In short
Rich Eisen and ESPN senior NBA writer Brian Windhorst discuss NBA and NFL topics. Key NBA focus: the Dallas Mavericks firing GM Nico Harrison, with Windhorst arguing it was driven by a toxic home-arena atmosphere, perceived GM-to-player influence, and internal indecision around Anthony Davis’ return from a calf injury. Windhorst claims the Luka Doncic trade wasn’t the worst idea in isolation, but the execution and “selling” to players/fans was “horrible,” requiring an all-in Lakers package (draft picks/swaps/Austin Reaves) and prioritizing silence over market-crowdsourcing.
Notable examples
Davis injury, Kyrie Irving knee injury, and Luka’s MVP-level play after the trade. They also discuss Ja Morant: Windhorst says he’s not known to be available, but his trade value is weak due to poor shooting/production and “yellow flags” after injuries/off-court issues. He highlights Nikola Jokic’s early-season Wilt-like efficiency: 26/13/11 averages, leading assists, 79% on two-pointers.
Guests
Brian Windhorst (ESPN senior NBA writer). Also mentioned: Paul Skenes (Pirates pitcher) Yankees dream report; no guest. NFL segment: Eisen’s Week 11 power rankings (Ravens, Chiefs, Patriots, Eagles, Rams, etc.).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOBattery Comparison and Trust
0:00 to 0:31
Learn why Duracell stands out among batteries, drawing an analogy with Messi.
“That's like asking if all soccer players are the same.”
Battery Comparison and Trust
0:34 to 0:56
Learn why Duracell stands out among batteries, drawing an analogy with Messi.
“It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks.”
Mavericks Situation Overview
1:28 to 2:15
Discussion on the Mavericks' management changes and the firing of Nico Harrison.
“The least surprising headline would be the Mavericks fire Nico Harrison.”
Impact of Management on Players
2:15 to 4:00
Examination of how the general manager's presence affected Mavericks players.
“Listen, do you know how cheap we are to just slap on that linear television?”
Trade Decisions and Accountability
4:00 to 6:00
Analysis of the controversial trade involving Luka Doncic and its repercussions.
“And that may have played a role, but I don't think that was a defining factor.”
Nuances of Trade Strategies
6:00 to 7:42
Exploring different perspectives on the decision to trade Luka and its implications.
“He has said this on multiple occasions and he repeated it in the letter that he wrote to fans yesterday.”
Mistakes and Public Perception
7:42 to 9:30
Discussing the fallout from the trade and the public's reaction to management decisions.
“You have to get everything from the Lakers.”
Crowdsourcing Trade Options
9:30 to 11:20
Consideration of whether the Mavericks should have sought more trade options for Luka.
“And so what you have is, yes, an idea to trade Luka Doncic, not necessarily the worst decision in the history of the NBA, but everything else after that decision has been handled horribly and it cost him his job.”
John Morant's Availability
11:20 to 14:00
Discussion on John Morant's current situation and speculation around potential trades.
“But you would not get laughed out of a room of NBA executives.”
John Morant's Trade Value Concerns
14:00 to 17:28
Explore the challenges surrounding John Morant's trade value and performance issues.
“I have not heard that Ja Moran is available.”
Show all 17 chapters
Nikola Jokic's Dominant Season
17:28 to 20:31
Delve into Nikola Jokic's incredible performance and historical statistics this season.
“I'm not saying it's the story, but I'm going to put something on your radar that you didn't mention there.”
Watch the Nuggets and Jokic
20:31 to 22:28
Discussion on the importance of watching Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets play.
“So all of those other stories, I mean, I'm sitting in Los Angeles like you are right now.”
Weekly NFL Power Rankings
26:35 to 28:00
Rich Eisen presents his week 11 NFL power rankings and analysis of teams.
“I mean, I just can't get enough of the way he dispenses information in a way that is gripping, hilarious, and plain spoken.”
NFL Power Rankings Breakdown
28:00 to 39:53
In this segment, the hosts discuss the current NFL power rankings, analyzing teams and their performances.
“And what it is are two teams with MVP quarterbacks who are playing at the tops of their games, in the case of Lamar, when he's healthy.”
NFL Power Rankings Breakdown
39:56 to 40:46
In this segment, the hosts discuss the current NFL power rankings, analyzing teams and their performances.
“That's the energy State Farm brings to insurance.”
Baseball Talk: Paul Skeens and the Yankees
40:46 to 42:05
Discussion about Paul Skeens and his potential desire to play for the Yankees.
“Back here on the Rich Eisen Show on our simulcast, ESPN Radio is presented by Progressive Insurance.”
Paul Skeens and His Dream to Play for the Yankees
42:05 to 46:33
Discussion about Paul Skeens' aspirations to join the Yankees and reactions from teammates and management.
“A person with knowledge of the pitcher's past intentions was also quoted unnamed.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Brian Windhorst:Are all batteries the same? That's like asking if all soccer players are the same. Take Messi, the most decorated player ever. Is there any other player who has achieved that? No, just him. Now take Duracell. Is there any other battery with Power Boost ingredients inside? No, just Duracell. Remember, goats only trust goats because they're built different. And Messi only trusts Duracell.
0:31Brian Windhorst:This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+.
