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Night Sky. This is Winner Take All. And it's all happening now on the home of the NBA Finals. Don't miss it, June 3rd on ABC and the ESPN app. This is The Rich Eisen Show.
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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show.
So please welcome the greatest performer ever to have graced this earth. Rich Eisen. We are back, baby. We are back. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.
Earlier on the show. ESPN NBA Insider Sham Shirania. Coming up. ESPN NBA Analyst Tim Legler. Your phone calls, latest news, and more.
And now, it's your Rich Eisen. Hour number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. Sean Shirani in hour three, and so is O'Shea Jackson Jr. He's going to join us the little early so we can chomp up an NBA playoff for the Donhard Laker fan and co-host of. No contest wrestling with T.J.
Jefferson. Booker T is the guest today, if I'm not mistaken. Can you dig it?
Okay.
So it's T.J. O'Shea and Booker T on NCW, which is part of the Rich Eisen Podcast Network. Means you can get on our YouTube channel, Rich Eisen, at Rich Eisen Show on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Can you dig it?
I can. In fact, dig it. Sucker. Let's turn to our friend, Fresh Off of Calling Game One, with Mike Breen and Richard Jefferson on the ESPN Family of Networks in Madison Square Garden last night. Last time I spoke with this guy, it was when...
When I was doing Sports Center in Bristol for the first time in 23 years, it was only fitting that Tim Legler was part of that broadcast, and he joins us now. How are you, Tim? Good to see you. Rich. Great, man.
I am great. I'm still trying to kind of process what we all watched last night because I'm sitting there watching that game like everybody else. You know, you get into the early part of the fourth quarter, and it just did not look like there was any conceivable way the Knicks were going to be able to win that game based on the lack of rhythm of their offense to that point.
So this thing flipped on his head in a very short period of time.
So, how are you processing it? Walk me through your processing of what did, in fact, happen for that 44 to 11 run, Tim. I think the main thing is this. Like, we've given the Knicks a lot of credit for kind of changing their offense, and it really started middle of the Atlanta series. They're down 2-1.
They decide, Mike Brown decides that they're going to have to figure out something to get their offense unlocked a little bit. They go to this Carl Anthony Town, sort of as a hybrid playmaker, more at the elbows, top of the key, Brunson off-ball, a little bit more as a new. Initial screener creating problems for the defense, and their offense was historically efficient for a seven-game stretch. It was incredible what they were doing. Everybody on the roster was humming at the same time.
You get into this game last night, Cavs prepared for that off-ball stuff. They weren't giving up a lot of the cuts that the Knicks were used to getting. They were taking it away. Cavs were on point with their communications, their switches. All that was good.
Knicks were missing open threes, contributed to it. That's probably where the rust part came in. And you add that all up, Cavs in complete control.
So, what did the Knicks do? You know, eight-minute mark or so of the fourth quarter, that offense that we've been praising so much kind of went to the side. And you know what? They went with, you know, let's go back to the early Brunson days as a Nick, where we just go high ball screen or ISO, let him get the matchup he wants, and let him go to work and see if we can at least get the start of a run because the arena was pretty quiet. They were waiting for this run to come that never did.
Brunson single-handedly created the energy in the building. He cut the deficit in half by himself in about a three-minute period. And then the decisions became much more difficult for the Cavs and what they were going to do with him going forward. The double started coming.
Some three-point shooting kicked in for the Knicks out of that. And here you go. At exactly the same time that was happening, the Cavs completely tightened up offensively. And they definitely were starting to become too aware of what was happening to them. They stopped playing aggressive offensive basketball.
They were waiting for the clock to run out. In sports, if you play not to lose, bad things always happen to you. But in this case, Rich, both of those things had to happen at the same time. And they did in a seven and a half minute period of time for the Knicks to tie it. And then, of course, they dominate them in overtime.
And it's amazing, Tim, because as you pointed out, the narrative, for the lack of a better phrase. For the Knicks' first two series wins, and how that's potentially more sustainable for a long time. Term run uh is based on the What the point centering of Carl Anthony Towns in the middle of their offense and how that led to some historic. victories in terms of blowouts and things of that nature, and they went back to Hero Ball when they needed it, and Jalen Brunson put the cape on and bailed everyone out is one way to put it? Or is this what we're going to see?
Is this this series in a nutshell, Tim. What do you think? No, Rich, I think that you're going to see more of the offense that they've been running here over the last few weeks. I think so. But now they know they have this card in their pocket.
