REShow: Louis Riddick - Hour 1

As the Stanley Cup playoffs continue on ESPN, anything is possible. So, the decorations could get a little out of hand.

And a city could get a new landmark. Could a Kraken arise? Could the storm surge? Could it happen for the first time? Could it happen again?

Yeah, that could happen. That is playoff hockey. The Stanley Cup playoffs continue on ESPN. NFL analyst, Lewis Riddick. Senior NBA writer for The Athletic, Sam Amick.

Plus, your phone calls, latest news and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Yes, it is. Welcome to this edition of The Rich Eisen Show. Right here in Los Angeles, California on the Roku channel. This terrestrial radio affiliate smart enough to have a serious XM, Odyssey and more. We say hello to all of those who are listening whenever they darn well please later on on the Cumulus Podcast Network. We say hello to anybody that's out there taking in this program on our Instagram feeds and our Twitter feeds. And however you're taking in this show, we greatly appreciate it.

844-204 Rich is the number to dial right here to have a conversation with all of us. So much happening in the NBA this time of year as we're getting ready for the Western Conference Finals tonight. LeBron James and the Lakers have made it, taking on the Denver Nuggets this evening. And then of course you've got the Sixers out and the Celtics moving on to take on the Miami Heat.

That starts tomorrow night and we have another Sixers actually moving on. Before we get to that, I say hello to you, Chris Brockman. How are you today, sir? Great looking shirt, Rich.

Thank you. We're wearing similar colors. Good to see you, DJ Mikey D's in these nuts.

Mike Del Tufo, good to see you. TJ Jefferson liked a candle. Light it.

Candle's getting lit. And you know, this draft lottery is going to be interesting, Rich, because my new favorite team could come out of this. You know what? I don't believe this. I don't believe this. New favorite team could come out.

Then let's hit it right away. I love Doc Rivers. I love him. I think nothing but the highest regard of him. I think he's one of my favorite people I've gotten to meet in this industry. And I just wish anybody who knows Doc Rivers feels the same way about him. The way he speaks about serious issues, life issues, wearing it on his sleeve, using his platform for the right things.

It's all great. All of it. And anybody who knows Doc Rivers feels the same way about him and would say the same thing. Man, if he could just win those games to get to a conference final, that would be great. And just to see where we could go after that, like his one year winning it all with the Boston Celtics. Boy, wouldn't it, it's just, it's everyone who loves him or knows him, obviously loves him in roots form. Five straight Game 7 losses, ninth straight loss for a Doc Rivers coach team with a chance to go to the conference finals.

It's just a head scratcher. He had the MVP this time around in Joel Embiid along with James Harden, the beard. We all know the big three that he had here in Los Angeles with Chris Paul and his heyday.

Just couldn't do it. Couldn't get over the hump after winning it all with the Boston Celtics. And so this third straight, all three years for the Philadelphia 76ers under Doc Rivers, ended in the second round. And after everything that happened with Ben Simmons and Ben Simmons holding it against Rivers for not immediately coming to a full throw defense of his level of play in a playoff game that a lot of people in Philadelphia pinned on him, passing up shots because he doesn't want to be fouled to shoot free throws that he struggled with, and we've all seen how Simmons has panned out in Brooklyn so far. Survived that, came back, Embiid had a terrific year, an MVP campaign, and the team wound up being the third seed in the East and had a chance to move on to the conference finals. All he had to do was win a game six at home, couldn't finish it up, and then game seven was a total blowout, and Doc Rivers was fired this morning. Woj dropping that bomb about a half an hour before we came on the air. Three seasons, all second round exits. This one looked particularly promising in this wide open NBA.

Anybody could win it. Embiid playing out of his skull, top of his game. Harden had a 45 piece with Embiid out in game one.

They took the first game in Boston, still couldn't finish it up. You got the sense that this was happening. We all thought it might be coming, and it did. Daryl Morey and the rest of the ownership group, they're swinging the axe today, and it's a damn shame. Love the guy, don't know if he's going to get another gig somewhere else in the NBA, as you know. What goes around comes around really fast in the NBA. The teams with the three most wins in the last three years in the NBA, the Bucks, the Suns, and the Sixers.

What do they all have in common? They all just fired their coaches. Wow.

