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By the time I hit my 50s, I'd learned a few things. like how family is precious. Work can always wait. And 99% of people over 50 already have the virus that causes shingles. Not everyone at risk will develop it, but I did.
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Now, on with the show. Oh my God, you guys are my favorite. This is The Rich Eisen Show. The one and only. Rich Eisen.
I know what I'm talking about. That's the headline. The Rich Eisen Show. With guest host, Brian Weber. I mean, honestly, he's brilliant.
Brian Weber. I've got a long resume. Google me. It saves time. From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.
And now, sitting in for Rich, it's Brian Weber. Welcome to the program. Always a pleasure to sit in for Rich ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance. The NFL now owns Christmas, even if its games were less than spectacular. We're going to jump right in momentarily focusing on the Broncos moving closer to clinching the top seat in the AFC.
The Lions imploded. Six count of six turnovers, five coming from Jared Goff. In an absolutely abysmal loss to the Minnesota Vikings, knocking Detroit out of playoff contention as the playoff field in the NFC is almost set. It was wall-to-wall basketball. Do the Spurs now officially have the cheat code to beat the Thunder?
San Antonio taking down OKC again yesterday, as they did earlier this week, and for the third time in a. dozen days and while you were sleeping And I'll be transparent. I did not stick around for overtime, even though. It is arguably my job, and I'm based on the West Coast. The Joker hat a game for the ages.
All the details are on the way. The phone number is iconic, but it's not frequently used when I'm in the chair, especially because this is my last shift of the year. Trying to defend Rich's impeccable brand, 888-SA ESPN. If you want to have a conversation, your best path to achieving that goal is to hit me up on the X platform, BW Weber. Weber with two B's.
I never overwhelm you with guess. Probably that's because blindly I think I'm just that compelling. Just me and you in the first hour of the program. In fact, we will not have an outside voice unless I sprinkle in a phone call. Until 120 Eastern time.
NBA analysis provided by Eric Pinkus, National Hoops Rider for Bleach Report. Final hour, 2:20 Eastern Time. Good friend of mine and a former broadcast partner, Nick Ferguson, former NFL safety, spent a decade in the league, played for the Broncos, now covers the Broncos on KOA Radio in Denver. If you had to adore my self-important approach prior to Christmas, and I hope you had a great holiday. I skipped the foreplay.
I hope you had a lot of time with your family. I hope you were able to separate yourself from the tube after all. It's Supposed to be a celebration of family and friends, but we know in our world it's all about sports. And as I was reflecting on the X platform as a lonely man, BW Weber Weber with two B's. As recently as the 80s, and I know that's a lifetime ago, but back in the day, we had the blue-gray.
All-star game in college football in front of 47 people in Montgomery, Alabama, and one NBA game on CBS.
So now it's an embarrassment of riches. And even though My heart still leans towards the MBA. I'm not a fool. We know the NFL drives everything, not only in sports media, but across this great country of ours. Let's talk about what happened yesterday across the National Football League.
If I was gonna be more journalistically sound, I would start with the lions, but Due to our formatics, I want to save myself a lot of time to go in depth. On the team that, in my estimation, is undeniably the biggest disappointment in all of football. We will put the focus on the Motor City coming up in 15 minutes and we'll take you through how the NFC. Playoff picture is almost locked. And get you set for the big games coming up.
A reminder, and I know we're all in a blur. Today is Friday. I could do bella check. Today is Tuesday. Today is Friday.
And I hope you're not working. Supersize the long holiday weekend. NFL doubleheader tomorrow, then all the games on Sunday, obviously, Monday night football on ABC, ESPN across the. ESPN, the family of networks, the Rams and the Falcons. Yesterday, heading into the matchups, we knew it was going to be mid.
In terms of the teams that were Dialed into the matchups. And if I'm thinking about the future of football on Christmas Day, and we know it's not going anywhere, because even though the games were lackluster overall, It's going to generate gargantuan ratings. There's nothing the NBA can do. Their stars showed up. The Knicks had a magnificent comeback.
