Hour 3: Malik Willis Dolphins Optimism, plus Royals 1B/Team Italy WBC Captain Vinnie Pasquantino

13:22Malik Willis:So it's been, it's honestly, it's one of the more special things we get to do in this game is play in this tournament. I totally get why people have opinions on it about eligibility and things like that. But I think it's an honor. And I think it's great that the league puts this event on because it just gets more eyeballs on the sport.

13:38Rich Eisen:It's so much fun, honestly. You know, fun to be had. I get it. but you guys are having fun and it means so much and I can't wait to see where things go and then again just seeing all the major leaguers who are playing in March games that feel like October like to get the juices flowing um and it's great dude I love watching it I can't get enough of it I sit there with Coop rest the family's getting interested in it I can't wait to watch more of it um but I do have to ask a potentially awkward question were you jealous of the way Paul Skeens looked at your shortstop, Vinny? That even Livvy Dunn had to make up this meme.

14:23Rich Eisen:Are you jealous of the way he looked at your shortstop, Vinny?

14:28Malik Willis:I'm trying to figure out the way to say this without sounding weird. I get them all summer, so it's fine. It's fine.

14:38Rich Eisen:And fall. Come on now. Let's throw the fall in there too, right? Let's throw the fall in there.

14:42Malik Willis:I get them all summer. I get them in the fall. So it's fine. It's a fling. That's okay. That's all right. He'll be back. I'll see him soon. That was great, by the way. That was a phenomenal post. And I'm not sure if it makes it funnier or less funny, the AI picture of Bobby. But either way, it's still good because it looks like him to an extent. But I'm sure she could have gotten a real Photoshop picture since she got one of Skeens. But I thought it was – that's A-plus quality right there.

15:15Rich Eisen:I agree. I agree. And it's just, again, just seeing the way that he's playing.

15:23Malik Willis:He's feeling himself. It was awesome to see. I texted – I'm in a group chat with him, my wife and his wife, and we were texting in it during the game. I just texted him like he's feeling himself now. He started nodding his head. He started getting confident. So when he texted me last night, I said, yeah, I'm trying to channel my inner you, shaking my head a little bit, trying to just feel it. So it's been awesome watching him do his thing. I think he's the best player in the world, and he's showing why. So it's been awesome watching him play with that team.

15:52Rich Eisen:Those throws from his knees and just from the outfield grass, just spectacular. And then you, you know, against Team USA, you made some nice plays at first base, picking stuff out of the dirt. And then last night saying you're welcome to Team USA. What was Bobby's response to you after you got back to your phone? What did you see after your three-jack game helped put him through?

16:17Malik Willis:Yeah, it was just a funny conversation because I didn't mean that in any sort of disrespect. No. I've got respect for all those guys. So it was just one of those moments that I tried to have a little fun with them because once we scored four runs, we knew they were in. So it was like the third inning, and we knew that they were going to be advancing. because, I mean, going through all the different scenarios of the tiebreak was a nightmare. It was just a headache. So it was nice to just get out to an early lead and just worry about winning the game.

16:47Rich Eisen:Yeah, that's it. All right, brother. Let's get to the meat and potatoes here. Geno Smith, Vinny, I give you the floor here.

16:55Malik Willis:Yeah, I like it. I mean, I know he was bad. I get it. He was bad last year, but I think the Raiders, what, had one of the worst offensive lines in the league, if not the worst. He had no time. As good as Ashton Jinty is, it's hard to, you know, and Brock Bowers was banged up most of the year, so there wasn't a ton of web. I know Trey Tucker's good. Jacoby Myers, what, left halfway through the year. Yeah. But I think it's good. You guys know how I feel about the Jets and what I want them to do over the next year plus.

17:23Rich Eisen:No, you want them to get the kid. I don't blame you. And I was saying earlier, Vinny, like, what do you want the Jets to do? You know, because Tua's not going to choose them over the Falcons, and Kyler Murray's not going to choose them over the Vikings and I don't even think Geno if he was cut loose would have chosen the Jets over potentially another opportunity maybe Arizona or anything like that um and so you just gotta keep things moving in a decent direction you possibly can because you can't really have another season like last year um unless you're really flat out tanking for for the number one overall pick, but they got three choices next year in the first round.

