In short
Hour 3 of The Rich Eisen Show mixes NFL “Four Downs” (Atlanta Falcons 2026 preview) with an in-studio interview about Lioness Season 3, plus earlier discussion of NFL/MLB topics. Falcons “Four Downs” questions: Can Bijan Robinson be an MVP-level player? Who will rush the passer after James Pierce’s arrest/possible suspension? What does Kevin Stefanski change in an offense that broke out with Kyle Pitts, Bijan, and Drake London? Who wins the Falcons quarterback competition (Penix vs. other options), with comparisons to Tua’s strong indoor/Atlanta history (20-for-26, 205 yards, four TDs in a 34-10 Dolphins win).
Guests
LaMonica Garrett (actor; plays Tucker on Lioness; also appeared in 1883 and Taylor Sheridan universe). Backgrounds: Garrett is a San Francisco Bay Area native, a 49ers fan, and previously played Slam Ball (called “the machine”) before acting. Key claims/examples: Sheridan “recycles” trusted cast; Garrett describes Lioness realism (1800s food, grueling cowboy camp for 1883, and military community involvement via USO/troop visits and special forces consultants).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOLioness Season Premiere Discussion
1:29 to 2:15
Rich discusses the premiere of Season 3 of Lioness and Taylor Sheridan's involvement.
“This is the Rich Eisen Show Like I told you guys, it's all ball Why did Baker Mayfield and the Bucks not come to a long-term resolution?”
LaMonica Garrett's Background
2:15 to 3:06
Discussion about LaMonica Garrett's career and connections to the show.
“Created and executive produced by Taylor Sheridan.”
Listener Call on Managers in Baseball
3:06 to 4:23
A listener debates baseball management and the impact of the reserve clause.
“I didn't get to it last time to watch it today.”
Free Agency and Baseball Evolution
4:23 to 6:39
Exploration of how free agency changed baseball and team competitiveness.
“Nick in Irvine, California, just down the road.”
Dave Roberts and MLB Management
6:39 to 8:28
Rich discusses Dave Roberts' management skills and pressures in baseball.
“I mean, Rich, the Blue Jays were in the series last year, and they had 27 at-bats over two games to win the World Series and couldn't get it done.”
Atlanta Falcons' Four Downs Preview
8:28 to 10:05
Rich previews the Atlanta Falcons' upcoming season and key questions.
“And they're still talking about that as Gibby part two.”
Falcons' Key Questions for the Season
10:05 to 14:00
Rich discusses pressing questions regarding the Falcons' roster and coaching.
“My four downs today is on the Atlanta Falcons, the ATL, everybody.”
Analyzing Tua's Performance Against the Falcons
14:00 to 16:43
Discussion on Tua's past performance and potential future in Atlanta.
“new GM new president new way of doing things Panics is a good kid.”
LaMonica Garrett and 'Lioness'
16:50 to 19:36
Conversation with LaMonica Garrett about his role in 'Lioness' and the cast dynamics.
“Lioness came back last night for Season 3.”
The Challenges of Filming '1883'
19:36 to 22:24
LaMonica shares his experiences filming '1883' and the rigorous preparation involved.
“in that scene that were either in Yellowstone or Landman or obviously Lioness.”
Show all 19 chapters
Realism in 'Lioness' and Military Background
22:24 to 27:42
Exploration of the importance of authenticity in portraying military life in 'Lioness'.
“No, that, that show is hard as it was to see what they went through back then.”
Taylor Sheridan's Creative Process
27:42 to 28:01
Discussion on Taylor Sheridan's unique storytelling approach across different shows.
“I come from a military background, so it's important that we tell this as truthfully as possible.”
The Nuances of Storytelling in 'Lioness'
28:01 to 29:18
Learn how storytelling in 'Lioness' reflects real-life complexities.
“personal, it's a fictional show, but these are real stories for a lot of people.”
LaMonica Garrett's Niner Roots
29:19 to 31:04
Discover LaMonica Garrett's deep connections to the San Francisco 49ers.
“a niner faith i'm a niner faith okay we grew up right behind candlestick in south city okay so right there in in that south city like right off the you know one-on-one uh tamper and theater Oyster Point, all that.”
From Slam Ball to Acting
31:05 to 33:19
Explore LaMonica Garrett's transition from sports to acting through Slam Ball.
“Ronnie Lott could be in a Taylor Sheridan show.”
The Journey of an Actor
33:20 to 35:35
Learn about LaMonica Garrett's path to becoming a successful actor.
“And they were going to audition actors and teach them to play Slam Ball to go opposite Joe Manganiello and John Lafferty.”
Representation in Storytelling
35:36 to 37:19
Understand the importance of representation in storytelling, particularly in westerns.
“My wife and I think about it all the time about how difficult it was for people to do what they were doing then.”
Fan Interaction and Sports Discussion
39:37 to 42:00
Engage in a call with a fan discussing sports and competitiveness in leagues.
“Back here on our program, 844-204-RICH, number to dial right here on the show.”
MLB Trade Discussions and Team Strategies
42:00 to 48:05
Exploring recent Major League Baseball trades and the strategies behind team decisions.
“I mean, everybody turns into a phenomenal professional player, and we still just kick the ever-loving you-know-what out of them last year.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Hey Chicago, class it up with Crocs. You know back to school is coming in fast.