If they want to go there, particularly if the Cavs are going to allow him to pick who he wants to play against. And obviously, lots of James Harden today was the guy on that island. I don't blame James Harden for what happened at all. He's a guard in his upper 30s. He was never really known in this league as a committed defender.
He can play defense in certain matchups. He's much better against bigger, stronger guys that try to bully him because the guy's a brick wall. He can hold his ground. He can rake on you with his hands. But if you're asking him to play a guard that's shifty, that can change directions in the middle of the floor by himself.
At no point in his career was that going to be a recipe for success, certainly not at this stage of his career. I'm not blaming Hardin. I'm blaming the Cavs for allowing that to happen to the extent that it did for Brunson to be able to get that many one on ones.
Now look, You have to give Brunson credit for this too, because the number of different types of shots he made during that stretch, a runner going down the left side of the lane off the wrong foot, a bank shot going down the right side of the lane that hit the top white stripe on the backboard, a floater to his left, a pull-up jumper to his right, a step back three. That all happened in a row. And now the Cavs go, okay, let's start to run sort of these half-hearted double teams at him, which was the wrong approach because when you do a half-hearted double team, the other three guys don't know exactly if you're fully committed to the trap. That tells us on the weak side, us three, the three of us, what are our rotations? We know who has first pass when that double team is clear.
They were sort of half-hearting it. A guy coming like toward him, and now the other three guys were confused.
So they weren't catching up to the first pass. And now Bridges hit a big one. Shammit hit a big one. Ananobi got a couple of drives.
So at no point did they come up with anything constructive to slow this roll down. And I don't think that that's what the Knicks go to at the start of game two, but they know they've got that now if they want to force the Cavs' hand to see what they're going to do differently, because clearly it has to be a lot different if Brunson goes into that mode again where he gets what he wants in the middle of the floor. All right.
So I'll just put a fine point on it. If you don't mind me putting him in this position, Tim Legler, did Mike Brown outcoach Kenny Atkinson last night? Did that happen?
Well, I definitely think Kenny Atkinson had a rough night from a coaching standpoint. There's no question about it. Here's where Mike Brown, look, and I love both of these guys, respect the hell out of both of them. Here's where Mike Brown. You know, had an advantage.
He had a button. Big red button. That he could push. It was an obvious button. It said number 11 on it, button number 11.
Is that what you're saying? Basically, it was as if you had a control board in front of you with a bunch of buttons, but all of the other ones had tape over them.
So there's one button left to push. And it's: hey, I have one of the best offensive players in the league. Let's see if we dip our toe in the water here, what this will look like for them defensively. And he dipped his toe in the water, and it wasn't like you know, Eddie Murphy on SNL, too hot for the hot tub. Actually, the hot tub felt very nice.
There was actually a perfect temperature for the hot tub, and so Jalen Brunson jumped into that hot tub and he swam around and he had a great time in that hot tub. And by the time they tried to turn up the heat or turn it down or shut the hot tub off, now it was a full-fledged pool party.
Now we had a pool party going on all over the place. That's my analogy that I came up with for what we saw there for that eight.
Well done, Tim. Just to remind you, I asked you about Mike Brown, not James Brown. I still like the way that you went. Good cool.
Okay.
Very good. Tim Lugler here on the Rich Eisen Show. And then I also mentioned at the beginning, Tim, Knicks fans being excited, which is great. I'm one of them, okay? I just don't know if I'd be j rushing out to 7th Avenue to start a We Want Wemby chant.
Which did in fact happen last night. What's your take from the game one in the Western Conference finals of what he did under the circumstances in which he did it? On the road, having watched the trophy that he wanted being awarded to someone else, Tim. The thing that stood out to me from the very beginning, after seeing initial tape on Victor Wembanyama, as we were starting to hear about his name and knowing he was coming to the league, and your first impressions on just how strange that looked to see a guy that big play the way he played. You know, you're kind of processing that.
But then the thing that really cemented it for me, where this guy is headed, when he started to do interviews. And he was not in any way. Deflecting or shying away from responsibility that he felt he had. To live up to being what he wants to be, which is one of the greatest to ever do it, to lead teams to championships, to win MVPs, to carry teammates to the extent that he can. He brought all of it and wanted all of it and talked about it overtly.
