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Now, on with the show. There are so many games that come down to the final shots. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Lineup is good! St.
John's wins it! Today's guests: ESPN, college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg, six-time PGA Tour winner Max Homa, team USA flag football quarterback Daryl DuSett, comedian Mark Norman, and now it's Rich Eisen. All right, everybody, welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show live on a Monday in Los Angeles, California. The Sweet 16 and the men's tournament is set. The women's tournament getting down to the Sweet 16 on that side of things.
Opening day is this week in Major League Baseball. The Lakers have won 9. basketball games in a row. Luka Doncic getting set to be suspended because he picked up his sixteenth tech and then they took it back. They pulled it back.
Oh, shocking.
So he's not going to get suspended for the Los Angeles Lakers. The National Football League, we got a star getting pizzaed. We've also got the stars of the sport. Past and present. Getting beat by Team USA in flag football here in Los Angeles this weekend.
And we've got Daryl Houchdusset. The quarterback of Team USA is going to join us on this show, and I will ask him: are you really better than Patrick Mahomes? That's an hour number three of this program. Max Homa, Mark Normand, are going to be joining us. PGA Tour Professional Max Homa of Jupiter Lynx.
Uh On the TGL Tour. He's going to be joining us here on this program right in the middle of the show. Mark Norman, the comedian who's new. Netflix special, None Too Pleased, is getting set for you to watch. Uh right now Once this show is over, obviously, he's an hour number three.
Seth Greenberg of ESPN is going to be joining us. I do believe the table is now set on everything that we're going to be talking about. Good to see you over there, Christopher Brockman. How are you? Rich, what's up, my man?
TJ Mikey D is indeed nuts. Mike Del Tufo, good to see you. TJ Jefferson, the candles lit. Good to see you, sir. Good to see you.
How's everybody doing? Everybody's great in this neighborhood. Disney Plus and the ESPN app audience, we say hello to you. Those who are listening to us on the ESPN Radio affiliate coast to coast, part of the Rich Eisen Show Terrestrial Radio Network. We're saying hello to you on SiriusXM Channel 80, our podcast listeners as well.
Thank you for taking in this show via podcast, The Overreaction Monday pod. Chris Brockman and I just finished recording it before this program. It should be in your RSS feed shortly. Please do RSVP to go check it out. That was my way of trying to cover my tracks.
So we will have a new national champion cutting down the nets in Indianapolis for the men's side of things as top-seeded foreigners. Florida. goes down to ninth seated Iowa. Wow. Ben McCollum in his first season there as the head coach of Iowa basketball, being termed the Kurt Signetti of college basketball there, right in the nation's heartland.
Took care of business, chopped down the first one seed of this tournament. and sent Florida packing. on a remarkable three-point shot. A corner three and uh Books. for Alvaro Fulgaris.
A young man in Iowa. From overseas, going to the nation's heartland and cutting the hearts out of Florida Gator fans everywhere in Tampa, of all places. And they are celebrating. This kid, Fulgaris, lost his dad at age nine, always points to the sky when he hits a three or a big shot, and it was a three and a big shot, so he pointed to the sky. thinking of his dad.
Can't make this stuff up. As Iowa became the sixth Big Ten team. to make the sweet sixteen on the men's side of things, one shy of the most The record for most set by the SEC last year. Because it just meant more to them. The Big Ten.
Okay. Taking out the SECs. Florida Gators, the one seed overall, and that was a shocker. of the weekend. And this is what the head coach of the Florida Gators had to say.
Obviously on the last play we wanted to take a foul. To prevent them from getting off a three, and they got away from us. We weren't able to take it, and they knocked it down, so, credit to them for that. And just a tough way to go out, but really proud of my group. I love these guys.
They did a great job for us all year, gaining the second one seed in a row. Um and a tough one for us to swallow. You know, we'll be thinking about this one for a while. Todd Golden saying that after the game, and. A lot of folks Tobacco Road who root for North Carolina are thinking potentially they've got Tar heel bait right there to try and snag the Gators head coach.
That's the rumor that's going everywhere that Hubert Davis. Um who's Tar Heels blew a 19-point lead to Virginia Commonwealth. In the first round of the tournament, Is thinking of stepping down. That's rumor, conjecture. We'll talk about it with Seth Greenberg shortly, but.
