The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 3 - NFL news with Dianna Russini

Episode Date: July 22, 2025

Colin talks to NFL reporter Dianna Russini about the Browns QB situation, what to expect for the Bears, Nick Saban's future, and more  See 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 Acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the ice. Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game.

This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on. A Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you're. know is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud 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. NFL camps starting up. Yep, you see there on the screen, Penn State head coach James Franklin,

my pick to play for the national championship against Texas. Diana Rusini, the athletic, haven't seen her in a while. NFL camps underway, starting right now. Let's bring Diana in. Covered the NFL for now 10 years. So let me start with this, and it was a self-created story a little bit. but Lane Kiffin and Greg McElroy, two people I trust, said, I mean, people that are very well connected in the SEC said Sabin back to coaching is not off the table. So I don't think it's college just because of the NIL and schools now are raising so much money for players.

They can't pay to fire staffs and rehire Sabin. But when you hear Sabin in the NFL, I mean, Diana, there's six openings a year. Coordinators are a coin flip. College coaches aren't getting chances now because NFL teams don't. don't want to buy them out of their NIL deals. What about Saban NFL? Does it make sense to you? No, it's true.

You're hearing college coaches trying to get out. Bill Belichick was trying to get in. He talked to the Jets of all teams last year just to get back into the NFL. You know, look, you get a varied of opinions here in terms of what Nick Saban really wants to do, even just talking to some people once that came out. Now, look, I love Greg McElroy. He's a good friend of mine. Lane Kiff, and I think he may have spoken without any knowledge.

I think he just understands that coach loves to coach, and it's hard to imagine that he wants to just continue to do television when most of these guys are just built to be teachers, and that's what Nick Savin truly is. But I had one head coach saying to me this morning when we were talking about this, he said, here's a problem. I think there's just such a bad taste left in Savin's mouth, no matter how you look at it.

He's had so much success at Alabama. That's a program that just pumps out good player after good player. They built something great, and that just doesn't translate in the NFL. and Sabin figured that out when he went to Miami. He obviously had experience on the college level at a high level at LSU and Michigan State and then wound up going back to Alabama. But it's such a different type of game.

You know, whereas I took to general manager who's like, I could see Nick Saban having tons of success if you wanted to do it. But I get to speak to anyone in the NFL who's like, you know who you should keep an eye on this season, Nick Saban, I could see him hopping in this. I think he likes his gig. Yeah. You know, I look around, and last year, Jason said before the season, Chicago will be the most interesting team. And they were, but it was mostly based on dysfunction and a coach in the hot seat.

And I look at them now, and I'm like, I don't see a lot of dysfunction. I mean, the family, there's a lot of kids in the family. It's one of the poor older ownership groups. But I kind of look at the bears, and I think Nick Wright came on earlier and said, if there's one great, team that could potentially drop it's Detroit because they lost both great coordinators in in your visits with people around the league and this is gossip season this is fun season how do people truly feel about Chicago off Mike when they're talking to diana russini it's not going anywhere it's are people intrigued or other teams intrigued by chicago and ben and Caleb yeah they certainly

are intrigued and i feel like most are seeing chicago as this isn't going to be an apples to apples offense where what we saw in Detroit with Jerry golf under Ben Johnson is going to be what the Chicago Bears are going to be with Caleb Williams. I think on paper that sounds great and that was the idea and Chicago saw that in Detroit, which is why Ben Johnson was one of their top candidates of this is what we need. This is what Caleb needs to develop to take that next step. But it's very fair for us to say here that Caleb is very talented, but he still needs a lot of coaching, right? And that's where Ben Johnson's going to step. in here and he really has his hands full he's because he's got a lot of work to do so for me i think

the question is going to be can caleb williams digest as much of the playbook as we saw jared golf do with detroit i i just think it's going to take a while you know this is a team that really was built in the offseason and under ben jonson here from the inside out i'm not worried about the run game the year i think that's where they'll do well um but it's really going to be that the passing, that development in the pocket of Caleb Williams, that's going to be the true test. And look, they gave them an offensive line. Every year we talk about Chicago's got to get better up front. They've got to get better. Well, now they're going to be able to protect Caleb and we're going to be able to see what they can really do. So I tend to believe, and even just from the conversations I have with people during the off season while they're on the beach with their families, driving in traffic, most believe that the Chicago Bears are going to take a step forward.

