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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Mutual agreement by the coaches. They know it's over. From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.
The Burkis Robinson. Mike Evans. Touchdown 49. Today's guests, Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young, actor Paul Rudd. Latest news and more.
And now, it's Rich Eyes End. That's right, everybody. Welcome to this edition of The Rich Eisen Show on a very busy Friday. John McEnroe is slated to join us in about 20 minutes' time to help kick things off. Steve Young in hour number two, Paul Rudd in hour number three.
As it's the fantasy football season in full swing, it's going to be a lot of fun. 844-204-Rich, number to dollar. Love looking down at the phone lines while the show is opening and seeing all of them light up. There's so much to discuss on this What's More Likely Friday on Disney Plus, the ESPN at ESPN Radio Sirius XM Channel 80. Hello, Christopher Brockman.
Hello, Rich. How are you? Jason Feller is in the chair today. Good to see you. Is that candle lit over there already, TJ Jefferson?
I'm lighting it now and it smells really good. Oh, I got you. All right.
So there is so much to discuss here on this very solemn day, the 25th anniversary of. Of 9-11. And again, what a night in New York City it will be. Two American men going for the finals in the U.S. Open.
Uh just next door to uh where Um staging was taking place for Um First responders 25 years ago, and it's going to be a remarkable night, and we'll remember all of that. John McEnroe is going to be joining us, as I mentioned, in about 15 minutes' time. Let's talk. About The Melven Game Melbourne. Gotta love the fact that all of us American announcers were like, let's see what's going on down under, but let's pronounce Melbourne Melbourne.
Fun. But as. We all know. The old saying in the National Football League. On any given Friday, that's really a Thursday.
Anything can happen. We have been talking about the Los Angeles Rams. Whose house? And they were actually doing that down there in uh a hundred thousand uh old cricket stadium. Listen, we have been talking about it and rightfully so.
Team had the reigning MVP. Team. Went ahead and added a 25-year-old stallion of a cornerback. And Trent McDuffie team. Added the reigning defensive player of the year coming off of 23 million sacks and Miles Garrett.
That Lit the pilot light under Aaron Donald to say I'm coming back. And we're all in the media. I think rightfully falling all over ourselves because we're waiting for football to be played, and that is an amazing addition of talent to a talented team already. And We stopped talking about the defending Super Bowl champs. And the San Francisco Forty Niners.
Who arrived early? And stayed up late. Mm-hmm. And the team had arrived late. looked like they never arrived at all.
That's a fact. Because the Niners and the Rams looked like it took a while to get their footing last night. Or Tomorrow morning In Australia? And Sure enough. Mike Evans showed up, said, I'm here.
Peter, coach. And he scores a touchdown. And down goes Dijon scribbling in what looked like an Achilles injury, but may not be one, thank goodness. And then Debo Samuel is like, I'm here again. George Kittle says, I'm still here.
Christian McCaffrey. Had a cracker of a game, apparently. We'll describe that in a second. Oh man, TJ, just waiting for me. Just wait on that one.
Just wait. It's so good. He didn't score because. You know? Brock Purdy was winging it around also to Marcus Robinson.
And Brock Purdy. comes up with the first three touchdown pass season opener. For the San Francisco 49ers, since Colin Kaepernick did it to open the 2013 season. That happened. And Nick Bosa says I'm back, and Fred Warner says I'm back, and Raheem Ora says I'm here.
And Carl Shanahan's like, My mustache is gone, but I'm here. And the 49ers put the bang thing On the ramps. You know, also said, I'm here. Trent Williams said I'm here. Yeah.
Uh again, we are I do not apologize for going off the The Cliff, Thelma, and Louise style about what the Rams did this offseason and what the Rams can do from here on out. I'm not going to apologize for that. I won't. I did it. You should.
And I think I was right. I should apologize. I said you shouldn't.
Okay. I'm not going to do that. But the 49ers showed up and showed out. And showed what can be done against this team. Aaron Donald's not there yet.
