In short
UCLA football coaching transition and college football playoff reform, plus Rich Eisen’s “active Hall of Fame” MLB power rankings and sports talk.
Guests (and backgrounds)
- Bob Chesney, UCLA head football coach; previously led James Madison and Holy Cross (FCS/FCS-to-Division I path), known for building staffs and using sports-science/leadership learning from higher-level programs.
- (Other show segments mention upcoming/other guests but this hour’s in-studio guest is Chesney.)
Key claims
- Chesney says UCLA’s recruiting pitch is “presenting,” not “selling,” citing UCLA’s academics (about 8% acceptance), elite athletics, and proximity to greatness.
- He emphasizes building a roster via the transfer portal immediately and restoring a disciplined, physical brand.
- He supports AFCA playoff ideas: remove conference championship games, and schedule at least six days between games to preserve momentum and reduce injury/physical toll.
Notable examples
- Spring game featured UCLA basketball coach Corey Close calling trick plays with Adam Wright (water polo champion); Chesney references Troy Aikman’s UCLA return and past quarterback banquet for the children’s hospital.
- MLB segment ranks “surefire active Hall of Famers” including Shohei Ohtani #1, Justin Verlander #2, Max Scherzer #3, Aaron Judge #4, Mike Trout #5, Mookie Betts #6, Jose Ramirez #8, Freddie Freeman #9, Manny Machado #10.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOKickoff of Hour Two with Rich Eisen
1:38 to 2:15
Rich Eisen transitions into the second hour of the show, discussing previous and upcoming segments.
“From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.”
Interview with Bob Chesney, UCLA Football Head Coach
2:15 to 9:00
Bob Chesney discusses his transition to UCLA and plans for the football program.
“James Gladstone, the GM of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is about to join us on the show.”
College Football Playoffs Discussion
9:00 to 14:00
Chesney shares his thoughts on playoffs and competition at different collegiate levels.
“new head coach of UCLA football here on the Rich Eisen Show.”
College Football Playoff Inclusion Debate
14:00 to 17:45
Discusses the inclusion of lower-seeded teams in college football playoffs.
“But first things first, what do you say to people who think that James Madison's of the world don't belong in the college football playoffs?”
UCLA Football's Future and Alumni
17:45 to 19:45
Bob Chesney discusses the future of UCLA football and notable alumni.
“There's a lot of things that got to be factored into there.”
Coaches and Program Development
19:45 to 20:24
Chesney shares insights on recruiting and program development for UCLA football.
“So let us know whatever, you know, we can be part of your program and just have you on.”
Breaking News: Joel Embiid Injury Update
21:43 to 28:00
Discusses the impact of Joel Embiid's injury on the Sixers and playoff implications.
“Save$2 when you buy two cans of Superior Products Coverall Tire Dressing.”
Debate on Flopping in Basketball
28:00 to 29:15
The segment discusses the impact of flopping in basketball compared to tanking.
“But yeah, it doesn't work like that, Ric.”
Fans' Perspectives on Team Performance
29:15 to 30:49
A call from a fan highlights the irrelevance of bad teams and the focus on flopping issues.
“And nobody in the upper crust of the league cared.”
Discussion on Upcoming Game
30:49 to 31:43
The hosts predict the competitiveness of an upcoming basketball game.
“jackson saying he wants to what thank you for the call dan just like i'm out of here i made my point I'm gone.”
Show all 15 chapters
Power Ranking Active Hall of Famers
31:56 to 35:05
Rich reveals his top ten power rankings of surefire active baseball Hall of Famers.
“I'll do the power rankings of surefire active baseball Hall of Famers.”
Debate on Rankings and Player Comparisons
35:05 to 39:24
Discussion and debate among hosts about player rankings and Hall of Fame candidacy.
“Just to show you, I'm fair and balanced.”
Draft Choices and Player Insights
44:18 to 45:22
Discussing the Jacksonville Jaguars' draft strategies and player expectations.
“James Gladstone, the general manager of your Jacksonville Jaguars, is joining us.”
Manny's Thoughts on Sports
45:22 to 47:02
Manny shares his views on John Sterling, Yankees, and a solution for NBA flopping.
“Greetings from a 77-degree day in the Sun City.”
Discussion on NBA and Boston
47:02 to 47:41
Hosts reflect on basketball strategies and critique Boston's playoff performance.
“Like, what if at the end of the game you just had to go five on four for like a minute?”
Transcript
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0:54Rich Eisen:at Thrivent we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind because even though our business is helping guide your finances our ambition is to make it mean so much more Thrivent where money means more connect with us at Thrivent.com 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. Missed 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.
1:38Now, on with the show. Detroit Basketball!
1:44Rich Eisen:JD, another jam! This is the Rich Eisen Show. From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Katinga Thunder Bunny Belt, Thunderbite 19. Earlier on the show. Prime Video NFL Analyst, Andrew Whitworth. Coming up. UCLA Head Coach, Bob Chesney. Jaguars General Manager, James Gladstone. Comedian, Tom Segura. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Our number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. James Gladstone, the GM of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is about to join us on the show. In about 20 minutes' time, we just said farewell to Andrew Whitworth. The comedian Tom Segura will be here in studio in hour number three.
