REShow: Madelyn Burke/Kevin Connolly - Hour 3

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You talking down on us, we live it up. How about that? This is the Rich Eisen Show with guest host Ben Lyons. Chris Solomon from No Laying Up joining the show right now. What is it about this year's Open Championship that has you so dialed in? Those are going to end up in some super weird spots.

If you hit one offline, it's heading towards another group on another hole. Earlier on the show, NFL Network reporter Jane Slater, co-host of Men in Blazers, Michael Davies. Coming up, sports host and broadcaster Madeline Burke, plus actor Kevin Connolly. And now, sitting in for Rich, here's Ben Lyons. All right, welcome back to the show.

Ben Lyons in for Rich. 20 minutes or so, we've got Kevin Connolly coming in studio. I know TJ's crossed paths with Kev over the years. Hollywood guy, he's been around for a minute.

So excited to catch up with Kevin. He was in a few months ago when Ryan hosted. Oh, he came in with Ryan Leaf?

Yeah, a friend of the show. And he's developed somewhat of a nice golf game. You know, I had so many hockey swings in his game, but now he's starting to put it together around the green. Somebody else who I hear has a tremendous golf game, but I have not yet seen it myself. I've only heard rumblings around New York City sports media circles that this woman hits bombs off the tee. She makes putts, she's deadly around the green, and she's kind enough to join us right now in the Mercedes Benz Vans phone line.

It's Madeline Burke who covers the New York Giants. How's the golf game, Madeline? I'm hearing great things.

I am so glad that my rumor mill is working because it sounds a lot better than it is. But you know what? I love getting out there on the course. We've got to get out and play as long as you're good with me chasing some balls out of some weird positions. Listen, I got into the place in my golf game where I get excited if I hit one in the woods because that means I can go find three. I've gone shopping and I've saved money, so I've turned into that golfer. Honestly, I've donated a lot of balls to the courses over the last couple of months. It's just really doing my altruistic duty out here.

Yes, you're always someone to give back, Madeline, for sure. We're about to head into another football season. The New York Football Giants is the team you cover on a day-to-day. Walk me through the state of the Giants heading into this season. I think a lot of changes.

I think that's been the storyline. New head coach, new general manager, really shaking things up and trying to get better and bounce back from that four-win season that we saw last year. Giants are not an organization that's used to not succeeding.

They've got four Lombardis in the case when you walk into the building. They've got a lot of success. A lot of great players have come through that organization. I think the struggles of the last five, six years have been a little bit unsettling for people who have been around the organization for a while, but there's a lot of optimism.

At this time of year when you have clean slate, of course, everyone in the league is starting fresh at 0-0 record. Anything is possible, but I think for the Giants specifically, bringing in a guy like Brian Dable, who has been in football for 22 years, has been an offensive coordinator, is really well respected, and has a reaction with guys who have been playing for him in previous appearances. A lot of times when you see a guy who's a first-time head coach, he comes in and he changes a little bit. He tries to emulate what a head coach should be. But Brian Dable, who is affectionately known as Dave's, John Feliciano, for example, said, Dave's is just more Dave's. He's just more of himself.

He's very authentic. I think that players are respecting that and are reacting positively to that. Of course, it's only July. We've only seen some OTAs and some minicamps. But with training camp just two weeks away, I'm excited to see what his imprint on this team is going to be. Madeline Burke joining the show, friend of the show, Ben Lyons in for Rich.

This is the Rich Eisen show. What is this, year four for Danny Dimes? He's on the clock.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, year four, this is his third head coach. It's tough for a quarterback like Daniel Jones, right? I mean, usually you come into the league and as a rookie, your second year, you kind of get more familiar. So things move faster, right?

The more familiar you are with something, the quicker it moves, the quicker you understand it. But for Daniel, there have been a couple of hiccups, right? I mean, of course, changing systems several times between different head coaches, different offensive coordinators, all of that. Also, the people around him, there's been no consistency. The offensive line has been a revolving door for the last couple of years due to injury or not playing to the level that has been expected. The wide receivers have been injured. The skill players have been in and out of the lineups and that's been tough. When you are doing a job, especially the National Football League, a lot of it is timing and rhythm and understanding that the people around you are going to be doing their job the way you expect. And if you're getting used to one receiver and the X running at a certain speed and another one is in there and it's like, who's playing in that spot now? And with your offensive line blocking in different ways and figuring it all out, it's just been hard. There's been no consistency. So it's been hard for Daniel Jones to find that kind of equal playing field or what have you to develop, if you would.

And I think the more consistency they can give him, the better opportunity there will be to see what kind of a player he actually is. Madeline Burke joining the show, New York Giants host and reporter, friend of the show, Ben Lyons in for Rich, the Rich Eisen Show. In addition to covering the Giants, in addition to being a big Giants fan, I know you've got a passion for all sports. I know you have an affinity for golf, like we discussed, but you and I were out at the Yankee game the other day on set of Lord of the Flies because you're a woman. You do not have to take your shirt off.

