REShow: Keegan-Michael Key - hour 2

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He's the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. What is Matt Ryan's future with your team?

Well, the same feature with every other player on this team, but I can't predict the future right now for you, Rich. The Rich Eisen Show. Show. Earlier on the show, legendary ESPN host Chris Berman coming up. Keegan Michael Key, Tennessee Titans running back Derek Henry, plus co-host of Peacock's brother from another, Michael Smith.

And now. It Sure. All right, everybody. Hour number two, the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. We're one hour into our first show, knowing that Deshaun Watson has asked for a trade from the Houston Texans one year after signing a very rich, lucrative contract to stay with the team.

And weeks after they traded away his wide receiver, and he's still, you know, months after they trade away his wide receiver, and DeAndre Hopkins, he signs there. with Bill O'Brien there. And Everybody knew who the owner was going to be. And this is a I cannot wait. For the 30 for 30 on this one.

Now, how we always say, like, hey, we'd love to hear it. But I'd love to see the 30 for 30 on the Patriots and Belichick or, you know, or any of the recent headlines. This is one really about the That you could talk about what you just do Houston sports in general. Because of what's happened with Hardin prior to. Watson, wonder, you know who I would have a penny for his thoughts at this hour is J.J.

Watt. Oh, yeah. future Hall of Fame career left. He may be on a new team next week.

Well, I mean, if you're the Packers, don't you call for him? Don't you s w have him come back to Wisconsin? Don't you think you could use him? In a pass rush? I don't think anybody can pass rush.

How do you want? I understand that, but I'm just talking about if you want to look at your quarterback. And say, we are building for the now.

Okay? We were constantly here in Green Bay building for the future. We're always looking over the steering wheel. We want to be sustained greatness. We want to have those 10, 11, 12, 13 year seasons more and more and more in consecutive years.

But you also have a quarterback that just got beaten by a guy whose team has gone all in for the now. You know, of course. Godwin's going to be around for a long time. Of course, Mike Evans is going to be around for a long time, knock on wood for their health. Of course, Tristan Wurfs can protect any quarterback, not just Tom Brady.

Of course, Antoine Winfield Jr. can play. Center field, if you will, for any quarterback that's on the team. Of course, you can still build for the future, but you've got to win right now. Let's go.

What better way? To tell Aaron Rodgers, we hear you, let's do it right now. And also tell the fan base here: we're winning right now, let's go. Than by calling up the Texans and saying, all right, Watson wants out. What do you want for JJ?

And bring JJ home. Don't you think the Packers could have used a little bit more oomph? In the NFC championship game from that defensive line? A little more pressure on Tom last Sunday. Don't you think?

Penny for J.J. Watts' thoughts. If you're him, do you ask for a trade now too?

Now, understand, you could sit here and go, absolutely. Understand though. what he means to that town and what he has built in that town, his own personal self. and and what it would mean to basically say Deshaun wants out I want out too. You know.

That's not an easy thing, although he might be sitting there thinking, okay. It's time for me to play some tag elsewhere. You know, I mean, let's go. Yeah, Houston might have to hire one of those like 50-style operators for all the phone calls coming in. Yeah, to John.

Houston, Texas. John, JJ. Houston Texans, please hold. Hello. Houston Texans, please hold.

Hello. Mr. Easterbee's office. Hello. You know what I'm saying?

How did those things even work, by the way? The patching through, I have no idea.

So, I mean. This is all playing out. Ran real time. What what were the t if if he asked for The trade on Monday. What's the plan on On dealing with it.

If he, if he, let's just say he asked for it on Monday or Sunday or Tuesday or whatever. You know, when you're going to announce your coach, the coach is going to get out there. You know, this is going to get out there. What's your plan? What's your plan?

What are you going to do? Are you really, you know? Have they put out a statement on this yet? Cully's first press conference is going to be what? Cal McNair saying, We know that Deshaun's assed out.

We're not taking those questions today. But here's our new here's our new New head coach coach. Did he ask for the trade weeks ago? Yeah, Schefter said weeks ago. There's no time date, but weeks mean.

So when he's Instagramming out all this stuff, and when he's. He had already requested. When he's on uh on uh on the boat? On the boat with his lady friend. Go check it out.

So This has been um I'll say it, I'll say it, I'll say it. This has been a smoke show of many different types. A smoke and mirror show. That he's asked for it and he's done the which by the way, it's the right thing to do. You'd have to do that.

Yeah. Under the radar. Yeah. What? What?

I mean, are you really going to go down the road of a showdown with Deshaun Watson and take it and find him and sit down, and he'll just have to sit there and. forfeit a salary? Like, are you really going to do that when you can actually also Come to the realization that you flip him for an insane amount. They could sit there and let it build. They could sit there and let it build.

Like the old brave heart. Hold. Hold. By the way, I've made that reference now two times in a row. Hold.

Hold the line, Rich. And oh, look, that's T.J. Jefferson's Greaseboard message for the day. Hold the line. Hold the line, people.

Yeah, I mean, people know what this is about.

So he, you know, hold, and he can. They can hold and Let it build up. And What are the Jets are going to go through the draft, or the Dolphins will go into the draft wondering: okay, this is our plan if they say yes to our trade. This is our plan if they say no to our trade. And then, I mean, this is for Houston.

That trade has to take place before the draft because they need the pick. And then on top of it. You know, um The Lions are going to have put Stafford out there, and teams are going to be like, well, what are you doing, Houston? Are you going to do this or not? And then we also have to take into account.

