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Potential savings will vary. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Touchdown, David Allen.
Touchdown, L.A. The Rich Eisen Show, today's guests. Cowboys writer for the athletic, John Machoda. Notre Dame quarterback, Riley Leonard. Commander's cornerback, Mike Sanristel. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
That's right, everybody. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show, live on the Roku Sports Channel. That's how you can watch us every single day.
You can see us that way. Also, our YouTube channel is a way you can catch up on watching us anytime you want. You can also get all our podcasts there as well.
Overreaction Monday has been out there for 24 hours. Once we're done here, Susie Schuster, Amy Trask, record What the Football. Albert Breer will be their guest, and there is a ton to talk about with him. With all of these coaching openings still there, the exception of New England. Will Deion Sanders fill the one in Dallas?
We'll discuss that. John Machoda, who covers the Dallas Cowboys for the athletic, is going to be our first guest right in the middle of this hour. Riley Leonard, formerly of Duke, now of Notre Dame, two schools as a Michigan Wolverine.
Eh, could do with that. But the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and he's taking on the Ohio State next Monday. And I can't wait to chat with Riley Leonard. And just in case I lack the professionalism to get through all of that, I'll cleanse the pallet with Mike Sanderstil in hour number three, as he is a Wolverine now in the playoffs in the divisional round with the Washington commanders going back to the state of Michigan to take on the Detroit Lions in a huge divisional playoff game.
It's an overreaction Monday on a Tuesday. So much to discuss with you at 844-204. Rich is the number to dial.
Set the table. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman. Rich, what's up, man?
DJ Mikey D is in D's nuts. Good morning, Rich. TJ Jefferson, good to see you, sir. What's up, fellas? Lots to talk about.
Lots to talk about here. And we start, as you might imagine, with the final game of Wild Card Weekend on Monday night in Glendale, Arizona. The question coming into this game, without a doubt, was how will the Rams show up?
How can they focus to show up? Again, we spoke with Matthew Stafford last week. I Zoomed with him. I Zoomed with him 30 minutes after a fire broke out in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles County, which is home to the Rams practice facility. Many Rams players do live in the hills right around the Palisades, if not in the Palisades, in Malibu, the Malibu Hills. The number of players and their families, the number of Rams staff members and families affected by the fires, too many to mention, too many to even think of. You're even shaking your head over there, TJ, because that's the way you have to these days. You're just shaking your head about what's going on in our world and our community right now. Yeah, you look at the pictures, man, and it's truly, it's unbelievable in how you get your – it was hard to watch football this weekend, guys.
We all talked about that. So having to go out and actually play in these circumstances, I don't know how they're able to – And kudos to the Arizona Cardinals and the NFL for rolling out the red carpet, bringing family members over. But even all of that, how can you get ready to play a football game? How do you practice in this environment? How do you do your job?
Now, we're all thinking of the firefighters who are doing their jobs. And I understand that we're talking football here. But under the circumstances of your entire life surrounding this game of football, and this game in particular, your entire season on the line here, and you're flying to Arizona, how would the Rams show up? And they gave you an answer right off the bat, right from jump, right from kick, marching down the field and scoring a touchdown on this vaunted Vikings defense, absolutely coming out with brass knuckles and swinging, and then defensively backing it up. The only mistake the Rams made in the first quarter was Bo Limmer, their center, coming in late hitting one of the Vikings to blow up their second scoring drive that looked like it was marching right down the field again to go up 14 to nothing. And then defensively, oh my goodness gracious, what they did to Sam Darnold and that offensive line last night was remarkable and put this game to bed. They caused Darnold to see ghosts like his old school days with the Jets. They took care of business significantly on that line last night. The pass rush was dominant. Darnold couldn't set.
And when he did set, he held onto it too long because the back end was doing its job. And the Vikings watched their season go right down the tubes. And even Kevin O'Connell, who was pushing buttons all year long, and he could be the coach of the year. He can get that award.
And if he gets that award the Thursday before the Super Bowl, it would not be surprising at all. But his decision before halftime to go for it on fourth down when you get the ball first to start the second half and you go for it and get sacked again and essentially gift the Rams another opportunity at points. It was just a complete out of sorts moment for the road team, which did appear to have more fans of theirs in the stands of the makeshift stadium in Arizona. As Joe Buck mentioned, 51% Vikings, 49% Rams fans. And it was the Vikings who looked out of sorts. It was the Vikings who looked like their game plan wasn't ready for prime time.
