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Learn more at windows.com/slash studentoffer. Law Supplies Last ends June 30th. Terms at aka.ms/college PC. The Stanley Cup final on ABC is more than a quest for the cup. It's 134 years of putting it all on the line and the heaviest 35 pounds ever lifted.
It's broken curses and broken hearts. But for those chasing it, it's everything. The only question is, who will take it? You just have to watch the Stanley Cup final presented by Geico on ABC and the ESPN app. This is The Rich Eisen Show.
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Okay. Check this out. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Big Bo Dega. Towns up top, drive and Yama.
From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. The thing about Carl Anthony Towns, I just love his heart. Earlier on the show. ESPN NBA analyst and NBA champion Richard Jefferson. NFL network insider Tom Pellicero.
Coming up. Comedian Michael Blaustein. And now, it's Rich Eisen. All right, hour number three of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. Disney Plus, the ESPN app, ESPN Radio Sirius XM Channel 80.
The comedian Michael Blaustein is in our green room. I just had a nice chat with him. He's a diehard Nick fan, and his jacket is so loud it makes Spike Lee go, really? And he's coming out here in about 20 minutes' time. I've got a top five athletes in Los Angeles list I'm about to read off and then ask for.
Opinions and then disregard them. That's about to hit. We've got phone lines completely lit. 844-204-Rich. We'll get to them in a second.
We've been talking about this with Sports Center for the first two hours as we were on ESPN for the last two hours. Again, it's a new digital podcast series limited. For just season one to six interviews, one-on-one, me with an OG from back in the day Sports Center, presented by Gusto. It is Dan Patrick, guest number one tonight. Um, it's out there right now for you to take in on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, the Rich Eisen Show YouTube channel.
If you want to listen to it, you won't see a lot of the bells and whistles, which I would uh counsel you to see because it's chock full of memory lane videos and sports center commercials and pictures from back in the day. Um, every Friday, uh, a new episode will drop. Except for episode two, we can't wait till next Friday. That's dropping Monday. Yours truly, along with Chris Berman, the essential godfather of the show.
He will be on Monday's show.
So please check it out. It's very personal to me. Mike Hoskins, the Rich Island Show coordinating producer, just absolutely crushed it, producing and editing it. It is a labor of love from all of us, and hopefully it is for you to watch it. Again, 844-204-Rich, number to dial.
In the same way, Chris, that one door opens, another door closes, or one thing, great thing that happens for your team. It just is another thing that reminds you that it's not so great in your neck of the woods. For instance, the same day A.J. Brown gets acquired by your Patriots, Big Pompey comes out and says, this John Henry guy, you should give him a chance. And New England's fans are like, really?
Not going to lie.
So as the Knicks are ascending. Um Another door opens. and into an MRI machine slides Aaron Judge. And the Yankees are going to be without their big toe, their. Big Future Hall of Famer for at least the next four to six weeks with something they don't even know what the hell really it is.
Well, those John Henry jokes aren't so funny now, are they?
Well, I mean, I don't know what one thing has to do with another. I don't think it's coincidence that.
Well, this one thing is ownership. You want to sell the team. This one is just Aaron Judge having to heal up. But. Maybe the rest of the season.
CT scan, MRIs, X-rays. Um evaluated by multiple doctors. Um, is it thoracic outlet syndrome? What the hell it is? It's a rib thing, it's a stretch stress fracture of the first rib.
There we go. And it looks like he might have been playing with it since May 3rd. He crashed into the right field wall as Max Free gave up a deep fly ball, and you saw him wincing. And, you know, his hitting had definitely suffered over the last few weeks. He's hitting 250, which a guy.
from last year and the way that he hits for power and hits in general. A lot of wincing. And the Yankees finally sat him down and put him in all these tubes, and out comes this result of four to six weeks. And all I will say is the following. Ah, the pitching better hold up.
And they've got the pitching that can do it. Max Freed comes back and you go Schlittler and Cole from the right side and Freed and Radon from the left. And all you need to do is scratch out three or four runs and hope for the best from your bullpen where there's been a lot of hope. being necessary As opposed to all these other teams that you see where there's just one twenty-five-year-old after another coming out throwing a hundred miles an hour. You know?
The rumor that the Red Sox might tap out on our oldest chapman and send him to San Diego to set up. Miller would be insane with every other arm the Padres have. You better have a lead by the fifth because if you don't, it's a wrap. Yep. You see what the Brewers do.
You see all these arms. The Yankees don't seem to have those arms coming out one after another after another with consistency. But Judge being out for a month and a half to potentially more. That ain't great.
