REShow: Bomani Jones - Hour 2

What's Right with Nick Wright is a rapidly growing podcast from the Fox Sports Podcast Network. You may know Nick Wright from co-hosting FS1's First Things First. This podcast gives Nick a chance to develop, deep dive, and defend his sharpest opinions. During the show, Nick faces off against a ticking clock, a team of producers, and even his own family to try and get his points across.

New episodes drop Monday, Thursday, and Friday wherever you get your podcasts. Uh-oh, Rich. This is The Rich Eisen Show.

I am GTG. Live from The Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Mike White finds him. I am all in on Mike White and seeing what he can do the rest of the way.

We've seen proof of life. The Rich Eisen Show. Earlier on the show, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Kirk Warner, still to come, host of the Right Time Podcast, Bomani Jones, Bill's Linebacker, Von Miller, plus your phone calls and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Uh, yes, our number two The Rich Eisen Show on the air.

Bomani Jones will be bringing his pearls of wisdom to this year's program on the Roku channel and this Rich Eisen Show terrestrial radio affiliate Sirius XM, Odyssey, and more in about 20 minutes time. We just hung up the phone with Kirk Warner, who's calling the Ravens and Browns in Cleveland, Ohio with me on NFL Network at 4 30 p.m. Eastern time. After that game, we're getting on a plane. We're coming back. We're doing game day morning.

That's what we're doing. Really? Oh, you didn't know that?

I did not. Oh, yeah. I'll be on the air Sunday morning here in Los Angeles. Doing the game.

Yes. One o'clock Eastern in Cleveland. 4 30 Eastern. Oh, it's a late window. In Cleveland.

Wait, wait, late window. Yes. Cleveland. Yes. Saturday. Correct.

Game lasts three-ish hours. Yes. So you get out of Cleveland. Essentially, you leave the stadium by 8 p.m. local time. Hop a plane, if you're lucky. Late flight. Yes. Private jet. Back to Los Angeles. Yes.

We used to do this. Wake up at 4 a.m. Yes.

Local Los Angeles time on Sunday. Yes. Drive down the 405 to NFL and get off at 105 to go down Inglewood Prairie. Different way. All right. I'm just saying a basic way. By the way, you almost went Californians on me right there.

Go to NFL Network. Yes. You park in the spot that Brandon Staley hooked up for you. That's correct. Yeah. Walk in. Yes.

Get made up. Correct. 6 a.m. Red light comes on. Boom. Way, way downtown. Bang. We've done this. You've done this on Saturday nights. You've done. Are you getting like extra hazard pay with you guys a couple times? Extra time hazard pay.

Rich has done this. No, no. It's just part and parcel. Wow. You know what it is? You know what it is?

You know what it is? It's just me bringing the effort. That's it. You can't teach it. Well done. You can't teach heart.

You can't teach heart. Here. I thought I was impressed by your halftime. Thank you.

Smooth delivery off the wrong one. You're like, and you're like, wow. I heard you on Westwood One Radio as if we're not on it right now. I understand. And you're like, hey, I heard you. I heard you talking to a microphone smoothly.

Wow. Rich, you did this in the early days of the NFL network. You prepared for this already. Mike, back on the old days. I did not do for our morning. I didn't do 90 morning years ago. 10 years ago. I did the Saturday morning.

The Saturday night games and came home and went to sleep. Oh, so the guys came back. The guys didn't do Mike. Mike, that sure didn't start existing until like year four of Thursday night.

It's all good. We need to get used to Mike. Alpha no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I am a hundred percent for a hundred percent.

Flew back from a Saturday night game and the game day morning. Marshall, myself, maybe. I don't know. Hundred percent. That wasn't me.

I don't know. Mike might have been. It could have been. I could have done it once.

I haven't done it a while. My right eye is already twitching over. Mike says a hundred percent. It's probably about 64 or 65 percent.

I will put a picture up now. I'm going to tweet it. You guys. I hope I hope you're right.

I'd love for you to be accurate because it shows just my fortitude and how long I've been doing it. Yeah. Well, honestly, Rich, though, I mean, I give you props, but when you're in the private jet, you're flying across countries. You will be, you know, you're going to be able to get good rest. Right. The radio flowing, bro.

Brockman. He's going to get some food through Chicago today. So knock on wood. If you're with me, I'm flying through Chicago today. Land in Cleveland tonight. Tomorrow I'll be here.

Here's what if you want my full schedule. I do. I'm interested to see. I'm on Dan Patrick's show tomorrow.

Deep deep. OK. Fritzie reached out to me like two days ago. Wow. Which means Dan has a specific question for me.

I wonder what it is. So I'm on Dan's show around 10 20 Eastern and then I don't know when I'm calling in tomorrow. I already have.

Wait a minute. I have Susie's best mom ever sign already here. Thanks for booking Dan before you booked us. Well, I mean, it's whenever you need me. It's whenever you need me. You need me. I'm calling.

What's more likely tomorrow? Oh, you should call in for that, right? I'm doing that.

