, breaks into his home and all of a sudden you find out his assistant is, you know, and he kind of passes that. Like, he's very, very detail-oriented, Joe Burrow is.

The fact that he not only said, hey, you don't want to make it a habit. of losing all your best players and then comes back and says I mean yeah look at what the Eagles do the Eagles always seem to figure it out like he's laid out not a threat but kind of shot a flare gun into the sky and said hey don't want to make an habit

of this and by the way if you need an example there's one and they just got to a Super Bowl and won a Super Bowl in Philly he's letting everybody in the organization know we're not playing here anymore get it done right it's such common sense fellas You have a legitimate window that you can win a Super Bowl.

It behooves you to do whatever it takes to make sure that you keep that window open as long as possible. Q, does that yield a positive ROI? Because to me, it's like, why do you even have to question? Why do we have to have a conversation about it? That should be just understood that this is what you need to do. So this man has what he needs to win. if Cincinnati won the Super Bowl, is that a positive ROI on the organization?

Do those owners do they reap a benefit of the money and the revenue going up? Because if that is the case, what's the resistance to doing it? Well, the resistance to be able to spend out cash the way other teams do is you first have to have it. That's part of it. And the other piece of it is, you know, once you do have it, you have to be willing to be able to spend it and not just want to put it in your own pockets. I mean, this is a team that's got the smallest scouting department in the NFL.

You know, no coaching staff does more work on the evaluation of talent than the Cincinnati Bengals because of that. So, you know, whether you want to call that right wrong or indifferent because they hit on a lot of their draft picks, they develop guys well, you know, I think there should be more cohesion between the scouting departments and the coaching staff and how they're seeing things, how they're going to put a plan together to develop a player that comes into the league.

So maybe the Bengals are doing it right. Maybe they're more efficient than anyone else. But it hasn't ended up a Super Bowl. And you've had countless talent through the years, you know, from Boomer to Carson Palmer to Andy Dalton, to Andy Dalton, who went for a string, at least of playoff appearances, but they really couldn't be it beyond that. So they just blame Andy Dalton. Now you have Joe Burrow. He gets to a Super Bowl.

They can't win one. And now they're going to have a hard time getting back if they can't keep more pieces out around him. So, yeah, of course. Look, if you're a team that's the top seed, or let's say, you know, the second seed and you're hosting playoff games and you're able to make it to a Super Bowl, of course you're going to make money. You know, you should at least, in a variety of ways.

But I think the bigger issue here is whether or not Cincinnati can get done what Joe Burroughs looking to do. And again, it's not like they're asking to put together quite as many, you know, weapons and targets like we've seen. for the Eagles, for example, who've got Sequin is one of the highest paid running backs, who've got Jalen Hertz, which, you know, given his contract, it's one of the higher paid contracts,

but not necessarily the highest that helps, but you've got A.J. Brown and Devante Smith, and all these are the pieces they've got, and the players they've got on defense on the offensive lines. Now, we've talked about it before. Like that bell, you know, the bill's going to come to, it's going to come to fruition here in a few years. We know that.

But at least they've got this window now in the next two, three years where they can go try to really start. back together some wins and be able to be highly competitive, if not at a Super Bowl every single year, if things go right and they stay healthy. Cincinnati, it feels like even when Burroughs playing at MVP level, it's still not enough. So he's put a lot of pressure on them, I think, to sign back these guys just to give themselves a chance. Because that's what you're talking about.

All three of these guys that they're talking about is having to sign back, they were here this past year. It's still didn't equate to enough to get them into the playoffs. Now, if they get in the playoffs, it's anyone's guess, because that's a dangerous team with what they can do offensively. And then at times you've got a pass rush for like Hendrickson and the way defenses tend to step up in the playoffs sometimes. But that's the problem.

It's not just spending on these guys. They've got to keep doing it year after year in order just to give him a shot. And the history of Cincinnati is they haven't done that. And that's why Carson Palmer ended up in Arizona. That's tough. that's a tough road to hoe man to continue it's like if you get it it's like all right you justify it you're able to move with it and continue to hopefully build with it but what if you do come up short they got there and they were good enough to beat kansas city you know they get to the to the

super bowl it just didn't work out for them so i just it's interesting because that's really if you're looking at it from the way you just laid it out how like that is super super high stakes if you're the ownership group and that's how you're approaching. I just feel like if that's how you approach owning the team, then shouldn't you get out of the business? It just doesn't seem like that's a business model that is good for, conducive for the fan base, because you're not really at the end. You're going to choose money and balance from your fan base over spending and delivering

something to your fan base that they can be. proud of and they can be happy about and continue to support. There's a fallback plan. What is it? If it all fails, just look around and go at least we're not the Browns. You know? Because it could be worse. It could be worse. Hey now. It could be worse.

