REShow: Matt Youmans - Hour 2

Let's go, let's go, let's go. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. What if the house comes with two first round draft picks?

Sell the house and keep the planners. I'm the greatest. This is the Rich Eisen Show.

He is so good and he he's so powerful to be around. With guest host Andrew Siciliano. Earlier on the show host of the Business of Sports Podcast Andrew Brandt. Coming up, VSIN Tonight host Matt Yeomans.

Packers writer for the athletic, Matt Schneiderman. And now, sitting in for Rich, it's Andrew Siciliano. Hey, it's me everybody. How you doing? I miss doing this. I'm happy to be here on the Rich Eisen Show. Rich taking a much deserved break. I'm Andrew Siciliano from NFL Now on NFL Network 1 PM Eastern every day, Monday through Friday.

The Red Zone channel as well. Good to see you. Great to be here. As I mentioned before, I'm kind of rusty. Like I feel a little more comfortable now than I did last hour. I'll be honest with you, I didn't feel very comfortable last hour.

I'll be very like, I kind of got into it like with each passing segment. For those who don't know, I used to do radio every day for like 15 years. That was my job. I did a radio show like like this is more than a radio show. Obviously, we have this beautiful studio here. It is a multimedia experience every day for Rich. And it's awesome.

I used to do this every day without all the TV cameras and just on the radio side of it syndicated and everything. And I, I'm a little rusty. So I thank you.

And I thank you for listening and watching whatever it is. Hopefully you're having a great Thursday, enjoying your college basketball. The tournament is underway. Maryland has pulled even with West Virginia. It is now 26 all first half feel like they were getting smoked. We should do like a red zone, but there's only two games on right now.

UVA is leading firm in 17 to seven, but right now there is some commercial on true TV. So we couldn't do that right now. We'd only have one game and I have to lay out for the CBS broadcasters doing now West Virginia leading 28 to 26.

Coming up this hour, Matt Yeomans is here with some college basketball insight inside that candidly I simply don't have. I won't fake it. I hate people that fake it.

I've been on plenty of screaming head shows in my time where they say, Hey, Hey, Hey, can, can you, can you give me an opinion on this? And I'm like, I don't have an opinion. Like, well, we need one cause we're going to talk about it. I'm like, I don't know anything about this topic whatsoever. Like, well, can you do some research because we've got it. We've got to do this topic.

Like, all right, I'll come up with something. I'm not going to fake it and pretend to you that I know a lot about college basketball. I can name like three players that aren't on Syracuse. That is so Brockman and I are in this together. Like you, like the majority of you, like people that are looking at a bracket, be honest, like this week for the first time, you hadn't looked at it.

You hadn't really watched a lot. You just got a bracket cause your neighbor, your office mates said, let's do a bracket or your significant other. I'm kind of with you on that one. We are in this college basketball friend zone.

We're not dating together. I used to be a far bigger fan. Brockman and I have gone to final fours together, all ending far too early for the orange men. Once in Atlanta. And another one in Houston. Once in Houston. Once in Houston. Goodbye. Don't need to go back there.

At least not for a tournament. I used to go to the final four, all that. I'm very fortunate. Like on my bucket list, I've been like to eight final fours. Awesome. Been there when my team in 03, the mighty orange man won in New Orleans and I ran up and down Bourbon street.

I'm taking pictures with Kweth Dwaney. It was amazing. Back in the day, I cried at the dome when Hakeem work in the greatest single moment in college basketball history blocked Arthur Lee in the corner.

It was my screensaver for years on my cell phone, not pictures of the family, not the dog, not, not, not vacations. It was Hakeem work extending that arm and bringing me the proudest moment of my sports life. I loved it because I contributed so much to that team.

I didn't, but I've just kind of eased out of it as hello, Chris Brockman, Jason Feller, TJ Jefferson. Great to have you all kind of like eased into the football world because that dominates our world. Great to have you regardless. Thanks for carrying me through this show. Maryland's winning 3028.

Maryland is now taking the lead behind X-ray hip 30 to 28 over West Virginia. Call us today at 844-204-rich as you watch us on the Roku channel, channel 210 on Sirius XM 218 and 202. Stream for free on the Odyssey app or odyssey.com. Twitter and the Instagram at Rich Eisen show or the YouTube page, youtube.com slash Rich Eisen show. All right, onto the Aaron Rodgers thing, which I know we hit a lot last hour. We're going to hit again in our final hour. Matt Steinman is going to join us. He's the athletic writer, the best dressed writer on the Packers beat. I should add as well.