So, if you have the same Venn diagram that I have. The circle of fandom of the Yankees and the circle of fandom of the Knicks, and you put them together, you better enjoy the Knick part right now. Although the American League, nobody's running away with it, the Rays have suddenly started coming back to the pack. And all you got to do is just get get that lottery ticket and get judge better and maybe improve that pen. with some um Some Deadline Action.
This kid Lagrandier on the pen who's throwing up. Is he coming out yet or what?
Well, they moved him to the pen. He was a st he was a starter and they moved him to the pen because That's what Coop and I have been talking about. Like, I want to stash him in fantasy. Let's get this guy closing with all due respect to Bednar. Maybe you want to have him set up Bednar or whatever, but let's get this guy out here throwing smoke.
Yeah. Let's have him hitting corners and looking like Miller if you can. Better easier said than done. But The good news is that I think Jeff Passon was saying it earlier on. On the network.
It's not like 2023 all over again where the Yankees. don't have the pitching to support it. The pitching is their strength. Um putting the ba the ball in plays and just I don't think it ever will be. But we'll see.
Just get judged back, keep within hailing distance, and who knows, maybe they can start winning some baseball games too. They're taking on the Red Sox tonight in three games, right? Kind of a big weekend. I mean, stocks get swept and I think it's sell time for a lot of these guys. We shall see.
844-204-Rich is the number to dial on the program. One of the sound bites that I heard while I was out and about at the Big Slick. I think that's what it was. Or was it while I was at the Emmy Awards? sitting there all night hungry.
Figuratively and literally, that My guy, J.J. McCarthy, talking about the quarterback situation in Minnesota with him and Kyler Murray. There's two different senses of competition, right? where the quarterback room is one heartbeat, And we all understand we're in the same Room together, but we're in competition with one another, and competition is healthy. That's what you hear all the time from coaches.
It's good to have competition, it brings out the best in everybody, unless the competition keeps you. on opposite sides of the Quarterback room, like you're Two students in a classroom sitting apart listening to the same teacher. That's how J.J. McCarthy described the relationship with Kyler Murray. It's not like they're going to dinner together and they're all tight.
Right? That sounds like it's like, huh?
Well, also, we played those two because it was in contrast to what Kyler Murray said, which was an eight-year veteran answer of they're both working hard. He's trying to pick up what I'm saying. I'm learning from him. We're listening to coaching. It's really great.
It's a good competitive room. Oh, cool. Great answer. Then we played McCarthy, and it was like, yeah, he sits on one side, I sit on the other side, and it's up to the coaches to coach us. And we're just like, what?
What? It's like the Goodfellas thing, you know? One quarterback goes one way, one quarterback goes the other way, and the coach is like, What do you want from me? Pretty much. O'Connell was asked about this.
Roll it. I would just say that in the room and the actual day to day, the dialogue between those guys, the interactions have been very professional and even more so than that, it's been It's just been a positive room, and I think Arsen has a lot to do with that, as the veteran in the room. And obviously, I would never discount Josh McCown's extensive career as a player in those quarterback rooms and how he manages the room and engages with everybody in there.
So, I didn't make a lot out of it. I know there was some reaction to it, and that's probably not the first time there's going to be a reaction to those guys kind of, you know, answering questions about the situation, and that's what part of the competition is all about. It's going to be: look, we're not trying to, there's no. Uh there's no hiding anything. It's going to be you know displayed on the field and and their teammates and coaching staff and the guys in this building have to feel uh conviction about the direction we go and you do that by your daily habits and and uh just improving.
I trust him. But you also heard him say it's professional, which means he did not say, oh, I'm not seeing what JJ's saying because he can't. Undercut nine. You know? And Kyler, I think, was just giving the professional answer.
What's more likely?
So, what's more likely Friday? The way that Kyler says it looks like or feels like, or McCarthy? I would probably say McCarthy. Me too. You got a young kid who's just basically saying what he's thinking.
Yeah, because he doesn't know any better. I well, he doesn't like nothing Say, air those feelings. I'm telling you. He probably also senses what's going on. He reads writing on the wall.
The writing on the wall is you got somebody like Murray in your house at one point-something million dollars a year. You're going to see what's going on with him first. Right. Unless it's a complete disaster, which I don't expect it to be. I mean, I'm just trying to spit facts.
844-204-Rich number Dow will take a phone call here. Let's go to Dan in New Jersey. What's up, Dan? Where in New Jersey are you calling from? Hey, Rich.
I'm in Mannahawk, New Jersey, right outside LBI. There we go. What's going on, man?