You gotta credit, say, the tenacity of Jalen Brunson, Luka Doncich, who've been banged up recently, both prioritizing getting on the floor. Still, none of that is going to matter. The NFL could put up the Shield logo. Just that, just a picture, and we would huddle around our screens hoping to see football. But we knew heading into yesterday that four of the six teams had already been eliminated from playoff consideration.
We knew the quarterbacking situation. And I'm trying to be upbeat, especially because I'm only a guest host. I'm Brian Weber, Infor Rich. Hop aboard at 888-CESPN or the conversation never stops on the X platform. That is BW Weber, Weber with two beats.
So with diminished expectations. And I hope you notice, jot this down at six past the hour. Over the course of our remaining three hours together, I am not talking about the Dallas Cowboys.
Now, I'm probably. Committing Some sort of professional Harry Carey because the fill-in handbook says, go towards the team with the star on their helmet. And if I was really hacking Magoo, more so than I normally am, I would try to contrive a topic like. Based on the offensive fireworks we saw again from Dallas beating up Washington, what needs to change in the offseason for this team to be a Super Bowl contender? A reminder: they haven't played in the NFC title game in Three decades.
Since all of my references are that stale, I remember when they were relevant and the team to talk about in the NFL, but that game was largely unwatchable. And it gets us back to the quarterbacking conversation. And I appreciate anybody who can hang around. But it is an indictment of the state of quarterback play that Josh Johnson was the best the Commanders had to offer, and he wasn't terrible yesterday. We will get to Max Brozmer coming up.
One of the most incredible statistical developments based on his. Horrendous individual play. connected to somehow the Vikings winning that game That's coming up in 15 minutes. If you were just looking for something to watch, okay. That game was fine, and that's all I'm going to talk about.
Connected to the quote-unquote renewal of the rivalry, because if you could find the game, And I hope by now, after all of the flipping around, you stumbled across the fact that all three games were on streamers. And I'm going to tread lightly because I know when Rich is back on Monday, you're going to enjoy the Simulcast streaming exclusively on the ESPN app and Disney Plus. But I'll tell you one thing I didn't need in either of the first two games Why did the powers that be, and we know they have unlimited resources, Why did that streaming platform decide to turn those games into a talk show? I'm hammering the fact that Dallas and Washington was irrelevant. Absolutely no playoff meaning.
But as much as I love Emmett Smith, because I've established I'm ancient. I did not need a cumbersome Zoom call in the middle of the game. Maybe it's a reflection of how little The folks who were producing that game cared about the action on the field, but it was just an unnecessary distraction. The nightcap, also on a streamer, was surprisingly competitive, unless you have doubts the way I do. About the Denver Broncos.
Now, I would be a lunatic to continue. My bashing of Bo Nix because he won that game last night almost single-handedly. If you went to bed, I can understand, especially on the East Coast with Storm Watch underway. Heading in. We knew that KC was down to their third-string quarterback.
The name I say very slowly and phonetically, Chris Olodokin. He was not awful.
Now, if you're just going to look at the raw numbers, but I'm not accounting. I'm not here to spit Digiters away. 66 passing yards. Still, if you took the time to watch the game. He did not look.
As atrocious as I thought he would be.
Now, what does that say about Denver's quote-unquote stellar defense? If you've been paying attention. There have been far more defensive lapses As of late in the Mile High City, I know the gaudy numbers, they're Overwhelming force up front with the front seven. and all of the stacks that they generate. But if you go back to their loss To Jacksonville on Sunday, in addition to Bo Nick's being inefficient and coughing it up a couple times.
Despite the fact that they were able to consistently get pressure on Trevor Lawrence. With a handful of sacks, he still burned them for four touchdowns.
So if you're a Bronco fan, continuing your march towards the top seed, I am not here to troll you. In fact, I've already reached out and already forward-promoted. I'm having one of your own on the program in the final hour of the show: Nick Ferguson, the former Broncos Safety. But I think It does point out what we've known to be true for the entirety of this year, filled with parody. After all, it is the focus of the business model of professional football.
