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Now, on with the show. Could be Aaron Rodgers' last game. Yes, this is it. This is the Rich Eisen Show. What's he gonna be like with truly no F's left to give?
Let's come, let's come, let's come. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Earlier on the show, WWE superstar and actor John Cena. Coming up, Steelers Radio Network host Jerry Dulak, two-time Super Bowl champion Ozi Yuminura. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
Hour number two of the Rich Hodgen Show is on the air. Let me be very honest with you. This hour is going to have a very AFC North. theme to it. The Cleveland Browns head coach, new head coach Todd Monkin spoke today.
Um yesterday, pardon me, at the end of the day um of his um I guess we'll call it OTAs, mini camps, whatever. OTAs, yeah. And, and, uh, Some news was made, some of his comments. We played some Joe Burrow sound bites. One wound up on the cutting room floor that I'm going to resurrect because it's the one that everyone's talking about today.
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NMLS 6968. 9-1. 844-204 Rich is the number that I'll hear. We'll get to your phone calls. A lot of win-loss game.
Fans that are on the call. That's one month.
So we'll do that. But Jerry Dulak is back here on the Rich Isand Show. As soon as Aaron Rodgers said, I'm coming back for one more year and that's it, we sent up the bat signal to Western PA and he's answered it. Good to see you again, Jerry. How are you, sir?
Rich, Rich, I am well. And you know, I always enjoy when you send up that signal, and I get on the bat phone and tell you I'll be there.
Okay, and I appreciate that, Jerry. All right, so. Were you surprised to hear Rogers just point-blank answer a point-blank question about is this your last year? He goes, yep, it is. That surprise you?
Yeah, nothing he says ever surprises me, whether it's good, bad, indifferent, or mysterious. I kind of enjoy always listening to him speak. You know, many times when he does speak, you can see his eyes light up. They dart around. You can almost see the feathers sticking out the sides of his mouth sometimes.
I think he's a kind of a fascinating guy to listen to. And no, so I wasn't totally surprised. I think the Steelers knew all along. That this would probably be his last season. Heck, they thought last year might be his last season.
Um but uh you know nothing he says at any point at any time Never really surprises me. All right, so then let's go to this direction. What did you hear about um his thought process. on that front.
Well, you know, all along the Steelers have been under the impression that he was coming back, that it was more that he would be as opposed to he wouldn't be. and that he says he made the decision after the NFL draft I was just a little curious about that time frame because The Steelers were kind of under the impression that um you know that he would be um you know, he would be expected to agree before the NFL draft. There were a couple of factors involved. I don't think there's any question that Mike McCarthy was the head coach. you know, led him in that direction.
And even though he didn't fully acknowledge this, he did acknowledge the fact that the Steelers made a lot of moves. Not that he said that would help him, but would help the team, even though they do help him, and that is. Getting Michael Pittman, making the trade for him to pair with DK Metcalf, giving them now a reliable, quality, productive number two receiver. signing Rico Dado after they lost Kenny Gainwell, which as good as Kenny Gainwell was for them last year, I think all in all, Rico Dado is an improvement. Their number one pick, of course, was an offensive lineman, the number two pick was a wide receiver, and seven of their ten draft choices were offensive players.
And I don't know that those moves convinced him. But if he waited, as he said, until after the NFL draft to finalize his decision, then I don't think those there's any question those moves Helped him make that decision.
Well, I mean, and if you look at it, Jerry, just now we can finally. turn to what this looks like, right? compared to what it's looked like over the last few years. And the conversation, because boy, do I hear it from the very vocal and passionate fan base out there in Western PA as I've been caping for Mike Tomlin for years from this seat. That the offense has always been an Achilles heel ever since Arians left, to be straight up, right?
That's correct.
Now here comes Mike McCarthy. Who's Expertise is that side of the ball. bringing in offense who, without question, Has been best run by the current quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. And I'm wondering what this is going to look like and how different it's going to be over the from the last. Decade plus, Jerry.
