The Herd with Colin Cowherd - THE HERD - Hour 2 - Marcus Freeman explains why he passed up on the NFL to stay at Notre Dame

Episode Date: April 10, 2026

In this hour of The Herd, Colin checks in on how the ten highest payrolls in the MLB are doing in the win-loss department—the early results are shocking. Later, Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman joins the show to discuss rivalries, what makes Jeremiyah Love so special as a runner, the development of Notre Dame's quarterback CJ Carr, and more! Finally, Colin compares and contrasts the two frontrunners for the NBA's Rookie of the Year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. We're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. Hour 2, Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame football coach around the corner. Great to have you in on a Friday, everybody. Getting warm. John Middle Coffin joining me all week. So, you know, I've pushed back on this apocalyptic belief that baseballs, the haves, and the have-nots. I just looked this morning the lowest payroll in baseball, I think, is the Guardians.

They're in first place. So I read a story this morning about the league is heading toward labor strife. If you go, I thought I would check in with the 10 highest payrolls in baseball and see how they're doing. Okay, let's start with the New York Mets on the screen. Third place, Juan Soto is hurt, Bo Bichet can't hit. I'll get back to the Dodgers. The Yankees just lost three of four to the A's and the Marlins, and they are the third worst hitting team in baseball. They can't score.

The Phillies, 27th and run did. differential. And currently on a 20-inning scoreless streak, shut out by the Giants twice. The Blue Jays have lost six of seven. The Braves have lost three of five, just got into a brawl, and their starting staffs got three injuries. So a lot of that's just injuries. The Astros have the worst bullpen in baseball and just got swept by the Rockies and have lost four of five. The Cubs are in last plays in the National League Central. The Padres have this great closer, Mason Miller, but what's the point when you go into late innings trailing?

So the Padres are hitting 2.14 as a team. And the Tigers have the worst record in baseball. Nine of ten of the highest payrolls, struggling. Now you say, what about the Dodgers? Oh, gosh. One of the top ten payrolls is crushing. Yes. Great manager.

best owners, best general manager, best R&D, scouting. The Dodgers are, the rest of you teams, you could defer payments to, you don't, their billionaires decide to. So yeah, the Dodgers are playing great. But the Guardians and the Marlins right now, guardians spend the least amount of money. They're in first place. Brewers are crushing. I just, you go back to this stuff.

I mean, I, Yankees can't hit. Padres can't hit. Baseball doesn't have a money problem. They have a batting problem. That's the problem. So this goes back to what I've been saying. A lot of fearmongering going out there. It's the end of time.

They got a kid in Pittsburgh right now, a superstar player for the pirates. And I'm not talking Paul Skeens that they are just head over heels for. The White Sox went overseas and bought a Japanese star. He is crushing. So, and the A's, I mean, they're moving into a snazzy, new stadium here pretty quick. They're all fired up. And with that, he's the head football coach at Notre Dame. He was, I think it's fair to say, the hottest coach on the market. I've said

before, if I was building a college football program today, he would be my number one choice. It's Marcus Freeman, who's got time for us today in the crazy world of college football and college sports. He is joining us. You always got a smile on your face. I guess right now you can be in a good mood, you got your quarterback coming back. You know, people complain about the portal and the NIL. And I was talking to a friend about this and I said, the advantage to being

Notre Dame is, if you go to Notre Dame, football's great. You're not just going to Notre Dame or maybe a Stanford for the football. So in the world of complaining about the portal, has it been perhaps because of the academic

historic relevance of Notre Dame? Has that made it a little easier for you? I don't know if it's easier. I just say that I truly believe that we have something to offer young people, maybe in the midst of struggling to get their football production where they want it. Right. And so we have to remind them of the value of the education, right, and what it does for you beyond the game of football.

And I hope by the time they say, okay, I want more as an individual in our, football program. They say, well, I'm not going to leave until at least I get my degree. But the other thing, Colin, I think that's important is that they have to feel value, right? Like, I know everything outside of the building talks about what you get or what you do and, you know, how many yards you have. But if you can find a way to make them feel valued, right, in the role that they have currently, you're able to keep a lot of your players there. So a Notre Dame fan got all mad at me. They usually like me. mad at me because I said, listen, I know you love USC Notre Dame, but just hear me out.