It's designed to have competitive ballots every year. 21 the last 22 seasons.
Somebody goes from worst to first. Seeing it again. With the Patriots in line to win their division. San Francisco somehow, some way, can not only win the rugged NFC West, they can still be the top seed in the NFC. Both those teams, as you recall, were the dregs last year.
But If I'm trying to come up with reasons to firmly believe in the Broncos, I have to wrap my head around. What they're doing in one score games because last night was 20 to 13. And it came down to the two-minute warning. And I'm still wondering where Chris Jones was mentally. Fourth and two, game tied, two-minute warning, Broncos.
At the KC9, they line up. I don't know if they were just going to go hard count, but it worked. And part of me was thinking, especially when you contrast, say, somewhat a little bit more conservative like Sean Payton to Dan Campbell, who's out of his mind, and we're going to get there with his unbelievably risky decisions now in less than 10 minutes. I thought Denver was just going through the cadence. To get the result, they ultimately nailed down.
But I was wondering why you're not going to kick the field goal. They're still at work. They win by seven. They're now 11-2 and one-score games. And think about how many dramatic comebacks they've needed along the way.
Still, you are what you consistently do. and they're finding a way to win just like the Bears. I believe in the Bears more than the Broncos because I have more faith in Caleb Williams than I do Bo Nix. And I'm not sitting here just trying to come up with strawman arguments to knock down Bo. He was better last night.
And he was their co-leading rusher because the offense was stagnant against the KC defense, loaded. with backups. As we wind down our Bronco analysis, I'll leave you with this thought. We'll pick it up as the program continues. Clearly, the Broncos' best player is Patrick Sertan II.
Give me the instances over the last quarter century. You want to go old school? You can go back to the steel curtain since I've now mired in the 1970s and 80s. Give me an example. of a team that wins the Super Bowl when they're premier player.
is a defensive player. And in Denver, you're yelling at the radio right now. Hey, Vaughan Miller about 10 years ago, okay. But it's been a decade. You can argue the Rams won it all when Aaron Donna was their best player.
I want to see more consistency. Out of Bo Nicks. I want to see him, especially in high-leverage situations, come up with the throws. Although I can't in any way hammer him for Cortland Sutton dropping the TD pass, and now it's all in front of Denver. But a reminder, one of their losses came against the LA Chargers, their opponent next week to wrap up the regular season.
I'll take you through the different paths to the top seat in the AFC. As New England has the most favorable strength of schedule, why? Because they were in last place last year, and because the AFC East has imploded once more with games covered up against the Jets. And the Dolphins. I'm Brian Weber, Infor Rich.
888, say ESPN the number to call. Hit me up on social media, BW Weber, Weber with two B's. I'm going to fight my instincts and delay the NBA talk. We're gonna hit the hardwood in a half hour. Up next.
The Lions lost to somebody named Max Brozmer. I know who Max is. He started his career in New Hampshire, went to Minnesota. Undrafted rookie. And Detroit Snuffed out their playoff hopes as they were rolled over by an avalanche of turnovers as the championship.
Window closed in Michigan. Just getting warmed up on a jam-packed Friday. Always a blast to fill in for Rich and the guys. I'm Brian Weber, In for Rich. It's the Rich Eisen Show on ESPN Radio.
Rich Eisen here. You know that feeling of handing off your taxes and then hearing nothing? Total radio silence.
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Coming up in just over 20 minutes. Gonna talk hoops. The Dr. James A. Naismith in me desperately wanted to lead with strong thermonuclear takes about the Knicks and the Thunder and the Spurs.
But I will, as always, follow the money. And I realize. I am not that naive whenever the ratings come out. The NBA is going to get crushed. Head to head by the NFL.
Does it make it right, as you heard Charles Barkley say yesterday on Inside the NBA? Roger Goodell and the National Football League got greedy, but why does anybody do anything? As the saying goes, because they can. There's money to be made. And I'm not opposed to football being on.
