REShow: Sauce Gardner/Nathan Zegura - Hour 1

We could talk about how complicated other banks make it to redeem credit card rewards, like how they require minimums and worse, how their rewards flat out expire. Or we could talk about how with Discover, you can redeem your rewards for cash in any amount at any time. I mean, talk about amazing. And now that we've talked about that, let's get back to The Rich Eisen Show, you know, the stuff we talk about here.

Learn more at discover.com slash redeem rewards. Terms apply. This piece of filet mignon. This is The Rich Eisen Show. There's no comeback story for me. I've always been here. I've been living my best life. Live from The Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.

You know, he didn't urinate down his leg, man. That's a great place to begin. Mike Tomlin's a national treasure, folks. National treasure. The Rich Eisen Show. Today's guests. Jets cornerback, Sauce Gardener. Co-founder of Merging Vets and Players, Nate Boyer. Celtics point guard, Marcus Smart. And now, it's Rich Eisen.

Yes, it is. Welcome to this edition of The Rich Eisen Show live here on the Roku channel and this Rich Eisen Show terrestrial radio affiliate Coast to Coast. Also, we say hello to those listening on the Odyssey app. Everyone who's been calling our call screener Adam in the back saying, when are you getting on Sirius XM?

It's coming, I promise you. It's just around the corner. We've been championing it a bit as well. But we're thrilled to be here for you on this Wednesday, getting ready for the week two kickoff tomorrow night between the Chargers and the Chiefs. A highly anticipated game, certainly in the world of Prime Video.

Everyone on Amazon for that. And this is day three for us on the Roku channel. And I started the show off Monday by asking a question if Roku adds 10 pounds. The answer is yes, they sent us bagels for breakfast today. And they were delicious.

They were phenomenal. So you'll have to excuse me if I've got a if I've got a poppy seed. Nice. I'm good, right? Am I good? You're good, Richard. OK, very good.

Anyway. Hey, welcome to our program. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman. How are you? Hey, Rich, what's up, man? I'm good. I'm good. D.J.

Mikey Diaz and Deez Nuts. Good to see you, Mike. How are you? Have you lit the candle, T.J. Jefferson? Have you lit the candle? The candles lit on Wednesday. And you know what that means?

No. What does it mean? We're going to have a great show.

Well, if any day ends and why it does. I like to think that that happens. Can I always have a quarterback yet? Yeah. Cooper Rush. It's Cooper Rush. It's Cooper. Cooper Rush. I don't think we can call him a Manning. Cooper Rush.

Cooper Rush versus Joe Burrow. Look, all I'm going to say is this. By the way, a division winner from last year is going to be 0-2. That's true.

I feel bad for the bagels. And then there's another game later. There's another game. Two playoff teams, wildcard teams playing each other for trying to avoid 0-2 in Arizona and Vegas. You know, there's a lot at stake, bro. Yes, there is. You don't want to go 0-2 in the NFL.

So that's my way to set up your whatever, how you were going to follow up his trolling of you out of nowhere. It was a legitimate question because we're all like consumed with this. Brockman, is it too early to have the Arch Manning watch clock on yet? No. For Dallas? For anyone really, but sure. Not for Dallas.

Oh, good Lord. Yes, it is too early for Dallas. Is it too early for him to have the Celtics clock on for him as a Patriot fan? I think so. I think so, too. He got caught up in his feelings the other day. He knows that. He knows he's got the goat of all coaches.

You know, he had to get some stuff off his chest, but I believe he's calmed down enough to realize that he was a little wrong. I said that. I asked that to set up the fact Marcus Smart or as Mark Jackson would call him Marcus Marcus. He does have a smart. He does have the greatest Boston sports name ever because he has two Rs in his name. Marcus that you can just, you know, bypass with the A.H. Marcus Smart. It's the greatest Boston sports name ever.

Never thought about it. It's incredible. I loved it when we drafted him. I love him more every single day.

Can't wait to hear from him. Defensive player of the year in the NBA for a Celtics team that went from seemingly being torn apart at the seams by themselves needing all sorts of player player meetings in December. And then the calendar turns. They ripped off so many different ways to win.

And then they damn near won the whole thing. So Marcus Smart will be joining us. And I definitely want to ask him when he joins us in hour number three, how that piece of news that Kevin Durant was on the Celtics radar screen with Jalen Brown going back, how that landed in his world and also his locker room. He'll join us in our number three. Our friend Nate Boyer will be on in our number two, the movie version of Merging Vets and Players, the organization he co-founded with Jay Glazer to make sure that veterans returning home from the theater of war and in Jay Glazer's world, athletes that are leaving the world of athletics, both subsets of very highly trained and also very competitive individuals and humans, both of them together working out how they can find the next step in their lives successfully.

Merging Vets and Players is now a movie MVP and Nate Boyer acts in it. He directed it. Sylvester Stallone is atop the movie poster. He's an executive producer and Jay Glazer's in it and the whole glaze world is in it.

If you blink, you you might miss me. I don't know. I'm at the very end of the movie. We shot it a couple of years ago. So if you see it, you'll see the old NFL Network set in the movie.