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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 +, 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 richeisenshow, and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. Ladies and gentlemen This is the Rich Eisen Show Like I told you guys, it's all ball Why did Baker Mayfield and the Bucks not come to a long-term resolution? From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles Baker wanted this done earlier rather than later Earlier on the show Prime video NFL analyst Andrew Whitworth Legendary broadcaster Bob Costas Coming up Actor LaMonica Garrett and now it's Rich Eisen.
2:01Rich Eisen:All right, everybody. Hour number three of the Rich Eisen show is on the air. Season three of Lioness premiered last night on Paramount+. Susie and I watched it. You see it yet, Christopher? You see it? I have not dove in yet. It's awesome. It's intense. I cannot wait. Taylor Sheridan is back. Created and executive produced by Taylor Sheridan. He's the showrunner. He also wrote episode one, and he's in episode one himself. Shown off the guns, literally and figuratively. Well, season two, he was everywhere. LaMonica Garrett has been in this in 1883, so he's worked in the Taylor Sheridan universe.
2:37Rich Eisen:Chris, and also, I'm sorry to keep turning to you, but you've been with the show the longest, although you've been working faders as well, Chris, Mike. Have we ever had somebody from Slam Ball on this program? This would be a first. Okay. Yeah. because LaMonica was a slam ball guy. So we got that going. So many questions. Which is nice. How are you over there, T.K. Jefferson? Hour number three of the program. Good to see you. I'm great. I'm a big fan of Lioness as well. Two of my friends are on the show. Did you watch it last night? I didn't get to it last time to watch it today. Who are your two friends?
3:11Well, I'm friends with Zoe Saldana. Her husband and I especially are tight. And Jill Wagner. She's an old friend of mine. She plays Bobby. We go back like a crazy time.
3:21Rich Eisen:Where's Zoe then? They know this chair's open for anybody. that Zoe is always working somewhere. All right. Well, so this guy, man, he's got connections all over the place and I got to learn this on live television, on radio. I got to keep you guessing. That's the way it goes. 844-204-RICH, number to dial. Hour one, Andrew Whitworth says he believes Aaron Donald's coming back. I don't think I'm telling any tales out of school. Have we talked to someone yet who said, nah, I think he's staying home. Yeah, I mean, he kind of, he feels that he's kicking the tires to make sure he's going to physically be able to get through everything And so the latest edition of Is He Back Yet?
3:58Rich Eisen:We did that in hour number one with Andrew. And hour two with Bob Costas. If you missed any of it, there's our Disney Plus channel that you can go to. There's our YouTube channel, youtube.com slash RichEyesAndShow. There's our podcast as well. Also, make sure you visit our shop, richeyesandshop.com. Mugs like the one that's right here on my desk. You can get that there. Shirts, hats, the whole thing. Be a true blue, if you will. Rich Eisen show fan. We always appreciate that. Nick in Irvine, California, just down the road. What's up, Nick? Hey, Rich. Such a pleasure. Thank you, sir. What's going on?
4:33Rich Eisen:What's on your mind there? Great interview with a living legend who is right up there on maybe the Mount Rushmore of American broadcasters of the last 50 years. Listen, Rich, first thing, I just want to say this. I know we disagree, but Dave Roberts, if he didn't beat the Yankees, he was gone. I watched him coach every single game. I watched every single game that he's ever coached. And he is the Chauncey Gardner of professional managers. Oh, wow. Yes. Because he's just being there? Is that what you're saying? I mean, I don't know about that. He is the being there of managers. Trust me on this, Rich.
5:13I've seen the man manage. Now, is the Don Mattingly level of long-term incompetency? No, and Dodger fans know what I'm talking about. And I know Don's riding high right now, but no, just trust me on that. But I want to go into what I wanted to call about was the baseball situation. The reserve clause was, people don't know or remember, but the reserve clause was like a slave chain around the necks of the old players. It lasted for 70 years, and it said when your contract expires, we have our own unilateral option, owner option, to release you or to keep you at the same salary. So that's why old players used to always stay on the same team.
5:59Now, what has happened to our national pastime since the reserve clause was abolished and free agency was established? Since season one, as you remember, Rich, since season one, when Reggie went to the Baltimore Orioles, it has been a spend fest, a free-for-all. And it's been nothing but good for the players and the owners, expanding the love of the game and expanding the value of the franchises. And if you're saying that other teams cannot compete, just look at what has happened in the last five, ten years. I mean, Rich, the Blue Jays were in the series last year, and they had 27 at-bats over two games to win the World Series and couldn't get it done.
6:49Rich Eisen:I know. Okay. And then the Diamondbacks and the Rangers in 23 played each other small. Houston in 23, small market. Atlanta and Houston again. Atlanta won. But this was also before Nick, and I appreciate what you're saying. And trust me, I'm with you that, you know, teams that don't have the resources did start winning the World Series quite a bit. And I appreciate the call, Nick. Thank you. That's Nick in Irvine, California. But then Otani showed up on the Dodgers, you know, to add to Betts and Freeman. You know, that helps. Certainly when he's like, I'll take$680 million later on, please. So I kind of don't, I was kind of cutting around the edges of what Nick's point was there.
