For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves. Loved ones, neighbors, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts. At SpryEvent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more.
Thrive and where money means more. Connect with us at ThriveInt.com. 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. Coming back to do Sports Center after 23 years, part of me thought I'd feel like a fish out of water. Live from New York City. Rich, we're ready for you in the studio.
Studio is the other way, Rich. It's the Rich Eisen Show. Today's guests, Emmy Award-winning actor Tony Shalou, NBC Sports MLB analyst Anthony Rizzo, actor Andrew McCarthy, WWE superstar Cody Rhodes. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
Well, hey, everybody, welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show. Once again, emanating from downtown Manhattan, New York City, the Disney studios, if you will, off of Hudson, right here on the Rich Eisen Show, Disney Plus, the ESPN app on ESPN Radio. Also on SiriusXM Channel 80. If you're watching, you see two very handsome bald men sitting here. I'm one of them, Chris Brockman's the other.
Rich. We've got TJ Jefferson and Mike Del Tufo back in their spots in Los Angeles. Don't worry, guys. We're coming back on Wednesday for you guys. Good to see you, gentlemen.
How are you doing? Good morning, Rich. Good morning, Brock. Going on, Mikey. How are you guys doing?
Going on. And we're doing well. It's all right. Oh, Shay's coming in. TJ Jefferson, I see you're lighting the candle.
TJ, you'll be happy.
Okay.
Well, you'll be happy to know, TJ, that once again, we booked a guest just walking into the green room here in the wonderful world of Disney and ESPN here. I love it. Yesterday, that's where we ran into Joe Tessator.
Okay.
So we ran into Joe Tess here yesterday, and so he then appeared on the third hour of the program. We just ran into Cody Rhodes. He's joining us on the third hour of the program. TJ Jefferson. That's indeed.
So let me get a question. He's going to be here.
Well, I mean, you. I think I'm sure you got one off the top of your head. You also spent the day, you know. Being car washed in the ESPN universe, correct? Yeah, man.
I did Unsportsmanlike this morning with Evan and Chris Canty. That was great. Talked to WrestleMania. Just did an interview with ESPN Radio a little bit ago.
So, yeah, man, the places wrestling will take you. You know what I mean? The places wrestling will take you. But yeah, this has been no contest wrestling. TJ Jefferson, O'Shea, Jackson Jr.
And then on Thursday, Women's Sports Now will debut on the ESPN app and various other outlets. 20 weeks of just talking about women's sports. The WNBA draft went down here last night to talk about that on this three-hour edition. It was all UCLA all the time, pretty much here in New York City last night. Tony Shaloub is in our green room.
He's in a wonderful new show on MGM Plus called American Classic with Kevin Klein and Laura Linney. And him, just to name three outstanding actors on that front, Anthony Rizzo is going to be joining us. Let's talk baseball. With him.
Well, you're back being a baseball fan because of yesterday.
Well, I mean, it was a great night eventually on the scoreboard in the Bronx, but with Judge and Trout both going yard twice, that's a nice 21st-century snapshot of what baseball is all about moment.
So, Anthony Rizzo will join us, and I think we're going to put your.
Soon to be, or not soon to be, your poorly aging take on ABS to the test that you don't like it. I just think it's unnecessary. I think it is highly necessary, and I think it's doing well. But we'll talk to Anthony Rizzo about that, Cody Rhodes, in hour number three. Love it.
And then Andrew McCarthy, who many of you know from some great films in his career, he's got a new book called Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America. He'll be here in the studio in hour number three. There's our phone lines, as always: 844-204, Rich. Number to dial. I think the table is now set.
Let's get it, Rich. I'm here for you. You know why I'm here for you? Why? Speak to me.
Because these are the football items that happened yesterday and today. This is my boy. This is, well, I mean, this is. Two things that you want to see happen. You want to see A.J.
Brown as a patriot. I do. And you want to see a team. tell a young quarterback At the end of his first contract, thank you for your service. Despite how well you have been playing.
despite how terrific you are in the community. Despite how woven deeply into the fabric you are, you're really setting the side of this great franchise. No matter all of that, we love you. And the fans love you. Oh.
But you have not gotten to an AFC championship game or a championship game period or an NFC championship game period. Bang it or a Super Bowl. You have not reached the ultimate height yet, and we are not going to continue down the road to see if you will, if you're going to cost us. A salary cap busting. 50 some odd million, 60 some odd million dollar contract.
