The Herd with Colin Cowherd - THE HERD - Hour 2 - Where Colin was right and where he was wrong, Matt Hasselbeck

Episode Date: February 23, 2026

Colin shares this week’s Where Colin was Right, Where Colin was Wrong: why he was right about the Cowboys but wrong about Giannis Antetokounmpo He talks NFL Combine week with Matt HasselbeckSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Chris Broussard, we just had Tony Granado on as a Team USA Outlast Canada, men's and women's, just tremendous sports achievement. And I've said this before about the Olympics. I used to watch it a lot when I was younger because it was the only three-week period that sports was on in my house. Right? In the 70s or the 80s or the 90s, you know, he didn't have as much sports on TV,

so it didn't feel quite as special. But let me tell you, that like bars were opening. I saw New York City, which is going through some brutal weather over the next couple days. They lifted some ban on drinking in the city. It was, we had kind of a European feel over the week on Sunday, the weekend, and it was just remarkable. So here we go to Monday where Colin was right and where Colin was wrong. Where Colin was right?

Well, no Jason Tatum this year. And shocker, not really, the Celtics. have the second best record in the East and are actually better defensively. It's nothing against Jason Tatum because they're not quite as good offensively, but the Celtics are about coaching, collaborative, intensity, other guys step up. And there's a lot of Sam Housers on this team that are given an opportunity in more minutes now. And the reality is they're eight and two in their last 10. Once again, they're very good on the road.

and as exceptional as Jason Tatum is, Jalen Brown on many nights felt like the better player and he's having an MVP season. Where Colin was wrong. I thought the Dallas Mavericks could contend and get to the Western Conference finals, but Kyrie Irving is now announced he will not play this year. They had injuries, AD was out of shape,

the Luca trade's been a disaster, and now it's just going to be a lot of Cooper flag highlights, which I'm good with, but I thought this team had a chance to really compete. And from the very beginning, the injuries piled up, Kyrie's done, and so was the Maverick season. Where Colin was right? Well, the Lakers, they've got a new sheriff in town,

Lon Rosen, former Laker executive, then a Dodger heavyweight executive, has now replaced a member of the Laker front office. So as we predicted, the Lakers needed new eyes, ears, and voices in the front office. and now they're bringing over a heavyweight exec, a no-nonsense exec, Lon Rosen from the Dodgers back to the Lakers. Where Colin was wrong.

The last three years I've been convinced Janus would leave Milwaukee. He's grumbled. They got a title. The injuries are piling up. The roster's too old and thin. And even in the very weak east, is Milwaukee really a threat? But the trade deadline has come and passed, and he is still. a Milwaukee buck.

What's interesting now is what is he really worth? Do I think he's a good fit with the Knicks? Yeah, if you don't have to give up all your draft picks and multiple starters, but he's not an outside perimeter player. He has multiple injuries. He needs the ball in his hand. He's not much off ball. Tremendous defensive pressure, rim protector, and length.

But I'm wrong. I've thought for three years they could move him, and he's still there. Where Colin was right? Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, now Dodger rivals, came out and said what I've been preaching on this show. The Dodgers' dominance is not a weakness, it is a strength. Why should they have to play by St. Louis and Cincinnati's economy rules? The reality is Machado and Bryce Harper came out and said what the Dodgers are doing is great for baseball. Fans want to watch star-studded rosters.

Oh, by the way, in the last 12 years, Major League Baseball has nine different champions, so stop telling me the sport is lobsided. Where Colin was wrong. Well, Adam Silver is going aggressively after tanking. My take was, I don't know how you avoid it. It's been happening forever. And with the new CBA and all the aprons,

what other avenue does smart GMs have than to tank for a couple years like, you know, Utah's doing or Detroit did and get players? Where are the avenues? You can't trade your way to greatness anymore with the new CBA. The luxury taxes too punitive. So, but Adam Silver is apparently implementing,

as we speak, a new headwind for anybody considering tanking. Where Colin was right? I've said for years, If the Cowboys don't have a legit general manager, they're going to continue to falter. Well, word is, they're going to give Giovante Williams a nice but not special running back, a three-year deal in $24 million. Whereas Seattle, with an elite GM, is letting Kenneth Walker go, who's healthier, more productive,

a Super Bowl MVP. This last year for Giovante Williams was the first time ever he started 16 games. I like him. I think he's a good player, but this is what the Cowboys do. They wait too long or they pay too early, and if Seattle can let go of Kenneth Walker with a loaded roster, is this really the best move for Dallas? Where Colin was right?

