REShow: Ian Rapoport - Hour 1

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. This is the Rich Eisen Show. The greatest comeback in the history of the National Football League. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.

Patrick Peterson was saying all we need is five touchdowns and I thought if you watch the first half, you know, getting one touchdown good at the top, let alone five. The Rich Eisen Show. Today's guests, NFL Network insider Ian Rappaport, Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw, and now it's Rich Eisen.

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Well, I can't wait to get your two cents on the subject matter of a shocking beginning. This is my last show of the year because we're off next week. And I'm heading to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania tonight for a game that I've been looking forward to all year long. As soon as this came out on the schedule, I knew NFL network would be broadcasting the Steelers hosting the Raiders on the Saturday night, Christmas Eve of week 16. And I knew it was the Immaculate Reception anniversary celebration. The day after the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, the Raiders and the Steelers purposely put on the schedule together in a night game for the whole country to watch. And I knew this because we made a special segment out of our schedule release show on it. And to talk about it, we had live on the show, Franco Harris, who could not have been more excited about that game and that celebration. And he joined us live from Pittsburgh, PA in front of the plaque and statue that they put together in the actual spot.

As we all know, Three Rivers is no longer. But in the actual, he was standing there, big smile on his face, couldn't wait for the game. Game's finally coming on Saturday night, and we all wake up today with the news that Franco Harris has passed away, died overnight.

As of this conversation, we still don't know of what. We do know he was out and about. People are putting out photographs of, hey, I ran into Franco this week. He was on. Yesterday. Yeah, yesterday.

People are putting out photographs. Here I am with Franco yesterday. And I can't find the words, but I'm about to try. Because he represents one of the most famous franchise in the history of the NFL. And his moment of catching the football off of his shoe tops, and of course Raiders fans would say off the turf, absolutely changed his life and changed the life of all Steelers fans and changed the fortunes of a Steelers franchise. And the Steelers that we know today, the organization that we know today as a winning franchise and a model of stability and a model of winning, he's the one who started it with that catch. Yes, there were other Hall of Famers he was playing around who were there before he got there in 1972 as a rookie from Penn State. But that catch that he made off of his shoe tops on that day, December 23rd, 1972, in a divisional playoff game against the Oakland Raiders changed it all.

Changed it all. And definitely when Terry Bradshaw took the snap on fourth and 10 from his own 40 yard line down seven to six with 22 seconds left and no timeouts left, he had no idea that the ball he was about to launch would launch everything I just said. And it would be launched off of Frenchie Fuqua, his intended target, and Jack Tatum. And that's an important distinction because back in that day, there was a rule in the NFL that if a ball caromed off an offensive player, the only individual who could catch the carom was the offensive player. Any other offensive player who touched it, it would be illegal on the spot. So the big moment about that immaculate about that immaculate reception where there was a huge to-do with the officials huddling up wasn't about whether Franco caught it off the ground, it was did it carom off of Jack Tatum or not because if it did, it's a legal grab by Franco. If it didn't, it's illegal and the Raiders win the game. But it was ruled a reception and the immaculate reception that unfolded in front of everybody. Would you believe it was the first touchdown in postseason history for the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Yeah. The Pittsburgh Steelers, and this is why I'm mentioning this in the manner in which I'm mentioning this, one of the many reasons. The Pittsburgh Steelers kids and people of many different generations, if you're not old enough to remember, they were terrible.

They were terrible. Their only postseason appearance before that game. Their only postseason appearance before this season in 1972 was 1947 when they lost in the divisional round to the Philadelphia Eagles who, by the way, they merged with during the war, World War II, to keep the NFL alive.

The Steagles look it up. And they got shut out in that game 21-0. Franco Harris in a 7-6 game where the Steelers were only able to put up two field goals. That was the first ever touchdown for Franco Harris in the postseason, for Terry Bradshaw in the postseason, and for the Steelers organization in the postseason. Did not know that. And then they go on to win a Super Bowl, not just once, but four times.

Wow. And Franco Harris in the Super Bowl that he helped make a reality with that immaculate reception. 158 yards rushing. First ever player to have 150 or more rushing yards in Super Bowl history. He wound up, when it was all said and done, with the most career rush yards in Super Bowl history. 354, which is a record that lasts today.

And I would proffer to say this. In this day and age, this passing league where teams cannot get back to the Super Bowl in back-to-back years, let alone win it in back-to-back years, often enough, who's going to break that? Who's going to be a running back to get back to the Super Bowl over and over and over again? To break that record, Emmitt Smith is 289 rushing yards.