We don't know. Which one do you want to hit first? Oh, let's start with the quarterback stuff. Let's do it. Let's do that.
Yeah, let's go there. You have pegged Nick Casario, the general manager of the Houston Texans, as your hero without a cape. He is my Val Kilmer from Tombstone. Because he comes from the New England Patriots system, where you get rid of players before they have actually reached. Their point of no return.
Even if they do have a year or two left, or in the case of C.J. Stroud, an entire career left. Maybe of runway to reach The point from which you will never forget winning it all. and CJ Stroud three years into his career. Not just playoff seasons in.
Not just a couple of times division champion seasons in, but winning a playoff game in each of those three years into his career. He gets a fifth-year option. Picked up. But no contract extension. As of yet.
And you are reading that potentially as the step. That you're looking to see. You need to see for your dream of a player. It is your dream. My dream.
I think teams could go about roster building a little bit differently. We can get a little bit more creative. And I think this is one aspect that has yet to be explored that I think wouldn't be a bad idea for some teams. You just want to see fewer Chris Greers of the world, you want to see fewer guys. who have been Fired because they sign a player to a second contract.
That completely backfired. Yeah. Yeah. You want to see people who are no longer giving the contract just because it's that player's time, like say it is right now for C.J. Stroud, has to get a market value contract because it is his time.
Correct.
Okay.
So Nick Casario speaking before the draft. Was asked if the fact that it's just a fifth-year option and not a now. New contract extension for CJ Stroud yet. If this is a sign that his future is in doubt, In Houston. This is the question you wanted asked of Nick Casario.
It is. It was asked of Nick Casario.
Well done. Whoever asked the question, great job.
Well done. Here's the answer from said general manager. I don't really think it affects his future. I mean, he's our quarterback. We've said that from the beginning.
D'Amico and I have both said it.
So, I mean, I think that was really more of a procedural thing. I mean, I don't want to say it was a no-brainer, but it was kind of a no-brainer.
So, glad he's here. Again, it's more part of the process. I mean, so we're excited about his offseason. I think he's had a good approach, had a good attitude here. I think he's putting a lot of work in, you know, from I'd say March and April.
So, excited to have him around here in the spring, and I'm excited to keep moving forward. What did you make of the? He was a little twitchy with a hand movement and a lot of shoulder shrugs, like you know, the body language was saying, There's nothing to see here. Why are you asking me? The body language and the answer, the staccato response, was 100% like nothing to see here.
Everybody, move on. Why are you asking me a question? Because I'm not going to negotiate with you here publicly for C.J. Stroud's. Generationally enriching long-term contract.
You know, when Dak signed, home, I'm not done yet. When Dak signed that contract with Dallas. You make him a sixty million dollar a year quarterback. He beat CJ Stroud to the punch. Remember when everything was going down with Kyler?
That contract as well? Yeah. Has not aged well to the point where he's on a different team for $1.3 million league minimum. Um I I peg C.J. Stroud as the first guy to make break the $60 million bar.
Yeah. So It's already been broken, but Stroud is going to have to get. get a new contract. Bef what, before the season? Um If he doesn't.
If he doesn't, then a lot of the shoulder shrugs and the arm movement will be like. What more do you need to see? I need to see him go to the AFC championship game. And not make mistakes like the ones that he did in New York. And not hand the game to the Patriots essentially in the first half.
Okay.
So you think that looks like a guy who's thinking of pulling off your game? I think that's a guy who's like, oh man, I ran. Really needs CJ to be awesome this year, and then we can actually pay him. But he wants to. I'm sure he and his agents are like.
Your three's in the books. Let's go. It's time to get paid. You can wait. What is the rush?
They picked up the fifth-year option. We got two more for the first time. Which is procedural. Procedural, but in theory, you have two more full seasons to see what this guy can do. I would be curious what Texans fans want.
Okay, I will, that's why we have phone lines, right? 84204, which number. React to me.
So, how about this? How about this? How about this? You're keeping the. new contract extension at arm's length.
Right? Because you don't have to do it.
Now you don't have to do it. All they had to do is beat the deadline to pick up a fifth-year option, which was a no-brainer. I don't call it a no-brainer, but it's a no-brainer. It's a no-brainer. I say no-brainer.