Anyway, that it premieres in theaters across the United States tonight. Nate Boyer is here to celebrate that and talk about that awesome organization and sauce gardener house. He's not the reason why the Jets are on one. But he is a reason why, as you know, I'm very excited about the Jets and seeing what they can do as long as Zach Wilson can stay upright. He will be joining us in about 15 minutes time, courtesy of his friends at Buffalo Wild Wings. He's got to deal with them.

And there's a very unique trading card that's out there based on his nickname. Oh, you don't say that. That's right. So you might be in on that. I don't I don't know if it's going to build you the same house that Arch Mannings cards in your world is going to build you a house. It might.

Maybe the summer rental, you know. You know what? Here's how we're going to start this program today. I haven't done this in eight in the eight years, right? I haven't done this at all. And normally I don't I don't get the sense of why people do this, but I think people like lists and they like rankings.

And they think that it's a source of argument. And I can attest, I am going to dip my toe in this pool to see if how this works. The bubbles tickle. Here it goes. NFL films music, the first ever power rank history. You've been I'm coming over to the dark side.

Welcome to the party. The rankings, the rankings themselves. You can feel you will feel the energy.

I love it. The power from the rankings themselves, I think will fuel will just fuel the debate. After just one week of NFL action, after just four quarters for all 32 teams of action, it's going to feel so good. I come up with the top 10 teams in the NFL based on what I've seen. Based on what I'm seeing. That's the way I'm going to rank them.

I know there's different ways to rank them. All right. I procrastinated long enough. I'm finally going to do it. Here's 10 through six.

Put it on the screen. I'm not I can't quit the Raiders. I can't quit the Raiders.

Are you serious? I can't quit the Raiders nor the Packers. I can't quit them. Raiders are 10 and the Packers are nine. The Ravens are eight. The Dolphins are seven.

The Rams are six. Keep it on the screen. I'll just give it to you. Talk it out. Talk. I'm going to talk it out.

Talk it out. Come on. Did you see Carter Devante Adams? Did you see it? Did you see Carter? I saw it. Darren Waller. Did you see Carr to Hunter Renfro?

Not really. Not that that was as long as the as long as they could see to it that we give Derek Carr a little bit more of protection. And Derek can get the ball out faster. Number of times I was just sitting there thinking, what's he holding on to it?

I thought the McDaniel's offense is like Brady. See it. Throw it. Go. Let's go. But I think Devante Adams and the Raiders are still one of the best offenses in the league. And I'm stuck. I'm not quitting the Raiders yet.

I can't. And I think they're going to boat race Arizona, too. I think that's going to be a game that they win handily this Sunday. And then there's the Packers.

Lazard is not going to be out forever. They're still 12. I love their defense. More often than not, the Packers are going to win football games this year.

They're ninth on my list. The Ravens, as I called them yesterday, sneakiest good passing attack in the NFL. Lamar hasn't even started running yet. And J.K. Dobbins wasn't even running at all.

Gus Edwards will be coming back soon. I like their defense. I like the Ravens. And I'm putting the Dolphins seven.

I'm putting the Dolphins at seven because I like the offense, man. And the defense was balling out. They put points in the end zone on they beat up Mac Jones. They beat up the Patriots.

That thing shouldn't have been as close. And again, the reason why everyone's pointing at Tua saying Tua is just, you know, flipping it out there eight yards and letting his guys run the rest. Well, that works.

That works. I'm putting the Dolphins seven. I can't believe I'm having the Dolphins that high after the first week.

But that's where I'm going. And then the Rams. They're your world champs.

I I'm not quitting on them either. They still have one of the best rosters in the NFL. They just went up against the best team in the NFL. And, you know, they didn't play a lot of guys in the preseason. And I think it showed. And I believe there's still that team that can win the NFC West, obviously, and then win the entire conference.

I think they're still out there. All right, Mike, turn down the music a little bit here. Thank you very much. He's into it, too. You feel the power. I think the music power right there. OK, here we go. Here we go. Here's your top five.

One by one. Speaking of power. Number five on the list are your Los Angeles Chargers. Hey, I like it. I'm putting them there. Number five on your list of the Los Angeles Chargers. Then I'm going Vikes, Bucks, Chiefs, Bills.

All right. The Chargers are fifth on the list. I dig them because Khalil Mack showed up. And Derwin James has been paid and he is healthy.

And that defense is no joke. Concerned about Keenan Allen's health, obviously moving forward, but they've got an MVP candidate and a quarterback. And as long as they don't do Chargers things, you know, as long as Brandon Staley can keep the fourth down attempts to just two a game as opposed to six.

I like him. I'm taking the Vikings fourth. They they may just have the offensive player of the year in Justin Jefferson. Dalvin Cook, who is on tomorrow's program, still a top five wide running back in this league. Kirk Cousins has been unlocked maybe by Kevin O'Connell. He brings in that McVeigh Shannon system that's been built for Kirk Cousins.

He's the prototypical quarterback for it. And the defense is with Big Z and Harrison Smith picking off. Aaron Rodgers showed me that's a that's a that's a very complete team that Minnesota put out there in week one. But in my mind, not as complete as the Bucks because there's TB 12 man. I like what the Bucks look like.

