In short
NFL Wild Card Weekend preview plus “Overreaction Monday on a Tuesday” debate about coaching/roster decisions and college sports transfer portal/NIL.
Guests (and backgrounds)
Mark Schlereth, former NFL offensive lineman and Fox Sports NFL analyst; he discusses film study, coaching changes, and playoff matchups. Also featured are multiple callers (e.g., Holly in Utah, former University of Utah basketball athlete) debating transfer portal, NIL, and Title IX implications.
Key claims
Falcons’ late-season surge (four straight wins) showed growth under Raheem Morris, but the organization still chose a full reset (GM/coach staff changes). Rams are a better team than Panthers; execution issues and a pick-six swung their earlier matchup. Jacksonville is playing the most complete football in the league; Seattle’s defense is playing like the Legion of Boom. For AFC, Broncos’ execution/attention-to-detail is the concern versus Jacksonville’s momentum.
Notable examples
Seahawks’ fourth-down aggressiveness; Stafford pick-six; Bryce Young questions vs he played well; Texans defense with multiple interceptions; DK Metcalf “chip” prediction; Bengals keeping staff despite poor results.
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 and Guest Introduction
1:27 to 2:26
Rich recaps previous discussions and introduces Mark Schlereth.
“Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.”
Mark Schlereth's Insights on Coaching Changes
2:26 to 6:08
Mark discusses the impact of coaching changes in the NFL and insights from his recent broadcast.
“I will not go longer because he's got things to do.”
Analyzing the Rams vs. Panthers Rematch
6:08 to 8:08
Discussion on the upcoming Rams vs. Panthers game and team strengths.
“Anyhow, I've done more NFC South games than anybody on the planet.”
Wild Card Weekend Predictions
8:08 to 11:31
Mark Schlereth shares his predictions for the wild card weekend matchups.
“You know, Matthew Stafford threw a pick six in that game to Michael Jackson.”
Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl Prospects
11:31 to 14:00
Discussion on the Seattle Seahawks' chances in the playoffs and their performance.
“Mark Schlereth here on the Rich Eisen Show.”
Seattle Seahawks' Dominance and Defense
14:00 to 15:14
Discussion on the Seattle Seahawks' defensive prowess and strategy.
“And like their fourth and one, whatever it was, down by the goal line.”
Concerns About the Broncos' Execution
15:14 to 17:05
Analyzing the Denver Broncos' performance and execution issues.
“You know, people will say, well, they only scored whatever it was, 13 points or whatever.”
Best Offensive Lines in the Playoffs
17:05 to 18:58
Examining the teams with the best offensive lines as playoffs approach.
“And there's value in saying, hey, man, we've been able to be at our best when our best is required and we're down.”
MVP and Offensive Player of the Year Discussions
18:58 to 21:07
Debating the frontrunners for MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.
“Bears don't have a bad one either, Mark.”
Listener Call on College Sports and Transfer Portal
24:12 to 28:00
A listener shares thoughts on the transfer portal and the state of college sports.
“only available with TurboTax full-service experts.”
Show all 20 chapters
College Athletes and Education
28:00 to 29:14
Discuss the importance of education for college athletes and the financial aspects of NIL deals.
“How many of those football players that are in the portal are worried about graduating?”
Overreaction Tuesday Segment Introduction
29:14 to 31:04
Introduction to the Overreaction Tuesday segment with references to recent NFL events.
“It's a Monday program that we always do Overreaction Monday for on a podcast.”
Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow
31:04 to 32:50
Analysis of the Bengals' coaching staff decisions and Joe Burrow's performance expectations.
“And every Tuesday, we have this segment.”
Pittsburgh Steelers and Coaching Changes
32:50 to 35:16
Discussion about the Steelers and the trend of teams firing coaches yet keeping GMs.
“I'm not saying it's going to happen, but that's not an overreaction.”
Hiring Coaches and Team Dynamics
35:16 to 36:58
Conversation on the dynamics of hiring coaches and the implications for teams and GMs.
“We could save ownership a ton of money hiring this firm to say, Find me some candidates for general manager or hiring that firm.”
Philip Rivers and Coaching Potential
36:58 to 39:14
Exploration of Philip Rivers' potential to coach at the NFL level and family considerations.
“You know, I'm listening to all the end of the year, post-mortem sound.”
NBA Insights and Snoop Dogg's Impact
39:14 to 41:38
Discussion on NBA season performance and Snoop Dogg's role in sports commentary.
“I'm looking for the house is clean still.”
New Year Etiquette Discussion
44:06 to 45:24
Explore when it’s appropriate to wish someone a Happy New Year.
“We just were having a conversation on TV only about how long until it's no longer appropriate to say Happy New Year to somebody.”
Golfing and Name Recognition
45:24 to 47:14
Discuss the importance of remembering names during social interactions.
“Now I'm in a really tough spot because A, I didn't know her name.”
Creative Name Solutions
47:14 to 47:42
Learn about unique strategies for addressing people without using names.
“I bet you that's why Kilbourne called everyone Sparky.”
Transcript
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1:00Rich 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. Ladies and gentlemen. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Oh, look at Steve Curry. Uh-oh, Steve, don't get thrown out. Eagle, Roy. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. You look at the top picks, except for the Jets, are on to a new coach.