I'm a man. I was forced to take my shirt off. It was terrifying. Can you please back me up on this, that it was very Woodstock 99 vibes out at the bleachers at Yankee Stadium? The bleachers at Yankee Stadium are a completely different environment. I feel like the baseball game that is happening is more background noise in the bleachers. You know, you see the outfielders out there turning around, why is everyone cheering?

Nothing's happening. Oh, they're cheering because another guy took his shirt off. And we're sitting out there, and there was probably a group of five or six guys that were, you know, it's a hot day, of course. Some were in the Bronx and they're taking their shirts off. And then they just start cherry picking guys and saying, okay, you, you have to take your shirt off.

And everyone in the section is chanting, cue these men, until they take their shirt off. And then, of course, you were happily obliging, all right, let me lean in and join the fun as well. But it was chaotic and a blast and, you know, a $17 ticket, money well spent. Yeah, absolutely, a fun Saturday to sweat it out in the Bronx, but it got us talking about the greatest games we've been to as fans. I know you've gone to so many games as a reporter with a credential, but you're also somebody who likes to live the real fan life. So looking back at your sports career and resume as a fan, what's the greatest game you've ever been to?

Oh, gosh, I mean, there's a few. I think when I was a kid, my dad brought me to a Lakers-Bowls game in the early 90s, but I was about like five years old. So it's like you've got Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson on the court.

But I was like so preoccupied with the guy walking by with the who wants a Snickers? And I was like, I do, I do, that I didn't really have a full understanding of where I was. And then, of course, later in life, I remember, gosh, like the 2015 Rose Bowl, I think is one that sticks out, too, because going into that, you've got Jamis Winston and you've got Marcus Mariota. And going into that game, you would think that these two players are going to become what Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are now in the NFL. And of course, their careers didn't quite pan out that way, as many college football quarterbacks don't really translate in the way that we expect them to. But that was just a really fun game in a matchup of two highly anticipated quarterbacks. Of course, the Ducks ended up just crushing Florida State. Yeah, there have been a lot.

I feel like there's a lot of memorable games that have gotten to work as well. It's just why we get into this field, right? This is such a cool space to be in. We just sit and talk sports and go to sports games and events.

And I don't know, there's a lot. Well, that's what I was going to ask you next is that you cover all sports. I first crossed paths with you when you were doing stuff for the Clippers and now doing stuff for the Giants. You were even doing some postgame on NHL hockey, which I'm like, I don't know how she does that.

But good for you, Madeline, far more talented than I am. What is it about covering sports at this stage in your life and your career that really inspires you and you enjoy? I think it's just one of those things I've always loved, right? I think growing up, it was my way of bonding with my dad. And it wasn't until later life that I realized, oh, this is something I actually like myself, not just a way that I can spend time with my dad. And it's just something, too, that you get to do something different every day, right?

It's not the monotony of the same old song and dance and not no disrespect to anyone who has that. It's more of just for me, I love the variety and I love the challenge, too. Like you mentioned, hockey is something that I'm not, you know, I didn't grow up around hockey. But I think when you have the access to the information and you prepare and you study and you learn, there's just so much to learn about as well. And there are some sports that I've been a fan of for my whole life. And there are some sports like, as Michael Davies calls it, soccer, that, you know, I've gotten to learn later in life.

And it's just a cool and a welcome challenge. Madeline Burke joining the show, New York Giants host and reporter covering the team for MSG. Now, I want to get back to the football Giants because yesterday, Madeline, we did our top 10 running backs heading into the season list. And I put Saquon on that list.

I still believe in the guy. What are you hearing about Saquon Barkley heading into the year? Well, I think Saquon's got a lot of proof and I think he knows that and I think he feels that. And I remember earlier in OTA, it was almost as though he had this chip on his shoulder when people were asking him how he's feeling or all that. I know he's sick of being injured. I know he's sick of being asked about the injury. And it's, you know, it's a combination of things, right? He comes back from an 11 month recovery from that ACL only to have a freak accident landing on another player's foot and roll his ankle and have a really bad ankle sprain.

And there's not really much you can do about that. It's not like, oh, if you train better, if you prepare your body better, this man takes care of his body extremely well. That being said, I know that he is eager to get back out on the field.

This is a guy who does not like to not be available. And, you know, he understands availability is the best ability and talking to him earlier in this offseason program. You know, one of the things that he really lights up and talking about is as Brian Dable and Mike Kafka are starting to install this offense, the way that they're using him, the way they're moving him around the field, he said, I haven't moved around this much since college. And he said he actually went back and watched some of his old Penn State tape to kind of remember what that felt like, what that looked like, what he played like in that kind of a system. And I asked him, well, what is it like, you know, going back to watch that tape now, now that so much has changed, so much has happened in your life, in your career since those days, what do you see now looking at that young college player? He said, you know what, I was a lot more confident and a lot more comfortable at that time. And he said, you know, dealing with these injuries, as I'm sure you know, like when you go through an injury like that, you come back and whether or not your body feels 100 percent, you're still a little bit mentally hesitant. You don't want it to happen again. You've been out for almost a year.

You want to make sure to protect it. But he said, too, I'm finally starting to feel confident and trust my body again. I'm starting to feel comfortable again. And that is allowing him to play more free, not combined with the way that they are being creative and using him in this offense. He's really excited and you can see him light up and talking about it. I appreciate the insights on Saquon.

