Morning decisions. How about a creamy mocha frappuccino drink? Or a sweet vanilla? Smooth caramel maybe, or a white chocolate milk. Whichever you choose, delicious coffee awaits.
Find Starbucks frappuccino drinks wherever you buy your groceries. From Thirty for Thirty Podcasts. Brian Pata, 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 somebody. This might be a hit. You want the truth. They just want a conviction. Being placed under arrest.
We had a killer amongst us. Murderer you. Listen now. 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. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show.
We've got a podcast, so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash rich eisen show and you'll never miss a moment.
Now, on with the show. Yeah. And now, here comes Solaire. This is the Rich Eisen Show. They're gonna start to fight.
They're throwing blows. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. We got major differences here. Today's guests. Longtime golf writer Alan Shipnock.
Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Weber. Plus your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
Well, hey everybody, welcome to this edition of the Rich Hisen Show Disney Plus, the ESPN app and ESPN Radio Series 6M Channel 80 for those who are listening on the old satellite machines. This show is going to be appearing over the next couple days on ESPN 2, a little programming note. And tomorrow there's some other news that I'll be announcing. That's tomorrow, but this is today. And this is you calling us at 844-204-RICH, being the number to dial right here on a day that Augusta National opens its doors for business, the PAR 3 tournament, where we see players and their kids and their daughters and their...
family and you know it's so fun. It's so great until I watch an eleven year old kid of a player dressed in their caddy uniform acing. All eyes on Tommy Fleetwood's son this year.
Okay. You know, and I'd step up there as a 56-year-old man and I'd slice a patron right in the head. You know, right in the drink. You know, with a little tape-delay swing because I'm so nervous.
Some 11-year-old comes up there and just drops one in the hole. Whatever. It's not about me. Even though the show's name is Aftermind. Rory is the name of the book.
Alan Shipnuck writes it. He will be joining us in about eighteen minutes' time to talk about Rory trying to win another jacket after not having a single one last year was a remarkable Story and championship run for Rory. And so Alan's going to be joining us. Yes, I still obviously have the net-cutting moments on Monday night. That shining moment.
There was more than just one for me, but it's still on my mind. And Chris Weber is going to help us unpack some of that stuff. We also spoke with him last week when we started our conversation. He was announcing, along with the rest of the folks at Turner Sports, a Fab 5 alt cast for the game against Arizona.
So we're kind of review what his weekend was like and then, of course, talk about. The old times and whether the current Michigan team is the best basketball team Michigan's ever put on a court. We'll talk about that with the Fab Fiverr himself. And then Albert Breer will join us as, as of tomorrow, two weeks until the draft.
So, Albert's going to join us in hour number three. How are you, Chris Brockman? Good to see you. I am excellent. How are you, my friend?
Who's the man on your left? What's his name again? There he is. I'm very confused. Richard.
I recognize the hat. You missed Emmanuel Shriki back. I was taking a helicopter trip to California. Yeah, and we brought that up to her yesterday. She still loves you.
That's funny. Good to see you, TJ Jefferson. Candle is lit over there. Good to see you. Barely, this thing is on its last lady.
Oh, no. I hate that when the candle is at its bidder. You know what? Never good. Go ahead and invoice the next one.
By the way, today's the anniversary of Hank Ehring hit home run number 750. No kidding. Over Bill Buckner's head. Yeah. That's one of the the uh um footnotes of that that he was a he was a left-handed left left fielder.
Tom House caught it in the ballpen. Yep. And then Craig Sager, may he rest in peace, is one of the first people who ran up to try and interview Hank as he crossed home plate, talk about different times, right? Different times. We should be able to do that now.
Craig was out there with Chief Nakahoma, want to talk about different times as well. And two random dudes. We spoke about that with Craig, didn't we? They did a whole documentary. Yeah.
Yeah, but I'm making a mental note of that. If that happened now, Jorge Solay would throw a punch at them.
Well, we'll talk about that later on as well on this program. We had a first ever, you know, first 2026. Base brawl last night.
So I want to start with this piece of NFL news. Because I love talking about this subject matter with Chris, because he's He's in search. He's in search of a new way of doing National Football League business when it comes to quarterbacks who have yet to win a championship in their first contract. And whether They're worthy of a second contract that is market value or they're not. and what to do with it.
And so Chris? Today Moments before we came on the air, the The Houston Texans. Picked up the fifth-year options of both. CJ Stroud And Willie Will Anderson.
Now, if you recall in that draft a few years ago, CJ Stroud second overall after Bryce Young went first overall. And then the Texans were like, we're. We're not done. And they trade it up. Daniel Jeremiah, my my buddy, DJ.
He called this in his mock draft that the Texans were going to trade up and get to the third spot. and draft Will Anderson and get their quarterback of the defense and the defensive line and get the quarterback of Yeah. of the team itself. Boom, boom, just like that. And now they have to make a decision on How to keep them.
