REShow: Alan Shipnuck - Hour 1

This, this.

Check this out. This is the Rich Eisen Show. When Odell takes the field, it will have been what?

Yeah, 500 plus days. Since he's played a football game. The Rich Eisen Show. Ravens gave him 15 million bucks. And the Giants are like, yeah, do we give Saquon Barkley 15 million a year?

That's what they're thinking. Today's guests, the Fire Pit Collective Golf Writer, Alan Shipnot, NBC Sports Boston Patriots Insider, Tom Curran. From FX's justified City Primeval, actor Timothy Oliphant. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Yes, we're back after a long weekend of so much fun on our sports television. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, watching us on Roku. We say hello to everybody out there. We're very excited to have you here on the Roku Channel. Free on all Roku devices. Select Samsung Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV, the Roku app, and the rokuchannel.com is how you can watch us every day, live between 12 and 3 Eastern Time. We say hello to those listening to us on Terrestrial Radio, Sirius XM, Odyssey, our podcast as well. 844204 Rich.

Number to dial here on this program. It is Open Championship Week. And so, we've got our friend Alan Shipnot from the Fire Pit Collective joining us to see what's going on from the world of golf. From what we saw over the weekend in Scotland, where they call it golf without the L. Rory McIlroy with a big W going into Open Championship Week.

Steph Curry winning the celebrity tournament that went down in Tahoe. The old Stableford. So, he can do well with the NBA point system and the Stableford scoring system, as we all as we all saw over the weekend. And so, Alan Shipnot will be joining us to talk about that. Our number three, one of our favorites from back of the day on our podcast on back on the NFL network.

He set the record for most curse words in the history of the Rich Ozen podcast from which this show was born about 10 years ago. Timothy Oliphant will be here on this program. He is in the new FX justified City Primeval. He's back again as Raylan Givens. And we're excited about having him here on this program.

844204 Rich is the number to dial. Tommy Curran will be the first up to talk football on this program from NBC Sports Boston, where the Patriots lost out on DeAndre Hopkins over the weekend. We also have our eye completely trained on what's going down in the world of the franchise tags in the NFL.

There is a 4 p.m. Eastern deadline, one hour after we go off the air. It'll be up to the Giants and Saquon Barkley to figure out a long-term deal. Josh Jacobs and the Raiders to figure out a long-term deal. And it appears Tony Pollard and the Cowboys will not figure that out. And Pollard will play on the franchise tag. He signed that tender lickety split back in the spring. And he'll be making 10 million bucks, 10.1 million, don't want to short him every penny.

So we'll keep an eye on all of that to, as you know, we've been quite zeroed in on the running back market of late here when we were talking about the NFL. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman. How are you, sir? Hey Rich, what's up, man?

DJ Mikey Diaz and Deez Nuts is not here today. Jason Feller, good to see you here at the top of the work. Thanks for having me on. Thank you very much. Good to see you over there, TJ Jefferson. Is the candle already lit?

Morning, chef, and the candle is lit. Okay, so you've been watching the bear? Is that what you're saying? No, I mean, you know, I'm always watching the bear.

So let's talk about DeAndre Hopkins, who said he wanted to go to a team with a stable quarterback or a stable coaching staff, and he wanted to go to a team with a championship defense, and he chose the Titans. No, hey, look, you're laughing. Yeah. You're laughing. You're laughing. You're laughing.

I'm not the only one, by the way. Let me put a little bit of respect on the Titans name, and I understand I've said that the wrong way, but let me just put a little bit of respect on what's going on in Tennessee. Mike Vrabel is the coach of the year in the National Football League, one season removed.

He didn't forget how to do it. And last year, the Titans, we all know, fell off a cliff, but they, like my jets, had major quarterback issues. And it was just two playoff seasons ago that Ryan Tannehill did have that fourth seat at the AFC Final Four table, divisional playoff weekend table that we've been talking about for two seasons now. That you've got our friends in Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen and Joe Burrow having three of those four seats, and we're assuming they're going to have that situation again this year, and we all know the problem with assuming. But last year, it was Trevor Lawrence who had the seat because the Jaguars made that run to overtake the Titans who had a dreadful quarterback scenario and the kid from Liberty, Malik Willis, who wasn't ready to play. And they turned to Joshua Dobbs in the last two weeks of the season trying to make the playoffs with Dobbs. Tannehill's back, people.

Tannehill is back, and you could do a whole lot worse than Tannehill, DeAndre Hopkins, and Derrick Henry. That's true. That's not bad. Now, I understand that. I understand that.

I understand it. But he wanted to get paid, clearly. And the Titans were willing to get him in the neighborhood of Odell Beckham Jr.'s contract. And it appears it's two years, 26 million. He can get up to 15 million this year with incentives.

