The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Encyclopedia
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a sports
talk radio
show hosted by Colin Cowherd
and broadcast on ESPN Radio
from Bristol, Connecticut
. The show is heard Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. ET until 1 p.m. ET on most ESPN Radio stations and is simulcasted on ESPNews
. Segments of the show are archived into the ESPN Radio Daily Podcast
, and full shows are available for download on the paid subscription ESPN Insider section of ESPN.com
in the ESPN Radio section. The show features commentary on the day's sports news, perspective on other news stories, and interviews with sports analysts and sports figures.
Cowherd is joined on-air by producers Vincent Kates, David Fisch and Tom Wassell. Fisch was an All-American high school swimmer, according to his mom. ESPN Radio SportsCenter
updates during the show are performed by Dan Davis
. On his March 5, 2010 show, Colin announced that Amanda Gifford would be leaving The Herd to become a "suit". Additionally, the show will be cut back one hour, now airing three hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
, John Kincade
and Doug Gottlieb
.
named Cowherd "Radio Personality of the Year". Cowherd was lauded by columnist Richard Deitch for providing "an engaging mix of entertainment, information, and reportage.
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
show hosted by Colin Cowherd
Colin Cowherd
Colin Murray Cowherd is an American sports radio personality. He is currently the host of The Herd with Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio and ESPNews. He is also the co-host of the television show SportsNation on ESPN2.-Career:...
and broadcast on ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
from Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 61,353. Bristol is primarily known as the home of ESPN, whose central studios are in the city. Bristol is also home to...
. The show is heard Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. ET until 1 p.m. ET on most ESPN Radio stations and is simulcasted on ESPNews
ESPNEWS
ESPNEWS , launched on November 1, 1996, is a 24-hour-a-day sports news television channel...
. Segments of the show are archived into the ESPN Radio Daily Podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, and full shows are available for download on the paid subscription ESPN Insider section of ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
in the ESPN Radio section. The show features commentary on the day's sports news, perspective on other news stories, and interviews with sports analysts and sports figures.
Cowherd is joined on-air by producers Vincent Kates, David Fisch and Tom Wassell. Fisch was an All-American high school swimmer, according to his mom. ESPN Radio SportsCenter
ESPN Radio SportsCenter
ESPN Radio SportsCenter has sports updates two or three times an hour during key time slots, usually by separate anchors. Weekdays from 6am to 4pm Eastern, there are two updates an hour, at the top of the hour and 30 minutes past...
updates during the show are performed by Dan Davis
Dan Davis
Dan "The Duke" Davis is an American radio personality. He is an original broadcaster of ESPN Radio based in Bristol, Connecticut. He anchors the midday portion of ESPN Radio SportsCenter. Sometimes he makes comments on Extra Point. His voice is often heard introducing various ESPN programs...
. On his March 5, 2010 show, Colin announced that Amanda Gifford would be leaving The Herd to become a "suit". Additionally, the show will be cut back one hour, now airing three hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Regular Guests
- Mel Kiper - Especially during the lead up to the NFL Draft.
- Trey WingoTrey WingoHal Chapman Wingo III or Trey Wingo is the co-host of ESPN's SportsCenter from time to time but is best known as host of NFL Live alongside football analysts Mark Schlereth, Merrill Hoge, Mike Golic, and Tom Jackson, among others...
and Mark SchlerethMark SchlerethMark Frederick Schlereth is a former professional football player and current television sportscaster. Schlereth played guard in the NFL for 12 seasons with the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos. He is currently a football analyst for ESPN on NFL Live, Sportscenter, and other programs... - Eric AllenEric AllenEric Andre Allen is a former professional American football cornerback who played in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, and Oakland Raiders from 1988 to 2001....
- Peter KingPeter King (sportswriter)Peter King is an American sportswriter. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated and its Web site, including the weekly multiple-page column Monday Morning Quarterback. He is the author of five books, most notably Inside the Helmet, as well as a TV analyst and reporter...
- Peter GammonsPeter GammonsPeter Gammons is an American sportswriter, media personality, and a recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing, given by the BBWAA.-Education:...