7:37Rich Eisen:I will just push back on this. Phil Jackson always got the, well, he had Jordan and Pippen, and he just rolled the basketballs out, and then he had Shaq and Kobe, and he just rolled the basketballs out. You still need a coach who can figure it all out with these guys. And I'll just, again, I will never forget, why is Dave Roberts putting Andy Paz in the field in the middle of Game 7? out of nowhere. Why is he doing that? To win the game. Honestly, I think it's unfair. You've got 162 games. That's why they're called managers. They have to manage egos. They've got to manage injuries. They've got to manage relationships.
8:16They've got to manage arguments.
8:22Rich Eisen:It's not all hunky-dory. Personalities. Right. You've got to manage the media. He's perfect for this role. Perfect. perfect was he was he really gone if he didn't beat the yankees but guess what do you guess what guess what happened they beat the yankees they beat the yankees and certainly uh you know what helped is aaron boone saying i'm gonna go uh instead of my left-handed reliever i'm gonna go with my left-handed starter hasn't pitched in a month and throw him against freddie freeman in the uh extra innings yada yada yada i i was the first out of the parking lot with cooper while Dodger fans celebrated a grand slam to win it.
8:58Rich Eisen:And they're still talking about that as Gibby part two. Got it. All right. Listen, moving on.
9:07Rich Eisen:I went down that road. I shouldn't have done that. I will defend Dave Roberts, though. Am I wrong? Am I wrong? Dave Roberts is going to the Hall of Fame. You know what you need around stars like these stars? Again, I'm not in the clubhouse. You need somebody who's like, I wasn't a star. I've been around stars. Right? I wasn't one. I had a fight for every at-bat and then every opportunity I try to make the most of, like the one where we beat the Yankees. That's got to count for something. I agree. That's got to inform many of his decisions. You know what all some managers have to do? They've got to tell the front office with all their analytics.
9:45Rich Eisen:To back up a little. Back up or I'm going to do that or listen to them and have to roll the dice and play it and then go out and take the hit in the media. I'm like, yeah, no, that was my decision, even though it might have been the front office decision three days before.
10:02Rich Eisen:844-204-RICH, number to dial. Let me get to four downs. My four downs today is on the Atlanta Falcons, the ATL, everybody. The once upon a time dirty birds of the NFC South is today's four downs. Hit it. Four downs with Rich. Here we go. Why did he stop? Whoa! All right. Ready? The Atlanta Falcons, four-down style, everybody. Their 2026 season preview begins with this number one question. First down. Forget about Offensive Player of the Year. Can Bijan be the NFL MVP? I think that's a fair question. Can he be the entire league's most valuable player? He could be the most valuable quarterback. I don't know that.
10:48Rich Eisen:Sometimes it isn't. It's been a while. It's been a while. Well, you know, Adrian Peterson or LT's got to pop through. Offensive player of the year, absolutely. Can he be like the 2026 LT? Touchdown after touchdown after touchdown. I mean, when Saquon and McCaffrey didn't win it. I get it. But I hear you. But let's put it this way. Will he be a finalist and a legitimate shot for it? Yes, should be. Because what he did last year on, you know, less than 300 touches. he's nice running the ball okay so yeah that's for like and and the vulture's gone the vulture is gone what algiers in arizona now yeah he's gonna vulture jeremiah love okay another another another top 10 running back drafted he just went to okay uh second down right here for the atlanta falcons stop me if you've heard this before but who's rushing the passer for the Falcons.
11:46Rich Eisen:James Pierce arrested. Who knows if he could be, he's back with the team, but who knows if he's going to be suspended. That guy, by the way, the reason why Kai Simpson is in Los Angeles and we had this whole conversation about the Rams not doing enough with their first round draft choice in this year's draft was because the Falcons traded that draft choice the year before for James Pierce, who did perform very well. Double-digit sacks as a rookie, but then got in trouble. I don't know. And this is the annual question about the Falcons. And it seemed like they finally checked the box. Seemed like it.
12:30Rich Eisen:But we'll see what happens. That's second down. Third down for the Atlanta Falcons. What does Kevin Stefanski bring to the equation? What's he going to bring to this offense that had a breakout season for Pitts and Bijon and London. Now here comes the two-time coach of the year from Cleveland with an offensive system that is, when clicking, an envy of a lot of the league. What's he going to do? How is he going to run the locker room? How is he going to run this team? What happens when, you know, Mr. Blank's on line one? What's going down? so what does Kevin Stefanski bring to the equation as you know Matt Ryan when he's not a camp arm in an emergency situation right now he is a team president this is a whole different top-down way of the Falcons running their organization and this man is the avatar and choice to be the on-field different way of running things what does that mean I do not know got an inkling but that's a big question about the Atlanta Falcons this year overall and then the final question is the obvious one who wins the quarterback competition who's it going to be because that's another Stefanski choice he wasn't there when Penix got drafted you know who's not there anymore the GM who drafted him new GM new president new way of doing things Panics is a good kid.
