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USPS ground advantage, simple, affordable, reliable. Kansas City! I want to hear you! This is the Rich Eisen Show. The Rich Eisen Show fantasy football team will be called live from Kansas City. Sprinkle a little ursay or layers of Iberflus.
Paul Rudd, who wins? Layers of Iberflus. Fantastic. Look at that.
Layers of Iberflus is our team name. Earlier on the show, actor Rob Riggle coming up. Chief's Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt and the award-winning actor Eric Stonestreet. And now it's Rich Eisen.
That's correct. Can confirm it is me and the whole team is all hanging out here on the Rich Eisen Show kickoff special live from Kansas City at the Total Wireless Studio. We're having a good time right here on the program.
844-204 Rich is the number to dial. I've got my final power rankings to reveal before the NFL kickoff on Thursday night on NBC, which you can obviously watch here on the Roku portal. We're live on the Roku Sports Channel right now. Eric Stonestreet making his way to our studio. And again, he says he's got a surprise.
We're all thinking it is barbecue, but we don't know until he shows up. We just said goodbye to Rob Riggle, but thrilled and honored to have kicking off our number two right here is the Chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, the two-time defending world champion Kansas City Chiefs. Clark Hunt is here on the program. Good to see you, sir. How are you? Great. Thank you.
So glad to be on with you today. And I made sure to properly term your team, the two-time defending world champion Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah, absolutely. Are you used to that yet?
I'm getting used to it. Pretty cool. Sure. Yeah, pretty cool.
So you brought a gift, which I greatly appreciate. I'm holding it up right now for our Roku Sports Channel audience right here. It is a back-to-back Kansas City Chiefs Kingdom flag. Okay.
Yeah. And so we have a little tradition here in Kansas City where we sell those flags typically on the Friday before the season opener, but more recently on what we call Red Wednesday since we've been playing the season opener on Thursday. And we raise money for the Ronald McDonald House through the sale of those flags.
And over the last 11 years, we've raised $5 million to support such a great charity that does such important work. And obviously, I'm sure you enjoy Red Wednesdays almost as much as Red Fridays, but maybe a little bit more so. Yeah, no, absolutely. I was out there bright and early this morning at McDonald's selling those flags, and the fans are ready to go. I'm sure they must be. What's the first Chiefs game you ever, you can recall going to? So this is not a great answer, but it's the truth.
Sure. It was the Christmas Day game, 1971 Chiefs Dolphins playoff game. It was at the old Municipal Stadium, and I was about six or so at the time. And I remember falling asleep in the press box watching the game because that was the longest game in NFL history, right?
It went double overtime. And when I woke up, the stadium was dead silent because we had just lost the game. And that was sort of the end of that era of great Chiefs football. We'd been to Super Bowl I, Super Bowl IV, and that group of players had started to get a little bit older, and unfortunately we weren't able to get back. Had your dad already coined the term Super Bowl by that point? He had. He had. That was in 1966 when the AFL and NFL were merging. He was in a meeting with some of the owners, and they were talking about the last game.
My dad's seen the last game, the following game, you know, the Super Bowl. He just threw it out there, and the other owners looked at him. Just casually?
Yeah, just casually. Just popped into his head, you know, right at that moment. And nobody thought a lot about it, but they started referring to the game as the Super Bowl. The only problem was the commissioner, Pete Rozell, actively disliked the name.
He thought it lacked sophistication. Those were his words. And that's why the first couple of games were called the AFL-NFL World Championship game.
And it wasn't until Super Bowl III that the league relented and adopted Super Bowl because everybody, fans, media, they were all calling it the Super Bowl, so the league finally went in. So it was basically Rozell just couldn't resist it anymore because it had already been adopted? Yeah, yeah, that's exactly right. Yeah, amazing. You know, when my dad was asked after the fact, you know, how did you come up with that?
Right. He said, well, I've always been a fan of college football, and I've been to tons of bowl games, particularly Cotton Bowl games. And my mother, Norma, had given me and my older siblings the new toy of the day for Christmas. Super Bowl?
Super Bowl in 1965. And my older siblings were bouncing them all over the house. I was like one years old, so I was probably gumming mine. But my dad, you know, saw those balls bounce all over the house, and it just stuck in his head. Yeah, I remember having Super Balls, you know, when I was a kid playing, and those things would just go down a drain or they'd just fly down the street.
You could never really keep track of them. Yeah. So that maybe is what put that in the head of your dad, and it just came out like that. Yeah. I mean, what would you think of the Chiefs having a chance to be the first one to ever win three of them in a row?
What do you think? Nobody would have enjoyed the last five years more than my dad. He loved Chiefs football. He loved our fan base.
He loved being at GEHA Field at Arrowhead. Those were all his favorite things, and he would have so enjoyed this run of success that we've had, and probably would just say, you know, I can't believe it. It's absolutely amazing that the Chiefs have a chance for the three piece. Yeah, every Chief fan that I know, Rob Riggle was sitting in that chair, and Eric Stonestreet's coming in hour three, and obviously, you know, their work is well known, but just any fan, any fan, the people who are the hardworking fans of this great heartland of our country, the diehards, the casuals, and who have just come into fray right now, can't believe what is happening around here, and I'm wondering, does that hit you? Are you just as gobsmacked as everybody else?
