This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today.
Smart choice. Progressive loves to help people make smart choices. That's why they offer a tool called Auto Quote Explorer that allows you to compare your Progressive car insurance quote with rates from other companies. So you save time on the research and can enjoy savings when you choose the best rate for you.
Give it a try after this episode. at Progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Not available in all states or situations.
Prices vary based on how you buy. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. The same way you know you've got to make sure your lucky jersey is clean on game day or your team might lose. Checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate.
Savings vary. Subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates.
Northbrook, Illinois. Sports. College basketball reporter, Seth Davis. Host of Pablo Torre Finds Out. Pablo Torre. Coming up, two-time major champion, Zander Shafale.
Four-time Olympic champion, Michael Johnson. And now, it's Rich Eye Seth. Rich, time with Pablo Torre just left our studio. I know you're a big consumer of his pod. It's just so interesting that some of the subjects he tackles as you could hear from last hour. And what I found out about Pablo Torre finding out is he's one of those highfalutin Manhattanites that frowns upon Staten Islanders and that pisses me off. So I found that out.
You should like him. He loves telling you where he went to college. You know what I'm going to find out shortly in 20 minutes time.
Michael Johnson's in studio. I'm going to show him photographs of me running my 40. And I do something weird with my right leg. It's awful. I can't stand it. I'm going to ask him, just by taking a look at a picture, like, what's wrong with me?
It's a new segment that we're going to unveil here. Michael Johnson, I'm going to ask, what's wrong with me? I like it. OK. Thankfully, I won't be showing any photographs or video of my golf game. I was going to say, we can ask Xander to fix our swings.
Oh, my God. There is a big match tonight. The finale of the inaugural season of the highly popular TGL, presented by Sophon. The primetime matches on ESPN tonight. He's down one to Atlanta Drive GC, needs to win both matches tonight in front of Scott Van Pelt in the country. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, two time major champion, Xander Shafale. Good to see you, Xander. How are you? What's going on?
Thanks for having me on. Normally I'd ask what the weather's like for tonight's match, but it doesn't matter, does it, Xander? Doesn't matter at all. It sure doesn't.
It just matters what the game's on before. OK. Is there is this interesting question here, at least I think it is, if you don't mind me starting with me. I normally say my question is interesting. Do you go in there? Do you and your county and your team, do you check on the air conditioning vents to see, is there some sort of draft that's coming in that you got to figure out? Anything like that, Xander?
Does anything like that happen? No, you just, uh, I was, it was hot in there last night. I think to be, you know, I guess it is an interesting question just because the turf does play a little bit different when humidity comes into the building versus when the AC is pumping.
So that is different. Do they turn the AC off? Do they do that for your matches? I was sweating a lot last night and I don't know if it was because I was messing up with the hammer or missing six footers, but I was, I was hot. See, these are things you never thought you have to consider when you're playing indoors, Xander. You know what I mean? Yeah, I know. Well, they're not much of a draft, but, uh, unfortunately they don't turn the wind, the wind on, on the simulator. That's right. They thought about it early and, uh, I think a lot of the players were a little concerned about it. Pushback in the TGL. OK.
Uh, and it, you know, at least in Palm Beach Gardens in Florida, there's no humidity that you have to worry about outside affecting inside at all. You know what I mean? Like, so. Zero, zero. What's it been like the first season of TGL?
Xander? It's been fun. You know, I think the, the matches, you know, I think it touches up on, upon a lot of, you know, what, what golfers or fans aren't, aren't liking about golf. So, you know, I think the pace of play is fast.
There's a shot clock. There's a little bit more back and forth, you know, with the players. It's pretty sort of open in terms of communication.
So you can kind of say whatever you want, whenever you want. Um, and, uh, yeah, I think, you know, competing in the matches is a lot of fun. Uh, last night was probably the most serious out of all the matches that I've played.
You know, I've only played, you know, four now and, uh, it was definitely the most serious. Uh, I think, you know, it started a little bit playful and now that we're coming to a conclusion, you know, you want to win this thing and it showed the last night. The competitive spirits coming out now, huh?
Is that what you're saying? I like it. Not that they, not that they weren't always there, but you know, it sort of felt new and everyone was sort of, you know, a little bit more jovial and laughing.
And last night, you know, it was, it was like, uh, we're trying to get up on, on, on each other and, uh, you know, unfortunately we lost that one, but we got two more chances. How's Cantley's place of pace of play indoors? Is it still, is it still a little slow indoors, Xander? I don't, I don't think anyone's struggled with the clock to be honest.
Okay. Well, cause with him, I mean, you've put a shot clock on him. I mean, I think there are some, uh, players on, not to put you into position that would love to see that outdoors with him.
You know what I mean? Uh, he actually hits pretty fast when he's over the ball. So, I mean, he may, he may, he may taps a little around when he's, when he's with his putter. Um, but other than that, he hits, he hits relatively quick, you know, uh, you get 40 seconds and I'll even catch myself sort of like that heartbeat comes on at 15 seconds. And so you're trying to sit there and you're like, all right, let me try and visualize my shot.
