The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 2 - Thoughts on the Dodgers-Padres rivalry

Episode Date: June 18, 2025

The Dodgers-Padres rivalry is rather interesting to say the least Colin talks to former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez about how Aaron Rodgers will fit in with the Steelers culture and what Ben Johnson needs to do in order to get the most out of Caleb WilliamsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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So, in order to have, in my opinion, a great rivalry, both teams have to win. Ohio State Purdue is not a great rivalry. Ohio State wins too many of them. When Michigan starts beating Ohio State regularly, it takes a great rivalry and makes it even better. So you've got to go back and forth. Yankees Red Sox, I mean, come on.

The Red Sox keep trading away all their best players to the National League West. That's not, nobody cares about the Red Sox anymore. Okay, except people in Boston. The best rivalry in baseball is Dodgers' Padres. Since Otani arrived, they've played 23 games. The Dodgers have won 12, the Padres of 11. The ERAs, the runs are almost identical. The Dodgers have 26 home runs.

The Padres have 203. 27. Both are star-studded teams. The difference is the Dodgers have trophies. The Dodgers have more big superstars. The Dodgers are a wealthier, richer franchise and more iconic. But when these two teams meet, and last night's another example, they cannot stand each other. Some of its proximity, big brother, little brother. But last night, the Dodgers hit Tatise, a great player in the back. And then, you know, you'll see the tape. And then eventually, you know, the Padres go after Otani, throwing it at his leg. And the Dodgers have so many stars.

Half the lineups are a star. There's a lot of big dogs to go after. And this gets Dave Roberts all worked up. Roberts last year, Mani Machado, the former Dodger, now a Padre, threw a baseball in the direction of the, you know, the Dodgers dug out. So this is an incredibly intense rivalry. I don't want to hear the Cowboys and the Giants are a rivalry. They both stink.

Chiefs Bill's Bills, Chiefs Ravens, that's a rival. rivalry. And so this is baseball's best. They are star-studded lineups. The National League, along with the Mets, is stacked, and you can see the animosity. Padre fans will buy tickets and go up to Los Angeles, Dodgers Stadium. Dodger Stadium. Dodger fans will drive down I-5 and, you know, flood the Padres ballpark. It is absolutely fantastic. And a lot of it's just proximity. but one franchise has so much young talent. Not a lot of them rich yet, but a lot of young talent. And the Dodgers, they're going to go out and just,

they're going to buy Milky Betts and pay Freddie Freeman and go buy. I mean, the Dodgers have so much money. They'll go trade for pitchers who they know have arm injury history. They just want them for big spots in September and October. So there's a ton of animosity in this series. last night once again, it's cats and dogs living together, and here's Dave Roberts.

Absolutely. I mean, this guy, he hasn't come close. And for me, it's like if they feel that's warranted on their side, part of baseball, if that's what they feel, and I give them credit because they hit him in the leg, own it. And we move on.

But it's not a misfire. I do feel it's intentional. And again, that's part of baseball, which we all understand. Yeah, three of the last five, years they have met in the postseason. We said this last year. The National League playoffs last year were crazy. You could not turn it off. It was palpable. The Phillies, the Dodgers, the Mets, the Pott. The National League right now is like the NBA's Western Conference. It's insanely

good and deep and rich. And this is the best rivalry. It is really intense. And, you know, Mani Machado said after the game, he's like, man, they got a lot of big dogs. They got a lot of guys you can throw out. If you want to get into you throw at us, we throw at you, we got a lot of young guys. They got a lot of stars. They got a lot of Hall of Fame guys we can throw at. So if you want to play that game, we're ready to play that game. But it's

amazing. 23 times they have met since Atani arrived. 23 times. Dodgers 12 wins, Padres 11. Dodgers 27 home runs, Padres 26. The runs are like 112 to 108, ERA 4-4-4-2. It's incredible. how close the series is, but at the end of the year, the Dodgers have had just a little more

maybe bullpen depth or middle bottom of the order depth and have prevailed in really fascinating series. With that, Mark Sanchez, who knows all about this rivalry in Southern California? It's crazy. It used to be Giants Dodgers when you and I, you know, 10, 15 years ago, now it's Dodgers. So let's start with this. Congratulations, first of all. You just had twins.

your lovely wife. You are a dad. You are, now you're price-sleeping a little less, but I want to start and say congratulations to you and your family. I can see that a little bit, buddy. Congratulations. Thank you very much. She's a superstar,

and I'm glad she did the delivery portion. I was there to catch and, you know, throw them in that little incubator, whatever you bake them back to normal with. and it was intense, but it's been a great couple months, and suffice to say, I'm ready for a little football. Maybe a road trip, go call a game or something might be good right about now. Well, congratulations.