If the Texans take that approach. We have to take into account Deshaun Watson has some maneuvers too. All he's got to do. Is give one sit-down interview to one person and start telling some stuff about what might be going on there in Houston. That's caused him to want to get out of there.

that splashes s uh A particular bit of mud on the organization. Yeah, so the follow-up to the. Schefter's tweet about requesting the trade weeks ago said Deshaun hasn't spoken to Nick Casario or Jack Easterby. Watson. Why should he?

Watson's moving on. Why should he? That's the point. The Sean Watson's got to be sitting, honestly, he's got to be sitting there saying, Who the hell is Jack Easterby? Why do I return his phone calls?

I'm this Sean freaking Watson. I'm a guy who showed up here in Houston. and gave away my first game check. to uh a hurricane. Victim.

that worked in the cafeteria in the This guy, when I was doing that, this guy was. You know, Uh uh a character coach. Or just like honestly. And you want, you know, so Houston needs to tread lightly. Cause all Deshaun Watson has to do is start talking.

And it'll raise the temperature on this. That's why I wouldn't be surprised this gets done fast. Just do it. Rip the bandaid off, make a big killing in the draft. Get a guy who doesn't want to be there out of there.

You don't want to have this thing sitting there. What what are you hoping that Yeah What what what are you hoping that it'll just come around? He's not going to come around. It's not going to come around. Yeah, Daniel Joe Mara said earlier today: the one thing that's going to impact this situation with Watson is his willingness to sit and lose money.

Principled guy, this is how he gains leverage. The threat of financial loss does not bother him. Of course not. Because he's got the leverage. He's got it.

Who's the backup there? I don't even know who the hell the backup is in the Houston Texans organization. What are they going to do? That's a good question. Honestly, does anybody know who the backup quarterback there is in Houston?

It's my job to know this stuff. A.J. McCarron.

Okay, AJ McCarran. All right. And Josh McCown is your third quarter.

Well, I mean, they loved him so much to give him a sit-down interview.

Okay, let's go. A.J. McCarron.

And then who are you going to go draft? without a one and a two. Because of uh Easter Bee's R run him running mate. You know? Honestly.

Go for it. I'll sit back, I'll sit down. Doesn't seem like he's herding for cash. How old is this John Watson? Twenty-five?

Twenty-six? Really? Uh uh you know Oh.

So the Houston Texans Texans can go through that whole season and all that stuff and what? Or they can get all the draft capital back right now. that they missed and go to work. with a nuke head coach and a quarterback who wants to be there. Gotta work.

As always, Rich, you can bet on Deshaun Watson's location for next year.

So I put this up as a poll. If you're Deshaun, where do you want to play next year? Based on the betting favorites, the Jets are the favorite. followed by the Dolphins, Forty Niners and Saints. Eight.

Uh I I will tell you this. I will tell you this. You know, I have said. What I said, because I love the Jets. I could not imagine in my wildest dreams as I was sitting through this dreadful year.

that Their win against the Rams would actually be in any way, shape, or form, helpful. or that their win against the Rams did not. Destroy their, let's put it this way: that their win against the Rams did not destroy their ability to get a head coach that would cause players to want to go there. I thought Trevor Lawrence would be their best opportunity to get the head coach that would make players want to go there. And as it turns out, they got the guy in Robert Sala that's making players want to go there.

And they made a good wire, and they went fast. They went before anybody else could do it. They're like, that's the guy, let's go get him. Let's not mess around. And I'd never thought in a million years That would potentially be in the ether or possible.

And here they are with the guy that is. Causing a lot of players around the league go, huh? Let's see what they got cooking over there. Yep. And so um I say that with As you know, my heart on my sleeve here.

Yeah, of course. Because they're bringing the 49ers system in there, too. Or why don't you just go to the guy who's. Running it. in San Francisco.

Go there. Lynch is not going anywhere. They just made the Super Bowl last year. They've got a dynamite defense that when they come back and are healthy again. I mean.

Or you go hook yourself up. Look what Sean Payton did. He put somebody in the Hall of Fame, or helped put somebody in the Hall of Fame. Deshaun Watson in that system, are you kidding me? I'll tell you what.

Bro. I'll tell you what, Marcus Davenport was a kid that they traded up to go get in that draft where we thought they were going to get Lamar. That's right. Yep. Nope.

And then the year when uh the um the uh Chiefs moved up to draft somebody, or here they come for Deshaun. Instead, it was Mahomes. And then the Texans go up and go get Deshaun Watson. And honestly, we were sitting there that night waiting to hear the Saints had moved up. The entire time.

Wait and hear that. But I don't think they've, you know, the cap might not work. There's so many different ways. This is the problem with the Texas now: is that they've got a star player who wants out. Doesn't matter who the hell they hired.

Watch out. It's now out there that he's said he wants out. He's also got a no-trade clause.

So He might be giving a list to them saying this is where I want to go. And the team might just say, screw it, we don't care. We need the capital. And so we're going to make the best possible deal so we can get the best possible deal back. And Deshaun could say, No, don't want to go there.

Sorry.

So they actually have to work together. to get this done. What if Deshaun says, I want to go to Indianapolis?

Well, the Texans will be like, Well, then you could sit at home. Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Because we're not going to do that. Right.

Not going to be able to do that. And he could say, I want to go to Miami and I want to go to the Jets. And they could be like, we don't want to see it for four years. That's why San Francisco might win the day, maybe. I don't know.

Could you imagine him with Kyle Shay? That's what I'm saying. He's got to sit there and think the same thing. And those young wide receivers. I shouldn't be gaming this out in a way where the answer isn't the Jets, but I'm a professional.

Wouldn't you want to get as far away from the homes as possible? Yeah. You want to see him in the Super Bowl. That's it. Not the AFC Championship.

