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Prices vary based on how you buy. This is the Rich Eisen Show. It's a grand slam roar at Augusta National. The Rich Eisen Show. Denver walks up the number four seed. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.
And the Clippers catch the current when it counts and sail into the playoffs. Earlier on the show. Long time golf writer Alan Shipnuk. Actor Delroy Lindo. Still to come. Georgia safety Malachi Starks.
Plus your phone calls, latest news and more. And now it's Rich Eisen. That's right. Hour number three of the Rich Eisen Show on the air. First two hours, Alan Shipnuk went down, I guess, Magnolia Lane with us and we with him to talk about the remarkable final round of the Masters on Sunday and Rory's moment.
And then an hour to the actor Delroy Lindo stopped by here in studio. If you missed any of that, we are on the Roku Sports Channel on our fast channel. Also the Roku Sports Channel. There's our YouTube channel as a backstop, closing in on nine hundred and twenty thousand subscribers there. We're also podcast driven world as well.
All three hours available through the Cumulus podcast network every single day. Malachi Starks is going to join us. The safety from Georgia, one of the top safeties in this year's NFL draft, will join us to tell us what it's like to be a Philadelphia Eagle, which he will be in about 10 days. So stupid. The Suns fired Mike Budenholzer because that's what they do. They fire coaches who win championships. Frank Vogel last year and and Budenholzer won and done. They told Monty Williams, the coach of the year from the Phoenix Suns, you're out. And so he's gone.
And Budenholzer 36 and 46, a highly disappointing season. He's finished there. So everybody thinks Michael Malone's coming to coach their team or Dan Hurley's coming to coach their team. So we'll see. We'll see how it all plays out.
But the Suns, as we know, didn't even make the play in tournament with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, whose acquisition is turning out to be an absolute albatross and disaster, which is two words you don't want to have associated with you. 844-204 Rich is the number to dial. We kick off our number three with a Chris Brockman news update presented by NHTSA. Hit it. And now with a report of the day's news from the world of sports and entertainment, someone who is not a journalist or newsman by any definition of the word whatsoever, it's Chris Brockman. Oh, my goodness. I mean, again, Tom Brokaw taking time out of his busy schedule to talk about tariffs or prisons for Americans being built in El Salvador.
I mean, all this stuff going on in our world. It's unbelievable if it was only funny. Chris, what do you got over there?
You ready? Yeah, not funny in New Orleans either. Either guys were big, big football news from over the weekend. Derek Carr, Saints quarterback, man dealing with a shoulder issue that is likely to keep him out for the 2025 season. Bro, as we know, he missed the end of last year after he broke some bones in his non throwing hand, but has been dealing with a shoulder issue since 2023, though he missed no games last year because of that.
Chris, gents, ladies and gentlemen of the Rich Eisen Show viewing and listening audience. Yes, this right here is the most significant piece of news affecting the 2025 NFL draft period. That's the way I'm looking at it.
Agree. Because we're all assuming Aaron Rogers is going to at some point say the words, I am excited to join the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's April 14th.
I'm aware of us waiting. His timetable here, I don't get, I don't understand, but as of this juncture, it appears to me there is no bigger piece of news since free agency that has affected the NFL draft quite like this news. Now the question is how do they evaluate Spencer Rattler in their building?
How do they evaluate him? Because if they evaluate him, it's like we put in time with him last year and we saw this amount of work on the field that shows an upside and this amount of off the field in the building professionalism to make us think he can be the leader of this team. We've seen enough that we do not need to go and get Chidor Sanders ninth overall. Because at this point in time, this is not whatsoever anything but the biggest piece of news to affect next Thursday, since especially since nobody's even traded in the top 32 picks yet. Nothing's moved.
Nothing's moved. We saw the Steelers move a second rounder for DK Metcalf, right? I mean, nobody's popped out a first rounder in this year's draft on the table, in a trade, in an exchange involving other draft capital and future drafts yet. You look at the draft order. Here it is.
I'll hold it up on page one. Nothing. There's not a single one team from another. As is. As of right now, the first draft choice in this draft to have changed hands is 39th overall Chicago from Carolina from the draft.
Two years ago. That's it. And then there's the Seattle from Pittsburgh. 52nd overall Buffalo from Minnesota through Houston. 56th overall Carolina from the Rams. 57th overall. That's it. Wow. So Derek Carr potentially being out for all next year.
Massive. How do they not go and get Chidor Sanders right now? Well, unless they like Spencer Rattler that much. The fourth overall pick is right there for the taking. Go get it. I hear you. I don't know. But that's the way I took this news. Most consequential piece of news to affect next week's draft that I've seen yet. Name me another. I guess Miles Garrett resigning. That's one.