I said, I grew up with a PAC 12. The conference got, you know, ended. I said, three years ago, four years ago, if you paid a high school football player, it was the death penalty. Now everybody's doing it. I said, I just gave up on tradition. I love Auburn, Alabama. I love Ohio State, Michigan, I just gave up. I mean, AI may replace me in 15 days. Like, I gave up. And my take is Notre Dame and USC can eventually play. I think they'll play

again. And by the way, it may be in the playoff. But I looked at the world and I thought, Marcus, sometimes you can fight it. I mean, Rick Petino told me two weeks ago, he goes, I don't even recruit high schools anymore. I gave up. I'm just going to go, I'm going to go buy kids. So

I look at Notre Dame and I think you'll be fine. You'll be fine. why did you want to play that game so badly? Why did it mean so much to you, a young coach? Yeah. Well, I think for me it was the rivalry, right? It was not the implications of the game. It was the rivalry that no matter what your record is,

it means something when you win that game. And I think as I grew up watching college football, you think of the great games between Notre Dame and USC. And so when you, you have, have a rival and you take it personal and you say, hey, we want to continue this game and this rival if we can. But again, it didn't work out for them and didn't work out for us. And we're all going to be okay, as you just said, right? But if you can choose to or have the opportunity to get that game, that rivalry on your schedule, you want to do it. And I think in the future we will be able to do it.

But there are a lot of people whose fault is it, Notre Dame, USC? That didn't matter. It's just like it didn't work. in work. Yeah. Okay, you have, you had the best two running backs in the country in terms of draft status. One of them's reminded me at Jeremiah Gibbs. Jeremiah Love is just a home run hitter. A Judarian Price. One of the staff guys asked me this morning, and I said, a little ball security issue, I think, if I recall, but other than that, very good player.

So let's start with love. Coaches deserve credit development. When did he in the process? Did you go? you guys, we got a Sequin Barclay-ish. Like, I'm not discrediting Marcus Freeman and the staff. But at some point, when did you go,

guys, this is not just a really, really good college back? Yeah, it didn't take long. And you know what? Great players like, Jeremiah, I love, make coaches look really good. And listen, I'll take the credit. I'll take the credit. I don't even coach running backs and I'll take the credit. But, man, Colin.

He is a unicorn. He is as talented and gifted of an athlete as I've ever been around. And I think he could be an elite wide receiver. He can be an elite DB. He's just gifted with a unique skill set, the balance, the ability to jump over you, the ability to run through you, to ability, like some of his most impressive runs

aren't the ones that you're going to see on TV. It's the ones that, as you're watching, oh, my God, he made that play in a four-yard game. should have been a two-yard loss. I mean, he's just, he's really special and he's a unique, unique talent. So, Judarian Price, let's say I'm an NFL GM, second, third round, I get Judarian Price. How can he be best utilized in pro football, do you think? Yeah, I think he's a complete running back. He is a running back, and I've seen the way he's improved in the past game. In terms of protection, he's got deceptive speed, like his ability to take the ball vertically,

but also get it east and west and they get vertical again is really unique and rare. But he gives you return special teams value. But he is as good of a running back that I've coached at Notre Dame. But Jeremy, I love might be as good as any player I've ever been around. So a lot of, you know, it's funny, college sports, the coaches are getting older, pro sports, they're getting younger. And I think one of my reasons I believe this is true is because college football and basketball has gotten more administrative. It's not about going, you don't need like 38 year old guy energy. You can write checks. So, you know, the patinos are like, Tom iso. They're like, you know,

it's kind of fun. And, you know, and listen, it's, it's hard. What your job is a lot of hours. You were obviously, there was a lot of NFL interest. A couple times in my life I've had to sit down with a yellow and write down pro con here stay go well in the end was there a certain a factor that you said listen i got a lot of people interested on sunday football i'm going to stay with saturday football was there a deciding factor i think for me the the probably deciding factor was love for the job i have now and the the care i have for the players the support i have for this program listen the NFL um The more I'm starting to realize you're, it's,

who you're set up to go 500 now, right? And they don't want you to be good. They don't want you to continuously win, win, win. They're going to make it as hard as possible when you do have success. And it's good to know, right? It was just things that I was made aware of as they continue to talk to some, some different NFL personnel and administrators, administrative.

