The Herd with Colin CowherdPro Bowl TE Marcedes Lewis joins the show in studio to talk about playing for the Bears and how he’s preparing to play his 20th NFL season
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. There we go, it's our three. I was thinking about this, Jmac. Certain things are bigger on certain coasts. The UFC overwhelmingly started in Vegas and LA. So when I worked at the other place over a decade ago, for about a decade ago, I can remember going to them and saying, there's this sport called UFC, and my friends think it's awesome, and they're like, no, it's too much, and I'm like, I'm just telling you. It's Hollywood celebrities people going to UFC. This was like fifteen years ago. I said, you we should go buy it. Well, they ended up, you know, buying it for twelve times the multiple they could have had at four. So I remember that, and a lot of that was just a geographical bias. They grew up in the northeast. It started out west obviously, Saturdays in the fall are much bigger in the South than they are anywhere else in the country. Midwest they're big two. But in the Northeast in the fall, you're just going out with your wife for your friends because it's Sunday Football Day, NFL Day. March's Madness, to me, is always felt bigger in the Northeast and Tobacco Road that everywhere else in the country because you grew up with the ACC and the Big East.
And I was a.
West Coast kid, so I grew up, you know, I grew up in the West Coast. My favorite conference was the Big East. The second was the Pac twelve. I didn't even I didn't care about Big ten SEC. It just didn't care about it. To me, I'm a fairly young college guy in my early twenties. All I cared about was Louis Carnesa and you know, Rowley mass Amino or whatever this you know, Rick Fatino and John Thompson, Patrick you and however old I was at that time, I'm on the exact opposite side of the country, thirty four hundred miles away. I was totally into the Big East. So I love March Madness, but I've noticed you are a Northeast guy. Mine Northeast friends they take workoff for it. Yeah. My friends out west are like, yeah, yeah, I may get down to you know, a bar, and I'm gonna watch some of the like late afternoon games. People in the Northeast like they will travel to Vegas for a four day weekend to watch the game. So it's we take it off as a show. We take Thursday Friday off because we want to watch the games, and we know we're gonna have no audience. So my takeaway is, you know, that's the way we're gonna be. You know. It's also like when I went to ESPN. I one of the reasons I went there is I wanted to go to the heart of baseball country. So I had worked in Tampa, so I worked in the SEC. I knew how big college football. I've lived in all four corners of the country. I was in Vegas. I know what boxing's like. Yeah, boxing, Tyson Sugar, Ray Hagler, hearns. I'm twenty years old. That's what I was covering. And I was covering U and LV basketball. So and my moves around the country. Every region is different, there's no every single region is totally different. March Madness is just different East and Tobacco Road. It's just it is everything people live for. There are writers, most of your great college basketball writers, most of them, they're all in that area of the country.
I remember coming out here and a bunch of guys played basketball in a certain night and I was like, guys, I can't play I gotta watch the National Championship college football. And they were like, oh, can't you just miss the first half? And I was like, no, it's the National Championship and they're still playing games. I don't know.
College.
I love, like you said, March Madness. I'm grateful that we're often.
Well you know we are. This is what I think helps college But there's two things helping college basketball a lot going forward. Nil. Oh yeah, okay, Like now, a lot of these kids would just stay. They'll stay one more year at Duke unless you're a Cooper Flag and the best player in the country. So that helps instead of going to the G League, Well, we can pay more than the G League and you get a better coach. And the second thing that helps college basketball, we are becoming an event culture. So baseball, the NBA, and hockey you're finding this out Monday through Thursday, Monday through Friday. It is harder to get TV ratings because we all got the phone in the TikTok, We're all distracted. World Cup still gets great numbers, NFL gets great numbers, The Olympics great numbers of.
The Big East Tournament and the Big Ten Tournament got massive numbers.
