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bluenile.com code POD. Get ready now. OMG. Is the Rich Eisen Show. No other way to put it. With guest host, Andrew Siciliano.
Oh my gosh. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. I'm not talking to you. I talk to anybody out there. The haters. Rich Eisen.
I talk to the haters right now. Earlier on the show, NFL network reporter Mike Garafolo. Coming up, senior NBA writer for the athletic, Joe Vardin.
Best-selling author and golf writer, Alan Shipnock. And now, sitting in for Rich, It's Andrew Siciliano. Hey Everybody. Hope you had a fantastic weekend.
It's Andrew, and I'm sitting in for Rich, but you know that everybody. After a great golf weekend, really a cool sports weekend. I went to a Dodger game Saturday before they all got hurt. What else this weekend? We had NBA Finals on Friday. We had the Stanley Cup Finals. Was there a game on Friday? Oh, there was a game on Friday, yeah.
Hi there, Chris Brockman, noted Celtics fan. It was a big boxing match. Two big boxing matches.
Tank Davis with the KO, David Benavidez. There you go. Andrew's favorite thing, WWE.
They had Clash of the Castle in Scotland. That was amazing. I will get into it because you know how he gets when I talk wrestling.
I just don't see it as a sport, but I Look, no, no. It would be like me watching the new Presumed Innocent show on Apple TV with Jake Gyllenhaal, right? Great show. Scripted drama. I watched a couple episodes. You watch a couple episodes of what is it? Wrestling in Scotland? Yes, it's a scripted drama.
No, no, there is no debate there. It is a scripted drama. I love it.
Yeah, I'm just saying, don't let your Macintyre hear this. It's peak athleticism, though. It's really impressive. The actors are fantastic athletes. OK, much like Cirque du Soleil.
Oh, my God. It's scripted and they're fantastic athletes. Has anyone in Cirque du Soleil ever gotten hit in the head with a chair? No, they haven't. I mean, that would be cool. Has anyone else in Cirque du Soleil got tombstone by The Undertaker? I don't think so. It would be cool if they did.
Anyway, I digress. Can you imagine one of those guys coming off the top rope, like Macho Man, or hitting a stunner on someone? Rory McIlroy was hit with a folding chair on a team yesterday. He really was. Yes, figuratively speaking, hit with a folding chair.
There was no fake blood packet, however, and he did not do the postgame interview. I went to the driving range after last night with Cage and we were putting. And I must have I practiced like fifty four footers just to see.
And I mean, I didn't make all of them. OK, you know, it does it does happen from time to time for 70s or for 69. What was the number four fifty six in a row under four feet? OK, so again, if you missed, maybe you had Father's Day plans. They didn't have the golf on. Maybe you're watching Red Sox, Yankees. Maybe like me, you flipped over right around when everybody was making the turn yesterday at Pinehurst to watch the Guardians almost rally from back down five and win in Toronto.
But alas, they did not. I'm not sure about that pitching injury in the ninth inning, but I digress. But down the stretch, Rory, after catching fire with birdies on three out of four, just blew two four foot putts and Bryson DeChambeau, to his credit, was amazing getting up and down with an amazing par save on eighteen. Fifty five yards out of the sand after somehow landing in the sand, having the ball in in the native areas, they call it, which is entirely. That's why I never heard of wiregrass, wiregrass and native area.
Like, I don't know. But he was restlessly practicing that backswing there in the native area to try to get that ball out and not hit the tree branch root thing. And then he won.
And both can be true. OK, Bryson DeChambeau won the U.S. Open, despite not hitting a fairway to save his life with amazing saves all day. He's a lovable human now. He's Mr. YouTube. He is the Mr.
Beast of golf, YouTube. And he's now a two time U.S. Open champion. Good for you.
Like, and the other part of that equation is Rory Blewett. And it was heart wrenching to watch. And it led to the conversation you and I, Chris Brockman, had earlier today when we both sat down, both drinking coffee, both tried to to shake off. You were having coffee. I was drinking coffee, both trying to shake off.
How about this? The after effects of long weekends that may or may not have included alcohol. And you said, and I'm going to paraphrase here. You were devastated for Rory and you were far, far more emotionally affected and devastated for Rory McElroy than you were for your. Boyhood love basketball team, hometown ish, Boston Celtics losing losing game for the NBA finals on Friday, like a hundred points.
Yeah, a hundred points. And that to me, I cannot wrap my head around. But and I'm confused by that because look, there's a game tonight. The Celtics play again tonight. Right.
There's not a there's not a fifth round of the U.S. Open today. Understand. So there's still another chance.
I turned it around or I took it. I changed the question a little bit and I said, would you have been as affected or would you feel worse for Rory if that wasn't game for the Celtics had just lost the finals Friday night? In other words, they lose to the Mavericks. They're done like go home. The season's over. That's it. And you said.
