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This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody! Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere.
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Now, on with the show. Oh my God, you guys are my favorite. This is The Rich Eisen Show. It's 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 Ryan Weber. Another hour of the program presented by Progressive Insurance and it's great to have you with us on December 26th. Coming up in 20 minutes. After I cruise through the NBA takeaways, wrapping up the last hour of the show, we're going to stretch out.
Go in depth with An old friend and someone who's been covering the league for decades, Eric Pinkas, National NBA writer for Bleacher Report, will join us in 40 minutes. Not only because I am sitting in for a proud Michigan man, Mr. Eisen. Very. Honor.
To be here, and Rich is very proud. of Ann Arbor. According to ESPN's College Football Insiders. Pete Demo and Dan Wetzel. could be imminent.
Parse it correctly. As they both wrote, they had the co-buyline. Former Utah coach, he's not done yet, but that's. precise verbiage. Kyle Wittingham is now the focus of the Wolverines coaching search.
I'll tell you why coming up. in just over 40 minutes. That's a better hire. Than a lot of Michigan fans will think, if in fact, It comes. If you want to pick up the phone, 888 say ESPN.
If you want to pass along thoughts. On social media, BW Weber. Weber with two bees with a reminder: bowl season continues across the ESPN family of networks. Three games on ESPN TV today here on ESPN Radio. The Raid Bowl.
New Mexico and Minnesota both happy to be playing at Chase Field in Phoenix. Our coverage begins at 7 Eastern row the boat. With PJ Flex team on ESPN Radio. Spent the majority of the first hour. Passing along.
What stood out to me? from yesterday's NFL slate. We knew coming into the holiday There was a potential for the games to be a rough watch. And It happened to a degree for some very unexpected reasons. Namely, Detroit just could not do anything right.
When it came down to Ball security, six turnovers. Jared Goff responsible for five of them as they faced, speaking of Minnesota. An alum. Although I also went to New Hampshire, I have New England bias as an East Coaster always in the back of my mind. Future Hall of Famer, get him the gold jacket, Max Brosmur.
Who finished the game? Willed? 51 yards in the air officially, but when you factor in yardage loss to sacks. Net passing yards, he was three. The number between two and four.
And somehow Minnesota won the game because Detroit just could not hang on to the football. They are not going to the playoffs.
So The NFC field is just about set. Good news for The Packers, as we make the move to the games coming up tomorrow, Green Bay. Punch their ticket. As we Say in the NCA tournament, but I do love When football coaches in the NFL, the National Football League, I'm Brian Weber, Ain for Rich. It is a Friday edition of the Rich Eisen Show, 888 CSPM, or you can.
Post on the X platform. I still say tweet because I don't work for Elon. BW Weber, Weber with 2Bs. In 15 minutes, we talk hoops with Eric Pincus. of Bleach Report.
NFL coaches say the tournament. Just get into the tournament. Packers got their birth to the postseason. Because Detroit Played one of the worst games I've seen. And I am older than my enthusiastic delivery would suggest.
We know the pack. R in? And it really comes down to now just the arrangement of the teams with the top seed still. Available For the clubs from The NFC West, Chicago still with a chance to? stake their claim to being the number one overall seed.
And with that, as you know, homefield advantage throughout the postseason, I'm going to talk about the Bears and the 49ers to start the final hour of the program. Is Brock Purdy built to replicate the form that we saw on Monday night? And I am not a huge backer of Brock Purdy. I still. And I am in a very small minority here, but this also could be My former connection to the San Francisco Bay Area And if any jobs are open, folks, I'll quote Jim Ward Jr., who's back in coaching and Left the folks at UConn stranded to go get a better deal at Colorado State.
Should a media job be available in the San Francisco Bay Area, I will walk from Los Angeles in the rain to come back to where I started and where I went to college. As now I'm just shamelessly self-promoting. I still contend. Jeff Garcia is a better quarterback than Brock Purdy. I know it sounds like I am just drinking.
