Calvin Johnson: What the Lions winning means for Michigan

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Learn more at Discover.com slash credit card. Limitations apply. This is the Rich Eisen Show. I came to Dallas to win the World Championship.

You can buy into us. Let's talk gut and feel. So what do you feel when you hear McCarthy's coming back? Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. You make a change to the head coach.

Essentially, you're scrapping everything. I don't want to sit there and watch this team win six games. Earlier on the show, ESPN NFL analyst Lewis Riddick. Coming up, Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. And now it's Rich Eisen. Our number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air.

844204 Rich is the number to dial. Tom Pelissero is going to join us in hour number three of this show. So much to talk with him about what is the timeline on these coaching vacancies being filled? I mean, the Chargers in particular spoke to Jim Harbaugh earlier this week, and then they spoke to Vrabel. Did you see who else they spoke to? I had him number five on my power rankings list of top head coaches available. And I'm like, how come nobody's talking to this guy?

Because I said over and over and over again, year after year after year. And I'm biased because I got a chance to know him and meet him and meet his family, see what he's about, know his history, know how he thinks, know how incredibly smart he is and also how passionate he is about football. And just how awesome he is as a person and how terrific he is to everyone around him and how totally. Intense he can be when it's you need to win and you got things going on.

David Shaw is a guy I've always said I want to have. He'd be a terrific face front guy for your franchise. He's terrific with the media. And he knows ball, man.

He knows what it's like to win. He's been on the Ravens staff from back in the day. He's got history in this league deep. And the Chargers interviewed him. I think he's the only team he's interviewed with. Former Stanford head coach. And he'd be, you know, you think he'd be great with if Harbaugh is going to be great with Herbert. I mean, the guy who took over for Jim. Who's tight with luck.

Also, I think he interviewed last year with Denver. I mean, let's let's go. Of course, you know, any time that the Chargers might go with somebody other than Harbaugh, gives me a chance to keep him in Mays rather than the powder blue in the lightning bolt. That would be a win win for you because you pound the table for David Shaw more than anyone. Keep your coach, by the way.

Win win win. But all you do is win right now. You know, discuss it.

You know, it's it's tough for me to disagree with that. We're not going to apologize for winning. We're not going to apologize for winning at all. But in all seriousness, though, I just want Harbaugh happy.

And if he goes back to Michigan and that makes him happy. Outstanding. You're a clown, bro.

You're not going to say so. I like it. Wow.

New drop, baby. Turn around. Is that Smitche's doing? Of course it is. Oh, no, that's Hoskins. Well done, Hoskins.

Giving out the proper shout out. Thanks, Mikey. You're a clown, bro.

Give it to me one more time. This is great. I like it. I like it.

You're a clown, bro. You're not going to say so. That's a new drop. The Fletcher Cox drop is going to be gold, guys. This is completely BS. This is shame.

The Darko Fletcher Cox drop duo is quite something. So I don't know. And these are words I never thought I would say in my life. Bill Belichick has a second interview with the Falcons this weekend. You think he wears a good suit? How does Bill go with it? Bill does.

Bill looks fresh, though. Diana Rossini of the Athletic says they're flying him in Atlanta in one of Arthur Blank's private planes last night. Dinner last night. More meetings to come. This is done, folks. Air Arthur.

They're going to dinner. Mike, did you just pick up on that? One of his private planes. Oh, is that right? It's like me. That just means he's got multiple private PJs. I get him.

It's exactly one of my boats. The other one is to pick up McDaniel's, right? I don't know if Falcons fans want Josh McDaniel's. Why wouldn't they?

Why wouldn't they? You can get Belichick and Josh McDaniel's. Are you kidding me?

You can do that. Is that what you're saying? Did Tom Brady come with that package?

No, but go and get somebody for whom that works. Hey, listen, say what you will about... Great OC. He's a great OC. Correct. Say what you will about Josh McDaniel's. But as Belichick's offensive coordinator, that works. I think so.

That works. I wonder if his sons are coming. And by the way, they are. Because you see that the Patriots are interviewing others for, you know, coaching roles that you would think that might be filled by a Belichick if they stay. Dad's going to go to Atlanta and they're going to stay behind in New England. No way. I don't see that.

But it looks like Bill Belichick is going to land in the ATL. He has on one of Arthur Blank's private planes. One of them. Yes. If we set that at two, two and a half, like over or under there.

Oh, private planes? Yeah. Oh, under.

Yeah. Two's enough. Two's a lot.

Primary and backup. Even for billionaires, two's a lot. Well, I'm sure the team playing is probably his two. So maybe that's counting as one of his PJs.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Bill, I'll send one of my jets for you. It's a flex. Definitely. The Patriots have two. And they're picking up dinner.

They're picking up dinner. Well, that's obvious. Yeah. Yeah. And if you're Bill, you're just like, you know, give me that Home Depot. Yeah, right. Screaming Eagle. I know that's the Rams boss. Sure.

You know, it's not a flowery brush. You're probably on probably owns a winery, right? Dude, going to Atlanta. This is done. You're not flying him in on one of your private jets and taking the dinner and and not hiring the guy that deal.