0:56Rich 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 Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. The Rich Eisen Show. Show. Show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. The least surprising headline would be the Mavericks fire Nico Harrison. The Rich Eisen Show. Earlier on the show, pro football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.
1:42Rich Eisen:Coming up, ESPN senior NBA writer Brian Wintorst. Senior writer for the MMQB, Albert Breer. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Senior NBA writer for ESPN, our buddy Brian Winters is back.
1:58Brian Windhorst:Good to see you, Brian.
1:59Rich Eisen:How are you, sir?
2:00Brian Windhorst:Hello, Rich. You can watch that podcast at like 2.30 or something Eastern on ESPN2. Should you have nothing better to do?
2:08Rich Eisen:Listen, you and I, we're here. Our Overreaction Monday pod is on ESPN2, 4.30 Eastern every single Monday. What we do, you know what we are? We're filler programmers. That's what we do.
2:18Brian Windhorst:Listen, do you know how cheap we are to just slap on that linear television?
2:24Rich Eisen:Brian, listen, you're a wordsmith, so you'll appreciate this. We're inexpensive, okay? You understand? Efficient. We are not cheap. We're not cheap. We are inexpensive, okay? So why now? Why now in Dallas with this move with Nico, Brian?
2:40Brian Windhorst:Well, I think they didn't decide to fire him yesterday. I think they had been moving towards that decision for a while. And, you know, only Patrick Dumont, the owner or the governor, I should say, knows when he decided. But I think it was boiling over into what looked like was negatively affecting the players on the court. They were dealing with situations in their home arena that made it somewhat of enemy territory. And I think, you know, they've played a lot of home games. I think they've played, if not the most home games in the West so far, nearly the most. And I think they've even got a bunch more coming up.
3:19Brian Windhorst:And they were suffering at home because of how toxic the situation had become. And so I really think that – and you would – this is – I can't really say I've ever experienced this or seen this before where a general manager's presence has been affecting players on the court. But I think that there was some belief that that was the case. I've heard some things and there's also been some things reported elsewhere. I don't feel on solid ground to tell you exactly what happened, but there seemed to be some indecision within the organization about Anthony Davis' status coming back from the calf injury.
4:02Brian Windhorst:And that may have played a role, but I don't think that was a defining factor. I think the owner, you know, Dumont came to just his second, it was just his second game he had been at this year and sat there and watched the toxic atmosphere, had a fan come up next to him during the game. The game's going on. And by the way, with all due respect, they're not playing, you know, the Washington Generals out there. They're playing the Bucs. Giannis is out there. Yes. And fans are coming up to him during the game to discuss the state of the team. and I think it's clear that that young fan was symbolic of the Mavericks fan base.
4:40They almost don't care what's going on in the court.
4:43Brian Windhorst:They only care about the fury that they feel. And so to sort of protect the shield, to limit the damage that is happening to the franchise, I think they felt like they had to do it now. It is very unorthodox to fire a coach on November 11th, But I think that they were trying to limit the damage that was being done.
5:05Rich Eisen:Yeah, I mean, the fans were vocal. As you pointed out, somebody goes up to the governor and basically says, hey, this is horrible. This has been horrible. Something needs to be done. And I guess they internalized it or the owner did. Governor did. But it all does eventually come back down to why did Luca have to go and why did he have to go in the manner in which he went? which is the ultimate pocket listing in the history of pocket listings, Brian. Yes, exactly. Why did it have to be that way? And so one of those might be laid at the feet of Nico. The other one is the governor had to green light it, and somebody collectively, I imagine, group think within the organization that they, Luca, ain't it?
5:50Rich Eisen:We're not paying him, or he's not super maxing. We're not super maxing with him. We don't believe in him. Do we have any more information on that even months later, Brian?
5:59Brian Windhorst:Patrick Dumont, to his credit, I suppose, has taken accountability saying this was my mistake. I allowed the trade. I made an error in judgment. He has said this on multiple occasions and he repeated it in the letter that he wrote to fans yesterday. And I think when it comes to the Luka trade, and I know that asking for nuance is a huge ask, and especially with Maverick fans who are so raw about this still, but I will ask for nuance here. If you could divide it into two decisions, you could make a case for Luka to be traded. I don't think it's a winning case. I don't think it's a strong case. But if you wanted to say, I don't think investing$300 million, which is what they were going to have to invest in him had they kept him last summer, I don't think that's a smart investment.
6:54Brian Windhorst:You could make that case. It is not the most insane basketball case I've ever seen. They were concerned about his health. They were concerned about his temperament. I would absolutely not have done that. But you could make a case. Period. New paragraph. you could make a case not necessarily that I would agree with again but you could make a case that trading for Anthony Davis as the prime asset in return for Luka Doncic in a league where size is becoming more important and where your other star player is in his 30s and you need instantaneous high level of competition, you could make a case that trading Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis as part of the prime part of the package makes basketball sense again i wouldn't have done it but you could sit in a conference room with a whiteboard and a and an ipad and say here's my case okay and if you present it to 10 people you might get some yes votes i don't think you'd get six but you could get some yes votes okay period new paragraph all right now you still can't make that trade with that process.
