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This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere.
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Now, on with the show. How do you feel right now, Chris? A little nervous. Are you here? This is the Rich Eisen Show.
Chris saying on this show that LeBron joins the Miami Heat, have fun in the playing tournament, and that we should all begin to ready ourselves for LeBron to be a non-factor this season. Today's guests: NFL Network Insider Tom Pellisero, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Flavor Flave, and the award-winning actor Eric Braden. And now, it's Rich Eisen. That's right, everybody. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show.
We've got ourselves a fun Friday program. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial right here on the show. I defy anybody to say you're going to watch a program anywhere or listen to a program anywhere that has. Victor Newman and Flavor Flav on the same guest list. Nope.
But that's happening today. Flavor Flav in Vegas for his She Weekend. Celebrating women's sports. He made a fun appearance on Women's Sports Now on Thursday.
So I guess we're car washing Flava Flav officially today on the Rich Eisen Show. Love it. And he will join us from Las Vegas, Nevada. And then Eric Braden, the man who played Victor Newman. He just got nominated for another Daytime Emmy Award.
Uh on um Young and the Restless. Man in his mid eighties making his way here. back on the show, one of our favorites. I can feel it. That's right, to send us to our weekend.
Tom Pellisero on the latest of the National Football League that has some training camps already beginning to pop open. And then over the weekend and then next week, oh, baby. It's on and cracking. And then there's you at 844-204-Rich being the number to do. How are you over there, Chris Brockman?
What's going on? Rich, I'm excellent. How are you, my friend? The second half of the Major League Baseball season begins tonight. The Red Sox bring a what, nine-game win streak into the nine-game win streak, 14 of the last 16.
Double dip with the Rays today.
Okay, and the Yankees take on the Dodgers in Yankee Stadium this weekend. Part of a massive sports weekend going on in New York. city that began with the Espies midweek and then Fnatics Fest going on right now, Yankees, Dodgers, the Um Oh, yeah, the World Cup is going down on Sunday in the New York, New Jersey Stadium. Let's hope all the smoke can clear. DJ Mikey D is here with his fake World Cup trophy.
No, they're not playing for that. Not this exact one, but wouldn't that be amazing if this actually turned out? You know how Keith Olverman had another Honus Wagner card on his desk that was basically a paperweight? Oh my God, that's actually really priceless. Could you imagine if that was the real thing?
You know? From the basement. That's been sitting here this entire time. Hey, TJ Jefferson, I'm sure you're excited about the second half of the baseball season beginning. Yeah, boy.
Okay. At Old Medina. Yeah, first of all, yeah, we beat up on the Phils last night, which was great. I told you, we're going to turn it all up. Beat up on them.
And then Flavor Flav, the world's greatest hype man's here today, so I had to break out the clock. Boy!
Okay. Fantastic. That's how we're rolling today last program.
So Fnatics Fest is going down right now in New York City. And while LeBron was taking the stage yesterday. Uh mentioning how um He's Taking motivation from the Rich Eisen show. Giannis Atetakumpo was being introduced in Miami.
So the newest member of the Miami Heat. Uh with the heat acquiring him. Six years after I told them, don't do that. Don't break up their team. Don't send Tyler Hero to Milwaukee.
They actually do that. Pat Riley finally gets his man. Spo finally gets his man. Jan is holding up his new number seven. Being asked why he's still at it.
at this uh advanced part of his career. I enjoy basketball. I enjoy you know, the challenge. I enjoy getting better. Um obviously I've accomplished a lot of things in my career, but uh one of my goals is to win another championship.
And I really want to do it. Uh at times whenever I you know put my mind into something. I usually accomplish it. I feel like this is the best route for me to do that, so I'm excited for it. Just 31 years of age, man.
Right there in his prime. Maybe on the back end of his prime, but he's in the prime of his career. And wanting to make his new mark. In Miami, wearing his new number seven, asked why number seven, why he changed his number from 34. Here was his response.
The reason that I really changed my number is because I feel like You know, thirty-four holds so much weight. And it has so much history. And out of the respect to the organization that drafted me and I played for for 13 years, I decided to leave that number there. and try to start a new chapter. Um hopefully I can leave my mark here in Miami and Make uh number seven as uh landed area as number thirty-four.
But it's almost like kinda kinda hav having a closure for me. Mentally and emotionally, just to have a closure from that number because it meant a lot to me. And uh number seven looks good, it's fresh, it's clean. I saw some kids wearing it in the street, so I'm excited to create more moments with that number. Number seven, fresh and clean.