Yeah, maybe. What else? The fact that Matthew Stafford stayed put so the Giants didn't go get him. The Geno trade. Geno trade. But that might not take the Raiders out of the mix for Chidor Sanders either. That does allow them to maybe pop Gente into their system. Right. I would imagine the Raiders still take a quarterback in this draft at some point.
Not actually. Just not in the first round. You know, the biggest. Result to affect this year's draft period.
All calendar year. Stop it. Stop. Don't even say it.
Joe Miller saying the bills. Yeah. I saw the graph. You started it out. I was like, oh, come on. I didn't address you with that line.
Yeah, no eye contact. I'm feeling so good today. Stop it. I'm in such a good mood.
Let's let him have a day I guess. That happened in 2025 actually. It did.
You're the worst. Because of the paradigm shift that took place once that trade happened. You know, I really believe that scholars will study this for generations to come. I agree. I certainly know Joe Milton's a Dallas Cowboy. What a great backup player.
I can go to sleep at night knowing. What else over there, Christopher? DJ, let's talk about your backup quarterback right now. Who's that?
Dak Prescott. You know what? This sounds just like my children. If I if Suzy or I discipline one child, they kick it to another sibling. I have nothing to do with this. You take a shot at me, the shot just gets deflected. Hey, Dak was at the 35th annual Children's Cancer Fund down there in Dallas and was asked how the hamstring is doing after he only played eight games last year because of it.
This is what he had to say. Yeah, I'm getting close to where I want to be. I don't want to put a percentage on it. I know we've got team activities coming up. I imagine myself being involved in some sort, if not all. But then again, understanding right my age, what I've went through is it's about getting to the fall and being my best in the fall. So not rushing anything. But I'm where I want to be. If I had to play a game today, I definitely could do that.
So it's about moving forward healthy to make sure I can play 17 when the time's 20 and whatever we get to when the time's right. Love him. Listen, let me tell you this.
20 games. That's what I'm saying. I'm going to repeat this and I'm going to keep saying this. I'm going to pound this drum for the next 10 days. You're going to be disrespectful this time. I am not. Okay.
I am not being disrespectful at all. I'm going to pound this drum for 10 days. I pounded it before leaving for the week last week with all respect, Jerry Jones, go trade for Travis Hunter. Do it. Go do it.
Trade for Travis Hunter. You need an injection of super stardom. You need it. You know, you want it. You know, you have it and you know, you got to pay Micah.
We all know it. You said, you know, you need to sometimes sit back and see how it all plays out with other people. Sometimes it doesn't involve the people that you're waiting to sign.
Sometimes it does. All of that stuff. He said at the owner's meeting that made no sense.
All of it. What makes sense is when you got your pain, Dak, what you're paying him and you're paying CD, what you're paying him and you're paying Michael, what you're going to have to pay him and what you're paying digs and you're paying all of these stars of your team. Okay. You trade draft capital in the future to get one of the biggest stars to come to this team since Randy Moss wanted to show up. Okay. This is what we're talking about here.
Cause it checks every box. You need help on offense for your quarterback. Don't you let's add him to CD lamb. You need help on the back end of your defense, maybe right. You already got a bunch of guys there.
You're handling your business there. So maybe that's why he would major on offense in Dallas. And then on occasion you need to, you need to make sure AJ Brown is handled. You need to make sure Devontae Smith is handling you to make sure McLaurin sandal need to make sure you know, let's go down the list. Who's handled right.
Malik neighbors, just in your own division. This kid can do that. And then on top of it, you need buzz. You need people coming to your people who want to, you know, stare who's having lunch today when I'm on my tour of your facility, who's working out. I'm serious. If that's supposedly what's so important there, it's part and parcel of running the Cowboys incorporated. And then on top of it, you want to be talked about, right?
Like spell my name, right? Right. What more could you ask for than having Dion associated with your team again, in some way, shape or form, lording over the Schottenheimer process?
Oh my God. Dion's doing this. Dion's doing that. I'm sure Dion, you know, he's happy where he is. He just crushed it, you know, but who cares that he signed a new contract for what, five years, eight figures per who cares, who cares.
It doesn't matter. He could loom. What do you think everybody, uh, and topic bar country in our business doesn't want would be nuanced about while he signed, he's not going anywhere. It would be checking every box. It would be expensive. Oh yeah.
Oh yeah. Draft compensation. But you've got this kid under contractual control for five years. He's the quarterback of this system. And by that, I mean you can win in his first iteration of his contract now and you add dynamic play to two positions. I don't know why people aren't talking about this kid. Didn't a Ross Tucker come on the show last week and saying that he's absolutely right. We're not talking about him enough, right?