I think so a little bit. When you go 50 years between Super Bowls, that gives you an appreciation for how hard it is to even get in the game, much less win three of them in five years, so I think every Chiefs fan has a healthy appreciation for just how special this time period is, and we're certainly not going to take it for granted. Right, and you've been, you were also to a Super Bowl in that five-year period as well, so it's not like you've won three, but you've been to four, and so I guess that leads to the next question.
Clark Hunt here on the Rich Eisen Show. The first time you ever met Patrick Mahomes was when? So, I was at a Super Bowl in Houston, and this was the February before he came out in the in the draft that year. Was this the Patriots winning the Super Bowl in overtime?
Yeah, I think so. I think it was that game, and I was at a party that his agent, Lee Steinberg, was throwing, and by some coincidence, I was paired up with Patrick. At that, to sit next to him at the event, I was receiving an award, and I think Lee had a little bit of a something up his sleeve. He thought Kansas City might be a really good destination for Patrick, and wanted to make sure that we had a chance to meet, and, you know, enjoyed meeting him, not knowing that, you know, three months later he would become a Kansas City Chief.
Were you even aware that he was on anybody's radar screen in your in your in your building at that point you had met? Yeah, I was aware that he was on the on the radar screen, but really the focus, you know, really turned to him as we continued to go through the draft profit process and build our board that year. It became clear that Patrick was our guy. Because I remember being on the draft set at NFL Network.
It was in Philadelphia. The draft was in Philadelphia, and we're obviously Andy Reid is well known, and when the Chiefs traded up, we all thought it was for J'Sean Watson. We all thought this is, and then it was Mahomes, and everybody kind of looking around going, huh, that's an interesting take right there. What what what did you think led to everybody saying Mahomes was your guy?
Like what what was that moment do you think for you? Well, I think I think it was really the work that Brett Veitch, who's now our general manager, had had done on Patrick over an 18-month period, and he he every week would go into Andy's office and and put a tape on Andy's desk and say, hey, you got to watch what Patrick did at Texas Tech this week. It's unbelievable, and after, you know, enough weeks of that, Andy was like, yeah, I get it. I get it, and so we continued to go through the process. He had a great visit here, really impressed the coaching staff, our personnel department, and we sort of knew at that point, you know, he was our guy, and there were three really good quarterbacks coming out that year, and so a lot of people had to shine, you know, higher, but our guys really thought that Patrick was unique and that Andy was the right coach to really unlock his special talent, and I think that's played out over the last six or seven years. I can confirm that. Yeah, that has absolutely played out, and then the ascension of Kelsey as well.
I mean, because we were just talking about it yesterday. We had Travis on our show. Clark Hunt, the Chairman and CEO of the Chiefs here on the Rich Eisen Show in Kansas City. We had Travis on the show yesterday, and we were reminiscing about the first time that he was on, which was 2018, and he was, you know, the guy who was wearing 87, which was, you know, Gronk's number to a lot of us in the media, who had a really nice game as a tight end with some high ceiling ability, a little bit of a hothead, you know, where Andy had to kind of take him aside every now and then, and to see him develop into a Walter Payton Man of the Year, first Ballot Hall of Fame, and as I called him, first Gentleman of Pop Culture now is a remarkable transformation, and I'm wondering what about your position in seeing what Travis Kelsey has become in your world? Well, he and Patrick are so special together. I think they each complement the other so well, and we certainly wouldn't be the team we are without both of them, but you're right about his career. He came in and was a parent that he had really special talent, and you've got to give Andy the credit for that, and Andy knew Travis because of his older brother, because he had him in Philadelphia, and he had met Travis, and, you know, he felt strongly that Travis had an opportunity to be a really special tight end, despite not playing the position, you know, up until, I believe, his sophomore year in college. He'd come in as a quarterback, and you got to give Andy credit because, you know, Travis has been an unbelievable player, but also what a great leader, right?
There's nobody in our building who works harder than Travis Kelsey at age 34, and he still wants it as much as anybody on the team, and I think, you know, when you have a leader like that, you know, paired with another great leader in Patrick, that really sets the tone for the locker room. How many in your family have asked you to ask him for Taylor Swift tickets? I do get a few of those requests. How do you handle that?
How do you handle that? Well, the good news was that we had Taylor here at GHA Field at Arrowhead before they started dating, and yes, my family did make both shows. I was in attendance, and all I can say is what a performer. I mean, she's absolutely amazing.
That first night, she went over four hours with 40 some-odd songs, never took a break. I mean, it was absolutely amazing, and little did we know at that point, that was in July, that two months later that she and Travis would be dating, and so it's been absolutely incredible. So the good news is my family got to see her, you know, but before the relationship took off. So you didn't really have to then say, hey, Travis, pull him aside and say what he got or anything like that? No, I haven't had to do that, but I have gotten a few requests that she's been on her European tour. It's like, hey, you know, why don't we fly to Paris or, you know, to London so that we can see Taylor?
I was like, well, you saw her in Kansas City. I mean, what could be better? What could be better? There you go. I like that. Are you aware that she's potentially drawing up plays right now? I've heard the rumor, yeah. Actually, Travis did say yesterday that she is, because her attention to detail that she has brought to her professional career, you know, the goat, if you will, of that career. Yeah.