I guess he chose seven. Because three plus four, I imagine. Um, I don't know, doing the math. You wanna? I looked at the history of heat number seven.
You know, it was the original number seven in the history of Miami Heat? Bimbo Coles. Good night. Gracious, I don't think we've had a Bimbo Coles reference in the 11-year history. Kelly Trapuka?
Oh. No. Kelly Trapuka. A frequent guest of this program, Rex Chapman. Hey!
Number seven. Amazing. Did Rex have to give his permission? We should ask him. Others who have worn it: Don McClain, Lamar Odom, Penny Hardaway.
Jermaine O'Neill. Chao. I think Shaquille was the one who wore 34 once upon a time. He wore 32. 32.
Thank you. Kyle Lowry. Yeah, Kyle Lowry. Mike Lowry. And I guess Khalil Ware.
The latest to wear it. And you text Rex and ask him if he gave permission. Give permission. I could do such a thing. Not a problem.
But the question is obviously is how can the heat win? When they don't who else do they have around them, right? Who do they send away?
Well What do they have around 'em? There's Bam out of bio, everybody. And you could. As we heard recently, he's in a fighting mood. Yeah.
Um You take a look at the rest of this roster, is Andrew Wiggins. He signed there. Resign there. Davian Mitchell. He's there.
Who else could they possibly get? Oh. A guy who Adam Silver is like, hey. We would like to make up the schedule. For the NBA season, LeBron, but we can't do it until we know where you're winding up.
That's wild. Adam Silver actually said those words. We'd like them to make a decision fast. They only have 19 television partners these days. And while LeBron was speaking at Fanatics Fest.
And Pat Riley, we're talking about LeBron. And Pat Riley told ESPN after Quote Obviously, we've had conversations with Rich, as in Paul, not me, and they were very good.
So, if that happens and he wants to come to the 305, we got a golf course. The weather's nice. And then he goes, Steve Kirk, same thing here, because Steve was caught, somebody in traffic. Seeing Steve across the lane, hey, at a red light, is Steve even going to get LeBron? He goes, Oh, we got him.
Go ahead and report it. Woohoo! And there's no state tax, he mentioned, so that's a little better than California. I don't know. LeBron listening to his CPA more than his heart, I don't know, or his gut.
Giannis said he hasn't spoken to LeBron yet, but. If there was a scenario for that to happen, I'd be very, very excited. I bet. Yeah. Meanwhile LeBron was answering questions from kids at Fanatics Fest.
While also teaching children to hold a grudge against people he doesn't really know. But at any rate. This was the most we got out of LeBron. while he was on the stage about his free agency. Because a kid named Elon.
Asked him this question.
Okay. How do you feel about being a free agency and what do you want to do? In your next team, and how do you want to develop it as a vending team? Thanks and Lord for that question right there. First of all, that was a hell of a question.
And some of the media people in here probably should learn from me, young fella. Oh boy. Y'all heard this question, right?
So, how do I feel about free agency? Obviously, it's a big decision. This is the third time in my career that I've been a free agent. Um I think three, yeah.
So it's a big decision for not only myself, but for my family as well, and just for the The last part of my career on where I want to spend the last few years, or the last year, or the last two years of. You know, my NBA career.
So, wherever I go, Elon, I will make my staple on just. I'm a natural-born leader. You know, I'm going to try to fit into whatever team I'm going into, but also. Yeah, yeah. give them all the tools and give them all the knowledge that I've been able to you know, grasp over the last 23 years.
I know the game. I know the ins and out about the game of basketball. Oh, I appreciate it, man. You're far too kind, man. You're awesome.
And wherever I land, I hope. that you uh that you support me and i can continue to inspire you all right Okay, there you go. Answered Elon's question. I don't know. I don't know why I feel like he's going to the heat at the end of the day.
It's across the country from everything else that's going on right now. I don't know. It doesn't really make much sense though. He's already Did the heat. I know that, but doesn't I don't I don't know if that matters.
He's done it. The same thing so so he's not gonna go back to Cleveland 'cause he's done it? That just bookends his story, I guess. Listen, the Warriors are close to home, Warriors' home base. I keep saying it.
You want to pass along your knowledge as he's saying, pass it to Yaxel. Also, it's about fun, right? If he wants to have fun and still be competitive. I mean, to take the Sixers out of this. Golden State, right?
