REShow: Rashan Gary & Bob Costas - Hour 2

And her mom, the righty, deals to the plate.

Ground ball to third, Donaldson has it, goes to first. This is the Rich Eisen Show. He's just so fun to watch at his craft. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Earlier on the show, senior NBA writer for the athletic, Sam Amick.

Coming up, Packers linebacker, Rashawn Gary. Legendary broadcaster, Bob Costas. Actor, Travis Van Winkle. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Ah yes, our number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. Sam Amick of the athletic giving us some great insight on what was happening with Damian Lillard. He says this thing could pop by early next week, if not over the weekend, with the Blazers and Damian Lillard. That's all the runway they're going to give Joe Cronin to see what they can come up with in the first 48 hours of free agency. And if it's not to Damian's satisfaction, he might say, alright, trade me.

So, lots happening on that front. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial. We'll take your phone calls this hour. Bob Costas will be calling in about 18 minutes time to talk about Shoei Ohtani's remarkable season. And also the fact that it's the 22nd anniversary of the film that he started and finished back in the day.

22 years ago, Pootie Tang hit theaters with Bob Costas. That'll be a lot of fun. Don't miss that here on the program. But we kick off Mike Del Tufo. You're from what part of New Jersey again, Mike Del Tufo? Livingston, New Jersey.

Okay. This gentleman, born in Plainfield, played high school a bit at Scotch Plains Fanwood High. The pride of Paramus Catholic High School on his way to the University of Michigan.

Now, by way of Green Bay, where he's getting set to start his fifth season in the National Football League. He is none other than Rashawn Gary. How are you, Rashawn? How are you doing?

I'm doing great, man. Thanks for having me on your show. I am thrilled to have you on this program.

So, let's just jump into it. How are you a different player now than when you first came out of Michigan, Rashawn? Number one, just the understanding of my football knowledge. Just understanding what's coming to me, how to defend it. Understanding how I want to get offensive lineman opened up. So, just understanding my passion, what I need to do to be successful.

I just learned that over the couple, four years, going on five now. I just kept getting better year in and year out. Getting better year in and year out. What would you say to Packers fans right now who are wondering what this team is going to look like for the first time without Aaron Rodgers, Rashawn? For the Packers fans out there that's even sweating and nervous, don't be nervous because everybody in the organization that's in that building every day is putting in the work to make sure we have the season that Green Bay used to have. That's going to the playoffs and going to the Super Bowl.

Nothing has changed. I just can't wait to see Aaron Love go out there and put his hard work out there. I've been seeing him from the time he walked into Green Bay, getting better day by day. Now he's our leader and he's been controlling it. I've just been loving seeing his growth every step. Okay.

Now, let's jump into that. What have you seen out of Jordan Love that makes you think you're going to be just as good in a playoff team? Give me that one, Rashawn. Number one is just how he has the respect from his teammates and how he has everybody ready to go to war for him. As a quarterback, the tempo is set off of him. Just how he's handling the huddle, how everybody's listening to him.

He's calling out protections. You know, off the run, just breaking it down and checking it back to what he said. And just seeing his confidence. You know, his five-step drive back, standing down, understanding his reach, understanding where not to throw the ball, where to throw the ball. So far, through OTA's, from what I've seen, his hard work in the offseason, just his years of preparation is coming along. So, I just can't wait for him to go out there and get his opportunity. Well, and obviously he's going to get that opportunity.

It's finally time. And what's your relationship been with him since he got drafted? I mean, he got drafted, if I'm not mistaken, the year right after you, Rashawn. So, you've been around him a while.

So, what do you have for me on that front? What's your relationship been like with him, knowing him under the helmet? Yeah, you know, Jordan Love, man, he's a down-to-earth guy.

You know, genuine, really cares, and very passionate about his job. And from day one, you could tell the frustration of every player. You know, you get drafted first round, and he wants to be great now. He wants everybody to see how great he is now. But, you know, you get into certain circumstances, and for him, he was able to come in and watch all the time and watch how he was able to work.

And, you know, some of the things that Aaron, a man of rhythm and cheese took in and put underneath his belt and added his little swag to it. But just seeing his composure of understanding what it is to be a first-round pick, and what it is just to keep your head down and work every day, and not listen to what reporters are saying, and actually coming in day in and day out, listening to what the coach is saying, and getting feedback from his teammates to become a better player. Well, you also know what it's like to terrorize a quarterback, Rashawn.

You know what it's like to, you know, recognize a weakness and exploit it. So, would you say Jordan Love, from your perspective, is ready to face people like you on a week-in, week-out basis? To answer that question, I'll say, as of right now, what I've been seeing in OTA is, yes, he's on the way of getting ready. Because we still have a couple months, well, basically a couple weeks before we head back from mid-camp. So, you know, he understands what he needs to correct from OTA, so I just can't wait to see this Jordan Love coming back to camp. And maybe we have another interview in camp, I'll give you a better answer.

Okay, very good. And so, and that's straight up honest, I appreciate that. And last one for you on this, is there any sort of, I'll use the word benefit, in the fact that whatever was going on between Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, and the questions about his, you know, long-term plans to stay there, or short-term plans to stay there, benefit in the fact that this, you finally got an answer, that that is now out the door, and it's something completely different. To focus on, Rashawn Gary. Yes, to answer your question, it's good to understand who's our starting quarterback, the direction of the team is going. So, we understand that, and like I said, throughout those OTAs, we've been attacking and making sure day by day, we're chipping and we're sculpting what we want to sculpt.