What do you think? You know, Richard, when you look at two days of OTAs, and I never put, of course, any amount of stock in anything that happens in OTAs, so it was nothing in particular. But um When you see, and everybody who sees it for the first time, and we got to go through this last year. But when you see Aaron Rodgers throw the ball the previous two days here, Nothing looks different.
Now, I know it's a different animal when four linemen or edge rushers are coming at him and want to take his head off, and you're reading the opposing defense or it's trying to figure out what they're trying to do to you, which he does better than any quarterback in the league at the line of scrimmage. I know that's a whole different animal. But what I'm talking about is at age 42. You know, I saw him yesterday roll out of the pocket, and what we've seen many, many times when he throws that Hail Mary rolls out left. plants his feet and lets it go.
I saw nothing different in him doing that than I have last year or maybe in other years. I think last year, if I'm not mistaken, Rich, he had the longest air throw in the NFL last year at 70 yards to DK Metcalf down to the end zone.
So There's no question, at least from what we see, and you can tell the guy's in shape. He is not letting himself go in any form.
So from that physical standpoint, he looks like he can at least be the same quarterback he was last year. And then I'll let others judge what that quarterback was. He was 10 and 6, though, as a starter. big road wins in Detroit.
Now I know the Ireland game was a home game, but a big road win against the Minnesota Vikings, one in Baltimore, and then coming back and clinching the division with another good performance, a big performance against the Ravens in the season finale that clinched that postseason spot.
Now look, I know he laid an egg against Buffalo, and he did not play well in the postseason game. But all in all, when you evaluate Aaron Rodgers at age 42, I think the Steelers and everybody else would agree that he performed better than what the expectations were for him.
Now, how does that translate to 2026? I guess. That's what we're going to find out. But, you know, they look, he gives them. Rich, Mike McCarthy is not coming back to his hometown.
after to take over a team that won a division title. and has been in the playoffs five the last six years. He is not about to expect anything less than a division title and a playoff appearance in his hometown at age 62.
So he's going to do whatever he feels he needs to do to at least replicate what they did last year. And he feels obviously Aaron Rodgers gives him. The best chance to do that. But I guess you mentioned again Dowdle, their Pittman acquired, right? Um, and the kid from the second round, Bernard, Jeremy Bernard, right?
Yeah, um, he's in this mix.
Well, what are we thinking here? Like 24 points a game? 27? I mean, like, what are 20. 21.
I mean, it it just and also Listen, we also saw the last few years of Arthur Smith and Wondering if that was a fit and then before that. You know, it always seemed to be points challenged in December, November. You know, um Uh if I Is it right to expect it's going to be different? Just a better mix, a better set of eyes? Yeah, well yeah, Richard, I don't think anybody's going to argue that uh it's it's right to expect something better something more productive because you're talking about a guy Who not only is a proven head coach, he's a proven play caller.
You do not Uh compile the record that he has in his career where it stands all time. as a play caller and a head coach. Um you know and and think that it's not going to be better. I don't care who was there before him. And you mentioned before going back to Bruce Arians and yes, and since then the offense has never been the same in terms of production.
It was modestly better last year with Arthur Smith. But I would expect it to be better because now the wide receiver room is deeper and better. You know, you have one, two at running back. And you know, their offensive line is built around a lot of young guys and high draft picks. There's a lot of stability.
production and talent on that offensive line.
So look, I'm not going to sit here and tell you they're the greatest show on turf. Of course, they're not on turf, as we know. But I think it's very reasonable To expect something more than what we have seen.
Now, a lot of that, of course, is going to depend on Aaron Rodgers at age 42, going to be 43. But the one thing You know, Rich, when I talk to, I've heard Aaron Rogers say this before, but when you talk to Mason Rudolph as I did yesterday, and Will Howard as I did yesterday. And the way they speak about Mike McCarthy and the way. He develops quarterbacks and how he does it, and the detail that he has. He is a very, I've learned this in a short amount of time, a extremely detail-oriented coach, right down to his practices, how often he practices, the way he practices.