8:04Brian Windhorst:You just can't do it. You have to get everything from the Lakers. Everything. You have to get the draft picks, the swaps. You have to get Austin Reeves. There's no negotiation. There's no case on this one. And if you say to me, which people from the Lakers organization have, well, we just weren't going to give Austin Reeves, I say, sounds good. Have a nice day. Click. You move on. And if you are still wanting to trade Luka, you look for other options. So we have a problem. terribly with the execution of the trade and the process. Now, once that's happened, he's got to sell it. He's got to sell it to his players.
8:40Brian Windhorst:He's got to sell it to the fan base. Absolute F - on this. His sales on this to the public was between irrational, irresponsible, and borderline arrogant, and insincere in some cases as well. And that was from the day after the trade. And so you add in that, now we're already upside down. Now Anthony Davis gets there and gets hurt his first game and basically has been hurt the majority of the time since. And so the trade is absolutely not working. Luka loses weight and is competing for the MVP. That's terrible. Kyrie Irving blows out his knee. Absolutely awful. All of a sudden, you are now in a gigantic snowball.
9:26Brian Windhorst:And they are throwing gasoline on the fire with some of the things that he kept saying. and his sentiment to it. And so what you have is, yes, an idea to trade Luka Doncic, not necessarily the worst decision in the history of the NBA, but everything else after that decision has been handled horribly and it cost him his job.
9:48Rich Eisen:And so do we know any more about why it was a pocket listing, why they did not go ahead and say, if we're trading Luka, then we're going to have to take the slings and arrows locally here for the next week, two weeks, knowing that he's on the block, knowing that he wants him to go. But at least we're going to crowdsource with 29 other NBA franchises and get the best possible yield for him, as opposed to doing it under the table, basically, with one team. Do we have any more thoughts on that or reporting on that, Brian?
10:26Brian Windhorst:I will tell you what has been said, and I will tell you that I find the explanation unacceptable.
10:32Rich Eisen:Okay.
10:32Brian Windhorst:Okay? What has been said is that they felt Anthony Davis was the player that they wanted. I mean, I would have been, like, calling the Thunder and asking for Shea Gildas Alexander. I know they're not going to make that trade, but that's, you know, that's the type of calls that you make, right? Like, you know, I would call and ask for Victor Wembenyama. like you know you i know that it will become you know shams within you know 24 hours will probably be reporting it you'd have to understand that but like and i know that those teams wouldn't do that trade but that's the kind of calls i'm making right they decided anthony davis was the guy they also felt that if they had called around that it would have gotten public and that it would have
11:14Rich Eisen:undercut the ability to do the trade yeah i know but it gets public eventually and now look at what's happened people are holding up fire nico signs months later you know what i mean this is
11:23Brian Windhorst:what i'm saying the again if you honestly don't believe that paying a guy who has had trouble staying in shape and has has a temperamental problem at times 300 million dollars that idea it's not going to get you ejected from any room like people would at least listen to it again i would have said well we're still going to give him three more years or two more years before we do it We're still going to sign him to that contract. But you would not get laughed out of a room of NBA executives. You would get laughed out of a room of NBA executives if you said that you were only going to call one team, not ask for everything that they had, and prioritized silence over the most important transaction in the history of the organization.
12:03Rich Eisen:Okay, so then the last one for you on this one, sports talk radio question, Brian Winhorst. Because I'm asking you also to put yourself in the mind of the governor of the Dallas Mavericks. If you asked him right now, Patrick Dumond, if you asked him right now, you can have one of two things. You don't trade Luca at all, or you do actually have your general manager crowdsource it with everybody. It gets out. Great question. Which one do you think he would choose, Brian?
12:34Brian Windhorst:God, it's a great question. I don't have an instant answer. I think he would say if he had to answer in front of any more than three people, he would say he wouldn't trade. No trade. There's a receipt. Hold on a minute. I have it right here. Return policy. But again, it's not insane to look at this and say, because in the era that we're in in the NBA right now, like the worst thing that you can do is have a player on a massive contract that is below that contract. You're crippled. As a Cleveland Browns fan, you want to avoid a situation where you have a contract that is untradeable, that it destroys your cap position.
13:12Brian Windhorst:So I could see him still agreeing to trade Luka. It's just, you know, you're calling and asking for Jokic. You know, you're getting told no on the top five players in the league. You know, Giannis was involved in trade talks this summer. Okay? Now, I don't know if Giannis would have ever wanted to go to Dallas, but holy Moses, you're calling and asking about Giannis. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's got to be the process. And so, but no, I think publicly, if he's in front of any group of anybody wearing Dallas Mavericks logo, he's saying, no, no, no, Luca would have stayed here for the next 45 years.
13:51Rich Eisen:Brian Windhorst here on The Rich Eisen Show. All right, so the other story in the NBA, is John Morant available? What's going on with him? Who's trying to get him? Could it be done fast, soon? What do you think, Brian?
14:05Brian Windhorst:I have not heard that Ja Moran is available. I don't know everything. I wouldn't say. I know everything's going on. I have not heard he's available. Have there been the discussions that I have all day, every day about transactions that, is it something people are thinking about could happen? And what would the market look like? I have heard that. I will just tell you that Ja is having a terrible season. and his shooting numbers and his production have fallen off a cliff. Now, that seems to be because he's not happy with this situation, but he's already coming off several years in a row where he's had either major off-court problems or injuries, and his numbers, I'm not just talking about the raw scoring.
