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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. This is a LeBron appreciation segment. There are 82 individuals on NBA rosters who started living after LeBron started playing. The Rich Eisen Show.
Earlier on the show. NBC Sports Boston Patriots Insider Tom Curran. Coming up. Host and creative director of MSNBC Live, Luke Russert. Four-time Emmy winner Vince Gilligan.
And now, it's Rich Eisen. Our number two of the Rich Islands show on this Thursday, on which week dozen of the National Football League 2025 season will kick off between the Bills and the Texans tonight on Prime Video. No, C.J. Stroud. Yes, Josh Allen.
And if you recall, this is where Josh Allen's first career playoff game took place in this building. A game in which he took Deshaun Watson and the Texans to overtime, only to have some weird holding penalty blow up their season. Am I correct, Mike Hoskins? Did I get this correct? Yes, he can confirm.
Bill's Mafia, Rich Eisen Show coordinating producer, Mike Hoskins, was quick to confirm. Our next guest coming up in 20 minutes' time would also confirm it. Luke Russard is going to join us. Um I guess MS Now Live is what it's called. Um the host and creative director of that.
is going to be joining us in support of Hallmark's holiday touchdown film that premieres this Saturday. It's a Bill's love story, don't you know?
So, like, I don't know. I'll ask him: is Matt Milano playing Cupid? Is that what's going on? I don't know. There's a lot of rumors out there that Haley Steinfeld is with child.
Oh, are we really trafficking in that sort of thing? I don't know. I'm just saying I saw some pictures, and everyone was like, Oh, that's a dress that's covering up a baby bump. Is that the story where the news we're going to ask Luke Russett to confirm? Are we really trafficking in that?
We talk about Travis and Taylor all the time.
So, yeah, I think we do kind of traffic in that area.
Okay. Slightly. I don't know. It's out there. Maybe news.
At any rate. Oh, you know, who's in the movies? Joey Pants. Oh, yeah. Oh, no, I assume he doesn't work as blue as he did on the Sopranos at Midnight Run.
Why not? That would be a plot twist. I don't think Hall Mark is. Joey Pence, can we get him on the show in support of this too? Yes, by all means necessary.
Let's get Joey Pants here, man. Joe Pantaliano, you know what I'd talk with him about as well? I talk about with him the Hugh Hefner roast I sat next to him and watched on the dais. He was to my right. And to my left was Friars Club member Patty Hearst.
Don't ask. What a night that was. I mean, Richard. Two weeks after the city opened up after the 9-11. Joey's Joey Pants' character name in this Bill's love story is.
Uncle Tommy. Uncle Tommy. We just spoke to Tom Curran, but they don't say a Tommy in Western New York. All right. Disney Plus audience, hello.
ESPN app. Hello. Also, ES Premi Radio presented by Progressive Insurance. Hello. Salute to you and SiriusXM Channel 80 and all of our podcast listeners.
So let's discuss what's at stake in week 12, and it starts tonight. The New England Patriots, who we just spoke about at length in hour one with Tommy Kern of NBC Sports Boston. Um They need to win this game to keep pace with the Patriots team who are taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati. Um against potentially Joe Burrow. That'd be wild if he just like Zach with Thanksgiving.
I'm coming back a few days before. Yo, apparently, Albert said that he'd be surprised if he doesn't play. Albert Breer? Yeah.
Okay, baby.
So It would behoove the Bills to follow up their big six-touchdown performance-fueled. from Josh Allen to go eight and three. and send the Texans into a little bit of a spin because the Texans have gotten back to 500 after their dreadful start of the season and Davis Mills is coming in like Mac Jones and keeping the season afloat and alive. And this is a big game, man. You know, and the Texans kind of are helping me set up what is at stake this weekend.
Because it's a wide open league. I can't recall the last time. Entering week dozen of a season. Where you're like It could be anybody who wins the Super Bowl that's right now in a playoff spot. We're potentially in the AFC sniffing it.
Because Currently in the category of sniffinet in the AFC. You have the team. In the eighth spot. The Houston Texans, who have won the AFC South more often than not. And then in ninth place, you have a Chiefs team that's won, interesting that they have a nine-seed.