Cause it's going to go into the screen. And then all of a sudden you start hearing this heartbeat and then it picks up the pace as it goes down to 10 seconds and five seconds. And you're like, Holy smokes, might as well pull the trigger. So I can only imagine how much anxiety I would have if that was on at like a major championship or something, you know, you have a putt to win and you hear this extra heartbeat sound coming down from a speaker or something.
Good thing that didn't happen to the PGA championship last year. Right. Right. It was a pretty audible heartbeat sound in my head.
I think that was going, didn't need the extra audible. Oh man. Is it true? One of the New York golf club, uh, uh, owners is CC Sabathia. Is CC part of the crew here? Xander? Yeah, he sure is.
Okay. Has he been, has he, has he been in any of these or, or the, okay. You've seen him? Yeah, he's come out. He's come out.
He's, he's, he's a, he's a big boy. Yeah. It was, uh, yeah.
It's hard to give him like a, uh, I feel like a toddler giving him a hug. You know what I mean? I bet.
Yeah, no, he's, he is tall and he's large and now he's a hall of Famer. Um, okay. So, well, obviously I hope you have a late night tonight. You know what I mean?
Like you want to, you want to, right. There's two that you need to win this evening. Correct. Double header.
Yeah. We're, we're, uh, in, in Mets fashion, I guess we're just trying to crawl our way back into this thing. Um, you know, we lost, we lost our first two matches of the season and it was looking kind of, you know, not very good. And so for us to crawl back and fight back and, and claw our way into the finals, you know, just, uh, talking to the guys and we feel like, you know, this is a spot we've been in before. So we just got to prove ourselves once again. Okay. I've got Zander Shafale here on the Rich Eisen Show, two time major champion getting set for tonight's final of the inaugural season of the TGL here on the Rich Eisen Show.
You could check it out on ESPN, ESPN Plus, ESPN2 as well, which is all available right here on Roku. Are you, do you have a bracket? NCAA tournament bracket, Zander?
I don't. No, SD, I went to San Diego state. I went to Long Beach state my freshman year, and then I went to San Diego state. My, you know, SDSU has had pretty good basketball under Fisher for quite some time. And you know, Dutcher took over and he's, he's done a pretty good job. And unfortunately they got, you know, kicked out. They kind of had that new, they were in that new sort of play in, I guess. The first four, the first fours are saying. Yeah.
Yeah. I was like in the 11 seed. I was a little confused to be completely honest, but they lost, you know, it was a tough, tough watch against UNC to be honest. But, uh, I haven't really been, you know, I've seen some of the close calls that have been in the tournament, but not, not really pulling, you know, I just want to see some drama, some college drama along with everyone else. I just thought there would be a bracket, some sort of an PGA player bracket.
There isn't one of those. Uh, what about a fantasy league? You guys, a fantasy, you don't do fantasy football either. No, most of the degenerative betting is on ourselves to be completely honest. Good use of degenerative.
I appreciate that. On yourself, huh? Not against, not, not with each other is what you're saying?
That doesn't happen? So you bet on yourself is what I'm saying. You're betting on yourself to beat everyone else.
You know, I think in order to be a professional golfer or you have to be pretty much in that bucket that, you know, all the guys seem to be in, which is, uh, like I said, degenerative. Okay. Well, how are you feeling going into obviously a crucial part of your golf season here at the top of, or the top of April, middle of March right now, Xander? I'm feeling, yeah, I'm feeling okay. Uh, healthy again, um, played three weeks in a row off of injury.
So that was, that was a huge bonus. Um, didn't play great. Uh, had, had a few glimpses of hope. So definitely, you know, Augusta is my next event. I was, you know, still thinking about maybe throwing Valero in there if I feel like I need more reps, but yeah, health, health was the number one priority.
And, um, now I'm just trying to get into like, you know, back to some decent playing form to where I'm confident and not thinking so much golf swing and just thinking about getting the ball in the hole. So we're working on that. Well, maybe you can ask the TGL people. It's probably a little late to maybe turn tonight into Amen Corner. You know what I mean?
Like you play Amen Corner, you get ready for the masters and play the TGL. I'm sure the masters people might have some pushback on that, but maybe. Yeah. Yeah.
I was going to say, I don't think Augusta has given up the rights for their course. You know what I mean? Like, come on now.
I mean, mixed TGL and it'd be a new tradition, unlike any other, if we do that. If you want to, if you want to call in on our behalf, we'd be happy to have your presenters, Rich. That'd be nice. I would think you have a little bit more poles, Andrew, than I would. I'll be honest with you. I don't have a whole lot of pole to be honest.
I just play golf for a living. Come on now. Come on now. You're, you're thinking jacket.
I, my only, you know, my only green jacket is one I could pick up in somebody's garage at Goodwill. You can actually get the real thing, man. You can do that. Yeah. I mean, that's the plan. That's the one, that's the quickest way to becoming a member.
No doubt. Yes. I would say that would be the quickest way to that.
That's the, that's the straight line. Okay. Well, we can, we can maybe pull.
The only way for me. ESPN's got the rights. Let's try and figure this thing out. Ask Van Pelt. Van Pelt's got the pole. He probably has a key to Butler cabin right now in his pocket. Ask him tonight. You do that tonight. Say, Hey, just turn this thing. That's let me just, you know, give me, give me something on 12, give me 13.