But showed what you can do. Certainly against an opponent that you know very well. Even though there's a lot of new players there. But they showed you If you've got an all-world left tackle. And there's Miles Garrett.
That's a good start. And then you've got And all world running back. You've got an all-world wide receiver. You got an all-world. Pass Russia, and you get an all-world.
Middle linebacker, and you got an all-world coach. You got a defensive coordinator that everyone loves to play for. Oh, world tight end. All world tight end, thank you. You can beat Anybody.
And I guess we in the media kind of forgot that. And the 49ers had to go halfway around the world to remind us. That's a fact. Because They were the better team. They had the better plan.
about how to get there clearly. Clearly. Cause the Rams looked tired. They did. They didn't look themselves.
Yes. Yeah, definitely look tired. They looked wiped out. You know? Miles Garrett left the game talking about his health and how he was more con thinking about that.
That he wasn't playing free enough. Yeah, said he wasn't 100%. You know who makes you feel that way? That you're not playing free enough? Trent Williams.
Trent Williams. Who by the way will go to the Hall of Fame first ballot like Miles Garrett will. And Steve Young, who's on this show in an hour or two, has been telling us over and over and over again: hey, Brock Purdy, use your legs. He did that. To escape the pockets, sometimes to get first downs with his legs.
And then that second half opening drive. My goodness Just take it right down the field on the rams. and say second half kinda like the first. And that second half, they punked. The Los Angeles Rams.
No other way to put it.
So at the end of the day, One game in. We were wondering, Chris, there was even an overreaction Monday segment, if I'm not mistaken, about. Will the Rams the Rams are going to be undefeated when they see the Seahawks in week 16? That's right. And then we also had conversations about when will the Rams lose their first game, assuming they won't show up in Week 16 undefeated.
Well, one game. That's it. That's it. That is it. And the Rams are oh and one.
And the Niners are one and a half up on him because that's a division win. They'll see him again later on, but for the moment. This team On offense. 8.2 yards a catch, 205 yards receiving, 5.8 yards per carry. Kalon Black out of Indiana.
I mean, look at this dude. Listen, all you're going to do is just watch the Hoosiers last year. And Clearly. is going to be utilized By Kyle Shanahan. In a way that spells McCaffrey, who's now thirty.
But you could see Certainly, Cooper, who chose McCaffrey in his first pick of his fantasy draft, yelling and screaming at the screen as if Kalon Black was stealing something from him. I was right there with him. I understand that. But when the third quarter started, it was the McCaffrey show. Yeah, first two carries, 10 yards each.
Right. And when you throw for three touchdowns, as Brock Purdy did. And it is not McCaffrey dependent. That's what the Niners are looking for to be straight up honest. Certainly in week one of a long marathon, when you could sprint In Australia And the other team seems like they are, quite frankly, jet-lagged.
And Purdy found three different receivers, none of them named McCaffrey. That's the good stuff. And that's how Kyle Shanahan strolls to the podium as a victorious head coach. I always knew what day it was. I was trying to show how confusing it was comparing it to people at home, but I learned the days when we got here.
We're one ahead.
Now I'm ready to go back. back into the future. Um I think it's Thursday at home and it's Friday here. My son plays on Friday, so somehow I'm gonna land over a day later, but still be able to make his game on Friday, so it's pretty cool. I mean, the game worked.
You know, I mean, win or lose, I knew everyone was going to make a big deal about that for either team. You never know how much that factors into it. You just try to do the best to prepare for three and a half hours. I like how we prepared. But more importantly, I liked how we played.
How they played. Yeah, sleep tight, the Niners sent that. Post out And as you know, was that Kittle? Making that, that's funny. Can you pop that buck one more time?
I hadn't seen this right there. That is definitely not killed. That's Fred Warren. And so, you know. As we all know, that is the signal in San Francisco that the game is over, that has been patented by Steph Curry.
Right, right.
So, the Rams did that tick-and-nap celebration after the pick. I'm sure it was, you know, a little rub and salt in. No doubt. Because this rivalry is uh It's a fun one. Northern versus Southern California.
