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Now, on with the show. Three, two, one. This is the Rich Eisen Show. There's one second remaining in the game. Walking.
Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Earlier on the show. Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman. Coming up. ESPN college football analyst Josh Pate.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Hayward. Falcons running back Bajan Robinson. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Hour number two here on this first Tuesday of football season, both college and professional. And in this hour, we'll talk both with Tuesday guests that are going to be recurring every single week.
Cam Hayward of the Pittsburgh Steelers, kind enough to say, I'll come on every single Tuesday during the season as an active player, which is a rare thing to have. We do not take that for granted. He's joining us in less than 20 minutes' time. But Josh Pate's been on this program many times before, including last week, and now he joins us as he will every single Tuesday in support of everything that this man is doing, which is quite a lot based on what I see all the time on socials, the Josh Pate football show, as well as Busson and Pate on campus. And also, I see Josh Pate lifting.
You know, so I think he and Lance Taylor are going to be doing some legwork together. Good to see you, Josh. How are you, buddy? I'm good. I could not help but notice as I was, you know, doing the whole scroll fest on Saturday night in the wake of.
Whatever you call that happened at the end of the Michigan game. Yes, sir. And I know how serious you are by the angle beneath your face that the cell phone video is, and that cell phone video was.
Well, beneath the chin line, and you were trying to gather the words in your extensive understanding of this great language of ours, and you were still dumbfounded. Even you stumbled over your own words trying to express what you just saw, and I related to that. Because it is my job to talk about this sport. And I basically just shrugged when I got home, and my wife said, What happened in that Michigan game? I don't know.
Me neither. And again, I I've been at this now for thirty years, Josh, and with the NFL for almost a quarter century. I'm about to head over to NFL Network to start my twenty fourth season with them. Even I didn't know that the game clock and the broadcast clock and the replay clock are all separate. I had no idea, you know, that this sort of thing could fall through the cracks.
As it appeared to. And I know you have a massive problem with it.
So I'll give you the floor if you're. um take taking on any different um Um Avenues or you still have the same opinion? Josh? upset about it, as upset as an outsider can be. Of course, I've heard from a lot of Michigan fans who are ready to screenshot this and send me a feed of that.
I understand the mechanations of the Big Ten explanation that came two hours later. And of course, I understand if the benefit of the decision falls in your lap, then it's your instinct to defend the decision. I get all that. I think my anger, rage, whatever you want to call it, was far more. Basic in this whole thing.
And it's this: if you have a secret way of doing anything that is integral to deciding the outcome of a game. And we don't know about it. That's a problem because transparency, as the Big Ten so quickly pointed out during the Brendan Sourceby case, is paramount in this. You've got to have transparency to have integrity on the outcomes of games. And they were right.
The Big Ten was right when they were looking at Texas Tech saying, look, if you guys don't do something about this, then we're going to issue a league-wide boycott of scheduling Texas Tech. But then, when it comes time for the Big Ten to be fully transparent, like to their credit, the ACC has in their review process, the Big Ten was not that proactively enough. And so I'm not one who's claiming a fix was in. I'm not claiming anything like that. What I am claiming is a lot of people will think that.
And there's a very easy way to circumvent that. There's an easy way to nip that in the butt, and that is. Fully peel the curtain back because if you don't, Then people are left to wonder: well, if there's a secret clock there, but we aren't privy to it, then how do we know that you would have gone to these links had it been Western Michigan that needed one-tenths or two-tenths of a second left? And the answer is we can't know because you're not transparent enough.
So, I think the big lesson moving forward, if there is one to be learned, is that you shouldn't be waiting until next year to do this. From this week moving forward, if the Big Ten is worth its salt, they will fully peel that curtain back, just like the Atlantic Coast Conference has done. They may have member institutions on both coasts, so that's all screwed up, but at least they've gotten it right in the review process where there is no stone left unturned.
Okay, there is no hundreds and thousands of scrolls-long Reddit thread about conspiracies about the ACC's review process because you get to see the whole thing. And so, that's how it should be in the Big Ten moving forward.