And most guys that young coming into the league don't do that. And he did. And I knew that meant he was a little bit different. And you saw it: the desire in his eyes in this game and the intensity with which he played and just how much his team. The confidence level is built around that, the way that he is so certain.
Um 'cause one thing like he might have off shooting nights. Very rarely does he not affect the game defensively, but he's going to have off shooting nights. He is. I mean, it still can be guarded at times because he's so tall and thin, and guys can get into him, and it can be hard some nights. But one thing that wasn't going to change was his approach and his intensity, his demeanor, and his aggressiveness to try to get it done.
And role players and supporting casts can live with that, man. Just be the same guy. And some nights it's going to look great.
Some nights you might have off nights, but it always looks the same in terms of your demeanor.
Now, guys can get on board with that. And the confidence level soars for this team. And on the nights he does it on both ends, it looks like that, which is the best player in the world.
Now, it doesn't look like that every night offensively, which is why he didn't just win the MVP. They're coming for him sooner than later. But when it all adds up on the same night, Rich, it's a level of impact that no one else in this league has right now. I'm with you, Tim. And I was talking at the top.
about how we Heard as he's coming into the league about his ball handling and his three-point shooting for a man his size is. uncanny, if not unprecedented, And his defensive play was something that everyone's wondering: can he win Defensive Player of the Year as a rookie? That was the conversation with him coming in, right? And the thing we didn't discuss. or didn't maybe know.
was what burns inside what you just said. For him to sit there. and have the takes the profession personally. In a way, like not like game 35 for him is as important as a game five. Uh in the playoffs.
And the way that he plays, and the way that he leads in that respect, and the way that it burns him. Um to watch SGA win it. And then he comes up with a 40-20 and cuts everyone's hearts out in Oklahoma City and shows it to him, pumping. I said it reminds me of Jordan, Tim. And I'm, you know, I understand when I invoke that of a player that young.
That may be heresy, but you just said it. Like you just described Jordan to me, Kobe. Um you just described Tiger Woods early in his Like an uncanny burning desire for somebody that young. That's what it reminds me of. What do you think?
Incredibly rare because it's number one, you're that young. You're emotionally not mature enough to even be able to deal with the scrutiny that comes with being that hyped. selected with that pick. You're not emotionally mature enough to handle it. You certainly aren't physically mature enough to handle it to never at any point.
Shy away or deflect or give you the answers of like, hey, you know, I hope so. I'm just going to do the best I can to be the best I can be, and I hope it works out. He didn't do any of that stuff. He basically said, It's my responsibility. I've been given this.
It's my responsibility. And I love it. I cherish it. I revel in that. And it's almost unfair to think that the Spurs ended up with another one of these guys after the run they had with the Duncan Parker Ginobli, like that long ass run they had with those guys.
And now they seem like they're on the custody. And by the way, Their first round pick this year. Also has that. Dylan Harper is going to be a superstar in this league. He is going to be a first-team all-NBA player sooner than later.
He's going to be a guy, I think, that's an MVP consideration down the road.
Now, I don't know what his career arc looks like. You never know with these guys. Does he change teams, you know, five years? I don't know where he's going to be, but I do know this. I haven't seen a guard, 19, that was a one-and-done guard come into this league with this level of power.
Ever. And his ability to play through contact with his shoulders, his forearms, the way he can just take you anywhere in the court that he wants. And clearly, also another guy that loves the moment, loves the light. They got two of those guys. And they also have the rookie of the year in Stefan Castle, who's also built like that.
It's incredible the good fortune that this organization has and what's about to hit this league for a long time to come.
Now, does it happen this year? I don't know. Anybody that thinks Oklahoma City can't still win this series is nuts. They're going to have a great response in game two. And by the way, they took double overtime to beat them in game one.
Right. And their best two players shot 37% on 48 shot attempts.
So Shea will be better. Jalen Williams will be better. Chet, to me, top of the list, has got to inject himself. You cannot just accept this. And I think you're going to see Chet Hunger.
And I think the way he does it is by looking for his perimeter shot more. Three-point shot will be there for him as much as he wants. Maybe he has to take 10 of those. Maybe he hits four in the first half. Inject yourself into this.
So there's a lot more for Oklahoma City to bring. I expect that. And I don't know how this series is going to go, who's going to win it. And I don't know if it happens this year for the Spurs, but it's coming. It's coming, obviously.
We've been put on notice. They got these picks right, and all of these guys want it badly. And I hear you about Chet Holmgren having to play better, and obviously, he can. And the expectation is that he will. Unless Victor Wembanyama makes it personal with him, which it appears he will, because he does.