As for Iowa. Bennett Sturtz, who was lighting up Florida in the final minutes of the game. Had the basketball in his hands, and everybody thought he was going to be the one to try and take the last shot until he found Faul Garris in the corner. This is how the Iowa. Team As a whole, sitting there pretty much with the coach had this to say about that last game-winning basket.
The player was drawn up for me to get downhill and then this dude came up to me. He's like, I'm gonna be ready and I'm gonna make it. That's what he did. Did you actually say that? He said that.
I said that. You're a crazy man. That was me. Yeah. Yeah, he's got what it basically confidence.
Ultra confidence. Yeah, irrational confidence. That too. I love it. I mean, I work a little too long.
I know, I know.
So, yeah. Yeah, I work, coach. I love it. And then Fulgaris shouting out his mom. uh after the game.
Hit it. It's super special having my mom here. Uh she's everything for me. Uh wow wow. Where the world would be without the moms, you know?
Like, she's too super tough, she's been through a lot of things in life and. Uh sometimes when I struggle through basketball, um basketball is life. I think I think of my mom as an example of resilience and and that really inspired me and and you know uh Kimmy Goen, 'cause she's not just a fighter, she's Super special person. I'm so glad to I'm so lucky to to have her as a mom. And she hasn't seen you play in two years.
Yeah, yeah. She I mean, she saw me with the national team this summer. Uh but in college basketball she came to one game when I was a freshman. and I didn't even play much, so yeah, I think she coming back after two years and, you know, Yeah. Seeing uh where I am right now and and how much I I worked for For be where I am right now is for her is is a great feeling 'cause she's in a 16 years old kid to America without knowing any English, uh without Uh absolutely.
you know, anything but but but dreams and and and hunger. And and this this one is for her and my dad that is is watching up there. Beautiful. Beautiful. The Goliaths from Iowa City.
ninth seated Iowa. Not the lowest seed remaining in the tournament. That belongs to Texas, which has gone from the first four to the Sweet Sixteen after they took care of Gonzaga. Yesterday in a tight contest, but Texas surviving there and advancing the eleventh seed. Not one, but two teams.
Iowa. And St. John's back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 19. 99 Iowa taking care of business to get the sixth Big Ten team into the. Sweet 16.
St. John's the first of two big East teams to make it in the Sweet 16. UConn taking care of UCLA, but St. John's taking on Kansas. This was a highly anticipated contest.
And St. John's Having um A lead Kansas storms back against the Red Storm. Ties the game. Kansas essentially playing for overtime, or at least to prevent St. John's from getting a game-winning shot.
Having four fouls to give in the final 11 seconds. And chopped eight seconds off of the remaining time with those fouls to give. You were also fouling too soon. That was a weird way. It was so weird.
And so they could have. Isn't it amazing that part of the criticism was like, you didn't foul properly. It was a smart move to use the fouls to give to at least prevent you from losing at the buzzer. Also without giving them enough credit to be like, you played defense so well all game that you had these fouls. Like you'd never see that.
But they were inbounding it and then immediately fouling. Like let them run around for a few seconds and then foul. Try to get the steal real quick. And you left it up to. How about this one?
Dylan Darling. Hey. What a name.
Well, he is the darling of NY, right?
Well, I mean, he didn't have a single point. None. Amazing. High Point wins a first-round game with a guy who scores the first two-point bucket of the season. St.
John's says, okay, Dylan Darling, you don't have a single point. On the night As a matter of fact, your total points from the field matches your uniform number, zero. And he goes to the bucket and scores to beat Kansas at the buzzer. Mosh Pitch, St. John's moves on.
Rick Petino is in the suite 16 once again and had this to say about. drawing up the game-winning shot.
So we're going to run a plate. And but they got thousands to give. And Bells comes up to me. and says run power, which is a high back screen pick and roll.
So I walk away. I said, okay, power. I walk away and said, Wait a second. He hasn't scored a bucket and he wants to run a play for himself. And I'm thinking as I'm walking, I said, but he's Bell's.
And not only did he do it, he went with his right hand. And they scored. Yeah. That was pretty and that's the way Kansas gets eliminated. And that's the way St.
John's moves on, to take on weight for it. Wait for it. Duke. And I was talking about this. Early on.
when you could just see how things could formulate in the in the tournament. When I'm like when UConn takes on UCLA, that game should be brought to you by Zoloft with those two head coaches. As a matter of fact, if Cronin picked up a technical just for clapping, apparently inappropriately, that was wild.