Something beyond the gallons of diet soda in front of me. I'll explain. My continued doubts surrounding Purdy coming up. In an hour, final hour of the program. And again, it's going to sound like I have no idea what I'm talking about because I do recall how brilliant he was on Monday night.
five touchdown passes, but you should also be aware that Sauce Gardner did not play in that game, and Indy's got a lot of problems with their defense. Number one in the league against the run, not so much as we saw against the pass as Purdy looked like Joe Montana and Steve Young combined. The Green Bay Packers have been one of the most enigmatic teams in the league. Perhaps it's fitting they're going to face the Ravens. who also have had A lot of question marks attached to that team this year.
trending towards No Lamar Jackson, tough to watch him go down with that back injury in the Sunday night game. And you do have to credit since it seems like I'm bashing everybody. The gum shit. How about the toughness, the moxie? of what we saw from Drake May.
Coming back in the fourth quarter now. He didn't have to go head to head against Lamar. It was Tyler Huntley. And Baltimore's defense has been. Just so up and down.
It felt like they had figured things out and how they were using Kyle Hamilton in so many unique ways. And then we saw To make it a holiday linkage, what Joe Burrow did to them, carved them up on Thanksgiving night. Baltimore still mathematically alive, so they have something to play for. But Undeniably The health of Lamar Jackson, much more important to the future of this organization than sneaking back into the playoffs if they could run down Pittsburgh somehow. But step one would be beat the Packers in Green Bay.
We'll find out more about the status. of Jordan love. Trying to clear concussion protocol. Malik Willis played very well in defeat. It was not his fault that Green Bay still cannot field.
an on-side kick cleanly, even with the new rules that make it almost. What, 8% chance, almost a mathematical lock, you're not going to recover it. But everything has gone right for Chicago. Feels a lot like for the Bears, although I think they're gonna have a different outcome. the Viking season a few years ago.
Remember All those one-score victories, and then they lost to Daniel Jones and the Giants in the first round of the playoffs. I don't think that's the case for the Bears, but sometimes things just align your way. For Green Bay, it's been the flip side. Just unable to stay healthy. Make the big swing to get Micah Parsons.
He goes down. Still, with a backup quarterback. coming in cold and frigid conditions, they should have won that game at Chicago. And I will continue to defend Matt LaFleur as much as I know people in Wisconsin want to. Kick him to the curb.
Why do you think Willis looks so good? Fit and situation. Came into the right system and he was coached up. But at some point the wave of injuries catches up to you. And we know, I'm not going to go through the whole injury report.
I'm not doing satellite radio at 2 o'clock in the morning. We know the Packers have just been bludgeoned. by injuries. Still, With Baltimore's playoff hopes on life support right there for Green Bay, whoever the quarterback is. And I think it's a team, matchup driven, that can win a playoff game.
Because they have that much talent on both sides of the ball, understanding the key pieces they are missing. Finally, we have a quarterbacking matchup. That is attractive. Unless you don't think C.J. Stroud has anything to do with Houston surge.
They've won seven straight. And remember, they won games with David Mills. The Stanford Grad filling in for CJ. We know they're winning. Primarily because of the defense.
And that's what makes their game against the Chargers. Here in Southern California tomorrow, all the more fascinating. You have? What's going on positively for the Chargers? Getting healthier.
Got rookie running back from North Carolina, Maureen Hampton back. And Justin Herbert. While he still has something to prove in the postseason, and I think it is appropriate that he's playing Houston. as he imploded last year. Justin Herbert's small sample size has yet to win a playoff game early and is outstanding.
NFL career, but LA's won four straight. And they've been getting it done. with their franchise quarterback out there. With a broken bone in his hand. Not throwing hand, but Still, pretty important to have a pair of functioning hands if you want to excel under center.
So that's the matchup to watch. What can Greg Roman? The veteran play caller for the Chargers, Do against D'Amico Ryan's defense, not only. leading the league numerically. They are lighting suckers up.
If you watch the Texans. Even if you're on the red zone, every time they get there, I watch too much of The Texans and the Raiders on Sunday, and credit the Silver and Black. I know they're terrible. And, and, Thoughts and prayers, if you get the Giants and the Raiders as your only broadcast on Sunday, the race to the bottom, losing could be winning, and it would be winning for whoever is on the wrong side of that outcome because then they virtually lock up the number one overall pick. But even though the Texans got everything they could handle from the Raiders, on their way to winning that game, they were just laying the wood.