And it was the Vikings who wound up going home last night as a one and done 14 win team. And that Rams pass rush nine sacks. And the most impressive thing about that nine sacks is Aaron Donald was at the game. Aaron Donald was at that game.
It's just, you know, this is how he's at the game. In street clothes, at some point, I was like, wait, are we sure he's not playing? Are we sure that Aaron Donald isn't?
Did he suit up for someone, Chris? Because that's the whole point is that with Aaron Donald no longer being on the team, they weren't supposed to do anything this year. They weren't supposed to be able to win more than they lose. They weren't supposed to win a division. They weren't supposed to go to the playoffs.
And they certainly weren't supposed to go to the playoffs and win their first game because in part they were going to sack the competition nine times. Unreal what the Rams have done all year going from one and four to the divisional round. With Aaron Donald being out, they draft two kids out of Florida State to help fill the void.
And those guys with the rest of the other young Turks they have around, steamroll the trenches and a line of scrimmage. And that's the way the Rams move forward in these playoffs with a visit to Philadelphia. And when Tom eats ball in that game, they will know whether or not the winner goes to Detroit or has a chance to host the NFC championship game. Because the night before, if Jayden Daniels and the commanders continue to shock and awe and one and done the Lions, then the winner of Philadelphia and Los Angeles will host the NFC championship game, which would be truly remarkable if the Rams have to go to Arizona to beat the 14-win Vikings. And their first real home game in SoFi Stadium of the playoffs turns out to be the NFC championship game, which as we are sitting here right now is absolutely possible. And that would be an unbelievable set of circumstances in the foreground of one of the most remarkable set of circumstances in the background.
And that being what's happening here in Los Angeles. And I must say this, and I understand Vikings fans are absolutely beside themselves right now. That their season goes down, one and done. And they are, in fact, in the position today talking about what to do about Sam Darnold and with Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy.
And what happened and why it happened and how a team that had their quarterback on their shoulders in a victorious locker room after sweeping the Packers goes and loses their next two games in such absolute disappointing, getting punked fashion that they're out. And I know this isn't in any way, shape or form what they want to hear. But just speaking as a. Now for 22 years, Los Angelino. Living out here and what I have seen going on out here and what I am witnessing about what's going on out here and how Susie and I and the kids. Have been. Witnessing what's going on out here, looking over the hill, looking for smoke, looking for embers. One night evacuating. What you're dealing with, Chris, I understand you haven't talked about it here as well, living in your area in the valley, looking at the hills to see if what's coming over the hills is coming your way just to set up the stage here just. And again, we are the fortunate ones.
Yes. The beyond fortunate ones beyond. Seeing the letters LAFD. On Sean McVeigh's chest.
Last night, an LAFD on the hats. And having this team show up like they showed up last night. I'll be honest, it does inspire you to say if they can do that, then we as a city can do this, too. We can get through it. We can focus on tasks at hand. We can focus on jobs and, of course, you know, family.
And we can talk talk about rebuilding. And honestly, I understand it. It is at the very end, just a game. But it's the truth.
It's the truth. And the fact that we're talking about it as a Los Angeles football team, when 22 years ago, NFL Network started is like, what are you going there for? Why is NFL Network starting in Los Angeles? There's nothing there that's NFL and there will be nothing ever there that's NFL. And two Los Angeles teams played this wild card weekend, one that started it and one that ended it.
One that did get one and done, but. Went from fifth overall on the clock to fifth in the seating in in the playoffs, and then this team doing what it did last night. It truly is. The type of stuff when you watch sports that you think about as something that's bigger than sports. I said yesterday when I asked you guys, you know, your predictions on the game, who's going to win? And my thought was, you know, out of tragedy many times, you know, something beautiful will, you know, emerge from the ashes. I kind of feel like, I don't know, man, I don't want to equate the two and put this Rams run up against what we were dealing with. But it just seems like this could be something to elevate this city, to have the Rams go on the run and just give this city something to get behind and feel good about, man.
Maybe maybe it's the Rams time to pick this city up because we need it. Sean McVay had this to say afterwards. You know, with everything that's going on with our community, everything that these guys have gone through, I thought they epitomized and they represented the city the right way.
You talk about sports offering a platform for people to come together, offer a little bit of temporary relief. And I thought the way that our team competed tonight was what it looked like to stay connected, to stay together, just to fight the spirit, the resilience, all the different things that are great traits that this team has really built through the challenges that they've gone through. Over the course of this season and I'm really proud of them. McVay improved to eight and four as a head coach in the playoffs with that win. Only Don Shula, John Madden with 10 and nine have had more playoff wins as a head coach prior to turning 45 years old. In NFL history, Sean McVay turns 45 in January of 2031. And you could make the case last night was his greatest coaching victory. Period.