And whatever those incentives are, as long as he stays healthy and Derrick Henry provides that rushing attack that we're all expecting him to provide, and Tannehill stays healthy, one would think Hopkins is going to make that money. And the Titans needed him, folks. Did you know, prior to DeAndre Hopkins' agreement in principle and signing, did you know who on the Titans team had the most career receiving touchdowns? Did you know, again, who in the Titans organization, I'm giving hints with the way I'm phrasing it. I'm talking currently. Had the most currently. Mike Vrabel. Correct. The coach. Eight for eight. Anyone include playoffs? It was 12.

Hey. Mike Vrabel, the coach, the linebacker, who is Brady's favorite gimmick, touchdown maker. This is not helping your argument. What I'm saying is they needed him. No, I'm saying they needed him. And in the same way that the Ravens needed, the same way that the Ravens needed to get Odell Beckham Jr. in the fold, not only for Lamar to see that they mean business about changing the way that they're operating on offense, but they're the way that they're operating on offense while Lamar was still out in the cold.

Having another voice look into the camera and say, Lamar, come in from the cold, other than anyone in management. And to give the impression to the rest of the free agent world, the rest of the wide receiver world, guess what? We are not the end of the line here. We are not the place where you go to get no catches.

The place where you go to not get yours. We're flipping the script. So we'll pay Odell more than what you think he is worth. Cause he's worth more to us. Same thing with DeAndre Hopkins and this Titans team.

Did they desperately, desperately need him now? Your point TJ is this team with DeAndre Hopkins might just be pouring a glass of wine in their ocean of mediocrity. It's a little glass of water, just putting in bucket of water.

It just doesn't make any difference. It just, it gets lost. And you know, the Titans, as you know, and their fan base in Tennessee, they soak in that disrespect.

They soak that stuff in. So now the battle is joined a little bit better by the Titans. They can tell their fan base, we're trying to win. They did know they had a problem at that position and they spent it on the best player available at the position DeAndre Hopkins. Is he going to be Julio Jones plus? Is he going to be the DHOP that we all have come to know and see the guy who gets his feet in every single time, the guy who grabs every pass, can he actually be better than what we've seen in Arizona the last couple of years? And Rich can I preface this by saying a lot of this is me being bitter because he didn't sign with my team.

So that's why I'm kind of upset. But he is everything that we think he is. But you on the Cowboys did not want to or can't, because you know you've got to pay some other guys, you can't pay him what the Titans just did. He went to go find a spot where he feels he can win, maybe not win it all, but don't tell that to the Tennessee Titans as they start camp this week. But we as fans looking at it and we're talking about the AFC East, the way that's constructed with Rogers in it now and Mahomes as we're learning is the red ass who basically screams at Max Crosby, you messed with the wrong MF-er.

You're like where did that kid come from? Well he's been there the whole time. Okay, we're assuming Denver's improved. We're assuming Deshaun Watson and the Browns are going to improve. We're assuming the Ravens are going to be better.

We're assuming Burrow is going to be Burrow. And you put it all together and sure enough, boom, the Titans just didn't make much of a difference. They just reshuffled their AFC South deck chair. And I get it.

I understand it. They needed it. They got to pay him. And the question is, what happened in New England? Why didn't he go there? Did New England not pony up for him? Did he not really consider them? Were the Patriots just something to go ahead and create a market where the Titans had to pony up? Is that what happened? Did he have no intention of signing there? Was he interested in that? How did the Patriots woo him?

What happened? Because they could use him too unless they're just going to go into the season with their usual, which is opportunistic defense, special teams that makes you make the mistake, situationally smarter than you, running backs for days, and a quarterback who, shrug emoji in year three, we're assuming Bill O'Brien makes him better. Who are you going to be as we heard last week from Damian Woody on Friday, circling in a defensive meeting saying, this guy can't beat you. Is it Juju Smith-Schuster?

Is it Devante Parker? I'll tell you what, if they had DeAndre Hopkins, you'd be circling him. And in this AFC East that is vastly improved, can the Patriot way get them to where they want to go? And that's essentially, with DeAndre Hopkins choosing Tennessee and Vrabel, and what they have cooking over New England, is it just the money? Why didn't New England pony up the money?

If they could have used him, they're not as desperate. Like for instance, Belichick, as of today, doesn't have the most receiving touchdowns of anybody on the team, as Tennessee had with Vrabel until DeAndre Hopkins signed, right? So by the way, anyone wants to know, he's 60 clear of Vrabel in career touchdown receptions, 72 to 12.

Hopkins over Vrabel. But what I'm saying is everything that I just said, can the Patriot way be the way for the Patriots to show they still have what it takes to win a division when you've got Buffalo, the Jets, and Miami having on paper, for sure, a much more explosive situation than what New England's bringing to the table when they play you in 2023? And if not, is this really a clock that could strike midnight for Bill Belichick in New England? A clock that could strike midnight for Bill Belichick in New England, as you've been pointing out, Chris. And reports, where was that report that Belichick's friends are nervous his seat is hot?