So, I say yes, just to understand, we understand where we need to go from now. And then what about the defense? Tell me, is there going to be any discernible difference between last year, this year, anything that you want to give Cheesehead Nation a heads up about on that front, Rashawn? Just to be honest with our defense, our defense has been solid throughout the years, but this year, you know, we're very comfortable. Now, I think everybody on our defense has about three, you feel me, to two years of experience, maybe four, on our defense, you know, not counting the old guys. But, man, just getting back out there, watching guys fly around, understanding the type of defense we want, it's going to be scary. It's going to be more physical, more fast, and more explosive than the folks taking away the ball.

More explosive, huh? Yes, sir. Okay. Rashawn Gary of the Green Bay Packers here on the Rich Isaac Show. Let's talk about you a little bit here. You got your degree, huh? Rashawn?

One more call? You got your degree from the Institution of Higher Learning known as the University of Michigan, right, Rashawn? Absolutely, absolutely. I had some time this off-season, and, you know, one thing before I even committed to Michigan, I told my mom I'd get my degree, you know, I didn't get it in my three years I was there, so I'm just happy I was able to go back, you know, and get that done for her and get that done for me. I think I'm seeing that photograph right here from your Instagram, right there. Yeah, great moment. So walk me through that moment. What were you, I mean, look at the smiles on your faces right there. What was that moment like for you?

You said great, but let's put a little bit more meat on the bones there, if you don't mind. Yeah, just going back to Michigan, going down State Street again, you know, visiting spots like Mr. Spots, you know, just giving me, you know, nice little trip down memory lane, and also, you know, having my mom there and understanding, you know, the few years that I put in Michigan as a student, as an athlete, and just, you know, just being there, it was great, and just having my mom there and her personally understanding, you know, my struggles academically, you know, with me being dyslexic, and just how I was able to push through everything and just make everything better. Where's the diploma right now? Right now it's hanging in her office in Atlanta, Georgia. It's in her office? Yeah, it's in her office. I love that. That's fantastic.

It's in her office. Okay. Well, you're focused on your office in Lambeau Field. Fantastic. I love it. Who's the toughest offensive lineman for you to go against that you found in your first four years in the NFL that you give a shout out to on that front, Rashawn?

First four years, well, first four years, I'm about to give it my respect to David Bazziari. There you go. Yes.

My teammate, he's shown me so much, done taught me so much, and just like helped me in terms of my knowledge of football, helped me in my passions, understanding, you know, see things the opposite lineman is giving me, and, you know, it's good having an all-pro tackle like that at a high, playing at a high level as he is, and, you know, feedback and go back and forth with, so I'll give it to Dave. Okay. Very good. And then which quarterback have you enjoyed sacking the most, Rashawn? Which one?

Enjoyed sacking the most. Yes. I don't know.

I like Matt Stackett, you know. I'm trying to get a little close to Justin Fields. Okay. You know. Okay.

I'm trying to get a little close to the golf a little bit more. You know, I need to give him a couple calls, but, yeah, I'm trying to become best friends with you guys, man. What do you mean you become best friends?

What do you got? What do you mean? I'm just, you know, like, don't be too scared. Don't be too scared.

I ain't going to hurt you, man. So you want to get, you know, in their proximity, is what you're saying? You want to get close? Yeah, I just want them to feel me, look around, and then I'm going to be around all day. It's going to be a long day.

Just, you know, watch out for 5-2. If I don't hit you, I'm going to be near you. If I hit you, I'm going to come back again. Okay.

Comfortable with his presence. Yes. That's what he's saying, right?

I think I'm picking that up, TJ. Yeah. Did you ask them questions? Like, how are you?

How's the fam? Is that what you're saying? Like, that's how, that's that friendly?

That's how friendly? Yeah, you know, once I help him off the ground, you know, how are you doing? Keep going.

You know, and I'm going back to Huddle Gammoplin. Okay. I like it. Very good. Trying to get close. That's a Michigan man for you, Rich.

I appreciate that. I'm hearing, I'm hearing great things about what's coming out of Ann Arbor this year, Rashawn. What are you hearing?

What are you hearing about that? Just like, just me being a Michigan man and seeing what Jim Harbaugh has done with the program. And like I said, man, you got the win against the guys, you know, Ohio State.

And then just us, you know, back to back, you know, going to the Big Ten. That's something we always preached and it's happy. I'm happy to see it. That it's finally coming into fruition. That's something I always believe. And every player that's in there, they understand they're wearing that wing helmet for everybody that played before them. And that's who paved the way. That organization in terms of Michigan is having the players understand it's a way of work. Why they're working and where they're trying to get to is great. And I've just been loving, you know, college football season and how they go out and attack it. Me being a Michigan man. Rashawn Gary, thanks for the time.