Niners and Rams. That's good. McVay and Shanahan. They started the same year. You're 10.
For both of these guys. And um in the regular season, On the road. Against the Rams. And 49er fans love to troll on Rams fans. That their road games are really home games.
So I say that to set up this last soundbite from Kyle Shanahan. And the way he says At home. You got to wonder if he means back home in the United States, or he's really just referencing the fact that the Niners feel at home when they're on the road against the Rams, no matter what. hemisphere they are in. In terms of the seeing the red, I was like both the games that we play versus Rams at home in California.
You know, it was a little different with the the cheering and stuff. I think you know they got to get a little used to how w we do it, went to it and everything like that. But the coolest part was hearing how the crowd sing the songs throughout the game. That really stuck out and wish we did that more in the US. Hmm.
Gotta love it. They don't like each other at all. And now. The Seahawks and the Niners have a game up on the Rams just one week in. How about that?
Now then. We'll hit the Rams later on, just wrapping up the Niner gang here. You gotta be loving this. Their next three are home. In the field of genes, Miami, Arizona.
and Denver. before they visit Seattle. and then have a Monday night home date with Washington before visiting Atlanta. And then a buy. that is, some potential good eats for them in front of.
But any given Let me make sure. Sunday or Monday after any given Friday, that's really a Thursday, you could see. You can't just roll the footballs out. Because we just assumed that's all the Rams needed to do, and the Niners were like, yeah, no. Yeah, no.
Emphatically. That really wasn't from the second half. That thing was that thing was a wrap. Certainly. By the way.
when the n the Rams try to counter down 10. and they're stopped at the one inch yard line. What a remarkable run that was. Yeah, I thought Puka got in, but then you can't run a quarterback sneak with your 38-year-old who can barely move. And then, you know, the Niners gumption to go 99 yards to come back.
That was the game right there. That was the game right there, and it really was something. What a great way for the Niners fans to celebrate an international week one W against the Rams. When we come back, Johnny Mack will join us here on the Rich Eisen Show in advance of a massive semifinal on the men's side that's going down tonight. Johnny Mac, when we return on the Rich Eisen Show.
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The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Has just returned. We're chopping it up with the Hall of Famer John McEnroe getting set to call a big, big day and night of matches at the U.S. Tennis Center out in Queens, New York, on a very solemn day to say the least, which we'll hit in a second.
So, John, um. You just referenced in the T V side of things that that Ben Shelton Carlos Alcaraz match of for the ages. What would you tell people who, you know, couldn't stay up? that they missed. John.
They miss a lot of electricity. You know, I've said this before to anyone who listens to me when I call them that. It's Carlos Alcarez. Has been my favorite player to watch the last couple of years. He can do anything and everything, and he oozes charisma.
I don't know how he does it. It looks like he loves being out there, always ready to kill people, strangle you. A different mentality, but it didn't work as well as it works for him. But it's just so great to have him back on the tennis court. He missed four and a half months, missed the French, missed Wimbledon.
We weren't sure he's going to play here, so this was great for the game, and then allowed Ben to do his thing and. Show what he's made of. Show what he can do. He returned better. You know, he's not known as a great groundstroke or a big returner.
He did that better than ever. The serve is one of the biggest in the game. Alcaraz was doing anything and everything. He got sick. He was clearly fatigued.
He hadn't played a match of this length.
So it was an incredible match to watch. You see, guys. Dig that deep. You know, that's all you can ask for in sports, is two players finding, you know, a gear that maybe they didn't know they had. And Carlos hasn't played in so long.
He wasn't sure what he was going to be able to do. And Ben. I'm sure deep down you hadn't beaten Carlos. He lost all three matches. Carlos is the greatest.
23-year-old player. I'm throwing in Federer and Dalin Djokovic at this time. He's better than anyone I've ever seen.
So this was a Hell of a win for Ben Shelton, there's no question about it.
