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Now, on with the show. JG, another jam! This is the Rich Eisen Show from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Continue Thunderbudding about Thunderbite 19. Today's guests.
Prime Video NFL analyst Andrew Whitworth. UCLA head coach Bob Chesney. Jaguars general manager James Gladstone. Comedian Tom Segura. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
Hour number one of this show of the Rich Eisen Shows on the Air, another way to say welcome. 844-204-Rich, number to dial right here on Disney Plus, right here on the ESPN app, ESPN Radio Series XM Channel 80. We're four wide today. Andrew Whitworth is first up. We haven't spoken to him in a while.
There's really nothing else other than just like, I miss him. You know? And we'll always talk football. Yeah, of course. And in terms of that, the UCLA new head coach Bob Chesney is here.
Uh Bruins fans are pumped for this guy Who took over James Madison after Kurt Signetti went to Indiana?
So they're hoping that that sort of pathway leads to some similar success. Here in Southern California. And anybody who's Signeti adjacent, I'm interested in meeting. Signetti adjacent? Oh, my gosh.
That's a good thing. No question about that. James Gladstone used to work out here in Southern California with the Rams organization.
Now he's the GM of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's joining us, and I need to know from him. Are we done with the idea of a two-way player in Travis Hunter? Are we finished with that? Is that done?
Because I would be sorely disappointed. I know. But he doesn't run the Jaguars based on whether I'm happy.
Well, maybe he should. Yeah. And then the last time Tom Segora was on this program, I was doing shots of the face of vodka at the Super Bowl a couple years ago. By the way, there's. Nothing factually inaccurate about what I just said.
We have that bottle. Yeah, it's over in the corner. Great. It is empty. There's a little bit left in case you want a couple of backwash.
Two-year-old Gronk backwash. Is that another fantasy team name? I mean, we're on fire this morning. We are. Tom Segora is in town, and he's back on this program in this studio.
He hasn't been here for years in this studio, but. One of my favorites joining us, Tom Segur. Um 844-204 Rich is the number to dollar. Hello, Chris Brockman. Good to see you.
Hey, Jason. Good morning, my friend. TJ Monkey D is in D. Good morning, Rich. Good to see you, TJ Jefferson.
Candles lit. What's up, fellas? Is O'Shea joining? What up? He's on his way.
You know, I talked to him last night. The last thing I said to him, I'm like, are you coming before the show's over? Because Rich asks me all the time. He's like, yes, I'll be there. Which means he won't.
I was saying, remind him again this morning. I'll text him around. I mean, he's not awake right now, people. He's busy. He's got a kid.
He'll contest wrestling later on today. Check it out. Yes, sir. Jacob Fatu. There you go.
Fatu. The Miz is on tomorrow.
So Fatu is on. We're talking a lot of wrestling here, Rich Eisen. I kind of dig it. Listen, I'm wrestling adjacent. Fatu is losing his mind, TJ.
Okay. Reign him in. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial here on the program.
So the Oklahoma City Thunder improved to 5-0 in these playoffs. Shocking. They bounced the Lakers in game one last night. Um and Listen. The um there's two conversations coming out of this.
One is If the Lakers are going to Make this a series and potentially shock the world without Luka Donchich. who's still sitting in his street clothes, and according to our friend from yesterday, Well, he's not our friend from yesterday. Our friend who was on the show yesterday. There you go. Because Brian Windhorse is a forever friend.
A forever friend. Or BFF. Yeah, for sure. You know what that stands for? Yeah, that's friend forever.
Thank you. Basketball finds focus. That's another one, too. Interesting. Interesting.
I'll stop. I mean, you from saying any more by continuing my thought here. He says Luke is not anywhere near coming back.
So If the Lakers are going to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder without. Luca. Holding SGA under 20 points for the first time in 141 attempts. That's wild. Hmm.
That's a good way. Check that box, right? If you're going to have Shea Gilgis Alexander. Turned it over seven times. The most turnovers he's had in a game since the game six loss in last year's.
Finals to Indianapolis. Daniana. Yeah. That's another way to do it, right? Guy doesn't turn the ball over very much, turned it over seven times.
Shot 8 of 15 from the field. He had 140 straight games with uh twenty or more points. Check those boxes. Right? Um Now then.
Not turning it over a ton of times yourself. You know, that would be a good thing. You know, don't turn it over 17 times to Oklahoma City's uncharacteristic 16. and not to lay this at the feet of any one player. But Austin Reeves can't go three for six.