And right now, Nick Casario, the general manager of the Houston Texans, is doing what he can do, which is. Pick up a fifth year option. And in that regard, C.J. Stroud is now locked in. to a salary in his fifth year of twenty twenty seven football.
To the tune of 25 million bucks, which, as you know, is an absolute bargain. An absolute bargain when you see Malik Willis sign for that neighborhood. Having not Started many games at all in his career, and CJ Stroud now entering his fourth season with the Houston Texans. having made the playoffs all three years. I'm putting Will Anderson aside here because, Chris, this is your.
Time. This is your moment. Yes, it is. Because you are always in search of what you would consider a hero without a cape. That's right.
A general manager in the National Football League. That's it. Looking at a highly drafted, say, second overall choice kid, who has become a. Part of the team. Woven into the fabric of the community.
In Houston. After a Remarkable rookie season Offensive Rookie of the Year, R. O R O R Following it up with A second season in which he doesn't perform as well in the regular season, but still. Gets them to the playoffs and as far as they got the previous year, second round. And then this year.
Despite getting hurt in the middle of it. Takes the reins back and plays terrific football for the most part. to get the Texans to the playoffs even though they didn't win the division this time. and gets them to the same point of the playoffs his first two years. Didn't make the playoffs just at all.
made it all three years and didn't just make the playoffs either. Won a playoff game in each one of them. Sure, did. Like Russell Wilson did that. Yeah, the first quarterback since Russ.
But now comes the time. Do you pay him? Because you can now. Give him his next contract. That's what the rules and the collective bargaining agreement say after three years.
You can give em. A new deal. Just like say the Miami Dolphins gave to Tua, just like say the Jacksonville Jaguars gave to Trevor Lawrence. neither of them have gotten as far. In the playoffs at all.
Justin. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, Chris. Do you think in Nick Casario you have your hero now? Because they can now turn around. Like, literally, as soon as this segment's over, we're going to be talking to Alan Shipnuck and. Segment two of Hour One.
In the middle of that, we could hear this was a mere formality, and they've re-signed him. Actually, they've given him his second contract. Yeah, five years, 260, 270, whatever. That could easily pop.
However, when I think about Houston and CJ Stroud, and who's pulling the strings there in the front office? Nick Casario is set up to be my hero because where did he learn from? New England, New England, Heartless, Bill Belichick, Team First, get rid of a guy a year early rather than a year late. Yeah. Team building, over the steering wheel.
Lawyer Malloy, keep going. You could keep going. Richard Seymour, Deion Branch, all these guys were traded away instead of re-signed for draft picks or just straight up released. Right.
Okay. And yes, C.J. Stroud has done nothing, something a quarterback hasn't done since Russell Wilson.
So won a playoff game his first three consecutive years.
However, you could argue, I'm not saying that I'm arguing it, TJ. I'm saying an argument could be made that Stroud peaked as a rookie. He has gone considerably down each of the following years afterward. Right.
So. Yeah. Is he going to be the guy, Nick Casario, to say, you know what? I asked you that question. You now need to answer it.
Filibustering.
Okay? Steve, this is my point to you, Chris, and this has always been my point to you. Yes, this is general managing. at a very high stakes level.
Okay. It's roster building. Look, Will Anderson, you are 100% making him the highest paid defensive player, right? That guy is an absolute beast. And so, at the same time, you look at the guy who was drafted right before him, who's the quarterback of your team, who's actually won a playoff game in three years to start his career.
You're telling him you need to wait. We need to see more from you. Why? Because you're the quarterback? Where does CJ Stroud rank in NFL quarterbacks?
Where is he in the AFC pecking order? He's not in your top five. Is he in your top 10? Probably not. How?
In the AFC? Oh, in the AFC he is. Let's do it. Run it down. AFC.
Run AC. Run it to 16 team. Run it down. Run it down. Okay.
Where is he in the AFC? Is he better than Josh Allen? No. Is he better than Drake May? Nope.
No. You take him over Aaron Rodgers for 2026? Probably not. All of a sudden, you miss your Aaron Rodgers over there. Lamar Jackson.
Don't keep going. No, no, no, no. Not Burrow. No Burrow. Is he better than Trevor Lawrence?
Unclear. Not sure. Yeah. Okay, keep going. Daniel Jones, yeah.
Cam Ward? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, more for next year?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know, man. Dude, you know.
You know. Come on, Fernando Mendozo or Cousins. Yes. Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes. Nope, nope, nope.
Why is he not bearing Justin Herbert? Yeah. Yeah. I mean I understand physical skill set. Game for your life.
Who you taking? Thank you. For your laughter, it tells me the answer. See my point? I make him earn it this year.