No, that's what I think of when I see deck. You want to support that? Go and make the big ass move that nobody's expecting. Like I thought we were cool. You and I, dude, why are you doing this to me? It's going to happen. You just, you heighten me up for like three minutes just now. I'm seeing it brought man. I had a dream the other night that Travis Hunter was playing for Dallas and had to hit the triple return, a pitch and a pass. We're a touchdown.
No one game. Who's that guy? That's guys named Dion Sanders. Who is Dion created to do exactly this in the Dallas lab?
Yep. Dion Sanders for Travis Hunter. And this, this right here, the release of fandom for UTJ and Corey and Iowa. We could rip that up because you wouldn't sign that.
You wouldn't sign that in a million years. Topic bar country that a Taylor Sheridan spinoff topic bar country is a Taylor Sheridan spinoff. Correct. Topic bar country. Oh, it's great. Jerry, Jerry can guest star in topic bar country.
Just shaking. Maybe, and maybe we could stop the talk that he's going to win an Emmy before Lombardi. Oh, I still don't believe that though. That Emmy's coming from. You got one more thing before. Yeah. Last we mentioned that the sun's. Tell me I'm wrong.
You're not a player. We mentioned that the sun's fired head coach, Mike Budenholzer. Yes. Oh, the Pelicans also made a move. They fired their, their VP, David Griffin, who'd been there for six seasons drafted Zion and put that team together. They're expected to bring in Joe Dumars to take over down a new world.
Is that right? That's been the discussions. Joe Dumars. You know what?
You know what Joe Dumars is a greatest achievement was. Okay. I don't know. There's many of them. Yeah.
Jordan, you know how he could be, he could defend Jordan rule. Right. Right. Right. Right.
And and stands for so much put together championship team. Correct. Right. Right. Right. Exactly. His greatest achievement is being the most likable member of that team.
I don't think that's a question. You know what I mean? Everybody's talking about how Duke this year was likable. Like, Oh man, I got to like Duke down the only guy on that bad boys pistons team.
I did not have a white hot furious hatred. Okay. Pretty good.
So that's my take on that as the rest of it. I mean, Zion just, can we get him healthy? Can we get them all healthy?
I'd love a full season Zion. Cause he was playing good at the end of the season before talented roster. Yeah, I know.
And they have a chance at the number one pick. Also, I find it hard to believe you hated Finis Dembo though. That's just like, why would you let me tell you something I despise? Cause the bad boy pistons were crushing it.
When I showed up on the campus of the university of Michigan, I hated every member of that team. Even, even the sweet Vinny microwave Johnson would get under my skin a little bit. Cause it would be like, really?
This guy's that good. What the Buddha Edwards ever do you? Oh, I just hate it. I didn't like it at all. I didn't like it at all. I didn't like any of it. John Sally, John Sally was the most like, I got to take that back. Sally and two Mars were likable on that team. Sally was the guy who like, he, he was like, he did the stuff because he had to do it. Like, all right, I got to go file this guy.
Cause if I don't land, beer's going to get in my face, you know, but do Mars was just like, I couldn't, I couldn't dislike him. Yeah. Even though I tried pelicans have the fourth best odds to get the number one pick, assuming that's a Cooper flag sixers TJ have the fifth best. Oh, he's coming. And how about, by the way, how about Isaiah Thomas is saying that somebody needs to take LeBron to task for warming up without a shirt on. Are you kidding me? They just leave LeBron alone. Thomas has a platform to say anything to anybody and anybody's there to watch it. He's lucky enough. And then somebody tweeted a video of when he comes on wrong.
He choked his coach. Yeah, I know. So I said, let's brand him alone alone. Yeah.
I didn't like understandable. I kind of liked Chuck daily though. Not like Chuck. Wow. He looks like John Gotti.
Yeah, he did. I just didn't like him at all. It was enough of lamb beard. This splash to like, sort of like, you know how bus splashes mud on you in the street. You don't expect it. Hate splash. Yeah. They hate splash.
That's how bad, that's how much I hated lamb beer. Even everybody else. I'm sorry. If you're looking for like cogent analysis on what this means for the pelicans, I don't have it for you.
Using your phone while you're driving could kill someone, put the phone away or pay paid for by NHTSA, which just presented us the news update. All right, let's take a break and meet one of the top players in in at the position. A lot of people think he's, he's got Ravens written all over him. Ooh, good one. Malachi Starks from Georgia is next right here on the Rich Eisen show. This episode is brought to you by Navy Federal Credit Union. We know just how fast your life moves. You have bills to pay, mouths to feed and not a lot of free time. That's why we created an all in one banking experience that lets you keep on banking on. It can save you time and money with new lightning fast direct deposit setup and it offers checking accounts with ATM refunds and no service fees. Plus, whether you have credit or not, you can build your credit score with the new ability to report on time bill payments and with personalized financial insights on my making sense, the ability to view all your accounts in one place, custom notifications and 24 seven fraud protection, you can get a full picture of your finances. So if you want an all in one banking experience that lets you keep on banking on, sign up today.