And Bill's not getting on the plane. OK. Oh. What do you want? When is this going to pop? When is this pop? That sounds like that's about to pop. One of the Chargers going to make their move. One of the Raiders going to make their move. What is happening? Because everyone's interviewed.

I mean, the cycle's pretty much through. Do you think Jerry talked to Bill? Bill said, I'm going to go to Atlanta.

And that's why he kept McCarthy. No, you heard James Slater say and and that she doesn't even think they talked. I don't think they talked.

I don't think they talked. Most importantly, do you think there was any Atlanta celebs in this meeting, like was Ludacris there, was there was T.I. there was Usher there. I'll tell you what's Ludacris Belicheck going to Atlanta. That's Ludacris was outcast in the meeting. Yes, I need big boy hundred three thousand in the meeting with Bill.

Also, who's going to be the first Atlanta rapper to put Bill in a song? Right. This is all things that are going to happen.

I mean, it's like three thousand playing the flute in the corner. I mean, this is what I wanted. Atlanta is no longer on the air, right? The show?

Yeah, I know it's done. But hey, maybe Donald Glover brings it back. Bring it back.

Put Bill in the first episode, you know, saying. Run back Florida, man. Wow. If Soulja Boy wasn't in the meeting, then I don't know how it happened yet. Everybody calm down. Hasn't happened yet. Luda, Luda, when is it all popping?

When's it popping? Not going to happen this weekend. They're not going to name this stuff during divisional playoff weekend. I don't think. Why not? Right when the Bucks kick off our third day, I forget about Tampa.

It's about me. No, I don't think the league appreciates that sort of stuff. But Laurie and Nick Sirianni are meeting today. You think according to Ian Rappaport, I'm seeing to talk about it on NFL.

The house is definitely not. All right. Right. So, you know, who's joining us in about 12 minutes is Calvin Johnson.

Nice. Megatron. He's going to join us, Dan.

So that'll be a lot of fun to talk with him. Tom, Tom, Tommy P, Tommy. But let's get to our Friday staple, everybody. It's what's more likely presented by Carnival Cruise Line. Hit it. What? What's more likely?

Never say never, but never. All right, Chris, what do we have over there? Hey, guys, happy Friday. Let's go. Excited for the football.

Let's do it. What's more likely? Who's the more likely big Saturday road dog to pull the upset? Texans, Packers. I'll go Packers, not just because.

Lewis Riddick chose that. They're there. I'll take the Packers. I will take Green Bay going into Santa Clara.

And big dogs, both nine and a half right now. I get it. I just I don't know. I mean, they just went into Dallas and did it. They're the first team to win in Dallas all season long. The Texans did it at home.

It's just a different ball of wax to go in the bank and do that. Rather than the Packers, we're just like, yeah, we went into a spot where nobody won, by the way, in the last 16 games and not only win. We just that was convincing. I mean, the team that we're playing started preparing for us in the middle of the second quarter of that game.

So there's that I would choose the Packers over the Texans. Unbelievably as what's more likely problem when you said road dog. Of course, the first thing I thought was Jesse James. Of course, of course. Of course, you didn't know. Oh, you didn't know.

OK, you better ask somebody, guys. Twenty twenty draft class QBs. It's stacked.

It's loaded. Only one is still alive. Jordan Love, which twenty twenty draft class QB more likely to win a Super Bowl first, Burrow, Herbert to a love Jalen Hurts. Oh, boy. She's I'll go, I'll go, Burrow.

I'll go, Joe Barr. He hasn't finished a season and I'm aware of this. I'm aware of that. I'm aware of that. And David Shaw is going to be great with Justin Herbert.

Whoever Vrabel hooks up. Wait, wait, wait a minute. Harbaugh might be going there. OK. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll go that way. I would go since and you know what? Cincinnati looked like Cincinnati, even without Burrow.

More than what we saw that. I mean, whatever that Zombie Eagles team was this year. Right. And and I understand I just chose love as the more likely candidate to be in an NFC championship game, which would leave him two wins shy of being the most likely quarterback on this list, since he's the only one currently still playing right now.

Yeah, you pointed out. But I'll still go Joe Burrow, brother. I think they're going to figure out what to do with T. Higgins to fit them all in there and run it back. And then just let's get them staying healthy, guys. So what else? That would be nice.

All right. Obviously, the huge game in Buffalo. How about the more likely superstar pass catcher to go for a hundred yards and a touchdown, Travis Kelsey or Stefan Diggs? Now, some stats before you answer. Rich Stefan Diggs been a while. Hasn't had a hundred yard game.

Been around a long time, too. You've been gone a long time since week two. Hasn't scored a touchdown since November 26th. Kelsey hasn't gone for a hundred yards since October 22nd.

Hasn't scored since Thanksgiving. I'd still go. I'll go, Kelsey. Hmm.

I'll go, Kelsey. I think that there's a potential. Match up. It's like Ligeria Snead is going to be on Diggs. I don't know who's going to be on Kelsey. I mean, Hoskins, you got any better guess?

He's the he's the Buffalo Bill Hunk here. It'll be everybody. I don't know. And plus, you know, I think the football gods want to tell the toxic males, get ready for the cutaway shot.