No, you can't. No, I know you can do that. Take me to the AFC Championship game. Don't fall apart on the road at the end. That's what you got to see?
Yeah, man. What about last year you didn't have Nico Collins in New England? I mean, he has who was New England's best receiver.
Now, I will tell you this: the game in New England turned on his Rookie mistake. Deep in his own end instead of punting and giving the ball back to Drake May, who was having trouble. Against that Texans defense. In the cold. And we were seeing it.
And instead, the phrase I kept using, it looked like he just popped a threw a grenade up there and just flipped the script. Flip the script.
So Making him Go on the fourth year. is doable The fifth year is a highly provocative act. That also if the Team His teammates love him. And the locker room loves him. You're sending a very wrong message to the locker room by not paying him.
Because once you go down that road and you make him play in a 50-year option, you're making C.J. Stroud potentially show up. Um And say, I'm not coming to show up. You can trade him after next year. I don't.
To who? Yeah. Pittsburgh, the Jets, all these teams that need quarterbacks, Arizona.
So you think this is finally your test case? Miami. You think this is finally your test case? I think after, how long have I been saying this? Three, four years, something like that?
I think finally we have a real good chance at this being the team to look at their quarterback situation, look at where they've capped out, obviously in the playoffs, in the second round, and being like, we can do better. Yeah. Because two are crapped out? 'Cause Trevor Lawrence is Trevor Lawrence is Fin they just won the division. You saw the way that he played at the end of the year.
The playoff game was disappointing. The Bills, though, as we all know. Um are a stout team. that whereas one Um possession call by our um An official away from making the AFC Championship game, if not the Super Bowl, because I think that would have been a different result.
Okay. in the New England snow. Had the bills shown up, and I think deep down in your heart deep down in your heart of hearts. That's what that's what would happen. Although it would have been a blizzard, right?
Yeah, so because the game was in Denver, we saw it was going on in New England. Um that weekend. Long story short is I'm going to go the other way. What percent chance are you going to give in this half? For you?
Yeah. Like almost zero. Almost zero? Yes. Yeah, man, at the end of the day, Nick Caseri's going to start from scratch because C.J.
Stroud keeps hitting his head on the. On the division round ceiling? All I keep hearing about is that. Because at some point he's going to pop through, and all we keep hearing about is quarterbacks need four or five years to develop. You've now had him developing for a fourth year, even if he doesn't make, even if he doesn't make the AFC championship game season, despite a playoff game.
Yeah, and plus from Casario's office, too, his phone's not ringing at 2 in the morning saying, guess what C.J. Stroud just did? All I keep hearing about... He said goes on the piddle. How is how great this quarterback class is in 2027, right?
Ain't Rafner. First round pick and C.J. Stroud. You move up in the draft. You reset the clock with a guy who's probably just as good.
I understand what you're saying. A guy coming out of college is not just as good as a quarterback. I agree with it. I agree with it. I agree with exactly that.
I also know the realities of the situation of being a general manager in the National Football League. When you have somebody like C.J. Stroud in your building and in your community, and you look at him and you can basically say, I'm not paying you $55 million. I'll pay you $50 million. I'll pay you like Brock Purdy or what have you.
It's still going to be double of what Malik Willis is being paid, plus. And you're not just going to toss them aside. You might Kirk cousins him. And just keep going. And we're like, hey, listen.
We got a 50-year control of $25 million for you. It's pretty damn cheap. And then we'll just franchise tag you for two years. Nico Collins needs to get paid. I know.
I know. There are guys that it's not going to happen. Ever. No. Ever.
Overreaction. Ever. Cannot say it's not going to happen ever. Where's Mike Tomlin? Never say never, but never.
I don't know. I don't know. You can't say never. I just did. Never say never, but never.
We're so close. I know that he thinks this is it. This really could be it. I don't think this is it. All right.
I don't think it is either. And I think, you know, even by week one, we'll ask Albert Breer in hour three. If this is the guy. And the fact that it's an Ohio State quarterback makes me want to bring it up. But.
And here I am saying C.J. Stroud is going to get paid, and he's going to be the Houston Texans quarterback for a long time to come. Mm-hmm. This ain't it. Casarios might be your guy, though.
That's what you're thinking. That'd be so great. We take a break right here on the program. When we come back, we turn our. Thoughts.
To Augusta. National. It's my gymnast. Impersonation. We say hello, friend.
Look at Alan Shipnuck's photograph. Wow. That looks great. Yeah. Jeez.
The Rich Isis Show Podcast. Need parts fast? O'Reilly Auto Parts as fast. Need them now? We've got now.
No matter what you need, we have thousands of professional parts people doing their part to make sure you have it. We're O'Reilly fast. Just one part that makes O'Reilly stand apart. The professional parks people. Oh, oh, oh.