Have a great rest of your summer. Let's look for my call. I will call you back in training camp and ask you the same question if you think Jordan Love is in fact ready. I know you gave Bakhtiari a shout out as well you should. He is a great teammate, great veteran in this league with a lot more runway hopefully left for him in his career. He said he's not afraid to use the word rebuilding of what you're doing there because I think that's out of respect for Rodgers. Anybody else that comes in will be part of a rebuild. He said that's not a bad thing.

What do you think of that subject matter, Rashawn? Yeah, like I said, you know, he's tied up to his own opinion. But like I said, throughout OTAs and the team, everybody has the same mindset, man.

Get Greenback, attract those, have you back in the waves. So it don't matter who's back there, you know, taking a snatch. Of course, we, everybody love Aaron. You know, he's all the same. Like I said, I done learned so much from Aaron.

But now it's Jordan Love's time and now it's, you know, time to step up and watch what he's going through. Rashawn, Gary, go blue. Congrats on that degree. Congrats.

Congrats to your mom, too. That's Rashawn Gary here from the Green Bay Packers on the Rich Eisen Show. Shout out Mr. Spots on State Street.

You've been there, Chris. That's where we went after the game. That place was phenomenal. Dude, that's where we got the cheesesteaks.

Yes, I didn't know the name of it. Mr. Spots. Now you say it. Well, that's why he's like, when I went back to school. And my mouth is watering. When I went back to school, he gave Mr.

Spots a shout out before the team and his degree. Well, I've had the cheesesteak. It's deservedly so. The waffle fries? We need to go back.

I think you're right. Now then, hold on a second. As you say that, you want to go back, you want to spend time in the warm embrace of Jim Harbaugh and the football program? Well, I said a lot of things since then. Now, I don't know if you're aware, Bruce Feldman let this out on the Move the Sticks podcast.

Talking to Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks. You know, Michigan has, as well you might, a beat Ohio drill in practice. A period. It's a period called beat Ohio, which we love using the word Ohio. It offends Buckeye fans because they're not only Ohio State, they're the Ohio State. There's an Ohio University that is famous for Peter King graduating from it.

They cross out the M's? It's really weird. Right, because of a beat Ohio, they get very upset. It's a beat Ohio period, focuses the guys on the very important week. Apparently, Jim Harbaugh has now added a beat Georgia period during practice. Oh, have they ever played? They have, as you remember.

Famously, on a New Year's Eve a couple years ago. Alright, what happened to that? Didn't go very well. But I kind of dig it. I dig it, because I'll tell you what, I'll be very honest with you. When I first arrived at Michigan in 1986, I kept thinking to myself, why do they view the Rose Bowl as the ultimate? Why are they talking about winning the Big Ten and the Rose Bowl being the ultimate? That always was the focus, let's make the Rose Bowl, let's win the Rose Bowl.

That's the year. And I'm like, why aren't we talking national championships around here? And then we started to get number one and win a Rose Bowl.

If you win the Rose Bowl, usually you're going to be in the mix. That was the idea, right? It was a different era, but it was kind of just off-putting to me, you know. As a Yankee fan, used to winning World Series in my youth. Oh, so many gory days. If you remember, it's 1986, 1986.

Gory days. So I was beginning to wonder that. And I kind of dig that Jim's like, OK, OK, it's a bigger prize here. I'm sure Alabama's probably offended by that. Maybe, I don't know, but Georgia's the back-to-back champions one year, curb-stomping Michigan on the way to their first of the two titles in a row.

You got to respect that at least, right, Chris? Well, I'm in. Where he's having a... Am I the Georgia mouthpiece now? No, sure, go ahead, yes, you are. I don't think.

It's like the Don Draper GIF. I don't think Georgia spends one second thinking about Michigan. I agree. I'm with you on that. I'm with all due respect. I don't think it's disrespectful at all.

I don't think it's disrespectful at all. They're not sitting there in the heart of SEC country thinking about Michigan or Ohio State. No, I think it's beat Alabama and we win the national championship. Right?

I think so. And when you say beat Alabama, when do they play them? In the game that matters. If they meet. At least Michigan knows they're playing Ohio State at least once. Well, they're in the same division.

Again, we have to just keep going over this. But I do dig that. I heard that beat Georgia, I'm like, all right. What is the drill?

It's not a drill, it's a period. Like, hey, it's the beat Georgia period, so let's focus in. This is going to be a task that we're going to try and mount.

Should we have to mount it? You know, this is an achievement. We're going to have to beat. This is the period in which we beat the national champions. I dig it. What about the beat TCU period?

When's that? Fair enough. Fair enough. Fair enough. I don't know.

We're not scheduled to play them. All right. 844.

No, I'm walking into it. I understand. 844. 204. Rich number to dial.

That's on the subject matters of Shoyo Tani and the 22nd anniversary of Pootie Tang. I went on a bus and I did get picked up at Port Authority. They thought I was a runaway. What would they do?

They detain you and get people on the phone and then they finally let you go to your modeling job. How many times did it happen? Once or twice. It just seems like it wouldn't happen.

It happens, yeah. Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, wherever you listen. For decades, Rolling Stone has set the bar for entertainment publications. Today, Rolling Stone Music Now takes over in podcast form. Songwriter and producer Jamie Hartman reacts to the Ed Sheeran verdict.