Oh, well, how do they lose? And I can't conceive that that's even the follow up question. Which gets to my point, I maybe it's me, I cannot be emotionally connected. I could love the sort of like yesterday was five hours of can't like can't get off the couch, like edge of the seat, like what high drama. It's why we watch sports. It was amazing, right?
Amazing television. But I can't get emotionally connected to individual athletes. I love the story like I'm like, I can't wait for the Olympics.
Those are all amazing individual stories. But when they're done and you unpack all the emotion, I'm going to be OK sleeping at night and I'll think about them when I wake up in the morning. But it's not going to affect me physically inside. But for team sports, for the teams that I grew up rooting for, you grew up rooting for the Boston Celtics.
That will stay with me for days, for weeks, for months. I made a joke leaving last hour and we're going to break the 2016 World Series. No, I'm not.
I'm not over 2016. So then you only care about the laundry. You could look at it that way. Let's unpack this.
That's Jerry Seinfeld's bit, right? I know. Sports are we root for the laundry. So you're not invested in the people who wear the laundry then? I am invested in it.
I am. I guess what I'm saying is the stories are gripping. They're emotional. That's why we love sports. Like watching Rory with his hat pushed up on his forehead, just praying for DeChambeau to miss that putt. And then that anguish leaving Pinehurst yesterday and not talking to the media and knowing that this will haunt him. Gut wrenching. Also, just what that dude has been through in the last three years, maybe, of golf, kind of trying to keep the sport together when a faction that Bryson DeChambeau is a part of.
Correct. He was part of the lawsuit against the PGA Tour, you know, trying to split the game and fracture the game. And then the heartbreak at St. Andrews and his failures at the Masters. He had a personal issue recently that has been patched up. Just what this guy has been through. And to be that close again when it's been 10 years for a major. And I really like him as a...
I don't know him personally, obviously, but I'm a fan of his. I wanted that for him so bad in the worst way. And to see him so close and to lose the way... Look, he didn't lose because of anything real physical. It was a mental thing. It was totally mental. Three footer.
My son can go out and make three footers all day. And for him to have that miscue twice in the last three... It was just... I'm still gut wrench for the guy. I don't even want to watch the highlights of it. It's just so painful to see. I agree. I drove to work this morning and I wasn't emotionally affected by it anymore. I went to dinner afterwards last night. It was all gut wrenching.
I'm not trying to say I'm not human. It's just this is the way we consume sports. Michael Thompson, the legendary, the former first overall pick, NBA champion, now known by many as father of Klay Thompson. He and I used to do a radio show. As you know, here in LA on 710 ESPN. And we would have this argument all the time.
And he'd be gutted when Roger Federer lost. I'm like, okay, I'm happy you're a fan. I'm a fan.
He's amazing. But it's not going to affect me emotionally. I'm just going to go have dinner afterwards. It's like when the Browns lose a game, I'm dead to my family. Now that's a me issue, but it affects me like I can't believe. Right, but the next year, half of those players on the Browns team will be on a different team. Understand, let's bring it here to this desk.
So it's literally just the laundry. Bring it here to this desk. When Michigan loses, which they didn't last year, happy for Rich, right? But you see how that affects him, right? That's fandom right here, okay? And you saying that the Celtics losing, like, if my team was on the verge of a championship game tonight, right? But the anxiety that I have had, like when the Indians, the Guardians, whomever, are in the World Series or in the playoffs, which I've been lucky.
They've been there a lot in my lifetime, right? The angst from one game to the next. Oh my God, they lost. They're going to screw it up next time. They're going to screw it up tonight.
They're going to screw it up. Like that anxiety, comparing that to a golfer. Like, I just can't compare that fandom in any way, shape.
It is incomprehensible to me. I mean, I do think obviously having another game helped, but I guess if it was game seven on Friday night and they lost by 50, oh my God, I would probably never think about it. It would be tough. We have Jason Tatum here, actually. Hey, Hoskins, play Jason Tatum.
Sorry about that, buddy. We would love to win tomorrow more than anything, but if it doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world. We have more opportunities. So just like setting that table of like, you know, don't surrender to that idea that we have to win tomorrow. We would love to, absolutely.
But game five is the biggest game of the season because it's the next game on the schedule. So going with that mindset and just have fun. And that's really what we talked about today to get back to having fun and being the team and how special we are in the team that got us here. I got no problem with that. Super healthy.
I think that's wonderfully healthy. That is a really unbelievably clear way of looking at not just sports at this level and the pressure and the finality of it all, but just kind of a life mantra. Yeah, but you know what? People don't want to hear that right now. Don't want to hear what fans don't want to hear. A guy who's your star of your team saying they I believe people want him to be like, you know, we're coming out, you know, I'm a killer and we're going to win tonight.
Well, you guys know that you guys know that he's getting ripped somewhere right now. On a show just like this for saying there's no pressure. Yeah, because that's what nobody wants to hear this. Unfortunately, like they want in this.