It's just that simple. Yeah. You know, I'm not saying at least shoot 50%. That would be great, obviously. Give me 40.
But 40%? Three of 16 for eight points. That's just and then Marcus Smart also matches him for a minus 10 last night. He was 4 for 15.
So I will do the math for you. 7 for 31 from Austin Reeves and Makus Smat. Yikes. Max. Mackus Smats.
Ain't going to cut it. And then Jared Vanderbilt blowing his pinky up on the backboard didn't help either. And sure enough. You know, the Oklahoma City Thunder move on in game one. Thanks to Chet Holmgren's 24 and 12, they did, you know, Oklahoma City did its usual other things, which is.
Play terrific. Perimeter defense. Also, take advantage of your mistakes, turning the turnovers into transition points. Alex Caruso, despite his five points plus 15, led the Oklahoma City Thunder last night in that category.
So LeBron is sitting there answering questions about you know, hey, you held down SGA but you still lost. What does that mean? Or down one. Same. Shh.
Shea versus the Lakers is Laker vs. The Thunder. We're down we're down. One zero. That's The main thing, keep the main thing, the main thing, and that's who wins or lose.
That's all it's about. 27 points on 12 of 17 shooting for LeBron. He did his part. Six assists. Four rebounds, shot 50% from three, three of six.
So that's the one thing: the Lakers got what they needed out of. Their defense of Oklahoma City's best player still lost. By Uh, poop tit of points.
Well, all right, we'll do the math. It's 18. Yeah. Not great. Not great.
That's one story. The other story is the NBA can't win for losing. Because in the regular season, they can't stop their. Teams from tanking. to the point that they have to come up with some convoluted Always sunny in Philadelphia.
Conspiracy theory red stringed. Concept of anti-tanking with ping-pong balls and relegation zones and things like that. that'll be totally confusing for fans to understand. You can't stop the teams from tanking in the regular season. Oh, well, the postseason's hit.
We don't have to talk about tanking. But now, flopping is right there. Flopping is front and center. Jalen Brown called Your center, Joel and Biet, a big-time flopper. You know?
Yeah, and everybody thinks that was sour grapes. And Jalen Brown then quadrupled down in his own Twitch feed. Talking about how some referees need to be investigated. And that they clearly had an agenda.
Well, it's a $50,000 fine for Mr. Brown. Who cares? Chump change. Yeah.
Still 50 G's. But his other comment. Is the one that truly lingers. Every good basketball player does this. What are you all talking about?
They clearly had an agenda. That was the first. two sentences before the agenda line then. Cause the NBA to pop him. 50k.
And my timeline last night. How about yours? My timeline last night on threads, because I'm off the uh Hateful X. was filled With montages. Of SGA floppin'.
You say montage, I say montage. Montagerie. The montagery of SGA flopping. And fans are done with it, sick of it. Last year, the Oklahoma City Thunder were those young kids that were blossoming together in an MVP season for SGA.
You could countenance all of this flopping. Free throw merchant, I believe, is what Doris Burke. drop that line. on a broadcast that a lot of other people picked up. That's another way of saying he's flopping.
And he's getting the calls.
So There's that. Why would you stop? And the number of times where it's just like. Why is he just He's dribbling himself into trouble and then the way to get out of it is to f flare out a leg and then fall down on the ground. It's so unfortunate because he's so otherwise supremely talented.
We're not seeing the other stuff in the palm of my hand on a montage. You say montage. Listen. It's not just this game. The Pistons beat the Cavs in game one of their round two series last night.
Final score was Detroit winning by 10. And Donovan Mitchell shot nine of nineteen from the floor. He got 10 trips to the free throw line, made only 4. Of those.
So you could do the math and how it might have been different in the final score if he had a better night. But this was his comments. After the game. And um It's part and parcel of the new conversation that's hitting. All across the NBA right now, the playoffs.
Talking about flopping. A friend of mine got fined for talking about flop, so I'm not gonna try to double down, but I mean, like. I feel like that's what I got to do at this point. You know what I mean? Like.
I'm trying to get downhill, trying to get to the bucket and Sometimes my I'm I'm my People are in my way, and I'm trying to get fight through contact, and I'm not getting these calls. And you said I had, what, like, thirteen in the last series? Like, Four sixteen, I mean Um I'm just not getting the calls. I don't know why. I don't flop.
Maybe that's why. Um And this isn't just a tonight thing. been the entire series and it's It's frustrating a little bit, but Cause I'm such a dynamic driver, right? But I can't control that. A couple things here.