But in terms of working with quarterbacks, and here's a guy like Mason Rudolph, who's been around eight years, and his eyes are open. To the way Mike McCarthy works with quarterbacks and just the things that he does to get them to be better and to prepare them and all that. I think it's very reasonable to expect that things should be not only different, but more importantly, better offensively in 2026. Jerry, do you lack a few minutes left with the Steelers? Insider Maven, our clubhouse Steelers guy right here on The Rich Eisen Show.
So. When a 42-year-old says this is it, And it's a quarterback-driven league, and you got two young'uns and Mason Rudolph in that quarterback room, it's now time to say what's next, who's next. I mean, what's the plan? What do you think it looks like? And And involve the entirety of the season, and then obviously next spring.
in uh in the draft in DC, Jerry. What's the plan here? You know, Rich, that's that's what they want to use OTAs, but then the next step, a little bit of minicamp, especially training camp. uh to find out when you put the pads on and then you start playing games. Um I don't think there's any question.
I think it's safe to say ninety percent to ninety five percent of the snaps in the preseason are going to be between split between Will Howard. and uh Drew Waller. as a third round pick, they're not going to cut Drew Awler. They haven't cut a third round pick since the mid nineteen eighties as a cornerback by the name of Liffert Hobley.
So they're not going to cut Drew Awler unless he's a complete bust, and I don't think they think that's going to be. But they really like what they've seen at Will Howard. And again, I know it's OTAs. But when you watched Will Howard yesterday in practice, you could see how much more comfortable he is and the throws he making. You don't sit there and go, well, you know, there's not a strong arm there.
I saw him make a couple passes where if you weren't watching, you might think it was one of the other quarterbacks.
So they like Will Howard.
Now we'll see, but that's what the preseason's going to be for. And where does that leave Mason Rudolph? I've always believed, and when I talked to Mason yesterday, he said this, this is a veteran team. They think they can win and they want to win now, which is why they brought Aaron Rodgers back. I do not think they are going to entrust their offense to two quarterbacks backing up Aaron Rodgers who have never appeared in an NFL game.
And so I don't see them moving on from Mason Rudolph either. But, you know, by the same token, I don't see them caring for quarterbacks.
So we'll see what happens. But it's going to be interesting to see how they decide to play this. But that's kind of the way, you know, if you want to paint what might happen or how this is going to play out, you can choose from a couple of those different scenarios and probably not be wrong on either one. What about the scenario that the current quarterback, the next quarterback, the starting quarterback of the 2027 Steelers is currently not on the roster? Right.
Well, that's, I think, one, that's what obviously they're going to try to find out. And two, hope they find out. that one of these guys could be that person.
Now, we're not going to go out on limb and call them a franchise quarterback. There's only, to me, only a handful of them in the league anyway. Uh but maybe it's a it's a player who is good enough to help you win, you know, to maintain their winning status. Until they feel, okay, maybe we need to go get somebody better. And I think.
That's kind of the way they are going to approach it. It's the reason why they drafted Drew Waller. Look, they felt. If there was somebody with a bigger upside than Will Howard, they would draft him somewhere where they did Drew Weller, third round, maybe in the fourth round. And maybe they'll probably Uh, continue uh that same process.
Look, they know they can't continue going with that revolving door that has been in place since Ben Rothesberger left. They're not stupid, they know its most important position in sports, and so they want to try and get it right. And maybe this is a step in that direction, Rich. All right, last one for you, Jerry. Steelers are no strangers to sending a future Hall of Famer off into retirement with a fanfare.
Does Rogers want it? What's the plan? What do you think? Retirement towards the return. You mean in terms of walk uh this being it, Rich?
No, like the Steelers, you know we all remember Roth the Spurger at his family. They're all hand in hand going up the tunnel. It was a nice moment. The bus, we all saw what happened, obviously for him. He He was able to hoist a Lombardi.
What's the plan for a retirement tour? Does Rogers want one? Steer is going to give it to him? Or what do you think? It's going to be, you know, it's curious to see.
I think out of respect to him, they will do that. I don't think it's going to be on the order of Ben Rothesberger because he played 18 seasons with the team, of course, and Aaron's only two. But I think out of respect for him and what he's accomplished, let's face it, he's a future Hall of Famer. If he's not a first ballot Hall of Fame pick and I'm on that committee, I would be shocked. Um But then I guess these days nothing shocks me when he gets into the Hall of Fame.