14:51Brian Windhorst:I'm talking about the thing that worries executives about him is that his interior scoring is going down. This is a guy who is one of the most explosive athletes I've ever seen who became a superstar for his ability to explode to the basket. And there's all these indicators that are showing he's not doing that as much anymore, following a bunch of injuries. Now, maybe if he was on this call with us, he would say it's because I don't like this offense. I don't know. But there's yellow flags on his play. Meanwhile, his outside shooting has never been worse. Okay? So what I'm telling you is his trade value is not good.
15:29Brian Windhorst:And then I would challenge you to this. How many teams? Let me just put it to you how my conversations as executives have gone. We've got 29 other teams that don't have John Morant. How many of those teams are unhappy with their point guard situation? Okay? Because there's a lot of great point guards out there. For the sake of argument, this exact conversation I've had with league executives about 10 times over for the last two weeks. Okay? So I'm going to roll through it. Let's say there's seven or eight. Let's say there's seven or eight teams. You could debate whether there's six, whether there's nine.
15:59Brian Windhorst:Let's just say there's seven or eight teams that would consider upgrading their point guard position. How many of those teams want John Moran that like those indicators? It's not seven or eight, Rich. We could spend another couple of hours debating it, but let's say it's a few. Okay, let's say it's three or four. All right? I'll give you five. I don't think it's five, but let's just say it's five. How many of those five teams have a trade package that's available that Memphis would like? And I want to remind you, there's a whole bunch of teams out there that have restrictions on trades because of first or second apron stuff.
16:36Brian Windhorst:So all of a sudden, the needle eye gets really narrow. And so you have a conversation about whether John Morant can be traded. And, you know, a lot of people would say, oh, yes, of course. You know, and I say, I don't know about that. I'm not sure that there's a massive market out there. So, um, that's why I think the Grizzlies intention is to try to make this work. And I think they suspended him not to announce the league. They want rid of them. They suspended him to try to get him to, to cooperate with what the coach wants. And I'm going to tell you the results are saying that it is not working.
17:11Rich Eisen:I love the way you put things, man. Before I let you go, Brian Wynhorst, we're, we're, we're nearing the one month mark about three weeks into the season. the story outside of obviously what we've just discussed give you some options obviously the defending champs having 11 wins those Pistons blossoming atop the East right now the Knicks faring well with their new coach no LeBron the Lakers are 8-3 just throwing some out there when Bunyama has the Bucs I mean Spurs 8-2 the story of the first few weeks of the season would be what in your estimation?
17:47Brian Windhorst:I'm not saying it's the story, but I'm going to put something on your radar that you didn't mention there. All right, sir. And I think should get some attention.
17:53Rich Eisen:Thank you. I would like the NBA fans writ large to please take a look and pay attention to what Nikola Jokic is doing right now.
Read the full transcript
18:06Brian Windhorst:Nikola Jokic right now is putting together a Wilt Chamberlain-style statistical season. And it's not 50 points and 25 rebounds. In the modern era, what Jokic is doing in an efficiency standpoint is jaw-dropping. And I'm going to tell you the numbers because I've looked them up. He right now, I think he was something like 16 of 19 last night. He put on a clinic. If I was a Sacramento Kings fan and I watched this game and what he did last night to Sacramento Kings, I would seriously consider just taking all my Kings gear and just trading in for nugget stuff. He is shooting on two-pointers. And this is not a guy who's taking 12 threes a game and two pointers a game.
18:49Brian Windhorst:Okay? He is taking 11 two-pointers a game. And you've seen him. He's not taking layups. Okay? He's shooting 79 % on two-pointers. Okay? He is leading the NBA in assists. Leading it. Okay? Yes. And he is, I think, second in rebounding. I think the last couple of days, he's fallen from first to second in rebounding. He is averaging 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. So he's averaging a triple-double, but he's averaging 13 rebounds and 11 assists. He's not crawling over it. The Nuggets offensively are a juggernaut. Jamal Murray is in great shape and playing well. They're tearing teams down. overall he's shooting 67 percent and if you watch him play he pretty much makes a jaw-dropping move whether it's a pass shot dribble spin move or whatever about 45 times a game and so what i am just saying is we are seeing an absolute master at the game of basketball like we've maybe almost never seen before at the peak of his powers he's you know he's 20 he's 30 years old i think he's in his 10th or 11th season what i am watching is the peak this guy has in the last four year in the last five years has three mvps and two seconds and i'm telling you what he's doing now he's played 10 games i'm not going to sit here and just project it to 80 what he is doing is on the highest level that I've seen.
20:35Brian Windhorst:So all of those other stories, I mean, I'm sitting in Los Angeles like you are right now. I could not walk outside and find 10 people that would care about anything I just said and want to know how the Lakers beat the Thunder tonight. I get it. The Lakers-Thunder game is on ESPN. Please watch. Yes, sir. All right? But let me tell you what I've done. For the last five years, I've been unable to watch Nuggets games on, I live in Omaha, Nebraska, and for some unspeakable reason, even though it's 517 miles from my house to Ball Arena, and I know I've looked, they said that I was in the Nuggets zone and I wasn't able to watch them on League Pass.