I like the way that they looked. I liked seeing Todd Bowles and his calm, cool demeanor out there on the sideline and just sitting back and letting TB 12 slinging around. And Julio freakin Jones, man. Julio Jones is running jet sweeps. He's running 20 miles an hour.

He is amazing. And I know Godwin got hurt. But here comes Julio Jones. Maybe he and Evans.

Like, good luck. Yeah, that's like the that's like the all 2010s of NFC South team right there. You might say the best receivers in the NFC South and in the teens, you might go Evans and and Julio Jones. You know, and then I have the Bills one because of that. The way they looked and bring me back on camera for the Chiefs. Will you please? All right, Eric, this is for you. You turn it down.

You turn it off. Eric Stone Street and Chiefs Nation and everyone else, this one's for you. I had the Raiders to win the division and I got to stick to it because I talked about it way since March. And I did kind of cover the tracks a little bit. Chiefs Nation kind of didn't hear it, maybe because I kept because they can't hear it over that.

I think the Raiders are winning the division. You don't have to. No, no, hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Don't have to. Hold on. I have to.

T.J., I have to. And I did kind of cover my tracks a little bit by saying the Chiefs offense not only is going to be OK, but it could be better, could be better because Tyreek Hill, sure, he's top notch. But now if you've got five, six weapons you have to take care of and one of them still Travis Kelce. And one of them is now a healthy Clyde Edward G. Lehrer and the rest of that running back core. I mean, they got four of them there.

They got four of them. They got McKinnon. They got Ronald Jones and they got this kid, Isaiah Pacheco out of Rutgers. And they got Juju Smith Schuster and they got Marquez Valdez Scantling and they got Meeko Hardman and they got Justin Watson and they got Andy Reid.

And they still have, for some reason, Eric Bienamy as their coordinator because no one else has hired him in the NFL. The stat of the weekend, 66 offensive snaps, 33 first downs. Did you see that, Chris?

I did. Let me make sure I sell that properly, that there is no typo on all of that. Stat of the weekend. The hit rate for the Kansas City Chiefs, 66 offensive plays, 33 first downs. We do the math for you here.

That's what Arias Consulting does. That's 50 percent of snaps. Half.

That's not a strong suit though. They snapped the ball 66 times, half the time they got a first down on it. You want to chalk that up to Arizona's defense?

I don't think they're that bad. But that said, the Bills are still my team to win the Super Bowl and I'm sticking to it. And that Bills-Chiefs game that is coming up on the schedule, you can circle it right here and right now. The Buffalo Bills are taking on the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead week six. Circle it.

Circle it. And you look at Buffalo. Can they go into that game undefeated? They got a Monday nighter at home against Tennessee. They're at Miami, at Baltimore, home for Pittsburgh, at Kansas City. And then Kansas City comes home, as you know, on Thursday night. That's a tough one against the Chargers. Then they're at Indianapolis, at Tampa, home for Vegas on a Monday night.

I have a feeling I need to unplug my phone to make sure Stonestreet doesn't call me that night. And then there's that Buffalo game. And I don't know, you know, I don't know how my power rankings are going to change at the top very much, but who knows? That's why they're power rankings.

There are many like them, but this one is mine, to use the Full Metal Jacket phrase. So I just wanted to say the Kansas City Chiefs are two and I didn't think they'd be sitting up there at two, but they are definitely, in my mind, two. And it will be maybe a coin flip when the AFC Championship game hits, but obviously that's about 20 weeks from now. What say you, 844204richnumber2dog, Chris Brockman and TJ Jefferson on our YouTube page, you're going to have your power rankings. You're going to shoot that for our YouTube page. That's going to be posted later on.

You've got your MVP rankings later on in hour number three. Correct. We will hit that as it sounded like the Denver Broncos new head coach called for a mulligan. At least that's what the headlines say. But listen to the soundbite. And I don't think that is what Nathaniel Hackett said yesterday. Does he know how it works? I don't think that is what he said yesterday after he went off the air.

I think he still thought it was the right move. But we'll talk about that in hour number three on this program. And yes, we will say a special hello to our friends in Cleveland who have choice words to say about us over their elf.

Yes, over their elf. We will not shelf that conversation. That's coming up right after we talk to Sauce Gardener prior to which we didn't play the Robert Sala receipts soundbite.

We haven't. That will be coming up next. And with you, 844204richnumber2dog. If you're listening to us coast to coast on Odyssey Terrestrial Radio or watching us on the Roku channel, give us a ring.

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Simply go to Geico.com to get a rate quote or contact your local agent and get started seeing how much you could save. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show 844-204, Rich being the number to dial here on the program. Got my new Roku mug right here. You mean we got our new Roku mug.

That's right. You got one. Hold it up.

How does it look for you? I mean, you got to tell me. Yeah. Take a sip. Let's see. Let's see. Let's see.

Pick you out real quick. There we go. There we go.

TJ Jefferson. Oh, peaking's extended. Oh, careful. Oh, come on.

Let's not slurp. Come on. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. Brockman was second rate over here. Brockman doesn't drink coffee. I'm a Yeti guy. But you're not.