So, hopefully, it will propel him. Endor Francis Tiafo, because I love Francis too. He's beat You know, I used to call him the hugger because he seemed to be more interested in everyone loving him, which, by the way, everyone does love him. But he finally got himself in the type of that shape he needed to get in to contend with the top guys. There he is hugging Mickelson, which was very cool now, because Mickelson was up two sets and served for the match.
But he's become more of a killer on the court, which is awesome.
Well, before we get to that, just lingering on that epic match that. Shelton won to gain Friday night's opportunity. Um that When was the latest you ever walked off a court? Ever, anywhere. The latest I ever walked off of court, I believe it was at the U.S.
Open, I lost to Michael Chang the one time I lost, and then damn him, in a five-sided. We finished about 130.
So that was not even comparable. This was the latest finish ever. I commentated a match way back when, when Andy Roddick played Elanawi, who you referenced, that we called. And I think that went to like three or four in the morning in Australia. And the latest match ever to finish was 4:30 in Australia.
Layton Hewitt played it. I think the Rams, by the way, made a big mistake. You know, I've been to Australia 40 times. You can't go there and back in a day. You know, I tried that.
As a commentator, you can get away with it. As an athlete, you know, Guns blazing. I tried everything there because get there as late as possible. Yvonne Lendel, my great rival, would get there a month ahead of time. I'm like, that's too good.
You know, I want to be at Christmas at home. And it may cost me, but you gotta give yourself a week like the 49ers did. Yeah, I was gonna actually end the interview that way, but I love that.
So you saw the way that the Rams showed up. You tried that once, where you tried to go to the uh to play in the Aussie Open last minute?
So you know, last minute for an Aussie Open would be a week before, right? Got it. Last minute for the seniors tour was the night before. I was willing to win it there, but John McEnroe here on the Rich Eisen Show. And then just to put a button on it, because you did mention.
Earlier, before the radio audience joined us, that it's bad for the sport, bad for the game to grow it and get it in front of everybody to have something in the middle of the morning like that New York time. What would the fix be if you could wave the McEnroe wand and fix it? It's a tough call because they try to get one woman and one man men's match out there. And if you're going to have two sessions and one starts at seven o'clock and the first ball is not the seven twenty and that match you can't control the length of that match, it it it causes problems. You know, the women were playing after the men at times.
They want, you know, they've got the equal prize money, they want equal time.
Well, guess what? They would have gone on. Venus Williams went on the court after midnight. I mean, that's crazy. She's 46 years old.
She's playing, I would presume, her last U.S. Open, and they're throwing her out there, and everyone's left.
So it's a shame I maybe put one match. I mean, I love playing night matches. This is when it all started for me in 1978. At Fleshing Meadow, when I played, you know, guys like Ely Nostasi at night. It was a crazy scene.
So I love the energy at night. But you can't do this.
So here's the suggestion for the men: it won't happen, but two sets all, you play a 10-point breaker. Instead of a full fifth set. That's the compromise, because you hear people complaining, blame two out of three. I think one of the good things about the men's game, it differentiates the majors and the other tournaments that it's best of five. But that's a big ask to come back.
Let's say tonight, for example, let's say Zavera. plays four hours against Hachinoff, and whoever wins, it's over at seven ish, seven fifteen. The match gets delayed. Tiafo versus Sheldon. They don't go on to eight, eight thirty.
That match goes four hours. And Saves ends at twelve thirty. Earlier than three thirty, yes, or one, but they got to come back And play, you know Sunday at two o'clock. You know, that's not much time. If you may recall this, Rich, if you've been covering tennis for a long time, we used to have to play the men's semi-Saturday.
Oh, yeah. And play the final Sunday. What kind of BS did these people come up with, not allow us that one day to recover? John, I got to be honest with you. You mentioned, of course, I remember that Super Saturday.
I grew up in Staten Island. And the rule that was inviolate in our house is that we we just weren't gonna watch television during dinner. Like, that's it. We're all gonna sit around. But the one time my parents would wheel The black and white television from my brother's room into the kitchen was for Super Saturday.