That's amazing. And the Raptors won a championship. A few years ago, they fired Nick Nurse. They fired that coach. Frank Vogel of the Lakers won in the bubble. He got fired.

He gone. So, coaches that have won NBA championships fired. Coaches that have won regular season games and giving their teams a chance to win the NBA championship, but did not fire. It's a crazy, mixed-up sports world we're living in right now, and good people like Doc Rivers just need to win more.

That's what it seems like. And so the Sixers now go into this offseason with, one would think, a plum job. The MVP of the league is standing right there. But the question is what to do with James Harden. What to do with the beard, who was up, and when he was up in this conference semifinal, he was up. All the way up.

And when he was down, he was down. Right? No gray area. No mid-level area. Which, by the way, is what the Sixers would be left with to replace Harden because of their cap situation. Is that if he leaves, the cap space that the Sixers would have to replace him only leaves him with a full mid-level exemption. Obviously, that's the way things look right now, and maneuvers can be made when you think that maneuvers can't get you out of a conundrum.

And I know this might be apples and oranges, but just look at the Lakers' mid-season. They thought that there's no way out. You know, you're looking for the mole. No way out.

That's a pop culture reference and a very, I think, underrated Kevin Costner film. Agree. Shout out to Madeline Stokes. Look at just when you think there's no way out. Look who's playing in the Western Conference Finals tonight. That said, you know, if you're Monty Williams, who has already been named as a possible successor in Philadelphia, you got Giannis sitting out there, too.

You got a Buck situation. You got MVPs all over the place looking to be coached. Nick Nurse, I mean, who just got fired from the Raptors. Woge mentions him as a possible replacement for Doc. Mike Budenholzer, who used to coach Giannis about two weeks ago.

He got fired. He's mentioned as a possible replacement. Frank Vogel, who I mentioned just moments ago about him getting fired. He's mentioned as a possible replacement. Sam Cassell is a former player of note in the NBA who, you know, has been on a ton of benches, you see, and timeouts and things of that nature as an assistant.

Longtime assistant in this league. He's being mentioned as a possible replacement. And if James Harden and Daryl Morey are involved in the situation, you know the name Mike D'Antoni can't be too far away. And his name is mentioned in this piece by Woge. I'm not putting it out in the universe.

It's part of Woge's list of people. Honestly, if there's Daryl Morey and there's James Harden, Mike D'Antoni can't be too far behind. And this whole situation is potentially why your new team will be picked out of a ping-pong ball tureen this evening. I don't even know why I care what's going on.

You should care. I got a new team coming, TJ. No, the Sixers are a good team with a lot of good players and a lot of terrific roster pieces and a terrific roster builder. And I don't know why the hell they couldn't get the ball into the paint enough for Embiid in the final five quarters of this series to the satisfaction of everybody in Philadelphia.

This is the old head scratcher, man. Rich, just real quick, there were five plays in a row in the first half where Embiid never went past the foul line. I don't understand how when you have a player that big and that dominant, how like it was perfectly legal for him to go in that green part of the paint. He could go down there, he could stand down there and put in work and ran no plays.

They did nothing to get him into that spot. I don't understand. I don't know. And, you know, you've seen in sports in the past 48 hours with these two situations, two winning franchises, two winning coaches, two good men. What happens in this day and age? And I don't know if things are just get sped up because of how quickly information is dispensed or how quickly information can be spun.

Criticisms can clank around and reach the eardrums and the ear gates of people immediately. I don't know if that's the way it's where that's that's speeding up the life cycle of a coach or speeding up the patience drain in front offices and ownership. This could have something to do with it, but it's not just coaches, it's quarterbacks, too. There was no way in hell the Jets were going to go run it back with Zach Wilson this year.

There's just no chance. Fan base wouldn't stand for it. Fan base wasn't up for it. Matt Hishby, the owner of the Suns, I thought he was nuts for bouncing Monty Williams. Then we had an actual Arizona resident who covers the NBA on the day to day, minute by minute, talking to people all over the place.

Michael Wilbon coming on today saying, not so surprised. Two twenty five point plus losses at home to get bounced in two playoff seasons in a row. That'll do it. And I don't know, Phoenix Suns fans, you can call in 844-204-RICH if you want to call and say like you couldn't put up with it. That was too much. That ain't happening anymore. I'm not I'm a diehard fan. You know, I remember this said Ceballos years, and I hope that, you know, Barkley could get us over the top. Tom Chambers, Walter Davis, you know, like you could talk about that all those years and just say this one was just with Booker and. Katie coming, this one was just too tough to take. We shouldn't be folding like that on the floor.