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Hey, Rich Eisen here. I hear from a lot of business owners like you about the work it takes to pursue your passions. So I know how important it is to have the tools that can help keep you moving forward. And with access to world class business and travel benefits, the American Express Business Platinum card helps you take your business to the next level. It offers a flexible spending limit that adapts with your business. Plus, you'll have complimentary access to more than 1400 airport lounges worldwide, including the Centurion Lounge, so you can keep running your business while you're on the go. See how the Amex Business Platinum card gives business owners like you the tools and rewards to do more of what you love. Not all purchases will be approved. Terms apply.
Learn more at American Express dot com slash Amex Business. Malachi Starks joining us in just a minute or so when the radio audience returns. I'm watching that remarkable footage that CBS got of six minutes at the end of him just walking through and it just is washing over him and how emotional he is. And people are going crazy around him and he's thanking everyone. And you could see like he can't believe it's finally happened.
He's holding back tears. This is funny. Somebody posted it saying you'll get this. The reaction men expect from everyone around them after they put their own baby to bed. Oh, yeah. You think it's like you're exhausted solo and change diapers. Just can't believe you got through the experience. You know, but you're like you're you're you're you're saying, hey, this was big for me, you know, for sure.
I got to say, I think Cage was like maybe maybe three months old and Sarah was out of town. And so I had to take him solo to the doctor. Oh, my God. And it was quite an ordeal.
Got the two backpacks and the thing. And it's me and him at the doctor's office. And then so I have a photo of that in the in the bathroom. Oh, so I see it all the time.
It's like you're green jazz. Like you did it, buddy. You know, it's just an important question. The 30 seconds we have left here. How many times did Sarah called a check to make sure everything was OK?
Oh, that probably callous. All right. You guys are good. We're good. We're good.
OK. Check out the car. Find parking. Make it through the ride.
Is it good? You're out. You're home. Now he's telling you, you're not so tough. You're not tough.
That's one of my favorite stories I've heard all year after Jill Milton beating the bills. All right. I'm sitting at the rich show. That's furnished by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry. Grainger has the right product for you.
Call click range.com or just stop by. I'm making myself laugh right now. All right. He's one of the top prospects in the National Football League draft, certainly at the position that he plays, which is the back end of a defense.
This man brings the noise and all from the Georgia Bulldogs secondary now coming your way to the National Football League draft. Malachi Starks here on the rich show. Yeah. Good to see you. How are you? How are you?
Ten days before the draft. What's going on with you? Trying to pack up the house, honestly, enjoy it, enjoy the moment with my family and just kind of be grateful for the whole opportunity. You must be like ready for this to be over, right?
Well, yes and no. You only go through it once. I'm trying to enjoy it, but I'm ready to figure out, you know, where I'm going to be and I'm ready to get to work.
So where are you? You're done with visits, right? Visits are all done. Finished with that? Yes, sir. I still got some meetings here and there, but everything's pretty much wrapped up. So the meetings are what?
Virtual, zooming, that sort of thing? Yes, sir. How many teams have you connected with, do you think, out of the 32? 32, between the come bond and the virtual visits and some thirties as well. About every team. About every team. How do you, what's the one aspect of these interviews and connections that has a through line? What's the one thing you've been asked that every single team seems to be interested in with you, Malik? Where I see myself playing, you know, just because I am so versatile and I play so many positions at University of Georgia, a lot of teams, they like that about me, but they also just want to know, you know, where I see myself at the next level as well. So where do you see yourself playing in the NFL? I think I play anywhere.
I think I fit anywhere. I think I'm a safety, but I'm able to move around. I can play, you know, I can play nickel. I can play corner if I needed to, but I'm able to move around and I think that just speaks a lot to, you know, the tape that I put on at Georgia.
All right, very good. I appreciate that answer where you're not pegging yourself into one spot, but also highlighting your versatility, which is a unique thing for you to be highlighting. Where do you like to play? Anywhere. Honestly, at the end of the day, I just, I just like playing ball and I think I fell in love with all the positions through my time at the University of Georgia, just having to move around and be able to communicate and be in different spots and I think I just fell in love with, you know, all those positions.
So I love playing anywhere. Okay. And you know, Philadelphia kind of likes Georgia Bulldogs, you know, right? I heard. Okay. How was your meeting with them? It was good.
It was really good. Like you said, a bunch of the guys up there. So I got to talk to him and, you know, just kind of get a feel for them, but you know, as well as all the other teams as well. So who'd you like, did you meet with Howie Roseman? Did you connect with him?
