From Thirty for Thirty Podcasts. Brian Patter, senior defensive lineman from Miami. Gun down. The key to this case, it's Brian. An hour before he died, he was on the phone arguing with Tabaki.
This might be a hit. You want the truth. They just want a conviction. Being placed under arrest. We had to kill our monsters.
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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show.
Well, Frazier flat out said it. They're tanking. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Show me the incentive and I'll show you the results. The incentive for the teams is to get the highest pick possible.
Earlier on the show. ESPN NFL draft analyst Field Yates. Royals first baseman Vinny Pasquentino. Coming up. Basketball Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway Sr.
And now, it's Rich Eisen. Hour number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air here on ESPN, the ESPN app, and Disney Plus, the last two. Platforms we're on every day, 12 to 3 Eastern Time. We're going to be on ESPN 2 in hour number 3 of this Friday program. Tim Hardaway Sr.
is making his way to our set here on All-Star Weekend. We'll talk with him about what LeBron James is doing at his advanced age, 23 years into the league. My goodness gracious, a triple-double last night for the Los Angeles Lakers. And we'll go down. All-Star Memory Lane with the T of Run TMC from back in the day of the Golden State Warriors.
Vinny Pasquantino is going to be zooming in from batting practice. I don't have no idea how that's going to go. But he's currently in the cages for Team Italy for the World Baseball Classic, which is going to be awesome. I remember that a few years ago. Oh, yeah.
Although Trout, I don't believe, is playing due to insurance issues for Team USA. If you remember the way that ended with Otani on the mound and Trout at the plate, they were Angels' teammates at the time before Otani took. The Dodgers retirement package. And that was awesome. And the crowds were into it.
The players were into it. I can't wait for it. Baseball right around the corner as well. 844-204-Rich being the number to dial. You know, if you want to call us and chime in on the conversation we had at the end of hour number one, is which Olympic sport would you definitely not do?
And which Olympic sport would you definitely attempt to do? Chime in. We're happy to have a chat with you about all manners of sports or straying outside those lines, if you will, as well. Let's go to Dominic in the beautiful state of Montana. What's going on, Dominic?
Line four. You there, Dominic? on. Yeah, hi there. How are you, bud?
Good. How are you doing, Rich? I am doing well. How's Montana looking? How's Big Sky Country today?
Oh, beautiful. Sun shining, and Bob Katz won the national title, so we're good.
Okay, congrats on that. What's on your mind today? Yeah, just the Russell Wilson trade, Rich. And did the Broncos hand the Seahawks this last Super Bowl? And where does that trade rank for you in all-time most lopsided NFL trades in retrospect?
The Broncos hand the. Interesting. What an interesting take that is, Dominic, that the Broncos. That the Seahawks win this trade. Because The Broncos are still.
Could you imagine if they had played each other in the Super Bowl? Oh, correct. I didn't even think of this. that if they had played each other in the Super Bowl, having made this trade, And it not working out for Denver in terms of the assets that they gave to Seattle. That obviously you put those assets in the hands of John Schneider, he's going to make it cash, and he did.
Although I don't have the names off the top of my head. Who he turned the draft choices into. I'm looking that up right now. And that the Broncos then still. We were able to make the Super Bowl after dead capping Russ.
That would have been wild. Uh because both are in fine shape, man. Both are in fine shape right now. Yes, maybe it's not a lop-sided trade then. I don't know.
I mean, obviously, you know, it didn't work out for Ross in Denver or Denver with Ross. But interesting food for thought. Thank you for that, Dominic. Greatly appreciated.
So it ended up being eight players that the Seahawks acquired. Obviously, Drew Locke went over and Noah Fant were already established. Shelby Harris, defensive lineman. Charles Cross was the first round pick he used to tackle. Uh Boya Mafe, outside linebacker.
Uh-huh. Tyreek Smith was a fifth-round picket linebacker. And then just stop me if you've heard of these two people: Devin Witherspoon. And Derek Hall. Did they have an impact in the Superbowl?
Man.
So yeah, it worked out. It did. Did Denver hand The Super Bowl to Seattle didn't think about that, and the fact that Denver almost was the team to stand in their way. Man, if Bo Nicks didn't break his ankle, I know. With all due respect to you, pal.
Well, they might have still lost. They might have still lost. They 100% might have still lost, but they had a better chance to win. You know, Bo's superpower is not to take sacks and not to make silly mistakes and not to turn the ball over. And that Jared Stiddam push-pass moment was such an inflection point.
The biggest inflection point, as we all know, was. With Sean Payton deciding to go for it on fourth down, but the Patriots defense stepped up, man. They stepped up. They balled out. They were the better team that day.