That's all just two holes. That's what I can ask it. All right.
So what happens then? Walk me through your, your, you're going to be with Cameron young, Ricky Fowler. Those are your, your teammates walk me through as you're getting ready for, for tonight's a big finale.
Yeah. We have seven PM T off. They want us there on five, five 30 ish. Um, we're able to warm up. We go in, you know, we have simulators in the back room. We can, you know, we have a full gym, we have plunge.
I mean, they have the full set up their locker room. So we go in and plunge. What do you need a plunge? Just in case there's a virtual pond, you want to jump in or what do you mean? A cold plunge, you know what I mean?
For recovery. So, I mean, you got, you can, you can do whatever the world is yours in that TGL facility. Um, you can do whatever you want in there. So show up, warm up, you go out in the stadium, you can hit some shots into the screen. Uh, the most important shots are on the green and around the green, um, chipping off that turf can be tricky. So, uh, that's kind of the plan.
And so when, when we move on and we will play till, you know, 11, 11 ish. I'm just sitting here thinking if this was me, I'd want a virtual comfort station. You know what I mean? Like just walk me through into some comfort station.
I want, I want the best food. Maybe, you know, maybe a little something, you know, a little swing oil and then go out there. So what's the spread like? What do they got for you? There's a cold plunge.
What do you got? Yeah. I mean, they don't have, they do. I'm sure they have alcohol there. I haven't really, you know, sought it out to be honest. I figured, you know, being, being sauced on ESPN on national television is probably not the best idea for myself. No, no, no transfusions. I've been known to have a loose mouth sober.
So I figured getting drunk, getting drunk is the worst thing that could happen for me. Just trying to protect myself and my teammates and the sponsor. Right. I think so far would appreciate that sort of thing. Yeah. Okay.
All right. So you've got your marching orders for me. Go tell Van Pelt I said hi and that he should have the TGL turn the masters on, you know, like let's, let's go.
That would help you get ready for your next big gig. And you know, he's got the pull. Tell him I said hi. I'll tell Scott. I'll tell Scott. You want, you want, you want, you want the key to the Butler cabin and you want the right, the rights to, to aim in corner for TGL. I think that works.
That absolutely works. What's the adjustment hitting on that giant screen? Cause like a lot of you guys played Valspar on Sunday and then you're turning around quick and playing Monday and this thing like, like what's the biggest difference that you've seen throughout the year?
I think just focusing on the screens about from the front deck, it's about 25 yards and then about 50 ish yards away from the back screen. So there is room to see the ball curve going in. And I think when you're playing in there, you just, I feel like guys are, you play the best when you just try to hit it pretty straight.
And so it forces, you're not going to sit there and like feel like a tree's in your way. You have to like kind of rope this hook shot or slice it around. I mean you can, but there is like this kind of weird component to feeling like it's going to, you know, where to hit it on the screen, where it's going to enter and those things. And I think like Ludwig, for example, when I played against him, like he, it feels like he plays simulator golf in real life. Like he hits it so straight.
And when I played a heads up against him, he was just aiming right at the flag and hitting a missile right at it every time. So I was like, dang, like maybe I should stop trying to draw it and cut it as much and just try to hit a little bit of a straighter ball. And you know what I mean? It's not going to end up in too weird of a place. So, you know, I think the adjustment is maybe a little bit less curve when you're in there just to feel comfortable, because if you can get a ball to kind of line up from 50 yards, you know, to hit the screen in a decent spot, it's going to go pretty straight once it goes on. I think so.
But, you know, I've been guilty too. You know, I've tried to hit a cut and hit a snap hook and it felt like a snap hook. And as soon as they hit that screen, it was going left. So it does. It does. It does. It does. It does.
It does a real thing for sure. Unfortunately. Well, if it did the real thing, I'm glad to know there's 50 yards between the tee and the screen so I could just top it and hit it from there, my second shot. Yeah. Well, I think you have to get it to the screen or it's not going to show up on it, but maybe we'll try it tonight in a warm up tonight.
I'll chip one short and see if it picks it up. Okay. Do that. See, more homework for you.
More homework for you. I didn't think I was going to come on and get a bunch of assignments. Do you have a pen?
Do you have a pen? Write this down. I got it all.
You're not asking for too much. Don't worry. Oh, man. Xander, a pleasure is always having you on. Good luck tonight. Hope you have a late night. Hope you have a late night. Thank you. Thank you.
You bet. That's Xander Chaflet. Everybody check him out along with the rest of New York Golf Club needing to win the first match that's on 7 p.m. Eastern on ESPN and ESPN Plus.
And then the third match, if there is one, nine o'clock on ESPN and ESPN Plus to decide the winner of the first ever SoFi Cup. Thanks for coming on, Xander. Appreciate it. Thanks, Rich.
You bet. That's Xander Chaflet right here on The Rich Eisen Show. You know, here I am saying, I would love a virtual comfort station. You're like, well, what's the difference between real golf and this golf?
I mean, like this guy over here. I've been watching all year. I've been dying to know. Okay. Thank you. And this guy's like, what do you want from me?