Get rid of them. But it looks like to me in Philadelphia, this is like I couldn't run it back with Doc again. Like even last year, bringing him back. Cause a lot of people who wonder if they were making the right move. And obviously this result winding up two rounds shy of the finals might give credence to that nature or that notion. But.

And Bead loved him, gave him a full throated vote of confidence, not enough to save him. And now a different voice will come in while we're watching the four teams remaining have at it, including the Lakers and Nuggets tonight. And right around that is a centerpiece is the draft lottery with a 19 year old who plays in France, Victor, when by Yama.

Here we go. And when by Yama is coming to a team tonight in a city tonight and the way the ping pong balls bounce. The Pistons, Rockets and Spurs have a 14 each of them percent chance, the best chances in the draft lottery of getting this kid. And the good fans in Detroit, Houston and San Antonio and their fan bases around the world, their lives can potentially change tonight. And then, of course, you've got the Hornets, Blazers, Magic and Pacers with the next best odds after that and so on and so forth. Later on, in the third hour of this program, after Sam Amick of the Athletic comes to the phone to tell us everything he knows about the Sixers thinking and the Suns thinking and what in the world might the NBA. Be thinking about what the hell John Marant was thinking, we're going to have our own draft lottery here.

Let's go hear this. Those are ping pong balls, ping pong balls, ping pong balls and for those that got placards on the radio. It ain't a fancy bag that the ping pong balls are in. But you know what? It's functional. Yeah.

Which, by the way, not a great model for an Emmy nominated show function. That should be our motto. We're functional.

That's the solid of the Robert Solid. And speaking of that, I've got the top five teams most likely to make the playoffs as a new playoff team this year. When we had that conversation yesterday, that lit up a few phone lines, 844-204 Rich, where we were talking about on average half the league now is a new playoff team. That maybe you'll be watching it on Peacock, which has a playoff game, our former home.

I read that this morning. Playoffs behind a paywall. That's an interesting concept.

So that's coming to a Peacock app and thus Roku platform near you. So to talk about what's going on in the NFL and we just figured, let's just chop it up. Had no idea that the Sixers would bounce Doc today. We had a little bit of an idea. We did.

I just didn't know what happened so damn quickly. But I guess when you've got candidates who have won NBA championships or people like Monty Williams sitting out there, you got to act fast. Certainly when the Bucks are in the market for a new coach. A lot of talented coaches out there. There are?

Yeah. A lot of talented players who need coaching. So Lewis Riddick is going to join us next. We always love chopping it up and talking ball with him. Sam Amick of the Athletic, my top five most likely new playoff teams in the NFL.

You at 844-204 Rich. Sam Amick is here and we're going to tell you who's winning the draft lottery tonight. Best we can with our own ping pong ball set up.

Lewis Riddick of the worldwide leader in sports when we return. Men, do you get distracted during the day thinking about your underarms sweating, itching or emitting an odor? Do those thoughts keep you from showing care when it counts? New and improved Dove Men Plus Care Antiperspirant with 72-hour sweat and odor protection and one-quarter moisturizing cream helps you forget about your underarms so you can be present for the moments that matter.

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Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. I know we're in the thick of the NFL's NBA season and NBA playoff season, but as you could just tell, I always do have the NFL on the brain. And we were talking yesterday about how, on average, half the NFL playoff field is new every year. Last five years, it's been half the season. I mean, half the league has crashed the party of the playoff field. And so now that we've got everything in, combine draft free agency, franchise tags, Lamar landed, Rogers landed, we started thinking about which teams are more likely to crash the party. And we said, maybe we'll make this a new May tradition. How does that sound? And so to talk ball, who's one of our favorites to talk ball with? Maybe to just chop it up in a similar fashion that we did yesterday.

That's a rhetorical question. His name's Lewis Riddick from the Worldwide Leader in Sports, ESPN, back here on the Rich Eisen Show. How you doing, Lewis? Rich, what's up, man? How you doing?

I'm great. Last time I saw you was in Kansas City and we had 259 picks in the can. That was the last time I saw you. Yep. You know?