Number one, obviously, he meant. the entire playoffs, not the entire series, since it just started in game one. And number two is uh you may guys may not be aware because we don't usually hang out this way. I'm a dynamic driver as well on the four hundred five. Oh, yeah.
Oh man. Yeah, I've seen you out there.
So. Donovan and I have a certain similarity. I'm a dynamic driver. Both hands on the wheel? Um.
Sometimes, you know, there's a hand on 10. Dynamic driver, not at the American Century, but in your car. Let me stick to the jokes. That was mean. And you stick to.
not calling out my golf gameplay. Netflix is a joke. Thank you. Tom Segora on later. Listen.
Yeah. Okay. It's A season-long problem. And all I got to say is this. Is it A player problem.
Or is it an officiating problem? Do they not see it? Do they not know it? Do they not probably break down all this film? Don't they know who does it and who doesn't and how they do it?
Shouldn't they? I understand it's a very difficult job. The speed, the power of the game, it's very difficult. to officiate to begin with. I understand that.
But the number of times where it's just like, what are you doing? Obviously, shouldn't you, if the guy falls down, and trying to look for a call from you as a ref, shouldn't you be offended? Like you're trying to dupe me into doing this sort of thing. Wh what would stop it? What would stop it is what?
Not calling it would be number one. Ding. Number two would be, when do we start teeing some people up for this sort of behavior? Didn't they have a rule? Yeah, I thought there was a rule in place where you could get fined or something.
Yeah, but I think it's when you're flopping as a defender. Oh, you want it on offense? Yeah. We're now getting to the point where it's time to start teeing people up for flopping on offense, too. And not just on a three-point shot where you're flaring your leg out to get content.
Right, I hate that. This stuff. Where it's like, I'm in trouble. Bail me out. Thank you for bailing me out.
I'm going in line for two, even though the other guy didn't touch me. And it's in the second quarter of a playoff game. And because you as a league and an association do not let coaches continue to challenge until they get one wrong, if they get it right, they'll lose it by the end of the game. because they will not continue to stop this action over and over again. Because it does require officials going to a podium.
And let's see Steve Jaffy in that neat spot, you know, where we can see television screens behind him. And he's in this replay center. And here he is explaining what's going on. And I know sometimes now they're doing what the NFL does: let's go to a commercial break and we come back, we'll tell you what happened because we're not going to hold this thing up for another three minutes.
So, because there's not a lot of challenges to basically say that was a flop, he wasn't touched. What are we doing? And it is the only reason why I bring it up again is because stars like Donovan Mitchell are saying, I'm not a flopper, so I'm not getting the calls. And stars like Jalen Brown are saying, there's an agenda here. It happens all season long, and the flopping's going all over the place here.
And this is now replacing the tanking conversation. And if I'm the association, I'm like, this is awful. This is stupid. And fans are beginning to get fed up with it. Heaven forbid they vote with their remotes.
I'm doing something about it. We're calling the officials in and say, you're on the lookout for this sort of thing. And one way to also help out is let the coaches challenge as many times as they want. if they get it right. And if you want to limit it.
Put it at five. And I understand that would extend the game, stop the action, start it again. Then figure out a way to do it faster. Because this is getting out of hand. Yeah, I kind of go straight to the top.
Let me ask you this: do you think? We would have the tanking issue and the flopping issue if David Stern were still alive. Oh, don't do that. Don't do that. I don't know.
I put this on Adam Silver, man. By the way, you could mandate to the officials: stop calling this. As much as I. the tanking and this what they're doing. Let's try and fix it.
And this flopping stuff, I think Adam Silver is an excellent steward for the game. I really do. And the fact that David Stern is long gone. And he did it. He had an iron fist way of doing things that we might look back on right now and miss.
Different times. Different problems, different questions. You know, what do you think? Players would flop less if they think David Stern is watching it as opposed to Adam Silver. Adam doesn't want this stuff.
I think he's more attuned to it too. Where it just I don't want the MVP star of the game coming off of a playoff game, having a bunch of memes and videos, and that was in the palm of my hand more than anything else. Last night because fans are sick of it and want it stopped, and the officials keep falling for it. Although last night, I should say, point out fair and balance, there were a couple on the montage where they play on. Yeah, I'm watching it, look at that.
Play on. And guess what happened with some of these play ons? He didn't score twenty. No. He didn't get to the free throw line.