She is apparently bringing that attention to detail to make plays for 87, apparently, in your offense. So he said that. Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm not surprised.
I mean, when you're as talented as she is, I wouldn't put anything past her. Yes. And the good news is, you know, Andy's very open-minded, right? He lets the players, you know, suggest plays throughout the season and they'll work on them and put them up on the board. So I could see Andy being open to it. So you as the chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, you're cool with this sort of thing?
Yeah, I am. I will say that Andy's fond of saying that he has a 51% vote on what actually goes in the game plan. So I know, you know, if she draws something up for us, it's going to be great and Andy's going to bet it. So how much do you insert yourself into football operations and things of that nature? I'm involved enough to know what's going on, but also fairly hands-off. I believe that, you know, you hire the best people and, you know, set the vision for them, give them the resources they need to be successful, and then turn them loose. And it's my responsibility just to know what's going on so that I can evaluate them. And I've obviously, both Brett Veatch and Andy Reid have done an amazing job. So you, obviously it's working, but your philosophy to delegate, because you know, obviously many other of your fellow members, some of them do not have that same point of view.
Yeah, that's exactly right. And there are a lot of different ways to be successful in the NFL. There's not only one model that works that can have success, but I feel that we're better leaving it to the guys who've dedicated their entire professional career to coaching or personnel, right?
They're going to be better at what they do than if I get involved. If you could change a rule in the NFL, what would it be? Well, I think the funny answer to that, since we have such a special quarterback, is that we should put flags on the quarterback.
Nice. I like it. Well, there is a flag football quarterback who thinks he's better than your quarterback. I don't know if you saw that, somebody who's playing on the flag football team for potentially the USA that's coming up in the Olympics. But all that said, do you have a rule that you're sitting there at your position watching the game and you go, I'd like to change that? Well, I think the NFL has tackled one of the rules that needed to be changed, which is the kickoff rule. I'm excited about it.
I think it's a little bit of an unknown. We saw how it played out a little bit in the preseason, but I think everybody was being a little bit coy in terms of what they showed. So it's going to be interesting and I think fun for the fans to see how the new NFL rule, new kickoff rule, impacts the game.
I know my dad would be a huge fan of it. Why? Because he was always about the fans, right? And this is going to bring more excitement to the game. You don't think that defensive-minded coaches will just say to heck with it, let's just pound it through the end zone. I'll play 70 yards of defense.
I don't want to have somebody say, Zay, you're worthy. I'm not saying that that's going to be his role. But you obviously must know what your team is cooking up and it's already established, very inventive. You think that there will be returns? You don't think there's going to be a ton of defensive coaches that just want to play 70 yards of defense? I think it'll evolve over the course of the season and I think certainly in game, you're going to see some of that, based on the situation in the game.
If you're up a couple of touchdowns, it probably makes sense to give the team a touchback and let them start on the 30 and not risk the big return. But I think some of the special teams coordinators, including Dave Tove here in Kansas City, they're going to be interested in trying to pin teams. So I think we're going to see more returns.
You do think so? I think there'll be more returns and if there's not, there'll be some adjustments to the rule in the offseason. But not during the season? Not during the season. You're not into that idea of changing anything during the season? No, no.
That's not competitively fair. Okay. And so how about I'll give you an idea. I'm going to go there. It's got one of the 32 members right here at the National Football League.
I cannot stand the rule where if the ball is fumbled into and through the end zone... Oh goodness. I'm going there. Excuse me. These guys have heard it. You've been taking this L for years.
Don't listen to them. That the ball's fumbled into and through the end zone, that possession goes to the other team. That you lose possession. However, if the ball comes out and it goes out at the one inch line, you get to keep it. It just seems to me completely not equitable. And it happened against Kansas City against the Bills in the playoffs, if I'm mistaken. So what do you think about changing that rule?
I think it's something that changes something that should be evaluated and it's been talked about. If you look at the way rules get changed in the NFL, there usually is a big play, right? Sometimes in a playoff game that really upsets a lot of fans and that'll get the league to look at it. Well, the overtime game as well, you know, Chiefs-Bills, a lot of Chiefs-Bills stuff has happened. That led to overtime rules being changed as well. Yes, exactly. And a few years before that, we had the game with New England also similar overtime situation. But again, it took several years, right?
Why is that? I think it's because the league is very methodical in how it goes about things. And Roger does a great job of building consensus, right? And so studying something and talking about it across a few years usually can lead to change. If there's something out there that you feel particularly strident about, will you buttonhole fellow members? Like take somebody aside and say, how about voting the way I want to vote? Like do those things actually happen? Yeah, that does happen. There's conversations, you know, before we're in the meeting and voting on things where owners will lobby others for their position.
And, you know, certainly I've done that before as well. Okay, so what do you think of my idea? How about this? Where the ball would be sort of like a reverse touchback? Where if you lose the ball through the end zone, the ball goes to the 20-yard line and you try again? It's like end goal from there or something like that?
Yeah, that's a good suggestion. And it would still be a penalty, right? Pretty significant penalty. Right, it's significant, but you don't lose possession, right? I mean like just say Mahomes is driving down the field, the defense is on its heels.
Yeah. Boom, Paul just pops loose and instead of rolling out at the one-inch line, it rolls three inches around the other side of the pylon, the defense is bailed out. It's an oblong ball.