Yep. It was so much fun. That was too, man. It was fun. So what was your main takeaway from the draft this year, now that you've gotten about two, three weeks to clear of it, to think about it?

Oh, wow. Well, I think right at the very top, I think the aggressiveness the Houston Texans showed to get the kind of people that they wanted, that did me go clearly. And let's, you know, look, I mean, no disrespect to Nick Casario, but this is to Niko's bus that he's driving. Like to be aggressive and say, hey, look, AJ Stroud was the guy who we wanted. Forget all the other BS that was flying around about him about this test, that test, that test, not being coachable.

All this, that's what I want. Well, I understand it's who I want because nobody can withstand the kind of hard coaching the way this kid can. And he told us that down at Bama. And you know, and you know, if you know D'Amico and how they coach defense and how they cook defensive line in particular, this kid's built for it. He's made for it. He's absolutely made for it.

And then they continue again with like these nice foundational pieces. This is Juice Scruggs, the center from Penn State. He's going to wind up starting for them. Tank Dell's going to wind up being one of CJ Stroud's biggest targets. This guy is like a video game.

Henry Tohoto is another foundational culture pick who plays the position that D'Amico played at, the same school D'Amico played at. So you know he has all the intel. I mean, these are just, so that stood out to me. And I know many people think that Houston's just a, you know, they're an afterthought in the grand scheme of things.

I don't think they're an afterthought. I like, I really like what they did. The other team that really stood out to me right away is, and I said this last year when I went to see them in training camp, that Seattle was building a contender, a real contender. People laughed, Geno stinks, this roster's going to be a top, you know, there'll be a top two, top three picking team, blah, blah, blah. But they killed the draft.

They absolutely killed it. Witherspoon's going to start. Smith and Jigba's going to start. Derek Hall's going to play a ton. Charbonnet's going to rotate in there. Oluwatimi's going to be a great depth player. Kenny McIntosh will probably wind up being a guy who, if he's not on practice squad, he's going to be on their regular day roster.

Cam Young's going to give them beef in the middle. Anthony Bradford, the guard who they drafted at LSU, was one of my favorite players, unsung players in this draft, who plays kind of a position that people don't really think much about, being offensive guard. He's a freaking stud that can wind up being like, you remember Carl Nix out in Nebraska when he played for New Orleans, when he played down there with Jari Evans, and those guys formed that dynamic duo at guard that Drew Brees used to just sit behind for days on end and throw the football? That's who he reminds me of.

Carl Nix. This kid's going to be, they hit it right, and Seattle has been developing some studs now as far as their young players are concerned. They're going to be, I think Seattle could win the West. Because I think San Francisco, quite honestly, of all these teams, when you're talking about who could crash the party and then who could crash out of the party, as much as I love San Francisco, Rich, I think they could be in trouble. Why? I think they could be in trouble.

Why is that? Offensive line is not as strong as everyone thinks it is for them. Internally, they know that that can potentially be a sore spot. And now you have quarterbacks who we don't quite know how it's going to play out. We don't quite know what Brock is going to look like coming off of injury heading into training camp.

We don't quite know what's even going on with Trey Lance. I'll tell you what. I had someone tell me this just recently. They believe that Sam Darnold, in that match with Kyle Shanahan out there in San Francisco, that could finally be the spot that totally makes him become the out-of-nowhere surprise of the year. I had someone who I trust implicitly when it comes to quarterback play. And I'm telling you, I said to them, I was like, what?

They're like, just trust me on this one. Well, the question is, then, is because this is one of the biggest mysteries of the NFL right now going into the playing season. Once again, is the San Francisco 49ers quarterback situation Purdy? And I don't bat an eyelash on it because they make the NFC Championship game last two years with the same damn thing going on, right? So that's my question for you.

How do you think, like Crystal Ball it for me, this plays out where Purdy's not ready yet and Darnold, they decide he beats out Lance in camp? Is that how it works? And then he's a week one guy? Yep. Yep.

Okay. That's exactly, I mean, that would have to be the scenario. And there's nobody who's a bigger Trey Lance fan than me. I mean, there may be, but I'm a huge believer. I couldn't be more disappointed for how things have happened for him. So I'm inclined to go, look, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. He deserves another opportunity. He got hurt.