They definitely should be drinking. One golfer goes one way, one golfer goes this way, and this guy's like, what do you want from me? I just sit back at these moments because I don't know much about golf. And I just like to listen and take it in and learn when you guys are chopping it up. It's really cool.
I want to play on it so bad. Yeah. TGL needs somebody to design a virtual comfort station.
We should do it. Rich Eisen Consulting. R.E.S. Consulting. R.E.S. Consulting.
Let me tell you, Matt. What do we start with? Dude, all you got to do, in all honesty, in terms of what I've seen in life, go to Cabo in Mexico. Copy that. Have you ever been to Cabo? Okay. Go to a comfort station on one of those courses in Cabo.
Copy. Honestly, it's better than an Airbnb on some of these courses. I've never been.
I can't say that. Seriously. And these are one of those things where some of them sometimes they just open up sort of like the safe in Die Hard. And it's just the light comes through and the music hits. And you're enriched. Safe in Die Hard.
I'm telling you, some of these comfort stations, you hear the music? At all. Theo, I give you the P.G.A. Look at you. Good job.
It's not a Christmas book. We'll take a break here. Michael Johnson is here. Hey! Look how we're rolling today, huh?
Michael Johnson, when we come back right here on The Rich Eyes and Show. But before we do, Uber Eats is delivering game day deals all tournament long because you can't watch eight hours of basketball a day on an empty stomach. That's silly. Burgers to wings, pizza to chicken sandwiches, whatever you're craving. Uber Eats has deals on all your game day favorites.
You never have to miss a single buzzer beater. Get your game day deals on all your favorites. Only on Uber Eats. Order now. Remember, get game day deals on all your favorites.
Only on Uber Eats. Order now. Now hit the music.
Michael Johnson, when we come back. Hey, Rich Eisen here. I hear from a lot of business owners like you about the work it takes to pursue your passions, so I know how important it is to have the tools that can help keep you moving forward. And with access to world-class business and travel benefits, the American Express Business Platinum Card helps you take your business to the next level. It offers a flexible spending limit that adapts with your business.
Plus, you'll have complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, including the Centurion Lounge, so you can keep running your business while you're on the go. See how the Amex Business Platinum Card gives business owners like you the tools and rewards to do more of what you love. Not all purchases will be approved.
Terms apply. Learn more at AmericanExpress.com slash Amex Business. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first.
The same way you know you've got to make sure your lucky jersey is clean on game day or your team might lose. Checking first is smart, so check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate.
Savings vary, subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. Back on the Rich Eisen Show radio network. I'm sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk, furnished by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry. Grainger has the right product for you.
Call clickrainger.com or just stop by. The founder and commissioner of Grand Slam Track, who happens to have four gold medals himself, Michael Johnson, is here in studio once again. And we just showed our TV audience a sizzle reel for Grand Slam Track. And as I'm sitting there and I'm watching it, I'm thinking to myself, this is one of the most popular events around race running and sprinting and, you know, short distance races. And every year, every four years when the Olympics comes around, it is, you know, I guess along with gymnastics, you could say, and a handful of events in the pool.
Stuff that you have to see in terms of track and field or pool is obviously different. And so why not have a league where the fastest people reside and race and take it around, you know, the world, I'm sure is the idea. Why not take it around?
And that's what you're doing right now. Yeah, exactly. It's been missing for so long. You know, to your point, there are two point five billion people around the world who are interested in running or watching track or watching, running, watching people race. But we just haven't had a home for the fastest athletes to deliver that and package it in a way that is familiar to people from what they see during the Olympics. Because you've got, you know, millions of people watching during the Olympics. They love it. They enjoy it. And then they get to know because, you know, NBC does such a great job of, you know, sort of telling the Olympic story of these athletes and the back story. And people get to know who these athletes are, but then they don't see them.
They would love to. So that's what we're delivering on. We're delivering on being able to see those athletes compete against the best, continue to storytell around them and help people understand who these athletes are. And then you know who you want to root for.
You know who you want to root against. And these are the best athletes, which rarely happens in track. You barely get the best athletes competing against one another because they're not incentivized to do so.
The prize money is not significant. We are actually paying these athletes. We've signed with the first people ever signed with the first league that actually signs the best athletes to a league. They're contractually bound to compete. So now it's why we've been able to get one of the best television deals in the sport because the broadcasters, our broadcast partners know that we had the best athletes there.
They're going to compete. We have our athletes in the league represent over 50 percent of the medals won in Paris at the Olympics. So you're going to get to see some of those same matchups and those compelling wire to wire down to the photo finish races that you saw in Paris of people catching someone just at the finish line and knowing that this is significant.
It means something. Our prize money at one hundred thousand dollars for first place is the largest prize money that there's ever been paid in the sport. And the athletes are excited. And so that makes the fans excited. And it makes sense for Peacock to be a streaming partner for you because it helps when these folks show up at the next games. You are familiar with them and you've watched them in Grand Slam track.
And obviously Grand Slam track helps give them a home between Olympics and obviously between world events that people are attuned to tuning into. Did you have to twist any legs to get people to do this? I see what you did there. I'm using the right appendage here.