It takes weird bounces. Mr. Hunt, all due respect, got a great idea. Don't fumble. Yeah, there you go. Hold on to the football. Don't stretch your arm out for the goal line. I think there should be a new rule for you not to listen to him.
That's a new rule, but that's the pushback that's constantly being heard. I also want to see it on the competition committee as well. I don't know if you can help me with that. Yeah, yeah.
I'll surprise your note, yeah. He really misses, he really does. That's something that he really wants. Fans should be represented on the competition committee is what I'm saying. I can't disagree with that. Okay, there you go.
I'll take that as a yes. So what are you going to be thinking about kickoff Thursday night? I've been asking a bunch of the players this question. So it's kickoff. You're in your home stadium. You're seeing everything's that you're set up for another season.
Everything is rolling here into 2024. What goes through your mind as you're sitting in your position for that game? Yeah, it's an interesting game because it's sort of the last moment that you celebrate what happened the year before. We'll drop a new banner that adds Super Bowl 58 to it before the game. Fortunately, our players and coaches will be inside when that happens. When we get to the kickoff, I'm going to be thinking about the game and how important that game is and what a big game, right? Chiefs against the Ravens rematch of the AFC championship game could have playoff implications way down the line.
And I'm going to be hoping and praying that everybody's focused on the task at hand that night and not thinking about down the road. There are a lot of distractions that come with being back-to-back Super Bowl champions. A lot of discussion about going for the three-peat. And the key to being successful is putting that all out of our mind and thinking each week about the team we're playing and being our best that day. And if we're not our best, we're not going to beat the Ravens. Well, Travis did say that when he was on the show yesterday that he hasn't had a single conversation with a teammate about three-peat.
Not one. He said the same thing that you just said, which I think is something Andy Reid is absolutely going to execute that plan, right? But that said, this is Sports Talk Radio. Do you think three in a row for your franchise would allow you or anybody else to say this is the greatest dynasty in the history of the National Football League? I think that's a hard thing to say because across decades, I think it's hard to compare teams, right? Things have changed in the NFL.
I think in some ways, it's much harder to have a dynasty today because the rules are really geared towards making sure that there's change at the top. Certainly, the Patriots have had an amazing run for most of the 2000s. And you can go back in time and look at the Steelers and the 49ers and the Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. And I think each of those organizations during a certain time period in the National Football League were absolutely the best and you could make an argument for them. So I don't think it's fair to compare across decades because the league changes so much.
But you'd be the only one with three in a row in an era with the salary cap and free agency and things of that nature that others in the dynasty eras have not had, right? Yeah. I know you're not a chest thumping guy, but I mean, it just seems like it would be a differentiator in that regard. Yeah, yeah. Well, certainly the opportunity we have is not lost on anybody in the organization.
But I do think one of the keys is not talking about it too much. Okay, there it is. Thanks for the time, Clark Hunt. And I really appreciate you being here on our first day of our residency for kickoff week here in your town.
And I appreciate the Chiefs Kingdom flag. We will bring it back to our studio and we will display it. Fantastic. Thanks.
Absolutely. Thank you very much. Great being on with you. I appreciate it.
Thanks very much. And everybody, back off. He is not Taylor Swift ticket broker Clark Hunt. He is the chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs. Pardon me, two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. Thanks for coming on here today. That's Clark Hunt here on The Rich Eisen Show.
We are back in Kansas City in a moment. 844-204-rich number to dial. You got power rankings and more. Let's talk O'Reilly Auto Parts, people. You love their jingle. You're going to love their friendly, helpful service even better because they're in the business of keeping your car on the road. And the parts knowledge they have, it's all you need for your maintenance and repairs. They've got thousands of parts and accessories in stock, either in-store or online.
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That's OReillyAuto.com slash E-I-S-E-N O-O-O-Reilly Auto Parts. This is what I love about fandom, football fandom. You're a sweet person. You are known generally as just a sweet, nice person who likes meeting people and just likes human life. Yes, you would love making people's lives better through either your music or your words or your essence. I understand it, but when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs, to hell with everybody else. Exactly, that's the way it is. Did I say it right?
By the way, I don't mean to tell you like, you know, an all-time great lyricist how to speak or talk or communicate. No, but I'm the one that I will wear. I have a Kansas City Chiefs guitar strap and when I play Oakland or Denver or Boston, I will wear it. I will come out and I will start, believe me, my audience will love, especially in New England, my audience will love me, love me.
They're cheering and I'll go and I'll see you in the playoffs and then it's all of a sudden booze. It's horrible. It's just it will ruin a show. My wife says don't talk football. I can't help it. But you got to do it.
I mean, you got the passion for it. Yes. Who was your chief growing up? Who was the person that you're like, okay, this is making me fall in love with football? Oh, it was my father.
Okay. And it was, you know, it was Lenny Dawson and Hank Stram and the 1969, 1970 Chiefs. I watched the Super Bowl. I saw my hometown and everyone go crazy and it just, it, it, of course, as last time we were in the Super Bowl, but you know, you, since then, every year you're like, we could do that again. I mean, it never goes away. That never goes away. I know, you know, the draft is coming in a couple of years, too, to Kansas City.