He gets to play with Steph. Yes. Like, how much, those two are boys. Like, how much fun is it? Like, I know we don't all hang out all the time, but I consider you guys friends.
Coming to work with my friends every day. That's a lot of fun, man. And especially when you're those two playing a game of basketball. And, Rich, how long does it take you to drive from the valley to here on a traffic day? About 40 minutes?
Me? I'm just saying in general, if you come from the valley, Chris, it's like a 45-minute ride. That's like a 40-minute PJ ride, right? From Golden State back here, if you wanted to leave the family here, that's shorter than the drive. But he, but LeBron is chasing ghosts.
Like, he's trying to win more titles still. He thinks he can be a factor and a decider for an NBA championship. Golden State, Miami. They were 10th seeds last year. You keep saying that, but it's a different.
I don't know, but the 10th seed last year, Steph being hurt. Cleveland was Steph healthy, Jimmy healthy. Draymond, Yaxel, Steve Kerr. I think if you want to win a title, you've got also Porzingus and Uncle Al.
Okay. Uh That that that one OKC, Wemby, Jokic. No, I know. Yeah. That's maybe why he might, if he's thinking Eastern Conference, that's why I don't know why that heat just jumps out at him.
I think it's got to be East. But again, um It's just been a fun ride this week on this subject matter. Of LeBron James. Just keeps on giving ever since LeBron. Called out Chris on his Instagram account with 22 laughing my ass off emojis, a 22 emoji salute.
That was always, that was good. Um and then came him name Checking him sort of. as just lumping him in and Fanatics Fest on Yeah. Thursday, talking about some guy on social media saying that he's going to be in the playing game and he's not going to be a factor. There was that.
And then that led to awful announcing, putting the actual show name in the headline, talking LeBron James Motivated by Rich Eisen Show Hot Take. The pull quote is the sub-headline of just a little motivation, is what he's called Chris Brockman's Take. They did shout us out by not really being in the hot take business. That was nice.
Well, that was, yeah, that was the first, it was in the first paragraph. Yeah, that was nice.
So that leads me to deliver a top five right off the bat. Oh. She caught us by surprise. Top five athletes, Brockman. Should insult.
Presented by 100. Oh, to get us some room. I love it. I love it. One, two, three, four, five.
Riches, stop by. All right, since LeBron is since LeBron, since LeBron take this down, Chris, I'm writing this down. Since LeBron popped out Chris Brockman's take on his IG, 154 million followers, which we look great in the video, it's just been one thing cascading to another. It's just been one news cycle after another. These are my top five athletes that I'd like to think Brockman should insult next.
Got it. On it. I don't think I was really. And some of this fruit is low-hanging, Chris. I mean, so first up, he's got one of the biggest.
Followings in the National Football League. 15 million followers across all of his platforms, just a little bit less than his tight end. But I think Patrick Mahomes should be one you insult the next. A lot of folks think I did just recently by putting Josh Allen over him in the top 10. My power rankings of quarterbacks in the NFL, I still think he's.
One of the best, if not the best. I just need to see how his knee is. Most times people consider that you give him way too many props.
So now for people to think you're dissipating. I mean, I'm frequently accused of. Passionate Chiefs fan. No, I mean, I mean, yeah, that's being a Minnie Collinsworth. Um, but at any rate, Chris, he's got so many followers.
I'd love for you to insult him next. But that's number five on the list. Number four on the list, it should be real easy for you. This one's real simple. He is the most followed baseball player on the planet.
and Shoe Otani should be next. My only thing I would request from you that I think might be out of your lane is if you can do it in Japanese so everyone across the world can get it.
Okay. Maybe we should, I don't know, can you know, include a translation? Yeah, I'll hit the translate. But he's got 11 million on Instagram. Alone.
That's most in Major League Baseball. I think it would be more, but at any rate. It's over 30 million across all his platforms. Number three, this one I think could really work. This is.
And because this guy has 45 million followers across all his platforms, not including his burner accounts. I think Kevin Durant should be next for you, Chris. Get him. I would love it if you insulted Kevin Durant. You don't want to make an enemy.
Because you know, he sees it and he does clap back. He does clap back. That's what I mean. I don't know if I need that.
Well, the man doesn't need much prodding to clap back. I know.
Okay. Okay. So that's pretty cool.
Okay, great. Number two could be the toughest on your list. All right.