You know, I was, we've talked about Aaron Rogers. Aaron didn't need this move for the money, the fame, or the legacy. He's a Hall of Famer, first ballot, he's rich. He didn't need it for anything. My take is he loves football, and he wants to play football, and he respected Mike Tomlin, and that's okay. I don't see him as a Super Bowl team. But if you can, I mean, to me, I don't see why you'd play.

You've had a major injury. I think it just comes down to sometimes Aaron gives off the vibe that he doesn't need football, but I think he loves football. And I think he likes playing it, and he's good at it. What is your take on him playing maybe just one more year? I think there's two real things you've got to look at and dissect when you're talking about Aaron Rogers and the Steelers. I think there's the performance side, which we can circle back to.

But then there's also like this cultural fit in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is one of those iconic brands. And the only way I can kind of relate that way is the way USC is. You know, there's this iconic global brand that everybody recognizes, and you're either one of them or you're not. It's an us or them mentality. Philly's kind of like that. You know, there's some iconic places that have this mentality and this give off this vibe. Well, Aaron's a little different, and he's technically an outsider.

You know, he's not Steelers. Like, they breed their own talent. We don't go hire and acquire mercenaries to help us win games. We get our talent. We draft our talent. We scout our talent. That's what we do. You're one of us or you're not.

So he's battling against that in the public eye because he's an outspoken guy. You know, he was villainized, whether right, wrong, or indifferent during the whole COVID thing and immunization, et cetera, whatever. Regardless, the circumstances are what they are. And so there's some of that. And when we circle back to performance, is this blue-collar city going to accept Aaron Rogers, who's outspoken, a little brash at times, you know, a little counterculture, a little against the grain, for good or for bad? I'm not opining on those things, whatever he wants to do. Will they accept him? Now we circle back to performance.

If he puts up his same stat line that he had last year, especially the last 10 games of the year, he went on a heater and kept the Jets alive for a lot of the end of the season last year, with very little help from the defense, and especially special teams. They lost at least three games, just with field goal kicking alone. So they're really, really struggling, and he was kind of keeping them afloat.

If he can post those same numbers, that's a contender right there. All you got to do is make the tournament. Just ask me, I did it. We did it at 9 and 7, my rookie year in 2009. We back into the playoffs and we go on a run. That's all he needs to do. And that sounds easy,

but the guy threw for almost 4,000 yards coming off in Achilles last year. He threw for 63% completion percentage. I mean, 28 touchdowns, 11 picks. The guy has plenty left in the tank. That's after an Achilles. So you tell me he's got a defense and some sort of a running game,

some weapons like a D.K. Metcalf, I mean, there's pieces there. He's got to go through a tough division. That's a tough road to hope. But he knows how to play in the cold. He's done this a million times. I like the move. I think it has a real chance.

It's got legs. And, you know, whether we're talking about the acceptance of the city of Pittsburgh or his performance, I think they will be tethered together and the performance. Once you perform, people's tolerance seems to skyrocket.

So I want to ask you about Caleb Williams. So I have had this belief that if you go look at his first year at USC, he played within a system. And the first six games of his second year, he played within a system. And then Mark, starting with that blowout loss at South Bend, his last six USC games, into his first year with Chicago, it's not been good. So my take has been is that USC's O line at the end of his final year at USC he didn't trust and Lincoln didn't trust and he got into some bad habits of hero ball

he knew he was going to be the number one pick to protect himself I would have done the same thing and I don't think Lincoln trusted the offensive line so he let him do that to kind of survive he goes to Chicago massive chaos and the coaching staff they can't help him or protect him again, kind of bad habits. So I think Ben Johnson's primary job is, I've got to clean this kid up.