I said when Mick Cronin threw out during mid-game, one of his players for what he perceived as an overly aggressive foul, his reaction was way over the top, and UCLA can be touchy-feely in the athletic department. This was not going to stand. Well, within 36 hours of this, Mick Cronin out of Mayacolpa, sounded like he not only got his hand slapped,

but maybe was reminded that he's in the middle of the Big Ten and he better take a chill pill or he may get run by season's end. Here was Mick Cronin. First of all, I want you guys to know something. I already apologize. to Steve, okay? I thought that he took the guy out,

like the kid at Providence, took the guy from St. John's out. It's the only reason I sent him to the locker room. I thought he literally made a dirty play and tried to wipe the guy out. Now, I don't have the film. Once I saw the film, I mean, he's still got an F-1,

to be honest with you. I don't even know if he deserved that. Yeah, that was not going to play in Westwood. And with that, Colin Wright, Colin wrong, Matt Hasselbeck, 18 years in the NFL. It is NFL. Combine week. Interestingly, the Jags said we're not going to go. Many people saying, well, they're watching the Rams. Is there value in the combine? Well, I certainly think there is value for players, absolutely. And so, man, I want to talk about this. Let's start with this because I want to go to more. Can I just say something before you start? I always follow on Mondays when Colin was right, when Colin was wrong. Bro, you're like right half, like more than half the time now. It's like 90% right. I don't know.

I'm sitting there. I'm like, hey, where are the wrongs? You know, I'm waiting? Like, here I go. He's right again. He's right again. When's in my turn? It's hard to find wrongs.

I'll be honest. We spend hours on it. So go to your combine experience, and certainly the world changes. How valuable was. Just tell people your experience. I mean, listen, the combine's a dream come true for players, okay? because you play college football in hopes of going to the NFL. My Combine experience, you know, the NFL brings me in and I kind of mentor some of the quarterbacks and wide receivers, which is hilarious because my Combine experience is that I got uninvited to the Combine.

I'm the draft class of 1998, Peyton Manning, Ryan Leif, pick one, two, and then me at 187. I got uninvited to the Combine. When Ryan Leaf came out early at Washington State, I was basically disinvited to the Combine. And I talked to my agent at the time. And he was like, yeah, no sweat, man. We'll have a pro day. You know, they can come to Boston College and watch you work out there. And I was like, oh, okay, only one team showed up at that.

You know, it was the quarterback coach for Andy Reed. So it took years for me to get to the combine. But I was not there as a college player. And I do think that gives me a different perspective because there is so much pressure that these kids put on themselves to run a good 40 or to throw well that day or hit a certain number on the 225 bench test. your vertical jump. And, you know, while it matters, certainly, I don't know that it's the be all

end all. Yeah. There's a lot of business, it feels like, to me, that gets done during Combine Week. Do you sense that? A hundred percent. I mean, even when I was a free agent, like my agent would say to me, like, hey, I'm going to see all these guys at the Combine. I mean, that's the thing. So, like, if you think that this is just the underwear Olympics and that's all that's going on there, no, every decision maker, agent, everybody, they're in Indianapolis. And they're, you know, listen, they're not just having breakfast together. They're having drinks together. Deals get done.

You know, where's Max Crosby going to go? Is he going to leave? I remember when the Tom Brady deal was essentially talked about like, hey, he's ending up in Tampa. Like, we're pretty sure of it. The whispers happen. And I think for me, as a free agent going into different seasons or about to be a free agent, you know, your agent kind of reports back, hey, here's what I'm hearing. Here's where the musical chairs at the quarterback position or pass rusher or left tackle.

Here's the running back market. We know what the market's going to be. So it's a big deal. It's not just about just the workouts that are happening. Yeah, they have those 15-minute speed interviews. I think the Rams have said before and maybe Jacksonville. They don't want to be swayed by the combine. When you talk to a young quarterback or a young athlete about the interview process, do you have certain messaging you lean into?