Oh, I saw that over the weekend. So Tom Curran's going to join us, as always, to set records straight. Overreaction Monday, as always, with this being a Monday, I have a top five list. Let's go. Top five quarterbacks in need of a bounce back season in 2023.

Aaron Rodgers and the Jets are opening training camp on Wednesday. A date for Hard Knocks has been set. August 8th, Tuesday after Hall of Fame weekend. Let's go. Timothy Oliphant in studio in hour number three. We've got Tom Curran hour number two.

But let's take a break. What did we learn from Capitol Hill's grilling of two PGA Tour executives last week going into Open Championship weekend? If you recall, the Live Tour and the PGA Tours shocked everybody on the doorstep of the US Open. Now here comes what used to be called, in my day, the British Open, but now is now called the Open Championship, which I'm sure it's been called ever since Braveheart grabbed a nine iron.

But that said, it's called the Open Championship week. And yeah, by the way, it's a great, it's a great kid song. That's good. That's just like on Kidz Bop. Yeah, like what Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is on the flip side of when Braveheart grabbed a nine iron. Let's take a break. I think it's the same tune.

Alan Shipnook of the Fire Pit Collective, the best selling author about Phil Mickelson coming up next. If you're like me and you're on the run, you need help finding good food and eating right. And now that we're in the thick of summer, you might be looking for wholesome convenient meals to support sunny active days. Factor, America's number one ready to eat meal kit, can help you fuel up fast with flavorful and nutritious ready to eat meals delivered straight to your door.

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I'm just so happy I got moinked. Back here on the program, 844-204-rich number to dial. Alan Shipnuck of the Fire Pit Collective will be joining us in a matter of moments here on the program. We got lots to talk about here.

What's going on in the football world? We're ready to go. You could feel it, right? I can feel it.

It's getting close, man. It's close. Oh, where'd you put that?

Oh, did Mike move it? Oh, that's all right. I can feel it. There you go. It's coming. Otani watch, 15 days to the deadline. We'll talk about that.

How about Otani, man? Homer was number 34? 34.

34. It's a home run and it was one of those, well, that's not nice. They're up eight to three and then they lose 9-8. And then the Yankees. The Yankees are six over now or five over now?

Six over. And it's tied for last place. If they're in the American League Central, we're sitting here thinking, well, they just got some time to work out the kinks when they're gonna make the playoffs. But in the American League East, it's just like, okay, you're out and now, but you're just too out of the wild card. The Astros are beginning to figure it out, which is a problem for the rest of the American League. Although Framber Valdez is injured.

I got you. But don't they have like 15 guys in the minors who sound like the name Framber Valdez that are gonna come up and pitch like Framber Valdez? Everybody in the Orioles keep bringing up, you know who keeps bringing up people?

The Reds keep bringing up people. And I'm thinking to myself, when are the Yankees bringing somebody up? Well, the Orioles now the number one prospect in baseball and he might get Jackson Holliday, Matt Holliday's son. Matt Holliday's kids coming up.

He might getting called up soon. And then, you know, hey, look at these teams getting all these top picks and they're finally, they're finally coming around. Reds and Orioles. I'll be a fun World Series, by the way.

Two fan bases that would just be losing their frigging minds in these two great ballparks, right? A lot of young kids. Let's go. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial right here on the Rich Eisen Show radio network. I'm 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. It's open championship week coming off of the big weekend victories by Rory McIlroy and Steph Curry. I never thought I would say that in a sentence, but it's the truth. Does Rory get a bid now? Is he in the open? Who?

I mean, sorry. Is Steph in the open? I mean, I don't know. I wouldn't want him showing up.

I don't know. Is the live tour trying to get him? You know, that would be amazing. He'll be in the Flaming Baskets. Is that the name of his team?

Offer Steph ownership. Let's go. Joining us right now from the Fire Pit Collective and the author of a must read book on Phil Mickelson is Alan Shipknock back here on the Rich Eisen Show. How are you doing, Alan? I'm doing well.

Thanks for having me. Yeah. Is the live tour offering Steph Curry a team now? What do you think? What do you got for me on that, Alan?

Are you reporting? It's not a bad idea. That walk off eagle by Steph was absolutely electric and lit up social media like few things ever do in golf.

So I made it interesting. Steph has talked about wanting to play the senior tour when he turns 50 and various jocks have said things to that effect. But I mean, he's got a chance.

The guy has his club head speed. He obviously has a great touch and he just has a unique mind for competition. So it's a fun thought exercise. Yeah, I mean, years away, but I'd love to see it. Yeah. How many sports can somebody have elite knacks for meeting the moment and having big moments from like an ace over the weekend, then obviously an eagle to win it. That was awesome to see.

I mean, that was a lot of fun to say the least. So let's jump into the world of the live tour and the PGA tour. It was on the outset of the US Open when the merger, don't call it a merger, and now agreement to have an agreement was shocking everybody.