Christmas Day. I didn't need the third game if I'm going to be totally transparent with you. And then finally. I just prefer the aesthetics of basketball with the stars, but I know I'm a guy yelling at windmills by myself. And speaking of yelling, Now let me get back into character here.
Because I got to get a rant revved up about the Lions. And this is not an anti-Detroit perspective. If you care about my background at all, My old man went to school at Michigan State, so I've been connected to going to Detroit since the early eighties as he would Drag me up to East Lansing, duh. Freeze my took us off. I have great respect for the fan base and I appreciate their passion.
And if we were listening to say the ticket. In Detroit or any great sports talk outlet in Michigan. Not a lot of holiday cheer being thrown in the direction of Dan Campbell. I am not saying Dan Campbell should be on the hot seat. I'm not saying Dan Campbell should be looking over his shoulder.
Because if you think about the arc of this franchise. Where were they? For decades and decades and decades and decades. My old bit used to be before. The Lions made it to the NFC Championship game a couple of years ago, which now feels like.
Was the beginning of the slow slide to what we saw yesterday with rock bottom? You could rattle off. When's the last time the Lions won a playoff game? 1991. Last championship, 1957.
And then. Dan Campbell showed up. talked about biting kneecabs. Changed the culture, got complete buy-in, and I think Brad Holmes is a very skilled GM. I've also been.
a Jared Goff defender.
Well, I'm out of that business today. I can no longer prop up somebody who, unfortunately, because I want to be. Equitable with my evaluations. I'm Brian Weber, In for Rich, it's 888-CESPN. And you can also get chippy if you want to.
And try to keep it at least above board on social media. And I know that's a big ask. B.W. Weber, Weberwood 2Bs. 15 minutes from now, we're talking about San Antonio and their continued head-to-head dominance over the Thunder.
Jared Goff looked like Sam Darnold. Yesterday. And Sam, by the way, a Pro Bowler if you care. Jared Goff has done that way too often. And it's not recency bias in any way just to come in here.
and obliterate him on a big word Friday. Jared Guff. Not too long ago, last year, to be specific, through Five interceptions in the game against Houston and one. Jared Goff yesterday. Could not even do basic things like take the snap from center.
Now, the last turnover, if we're going to be fair. And objective with our assessment. The last one coming out of the shotgun, I'm not going to put on him. That was on the center, but also. Because we never give defense credit and somehow now I'm trying to be Mike Singletary.
Two thoughts about Minnesota. If Brian Flores does not get hired by somebody, and I realize it was a bad run in Miami, and if the allegations from Tuwa Tunga Valloa about how Brian treated him are accurate, Perhaps that is disqualifying from becoming a head coach again. But Josh McDaniels got another shot. Didn't work because he's not cut out to be a head coach. We're seeing how brilliant he is as a play caller.
Coaching up Drake May.
Some guys just don't have The management skills nor the temperament to be a head coach. I don't know Brian Flores, and I do give him credit for being candid. And apologizing. Four. what he did that to a found to be borderline bullying.
But if we're just talking about the ability to coach up a defense. and find a schematic advantage, as I'm now looking at the all-22 film here. Who's better on defense than Brian Flores? And we saw it yesterday.
So. Two things can be equally true. He's a defensive mastermind. Vikings defense. is legit, but you knew that.
At the same time. When you have to win the game. coming off a season in which you were the topsy. Won 15 games. came off the by and got embarrassed at home.
By the commanders. And if you don't have a firm recollection of that game, that's what my job is. Jared Goff had four turnovers against Washington. With three picks. You sense the pattern here?
So Again, I just want to be grounded in. Rational thought. I am not going to throw out the topic about should the Lions move on from Jared Goff. No. Because I remember where they were.
Before him, and I understand Matthew Stafford is looking a lot better here in Southern California as I come to you from our Regal studios in downtown LA, ESPNLA. Flagship station of the LA Lakers. We'll talk Laker basketball. J.J. Reddick venting once more.
