In short
The Rich Eisen Show Hour 2 mixes sports talk (NBA Finals Game 3; Stanley Cup memories) with college football controversy (Brendan Sorsby’s injunction allowing him to play at Texas Tech after betting), plus a major human-interest interview with ESPN play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler about his SportsCenter Father’s Day feature “Finding My Father.”
Guests/backgrounds
Chris Fowler is an ESPN broadcaster whose father died of cancer when Fowler was 16; he discovered cassette tapes in his mother’s basement and later produced a Father’s Day SportsCenter piece. Fowler also discusses tracking down Joyce DeWitt (Three’s Company; Freeze Company) whom his father directed in summer stock.
Key claims
College football lacks consistent enforcement; judges can issue injunctions “for or against anything.” Fowler says families in the 1970s kept kids “in the dark” about cancer.
Notable examples
Sorsby betting on his own team; Fowler’s 10 hours of tapes; DeWitt recalling Fowler’s father as her best director; Stanley Cup Final at the Garden (Rangers 1994).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VORecap of Hour One Highlights
0:30 to 1:50
Rich discusses previous guests and upcoming segments, including Chris Fowler.
“Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show?”
Brendan Sorsby's Controversial Case
1:50 to 3:00
Rich talks about Brendan Sorsby's clearance to play despite sports betting issues.
Chris Fowler's Personal Story
3:00 to 6:10
Chris Fowler shares his journey of discovering recorded tapes from his late father.
“thank you i appreciate that it was 23 years ago yesterday yeah i saw the posts lovely thank you uh yeah no this is this is a very interesting project for me it's been a long time in the making.”
Impact of His Father's Legacy
6:10 to 7:30
Chris reveals the profound impact his father's teachings and experiences have on him.
“when I was given a purple satin Three's Company tour jacket, and we watched the taping of the show.”
Exploring Family Dynamics and Cancer
7:30 to 10:00
Chris discusses how families cope with cancer and share experiences across generations.
“You know, this was a long time ago when telephones were things that sat on the kitchen wall with a long cord, right?”
New York's Sports Culture
10:00 to 13:00
Rich and Chris discuss the vibrant sports scene in New York, focusing on the Knicks and Rangers.
“I never wanted to be the center of attention to every cocktail party I go to.”
Brendan Sorsby's Situation and Opinions
13:00 to 14:01
Chris shares his thoughts on the implications of Brendan Sorsby's case in college football.
“Yeah, that's what TJ and I said before the series.”
Chris Fowler on Upcoming Events
14:01 to 18:48
Chris discusses his upcoming trips and events, including Wimbledon.
“But there are consequences for these things.”
Fowler’s New Podcast Announcement
18:49 to 19:35
Chris announces his new podcast 'This Was Body Shaping' debuting next summer.
“hour on Father's Day Sports Center on ESPN.”
Upcoming Segments Tease
19:36 to 19:52
Rich hints at the next segment featuring phone calls and guests.
“Josh Pate will join us in hour number three about the Brendan Sorsby story before Tony Hale joins us.”
Show all 21 chapters
Listener Call-In Discussion
21:39 to 23:38
Rich and Jerry discuss the Knicks and share their excitement.
“Well, that was part of my upbringing, Jerry.”
Nostalgia and SportsCenter Memories
23:39 to 28:01
Rich shares his experience with the new SportsCenter show and memories from the past.
“Because I was genuinely overwhelmed anytime I'm at, like, say, a school event, people coming up to me.”
Reactions to the Latest SportsCenter Episode
28:01 to 29:16
Discussion on the audience's positive feedback regarding the latest episode of SportsCenter.
“Through the 80s, I'd get lists from fans, and maybe some of you sent them in.”
Reflecting on Dan Patrick's Journey
29:16 to 30:46
Exploration of Dan Patrick's career decisions and personal anecdotes that resonate with listeners.
“Well, you know when he would do that, when it was like an error through the wick.”
The Dynamics of Sports Competition
30:46 to 31:50
Insights into the competitive nature of sports personalities and their relationships.
“Like, we did not like each other at that time.”
Fan Phenomena in New York
31:50 to 33:00
A phone call discussing the excitement and enthusiasm of New York fans during a recent game.
“Listening, it's cool, but you have to see it.”
Observations on the Knicks' Performance
33:00 to 34:25
Analysis of the current state and performance of the Knicks, with a humorous twist.
“When you guys sit down and chop it up, it's the best thing in the world.”
Brendan Sorsby's Injunction and NCAA Challenges
37:50 to 42:01
Discussion on the implications of the recent injunction ruling affecting college sports.
“Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host.”
Navigating the Complexities of College Sports Rules
42:01 to 45:06
Discusses the need for a unified approach to college sports regulations amidst various issues.
“And for schools that have the same and conferences, the same issues, the same issues about scheduling, the same issues about name, image, and likeness, same issues about the portal, same issues about revenue.”
The Case of Brendan Sorsby and Betting Issues
45:06 to 46:38
Analyzes the implications of Brendan Sorsby's suspension and the broader context of betting in college sports.
“And I might hear - That's just why we was at Indiana, and he was betting on Indiana games.”
