Right now.
Now, commencing. This is the Rich Eisen Show.
So far, so good. With guest host, WWE Superstar The Miz. I like it. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. I feel like Travis Hunter is a bigger circus than Chadur right now.
Is he going to play offense? Is he going to play defense? That's all anyone is talking about, these two players. Am I wrong? Earlier on the show, former NFL quarter.
Johnny Manzel coming up. Cavaliers Guard Max Streus and now sitting in Burridge. WWE Superstar The Miz. Hello, I am The Miz. I'm filling in for Rich Eisen on the Rich Eisen Show.
And this has been a fun show, I gotta tell you. I talked a little bit of wrestling. Got to talk to Johnny Manzel. Got to talk to O'Shea Jackson. Gonna talk to Max Streuce.
I mean, this is a jam-packed show, and I want to talk to you. I want to talk to a caller.
So let's go to Jimmy from San Antonio, shall we? Jimmy! Jimmy! Que paso er manos. Hey, San Antonio, San Antonio, you know, Shawn Michaels and then Goldberg just lives like ten minutes outside of town in Bernie.
So we're down with the wrestler. Ms. I will address you in a second, sir, but first. I got to say I had a TJ. What up, mate?
Maserati Mold King Felly and Blockman, how you doing, boys? What's up, Jimmy? What up, Jimmy?
Okay, mister Miz, I have a question. You were a onetime Texas resident, correct? Yes. Austin, Texas. Yes.
And you prepare for your interviews. And how do you do the Rich Eisen show sitting at the Rich Eisen desk provided by Granger, click or stop by without asking Johnny Football about the twelfth man Seattle Seahawks band yellow foms. The twelfth man is San Antonio. And then I have a T.J. Jefferson question.
Why did you not ask him about the twelfth man, sir?
So why didn't I ask him about the 12th man? Yeah, I feel like we talked a lot about that. There's so many things that you can ask Johnny Manzel. I mean, I'm more of a Cleveland person. Like, I want to know what happened in Cleveland.
Why did it not work? And what did he do to work on himself to get to where he is today? And I feel like we got a lot of answers out of him. And it was a really great interview, especially with a person who kind of shines a light on: hey, there are some polarizing things, and some people need. help dealing with that type of fame.
And they need structure. And I think that we got through on all of that. I mean, we can't talk about the Aggies and we can't talk about, you know, growing up in Texas all that much, but I think we got a lot out of it. But if you want to know more about Johnny Manzo, you could always watch that documentary on Netflix, Untold. I mean, it tells a lot about him.
Dude, you're totally right. It was a good interview. I was just trying to be funny, but now I am to be funny. Jerry, is this thing on? Is this thing on?
Come on. Have you seen TJs? AI wrestling image, and I have a question if you have seen it. about his finishing move. uh what you would call it.
I have two ideas.
Okay, so I think it's a good idea. Go ahead. He has not seen it. No, I have not.
Well, when you do see it, Tell me what you think about these finishing moves because you're some biz. You know wrestling. the Jive Turkey or the Big Payback. Big payback or the jive turkey. What's the finishing move?
I don't know. I'm not a restaurant. You are. TJ, I need to see the finishing move. In order to get a good answer on a finishing move, you need to see it.
You need to see it perform. Oh, wow. Wow. You look like a 19. Why?
What are you going to do with those glasses, buddy? If you couldn't get contacts because of goggles? It was an AI rendering, man. I don't know. You got to ask AI.
The finisher should be the Sherman Klump. I mean, right? Oh, Lord. Hey, Miz, it's very nice to talk to you. I mean, he can have, if he is Sherman Club, he has the fart as the.
Hey, hey, see you, Jimmy. You know, it could be thanks, Jimmy. We appreciate you. Come on in. You know what?
I want to do a little bit of powerless rankings. I want to rank the worst teams. By the end of the season of the NFL season, these will be the worst teams by record. Shall we get started? Give me the Mizes.
Powerless rankings. Here we go. Let me have your attention for a moment. And now it's the Mrs. Powerless Ranker.
Rankings. This is shame.
Okay. AI loves to put glasses on people, I guess. Because I don't ever wear glasses. Were they thinking that was more nerdy? I think that's the way you're powerless.
So is AI calling you a nerd as well? Not with the pipes I had in that picture, I don't think. You're a pretty little buffer in that picture than I am in real life. All right, let's get to the powerless rankings, shall we? Love it.
All right, number 22. 22. Seth Rollins is going to hate this one. Oh, no. But it is the Chicago Bears.
I just think they need time to develop that offense. That offense is going to be a lot. And Ben Johnson's going to have a lot with Caleb Williams. And I think that they are going to need time in order to do that. And I think they're going to do great by the end of the season.
But the beginning of the season is going to be a lot of learning curves.
So that is why the Chicago Bears are 22.
Sorry, Seth Rollins. Number 23. The Arizona Cardinals. I just, every time I think about the Cardinals, it's like, kind of like no one really talks about them, right? I mean, do you guys hear anyone saying anything about Kyler Murley right now?
No. No. About James Conner? No. I'm not even talking about him in fantasy football.
Mad Muscle in the offseason. No one's talking about them. No, no one's really talking about him. And whenever no one's really talking about a team, they're kind of just like, eh, they're there, you know, and they'll be there. That's where they are 23rd in mind.