1:45Earlier on the show, Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Cower. Coming up, Fox Sports NFL analyst Mark Schlurin. Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
2:00Rich Eisen:That's right. Hour number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. If you're just joining us, you're finding a host with a fresh cup of coffee and a dream. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial to have a conversation with us today. Thanks, Mike. I appreciate you listening. And we just had a great chat with Bill Cowher, Pro Football Hall of Famer. My new best friend forever, Kyle Whittingham, the head coach of Michigan football, is slated to join us at the top of hour number three. I've got 15 minutes with him. I will not go longer because he's got things to do. forever is a mighty long time excuse me sir they're all forever guys all of them not really stamps like forever stamps yeah they're like stamps mike forever stamps those are great yeah they can last forever sometimes just you know put them in a drawer and forget about them exactly stamps fluctuate all right it does it's great joining us here on the rich eyes and show ladies and gentlemen fresh off of calling a a de facto playoff game because it puts somebody in the playoffs, the result of the Falcons and the Saints back here on the Rich Eyes and show our friend Mark Schlereth.
3:03Rich Eisen:Good to see you, Mark. How are you, sir? I am doing great. Good to be back with you. Happy New Year and all those great things. When you were going through, right back at you, when you were going through your broadcast meetings with the Falcons, did you get a sense of a coach that was wondering if he was coaching his team for the last time, Mark? No, I did not. I was really shocked. Really? I mean, I was really shocked. And, you know, I told the story on the Stinky Truth podcast, like I come into the building and I bump into the offensive line coach. And so we have about a 15 minute conversation.
3:36He's like, man, I can't tell you how much my guys respect you. We use your film with you and Tommy Nalen as a kind of in the Broncos from the late 80s of this is how it's done in the wide zone. And so like we ended up having this 10 minute conversation. Then I walk out of the practice field and I was like, it was like a papal blessing. I was putting my helmet on my head on top of offensive linemen's helmets, like go and send no more. And I was sending them on their way. Right. Because I was like this, this folk hero because they show so much of that film from the 98 Broncos in their meeting rooms.
4:13And, and then, you know, it was one of those things, Hey, would you come and consult me into the season or in the off season and do this stuff and and like the the respect that people had for Raheem Morris in that building from his players and the way that the energy they played with I thought for sure he's coming back there's a like to me there's a process in learning how to win and I had said this Rich during the broadcast I was like you can learn more from the desert about water than you can from the ocean and you've got to learn how to win and you've got to learn how to execute when execution is required, right?
4:51You've got to be at your best and learn how to be at your best when your best is required. And that's a process that you go through. And I thought they were on point of growing within that process and they ended up winning four straight games at the end of the season and then you know the whole the whole staff gets gets fired so i got i like literally on the airplane just before i got on the airplane leaving sunday night from atlanta to the time i landed in denver i not only got hired but i essentially got fired within a two and a half hour plane ride so like there goes your consultancy out the door
5:29Rich Eisen:yeah right up right out there it goes like i'm one of the only people that can get hired and fire without ever actually doing the job but it's just like it's amazing oh my god but you know when you're looking in retrospect as to what arthur blank did mark it looks like when they were five and nine or right around then he made a decision to organizationally shift the whole damn thing all you know yeah it's not like he kept everything in place except for the gm and the coach he reorganized his entire world and um and then i guess it didn't matter how many games in a row they were going to win um but wins do show what a a team can do and that that that's what kind of surprised me because normally take a look at the panthers they finished strong last year they are the ones who the falcons wind up sending to the playoffs as opposed to themselves which has got to hurt arthur blank as well um and and next year you can take a look at the falcons with their new coach and maybe point to these last four games is that's the moment you know like that's where everything turned the lions the few years ago we can go on and on and on about that that sort of storyline you know yeah there's no question i'm 100 with you i think arthur blank made the decision and and honestly as i was studying the film and kind of looking forward to this game and looking at the atlanta falcons i was like man this is you know and i've done i mean I'm the official broadcaster of the NFC South.
6:56Anyhow, I've done more NFC South games than anybody on the planet. And I'm like, this is by far the most talented team in the NFC South. And so to sit there and finish in a three way tie, but to be eliminated in early December, I understand the disappointment. And then the other thing is the news of Matt Ryan going to be a part of that organization. You know, the grand football, all things football, whatever it is he's going to do. You want to start with a clean slate. You don't want to have, hey, we're hiring you to reorganize and restructure what we do as an organization. But, you know, you've got to retain this coaching staff.
7:29So they get rid of the GM. They get rid of the head coach and the coaching staff in general. And, you know, which is, I think, if you're going to do it, it's the right way to do it to restructure an organization.
7:40Rich Eisen:Did you, pardon me for not knowing off the top of my head, did you do the first Rams-Panthers game or you did not? You did not call that game. I did not. I did not call that game. Obviously, I studied it because I did a Carolina Panther game right after that. And what are your thoughts about the rematch here, Mark? I just think that the L.A. Rams are a much, much better football team. But, you know, it was interesting having studied that game and watched that game. Some lack of execution. You know, Matthew Stafford threw a pick six in that game to Michael Jackson. And that kind of gave them a boost.