Preview of Upcoming Guests and Topics
46:38 to 47:05
Teases upcoming guests and shifts focus to lighter topics, including Toy Story 5.
“He's going to try and make heads or tails of all this.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00The Stanley Cup Final on ABC is more than a quest for the cup. It's 134 years of putting it all on the line and the heaviest 35 pounds ever lifted. It's broken curses and broken hearts. But for those chasing it, it's everything. The only question is, who will take it? You just have to watch the Stanley Cup Final presented by GEICO on ABC and the ESPN app.
0:30Rich Eisen:This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash richeisenshow and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Wemby, catch and shoot, missed it off the back rim, and the Knicks survive! From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Earlier on the show, ESPN basketball analyst Monica McNutt.
1:17Coming up, ESPN play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler. Two-time Emmy Award winning actor Tony Hale. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
1:30Rich Eisen:Our number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air here on this very busy Monday. Game three of the NBA Finals is tonight on ABC and the Disney family of networks. Monica McNutt, who calls the Knicks games locally for ESPN Radio in New York, was just on an hour number one. the news out of college football is that Brendan Sorsby has been cleared to play for Texas Tech by a Lubbock Texas judge saying that he's allowed to do it even though he bet on sports bet on his own team bet on a ton of stuff he's gone through rehab and says he's a better person for it and man is that a highly controversial decision that makes you think there really are no rules in college football there's nobody really um at controls of that wheel josh pate will be on in hour number three to talk about it um and the very funny and delightful tony hale who's in toy story five the latest pixar film um from disney he's going to be here in studio in hour number three but joining me now is a dear friend of mine uh who's got something very personal that's in the shoot for espn and it's a sports center feature that's coming on father's day chris fowler finding my father talking about discovering audio tapes recorded by his dad before passing away uh due to cancer that's going to be airing on father's day and my buddy is back here on the rich eisen show how are you chris fowler good to see you sir thank you rich happy anniversary to you and susie thank you i appreciate that it was 23 years ago yesterday yeah i saw the posts lovely thank you uh yeah no this is this is a very interesting project for me it's been a long time in the making.
3:17I was 16 when my dad died. He was recording tapes to hopefully create a book about his experiences as a cancer sufferer, lessons he was learning. But nobody found those tapes for a few decades. And my mom passed away. We found them in this dusty basement. She was kind of a pack rat. And there was an old cardboard box filled with cassette tapes that my brother Drew found. And at that moment, I sort of began to realize maybe something special was possible with these because I had distant memories of him, but hadn't heard his voice in a long time and really felt rich. There's a lot of people do who lose a parent young that you didn't really get to know them.
3:58Right. And they certainly didn't get to know you as a fully formed person. Never saw any of my career die before I went to see you, which is where he also went to school. So finding and listening to these tapes gradually, because it was kind of heavy, I poured a little glass of very fine Pappy Van Winkle and sat in my mountain house late at night and listened to them because I really wasn't sure what to expect. And it was about 10 hours of content, and it blew me away, and it set me on this path of wanting to learn a lot more about him. And the result of that is this feature you talked about.
4:32Rich Eisen:What'd you learn, bud? We're very different people, man. I learned that, you know, like a lot of people, a lot of, especially, I guess, busy dads who give a lot of himself to their job, his students, he was a college professor, theater professor, theater director, got to see sides of him that I never did and got to learn things from him that I didn't get to learn. And it was very gratifying. His students are now in their 70s. So they have conversations with them about how he still was making an impact on their lives and stuff that he had taught them when they were college kids. That's a great source of pride.
5:08And I have never really heard anybody say those things to me because I haven't had any contact with people for many, many years who have actually known him firsthand. And, you know, a lot of her family friends have died away. And one of them was Joyce DeWitt, though. You remember Joyce as a Freeze Company star? It's crazy. Joyce DeWitt, you know, Janet, was a dear family friend. My dad directed her in Summerstock plays way before she got cast and became a star at Freeze Company. And she agreed. I hadn't talked to her in about 40 years since I was a teenager. So you did find her?
5:44Rich Eisen:Because you did reach out at one point. You know, because you were in search of Joyce DeWitt, which is an interesting sort of after-school special, it sounds like, more than a SportsCenter piece that you're putting together. But you did find her, huh? Yeah, she's delightful, lovely. She had stepped away from show business well out of the spotlight after Reese's Company went away and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. And I hadn't talked to her since I was a kid. It was surreal for her to hear this, like, 63-year-old guy talking to her on the phone that she remembered as a kid. when I was given a purple satin Three's Company tour jacket, and we watched the taping of the show.
6:21She was so kind, though, Rich. My dad died. We went out to Malibu and hung out at her beach house, which I thought was the coolest place in the world to live, and saw the show. So after all these years, tracked her down, sat down with her, and she told me that he was the best and favorite director she'd ever worked with, stage, TV, film. And that was like a lightning bolt for me. It was so nice to hear that. And as I began to get to know more about him, the impact that he had on people, that was a pretty crucial piece, pretty cool piece, too.