He's one of my favorite players in the league and I hope he gets a chance to get back on the field healthy and perform at a high level. Madeline Burke joining the show, Ben Lyons in for Rich on the Rich Eisen Show. You guys, there is nobody in my life that loves a good pun like Madeline Burke. If you follow her on Instagram, she'll put up a photo, beautiful photo. She's in orange pants and says, orange, you're glad you see me. You know, just stuff like she loves, loves the puns.

Where is it? What is where does the love of puns come from? What is the art and the science behind your puns? Because you're very punny lady.

Um, I like, I think like people like to call me big pun. No, I can't not. Like I really can't not. There are times when you've been there where I'm just like, I'm just, I'm sorry. It just happens. Um, but I think it's a lot of it too. It's just my self-deprecating nature, right? I can't post like a photo where I'm like, oh, look how good I look.

I'm like, all right, let me just balance it out with some like total nerdy personality on brand for me. There is nobody better in the business at Instagram caption puns than Madeline bark. And Ben, you know, I don't, Madeline, I don't know each other, but I start following her on Twitter years ago and she actually followed me back. Even though we've never met, she was working with the Clippers. And so I was a really big fan of what she was doing with the Clippers. And that was around like the 2014 season, right now when you were working with them, if I'm not mistaken. OK, I remember that. Yeah, that was a big time for the Clippers, Lob City days. And yeah, I just want to say you did a great job covering that team. Thank you.

Thank you for saying that. I mean, it was such a cool experience to to watch. I mean, I started there 2010 and Blake Griffin's rookie season. And even though he won rookie of the year, won the dunk contest, he is a human, had some incredible highlights. The team was what, like a 27 win team and bottom of the barrel in the NBA. And then they go from that to a perennial playoff team. And just the arc of watching a team go through that transformation and what that takes is really cool. And it was I just felt really lucky to be able to be a part of that and be kind of on the inside of watching that all unfold. Well, it's been great to watch your career unfold from covering the Clippers and now covering the Giants in New York.

The future is bright, Madeline. I can't wait to see you back in the city. Let's get on the golf course in August and not just say that on television, but like actually do it immediately, if not sooner.

Book a tee time. I'm there. Yeah, sounds good.

Sounds good. Madeline Burke joining the show. Thank you so much. Appreciate you. Thanks, Madeline.

Thanks for having me. Madeline Burke. Big pun. I think that nickname is going to stick stuck in the middle of a little Italy. And I love her. She's the best. We have so much fun in New York. You know, she's covering the Giants now. And like I said, doing hockey and has basketball knowledge from covering the Clippers.

We went to the Liberty game the other night. So, yeah, she's a legend. And we're happy to have her on the show. We got another friend of Ben coming in studio to Kevin Connolly.

Get out of bed on time and make it down here. He's a pro. He's been doing show business stuff forever. He's he's a pro. He's here. He's in the studio. He's coming in next. Ben Lyons in for Rich.

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Ben Lyons in for Rich on the Rich Eisen Show. The fact that right now we're making a television show, a radio show, a podcast, YouTube content, social content. Everything all in one shot. It's ridiculous. It's pretty wild. Yeah. Now you're part of that, though, producing podcasts and doing Action Park media. Yeah. So, you know, for me, we've talked a little bit about this. Best thing about podcasting, it's a great way to develop IP, right?

And content that you can, it's hard to compete with these big, you know, studios and all this, all these other, you know, entities. I feel like that's the part of the business that audiences home don't get to see is that when you get your hopes up for something that you want to do or you think it's real. Remember, there was a time you were going to play a character loosely based on Matthew Berry. Oh, yeah, that's right. Oh, yeah, that's right.

Yeah. So if you think it's going to come together and it doesn't. Yeah, like you'd never like you do a pilot, you have no idea, you know, you think, oh, this is great and and and it doesn't go. And then there's pilots really like, all right, well, you know, got got a little money for that to live on for the year.

And then that one ends up taking off. And it's just it's just it's a crapshoot. But I wouldn't recommend it. Certainly would recommend the business to anybody. No, there was a moment probably like six months ago, I think we were on the golf course or something, and I was just down and out. I was like, I think I'm going to go sell insurance or be a real estate agent. And you reminded me that it's a career and you got to stay in the game and you got to bet on yourself. And when you think back to the highs, obviously, sure, that's what you love. But think back to your own career. And when did you have sort of a moment where you thought, you know what?

Maybe maybe I'll go try and be work in the front office for the islanders and these other things. There's always you always want to have like a couple of irons in the fire. Right. Where it's like you feel like there's this job coming down the pipe or whatever. And then but there's been a few times and I'm lucky that it's only been a few times where you would wake up and go like, wow, like right now, there's just nothing.

There's just nothing there. Right. And those are the times, you know, that you have to just like buckle in and, you know, go out and make it happen. Basically, you go out there and direct a ton of directing and all these things. I've made every kind of directed TV shows, movies, documentaries, you know, so I just like to stay busy. But you've done something that I've never done that I think is the coolest thing that any of my friends in Hollywood have ever done.