18:07Rich Eisen:That's where you've got to target. You know what I mean?

18:10Malik Willis:I like what they did because, and again, I'm not an insider by any stretch of the imagination, but I know how it is in baseball clubhouses sometimes. Just got to get some adults in the room and play professional football. It's the same way that we would talk about go have a professional at bat or just make the plays you're supposed to make. That's it. almost be unnoticeable because everything is just you're just here the whole time so i think that's what they're trying to do is try not to be so i would say up and down but it was more so just down um and i think they've made you know getting to mario davis is pretty cool having him come back that's right lead the linebackers mink and fitzpatrick that seems like a steal i don't know if a steal is the right word but he's a you know really good football player so i'm excited for it.

18:56Malik Willis:We'll see what they do it to. You would think it's one of the... Is it Arvel?

19:01Rich Eisen:It's going to be Arvel Reese, David Bailey, or Sonny Stiles.

19:05Malik Willis:You love Sonny Stiles, huh?

19:08Rich Eisen:Again, he plays a position that you normally don't draft second overall. But if he plays the position of football player, if that's the way you look at it...

19:17Malik Willis:That's what the Jets need, right? It's good football players. Whoever's the best football player, just take them and move on.

19:23Rich Eisen:I'm with you. I'm absolutely with you. All right. So you're three wins away from what? Popping the Prosecco. What do we got? What else? Like, is the clubhouse buffet like Bolognese? Like, what is it? Like, what do we have?

19:36Malik Willis:Every team dinner we've had has been nothing but Italian food. So whoever's planning the team dinners is making sure that we're eating pasta and everything.

19:45Rich Eisen:That's even more impressive what you're doing, because I'd be asleep. But we got the espresso, so we're good.

19:52Malik Willis:okay yeah so we're we're excited we got puerto rico saturday seth lugo a teammate of mine is who we're facing at least as of now so that'll that'll be fun um and you know i don't want to speculate on the next few games because we got to get through this one first sure we're not like some teams and announce our pitchers for games that uh aren't even aren't even happening yeah Yeah, buddy. Okay. I like it. I like it. Just another dig for you right there.

20:19Rich Eisen:Listen, we could not be more happy for you. Just watching you in a big spot. Everybody's kind of counting on you from your own teammates to your colleagues play for Team USA and all fans. And just to watch you do your thing. I had no idea it was your first three home run game. I can't wait to see what you do from here on out. Appreciate it. Yeah. You're going to get a whole Armani closet. You know what I mean? Like, this is going to happen.

20:48Vinnie Pasquantino:Not even Little League or anything? Summer League? No.

20:51Rich Eisen:Nothing. Nothing.

20:52Malik Willis:No, I was more of a push hitter. I was small. No homers. Keep the ball on the ground. Wow. But, TJ, I can't go to SmackDown on Friday now because I'll still be in Houston. I won't be in Phoenix. I was supposed to go to SmackDown on Friday.

21:03Vinnie Pasquantino:More importantly, though, you're going to go to Mania.

21:05Malik Willis:I can't. I'll be in the middle of the season. Oh, that's true. Yeah.

21:08Vinnie Pasquantino:I guess you will be next month.

21:10Rich Eisen:Yeah. He's not like Dennis Rodman where he's going to tell his professional outfit. I'm going to go. I'm going to ask for a few days. Why not, bro? Take a quick trip. It's not Vinny Rodman. You know what I mean?

21:18Vinnie Pasquantino:Take the PJ to Vegas for Saturday. Come back. Let me check your schedule.

21:22Rich Eisen:Let me check. No, no. I mean, listen, he's playing Kansas City Royal, everybody. But, you know.

21:27Vinnie Pasquantino:Hey, Vinny, if you got some time, we interviewed John Cena a few weeks ago.

21:30Malik Willis:I listened to it. It was awesome. Oh, thank you. It felt like a real interview, which was cool.

21:33Vinnie Pasquantino:Well, the thing is, I sit under the Rich Eisen learning tree daily. So, of course, if I don't get better, then that's on me.

21:42Malik Willis:Dude, well, wrestlers are so hard because it's like, I don't know if you're playing me or not when you're doing an interview. They're such good actors. Like, what are we doing here? I don't know if you're telling me the truth or if you're just acting.