End of story. I know he's won a Super Bowl. I know he's won seven other playoff games. I know he's won big regular season games.
Last night, having the team ready in the manner in which it was and then have them execute the game plan. And of course, it helps to have somebody like Matthew Stafford at quarterback. Who last night tied Kurt Warner for the most quarterback playoff wins in the history of the Rams. He's five and one in the playoffs since joining Los Angeles. In that span since 2021, since Matthew Stafford went to L.A. from Detroit.
The only person with a better playoff win loss in that span is Patrick Mahomes at nine and one. Unreal. What a performance all around. And I can attest that the firefighting community and the first response community seeing the words L letters LAFD on hats and sweatshirts while they performed their tasks in the manner in which they did.
Is inspiring to them. We will take a break when we come back, we turn our attention to the Dallas Cowboys and their head coaching position during the game last night. News popped out of nowhere. Deion Sanders got a call from Jerry Jones. What does that mean?
Cowboys insider John Machoda from the Athletic when we come back. I got a riddle for you. What are yoga mats, a toothbrush and a Hyundai have in common? I'll give you a moment.
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Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. Remember what we said yesterday? That the Dallas Cowboys opening up their head coaching position would open up the floodgates to an absolute truckload of insanity? Of course.
Right, like back up the insane truck, open up the back, and out will come all forms of insanity. Every move they make that happens. And sure enough, I believe it was Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports, right? Yep. Who tweeted out that Dion and Jerry talked.
And Coach Prime is considered a top candidate, though the Cowboys plan to interview other candidates as part of the process per team sources. Adam Schefter then popped on his IG, which is where I saw it. You guys text me tweets these days, because again, I'm off that hellscape. And by the way, my life is so much better for it. Tried to tell you, man. You have no idea.
You won't listen. I haven't put in a single thing of my thoughts or conversation starters in there since November. Did you get shadow banned?
Is that what happened? I did not get shadow banned. I shadow banned myself.
Let me get your password just so we can retweet some stuff. What a horrible hellscape of a site that place is. It's so negative. But any rate, be that as it may, called it intriguing is what Dion said to hear from Jerry. And then said that he still loves Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches and our student body and the community. And one thing that's in there isn't I'm staying here. Exactly. You know what that wasn't? A no. Now, here's the thing. Dion, Dion, Dion, you know, if Mooch ever did that on any of the shows we did together, you'd be yelling at him for straddling the fence. Exactly.
You know, but I don't blame him, do you? He might be in negotiations in Boulder. That might put another digit up there. Right.
You know, it might put another digit up there. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show radio network. Let's join let's be joined by John Machoda here of the athletic, the man who covers the Dallas Cowboys. John, how are you, sir? Good to see you. I'm doing well. I'm just thinking about this life that you live where you're not on that app.
I don't I don't have that benefit. So it does sound nice. So delightful, John.
You should try it. Listen, Dion and Jerry chatted. You know, what do we got here? Obviously, I'm sure Dion's numbers and Jerry's cell phone. What happened here, John?
What's going on? I don't think either of these two gentlemen have it in their DNA to shoot down any type of interest like this. And so I think they both enjoy it quite a bit.
I still think that would be an extreme long shot for both. I don't know that Dion really wants to coach in the NFL, at least not right now. I do think he enjoys what he has going in Boulder. But with Jerry, you know, we've asked Jerry several times over the last couple of years about Dion, obviously, when he's having the success that he's had in college. And while Jerry's a lot of praise for Dan, no question. And he's in and Jerry's impressed with what he's been able to do at the college level. Jerry would always come back to the one of the best things that Dan's able to bring to the college game is the recruiting side of it and that there is no match for him as a recruiter.
And I don't think anybody would disagree with that. But Jerry would also point out that that doesn't really help you in the NFL because there really isn't the recruiting. And especially Jerry didn't say this, but many of us that cover the team will say this.
The Cowboys aren't even a team that does much in free agency where maybe even recruiting would even factor in. So some of his strengths, I don't know how that they would fit other than the fact that he's a huge name. And it just would be fascinating to have someone who would be as big of a kind of into the media and loving the media as much as Jerry does. So I would just be fascinated to see postgame where you have Jerry talking and Dion at the same time and people like myself would have to choose where we would go.