6:54Rich Eisen:Well, I don't want to get into spoiler alert country here with your piece, Chris Fowler, Finding My Father, an 8 a.m. hour SportsCenter feature on Father's Day. Did he, in any of these tapes, talk to you directly, Chris? You know, it's interesting, Rich. He was not speaking to me or my brother, Drew, directly. He was speaking to someone he hoped would be a fellow creative to write the book. And, you know, I went through a lot of this. I'm going to be honest. I listened to 10 hours of content, and I talked to my brother about this and said, like, where are we in this? Why aren't we in more of this?
7:29And I think we were separated as a family. You know, this was a long time ago when telephones were things that sat on the kitchen wall with a long cord, right? and there was no email and there was no FaceTime and and so we talked like once a week we're very divided as a family he's in Colorado getting treatment we're in Pennsylvania finishing the school year and I don't think we were he was missing us desperately and that was on the tapes but I think that you know families that that deal with cancer now I believe are more transparent they share more and and the kids are let in on more information that's my impression from dealing with a lot of families who struggled with cancer.
8:08We were kept kind of in the dark. And I think the strategy in the 70s was let kids be kids. Don't burden us with all that. So I was learning by listening to the tapes, you know, just what kind of hell he was going through and how deeply depressed and lonely he was. And, you know, there's things that shocked me when I heard the tapes. It'll be in the future. But I just didn't understand. And I don't think anybody maybe other than my mom understood how dark and deep that place was. And in that era, people didn't share a lot about what they were going through. You know, the examples of our dear friends, Sue Scott, Jimmy V, Dick Belt, Vitale, so many others, far too many people we know, including those who aren't famous, are now more willing to share their journey, their path, what they're learning.
9:01And I think that in that era, that just wasn't the case.
9:06Rich Eisen:Well, I mean, you lost your dad decades ago, Chris. You know, I lost my dad six years ago. And I feel like he's with me every day in what I do for a living or how I am with Susie, my wife, and my kids, and how I handle my business with others. and I know you are deeply devoted to your wife Jennifer and you do what you do for a living. Having learned more about your dad, do you have any insight on how he lives in through you a little bit more? That's a good question. We're really different. I mean, obviously what he did as an actor and a theater director is somewhat related to what I do, but he talks about how much he craved fame and he was a little narcissistic.
9:50I like to think that I've got that at bay. But, yeah, I just didn't get into this to be famous. It just wasn't important to me. I never wanted to be the center of attention to every cocktail party I go to. And that was kind of him. He was a performer. So you wrestle with this, and you had the great privilege to know your dad as a fully formed person. And so many more questions are out there when you don't. And you wonder, okay, this guy is different from me. Very theatrical. He sounds like Olivier or John Gielgud narrating sometimes. It is quite interesting. He didn't speak to us that way. And I thought, wow, like, would we have been buddies?
10:33Would we have been friends? We have things in common. We have a lot of really distinct personality differences. So those kinds of questions kind of come up. And I love him. He was a great dad. And like I said, he left a piece of himself with a whole lot of other people and made their lives better through his wisdom and his example. And that's gratifying. But again, I think Drew and I both feel like it would have been cool to have more firsthand experience in those areas, right?
11:04Rich Eisen:8 a.m. Hour SportsCenter and Father's Day. Make a note right now. Chris Fowler finding my father. Chris here on the Rich Eisen Show for the radio audience. A beautiful backdrop of your spot in New York City. Place is lit, right? That city is lit right now? There is a little bit of buzz in the streets, man. I was down near the garden yesterday playing paddle, and the whole area is just on fire. There's just an energy on the streets. Rich, you know the city well. You go out, and the other night when the game was in San Antonio, every bar was full. The streets were packed. Nick gear everywhere. You know, as New Yorkers, we got this.
11:44It's over. Get out the room. You want to say, there they go. You want to say easy, you know what I mean? Because I was in the garden in 94 when the Rangers were trying to win the Stanley Cup and end that 54-year draft. 3-1 lead over Vancouver. It's a celebration. We got this. 60 minutes of hockey. The cup is ours. Lost. back to Vancouver lost game seven was the most crackling with tension building I've ever been in man you know how hockey is every goal you're holding their breath and finally when Rangers protected the lead and the clock ran out there was this explosion of emotion one of the most profound things I've ever seen I even like the Rangers and I don't like the Knicks either but if they get that done here at the Garden I think It's going to be a really cool thing for the city.
12:39And Wemby will have his time. I like Wemby, too. But he's got time. This is the next time, I think.
12:43Rich Eisen:Yeah, it feels that way. But you never know. As you pointed out, things aren't done until it's done. I think it goes back to San Antonio 3-1. I'll say that right now. I think the Spurs are going to go home still alive in this series. And then the Knicks are probably going to have to try to win it in six. That would be my fan prediction. Yeah, that's what TJ and I said before the series. It would be Knicks in six. Chris said Spurs in seven. It's entirely possible on all that. Also lit is the college football world today, Chris. You know, Brendan Sorsby getting another year at Texas Tech as a Lubbock, Texas judge chimes in and throws down an injunction.
13:21Rich Eisen:And the general sense from Charlie Baker to a lot of our colleagues, when you look at it, is that there are no rules in college football. Do you have an opinion on this, Chris? College football is filled with upsets. The fact that a Lubbock judge ruled that way, I would not call an upset. I think you can find a judge to create an injunction for or against anything in the world. And it didn't surprise me. Gambling is a pretty serious thing. It should be taken really seriously by anybody who's in charge. As you said, the problem is no one is in charge of college football. So maybe there's other chapters to happen.