And if Austin Reeves made some shots, I'm sorry to lay it on his feet, and they didn't turn it over as much. And Marcus Smart made some shots. That's a closer game.
Well, we might be talking about a different result because the officials didn't call the. The floppin'. To send SGA to the free throw line. You know, I mean, uh Let me just take a look just to make sure I'm spot on here. I mean, Adaf, he was.
He took three free throws last night. That's it. They'll sometimes do that in two possessions. Free throws were even 13 to 12. The Lakers had more, actually.
I understand that. It was a bad night to make that argument because, like you said, he wasn't getting a lot of these calls. But every drive is a whoa. Do you want Donovan Mitchell coming and saying, I'm not getting calls because I'm not a flopper like the rest of the league is? Maybe I should start flopping as one of the best players in the game.
Have some pride. I understand the players who engage in this philosophy. You're the king if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying sometimes. Uh yeah, well You also see how it looks. Have some pride in how you play and how you're presenting yourself.
On the on the court, right?
So, whatever. I don't know. We'll see if it continues. I do believe this conversation is only going to keep blossoming. You know, Knicks aren't immune either.
Everybody comes, says Brunson does the same thing, and so does Embiid. Yeah, you know. As that series of facial recognition versus geotagging returns tonight. 844204, Rich Number Donald. Andrew Whitworth is logging in.
We can't wait to chat with him. That's next. This is the Rich Isaac Show. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Rich Eisen here.
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Get a fifteen dollar O'Reilly gift card after rebate when you buy five quarts of Mobile One full synthetic motor oil for just thirty five ninety five. Stop by your local O'Reilly Auto Parts. Chis and Show Radio Audience has returned. Andrew Whitworth is back here from Prime Video and so much more on the program. What NFL story has jumped out at you?
Um, what, what, what are you, what are you curious about, Andrew?
Well, you, you know, this, Rich, this time of year for me, and you used to, used to do this Thursday nights. I'm getting ready for what my travel schedule looks like, baby. I mean, come on, it's only a few weeks, Rich. I mean, people get excited about the draft. I get excited about schedule release.
So, I know. I'm trying to plan where I'm going on a Wednesday night, you know, to eat dinner. I'm trying to plan where I'm traveling. What the kids are excited. They want to pick their city that they get to go to dad with.
All right. You know, hey, I want to go with dad and go hang out.
So, we're excited. Schedule release. This is a big deal for Thursday night. This is our travel schedule, baby. I understand that.
And that's right around the corner. But you all, you know, your travel. You're just going to hop on a plane with Al and, you know, and whenever he's ready to go, you're going to, you'll meet him on, you know, air Al, and then you're going to, you're going to hop on with him. And then it's just, but the kids going, it's kind of funny that you have, you're at the station in life where your kids want to go with dad, and Al's at the station of like, when am I? Getting you to stay at home in Los Angeles.
You know what I mean? Like, that's two totally different things for you. Exactly. It is. And it's a big deal.
Two years ago, I started it letting the kids pick their show they wanted to go to. And I mean, there's their week they want to go to. And so it's been a lot of fun. It's been fun taking them with me. Each one of them gets to pick a week.
So there's four weeks where the kids go. And we're looking forward to the schedule.
So let's be honest, too. It's Fitz and I's excuse to go walk around the town and meander and find some speakeasies and hole in the walls and everything else.
So we got some agendas. There's some places we want to go. We haven't done Minnesota on Thursday night yet. I want to go to, I want, I would love to go to Minnesota, go to a Vikings game there in their stadium. You know, a couple places you want to visit.
We haven't been in Jacksonville since we started. All right. You know, so we got a couple cities that I want to go to, some teams I'm interested to watch. I mean, Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the teams that I had circled this year. I want to see them take that next step.
And then the Chicago Bears, I think they're the exciting one to see. Hey, can we build off the magic of last year, Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, and this relationship? What's that next step? I think Ashawn McBay and Jared Goff, when we got together in 17th, Team, you know, and then 18, we made that Super Bowl run. And it's like, okay, are we going to see a next step jump out of the Chicago Bears?
That's another exciting one to me. Andrew Whitworth here on the Rich Eisen Show schedule release is probably next week. If not that, then the week after. We'll see what happens there. Let's talk about some of your former haunts.
The Bengals made a trade right before the draft, trading 10th overall. To the Giants and take Dexter Jackson off their hands and put him right there on the defensive line. And my thought was this is their most clear indication yet. to Joe Burrow to say we hear you. Am I wrong?