So I'm a huge sports fan. I'm a Sixer fan for basketball, but I think what's going on in this mix series is incredible because if the Knicks, which I think is going to happen, and I'm like I said, not a Knicks fan, I think they are going to sweep the San Antonio Spurs. And if they do that, this will be the greatest run in sports history, not just NBA history, but in all of sports. If they get this sweep, they haven't lost a game since round one. That is incredible and just unfathomably has never been done before.
Are you putting the reverse ziggy on them, Dan? Let's be honest. Are you trying to do that? No, no, no. As much as I don't really want this to happen, I also kind of do, just as a sports fan, to see greatness is always is that just something we all look for, you know, something that hasn't happened before.
Um None of my teams I've won in a while. I'm a Raiders fan, I'm a Sixers fan, I'm a Flyers fan, I'm a Phillies fan, which luckily they have done something in my lifetime. I'm only thirty one years old. Have some more time for someone else to get some success going here. And you've got one of my favorite people on planet Earth to the point where I've named my daughter's middle name after him.
Donald Arthur Mattingly as your new skipper, right there. And things have turned around since that's happened. That's for damn sure. Oh, yeah. I like Don.
He's a good man. I'll catch you. We'll see. I mean, I know his son's got a big hand in that, so I don't think I'm firing him anytime soon, but we'll see what goes on there. That's Dan in New Jersey right here in the program.
Greatest championship run ever. That's interesting. Dude, if they win three more in a row to sweep the Spurs after sweeping the Sixers, after sweeping the Cavs and sweeping the Sixers and then going on this run. Yeah. Fifteen in a row?
To wrap it like that. And a faux faux faux. And the Spurs, again, that's what I was talking about with Richard Jefferson. We're all. referring i if we're talking like that, then you're like saying that's the Washington Generals.
You know, that's the clowns against the Savannah bananas. You know what I mean? Like, they're not clowns, they're not here to amuse us. You know, that would be something. Larry in Kansas, let's take his call.
What's up, Larry? You there, Larry? Hi, guys. What's going on with y'all, man? How y'all doing?
What up, Larry? Hey, hey, hey.
So, hey, first off, I want to tell y'all I enjoy your show. Thank you. Second, I got a question for you, Rich.
Okay. I know that your team is the Rams. But I know that you've been uh I've seen that you've been very highly on the uh calendar boys. I wanted to know. Is this the year?
I'm a realist too, but is this the year that the Cowboys is going to make it to the Super Bowl or hell at least the NFC Championship? When have you been high on? I mean, you like the moves that we've made, but you've never been behind the cowboys. It's always talking out the side of his neck or saying some slick stuff to you. Me.
Yeah. Me, what are you talking about? Come on, man. You put them in my top. Technology of my way222 early power rank.
Come on. People watch the show. They see. How's your point about that? Are you hit?
Are you uh accusing me of being an influencer? No, well, no, no. But what I'm saying is Larry's off in what he interprets about you. The side of my neck. Talking out the side of your neck, yeah.
Which side, left side or right side? I assume it's the right because that's the closest to the microphone. Probably not. In all honesty. They've got the pass rush and they've got the back end.
You know, they hit the heck out of that. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm. Overshones back. Let's go.
You know what I mean? Let's go. And the offense is just as. Offense is fantastic. If they are as productive.
Sir, you got the makings. We didn't make the playoffs last year, Larry.
So that's a huge guy over there. I mean, I know. I know we didn't make the playoffs. I know, I know, I know. But I mean, still, I mean.
Look at the pieces that we got like later on. I think if we, like, for instance, like George Pickens, if we had got him like, I'm sorry, not George Pickens, the defense. If we had got the defense that we had later during that year, earlier, I think we could have made a run for the playoffs, and I think we could have made a little push. All right. Larry, thank you very much.
Appreciate it. Keep the faith, though, Larry. What faith? I'm assuming he's a Cowboys fan. I'm talking him up.
I don't understand what's happening here. Do you not want me to talk your team up? Because I've I believe that they're actually going to be your coach in person for the first time in years. I met him and speaking of a Pro Bowl, one of the first Pro Bowls we'd ever covered. He was a young 'un.
Brian Schottenhammer, son of Marty. Yeah. Much like Solomon. Don't you see him? Much like Sol Ruka also made him cry.
You're also, yeah, you're making cowboys cry. What'd you think of your dad thinking right now? He starts he starts crying. Because he's the son of Marty, who means he's got a touch of the Vermeel in him.
Okay. All right. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial on the program. My top five list of the top five athletes in Los Angeles. Just think who's playing here in LA.
A lot of good players. And think about how I've got to boil it down to five, but I'm intrepid enough to do that. Notice I'm going to do that before running out the door. Of course. Running a small business means every hire matters.