And a fellow orange man. I ended last hour by saying I hope Aaron isn't doing this for spite. Okay. Because when you say you're retired, you're 90% retired going into the darkness.

And then you come out, find out that your employer doesn't really want you anymore. Okay. Well now I'm going to play.

I don't think that's the right motivation. I do think he still is a good quarterback. I do think the Jets are a legitimate contender with him. Maybe it is the way my brain is wired and I'm not a Jets fan. I was raised a Browns fan.

Maybe this has something to do with it, but you assume the worst will happen, but you hold out hope for the best. Do we really think the Jets are going to win the Superbowl? Raise a hand, go around the room with a healthy 39 year old Aaron Rodgers in his 19th season. Do we think the New York Jets are going to win the Superbowl?

Something they have not been to nor won in 55 years next season. Chris Brockman, your thoughts. I don't, but I do think there's a 5% chance. Okay. Jay, your thoughts. I do not. TJ, your thoughts. I doubt it.

Hit the button that says microphone. I doubt it. Okay. I doubt it. I don't think they have a huge shot, but I do respect them for trying.

Like why not? You owe your fan base to go all in and the Packers have you over a barrel right now. Aaron swung all the leverage, whether he meant to or not, back to the Packers yesterday. Cause the way the contract is structured, they can sit on him.

They can squat on him until September. And this might be a $60 million folly by Woody Johnson, but isn't that what you want as a fan? Like what is your other option? You want to give up 13 and next year's number one for Lamar Jackson and hope the Ravens don't match the deal and make a $200 million commitment at a minimum.

Now he's younger. You could push back and say, yes, that's a better option. You might be right. You might be right.

Maybe you should look at it, but right now, this is the option in front of you. A hall of fame quarterback for whatever his motivation is says, I want to come play for you. A team that has not made it to the super bowl in 55 years. Why not say yes, your fans deserve it. They deserve it. So do it. Woody Johnson, I'm all in. It's the right move for your organization.

It's the right move for your town. It's the right move for the back pages. Have you seen them today? By the way, New York post, there it is. Jet set Mav, Mr. Rogers, Aaron, I want to be gang greens, top gun. They cropped goose out of the photo. Clearly the daily news, much different approach, a graying Aaron Rogers, looking like he's been sleeping under a bridge, a real shot in the arm.

They're going with the vaccine humor, Woody Johnson, Johnson and Johnson Johnson's jets about to get big boost after Rogers reveals intention to play for gang green. Two different approaches. I'm in very different approaches. I'm into both.

I like both of them. So you're with the vaccine humor. I'm down with vaccine humor.

He's brought that upon himself, whether you agree with him or don't. And then I like the top gun stuff also works. What do we think of COVID MVPs? So for those, you might've missed this. Aaron throws in his subtle jabs. I don't mean vaccine. I mean, jabs. Aaron yesterday, Aaron Rogers, cause he likes to talk about his MVPs as he should. He's got four of them. They're shoddy trophies on the wall. I don't have four.

I don't have any. I would be introduced as four time MVP everywhere I went. If I was, well, you know, that's when you win a Superbowl. I mean, that's one thing that they always remind you.

You will now forever, as long as you live, be introduced as Superbowl champion, insert name here. Did you watch the bear? It's like they call each other chef. Yes. Yes, chef. Great show, by the way, the bear. Fantastic. Into it. And I don't mean Justin Fields.

It's a show called the bear. It's a Chicago, Italian beef, Italian beef, totally overrated. Italian beef, generally not good.

Not cocaine. Not good. Okay. But the show, very good.

Where was I? Vaccine jabs. Right.

Aaron yesterday, Aaron Rogers said, you know, they drafted Jordan to replace me, which they did. Okay. And then I went out and I won two COVID MVPs. COVID MVPs.

What does he mean by that? Not MVPs during COVID. Okay. The 2020 season, anyone that won or had success in the 2020 season, hats off to you. Because talk to anyone in the NFL.

And I mean, I could just speak to it on the media side. We jumped through a lot of hoops. I worked from home for six months. I'm very grateful for that. Thrilled. And I will forever be grateful that NFL network put a camera in my home. But even when the season began and I was back in the studio, there were days where I was the only human in NFL network.