2:26Rich Eisen:But we're pleased to have kickoff hour number two, a man who has got a lot of people in this town very excited as he has taken over the UCLA football program after several successful years at James Madison and then Holy Cross before that. Ladies and gentlemen, Bob Chesney is here in studio. Good to see you, Coach. How are you? I'm doing great. Thanks for having me. Wonderful setup you got here. I appreciate you saying that. Phenomenal people. Unbelievable. I appreciate you saying that. If you don't mind me saying, it looks like you already have a Southern California tan. You tan easily from being on the East Coast?
2:59I do. And I'm not. I want to wear a hat. I just can't really do it. I wouldn't wear a hat. You've got two bald guys right here.
3:08Rich Eisen:Don't do that. Let it fly, man. Sunscreen. I just miss it on it almost every single day. I'm halfway through practice and I'm like, man, I put nothing on my face. Be careful. Be careful. Be careful. Moving out here to Southern California, it'll get you because it's every day, man. No doubt. It's almost every day. Thank goodness. That's the weather we live in right here. So how has it been like what? How about this? What does one do when one takes over a program like UCLA? What do you what was your orders of business? Yeah, well, I think I also go back to when did you take over UCLA? And that was in the middle of us about to go into our Sunbelt championship game at JMU.
3:44And then we still had the playoffs, hopeful playoffs coming up, which we were able to make. So, you know, that all started. It all broke on a Sunday night. And it was about, you know, we're going to play that championship game, host it for the first time at home. And you just knew there was a lot of work that had to go into that game, the next game, but also you had to start into UCLA as well. So there was the ability to start building a staff. And I just, I said it the other day, but it was interesting because you're three hours, you know, behind out here, you know, three hours ahead there. So it was, it worked out okay.
4:19You'd get to the end of the day, 10, 11 o 'clock at night, and you'd look back and it'd be seven or eight over here. So you had a couple more hours that you could afford yourself, which wouldn't happen any other way. So that kind of worked out. So, you know, one of the first things was getting a GM in place, building out the recruiting department. And then, you know, I already had the roster broken down and an idea of the players and what we needed, et cetera, who was in the portal, you know, or who was about to go in the portal. All those things were pretty well known. So we start there with the people.
4:47And then after that, it was a matter of getting out here. Transfer portal opened up the same day that school started. So you had to, again, bring in a whole bunch of guys as you were still looking at the team in place, wondering what their position is on, you know, within the program. and you're just trying to peck away at it every single day and just give everything you've got to try to build this roster because you only got one shot at doing that.
5:07Rich Eisen:Yeah, sure. And, you know, listen, I don't know if you pay attention to this sort of stuff, but we certainly in the media do. An organization called 247247 Sports has you with the fourth best recruiting class right now. So obviously you've checked a few boxes here. Yeah. What do you sell? Like what's your sale? Nothing. And I specifically say to our coach, we're not selling anything. We're presenting things, right? And we're presenting what we have here at UCLA. And I think when you go through it, and again, I talk about this a lot, but it's the number one public school in the country, right? Then you add in the fact of our location.
5:40Then you add in the fact that you have, you know, three national champions this year, maybe another one or two coming up in your athletic department. First round draft picks, Olympic athletes, you know, and that's not even talking about the campus yet. You get into campus and the future CEOs and the, you know, the doctors, the lawyers, the engineers, just all those people. It's an 8 % acceptance rate, I think, right now, which means out of 100 people applying, 92 don't get in. So you're really surrounded by greatness. And I think that's important for our guys to understand is that it's our time now as football to make sure we put this program back on the map.
6:13Everybody else is winning. Everybody else is winning at a high level in the classroom, out on the sports fields, in the arenas, as Corey and her basketball team. Like everybody, you have a chance to breathe some rare air based on the people that you're surrounded with at UCLA. And I think that's what we're presenting. And we're just figuring out who understands that. They come and watch a practice and understand how we're going to do things and figure out if they want to be part of that.
6:36Rich Eisen:Well, if they watch the spring game, they saw Corey Close, who you just referred to. You brought out the world champion, national champion, head coach of UCLA basketball out there. She called some plays. So you've already gotten to know her and integrate yourself into the athletic department in that way? Yeah, we've done it. I mean, she was probably one of the first ones to reach out to me when I got here. And I thought that was really cool because she was on the brink of doing some pretty special things at that moment and took time to reach out to me. And, you know, we went back and forth on text a whole bunch.
7:06I'd share some quotes or videos with her that we were sharing with our team. And she'd do the same with, you know, what she's doing with her team and just try to be there and support them as much as we possibly can. And so then she came out, and it was her and Adam Wright, who's, I think, whether he played or coached, 12-time national champion in water polo. So he was out there going against Coach Close, and he ended up coming out with a win in the end of it. But we gave them a play call sheet, kind of like a Madden thing with the pass plays, the run plays, you know, trick plays, and they actually put in their own trick plays.
7:37Corey had two of her own.
7:38Rich Eisen:Really? What did she dial up? She dialed up a little flea flicker, and then she had a, well, Adam Wright had a reverse out of an I formation. Well then. Yes, exactly. So then that ended up working out with a throwback to the quarterback. So it was, they did some research. They were excited about it. And they went in there and had a great time. And it was great to have two of that caliber coaches, you know, with our guys and our guys embraced them like they were their own coaches. And I thought it was a pretty cool moment for both of them and for our program. Yeah, we're big fans of Corey's here on the show here.