Because they're seen as events. Yes so, and that's why college football playoff. Now it's we're not used to it yet. Last year was okay. Over the course of the next five or six years, it will become more of our schedules, like, hey, I'm not going I'm not going to ski this weekend. I'm watching like four college football games. But college basketball's had a lean twenty years, where like the NBA almost marginalized them, they got two great things going for him. The nil is going to keep some of your best players for one more year. So let's be honest. I can remember having a moment I never forget this. I used to go buy Street and Smith was a magazine, guys, and I you know, I'm Phil Steele for football. I would buy Street and Smith and I would buy that. So I would spend a Weekend reading it, so I knew when the college season came, I had, you know, all the players down. I never forget going to a grocery store. However, many years this was ago, eighteen years ago or something. The Street and Smith All American team had three freshmen who I'd never heard of because they were in high school of the year before. And it was like a Michigan State guy, a Kansas guy, and then guys I'd never heard of it. I'm like, this is a problem. I'm a fan. I was at UNLB. I covered the Rebels like I'm a fan of college basketball. I had never e'd heard of the best players, forget the third tier guys. I don't even know the best players. So I think college basketball we saw it last year with the March Madness ratings. I also think women's college basketball is benefiting greatly. They don't leave early. I found myself watching the WNBA draft this year. I knew the top eight players, knew all of them. NBA Draft, I mean, unless you eat breecheese, wears socks to bed and smoke cigarettes and follow French basketball leagues, you had no idea who the first eight guys were. Yeah, I mean it was literally I'm like, who, I'm not gonna go on the internet, and you know it was Frenchy suck reb Blues shitting God. I get sorry you lost me. I'm watching March Madness. So I think sports or cyclical boxing was big. Now it's UFC. By the way, UFC, he has their own challenges. Their pay per view numbers are down. Some of the people are saying they're looking for the next Connor McGregor. So like the NFL is kind of bulletproof, even UFC. And I'm just reading this on the internet, like the pay per view is down because they're you know, they need John Jones, Connor McGregor. I bought every car those guy weres on, those guys are on. I am less inclined, not that I don't like it, but there have been occasional cards where I'm like, I can miss this one.
There's not the guy, so Roonda ROUSI have a big moment.
She did, and that's not a knock on the league. The NBA, Jimmy Butler, the Warriors, Luca to the Lakers, ratings shoot up, take the NFL out all these sports. You know, I love college football. People ask me for about a decade. You don't talk college football anymore. And I said, it's become regional. It's Clemson, Georgia, Bama. Nobody Denver, West cares. I'm on Seattle Radio, LA Radio, Phoenix that they don't care. The minute your regional, You're uninterested. To a syndicated host, I don't care. So that's why I that's why like baseball right now. I don't understand ESPN not having baseball. Yankees are good, Mets are good, Dodgers are good, Cubs are interesting, Braves are good. You have every big region covered, all the best team. Philadelphia is good. If you could in Major League baseball, if you could, okay, pick the five teams you want to be good, you'd go Dodgers, Yankees, Braves. If you ever been to the South, everybody else summer where it's a Braves, Hat, Phillies, Mets, Cubs, and by the way, Houston or Texas wouldn't hurt either. All those teams are good like you. So baseball right now is in a great cycle. And I and I've said this, the NBA could get so lucky. Cooper Flag goes at least to the Final four, and then Chicago wins the lottery, because right now, think of the symmetry in the NBA. Two biggest markets on the West coast, La and San Francisco, great TV ratings, two biggest markets on the East coast, New York, Boston, great numbers. They're missing Chicago now. And I will argue that Dallas, when these guys get healthy, that Dallas team is good. I'll argue that all day long.
We'll see see, We'll see when Kyrie.
Comes, p J. Gafford, a d Kyrie the kid.
They all get help.
If they get healthy. Next year, Dallas is a title contending keeps on Houston.
If they get Kevin Durant, there's a chance Houston's pretty good. What top five in the West.
Yeah, but it's just it's funny you have such passion for March madness. And I have another friend who just is like you, like it's just I mean, Jay Mack. Yesterday during a break He's like, Hey, thanks for getting us these days off. And I'm like, and it's like that that's a very East Coast thing, Like I'm gonna watch I'm gonna watch basketball for four days.
When I told my family that you got us the two days off, I didn't. I actually said, this is not a lie. I almost wanted to hug Colin like I was so happy Colin. When I worked normal jobs before I got out here, I would pretend to be sick leading up to the Thursday Friday. So then I just call in Thursday, I'm not feeling good. I got to stay home because I was coughing yesterday, I remember, and I would fake like a sickness just to stay home and watch the tournament.
I've never done That's how much I love it. I've never done that.
You're lying, you've done that.
No, I've Influenza does not keep me away. No, But I mean part of this was. I mean it was out of respect to the audience. Thursday and Friday, nobody watches because it's an American event. And I've learned in my career, don't go up against events. You can go up against games all the time. You're not going to compete against March Madness, the World Cup, the Olympics, an NFL game. They you're not going to compete against the America. And I so it's just fun to watch the cyclical nature of all these sports. And I think college basketball and baseball the really they got some runway here to do some special stuff. I mean, I'm I am genuinely into the Dodgers and that CUB series, Like genuinely. I don't set my alarm for three forty five in the morning for a lot of things.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and noon Eastern not a em Pacific.