That's behind him. Larry Zonka, he's the only one with over 300 rushing yards in his Super Bowl career. Emmitt has him by 30 yards just in terms of the most rushing yards by running back in postseason history.

Franco is second on that list and again I proffer to say that record will be frozen in time as well. He is only one of three running backs in NFL history to make a Pro Bowl in each of his first nine seasons. The other ones are named Jim Brown and Barry Sanders.

Only nine players ever have done that. Jim Brown, Franco Harris, Barry Sanders, Merlin Olsen, Mel Renfro, Lawrence Taylor, Derek Thomas, Joe Thomas, he's going to the hall this year, and Aaron Donald, whose string might get broken up. Most rushing touchdowns in postseason history, Franco Harris with 16, Emmitt with 19.

That's two and one right there. He was the rookie of the year in 1972. He also was part of the all-decade team of the 1970s, all-pro in 1977. When he retired, he was third in NFL history in rush yards and rush touchdowns at the time of his retirement. Most importantly, and anyone will tell you who knows him, Pittsburgh knows this, he was the 1976 NFL Man of the Year. That's before obviously the Walter Payton Man of the Year award was created. And he was all of that. He could have won that every year of his life. So giving of his time and heart.

What a good human on the planet. And it is so crushing that he passes away two days before the anniversary and three days before it is celebrated and celebrated. And three days before it is celebrated in front of a national television audience with his number being retired, just the third in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers. And it will now be done posthumously. Saturday night will turn into a memorial.

Acresher Stadium will turn into a cathedral. Could be a celebration though, man. It will be. Could be a celebration. It will be. It will be.

That's just the way I tend to look. No, no, no. But that's what memorials are too. People come and tell funny stories. And Terry Bradshaw is going to come in an hour number three.

And it will be a lot of fun stories and funny stories. And remember Franco this and that. As a matter of fact, we posted it on our Twitter feed, Ed O'Neill talking about meeting him at Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara's wedding.

Very funny. And people are posting photographs of them with Franco because he was so ubiquitous and so giving of his time and always taking pictures with people. And Pittsburgh loves the man from the minute they met him on the field or in public to this very moment. And yes, you want to talk about a celebration?

This man was able to bask in the glory of the Immaculate Reception for 49 years and 362 days of his life. When you showed up at the Pittsburgh airport, you were greeted by George Washington. Yes. And Franco Harris. Yes.

Not even show, when you show up, because it's still there. There were statues of him, yes, of the Immaculate Reception. And that's why, again, he is so special amongst the many special. Because we know the Terrible Towel and the Pittsburgh Steelers organization and Mike Tomlin still will take the field on Saturday night with this Steelers team with the ability to win out and not have a losing record as coach. And Chuck Knoll, who was the coach on that day of the Immaculate Reception, stayed and then handed the reins to Bill Cowher, who stayed and handed the reins to Tomlin. This franchise is known for winning and stability in an era where when the NFL handed out that report to the owners last week, hey, $800 million has been squandered on fired coaches and fired front office members. The Rooney's are probably sitting back there like, pass that to 31 other people. You don't need to give that to us. We don't need that report.

Dead money. Get out of here with that. That's for everyone else in this room. We know the franchise as that. They were not that. When Terry Bradshaw took that snap on fourth and 10 with 22 seconds left and no timeouts from his own 40 and threw the ball that wound up in the hands of Franco Harris, who took it to the end zone. And when you think about it, what other moments compared to launching a dynasty other than I guess, Mo Lewis knocking out Drew Bledsoe and bringing Tom Brady in like that's the only moment.

But that was just a moment that nobody remembered until everything else that happened. It wasn't a playoff game. It wasn't the last play of the game. It wasn't fourth down. This was named the greatest moment in NFL history by fans and the greatest play in NFL history by the fans in the NFL 100 campaign a couple of years ago.

With without question. And the man who was on the receiving end who is going to have his number retired on Saturday night in celebration of this moment, I cannot believe Franco Harris has passed away. I'm sending nothing but my love and respect to his family, the Steelers organization, people from Pittsburgh, TJ, who, you know, must be completely overwhelmed with grief today.

Yeah, they're devastated, devastated. You know, I I'm a diehard Cowboy fan. We all knew that, but I grew up in the heart of Steeler country. So, you know, it's there whether you want it or not. I've watched more hours of Steeler football than anything else.