I mean, we just don't know who he is. But if you look at their offense, all right, so starting off at week one, all right, week one, what has been like the number one bugaboo with San Francisco, quite honestly, over the past couple of years anyway? It's always been about availability, guys being able to stay healthy and stay on the field.

Otherwise, you know, they may be a team that could have been undefeated at some different points over the past couple of years. But now we're saying, okay, are we banking on Christian McCaffrey staying healthy for 17 games? Are we banking on Elijah Mitchell staying healthy for 17 games? Are we banking on George Kittle staying healthy for 17 games? This offensive line, are we banking on Trent Williams staying healthy for 17 games? The right side of their offensive line between Spencer Buford and Colton McKibbetts, who are their right guard and right tackle now, are we saying that these guys, like they aren't, they have one elite player on their offensive line, one. And he's not always healthy all the time.

Depot's not always healthy all the time. So although this team has a bunch of studs, I mean, this offense has a bunch of studs, like there's a lot of questions there for me. And I'm just saying relative to what Seattle is doing right now, L.A. is out of it. Arizona just needs to figure out who the hell they are in the first place. I'm just saying Seattle, to me, looks like a team made a huge jump last year.

And with the firepower they added this offseason, I think Seattle is ready to really, really burst onto the scene. I mean, the rest of the team, the normal suspects are going to be there. On paper, it's just like this isn't even fair. It's not even fair what they're putting together.

But we know football isn't played on paper. But, damn, I mean, it's team building. It's not just talent collection there. I mean, it's team building what's happening there. All these guys who knew each other since they were young up-and-comers in college who are now there to support one another and help one another grow into professionals. All these guys from Georgia. You can't quantify that, how important that is.

That's huge. The reason why people like to build their teams through the draft is because it kind of mimics the atmosphere that you create when you bring in recruiting classes. They all feel indebted to that particular college because, hey, we're the recruiting class of 2023, 2024. We're going to be the guys that kind of take the responsibility of building this program up or keeping the tradition going.

Well, they want to build that same thing in the pros. Although you're getting paid money, they love when young guys come in and they all kind of rally around each other and they all say, hey, look, the Philadelphia Eagles, it's our squad now. We're going to run this thing, and we're going to run it at a real high level, and we're going to get paid a lot of money for it. Well, now they have a chance to do all that with these young guys, all from Georgia, who are top line players. And the thing about these guys, too, they don't have to just rely on each other. Just think about now what Galen Carter has in front of him in terms of people who can mentor him. Fletcher Cox? Fletcher Cox is the ultimate, ultimate professional. Nolan Smith, in his meeting room every day, is going to be Hassan Redick and Brandon Graham. You can't get better mentors than that. So not only do they lean on one another with Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Nicobe Dean, and all these guys, Nolan Smith, even DeAndre Swift on the offensive side. They have studs around them who've already done it, who came back on one-year deals because they say, hey, look, we were maybe a play here or there away from Topplin, Kansas City. We're going to get back.

And now we're even stronger. I don't know if they did that by design or if the board just fell that way and it just happened to all line up. But somebody's living right in Philly, man. Because it's not supposed to add up that way. And I think we're sitting there on the desk that night going, are you kidding me?

I know. We were all like, it's just one of those type of horror movies, right, where it's just like, okay, the killer's in the house. Why are you walking in that room?

And then Nolan Smith drops down. That's the way we were talking about it on our set. It's just like, come on, we've seen this movie before.

What are you doing? You know? Ringo wound up there, too. It's just like, okay, you know. I didn't even mention him.

I was just, it's kind of. It's who he gets to learn from. He gets to learn from James Bradbury.

And Slay. It's crazy, Louis. I got Louis Riddick of ESPN here on The Rich Eisen Show. So, you know, I was looking in my NFL Network research guide for the schedule. And it just popped out at me here. The teams to make the playoffs after missing the previous season the last five years. It's half the league. It was six of the, it was half of the playoff field. Six new playoff teams last year out of 14.

Seven out of 14 the two previous years. So, you know, and then last year, if you and I were talking at this point in time saying, hey, the eight and nine Vikings. The four and 13 Giants. The three and 14 Jaguars. They're going to make the playoffs next year. And then they did.

So, that's just three as an example. I'll go sports talk radio with you here if you don't mind. The AFC team that you think is most likely to be a new playoff team this coming season. Oh, wow.