8:16And then, you know, it was a game where the one thing you can say, whatever you want. And I think there's a lot of question marks about Bryce Young and is he the future quarterback of the Carolina Panthers? I think inside the building, they feel pretty good about it. I think everywhere else, people would have a lot of questions about can that guy be a truly be a franchise quarterback. But he played well in that game and gave them an opportunity to win at the end of that game. Listen, the Carolina Panthers are structured in such a way that you've got to run the ball. You've got to take pressure off the quarterback.
8:49You've got to give him an opportunity to find his one-on-ones to Ted Rowe, McMillan, and the rest of those guys. But the bottom line is I think the Rams are a much better football team and probably went into that game kind of taking the Carolina Panthers a little bit lightly. And I think that's ultimately what happened.
9:07Rich Eisen:Yeah, maybe so. And before we dive into the rest of the wildcard weekend with you, Mark, you would be perfectly positioned to give an opinion. You mentioned Ted Arola McMillan. You just saw Tyler Shuck. Who's the offensive rookie of the year? Who would you choose? Yeah, you know, one, I would never vote a quarterback because quarterbacks don't play football. They play quarterbacks. So, like, I instantly eliminate quarterbacks. although Shuck has been amazing in the eight starts or nine starts that he had. So he was really incredible. Ted Arroa has been very good as well. I look at a guy like Gray Zabel with Seattle.
9:47Seattle Seahawks dominated the San Francisco 49ers. I mean, that was a butt whip that they put on them at every level of that game. But yeah, Ted Arroa has been good. Shuck has been really good. There's been a lot of guys.
10:01Rich Eisen:Let me just stop you there then. Instead of asking you that question, Shuck, he's the guy? Sticking with him? He's definitely, for sure. He's a pro quarterback, and Kellen Moore's found his guy? Yeah, I think you look at the Saints, and this is the one beautiful thing that has happened to the Saints coming out of this thing. I mean, they lined up, and that was like going door-to-door, knocking on doors as a kid. You're like a 12-year-old in your neighborhood, and you want to get together a nice game of tackle or touch Nerf football, and you went around and knocked on doors to see if they had any kids at the house that were willing to play because you just didn't have it.
10:44It was you and your buddy, and you needed eight more kids. You wanted to have a five-on-five Nerf football game. That's what they started on offense with the Saints. He has been exceptional, smart kid. unbelievably talented, both athletically gifted, arm talent-wise, but from the neck up, just maturity rich and doesn't really fall for the same mistake twice. They found their quarterback and he played better than any quarterback drafted in this year's draft. He was the number one quarterback from a draft standpoint of this year's class. So they've got their guy. They've got a lot of work to do from a roster construction standpoint, but they've got their guy going forward to play quarterback.
11:31Rich Eisen:Mark Schlereth here on the Rich Eisen Show. Normally I would ask a man in your position going in a wild card weekend, which road team has the best chance to win? This time I could ask you that question and you could say all of them and I would not bat an eye. No disrespect to all the home teams. So I will ask you give me the number. If I set it at three and a half for road wins this weekend and i'll just say it again it's um texans it's stealers bills at jaguars the jaguars have been a wagon man they they've won all their games in a row by an average of 19 in their winning streak they have they have crushed teams uh the niners um the chargers you could see the rams and the and the packers they're all they're all stout double digit with the exception of the Packers win teams?
12:26Rich Eisen:How many? I said three and a half. You put the over or the under. What do you take? I'm going to go with the under, but I think it's going to be three. Okay. I think the Texans are going to win. I think that the Rams will definitely win. And then I think it's one of two. Either Green Bay or San Francisco is going to come away with a victory. The Bills are interesting. because I think the Bills, this is probably the worst team they've had in recent years of their last three years. But obviously, the quarterback is an unbelievable X factor. So I could see them going in. But Jacksonville, as you mentioned, Jacksonville is probably going into this thing.
13:08I think Jacksonville is probably playing better football than any other team in the NFC, probably any other team in the league right now. They're playing there and they they happen to be, to me, the most complete team where they've played the most complete football over the last probably four or five weeks.
13:23Rich Eisen:Okay, so you think half of the wild card games are going to be road victories coming up this weekend, which, by the way, means perfect time to have the bye because you don't want any piece of this fray. You just want to sit back, let everybody beat the crap out of each other. You put your feet up on the Barker lounger and off you go. I'll give you the floor on Seattle. You mentioned about how they whipped the Niners. what do you make of Seattle as the one seed in the NFC and how far they can go? Mark Schleres. Yeah, I think they have, you know, a front row seat all the way to the Super Bowl. And, you know, they drive it down.
14:02They miss a fourth down and two, right? And like their fourth and one, whatever it was, down by the goal line. And I'm like, what is the aversion to kicking field goals in this league? Like, how have we gotten to this point where it just is almost like it's disrespectful to even kick a field goal? and I'm like, why would you do that? And then I watched that defense just line up. It reminded, it really did remind me of the way they played when they won a championship under Pete Carroll with the Legion of Boom. It was like, come get a taste defense. They were like, hey man, this is what we play.
