Cowboys ‘want to be looked at’, Chiefs’ ‘best team’, Texas being disrespected? | FIRST THINGS FIRST

Live from New York, it's a show that was warned while I was getting makeup that I need to step up. And I said, you know what?

Yeah, I'll warn both of y'all.

What did you warn me about?

Don't get out beside yourself today.

We're doing the post game press conference and Gianna's gonna be keeping track of box scores.

And Brew dominated last time, but Brew, I thought. I'm worried y'all going for your numbers. It was a nice kind of though, last show, like young Kobe Shaq. Like I set you up, you had the mic drop.

I was Shaq?

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

No, that's true. Who was wild?

Phil Jackson.

Was it Phil Jackson or...

Yeah, no, I was Phil Jackson. I don't know, you had zero good points. According to the official box score... I'll give you Derek Fisher. You had zero good points.

You know what? Jerry West.

At that point he was with the Grizzlies.

Exactly, I don't want to be here. Jerry Jones, on the quote blue carpet for the premiere of the Cowboys Netflix documentary was asked how he views the Cowboys role

in the NFL and pop culture as a whole, bro.

Bro, your reaction to this quote.

Thank you, Jerry. I mean, this is just confirmations for what I've been saying for the last six, seven years. Wow. Six, seven years. Yeah, because remember I had the radio show, The Icon. Oh, I remember. Before I joined you. Yeah, because remember, I had the radio show, The Hour, coming before I joined you guys.

What about five to seven?

No, six to nine.

Six to nine.

Seven to ten, actually. But, um... And I've actually used the term soap opera. Like, this is just proof that Jerry does not view the Cowboys primarily as a football franchise.

They are primarily an entertainment enterprise. And I've said this before, but you know, we've all gone to see great movies that are sports-based, but they're really not about the sports. They're about the love story or whatever. Yeah, I wasn't the first that came to mind,

but Love and Basketball or something like that, where it's a bull Durham. Yeah, there's a lot of Durham wasn't about baseball. It was about the love. So the Cowboys are a drama, a controversy in a football setting. That's what they are. And that is great for the bottom line. It's great for business. And that's why the Cowboys, despite having not

won a Super Bowl in the last 30 years, are the highest valued franchise in American sports. Baseball, basketball, they are the highest. And so it's great for that. But it's terrible for football because it creates distractions. What coaches don't want are unnecessary distractions.

And that's what Jerry is constantly creating. Look at all the great winners, the Chiefs now, the Patriots, the Steelers in NFL, whether it's the Lakers or some team in the Spurs, in the NBA, like there might be drama, but it's drama based on the game when Shaq and Kobe had their drama. It hurt the team like right. And so this is this is part. He

just summed up what they're all what he and they are all about and it's great for money,

but it's terrible if you want to win Super Bowl. So I want to take it maybe a step further because, listen, you have been saying this for years and I don't think you've been, you're the only person who has made this point, but I think you're the only person I know of that this has been your main point about the Cowboys. I think everybody's acknowledged Jerry likes to be, you know what I mean, in the mix. But you have talked about, back a couple years ago when I was picking him to make the Super Bowl, because I liked the roster,

about the silliness associated with the team. And so I thought about that when I was listening to this quote, because I tried to square that with the fact that Jerry, this past offseason, did something very specific in a major decision that decreased buzz,

that made them less of a circus or a sideshow or less attention, and that is his head coach pick. He could have picked Bill Belichick, which would have been a massive story. And instead he picked as anonymous of a head coach as one could get in Brian Schottenheimer.

And I thought about why is that? And so this is what I'm saying I want to kind of add to it. It's not just that the Cowboys are a soap opera. It's that he has to be the star.

Yes, yeah.

It's not just that we need the attention, but I need to be the main character of this movie. And you have seen that throughout these Micah negotiations, which aren't even negotiations because they won't engage on the negotiations. But not just with his daily impromptu press avails, but with him saying, let me make this clear.

A lot of people that do contracts for the Cowboys, but a contract like this one is between me and the player. Jerry Jones is doing this one. And by the way, come check out the new Cowboys documentary called The Gambler.

Not called America's Team or whatever it is about, you know, about what me and what I've done, which then led me to something that I think might pique your interest because you, and I think not just you, some of the audience as well, is kind of over this story because we all saw this story coming. I talked in January that there was going to be Micah drama.