But I have such a special, special job. And one that is so well supported that we have to continuously work, but you're going to have opportunities to have success every single year. And so be careful of always wanting more and more when you have something really good. So I like CJ Carr. I think, boy, there's a lot of good quarterbacks out there. I mean, everybody's talking Arch Manning. is they're just so, I mean, next year in the Big Ten, there's about seven different guys I like.

I mean, it's just like they all have a strength, the weakness. Let's talk CJ Carr. Where is he in the process of his development? Where does he need work and where is he really refined his game? Colin, like, when I tell you he is gifted, but also like the way he prepares, I don't know if I've ever been around somebody's prepared the way he's prepared. I'm going to tell you a quick story. He's redshirting in 2024.

No chance of playing. He's not the starter. He's not the backup. He's not even the third string. He's the red shirt quarterback. And I remember one evening, probably 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock, looking in the indoor. And he was in there going through a practice script like quarterbacks do and making motions and throwing it. And I remember seeing like, this guy is never going to play.

He's not going to play. And this is how he's preparing. And now fast forward three years later, like he still does that. He watches his freshman year, spring. practice like he prepares like you would think the grandson of lloyd car and in the son of a quarterback at michigan would would would prepare i mean it's such a um gift and he works his tail off he's probably as competitive as a person i've ever been around like he's an elite and fierce competitor which i believe is a gift like it's hard to become that competitive i mean he has a

gift to be that competitive. But he is, he's special. Now, he's got areas improvement all around a game of football, right? Decision making, recognized defense and putting ball placement. Like, there's always capacity to improve. If you believe you don't have capacity to improve, well, guess what? You're not going to do the work to find the answers. But he has that. But I'm telling you, man, he is a unique person, a unique talent. I'm grateful we have it, man. the way you know your defense rubin bain you guys played miami um and everybody's saying man he's got short arms i'm like i don't know i watched him play like eight times i didn't notice it like at all when you hear that about reuben bain short arms what's your interpretation of that

i'm like i watch the film stop over evaluating measurements and times watch the film i remember having the same conversation so i saw reuben bain in person obviously when they played us I watched him throughout the season. I was getting ready to do the National Championship game. And you talk about production. You talk about a guy that doesn't get blocked one-on-one. He's really, really good. But I remember there was a conversation about Kyle Hamilton, right?

That he went four, six or something at the combine or something. I kept going, guys, just watch the film. Now, I don't know, he might be the highest-based safety in the Vell. Right? Like, he's just watched the film. So don't over-evaluate arm length or, um, Okay, is he a 4-6 versus 4-5? Like, when the film speaks so highly, it tells you like,

I'm always cautious of the people that test really, really well, but the film doesn't match. Right. Right? And those are ones like, if you're not a great player and productive player in college, it's hard to be in the NFL. I got to tell you my Kyle Hamilton story. So I did a podcast with him one time.

True story, right before the draft. Two general managers texted me and said, I saw you did a Kyle Hamilton, podcast. He was at your house? I said, yeah, yeah. They're like, what's he like? And I remember saying is, you know, he's real confident. Was he cocky? I said, you would think he's 32 years old. I said, all I know in the back end of my defense, I want intellect and range. I said, A plus, A plus, A plus, A plus. Like, it's just, it's exactly. I just said, I thought I was talking to like, you know, like a slightly younger brother. He's a grown-up. And it is, I always say this about,

I told my staff this before. I do very few live interviews with kids. My exception is, if they play football at Notre Dame, I'll put a 21-year-old on. And it's when I watch you in that tunnel, there's a picture we put on the screen of you in that tunnel. Saturday night game, you're in the tunnel. This is a dorky question. But are there times you're just sitting there in that tunnel thinking, I have the best job in the world. I look at the picture of this and it gives me goosebumps.