I knew you were a Yeti guy. But you don't drink. I've never seen you drink a mug. I drink coffee. You can't have like something that's easily popped all over it over there.

Exactly. If I had a mug here, I'd be bad. You know, I spilled it. I spilled all over the set in Miami at the Super Bowl and Joe Burrow watched it.

Didn't even lift a finger while I was just like cleaned up in front of him. The liquids around what I'm doing are bad, bitch. Joe Burrow is cool.

Other pressure, bro. Joe Burrow is cool. Just watch me. I spilled everywhere.

He had white sneakers on. It was terrible. He's like, I'm like, oh my God. What a mess.

Do well together. What a mess. So look.

Thanks for sitting through all that, by the way. Look, I have, and this is Sauce Gardener is about to call in. I have seen them all as a Jet fan.

I've seen them all. My first Jet head coach I can remember was Walt Michaels. May he rest in peace. In the 70s, he was Richard Todd's head coach. I always remember, whenever it was cold, he wore these big, huge gloves on.

They looked like oven mitts. And then it went to Joe Walton. Yeah. Michaels was 77 to 82. And then Joe Walton showed up, right? And then that was the chance of Joe Must Go. 83 to 89.

Joe Must Go. Made the playoffs a couple times. And then was that a coslet? Was that the coslet era that began? We had to go get the offensive coordinator that Boomer Esiason had when he was winning, you know, hopefully going to winning championships for the Bengals. Yeah, so coslet did four years, 90 to 93.

Yep, yep, yep. And then the Jets got co-tidy bad. You forgot the one year of Pete Carroll. Oh, Pete Carroll.

That's right. Pete, the Jets actually saw what the rest of the league now sees, which is, you know, he acts like a child, but he is a manchild when it comes to, you know, coaching. Jets gave him a one and done, because they had to bounce him for Rich.

How to get some co-tite. Pete went six and ten. They're like, no, that's not good.

Let's go three and thirteen and then one and fifteen. Parcells then came in and got things sorted until the Jets got sold. And then he's like, I'm out.

And Belichick's like, OK, I got my little cocktail napkin where I was going to be in, but then I'm out. And then a little Al Groh situation. Al Groh. One year of Al Groh. Yeah. So they had 53 flashlights, right?

That's what they said. He was talking about, you know. Al Groh. He was good nine and seven. That's great.

That's good for the Jets. Herm came in and started playing to win the game. And Herm did great.

Yes, he did. Herm at the playoffs, three out of five. Herm with Chad Pennington, it was good. His press conferences were epic. And then Rex came in and he wasn't going to kiss anybody's rings, but in between.

In between. Wow. The Man Genius.

Was it an episode of Sopranos? Yes. Man Genius.

Yeah. The Man Genius came in. That was the ill-fated Favre Spygate era. Rex Ryan and then Todd Bowles and now, again, I laughed out loud when Torrico said on the broadcast, he spent four years with the Jets and learned many lessons.

Yeah, there's lots of lessons to be learned, certainly when you get bounced for Adam Gase. Now here comes Robert Salo and he's already, you know, he's like this. He's so calm, cool and collected, but he's already feeling the sense of dread that we Jet fans have and everybody just keeps on saying, same old Jets, same old Jets, same old Jets.

This is his version of the, you play to win the game speech. And it's, uh, it's very solid, like it's very, very just chill until the very end where he kind of showed his fangs a little bit, hit it. It's really hard to explain. You just feel the team getting faster and faster and faster. And you're going to see it on, on, on tape. As you're watching TV is more like, damn, these guys are flying around and they're making plays and they're talking smack and it's, you know, like, it's like the first half of the game. The, when you look at the defensive side, uh, just the first half of the game and even the offense, the way it was moving the ball, but it just kept shooting ourselves in the foot. Like when those, those little errors on the offense was, was having the first half stop happening, it's going to be explosive.

And then it carries on to the second half. You're just going to feel it, uh, and, and in a way it does just click where you just stacking up day after day after day. And, um, and it's really, really cool when it does happen because it just absolutely pops off the tape and, uh, and I know it's going to happen and I'm, and I'm taking, we're, we're all taking receipts on all the people who continually mock and say that we ain't going to do anything. I'm taking receipts and I'm going to be more than happy to share them with all of y'all when it's all said and done. Here's the, the usual with the culture changers that come into Jets country is, um, is we as the fan base, it's just, you know, the slow boil has been a 50 plus years now. It's been a, I'm 53 year old man.

I was an embryo when Joe Namath was there. Okay. And so I'm, I'm, I, I'm speaking for Jets fans where the boil is, is so slow and the players are definitely faster. You could see that. That is true.

That is true. The issue is, is it has been, I just gave you the 50 plus years. So there's a lot of impatience.

I am not one of those, as you know, that has been critical saying it's not going to happen. I really like a lot of the changes that Joe Douglas has, has, has instituted. And that solid does appear to have the ability to execute. Quarterback's got to stay healthy. And when he doesn't stay healthy and he's the only week one starter, that's not out there because he's not healthy of any of the 32 teams, we feel like we're still getting kicked in the nards by the football gods.