14:32We're not complicated. We are just going to physically wear you out. I felt sorry for Brock Purdy. He got the living snot beat out of him. But every time they had a dude that they dumped the ball off to, that defensive back or that linebacker were there just punishing that pass catcher and putting them on the ground there was no leaky yardage there was no yards after catch it was bam hit two or three guys around in the football and then it was all of a sudden where you thought you'd be in you know second down and and four you're all said you're in second down and eight and you're like we didn't get anything out of that play that was the seattle seahawks defense they were phenomenal and I'll give Sam Darnold credit.
15:16You know, people will say, well, they only scored whatever it was, 13 points or whatever. But understanding and having the maturity to know, hey, our defense, they're not getting a sniff on our defense. So you know what? I'm going to be judicious with the football. I'm going to find Smith and Jigba. We're going to create enough plays. We're going to run enough plays. We're going to run the ball enough to be successful. But I'm not putting us in harm's way because that's the only way that San Francisco is going to be able to beat us tonight on the road. And that shows a level of maturity that I think a lot of people just don't have.
15:48So I think the Seattle Seahawks right now are playing the best football in the NFC without question. They and Jacksonville are, to me, going into this playoffs, the two teams that are playing their best football.
15:59Rich Eisen:Yeah, Jacksonville's terrific, man. We had Liam Cohen on yesterday. I had a little bit of fun with him. I said, when you talk about the Bills this week, would you mind referring to them as a small market team? That would be great. You know what I mean? The coach is saying it with his chest, but Trevor Lawrence is buying all of what Liam Cohen is selling. Defensively, only the Bears take the ball away more from them, and nobody gives up yards on the ground as stingily as Jacksonville. And that's what James Cook, that's the engine of the Bills, right? They're kind of going into that grinder. but the Broncos are still the one seed.
16:42Rich Eisen:Are you concerned about them? Do you think Jacksonville is the hot team that's going to be the one that takes the AFC down, Mark, at the end of the day? Yeah, I'm concerned about the Broncos from the standpoint of just level of execution. I think it's legit. Everybody says, hey, the Broncos, they haven't beat anybody or a lot of one-score game wins and all that stuff. And there's value in saying, hey, man, we've been able to be at our best when our best is required and we're down. And, you know, it's it's a fourth quarter. We had to put two drives together. And we've done that on a consistent basis throughout the season.
17:16The thing that concerns me is the lack of attention to detail, the missed assignments and just the lack of being able to consistently execute on the all, especially on the offensive side of the ball. So, you know, three quarters, you know, we said this about Tebow back when Tebow was playing. You can't be, you know, you can't be a hero for putting out a fire that you started, right? You can't have three quarters of wreck and all of a sudden you execute in the fourth quarter and say, oh, yeah, we solved our problems. It's the lack of execution for three quarters concerns me. And you can beat teams that are maybe not up to your level from a talent standpoint or can't produce against your defense.
18:02But we're talking about playoff football. And the last time Jacksonville rolled in here as a quote unquote small market team, as you just mentioned, they hung 34 on that defense and waxed the Broncos, gave them an at-home spanking, the only game they lost at home this year. So, yeah, there's a concern there.
18:20Rich Eisen:okay so you're saying it's okay if the quarterback's the fire department unless he's also the arsonist is basically what you're saying that's exactly you can't light the fire and then put it out and be a hero okay um the best offensive line in the playoffs belongs to oh that's a great that's a great question um like a lot of people would tell you you know based on grades and pro football focus it's the Broncos but the Broncos make more mistakes than than just about anybody I think when their offense is right when the well they're not in there they're not in it anymore I was just gonna say Baltimore when their offense is right but they just got bounced because they can't kick a field goal um I like what I like what Seattle did last week I like where where they're at right now I think the Rams if healthy I would give it to the Rams as being the best you know just grind it out, best offensive line going into these playoffs, if they're right, if they're healthy.
19:21Rich Eisen:Bears don't have a bad one either, Mark. You know what I mean? Bears have been good as well. Yeah, they've run the ball exceptionally well. So they've been good also. Yeah, I know. And before I let you go, you want to chime in on the MVP race? Yeah, I mean, obviously, they're going to give it to I think they're going to give it to Stafford, and well deserved. I mean, Stafford is great. Again, quarterbacks, they get all the girls. They get all the accolades. They get everything else. They wear pink jerseys at practice. They don't have to hit anybody. I would never... Same thing with a Heisman. I would just not...
20:02I'd give it to football players, not to quarterbacks. But again, you used to protect them for a living.
20:10Rich Eisen:Elway's not a piece of Tiffany. He's not a piece of China. No, Elway's as tough as they come, but you get your rewards. You get to play quarterback. That's your reward. Alright, so then let's go Offensive Player of the Year. Who would you choose? There's a ton of them. You know, JSN had a great first two-thirds of the season. Puka Nakua had the most catches. And you saw Bijan front row center this past weekend, McCaffrey. I mean, who do you choose? What do you choose, Mark? I think I would probably choose, and Bijan was unbelievable. I love Puka because he does everything, and he makes some of the most circus, the toughest catches there are.
20:56But I would probably go with all the injuries, multiple quarterbacks playing. I would probably go with McCaffrey. Just unbelievable season. And he plays football. He's not a quarterback. So that would be where I would go.