You still feel that way? Absolutely. A lot of times, man, I'll turn around and look at them because I go, man, holy cow, right? And I'm grateful to be on a journey with them. It's like a father that you just want to, man, you want it for him so bad. You know, you want so badly for your players to have success. And there's moments, man, I'm standing there at the end of that tunnel

one going, holy cow, how the heck did this happen, man? But I'm sure it's grateful that it did. And I'm going to enjoy this thing and give it everything that I have because if you're not grateful for it, you'll lose it. Marcus Freeman had offers. State at Notre Dame. Good for college football sport I love. Great seeing you.

Good to see you, man. I appreciate you always. All right, Marcus Freeman. What a great coach. He is, that picture, honestly, if college football started tomorrow, be fired up, John. You give me that picture of Freeman in the tunnel at Notre Dame. You know, Notre Dame's right around the corner. We got to go to a game this year. You got to come to Chicago. We'll have a stake on Friday. We'll take the train down to Notre Dame. That place is magic.

Send the plane. I don't have one, but if I did, I think Delta flies here. I'm pretty sure. If you send it, I'll hop on it. Man, that just gets me all fired up. That is, you know, and what's interesting is, Listen, Jeremiah Love is an insane talent. But just to show you, we had that video of their backup running back. Look at how yoked that guy is. And, I mean, for him to say, Jeremiah loves the best athlete I've ever coached. That is, but you look at the backup.

I mean, look at this kid. He's a dynamic return guy, kickoff returns and he can fly. He is. I mean, look at the size of this kid's upper body and legs. That works in the NFL. Yeah, I'd say so. Yeah, USC guys just bouncing off him. 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.

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We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because

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Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Stacey King, three-time champ, Chicago Bulls analyst. They flushed out their front office. We'll talk to him here on a Friday. Here is John Middlough with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. Well, you and I both love this time of year because we're officially two weeks, less than two weeks away from the draft. And we all know that one top 10 team that most of analysts have no idea how they'll utilize their pick is the Chiefs, with one report indicating that there's no strong indicator on who they'll take. Well, here's the thing. With that ninth overall pick, you had them selecting Utah's offensive tackle yesterday. Kyle Whittingham is one of Andy Reed's best friends.

His son has been on his staff forever. but what about defense? To me, if Ruben Baines there, I think they would go there. But Caleb Downs, think about this, Andy's coach, Brian Dawkins, Eric Berry and the Honey Badger, pretty unique player. I would imagine he would definitely be in the discussion there as well. They just traded Trent McDuffie, not because they didn't like them, but $30 million a year, the money. What if they could get one of those star corners, the Tennessee guy, the LSU guy, for $5 million a year? Yeah, no, it's really interesting.

You know, John, I've always believed you don't have to be great everywhere in the NFL. You can't be terrible anywhere. When Mahomes has been dragged into Super Bowls, they were atrocious at tackle, right? Because of injuries. Yeah. They are bad at right tackle. Now, you may be able to get that in the second and third round, but their left tackle also had some struggles last year getting on the field. So to me, it's like a Joe Alt move.

You get Joe Alt in the building, slay. later got hurt for the second time, then you move Olt over to left tackle, because everybody now feels like a swing tackle. By and large, and Tristan Worfst now could go over to left, right. I think they got to get the best tackle in the building and just left right, because I still, I think Josh Simmons is good. If I said to you, he played 12 games last year, this year, would you be shocked by? The one thing that has been, the Mahomes killer, is offensive tackle play.

