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Okay. The news we've been waiting for. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Yes, he's back. The Rich Eisen Show.
Plus, you. You're a genius, man. Way to sign him. Football's pretty simple. Earlier on the show.
ESPN college football analyst Josh Pate. ESPN senior writer Seth Wickersham. Coming up. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
Hour three of the Rich Eisen Show is here on the air. Disney Plus, ESPNF, ESPN Radio Series XM Channel 80, first two hours in the book. Seth Wickersham has a book called Beyond That Hill told some great stories about Brady and Mahomes and Kobe and Sean McVay. And hour one, Josh Pate ran down his favorites for the college football season that's about to begin in earnest this coming weekend. If you missed any of it, there is our podcast, all three hours.
There is our YouTube channel. There is the Disney Plus page, all three hours. You can watch it back whenever you darn well please. It's one of the things we love about being part of this Disney world, if you will. 844-204-Rich, number to dollar.
We're going to take your phone calls. Listen, sometimes hosts say things to tease, to keep you staying tuned, to listen. That is not why I'm saying what I'm about to say. I have no idea when Jim Harbaugh is joining us this hour. He's in a team meeting.
Jim's got things to say to the Chargers. You know what I mean? That's right. Like the Los Angeles Chargers are getting set to start this season against the Arizona Cardinals at home. Two Sundays.
So he's got things to say, and I have no idea how long it's going to take for him to say them.
So stay tuned. He's supposed to join us this hour. Happy to have him join us this hour. He's uh he's my guy.
So Just don't know.
So stay tuned. Did you see that they just signed Justin Herbert's brother? Justin Herbert's brother, yeah, Patrick, who's a tight end.
Okay. So maybe he's working on getting him to the Hall of Fame, too. I can't wait. I should ask Jim: hey. Because he came in here and he said, you know, he woke up in the middle of the night one day and just looked at the ceiling.
He was like, I got to get Justin Herbert of the whole thing. Should I ask him what he's waking up and thinking about now? Yeah, of course. He's sleeping. Got to get Patrick to the hall.
Got to get Patrick to the house. All right. You never know. Another big signing in the NBA. I don't know.
What do we got? Taco Falls now is Philadelphia 76.
Okay. Basically, going to win the championship. Interesting. Stealing all our players.
So Taco will play when Embiid takes a fall. Look at you, Richard. Right? Just turn it over. Just another guy.
Just another guy who looks like those air balloons outside of a car dealership. I mean, the wacky inflatable. I'm sorry. Everybody's just chasing what I have right now.
So I'm kind of new to this thing. You know what I mean? I'm like kind of nouveau rich to this year. I know it did. I love taco fall.
I get it. I'm new to it. It's orange and blue skies, baby. You see, the Boston mayor gave Jalen Brown the key to the city. Did he, really?
Now they're going to name a street after him. That's amazing. He's probably going to get his jersey retired.
Well, so. And does Jason Tatum's ways take him around that street? See what I'm saying? You see where I'm going on this one? He's got your face.
He's trying to get what I've got. You're trying to get what I've got. I have it already. And do you want some? The guy's name, really, Taco?
Yeah. That's what I'm in charge. Yeah, but it's T-A-C-K-O. And he's like 7'5. He's very tall.
Yeah, I wouldn't say what I just said to his face.
Well, you could say if it was face. Yeah, I'd have to get a stepladder to say it to his face. I'd say it more to his thigh. Yeah. Got it.
His midsection area. No, I know you have what I have. What do you mean? Yeah, I know what you got. You had what I have.
I currently have it. I use the present tense as a Knick fan. I want it. You want it. Need it.
You got to have it. Got to have it. Animal Cowbell baby. As the host of this program, and also, if you will, the. Um owner and C CEO of Rich Eisen Productions.
I mean, that is kind of true. You know, I have a lot of responsibilities. Yeah. The buck stops here, essentially, is what I'm saying. I don't know how many bucks, you know.
By the way, a buck apparently is stopping on this program Wednesday at Baker Mayfield. Oh. Hey. But listen, I've got tough decisions to make while also making sure the morale here that we team build. Yeah.