21:55Vinnie Pasquantino:Yeah, we're very good at picking out if they're going to stay in character before the interview starts or not. Like with Don Mysterio, I was going to try to talk about his parents, and he shot that down before we started. I was like, all right, he's in character this whole interview. So it just depends on who they are. That's what I'm doing too.

22:11Malik Willis:I'm in character.

22:14Vinnie Pasquantino:Captain Italiano. Many a weekend, you're playing the White Sox. Oh, don't do that to him. We don't do that.

22:21Malik Willis:We don't do that. Don't do that. We respect every team that we play.

22:24Rich Eisen:This Boston guy, don't listen to him. Let's hope for a rain out or something. Don't listen to him. Yeah. Don't listen to him. Yeah, you're the best, Vinny. Congrats, bud. Appreciate you guys. Look forward to seeing what you do from here on out. Stay healthy, man. All right, be well. That's Vinny Pasquantino, everybody, saying, you know, you're welcome, America. God, I love just – it's funny. Susie was just like, how did you first get fixed up with Vinny? And I'm like, okay, so we were doing our show from the kickoff of two seasons ago in kansas city yep and we did our show from kansas city and we invited bobby witt jr to come on and then we were told shortly before you know bobby showed up that he's bringing vinnie pasquantino with him and we're like the first baseman like yeah he was injured at the time right he had his arm and his like the whole thing right and uh and and they're like yeah he's a he's a fan of the show and we're like okay and then he's just like i'm a jet fan i'm like oh okay and then he we popped him on yeah he was wearing this like old school like 90s jets t-shirt that day right you it couldn't have been nicer yeah couldn't have been cooler and ever since then his career has taken off so you're welcome vinnie that's what we call the eyes and rub it's the eyes and bump oh the bump yeah you could rub i think well the bump could be bad too though okay yeah That was fun.

23:52Rich Eisen:First three-homer game.

23:54Vinnie Pasquantino:Unreal.

23:54Rich Eisen:I can't even keep my days straight anymore, man.

23:57Vinnie Pasquantino:I mean, Wednesday, Thursday.

23:58Rich Eisen:Thursday, this whole business. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. Wednesday, Monday. That's what I should have said. I should have done the Godfather thing. Monday, Tuesday. Okay. Oh, that was just a lot. Did you just think of that? Or you just, okay.

24:11Vinnie Pasquantino:You don't want what happens after that. No, you don't.

24:14Rich Eisen:Definitely not. You don't. Spoiler alert. But that's book two there. That's Godfather part two there. Okay. We'll take a break. 844-204-RICH. Number to dial. When we come back, Malik Willis and his latest step on his journey. Coming up.

24:32Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.

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26:20Rich Eisen:Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. Let's go to Bernardo in Santa Clarita, California, just up the road from here. What's up, Bernardo?

26:33Vinnie Pasquantino:Yo, Blue Rich.

26:34Rich Eisen:Okay, I'll take it. Thank you. Right back at you.

26:38Vinnie Pasquantino:Real fast, TJ, wanted to congratulate you on the Cena interview, man. That was really awesome. I can't remember the last time I sat down and listened to an interview straight through like that.

26:46Rich Eisen:Thank you, man. That really means a lot. Wow, straight through, too. That was a big chunk of your day, man, and that means a lot. Two and a half, right?

26:54Vinnie Pasquantino:And I tried a flat white. And I wouldn't be remiss if I didn't congratulate Chris and the beautiful Brockman family on his proposal. Congratulations, bud. Mazel tov. Thank you, sir. Appreciate that. Rich, I'm sorry, Arvel Reese, Vernon Golston. I get whiffs of Vernon Golston. Oh, come on. Whiffs of Golston? Whiffs of Golston.

27:14Rich Eisen:By the way, great whiffs of Golston.

27:17Vinnie Pasquantino:Write that down.

27:18Rich Eisen:Yeah. That's a fantasy. Did Sting sing that?

27:22Vinnie Pasquantino:I wish we were picking a little lower because Caleb Downs looks like a slam dunk sure thing with AG behind him. I mean, you've got somebody who loves to be taught. You've got a great teacher. line up our secondary, you know, but that two, that's a tough sell. Dude, a two, you want to get a second pick? Second pick, come on. Step right up, boys.