21:09Rich Eisen:He plays football. You're the best, Mark. The Stinkin' Truth Podcast. Everybody check it out. And I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Wild Card Weekend, sir. Always appreciate your two cents, and happy new year to you. Likewise, my friend. Thank you for having me, buddy. That's Mark Schlereth, everybody. NFL on Fox. Stinkin' Truth Podcast as well, wherever you get your podcasts. Right there. The man protects quarterbacks for a living, but apparently he didn't like it. Guess I never played football because I was a quarterback. Oh, that's all you do. Did you get the women? Let's see.
21:46Rich Eisen:See, that's an answer. Normally you would just spit that out. He did now, though. Now I did. But he's not a quarterback. Oh, right. 844-204-RICH. Number to dial. Overreaction Monday on a Tuesday. And again, as I mentioned, your phone calls. And the head coach of Michigan football, Kyle Whittingham, in Hour 3. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
22:14Rich Eisen:Save money and get a better view of the road when you replace your worn-out wiper blades at O 'Reilly Auto Parts. Right now, save$10 on a pair of Rain-X Latitude wiper blades. They feature beam blade technology to improve windshield contact for maximum visibility. The professional parts people will even install your new wiper blades for free. Choose Rain-X Latitude Wiper Blades at your local O 'Reilly Auto Parts store or online at OReillyAuto.com. Get into the Hyundai Getaway sales event and get away with a deal so right it almost feels wrong. Because right now you can get great deals on our most popular models, including our adventure-ready SUVs like the Hyundai Santa Fe or Santa Fe Hybrid and the Tucson or Tucson Hybrid.
22:55Rich Eisen:Plus, there's our bold and stylish Elantra loaded with the latest tech or go all-electric with the Ioniq 5 or Ioniq 9. So get down to your local Hyundai dealer and get away with a deal you'll love during the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Visit HyundaiUSA.com for details. Rich Eisen here. The tax deadline will be here before you know it. And you just want to know your taxes are actually being handled. But the old way? You hand everything off and then silence. Days pass. Weeks pass. You start wondering, should I send another follow-up email? It feels like you're chasing updates and getting nowhere.
Read the full transcript
23:28Rich Eisen:But now, taxes are different because your taxes are done for you by a TurboTax full-service expert. With Intuit TurboTax, you can match with your dedicated tax expert and hand off everything right in the app. And while your expert checks for every deduction, you'll see real-time updates on your phone so you always know exactly where things stand. Suddenly, you're not refreshing your inbox. You're going for a run, grabbing a coffee, scrolling anything other than a just-checking-in message. because your TurboTax expert is handling it and keeping you in the loop. So this tax season, get your best possible outcome and every dollar you deserve without the guesswork.
24:08Rich Eisen:Visit TurboTax.com today to learn more. Real-time updates only in iOS mobile app, only available with TurboTax full-service experts. Let's take a phone call before we get to Overreaction Monday on a Tuesday. What do we want? We have so much to talk about. Every phone line is lit. Where do you want to go with this, Chris? What do you want to do here? Well, I mean, we had a Molly in Utah. You want to go with a Holly in Utah? Sure. Holly in Utah. What's going on, Holly? Hi. I'm just calling. I'm a former athlete at University of Utah in my 60s now. Okay. But I just want to say I don't understand the transfer portal and all the kind of excitement about it.
24:54I would have played for free. I just love playing. And I just feel like the portal and NIL has sort of ruined college sports. There's no loyalty. Nobody stays. And the whole reason I went to college was to get an education. And I felt so lucky that it was paid for. Plus, I got to play basketball. So I just, I feel like it's just, I'm not even a fan anymore. I used to watch a lot more college sports. But I don't know. I just, I feel like it's kind of ruined it. My question, I guess, is how does the transfer portal, how does the paying the players, how does that satisfy the Title IX requirements?
25:32Because if you have one athlete that's a quarterback, he's paid higher. How do you align that with the law that says women should be treated exactly like that?
25:42Rich Eisen:Great question, Holly. I wish I had the answer off the top of my head at my fingertips. I'm not a lawyer. I don't play one on TV. um so i wish i had that answer for you i don't but one thing i would say is i i hear you i totally understand what you're saying that you would have played for free and things of that nature um which sport did you play holly i played basketball at the university of utah okay so perfect example then so yes look at women's basketball has absolutely exploded right yeah um and the reason for that i would have to say is because we are watching the players go and crush it some of the personalities that we are seeing have been magnetic um we could uh we can go on and on and on about how they've moved on to the wnba which is now kind of splashed back on to college basketball and now college basketball has gotten so big it splashed onto the wnba to make that even more successful that's a lot of money going around how much did you get you know if they were if if the money was exploding back then the way it is now and you stroll into the university of utah stores and see your jersey being sold and you get zero dollars and zero cents from that you'd say what the hell and and then and then your coach leaves because he or she gets a better opportunity but you can't that's not cool you know what i mean and and it's all being built off of your sweat and blood and tears, and I understand you wanting to do it for free.
27:14Rich Eisen:It's awesome. I just think that there has to be some sort of opportunity for the players to rake in the cash in the same way. It's just not the day and age of the way it used to be for us anymore, Holly. It's the truth. I agree, and I like what you said, that there needs to be some kind of a contract because I think they should be paid something. Yes, I think NCAA was just totally benefiting and collecting all this money. But I think there should be something. You can't just go every year. I mean, there's 3 ,000 people in the football transfer floor right now. I mean, that's crazy. Who wants to coach that and worry about all that, plus recruiting high school kids?
