Best of The Herd

Live in Chicago on a Friday with a full slate, I opened on LeBron’s latest triple-double and my soft spot for clean exits—think Elway and Jeter, not Elvis or Brando. He’s still brilliant, but in the final minutes I now trust others more, and that’s why I’d love a graceful curtain call this year while the memories are pristine.

If my heart’s in it, I can still flip the switch and impact the game across rebounds, assists, and scoring. I’ve always loved getting teammates involved most of all.

Down the stretch it’s defense, free throws, and stamina, and that’s where he’s slipped out of my top tier. Meanwhile, pitchers and catchers just reported, and the Dodgers are sparking outrage again—not for spending alone, but because winning back-to-back makes dominance feel like a gap everyone hates.

It’s the Tush Push all over again: the trick felt unfair until the Eagles cooled off. Same vibe here, plus the Yankees and Dodgers print similar revenue but prioritize winning differently, and the Mets burn a bigger share of their intake; what people fight is separation, not payroll line items.

Ethan Strauss is here—can we actually fix tanking, or is this just how it is under Adam Silver?

Go back to equal lottery odds for all non‑playoff teams and sweeten playoff shares so chasing wins pays. Rewarding months of losing is worse than a bad team occasionally landing the 11th pick, and Orlando’s Shaq‑and‑Penny run was great for the league, not some crisis.

What about the All‑Star Game—any real fix?

Ditch the gimmicks and return to East versus West so it’s simple again. Let the commissioner pick the 12 best entertainers per side, and if you loaf, you risk next year’s invite, which matters because All‑Star status lives on your resume.

You covered the Warriors up close—what really happened with Kuminga and the youth movement around Steph?

Before you lead, you follow; doing the Aaron Gordon or Shawn Marion jobs first builds trust, then you expand. The new money map breeds impatience, Ignite sold shortcuts, and Kerr rarely misreads young guys—the issue was more horses than handling.

Sam Darnold became a flashpoint; what was the real lesson?

He was average, and that can be enough when you defend and run the ball; we overrate quarterbacks like it’s the NBA. You can win big with competent under center if the rest is elite.

Back to LeBron: how should this end in L.A., and what’s likely?

He feels half‑out already—hello golf TrackMan—but the money is enormous and the spotlight beckons. I expect at least one more season and a farewell tour even if a clean exit now would read best.

Dodgers backlash and talk of a looming labor fight—how do you see it?

Stacking stars spooks people, like when the Warriors added Cousins and it meant nothing because randomness rules. The sport’s healthier when big brands contend, but owner resentments can twist rules and hurt the product.

Ethan always brings it. On baseball, a lot of teams feel alive, and that Dodgers title still had wild variance—Dave Roberts pulled every lever while Toronto often looked steadier at the plate. Now for a little Valentine’s matchmaking with quarterbacks and needy teams.

Who fits the Vikings?

Go get Aaron Rodgers to protect a win‑now roster if JJ McCarthy misses time again in a tougher division.

How about the Dolphins?

Ride with Tua one more year while the new GM reshapes the roster and the contract out approaches.

The Steelers?

Take a swing on an athletic option like Malik Willis to inject youth and upside.

The Cardinals?

Clear the decks, eat the Kyler money, trade down, and draft a developmental QB like Ty Simpson with a veteran bridge.

And the Colts?

Roll with Riley Leonard and keep your picks rather than forcing a short‑term fix.

What about the Jets?

Bring in Justin Fields as a bridge or spot starter and see what you’ve got.

One more: Derek Carr’s comeback buzz fits dome teams like Minnesota or Indy if Rodgers stays put.