27:43Rich Eisen:Who wants it? Bernardo, seriously, you want to go, who do you want second overall in the draft? Name it.

27:49Vinnie Pasquantino:I want someone to trade up so that we can get Caleb Downs.

27:51Rich Eisen:It's not going to happen. What do you want?

27:54Vinnie Pasquantino:It's not going to happen.

27:56Rich Eisen:Somebody's not going to trade up to two for Caleb Downs. That's just not, let's be real here. Bernardo started by being real.

28:03Vinnie Pasquantino:I want us to take him. I want us to take him, but I don't want us to take him at two.

28:08Rich Eisen:You're not going to get anybody knocking on your door at two. Who are you taking? Bernardo in Santa Clarita, California, fan of no contest wrestling and everything else we do around here. You're on the clock, Bernardo. What do you got?

28:19Vinnie Pasquantino:And Brigadero's and Boja Kiesho. I'm stalling. I'm tap dancing.

28:23Rich Eisen:I know.

28:24Vinnie Pasquantino:David Bailey.

28:25Rich Eisen:Okay. Sold. That's not a bad choice. That's a good choice. I know. Are we going higher register? That's not a bad choice. No, that's a good choice. Okay. Bernardo, thanks for the call. Appreciate you, Jim. There he goes. Thanks, man.

28:36Rich Eisen:Whiffs of Golston. Whiffs of Golston, man. I don't think of. I mean, he was bad. I know. Yeah. I don't get, I don't think that's Vernon. It's just, listen, Jet fans are scarred. They're scarred. We can't take someone from Ohio State. It's Vernon Golston. We can't take someone from Penn State. He's Kyle Brady. You know what I mean? Blair Thomas. There's a couple. Oh, yeah.

28:59Vinnie Pasquantino:You know what I mean? Bad. You know, I get it. I give you over or under a half on career sacks for Vernon Golston.

29:15Vinnie Pasquantino:What do you mean? I mean, what are his career sack numbers?

29:19Rich Eisen:I set the total at a half, over or under. Are you serious? He had no sacks in his career? He had one sack? He had zero sacks. As much as this room. I don't see, I don't look at Arvel Reese and see Vernon Golston. I just don't. I don't. Zero point. That's crazy. Zero. Minka Fitzpatrick, though, his one interception, I was going to tell Vinny this, things are going too well for him. I don't want to tell him. More than the Jets had as an entire team last year.

29:48Vinnie Pasquantino:Yeah, yeah, yeah.

29:49Rich Eisen:Still can't make it up. Malik Willis is the starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins, I believe. We'll get to that in a second. because he was asked today and being introduced in Miami, if there's a competition or not. But this is one to root for, folks. I'm all about the journey here. We know we, whenever I talk about Jalen Hurts, I talk about his journey, okay, and how he was forged into the league and the type of player he has become. And I understand it's maddeningly inconsistent for Eagles fans. But bottom line, Malik Willis, the first time I ever saw him at a combine was on my phone. This video that was shot of him at the combine is how I was essentially introduced to him.

30:51Rich Eisen:he's at the combine and there he is i believe that that looks like it's uh near saint elmo's right yeah i've been trying to figure i think so yeah and um there he is right there giving clothes to somebody on the street who clearly needs it popped open his suitcase had no idea the video was being shot of him i saw that i'm like i'm i'm rooting for him i think most people did, right? He gets drafted by Tennessee out of Liberty and really doesn't get much of a shot. When he does, he doesn't excel. He looked lost. He looked totally lost. We had Matthew Hasselbeck on the air yesterday saying, you can't put anybody on the field until he's a quarterback has mastered third down protection.

31:48Rich Eisen:And it looked like he hadn't mastered very much. But master of none?

31:56The Packers took him, snagged him, acquired him.

32:02Rich Eisen:And any time Jordan Love got hurt, in comes Malik Willis and everyone's like, forget the Packers. That's over. Because look at the way the kid looked in Tennessee And then all of a sudden, it's like, wait a minute. This is why everyone was interested in him at the combine outside of him being a great human. This is why everybody was looking at what his ceiling could be coming out of Liberty. And he has looked nothing short of terrific coming off the bench and getting some big time snaps. And in the case this year, it starts for the Green Bay Packers. in the cold, against the Bears, against the Ravens.