Well, didn't they send out a video of the actual review? I mean, what's more transparent than sending out that this was. Everybody, as they looked at how much time was left on the clock. Yeah, I'll tell you what's more transparent than that. Not waiting two hours to do it, doing it in the live broadcast, just like the ACC does.
Look. Let's, I don't have tinfoil around here, but let's pretend this bottle is a tinfoil hat, okay?
So I've got the tinfoil hat on. Yes, sir. If I already doubt the league, You releasing a video two hours later is not going to appease me. It's not going to quell my concerns. All I'm going to do is get on the internet and say, well, anybody could edit anything in two hours.
Now, do I believe the Big Ten did that? No, I believe they provided the exact feed that they used in the review process. The point is, it doesn't have to be that way. There doesn't have to be any smoke. If it's already happening during the process, televise it.
Another entire conference already does it. And by the way, Rich, the Big Ten's doing it on their Friday games.
So just do it league-wide. I hope they do. I think they will. My fingers are crossed. My issue, Josh, is the Michigan cheating.
Which I know I'm going to have to deal with the rest of my days. You know, I get it. As if the extra play Michigan got was a tush push from the half-yard line. You know what I mean? The kid had a throw at sixty yards flat footed.
And and and so obviously that When that happened, I knew it was going to be on. I knew I'd be talking about it today. I knew I'd be, you know. Yeah. As you pointed out, searching for words while drinking my red wine on my Instagram feed.
You know what I mean? I knew it was on. It was officially on. You know what I mean? And that's where I kind of want to turn the page to here is.
Michigan's got a problem, right? At quarterback, Josh? Would you agree? Yes, I do. Yes, I do.
And I think it's a bigger problem now than it would have been five years ago. Because five years ago, you wouldn't have had an eight-figure price tag attached to a quarterback.
So it, in theory, would have been easier to pull the lever if that lever needs to be pulled. I am going to go up there this weekend. I'm going to that Oklahoma game. And there's this instinctive voice way, way in the back of my mind. That says, you've watched this sport long enough.
You know that week one lies to you all the time. And you know, with these ultra-talented rosters, when they get their back against the wall, they're in wounded animal mode, especially in Michigan's case, they get a sudden, unexpected stay of execution. You know, they can get off the deck. Week two, you know, that can happen, and I'm talking to myself. I know that can happen.
Yes, I do. I also know. That the caliber of athlete Western Michigan had on the field that you couldn't do anything against after that first drive pales in comparison to the athlete that Oklahoma is going to put on the field. This may be the best defense in the country coming into town this week. And so, I mean, if you can't dent the scoreboard against Western Michigan and it's so fundamental in nature, like Rich, I thought that ground game was going to carry him.
And I'm looking at Hyder and Marshall, and I'm looking at that total rushing output, and that shocked me. It really stunned me. I'll stop short of saying shocked. It is week one of a new staff after all. But I don't know what the move is if he struggles mightily again this week.
And this is a defense that will make a lot of good quarterbacks look bad this year.
So. Where's your head at on this, by the way? You're in the weed there. Yeah, I appreciate you throwing that back in my lap, and that's part of the reason why I love having you on this show: it's a conversation, it's not just a QA here. I'm nervous.
I mean, I've met the kid twice, and he's so supremely confident, and he's also lived in the spotlight at an age that. It's unnatural, right? For a 16, 17-year-old, even in high school athletics. Right. And once upon a time, I saw Drew Henson be Mr.
Michigan. And then he comes in and he struggled. He struggled and then There was Tom Brady. Which was very helpful for Michigan. And I just don't know if we're watching this again, or he is just talented and he's just needs the reps.
Although he just got a ton of reps over the last several months. And so I'm nervous, I'm concerned, I'm rooting for him. Because I would love for him to come out against Oklahoma and wing it and just basically say, I'm still the same. Bryce Underwood, everyone hoped I could be, and shows everybody. I don't know.
And Kyle Whittingham's got, you know, obviously A high price tagged kid. that he may be forced to look everybody in the face you know, hey, mister Ellison, thanks for the tab, but we're gonna go with this other kid. Right? I kind of laid it all out for you, Josh. I don't know what the playbook is.