I love this kid. But I do think it's fair that he's had about a year and a half between USC's O-Line and the Bears, that it's survival mode. And none of us grow during survival mode. We're just trying to get through it. So I see him as a brilliant quarterback who it's more of a, he needs a cleaning at more than an elevation. You tell me as a guy who played in this league. Does that make sense at all?

I think you're really on the right track. And with somebody that talented, the trick for somebody as talented as Ben Johnson has shown to be and efficient and successful as Ben Johnson has shown to be, he's got to find a way to separate those impulsive decisions where the ball goes into harm's way, where you're holding the ball in one hand and don't see the defensive end running behind you,

when it's time to just operate within the system and keep the car in the center lane, 55 miles an hour, right down the center of the highway, punt on fourth and six, you know, gain yards on third and 15, backed up in your own territory, not trying to play hero ball and throw the pick six from your own 20. Those kind of plays, I think he's had a chance

to try and work out of his system. and Ben Johnson's job is to separate when it's time to be Superman and go throw on the cape and when it's time to be Clark Kent and just operate the offense. Call the plays and execute the plays that I'm calling. Whatever I say in the helmet, I'm going to give you two options. Just pick the best option and sometimes both of those options suck. Pick the one that sucks less. That's it. That's all I need you to do right now. Now, on fourth and nine in the, you know, divisional round, on the road when you got to make a play. Hell yeah, dude, let's go.

This is the play. This is where we're starting. It's like an essay prompt, right? This is how, this is the starting point, but you're going to take this essay and this play, wherever the heck you want. We need a big play. You're our guy.

We trust you. So it's figuring out how to connect with him and get him to operate in those modes. And it's one of the most exhausting things to do as a quarterback because you have to keep all of those numbers, in your head, down in distance, time of the game, situation, score, the play clock, you know, we're not just out here running plays for people's health. We have an objective. There's a purpose when the play caller calls a play. So the sooner he can get him to understanding the purpose of

each play in that specific situation of that specific game, this kid, the talent will take over for everything else. Look at a guy like Matthew Stafford. He plays a lot different today than he did when he threw the ball to Calvin Johnson into double coverage his first five years in the league. It's just a different mentality. Now he's an extension of the coaching staff on the field. That's where they're trying to get Caleb Williams because he's got arm talent like dripping out of his whole body. I mean, he's got the talent you want from any of your quarterback. Now it's about getting him to understand how to play, when to make the risky throw, when to cover.

when to cut it loose and when to cut bait, move on with your life, punt the ball. All right, let's regroup. We'll get them next drive. And that's really one of the hardest things to accomplish as a quarterback, that impulse control, because you have all the town. I want to end with this. One of the things about being a great team like Oklahoma City Thunder, they have prioritized the right stuff.

Defense. Get the ball to SGA and defense. everybody's on the same page. We need a shot. Defense. And I think prioritizing in business, in sports, in life, it could be a political campaign. What are we prioritizing?

So when Jen Cohen and before her, USC prioritized, we're making $30 million a year from the PAC 12. We can't compete with the big dogs and the Big Ten in the SEC that are making $80 million a year. So USC prioritized, we're going to change conferences.

it worked. Everybody in the building knew, guys, we can't compete. We get on $30 million TV contracts. Okay, then the second thing, they're in the conference, here comes Jen Cohen, takes over for Mike Bone.

And then Jen prioritizes Lincoln, we've got to get the NIL up, and we've got to get to the playoff. And so now there's potential games in Oregon, in Washington, at Penn State, at Michigan, Ohio State. No more Washington states in Oregon states. So USC is saying, we don't want a South Bend game after a Penn State, Ohio State game.

We may play a, but on our terms, we're in a conference you're not early in the year. And so I am defending USC where all the tradition, your entire conference ended. Stop with a tradition talk. You can pay high school football players. Stop. That I do defend USC saying we are prioritizing getting into the Big Ten. get the NIL up and get to the playoffs. Well, guess what?