You know what I mean? I noticed that you didn't directly address my Jordan analogy, which is fine if you don't agree with it, but I mean, you've known you're around the guy, very much so. It's rare to see it, right? He takes it personally. Um and and part of me just wonders If Popovich is the one stoking it, too.
Oh, yeah, for sure. I would be shocked if that wasn't the case. I would be shocked if that wasn't the case. Look, he's also got. One of the really unique things about San Antonio as a small market team.
Is, and we've talked about it on the air, and a lot of people may know this, some may not. A lot of their former stars stay. It's San Antonio. And it's unusual for a small market city for that to happen. These guys usually hit one of the two coasts, and that's where they go for their waning years, and they make a couple appearances a year at the arena.
Take a look at these games, man. You see it, Duncan's there sitting next to David Robinson. These guys are like hashing it out. Sean Elliott's in the building every night because he works for an organization, but he'd stay there anyway. Genobley's there all the time.
So, my point is: you don't think that those guys also? Have been like in the ear of Victor Wembanyama from the beginning. Like when you feel like you've coming into an organization that's going to protect you, it's a security blanket the way they run things. And so you're not, you don't feel like you're ever overwhelmed. This isn't about you.
That's what they do to protect you. Even though you act like you want it, you say you want it. And he clearly indicates that he does. There's also a built-in security blanket by having that level around you to tell you how to go about it, how to navigate it, and to challenge you in ways that maybe a lot of places you don't get challenged because those guys aren't around. And certainly, if they are, didn't have that level of success.
That matters to a guy like Victor Wembanyama, who soaks it all in. He's hearing it from everywhere, but it starts with what he's telling himself between the ears. This guy is wired in a way that leads to all-time greatness if he can stay healthy. And he wants all of it. I think he does.
And you've seen his performances since Popovich met him coming off the plane after getting ejected from the game, right? I mean, oh yeah, like this moment here. I would love to have been a flying tarmac there, man. Just like, what was he saying to him? And then Wemby just has just crushed everybody.
Since this moment. And you know what? I would guess, and I'm maybe dead wrong, and I've known Pop a long time too. I love the guy, but I. It would almost feel like there would be a little, obviously a lot of this.
You're too important. To get caught up and be over-emotional and cost your team, where you get ejected from a game. You're too important. You got to control yourself. And at the same time, give him a little bit of sprinkle of, same time, Victor, I didn't mind you clocking somebody with an elbow.
Like, that's not the worst thing in the world to know that there's that component to you as well.
So, you probably got a little bit of both, very paternal in his approach. In some ways, obviously, you know, scolding him a little bit and making him aware of the responsibility that you carry when you are that guy. That you need to be on the floor at the end of games to decide matters, and you can't, because of an emotional reaction. Take yourself off the floor because your teammates are the guys you're most accountable to. That's kind of what I feel like that speech probably sounded like.
Yeah, and I appreciate that insight because I'm going to keep hunting and pecking for that answer until I get it. Or until the Spurs are eliminated, if at all, you know what I mean? Because. It's just a fascinating storyline of these playoffs, including obviously Oklahoma City going for. A back-to-back championship run, and then you've got a Knicks fan base that's saying we want Wemby after one game in the Eastern Conference Finals that looked like it wasn't going to go their way until a historic run, and then you got the Cavs.
Harden's on that griddle today. Atkinson's on that griddle today. Donovan Mitchell's on that griddle. And now we've got game two with you. And the crew at the mic, I can't wait for it, Tim.
It's fun. It's fun stuff. Appreciate it, Rich. Thanks for having me on, man. Yeah, I was blessed to be sitting in that spot last night.
That's not even working, man. That's just enjoying the sport that I've made my life out of that I love more than anything other than my family. And being able to sit there next to Mike Breeding RJ and do that last night was special. And did we pick up what we were talking about here before? Was that a half a bang?
Was that a buh? On the Sam Merrill three that went in, and that was a but you know, does that we get a buh from Mike Breen? I didn't pick up on the buh. I think Mike maybe was going to go there. And look, you know, that's that's that's the obvious we all know that he calls Knicks games, he loves the Knicks, and he's about to give it a big bang to a shot that's going to cost you a game.