Yes, sir. I met with the whole staff basically. I met everyone from Howie Roseman to the janitor.
So it was really cool and a good opportunity for me just to, you know, kind of walk through the building and just be able to shake hands and, you know, meet new people as well and all the other visits. The irony of Howie Roseman being interested in all these Georgia Bulldogs, you're aware of where he went to school though, right? Yes, sir. Hmm. Isn't that interesting that a Gator likes so many Bulldogs, Malachi?
Isn't that interesting? Yes, sir. Okay.
I don't want to get you any trouble here. Who did you vibe with? Are you willing to share that? Who you're like, okay, I could play for that guy or that team or that place?
Yeah. Really it might sound like a cliche answer or whatever, but really everyone. Like I said, I really got a good opportunity just to like really sit down with people and talk whether it was through Zoom or on a visit, but just really figure out, you know, the people in the building and how they run the organization. And you know, each team is a little different, but I think I connected with a lot of people on different levels and different organizations.
Okay. So who from your tenure of playing at Georgia that has gone on to the NFL, do you reach out to as somebody to connect with about this process or about the draft or about anything Malachi? Yeah, I think Chris Smith is huge. He was like my mentor when I first got to Georgia, but also it's like a group of us. So Taki Smith, Devon Bullard and Kamari Lassner because they went through it last year.
So just reaching out to those guys and you know, asking for advice and just seeing, you know, how their process went last year and trying to stay level headed through mine. All right. How about Nicobe Dean? How about him?
Yeah. So I talked to Nicobe a few times. Not a lot, but a few times just reached out to him just because of, you know, the type of guy that he is and you know, his character and his leadership. It's always good to learn from him. Plus he can tell you a good real estate agent in Philadelphia, right Malachi?
You can tell me about that? Yes, sir. Okay. Yeah, I keep hammering on that too. Although I am seeing a lot of you to the Ravens.
I'm seeing a lot of that in mock drafts. Yes, sir. How was your chit chat with them? It was good. It was real good.
They love ball and I love ball. So I'm blessed. All right.
So then let's not mention teams in specific. What's the weirdest question you were asked throughout this entire process? Um, somebody, uh, somebody asked me how I would describe the color purple to a, um, a blind person. Okay. Wow.
Okay. Um, how would you describe the color purple to a blind person? That's how, and how, how did you respond to that?
Um, I didn't really know. It really threw me off. Uh, so I was like, you know, um, blind people to have their other senses are heightened.
So like if you feel the color, I guess it's like a dark feeling color, um, very dark, like neutral heavy. Um, it made sense in the moment, but I didn't really know the answer and I didn't know what to say. So it just kinda happened. I don't understand it. Like, you know what, here's, here's, you know, uh, here's my film coach or whoever asked that question. You know what I mean?
Like, I don't know how that would right answer is and go, okay, now all my doubts about Malachi Starks and what I saw on film are gone. You know what I mean? Like, I don't get it, man.
That's, uh, that's kind of weird. Um, but you made it through. Congratulations on, on, on all of that. Um, what was your favorite moment in your tenure in Georgia? That's now officially about to come to a close in 10 days.
Malachi. I think, uh, the Friday walks that we had, um, cause they were just, you know, those Fridays and walks were like more intense than the practices that we had. Uh, but just kind of looking back before the walk, we all like kinda, you know, as a, as a group, as a DB group, we all just kind of sat with each other and just talk, um, you know, fooled around or whatever, but just looking back and just being with all those guys and all those moments that I had over my three years, just kind of leading up, um, until my last one, I didn't realize how special it was until the last one.
So just, that's probably the biggest one for sure. Well, I mean, I, I thought it would be a national championship night here in Los Angeles. I mean, I was there that night, man.
Again, I went to the university of Michigan. I thought we'd be playing each other. I thought we might get a shot at some orange bowl, uh, previous year, um, revenge. Um, I imagine you were expecting to play them too, right? Pretty much, you know, but, uh, well, listen, that's the one thing at least Michigan and Georgia had in common that year was beating Ohio state. So at least we had that in common. Yeah. I'll throw some shrapnel in that direction. I'm so I'm, I'm, I'm, I shouldn't drag you into my problems.
Who, what, what, what is a team going to get if they draft Malachi Starks? Uh, ballplayer. Um, I like to compete at the end of the day. That's, you know, what I've done my whole life.
That's what I'm used to. That's what I know how to do. Um, I compete at a high level, uh, but also, you know, you get a leader too. Um, I was voted a captain this last year and just, you know, how I handled myself on the field, but also filled as well. Um, and just realizing as my years of becoming a leader, just bringing guys with me, um, coming from a program like the university of Georgia, I know what it takes to win. Um, yes, I haven't been in the league yet, but I understand it does something that it takes to win games and, um, I understand the sacrifice as well. So, um, I think you just, you get all that. And then as you leave the college world behind Malachi Starks, um, not to drag you into the national conversation, uh, but, but I'll do it here.