14:00I mean, I never take pleasure in seeing a dude make a big mistake and then have it cost in his career. But there are consequences for these things. And, you know, I would expect at this point, I guess he'll be on the field. But there may be another chapter to happen.
14:17Rich Eisen:Chris, I appreciate the time here, man. Enjoy your downtime while you have it. What's next for you? Obviously, I'm not even going to be in New York for Game 3. We're flying to Europe tonight. And nobody told me months ago when we planned a trip to Slovenia that the Knicks are going to be playing this night in the Garden. So it saves me the trouble of having to spend for a ticket. But then I come back. We go to Wimbledon. Wimbledon is coming up really quick. And that's, as you know, near and dear to me and my favorite event to cover. So it's going to be a fun summer. It's very finally breaking through here, right?
14:50Rich Eisen:I mean, is everybody, I mean, retired or got hurt or got knocked out? I mean, that was a weird French Open, to say the least. It was a wild but compelling French Open. A lot of storylines, two new Grand Slam winners. Mira Andreva at 19. Everybody thought this was going to happen sooner than later. Zvereva was 10 years older than that, and people doubted it would ever happen. I don't believe in asterisks, you know, in any sport. He didn't play center. Obviously, Alcarez out. Didn't play Djokovic. But he was by far the best player in this tournament. He's been close on that court. He ripped his ankle apart a few years ago.
15:24Lost to Alcarez in a heartbreaker two years ago. It was his time. And regardless of what people think of him personally, and he still is a somewhat polarizing figure because of his off-the-court stuff, a lot of people in tennis are happy that he got it and feel like it's deserved at this point. He certainly comforts some of his own demons to get over the finish line on that final yesterday.
15:47Rich Eisen:Well, if you want anything to watch on the flight, there's a new show called This Was Sports Center out. I enjoyed the Dan Patrick. I feel like I want to re-record our interview. I don't know if I brought it as strong as Dan did. No, no, no. I mean, we recorded our This Was Sportsman. There's a nice photograph of it. Oh, here we go. From January, you stopped by the studio after coming back from the Australian Open on the way to calling Super Bowl 60 for the international feed. And, yeah, Dan brought it. There was a lot of conversation. But you were great, too, man. I enjoyed it immensely, man.
16:22And just to be with you and talk about those times, it's a great series. I'll be looking forward to seeing all the episodes. And, yes, I need to pass the time for an hour and a half ride to the airport today. That's what they're telling me it's going to take. So I'd be happy to watch with Jennifer in the car.
16:38Rich Eisen:Yeah, I think she'll get a kick out of it since, obviously, she lived through these times as well. You know, maybe I should – should I do a show called This Was Body Shaping for her? I think so. Oh, she's yelling no. No, what? She opened the door from another room and started yelling, no.
17:01She was in there doing her final packing and she just froze.
17:05Rich Eisen:Uh-oh. No, we're not doing that. Don't worry about it. We could do that. Only if you interview all of them. You got to get Rick Valente. You got to get Kendall, Kiana. Well, I mean, I think some of the other guys in the studio wouldn't mind interviewing some of them from back in that day. But yeah, your episode is coming up. It was an immensely important show, Rich. It carried ESPN on that morning block for a long time. I got it. And helped build up ESPN, too, when they were launching that network. No doubt. Can't forget to say that. No, absolutely. Jennifer's a factor. There's no doubt about that.
17:36Rich Eisen:And we showed this photograph during the Dan Patrick episode when it was brought up. This was 23 years ago yesterday, Chris. There you are with Jennifer next to DP, the mighty Peter Gammons. There's Stu and Susie Colber and Tirico. Tirico's down there. What an amazing photo. That was 23 years ago yesterday at the wedding of Susie and yours truly right here. You've got to send that to me. I want like a high-res image. That's a beautiful picture. That was a great, great night in Central Park in 23 years. Wow. 23 years. We're 26 during this trip. So it's a scary thing, the passage of time, my friend.
18:16Rich Eisen:All right. I know. But, hey, listen, some of us age better than others, as you clearly are showing. Have a great trip. Enjoy it. We'll chat again soon. I appreciate you in advance of doing this with SportsCenter. I do believe it does coincide with Wimbledon because we're all about the branding and the promotion here on ESPN. Well, I think Father's Day is a good fit. It'll be online the day after, and I think a lot more people will see it online than will see it when it actually airs. But thanks for allowing me to talk about this. It's really, really important to me. Appreciate it. Fowler, Finding My Father.
18:50Rich Eisen:That airs in the 8 a.m. hour on Father's Day Sports Center on ESPN. Travel safe, man. Best to Jennifer if she's still listening. She's listening. Okay, Jennifer Fowler. Although she was Jennifer Dempster on the body shaping. This was body shaping. Rich, I have an announcement. I'm starting a new podcast. This was body shaping. Me and TJ are hosting. Very good. Debuting next summer. Alright. There you go. He's not joking. Say it again. He's not joking. We're serious about it. First episode. Jennifer Fowler. Alright, very good. And again, Chris Fowler, Finding My Father. Make sure to make a note of that right now, please, everybody.