14:08Rich Eisen:Let's see what happens. But Tua, in the same way, we were talking last week, TJ, about how Kyla Murray's on the cheap, and you said on the cheap. I said, how about let's call him inexpensive. Inexpensive. By the way, the same thing as Tua. Indoors, in the stadium, where he made one throw to Devontae Smith and changed everything for his life and course of his career. He's in that stadium. Indoors. On the turf. Give me a favor. You know what? You covet what you see every day. Can you look this up? I should have done this before. What was Tua's game in Atlanta last year for the Miami Dolphins? Remember he was throwing interceptions all over the place and it seems like the Dolphins season was one big you-know-what in the punch bowl?
14:59Rich Eisen:Yeah. Tua had a massive game against the Atlanta Falcons. Let's see. At Atlanta, yeah, 20 for 26, 205, four touchdowns. Yeah, man. They won 34 to 10. By the way, in 2001, they played them. He also had four touchdowns in that game. So 21. I'm saying this. He's comfortable in that stadium. I kind of have a feeling they're going to see all health even being equal. They're going to see what they got in him before going to penics. in the same way that J.J. McCarthy is going to sit there and see his franchise, see what they have in Kyler. I don't know. I think J.J. and Kyler is far closer competition from what I hear than with this.
15:42Rich Eisen:We shall find out, won't we? We shall find out. That's the major question about the Atlanta Falcons' fourth down is who wins the quarterback competition. A lot of offensive mindset here, but so is their coach. In a division that the Falcons closed out very well and almost won the damn thing last year, If they had only not swooned in the middle of the season, they could have easily gotten that thing done last year. Maybe Raheem Morris is still there. Who knows? 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. If you're on hold, stay on hold. We will take your phone calls before we get out of Dodge right here on this program.
16:20Rich Eisen:And good times. Coming up with LaMonica Garrett. We'll talk about that in a moment. Our friends at SoFi would like to remind you that you can achieve something that you perhaps once thought impossible, and that's overcoming high-interest credit card debt. Walk the tightrope of your finances with one low fixed-rate monthly payment, no fees required, and as soon as the same-day funding. Pull off your own debt-defying stunt with a SoFi personal loan. Visit SoFi.com slash trick to learn more. Loans originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. member, FDIC. Terms and conditions apply.
16:54Rich Eisen:NMLS 696891. Lioness came back last night for Season 3. LaMonica Garrett was also in 1883, one of my favorite limited series ever. Great chat coming up next.
17:10Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here with some advice. If high interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an audible with a SoFi personal loan. It consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required. And with as soon as the same day funding, you can make the right play fast. Call an audible on your debt today at SoFi.com slash debt play. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. N.M. L.S. 696-891. Fast funds. Terms apply at SoFi.com slash debt play. Rich Eisen here. We talk a lot about battles in sports. Teams battling through adversity.
17:45Rich Eisen:Athletes fighting for every yard. The toughest warriors I've ever seen, though, aren't on the field. They're kids fighting cancer. They're families standing beside them. Doctors, nurses, caregivers. That's why I'm proud to support Hyundai Hope on Wheels. For over 28 years, they've helped fund pediatric cancer research, raising more than$303 million and supporting over 40 ,000 children. Learn more and donate at HyundaiUSA.com backslash Hope on Wheels. Rich Eisen here. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and money, but the right one helps your business grow. The challenge?
18:19Rich Eisen:Finding that person without sorting through resumes. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro comes in. 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. Terms and conditions apply. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. It's open for everybody, the whole cast, but it would end up being me, Tim, and Taylor in there. said we had to be at work at like 6 in the morning. We're in there at 4.30 getting after it.
18:56But it was the same three every time. And even in Fort Worth during Lioness, Taylor's in the gym every morning with the rest of the cast.
19:06Rich Eisen:He boxes early and then he hits the weights. LaMonica Garrett here on the Rich Eisen Show. You play the role of Tucker in Lioness. They premiered again for season three last night. Susie and I watch it. I highly recommend it. Go back if you haven't watched a single episode of it, back to season one seasons one and two heck of a cast michael kelly morgan freeman nicole kidman zoe saldonia just to name four and including you as well we just saw that clip uh from the premiere and again you're in lioness you were in 1883 there's about four other of your fellow actors in that scene that were either in Yellowstone or Landman or obviously Lioness.
19:52Rich Eisen:It seems like there's a certain cast that Taylor Sheridan trusts for the material, and you're part of it. Thankfully. What is that like? What is that like? When you look around, a lot of the best filmmakers kind of recycle their same guys. Christopher Nolan does it. right scorsese does it uh judd apatow the farley brothers like you see the same faces all around they know what they're getting they know the temperament of the actor they know the work ethic of the actor and they know the talent so taylor he writes for certain people so he won't just cast you or write some stuff and then cast you know cast you later he'll ask you hey do you would you want to do this and when you say yeah it's taylor sheridan words i'm a yeah i'm on board yes he'll write for you so it's like you know he has his uh we call it at taylor's ranch all the different shows he'll have events at his ranch where we all go and hang out and it's like we all went to the same high school just different years you know what i mean because it's like a small community like this last maybe a few months ago we did a cutting event for a charity in fort worth and all the actors from all his different shows were on horses in front of a big arena in fort worth and we're cutting horses yeah no kidding cowboys so um for when did you first come across taylor sheridan or he come across you 1883 i maybe sent in 10 audition tapes and over the course of four months it was a gruel of you know that process and when i got it uh that changed my career it set me on a different trajectory but uh yeah it was a long process but But now he just he writes for you now.