You need to create something new, and of course you're going to use traditional parts to get there. Are you going to sue the Rolling Stones for making a samba out of sympathy for the devil? Are you going to sue Elvis Presley for writing bars?

It's like saying, you're not allowed to use a pencil to create a piece of art. Rolling Stone Music Now, wherever you listen. Hi, everybody. Rich Eisen here. Hello. Started watching Shrinking.

Okay. Harrison Ford is funny. Yeah, Harrison Ford's good, right?

I've heard good things about that one. It's a very Ted Lasso feel to it because, you know, Brett Goldstein who plays Roy Kent is the creator and writer, along with Jason Segel and Bill Lawrence who helped create Ted Lasso. Is Roy Kent in it? I haven't seen him yet. Okay. Four episodes in, I have not seen him yet. It's a very Ted Lasso where like commercial music is played during scenes and a lot of quick scenes, a lot of quick moments.

It's a very similar cadence to Ted Lasso. Okay. But just Harrison Ford is just- Is 80.

I know that. Indiana Jones comes out today. I'm going to see it this weekend. Nice. I plan on it. I put up a poll. I said that to Sue's because, you know, the kids are all in camp.

Right. I'm like, do you just- Popcorn movie, go. I can't remember the last time I said to Sue's, do you just want to go to a movie just the two of us? You should date your wife.

That's what this two week period is about. That's what people say. What? That you should date your wife. That's what people say. About me specifically? No, about just everyone. Just in general?

Just everyone. What about you? I would like to do that too.

Not your wife, mine. Understood. I put up a poll. If you could only see one movie this summer in the theaters, Indiana Jones or Mission Impossible. Huh.

Okay. Because that comes out in two weeks. Comes out in two weeks. I can't wait to see that one too.

Same. When was the last time you saw the first Mission Impossible? A few months ago. With the knock list.

I think it was on cable. The knock- Do the way Paul's down here. He's doing the thing. Yeah, with John Reno trying to keep him up. Yeah.

He's sweating. Oh my gosh. Great movie. That is a hell of a scene. Jon Voight.

Before he went insane? Yeah. Yes. Okay.

Great movie. Anyway, 53-47 right now, M.I. 's winning. Is that right?

I mean- I'm going to see both, but if I can only see one- Indiana Jones in a theater. I don't know. Yeah, baby. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show radio network, sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk, furnished by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry.

Grainger has the right product for you. Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. You just put up a poll on at Rich Eisen Show, right? I did. About a half hour ago, Indiana Jones comes out tonight. You could only see one movie this summer.

Yes. Indiana Jones or Mission Impossible comes out in two weeks. If this show had existed 22 years ago today, and if there was Twitter, you would have included Pootie Tang in that poll. I would have. Because it was 22 years ago that that movie, shall I say, unspooled for everyone's viewing pleasure, and this is the only human being on the planet who could pull off this double dip talking about the remarkable season and placing in perspective the remarkable season of Shohei Ohtani, as well as talking about the movie that he was in 22 years ago today, the great Bob Costas back here on the Rich Eisen Show.

How are you, Bob? You know, that made it sound as if Shohei Ohtani was in Pootie Tang. No, that's true. And was somehow missing on the credits along with Wanda Sykes and Chris Rock and J.B.

Smooth, which would be an outrage. Well, or the, I guess, unique battery of Ohtani and Pootie Tang. But I don't think the Angels have a catcher named Pootie Tang. I don't believe. I don't know. I believe they would say about that.

They would say the NANO, my baby. Ladies and gentlemen, Bob Costas has arrived here on the program. All right. Let's take Ohtani first.

Let's let's jump in there. Is there in any way, shape or form a comp? You know how we talk comps in this business, right?

Yeah. How do you place in perspective what we are seeing from Shohei Ohtani in 2023, Bob? There is no comp because Babe Ruth, who was on a Hall of Fame track as a pitcher in the early part of the 20th century, never really did pitch and bat simultaneously anything like the level Ohtani has. Now, Ruth's batting exploits in the context of his time are greater than anything Ohtani is even doing now in this remarkable streak he's on or period of time that he's on. Ruth stands alone in that respect. His statistics in the 20s and early 30s as a hitter, but he never did it simultaneously. There were a handful of pitching performances after he joined the Yankees, but the Hall of Fame pitching performances are as a Red Sox.

That's really the only historical cop. Now, if you want to say that as a hitter and since he doesn't play the field, he's not the player that Willie Mays was or a pre-steroid Barry Bonds or Hank Aaron or a healthy Mickey Mantle or whoever you want to mention or Mike Trout, his teammate for that matter, when Trout was at his very best or that as a pitcher, remarkable as he is, he's not Sandy Koufax or he's not Pedro Martinez or Randy Johnson at their best or historically difficult as it is to compare eras that he's not Walter Johnson or Christy Mathewson. But nobody has ever been simultaneously both a hitter and a pitcher at anything like the level that Otani has achieved.

Plus, he's doing it in a modern era, which makes comparisons difficult to begin with. The word unicorn has been thrown around about him for years now, and it's actually the best one. People use the word unique.

They'll say it about something. It's very unique. No, unique takes no modifiers, either unique or it isn't. So most of the time when someone says something is unique or somebody is unique, they're not. Otani is unique. He definitely is, Bob.