- Beano CookBeano CookCarroll Hoff "Beano" Cook is an American television personality who works for ESPN. He is a college football historian and commentator. He received his B.A...
- Sal PaolantonioSal PaolantonioSal Paolantonio is a Philadelphia-based bureau reporter for ESPN, primarily reporting on NFL stories concerning the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and New York Jets...
- Trent DilferTrent DilferTrent Farris Dilfer is a former football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sixth overall in the 1994 NFL Draft and went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football...
- Segment titled, "I Beg to Dilfer" courtesy of Herd emailers. - Curt SchillingCurt SchillingCurtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...
- Every Monday.
Guest Hosts
The regular fill-ins for Cowherd are Erik KuseliasErik Kuselias
Erik Kuselias is a television and radio host. He is the current co-host of Golf Channel's Morning Drive program and is the former host of NASCAR Now on ESPN2, andThe SportsBash on ESPN Radio...
, John Kincade
John Kincade
John Kincade is a sports talk show host based in Atlanta, Georgia for WCNN 680 "The Fan". John has co-hosted the afternoon drive show Buck and Kincade since September 2000...
and Doug Gottlieb
Doug Gottlieb
Douglas Michael Gottlieb is a former NCAA collegiate basketball player for the University of Notre Dame and Oklahoma State University, and the Russian Basketball Super League...
.
Controversies
- Eddie Guerrero's Death - In November 2005, Cowherd was criticized by former ESPN ombudsmanOmbudsmanAn ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
, George Solomon for his treatment of the death of World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE) wrestler Eddie GuerreroEddie GuerreroEduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions...
. Colin was quoted as saying "he passed away doing steroidSteroidA steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
s", implying that Guerrero's death had been caused by steroid use. According to Dr. Kathryn Berg, the assistant chief medical examiner for Hennepin County in Minnesota, the autopsy showed that Guerrero died from a hardening and narrowing of the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart.
- Using Un-attributed Material - In March 2006, Cowherd was criticized for using a joke on his show that was posted on the "M Zone", a University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
fan blogBlogA blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
without crediting it. Cowherd later apologized on-air and gave the M Zone full credit for the material. The M Zone response: "He was very cool about everything. This incident is now resolved and over."
- The Herd Knocks Blog Offline - On April 5, 2007, listeners of The Herd knocked The Big Lead blog site offline. Cowherd directed his listeners to access the web site home page simultaneously which resulted in a massive increase in traffic. The blog site's servers were not capable of handling so many users at one time so the site was knocked off-line for approximately 96 hours. ESPN's new OmbudsmanOmbudsmanAn ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
, Le Anne Schreiber wrote an article sharing her (negative) opinion of Cowherd's actions. Schreiber contacted Traug Keller, a Senior Vice President at ESPN Radio, and Keller indicated that Cowherd would face no disciplinary action for the stunt, because there had been no policy against such a tactic at the time. To prevent this from happening again, Keller instituted a zero tolerance policy of such activities in the future.
- Sean Taylor's Murder - Cowherd was criticized for comments made regarding the circumstances surrounding Sean TaylorSean TaylorSean Michael Maurice Taylor was an American football free safety who played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Taylor was drafted in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Redskins...
's death. On November 28, 2007, one day after Taylor's home invasion murder, Cowherd claimed that Taylor's past had brought this upon himself, and that Redskins fans who mourned him were not "grown ups." Cowherd stated about Taylor's turnaround; "Well, yeah, just because you clean the rug doesn't mean you got everything out. Sometimes you've got stains, stuff so deep it never ever leaves." Taylor's death was later found to be the result of a botched robbery, and the robbers hadn't known Taylor was home when they entered.
New Contract
In early 2008, Cowherd signed a new 4-year contract to remain with ESPN Radio. On air, Cowherd attributed his longevity at ESPN to the fans of his show, claiming he did the show for his fans, and not his critics or those in ESPN management.Awards
On December 19, 2005, Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
named Cowherd "Radio Personality of the Year". Cowherd was lauded by columnist Richard Deitch for providing "an engaging mix of entertainment, information, and reportage.