Easy. That is true. Easy with that. That was my Super Bowl pick. I don't know. We needed to check your temperature one. They got a talented roster. I was banging on some things happening. There you are. And you know.

I am. You know, you ask why you stay in the business, I am reading an article. This is from September of last year and basically saying that the valuations of NFL teams are just astronomical at this point. So when you ask like, why would you stay in it? Because the Bengals, which I think in the past decade were not even viewed as a billion-dollar franchise, are now, I think they're saying they're the cheapest franchise in the NFL, but they're being valued at like $5 billion. I mean, I understand the financial reasons why you would stay in it. I 100% understand that.

I just feel like if you're just in it just to collect the check, that's kind of sad, man. I mean, I think at the end of the day, that's kind of sad. Let's be real. We know a number of teams that are like that. Like they're in it because it's a trophy to them. They want to make money off it too. We've heard Albert Breer talk about it. You know, we've heard Breer talk about kind of the profitability to how they run their teams.

you know, versus something of the competition within the ownership groups for that. And there's something that I'll say, no, I want to win a Super Bowl. I don't care if we make as much money. Like, I want to go out there and be hoisting a Lombardi at some point.

So, I mean, look, here's the deal. The league's healthy. When you have Netflix who's now coming out saying, reportedly, we want an afternoon Sunday game.

Like, they want a part of that pie now. You don't think they're going to, they're willing to overspend for it? Sure they will. They've got plenty of cash. Huh. I mean,

that's the reality of where the future of this game's going. with all these streaming networks that have so much cash on hand, if they really want it, they can afford to overspend. Now, long term, not a profitable venture. If you can't make any money off it and ad sales and subscriptions and everything else that props it up, right? If you can't equate to the viewership that it's necessary to be able to support whatever you're buying it for. But the reality is they'll at least get their foot in the door and wants to get their foot in the door.

It's going to potentially allow them to take a bigger piece of the pie. if some of these other TV networks, broadcast networks, can't ante up enough money for it once it comes time to kind of renew all that. It is The Herd here on Fox Sports Radio. Levary Arrington, Brady Quinn, Jonas Knox, in for Colin. Cover it up next year in the Herdline News. We've got some big time changes in the world of sports

to a playoff format. But which sport is it? Find out next year on Fox Sports Radio. 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 Covino 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 Covino 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 and 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 Kavino and Rich. Hey, it's us to Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, huge news? We created a... 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 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.

Well, 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, 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 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time.

You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a paramedipausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that Ness was going to be.

Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How hard can it be? How can't be naked at 50 with a new guy? That one's kind of hard now. Well, that's lighting. 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, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura Podcast Network available 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, and our podcast Point Game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before.

And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night bases on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing.

That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, I said, you figure it out real quick. Oh, yeah. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's the heard Fox Sports Radio, LeVar Arrington, Brady Quinn, Jonas Knox, in for Colin. Coming up in about 15 minutes from now here, we are going to get to the very latest information on a rumor,

a hot rumor in the NFL that was started last week. That'll be yours here on FSR. A reminder though, before we get to the Heardline News, shortly after the show, the podcast will be going up. If you've missed any of today's show, be sure to check out the pod. Search Heard or two pros. Wherever you get your podcast,

be sure to also follow, rate, and review it. Again, just search Heard or Two Pros. Wherever you get your podcast, you'll see this show posted right after we get off the air. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Heard Line News. And it's Greg Tooie, yeah.

Good morning, guys. Tooie, Too, Too, how we doing? Let's go to see one. Good to hear you today. Toe, too, love it, love it. This will be, this first one here.

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, too, hey, get to wait. We go for days, Jonathan. Let's get to it. Oh, dude, I forgot about that one. Oh, the old Jim is.

Toeer. Brady and Levar, this will be right up your alley. It may only be February, but big things are happening in college football. According to Ross Dellinger from Yahoo Sports, momentum is building to very soon expand the college football playoff to 14 or 16 teams. Right.

Under this new proposal, the SEC and Big 10 will get four automatic qualifiers each. Of course they will. Two each of the Big 12 in ACC and one to the highest ranked group of 5 champ from there. There would also be one or three at-large bids, depending if they go to 14 or 16, with one of those intended for Notre Dame.