So every year Prior to the football season, Uh we have a a shindig. A dig of the shin. And we have, for the last few years, held a fantasy football draft for this sort of thing. Yep. Uh last night.
Uh we held our fantasy draft. And um It's named after the guy who's art You know, his portrait was on the wall and In that awesome spot in Kansas City. Right. Random restaurant we went to that. Yeah, and there's the the room was named after him and we took over that room.
We took over his name. And he had a cowboy hat on, which is why in the photograph that we took on the pawn shop last night, that Don Bowie was wearing a cowboy hat. He has nothing else. I mean, he's a Saints fan, USC Trojan from out here. He showed up in a cowboy hat because he's also the coordinating producer of Women's Sports Note.
I sent that to Susie. I'm like, look at Don. And she wrote back, why?
Well, there is a reason. I know. There we are. Look at her. We're smiling.
He won the league last night. Thanks again. The Pawn Shop for Pawn Shop LA for hosting us. And the food's great, the service is great, the place is great. You got that other photograph of the other?
There we go, there's the rest of the room. And uh the guy on the right I'm Monaco, sweetheart of a guy. We share. You and I, TJ, we share. A rooting interest.
He's a cowboy fan and a Michigan Wolverine fan. Yeah. Okay. So, sweetheart of a guy directs this show more often than not. And the reason why I bring it up.
is um He's on our text chain because Don Bowie, sweetheart with the cowboy hat, invited him on. There's a reason why John was not on the text chain. He's been in the league all three years. He has been. The reason why he is not on the text chain has nothing to do with him as a person.
Nope. Nothing to do with him as a professional. and nothing to do with him as a a fantasy football player. Yeah. Reason why?
He says he doesn't have an iPhone. And the text chain Was all blue. All blue, baby. Until they could take his face. I can't look at him anymore right now on the screen.
Just can't look at him. And Don added him to the text chain. I didn't know last night when it's time to start texting Smack to people. I turn to you. And I'm like Why is the text chain green?
And you say Don Adam. Yeah, I didn't have an answer. I was like. I don't know. It appears that someone added him.
And then Don goes, I go, Don, did you add him? He goes, yeah.
Okay. Why wouldn't he add them, right? Because the text chain is green, and that messes with the whole system. You know, you got to be on an internet connection sometimes for it to go through, and then it says it's sent its text message, whatever the hell. Yeah.
It's just, it's not good. Screwed you up. And it pisses me off, yeah.
Now then. I have to come at this also as the Guy, top of the flowchart, I want to keep everyone happy.
So I now turn to the commissioner of the league and say, What are you going to do about it? What are you going to do about it? What am I going to do about it? What am I going to kick him off the text chain? Yes, I do.
Rich tried to take him off the text chain line. No, you didn't want him on in the first place. And so that's why he had been kind of left off. And I had, we were just dealing with him offline. And then, look, Don's a commission.
Don's the winner, the reigning champ. It is his wish to have him on. What am I going to deny the champion? This is just an outrage. I mean, what if we got league business?
You can't just take somebody off. You did threaten to take him off last night, which was, you know, an act of war almost. Threatens after that. I don't control. Do I have the ability to kick him off the tech chain?
I think anyone can kick off. Anyone can take off the channel. Anyone off the press chain at any point. Or you can just be like me and just leave the text chain in the middle of the night.
So I could do this right now on the internet. Yeah, I'm advising you as a commissioner to not do that. What do you mean? If you remove him from the text, do you want somebody? I am going to dock you.
Dock me. Five. Waiver dollar fab. That's absurd. If you remove him, you're going to find me?
I'm going to find you. Five. So I would have, everyone's got $200 on waiver wire. I kick him off the checks chain, make it blue, and you enjoy the benefits of it. It's kind of worth it.
Go for it. I don't know what is the benefit to it. It's absolutely worth it. The color? If Monaco gets it, then we put him back on.
That's what's going to happen. Oh, my God. Don't do it. Damn right it's me. Don't do it.
I don't think I have the chance, opportunity to do it right now. Look, I spent like five minutes. You can't kick anyone out. I would leave the conversation. You can't have somebody leave the conversation.