I really mean that. Kevin went on stage at the NHL Draft and introduced a draft pick for the islanders. Yeah, with Brock Nelson scored 37 goals last year. How great is that? Yeah, that was that was that was a pretty wild experience. It was that was that the draft was at the Staples Center. So I got invited to the table, you know, so even that alone just was sitting there, you know, with all the GMs watching the madness that goes on. And the 30th pick came up and they were like, hey, you want to go up and make the pick? And I was like, are you serious? They were like, yeah, go for it. So it was fun. Yeah.

By the way, major check bucket list. Yeah. Like, you know what to say? I'm like, yeah, I know exactly what to say. Well, it's great that you've turned your career into now an excuse to be like an even bigger Islander fan, like to go on the stage, to drop the puck at center ice.

It's also a little backlash. Yeah, look at this guy up there. I look like my Islander pin. I look like I belong up there. That's amazing. I look like the assistant general manager.

You look so young in that picture. This guy's like revolutionized data and analytics and hockey. You know, I did take a lot. There was a little heat from the hockey purists that did it. You know, of course, listen, there's no bigger hockey fan I know than this guy right here. You directed a movie about that.

I'm like, come on, your credentials for being an Islanders guy. It was here at the Staples. We just had Michael Davies on. He was talking about how men in blazers started. He was at a wedding and he was trying to watch the World Cup final. And he found another guy at the wedding and they were the ones they're trying to do.

And now they're podcast partners. Have you had weird situations where you've been out in your life in Hollywood, whatever, and you're trying to watch the hockey game? And that's a tough one to get everybody in the bar to turn on the hockey. Yeah. Well, lucky for me, I owned the bar, right? I was master. I did.

I did. Ben and I would be Ben was Ben and I were early. That's one of the great things. I know it's not for everybody, but I like early football starts. Oh, yeah.

Waking up on a Sunday morning, 930. There's no better way to get over a hangover than to walk into the bar was called goal. And you order the eggs and a pint. And there's Kevin in the corner, sipping on a Riesling, watching the Miami Dolphins at 10 a.m. Yeah. Guy loves pairing like a chilled Sauvignon Blanc.

Ben would be all over me. What year is that? What year is that? It was a Cabernet guy would start. Yeah, but that was my yeah, I would like to have no been watching hockey games in weird places at weird times. Like I was just overseas in Israel for your buddy's wedding, Danny's wedding, which is amazing. And I'm watching, you know, Warriors games at three in the morning.

I know that's that's that's a hard thing to get around. I can remember I was in I was in Cambodia and I watched the Mets World Series game at a bar in Cambodia. I'm like, this guy's never going to be able to find this. But I was like, hey, man, you think? And boom, sure enough, there was. So I watched the World Series game. That's a great game you watched. We've been talking all day on the show about great games you've attended simply as a fan. I remember going to a Yankees Red Sox game with my dad sitting in the booth and looking down a bank.

I think that's Kevin sitting behind home plate. Yeah, I've got some some great seats, but not just the seats, but the whole game, the experience, greatest game you've ever been to. Well, the bet I was at the I was in San Diego for the 98 when the Yankees clinched and we were like on the we were like on the rail. I was from here to the camera from, you know, Tino, like with his foot on the back. We were right there. So as a Yankee fan, that was phenomenal. I was also at the Game 7 Staples Center when they were down against the Blazers.

They made that all the things that you play. I got a jaywalking ticket walking into the end of the Staples Center. That's that's the other thing that I remember about that, which is very strange. But my best story is and this is going to make me sound way for the light. It should go away for the light.

It should go drive. The cops stopped all of us. And he said, one of you has to go down. And I was like, of course, they weren't my tickets. So I was like, guys, I'll take I'll take the I'll take the bullet.

I'll be and I'll be in a few minutes. It's going to be good to know when when the cops show up and they say, who gets the jaywalking ticket? I got one of those and said, you know, they're not cheap either. Yeah, I thought I wouldn't I would not agreed to take in the bullet if I would have known or I would have insisted that we wack it up. Yeah. Yeah.

No joke. He stopped a bunch of 70 or something. He stopped six of us and gave me the ticket. Three hundred dollars for a jaywalking ticket. Something like that.

I'm like, yeah, you're right. That's about 80 or 90 times higher than the entourage residuals checks I get once every two years for playing myself in the great Gatsby episode. I get a check for about three dollars every two years. You want to hear the terrible story? Ben, you'll appreciate this, but it's also going to make me sound like kind of a jerk, but it is.

Somebody tells me your residual checks are not three dollars. No, no. So Buddy Mine calls me one day and so there's one of my favorite movies, Bridge on the River Kwai. My grandfather blew up the bridge. He was the one who on set in the side actually blew up the bridge.

OK, so I was a huge fan of, by the way, random. Well, that's a big part of the movie. I'm telling you. Come on.

This is what you are. You are related to the guy that actually blew the bridge. That's a bigger flex than, oh, I own the bar. That's a bigger, far bigger flex. My grandfather blew up the bridge from Bridge on the River Kwai.