Well, you know, it's funny because I had to catch me off guard. I already had in my mind the NFC team who I think is going to start with the NFC. If you want to go first and then and then and now I've telegraphed.

It's going to be the AFC after that. So, go with the one that you got. Go for it.

Go for it. You know, you know how it is. I got it. Sure. Well, I'll set this up by saying this. I said this in January. Okay.

I like it. Right after they were right after they were done like mopping Lambeau with the Packers with Detroit. Rich. They mopped. This team. They mopped. They have got it going on.

And I know people are going to say, what? They drafted Jameer Gibbs and Jack Campbell in the first round. They don't know what the hell they're doing. Yeah, they do.

Yeah, they do. And they have a top three offensive line in all football. In all football. They have a quarterback who some people are sitting there going, hmm.

Did Sean get that wrong? Not to say that, you know, that Matthew wasn't great out there and they won a Super Bowl with him. But Jared Goff is no throwaway.

Clearly. They have the future in Hendon Hooker. So, that room just got stronger. And wide receiver, look, I understand that now, you know, you're going to have some issues with depth. At least for the beginning of the season. With Jamison Williams' situation. But Marvin Jones, Josh Reynolds, Amenra St. Brown, these guys, they can hold it down.

They'll be just fine. Sam Laporta, who they drafted out of Iowa, I got to see him in person this past year because he's going to be one of those guys who you wind up going, oh, another Iowa tight end that's up for all rookie and maybe a reserve Pro Bowl or shocking. We've never seen that happen before out of Iowa tight end. And Jameer Gibbs and David Montgomery, forget it.

That's one of the best ones. You can put that up against any one-two punch of running backs in the NFL. Jameer Gibbs is a freaking superstar. Lewis, I heard coming out of the draft, I'm wondering if you heard the same thing, that had Arizona not knocked on the Lions' door to say we'll move up from nine, from where they moved up from to six, obviously the Bears were sitting there at nine, but had Arizona after they dropped down, oh yeah, 12, had they not moved up from the spot that they traded back down so the Texans can go up to get Will Anderson?

Had the Cardinals essentially not knocked on the Lions' door? They were considering drafting Gibbs before Bijan Robinson at six. That's what I heard. I heard that beforehand too. I heard before, well, I didn't know that they were the team, but I heard that there were teams that had Jameer ranked above Bijan.

I heard that too. Which, you know what, I mean, look, it's all subjective, right? Of course. Everybody has their opinion. Yes. Jameer though, hey, watch his tape, man.

I mean, you've seen it. He can go. He can do it all. In today's game, you know, it's a lateral as well as a vertical game.

And he can play both games however you want to do it. If you want me to go downhill, I'll go downhill. You want me to go side to side and juke some people out and make them look silly in space, I'll do it. You want me to tackle them out of the backfield, I'll do it.

Whatever you need me to do, I can do it. And I can do it with home run capability. Which is just, that's today's game. And look, this team finished 8-2 last year.

The defense played some of its very, very, very best in that 8-2 run. Aaron Glenn had them going in the right direction. Jack Campbell is a grown man. He is.

At 6-5-2. He's a grown man. The things that they did in the secondary, with bringing in Emmanuel Mosley, Kirby Joseph, who they drafted last year out of Illinois, the third rounder, he's the guy who picked off Aaron at the end of the game last year. This guy's going to be, he's going to be a pro bowler, all pros. They've got players, man. And the best thing about it is, I know some people say, well, ex-players don't make the best coaches and blah, blah, blah, because they, you know, ex-players sometimes don't have the patience to deal with guys who can't do it at the level that they did it. Well, Dan has gotten a group up there that obviously are great teachers, too. Oh, yeah. And they connect with these guys in a way that that whole biting knee-cast thing seems like, who cares? You know what?

Maybe more coaches need to be talking about that. Louis Riddick here on the Rich Eisen Show. So now let's get to the AFC team that you think is most likely to crash the playoff party, be a new playoff team coming up this fall. You mentioned the Lions for the NFC. Here, I'll give you the nine candidates. So, okay, from the bottom up, Texans, Colts, Broncos, Raiders, Browns, Titans, Jets, Patriots, and then the Steelers who finished pretty darn strong as well. Those are your nine candidates.

Louis Riddick. Yeah. Well, the fact that you don't just don't jump at the Jets, do you think the Rogers, you know?