Does it even fix it? I think you can remember. Like, once you go green, you're stuck. Is that right? You can never go back.
Is that what you're saying? And do I? Again, we all understood it, TJ. We knew what he was getting at. Maybe they didn't.
People at home don't know what to do. If Jim joins, I got to ask him, what do I do? Does he have a text chain where there's non-green? Yeah. And then you heart something and somebody says, John hearted it.
Well, I think that's been fixed. Have they fixed that? That was John's one. Let's try it. Hey, Monico, send a text.
They do now talk. Android and iOS do talk to each other. But do you think people who only have Androids and they're on Android group techs, do you think they look down on iPhone users the way we look down on Android users? Who's the blue guy? They can't tell.
No, they can't tell. They can't tell? No. The microphone. They can't tell.
Mm-hmm. I love how he's just changing the camera. No, I just think, I just think, I just think everyone. Oh, is John. Purposely not taking you.
Yeah, he's back there. What's up, John? Will you stop this madness and get the proper phone for all of us? He's drawing. Are you telling him the group right now so I can see what it looks like?
He said no. He's not going to get it. No. Oh, hey, no. No.
I can't kick him out. You can't kick somebody out of a chain. Yes, you can. If you go down to their name, you can just slide it to the right and it says remove. But It'll cost you $5.
Five fantasy waiver dollars. Could you imagine I try to pick somebody up in week 12 when I can't? Because you're out. Because I'm out of money. Or it's a $5 pickup and you only have four.
Oh, dude. I don't know. I think it's worth it. I think it's worth it. I've got such a great team anyway.
Do you? Yeah. I've made my point. I think everybody who sees this video is going to discrete. Comment.
Comment. Go ahead. We'll read the comment. Can we put like a poll? I can post a poll on Twitter right now.
I don't know how to do that on YouTube.
Okay. We could post it. What would you like the poll to say? Is it annoying when should you kick somebody out of the text chain if they don't have the same phone as everybody else? You know what I mean?
Like, are Android, are Android users pissed that the iPhone turns it blue? That's what I'm saying. Does that do it for them? I wouldn't know. It doesn't work in reverse.
It doesn't work. They don't even know. You can't reverse the polarity? You can't live. Oh, is that real?
They don't see blue. They're text blind? Yeah. Okay. They're Midwest.
All right, you got the AFC West preview? Ready to go? How about you go first, Chris Brown? Oh, nice. Here we go.
Just be careful. The chargers have already zoomed in. You never know if Jim's going to be here or not.
Well, that's great. I think they're going to be happy because I think the Los Angeles Chargers win the AFC West. I am fully on board with them making the leap on offense with Mike McDaniel, a healthy offensive line. Armarion Hampton. I'm curious to see how Keaton Mitchell is used in this offense.
I'm with you. Quentin Johnson as the deep threat, Ladidi back to being a WR1, and I think they take it. I think they also the Denver Broncos right there. It's going to be a neck and neck race all season long. I think both teams make the playoffs.
Only two, I said two playoff teams from the AFC West. I don't think Kansas City finishes above 500. I think the Raiders are once again picking in the top five. All right. What do you got over there, TJ?
What do you have? Same thing. I wish we had done this a little bit later. One day.
Well, because. Coming in at number four, I got the Raiders defense. Jay Felly, I just think that they're the fourth-best team in that division.
Now, here's the thing. I think the AFC West has sended three teams to the playoffs, Chris.
So do I get the chargers. Finishing third. I got the Chiefs finishing second, and I got the Broncos running it back. But I feel like these top three teams, like I said. They all make the playoffs.
Well, as you know, I'm accused of being a passionate Chiefs fan or somebody who's afraid to piss off Eric Stone Street. That's what you accuse me every single time. Why not both? Every single time. I mean, the facts present themselves.
I understand that, but I can shoot you straight. I can shoot you straight. Always. I love When the Raiders are good. It's good for business.
Jason Feller, I hope that you're a happy guy. Thanks. But at the end of the day, this is a very deep end of the pool, and there's still. They're still dipping their toe in. They're fourth.