This is a team that feels old school. with their defensive intensity. But if you're asking me. Who's gonna emerge? I'm going with the Chargers.
I am not the biggest fan. If you care about my personal. agendas of Jim Horbaugh? I've mentioned Stanford a few times, my my deceased parents. Told me before they went to the big skybox in the sky.
I have to mention my alma mater at least once the show to feel good about the squandered education. Harbaugh was an interesting cat to deal with as a Stanford alumnus, but he's an incredible coach. He wins wherever he goes, and the Chargers are clearly ahead of schedule, making the playoffs last year. This is a team. Contingent on Herbert.
Having pain tolerance, and you can't question him at all because he's had so many injuries. That I think can go to Denver and beat them. That's not a hot take. They ever had their win. Over The Broncos, I'm aware it came down to Dicker the kicker, but he's a weapon, he's the most accurate kicker.
In NFL history, the real question about the Chargers is. all of their injuries on the offensive line. and can never exploit that. But first, let's see how Houston strategically. tries to use their defensive edge.
Two Make it a long afternoon for Justin Herbert with LA needing a win to make it winner-take-all next Sunday in Denver for the AFC West Division Crowd. I'm Brian Weber, Infra Rich. 888-CESBN is the phone number. My X handle is BW Weber, Weber with two B's. We'll talk college football in just over a half hour, the latest on the Michigan coaching search.
Is it a done deal that Kyle Whittingham will be moving on from Utah to Rich Eisen's alma mater up next? Let's go back to the NBA. After their comeback win over the Cavs yesterday, was that another indication this will be the year the Knicks go back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999? We'll cover it all with my pal, Eric Pinkas, National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. I'm Brian Weber.
It's always a blast to keep a chair warm and fill in for Rich and the guys, a Friday installment of The Rich Eisen Show on ESPN Radio. Rich Eisen here and we're brought to you by Sonos. This season, make your home feel alive with Sonos speakers. From cinematic sound that pulls you into every holiday movie to game day audio that puts you right in the middle of the action, Sonos makes it effortless to fill your home with incredible ambiance. Stream everything you love, music, movies, or your favorite sports podcasts, all in one place.
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Way too much of yours truly in this program.
So. Let's expand the conversation, bringing an old friend and a veteran basketball journalist, Eric Pinkis, National NBA writer for Bleacher Report. Eric, happy holidays. How are you? Great, enjoying a day off and yeah, that was some nice basketball on Christmas, always happy to chop it up.
And I appreciate your willingness, as we say in broadcasting and in basketball, especially with the wave of injuries from time to time. Your best ability is availability. Before we get into the games, and I want to hit on the key takeaways from what I thought was another outstanding Christmas for the NBA. I completely agree with what Charles Barkley said yesterday on ESPN ABC, on inside the NBA, that the NFL has just gotten greedy by adding Christmas Day. But, Eric, we know that the NFL can do effectively whatever they want, and nothing is going to change.
So, as somebody who spent decades covering this league, do you take umbrage with the NFL taking over Christmas? Yeah. It's all relative. I don't watch a ton of NFL. That's never been my sport.
I've always been hoops with maybe a minor in baseball, MLB.
So, I played football. I love playing with my friends, but it's just never grabbed me. And there's enough basketball fans that, you know, was it Amazon and all the new broadcast partners have invested heavily in the NBA.
So I don't think it's. An issue in that, you know, NBA is doing just fine. You know, pick your choice. If you want to watch football, go watch football. You're missing some great hoops, and that's where I'm going to be.
I'm going to be watching the hoops. And that is a rational assessment. I thought I would trigger you more, Eric. Come on, Sports Talk Radio. I want you pounding the console.
You know, it is what it is. Like, I just, I, I'm just going to watch hoops, and I just, you can't, I'll watch the Super Bowl, and every so often I'll have some friends who will watch a game, but it's not like I just can't get into NFL as much as I try.