27:55I just think it's, I don't know, I just don't agree with that. I think you go to college to get an education. How many of those football players that are in the portal are worried about graduating? and how do their credits transfer from one school to another? I mean, you're supposed to get an education. So, I don't know. That was important to me, to have an education. And it was paid for, and I couldn't believe it, that it was paid for, and I still got the play.
28:19Rich Eisen:Thanks for calling in, Holly. Greatly appreciated callback. So, that's Molly in Utah, Holly in Utah. How can we complete the triple play in hour number three? Polly, maybe? Polly. Polly in Utah. Long came Polly. We have seen a lot of women athletes break the bank financially with the nil deals olivie dunn was up near four million dollars of course caitlin clark and page beckers angel reese was up there we just saw the first uh million dollar college softball athlete nijari kennedy from stanford so the money is there uh on the women's side as well right and and they should reap the benefits absolutely absolutely college athletics exploding in revenue but the players see none of it really really come on rich they're getting a free education i i understand that and that is that is that is valuable it is kind of what holly's point was back in those days right that was the the win right there of course i understand that but that was you know those years three meals a day tj i i understand i understand there is a value in it and trust me i i can't wait for my kids to get a college education not to get too deep but i'm i'm i'm downright frightened of what ai is going to be for them when they get out of college um and so in this day and age you're 18 you're 19 you're 20 you're 21 and you have the benefit of performing in an era when you can get paid go get paid yep i totally understand it but at the end of the day we need to have a system where they can get paid they can get what they deserve and you could still build a team without having to do that every year i mean even in professional sports the first contract is for four to five years for an nfl player depending on when you're drafted that you have to have some sort of ability to team build otherwise you know how can you root for a team if you're a fan how can you build a team if you're in management and also how can you expect if you are a player every single year to you know you you still love being on the campus you love being in the school you love being in the program you don't want to leave but suddenly all your colleagues leave and now you have to because you want to win it's kind of crazy there's very like if we need the guard reels get sankey back here so he can tell me I don't know what I'm talking about.
30:56Rich Eisen:844-204-RICH, number to dial. It's a Monday program that we always do Overreaction Monday for on a podcast. And every Tuesday, we have this segment. Hit it. That was terrible. That was crap. That was garbage. It just like sucks. Overreaction Mondays. Monday. On a Tuesday. Everybody. And you're on a good streak too. Overreaction Monday on a Tuesday. What's going on over there, Chris? Guys, you know, it's that time of year, week 18. Monday, Black Monday. Coaches, unfortunately, losing their gigs. Not in Cincinnati. They're running it all back, guys. Did you see that? They're running it all back.
31:35Everybody's coming back, all the coaching staff. With the Bengals making zero changes, expect the same results as the last two seasons in 2026.
31:45Rich Eisen:Can I ask you a question? Will Joe Burrow play all 17 games? He played all 17 the year before. Will he play all 17 games? It doesn't matter. You've got the eight ball next to you, Rich. Ask him. He played all 17 in 2024. Will Joe Burrow play all 17 games? The Magic eight ball says you may rely on it. Oh, that changes things. That changes things. That's right, dude, for Bengals fans. Great. Changes things. The eight ball ain't never wrong. I will just say this. If Burrow and Chase said there needs to be some changes and those changes aren't made, you're right. there may be other changes that they're referring to that don't mean the coaching staff.
32:24Rich Eisen:I understand that sounds absurd. All I know is that they started 2-0 and then Joe Burrow got hurt and everything went sideways. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, Rich. I understand what you're saying. That's not all said. That's not an overreaction. That's a reasonable reaction to what's happening in Cincinnati. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but that's not an overreaction. That's a reasonable reaction. What else you got over there? Something special is going on in Pittsburgh, TJ. That's your neck of the woods. Please believe it. Eight looked like 12. And you know what they were really missing, though?
33:07Who? Four. Four is back. Four is back. DK Metcalf is going to have the most receiving yards and multiple touchdowns of the wildcard round.
33:15Rich Eisen:Dude, that is an overreaction. I know. He's got something to prove. I got it. I understand. And the only way they win this game is with a big DK Metcalf. Christopher, with my own two eyes and my voice in the booth in SoFi Stadium, I saw that Houston Texans defense. I understand Riley Leonard and the Colts went into Houston and gave the Texans a bit of a scare. At the end of the day, I see not one, not two, not three, but four defensive backs for the Houston Texans to have four interceptions at least. Derek Stingley Jr. is an all pro and one of the best in the business. They are going to put him on four.
34:04Rich Eisen:And if it's not him, there's Lasseter. There's also some hard-hitting safeties. The Steelers are going to have their hands full. I'm not saying they won't win. I love Bill Cowher's comment in our number one saying that the Steelers haven't lost in Monday Night Football since 1991. And that wasn't me. That was Chuck Knoll. It wasn't me, he said. He threw that one on Chuck Knoll. May he rest. It's true, man. You know, and but multiple touchdowns and most if that happens, I am happy for Steelers fans to eat my words here. Look at his muscles. I understand that. And I know he's got something to prove.