21:38And it's great.
21:39Rich Eisen:That show is one of the most remarkable limited series I've I've ever seen, because, again, it was done at the height of Yellowstone's excellence and ascension. Let's put it that way. and for for taylor sheridan to basically stop and go i'm gonna go back you know 100 plus years and start from scratch and also start filling in some of the lush history of the things we're learning from the characters in yellowstone but the the humanity that was on display yeah and the difficulty of these people to go across the country and start their journeys. It was mind blowing. Just my. Yeah. Yeah. No, that, that show is hard as it was to see what they went through back then.
22:33It wasn't as hard for us, but as the actor, that was the hardest job I've ever had. And it probably will be the hardest job I'll ever have for a multitude of reasons. But yeah, Taylor, it just felt so real like even when we were filming it for the first month of shooting none of the actors could eat any modern day food it was 1800s food so biscuits you know gravy beef if you're a vegetarian on that set felt bad for you you know what i mean like it was time appropriate food from cowboy camp on through like the first month of filming cowboy camp walk me through that cowboy camp you get there if you haven't ridden a horse before you got to figure it out uh tim and faith they they ride pretty well especially tim there were a couple of other actors that were pretty good on horses i wasn't one of them so every day you're waking up at 6 a.m four or five hours straight you're riding you go have lunch you do wagon training you know the the wagons that's you don't see those anymore uh yeah those went out of style a little little while ago
23:36Rich Eisen:other than the shopping cart right with that bulky wheel right all right sure the uh uh roping just cowboy stuff we did that for two weeks and more so it was bonding for the cast so now that the cast we're doing this every morning we're getting we're eating together we're we're living on a ranch together it was during covid was another reason why it was so challenging and you know difficult to film we couldn't go anywhere so we were on this ranch and any outlet we had came maybe saturday nights where we'd have karaoke night or something with tim and faith and i learn the hard way don't go behind tim and faith karaoke night and it's like you know it's me getting to know everybody and it's like it's all country music and i love country now i didn't wasn't a big fan before so you know it was karaoke night i did some uh some red man and method man i brought some hip-hop to the ranch and then you know uh on my take the speakers just happened to go out.
24:35I said, okay. I see what I'm dealing with here. This is a no hip-hop zone. I get it. I adapted.
24:44Rich Eisen:Tell me Sam Elliott sang karaoke night. He did not. Come on. All he has to do is talk. Just introduce the next person. Coming up to the stage. That's my brother, man. Was Sam in the gym? Did he get in the makeshift gym? No. Him on wheels? He had just had surgery. Okay. So he was just trying to get better and get, you know, get back in the hit. He hadn't been on a horse in 20 years before we started shooting that. And then, you know, you're in Fort Worth. It's 110 degrees. You got wool jackets, you got layers, leather chaps, you got all this stuff going on. It's easy to start complaining. Getting up at five in the morning, you're working six days a week.
Read the full transcript
25:23Even if you're big scenes or not, if you don't have a big scene, you're still showing up to work. You're eating 1 ,800 food. So when you think about complaining and you look over at Sam Elliott, he's the first one on his horse at the crack of dawn. He set the tone. He's that guy. You got a good story about Sam Elliott? I got a lot of them. I'll share one. Okay, like I said, it's hot, 110 degrees. It's the full wagon train, 26 wagons. There's maybe 300 extras, background players. We're all miserable we're sitting like i'm sitting on the ground sam's sitting on an apple box we're just there in it and one of the pas comes over and gives sam you know those misters the fans that you know and sam looked around he said do you have one of these for everyone here and they said no said well when you get one of these for everyone you come back and give it to me last because we're all in this together.
26:21I said, man, look at you. How about that? Samuel Elliott. Man. And that was early in filming and it just set the tone because it was a grueling, rough shoot.
26:32Rich Eisen:I imagine so and I would just imagine you're the PA giving Sam Elliott a Mr. Fan and he goes, you got more of those for everybody else. You do a good Sam. Oh, come on, man. I tell Sam to watch this one. You do a good Elliott. Got fans for everybody. the pa probably just like but oh yeah uh so i'll go back to base camp then that's what we're we're doing oh so he was circling the wagons why not again just uh that that was so good it's it's as great as anything taylor sheridan's ever done anything that you the cast was amazing you were great in and everybody was great in it the realism and the realism comes through i imagine for lioness um la monica garrett here on the rich eyes show are you embedded anywhere do you do anything with the actual folks that you are trying to bring to life on camera here we have uh there's different events and different like some of the cast is going on a uso tour with the you know with the troops i'll go to different naval bases and different bases and talk to the troops uh my dad Vietnam, bronze medal, my brother, sister-in-law, my cousins, Gulf War.
27:44I come from a military background, so it's important that we tell this as truthfully as possible. And we have a lot of special forces guys on set with us just telling us stories and are we doing this right? It's personal, it's a fictional show, but these are real stories for a lot of people. So it's important that we get it right. So we, yeah, we're in that community and just trying to make them proud.