I'm putting the Chiefs third. Whoa. I'm putting the Chiefs third. I need to see what's going on on defense, and then who's catching the ball other than Kelsey. And/or maybe Rashi Rice.
I am keen to see what Kenneth Walker III looks like. Can we get a thousand-yard rusher for Mahomes or what? Really? Yeah. Okay.
And then I'm with you. Broncos Chargers, Broncos Chargers, Broncos Chargers. And I wish I could do one 1A, but you can't.
So I'm just gonna go with the, you know. I love their new offensive quarter. You know how I feel about McDaniel. Chris O'Leary is the new defensive coordinator. Jesse Minter is as great as they come.
I just don't know if that's going to be. you're seen on the field defensively or not. But I think three teams get I think the Chiefs win enough games they get in. And the Chargers and the Broncos, I do believe, play in the last game of the regular season. And let me make sure that I am correct on that, and they do.
And it's in Denver. And I'm just gonna say that's gonna I'm gonna shoot my shot and say that's game two. 60, whatever. Yeah, I was just going to say that too. Yeah, I think that's the last game.
That's for the division. Right. So that's my AFC West preview right here. Jim Harbaugh is going to join us, I believe, in now 19 minutes' time. He's talking.
He's talking to the team. He's talking to the team. We're going to finish the show with him. He's going to finish things up with us. When it comes to your home, Pello Windows and Doors are the experts at taking care of you and your home.
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Make life brighter with Pello Windows and Doors. I'm going to take a break. During the break, I'm going to make our. Text chain blewer. Yeah.
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kpmg.us slash velocity. Mm-hmm. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Breaking news here in Southern California, and this is massive, actually. It really is.
You got it? Go ahead and hit it. Hit it. Security comes. Boat, Adam Marin.
Yeah, see. News, Christopher, this is really happening. I hadn't even heard a whiff of a rumor or a hint of this happening. No, me neither. But it is going to happen.
This is definitely happening. Yeah, according to Sam Farmer of the LA Times, which means what you're about to say is true. Is true. Yeah, Stan Cronky, his sports group, Cronky Sports Entertainment, they are acquiring the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Wow.
They announced today that it has entered at a definitive agreement to acquire controlling interest of the Angels from the Marino family. Transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of twenty twenty seven. Do we know on uh how much it is? I have not seen a price yet. But Stan Cronke, who as you know, owns the the Rams and everything over here in Inglewood, the Colorado Avalanche, the Denver Nuggets, Arsenal, he is acquiring the Angels.
And what do all of his teams do? Uh just win, baby. Yeah, they do. Yeah. They do.
And um guess what the angels have not done. Uh Well, it's been a while. It's a whim. It's been a while. Hey, listen, it's been almost 25 years.
Right. Socha, Percival, Darren Erstad. You know, Garrett Anderson, may he rest in peace, Tim Salmon. That was a long time ago. They're not walking through that door.
Erstad's not walking through that door. And um And so many Angels fans here. We're going to the stadium on Wednesday. And I love Angels fans are about to get an upgrade, considerable upgrade. Like they know how to run organizations.
They know how to run. A business in that world of sports, and they know how to spend money in the right way. And man. Our Angels fans are going to be happy about this, and they should be. They should be.
Wow, that's stunning. And I thought the Moreno family was never going to sell. Never. You know, I feel like they almost did recently, and he backed out of the deal. Right.
Like, two things are certain. Yeah. Moreno's never selling, and Trout's not leaving. No matter how many people think he should be leaving. Or ask to be how amazing would that be?
If Trout has like a Stafford-like run. Here for it. You know what I'm watching Michael Trout? Stafford, how old is Trout? He's got to be what 34 35?
Right. Like he was the age that that Stafford was when he first got here. He's 35. Right. And so he he's been like playing for the Detroit Lions for all those years, and now he's about to play for the Rams.
I don't think I'm off on this front. Like, we're waiting to see what Trout can do in friggin October, like, make a run. And you know, that's what the crunkies are going to do. They're going to come in and they're going to figure this thing out. And the Dodgers have gotten some competition.
Yeah. You know? The Dodgers have gotten some competition in this town. If Cronky has taken this thing over and is going to run it like the Rams, the Nuggets, and the Avalanche, and Arsenal. Wow.