So, whatever their demographic is, it's just on me, and I appreciate them.
So, that's a little bit hotter, but not that's a warmer take.
Okay, and the demographic is every man, woman, and child in the United States. We know this, but how about this? Two things can coexist.
So you can watch the NFL as rough as those games were and appreciate basketball the way. We do. Let's start with the Knicks, that marvelous comeback from 17 down yesterday. Did the win over Cleveland tell you more about the Knickerbockers or the Cavaliers? I mean, the Knicks just came off of winning the NBA Cup.
So, like, you know, I know who they are. They are arguably the best in the East. And we could, you know, Detroit fans will say, no, we're the best, we have a better record, et cetera. But the Knicks were the class of the East outside of Indiana. Indiana's off the radar this year.
So I'm looking at the Knicks as the best team.
So I didn't, I mean, yeah, they come back. They're tough. They play hard. I think Mike Brown's picked up really well from Tom Thibodeau. There's no falloff.
Team's great. But the Cavs are just disappointing me left and right all year. They're supposed to be, they're paying money. They have the highest payroll in the league. They're the only team above this second apron, which is that highest spending limit.
They have the least flexibility. They're going to have a draft pick frozen. They'll get it unfrozen, I expect, by dropping some salary after this year. But you can't be paying more money than anyone else and be just above 500. And I wanted them to come out.
Look, I don't root for anybody. I just want to see that this Cleveland Cavaliers team is clicking. And they are, but they're not. And that game was like everything that they are. They're just.
They can put up numbers, they can take a lead, but they're just not holding them. They're just not as good as they're supposed to be, and it's it's pretty disappointing. and even more challenging for Cleveland fans to process because They got Evan Mobley back, understanding he'll have some rust after he was sidelined a couple of weeks with the calf injury. I'm Brian Weber, aimed for rich. It is the Rich Eisen Show on the day after Christmas here on ESPM Radio, talking hoops with Eric Pinkus of Bleacher Report.
Eric, we know that sports are better with rivalries, and now I think it's official we have one between the Spurs and the Thunders. San Antonio taking care of the Reigning Champs for the third time in 12 days. What makes the Spurs such a tough matchup for OKC?
Well, I'll even question that because in a rivalry, both sides have to win. Oh, there is the liberal nuclear take. There's the Bolden Board material. Seriously, though, like the Spurs are a problem. Let's not pretend they're not.
They are. It's healthy. They're going to run the NBA the next handful of years, however many years. As long as Women Yama stays healthy, they have these incredible young guards. I don't like the idea of people like, oh, they could go there they could offer the best package for Giannis Entrance from Coopo.
I'm like, no, don't they don't need to go get Giannis. They don't need Giannis. And I know that's crazy because he's still incredible. He's like thirty one. This is a young team.
They just need to They just need to season. Like, they got to the NBA Cup, they didn't win the game because they're not seasoned. They had a lead, they lost it to the Knicks because they're not seasoned. They have to grow up, and that's just normal. Like, the Thunder a couple of years ago had most tied for most wins in the league and then didn't do as much in the playoffs as they had hoped because they weren't seasoned.
You have to lose to get that seasoning. And I think that's where we are right now. But the Spurs are a bad matchup for almost anybody, but especially with all their attacking guards and then Wemonyama. You know, there is no one in the league like him, and he seems to have a particular. hate, and I don't I don't think it's like an evil or a spiteful hate, an appreciable hate.
I don't know if that's a thing, but for Chet Holmgram that is part of that rivalry.
So and yeah, they're coming after the Champs and the Champs are still 26 and five, they've dominated the league. I know they've they've lost a couple in a row and they've been faltering a little bit, but you're going to have that during a season. But I'm excited to see it. I would love to see these two match up in the playoffs. Eric Pinkas is our guest on ESBM Radio National NBA Rider for Bleach Report.