A fourth cold weather game hurt your chances to get into the playoffs. Do you defend USC saying, Hey, Notre Dame's history, it's not the end of the world, or are you old school, you got to play the Irish annually? Well, the whole idea was to bring the country together, right? to make the country smaller in the inception of this game and have this rivalry kind of almost cross-country, if you will, right? And I think it served that purpose.

I think it's been a beautiful tradition. The issue there is, my understanding at least, was we'd always play at Notre Dame in like September, October, latest was October, and we'd always play them at home. that was in South Bend. We'd always play them at home in Los Angeles in the Coliseum right around Thanksgiving-ish because of the weather.

And that was just kind of set up forever ago because that's the way it is. We want beautiful weather. We'd like to have a competitive game. We probably don't want the 3-0 snow game in a blizzard. That doesn't attract viewers. That doesn't make this game fun and exciting. So I understand all of those

points. I think it would. there would be something missing if you don't see UCLA and Notre Dame on the schedule. I think that's a little strange as a U.S.E, former U.S.C. player. But it's not the end of the world because you might end up finding them in the playoffs anyway. That's right. It sounds like. It's just, it's a tough one to just kind of sever ties. You know what I mean?

There's like, that one takes a while to really rebound from. guess emotionally you know you just kind of you're going to miss that there's something to it it's a beautiful tradition i enjoyed being a part of it and it meant something to both sides and and that's what made it fun uh on a totally separate note i think what you said about jen cohen is spot on i think the position that u sss is in this year especially with uh chad bowden i don't know if you had a chance to talk to him but the gm there now yeah is lights out and It's really, you're getting the same messaging from Jen, Chad Bowden, and Coach Riley. And everybody's rowing that boat in the same direction.

It feels good. It sounds right. That 26th class looks incredible. This is going in a way that gets me as a former player really excited. And I think Chad Bowden, after the success he's had at Notre Dame, I think he's going to want to play those guys. You know, I think he would miss playing those guys. And he's the one who really started to turn the game. that thing around there, got the right players with the right attitude that wanted to be a part

of that Notre Dame tradition. Now he's getting those guys that want to be a part of this SC tradition. So this is going to take a lot off of Lincoln's plate and let him be that play caller. Let him hyper-focus and singularly focus on third downs, red zone, get these guys in the right position and let our athletes take over. Chad's going to get you the athletes. Chad Bowden's going to get all the players. He's got the connect. with everybody. He's going to lock down California, and none of the good players should be leaving this state.

You play for the SC interlock on your chest and on your helmet. That's a big deal. And so he's reminding the people of that. So there's been a revitalization, it feels like, and hopefully Notre Dame is still a part of the schedule. Mark Sanchez. Great seeing you. Get rest. Congrats on the on the twins and your life.

and the next chapter of a great life so far. Good luck, buddy. Appreciate you, man. Thank you. Yeah. It is interesting. If you look at the playoffs going to be extended, is it 14 teams now? If you look at Notre Dame's schedule because they're not a full member of a conference, USC, uh, Notre Dame is going to get into that tournament a lot.

If Marcus Freeman's the coach, he's, uh, you know, when Brian Kelly left, we're like, we think he'll be good. He's a great recruiter. Is he a good coach? Yeah, he's a good coach. So Notre Dame's getting into that thing. I don't worry about Notre Dame getting into the playoff. USC out of the Big Ten, I don't know. But the idea they wouldn't meet, they could meet regularly. Notre Dame is going to be getting into that playoff.

The more it gets expanded, the more it ensures that. Because of all these big teams, the Bama's, Georgia's, Notre Dame controls their schedule to a higher degree. That's why they signed a 12-year contract with Clemson. They need big games. They don't have enough of them on their schedule. USC, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State. Those teams, you want some breathers. You know, you want to lay up occasionally.

Notre Dame's got plenty of those. They have to schedule up. Sometimes the big boys schedule down in the major conferences. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart radio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Hey, it's us, the Jonas brothers.

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Rick Buecker stops by last hour. Team USA without Christian Polisic. J. Mack, that's been a good week for us. J. Mack with the news. This is the Herd Line News. I love when you say that, because I feel like every week's good for us. And we just got some breaking news, Colin, in the NFL, breaking news out of Baltimore.