We all know Rogers, if this is his last year, just count five years and he's in.
Well, I agree, but did you think the same thing, Rich? And not to prolong the discussion, but what did you think of Eli Manning? And I'm shocked after two years he hasn't been in. I thought he was automatic. First ballot, you know, really good stats, two Super Bowls, and two Super Bowl MVPs, and yet he's still not in.
I think he's a Hall of Famer, but I've gotten a lot of pushback on that front. But first ballot, I never really thought he was first ballot either. I mean, you mentioned his stats, they're really good. I mean, Rogers are superlative. Of course, they're truly awards, you know, four times right, you know what I mean?
Or closer to Peyton Manning, you know what I mean, than Favre.
So, I agree. I agree. Again, and clearly, I understand what the bus and Ben Roppesberger meant to Steelers fans in terms of longevity and trophies and things of that nature. I'm just wondering, the Steelers know how to put on a show. You know what I mean?
They're like a gold standard franchise. They know how to handle these things. I'm just wondering if. There's already been a conversation about what to do. Yeah, I don't think there has been, but obviously, as the season goes on, and again, out of respect to Aaron, let's face it, he's going to retire as a Green Bay Packer or go into the Hall of Fame as a Green Bay Packer, understandably so.
But the Steelers will get the get you know, they'll they get a little sliver of that. And I think they'll give it the proper due As you get near the end, and certainly I think the fans will respond to that. I mean, he's Aaron Rodgers, let's face it. He's as big a name, if not the biggest name, in the league. He's right up there in the conversation.
And when he says this is it, you know, good Lord, it's on the ABC Evening News last night that this is his final year, even though everybody kind of thought it would be. I mean, he's Aaron Rodgers, and we've all learned too, but he really likes ice cream. Jerry Dulak, you're a good man. Thanks for the time. Appreciate it.
All right, Richard.
Well, chats. It's soon being with you, Michael. We'll chat soon. That's Jerry Dulak right there. Jerry.
So, if the Steelers get a sliver, what do the Jets get? I know what it is. Uh as quoting uh um uh Judge Smells. You'll get nothing come all your time. Nothing.
I like it. The Jets are the Spalding of the FL. I want a hamburger. No, I want a probably about right. They're the Spalding of the FL in this situation.
No, I'm sorry. I thought you meant the whole week. All right. Spalding never won anything. The Jets did win something once.
Yeah, but you weren't born. Yeah, but you wanted to cut in on me. You weren't even born. Details. Details.
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We'll be back with your phone calls. Joe Burrow has chimed in on how far the Bengals can go, and he does it so matter-of-factly you didn't even catch it yesterday. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. If you've ever wanted real energy without choking down something that tastes like regret, Bucked Up is the answer. The flavor is the thing people keep coming back for.
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Number to Don. We'll take your phone calls in a matter of moments. Joe Burrows spoke yesterday and spoke very highly, it appeared. Of the roster rebuild that had been made, right? Mm-hmm.
Um And so This we didn't play this sound by it. Did you see this yesterday? Which, misplanked around on a lot of the old socials. No, no, no, no. No.
He's just so cool and so matter of fact. and so monotone at times, You just You just Mist The absolute confidence You might call it bravado, but That sounds like it's kind of fake. It's not. But this is what he had to say about how things look in. Cincinnati, where he said that it's the best roster maybe he's had as a professional quarterback.
Do you think that The Bengals are in a better spot now than they were years ago, and how much more work is there to go in that definitely. I think. The number number one thing is you have to win. And We're gonna go into a lot of games this year and play great and and win a Super Bowl and Oh. You know, everything that comes with that comes with that.
Win a Super Bowl this year. I love the guy. How about that? We're going to win a lot of games. It all comes with winning.
We're going to win a lot of games. Like imagine if it was A wide receiver saying this. Oh, well. Right, we'd laugh it off. You know?