Sure. Franco going to Penn State and, you know, of course I wasn't alive for the Immaculate Reception, but I had the opportunity to meet this man probably five to seven times in my life living in Pittsburgh and living in Altoona. And it was just like it was just he was great. He was always welcoming and very sweetheart and the nicest dude.

Oh my gosh, big man with this big beard who you might be a little intimidated by but I can remember being a kid and walking up to him at like a meet and greet once and he just just made you feel welcome. And that play I think epitomizes why he's such a legend in blue-collar Pittsburgh, you know, that just like not giving up when you're down 33-0. Keep digging. Keep your head up.

Yes. Keep your head in the game. You could have been down. The game was over but you hustled man and you and you followed the play and you made the play. And that's I think why people love this dude. And he changed the fortunes of a franchise in the city and his career and the other guys who are hall of famers in the making.

And you don't forget but you forget when he retired he was the third leading rusher in the history of the National Football League behind just Walter Payton and Jim Brown. I am gutted. I am gutted and I know every Steeler fan is gutted. NFL fans are gutted. The city is gutted. And it's the timing man like you said.

Exactly. And we will all get together on Saturday night to remember and honor and celebrate his life and for the moment though sending all our love and condolences to the family of Franco Harris, the Steelers family, the city of Pittsburgh. Franco's Italian Army.

Franco's Italian Army and all NFL fans from coast to coast. We'll talk about it with Terry Bradshaw on hour number three. Ian Rappaport will be joining us coming up in hour number two. And I mean in about two minutes time and obviously we'll take your phone calls on it at 844-204-rich number to dial all day. Franco Harris dead at the age of 72.

May you rest in peace Franco. 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. 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.

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Drive sober or get pulled over. Paid for by NHTSA. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, NetSuite by Oracle lets you know your numbers. When you are sitting down to check out your balance and your spreadsheets and everything you need to know for your business, guess what?

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It starts tomorrow night with the Jaguars and the Jets on Thursday night, and then the bulk of the activity is on Saturday. And joining us right now on the Mercedes-Benz Vans phone line with the latest on so many burning questions, hopefully getting some answers. He's an answer, man.

He's an information man. His name is Ian Rappaport, back here on the Rich Eisen Show on the Mercedes-Benz Vans phone line. How you doing, Ian?

What's going on, Rich? How are you? I'm fine. Update me on Jalen Hurts. What do you know about his throwing shoulder?

What do you got for me? Well, it's a sprained shoulder. It's not worse, which I think is good. It's a throwing shoulder, so certainly that's something that's a little bit of cause for concern. You know, I know that he said there's a chance he starts. I know that the Eagles have not ruled him out. Just based on where it all seems to be heading, it feels like he will probably miss the start. We'll see, but that's what it feels like, which means, you know, Gardner Minshew, who's probably one of the, I don't know, certainly one of the top five backups in the NFL should be, probably could start someplace, definitely this time of year, excuse me, he might end up being the starter. And, you know, I think if you're the Eagles, it gets interesting from there.

Let's say somehow the Eagles win. They lock up the number one seed, they lock up a buy. Well then, does it make sense to play Jalen Hurts for the rest of the year? It doesn't make sense.

You know what? Just rest him, get ready for the playoffs where you have nothing to gain in the regular season anyway. Right, but he may play anyway, and that's the thing I don't understand. He may play, he may just miss the one week, you know, and there's no timetable for his return, whether it's this week or beyond, which means it could be more serious than believed. I don't think I'm alarmist in saying that, Ian.

Like, what do we know? If that's the case, if that's the case, like, let's say it is a multi-week injury. Well, you have, like, really four weeks from now. I mean, you have this week plus two more, plus if they have the buy, which I think they just win, you know, one more game. If they, you know, win this week, they get the buy, and if they don't, then there's some other stuff, but a buy is certainly possible, I would say, plus likely. Then you have four weeks, so it doesn't feel to me like it's more than that.

So either way, short term and long term this year, I think the Eagles are going to be absolutely fine, despite a somewhat scary injury to maybe their most important player. So, um, is this a game time? This is like 90 minutes before they're doing that? That's a real game time decision?

What do you think? Against Dallas? I think we'll probably know. I mean, if we get to, you know, if we get to Friday and Jalen Hurts hasn't played, I think the jig will, he hasn't practiced, I think the jig will probably be up. I don't think this will be one, but we'll see, like, is he going to warm up?