Here's would be my concern if I'm a Cowboys fan, because I don't think Jerry's dumb by any, you know, strategy. I think he's pretty savvy about this stuff. Dak is locked up. CD is locked up. The team is fine.

They're not probably not going to though be an A-1 story based on their own merit on the field anytime soon. What is the only way for the Cowboys to guarantee they can control future off-season news cycles? The answer to that is not lock up Micah Parsons. The answer to that, like, if they..

Not even through this year?

Yes, if they-

You mean trading?

No, no.

Or franchising?

Yeah, play this year out, and then we'll resume negotiations, which have never, again, have never begun. He has not talked to the agent once. They haven't even started negotiations. So our show's take, I think, mostly has been,

it's probably getting done right before the first day of the season. And if I had to bet money, I would probably, after being burnt on the DAC bet that I made, say that's probably what's gonna happen. But if Jerry understands the only way to continue this,

you know what I mean, this level of intrigue and interest, because there's not gonna be anything around Dak, he has a no trade, they have him signed long term. CD is a great player, but like, could the Cowboys trade CD Lamb? It's not like, we see receivers get traded

and he's locked up. There's no other great young player coming up for a deal. So do I think in that regard regard it is now more on the board that they never call the agent, that this does become a staring contest and they roll it over in the next offseason? Michael shouldn't play. Then Michael shouldn't play. I totally agree with you on that but I don't, we don't.

You mean the first few weeks? Unless he's going to fake an injury.

Well that's the only thing he can do. Yeah, because he can't just sit out healthy. Well, he has that aching back. Exactly.

Okay, so the back won't get healthy.

Yeah, but so I mean, but I the if we are all in agreement that at this point for Jerry Jones winning games and competing for a championship would be a nice bonus on top of his main goal. The signing Micah Parsons to a contract doesn't really achieve the main goal of staying in the news. Like it doesn't, you know, of creating more buzz

and intrigue around and otherwise, every time we talk about the Cowboys, I can't get over the little small font of their win total. Like this team's supposed to be, sorry Hubs, mid. You know what I mean?

Yeah, Hubs likes when you say mid for the record.

Oh, okay, so you're welcome Hubs.

Go ahead, bro.

Well, look, I agree with a lot of what you said, but I would be shocked if they don't sign Micah, but to your point, you know, signing before the season to your point, once they sign Micah, let's say they do it a week before the season. Now it's all football and when you're mid, yeah, then you do fade away. I will give you that. Like if they're mid throughout the season, it'd be actually for the storyline, it'd be better if they're horrible. Yes.

But I don't think everybody thinks they're going to be horrible. Right. If they're mid, then at some point we're going to stop talking about them. So that is true. But I just, that's where if you're Micah Parsons and other players, you are ticked off to the nth degree.

Because Jerry's got all the money in the world. Micah Parsons doesn't. I know he's made millions as an NFL player, but this is his big contract. And you are playing with that, Jerry is, in a sport where one game, one practice, could change the entire course of his career.

And he's not Dak.

Where a quarterback can have their ankles shattered and still sign the biggest contract ever because they're so scarce. Like, pass rusher is super valuable, but pass rusher is also so reliant on athleticism and everything that if... Particularly with him, he's a smaller... Right, I mean, if Micah were to suffer a catastrophic injury, it's not like Dak where, okay, you're going to get the contract anyway. Then everything changes for him and he doesn't yet have, you know,

the generational money that we talk about a player of his caliber having earned. You guys are both on the board. Head to Chiefs camp. Patrick Mahomes sat down with Kay Adams, was very optimistic about this year in building on these 16 unanswered points at the end of the Super Bowl. So listen, I have very conflicted feelings about what the actual best Chiefs team ever

is because I think much like I think the best Patriot team ever didn't win the Super Bowl. I actually think the best Chiefs team of my lifetime is 2020. And they got clocked in the Super Bowl by Tampa and Brady. And so I don't know what we're measuring them against which year, but I thought that was the best combo of offense, defense.

You still had peak Hill, peak Travis, all of that. Where I think this is absolutely on the board is the tangible and the intangible. The tangible is this. They had that awesome draft class a few years ago, primarily of defensive players, who are now veteran-ish. You know what I mean?