That is a no-brainer. Absolutely, you're doing that. Absolutely. No question about it. Certainly, since it's what, $25 million, which is Malik Willis money.
That's a great deal. There's no way he's playing in the fifth year option. I'll tell you that right now. It's not going to happen, but it has to happen for you to have your dream come true. of somebody basically saying, we're done here.
We're going back into, or we'll franchise tag you, we'll treat you like Kirk Cousins. Another two years, and then we'll be done. Then we'll go back into the draft. But you're going to have a guy who's definitely not happy about that. You're going to have a guy who's also this summer going to watch Will Anderson make a mint.
Will Anderson maybe have a contract that starts with a five in front of it?
Well, like I said last week.
Okay, which Will Anderson is one of the best players at his position.
Okay.
CJ Stroud is not. How do you tell that to your quarterback? to his face. Man, football is a hard game with hard truths. What you could do, and this is gonna conversation, if he does not get a new deal before the season.
Play out year four. Why doesn't the Pittsburgh Steelers try to trade for him? After next year. A team that has zero quarterback plan for the future.
Well, that won't happen because he's the quarterback of the Texans for the future. Right now.
Okay, no, not right now. He will be. When you when you're when you're when you're how how old is Cage? Six. All right.
When he hits. Um When he hits Yeah. 12. Double digits? When he gets to 12, when he's in the middle of middle school, C.J.
Stroud will be the quarterback of the Houston Texans. No chance. Please write this down. This is grabbing. This is a zero point.
You know, I'm cutting this.
Okay.
TJ, write that down. Cut this video. No chance. Making an absolute mint. The Houston Texans, right?
They haven't moved. Texans, correct. I'm telling you. Wow. This is going to be a longer wait than your Celtics win the East parlay.
I only got two months. I'm still alive, baby. Still alive. Godfather. He's taking all those shots.
Still alive. All right. That's fun stuff. I like it.
Now, let's, before we welcome in Tony Shaloub. You want A.J. Brown and the Patriots. I mean, yes. You want A.J.
Brown to be a traded view. He's fired by the Patriots. One word. Yep. Yeah.
Okay, on occasion. This was asked of Elliott Wolfe. Hey! The man who could call up. You know, Howie Roseman and Google.
Sure, that's Howie. We're Mishbuka. Let's chat. We're Mishpuka. I'm Mishbuka.
Are we? Are we Mishbaca? Look it up. I don't know what that means. We are Mishbuka.
We want to be Mishbuka. We're because we're friends. But look it up. You won't even know how to spell it.
Well, the Google did help.
Okay.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. What did you go for? A Yiddish term derived from Hebrew for an entire family network, including relatives by blood and marriage or close friends. There you go. We are Mishbuka.
We're Mishbuka. We're Mishpuka. We are. Yeah, what's your name? Elliott, call up Howie.
What's going on, Howie?
Sounds like you're just going to be. Shalom. Shalom. Rich, real quick. Real quick, is Tony Shalom, was he a scheduled guest or did you just snatch him off the street too?
Yeah. No, no, no, he's a schedule. He's scheduled. He's scheduled. Dude, this is not snatch him off the street.
What you got to do is kidnapping somebody. Like the Rich Eisen Show White Van is driving around in Manhattan with grabbing people. Please, get it out. I'm just saying. All right, no, excuse me.
Elliot Wolfe is trying to answer a question, Chris Brock. I need to answer about acquiring H.J. Bond. You want to do it, Elliot? Hit it.
As far as players on other teams, again, going to keep the door open to anything that we think may improve. our roster, whether that's with the player you mentioned or other players. Nothing. He gave you nothing. With the player you mentioned, you can't say his name.
Nothing. That's tampering. We don't do it. We don't break the rules in New England. You got it, you got what?
Mike, Del Tufa. It's called Ugats. Ugats. Mike, it's Ugats, right? Ugats.
Right? Nothing. You want to look that up? Ugats. How do you spell that?
He has no idea how to spell Ugats. But give it a name, Stugats. How do you spell Ugats? Come on. Ugats.
Isn't it Ugats? You got Ugats means yes. Stugats. We don't want him to go there. U-G-O-T-E.
Yeah. Ugats. Yeah, Italian slang derived from meaning nothing. Absolutely nothing. That's what you just got.
Yeah. You're going to get not how about this? A.J. Brown's not getting traded to you until the summer. Yeah.