They've won the last nine AFC West division titles, nine in a row. And They have had the second best record in the NFL. Since the beginning of 2023 all the way to the beginning of this season. Again, you include the 2023 season and the 2024 season combined. The current nine seed has had the second best record.
In that time period, you know who's had the third best record? The team that's 10th in the AFC right now, the Ravens. I was going to say. And They're currently the 10 seed. They were 25 and 9 the last two seasons.
The Chiefs 26 and 8. They're 9-10.
Now, the Ravens are at home against the Jets team, starting Tarod Taylor, and it sure looks like the Ravens are in position to go above 500 for the first time this year. That's massively at stake. Certainly, if you're thinking the Steelers could be starting Mason Rudolph or a potentially. you know Injured. And thus Less than productive In turn, quarterback and Aaron Rodgers.
In Chicago, taking on a 7-3 Bears team. We'll get to the NFC in a second.
So by the end of this week, the Ravens could be tied in the division that Vegas was saying they were going to win when they were one and five. Because we were seeing the way that the Steelers are beginning to struggle. And then you've got the Chiefs taking on currently. The Third seated. Indianapolis Colts coming off of their bye, last we saw Jonathan Taylor running all over the Falcons to the tune of 19,000 yards in one game.
Yeah.
And the Colts of the Chiefs is a massive measuring stick for Indianapolis and. where rubber is going to meet the road for the Chiefs. because they have currently lost If you put the AFC standings up one more time. They have lost to the team that's in First place in division. And Currently, the one seed in conference.
They just lost to the Broncos. They've lost to the Bills, Chargers and Jaguars. You're at five, six, and seven seats. And that would just now add the third. seated AFC team to that list.
It's just tough. It's tough to overcome conference records when you need them for tiebreaks. It's tough to overcome, obviously, head-to-heads when they don't go in your favor. What a big game for Kansas City. A measuring stick for them to come back and say, guess what, Colts?
Welcome back from your bye. Welcome to Arrowhead. We're beginning to flip the switch, and it starts with you. What a massive game that is. As the Broncos sit on their bye week.
With their hands back, and then the bills tonight. The Jacksonville Jaguars coming off of that. Nice win over the Los Angeles Chargers. who are on a bye. The Jacksonville Jaguars are in Arizona.
after Jake Brisket threw For what, 90 attempts and connected on 89 of them?
Something like that? I like it.
So Jaguars could keep on keeping on, or then at six and five, here come the Ravens, here come the Texans, here come the Chiefs. That's all at stake. Right now. And then you talk about the NFC. Remember I mentioned to you that the current ninth and tenth seeded teams in the AFC have the best, second and third best records over the previous two years combined.
You know, it's the best record from 2023 and 2024. It's currently the NFC team, if you put the standings up. Eighth, the Lions. The Lions had the best regular season record of the two previous years combined. They.
We're 27 and 7. They're sniffing it. This gives you an idea of just how wide open everything is. And the Eagles, who just beat the Packers and the Lions, are now trying to sweep the Dallas Cowboys. Game number one, as we all know, Dallas could have gone into Philadelphia.
Had it not been for a drop pass. Here and there from CeeDee Lamb and some. Uh unfortunate Storm that stopped the game for about an hour. Unfortunate for the Cowboys, who had some nice momentum going, and also unfortunate for those who flew 12 hours to Brazil trying to stay awake for it. Uh The Eagles and the Cowboys is a big game, especially with Jalen Hurts now being the one in the barrel.
with media reports and things that are being said. What a big game. I mentioned the Bears. There they are, seven and three. There they are leading the division.
Alone in first place, half game in front of the 63-1 Packers, full game in front of the Lions. Bears have yet to play. the Packers at all.
So, winning this game against the Pittsburgh Steelers team that has beaten, as you know, Indianapolis. An 8-2 team. The Bears win this one. They're 8-3. They would go into Thanksgiving week.
Their Friday game after Thanksgiving in Philadelphia. They go into that game. leading the division no matter what. Because the Lions are trying to rebound after that loss. in Philadelphia taking on a Giants team that As you know, I've counseled to sit Jackson, Dart Jameis coming in.
Either way, Lions have got to come up with that win. And then the Green Bay Packers.