Nineteen years in the NFL. How about that second oldest player looks great, Taron Rodgers, by the way, who always appreciated you. Mercedes Lewis, the former UCLA Bruin. God, you were drafted back in two thousand and six by the Jags. That you I remember your college career. So we were talking during the break. It is interesting I can remember now I'm old enough to remember when Benny Cunningham for the Steelers was like he made it a targeted game. And then you'd see Kellen Winslow and you're like, well, that's a once out of a twenty year player. It feels like there's a lot more Kellen Winslow ish guys coming out of college. What is the single biggest change at tight end from this past year to your rookie year.
Well, I would say obviously, I came in at a time where it was more run, heavy, play action pass. Let's control the clock being the extra extension of the line, and if we need you to stress the field, great, here you go, catch your bone to come back and come block this power play.
Right.
So as far as the change though, every like, tight ends now are more spread out, and I think the responsibility of the tight end is changing as time, you know, as time goes on, right, like you, when I came in, it was like, okay, you have your number one tight end and then you know you'll have two tight ends behind me, but they're not really going to be.
Expected to do much work.
Right, It's special teams and if I need a break or my shoe comes untied, I'll come out somebody comes in. Now what you're saying, teams are starting to get more guys, you know, more depth at these different positions to kind of take the workload off of the number one guy. So for instance, Travis kelse right Elite passed Casher. You know what you're gonna get out of him. You want to keep it as fresh as possible, so you're gonna have him there, and then who's behind him Gray, You'll have Noah Gray, who's your guy that can kind of do it all right?
And then the guy behind nor.
Gray is going to be the more utility guy, special teams guy, all in in effort to keep the number one guy healthy, right, and continue to develop the guys behind Travis. But that's what it's more geared towards now, and I like it. It's kind of like when you think of like the running backs, and you have like your your guy that's gonna run in between the tackles, your bruiser, and then you got your guy that is catching, you know, catching the ball out the backfield, pitches.
Sweeps and things of that nature.
But it keeps guys fresh and throughout the course of a year.
You need that some of some of what you've done is you know. I mean, I remember when you came out of college. It's like, could this guy play in the NBA? Remember Dave Winfield a baseball You had a Dave Winfield quality. You're like, he just decided to play a sport. You could have played more than one. So, but I wonder how much of nineteen years is just mindset? Do you think that matters?
Yeah, I think that's a good point. Obviously, the physical part of this game. You know what you're signing up for. I've been playing football so I was seven years old, and it's something that I've grown accustomed to. But my mentality is which sets me apart and having a routine and my adaptability as well. The game is gonna evolve, It's gonna, you know, continue to evolve, and if you want to have a long career, then you have to find ways to kind of keep that edge and do the same. And obviously, when I came out of UCLA pass catcher, setting records, touchdowns, all of that got to Jacksonville those first three years was kind of like a culture shock because we didn't pass the ball at the rate you know, I caught the ball in college. But what that did was prepare me for what the role was going to be ahead, right, and that was getting that gristle on my bones and really embracing the grind. And I've been able to weaponize the grind throughout my career. And you know, nowadays, when the expectations.
Are a certain way, I've already been through that. I know what it looks like.
So I'm able to lead from the front and help the guys that are coming behind me and let them.
Know that, like, this is truly a privilege to be in this league.
And if you want to play for a long time, and you know you want to have a really successful career, it's about the grit and the grind, and that's what I thrive off of.
So Cole Command Notre Damer. I met him at the USC Notre Dame game. Really engaging guy. That's my guy, really nice guy. And so you were in Chicago. I'm moving the base of our show to Chicago and I'm going there after the show and wife's families there is you know, J Mack is like, I can't take the cold weather. Now you're a West Coast guy, can you at least acknowledge to J Mac? Chicago's a fun time.
I will say this. Obviously. I played twelve years in Jacksonville, five and Green Bay. I just finished my second in Chicago. I think the city of Chicago is probably one of my favorite cities I've ever been in. And I was born in Lone Beach. I went to UCLA right, Love Love LA. This is where I'm from, this is where the family is. But Chicago is probably one of my favorite cities.
To ever be in architecture.
Everything. Man, the food is amazing.
The people are just great people dress up.