Okay, like, didn't say a word and got picked. He got a tech. A very unfortunate time for UCLA. There's really no good time to get a bench technical. But one of the things that you could see is: okay, Rick Petino, St.
John's, Redstorm, could take on Duke. Petino versus Duke. I wonder if that's ever happened before, and it only took a few minutes for Petino to make reference to it. You win some, you lose some, and I'm hoping we can get. Um Duke get the buzzer next.
to make up for that Christian latency shot. Still wasn't forgotten. No, who has? We're going to see it all week. Yep.
Okay. You don't think the pregame coverage will show it over and over and over again? And what if they do beat Duke at the buzzer? As a New Yorker, Who roots for Michigan? If that happens, I'll throw a party wherever you guys are going to be.
You come to my house. I don't care where I am. Nice. All right. Let's go.
I don't even know which night it is, Thursday or Friday. Oh, I'll tell you this.
Okay. Break. Doesn't matter. Show up at my house. I wouldn't be Friday night, Rich Eyes.
Oh, yeah. I'll be there. That's a party.
Well, actually, I'll be sweating out Michigan versus Alabama. No, well, that's the St. John's Duke is 25 minutes before. Oh, okay. Here we go.
So much fun. The whole thing has been so much fun. Nebraska moved on. We had Chris Weber on on Friday. He called the Thursday Nebraska when he said that Nebraska fans were partying over their first ever tournament so hard that he couldn't believe that they weren't like blackout drunk the next day in his hotel room.
I found about that. And then, you know, you guys were texting each other, like, I guess more beer for Nebraska because they beat Vanderbilt with Vanderbilt. You want to talk about something that will make somebody drink? Vanderbilt heaves up a half-court shot down two with no time left that went in and out. In and out.
That was sick. It went in. And then out. These games have been great. They have been great.
They have been great, but Texas is the only double-digit seed. Uh, that is advanced to the Sweet 16, and they're, you know. They're not like... Uh With one arm tied behind their NIL back. You know what I mean?
Like, so the question is: what to make of the Sweet 16? That is very chalky in in ways. Although Illinois is probably raising its hands and saying some no, I mean, Virginia is raising its hands and saying maybe not, as Tennessee did move on, but that's a sixth seed. Bottom line is what to make of the first couple of rounds going into the Sweet 16. Seth Greenberg's about to join us next from ESPN.
Our friend is back one week later. I told him to look for my texts and got to have your head on a swivel when I'm looking for your considerable two cents. Seth Greenberg is next here on the Rich Eisen show to make heads or tails of a wild NCAA men's weekend. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Rich Eisen here.
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You've got the floor. What what's your takeaway from the rounds of 64 and 32. Seth. Look, I think it's been compelling. I mean, everyone's losing their mind.
Oh, we don't have enough Cinderellas. We never have that many Cinderellas. Let's be honest. And we're going to have less because it's the cost of doing business. But we had the High Point, and High Point was fun to watch.
We had Miami of Ohio, and that was fun to watch. But, you know, when you get down to 16, we mostly have. Blue bloods, and don't call. Texas a Cinderella. Don't call Iowa Cinderella.
When you're spending $10 million on your million dollars on your roster, when you're a Texas team that has a Nike contract with KD, probably worth three or four million dollars, last time I checked, that like Cinderella was trying to find a slipper to fit. Like those guys in Texas, they got their choice of slippers.
So, I mean, it's just the way it is. But I think it's been great. We got compelling matchups. We've got teams that have earned their way. We've got 11 that played its way in from the play-in game.
So I think we've got so many different storylines, and the games have been great. It's been fun to watch. Which was your favorite? From the weekend. Seth.
The biggest shock for the weekend, I've got a couple of shocks. The biggest shock for the weekend was Florida. I mean, Iowa's a good team. They owned the tempo and rhythm in the game. They basically imposed their identity on it.
And Florida got exposed. I was the harder-playing team, the more physical team. I was back art, got exposed. They didn't have. You know, Walter Clayton Jr.
to bail him out at the end of the game like they did last year, playing three guards opposed to playing three bigs. Um I just thought I was resilience. And then at the end of the game, I was absolutely shocked. How Todd Golden set up to defend that last possession. He was talking about maybe fouling and getting the ball back.
Well, they did get the ball back with five seconds left, but. I mean Then it starts. It's real simple. There's a guy taking the ball out of bounds. There's eight and a half or nine seconds left in the game.