I don't think the Cowboys have had a coach like that really since Bill Parcells. I would agree with that, John. And one thing that I will offer a little pushback on is, yes, obviously Dion does like being talked about sometimes, not all the time. And he does have a sense of showmanship and does seem to welcome in the conversation about him when it's time. But I don't know if this getting out actually is helpful to him.
I mean, in the world of college, there's portals at any time. And if somebody thinks Dion's got a foot out the door, I don't think that helps him in the Colorado buffaloes one bit. And he's already, Dion is Dion no matter whether the Cowboys are interested in him, right? I mean, I don't know how that puts more of a feather in Dion's cap that the Cowboys would consider him as head coaching material. Like everybody considers him head coaching material. In a way, this does benefit the Cowboys to tell fans that would want something like this to happen. And that includes our mutual friend, Michael Irvin, who has come out and basically told Jerry to do this on Netflix before the touching of gloves, if you want to call it that, between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson.
That it kind of helps say, hey, Cowboys fans, I hear you. We're kicking over every possibility, including Dion. Well, and that also helps because of the fact that this isn't a next... Not to say that every hiring cycle has tons of big names, but when you take away a Bill Belichick, I mean, the biggest name that's probably left out there is Ben Johnson, who's never been a head coach, but he seems to be the clear favorite that most teams would be interested in having his services. Well, his name is nowhere near the level of a Dion Sanders. And so for this to be the first name that surfaces the same day that Jerry decides to part ways with Mike McCarthy, I just don't think that... I get what you're saying about the Dion thing, and that makes total sense, especially from the recruiting aspect.
It doesn't help you to have this in the news, but it makes total sense from Jerry's side to where even Jerry could be thinking, there's no chance I'm hiring Dion Sanders, but I'm in the news right now. I love it. I love to stir it up.
I love when they're talking about me. Let me throw out the... I'll get something out there of the biggest name that you could possibly have. Even though I don't really think I'm going to go that route, I don't think you could go bigger than Dion Sanders.
Jon Machoda of the Athletic here on the Rich Eisen Show. Before we continue on the road of who's next, let's linger on why McCarthy and the Cowboys parted ways, Jon. What happened in the days between the final game of the regular season and Monday?
Well, I think that you also have to include, you have to go back... I think it's a year to this day that Green Bay lost, just because of what the team was set up for. The Cowboys, like I said, they don't do much in the offseason to add talent from other teams, but they certainly, to their level, they felt like they were going all in when they traded for Brandon Cooks and Stephon Gilmore. They felt like that team last year was set up to really make a deep playoff run. They were great at home, winning 16 in a row. And then to lay the egg they did to get destroyed by the Packers as the 7 seed. Cowboys were a 7-point favorite in that game.
That's where everything kind of started. Because if it's not for that game, I think McCarthy gets a contract extension at that point and doesn't have to kind of coach in this last year for his job. And so things obviously didn't go well this season. You could certainly make the argument there's a lot of residual effects from that Packers loss, particularly at the start of this season. The first five or six games they played at home, the way they were just destroyed by teams, including the Saints who aren't even on that type of a level. I think things started to fall apart there.
Then the injuries, key injuries, the guys like Micah Parsons, Dak Prescott, that obviously didn't make it any better. And so I think Jerry wanted to give Mike every opportunity to try and maybe slip in the back door of the playoffs and get hot at the right time. And when that didn't happen, I don't think Jerry was committed to going long term. And I think Mike wanted another similar deal to what he got last time, five years, but probably a lot more money than I think he was making $8 million on this last one, especially when you think of what some of the top coaches are making. And I think that was the sticking point, but they never got.
From everything I've heard, they have not gotten into an actual numbers and years discussion at depth. And I think that's what ultimately got even Mike McCarthy to be like, all right, it's just best that we go in different directions because this thing isn't going anywhere. So is McCarthy who walked first, who balked and then walked?
That's your general sense of things? I think what happened is, yeah, I think Jerry was dragging it out. And I think Mike read that, yeah, this probably isn't going in a direction where we're going to come to agreement.
And so why drag this thing out any longer? I think it's just best we just go our separate ways because Jerry dragged it out with Jason Garrett, even though at the end of 2019 season, you knew he wasn't going to bring Jason back. And that went over a week until they finally made an announcement that they would go in another direction. So I think that Jerry probably wanted Mike back, but only for maybe a year or two.
And I don't think that Mike was interested in that at all. And when you say Jerry dragging it out, boy, have we heard that before, John, you know what I mean? And I just kind of feel you're going to be the latest person where I ask you a psychoanalytic question about Jerry Jones and his way of doing business. Why, why do you think it is as someone who covers and someone who listens and somebody who pokes around, you know, what's your analysis of why Jerry Jones drags things out to the last possible second, John? Well, the number one thing is definitely he likes the Cowboys always being talked about.