32:48Rich Eisen:He looked superb. He looked like a two-way threat. His throws a pretty ball. So now he's a free agent. Who wants him? Who's going to get him? Because what you're going to get is somebody with a tremendous upside still, but now with some experience. Not a lot. I think Kurt Warner, our buddy from QB Confidential and NFL Network and Hall of Fame, he said he looked at his snaps and only 28 snaps under center he could count on film. Not a lot. Not a lot of experience.

33:39Rich Eisen:But the Dolphins are like, we'll do it. And it's a smart bet because they know him. The general manager of the Dolphins now, John Eric Sullivan, the head coach, Jeff Halfley, both in Green Bay. They both watched him work. They both watched him prepare. They both watched him in their orbit, how he treats others, what he does with his teammates. And they're like, that's the guy. And now he's going to be the head coach's first quarterback in his first job of being the head coach. The first quarterback of this guy, John Eric Sullivan, is a general manager. And he was asked what it felt like to finally have a team say, you're it.

34:29Vinnie Pasquantino:I don't think I put a timeline on it. I think it happened when I was prepared. I think when I came in the league, I wasn't prepared. And that's not a knock toward my coaches or myself. That's just what it was coming from the system I came from. And I've had a chance to learn the last four years since I've been in the league. Went through four different offenses and seen a bunch of different defenses. I just think I've grown a lot and I'm grateful for the opportunity once again.

34:56Rich Eisen:Okay, soft-spoken young man. Now he was asked if this is going to be a competition. Quinn Ewers is there, and Ewers, as we all know, was the quarterback of choice instead of Zach Wilson by Mike McDaniel when they finally said to Tua, we're done. And at the time, it felt like it could be for more than just the season, and sure enough, by Malik Willis' presence there in Miami, it was done for good. Here's that exchange.

35:24Vinnie Pasquantino:I think it's competition at every position. I think it's competition between the coaches. I think that we compete each day to earn our spot here. It's not a given. for anything, and I don't think it should be. I think we should be competing for everything every day. That's the only way we're going to continue to get better and grow. We don't want to get stale and just think everything's everything and become complacent because these guys out here are too good. These other teams are too good. If you slack off or take off, they're going to show you on Sunday. Everybody has good players.

35:56Rich Eisen:Good answer. As they say in Family Feud, good answer. GenC's 26. What an upside. And they didn't put much risk in the contract. It runs for three seasons, including this one. And it's not for Dak money. It's not for Tua money. It's not for Daniel Jones money. It is for 20 and change. You don't give 20 and change to somebody to not be your first, your week one starter. It's just that simple. With all due respect to Quinn Ewers, there could be a competition, but there's a thumb on the scale for Malik Willis. And this is it. It's go time. And Dolphins fans, you should be excited because I think he's going to excel.

36:49Rich Eisen:I really do. I really like the choice. And certainly, if you're going to tell Tua we're done here, it's a great way to get started post tua with somebody who's not overly expensive it's not an over commitment of years and dollars you can't afford to do that literally because of what happened with tua nor do you want to go down that road again because of what happened with tua And you also have an opportunity to get somebody who's young, needing an opportunity, who's made the most of his opportunities. And with your new coach general manager tandem, they would know better than anybody else. Because they saw it.

37:41Rich Eisen:It's a smart bet. And one that I think is going to pay off. i know you guys always think i my default is glass half full and guess what you'd be right but you saw what this kid was like when he didn't know a camera was on him and you've seen what his kids was like when the camera's been on him and if you're miami and you just went through what you went through which is like i don't know if this quarterback's worth it but we're going to give him a market contract and also when the guy was in fact the predecessor that good couldn't really perform as well in the cold and Malik Willis did it in Lambeau Field and it wasn't in the middle of a nice sunny September day either smart move I like it I like it a lot we take a break 844-204-RICH is the number to dial here on the program wrap up This Thursday, tell you who we got on Friday's docket coming up.

38:47Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.