The only person in the building. All right. So the 2020 season was different. So credit to anyone that succeeded, including Aaron Rogers during those times. But to call them COVID MVPs just felt, I don't know, off? Different? I guess we can call them like the Lakers won a bubble championship. So call it, but we don't call it a COVID title. Do we call it a bubble? Yeah, we call it the bubble. Because literally all the teams were in one location.

It wasn't like they had an NFL bubble where everyone went to Las Vegas and they played all the games. No, but that idea was discussed. I mean, all ideas were discussed. I was shot down pretty quickly. We talked about that in the post season.

Sure. It didn't make logistical sense, but to just be like, what is he saying by when he calls him that? Is he kind of like, this was a joke and these seasons kind of didn't matter and I was MVP?

No, I think what he is saying, but at the same time taking a subtle jab at a lot of things here, things that he has spoken openly about, whether you agree or disagree with him, that's not for here at the moment. I think he's trying to say that my MVP was more difficult, maybe. Because in 2020, when we had to jump through all those hoops, when we couldn't meet, when we had to do everything on Zoom, I was still awesome. He was.

Yep, which he was. Look, go back to, as I said, any team that won in 2020. I'll take my favorite team as a kid, the Cleveland Browns. Kevin Stefanski, as a rookie head coach, came in and took that team to the playoffs for the first time since 1995. And not only did they do that, but with Stefanski locked in his own basement on the wild card round Sunday night on NBC with COVID, they won a playoff game on the road in Pittsburgh. So yes, it was that much more difficult that year.

It just sounded a bit off, a bit off. And if you're just joining us here on Aaron Rodgers, by the way, the Packers, as I mentioned, have all the leverage now, because the way that contract is structured, if they want to one, and Andrew Brant was on earlier, the former Packer executive, he says he thinks they want to one, they can wait for it. The Jets pick 13 overall. If you're the Jets, are you giving up 13 overall for Aaron Rodgers?

If I'm Rodgers, I don't want them to have to give up 13, because I'd rather have them use 13 to help me win on my, at least one year on Broadway. Does that get acrimonious? Does he call them up and say, guys, don't hold them over a barrel. Make it a two, make it a future one, make it conditional on anything.

Make them easy conditions to meet. Well, he did say that yesterday when he was talking to Pat, he was saying, you know, I hope that they do right by me. By me. Someone who has been the face of their franchise for 15 years. But they, I mean, it is a business. It is a cruel business. He pointed that out yesterday. Like anyone who's played in this league, it is a cruel business.

It never ends the way you want. Ever. But they have an asset. It is a legitimate asset. One they have compensated well during his 18 previous years. They owe it to the organization.

Mark Murphy, Brian Gudekunz owe it to the organization and their shareholders to do best by the organization. And so, I mean, I wouldn't do it for anything less than a two. How about a pair of twos? A pair of twos?

Can we do it for a pair of twos? That, sure. But if for some reason, like, what's the end game here if the Packers don't budge? He retires. Right.

That's the end game. Now that's a bad cap move for them, clearly. But it's easier to trade him, not have him retire.

But this thing may take a while. I think it goes up to the draft. Now, the one thing I would say, and this goes with both Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson, because people say, well, there are five teams that are out of it for Lamar Jackson because they don't have a one this year. Once we get to the draft, you can start trading next year's number ones. So just keep this in mind for Lamar Jackson. Let's say a team that doesn't have a one this year, say the Miami Dolphins.

Once we get to the draft, they could do that offer sheet for Lamar and give up ones in 24 and 25, but they can't do it now because they don't have a one in 23. I still think they should assign Tom Brady. You already got penalized. You already got docked the one.

Go for it. Why not? When they picked up to his fifth year option, you know what my first reaction was? Guess Tom Brady said no.

Yeah. And I'm not a conspiracy theorist here, but, and I don't have inside information necessarily on that, but if they didn't make that call, then they weren't doing their job. I bet you they made that call.

Bet you the Raiders made that call. I asked Josh McDaniels point blank on TV two weeks ago in Indianapolis, because last year in Indy, when Tom had retired, but had not yet come back, I said to Josh, are you a 100% convinced he's retired and a live TV looked at me and said, I will believe it when I see it. And a week later, he came back. I asked him this year, do you believe he's 100% retired? And he said, yes, because we've talked, it's about family.

You know, we have kids the same age. How do they like he's, he's, he's done. It also said to me, I inferred that Josh called as more than a friend, but as a head coach as well, just to make sure Tom truly was retired. All right, coming up college basketball updates. What's going on in these two games, got a third game about to get going as well. And I'll talk to Matt Yeomans as well from Vegas, what you should think about these college basketball games. I'm going to find out, Syracuse is out of it, right? And we didn't make it. Okay. Sorry about that. Cool.