Yeah. It's awesome. And, you know, the bar is set. The bar is set. In terms of, you know, obviously what the Dodgers have done, but in terms of, you know, competing and changing ownership and competing, hopefully the Angels can make it an Angelstown like the Mets have made it a Mets Town since changing ownership there.
No, this is a perfect comparison. I get why you're still upset about it. No, this is a perfect comparison. Look what the Mets have done since changing owners. Dominated.
Yeah, they've turned it into a Mets town. We made it so an organization. They didn't win a championship since all the Mets do is win. As opposed to what they were doing before, what are the Yankees doing? With all the money being spent in, huh?
What? What are the Yankees doing? I made a World Series. Did you win? Made a World Series.
Wow, if your expectations damage. Hey, it's a different world. We're in a different world now. We made a World Series. Trust me, I want to win it all.
I get it. But that is the template. Change owners. get a lot more money in the pipeline. Change it into an angel's town.
That's nice. Just like the Mets have done in New York. Just ask Juan Soto in his. Great returns he's given the Mets. Yeah.
Okay. This guy. That's jealousy. I'm not jealous. What am I jealous of?
You've been jealous ever since. What am I jealous of? I'd like to bring the limo story back up of a bird flipping, awkward, dancing, you know, ball with legs? Do I need to be broken? Is that what I'm jealous of?
Letting a polar bear walk? Good job. Don't I'm jealous of? Jealous of the men. Yeah.
Let's take let's take let's take Boba Shet. At the time, I thought it was work on that one. Both flows. Oh, no. But Angels fans, you're about to, in all seriousness, see an upgrade.
Yeah, yeah. If you're an Angels fan and you don't go to the games anymore, get ready to go back to the games. You should be more than an exciting. Ballpark is very nice. I love going down.
We do. Yeah. Getting there ain't easy. And getting there is just like we're calling it the Los Angeles Angels. Is that what we're doing?
Wow, you know. 'Cause I live in Los Angeles County. That ain't in it. That's true. That's true.
I wonder if the if if the if the uh Cronkey family will change even that. I said this earlier, not knowing this was coming. Go back to the California Angels. The Golden State Warriors. They play in San Francisco now.
They had the best uniforms. They had a cool logo. Go back to California. Go back to California. Come out to the coast.
Because no one in Los Angeles cares about the Angels, so might as well. I wouldn't say that. But it it is a Dodger town and always will be. Yeah, so you know? It's kind of like the Clippers.
No matter how much we tried. Right. And Ed O'Clipper fans are like: hey, we had Bomber come in, and we're still waiting. Cronky's got that track record. I'm excited for Angels fans.
Yeah. Angels fans should be pumped. Oh, yeah.
Okay. Okay. So uh honestly, they're fifty three and eighty five, and I know I'm speaking out of terms of Mets fan, but like what do you think that something's going to get turned around? Ownership matters a lot. I think it does.
And I think, yeah, it all yes.
Okay. It sure does. You put the resources and the dollars back into the channel. Certainly, if you know how to run sports organizations around the globe, and the results are there in hockey, basketball, Premier League, National Football League, they're all different in terms of the way fans are expected to watch a product, but they're also different in a way of caps and how you can spend. And to figure out each one successfully?
Yeah, it takes a lot. It takes a lot. You know? So Congratulations, Angels fans. You're going to make it in Angelstown real soon.
What? Just pointing out the obvious. Who went to World Series first? What, Mets or Angels?
Well that or Angels or Dodgers. I think the why don't you ask me November 1st before, honestly, dude. I don't think the Dodgers win this year.
Okay. I'm on record. But you think the Angels are going to win one before the Dodgers get away? Indiana won the natty last year. That's fine.
Anything can happen in sports now. Let me explain to you, Chris, what's not going to happen, though: is the Angels win in the World Series before the Dodgers.
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We take a break, and when we come back, My guy, my coach, Jim Harbaugh. Quick break to tell you some game time tips. When you're hosting during football season, you've got to be ready for every kind of craving.