Oh, wait, so you say something. The June 1st date means a lot to the Eagles. If at all. It's not ha what I'm just saying is it's not going to happen on Friday. Thursday night, you're not going to hear his name or the Patriots who are going to be able to do it.
Oh, yeah, sure. You know what I mean? Like, you're not going to hear it on Friday of our Pittsburgh show. We're not going to be talking about it. It's not happening.
I want a cheeseburger. I just told you two things: one short-term, one very long-term. Yeah. Yeah, and you'll get nothing. I'll get nothing in them.
You're like Spalding right now. Patriots fan. You're getting nothing in the middle. I hate that. Patriots fan.
I hate it. And you'll have to like it. Spalding is the worst. Spalding. See, I gave you what you wanted.
I gave you answers to questions you wanted to know. That's what you did. C.J. Stroud. I don't like him.
I'm telling you. I'm telling you. I don't like him. Your son's going to get ready for high school. 12, he's going to get ready.
And he'll be drafting C.J. Stroud in his fantasy from the Houston Texans. Rich, are you saying Cage Mall? He'll draft the hall pass. KJ will be driving out of it.
Well, I mean, nobody's 12. No, I'm saying, even past that. Double his age. CJ Stroud will be there. All right, let's take a break.
Tony Shaloub is in our green room. Let's bring him out. For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves. Loved ones, neighbors, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts.
At ThriveEnt, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more. ThriveEnt, where money means more. Connect with us at Thriveent.com. Oh, oh, oh.
O'Reilly! Check engine, ABS, or maintenance light on? Take the guesswork out of your warning lights with O'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE-certified master technicians. And if you need help, we could recommend a shop for you.
Ask for O'Reilly Veriscan today. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, all right. 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.
Uh Mm-hmm. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Awesome for so many years. Tony Shaloub here on The Rich Eisen Show, American Classic. We just saw a clip available now on MGM Plus.
The season finale was just released on Sunday night, so go to MGM Plus and catch up on this. What spoke to you when you got offered the opportunity to do this show and you found out what it was in the character that you're playing?
Well, you know, I came out of the theater. In fact, the reason I got into this project in the first place is because an old friend, Leslie Erdang, who was the producer of this show, she and I were at drama school together. We went to the Yale Drama School. And she asked me to do this part of the agent. And She said, you know, there are a lot of our friends, a lot of people that we came up with are.
are involved in this too. theater people, people that are New York. Kind of the stable of New York actors. And I just fell in love with the material. And you don't often get to do, you don't often see shows ever really that are about the theater, about the and this one is sort of like a community theater in a way.
Yes. People who come in to do this play are really, they're not actors, they're really just from, you know, they have jobs, they work in the town, but it's the theater is kind of the center that. That brings this community together and holds it together. Right. And you play an agent.
Yeah, and I and it's fun too because I've got a little bit of a matter of time. Absolutely. Okay.
I guess my character is an amalgam of a lot of people that I've come across over the years. Yeah, but it's fun to be on the other side of the desk. That's awesome. And, you know, again, it's available on MGM Plus right now. For those.
Listening on radio, Tony has shown up. In a maroon sweater shirt that says Wisconsin across it. What's your hometown in Wisconsin? Green Bay.
So legitimately from Green Bay, Wisconsin.
So you grew up seeing the cathedral there in your home, too. The shrine, yes. And mean, and I grew up, you know, in the Lombardi years.
So those were all of my heroes, you know, Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Paul Horning, and Boyd Dowler, and I could name them all and give you all their numbers and their stats and everything. Henry Jordan. Did you see them like in supermarkets, like just living in town?
Well, we actually did get to interact with them. And one of my older sisters babysat for Lombardi's kids. And oh, yeah. And this was. It's like burning the midnight oil.
And who was babysitting? I'm from a big family. I'm one of 10. Yes. One of my older sisters.
But, you know, the thing is, this is a small town. I mean, it's only maybe 100,000 people.
Now, when I was coming up, it was 65,000 people.
So, you know, it was not uncommon that you would rub elbows with every one of them. Do you remember what the Lombardians were? Parties paid per hour for your sister's babysitting services. I'll have to. Let me make that call and I'll get back to you.
It was probably the best gig in town, babysitting gig in town, I'm guessing. That is awesome. Because, again, it's such a, I remember when I first showed up. In Green Bay, as part of my work with the NFL network. And I was told: You're never going to believe it.