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Call or click grainger.com or just stop by. All right, NCAA tournament is underway. We've got a couple of games early here. Maryland leading West Virginia 32 to 20 and we have Virginia leading Furman 31-24.

Again, first day of action after, you know, the whole first four. No longer can call them playing games. Coming up shortly, we have Utah State against Missouri. That is a 10-7 game in the south and then at 11 o'clock it's Howard and Kansas.

Let's flip that around. Kansas the one seed taking on Howard. That game is in the west.

Kansas the one seed in the west. Now, this is a football heavy show. Why? Because football moves the needle.

I get it and because that's honestly the only thing I know these days. I watch my baseball. I watch my Cleveland Guardians. I watch my Dodgers. I turn on the NBA come the playoffs.

My neighbor used to play for the Kings. I had to know a little bit about them, but I'll be honest with you, like a lot of you filling out brackets today, I'm kind of in the dark. As a matter of fact, as I told Brockman earlier, I am more than just in the dark. So Matt Yeomans is here from Vison and he's going to give us a crash course, a 2023 NCAA tournament bracket for dummies, if you will Matt.

I don't know if you knew that that's what you were signing up for. Hey Andrew, good to be with you today. I had no idea you're a Cleveland Guardians fan. Yeah man. I'll tell you this, as a sports better or a sports fan in general, the best three days of the year, Super Bowl Sunday and the first two days of this tournament March Madness.

Oh no, I get it Matt. I used to be the college basketball guy that as soon as my show ended on Thursday, wherever I got off work, I would run to the bar, meet my friends, everybody would get the laptop out, the wings, the beer, I'd be in man. It's just, you know, you get older and life takes over and then you feel like, well I'm only doing football, I'm only watching football, and then the tournament sneaks up. And honestly, part of it Matt is the fact that, and Brockman can understand and relate here, as Syracuse fans, it really wasn't our year.

And as, like with a lot, I think with a lot of fans, when your team isn't great sometimes you lose interest and then that just kind of took over. So look, we got the four seeds here, we got Bama, we got Houston, Kansas is about to play in about a half hour, and Purdue. Matt, if you had to rank the four seeds, forget what the committee said, how would you rank them? I would rank Bama 1, Houston 2, Kansas 3, and Purdue 4. And actually I would have ranked UCLA number one overall, but the Jalen Clark injury has really changed the situation for the Bruins. In the last game of the regular season against Arizona on that Saturday night, Clark went down with the foot Achilles injury and he's out for the year. He's arguably top five defense player in the country, number three scorer for the Bruins, a team that really doesn't have a lot of depth anyway.

Mick Cronin was playing like six guys significant minutes in that rotation. I was convinced a month ago that UCLA was the best team in the country. But without Jalen Clark, I had to reconsider everything and I'd probably rank UCLA five or six now. Matt, what do you think is the toughest bracket, the toughest region? The West.

It's the West. Kansas in the West with even in that mini bracket, Kansas has got to deal probably with Arkansas or Illinois. I think it's going to be Arkansas. And then you've got UConn, TCU, Gonzaga, and UCLA in that bottom half of the bracket as well. I think by far the West is the toughest, the East second most difficult, and I think Houston's got the easiest path to the Final Four in the Midwest.

Talking to Matt Yeomans here from Vison, and I am pleading ignorance. I am not afraid to admit the things that I do not know, and this is the one year where I haven't watched a lot of college basketball so that I appreciate your help. I do know this, however, that the last two years, and everyone loves the upsets, I mean that's why we call it madness, the last two years we've had a 15 seed make it to the second weekend. Is that possible this year?

It is not going to happen this year, no. The 15 seeds Vermont is going to get knocked out by Marquette. Princeton knocked out by Arizona. Colgate I think can give Texas a little bit of trouble in a game tonight, but I can't see the Raiders pulling off the upset. And then UNC Asheville is a 15 seed that's going to get knocked out by UCLA tonight. All right, so there goes that one. Not going to happen. A 12 seed, Matt.

No, I get it. A 12 seed wins every year. Do you like a 12 seed at all this year, Matt? I'll tell you what, of the, I do like some 12 seeds actually, and I think I even like a 13 seed. I'll give you, I think Kent State's got a real shot to get to the Sweet 16 as a 13 seed. Of the 12s, let's see, VCU I believe will upset St. Mary's, and that game is Friday, so I like VCU as a 12.