The Ravens have signed Packers, Cornerback. Jair Alexander to a one-year $6 million deal. Packers tried to trade him this off-season, no takers, so they just dumped him. Now, yesterday, ironically, Lamar Jackson was advocating for signing his former teammate at Louisville. That's Jaya Alexander, and now they're reunited. So I was just digging into some of their defensive stats. They got a good young quarterback out of Clemson, Wiggins, who played pretty well last year. And they have Humphrey in the slot, who's excellent.

He's getting a little old. But they do have an opening at the other corner, a Woosier, former cowboy, former Bengal. He's okay. Getting Alexander is a good fit. They're secondary now. If you look at safeties and corners might be the best in the league. They got the young kid Starks from Georgia. And of course, Kyle Hamilton.

They're loaded in the secondary, which is doing it a little different, right? We haven't seen this formation. Hey, let's go, safeties in corners. I think they might have the best secondary in the league. Yeah, Jair is a great player. He just heard a lot. And he's a little kooky. He said some wacky stuff.

Come on. Well, I think cornerbacks are the receivers of defense where you have to play with a heightened level of confidence. Because, you know, for a cornerback, if you get burned, you can't let that play beat you again. So you have to play with an kind of exaggerated sense of importance and confidence. So I always give cornerbacks and receivers, especially corners, you're the only guy. You're on an island. There's no other position in football. Like, if you throw a guy.

deep ball and the receiver doesn't get it. You don't blame him. But if a corner, if a corner can get beat on a play, Jalen Ramsey was one of the best corners in football for six years. And then in a couple of high-profile games, he got beat deep. And the Rams moved off it. Like you just, the, the floor on a corner is, basically, if you get beat once in a big game, teams will move off.

I mean, the Chiefs moved off Sneed, who was their tremendous player. He also won a lot of money. He got it from the Titans. My only thing, I'm looking at the biggest contenders in the AFC. I guess if you toss the Bengals in there, this would be a big help because they have Higgins and Chase. But like the Buffalo Bills, go look at their game against the Ravens last year calling the playoffs when they beat when Mark Andrews dropped that pass. The bills were going to Shakir in the slot and then they're tight ends. They're not a big wide receiver team. The Chiefs don't have a great ride receiver. So, I mean, I get this as a move. I don't think it puts them

over the top or anything. But ultimately, I'm surprised other teams didn't get involved in Alexander. Six milas. Kind of feels cheap, no? Yeah, it does. He's a good player. All right, let's move on to the Green Bay Packers. Colin, toughest division in football, probably.

Lafleur and Goodacunds have two years left on their contracts and the team will not extend them ahead of this season. New team president, who would have named, Ed Policy, says that he has generally opposed to having them have lame duck status, but later added those are certain situations that probably call for it,

so I would never say never. Is this a big deal, no deal, nothing to see here? Um, no. Generally, the contracts of Packer coaches and GMs doesn't, it's not like public fodder. I don't think, you know, I mean, there's stuff to, do they have something to prove this year? Like, what if they missed the playoffs?

It's not out of the realm. I don't know. I think it's the second best division in football after the AFC West. Is that an excuse? Like, hey, we're in tough division, guys. There are excuses and reasons. An excuse is the dog ate my homework. A reason is my mom got into a wreck driving us to school.

That's a reason. It's not an excuse. I mean, if you have the Lions may have the best roster next to Philly in the league. You know Chicago now. Chicago's roster's outstanding. If Ben Johnson can coach and Caleb can play. Minnesota, I mean, don't we think Minnesota's personnel's top seven, eight in the league? I do.

So my take is, yeah, it's okay. You just lost probably arguably your best corner, Jair Alexander, when he's healthy. And by the way, you draft a receiver because you don't necessarily trust the young receivers you have with health or performance. So I think I'm not as high on Green Bay as everybody else is. I think Detroit wins the division and Chicago's the wild card team. I don't think right now, personnel-wise, I've always said, I think Green Bay drafts and develops at an incredibly higher level. But they don't have right now a lot of great players. Minnesota's got some great players.