Alrighty. Auto parts. In a world in need of a hero, one man rises to the challenge in style. He is just driving the kids to soccer practice. Make every day feel epic in an all-new Hyundai Palisade hybrid with up to an EPA estimated 619 miles of range on select trims, advanced tech, and class-leading interior space.
Because when you're hauling kids, gear, snacks, and backpacks, space matters. And so does comfort. Just make sure they keep their cleats off the seats. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for details. Rich Eisen here.
I've traveled all over for some of the biggest NFL moments you can imagine. Conference championships, Super Bowls, draft weekends. And everywhere I go, the city just feels different. It's buzzing, packed, electric.
Now, take that energy. and multiply it by the entire world. That's what's coming this summer with the FIFA World Cup. Fans from every corner of the globe are going to be traveling to experience it live. And when that many people come to town, they're all looking for a place to stay.
And that got me thinking. If you live in or near a host city, this is one of those rare moments. You already have a space. This summer, you could list your space on Airbnb while fans are in town for the FIFA World Cup, not as a full-time thing. Not as some huge lifestyle change, just during an event when demand is naturally high.
When I travel for big games, I just want a comfortable place in a real neighborhood, and that's exactly what so many visiting fans will be looking for. If you've ever thought about listing your space, this summer is a great time as we welcome FIFA World Cup fans. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host. Rory McElroy is trying to defend at Augusta National, and he's there as a defending champ for the first time.
The book is called Rory, and the author is our friend back here on the Rich Eisen Show. Ladies and gentlemen, Alan Shipnuck is here. Good to see you, Alan. How are you? I'm doing great.
And I know you jest, but the weather is paramount because so many masters weeks, it's sunny in the early part of the week. The course is firm and fast and crispy. Yes. That would be a great test. And the rain comes in, and it totally changes the competition.
So, this might be actually a dry master's, which makes it so much more fun. Where are you? Are you in a bulkhead seat? Where are you calling from? It looks like you're on a plane.
Where are you? I'm across the street from Augusta National. I'm actually at the wheels up hospitality area. All right. All right.
Look at you, Alan. Look at you, man. You know, I used to know you when you were going on that live tour and you had Greg Norman staring deaf lasers at you.
Now look at you. You're at private jet parties, Hoy Polloy, cheese cubing it up, whatever you're doing there at the party. Look at you, man. I just needed Wi-Fi, is what it comes down to.
Okay, I wandered in here. I appreciate that.
Okay, I love it. Rory, the heartache and triumph of golf's. Most Human Superstar is available where all books can be acquired. It was released yesterday. What did you learn?
What'd you learn, Alan?
Well, so much. You know, you look at the most popular golfers of the last 30 plus years. It's Tiger, it's Phil, and it's Rory. And two of them have had their lives derailed by addiction and scandal and vice and greed. And then there's Rory, who somehow has remained a mostly normal person and conducts himself with a lot of grace and a lot of class.
And I would say my esteem for him went up throughout this whole project, even though we had a So a few spicy moments along the way that Um I I just Golf is lucky to have Rory. And, you know, this is not a hagiography like I definitely. You know, get into the. I have a clear-eyed view of Rory's mistakes and his missteps and his flaws and his foibles. But on the whole, I just think that it's a feel-good story because.
Rory has completed this long journey that we've all been on, and it's been gratifying to watch him look as happy and content as I've ever seen him this week. And that's kind of the spirit of the book, I think.
So what did you learn, though, that you might not have known about Rory going in, having probably known everything that you thought you did? You're an interesting person. Nothing. No, there were many revelations for him because, you know, Rory's amateur life, his early years on the European tour, this was before 24-7 news cycles. And I mean, I learned so much about how he came up.
Like, okay, everyone knows that he's from this blue-collar family. I did not grasp. That his dad would get up in the morning at 6 a.m. and go to this rugby club and serve as the janitor and clean toilets and the whole bit. Then he would go to this little scrappy golf club where he learned how to play golf and he would serve as the bartender.
He'd come home, have a quick dinner with the family, kiss his wife on the cheek, go back to the rugby club and serve as a bartender until midnight. He would come home and his wife Rosie would walk out the door to go pack boxes all night in this factory. Like, and The fact that they sacrificed everything has become kind of part of the McElroy lore. But to get into the granular details, we're incredible. And The fact that Rory carries this gratitude with him explains so much about him.
And to go to this little town, Hollywood, outside of Dublin, and go to the golf club, go to the pubs, and just bring that to life in a more dynamic way. And just some of the.
Some of the intrigue in his early in his career, like I would say, every chapter is packed full of new stuff. There's not the earthquakes like in the Mickelson biography. Rory does not have those kind of secrets to hide, but you know, it was this is really the first big book about McElroy, and it was just fun to get into all the granular details and collect all the mythology and folklore in one place. Yeah, so there won't be any Rory tweets calling you names or saying this is BS or that we're not, we're not going to see any of that coming out of the publication. He did throw a couple F-bombs at me on the driving range at Oakmont at the U.S.