Should it finish ranked in? the top 14. Other details, the SEC would finally play nine conference games in this scenario, and we would see a Big Ten ACC non-conference game each year among their members. The college football playoff committee is meeting tomorrow, and finals decisions are expected in the coming weeks, but this could go into effect in 2026. Of course it will. So guys, are we ready for a 14 or 16 playoff so soon after just seeing it get expanded to 12 this year? Yeah, can they have it take place during the NBA season? that'd be sweet.

Like the real chunk of the playoffs. Like, you know. Shots fired by now. I mean, we just saw it go from 4 to 12th. And now it's going to go to 14 or 16. I'd say you guys what this is all about. It's about money. Of course.

The Big 10 was able to net $46 million additionally from this year's college football playoff because of the number of teams they got in. And obviously, Ohio State, the success they had in winning the national championship. So if you actually you look at how the Big Ten has been constructed in comparison to the SEC. I think the SEC has more good teams.

I'll just put it simply. However, because they're beating each other up, there's obviously a less likelihood of getting in as many teams. If you're the Big Ten, you've got three or four really strong teams, and you've got this huge conference where you may happen to have some teams that miss some of those other good teams, you might get in. What was it four this year? I got in?

Four or five. So I guess the point is it's about more. money. If they expanded to 14 or 16, look at the teams who got left out. We were arguing about Alabama. We're arguing about teams like South Carolina. Those teams are probably in. So this, at the end of the day, is really about money. And if you don't think that the SEC is not going to go back to ESPN as the rights holder of their conference and go, you want us to play another conference game? We'll play nine. Okay, that's more money. And guess what? We want to surpass whatever the Big Ten is giving out to their teams each year from Fox, CBS, and NBC.

So that's what this is about. This is ultimately about money. How many more games are there for the teams that are playing? Like if you add that many more teams, how many... Well, if it goes to 16, I mean, you're not going to have the buys for those 14. It's not a buy. I need a top two would get buys. Well, at a 14, not 16.

I'm just curious. I'm just curious how much are they going to be establishing the pay to players that are playing? Because are the players just going to... just keep playing or are they going to opt out if they're not making any money off a plan? I mean, I think that that's something that you've got to take into consideration. Guys will opt out. I mean, I know it's the playoff. And we're saying, okay, well, guys opt out in just a regular bowl game,

but they won't opt out if you make it into the college playoff. To win a national title? I don't know, Matt. I mean, how much value is they're there? Well, here's the thing is that stuff is going to already be negotiated. I mean, we first need more clarity on how universities. and schools can really pay their student athletes. If they're, like, restricted by Title IX and they feel like they have to pay equally

men's and women's teams, it's going to throw a wrench, you know, I think, what a lot of teams were assuming they could do based on that House NCAA settlement, where you've got, let's say, $21 million to spend on all your sports, the lion's share of that was going to go to football. Well, again, if Title IX comes into play, it's still not being, has been resolved yet. then we've got to figure out is this all going to football or is it going to have to be divided up equally

if it is you have to find some other ways of paying the guys so that's going to be the biggest question but let's just say for example we live in a world where the lion's share is going to football those contracts are most likely going to reflect maybe some bonuses or incentives things of that nature that will allow them to be compensated

for playing in the additional games interesting and we'll wrap that up with this according to Netflix's chief content officer, they told Puck Media that Netflix is interested in bidding on the NFL Sunday package in the very near future.

The current broadcast deals run through 2023. The league has the right to pull the plug a few years early in 20209. But Jonas, I know you were hot on this. It's crazy to think we're already here with streaming in sports leagues, isn't it? Well, it's just like not that long ago. People were bitching about Amazon Prime.

They're still bicketing about it. And now it's like, I'm one of them. I'm one of them. It's gotten so much better, though. A little bit. Like, when I watch that Jake Paul fight or a couple of things I watch, like the quality goes in and out sometimes, man. I'm just being honest.

I thought the NFL's Netflix presentation was really well done. Netflix's NFL presentation was really well done. Much better than the Tyson Paul fight, I thought. I feel like they fixed a lot of the glitches, right? With the streaming and everything else. It was horrible. They fixed a lot of the glitches. You know the big concern, though.

It's gambling. It's always going to be the buffering with streaming and gambling. Like, it's still not there yet where that's got to be figured out because otherwise people aren't going to go to live and bet a lot of those games. Well, I mean, I know this. If you want some Daytona gambling advice, Lee DeLap's the guy, man. He finally hit, finally hit after all these years. Congratulations, Lee.

There was some interesting shades of gray involved with the gambling and Daytona. Definitely was. All right. 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. 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 on Humor 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

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 fupas 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 Deanna 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 part of you. You just understood.

That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come until 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.