Imagine if it was any other quarterback who was saying this. Replay that. It's so I can't I can't get enough of this guy. Hit it. You think that The Bengals are in a better spot now than they were years ago, and how much more work is there to go in that definitely.
The number number one thing is you have to win. And we're gonna go win a lot of games this year and play great and and win a Super Bowl and Oh. You know, everything that comes with that comes with that. So Mark that. That was May 20th, 2026.
If on Valentine's Day. 2027 In the building where he lost the Super Bowl, he hoists Lombardi trophies, a Lombardi trophy for the first time, and brings it back to Cincinnati for the first time. May 20th. You even heard him yesterday, like, I think they're going to win the division. You kind of game it out.
You look at the rest of the division. On paper? Everybody stays healthy? I think they're the best team. Man, you're really trying to talk yourself into that, aren't you?
They have the same Super Bowl odds as the Dallas Cowboys.
Okay, and I'm not sitting here saying the Dallas Cowboys are winning the Super Bowl either.
Well, I'm not saying that either. By the way, that could be a Super Bowl. Joe is. Of what, the NFL? No, Bengals versus Cowboys.
Yeah, of like the Super Bowl? By the way, that's pretty funny. Why wouldn't it happen? That's a fun game. Why wouldn't it happen?
Because it's just unlikely. I understand. I mean, yeah, I guess anything could be the Super Bowl. Nobody saw Seahawks Patriots last year. Not a soul.
Nobody predicted. If on May 21st of last year, we're like, it's New England versus Seattle. Absolutely. You'd be like, get out of here. Yeah, no chance.
So Joe Burrow versus Dak, Bengals versus Cowboys. That's more likely than us at this point last year going. Seattle versus New England. You know? I mean, maybe I'll give you a doubt.
But let's check in with Jordan in Hesperia. California. What's up, Jordan? Hey, Rich, how you doing? What's on your mind, George?
Well, I was listening to your show yesterday and I saw that you wanted a Bengals fan to do the win-loss game.
Okay.
So, uh, much like Dexter Lawrence, I'm here to save the day. Hey, all right, the. Sexy Dexy of Hesperia, California has chimed in here. I need to s the music and I need the Cincinnati Bengals. Schedule For our friend Jordan, What happens in the opener, Tampa Bay?
At Cincinnati, what happens? I think this is a showout case for our defense, and we're gonna, you know, we're gonna open up with a win. All right, next week at Houston. Oof. This is a tough one where I take a little bit of a lump here.
That's going to be a lot. Better protect Joey B there, huh? Bengals at Steelers coming up next. Oh, yeah, we're definitely winning the first matchup with the Feelers. Oh, that was a definite 2-1.
Home for the Jaguars. That's a win. 3-1 at the Dolphins. That's definitely a win. Come on, definitely win.
Four and one. Nobody lost. Your first game against the Ravens. Spencer Fondo is going to have a tough time on this first game against this defense, Rich.
So that's a loss. That's a win for the Bengals. It's a win for the Bengals, all right. Uh five and one. Home for the Titans.
Uh that's a win. Six and one. By the way, I'm noticing those are all 1 o'clock Eastern starts for the Bengals. Boom. Straight up.
Oh, wow. This is the first non-one o'clock Eastern start because it's in Madrid. Bengals? At Falcons. If you will.
Whoa. I think I'm hooked on phonics enough to say that that's a win. Speaks German. Seven and one. That was not German.
Steelers at Bengals. What do you got for me on NBC Sunday night football? NBC. I think we'll split with the Steelers. There's a lock here.
Oh, wow. All right. That's a Henry-like twist. Uh at the Commanders on a Monday night. Monday Night Football, we're not losing that one.
That's a win. Alright, that's eight and two right now. Hehehehehehehehe Saints at Bengals. I'm sorry, we're not getting shucks tonight. That's a win for the Bengals.
9-2 at the Browns. Mm-hmm. Oh, that that we're sweeping the ground. That's that's a good one. Doesn't happen too often.
10-2, Chiefs at the Bengals. Late window on Fox. Uh, you know what? I That's as much as I want to say win, we're on a hot streak, we might drop that one. That's a loss.