Well, they have Josh Jacobs. He is now officially gone from week to week to day to day, which is a nice. improvement But they're taking on a Minnesota Vikings team. That will be starting. J.J.
McCarthy. Who, as we all know, There's a guy who has struggled. But not on the road in division. Which the Vikings are right now, and rubbers meet in the road. Cement is drying, to use the phrase that Kevin O'Connell said: that all the cement.
that they were pouring around this quarterback. roster wise and also Footwork and all the things they were trying to work on with J.J. McCarthy once he got back healthy to break him down and then build him back up. In the manner in which Kevin O'Connell has built up so many quarterbacks. Kevin O'Connell said on Paul Allen's.
show on locally in Minnesota that it's time for that cement to dry.
Well, J.J. McCarthy used a different analogy going into this big game against Green Bay. I feel like for me, I kind of make the analogy of just like, you know, a cork about to come off a bottle. Just understanding that it's, you know, one. To three little things that I need to change about my game that is going to make a huge difference in the outcome of every single drive in the game.
So, yeah, I feel like it's really close, but it all comes down to the consistency of the fundamentals and the little details.
Well, hopefully, the court comes off, otherwise, the season's going to turn. Do you like that wine reference?
Okay. Yes, I liked it. Thank you. Yeah.
The old joke about how to make a uh uh um A small fortune in the wine business? Start with the big fortune. Start with a big fortune.
Well, last year they had a big fortune. Yeah.
14 wins with Sam Darnold.
Now it's a gotta have it. Because Minnesota Laugh all you want. I don't think anybody saw the Bears entering week 12, all own in first place, 7-3. Minnesota's yet to play Green Bay. They have to play Chicago at home one more time.
and Detroit at home. And if J.J. McCarthy does Pop open, wait a minute. Vintage week one, JJ. Hold on a minute.
You got this correct. And vintage week nine. which is winning on the road in division, they would be 3-0. on the road in division, which as you know is the best one can be. 'Cause you only play on the road in division three times.
And they have to visit Denver. It's a tough road going for Minnesota moving forward. Pardon me, I'm reading the wrong line. They have to visit Seattle. After this game.
And then at Dallas. There are some winnable games left. It's got to start now. That's at stake. in week 12.
As well. You call up the NFC standings one more time if you don't mind. You take a look at the other games: Tampa coming off of licking their wounds. Against The Buffalo Bills. Tampa is at the Rams.
On Sunday night football, the Rams currently your two seed at 8-2 because they lost to Philadelphia, blew a game in which all they needed to do is make one field goal in the fourth quarter. They win that one. Baker Mayfield coming back into the building where his career began to be resurrected with the Rams. Hey, here's a playbook. Go win a Thursday night game.
Okay, coach, gotcha. Yada, yada, yada. Here he comes back with the Buccaneers at 6-4 with the Panthers only a half-game behind them because they just came up with a 400-yard game and essentially eliminating the Falcons from a conversation in the NFC South. Carolina's got a Monday night game against the San Francisco 49ers. You're a seven seed.
What a monster week 12 finale that is. I don't think anybody saw coming at all. While Seattle Came so close. They have to feel good. Listen, not about losing.
You never feel good about losing. Four turnovers, four field goals settled. They still had a field goal from 61 yards out to win it. And now they're go to Tennessee to try and Get back on track. That's pretty much what's at stake for week twelve.
844-204-RICH is the number to dial. Words I've never said before. Luke Russer joining us in support of a Hallmark movie. But that's coming up next. Because the bills You know what they do?
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and also our ESPN app. Listen. Oh, Hoskins, I just thought of this one. Get it ready. Because I think Mike Hoskins showed us a wedding cake of a wedding that he went to of two Bills fans.
Get that ready because we have to, at some point, bring that up with our next guest, the host and creative director of MS Now Live. And also, an individual associated, I believe he's in Holiday Touchdown, a Bill's love story that premieres this Saturday. 8 p.m. Eastern on Hallmark. Luke Russer back on the Rich Isaac Shoe City Luke.
Let's go. Rich, how are you, sir? I'm good.