But the fact that it could have been almost the Broncos standing their way. I didn't even think about that. That's why more people from Montana have to call in. Thomas in Athens, Georgia, wants to chime in on the subject. Dude, you're all of a sudden.
What's up, Thomas? Hey, Rich, how's it going? What's going on? No one watch, I wanted to chime in on the conversation from the end of the previous hour on the Olympic sports. Yes, sir.
And I think it may be a little toxic for me to believe this much in myself, but watching this curling stuff on TV, I really think you give me a broom and you teach me how to do it, I think with enough practice. I mean, I couldn't win a gold medal, I don't think, but I think I'd stand a fair shot over there in Italy. Are you a clean? Are you a cleanliness guy? Are you a clean freak?
You're good with a broom? Like, Thomas, you've got to give me your resume here with a broom and a stone. I'll give you the resume.
So, currently, you know, I'm in Athens. I'm at the University of Georgia in the dorm. And so, this dorm has got to stay clean.
Okay, cool.
So, I've had a lot of practice up here in the fall and now in the spring, getting up here and practicing with the broom. And I just really think, you know, having it on my TV and watching it, you know, I've been watching a lot of tape, seeing the film. I'm understanding it real well, reading it. And I think that I'd get out there and I'd put on a good show at least. I mean, if nothing else, it would be entertaining.
You're reading it. That's right, Thomas. You're reading it, you're reacting, you're reading, you're brooming, you're sleeping. I mean, Olympic Boda Fides, he's in Athens right now. That's true.
Okay. Ah, look at you. He's literally in Athens. They're literally in Athens, Georgia. Go dogs.
You're good. Go for it.
Okay. Well done, Thomas. Thank you for chiming in. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 11 being insufferable. How is this conversation being taken by people who know about curls?
Oh, they're people or actually Olympians. Livid, right? Like thoroughly livid. Like you don't know what you're talking about. No idea.
You know what I mean? First of all, I'd be in traction if I had to get down all the time like them. I mean, the hip flexor flexibility on these folks who are the ones who. Pigeon stretch, I think they call it. Huh?
Pigeon. They get down in that pigeon pose. Yeah. Sliding along. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I can't do that. No. And then they have to release it and then... You broom it.
And it helps turn the stone, helps stop the stone. No. You got to figure out where you're hitting it. You're caroming off. I'd be the dead.
Different ways. I would say if you are a curler, then you enjoy this because you only get talked about every four years. That's the fact that we make it seem like, oh, just give me a broom, give me a second. That's fine. Because then you see people go out there and try it and they fail.
They can't do it. They can't. But other than that, like in 2028, we ain't talking about curling.
So I think this is curling season. They're probably happy that people and people think that they can do. What they can do when they can't do that. Del Tufo's going to be talking about it. Mo Larry and Curling is what he'll be talking about.
Very good. Hey, Mo, hey, Mo. It's a Friday, everybody. It's time for What's More Likely presented by Pella Windows and Doors. What?
What's more likely? Never say never, but never. Ah, yes, Chris Brockman, what's more likely presented by Pella Windows and Doors, the floor? It's yours. Everybody, good.
Happy Friday. Good to see you guys. All right. We are running the gamut right now. Talk about an Olympic field of what's more likely topics.
Field Yates. Field Yates. Guys, the more likely champ to be back in the big game next year, give me Seattle, give me Indiana. Who's going to be back next year? Oh, I'll go Seahawks more than the Indiana Hoosiers.
Oh, Signeti slander. It's not a Signetti slander. Seems like it'll be. Going back to back. Uh in college football.
Let's see who the quarterback is. Then Indiana. Right? Right? Didn't they?
It's another transfer that they got? Another portal guy?
Well, because Mendoza's brother was there. Right, and then he transferred out. I don't know. You know, I love Signeti. You know I love Signetti, but There's another Big Ten team that's gotten a little better.
You'll have a state, obviously. Yeah, for sure. Guys, more likely to win their second Super Bowl first. How dare you? Oh, Sam Darnold or Jalen Hurts?
Oh sick. Oh no. Remember how we started to show off about Friday 13th? What would be my nightmare? The Eagles went in another Super Bowl.
Well, Sean Mannion could be the Kellen Moore of the situation now. Right? Sean Mannion could be the Shane Steichen in the situation. You remember when Brett Serber Hagen used to win the. Cy Young every other year, and then the in-between wasn't so good.
Make the Super Bowl. Change stike and leaves. In comes a whole hoo-ha, no good. Hoo-ha. In comes Callan Moore, make the Super Bowl, win it.
He leaves. In comes our whole hoolah.