That's it. So that might be sort of a dovetail that works in everyone's. Favor. You got to find the common ground, even though the only common ground that could have kept Watson there is the sale of the franchise, apparently.

So the common ground is: we don't want to see it for four years. And Mahomes is in Watson said, I don't want to see him. Uh uh uh unless it's in the Super Bowl or certainly once every four years either. I'll be the dominant force in the NFC where Breeze is leaving. And uh Rogers, you know.

Might not Brady's going to be gone in at least a year or two. I mean, we're assuming he's not going to play at least 50. Don't assume it. Right. You know, that might make the most sense, don't you think?

But, guys, I don't know Deshaun Watson, but something tells me Deshaun Watson is not of the thought of. I won't escape Patrick Mahomes. Yeah. I mean, these guys are alpha dogs, and I just would not assume he'd be like, I think he'd want that dude. He'd want to beat that guy.

I don't see him going, let me get out of this conference. Yeah, but let's beat him in the Super Bowl, you know? Look, I think it's all going to come down to this. Is what is the Texans' stomach for making Deshaun Watson sit? Against The obvious the obvious, which is it's unsustainable to make him sit.

And it doesn't make sense to do it. You don't have a first, you don't have a second. You've got a cap problem, and you've got a new general manager and a new head coach. Start from scratch, as difficult as that may be to a lot of the veterans that are in that locker room, and as difficult and troubling as it may be to sell to a fan base. that were knock on wood if you're with me.

Post-pandemic's going to have to put fannies in the seats. That's why I'm saying, at least with the Jets, you ask for Darnold back, and you get a kid who's a dynamite face. of a franchise. Lets everything roll off his back. Perfect situation.

and you can get draft capital. Be done with it. But Deshaun's got to want to go there. 844-204-rich number to dial. Obviously, this is just scratching the surface of a story that we assume is going to be.

In the ether for quite some time. One of the best Keegan Michael Keys on next. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible, financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds.

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We've never done this, Mike. Are you ready to do this? You told him about, you know, you told him about how you are the Bill Walsh of audio executives. You can't screw these up, okay? Yes, okay.

Here we go, one at a time. Your favorite catchphrase from the original Predator. Go ahead, here's one. We can kill it.

Alright, that's number one. Here's number two, okay? Yeah. Shop.

Okay. You cannot hear them. Yes, sir. I'm just gonna. You can't hear them.

So what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna- I'm doing this blindfolded. Wait a minute, the sound of- wait a minute. Did Bill Walsh not have the volume up? Did the Bill Walsh of sound engineers not have the volume up? For the second.

Oh my god. Oh good. This is not good well. Can you go just oh there's a method to his madness? Do you want to try one more time now?

Yes.

Okay, go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Okay, man. Here he is.

We can kill it.

Okay, if it bleeds, if it bleeds, we can kill it.

Okay, here's the next one. Get to the chopper! The chocolate. And here's the other one. Ugly mother f Okay, there's that one.

Okay. Stark bench cut. All right, get to the chopper. It's cut. Because it's only an incidental line and the only reason we remember it is because he's Austrian.

If any other actor on the history of the planet, and by the history of the planet, I mean the States. Because it's 1987, right?

So the only country that exists is the United States of America. If anybody else said, good to the choppers, it wouldn't have been a line. It wouldn't have been a line. It's only because now the choppers, because he's Austrian. Cut, cut.

It's superfluous. Wow. We're going to bench. We're gonna bench for one ugly MF. Because I have to be a comedian of integrity who works from the highest point of intelligence.

We only like that because we were all 16 and he swore.

So what you're gonna do is you're gonna start if it bleeds. We can kill it.

Because it because it's a succinct line? It furthers the plot. and it's done in a very naturalistic way. We can kill it.

Very well done. All right, there we go, guys.

Now that's what a talk.

Now, for everybody else who comes in here on the Rich Isen show, we're going to show them. We're going to show them this start bench cut because you have raised the bar, Keith. Setting the bar right here. We're going to edit out, Delta. We're just going to set it out.

We're going to edit that out. Can you edit that out? That's all right now. No, it's too good. Perfect.

That's all. Alas, the Bill Walsh of audio is off today. Maybe he knew that Keegan Michael Key would be calling in, and he'd say, I got to tap out, I got to talk about boxing, or he's got to do his other job, or whatever. A lot of pressure for me. It's okay, feller.

It's all right. We're not gonna have you play more. Thank you very much. Go fellow checkers. Very good here.

Very, very well done.

Okay, Keegan Michael Key calling in on the Rich Eisen Show in a matter of moments. We're back here on the Rich Eisen Show Radio Network, 844-204 Rich. Number to dial. Keegan is the host of Brain Games, which he my kids my kids love it. My kids love it.

It's a game, it's kind of a game show that involves, you know, a lot of Um Teasers and brain teasers. Kids love it and they love him. That's fun. Oh, yeah. He would be a good Jeopardy host.

He would be key or Michael Key could do whatever he wants. That's a very good point. I mean, pretty much he could do whatever he wants to do. Super talented. Yeah, and say, you know, so when the next season of Brain Games comes out, it'll be one of those: hey, let's all watch this as a family.

Last night, I'm telling you, it's just uh the the It's when we can get all kids on the same page to watch something, it's just dynamite. Is that what happened last night?

Well, last night we were like, okay, we have time to watch a movie.

So we were going back and forth about what movie.

Okay. We agreed on Apollo 13. Oh, I know. That's amazing. I know.

An old movie for you. And they were all into it. And then the first like 15 minutes, it was. Oh, geez. You know, like, maybe we have a better mood if we watch something fun.