So, have you been rebranded as well? Is that what's going on now? I'm seeing the Hallmark gear you got on right now. Listen, Bridge, the only thing more powerful in the United States than the NFL is the Hallmark channel. It's great that both of them are coming together and when offered a part in it, are you kidding?
How can you say no to that? Do you the NFL Hallmark in Buffalo, New York for the Bills America's team? 110% said yes. I'm so excited to be a part of it. I have some speaking roles.
I have an IMBD page now because of it. I mean, I'm getting there, Britch. I'm getting there. By the way, I'm sorry, Luke, because you're a man of details, certainly coming from the family that you come from. Uh it's IMDB, not I am B D.
I think, by the way, for IMBD, there may be something you consult your doctor for. If that's what you suffer from. What's the old lines from Happy Gilmore? Green jacket, gold jacket. Yet another line that won't be on the Hallmark channel this Saturday.
What's the movie about, Luke? What do we got here? We heard about it when it was in development. But what's it about? It's a great film.
It is essentially a love story where the two leads who've had a little, there they are right there. That's Holland Rodin and Matt Didario, lovely people, very nice. They've had sparks because they've lived next door to each other their entire lives. They've gone to the Bills games their entire lives, but then they have to figure out who a secret Santa is. And in the course of trying to figure out who that secret Santa is, their relationship might blossom.
You have to tune in on Saturday to see it. But it's a wonderful film. And what they did such a great job of is a few things. One, they nailed Buffalo. They really did a great job about how much the team and the community are intertwined.
People call the players by their first names in Buffalo. They nailed that. And they also did a great job about how familial it all is, about how families literally do go to these Bill games their entire lives and people grow up with it. And that's how they know each other, especially on the holidays.
So just hats off to them. Great job. And it's an all-star class. You know, Joe Pantolonio is in it. Yes.
Steve Schierpaf. From the Sopranos. Oh, he is. Caroline Aaron from Marvelous Miss Mazel.
So there's some big time. Prime actors in this movie. And it was very humbling because the role that I had, Rich, actually was at the stadium at the 50-yard line. There was about 4,000 extras in the stands. And it all started with byline.
And that's about as close as I'll ever get to playing quarterback for the Buffalo. You know, television, which you and I work in, is kind of controlled chaos. Yes, sir. Little bit of leeway to improv, and you can kind of get by, you know, faking it. Acting can't do that.
And when you have 4,000 people that are literally waiting for you to go, that's a different level of anxiety and nerves I've never experienced in front of the camera before. But I did a decent job at it, thankfully.
So I chanted my own Josh Allen.
So in terms of the cast, Holland Roden, we'll see her. Matt Didario, with all due respect to him, wrong Didario. Very wrong Didario. Great point, really. I mean, but let's keep it hallmark.
And not one, but two sopranos. Alums? Two? Bobby Bacala? Joey Pants, come on now.
So, Joe, I was working directly with him in my scene, and obviously, you know, the Matrix, the fugitive. I mean, he is a deal. Midnight Run. Midnight Run. And he could not have been a nicer guy.
And I had, in the course of the film, I had to pronounce this Italian last name. And my mother, who's Italian, would never let me down if I mispronounced it.
So I got to it a number of times. And Joe was like, You're pronouncing the Italian name perfectly. What the hell happened to you? I said, Thank you, sir. Thank you.
So he's just a great, great guy and a huge get for the movie. All right, very good. I like it.
I like all of it. And that's going to be on this Saturday. November 2nd, 8 p.m. Eastern on a hallmark. Um, holiday touchdown of Bill's love story.
So any are there any bills in it? Do we get any bills in it? What do we got? We got Deion Dawkins is in it. Dawson Knox has a great cameo.
Ray Davis is in it. Reed Ferguson is in it. And the Hall of Famers are in it. We got Jim Kelly. We got Andre Reed.
We got Thurman Thomas. We got Steve Tasker, who should be in the Hall of Fame, by the way. Nice. Out there watching. Put him in the hall, please.
And Scott Norwood is in the film. And we love Scott. We want Scott.
So nice to see him in the movie. He did a great job as well. Scott Norwood gets his hallmark.
Okay. I like it.
So, Ray Davis, this makes sense because we're expecting James Cook and we get Ray Davis instead. Right? That makes complete sense. Right? You know, just like the Bills offense, right, Luke?