I mean, if you're Kyle Whittingham or any coach walking into that situation, we're still in. We're still in a new enough era. We're still in the new enough portion, rather, of this new era that a lot of firsts are being seen. This is one of the firsts of a coaching staff inheriting a very, very highly paid asset at quarterback that the entire. Future hope in the next three or so years was built around.
And I'm not going to say it's a dead product. I'm not going to say that yet. But if it is that, Then, at what point do you look around and say, okay, can I pull the trigger here? Or is it still your sole discretion on when you pull the trigger? I have no clue what to expect there.
Josh Pate here on The Rich Eisen Show. Just you're back fresh from the debut of you with the Bustin guys in Baton Rouge. What a weekend, man, for Lane Kiffin, right? Where He went on college game day, said his piece. Then his team said their peace.
And he said his piece going in the locker room at halftime saying, could you imagine if there were You know, pro players here. And then the leaked halftime speech where he peeled the paint off the walls, Josh. And I imagine LSU fans are out of their gourds excited, correct? In a way that I haven't seen since the 2019 season, and maybe even more so, because there is the added sense down there. Of an us against the world, or at the very least, an us against our own league mentality.
And I mean, by the way, for those who are watching now who haven't been checking updates in the past two hours. The SEC has just casually scheduled a meeting for Thursday to vote to kick LSU out of the league.
So that is something that's happening. By the way, I left out that lawsuit part too, Josh. Where he didn't dress the NFL players. Pardon me, you're right. That's one large piece of the puzzle I left.
Hanging out there. It's a crazy, crazy time down here in the south. But I want to tell you, you mentioned that leaked audio. Lane, you know, we were in the building all day Friday. And so I was around him, I was around his staff, we were in meetings.
I heard language every bit as forceful in the pregame. If not more so, more in a predictive manner than maybe that leaked audio. And I don't know how leaked it was. I don't know how authentic it was. But I will say everything that happened Saturday night, they fully expected to happen.
To the point where I'm listening to him Friday saying, okay, I mean, yeah, it's nice to be confident. But, buddy, they've never expected a competitive game and they didn't get a competitive game. Defensively, that's an incredible outfit. I know Lane and the offense and Sam Levitt, they're going to get all the credit, and they should. But Blake Baker very, very nearly left there to be a head coach in his own right, and they've still got him, and he's one of the best in America, and they got a lot of really good athletes there.
There's going to be a lot of theater that's about to play out because the SEC's stance, by the way. This is going to be a huge story over the next couple of days. Is we don't care if you didn't roster those players. You've already gone past the line in the sand that we set. And there's some language.
If you read some of the language of the TRO, of the legal filing, whatever the wording's supposed to be, of what the SEC has filed, there's a quote in there that they expressed great concern. I'm reading it right now, expressed great concern that LSU President Roos and Athletic Director Alsbury have no meaningful control over Kiffin or the football program at LSU.
Now, for those unfamiliar with how Louisiana State University operates, that's the SEC alleging that the governor is running the program using the recently inserted president and AD as a proxy. That's what they're saying. And what they're saying is: Kiffin's kind of doing whatever he wants, and we're not going to deal with it because every one of you has claimed that you want enforceable rules and you want a workable structure. But yet, when we're trying to do it, we've got a member institution trying to take us to court. At that point, we don't care if you rostered the players or not.
Now, I will tell you, Rich. We got what 48 hours until Thursday. I cannot imagine an SEC without LSU in it.
So it would still shock me if this happened. But that's not to say they're not very serious about this. I just think what it is is threaten to be grounded for a year so that when I ground you for six months, whatever that means here, figuratively, you kind of wipe the sweat off your brow a little bit. But there's a reassertion of authority and there's a resetting of the hierarchy of who's really in charge here. It's the SEC trying to do the look at me.
I'm the Somali pirate. I'm in charge. And you're lucky to be here. I am the captain. Before I let you go, this is the way I would love to finish up our Tuesday chats after looking back.
Is looking forward. There's an obvious game on the schedule here. The Ohio State at Texas. You want to. Preview that one for me, Josh, before I send you on your Tuesday?
Two really good defenses, man. The marquee, the promotional posters, whatever artwork ESPN and ABC choose to roll with. You're going to see a lot of Arch Manning. You're going to see a lot of Julian Saiyan. And you got two potentially of the best defenses in the country here.