34:46Rich Eisen:He's got a chip and all that sort of business. But the Houston Texans are no Washington generals, sir. Overreaction. What else? You see all these teams getting rid of their head coach, but they're keeping the GM. These teams are crazy for firing their coaches but keeping the general manager. You clean house, you clean the whole house. You don't just clean the kitchen and leave the bathroom a mess. You know what I'm saying, Rich Eisen? Mm-hmm. This is madness. On behalf of RES Consulting, which never gets a call this time of year. Never. We could save ownership a ton of money hiring this firm to say, Find me some candidates for general manager or hiring that firm.
35:31Rich Eisen:Find me some candidates for head coach. As if you don't have chat GPT to do that. You need some other people. This is what you need to do, sir. You need to hire this person or that person. Or in the case of the Colts or the Saints or the Seahawks, madam. Listen. This is a proper reaction. This is a proper reaction. You're going to have a coach, and then the GM's hired, and if they don't win, the GM will absolutely go to ownership and say, that was never my guy. Give me my guy. Can I have my guy? You don't want to be the coach in that situation either. It's not great. Not great. But we'll see. This, on behalf of RAS Consulting, is a proper reaction.
36:17Rich Eisen:Did you find? I know we've locked eyes. I know we have the poltergeist drop. I did not have that one readily available. Okay. This house is clean. I was going to play it. See, you need to clear that with Mike beforehand. You understand the power of drops, which, by the way, was a great Huey Lewis song. That never made it. The power of drops. Alt title. Alt title, I think. That would have been great in Back to the Future. The power of drops. Yeah, that would have been great. You know, I have just one rule when I think about Overreaction Monday on a Tuesday. What rule is that? whenever there's a two-time coach of the year on the market you hire him and you say this kevin stefanski is going to be coaching in the playoffs next year for who which one of the six doesn't matter what does that mean doesn't matter of course it matters oh it doesn't of course he's that good of a head coach he's going to come in resurrect quarterback whisper boom playoffs well i know one of the six teams he won't be coaching because they're the ones who fired him so give me the name i want to hear it i want to hear it because i mean you're just it's the giants titans falcons raiders cardinals giants or falcons well falcons almost made it this year they were ruled they were they were eliminated officially a month ago and still tied for the division i know which caused the bucks to be out because if the bucks didn't have that pesky third team in they'd be the one hosting the rams this weekend i'll buy this Sure.
37:47Rich Eisen:Okay. Okay. What else? Okay, great. You know, I'm listening to all the end of the year, post-mortem sound. And I heard this from our good friend and guest last week. I do think, as humbly as I can say it, that I could coach at this level. And I know enough about the game and about the guys. And from a leadership standpoint, camaraderie, all that comes with it. But, again, that's not something that I'm sitting here pursuing. I'm just I really like I said if anything I learned the last four weeks is take it one day at a time with a lack of star head coaching candidates yes someone should hire Philip Rivers to be their head coach next year well if I'm not mistaken what he told us last Friday at this very moment that we're having this conversation he could be an eighth period PE doing the lift with his players that he said he'd be doing on Tuesday um but he also did say that his one son is the senior quarterback and another son is a freshman quarterback that would be uh you'd have to really come correct with philip and say we want you to be we want you to move from alabama to cleveland las vegas atlanta atlanta's closest tennessee not too far off um or new york city or arizona you don't think one of these quarterbacks and say we we would like you to coach our kid rather than you coach your kids and it would have to be a significant offer to turn down now but I don't blame him for saying keep my number folks because at some point I will run out of children to coach and I of course he can coach at that level one would think now I'm sure a lot of other that's why he says he says it humbly because there's a lot of people beating the sticks right now knowing that they've been told beat the sticks before you know you can come back here and have a zoom with us with your powerpoints um but uh why not kick the tires short for sure i liked it okay you got one more over there you got to see no yes like i told you oh my gosh all right we'll get one more don't bother him while he's doing his banking during overreaction money on his Tuesday.
40:07I'm looking for the house is clean still.
40:08Rich Eisen:Okay, great. Well, it's over. We're way past that. We're way past that. The house is already clean. You know, TJ, I'm watching the Thunder. I don't know about the Thunder anymore. Someone other than OKC is going to win the NBA title this year. All right. Six and six in the last 12 games. I know that. Victor Wambanyama, in particular, giving them fits. What's going on? Sure, I'll buy this for you. I'll buy this on behalf of the National Basketball Association that must be glad that nobody's running away with it like this. I really thought they were going 80-2. Okay. Very good. The 30-7, guys. All right.
40:41Rich Eisen:It's over. Sure. Yeah. There you go. That's it. I don't blame you. That's not an overreaction right now, that you're giving me 29 other teams, other franchise. Well, I'm giving you like four, maybe. I don't know. It's probably more than that. I don't know. Jason Tatum's coming back soon, TJ. Okay, now we get to the core. Hey, your Clippers took care of business last night against the Warriors. Yeah. Snoop on the mic, talking about Steve Kerr getting ejected. Steve Kerr was losing his mind. Steve Kerr's having a season. By the way, when you see, and that great overreaction Monday and Tuesday, when you see Snoop doing what he's doing with a headset on and a microphone in his hand, do you remember who was the one who gave him his first press pass for a big sporting event?