Continue on your little story here. That's amazing. So so because I was always a huge fan of the movie, young, young Obi Wan Kenobi, Alec Guinness. And at top of his game and it's playing at the New Beverly Cinema.

Now, this is a three hour movie that I've seen probably 20 times in like I'm like, no, I want to see the print. I want to go see it on the big screen. Buddy Mine calls and says, hey, I got I got four seats to the Laker game tonight. I want to go. And I was like, who are they playing?

It's playing the Raptors. I was like, you know what, man? I've been dying to see Bridge on the River Kwai on the big screen.

I'm going to I'm just going to go see the movie. Right. So we know this is sitting there watching movies, 87 hours long. And my phone and this is before like you could you couldn't do like the side takes my phone is like ringing. And certain point I'm like, something's wrong. Then I'm like something. Maybe something happened. Right. So I step out and I call my friend like, is everything right?

It's like Kobe just dropped 81. Oh, I knew. Let's go. I knew right where this was.

Yeah. Bridge on the River Kwai. Seen it 700. It's 700 times that I missed the 81 point game on the floor. And then we had a deal with getting a phone call from like Lucas Haas. And you're like, we're at the game. It was a religious experience. That was the tagline.

I said, well, they said it was like a religious experience. I'm like, OK, well, listen, you got to see this new 35 millimeter print of Bridge on the River Kwai. Because that change will be around forever.

That print is touring around the country. We were friends. I would remind you of that every day. Oh, man, every day. How terrible. That's what I'll tell you.

He's traumatized. That's like worse than an actor not getting a part in a role or something. Or you pass on something and then it becomes like, oh, I didn't want to be Han Solo. Yeah. The worst thing about it is that there's just a snobby thing to do that.

And it was the Raptors. Right. Like. All right. What's going to happen next?

We're going to see Alec Guinness. Oh, man. That's so I have to think about that one too much. It's crazy. The alley oop was I think I would have rather been there for the 81 point game. That's tremendous. Wow. You guys. You guys would get great seats when you would accept them during the entourage days.

You would have amazing seats. Yeah. Well, we would shoot there during the games and stuff like that. So and the Kings, too.

You know, I'm a big hockey guy everywhere. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Have you you stay in touch with the guys? I know you and Jerry obviously very close. But Jerry and I talk. Jerry and I talk all the time trying to get Jerry on a pod, trying to get Jerry on a podcast. It's like trying to get him out of that basement he built is tough. He's got like a podcast studio.

It feels like obviously this place is amazing. But like Jerry's got a whole set up trying to get him trying to get him in the game. But we'll see.

We haven't come. He's got a starting back chord now. You know, it's two on two there in the household. And Jerry's running.

That's it. There's a lot going on. And I have a I have a baby now. So I understand. I understand a little bit. Haven't seen you on the golf course for a while. I think that's why it definitely complicates the golf. Definitely complicates the golf.

What's been the thing about fatherhood you think that surprised you the most for an e-news question for our good old days? You know what? The you know, people say, well, it really changes your perspective on things. And I of course it does. Right.

I always thought that was more of a cliche, but it it truly does. I don't know. When I go to the park, I see the park differently.

You know what I mean? When you're when you're at a park with the kids, like you're like looking at you like, hey, do you have a kid here? You're like looking at people like. You have a kid. Why don't you just have to see this guy? This guy doesn't deliver a kid from somewhere in the next couple of minutes. You got to run about it. And then you look at this guy like, oh, my God, this kid is going to be a big.

How long before this kid's in trouble? So it's like that is when they say like, you know, it changes your perspective. It does, because I never really thought about the park. Right. So everyday stuff. Yeah, exactly.

My son is two and a half. I cry at the end of Cars three. Right. Why? Right. Why am I doing that?

Because I'm watching with my son and Cruz wins the race and I'm just like losing it. Do you know that I've never seen one of those movies like any of it? I think I saw a Toy Story, too. Yeah. So I'm excited.

Yeah. Your little one's really little. So when she gets in, I'll be well, it'll be first run, first run screenings. What's the first what's the first piece of cinema that you've made that you want to sit her down with and be like, this is what dad does. And you like show her not entourage. Probably Angus, probably Angus, followed by The Notebook. And then outside of that, she's going to have to wait. You have to grow up a little bit.

Maybe even The Notebook's a little too racy. It's good stuff. Kevin Connolly joining the show for our radio audience.

Listening Ben Lyons in for Rich Eisen on The Rich Eisen Show. Let's talk about my Rangers, shall we, Kevin? Talk a little hockey to see the Rangers go on this run and just really capture the collective energy of New York City and get all the hockey fans to try to get area host is taunting to get excited about the Rangers. What is the Rangers relationship like with you and your life? You know, it's funny, like it's I could do without it. You know, I could do without the Rangers winning the cup, honestly, but I don't necessarily know that I ruin truthfully with the Tavares of it.

I'm more I'm more almost like more anti-Maple Leafs than I am the Rangers. But, you know, I you know, the Rangers listen, man, it's a big market. It's easy to get guys there, you know. So they have no excuse. Right. They just don't. They have all the money in the world.

Yeah. So they should be competing like that every year. They should be in the conference finals every year.