I don't know if you're aware of that. I know, I'm really excited. I was so excited and I was so excited because it's such a, Kansas City is a beautiful city. That whole area is, is they love their chiefs. They are chiefs. They, they are, it's a beautiful city that's grown and has so much to offer.
And I love that they've got that and people can actually see them. Great stuff on our YouTube channel. Please subscribe. Back on the Rich Eisen Show radio network, sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk here in KC, furnished by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry. Grainger has the right product for you.
Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. Here on the program, we just said farewell to Clark Hunt and the, the great Eric Stonestreet making his way to our studio for an hour number three appearance. I tried my best. I don't think I'm going to make the competition committee through him, nor do I think he agrees with me with the fumble through the end. It didn't seem that way on either account.
Apologies. I don't know about the competition committee. That, that might want to show his hands. He did agree though, that the fans need a voice on the competition. Well, he did talk about how he thinks the kickoff rule changes for the fans. So I can be for the fans on the, I, I'm, I'm hopeful that what he believes will work with the kickoff rule is going to happen.
Yeah, exactly. I agree. I would prefer too many scores to too many touchbacks.
I would prefer that. You watched college football last weekend, just like we all did. Was it kind of refreshing to see real kickoffs? No, I, and I understand what you're saying in that regard. I kind of liked it. And then when, when, I don't know if enough people watched preseason football to be fully aware of what's coming and on Thursday night, that I think Thursday night might be a shocker to a bunch of people.
Like, what is this? That people might've been, no, I, I, I'm, I do, you know, you understand I'm, I'm an NFL network guy. So obviously the number of people that watch preseason games is good for NFL networks.
And it's gone up every year. It has. And so, but those are some diehards, but for people who might have been traveling, people who might have been looking at the Olympics and people who are just doing other things in the summer might not, might not be aware of what's coming. And so it's going to need to be explained.
People are going to have to understand what's up with it. I do believe after a month of watching this type of kickoff in the NFL, it's entirely possible. We will be watching college football as a sort of nostalgic yearning for those days in the NFL. That said though, to have grown ass men in their 30s, 20s, hugely successful and also athletic individuals running towards each other, like it's Braveheart and getting and colliding with one another, the NFL is just saying that ain't it anymore.
And so how do you come up with something that will be exciting? And we didn't see it in the preseason. And as a matter of fact, all we've heard were a bunch of coaches saying, I'm just going to kick it through the end zone. I mean, the number of coaches we've had talking about it on the show, we we've been, we've been asking them, what do you think?
And a lot of them believe that the 30 yard line for a touchback is not punitive enough and that it should be 35, if not a 40 yard line, then you're going to see returns. Okay. That said, Clark Hunt sounded like a man who's seen what Andy Reed and his staff is cooking up and has not shown. Yeah.
I think we all realize that like they're not going to show their hands. Correct. And so, so I hope he's right. I hope he's right. And he's like, and if, if it doesn't get, if it doesn't get the results that we're looking for, we'll fix it in the off season.
Right. And that might be a long, that might be a long 22 weeks to go through the ton of touchbacks. If you want to guarantee no touchback, make it a penalty to kick it into the end zone.
Well, the end zone is a very special place, Chris. This is what I heard that you can't fumble through it and keep possession. Yeah, so make it a penalty to kick the ball into the end zone on a kickoff. I think that'll still be too punitive.
I don't know, man. So if the other team decides to let the ball roll into the end zone. I hope he's right. I hope he's right that this is going to be, I would rather see more scores on a kickoff than more touchbacks than we've ever seen before. Yeah. I'm still a little skeptical.
It's going to take a while. Look, in the Chiefs in particular, you've got a guy running a 4.240, right? And you've got Andy Reed. So I'm assuming they're going to cook up something really special for Xavier Worthy. I think if that is going to, if that's who it's going to be, we don't even know who a lot of these guys are going to be. And they've been keeping it under wraps. Yeah, because you're not going to show that. The only thing is that I heard the phrase that they're having is for the two returners.
I've heard some people in the NFL with the unfortunate phrase of calling them floaters. And I would push back on that. Yeah.
Can we switch it to like Rover? That's all I'm saying. I've heard that.
And again, if that phrase is said, please. I'm thinking Joey Chestnut. Be an adult.
I'm thinking Joey Chestnut. That's all I ask. Please be an adult about it.
I'll be an adult after this. Can we name a team Joey Chestnut's Floaters? No.
All right. You know, it's a Wednesday of the National Football League season. I'm counting this as a week in the NFL, guys. The lead up to week one. Is this week zero? It's week one. It's week one. So, I understand my week one power rankings are what next week's would be called, right? Because you're based off of one week.
Yeah. Remember we had this... Do week one. This is week one. Next week is week two.
No, it's being called the preseason power round. Okay. Okay. So, this is it. Okay. The pre-kickoff preseason power rankings presented by Total Wireless. Hit it, please. Power rankings!
That's correct. Here we go. I've got my top 10 teams entering the National Football League season presented by Total Wireless. And it's completely different from my way too soon power rankings in June. Oh, really? Because those were way too soon. They're way too soon.
They're way too soon. Nothing's changed. You know what's changed? My thought process. And again, I don't know if you just heard the drop. These are my power rankings. All right? Sorry. All right.