So there's a different set of receipts. So I hope coach Salah understands that where that's coming from, from the fan base. I think he does, but he's right.

If there's anybody out there who says that same old Jets, they have no shot to do this standby, I guess we're about to talk to sauce Gardner. He knows none of what I'm talking about from the previous years. He doesn't know the difference between Walt Michaels and Joe Walton either.

I do though. And he's on the Mercedes-Benz phone line right now. He is none other than one of the best defenders to come out of collegiate football in a while, certainly out of Cincinnati. And he and the Jets are going to take on the Browns and Brownie the elf on Sunday in week number two, joining us on the Mercedes-Benz fans phone line courtesy of Buffalo Wild Wings is none other than sauce.

Gardner. How are you doing sauce? I'm doing very well, man. Thanks for having me. How you doing? I'm doing great.

Let's just jump right into it. What was it like your first NFL game for you sauce? And it was a blessing, man, just being able to fly around on the field with the defense with my teammate knows everything that I thought it would be, man. And, and I found it also quite moving on nine 11 that the first person out of the tunnel with the American flag was you with the number one Jersey on was that planned? Did you know that you were going to be leading that charge sauce Gardner? I actually didn't, you know, it's just something that just naturally happened.

I think it was a Jersey number thing, but I'm not sure. What was that like for you to introduce yourself in a way on such an emotional day at a big moment coming out of the tunnel like that in the NFL sauce? That day, that day meant a lot to me. You know, I was actually born in 2001 so I wouldn't able to be really like alive for that long when it happened. But I just know a lot of my coaches were talking about it and talking about like what they were doing, you know, when that all happened.

So I wouldn't just plan for like my family, you know, and my loved ones. I was planning for America, I was planning for the things, the tragic, tragic things that happened on the day of 9-11, 2009. Yeah, and it was quite a day, no question about it. And then, and then the football began to be played. There's always a conversation that the speed of the game is something that a rookie in the NFL does not expect. How was it to you, with obviously needing to keep an eye on Lamar Jackson and whoever else came out of the backfield your way? The speed, the speed wasn't too, too different.

The main thing, it was extremely loud when we were on defense, so I was having to make sure I came in the huddle a little bit more to get the call, you know, that was just the main thing, you know, the environment. And then the game was played and the Jetsons, we all know, did not come up with the win. Your coach, Robert Salo, is talking about the speed of the team and how you can notice a difference in how things are going to click in when he was asked on Monday about when the Jets might start turning a corner and he said that he's got receipts of anybody who thinks it's not going to happen. Have you seen those receipts, Sos Gardner? Have you seen them?

Honestly, man, I know we have the guys, I know we have the talent, you know, it's just a matter of time to win it when it happens, you know, we were down, we just got to make sure we stay in the game, you know, keep executing. No, I just kind of, I guess, referencing your coach using words I've never really heard Robert Salo say is that he's keeping receipts on those who are doubting the New York Jets. Are you doing the same, Sos Gardner?

Are you doing it? I try not to pay too much attention, but, you know, those things have popped up in the team meetings, you know, and I'm aware of a lot of them. What do you mean they popped up in team meetings?

What do you got? Like the receipts, stuff that people say about the Jets organization in the team. Like are you seeing video or you're seeing like headlines?

What are you actually? No, it's just like little social media stuff, it ain't no big deal, like tweets and stuff like that, it's not videos, small little things. And this is in team, full on team meetings or just defensive meetings, where were we seeing those? I don't remember. I don't remember if it was team or defensive meeting, it was one of the meetings that popped up, you know, we know what we got to do, man, and it's going to happen real, real soon. Well that's what I was referring to the last time we spoke, Sos Gardner, before you got drafted is, you know, I was pounding the table for you as you know, I wanted you to be a Jet in the worst way and you know, I'm sitting on the set of the NFL Network and then I heard your name called in Vegas and I'm like, absolutely, this is what needed to happen. But I asked you beforehand saying, you know, the Jets have a fan base of saying it's just the same old, same old and things happen to the team in a way that doesn't seem to befall any other and Zach Wilson's injury, to be honest, is the latest such example and asked you how you were going to change the culture around if you go to the Jets, now you're there.

Do you have a conversation with Garrett Wilson and your rest of your draft class about this very subject matter, Sos Gardner? Yeah, we know we got to change the culture, you know, I'm not going to say the Jets, they're used to losing, but we just got to change the culture, man. We have the guys to win and we have to do whatever it takes. Like I'm used to leading by example, but that's on me as well, I got to be more vocal, you know, I got to do whatever it takes so that way we can turn it around fast because luckily that's just one game.

That was the first game of the season, you know, we can turn it around extremely fast. And now you're going back to the state where you played your college football, you're going back to Ohio, it's Cleveland. Are you going to have any fans, friends, anybody that you're hosting at this game, Sos Gardner?

I'm not sure yet. Okay, still early. I know my boy Jerome, he played running back there though. Okay.

All right. Just trying to see if there's any homecoming aspects of it, I know that, you know, obviously you played in Cincinnati, this is Cleveland. Did you know that the Browns are putting a huge-ass elf in the middle of the field?