21:19Brian Windhorst:So I only got to watch, even though, and by the way, a lot of people in the media get League Pass for free. I pay for it. That's right, Brian. Pay for it with my money, okay? So I can bitch about it. and I was denied Nuggets games unless they were on national TV. Okay, so I'm not going to go into any details, but I'm just going to tell you that the league pass situation changed this year and you can manipulate your location a little bit. And so I have. And now I can watch the Nuggets games, even though I'm not supposed to. Let's just say the new league pass provider that I have doesn't think that I live in the city that I live in.
21:57Brian Windhorst:and so now I can watch him even more and I did it so I could watch Nikola freaking Jokic because I love watching him he to me he's the guy I would pay to see in the NBA because just about every possession okay not everyone but just about every possession he does something that you're like wow
22:15Rich Eisen:that's awesome well you literally are as you pointed out paying to watch him play and you're going manipulated the system Brian Windhorst going rogue that's how good Jokic is playing We love it. You're the best, Brian. Thanks for the time. Yes, indeed. You got that tonight on ESPN. What a game indeed. Lakers-Thunder. By the way, as long as I'm shilling.
22:35Brian Windhorst:Yeah, please. The first game is Knicks and Magic. The Magic have won four out of six. They're playing better. And the Knicks are 7-0. I think the Knicks have won five in a row, and they're 7-0 at the guard.
22:45Rich Eisen:Yeah, yeah.
22:46Brian Windhorst:7-0 at the guard.
22:47Rich Eisen:Right.
22:47Brian Windhorst:So, good Eastern Conference game. And then later on, you can see if Luka can take down the Thunder in OKC.
22:54Rich Eisen:Also, it's an Inside the NBA night as well. So lots of reasons to flip on the aforementioned worldwide leader in sports.
23:02Brian Windhorst:And let me just say that in the event that it wasn't an Inside the NBA night, you should still watch Countdown because we have a very good product. We may not have Hall of Famers yet. No, no. It's all good. We have a very good product.
23:13Rich Eisen:Brian, there's many reasons to watch, including 2.30 Eastern Time, the Brian Wynhorst and the Hoop Collective podcast on ESPN2. Thanks for the time, sir.
23:24Brian Windhorst:It may not be on 2.30. I don't even know what time is on right now. But you can see it at your leisure on YouTube. Check your local listings.
23:30Rich Eisen:Or your purveyor of podcasts. And if it's not available, just change where you live. Yeah. Because it's worth it. Just put that down. Take a page.
23:38Brian Windhorst:If anybody asks Rich, I live in Bozeman, Montana.
23:43Rich Eisen:Brian Wynhorst, everybody. Fantastic. Yet another brilliant Brian Wynhorst appearance on the Rich Isis Show. Oh, a legend. My power ranking's coming up next, and there's a lot that people are going to be upset with. No one's going to be happy, I don't think.
24:04Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
24:11O, O, O, O 'Reilly.
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24:34Brian Windhorst:Oh, oh, oh, O 'Reilly. Auto Parts.
24:44Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here. And summer's here, too. And that means it's travel season. My favorite summer trip last year was to Sao Paulo, Brazil. With so many fans traveling for the Los Angeles against Kansas City game, they got to see how lively the city is. I love the culture and the amazing food that I'm still craving. Those memories remind everyone that it's that time of year to plan a little getaway. And that's why summer has a way of turning weekends into big events. One minute, it's a normal week. And then all of a sudden, a huge concert, sporting event, or festival brings people in from all over.
25:17Rich Eisen:And when that happens, visitors start looking for places to stay all across your city. So if you're already planning a summer trip of your own, you could list your space on Airbnb and earn a little extra cash while you're away. Doesn't have to be some big year round commitment. It's about making the most of a busy weekend when your place would just be empty otherwise. I can tell you, people love finding a place that helps them feel connected to the city that they're visiting. If your city's about to have a big summer moment, this is a great time to maximize your space. Your home might be worth more than you think.
25:50Rich Eisen:Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host.
25:55Brian Windhorst:As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Granger has your back. From professional-grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by.
26:28Rich Eisen:Back here on the Rich Eisen Show on ESPN Radio, presented by Progressive Insurance. All right, everybody. How great is Windhorse? I mean, I just can't get enough of the way he dispenses information in a way that is gripping, hilarious, and plain spoken. There's no one like him. God bless. I love when he comes on this program. And don't take it for granted. It's my power rankings. And I'm telling you, some people are going to be upset. Can we guess before? Nope. It's called the Week 11 Power Rankings presented by Sonos. Hit it.
27:10Rich Eisen:Power Rankings! There are many like it, but this one is mine!
27:14Brian Windhorst:Power Rankings!
27:15Rich Eisen:Alright, presented by Sonos, my Week 11 Power Rankings. And I'll be honest with you, it's now rubber meat in the road time. Grab the list. Because there are teams that have much better records than some of the teams that are on this list. And fans, I understand some of you might be like, what gives? That's disrespectful. But it's rubber meat in the road time now. And part of my power rankings are teams that look the way they look, regardless of their record and how I think they can climb up this list and stay on it. And that's why I'm starting this list. Number 10, the four and five Baltimore Ravens are on this list.