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Subject to availability, restrictions and fees apply. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Back here on the prosinger, here on the show. Chris Ballard, who, as you know, Pulls no punches. Even though he's got the arms.
to follow through. Um Once again showed up in a smedium. At the podium today, a lot of general managers are holding press conferences. Um Jason Light held one in Tampa. as well.
Talking about Baker and how, you know, he wished he goes, Baker's completely real. He wishes he was 10% more fake, is what he said. He's 100% real. He wishes he'd been just 10% fake sometimes. That was a funny line.
Um, But anyway, Chris Balor was asked about this whole business of NFL players having a court order to go back to college. Did you have any rookies come to you wanting to go back and play college football? No, it's the stupidest I've ever heard. You, you, your entire life, I don't know I'll catch crap for this, but your entire life you fight to get up to the NFL.
Okay, but now we're going to go back.
Okay, that makes a lot of freaking sense. Yeah. So is it wrong? He's not wrong. Yeah, exactly.
He's not wrong. And players who see the opportunity to go back. you know I'm wondering if that's going to be viewed as a red flag when they come out again. Interesting. If that's what a general manager In the home of the combine is thinking.
That, oh, you work your ass off to get to the NFL. And because it doesn't work out in your first shot at it, or you get cut. Instead of you trying to stick with it and finding your spot on a practice squad and working hard at it, you're going to go back to school like you're Thornton Mellon, triple Lindy your way for Lane Kiffin, and then you're going to come back. And I'm wondering if that's going to be a metric that NFL teams will look at as a. Red flag, because you know there are some strange red flags that some teams have.
True. And I don't know. You could also say that these kids are going to make more money with Lane Kiffin than they would have on a practice squad. I think there's no doubt about that. Right.
So, and it. The thing that stinks is that if it is true, and Josh Pate made an allusion to it in hour one. that Oh, so there's this new rule that you get Five years of eligibility in five years, right? that you can't do it five over seven or anything like that.
So this is what we're going to do. We'll give that fifth year of eligibility to people. And then there's some players that were in a school year prior to the five-year window. You know? Prior to like, they had a cutoff of a class in the same way that there's a cutoff for kids.
In You know, public schools, grade schools, and private schools. Hey, the September, today is actually the cutoff day in many school systems around the country. Like if You know, Taylor was born on August 30th.
So she was on the short end of it, and somebody else is on the longer end of it, September 1st.
So Some of the the thing is that if if there was a school that said, oh, You folks in 2022. You just went to the pros, and now they're allowing you retroactively to go into the pros at another year of eligibility. Like what gives? You should sue. And if you do.
Why don't you sue in this court? Maybe we'll take you. That's the thing that kind of stinks. Hate it. We're joined now by a man who, when he coached in college football, coached before the NFL was a feeder system to college.
Okay. He's Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers. How are you, coach? Good to see you. Great to see you, Rich.
Good to see you. I guess I'll ask you that question. Did any of the Chargers players come to you and say, Can you cut me sooner so I can go back to college? Did that happen at any point in the last few years? No, it didn't happen here, no.
No, I know. It's kind of anyway, it's kind of crazy in that world. How are you doing? Good to see you. What's going on?
Oh, uh football. Football going on. We're focused on our football, man. I bet you are, man. It is that football season.
And do you do you do you do you wake up happier? When you get closer to the season, Jim, you wake up happier. It's a person. Yeah, uh yeah, um Purposeful. and uh you know grateful and uh just uh you know doing anything and everything uh That I can't uh Um Do anything and everything for our team.
Yeah, grateful, but also don't want to get out at work. Yeah, but. Ripping and running. I bet. And I was told you just came out of a team meeting where you were speaking to the team.
Anything you could share? Like, what is it like, you know, 10 days before season, you're meeting with your group, you just cut down a 53 roster set. Like, what do you talk about now? Like what do you do?
Well today today's uh meeting was one of my one of my Funnest meetings of the year and important meetings of the year. It's electing the captains. for the team.
So uh we just did that and it was It was incredible.
Okay. And so you sit there and watch the guys do it? Like, what do you do? You just sit. Sit in the corner or you are you New part of this thing.