It's a small town, and then there is. Lambeau Field. It's set right in a residential area. It's the truth. It really is the truth.
It's fantastic. And Steve Mariuchi, who was on the Packers staff for a while, is Favre's. Quarterback coach told me the story of How he knew of an individual who owned one of the houses nearby Lambeau Field. And he would rent it out to a bunch of college students all year long. But on game days, would come and move in himself and turn his tenants into the wait staff.
For his tailgate party. That's brilliant. I wish I'd have thought of that. Isn't that amazing? He told me that story, and I'm like, that is such a Packers.
Green Bay Packers tailgate story.
Well, and then, of course, anyone who's been to Lambo knows that all of the houses. surrounding the stadium People park cars on the lawns of the residence. 15 bucks, 20 bucks.
Well, it used to be like $5, but whatever. Sure. And. Three sisters that live in Green Bay, and two of them live Walking distance from Lambeau. And so, you know, when I go and I stay with one of them, we just can just walk over.
It's great. And just go to the statue of Lombardi and just go and visit it. It is a pro shop. Yeah, exactly. And what they've done to the place is pretty cool over the last 20-some-odd years.
It's beautiful. And I have my father had season tickets, and so I've gotten a hold of eight of those for every game.
So. I try to get back for at least a couple of games a year. family Season tickets still exist. Eight. Oh, yeah.
I think my father had more than that amount. But only eight have eight remaining. Where are they? Where are they in the States? There are actually four together, like over all on the Packers side, but four together, like around the five, then two on the 1520 over here, and then a couple on the.
35.
Okay.
Good tickets.
So what what do you think of the current uh Green Bay Packers, Matt LaFleur, Jordan Love? I'm on I'm you know, I'm on the Jordan Love train. I I think he's fantastic. And uh I just I know they're they're they're due. Their time is coming.
And you know, we all thought this year was going to be uh A big year. And then of course some key injuries got um in the way. I I have so much, you know, kind of I mean, we're all during every game, we're all texting each other and, you know, and play by play and uh So it's a you know, when when the season's over. How? We have to find something else to do with ourselves.
You have to find other things to talk about, which isn't that easy. It's not that easy for sure. And the Bears have now entered the chat, Tony. Oh, my God. Big time.
How do you feel about that? That the bears, and this doesn't look like a flash in the pan either. No, no, it does not. It's a sensitive subject for me because of what happened in in those games this year. Uh I don't want to say, you don't want to badmouth them.
Do it, Tony. Do it. They're on a sports talk radio show right now. A bunch of cheaters. What can I tell them?
I didn't say that. There you go. Let's roll that back. No, what I meant was that they're very competitive. That was the word that was too much thinking.
Well, I mean, Ben Johnson, the head coach of the Bears, makes it his business to throw out the red meat there in Chicago at the expense of Matt LaFleur. Provocateur, yes. That's right. Yeah, but they've got an enormous amount of talent. They do.
Unfortunately, this coming year is not going to do them much good. Why do you think that? I just think Green Bay's gonna have.
Okay.
Okay, I like it. Tony Shaloup here on The Rich Eisen Show. Let me talk about a couple other things that you've done in your career. Men in Black, when you showed up on that set, Um And How did they describe to you who you were going to play in this film?
Well, prior to filming, you know, I had to have a meeting with Rick Baker, who is this genius. Oscar winning makeup artist, special effects makeup artist.
So I went into his studio and there are renderings of all of the aliens and all of the people.
So he said, This is gonna, it's gonna look something like this. We're gonna take a cast of your head. I think if I remember correctly, I mean, this was a long time ago, and the technology was awesome. Yeah, agreed. I had to sit very still in this one chair, kind of like strapped into this chair and they had a camera on a circular track.
Yes. And they did a A 360 of my head in order to do the, you know, when my head gets blown off and grows back.
So this was a this was the first time I'd ever really seen this kind of Computer graphic technology. Still in the mid-90s, this was, right? Yeah. Yeah. And so I had an idea of what.
What you know, how extreme it would be. And I, um You know, you just Trusted Barry, you know, Sonnenfeld, the director. Right. And I had worked with him briefly before. And Just just went for it.
You know, it's so funny because I I you were talking earlier about American classic and and you know theater coming up in the theater.