Where does that stand right now as we're hitting open championship week, Alan? Well, the big development since then, of course, were the Senate hearings. The hearings themselves were somewhat uneventful, but the document dump that accompanied the hearing, 276 pages, there was a lot of nuggets in there. I mean, the big revelation was that Yasir Al-Rumiyan, who's now the biggest shot caller in golf, sort of sacrificed Greg Norman at the altar as part of this deal, which was not a shock, but to see it in the black and white of a Senate subcommittee appendix was interesting. The testimony from GBS and Jimmy Dunn, who was representing essentially the PGA tour and this new entity, it was revealing because it was pretty clear they have a long way to go to get this deal done. And the tour, their primary motivation was to end the litigation, which that was successful.

The lawsuits were dismissed with prejudice, means they can't be refiled no matter what. And so on some level, the tour has already accomplished what they hoped to. How this framework agreement becomes something definitive, it's going to be very tricky, very painstaking negotiations. And Liv, last the Public Investment Fund, clearly has the upper hand here because if the deal is not consummated and things just go back to how they were beforehand, Liv is in a much stronger position because there's going to be this push to get world ranking points for Liv Golf. That's what I was spelled out in the framework agreement.

That's been one of the big things that's reduced its credibility. And more to the point, all the players who stayed loyal to the PGA tour, the tour was not loyal to them. But now there's no incentive whatsoever to say no to any Liv offers that could be forthcoming.

Liv could finally get the players it's always wanted, the John Roms, the Hideki Matsuyama, you name it. And why should these guys turn the money down when Jimmy Dunn and Jay Monahan and the whole tour infrastructure was happy to take the money in the end? So there's a lot of pressure on the PGA tour now to get this deal done. And Liv clearly can ask for things that they've always wanted, or the Public Investment Fund, that is.

And it's going to be very fascinating next few months to see what happens. Yeah, because, you know, Jimmy Dunn and the PGA tour have basically said they're in the driver's seat. They've got more board seats, if you will, on the new company as they're referring it to, where the investment is exclusively the public investments funds to make. And how the Liv tour, you mentioned, you know, Greg Norman thrown overboard, it does appear that the Liv tour, if this merger, don't call it a merger, does in fact happen, would be no more, even though they're supposed to get a good hearing about it, right, with some players coming back into the PGA tour.

Where did that go? How did that evaporate over the last month from what you just said? Well, so here's the thing. On paper, the PGA tour has more board seats, and they've been selling that as we have control. But the overarching lesson of this whole thing is that money always wins. And in what business does somebody put all the money in, but they don't have control?

That never happens. The public investment fund is putting the money in, they're going to have control no matter how the board seats are divvied up. And just look at how we got to this moment. The PGA tour had a player advisory committee, it had a board of directors, it had a defined governance system. And all that got tossed aside basically over cigars, where Al Rumayem kind of reshaped the entire future of the sport. So they're putting way too much stock in the board configuration, I believe. And that also goes to this issue of Liv's future. That's going to be decided by Yasir Al Rumayem, not by Jay Monhan or Jimmy Dunn or the board itself. Because it can remain on this parallel track where the public investment fund can have it both ways. They can keep Liv going, and they have total control of that product. And if they want to play more events in Saudi Arabia, or they want to take it to all these different corners of the world, they can schedule it however they want. They can completely use that as kind of this beachhead for whatever else they're hoping to accomplish through golf. The PGA tour investment that the PIF is on the hook for potentially, there's going to be a lot of cooks in the kitchen. They're not going to have that same kind of total control of the schedule and the granular details.

But it does give them this authenticity and this stamp of approval from the ruling class that they've been seeking. And it does give the PIF entree into all the tour sponsors and all the business possibilities there. So I think they'll keep Liv going as long as they feel like it has value to them. And so it's increasingly clear that there will be a Liv schedule in 2024 because it's going to take so long to get this other deal potentially done. And if the PIF walks away from Liv, they lose their leverage in this larger negotiation. So now it's possible that after 2024, Yasir will say, you know what, we had a good run, but I want to put all my eggs in this new company.

And that could happen, but it'll be his decision to make, nobody else's. And I think that Liv keeps announcing these sponsorship deals, individual teams, the league itself. And the things that, why there's this antitrust lawsuit is because the tour is fighting so hard to disenfranchise Liv and then to marginalize it with its broadcast partners, with its vendors, with its sponsors.

Those walls are all down now. And if Liv can get access to some of the tour distribution channels and get some of his tournaments on network TV or ESPN or whatever it might be, if they can start cutting deals with all these blue chip companies that the tour does business with, it's a much more viable business. So I wouldn't necessarily buy what Jay Monahan and Jimmy Dunn are selling. I feel like like Yasir is really the ultimate shot caller on Liv's future. And he's going to decide how this thing plays out. The Fire Pit Collective's Alan Shipnuck on the state of what's going on in the world of professional golf as we have hit the open championship week right here on the Rich Eisen show. So how's this all going to play out at Royal Liverpool this week, do you think, with Cam Smith coming off of the Liv tour as a title defender? I think the open championship was his last win prior to bolting for the Liv tour last year.