Either one of them could win a defensive game if they need to. By the way, if you remember back to last year, that's how this game played out in Columbus. I think Ohio State would really love to win this game. I think Texas needs to win this game. Remember, Texas has run into Georgia a couple of times and they've been out-physical and they've been bested, even though recruiting rankings and portal rankings would lead you to believe those rosters are one-to-one.
Well, Ohio State. Has the propensity to do that to you too. They could put you in a locker physically as well. Texas believes they have upped their game. They believe they have upped their level of physicality and they believe they can go toe-to-toe physically with anybody in the country for four quarters.
It's in their home building. If they're wrong about that, it's going to be a pretty scathing indictment. You know, Clemson believed a lot of things about themselves, Rich, and they found out they were wrong about what they believed.
So Texas, same way. Texas believes a lot about itself. And the beautiful thing about this sport is we don't always have to live in the world of the hypothetical. We actually get to see it play out this Saturday. I know you'd love me to predict this game.
I got no clue who I'm predicting yet. I slightly lean Texas, very slightly lean Texas. But the coaching matchup here is fun too, because he brought in MuskChamp. Steve Sarkeesian brought in MuskChamp at defensive coordinator. But I don't know that there is a much better head coach, coordinator, trio than what Ryan Day is bringing to town.
So it's going to be a really fun chess match on the sidelines, too.
Well, if it wasn't for the clock in Ann Arbor, we would have roosted. A bit more in a conversation on Clemson and Davos Swinney and everything else going on there.
So, for the moment, we place that aside and we send you on with the rest of your Tuesday, the college football, Josh Paid College Football Show over. Half a million subscribers to that YouTube channel, Bustin and Pate on campus in Ann Arbor, two eastern. In Ann Arbor, my friend. All the wan in Ann Arbor, man. That'll be tough that'll be tough on uh nobody.
That'll be great. That'll be great. Enjoy it. I'll look forward to seeing it. Two Eastern on the USDN on Friday.
That's Josh Pate every Tuesday, right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Great chatting as always. Did you know every 36 minutes a child in the United States is diagnosed with cancer, which means some of the bravest warriors you'll ever meet aren't professional athletes or superheroes. They're the kids in this fight. That's why I'm proud to support Hyundai Hope on Wheels.
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Our radio audience has returned. Not just football with Cam Hayward is a weekly podcast that gives fans a peek behind the curtain of NFL life. Hayden Walsh is with Cam and Not Just Football, where you can get it where all your podcasts are acquired as well as on YouTube as well. And Cam is kind enough to join us on this program every Tuesday this upcoming season as well, which I truly, truly appreciate. It is good to see you, Cam.
It's great to see you. We got the season right upon us. This is the best time to be a part of the show. I appreciate you saying that.
So let's just jump into it here. What goes through your mind? Um after all these years for you to get ready for this NFL season? Cam. Uh, I I hate week one.
I honestly do. I there's so many like what ifs and buts and you know, what if they do this? But what if they do that? And uh week one is the worst because Okay. Coaches overthink, players overthink, because teams are just completely different.
Give me the week two, but that's the butterflies I get. And once we get past the first kick, I'm usually settled by that. But I mean, it's not like your first rodeo here. I mean, what is it about week one that freaks you out, if you will, in a way? Because I'm a control freak and I can't control anything.
And I look at these games and now you got Stefanski down there and you're thinking about everything he's done in Cleveland and trying to apply it to Atlanta. My head just tends to spin on this first week. Yeah, but you know You saw Tua in the preseason, right, Cam? Let's just get right into it. Let's talk the real here.
He's now the starting quarterback for Atlanta. Right, that's one thing, but shoot, hey, good marriages, marriages sometimes lack Sometimes are better the second time around.
So you don't know what to expect. And I think you got a guy in Bijan Robinson who. If you add him with a Bill Callahan offensive line, that's a lot to think about, and it's going to keep a lot of people up at night.
Okay. And so where are you in the preps? I know we're going to have you every single Tuesday, but have you already you must have been all the way into the film already, right? As best you can so far, knowing that they're coming? I spend at least a month on these dudes.