Yeah, I've been one of those people who hasn't been all over that train, only because I ride so hard for the damn Dolphins, it's kind of like crazy. You would think that I'm getting paid by them, but I'm not. Yeah. You know what? I'll tell you this. I'll tell you this. I'll tell you this. I'll tell you this. I'll just try to emphasize it. All right? So if somewhere between the combination of Dwayne Brown, M'Kai Bechtin, Max Mitchell, Billy Turner, those tackles, if somehow, some way they're able to be just average and not have Aaron kind of looking around going, what the hell is going on here?

I'm getting pummeled here. And that offensive line can be better than 31st in run-block win rate and what were they, second and pass block win rate last year, they got to be middle of the pack or higher, otherwise it's all going to fall apart. But yeah, they would be the team that I would pick out of the group because they've got speed, size, strength, and wide receiver, bunch of speed, playmaking ability at the running back spot, great tight end, they can rush the passer, they got playmakers at linebacker, they've got studs in the secondary, I like the coaching staff, yeah, but I just think that the AFC East overall, I know, that's a gauntlet. And then so I guess while we're just staying on the AFC, a team that, you know, can stay in the playoffs, what do you think the Ravens offense looks like?

That's a huge mystery to me. Yeah, I think it's the best group of weapons that obviously Lamar has ever had. I think when you look at, if you just look at the most recent examples of what Todd Monken believes in, their new office of coordinator, and you watch Georgia tape last year, and how it looked with, you know, their running backs, they were a 12 personnel-centric type of team, like to attack the middle of the field, lots of play action, quarterback understand, getting them out on the perimeter, maybe putting them in pistol and gun now and then, that sounds like Lamar.

And that's what they have there. They have great tight ends. They have guys who can work the middle of the field with Zay Flowers, and when Rashad is healthy and Odell's healthy, there it is, right, like if they're healthy. If they're healthy, Zay, Rashad, and Odell, that's a good set of wide receivers. Then you have back of them up, Devin DuVernay, Nelson Aguilar, James Prochay. Yeah, I'll take that. I'll take Mark Andrews and Isaiah likely at tight ends. I'll take JK and Gus and Justice Hill, you know, sure. And then defensively.

Oh yeah. Hey, yeah, I think Baltimore, Baltimore set up the rock and roll. I think that this could be the true next step in the evolution of Lamar Jackson. I really do. I just hope he buys into it.

The relationship's great between him and Coach Monk, and all these guys in particular on the perimeter stay healthy, healthy, healthy. Thanks for the call, Lewis. Honestly, we're like, who can help us chop up this subject matter? And you were the first person that popped to mind, so I appreciate you being free and up for it. Let's do this more often. Always appreciate you bringing me on.

Thanks a lot. Right back at you. That is none other than Lewis Riddick of ESPN here. Did I influence the jury with the Jets?

Maybe. Well, when he was equivocating, and he wasn't immediately jumping on the Jets, that made me think, okay, then let me ask him, what don't you buy about this? Sure, makes sense. And he pointed out, tackles, protecting the man. You don't, go send the plane to Malibu to go collect him and pay him 60 million dollars and not protect him. Because if you don't, that's the way he winds up in Malibu looking at the sunset, not playing more than just one year, and you coughing up a first-round pick for somebody who played just enough snaps to cost you that first-round pick, and not make the playoffs in the very, very deep conference of the NFL. That's the Achilles heel.

The blind side. Gotta protect him. That's why Robert Solid's coming on and saying, you know, you think you're left tackle, Makai Becton?

Prove it. Because we're playing the guy who's gonna protect eight the most. You gotta get used to that.

I am not used to that. 844-204-rich is the number to dial here on the Rich Eisen Show still to come. I'll give you the top five likeliest new playoff teams in 2023.

We've also got a bag full of ping-pong balls, and that is not a metaphor for anything. There it is. We're gonna run our own NBA draft lottery in hour three with Sam Amick of The Athletic talking about docks firing and what's going on in the conference finals tonight out west. Rich Eisen Show, otherwise also known as Inside the Actors Studio with Chris Brockman. Once again, Chris Brockman will not be here on Friday's program because you will be heading to Jacksonville, Florida, already in Jacksonville, Florida, for the St. Jude charity golf event run by the actor Kevin Rahm. An actual actor. The actual actor. And you are being, you are billed in the program as a celebrity participant, and again you're billing in that manner is as actor. You're an actor. You're an actor, and I said yesterday that this does not offend me as a celebrity. It offends me as an actor. As somebody who receives very small, very small incremental residual checks for my appearances as sportsman or caster in CSI Miami or, you know, as Stuart Scott and the kid, Disney's the kid, or as myself, as an actor I'm offended.