Now, a lot of people are talking about this team. 24, the Miami Dolphins. They need to shape up or everyone's getting shipped out. And I think that's what's going to happen. I think Miami's going to need a revamp.
And even though I like their coach, I enjoy his interviews. I just. I think they're going to try to find something new. And he'll be an OC somewhere next year. I don't want that to happen.
I want success for the Miami Dolphins. I just don't see it happening. I think they need to rebuild. I think they need to start figuring things out. Number 25: the Carolina Panthers.
Yes, the Carolina Panthers are still in the bottom for me. I know a lot of people will disagree with me. They think, you know what? Bryce Rung has turned a corner. And he's going to be doing it all day long.
He's got this. But I still think they need a lot more pieces to that team, and that is why they are in the bottom. Twenty-six. I feel like they're always here. Every single year, it's almost like everyone talking about the Cleveland Browns, except for me and anyone in Cleveland, but.
It is 26. The New York Jets. Justin Fields. I mean, it's crazy. It's crazy to think how many quarterbacks.
The Chicago Bears have been through. Like now that I'm thinking about it, looking at Justin Fields, can he do it? I mean, you got Garrett Wilson, you got Brees Hall. I thought Brees Hall would be a guy. I thought we would be talking about him like Saquon Barkley, but we're not.
I think he still has a chance. Do you think so? I'm not sure anymore. I think, you know, they might be looking elsewhere and thinking, hey, guess what? Maybe he's not our guy.
Let's see what else we have on the depth chart. Braylon Allen. Yeah, exactly. 27, you're gonna love this, Chris. The New England Patriots.
In no world are we worse than the Jets.
Well, I beg to differ, my friend. In no world. I beg to differ. I think it takes time for coaches to implement what they need out of their players. I love Rabel.
I've met Vrabel. I've had conversations, Vrabel. Happy birthday, happy birthday, buddy. Maya bad on this, but it's just where I think the teams are going to end up with. This is your birthday present, Dan.
27 on the list. 27 on the list, yes. I actually like Trayvion. Was it Trayvion Henderson? Yeah, buddy.
Oh my gosh. Don't talk about him. No, I'm talking about him. By the way, you want a sleeper. I need him.
And I think people are sleeping. Do you think Ramondre is going to be the first one? No. Number one on the depth chart? No.
In the beginning of the season. Yeah, maybe. How many weeks does it take? Like a month. Maybe.
A month. Yeah.
So four games? Yeah.
If.
Okay. But yeah, I mean, he's going to be, I think they're going to be running the ball quite a bit. That's what they're going to be doing. Trayvion's a beast. He is a beast, but I still think that's 27 where they're at.
Number 28. I was a little iffy on this, to be honest with you. Because I liked their defense. The New York Giants. Ooh, they need to get rid of it.
And are we getting rid of it? If they are here, are we getting rid of Dayball? I don't want to get rid of them. I think Jackson Dart. I think he's going to be there.
He might be going to start, right? He's going to start at some point. He's going to get there. Dart Wilson. But I mean, is that the end of Russell Wilson then?
Is Jameis done? Jameis is there, you know, break in case of emergency. I love Jameis, man. I love Jameis so much. When I would listen to him in the huddles, you can tell this guy loves football.
He loves where he's at. He loves the locker room. He just enjoys it. The problem is the interceptions. Like, why can't they?
He seems like a person that really puts in the prep. Yeah.
He really does the work. And when it's succeed when he succeeds, he succeeds, but What is it that just makes him hit those interceptions so much? Yeah.
Is that what it is? Seems like it. Like, he'll just throw it, man. Yeah, well, there's a lot of touchdowns like a lot of touchdowns.
Well, Giants, number 28. Number 29. The Jacksonville Jaguars. I don't think Travis Hunter will be a bust, but looking at this, I didn't realize that it would be a circus. Like, I didn't realize everybody would be talking about Travis Hunter.
And is he a wide receiver? Is he a cornerback? And making such a huge deal.
Now, granted, yes, it is a huge deal. It's a big deal because we've never seen it before, but everybody talking about it. And the reason nobody wanted to take Shadur was because of the circus. And that's why he went down in the draft. Right.
But Travis went Number three. And It's kind of a circus. Is it a good trade? Do we think right now I made a good trade? Yes.
I do too. I didn't think so in the beginning. I hated it. I wanted Travis Hunter.
Now, looking at it and the grand scheme of things and what we got, we got a haul. We're going to get a top five pick, top 10 pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars next year. That's my face. Yes. I got.
Yeah.
Dawkins woke me up. Woke me up. I'm sleeping. Is this? And he told everyone, everyone, look at the Miz.
Is that why this young lady is? Is that a random person? It's a random person. She did not know her. Random person.
He did not know her. She made an announcement, and Lydia was like, everyone, look at the Miz. Because I want to tell him this. The Browns just traded out of the number three spot. Friends.
How many? Friends have them. Oh, my God. I was like, oh, my God, this is terrible. But I'm actually happy about it.
You get a first-round pick next year. I get a first-round pick next year. I mean, that is. Going to be amazing, especially. I mean, I don't even know what to talk about with the quarterbacks.
Like, is Arch Manning gonna come out next year? Is he gonna be great? You're gonna have the first and second pick next year. I know. I love it.
I love it. I don't. Hopefully, we just don't put it on defense. Hopefully, we get some weapons here. I want some weapons.
Hopefully, we find a franchise quarterback.
So, I'll take two quarterbacks, one and two.