I would assume and Chris, you're a fan. So if it doesn't bother you, I got I got I got to say if we don't win tonight, though, I'm going to be pretty nervous. So you can't be like because there's no pressure because you now have lost momentum and now you're giving them hope.
And one thing you don't want to do is give them hope. So I can't believe that that comment is going to go over very well with the large. I guess I guess the irony of and listening to it of Boston being the only city to come back from 3-0 to be to now blow a 3-0. That would be great to be something. And on the 20th anniversary of the 0-4 team. True.
God, that would suck so bad. Being a rational human being. Yes. What he said was fine.
Perfect. It makes sense. But we're in the sports world and it's not rational. So I know there are people losing their fans. A fan is short for fanatic. You know, fans aren't aren't rational. No, they're not.
What what Jason Tatum said, however, is rational because there is nothing. There are a few. Let's talk topic bars here, like bottom of the screen.
Like you're you're in the airport or the hotel bar is the industry term. Andrew, please look up and you see the debate show with the question on the bottom. More pressure on A or B. It's the laziest topic is tonight.
A must win game for Boston. It's the laziest topic of all time because there is pressure on everyone. At every level in professional sports. Every one at every level, you can argue your job is on the line.
Every single night. So to argue, well, there's more pressure on this team or that is it's the lowest common denominator to quote Mike Mayock and NFL Network total access meetings back in the day. This is low hanging fruit.
I am not doing this. This is low hanging fruit. Everybody's got pressure on them. Period.
Full stop. So if Jason Tatum is going to go, hey, guys, it's no pressure. We just got to go play better. Okay.
And that's it. And to your point about, hey, if they lose tonight, I'll be really nervous. There is nothing the Dallas Mavericks have shown that says they can win this series. I am sorry.
They played one game. It was almost as if we came out and said, you know what? I'm going to get ripped all summer, right? People are going to question whether or not I can carry a team to a championship. Despite all his great success the last few years, people are going to criticize my defense and come up with analytics about how many guys I blow past me defensively. And like, like, I better just like you and I better win this one tonight and score.
And that's what they did. Okay. There is nothing that tells me they can win this series or win this game tonight. This thing is going to end tonight and you are fine. Not even the 12 games they won prior to this. No, there is nothing that tells me they can win this game tonight. Can we just fast forward to tomorrow?
Man, that's a bold statement right there. This thing is over. Well, historically speaking, yes, but you know, a 16 never beat a one. Wait, hold on.
What was it? It was twice in its one years, 155 or 156. It's 156.
And Rory was 456 in a row. I don't like the 56 is there. Okay. It's a one man. This is a collective team thing. Sorry.
Like I said, a 16 never beat a one and then it happened twice in three, four years. Correct. By the way. Well, if the maverick, no, I'm not even going to put it out there. Let's go break.
Not going to win. Let's go break. Joe Varden from the athletic. He has insight on this covers the NBA. What up, Joe has a great headshot as well.
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Slows full terms at mintmobile.com. He is here dressed head to toe full on with the beard and the robe and everything and the sandals. Will Ferrell dressed as go ahead. Tell the radio audience who you're dressed as today. Jesus, courtesy of Spirit Costumes.
Made in China and it's adult. And if you can focus in on the bottom here. Yes. One size fits most. One size fits most. So they're not really committing, are they?
No, they're not really committed. One size fits most. How does it fit you?
It looks like it fits pretty good. Yeah, pretty good. Yeah, pretty good. But yeah, I am. And you've got a Dodger cap on as well.
So I want to support my Dodgers. I looked at the calendar. It didn't dawn on me that until yesterday.
Yeah, but today is the 30th. It is that I thought, God, the beard beard really puts me out of breath. I don't know why you've got an intake because it is up against the nose a little bit here. There's only this much. Yeah, I just see the eyes. Right.
But boy, Jesus does love his Omega threes. Look how shiny the beard. Anyway, my point is my kids. We have a rule in the Ferrell household. The boys get to pick out my Halloween costume every year and have to wear it no matter what. Okay. So they had picked out Jesus.
I thought day before Halloween, I got to wear it for Rich on his show. Thank you. Yeah. Well, well, thank you, children.
Thank you, children for me, courtesy of Axel, Magnus and Matias. Okay. They thought it'd be fun. Why did they? I don't know. There's no last year. I was a poop emoji. One year I was just a heavy set guy. Okay. I think I was Where's Waldo another year.
Yeah, there's no rhyme or reason. Okay. All right. This is the Rich Eisen show desk right here.
The Rich Eisen radio network. I'm not going to break the desk. Please don't.
There was some concern that I hit the desk too hard last time. And I said, this thing isn't going to break. It's made by Granger. Okay. It's furnished by Granger with supplies and solutions for every industry. Granger is the right product for you.