I honestly can't stress enough to this audience as I did at the top of yesterday's program just how not normal this activity is. He is truly unbelievable and certainly in light of the fact that when he first started, the general sense of it was, well, he can't do this for more than just a year. So just enjoy the year that he's hitting and pitching. He's gotten better, and he doesn't show any sign of diminishing returns at all. No. At all.

No. And when some team signs him at now the best guess is $600 million over 10 years or whatever, it is entirely possible to your point or your implied point that at the back end of that contract, maybe the second half of that contract, he will not be the Otani we're seeing now. But for the time being, he is clearly the most valuable player in all of baseball. When I was on your show last year and there was a Judge Otani argument, I said, and I think correctly, the judge deserved to be the MVP last year because MVP is most valuable player of a given season, not who's the best overall player in baseball. If that were the case, Willie Mays would have won the MVP or shared it with Hank Aaron every single year for like 20 years in the National League.

MVP is a single year question. And last year, especially given where their respective teams were, Aaron Judge was the American League's most valuable player. But Shohei Otani, by a wide margin, even given the likes of Ronald Acuna Jr. and others, Shohei Otani, by a wide margin, is the best player and year to year during this portion of his career, the most valuable player in all of baseball and also the most valuable business property. Nobody moves the needle for baseball as an entertainment product and as possibly a fan base expanding individual like Otani does. If you could read Rob Manfred's mind and he said there's only one current player that you can put on the lifeboat, that player is going to be Shohei Otani.

Bob Costas, Hall of Fame broadcaster right here on the Rich Eisen Show. And that's what makes this scenario or moment unique. Notice I didn't say more unique or quite unique.

I think I did that properly. Is the fact that we have sung all the proper hosannas here, Bob, and he could be on the trading block in a month if the Angels don't continue to win. I mean, just again, last night he and Trout had back to back triples in the first inning and they lost by six runs. It's just unbelievable sometimes how you see two of the best players of a generation hitting in the same lineup, let alone protecting one another in the lineup.

And the team doesn't win consistently enough. What are you hearing or believing about that subject matter of Otani and the trade deadline that looms, Bob? Yeah, it's long been the consensus opinion that the Angels have no shot at keeping him in large part because they haven't been able to build a consistent contender or a contender at all, although they're certainly in the wildcard mix now. When you think about a possible trade deadline deal, if you're the team acquiring him, you have to have a very strong sense that you have a good chance to sign him. Otherwise, you're going to have to give up something that makes it look like what the Padres gave up for Juan Soto to the Nats a while back, like nothing, like a pittance. Are you going to empty your farm system and plus include some useful present major league players to acquire Shohei Otani for half a season and then maybe not make the playoffs and get bounced out in the wildcard or divisional round?

And now you've gutted your team and Otani winds up someplace else. So I think the actual market, given those circumstances for a trade, is less than people would think it would be. Would every team like to have him?

Yeah. Do only a handful of teams have even a realistic shot at retaining him? That's also true. Now, look at it from the Angels perspective. Artie Moreno, A, has a team and has a chance, at least as we speak, to get to October, which baseball would love to showcase Otani especially, but also Trout.

If he were to trade him, it sends a terrible message to his fan base. He just gave up. What Moreno can do is hang on to him and then say, look, we made every effort to re-sign him. This is what we put on the table. We did everything.

We emptied our pockets. If he stays, hallelujah. If he doesn't and he leaves, you can't blame us and we wish him well. I think that's the most likely scenario. What would a free agency tour for Shohei Otani look like, Bob? Well, I think it involves both New York teams.

Yes, it does. Perhaps Steve Cohen is chastened. Money does not buy happiness at Citi Field, apparently, but it will involve both New York teams. It might very well involve Seattle, which has shown a willingness to make bold moves and spend, and there's a very large Asian fan base there. Although, Otani has across the board appeal. I don't want to limit it to that.

Of course. It's a big deal when someone like Ichiro comes along, because he was the first Japanese position player of any consequence, non-pitcher, to come to the American Major Leagues, and then he turns out to be a Hall of Fame talent. Any team would want to have him, but you have to have the market.

You have to have someplace that's comfortable. You have to have a team that is an immediate contender, not building toward contender status. Once you check all those boxes, you've reduced it down to only a handful of the 30 teams. Sure, you'd have the Dodgers would obviously be in the mix, the Angels. There could be another team. Giants. Giants. I should have mentioned the Dodgers. That's obvious. Some people, Rich, think that part of the reason the Dodgers let Trey Turner go and have reduced payroll somewhat, it's all relative, is that they're saving up to make a run at Shohei Ohtani, which is logical. Yeah.

No question about that. We were just thinking about it on yesterday's show as well, what the free agency tour would look like just in New York when Ohtani arrives, maybe out there at Teterboro Airport, coming over the George Washington Bridge, the Yankees and Mets jockeying for the first visit with him. Do you read into who visits? And he goes from the Mets to the Yankees. He'd be followed by cameras everywhere, I would think, and front back pages.

And this would probably happen as the Jets and Giants were finishing up the season, hopefully for both teams, a playoff run. And that's the question about whether Ohtani would be into that. Does he like playing baseball down the street from Disneyland where there's an Orange County Register reporter, maybe an LA Times reporter, some international interest, and that's about it. Not a lot of long time listener, first time callers flipping out over an 0 for 4. Boston obviously would have to be involved in this free agency tour as well.