You don't need a guy on the ball. You want to play five on four, which means take the guy off the ball. Maybe have him front sturds, have Boogie Flan stay between the ball and the basket. And now all of a sudden you keep everything in front of you. I just thought the whole concept.
Of what they did defensively, then they left the ballside corner. The one thing you couldn't leave is the ballside corner. A two, it's a tie game, you get the ball back. A three game over.
So that was the biggest shock to me, just how it. it went down and how the game was played out. Uh That was a head scratcher for me because I think the world of Todd Golden. Yeah. And, you know, now.
you'd take a look at that um that region, three Big Ten teams in Houston. And Iowa and Nebraska, Nebraska go from zero tournament wins in its school history to an Elite Eight appearance. Iowa has different Thoughts on its mind. Houston could not have looked more impressive. Do you think this is Houston's region at the end of the day, Seth?
I picked Houston to come out of that region because, again, I'm a big guy on identity and culture and who are you and how you win, and they impose that identity on people. I mean, it's not a lock. I think there are a lot of things you can shake down in that bracket, quite honestly. If you put that bracket up again, I mean, the winner in Nebraska and Iowa. Both of those teams are hard to play against.
They're big. They're physical. Their bigs pull you away from the basket. They're low turnover teams. They have a physicality.
I mean, like, to me, And then, if you look at the upper half of the bracket, it's insane.
So, I mean, like. I mean, like the the winner of that. group right there iowa nebraska illinois and houston i mean like That's like no joke. I mean, like different styles. Like, Greg Mast is a hard matchup.
The way Nebraska plays, they use the hub of their offense. They play through him. Frager's got a little edge to him. That team is, you know, Rand Hoiberg, he looks like a choirboy, but those dudes play like a bunch of thugs. I mean, they're going to knock you right on your keester.
I mean, they are physical. And the same thing with Iowa. Like they preach physicality and toughness in Iowa. All right. And they have no fear.
And they've got a little bit of a... Chip on the shoulder edge. Uh, you know, we got a bunch of guys who played D2, then went to Drake, and you know, and all of a sudden now they're on the biggest stage in the Sweet 16, they've won a zillion games, they expect to win. Uh I mean, both of those games are just... Incredibly intriguing games to me.
Iowa and Nebraska, similar type teams. Houston a little bit different in terms of You know, how they're going to play. In the East Region, as you pointed out again, what a sort of murderer's row. Duke St. John's, Michigan State, Yukon.
Alex Caraban had maybe the game of his Yukon. Career against UCLA on Sunday night. St. John's the buzzer beater over Kansas. Duke has been the personification of survive and advance, despite being the number one overall seed.
You could make the case, though, Michigan State's coming in. The hottest team, even though it got bounced in its first contest in the Big Ten tournament. How do you say who do you think takes on Houston on this side of the bracket in Indy, Seth? I'm leaning towards Michigan State. I'm leaning towards Michigan State.
And Michigan State's playing really good basketball. Tom Israel's found a way to find the right shot maker. Each different game to complement those two bigs that have been absolutely terrific. If Swamis Fierce takes care of the ball, You know, you talk about a UConn team that I'm a big Dan Hurley fan, but they got to get someone to make shots. Bray Lamong made three threes the other day, but he didn't get anything out of solo ball.
Who's capable of making shots? And then, you know, Tyrus Reed had a great first game. He struck a little bit yesterday. That's going to be interesting. They're not 100% healthy.
Right now, which is a concern. That Duke. game though against St. John's. That is the ultimate rock fight.
Because if you watched St. John's yesterday, I mean, first of all, I mean, have you ever watched a game with more airballs in your life? They were watching a game where they couldn't get the ball in bounds. But my concern for Duke is simple: like, Caden Boozer's playing great. They don't have a backup point card.
So you're playing against that pressure. You're complaining against that size, that length, that athleticism, the Del Mitchells, the Zubies, all right, the physicality.
So When you take Caden out, or if he gets in foul trouble, who's running your offense? Who are you running your offense through? Because of Callus Foster going out, they don't have a backup point card. They have a seven-man rotation, an eight-man rotation now that they have Patrick back, but they don't have a secondary ball handler. And the pressure.
That same part Johns puts on you. And the physicality that they put on you, and a way that they kind of attack, attack, attack. For a team that doesn't have great depth, that's a hard style of play to play against. And as good as Cam is, and as good as Evans is, you know, and I think that Patrick Gump is, you know, he was terrific. I think he was like plus 20.