Okay. But If he was still active, he would be the most followed NFL player by far. 16 million on Instagram. Thomas Edward Brady. Oh, yeah.
If you could insult him, he would never. Excuse me. He would never. There are ways, there's reasons to find. If he could insult Tom Brady.
What? That's his hero. I understand that. That would be a heel turn of all heel turns. Oh.
He's already a heel, though, right?
Okay. I don't know. Complete the fifth.
Okay, that's number two on the list. And number one on the list, I'm going for the mother load here. I'm going for the, you shoot for the moon. If you're going to insult somebody specifically just to get this show on bigger radar screens. Um you gotta go for the guy who has the most followers.
Anywhere on the planet who plays any sport. His name is Cristiano Ronaldo. And I could give you some suggestions. Chris, if you want. Statue.
I don't know. His very legler-like eyebrows. You could go for any. There's many which ways you can go. The fact that he should have retired.
No, no, no, no, hold up. Hold up. Hold up. Hold up. You're Christian.
Just don't, don't, just take your time here. Take your time here. Don't just shoot from the hip, even though that's the way we did wind up on LeBron. That's how we're going to be able to do it. Go ahead and.
All right, we'll get one more. Or you just keep going with what works. And you keep going at LeBron.
Okay. You just, you just, we, we already, these other ones are mere suggestions. We don't know where they're going to go. Sure. We don't know how it's going to wind up.
This one is just clearly tried and true. And you just keep going at them. And I think those are The top five athletes Brockman should insult next, presented by Hyundai, get into the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event and get away with a deal so right it almost feels wrong. Visit HyundaiUSA.com for details. When did you come up with this idea?
On the way to work.
Well, actually just getting into the car. Because I texted Smitch and Hoskins, like the top five lists we were thinking about doing was like, hey, it's MLB's second half of the season, top five storylines I'm looking forward to seeing playing out. I'm like, I could do that or top five athletes Brockman should insult next. Good. Immediate snap agreement for that one.
Yeah, yeah. So, what I'd like to do as well, Chris. is to give you homework. Oh. Over the next hour or so of this program, you do in fact come back with I set you up one by one, and you go for it.
You already did it with Ronaldo. I mean, Otani, you do for, I mean, you could, you could reheat some of the eyes on him now, Rich. People didn't know about his old. That's right.
Now, now, we've seen what can happen. I'm not insulting Tom Brady.
Okay. Sorry. Get ready. That's not happening. Get ready.
That's coming up later on this edition of the Rich Oz Joe. You know what Chris is going to do, Rich? What? Since Flavor Flames here, he's going to bring the noise. Very good.
What else you wanna know? Let's take a break. Wow. Last time we saw Tom Pellisero, he's dodging bears. Uh-oh.
Don't believe it.
So, oh, there he is. There he is. Oh, my God. Oh, yeah. Oh my god.
This looks like where you once upon a time took the cannolis. Oh my god. Yes. Oh my god. You won't be seeing him any impression.
Rich Eisen here with some advice. If high interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an Audible with a SoFi personal loan. It consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required. And with as soon as the same day funding, you can make the right play fast. Call an Audible on your debt today at sofi.com/slash debt play.
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The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Our radio audience has returned. Tommy P of NFL Network back here on the program. All right, Tom. Aaron Donald, brother.
Like now it's go time. We're now seeing shots of him from afar. Uh, roaming around Rams camp or the Rams facility, but he's been there before. This just feels different. I'm not gonna lie, what do you got, Tom?
What do you have? You know, I told you last week that this was really all in Aaron Donald's hands at this point. The Rams aren't recruiting him, there's no recruiting to be done. It's been made clear: hey, if you want to do this, we got you. You know, they're giving him space and support to figure it out.
He has been training, you know, it's different than just lifting weights and doing all the wild stuff he does on social media. This is now trying to train and see if your body can be ready to get back into football shape at 35 years old. And hey, yeah, you want to come over and use the facility? Come use the facility here. You know, the vision for Aaron Donald is, you know, it's not come back and play full time.
If you go back through history, and I had our research people look this up, there's only one member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who has sat out multiple seasons and then come back and played again. And that was Deion Sanders, who still was productive when he came back with the Ravens after multiple years off. But You know, he was a part-time player at that point. Guys like Reggie White and Randy Moss sat out a year and came back. And the production just, it's not going to be the same.