8:08Rich Eisen:And also Women's Sports Now, which is produced out of here. And she's awesome. the best to have her around a team and, you know, and have her sort of, um, represent UCLA to your, your new team here, even though she's clearly well known, uh, to the players who are coming back. Um, it's, it's a great example. It's a doubt. Yeah, it's phenomenal. You watch their, their team and just the, the real true joy they have to play that game. Yes. They're inspirational when you watch them. And I watched them come out of the locker room into that national championship game and there was no pressure. They weren't feeling any weight on their shoulders.
8:46They were very prepared and connected and I thought it was pretty awesome to watch how they started that game. It got really physical right before half and they just continued to battle and they ended up being the more physical team and walked away with a national championship.
8:59Rich Eisen:Well deserved. Bob Chesney, the new head coach of UCLA football here on the Rich Eisen Show. Going from James Madison to the Big Ten, we've seen that before. The man who you replaced at James Madison did that at Indiana. Do you have any relationship with Kurt Signetti? Not really. I mean, we were at we shared a moment down in Houston at the Bear Bryant Awards. So he and I hung out for a little bit there. He was swamped by a lot of people, though, just coming off the national championship. So but we had not really communicated a whole lot before that. But our paths from Division two to FCS to FBS are similar.
9:35He had opportunities, you know, at Alabama and higher levels. I never did in my career. So I think that, you know, we actually missed him by one year when I was at a division two school, we were playing IUP where he was the coach, but he had just left. I think this is in the elite eight. We ended up playing them and lost to them by five at the end of the game, but he had just walked away from that program. That would have been a chance to cross over with them. Hadn't had that opportunity.
9:59Rich Eisen:I'm just wondering who whose brain do you pick? Like who's who's in the Bob Chesney circle that you could reach out to, to say, all right, big tens clearly a bit of a different ball of wax. I mean, it is still just like the movie Hoosiers. I mean, the football field is the same size. But it's just, it's a different world to which you're entering. Yeah, definitely. And I think for me, you know, even when I was at D3, I spent a lot of time trying to be around, like we were in New England around the Ivy League programs and how much can I learn from them? Then I got to D2 and Brian Kelly, who was at Notre Dame at the time, was an alum of the D2 school that I was at.
10:35So I went out there and spent, you know, three, four days, you know, for three or four years in a row out there with him. Learned a lot about the sports science, you know, that behind the way they practice the GPS, you know, player loads and intensities and all these things that come with the way you practice and play nutrition. You know, they were doing things, you know, the blood work on their players and just all the different things that were like these next level thoughts for me that were, you know, pretty cool. So I got to learn a lot from him. And then I had a chance to when I was at New England or up in Holy Cross, our women's lacrosse coach happened to be Amanda Belichick.
11:08So I had a chance to spend a lot of time with, you know, Coach Belichick over the Patriots. And I thought that was really informative on how to run meetings and defensive scheme and offensive scheme and just the way they practice, the way they did things. That was very helpful for me. And then, you know, I've just spent a lot of time studying and learning and being connected to a lot of other people leadership wise with, you know, different, you know, ex-Navy SEALs, whatever it might be. And then I grew up in a little tiny coal mining town in Pennsylvania and Brett Veach, who's the GM of the Chiefs, you know, is from that same town.
11:37So, you know, there's a lot of people that I have a chance to reach out to at higher levels to just figure out how it all works. And then just know that I always want to be a lifelong learner. I don't want to be at a point where I feel like I know everything because I just don't think that ends up working out really well. So I want to learn new things every single day. And I rely on a lot of those people to help.
11:53Rich Eisen:So if I asked you what you bring to the equation and how you would tell UCLA fans what you're going to do, would you say to Google you? No, I would. So you get a different, you have a different approach. Yeah, no, but I think that's awesome. I think that's, that's one of one. And what, what, that's just a big time move, man. I did Google you. Anybody who does can see that you have one where you've been. And so what is your philosophy? What can you tell Bruins fans, what your philosophy is and how it will work, you know, amongst Oregon up north and obviously the Ohio State and the institution that they refer to as the school up north, which is mine in Michigan.
12:33Rich Eisen:How, how, how, what would you tell UCLA fans about that? Yeah. I mean, that we're in uncharted territories right now. You know, I think for us to be in this situation where we have a good recruiting class that we're putting together right now speaks volumes of, you know, the desire to be at UCLA. It's also the number one applied to school in the country, you know, so I think there's a lot that goes into that. And I think for us, you know, just embracing that idea that we can be the best, embracing the idea that to be fourth in recruiting, you know, why not be third or second or find a way to be first?
13:03Why not do those things? And that takes a lot. You know, there's a lot of commitment that needs to come from our alumni. But I think now is the perfect time for it. And I think they're ready for that. So, you know, what does it all look like in the end is that we got to make sure we put the best players on the field that we possibly can and that we hold them to extremely high standards. And we coach them really, really hard every single day. and we got to make sure we get back to playing a disciplined physical brand of football, period. And I think that's what all those best teams do. They have elite athletes, high-level coaches, and they just demand the most out of each other, and they hold each other to those standards every single day.
13:34And that's what we got to be able to do.
13:36Rich Eisen:So a few minutes left here with Bob Chesney, UCLA head coach for the football program right here on the Rich Eisen Show. You're from James Madison. That's where you were hired from. James Madison made the college football playoffs and the conversation about how to improve the playoffs and how to improve what's going on in college football. The AFCA, the American Football Coaches Association, just came out with some ideas that I'm going to bounce off you in a second. But first things first, what do you say to people who think that James Madison's of the world don't belong in the college football playoffs?
