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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen show. He took a home run away from Manny Machado from the Rich Eisen show studio in Los Angeles. There's no more talented team than the Los Angeles Dodgers. Earlier on the show, ESPN NFL analyst Jeff Saturday, CBS Sports NFL analyst Kyle Long.
Coming up, Royals first baseman Vinny Pespanitino, and now is. Rich Eisen. Eisen Show is on the air. Major League Baseball just came up with a crazy ass idea for their future playoffs. We're going to focus a little bit more on the current playoffs with Vinnie Pasquintino, and he joins us in just a few minutes' time from the Kansas City Royals.
Chris Brockman loves the idea of a team being able to choose their opponent in the wild card round of the playoffs. Even though if the Red Sox had a better record than the Yankees, you'd had no problem with an eighty-one and eighty-one team in the Astros choosing who to play first, and then you'd be forced with whoever else, right? I don't know why you're taking this so personal. I do. I take it all personally.
I take it all personally. You guys still would have lost. It doesn't matter who. What I'm just saying is that if the Red Sox were sitting there after a remarkable run all season long. And and earned their spot in the playoffs as they did this year, and the Astros in the last day of the year at an eighty-one and eighty-one record, they get to choose.
Oh, they probably would have chosen the White Sox, and then you would have gotten the Yankees. After all, yeah, I know. And the Red Sox still would have lost because they can't score any runs. About all that. At any rate, Vinnie's going to join us shortly on the program.
Eight four four two zero four. Rich's number. Dolph, you missed a great chats with Jeff Saturday and Kyle Long talking some ball. And if you missed it, there's our podcast version. All three hours, you can check us out by listening to us on demand.
You can watch us on demand through our Disney Plus page. You go to our page, Rich Eisen Show on Disney Plus. All three hours are sitting right there. As a matter of fact, they're archived for weeks at a time, which is pretty cool. Greatly appreciate that.
Our Friday show at this point in time, we're going to get ready to welcome the Academy Award-winning actor, producer, and author Michael Douglas is returning to the program. Are out? That's awesome. Yeah.
So that's on Friday show. Worth it.
So make make make a note of that because we're genuinely excited about that because he's come out with this tell-all book. And instead of playing Celebrity True or False with him, because it's all in his book, pretty much, I think we're going to play Celebrity True or False, but as The question is: Is it really true that you did this? Because a lot of stuff that's in this book is kind of wild. Yeah, I will talk about it again. That's, but that's tomorrow.
Tomorrow, we're going to do the rest live today. Let's do it. The WeatherTech Fan Line. Let's sneak one in before we get to yet another edition of High Register, and also, you know, another edition of. For Gazy, for real or for Gazy?
We did that with the NFC teams; we're all two and two. There's five AFC teams at two and two. We'll talk about that in a moment. Let's go to Derek in Missouri, long-time listener. First up, what's up, Derek?
How are you? I'm good, Rick.
So it's been a full week. Are you fully recovered from wearing Kendall's Hawkeye helmet last week? Oh, I'm never going to recover from that, Derek. But thanks for reminding me. You know, to any consolation, many many years ago, I had to wear a cowboy's jersey after I lost a bet.
We're in that thing for two and a half hours. I felt like I caught instant pneumonia.
So there you go.
Well, by the way, Derek, since you're a Bronco fan, you'll understand this. Sean Payton just chimed in saying he's taking control of this phone call.
So what do you have in your mind?
So let's see. What's more likely, Rich? You got three teams left that are undefeated. One is on a bye this week. But which one this week is more likely to suffer their first loss?
The Niners against the Seahawks, or the Vikings against the Saints? I think that's an easy one, Derek. And thank you for the call, as always. I mean, the Niners losing to in Seattle would be no surprise, right? No, they want.
Remember that was a week one last year where Purdy hurt his foot, and Kittle went out and was Kittle got hurt, but he found he found he found Jake Tonjes in the end zone to win that game, and then Purdy goes out and in comes Mac Jones, and they damn near won the one seed anyway. And man, I can't wait for this game. I cannot wait for this game. Let's just spend a hot minute on this game. Let's do it because San Francisco starts the year wins in Melbourne.
Now listen, I know Niners fans love to say it's really a home game, in whose house? Rams' house. Right? They love saying that because there's more red in the stands than, you know, than not in SoFi. But that was technically a road division playoff victory for the Forty Niners, with all due respect to Arizona.