Yeah, no, it's and you mentioned the cold, Like, yes, it is cold. We do understand that.
But like I feel like I dressed the best when it's cold. You know what I mean. I can layer up.
I can wear my trench coats for my hoodies and everything.
Okay, I tell him that, you know, you know I tell my wife this. Yeah, I'm like, man, you are in the winter. She's got layers. Come on, yes, like that got good looking people.
Yes, that's what it's about. Like I'm telling you, when it's hot outside. Sometimes in when I'm in my house, I don't even know what I'm wearing. Like I'll leave out with swim trunks with a hoodie just because I'm like, well, maybe cold, you know la Is It's like yeah, says seventy eight, but the breeze, Like I don't give me something that I know if it's gonna be sixty, I'm a dressed like it's sixty and I know exactly what I'm walking into.
So I enjoy it like it's a good time.
So we do worry a little about Caleb Williams and I've said this, I love him personally. I mean, he's a good guy his and I think this was a fair not even a criticism, it was a fair kind of summation of him in college sometimes. And I think a lot of this was he didn't trust his own line he just wouldn't out them publicly. Is that he was kind of a big play guy instead of taking the lay up, which that's the NFL. Mahomes takes a lot of layouts, no doubt. You know, Michael Jordan about twice a night was jaw dropping. Other than that, Michael hit a lot of eighteen footers just come down, and that he was a little prone to go wild play over just boom, boom boom. Did you sense a little bit of that early and him growing out of that?
Yeah, I think you know, when you have a guy like Caleb and the ability that he has to get that ball out of his hand and throw off platform and make it look make hard stuff look very easy, and if you're doing it in college and you've been able to get away with it in college, obviously the natural progressions when you come into the league, you're going to try to do some of those things, and so I think, you know, in his defense, obviously, with our offense last year, the firing of coaches, it was a lot going on, and he was just trying to do the best job he could at trying to take on all the information. Obviously the offense kind of like shifted midway through the season, like it was just it was just a lot going on for him. And I think that, you know, obviously bring and Ben Johnson and and being able to pair him with Caleb and Caleb's ability to kind of be who he is, and Ben is going to be able to get in there and get into his mind and kind of create this offense around Caleb so that you know, he understands the structure how things should work in the NFL, and you know, you're not going to question Ben's ability to put guys in position to make plays. And right you know, I'm looking forward to watching it.
It's going to be what are you going to play again?
Yeah?
Yeah, I mean I'm at nineteen obviously that's all I find the dandy, But twenty I don't know where yet. You know, there's been a few teams probing to kind of see if I'm going to continue to play, and so It's all in the universe's hands, and I'm just going to do my job like I've always done this offseason and train my butt off and I'll be ready when that.
Would you like to go to Chicago?
Of course? That's best case scenario? Yeah?
Yeah, what's second best case scenario? You know Chargers could use they could use a tough guy.
Yeah.
Uh, I'm gonna leave that open to interpretation. I'm not gonna obviously for me to put Chicago out there. I've been there the last two years. I'm familiar with you got guys, the process and and you know that work and what they expect and what's expected of me, right And obviously they got they fired their coaching staff, but they kept my tight end coach who I've had the last two years there and so would be great to finish my career with him. Jim dre is somebody that I respect a lot, and he you know, brings the best out of us in that room. And being able to continue to watch co commit uh kind of develop and do his thing as he comes into his own and you know, would just be a blessing. So you know, obviously, what I can control is being being my personal best and working out and doing my thing, and and I'll be ready when that time comes.
So you know, Aaron well I said, I kind of thought he would uh Minnesota works. I would have gone him innes. I could see Aeron at this point saying, you know what I kept telling people, I think he likes New York. I think he's a smart guy, likes the city. It's fabric. I think New York is a like Chicago, big smart cities for you know, museums and architecture, and there's just there's always somewhere to go in New York, in Chicago or London. I can see him going to New York. They got a left tackle, offensive coach, weapon, great running back draft. But I could also see Aaron saying, listen, mound forty one, a little bumpy at the end, first bout, Hall of Famer. If you had to guest today, retirement Steelers Giants, do you have a guest?
My guests would maybe be the Steelers.
You like the Steelers. They don't have a left tackle that worries me.