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Next starts now. Hyundai, an official partner of FIFA. Rich Eisen here. You ever notice what happens when something big rolls into your city? A major tournament, a can't-miss concert, a high-stakes playoff game?
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Yes, sir. It was. It was crazy.
So, you were there, by the way, our radio audience just returned. Michael Blaustein, the comedian here in person, one of the co-hosts of the Stiff Socks podcast, diehard Knicks fan. Everybody, check out at blaucomedy.com, B-L-A-U Comedy.com for tickets. You're dressed in your Knicks garb. Our radio audience just returned.
So you were at Eastern Conference Finals game two against the Cavs after everybody thought their comeback win just wrapped up that series, and it did, actually. It did. I watched game one because I was out of the country.
So I watched game one in a cab on my iPad, and the cab driver thought that there was violence happening in the back seat. He literally kept checking in because I was like, what? Like, I can't say words that I want to say right now. Understood. But yeah, freaking out.
And then I went to game two, and I was behind, you know, I was behind one of the baskets. And it was the first time I ever had seats where I had the, you know, the. The Thundersticks. I think that's what those are called. The Thundersticks.
They give those out in Madison Square Garden? I didn't think they did. Yeah. And I, let me tell you something. I thought I was.
On the net, like I thought I was doing something. Yeah. Because, and my girlfriend, like, do it, you need to do it. And I would be, I would love. And they, they, they, to my credit, they missed a lot of free throw.
You were a factor. I, I helped. I didn't think they did the Thundersticks thing because they don't do the everybody's got to wear the same shirt thing. It's New York City. It's like you make your own noise with your hands and your mouth.
And a gun. No. Whoa. San Antonio. I hope not.
Sorry. I don't know what I can say here. No, you could. Good. But we don't condone violence.
No, of course not. All right. But to your earlier point about the color, San Antonio. They're wearing all the multicolors. It's like the first, you know, it feels like Nick fans aren't saying, let's all wear turquoise.
Yeah, you know what? We should wear a periwinkle. No one said that. No one says that. Excellent Crayola Crayon poll, right?
Thank you. I don't know where that came from. I don't even know. I barely know how to read.
Well, I guess we move on before you go burnt Sienna on the way right here. Ladies and gentlemen. Uh all right. Uh, game two tonight. What makes you nervous?
Um the Wemby comeback game. Because he is savage in the best way possible. Yes. And it's rooting against him is a little sad for me because I really do like this first team. Me too.
Like, I love them. Stefan Castle, too. Just. There's nobody on this team. Like, part of me is like, is there like a Dylan Gabriel type dude who I can start to hate on at all?
Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, they don't have a Lou Dort type of person that we can start to. Dylan Brooks, sorry. Dylan Brooks, yeah.
Yeah, yeah. Dylan Brooks. I said I went football right there. But yeah, they don't have a Dylan Brooks guy on this team. There's no one hateable.
Everyone is so, they care so much. Yeah. And they team unity and not like in a corny way, like in a real way. Yeah, you're not looking at Harrison Barnes and saying that SOB.
Well, I almost wanted his address because he landed in Shammit shoved him into. Into Brunson's knee. Do you think that was on purpose? Like a Tanya Harding thing? Like, he wants to be the point guard?
No. No, he shot. Listen, that's when I thought, like, this isn't going to happen. that that when Landry Shamet shoved Harrison Barnes and then he wound up in Brunson of all people of all people his knee and then he goes to the locker room and I'm like, come on. What is there any guesses of what they did to his?
What happened back there? Did you ever see Karate Kidd? Yeah. Hmm. The visual of that is so funny.
Let me just. That's the only thing I could think of. That's it. Or something called, you know, Tordahl. I have no idea.
Perhaps. Or actually, no, but they, you know, Dion would refer to it as Dr. Needle, is what he would refer to it. But I don't know what they did. I don't know what.
But whatever it is, he's ready to go. And did you see how he won't? Did you see his soundbite with Malika Andrews that he won't go into any? He confirmed in a way that he won't go into any room at the Larry O'Brien drug unit. Yeah.
Which, but I, but that he's superstitious, and I love that. He also, the whole like Bieber thing is my favorite. The what thing? He listens to Justin Bieber when he won the NCAA championship. And so now he just listens to Justin Bieber now before he plays.
And I heard this? I have not. TJ, have you heard the Bieber thing? I haven't heard it.
Okay. Yeah. Yeah. He just listens to Justin Bieber, which I'm a big believer. I don't know where anyone else stands in here.
You guys look like big believers. Big believers. Isn't it believers? Yeah, I can't talk. It's a problem because it's kind of what I do for a living, but I can't talk.