27:52Rich Eisen:Oh, my God. 100%. I say, what a preamble so you can put the Ravens and Chiefs on here. Excuse me. You just made the list. Fine. Do what you will. Screw it. And put up number nine. They are the Chiefs. Of course. Of course. Yeah, of course. It's so predictable. You know what? You can call it predictable. I call it right. Oh, gosh. I call it correct. I call it seeing it for what it is. And what it is are two teams with MVP quarterbacks who are playing at the tops of their games, in the case of Lamar, when he's healthy.
28:23Brian Windhorst:At the tops of their games, they have nine combined wins. I got it.
28:26Rich Eisen:It's a team sport, and I understand why the Ravens started 1-5. They're now 4-5. and I understand that the Chiefs just lost to the Bills before their bye week and then the Bills took all of that momentum and just threw it out in Miami. I understand that, but I also see what these rosters on these teams are and these coaches, what they can do to cook it up and how good they are and how the Chiefs are going to Denver, where Denver can't do a single thing on offense most of the time and Andy Reid's coming off of a bye week And this team, like the Ravens, are chock full of pro bowlers. When healthy, they're coming for you.
29:05Rich Eisen:And that's how I'm starting my power rankings.
29:08Brian Windhorst:Even after understanding all that, you still did what you did? Two non-playoff teams. Fine.
29:14Rich Eisen:Laugh all you want. These are power rankings. There are many like them, but this one is mine. That's the most important. Yeah, that's the most important. So what size? Is that it? No, it's not it. Number eight on my power rankings list. Hold on. Let's guess. Let's guess. Cincinnati Bengals. No. No. They are not on the list, Chris. Oh, this list means the Cowboys beat it for sure. Most certainly not on the list. But back on the list of the Los Angeles Chargers at eight. Okay. Back on the list of the Los Angeles Chargers at eight. Justin Herbert doing his thing. The defense doing its thing. They don't have their own world tackles to help protect this guy.
29:54Rich Eisen:But here's Kemani Vidal. All right. Here comes Ladidi. Here comes Quentin Johnston every now and then. Here's Keenan Allen setting the all-time record for Chargers receptions. Gadsden didn't have much of a night against Pittsburgh, but you know who did the defense? Leaving the Steelers wondering what the hell happened between beating the Colts and beating ourselves up. The Chargers are eighth on this list. Seven on this list, down four spots. I overranked them last week, Chris, and when you texted me during the Thursday night Broncos Raiders game you're like you know how dare you have them above the Patriots essentially and my bad but they're still on the list they are eight and two the Broncos do have a championship quality defense but man that offense concerns me I do believe this J.K.
30:48Rich Eisen:Dobbins as we know has been terrific running the football this year if he goes out for any specific period of time look out for rj rj harvey to be that camara type guy in this offense that that sean payton has been trying to share the football at the running back spot with a terrific player and a lion-hearted guy in the buckeye and jk Dobbins, but just keep an eye out for that and how that might spark this offense in need of one. They're seventh on the list. Up three spots. It's a team I'm just never going to quit. Never going to quit the Detroit Lions. They are right there. They look terrific against Washington.
31:34Rich Eisen:I understand that they looked brutal against the Minnesota Vikings, but you know what? Dan Campbell said, I'm going to take over the play calling. And you know what? We have We have a new situation. We have a new superhero. And he's in Detroit. And have a great day today. When you got a guy, he puts on the glasses to call the plays. He's Clark coordinator. And he takes off the glasses. He's super Dan. That's the difference. There's two guys in one here now. Clark coordinator's dialing it up with those glasses and the big-ass play sheet. and then he's still Dan Campbell just getting everybody in the right spots and in the right minds everywhere and I can't wait for this game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
32:20Rich Eisen:The Eagles better come correct on offense because I think the Lions might have figured something out. Can't wait for this game on Sunday night on NBC Top 5 now. Up two spots, I'm putting the Colts here. I'm putting the Colts here because they have, in my mind, through the first 10 weeks, I gotta go with Jonathan Taylor as the MVP of this league. I mean, that is an MVP performance. Put everything on my back. Regular time, overtime. Put it on my back. Last week, I mean, the week before this, in Pittsburgh, it looked terrible. But guess what we're going to do? We're going to go back to our bread and butter.
32:58Rich Eisen:And the bread and butter is 28. And he just led the way against the Falcons team that had him dead to rights. they're up two spots at five. Up one spot, the Seattle Seahawks. They're top four now. They're top four. I mean, Sam Darnold has become the quarterback version of the Colts' punter from the first month of the season. Just take the rest of the day off. Yeah, he only had 12 pass attempts last week. I mean, he was perfect in the first half against Washington in that boat race win, and then pretty much did nothing in the second half. He had two attempts in the second half of this game against the Arizona Cardinals because it was all over, and the defense helps out too.
33:39Rich Eisen:Demarcus Lawrence, as we know, talking to Leonard Williams earlier this week. Two fumble returns for a touchdown in the first half. Over 20 yards. That's never happened in a full game, and he did it in one half. Here come the Seahawks against the Rams, who I've yet to mention, as you know. Up one spot. I'm putting your Patriots here, Chris. And you can pretty much tell the names of the teams I have not said. the Patriots now lead my power rankings of all teams in the AFC. They are my leading AFC power ranking team. As we're doing this right now, as we're talking, I believe the Patriots just finished announcing Rob Gronkowski's one-day contract.