Winning in Seattle means they would have checked off both of their toughest division road games through the fifth week of the season. They'd already be done with that. The rest of the time, the Rams and the Niners, the Rams and the Seahawks, have to go to their house where Seattle is showing up in Week 12. That's of the Thanksgiving week. Sunday contests, last Sunday of November, and of course Seattle would say we're pretty comfortable here.
We like putting our feet up here, as we did in Week 18 when the Niners had a chance to be the one seed and lost to Seattle, which only returned the favor again in the playoffs in Seattle. Couple weeks later, only to get through the Rams and then go to the San Francisco 49ers' house. And defile it by winning it all and holding a Lombardi Trophy ceremony on the turf of the 49ers.
So, do you think San Francisco wants to go up to Seattle and win that game? You bet. Would Seattle love to look the Niners in the face and go, "Nice try, nice win you had there in the other hemisphere against the Rams"? You know what? Nobody's been talking about the way we got to the game, and travel to the game.
We just drove and parked in our player lot, and just took care of business as we did in last year's playoffs, as we did in Week 18, and take over first place in the division, which Seattle would do. Same record, but they'd have the head-to-head in their back pocket until they face each other again for the next time, and. In Thanksgiving, it's going to sit there and it's going to simmer, and it's going to be nasty, and it's going to be fun to watch. It'll be great. Can't wait.
Can't wait because Purdy is coming off of his offensive player of the month performance, and the Seahawks would love to again reset twenty twenty six. With the idea that 2025 was not the outlier, everybody they took care of business in San Francisco, the final game of the regular season on that Saturday night. Then they took care of San Francisco from the opening kickoff of that game. That thing was over at that point in time; it was finished. And then two weeks after, two two two games after that, Lombardi in their house, in their locker room.
Can't wait. You never know. That's that's called setting the stage. That Sunday, okay, let's do it, everybody.
Okay, we got ourselves a little higher register. It's our usual Thursday segment. Got a lot going on here. Yeah, our higher register segment where you got to go up here to believe what you're saying. It's going to change the way you talk to other people and the way other people talk to you.
You're going to notice it. In conversations with other humans, when they go higher register, should set off an alarm bell. Higher register, brought to you by Sonos. Hit it. There's a chance the Rich Eisen shows that there could be higher register take of the week.
Okay, here we go. Week five starts this evening. It's time to give your opinion about something in week five that you got to go to higher register to believe. Chris Brockman, your first up. What do you have over there?
Yeah, it's been a rough month for my team here. That I'm going to talk about the most disappointing in the league. Talk of hot seats for a guy that we like, and maybe trading the quarterback further down the line. I don't know, TJ. But here's the thing: when I think about Week Five and the Los Angeles Chargers, I think this is the week it all starts to click for them.
Okay, okay. Daniel Jeremiah, by the way, who was on tomorrow's program, said he's been looking at the film, and last week it was a tweet that Red High Register. Like some of these plays, they're they're making some plays on defense here. Yeah, I don't think they look that bad.
Okay, yeah.
So you think this is gonna be the time where it gets done? I think. I think they might get a win this week. No, well, a win. But do you think when you say it, it starts to click?
Starts to click. Yeah, yeah. What does that mean? How far do they go? That means.
I mean, I think they're getting on the playoff run here, week by week. Really.
Okay. The week to week, stack wins.
Okay, but this is the week where it all starts. This is the one it all clicks. I'll go figure it out.
Okay, T.J. Jefferson. Again, this is not your wheelhouse. Apparently not. No, you're you're a lower register guy.
Yes, I am. But but you have a higher registered take of the week. I do, and it's funny. You were talking about this before. You were talking about the Niners and Seattle.
I was this stuff, and that that kind of played in the mind because I think with a Niners win over Seattle this week, Brock Purdy, he's got the MVP locked up. Oh, locked up. Locked up. It's more of an overreaction. That's a higher overreaction.
Higher overreaction. Think locked up, locked up. Like I said, I don't know if I believe it, but you got to go higher register to believe it. Yeah, got to go higher. Locked up.
I mean, that's pretty. That's that's pretty bold. Only week five.
Okay. Now then, I've got my higher register here. You've heard the phrase "a team is like a wagon." I referred to the Buffalo Bills as a wagon wagon, right? I think Kyle Long used that phrase in his appearance in hour two. Forget about which team, but he referred to a team as a wagon.
They got a wagon.
Some folks have gotten into our comments saying, "What do you mean by a wagon?" So I actually looked it up because I'm about to use it in my higher register in sports, especially ice hockey. I didn't know that. Oh, calling a team a wagon means they are an exceptionally strong, dominant, and unstoppable team that is rolling over opponents. Oh, okay.