No, no, no, I didn't. The athletes, this is what they've been asking for. They have been asking for this. Of you or just in general? Of the sport in general.
There hasn't been anyone to actually have the ability to marshal all of the resources together. I was able to raise the capital to do this. I was able to get buy in from the athletes. I was able to get understand the landscape of the sport and the structure of the sport and where that opportunity exists to create this at the top of the pyramid. So to speak, you got grassroots is great track. NCAA track is great.
It's that that that that area at the top where you have, you know, just a void where there's just no exclusive home for the best. So. So once I went out to the athletes and said, hey, you know, I'm delivering on a league exclusive for you, where you get the opportunity to do exactly what you want, which is compete against your rivals, have those head to head competitions, have those rivalries also to be able to story tell and help you build your brand by delivering and packaging in this in a way that is compelling to fans that features you guys. They were all about it.
Like, yeah, where do I sign up? You loved it when you were running like I absolutely would have. That's part of why I created Grand Slam track. I had the same frustration where, you know, at that time, at least there was a league, a similar structure to what I'm building now that existed in Europe.
But but even that wasn't, you know, a level where we had an exclusive home for the best, but it was much better. But I would come home and no one knew who I was until I won the Olympics in nineteen ninety six. It took me making history in the Olympics at a home games, you know, and wearing gold shoes and doing something significant for people to understand.
OK, I know who this is now. And for me to be able to sort of transcend the sport and realize my true value. These athletes don't have that opportunity because, you know, they do. You've got to wait every four years.
So I had that same frustration. And and that's one of the reasons why I created Grand Slam track, because I was familiar with the plight of these athletes. When you only have an opportunity every four years to do something significant and leave your mark. It's really difficult for an athlete to stay motivated in the sport. It's difficult for athletes to actually realize value. So when you compare that to UFC, you compare it to tennis or golf, where you got your four golf majors every year, your four tennis Grand Slams every year.
Those athletes have multiple opportunities and there's not as much stress and as much pressure. If I don't win the Australian Open in January, then I've got, you know, the French coming up. I got Wimbledon coming up later in the season. I got the U.S. Open coming up later in the season. With track, there's typically there's only been one chance every four years, which is just really tough.
Well, no more. Grand Slam track again. It starts the first weekend of April in Kingston, Jamaica, Miami, first weekend of May. Last weekend of May in Philadelphia. Is that is that going to be in Franklin Field?
Franklin Field. Yeah. The old school.
Old school. Yeah. I mean, rich history there. So, yeah, we're going to lean into that history in Philadelphia. And then the Coliseum here? You're going to the Coliseum? No, we'll be at UCLA at Drake Stadium. OK, very good.
Coliseum doesn't have a track anymore, remember? That's right. Yeah. Yeah.
OK. So so we'll be at we'll be at UCLA at Drake Stadium. They're going to get one for the Olympics. They're going to put one back.
Yeah, we'll put one back. I'm on the on the board for L.A. 28. We're excited about that. We'll lean into a Grand Slam track. A lot of what we're preparing for for 28 as well here in L.A. So this will definitely be a home. This is what we're headquartered with Grand Slam track.
We love the fact that the games are coming here in 28. And so we'll be building up into that. All right. So drop some names. Who's in?
Who'd you get? Yeah. So we've got I mean, you go back to the Olympics. One hundred meter hurdles. We've got the entire podium, Masai Russell, Serena Sambala from from France. We've got Jasmine Camacho Quinn, who's the bronze medalist as well. So it's not just Americans you're talking about. It's not just Americans. Our athletes represent over twenty five countries. And so it's not just American athletes. Go back to that.
Fifteen hundred meters in Paris. Josh Kerr, British athlete, was the favorite. You got, you know, the Norwegian. Jakob Ingebretson was the other favorite. Jaw jacket and Cole Hawker, the American who won the Olympic trials, just comes through and wins it at the end.
And that came down to the wire. So we've got their gold, silver and bronze medalists from that race as well. Our format is unique as well, where the athletes don't just run one race. They have to run two races over our three day weekend.
Their combined score determines who wins. So we have the eight hundred meter Olympic champion. We have the eight hundred meter bronze medalist and a fifteen hundred meter podium. So you can't just be a one trick runner here.
Right. They have to run the eight hundred meters and fifteen hundred meters over the weekend. Our sprinters, one hundred meters, two hundred meters.
They have to run both. So Gabby Thomas, as an example, the Olympic champion in two hundred. She has to also run the one hundred and she's good at the one hundred meters. But Melissa Jefferson, who we've also signed as part of the league, she's the Olympic bronze medalist in the one hundred meters. She's a good two hundred meter runner, but she's better than Gabby in the one hundred.
So they compete against one another. You take Sydney McLaughlin-Lebroni, the world record holder, Olympic champion in the four hundred meter hurdles. One of New Jersey's finest. One of New Jersey's finest. Exactly.
University of Kentucky. She actually has to run the four hundred meter hurdles her race and then come back and run the four hundred meter flat as well. So we have, you know, we have Marlady Paulinho, who's the Olympic champion in the four hundred, who's going to have to run against Sydney in that four hundred. So it's a it's a really interesting format. The athletes love it. It gives the same thing you get when you see the Olympics. Superstar athletes, high stakes and the stories behind it. And that's it. Stakes, stories, stars.