14:06Rich Eisen:What do you think about that? I think if we had a little bit of a better showing, we could have said something a little bit differently. And I think it took us a half to figure out that speed and just the size and the things that came with it. But it happens. It happens in basketball. all the time you watch you know those low seeds beat a high seed it's going to happen at some point in football as well you think so i do i really think we're going to have some sort of cinderella glass slipper 16 beats a one it'll be a 12 beats yeah i don't think it'll be 16 and one or i guess would it be what a uh 12 would be to five right or or 16 beats a a nine depending on the expansion or what have you that might come you think that would happen i think it can happen i think that you look at the the you know the grouping of players that have come from those that lower level, you know, the group of five, and you watch them go on to the next level as they get recruited up to that level, and they do and perform at a high level.
14:59I think there's a team out there, or there will be a team out there that has enough caliber players to be able to give someone a shot and possibly pull off a win. I'm not saying they can go two, three, four rounds deep, but I do think that is possible.
15:10Rich Eisen:Well, I mean, and again, that's above many pay grades about whether these teams are allowed in or not, and there's lawsuits and things of that nature that I'm sure commissioners of conferences are keenly aware of. But I do love the AFCA ideas, especially getting rid of conference championship games, moving things up, keeping things going, six days between games. You like it too? I do like it. I do like all those things. And I know in the Sun Belt, we had to play in that championship game, right? There was a year in my D3 life where we played in that championship game and it actually knocked us out of the playoffs.
15:51And another team that was lower went into the playoffs because we took another loss, and that's how they viewed the losses. They didn't want to see too many losses on that schedule. So I think that, and then you're playing the most physical, toughest game, and then you're walking that team from that conference out onto the field into the playoffs at that point in time after they just beat up each other. And I think that's one thing to me that there's teams that don't do that, have a bye, and then walk into the playoffs. That's a huge advantage, and I do think that that makes a lot of sense.
16:18Rich Eisen:Yeah, and then six days between games, you like something like that? Yeah, I mean, I've played on the shorter weeks before where we've, you know. I guess it's no fewer than six days. I mean, no fewer than six days between games. I just kind of like the idea of a, but again, this is, I'm an NFL guy. Yeah. And, you know, you're not coaching in the NFL. This is still college football, and you're still dealing with student athletes, and I understand that. they're getting paid now in certain ways. I do like the pace of one a week or one every, like, you know, eight days, nine days, like the max. Like the fact that Indiana went almost a full month in between playing against Ohio State for the Big Ten title, which Oregon didn't have to but still made it anyway.
17:06Rich Eisen:Yes. And then they played in the Rose Bowl. Yeah, the gap. What are we doing? Yeah, I agree. I agree. Okay. Yep, I agree with you. Yes. Okay. So that's all I wanted. Thanks for coming on. No, I'm just kidding. I like it. And so that's something you think that was it. I don't know if you knew about the final vote here, but you think all coaches feel this way? I would think so. Yeah, I would think so. I think that, you know, to keep the momentum rolling and to find yourself in a spot, not in that championship game, and then to find yourself being able to, like you said, not have a month between games.
17:37You know, I think that's an important, important thing. But now how does that work with the academic schedule, finals, all those things? It changes things a little bit. Everybody's on different schedules too. Not everybody runs a semester program. Some are on quarters. There's a lot of things that got to be factored into there. And I think everybody's just going to have to figure out within their own institution. Right.
17:53Rich Eisen:Okay. So now what's your next order of business? What do we got? Well, right now our coaches are on the road. So we're out there trying to, you know, hopefully complete this class in the very near future. Official visits are coming up over the next couple weeks. And then we're on the 2028s, you know, partially already when we're on the road. So it's all just kind of just never stops. The spring game was on Saturday, and we're just rolling right now. Okay. Who – drop a name. I know you're not a name dropper, but from the UCLA world fan base, alumni base, we reached out to you. We're like, oh, that's pretty cool.
18:26Well, I think Troy Aikman's obviously a pretty big one. So Aikman did.
Read the full transcript
18:30Rich Eisen:I saw some of his photos on his Instagram. Yeah, so he came back. They do a cool thing where all the quarterbacks from the past come back together, and they just had a banquet the other day, raise money for the children's hospital. Right. That's what I saw on his Instagram. Phenomenal. And it was great to hear them get up and speak and hear their stories and just know that they were probably the leaders of every one of those teams, you know, and to have all of them in one room with just historic runs, Cade McNown and Troy Aikman, and go through Gary Biebin's in there. You just go through the different people that have, you know, just led these programs, the history and the, you know, excellence that was UCLA football and will be once again.
19:06I think that's all things that are, I think, pretty neat for us to be in a room with them. But he was impressive. the most you know just an impressive guy he's Troy Aikman Troy Aikman and MJD's kid is coming your way he is he sure is yep he is all right so he was at the spring game was down on Friday visited with us and then ended up going to the spring game and uh it all worked out in a really positive way I'm really happy for their family really happy for you know though just everybody in general to just get a chance to see a very familiar name out there on the field doing his
19:36Rich Eisen:thing that's great yeah well congrats on all everything that's going on for you right now And, you know, I guess welcome to Southern California, even though you've been here for a few months. But, you know, we're here. So let us know whatever, you know, we can be part of your program and just have you on. Yeah, anytime. I'd love to be back. If you ever want to come out and watch a practice or be around, you guys are always, you know, more than welcome. I appreciate you saying that. That's Bob Chesney, the new head coach of UCLA football. Did you clap eight times? Exactly. Was that an eight clap right there, Mike?