Now, in the first two weeks of this season, the team I'm referring to they they are getting rolled. Not a wagon. Didn't whatever the opposite of a wagon is, but a go kart. I don't know. Wheel box car.
I have no idea. Not a wagon. But the last two weeks, I'm beginning to wonder: Are the Falcons kind of like a wagon, or what? I kind of feel like the Falcons may be a wagon, which is two different conditional phrases. That's what makes the high register work.
I said too, because I, you know, it's not like I feel like the Falcons may be a wagon, or I feel like the Falcons are a wagon. I kind of feel like the Falcons may be a wagon. I got to see a little bit more. Here come the Ravens. Here come the Ravens.
But I'm just like if Bijan hits the hole against the Ravens and goes another half the field touchdown, and Drake London does this thing, and Pitts is starting to come around, and yada yada and yada. Jahan Dotson went on a post pattern. I kind of feel like the Falcons may be a wagon, and if they are, well, wouldn't that be a nice plot twist to the 2026 National Football League season? Yeah, be honest. I never heard of wagon used it.
I had no idea. Hoskins, you know it was an ice hockey term. Did you know that he's our ice hockey Maven? Oh, that's the way the Sabers were winning last year, guys. No, man.
The Sabers were a wagon before the Bills. Sabers is basically what he's saying. Higher Register brought to you by Sonos. Love the sound, feel the system. Build your system at Sonos dot com.
All right, we're gonna do our final. Fugazy for real or Fugazy? There's five, two and two AFC teams on the back end of our visit with the delightful Vinnie Pasquantino. I'm told is just completing a workout. Oh, look at it!
Look at him! Yep, flexing on us.
So we'll see. He's about to join us here on this program. Eight four four two zero four. Rich being that number to dial right here. If you're a fan of the National Football League, we all are.
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That's coming up. The Rich Eisen Show podcast. Today's forecast: falling leaves, football, and an eighty percent chance you're going to need a few more things for that backyard project. Running low on yard bags? Need a leaf blower?
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Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com. com/slashEisen terms and conditions apply. Funny joining us here, Vinny Pasquantino, before Steve Balboni Pasquantino is born. Ladies and gentlemen, here on the Rich Eisen Show, Vinny Pasquantino of the Kansas City Royals. Let's talk playoff baseball, sir.
The Dodgers did it again, man. They just seem to just have everything working for them, and when you think you got them, you don't.
So Who do you think right now, remaining in the playoff field, has the best chance to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, Vinny? I think it's the Brewers. I mean, anybody really could beat them, but I think it's their next opponent, the Brewers, just because. I mean, their pitching is just—they're pitching lines up pretty good with that lineup. Like, it'll be curious to see.
I'll be curious to see what the Dodgers do with lineup construction. Will they go with Freddie two, Otani five, Tucker eight again? Because they're going to get lefties. Like crazy out of the bullpen, so we'll see what they do there with their lineup construction. It was kind of interesting to see them actually move their lineup around because they don't do it all that much.
So it's cool to see Dave Roberts doing that. Yeah, I mean they're they are a wagon. I mean the Braves are really good, obviously, but. Being able to do that to Chris Sale the other night, and he pitched well, but being able to get some runs off him—that's just—it's really impressive.
Well, only one left-handed hitter during the regular season homered off of Chris Sale, and it happened to be the guy who homered off him in Game Three of this divisional series.
So I ask a left-handed hitting first baseman in Vinnie Pasquantino, what makes Freddie Freeman great? When you watch him, just his ability to spin the ball. He we talked about a very flat bat plane the other day, and he's got the opposite.
So he spins the ball like pretty much nobody else in the big leagues. There's a few other guys that have that extreme of a vertical bat bat plane, so he's able to backspin the ball almost better than anybody else in the big leagues.
So the the fact that he was able to get to a sinker in off the plate, off the sail.
Now, I mean, a lot of times you're going to be looking in off the sail anyway, so it's not that uncommon to get him in there, but. To be able to hit that ball out like he did is just—he's one of the best hitters that's really ever played for that reason.
Well, pardon me for asking it this way, but you can purposefully do that, like hitting a golf ball a certain way. You can, or is it just the natural plane of his swing is what helps him? That's just the natural plane of his swing. He's just—it's—it's really like a U shape almost. It's why in his work.
He like he talks about it a lot. He likes to hit ground balls at the shortstop because it it helps him get his the plane where he wants it to.