Because we didn't want to miss it. That was growing up. And of course, you being a New Yorker, it was big when you got out there. For that, but I understand why you wouldn't want to play Saturday and then Sunday. I mean, that's kind of nuts, too.
I get it. Yeah, so here's what, you know, that one Super Saturday, the most famous one, I finished at 11:20. Against Jimmy Connor as a five-setter. The next day, I had to play at four o'clock. Yvon Lendel had played earlier in the day and won seven, six, and the fifth.
Let me know when I'm boring your face. No, you won't listen. No, go, please. Not at all. And what happened was, I walked in, I woke up that morning.
I was so stiff, I felt like I could barely move. And I got to the courts eventually. And I walked by the training room and I saw Yvonne trying to stretch and he couldn't get below his knees. And I thought maybe he feels as bad or worse than I am. Maybe I can pull this off, and if I'm, you know, can get this done in two hours, I can beat her.
And that's what happened the next year. Yvonne played Jimmy Connors. Jimmy had sprained his ankle. He wanted an hour and 30 minutes very convincingly. I went five sets against Max Vielander in the hot part of the day.
And I remember the only time in my career, because a lot of times you just want to get it over and done with, I prayed that it would rain. Give me one day to recover, because I had beaten them two weeks in a row at two other tournaments. And I'm like, I got to preserve my number one ranking. If I lose this, it's over. And it ended up, I was watching the Giant game on TV in the Meadowlands, and it was raining.
I'm like, yes. And all of a sudden, the skies clear. And I was like, oh my God, it's actually, they're going to play at four o'clock. And I didn't get to the stadium until 20 of 4 for a 4 o'clock match. I won't get into the details of why, but I got there.
I actually got a good start. I was up 5-2 in the first set. I got off of my chair. I started walking to the base, and I looked back. And I saw my body there.
Yeah. I was like, I felt like everything drained out of my body at that point, and I had like nothing left. And that's probably the worst feeling you can feel as an athlete. Mm-hmm. John McEnroe here on The Rich Eisen Show.
Let's talk about tonight. What do you think happens this evening between two highly talented, ready for the moment? American Man, John. You know, it's a great question that I'm not sure I can give the best answer. But Shelton, to me, if he brings his A game, is slightly better than Francis, if they both played their best.
I think the head-to-heads 3-1 in Ben's favor. Francis loves the big occasion.
So does Ben. The crowds love both of them. It's going to be interesting who they'll be favoring. They'll probably just want a great match, and I can't say I blame them. Tiafo, last year, with the disappointment he had with his record over the course of 2025, finally decided to get himself in the type of shape he needed to get in.
And he has, and that saved him. He's been two sets to love down twice already in this tournament.
So the fact that he's even here. Mickelson served for the match. He was up three love in the fifth. He's shown a lot of fight, a lot of heart.
So, this is one of these matches where, if you had made me say, okay, who do you think is going to win? I'd give Shelton the edge. I think his bigger game, his serve is pretty significantly better, especially his second serve. And I think ultimately, if he can return. The way he did against Alcaraz, I think you're going to see Ben Shelton win the entire thing.
Either one of them would be awesome to win this. It's been 23 years since Andy Roddick won. I think it's 90 majors in a row that no man has won a major.
So we got to put an end to this.
Well, I mean, um, an American just beat Alcaraz in a major tournament for the first time. He was thirteen and oh against Americans, and Shelton is the first to break through there.
So who knows? Did I see Josh Hart in the booth with you and Chris Fowler? Josh Hart was in the booth the other day. He was awesome. He's my daughter Ava's favorite player.
He's my favorite player, though I must say that Brunson and Carl Anthony Townsend are close. Second and third, obviously. These guys are amazing. I got to see Carl Anthony a week ago at the open. Josh Hart, you know, listen, you know this, Rich.
I've been waiting. I was 14, 14 when the Knicks won the last NBA title. I'm 67 now.
So the wait was finally over. It was unbelievable. I was at game four. That was the epic. sporting event I've ever been at.