And that has to be something that could have been tough to get out, but you know, he's an ultimate professional, he would have done it. And by the way, that basketball. Was more than halfway in really in that rim, and it had a weird, you know, sweet, it had a slight for a pure shooter, it had the slightest sideways rotation, just a little. That meant when it hit inside the rim, it spun and kicked out. If that's 100% pure coming off, when the seams are rotating directly backwards to you as a shooter, that ball's going in.
That's the difference between a win and a loss last night. And it's incredible that that ball didn't go in. And obviously, the Knicks took advantage. Yeah. You mean it didn't hit the heel and bounce up, scrape Messier's jersey, and then come right back down through it.
So. And seriously, the difference between the Game 1 Eastern Conference final starts for the next last two years, obviously, it's stark. And I can't wait to see the drama play out. Tim, look for more of my texts to join us after these games and see if it's anytime, Rich. We got it.
Really appreciate it. That's Tim Legler, everybody. Good people at ESPN and our friends in the family of Disney Networks. He knows something about shooting threes, too. I know he does.
That is for sure. And that was just an epic game one. Yeah. Wemby. I'm telling you, Wemby, he didn't agree with my Jordan thing.
I was fishing for it. I think it's just because Jordan is on such a level that it's hard to get people. It's got echoes similar. But, Rich, let me tell you something. Five seasons from now.
Five seasons. It could be five gaming. It could be five games. But I'm saying, like, five years from now, I think that there's going to be a whole nother story being written. And this guy's going to be the first one.
Of course, this guy. This guy's going to come into Madison Square Garden and tell the Knicks fans: I heard what you said after game one. I heard it. You got Frederick Weiss. They've got me.
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Our radio audience has returned. We're back one big happy streaming and. Listening family, everybody, right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Tim Legler. There was a good chat with him right there.
Eggs. Didn't expect an Eddie Murphy Saturday night. No, I didn't. James Brown. Not Mike Brown.
He went James Brown. Yeah. The hot tub. Too hot in the hot tub. Good God.
I used to have the best Eddie Murphy VHS tape back in the day, and I. Played that thing to the tape pop. My God, we're just going down memory lane here. A VHS. That's a window in how old he is.
Yeah, everyone had a VHS in this room, Chris. Not true. You've never had 20 kids over here who counting no idea what VHS is. I'm counting the people on the camera right now.
So don't act like you're so young. I don't remember if you just started. They're off camera, but show of hands, anybody that currently has a VHS machine. Yeah, they've got a lot of money. A VHS machine with a tape.
Oh, my goodness gracious. They have retro VHS. I mean, that's expected. You had a money. I just was on.
That was an O. Henry-like twist right there. I was just on eBay the other day looking to buy one.
Okay, for what? Just a habit. For what? Yeah, I have one too. I want to have a ping pong table that you have not unboxed from winning it on the prices right five years ago.
Okay, but I can't play ping pong by myself. I could watch the best Eddie Murphy Raw on a VHS tape by myself. I have a Blu-ray VHS recorder.
So I can play. That's how I recorded it. You got a Blu-ray recorder? I've got to put it to my VHS. Mike, what were the big ones called?
Oh, the three-quarter-inch one? The Betamax? No. No. They looked like CDs.
Now I remember. Oh, laser discs. Laser discs. Laser discs. I still have those, too.
You had to be rich. You had to go to Mike's house and watch gremlins on laser disc, everybody. Only the rich discs. Not weird at all. Only the rich kids in my city had laser discs on them.
Never give a Magua any water or light. After midnight. No food. No fairy. I'm going to earn that on my laser disc.
Let it all hang out. All right.
Thomas in San Diego, California. Thomas. San Diego. Thomas. The wells.
Be careful. Oh, okay. What's up, Miss? Hey, thank you for taking my call, Rich. Hey, I just want to say, if I may, I've been a big fan of yours for a long time, ever since you launched NFL Network.
NFL Total Access was always on my TV, man. Big fan of your work and what you do for the kids out there is a beautiful thing, man. Thank you. I appreciate you saying that, Thomas. Are you driving around beautiful San Diego, California, wanting to play the win-loss game for the Chargers?
Is that a true story? Yes, sir. My San Diego charge of Los Angeles. Let's do it.
Okay.
Thomas, show us your lightning bolts. React to me. Our neighbors across the way here in LCC. Let's go. You know.
We'll be starting the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals. What happens? That's a win my friend one and oh Raiders at Chargers Another win. Oh my goodness, they start off with such easy games. It's like the Kansas City Chiefs.