I like Drake as a 12. I like Charleston against San Diego State, not quite as much. Charleston as a 12, and Oral Roberts as a 12 against Duke, and I got to tell you right now, Duke is as hot as any team in the country, so I can't really see Oral Roberts pulling that off, but that's a fantastic matchup tonight.

Talking about Yeomans here from VISA, Andrew Siciliato sitting in for Rich Eyes, and the NCAA tournament is underway here with Maryland over West Virginia, early 32 to 30, Virginia leading Furman 32 to 27. In a player pool, Matt, you know, with a bunch of buddies here, of course for recreational purposes only, trying to get, you know, leading scorers here. Who would have been your first pick? Which players? You'll score the most points in the first round?

Yeah, so I mean, well no, it's the entire tournament, and that's the fun part, right? So you could take it, so you could take a guy that, you know, might score 30 a game, no one scores 30 a game these days, obviously, but then if they get knocked out in the first round, you're not going to get, you're not going to get two full weekends. Well, I think the favorite in that pool is going to be Brandon Miller for Alabama, is that right? He did go number one overall.

Okay, that would be my first pick. I think if if Purdue can make a run, and you know, that's questionable, because Purdue's probably going to run into Duke if the Boilermakers get to the Sweet 16, Zach Eadie at Purdue's got a chance to score the most points in the tournament. And I believe Zach Eadie went number two, Matt.

Look at you. Well, you got, you got some sharp guys in that pool, Andrew. Well, you know, they asked me to get in the pool, and I'm like, I'll get in, but honestly, I have no idea what I'm talking about, you know. And joking aside, Matt, I appreciate, obviously, you helping out here, and it's not the blind leading the blinder as it is with me and Brockman here, but this is the one event, or is it maybe just me this year? I feel like the Kentucky Derby and the tournament are the two events where everyone shows up, wants to get in on the fun, and acts as if they know everything when they haven't been watching all year long. You know, that's actually accurate, and it's interesting because I follow college basketball from day one in November every night of the season, and then when the Super Bowl is over, I start hearing from a lot of people I haven't heard from in months, hey, who do you like in college basketball tonight?

All of a sudden, they're starting to pay attention to college basketball as we get closer to March, and they've been wrapped up in football the whole time. And then by the time you get to March, everybody thinks they know it all when you get to the tournament. But that's a great thing about it, too, is that the sportsbooks are packed. Vegas is a great party this week, especially the first three days of the tournament.

I think a lot of people get burned out and partied out by the fourth day. But aside from the Super Bowl, March Madness is the biggest event of the year. And then you're talking about the Kentucky Derby.

Yeah, most people haven't even heard of most of the horses on the day before the race. You're an expert. I've been there, too.

It's like, oh, yeah, that's a great name. Oh, no, no, my buddy gave me that horse. Oh, I love, I love that horse. No, let's box that horse.

Oh, no, we're good. Yeah, we're going to paper the board of that horse. And then, yeah, and then like I tell people, Matt, like if I walked in on that horse, you would have no idea which horse it was.

No idea. The horse I rode in on could be any horse, and it might be your favorite horse. You would not be able to identify that horse. Matt, before I let you go, we appreciate your time. We also appreciate you playing along with my idiocy here. If there was a team, I know you said Duke is hot as you know what, and Duke is obviously coming in as a four seed. If there was a team that wasn't in the chalk here that you think has a chance to legitimately make a run and potentially get in Houston, Matt, what would it be? Okay, that's not chalk. And Duke is a five seed. Five, thanks for correcting me.

That's why you're here. I'm going to go, let's go Creighton. Let's go a long shot play with Creighton, a six seed in the South. Creighton in the South, which is a six seed facing NC State in the opening round. That game is in Denver, and then a win by Creighton in all likelihood gets Baylor, the three seed, all due respect to our Southern California friends, the Gauchos at UCSB.

Matt Yeomans from Vison. Matt, we appreciate you playing along, and man, enjoy your tournament. Thanks for coming on. Okay, you bet. Thanks for eating that.

Thanks, man. All right. All right, I got all these written down.

You got all these written down? I'm sitting on my foot here for those watching on TV. Yeah, he loves quite a few twelves, which I was into. VCU tomorrow against St. Mary's. Loves the drink tomorrow against Miami. Likes Kent State also in that same bracket against Indiana. And then as he said, Creighton, Creighton, your six seed long shot. Also Duke, five seed.