Call or click ranger.com or just stop by. It is sturdy. It's got this iPad down here.
It's luxurious on this iPad. Potentially, we could watch the NBA finals this evening with Boston. Celtics will win their 18th championship. They will beat the Dallas Mavericks.
I'm not going to guarantee it because I don't do that for recreational purposes only. But Brockman, breathe easy. I think it ends tonight. Joe Vardon covers it for the athletic. He joins us now on the Rich Eisen show. Hi, Joe. How you doing?
I'm doing just fine. It is beautiful here today in Boston. Beautiful. Like beautiful day to win a championship. Beautiful.
Well, I can tell you this, Andrew. The Boston's finest are leaving nothing to chance. And already, all along Causeway and all the feeder streets are guardrails. Boston Police and the Liquor Commission are telling the locals here that you cannot go into a bar after halftime, I believe. Yeah, if you're already in a bar, you can stay, but you can't go into one after halftime. They're also trying to clear the streets immediately around the arena. There was a big crowd down here in game four while we were all in Dallas, and it made them nervous. There was a huge police force here, game four, I'm told. And so tonight, yeah, I mean, as of yesterday, the bar owners from here all the way past the north end, all the way into the center of the city, they were all told about closing your doors to new customers, like preparing for craziness in the event of a celebration. So regardless of what you and I think about the end of the series maybe coming tonight, Boston Police and City Administration certainly are preparing as though that's the case. Joe, stay there. Let's bring in a card carrying Boston fan, Chris Brockman.
Bars? That makes no sense. I mean, I get it from a safety perspective, Joe. I totally understand that. I don't know that I've ever heard anything like this.
It seems like that's not going to go over well with the certain fits and solis there in Boston. But I'm curious. I've never heard anything like this, Joe. Have you?
No. Well, this is my ninth finals. I missed the year that it got pushed back and Team USA was playing at the same time. So that's where I was. But otherwise, I've never seen this. And I've had some finals that were closed out at home, even in Denver last year. And there turned out to be some unfortunate violence. We didn't see this.
We didn't see the closing of bars, closing of streets, that kind of thing. And I remember walking back from the arena to the hotel. Like tonight, they're talking about to get to certain hotels, you'll actually need an NBA security escort. Wow, that is wild. It's way late after we do all of our work.
Wow. Talking to Joe Varden here from The Athletic, who is there in Boston covering what I think will be a Celtics closeout victory tonight. Much like with the bars, the Celtics have been blocking the Mavericks at halftime as well from participating for the rest of the game. I just can't see Joe, despite their valiant effort on Friday.
I mean, again, in retrospect, it seems like Luca just kind of went, listen, I know I'm going to be ripped by most of the NBA media and world and doubted now heading into the next offseason. So I may as well just show up and we might as well do this tonight on Friday to save face. I know that sounds negative and sarcastic. I just can't see them mustering that again tonight. Yeah, I don't know that they mustered anything more than they had given in this series. I just think Boston played a pretty undisciplined, pretty unfocused first half.
And just, you know, you kind of get into that mentality of, oh, well, we have more chances at this. The first two quarters didn't go well. And then they were totally run off the floor early in the third quarter. You know, I thought Dallas, I mean, like Dallas's game plan is the same. The, you know, the starting lineups they use are the same. Jason has sort of said, like, we're not a lineup switching team.
That's not in the position they're in. So I just thought Boston didn't do as good of a job targeting Luca on defense and running him through that grinder. I thought he played a little bit better.
He didn't complain to the officials. And then offensively, they just, the Mavericks were able to get a couple of runners at the rim and also get to that corner three. But the numbers were still basically Luca, Kyrie, and then everybody else until garbage time when Tim Hardaway Jr. made five threes in the fourth quarter, like Kyrie and Luca.
And then I guess Lively were their only three players in double figures. So, you know, I think I lay this a lot on Boston. You know, Dallas certainly didn't quit.
They didn't lay down. But this was a Celtics situation. Jason Kidd was right. He said that the Celtics were ready to celebrate. I expect a much more focused effort tonight on the part of the Celtics, but we have to remember, other than game one, this has been a close series. And actually now, because of the blowout in game four point differential wise, Dallas is actually leading the series. So all that's to say, long-winded way, Boston's going to be better tonight, but that doesn't necessarily mean that that's enough to get it done.
And look, I understand what I said sounded negative and sarcastic, and I get it. I also realize that if Luca hadn't fouled out of game three, then maybe this is an entirely different conversation. And to me, Joe, that is the massive what if. Like the massive what if hanging over this series. What if he had not fouled out? Yeah, I think so. I mean, there was a bunch of time left in the fourth quarter.
Enough time. And actually, they were only down three when Luca goes out. They actually cut it to one. Another time they had to look at it, they were only down two. So you have to say something like that. At the same time, Luca wasn't really moving well or playing well for him.