I mean, I think these guys are so pre-prepped now by their agents and the pre-combine like prep that goes into it. I really encourage you guys just to be themselves and to be authentic and give off a vibe. It's a little bit like walking into a bar or a restaurant. You know if it's your vibe. Being around an athlete sometimes, he's like, is this the kind of guy we want in our room? Is this the kind of guy that our veterans are going to appreciate in our locker room? Is that the vibe he gives off? Is there energy there?

Is there eye contact? Is there a firm handshake? you know, that kind of stuff. But listen, some guys, like, a team might love you. I remember I think I had Puka, Nakua in my group, and everyone was acting like they didn't like him. Like, no one was talking to him. I think he was kind of like, oh, man, all these other guys,

you know, these tall, six foot four wide receivers getting all this attention, and he wasn't getting that much attention. I don't think it's because they didn't like him. I think the scouts were trying to play their cards, like almost like hard to get. Almost like a junior high dance. Like, no, I don't like you. I do like you, but I don't want anyone to know I like you. you know because I want to grab you and we're not going to grab you in the third round or fourth

round maybe you know there's a lot of like gamesmanship that goes into this thing I mean there's even guys I've talked to scouts at the combine where they're saying hey I really love this receiver but I hope he runs the worst 40-yard dash of his life so that we can get him in the third ground I'm like what you're rooting against him and that's that's just the nature of it that's that's that's part of how the combine works yeah the um you know we were talking about the j S Ss extension. And I said, I think windows closed very quickly in this league. And I mean, the Legion of boom, you remember that one in Seattle. I think, I thought that thing was going to last five years. And all of a sudden it's three and you get one Super Bowl, a second visit, and it's over. And then,

you know, everybody wants to get paid. And so the Seahawks are probably going to move off Kenneth Walker, who I loved, but, you know, data says, be careful about the second contract. So JSN is eligible. Sam Darnold, by the way, his cap hit goes from 13 million to 38, so there's decisions to be made on this. I look at JSN. I didn't used to think wide receivers were half to keep guys. I thought it was quarterback, left tackle, edge rusher, maybe a great corner. I think JSN is one of those receivers. He's not only productive, Matt.

I think he's the right kind of productive. Give me your evaluation on what he is. I'll just say having been in that Seahawks organization for a long time. There's like who you are as a person, who you are as a teammate, who you are as a leader, how it fits together with both sides of the ball. I think it all matters. Who you are in the community. You know, also like, you know, when did we grab you?

How long have we known you? Did you change along the way? Did you change for the better? Did you change for the worse? You know, are you high maintenance or low maintenance? Like all these things play into it. you know, the input from the athletic training room, input from the strength and conditioning staff,

input from the equipment staff. They get all input from PR. You know, like, all of it plays into it. It's not just about your stats. So I think JSN's a no-brainer. You know, I sort of wonder sometimes why teams even wait around, you know, around the league. Sometimes you just wait too long, the price goes up.

But, I mean, I think when JSN came in, Devin Witherspoon came in, I think the Seahawks knew right away, and they know what they have. And I think those are foundational people. pieces. And like you mentioned the Super Bowl window, that Super Bowl window stays open when everyone is unselfish and they don't change and they're hardworking. And that's when the window stays open. When people are worried about who's getting the credit, that's when those windows shut way sooner than they're supposed to. Yeah. Hey, finally, Fernando Mendoza, I read, I think it was in the

athletic, somebody was one of the guys said, you know, his superpower could be his dorkiness and that he's so genuinely optimistic. You tell me in pro locker rooms, how do you think his personality will work? Yeah, I think this is what works in a locker room, okay? Excellence at your job. If you're able to be the best in the world at what you do, we respect that.

The locker room respects that. The other thing is your work ethic. We just respect that. I don't care what locker room you're in. We respect that. You're giving it everything that you have. And then, you know, the other thing is just the authenticity. Don't be one guy over here and another guy over there.

Like the authenticity, like those three things, we can play with that. We can work with that. But if you don't have those things, then I don't really, you know, you're not all about the team. You're maybe a little bit selfish. Like whatever, like, you know, get out of here. We got enough of that. So now I think, and I think that's one of the great things about the combine. You know, like I'll be there.