And this isn't me having conversations with your new colleague, Big Cat, telling me this. This is actual people that coach football. Let me ask you, in all the years I've been doing this, I don't think there's ever been a bigger gap in how talking heads, me saw a player, Sidor Sanders, and how the league saw it. Because I don't think he went from first to the fifth round just based on, you know, Dion didn't do him any favors. you know we're not going to play for this team this team this team well he was talking directly to the bad teams that were going to draft him i wasn't talking about the chiefs the ravens the bills and the lions right he was we're not going here here here well you're talking to the people that could employ you so i don't think that helped and so maybe i was just caught up in the whole dion

should do her thing expectations mary k cabot i trust she says yeah he's got a shot he'll be in the running to play what do you think what do you hear we're we're we're We in the media just a little hyperbolic on how good he was. Because to drop to the fifth round, that's a non-starter in the NFL. That's a backup quarterback round. Yeah, I think we were excited. I think everyone was, I was on the show with you talking about him a lot as well, where we thought maybe there's some star potential here that was possibly masking the ability

and all those things that are important, not just on the field, but when you're in the locker room, when you're in these meeting rooms, things that a lot of these organizations prioritize, that I think in some of these visits and some of these meetings, they just didn't go as well as, I think, from the outside, those hoped it would. So what's this going to look like in Cleveland, right, under Kevin Stefansky? Look, I think we've been doing this a long time. We kind of know how this works, right?

So Joe Flacco's been in Stefansky's system before. we know he's a veteran. He's smart as heck. He understands what Kevin wants. So he's going to get all the first team reps. He's going to get a majority of it. And we're going to see him probably take the biggest step in terms of being the starter this year for the Cleveland Browns. Right. But then you've got three other players here that they've got to split these reps up with. So I do think the good news for someone like you who I think wants to see Chedore, we're going to see him. We'll see a lot of him this summer because I don't envision Kevin Stefanski. throwing Joe Flacco out there, you know, for preseason game one and two. I don't think he cares. I think he knows what Joe can do. So I think this is going to give us an opportunity. I just think, I can tell you, just based on what the Browns did and where they drafted Chador, we know where he stands.

The excitement's always going to be around him, but the reality is going to hit us here. And at this point, it's Pickett, Gabriel, and then Chador. And then Deshaun, who, you know, he's out of his honey. I don't know where he is, but he's somewhere. He'll be there. You know, that's pretty much the situation there. So we'll see. We're going to get a lot of answers this summer.

But again, he's not going to have the advantage of these reps. And we got to keep that in mind when we do see him out there because the majority of those are going to go to the players that were either drafted higher or signed in free agency. Finally, you're close to the Philadelphia Eagles where you're based. They're Super Bowl champs. Are you, is that the first camp you're going to getting the red carpet treatment? that'll be the day this is what happens when you win you turn your back on those that are loyal to you

no you know what it's i'm actually far from philly i'm closer to the jets and the giants like from my location um that's where the red carpet treatment comes especially at the jets you know they love me there uh no the philadelphia he goes look i am intrigued by them um simply because again i see it every year we see it every year it is hard to win been back to back. And it is hard to come off a top of championship that they just did and the way they celebrate and all the love that they got. The good old saying of, you know, martinis is are like success. They relax you, you know. Now, do I think Seguan Berkeley is going to chill out? No way. And he's just not built like that. And if you follow on on Instagram, I don't think he took a day off.

So I'm curious to see how the Eagles are going to come back this year knowing that they just, they have this victory. but I'm off to Denver. And Colin, I hope we're going to be on the show a lot this season talking about them because I've got some high hopes for them. This is a defense. That front five, they are underrated. This is a monster group. And I know we talk about Sean Payton's offenses all the time.

And we'll get there in a second. But when I think about the Denver Broncos and the strength of this team, it's their defense. The last two seasons they've been able to carry them. And now with a experience, and I say experience, Bo Nix, because we know how much he played in college. You know, we're not talking about like a JJ McCarthy here. We're talking about a second year quarterback who's got tons of playtime, has understood the Sean Payton language, the playbook.

I think we're going to see a big step taken forward here. And by the way, he's got Evan Ingram, right? I say Evan Ingram and you think, like, okay, big deal. Davis Webb is the quarterback coach in Denver. Okay, Davis Webb played with Evan Ingram. And there is a big reason why Ingram is there in Denver, and it's because Davis Webb was able to sell to Sean Payton what Ingram could do for Bo Nix and how he could play that Joker and really be another option outside Cortland Sutton for Bo Nix. So I just think this is one of those teams that they took a step forward. Yes, it's the Sean Payton effect, but this is where we're going to really see a team contending.