They are now – McDuffie, Carloftis are entering year four. Chris Jones is still great. This definitely has a chance to be the best Chiefs defense, the best defense of the Mahomes era. You then add to it that I think it's the best receiver group they've had since 2019, when they had Tyreek,

Sammy Watkins, and put Cavis, yeah, Prime Kelsey in that receiver group. And I think that this should be as good of an offensive line as they've had. So you put all those things together, that should be, you know,

they have the personnel to be the best. But here's the most important thing. What they have that's not quantifiable, but I know it, is for the first time in three years, Chip on his shoulder Mahomes. So the last time they had chip on his shoulder Mahomes was after the first time in my opinion

and the only time actually Patrick has truly failed as a pro which was the second half of the AFC championship game in 2021 and then they traded Tyree Kill and then there was real, I think legitimate doubt amongst the media, who is the best quarterback in football. Mahomes hadn't won Super Bowl in a couple years. He had just played poorly, Burrow had beaten him. They had traded away Hill.

And he responded that year by having 5,600 yards and 45 touchdowns in the regular season. That's a record for yards. 6,553 if you include the playoffs with a skill position group that was, aside from Travis, Juju Smith-Schuster, MBS, their leading touchdown receiver was Jerick McKinnon, their leading rusher was a seventh-round rookie, and they went 17-3 and scored 30 points per game.

And so, and I think that was was I've got something to prove to you guys Patrick. I think they have that Patrick back and the right personnel. So yes, I think this absolutely could be the best Chiefs team.

A lot of that's true. I mean they if they get it done and the receiving Corps. I really like if they're healthy and rice and rice

ended. Yeah, he gives back and rice and rice ended. Yeah

And is the same player he was before he got submitted you kind of stole my thunder early

Because I do think my homes is being nice to use your phrase like he didn't just it's not like he's like saying to Nick or someone

we This could be our best team ever. You know what I mean? Like he was asked is could this be a best team? And I think the way he said, of course, you're going to say you won three Super Bowls. You have the credibility to say that you're not going to say no. So I think he sees the potential like every year. He thinks they can win the Super Bowl and they obviously can so I don't think he's like seeing something here

that he didn't see in some of the other teams. But to your point, you're right. Now I'm partial to the old teams where they were more offensive. I do think you gotta, obviously you're not gonna have prime Kelsey,

even if he has a good season, he's not what he was in 22 or 19 when they won the Super Bowl. You would have Xavier worthy would have to not duplicate Tyreek Hill, but come close make us think about wow, he he's kind of having that type of impact. I don't think Pacheco now maybe last year I know he

only played half the season not even half half, and wasn't the same.

But they never had a great running back. No, but he was, his early on, like... His first rookie year, 22.

Yeah, he was really, and then Edwards-Hillaire was, you know, they were a nice tandem. So, I don't think Pacheco, maybe last year was just getting back from injury, but he was under four yards of pop. So if he has to get back to that guy, too, I agree with the defense. I think it was at 22 when they had a top 11 defense,

not top 10, and the offense was best in the league. So that would probably have to go down as the best team. But I do think what you said is correct. Like, if the receivers are healthy and Mahomes does have his light show, then sure, it could be the best.

You're kind of writing off Prime Travis, but Travis came out with a big article in GQ. Here's what he said on his bounce back season. Here he is with an alligator. I think it might have slipped a little bit, because I did have a little bit more focus

in trying to set myself up. And opportunities came up where I was excited to venture into a new world of acting and being an entertainer. I you go ahead sorry. So the pictures are amazing and very artistic and cool I would say I could see how people would take shots at them. Buried within like the Taylor talk and the entertainer talk is Travis Kelsey out here grinding away in Florida and a big interview with his trainer about how

he is going to be very fast and very effectively fast so this made me think after reading the article that we are going to see a Kelsey Renaissance well so listen I I do not think we are going to have a Kelsey Renaissance. Well, so listen, I do not think we are going to have a vintage Kelsey season. I do think he can be better than he was the last two years. You know what I mean?

Like the happy, meaty, vintage Kelsey is the greatest receiving threat in the history of the position.