All right, 10 and 3 at the Panthers. Uh that's a win. 11 and 3 at the Colts. That's a win. 12-3, home for the Ravens on a Thursday night, if you will, New Year's Eve.
Oh my god, that's the New Year's Eve game. Nope, I'm not doing it. We're winning. We're winning. Browns at Bengals, you said that's a sweet.
That's a sweet, baby. That's 14 and 3, ladies and gentlemen. Jordan. That's one seed. With a bout of Hesperia there.
That's a one seed, baby. Hesperia. Thank you very much. This is Jordan.
Okay.
God, I love the win-loss. It's so fun. Just lose their minds. DJ's there. Just saying, Bengals Cowboys Super Bowl, 112th-1.
Okay.
Crazier things have happened like Patriot Seahawks last year. Exactly. Please. But Joe Burrow.
Well, yeah, I mean, just, you know, I mean, you gotta win. But uh but we're gonna win a lot of games. And now we're going to go everything that comes with it comes with it. On a day, Ed Orgeron rejoins the LSU staff. About talent?
Did you notice that? I did not. I missed that. It's all coming up, Coach O. Uh championship uh Go Tigers.
What's she going to do? Go Tigers. I'm back. There you go. That's that one right there.
Go Tigers. So, um,. Hmm. Let's go in the other direction, Mike Hoskins, because you just heard a guy who loves the roster. Right.
Loves his championship team. LeBron James. The Ron Jack appeared. On the uh the old pod. With um Steve Nash.
It's a pod they do together, right? That's right. Is it called Mind the Game? Is that what it is? Yep.
So LeBron, as you know, said he's going to start Thinking about things before he makes his next move.
Okay.
Right? He's got to think about things, what he wants to do, keep playing this, that, the other thing. And um I kind of think, again, he's going to stay put here. That's the way my initial thing was, right? Unless the Cavs get swept and they're like, we just need LeBron and we'll go get him.
And he'll finish his career in Cleveland and he'll go full circle and for the land and all that business, right? He did like an Instagram post about him going back to Cleveland. I mean, there's all sorts of ways that you can figure out. I like a lot of posts. I know.
Well,. Listen to what he had to say about why The Lakers got broomed out by the Oklahoma City Thunder hit it. You know, understanding this year, you know, we fought. and we played it to the maximum ability of our team. But ultimately, you know, if we're being completely honest, we were out-talented.
We were not outworked. We were not, you know, out, you know, they didn't out-physical us, they didn't out-smart us. Um you know um I feel like we were just out. Talent. You know, by OKC, they just possess so much more talent, and yeah, yeah, you know, they might have had a couple more possessions where some IQ could kick in, but that happens throughout the course of the game.
That's That goes for both teams. I feel like there's times where we have moments where we out-queued them, but I queued them. But at the end of the day, we We we failed in Talent. Hmm. So, you get the sense based on, again, Dave McMenamin's reporting.
um recently about LeBron chafing at the um lack of a game ball On a certain night. Mm-hmm. He just doesn't like Rob Polinka very much. Yeah. Can you get that sense?
He and Rob are just not seein' eye to eye, and one way to just shoot at something across the bow Okay. Yeah. It's not like, hey, Luca was in street clothes. Would they have been would the talent gap have closed a little bit if the guy was out there? Yada yada yada he wasn't.
And they got Out talented. Who's in charge of the talent? Who shops for those groceries? Who puts the talent together? And it wasn't being outcoached.
He likes his coach very much, despite the fact that the coach got the game ball on the night he was apparently chafing for not getting the game ball. I mean, some might say, well, Brown helps pick the talent. No, those days are over. You know that, I know that. Those days are over.
If they're going to go get Luca. And he finds out he they they give him just like a 60 second heads up. You know. I don't know. I heard that, I'm like, oh, interesting.
So he sat around thinking about it. And his first thought is: you know what, I'm going to go on the pod. And some of the stuff I'm going to lay out there is: we got out talented. When uh A star. Hold on, man.
That's undercutting it. Megawatt superstar athlete. known world round, whose every word uttered Is parsed and discussed. Blames Being out talented. That means He and the general manager aren't uh really uh copacetic.