So he's kind of doing the reverse of what his swing really does, so he can lock in where he wants his ball flight to go. Which is why he talks about when he hits ground balls at shortstop, it's ground balls at shortstop and BP is a homer for him in the game, and it's for the you know it's that exact reason he's he's working with his own swing to figure out what gets him in the best spot. No kidding. Yeah, really. That's the way it works.
Yeah, like I like if you're a flatter swing guy, you probably want to do the opposite because you know you're going to be flatter, especially if you're facing four seam fastballs.
So you want to get the ball a little bit in the air and BP. It's just like laws of exaggeration, really. Like whatever my swing does naturally, kind of do the opposite when you're working.
So then you can get it into a good spot in the game.
Well, all due respect to the Rays, who we're going to talk about in a second, and the Guardians, and you know the White Sox and the Pope. Why do you choose the Brewers as the best remaining team to beat the Dodgers, Vinny? Just because now I don't have to make any other decisions on who's going to win series, so I'll just pick the team that they're currently playing.
Okay, I like it. I made that mistake in the WBC of accidentally saying Venezuela wasn't making it through when. They still had to play Japan, and then they won the whole thing.
So I'm not trying to give any fuel to anybody.
So I picked the Brewers as the best team to beat them. What makes the Brewers so good then, having just dispatched to the Padres, Vinny? Pitching and game plan at the plate. I mean, their approach is pretty much dialed. I mean, you guys saw what they did to Mason Miller.
Debatable if if they had something on him or not. But just the ability, like you look at their lineup, it's not full of superstars. It's just full of good players that know how to play well. I mean, Jackson Cherryell, obviously, he's he's a certified superstar. Yelich has been before.
William Contreras is awesome. But you just look through their lineup, and it's just a bunch of guys that provide really quality at bats all the time, and that's kind of what they're built on. They'll platoon a little bit, lefty righty, but for the most part, you know what you're going to get with them, and a lot of times it's just quality at bats, and they just wear down pitchers. You see Pat Murphy's in-game interview where he's like, you know, yeah, basically cursing the you know centerfielder Jackson Merrill, yeah Jackson Miller, like you know, damn it, Merrill. I he's he's definitely one to root for, no doubt about that.
You know, he's just a a blast.
So debatable that Mason Miller was tipping his pitches, Vinnie. Yeah, just because we'll never know. They'll never say. I think the Padres came out and said that he wasn't doing it, so it's just it's one of those things you assume because it's baseball. And when a guy that nasty, when you have it bats like that off of him, typically something's going on, but.
Credit to the Brewers if they did have him for having him, and if they didn't, even more credit to them for putting up, putting together those abouts. Yeah, the NLCS is set. Brewers and the Dodgers for the right to get to the World Series. While in the American League, the Rays are waiting to see what happens between the White Sox and the Guardians. The Guardians extended that series, the only team that did extend a series that had an opportunity to do so on on Wednesday.
What makes the Rays so good? Vinnie, they're another example of pitching, and it's not like it's a bunch of guys that they've had around their system. I mean, Brian Baker, who's their closer, they got from Baltimore. Tyler Wells, who sets up games for him from Baltimore. Kevin Kelly, who sets up games for them from Cleveland.
Cam Booser, who's got one of the best stories in the game. He's been all around. I know he was with the White Sox, with the Red Sox.
So they're just really good at identifying talent and making making those guys better. They have their own superstar and Junior Caminero. I don't think he gets talked about enough because we talk about the lack of strikeouts and the the flat bat planes and things like that. But they also have a guy who hits forty five homers a year on their team. Jonathan Aranda is a stud.
Yandy Diaz is one of the most underrated players in the game. They just make it really tough on you. And I think Derek Jeter said. Last night, like you can't make mistakes against them. As soon as you make a mistake, they they'll pounce on you, and they're just they're really tough.
And whoever Cleveland or Chicago, whoever plays them, has got their work cut out for them. Just because you know Tampa's been one of the best teams in the league all year long, and they just continue to do it.
So, how do you? I mean, you've seen it firsthand. You know, coaches trying to coach people up, or managers trying to manage people up. I mean, you take somebody from the Orioles, and suddenly he he's got a gajillion saves in a row, and he's unhittable. Like, how how does this continue to happen?
As you just pointed out, a whole bunch of guys, Valade who who popped one out, you know, Apo last night getting a spot start, platooning. I mean, how do you do this? Yeah, so I think they just know how to identify what they're looking for, and it's not like they're always a hundred percent correct. I mean, Joe Ryan got traded for Nelson Cruz a few years ago, and he's one of the best pitchers in the league in Minnesota.