It's their mascot. Have you ever played football? I just seen that on Twitter, literally before we got on. Have you ever played a game with a huge-ass elf in the middle of the field before Sos Gardner?

Has that ever happened for you? Is this going to be a new thing for you? Yeah, it's going to definitely be a new thing. Okay.

Do you want to plant a flag on that, like Baker Mayfield? What do you think? What do you like?

What do you got for me? Possibly, man, I don't know. We got to wait and see.

Okay, let's do that. Well, how's Zach Wilson doing? Anything you could tell me? I know it's injuries and you're not supposed to talk about injuries outside of the team, but I'm kind of freaking out, so many Jets fans are too, about how he looks, and I know he was on the sideline. What can you tell me, Sos Gardner? I haven't really seen him too, too much, you know what I'm saying? I just know he's been putting a lot of work in. You know, he always smiling, you know, that's my guy, man, but you know, as far as the injury and everything, he looking good.

I don't know, I don't know, like exactly what's going on, but he looking real good. Okay. Let's get to one of the reasons why you're calling in other than just to say hello, right? You call in to say hello, right, Sos Gardner? Definitely.

Okay, very good. So we go way back to the combine when, you know, you really didn't know I was keeping my eye on you. And now here you are as a New York Jet and you're in a Buffalo Wild Wings partnership and you are in a B-dubs ad where you said some athletes just get a sneaker. I get a sauce. And now I've got a box here on my desk. It says sauce, sauce. That's what this is called. It's sauce, sauce is what I've got right here. That's exactly what it is. Okay.

What do I have? I'm taking it off right now. Oh, look at this. Look at this box. There you are. You're looking very, you're looking, what is that?

It looks like a football trophy back there. Okay. You're looking very happy. Yeah. Okay. There it is right there.

All right. Walk me through what the sauce, what's the sauce tastes like? Sauce, sauce. It's a smoky, sweet and spicy barbecue. I'm a huge barbecue guy, but I also like spicy, spicy food and spicy sauces. So, you know, I just thought it would be perfect to just mix them together, you know, sweet and spicy barbecue. And what is, and what is your favorite to put, put this on?

If you had your choice, what do you got for me? I would say like boneless wings, chicken sandwiches, chicken. So chicken, you don't go, you don't, what do you, what else are you going on? I mean, for those who want to branch out, what do you got, man?

I mean, you could, honestly though, you could put it on anything you want me to be honest. Okay. Please be honest. Please be honest. But I just want, I'm going to be honest with you too, man. My kids make fun of me for this. I'm just not a spice guy. I can't, it just lights up my mouth and I got to drink like a ton of water. I can't handle it to be honest with you.

So spicy man, just a little touch. Okay. So there we go.

And I'm seeing, they even got, Chris, look at this, they even got like this note inside of it right here where it's like a note from you. From as long as I remember you gone by sauce, as long as you can remember your coach called you sauce. Why? Why did you get that nickname of sauce to begin with? Man, I had a lot of reasons, it's a lot of reasons that went into it, you know, uh, my ability, how I played the game of football, you know, I used to love sauce when I was younger. Okay. You know, it's, it's a lot of reasons, man.

This card says it's called because you had saucy sweet feet. Yeah, exactly, man. Okay. Exactly. All right. All right.

You know, justice history and keep it saucy. I know I will. That's the last line of this card that comes in the Buffalo Wild Wings sauce, sauce container. I appreciate Buffalo Wild Wings for that, you know, just cause just how I'm bringing the sauce to the football field, they bringing it to the food. So, you know, I knew it was just a natural combination, you know, between me and them. And by the way, hold on a second. We have trading card collectible people here on this set, TJ Jefferson, would you, what do you say TJ or you, Chris, are the number one did you say he's investing a little more these days.

Okay. We're both pretty into it. On September 1st, is it true that you sauce Gardner and Buffalo Wild Wings hosted the first ever autograph signing using sauce, you actually used sauce to autograph material that happened?

Yeah, no, no, definitely. You know, that was probably one of the best experiences of my life, man, just being able to interact with fans and autographs and stuff, you know, that was crazy. Well, I mean, you got to let it dry, right?

I mean, how does that work? It was dry. It was dry pretty fast, but, but that was just crazy, man. It was insane. When I first got there, they had a rookie card for me to sign, you know, I signed that was the first thing I signed.

They said they were going to auction it on eBay for the Buffalo Wild Wings foundation, which benefits used work. So that was, that was, that was phenomenal right there. All right.

That is amazing. Okay. All right. Okay. And, and of course that you used sauce, sauce for that. Exactly.

Exactly. See, I'm picking up what you're putting down. I'm picking up what you're putting down.

All right, sauce. Let's start, let's start winning some football games. What do you say?

What do you think? Let's do it. I'm with you on that one, man. Oh, please. I mean, this is it. You and Jermaine Johnson, Breece Hall, and just Garrett Wilson.

You know, I'm a Michigan guy, so rooting for an Ohio state guy takes him getting used to, but I got used to it real fast this past weekend. Real fast. So, okay. Hey, uh, thanks for the time, Sauce Gardener.