In a game the other day, You still have to advance the ball up the court. You still got to get it in offense. You got to still deal with switching. You still got to keep your opponent off the glass. And I think St.
John's is one of those teams that's just hard to get in a comfort zone with. And I don't think that Duke has really played against anyone that really plays. That aggressively and that physically. And plus, they got my man Dylan Darling. You know, he's got church bells.
Seth Greenberg, kind enough to join us in between Sports Center hits here on the Rich Eisen show on the Monday after the first four days of the men's NCAA tournament. Looking at the other side of the bracket before I let you go back to your other pieces of business, Seth. I'm good right now.
Okay, great. Appreciate that. I don't want to overstep. The West and Midwest regions are going to play each other in the final four. Arizona has looked terrific, taking on Arkansas.
ACOF is going to be going on against Arizona. Got to check that one out. Texas, don't call them. Cinderella, unless they're slippers made by Jimmy Chu, if I'm not mistaken. Exactly.
Taking on Purdue. Michigan, Alabama, which we've seen a couple times on the gridiron last couple years, with Tennessee surprising to get past. Um, to get past Virginia to take on Iowa State, suss this one out for me, if you don't mind. Let's go to the Midwest right there. Uh, Alabama's playing their best basketball.
They actually guarded the other day. I mean, they're playing Texas Tech, which was guard already, and they were playing without J.T. Topper, which is a huge loss. But I love the Alabama's approach yesterday. And I actually think Alloway being suspended sounds silly, but now all of a sudden Lattrell Reitzel's not looking over his shoulder.
He played freed up yesterday. LeBaron Phylon's explosive. He just creates easy offense. And Aiden Trell really played well against Texas Tech and gave him some inside scoring.
So that is going to be a really interesting game because I think. Alabama is going to try to create possessions, possessions, possessions. Play faster, play faster. And then you try to play faster with them, and they kind of seduce you into it, taking bad shots, maybe turning it over.
So I think that's going to be a really interesting game right there. You know, the the bracket above it. you know, let's throw that thing up. Michigan, uh I mean I'm below it, I should say. Tennessee and Iowa State, did you what Iowa State did to Kentucky yesterday, and I'll get back to your Michigan team in a second, but what when what Iowa State did, what Iowa State did to Kentucky yesterday, they took they would like they had a heart transplant.
Those dudes took Kentucky's heart. Out. I don't even think they'd use a scalpel. They just like ripped it out of their chest. I mean, that's how hard those guys played.
And David Levsky, just how hard he competes and their ability to kill Tori, the pressure on the basketball, and the relentless nature in which they play. You can't prepare for that. That's a hard game to prepare for. They keep you on one side of the floor. They don't let you reverse the ball.
the aggressiveness that they play with, like Once they settled into the game, Like that wasn't a fair fight. It wasn't a fair fight. I mean, you're looking at. Kentucky like fumbling the ball over the place.
So if you haven't seen The aggressiveness and the physicality of that sideline defense where they make you play in the outside third and four and basically cut the court in half. That's really hard. And I thought losing Joshua Jefferson was going to be brutal. And they proved me wrong. That that theme TJ Otzelberger.
He has the ability, despite the smirks, I still don't understand his medium shirts. I mean, despite the smedium shirts, those guys hang on his every word. And they you know, I always say you you to win the games you You'll win the games, you're supposed to win, but to win the games you need to win. Those guys got to be aligned with their coaching staff and the culture and the identity of the program. I just, I'm a firm believer in that.
Like you'll win games, but if you win like these type of games. Those guys got to like totally buy in. And I look at Iowa State as a team that just totally buys in. And I underestimated that. And I've been there and I go watch TJ practice preseason and I'm blown away by By his by their approach, just their approach.
Well, and Michigan would have its hands full if it gets past Alabama to take on Iowa State. With only one point guard. That's the concern. Yep.
Right. That's the concern. Can they wear down Ellie Cadeau. Like can LE Kudo deal with getting pushed off the line? I'm up.
They have other guys that can take pressure off them. There's no doubt about that. But a lot of what they start with, like you actually will end up maybe their point forward. But if you get on the outside third of the floor, and I'm not saying anything that Dusty doesn't know, you play on that outside third of the floor. They can kind of push you down to the baseline and trap the baseline.
And no one in the Big Ten plays that way. And so like preparing for it. In a 36-hour turnaround. is really hard as a coach. How much do you give them?
They're like, we can't reinvent ourselves.