You're, you're, we're, we're talking today about Tennessee's quarterback no longer being the Tennessee quarterback because he was seemingly holding out for a million and a half more in NIL, um, and Tennessee moving on from, from, from him. And I'm wondering what, what do you as a player think of the current world with the portal and NIL and the conversation around somebody handling business like that? Yeah. Um, for me, I think, I think, you know, it's a great thing if you use it the right way. Um, I think, you know, it's great, but just don't abuse it. And I think at the end of the day, you keep the main thing, the main thing, um, and that's to go to college, get developed, have opportunity to get to the league, um, you know, build those relationships, play a lot of football games, win a lot of football games. Um, and you keep that in the front of everything and arrest to take care of itself.
Um, cause you know, the money in college is never, it was never, it hasn't always been there. So it shouldn't be the, the main thing that you keep in front of everybody else, especially, um, when you have a team, it's hard to have a team, um, this time how college football is, cause you know, guys are up and moving and, uh, you know, every year is a new team. So it's hard to build that, you know, camaraderie and that, that, uh, connection with the team. So I think just keeping the main thing, the main thing, and just building from that, um, I think, you know, that's how it should be.
And that's, that's how it should stay. What do you say to somebody who responds that the players have, uh, too much power now because of that? What do you say? I think, I think it's difficult. I think you got to realize, you know, you know, the guys that you're giving it to, you got to realize how to budget, uh, you know, what you, what you're giving and, um, but also you just got to operate in a, in a right way. I mean, if college football come into business, uh, you have to move in a business life, but also just take care of your business. And like I said earlier, just keeping the main thing, the main thing, which is, you know, getting developed and winning a lot of ball games with your brothers.
Do you think it's helped you prepare you for the next level about the business that's coming right now for you? Yes, sir. Okay.
All right. Before I let you go, your draft night plan for next Thursday is what? Uh, so I'm going to be in, I'm going to be in Green Bay. So me, uh, my mom, my dad, and my fiance, we're all going to be in Green Bay. Um, so it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. So you plus three in Green Bay, in the Green Bay? Yes, sir.
That's what it is. Um, and you know, what, what are you, what are your expectations of that night right now? To be honest with you, I don't think I have any, uh, I just, I just want to enjoy it.
Like I said, you only go through it once. Um, I know where I stand as a player. Um, I know where I stand as a leader and, you know, I'll be blessed to land on any team and the team that picks me is going to be the right fit for me.
And I'm ready to get to work. Well, if you are a Raven, I know exactly what that's going to sound like on NFL network as I'm hosting, that you will be able to know exactly what the color purple is and how to explain it to anybody on planet earth. So I will know that.
What a question, man. Hey, congrats on everything that's about to happen for you, Malachi. And I look forward to following you and having you back on when you're ready with a new team. Yes, sir.
Thank you so much. You bet. That's Malachi Starks, a national champion, one of the best in college football, moving on to the next level right here on the Rich Eisen show. It's fun stuff. I mean, what are we trying to get out of it?
I don't understand. And I guess like what you're just trying to throw somebody off and I don't know, but you hear questions like that every year because you're hearing, you know, so many players are rehearsed or whatever, and that's one way to get somebody off there. Now you hear that, you know, teams ask guys questions like this and I get why sugar standards would sit there and be like, what are we doing?
You know, and come off as disinterested or aloof or whatever. Like, come on, ask real questions. So listen, before we take a break here, I know we were going to hit this story in the news, but we ran out of time. The Tennessee player? Yeah. Yeah.
Um, Nico Iamaliava. Yeah. Well done. I wouldn't have got that. He was holding out. Apparently he wanted more money on NIL and he didn't show. He no-showed. Like he was holding out. Like.
Yeah, he no-showed for spring practice and during his ongoing NIL contract discussions with the school. Right. They're trying to get more money for him or his agents are trying to get more money for him. And this is, this is the way things are going to go.
Guys, ladies, this is the way things are going to go. Players are asking for more money. They're going to say, I want more money. And it's up to the institution of higher learning to say, no, move on. And or, okay, we're going to, we're going to give you the money because we like you or we don't have anybody else or whatever. Kid made a leverage play and he's now going to hit the portal and we'll see who wants him and we'll see who pays him and we'll see if he makes the money that he wants or not. I just want to say the following.