You said something thought-provoking that San Antonio, should Wemby stay healthy, could run the league for the next five years. Are you suggesting they're built to win it all as soon as this year? I just don't think they have the seasoning. I just think that. Uh it it's as much as as like a anyone or a San Antonio fan wants to jump a step or two, it's it's just really rare when a team comes from out of nowhere uh and just wins the title because in those close games Where one possession one thought One tiny little hair.
is the difference the younger teams that don't have as much experience Don't tend to make those decisions. They tend to just just 'cause they don't know. It just it has to be instinct. It's not brain. It's not your mind thinking.
Right now they're still learning. And the Thunder were they were in that boat. And then last year we saw that youngest team to win a title, I think, they had learned that from their seasoning.
So Spurs are close. I wouldn't want to meet them in a playoff series, but yeah, I don't have them winning the title this year, but I do have them being a problem basically for the next, you know, however long this thing can go. The future could be now for the Spurs. We're both based here in Southern California. You have covered the Lakers closely for.
many years What did you make of the continued lousy defense that we saw last night as they got hammered by Houston? And J.J. Reddick is being. Ng, exceptionally candid, calling out his team's lack of effort post-game. And Eric, your reaction to him saying last night after they lost to Houston, quote: We don't care enough right now.
Well, I've said this before, and I'm convinced that at some point J.J. Reddick will murder a human being at a basketball game.
Now, I don't know if it's metaphorically a ref or an opponent or one of his players, but he is filled with an entertaining amount of rage. And uh he c certainly let it out. after the game and like Some of it as a coach, your job is to make what you have, which is imperfect, better because there's no perfect team or very rarely, there is no perfection.
So your job is to somehow push the buttons, but he's pushing buttons on a combination of players that, look, when the Lakers made the trade last year, I said, you know, this is great for the Lakers. They're getting Luca. They're getting a franchise piece, but they're not built to win that year because the chasm defensively of the three players, LeBron, Austin, and Luca, and all incredible players, but their strengths aren't on the defensive side. And there are some things that LeBron can do defensively. You see, he can still get those chase down blocks, but he's like an old diesel.
I remember driven one where you got to like slam the gas to just get it up to speed. But once it's up to speed, that thing could go from like 50 to 90 in just a tiny bit of pressure. But getting up to 30. Excuse me. You're getting emotional.
Too emotionally. Too much eggnog. Yeah. On the holiday. But getting up to speed, LeBron doesn't move around uh i in a half court set covering you know rotations like And Luca is in shape, right?
Like, that was the big deal that Luca got in shape. But, like, that doesn't necessarily matter over the course of the season because you have to be in shape because you're going to get hurt throughout the season. No one is playing fully healthy by the time you get to the end. And so that's going to diminish. And Austin's been in and out of injury with injury.
They just haven't been healthy most of the year. They've been playing, I would argue they're better with two of their three guys than they are with all three on the floor because that defensive chasm. And I don't know that Rui makes up defensively. Aiden is a good center, but a good center usually gets exposed on the perimeter.
So he can only help. He might help. He'll make sure Golbert doesn't destroy them in the playoffs, but he's not going to stop Dylan Harper and all those guys on the Spurs from driving down their throat.
So, you know, they're a flawed team, and JJ's job is to still, you know, he can't make the trades. That's up to Rob Plinka and, of course, the other teams that he would negotiate with to make a deal to improve the roster. And I don't know. that they can fix that this year, but they're a fun team to watch. I have them as like a B plus tier team in the West, which is fun and entertaining, but not necessarily championship caliber.
Yeah, and you said it well because the West is so loaded. What does B plus get you? Maybe a five, a six seed?
So. We'll find out where the Lakers are as we move into the new year. I'm Brian Weber in for Rich Eisen, Rich Eisen Show on ESBM Radio presented by Progressive Assurance. We are focusing on the NBA with Eric Pinkis, senior basketball writer for Bleach Report. Eric, I'll be transparent.
Maybe you lost your voice because you stayed up late. I went to bed before overtime. Because I mail it in when it comes to my responsibilities. Know how to get some sleep. I'm sorry I did, because it was a wildly entertaining game between Denver and Minnesota and Joker making history with 56 points in the triple-double.
First time we've ever seen 55-plus points, 15 rebounds, 15 assists. With Denver's additions in the offseason, understanding they're dealing with injuries like. Cam Johnson right now. Do you think they are built to take down OKC this year? I feel like it's more Denver subtractions over the off-season than additions.