And so when you get things done in advance, then everybody just knows what to expect and you just go on with your day. And you see that with a lot of the top organizations, whether you talk about Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Green Bay. And there was obviously several others, but that's just not the Cowboys way, not under Jerry Jones. Jerry Jones likes to keep things out there.
He likes everyone to be talking about him. And while he loves to say that he has a high tolerance for ambiguity, which he said many times even after last Sunday's loss to Washington, you have to sit there and go, well, that doesn't mean everybody else feels the same way. It certainly wasn't best for C.D.
Lamb for that contract extension to be dragged out and him not be at training camp. It doesn't appear that that was the best thing to wait a couple of hours before the season opener to give Dak his new contract. They say that they don't do anything in free agency and kind of drag it out like that they're just going to find some bargains during camp or right before the season starts.
They're just the thinking is just not there. That's lined up with the top winning organizations in this sport. And it's safe to think if a fan or a reporter or anybody to. Well, you're the most valued franchise.
Like the expectation should be that you're getting the absolute best and you're doing the absolute best. And that really isn't the case with the Dallas Cowboys. That's why it's been twenty nine years since they've they've won a Super Bowl. But Jerry loves, like he says, he loves to stir it up when things get a little quiet. He loves to stir it up. And so like right now, he's going to he's going to milk this whole coaching search thing for all that it's worth. And it doesn't even mean that it's going to lead to the best candidate, but it's going to keep the Cowboys in the news cycle.
And Jerry loves that few minutes left with John Machado of the Athletic covers the Dallas Cowboys. So walk me through the timeline and who's on the list. And and and and, you know, good luck trying to figure out this labyrinth of deadlines and when you could talk to somebody in person or when you can zoom to somebody based on whether they're still in the playoffs or not. Walk me through best to your knowledge, the timeline and who's on the list for Jerry Jones and the rest of the group to talk to here. I think it's without question the most difficult of the head coaching openings to predict.
And that's just because there isn't an obvious name. Again, when I talk about that loss, the Packers, there was many who thought they should have won another direction after that loss and all the top names that would have been out there. Jim Harbaugh, Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson.
They didn't have any significant interest in them then. So when this cycle was coming back through, it's not like the Cowboys just barely missed the playoffs. The writing was on the wall early in the season. I was going in the wrong direction that there was a good chance there'd be a new head coach.
But there is no leader in the clubhouse at all. A lot of people point to Kellen Moore because obviously he's been in the building, former player, great relationship with Dak. He's called the plays, but I don't know how he would fit in his first time as a head coach being that in the spotlight of the Dallas Cowboys.
And so I don't think that's the slam dunk. Ben Johnson makes a ton of sense, but Ben Johnson is probably going to get paid at the top of the market. And as I say, the Cowboys, you see the valuations all the time, $10 billion, $10.1 billion, $10.2 billion. They don't spend on coaches like a team that's the most valuable franchise in sports. So that's why Ben Johnson doesn't make a lot of sense.
But then also you can't close the door on some people that other teams wouldn't consider. And the number one on that list would be Jason Witten. He hasn't coached in the NFL. He hasn't coached in college. But he has a great relationship with Jerry Jones. Jerry Jones thinks very highly of him. Jerry Jones has made comparisons between what Dan Campbell's done in Detroit to Jason Witten.
Obviously both were former tight ends that played for the Dallas Cowboys. I can certainly see Jason Witten being a good head coach in the NFL. I certainly think he could work well with Jerry Jones, but not having any coaching experience, that just doesn't make a lot of sense either. Jerry's not really in a spot where he can have a young coach kind of just learn on the job. He needs someone that comes in and can win right away, especially with the investments he's made in Dakin CD and will make in Micah Parsons. So that's not an obvious choice either. So then that brings you to the Pete Carroll's, the John Gruden's and Ron Rivera's.
And I don't know that any of those are a slam dunk pick either. And I'll just wrap up my thought on that by saying this. I don't think Jerry Jones even knows definitively right now who he wants to be their next head coach.
And that's kind of scary. What about Belichick? Again, I go back to just them not wanting to spend the money. So when I see a $10 million buyout, that gives me pause. But then also the fact of you could have had Bill last offseason. You could have talked to Bill throughout this season when things were going in the wrong direction. And be like, hey, we're really interested in you. We want to talk to you, but we're going to give Mike the rest of the season to coach this season out. Bill has spoke very highly of Jerry and Stephen Jones.