Really appreciate it. Let's do this more often, even when you're not pitching new sauce. Okay. Let's do that. We got to stay in touch, man. Definitely do. Let's do it.

I'm, I'm, I'm all the way in. What do you do with your spare time? You living out in Jersey? Is that what you're doing? Sauce? You live out?

I'm in Jersey. Actually, I just, um, I want to say stream, I stream, uh, video games sometimes like Warzone and 2K. Okay.

Video games. That's really it. Do you stream the, and now you're going to stream the Roku channel because that's what my show is on.

What do you think? Let's do it. Yeah. Okay. Gotcha. Okay.

Absolutely. All right. And I got your sauce right here. Next time, make it a little bit more sweet than the, uh, than the spicy.

Oh, that's another thing I should, I should ask you before I go. I spoke to Luke Fickle. He finally called you sauce, right?

He said he would never knit. He would, he would always call you a mod, but never sauce until you got in the NFL and you got drafted. He was there and he called you sauce on the spot. Is that a true story? Yeah.

No, that's true. But actually one of my current teammates called me the name sauce. I didn't think it was, I didn't think it was going to happen that song. You know, DJ Mosley, you know, he was, he even called me a mod this whole time, but I said, man, call me sauce, man. You're the first person to know that one. So hold on a second.

There is, hold on a minute. So is, is, uh, Sala not calling you sauce? He's calling you. What does he? Oh, no, he, he called me a mod still.

Okay. And everyone else, everyone, is that like rookie hazing? Is that what that is?

No, that's not what it is. I mean, you know, it's a lot of people on the team who call me sauce. CJ was just one of the, one of the captains, one of the leaders who said, um, he was going to call me a mod until I made, made a play on, on Sunday on the, on the Sunday, you know, when I went in the facility yesterday, it was the first thing he said to me was sauce. So that was kind of, kind of funny right there.

Did you then give him the soft sauce on the spot with your Buffalo Wild Wings box? That's too much. Even right now, you're going to have to, you're just going to have to work your way up to that.

You got to work your way up to that. Okay. But I've got it. I'm going to bring it home. I'm going to go grill with it this weekend. Thanks very much. Sauce Gardner.

You're the man. Congratulations on everything at I am Sauce Gardner on Twitter at Sauce Gardner on Instagram. He is now a Buffalo Wild Wings pitch man, and he's got the first ever trading card to be sauced. And now it's going to be auctioned on eBay to benefit the Buffalo Wild Wings foundation.

Everyone should check that out on eBay. Thanks for the call. Sauce.

You'd be well. Thank you. That's Sauce Gardner right here on the Rich Eisen show.

All right, let's be fair and balanced. The Cleveland side of things and, uh, for many in Cleveland, this show has been shelved by the elf. Nice. That's coming up next. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, please don't miss this either.

Eight four four two oh four rich being the number to dial on the program. We could talk about how complicated other banks make it to redeem credit card rewards, like how they require minimums and worse, how their rewards flat out expire. Or we could talk about how with discover, you can redeem your rewards for cash in any amount at any time. I mean, talk about amazing.

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Head to netsuite.com slash rich radio right now, netsuite.com slash rich radio, netsuite.com slash rich radio. I'm used to getting slings and arrows from a state of Ohio. Not going to lie. Not going to lie.

Ain't nothing new. I actually showed up in Canton, Ohio and spoke with my chest in front of 5,000 Buckeye fans inside of one building. It felt like happy you made it out. I don't usually, I don't, I don't thrive on the awkwardness, uncomfortable.

That's not my, that's not my lane. I don't, I don't like being in the, no, I don't, I don't like being booed and hissed and then, and then say, no, no, I'm here for all that stuff. Of course a 42 to 27 win over Ohio state will definitely toughen the skin up a little bit.

So that's the setup to, boy, did we hear an earful? Me personally too, I heard from some Browns fans, by the way, you're off. You're way off. Our, our poll question did not go in the favor of the general consensus of this room on the very thorny subject who knew of Brownie the elf who, well, it's this, it's this monstrously large logo that few people across the country knew even was existing on the planet, let alone associated with the Cleveland Browns organization for, let me do the math properly in my head, about 80 years. And Brownie the elf has been associated with this organization forever and a day. And fans of the Browns know exactly who it is and totally dig him. And the idea that they, that the Browns have removed the helmet from the Middlefield logo in Cleveland and put Brownie the elf on it is a very popular decision. And us saying, who the hell is this elf?

And what the hell are the Browns thinking is, uh, not popular. Well, not us, that would say all of us like that. You were like, I kind of dig it and we're all like, what's your malfunction? And uh, even just, just, we, we, we all got some grief for it, either text or on Twitter. I'll just, uh, show you one example of it that will, I think suffice to stand for all of the grief we got.

Mike Tultufo got somebody who morphed Brownie the elf, uh, turning his left hand into flipping the bird of them. Yeah. You got this one, right Mike? Yes. This was created at me.