Well, the Islanders were conference finals back to back before that. What what is the state of hockey like? You know, I'm not a big hockey guy. I like going to the games.

I don't follow it on a day to day anti-hockey or just with me a little bit with you. I say it's a little Game of Thrones. Too many guys with beards who I don't know who they are.

And it's like, you know, guys are too many continents in their name. I get it. But it's a lot of fun to go to. I never played it.

I think that's the reason I don't have a connection to it. Right. But I know how much you genuinely love the sport. Yeah, I really do. I love I love the sport. I mean, obviously I'm a Die Hard Islander fan, but I you know, I've had season tickets for the Kings.

Right. I just like to go and and watch hockey. And it's for sure the best sport to watch live.

I mean, you're right there. Yeah, there's an energy in the building when you're at a Ranger game that's different than in a game. It's full of hope and joy and good times and smiles.

Yeah, it's fun, too. And the Kings are the Kings are the Kings are sneaky good and they're going to they're going to be good for the next few years to come. And so are the Islanders.

So the hockey is good. What's happening with the the victory podcast? What are you and Doug doing? You guys are knocking these things out. Yeah, man. We you know, we we do Action Park.

We have about probably 11 or 12, you know, podcasts going. You know, we just we bang we're banging them out trying to just build build a company which is very difficult. You know, you know, I guess right. Like, oh, if it were easy, everybody would be doing it.

Or it's supposed to be hard. All those things. But I think as an actor, Ethan Suplee, actor buddy of mine and I were talking about this. I just am on on calls like doing things that I'm not accustomed to doing. Right. So because as an actor, part of your growth is stunted that way.

Right. So I take it I get on the phone when I'm immediately offended by everything that everybody says. Mike, what am I crazy?

Was that guy being a jerk? They're like, no, I mean, this is like this is how I don't do business. You're in your trailer and we'll call you when we're shooting the podcast. That's what I'm saying. So it's like it's been an adjustment to be on these calls that as an actor, you're just kind of shielded from.

And then when you call, say, hey, I have the call. Oh, it's great. Don't worry about it.

It's Kevin. Real job. Child security. I'm an adult. Congratulations. You finally did it.

48 years. Kevin Connolly hanging out here on the Rich Eisen Show. You're welcome to leave. We'd love to have you stay around for another segment. Yeah, I want to talk about who these guys that hang out.

Do they know they're on camera? I'm going to show up one day next time you're here. I'm just going to be standing back there. This is a daily daily thing. Yesterday, there was three ladders and just guys kind of walking and standing around the.

I thought I totally expected Jeff Hardy to show up. There were so many ladders out there. Like I don't think they know. Right. No idea.

They can't because we usually would have the point there, but they've been down for the last two weeks. And Rich is back. You know, look behind. Is that Kevin Connolly? After I leave, you're going to see me back there while you're still going to wrap up on me back there.

All right. Celebrity birthdays when we come back. Kevin Connolly in studio. Ben Lyons in for Rich. It's the Rich Eisen Show.

Don't go anywhere. Welcome back to the show. Final segment of the day. Ben Lyons in studio here with Kevin Connolly, who is one of my oldest friends here in Hollywood, way back from the entourage days. And you did a horse racing movie. I did an interview with you for Secretariat.

That's right. Only the greatest horse of all time. What are you talking about? A horse racing movie. I don't remember. I know him for a long time.

It all blurs. I remember we did a junkie once I interviewed with like Ben Affleck in some movie or something. It's not that. Yeah. I saw a movie with a basketball player once.

I think his name was Jordan. Like maybe I don't know. You know, I'm the only guy for a long time and it's kind enough for him to come in studio. Secretariat.

Yeah. The Secretariat junket. And the he's just not that into you junket. I remember you trying to pet me up. You were like, come on, man.

Because I was a little. I thought I was intimidated, but it's like you and Bradley Cooper. I would just get in there with the jokes. I had no jokes. I just sat there.

I was like having an anxiety attack. Cover the premiere of Good Night in the Garden of Ena. Come on.

Like the Tribeca. Like, what's up? Yeah, no, I. But that one was that. That was the he's just not that into you junket. Yeah, because, you know, Bradley Cooper wasn't a star yet, but it was like it was happening.

Like it was inevitable. And there's certain actors on junket day. I've learned that they're a little nervous because it's not what they do. They act.

They don't sit in a room and answer questions. There are other actors junket day. It's a day to act like, oh, right. You know, so just along. Always great to see you. He was right.

He's great. The thing about the junkets, too, it's like depending on whatever it is, like when on the entourage junket, you have you sit in 50 different people ask who's in your real life entourage. If you had to have an entourage of dead people, whatever. And then it's he's just not that into you. Like, have you ever broken up with a girl on text message? Like it's all related to they're just the same questions. And it's like, for example, Hinson's like asking, answering the show. Is there an entourage?

Are we going to see the guys? I'm asking you right now. They reboot everything, right? I mean, I don't I don't know. I mean, I don't think anybody would be interested in doing like the watered down version of it. That makes any sense. I don't think there is watered down entourage. There's a party happening right now in Los Angeles. And that's true. It's true.