Open because just the very notion of this book had gotten in his head. And, you know, for Rory and anyone in his position, they're so used to having total dominion over their public image. They control everything on their social media feeds, on their ad campaigns, on the content that the tours put out. And It was unsettling for him that he would not have control over this process. But I actually gave the Rory book, gave Rory the book at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February.
And you know, I said I wouldn't give this to you if I thought you were going to hate it. And he I caught up with him later in the week. He started to read through it. He said, Oh, it made me laugh. I like it.
I think I'm in a good place to Rory, but. Part of me doesn't care at all because You know, my role is to write for the readers, not for the players. And that's the audience I really care about. And, you know, the mandate on a book like this is to give it the totality, capture the totality of the person, the good, the bad, and the otherwise. And I think I did that.
In Rory's case, there's probably more good than bad. And so it has a little different tenor than the Mickelson book. And I was fine with that. I don't want to do the same things over and over. And Rory's a different person.
This is a different story. Alan Shipnuck here on The Rich Eisen Show: Rory, The Heartache and Triumph of Golf's Most Human Superstar. Do you think he does it again? this week because last year is now out of the way and he He plays with a different way, a different manner because of it. Alan, house money, if you will.
Oh, for sure. I mean, Rory is having the time of his life as defending champ. He's swanning around Augusta National in his blazer, and he showed up early to go to the women's amateur, the drive chip and putt. Obviously, he hosted the dinner last night. He was always on a knife's edge during Masters Week.
The pressure, the stress, the tension. He's been so relaxed and carefree. Like, I would not be surprised if he shoots 62 on Thursday. It's the only golf he's ever played because he's completely unencumbered now. And he's cracked the code on this golf course.
He continues to evolve as a player. He's addressed his weaknesses. That's what carried him to the green jacket. He's kept going. And he's in such a great place in his life and his career.
I actually think Roy McElroy's best golf was in front of him, and it would not surprise me at all if it starts this week. Alan Shipnuck here on The Rich Eisen Show. All right. Um, Listen, if Tiger had only Ubered, I wouldn't even be bringing him up. You know, he he might be there and we'll talk about The fact that he was potentially playing or not, or what have you, although it does appear.
He wasn't going to play based on what was found in his pocket. And his body breaking down and things of that nature. And obviously, things broke down again for him. I'll I'll give you the floor on what you made of that escapade. Alan.
It's just a very melancholy feeling. You know, Tiger Woods enriched all of our lives so much as a sports fan. He gave us so many thrills, unforgettable moments, and he kind of represented the peak of human performance. And it was incredible to watch that up close as I was lucky to do. And now we're going on two decades of this sad sort of disillusion of his life, of his public image, of his legacy.
And so I have empathy for Tiger. You know, he's clearly struggling with some serious addictions, and probably all of us have people in our lives who have done that. And it's a tough battle, and it never really ends. But it's also okay to be frustrated that he keeps doing this to himself. He keeps doing this to the golf world, to his family.
And he's lucky he hasn't killed anybody on the road. That's it, Alan. That's it, man. That's it. Because we could sit here and say it is too bad what he's doing to himself and his family and those around him who love him.
But thank God he hasn't done.
something to somebody he's never met. You know, and the decisions that he makes puts that at risk. Yeah, and why is the Is there anybody in his life who could tell him that? That he'd hear it? Or is that person got to be him?
And is this moment, do you think? going to bring that about. I mean, it's just wildly irresponsible what he keeps doing. And the problem is, he's surrounded by yes men and enablers. And somebody, you know, Earl Woods could speak truth to power, and he kept Tiger in line.
And it's not an accident that everything has gone sideways for Tiger since his father died. And, you know, the one person who I think could actually look Tiger in the eye and fill that role is Rory McElroy because they are co-equals. You know, they are part of this very exclusive club of Grand Slam winners. There's only four on earth right now. And that's how, you know, Tiger measures worth by trophies.
Rory has earned that station. And, you know, Tiger was his role model, his hero. He has a lot of love and affection for Tiger. We're business partners through the Tomorrow Golf League. And I think that Tiger has a lot of respect for the way Rory has lived his life.
It's so different. You know, Rory can go anywhere and be welcomed and he spreads goodwill and cheer. And, you know, Tiger's become this very. Sad figure in the game. And so If Rory wants that burden, I think he's maybe the guy who could do it.
You would think that, you know, we're now going on, it gets tough to keep track of all the incidents. Are we talking about the DUI in 2017? Is it the rollover in 21? Is it the most recent rollover? Like, how many times does Tiger need to, you know, patch the hint?
So I think it's going to take an intervention. I don't think the people close to him right now can do it. It's going to have to be a powerful outside voice. And I actually think Rory could be that guy. All right.