Tomorrow, Oral Roberts. Arizona State won last night, right? Yes. Thank you. Yes.

They're 11. Have you been to Vegas tournament weekend? You have.

Right, the opening weekend? I have. I went to the old Treasure Island. They have the ballroom in there, and they just put 100,000 tables, as many will fit, and they have a book in the front, and there's a constant line down the middle.

They have the projection screens. It's actually pretty amazing. So I've been a couple of times over the years, and let me again get this out of the way. I don't care if you bet, like happy for you. I have never placed a sports bet in my entire life.

I know people can't fathom that, but it's actually the truth. I have no interest. I have the teams that I root for, right? Like the Browns, the Rams, the Guardians, Syracuse, those teams, and I create so much anxiety without a financial component that I don't ever want to create extra anxiety. Like, I can't handle it as it is. I hate that feeling. Why would I ever want that feeling? Like, why do I ever want to care about a game that I don't care about? I watch it for the entertainment.

So you can make money? No, no. That's how my brain works. That's just how my... That's how I'm wired. Like, I get myself so much anxiety, nine to five, actually 24 seven. Like, I don't need any more anxiety.

I don't need it. No, TJ is the same. He says that about me. He's like, you know, there are 800 numbers. And I'm like, bro, I mean, it's just makes it a little more fun.

But I have on multiple occasions done the guy, like go to Vegas this weekend. It's awesome. I love it. It's awesome. Like it's you reconnect with all your friends. Like my buddy Goldstein's got a thing where like he's been doing it like for 25 years, going back to high school where he gets everyone together.

Everyone flies in. Like we do the big steak dinner Thursday night, get the private room, roll on the TV, watch the Thursday night game. Like it's awesome. Right? Love it. Love it.

Love it. But Vegas this weekend is 100% dudes. Nothing but dudes. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But like after one night you're like, oh my God, it's like, geez, like what is good?

Like, like you go to the club and there's 50 tables of dudes all getting bottle service. If, if that's what you're looking for, go to Vegas this weekend. It's amazing.

It's amazing. Like you go to hang out with your friends. You watch the games, you have a good time.

You hang by the pool. But I mean, it is 100% dudes. Am I wrong? Am I wrong? Not wrong. Okay. Like I did it last weekend or last year.

I beg your pardon. Right? When the Deshaun Watson news came down, I was sitting there in Vegas on a Thursday watching games with my buddies. My phone starts pulling up. Congratulations. I'm like, what do you, what do you, what do you mean? Congratulations. Congratulations. As a Browns fan, like people want to give me a congratulations. I don't know if congratulations was the right word at the time. Like there's a lot to unpack there. Congratulations. There's a lot, lot going on. Congratulations was not the text that I was expecting and certainly not the context for that move at all. But I was like, what are you talking about?

Like I'm watching games, not in a sports book, by the way, I can't and won't do that, but I was watching games anyway. All right. Edwin Diaz news after the break. Do we have Edwin Diaz news after the break?

We do. Is it? Oh boy.

Were you watching the world baseball classic last night? Yeah. Okay. Oof. That doesn't sound good. TJ, you're a Mets fan.

Look away. Andrew Siciliano sitting in for rich. We'll be back with the baseball news that may or may not be good on the rich Eisen show.

All right. Everybody's the rich Eisen show. Andrew Siciliano sitting for rich.

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I've said this multiple times. I am one of the people watching the world baseball classic. I am one of the guys as we are two weeks away from Passover that was angry that Israel could muster only one stinking hit in two games this week here. Oh, Israel get a hit.

It didn't happen. And I was watching yesterday when Puerto Rico knocked out the Dominican and the amount of talent on those two teams. Ridiculous, ridiculous.

The fan bases for those two teams. Amazing. The scene in Miami. Unbelievable. And by the way, going back to Miami, it angered me even more that team Israel couldn't get more than one hit in Miami.

It's like a home game. I mean, come on, come on. Okay. And my name ends in a vowel, but I'm allowed to say it.

Just Google it. That said, the Edwin Diaz thing last night is just awful. For those who don't know, Puerto Rico wins. Edwin Diaz, the amazing Mets closer. Amazing. And he's more than just a closer. One of the best in the game. He's a show. I mean, he's a reason to go to the ballpark in New York with his entrance and the horn and the music.