Hmm. You know, I'll go, Kelsey, right there. More likely than Diggs to go off. Well, it's remember, it's our caller, Kim from Louisville.

It's not just the toxic males, not just I got it. Are you picking the Chiefs? Is that I'm not. You asked me what's more likely.

I told you what's more likely. That was an if I'm not mistaken. That was an insight.

Tyree Kill is going to be a finalist, I imagine, for offensive player of the year in a few Thursdays from now in Las Vegas. And imagine, OK, fine. So was he not the guy who tweeted out that luxurious need jammed him to Cancun? Yeah, I was the one who told you about. OK, so you alerted me to that post in a car.

OK, all right. More likely quarterback to have more rushing yards this weekend. Lamar or Josh Allen? Oh, I'll go Josh Allen on that one.

Hell yeah. I'll go Josh. I'll go the guy who who surpassed Lamar's run against the Titans, which is used to be the second longest playoff run by a quarterback in the history of the NFL playoffs behind Colin Kaepernick's against the Packers in 2012. That is now Josh Allen. He's now second with that 52 yarder.

I'll take Allen. He's taken off more than Lamar is. That's for sure. More rushing yards.

You know, how about this? Lamar may have more passing yards than Josh Allen this weekend. It's snowing in Baltimore, so maybe not. I got you. I can't wait.

I can't wait. I just want Lamar to ball out and shut up. Everybody that's still talking about him is the running quarterback.

Only if you want that man. He needs to ball out. Hasn't been good in the playoffs. All right.

Well, more likely former number one. One last thing is the offense that's been brought in has been brought in to rectify exactly what you're saying. Yeah, I predicted him being an MVP finalist. No, no. What I'm saying is what you just what you said. He hasn't done well in the playoffs.

It's been brought in to rectify exactly that. Let's see. And we saw it in the regular season to the point where they're the one seed. So we'll see.

He's had three weeks off. No, I know. Former number one pick, guys, more likely to throw for 302 touchdowns. Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff. Um. I'll go golf.

I'll go, Jared Goff, he's at home and number one pick square. No, no. And it's not just that again. It's two former number one overall picks that were traded away on different teams. Right. Well, or Mayfield was released, right?

Because he asked for it. Correct. Well, he played for three teams last year.

Well, I'm just trying to it's kind of forget. Was he the Browns didn't trade him anywhere, right? They just they just let him go.

Then he signed with Carolina and then they let him go to the Rams. You kind of forget it's been kind of wild. The bottom line is a two number one overall picks that, you know, that one playoff team playoff games for a playoff game. In the case of Mayfield going to the Super Bowl in the case of Goff and both teams said, yeah, maybe change your scenery works for everybody. But I'll go golf.

He's at home. And I like I said earlier this week, I have a notion. The Lions plan for Todd Bowl's blitz scheme starting once the buses pull into Ford Field will be better than what the Eagles had dialed up.

So what else? More likely to be the higher total home teams advancing this weekend or Brock Purdy touchdown passes. Home teams advancing this weekend or Brock Turdy, Brock, Brock, 30, sorry, Brock Purdy touchdown passes. Home teams advancing. So if I go, I'll go I'll go home teams advancing.

You think all four advance? I don't know. I'm just you're asking me what's more like I didn't you didn't say give me the exact number. You said higher total.

I'm giving you the higher total. I can see pretty thrown for 14. I can see him doing that, too. But I am also going to say home teams advancing because I don't think Purdy is going to be just I think there's going to be a lot more assistance for Purdy where he might not have to have one of those 30 attempt games and he's he's winning it. I have a feeling this is a McCaffrey contest. More likely to be the more likely to be the Cowboys head coach in 2025. Mike McCarthy or anybody else?

I'll go anybody else. Honestly, he's got to make the NFC champion game next year. You can't be given out any more press releases about how great he is in the regular season.

Am I right? We're done with that. We're done with that. And if he's not going to get a year, if he's not going to get a year extension, if he's really going to go into this season in a prove it scenario. And by the way, many NFL players, certainly former NFL players, will be like, huzzah, because that's the way we've as players had to navigate a playing season many times.

Prove it. Joe Flacco, right? In the year that he won the Super Bowl MVP, it was just like, you know, didn't Steve Bishotti say, put a bag on my desk, I'll fill it up. Yeah, and he did. Both of them.

So he's won a lot. I would go more likely as anyone else, because why would I sit here and think, you know, buy into it, right? Like that was that was his message to fans buy into it. I'm going to have to push back, guys, because clearly next year is our year. OK, thank you. Well done, TJ. All right.

Last one. More likely to make the playoffs. Thumbs up to next year.

By the way, can somebody can somebody gift that, please? I will be smiling at the screen and giving a thumbs up. I got more likely to make the playoffs next year. Bill or Jim Harbaugh? I'll go Jim Harbaugh because Michigan's made three straight playoffs. So and there's 12 teams next year. So I would say it's more likely that Michigan's one of the 12 teams next year as Jim leads the team into another Big Ten championship after the defense solves Bill O'Brien's play calling.

I would go, Jim, wait a minute. You're saying you're talking NFL playoffs or because I just see you say to make the playoffs. I mean, I purposely left it ambiguous. Oh, did you really or am I just finding that loophole that you didn't know you put out there?