Good enough. But yeah, I mean, that visual is super funny to me. Jalen Brunson getting hyped up, listening, you know, just getting hyped for game two is so funny to me. Do you think he would, if he could wave a wand, he would go back in time and listen to a different.
Song or artist, knowing that if he wins listening to this person. He's got to spend the rest of his life listening to this person, or is he just unabashedly a believer? I think the funny answer is yes, let's go back and change it to like corn or something, something like more appropriate, right? But I think I like it. I'm a believer.
Let me ask you this question: What year was what year did they win in Villanova? It was like 16 or 17. I don't know. Let's get that. Villananova fans are screaming at their radios right now.
Like, oh, we know it right now. And he won two, right?
Well, 16 and 18.
Okay. So. Let's just say twenty when did you get started in your career? 15 years ago, so whatever that matters.
Okay, so 15 years ago. Yeah. Let's just say you were about to do your first set. Michael Blaustein, and you crushed that set. Yeah.
Who were you listening to 15 years ago that you would listen to before every set now? Oh, that's a great call. I probably was listening to, was this before? No, probably Drake. Drake's like early, early, early stuff.
Okay. That's what I listened to walking the streets in New York, just getting hyped to bomb horrendously. Guys, first five years, your boy was terrible. Is that right? Oh, my.
If any comic says they were good in their first five, six years, they're lying. Right. I mean, I'm, guys, West Village listening to Drake walking down in the basement in front of 17 drunk Irish people and just bombing, having candles thrown at me. Yeah. True story.
Candles thrown at me. Candles. Candles. Like there was like, you know, burning candles on the table. Oh, they were lit.
Like a Molokov, like a Molokov cocktail? Yes, but very different. There was no alcohol. I could have used it when he threw it at me. But it was bad.
It was bad. But yeah, Drake was a big. Who are you doing comedy with at the time? Anyone we'd know?
Now, yeah, I mean, Akash Singh, Andrew Schultz.
Okay. Who else did I start with? Mike Lawrence.
Okay. Oh, Sam Morrell. Mark. He was in San Antonio. He was in San Antonio.
I saw a quick shot of the crowd, and there he was. Yes, he is. He's nuts. He's nuts, but in the best way possible. Just like Jalen Brunson.
Yes. Yeah, how do you that? That is a guy that you, if he ran for office, he could be the mayor of New York right now. Do you know what I mean? If he was just like, I'm gonna d and everyone would be like, Yeah, of course.
I don't care about the potholes as long as you bring a ring. Yeah. You know what I mean? I don't care about it at all. Guys.
This is going to be incredible. I love it. This is going to be incredible. Michael Blaston here on the Rich Eisen Show. Is it true you're starting to play golf and tennis?
Yes. I'm getting back into golf. I played a lot in college, and I just stopped playing because I live in New York and it's hard to do it. Right. But getting back, and it's good and then horrendous.
Of course, that's golf. That is golf. Why tennis? Um I like men. No, I um I've always wanted to play.
I played a lot. I don't know what I can say here. But yeah, I mean, just a lot when I was a kid and just. playing with like with like um Like, not actually rat because I just love the game a lot. Yes.
And now, uh, I just all I do is podcasts and and and and uh comedy.
So I need a hobby.
So I'm trying to do The widest hobbies possible. I just realized as you said that, you're like golf and tennis. I'm like, what am I doing? Polo next. I'm going to pick up lacrosse, guys.
Yeah, because everybody's dropping out of the French Open now. Seeing that? I know what's wide open field.
So I do believe what I've always thought. I could get a point off of Carlos Alcaraz. Sir, no, you cannot. Thank you, Mike. A point.
Thank you. A point. He's got to get on the court with me.
Okay. And just like one set, okay. I could get a point off of him before he gets six consecutive games against me. Can I ask you a question? Do you think that you would have like a winner?
Oh, well, I can uncork a cross court that he would not see coming. Sure. Is this real? To him, it is. Great question.
There's also other, like, he, but he could not make a mistake. He could not make a mistake. He wouldn't.
Okay. Um I don't know. He looks vulnerable to me right now. Because he's not playing. That's true, because he's injured.
But you know what? Screw it. I think I could take the whole damn tour right now. See what's going on in France right now. You see what's happening?
Oh, you're. Oh, I like it. You know what I mean? I'm speaking into existence. I cannot be in the same room as the trophy.
I'm the Jalen Brunson. Yeah, you're here. Yeah, you listen to Justin Bieber right before you do the Rich Eyes. That's exactly right. Yes, and plus I also found out, are you aware If you hit your opponent with a serve on the fly, it's your point.
Really?