He must really feel like he's got a lot of job security, or probably more to the point, he knows LeBron is gone next year, ripping the Lakers, lack of effort and defensive intensity as they got rocked by Houston. If you watch that game, much more one-sided than the final score would suggest. We will get into the fallout. And what's wrong with the Lakers coming up in the next hour, 120, when we chat with Eric Pinkus of Bleacher Report. Matthew Stafford.
Being the favorite to win the MVP makes what Jared Goff has done lately look even worse. What? Let's get into more context. The offensive line has been a disaster.
So it wasn't all Jared Gov. Wetting the bed yesterday. But when you have it all in front of you, and you know you have a minute chance of making the playoffs, and the first step is to handle your business against the Vikings. Led by Max Brozmore, as we all found out, Brozmer. Not Brosmer.
And I guess they just took him, remember, undrafted free agent rookie because he finished his college career not too far away at the University of Minnesota. Did you watch that game? I can't blame you. If at a minimum you muted or you probably should have gone to the MBA. Through three quarters.
When you factor in sex and get to Net passing yards? Max and the Vikings. Negative three. Net passing yours. Finish the game.
At least he was on the right side of the ledger. A total of three net passing yards. And Minnesota won. Because the Lions turned it over six times. But when you are facing somebody who we saw, small sample size, but the tape doesn't lie.
Looked like He belonged in the Canadian Football League in his prior start on the road to Seattle. And again, you have to remember the level of competition. Seattle has a ferocious defense. That's why I think they're going to be the top seed. I think they're going to beat San Francisco next week in a regular season finale, avenge their loss to the Niners in Seattle week one.
But If you are the Lions, you gotta give me a better effort than what we saw yesterday. If I'm ever lucky enough to be on the simulcast, if you follow me on the X platform, I put the obligatory picture up, you see a lot of paper around me. And I'll give you.
Something to think about heading into the new year. This is not just a dopey sports talk. Radio show, after all. This is the Rich Eisen Show. If you write it down, you'll remember it.
I know it feels like I'm churning butter. I don't have candles at my house. I'm part of this millennium. But when I write stuff down, you'll recall the fact I'll credit the Jesuit education. Forward in prep.
from the Bronx back in the day. We had a guy come in and said, if you write it down, you're 14 times more likely to remember it. My problem is, I can't read my terrible handwriting. But as I was taking notes during that hideous game, I wrote. Lethargic.
And then they circled it and had an arrow to the lion. Where was the energy? Where was the passion? And yes, props to the Vikings. for terrorizing Jared Goff.
But you gotta win that game. Also, Feel free, Detroit, and I am aware of all the injuries. What is going on in Detroit defensively? with a slew. of injuries the last two years.
Look. We know the injury rate in the NFL is 100%, but Did they do something to offend the football gods? Do they need a new medical practitioner? I don't know what's going on with this team, but they have gotten absolutely decimated by injuries once more, especially in the secondary. That didn't matter yesterday because Max wasn't going to throw it more than four yards if it could actually get the ball out still.
When you have an opportunity to win the game. And you see that jet sweep coming in the direction of Jordan Addison, who played his college football here in Southern California at USC. Feel free to tackle him. Before that 65-yard touchdown run, Minnesota have produced 76 yards of total offense the entire game. They finish with a buck 61.
of overall off bets. And they still won. Because Detroit. just could not get out of their own way.
So Jared Goff is not going anywhere. But you know what he could use? legitimate play caller. Compare and contrast Caleb Williams this year. Coached by Ben Johnson, to how Goff has looked, especially since Dan Campbell took over the play calling duties.
Now it's going to sound like I'm a columnist writing the passive-aggressive. I'm not saying Dan Campbell should get whacked. but push him out the door at the same time. Let me say this in a loud and clear voice. I don't think Dan Campbell's under any.
scrutiny right now. But it probably wouldn't hurt. To get off to a quality start next season, considering how this team fell apart down the stretch, with injuries being relevant. Dead Campbell's forte. is Culture building.