I think I just think that him coming from the Jets, obviously already being in New York. I don't know me knowing a Rod. I don't know if you want to just go right over to the Giants after being with the Jets, Like I just I feel like he want more of like just a something completely new, completely different, potentially get out of New York. I know him and Tomlin have a really good relationship yeah, and a good you know, rapport there and it's just a still city. I feel like that's the piece that they would need to potentially put them over the top as well. But if I you know what's having a conversation with Aaron right now about coming back, I would just say, chase joy, not happiness. Happiness is fleeting if you don't find joy in football and everything that comes with it anymore. As far as you know, being scrutinized and everybody picking you apart from the outside, you've done enough. You know you are one of the best that I've ever done it, and like you said, first ballot and a really good friend of mine. So I just whatever it is, take the time to kind of figure that out. He always knows he can lean on me and hit me at whenever he wants to kind of sort through it. But he's definitely done enough, so it'd be interesting to see.
Is he misunderstood?
Yeah, I mean I think for people that don't know me, I would be misunderstood as well, you know what I mean. Like it's just one of those things like if you don't know somebody personally, you're going to form your own opinions based on second hand and third hand information that you've gotten. And does a rid kind of.
Provoke it a little bit because he knows.
I think I've said this before, he can be combative, No, no, okay with his family. I'm not making stuff up. And I've said and I've met Aaron Wance at the SP's very very quick and even in that little forty five second moment, he's got a big opinion and he'll tell you and he didn't know me, and I'll never say what was said. But my take is that's who he is.
Yeah, I mean, yeah, exactly. I mean, that's just who he is. And if you don't really have the time to kind of like sit there and get to know him and be with him on the day in the day out basis, your opinion is probably going to be just like everybody else's opinion that don't really know him.
And so.
You know, I'm grateful to have had those moments with him. And you know, we've actually spent holidays together and you know, spent a lot of time together kind of picking his brain and it's it's just a different psychosis that makes you great. And he's one of those guys.
And and he loves football.
Yeah, he loves it, man, Just how he prepares, how he comes to work. You know a lot of people don't understand too is And I'll leave it with this. You know, friendships and connections as far as who you respect at the professional level, even really at the college level, it's based on how you come to work and what you what you do in the film room, how you are on the field, how you cheat people around the building like that, that's your value. And if you're one of those guys that does it the right way, and he is, and how he leads from the front end of the building, Uh, you're going to be best friend. And if you're not, you know, he's gonna you're gonna find out real quick, you know. And a Rod is one of those guys like he's not he's not necessarily gonna pull you aside him. He man, I don't really like this. He's just not gonna talk to you, you know.
What I mean. Like, that's just what it is.
Everybody's different. Ye, who's the biggest trash talker you line up against? Career and currently a guy that like Max Crosby. He said, he's like a radio announcer, Like he's just talking.
Yeah, so.
Max, Max does talk a lot, but Max backs it up a lot so he could he could say whatever.
Yeah, he's he's a dude.
And he's one of those guys, whether it's Max Crossby, Miles Garrett, whenever I'm going against those two guys. Uh, I know that the night, like the night before, my body feels different because I know that, like, uh, come Sunday morning, I'm gonna need all of what I have, uh in order to get my job done. And I think that's the beauty of competition in general. And if I don't feel that, then it may be an issue. And I have to like sometimes muster that up right, And.
And Max is one of those guys. It's just different.
Yeah, it's just different. You just know that you're gonna get You're gonna you're gonna get a handful of every single play, NonStop. This is what it is. Whether you block them, great, just know that the next play he's coming after you. And but that's what I thrive off of, Like that's you don't have guys like that, no more.
Like Max is an old school guy.
He is a raider from the seventh you know.
What I mean.
Like, he's just an old school guy. And like I think for me, that's what I appreciate more are guys that are that way.
And you're gonna.
Have guys that talk a lot, but if you're not backing it up like that, then it becomes whatever.
Right, Like you can watch the film.
And he jumps off the film every single place, so you know what you're getting, right, And you know, those are the type of guys you respect every day.
So man, we only get you like twice a year. I know. Man, I gotta you're busy. You have a life.
Yeah, I gotta start buy it more.
Well no, no, no, it's not your responsibility. I'll just have to fire my guest booker. It's mcdell. So you do you still live over by my favorite restaurant?
Yeah, so I'm still over there. I'm actually now in Studio City, though I moved down. I just wanted to try some little different.
It was.
Being in the Sino was kind of far. Oh yeah, you know, coming back this way. But I'm a enjoining studio city and I'm there for now, so we'll see.
Man.
I love to see you with the Bears.
Oh man, let's see what happens.
I'm in the Birds now too.