Next year. I just want a quarterback. I just want a quarterback, guys. Got one. QB Two.
If there is a team to do that, it would be the Browns. Like, we would be like, you know, and everyone in Cleveland would be like, it's actually not a bad idea. Not a bad idea. Not a bad. I'll take it.
Okay, whatever. All right. Number 30. Let's go with the Indianapolis Colts. Does anyone know what's happening with them?
Like, is Anthony Richardson really going to be the guy? I don't know. Daniel Jones really is going to be the guy? I don't know. I mean, we don't know.
I mean, they got Jonathan Taylor out there. I don't even think I'm taking him in fantasy football, to be honest with you. Oh, he's one of my guys. I agree with you. Is he one of your guys?
I'd like John Taylor, man. Second round?
Well, see, I do auction, so our whole strategy is $200. How much are you putting on Jonathan Taylor?
Well, last year I went a little high on Miz and I messed up. I bid a little too much.
So I'm going to cap myself at about. 40. 40 bucks? 40. Jonathan Taylor.
What do you think Saquon goes for in that league? In my league, because my guys are savages, man. Saquon, you're not getting him less than $65. Oh, wow. Wow.
Okay. It's a lot of money. Yeah.
All right, 31. Tennessee Titans. Mm. Cam Ward. Cam Ward.
He's going to need some time. He's going to be good, though. You know what? He is going to be good. I love hearing that he's like the first one in.
Into the facility and the last one to leave. You gotta love the preparation that he's putting in. I just think it takes time for a rookie quarterback to develop. Not everyone's Jaden Daniels. Not everybody is CJ Stroud.
Like, that just doesn't happen. Those are anomalies. And so people need that time. I mean, you look at the Sam Darnolds, the Genoes Smiths, I mean, it took them time, but now they're franchise quarterbacks. Baker Mayfield, franchise quarterbacks.
Takes time. Cam Ward, I think, might. Maybe could be an anomaly, but I think it's going to take a year. Number 32, I think everyone has them as the worst team in the NFL. New New Orleans Saints.
Yeah.
Anyone disagree? Nope. Anyone disagree with any of my power rankings? Patriots shouldn't be on this list. That's his issue.
Okay, who should be there for them?
Well, they should be up. I'm just glad you didn't say Raiders. Yeah, we're the Raiders. Ooh, okay. The Raiders could have been in there.
I mean, I guess they're 21. They're 21. I guess they're 21, aren't they?
So, yeah, I mean, the Raiders, man. I mean, I just moved to Las Vegas. It's 120 degrees out. That's too hot. It is very, very, very hot.
Ash and Jainty. First round in the fantasy football? Yeah.
Oh, yeah. Where are you picking him? 5, 6, 7, 8, 9? Yeah, I mean he's uh I've seen him. After Saquon, after Bijan.
Man, I've seen him pretty high. Uh RB. I don't know, RB5, RB6? I was thinking second round. You know what?
Rookie running backs really don't. No, they do. Do you think they do? I mean, I've got a good track record going back to like Kareem Hunt, his rookie. Like, rookie, you find the right guy, man.
He can be a league winner for you. And I think Chenti could be that guy. League winners aren't really first and second round, though, right? I mean, obviously, like. If you lose a league, your league winners are how you manipulate and work the waiver wire.
We all know that. Absolutely. The draft has to be pretty good. Like the real NFL drafts, you can win your league between rounds like six and ten, kind of, if you really hit on somebody. Like Brian Thomas last year, for example.
He was probably on a lot of league winners. Not on mine. I did not see Brian Thomas coming out there. But man, those LSU wide receivers. Take them.
How unreal is that? Just take them. You know, like, Justin Jefferson, like. I did a comparison, and I have it here somewhere written down still, like a year ago. Kentucky baskets Kentucky guards.
University of Kentucky Guards and LSU wide receivers. If you just take a look, the NBA is.
Some of the best two guards, some of the best guards in the league are out of Kentucky, and the wide receivers out of the LSU. Oh, what is it with the LSU? Is it the wide receivers, coach? Is it just is it is it they know how to find these wide receivers? It reminds me of like the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And when you, when you, when you look at like, oh, you don't really talk about their wide receivers, and then all of a sudden it's like, oh, there's Antonio Brown. You know? It's what it kind of reminds me of.
So, you know, I mean, they do. They just find a way to. Just refill. You know, one year talking about Mike Wallace, I was in a league for Sirius XM with Jerry Cantrell from Allison Chains. And he called me and was like, hey, you want to make a trade?
He's a big Steelers fan. He's like, I'll trade you. It was Mike Wallace for Adrian Peterson. And I was like, done. Won the league that year.
That trade won me the league that year. That's always fun when you play against like super, really, like, really super fans of a specific team. You can get some nice trades. Finish your football. I don't do that with Cleveland Browns.
This year, I'm looking at it. I'm like, I don't know if I'll take one of the running backs. Ninjoku, maybe? Huh? Ninjoku?
Maybe Ninjoku. Maybe Judy. Yeah, Judy. You know, as my wide receiver, too. I mean, who knows what Judy can do?
Like, last year, he was. He was a wide receiver one. Like looking at him. Yeah.
Like he played like one. I remember when Steve Smith was like, this guy, oh, and he like talked all that smack about him. And I was like, wow, I wonder why what happened there. And then coming to the Cleveland Browns, I'm looking at this guy and I'm going, this guy, this guy can be a guy. I mean, I'm not talking Justin Jefferson guy.