What do you have for me on your crystal ball for the week here? Yeah, blessedly, once we get to Thursday and they start counting the scores at Royal Liverpool, all this stuff we'll receive in the background and it'll just be about my favorite golf tournament of the year. Cam Smith is dangerous, he's been playing well all year. Royal Liverpool is a quirky little band box of a golf course. Tiger won there in 2006 and he famously swung the driver only once the whole week. It's really a finesse position kind of golf course, you can't overpower it. Unlike the old course, Cam Smith's not a bomber, he just has such a mastery around the green that he's dangerous anytime he tees it up, but especially on this week where he's not losing strokes off the tee. Of course, Rory McIlroy's coming in as the headliner and certainly the favorite after his rousing walk off birdie on the last hole at the Scottish Open yesterday. Rory won in 2014, the last time the Open was played at this golf course, so you feel like the stars are aligned for him to finally break this brutal, almost decade-long drought in the major championships. With Rory, it's metaphysical. Obviously, the game is in a good place, but can he filter out all this other stuff? He, more than anybody, put his reputation on the line from this battle between the Tours.

And, you know, A. Monahan and Jimmy Dunn, they sort of tore open his chest cavity and ripped out his heart and stepped on it with metal spikes. I mean, Rory had been the leading advocate and spokesman against the Saudi money. And so you could see that at the US Open, and especially at the start of the week, he looked a little deflated. Of course, he found his game because he's just so good and wound up finishing second. But maybe he's done in comfort, maybe he's been freed up and he can finally say, you know what, I'm out.

I don't care about this politics. You guys deal with this. And you could just keep things a little more simpler and his mind will be a little less cluttered. And you can just freewheel it because Rory McIlroy is so good at golf. You see it every week except for the majors. Like, he just has to get out of his own way and just play his normal game.

And that's good enough. So because of the good mojo of returning to this golf course and because of the macro developments in the sport, I mean, it feels like it's Rory's week, but we shall see. Well, I hope he does play that way, Alan.

I hope he does view it that way, although I got to be honest. Everybody who I speak to as well tells me that aren't Rory and Jimmy Dunn tight? Like, did Rory not get a heads up at all? Did he not know at all that this was happening, coming in the works over cigars? No, zero heads up from Jimmy Dunn, right, at all, Alan?

Yeah, so they are tight. And Jimmy actually got Rory's father a membership at Seminole Golf Club in Florida, which is one of the inner sanctums of the sport. And Jerry McIlroy, his former blue collar bartender, did not fit the profile of the typical Seminole member to say the least.

So it does tell you the closeness of those families. Rory had an inkling because he had actually, and this came out in the Senate documents, Rory had sat down with Yasir Al-Ramayim in November at the season-ending European Tour event in Dubai. And they had this sort of philosophical chat and agreed that the sport needed to be reunified.

That was actually an important moment. The first olive branch between these warring tribes, and then this guy, Roger Devlin, a British businessman and big figure in the game, he had set up that meeting, then he used that in his letter to Jimmy Dunn to begin this correspondence between the two sides, saying, hey, Rory, Yasir sat down, it went well. So Rory knew that there was communication going on, but he really didn't know that it was going to happen this fast and the sweeping nature of what was going to be agreed upon.

So he was as surprised as the rest of us, I think, in the end. And that's part of the problem. I don't know if you watched the Senate subcommittee hearings, they were morbidly fascinating, but the Senators kept coming back to this point with Jimmy Dunn and then Ron Price, who's the COO of the PGA Tour, they kept saying, you're calling yourself a member organization. How could your members not know what was happening? How could you not include them in the negotiations and the conversations? And they didn't really have a good answer for that other than confidentiality was important, et cetera, et cetera.

But I mean, not only is Rory close to Jimmy Dunn, Rory is on the board of directors of the PGA Tour. Of anybody, he should have been in the loop. So the cloak and dagger nature of the negotiations remains interesting.

I mean, I get it. There was a lot at stake. If it had gone public, there would have been such blowback.

It could have just dynamited the whole deal. So I understand why they were so secret, but it is fascinating that they didn't let Rory and maybe one or two other key players into the conversation. But I think ultimately, the grownups, the money guys who decide what they want to do, and they didn't want any interference, and they didn't want any naysayers.

So last one for you, Alan Shipnot. The fire pit collective right here on the Rich Eisen Show. This may sound flippant, but it is not. And it is born out of the best of all worlds document that got released by the U.S. Senate subcommittee that the live tour sent to the PGA Tour. And again, any negotiation, if emails throughout a negotiation get sent out, the YOLO requests from one person to the other, when they finally hit the light of day may not look very good.