I do not begrudge anybody making more money for themselves. I don't begrudge that because you know, who would coaches coaches, coaches have buyouts and they depart. They tell kids, come to my school. They tell parents, if you send your son to my school, and again, this is football. This is the same way in, in women's sports to send your kid to my school. I got him.
I got her. And then all of a sudden you look up and that coach has now moved on. So why can't players do that? Certainly if the system says it, I just don't like it cause there doesn't appear to be any fricking rules. You know, it just doesn't appear to be any rules for it. And I don't, I don't know. Cause Nico is going to find out real soon if he's just made a bad business decision or a bad football decision for himself. Cause Tennessee did pretty well and Josh Heupel does seem to know how to coach up the quarterback spot.
I don't know. It just seems to me that there are no rules and there are no protections for the players on occasion or for the schools. And at some point we just need to get together and have somebody come up with the rules before it all blows up. And the it blowing up is going to be the manner in which you're watching and taking in college football. Cause at some point some schools that are making a ton of money are going to say, we're done with the rest of the schools that won't come to the table and come up with some rules that allow us all to come up with a system we can all follow. And the only reason why you're not interested school X and joining all of us in the conversation is you don't care because you don't have the same economic hardships or the same troubles or the same this or the same that. And then it's just going to break apart. And all those schools that are not willing to come to the table are going to get relegated somewhere else.
It's going to happen. I'm telling you, it just strikes me as lawless and stupid. Certainly when you're opening up portals in the middle of the NCAA tournament. I mean, what the hell is that all about in basketball? Yeah. This started with Nico back in January.
He wanted to, his representatives reached out and said, we want prior to the game against Ohio state prior. Yeah. Yeah. Right before the January portal window opened. So it's been going on for months.
So we're going to open a portal in the middle of the college football playoffs and we're going to open a portal in the middle of the basketball tournaments. Okay. That makes great sense. Yeah. Unserious. It is unserious. Great word for it. Yeah.
844-204 Rich is the number to dial. Is O'Shea here? Has he arrived yet?
I don't know. Usually there's a commotion. He's definitely wearing some Lakers paraphernalia. We're going to start talking about the NBA playoffs and what's coming next and who has the, uh, who has the upper hand and things of that nature.
And if O'Shea's here, he can join us. And if not, he loses because he snoozed. He slept in. So what's happening?
That's a good question. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today.
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That's OReillyAuto.com slash Eisen. So we could have, we could have had a movie about, uh, about, uh, somebody who's what a half nothing, a hundred pounds, nothing could have called it David. Huh? And then we could have had Bo, we could have had Bo up there and everybody could have put their Michigan jerseys on the desk. Did that really happen, David?
Of course not. But you know something the other night, you know, you got me going cause the other night I just Googled, I said, how much of this blank is true? And I started putting in a list of sports movies. You know, we are Marshall, the blind side, remember the Titans, blah, blah, blah.
We come off like a Ken Burns documentary compared to most of those. I'm not joking. You want to explain to me how, uh, what you told me on Monday that Rudy has heard what I've had to say about this subject. I haven't told my guys what about this, but please, I give you the floor. Is this true that Rudy, that this, what I have said into this microphone has filtered in the direction of Mr. Rudiger directly to Las Vegas, Nevada.
And, um, it was very interesting. I have not talked to Rudy. Angelo has, and apparently Rudy was pretty incensed, incensed enough to go to his neighbor, Mike Tyson, and ask him if he would train him to get you in the rain to put you where you belong. The real Rudy lives in Las Vegas next to Mike Tyson, who he has apparently asked for, uh, like training training advice. So he could come in. You know what Rudy could, I heard this through him, but it could have been, I know that Floyd Mayweather, it might've been, what was not in the movie is that when Rudy was at Holy cross and he was, you know, uh, you know, trying to come off as a Notre Dame student, getting into the cheering section, painting the helmets, all that. He also joined what they called and I don't know if they do it today, but it was a campus wide boxing tournament and it was called the bangle bouts.
And dudes, he won it as a Holy cross dude, masquerading as a Notre Dame student. And we had it originally in the script, but we had to cut it out. Well, now hearing about, um, his ability to fight and his desire to fight, boy, what a great film this is, David. I mean, now you tell me the backstory. I mean, wow.
It's, uh, it's quite a moving piece of cinema that you put together. I mean, to take this so personally that you want to fight me. It's so over the line.
I would call it off sides. No, I think she's right. So you got it. He didn't get it. You've been pretty mean to Rudy. I haven't been mean. You have, you want him to break his pretty mean, like you want him to hurt during the movie.
What are you doing? It's not a Rudy thing. It's a Notre Dame fan. It's bigger than Rudy. It's bigger than Rudy. Well, everything's bigger than Rudy. There you go. He wants to knuckle up with put them up, put them up, put them up.