He knows them very well. They certainly could have been back channeling there. But from everything I've heard, that never happened. And that's why Bill didn't have a lot of interest.
That's why he took the North Carolina job. So I think that one's unlikely as well. So no idea. No idea.
Zero. There's no sense. And Dion, you think is just two guys who talk to one another. Somebody leaked it out and they're just cool with having it talked about. Listen, I think Jerry will keep playing that one up until he does identify who his next head coach is. And kind of going to your earlier point of why things take so long with Jerry, too. I think as he gets older, I think there's a lot more of him listening a lot more to people around him. And taking in what they say, whether it be Stephen Jones, whether it be Will McClay, whether it may be former coaches and people in the league that he's known for a long time that he bounces ideas off of. And I think there could be a part where he's maybe not as decisive as he used to be.
It's interesting that that Netflix documentary is coming out. The headline of it is that it's called The Gambler, Jerry Jones. And Jerry Jones hasn't been a gambler for a while in the NFL, well over a decade since he's done real big gambles.
And so that's why I kind of lean towards a more conservative approach. And that's why you can't shut the door on like a Pete Carroll or someone or like even a Mike Tomlin if he was to become available. I just think Jerry is going to really try and target someone that has previous NFL head coaching experience. Do you watch Landman, John? You watch it? I haven't, but I saw Jerry's scene and I can tell you I've been around Jerry Jones and that doesn't even seem like that was acting.
That is legit. That seemed like Jerry Jones, how he talks about family and that. But yeah, I haven't got a chance to start it yet.
But you saw the scene. Do you know any of the backstory? How he got involved? Is Taylor Sheridan the next head coach of the Cowboys? I mean, what do we have to make, John, on that one?
Anything? Well, if you have anything to do with the oil and drilling business, Jerry Jones is obviously someone that's good to consult with. And I know that he has relationships with people involved with that and Jerry loves the whole TV side of it. And so because of that, it doesn't surprise me that he's involved in that and that him and Taylor Sheridan talk. There was a schedule release a few years ago for the Cowboys. I believe Taylor Sheridan was involved. So they definitely have a good relationship.
He's been to Cowboys games before. And so I think it's just a natural fit. And certainly with that topic, it makes complete sense. And even with the topic that Jerry's talking about in that scene right there, I can see it being one of those things where he's talked about it with Taylor Sheridan, with other people, with the show. And they were like, man, that's great. We should try and work that in to an episode because just the way Jerry was talking about his family and the way he was tearing up like that.
I've been around him several times when he's had very similar conversations, so I could understand how they could be like, we're just going to let the camera roll. Just have a natural conversation and we'll use the best stuff and ended up using all of it. John, appreciate the time. Let's do this again soon, as obviously you're going to be very busy finding out what is going on at the Star. And I appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks for having me on.
You got John Machoda of The Athletic right here on The Rich Eisen Show covering the Dallas Cowboys and Paramount Plus. All right. He just said a lot. Let's take a break. Come back. And I want to get my two cents on the Dion part of that and also the conversation about why it takes forever and how he likes being talked about.
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Big set of ovaries and then we obsess follow and listen on your favorite platform. So you remember last year at the Super Bowl when we were there that in Vegas, when we had Dion on the set fresh off his first years, the H.C. of the Colorado Buffaloes, and then coming in right after him and his appearance, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith together. Do you remember that? And they had a nice interaction.
Yes. Just think, just think if if this is the dynamic involving the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys right here. Oh, play old James. I love that man. I love that man. Those two got me a ring. Those two got me a ring. I was always jealous because they used to talk about the triplets like I didn't exist over there.
Like I ain't doing nothing out here on the defense now. I was jealous. I admit it. I was jealous.
You're jealous because they had triplets, triplets this, triplets that, triplets this. But, you know, they were already at dynasty before I got there. So I had to understand. I had to understand. But those two, you got to understand, we Florida boys. So no matter what transpires in life, we will always come back and love each other because we are Florida boys to the end and we have that connectivity, man. So we grew up a certain way. We grew up with a certain fight, with a certain digger about ourselves, man. So and I don't give a darn if what I'm doing, if he calls, I'm picking up on the first ring and he knows I'm picking up on the first ring. That's how much we love each other. It wasn't about the football.
It was about the connectivity as kids, how we grew up, man. They've called him already, right? Well, Irv, as you know, on the set of Netflix's coverage of the Paul Tyson fight with Jerry Jones sitting next to him because the fight was in the Jones Mahal, said essentially hire Dion. And McCarthy was still the head coach of Dallas Cowboys in the middle of the season. Yeah.