I thought that was true, right? There's a pool party happening right now. Also like prequels are a thing. So let's do an entourage prequel.

Yeah, because we all see you managing the Sbarro's and what are we doing here, man? Oh, man. Well, I don't want to give my role away. Can they do that thing they did in the Irishman with the hero? Let Josh Hutcherson stay at home. We can like CGI Kevin Connolly's face.

Just shave your beard and we can watch you learn. We can watch E learn how to make garlic knots. I don't want the I don't want the prequel.

I want the sequel. I want to see like Vinnie Chase with a bad back. Right. You know, turtles doing Pilates.

Drama stressing because he's turned 53. You know, it's funny. We said, well, we do the victory of the podcast. We'll go back and we'll cover like an episode. But it's episodes that we haven't seen in. I mean, we don't even know what's happening.

I'm like, maybe we should watch it before we watch it. So we it's like a complete I'm like, I don't it's so far away, but it's funny to watch Doug Allen. Like he's like crawling under the table. He's like so uncomfortable. I'm like, Doug, there's nobody here.

Is this me and you and Dylan? Like it's all right. Relax.

And that woke mom is just under the table. And he's like, look, I just you know, I'm like, it's like I just wouldn't say I don't. I was 32 at the time.

I don't speak like that anymore. Speaking of birthdays, speaking of age, it's celebrity birthday segment. We always do it to close out the show. Jane Lynch celebrating a birthday today. Ever cross paths with Jane Lynch? Very funny woman here.

Yeah, I love Jane Lynch. Who else? We got Brockman. Connor McGregor. Sometimes you've been to some of those fights. I was at the Khabib fight.

Yeah, there you go. He loves the fights. 34 Connor McGregor. Well, what's next?

We still got a lot in the tank. Jackie Earl Haley's birthday today. Kelly Leake.

Still trying to catch that big check. Kelly Leake. We got Tommy Mottola, former Sony boss.

Let's see. Oh, Matthew Fox. Yeah, Matthew Fox. The steel line from Knocked Up. You know what's interesting about Matthew Fox?

Absolutely nothing. I'm kidding. I'm sorry, Matt. It's a funny line. That was on two of the movies. It's a Seth Rogen line from the movie. But Connor McGregor.

I like that one. Yeah. What does that guy do with his life after he fights? Where does he find that edge? Be very curious. That adrenaline. Going to Whole Foods. It's got to be tough.

Go to the Gucci store. Connor McGregor's going to start bullfighting because that's the only place he's going to get that type of rush. Matador McGregor? I'd like to see that. He saw Josh Norman jump over a bull in Pamplona.

That's what I'm saying. He came on the show and talked about it and they gave him a great nickname and he had a great time with it. One of my oldest family friends is the biggest matador in Spain, Francisco Rivera Ordonez. And as a kid, he used to write letters to the Chicago Bulls asking for Michael Jordan jerseys. And they sent him one. He got a Michael Jordan jersey. He's the biggest matador in Spain. And it's in his trophy room with all the 500 bull heads and all the ears and everything. And he's got his Michael Jordan jersey right there with all of his Bulls.

What a great family treat you got going on there, bro. One guy blew up the bridge in the River Quad. Vincent Pastore is 76. First shot in television. I drove him through a car wash on Santa Monica Boulevard. This guy's got more acting credits than I do. Vincent Pastore.

I like that guy. Hey, Kevin, you were talking about... I'm sorry, Chris, were you done with birthdays? I mean, there's a few more, but go ahead. Oh, my bad. No, no, no.

Please keep going. You got Darrelle Reavis? Darrelle Reavis' birthday today. A Scott Porter QB1. QB1. Clear heart.

QB1. Rosie Greer. Famed Ram. It's 90 today, also. Wow.

Also, ironically, that Kevin is here. Nancy Olson from a movie you might know, Sunset Boulevard. Sort of like Queens Boulevard? It's 94.

It's Queens Boulevard. He's saying you like old stuff, I guess. I tried. No, but you were talking about movies that you wanted to show your daughter. And, you know, just kind of going back to your IMDb, you know, Rocky V was your first credit we have on there. What do you remember about working with Sly on that movie? Sly was, he was, you know, and he still is. It's hard not to love Stallone, like what he's done with his career. But that was my, that was a big deal at the time. You know, when I first got that, that was one of the best feelings of all time. Do you remember Rocky V premiere night?

I do. And it was in, the big premiere was in Philadelphia. And I remember it was like Barkley and Mahorn were there. You know, so it was all like, it was, it was a big giant. I mean, it was, it was, it was incredible.

It's 89, 90? It was. Tommy Morrison, of course, was, you know, undefeated. And the, literally, he was just like off to the races. And that's kind of a terrible story how that played itself out. But that was a great, it was a great work experience. That's for sure.

It's fun when you go back and you look and you look at the moments and things you've been a part of or you touch. Or, you know, it's a chance to get to work with Stallone. That in itself is amazing, but in a Rocky movie. Yeah, but just being part of the franchise. I mean, obviously, Rocky V is like the least, you know, I don't know, what do you call it, right?