Is he not? I mean, there's all sorts of competitive balance stuff, and we'll see, but this doesn't feel like a big circus involving the starting quarterback. Ian Rappaport here on the Rich Eisen Show. All right, so let's jump into some other quarterback scenarios. I guess if we're talking Philadelphia Eagles and their MVP quarterback goes down late in the season, and they're, you know, just pretty much ready to wrap up the bye anyway, and we're talking about shades of 2017, that means Nick Foles has got to start, and lo and behold, he's going to start Monday night.

Jeff Saturday announced Nick Foles is starting on Monday night football. Where in the world did this one come from? What is happening in Indianapolis, Ian? Well, not a lot of good things, it seems.

And I'm no, I'm no football expert. Well, I guess I might say it's not good. It's not good. And the fact that they're going to their third quarterback, the fact that this is a team that, you know, lost their start, lost their coach, bench their starting quarterback, is now in the third quarterback, just gave up, you know, probably the worst loss in NFL regular season history.

I'm not sure there's a lot of positives, just being completely honest. And maybe Nick Foles leads into a win, or somehow, some way, I don't know. Is he going to be part of their future? You know, seems doubtful, so then it's like, why would you do this?

And the answer is, I have no idea. But, you know, I think for Foles it's a cool opportunity, but short term for the Colts, long term for the Colts, I'm not sure I see the answer here. Right, I mean, I guess, why not? You got to throw everything out after you give up 33 points in the fourth quarter of one loss, and then come back from a buy, and then lose after scoring the first 33 points of that game, too. But you blame the quarterback? Or, and I guess that there's no injury, best you can tell, there's just like, we got to try something else, and so we make the most, I guess, jarring change of them all? Yeah, I don't know of an injury.

That would be a surprise. And I think, you know, the real question to me is, why would you not have Sam Ellinger start? Like, Foles is, you know, is he going to be the backup next year with a new coach and a new system? My guess, and Frank Legg obviously gone, my guess is probably not. Is Sam Ellinger?

I don't know. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. He's shown some flashes, some not great play. Wouldn't it be worth finding out if Sam Ellinger is a part of your future, if he is a backup? Like, when else would you want to do it, except for now, except they're going with a 30-something Nick Foles without a ton there for the future?

Certainly some questions, I would say, questions. Wow. Okay, Ian Rapport here on the Rich Eisen Show. Next one for you, Lamar Jackson. I saw the Ravens with my own two eyes and called the game with my own voice.

I saw it right in the middle of a, you know, two classics. I had that middle, I had that middle sandwich, and man, do they need him. And now Devin DuVernay is out. The receivers haven't caught a touchdown pass since week three, and they got Sammy Watkins back, so they need Lamar. I mean, in the worst way, what's the scoop with him right now? They need Lamar, and you know, this was the week, based on the people I've spoken with, that the Ravens expected Lamar back. I mean, it's one to three week injury. It's a PCL, which, you know, sometimes can take a little longer than maybe some other injuries, but you know, they thought he would be back. And we'll see today, maybe he's back to practice today.

If they've had practice, they have not seen it. But otherwise, I think this would be a little surprising. You know, Lamar had an ankle injury last year, did not end up returning from it.

And you know, from this one, maybe a little slower than they anticipated. There's nothing wrong here, it's just, you know, they need him badly. He is, you know, it's funny, it's like his value is going up as he doesn't play. On the other hand, they really would just like him to play and just be awesome again.

So we'll see when that happens. I think the Ravens are going to be okay, but certainly you'd like to see Lamar Jackson out there. Well, because Kaleis Campbell and Marcus Peters are out too, right?

They're not coming back either, it seems, for the moment. Yeah, I think those guys, that's probably two week injuries, which, you know, you get to this time of year, and the only injuries are, are they back for the playoffs or not? So those are two week injuries, and there's not much to play for, we may see them again in the playoffs, and that's it. So it's like, let's see if Lamar practices today, because again, today is like a Thursday for a regular season week, because the Ravens, pretty much everybody, but I guess, let me get the number right, 10 teams play on Saturday this week, and so this is it.

I mean, this is rubber meeting the road, and in all honesty though, I mean, value for down the line, that's down the line. They need him back now. I mean, that team had base, and Dobbins had a rest day yesterday. He looked good, and he said he's going to get his burst back, and he could be the answer, but Lamar, they got to have him.

They got to get him, you know? Yeah, they got to get him, and they got to win, but then they also need to win the playoffs, so if it's just strategic, he's almost ready, we'll just rest him, that's fine. It's all fine, and I think the Ravens are going to be in the playoffs regardless. You just want to make sure that there's nothing, and you know, John Harbaugh wears his sort of emotion slash thoughts on his sleeve. He does not seem exactly thrilled with where the state of injuries are in his team. You know, he said, right at the start, I'm not talking about it.