And I think that division knows it. Diana Rusini, senior NFL insider, the athletic. It's great seeing you. I'm kind of bummed he didn't mention my tan. I worked hard on it. I did. I look at you as such a journalist. I don't want to get caught up and do appearance.

You just forget it out. Here's the thing. I wear SPF 50, 5-0. And it's like my skin just like, it's just drawn to the sun. I try not to because my thought is, who wants to see someone? and tan on TV because if I'm watching me right now, I'm thinking, this girl doesn't work. She sits by the pool all day.

But I'm working. I swear, I'm just working with sunscreen on. SPS 50 might as well wear a sweater. That's way up there on the chain. I know. Let's not talk football weather yet. It was great to see you. I'll see you soon. All right. I don't know why. I really

don't know why I'm so fascinated. Cleveland's probably the worst team in the league. They got five quarterbacks, none in their prime and none good. Why am I so fascinated with that story. It's weird. I'm really, really interested in the Cleveland Browns quarterback situation. That's weird. 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, we're Kavino and Rich. Fox Sports Radio every day, 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern, but here's a thing. We never have enough time to get to everything we want to get to. And that's why we have a brand new podcast called Overpromised. You see, we're having so much fun in our two-hour show. We never get to everything. Honestly, because this guy is over-promising things we never have time for. Yeah, you blubber lips. Blamey.

Well, you know what? It's called Over-Promise. You should be good at it because you've been over-promising women for years. Well, it's a Kavino and Rich After Show, and we want you to be a part of it. We're going to be talking sports, of course. But we're also going to talk life and relationships. And if Rich and I are arguing about something or we didn't have enough time, it will continue on our after show called Overpromised.

Well, if you don't get enough, Kavino and Rich, make sure you check out Overpromised, and also uncensored, by the way. So maybe we'll go at it even a little harder. It's going to be the best after show podcast of all time. There you go. Overpromising. And remember, you could see it on YouTube, but definitely join us. Listen to Overpromised

with Covino and Rich on the IHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 a First people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how 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. And we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this.

We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, 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, 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. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast,

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

Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple 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 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. J-Mack with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News. All right, let's go to San Francisco where the Niners training camp opened up for veterans today. And all odds are on Brock Purdy, who's going to have his first action at camp since getting his lucrative five-year, $265 million extension.

And as we are contractually obligated to do, here is a screenshot, Colin, of the highest paid quarterbacks per year. Brock Purdy checking in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5th, 7th right there tied with Jared Gough well behind Dak Prescott and his no conference championship's appearances.

It's interesting. The producer for this segment said, so like what's an expectation for Purdy? He gets his huge deal. And I said, honestly, he has to win the Super Bowl or Colin's going to find a way to knock him down a peg.

That's not true. No, that is true. Colin, here's what. He has to win the division. That's it. And then he loses in the first round of the Packers and we're going to take shots at it. No, that's not going to work. He lost in the Super Bowl despite getting them a lead in overtime to the Chiefs.

Brock Party couldn't get it done. You've got to win a playoff game if you're going to get paid $53 million a year to be a quarterback. You've got to win a playoff game with Kyle Shanahan. That's fair to say. I'm not saying you have to win two because you may get the Eagles in round two. You may get the Rams in round two. I'm not saying you have to win two playoff games. but at 53 large, you gotta be a playoff quarterback

and you gotta win one playoff game annually. So, okay, what does that mean for Justin Herber? What does that mean for Tua? What does that mean for Trevor Lawrence? Joe Burrow hadn't even been to the playoffs the last, I believe, the last two seasons. Like, I mean, Jack Prescott, well, like, it's just, we hold Purdy to a different standard, and that's why I told him.

I was like, Purdy's gotta win the Super Bowl. That's the only thing that's gonna get people off his back. Lamar Jackson could choke every year in the playoffs, and it's like, ah, Lamar lost, but he's a two-time MVP. Like, okay, well, are you going to say the same stuff about Brock Purdy if they don't win the Super Bowl? So I just feel like it's unfair, and I will defend the little guy. I am a man of the people. I will back.