Swing, Rich. Was that swing? Let's go, baby. Yes, it is. And it's something, you know, I talked about at the league meetings.
I did an interview there with some of the Cincy Media, and, you know, it was a little around the Max Crosby topic. And to me, it was like, you know, they were asking why I'd kind of set out that I thought they ought to do something like that. It's really one of those things that, as a franchise, you look at really the talent they've had, where they've been able to get to the Super Bowl run they had without winning it, but then making it back to the AFC championship. They've been so close. And it's like in those eras, you want to just not keep the great, the great players you have.
You want to send a message that we're all in. And I think that when you talk about Cincinnati, the narrative has always been: all right, if they draft really well and they have some good talent, they're a good football team, but they're never going to do anything aggressive. They're never going to do anything that really goes all in. They're just going to hope that the draft picks work out. To me, this is the first time in their history trading a top 10 pick like this.
And they're saying, you know what, as an organization, Up top from the very top in the front office. We are all in on Joe Burrow and Zach Taylor in this era of Cincinnati football. And we want to take that next step to be one of those elites year in and year out. And so I think this to me sends a message to that organization. Your team needs that sometimes, all the players.
Hey, we got no excuses. Let's just go out and play elite football because we can't sit here and say the organization's not bought in. Look how much money they've spent in the last two years trading away a top 10 pick for an elite player in Dexter Lawrence. Like they are all in.
So now it's time to go. There's no excuses. Let's go out and play our best and see where we can go.
Well, I mean, obviously, I meant Dexter Lawrence, not a Super Bowl MVP from Tampa years ago. But the message, though, specifically to Burrow, now this may be a media creation, okay? but we're in the media. That you know, you see Burrow hanging out in Los Angeles a lot. You see him at the Met Gala.
He clearly uh he clearly is a guy that that likes being um in big towns, to be very honest with you. And and If things don't work out in Cincinnati. There's a a war you know, a fear, I think at least in in in that city. That he could pull a Carson Palmer. And this is a way to say, here's Dexter Lawrence, man.
Here we go. You know, we're not going to go playing for the future and getting some kid that could really, or even an offensive lineman that can protect him, like physically. But it's one, you know, hey, your 30 points now will win a game. is a way to basically tell him that. Right, Andrew?
Or am I off here? What do you think? No, you're right. And you look at really their Super Bowl run, you look at when they've had these runs. They haven't been some top five defense.
They've been just middle of the road, not one of the worst. And that really, when you look at when they've struggled as an organization the last few years under Joe Burrow and with Jamar Chase and T. Higgins and the offense they've been able to have, it's just been when they've been absolutely horrific on defense that they've struggled. When they've been just mediocre at best, at least good in a situation, third downs, getting to the quarterback, whatever it may be, they've been able to win a lot of football games and put them in a position to compete for a Super Bowl.
So to me, this was their move to not only send that message to Joe, as you're talking about, that, hey, we're trying to give you all the resources you need to be successful, but we really believe that putting somebody in the center of this defense, like let's be able to play well first, second, and third down, because that's what Dexter Lawrence does. He wrecks havoc every single down with his ability to really beat double teams, to penetrate the offensive line in the interior. And then he also is a hell of a pass rusher.
So now you've Got a guy there that can really be the center of this defense. People forget they had two young linebackers last year, second-year guys. You're talking about some guys are going to be super happy to have a disruptor in front of them now. I think that that adds a huge element to what they're trying to build on defense under Al Golden. And then what they've invested there in Free HCM keeping their guys in the secondary, they've got some corners they really like.
I think when you look at it in totality, they're kind of going by committee at the defensive end position. There's going to be a bunch of guys playing there.
So I think, really, as an overall defense, they got a whole lot better this offseason and they're going to need it because this offense, how they've been able to perform, this is what's going to be able to take them over the edge. And I think for Cincinnati Bengals fans, you've got to be excited because I think that the gripe is always rich. Up top and the commitment, and what are they really committed to winning? You know, and I think this was the message to the city, to the fans, to the players, and everyone in that building. We are all in.
Now, let's go get it. Andrew Whitworth, one of our favorites from Prime Video, and obviously in a Hall of Fame career while playing for the Bengals and the Rams here on the Rich Isen Show. I always shoot you straight, Andrew.
So here we go. We have reached the. I'm asking you to speak for Matthew Stafford portion of this. Oh, here we go. Oh, boy, here we go.