Okay, so I rejected stopping something, and I was overruled. By the whole family. Susie and the kids overruled me. You'll love this, you'll love this. And part of it was because Cooper refused to come in for the start of the movie.

Because he wanted to see the end of the Celtics and the Spurs. Would not come in until the Celtics and the Spurs wrapped up their play.

So literally, we're like sitting there pausing the movie, and we're, you know, we hear Cooper screaming, it's tie game, 106, 106, 13 seconds to go. Yeah. Dang. How good does that make you feel? Oh, it's great.

It's great. You know, but when the other two kids are like, can we start? You know, I'm just saying, you know. By the way, I have been Cooper in my family growing up. I was the exact same way.

So I totally can relate.

So, long story short, we eventually audibled Omaha. into national treasure. All right. National treasure. Yes.

And it was a delight. I hadn't seen it in a long time. But there's, you know, there's shooting at people. Like, it's kind of intense. It's not.

There were a couple of skeletons and whatever, and Cooper does not like. When you know, things go haywire. Like he would not. He would not do well for like sitcoms where, like Three's Company, where halfway through everything is going crazy and there's mistaken identity, and people are angry at each other because they don't like my youngest son cannot handle that. He just wants Kumbay.

Okay. And then around halfway through, he's like, oh, this is kind of fun. It's great. It's a very good rewatchable movie. And so, yeah.

Yes.

And so again, That was their first Nicholas Cage film. Which isn't, I think that's one that's a good one. Yes, like we'll graduate eventually to leaving Las Vegas.

Okay. Way down the line. Way down the line. Yeah. But for the moment, National Treasure was that.

And I still can't believe that the war with Grandpa. was my children's first Robert De Niro movie, and I feel like I failed my children that way. But they're twelve. They're nine and they're seven, and I can't just come out the gate. Mm-hmm.

with you know raging bull Can't come out the gate with Deer Hunter. By the way, life lessons for parents. big. Don't come out of the gate with deer hunters.

Okay. Love this guy. Love this guy. Love everything he does. And the actor, writer, producer is now the host of the Audible Original Podcast, The History of Sketch Comedy, that he is co-written by the lovely wife, Elle.

who we've gotten a chance to meet on a couple of occasions at Super Bowls. How about that? Keegan Michael Key back on The Rich Island Show. How are you, Keegan Michael Key? I'm good, sir.

How are you doing? Also, don't start with Angel Heart. Yes, you just can't start with Angelo. You know what? Again, that's what happened the other day.

I've been trying to get my kids to agree to watch the same thing. The War with Grandpa was that film the other day, and it was halfway through it. I realized, I'm like, oh my God, this is my kids' introduction to Robert De Niro. What the hell am I doing here? Exactly.

Yeah. A friend of mine who was in Italy once and he was watching Star Wars, and Star Wars was dubbed. And can you imagine there's an Italian person dubbing Sharp Vader's voice? It's it's not music. I just have to as a caveat, this is not what his voice is supposed to sound like.

Yes.

Yes, the the the Italian James Earl Jones is not what we're looking. I am not your father.

Well, the reason the one of the reasons why we got on this subject is my kids dig brain games, Keegan. Oh, they like brain games. Oh my gosh, do they love it? They can't get enough of it.

So. That's great. L. Key produced television show. There you go.

That I did not know. And it's just, it's such a relief that we can all agree on watching something that my wife and I also enjoy too. You know, that is amazing. It really is. That's great.

So I'm glad that we could provide that service for you. Thank you. I mean, that is tough. That's a tough thing because otherwise you're sitting in the back rolling your eyes and the kids are having the time of their lives, but you're like, come on, there must be some equitable that we can do here, right? Exactly.

So let's talk a little bit of the football, if you don't mind, to start things off. Because when I did meet your wife, when I did meet Elle, if I'm not mistaken, she loves Elon Manning, right? Is she a big Eli Manning fan? Is that correct? Ish, not really.

She She's a Giants fan.

Okay. She's a Giants fan.

So then how does she enjoy the Tom Brady-ishness of everything happening right now? She's not very happy. She's not very happy with the Tom Brady-ishness of right now of the landscape right now. She's a big Mahomes fan. She's like Mahomes, Mahomes, Mahomes.

And I mean, now it's interesting because with us, We're big fans of Gronk. We love Gronk, and we work with Gronk, and he's great. But, you know, Tom Brady is not her. She's not very big fan that Tom Brady is in the NFC right now. Yes.

She's also a big, huge Drew Brees fan.

So, Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes. are two people that she enjoys watching very much. We'll see how that plays. Turns out. Ultimately, as we come into the next football season, right?

She may be watching Drew from a broadcasting box, you know. But we'll see, but we'll see. Yeah, she's not, she's she's not, she's yeah, Tom Brady, no love lost there between L. Key and Tom Brady. He's finally, he's settling family business again, Tom Brady.

Just when you thought that he would no longer have much family business, he's settling it again. I mean, it's and and guys he's never beaten before, and Breeze and Rogers, and now here comes Mahomes, who he has the last time Mahomes did not make the Super Bowls because Brady was standing in his way. I mean, it's just unbelievable what this guy is doing. It really is. I mean, listen, here's the thing.

Of course, everyone's saying, like him or not. He's he's dog. Yeah. As I like to put it, he's LeBroned, right? I mean, LeBron, you forget, the guy's been to 10 Super Bowls, Rich.

No one's been to 10 Super Bowls, let alone with two different teams.

So I can't, I have to give him his props. There's no way around that. It's really incredible. And now, now, I do, I, unlike some people, In our household, I have a little bit of love for Tom Brady because he's a Michigan man. I can't go against that.