Now, if anybody can come back and capture what they were, it's Aaron Donald. He's just probably not going to be doing that on a 70-snap per game basis.
So if they can get him back, it's third downs, it's two-minute. It's those high-leverage situations. Keep him fresh and then dare other teams to figure out. Are you going to double upside? Are you going to double inside?
Are you going to travel a chipper? How are you going to handle both Miles Garrett and Aaron Donald? Not to mention Kobe Turter is a really good player. Byron Young, Braden Fists, some of the other guys that they've got in the rotation here. And it's not lost on anybody here, Rich.
And the way that the Rams are looking at this is this is so far beyond just, hey, 20 to 30 snaps, one of the greatest players ever, even if he might not be the Aaron Donald of five years ago. We're all sitting here waiting for LeBron James to decide his NBA destination. And that's not just because LeBron James kills still could be a valuable contributor. He's not what he was five to 10 years ago. But if LeBron John James comes to your organization, it's sending the signal to everybody: hey, he's here for one reason, which is he believes this team can win it all right now.
If Aaron Donald comes back, it sends the same message in that locker room, in that building, even as much as the Miles Garrett acquisition did. And maybe for a team that's made abundantly clear: hey, this is a Super Bowl-winning team right now. Aaron Donald coming back might even get that little bit of extra of everybody being on notice day in and day out. You got to have your A game all the way through this entire season. Tom Pellisero here on the Rich Eisen Show.
The quarterback competitions. Do they include the Raiders? Tom? Yes or no? I would say this, Rich.
You know, not much shocks me in this league. I would be very surprised if Fernando Mendoza starts out of the gate. Clink Kubiak said this way back in the spring that he believes in allowing a young quarterback to sit. There's a big transition in terms of coming from that Indiana offense that, you know, very much RPO based and you're throwing into wide open windows. It's not under center.
There's a bunch of things he has to get better at. And you brought in Kirk Cousins, who's got a history with Clink Kubiak.
Now, the moment that Fernando Mendoza goes out there, and if he plays well in a preseason game, we'll all be talking about it. Clink Kubiak is going to get questions, but Clint's not on social media. He's not watching this show. He's not watching ESPN. He's not seeing the various debates.
He is going to be very much of that same mind. Again, stranger things have happened here, Rich, but from everything that I understand, like the conviction, the way that they're built right now is that Kirk Cousins is going to be the starter at the beginning of the season. And entirely possible, it's that. The end of the season as well. And that's as much a reflection of where the Raiders are programmatically as anything to do with Fernando Mendoza.
They don't really have the infrastructure. They've got some things that they've got to figure out. They've got really young, talented players at running back with Ashton Genti, at tight end with Brock Bowers. They've got some different guys, and they're figuring out the wide receiver roles. The offensive line is still a work in progress.
To be able to sit behind Kirk Cousins, watch him operate that offense. That's going to do more. in their opinion than forcing Fernando Mendoza out there right out of the gate. We'll see how the season plays out. We'll see where we are in November and December.
But my full anticipation sitting here right now in mid-July is Kirk Cousins will be the starting quarterback of the Raiders.
Okay. And Chris, we just heard Clint Kubiak's not on social media, so don't waste your time triggering him out. I was insulting. I was adding him to numbers. If we're not going to get any juice out of that squeeze, don't worry about it.
You're right. All right.
Moving on. The quarterback competitions then are in Atlanta. Cleveland Minnesota. Am I missing any other ones right now? Those are the headliners.
There's obviously some other spots where we'll be watching closely in terms of health perspectives here. You know, Bo Nick's everything that I've been told is that he's on track. He'll be back and good to go for Denver. Patron Holmes keeps saying that he's going to be good to go for Kansas City in week one. We'll see how that plays out.
Obviously, if he can't or if he's limited in the early going, we know exactly who it's going to be with Justin Fields. We've talked a ton about the Vikings. They are very much, from everything that I have been told, it's been emphasized to me, still a legit competition. I would tell you, Kevin O'Connell knows if he played a game tomorrow, who would be starting, but they don't play a game tomorrow. And maybe for Kyler Murray and J.J.
McCarthy, part of this is psychological, where you want both these guys approaching it and competing with one another and attacking every single day and not relaxing. I don't believe that Kevin O'Connell is going to take this through three preseason games. It may take one or two, though, before he's comfortable saying who the starter is going to be. They split it 50-50 all through the spring. We'll see how that plays out.