Their left tackle and Jefferson are great players. Chicago, Sweat, Jalen Johnson, just on defense, those are great players. Green Bay, who's Green Bay's best player? They have a lot of good players. They don't have a lot of holes or liabilities. Well, it's funny you say that. So LaFleur got there, got Aaron Rogers, and they had some deep playoff runs. I was dubious of LaFleur, but it was like, oh, he's making deep playoff runs.

Aaron Rogers leaves. How many deep playoff runs post Aaron Rogers with the floor, Colin? Just putting that out there. Just putting it out there. In Dallas. Ooh, beating down. I think what has happened to Green Bay. they're a little bit like the Indianapolis Colts.

We like their GM, we like their roster. We're just not sure how great they are at quarterback, and they don't have a lot of, like, oh, my God, players. They don't have a lot of, like, top, I mean, there are certain teams in this. If you look at the Rams, Stafford, Jared Verst, Puka Nakua, those are elite player. Baltimore's got a handful of those. A Ronnie Stanley, a Kyle Handman.

Hamilton, the center from Iowa, Lamar Jackson. Green Bay doesn't have a lot of wow. They think that the Texas receiver in the first round is one of those guys. Green Bay is, like Indies, got a lot of nice players, and I like their drafting and developing. But there's not a lot of wow guys on this roster. I like the, we don't know about quarterback. Jordan loves making like $50 million a year.

Let's go to the NBA, Colin, where we discussed Jalen Williams' Big Game 5 with the 40 piece. Now, of course, this is what the media does. You can't just say he had a really good game. Nice job. You have to go over the top. And some dopes are comparing him to Scotty Pippen if SGA's Michael Jordan. And you've got your one-two punch. Well, Lou Williams.

You have a sweet Lou Williams, great handle, bucket getter, sixth man. He has come in and said, pump the brakes. We're comparing these current players to legends. Thank you, Lou Williams. I'm at war with all of our nostalgia still being so proud, still being such a thing to us, right? We got to move on. Jalen William is paving his own path.

So I understand the comparison. I understand where he's trying to get off. But allow some of these, we got to start allowing these young guys in media with our opinions to create the best form of themselves. He's 24 years old. Allow him to create his legacy. Allow him to create his name.

I am on Team Jalen Williams. He's a better shooter than Pippin. Oh, gosh. He's 24 years old. settle down. Come on. A better shooter than Scotty Pippin already? I covered Pippin in Portland.

I never trusted him to hit a big jumper. There's no question. Jalen Williams, in my opinion, Jalen Williams is a more skilled offensive player than Scottie Pippen. Pippen's a better defender. But in terms of offensive skill, first of all, three-point shooting Williams. I mean, it's a three-point error. He's jacking way more. Damn it, Colin.

Why do you do this for me? Gosh, I get so upset. Let me remind you when Michael Jordan quit, walked away from basketball. Scotty Pippen was the alpha and then the bolster like a 56 win season. He was a superstar by himself as the leader. There's no way if STA's out all next year, Jalen Williams is leading his team to 56th week. It's just not happening. I absolutely he would.

Absolutely he would. Oh, absolutely. This team, this roster is filthy deep. Absolutely. 55 wins, no question. Absolutely. Calard, you're my guy. but come on.

Are you drinking the Jalen Williams? Do you know how much better the league is in terms of skill now? Yes, I agree. 100%. I mean, everybody on that team, Caruso to Dork, can hit a three. Everybody can hit a three. They wouldn't be as good. They wouldn't have their closer.

But Jalen next year is going to average 24. Holmgren's going to average 19 to 20. They're the best defensive team with a great coach and the best depth. They would win 50 games without SGA. Without SGA. They're not winning the title, but they would get to the playoffs, probably defensively win us here. SGA's not one of their better defenders. They're winning games on defense.

It kickstarts their offense. Can we at least get Jalen Williams on like the U.S. Olympic team, which by the way, Scotty Pippen was on? Can we like see that? I mean, the hype trade. This guy, this is a guy who in game three had like six turnovers and his handle was a mess. He looked like Jalen Brown dribbling in the finals. I'm just saying at 24 years old. Very good.

He is more skilled offensively than Pippin. He is not Pippin the complete player yet, although as Laint tells you he's a pretty good defender. He is a good defender. But Pippin's resume is better, his in total game and his confidence. This is still an ascending player. Pippin was becoming more at 25 a complete player, and they're both small school guys.