34:19Rich Eisen:Robert Kraft asked him, how about a two-day contract? Rob asked him what the signing bonus was for that. It's all laughs and giggles right now in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Vrabel's doing his thing. He's hugging it out on everybody. I love it. Love it. I love it. And Drake May, please, everybody, do seek out that throw he made to Kyle Williams, his rookie. I'll tweet it out right now. Tweet it out. It's fascinating that you're on it so quickly, Chris. He's got it. Because it is amazing. I don't know who makes a throw like this from the middle of the field, slightly towards the left hash, all the way across the field to a guy who's running towards the right sideline.
34:57Rich Eisen:Hits him in stride with a dart that I don't think anybody's going to make this throw. He's unbelievable. And they are taking on a Jets team that, you know, I guess throw the records out, please, if you're the Jets. But Patriots are number three. Now I'm going back and forth. Rams, Eagles, Eagles, Rams. The Eagles, as we know, beat the Rams this year because the Rams couldn't make a freaking kick in Philadelphia. That thing was pretty much a wrap until the Eagles came back on them in a way that, say, Denver came back on Philadelphia in that building in a way that the Rams did not. And that Eagles defense is lights out.
35:36Rich Eisen:Lights out. It's put Matt LaFleur flat out on a hot seat. I understand the Panthers did it to them the week before in that building. The it being stopping the offense. But I'm putting the Eagles here too. I'm knocking them down a peg despite winning Monday Night Football. And the reason why is offensively, I don't know what the hell's going on. I don't know what's going on. And for what I need to do for my power rankings, I'm always going to lean on the team that is playing well in almost every phase. They got the new thicker kicker, right? Yep. Okay. Well, they didn't really have to test him out all that much for pressure field goals because they boat raced the 49ers.
36:21Rich Eisen:The Rams are playing the best football on both sides of the ball right now. Matthew Stafford is out of his skull. and the receivers he has. First Ballot Hall of Fame with Devontae Adams and Pukunakua doing his thing. And all of these tight ends. And they've got Kyle. I mean, they've got Kyron Williams and our guy Balake Karun. Balake. Who's been running a little bit more and he's coming on. And they have all these tight ends and they run out of the same formation almost all the time in different plays coming at you. Sean McVay is out of his skull too. and defensively. Come on now. They've got a bunch of guys that put it together.
37:05Rich Eisen:They're laying the wood. Can't wait for this game against the Seahawks this week, but the Rams for the first time this year are atop my power rankings. I like it. After 11 weeks. So I guess I finished up strong for you guys. I started off... Listen, I understand. I took the Bills and the Packers off, and I understand that you've got the Bucks with a better record, and I understand that the Bills beat the Ravens in week one. And I understand who's got a better record than both the Chiefs and the Ravens. I get it. But push comes to shove. Those teams are on a field against your team. More likely than not, they're going to win.
37:38Rich Eisen:And I understand Denver has Kansas City this week. That's a tough one. And the Ravens, I think they're just going to keep stacking wins until they maybe see your team in New England, Chris. Or maybe Burrow comes back from his toe injury and surprises everybody. Maybe. But that's my week 11 power ranking Presented by Sonos. Explore soundbars, speakers, and more at Sonos.com. Sonos products look as good as they sound. Who would you put on 9 and 10 then? You'd put the Bills on there, Chris? Really? No. You'd think the Bills run it back right now against the Chiefs or run it back against Baltimore?
38:16Rich Eisen:I think if we're taking a snapshot of right now, you could say Bucks and Bears maybe. Bears. You'd think the Bears just lost to the Ravens, number one. against New Puntley, number two. And then number three, you think the Bears go into Arrowhead or the Chiefs go into Chicago, you take the Bears against them? Yes or no? To win?
38:40Brian Windhorst:But is that the point? Week 11, who's the best team? But is that the point of the power rankings? Are we projecting the playoffs or are we taking a snapshot of what's going on right now?
38:51Rich Eisen:Okay, I'll put it in your turn. Who's the more powerful team? Who's the more powerful team? As of today? Yeah. The team with six wins? You're taking the Bears. The team with six wins. There's two teams with six wins. As of today at 1042, yeah. Okay. Wins don't mean everything. Well, I thought you'd play to win the game. In power rankings, they don't mean everything. It's who would win. Win-win. Who is better?
39:16Brian Windhorst:Is there a power ranking definition?
39:19Rich Eisen:Clearly there is not. I have one definition. You've got another. I would have the only difference between our opinions. Way further. Mine is right. Yours is way wrong. Of course. Oh, and I'm allowed to then just take a break.
39:36Rich Eisen:I've got my inner excellence right next to me. What do you have?
39:45Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
39:53Brian Windhorst:This episode is brought to you by State Farm. You know those friends who support your preference for podcasts over music on road trips? That's the energy State Farm brings to insurance. With over 19 ,000 local agents, they help you find the coverage that fits your needs. So you can spend less time worrying about insurance and more time enjoying the ride. Download the State Farm app or go online at statefarm.com. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
40:45Brian Windhorst:More. Terms and conditions apply.