And also, you know, Sean McVeigh's on tomorrow's program. I think I'm going to record that before I get on the plane because I'm a lead pipe wielding professional. And at any rate, and then I don't know what I'm I might work. You know, here's what I'll do. I'll do what I did in Munich, which is I'll go look at the hotel gym and then not use it just so I could feel better about myself. I'm going to do a stadium walk through, you know, like walk on the. We're meeting with the Ravens in person. I don't know who we're meeting with yet. Now, hopefully JK Dobbins. It would be great. I have it written down here.

JK all day is back in Ohio. That's the touchdown call. I'm he asked me. I asked him, you know, like who can who who does play by play in the NFL who has a show like this one and takes requests prior to the game of somebody who's most likely to score.

Tony Romo. No, that's no I'm just saying that you could go down the list. Go down the list.

You know what? I don't need to toot my own horn to to. Rich, you know, just I'll just ask people to call in and and tell me how great I am. Rich, you know what's done in this business, the field 844204. Rich number now call in. Tell me how great I am. Actually, wait till I do an interview with somebody and tell me how great the interview is and how great I am. Rich, you killed it. Hilarious.

I don't know why you're doing that imitation. So 844204 Rich number to dial here in the program. And so what I am going to do there, we got a dinner Friday night. Saturday's the game. And I'm so fired up for it. I got my boards. I have my information.

I'll be I'll be studying. Who are the quarterbacks again? Who are the quarterbacks? Deshaun Watson.

Deshaun Watson. Correct. OK. And it looks like it's Tyler Huntley. Oh, good.

So Huntley begins with an H and has a Y at the end. And not like there's any problem with the last time I didn't call a game with four men in the booth. Just three men in the booth.

It was Jamis Winston versus Deshaun Watson. Very close, very close and sounding. I transpose the names. I don't know why I did that. You had your Uma Oprah Oprah Uma Oprah. I was doing it.

Nobody in the truck got in my ear to tell me because I guess it was the first time they worked together and I must come across as such an egomaniac that I can't be told I'm doing something wrong at any rate. It's Watson and Huntley. Ah, excellent.

But it's entirely possible. Right. There's Brett Hundley on the roster for the Ravens. So there's a Huntley and a Hundley Hundley in the middle of that is a Brown.

Yes. So it may hopefully doesn't get to Hundley. That's correct.

It just sticks with Huntley. That's it. Maybe a little bit of Brown. It's what I'm saying. Okay. And there's a Cleveland Brown and an Anthony Brown. Right. And Brown is on the Ravens, not the Browns. Correct.

So what can Brown do for you? Then you're telling me, do I have time to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? I'm going to be looking in the mirror and saying this stuff to myself while also staying in the warm embrace of my hotel.

Yes. Because it's cold. It's cold.

It's cold outside. And so I don't plan to do what play-by-play folks sometimes do. I did in Munich, but I also wanted to walk on the field to see how the pitch was there.

And Munich so much was talked about how it was slick for football, but too slick for football. And we saw Tom Brady even slipped in a trick play. Got picked. Okay. Then he got flagged for tripping.

For Lombardi Leni's first career interception. Wild. Okay. So I don't plan to go down on the field. I plan to stay in the booth for two reasons.

One, I need to see the elf and its full complete splendor. No pregame walk on the field? I don't plan on it. Although Michigan men normally do that. I might do it.

I might do it. Depends on how cold it is. I don't need to be out there at 25 degrees.

I just don't. And that's part of December weather. Football weather, cold weather. Now you ask Michael Ervin what football weather is. He will not describe what the conditions in Cleveland will be or expect to be. He certainly will not describe what the conditions in Western New York will be for Saturday night.

Ervin, I agree on this. Irv thinks football weather is Florida weather. Football weather is 72.

It is sunny. The turf is, you can eat off it. No wind. No mud. No wintry mix.

Nothing. Nothing but blue sky and beautiful weather. That's football weather to him. So when a team from say Miami, Florida, South Florida is going to have to play in this weather in a big time football game in front of the whole country.

Well, we're all thinking this team is not going to perform well. Miami Dolphins are a mammal out of water. Again, a dolphin is not a fish. Get it all straight. So this is the whole conversation going on right now.

Oh yeah. Just add this to the mix of the Dolphins are stumbling. The Dolphins have been figured out offensively. Tua is not as great as he's appeared to be.

Add to all those negative narratives the general narrative that's been around forever. Forget about whether the Dolphins are on a losing streak or how Tua's looked the last two weeks or that Mike McDaniel's doing this for the first time. This being the coach of a playoff possible team, possible division winner in December.

He's never done this before. Add to all of those negative narratives the fact that Miami can't perform well in the cold weather. How's McDaniel going to handle it? Well, we saw in practice on Wednesday wearing a t-shirt. I wish it were colder. Now this t-shirt apparently is from training camp where he wore it in training camp when it was legit like 90 degrees out. Having fun, I wish it were colder. He's bringing it back.

He's recycling the t-shirt for now a different like, hey, I wish it were colder. That's the mantra you need to have going in to Buffalo, New York on a Saturday night when the weather is supposed to be what, Christopher? Oh, it's 25 degrees, six inches of snow, 15 mile an hour winds. Here we go. Here we go. I mean, Josh Allen damn near won a divisional playoff game in Kansas City in that weather last year minus the wintry mix. But here we go. Mike McDaniel, what do you have to say about the cold weather and how you're preparing?