41:18Rich Eisen:He wanted to do this. The Rich Eisen Show. It's Super Bowl 50 10 years ago. What did he call it? It wasn't journalism. It was... Analysem. Which I'm glad he said it that way. I want to get into analyst. Yeah. Yeah. Instead of the other way where you put the emphasis on. Oh, God, I've said enough. I was subtle enough. You don't need to take the hammer out and hit it on the head, sir. Some people don't get it. All right. Let's take a break here before we get any more trouble on Disney Plus and ESPN Radio.
41:54Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
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43:36Rich Eisen:Hiring your small business can feel like a full-time job, so it's important you hire right the first time. LinkedIn Jobs' AI assistant takes the heavy lifting out of it. It filters applicants based on the criteria you set and suggests 25 great fit candidates daily so you can invite them to apply and keep things moving. Get started by posting your job for free at LinkedIn.com slash Eisen. That's LinkedIn.com slash Eisen to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. We just were having a conversation on TV only about how long until it's no longer appropriate to say Happy New Year to somebody.
44:14Rich Eisen:yeah i say a week um chris said you get all month which i think is psychotic i said i said waiting till like january 28th to say somebody happy new year it's like asking somebody the name uh your name again that you've been golfing with uh for the first three holes by the fourth tee box you have to know you there's this person's name otherwise you're now you're now spending 45 minutes with somebody who's already told you your name like tell me your name again that's disrespectful like you need to you cannot once you hit the fourth tee box ask somebody their name again so you're gonna go 14 more holes of golf and without no i right i would i would wait to try and pick up on somebody else using their name um or or steal or or steal a look at their scorecard to see their name that written down on it maybe they got their name on their bag or something like that yes yes easier just cannot answer three holes of golf which in some places is like 45 minutes long certainly if you're waiting on the the par three the inevitable par three there's an inevitable backup you're now now you're asking somebody waiting after hanging with them conversations on the fourth tee box what's your name again swear that's unacceptable how my name is tag i i i learned that the hard way as well uh back when i was in uh bristol connecticut i played at a uh place called tunxis uh golf club is it called tunxis t-u-n-x-i-s i think it's still there um this is before my second contract and i i joined a golf club yeah tunks is country club yeah and um so i played with and and i i was putting i got hooked up with uh this nice couple uh i'm putting and i i wound up about a foot shy of a birdie putt and i said damn it hit it sally and the female in the other part of my group says pardon me her name was Sally.
46:11Rich Eisen:And then along came Sally. Lay down. Now I'm in a really tough spot because A, I didn't know her name. B, I have to tell her, no I'm not referring to you I'm just making a misogynistic joke about my putting ability. You know what I mean? Like that was terrible. That did not go well for me. They were adults who had never heard sally that saying before and she goes what huh you referring to me it's pretty good you mean it wasn't not for me because i missed the putt too okay sorry what were you saying i was just saying that they're adults into it i was into it never heard that saying before like that i thought everybody had heard um she might have been but she might have also thought i was now insulting her because she thought i knew her name because she told it to me probably over and over again.
47:05Rich Eisen:Well, then that's on you for not paying attention. I'm aware of that. I'm not that good. When I meet a ton of people, I need to take better mental notes of what somebody says their name is. I bet you that's why Kilbourne called everyone Sparky. You know, what's up, Spark? It's a way to just not even remember somebody's name. It's that Tiger Woods jive from recently, the meme. Big dog. What's up, big dog? Let's go get this, you know? Yeah, I mean, that's a way to do it. You asked me once, I called you Joe. You called me Joe, and I'm like, that was like a DC thing my friend did. He would just call everybody Joe.
47:37Rich Eisen:Like, what up, Joe? So he wouldn't have to remember anyone's name. Very good. There he is. Just say Happy New Year and get over it. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Monster Energy. Everybody knows White Monster. Zero Ultra. That's the OG. It kicked off this whole zero sugar energy drink thing. But Ultra is a whole lineup now. You've got Strawberry Dreams, Blue Hawaiian, Sunrise, and Vice Guava. And they all bring the monster energy punch. So if you've been living in the white can, branch out. Ultra's got a flavor for every vibe. And every single one is zero sugar. Tap the banner to learn more.
From the publisher
Three-time Super Bowl champion/NFL on FOX analyst/’Stinkin’ Truth’ host Mark Schlereth and Rich discuss the Atlanta Falcons firing head coach Raheem Morris, discuss the Rams vs Panthers rematch, New Orleans Saints rookie QB Tyler Shough, how many road teams get the win in the Wild Card round, how deep the Seahawks and their formidable defense can go in the playoffs, why he has big concerns about the Denver Broncos despite their #1 seed in the AFC, and more.
In ‘Overreaction Tuesday’ Rich weighs in on the NFL coaching carousel, Pittsburgh Steelers WR DK Metcalf, the 6-11 Cincinnati Bengals running it back next season with no changes to their coaching staff, Kevin Stefanski’s next head coaching gig, if Philip Rivers would make a good NFL head coach, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s chances to repeat as NBA champions, and more.
Rich and the guys debate how long after January 1st is it appropriate to wish someone “happy new year!”
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