Leadership and inspiration. He's not a play caller. By his own admission, I know he's done it in the past. But it was a knee-jerk move. When they decided that John Morton was not the guy, John Morton was the most convenient hire because he was in-house.
or had worked for the Lions in the past.
So the thought process was. He knew the system, he knew the verbiage, plug and play, everything's going to be fine. How often did we hear, knowing how long the NFL regular season is? And here's a quick aside: we know where it's going, it's going to 18 games. Why?
There's more money to be made.
So I mentioned. Josh Johnson. Chris. Oladokin, who was not terrible. My guy Max.
What do they all have in common? They're backup quarterbacks. And yes, some of that's just bad luck. But don't you think let's just be logical here, we see it every season at the end of the year, quarterbacks being abused, unable to get onto the field. Don't you think this problem is going to get even worse when we go to eighteen games?
But we know it's a done deal because there's more money to be made. as was the fact of adding the third game yesterday. If you have any doubt in life, Follow the money. I'm Brian Weber in for rich. You want to save money on your insurance.
Segway. Join us with our friends at Progressive Insurance, ESPN Radio, proudly presented by Progressive Insurance.
So Dan Campbell. had no choice but to rectify the mistake he made, When he went with What I thought was an on inspired Choice to replace Ben Johnson. Is it me, or does Dan Campbell have an allergy to running the football? Jameer Gibbs is the best running back in Detroit since Barry Sanders. That's not hyperbole.
That is. Completely factual. I don't understand why he's not featured more in this offense. I can Get the justification last week when they fell behind to the Steelers, and you have to pass, conventional wisdom says to come back, but that's a huge. Problem?
That Campbell has to own. And overall Dan Because he is open, because He wants to bear his soul because I think if you've been around athletes or professional sports. Guys can figure out who the frauds are. They have a wonderful BS detector. They respect Dan because the Dan you see at the podium is the Dan you see in the locker room.
He's authentic. But he told us If anyone was listening... after the lions gagged away A big lead. At half-time. On the road in the San Francisco Bay Area in the NFC Championship game.
that it's gonna be hard to get back. Here. And I'm paraphrasing, but he effectively said: we missed a monumental opportunity. Remember, up 17 at the half. I am aware.
of bad luck. I still can't believe Brandon Ioke made that circus catch. But Campbell didn't do himself any favors by being way too aggressive with the lead. Did not? Feature the ground game enough, did not run clock.
Should have kicked a field goal early, and that's just who he is. But if you continue to blindly go for it And use analytics as cover and justification, you become Brandon Stanley, the former head coach of the Chargers, who's now bumping around the league as a defensive coordinator.
So, I think if Campbell is going to do a self-assessment in the offseason. He's got to come up with a better balance of Understanding that when he goes for it, not only is he following the metrics, he is reflecting his belief in his guys. I'm not going to settle for a field goal. You guys are studs. Go get those yards.
hasn't worked this year. And then secondly. You gotta go out and find a real offensive coordinator. Those are hard to find as we look around the lake. Think about the instant impact and the obvious connection is Detroit and Chicago with Ben Johnson.
I think not being discussed enough is what Liam Cohn has done. with Trevor Lawrence. Trevor Lawrence over the last month now looks like the Trevor Lawrence who led Clemson to the national championship win over Alabama. Why? He's figured out Cohen's system.
Cohen has put him in a position to succeed, and that's the impact of coaching.
Well, we're seeing. The glaring negative side if you botch a significant hire like Play Caller.
So We've been talking so much about the Bills championship window. And I understand all of the angst in Western New York. But to me, and this will be simplistic. But I am just a guest host after all.
So long as Josh Allen is in his prime and healthy, Buffalo is always going to have a chance, as we've seen this year. Coming up, top of the hour, we'll start looking ahead towards. The marquee matchups. Tomorrow and Sunday, Buffalo and Philadelphia jumping off the schedule. And also, as you think about Buffalo.
Why have they been able to raise their play as of late? They have a sustained ground game very quietly. James Cook has emerged. as the leading rusher in all of football.