So I totally understand that. But you said about 10 minutes ago to start this off that the Saudis, PIF, Yassir has the upper hand, essentially here. And that if this thing goes away, the live tour continues, the Saudis just keep pumping billions into it.

And they also now don't have the threat of a lawsuit over their head, so they have the upper hand. Would Yassir truly pitch all of that for a green jacket? I'm serious.

Is that possible? You laugh, but what do you think? Like, it would be just all for if he gets the green jacket. It's very serious because this has been the overarching question to all of this is what do the Saudis want? What is their end game here? And a big part of the answer is they want acceptance in the upper echelon of Western society. They want validation.

They want to be seen as, you know, modern and as important in the Western world. There is no greater symbol of that than a green jacket and being welcomed into the ultimate club, which is, of course, Augusta National. So, I mean, the answer is probably yes, because that would give Yassir and by extension, the Saudis the stamp of approval they've never been able to get from the ruling class of America, of Europe. I mean, no king, no ambassador has ever been welcomed like Yassir would be if he were to be made a member of Augusta National and the R&A, which is also a member of National and the R&A, which is also given to that same document. So, now, the surest way to not get a green jacket is to publicly advocate for a green jacket.

So, the chances of becoming an Augusta National member just went to zero because the last thing the good old boys down in Augusta, Georgia want is to be seen as this bargaining chip and this transactional thing. So, unfortunately, for Yassir, it's never going to happen because that document was made public, but it does get to the heart of the matter. And in the black and white agate of an appendix of a Senate subcommittee document is like, this is what it's all about.

And it was a fascinating little nugget buried within a lot of pages of interesting discovery. Yeah. Honestly, that wasn't asked as being flippant because it would just be amazing if all of the recriminations and negotiations and the upper hand and the shifting sands, for the lack of better phrase, that we're seeing as this agreement is just an agreement to get an agreement and how now it's a month old and how things have changed or shifting one way or not, that if Yassir al-Rumiyan gets a green jacket or an RNA membership, it's all over. And the board seats, who cares? He's got a jacket. That's the way it kind of looks like, you know, but as you point out, Alan, you know, when you talk about Fight Club, you don't get in. So, I guess my last question for you is what is more likely, Yassir gets a green jacket or you get a care package of capes from the High Flyers at the Live Tour? Alan, what's more likely?

I mean, I would legit rock that cape at least on Halloween. You know? Yeah.

What do you think? It's an amazing moment in golf and it's even a subtext to all of this is, you know, Jimmy Dunn is the president of Seminole Golf Club and other PGA Tour members, board directors are members there, as is Seth Waugh, who runs the PGA of America. And one of the things this has brought to light is this cabal of these old-timey golf guys who had absolute power in the golf world, the Seminole guys, the Augusta National guys.

This is the first time that they've ever been threatened and the outsiders have come in and really shaken up the sport and to see their flailing. And it's really interesting. I mean, it's something that I delve into. You know, I'm writing a book about this whole bit, this whole war between the Tour and Live Golf.

And I've talked to a lot of people about it. And so, the green jacket news break is more impactful than people realize because it really is revealing. And I think Phil Mickelson is probably not going to send me a hot flyer's care package, but I could imagine that a Live Golf flak might.

So, I think that's probably, I probably have a better chance of getting a cape than Yoster does of getting a green jacket at this point. That's the answer I was looking for. Thank you, Alan. You're always a straight shooter. Enjoy Open Championship Week and look for more of my calls. Appreciate it. I look forward to it. Thanks. You got it. The Fire Pit Collective's Alan Shipnuck right here at Alan Shipnuck on Twitter and Instagram. I follow him.

You should as well right here on The Rich Eisen Show. More likely he gets a high flyer's cape from Team Mickelson than Yossier gets a green jacket. I'm not kidding, right?

When I saw that, it leapt out at me and I know it's Yolo. Seriously, like any negotiation, any negotiation. You don't get what you don't ask for.

Honestly, I have asked for stuff from, you know, when I'm in a negotiation with NFL Network, you'd be like, really? You asked for that? Yeah. What's one thing that you...

I asked to form a production company with them. Nice. You know what I got back?

There was sand and I pounded it. Yeah. It was a bunch of hahaha. No, I'm sorry. No, they're just... they weren't wired for that sort of request from an on-air individual, no matter how many years I've had there. Right.

But I tried. Then there's an email chain, I'm sure, and if it comes out in the subcommittee, it wouldn't be, you know, it would be weird or awkward, just like this. But this is telling, it's just like, hey, while we're, you know, talking about coming together, how about, I get a green jacket?

And his point is, it's not that audacious for him to ask it, in his mind. It is to Augusta National, and if Augusta National gives it to them, now it looks like their green jacket is a commodity, not a specialty, not a rarity. It's now a commodity. And I can't imagine a jacket has not been a commodity, ever. Ever. Right?