Now, it's the going to the Super Bowl year. Let's hope not. Let's all go Jalen Hurts. It's the going to the Super Bowl year. Yeah.
It's my nightmare. That'll go Jalen Hurts. Sam Darnold can win a second Super Bowl before Jalen Hurts easily, also. You asked me what's more likely, I gave you the what's more likely right there. Guys, who's more likely to make the playoffs next year?
Max Crosby or the Raiders? Nice, this guy over here. He's trying to speak. He's trying to speak Max Crosby the Patriot into existence right now. He's trying to speak it into existence right now.
But I don't think that's happening. I think a lot of teams are trying to do that.
So you got to turn your microphone on. I don't know if you're hearing yourself over here. Obviously.
Okay, very good. Um Phew. Max Crosby's making the playoffs. Add a boy rich eyes. I don't know if the Raiders are going to make it.
Well, but he plays for the Raiders, Rich. I understand that. But he's saying.
Well, I'm just saying.
So you're saying the Raiders. As of today, he plays for the Raiders. ESPN is currently airing this program, right? I don't know if you're aware, but I've been around ESPN for many a moon. All right, long time.
I had, you know, a hiatus. But I'm back. When you're on ESPN, the topic bar is inviolate. And I'm following the topic bar. All the topic clocks.
Max Crosby or the Raiders. I'll see Max Crosby is making the playoffs next year. And if he's on the Raiders. Then shame on him. I'm just following.
Why shame on him? Because he's making me make a false choice that doesn't exist right now. And I'll just say Max Crosby's making a playoffs next year. Chris. Guys, we talked to Phil Dates.
We are ready. We are fully in it, TJ. Mock draft season. Going to be NFL draft season in a couple months. What's more likely there to be more of in the top 10 of the draft in a couple months?
Quarterbacks taken or trades? Oh, I'll do trades, dude. The top 10? Yeah. This one quarterback going to beat selected top ten.
One. One, one, one.
So I'll go two trades. Yeah. Why, you think that's a that's a A tall order here? I think, well, when do you think Ty Simpson is going to sneak into the top 10? Probably.
Just out of need, get pushed up. Happens every year. I know that, but you look at the kids that are available in the top ten. I mean, if you just want to pop Field Yates' top ten up one more time, since that's our mock draft that we've got in house right now, Um I I I I You could put Mel Kuypers up too, and it might be one and the same. Um But you look at the people That are available from Ohio State, two guys love at the running back spot.
The people who always get pushed up always are going to be the tackles who are worth. A First round, top of the line, first round, top of the line tackles are going. They're going. Top of the line edge rushers and top of the line tackles are going. The fact that there's a safety in there.
means Caleb Downs is outstanding. And the same thing with a running back.
So, I don't know, man. Passing up on any of these guys. For a quarterback that might not be Top 10 worthy. I'm going to go that you're trading up. I think you're going to get a trade towards the top.
And I think you're definitely going to get a trade for somebody to try and jump the line for Jeremiah Love. Yeah. Right now. That's my mid-February You know, dart throw. What else?
All right, halfway home. NBA, All-Star this weekend. Guys, what's the All-Star game that most likely needs the most revamping? NBA, MLB or NFL. Oh wow.
MLB stays Like before? Like before. You know, and I think this year they They finally did the right thing, which let the players wear their own uniforms, right? Yeah. I like that a lot.
That was a nice switch. Took you back. Baseball, I don't think you had to touch that one. Um The NFL You know, this year just um I I There wasn't a lot of people up there in San Francisco really psyched about it. I'm not talking about fans, I'm talking around industry people.
So, in the NBA, it's really coin to us from the NBA and the NFL. How would you answer this?
Okay. NBA, at least, is still kind of, it could be kind of exciting. It just needs to be. I got it. Dude, this is more of a topic of discussion.
This isn't like a what's more likely. I'm just throwing it out there. All right. All right. Keep moving.
It's a celebrity game tonight, guys. You know, there's a celebrity three-point shootout. Oh, cool. Bigger Caleb Williams total, guys. Threes made tonight in the celeb shootout for postseason touchdown passes.
He had four. Oh. I'm going Kayla Williams from Deep. You're having a problem with Taylor Williams connecting from Deep. I've never seen him play basketball.
Guess what he's probably really good at? I don't know what he is doing. I don't know that. Let me say something to everybody out there. I've never really met Caleb Williams except for a handshake and a brief conversation in Cafe.
Patachu in Indianapolis, downtown Indianapolis, when you guys go. to the combine next week if you want to wake up early. You gotta go there. Cafe Patou? Oh, it's Cafe Patachu.
Is that the breakfast swap? Oh, baby. Steak and chick. It's fine. And that's where everybody, you'll see everybody there.