So that's where my training was. And um Men in Black felt like that. We're in a film, but it felt so theatrical, so larger than life. Right. And they allowed me to just kind of unleash all of those impulses and go for it.
Yeah, there was no class in Yale to learn how to get your head blown off the mailing and have it grow back and then have you try and react to it. No. But what's more disturbing is that. You know, people always say You know, that they recognize me, you know, from that movie. And it disturbs me because it's not my best look.
You know what I mean? I was like, really? Do you see me that way? Would it be better that or Galaxy Quest that they're like, you could notice that as well? Yeah, that's another one.
I love that movie. That movie is outstanding. And again, I know for some age, for some of the ages, you have to explain what a Trekkie is to somebody in a way. But at the time, for sure, I mean, it was kind of a send-up. It was also a lot of fun.
It was an homage to a send-up and an homage to those crowd. For sure. Were you a Trekkie or anything like that? I wasn't. I mean, of course, I watched it, but I wasn't like one of those obsessed people.
But. Galaxy quest was a It was just a ph a phenomenal time. Yes. You know, made lifelong friends during that movie. Like who, Sigourni?
Well, Sigourni, of course, and Dean Paraso, who directed it. Right. And Missy Pyle. I mean, it was just, it was such a Sam Rockwell, you know, huge movie for him. And Alan Rickman, who has since passed away, he was amazing in that movie.
Latest, superb. He was great in that movie. Everything about that movie was a blast. I agree. Monk, who were you channeling when you were Monk?
I think I would have to say me. Um I'm really Well, monk isn't kind of an extreme or more exaggerated version of me because I may I'm told. By my wife, that I do have some of those tendencies, but. But again, doing the part of Adrian Monk sort of allowed me to just sort of let it all. you know, to release it all and go as as far as I wanted to.
Cause you know in life you have these impulses, but you You you just sort of repress them. You don't You know, because if you're in if you're in public, you don't want to appear so strange. Where you might I might see something I want to like straighten or move or adjust. I don't do it. Adrian just doesn't have that filter.
He just has to do it. Yes. The compulsion takes over him.
So, is there something on the desk that you have a compulsion to move right now that you're avoiding it?
Well, your cards are askew. Hold on a minute. Let me take care of this for you.
Okay.
That's better. That's way better.
Okay.
They're all over the place, huh? Yeah, that's me. See, I'm not monk like you. You're the opposite.
So, what moment in monk was something that potentially you're like, you know what, I think it would be better if it's done this way, because that's the way I would normally do it. Is there something like that?
Well, it wasn't just one moment. There were a number of moments that. That arose during, especially during the shooting of the pilot.
Okay.
And we were talking about Galaxy Quest earlier, and. Uh gala Galaxy Quest was a couple of years before We did the pilot of Monk. Yes. But I. I really was helped so much by the director on Galaxy Quest, again, Dean Paris.
And um When we were going to do the pilot of Monk, I requested, I asked the network, could we get Dean to direct the pilot? Because what Dean did so excuse me. What Dean did so brilliantly with Galaxy Quest was he he was able to you know, get the the comedic, the really broad comedic stuff, but he was able to weave it into the more um poignant moments. You know, the the mo it was a very mo there's moving, moving uh segments, sections of that movie. No doubt.
Um And And so I wanted I wanted monk to have that duality. I didn't want it to be just slapsticky and and uh sitcomy. I wanted it to have uh a balance. And and I I felt Dean would be able to help us with that. And he really did.
He was uh He was instrumental in helping me to find, you know, the. The not just the uh The core of that character, but the range of it.
So there's not one moment where somebody would point to go, That's Tony Shaw. You know, like that's something like that.
Well, you know, I do have a thing about picture frames on the wall. That's that's you know You got it before if you if it's askew, you got a I got it. I mean that was before Monk, but we definitely were able to billboard that quite often. in monk. Dean gave me a really interesting thing early on in the pilot.
We were in an apartment, I think it was a crime scene. Mm-hmm. And There was just a desk lamp. It's a simple thing, just a desk lamp sitting there. And we're shooting the scene, and one take and another take.
And he said, What do you think about that? Lampshade, hmm? And I wasn't quite following him. And he said, Do you feel like you need to touch that lampshade? And during the scene, so then we did another take, and I just with my index finger just slowly reached over and touched the edge of the lampshade.