28:12Rich Eisen:That's the thing, again, that Susie and I, my wife and I watch all the Taylor Sheridan shows. You know, we're watching Landman. Like, how does he know about the nuances of oil sales and oil wells and that business? And then we watch Lioness. And you not only have to know what your world is of special forces, but you also have to know the world of politics and inside the National Security Council and Alliance and Secretary of State. And you have to know that. Yellowstone. Yeah. You know, 1883. And then he'll go to Madison and it's like a novel. And it's completely different than other stuff that you're doing.
28:48And it's like this dude, like this stuff that's in his head. Yeah. And he's writing the new Call of Duty movie right now. Like he wrote Sicario and Hell or High Water. Like he's, there's those talents that come around generational. Yes. Talents is what they call them.
29:02Rich Eisen:he's prolific and we're just i'm glad to be a part of that universe la monica garrett here on the rich eisen show uh let's talk about you a little bit here you're from the san francisco area correct san francisco bay area now does that mean uh niners or okay niner faithful yeah you are a niner faith i'm a niner faith okay we grew up right behind candlestick in south city okay so right there in in that south city like right off the you know one-on-one uh tamper and theater Oyster Point, all that. Okay. Yeah. So did you grow up in Candlestick? You go to those games? That's all I saw. Our son's name is Montana.
29:44That's who's in this chair right now. That's amazing.
29:47Rich Eisen:That said, though, I don't know what's true on the internet or not. We usually have a segment called Celebrity True or False, so just a little bit on this front. Is it true, though, your name is LaMonica after Daryl LaMonica? Mad Bomber. That is true. Yeah. My parents, my dad got back from Vietnam, went to Mississippi, grabbed my mom, moved to the Bay. And Daryl LaMonica was like Tom Brady back then. He was that dude. Then I came around and yeah. But he wasn't a Niner though. No, it was just, it was a Bay Area kind of thing. And then we were living in Hunters Point at the time and then we moved to South City.
30:23Okay. And then that's where the, yeah, the Roger Craig and the Jerry Rice and the Ronnie Lott and all the Ray Worshing. the, you know. Roger Craig's about to finally get his due. It's about time. Yeah. Thousand yards rushing, thousand receiving, first due to do it. Yep. Overdue. Why is it? Yeah. Yeah. It's a true story. Right.
30:42Rich Eisen:Okay. So, but the irony that you're a diehard Niner fan, grew up behind Candlestick, but you're named after Darryl LaMonica. Yeah, that's the rub. But you made up for it so there's a Montana Garrett? There's a Montana Garrett. And it was like, that was my parents' favorite player back then. So my favorite player still, he's the GOAT. Favorite quarterback is Montana. Favorite receiver is Rice. Favorite safety is Ronnie Lott. It was that team. Ronnie Lott could be in a Taylor Sheridan show. He could. Just take off another finger. I think I saw that in Lioness season 3 premiere or something similar to that.
31:20Rich Eisen:It was a lot. A lot going on in that premiere. I know, for sure. What do you think about your Niners If we stay healthy, we go back to the big dance. We just got to stay healthy. It's not starting off good with Pierceaw. I heard he had. That's it. Yes. Yeah. But Debo's back now. Debo's back. And Stribling, the rookie we got. Okay. He's having a hell of a camp. Yep. Yeah. We got. I like our room. I like what's going on. We got help from McCaffrey. Right. Purdy's Purdy. Linebackers are back. We got Greenlaw back. I'm excited about that. Yeah. Okay. Good, man. We just got to stay healthy. Okay. And so Warriors too?
32:01Yeah. Warriors, Giants. Okay. For the 49ers, I'm the voice in the playoffs when you go to the games, the hype videos. And the same for the Warriors as well. I'll do the hype videos. How psyched are you for that? Local kid made good. You know, you tell me that, like, I don't need money. Like, just where are we doing this? You come a long way from slam ball. Yeah, slam ball.
32:24Rich Eisen:now you are i believe in our 14 year history of three years podcast 11 years of a daily three hour tv radio uh simulcast i think you're the first slam baller we're a slam baller hey man that was uh look at you right there that guy machine still had a little bit of hair who called you the machine that was my they one of the someone like gave me that name it was like i have a relentless motor and i just like hitting people that was the football side of me you know I played college football and worked out in the pros, and that didn't happen. Shortly after that, I moved to LA to turn into acting. This came around.
33:00I thought it was a TV show. I was in acting class. You get there, and you're like, no, this is a new sport they're trying to do. I'm like, well, I still got the bug in me. Let's do it. Oddly enough, my first TV show that I've ever got was One Tree Hill, because One Tree Hill had a two or three episode arc of Slam Ball on the show. And they were going to audition actors and teach them to play Slam Ball to go opposite Joe Manganiello and John Lafferty. And I'm like, no, no, no. I already play Slam Ball. This is why I'm here. Let me audition. I did. I got the part. And when I was on set, I'm like, this is why I moved back to L.A.
33:39This is never played Slam Ball again. And from One Tree Hill on, I slowly started building a career. Did you dunk on Manganiello? Did you dunk on him? I did. Yeah, I put him in the glass as well. I was a bruiser. I played linebacker. You were the machine. I was the machine. Come on now. You're still the machine. Yeah, right. Hey, once the machine, always the machine.