So, yeah, you got Bijan, and when he gets the ball, he's electric. It all starts with him. But then you got Drake London, Kyle Pitts. Those are your big threats in the passing game. And so Tuesday got a good supporting cast.
That's the thing that was different from last year. I know A-Chain put up a lot of yards. He was a little bit banged up, but he's got a better supporting cast. You got Lynn Stromano line. They just paid Burgeron as well.
So they got a lot of things going on the offensive side of the ball. And then you're just looking for a fancy, defined rhythm in that offense for two of us.
So, defensive-wise, we're looking forward to having them feeling pretty good about where they're at. Cam Hayward here on the Rich Eisen Show every Tuesday, first of many here on the program.
So, Mike McCarthy. there now and you've you've had nothing but Tomlin. How how is it different? Camp. Um Everything's, you know, different.
You know, you've you've You've come accustomed to how things were done at Mike D. And it's no shot at Mike McCarthy. It's just different. It's a different flow of things. And shoot, we're practicing at 11 o'clock.
That's a little bit different. I've always practiced at 155. I remember that clear as day. And it's gone through a training camp, new coaches, but I think it's just adapting and being open to it. Both coaches are successful and they go about things a little bit differently.
But the end result is these guys like to win. They know how to coach at a high level. And they get the most out of the players. Are they similar? What way are they similar?
Mm. I think their knowledge of the game because they are both hungry for football. You know, you start talking about football and you get these grins on their face when they start talking about situations they've been in. And as a player, you just relish those situations to just keep harping on those because as a defender, I want to know what Mike McCarthy was thinking on third down in the Super Bowl in the third quarter. What led to those special drives?
And you can do the same thing with Mike T.
So it's really nice to just prick their brains and see how much they are liking that. What about leaving the players to sort of be professionals on their own? What about that, right? Like, wouldn't Mike T just let you guys. Um, you know, be you, or he was you're already, you're already, you're already throwing your brow at me.
Are they treating you guys? Is it a difference? Have you noticed about being in your faces or anything like that? Cam? No, and maybe, maybe I'm just old, so I don't even realize it, where I'm just numb to it.
But it's more just about getting the work done. And, you know, Coach McCarthy accepts everybody the way Mike T would. And I don't think it really turns into one of those remember Titan situations where he's got to break everybody down and we got to go on a hike around Gettysburg. But no, it's good.
Okay. Cam Hayward here on the Rich Eisen Show. And did. you know, McCarthy and Rogers just slip back into the old Shoe here? Like, is it Was it y what was it like, I guess, in witnessing this reunion in practices and in the locker room?
I think I understood the love affair between Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy, and the rest of the quarterbacks. They all. We all just want to talk quarterback play. Like, you know, Mike McCarthy's got his quarterback school, and he's very fond of it. And rightfully so.
You'd won a Super Bowl with the guy. I'd be standing right next to the dude, too, if he helped me win.
So, you know, Mike McCarthy is an offensive-minded coach, but I think we're going to provide something that he's going to be damn proud of and a good defense, too.
Okay, is there anything you can allow? I mean again, this is your 16th year that you can share. Of what this offense looks like. Pittman here, Rico Darrell there, Jeremy Bernard, my guy Roman Wilson, hopefully gonna start showing out like he did in Ann Arbor, DK Metcalf. What do we have that looks different?
From last year, that you're willing to share publicly, Cam?
Well, I think. Our running backs, they're damn, they're damn good. Like Rico Davido and Jalen Warren. Um. I don't even like saying 1A, 1B.
I think it's just 1 and 1. Those dudes, they're electric. They're. They're stout and then In the passing game, I think Pat Fryer, Muth, and Darnell Washington are just going to take over the middle. You add in a guy like Michael Pittman on one side.
I look for DK to take another step and continue to grow. And I'm looking for Roman to just keep getting those touches and feel more confident in himself. You know, Aaron alluded to this when we were talking on the pod, but he talked about how much he learned about Roman on their Montana or their Idaho trip. And, you know, he was just like, you know, I've learned so much that I feel like I have more trust in him. And he's looking for DK to just ball out and be even better than he was last year.