20:08Rich Eisen:Of course. Yes. I just want to make sure, right? Got to make sure. Okay. Bob Chesney here on the Rich Eisen Show. James Gladstone of the Jacksonville Jaguars when we come back right here on the program.
20:24Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
20:33Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here. PayPal is now the official peer-to-peer payment sponsor of the NFL, which means all the money moments that fandom creates, whether splitting tailgate costs or chipping in on tickets and game day food between friends are covered. Wherever the game is played or watched PayPal moves with fans. You can send money through text, email, or directly to your friends with eligible accounts on Venmo. Just download the PayPal app and share all the moments that matter. Account with PayPal is required. Not available in all regions where PayPal operates. Most protein drinks ask you to choose between results and taste.
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22:04Rich Eisen:I have video of this, you know. Back on the Rich Eisen Show Radio Network. Bob Chesney signed our Rose Bowl seats. Again, they're behind Chris Brockman. There are two seats from the Rose Bowl. You can see on the Disney Plus feed the chair on the right. Yeah, those are the both seats. And they're signed by anybody who's been in the studio who has either played, coached, or broadcast, or as of last week performed at the Rose Bowl. Kenny Chesney signed the seat to the right, and Bob Chesney just signed the seat to the left. So we now have, there's a Chesney on either seat. Chesney on each seat. Seat three and seat four.
22:44Rich Eisen:Stereo Chesneys. Awesome. We just love that item. It's visible every day on the Rich Eisen Show when you watch it. It always freaks me out when someone, like, sits there, but not even knowing. I'm like, ah. Please don't. I know. It's okay. There's still seats. They're still functional. Speaking of taking a seat. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Breaking news. This broke while we were talking to Bob Chesney. You want to give it to me, Mikey? Give it to me, please. Here it comes. Here it comes. And my eye is the breaking news. Joel Embiid is now playing tonight. Yeah. Hip and ankle injuries, according to Shams. Yeah, he was unable to participate in the shoot-around this morning after experiencing increased soreness in both his ankle and hip.
23:31Rich Eisen:So here's the good news, TJ, is Embiid wasn't playing in game two in Boston, and the Sixers won that game. Yeah, right. So we'll see what happens tonight. But the Knicks, who have won their last three games by at least 25, first team to ever do such a thing in the playoffs, 30 million, will be playing tonight at Madison Square Garden up one game to none coming off of the beatdown of the Sixers that had him beat in it. And he didn't even play in the fourth quarter, and now he's not playing now. So we'll see that he would be seeing a doctor in New York, but he's only allowed to see doctors from Philadelphia in New York.
24:17You know, so that's a problem.
24:21Rich Eisen:Unless you have a Philadelphia address, you're not allowed to be a doctor. in New York. That doesn't count. Okay. Can you imagine if the healthcare system would run the way the Sixers are selling their tickets? By the way, did you see the secondary ticket market says 60 % of their tickets have been sold for games three and four outside of the Philadelphia area? Have you seen that? By the way, not just Philadelphia doing this. New York Post has an article that New York City eateries and bars have banned Philly cheesesteaks from the menu. It's so stupid. So it's everybody. it's like our politics now let's all just only have one system in each state so dumb and have it i don't even go in that way yeah why we're now gerrymandering sports tickets is that what's happening and and food stuff cheesesteaks are one of the most delicious items in the world what are we doing what you're doing what you're doing you should do is you should have your cheesecake and eat it too by bouncing the sixers we'll have your food and your team that's the way to go what are we doing i want steaks and cakes yeah i know exactly you know i to go into an establishment and not being able to choose your food could you imagine going to say a dinner where you want to eat something and somebody else decides what you can have can you imagine what a stupid thing that would wait a minute when it's the concept of the engagement yes it's actually not a bad thing rich tell me i'm wrong tj tell me chris there's no difference between what he just said i want a cheesesteak why can't i have a cheesesteak when i go on establishment what's the difference between that and what he does for his birthday i think only because you know going into his birthday you know exactly those are the rules yeah that's that's get it don't show up if you don't want all right i want to play soccer but why can't you let me use my hands i want a hamburger no i want what you'll get nothing and like it if somebody else drafts it before you that's why you're not invited i'm happy to not be fun stay at home and eat what i wish that's all right that's true going down that wormhole wow i mean so this whole business of luca is he going to be healthy or not uh can he when's he coming back we have no answers on that front right nobody knows well we finally heard from luca apparently oh really yeah he's finally talking about it.
26:44Rich Eisen:Good Lord. Luca, what's going on, man? I'm just doing everything I can. Like I said, every day I'm doing stuff I'm supposed to do. Obviously, I'm recovering now, working. But as I said, doctors I've had eight weeks at the beginning of the first MRI. So, you know, I'm just going day by day and I feel better every day. I mean, that's not inspiring me. By the way, thank you to Dave mcmenaman for shooting that on his phone and with yeah we appreciate that from dave look blink twice if you're okay reminds me we're gonna get him back in here let's get dave in here yeah where's he been i don't know he's your college friend he is i don't know that did not sound like a man who's like i'm close no no he looks like i the reason why i haven't said anything yet is i got nothing to tell you right you know i was in spain yesterday and flew me out here okay You know who's upset with Luka right now?