So let's widen the lens out a little bit here before I send you across the street to Augusta National. The chief executive officer of the PGA Tour is a guy I know very well. from the National Football League and Brian Rolap. And it does appear he's brought a lot of NFL sensibilities. to try and eventize the tour, to try and create tent poles in the schedule.
And Tiger was definitely somebody who he was reaching out to to try and to energize fans and things of that nature. Those plans might now be by the wayside. What do you think about the state of the game, relationship with Liv, those players? All of it, Alan. What do you got for me there?
You know, it's clear now that the PJ Tour has won the war. In this battle with live golf and sort of this existential feud for the soul of the game. And roll up is a piece of that. Rory is a piece of that. Rory and Tiger basically reshaped the tour on the fly, and Rory did most of the heavy lifting.
Now, Rollup has come in as kind of this Marion and Rivera figure to close the deal on some of these things. And the tour is the healthy it's ever been. They've well capitalized with this private equity investment, they have fresh new leadership. They're going to shrink the schedule and improve the product because it was always so bloated, and the stars would sit out two-thirds of the events. And now it's going to become, as you say, bigger markets, bigger tournaments, better fields.
So the tours won the war. And And you know, the fact that Rollup is CEO, he's not commissioner. And it was always this question: does a commissioner work for the players? Do the players work for the commissioner? Nobody really knew is this weird, awkward dance of the structure of the tour as it's not-for-profit.
Now it's a money-making machine, and there's no doubt who's in charge. And it's Brian Rolap.
So I think he's been impressive. And I think he's brought a new thinking. He's actually not even a golfer.
So he's not beholden to the old way. This is how we do it. This is how we've always done it. He looks at it through the lens of the NFL, where the product is king, and that's where all the decisions are flowing.
So I think he's been great. And I'm looking forward to seeing that continued evolution of the PGA tour. Yeah, I had a front row seat to, you know, obviously when Roger Goodell took over with the NFL, and everything was on the table once he, and Roger came obviously from within the NFL to say the way we've done everything. Um everything's on the table to reimagine it. That there really is nothing terribly sacred, other than, in fact, we're going to call the Super Bowl the Super Bowl and the draft the draft, and everything has been somewhat.
You know, reimagined, and I think Rollap is bringing that to the table. Like, you could see that. Yeah, and and come to think of it, he and I never really ever spoke about golf. Ever. You know, but but he does have a a a a sensibility And an ability that you could see what he's brought to bear already.
Well, PJ Tour was vulnerable to a challenge like live golf because it never had competition. And, like any business with no competition, it had gotten a little stale, it had gotten bloated, it needed some to be reinvigorated with some fresh thinking. And so. You know, live golf may not have succeeded on its own, but it has it did spur this innovation and it did force the PGA Tour to evolve. And so, you know, Lib will continue to endure.
It's not about golf, it's an exercise in soft power for the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It serves these larger strategic needs. And so. Right now it's probably the second best tour in golf as the players Age out of their contracts and they come home to the PGA tour. Liv might become the third or the fourth or the fifth best tour, but it's not going anywhere because it's not really about golf.
The balance sheet doesn't really matter. It's about sports watching. It's about getting into these halls of power. It's about creating these larger deals. When Liv goes to these foreign markets, whether it's Singapore, it's Tokyo, it's Mexico City, they take over the town, they entertain the business and the political elite.
And the amount of deals that flow out of that for the public investment fund will cover Bryson DeCambo's contract. And then some. And so people who think of this as a golf Uh, you know, lead as they have to balance the books, they have to get a return on their investment. They're getting a return on their investment, it's just not coming through golf. And so, in that context, Liv is here to stay in some capacity.
But as the premier destination for big-time golf, it's obviously the PGA tour now. You have Rory, you have Scotty, you have Brooks, and they have this pipeline of young talent, and they have this new model of these signature events. And so, it's the landscape has changed a lot in four years, there's no doubt.
So, before I let you go, do you think Rory does take it? Who do you think? When's it? This week. For weeks, I was picking John Rom because since he went to live golf, and he was the last important player to go to live golf three years ago, he's kind of disappeared.
He hasn't contended in a major. He has immense pride. He's been playing at a very high level. But watching Rory the last few days, like he's so jaunty and he's so carefree. Like, he's my pick now.
And it's, you know, a lot of guys have won one masters. Whether it's Danny Willett or it's Trevor Immelman or it's Charles Schwarzenegger and they kind of just faded away. Rory does not want to be in that category. He wants to be in the elite, back-to-back, multiple. Masters winner.
That's the kind of thing that fires him up.
So I think he's my guy now.
Okay. Let's go. All right. Rory, the heartache and triumph of golf's most human superstar, Alan Shipnuck's new book released yesterday, where all books are. Are acquired.