You'd love to get him in a closing situation, though. So yeah, I mean, the same thing could be said for Boston in the conference finals. Like they sweep the Indiana Pacers. It's a legitimate sweep. And there were some things that happened at the end of three of those four games that absolutely could have and maybe should have gone the Pacers' way. So you could either chalk that up to some luck on the part of the Celtics, or you could say that they are making plays in crunch time when they need to, which had been an Achilles heel for the Celtics teams of the past.
But they're on the verge of doing it. And I think you and I both kind of have that feeling that maybe it is tonight. Yeah. Joe, what's the deal with Porzingis tonight? Yeah, I mean, he's questionable as of now. And they're saying that the idea in four was they were going to use him in a very specific situation, which to me means that they don't have a ton of faith in how he's moving.
And you're thinking about, like, if you've got to guard an inbounder at the end of a court or something like that. I've seen him on the floor shooting and moving a little bit. So, like, if they can get to him tonight, does he do more? Maybe, but the fact that he was active for game four and didn't step on the court for one second tells you that you wonder how much of this is symbolic and just makes you feel and just making sure that one of the most important players on the team is in uniform when they win a title.
Talking to Joe Vardney, Athletic, he is in Boston in advance of game five this evening. I don't know that you're writing the legacy column yet, but if you were after a Celtics win tonight, what would you write about Jason Tatum tomorrow? You know, Andrew, my job here at the Finals for the Athletic is I write our game story.
So the first thing that goes up and then we write it through and it's the thing that sort of carries the traffic at night while we write our think pieces. But for a championship story like this, you know, there is a narrative involved and I've been thinking a lot about it and I just go back to Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown getting a chance now to say they are Celtic legends. I don't think there's any way you can argue it. The amount of times these two players have been to conference finals and then have gone to the finals now twice already, they're both still under the age of 30 and they're about they're going to win a title. And so now they count and you wonder what happens from there when they have that, you know, the proverbial monkey off their backs and now they're playing, you know, I don't know if Carefree is the right way to say it, but they have achieved the thing that everyone said they couldn't get.
And when that happens, like how many more are to follow? Like this team is built to last. Brad Stevens has done a tremendous job.
And so I start there. I start with Tatum and Brown together when so many points in their careers, there's been suggestions made that they don't work as a pairing and the Celtics doubled down on them and put the players around them to make this team work with those two. They we have a Drew Holiday now running the show in Boston. He's a great defender, but also he can keep the cars moving on time on offense. And that has helped. Porzingis's presence has helped.
And then it's kind of allowed Jalen and Jason to be a little bit better themselves in crunch time. So that's where I start. And it's funny, some of your people know that I'm from Cleveland. I've covered a lot of Cavs games in my career. I've actually covered more Celtic playoff games in Boston than I've covered playoff games in Cleveland now. So that's a testament to how dominant they've been over these 10 years. And you have to suspect that there's a lot more to follow. I love the Al Horford angle as well. That's got to be part of your game story tomorrow.
I think so. I mean, he's the oldest player, not oldest is the wrong word. I think he's played the most games without winning a finals to then finally win one. And if you think about the way that LeBron dominated the East for so long, and you think about all the different players whose careers that affected, certainly Tatum and Brown, the beginning of their careers, no question. You think about Kyle Lowry and you think about DeMar DeRozan in Toronto. You think about even going all the way back to the first part of the century, like he ended the Detroit dynasty and so on and so forth.
But Horford was as impacted by LeBron as any player in the Eastern Conference, because in that span from 15 through 18, while LeBron was in the East with the Cavs, Horford was on the Hawks teams, and then he was on the Celtics teams that kept getting bounced in the playoffs. So for him to kind of endured everything that he has, and then he returned to this team in the city, couldn't get it done against the Warriors. So here they are now, and he's on the precipice.
And so, yes, absolutely a wonderful story. And Joe, because you mentioned it, I would now be remiss if I didn't ask what's going on with the Cavs, even though you're knee deep in the finals before we go. Yeah, I mean, I think there hasn't been a lot that's changed from when it all ended for them here in Boston. And we had the big story that said JB was probably going to be let go. And if they sign Donovan, which they think they're going to, that Darius Garland would likely ask for a trade, all of that is still on the table. You know, they have dismissed JB Bickerstaff despite having improved each year under him. They did it because they knew they had to.
They had to change voices in the locker room. And a lot of that has to do with the future of Donovan Mitchell moving forward. They think he's going to sign.
They think and we have reason to believe that that's the case, too. So assuming he does, now you look at, well, OK, do they feel like they have to trade Darius Garland? They're saying they don't feel like they have to. They're saying that pairing works. But obviously, there's some discomfort on the part of the players there on both sides, I think, to even suggest this.