Okay, well, a little, sorry,

take it down a notch from there. What? No, no, that's what I'm. Yeah. So, I'm. No, I, I, I wasn't. Was that a Gronk? No, no, no. I'm saying if it's here, I'm just saying here. Yeah. So, what? So, right. So, I think he can, I think he will have a year where he will be one of the three best players at his position again. I think Bowers will be great. I think Bowers will be great. I think Kelsey will be great. And then wild card tied in that has a great year, maybe the kid in Arizona. I shouldn't say the kid.

But, you know, there's other guys who it could be. But what I think is maybe more noteworthy is this. I don't.. Listen, I am never going to doubt and I don't think anyone should doubt how hard Patrick works. And I think Travis, over the course of his career, has been an insanely hard worker,

but he's saying he was working hard at a bunch of different things. I do think there was... After you win the Super Bowl the way they did two years ago, the year with all the drops, and they go on the road, and they go through the gauntlet,

and then throughout the beginning of last year, Brew, you just consistently play black and then when a sense of inevitability and invincibility, you know what I mean? Could you know what I mean? Could permeate a team that I don't think is I that rare across sports when a team consistently wins. The difference is usually in those other sports. It doesn't take one terrible night to ruin your year, you know what I mean the

sense of we're just better than everyone and then even if you are do take a team lightly you can over the course of the series overpower him the chiefs and have that opportunity. Chiefs chargers 24 days in Rio going to college where number one for the yeah. Number one Texas opens up the season at number three, Ohio State on Fox.

The odd part about the odds. Longhorns are number one and two and a half point underdogs. First time since 1978. Number one team hasn't been favored in the opener.

Is this disrespectful?

Well, look, I'm from Ohio. So go Buckeyes.

All right?

I thought you paid a lot of money

for Michigan. I did but my daughter's out of there now. So I'm back on the Buckeyes. But this is absolutely disrespectful. Are we number one or not?

Are we the best team in the country or not? I get it. It's in Columbus is in Ohio, but still the is the football field. There's still a hundred yards. The ball is the same size of it.

I mean, I'm saying what is it? We're the best team in the

country.

Then we're supposed to win. Don't make us number one in the preseason and then say, you know what you got a week. What you got one week to be the best team in the country and then that's it I mean, so it is absolute and they're not even it's not even like as great as Ohio State is Obviously defending national champion. They're number three Penn State is number two. So it is completely disrespect. It's actually good fodder for them. I

vehemently disagree So listen, Ohio State has been an underdog at home once since 2011. They are always favored at home and the one time they were was a Michigan Ohio State game when both teams were competing in theory for a national championship. Michigan was a slight favorite in that game. I that this to me that the

1978 stat, sorry to be a you to be a company shill for a moment, but I will, is actually a stat about how unbelievable this game is. Because do you know why the number one team in the nation is never an underdog in week one? Because the number one team in the nation is never on the road against an awesome team in week one.

They are usually either playing a Patsy or it's a neutral site game. And in a neutral site game, I agree with Brew. If you are the number one team in the nation and you're playing on a neutral site, you should be the favorite.

But when you're number one versus three and in the coaches poll, it's one versus two and it's at the shoe, then you're going to be the underdog, especially when Ohio State might have the number one player in the 2026 draft and 2027 draft. Caleb Downs might be the best player in this upcoming draft. He won't go number one because he's not a quarterback and Jeremiah Smith will be the number one player in the 2027 draft. But they might have the number

one pick too. If Arch Manning pops.

They'll have the number one quarterback for sure. Listen, I think Texas is obviously these are two great teams, but this is, you're not going to be a favorite in Ohio State against a great Buckeye team. You're just not. So should, if you were voting, would you bake that in? No, of course not. What they are saying is, I know I get it, but still. The voters think Texas and Ohio State, if they were to play at Arrowhead in Kansas City, neutral geographically and everything, Texas is slightly better.

And if they were playing in Texas, how about this, if they were playing in Texas, I think it's Texas by three and a half. And in Ohio State, it's Ohio State by two and a half. And on a neutral site, it's Texas by one. That's what by 1.

That's what I think they're saying.

Does that make you feel better if you're a longhorn?

No.

No. They actually did Texas a favor.

I buy that.

I like that.

But they also played in the playoff last year in Ohio State 1. I know it's different rosters, but... I know it's different rosters, but...

Okay.