In Atlanta, we'll see how much Michael Pennix Jr. is able to do. At some point, he's going to get back to be doing 11 on 11, but that time is not immediate. He hasn't done anything yet.
So that competition really hasn't ramped up. Tu has really got the edge here. And then in Cleveland, this is going to be more interesting than I think people might be thinking that it is on paper because you have a player in Deshaun Watson who is still getting paid. He's in the final year of that five-year, $230 million contract. He's going to be on the team, but he's played 19 games over the past five seasons combined.
There's no precedent for anything like that.
So, you know, they know what Deshaun Watson has been in the past. They've seen him play winning football. They got to see when he goes out there and it's live and he's actually in game action and he's got people, frankly, heckling him and yelling stuff at him, and everything's moving faster. How does he respond? And with Shadur Sanders, from what I've been told, there really was growth through the spring.
He did improve. Is that enough to? Be able to catch Deshaun Watson. I would tell you this: the coaches came away, and of course, the new staff there with Todd Muncin as the head coach. They came away thinking they got two guys they can go out there and play with.
Which one of these guys rises? This is a true competition, I believe, as well in Cleveland. We'll see who comes out on the top in the preseason. Tom Pellisero here on the Rich Eisen Show. And then the quarterbacks that aren't involved in competitions usually sometimes are involved in contract negotiations that we're trying to see.
How it resolves before the beginning of the season. Walk me through that list. Tom.
Well, certainly you've got Baker Mayfield. That's at the top of the list. He's entering a contract year. He's made very clear that once training camp begins, that's his hard cutoff. As of a couple of days ago, the last I checked, there had been no movement.
It's really about the number. The Bucks want Baker there. Baker wants to be there. But, you know, he's currently, if you look at the guys, the 16 quarterbacks who are on true franchise quarterback contracts, he's the lowest paid. How high up that list should he vault based upon his production?
And he has been a top five in terms of the actual numbers in a lot of categories in his time in Tampa. Should he be paid like a top five quarterback? Should he be paid lower than that? That's what they have to work through. I would imagine they re-engage that week in those days leading up to players reporting.
Lamar Jackson is another one. This has been going on forever. His negotiations proceed a little bit differently because he does not have an agent. Last time around, it was they kept sending him proposals and finally he just accepted one on the day of the draft that it was over. For Lamar, he's due so much.
Money. He's due $52 million in 2026. There's really no rush for him to do something unless it's the perfect deal. And that speaks to some players that are in other spots, including Bryce Young and CJ Stroud, who are newly extension eligible. I don't expect a Bryce Young extension.
I believe that he'll play in year four. They had some preliminary conversations, but you know, the arrow's pointing up on Bryce Young right now. But you may want to see a little bit more to pay him up at the top, you know, or near the top of the quarterback market. With CJ Stroud, that one remains very much alive. They continue to have conversations.
At last, check, nothing was imminent between CJ Stroud and the Texans, but certainly would not shock me if they were able to get something done. The big picture here, Rich, is what's going to happen in 2027. That's when the quarterback class, the draft class of 2024, becomes extension eligible. You're talking about Caleb Williams, Jaden Daniels, Drake May, Bo Nicks. At that point, and with where the cap is.
going a 60 million dollar contract right now might be 70 to be at the top of the market a year from now so if you're lamar and you're making a bunch of money or you're cj stroud and you don't think that you're getting offered as high a number as you want to or even for baker you might just sit back and say the numbers are going to be better if i just wait thing out there's always that risk in that that's why players take out insurance um you never know if injuries are going to happen um but certainly the one to watch um in my mind beyond baker is going to be cj stroud he did not start off well last season it got better in the middle of the year we all saw what happened down the stretch and into the playoffs that maybe makes it a little bit more complicated in terms of paying him at the top of the market we know that nick caserio is not afraid to pay any of his core players at the top of the market he's done it time and time again um sometimes in ways that frustrate other teams because he is paying a little bit extra um you know relative to where the market is that'll be an interesting one to watch and whether or not they're able to get something off all right what else before i let you go to your guys weekend Is in your reporter's notebook you want to hit on, Tom? The notebook on the guy's weekend, because those records are permanently sealed. No, no, no. In terms of the NFL storylines here, one thing, because we weren't on last week, Rich, that I wanted to bring up, because this is really interesting, and this is looking out. Eight months, okay.
It's to the start of free agents. The NFL released the calendar last year, and there's a little bit of a recalibration because this year the draft was very early. Labor Day is later.