Can we drop your name at the door to get in? You can.
Okay. Um and I saw him there. He doesn't strike me as the type of guy that's just gonna try something without already being really good at it. He strikes me as a guy that the minute he was done with the season and got this invitation, he got in the gym. I will go three-pointers mid.
What else you got? All right, it's Friday the 13th. More likely horror movie you'd least want to be in in real life. Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, scream. Hmm.
Yeah. Yeah. Hmm. What would you rather I don't know, man. But thing about Rich, about like Jason.
You have to go to sleep at some point, right?
So, Freddy Krueger. Is there. I'd least want to be on Friday the 13th. That's the one that just got me as a kid. and made me swear off of horror movies the rest of my life.
Calls are coming from within the house, brother. No thanks.
Well, that's scream when you talk about calls. I got you, too. I know. I'll just go Friday the 13th because I'm an old school guy.
Okay. Scream 7. We were talking about it with Joel McKay. Scream 7. Last one.
Oh, okay. The more likely hoax that more people believe in. The moon landing. Or that Del Tufo was actually in Bad Bunny's halftime show.
So you put that on your socials, and people really think that it's real? Rich? Yes. And the thing that we noticed is you did not disabuse them of that notion. Why wouldn't he?
Why wouldn't? Why exactly? Why wouldn't you say it's just fun? I mean, I'm not going to fake the ghost. We noticed that on your socials.
You weren't pushing back. No. Look at all that. Nice, dude. Wow, so cool.
That's why you didn't pick up my phone call. I need details. This is great. We need answers at Picola, one of your Fox friends. Smitch?
That is. At least somebody wrote LOL. They know that it's a gag. There's a couple of people. My brother.
Keeps like pointing out that I guess there's a female behind me that has nails. He goes, Nice nails. I go, My hands in my jocket pop. Let's not talk about even the hand. That's real on the left.
On the right, by God, no. What's the answer? Uh Hoax more people believe in, I think, is the moon landing. All right, let's take well done.
Well done. What's more likely is brought to you by Pella Windows and Doors. When it comes to your home, Pella Windows and Doors always have the winning game plan. That's why your neighbors trust them. Visit pella.com/slash Eisen.
One of our favorites, Vinny Pasquintino, is zooming into this show next. He's out there in Arizona getting ready for the Kansas City Royals and Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Uh The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. O'Reilly Auto Parts can help take the guesswork out of your check engine ABS or maintenance light with O'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASC certified master technicians.
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Back with a Rich Eisen show on ESPN Radio now. Vinny Pasquentino, Kansas City Royals first baseman, joining us here on the program. How are you doing? You must be psyched to get a uniform back on again, right? Today's my first day in pants.
If I could go full body, I'd show you. I'm back in baseball pants. I'm very excited. Hitting in shorts and doing stuff in shorts is very strange.
So it's nice to be back in pants and full go. Wait a minute. I saw you at the London game. You were wearing pants in London. Yeah, I was wearing pants in London.
What a time that was. What a dinner we had that night.
Well, hey, we had a nice dinner. And I told you and your lovely wife last time I'm picking this check up because you hit arbitration, man. I'm not picking up another check with the Pasquentino's. That's fine. Hey, I'm more than willing to front those bills now.
So now that we've made it to that point of my career, no problem. We'll make it happen. I love it. I love it. All right.
I'm going to ask you a couple of questions that I know Coop would want me to ask you. The ABS, are we ready? Are we ready for ABS? What do we do? I don't know.
I've never done it. Never. Never. Last spring we did it, but we weren't. Really, trying to use it because we knew it wasn't going to happen last year.
So this year, spring training is going to be a little. A little strange because we've got to like when today, when I get off this call, we're going to do live at bats. Yeah, we'll get track man strike zone, but that's a different one than the ABS strike zone, so we don't really know what the zone is.
So we're relying on the uh on the younger guys, the guys who are in triple AA to tell us what the strike zone is as we learn through this process. Yeah, man, because you've got to also you can't just tap your helmet because you want to, right? There's a certain limited number of those, and I imagine your manager, and there's going to have to be a plan as to what, like, you're going to have to look over there and figure it out, right? Like, yeah, it is another way.
So, I guess we haven't had any meetings about it just yet since camp hasn't officially opened, but I believe it's you get two per game, but if you're right, you get to keep it so. If you use one in the first, I don't know if you guys can hear that. That's all the fans yelling for Bobby to sign autographs for them. But watch, I can honestly be able to walk because nobody's going to ask me for an autograph. Oh, come on now, Vinny.
Come on, come on now. Perfect. But yeah, I think you get two. But if you do one in the first inning and you're wrong, it's kind of a waste. And let me tell you, pitchers should not be allowed to do it because they don't know the strike zone at all.