Cam Hayward here, Not Just Football with Cam Hayward Weekly Podcast. You're. Coming out of the shoots for the football season with a two-parter with your guest. How'd you able to book Aaron? How are you able to book Aaron Rodgers, Cam?
Well, he was supposed to do it during camp. And, you know, he was like, I'm feeling a little bit sick. And then I brought him some coffee and I said, hey, do you still want to get it done? And he was like, oh, yeah, I would love to get it done. And he called me up on the weekend and was like, let's just go over some things before I got some stuff to air out.
And I was like, Okay, and I'm thinking I'm gonna get a bunch of notes. This guy was like, I'm game for whatever, ask whatever you want. And I was like, you sure about that? And he was like, yes. And we were able to take a little bit of his time and break it off into two parts.
And you know, a lot of it is football based in part one and part two He just goes completely errant. It's fun to hear his story and hear what he thinks. All right. Here's a taste from Not Just Football. It came here with Aaron Rodgers talking about his decision to come back.
I mean, I leaned on my wife, obviously, and it's a. You know, like with your wife, like it's once you're married and you have family, like, it's not just, I think I'm gonna play this year. It's like, you know, your wife's gotta go through her, your kids gotta go through her, you gotta be away from your family. And so I wanna make sure that, you know, she was on board with it. I wanted to make sure my body felt good.
Um And then I wanted to see where Mike was at uh I didn't just automatically assume, oh, Mike got hired, I'm coming back. Do they even want me back? Do they want to move forward and go with the young guys? And draft a guy and do that, which again, I had no ego about it. You want to do that?
That's fine. You know, like I was in a good place mentally. But the conversations progressed from there and ultimately uh decided to come back. Yeah, and then uh part of the teaser that you popped out on your socials today too, Cam, it seemed like y you you hit on the subject of a future, right? Where where You know, it seemed like at one point he said he didn't shut the door on this is his last year or not, but he also then said soon he's going to drift uh away and you'll never hear from him again.
Which one is it, do you think, Cam? Uh Part of me is like He will disappear to an extent, but those he's close to will continue to show up in different ways. But he's definitely double football after this. I think we've begged him enough. Last year, we had him on the pod, and me and DK were just like, so that means we might get another year, and it worked out, and we got him.
But I can definitely say this year, he's probably going to put in it, close the book on his NFL career. It won't m matter if he feels great and he just, you know, obviously he loves being around you guys. What if you guys crush it, right? What if this is a magic carpet ride you guys go on here? Cam.
Wow, a magic carpet ride? Is that a reference to Aladdin right there? Oh, no, that's what we call it in the National Football League. When you, when, like, hey, Kurt Warner went on one, right? I mean, like, there's.
You know, last year, obviously, the Seahawks went on one. Like, what if that happens? Obviously, that might be an exclamation point that would cause him to leave, but or be comfortable in that regard.
Well, I think everybody's looking for those storybook endings. You look at what Peyton Manning did in Denver, and you look at what Andrew Whitworth did for the Rams. And so those situations where you're at the tail end of your career and you're able to go out on top, I think that is something every player wants. And I think the fact that he's already been open, that would just, you know, that's what you're looking for as a player, as a leader, as someone who's been in the league as long as he has. I don't think he's overlooking that situation, but I think he's ready to, you know, call it a career once he's able to raise another Super Bowl.
What about you? We're not in a rush. We're taking it year by year. Like he said, I got to talk to my wife. That is something that we all evaluate.
I know Susie is always like, when are you going to retire? But that's it, Cam. That is you. Boy, wow, you must have ears on the conversation. You can't deflect.
Don't deflect on me. I see more gray than last year. Like, seriously, is this it? Is this it for you? Do you think, or what?
I don't think it's it, but uh, you got to see how the body feels. Um, you know, I got 17 games, hopefully more in me. Uh, we'll see how we do after this long playoff run we have. And so, um, I don't like to jump the gun, uh, but I will say if this is not my last year, next year will definitely be my last year because I have to say, we're not signing any more contracts after this.
Okay. All right. So it's more likely you're. Playing next year than Rogers, is what you're saying. I would bet a lot of money on that.
Okay. And then, you know, before we let you go here, Cam, I may, I got to ask you a sports talk radio question.