40:51Rich Eisen:Back here on the Rich Eisen Show on our simulcast, ESPN Radio is presented by Progressive Insurance. Progressive is helping veterans drive their lives forward with its Keys to Progress program. Albert Breer going to join us shortly from Sports Illustrated. So much breaking news in the NFL to hit him on. Also still to come on this show, Dan Campbell speaking about the Tush Push because the Eagles are next. and also Nick Sirianni had an interesting back and forth about that fourth down throw to A.J. Brown being the first target since the first quarter pretty much, or second quarter. That's still to come on the hour three.
41:30Rich Eisen:Don't miss it. In the meantime, we had, as you know, Buster Olney here during the World Series, and we also talked about it with Jeff Passan as well. Paul Skeens, everybody. Didn't you hear how Buster came in here and said how paul skeins could make things really difficult for the pirates in the way that you know an nba player could make things difficult by demanding a trade very few nfl players get get the james harden treatment but sometimes it happens and so skeins has said nothing tonight we will hear from paul skeins because he is expected to receive the national league cy young award this evening those were announced tonight but somebody on the pirates has spoken to nj.com advanced media new jersey and it's named after the staten island advance which as you know is my former workplace but at any rate randy miller covers baseball for that publication and he spoke to a former or a current teammate Paul Skeens put the headline up Paul Skeens has a Yankees dream trust me teammate says and Pirates quote unquote understand it in the body of this article who's that the unnamed teammate New Jersey NJ advanced media quote trust me he wants to play for the Yankees the Skeens teammate said quote I've heard him say it multiple times.
43:02Rich Eisen:A person with knowledge of the pitcher's past intentions was also quoted unnamed. Skeens grew up a Big Angels fan. He's from Southern California. He's from Orange County. He's talked about going to the Arizona Fall League when he was 9 or 10, trying to get Mike Trout's autograph there. I used to think Anaheim was where Skeens wanted to go. Not no more. And so this was brought up to Ben Sherrington, the Pirates general manager. Was asked about this by the intrepid reporter on this crucial beat.
43:43Rich Eisen:The general manager of the Pirates executive's reaction, quote, I do dismiss it, but I understand it. That's why that's in the headline. What we're going to focus on is just how do we win games with him in a Pirates uniform. I have a ton of respect for the Yankees, but we'll just focus on what we need to do. in a nice way it's really simple sharrington said because what matters most to skeins is what matters to us win more games so in a way it helps simplify it and focus it my conversations with him the only thing we talk about is winning and how to do that says he will be skeins will be a pirate in 2026 for sure he's not salary arbitration eligible until 2027 according to this article skeins wants a trade before he turns free agent in 2029 trust me he wants to play for the yankees the skeins teammates said i've heard him say it multiple times you know i've never met paul skeins i've only seen his work i'm a fan of his work but i'm also a fan of his mindset and clear intelligence i mean and how to approach life who's to argue how Paul Skeens approaches life Bueller anyone it seems like he's winning in many aspects of his life but what do you want is you want a platform and to say that he wants to be a Yankee in a Mets town after Soto is clearly shown the way if you want to go to New York and get paid go to the Mets and have it fall completely apart.
45:22Rich Eisen:Listen, bro. Could you imagine? No, because you're taking the word of some nameless, faceless person. We all know this dude. He's a teammate of Paul Skeens. Yeah, it says. And you cannot besmirch advanced media. I would know. I'm an alumni of advanced media. Well, I'm just saying. Or pardon me, as they say in Staten Island, advanced media. Okay. Could be a little biased. I know. People who work for advanced media aren't just off. I used to be one of them. Damn straight. They're credible. Answer my question. Damn straight. They're credible. How dare you? Just saying. I ain't never heard of them.
45:59Rich Eisen:Well, you probably have read their publication. You just don't know who owns it. All I'm saying is Paul Skeens is smart and really good. And this would be Paul. This is the as the Mandalorian once said, this is the way. I'd rather see him come to the Dodgers. Yeah, than the Yankees? Yes. No, he wants to actually get the money now before he turns 45. He'll say, he'll go to the Yankees. They'll pay you now. Yeah, they will pay you now. There's no layaway 401k plan. Signed by the check's clear, baby. That's the way it rolls. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The Ridge Eisen Show Podcast. You can't reason with a son.
46:40Rich Eisen:Trust us. We've tried. This summer, it's time to put that angry ball of fire on mute. Columbia's OmniShade technology is engineered to protect you from the sun's harsh rays that can burn and damage your skin. The sun is relentless, but so is our gear. Level up your summer at Columbia.com to spend more time outside and less time slathering on aloe lotion. You're welcome. Columbia. Engineered for whatever.
From the publisher
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Rich discuss the Dallas Mavericks’ next steps after firing GM Nico Harrison less than a year after he traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, says why Memphis Grizzlies Guard Ja Morant’s trade value is not as high as you might think, and weighs in on the “jaw-dropping” season being posted by Denver Nuggets’ 3-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
Rich reveals a big shakeup at the top and throughout his brand-new NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 11, and reacts to rumors coming out of Pittsburgh that Pirates’ ace Paul Skenes dreams of playing for the Yankees.
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