It's just been rough.
Well, they had to make transactions. How about the roster? composition. I like Michael Porter Jr. on this team, and he's been great in Brooklyn, and I think he fit.
And Cam Johnson has kind of struggled to fill that same role, and now he's hurt. And I think he's hurt for a period of time. But like Aaron Gordon, Is so important to this team, and he's out.
So, and Christian Brown as well.
So, like, they're not anywhere close to full steam that they can do this. And beat a team that is a bad matchup. Like, they have struggled over the last five years. Most of the Jokic era has been a challenge against the Timberwolves with Rudy Gobert and whatnot. They've just been a tougher matchup than most teams.
And then Anthony Edwards was just incredible getting them to overtime. And just he he's such an incredible scorer. But man, Jokic, it just doesn't seem to matter. Like, you can put guys who are still learning, who are two-way players, or rookies, or guys who haven't hit yet in the league in terms of making it big or showing that they're regular rotation players. He'll carry them on the back on his back and and Like, there's like okay, well, a star player, you say, okay, let's let's make him the scorer and shut down everybody else, or let's you know, do the opposite, right?
Well, with in the case of Jokic, he's gonna get you that fifty six points. He's gonna score enough points to carry you and then get fifteen assists and of course sixteen rebounds.
So and then hit big threes. He's He's an incredible player. He's going to go down as one of the all-time greats. Unfortunately, the team hasn't been able to support him enough with a championship roster. There's been injuries and just it hasn't quite been enough.
But this is a guy who I would like to see on his resume so we can call him an all-time great to have like two, three, four, five championships or at least three. Get into that three, which is like where you start looking at the all-time greats. But man, he is absolutely incredible. Transcendent, undeniably. And remember, as we think about the path to the title last year by the Thunder, they got extended to a game seven by the Nuggets.
Eric, always a pleasure. I appreciate the comprehensive analysis and get some rest, my man. You got fired up in the middle of that conversation. You've got to pace yourself. We're only in December.
Well, you wanted a little bit of a warmer take, so I didn't know. No, I'm not sitting here like a WWE writer scripting this conversation, but I know you're passionate about the sport. And like a diesel, it just took you an answer or two to warm up.
Well, yeah, you dig into the hoops. I'm great. It's true, you know, for ball. It just doesn't stir the passion. All right, I'll own that.
I'll be like Larry King. My bad, my bad. Thank you, Eric, and I will chat with you in the new year. Eric Pickett. The one man in the country.
We should do a dock on him. I know the folks in Bristol are listening, and I will share this. This is not proprietary. The one man in the United States who doesn't watch the NFL.
Now, I get it. He's a national NBA writer for Bleacher Report. He has done television work for NBA TV. Still. The NFL is such a behemoth.
How can you miss football?
Now, yesterday, In fairness, and I'm not being a shill because I'm working on ESBM radio and coming up in an hour, I might get as emotional as Eric did. I will share with you My SUMMER in Bristol, Connecticut. As a production assistant working on baseball tonight. Back in the day, should I say the year? I think I did.
Summer after my junior year of college, The catalyst, the inspiration for me being a broadcaster.
So, if you can tolerate my approach, that's the reason. If you find this challenging, I get it. You can blame a great summer at ESPN. Yesterday, you had to find the NFL. He was semi-interesting and Eric Hit on the massive media deal the NBA got.
In part because of the participation of a streamer. But yesterday the NBA was much more accessible.
Now You're going to say, okay, boomer, I'm not that old. I still have cable television for two reasons. I've worked in cable television for 35 years. Secondly, I want a remote control that works. And with the game All of them, but say, let's say the nick game I was watching first, available both on my local ABC FLA Channel 7 here in Southern California and ESPN.
Very straightforward to find to get to the football game. I had to hit three buttons. I had to wait for the thing to load. And then it kept defaulting. And I'll say it in Netflix.
Never gonna work there. I don't have enough star power. Mentioning WWE. I'm a big Seth Rollins fan. What was he doing on that set?