I've been at thousands of them. This nothing ever topped. Back game four when they came from 29 down. Unbelievable. Uh it is truly remarkable that finally I can sit back and sit there and go, the next one.
The Knicks did it, and maybe they can do it again before I drop dead. Josh Hart was the one who almost put LD in the grave right next to you, right? Yeah, when he missed that layup, he grabbed me and he pulled me back. He goes, No, we're going to lose. I go, listen, if you had, Larry, if I had told you.
An hour ago, that we'd be one down instead of 29 down, you would have said I was crazy.
So we were in a good position. It ended up unbelievable. Uh n no one left for an hour, an hour and a half after that. Particular win.
So everyone was so exhilarated and stunned. And in some ways, You know, we're 25-year anniversary of 9-11. I live uptown. I was here when that happened. It was obviously devastating, but it brought our city together.
In a way that I'd never seen in my entire life. And ironically, for completely different reasons, obviously. And then next finally winning. After all that time. I don't think the city's been that together since what happened tragically 25 years ago.
Yeah, when I was in town about two weeks before. Um the final and just walking in, you know, to JFK People just were stopping talking about the Knicks, just wanted to know how are they going to do it? Can they do it? No question about it. It brought the city together.
And then tonight, John, I mean, for two American men. um of color To be fighting for the right to get to the final in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and Arthur was the last man of color for the United States to be in a U.S. Open final. On the 25th anniversary of 9-11, you and Chris Fowler have got. You know, a lot to unpack tonight.
For real, yeah, absolutely right. Arthur Ashe, he was a mentor to me, he took me under my wing. Under his wing, I should say, when people were going after me about my behavior, Arthur was obviously exemplified class and cool.
So to have someone like him back me up was just huge at the time. Obviously, I only wish that he'd be here to see the name of Arthur Ash Stadium at this great. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and I've got a tennis academy in Randall's Island, I've had that over 15 years. And the dream. You know, I grew up in Queens.
I was able to, I ballboarded the U.S. Open. I won the U.S. Open. I still get to call matches.
It's amazing at the U.S. Open. A full circle moment to me would be just as you mentioned, it's close enough with Ben and Francis, two African Americans, having a chance to. Win a US Open is amazing. For me, if I could get one of these inner-city kids from the Harlem, the Bronx, Staten Island, Queens to be at my academy and win a U.S.
Open. That would make another dream come true.
So, that is my long-term goal. In the short term, So excited to see Ben doing his thing and Francis. You've got to love both these two young kids, and they're just class acts. And this is going to be awesome. And I can't wait to be a part in my tiny way commentating.
Yeah, listen, you and Chris are just such a great, great listen and watch. And Susie and I will be there with the kids watching tonight. That is for sure on ESPN. And I guess, last thing for you: Knicks win it all. And if an American man breaks the Long drought.
That's you'd be two for your last two and your sports wishes. What's the third? Like, if you could wave a wand, what would the Giants winning the Super Bowl? The Jets. You know, I was a Jets.
I said I was a Jets fan. I am a Jets fan.
So I suppose, you know, I came a bit of a fair weather fan when LT Lawrence Taylor came in and I was like, look, there's two New York teams. Why can't I like both of them?
So that would be amazing. I'm also a Mets fan, so that's not looking particularly good.
So I'm just looking great. You know, the Mets, I mean, the Knicks, thank God for the Knicks. And I'm not gonna, you know, get to uh I don't wanna Feel like I need more, you know, because this has already been amazing, you know, 2026. And if Banner and Francis wins, it'll be awesome. And please say hello to your wife, Susie.
We go back also. I know. You are aware that you are the one who inspired her to go seek her on-air career, right, John? You're aware of that? I am aware of that.
Yes. I try to encourage her because she did such a good job producing my segment for HBO.
So, way back when.
So, if you give her my best, I will do that. Yes. I will do that, John. You are the man. Thanks for this.
I'll reach out again as the next season begins. How does that sound? Please do. You got it. Have a great time tonight.