And then what he gives the team, I mean, he's as good as it gets. Emmanuel Classe stand up. But they won last night. He closed the game. Struck out all three batters. They're celebrating. Nothing outrageous. Not jumping on top of dugouts. Just a bunch of guys, arms around shoulders, jumping up and down in a circle. You've seen it a hundred times, right?

You've done it at a bar mitzvah. Just jumping up and down. And then his knee gave out. And then the news, Brockman, breaking news. Yeah, from Jeff Passan, fellow Orangeman, Edwin Diaz tore the patellar tendon in his right knee during the celebration. Will need surgery. Expected to miss the whole season.

It is heartbreaking. It is an eight month recovery as well. So if you're doing the math, he is not going to make it back for the postseason. And that is not an injury that you just come back and you regain your form. I mean, especially you'd have to think for a pitcher. It was his right knee.

So it's his back leg here. It's just heartbreaking. And I am as a fan, I love the world baseball classic, but look, I don't want to see the guys from my favorite team out there, especially pitchers, risking injury and racket up innings. But the world baseball classic for the most part has been done really well, right? They have a pitch count. I mean, they're using five, six, seven guys a game. I mean, some teams even more than that. It's comical at times how often they're changing pitchers. You don't want anyone to get hurt. I know big league managers, big league organizations, as much as they love the game, they don't want to see their guys out there. They don't want to see them ramping it up. Last night, this All-Star game between Puerto Rico and the Dominican, 15 pitchers were used. Right.

Managers are being very cautious. And this was a freak injury. The game was over. It was over.

And like I said, it wasn't an irresponsible celebration. Just a bunch of guys jumping up and down like little bunny hops, arms around shoulders. Like we all love each other.

This is fun. And then you could see the reaction from both dugouts. Like immediately his teammates, the Puerto Rican teammates are signaling, get over here, get over.

Francisco Lindor, get over here, right? To the medical staff. And then you see the looks on the faces in the dugout from the Dominican team. Because first of all, they are heartbroken that they lost because this game truly is that meaningful to them.

And then they realize what's going on. Edwin Diaz's brother is on the team and they're carrying him off the field. Like it's a battlefield injury, right? Like carrying him off the field, like holding his legs up. And then they get a golf cart there.

No, it was a wheelchair on the field to carry him off. And it's just heartbreaking. But now let's go to the Mets, right? Because Edwin Diaz is such a lovable guy. Like was good in Seattle, got to the Mets, found something different. Yeah, I went to another level.

Went to another level. He is, again, for those of you who don't watch baseball, the reason, a reason the Mets spend a lot of money to go to the games. The Mets payroll is roughly TJ 330 million this year.

Yeah. I mean, 330 millions of dollars, right? They are all in, beyond all in, to the point where the rest of baseball says, are they too all in? Are they spending too much money? Is Cohen going overboard? The con not fair.

Not fair. And then they lose their closer. Now what's going to happen, of course, is he's going to go out and buy a new one.

But you're not going to do it now. It's going to be a trade deadline thing. You would have to think, but they're not going to get to the deadline. They're not going to be as good as Diaz. They're not going to be as good. Talking about a guy with 64 saves over the last two seasons.

Just, you can't, this is devastating. Number one closer to baseball heading into this year. Emmanuel Classe is better. But fine.

Yes, they're equal in my eyes. It doesn't take away from how horrible this is. Horrible this is. My dear friend Judy Batista, NFL network, one of our great reporters based in New York and a diehard Mets fan tweeted the meme of just Mr. Met head in hands, shaking his massive head. And even though I'm not a Met fan at all, like I feel for you because it's as a Guardians fan and a fan of sure, I'm sure a fan of any other team, you're sitting here just holding your breath every time you watch these games. Well, I am a Mets fan. I know you are. And let me tell you, I was actually glad my Twitter is gone because there's no telling what I would have tweeted last night.

I probably would have got kicked off. But it was a freak injury. That's the thing. Del Tufo was doing the game last night. So he sent us a text message before the news broke. So, and he thought it was his Achilles. He just knew he had a lower leg injury. He's crying. You knew it was bad.

Yeah. And Mike was like, and you know, sometimes Del Tufo joke around, but I could just tell he wasn't. He's like, no man. He goes, this is, this is pretty bad.

And he was dead on. Look, if you're a Dodger fan, I get it. Right? Like Freddie Freeman pulled a hammy, but he's gonna be okay.

It's a hammy. The Gavin Lux thing. Dodgers lose their starting shortstop a couple of weeks ago. Like that was a freak injury.