There was no reason Nor motivation. Nor ADDITION FROM A GREAT TALKER Other than Netflix has so much money, as they showed with 19 broadcasters in and around both games, they can do whatever they want. Every time I kept coming back, I had to hit another button to get back to live action. Still. As we think about The NBA and the NFL moving forward when the ratings come out.
The NFL is going to crush the NBA head to head.
Now, one piece of context. And you shouldn't care about ratings unless you work for the leagues or You're mad man. You're Don Draper and you're working in advertising. NFL ratings along with all professional sports are up Not only because of our love of live sports, because they've changed the equation for how ratings are measured. A few years ago, the NFL complained that they were being undercounted.
They added out-of-home viewing, meaning a sports bar or restaurant where the NFL is always not. Same thing for the NBA. And now they've thrown in smart TVs.
So they have a bigger sample size to draw from, meaning. They think it's more accurate, but even though the comparison will be overwhelmingly positive for the NFL, don't be surprised if the NBA does a decent number when they're released.
Now if you care about that stuff. Listen to my podcast, Hours and Cents with B Webb. Wherever you get your podcast, I'm trying to pitch it to the good people at ESPN.
So far, They're going to call me back. It is the holidays. I fully understand. Thus concludes the MBA portion of the program. NFL is going to dominate the last hour of the show.
Coming up in 20 minutes, I'm going to make the move to Sunday's. Marquee games, starting with The reigning champs, the Eagles, heading to upstate New York to take on A Bills team that has come alive. What is that game going to come down to? I'll let you know. We'll get the view from Denver.
As the Broncos survived an advance last night, but No style points in the NFLs, not gymnastics. They picked up the win, drawing closer to locking up the top seed. After that victory on the road in Kansas City, we'll check in with Nick Ferguson, the former Broncos safety now working. In radio for KOA, the flamethrower across the Rocky Mountains. Coming up, I am filling in for a Michigan man, and there's news potentially brewing in Ann Arbor.
Are the Wolverines getting closer to hiring their head coach? All the details are up next. I'm Brian Weber, enjoying every moment as always. Whenever I'm lucky enough to sit in for Rich and the guys, we roll on on a Friday installment of The Rich Eisen Show on ESPN Radio. Rich Eisen here, the tax deadline will be here before you know it.
And you just want to know your taxes are actually being handled. But the old way, you hand everything off and then silence. Days pass, weeks pass. You start wondering, should I send another follow-up email? It feels like you're chasing updates and getting nowhere.
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So this tax season, get your best possible outcome and every dollar you deserve without the guesswork. Visit TurboTax.com today to learn more. Real-time updates only an iOS mobile app, only available with TurboTax full-service experts. 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 Train 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. Uh The Rich Heisen Show, the podcast. I am Weber back with you. Happy holidays from all of us at ESPN Radio to all of you always. A delight to pitch in, to learn for Rich and the guys.
I know I'm an acquired taste, so here is my holiday gift to you. Rich is back on Monday. Could he be talking about a new head coach at his alma mater? We'll tackle that momentarily in less than 15 minutes as we work our way into the final hour of the program back to the NFL. I've done my best to be comprehensive with the takeaways from some games that were not easy to watch, but it's football, so we watched.
Denver moving closer to the top seed in the AFC. An absolute debacle by the Detroit Lions, eliminating them from playoff consideration. We'll go through the games that matter. On Sunday. Led by The Bills hosting the Eagles.
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Coming up in an hour as we wrap up the program, all about forward promotion. Today is a day that many people enjoy more than. Christmas Day. For two reasons. They can get away from their families and Straight cash homie, they can go back to the stores with a receipt and return the gift that they detested, or at least exchange it.
So. I know that I am a meat and potato, especially if you see me on the SeimboCast. I am a hardcore sports talk guy. But there are some holiday traditions, so indulge me when we get there in the final of the program. I'll throw it out to you.
This is Radio 101. Hit me up on the X platform, BW Weber, Weber with 2Bs. What should we return? What should we take back in the world of sports? I'll give you my hard-hitting list coming up.
Rich as mentioned. Could be a source.