27:41Rich Eisen:It's Ric Flair, the nature boy. He put a tweet out the other day. Yesterday, he thinks he's like, Luka should just get a cortisol shot and suck it up and get out in the game. He wants Genie Bust to trade him after this season. I mean, I get it. Here's a man who spent, what, 320 days a year on the road getting beat up. But yeah, it doesn't work like that, Ric. Yeah, yeah. It does not work. I feel like, you know, responding to Ric Flair the same way Kareem Abdul-Jabbar responded to that kid in the cockpit in the movie Airplane. You tried dragging Lambeer and Walton and Lambeer's ass up the court.
28:19Rich Eisen:You tried guarding SGA while he's flip-flopping. Yeah, exactly. I'm dealing with floppers. What are you dealing with, with your folding chairs? Dusty Rhodes and Luke is one of the floppers. Is Luke one of the floppers? I mean, I don't know what we're saying. Maybe that's why he's staying out because This flopping stuff's all over the place. It's like I keep my name out of it. Dan in Minneapolis wants to chime in, home of your Minnesota Timberwolves. What's up, Dan? Dan. Hey, Rich. Thanks for taking my call, man. You got it, brother. Hey, I want to make the argument. I'd be interested to hear your feedback.
28:55I think flopping is way more of a problem, detrimental to the product, than I do tanking. And this is coming from a lifelong Wolves fan who anybody over the age of like a first grader knows that we were historically in that terrible franchise until we got Ant. So all we had to look forward to, you know, by about the time Santa was coming down chimneys was the lottery and hopes of getting better. And nobody in the upper crust of the league cared. We were irrelevant. nobody said boo about tanking or the bad teams and i actually kind of feel like it's the same now i don't really think fans care that much about tanking i think it's more of a media and overall conversation because again i think the best teams and their fans are only concerned with the other good teams the contention and all that good stuff and the bad teams are just kind of irrelevant for the most part unless it's egregious but uh as far as flopping is concerned um you know there's only about 10 teams tops in the league that play hard in the regular season.
30:05And this is, again, coming from a Wolves fan who we mailed in completely. And then once the postseason occurs, we flip a switch. But a large part of that is because you can't play defense in the regular season. I mean, everybody flops. There's no benefit to playing hard defense. You foul. I mean, it's just it's unwatchable. And it's so much more enjoyable now watching the playoffs and seeing how everybody raises their game and is allowed to play physical defense and i think the product is just better and i think that's what is going to incentivize people to watch basketball year-round more is if they just weed out this flopping nonsense like they kind of did with hard and years ago but now we've somehow cycled back so it's just to see what you guys think about that
30:48Rich Eisen:thank you so much you bet and toning down the flopping and you know i think didn't i see phil jackson saying he wants to what thank you for the call dan just like i'm out of here i made my point I'm gone. Yeah. You know, didn't Phil Jackson say he wants to widen the court too to make the three-point shot in the corner more difficult? Right. I'm down. I don't know if the – now you're messing with Chalamet's seat. Right. So. Can't do that. Don't mess with Chalamet's seat. Can't do that. I don't know. I just hope your guys can stay within 25 points tonight. I got a weird feeling. I think it'll be a more competitive game than you think.
31:34Rich Eisen:Not saying we're going to win it. Good take. I would be shocked if it's single digits. Okay, great. I can't wait to watch it. So, I've got a power rankings. Oh. Everybody. I've got a power rankings. And it's baseball season. What kind of music do you want, Rich? You know what? Whatever you think, Mike. Okay. Whatever you think. I'll do the power rankings of surefire active baseball Hall of Famers. Oh, whoa. Okay. These guys are, in my estimation, surefire Hall of Famers. They're currently playing in baseball. I'm going to power rank them. Presented by SoFi.
32:17Rich Eisen:This is my power rankings. There are many like it, but this one is my power rankings. All right. Now, this is just gut feel. there's you know war wins above replacement you know if you got a 60 war that's that's usually good for a hall of fame a little north or 60 you're you're golden um and it's just like i said you you see him and he's a hall of famer and he's still playing well in other instances they might not be playing as well but they've been around long enough you'll get the gist of it here is my surefire active baseball hall of famers presented by sofi power ranked i it kills me to to say this This guy is a surefire Hall of Famer because sometimes it's just infuriating watching him.
33:01Rich Eisen:Manny Machado, I think. Oh, whoa. Surefire. I think he's surefire. His war coming into this season, 57.3. And I think he's a Hall of Famer. I think one day we are going to see him in Cooperstown giving a speech. And I just think he's going to get the 400 home runs probably this year. I think he's outstanding. And he's always been outstanding. And he's been infuriating sometimes. the business where he's just going to like kick baseballs when it's just like obvious like he just does stupid stuff um but he's still 10 on the list he's really good number nine on the list his wins above replacement currently is entering this season was damn near 65 and this is going to be a theme i'm putting freddie freeman here at nine triple freddie freeman is going to be a short He is a surefire Hall of Fame.
33:51Rich Eisen:Would you not agree, gents? I would agree. Okay. And he's right there. And this is going to be a theme. He's not the only Dodger on this list. No, he's not. Okay. Number eight on this list. He is one of the best to play for his franchise ever. He is one of the best in Major League Baseball right now. And he is a guy who never gets talked about because he plays in Cleveland. Jose Ramirez is eight on this list. This guy is a first ballot Hall of Famer as the day is long. I don't want to hear about it. And I'll tell you what, when you're sitting here thinking he's not a Hall of Famer, he's not this, he's not that, wait till your team's playing the Cleveland Guardians and watch him beat your ass and then watch him steal a base.