Because with Creed Humphrey in the middle, you're, you're, he's, he's a suspect. stains, you know, he's going to hold the anchor down there. I know Caleb Downs is good, but if I'm paying a guy $50 million a year, I need the insurance policy of elite tackle play. The thing, though, on defense,

typically the top defensive players, D-Linman, definitely the corners, go within the top 15. Sometimes offensive linemen, the right tackle position, you know, depending on the eye of the beholder a little bit, they could package some stuff and go from 29, because not a lot of teams, a lot of teams

want to trade back, but there aren't a lot of teams that want to move forward. What if they got aggressive and came from like 29 into the teens to maybe get the Georgia guy? So you get a Ruben Bain, one of the top corners, the Caleb down, and a tackle. You know, I think the Chiefs are one of the biggest wild cards we've seen in a long time in the draft because they could do a little McVeigh trade next year's one to get, I mean, heck, they can go from nine to, they could move right into three or something if they really wanted to, right? You don't think the Cardinals would love to move back and accumulate some picks for. next year. I was just looking at the New York Giants. I keep saying with the New York Giants,

everybody loves the number five pick, but they don't have any draft picks. And you know what? Harbaugh wants to get his own guys in the building. They have a Dexter Lawrence situation. I think John Harbaugh and Shane, I think they'd go down to 15 and try to get the second best to make the kid from Clemson. You can get him at 13, 14, 15. I think the Giants would move down 10 spots tomorrow if they could end up getting a third and a fourth in a second. Well, let's stick with the draft because I know that you are really high on Mackay Lemon and the Rams connection. Well, former NFL GM and longtime TV guy Mike Mayock believes that Sean McVeigh would have a field day

if they were able to land Lemon, adding that ASU's Jordan Tyson could be a great consolation price. But here's a thing, Colin. Obviously, they've had five total picks. And really, besides Jared Verst, They hadn't had a first round pick since 2016. So they don't pick in this round, let alone pick high in this round. Right. Their two best wide receivers over the McVeigh era are Puka, fifth round pick.

Pretty sure Cooper Cup was a third round pick. He was. Part of having a McVeigh, a Ben Johnson, a Kyle Shanahan, I can find guys in the second, third round and turn them into stars. Why not get an offensive lineman here? When are they ever going to pick this time? Well, this is a great point by you. Puka, fifth round.

Ryan Williams' fifth round. I mean, think about this. Blake Corum third round. Higgsby, the tight end, I think, was a fourth rounder out of like Eastern Kentucky or something. If you go, I mean, Devonte was a free agent. I think he was a second rounder out of Fresno State. Ferguson last year from Oregon, the second round. They have, if you go look at their skill players, dude, it is a lot.

They went and got Jordan Whittingham out of Texas in the sixth round. They got a seventh rounder out of Pitt, Mumfield last year, receiver. He's capable. So, I mean, it's a great point by you. McVeigh has made, I mean, fourth round on, they have crushed it with skill players since McVeigh's been there. I'd be thinking offensive line if the right guy was there just because those guys are premiums.

They usually go in the top 20 and the Rams. For the foreseeable future, may never sniff a pick that high. Again, back to the draft. Travis Hunter was a massive draft day trade last year, right? when the Jags moved up, but he was supposed to play both ways. And maybe six months ago when I was on this show, we played a John Harbaugh soundbite that said that's impossible. And it was just a doubt that the Jaguars agreed,

because now he's just going to play corner. I think it's fair to say. Yes. And it's easy to play Monday morning quarterback a year or two years after the draft. They regret making that trade because Mason Graham for the Browns is excellent. They got more picks. They traded way up. They traded a first round pick this year.

he's not, this isn't Dionne. And listen, I'm not trying to be critical. He's a really good player, but he was really good at both. He was never, to me, going to be a star at one or the other. Part of his value was being Shohei Otani. But he's not Shoay Otani. Yeah, you know, this goes back to some degree to the Arvel Reese. If you're going into the NFL, what are you? And if you tell me, well, he could be this or he could, Micah Parsons is a great athlete. the Cowboys bring him in, they play around it like linebacker. And they're like, he doesn't have quick eyes that way. That's not what he is.

I remember Hassan Reddick at Arizona, Steve Kimes, like, I mean, they thought it was a bust pick. And then they're like, let's just put him on the edge, see it, get it, go. And then Hassan Redick became a really good player. So, I mean, think of how great of an athlete Micah Parsons is. He couldn't do the linebacker thing. And he still struggles against the run. He's not good against the run. So the idea that you can go, because you're dominating.

in the Big 12 at Colorado, and you're going to be an elite receiver. Think about the great quarterbacks in this league, John. Brady's flying people down to Costa Rica in the offseason to get the timing down. You're going to be in a defensive meeting half the tie. It doesn't work. You've got to pick a lane in this league. The Browns take a lot of crap, and a lot of it is more than fair. But this trade, Mason Graham was a monster for them.