Underdog Brock Purdy last pick in the ball. All right, that's fine. Okay. You don't feel the same way. All right, hey, how about this one? NFL news. Philip Rivers announced yesterday he's retiring from the NFL. as a Charger. Now he hasn't played football since 2020, but he went on social media and made the

announcement, take a listen. Colin. I'm Phillip Rivers, quarterback, and I'm retiring of Charger. But what I miss and what I'm most appreciative and thankful for are those relationships, the things that were behind the scenes. That just never got old. You know, that never got old. I didn't expect to get thankful for those 16 years and trusting me to be the quarterback. He never took it for granted. Go, keep fighting. Just keep fighting. I never took it for granted.

Didn't suit up and lead the charters for a cute 240-something games in a row. That was emotional. Good career. Very good. I got to ask the Hall of Fame or no? Why not? You know, it does. This is not baseball where it's just, you know, six most passing yards.

In the history of football. You got to do well in January. Jack Prescott and Philip Rivers have had nice careers. You've got to do well in January. Eli Manning, mostly a 500 quarterback, had two great playoff runs and beat Brady twice. He's a Hall of Famer. It does matter. Baseball, it doesn't.

It doesn't matter if you, Mike Trout's going to be in the Hall of Fame. I don't think he's ever on a playoff game. Ever. Doesn't matter. Football's different. January matters. Basketball doesn't matter. Carmelo Anthony didn't do anything in the playoffs.

He's going to be a first ballot hall of famer. Football, January, and February matter. Wow. So Rivers was never all pro, meaning he was never like one or two in the league as quarterback. But he put up a lot of stats, right? He was always durable. What do you like to say?

The best ability is availability. I mean, 240 consecutive starts to finish his career. That's historic stuff. Four straight division titles in the AFC West. Like, I mean, I'm not sitting there pounding the table for Rivers to be a Hall of Famer, but the consistency, quality, top 10 in a bunch of stats, I don't see why he wouldn't be Hall of Fame? Well, he's going to get votes. I mean, listen, if you want it to just be, you've got to win Super Bowls, then fine.

Just say the Hall of Fame for quarterbacks who win Super Bowl. Well, no, Eli didn't just win Super Bowls. He beat Tom Brady twice as an underdog. So that's different. Again, who you beat matters. If you beat the goat twice as an underdog and beat the best coach, that's different. It's not like Eli won a single Super Bowl and beat Stan Humphreys. You know, that's not what it is.

That's not, you know, as a Charger team. Let me ask you. Russell Wilson into the Hall of Fame or Philip Rivers, both won or neither. Well, you know something that helps Philip Rivers? He played one year out of San Diego and Indy. He was really good. And somebody, if you get down to inches, not feet with Philip Rivers, you're going to say, you know, look at all the stats. And then go look at the one year he left.

Oh, he was good there too. That's what hurts Russell Wilson. For Seattle, it was about eight really good years. And in Seattle wasn't great. bad and then just puttering out. So when you get, like, Eli Manning had a couple of bad seasons, but it was like he was good by year four. He was good

for a long time. He beat Brady twice. He was unbelievable in January and February. I mean, I get it's, with certain guys, it's really easy. With Eli and Phillip Rivers and Matt Ryan's going to get some votes. I was going to say Matt Ryan, do you think

he would get into the Hall of Fame over Rivers? I think. Well, I'm sorry, I missed that. Yes or no? No, I don't think Matt. No, I don't think. It's like Matt Hasselback. He did get an MVP. Really, really good.

Philip Rivers, really good. Like, Hall of Fame. How about this? Cam Newton. Oh, God, no. He never had back-to-back winning seasons. Thank you. I just wanted to clarify that. It's not a shot.

No, not at all. I'm with you. I would say of the people you mentioned, Philip Rivers, Cam Newton, Matt Ryan. I would say Phillips the closest. He'll get boats. He just got such profound. production.

Yeah, okay. He'll get votes. Final story, Colin, the biggest NBA show popper right now is Jason McIntyre's take on Bradley Beale and the Clippers. And, oh, by the way, it has come out now that Bradley Beale was interested in the Lakers, did talk to them,

but the Lakers did not want to make him a starter. The Clippers said you can start for Norman Powell and he chose the Clippers. I think that's kind of, have a lame, I would have harsher words off air for Bradleyville. Hey man, I got to start. Oh, you're not going to start me fine. I'm going elsewhere. That's weak as hell. He's been a high-end starter for most of his career. Who cares who starts, Colin? It's about who finishes. You want to be on the court in the final five minutes. If you don't start in the NBA, you generally

don't finish. Well, I mean, I don't know, you got to show me. Are you good? Can you finish? Can you score? Bradley Beale's a really good score. So who do you like here? Lakers or Clippers I don't see Marcus Martin. That graphic, I guess they're going with Rui. Well, I know Austin Reeves, Luca, Rui, Aiton, and LeBron are going to play 60-plus games. The Clippers issue is, I don't know how many games Kauai is going to play or Beal's going to play. So I would take the Lakers over the Clippers. Just in terms of I know what I get with the Lakers, better coach is Clippers.