So if the championship window needs to close.
some place and hit me up on social media. Where is this window? Is it part of a house? Is it made of fiberglass? I think in the case Of Detroit, not to be crashed, it feels like they have a screen and they're in a submarine that's going down.
I do think that championship window. if not fully closed by now, is about three quarters Done because you go from the NFC Championship game with a double-digit lead at halftime, two, being the one seed coming off the bye at home, get throttled by a young commander's team, and then the embarrassment of yesterday. Summarizing everything that has slowed this team down over the last six weeks. I don't think there's a question, but I'll throw it out there on social media and at A88, say ESBM. Give me a bigger disappointment this year in the NFL than the Detroit Lions.
I'm Brian Weber, In for Rich. I do check social media. During our pauses.
So, if you have thoughts either way, let me know your opinions about anything that I've been navigating through. Coming up, I admire, I'm going to pat myself on the back, how patient I've been. Because I wanted to lead the show with the NBA. But the audience is never wrong. We're talking hoops.
Nick stormed back to take down the Cavs. And now, with three wins over the Thunder over the last dozen days, is San Antonio a legitimate threat to win the West? That's coming up. A lot more to get to on a jam-packed Friday edition of the program. It is always an honor to sit in for Rich.
I'm Brian Weber, in for Rich and the Guys. It's the Rich Eisen Show on ESPN Radio. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. This message is sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union. As the holiday season rolls around, we know that you strive to do everything you can to bring cheer and joy to your loved ones.
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As many of you know, supporting pediatric cancer research is something I care deeply about. That's why I'm proud to share what Hyundai is doing through Hyundai Hope on Wheels. For over 27 years, with every Hyundai sold, they've helped fund pediatric cancer research. Alongside over 850 dealers, they've raised more than $277 million, helping over 25,000 kids and supporting more than 1,400 research grants at 175 institutions nationwide. This year alone, they've committed another $27 million in honor of the 27th anniversary of the program.
And they're proud to have national youth ambassadors like Jackson Trin and Emmy Cole who bring hope to kids across the country by sharing their stories. Because at Hyundai, hope is our greatest feature and it comes standard. Visit HyundaiUSA.com and search Hyundai Hope on Wheels to learn more. I'm Weber back with you, Infor Rich Eisen. It is the day after Christmas.
I'm just reminding myself that. Is the fact because when you work during the holidays, all these days run together. It's a Friday, which means. We have Saturday NFL, and we'll get you fully lined up for a big game filled with playoff implications between. The hottest team in all of football, the Texans have won seven straight.
Buoyed by the best defense in the league, Taking on Justin Herbert, who continues to show his toughness playing with that broken non-throwing hand And the LA Chargers who can still win the division because remember, they have a head-to-head victory over the Broncos. 888-SA ESPN, the number to call. and you can always express a thought on social media. B.W. Weber, Weber with two B's.
We're talking NBA momentarily, but first. As you may know, Rich Eisen cares deeply about pediatric cancer research and awareness, and that's why. I'm proud to talk on his behalf about Hyundai Hope on Wheels. For over 27 years, every Hyundai sold has helped fund life-saving pediatric cancer research together with over 850 dealers across the country. They've raised more than $277 million, supporting over $25.
thousand kids in their courageous fight against cancer.
So At Hyundai, hope is not optional, it comes standard. Visit HyundaiUSA.com, search Hyundai Hope on Wheels to learn more. We're going to go in depth on the MBA because my clock management skills are about as sharp as Dan Campbell. When we power our way into the next hour of the program, 1:20 Eastern Time. Eric Pinkas from Bleacher Report will join us.
I'm going to use our time here. to talk spurs and thunder, although Again, if I'm looking for longevity as a national film and host, I should just play the hits and talk about go, New York, go, New York, go. The Knicks came alive. And we'll talk about it coming up the next hour of the program. Interesting to me as you're Trying to be objective, and if you care about my Context at all.