I mean, he's been a monstrous probably his whole life. Quinchan Jenkins, before he got hurt, was one of the best. running backs in the NFL. Obviously they got the first round pick. That was a big time trade by the Browns. You know that for a guy that doesn't exactly look like Dion Sanders. It's only been one year, but

hasn't gone seemingly, I would say, a smooth transition from Colorado. You know, it's funny. Mason Graham, I saw I like watching high school tape. And he was obviously Servite in Southern California. Oh, yeah. And I watched him against

a high school player who was going to go get a scholarship and he grab him offensive lineman and threw him to the ground. Kid probably waste 300. I watched one play. Michigan played USC a couple years ago and Monheim was a fifth, six round

pick offensive line. Good player, smart player for USC. Mason Graham at one point grabbed him at 310 and just threw him down like a throw pillow. And like Graham's one of those guys. Dee Lyman are always tough because they don't always play hard every play but that I I love Mason Graham

I said it before the draft he had his doubters he did a I mean he almost in Ohio State the Michigan game when they tried to run a right up the gut Mason Graham said no and that six and six Michigan team won that game and he played a large role in that thing yeah John Middlough for the news

well that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd line news yeah it's uh I was always so skeptical on this play a little corner play a little wide receiver dude, it's just not, the pro football is so hard. That's why what Shohei O'Donnie's doing.

I'm watching a clip of Shoaheo tiny couple weeks ago. He's literally on the mound pitching and he's going to the dugout and he's like, oh, I forgot I'm batting. It's like, what he's doing doesn't, it doesn't make sense. It's Babe Ruth Plus. Interesting. Interesting what's happening today. I'll get to this in a second.

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, name? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast?

Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a... 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, Jones? 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, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel,

help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? 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. Jen Chinchin 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, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now.

And I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Saturday night baseball is on Fox.

This week we've got Roman Anthony and the Red Sox versus the Cardinals. Or it's Raphael Devers and the Giants against the Orioles. Baseball night in America tomorrow at 7 Eastern only on Fox. So, you know, I've been on this and I've done probably 10 segments on this because I've become, I've really moved toward baseball. And I've said this, oh, it's been a huge college football fan. But I stopped talking a lot of college football for about 10 years. I thought it got incredibly regional.

It felt like it was Ohio State, Bama, Georgia, maybe Clemson. Like, it was four teams. That's why I was really rooting for Indiana last year. I'm like, okay, this is great. It's great for the sport. Broaden it out. And I also, with baseball, I think Rob Manfred deserves a lot of credit.

He didn't get stubborn. He's like, you know, what do they always say? To correct something, you have to admit a fault. And it's like defensive shift, get rid of it, pitch clock. Now the ABS system. They just made a lot of tweaks. and we all love baseball, especially in October, right? And we like fast baseball, succinct baseball.

But, you know, there's this feeling that, oh, they're going to have a big labor strife. And I'll remind you that the Dodgers had the fifth best record in baseball last year, fifth, and had two elimination games in the World Series. And really should have lost the game. I mean, Dave Roberts had, on a shortlist of the greatest managerial experience in the history of the sport in the last several innings. I mean, Rojas, putting in a defensive outfielder who made a great catch. So I do not believe in this apocalyptic baseball is in trouble.

I detailed 30 minutes ago how outside of the Dodgers, the next nine highest payrolls, all are struggling. All of them. The Mets, the Yankees can't hit. Either can the Phillies, Jays can't, Braves are all banged up, Astros, bullpens, atrocious, Cubs in last place, Podrays can't hit. Either can the Tigers. So it's just a bunch of nonsense. Think about this.

Since 2020, the Brewers, the Guardians, and the Tampa Bay Rays have more playoffs, have made the playoffs more than the Mets, the Cubs and the Red Sox. And here's the secret sauce to baseball that the NBA doesn't have. Baseball's got something that the NFL does. It's the League of Hope. You can get dramatically better. Here's the key, though.