Only team. Uh-huh. Chargers at Bills. What happens next? Make fun all you want, man.
Chargers at Bills. I think it's tough to start 3-0. I'll give that one a loss. 2-1 at the Seahawks. Man, that's a tough defense.
I'm gonna have to go another loss. All right, that's now two and two with the Broncos coming to their house. Uh at home for the chargers? Yes, sir. At the win.
Three and two at the Chiefs. At the Chiefs. I'll give that one to the Chiefs. Three and three coming home. Taking on the Rams.
Chargers and Rams and SoFi. This is a tough schedule, isn't it? You know, I'm going to give him the dub in the regular season, but I think we're going to see him in the Super Bowl and win that game. All right.
Well, spoiler alerts. We'll get the rest of the regular season to go here. Four and three, home for the Texans. That's a win. 5-3 at the Ravens on a Monday night.
Gonna be a tough, tough game, but I think we got Jesse Mentor's number and we'll be able to exploit his defense. That's a win. All right.
Is it Jim going to avenge firing John? Is that where he's going to be right there? But he's taking on his one too. He's taking on his former defensive coordinator on a Monday night right there. Jets at Chargers.
I know you're a Jets fan. My dad was a Diehard Jets fan. Rest in peace, but we're going to kill the Jets. Seven and three. Patriots at Chargers on ANBC.
I hate the Patriots more than any team in the entire world, so I can never cheer for them to win.
So that's a win.
Okay, eight and three at the Bucs. That's another win. Nine and three at the Raiders. The Raiders. You know Nah, we're sleeping the Raiders.
That's a win. 10-3 home for the Niners on Thursday night football. Mm-hmm. I think that's a trap game. I'll give him a loss for that one.
10 and 4 at the Dolphins. Easy win. Eleven and four, home for the Chiefs.
Now that's where we split, we'll take that one. 12 and 4 at the Broncos. Big sign. I hate to say it, but I expect a split with the Broncos too. Big sign and L.
Big sign and L for 12 and 5. That wins it West. Thank you, Thomas. I don't know about that, Powell. Thomas in San Diego.
Thanks for the calls. Wait, you don't think 12 and 5 wins the West? I've heard the West. There's no maybe, yes or no? I don't.
I think 13 wins might win it. 13. That's how damn good this division is.
Well, if they're all going to be good, they're not all going to win 13 games. I just think it's going to. I don't know. 12 and 5 might not win it. Certainly if the tiebreaks don't go their way.
I don't know. The Chiefs might win 13 with that easy schedule. It's true. Again, again, just keep misconstruing my words. You sat right next to me on the set when I said they're going to have an easy first month of the season.
Correct. And they do. Yes, they do. They do. Thank you.
It's because why? Because Roger Goodell is a big Taylor Swift fan.
Well, tell me more. Mahomes coming back from injury, they need to ensure that they're good. Yep. And they've done that. I would say they actually have some.
I think Mike North would appreciate that. Al in Dallas. What's up, Al? You there, Al? How are you?
What I mean, the moment that we experienced last night was Uh the the sickest thing I've seen since Reggie Miller. I mean There was no way they could have even possibly won that game. Talking about the Knicks? Talking about the Knicks? Yes.
Okay, you're Nick. I'm not talking about the Mets. Yeah. Yeah, talk about the mix. It's unbelievable.
It's unbelievable that that happened. And just. I didn't turn it off, Rich. It just sat there and. you know, I even tell some of the boys, like with eight minutes with with with a minute and a half to go, they're down by eight.
I'm like, ah, this is still they're still going to lose this game. And I'm shocked that that last second hoop didn't go in. I mean, I've experienced more disappointment than you have, Richard, because you're a Yankee fan and My whole sports life has been a lot of disappointments, but I cannot believe that they won that game. I can't. Who is the athlete, the New York athlete, that's giving you most joy?
Is it Elon Manning, Al? Is it? Who is it? Eli Manning, Mark Messier? Messier?
Oh, Messi. Messier only did it once. Eli did it twice. Yeah, but that once was, I mean, I already heard you had two in a bag when you lied one. You know what I'm saying?
Like, I already experienced. You know, the Phil Sims and the Haas Tedler.
So, Eli, you know, listen, I'm not downgrading these top five, but Messier, you know, I mean, Richard, you remember that in 1994? I mean, it was that was and the Knicks. That was the greatest that I mean, the unbelievable summer, you know, Mixon OJ, unfortunately.