Now, if I was more of a journalist, I would text Mr. Eisen, but I'm not going to bother him during his holiday. His alma mater, Michigan, could be much closer to finding its next head coach to report. This morning. From ESPN's college football insiders Pete Themel, Dan Wetzel, They're reporting.
that the new focus quote unquote of the job That is open in Ann Arbor, the Michigan Coaching. Search to replace Sharon Moore. Centering on Utah head coach Kyle Wittingham. If you've been tracking. All of the moving parts Since That Very disturbing incident that led to Moore's dismissal.
Whittingham's name has been on the radar screen. But it was not framed. as a primary option.
Now, some of that comes down to. a lack of national brand equity. The good news is, I'm based in Southern California. I also used to work for the Pac-12 Network. Remember the Pac-12?
It's coming back, but that's not the Pac-12 for a dozen years.
So I can sing the praises of Kyle Whittingham. If you're listening to this program, I assume a degree of sports literacy. You know how good that program has been in Salt Lake City, dating back to Urban Meyer. Then Whittingham took over and maintained things. He's 66 years old.
Well, we're in a very different world now. We're 66 is not that old. Especially if you've ever heard Kyle interviewed. He has a lot of energy and clearly he wants to keep coaching. The wrinkle is.
Especially if you're listening in Salt Lake, you know this. Utah had named a succession plan with a coach in waiting. Not before this current season, before last year.
So, this has been hanging over the program for now the better part of a year and a half. Once Kyle made the announcement that he was stepping down, and the key way of phrasing that, I think, was done with intent. He didn't say I'm retiring, he said I'm stepping down. Morgan Scali is going to get the chance to take over the program after. The Utes wrap up their season.
They're playing in a Las Vegas Bowl. That's coming up on New Year's Eve on Wednesday.
So. There are numerous reports saying this hiring could be imminent. My reaction is given The situation Michigan found themselves in, this would be a quality higher. Because if we're looking for stability. after everything that has occurred, Recently, And the Advanced scouting scandal.
How about that? It'll be nice. But it was sign stealing still. Rich went to Michigan, so I'll tread lightly. With all of the chaos surrounding this program, Whittingham.
Brings you experience. Brings you values, brings you integrity, and Michigan tells us all of those things. are central to their program. It's not the sexiest hire. What?
Timing matters because if you don't follow college football that closely, transfer portal is about to open up. On January 2nd, next Friday.
So you need a coach now. Interesting pivot because a few days ago, Conventional Wisdom said that Michigan was intent to take their time. And maybe? Biff Pogey, the charismatic interim head coach, might be hired as a caretaker for another year, but. As this story broke this morning, well sourced, it feels like momentum is building.
I had a list. And I still do in my hand because we're not on the simulcast, in which I had Whittingham. At the bottom, here was the list I have. Eli Drinkwitz. The Missouri coach, who has done a great job of transforming that program.
And he's got a big personality. He'd be a rock star. In the Big Ten, overshadowed to a degree in the SEC, Jed Fish. Is the lane kiffin of assistant coaches?
Now he's done a terrific job at Arizona, and he's also kept it going in Washington. But Jet is coached everywhere as an assistant in the NFL and college, has a Michigan connection. Jeff Brom was out there. With The Big Ten tie-in coaching Purdue. Took them to a Big Ten championship game before going back to his alma mater of Louisville.
Here in LA, speculation that Jesse Minter might be targeted. He's the defensive coordinator of the Chargers and a quote-unquote Michigan man because he worked for Harbaugh in Ann Arbor.
So. Continue to keep it where it is here on ESPN radio to find out if Whittingham is the man. If that becomes official in the next 24 hours, do they want to wait? Out of the standpoint of optics, to let him wrap up. He's going to coach Utah either way.
That's his Farewell, but a very interesting development and a bit unforeseen while nothing has been finalized. Getting set for the final hour of the program coming up. It's a glamour matchup between the Rainy Champs, the Eagles, and the Bills. How does Buffalo hope to contain Saquon Barkley? We'll tackle that in the last hour of the Rich Eisen Show here on ESPN Radio.
The Ridge Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