So if a pitcher does it, there might be a fight in the clubhouse because those guys don't know the zone at all. That is real talk right there. That is real talk right there. Okay, so Bobby, how many people are asking Bobby for autographs right now? What do we got?
Every person that's here.
So, however many people that are here right now, that's how many.
So, I think they just got him a cart and he was able to scoot down to the bottom field. All right. I like it. Another question that Cooper would want me to ask is: you know, about the World Baseball Classic and how into it are the players? Because it looks like to me.
From the last time, this means a lot for real. It does. Yeah, it's well, it's fun because it's like a little league tournament in terms of you know what you have to do to advance. You got to be in the top two, but then there are different tiebreakers, you know, run differential, run scored, runs allowed, different things. That's what we had to deal with in 2023 for Italy.
We won our finished second in our bracket, even though everybody had the same record.
So, our last game. We knew a week. Had to score at least like six runs, but also win by at least three. It was a, it's. It's like nothing else.
I mean, it's about as close to playoff baseball as you can get. And sometimes it's a little bit more intense because if you play the Dominican down in Miami or something, that place is going to go nuts.
So it's a special environment. I'm honored to be a part of it. Who's on Team Italy with you? Team Italy, Jack Caglione, who's about to take some VP right now. He's about to lose some baseballs.
Okay. So. Uh, Michael Lorenzen, who was with the Royals last year, he's going to pitch for us. Aaron Nola with the Phillies. Um, I'm trying to think of Kyle Thiel, who's the catcher for the White Sox.
I'm missing people I know. There's a lot of young guys, it'll be super cool.
So, um, it's gonna be a really special tournament, and we're really excited for it. Dude, oh man, I'm excited for it too. All right, so let's get into this here, Viddy. Um, who are you rooting for in the Super Bowl? Who are you rooting for?
I was rooting for Sam Darnold. Yeah, you were. I was running for Sam Dart. Are you kidding me? Dude.
Sam Donald won a Super Bowl. Beating the Patriots. First career win against the Patriots. He waited for the biggest moment. Everything leading up in his career was leading to that.
Really, if you think about it, the Jets picked the right quarterback. Yeah, they did. They got him in the league. Yeah. You know, and he cultivated that caper, you know, through three other teams.
uh just to get there but you know leonard williams another former jet Another guy you rooted for? How many former Jets could there be in this game? It was insane. It feels like everything feels like an attack at the Jets all over the place. Oh, this guy played for them.
This guy, they ruined this guy. They ruined this guy. They ruined this guy. Oh, sweet, guys. Sweet, you know, if I there's a tweet on my Twitter.
Yeah. Last year, when they interviewed Vrabel, I just said, please, like, don't let him out of the building. Right. Um, Yeah, and I knew he was playing him. I knew he was.
I knew he was the whole time, but, and I get it. But Yeah, well, yeah, yeah, I was rooting for talk.
Well, part of the reason why you're on here today, uh, I'll take you any time, obviously, was in our text exchange that we still have going from our guillotine league. Um Uh our buddy Jeff Berman, who I don't think you've met him yet. He's one of my dear friends. I don't know why he decided to choose this particular violence and put it on our chain. But what is this, Chris?
Someplace in Korea? Yeah, there's a gym in Korea who posts picture. They have murals and photographs all across the gym of the Jets, of Jets' players, and with the quotes: This will be your team if you don't finish that set. Oh, inspiration. What?
It's just crazy that Korea is throwing shots at the Jets. I mean, what is happening? We're worldwide, really. If you think about it in a good way, we're so famous that we're in Korea. Not to nitpick here, but the Jets aren't choosing first overall.
They weren't the technically worst team in the Korean. They tried to be. They were bad at that too. Yeah, but it could be. Maybe this is Korea's way of saying that they want an NFL game.
So amazing, you know. Hey, we're going to get the Jets coming.
So, this exactly.
So, this Jim Spot, right? You pops that on there, and then what happened next? Yeah, so then what happened next?
So, then after that, there was kind of like, oh, this is awesome. You asked Vinny how he felt. Yeah, I asked you how do you feel about this? Yeah, and then Smitch threw out. This is the only motivating Jets photo ever taken, and it's Joe Namath Poolside before Super Bowl III.
Right, we got that one. Yeah, there it is, by the way. Look at Brent Musberger there on the left. Wearing his pants, sitting there in his shirt sleeves. And then what happened next?
And then Jake, our social media Maven, he was like, no, this one's pretty good. And it's the butt fumble. Which is just insane. I mean, just insane. Vinny, it's just getting started.