So, what are the one or two things we're going to do against this defense? From, like, this is who we are, and this is how we play, but we're going to have to make this one little change. Drupal entries out. Wing passes and ball reversals out because you throw it to the wing too much, maybe a dribble handoff in the middle third of the court.
So, I mean, I think that would be a fascinating game. And do you who do you have coming out? Arizona, Michigan? I got Arizona, Michigan.
Okay. I love Arizona. Like the Arkansas-Arizona game. Karchenkov is a terrific defender. I'm interested to see who they put on ACOF.
Like, what ACOF's done has been unbelievable. It's unbelievable. Like, I wanted to see Darren Peterson go all. Barriers Aikoff Jr. in their game against St.
John's yesterday. And when the game's on the line, Aikoff just makes every big play. He's like under, he can play poorly for a couple of minutes, and then game's on the line. Boom. He just takes over the game.
And watch out for Texas on the bottom of that thing. Texas is sneaky. Pocaitis, Vocakitis, whatever the name is, it's not the flu. It's just a player that's very large and carves out space and rebounds. Vocatitis, he's good now.
They got to defend the three-point line. And that's the most important thing. They don't do a great job, Texas defending three-point line. Although, how about this crazy number? They lost five of their last six, Texas, coming into the NCAA tournament.
They were giving up 88 points in those losses. They gave up 66 points. Again, And they're three wins. That's as big a swing as I've ever seen. I'm going, oh, do you have to play defense?
And he's got those guys taking good shots, taking care of the ball, which are the two most important things. Texas gets to the line so they can get people in foul trouble. They can defend Brayton Smith maybe with a bigger defender. Or Weaver, who just plays as hard as anyone. That'll be an interesting game.
Sean Mill has done an amazing job. He's viping Cinderella. Nice, right? Do I have five more minutes left with you? I don't know if you've got a run.
Take a look. It's 12:35 Eastern.
Okay, because just one last subject matter is what are we seeing in the tournament so far, and what does it mean for college basketball as a whole? How's that for a five-minute conversation? Because there's been a lot of conversation about mid-majors and big blue bloods and whatever. But this comment from Mick Cronin last night after the UCLA season-ending loss to UConn makes it sound like there's even a have-and-have-nots in the big conferences like the Big Ten. This is what Cronin was asked about moving forward for his team and what he needs to improve it.
And then, big picture-wise, third consecutive season, not getting to the second weekend of the tournament. I know different seasons, different reasons, but do you feel like anything needs to change with the approach, roster construction, or the way you're. Right now I'm worried about tonight consoling the guys. We'll stay here in the front row. I'd like about five more million.
There's my answer. That's This Seth? She's right. But look it's a cost of doing business. And you can be UCLA and those four letters mean a lot.
But you know what? If you're trying to compete at the very highest level, You need 12 million, maybe more. To compete at the very highest level, to build your roster the way you want to build your roster, to build your depth, to build your. to compete with the other teams. Like in the old days, Oh man, Westwood, Pauli Pavilion, UCLA, look at this campus, everything that goes along with it.
But In the end, a lot of these kids, everyone's got a sell, everyone's got a new practice facility, everyone's got a tradition, everyone's got, and that's why we've seen, you know, like, To me, and this was a big. Kind of complaint from everyone says oh the bubble's weak Because you're getting nine and nine and eight and ten teams in a tournament. It's cost after the top three or four that are spending $12 to $15 million, everyone else else is spending about seven.
So, that middle of those conferences, or middle to the bottoms, there's a level playing field for the guys you can get at that level. But if you want to compete at the very highest level, This is the cost of doing business. Why are the mid-majors disappearing? The mid-majors disappearing because they can't afford to. Like the one mid-major that made a low run or low major from the big South Conference.
High point, they spent five, six million on their roster.
Well, they became one of the best mid-majors. Because of the cost of doing business, they had the opportunity. You got to get the right guys, but you got to have the opportunity.
So, what Mitch is saying, I mean, what Mitch is saying is right, Rich. I mean, like, What do you need to compete to play at a level playing field with Duke and Carolina. That doesn't guarantee you you're getting to the second weekend. I mean Kentucky spent 22 million. They didn't get the second weekend.
You know, I thought I thought could save him put it in that got it best. Like You got to acquire talent. You got to acquire talent that fits your system, fits your coaching staff, fits your culture, fits your identity. And if you do a bad job identifying talent, and don't develop a chemistry and don't develop guys that fit. You know what?