So I could dink it and dink it and dink it. And he thinks this guy's got no service game because he'd be right. Yeah. And then he'd get all the way up. Right there, and then I uncorked like a 95-mile-an-hour line drive and hit him right in the gut.
That's my point. Let me ask you this. How proficient are you at tennis? Not so, where's this? Where's this confidence come from?
I don't know. Carrie cornon. It's just I look in the mirror every day.
Okay. And I see it. And it's just in you. You see the burning tennis desire. That is correct.
I see the burning tennis desire. You know what? I'm going to take BTD. I see. I'm going to take what I said back.
I think you can. I like this. I like this. Wow, 180. Yeah, 180.
Yeah. Let's go for it. Nixon 4. Yes. Yes.
Yes. Yeah. Yeah. If mix are I mean, d do you think wh where do you think? But this series is going to win.
Six. Six. I said at the beginning, right, TJ, you said Nick's in six, right? Yes. Well, you, what was your oh, I said Mitzel Plicks, pickup sticks, Nixon six.
Okay. Nixon six, and you said Spurs and seven. Yeah, Spurs. Which is entirely possible. Yeah.
Right. How much Spurs in six. I said Nixon six. I thought they could get one. I didn't see game one.
I did not see game one. But I thought it possible. And, you know, them going back to Madison Square Garden, no worse than. Even and having the whole basically, if you told a Nick fan, That they would be taking on the Spurs. Let's just say you told a Nick fan this after the.
NBA Cup night, right? Championship night? Who could forget that, right? Was there anybody in 7th Avenue that night? I don't think so.
I was at the Cup game. I was. I flew in. In Vegas?
Well, because in my head, I was like, this is it. This is the only thing I, this is the only thing I hang my hat on. Is that basketball methadone? Is that what that is? You know what I mean?
Like, it's a substitute to wean you off of stuff. That's so funny. But. Yes, okay, that if you told a Knicks fan that night, this is the team you're taking on in the final you're gonna make you're gonna make the finals. Yes.
And all you have to do is win every game in Madison Square Garden and you don't have home court advantage. You'd be like, Where's a piece of paper? Yes, I am. I'm on it. Yeah.
Where's the pen? Yeah. You know? Yeah. So.
Yeah. Yeah, I know. The Nixon six is something that the narrative that a lot of people are pushing. Everyone feels like that, and that's great. If they win in Madison Square Gardens in six games, I'm telling you.
We're not the Bronx and the West Village is gone. It's good.
Sounds like Miami 2017, right? We throw the Bronx away. You know, I remember I was on Sports Center the night that. Andrew Galata kept low blowing Riddick Bow, and a brawl broke out. In Madison Square Garden.
Linda Cohen and I were on the sports center set. We had a rundown an hour before we went on the air. Like, you're going on the air, you're covering this thing. And every major piece of law enforcement was called to the garden. This is what it would be like, but.
You know, the more I talk about it, the more it's just like disrespectful to the Spurs. Like, that's that's not a speed bump, man. No, it's no, that's not. It really isn't. It's not.
I mean, that that is a that is a team to be reckoned with, especially because when we had a bad game, And his stat line was still crazy. Oh, I've got the 26 and 12 rebounds. I have it here because I'm a lead pipe yielding professional. I write things down so you can refer to them. Yes.
26, 12 rebounds in three blocks. And a career high, six turnovers, and a career high, 15 missed shots. and he said I played terribly. And all I got to do is play better, and we'll be good as a team, and we'll be good as a franchise, and everything's going to be hunky-dory. With all of that, It's only the fourth time since blocks became an official stat since 1974.
Only the fourth time. A player had this stat line in their first. NBA Finals game. joining Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Elijah and Shaquille O'Neal. And that's how bad his game was.
So there's that. There's that. And it was a... He said that he, it wasn't like the press said he had a bad game. He was like, I know what I'm capable of.
I had a horrible game. And he still did that comparatively to Shaq and Akeem and all that. He's a scary. Scary guy. Where do you see?
Do you see him being the face of the league? Because that's the narrative that everybody keeps pushing, too. That's the thing right now. Yeah, I do. I do.
But here's the thing: if the Knicks win, why isn't Jalen Brunson the face of? No doubt. No time. Of that of that there's no doubt. I mean, the guy Alan Brunson didn't get a fifth place vote.
In the MVP. Not even a fifth-place vote. The first take is talking about Brunson. People are still thinking he's underrated. I don't know how you can watch the games and think that.
Well, it's because you're talking about Wemby and SGA, and you're talking about Jokic, and you're talking about Ant-Man, and you're talking about your guy, Tatum, or Jalen Brown. People aren't mentioning him.