Growing up in a Maze and Blue neighborhood. And having grown up with one of my best friends from childhood's brother being a trainer. For Boat Shum Beckler, I have to have a little bit of love for. The old number nine, you know what I mean?

So. Number 10, I'm sorry, the old number 10.

So there's nothing, you know, there's a little bit of love there for me, let alone the accomplishment itself.

So I have to ask here, Kigun Muckle Ki here on the Rich Eisen show, when you say trainer for Bo Shenbuckler, for his team, or was he literally making Bo do jumping jacks to keep him in shape? No, he was for the Wolverine. I appreciate the clarity, Rich. Yes, he was a trainer on the team, for the team, right? I chose jumping jack specifically because, you know, that seems like more of a Bo era type of exercise, you know, rather than a burpee.

With the high knee socks and the short shorts. A medicine ball with a medicine ball. A medicine ball, medicine ball, old-fashioned rusty kettlebells, and giant ropes. Giant ropes that we don't even know what they did with. In the gymnasium, no less.

Bo's work. Boys, we're going to the gymnasium. He he's wearing a onesie that we saw like from the world's strongest men shows on ESPN 2 at 4 in the morning, you know Good. The singletonya from ESPN2 240. From Athens, Greece.

Strongest Like chalk on his hands. Resin all over his shoulder. That's what I thought. You're like, he's a trainer for Bo. I'm like, okay, I got to pull on that string a little bit here.

Exactly. Exactly. Of course you did. Of course you did. Keegan Michael Key here on the Rich Eyes Show.

I feel like we're coming up with one of the sketches that you're talking about on your new pod here: the history of sketch comedy. What attracted you and your wife to this subject matter?

Well Way back when, when we were starting to find a way to work with each other, before any of the the romance blossomed. Yeah. working together. Elle is a very accomplished, very brilliant writer and director and producer. And we started trying to figure out a project that we could do together.

And when we had this meeting, I just wanna make sure, s so people need to know, that my wife is a good, you know, died in the wool, Bronx-born New York Jew. And she has an encyclopedic knowledge of Jewish jokes. And during that first meeting, we talked, she told me a bunch of jokes. And I was laughing uproariously, Rich, and she kind of, you know, she kind of looked at me sideways and she's like, Well, you are really finding these jokes funny. I said, Hey, I.

I've never heard these jokes. I'm a black kid, a black Catholic kid from Detroit. I don't know these jokes. It lays some more on me. And then, as the conversation went on, we found ourselves analyzing the jokes, breaking them down, talking about what makes them funny.

and realize that we have a very similar sense of humor. And years later you cut to quarantine. And she had this idea. And she she said, What you know more about sketch comedy than anybody I know. What if we did some kind of a a book or a podcast or something about the history of sketch comedy?

And we pitched it to Audible. And I and I remember in the pitch, you know, this is you know, this is this is last year. This is gosh, it was March of last year. And her pitch was: if Keegan Michael Key was teaching, was guest lecturing at NYU and was going to do a 10-week series on the history of sketch comedy, I think it would be a very popular class. I think he'd get a lot of apples at the end of the day.

And that was the hook, and they bought it. And so then we started working on it. And she put it together. She created it and um she kind of The format together and then just gave me an opportunity to shine. And now we're in a position where we get to share it with all these other people.

So, how far? How far back do you go? Like, wait, where do you go? We go oh no, we go way back. I think I it's been I think a lot of people think we were gonna start at SNL or something.

We go back to ancient Sumeria. Like Just don't know Rick. We go to 1900 BC Samaria, where literally the first record 1900 BC Samaria. the first recorded joke. Shut up.

Okay, what do you mean it's the first like what what was it like like uh hold on a second like what why does it why does a I don't even know what the what why does a pterodactyl cross the road? I mean like I mean it literally a part joke. It is a part joke. It's something about a young bride sitting on her husband's lap and farting and how that is Yeah. Yeah.

Untoward or something? Listen, it's lost in the context of you. You're gonna be like, wait for it. Is that a way homer? Is that did you get it on the way home?

It's a 3,000-year way homer. On the way back in your chariot, you're gonna get oh, yeah, as he was on his lap. Literally, I think it it's so funny 'cause in the in the series we even talk about it, we go, Hey, isn't that funny? The people who came to us with the wheel and written language also also came up with the fart joke. What does that say about the human race?

That the first joke was a fart joke. You know, I guess it just stands the test of time. It stands the test of time. It's just never not funny.

So we literally start. I mean, there's a there's a whole half a chapter about cavemen and our suppositions about what we think cavemen found funny and how they communicated that to each other. And we go all the way from, you know, tweets.

So we literally go from Neander Falls to to to um to Trump jokes on SNL. And so it's the whole gamut. We run the gamut of history. Yeah. So, you know, Sumerians, Greeks, medieval times, the 15th century, then the advent of vaudeville.

We do the whole thing. Sure. Keegan Michael Key here, along with his wife Elle, the Audible Original Podcast, The History of Sketch Comedy. I could talk about this all day.

So like what would be the advent on television? Your show of show? Would that be the first version of this? We do. We dive into your show of show shows and Milton Burrell.

And there's really fun, interesting factoids that we that we that we f we found in the research. Like Milton Burrell, the um People found out that when the Milton Burrell show, when the Texaco Comedy Hour, star, Texaco Star Hour, when that show, when he was hosting that show, they were rotating hosts, and then eventually it just became Milty, Uncle Milty. And what would happen is Right after the show was over. you could see across the country that there'd be a huge deluge of water usage. Because everybody got up from their sets and went to the bathroom.