So it's not like it's not like they're not getting rid of talent too. But like Freddie Peralta, I saw a thing on him that talked about his extension, and I think it was talking about his landing foot, about how when he was with the Mets, it was like. Six or six inches shorter than what it is with Tampa, so they just identify what they're looking for in players, and when they get the players, you can see, like you can directly see the changes that they're making.
So I think that's one of the biggest things is that they're identifying what they're looking for, and it's not like they're. Changing the game of baseball, like a lot of people will talk about the lack of strikeouts, the bunting, the running. They identified what their group was good at and said, "Let's just be really good at what our players are good at." They're not trying to, they're not trying to fill different voids with players that they don't have that don't have the talent for that. They're they're looking at their team that they have, which is what I think organizations that do think do things the best do. They're not trying to fill something they don't have.
They're saying, "All right, this is what we have. Let's just be the best at it," and that's. What they've done, I mean, Taylor Walls, who obviously I'm hoping that Bobby Witt Jr. wins another Gold Glove, another Platinum Glove, but Taylor Walls is a shortstop for them, playing absolute Gold Glove defense every single night, and he's hitting ninth every day. You don't expect too much from him, you know, at the plate, but what that guy provides defensively is second to none, really.
And it's things like that that they do that that are just Really good, and it makes them so tough to beat.
Well, let's talk about the Yankees. Let's talk about the Yankees here, Vinny. And again, I know I am asking a current player in the in Major League Baseball to talk about what what's wrong with another one, but I I got to ask you, like, what do you think is up with the Yankees? Why they have gone home again with all the talent that they have, the pitching that they have? The salary advantage that they have over most.
Why? Yeah.
So I think first I need to preface with I play for a team that has not beaten the Yankees in three years now.
So, well done. We got lucky once in the playoffs against them, according to one of their players, and that was the last time we beat them.
So I suppose he was right, but I. First off, I just think winning's really hard, and I think winning is especially hard when your best player isn't able to go.
So, and I know that there's going to be conflicting reports on what he says, what the team says, but clearly somebody wasn't comfortable enough with him going and putting himself out there. We'll we'll never know. He'll say he was ready. They'll say he wasn't. They weren't comfortable with it.
With whatever. They're the only people that that really know. I just. I don't know. They they made some mistakes in that in that series.
That, like we talked about with Tampa, you just can't make. And what's like they beat the crap out of the Red Sox, right? Like they, it's not like they came into the playoff limping. They scored eighteen runs or whatever it was in the first two games, and and they were really good. And then they ran into a a juggernaut team.
So I think sometimes you just run into a team that's playing better than you, that is better than you. And i I think that's what happened. But obviously, everything is magnified in New York and. Boone will take a lot of heat. All these guys will take a lot of heat, and it's just sometimes you run into a team that's better than you.
Yeah, the general manager, Brian Cashman, is going to run in a lot of heat, but he's used to it. He's used to it, having been there for as long as the Steinbrenner family has had him, and apparently is going to continue to have him. And that's kind of what I said at the top of the show, Vinny, or you know, you know, earlier and in the program. Pardon me, that. You know, if you've got a salary advantage over, say, Tampa, just as an example, you know, and Giancarlo Stanton in a sweep gets one singular at bat as a pinch hitter, and Carlos Rodon doesn't throw a single pitch, and combined they made fifty six million dollars this year.
What does it matter to have an advantage? It doesn't matter. The salary advantage doesn't matter if the way the roster is constructed, or the way that the playoff series is constructed, and the way that the manager is pushing buttons or told to push buttons. What does it matter? Doesn't matter.
At the end of the day, yeah, that's that's an interesting one because you go into the year, and if you if all four, not even four, but If four of your best starting pitchers are available in the playoffs, you're feeling pretty good about what you got.
So you go Cole, Schlitter, Freed, and you would think if Rodon doesn't pitch, things went really well for you. That okay?
Well, now we have our game one starter for the championship series. That's tough because you always want a gluttony of starting pitching. But I guess if you don't get to use it all, or maybe should have moved somebody to the pen, which I don't know which one of those guys would be the most comfortable with doing it, because starting pitchers are a different breed when it comes to things like that. They had a, you know, they had a solid bullpen. It's just I.
They don't really. One thing that's interesting about the Yankees that you would think would be different is they don't throw extraordinarily hard from the bullpen. They have really good arms. They just don't have like the high end velo that some teams have. And it like just if you look at Milwaukee or something like that, or San Diego, you know, yeah, San Diego too, hundred percent, right?