In the history of Augusta National. Maybe it hasn't been, truly. I don't know. But his point is, is, uh, he didn't laugh at all. Well, he did laugh, and then he's like, that's actually a serious, germane question. He also said, ask him for it, won't get it, so you should stop asking. Oh, I'm not, I'm not asking.

Right, like, like Nick Saban. Oh, I'm asking for a High Flyers cape. Quit asking. I want a cape, don't you? Uh, have we seen these capes by the way?

I'm not. Didn't George Costanza's father's lawyer have a cape? That was Larry David. And Batman, Crusader. I don't know how many other capes. Zorro?

Superman, Zorro. Yeah, um, I'm not a cape guy. I rock a cape.

Cod? That's your cape? That's more of your cape? That is definitely very good. Give me a cape. Hey, great news for the Dallas Cowboys.

Oh, and I can't wait to get to that. This is probably not great news, just because you're kind of a hater. Excuse me. How dare you? There's no hater aid being sprayed around here, sir. Sorry about that.

It's called a quote and a fact, and it is good news for you and Cowboys Nation. 844-204H number and dial. I wouldn't change the dial if you have one. That's next. Are you currently enjoying the show on the Stitcher app? Then you need to know Stitcher is going away on August 29th.

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 YouTube. App and follow this show there.

Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen. There's Jerry Jones right there. The voice of Jerry Jones. We've heard there's less pie. We've heard there's more pie. I'm wondering if you think this is deep dish pie.

How deep is is it a deep dish pie? If I'm guessing, I'd say, yeah. Okay. Yeah. Is it franchise pie? I would say you'd say, well, I mean, I don't know what kind of pie we're talking about.

Is it franchise tag? I don't know. I mean, long-term pie. Is it long-term pie? I don't know.

I just want a piece of the pie. Just put it like that. Okay. That's it. Yeah. Okay. And is it, is it a pie that starts with a four?

Is it a pie that starts with a four? I could just say I'm leaving up to my agents to cut my piece of the pie. I'm just ready for it and ready to eat.

So when that happens, I'm ready to get to work and I'm excited for this off season. And now we've also heard through DeMarcus Ware told us that when you sit in Jerry's office, have you gotten the Jerry's office meeting yet? I've been in Jerry's office.

Okay. And then he lights a candle, turns the lights down and gives you a whole Dallas Cowboys speech. If you had that, you have not had that yet.

No, I haven't had that one yet. He says that that happens when he's trying to close a deal. So I think you'll know that you're really close. If you walk in, it's turned off, lights go down.

Thank you for that, that warning and that heads up. So now I know like what's going on when that happens. There's apparently a votive candle with a Dallas Cowboys star right on the side of it. I don't know if it's scented. It's made me to smell it.

It makes me the smell of pie of some sort. I'm just saying that hasn't happened yet is what you're saying. It hasn't happened. Okay. When you get that call, you know, wow, I'm close.

Boy, every time I watch that back, it gets more awkward. Not going to lie back here on the rich eyes and show Dallas Cowboy football. They should sign Ezekiel Elliott. I'm waiting for that news to cross. I'm waiting.

I think you're right. That's a good move. I'm waiting for the news to cross. A dozen touchdowns last year. Bring the band back together. Tony Pollard signs a tender and looks like he's going to play for 10 million. Zeke's just got to, I guess, to do the Pulp Fiction thing, not let pride mess with his mind. But what's the deal though? I don't hear four million something like that or a three plus the Cowboys. Just call him up and say, what's your, what's your number and hear it from him and then whittle it down.

If that's what you really need to do. Quite frankly, just, I mean, fans love him. He knows the system. He might just, as you pointed out last week, just, I don't want to hear from you. You know, I don't want to hear from you. You didn't, you know, I don't want to hear from you. Look, I've been in that situation. I don't, you know, so, you know, and plus you, you join an offense that was on tilt last year and the quarterback is going to be vastly improved.

All I got to do is ask him. I love Dak, man. He's been here. He's a sweetheart of a guy and he is better than most. Not according to the internet.

Better than most. I understand you make your top five list. He's not on it.

You make your top 10 list. He's on it. Is he? He's not.

Oh, I don't know, man. Well, I, I put the number 10 out there for the moment, because that appears to be the magic number of interceptions he will be under this year. You know, double digit interceptions last year, he said it is, I believe it was a youth camp.

I know who I am and you can go back and take away half of those off drops. I'm not saying it's on the receiver, but if you cut that in half, then we start talking about those. Nobody's talking about it. Some of it is the offense and them understanding exactly where we are. Mike does an amazing job with those guys.

They know where to be, why to be when they're getting looked at. That's going to be a big jump. I won't have tenor deceptions this year. I love that. Speak it into existence, Dak. Yeah. I like that. Now he's also saying some of them were, you know, guy dropped it. Guy tipped it. Wasn't on me. That's true. And did he take a little bit of a shot at, you know, McCarthy's offense in a way?