He blew his knee out running the third. That can happen. These things happen. It is not the fault of the world baseball classic, but I guarantee you now it will give more teams that much more trepidation, more teams that much more pause when considering how to handle this because it did happen.

And now a world series contender. One of the favorites is without one of its best players. Yeah.

And it is just awful. And you know, I would hate to be like, these guys shouldn't play in this because I know like the Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, I know the pride that they feel playing for their country and playing at all times. Look at the Japanese team. Look at, look at the Korean.

Yeah. There's so much pride that goes into that. Maybe I feel like with team USA, we don't necessarily feel that level of pride. And it's kind of annoying to be honest with you. So I would hate to say like, don't play because you know what this means to them, but it's just, it's devastating. And it's something that so simple, like you said, it wasn't an over the top celebration, you know, it was kind of jumping up and down and the whole circle was just split open. Like, yay, good for them.

Although you do bring up an interesting point. And by the way, Dennis Todd just reported Bill Self is not going to coach today. Kevin McCullough is still going to coach for Kansas.

Looking at the Twitter here. It is kind of annoying. I mean, baseball is our sport. It is an international game now, but obviously born here, right? It is our national pastime.

Whether or not you think that name still sticks or not, regardless of what we call it, it is kind of annoying. Don't you think that this does mean more elsewhere than it does here domestically? Like, I think I'm not in Tokyo right now. My brother just got back two weeks ago, but I would have to imagine watching those crowds there and watching Shohei do his thing. How much it means to them, right? How much it means in South Korea for the Shinsu Chu fans, right? You certainly see how much it means to the Dominican team, to the Puerto Rican team, to the Colombian team, right? Mexico.

To the Mexican team. Those guys behind home plate a couple days ago. Time of their lives. Time of their lives.

I would love to have gone to those games. Never considered it. Don't have time, but do you feel any of that energy domestically? No.

Anything. I'm watching, but I'm the baseball fan. Same, yeah. But I don't know that anyone feels that energy. Because here, I think more baseball fans are, like me, like you TJ, like concerned that their MLB guys aren't going to have something happen like what happened last night. I wish it were bigger.

I truly do. Like, I mean, the Ryder Cup feels like more people care than this. Yeah, I agree. Do you think that's fair? Yeah, I think that's fair. I think that's fair.

I'm sorry, Chris. No, go ahead. I was just saying, just speaking of like the way the seriousness and the pride that people have, you guys saw the clip when Otani hit the home run ball, and the Japanese fans passed the ball around so everyone could touch it and get a picture with it, and then it ended back up in the hands of the person that cut. That would never happen. That would have got gagged with the quickness, man. And it's just like, imagine that. Like, he's such a star, and this is such a moment that people are literally taking this ball and passing it. Incredible. I mean, it's why I love baseball, honestly.

Could you imagine the dude who got Judge's home run, or like 60 or whatever, like, hey everybody, the second guy would have been like, I'm out. Hold on. You know who caught the home run ball in Toronto, right? Sarah Walsh's husband.

Yeah. Sarah Walsh, my colleague, the wonderful Sarah Walsh at NFL Network. Her husband coaches for the Blue Jays. Caught the ball. Like the dude who caught McGuire's 70th or something, just like, hey everybody, take a picture. Take a picture. The second guy would have been, see ya.

There would have been a fist fight in the parking lot, let me tell you that. Random story time here. 15 years ago, I went to a Sunday night baseball game at the Tokyo Dome.

Oh, wow. In Tokyo. The Yomiuri Giants and the, who did they play?

Might've been the Chibolota Marines. I don't remember. Either way, I was in Tokyo and I got tickets and my buddy and I took the train over to the Tokyo Dome for a Sunday night game. And it was one of the coolest experiences hands down of my life. You get the Thunder Sticks. I still have my Giants Thunder Sticks in my office at home here in LA. You got your beer, you got like, it was so bleeping cool with the way people were cheering together.

And this was just like a game in April. Wasn't a big deal, but it was that much fun. I highly recommend it. Anyway, Matt Steinbun, Packers writer, the athletic coming up next. No one in the wrestling business has experienced the trials and tribulations, along with redemptions and longevity, quite like Jeff Jarrett.

Come along for the ride on the My World with Jeff Jarrett podcast. They didn't really brand belts in the heyday of boxing. You know, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard. I mean, they had them, but along comes sports entertainment, professional wrestling, and now it is truly a part of pop culture. They've just branded what it looks like to be a champion. My World with Jeff Jarrett, wherever you listen.