It's great to have you here back again, Alan. We're always here for you. You've always been here for us. And again, like I kind of don't know who you are anymore. You're zooming in from wheels up just for their Wi-Fi, which is cool.
And then this photograph, we have this photograph. You look at you, man. Silvery in the forest, you know. You know, look at that. You're making me uncomfortable.
No, no, no, no. Well, you want to be uncomfortable. The Rich Eisen Show is an exclusive. You want to see what the original photo is? Yeah.
Here, here, here, Alan, this is for you. We'll send it to you. Right there, there's the original photo. That's so good. Text that to me.
I knew that in the archive. Yeah, you got it. It's really, that's now, that's creepy. That's creepy, man.
Well, there's always a delight. Thanks for having me. I'm pretty teaching. Here you got Alan Shipnuck, everybody, right here on the Rich Eisen Show. We'll send that to Alan.
See that one more time. To me, one more time, please. Oh, my God. Staring all right through him. That was so funny.
It's weird. That's the weirdest step brother sequel I've ever seen. Oh, man. Did we become best friends? Nope.
Nope. Yeah. Oh my gosh. It's all right. Dude.
You're like the biggest Rory fan I know. I am. Without a doubt. Yep. Second jacket for him.
Oh, baby. And back-to-back. I mean, I'm not saying I got some 13-to-1 action, but you know, I'm saying.
Okay. Sounds good. Yeah. Woo. It's fine.
I can now talk about it. Talk about it. Rich, can talk about it. Oh, can we talk about it then?
Okay, so last list. I have a great parlay going right now. Ian Monaco and the.
Now I'm uncomfortable. What's this up yesterday? I'm not there yet. I can't go parlaying. I mean, you know, walk, did you?
13 to 1 odds is a baby step here. Like, I'm cool with talking about that. I like to juice odds like that by seeing my keyboard alert.
So I got Pirates first five innings, Skeens over five strikeouts hit last night.
So now I have Rory to win the Masters combined with the Celtics to win the East for 78 to 1. Let's go. The Masters was, I'll tell this story. I will tell this story on the air. I don't think I've ever told this story on the air about Roger Goodell and betting on the Masters?
No. Okay. So you haven't played Augusta and been like. I've never played Augusta. Being like, hold on.
No, no, no, no. You're good. No, no, no, no. I was going to. Because you know, but Roger is again.
Um my old boss Or tech, technically 10% my boss. Yeah. Because he owns 10% of ESPN. Yeah. But just so generous when it comes to like wanting to, you know, hey, you want to play golf?
Well, play golf. and certainly in the early parts of NFL Network, he called me up, he's like, He invited me to I won't say which, but a beautiful golf course and say, we can stay overnight, we'll have dinner, we'll play golf like a weekend. And Fill out the foursome, he says. I'm like, ooh, whoa. I'm like, Are you serious?
Like, fill out the foursome. Like, you're the commissioner of the NFL. you probably never get time away and you want to You want me to fill out a force on? Me and my two people.
So, yeah. But people you've never met? And he's like, absolutely. That and I'm serious. Like, I know what his People think of Roger from like boom at the draft, whatever.
Roger is a cool guy. Roger Dell, you know, on the other hand. Whatever. Don't ruin the story.
So, at any rate, I get two guys who are good players, but are also not going to like.
So, what about that decision you made? What about this? What about they'll leave them alone, right?
So leave him alone. I'm out. Oh, he's out.
So we're having dinner and I'm having a little bit of red. And at one point, because you can. Better. On individual sports, not team sports. You can, that was the way it was described to me when we first started NFL Network.
We could bet tennis, right? Individuals, not team sports.
So I complained about, you know, I had Ernie Elson in a pool or in a tournament or whatever, and he blew it. And Roger goes, what did you do? At dinner, like got really serious. What did you do? And I Told him what I did.
And he goes, You're not allowed to do that. And I'm like, um Yeah, I am. And he popped open the phone. In the middle of the dining room. Yeah.
To call the head of NFL security to ask if that was in fact the case. And I'm flop sweating now and decide to go to the men's room to comport myself. Like Michael Corleone? To comport myself.
Now there was nothing. I came out with just nothing in my hand, as you know, to use the line.
So. Um I go to the bathroom and I'm like racking my brain like please. I come back and my two friends are like Like in a funeral. Like staring straight ahead. And Roger's like, I just got my call back.
And you are not allowed to do that. And he kind of gently laid into me in front of my friends. And then 30 seconds later, he goes, I'm just kidding. And my friends start laughing at me. When I went to the bathroom, he's like, okay, I'm going to get rich.
You must have rich is right. All color. Rich is right, but this is what we're going to do to rich. To two guys he'd never met before. And they were like, the commissioner of the NFL is like, come on, get in the.