Rudy just knuckling up. Have you watched the movie? Right? Yeah. Okay. It's a good movie. All right. I can't wait.
Great movie, man. Great. I like that back on the rich eyes and show radio network.
Fun show, everybody funny show, funny show, funny show. Uh, the NBA playoffs are set. They're set the Clippers and the warriors were having at it in a pretty big regular season finale while Rory, I think was approaching 15 or 16, Cooper and I were flipping back and forth. TJ, you were saying you were watching basketball.
No, the Clippers and the warrior. It was a big game. I mean so much so everyone played and the winner, the winner was either going to be the four of the five, depending on what the nuggets did or all the way down to the play in hosting role on, um, on the first round of the playing game where you win and you're the two seeds opponent where you lose and you're going to be hosting the winner of nine 10.
So that's pretty big. And this thing went into overtime. Draymond had a bunny to tie the game at a buck 21. And you know, I've looked at it over and over again to see how did he miss it?
It was right there. It's because I think he was trying to get the, and one feeling the defender behind him. Unfortunately for him, the defender is a, an all time great defender and Kawhi Kawhi, I think since he was doing that and back off.
So there was no contact. And Draymond did his usual kick and he missed the bunny and the Seinfeld jiff and, um, or drop Mike. So, um, the, uh, Clippers wound up winning.
Yeah, it was awesome. Oh, and Draymond address this after the, okay, hit it. What happened on the two late plays? She with the rim and buddy coming off for that three pointer that he didn't get going very well. I completely smoked a layup.
Um, and buddy missed a shot. Was it the shot that he wanted? Do you want it? Do you guys want it?
Yes. That was the play that was drawn up and we got the look. He just missed it. Hey, I, I, I don't blame, uh, by the way, great answer from Draymond, just straight up. I smoked a layup and he missed the shot. That's what happened. I obviously, you know, the, I think the reporters like trying to get him to say, Steph should have gotten a drawn out form.
Let's blame Carla to blame somebody other than me. And let's like point fingers. Um, and you know, Draymond's been around a block a few times. So I'm, I was stunned that Clippers didn't foul the warriors. Why didn't even let them get a three off?
Yeah. It was a three point game. I'll just foul them and send them to the free throw line and try again.
You might win at any rate. Bottom line is the warriors are now playing in and they are taking on one of the, I can't believe I'm saying this, two Western conference playoff teams that have interim coaches. Um, and it's the Grizzlies at the warriors winner of that game takes on the rockets. And then the loser of that game takes on a winner of Sacramento and Dallas jets. That is, uh, there, there are some players on those teams that can scare somebody. I just don't know if it's going to be a thunder. Which team do you think has the best chance to shock the thunder golden state, right?
What'd you say? Yeah, for sure. No, I, I think, I think the warriors, just the pedigree and how they've looked since Jimmy Butler's right. Well, Jimmy was limping around cause he took a Kauai knee to his, uh, his thigh, man. And in any other year that would have been Kauai limping away from that place.
Oh, you were thinking about that. So you nervous about the nuggets and their interim head coach or what? You have to be nervous about the nuggets. They got one of the greatest basketball players of all time playing at a incredibly high level. But the fact that they made this coaching change, you have to kind of think you got to give the Clippers the extra. How about that saying that about the class?
That might be punching the clown right here. Murray hasn't been right for a while. So, but you could do 60, 20, 20 again, although zoo botches played out of his head zoo has been incredible all season. I had him on my team.
He's ever played, had his first triple double a few days ago ever. So I I'm liking the clipper chances. I'm I'm optimistic, which is very strange. First ever Clippers playoff series with their own building. It's true.
A lot of toilets. We'll be hanging up a bit. Can we hang a banner up in year one? Oh my God, this guy, come on, this guy, come on. I'm not going to sit here and say which which team is most ripe for an upset because everybody thinks it's the next, right?
Why does everybody think the Knicks are just going to step on their Johnson and the upstart pistons who have never done it before going to go and beat the Knicks in their first coming on. And you know, we haven't seen Brunson in a month. Okay.
We're going to see Brunson. Don't you know? I'm sure. I'm just saying cat.
I'm just telling you why would people think everybody thinks the Knicks are just going to be one and done. Okay. All right.
My pistons are talented, but come on. Yeah. Exciting. It's great. Starts tomorrow. Exciting to playing games tomorrow. Well, we smoked this show back to wrap it in a sec. If your job at a health care facility includes disinfecting against viruses, you know, prevention is the best medicine and maintaining healthy spaces starts with a healthy cleaning routine. Granger's world class supply chain helps ensure you have the quality products you need when you need them from disinfectants and cleaning supplies to personal protective equipment so you can help deliver a clean bill of health call 1 800 Granger click ranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