34:39Rich Eisen:And you're looking at him like, you know, it's kind of like he could fit in Aaron Judge's pocket. You know what I mean? But he plays a big-time game, and he's one of the best in Major League Baseball. I'm putting Jose Ramirez here. Top 10 MVP six years in a row. I mean, there's no argument that he's a Hall of Famer, correct? He's going to be a 300-300 guy this season. Yeah. And his war isn't above 60 yet, but screw it. I don't care. He's at 58 and a half. All right. So, number seven on this list. Just to show you, I'm fair and balanced. His war's not up there yet. But he has his comp. Let me get this right here.
35:20Rich Eisen:His comp through age 26 of his career entering this season. His comp statistically is, let me get this right, Frank Robinson. Oh, that's good. Yeah, he was excellent. Oh, and Ken Griffey Jr. Right. Heard of him. Put up. It's a Mets town. Juan Soto. I think he's a little low on the list. Oh, come on. Get out of here. Should be like two. I mean, if he retired now, he's not a Hall of Famer. Well, he won't. Okay. He's 27. He's at a 43 war already. Three shy of 250 home runs. I mean, he's on his way. He's going to be a Hall of Famer. Yeah, he's an all-time great. Number six. This guy's war is good enough.
36:06Rich Eisen:And you take a look at his career right now. Four World Series rings. Eight trips to the All-Star game. Seven silver sluggers, six gold gloves. He's led the majors in war three times, and he's got a batting title. His name is Mookie Betts. Yeah, love him. He's number six on the list. And just his career path. He's just so great. Love him. And he's great at any sport he tries. Yep. He's the greatest. And the Dodgers got him. It's embarrassing. All right, top five. Top five. I'm putting Mike Trout at five. Yep. Mike Trout's a first ballot Hall of Famer. Don't even have to have a conversation. That seems a little low.
36:49Rich Eisen:No, I think it's above him. I can think of one. Well, I'll give you right now. You can think more than that. Yeah, totally. I'm putting Aaron Judge at four. He's unbelievable. Yep. Aaron Judge is better than Mike Trout. Aaron Judge is better than Mike Trout. Yes, just did I stutter? No, I'm legitimately. Like all time? All time is Aaron Judge better than Mike Trout. Oh, yeah. I don't know about that. Okay. There have been some times where judges just personally willed the Yankees to actually win a division. No, they got the same number of rings. Okay. Now, I'm aware of that. You could keep saying that as the day is long.
37:24Rich Eisen:But Aaron Judge is, all right, call me biased. I don't care. Too bad. That's fine. Four on the list is Aaron Judge. Number three on this list is Max Scherzer. There's no way you put Trout above Max Scherzer. I'm sorry. I hate to tell you. I'm putting Max Scherzer at three. I know what he does right now isn't all of that, if you will. His war is 73 and a half entering this season. What is it now? I don't know if it's better or anything like that, but the average Hall of Famer war is 60. That's a foregone conclusion. Trout's at 90, just saying. I got it. I understand. Well, I mean, who's replacing him?
38:06Rich Eisen:I'm sorry. And then number two is Justin Verlander. he's number two on this list he's still going man he's unbelievable and number one is i don't you know i mean his war is i think finally above 50 in his career but i've never seen anybody like him showy otani's number one a unicorn we'll be talking about him our kids are talking about him their kids are talking about him their kids kids kids will be talking about him i don't know if we're ever going to see anybody like him again and that's a fact and you could make the case that the rest of the players that we just mentioned, we'll see somebody similar.
38:41Like this is Dodgers have three of them,
38:44Rich Eisen:you know, and you can make the case for more. I know you can make the case for, for others not being on this list. Obviously Bryce Harper, you could put on this list. He's going to, you know, I mean, there are people you can, who's going to go to the hall of fame. I didn't, I mean, Lindor Altuve, Arenado's up there. Goldschmidt, you could put on this list too. Maybe Schwarber. but I have to power rank them and they're brought to you by SoFi get your money right thoughts thoughts anybody else it's a good list I don't think there's all 10 I think will be in Cooperstown maybe Harper over Machado at 10 that could be the only pushback that's fair that's fair I like the list it's a great list I do think Trout was, I mean, that's hard.
39:37Rich Eisen:Where would you put, go for it. Where would you put Trout? I mean, and this is just a question. Do you put Trout above one of the pitchers? No, because they've won championships. If we're talking about surefire, Trout could be number one on this list. I mean, he's going to be a Hall of Famer. He has the highest war of anyone on this list. His war is 90. But again, that's just arguing like 5, 4, 3, 2. Yeah, I'm not arguing if any of these are Hall of Famers. You're going to be 10 for 10 on this list. So I think it's a good list. About Stanton, too. We didn't think about it. Stanton's going to the Hall of Fame, too.
40:07Rich Eisen:Yeah, I know. Yankees could potentially have three Hall of Famers on their team right now, for sure. Like with Goldschmidt, Cooper keeps saying, Dad, I think he's a Hall of Famer. I mean, his numbers are 100 % in that mix. I never stopped what I was doing to watch Paul Goldschmidt. No, I understand that, but did you stop what you were doing to watch Scott Rowland? Yeah, he shouldn't be. I mean, no offense. I mean, he shouldn't be, but that's fine. Come on. I don't think you can use that metric anymore with the Hall of Fame did you stop to watch the baseball writers have changed how they elect members I almost put Salvador Perez on this list he's going to the Hall of Fame too I think so I almost popped him at 10 look Acuna I did mention Acuna to you yesterday I don't love the injury history for Ron Ozzy Abbe is on tomorrow's program Let's take a break.