Go for it. To me, you just decide if you're going to let it factor in or not. And then you adjust as best you can.

You know, there's certain things that become harder when there's moisture or it hits a certain level of frigidness. But, you know, the good news is there's not different atmospheres on both sidelines. So we will be playing the game in the same elements. And as a competitor, you know, man for man for our football team, that that's the objective is that you're, you know, are you going to let the elements matter more to you than them?

It is the same field, the same element. So you just you just decide mentally how much you're going to let it affect you. There you go. It's a mental thing. It's a mental thing. It's a mental thing. If you're not thinking about it, you don't feel the fact that you can't feel your toes or your fingers or just like a Tony Gonzalez, who's, you know, like Mr. Southern California when he's in the cold weather on Amazon Prime. I mean, he's got lockjaw.

He looks miserable. Yes. And then you hear, is it true the Dolphins brought heaters into SoFi Stadium last week because it's not a dome stadium? It's just a canopy on top of an open roof stadium? Or is that is that just nasty rumor? Is it rumor or fact?

That's fact. They had it was 55 degrees on Sunday night here in L.A., you know, not exactly a dome stadium at SoFi. But yeah, they had heaters on the sideline.

Oh, yeah. Benches. SoFi is sneaky cold, man, because I know this sounds bad. Marine layer here in Southern California and then the wind blows off of the ocean. It can get into the low 50s, which for here is nuts. The people around Los Angeles walk around like, do you know it was almost 40 degrees tonight? We can't handle it. What if you're from South Florida? What if you're, say, a quarterback born in Hawaii who made his bones collegiately in the Southeast Conference where it's always sunny, right? Yep.

What if that guy is already underneath the microscope because he hasn't played well for two straight weeks? What about that guy? Well, the good news for anybody who doubts Tua Tungovailoa is Salty Tua showed up on this subject. Oh, and that's the latest installment of Salty Tua. I don't know about you, but that looks like money.

It's Salty Tua. You tell us back in the spring you actually went to a cold weather location. Yeah.

What can you tell us the story about that? Yeah, I went to Maryland to go visit my brother after the season, and it was pretty cold up there. It was probably like in the 20s, and there was snow on the ground too. So got to test that out. Got to throw up there with a couple of his guys.

So yeah, that was good. Have you seen snow before? Yeah, it snowed in Alabama my first year. Yeah, so it snows in Alabama, guys.

I mean, people don't know that. There's some people that just think, oh, it just gets cold in Alabama. It does snow. It's Salty Tua. Not salty enough as always.

As always, too nice. Hey, Tua, while you're giving the weather, you should give out the traffic too. There's a 10 car pile up on IDGAF Parkway.

I would avoid GFY Avenue if I were you on my way to Western New York. Come on, Tua, plant your foot. Tell everybody how cold it is in Alabama and how you used to hang out with your brother in 20 degree weather in Maryland and you've test driven this experience. This is it.

Tua Tungo by Loa. Two game losing streak. I'm going up into Buffalo, New York. I am going to sling it around and Tyree killed. By the way, he used to play in Kansas City all the time and stuff like this.

This is no problem for him. Jalen Waddles from Alabama. Yeah, it snows. Traffic and weather together. Tua Tungo by Loa on NFL Network Saturday night.

Bill's seven point favorites. That said, I am not leaving my hotel and I'm not going on the field in Cleveland for two seconds if it's 20 something degrees. Are you out of your mind? I got my jacket. I got my hat and I don't care. They catch me on the air with my hat.

I'm a bald man. You take that nonsense that I can't handle a cold. You know what? So what? Oh, baby.

December football. Let's roll the break. 844-204-H number to dial. We'll take your phone calls. Bamani Jones is joining us as well. Don't you dare move right here on the Thursday edition of the Rich Eisen Show.

During the show, Nick faces off against the ticking clock team of producers and even his own family to try and get his points across. New episodes drop Monday, Thursday and Friday, wherever you get your podcasts. Something amazing happened to me when I was shopping at Total Wine and More the other day. Not only did I find a new favorite cabernet, but I also found the perfect gifts for everyone on my list. Thanks to Dave, one of their super helpful guides. I'll definitely be visiting my Total Wine and More again soon so I can pick up more great bottles for my holiday party and all for the lowest price.

This holiday, you'll love what you find only at Total Wine and More. Curbside pickup and delivery where available. Drink responsibly.

Be 21. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show. 844-204-H number to dial.

Bamani Jones scheduled to call in any moment. Just was saying the guys here on the Roku channel now bring up. Susan, I watched the first episode of the White Lotus second season. Honestly, awful people being awful to each other. Uninterested in rooting for any, except I guess what, the assistant and the sweet grandson of F. Murray Abraham. Those are the only people who I thought to myself, they're likable and I like them and I'm interested and hopefully I'm curious to see what happens to likable people.

But everybody else. And the same thing, you're going to feel the same thing after you get through the second episode that you felt watching. And you're saying keep going from episode three to four.