You specifically did? Because you say to make a playoffs would be the one that would be the playoffs. OK, yeah, I'll go with Jim Harbaugh. More likely. I mean, four straight years that would be for him and fourth straight Big Ten championship. You're really you're really hoping, huh? I'm not.

What do you mean hoping? He's under contract right now. With who?

The University of Michigan Wolverines. He's under contract. They're just talking about giving him a new one, Chris.

Super higher register. You did. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. What else? Honestly. But thank you for allowing me that opportunity to give you that answer.

Sure. That was what's more likely presented by Carnival Cruise Line. Plan your next vacation with Carnival to explore beautiful destinations with exciting excursions and blissful relaxation. No one does fun like Carnival. When we come back, the great Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson will join us.

Look at that guy in his jacket. Looks like he can give us about 20 snaps, at least right now. Rich Eisen here, if you love football as much as we do here and want to be in the game every day, there's something the guys on my show have been enjoying. Prize Picks Daily Fantasy Sports, the number one daily fantasy sports app. Brockman, tell everybody about Prize Picks and your strategy this season. Rich, it's fun and easy. Pick two players or more based on their stats and place your entry.

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Visit prizepicks.com for restrictions and details. Welcome to Talkville, the ultimate smallville rewatch podcast. Karen, what you got?

Hi, guys. Karen Appleland from Australia with a quick question for season three talisman. That knife wound he was in was so powerful. Tom, what was it like to do that scene with John as your director?

It's great that I was with those people because when your eyes are closed and someone is supposed to going to stab you in the chest, you have to really trust that they're not going to hurt you. So I was in good hands with John. Jump in now or catch up on any of the past seasons of Talkville on YouTube or wherever you listen. All right, back here on the Rich Izen Show, it's just about another minute till the radio audience returns, and that's when we'll bring in our Hall of Fame friend, Calvin Johnson, Megatron. Honestly, I thought to myself, who would be a perfect guy to call into this show or zoom into the show to talk about the Lions first home game and Stafford being there? I mean, then Megatron, right? That's what we call a perfect guest Hall of Famer.

Always love chopping it up with one of the all-time greats. Six-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro. Second overall out of Georgia Tech. Now, hold on a second. Wait a minute, if I'm not mistaken.

Didn't McVeigh get Georgia Player of the Year, Georgia Prep Star Player of the Year over him? I think so. By the way, he just rolled it. It just dawned on me. OK, so. He's like, come on, man.

All right, no, no, no, no. I mean, just I shouldn't telegraph my. I understand. I mean, that's the way you get picked off. I just stared down at my receiver.

Yeah, essentially what you'd say. What else can we talk about with Calvin? A friend of mine named Colin Peak played at Georgia Tech with Calvin before he transferred to Alabama. And when they asked him, like, how good was he? And he just gave me that look and rolled his eyes.

Like, are you joking? Sort of what Calvin apparently just did when he heard my. Colin was more in reverence. He was just like, are you kidding me?

He was the best player I've ever seen in my entire life. All right, so we can talk about that, too. And how he he also played with Roman Reigns at Georgia Tech. Well, I think we have talked about that with him in the past before. I think the last time we had him come back on the show. Right.

Did we call him back when those rare calls came back and he answered the phone, which is another reason why we love Calvin. Right. Fantastic.

All right. So we're here live on the Roku channel. Tom Pelosaro joining us in hour number three, back on the Rich Eisen Show radio network, sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk, furnished by Grange with supplies and solutions for every industry. Granger has the right product for you.

Call click Granger dot com or just stop by. He was there on the night. The Lions played their first home playoff game in 32 years. And Calvin Johnson is a pro football hall of famer, as well as a six time pro bowler and the co-founder of Primitive Performance, which you always talk about with him when he joins us as he is now. Good to see you, Calvin. How are you?

Rich team. Good to see you all, man. It's a pleasure to see you as well right here on our Zoom. So let's let me just give you the floor. What was it like to be in Ford Field on Sunday night? Man, I was like a kid. I tell everybody I was like I'm standing still. But on the inside, I was jumping up and down. And I have to feel like everybody in that stadium was doing the same thing. Everybody was on their feet, like half the stadium, if not more, was full hour before the stadium before before the game. So it was a exciting time. And I'm just happy to be here in this moment, you know, because like I said, it's been 32 years, like you said.

Exactly. So and I'm sure while you were playing for Detroit, you were dreaming of what it would look like, right? Did it did it in your mind's eye look like the way you saw it in person? Yeah, I mean, the loudest I ever heard Detroit was I think it was 2011. We had a Monday night game. Chicago Bears came in town. They had like 11 false starts that game, but it was just rocking. I felt like personally, Detroit was probably one of the loudest stadiums I've ever been in in the NFL. I think I think Detroit kind of kind of proved that last week. And I think was rock and I think was loud in there.

You know, that roof was just reverberating, sending that sound and the sound hit the roof and come right back down in the field. My ears are hurting and everything. I think I'm gonna have earplugs this week, too. OK, so, yeah, I mean, now that you will take precautions for Sunday's game is what you're saying.