So, but those guys don't just grow on trees. Even though sometimes it seems like it, but. Um. Yeah, I don't. I don't know what you do there.
Obviously, they're going to take a ton of heat, but Cashman has seen it all before. I, I think as the game continues to grow, other teams are doing things good too. Like it's not like in the '90s where, you know, the Yankees were buying championships, so to speak. Obviously, they're still trying to do that, but other teams have invested so heavily in the R and D department as they are as the Yankees are as well. But they're always going to feel the pressure to go out and.
Pay top dollar guys just because of the market that they're in, even if they might not think that they need to do that all the time. But it's kind of the kind of the place that they're in right now.
So I think if you are them, you just try to keep moving forward with the really good players that you have, and try to, as small market teams would say, you try to win on the margins. And not that any Yankee fan wants to hear that, but when you win ninety some games in the regular season, like it's hard to call it a failure. But I get why it would be there. Vinny, thanks for the time, sir. You nervous about the Cleveland Browns this weekend, or what?
What do we? I'm never nervous going into a game ever. The Jets are going to win by seven. It's going to be a good day. The Browns are going to go back down to earth, and it's going to be good.
Okay, man, you sound like Clint Kubiak at halftime. We're up, and we're going to win. That was, I mean, you know, everybody knew the Chiefs were going to win as soon as he said that. Right? That was tough.
I should have went ahead and live bet it immediately that the Chiefs were going to win. You give them like when that fumble happened. It was just like, "Yep, we're back. We are back to normal." Yeah, right. Exactly that.
That exactly happened. And you know, right now I'm feeling good about your guillotine league, where I just snagged Christian McCaffrey. Because my son got chopped, he is so upset being chopped. From your some of my friends that are in that league, specifically Cam and Cheese, who's Cheese Tony, they love. Cooper getting so upset.
It's their favorite thing. Vinnie, he is so upset. Like we had to, my wife and I had to console him the next morning. Yeah, because he's like Justin Jefferson, Jalen Watson, Christian McCaffrey, Chris Olave, and he only's fifteen.
So he's also looking on the app what he would have been ranked next week. And he was welcome to the real world, Coop. The best teams don't always win. It's who plays the best that week. That's it.
As if he didn't learn that as a Yankee fan. Last night, either. Vinnie, thanks for the time, brother. Yeah, thank you, guys. Go home to the misses, Vinnie Pasquino.
Everybody, right here on the Rich Eisen show. There he goes. A little. Susie and I do like it too. How much Vinnie is giving Coop the business?
I have kept Susie up to speed. Yeah, it's nonstop. You know, I've kept Susie up to speed of well how how Vinnie addresses Coop. And after Coop got got guillotined the other night, he texted me. He goes, "You got a good headshot of Coop because I've got an all-time meme coming in." Oh God!
And he he memed him on a on a Woody Johnson photograph in a jet hat. He had and he had the ice. Yeah, the ice. He had the grill in his mouth. He had it working.
Trying to find it. I mean. He had it working. All right, let's let's take a break before we do. Just make sure you hire right the first time with LinkedIn Hiring Pro.
Get started by posting a free job at LinkedIn. dot com slash Eisen. Oh yeah, for real or for gazy? On the AFC two and two teams to go out the door on a Thursday. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
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Okay, Joe Barrow. Claims Ohio State as well as LSU, or and and or let's put it this way: Ohio State fans claim Joe. They claim him, yeah. And then I've asked him, thinking he'd be like, "Come on, I won for LSU," but no, no, he kind of likes. He kind of likes the connection.
Kids from Ohio, just because they said, "Go down the road, Joe." Don't have a spot for you here right now. Go ahead and throw sixty touchdowns, which sounds like a. You know, an exaggeration just so I could make a point, but it's not. He actually did throw sixty touchdowns a season. Yeah, he's crazy, crazy.
But sometimes, every now and then, he'll let let it loose that you know he he got into Ohio State. That's the setup I have for this soundbite. Go for it. Is there one thing that galled you coming out of the game that you really that what galled you? I don't know that one.
You have to bring the Webster's out for me. Is there any one play that really pissed you off that you wanted that you wanted to say I'm going to work on this Wednesday? Yeah, not not not worked on, but you know, obviously the red zone interception was is the one that really stands out as one that was easily avoided. And you know, put our team behind the eight ball.
So, you know, I can't make those those critical mistakes like that. See where I went with that setup. I'm very proud of myself. No, he just you know, he needs a he needed a dictionary. Yeah, I guess he got his education at LSU too.