Not everyone will be throwing. Mendoza probably won't be throwing. But I remember being in the combine with guys like, Rick May and Jaden Daniels and Bo Nix and some of these guys, Caleb Williams, they weren't throwing. It's okay. There's still so much to evaluate about a quarterback, even at the combine when you're not throwing. And so with Fernando Mendoza, I would encourage him. And I've met him. He's great. He's everything that you said. But lean into who you actually are and just be authentic with that. And the locker room will love you. The fan base will love you. Just strive to be the

best quarterback that you can be, all this other nonsense. It's not what it's about. It's not what it's about. For the record, Boston's one of our great, Boston and the New England region is like the centerpiece, along with Minnesota of like college hockey. The Bruins, you know, Bobby Orr, Esposito, great history. Did you watch Team USA yesterday? I mean, who didn't? It was really cool.

And it's, you know, a lot of Boston college hockey players are playing. And, you know, it's just incredible to see what, what USA hockey is developed. helped into. You know, like we, we, it's kind of like, we're here to stay kind of thing. And the pride that people take in it is really cool. When you think about it, too, because you're playing against some of your best friends, that might be your teammates, your linemates, and you're just laying it on the line. You know, like, I just, I think, I don't know, I'd like to see some gold teeth, though. That's what I want. I don't want to see, like, fake white teeth. I want to see fake gold teeth as like a little bit of an extra, you know.

Yeah, we did that. But it's, it's super fun to see. And I think the Olympics are just, something really cool. I think we all grew up on it. That's why you see all these football players dying to get into the LA 28 Olympics with flag football. They just, they want to do opening ceremonies. They want to have the medals. For a football player, that was the one thing you never ever thought you could ever be a part of was the Olympics. It was like the one thing. And so you felt like you had to go to a different sport to do it. I remember Herschel Walker did bob sledding. You know, he's like, that's what you thought in your head. So it's pretty cool. We're just big fans now. Yeah. Great scene, man.

Thank you, Colin. All right, Matt Hasselbeck. Yeah, it was, you know, it is really interesting about what has happened. And there's been a lot of theories on this. Why can't Canadian teams win the Stanley Cup final? They haven't won since 93 Montreal Canadians. I mean, that's remarkable. Well, first of all, there's a lot, you know, there's a lot of teams down here in the States.

I always think the media is a little naive on this stuff. because I read a story years ago they had like six reasons why Canadian teams can't win and the one that feels so obvious and I think the media sometimes is naive about this is what are hockey players? Rich

a lot of good looking rich guys. What do they like? A lot of times companionship and so a lot of them want to come down to the states. They want to live in warmer weather. Better tax rate. A lot of beautiful young people.

they make a lot of money. They got to keep more of their money. The weather's better. They're not hounded as much being in like a home country. If it's Canada, they can kind of hide because we have so many college and pro athletic stars, they can hide. It's kind of simple. And they go to their agents and say, don't say this publicly, but I'd rather play in the

states than playing my, you know, than play in Canada, playing Ottawa. I'd rather play down in Florida, Dallas. It feels, I don't know, it feels obvious to me that if you were young, you're rich, you'd want to keep more of your money, you'd want to be, you know, the seasons through the winter, you'd like a little warmer weather. That's what it feels like to me. But there's a lot of different theories on it.

They've gotten close. They've gotten to the Stanley Cup final. They're trying to break through, though. It hasn't happened since the 93 Montreal Canadians. 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 love.

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

and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy not quite on humor me with robert smigel and friends me and hilarious guests from bob odenkirk to david letterman help make you funnier this week my guess

snl's mikey day and head writer streeter sidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter where does your group perform we do some retirement homes those people are starving for banter listen to humor me with robert smigel and friends on the i heart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you Get your podcasts. 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, me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lina Rabakina is arguing. you're really the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface.

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

podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicelife-Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. You know, it's just funny, the mindset of our neighbors to the North Canada and ours is very different. You know, when we lost Argentina and Manu Genoobli, remember we lost Argentina in the Olympics? I mean, we sell, we were furious. We were incredulous. We sent out Delta Force, Navy SEALs.

We're going to solve this mystery. We went nuts. Next time we played Argentina and the Olympics, we won by 30. Like, we did, Canada, their sports hockey, they lose. And the prime minister comes out yesterday and goes, we should be very proud of our silver medal. It's like it's hockey. It's Canada.