Just throw that in there. So that's the question. What do you know about his interest level in that type of atmosphere, do you think? I can't pretend to have any real insight into that on a personal level. I have never met nor spoken to Ohtani.

But your point is correct about New York. The tabloids would have a field day with it, and his personal sensibility plays into this. As you've just said, if he just wants some peace and quiet, he's going to make a gazillion dollars no matter what, if he just wants some peace and quiet and a chance to be the best baseball player he can be, which is an historic baseball player, maybe he doesn't choose the biggest stage or the biggest spotlight. Bob Costas here on The Rich Eisen Show. All right, I'm going to do my best, make the transition from Ohtani to the 22nd anniversary of the unspooling, I think is the proper word, in theaters near you, of Pootie Tang. And I'm speaking to one of the stars, I'll say it, of Pootie Tang and you, Bob Costas. How did you get involved in Pootie Tang, Bob?

How did that happen? Well knowing of my extensive filmography, which even at that time in the early 2000s included the near Oscar nominated basketball alongside Al Michaels and an appearance in a scene with Jason Robards and Glenn Close in the paper, leave aside the fact that it was me standing in a urinal when Glenn mistakenly walked into the men's room at Radio City. It's a very long story, but Ron Howard called me literally the day before. He said, are you in New York? I said, yeah. He said, do you have a tuxedo? I said, as it happens, I was at a banquet last night, I do have a tuxedo. Put it on and come over to Radio City tomorrow at three o'clock.

So that's how that happened. Now regarding Pootie Tang, Chris Rock calls me. It's Chris Rock.

Of course I say yes. The title was a little interesting, especially in 2001 or 2002, but hey, it's Chris Rock. And so as it turned out, it was very loosely scripted. I sat with Pootie on the set of my then HBO show and it framed the whole movie, the beginning scene and the end scene. And there wasn't really a script, there were just a couple to get to these things. And we ad-libbed almost all of it and got all of it in two takes, two scenes. And in 45 minutes we were done. I was going to ask how many takes it took for these scenes to be completed. Okay.

One each. So Chris Rock, have you ever- After all, when you have perfection, even Scorsese would just say cut. So did Chris get your number?

Were you friendly with him or did you just answer your phone? Let's put it this way. Chris Rock can get anybody's number.

That's true. Yes. I had interviewed Chris Rock before that. We had interacted occasionally. If you want a parenthetical side, since you seem to be kind of in a loose mode here. Yes, sir.

There are people who can get anybody's number. The morning after Barry Bonds hit 756 to pass Hank Aaron, I was on the Today Show to talk about it. Yes.

And Bill Roden of the New York Times was taking kind of a pro Barry Bonds position like, there's nothing to see here, he's just the greatest home run hitter. And I counted that using logic and evidence. Okay, now I'm back at my apartment just a few minutes later, it's now maybe eight o'clock in the morning Eastern time, and the phone rings. I say, hello? And the woman on the other end says, Mr. Costas, I say, yes, please hold on for President George H.W. Bush.

Oh, wow. And on comes the unmistakable voice of the 41st president. And I'm thinking it's just Dana Carvey pranking me.

It takes quite a while for this to sink in that it's really him. And I wish I could do an impression even half as good as Carvey's, but he's telling me how much he approves of what I said about Bonds and Aaron. And then just to make small talk, George H.W. Bush then says, you know, Bob, I'm just sick about what they did to our pal, Ted Williams.

They froze his ass down there with some cryogenics in Arizona. I'm just sick about it, Bob. When a former president says that, I'm trying not to laugh, and I'm just, yes, Mr. President, I share your concerns. What else can you say? Oh, my God. Oh, that is so funny. So that's so you get a cold call from Chris Rock and George H.W.

Bush. I mean, that's you, but that's that's not on the same day. But Rocky Rock invites me to take part in this movie.

I don't hesitate for a second. Sure. What the heck? Oh, my God. Now it's kind of a cult classic. It is. You're not wrong. Twenty two.

Twenty two years later. So you said it was loosely delivered, right? So what is your your ad lib from Pootie Tang, Bob Costas, that you are most proud of? Actually, now that I think of it, there were three scenes to with Lance Crowther Crowther was Pootie Tang and then one in the middle with the great Wanda Sykes, who played Biggie Shorty in the film.

I don't know what was what was my best ad lib. I ad libbed a series of of background credits that Pootie Tang had, and I believe I included crocheting and pottery among the show, what a well-rounded individual he was. And then at one point he started speaking Pootie speak. And and I had to correct him that I at that point, by the end of the film, understood Pootie speak apparently better than he did, but not not if it was scripted. Now, it doesn't happen nearly as often as it used to.

But in the first few years after the release of the film, I could be like in the jet way, getting on a plane or sitting at a diner someplace. And someone might say, Bob, what a day, my brother, what a day, and I would just have to respond. Yes, my man. Good assign your pity on the runny kind that isn't just it sticks with you. It sticks with you. Oh, my gosh.

The paper. That's pretty cool. I forgot about that one.