All right. OK, so did you see Stafford as well? You see, man?

Oh, yeah. I had I had to make sure I saw Stafford, man. I had I had to do whatever I could, you know, to help the home team and try to bring down and take take some of his energy or do something.

No, it didn't really work. He didn't do any interceptions or fumble for me. You know, we at least got the win. But I mean, again, it's just awesome to watch him play at such a high level, Calvin. But you and you know, obviously, the level at which he can play. But to see him in this environment as the road villain, right in this spot where clearly, you know, his emotions had to be playing with them. And we're seeing a photograph on the screen here with his right thumb taped over and he was bleeding and he's taking hits. But I don't know if anybody throws a prettier spiral than Matthew Stafford, Calvin, you know?

Yeah, man. Before they were talking about the Patrick Mahone sidearm, no look stuff. Matthew was doing all that. You know, we just in Detroit, you know, so we didn't get all the love and media attention, but Matthew's been doing all that stuff. So and we like I said, when Matthew was here in Detroit, we knew we had a Super Bowl quarterback. And I think I said it before, you know, once he left first year after he left, he got a Super Bowl, you know, so we knew we had mad. But Matthew, man, he dropped dimes. He put it anywhere on the field.

And what do you think? He won't say it publicly, but what do you think was going on in his brain and his heart that night when he strolled out to Ford Field? Um, oh, he wanted to put it to us.

I know. I know he want to come home. He want to come home and put it to us. You know, he knew he knew we were going to be born on. You know, I know he was he wasn't there.

It was on point, I think he played a pretty solid game, but it was just at the end of the day, you know, you know, Detroit was just too much. We've got Calvin Johnson here on the Rich Eisen Show. And speaking of guys that I'm wondering if you went up to, did you go up to Sean McVeigh and tell him that the award that he got for, what was it, the best prep prep player in Georgia back in the day when he won it over you? Calvin, did you did you have a conversation with him at all?

Calvin? So, you know, I think I think I recently just found out, you know, the truth behind this story. OK, so McVeigh was a year ahead of me. All right.

So. Wasn't a whole year ahead of me, so I think it was me, McVeigh might have started this whole story himself. He might be the root of this whole story because he wasn't. We weren't even in the same year. So you didn't lose the award, Tim?

Is what is what you're saying, Calvin? Yeah, I didn't lose it to him. I don't know who I didn't. I don't think I didn't win the award. I don't know who I lost to, but we weren't even the same year.

So we couldn't even be up for the awards together. You know what? It doesn't it doesn't matter then, you know, because I was watching I was watching I was watching the national championship game with Marshall Faulk, and we came up with the idea of having an almost Heisman House and and and and how the people in the almost Heisman House had better careers potentially than those in the Heisman House. Calvin, you know, that's good. That's good. Would you be in the almost Heisman House, Calvin?

You know what? I had a couple of votes, so I guess I'll be a potential candidate. You're in. OK, I'll talk to Marshall about getting you a room in the almost Heisman House. I love that.

Oh man, that's funny. Calvin Johnson here on the Rich Eisen Show. All right. So what's your relationship with Amon Ra St. Brown? Do you have one?

Do you talk with him? I'd love to know whatever information you're willing to cough up here. Yeah, I don't.

I mean, honestly, you know, I don't know too much more than, you know, the average Joe. I just started getting back into the fold this year. You know, I haven't been around a whole bunch of practices. I've been around a few.

You know, I've been able to, you know, sit down and we haven't had too many crossings, but I'm about to talk to the kid and I love the kid. Humble, hard worker. And I think that, you know, we get to see that hard work, you know, every Sunday because they don't just happen on Sunday.

You got to put it in during the week. I know that. And I think I'm happy to see that he's putting in the work because, you know, he's killing guys in the middle of the field. So, you know, he's a hell of a player.

I was going to ask you, what do you think makes him so good? And, you know, I think, you know, he's smart. He doesn't lose leverage and he has strength. You know, I think when you combine those things, you know, you got the savvy, you know, and then you're strong and then you have a will. You have a will not to lose. You have a will not to not to give in. You know, you got a will to outwork everybody else.

That can all those things combined. You know, that's how you put out fourteen hundred yards on the season and put a thousand yard seasons consistently in a pro bowler. And obviously you got snubbed this year. But, you know, that's that's that's what he's doing. I mean, he got snubbed for the Pro Bowl, but not for all pro, which, as you know, that's that's kind of the one you want anyway, if you had to choose.

Obviously, you want it all. But he is that good. He really is, man. And I just love watching him play and just the way that he catches it. He it's it stuns me if he doesn't if it drops.

Right. I mean, it's just it's you're just I'm used to seeing him catch and turn and know exactly where to go every single time. I love him because, like, you know, when he catches the ball, he's just looking to do damage after he catches the ball. You know, you never know what's going to happen when he gets the ball.

He's another one of those guys just like, shoot, you can take it to the house anytime he touches it. Calvin Johnson here on The Rich Eisen Show. OK, let's talk about primitive performance and your business. What's the latest on that right now?

Calvin, man, 24 should be a sighting for us. We're going through the process of what's just called NSF for sport certification, which will allow us to have our products and collegiate and professional locker room. So you have the top tier athletes being able to consume our product.