I mean, I'm just coming to the truth. I just honestly, I think that inside 100 yards, he's really struggled a little bit with his wedges. There's a little bit he's a little off.
So we got to improve the wedge game, you know, a little bit. He's a great shipper, but just some of the full swings, 52, 56, he could be better. Is that what you're talking about?
Well, how's Ty Simpson's short games? I don't know. I have zero, zero points. I don't know. Listen, speaking from the rich eyes and show mug.
That's the human shield. That's the signal. That's good. Did the pick surprise you? I think, no, because the only reason it doesn't surprise me, Rich, is, and I honestly did not know they were going to pick it.
I think for me, when I start to look at, all right, when I'm around the organization the last few years, and I just look at what's been going on with Matthew kind of at one point, not really sure how long he was going to play. Then there was last year of kind of the dollar amount and mattered to him and the contract. And hey, do you want to explore and see what's out there? Like to me, it literally feels like not in a negative way, but just Matthew trying to figure out what does he want the back end of his career to look like? How much longer is he going to play?
And I think at some point as an organization, I'm just looking at what the Los Angeles Rams have been under Sean McVay and his leadership with Les Sneed and Kevin Demoff and Tony Pasteurs and those guys. They have continued to try to, hey, we are always going to be successful. We are always going all in to try and win.
So, why would they not be considering, hey, if we have a high enough pick, why would we not want a quarterback of the future that might not play for four years? But the reality is we've got it.
So then we can go assemble around it. You got to remember when they got there with Jared Goff, it was like, hey, they got there. They weren't sure what they had in Jared because he didn't have a great rookie season. And it was how much talent can we put around him and be successful? They've kind of built a model like that already.
And so they've done that before.
So it didn't like, I would say that it shocked me that they did actually do it, but. I wasn't like blown away from a building a roster standpoint because at some point, you've got to have that guy so that you don't have to go trade three first-round picks next year or whatever it may be to kind of put yourselves behind the eight ball just to get a guy you believe in. If you like this guy enough, why wouldn't you do it?
Well, and listen, you live out here, so you know the conversation that's been surrounded. Makai Lemon was sitting there. Ruben Bain was sitting there. There's a bunch of young players that, you know, despite McVay's penchant for not playing rookies, could have helped in that regard. And then there's the other aspect of it that does involve Matthew Stafford is, and I'm talking to somebody, you would totally understand this.
You want to be the one to tap yourself on the shoulder and say, you know what? This is it. Exactly just like you did. You tap yourself on the shoulder to say, I'm done playing here. And this starts a clock, not saying that Simpson's going to force it, force the issue.
It just starts a clock. that you just don't know when it's reached, right?
So that's how I ended up at Los Angeles Ram. Let's be honest. In 2015, I shared, you know, I told this to Matthew, you know, is that, and the reason I shared it with Matthew is just that the reality is, is, you know, hey. In 2015, I had asked for an extension from the Cincinnati Bengals, didn't get any feedback about whether that was an option or not. I was going to last year my deal there, and I dared them.
Actually, I was just kind of shared the story because it's a funny story. But actually, the week of the draft, I got asked by the media, and I dared the Bengals to draft a tackle. I said, if you draft a left tackle, they're going to watch me play for four years.
So I dare you to do it. And they didn't just draft a left tackle, Rich. They drafted a first-round left tackle and a second-round left tackle.
So they drafted two the first time in NFL history. They drafted back-to-back tackles.
So they took my threat seriously. But guess what? Those guys watched me play for seven more years.
So the reality is, like, that doesn't do anything to Matthew Stafford. Like, it doesn't. Matthew Stafford will play the game of football in the NFL for as long as Matthew Stafford wants to. Anybody would be absolutely insane to not want this guy to be your quarterback. And I think the Rams feel the exact same way.
And that is that you are going to be the guy here until you don't want to be the guy here anymore.
Now, is it also at the same time? Two things can be true. Was I pissed off at the Cincinnati Bengals for drafting those guys? I was.
Now, I still love those guys up. The first thing they did when they arrived at Cincinnati was came to Big Wits' house. I had them over for dinner. We got to visit. I mentored them.
I was there for them to raise them up, just like anybody else. But it did not mean that I was very happy with Mike Brown and the organization. And so I think it's okay. Like, this is the game of football. Like, this is our nature.
Every single year, you're fighting for your job. And if you're not, you've lost your mind and you're going to be gone soon. And so you're always fighting to hold your spot. That's what the game of the NFL spot is called not for long, because you are fighting to hold the position you hold each and every year. And so I think Matthew Stafford's been in that before.