Fast. Fast. Toronto. Last place, American League East. The next year, lead the Dodgers in the World Series three games to two. You cannot do that in the NBA. You are relegated to your payroll and stars. You're resigned to what you're going to be going in.

The over under is pretty easy. You go back to 2022. a couple years ago. The Rangers were atrocious. 68 wins. The next year they're in the World Series, facing the Diamondbacks who two years earlier won 52 games. So like you are a superstar and a couple of great young players. The Cincinnati's done. The Cincinnati's small market. They got a superstar and a couple of great young players.

I mean, the Pittsburgh pirates have Paul Skeens. They have this kid named Connor Griffin that just signed a massive contract. It's going to be a superstar potentially. Skeens was talking about this kid yesterday. Super happy for him and his family. Glad, you know, glad he got a deal that works for him. Yeah, he's going to be the face of the pirates for a long time. Yeah, so I just don't bite.

Now, and I've said this before, if the Dodgers lose the World Series, we don't have a looming absolute, work stoppage. They had the fifth best record in baseball. The year before against the Padres, they had two other elimination games.

So I just don't buy it. I'm supposed to believe the Kyle Tucker signing, that's the one. Kyle Tucker drove Cub fans crazy. If the Dodgers don't win, we don't have this stuff. Nobody, we're just saying like, go look at the nine of the top ten payrolls right now.

They're all struggling and nobody can hit. I mean, I think Aaron, judge is hitting like 222. He can't hit either. So we had PJ Carlissimo on yesterday. And I've never been a huge awards guy. We all know who's good. We all know who, you know, people just lose there.

You know what on who's going to win the MVP. So there's been a lot of talk about rookie of the year between Connopple of Duke and Cooper Flagg. Flag's bigger. I think he has a more diverse offensive package. I think his bag, there's just more to it. he's a more forceful player. Knappel's a very good shooter.

He can do a lot more than shoot, but he's a really good shooter. And I think part of what makes the con Kinnipple story great is with Lavello ball, it's like, oh, finally Charlotte's got a life. They've got a pulse. They're kind of fun. They're both really good players, both went to Duke. And let's look at the full screen. So I'm a Cooper flag.

I think Cooper Flagg's ceiling is much higher. I think Cooper Flag could be all NBA eight times. I think Kahn Knappel could make five All-Star games. So Flag's averaging more, better rebounder, more assists. You know, if they had a three-point shooting contest, do I take Connipple? Maybe, yeah. Overall player athlete, size, I take Cooper Flagg. Here was PJ Carlissimo talking about Cinnipple against Flagg.

The big difference between he and Conn, Khan's role with Charlotte was more conducive than what I thought than what Cooper had to do in Dallas. at the same time. He's generational, Colin, and even I could figure it out. If you watch one practice in Vegas, him against the Olympic team, and this was before he went to Duke, but he was dominating these workouts, he was the best player on the select team. He was unbelievable. One of the great things, it's really a cool thing about basketball.

And maybe it's because I'm just kind of thinking about this on the fly. in football, you need so much help. Like in baseball, Paul Skeens can play for a horrible team and win the Siam. I mean, we'll give you the award, even though you can't win games because your team can't hit. In baseball, I mean, I remember when I was a kid, there was a pitcher for the Padres named Randy Jones. He was a sinker ball pitcher left-hander. They were horrible. But I always remember that the Cincinnati Reds and the big red machine, he would just,

Shut them down. He's the only guy. Ground ball, ground ball, ground ball. If you're great, it doesn't matter what's around you. I mean, Shoah Otani was playing for the Angels. Mike Trout was playing for the Angels. They're like, oh, that's the best player in baseball. Basketball is a little bit the same.

I mean, Michael Jordan breaks into the NBA. And he's got guys doing blow in the hotel room. They don't have the right coach. They don't have players. They got selfish ball hogs everywhere. And Jordan's like, I'm dropping 60. And you're like, wow. You're not going to win the title, but it didn't really matter what was around him.