Well, hopefully, he does. They're three wins away from changing that narrative, that's for damn sure. I'm a massive Jalen Brunson fan. I would name my daughter Jalen Brunson in Blaustein. I'm a massive fan.
Like I would no no no I I would do it. I would do it, no problem. You said I should, but he doesn't, like to your guys talking about the face of the league, he doesn't pop off the screen when you're watching him as like a Wemby or an SGA, in my estimation. Yes. So I think that's the issue because the face of the league thing is like, do you want to wear his shoes?
Like, like the John Morant thing, like, is he cool? Do you want to beat? Like, I think that's what the NBA is looking for. And you don't want to have like a Scotty Scheffler, if that makes sense. Like, no one wants to be a Scotty Scheffler fan.
Interesting. I'll take that. You know what I mean? I would, you know, Jalen Brunson Blaustein, I would rip off a check for $18 right now in advance of that Bar Metz phase. I'd rip off that $18 check.
Okay, I got a bike. That's a high joke. Why $18? No scoring at home. It's.
The Chai is the 18th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and it means to life.
So every Check that you write for a bar or bot mitzvah is in some form of 18. Oh, okay. Factor of it, or deep cut. Deep cut. I love it.
He brought the tour in here, ladies and gentlemen. It's a deep cut.
Well, tonight is the Sabbath. Just ask what? Former New York Nick Amari Stottemeyer. He'll be there. Along with.
Your guy, right? Who has a Shabbat dinner around here? Julian Edelman.
Okay, very good. Yeah, yeah. BlauComedy.com, everybody. Check out Michael on the Taste Me Tour Stiff Socks podcast. Good luck to you in your tennis career.
Thank you so much. Good luck. You and I doubles against Al Correll.
Now we're talking.
Now we're talking.
Honestly, now I feel good about it. Safety and numbers. Yes, yes, yes, sir. Yes, sir. At Blau Comedy on Instagram.
Thanks for coming on. Thank you so much, Ram. I had a blast, guys. Thank you. We're going to wrap up this show with the top five.
More of your phone calls.
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Okay, back here on the Rich Eisen Show. Let's take a quick phone call, Rich in Temecula, right here in California. What's up, Rich? Hey, how are you doing, guys? What's up, sir?
What up, man? Not much, man. I just wanted to make a comment, a couple of comments. I've been watching the guys from day one, and Rich, I've been watching you on the SPN for many, many years.
So coming from Seattle, you know, I wanted to talk, you know, when they said the Yankees, I do see that Cal Raleigh and Donovan are out for the Mariners, but are pitching hell to sit.
So same with the Yankees on that token. As far as the Knicks, yeah, they sweep them, one of the best runs ever. But my comment, Rich, is kind of directed at you, my friend. You know, as a Seahawk guy here from Seattle, living in Temecula, you know, you got rid of first, a young up-and-coming DN, not, you know, maybe six sacks or so behind your boy Garrett that you got, but you also gave up three picks. Which could have been linebackers and defensive backs.
So let's not forget the fact that. Seattle's the champions. Let's not write them off. Not that you are, but I think you just made me. No, Rich, you just made me less need.
You said I got rid of Verse and that you're dealing with. No, no, no, no, no. I'm not here to advocate for the Rams. I'm just trying to say, you know, listen, Miles Garrett is one of the greats of all time. Yeah.
And he just showed up here. And trust me, Seattle and Mike McDonald is going to use this. Yeah. And say nobody believes in us, and we're the champs. We hold the trophy, we knock the Rams out.
We got the NFC championship game in our house because we beat them in our house. And Sam Donald is the Super Bowl-winning quarterback, not Matthew Stafford.
So they're going to use it. They're going to use it, Rich. You kind of nailed it. They are, buddy. And now, now, now, listen, if you get Donald, I'll sway it.
I mean, I'm just talking today. If Donald, if 75% Aaron Donald came back, displayed a 75% his capability, he's still a top five interior D-line. I mean, we got our guy Murphy coming up. Byron's going to be a stud here next year or two. People are forgetting about him.
We got a lot of young guys that are earning their second contract, so Seattle's still got a lot to play for. I think the NFC West has three of the top five teams in the NFL. I'll put Niners at five, Seattle one, LA two. Rich, thanks for the call. That's one of the 12s here in Temecula, California.
It was funny seeing the tweets like, all this just to stop Sam Darnold. It's funny. It made me laugh. Boy, are there an embarrassment of riches? people that you can Pay hard-earned American dollars to see perform here in the Los Angeles area, right?
So I decided, you know, for my final top five of the week, top five athletes playing in Los Angeles. Presented by Hyundai. Hit it. Five, one, two, three, four, five. Riches, top five.