Okay. Who. Are are are the Rams with Donald and Garrett is unbeatable as the rest of us in the media. Are making it out to be? Camp?
Okay. Okay. I don't know. I don't know about unbeatable. I think that front is really special.
And you got Trent McDuffie back there. Um. But I don't know about unbeatable. I think, you know, it's funny. We, you remember years ago when there was a so-called dream team with the Eagles.
Uh and They were stout up front, they had everybody, and I understand this is a totally different situation, but. It's a a testament to our game that Any team can win. And, you know, just because you sign a guy doesn't mean you're automatically the one at Super Bowl. But I'd like to have multiple defensive players of the year. Winners on my team going forward, and you know, I don't know.
How you block all those guys. I understand you can chip, but that's not enough with them.
Well, I mean, at any point in time, in the conversations that you hear on shows like this one and everything else on ESPN, just to name a few here. You and TJ Watt ever have a moment go. What about us here? You know, TJ's a defensive player of the year award winner, right? And you're.
I got a chocolate. Hey, man, you got a Hall of Fame. No, seriously, you got a Hall of Fame resume. Do you guys ever sit there and go, what the hell? No.
I think we do that as a D line, especially, because we feel like we got a lot of great pieces. And I'm not just blowing smoke. You know, it's me, TJ, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig. You also have Derek Hardman coming to a second year, Keon and Benton, who's just signed a new deal. We feel like we're loaded up front.
And, you know, I know we've been around, and, you know, the older guys don't get as much love as they used to, but. We feel like we rival any D-line and we don't run away from that. We feel we look forward to showing that when we get to play. All right. And the last one for you, you mentioned Bijan coming you know, into your house on Sunday, um You know, it's not the only Ohio State Texas matchup.
This will then I mean, you guys better come correct. Otherwise, Bijan might be able to talk in your direction on Sunday pregame. Cam? No? With Bijan, me and my son, we're doing a fantasy football league this year with a bunch of dads in the neighborhood.
And I deliberately did not take Bijan because I wanted to make sure. I I could punish a little bit more. You let him slide? You let him slide past two? Is what you're saying?
I didn't let him decide, he was already taken.
Okay. Because fantasy and reality are two totally different.
So, who's on your fantasy team? What do we do? I mean, pull up this fantasy team. Please do that because this is awesome. We got to know.
There were a lot of guys that retired this offseason that didn't get the updated fantasy rosters.
So I died laughing when I was seeing some of you guys. It was like Nick Chubb out there, and I was like. He's not playing. And then there was DeAndre Opkins. And this was the funny part.
I think someone was trying to be nice to me, and they took the Steelers D in the second round. Come on, man. This is not fair. This is ridiculous. Who are these people, Cam?
That's your neighbor. You're better than this, Cam. How old's your son, by the way? How am I invited to the barbecue? He's 10 years old.
Okay. Cool. Good. And it didn't, like, I ended up drafting more because getting like 10-year-old boys together, all they wanted to do was wrestle. And it was a mess.
Okay. So, what position were you drafting in, and who's your team, Cam Hay? Where is it at? Where is it at? I got to find this.
I'm going to be mad. I'll tell you, my first pick, I took Justin Jefferson.
Okay, so you probably, how many, if you pick, he's probably like 9th, 10th, right? That's what you probably picked down there. I took him fifth, I think. No, I took him sixth.
Okay, that's good. That's good. I got T. Higgins.
Okay. T. Higgins in division. In division.
Okay. I got him in like the fifth round, and my quarterback is Burrow. And so, which is even crazier. I can't believe I took Burrow. Dude.
Dude, hold on a minute.
So let me get this right.
So week 10. And um and week three. You're going against your own fantasy quarterback. But I did tell my son, I was like, don't expect me to update any of these rosters. Like.
Don't text me at 12 o'clock saying, Hey, can you update these? I'm not doing that. That's not happening. I'm afraid you got a game to play. You're doing reality football.
Let your son handle the fantasy. Yeah, yeah, I had no time for that. I took James Cook.
Okay. I took George Pickens as well. I got three really good wide receivers. I got Justin Jefferson, George Pickens, and T. Hickens.