Because they didn't want to miss a minute of Milton Burrow's show. Rich, when Milton Burrow, I'm getting the numbers wrong. But it was crazy. Like there were a h there was something like 75,000 television set sets, 75,000 television sets in America. And then with instead Two years when Milton Broll was on TV, it was 750,000 television sets.

Like I I can't even fathom it. That's just like that's There's no star that's star power. And so we really, we really delve into that, into him, Martin Lewis, Colgate Comedy Hour, Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope.

So we do everything. And then Carol Burnett Show, obviously, that's gotta be included in that. SNL. Yeah, Carol Burnett Show, then we move into the variety era. That that Horrible, awful, garish variety area with Donny and Marie and River and Taylor.

Hello. Did you know all that, Jay? Rip Taylor. Fantastic with his bucket of confetti. Oh my God.

That is a name I have not heard in forever. Right? You haven't heard. I mean, Wayland Flowers and Madam. Madam, of course.

Well, I mean, I was.

Well, when you would select them for the block on Hollywood Squares is a big moment for me as a child watching television. For me as well. Me as well. And, you know, when you know, Paul Lynn would say, you know, so I love it, Paul Lynn, but just be laughing through the entire thing. Yes, because you could say, you know, a lot of those game shows in the Hollywood Squares and Match Game, that was some scripted comedy as well.

I mean, we could really go deep into this whole thing. And, man, I love this. What a brilliant idea. What a brilliant, brilliant idea. Would you say.

By the way, first of all, very thankful that that was the research on Milton Burrell that you mentioned. Wow. Secondly. Secondly. Um Yeah.

Yeah. Oh, man.

Now that just shows how much you are a comedy maker.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you, sir. I'm showing off my bona fides here. I'm flexing my comedy muscles.

All right. Secondly, would you say that the sketch comedy is funnier when the actor or actress breaks? And laughs in the middle of it. What do you think? It is funnier.

But it's always funnier because what's Here's the thing about comedy. Comedy is about Yeah. Right? Like, you know, when we see a nice, beautiful form tackle and the legs get taken out, the guy goes down, and you're like, what?

Well done, good tackle. And then, when you see someone fly through the air and just shiver a dude in the neck, like Dick Knight Train Lane from the 50s, and you're going. Whoa! Will that be illegal? In the the the the the like Benny Blade back in the old days with my Detroit Lions.

And so what happens is the equivalent to that in sketch coming is that you you especially in SNL, it's so timulating because you know it's live. And you know they're trying to navigate this entire evening. And so part of you is going, Are they going to mess up? It's a lot like the circus, right? Like the trapeze artist.

What makes us laugh, it gets funnier because the stakes are so high and then people just go, forget it, and they start giggling. Or they can't help themselves from giggling. It is. It's infectious. It makes us laugh more because our expectation is they're going to make it all the way through the sketch, right?

Like Carol Burnett. There's some extremely funny Carol Burnett sketches that you just laugh because the writing's terrific. But when you see Harvey Cormann start to grin, There's really nothing better. No, I know. Anyone needs to look up the dentist sketch with Tim Conway and him from that?

Um even the famed Cowbell Sketch with Christopher Walken on Saturday Night Live. When I think is it Fallon? Fallon breaks during it at one point. I mean, I love that. And I know that that's technically not.

what you're supposed to do. But I love it. I just love it. It is funnier. I mean, th then the opposite, of course, is the Shwedty Balls sketch from with.

with with Kenneth Gassire and Molly Shannon and Alex Baldwin where you can't believe they don't break. You're like, how are they doing this? How are they? They're superhuman comedians. How are they doing this?

It's like, it's too good. It's too good. Like I said, I could talk about this all day, but I appreciate the call, Keegan. I do miss chatting with you. And look, I can't wait to, I'm assuming you might not be going to the Super Bowl this year.

I know you go every year. You and Elle have been going quite a bit.

Next year here in Los Angeles, I know we don't take it for granted. We don't take it, but this time around, we definitely won't take it for granted when I see you next at the game. That's right. Big time. Absolutely right.

I look forward to seeing you, Rich. And thanks so much for having me on. Oh, gosh. Oh, thanks soon. She says hello.

Please send my best. Yeah. I know. Look, I'm a Jew born in Brooklyn, raised in Staten Island. You know, your wife had me at hello when we first met at the Super Bowl, you know, talking sports and whatever.

It was phenomenal. Just great.

So you're going to love this series, Rich. You're going to love this series. It's great. I can't get enough of it. And again, it's on Audible, the Audible Original Podcast, The History of Sketch Comedy.

Take care of yourself, Keegan Michael Key. Thanks for the call. Anytime. You too, buddy. Right back at you.

There we go. At Keegan M. Key on Twitter. At Keegan Michael Key on Instagram. God, do I love him?

He just cracks me up. Jesus. That was so funny. And brings the energy every single time he calls in. or shows up here.

God, I can't get enough of him. Honestly, this is, I geek out on comedy and sketches. You know, I'm a former stand-up comic, and this is, I can't get enough of it. I can't get enough of it. I love when comedians come on this show.

You know, I just. You know Love it. All right, let's take a break here on the Rich Isaac Show. 844-204-Rich number to dial. Derrick Henry's coming up.

Yeah. He's the version of the comedy that you just mentioned with Benny Blades. He's the version of running back. Yeah. What if I told you you can take you and your family and your friends to the ballpark with such low-priced tickets you can invest more in buying food and drinks, merchandise, and easily, on top of all of it, get a larger group to come with you?

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Learn more at hyundaiusa.com. Call 562-314-4603 for details. During the filming of The Outsiders, you turned 18 and the other boys in the cast pranked you by trashing your hotel room by saran wrapping the toilet and spraying fire extinguishers into the room. Is that a true story? Absolutely true.