So they have to go through that. And what can they get for him? Does the Evan Mobley and Jared Allen pairing work? You know, the Cavs will say, well, there's numbers to suggest that it does. Their numbers together are OK, but they're not elite. This is a team that wants to be elite. Can they be if they change their style and get assets for one of those two? So, you know, there's a lot up in the air. It starts with the coach. You know, they have some candidates. They've done interviews in person with a number of them. So, you know, I think shortly after the finals, I think we'll probably have a decision there.
And if we had more time, we'd we'd ponder the question. What do the Guardians do when Gavin Williams hopefully comes back from his rehab stint? But we'll save that for another time. Joe in Boston, not going to be locked out of the bar. He's actually going to be in the arena this evening. Joe, stay safe, please, will you? Good to talk to you. Great to talk to you as well.
Thanks for having me. Joe Vardin, everyone. From the athletic in Boston, where the Celtics look, in my opinion, to close out. I think it's going to happen. I think it's going to happen. The Dallas Mavericks this evening. The the whole thing about Al Horford is is awesome as well.
Like the idea. Oh, yeah. The idea that he is still playing is bonkers. And playing well. And playing well.
And playing well, which is crazy because when he was on, I know, TJ, you you hate this fact. And when he played for the Thunder, he just sat on the bench. He never played. He just sat there.
He was collecting a check. I covered Al Horford in college. Like, I mean, he's still playing. I cannot believe he's still playing. On their title teams, right?
Yes. I was just watching a podcast with I think it was Joakim Noah was doing one with KG. Those Noah and Horford were college teammates. It seems like Noah hasn't played a game of basketball in like 12 years.
I don't think he has. Al Horford is still out getting buckets, man. It's insane. And he he looks phenomenal. Yep. Yeah. I mean, he he he looks like he I mean, obviously, his dad is a fighter. It looks like he can get in the ring and give you 12 rounds.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's great. And he's been huge while while Porzingis was out the entire playoffs. He's done a phenomenal job. You know, game four, notwithstanding of guarding Luka Doncic.
He's been awesome out there. And I know his house is for sale in Boston. I got to imagine if they win the championship, he's going to retire. And what a way to go out. Yeah, what a way to go out. Tito Horford was a fighter. Yeah.
Am I wrong? He played he was a basketball player. I think his dad fought, too. Dude, hold on. No, doesn't he?
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. We know Tito Horford as maybe he. Did I am I totally confusing athletes?
Uh, possibly. His dad played in the NBA for the Milwaukee. OK. Why did I think he's seven foot one? That'd be a big fighter teaching up. Who's dad used to be a boxer? Hmm. Well, Noah's dad was a tennis player. Right.
Who's dad? OK, wow. I just stepped in that time to figure it out. We'll figure it out. Wow. OK. I need more coffee. Excuse me. One sec. Jalen Brown's father was a professional boxer.
I think it's so much older. Anyway, I digress. That is game five coming up this evening. Coming up next, we have hard knocks news. Look, there are a lot of hard knocks this year. There are. There's one that the off season one started yet.
There's one that opens in two weeks. I went to the New York Giants. So you could see behind the curtain potentially or what happened on draft day. You know, when the Giants win a gobble league neighbors and where they try to move up and get a quarterback and what is the deal with Daniel Jones and all of that behind the scenes.
You can see all of that. The off season hard knocks is coming up right around the corner. And then in August, during training camp, we have hard knocks, Chicago Bears edition.
Amazing. We have had in the past all or nothing on Amazon. That was an in season hard knocks. If you will. It was called all or nothing.
That's no longer. But now there is really going to be an in season hard knocks. They've done the Dolphins and the Colts last two years, right? It is going to be for an entire division. Oh, baby.
We'll tell you which division. After the break coming up next on the Rich Eisen show, are you struggling to close deals? Business to business selling is tougher than ever, and that's why I want to tell you about LinkedIn Sales Navigator. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a sales intelligence platform that helps professionals effectively prospect and engage high value customers, drive higher revenue and increase sales performance.
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Shopify.com slash Westwood one. What is it like when you're back there? You know you're going to get it. The eight in the box or nine in the box that you see knows you're going to get it. Yeah. And you know you're going to give it to them. Yeah.
And they know you're going to give it to them. What is that like for you? I just love the game. I love having the ball in my hands and I love making plays.
And I don't know. I just it's just the game, man. Like that feeling when everybody knows and I can't stop it. It's just it's an indescribable feeling, man.
And that's just speaking for like us as a team. And, you know, I just I just love the game. I know you're smiling. You're just smiling as you're saying this.
It is just it must be an amazing feeling to have that ability. Derrick Henry here on the Rich Eisen Show. Did you hear what Earl Thomas said before the Divisional playoff game in Baltimore saying that the Patriots didn't want to tackle you, but they were going to have a different. Oh, yeah, I've seen it everywhere. Everybody was sending it to me. Everybody was showing it to me.
Yeah, I've seen it everywhere. OK, so now later on, you're in Baltimore. You get the ball.