It was it was very cool. And, you know, Academy Award winners. I guess Glenn Close never won an Academy Award. She's been robbed. She has nominated 10 times. Never won.

Should have won multiple times. But anyway, Jason Robards and Glenn Close. And what was interesting about that, for whatever reason, they had to do like five or six takes. So I had to be cut to pretend to have to go desperately five or six times each time. Jason Robards did it exactly the same. The inflection, every word down to the comment exactly the same.

But Glenn Close had little variations every time. And the her last flourish was she realizes she stops, looks around. Oh, my gosh, I'm in this giant, ornate men's room.

I'm where I don't belong. And on the take they used, she wheels around and like there are in many kind of elevated locations, there was a basket with hand towels, not paper towels, a basket. She'd walked in. She'd not done anything. She picked up a towel. She pretended to wipe her hands and she threw it against the wall and walked out. But if we'd done it 100 times, Robards would have been exactly the same every time.

And she would have thrown in a little variation each time. Amazing, Bob. Bob, thanks for the time, as always. Great to catch up with you. Have a great All-Star break, I guess.

Thank you. And I was saying the other day that if Elie De La Cruz has another good three weeks, he should make the All-Star game. And then he went like one for his next 14. So I think I put the Ziggy on him, but I love watching that kid play. Maybe you did.

Maybe you did. But I think more and more, the All-Star game is being seen as a showcase for the people that baseball wants the whole country to embrace. The game doesn't mean all that much anymore.

It's not the real national and American League rivalry because of player movement and interleague play. So you really want to get someone like Elie De La Cruz to Seattle if you possibly can while we're on the subject of baseball. Yes, sir. Can I throw this in here? It's kind of something to get off my chest. Oh, yes, Bob Costas. Last year, we were talking about Aaron Judge and the MVP, but most important, whether if he hit 62 as he did, some people would view that as the authentic home run record since everybody who has hit more than 62 is directly connected to steroids.

And you get this reaction now and then. And it's one thing if someone makes a cogent argument with which you disagree, but you can at least respect it. One of the dumbest things ever that's been out there forever is this, oh, OK, so Bonds or Sosa or Maguire use steroids. But hey, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle have said that they use greenies. It's a wash. Case closed.

Where was the distortion of baseball norms during their eras? None. Right. None.

Zero. OK. Amphetamines, whether you approve of them or not, amphetamines are a performance enabler. They allow you to do during a day game in August at the back end of a road trip.

What you could have done if you were fresh in May, there's no distortion. Steroids are a performance enhancer. And the evidence of that is so overwhelming that concluding that there's any any possible comparison between the two is only evidence of how dumb the person making that assertion is. Bob, I appreciate the two cents and I'm there you go. I should say Bob from St. Louis, you're on the air to a long time listener, many, many time caller. Thanks, Bob. I really appreciate it.

The time and everything. You be well. Bob Costas, Hall of Famer right here on the Rich Eisen Show. That's why I love doing this show. Let's get a twenty eight time Emmy Award winner, right, twenty nine time Emmy Award winner on to talk about Otani and Pootie Tang, and he'll pound the table for old school players and drop the word greenies on the way out the door. That's the way we roll here on this edition of the Rich Eisen Show. Love, always love talking to Bob Costas, eight four four two oh four rich number to dial. Are you currently enjoying the show on the Stitcher app, then you need to know Stitcher is going away on August twenty ninth.

Yep, going away as in kaput, gone dead. Rest in peace, Stitcher. And thanks for 15 years of service to the podcast community. So switch to another podcast app and follow this show there, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. Back here on the program.

Fun stuff with Bob Costas right there. Always is. Yes, sir. What are you adjusting your microphone over there?

It just needed to be tightened over. Very good. What's our poll results as it currently stands, Chris? Poll results as they stand, Indiana Jones or Mission Impossible, if you could only see one. I voted for Indiana Jones.

You could only see one. I'm old school. The fifty three forty seven right now, M.I. has got a little slightly. I mean, when Indiana Jones was, you know, battling the Nazis, Tom Cruise is making all the right moves.

You know what I mean? So like he even predates true Mission Impossible. You know, I mean, like this is old school. This is like this is the last one of these.

I think we're going to get M.I. 15 right at some point, as long as Tom keeps on wanting to dive off of planes on motorcycles and stuff like that. You heard the stories behind those stunts. They filmed them first. The first thing they shot in the movie, in case there was a mishap and, you know, Tom didn't make it. So then what? So they wouldn't have wasted they'd hit it.

They hit a rewrite or they just wouldn't have wasted everyone's time filming half a movie only to have the star die midway through. Come on. They filmed it first.

That one does the motorcycle off the. Just in case. Just in case. Wow. Yeah.

And that's something else intense. Our greatest movie star of all time. Is that right? Tom Cruise is up there of all time. He's the greatest movie star of all time.

No one cares more about the movies and your experience at the movies than Tom Cruise. Is that right? I believe so. You got what do you got for pushback?

I don't know. I wasn't expecting this conversation. I understand. I'm not going to lie. I wasn't expecting this conversation. I mean, you can put Harrison Ford up there.

That's why I voted. I'll take it. He's 80. Eighty. Eight four four two oh four rich number to dial. Kathy in Philadelphia has been hanging on for a while. What's up, Kathy?