It was like, that was my college experience. I was turning 18. It would have been the equivalent of going away from home for the first time. And that's my fraternity. Those guys are my frat brothers.

What a shock. Red Cross, man. Jeez, look at that. It's a good group. Look how tough Tom Cruise is trying to look in that photo.

Dude, Tom Cruise was such a baller. He was. He was probably one of my closest friends, and he was so great. And I always looked up to him and. He always had these cool things that he would come up with, and I remember.

He was the first guy that ever came up with this conceit of Tightening the titles of the movies he was in to make them sound badass. Like he did this, you know, the football movie, all the right moves. Yeah. But yeah, man, when I was making moves. I think I'm not sure.

And I was like, he's a badass. He's a baller. It's so baller. But then, you know, it was a problem when he'd be like, yeah, when I was making cocktail. Hi.

It was kind of a, you know, and I was, I liked No. The other one's no good either. It's long. Yeah, when I was in tail. When I was in tail, you can't do it either way.

You can't do it either way. It's no good.

So you'd go like wing? Is that what you do when you did? Oh, no, when I was doing West. When you're in West. When Marty Sheen and I were doing West.

You know, on the set of boy. Me and Charlie. No, yeah, when we started boy, in Oxford Blues sets up Bouges Blues. See, it's important to choose. If you choose the wrong one, it's not as good.

There's always one that's cooler. Like, which is like when I was doing recreation, but if I'm doing parks instead of parks, you said parks. Yeah, man, Amy Poehler and I in parks, we laughed all the time. Yeah. And parts.

Oh, the set of Wayne, I mean, it's just, you know. And by the way, you want to talk about Tom Cruise, too? This was the fact that blew our minds when the last Mission Impossible came out and he was running all over Monday. This is the best movies ever. Unlike a broken ankle that it just is that he is right now the age in these movies doing this that Wilfred Brimley was during Cocoon.

That's a fact. That is. That's boom, like mind-blowing. It's mind-blowing. And I don't know what it is.

What makes it mind-blowing is that Tom Cruise is doing that at that age, or Wilfred Brimley was really that young in Cocoon. I did a movie, Wilfred Brimley. He was the first great character actor I ever worked with. It was a movie called Hotel New Hampshire. What are we doing on that one?

So when you did Hampshire, no, when I was doing Hampshire, it's better than Hotel when you did Hotel. How about just when I was doing new? When you did New, right? When I was doing new. When I was working on new with Brimley, Ha ha ha ha.

Okay. You got to be careful because if you start, you can't stop doing that. You can't stop. You can't stop. It's like popping the Pringle.

Right. Once you eat one, you can't stop. One of the coolest guys ever. Go to youtube.com/slash RichEison Show for our vast archive of videos: 844-204-Rich, number to dial. I do love comedy.

I really do. Like, we've had many comedians on this show, and I love. To laugh, I do. And he's, you know, I'm an aficionado of comedy. and talk shows.

And some of my favorite clips were, and memories growing up, was watching Johnny Carson just sit back. and laugh at the comedians who come on his show. Yeah. One of my favorite people to have on the show is Caliendo. Frank, I just, how many times?

Actually, he's. He's been on the year like on my birthday. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like you guys booked him as a birthday present. Yeah, just doing pressures.

And Jeffrey Ross, because I love roasts. Love, love, love roasts. And I was the Roastmaster at Dan Patrick's Roast. When Dan was on ESPN radio, before All of the Dan Patrick show that you see here before on Peacock and what's been on audience for what a decade plus before it. Dan was uh in Chicago.

They put together a roast. Of him. Was it his birthday or something? I don't recall. I think it was just something like the ESPN Radio Chicago affiliate.

I don't recall. I got to ask Dan, like, what was the genesis of it? I don't remember. But it was his affiliate radio network wanting to do something big and it was in Chicago. And the dais was Um Just a whole bunch of people.

I I I th the um Um It was Jack McDowell and Mark Malone, an interesting collection of Chicago people. Darius Rucker was there with the rest of the group. Hootie and the Blowfish played, I believe. It was a big event. And I showed up.

And I took it seriously. I had Nick Mackay write my material. Amazing. And I laid waste to the place working blue, like right from the get-go. Gotta set the tone.

Look, a roastmaster has to set the tone to the room. And roast everybody. At one point, what I was saying to Mark Malone that cannot be mentioned on the air, he won joke in. Got up. Physically removed me from the microphone, from the podium.

And I was like, wait, I got two more jokes to go. And he goes, no, you're done. And he's a big man, Mark Malone. Big man. Yeah.

Oh yeah. And I was roasting people who weren't even there, like Brent Musberger or some lines. And it was terrible. I was working so blue.

So very, very blue. Did you give Nick any instructions or anything like that? I told Nick, well, Nick, Nick, Nick. as you know, is one of the best comedy writers. He's a showrunner of Mom.

Has been very Big time pro. Correct. Die Hart Bills fan. I should call him. I haven't called him in a while.

He's a Die Hard Bills fan. I'm sure he and his wife. He's hosted this show, boy. I know. So, at any rate.

Um Long story short, is he did at he's like, what do you want? You know, it's sort of like Talking to a buffalo guy ordering what style of wings. Like, you know, you want hot, you want extra hot. Want medium, what do you want? And I told him, go for it.

And I'll read the room and I'll figure it out. And I'm again a die-hard offician out of all the roasts, all the Comedy Central roasts, all the old Dean Martin roasts, and whatever. You know, I I'm I can't get enough of them.