In A very, very simple moment, second, really. And all of a sudden It is something like monk just sort of entered, you know, the spirit of monk just sort of entered me. It was like it just ran right up my arm. And I. And he was right.
I just, it just. Yeah. I understood the physical life of the character in a different way. It's hard to describe. And then from there, we just.
We just you know, we would just use every opportunity to adjust things. And the Emmys started to flow. Yeah, there they came. Before I let you go, I do have to just tell you, the marvelous Mrs. Maisel is without question One of my top five favorite TV shows of all time, ever.
It is incredible. I miss it every day. Me too. Me too. Because it was just.
Marvelous is a perfect word for it. And your character in it. Um the way that You know, he grew as a dad and also grew as a person, and sometimes regressed as a person, and then grew as a paternal. Moment between you and Rachel Brosnahan, the marvelous Mrs. Maisel, was beautiful.
I mean, they were tear-jerking.
Well, you know, I I I really was very fortunate. First of all, uh that period for me is is really good. You know, working that the nate late nineteen fifties and you know, because I was a child coming up then.
So when I got to that set and I saw the you know the drawings of my wardrobe And I started to see all of these things in the kitchen, in the furniture, and all of the detail. I mean, it just brought me back to my childhood. Those were the clothes my father sometimes would wear, and my uncles and his friend, their friends. it there was a certain you know level of comfort being in in that world again. And so uh but of course, blessed with amazing writers, a cast, a dream cast to work with, d uh the creative team, the costumer and the s the art the art director.
It was like working with all the best people all at the same time. It was also one of the most satisfying for a fan final. By the way, you just did a very monk thing. You just took it. There was a little piece of lint on the mic.
Wow. See, it just happened. Oh, my gosh. I just noticed that. But it was.
For a fan, one of the most satisfying final seasons and final episodes. 'Cause so many shows don't know how to finish.
So many shows don't know how to satisfy a fan. How to land the plane. The plane. It was. An incredible ending of the plane.
I think what they did better than anyone else, I think, is that they didn't just wrap up the leads story. Yes. And they kind of were able to do it with all of the secondary characters and the entire ensemble. Everybody's. Everybody's story kind of came to a satisfying conclusion.
That's very rare in television. Right. And then the final scene, I don't want to give it away. I thought it was just perfect, you know, where they're just watching television together over the phone. Yeah.
But I did just was always wondering what happened with your character at the very end, you know, and how satisfied you must have been as a dad to finally see. Your daughter hit it, you know, after wondering if she was making the right moves and questioning her decisions. That scene where you see her accidentally for the first time on stage in the Cat Skills. Oh, yeah. Unbelievable.
You know, that was I guess my favorite moment in the show involving. You know, it was one of my favorite moments, too. And I have to tell you, very little acting happened. you know, I I didn't really have to do much because Rachel is such a She's such a star and she's such a force. I I was Uh as as me, as Tony sitting In the Abe garb.
Watching her Perform this in front of, because the room was big and it was full of background extras and all that. And watching her do this. Yeah. Especially the moment where she's doing this kind of blue act, right? The moment when she sees me for the first time.
And she Knows that it's going to be a difficult moment, but there's something in that character that just she can't stop. She's so. Her spine is made of such, you know, tempered steel that she just. drives through and she goes f She goes even further. And watching her make that very subtle adjustment.
Uh My jaw was, and like Abe, my jaw was, you know, hitting the table. That wasn't acting. It was not. I love it. And now before I, again, now I'm going to let you go.
But speaking of bringing it all full circle, you mentioned you're part of a big family. And, you know, we just talked about fatherhood. We thought they'd never leave. Musings on food and family. There's your cover right there.
Yes. With you and your daughter, Robin. Yes, my daughter, Josie. She and I co-authored this book. It's about my family, again, I'm from a large family, and we've been having annual family reunions for the last 50 odd years.
How we do it, the numbers have. exploded.
Now we're you know over fifty people. But we do it Excuse me, for a week, yes, every summer by the lake in Wisconsin. And uh, And this book is kind of an homage to my parents who got it started. It's fun. Stories about when I was growing up and stories about when I was acting as a young actor.
And it's food related, but it's not a cookbook.
Well, and it's called We Thought They'd Never Leave, which sounds like family reunions, right? Musings on food and family. And it's on sale October 27th, but you can pre-order right now. And by October 27th, Packers should be what, 9-0 by that point in time, pretty much. That's like week nine of it.