I'm saying really counsel this. It's season two is better than season one. Season one, I'll be honest with you there too. Cleaned up with the Emmys. I was completely mystified by that. I don't understand how that one. Murray Bartlett was terrific who played, you know, he played the general manager of the White Lotus.

Yeah, who's in, you know, I love Connie Britton and and the actors and actresses and that were terrific. But I didn't like anybody like I hardly liked anybody. And why do you have to like someone to enjoy the show?

I don't know. Because it helps you to get engaged with the show. If you have some type of the best shows, the best TV shows in my mind are the ones where you like characters and then they and then they leave you conflicted and why you like them or they make you feel like that. That's the sort of television I like Breaking Bad, Sopranos. Like for me, you guys, did you guys watch This Is Us? Of course.

Okay. I had to stop watching This Is Us and not because I didn't like it. I felt sad after every and it was almost too real. Like there were the storylines with the dad and like it was you want escapism.

I get it. It was too real. Like I would literally sit there and have to like decompress for an hour. I was like, I can't watch this anymore.

I mean, you should call Del Tufo, he'll give you one of the one of his many stories. No, he's one of his many dolls from Frozen because you can get warm hugs. Right? Yes. Okay. Yes. You got all of them, right? Wow. No, just Olaf. Just okay.

Get the warm hugs. Shocked. Joining us here, I guess I need to be fair and balanced. If I just, you know, said I'm disappointed in an HBO show. HBO's Game Theory with Bomani Jones will return for season two on Friday, January 20th on HBO and available to stream on HBO Max.

He is the host of The Right Time with Bomani Jones podcast back here on the Rich Eisen show, Bomani Jones. How you doing, sir? Not only am I doing well, I am agreeing with you on you got to like something about the character very often. If it's going to be like a lead character, you got to have something about him that you actually like.

Yeah, that's the TV I like. I want to root for somebody. And then if you make me feel bad about rooting for him, I'm into that.

I'm into that thought process as I'm watching a show about, you know, what is it about me that wants to root for somebody who's not on the up and up? Kind of, you know. Yeah.

Like, have you watched Hacks, the show with James Clark? Yes. I can't root for, I can't even remember that woman's name, the young one. You know what I'm saying?

Yes. Like I find like normally when you try to cast somebody in that obnoxious role, they have to be like obnoxious. You want to like them, but they make it hard.

I've been that person for much of my life for other people, and I can't get to the want me to like her part that hasn't happened. So what TV show are you watching now, Bomani? What do you do? What do you watch? It's a good question. I don't watch a whole lot of TV shows.

I just ran through Hacks. That was when Southside just came back on HBO Max. I highly recommend basically a live action substance with black people on the Southside of Chicago. Okay, very good.

Well, I'll make a note of that because I might jump off of a white Lotus real fast. I don't know. But Brock, when you're telling me you got to stick in it, you got to stick with it. Stick with it guys, stick with it. So what is the storyline of the NFL season? Do you think going into week 15?

What fascinates you, Bomani? I think that there's a bit of a quarterback changing of the guard, or is it that there just aren't that many good quarterbacks? That to me has been the story. Like when you think about and I get the Miami fans to worry or fret about people not jumping all the way on board with Tua, even though he had put up like MVP level performance up until the last couple of weeks.

And I think the reason that they should feel that way is who else are we jumping on board with, right? Like we are in a year where we are actually marveling at the futures of maybe the Lions and the Jets, except they don't have quarterbacks. Nobody seems to have a quarterback this year. Well, I guess one guy in terms of the changing of the guard, I thought that here's where you were going is that Jalen Hurts is the MVP of this league.

You know, that's a changing of the guard. The thing with me with Hurts was, and I've been saying this since he got into the league, I had already seen him play for two professional teams, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oklahoma Sooners, and I had watched him at once be really good and also be the ceiling of where they could go. He's been so good as a passer relative to what my expectations were, were possible for him, largely just because he's six one at the six one quarterback that typically go very far. He's going to win the MVP this year. I mean, I think if the Eagles unless they fall apart at the end of the year, they end up with a record like 15 and two or 14 and three, you got to give it to him.

And nobody wants in the year thinking that could happen. You know, I think you just hit the nail so on the head, Bomani, and I've been trying to hammer down on this nail for quite some time as to why so many folks who follow professional sports in the NFL and certainly fans in Philadelphia overlooked him or didn't believe that Jalen Hurts could be the guy that he is right now is because, and I was kind of, you know, hitting around the nail by saying what happened in Alabama put such a negative connotation on his abilities. But the fact is, as you just, you just hit it right on the head is that he represented in many people's minds, a ceiling that he hit and Tua was the one who could take Alabama into a higher ceiling. And Kyler Murray took Oklahoma to a very high ceiling and his ceiling was a little bit less than once he was there, right? And so you get this sense here that he's now ripped the ceiling off of the entire NFL and that's why people are stunned, right?

Yeah, well, sometimes you gotta let go of your priors. God knows I had to with Josh Allen, for example, right? Everything that I had bad to say about Josh Allen the first two years or whatever his career were absolutely accurate, right? Like you go back and watch it and he looked like he had all the tools and absolutely no idea how to use them, but I can't still keep evaluating him based on that, right? Like I think people probably went a little bit too far and now you get, I think it's easier for them to see the warts on him, but I can't act like what I thought about him in 2019 still applies right now.