But He can be a guy. Yeah, for sure. Am I wrong on this? You are not wrong. You guys are just sitting there going, I don't know.
I mean, Flacco's like 58 years old. Dude, Flacco can sling it. Flacco can sling it. I'm sick of talking about this. Why do I have to sit here and talk to you guys and say, hey, the Browns are going to be good?
You guys should be patting me on the back saying, you know what? They are. You deserve this. You deserve a franchise quarterback. I'm the powerless.
Transura has an oblique injury. My quarterbacks get oblique injuries. It's not the knee. It's not the hand. Oblique.
It's an oblique. That's going to be out a couple weeks. How much is a couple? Two, three, four, five? Is he back in the preseason?
What's going on with Dylan Gabriel? What's going on with Kenny Pickett? Why is Kenny Pickett not back? He needs the reps. All these quarterbacks.
I want an MVP preseason from one of these guys to show me that they're the franchise cornerback. I need to go to a break. I need to take a sip of water. Go to a break, please. Oh, Max Strauss coming up.
Listen, the way you sleep is unique to you, and that's why having a sleep number smart bed is so crucial. Cause you can adapt to your changing needs for just right. Can't wait to nestle into bed, luxurious comfort.
So, whether your needs are softer or firmer, cooler or warmer, you are never stuck. You can adjust your comfort whenever you like. And it gives you your best night's sleep night after night, year after year. I love my smart bed. My sleep number setting is 60.
My wife's is 70, just 10 numbers apart, but it means the world of difference because I can change my side of the bed to however firm or soft I want. And the same thing. For Suze.
So, why choose a sleep number smart bed? Again, so you can sleep just the way you like. The only bed that lets you make each side firmer or softer whenever you like, your sleep number setting. Sleep number's biggest sale of the year is here. All beds on sale up to 50% off the limited edition smart bed limited time, exclusively at a sleep number store near you.
Sleep number, official sleep and wellness partner of the NFL. See store or sleepnumber.com for details. Are you feeling more fulfilled now that you're back to work? This Friday. No.
I need a vacation. See the movie that critics are saying is an awesome film. Look at that. Crowd pleasing. Fist-pumping.
All-up brawl of a film. What about that? They're coming after our family. Go fix this. Omar.
Nobody 2 rated our only in theaters Friday. Who was your coach, Joel McHale, when you were at Washington? Who was your coach? Coach Don James.
So the legendary Don James. How would he have.
Well, he wouldn't really make eye contact with me because I was a walk-on, and we were cattle, and we were the chaff. We were. Cannon fodder. But when if you did something good, then he'd be like, hey, that was good. He stood up in a booth because he tried to watch the whole practice.
So I, as everyone knows, I was the worst player in Washington history. We're looking at a shot of you standing in front of the rose pole, right? See, that's the problem is that I forgot my pads. And so they were like, go back out to the bus and get them. And then they got that photo of me.
Yeah, you're in your uniform, minus pads, and what looks like practice shorts. Yeah, that was a good idea. That was not game day itself, then, right? No, there would have been a lot more people around. And so, yeah, that's as close as I got to playing.
I was in the stadium, but no, I wasn't. He never even got in the game? Not even like that. Not even like a Rudy moment for you at any point. No, they, they, Rudy hadn't come out yet.
Uh, so they didn't know about that moment. As soon as that movie came out, I was like, oh, missed my shot. Yeah.
No, I was. I played, I walked on and I was awful. And then they redshirted me my second year, and then. I quit. Because that's what you do to make it in Hollywood.
You quit jobs. Quit your red shirt. I knew that I needed. I was no, it was no.
Now you were a tight end, right? Yes. The two tight ends in front of me and the other eight in front of me, but the two were, it was Mark Bruner and Ernie Conwell, who are they look like Greek gods. And Ernie was cleaning and jerking 365 when he was a 19-year-old.
So he could bench 450 as a freshman. And I ran screaming and crying a lot on the field, and that's why no one could tackle me because I felt bad. You felt bad. I was like, don't hurt me! Don't hurt me.
And we're Back. I am the Miz filling in for Rich Eisen on the Rich Eisen Show. Ladies and gentlemen, my guest. Oh, baby. This is a good one.
He is from Hickory Hills, Illinois. By ways of Lewis University and DePaul, he was undrafted, but he is undeniable. He is clutch. He's got a bobblehead, ladies and gentlemen. Cleveland Cavaliers own Max Struss.
That is awesome. Wow. Look at that intro, man. I really appreciate that. Oh, you deserve it.
You deserve it, my friend. I mean, honestly, I've been a Cleveland Cavaliers fan ever since watching them at Richfield Coliseum and seeing the way you guys play. It feels like you guys have a special bond. Is that true? And how have you developed that culture?
Yeah, absolutely. You know, I've been here for, I've played two years here now, going into my third.
So it's been. A hell of a two years so far. And being able to bring the same group up, the same group back again is a. You know, you don't really find that in the NBA very often.
So that's kind of where we get our chemistry from is just being around each other a lot. And we're all around the same age. You know, not a lot of us are married or have families or, you know, we're all kind of in like the same boat in life.
So we all get to hang out with each other and, you know, kind of just bounce life off of each other. And kind of just makes us closer on the court when you're so close off the court. Is there a leader in practice? Is there a person that gets everyone hyped up or revved up or gives the vibe for practices? Um, I'd say over the past couple of years, it's probably been Tristan Thompson.