But I'm just saying from an offensive skill perspective, Jalen Williams is a better player. And to be fair, Pippin had, of course, migraine headache, which everybody remembers against the Pistons. I don't want to go in the game. You know, really bad early in his career. So if you want to compare this Jalen Williams to that Pippin, fine. But, I mean, Scotty Pippen, like, he's almost underrated at this point, isn't he? No.

He's not underrated. He's called the best Robin ever. I don't think that's underrated. I would go Kobe is the best Robin ever to Shaq with those Lakers team. Well, they were kind of, they were kind of, one was the, emerging as the best perimeter guy. One was the best dominant inside guy. I never looked at it a one and two.

I thought Shaq was more dominant, but Kobe had his knights as well. Yeah. I didn't think Kobe took a back seat to Shaq. I'm pretty sure Shaq won three finals MVP, sir. Did he not? I know. Well, Steph doesn't take a backseat to KD.

KD was winning finals MVP. Good point. Jay Mack with him. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurdline News. Lamar Jackson wants to be He wants to be paid

Already is once more Caitlin Clark The story that just keeps giving us Content It's the herd 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... 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 was... This is how you guys remember it going to be. 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 the 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 content. 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 every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jenchian win.

I mean, she went down to three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lerner 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 I Heart Women's Sports. Saturday, it's baseball night in America. Which are the league's biggest bats on deck as Pete Alonzo in the Mets. They call the Cal Schwarber and the Phillies. Or the Royals Battle of Padres. Check local listings for the game in your area.

Saturday, 7 Eastern on Fox. Do you know how much, J-Mack? Do you know what? The cap hit for Josh Allen, currently in the NFL. How much of a cap hit is he in the NFL for the bills? So this is either super low or super high.

I will guess blindly it's low. He's 10th, which is he could be number one. He's the most talented player. He's 10th and captain. How about Patrick Malhomes? He's always reworking. He's Diego 8th. He's 14th. Wow.

So it tells you they both have good rosters. So right now Lamar Jackson is the 10th highest paid quarterback. So you could say to yourself, you're kind of getting job. Now, his contract runs through 2027. So he deserves tweaking, and he should be paid one of the top five. You're not always going to be perfect.

Right now, the highest paid quarterbacks are DAC, Josh Allen, Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, Tua, Brock Purdy, Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson. It should be noted, Dax on a bad roster, Burroughs roster is okay, Trevor Lawrence roster okay Jordan Love roster Lack Stars to a roster Perthys Rosters overstated

Justin Herbert will see So about half the time When you pay the quarterback Big Money It hurts your overall roster I think Lamar Jackson Smart enough to figure that out Drew Breeze had a couple of lean years

In New Orleans It was when he was getting paid the most And then Sean Peyton And the guys went to him and said if you want better players, you've got to take less money. So it should be noted that Josh Allen on his six-year deal, he took a $90 million discount. So on his $330 million extension. I know that you're just like, wow, how could you do that?

It'd be hard. I'm not denying that. But Josh Allen wants to be an all-time great, not the all-time richest guy. Kirk Cousins got a lot of money. And when we think of Kirk Cousins, we think he has a lot of money. I think when you're as good as Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, or Brady or Breeze, I think you're, I think basically things supersede money.

I mean, Tom Brady signed a massive contract with Fox. He doesn't do that with one or two Super Bowl rings. He does it with seven. So, I mean, it's just Michael Jordan has never been a broadcaster before. He just signed a massive contract. Was it NBC? It's because he's got six rings. So for Lamar, he got to get that ring.

because I think he is an all-time talent. He's the most athletic quarterback, including Michael Vick I've ever seen, including Steve Young, Brett Farb. I think he's it. So he was asked about his current contract situation and where he's at with it. How would you describe

whatever conversations you've had with Eric to this point? Are you feeling any urgency to get something done? You know, I never discussed contract situations here. But, yeah, I don't want to talk about it. Is that okay with you? Well, they said, though, that once it's done, you're being the highest-teed player in the NFL. I mean, that must sound pretty good. You're right?