So it goes Messier. Eli Howard Johnson, or is that where you put Backman? Wally Backman? Where do you put him, Al? Oh boy, Richard, you're really fired.
Get out. You put the whole 86 Mets in there, Al. You're just one player. Just one player? Yeah, Danny Heap, maybe.
Danny Heap has been called. Tim Tuffaw. Look at him. Richard, let me just throw one other thing out. You know, I've been calling into the show for a very, very long time.
Ten years, Al. I've said it countless times. You know, you've been very, very gracious to me, and you're very gracious to my family when we've come to events. And my son, Jack, is graduating high school today, Richard. You remember, I got great pictures of you with him at the Houston.
Uh Super Bowl event when he was a young child, and it's just unbelievable. And I know you're about to experience the same thing right now, but It's a was an unbelievable experience.
So, you know, you guys have been, you know, been a part of me since I've been down here in Texas. you know, it's just one of those things where But for me, not to say it would be now. Congratulations. Enjoy that day. And send our best to the graduate.
There goes Alan Dallas, everybody. How are you, Dallas? All right.
Let's take a break. Joe Burrow has spoken. Joe Burrow. Uh-oh. He's spoken for the first time, I think, since the season ended.
Let's see what does he think about the roster build in Cincinnati. That's next. Oh, and our golf outing. We got to talk about our golfing events coming up next. That'll be fun.
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Other than their owner being in charge. The answer is. How happy is Joe Burrow being with us? Honestly. At some point, is he going to wake up?
One day, look in the mirror and go, I don't want to be here anymore.
Okay.
Pull something out of the Carson Palmer playbook. I hate this team.
Well, it's the Jet fans. You might say that. Yeah, I don't know. Hmm. They're still paying him.
Joe Borrow, kid from Athens, Ohio, who for some reason, and I say this to him all the time: why do you like Ohio State most so much still? You had to go to LSU. He really likes Ohio State. And Ohio State fans are like, he's one of ours. I'm like, okay.
Yeah. Yeah. The coach you won it with sounds like the water boy. I'm more a Dodger fan than that. All right.
At any rate. I don't mean to go down that road.
Well, you got a bunch of people here who hate Ohio State. That's true. You have two dozen. Michigan Wolverines. My bad.
The Ohio State. No disrespect. No, no, don't. Disrespect all you want. I don't care.
Disrespect away. At any rate, Joe Burrow, meeting with the media today, asked about Does he need a re did he need a reset? Hit the reset button after last year's injury marred disappointing campaign. I'm not sure I would say I needed to reset, you know, I didn't play a ton of games.
So When the season ended, I was still ready to go.
So kind of jump right back into training, travel a little bit, but Um I was ready to go. Mm.
Okay.
He's not going to give you anything, is he? No. What about the Bengals reset? What about them? What about what they've done?
What about sexy Dexi coming right there in the middle of that defensive line, even though Trey Hendrickson is now a raven? A lot of these moves made for making sure Joe's 30 points a game stands up. Where that he stands up upright. I just think we know Where we need it to be better. And We went out and aggressively made it happen.
And we filled some holes that we that we had from years past. Got better at a lot of positions. It's not the best free agent safety. Got the best D tackle in the league in my opinion.
So we have everything we need in that locker room. We just gotta go and make it happen. Have a mandate to the front office about what you wanted to happen this off season? No, I'll say You know we had a lot of communication during free agency. Yeah, we didn't have our post postseason meeting like we we typically have.
So Um And I would say if anything, I was less involved this year than years past. You know, there's no Secret that the last several years didn't Go the way we want it to and there's a lot of blame to go around for that, myself included. Do you think what you see right now From this organization, and in that locker room is the Super Bowl roster. I think this is the most talented roster that we've had since I've been here.
Okay.
Okay.
That is absolutely not him staring into the abyss and. wondering about the future and Yeah. There was a lot of that last year. There was a lot of for somebody who picks and chooses his words as carefully as he clearly does. He did leave some gray area.
You know?
Well, I might call it scarlet and gray error. Um look at you, right? And that that that right there. Like the moves that we made. We got the best in safety.
We got the best in D-tackle. We got the. The roster as talented as we've ever had.
Okay, Zach Taylor. Make it work.