Um, really, he's kind of been the vet, you know, around and he's always in a good mood. Um, Mm-hmm. He's been he's been that guy. But you know, guys like Darius and and Donovan and and Evan are, you know, the leaders that we we kind of go we go through.
So that when those guys come to sh come to work and, you know, bring their attitudes, it's it's hard not to follow. And last year, your regular season was incredible to watch. I mean, you guys were the number one seed. Was there a special game or moment when you guys were like, or you were like, yeah. This team is different.
Yeah, I mean, I think we had like three stretches of like winning 12 games in a row at least. Started the year like 15 and 1.
So when you're able to like mix wins in like that and go on streaks like that, you know your team is special.
So, you know, that's. Still a regular season. We weren't happy with how the year ended last season.
So we're excited to be back together. You know, still the same group of guys again. And hopefully we can repeat the regular season and change the end of the year and change that result. Yeah, it seems to me like whenever I watch the Cavs, like in the regular season, they're stout, they're ready. But then you get to the playoffs and you have trouble finding that next level, right?
Like two years ago, it was the Knicks. Last year, it was Indianapolis. What's it going to take to get over that hump and get to the NBA Finals and win the NBA Finals? Yeah, I mean, we're still learning it. It's, you know, I don't want to have excuses.
I don't want to. you know find any ways easy ways out you know you got to get through it to get to it so um we just got to experience it and and having those past couple years of experiences of losing in the playoffs like that and and getting bounced in the second round is only going to make us better and um you know when we when we get into this season we're going to have that chip on our shoulder that we want to get past the second round and and uh we know that that's not um the goal is higher we want to win a championship we know we have the team capable to do it so um we want to do that and we know that it's going to take more everybody's got to be willing to give more and i think our group is is ready and willing to do that this season what was it about the pacers that made them so difficult in the playoffs Man, they just, I mean, they got hot at the right time. They played great basketball. It's hard to deny what they, what they were able to do. They've, Is it their speed?
Like when you're in the locker room and the coach is talking to you guys, is he going are you guys changing things up? Like what's the locker room like? What's the messages that are getting across during the playoffs? Yeah, I mean, the playoffs are adjustments. Game by game, you got to make adjustments and figure out how to stop teams.
And we unfortunately didn't do a good job of that. You know, we tried and tried, but they. They outplayed us in every aspect of the game.
So they had a talented team. We caught them at the wrong time. And, you know, they were hot. They were making shots. They were playing good basketball.
And they're a tough team to guard. You know, when your player like Tylese Halliburton play moves the ball and everybody follows, and the way they play is very hard to guard. And, you know, they were a special team and they had a special year.
So kudos to them for making it that far. You know, I'm looking at this next season. And I'm thinking, I'm like, man. as unfortunate as it is. Tyrese Halliburton gets injured.
And it's like, okay, that's their key.
So, okay, we can get past the Nana Paper. By the way, this is sports fan Mike, right? This is Cleveland Cavaliers fan Mike. And this is the way I'm looking at the seasons. I'm painting them together.
I'm going, okay, so the Pacers lose Halliburton. That's huge. We can get through them now. Then I'm like, okay. Boston.
Jason Tatum. He gets injured. Oh, wow. Wait, they lose. Porcingus?
And holiday?
Okay. We're done. See you bye, Boston Celtics.
Now I'm looking at, I'm going, okay, up and coming teams. Orlando. I feel like they're young, they're hot, they're hungry. I feel like Atlanta, maybe a little bit. But then I see The Knicks.
And I'm like, oh man, what is it like going into Madison Square Garden? Oh, that's my favorite place to play. Is it really? Oh, yeah, yeah, you can't beat it. I played there in college, you know, I played in the big east, so we had our conference tournament there, and there's nothing like it.
I mean, just the Christmas, and we're playing there on Christmas this year. I cannot wait for that. It's going to be a cool moment and bucket list moment for sure. But Madison Square Gardens is the best. But when you're talking about the East, man, it's you don't want to count anybody out.
You don't want to, you know, just because an injury or something like that, there's still good teams out there. And, you know, it's still going to be a challenge.
So we're excited for that challenge. And, you know, hopefully, you know, you're calling all these other teams. Hopefully, we're saying the Cavaliers as well.
So, oh man, I'm, I love the Cleveland Cavaliers, and I love this team. It just feels there's something about you guys that you guys seem like you're truly friendship. Like, there's true chemistry. I want to go back to kind of your journey getting into the NBA because it's kind of different than a lot of people. You didn't get drafted.
You had to go to summer league. Can you talk and talk about that? Like when you're going in out from college and you're pretty good at college, like you're a D1 school, you're doing well, and then you don't get drafted, what's the mindset like? And then what happens after that? Man, um I could write a whole book on my journey, but it's been crazy.
There's really no blueprint or. You know, really any certain thing I could tell you of the mindset, the only thing I'd say is: like, anytime you get an opportunity, you just got to be ready to take advantage of it.
So, it's what you're doing when you're not playing, what you're doing, you know, behind closed doors, when you're doing the lights are off, like, how you're taking care of yourself. I've kind of prided myself on that: just continue to do the right things, and good things are going to happen for you.
So, I've kind of built my whole life around that. That's kind of how I was raised.