It was filmed in, so they're on vacation. It's all good.
Okay. You know, Josh allegedly wanted to be in the film, but he had some business to take care of. Oh, he was getting married to a stunning Hollywood actress. No, I know that. It takes us all away from our Hallmark duties.
It really does. I'm still stuck on the James Cook line. I'm trying to follow up on it. Wait for it. Hold on a second.
So, story about unrequited love, which is James Cook in the football sometimes in this Bills offense. Right, Luke? Am I wrong? Come on now. I think you're cooking on that one.
You're cooking. I'm saying let James Cook, man. Let James Cook. What do you think, Luke? Let's talk about it.
If the running lanes are there, he's doing a great job. He has been a real competitor. Opponent of the offense. We saw what Josh did last week, but remember, I think it's James Cook that has gotten us here overall. Yeah, so I'm a big Cook fan.
I'm a big Cook fan. All right. I'm sorry, I don't mean to drag you down to my level. In the few minutes I have left here, what would your dad say about Josh Allen? Yeah.
I it You know, one of the things that I really miss is the opportunity to watch a guy like Josh Allen, my late father. I mean, he was such a diehard Bills fan. And Frank, luckily, I got to watch Jim Kelly. Yes. I got to watch Doug Fluty, Boston College's own.
Drew Bledsoe had some good years there. Although my dad, I think we ended up on the JP Lossman train. Although JP Lossman is the last guy to win in Houston for the Buffalo Bills back in 2006.
So if we can channel 2006 JP Lossman tonight against the Texans, I'll be very happy. But what Josh has meant to the city. And just embracing the city, making it part of his entire persona has just been fantastic. And I think my father would be so grateful for that because some people come to Buffalo, they don't act like they want to be there, they don't embrace the town and community. He has done it wholeheartedly to the point of where his family farm melons are a hot seller in local Buffalo supermarkets, which goes to show you the dedication of Bill's mafia.
If you are in the agricultural business and you come play for the Buffalo Bills. You will have some sales in our local supermarkets, I promise. And so they're US made, so there's no tariffs? Right, hey, I don't believe so. See, I just dropped a little bit of a bunch of people.
I'm right across country, right across Route 66 and hunk up up to Buffalo. Shuffle off up to Buffalo. Right there. I just slid into the other lane real quick.
Now let's go back. Let's get Verb back in. Go back in the lane.
Okay, so tonight um Is a big game. It is. And it's the side of Josh Allen's first playoff appearance. It was a loss. I agree.
It was a terrible penalty. It shouldn't have cost you. You should have won that game. Should have beaten Deshaun Watson. Yada, yada, yada.
But it's all part of the journey. this year deep down concern level for your bills to actually make you die happy, to use the phrase that everybody keeps using in Western New York. Mook.
Well Tonight I am concerned. McDermott's 0-3 in Houston.
However, Josh is undefeated on Thursday night football, so something has to give. That Houston Texans defense is lights out, but our offense is lights out.
So it's a great game. I wish it wasn't on a Thursday. No team should have to play two Thursday night games.
Sorry I said that, NFL, but it's just how I feel. All that being said, I think the Bills pulled off tonight because they have a lot of good momentum.
Now, on the macro level, You and I talked on your show two years ago when the Jets looked like they were going to win the division. That didn't quite happen. I'm so sorry. Look at home. Keep it home, ArkPal.
Come on now. Keep it home, Ark. But I will say this: New England's on the ascendancy. I like Mike Vrabel. I think he's done a great job over there.
Bills, right now, looking like a wildcard team. I don't mind that. I would like to see Josh Allen go into the playoffs as a more mature guy, almost 30 years old, without having the pressure and expectations of him of winning the division and having that home field advantage. Come in as a wildcard, play with some house money. The media says that your run defense is terrible.
You don't have a number one wide receiver. Go in there and see what happens. Because I can tell you this, nobody would want to draw the Buffalo Bills in the first round. No one would want that to draw them as a wild card. That is not a fun team to play the first round.
So I think we're in good position. We got a long way to go. Still a few more tough games on the schedule. We have New England again. We have the Eagles again.