In the middle of the season. The hate was not yet in the barn to use Jerry's phrase. And part of that exchange right there, I think is there's an allure for Jerry because it's not just Dion and his coaching acumen he would, he would be bringing in. It's a lot of the history. In the same way that the Patriots just went back in their past for their new head coach to tell their fan base, we know what you're interested in.
We know what used to work. We know that this person, you know, straddles the present and that past. You know, Jerry's probably looking at something like that and hearing from Emmett maybe and hearing from Dion and hearing from, I mean, hearing from Irv and what, hearing from what, Charles Haley, go down the list. Woodson. Darren Woodson. Right. All of Prime's teammates.
You know, the year that Prime won it there. And I'm sure it appeals to Jerry a lot. And the fans. And guess who also I am sure is on a first ring pickup list for Dion Sanders.
Jerry Jones. Bingo. I thought you were going to say you. I'm not. If you recall that exchange, I said to Dion, how come I'm not on that first? What? And we had a fun exchange after that.
But that wasn't the relevant portion of the sound bite. So, you know, that's how we're cutting it up. But I'm sure this is what's on Jerry's mind right now. Back here on the Rich Eyes and Show radio network, I'm sitting at the Rich Eyes and Show desk furnished by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry. Grainger has the right product for you.
Call click Grainger dot com or just stop by. John Machoda, lots of food for thought. Let's take the Dion thing first. Dion and Jerry talk. Somebody gets it out there.
The question is, is who and who does it benefit? Listen, I know Dion has the reputation of being someone who wants to be talked about. I understand that. I also know Dion has a perfect pitch, perfect sense of when if you're being talked about, it can be used in your favor. Remember when the head coach of Colorado State called him out for wearing shades and stuff like that?
And that was the week that they got the Blender stuff ready? You know what I mean? Case in point. I'll take somebody else talking about me in a denigrating fashion. And guess what?
Dion Blender is available near you. You know, he's got that incredible sense. But. If he's staying in Colorado. And I think he will. I don't know, I just got the sense it's just building too much and all of these recruits are coming. You know, he's getting big time names here.
Great. And no, I know that. But what I'm saying is those big time names might be calling up Colorado today and saying, what gives? Is he staying or not? It does not help college coaches to be talked about leaving for the pros. It doesn't help at all.
As a matter of fact, it hurts. Why do you think Mike Lombardi went on his tour saying this Belichick stuff is nonsense? If Bill is building a team in North Carolina, you know what hurts building a team in North Carolina? The thought that he might not be there. He's going to reach for a cocktail napkin. Well, then why didn't Dion shut it down yesterday? Great question. I don't have the answer to that because maybe he is deep down considering like, how does this play out? He might be. When we spoke to Prime in December, he was talking. He mentioned he's talking contract to stay in Colorado. Does this add a digit?
Does this increase a digit? I don't know. And if there's anybody who's savvy enough to know that and realize that and play the cards right, it would be Dion, obviously. But this this helps Jerry to tell folks in the fan base. Yeah. Hey, you know, the Patriots went back to the future. So can we.
And we had a heck of a pass, didn't we? And who better to come and do it than Prime? Who, if he wants to coach his son's plural, as he said, I don't know if Dallas can make that happen. They got Dak at sixty million dollars a year.
Sixty million a year for a 32 year old quarterback who's having trouble staying healthy lately. Well, if he wants to coach his son, the spot is Las Vegas. Well, they would have a better shot at getting both of them. And there's a real chance Chador drops to six and they could go get him.
That is true. But it ain't the Cowboys. Well, I mean, you know, as we said, we we said the crazy was coming.
The minute we heard McCarthy was was out the crazies coming and this it didn't take long for the crazy crazy. Oh, no. Because if Deion Sanders does take the Dallas Cowboys job, it would break the Internet.
It would put the Dallas Cowboys on the map. Wait a minute. They're always on the map. You know what I'm saying? Like the lead every show. Hold on a second.
Well, they usually do anyway. But you want to talk about must see. Like, how does how does Deion coaching the Cowboys raise the stakes of you wanting to watch Dallas versus San Francisco, for instance? Right. You know, how many Dallas Atlanta? Literally their first seven games would all be primetime.
You know what I mean? Well, his the coach's nickname is primetime. All the games are primetime and they would all be primetime. And we're watching anyway. So that's why Jerry has that sort of interest, I would think. And then that leads me to the other thing that John Machado of the Athletic just mentioned about when I asked him, he's the latest.