38:54Rich Eisen:If you're like me and my family, you're all about creating amazing memories while on vacation. And for me, many of those have involved a home we found on Airbnb. We had such great experiences that whenever we travel somewhere new, we always check Airbnb first to find a place that fits our needs. the homes we've stayed in comfortable safe private you feel like you're part of the community after a long day of exploring or sitting on a beach it really is nice to come back to a place you can call your own airbnb is also a great way if you want to earn some extra money while you're traveling or out of your house for an extended period of time you can make your home work for you while you're away not as a full-time thing not as some big production just something that fits into trips you're already taking you can use the money for that dream vacation or put that money towards that outdoor kitchen you always wanted.

39:45Rich Eisen:Hosting on Airbnb just feels smart. Your home may be worth more than you think. Find out how much at Airbnb.com slash host.

39:55Vinnie Pasquantino:Want to earn extra income for your business? Amazon Hub Delivery is looking for ambitious business owners to assist with local deliveries. When you become a partner, you and your staff will deliver packages to customers in your area on a schedule that works for you. With each package delivered, you'll gain extra income and exposure for your business. Plus, Amazon Hub Delivery makes it easy to get started. There's no upfront costs, delivery experience, or long-term contracts required. Sign up to learn more at amazon.com slash hub delivery. That's amazon.com slash H-U-B delivery.

40:27Rich Eisen:For small businesses, every hire counts and so does your time. Hiring can quickly become overwhelming people from sorting applications to figuring out who's truly qualified. That's where LinkedIn hiring pro helps. It streamlines the process so you can focus on connecting with the right candidates, not managing the noise. Hire right. The first time post your first job and get a hundred dollars off towards your job post at LinkedIn.com slash eyes. And that's LinkedIn.com slash eyes and terms and conditions apply. Friday show Brian Windhorse. First up, we haven't spoken to Wendy in a while. Wendy.

41:01Rich Eisen:He sounded quite a bit like you on the bam out of bio, 83 point game front. Because we're rational human beings.

41:09Vinnie Pasquantino:Okay.

41:10Rich Eisen:All right. No ball.

41:13Vinnie Pasquantino:Has any player or coach come out and said congrats? Yeah, only like Kevin Durant.

41:19Rich Eisen:He said he got a ton of texts, including from Mr. There's no buzz here in this town, Dwayne Wade. And Giannis, he's kind of good. He said congrats.

41:27Vinnie Pasquantino:Yeah, everyone's going to do it to their face. What does that even mean? Hey, T. Jack Gray, oh, congratulations, man. That was awesome. Except they weren't face to face. And then behind the back being like, well, that says more about them as a human being.

41:41Rich Eisen:Congratulations. That's basically what everybody was saying. Taters say that. I'm a hater. John C. McGinley returns to this program. It's been a long time since we've seen Johnny C. Rooster. Rooster's awesome.

41:57Vinnie Pasquantino:This show is unhinged. One episode so far, but I literally, I was telling Brotman, I laughed out loud in 30 minutes at least seven times. dude it's fun well he'll be here tomorrow chris you think he'll come on no spoiler with his shirt

42:08Rich Eisen:off oh we can only yeah i'm susie and i watched episode one of rooster last night and we know i know what you're talking about yeah of course i mean i love bill lawrence's bill lawrence um it's a great show wrote it with matt tarsis who's just been around this town and just a great writer great dude um yeah and steve carell is just like krill's obviously john c mcginley's in it and But this is the same guy with scrubs and shrinking. Ted Lasso. Good stuff. Oh, Rod Woodson just joined the party as well. So what we're going to do is tell Rod he's on and then unbook him.

42:51Vinnie Pasquantino:What? Did that happen?

42:53Rich Eisen:Well, he's covering the Ravens.

42:54Vinnie Pasquantino:Oh, that's so bad.

42:56Rich Eisen:You wouldn't do that to your guy, Rod.

42:59Vinnie Pasquantino:And he played for the Raiders. Yeah. Yeah.

43:02Rich Eisen:So he's got a unique perspective on all of it. Should I tell? Because, well, he came from the Raiders. Well, he went from the Ravens to the Raiders, didn't he? I think he ended with the Raiders.

43:12Vinnie Pasquantino:Yeah.