Got a group of players instead of putting together a roster.
So I 100% agree with Nick. I don't know what the number is. The whole rev share thing is supposed to be $20.5 million. Come on, man. I mean, football teams are spending that on their offensive line.
Who are they kidding? That's right. I mean, like, what's Michigan? What's Michigan paying for the quarterback? Oh, it was close to 12 million bucks last I heard.
You know, last year.
So they dropped all their non-revenue sports and they dropped swimming and diving and basketball. Listen, Seth, and you're just to put a button on it, you know. What Sabin said is like you got to choose the right players. And if not, you got you just only got to collect players. You also don't have a job because I'm sure the people who are putting this NIL money in the kitty want to see a return on their investment, which is why Indiana's NIL people right now are just happy as happy can be.
You want to talk about a return on ROI, my goodness, just in terms of obviously football. Oh, it's you know, and in any sport, like the people that. have the big, big money to help athletic departments. you know, build their rosters and compete nationally. They're used to getting a return on their investments.
They don't make bad investments. Like, I'll give you a perfect example. I have a really dear friend of mine when I was at Virginia Tech.
Now, that was pre. NIL. And he's helped them significantly the last two years. And those guys. When I say significantly, significantly.
And those two guys that he helped with each of the last two years. After one year, they transferred. And like he called me up. He said, Coach, he said, like, what am I going to do? I said, what do you mean?
I won't mention his name, but he said, I said, like last two years. Like, I give money, and these kids are ungrateful. They just, you know, it's, it's, all they want is, you know. Boom, no thank you, no this, no that. He said, I don't need thank yous.
You know what he did this past year? He gave the money he was going to give to NIO. He's a cancer survivor to the VFIP agent. Because you know what? Successful people want to see A return on the investment, and they want to feel like they're doing something that's going to impact someone else's life, and I think that, uh, I think that was the real thing that we've got to donor fatigue is real.
Unless you have a guy that would like. Big, big, big time money, which you have at Michigan, and some schools have, they got them at Michigan State. Uh but 100% the cost of doing business. Real money to acquire the very best players to have a chance to compete at the very highest level. Seth, I appreciate the time.
I don't want to take you any much longer. Go back to Sports Center, sir. We have an audience now. Awesome. I love it.
Longest conversation I've had in a Bristol hallway ever.
So that's all good. Thanks, Seth. You're the best. You got me right back at you. That's Seth Greenberg, everybody.
He's the best, too. By the way, I'm not kidding. I love it. I mean, they used to be catwalks. I assume they still are catwalks that would connect the buildings on Bristol.
uh campus where I've not been back in twenty three years now. And you'd walk from one building to the other, and somebody would be walking from that other building to your building, and you'd pass them in the catwalk. And then like 20 minutes later, you'd see him again. And I literally thought to myself, like Larry David, I'm like, how many times do I have to stop and say hello to the same person? You know what I mean?
After a while, it's just, I'm just going to give you the nod and keep walking. And you have to understand, like, what am I going to do? We just said, we said hello. We stopped. We just did.
We caught up. Just did this. You know what I mean? We just caught up. I don't need to say stop and do it again.
I'm not being rude. It's just like, we've done it. We've done it. Like, that's it. Yeah.
You've got work to do. I've got work to do. We've had our small talk. We're done. Keep it moving.
Now I'm just going to give you the head nod and keep going. And then the third time it's going to be like, yeah, this is ridiculous, isn't it? Like, we'll share that look. Is that a curb episode or a My Raj? It's both.
Or it's both. Totally.
Okay, very good. That is the longest conversation I've ever had with anybody in a Bristol hallway. That's how it felt an indie for the combine because you'd walk by people about the, like, I walked by Tom Pellisero one time. It was the fifth time. I just put my hand out.
We're done. We're done. That was it. I wouldn't even put my hand out. I would just give it a head nod and keep walking.
Well, you know, I had to acknowledge my boy. But I didn't want to talk to him anymore, is what I'm saying. All right, we take a break. Tommy.
Now, I've had enough of this conversation. I'm in the same room as you. It makes sense. It does. 844-204-Rich is number.
I'm happy to have a conversation with you.
Okay, okay. The Rich Heisen Show, the podcast. Get into the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event and get away with a deal so right it almost feels wrong. Because right now you can get great deals on our most popular models, including our adventure-ready SUVs like the Hyundai Santa Fe or Santa Fe Hybrid and the Tucson or Tucson Hybrid. Plus, there's our bold and stylish Elantra loaded with the latest tech, or go all-electric with the IONIC 5 or IONIC 9.