And I think that's where we all would hurt. The other thing would hurt that's worth noting is much like at Alabama and Oklahoma, man, they're loaded, right? He's surrounded by talent and you add his leadership capabilities. Like he doesn't get the coach's son stuff enough for people. He's literally a coach's son and he gives you all of those things. And so you give him a dude like AJ Brown, like some dudes can always get open, but some guys are just always open, just walking into stadium. AJ Brown is always open. Like Antquan Bolton was always open.

It didn't matter if five people were there. They got a real chance. And as of right now, I don't think that hurts his ceiling. Now, what's it going to look like in the playoffs? It's fair to raise the question about that, because that's a different brand of football than you get.

So it may be different there. Like we've seen Lamar Jackson not be as good in the playoffs as an example of that. It doesn't mean he's not good, but it's a different kind of game once you get there. We're going to have to see that what hurts.

Hamani Jones here on the Rich Eisen Show. I guess the Brock Purdy mania could reach a new height if he takes care of the Seattle Seahawks tonight. Do you think the 49ers can win the Super Bowl with Brock Purdy? No, I am not in a position as hard as I am on Jimmy Garoppolo to just be like, yeah, we'll pull the dude in off the street.

He'll be better than you. Because I think Jimmy Garoppolo is the ceiling that would stop them from being able to win a Super Bowl. Now, Purdy could wind up changing my mind as we go through this. I mean, that part is entirely possible. What I think is really interesting about this is if Brock Purdy can operate this offense at the level that, you know, is enough for them to win, it really does, again, make us go back and say, why did you trade so much for Trey Lance?

And I think that Trey Lance has a chance to be really, really good. But in terms of allocation of resources, Kyle Shanahan does quarterback things that just don't make any sense to me as much as we think of him as the genius. And it's a fair argument to make it a lot of ways. The things he does that make no sense to me are outright head scratches, and they all have to do a quarterback. You know, it's just to me, there's just too many you never know moments in the NFL and he could be the next one. And I know whenever people point that out, it's just an overreaction.

And and I don't know. It just seems that there are so many talented people around him that he why can't he be a new version of a younger version of Nick Foles or a new version of Brady or Kurt Warner and that we see him holding his hand, you know, his head in his hands with the confetti coming down in Arizona. It's just a lot to ask of a young guy, though. Like as I watch more and more football, the thing I realized more and more about quarterbacks is we thought about quarterbacks more like kickers.

It would make a lot of sense. You know how kickers could just lose it out of nowhere. And it's not like their legs fall off or anything like that. There's just a mental component and a certain confidence that goes away. So I look at a dude like Carson Wentz. You're not going to tell me that Carson Wentz just got terrible.

I think Carson Wentz head isn't in the right place to still get it done. Like when you look at Mr. Trubisky and I know he's never been great necessarily, but you go look at him in his second year versus this year. There's no logical argument for why it is that he would have gotten worse in that time period.

The argument is probably more about where he is in his head and all of those things. And so a young guy who's never been anywhere on this level, that was what was amazing about the young Tom Brady. It wasn't that he was that good. I think he threw for 145 yards at that first football they won, but he didn't scare when it came down to win it. And so if Purdy doesn't scare, maybe you can get it done. But man, that's just a lot to ask of anybody that young in that situation. Script the Dallas Cowboys season-ender for me, Bomani Jones.

What do you got for me? It is either going to end in outright embarrassing misery or we are going to see, and I'm going to say this and I know it's going to infuriate a lot of people, maybe the best fan base in professional football finally get a reward for the last 27 years that they have been going. It's really just going to come down to Prescott. And whether or not in those moments, it's going to be at some point at which they're going to need their quarterback to win it for him. Like to think about Shanahan and his sister, that's interesting because you really need the quarterback to win it for you.

You just need him to do stuff. Is Prescott going to be able to be the guy that does it himself in the moment where they need it? If he is, they could win the Super Bowl.

If he's not, it's about to be jokes. Well, how about this as a little bit of pushback on that sense, Bomani, is that he does have the teammates who can avoid the Cowboys being put in the position where Dak's got to win it for him. And those two guys are named Micah Parsons, where he just dominates a game. He dominates a game like Aaron Donald. He dominates a game like Naima Watt, Naima Bosa.

He dominates a game and blows it up and wrecks it and carries the day. Or Tony Pollard. Pollard rips off some easy ones. Pollard rips off some long ones. And suddenly Dak, all he's got to do is flip it out five yards and Pollard takes it the final 70. You know, like those are the two guys I think that can change those fortunes, I think.

Yeah, I think that's fair. And the Micah Parsons thing, it's interesting. The only player that I can think of really comparable to him in my mind is Peter Boulware, who nobody's thought of in a while, but a dude that could be a dominant edge rusher and a dominant off the ball linebacker. And Micah Parsons is so much better than Peter Boulware, who is in the Ring of Honor for the Ravens of that 2000 defense. Like, people are bringing up Lawrence Taylor with Micah Parsons, which, calm down, but I can't get mad at you for even trying it. And that's a testament to just how good he is.