33:59Rich Eisen:You should ask Bert Kreischer for royalties. Right, the machine. There's many machines, right? La Machina. Shelly, the machine, right, from Glen Gary, Glen Ross. There's a machine there, but you are the machine from Slam Ball. OG machine, yeah. Okay. So is that how you got your acting start? Yeah. Through Slam Ball, One Tree Hill, and then off you go. Yeah. When I first moved out to LA, I was a FedEx driver. Delivered slang boxes. I was delivering FedEx. The Warner Brothers lot. Yeah. So I would deliver to Everybody Loves Raymond, ER, Friends, like all these shows. Had my headshots in the back just in case.
34:41It never turned out that way. Yeah. But I'm on all these shows and I'm, you know, everyone loves the FedEx guy. I'm bringing all the props and bring all you're here. Great. We need you. You know, and I'm like, man, one day, like, so cut to years later when I'm on the Warner Brothers lot working, a lot of the security guys were the same guys. And it's like, man, you did it. And it was like, you know, so I've been kicking around for a while, but you know, it worked
35:04Rich Eisen:out. Awesome. And then at one point, you know, Ray Romano comes up to ask where his package is or something That's what happened. I thought he was going to say, hey, you got a perfect look. You want to do a scene real quick? Never went that way, but I was ready. Hey, you got to stay ready to be ready, as they say. That's what Sugar Free said. Okay, fantastic. This is just a delight to meet you. Big fan. Honestly, you're awesome in this show. Thank you, man. I appreciate it. It's something, again, that it just lives on. I think about it all the time. My wife and I think about it all the time about how difficult it was for people to do what they were doing then.
35:44Rich Eisen:And the storytelling is spectacular. Yeah. Small things then like were huge things now. Like just as far as going in the store to get some milk. Right. Nature is trying to kill you. You know. Right. Bandits are trying. Like everything is trying to kill you. Like just making it back home back then was a whole different story. And just finding any piece of humanity. Yeah. amidst all of it yeah was truly just some of the more remarkable moments of that shot i want to give away what happens in the end yeah but there is a scene towards the end i i was a puddle crying yeah just an absolute puddle over that and again sam elliott is um is as good as it gets and the fact that you get to be in these scenes with him grown men from around the country would reach out to me on social media like gruff burly i'm not a crier bro you know i don't he said but that show man like the ending of that show it did something to me and it's like it if you ask taylor he'll tell you that was one of his favorite projects that he's ever done regardless film television whatever but it resonated with a lot of people for a lot of different reasons and i had a lot of um like black cowboys would come up to me over the span of the last five years telling me thank you because it's something that we didn't see a lot growing up and i grew up with westerns love westerns and it was just a good representation of that that they really existed one in every four were black cowboys back then and it was just something that taylor created that it's like thank you man thank you for allowing me to be the vehicle to tell the truth for a lot of people and thank you for being here um greatly appreciate meeting you and i love watching what you do and hopefully uh come back anytime i'll be back you bet oh that that was that sounded very imposing la monica garrett here on the rich eisen show lioness season three just premiered on paramount plus last night gotta wait every sunday for a new episode right here on the rich eisen show at la monica garrett on instagram high right the first time with linkedin hiring pro get started by posting a free job at linkedin.com slash eisen we are back to wrap up this monday show set up the rest of the week when we return.
37:56Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here for Gusto. After all these years talking to athletes, coaches, entertainers, and people at the top of what they do, one thing is pretty clear. Success usually depends on getting the details right. For small business owners, that includes payroll, hiring, onboarding, benefits, you know, the work that keeps everything moving, even if it's not the reason you started the business in the first place. That's why there's gusto gusto is online payroll and benefit software built for small businesses it's all-in-one remote friendly and incredibly easy to use so you can pay hire onboard and support your team from anywhere automatic payroll tax filing simple direct deposits health benefits commuter benefits workers comp 401k you name it gusto makes it simple and has options for nearly every budget and it's all built to save you time with built-in automated tools for offer letters onboarding docs direct deposit and more.
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39:43Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show. The podcast. Back here on our program, 844-204-RICH, number to dial right here on the show. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and money, but the right one helps your business grow, and the challenge is finding that person without sorting through resumes. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro comes in. 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 and get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash eyes and terms and conditions.
40:21Rich Eisen:Apply. Let's go back to the phone lines. Dan in Minneapolis, Minnesota, home of SummerSlam, correct? Am I not? That's where it was. What's up, Dan? Yeah, I can't speak on that, Rich. I'm a 45-year-old male. I haven't watched SummerSlam in 30 years. That's a little different. 45-year-old guy with a male right across the way. Yeah, I watched it. That's great. All good, all good. Hey, man, a couple things you said earlier. Now, I'll preface this by saying, though I live in Minneapolis, I am from the OC. I am a Dodger fan. So if they never implement a salary cap, I'm happy to keep winning every year.
41:01But I do not see how anyone can reasonably and objectively make an argument that it's good for the sport to have 75 %-ish of the markets have kept it in trust. because they don't feel like they can compete. I mean, I kind of feel like that's how the NBA was 10, 15 years ago before they started implementing changes, and I don't think anybody in New York or Boston or L.A. is any less interested in the NBA now, even though they don't run the show every single year. And then my other thing is, you know, nothing's binary, and the counterpoint that a lot of my Dodger brethren like to say, you know, about parity and all the Brewers and the Rays and stuff, It's like, okay, the Brewers and the Rays are phenomenally run organizations.