Yeah.
No, they have my numbers. But you know, I like it, like I like being just far enough away. But if I want to go get it, you know, I mean it's la.
So maybe who's the biggest personality in the bird Like a funny guy. Every locker room's got a funny guy.
I would say DJ Moore.
DJ is like he's unassuming too, Like DJ is quiet at like face value, but like once you get to know him, it's pranks, jokes, like he's he's a dude.
I love DJs.
Al was a great player, no doubt. Mercedes Lewis. What a pleasure. Maybe we'll go into business someday.
Let just do it.
I got a podcast company, sign me up? Would very popular. Kids like it.
Yeah, we've been talking about this for a long time now. And I got one more that I want to get, get twenty and then wow, let's get it.
Man, not like you'd need it, but you're gonna have quite a pension.
I appreciate.
Hey.
You know what's funny about that is like you don't really think about those things because you're you're literally in the grind, and then guys don't necessarily play for this long, so you don't really even.
Yeah, but here's the wild thing.
Yes, there'll be a pension there, but it's more so like some of the things you can't even have.
Access to to your forty five, I'll be forty.
One in May, like who finishes playing, and then like if I wanted to, it's like, oh yeah, cool, two or three years, I could just.
You could be president, Like in forty two the number on presidency, I think I just retire bears and run for off. But believe me, we could. We could use lots of leadership in the Oh my gosh, Mercedes great. See any buddy likewise, Appreciate you, brother, Appreciate it back in a second. I heard one more Heard.
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That's Cavino and Rich. All right, let's close out Strong Final twelve minutes off Tomorrow and Friday, we're watching March Madness. You're watching March Madness, and I appreciate that.
It was so.
I talked to Mercedes Lewis for about eight minutes during the break. That guy is gonna end up being a a front office exec of some renowned over the course of his.
Heat, I saw the way you were gushing over him. Well, how I act around Mark Sanchez, you know, former Jets quarterback. He's a here. I'm always like Sanchez talking to me.
Mercedes knows everybody in the league. Completely right temperament to be an executive, you know what I mean. Like, he's just even. You don't get highs and lows. It's a it's all common sense.
I think you told me you liked that about me when I know so, I'm very even. No get high, you're looking at too high.
You know. Your game on the court is like your personality. A lot of gunning, not quite prepared, just let it rip and mostly successful but occasional airballs.
Okay, like Giannis. You showed video of Yannas throwing up air balls from the feed throw line. I think he's one of the best players in the league or has he watched at thirty?
All right, let's end strong. It's called tomorrows headlines. Today we head in the march manness, I can't wait for this. What is the headline for the first big upset?
Okay? So they came to me.
They were like, Jay mc, let's do some upsets.
So listen, it's tough. They're tough. Okay, you gotta pick some You gotta lie down with some dogs and get some possible fleas. So, Colin, I'm looking at Purdue.
And high Point, and I know you know a lot about high Point.
Yeah, Anthers very strong team. The headline will be per don't do drugs. Boiler Makers get smoked by a high Point. Now listen. Perdue obviously had a great season last year with Zach Edy, went all the way to the national Championship. Lost. Honestly, there is some regression that they've struggled with this year. They have lost six of eight coming into the tournament. Yes, and Colin, they've really got one guy, Braden Smith, who's awesome. There is a lot of chatter on the Perdue message boards. I have some friends who check it. Braden Smith. They're talking he may enter the portal and leave.
So there is some.
Potential upheaval in the program. I think high Point can take advantage. They're a good offensive team. Purdue's defense has just been just not good this year. They missed the room protector Edie. Listen, High Points on only an eight point dog, which seems like a smart a small number right against Perdue. So I'm on a high Point money line and with the points, I think they surprise Perdue.
I like that.
I like where we're going. Tomorrow's headlines today the second major upset.
Now, these guys pulled a big upset last year.
They took down Auburn. People were shocked. That ruined a lot of brackets. It was either on day one or day two. But the Yale Bulldogs, Yale Bulldogs. Yes, they're playing a tough opponent. The headline will be revenge the Negs. Yale closes book on Agne.
Wow.