As far as they don't overcoach him, like Ryan Clark makes the point that he's always, when you talk to Micah Parsons, he's always talking about fitting this gap and everything else. Nah, man, some dudes is see ball, get ball. That right there is see ball, get ball. And it is exciting to watch. Balmani Jones, HBO's Game Theory, returning in January. The right time with Balmani Jones is the name of his podcast here on The Rich Eisen Show. So the MVP, who's your MVP of the NBA season so far?

What do you got for me? That's a good question. It's really funny that if his team weren't so bad, we would probably be talking about Anthony Davis after we were ready to trade him at the beginning of the season. I am, I'm still super big yogic guy. I will continue to be super big yogic guy. And I recognize they don't give the MVP to anybody three years in a row, let alone a guy who Steve hasn't demonstrated themselves to be the best in the league. But in terms of the ways that we typically give MVPs, if you go through and look at all them advanced numbers again, it's yogic again. The stats that typically predict best who's going to win is win-shares per 48 minutes. Yogic is one of the last two years. He's ahead in it now, at least the last time I saw.

That's the dude that I lean toward. Now can they get something done a little bit more in the playoffs, not in the bubble? I guess we're going to have to see. Yeah, he had 43 last night, almost a triple-double. But what about Tatum? What about Jason Tatum and the Celtics right now, the way that they are playing? Do you think they are Eastern Conference champs again?

What do you think? Yeah, I think assuming health holds up for both teams, we're facing up for what we should have got last year if Middleton doesn't get hurt, which is the Bucks and the Celtics playing for the East. And I can't wait for that. And it also, given what's happened with Missoula taking over that team and what's happened with the Nets who didn't hire Emei Udonka and Jaquan took over and it went OK. Man, it's been quite a like six months or so, or however long it's been for Emei Udonka hasn't it? I guess it's only been three.

It just feels like forever. The Celtics don't miss them. The Nets didn't need them.

Nia Long chucked them to deuce. Man. I didn't see that last part coming.

You kind of caught me a wobbly need right there. But yeah, I would think so that the Bucks and the Celtics are those two. But I still can't shake the Nets. I don't know, man. I still can't shake them.

I still can't do that. I still think that their roster is too flawed for them to actually compete for a championship. And I have not watched it. This is the thing with the Nets. We only pay attention to them in times of the chaos. And so they've been out here winning games.

And I'm like, I wonder how they do that. I can tell you exactly what the reasons were. I could point to advance something and everything else. The East is fun this year, though. I think the league itself overall is fun. When you look at it, there are only like a small handful of really bad teams. We got some surprises at the top. See the pelicans who are making it happen big in the East.

But man, my buddy Charlie Kravitz, who produces debatable for ESPN, made this point to me. Evan Mobley is like racking up on defense in a way that once people start paying attention to the Cavs and they realize that's something they should probably do, they are going to marvel at what he brings. And they got two other guys who are all-stars, one of them Donovan Mitchell.

And the guy that in the end is probably going to wind up being the best is Evan Mobley. So when do you think the Cavs start, you know, pressing their case to join this fray? I know they kind of already are, I get it. But what do you think, like around March, April, we're going to see them win a playoff series? What do you think?

What do you got for me? Yeah, they're going to have to win a series and then win a game one in the second round before America. Like, hey, how about those Cavs? Why don't you throw that word Cleveland in front of them, man? It's really difficult for people to believe that LeBron James is not wearing one of their costumes. That's how this day works.

That's where I'm going. I think that when people get a chance to see that team, I think there are a few teams like that, that it's just a matter of people haven't really laid eyeballs on the team. On them, because the NFL dominates so much the attention at this time of year that they don't really think about it. But once we start getting like later in the NFL playoffs and there's more time for people to kind of go around and look at different things and people's teams are out of it. So they start paying attention to the local basketball team.

I think they're going to see there's so much going on in the NBA right now that I'd be terrified if I were the commissioner, because I just don't know how it is that this isn't selling a little better right now. Although I don't know of too many other times what, you know, the page in New Orleans has been turned from the Saints to the Pelicans this early. But it has.

Oh, well, I mean, yeah, that is true. You know, we have to remember they didn't have a basketball team at the time, but there was that whole era of the A's. I don't know if you realize this, but I hate the Saints with the fire of the Falcons. I know that you should root for the Falcons, but I keep hating the Saints. And yes, I'm happy for those of them that root for the Pelicans, because I think that that is a very good story. But I hope that every Sunday the Pelicans don't play.

And the Saints go back and they watch Andy Dalton play against whoever it is that they are going to lose to. I just want it to hurt. Mamadi, I was saying this, was it just yesterday, guys? Talking about the Falcon Saints is the most hate-fueled rivalry in sports that nobody talks about. Yeah, you know why? Because it's the only rivalry that was fueled when both teams were sorry. Like it wasn't the whoever wins this game, like Yankees, Red Sox, right? Who wins this game is going to be the one to win the East. So if we don't beat these guys, we don't deserve to be in the lead.