And, of course, this weekend as well, John. Thank you. You're the man. That's John McEnroe, ladies and gentlemen. I'll see him tonight on the SPN.
Yeah, Susie will tell you this. Has she told the story here before? No, she was producing for Real Sports on XBO. And so when you produce, You Sometimes Know will conduct the interview for the on-air reporter because they're in flight or they're not out there. I don't know why.
Whoever was doing the you know fronting The real sports piece on John was not there, but Susie did the interview with him. And he said to Susie afterwards, like Why aren't you doing this? Mm-hmm. She was What do you mean? And uh he's basically you know, you're That was great.
You should do this. I'm paraphrasing. She'll do a better job next time she sits in this chair telling the story. She's like Why not? That's pretty dopey.
Yeah, I know. Yeah, that's cool. Yada, yada, yada, women's sports now. On ESPN. This was amazing because John McElro was my first favorite tennis player, you know, back in the early eighties when it first, you know, him and Bjorn Borg, you know, and then it went to Boris Becker became my favorite after that 'cause Wimbledon was just like for me, I it was amazing.
But McEnroe was the guy who drew me into so to see you guys have this talk was really amazing. him versus Jimmy Connors, that would that stopped my household. That stopped it growing up. Seems like it stopped the sports world. It did, but I'm just telling you the way I grew up, you know.
'Cause Jimmy Connor's um If I'm not mistaken, not a native New Yorker, correct? But we adopted him. Hmm. In New York. We adopted him.
Him in the U.S. Open when he was doing his thing. Oh, man. Pumping his fists. Oh, my God.
Yeah. Oh, my goodness gracious. And again, three Eastern for Kachinov and Zverev, and then. Mm. When that's over, or hopefully seven Eastern.
Seven Eastern, maybe. First tennis ball in the air between Shelton and Tiafo. Let's take a break here. We'll hit the Rams side of things about the first. International Series game of the year.
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Okay. I know I had the Rams top of my Power Rankings list. They won't be next week. And I know I've been talking about the Rams winning the Super Bowl, Super Bowl 61. They may do so anyway.
But game one was an absolute clunker. Uh no admit it. That has to be a very long ride home. That's for sure. And then there's going to be a lot.
of um Sifting through the film, sifting through the decision making. I imagine they're not going to go back to Australia.
So but the way they went to London Last year. When I called their game against the Jaguars, who were there for a full week, they showed up just like they did in Australia. Last minute-ish. Played the game, went home. That worked out swimmingly going west to east.
Punked the Jaguars, who then, after coming back from London, began to punk other people. And I guess it's not the same way going east to west. I know Peter Schrager said that they sent. Like You know, two years they've been working. Two years of employees' worth of flying there to see how they felt and what they did.
Bottom line is, though, they don't have to. Pass rush against Trent Williams, no matter how great Miles Garrett is, and they don't have to face the 49ers' defense, no matter how great their offense is. Hello?
So An absolute clunker. And all you know, I knew what they would say after the As I'm watching it. which is the only thing they can't say. We're going to flush it. We'll learn from it.
We'll flush it and move on. We're not that. We're not this team. But take responsibility for not performing well in a big spot. This is Matthew Stafford afterwards.
didn't play well enough, obviously. Um You know, never got into a rhythm, only had probably two good drives, honest with you, the entire day. We didn't do the things that we. Are we accustomed to doing? That's just communicating, operating, being on the same page.
Too many times we were on different pages. That starts with me. You know, I'm the guy that's communicating all that stuff, so I gotta make sure I do a better job, make sure we're all on the same page, and we can rock and roll out there and go just, you know, go play the game. And felt like we were fighting ourselves a little bit today, and obviously, not the way you want to start the season. But a lot of football left and opportunities with the right kind of people and the right coaches and everybody to go out there and fix it and move forward.
Yep. The Rams had scored double digits in points, 42 straight games. Matthew Stafford's now started 75 games for the Los Angeles Rams since being acquired by the Detroit Lions. That's the fewest number of points, seven. Beating the previous record of nine.