You were favored. What do you mean? What do you mean? you'd be proud of it's silver. Get out of here. You couldn't see that that message would just not work in the States and maybe we're overly relentless and obnoxious and hyper competitive. But, you know, they lost yesterday. I mean, the coach wasn't happy. He said it with a smile on his face, but here was John Cooper, the coach, after they lost an OT. O.T. Overtimes overtime. You take four players off the ice. Now hockey's not hockey anymore. There's a real.

reason over time and shootouts are in play. It's all TV driven and, you know, to end games. So there's not, you know, a long time. There's a reason it's not in the Stanley Cup finals or playoffs because, you know, it gets ended in five. But it's still skill players out there making skill plays. And the U.S. team has some skill players. So we lose Argentina.

We create the redeemed team. and the average margin of victory in the next Olympics was 28 points. We were pissed. And we were going to make sure everybody knew we were not happy. There was going to be a new precedent. And that is us clobbering your country in basketball. Because we feel like, you know, Naismith, basketball, basketball is us. Now, right now, many of the great players in the world are European.

And that should bother us. But it's the Olympic basketball. Like, no, no, no. Buck stops here. let's send in the Delta Force. We're getting this thing fixed. And Canada's prime minister is like, he should be very proud of the silver. And I'm like, I don't know.

Maybe say that in a couple months. I don't know. It feels, you know, it's a little nice. Sometimes losing creates anger and is kind of the jet fuel you need. And I know, I'm not banging on Canada. I mean, they've got enough issues going on right now. You know. Katie Perry's date and the former prime minister.

I mean, they got all sorts of stuff going on here. You don't think I keep up to that stuff? I'm on Katie Perry Reddit board blogs. Half of my life. Here's J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

Hour one, he mentions tariffs. Hour two, Katie Perry. I don't know what's in store for Hour three. I'm excited. They're getting very affectionate. I'm like, you're the prime minister. You're dating an iconic pop star. What's going on in the world?

I mean, I'm just trying to think of it. What would be a parallel for that hockey where they go down to three on three? What's like a parallel for basketball, football? I can't even think of one. It is kind of goofy when you think about that, right? It's just, listen, Canada's great, and they're very good in hockey. But when I saw the tweet from their prime minister, I'm like, it wouldn't play here.

Like, we lost Argentina, and it was like, oh, okay, this is not going to work at all. I mean, the next six months, we're going to build the redeem team. Let's change the construct of the entire Olympic basketball movement. People got fired. And it's like, listen, Argentina had Manu Genoble. They had a really good team. A lot of times these international basketball teams, they play together more than our guys. So they know the international rules better.

They have better chemistry than we do. And I mean, Spain, Greece, Lithuania, I mean, through the course of my life, there have been great international basketball teams. If we lose to Wembe in the Olympics, we'll just go to, we'll play two-on-two. Cooper Flagg and Anthony Edwards will beat everybody by a mile. All right, let's go to the Chiefs, Colin. Let's start with Kansas City. Coming off the missed playoffs.

Yes, somebody here on the show called it. I forgot it was so long ago. But they're trying to reload, and now there's a report. And again, these are just reports. It's the off-season. Travis E.T.N. has legitimate interest in joining Mahomes and Reed in K. Good player.

I'm going to go ahead and call BS on this. Let's be real. ETN wants money. He's 27. He's not going to get paid at the top of the market. He's a good player coming off a good season. But he's down the pecking order. Remember at the deadline, the Chiefs reportedly wanted Brees Hall.

Remember they were trying to get him from the Jets. He's a free agent as well. Yeah. Running backs have some leverage this offseason. It's a very poor running back class. There's one great player, Jeremiah, I love at Notre Dame, who I think is very Jemir Gibbs. Like, explosive day one can, I mean, is literally a,

playmaking, big home run running back. Outside of that, it's a pretty weak running back class. And so I think a lot, that's why the Dallas Cowboy signed Duvante Williams. Kenneth Walker's going to have a real market. Travis A.T.N. would have a real market. We thought running backs were losing all their leverage. I think now next year's a better running back market. Right now, if you need a running back, you've got leverage. Yeah, I like the kid Price also out of Notre Dame. I think he's probably a second round pick, late second. But listen, E.T.N. Breeze Hall, you mentioned Kenneth Walker.