41:48Like, they are an anomaly. I mean, they make zero mistakes running their organization, and they still don't sniff anything in the playoffs. I mean, we absolutely drubbed them last year. They were amazing in the regular season because their farm system, I mean, everybody turns into a phenomenal professional player, and we still just kick the ever-loving you-know-what out of them last year. It'll probably happen this year, too. So that's not really like an argument to me saying like, oh, like there are some competitive teams out there that come from small markets. It's like, you know, that's that's kind of like almost a convenient lawyer speak to me.
42:25And then you had mentioned earlier, you know, anybody could have had Scoobble or what? Yes, Dan. Fundamentally and objectively, yeah, that is true. but no team whose lifeblood such as the Brewers are going to trade for him when that's their only chance is developing their own guys.
42:45Rich Eisen:I don't know Dan Dan I appreciate your call and you know your passion clearly on all this but the Brewers did it with CC Zabathia years ago same thing left handed Cy Young let's get him for a few weeks and see what happens why couldn't they do that again? The Padres did it with Juan Soto a few years ago I mean, it happens all the time. Rentals happen all the time in Major League Baseball. It's just who wanted them for$9 million and three prospects? Again, I don't know the apples to apples on someone's prospects compared to the ones that the Tigers accepted here. And I don't know the apples to apples to what everyone else offered in terms of paying off every penny of Scoobles' contract for the Tigers because clearly they didn't want to pay him anymore.
43:29You know? So that's the issue.
43:36Rich Eisen:in the same way that we're saying the Dodgers are destroying baseball by getting Tarek Skubal, they haven't paid him$400 million yet. We're just assuming that's coming. But at this point in time, they did what anybody else had the right to do. If they wanted to give up three prospects of this caliber and pay 9 million bucks, which is Trump change in this day and age. And if the Yankees had a chance to do it and didn't do it for, other people then they're going to hear about it from their fans i mean schoolville is the fact that he went to the dodgers is no skin off a yankee fans knows when they already have cole and schlittler and freed and radon you don't need to add another 400 million dollar player to a lineup like a uh a staff like that as a matter of fact if the yankees can get any of their hitting back and they have a pitching staff like that they can go to battle against the dodgers and good luck good luck they can do that but they're they they need more help in the bullpen and hitting and the issue is is they've got a team that is the hottest team in baseball for over a month that happens to be their diehard rival that just went ahead and grabbed a three-time all-star switch hitting catcher and adley rutchman yeah that deal is official done so the red sox have now done that and as of this conversation the yankees have added luis garcia jr who is a terrific hitter from the washington nationals for four prospects three prospects and jake bird who the yankees gotten last year's trade deadline and hardly did anything of of significance with all due respect garcia has been awesome this year he's been great the only problem is he is a left-handed slugger who, yes, plays second, but you already have a left-handed slugger who plays second in Jazz Chisholm.
45:33Rich Eisen:You already have a left-hander who is playing first base in Ben Rice. And when, heaven forbid, Stanton gets healthy again, where does Rice play? They already said he's not going to catch. Rice is going to have to play. I mean, the roster does not appear to be in the proper shape to go on a run. So we'll see what Brian Cashman does in the next hour to have a conversation about what they'll do. There's a lot of moves popping right now. The Dodgers just traded for Chris Bubik from the Royals. The Padres traded for Robbie Ray from the Giants. That's a significant. He's a former Cy Young. Yeah, you mentioned Adley to Boston is a done deal.
46:17Rich Eisen:And Reed Detmers to the Cubs. Who also added Gossman. Who also added Gossman. So a bunch of teams are loading up. Yeah. we'll see what the Yankees do in the next hour yeah three hours left must be nice but right now again Dodgers destroying baseball maybe in the long run if owners blow up the sport because they can't figure out how to get their own house in order before turning to the players as opposed to saying we can't figure our own house so you figure it out for us and we'll lock you out in the meantime Dodgers did what anybody else could do Nine million bucks, three prospects. They were the only ones who had the chance, and the cojones and the ability to do it.
47:04Rich Eisen:You have to figure out what everyone else is doing. We'll talk about it with Jeff Passan on tomorrow's program. The Goliks will be here, senior and junior, as they are now preceding this show on the ESPN Radio Network. And then there'll be you as well. Let's chat again on Tuesday. Ladidi's going to join us too. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
47:41Rich Eisen:Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax, and let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-CONTACTS. Oh my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste. Visit 1-800-CONTACTS.com today to save on your first order. 1-800-CONTACTS.
From the publisher
Rich previews the Falcons ‘season with the top 4 questions facing Atlanta and new head coach Kevin Stefanski heading into the 2026 NFL campaign. (9:00)
Actor LaMonica Garrett joins Rich in-studio to promote the new season of the Taylor Sheridan-created‘ Lioness’ co-staring Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman, looks back at his time on filming the gritty western ‘1883’ with acting legend Sam Elliott, reveals that he’s such a big 49ers fan that he named his son ‘Montana,’ and says how his stint competing in SlamBall back in the day helped catapult his acting career. (16:17)
Rich and the guys revisit the impact of the Dodgers trading for Tarik Skubal and react to the latest deals going down on deadline day. (35:32)
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