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Max Holma is going to join us top of the next hour.
So I received a text from um An agent in the NFL. Who shall remain named? Oh, dang it, of course. Over the week. I get texts from a lot of agents.
Okay. Oh, okay. You got it. Like, hey, our bad. Guys, guys, guys.
Gosh. My name's Rich Eisen. Guys. My name on the mug. I get texts.
All right. Don't shoot the recipient.
Okay, sorry. Called the flag football classic that Fanatics and the NFL put on together this weekend on Fox. Thanks by Jamie McCombs. Very good. Thank you for that heads up.
Great. My friend. All good. Your friend until he actually tries to take credit for being better than the show. He's the NFL.
Okay. Very good. Very good. He is better than me. Called it one of the most embarrassing things the NFL has ever been part of.
Wow. And well, I mean, I guess what? At one point, somebody was in Roger's seats that other people might know from their other work. Um at any rate that there's I'm like, I push back. Obviously, my initial hackles go up when that happens.
Um But That this was not up to the NFL's standards, essentially. And I pushed back saying, first of all, Fanatics is an important partner of the NFL. But the pushback is um That it's March Madness weekend and flag football is on Fox. And all anybody was talking about on my feed was how Tom Brady was throwing the football.
Okay. And then on top of it, Flag football is a highly important initiative for the NFL, and for good reason. If you want to play this sport and not get knocked around, Um then this is the version of the sport for you. Taylor played flag football three years ago. when she was in grade school.
And she misses playing it. She wishes that there was a f form of flag football. You know, um in her athletic department. Right? that her school or schools around the area would have a flag football tournament or program.
And that's what the NFL is trying to get going. For girls, boys, men, women, people just don't want to get knocked around. And it's important. And that's why the NFL is excited to have Flag football in the Olympics on top of it. The whole world is going to play, throw a pigskin around.
or a version of it.
So that's what was my pushback.
So if you think that this wasn't all that, For the NFL to have flag football talked about on Fox with a major partner of the NFL all together and stars of the sport out there. That's not a loss. That's a win. And This show Other shows like it. Overreaction Monday, I even guess you're going to have that topic.
I'm telling you, the way Brady looked, everyone's talking about it. Because he was just throwing dimes. He was just flinging it around and he's throwing a gronk and he's throwing, putting it at perfect spot like he's never missed a beat. Back right corner to Diggs was a laser. It's great.
And that was after he Olayed someone. I forget, maybe it was Logan Paul or someone, but hit him with the Olay and then stepped up. Boom, boom. It was great. My biggest takeaway, though.
is that doesn't matter. How great Brady looks and sure, could he still play? Yeah. Does he want to play? I think he'd rather the gig that he currently has, to be straight up.
Yeah. ownership And Fox is paying him transitional quarterback, tag transition tag quarterback money. All right. So and he's not getting hit. But my takeaway is doesn't matter Who are you throwing out there?
Because I'm sure the league would love to have current NFL stars on the Olympic stage, like the NBA and the NHL. have been enjoying in their respective Olympics. For years, decades. But the guys who are best at it are the ones who play it. all the time and Team USA whipped everybody.
whipped everybody. And Daryl Who do set? Our third-hour guest was the one who basically told everybody, I'm better than Mahomes, and on this date. He looked like He was unstoppable. The whole team USA.
whipped everybody. And for them to go on this stage and say, Hey, Joe Barrow. Hey, Jalen Hurts. Hey, Jaden Daniels. Hey, Stefan Diggs and everyone else.
We're the ones who should be in this stadium for the Olympics because that's where that stadium is what's going to hold the Olympics. That's a reality. Is that the best team to play flag football? Are not a collection of NFL players who are going to go into some camp and try and figure this thing out? in the span of weeks or months.
It's them who do it. And I can't wait to Have Daryl Dooset on an hour three to basically ask him if that was their point and if he believes they've made it emphatically. And borrow getting knocked around. Like, what the hell? Did you see that?
It wasn't the guy. The burrow was. He's drawn. I know. He gets knocked around.
He was putting his body on the line, too. Which, if I'm a Bengals fan, I'm a little bit like, yo, calm down. Or you're like, yeah, save that for September. But it was interesting. It was interesting.
Soup to nuts. It certainly was. Start to finish. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. From 30 for 30 podcasts.
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