I thought we weren't allowed to talk about Mark Sanchez anymore. I thought that was this is going to live forever. And then Cooper chimed in with a Photoshop of Kyler Murray in a chess uniform. Pretty motivational photo, he said. It's Kyler Murray.
What is captain? Yeah. Captain. Dude. As the way to go, no, me either, but I have an idea.
Yeah, and then I said, Well, then, Rich, you were like, You guys think you're all so funny. Yeah, you're very so funny. And I'm like, Coop, now do Derek Carr. Yeah, and I think I responded, like, My son is not some AI monkey machine for you. Yep, and sure enough, Coop delivered.
There's Derek Carr as a Jet. I think that was weird. Where did he come up with this one? I think when he was flirting with the Jets a few years ago, okay, I got it. All right.
Vinny, you asked for Joe Burrow. Yeah, to Cooper, right? Yeah, yeah. Who roping my son in? Yep.
Then he couldn't find it. But then, well, then I was like, wait, Coop, do Aaron Rodgers. which I thought was pretty funny. And then uh and then Jake did find one of Joe Burrow. In the jaft.
There we go. There we go. So we got your idea. Five first-round picks. And how many years can you trade draft picks?
It doesn't matter. Give him Cincinnati all of your first-round picks the rest of his career and just do it. Do you think Joe Burrow would want to go from the Bengals to the Jets, Finny? Seems like a fashion guy. Seems like he would enjoy that scene.
Why not? Isn't that pain for more pain? He was Hank. He was at the same time. It's a double negative equals a positive, Brockman.
That's true.
That's true.
I saw that movie. I saw that movie. Vin uh Joe was at the Super Bowl um hanging with Costner. He's exactly. He's rubbing elbows, man.
You know, the Rams have their quarterback for next year, so we're, you know, can't go there. Might as well go to the Jets. Dude. Why are you a Jet fan again? That's right.
Okay. But he spells it a different way. Yeah, it doesn't matter. Still the first person I ever saw was my name.
So I said, Yep, that's the one. TJ Jefferson, man. You're d any time that the Cowboys aren't getting trolled on, you're just sitting back like. Chillin'. Yeah, yeah.
I don't want to turn any of it towards us. This was excited for CM Punk in Roman Reigns at WrestleMania or what? I truly am. Hey, Vinny, you know, we had Punk on the podcast last week. Yeah, he consumes no contest wrestling.
Yeah. I don't assume. He does. He told me. Always assume with me.
Always assume. I also got a text from someone that said, you know, you know, Vinny's a huge wrestling fan, which I kind of knew. And he mentioned that you've been to the last three Royal Rumbles. And I was like, not this year, though. Couldn't go this year.
Yeah, it's kind of, it was kind of a trip, Vinny. Yeah. Couldn't make it. But let me just ask you: who do you got in that matchup then? Roman Reigns.
Does that guy ever lose? That's a good point. He really does. Yeah. When he shows up to work, he wins.
So do you, buddy.
So do you. Good point. And so, last question for you, Vinny: when you put your pants on, is it one leg at a time? Yeah, one leg at a time. I go one leg.
I go left leg first, then right leg.
Okay, well, I mean, you're lefty. If you're in a slump vinyl, do you ever switch it up, go right leg first, and then left? If I'm in a slump, I will do whatever I need to do to get out of the slump. It doesn't matter. There are different ways to put on pants.
I'll do anything to get out of the slump.
Okay. Can you share with us the craziest thing you have done that worked? to get out of a slump.
Well, it's not that crazy, but last year I went with contacts, decided that maybe I couldn't see, so I changed my eyesight. Yeah. So, from like May 18th on is when I had contacts. Still getting used to putting them in. I think I'm just terrible at it.
Okay. It's hard, man. Ooh, the weirdest, the dumbest one is changing my back color. I went from the light color to black, and I'll never, I'm only using black the rest of my career. I will never change.
Well, you never go back after that. Oh, you never go back. You know. I've read that so much. You could say that.
One could say that. I'm saying back color. Understood. Yeah. Back color.
Very good. All right. So just walk me through the rest of your day. You're taking your bat. Are you done for the day?
Are we wrapped? I'm about to go hit live at bats.
Okay. I'm going to walk down there right now, see what we got. We had our first day yesterday.
Okay. So we're going to go for day two today and see what happens. All right, Vinny Pasquintino. Yeah, go get it. Go get him.
All right. Thanks, guys. Appreciate it. Ladies and gentlemen, the pass squatch right here on the Rich Eisen Shovel. There he goes.
Off he goes. I love that guy, man. Vinny had 32 bombs and 113 RBIs last year. Not a lot of slumps. You wanted him.