You know where the guys are going to be, or the guys know where to be. And so it's going to be, obviously we'll just cherry pick what we want to, to denigrate him. But I mean, 15 interceptions last year, I mean, 15 interceptions last year, it just was too many.

But let's be honest, just shoot straight here. It's always with the Dallas Cowboys, the weird stuff, always the weird stuff. Always the weird stuff. Just cut out the weird stuff. Can we cut out the weird stuff?

What do I mean by that? As I said, Zeke should come back. Zeke should come back, not only because they need him, not only because he might need them.

Can I finish this sentence for you? His Cowboys career can't end with that weird play. The snap. Last two seasons ended with the weird. And I understand, you know, both of those situations were desperate, and it didn't look good anyway. Last year that thing was over. I don't know what that play was. Two years ago, you know, Dak was hustling. And the umpire was not hustling enough.

But when you're depending on the umpire's 40-yard dash speed, that's weird. Cut out the weird stuff. I know that's something that you can't really come out and fully define. You just know it when you see it. It's kind of like that other thing, you know? Like when your quarterback runs into his center's butt. That's a sort of serious... You're getting warmer to what I was referring to in my analogy.

Look, cut out the weird stuff. Sign Zeke back and get Dak. Bring the whole thing back together and tee it up and let it fly. You know, last year at PFF they tracked a stat called turnover worthy plays. Essentially that translates to throws that were dangerous enough that they should have warranted an interception. And what they found out is he had six picks that were essentially deemed not his fault, meaning guys in the wrong spot. Guys, Noah Brown, for instance, dropping a ball, two balls that hit him in the hand and got picked. Never picked sixes.

So yeah, I mean, 15 is a lot, but not all of those. You can also look at it like this. If you're the quarterback and you throw the ball, it's your fault.

And that's how some people are going to view it, no matter what the stats or PFF. Noah Brown, that was one that just jumps out at you. So, you know, not all Buckeyes are helpful to the Cowboys. I'm just saying get the running back Buckeye back, get him back. You need him.

You need him. Although, again, I keep saying over and over again that I don't see in practice, they might. I mean, Deuce Vaughn might be an answer here for a nice little change of pace and maybe. Well, if he's the next Darren Sproles, could be from Kansas State, same school at Rich Eisen Show, vote is Dak top 10 quarterback heading into this season.

Well, it's going to be resoundingly no, because that's what the Internet is. A bunch of Cowboys haters. I'm looking in the West. I mean, he's he's top 10.

I'll do that. Guys, even if he was, people will not allow themselves to vote. I keep saying Malik Davis is the backup there and he might not be ready. He might be ready. I don't know.

It's what the Cowboys look at in training camp, which is right around the corner. Yes, sir. Tom Curran on why the Pats didn't get Dehop coming up. You got Gino top 10? No, I've got. Hold on a second. Let's do it. That was a very quick.

No, I mean, I got you. Mahomes, Burrow, Allen, Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Aaron Rogers. That's six off the top of my head. Hurts is seven.

Why Herbert above hurts? I'm just naming names. That's not any particular order. Obviously, Mahomes is the only one in particular order. You got Tua? I put Dak above Tua. Really? Oh, absolutely.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lamar? I'd put Dak above Lamar too right now. Kirk Cousins?

Absolutely above Kirk Cousins. Really? You want to check numbers? I got you numbers. I understand. Okay. What about anyone the 49ers throw out there? I'll take Dak.

Do you know? I'll take over. I'll take Dak over Russ too. Yeah. What about Stafford? Do you love him? I take Stafford over Dak if Stafford is healthy. Aaron Rogers? I already said Aaron Rogers. Deshaun?

I'll take Dak over Deshaun. Hmm. Interesting. Yeah. Plus my phone's not ringing at two in the morning over anything Dak's gonna do.

I don't know. Nope, but that's still... Hey, we're waiting to see if Deshaun can do it because we haven't seen him do it in a while because of what he did do off the field, right? What about Daniel Jones?

Oh, I'll take Dak over. Oh, really? Yeah. The guy who won a playoff game last year? This guy's suddenly now caping for Daniel Jones. I'm not.

I'm just pointing out Daniel Jones won a playoff game last year. I understand. I understand. Okay. Yeah, I do.

I do. I'm high on Dak. I'm high on Dak.

Are you forgetting Dak won a playoff game last year too or? I jerk off. Tom Curry coming up. How wrestling really works and how you get the ratings. Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson explain on 83 weeks. Collision has been struggling a little bit out of the gate with these ticket sales. A little bit out of the gate. This was a major show announced on a major network with what everybody thought was this huge star, CM Punk. I said he was going to be the biggest financial flop in wrestling history and I think I'm being proven right every minute of the day. 83 weeks on YouTube or wherever you listen.