Now listen, this is an SEC team. They have lost five of seven. One of the trends I look for is how are you playing heading into the tournament. That can be a predictor of success or failure. Texas A and M struggling a lot and Colin this Yale team matches up great. Texas A and M cannot shoot threes at all, three hundred and seventeenth in the country, Yale's ninth. Now Yale would have to catch fire. But they're a great rebounding team. Texas A and M number one on the offensive glass. Again, this is one of these matchups where it's like, hey, man, we played in the SEC. We're not afraid of anybody. We could take on anything. Yale, Man, this is a very good, smart, fundamentally sound, nerdy team. If you will they shoot the three, well, if they can hit the glass, I think Yale pulls the upset of Texas A and M.
That is exciting. Now the Yalees have been Harvard football and Yale and Princeton basketball from IVY.
Princeton has been pulled too big upsets Princeton Yale. They unlike some other conferences, they actually show up in March.
Well, if you can shoot the ball today and Yale can, don't you know how you can shoot the ball, don't turn it over. You can play with teams all right, tomorrow's headlines today. Now the third tournament upset.
Now listen, I'm sure Seinfeld fans will remember. I love the Drake. Remember the Drake's coffee cakes, obviously, and this Drake team is fun. They got a new coach that he brought in all these Division two players from his old school, and it's like, ah, what's their story. They've been awesome this season. Can they keep it going? The headline will be Drizzy Draked Bulldogs turn Tigers off at halftime. Another SEC team I have going down Missouri. Listen again, they've been a very good team this year. And I know, Jason, you're picking on the SEC.
Well, they got fourteen team somebody. They're gonna have a couple of teams, but they've gotta lose.
And this Drake team, they've got a they're a great story.
Now.
I had Frand for Schilla on my podcast. You know him from your other job. He knows the sport well, and he's like, Jason, just be careful, man. Drake overachieved all season.
They got a bunch of details, rands and Encyclopedia amazing, and you know.
They have overachieved to a point. But they got this point guard, Bennett Sturtz. He's a great story. The whole team. They took down Kansas State in a major shocker earlier this year and again everything has to go right to pull the upset. But Colin, you know the history of March madness. These games start in the middle of the day, often right there in unfamiliar.
Arena, there's nobody there, nobody there.
Midweek travel, and the underdogs can play that card like, hey man.
Nobody believes in us. We're a bunch of Division two players. We're going to shock the world. And they pulled the outset.
I like Drake, Yeah, Sometimes you get these big favorites playing in an empty arena and they have no energy, no juice. Tomorrow's headlines today, I'm on the fourthop set now.
Listen. I had hyped this last week, and over the weekend they won their conference tournament and everybody got on board. You have mocked me soundly multiple days since I talked about Michigan being in trouble against the UC San Diego Tritons. Look at the look on his face. America's like, oh, Coward's sick of this. The headline will be Mazon blue Michigan sings under Triton tsunami. You can shoot hell of a headline. Listen, man, this team, if you just look at who plays the hardest in the country.
I think they've got to be top five.
I'm telling you, man, this team, a bunch of scrappy deep two and D three players are emerging. Is we can hang with these guys now. They play in a conference U s year Vine's pretty good. They took them down.
Michigan does have two seven footers colin.
Which Michigan is big.
But the big doesn't win in March.
What wins in March? Play guard play You know this, you follow forever, and I'm just telling you this team. You just look at how they shoot it. They're unafraid to just let her rip from deep. Great three point shooting team. They played the no middle defense again. I know you know you coach your kids in sports. Probably a little bit you might have been too fack. You just pack it in, no layups. We'll give you all the shots you want. And Michigan does not shoot it well. Remember they needed a buzzer shot by the kid.
Oh I watched Michigan Michigan State. Well, those are not teams that shoot the three.
They just don't shoot the three.
Well, they want to go one on one ISO off the drove. I like UC San Diego Line's coming my way. It's a popular pick, maybe too popular at this point, but I'm pot committed.
By the way.
This is not a headline Oklahoma or a Yukon.
Who you taking?
I got Oklahoma?
So do I YEA tomorrow's headlines thing? Now we have four upsets? How about a four? Sure? Yeah headline?
So you know we got the big Calcutta tonight. I've been told by our team we cannot talk Jason, don't talk about her on air. We don't need to put anything out there. But we all agree. Everybody knows Duke's the best team in the country. Column the headline will be Duke bomb no Hands, Blue Devil's cruise to Final four. Colin, I've gone through the bracket all week. I don't see who's touching very in this bracket, I know, but you know we're in an nil erarow right where you got twenty four to twenty five year old kids against Cooper Flag. Yes, bro, Cooper Flag played against Auburn.
Beat them. Now wasn't home.