But Bench is Clippers. For sure, if I lose better than Reddick? Yes. And also, you get a better center. better big with the clippers, better coach, better bench with the clippers, but I just don't know what I get. See, with Kauai, I like their team, but Zubat's a really, really good big. He's a really good player.

Probably the most underrated big in the league. He's a good, really good big. Lakers did have him at one point. I don't know, listen, Clippers are good. I'm not going to lie. I think right now they're better than the Lakers. More depth. We'll see, you know, Luca and LeBron with the two best players.

Better coach, better bigs. But better sports. Who's got better stars? Yeah, that's right. By the way, Luca's getting skinnier. Other footage emerge or pictures. Lucas looking skinny, man. I'm just telling you, he's going to take over this league.

Cannot wait for revenge, Luca, next year. Yeah, reportedly, Luca has worked out this offseason, which is, you know, I'm supposed to be blown away. Hurtailed the beverages. No, well, he's a, you know, I think I've been absolutely spot on day one in the league. He's a better Carmelo. He's a great first ballot hall of fame, top 10 all. time score, not committed to D. His conditioning fluctuates.

I'll be kind. The conditioning fluctuates. A great to discipline. Fun to watch, though. First ballot Hall of Famers, fun to watch, profound offensive players. I don't think that's a knock. Not everybody's great. Not everybody is everything. I'm going to go ahead and stand down on this one while you just go off on Luca. Okay.

Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lye News. 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, 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 well.

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. 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 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 Streeterside.

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. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. And I know firsthand because I competed there myself.

I'm Renee Stubbs. And on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. Every match. every upset and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jenchen won. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay.

Listen, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Surprising reaction story this week.

So the WNBA players came out and they wore these t-shirts the other day, which is, you know, pay us, you owe us, which, yeah, I wouldn't have done. I think you should try to keep your contract situation out of the papers and off television, going to do it privately. That's the way I would recommend it for anybody. Pay us what you owe us. And listen, I get the frustration because they make 9% of revenues and NBA players make 50. But the NBA has been around a long time. This is a 25-year-old league that's never made me a profit. So I understand people who roll their eyes at this.

I get it. And I probably wouldn't have done it. But it is interesting to me that people are like, no way can you give them a raise? And they're out of their mind. we were talking about this if let's say you had a company you own a company and it was um it was a podcast company and you had a bunch of podcasts and you had one that you'd spent a lot of money on for years and years and it never really made a lot of money and for whatever reason that podcast added somebody and suddenly was red hot and merchandise for the podcast went up 500 percent and the ratings

doubled and all of a sudden was six months to go in the contract, it's time to negotiate a new contract. Are you really letting it go? Are you going to hold those previous years against them? Or are you going to deal with the reality that, oh, it's a different podcast now? The WNBA is a different league now. Yes, because of the person over my shoulder on TV, Caitlin Clark. Just like the golf tour was a different tour when Tiger Woods arrived. Can you imagine being a network NBC and saying, well, we're not going to pay that just because Tiger Woods is great. And my argument would be, well, Tiger Woods is just going into his prime.

For the next 10 to 12 years, he's going to move ratings. You're not paying for our roster. You're not paying for depth. You're paying for majors and what Tiger Woods does to the ratings and the majors. So it doesn't matter that they don't have 30 players that move the needle. And they may only have one or two. And let's just say it's one. But that one player is going to be on TV.

Remember, when a network buys a contract for a league, Fox has no responsibility to air the bottom 12 teams in baseball. We don't have to air pirate games and royal games and red games and A's games. A lot of Yankees, a lot of Mets, a lot of Braves, a lot of Dodgers, Braves bad this year. A lot of Cubs, throw the tigers in there. St. Louis Cardinals used to be on TV all the time. They're not anymore. They're not interesting.