These good people. I wanted him in fantasy. You wanted him in that. No, not fantasy. In real life.
Real life. Oh, I wanted him in real life, too, also. Yeah. Yes. You want him in Boston?
Yeah. Well, look, he only signed a two-year with arbitration, so fingers crossed. I mean. Let me ask you this question. Would you ever want to leave Bobby Witt Junior?
of your own volition. Not unless there was someone of equal would you ever No. Would you ever, like, what a guy to have, like, how many RBIs did you have last year? Uh, who? Vivini?
Yeah. 113. Is there a way to find out how many of those 113 played Bobby Wood Jr.? Uh, probably, yeah. You know what I mean?
Would you say it was half? Oof. Bobby Witt Jr. scores a lot. He does.
A third. A third to a half. Let's see what the AI machine can pump out here. You know what I mean? You know what?
Would you ever leave him on your own? Like, would you ever showhey waiting for him? If you are teammates with Aaron Judge, would you ever leave him of your own vote? Oh, wait a minute.
Somebody did. Oh, wow. You know what? The thing about that group. Do you like that one?
Do you like that one? There's one guy I know who had a great spot. That was good. Great stuff. That was good.
The thing about that game is great is Coop's 14. And he gets to interact with A major league player. That would be like for me back in the day getting on the group chat with like Howard Johnson or or, you know, D Daryl Strawberry or Mookie Wilson or one of the Mets. Like, I'm sitting there, Coop gets to actually converse with a guy who gives it back to him. The apples to apples would be if Vinny was a Yankee.
You're talking about Mets.
Well, I'm just saying.
No, Coop's just in general a baseball fan. But he's a Vinny. But for Vinny gives him just crap. And didn't he give some back to him, too? No, Coop points on like listening.
They go back and forth, really. Top roping. Coop comes up with some stuff, too, that's like, oh. Their text relationship is very fun. And I think there's no doubt they're the two children of the text chain.
With those two Vinny and Coop are the two children. For sure. And Jake is just a little bit north of that, our social media maven. Jake's just a little under Vinny and That's so cool, though, right? Yeah, I'm just a ball almost hit me.
Bobby Wood's going to protect me.
Okay. Because he protects Bobby in the lineup. Do we have a number on that or we couldn't figure it out? Couldn't figure it out. I bet you it's like, why the hell would he leave?
Why the hell would he leave? I mean, Boston's nice. I know. Ron Anthony's good. It's the hub of New England, as we discussed yesterday.
Well, it's the center.
Well, it's the only place that people associate with New York. Queens, New York is also. I don't particularly think that's true. All right. Let's take a break.
Phone calls, everybody. We empty the phone banks as we finish up our ESPN residency for this day. ESPN 2 and Tim Hardaway Sr. on the other side. Uh The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
On the Rich Eisen Show, the Hyundai Hope on Wheels campaign I talk about is still going on. 27 years it's been going on. 27 years. Every Hyundai sold has helped fund life-saving pediatric cancer research during that time. Thanks to the Awesomeness and largesse of over 850 dealers nationwide.
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Peter in Cleveland's been hanging on for almost two hours. First in, first up. What's up? Peter, how are you? I'm great, Rich.
First off, I'd like to thank you for not spoiling Wordle and listening to the knuckleheads and getting pressured into ruining it. Can you imagine I did something like that? I don't understand what my old colleague from the NFL Network was thinking about. I'm going to do it right now. It has to do with.
You're a mensch, Rich. You are a mensch, which is one letter too long for Wordle. Yes, it is. All right. Reason I'm calling is everyone knows that the NFL is eventually going to go to 18 games, and people are like, how are they going to do it?
Blah, blah, blah. I think I came up with a fantastic, although controversial, way of reimagining the schedule to Uh get rid of some of the weird arguments that happen at the end of the season, like a division champ being in the top four versus the fifth or sixth seed that has hi more wins, etc. You got to give me some latitude though.
So. the first thing you do is in the conferences, you get rid of the divisions.
Okay. Just hold on, listen to me. Yeah, I'm Peter.
So you can't see me, but right now I have a face of skepticism. I understand. I told this to my mother-in-law. She loves the NFL, massive Steelers fan, but she found it very intriguing.
So You get rid of the divisions, and then based off of how everyone finished last year. You the teams are grouped. The top four teams are one group, then the next five through eighth, then nine through twelve, thirteen through sixteen. And then basically everyone in the conference plays each other once. That's fifteen games.
And then you play the other three teams in your group Three a second time. That's 18. That way, you can have more parity. That means the bottom teams. that finished last year will play each other twice.
They have a better chance of playing like bad teams and moving up. And the top teams. would play each other twice And get really exciting games and lead to a little bit more parody.