19:34Rich Eisen:Alright, we take a break. When we come back, more of your phone calls. Josh Pate will join us in hour number three about the Brendan Sorsby story before Tony Hale joins us. You're watching The Rich Eisen Show. We're listening to it here on this Monday.
19:53The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
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20:34Rich Eisen:While the world watches the stars at the FIFA World Cup, Hyundai has its eyes on the next generation of talent future stars who are already turning heads at age 14 because next doesn't wait for an invitation and neither do we hyundai has always moved the future within reach we did it when we made advanced safety standard on every vehicle and engineered evs with ultra fast charging capability and we're still doing it every day because the future isn't some far-off concept it's already here next starts now hyundai an official partner of fifa rich eisen here with some advice. If high interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an audible with a SoFi personal loan.
21:12Rich Eisen:It consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required. And with as soon as the same day funding, you can make the right play fast. Call an audible on your debt today at SoFi.com slash debt play. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696891. Fast funds terms apply at SoFi.com slash debt play. again 844-204-RICH is the number to dial let's have a conversation here let us go to jerry in columbus ohio what's up jerry you there jerry hello hello sir what's going on sir hey uh two things for you first that uh first episode of the new show so thank you and i didn't know i didn't know you stabbed an island guys threw around the F-bomb like that.
22:06Makes me very happy.
Read the full transcript
22:10Rich Eisen:Well, that was part of my upbringing, Jerry. That's great. Oh, but Dan dropped a couple, too, and he's from Dayton. You know, he's from Ohio, you know, so. Yeah, I know, but I'm from Brooklyn. That's it, Jerry. Makes me happy that us Brooklyn ain't the only ones doing that. That's right. That's right. Are you excited for game three tonight, Jerry? That was the other thing. I got to apologize for doubting the now Knicks. You know, I don't know. But damn, they came through. So far, halfway done. Not to go full Colby Bryant. Is the job finished? Job's not finished. Halfway maybe, but I think LeGrand Orange is going to kill the juju tonight.
22:54Okay.
22:55Rich Eisen:Thank you, Jerry. That's Jerry in Columbus, Ohio. A blue dot there in the red state calling into the program. That's what I'm saying. That was one of the things that I told you before the show, Ewan Hoskins, how much I enjoyed it. And I use language that I can't use on air about how much I enjoyed it. But I did like the fact that you guys, like, hearing you guys just speak like two guys and not having to edit yourselves. And just the cursing to me drew me in. And it wasn't a lot, but we kept it real. And I appreciate you saying that about the Dan Patrick debut episode of This Was SportsCenter.
23:28Rich Eisen:It was awesome. I want everyone to understand that I've been trying to do this show for a long time, but I didn't know how to do it. The it being a show that takes everyone down memory lane back in the day about SportsCenter. Because I was genuinely overwhelmed anytime I'm at, like, say, a school event, people coming up to me. You know, hey, I used to watch you when I was going off to school in the morning. or hey, I used to watch you when I got home drunk from a bar or hey, I used to watch you in the middle of the night in college. And I'm like, there's something here where people kind of want to remember.
24:11Rich Eisen:But how would I do it if I don't have the rights to use the name SportsCenter or the video of SportsCenter or the music or anything like that? So when this show opened the door to a return, the first thing I thought of was I want to do this. and to the credit of every single executive that i mentioned it to they were like do it including jimmy pataro is at the very tippy top and i did say i'm like you know what the idea is to do it but we're going to talk about when things weren't going great but just understand what the general sense of it is going to be nostalgia but sometimes the nostalgia amongst us sports center anchors isn't great and to the credit of him and you know i'll mention them all burke magnus and dave roberts mike foss they were all like just do it and so to your point tj when it was talking about things off camera about what it was like to be competitors within that building amongst each other for sports center chairs or spots or what it was like to battle with management um i just said go for it and dan did he was very honest there was some raw moments where we were both sharing and um and and i've gotten some responses and uh you know mostly positive and i appreciate you saying that because it is a labor of love it's very very personal to me and to Dan and that that's what I wanted to bring here and again Mike Hoskins who's our coordinating producer here on this show as the producer and editor and the idea is to put as much eye candy of nostalgia on the screen so um episode two just dropped today yeah and Chris Berman is the guest Chris and I sat down on the stage of the Strand Theater in downtown San Francisco on the Wednesday of Super Bowl 60 week in front of a gathering in that theater.
26:19Rich Eisen:And it was over an hour. You guys were there. And now we're finally showing that as episode two of this with SportsCenter. Less of that raw talk and more conversations about things like nicknames. Here you go. Did you always do your nicknames? The pitching thin box will be without Ross. Here we go. I never promised you a bomb garden. Terry Swimming Pool drove in all three runs for the Astros. He has won the vote of reliever Rick Sommerkamp. Jim, two silhouettes on Deshaies. Don, welcome Mattingly with a drive to the right field corner of Joe Actual Retail Price. The nicknames, Rich, were going back to Brown.