Not as a celebrity. And this conversation we posted it on our social media feeds and I do believe it appears the folks at Kevin Rahm's golf tournament heard it. Because it has now been changed to actor in quotes and nair model.

Nair model, which is interesting. Commenting on your hairlessness. That's interesting.

But actors in quotes. Did you not know about Kevin? Kevin had texted me yesterday and said that he was traveling yesterday to Jacksonville.

Saw the segment after he got off the plane. Laughed. Thought it was hilarious. Good. And I just reiterated to him that I wasn't mad. We just had a great. Why would you be mad? I don't know. You're being known as an actor? I thought it was great.

As a celebrity and actor? Do you want me to change it? I didn't know you changed it. And I go no, but maybe quotes could be funny. Oh, so they took your cue on the quote and then decided to go top rope with nair model. Editorialized.

Nair model. That's interesting. There you go. And whoever's gonna be in my group, get ready. It's gonna be, it's gonna be fun. It'll be fun. You will be fun to play golf with. So what if somebody does in the foursome or fivesome I imagine.

Probably. Turns to you and asks you what your your method of acting is. Like what is your philosophy? How do you approach your roles as an actor? I would say.

How would you respond to that? The Kaminsky method. I would say the Kaminsky method. Or Jean Cusenel. By the way, Henry Winkler's coming in next Thursday. It's too late for you to workshop this with him. I would say I mostly just try to play myself. Okay. See that's not, that will I think will be revealing to your golf mates that you are not an actor in any way shape or form.

But Denzel's been playing himself for a long time. Oh is that what it is? Yeah. Okay.

You know. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Are you trying to disrespect Denzel? Oh my goodness. Easy. I know.

Denzel plays himself in every movie. Wow. Does he really? I don't know.

In the last 20 years. That's ridiculous. I can't, he probably can't hear you. Have you seen American Gangster? I don't think Denzel and Frank White are the same person. He can't hear you through his Oscars coming out of his ears.

Like the audacity first of all. This guy is now, he's building an actor in a celebrity golf tournament. Now he's coming after Denzel. Now you roll. We'll put it to the people.

Which is what? At Twitter. Vote. Does Denzel play himself in every movie? No. We're not doing that. Bruce McGill will be there, Brock.

Bruce McGill. I know. D-Day. I mean.

Is that what you choose? I mean, come on. Out of Bruce McGill as D-Day? I'm not gonna, I mean. Well you mean Independence Day, don't you? No. No. No. No. D-Day from Random House.

Random House. Oh, that's right. Okay, very good.

Yeah, I can't do it. But plays his throat with the. Yeah.

Of course. But he's also a that guy. He's in everything. Oh, he's in everything. He's, he actually played Kurt Warner's Arena League coach. Yeah. In American Underdog. Isn't he in draft day?

Um, I do believe he is in draft day. I don't know. I wasn't, I was only in scenes with Frank Langella, Chris, so. Audio was good for those. That's my acting career. I can say I was in a scene with Frank Langella. Like, let's just say if I was ever. To do that.

Alright. Labeled for a celebrity golf tournament as actor Rich Eisen. What, what, what, what scenes were you in? Well, Frank Langella once asked me to read lines with him and I could tell that story. I could tell the story of playing off of David Caruso's aura. You know, knowing my scene, knowing my role with David Caruso could have been done that. I've been in a scene with you and Robert Griffin the third for the league. So, Oh, interesting enough before you hop on a plane, I believe Josh Duhamel buddy games were in that movie. You're in that.

That's your latest credit. You love Lala Kent on Vanderpump Rules. Now get to know her on Give Them Lala with her assistant Jess. What you did not see is when Raquel arrives and she wants to talk to me, I made her sit in a corner. Explain.

Sat in a corner booth all by herself in the dark. Waiting for to talk to you. Waiting for me to finish dancing to 50 Cent. It's my birthday. Stay in the corner. Give Them Lala wherever you listen.