So, you know, just took it as a little bit of adversity, took it as a bump, and, you know, it kind of made me work harder. You know, I'd go in undrafted and then ended up tearing my ACL my first year. Just. You got to deal with it and move on to the next thing.
So that was kind of always my main goal: what's next? What can I do to take the next step and be ready for my next opportunity? And, you know, luckily, The Miami Heat gave me a great opportunity and I was able to take advantage of it and kind of work my way from there. And here I am now. With the heat, you went to the finals.
You got to experience what it's like to be in the NBA finals. Do you bring that knowledge to the Cleveland Cavaliers locker room? Absolutely. In playoffs in NBA Finals. Yes, the NBA Finals, there's nothing like it.
I tried to tell our guys that last season because I truly believe that we have a team that can get there. There's no feeling like it. There's no feeling like playing in the NBA Finals. It's hard to describe. Every game, every day, you feel like all eyes are on you across the whole world.
You're the only two teams playing, and that's the goal. That's the dream. There's truly nothing like it. Just to be in that moment, to play in that moment, to be under those bright lights. I really want a lot of our guys on our team to kind of get to feel that and to be, you know, just to experience it.
It's truly special. What's your training like right now? You're in offseason. Is there any type of regiment? Does like Kenny Atkinson be like, hey, This is what you guys got to be doing.
You got to be playing basketball every single day. Or is it like you kind of do your own thing and you just figure it out, or you just need to relax because it's a long season. People don't understand how much 20%. Whole, how much like your body goes through physically, mentally, it's draining. You're flying all these different places.
Can you talk to me about your offseason? Yeah, it's tough. You know, you kind of rest. You know, right when the season ends, you kind of have like a month or so to really get your body back to normal and kind of just regroup and get away from it. But now it's kind of like the time where we're ramping back up.
You know, we start training camp at the end of September.
So we just had a bunch of guys out together in LA to kind of get back into the gym together, get to run and play some five-on-five together. And I think we're all in the same boat. We've all just kind of been working on our own game. Everybody kind of goes home for the summer and kind of just focuses on themselves and how they can be better as an individual. And, you know, now we're starting to, you know, we were just in LA and we're going to go to New York again in the next coming weeks and just be around as much, be around each other as much as possible and kind of get that flow started back so that when the season comes, we're up and running and we're ready to go as a team.
It was funny. I saw a speech from Jellyroll of all people. He was talking to a football team, and he was like, you know, I was always playing really well, but I didn't play. My best stuff came when my band and I started driving around city to city and literally forming a relationship, getting a bond, getting a chemistry. And in my mind, I was going, he's so right.
Because whenever I was driving with my tag team partners or other wrestlers, your mind just starts going. You're driving from town to town.
Now you're flying town to town. You get to build that chemistry and those bonds. What kind of things do you do on the planes, on the buses, to keep your camaraderie right? Like, do you play card games? Is there, you guys are, I don't know, reading books to each other.
I don't know what you guys do over there. No, I don't think we're reading books to each other. Haven't gotten there. No. But no, definitely card games.
Just grabbing, you know, grabbing a bite to eat. Like we'll go to dinner together a lot. having a night out on the town together, like just ways that we can find time to just be with each other. I think that's the most important thing. You know, we see each other every day in basketball.
So being able to kind of, you know, take a deep breath outside of the game, off the court, and just be around each other. The planes are huge for that. The bus rides, you know, these kind of become like your second family. You know, all these guys, all these coaches, you're around them every single day. You're really around them a lot more than your family.
So it truly is, you know, a special bond that you create throughout the year. And like I said, this is my third year running it back with, you know, our core group of guys and couldn't be more excited to do it to do it again with these guys. Just it's a special group, you know, a lot of unique guys that are really good people that care about the right things and want to do the right things.
So when you have a special Group like that. You just want to, you know, run it back as much as you can and try to accomplish one main goal together. And, you know, we really want. We really want that championship, and you could see it if you're around us. That's kind of all we talk about: how are we going to get there?
What are we going to do next season to change the script? Talk to me about the city of Cleveland and the fans. I love it. Ha ha ha ha ha. I love it.
Cleveland gets a terrible rep, man. Like, when you're in the It gets a bad rep when you're in the NBA. It's like, oh, nobody wants to go to Cleveland. But I tell you, from the first day I got here, I've loved it. And I'm a Midwest kid coming from Chicago, so I guess I'm a little biased.
But Cleveland's special. I mean, the fans, the community, there's no other place that cares about their sports like Cleveland does. And, you know, we feel that love. We feel that care that they show every single game. I mean, we run out of the tunnel with 20 minutes on the game clock.
The game's not even about to start for 20 more minutes, and the crowd's like jacked up, like full sellout crowd in a regular season game. I mean, you don't really find that in a lot of places. And Cleveland's truly special. Just walking around town, people really appreciate, you know, what we do for the city and how hard we play for the city. And Second vortage is underrated as an arena.
It's underrated as an arena. Like it is, it is loud, it's jam-packed, and it's so much fun. And the fans are so into everything that you guys are doing. And we can tell, as fans, we know when a team likes each other, likes being around each other. And to watch you guys play, it's truly fun.
It's an honor. Talk to me about. Growing up in Chicago, were you a Michael Jordan fan? Or were you a LeBron James fan? Like, what kind of person, who was your biggest influence?