26:57You'd look at box scores, not, you know, for three hours a night. But, huh, and I'd make a few nicknames and we'd just laugh. I was always kind of a nickname guy. Boom, with the bases loaded. Bill Doran, Doran. Hungry like a wolf with the grand slam home run. You know, I did not invent Babe Ruth. I've been asked that. That wasn't me. Now we're in like May of 1980. And you're out there at 2.30 in the morning. And that's my shift. The first one was either Frank Tanata was a really good pitcher. Frank Tanata, Daiquiri. Or John Mayberry was a nice first baseman. And John Mayberry, RFD. One of those two came out and I got, we wear an earpiece called an IFB.
27:40And they said, I got my ear in the middle of the show, what was that? And we got to the commercial and the camera people were laughing. Nobody got hurt. I said, you know what? Tomorrow night I'm going to try a couple more. And I mean, it's quarter to three. The boss didn't awake. And they were organic. Through the 80s, I'd get lists from fans, and maybe some of you sent them in. If I laughed at any of them, they were used the next night. It was Mike Pepperoni Piazza. Luis Speedy Gonzalez scores one. Going, going, Gonzalez. Jeff Conine, the barbarian. Scott, supercalifragilisticexpiala broaches.
28:25And it was organic, Rich, I swear. And, I mean, there were over 1 ,000 of them.
28:32Rich Eisen:This was SportsCenter, out now. That's indeed out now. So great. There's a clip of it on Facebook right now, and it already has nearly a thousand likes. I'm so appreciative of the reaction. Instagram and threads, X, TikTok, all of them, and obviously our YouTube comments. Actually, I'm reading them. Don't read the comments. Well, no, normally I don't, but it's personal for a lot of people. That's the idea of this. Mike Greenberg's episode's coming out Friday. That's the next one. But the Chris Berman episode, this was SportsCenter presented by Gusto. Check it out. Again, it means a lot to me. And hopefully it does to you too.
29:15Rich Eisen:I'd say my favorite part of the Dan. Which one? When he, uh. Hello. Oh, yeah. That was Bobby. You know, a long time exact. I remember when Keith used to do that. Keith would do that a lot. Well, you know when he would do that, when it was like an error through the wick. It's like. Hello. But also, you know, as a Dan Patrick fan, you got to sit there and just like hearing his story again. Some I knew, some I didn't. But the fact that he went and he bet on himself. He left the ESPN because he went to go see with the family. And he's like, I went to my attic. Like, who would have ever thought that would have worked?
29:51And it did. And it's still working to this day. It's like, yeah, it's like that type of story resonates, should resonate with anyone who comes to a crossroad and feels like they want better for themselves.
30:04Rich Eisen:Just, you know, you got to believe in yourself. Dan told that story and I thought, because he said that in response to me talking about how I found out I was no longer with ESPN 10 days before my wedding. My 23rd anniversary was yesterday. Susie and I celebrated 23 years. Happy anniversary. in marriage on Sunday. And she and I watched as there was an empty table at the wedding of ESPN executives who said yes to coming until I was no longer with the company, and then they ghosted. Wow. And it was a tough moment for me, and I mentioned that, and Dan's like, well, yeah, well, you went to NFL Network.
30:44Rich Eisen:I went to an empty attic. Yeah. I'm like, are we now going to try and top each other? Competitive. Yeah. he's he that's what that's what he said at the end because i told him like you've won basically you you know you've you've done what you set out to do and then he basically said i'm i'm already searching for the next thing to do and he's because he's really competitive and i can confirm that he's really competitive and same thing with stewart the stuff he was talking about with stewart my goodness i love that story because you know a lot of times you're stewart it's all like yeah you know fun stuff and here's dan with the guys like nah we would like them but we were competitive Oh, on the basketball court.
31:22Like, we did not like each other at that time. You got to appreciate the realness.
31:26Rich Eisen:We were real. He was real. And that's why Fowler's like, I saw a man. I want to redo my episode because I don't think I was as real. Just different times, different experiences. And that's what we're going to go through them all. So, again, I appreciate that. That's all out there on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, my show's YouTube page. Our show's YouTube page. Pardon me. And however you listen. If you want to listen, great, because I know that's the way people take in shows and conversations. Yeah, but you guys want to watch this. Listening, it's cool, but you have to see it. You have to see the old clips, the things that you and Mike found to put in this.
32:04It's just you two sitting there across from each other, because every time you do that, people love it. Over the years since I've been associated with you, also working on Dan Show a little bit, anytime you guys get together, people just absolutely love your connection. I appreciate that.
32:20Rich Eisen:Listening is cool, but go to YouTube, guys, and peep it. Thank you. I appreciate that. And Hoskins already found some stuff for the Greeny episode I didn't know about. Oh. I did not know. He was on the – I'll say it. I didn't know this until Mike hit me on a text yesterday because he's putting that together right now. Greeny was on the set live for Tony Gwynn's 3 ,000th hit. I don't know that. It's that moment. And some of the Berman stuff for the draft is really, really good. Mel Kuyper looking young, young, young. Let's take a quick phone call and then a break here. Jeff in Detroit. What's up, Jeffrey?