He's known that, hey, I've got to always earn it. I don't think that changes things for him, but it also doesn't mean that he's probably that happy with the fact that they did it. Great. That's okay, too. And all those things.
Can be all right, and we can all move forward. We can disagree on whether or not it should have been done, and we can commit to go try to win a Super Bowl together because that's what we signed up to do in the first place.
So, I think that, like, in my situation, that's how the mentality I had, and you know, that's what I've shared with him. And anybody that's asked, uh, it doesn't mean it's a fun time, but uh, this too shall pass. Let's go win a Super Bowl, baby. Yeah, and it didn't look like a fun time in the press conference that Thursday night either, you know, and lesson and um, McVay had fun with that the next night, too, where McVay admitted he came across as Mr. Grumpy, and we were all in the media saying, What is happening?
You know, but at the end of the day, though, I mean, it is going to be on McVay to negotiate all of this, and he can do it. And the rounds, you know, listen, they've been through ups and downs, they've been through a lot of different things throughout his time there. Uh, and hey, I think, uh, you know, it's what uh Jordan Rodriguez and those grumpy gait or whatever it is they've called it, right? Uh, listen, hey, there's a lot of things Sean can get hot and bothered about and get upset. I've been around long enough, whether it be a block or a scheme or something you say the wrong way and the way they want to articulate it.
Uh, it can be conversations, you name it. I mean, listen, Sean's an intense guy, uh, it means a lot to him to one, uh, be a fantastic leader, uh, but two, to always be putting everyone around him in the best spot possible. And so, who knows, you know, that honestly, what set him off there in that situation, but he was clearly just a little frustrated with whatever conversation it could have been that he had. But I know this: uh, Matt, you know, he's a hundred percent was behind Ty Simpson being the quarterback there because I know that Sean McVay is calling the shots with less right along less need.
So, uh, I know that he's. Fully committed on having him there, and I know that he also thinks that Matthew Stafford is an absolute G and will be the quarterback there as long as he wants to.
So, those things to me are both true. And sometimes there's disagreement, man. And there's a, you know, hey, I wish you'd have done it this way, or maybe we should have done it that way. I mean, I think that's inevitable that you're not going to get along at times. You're going to see things should be done a different way.
But the reality is, hey, man, as an organization, you're trying to do what's best for the organization for now and the future. And also, for Matthew Stafford, it's like, hey, man, nobody loves you more than this locker room and this city and what you've done for it. Let's go win football games. Let's go compete at the highest level and try to win another one because it's in SoFi Stadium again this year. Last time it was in SoFi Stadium, you were holding that Lombardi.
So let's go do it again. Yeah. And then you were in the confetti with your kids and saying, oh, let's go, let's go hang out more. You know what I mean? Like that, that happened.
And so we'll see. I'm down to gum the confetti again. I just don't want to play in the game or because. Rich.
Okay. So that's okay. That's all I want to do. Makes sense. All right.
So say hi to Fitz for us if you can hear us over the hair dryer. He's probably blow drying his beard right now. The girls are lying. He's probably got all his daughters lined up. They're blowing drying their hair, and he's blow-drying the beard, like right there along beside him.
You know what I mean? The newest episode of Fitz and Wit coming out on a Wednesday. Today is that.
So it's great to see you, man. And I'll see you in. in uh Tahoe for the American Century Championship. The road to Tahoe begins now, Rich. You got to start hitting those chips and putts, man.
Come on, short game. I know. You got to get up and down. You got to get up and down, Rich.
Well, you have to get it to that spot to get it up and down. No, first. You got to get off the T as well. And then you got to hit the second shot, unfortunately. But, you know, you'll get there.
You'll get there. You play your own ball at the American Century Championship. As I found out, as did some unfortunate patrons on the right side of the city, you got to hear it hit the cup. It's got to hit the bottom of the cup, Rich. We got to hear it at the bottom of the cup, or it doesn't count, baby.
Love you, man. Take care. Chat soon. Love you. That's Andrew Whitworth.
Everybody. You're in the Rich Eisen Show. Woo! stuff as always Okay. As always.
That was great. That tap on the shoulder, man, it comes in the media business too. Like, I don't want that tap on the shoulder to come from anybody but me. And sometimes it doesn't. You know, so the tap on the shoulder.