Oh yeah, I'm uh I I I I count the votes with myself and uh the first year players that uh aren't eligible to be captains.
So Akeem Ezador, Jake Slaughter, Travis Burke, Brennan Thompson and Genesis Smith. We retired to an anterior room and we counted the votes. We like to do it old school. There's a ballot and That way there can't be any chicanery. We uh just have the witnesses, you know, electronically.
I mean, who knows what could happen, right? I mean, I got you. Uh, we don't want any of that stuff.
So, uh, we had a we had a we had a great vote. Players voted, and uh, it was uh it was uh We have so many leaders on our team. By the Probably the most I can ever think of in any team I've ever been on in terms of being a player or a coach. The amount of Example setters, the amount of tone setters that we have, and Guys that lead on and off the field. I mean, just give you the perfect example of what to do.
I mean, you want to know what to do, how to do it, when to do it? Guys, I would put it this way: that put their entire Not just their heart, their heart and soul. And that's the way they the way they approach this game and and off the field as well. Just tremendous versions of Of themselves and the way they represent their families. And it just makes it so easy for.
You know, the rest of us, really. I mean, just uh watch 'em, study 'em. Emulate them. See if you can go make them proud of you. That standard that they set is.
Is incredible. All right, so let's jump into it. Since I was an honorary captain for you once upon a time, Jim, I mean, who's not to turn you into my information, man, but you want to announce who's in it? Who are the. Who are your captains?
You got that for me? Can I guess? Can I take a stab at some? Oh. I guess I I think we w probably want to I'm so tempted right now.
He wants to do it. You're a great guy. You're a Michigan guy. You're a Michigan man. I think I've got a guy who reserves.
Yeah, but uh Let the organization do that.
Well, how about this? Is one rhyme with like Sherwin Shames? Does that rhyme?
Okay, very, that's one. Gosh. Bustin Berbert. Bustin Berbert. Yeah, you know what I mean?
Yeah. Okay. What? All right. Ooh.
Oh, no, I got one. Shlamil Schmack. Yep. Got that one? Man with over 100.
How many sacks? Yeah. That would be on a resume of a captain, I think. It's incredible. I mean, some people have asked me the surprise player of the team.
Who's the surprise player of the team, coach? And. And I got a lot in my head, but like. I I think the biggest one is Khalil Mac. He is 35 years old.
He all by all performance metrics, the tape, but also the strength and power, the speed and agility, the flexibility, mobility, all are at at uh peak they're all cur uh PRs, in his performance. And he has one of those aura rings that has his biological clock at six and a half years younger than his age. I mean, he plays like he's 22, right? He looks like he's 22. I know when he's in the weight room and, you know, it just, it looks that way.
You know, it just, it's. The example of if one man can do it, another man can do it. And if human history is. Shown us or told us anything. If one man can do something, then others can and should be able to do it and certainly attempt it.
Yeah, incredible example for us. And, you know, one of the all-time greats. What's it like in a meeting with you and Mike McDaniel, Jim? What is it like when the two of you guys are sitting down? I'm fascinated by the fact that you hired him.
I love the guy. He's hilarious, but he's brilliant. He's got a brain that operates one of one. What's it like when the two of you guys are talking ball?
Well, you hit the nail right in the head there. It's so intelligent. You know, book smart, football smart. All the smart street smart, I mean, you name it. And the kind of the mere reflection of that is Justin Herbert, you know, the intelligence and football intelligence It's such a great thing.
It's kind of this is really true because people ask me, well, how smart are they, Coach? And I go, I don't know. They're so smart that I don't know how smart they are. But I know one thing. It bodes really well for the.
For the Los Angeles Chargers. What's it like being around Mike?
So he's just a great guy. He's hilarious. He's funny. I just. the meetings that he has.
The uh yeah, I just I got my pen out. I'm writing things down because there's like a nugget of gold that comes out of every one of those interactions, whether him and I are talking on the field or in his office or mine or in the meetings. I mean, it's two, three, four a day. And he just does it in a way that. Man, I like I like to listen to this guy talk.
This man sure can talk, and I like what he's saying. And yeah, he's got the keys to the offense, and we're all behind him. What do you think he's going to unlock that hasn't been unlocked in your first two years with Justin? What do you think you might unlock?