They're not as viable. There's no responsibility for Amazon Thursday night football. The NFL doesn't put everybody on as much as the Bills, the Ravens, the Eagles. I mean, the league, forget the network. The league puts a significant small number of teams, six to seven teams. They put their games on TV a lot.

The Niners make TV a lot. So to the Ravens. And you know, you know the teams, the Packers, the lions, the cowboys. So even leagues acknowledge, we're not putting everybody on TV a bunch. The Carolina is not making a lot of Monday Night Football games. The league's choosing not to put them on,

not ESPN. So my take is the argument, Well, only Caitlin Clark is the reason the league has exploded. Again, if you had a podcast that lost money for 20 years and all of a sudden, you know, you go into a contract negotiation, they added somebody to the podcast and now it's on fire. I'm giving that podcast a new life and a new contract. I'm not bail on it now. I've been losing money for years.

Why would I bail on it now? Now, I don't think they deserve 50% of revenues because NBA players are bigger stars. They draw more fans. there's just more NBA players that get people to an arena. And they deserve a higher percentage of revenues. 50% I think is what they make. So, I mean, even the NFL,

there'll be no Cleveland Brown primetime games this season. No Titan games are in prime time, and I'm told no Saints games. That's the league. When they hand out Thursday, Monday games, they're putting those guys in the one o'clock window. That's a league, a network. Networks, you know,

we're not putting A's games on Fox. We're not doing that. So I don't know. It seems to me, and I'm not a businessman, that it's all about the now. I'm not going to punish a league because they didn't move the needle if negotiations are up

and they've got a new entity, a new star, a new human being, a new product that is moving the needle. Okay, you guys got... Now, it'd be one thing if Caitlin joined the league and the CBA wasn't up for another five years. Then the WNBA would be like, hey man, look at this.

Look at our revenues. They're exploding and our merchandise is exploding. The NBA would be like, and we don't have to pay them. It just so happens. Her second year in the league, the CBA is up. And the WNBA got very lucky. They could have signed a new CBA the day before she arrived in the league and they didn't. So the first year she explodes, second year she's hurt,

but she's clearly changing the numbers and the league's got real momentum, but I'm not going to punish an investment for losing money for years. And by the way, not just because you don't make a huge profit. I used this example yesterday. When the Athletic, the subscription service, when the New York Times bought it,

it was losing $45 million a year. But the New York Times bought it, knowing they would increase their subs and subscriptions. And that was in the bigger picture. They made enough money. they could absorb what the athletic lost. So the NBA just signed a $76 billion contract. They can absorb a loss if the WNBA did not make big money.

But my guess is it's going to start making some money. I mean, the TV package, it's going to start making some money. So I just think when you get into negotiations, timing is so, it's such a big deal. If you, you know, it's a union. Let's say you're a part of a union that makes cars or automobiles. You're going to have a lot more leverage if the last two automobiles that were created, you know, were hits. You're going to have more leverage than if you're putting together duds on the line. Like it's just about timing.

When is your contract up? How's the company doing? And the WNBA is doing much better than it's ever done. So, and I mean, Saturday's WMBA All-Star game. was down 36% from last year because there was no Caitlin, so we're not disputing that Caitlin is driving a lot of that business. But she's not retiring anytime soon. You've got 10 years of this.

She's going to play in 10 All-Star games. She'll be in some three-point shooting contests. She's going to be on T. I guarantee they play, what is their schedule? 38 games a year, 36 games a year. 30 of her games will be on TV. They're going to put 30 of her game. Whoever, whoever is doing the schedule,

scheduling, whatever network, ESPN, ABC, they're going to put 30 of her games on TV. Connecticut's son, we'll get back to you. Indiana fever, your games are on TV. So, and she, just like Tiger did with golf, she has raised the overall popularity of the sport. So, I mean, it's not, the Indiana fever games are up. Yes, but the whole league is benefiting from her. All of golf benefited from Tiger in his prime. People just more three million people,

people were signing up to golf. More golf equipment sold when Tiger was in his prime. You know, Nike got into golf big. I mean, like people that didn't do golf or golf got into it. So I don't know. I think the players have some leverage here. Not NBA leverage, not NFL leverage, not baseball. Sports are cyclical, too.

Baseball now? NBA's doing great. NFL's doing great. College football. You know, baseball? ESPN and baseball? Are they talking now? That thing got a little ugly than last year.

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. Nice.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We get to ask other 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. and 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Michelle McPhee,

and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on, a Mormon polygamist, and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets,

a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.

Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves,

their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlics. on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.