Yeah. In week four. against the Niners in their title defense season. That's that. Miles Garrett, just absolutely shut down.
I mean, shut down. He had as many tackles, sacks, and quarterback hits as Aaron Donald did. Yeah. And Rich, when you say shut down so people understand this, I'm printing out the box score for you, and I like to highlight things and make it easier for you to find. I'm looking for Miles Garrett.
I can't find his name. He's nowhere in the box score. That's how shut down. Three pressures. 25 pass rushes.
Miles Garrett. Who said afterwards, essentially, he's not 100%. Thank you. Yeah. No.
Yeah. This was the worst version of myself that I've put out there.
Now I've gotta be better. I gotta find a find a way to uh Recover and get back to the player I know I can be, and I've shown that I've been before. But you had that blood focus coming up against the joints for yourself the first year. Getting healthy. That's the main thing.
I mean, when I was out there I was I was a little bit more focused on Know myself and trying to stay healthy than know what they were doing, and that showed I wasn't who I needed to be for my team. It it it was just off from start to finish. Off from start to finish. 'Cause I mean, if he's hurting, why is he out there in some special teams plays? Which he was.
Uh I'm He's hurt, but he's he certainly didn't look himself, and nor did. you know, it took a while on offense for Stafford to Find Devontae Adams. who was getting shut out. You know, Puka made it. His first puka play of the year, which is catching a contested ball and then bouncing off of people's and almost scoring.
And then he almost did score, but did get stopped on the one-inch line, and then Stafford didn't pop it in on a. on a quarterback sneak. And then the defense got put back on the field and then let the Niners. get out from danger and drive down the field and And essentially start taking over the game. They got dominated.
There's just no other way to put it. And of course, everyone's going to say it all comes down to. Bottom line the way that they arrived for the game. which was really late as the Niners were there all week long. You know, I'm not, I don't believe that that's why we didn't play well enough.
I really don't. And I can, listen, I'm more than comfortable with that. That's something that I'll always make decisions that I think are best for the football team. It's easy in hindsight to be able to say it was a miss, but those are responsibilities that I'll take. And then you try to be able to look at it.
I'll always look at myself inside out and figure out where I can improve, Gary. Today was really just not good enough in terms of feeling the flow of the game, being able to give ourselves an opportunity to snatch some momentum when there were opportunities. They outplayed us in every phase. They deserved the win. I think that's really what it boils down to.
And sometimes sports can have days like that. And like I said, this will only define us if we allow it to. And I'm looking forward to leaning in, going back to work. And today was humbling, but sometimes life can do that to you. And we've got a lot of football left, and we're not going to allow this one game to do anything other than help us learn and grow.
By the way, love that. Mm-hmm. Love that approach. Yeah, what's he supposed to say? On one hand, you're like.
This could be the most. Beneficial thing to happen to the Rams. Get hit in the mouth if there's anybody there that does believe the hype that's coming from this chair and this microphone, along with others. nationally Then, this punch in the mouth is exactly what they need, and you might as well get it out of the way right away. Yeah, massive wake-up call.
Right. Donald is coming back. We'll see how he looks. And at some point. He and Garrett will start doing the he and Garrett things that we're all expecting.
And Then there's, and you need to learn from it. You need to soak it in, you need to own it, you need to learn from it. And the other way you look at it, too, is. A To their benefit. They're returning home today, which for them was technically tomorrow.
So Thursday never happened. And so, you know, that's one way to look at it.
Some people bury the tape, they have the benefit with the international date line of burying the day. You know what I mean? Like they have that. But at the end of the day. You know, they're 0-1, and the two teams in their very deep division.
Including the team that eliminated them last year, only to go on to win the Super Bowl, and the home of the other team that just beat them. They're one back. They'll have to make it up, and there is a ton of football left to be played, but that... Was a clunker. of an opener.
Maybe he should have leaned into it because if you take away the travel thing, now you got to look at the game and go, yeah, you were really bad.
Well, they're owning it. They should. The Rich Eisen Show 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.
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