Here we go. Number 10 on this list. They weren't on my list in June, but they are now. And it's really amazing how this team, I was leading the charge of saying, what were they thinking? What were they thinking? What were they thinking in the draft by choosing Michael Pennix when they had just signed Kirk Cousins because they could have had one of the best defenders in the draft. They had the top pick of any defender in the draft and they went ahead and they handled their business for the future and then signed Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons. So the Falcons are 10 on this list, guys.
I like it. The Falcons should be really good. They should be top third of the NFL season good. And again, I was like, they should have Dallas Turner. They could have taken any defensive back and anybody that they took, with all due respect to them, with their high ceiling that they could have had.
They weren't Matthew Judon or Justin Simmons. So they rectified what I thought was a missed opportunity with some grown ass men adding to them to a defense that's already got Jesse Bates and Raheem Morris as the coach. This team should be better with Kirk Cousins being healthy. Number nine on this list is a team that I do believe I'm about to hear from my right. It's way too soon to have on this list, but I'm putting the Cowboys here.
I'm putting the Cowboys at nine. I still believe they are too thin in this roster. I do believe that they are too thin. They got a left tackle that's a rookie because their best left tackle is protecting Aaron Rodgers for the Jets. To me, I am genuinely concerned about this team's depth. That's all I'm saying. I might be wrong.
We might be proven otherwise. You could say, where was De'Ron Bland? Was he, was he depth?
Well, he was also now the depth that's a starter that's gone for the moment for two months. I still believe they're talented enough to be a top third team in the NFL, but the Cowboys are nine. This is where I had the Jets and I've removed them from my list. Oh, you moved them higher? No, I just took off. They're off.
Really? They're off because I'm putting the Miami Dolphins here. I think the dolphins are winning the division. I'm a believer.
I just had to sit here and think about it. The Jets might be on the outside of the periphery of this thing, but I got to say, Rich, you're one of the few media people who doesn't have the Jets in the final four. I, I'm, um, I'm, I just need to see it. I just need to see what it looks like because I didn't see it at all last year. You're a snake bit and broken man.
What can I tell you? If I think the dolphins are going to win the division, how am I not putting them on my power rankings? You can have the Jets 10. I'm putting the Miami Dolphins eight.
I'm with it. Number seven on this list is a team that, uh, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but I think this team is going to go very far by the end of the season. Uh, but for the moment to start the season, I need to see when Jamar chase is coming back and I need to see just how good they are.
He did practice today. Maybe that's a good sign, but the Bengals are seven on this list. I think Joe burrow could be MVP of the season this year. And I think this team is going to be back. And I think he's got a chip on his shoulder.
And I think he's, you know, he's walking in Paris with a hole in his, in his suit on the back, you know, he's just, he's got, he looks like Eminem and he's bringing a game that's, you know, like eight mile, you know what I mean? Number six on this team, on this list are the Houston Texans. I think they are for real. I think they got better. And I think that they are going to be a team that could actually make some folks in this town by the end of the year, a little bit upset. There might be, they might be the team along with the Bengals that could be any, if there's any AFC teams that can stand in the way of the chiefs by the end of the year. I think it's the Texans, even though I'm putting the Ravens above them right now, I still think I have to pay enough homage to what the Ravens did last year to put them in my top five right now.
They have a two-time MVP in the reigning MVP of the league. I got to pay them respect of putting them in the top five, even though, you know, later on my AFC North prediction before we finish this show might surprise you a little bit. I'm putting the Ravens here at five and I'm putting the Eagles at four. Guys, I said one of my top storylines entering this season is not only how good Saquon Barkley can be, but can he supplant Christian McCaffrey as the best all around back in the league? Because the way that he's been added to the Eagles, I'm wondering if Saquon can turbocharge the Eagles in the same way that Christian McCaffrey turbocharged the San Francisco 49ers. That's how good they can be. I think they're secondary despite having Brad Berry hurt right now.
I think the kids that they drafted, Quinon Mitchell and Cooper DeGene, I think they can really significantly add to this team. And I put the Eagles four here and I do hope that their changing coordinators fix their problems. I'm putting the Niners here at three and the reason why I'm doing that is because last night on NFL Network, I predicted the Chiefs would beat the Lions in the Super Bowl.
Okay. So I'm putting the Lions two. They did have the Niners where they wanted them last year and some questionable decisions in the second half, changed some fates. And number one, I am paying respect to our hosts for the week and the two-time defending champs who I believe will be three-peat champs, the Kansas City Chiefs. Enter my season, our season top ranked team as the top ranked team in my power rankings. And so there you have it. Those are my top 10 preseason power rankings, or if you will, kickoff power rankings presented by Total Wireless.
Get unlimited data that never slows you down for less than $30 a month. That's the new Total Wireless. We'll take a break. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. Back in Kansas City with Eric Stonestreet coming with either himself, a friend, or me. And we think it's the last one. Let's go. That's coming up in hour three. Let's talk about sleep number, people. We all know in the NFL, there's no margin for error.
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You know that probably in your real life. The same thing goes in the National Football League, which is why sleep number is the number to dial. Sleep number is the number to dial. Sleep number is the same thing goes in the National Football League, which is why sleep number is, in fact, the sleep and wellness partner of the National Football League.