They'll be 6-0. They'll be 6-0. All right. Great to see you, Tony Shaloub. Thanks for being here.
Thank you so much. Everybody, again, check out Tony Shaloub on MGM Plus. American Classic is there for you to check out. We're back here from New York in a moment. Rich Eisen here.
Every time I travel for a major sports moment, whether it's a playoff run or a huge prime-time matchup, I see firsthand what happens to a city. Hotels fill up fast, energy builds, everyone wants to be part of it.
Now imagine that. On a global scale, the FIFA World Cup is coming this summer, people, and with it, thousands of fans traveling to host cities across the country. If you happen to live in one of those cities and you're planning to be away, maybe you've got your own summer trip lined up. This could be a practical opportunity. While you're gone, you could list your space on Airbnb and welcome traveling fans who want to experience the FIFA World Cup in person.
You're not changing your routine. You're not committing to anything year-round. You're simply making the most of a moment when your city is in the global spotlight. I know when I'm on the road for a huge event, having a comfortable home base makes all the difference. And that's what fans will be searching 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. 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. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Back here on the Rich Eyes Show, nice chat with Tony Shalou.
That was great. Prior to which, we were talking about how Elliot Wolf was asked about A.J. Brown. And I mentioned how he could just call up Howie Roseman and say, We're in a Shpuka, let's go, let's talk.
Well, Mr. Roseman's been asked about A.J. Brown. He has. All right, here's the latest answer from Howie on the A.J.
Brown possibility of being traded. You mentioned the depth at wide receiver, you know, after trading for Wicks and signing Hollywood and also Elijah Moore. What does that mean for A.J. Brown? Like, do you feel like if he is traded, you have depth there at wide receiver?
Like, how do you think? Do you think the odds are that I'm answering this question any different than I answer it anywhere else? Like, really? Like, do you think that's like 50%? Do you think that's 75%?
I feel like I needed to ask. A.J. Brown's an eagle. A.J. Brown's an eagle.
I just love how Howie is just having fun now answering the question.
Well, look, it's April 14th. What are the odds that I'm going to answer the question differently than any time I've ever answered it? I love it. He's going to have to answer questions about it. Traded.
Why does he need to be traded? He clearly has an issue with the quarterback. Or. Or He's going to have to deal with it. Yeah, I mean, this guy is not normally how it works for star players who want to get out of their situation.
But they normally will verbalize it. I want to be traded. I'm not here anymore. Do not expect me to arrive anymore. I'm no longer going to be here.
I'm going to voice it. I'm going to put you in a difficult position. And there's two things. Either he has done that and it hasn't gotten out, and how he is holding on to him because it is most advantageous to hold on to him for cap purposes until after June 1 and then it's going to get done. Right.
And he now has to answer the question this way over and over and over again because A.J. Brown is an Eagle and he's not going anywhere until June 1st, or he's not going anywhere at all, which is exactly what would make sense if you're trying to win a Super Bowl for the Philadelphia Eagles. with the roster they currently have otherwise. My receiver room's a little crowded right now. And it would be highly difficult.
Or at least the odds of winning it all would be greater. With him and less without him. He's that good. That's why you want him. That's why the Rams were interested in getting him.
The fact that the Rams even kicked tires on him to the point where they were had to tell Devontae Adams something afterwards means there is a there there. Mm-hmm. I get that. But there's no there there until after June 1st, number one. And then after that, you have to ask the question.
How is this team better without him? How is that possible? Do you think. They recently traded for Dantavian Wicks. They signed Hollow and Brown.
Those two combined, are they A.J. Brown? What do you mean, combined? Give the production those two players can give, along with Devontae Smith. Or you keep A.J.
Brown and you have all of them, and that is a hell of a four wide receiver set.
Okay.
With your tight end that you've got back and your all-world running back, just get a better offensive line play here. And a sensibility from the offensive coordinator that permeates everybody, that you can all buy in. How's that as an answer to this question?
Well, I think there's a lot of variables. But in the meantime, you can't blame everyone for keeping on asking him. That was a nice way to get in. Hey, you've gotten a bunch of other receivers. Yeah, the depth of the rest of the rest of the day.
Does that give you a little bit more leeway to actually. Give away the guy that we're all wondering if you're going to keep it. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show Podcast. You can watch and listen to The Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app, The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