Sound good. Yeah, he don't want to talk about it. And I think it's very simple to figure out. Like, you want a better roster, you want better supporting cast, you got to take a little less money. Now, the good news is, and I've always said this with the NBA, if you're a great player, you're making eight figures in shoes. Some of these guys are making six, seven figures in social media stuff, production companies. So again, I understand players always taking the most they can take. But I think there is an exception.

If you believe you're an all-time great talent, and I think Lamar's in that class, I've never seen an athlete like this, a quarterback, then money becomes secondary. You're going to make your money. You're an all-time great. Dan Marino didn't even have a sewer ball. He made a lot of money. broadcasting, merchandising, isotone or gloves, whatever.

So my take is if you're Kirk Cousins, take the money. If you're Josh Allen, take a little less and get rings. And I think Lamar's in that class. And that's my take on LeBron James. I mean, now LeBron may be saying, hey, I'm not taking anything less. We've got a

production company, you've got a massive podcast, real estate, you're a billion net worth, shoe deals. At some point, I always think this, when you get into these sports, It's a collective, right? When players retire, what is the thing they say they always miss? The locker room, the flight, the guys.

Nobody ever says the check, because they're all rich, especially nowadays. They miss the camaraderie. You know, when we ask those players, what do you miss? It's usually the great players. Because the locker room and those flights home are always awesome when you win. they're not awesome. They're not awesome when you lose. How can I as a star player

ensure we win more than we lose? And now, part of it is luck, who drafted you, Ravens are a great organization. He got lucky. Jordan Love got lucky. You know, the Hunt family.

Mahalms got lucky. Brady got Belichick and Robert Kraft. Some of it's luck. And you can, like, Joe Burrell, did not get as lucky. You know, Derek Carr, say what you want with the Raiders. They were swimming in chaos.

did not get as lucky. And so I think Lamar has to be grateful that he landed in one of the great organizations in North American sports. But I also think Baltimore's damn lucky to have him. You know, to go from Joe Flacco to Lamar Jackson and not miss a beat, that doesn't happen much. To go to Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck. So I think it'll get worked out. Lamar doesn't want to talk about it. I would pay him.

Here's another thing. Quick story. Jay Mack, you're kind of a Rams hater. Left tackle, Alaric Jackson, not at minicamp for the Rams blood clot. Oh. This is not the first time. So it was very interesting in the draft. They did not surprisingly take a corner or an offensive tackle, yet they took another running back and another edge rusher.

And some people said, well, what's the point? And I'm not going to question the Rams drafting. but I did think it was strange. They did not draft a left tackle. I had them going second, third, fourth pick. They didn't. And now, the reason Alaric's not Trent Williams, he's undrafted. Andrew Whitworth retired.

He's an undrafted player. Matt Stafford's 37. Left tackle means more to this team than almost any other team in the league. Matt is one of the last pocket quarterbacks. Left tackle for the Lions, left tackle for the Rams. is even more important that it is for the Ravens or the Chiefs or the Bills or Arizona. So this is a real thing. Blood clots, miss camp not the first time.

So Andrew Whitworth has championed this player. Very rarely in the history of the NFL, do you have an undrafted left tackle, almost every great left tackle in the history of the league? I mean, it's like 25 and a 30 are first round guys. The planet just does not give you 6'4-6, 330-pound guys with good feet. The man upstairs doesn't create many of those. About one a year on the planet. So this is something to watch.

Keep your eye on this. So Stafford's blind side is a real thing. Remember, they win a Super Bowl. Whitworth retires. The next year, their O-line is rated 25th. Sean McVeigh has his worst season. The only thing that's ever disrupted winning for Sean McVeigh, offensive line issues.

Keep your eye on this. That's a big one. I know, you know, Jay Max, O is looking for reason the Rams are going to fade. Always looking on the negative side with the Rams. 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 Podcast. podcast 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 Michael and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Winning on Clay is an art. The rallies are relentless. And at the French Open, only the toughest survive. I'd know. I competed there for decades.

Join me, Renee Stubbs, on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast for no-nonsense breakdowns of the biggest matches, the toughest players, and the moments that define Roland Garris. She's an outsider to win the French win. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lina Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. and I actually can win on any surface. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds,

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human.