Like in baseball and basketball, if you're great, you're great. Football's different. Patrick Mahomes gets mauled in games. I mean, last year, you don't have enough. You don't have tackles. You are so dependent in football. Now, there are exceptions in football, running back. Barry Sanders.

Sorry, I watched Walter Payton in the 70s. for atrocious bear teams. And you could not bring him down with one defender. Walter Payton's the, I've always said, Walter Payton's the best running back I've ever seen. We can argue about number two. You know, Christian McCaffrey, Barry Sanders,

you know, Adrian Peterson, we can argue about Walter Payton's the best. Walter Payton played on mostly terrible teams. Barry Sanders played in terrible teams. So running back's different. And I also kind of feel like this at corner. like sauce gardener first year jets you're like yep that works you guys played at cincinnati walks into the NFL you're like is he the second

best corner so there are a couple football positions you're kind of in a silo you're on an island even a great wide receiver you're dependent on a quarterback who can get you the ball in an offensive line in Calvin johnson it's remarkable he had matt stafford but stafford was running for his life a lot so you need even at wide receiver a j brown's great well my guy can't get it to right But in basketball, the great part about it is Cooper flag can be surrounded. I mean, Kyrie Irving's hurt. Anthony Davis got hurt.

It doesn't matter. Due leads him in points, rebounds, assists, steals, free throws minutes. He's up there with Jordan and Byrd in terms of rookie numbers. You can really, I mean, for PJ Carlisimo to watch a practice and you're like, yep, that works. It'd be very hard to do that in football outside of maybe running back. I mean, let's be honest. that's why in football, you ever notice it in football, in basketball, all the great players play for AAU teams.

What's happened in football is if you go to Southern California in football, there's like four programs and all the great players play together. And that makes it easier for a college recruiter. I mean, again, Leman, Mackay Lennon played in the great high school team. Because he also had a Division I quarterback, I imagine, playing for him. So you can judge how good he is. Otherwise, you can be a great wide receiver. receiver. You know, you got some

new alarm quarterback can't get you the ball. So I just think, I think one of the cool things about baseball, you got to scout behind the plate with the jugs gun. You're sitting there and it doesn't matter who's on the field. I want to watch this. Can you name another player

with Bryce Harper on his high school team in Las Vegas? No, nobody cares. It doesn't matter who's hitting in front of him, who's hitting behind him. Bryce Harper was unbelievable. Watch the swing, watch the power, watch the batting cage. And I baseball and basketball uniquely give you that. It's probably the same in soccer. I mean, I don't know who Polisik's high school and college teammates were. I just know the first time I saw

Christian Pulisic, I'm like, I think that's the most skilled domestic soccer star I've ever seen. Foot to ball can do more with it than anybody I've ever seen in America. All right, John. You know, I put up my mock draft yesterday. I was getting feedback on it. It does. look like my mock draft. I had Arvel Reese. I'm not going to have to do another one. I had Arvel Reese going second. The story today now, the odds of shift.

They've shifted. Now, David Bailey is going second. So I believe the odds to be right. I think somebody's leaking. I think somebody's looking for protection in that Jets building. If you had a guess today, who goes second? Where would you go?

I would guess Bailey because I was looking earlier that Reese is going to be, he's basically two years younger. And an older player, we talk about this a lot in college football or basketball, well, who gives Aaron Glenn a better chance to win week four? The 20-year-old or the guy that's going to be 23 in August? Bailey does, right? Just a little older.

Been multiple places, right? Stanford originally, so he's pretty smart. Listen, I think that Aaron Glenn is going to do everything possible to survive. Yeah. And it still may not work. 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. 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 podcast.

podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast, Point Game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was crying.

You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to him. He's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball.

So listen to Point Game on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Here's something that should not be as complicated as it is, getting a racist statue removed. And here's something that should be a whole lot easier than it is. Getting a new one put up in its place. I'm Akela Hughes, and Rebel Spirit Season 2 is about both of those things. As I was watching these statues come down, I was thinking about what it meant that I grew up in a majority black city in which there were more homages to enslavers than there were to

enslave people. Listen to Rebel Spirit Season 2 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.