33:03Rich Eisen:What's going on? What's happening, Cousins? I second TJ's emotion. When you guys sit down and chop it up, it's the best thing in the world. First of all, happy anniversary to you and the lovely Sue. Thank you. When she feels in for you, it's like the substitute teacher that you're in love with. You always love seeing. I'll accept that. I'll accept that. Not a problem. She accepts that, too. Oh, no. Number one, New York fans, slow down. Pistols were up 2-0, and you see what happened. I want them to complete the task. What we're witnessing right now is a phenomenon. If Wimby is an alien, the Knicks are men in black.
33:42I kid you not. I have never seen an entire city outside watching the game on buildings, in the back of cars, in bodegas. It would be out front. I mean, it was a box truck that had a sheet draped over it to make an instant big screen TV. New Yorkers are going in and I mean.
34:09Rich Eisen:We're losing Jeff in Detroit. because I've never seen anything a whole city outside man that's something spectacular it's a phenomenon man it really is people are saying it's a problem that that's not happening tonight due to security thanks for the call Jeff I appreciate that by the way if the Knicks are the men in black if the Spurs and the aliens come back to win it I need one of those devices to erase my memory so I don't remember spoiler alert what was that called 844-204-H number two lines are lit i'll give my two cents on the brendan soresby um chat before josh pate joins us and then we'll have the delightful tony hale back on the program i think this is oh he's been here a lot three or four for him he's been here a lot okay love it because we always have to go you know it's tough to go veep with him because you can't repeat half of that show on this set.
35:05Rich Eisen:It's one of the funniest shows. Ever. Maybe ever, yeah. Ever. Arrested Development, though, man. There's something wrong with those people. Not the Bluth family, the people who are writing for that show. By the way, I also saw Henry Winkler's on the schedule to return next week. Yeah, really? A few hours ago, I saw him. Mm-hmm. In studio? Yeah. Yes, sir. I got real excited when I looked at him. I've never met him. We got his email. We got to reach out to him, don't we? Mahomes? Yeah. Yeah. Uh-huh. All right. You just saw him. I know. I got to cultivate that caper. I didn't know Henry was going to be on.
35:40Rich Eisen:Otherwise, I would have asked him on the spot. I mean, that might be the greatest moment of Henry's life if Mahomes calls. You know what I mean? It was definitely one of the great show moments when he just went off. I was like, Patrick Mahomes. Okay. We're cultivating capers here. There's a Lufthansa heist that we're going to work on right now. 844-204-RICH. Number to dial. Back with your calls and so much more in a sec.
36:04The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
36:13Rich Eisen:A bandwagon fan. The biggest insult in sports. But this summer, during the FIFA World Cup, it's an invitation, America. Never watched soccer before? Perfect. Think a corner kick is a karate move? Sure, why not? Prefer sports where players can use their hands? Me too. Just here for the snacks? Now we're talking. So grab a bag of Lays and jump on the bandwagon. We're undefeated. Lays, the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Rich Eisen here. Take a second and look at your city's calendar. Everywhere I go, there's always something coming up. Games, concerts, conventions, tournaments, the kind of events that bring people in from all over.
36:54Rich Eisen:And when that happens, you can feel it. More energy, more fans, and a whole lot more people looking for a place to stay. So here's something to think about. If your city has that kind of buzz, if big events are on the way, Listing your space on Airbnb could be a great opportunity. If you're already planning to be out of town or you've got a trip coming up, why not make your place work for you while you're gone? You've got the space and you're not using it. It could be earning you some extra cash. I know when I travel for these big events, I'm not just looking for a place to crash. I want something comfortable and safe, a place that allows me to experience the city like a local.
37:32Rich Eisen:And that's exactly what you can do by offering to list your space. No big lifestyle change, no long-term commitment, just making smart use of the space you already have. So the next time your city draws a crowd, think about listing your space on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host. While the world watches the stars at the FIFA World Cup, Hyundai has its eyes on the next generation of talent. The future stars are already turning heads in their teenage years because Next doesn't wait for an invitation, and neither do we. Hyundai has always moved the future within reach, and we did it when we made advanced safety standard on every vehicle and engineered EVs with ultra-fast charging capability, and we're still doing it every day.
38:20Rich Eisen:The future isn't some far-off concept. It's already here. Next starts now. Hyundai, an official partner of FIFA. Okay. I am no legal expert. Okay, thank you. My brother is. He's the lawyer in the family. And I did get an honorary sports law degree from Tulane, from Gabe Feldman, who I spent many a moon with on NFL Network talking about the lockout. But Gabe gave it to me, forgot to sign it. So I don't think I've done it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not real. But I've got a set of eyes and ears and this Brendan Sorsby rule. ruling from a Lubbock, Texas judge saying, hey, the injunction you wanted to play here for Texas Tech, you got it.
39:17Rich Eisen:There it is. There it is. You went through the rehab, and hopefully you have redeemed yourself, and you've come through a better human being. And I don't know the legalese here on which we assume this judge has based a ruling. but it stinks to high heaven. It just does. It just seems to stink. You know, we've already seen the argument between the NCAA, right? And the, uh, Ole Miss quarterback wants extra years. No, no, no. Okay. Here's a local judge saying, yeah, you can play for Ole Miss. You can get your, what is it? A seventh year of eligibility for Chambliss. Is that what it is? Again, whatever, six, seven years.