You're not going to say, man, we started from authentic place. You know, we just wanted to bring things, you know, things that we use when we were players, we use topicals, we use a whole bunch of rehydration drinks for our recovery and for our performance so we could be on the field. And so when we started with the topical and with the rehydration mix, being able to add an anti-inflammatory component to those, which they didn't have before, they might have had a little bit of heating, a little bit of cooling, but not necessarily that anti-inflammatory component. So we could bring that to the masses, obviously bring it to professional athletes. You know, that's exactly what we're aiming to do. And obviously, you know, for anybody that has whether it's arthritis or just everyday bumps and bruises, wear wear and tear, you know, it's good for all of those things, too.

You know, I got family that has like I have rheumatoid arthritis and a different illness and it's been successful for those people. You know, it's just all about helping people with their best quality of life. Primitive performance dot com. Check out all of that before I let you go. Our radio audience doesn't see it, but we can see. Is this your office you're you're zooming in from Calvin? Yeah, yeah.

I'll tell my wife and I need to upgrade this thing. I feel like every time I haven't touched this thing in like two or three years. Well, it seems like you have. Is that a miniature replica of your Hall of Fame bust behind your right shoulder? Is that what that is right there? Yeah.

OK. I'm also is that an actual Megatron up there on top top right shelf right up there? Is that somewhere right over there? Is that it? Is that what that is? It's actually an award I got from like, I think it was a Canadian news channel called the Megatron Award I got, you know? Yeah. Look at that. That is sweet.

Was it TNN maybe? I got the Trump. Is that a one of that's a one to one right there.

OK. Yeah. And then and then the game balls. Where are the game balls from? What are the game balls? Just random games. I got one of them. They might be my kid's birthday. You know, this might one of them might be a record breaking moment, whether it's a franchise or NFL records, you know, it's like a couple of different ones.

The ones I cover the most are I cover the ones and most are like on family birthdays or something like that. Oh, is that right? OK, so you you appreciate Giannis wanting the game balls on that sort of on those moments in the NBA.

Calvin, is that what you're saying? It's pretty cool. It's pretty cool, man, to be able to do those on the moments where they're whether it's your family, it's a special moment for somebody in your family or might be a birth of a kid or something like that.

It's always special. All right. Well, listen, this has been great to catch up with you. Is it true that you came back from a ski vacation? Is that what you're coming back from right now, Calvin? Well, I snowboard, I snowboard. You snowboard?

What in the hell is that? I came back from Park City. So, you know, this is the thing, look, look, look, I went to Jackson Hole the week before they went to the week before they won the first playoff game. OK, you know, I went to Park City this week. You know, so I might just have to keep it rolling. We win this week. I'm going somewhere. I don't know where I'm going. So you're going to have to. OK, so this is this is part of the reason why the Lions are on the run that they're on is because you're snowboarding before their big games and they keep winning.

I understand that. What in the hell does it look like with Calvin Johnson snowboarding? I mean, that has got to be I got a cool picture on my own Instagram.

I got some more stuff to post this week, too. OK, I got this picture. I got this made in the first.

All right. So you should love it. Shred.

Is that the word I should use? Is that what you do? You shred.

What do you do? I am carving up powder, baby. We got like a foot of snow like yesterday. We got a foot of snow like over the last two days in Park City, man. Oh, it's amazing.

It was freaking amazing. OK, so at Megatron to see you. What do you say? What do you do to powder? What are you doing? You're shredding up.

What are you carving? OK, well, I don't mean like you were like rolling your eyes on me. I'm not a snowboarder, man. I'm an app. Calvin, I am a gold medalist at Apres ski.

I am honestly I am the best apres skier you will ever come across ever because I don't care. I don't care. I will put on a terry cloth robe. I will smoothie it up. I will red wine it up.

Just give me a fire and give me something to put my feet up on. Honestly, I will I shred that. I carve that up. That's what I carve. I love it. I love it. So what?

Let me last one for you. What would it mean for the Lions to win this game, make an NFC championship game and keep the keep this thing rolling? Calvin, man, I don't know, man. I just feel like I mean, I've been a perpetual dream state, you know, just, you know, along with the rest of Michigan. Well, we don't know what to expect now. We're just trying to ride this thing as long as we can right now. You know, but the good thing is that we got a good back. You know, we got a good foundation and what Brad and Dan and the whole squad and over there with the Lions are doing. So it ain't for no reason. It ain't just it ain't just happened out of nowhere is reasons why we're here. So we're excited.

Calvin, thanks for the time. I do hope to see you maybe in Vegas. There's no there's no powder there on the mountain, you know. So you'll have to be careful on finding a spot to go snowboarding before that game.

But I'm sure you can find something in the mountain time zone to help you out. You know, you know, you know, it's good to say I look like if I get out there, I'll make sure I see. And if not, then Canton, I'm going to need by the way, I'm going to need help at the jacket dinner this year. Maybe you can help me out, too, because Michigan is one at all now.

And for me to go into Ohio, coming off of a Michigan national championship and be handed a live microphone in a room full of Buckeye fans, it could get ugly. I'm not going to lie to you. You know what I'm saying? I may need your help. I get it. OK. I get it.