I was a Knicks fan growing up, so I am energized that the team is. I think, in position to go back to the NBA Finals, back, go to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. But your cap fan, here's what's got to be discouraging. And I realize he's playing his way back into shape. But you got Evan Mobley back after he was out a couple of weeks with the calf injury.
You have the huge lead. Nick's come back from down 17, and the garden was rocking. It is always interesting in sports how, and I know some of this is a byproduct of. Our current culture and everything has got to be snackable. Byte-sized.
What was it? A week ago? All the Talking Head shows were posing this question. Can the Thunder get the 74 wins? Can they get the 75 wins?
It wasn't just Bloviators like yours truly in the media. examining that possibility. Galen Williams, remembering he was out for a good chunk. of the Thunder's historic Start went on. a Twitch or a Snapface or some kind of stream.
And when he was chopping it up with the host. asked, Hey, who would win, head to head, you? Or the 26 team Warriors that got to 73 wins, but then lost to the Cavs in seven. Of course, he said us. And then the same story for Jordan in the 96 polls.
Magically, everything has changed.
Okay, see. Four and six over their last. 10 and most important. San Antonio continues to have their number. They won.
In Texas by 20 on Tuesday night, they won on the road yesterday. And if you go back to the NBA Cup, if you care about hoops the way I do. They won that game head-to-head against OKC as well in the semifinals.
So that's now three wins over the span of 12 days. What does it mean? I don't think it means much from the OKC perspective, and I don't get too bogged down with gambling. Frameworks, I'm sure they're still overwhelming favorites to win it all as they should be. But I think what's more intriguing is now The battle to power could be evolving in the West beyond the notion That Houston Leveled up by adding Kevin Durant.
Remember, Houston was a two-seed last year before they were one and done losing to the Warriors in the first round, two-seed in the Western Conference. I should note. Adding Durant to make a viable run at OKC and Denver. as the Joker was absolutely sensational last night. Overtime counts for your stats.
142-138 edging. The T-Wolves. Joker. 56 points in the triple-double. First player in NBA history with over 55 points, 15 rebounds, 15 assists in one game, and doing it all without Cam Johnson, who I like the pickup of.
And I think an upgrade over Michael Porter Jr., who was sent to Brooklyn in return.
Now you have to add San Antonio. To that top tier, right next to Houston and right next to Denver, as a legitimate threat. To make it to the NBA Finals.
Now I'm going to pump the brakes. Because I've watched enough hoops to know, and we just saw it from OKC over the last couple of years. There's a learning curve to winning in the NBA postseason. You need to get scar tissue.
So I'm not saying the Thunder are going to the finals this year. But this is not an aberration. They match up better against the Thunder than anybody else because they mirror them in so many ways, primarily the Young Corps. As you think about Spod Castle, who won the Rookie of the Year Award last year, and the instant production they're getting out of 19-year-old Dylan Harper, Ron's son, as the number two overall pick, and If you want. More analysis from Williams after the game.
He was asked why the Spurs are such a tough cover. He said, Yeah, they got that 7.5 dude in the paint. Wemby is one of one. And also, a direct matchup for Chet Holmgren, that a lot of teams don't have the ability to do so.
So Rivalries are what sports is all about. And just when it looked like, OKC Would have a coronation the rest of the way. I'm glad to see the Spurs emerge. I am not surprised. My concern would be Wemby staying healthy.
not bashing him. Not coming up with some lame comp that is Greg Odin, but big guys. At 7'5, or however tall he is, we don't know, might be 7'7. Breakdown. But with his unique, incredible skill set, that young team coming together, I don't think it's a coincidence that you no longer hear the Spurs as a destination for Giannis, because why would they touch what they have?
They're only going to get better. And they keep growing with confidence with every win over the Thunder. This could be a dynamite rivalry for the next five years because these rosters are so young and have so much talent to utilize. I'm Brian Weber, Infor Rich. Back to the NBA coming up 1:20 Eastern Time when we talk with Eric Pickas of Bleach Report.
Straight ahead. What's going to be the X Factor when the Chargers and Texans meet tomorrow on ESPN Radio? Ridge Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