We had that. That's what's compelling about it. And these are the best athletes in the world. So just like every other sport has a league that sits at the top. NBA, UFC, Formula One, NFL. We have that now for track for the first time.
Well, I've heard those leagues aren't real world champions because they don't go against the world. Exactly. So. Was it a world champion runner?
Was it Noah? It was. Yeah.
OK. And so in that respect, if you don't mind me asking here, did you invite Tyreek Hill? Did you go outside your world or is that or is that is that not respecting the craft? It is respecting the craft the way that we've done it. So in our format, we have a slot for special races, for all of the people outside of track who also think they're fast.
Like Tyreek, like some of these concrete creators who, you know, talk about how fast they are. We can match those people up in our format. So we're working on that.
I think by L.A., we'll have some pretty compelling names that will compete. So these are exhibition, not part of the main thing. But but but in the show. Right. So you get to see the fastest people in the world, but you also get to see some of the people who are superstars in some other format. Maybe, you know, their other sports, maybe their content creators, maybe their celebrities in some other area. And we get to bring them in.
And if you think you're fast, come on. Come on. So because, you know, there was a big to do. I believe last year when, you know, NBA players and NFL players, you know, was that was that was Rivers, right? Was Austin Rivers, Austin Rivers said that, you know, NBA players can absolutely play, you know, NFL players can't play in the NBA. Yeah.
And all that sort of stuff. When you hear somebody like Tyreek Hill go at the fastest man on planet Earth and say, I can get you. What do you think, Michael Johnson? I think we're at a point, Rich, now where, you know, let's go back to Tyson and Paul. Right.
That fight. Wow. That's your analogy. So think about it. Right.
Here's what happened. They tried and failed, but they tried to make that some sort of, you know, compelling competition. Right.
They tried and failed. I think that people are beyond that. I think that nobody is going to believe it anymore.
We all fell for it. Right. And we're like, you know, because at the beginning I was like, this is ridiculous. The closer it got just with a lot of marketing. Oh, they're going to use this certain type of gloves and different weight and it's going to be like, OK, next thing you know, I'm buying into it. And I'm sitting down there watching it. Right. And then as soon as it started, you're like, no, this is ridiculous. Tyreek's not pushing 60, Michael.
You know what I mean? No, but Tyreek, look, man, look, let me tell you, if it's a track meet, if it's a track race, if it's 100 meters, that's not a race. Tyreek can't beat the 20th, 30th ranked 100 meter runner in the world.
These are what? No more so than a track athlete who's fast can't go over and play receiver and run routes like Tyreek and score touchdowns. This just doesn't happen. Now, if you create some sort of, you know, special exhibition where you can even it out a little bit because Tyreek is quick. If it's about quickness, then it might be compelling. But this is just come on. We all know this is just entertainment, man.
It's just entertainment. This is not real sport. You know, no, I. Yeah, I mean, we know this as a runner, Michael.
Yes, I did. As a runner myself. Yeah. No, but but but it's fast is fast. Either you're faster or you're not fast. That's true.
That is the way. But but just like, you know, you're either you're faster or you're fast. But that doesn't mean that you can be a world class sprinter. Sprinting is different than just being fast.
I mean, look, I know what it looks like. The gun goes off and everybody just runs as fast as they can. And the first people across the line wins. There's a whole lot that's happening in that race to actually run fast and get your fastest time and beat other people.
You still got to raise other people. How many times has Tyreek raced anyone? I don't.
On Sundays. My point is, is that and that's one of the things that with Grand Slam track that we want to draw out. People don't understand the craft of racing. Racing is not easy. I've got to go out and try to execute a race strategy that I've executed in the race in a 19 for me in a 19 second race. At the same time I'm doing that, I got to be looking at the other athletes knowing whether I make this decision or maybe I make that decision.
Do I make any adjustments based on what they're doing? All of these things are happening in 19 seconds or in for the 109 seconds for Tyreek 10. We're going to get Grand Slam track on the map. Kevin Hart, I was on Kevin's show and he was like, oh, man, OK, I see what you're doing. You want me to run one of your special races? I was like, yeah, I do. So you like to run as well.
So maybe we get you and Kevin Hart. What are you going to start me halfway up the line? You know my running.
You train me one year and I embarrassed you. This is one of my favorite baubles that we have here on the Rich Eisen show is my I have to treat it gingerly because it is the stopwatch that that caught my fastest time at the combine ever years ago. It's five, nine, four.
I haven't touched it. And, you know, you kindly autograph the back. That's one of our favorite items that we have here. And hold on, I'm going to hold up.
I can authenticate that you can indeed. And so there it is. Five, nine, four. Some, you know, I believe it was Mayock or is it D.J. who would time this?
You know, Mayock did. And man, I'm happy to whatever I can do. You'll be out here in L.A. I mean, maybe. OK, think about it. I'd have to train. That would be strange train. I mean, this is my run. Get somebody to train you. We can get one of the sprinters to train you.