Right. I've asked Calish all this. I've asked a whole bunch of people the question about why does Jerry wait so long?
Why does he wait till the last minute to do things? Why? Why? Why don't they jump into the free agent market? Why don't they go ahead and sign their guys earlier when it would be cheaper for him? Why?
Why? Why are they dragging stuff out? And Machado said that was part of the reason, if not the main reason, why McCarthy's not coming back. It's because Jerry was dragging it out to the point where McCarthy's like, this ain't working. I'm bouncing because I'm seeing other options that I might have potentially dry up because they're already down the road looking at guys.
I need to start interviewing. And now is better than tomorrow if tomorrow is going to be the same as now. And the answer comes back that Jerry likes being talked about. And if this is it, I get it, I get it, I get it.
But if this is true, do you know what the best way to be talked about is in the NFL? As a winner, winning that just takes care of itself. You want to be everywhere.
At all times, you want to be everything, everywhere, all at once. Win. Yeah, but Rich, they haven't won and they are everywhere. CJ, I know. I'm just saying the best way to be everywhere where they are anyway is to be talked about as a winner.
And if you focus on that, instead of just saying it's still better to be talked about, even if we lose, which which one would you rather have? And I don't understand. Take a look at take a look at the Kansas City Chiefs right now. People have Chiefs fatigue because they're everywhere.
Bundling your this or seeing, you know, that. They're everywhere. But they're also not just everywhere, they're everywhere being talked about as dynastic. So focus on that.
I know that sounds so simple. And it used to be part and parcel where you were talked about and you were also talked about being dynastic. Those days are 30 years gone officially.
Now, as of this year, 30 years now, which is why you sound as frustrated as you did yesterday and what you just said to me a moment ago. TJ, but the whole idea of like, you know what, we're just going to drag it out instead of handling it before. So you could save money and add more people to your team and thus get to the winning part. As opposed to being focused on the being talked about part, which is where it looks from the outside, looking in. It may not be that inside the building, but from the outside, if you want to talk about what, how you're being talked about.
This is how you're being talked about, where it's more important to be talked about than winning. That's what it looks like. Right. I mean, yeah. Yeah, it makes sense. What you're saying is it's making sense.
But when you look at the fact that they are the most valuable franchise and all and he's getting movie roles, it just I've said this before and I'll continue to say it. I don't know that winning is a top priority for that organization. I bet you that. And by the way, that is, by the way, very fair. That's not unfair to say that.
But Mike, I'm sure it would get them very upset because that's all they want to do is win. But if that's the case, then drill down to use the landman phrase. Interesting. Drill down like thirteen thousand on getting stuff done early. Drill down on saving yourself money on decisions that are inevitable.
Identify the inevitable drill down and save your money and then smartly go shopping to supplement instead of saying, we believe this is our team and obstinate. Some people are in obstinate all in. I just realized something. I'm listening to you and everything you say is making sense. But then how can you convince a billionaire who's done everything his way? We heard the story on landman who drilled those holes and drilled and found the gas in the oil and did it his way. How you can never going to convince him what you said made so much sense.
It did. But guess what? In one ear out the other. Because once you had that much success, no one can ever tell you anything.
I don't know. John Machoda of The Athletic said that Jerry and his dotage is listening to more and more people and is maybe part of the dragging out process is a listening tour that he never used to go on. Somebody needs to tell him what I just said.
Well, he'll hear it because he watches the show for sure. I'm sure. I'm sure. Because it's it's just it just keeps I keep shaking my head about it.
And it's crazy. You know who also is a gold standard franchise that is known for not spending all of their capital on coaches? Patriots? No, our our our neighbors down the road, the Lakers. Yeah. Who haven't done that in a long time, like Phil was the last one in the same way like Bill was the last one in Dallas. Phil was the last one down the street here for the Lakers.
I don't know what it is. But the Lakers churned through coaches. Yeah. The Cowboys do not.
And the Lakers have won a title. I hate to say it. No, I get it. Within I get it.
This is just that's what I thought when I heard Machoda talking about dragging it out. Riley Leonard of Notre Dame coming up. Hey, it's Rich Eisen here. Join me and my compadre Chris Brockman every Monday on the overreaction Monday podcast. You're also saying the record's gonna go down. I'm saying the record's going down anyway.
The guy. I don't think you're off on this at all. Like you're spot on here. I don't think this is an overreaction because we have no idea what we're reacting to. Come react or overreact with us. Overreaction Monday. Follow and listen on your favorite platform. It's game over. Over, man.
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