Okay. Um, I got Trey McBride in the fourth round. I felt really good about that. Um, that's good. And then in the waiver wire, this is the crazy one.
Guess what quarterback I picked up? Rogers? Dak Prescott. Dak on the waiver? What?
Okay. Dak wasn't drafted? This is insane. You are above this. This is like, you are punching down, man.
Come on. I looked at the waiver wire last night, and I was like. How is Dak available? Oh my god. If you don't win this league, you could totally let you could sack Burrow five times and still win that week.
You know what I mean? And I feel comfortable with it. Dude, this is going to be a fun week to see you in week one and obviously throughout the season, not just football with Cam Hayward out right now with part one of two with Aaron Rodgers. Part two is on Thursday every single week, not just football, Cam Hayward on Tuesdays, as well as right here on the Rich Eisen Show. You're the man.
Good luck this weekend. Appreciate you, brother. Good luck to you guys as well. Right back at you. That's Cam Hayward, not just football podcast every single Tuesday here on the Rich Eisen Show.
Come on, man. We get in this league. What the hell? That's ridiculous. Wow.
By the way, I listened to Cooper talk to a friend of his from camp over the last few years. He's in the fantasy league. He tried to get Jadarian price. And I forgot what, I got to get the trade. We're up against the break anyway.
We'll talk about it. Just listening to two 15-year-olds talk fantasy football trades was outstanding. Yada, yada, yada. Cooper hung up on him. Awesome.
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One dad drafts the Steelers defense second round just to say, I see you, Cam. I got your back, bro. And then they. Dako's undrafted? Come on.
I mean, it is Pittsburgh, right?
So it might be a little bit. Is that what it is? You fought through that. I have no other explanation. You fought through that to root for the Cowboys for three plus decades.
I mean, yeah, but I'm special. Yeah, but you have Eagles on your team. Like, you have commanders, players on your team. I try not to. But I do.
Get out of here. He has no commanders on his team. I've watched him football. Aha. Of course.
Let's get it right. Jaden Daniels on your own. Let's get it right. She is piloting to Dillingham.
Okay. So here's what we're doing, our three phone calls over Reaction Monday on a Tuesday. And And we'll get you set the Australia game is going to be lit. The Rams travel schedule, far different from the San Francisco 49ers' travel schedule or Living Their Lives schedule. We'll finish the show with that.
844-204-Rich is the number to dial on all of those fronts as well. Um we we didn't talk about um Uh what could have been. Content for days. Content for days out of college football turned out to be the Michigan clock. That thing is going to last forever.
For sure.
Okay? Like, that's going to be talked about forever. What almost we could have talked about forever. Is the fact that TJ Jefferson becomes an Oregon Ducks fan and they almost dropped their opener to Boise State. Brockman, what did I text you?
You texted it was so close. You were you freaking out because you knew everyone would start blaming you. I was looking, you know, you know, I hate the group chat, but I kept looking down. I was you ever. I was just waiting.
I'm waiting for somebody to say something.
So then finally, I had to say it. And I was like, My ducks cannot lose my ducks. Yeah, I, of course, because I was like, if they lose this game, by the way, Boise State is no joke. That is a heck of a game as scheduled as your first game for both teams, by the way. And so for Boise State to come in and go into Oregon, and that thing was tied.
And It was Nip and tuck, and I would. I'm like, this would be content for days on this show. Like, how are those shoes over there, TJ? Was I watching? Yes.
Was I praying? Yes. Please, God, if you listen. When the ducks quacked, they let the ducks. Oh, man.
But they survived. Yeah, that's what we do. And now we're just surviving and advancing. And now it's hardly, and you got your shoes and you're happy. I felt that way being the honorary captain.
Oh, yeah. That year at Michigan. Oh, yeah, you know. Where it was like in the first quarter, Central Florida was showing up tight, and I'm like, this cannot happen. Is it me?
This could not happen. Like, I will never be allowed back on campus again the one time I'm an honorary captain that we lose in the big house. I don't know who was the honorary captain on Saturday night against Western Michigan. That was a sweat, to say the least. But you, sir, you almost became a Ducks fan and became the mush on the spot.
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