We get one of our sprinters. Oh, my God. I mean, I ran this weekend with no training.
As a matter of fact, I was eating Girl Scout cookies two days before running. Here I am. I don't what what is I don't know what I'm doing here, man. I know you tell me. I love it. I love the outfit.
And your form is much improved from what it was when you first started doing your runs. OK, now we're talking. Maybe it's just a photograph.
I don't know. Do you have another one, Hoskins, of another of another stride that I have? OK, there's me finishing. You're finishing there. Yeah, you're letting up right there. Put up the other one.
And I'm glad you chose this one because it is the most athletic of them all. My left leg turned like my knee turns in. Like what what is what is that? That's what you do sometimes. Like the best. That's what they do.
Rich, the best. Tell Michael, excuse me. You listen to what he was saying here. What's the right angle? It's the right angle, man. It's the right angle. Yeah. No, I like that, though.
Every symmetry, everything is symmetrical. That's what you need. Everything going up and down. You want to come. You want your arm to come slightly over.
You want your knee to come slightly over. Come back down. There you go. Just my starts.
Terrible. And I just don't, as I said, train for it. But we'd have to get to we'd have to help you get learn how to start out of starting blocks. OK, now, does somebody in the special race get to start halfway up towards the finish line or it's all it's all even? That's that would be a handicap. You want us to handicap it for you? You want us to handicap?
We don't even know who you're running. OK, I mean, I need it. They may need it.
They may need it. You're not wrong. You're not wrong. Yeah, I love it. You're like Tyreek Hill.
Good luck, man. You said not even the top 20, 30 fast. Oh, come on. I mean, look, I mean, world class runners are world class runners. I mean, in Grand Slam track. You know, we had the best people and we signed we signed 48 of the best, fastest people in the world. You know, we could go another 200 deep and you're not going to be able to get people to just come over from another sport.
That's the point. There's a skill to distance running. There's a skill to sprinting, just like there's a skill to basketball. There's a skill to football. You're not going to get a person who just because they're athletic, they can come over into track and all of a sudden be world class.
It just doesn't happen because no matter how naturally fast you are, yes, if you haven't mastered the skill of sprinting or distance running or hurtling. No, not happening. So Lyles beats Tyreek by by how much? Over 100?
Yeah. Ten meters. Ten meters. I'm going to say ten.
Ten meters. He's the fastest man in the world. I'm aware of that.
Yeah. Tyreek is not not not not one of the fastest people in the world. He's one of the he's the fastest.
He's one of the fastest football players, but he's not one of the fastest people in the world. That would be a great moment. Don't don't bar the hype, Rich.
Instead, get ready for Grand Slam track. I'm looking forward to this. Congratulations, Commissioner. Before I let you go, what are your duties as commissioner? Like, are you going to settle disputes?
Are we settling disputes if there is everyone? We have a race committee for that. But ultimately, you know, my job as the commissioner is just to be promoter and promote the fact that we've got the fastest people on the planet. This is like it's combat racing, man. It's the rivalries.
It's for me to pump up these rivalries. I mean, these athletes, they don't want to lose. They're not afraid to lose.
They don't want to lose. So they're going to go out and they're going to give you their best. We've matched up. My job is to match up and make sure that, you know, we have the compelling rivalries where you're not going to have blowouts. And that's what we have because we have the best. And also to make sure that, you know, there's that parity across it. And that's what we'll have.
And to highlight these personalities. Streaming on Peacock, which means you could see it right here on Roku on linear television. CW will be on it. Saturday and Sunday of all slams.
That's the coverage. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Fantastic.
And then that's April 4th through the 6th in Kingston, Jamaica, then Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Congrats on that. I know.
Let's. I'm there for you if you need me. I appreciate it. I mean, I know. OK, you can tell.
Go if you need. All right. You know how to find me. Michael Johnson, everybody right here on The Rich Adkins Show.
That's me. Not very fast, right? I can say to my new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, hey, find a keto friendly restaurant nearby and text it to Beth and Steve. And it does without me lifting a finger so I can get in more squats anywhere I can.
One, two, three. Will that be cash or credit? Credit for Galaxy S25 Ultra, the A.I.
companion that does the heavy lifting so you can do you get yours at Samsung dot com. Compatible select apps requires Google Gemini account results may vary based on input check responses for accuracy. Your data is like gold to hackers. They're selling your passwords, bank details and private messages. McAfee helps stop them. Secure VPN keeps your online activity private.
A.I. powered text scam detector spots phishing attempts instantly. And with award winning antivirus, you get top tier hacker protection. Plus, you'll get up to two million dollars in identity theft coverage, all for just thirty nine dollars ninety nine for your first year.
Visit McAfee dot com. Cancel any time terms apply. We're at Lawndale High School in Lawndale, California, getting ready for the annual 40 yard dash, the combine run, rich run. I am standing by with Dom, Brendan, Michael and Brian. Michael Johnson performance. And one of us has won a gold medal at the Olympics.
This man, Michael Johnson. Good to see you. Good to see you.
This is a few goals for my back. So what we're going to do now, we're going to look at your start. I want you to get in your start stance, what you feel most comfortable with. We're going to we're going to film it so we can analyze it.