I guess is what I'm asking. I think it's more of a Eric Rose guy. Oh, really? Yeah, I was more in the area, the era of like Derek Rose getting drafted. That's kind of when, you know, I was like in high school around the time he was a rookie.
So the time, you know, MVP season, all those playoff runs that he had, you know, with Jimmy Butler and guys like that, you know, getting to play with Jimmy in Miami was. Crazy just because I grew up watching them and being on those Chicago teams. But obviously, I'm a Jordan guy, but I wasn't. I'm too young to really remember those days.
So, yeah, I was more of a Derek Rose guy. He was kind of the guy that I looked up to, and, you know, the Chicago legend, the Chicago native that we all know and love. Do you ever pick the brains of like Derek? Do you ever get to talk to Derek Rose or Jimmy Butler? Do you get to pick their brains?
Oh, I mean, me and Jimmy are tight. I mean, I've gotten to pick Jimmy's brain all the time.
So, Jimmy has been. Huge for my career, and um, couldn't thank him enough for helping me get to where I am. I mean, he's been. Phenomenal as a human being and as a teammate. And yeah, I've gotten to know Derek over the past couple of years.
We've had the same trainer that I had in college. One of my assistant coaches trained him in high school.
So I've gotten to know Derek, and he's a great person as well. You know, any ideas, anytime I want to talk to him or ask for advice, he's always there and truly a great human being. Nice. I think big question. This one's the most important question out of them all.
Whose half court shot was better? Mine at the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game during the weekend, I shot a half-court shot. And we were down by three points, mind you. And this was a four-point shot.
Now, also, by the way, Richard Jefferson was a coach, a commentator, and then he became a player during this. There was a six-on-six part. This shot was, I shot the ball. And the and it made it into the hole. It was a four-point shot.
We would have won, but Giannis was doing this because he was the coach of the other team. And so everyone was like, because it was more newsworthy that Giannis' team won, because my coach was Fat Joe. And so, and so they were like, Giannis is doing this. And so the referees did this. And so mine did not count, but it made it in.
And it's like, it's known as like one of the greatest celebrity shots that's ever been done. And it didn't count. Or. You're 59 footer against the Mavs. I mean, I'm going to answer this.
To be a little cockier, I had it as holding my laptop up, but do you have a bobblehead of your shot or no? No, I don't. No, I don't have a bobblehead of my shot. I love the fact that you have the bobblehead with you. It's usually, I'm literally sitting like I have my laptop on top of the bobblehead.
To be honest, I think you're just carrying it around with you as like a token, being like, Hey, guys, guys, just so you all know, I got a bobblehead about me. What is that like? What is that like getting a shot like that, and then an eruption happens? Like, you created a moment. Like yeah, out of all the moments that you had did you think this would be the moment?
No, I mean, it's been crazy. I mean, I feel like it's all anybody kind of remembers me for. Anytime I go somewhere or anytime like a kid asks me for an autograph, it's like, dude, that half-court shot was insane. I was like, that was like two years ago, man. Like, I've done something else other than that, but no, it's crazy.
I mean, it was a remarkable moment and something I'll never forget, obviously. But yeah, it was crazy. All right. Your shot gets the token because you got a bobblehead out of it. Hey, man, thank you so much for giving us your time.
We really appreciate it. Good luck in the season. I will be rooting for the Cleveland Cavaliers. I truly believe, you don't have to say it. I think you guys go to the NBA Finals and I think you're winning it this year.
I think this is the year for Cleveland. And whenever you guys do well, whenever the Browns do well, whenever the Guardians do well, the entire city thrives.
So we thank you for your hard work and your dedication to the sport. Appreciate you, Max. Thank you very much for joining us. Thank you for having us. Thank you for having me.
We'll see you at a game this year, I hope. Yeah, I'll be there. I'll be there on the front row. High fiving. Love it.
High fiving. Let's do it. All right, Max. Love it. Ah, man.
That was awesome. Like, I love talking to people. About Cleveland, because every time you hear from them, they're like, I love it. I just love it. And I love it too.
I'm waving the wand and making you the commissioner of the NFL, Josh Allen. Congratulations. You've got a pay raise. Also, I'll take the jet.
Okay, sounds good. Yeah, I'll get you hooked up. But for the moment, I've just waived the one. You're the commissioner of the NFT. Rule change.
You make a rule change. Josh Allen can make a rule change. And you could just go into the competition committee and pound the table and say, this is it. This is what I want. What is it?
Man, there's so many directions I can go in here. We've got a guy on our staff, his name's Mark Lubick, and he is. Basically, the encyclopedia, or he's the NFL rulebook. Like, he's got everything, he's got all the answers, he's very smart. And I always talk about throwing the ball downfield.
If a receiver can catch it on one leg and throw the ball downfield, that's technically an illegal forward pass, but he never gains possession of it.
So I just eliminate that rule altogether. If you can catch the ball with one leg and chuck it down the field, like if he catches it one-handed and chuck it down the field, More power too, yes.
So I think that's the one rule I would change: the double or legal forward pass. Oh, this is fantastic. I've asked this question of many folks in my day. Never heard this.
So let me just.
Okay. Josh Allen, you fade back to past. You got a nice clean pocket, okay? Your guys are protecting you. You see him, and you know who I mean by him.
Him is open, you hit him. Him grabs it with one him hand. And where both hands are fine? He's just gotta be on one leg when he catches it. Like, what?