Am I telling any tales out of school on that one? No, I don't think so. But he's the one that's going to have to eventually call LeBron and put a deal on the table. And then, what do you do if this is an out-talent and situation? Do you basically say a healthier Luka fixes that?
There wouldn't have been a healthier Austin Reeves fixed that. But it's not about not getting swept, man. They probably still wouldn't be able to do that. It's about being in this mix in a Western Conference finals like this Donny Brook that we're seeing that is so compelling. But you don't think they would have won anyway if they had Wuka healthy, right?
Well, that might be his point. Pirot? Because everything else, they got the IQ, they got the smarts, they got the coaching, they got. Listen to that soundbite again. The one thing that they were we got out talented.
We didn't have the. Here, play it one more time. I said, queue it up. Go ahead and hit it. You know, understanding this year, you know, we fought.
and we play this to the maximum ability of our team. But ultimately, you know, if we're being completely honest, we were out-counted. We were not outworked. We were not as small. They didn't out-physical us.
They didn't outsmart us. You know, I feel like we were just out. Talent by OKC. They just possess so much more talent. And yeah, yeah, you know, they might have had a couple more possessions where some IQ could kick in, but that happens throughout the course of the game.
That's terrible. You know, that goes for both teams. I feel like there's times where we have moments where we out cue them, but IQ them.
So, But at the end of the day, we we failed in talent. Hello, Rob Polinka from Mind the Game Podcast. Flat out. How do you fix it? How does one fix it?
Because you want LeBron back if you're the Lakers. I'll just keep saying it over and over and over again until I'm purple and gold in the face. Passionate Laker fan.
So Cooper does accuse me of that. I like J.J. Reddick, and I cannot lie. I like him. Um I do like watching LeBron play.
If that guy does cut, you know. I know they don't cut down nets. But if he does hoist the uh Larry OB. Before he leaves one more time? That would be we'd be talking about it on the Rich Eisen Show.
I root for stories like that. Him and Luca doing it together here in LA? Who else though? Who else? Who else?
And can Polinka and the rest of his scouting department. Find the um AJ Mitchell. Mitchell's. Right? Can they pick up the Jared McCains and have them shoot the threes?
Those are important. Kayson Wallace is of the world. Can we get some of them? That's what he's talking about. Right, for sure.
Hey, 100%. Hey, Rob, can you be Sam Presty for two seconds, please? Yeah, this isn't having superstars just fall in your lap. This would be true. Yeah, but they had one of those superstars, they had Caruso.
Yeah. By the way. They let him walk, and that's the main thing. By the way. I'm so appreciative of you saying that because that may be what he's talking about, too, without saying the guy's name.
Unless LeBron didn't want him there either. That might have been back in the day when he had a little bit more clout with Poland. Yeah, Chris, I don't remember the details right now off the top of the dome as to why AC left, but he was a free AC. He's on a champion. Chicago paid him.
That's. That's it. Yeah. Bulls paid him. Yeah.
Leaning off this decade's Robert Ory. I mean, well, I mean, big shot, Bob Orry, man. That's Russo. What I'm talking about is just keep on collecting rings, man. One less ring than LeBron if they OKC wins it this year.
Keep collecting them. I guess so. He was at the American Century Championship last year. Caruso? Yes, and he is taller than you think.
Oh, yeah. Yeah. I think he's about 6'6. He's bigger than that. When I saw him on the practice screen, I'm like, dude.
You are tall, and going to be another guy who's going to finish in front of me in the stable for. Stop it. Be quiet.
Okay, sorry. Technically, every man finished in front of you. Oh, that was a woman. Wow. Dude.
Let's take a break, everybody. Let's talk about our golf weekends, shall we? We didn't do it yesterday. We'll do it next. The Rich Heisen Show, the podcast.
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We're back on the Rich Eisen show on the radio side of things. For those listening on the radio, you just heard an Australian accent. Andrew, you're a nurse in the middle of your night shift right now. Is that what's happening? I am.
And I am on a break. On a break, that's fine. Exactly. That's right. Important note.