So the season is starting later. The Super Bowl is later. The combine is still happening when it normally does. But the NFL is going to reset the calendar and move free agency up to the day after. The Combine ends.
The Combine ends, I believe, on March 7th or 8th. I believe it's March 8th, the Combine ends. Free agent negotiations. Sunday of Combine will be followed by the next day as free agent. The next day.
At noon Easter, the negotiating window will open. This has been, I believe, 15 years since the 2011 collective bargaining agreement. There's always been a week in between. And what occurred over the last 15 years was that, of course, we know that there are various conversations of varying degrees of legality that have always occurred at St. Elmo's and hotel rooms and convention centers.
Teams stopped. in agents minds, floating real numbers, because what they realized was the agents were then going to shop those numbers to other teams for a week and try to move the market. Then agents became frustrated because they weren't getting the real numbers. And there are some agents who won't even do the meetings at the Combine in recent years because they think that they're a colossal waste of time. As one GM texted me when this calendar went out to the league and to the public was, wow, deals are actually going to get done.
And that's not just the off the books, off the record, wink nod deals that get done 45 minutes into free agency. They're also the deals with the players who may want to stay with their teams and to try to get something done. Think like an Alec Pierce last year, by far the number one wide receiver on the market. The Combine happened. They met at the Combine, but they were nowhere for a week after that.
Now, maybe that type of a deal gets done at the Combine. The franchise tag window, that now is before or at the start of Combine Week. The entire way that this thing operates is going to be a little bit different. For those of us, Rich, who it's our job. to cover the news and break the news.
It is going to be drinking from an absolute fire hose because deals are going to get done in Indy. Trades are going to get done in Indy. You know, Rich, in past years, that week in between, that's where there's been like a trade a day in recent years. That's going to be happening in Indianapolis now and go right into Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday of that following week. That seven to 10 days, it's been really kind of that, what's normally been the low week that's ended up being trades.
Now it's all going to happen at once, everything all at once. That is going to be the defining point of what happens in free agency in 2020. All right.
So just to. Recap that one. The window where you can legally have conversations opens up in Indianapolis or the day after. We're done. The day after the final day of workouts.
So. A lot of occupations that are happening normally. If they do, as you point out, because teams kind of stopped having that based on the way that the schedule was laid out.
So I'm sitting there with Daniel Jeremiah going through the 40s and, you know, watching drills on the field and suddenly something's popping like a major quarterback's on the move. Like that sort of thing. Is that what you're saying? That is entirely possible. Those trades, if they follow the same timing as in recent years, would happen at the combine.
There's a lot of GM to GM conversations that happen at the combine. You know, the Russell Wilson trade was one years ago between Denver and Seattle that really picked up in Indianapolis. But now instead of, all right, let's revisit that next week when we get back. Hey, let's revisit that a little bit closer. With a lot of the top free agents, the timing has been if the negotiating window is opening at noon on Monday, it's Sunday afternoon into evening where teams start to check in.
And that's where it becomes kind of apparent.
Okay, this one's going to go fast. This guy's going to get his number. Uh-oh, this guy's market is falling out. If that timing is the same, Rich, that will be as people are leaving the combine the night before. The next day at noon, the negotiating window.
Opens up. I think you will see a bunch of extensions get done. You will see some trades get done. I believe there was only one last year at the Combine, which I talked about on your show that day. I had broken it in a skywalk in Indianapolis.
Right. Had to duck to the side. I'm going to need a little bit better plan of where I am in various skywalks because there could be even getting done. It is going to be a lot rich, but it is going to be an absolutely wild week. All right, brother.
Drive safe, be safe. And I know once you're done, one of the first things you're going to do is this show next week while I go visit my kids in Visiting Day.
So I appreciate that. That's right.
And in the meantime, go get your chimichanga, reheat it, you know, whatever's across the way there in that truck stop and be well. I might make my way, you know, with the whole cyclosporia thing or whatever. I think I might get away from this particular gas station before grabbing lunch. We'll figure it out next Wednesday through Friday in LA. Can't wait to see what boys are telling you.
There we go. Hey, Tom, if you hear a banjo, run. Wow. I don't know what that, I mean, that's a delivering psychedelic. No, that background looks more like when Clemenza said, leave the gun, take the cannolis or something from the DePatic.
It's the grass. It is. Yeah. Okay. Thank you, Tom.