Like a little dollop of the migration after Katrina, where a lot of New Orleans wound up going to Atlanta. And so it's like the most hate-fueled rivalry. It's like quietly the blackest rivalry in the NFL.

There's so much that goes on with it. And I love nothing more than to put on Twitter that picture, that paper bag to remind the Saints where they came from. Problem is they won that damn Super Bowl.

Like ain't nobody take it away from. Well, I don't know how many years it's going to take before their Super Bowl is like the Jets Super Bowl, but I wish you could hurry up. Talk to them about the Eagles Super Bowl. I know.

I just love you giving voice to this. You know, Mamadi, obviously with Desmond Ritter taking the reins and the Falcons and Saints renewing their rivalry again this coming weekend, you know, I remember at that Super Bowl in Atlanta Rams versus Patriots that, you know, I'm out in a restaurant and somebody was, you know, one of the waiters comes up and he's like, man, that was a terrible, terrible pass interference moment. But, you know, it was one of the worst calls I've ever seen, you know, where the Rams made it over the over the Saints.

Then he leans and he goes, but I'm so glad that no New Orleans Saints fans are coming to this town this weekend. You know, like they did. They did. I was there for that Super Bowl and I have pictures of them. They actually showed up. They bought those tickets too early and they were like, damn it, I'm still going to come. I'm glad they got what I got.

The most boring Super Bowl ever where I was sitting next to Pablo and at some point he looked at me and was like, wow, a commercial would be great. Right. That's right.

Ten to three, 13 to three. That's right. Gronk with a huge red zone grab and Sony, Michelle, the only touchdown of the game. That was it. That that I did not see because I was sitting behind two Patriots fans who were so nervous.

They stood up every time the Patriots had the ball and did not sit down. Oh boy. Down in front. Down in front. Bomani, appreciate the time as always. Let's let's have you back on closer to the premiere in January.

January 20th on HBO and available to stream on HBO Max season two of Game Theory with Bomani Jones. Everybody check out The Right Time with Bomani Jones podcast. Always appreciate your two cents. You got it, man.

Go whoever's playing the Saints, no matter when, where or why. There you go. There's Bomani Jones right here in the Rich Eisen show.

I love that he gives voice. What did I tell you the other day? Oh, it's true. The hate is so real. When I was in New Orleans in 2018, they had a billboard up celebrating the fact that the Falcons blew a 28 to three lead in the Super Bowl. They were celebrating the Falcons' failure in New Orleans with a billboard. It was incredible.

We talk about all these. Say it again. We heard it when we went to Atlanta for the Super Bowl. I didn't realize it was that bad until we were there. And I was like, oh, wow, these two don't like each other. For real. It's real hate. Yeah, for real. Like I always say, I don't like any team in the NFC East, you know, but like, they really don't like each other, those fans hate it.

And in the same way that I root, you know, my children grow up, say, root for Michigan and anybody who plays Ohio State. It's you just heard it. And they play each other this weekend.

844-204 Rich number to dial. We'll take your phone calls when we come back. Hour number two with Von Miller, hour three. And I take a look at some sneaky Good Week 15 games beneath your radar screen. You're hanging out with some friends and putting back a few drinks.

A few becomes a few too many. As the evening comes to an end and people start to head out, you think of calling for a ride. Nah, you live nearby. You can make it home, okay?

It's no big deal. What are the odds you'll get pulled over anyway? And even so, what's the worst that could happen? Your insurance goes up, you lose your license, you lose your job, you total your car, you kill someone. Everyone knows about the risks of driving drunk.

The results are tragic and often deadly. However, that still doesn't stop everyone from getting behind the wheel while under the influence. That's why police officers are out there right now looking for impaired drivers on our roads to save lives. So if you think you're okay to drive after a few drinks, think again. Play it safe and plan ahead to get a ride. It only takes one mistake to change your life or someone else's forever.

Drive sober or get pulled over. Paid for by NHTSA. Oh boy, back here on the Rich Eisen Show, NetSuite by Oracle. This is a perfect way for you to know your numbers and run your business because these times are uncertain and you have to have the clarity you need. If you're relying on spreadsheets and outdated finance software, you need to see the full picture.

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NetSuite.com slash Rich Radio. Dennis in Long Beach, California. You're on The Rich Isaac Show. What's up, Dennis?

Good morning, Rich. Before I get to my topic, Angelenos know that there's no place colder on Earth than LA when it's 50. So it's just the way we roll. Oh, yeah. I've been wearing a winter ski cap. Oh, yeah.

And Suzy looks at me and she goes, you know, aren't you wearing the outfit that you make fun of people wearing here in Los Angeles? I'm like, yeah, I make fun of them when they show up at the gym in it in 70-degree weather. Like, these are necessities, not accessories, you know? But now it's necessity. Right?

Yeah. Who needs their seat warmer in LA? Well, how are we doing when we get in our car and it's 52 degrees outside?

You got to get the seat warmer going if you have one. So, hey, all this talk about quarterbacks and there's a name that's been admitted almost all year, and that's Patrick Mahomes. And is he so good? Is he getting to the point like LeBron in his prime at Michael Jordan? Will you just talk about everybody else hoping that somebody can become as good as him?