But no, they don't love it. People don't love Rocky V. It's all right, but, you know, John Avildsen, who directed the first one, won the Oscar for Rocky I. And originally he was supposed to die at the end of Rocky V. And at the last minute, the studio came in and it's like, hmm. By the way, the studio made a great call because they probably made $8 million since then. Right, so they got cold feet. Yeah, you get the Korean spinoff and you get Rocky Balboa movie and, yeah, the whole thing. Yeah, it's crazy. Does it offend you when people say, like, Rocky V doesn't count?

It takes a lot more to offend. The residual checks that he gets counts. No, no, no, no, no.

That's far from, I've heard worse. Trust me, like, I've tried to pull every shot at this guy over the years for an odd job. He keeps going back to Angus.

He keeps going back to Angus. You know, I'm talking about voicing over Best Buy commercials. Like, we could really get there. I'm like, greatest game. Go to the 81 point game. I mean, that's enough.

The 81 point game. That should be enough for me to live a shame. Yeah, I never knew that story about you.

That's a great talk show story. I thought you'd appreciate it because, you know, Ben obviously knows movies very, very, very well. So I thought you'd appreciate, I didn't think he'd have a direct connection to The Bridge.

But I knew you'd appreciate me going to see a print of The Bridge on the Riverfront. No, your affinity for old cinema and your love for classic Hollywood. Like Sunset Boulevard, Queens Boulevard.

It's the same, right? It's great when you go to Action Park. You go to Action Park and you got old movie posters up there and stuff.

Some old movie posters. Yours is up there. Oh, good. I'm glad to see it didn't end up on eBay.

Yes, like an original Italian North by Northwest photo donated to the folks at Action Park. So I'm glad to see it's still in there. And Ben, Kevin, you mentioned something about, you know, like not remembering a certain episode. And I think that's really funny because, as you know, a lot of my friends are actors, so I watch their work. And like Entourage, for instance, you know, my backstory, that was kind of like a way for me to tell my friends at home, this is kind of what my life's like. So I put an episode on Entourage. I can give you every line of every episode. But I realized that, you know, with my friends, I'll bring up something and they will look at me like, for instance, I was talking to Mila about a Seventies show episode and she stared at me.

She's like, I have no idea what you're talking about because you guys do so many episodes and you obviously you're not as married to them as a fan of the project. Whereas I've watched an episode 30 times, you may have, you know, you shot it, you read the script and then you moved on. So you actors don't really have, I guess, that that that connection so much that the fan does. Right. And it's different because, you know, Entourage is serialized.

Right. So we'll finish an episode. And there's the three of us, the guy that wrote and created it, and two of the stars have it going like, what happens next episode?

Does anybody know? And we're like, we don't know what the what happens in the next episode in terms of the storyline. He just gets the movie or he doesn't get the movie. Yeah. Yeah. Something like that. Pretty much. Right.

Right. It'll work out, though. When he doesn't get the movie. He didn't get the movie. It's going to work out.

It's going to work out. When I'm at a table with my friends, I'm like, everybody just cheers at dinner. I just cheered and go, Vince got the movie and everybody goes, Vince got the movie.

Of course he did. That's our friend group. Good stuff, dude.

Well, listen, I appreciate you spending some time. You have any big NFL predictions for your Miami Dolphins? I know you're a big Dolphin guy.

Well, last time we were here, we talked about it. Is it lying on still nine? Vegas has them at... Vegas has, they're ahead of the Patriots for division bets, too. Last time I was here, they had, it was nine wins. I think it's way over nine wins. Way over nine. Way over. Way over. I think they win 11, 12 wins. This Dolphin fan has got Riesling flowing through his veins.

He's just pumping his chest out. Wow, you are so excited. I mean, you don't think they made some major upgrades? They definitely made some major upgrades, but a team going 10 and 7 or 11 and 6 for them, that'd be a big step for this Dolphin crew. I think they won 11 games. Yeah, they won nine games last year.

It's still nine. I like it. Wow, that's a bet.

Yeah. Listen, that's a bet. Now, do you go and sit in the stands and paint your face orange, or do you go sit and live in the Fly Guy Club when you go to the game? No, I don't. By the way, I don't go. None of the above. None of the above.

I don't do any of that. No. The best thing about football, I mean, obviously I went to a few games for the Rams run. It's always nice to be there, but the truth of the matter is the coverage is so good on television, but the cameras, it's almost like it's better to watch it. Yeah, just sit and post up and do the whole thing. But I remember I was at the Giants, at the Tyree catch, and going like, did he catch it? Right. Right.

On 82. Del Tufo, he was at the Tyree catch. Look at that. Oh, yeah. No, I was right. No, I was there too.

Yeah. Everybody was there. Everybody was there too. It's just like you're there and there's just so much going on.

It's like, I think he caught it, but when you're at home, you're immediately watching replay. It was crazy. I blacked out. You lost time. You lost time.

I appreciate you spending some time. Shout out to everybody who came on the special Friends of Ben show. We'll do it again tomorrow in for Rich Eisen here on YouTube, Sirius XM, Peacock, Westwood One, Odyssey. We're probably playing somewhere in space right now, but we'll do it again tomorrow.

Hope you join us. 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 Hulk Hogan was a babyface, 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.