You're on the edge. Did you know that was Earl Thomas that was coming for you? Did you give him a second shove because it was Earl Thomas?
Yes. I was wondering because you gave him you gave him one in the front and you gave him one slightly unnecessary one in the back. But what's so funny about that is also focused on give him another sub that I ran myself out of bounds. So the first time he kind of turned around and I could have turned up, but I also focus on this, like, give him a show that I ran myself out of bounds. But yeah, but I definitely did that. So then the last question is, was it worth it to run yourself out of bounds?
I think it was. What's up, everybody? We are back.
It's Andrew sitting in for Rich, who is back tomorrow. Can we tell you about game time? We tell you about game time every time I do sit here because we love game time. Go get a ticket to whatever it is you want to see a game, a concert, a show, whatever with the game time app.
Download it right now. You can go say there's a basketball game tonight in Boston of some import. You could potentially go to that again. Download the game time app.
You could browse through it. Find the basketball, find the baseball. I went to a baseball game on Saturday. I had a great time.
Blake trying and gave up a grand slam. I won't get into that, however. But you could find games or shows or anything that you want to go to take the family to. It's the summer. Kids are out of school.
Take the kids to a game with the game time app. Easy to find. Last minute ticket deals, flash deals, zone deals, all kinds of seats anywhere throughout the venue, low price guarantee.
And of course, terms apply. But download the app and see what they are. And when you go there now, you can get your tickets. It takes the guesswork out of buying tickets to whether it's the finals or anything in your town. Use the promo code RICH, R-I-C-H, RICH, R-I-C-H, and get $20 off your first purchase.
Terms apply. Visit gametime.co for restrictions. Create an account. Redeem the code RICH, R-I-C-H, for $20 off your first purchase. Download gametime today. Last minute ticket, lowest price guaranteed. You could also use it to buy tickets to events in the fall, like football. Breaking news.
The new hard knocks will be the in-season hard knocks coming to a television near you December 3 at 9 PM Eastern time. The AFC North. All of the AFC North. Why was the AFC North historically fantastic last year?
Anyone, raise your hand. I don't know. They all beat each other? All the teams almost made the playoffs?
I never did. Because of the playoffs. They made the playoffs. The first division ever to have all four teams with a winning record is the answer. Three teams made the playoffs. And all four teams in the AFC North will be featured in hard knocks coming up this fall.
Mike Tomlin has never been featured on hard knocks. The Steelers have never pulled back that curtain. You get to see Mike Tomlin, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, TJ Watt pull back the curtain. Get to pull back the curtain on Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry and the Baltimore Ravens and John Harbaugh get to pull back the curtain on Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase and T Higgins and Luanna Rumo and Zach Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals.
You get to pull back the curtain on Kevin Stefanski and Deshaun Watson and Miles Garrett and Nathan Zagura and Nathan Zagura, a friend of the program and Denzel Ward pull back the curtain on them. It is the best division in football. Now, it's not the glamour division. That's the NFC East, right? The NFC East is going to dominate your headlines.
It's going to dominate your screaming head shows. Yeah, pound for pound. This is the best division in the NFL, man. It is the best division in football with Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson. And all those teams hate the others. And they all could win the Super Bowl. Like each other.
And they beat the crap out of each other. You can make an argument. Any of them could win the Super Bowl this year.
Any of them. And yes, even Mike Tomlin on the screen. The way the Steelers have drafted the O-line the last two years, adding Patrick Queen, adding Russell.
Look, I know Russell. Last year we were calling him a shot fighter. Arthur Smith calling plays now. Oh yeah, I know it's the same Arthur Smith that Falcons fans still are mad. Didn't give the ball to De'John Robinson nor Kyle Pitts. I get it.
I get it. But consider the alternative with Matt Canada last year. Arthur Smith with George Pickens, with Russell Wilson, with Justin Fields, with Najee Harris not getting his option picked up. Like all of those storylines and Mike Tomlin. Yeah, I could see the Steelers making a run.
Cam Hayward playing for a contract, hinting maybe I'll go to Cleveland next year. Yeah, I can see them making a run. The Browns could have, would have, should have beaten the Texans last year.
They didn't, right? Joe Flacco could have, would have, should have. But now it's De'Shawn Watson back, right? For year three with a lot to prove with the coach just getting a well-deserved extension with that defense coming back for another, another fight in the division every week. Joe Burrow back healthy with the Cincinnati Bengals. You know, when he stays healthy, they do well. Can he stay healthy? What's Jamar Chase going to get paid? That deal get done? T Higgins on the franchise tag.
There's a lot going on there as well. Best division of football. I mean, who else would you rather have had? The East? Sure, would have been fun. NFC East, that is.
NFC West? I could have seen that one. That's fun. Not like this though. Not like this. Not like this. Not like this.