So, you know, we got some work to do, but I like this team. I think this team could surprise a few people. And if we could get Ed Oliver back for a playoff run, the defense might just get where it needs to be. But you know what? Look, Colt in 2006 had a bad defense.
The Chiefs in 2022 had a bad defense. It can be done. It can be done. Well, I wish quarterback can get six touchdowns a game. That helps too.
I wish you the best of luck, man, for a victory for your Bills tonight because what a double dip. A Bills Thursday night win and holiday touchdown, a Bills love story, which answers the age-old question: what happens when a pediatric doctor and the Bills VP of stadium development? Find love. After just being lifelong friends, that's we're gonna get the answer to that question tonight. And if they, you know, if there is a sequel, Again, no spoiler alert that they get married.
Here's the wedding cake right there. What do you think? Oh my gosh. That's a real thing. I got married last year, and my wife would not allow me to do a cake like that.
It's really a shame. Come on. I want her to, she's going to watch this today, and she's going to see that. And we're just, you know, honey, look what we missed out on. Look what we could have had.
I mean, just stunning artistic creation there. And that's beautiful.
Now, I guess, what's your favorite part of this? Is it the Zuba? The Zuba. The Zubazuba. Mine is, it's the red, it's the red drinking cups.
The solo cups. You know what I mean? The solo cups. You know, obviously the broken table on top instead of the bride and groom. Obviously, the old school Tatanka.
On the top level. And then, of course, the fact that it's a multi-level wedding cake. I mean, there's many things to like here. Hoskins, do we know what it was made of inside? Do we recall what is inside?
Marble and Ganache.
Okay. By the way, a great crime fighting team on TNT. Marble. Marble and Ganache.
Old school. Right? Okay. Thanks, Luke. You'd be red, Charlie's a pleasure.
I really appreciate it. You got it. You got it. Luke Richard, everybody. Go, Bills.
I'll do a touchdown. All right. So good. Marble and Ganache.
They fought crime, right? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. On right after Resort and Liles. Yeah.
And Franklin and Bash. Procket and Tubbs. Who was Franklin and Bash again? Why am I blanking on it? It was Zach Morris and Brecken Meyer.
That's right, Brecken Meyer. And Marble and Ganache. Mark Paul Gossawa, obviously. By the way, we could keep going here. Oh, yeah.
Yep. 844-204-rich is the number to dial. Marvel and the fucking I should be careful. Suze is in the green room right now, but it is the wrong Dadario. Oh, I mean, I mean, come on here.
Well, do respect to Matt. How many times did he go higher register in that conversation? The one. We could win this event. It's a lot of higher register there, an awful lot.
Of higher register. Discovering higher register was great.
Sorry? When you guys first discovered higher register with yourself, the best part about it is when you, as a fan, walking around with your friends, you've now discovered how you can tell when somebody is full of it. I point it out all the time, whether I'm listening to podcasts or watching shows or just talking with people, like, oh, they want higher register. I got to be honest with you, I do a lot of things to make myself laugh. I'm very proud of saying that this mirror is real life where you're expecting James Cook to get Ray Davis instead.
With all due respect to Ray Davis. With all due respect to Ray Davis. Yeah.
844-204-RICH, number $1. While we're slamming on, I guess, Kentucky Wildcats. Did you hear what Tom Izzel had to say after Michigan State beat Kentucky this week? I did not. Oh, it's just so great.
I can't get enough of this guy. That's coming up next. Your phone calls 844-204-RICH, hire register. And yo, we go from Hallmark Channel to Apple TV's Pluribus with Vince Gilligan stopping by in hour three. Mm.
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844-204 Rich being the number to dial to have a conversation with us here. It's a higher register Thursday. We'll get to that shortly. Let's do it. We've we've teased it.
We've gone back and forth. Luke Russert went higher register a little bit every now and then in that segment. Um college basketball is beginning to heat up a little bit. I mean, college football is obviously going to take center stage over the next six weeks. No doubt.