I get it. Look for my number for you. Thanks for the time, Calvin. You be well.

Everybody check out Primitive Performance at primitiveperformance.com. And of course, at Megatron on Instagram to see him snowboarding. How's that look? It's pretty awesome. I'm sure it is.

It's pretty good. Love it. OK. Let's take a break, 844, 204 Rich, number to dial, Tom Pelissaro still to come. I've got a top five list for you of top five Super Bowl matchup possibilities. That's still coming up on this Friday show.

You told him about how you are the Bill Walsh of audio executives. You can't screw these up. Your favorite catchphrase from the original Predator. Go ahead. If you please.

We can kill it. All right. That's number one. Here's number two. OK.

This is a job. OK. Yes. You can't hear them. Yes. You can't hear them.

So what I'm going to do, I'm going to I'm doing this blindfolded. Wait a minute. Did Bill Walsh not have the volume up?

Did the Bill Walsh of sound engineers not have the volume up for the second? Oh, boy, this is not going well, of course. Can you go?

Oh, there's a method to his madness. Do you want to try one more time now? OK, go ahead. Go ahead. OK. We can kill it. OK. If it bleeds, it bleeds.

We can kill it. OK, here's the next one. To the chopper. To the chopper. And here's the other one. OK, there's that one. OK. Start bench cut.

All right. Get to the chopper. Get to the chopper.

Get to the chopper. Because it's only an incidental line. And the only reason we remember it is because he's Austrian. If anybody else said get to the choppers, it wouldn't have been a line. It wouldn't have been a line. It's only because of the chopper.

Because he's Austrian. Cut. Cut. It's superfluous.

We're going to bench your one ugly hand effort. So what you're going to do is you're going to start, if it bleeds, we can kill it. Because it's a succinct line. And it's done in a very naturalistic way.

If it bleeds, we can kill it. Very well done. Now, for everybody else who comes in here on The Rich Eisen Show, we're going to show them. I'm setting the bar here.

We're going to show them this start bench cut. Because you have raised the bar, Keegan. Setting the bar right here. We're going to edit out del tuvo. I was just going to say. We're going to edit that out. Can you edit that out?

No. It's too good. It's perfect. That's your host of NFL Honors coming up in a couple of Thursdays.

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Guaranteed. Okay. Jeff and Detroit here on the Rich Eisen Show. What's up, Jeffrey? Hey, what's going on, guys? How you doing? What's up, sir? What's up, man? Listen.

Thank you. Dream come true. Speaking of Calvin Johnson and just saying hi, best ever, man, best ever. You guys make dreams come true at the Rich Eisen Show.

Uncle Rich is the absolute best. Well, Jeff, for the radio listeners who may not know what you're referring to, we were during a commercial break, Calvin zoomed in, saw you were on there, and I'm like, all right, if we're just checking in with him so we can check to see if he hears us, I figured I'd pop you on the call. And as a matter of fact, it was recorded and Chris, are you going to, we're going to send it to Jeff? Yeah, yeah. I DM'd it to you, Jeff. Check it out. Fantastic.

So you'll see it. Thank you. I appreciate that.

You got it. Well, I mean, you did sound like a kid in a candy store. It is kind of funny and it's awesome. It's your fan, man.

And that's one of the many reasons why we love talking to you is you're, you're yourself, you're authentic, you're passionate and you're a long time, you know, caller of this program figured we could do that for you, but what's on your mind. You must be out of your skull, right? Oh my God. Yes. I am. I got the angst, man. I really do. It's nervousness.

It's, it's all of those things combined because I don't remember being in this position ever in my lifetime, ever, like to the point where we could actually do this. You know what I'm saying? If they're, and I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch. I know Tampa is a heck of a team and we've all, we, we have problems with receivers. So you know, I understand that, but my God, this weekend could be something totally awesome. I'm also calling the Green Bay Packers to beat the 49ers this weekend. I do not know why I'm not a Green Bay fan, but me talking to a couple of people for some reason, I think the rest is going to be a problem for the 49ers. And they just might get, we might be talking about Green Bay and Detroit come Monday morning.

That is a big factor. Well, I mean, you should be a fan of the Packers. The Lions are hosting the bucks because of them. They did the Lions one of the greatest favors of, you know, in recent memory right there. Most definitely. I got another question for you, Uncle Rich.

Yes, sir. Why is it all of this talk about getting rid of the Philadelphia coach? I can't understand that.

I'm with Fletcher Cox. This guy takes you to a Super Bowl last year, both his coordinators got head coaching jobs and he could be out of a job? I just don't understand it. We don't have any patience nowadays. No, I hear you, Jeff, and thanks for the call. You be well.

Check your DMS for Chris's message. I totally understand why there's a conversation about Nick Sirianni being on, if you will, a slippery slope, hot seat, whatever you want to say, because it is the number one job of an NFL head coach, period, end of story, to stop a slide, to identify a problem and fix it. Now, is it something that's fixable with the Eagles? Again, I'm not in the building. We do not know what the hell was going on in that building over the last two months.