I think that sums up the general response. So you, you know, this gentleman, you want to, you want to set this up who we're talking to? A good friend of mine, Nathan Zagora, he's the new Browns color commentator, color analyst. He texted me yesterday and he gave me the full description and everything about, about Brownie. So I said, Hey, and then I walked into work today and you said, get them on, get them on. All right. Joining us, the man who brings the analysis on the Cleveland Browns radio network and so much more diehard Brownie, uh, although I assume he's bigger than an elf. Joining me here on the Rich House Show for a few minutes, Nathan Zagora, how you doing Nathan?

Rich, it is great to be with you, TJ, thanks for bringing us together here so we can talk about the beloved Brownie, the elf Rich, and I just want you to know, I just want you to know that. So this was a logo that first appeared for the team in their inaugural year of 1946. So you had that right almost 80 years ago. Uh, it was on a game day program cover against the Miami Seahawks and tickets ads. And so I understand why people aren't outside of Cleveland aren't as familiar.

So go Art Modell takes over in the sixties and the logo kind of goes away. It comes back in after 99 and in 2006 it was the Browns kind of training camp logo. And then in 2020, when the Browns make their wonderful playoff run, Kevin's the fans, he was wearing a sweatshirt that says the Cleveland Browns equipment staff, and it had that running Brownie, the elf on it, it became the most popular item of clothing in this city.

Nobody could get it, but I am told Rich J.W. Johnson, our owner and executive vice president told me he will be happy to send you a Brownie hoodie, just give me the size and we'll get you hooked up in this hot hip Cleveland gear here. I truly appreciate that.

Um, I'm sure I can give it to a Brown fan because what's the phrase? I wouldn't be caught dead in it, but I'm just having fun with it. No, I look in all honesty, um, I, I know it's beloved, but really midfield for the whole country to see. I mean, like out of, you know, really, is that what we're doing here?

So here's what happened, Rich. So for the last few years, there's been nothing at midfield for the Browns and you were talking about when the helmet was there and that has been traditionally what was at midfield. So this year we decided, Hey, we're going to put something back at midfield in our, you know, our head of marketing, Brent Ross, CJW. They came up with an idea that there was going to be four options presented to our fans and decided by our fans. So there were four field options that were presented. One had two of them had the helmet at the midfield.

One had the traditional Brad Yelper is kind of standing there with his hands on his hips. And then one had this running Brownie, the elf, which was the guy said became popular at the fancy hoodie and nearly a hundred thousand votes later, this is what was chosen. So the voice of the Cleveland Browns fan, they have selected Brownie the elf to be at the 50 yard line. And as you said so eloquently yesterday, when I am calling games, yes, I will be looking down at that big old elf and hopefully looking at some Browns victories as well. Well, not to correct you.

I said, big ass elf is what I said. Well, I was trying to keep it clean. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Nathan. I guess I just have the potty mouth when it comes to all that right here, as we're nearing the end of our number one right here on the Rich Eisen Show, Nate Boyer, no relation to Nate Segura is going to be joining us in studio to talk MVP in our number two.

Still here on Roku for about another minute and a half. So Nathan, you're saying this is a fan vote. The fans say, yes, let's put that on there. So they're only following the will of the fans is what you're saying. That's right. And the Browns fans, as you know, some of the best in the world, they are undefeated. They've been with us through six and unfortunately too much thin at times. But yes, this is their will.

They said, get Brownie the elf at the 50. We have heard it. It is happening. And that'll be the home opener against Soff, your previous guest, and the Jets this Sunday.

Okay. So Art Modell de-elfed the Browns and then de-Browns to Cleveland. And then Randy Lerner put the elf back in and then Stefanski put the elf on his chest and now suddenly he's at midfield because the fans want it. And we stepped in saying, who the hell is this elf and we hate it.

And that's why there's a lot of scorn being sent in our direction from the state of Ohio. Is that something I will up? I would say you summed it up perfectly, Rich. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir.

I have a great broadcast we'll have you on throughout the season and I will take one of those for sure. What size do you need, Rich? Large.

Large? You got it. Yeah. Thank you so much, Nathan. I appreciate it. There you go. I'll take one. All right, Nate. If the Browns are offering, if it's free, it's me. Of course. All right.

Send me three. And we strolled in. We're like, we hate it. And the fans are like, we love it. And then the fans are like, yeah, look who's going to be in the middle of the field.

It's Brownie the elf. And then we're like, we hate it. We're like, that looks stupid.

It's stupid. Yeah, we want it. Tried to tell you guys, I tried to tell you. Our bad? Our bad?

It's still the worst. Guess what? Guess what? What are we doing?

Guess what? If they lose to the Jets on Sunday, the elf is gone. See ya.

Rip it up. See ya. Power 2 coming up on the show. For the real story behind some of wrestling's biggest moments, it's something to wrestle with Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson too. All time Hogan opponents, Macho Man's got to be in the conversation. Where's Andre for you? I've always said Andre was number one. Wow. Because even going back before, you know, Hulk Hogan was a baby face, Hulk and Andre were able to go in and headline at the New Orleans Superdome at Shea Stadium in Japan. Wherever they went, that was an attraction. Something to wrestle with Bruce Prichard. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.