Certainly as the games get more and more intense, the Michigan, Ohio State Donnie Brook is coming up in a couple of Saturdays. Ohio State will be first overall. If Michigan doesn't stumble against Maryland, it will get closer to a top 10 team potentially. And uh we'll see if Michigan's hopes of Going to the Big Ten championship game, which is extraneous now, will still be out there and a chance to. win a couple more games and make the college football playoffs despite a lot of Issues for it and maybe spoil an Ohio State party or two before Ohio State makes the college football playoffs and maybe wins the whole damn thing anyway, just like last year.
Yeah, Michigan 18 right now. The SEC, the Lane Kiff and stuff. that's going on right now. The Heisman race. Um So, college football is going to start taking as it's the most wonderful time of the year, it's coming up on our SPN family of networks and things of that nature.
The college basketball Michigan State just beat Kentucky. other night. This soundbite escaped me until I saw it just a couple of hours ago. Tom is ill. Anytime again, he's like...
Hmm. Just unvarnished. Yeah.
Now, according to a lot of websites and those who Calculate. NIL dollars that have been Pledged. And apparently paid. Kentucky, apparently, did you know, leads college basketball in the highest payroll. Can you believe it or not?
We're saying these words for college basketball. I mean, that's not. Apparently 22 million bucks. And Michigan State. which does NIL, but they don't do a lot of transfer portal stuff, as you know.
I'll beat him. And this was brought up to Izzo after they Double-digit smoked Kentucky the other night. And this was his response to a question about it. That seems to be the people that are getting the most credit, you know, the Transfer portal recruitment is almost bigger than winning games. Not at Michigan State.
Someday it could hurt me. I'm gonna do what I gotta do. But I'm also I don't give up on the people I got. Hmm. He added by saying it's called development.
Yep. That's an old school notion, isn't it, now? Right? And I kind of like it, you know, it's all about terminology and the way you view things. But transfer portal In football is different than Basketball.
Because in football You've got to have a quarterback room with three, four, five guys, right? You've got to have. How many offensive linemen? Right? In a way that it makes an NFL roster blush, right?
15 plus. Right. I mean, you dress so many players, people wear the same number. And, you know, if you have the benefit of not having your name on the back, you can do what UFC does, which is run a fake punt with your quarterback because he's got the same number as the punter and go, oh, did I do that? My bad.
Oh, did I just go ahead and. Start playing a running back that we announced going into the game was out. Because we're at a running backs. Oh, can I do that? Oh, I'm my bad.
Finus. But in college basketball, it is With such a small unit of people, if you transfer portal somebody in, You are basically telling somebody that you may have given a scholarship to, you're out. We're done developing you because we need to win games.
Now, I don't have the time to develop you. I don't have the time to. maybe honor my commitment to you to come. On scholarship to this school. That's at least the way Tom Izzo is terming it.
He's in a unique position. Where he's not coaching for his job week to week. year to year. One doesn't think Not at all. He is who he is.
You don't think, well, hold on a minute. I don't know this. By the way, I totally get what you're saying and how you're coming at it. I'm just going to give you a different point of view. You don't think there's a single soul and the Michigan State side of things.
Maybe in charge of a whatever collective, right? That Thinks Izzo's doing the wrong thing. And that he's a dinosaur, and we got to go get ourselves somebody. You don't think there's a single political headwind in East Lansing for him? No, I would imagine there's one or two.
But I understand what you're saying, that he's he's he's a goat. He's a legend. But sometimes legends get pushed out. That's true. If he doesn't win.
If he doesn't win, he's getting he you know, the clock ticks for everyone. But he's got a way of doing it, and it just seems like there's fewer and fewer of them. No?
Well, it's a Sabin thing where he just didn't want to deal with, he saw the way the sport was going, college football, and was like, this is not for me. I'm out. I don't want to deal with kids coming to my office all the time, asking for more money, et cetera, et cetera, and just got out. You know, it doesn't seem like Izzo's at that point yet, but it seems like he's getting close.
Well, your guy in Georgia this week said, you know, players just want paychecks. They don't want the physical nature of what comes with asking for the paycheck in football. You know? I don't think Kirby is the same. Neither do I.
Neither do I. We were on the air the day that NIL started. Remember that? Was it July 1st, what, three years ago now? I think something like that.
And it's just like, everyone's just like.
Okay. Okay. Now what? Because. Nobody planned for it.