Anyway. NFC North would have been good, but we just had the Lions on hard knocks. NFC North would have been great. You're going to get the Bears anyway.
Right. The Packers, sure, I guess they're interesting. The Vikings, interesting enough. Sam Darnold, JJ McCarthy, Justin Jefferson, I guess. Aaron Jones now in Minnesota. Aaron Jones now up there as well. Listen, the way that we generate it, what does Rich call the NFL, the nonstop generative generating machine?
Okay, thank you. There is not a bad answer for hard knocks. You could have taken any of the 32 and it would have been a good answer. Any of the 32. You can make it good drama. Is there a bad team for hard knocks?
There's your question. What's your bad team for hard knocks? Singularly or for division? Give me a team or a division. NFC South. Carolina Panthers. Carolina Panthers, fine. Okay, Carolina Panthers, fine.
But we'll make some drama. Saints. Saints? Boring to you.
Boring to me, maybe not to others. Okay. Let's see, are we jetted out? Cardinals? No, I'm never jetted out. Are you jetted out? Always.
Just because I was never jetted. Not a fan. Yeah, Jaguars. Jaguars. Yeah, I mean, I'd like to see what goes down in Broncos. They go to London every year. Broncos.
Sean Payne will make good TV. That's true. Whatever. It's probably about Cardinals. Are you a Cardinal now? Pew, pew, pew.
And we had them on the other one. All or nothing. Anyway, I digress. What's the poll results? Oh, we throw out a poll. Yeah, we got a big game in Boston tonight.
We didn't talk about it. Missed it over the weekend. 8 to 1. The Oilers stay alive, beating the Panthers in the Stanley Cup at game five. Is it tomorrow, Mike Hoskins, or is it Wednesday? I got it right here.
Stand by. More likely to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win the championship. Mavericks are Oilers. We've reached Edmonton.
Hello. 66% Oilers. Game. The next game is tomorrow. Tomorrow. So game five coming up tomorrow in the NHL.
There you go. I mean, the correct answer is probably neither, but it has happened in hockey 3-0 more often than any other sport. The game is in Sunrise, Florida.
Four times. By the way, Sunrise, Florida. Not Miami.
A lot of people pushing back on the Twitter. Not Miami. Sunrise. Northwest of Lauderdale. Not Miami. Sunrise. You have not seen this.
We talked about this offline. You have not seen this, that there have been people on Twitter fighting back saying that this isn't a Miami team. This is a team somewhere in Florida that Miami doesn't consider its team.
And I said, that's absurd. They're the Miami Dolphins, but don't they play in Fort Lauderdale? Where do they play? A little bit south.
A little bit south of where this is. Still far. Yes, they certainly don't play on South Beach. Again, they're not the Boston Patriots. They're New England Patriots because they play in Foxborough, which is almost an hour from Boston. Correct. This was new to me. I had never heard this, that there were some in Miami that say this is not our team.
It's up there somewhere like way north. The best comment I saw, though, was when Mike McDaniel was doing that pregame bang in the drum thing, someone wrote on Twitter, I can't believe they let an out-of-town coach do that. To stop. That was part of the joke, like pushing back against these people.
Okay. You know what I'm saying? That's ridiculous. They're 35 miles apart, I'm told. The Dolphins. 35 miles.
And the Panthers. Yes. That's like going here to Tarzana. Not far. Not far, though. The Los Angeles Angels of Orange County.
Yeah. Hey, I live in Hermosa, which you consider. I live in the South Bay, right? South of LAX. You consider to be Los Angeles.
Yes, it's not the West Side. Yes. Okay. It is easier for me to get to Anaheim now from the South Bay straight down the 91 than it is to go up the 110.
And get to Dodger Stadium. Yes. Yes. True story. Straight shot. Artesia Boulevard becomes the 91 straight to the ballpark. This is an episode of the Californians, I realize. But it is easier.
Went to the Dodger game Saturday evening. I said that. Was in an Uber, because I'm not going to deal with this. But then when you get in the Uber, you realize you don't have your fast pass. Right.
Like, what? Where do you go to get the fast pass? Where do you go for Uber pick- There is an Uber pickup there, I'm assuming. Okay.
This is- Okay. I know we're on places other than LA. TJ, to answer your question, there's an Uber lot.
Lot 11 outside Dodger Stadium. It is the easiest thing of all time. I had never done that. It couldn't have been easier.
Okay. I've never- I'd left in the seventh inning after the Blake Triton giving up the Grand Slam thing. Wanted to beat the traffic. The game was over.
Yes, I did that. I'm not a massive Dodger fan. I wanted to get home. It was okay. I'd gone to an event. It was a great event. Cool.
I was like, I'm out of here. Yep. Easy. Could not have been easier. That's good to know. Good to know. Anyway, coming up next. I promise we will answer the question, where were you 30 years ago tonight? Also, legendary golf writer Alan Shipna is here as well.
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