Hey, fellas. How's it going? What's going on?

What's going on? Well, first of all, you have to understand Chris hasn't seen about 70 years worth of actors because he won't watch anything in black and white. That's crazy. His opinion of greatest ever is a tad skewed. There's a difference between actor and movie star. I just want that pointed out for the record, Kathy. Movie star Tom Cruise, not actor, not actor Tom Cruise movies. And I would argue that the fact that Glenn Close has not won an Academy Award is a sign that we overvalue Academy Award wins. Oh, that's true. By the way, did Costas get right the number of times Glenn Close was nominated?

No, she actually was eight, not ten. By the way, I looked it up. It's impressive because Bob knows facts about everything and people. So what's on your mind, Kathy?

Otherwise. So my quick thought, and I know you're up against the hour, but I want to be a Debbie Downer. I want to be a Debbie Downer for just a second when it comes to the perfect game. Now I am a baseball fan like you guys. I'm not just a Phillies fan. I'm a baseball fan.

So I was actually watching the game because my dad is a diehard Yankee fan. And there are two reasons why, in my mind, it's not a bigger story. First of all, the decline of people caring about baseball is really sad, but you see it in attendance of the games all the time.

It's not something people care about anymore to make it. You know, the A block is not going to happen. And especially when it happens with a guy that people don't know, but with this guy in particular, with Domingo Arman in particular, the two times that he's been in the news were for bad things.

The first was obviously the domestic violence case, but then earlier this year, he was widely mocked for being ejected for having the stickiest hands an ump has ever seen. And it's hard to root for that guy. And as a pundit, I would give a little grace and say, I can see why you're not pushing that story. You know what I mean? Yeah. And I hear you. You know, that said, do you think if it was Otani, I think everyone would be talking about it because he's a star of the game? I agree. I agree. Everybody would be losing their minds, even if it was somebody like Verlander, you know, or somebody on the comeback, if it was a grizzled journeyman, people would be celebrating it. But it's just a guy who doesn't have the best PR. And you know, on a team that, you know, with all due respect to the Yankees aren't very good this year, someone who really cares about how well the Yankees are doing, it's all of these factors going up against him, whereas if it had been a player people want to root for, it would be good news.

Kathy, thank you for the call and the two cents. How many players are there in baseball that would cause people to lead their shows with a perfect game, not just tweet about it, Instagram about it, huh? I think it's just one. I don't know about that. I think it's Otani right now.

I don't know about that. You Verlander did it, Scherzer did it. Somebody keep going. I mean, who would it be? Well, those guys. So nobody? Those guys play for a big market team.

If it's just one person. If the Mets did it, it was a big deal. If a Met did it, it didn't help. If it was Garrett Cole, it would have been different.

People would have led with it today? Who was it against? I mean, they were playing a double A team last night and it was on the West Coast that the East Coast didn't watch. It's just the 24th instance of it happening for a sport that's been around since old Ross Hadburn.

I totally get it. It's the hardest thing to do in all of sports probably. Right. So that's a sad state of affairs that baseball has something that happens only once every 10, 12 years now and it's only happened 24 times since its inception that there's a big national shrug because it's against the double A team at late at night and a guy that has a checkered history. Yeah.

So it was a perfect storm of shrug emoji, I think, for Major League Baseball last night. Right. And unfortunately, because it's obviously the coolest thing ever, a perfect game. Okay.

Travis Van Winkle of FUBAR on Netflix will be joining us in Studio Hour number three. Guys, what can you even compare a perfect game to in another sport? A hundred point game in the NBA? Not even an 80 point game because at least there have been a handful of those in the NBA history. We saw maybe 70.

We saw 70 this year. That's probably more... But that's not even perfection. Closer. Yeah. You're still missing shots. If you do like 30 for 30... Well, I guess a missed shot will be the same as a missed strike of ball. Yeah.

You know what I mean? It's not like Herman hit the strike zone every time he threw last night. I don't think there's anything that can compare. There have been eight 70 point games in NBA history. That's probably the closest for basketball. I don't know what NFL is. I don't know what the NFL would be. A 2,000 yard season for rushing?

Yeah, but again, we're talking about perfection, man. Maybe. But that's a season. We're talking about a game where you wake up one morning dangerous and then you do something that is considered an achievement. There's nothing.

You can't compare it to anything. Well, it could be also... Another example is my hosting job yesterday. Glenn What's-Or-Nuts. That phone call referring to Glenn Close as Glenn What's-Or-Nuts. What if we hit that drop during Bob's story about Glenn Close? And then I had to then explain to Bob that somebody referred to Glenn Close once as Glenn What's-Or-Nuts.

Bob would have hit me with the, oh, shut up. Oh, shut up. She was nominated 10 times, Glenn What's-Or-Nuts.

Glenn Close 88. Oh, shut up. Conspiracy theories, paranormal, UFOs. Science teacher Andrew Greenwood stated that a child ran into his classroom and was hysterically screaming and talking about the flying saucer outside. Hundreds of children ran out of their classrooms to go outside and see this unidentified flying object that was just above the school. Just imagine a bunch of kids running out of school.

Most of them probably just ran home. Police of the third kind on YouTube or wherever you listen.