So well um Justin Justin is just He's really great, Rich. The unlock, I think it's just, there's no sport like football when it takes, you know, it's a team effort.
So there's no one-man band. But, you know, Justin is, he's just, he's just great at everything. I think the way Mike sees the game, though, with. Yeah, The time to hit a receiver is right out of the break. You know, that's when they have the most separation.
That's when they can get the most yards after catch, you know, when they're moving upfield, not necessarily back to the defense. And Justin's so accurate. Those two things are what I really felt were connected and something that just plays right into Justin's skill set.
Now, Justin's skill set is just elite at everything that he does. And, you know, We all recognize that. I think anybody that That knows football recognizes that. I think he's got the most arm talent. I think he's the most accurate.
And To be in the mic's system where it really big plays, yards after catch can be maximized by making that timing of hitting the receiver right out of the break. With a guy that's that accurate, that's, I think, would be the number one thing that jumps out to me after watching this through training camp and the offseason. Love it. In the couple minutes I have left with you here. Last time you were here, Jim, you said you woke up in the middle of the night.
You thought, I have to get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame. What are you thinking now when you wake up in the middle of the night? What are you thinking, Jim? You remember that because it was, you know, it was that. I was coming to your show.
You were sitting right in this chair. You were like, I woke up and I think I got to get to that. I've woken up, yeah, that's right. I've woken up about four. Four hours before your show, I was just staring at the ceiling.
And yeah, that. No, that hasn't changed. I think when it's all said and done, yeah, I think he's the best I've ever seen in person. And. I think when it's all said and done, I want him to be recognized for that because I truly believe that's.
That's going to be the case. That's going to be when he's done playing. And he's certainly well on that path. Nobody's thrown for more yards in their first six years than Justin Herbert. And the thing we all want to do is win.
And that's. That's when I wake up. We kept thinking, uh But uh For Justin and for everybody, you know, all of us, Derwin James, Khalil Mack. You know, Tule, Joe Alt, Ladd, you know, so many guys, Deion Henley, so many guys that play with their. They just put their whole soul into it, Rich.
So, uh, how many of those names, Jim, were the captains? How many of those names were the captains? Did you just give me that list? I think there's some overlap. There was definitely some overlap.
Okay. All right. I got that. God Slater. Yeah.
I think that's a C. I had no idea Slater was spelled with a C. I had no idea. C-L-A-T-E-R. Great to see you, coach.
Always great to see you. I know that hand is from over your left shoulder is from McAfee. What's with the clock that doesn't move? Why is it 802? What is that one?
That clock right there doesn't move. Over your favorite. That was a gift from Tom Carcotis, Shinola, the great Shinola country out of Detroit, and really great friend of mine. I need a new battery in there, Richard.
So it's not like at 802, it was a special time for me, and it's frozen there. You just need a battery. I caught you. Thank you. The one time Jim Harbaugh needs a battery.
Great to see you, man. Good to see you. Great to see you. Go blue. Go blue to you.
Go blue to you, too. And thanks for the time. That's Jim Harbaugh. The best of the family. Great family.
Here goes Jim right there. I thought, like, hey, 802 is this time. I don't know. Maybe the time of kickoff or something. Nope, just can someone get coach a couple of double-A's, please.
Yeah. My gosh, I love that. Amen. McDaniel, as you know, We had what Andrew Hawkins came on here, right? And was talking about how he got footwork down and just these minute details crack things open.
He's like. If they can time things out. And Herbert hit someone out of a break. I am taking Ladidi Mitconke in every draft that I have from here on out. I'm so mad.
Because that guy, if he gets a separation and Herbert's hitting him in an offense that is now attuned to that, see ya.
Well, you saw it in the last preseason game. Quentin Johnson's 65-hair touchdown.
Okay. That'll wrap it up for this edition of The Rich Eisen Show. We'll see everybody on a very special Wednesday. We'll detail on Disney Plus after this. 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. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. No two football players are exactly alike, and the same is true off the field. That's why State Farm gets to know you so they can help personalize coverage for your life and budget. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