That was not a great sign, because there's a reason for him not to talk about it, apparently. So we'll see if he practices today. That will be very telling as far as whether or not Lamar will be back.

Ian Rappaport, my colleague from the NFL Network, NFL Media Group, kind enough to call in here on a very busy Wednesday on the Rich Eisen show here on the Mercedes-Benz Vans phone line. Let's talk about the Titans. How significant is Ryan Tannehill's injury for a team that is suddenly in a free fall, and the object that's getting more and more closer and maybe than they even appear is Jacksonville? What do you got for me on Tannehill's injury and Malik Willis starting for the Titans here? Yeah, I mean it feels to me like Ryan Tannehill is a, you know, severe long shot to play this week. Was in a lot of pain, came back somehow, some way, looked I guess okay, but he's dealing with injuries to both of his ankles this season.

He is tough as anything, but as bad as that looked, the fact that he was able to come back, you sort of knew like, all right, this is something, this is something that's real. So I think there's a very real chance we see Malik Willis start this weekend and then, you know, we'll see after that. Again, it's a time of year when the only kind of injuries are we'll see you in the playoffs or not. So if the Titans lose this week, does it make sense to bring Ryan Tannehill back on two bad ankles with a slim chance of hanging on?

Maybe it does, but we'll see if he's able to do that. Ian Rappaport here on the Rich Eisen Show. Okay, Ian, what can you tell me about the Jets quarterback situation? And I know Mike White, and I'm not talking about injuries, I'm just talking about the way that they're evaluating Zach Wilson, the offense that's being run, the locker room when he's in there, and the body language on the field when he's throwing to them, and Mike White having the exact opposite feeling to it, and what this means for the short term in the future.

Like, open your reporter notebook on the quarterback situation best that you can for me, for the Jets, please. Well, guys like Mike White, I mean, that's, you know, you hit on it, it's pretty clear. When he plays, he's the guy who kind of gives people a lift. Now, does it matter on the football field?

I would argue it does. You know, if you like the guy who's throwing to you, it, you know, doesn't help you finish one more routed game. Like, I don't know how it manifests itself on the field, but it's not nothing. Guys like Mike White.

Now, Mike White is not as talented, quote unquote, as Zach Wilson. Zach Wilson can make a lot of throws, and he was not bad last week. Like, he, I know he's carrying some baggage, and a lot of the receivers have been frustrated all season about the way he's played, and all that is true, but actually, on the field last week, if you knew nothing, you would say, you know what, there might be something there.

Maybe there's a little bit there. Throws at the end when you've got to have it, game on the line, like, there was some stuff there that I think was okay. So, he's going to start Thursday, and I think if he has another, you know, sort of promising performance, you may see him again. If not, you know, then I think if Mike White is created, you'll probably see him. Best case scenario for the Jets.

Best, absolute best case. Zach Wilson goes out and balls, and you just keep giving him stars till the year-end. Yeah, of course, and then he merits it, and that he does take, and that his stat line of 300 yards and two touchdowns does merit, does yield a win, and also a sense that he has grasped whatever the reset required him to grasp, and that maybe the coaching staff is willing to let him out of the pocket instead of just saying, stand in there and become more of a quarterback. It just seems like, it just seems to be off. It really does, and that's why I'm wondering because the next up for them is they got to go to, I mean, this is, I mean, you know New York, man. I mean, he's going to be in front of all the Jets fans and the guy that every single one of those people in that stadium, and everybody who roots for the Jets outside of that stadium, and that includes me, was rooting for them to keep losing so they could get the other guy that's on the field playing quarterback, and that guy is now ascending, and if he comes in and does what he's been doing to a Jets defense that has been the team's saving grace, then they're going to let it all out on Zach.

That's going to happen tomorrow night, potentially. Yeah, and you know, one of the weird things in our world, and I wish it wasn't the case, but I made my piece of it a long time ago, is there is an increased importance to these standalone national games. It's just, the whole country is watching, and sometimes you have, you know, casual-ish fans who watch more so than any other time, and everyone reacts more.

Everything that happens in these nationally televised standalone games is a little bit bigger, and if it's real bad, it's going to get real loud. On the other hand, maybe it's good. Maybe it's good, but I will tell you this, like, the way, you know, this was like a really feel-good Jets season, and I think this draft class is going to be real, you know, Breese Hall would have helped. I think the draft class is going to be really, really good. This has turned, and that's really too bad, because there was a lot of promise here at the start.