And then he looks at me and goes, But Don't do that anymore. Yes, sir. But I'm a I'm I'm back. You're back. You're back.
You're back. Slow.
Sorry. Take it slow.
Sorry. when you're talking to me about This juice stuff. Can't believe I just told that story on the air, but it's the truth. That's pretty good. I also like Patrick.
Peace agree to 35 to 1. Obviously, I love that man. Jake Knapp, 70 to 1. All right. And I need to hit that white ball.
I just don't do it enough. But after this weekend, I'm going to want to keep doing it all on. I had it on Sunday. I know. I know.
But I have plans Sunday, which I'll announce tomorrow. Don't go anywhere. Uh The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Rich Eisen here. The April 15th tax deadline is coming fast, but don't worry.
Hand off your taxes to a TurboTax expert today. You know how April feels. Everything speeds up, games matter more. Hoops and hockey schedules tighten. Your phone won't stop buzzing.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, there's that quiet little reminder. Taxes. You'll get to it tonight or tomorrow or after the weekend. And if you handle it the old way, you're refreshing your inbox like it's breaking news, waiting, wondering, hoping everything's squared away. That's a lot of mental bandwidth.
With Intuit TurboTax Expert Full Service, you can match with a dedicated expert who understands your specific tax situation and handles your taxes for you, start to finish. You can do it all online or meet in person at one of their new tech-enabled store locations. Have your tax forms imported directly into the app and hand everything off to your TurboTax expert. While they work to get you every dollar you deserve, you can go about your normal routine, giving you time back to focus on what actually deserves your attention, like rooting for your team to make the playoffs. April 15th is not waiting, people.
Visit turbo tax.com and hand off your taxes to a turbo tax expert today. Um You're sitting at a red light or stuck in traffic and your phone lights up. Maybe it's a text, a video call, a new post, or a quick notification you think you can check in a second. It feels harmless. But the truth is, once your eyes leave the road, you're not really driving anymore.
and traffic doesn't pause just because you do. That split second of distraction can throw off everything. Your reaction time, your awareness, your ability to avoid someone else's mistake. You could damage your car, injure yourself, or hurt someone you care about. Or you could get pulled over for a reminder that your phone isn't worth the risk.
So before you start driving, make it easy on yourself. Put your phone unsilent, toss it in the glove box. Set it to Do Not Disturb. Put the phone away or pay. Paid for by Nitza.
Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, 844-204 Rich is the number to tell here on the program.
Okay. What would Rory winning it again mean for you, buddy? Oh my gosh, you'd be crying. I was, you know, definitely crying last year. I've been watching all the Masters YouTube channel put together this thing with Rory where he relived and talked through every shot of the final round last year.
That was awesome to go back through and watch with him. And then his documentary on Amazon Prime, which kind of recapped his journey, you know, chasing the Masters, you know, for 15 years and completing the Grand Slam. Like Alan said, his story. He is from the odds of someone coming from this very small town in Northern Ireland and becoming. Probably the greatest European golfer ever is minuscule and his blue-collar family, what his parents went through to get him to this point, traveling the world, all these junior tournaments.
It's really inspiring, especially for someone like me. My son is six and He really enjoys playing golf. And so, you know, he said to me the other day, I'd like to win a green jacket someday. And it's like, wow, that's really amazing that you can sit here, take all of that in, and speak that, and want to speak that into existence. And it's like, yeah, why not?
Look what this guy has done with his life and his career and where he came from. And it would be a phenomenal weekend if Rory can take home another one. He's just true to himself, it seems, and stays home. Emotionally, spiritually, which is why people were asking him about his menu choices, being very un-Irish-like. His answer also shows how chill and relaxed he is.
I was trying to achieve.
Something that I would enjoy, but also some, and ties back to experiences that I've had. But also wanted it to be something that all the other people in that room would enjoy as well. People keep asking me why didn't you go more Irish? And I said, because I want to enjoy the dinner as well.
So I tried to do a few things that I thought everyone would eat. The club encouraged me to do one vegetarian dish in the appetizers, so that's where the peach and ricotta flatbread came from. I think that one was probably for Gary Blair. But yeah, it's been fun. It's been fun to work through.
The club have been amazing, amazing to work with. And as I said, the fun part was getting access to that wonderful wine cellar that they have. And I'm excited to share those wines with everyone tonight as well. Man, I can only imagine what the Augusta National wine cellar looks like. Rich.
Did we have a caller say it's probably one of the best in the world? Oh my gosh. I can only imagine. I'm, you know, just kind of stunned also how far Augusta National has come that They want a vegan option. For the Masters Championship dinner.
Well, he's won it multiple times. He doesn't eat meat, Mr. Player. That's what I. But I mean, you're supposed to eat your greens, and I guess that's what you need to do to win the Masters: chew up the greens.
Yeah. You know? The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