Start here and then take one step. Take one that. All right. Come on up. Good. OK. The angle of your shin dictates where you're going to go. Right. If that's shin angle, you come back here. It's pointing up. And that's where you're going to go.
Stumbled. Nice and relaxed and clean, efficient. Good, good, good. You want to be nice and relaxed. Arms going up and down in a nice, clean and efficient motion. Not tensing up here. If you tense here, that tends to come down into the shoulders.
And now I'm running robotic. Anybody want to time it? Will, you want to time it? Let's time it. Let's time it. All right.
That's Michael Johnson timing my 40. No pressure. No pressure. Smooth, clean, all the way through.
Smooth, clean, all the way through. 613. 613.
613. My work is done. You're done? I'm dropping the mic. Dropping the mic.
Michael Johnson. OK. I feel good. You feel winded? You got anything left?
Like in the tank? Yeah. For what?
A good race. With you? Yeah. All right.
See how you perform under pressure. All right. Ready? Yeah. Go. Come on, Rick.
I am officially retired from competitive racing with Michael Johnson. I picked it up. I understand the concept. I'm coachable.
You put in a lot of work today. OK. That goes to waste if you go and the lights come on and then it's, I got to run fast. Then you got to focus on the technique.
And then rely what beats inside. Right. There you go. You're doing it for a good call. That's right.
For St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. There you go. Thanks, Michael. All right. Thank you, man.
Good work today. Michael Johnson performance right here. Spoiler alert. In terms of running fast, it went to waste. Honestly, I watched that video back and I think to myself, two things.
One, I'm lucky. Right? That I get Michael Johnson coaching me up and I'm running Michael Johnson in just a light jog as faster than me running as fast as I possibly can. Dion backwards is still my favorite.
And in Afro as Leon Sandcastle. OK. Like it wasn't, it's him. That was my favorite. And then I look at that and I'm like, well, I'm just no good. No, don't say that. No good. No good. No, I understand that. You don't train. Yeah.
You can't eat a Girl Scout cookie two days before. Yeah, that's true. Multiple. Thanks, guys. I feel better. No problem.
Thank you. Uber Eats is delivering game day deals all tournament long, folks, because you can't watch eight hours of basketball a day on an empty stomach. From burgers to wings, pizza to chicken sandwiches, whatever you're craving. Uber Eats has deals on all your game day favorites.
You never have to miss a single buzzer beater. Get game day deals on all your favorites. Only on Uber Eats. Order now. Remember, get game day deals on all your favorites. Only on Uber Eats.
Order now. The sleep number play of the week is the play that we, TJ, you and I thought should have been called for traveling. Should never have been actually allowed to count.
Look, by the way, the law of the land says that. That said, though, Derek Queen was gathering and took two steps. And that's all that Maryland cares about, because this kid has been a revelation for the Maryland Terrapins who have just been gutted.
But one buzzer beater after another from the Big Ten tournament to a bunch of games in the regular season, closing out the season. Derek Queen and the Maryland Terrapins advancing, refusing to be bounced by the 12 seeded Colorado State Rams is our sleep number play of the week. Ryan Ratke with a call on Westwood One of Queen calling checkmate. Gets it up top to Queen. Dribbling left. Big step down the lane.
Runner for the win. Baked it in. He baked it in.
He baked it in. And Maryland has won. Maryland is going to the Sweet 16. Great call. Great call. Love it. Great call.
Love it. Sleep better together. Sleep numbers smart beds. Start at only $999. Get your sleep number smart bed exclusively at a sleep number store.
Prices higher in Alaska and Hawaii. That's our play of the week. And our statement of the week was made during the commercial break.
Mike Del Tufo, your takeaway from the Michael Johnson conversation. Having been a state close ambient runner in cross country. State what champion? State is very close to state champion.
As you can get. It's your state champion adjacent in New Jersey. And I will say this. He's 100% correct. Like you can't. Tyreek is the fastest man on the field in football. He's not a runner.
And having been a distance runner, I used to get away from people where they would never catch me once I got away. And in saying that, I'm not fast. He's not. There's no way Tyreek can beat. There's no way. Can beat Noah Lyles. Not a chance.
I would put everything I own on. On Noah Lyles. Yeah. What do you think by 10 meters too? He'd cross 100 and Tyreek would be getting to 90 meters. I think that's probably accurate. Yeah. I mean, I would take Michael Johnson's word for it, obviously. But how often on the football field is Tyreek in a 100 yard absolute sprint away from someone? Right. That's right.
Because he's faster than most. I just love his reaction. Yeah.
I love you, Mike. When you ran cross country. Let's see. How old are you? Is it then? He's 59 now.
45 years ago. No. No. Come on. Running is running. Running is running.
Sprinting is not running three miles through the woods. Listen, I think there's no question about it. That it's a craft that Tyreek Hill would be wading into deep waters and take it from a four time gold medalist and a championship adjacent state guy. There we go. He came in second. When you say championship adjacent New Jersey, you're talking about Pennsylvania? No, no, no.
How would Jason? Another team beat us. Pennsylvania.
New York? You're the best, Mike. I love him. I love him. I love him.