Last one for you, Ian Rappaport. You're taking a look at the way the draft order is beginning to shake out, and who's got top picks, and who doesn't, and then who's going to have quarterback decisions, whether you keep who you have, or you draft somebody else, and the next couple weeks may have something to do with that decision, obviously, whether you make the playoffs or you don't. Which teams are you circling to take a look at on that front over the next couple weeks with the draft order shaking out, as I mentioned, the way that it looks, Ian?

Well, I mean, start, you know, start right at the top, right? Start with Houston Texans. Are they, you know, I would say probably not that thrilled with their quarterback situation this year. We thought Davis Mills was going to be a thing.

Seems like Davis Mills is probably a pretty good backup, and, you know, worthwhile draft pick, pretty good backup, but not your starter. So do the Texans, right up to bat, do they take one? Chicago, probably not. Now, they have a lot of needs. We'll see what it is, but probably not. Seattle is three, I think now.

Yes, they are. Now, that's the one you're circling, right? Do they see, do they sign Geno, or they keep him, and then, and then both? I mean, they could franchise tag Geno, they could sign him to a short deal and draft a quarterback, and because Geno is like a really good guy, I don't think that he would go crazy if they signed him and then took a quarterback.

Like, that's fine. Take a quarterback, don't play him for a year, and then we'll see what happens, you know? You know, the Lions, I know everyone assumes they're going to take a quarterback. I'm not so sure about that.

Neither am I. Gough looks terrific in this, and he looks smooth. His play-action game and these receivers, he's locked in on them. I mean, why would you mess with that? And he's been to a Super Bowl, honestly. I know, I know people like dumping on him, but he's part of the reason why that they have won six or seven. They really have. I mean, that was a good example of a nationally televised game taking on increased importance. He didn't look good in the Super Bowl, and it kind of went downhill, you know, from there. Right.

The thing of this, I'm, I'm, I'm looking at this, Rich. You have Arizona who's set, Indy, Atlanta, Carolina, New Orleans. Could all take quarterbacks? Well, that, New Orleans belongs to Philadelphia, too. Oh, right.

You talk about the rich getting richer, you know? You probably don't need a quarterback. Right.

Probably okay. But other than that, all, it could be all quarterbacks, yeah. Exactly.

And then, and then comes Vegas at 10. What, what are you hearing on Brady as we go out the door here for the next couple weeks, for the next three weeks? Biggest decision is, does he want to play? He has, you know, his team has obviously struggled. He struggled some. He has always promised that when he wasn't good, he would walk away. He's, you know, I, I will be extremely curious for his own self-reflection. What did he think? Does he think it's this offense?

It's this team? Or does he think I'm 45 and it's time? Like, I, I have no idea.

I kind of hope he plays because it's fun when he plays, but I'm fascinated by the swimming decision with no one having a more important decision than Tom Brady himself. Ian, thanks for the time, brother. Thanks very much. Oh yeah, last one for you. On a scale of one to, I can't freaking believe it.

Where do you stand on the Mets owner committing almost a billion dollars in free agents over the last three weeks? What about that? Uh, it's great. I, um, I've earned it. Uh, it's been a rough, it's been a rough few decades, uh, three decades, really, really my whole life.

Yeah. Um, the Mets have operated like a crappy, uh, small market team despite being in New York and literally exactly the same as the Yankees, but it's been basically three decades. I've suffered through a lot of crap. I've been to a lot of bad games. I watched a lot of Steve Traxel starts.

Steve Traxel starts? I deserve it. Um, I woke up today and I knew the Mets were interested. I knew they made a secret run in him.

Uh, I didn't know. And so like I went to bed last night being like, all right, the press conferences postponed. I'm crazy, right? And then I woke up to a million texts and I'm like, has to be correct.

There's nothing else you could be. So anyway, let's go Mets. I deserve it. I'm very happy.

TJ Jefferson. You're all you're in that boat too. We deserve a wrap.

We deserve it. All right. Okay.

It's been a long time. Let's go. Let's go. Let's L F G M E T dollar sign.

That's how they're spelled right now. Thank you, uncle Stevie and take care of yourself. Uh, I'll see you soon. We'll chat soon. Thanks for that rap sheet for the kids who want to follow them on Twitter. Join the millions and the millions and millions. I'm going to talk about his followers.