I mean, is it just taking for granted talent when he does week in, week out? He's just not in any of these conversations anymore. Well, we named him as the Rich Eisen Show MVP, right? We put our votes together Thanksgiving week. Was that when we did it? Yeah.

Okay. And we did it, you know, ranked choice, just like they're going to do it for the first time this year. And Mahomes was our MVP at the moment. But since then, Mahomes lost the game and, you know, let Denver back in a game with three interceptions and Jalen Hurts has taken off. So I think in the last four weeks of this season, if Mahomes finishes, you know, perfectly and Hurts stumbles, you might get Mahomes in the mix as an MVP because Tyreek was gone and look at what he's done this year. And if the Chiefs wind up the one seed, I mean, it's still a line for Patrick Mahomes to get the MVP award this year. But I pick up what you're putting down, Dennis.

Yeah. And as an Eagles fan, Dallas sucks. I couldn't hope that it happens more, that Hurts has the great season and finishes it off. But it just seems like, you know, you're talking about all these quarterbacks and it's like, all right, Mahomes stumbled. But even before I know you guys did a Thanksgiving, it just seems like he's becoming like Lebron and Jordan.

No, I agree. We're like, you know, Phil Jackson or Belichick for Coach of the Year awards. Thanks for the call, Dennis. You know, like we just we know you're great. We don't need to reward you as such with an award that you already have. And don't thank Dennis for saying bad stuff about the Cowboys.

I think he's just speaking his mind. Jessica in Los Angeles, California. What's up, Jessica? Hi. I have to also thank Dennis because as somebody who was raised in Phoenix, I also cannot withstand any cold.

So that's fine. But, you know, again, there's so much quarterback talk and with there's been a lot of backup and a lot of comebacks, if you will, like Gino that are doing well this season that we're not expected to do a lot. I mean, Purdy shocked everybody. And then you've got new college football playoffs, the transfer portal and giant quarterbacks absolutely failing what it seems like. I mean, how do you think scouting is going to change?

I mean, I feel like there's going to be so much more talent people are going to be looking at outside of just the first no doubt. And the interesting thing, Jessica, that I'm glad that you brought the collegiate level into this mix as well is I'm wondering if we might actually see at some point some player have so much money already in the bank that he may not like where he's drafted and he sits out like I'm taking a pay cut just to play for you. I mean, I don't know if we're going to get there, but in terms of just scouting quarterbacks and looking at them, I still think that when, you know, the folks that are going to change things in the mindset are the Hertz's of the world, not the Brock Purdie's or the Gino Smith's of the world.

And thanks for the call. I mean, you know, the Seahawks have an interesting choice that we can talk about down the road and we'll see how Gino finishes up. They may have the second overall pick in the draft by the end of the day, and they'll have to make a choice like, do you pay Gino or do you just say, we'll just go with a young kid and reset, you know, or you see Brock Purdie. Well, all we need is just the last pick in the draft. We don't need the second overall pick in the draft to win games, just build it around a certain system, defensively running it, you know, with a coach who believes in his system.

That sounds like Pete Carroll too. Our number three, Von Miller, the Buffalo Bills and sneaky good games that I have under the radar for week 15 coming up. And there's going to be a lot of teams that need a quarterback. That number two pick is going to be worth a lot of extra. It's possible.

Yeah. So you stick with Gino and you can move down and let somebody move up because you, and again, it's all in who you believe, if that's the person, but it's an interesting thought from Jessica there that, Hey, you know, there are some guys who are supposedly supremely talented that at the end of the day, aren't winning at all. And there are some guys who are making a ton of money, like Kyler Murray, who gave four wins before his knee gave way. So why are you spending all that money on somebody that isn't going to win it all for you? Well, because you don't know if you've got the team surrounding it. It's just a whole big puzzle piece.

Do you want to spend however, 20% of your money allocated to put the puzzle together on one person. I mean, it's always a fascinating choice. And the crazy thing is, is here we are with so many people who are so talented and they get bigger and stronger and faster every year. Caleb Williams is a perfect example, right? But still, when it comes to the national football league, the top of the top, the cream of the crop of professional football, you still can't find what, more than half the league, having a quarterback that you so-called, if you will, believe in. It's such a difficult position to not only scout, but also play.

Neck up, waist down, the whole business, arm strength. It's crazy. But that's, you know, once the playing season ends, we get to combine season to talk more about it. You're hanging out with some friends and putting back a few drinks.

A few becomes a few too many. As the evening comes to an end and people start to head out, you think of calling for a ride. Ah, you live nearby. You can make it home, okay?

It's no big deal. What are the odds you'll get pulled over anyway? And even so, what's the worst that could happen? Your insurance goes up, you lose your license, you lose your job. You total your car, you kill someone. Everyone knows about the risks of driving drunk.

The results are tragic and often deadly. However, that still doesn't stop everyone from getting behind the wheel while under the influence. That's why police officers are out there right now looking for impaired drivers on our roads to save lives. So if you think you're okay to drive after a few drinks, think again. Play it safe and plan ahead to get a ride. It only takes one mistake to change your life or someone else's forever. Drive sober or get pulled over. Paid for by NHTSA.