Interesting market, because we're not that far removed from Sequin Barclay going from Giants Eagles and being a massive factor. And think about it, Colin. Charbonnet goes down. If they had some run-of-the-mill backup, he ain't be an MVP of the Super Bowl. It matters to have Kenneth Walker back there. You need two running backs now in the league. And the Chiefs have none.

We would agree, right? Pacheco, he had his moment. He took a lot of hits. I mean, they need an edge rusher, an offensive tackle, and a running back. They're pretty set after that, but they have three specific needs, and Brett Veach has to hit on all of them. Secondary, not great. Chiefs probably missing the playoffs again, but we'll do that another day.

Let's move on to the NFC column. Let's go to the Detroit Lions. Ben Johnson moved on. The offense regressed. They fired the OC, and now Detroit has hired Drew Petzing as the offensive coordinator. After the hire Ben Johnson spoke highly of him, saying it's a match made in heaven. Apparently Johnson was at Petzing's wedding.

They go way back to Boston College. This is your typical off-season story. Hey, new OC. Let's get fired up. I actually think one of my takeaways on the second half of last year is why was Arizona's defense so bad and why was their offense with Jacoby Brissette so powerful? Some of it is they have good skill players.

But I actually think, I'm not saying he's Ben Johnson. This was one of my favorite coordinator, of the coaching cycle. I thought Mike McDaniel to the Chargers was great. I thought this was great. I think Brian Dayball to Tennessee and Cam Ward is exceptional. So I think this guy's going to hit. I think he's going to be really, really good.

I mean, listen, I don't know. We said the Lion's Super Bowl window had closed. I think I said that. Do you think there's a world where they get back in the mix? The NFC is completely different than we thought it was two seasons ago. Well, I think Chicago now for the next, for the foreseeable future, is going to be the best team. Because they still have two years,

not paying Caleb anything. The roster offensively is loaded. They have to spend their draft capital the Bears do on their defense. But, you know, the window for Detroit, now you're going to have to start paying a lot of these guys. You're already paying your Goff and your Penae Seul, I think, has the new contract.

But you've got some guys here. You're going to have to step up and make really hard decisions. And I, listen, here's a great example of the NFL. Here come the Lions. unbelievable story, here's their window, and a year later, you're like, I think the Bears are the best team in the division. Like, that's the NFL. Colin, for being real, Green Bay is going to get Micah Parsons back, okay, next season.

When he was healthy, remember that game? They went into Denver. They're beating Denver handily. And at that point, at that point, the Packers were like the best or second or third best team in the NFC. I still think the Packers going to the next season ahead of the Lions. Are you with me or no? I think the Bears should be favored to win the game.

Bears? Yeah, Bears? but then who's second? I would, I would, I think the lions will be really good. I think this guy's guy, I think the lions and the Packers will buy. It probably go, Bears, Lions, Packers, and Minnesota right now doesn't know what going on in the quarter of them. Pulling up the rear.

All right, final story. We're going back to the NBA, great day in the NBA Sunday, just outstanding, except for the Lakers, who, you know, let's remember, the Lakers are great Friday night against the Clippers, amazing win. Luca and Reeves were awesome. Fast forward to Sunday. they weren't great. Austin Meeves got locked up.

Lakers did not look great. LeBron looked not great. And they lost. They lost badly. After the game, James Worthy, big game James. Remember former finals MVP? Oh, yeah. Let's just say he took some shots at the Lakers after the Pat Riley reveal of the statute.

This game to me wasn't about, you know, stats and, you know, rebounds and all that. All that is the norm, no heart. Weak. No heart, weak. This afternoon was weak. It's a Boston Celtics. Okay, no Tatum. You're at home.

You're in fifth place. You're trying to move up. You show no. Really, you know, to me, no respectfully for the uniform. All right. So this goes to something I've said about Luca. So obviously the Lakers did well in the Lucca trait. They got their next young star.

LeBron, I think not publicly but privately, had grown frustrated with Anthony Davis's, you know, inconsistency in terms of being in shape and being committed. And then, by the way, AD went to Dallas and the beginning of this year looked completely out of shape. Well, he just got a different problem where AD was all-time great defensively, but you always wondered if he's in shape and how committed he was. Luke is all-time great offensively, and I don't think is in great shape and certainly isn't

committed on the defensive end. This is what I've said about Carmelo Anthony and these players who are great, but they're James Harden. They're not really committed on the defensive end. That spreads like a virus through the locker room. Luke has spent so much energy and time on officiating, none on defense. And I think what happens is when you're a defensive first organization, the spur of right now, OKC, Boston. Those teams play, they are not always hitting their threes.