Partnering since 2018. 8 out of 10 players have a sleep number smart bed. You should too. My sleep number setting is 60. My wife's is 70. Just 10 numbers apart. But it is the world of difference because being able to adjust your bed's firmness after working out for recovery, that is game changing. So right now, during sleep number's biggest sale of the year, you can save 50% on the sleep number limited edition smart bed plus special financing for a limited time only at a sleep number store. Or you can go to sleepnumber.com.
Sleep number is the official sleep and wellness partner of the National Football League. See store for details. Let's talk about game time tickets, people. We've been talking about it actually for months here on the Rich Eisen Show and our Rich Eisen podcasts.
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Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. Back here on the Roku Sports Channel live feed here in Kansas City. So what are you guys laughing about over there? What's happening? Nothing that you can talk about, right?
Nothing that we can talk about. Did you say you're going to the tailgate tomorrow? Well, I gotta say the way Rob sold it, it does make me want to go to the tailgate tomorrow. So look for us there.
Me, TJ, anyone else in the crew wants to go. Well, I mean, did you ask him for a hookup? No, I didn't want to do that. Didn't want to impose and maybe take advantage of our friendship and long-standing relationship. Didn't want to do that to Rob. I would have done it, but I don't really know him like that. I'm more than happy to spend whatever money.
I'd be more than happy to get in for free. I'm not saying it's a money thing. I know. I don't know what type of sway Rob has.
What are you talking about? He might have the keys to an 18-wheeler with two monster barrels of Crown Royal on the back. He never watched I Love Crown Royal. He didn't strike me as one of those guys that'd be just like, how dare you, you know, try and leverage anything with me.
He seems like a really nice guy. I also hate to ask for stuff like that. Well, I was going to ask Mr. Hunt if we could get some tickets to the game, but I decided against him. You just wanted an actual entree to that. Don't say what you're about to say.
An actual entree to that three-story apartment that he apparently has inside Arrowhead that's attached to his owner's suite. But I could tell you want me to ask about it. No, you want to go there like it's an Airbnb or something.
If I could stay the night, why not? Why not? Now, that would be a heck of a, you know, charity auction item. How about that?
Yeah, that's right. Think about that. That's a good plan. I just didn't, now that I didn't feel comfortable bringing up with it. Stay Saturday night, you know, wake up close game?
What are you gonna do on Sunday? I don't understand. Like, why are you being shy around Ron Briggle? I don't like to ask people for something. That's untrue.
I've seen you ask people things. Sorry. I personally don't.
That's absurd. Only you, Rich. I don't know where you are anymore.
I have no idea who you are anymore. All right, back here on the Rich Eisen Show here in Kansas City. Game time tickets. Make sure that you have this app on a mobile device near you and start buying tickets. Brockman may use it for tomorrow night.
No doubt. Unfortunately for you though, I'm sure you've already used our promo code of Rich for $20 off your first purchase. Oh, you know who hasn't used the promo code?
That's true. How have you not used the promo code yet? Well, I haven't bought any more tickets. Okay, all right. Sounds good. I've been getting hooked up.
All right, very good. Del Tufo hooked me up. Let me hook you up, man. Let me hook everybody up because buying tickets with game time is so simple. You get to see your view from your seat. You get to see how much your entire ticket costs, so there's no surprise fees thrown on you at checkout. There's a new feature called Game Time Picks that makes getting tickets to see your favorite teams play live even easier because it filters out the fluff, shows you only incredible deals on the great seats you're looking for, so you don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets.
It's awesome. Take the guesswork out of buying any tickets in anything in your area with game time. Download the game time app. Create an account. Use our code Rich for $20 off your first purchase.
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Game time. All right, so is Corbin in Texas still on the phone line? Is Corbin still on there? You there, Corbin? Yes, sir. Okay, good to chat with you. Where in Texas you calling in from?
I'm actually right outside of Austin, Georgetown, Texas. I called last year and played the Ravens win-loss and nailed it, so let's try again. What do you mean you nailed it?
What do you mean by that? What'd you do, Corbin? Oh, I do remember. I said they'd go 13-4, and they went 13-4. Okay, so here we go. Corbin getting it in just under the wire because as of tomorrow, there's no more. Two teams are removed from our win-loss game off the board. We could do it on Friday.
No, no, no, no, no, no. We can only do it for 30 NFL teams. Right. All right, so Corbin in Texas. Let's give them the music. All right.
Put the schedule up on the screen. All right, what happens on Thursday night here, Corbin? They're gonna lose.
Okay, all right, so that's not a great start. Then home for Las Vegas, what happens? Win.
Then you've got a visit to Dallas. Win. Home for Buffalo. Win. You're on a roll at Cincinnati, 3-1.
Law. 3-2, home for Washington. Win. 4-2 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a Monday night. Win. All right, that's now 5-2 at the Cleveland Browns.
Law. Home for the Denver Broncos. Win. 6-3, home for Cincinnati on a Thursday night. Win. 7-3 at the Steelers. Win. 8-3 at the Chargers. Harbaugh, who wins it on a Monday night? John, the win. 9-3, home for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Law. 10-4 off the bye at the Giants. Win. Okay, then home for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Win. All right, that's 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11, and 4 at the Houston Texans on Christmas.