They faced Illinois. They smoked them by thirty. They've played a lot of top competition. I know the ACC is down, but again, net rating one of these stats that's basically everything says. Duke is the best team in college basketball in the last twenty years. According to Tax, they got a big dude who patrols the middle. And I swear this is silly, but to me he looks like Joellembi. Defensively, it's like you're not scoring on me. They got size, they got shooters, the kid Proctor's awesome, and when Cooper Flag comes back. My daughter actually texted me dad is the Duke player injured, because all like the boys in her sixth grade class are asking, so, hey, what does your dad think about Duke and Cooper Flag.
Guys, I'm just telling you Cooper Flagg is can't miss.
And you know I don't like that can't miss.
No, he's he's He's Jason Tatum. He does everything well. He may not be amazing at one thing, he is B plus a minus at every part of the game.
If he goes to the Bulls or the Wizard's over, he's gonna be a twenty and eight guy as a rookie. I'm not kidding.
He's that good. Yeah, and he could do pretty much everything. Handle defense.
Johnny Schier has done a very good job generally when the legend retires and they hire somebody connected to the program. It almost never worked usually. Yeah, and Shire has been He's an unbelievable recruiter. And Duke's got a lot of money for nil. But when you watch Duke play, it's like JJ Reddick with the Lakers. You can see what they're trying to do. They're a well coached team.
Imprint is on the program. So the last couple, the last two losses that they had that were tough were to Tennessee and the tournament. They kind of got punked by Tennessee a few years ago, and then last year NC State just bodied him inside. I don't think that happens this year. With the size they have. The only team that could is Alabama and they don't play great defense. So Colin, I'm looking up and down the bracket. I'm sorry, Wisconsin, they're not meeting Duke in the Elite eight.
So who is it?
You're Arizona, wis lot of veteran point guard.
You like them, you like the chucker they got in the back court from UNC. I just don't see Duke getting touched. Now, Duke Houston in the final four, Duke Tennessee, that's a hell of a game. But if you're asking me for a lot for the final four, I think it's got to be due.
Okay, So we talked about something earlier. I want to readdress this. So I said before. One of the things I look at is when your quarterback is ripped, I'm looking for a fluid athlete to play quarterback. You get bent in multiple directions. So Jalen Milroe looks like you know, I mean, he's built like a bodybuilder. He's great and he's a great kid with a great reputation, a remarkable family. People love him. But he can be a bit mechanical, which was my knock on Will Levis. He's not fluid. It looks it looks mechanical. Lamar Jackson is in Mahomes I mean just it's easy. You know, Aaron Rodgers flipping off his back foot. There's nothing mechanical about Aaron or Lamar or Mahomes Burrow similarly, just he's just moving an angle. Arment can do anything. So just to give you an example, I'm going to show you some quarterbacks who were you know, poster guys like great looking guys ripped. I this is not do we have the shot of this. This is generally Okay, these guys are ripped now, they're good looking dudes. I'm not saying that these are like underwear model guys. You know what, I don't see a lot of there. I don't see a lot of Super Bowl trophies. This is what I want my quarterback to look like. Let's go to what I want my quarterback to look like. Oh yeah, a lot of Lombardy trophies, lot Eli Tommy Eli.
Manny doesn't have a six pack. He's got a keg there down there by the way.
These guys we got a little bit of pudding. That pudding takes the hit Ton Sunday. So I'm just saying, I don't know.
Josh Allen was so out of shape.
Not out of shape. It's the off season. He's probably got a couple of bud lights in there. He's having a good time. Okay, me, he's out of shape. You want to go to the beach with the Super Bowl winners so you look better. You don't want to stand next to Newton.
On the beach.
It's listen, Cam Newton. You know he could do modeling, right, Like, I get that. I'm just saying I said before the draft. Will Levis to me was two cut twelve super Bowls with the dad Bods.
How many for the not many ShredIt guests. The ShredIt ham did go to a super Bowl, but refused to jump in.
He listen, he had some great years MVP, A couple couple.
I'm not Dad Prescott was on that list.
Listen, you want twelve packs, I want twelve Lombardes. That's the difference. It's okay, I got you. Oh boy, dad bods eat or what is the slow feet eat something like that? Whatever, whatever, Yeah, all right. Mercedes Lewis was great. Albert berstot by aj Perzinski one.
Aaron Rodgers have a home. When we returned to the air, I don't you may retire.
I think I don't. I'm it's fifty to fifty called a career and again an unbelievable career. He deserves credit for that. We'll see you on Monday.