Because as we all know. the people who might be in charge of planning for it. There is nobody home in Indianapolis on that front. But I just find, I found that soundbite interesting. And the only thing that kills me.
about it. is I have to like somebody from Michigan State, but he knows that already. He knows that already. And I say this as a Michigan Wolverine who is jacked. About my college basketball team this year with a bunch of guys that Dusty Mae brings in portal.
It's a lot of portals. and Michigan can change around their fortunes in a heartbeat. But Izzo's the guys like, I'm going to come to your home. Not like Dusty Mae doesn't do it, but I'm going to knock on your door. I'm going to sit down.
I'm going to look you, you know, mom and dad in the eye. Or whomever. In the eye and say You got my commitment. And I'm not transfer portaling this kid out. With somebody in.
I I just I that sound bite just kind of hit me. Just wondering what the future's gonna look like, you know, because there will be at some point, what, a 60-team college football division and there will be someone who runs that. Are they gonna institute a $10, $15, $20 million hard cap and now you have to work inside of that? Or is there gonna be the same thing for college basketball? What a question, because you know, I mean, uh word is the Big Ten is forwarding a 2014 playoff system.
Right, which seems like what are we doing? It's all about revenue accrual and having rights that TV. Partners are eager to have because that is Outside of having television, radio, simulcasts that have Sports guests and celebrities on. What most streamers and sports streamers are looking for these days.
So that kind of makes sense to try and expand that. But the question you're pointing out is interesting: is how would college basketball be brought in? Is it just like CFP, college football playoffs is its own entity, and then the rest of it. Is up to you to figure out. As a football only, or do the football schools that you bring in, it's also basketball two?
I don't think basketball. I think football is going to be tough enough to figure out who's in the boat, who's not, who gets relegated, who doesn't, because that is the super league model that got rejected in two days flat. By our friends across the pond. But if you do a Premier League, if you set up like a Premier League situation where they have the levels of soccer, and each year. A dozen teams are elevated or regulated.
That would be kind of interesting. How about this? Separate separate for football.
Something separate for basketball, and everything else goes back to like it's 1950 all over again. It would be probably the most efficient model. Where soccer teams and lacrosse teams and tennis teams and golf teams and softball teams do not have to go coast to coast today. Yep. Yep.
Because the Atlantic Coast Conference now is the both coast conferences. No, it's the quote-unquote Olympic sports. Right. Do that. It's also a way to save kind of the Olympic development here in this country.
Yeah, but football's not going back to that time. It's not going back to the times where. you know, you're traveling by train and you're You're having guys carried off the field because they were off sides. You know? Wow.
I mean, an unnecessary Rudy show. Oh, no, no, no, it's necessary. It's Rich. It's necessary. Move on.
He still wants to fight you. I know he doesn't. Move on, Rich. Fine words. They're ahead of you.
But what's the perfect number? Great question. For that Super Football conference.
Well, how many NFL teams are there? 32? You want to double it? Double it. 64.
Yeah, there you go. Are you into the relegation idea? Yeah.
Boom. Come up with 32 others. That's a league. What else do you need?
Next. We're like speed fixing college sports. Already consulting. What's the basketball number? Like 150 or something?
He's got to be more. The tournament's perfect. I wouldn't touch it. I'm already what you're doing. No, I understand, but how big is the division, though?
How many teams are you inviting? As many as you want. Oh, I see. Who do I care? A lot of basketball courts around the country.
That's true. Many as you want. You get a team, you get a team. Not bad, but close to it. What do I care?
And then the rest of them, it's just like: let's, let's. Let's reconstitute the Pac-12 for the smaller for the Olympic sports. Yeah.
And the Big Ten, and then just let's go back to what it was. Because right now, because it's fixed, the way it is, because everybody's following the same football ball, it doesn't work. It makes no sense. And is Greg Senke in charge of all this? Sure, why not?
Great. Greg, congrats. We figured this out. There'll be something a little extra for you. We'll send you this mug.
Come on, what else? Keep going. Oh, we're out of time. Hour twos in the books. Yeah.
Vince Gilligan talking about his new show, Pluribus, in hour number three. It's going to be great. We'll go down to Breaking Bad. Better call Saul Wormhold as well. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
Mm-hmm.