The Celtics have bad shooting nights because they're so three-ball reliant. But the Celtics and OKC and the Spurs play great defense nightly. And that you can always bring your defense because defense is effort, unless you're at the end of an East Coast road trip as a West Coast team. You're tired. And so when I watched the Lakers yesterday, my take is this is a little bit what you get with Luca. You get these weird halves where, like, look at the Lakers this year. They have been, in their losses, in 19 of their 22 losses, they've been blown out.

So anytime they get a little turbulence, they just don't have the metal. That's just not what a Luka team is. And he is without question because of LeBron's age and Austin Reeves' limitations. He's the centerpiece of the Lakers culture. And I don't think it's going to be a great culture with him, though he's remarkably talented. Colin, you know I'm a Luca guy. Okay, the love for Luca when they win is off the charts. As soon as there's a loss, well, you can't win a championship with Luca.

That's starting to become a narrative. Can you win with a guy who doesn't play defense and is never really in shape? Like that's starting to be a thing. And I think that is goofy and, come on, Colin, let's be real. Okay, he's been with the Lakers for 12 months. That's it. Okay? And they're in this weird zone where they don't know what is going to happen with LeBron.

They don't know LeBron's future. so they can't really build yet. He's barely been there. He's been there a year with the Lakers. That's it. Half of last season, half of this season. They're never healthy. The LeBron stuff,

I just think we're going to get the last laugh in about a year when the Lakers fixed the roster. Remember this. When LeBron joined D. Wade, Chris Bosch, and they threw the Heels together. It took about 16, 17 games, and they were good. But they didn't win the title the first year. They lost in the playoffs.

Remember the Dallas show? They were good. it took him 15 games and they were an elite top two team. That was LeBron Prime, Wade Prime, Bosch Prime. Luca Prime, Austin Reeves Prime. Austin Reeves is not in the same class as those guys. Well, come on out. You're telling me what a great player he is daily.

When he gets shut down, when he plays a good defensive team like Minnesota last year or Boston, that's my point. You think he's elite. I think he's the fourth best starter on a championship team or the third best starter on a team that can win a playoff series. You think he's second best player on a championship team, and I don't think I mean, the Celtics, the T-Wolp, the really good teams are going to hunt him down and abuse him defensively. That's what they're going to do. That's what they did.

So the Mavs with Luca and Kyrie Irving got to the finals against Boston. Now they didn't win the championship, but they got to the finals. They were hunting the Kyriek hunting Luca. It's fine. You could do that. You just need a rim protector like lively or Gafford. The Lakers have none of that right now. Aiton, Rough one Sunday for DeAndre.

J-Mac with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lye News. Raiders trading the number one pick. It's out there. Thoughts on that coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific.

On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, huge news? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast?

Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. 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 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, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand, because I think. 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. Jenschen 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, 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. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo.

Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them.

Listen to SportsSlic on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. The fastest racing on earth returns to Fox. Alex Palo, Joseph Newgarden, and Pato Award lead the way as the 26 Indy car season launches in St. Petersburg, Sunday at noon Eastern, live on Fox. So this is hard to wrap your brain around. but the last number one pick in the NFL draft at quarterback, the last number one pick at quarterback to win a Super Bowl with the team that drafted him is Peyton Manning in the late 90s.

So there are people that look at the Raiders and think, what a god-awful mess. Trade out of the number one pick with Fernando Mendoza. He's not an L-O-A-level, Caleb Williams, you know, Andrew Luck level talent and then get Ty Simpson somewhere between the eighth and the 15th pick. But to me, it doesn't matter if Mendoza wins a Super Bowl ever or even regularly wins his division. The Raiders haven't won a playoff game in 23 years. And the last time they did, they've only had two winning seasons since then. They're an unstable mess. They just need

stabilization. If I could sign up right now, if you were a Raider fan, and you said the first three years, he goes eight and nine, nine and eight, and ten and seven, you should take it now. Different franchises have different realities. You are not the Patriots or the Eagles or the Rams. You're not one of the poorest owners, 23 years without a playoff. It's like if you've, if you're a parent and nobody in your family's ever gone to college, don't worry about Harvard. Just try to get somebody to college. Break the chain, get somebody in the college.