43:12Rich Eisen:Okay. So what if I told him? What if he said? Oh, this is great. That you're going to go from the Raiders to the Ravens, but no, you're going back to the Raiders.

43:22Vinnie Pasquantino:His last two years. Yeah, he played the Super Bowl. Yeah. He was first team all pro as a 37-year-old. Rod is. Dude. He's one of the ghosts. He read the league in pitches that year. God, what a legend. He really is.

43:35Rich Eisen:Rod and I called an NFL Europe game for NFL Network early on. And what that meant was not go to Europe. Yes. What it meant, you went to NFL Films in New Jersey and called the game off of a television screen. Yep. Because they weren't sending us to Europe. How much it wasn't that big then? So it was a Berlin Thunder game. Is that the name of it is Berlin? Berlin. I think it was the Berlin Thunder, I think.

44:03Vinnie Pasquantino:Wasn't they? Look it up. Hamburg. Yep, professional American football team based in Berlin.

44:09Rich Eisen:Berlin, Germany. Not the Hamburg. And no, that was the man who currently runs CW Sports. Once sent an email and a reply to all. Everybody wondering if the Hamburg's new team would be called the Hamburglers. Reply all. That did not go over well with some individual in the NFL front office thinking that he was making fun as opposed to having fun. Life lessons for all. Make sure it's not replying to all before he hits send. But anyway, I digress. I'm sitting with Rod getting ready to call the game. And he's pointing to the screen. And he's like, you know, I ran track in that building. And that building in Berlin is very famous for people running track because that's where the Olympics were held, where Jesse Owens once upon a time told the Nazis, not today, not here.

45:10Rich Eisen:Not today. And not with me.

45:12Vinnie Pasquantino:Yeah.

45:12Rich Eisen:Okay. And I'm like, really? When did you run track in Berlin, the Olympic Stadium in Berlin? And he said when he first came out of college, he held out on the Steelers. He told the Steelers and Chuck Knoll and the Roonies. Roonies? Yeah, I'm not coming until you pay me the right amount of money. Yeah, he only played eight games his first year. And he ran track. He's like, I'm going to go run track.

45:42Malik Willis:I was fast in that field. Yeah.

45:47Vinnie Pasquantino:so yeah rod woodson's a goat he was so fast all-time waiter and interception return for

45:52Rich Eisen:touchdown he was so fair so we'll ask rod how things are with baltimore and he lives in vegas so it'll be great he's got touch points maybe max will be there you know at rod's joint just like uh yeah just like the bracketologies we're all together aging dr brackets and one in one space today. One of my favorite moments. That was pretty cool, though. Joe Lenardi just showed up on ESPN without the lab coat. See, that was for us. I don't like that. Was it? I feel special.

46:24Vinnie Pasquantino:Yeah, I do feel a little bit special. Joe with a lab coat greater than Joe. Or he ditched the lab coat like, I am

46:29Rich Eisen:not doing this anymore.

46:31Vinnie Pasquantino:Look at this guy. That's legendary right

46:33Rich Eisen:there. With his lab coat. Really? Yeah, I love it. It's fantastic.

46:39Vinnie Pasquantino:Rich, you gotta get the doctorate.

46:41Rich Eisen:I'm gonna. Yeah, come on, bro. I'm gonna call you Doc Eisen.

46:44Vinnie Pasquantino:Yeah.

46:44Rich Eisen:That'll be good. I'll get my DeLorean and go back in time. If you could go back in time. Right now, where would you go and what would you change? I go right behind the bench and tell Chris Weber we have no timeouts left. Oh, okay. Okay. I like that. That's what I'd say. It's March Madness. I'm just trying to keep it all on track. Damn, that was good, man. You know what, Rich? I'm going to applaud that. Thank you. It's been a fun day, everybody. We'll be back with more on the TV side of things, but radio will chat Friday. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays

47:23Malik Willis:from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.

47:38Vinnie Pasquantino:Shot clocks, big shots, upsets, aces, TGL playoffs are here. First, Atlanta Drive starts their repeat run against Los Angeles Golf Club. Then, Rory's Boston Common Golf and Tiger's Jupiter Lynx face off in their playoff debuts. Who will advance? Keep up. It's playoffs. Tune in Tuesday, March 17th at 6.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. only on ESPN and the ESPN app.