40:08Rich Eisen:I just did it. Okay. Sorry, six, seven. My kids hate that.
40:17Rich Eisen:But it's just the latest example of who the hell is in charge. A guy who's supposedly in charge took to Twitter to complain about it. Charlie Baker, everybody. He's still got the MA in his handle. former governor of massachusetts there's no better example of why targeted intervention from congress is necessary when you have schools and deep-pocketed supporters willing to look the other way on the glaring integrity threat of betting on your own team and judges whose rulings effectively strip away our ability to stop them only congress can equip the ncaa to apply this common sense rule to everyone fairly and consistently the protect college sports act would empower the NCAA to enforce rules, including the gambling restrictions.
41:02Rich Eisen:It's needed now more than ever. Oh, of course, if there's anything that sports fans would need or desire to make them feel like things aren't rigged or fixed, it would be this Congress, this House of Representatives chiming in. Like, what do you think? It's going to really happen? And it's going to really fix everything? Congress? Really?
41:29Rich Eisen:I don't know who it's going to be. I don't know who the heck it's going to be. I've already nominated Greg Sankey for the role. I've told him straight to his face on this show. I don't think he wants to wrestle that alligator. But it's going to take the SEC and the Big Ten and some television executives. I don't know who they are. They're residing in Bristol, Connecticut or Pico Boulevard here in Los Angeles. Nope. Okay. Get in a room and come up with rules for this sort of stuff. And for schools that have the same and conferences, the same issues, the same issues about scheduling, the same issues about name, image, and likeness, same issues about the portal, same issues about revenue.
42:20And you put them in a boat and say, you're in charge.
42:25Rich Eisen:Now, who's in charge of which schools get on a boat? in which schools can play their way on the boat or which schools can get relegated off the boat. That's it. And put it together in a way that passes legal muster. Because I think somebody would get sued if they would file suit if they're left off the boat. But at some point, this is going to have to happen and force it in the court's hands. And I understand I'm just talking about Congress isn't going to come to the answer. and then you've got a court judge in Lubbock, Texas going, yeah, you can play. And again, I don't know what the legal standing is.
43:07Rich Eisen:That's why we're going to have Josh paid on. Hopefully he's got a better handle on it. But it makes everyone feel like there are no rules. There just aren't any. And it stinks. It stinks. Will it keep you from watching? Probably not. Probably not. You know? I think, didn't Nick Saban appear before Congress recently and basically say, hey, we've got 25-year-olds competing against 18-year-olds? Right. Because of umpteen years of eligibility and portals, and it's more lucrative to get another year of eligibility than go to the NFL? There's a lot wrong. There's a lot wrong. I just don't think Congress has the, what's the words I'm trying to use here?
44:04Rich Eisen:I just don't think Congress has the cohesion. No, no, it's the cohesion, the bipartisan cohesion to under and or the desire or the people who occupy the offices, the desire and the time to actually study these issues and come up with an intelligent answer that a bipartisan group can come together on. Right. I just don't think they're going to also figure it out. It's got to be people who are boots on the ground, who know everything about it, and do have a general sense of wanting to fix it. That's what I'm thinking. I think that's it. The how-to, the want-to just doesn't seem to be there. and you know for the NFL teams that thought that this kid Sorsby would be available for a supplemental draft that doesn't look to be the case and I hope he's cleaned himself cleaned up his his uh issues you know I hope he's cleaned up his issues yeah so think of the what's all said and done he gets a two-game suspension and then just has to stay and go to more counseling for 2 ,900 bets for more than$30 ,000.
45:32Rich Eisen:And I might hear - That's just why we was at Indiana, and he was betting on Indiana games. And I may get some pushback. Rich, you don't know the legal issues. I may hear from agents. I may hear from lawyers that this was a fully well thought out and properly adjudicated injunction based on his legal standings in the United States of America. And if that's the case, then so be it. But with the way everything is going right now, it's a general sense of system is off and there are no rules and there's nothing uniform. The only thing that's uniform are the jerseys that are being worn, right? That's it.
46:17Rich Eisen:And there's a different set of rules for this school or that conference or that state or that area and this jurisdiction and there's no sense of reining it in and figuring out and making it better for fans and players and coaches and universities. There just doesn't seem to be that general sense. Everybody's out for themselves.
46:42Rich Eisen:So Josh Pate's about to join us. He's going to try and make heads or tails of all this. And then we'll go back into the toy department, literally. Toy Story 5 Forky himself Forky is going to be here Tony Hale back on The Rich Eisen Show in hour 3 The Rich Eisen Show Podcast
From the publisher
ESPN’s Chris Fowler and Rich discuss his deeply personal ‘Finding My Father’ edition of ‘SC Featured,’ the energy permeating the streets of New York amid the Knicks’ 2-0 NBA Finals lead over the Spurs, the unexpected champions coming out of this year’s French Open, and more.
Rich discusses the latest episode of his new ‘This Was SportsCenter’ podcast featuring a revealing interview with ESPN legend Chris Berman.
Rich weighs in on Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby being granted an injunction that will allow him to play for the Red Raiders this season in the wake of his gambling scandal.
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