All right, the first one is potentially. controversial. Because as Die Hard Dodger fan, Die Hard UCLA Bruin. Rich Eisen Show, digital coordinating producer, the keeper of Los Angeles Sports Flames of the Rich Eisen Show. Sean Mitchell said when he saw my list: this guy doesn't play in Los Angeles.
And he said that of Mike Trout, number five. Good point. What he said, they didn't play in Los Angeles, plays in Orange County, but it's Los Angeles Angels, and you don't have to go too far. to see him play. He is an all-time great.
Modern day Mickey Mantle. I understand we need to see it in the playoffs. But Mike Trout's in this town.
Okay. All right, the greater Los Angeles area and.
Okay, but it That's what he said, used to play in Los Angeles, Rich. It's like 45 minutes.
Alright, so, you know, I mean... Name the best Jett or Giant. You didn't play in New York. At least it's across the board. Doesn't believe the same state.
It's the same. At least it's the same state. That's true. Number four, I'm putting Miles Garrett here. Oh.
He hasn't played yet. He hasn't played a game yet. You're going to see him play here. What if we were taught? Miles Garrett is a Los Angeles athlete officially.
This is stupid, guys. This is stupid. I still see this photograph of it. It really doesn't seem to be a good idea. I still can't believe it.
This happened. Yeah. Yeah. And less need is still like, okay. Come on, let's see the pearly whites.
Like, look at McVay.
So, it was the greatest day of Sean McVay's life. Opposite of Mr. Grumpy. Look at those biceps. On McVay?
No, that's what you mean. Oh, okay. He's looking at his arms like. Number three on the list of current athletes you could see here in Los Angeles, California. Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Lucas 3.
Okay. Luca is three. Couldn't see him at the end of the year, but yeah. I get it. I understand.
But but Luke. Can you still believe he's in Laker colors? I've yeah, I've we used to that yet because they do it every generation. No, I hate it. They always get away with it.
Luca Los Angeles Lakers. I still can't believe it. Now I boo that man, TJ. You got to boo that man. All right, number two is LeBron.
LeBron James? LeBron James plays basketball in Los Angeles, one of the most famous athletes. on planet Earth. Is there any place that he can go and be anonymous? anywhere.
Oh, he's like 6'11. He's a big guy. He's a big guy. But I mean He's number two on the list and number one on the list. You can't deny it.
Um Shoe Otani is the number one athlete playing in Los Angeles right now. His ERA is 0.16 and he's now hitting 300. And he got the night off last night because he was on base six times and threw six scoreless the night before. Uh it's stupid. It's pretty sick.
What are you doing? It's pretty sick. And it's right here in Los Angeles, California. Do you think we need one more?
Alright, I'm gonna do this.
Alright, we'll get one. I'm gonna do this. I don't know what you're doing. Because there's a lot of people. I don't know what you're doing.
I know there is. I know there is. I don't know what you're doing. You can go, Kawhi, any other Dodger going on here, right? Sure.
I'm gonna go Kelsey Plum. Oh, good one. KP. Of your Los Angeles Sparks. Did she lead the league in scoring?
She is a two-time champion of the WNBA. She's a four-time all-star, a two-time gold medalist. And if you want to see one of the best basketball players on planet Earth play, you can go to a Los Angeles Sparks game in the home. of the sparks in the downtown hoops dojo. I went there.
You know? sorts of athletes you could put as a one-more. We were talking about it before the show, right? Why Leonard is one Mookie? Mookie.
Who else? Who are the king stops? Copatar just retired. Yeah, just retired. Dowdy.
Right. But that's where I'm going on that. My top five is brought to you by Hyundai. Discover what's next at your local Hyundai dealer, like our next generation EV, the Ionic 9. Hyundai, the official partner of FIFA World Cup 2026.
That's starting, isn't it?
Next week. That's right. I just went higher register about the World Cup. How obnoxious is that?
Okay. Game two tonight. Spurs gotta have it. Gotta have it, right? Got to have it.
Yeah. 2-0 background. Got to have it. 2-0 back to Madison Square Guard. In the history of the NBA playoffs, 7% of teams that fall down 0-2 come back to win.
So, got to have it. And how many of them lost both at home? Yeah, and in the finals, it's only happened five times.
Okay. So the Spurs need it tonight. We will see if they get it. And I thank Richard Jefferson for. Joining us, Tom Pellicero, the comedian Michael Blaustein, and for those listening on the radio.
Please check out This Was Sports Center. It's a labor of love. Me with Dan Patrick. On Disney Plus, and we're back to wrap it up on that platform on this Friday in a sec. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast.
You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app, The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