If you can't even be above 500 on an average of once a decade, it's not about Super Bowls. Raise the floor. Forget about the ceiling. And I know you're out there, hey, Raider fans, we can bring back the glory. How about bring back 500? How about bring back a winning November? So I mean, when you're in a division with Andy Reed and Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton,

you're just looking for viability. I would sign up for 8, 9, 9, and 8 and 10 and 7 today. And I think they have a good left tackle, a good running back, a star tied end, and a couple of decent receivers. There's no way in a million years I'm trading out of that pick. And I, listen, a lot of the people, We'll talk about, you know, Mendoza's a little stiff. He's not a great athlete.

His comp is Jared Goff. I think it's more Matt Ryan, but sick to this, half dozen of the other. Former Raider Tom Telesco on the Raiders and Mendoza likely being the number one pick. If I'm there, like, you can't offer me enough. Like, I'm taking Mendoza fully knowing that we need a lot of other help around them. They're going to have to build on the fly. They've got plenty of cap space this year that have, I think they have a good amount of draft picks. They had a good amount of draft picks last year.

they had 10 last year. They got a good amount this year. And you start using your, allocate your resources the best you can to put around Mendoza. But, you know, get them there and away you go. For the record, not only are the Raiders bad since 2003, they have the worst point differential in the NFL by 400 points. I mean, Jet fan Jason is laughing at the Raiders. And again, you're talking about Harbaugh. Sean Payton, Andy Reed, Mahomes, Herbert, Bo Nix. To me, I would sign up for 8, 9, 9, and 8.

Right now, if you said first two years, he stabilizes it, he raises the floor. You can watch them on a weekly basis. I mean, you know, Pete Carroll didn't work. Antonio Pierce, to his credit, they played their butt off with Antonio Pierce. They weren't very good offensively. But I, like to me, once you get the quarterback right, in the NFL, everything else kind of falls into place. If you just didn't have to worry about quarterback for the next 12 years,

like you can just concentrate on other units. It feels like the Raiders have been worried about quarterback last five years. And it's just, you know, you're reaching on Gino and you're overpaying for Gino. And it just doesn't work. I can't wait to watch the kid play. I think it's going to be a really interesting player. So, Colin, I know we've talked about it. So when I was a young guy, I wanted to be a lawyer, right?

so I would have to argue both sides to enhance my point. I tried for the last couple weeks to figure out what is the other side if you don't take Mendoza. And I'm just curious, because nobody's, there's not going to be a big haul to trade up for him. We've established that. Nobody's doing that. Nobody's giving up three ones or even two.

So what do you do if you don't take Mendoza one? Let me hear a logical explanation. Oh, I do think somebody would give up a couple of ones for him. I think there are, he's an interesting prospect where. Yeah, that's interesting. not slam dunk, which is what you give up. No, he's not a slam dunk. But I, see, I tend to lean more.

He is a slam dunk. I don't worry about him. I worry about the Raiders messing it up. But I think he's really good. I think he's got the kind of grateful, humility size. He is by far and away the most accurate thrower in this draft,

and it's not close. Okay, what if Kubiak says to the front office, guys, I just watched Sam Darnold, former top five pick. After a few years, recalibrate, we won a Super Bowl. I can do that with Kyler Murray. Oh, God, no.

I can do that with Malikwilis, who was not a top five pick. The opposite of Fernando Mendoza. If you like Mendoza, you're totally turned off by Kyler, who is small. You question his commitment. He's not the most humble guy. I like Kyler Murray. But, I mean, he is the opposite of what people see in Fernando Mendoza. Very grateful, unbelievable size and accurate.

and humility, not super athletic. I think he's better than people giving credit for. I think he's a really special player. Hour three coming up on a Monday, the herd. 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 play. put it, but, you know, tired and sick, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL, late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert 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. 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.

Gentry win. She's an outsider to win the French fame. And she likes Clay. Listen, Leonard Rabakina 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 IHart Women's Sports.

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 Sports Slice 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 SportsSlice on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slicalif 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human.