Okay, Joe, stay healthy. It's just unfortunate. Yeah, it is a bummer, but all of a sudden, you get labeled, you know, kind of an injury guy. And Suddenly, this Hall of Fame top-five player in the league, it's not so much anymore. My God, are you going into the quarterback under pressure?
Is that where we're going here? Yeah. No. Because that guy doesn't look like he feels an ounce of pressure. That guy's been to a Super Bowl.
Yeah. That guy. He was close to winning it. That guy, I think. Unlike some other players in this league who get a little bit more pub than he does.
Let me ask you this question. Because this is like a theme. Like, if this was a Sesame Street, it was brought to you by the number and the letter.
Okay.
Nine. No, I didn't actually mean to for you to start naming the number.
Well, he wears it. Oh, okay, got it. Yeah, it's QB 9. Yeah. Um A theme.
is the athlete that has that burning desire that is uncanny and is different than others. He's one of them in the NFL, wouldn't you say? He's one of them. He doesn't show it. Except for whatever the heck was happening last year.
And every information man and woman, they come on the show, and they're like, he's just so frustrated about his health. And we're like, I guess that's where the frustration lies. Yeah, maybe I get that though. Frustration's not lying from the coaching, not lying from the front office. That was the conversation.
You know?
And it's three healthy, fully healthy seasons, right? It's unbelievable. They go to the Super Bowl, 4,600 yards, 34 touchdowns, 4,500 yards, 35 touchdowns, 4,900 yards, 43 touchdowns. Man, I wish we had a Bengals win-loss phone call. to just jump into right now because I'm taking a look at the roster, right?
Chase Brown is really friggin' good. He is. As you see the schedule. Home for Tampa, at Houston, at Pittsburgh, home for Jacksonville. Much tougher than Kansas City's first four.
Joe Burrow at quarterback, Chase Brown at running back, Jamar Chase and T. Higgins. I mean, come on now, right? Gaseki a tight end. The offensive line Let's protect.
That's a good scale. Um boye mafe. He's on this team. With Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen. Up front.
Let's see if Shamar Stewart's going to do anything. That back end, you're talking about the safeties. Right? Yeah. Yeah.
Manning the corner got the irony. It's two Michigan men, Dax Hill and DJ Turner. Let's go. They're healthy. That's as good a roster as anybody in the AFC North, wouldn't you say?
I kinda like them to win the division. Look at you now. I think they're better than the Ravens. I don't. I don't sleep on them, pal.
Who is their number one receiver? Say Flowers. Who's been their number one receiver? Oh, no, it's Say Flowers. Every year.
I get it. No, I know what you're saying. They're not as good as Jamar Chase and T. Higgins. I don't think anybody is, with all due respect to CD and George Pickens.
Is that what we're talking about?
Well, I mean, is that in the neighborhood? We're on the different A.J. Brown, if he stays in Philadelphia with Devontae Smith. Right? I mean, I know he's unstoppable, but uh another year older for Derrick Henry.
Okay.
Don't forget the right guard. Offensive line and the right guard. Offensive line, not as good. Don't forget about Vega Ioanni, the only right guard at the table for my guy from Penn State. Losser Center.
Barrier. That's true too. I think the Bengals should be favored here.
Okay, everybody. And Joe said. Right? He's not. Talking about existential.
He wouldn't just say it either. If the roster wasn't as talented, I think he would. Delicately say as much. Right, right. Because he can, he can, right, right.
That sounded like a guy who's ready who's believing. Yeah. I like it. How come, just couldn't put, put, just, you don't have to play the sound, but just pop it up on the screen. How come the NFL players?
Don't grab the mic. Correct. Yeah, but just pop it up on the screen just to borrow. You just don't even have to hit play on it. Got it.
He's sitting at the podium. Very relaxed. Yeah. They sit back and the microphone's on a stand. NBA players, they grab it.
Wenbunyama grabbed it. The microphone looked like a toothpick in it. One of those miniatures. You know how when you're being interviewed on Instagram, those little mics? That's what Wenbunyama holds it.
NFL never players don't grab the mic. Why don't you play the game? Are there no mic stands in the NBA? Is that what it is? That's always been an NBA thing.
I like it. Maybe they're more, you know, I like it. I like to hold the mic a little bit. Mm-hmm. You prefer not to have it on a stand either?
Yeah, well, now that after I said it, I had to think about it. How odd would it be if that's how I start my Shams interview, an hour or three? That's coming up. Why do they hold the mics? The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
Mm-hmm.