Law. 12-5, home for the Browns. That's a win, and I also have a would you rather for you, Rich.
Okay, what do you got? 12-5, he's got the Ravens. 12-5, yes sir. Okay, Rich, I know you're a huge fan.
I'm a huge fan of yours and your guys. Would you rather watch the Jets win the Super Bowl from your couch with the family, or the Yankees win the World Series Game 7 at home? You're at Yankee Stadium. Oh my God.
Oh wow, that's incredible. That's an easy one. That's easy. At stadium? That's the Jets at home. No way, Yankee Stadium in Game 7?
I've never been to a Game 7 as a fan. Hold on a second. You would rather the Yankees win than the Jets. That's what this question is. I mean, dude. First of all, I wouldn't ever be home watching the Super Bowl right now.
That's just not a feasibility. But that wasn't the question. Okay, you get to watch a Super Bowl. The problem is nobody in Rich's family is a Jets fan. That's the thing, yeah. So it's not like your kids are going to be celebrating. No, my 13-year-old son with whom I'd be celebrating in Yankee Stadium with would be rooting against me. Right.
Like almost actively, I imagine. Yes, that is true. So, great question, Corbin. Thanks for the call.
Thanks for the call right there. Why does that surprise you? Why wouldn't I want to be in Yankee Stadium to watch a World Series? You've never seen a Jets win a championship. You've seen the Yankees with a bunch. Because we don't even know that the Jets really won. And you've been to a World Series games before. Let me just say this, okay, again. There are two teams that affect my emotions, like legitimately. Yeah, Michigan and the Yankees. That's it.
That's it. I mean, I've obviously grown up a Jet fan and my brother is insane. I think he's cutting short of vacation so he can get home in time to watch the Jets. You know what I mean? Like that's the sort of stuff he does. He's nuts. That's the stuff that makes the interview. He's nuts.
I get it. I mean, and I know a bunch of Jet fans who were totally nuts. Yeah. But when, you know, I don't know, maybe it's 55 years of it being beaten out of me.
I have no idea. But, you know, if the Jets look, like when Aaron Rodgers blew out his Achilles, I was a definite, that affected me. Because I'm like, I cannot believe. Yeah, you're way more excited last year than you are this year. Well, after all of that excitement to get it just cut down like that is particularly unkind. Yeah.
Was there a part of you that was like... But last night, last night when Clay Holmes or as Cooper and I, we don't even say his name in the house, we refer to him as Shmae Schmoems. Shmae Schmoems.
He texted me, Shmae Schmoems blew it again, dad. You know, and I'm like, yeah, I know. A grand slam.
He's blown 11 saves. Like that's the sort of stuff. Like legitimately, I was like, damn it.
And then Michigan football's the end all be all. Oh yeah. I don't know if I got to go over this pecking order with you one more time.
You don't. Okay. I'm just saying, maybe you'd like to see the Jets, you know, do something nice. Is there a smell of barbecue in the air? Because Eric Stonestreet is here. I see him.
I don't know. He is here. So our three is going to be, as the kids say, lit. So Stonestreet is here for our number three. He's brought a special surprise. We're taking a break here for our radio audience. We will return to the Roku Channel, the Roku Sports Channel and our television audience for our number three, our AFC North preview and so much more.
Don't go anywhere. Eric Stonestreet's coming up. Speaking of the AFC Northridge, I'm seeing video right now of Jamar Chase in uniform, walking on to the Bengals practice field.
That's great. I mean, is he going to get signed or not? I'd say soon. If he's there. I'd say he's out there. But I mean, Schefter said that needed to happen in the next 48 hours for him to play week one. And he said that yesterday. Well, he's out there practicing, which means it's a sign where they're dual tracking it. That's a good sign. Well, but if he's not, well, he's, he's out there getting ready just in case the contract hits. These things work.
These, you know how these things, you know, these things work too. It's just like, well, you've got to be here for us to, you got to show that you want to be here for us to sign you. I mean, it's sort of crazy ass dance that happens all the time. That would be nuts if they don't get this thing done. Tell me if he sits out. I just want to watch. I just want him to sit out past tomorrow because tomorrow is my draft at my poker league. Oh, you want him to drop. And I'm seventh overall. Oh, you think he might get to you at seven? There's no question he would.
Yeah. And I'd have a choice between him and Justin Jefferson on that spot. I would take Jamar Chase.
You would take, you would take a holding out Jamar Chase over Justin Jefferson. That's how much you don't like Sam Darnold. Rich loves Sam Darnold. It has nothing to do with liking Sam Darnold or not. Justin Jefferson had a thousand yard season last year and he missed that much time and Josh Dobbs was throwing to him in half the time. Literally a giant unknown that Sam Darnold. I know how good Joe Boro is.
I know how good they are together. I mean, he's got a point. Our number three coming up here live in Kansas City for our kickoff week. Let's go.
Hey, it's Rich Eisen here. Join me and my compadre Chris Brockman every Monday on the Overreaction Monday podcast. A 2023 last place team will win a playoff game this year.
I'm taking the Cincinnati Bengals to be that team. If you gave me two, if you said two last place teams, I might say that's an overreaction. Come react or overreact with us. This one makes it much easier. So thank you for making it easier. Tune in next week. Overreaction Monday, wherever you listen.