So, go Tigers. Anything right now for me to hype myself up when it comes to Michigan football on the bye week? Right now. I am just. It's it's just not great.
Long, you know, it'll be okay, though, right?
Well, I mean, the world will keep spinning. Yes, I mean, we could use that as a you know an appropriate analogy, right? Still here in L.A. Yeah, the old Kyle Shannon. Hey, by Sunday, we could all be in trouble.
Yeah.
Us or San Diego could just be good. That anyway, should be fine for Joe. Where is Joe Burrow going to have his receivers this weekend, or what?
Well, Jamar Chase is still in the protocol, but he was spotted at practice today.
Okay, that's good.
So that's a good sign.
Okay, and T Higgins is you know is battling the abductor. Um. And so, you know, there is no real update on that. They're in Miami. What's he need to practice?
They are in Miami. That's the that.
So the Bengals are the. All right, T. Higgins. They are they they are the they're they're the survivor pool darling of choice for them. I would imagine so.
Yeah, T. Higgins is jogging on the rehab field. Good good sign. There's a rehab field.
Well, he's out there. Yeah, won't be like the pond compared to the pool. Yeah, probably a little bit nicer. The rehab field. What is it?
It's the rehab field. No playing. What do we got?
Now Bengals have a rehab. Quarantining them? What the hell does that mean? What the hell does the rehab field mean? Oh, it's guys.
That means they put them to the side so active players are running around. Guys who are active run into guys who are trying to come back. Is it a separate piece of turf? Like that's for the rehab? I probably, I'd imagine.
You know, you don't get you don't get like the main. You don't get the big piece of chicken. You know, you get the little piece of chicken. It's like wait, it's like kids table, kids table, kids table, kids table. That' what it is.
Yeah, it's a rehab. It's a rehab practice area. Kids table. You don't get the tomahawks. That means I like to go grazing for food here.
That's where the kids table. You want to wear cleats but no helmet or jersey. That's where you get the daddy tax. There you go. Yeah, the chicken nuggets.
It's still wild that Bengals players have to cross the street to go to their practice field. Yeah, that's odd.
Okay, there's a literally. That's where the rehab field is. Turtle and drama love the kids table. You gotta hope you see what I'm saying. Bar mix, but literally.
All right, I guess we did this to start the program. Yeah.
And just like any good idea that anybody has in sports TV, you got to beat it down on the ground to the point where you don't want to do it anymore. We haven't reached that point yet. I don't think so. What else you want to know? I think it's been a long time.
Seven, two, and two teams in the National Football Conference that we were wondering if it was for real or for gazy. What was the final tally? Did you write those down? I do believe I went five for real and. Two Fugazi.
All right, let's be a little mean, right? I I don't understand. It's not mean. It's it's it's clear-eyed, full-hearted. Can't lose.
Got it. Shout out the principal Taylor. Yep.
So now there's five two and two teams. And by the way, we're going to do this again when we've got three and three teams. We're going to keep doing this as long as there's five hundred teams in the NFL. We're going to keep doing this. Look, as long as people are real or Fugazi in life, we could keep doing.
I think till the end of time. Right. At any rate. Here it is. Five AFC teams entering Week Five at two and two.
I am wondering who's for real and who's for gazy.
So, are they for real, or are they fugazy? We all look so serious. What's with the round of applause? Rockwin wanted some applause for applause. It does it.
We need some applause. Type it up.
Okay, let's type it up. All right.
So, who are the AFC teams? All right.
First up, one, two, and two team in the AFC East. You may have heard of them. Six time. I said six time Super Bowl champion, the New England Patriots. Totally.
Patriots, Fugazi. Are they for real? Absolutely. Or we? Is this how we're going to do this?
Or are they Fugazi?
Okay, my bad. I'm sorry. I just jumped the gun because they were so Fugazi. I couldn't wait. You're so excited to jump on.
Totally Fugazi. Of course. How they? How are they for real? I mean, just because they what?
Ahead went ahead and Buffalo and beat my number one team in the power rankings in their house, handed them their first loss in their new stadium. That makes them real automatically. Eftim Chism is going to make one-handed grabs every single timeout. Drake May is suddenly going to start making plays. Suddenly, they're going to keep taking teams from the ranks of the unbeaten without their two best defensive players.
That is that where it's going to keep going? AJ Brown is coming back. What when? When's he come? When's he walking through that door?
I don't know. Maybe probably November. Romeo Dobbs is suddenly you know the apple of your eye, huh? He's wearing Gronk's number. Better for Gazy.
I need to see it against the three and one for real, Las Vegas Raiders.