500 million with the luxury tax next year, dude. Hey, we'll talk about it. Eight four four two Oh four range number to dial here on the program. Don't go anywhere. I got a great story for you. I needed your help about Steve Cohen.

No, this is on the personal front. Gotcha. Coming up. Prize picks is daily fantasy sports made easy. How does it work? You pick two to six players. And if they score more or less than their price picks projection, you can win up to 25 times your money on any entry. Didn't get your picks in before the game started.

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Some restrictions do apply. See the website for details Back here on the rich eyes and show eight four four two Oh four rich number to dial here on the program. So, um, you know, about a week ago, right around here, right around this time, it could have been on this day. One week ago on, on our show last week, uh, I mentioned to you that Susan, I watched episode one season two of the white Lotus. Yeah. Cause you've been talking about it in the country has been talking about it.

And Susan and I have been able to keep our heads down enough that we don't have anything ruined. And you're like, you gotta watch it. You gotta watch it. You gotta watch it.

So good. We watched it. And as soon as it was over, we look at each other. We're like, what, what's, what's the big deal with this thing? Like, we don't like any of the characters. It was weird. We just gave a weird feeling.

I'm not a big fan of awkward TV. And, um, we looked at each other and I'm like, if I didn't watch another episode of this, I'd be fine. Okay. That's what I said. Okay.

And she goes, yeah, like that. Yeah. I agreed with you at the moment. Cause I was in the, I finished the first episode and I was like, exactly right. Yeah. So I came on and I said this on the air and you're like, stick with it, stick with it. It gets so much better.

Right? Yeah. I did.

Every episode builds and builds and builds. You gotta stick with it. You gotta go. You gotta go. And I even said, Hey, succession was like that for me when the first season hit. I'm like, I don't really like any of these people.

Like what, give me a reason to stick with it. And then right around episode three, episode four, it took off like a rocket ship and it's, it's still going straight up out of the galaxy. It's so fantastic. So I, you know, I'm like, okay, fine. I'll, I'll get back to that, you know, put a pin in it. Noted is what I thought in my head. Noted. And then I went off to Cleveland to call a game. Yeah. Caught the plane out to Cleveland.

I did on Thursday, on Thursday, caught the plane to Cleveland on Thursday, arrived and was there on Friday and then did the game Saturday, got home Saturday night, did the show Sunday. And I think I know where we're at. And I said to Suze, you know, Hey, Brockman said the white Lotus is really good.

Maybe we should get back to it. And she goes, I got something to tell you. I'm like, what? She watched almost all of it without me in a span of like 36 hours. This was a text from her yesterday to me at 1143. During the show? As we're getting ready for the final segment, Rich is so mad at me.

I binged the entire season, except for the finale of white Lotus. And then she sent me that sideways crying face. Oh, that's Suze's eyes on her. What a violation. What a violation. And then I wrote back, I laughed and I went, he said he hated it. Isn't it so good? And she goes, weirdly so.

Weirdly so. So I said to her, I'm like, what, what do you mean? And first of all, she says to me, you're going to, you're going to have to catch up. And I'm like, you watched it without me? She goes, yeah. And I'm like, how much?

She goes, you're going to have to catch up. I'm like, two episodes? No. Three episodes? No.

How many? Like, you tell me. Right. And she's like, almost all of it.

Well, how much? There's only seven episodes. Yeah. She got through six.

So just not that many. Just like six hours of television. You know, they're long.

I'd love to tap out with my wife and watch six hours of television. Yeah. You should just skip it, bro. Don't skip it.

I'm not going to skip, but I've got it all on my iPad. Oh, there you go. You got a flight today. Yes.

Bang. I'm gonna. I got to catch up. Got to catch up. Again, you don't gotta. Like I have caught up.

I stuck with the Brockman reluctantly. Did you finish the whole thing? I got to the, I think, end episode six for Jennifer Coolidge. So you're right where Suzy is.

Don't say where. I'm just saying, Jennifer Coolidge. Don't stop. That's it. That's it. That's it.

I don't need to know any more. You know, she's in it. So that's all. No, I know, but yeah. That's all I'm saying is Jennifer Coolidge walking around. I mean.

In a hotel. Come on. And seeing stuff. And so her, she says, I'm like, so I'm like, what gives? She goes, well, you know how much I love Italy. And I just like. Oh yeah.

It's in Sicily. It's beautiful. Yeah. That's great.

Yeah. But they're in the resort 99% of the time. So it's not like you're seeing. They do. They do. And one thing you'll notice, Rich, it's super annoying. Not a spoiler at all.