41:01Rich Eisen:844-204-RICH number to dial. But before we take a break, I want to let you know that if you're running a small business, you know every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and money, but the right one, well, that helps your business grow. The challenge is finding that person without sorting through resumes. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro comes in, people. It screens candidates so you can focus on conversations with qualified talent. With Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence and build the team you need. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash Eisen.
41:34Rich Eisen:Terms and conditions apply. Back with more Tom Segura coming up in Studio Hour 3.
41:45Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
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42:11Rich Eisen:Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more. Thrivent, where money means more. Connect with us at Thrivent.com. Rich Eisen here. You ever notice what happens when something big rolls into your city? A major tournament, a can't-miss concert, a high-stakes playoff game. Suddenly, fans are everywhere. It feels like everyone's trying to get in. Streets are packed. Hotels book up fast. And finding a place to stay? Not so easy. That's exactly why this can be a smart moment to think about your own space. If you're planning to be away, you can list your space on Airbnb while all of that's going on and earn some extra cash at the same time.
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43:33Rich Eisen:Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, everybody. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. The Hyundai Palisade Hybrid, you can make every day feel epic in a Hyundai Palisade Hybrid. Going to soccer practice, you're taking those kids, the gear and the snacks and the backpacks. You just know you got space and you also know that you got comfort. Just make sure they keep their cleats off the seats because with this Hyundai Palisade Hybrid, you're getting up to an EPA estimated 619 miles of range on select trims, advanced tech, and class leading interior space. The all new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for details.
44:18Rich Eisen:James Gladstone, the general manager of your Jacksonville Jaguars, is joining us. Take a while. And pretty much you could smoke him if you got him during the first round of the draft for them. Because they traded away their first round draft choice to go move up, take themselves to little Travis Hunter. And all I want to know is, have we given up the ghost? Is he only going to be a defender? no more offense for him anymore is that it i would be so disappointed if he goes yeah that you were a big proponent of it well i was talking him into winning both rookies of the year into existence yeah and liam cohen's like yeah i'm all for that you had high hopes for travis we're gonna see well i still have high hopes for him but, you know.
45:09Rich Eisen:And, however, you know, with the exchange of draft choices with the Browns, they wound up with Bashol Tootin, too. And he's going to be their starting running back. Seems like it, yeah. What do you mean seems like it? It's going to be. Why wouldn't it be? I don't know. Travis HN is now in New Orleans. They got Chris Rodriguez, too. Manny in El Paso. Let's take Manny. What's up, Manny? Hello, man. Greetings from a 77-degree day in the Sun City. Thank you, sir. How are we all? We're doing great. What's on your mind? Well, first of all, sir, with many Yankee fans, it's still kind of hard with John Sterling passing away.
45:46His calls, especially in 2001, meant a whole lot more. Yeah. Some of the greatest calls.
45:51Rich Eisen:Tino's home run, Scotty Brocious's home run, Jeter's, of course, Aaron Judge. But he will be missed. Hopefully with this, the Yankees can go into the Navy blue jerseys as honoring them since they were talking about wearing that one on the road. I think they're wearing a patch, Manny, and it starts on the 18th of May. It's going to have a broadcast mic, and they're going to wear a patch the rest of the season in his honor. That's going to happen. Almost like Bob Shepard. I remember Bob Shepard. But I think I have a solution for this flopping problem in the NBA. We're all ears. As my nephews call it, it's called being a free throw merchant, and that is shade with the thunder.
46:27Now, we need to invoke hockey rules in the NBA. If you flop, we don't call it flopping. We call it what they call it in the NHL, embellishment. It even sounds cool. So if you embellish falling over, that's a two-minute power play for the other team. If there's a technical or flaking foul, that's a four-minute penalty. So can you imagine the chaos, the high scoring when there's one player down and the other team's on a power play? I think since both sports are basically Canadian-based,
46:58Rich Eisen:we should invoke more hockey rules into the NBA. But that's my solution. Thank you, Manny. That's all I got. It's good to chat with you guys. I love you guys. Let's watch some sports, everybody. All right, Manny. Manny in El Paso. Yeah, I suggested that last year. Remember, Brockman? Like, what if at the end of the game you just had to go five on four for like a minute? That's hilarious. Didn't help the Celtics against the Sixers in the final two minutes. I don't get it. What do you mean you don't get it? There was a nice screen grab. Five on four. Down one. Take a three. Didn't matter. Just Boston slander.
47:32Rich Eisen:I'll take my shot every time. Every time. And then I said, and then. Not all the time. Not all the time. The Ridge Eisen Show Podcast.
From the publisher
UCLA Head Football Coach Bob Chesney joins Rich in-studio where he details what goes into reviving the Bruins’ program and building up a top-4 recruiting class, breaks down their spring game that featured national championship hoops coach Cori Close calling plays, discusses possible big changes/improvements to the CFB calendar and College Football Playoff, and more. Knicks fan Rich and 76ers fan TJ react to Joel Embiid sitting out the Sixers’ Game 2 vs New York, and weigh in on Luka Doncic’s first comments about his hamstring injury. Rich ranks his top 10 current MLB players who are locks to reach the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
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