There goes Tom Pelicero as we stop slandering his truck stop. Just real quick. While we're on the subject matter, that cyclo, whatever thing he's talking about right now? I can't believe I'm about to disgust this with it. Uh-oh.
Is there a more redundant phrase?
Okay. Than explosive diarrhea? No. It's kind of like every time I hear that in a report, I think of that. Line from A few good men.
Is there any other kind? Is there any other kind? You know what I mean? And then I think a dumb and dumber with Jeff Daniels. Yeah, it's right.
You know what I mean? But I'm just saying. I've never thought about it like that. It's like, oh, no. Hey, you have diarrhea?
Is it just an easy flow for you?
Okay. Can we move on? Yeah, moving on. Easy flow. They're moving on.
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Okay. We started this program with a top five list. Bov. Other athletes I'd like Chris Brockman to insult, so maybe they can wind up on their Instagram feed into hundreds and millions of people. You just want everyone coming at him, though.
Well, I mean, and I put in there in the same way, again, what's more likely is coming up next hour. Chris usually puts a. A little um time bomb in there. Where I have to choose between two things he knows that I want to choose from.
So I just kind of returned the favor and said the number two athlete I want him to insult based on his massive platform is Tom Brady. He's like, he's never going to do that. How's he going to figure out doing that when we ask him to actually go down the list later on?
So, who better to give you advice than a guy who has no problem slagging on the Patriots, even though he swears he's a fan? A guy once upon a time said they were going to go 0-17. Dustin in Arkansas is here on the program for suggestions for you, Chris. How are you, Dustin? Hey guys, Rich, welcome back to the show.
Good to have you back. Thank you. Appreciate it. I think Mr. Brockman should go after another man from Massachusetts, John Cena.
Oh. Goat him out of retirement with his insults. You could have Seth Rollins train him to have a match, and then he could pull the ultimate swerve, beat John Cena again, and really put the Rich Ison Show on the map. Interesting. I'm going to wrestle John Cena?
No, just insult him. No, just insult him. Oh, just insult him.
Well, you can wrestle him too. Like, you can train. You can insult him. Cena's got 21 million followers. I didn't even think of including him.
Yeah. Well, because there's a physical threat that's okay. Also I can't see him, so I don't even know how I would end up.
Okay. Good one. That's a good one. Thank you. All right.
Thank you, Dustin. I appreciate it. There goes Dustin in Arkansas.
Well, the list has been submitted. I bang that out in like five minutes. See, I knew you were going to have a problem with that. When I walked out on the stage for the first time today, I looked you right in the face. I kind of gave you that messy look.
Yeah, and I was just like, You're like, What's going on? You got cooked. I'm like, I got something for you. I think you're going to be able to handle it.
Okay. It's been handled.
Okay. It'll get handled when it gets handled. Yeah, that's okay, Mike. You don't have to get that drop ready. Mm-hmm.
It'll get handled when it gets handled. And he's number five on the list. Yeah. And you know, he once upon a time famously took that. In and spat it back at the.
I can now say this: our wives are friends. I don't want to insult them.
Okay. You know what I mean? That's fine then. You gotta, but this is business. That's personal.
And this is the business we've chosen. Oh, great. You know what I mean? This is the business we've chosen. Honestly, this all started like a dozen years ago with Spike Lee.
Oh, it did. By the way, I said this tops your Spike Lee moment, right? Which Spike and I buried the hatchet. Once upon a time, he said he was a fake Nick for a while.
Well, I said he was kind of fair weather. He only showed up when they were good. Like, he wasn't, you know, there for the losing season. Then he cursed you out. Yeah, he called me a bleeping moron.
Justifiable. Yeah. Yeah. And then we met in the back when he was here. That's right.
And I had him autograph the tweet. Yes. That's genius. He found that funny. Yeah, it's all good now, me and Spike.
Okay. Yeah. Mm. It was all good just a week ago. It was.
So, Flavor Flaves coming up next hour. Yeah. What's more likely is coming up next hour. Also, next hour, Chris is going to pay off the top five list where he will then go ahead one by one and insult the people. I think he should insult next.
And again, you're doing it for the show, Chris. Thank you, yes. They're making Chris and Eisen, but not in show. Not in show.
Okay. That's coming up in hour two. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. You know when you're locked in, focused and fearless. Welcome to the WNBA.
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It's the WNBA on ESPN, all season long. Yeah.