Okay, dude, don't laugh like that. You got married in that town.
Okay, you like going to that town. You like gambling in that. I do. I like Vegas. Cage loves that town.
You like. You like hanging in that town. I do love Las Vegas. I know you do.
So don't don't laugh. No, prove that you're for real. We'll see it this week. If they're for real or for gazy, interesting. Oh man!
If the Raiders beat the Patriots in the week that the Yankees get eliminated and Coop gets chopped from Vinnie's league, we're going to need to sedate my son. A 15-year-old is going to need a moment. Maybe we should tell Coop that it's not that serious. What else you got over there? Yeah, it's not.
It's definitely not that. It's just sports. I know. How about let's go to this team? Let's go to the AFC North.
The North. They've won a bunch of Super Bowls too in their career. TJ. The Pittsburgh Steelers are two and two. Are the Steelers for real, Rich Eisen?
Or are they fugazi? Gone there and that. I keep getting the sense that they're fugazi, but they've got again the same way the Eagles—too many good players. I'm concerned that Pittman's hurt, man. He is going to miss some time.
I know he's going to miss some time. They've also lost to the team that you just said was fugazi. I know that. I know. Okay.
Just for the moment, I'm gonna I'm gonna say they're for real. You're hilarious. What? You see, he's on the show on Tuesdays. Yeah, like you gotta, you know, we gotta walk the line here.
I'm not gonna call Cam Hayward for gazing. Cam doesn't need, you know, wind blown up as. You know it's tight. I think they beat the Indianapolis Colts this week, and they're three and two and feeling good about themselves. And then they're going to wind up after that game.
Let's let's do it. Let's do it here. They're at Tampa. That's four and two before they get the Saints in Paris. That could be five and two.
Then they get Cleveland at home, and Cam wants to tell Jared Verse a thing or two. That's six and two, and then they're a buy. Six and two at the buy. They've got who beats them over the next who beats them who beats them over the next month. You can make a case.
Three of those teams.
Okay, they're for real.
Well, the Browns are, and that's Fugazy. Browns literally just beat them. Yeah, but they're not sweeping. Finish up strong, guys. Here we go.
That's Fugazy. Let's stay in this division.
Okay, we were just hearing from our buddy, one of your boys, Joe Burrow. The Cincinnati Bengals are two and two. Are the Cincinnati Bengals for real, or are they Fugazy? I like the chuckle. They're for real.
They're for real. Um, and they're going to show it. The Bengals going to go to Miami. They're going to win that one. Then they got to buy.
Then they're at Baltimore, home for Tennessee, taking on Atlanta. I believe that one's in Spain. Um, and then they've got the Pittsburgh Steelers at home in a battle of the four reels. At that point in time, to find out who's fugazi.
So, I'll go with the Bengals being for real at this point in time, Chris Brock. We've lost two in a row. Let's go to the South. The South. The two and two Indianapolis Colts.
I'm going to say, are they for real, Rich, or are they fugazi? I'm going to go fugazi. I'm going to go fugazi. How what's up with Daniel Jones? Great question.
Until I see more of the seven and one Indiana Jones from. Last year, we're going to go with the Temple of Doom. 100 for Fugazi. What else, Chris? Last one.
Last one. Let's finish up strong. Let's finish up strong. They got a new play caller as well. Who's that?
The two and two Denver Broncos. Are the Denver Broncos for real, or are they Fugazi? I like the different inflections. That may be my favorite part of the segment. The Denver Broncos are for real.
Get out of here with this nonsense. Nonsense! It is nonsense. Fugazy, how are they fugazy? How good is Bo Nix?
That's a great question. He looks regal in that picture. And I think Sean Payton is slow, slowly but surely, going to say this whole idea it's was fugazy. What's for real? Me holding the diamond between my temples, man.
That's for real.
So great stuff, everybody. I love this thing. Tune in two weeks from now. We're going to who's three and three.
So we got twelve. How many three and three teams will we have? Less than in two weeks. Great question. Yeah, I'll take the under from that.
If I say eight and a half. Let's keep doing it until it gets sponsored. I'm in. Yeah.
All right.
Maybe a diamond. Enjoy tonight's game, TJ. Good luck, TJ. Enjoy the text chain. I put you back on, man.
If you guys don't get crazy, can you win by ten tonight? I believe so. Oh my gosh! Michael Douglas on tomorrow's program. It's going to be great.
Falling down. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to three Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Today's forecast: falling leaves, football, and an eighty percent chance you're going to need a few more things for that backyard project.
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