So, the fact that I was a roastmaster for an actual roast with a dais and an audience and whatever, I'm like, I'm going for it. Yeah. And um Oh my gosh. I've set the room on fire, and the tape exists somewhere. I think Dan has.

He has put it in a vault. Like, it's like in an Al Capone's vault. Like, I don't know. I remember seeing him afterwards and his agent, may he rest in peace, a guy named Steve Lefkowitz, who did represent me, said, that tape can't get out. Because I work blue and I was saying things that were beyond inappropriate and Politically, I was.

I was almost going for it. But that'd be going for it. I haven't spoken to Dan about that in a long time, but that exists somewhere. And it's a long time ago. I'm wondering if Dan has that tape still.

Like, I was learning. Like, your sports hunter days?

So, like, 2000? Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. I don't know why they chose me to do it. I don't know why.

Good questions, all around. I forget. I'm going to bring that up to Dan next time we chat. Shane in Boulder, Colorado. What's going on with you, Shane?

Let's take your phone call. on the Rich His Show. You there, Shane? Hey, how's it going, Rich? How's it going, guys?

Good to chat with you. What's going on? Hey, so I've been reading a lot about the Deshaun Watson stuff, and I've been reading from sports writers, and I've been watching from sportscasters on TV. Why isn't anyone saying he has a chance to go to the Bears? Kind of disrespectful.

No, it's not disrespectful. I think that you have to take a look at whether they've got the firepower or the draft choices or you don't think Ryan Pace has the balls to give him three first-round picks? I don't think any other GM in the NFL is going to do it. But if there's one GM I think that will give out those three first-rounders, it's definitely Ryan Pace.

Well, I mean, he gave out a, you know, if he can correct the draft in which he took Trubisky over him, obviously he'll take a run at it. That would win a lot of more Bears than that. Shane, I'll just say this because all things need to be equal. Deshaun's got to want to go. Because, again, he's got a no-train claim.

Why not? That top defense. He would love to go there. How could he not? I mean, how could he not with that defense?

He would love it. Allen Robinson's still pissed at the way things are going. Franchise tag him. He can't say anything about it. Boom.

Done. Shane, how about this then? How about this? That the Jets' first-rounders are much more valuable than the ones that the Bears can give Houston. Jets can give him second overall right now.

Bears can't give him a ball. DBM is not going to give three first overalls. Yes, he gets to.

Well, Shane, he absolutely will because he's got a first-rounder in the next two drafts, too. He's got two of them. You say that, but I don't think he will. I don't think he has the balls to give out three first-round picks. I think Ryan Pace does.

Okay, Shane, we'll see what's what. Thank you. A little showdown. A lot of men would talk from Shannon Boulder, Colorado.

Somebody's going to. Yeah. The Jets Have those to give and still have their own. The Jets have one from Jamal Adams and Seattle this year. They've got another first-rounder in addition next year.

The Jets have first-rounders. They can give two first-rounders, next two drafts, and still have first-rounders of their own. And they could cough one up two more years from now and just say, fine. At that point in time, we'll have double digit wins because we can still build through the draft and get Deshaun Watson and maybe even replenish some of the picks that we give up for Deshaun Watson by trading Sam Bradford elsewhere if that's not what the Sam Darnell elsewhere, if that's not what the Texans want. And this isn't.

I mean, honestly, it all comes down to, again, like I said, the Texans' desire to keep Deshaun's heels cool. How long they can actually hold on to that. And two, where does the show want to go? 'Cause he's holding that no trade clause card too. The two sides that it seemed irreparably Uh it you know damaged need to come together to make it happen.

We'll talk to Derrick Henry about Deshaun maybe leaving the division. Hour three, news coming up. You know, I mean, yeah, it all comes down to where he wants to play. I think Joe Douglas. Any general manager will roll the dice.

You kidding me? The second overall, like, let's just say the Jets decide Sam. Darnold isn't the guy. All right. Let's say they go in their room and they're like, Seeing all this tape of the kid from BYU And they're like I'm head over heels.

We're head over heels. And we also get him with five years of contractual control. And why do we want to sit here and wonder? If Sam Darnold's the guy and have to pay him and pick up his 50-year option and do all that, when we can just start from scratch right here with a new coach and new general manager and go for it. And the rest of the the the um City will totally get it.

Totally get it. I mean, sh shoot, we've spent the, you know, entire fall At least I did, and I think I spoke for a lot of Jets fans having wanderlust for Trevor Lawrence.

So it's not a tough sell to the fan base. Let's say they make that decision. Are you telling me that the second overall pick that they they choose this kid from BYU, that they know right now he's going to be better than Deshaun Watson? Right. Zach Wilson, Trey Lance.

Justin Fields, they're all worthy of the second overall pick. Let's not go for her. Let's not give that up. Or we'll use a second overall pick, and the New York Jets select Deshaun Watson. What?

Next year, Jets are on the clock. First overall, their top draft choice next year, whatever that is. They could basically say once again in 2020 2 NFL draft New York Jets select Deshaun Watson. And then three years from now when they're on the first round and they don't have another first round pick, They can look at their fan base and say the New York Jets selected Deshaun Watson. You know what we're going to say?

F yeah. That's what we're going to say. We're going to spell his name out. Even though, you know. It's a lot of D's and you know, and A.

I don't know how you do H. I guess it's a touchdown. It's not A, U. You see it in No How State Let's Rich. Come on, come on.

Oh, my God. Wow. Ah. Here we go. Come on now.

It's a no-brainer.

So, if you want to talk about whether the GM's going to have the cajones to do it, then. I don't know if Sean's having a lot of those gummies in Boulder, Colorado. Derek Henry, Chris Brockman's news update, hour three coming up.