So, a patient isn't losing oxygen right now as you're called in to play a win-loss game for the Commanders. They're currently, according to Andrew in Australia, one and six, and you're a Commanders fan. Rams at the Commanders. What happens next? Yeah, we lose.
Oh my god. Commanders at the Giants on a Thursday night.
Well, we usually split it, so we will get one back. Two and seven, let's rally. Bengals at the Commanders on a Monday night. Yeah. Um I see why people go crazy, but I'm not going to.
We lose. Commanders at the Cardinals, they're two and eight. Yeah, let's. Jacoby slash whoever, we will win that.
Okay, three and eight, commanders at the Titans. We should win that. Winning streak, four and eight, Texans at Commanders. No. Nope.
Falcons at Commanders of four and nine. Uh cook's gonna no well cook's not there anymore, but um that we're gonna lose that soon. Commanders at the Vikings at 4 and 10. Love. Seven, eight, nine, ten.
That's 4 and 11. Commander the Jaguars. No, we're gonna lose that too. Four and twelve. Cowboys are the commanders.
Yeah, we're gonna get a meaningless win on the last one. Oh no! That's one two four five five and twelve five and five and twelve andrew in Australia calling in at four thirty in the morning or four fifty in the morning uh Friday in the middle of his shift Calling in To say the commanders are going five and twelve. Is really next level. Can I just tell you, I would love to be wrong.
I really, really want to be wrong. But Look at our OC, look at our DC. Who are they? What have they done? I love, like, Dan Quinn, that lightning in a bottle for the first year was beautiful.
And I wouldn't say a word against the man, but. What did we have last year? I'm scared. I'm scared. I want to be wrong.
Tell me why I could be wrong. Andrew, here's what you could be wrong because of Jaden Daniels. That's the end of that story.
Okay, cool. And I'm going to give you an international dateline hug. Here we go. Right there. We're hugging it out.
Tap, tap.
Now go save a life, Andrew, okay? Thank you very much. This is the worst episode of The Pit ever. Stay strong, but in Australia. You imagine Dr.
Robbie takes time out to call in to play the Steelers win-loss game?
Well, from a Steeler fan, that would expect that. We should 1,000. We worked that into season three. Yeah. Their win total is only seven and a half games.
Fantastic. The schedule dropped, and it's time to settle up. There's road tips, road trips to plan, people, tickets to split, tailgates to cover, scores to settle. All the things you need for a season. But now, when you send $10 or more to a friend with PayPal by May 28th, You could win two tickets to every home game of your favorite NFL team for the entire season.
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of the NFL. That was wild. We can't even talk about our golf games just yet. Keep on pushing this thing out. It's a great story.
You got a great story. I've got great stories, I promise you. That was amazing. This show is awesome for us to do every day. I really do.
You know, I do want to say this. Just radio is an incredible medium. It's just a simple, simply incredible. Because for TV, all the TV sports executives are constantly trying to figure out how do you break the fourth wall and connect with a fan and know what they're thinking. And hearing and radio allows you to do exactly that.
And I can suit and boot on NFL Network, ESPN, all I want. I sit in this chair. There's a dude who's fighting off sleep in the middle of his night shift in Australia. He goes, You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna call in the Rich Eisen show all the way in Los Angeles and play a win-loss game for my favorite team and say they're going five and twelve.
You know what I mean? Like, can you make it up? He was like 12. They started one and eight. He didn't even one and eight at one point.
Cooper still wants to know who that guy. Who had the Patriots go 0-17 was, what his deal is, and where he is today after the Patriots won the AFC. I will. That dude who called in with Cooper sitting in your chair, and had the Patriots go 0-17.
Well, need the take and drop for that. Or were you here for that? I will find you. I don't know. Yeah, I remember that, dude.
That was amazing. All right. Um the Browns quarterback situation. Um and Todd Monk and And Miles Garrett. I think talking as much as LeBron and Rob Polink are interesting.
It's not great. And Osi Yumanyora, former New York giant, now the face of NFL UK and NFL Africa, coming in in hour number three: The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