Uh I I just don't think staff are is feeling it from Ty Simpson. It's just the point of like, A Hey, this sets something in a motion that might lead to me not having that ability here. There's no easy way to set up an endgame ever. And don't forget, Trent McDuffie was used. was acquired with a draft choice that in its own self this year.
So Man, that's one of those storylines going into the season. Big time. One of the major storylines going in the season. Not if Ty Simpson's going to play. It's going to be.
How would that choice not? Manifesting in an actual human that will help them this year. Right. And how many times will we in the media bring that up? Often.
I don't know. If they go th you know, twelve and five, thirteen and four, We're not. At all. 844-204-Rich, number to dial right here on the program. Of course, Chris Brockman still has a microphone in front of him.
You can bring it up as many times as you want. Um The Rich Heisen Show, the podcast. 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 ScryEvent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind.
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We're in need of a hero in college football. I just, by the way, had a really nice chat with Bob Chesney back in the green room, UCLA head coach. By the way, uh y you know where he uh everywhere he goes he wins? I googled him.
Okay. Just like his predecessor. Or pardon me. Yeah, his predecessor. Succeeded uh Kurt Signetti at James Madison.
He's now out here in UCLA.
So I googled him. The, let me make sure I get this right, three-time Patriot League Coach of the Year is going to be joining us now at the Big Ten. But listen, we're in need of a hero. This stuff with the p with college football, just the scheduling and all sorts of craziness. Um And the American Football Coaches Association appears to be that hero.
Their membership recommended changes to the college football calendar, and here they are. Goodbye, Conference Title Games, says the American Football Coaches Association. Yes. Goodbye, two bye weeks. Just one.
Thank you. Yep. And guess what? Guess what? Guess, guess, guess, guess what?
Yeah. Um no fewer than six days between games. when they're on the schedule, say in the college football playoffs. And that exclusive, the Army-Navy game. to keep it somewhat exclusive.
They get the window by themselves because if you're getting rid of conference championship action. You know, usually conference championship is played the week before the Army-Navy game, and they got nothing but themselves. The only competition for the Army-Navy game is the Heisman Trophy Saturday, right? Right, right.
So guess what? We're gonna move everything up. And the Army-Navy window, you get to have an exclusive window while we play postseason games on the same day.
So a tip of the cap to the tradition of the Army-Navy game. But we're moving the college football playoff up closer to the playing season. What does that sound like to you?
Sounds like the NFL. Yes. Because we're paying people. And You know, we just had A 16-0 quarterback and Fernando Mendoza. The last quarterback to go 16-0 in a football season is the guy who just drafted him, Tom Brady.
Won 16-0 in the 2007 regular season.
So we're playing 16 games. A lot of games.
Okay, it is a lot of games, but guess what? The games that Indiana played. It took forever for them to play some of these games. Yeah, what was the break between Big Ten title game and the playoff? Usually it's five five weeks, right?
A long ass time. 27 days between the Big Ten championship game and the college football playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl for Indiana. And then 10 more days till they faced Oregon again. Those days are over. And because things are getting nutty.
Right now. The national championship game between Indiana and Miami last year took place on January 19th. This year's national championship game is going to take place on January 25th of next year, and then in 2028, January 24th. What are we doing? Especially when.
The transfer portal window is from the second to the Sixteenth. What are we doing? So what we're going to do. According to the American Football Coaches Association, get rid of the conference championship games. Adios, see you later.
Love that idea. Great idea. Yeah. Great idea. Then we're going to move the college football playoffs up.
To make it end, I don't know. If you want to give a date, they didn't give a date here, I'll just give one. How does January 1st sound? Oh, I've heard I've heard of that. You like that idea?
Remember that. I remember that day. Yeah. And then The season's over. The portal opens up just like The men's basketball tournament.
I mean, it would be great if you pushed that maybe the portal back a little bit so you don't have a national championship Like a day or two. Tidal game contender, like, say, Dan Hurley in his post-game press conference asked if it's after midnight, oh, the portal's open, which is what he did after losing to Michigan. Is it after midnight? Yeah. Oh man, the portal's open.
Do we lose anybody? A little nuts, but that happened. But this looks like something real. I'm all in on everything they said. All in.
Great idea. Can we streamline this? Like, what is the process now? I mean, it involves the NCAA, which means it's not going to happen. They're too busy making sure somebody's not buying anybody a cheeseburger.
Okay. Yep. You know it's going to go in that direction. Bob Chesney is going to join us from UCLA next hour. We'll talk to him about it.
The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
