Fox Sports 1’s Colin Cowherd left viewers stunned on Monday afternoon when he unexpectedly exited his show, The Herd, less than 15 minutes into the first hour.
The seasoned sports media personality, known for his bold opinions and lively commentary, was talking about the recent blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers when he abruptly stopped mid-sentence and cut himself off.
“The bottom line here is I think we’re going to get a more dedicated Luka. Folks, I’m going to take a break. I am getting very, very sick very, very quickly on this set, and we will return,” Cowherd said before cutting the broadcast.
The unexpected moment quickly ignited speculation online, with fans and sports media personalities sharing their thoughts on social media. Some viewers pointed out that Cowherd appeared visibly unwell before leaving the set, while others took a more humorous approach, joking that the shocking Luka trade might have actually made him sick.
WATCH:
Colin Cowherd had to leave his show during the first segment, hopefully he feels better soon. pic.twitter.com/qkqBZldc98
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 3, 2025
Fox Sports 1 promptly issued a statement about Cowherd’s condition to reassure worried fans. “Colin is doing OK. Thank you for your concerns. Colin is under the weather, and Jason McIntyre is filling in,” the show’s official account posted on the X platform.
Currently, there are no additional details about Cowherd’s condition, and it is unclear whether he will return to the show immediately or need time off for recovery.
Some fans wished Cowherd well while others made light of the situation.
“Cowherd said later he became ill because he had the thought go through his mind that Kamala cheated in the election like Brandon and was actually elected president,” one X user wrote.
“The Luka trade even makes him sick,” said another.
“Flu or norovirus. I can speak from recent experience, it is a sudden, overwhelming onslaught of awfulness. Glad I was on my couch when it hit. Couldn’t imagine being live on air,” wrote someone else.
“Trade was so trash he had to go throw up,” said another.
Cowherd is widely recognized for his bold and frequently provocative opinions on sports. He is the host of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, a daily sports talk show airing on Fox Sports Radio and FS1.
Cowherd began his career in local radio before achieving national prominence at ESPN, where he hosted The Herd from 2004 to 2015. After leaving ESPN following a controversial remark about Dominican baseball players, he joined Fox Sports, where he has continued his career.
Beyond his radio and TV work, Cowherd co-founded The Volume, a podcast network that covers both sports and pop culture topics.
Newly-minted solo Fox News host Will Cain, who heads up the aptly named “The Will Cain Show,” broke a record in his debut, according to a ratings report last month.
His new daytime show debuted and garnered 3.5 million viewers, with 451,000 in the key 25-54 demographic, according to the network.
“Rookie mistake. Set the bar too high,” the host said in celebration of the achievement.
“The Will Cain Show with 3.5 million P2+ and 451,000 A25-54. Will Cain increases the 4pm slot vs. same period last year by more than double with P2+ and by more than triple with A25-54 and A18-49. Will Cain’s share of the cable news audience for his debut was 68% with P2+, 73% with A25-54 and 71% with A18-49. Debut was a top 10 telecast in all TV vs. all cable and broadcast prime Thank you! Awesome start!” he wrote on the X platform.
Rookie mistake. Set the bar too high.
•The Will Cain Show with 3.5 million P2+ and 451,000 A25-54
•Will Cain increases the 4pm slot vs. same period last year by more than double with P2+ and by more than triple with A25-54 and A18-49.
•Will Cain’s share of the cable news… pic.twitter.com/D6zm2HwFsY— Will Cain (@willcain) January 23, 2025