Yeah, I mean, again, the whole rule of a catch is. Two feet plus a football move. Correct? Right. So if you don't have two feet and make a football move, you technically don't have possession of the ball.
That's true.
So therefore, you could. Pass the ball further downfield.
Okay, Gabe Davis is now open because everybody thinks the ball's going to him because you have thrown it to him.
So Stefan Diggs, before touching his second foot down on the ground, Can throw it to Gabe Davis for a touchdown. That's correct. And like you've seen like DBs, right? The quarterback throws the ball to bounds, but a DB makes a jumping catch and he throws it back into the field of play. Yes.
Right? You've seen those. There was an interception just, I think, last week, two weeks ago. It was in the end zone. It was Titans, right?
Yeah, yeah, right. Yes. Roger McCreary. Yeah.
And made a heck of a play. But again, did the ball go forward? Is that technically an illegal forward pass? They're never going to call it on the defense, but. Eliminate it just completely.
So the offense Wow.
Okay. Outside the box there for you. Way out of the box.
So you've had these conversations internally? You've had them? Yes. And then there's, yeah. And then there's another one.
It's a. If a punter just got the ball... and instead of punting it, just kind of got low and threw it up as high as he could. Like It's free game at that point, and I don't know if the that's this is really more like a scenario, not a rule. Sure.
But I'm just, I want to see it live in a game, and like your gunners can now catch the ball. And I don't know what the kick returner see that as a throw, as a kick? Would he tell his guys to feed her and get away from it? Just an easy completion for the offense.
Well, I've always thought about that play too. A punt Mary? Is that what we would call that? Yeah, yeah. A punt Mary.
So the, and again, the key would be for the punter to have the presence of mind to duck down so nobody could see whether when the ball comes out, if it comes off his foot or he's thrown it. to look like a pun. Correct. I like it. Welcome back to the Rich Eisen Show.
I'm The Miz filling in for Rich Eisen, and we're about to do a new segment called Tag Team of the Year. Who by the end of the season of the NFL season will be the tag team? Of the year. Chris, who you got? Oh man, tag team of the year.
I think. Hear me out. You saw it last year. I think you're going to see it again. I think the tag team of the year this year is Jalen Hurts.
And Saquon Barkley. Mm. Okay. They could have went the Eagles offense of line. And Saquon as well.
That's a good one, too. But I think Hurts and Barkley, they're kind of like the most dynamic running back duo in the league. I guess you could put Lamar and Derrick Henry there as well, but they didn't win the Super Bowl last year. Philadelphia did. They combined for like 512 touchdowns, and I think they're going to equal that mark.
And they're going to hoist Lombardi once again. Woof. TJ. Hoisting a Lombardi once again. Even though no one's gone back to back in a while.
I mean, since like two years ago? Yeah, that's a while. Yeah.
All right, tag team, man. This is a tough one, man, because at first I didn't know if I wanted to go offense and defense, kind of make, you know, the powerhouse tag team with the more agile. But I'm just going to stick with this one, man. I'm gonna go with Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase. Good one.
Because it's like they just work together. They're like Ricky and Robert. They're like Matt and Jeff. They're like Edge and Christian. Like, just like the way they work together and kind of read each other.
And Brockman, you remember when it. That came the year that The Bengals could draft Chase, or they might go Panay Suisse. People were wondering what they were going to do. I think ultimately, they made the right decision to keep Joe with his wide receiver because those two are just amazing.
So I'm going to go with Burrow and Chase as my tag team. That's a good one. Burrow and Chase. You know what's funny? I have is my number one Chase and Burrow because I liked them in preseason.
Like the first game, they're already throwing together ready to go. They're not doing this slow start that the Cincinnati Bengals always do. They're getting theirselves dialed in.
So I was like, that's a good one. Then my second one was Barkley and the Eagles' offensive line. Great. I was like, wow. Great mindset.
Great mindset's life.
So my number three. Was Gibbs and Montgomery. Because I look at them. Do you guys remember Tech Mobile? Of course.
Do you guys remember the Los Angeles Raiders? Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen? Yes. That's what they remind me of. Bo Jackson, Marcus Allen.
That is my tag team.
Now, I don't think that the Lions are going to be. The Lions of last year, but I do think they're going to be running the ball quite a bit. And I think that one-two tandem is lethal in the NFL. I like that. That's a good one.
I'm surprised none of you guys said this one. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. Wow. There really hasn't come. That's a good thing.
Joe Flacco. Listen, Miz. Listen. Come on, guys. Listen, Jesus.
Come on, guys. I'll do it all day long.
Well guys It has been real. It's been real. We've done a lot. Two days of filling in for Rich Eisen. Thank you so much, Chris, Jason, TJ.
Thank you to Rich Eisen for allowing me to step in here. O'Shea Jackson is going to be taking over tomorrow. You're not going to want to miss it. Thank you so much. This has been.
Awesome.
Okay, so. I am Michael Rosenbaum. I am Tom Welling. Welcome to Talk Bill. Where it's fun to talk about small.
We're going to be talking to sometimes guest stars. Are you liking the direction Plois is going in? Yeah, because I'm getting more screen time. That's good. But mostly it's just me and Tom remembering.
I think we all feel like there was a scene missing here. You got me, Tom. Let's revisit it. Let's look at it. See what we remember.
See what we remember. I had never been around anything like that before. I mean, it was so fun. Talk Bill. Talk Bill.
I just had a flashback. Follow and listen on your favorite platform. Let's get into it.