They only eat at the hotel restaurant. Yeah. It's like you're in Sicily. I know. Get out.

They can go walk around town and try some of the local cuisine. I didn't even think about that. The whole thing. The whole thing is just like a complete totally code.

Like a code breaking. Is it? Is that a violation? Absolutely.

It is. You know what it was like? She, you know what the excuse was in a way? It sounded like to me was Ross telling Rachel, we were on a break.

You said you didn't want it. Like we were on a white Lotus break. So I went and you were gone. And I had the time. So I did it. And I watched it. I will say, I have a similar situation with The Wire with Sarah. Yeah.

Yeah. When we first started dating, it was one of those things like, hey, everyone talks about how good the show is. I've never seen it. You've never seen it. Let's watch it. Let's do it.

Yes. We watched maybe the first two episodes. And like, I wasn't that into it.

It's a little slow, I think, in the beginning. And it was like, put a pin in it. And then like a few months later, she was like, oh yeah, I saw this guy.

He was on The Wire. I'm like, what do you mean? She's like, oh, I finished the whole show.

All of it. And I'm like, what are you talking about? I was so mad. Are you upset? And I'm still mad. Of course you are. To this day, I'm still mad. Of course you are.

Of course you are. Because The Wire. One of the best shows ever. And it was, it totally got overshadowed by The Sopranos. I mean, The Wire is such an incredible ensemble show. It makes The Sopranos look like a one man play. It's that sprawling and that amazing. So, but that's a lot of television without you.

This is just at least with Suze. It's like, you know, grand total of five hours, six hours. Here's the other thing. Like, it's not something that you really had your heart set on watching, right? Was it something that you were kind of going to reluctantly watch it?

The same way as I did. I know. But I'm saying though, just, I'm trying to make you feel better. Like, it wasn't something that you had your heart set on and then she watched it without you. You were going to watch it to watch it. I would never do that to her.

Well, of course you wouldn't because you're not stupid. Wow. There's a wrath.

Yeah. You're not dumb. That goes her way to you that you would not go your way to her. Didn't we talk about fearing her last week?

Of course you would not do this because you're not stupid. But at the same point, it's not, it's not something that you had your heart set on. Like you wanted to watch it, but you know, I'm just trying to make you feel better.

Like I said, I appreciate it. Like last night we saw, you know, the latest Yellowstone and this commercial for Tulsa King, which I was prepared to white Lotus her on. And I said to her, I even said to her, I'm like, do you want to like Tulsa King?

Are you, are you out on that? And she goes, no, I'd watch more. I'm like, damn it. I was going to watch it. I am caught up.

That show is next level. Okay. I'm in. I'm in, but I'm, I'll catch up on white Lotus in my spare time. Good Lord.

Keenan Allen coming up on the chargers. We just want to recommend you not do that to her. I would not.

Yeah. I would not, but she's just like, you were out, you were out. And I'm like, yeah, I'm out. But I also, I kind of still had my finger on the chess piece. I made my move. It wasn't official yet.

I'm going to be honest. I didn't think like she would in the, I left on Thursday right after the show and returned Saturday night. I was gone like 43 hours. And she watched five episodes. Yeah. That's a lot. That's a lot. She's binging. That's straight. A total binge. That's like one every eight hours, man. That's just bam.

A total binge. Yeah. Yeah. Here's the deal though.

It's going to take a while to get to something exciting though. Spouses don't binge without the other spouse in a healthy marriage like the one we have. It's not right. It's good that she's honest, right?

And so the lanes of communication are open. But she knew, she knew when I asked her, it was, again, it was like the yodeler from Price is Right. It kept going up with each question about how many episodes? You know, how many episodes?

And he kept going up until it fell off the cliff. I think I would have made my point. I think I would have lied if I was her. No, because she's going to have to watch it in the room. Understand how it seems like you're open and honest. Watch those episodes over with him.

And it's not worth watching that. I'm catching up at 40,000 feet today. Enjoy my friend.

Enjoy. And some red on the phone. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Absolutely.

Absolutely. Our number one right here on the show. How wrestling really works and how you get the ratings. Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson explain on 83 weeks. You're either growing or you're dying. I think it'd be hard to recreate the kind of growth that WCW experienced between 95 and 98. This audience should be growing. The characters should be coming more and they're not. Everybody's gradually losing audience. Not that people will say, well, but AEW is 15% ahead of where they were last year, but there's variables there. Let's see where we're at year from now. 83 weeks on YouTube or wherever you listen.