We just don't. We don't know if Sirianni was actually holding the team together better than anybody could give him credit for. We don't know what's going on behind the scenes, but you just know that there's a veteran in Fletcher Cox that maybe he's just living on Planet Fletcher and he was just stunned at the notion here.

You heard Jason Kelce say that he's the man too, Sirianni. But when you can't stop a slide and then you change play callers defensively and it gets worse, and then offensively you're trying to replace a coach that showed he's got some chops in Indianapolis, although the irony of that narrative that we were talking about all season long with Shane Steichen being the play caller that the Eagles missed, the Colts season goes down the tubes on a big old head scratcher on fourth down. But be that as it may, I think the general narrative that both coordinators becoming head coaches elsewhere is something the Eagles could not overcome or was part of the mix that they couldn't overcome. Well, who hired them, right? I'm sure it was a collective effort, but that lays at the feet of the head coach.

It just flat out does. Certainly if the head coach is somebody that everyone relates to because he's barking at opponents and he's flipping off opponents, right, literally. There was that one video where during a challenge or something like that, he's standing next to Jalen Hurts and he's flipping off the other sideline and smiling at Jalen like, look at me.

And those are funny moments when you're 10 and one, but when you're now 11 and seven and boat raced out of the playoffs, that's why it's out there. And again, if he does not have an answer with Jeffrey Laurie in the building, in the meeting room that they're apparently in, as we're speaking right now, the owner could just flip and say, you're out, let's get Vrabel in here. Let's get a whole host of interviewees in here. But like I said, that is just an endeavor that is just a misery to go through, a misery. And churning coaches is just something you don't want to do as a franchise.

And that's why an owner doesn't have a stomach for it. And in terms of Jerry Jones, because clearly that's the other highly disappointing first round exit NFC East team that's in the same boat or was in the case of Jerry, he didn't want to fire his offensive play caller as well. When every single other coach that's going to be entering the fray in their new spot is going to be looking for an offensive coordinator as well. The Bears are looking for one, as you know, Steelers announced they're going to go outside the building. You want to put yourself in that mosh pit too. But if you're the Eagles, you're already going to do that. You're already going to do that, we're assuming, even though Brian Johnson is interviewing in other places for head coaches. And so Laurie's going to be like, well, those two choices that we made maybe collectively or lay at his feet didn't work out. Let's get another guy in here to figure it out.

I don't know. My spidey senses, they're going to leave them in place. There's two more years to go. They made the Super Bowl last year.

Let's figure out whatever needs to be fixed and fix it. The only other pushback on that is what is already an accelerant in the Dallas Metroplex about the decision to retain Mike McCarthy is the group of candidates who are sitting out there as possible successors is as decorated a group of men. And I can remember being on the coach carousel right now. Man. And so of course the most popular player on a team is the backup quarterback and the most popular person right now in a fan base that's livid with the way a season ends and maybe wants to lay it at the coach's feet.

The most popular group of individuals are those sitting on the coach carousel. Rabel wouldn't be better, Harbaugh wouldn't be better. They'd be more expensive and they would be bringing change. I don't know if that's what you want to do. Tom Pilisaro will join us in hour number three to talk about all this. And then of course, if Cliff Kingsbury was brought in to be the offensive coordinator in Chicago, or at least interview him, boy does that, that sure gives you an indication of how they're thinking about how to cash in the first overall draft pick. So there's that too.

Tom Pilisaro, hour number three in my top five most intriguing Super Bowl matchups. That's coming up in a phone call at 844-204 Rich. Rich, if they just ran with my double elimination theory, then maybe I need to write this up and set it out. You can get this to Roger, right?

They would run the season into March, though. I have no problem. You love football, right, Chris? Well, I mean, in the years that you're good, you love football. Not that much. I'm reading DJ's mock draft 1.0 just dropped. Yeah, he doesn't love football. He's reading a mock draft two months into the game. It did just drop? Can you save that for the top of the next hour, please?

Because I'm curious about some of that stuff. So which team deserves to have a double elimination? None of them. Don't lose your playoff game. Which team most deserves to have a double elimination? This year? Only if you get screwed by the refs. I think the Rams deserve it. They got kind of hosed.

Pukka got held. Come on. Yeah. Right?

The Rams deserve it. I have all four of them. Out of all four of them. Yeah.

Right? It was a very close game. TJ. That's why I put it. And it was a questionable...

I'm sorry. Is TJ's mic on? Two questionable calls at the end. Look, I'm just saying Dallas started the game and it was 27-0, so it was like we didn't get a chance. Well, you should get a chance because you were so hospitable to spot your guest 27 points.

We walked onto the field and they had 27. That is not fair. You're a clown, bro. Get out of my face, buddy. Nice.

That's where we use that drop. This is some BS is what it is, Mike. Oh, okay. Very good.

Just even playing. Hour three on the other side. How wrestling really works and how you get the ratings. Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson explain on 83 weeks. I mean, I dig Jey Uso because he's born out of great storytelling and he lived up to the opportunity and exceeded it. The LA Knight, he's way up on my list because here's a guy that's been around for almost ever, should have probably quit a half a dozen times, and he just forced his way into their life and now he's making money hand over fist. That is a story I love. 83 weeks on YouTube or wherever you listen.