Now, I understand that get rid of conference. cross conference games. That's you know, we don't need them. It's fine. That way, also the Super Bowl AFC versus NFC, baby.
It's the best of our best. Let's see who can win it. I hear you, Peter. But, you know, uh I I um I I appreciate you having an idea. I appreciate you having the confidence to deliver it.
I'm telling you, I think it's a good idea. No, no, no. And I and I appreciate your mother-in-law is a s a skeptical woman. Um because I I don't like this idea at all. I understand that.
I understand that. But what's that? You rank them based on everyone has a head-to-head, so the eighth or ninth team, or whoever. They have a head to head.
So whoever won that game is higher ranked. If they split a head to head, say they play twice, whoever has the better strength of victory or point differential gets the higher seed. That means teams will be working harder even throughout the season. For a better position. Yeah, but the NFL does not have, Peter, the NFL does not have a tanking problem.
They don't have a problem with teams not trying anymore. And they fixed all of that by putting division games. On the back end of the schedule. That's why division games matter. Division games matter.
I'm a Browns fan. I don't even think he looks like Rick. No, I hey, brother. I but at the end of the day, You know, what keeps players from tanking is the fact that they could be out of the league. With any snap.
I mean, it's a different sport in that regard. Yeah, but the organizations can make, you know, they remove players from rosters. They sit players. They're questionable and suddenly don't play. Put them on top, put them on IR.
I know, but even the Raiders who are trying to tank by telling Max Crosby to go home beat the Chiefs on the last day of the year. And Peter, we're up against it, and I appreciate your two cents. Say how to your mother-in-law for him. Um You know 18 games. I know why the league is interested in an 18th game.
It's more revenue. And if you add an 18th game. This Sunday would be the Super Bowl.
Well, it will be next year anyway.
Well, next year is because it's Valentine's Day. Yeah, it's on the 14th. Yeah. Yeah. Is President's Day weekend the following weekend?
I bet it is. Yeah. I bet President's Day is going to be the 22nd, February 22nd of next year, I'd imagine. I don't know. Because the NFL has been attempting to put the has been ever since I started with NFL Network.
No, President's Day is the 15th. It's on President's Day Day.
So the NFL is going for it, and I don't know how it's working out this way. I guess there are they s is it a is Labor Day just starting later? Labor Day is on the seventh. That's what I got. That's right.
The NFL, since I joined the NFL network 23 years ago, I have spoken to Multiple people, never the commissioner on this subject matter, but Um multiple people. Who are like, we've got to get the Super Bowl on President's Day weekend. Like, that would be the goal. Um, because everybody you talk to would be, you know, what would be great is if. There was a national holiday after the Super Bowl.
Well, guess what President's Day weekend would have? Yep. That. And so Super Sunday is Valentine's Day next year. That'll be sweet.
And then the next day is President's Day.
So there you have it. And the league's trying to do that. And one way to do that is to get 18 games or to have Labor Day be so late in the calendar that this happens. I just think that so many injuries. Like, you're going to play an 18th game.
How does that work? How does that work? I don't know. But if there's anybody who would make it work, it's the NFL. That's true.
for sure. Um Tim Hardaway Sr. is in our green room. I have not seen him. And he's a he's about to start our our next hour.
Our final hour of the week, which is going to be seen on ESPN 2 as we finish up our ESPN hour here. And I haven't seen him since we did he was a guest analyst on Sports Center. And when I just chatted with him in the commercial break, he did, in fact, try and kick the tires on the media during the playoffs. when he was out. Once eliminated from the playoffs, he went to Bristol and he was a guest analyst.
And that's where we met each other and that's where we worked together. You know. And he's here for the All-Star weekend. Huh? Everything old is new again.
Everything old is new again. And this would complete the triple play because Chris Mullen has zoomed in. Mitch Richmond has appeared here. Sat right there. And we're about to complete the run TMC triple play.
Before there were the Splash Brothers people, there was Run TMC. Look at them, man. They put in work back there. Did they ever? Wow.
And I'll never forget my father. May he rest in peace. He really wasn't a big sports guy. He calls me up one day after Sports Center. He goes, How do you say Mitch Richmond without s slipping up?
That's a tough name to say, so fast. How do you do that? How do you do that? And I almost just did it. Mitch Richmond is not easy.
And when I, before Sports Center, I worked up in Reading, California, the local ABC affiliate there. And the basketball team that we covered, the Sacramento Kings, was down I-5 from us. And there was a large San Francisco fan base up in the North State of California. I would be cutting up those run TMC highlights and delivering it.
So Tim Hardaway Sr. is about to. Join us for the Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
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