In short
Hour 3 of The Rich Eisen Show focuses on “NFL players that have something to prove,” playoff-team expectations, and NFC North predictions. It also includes fantasy football talk with singer Michael Bublé.
Guest backgrounds
Michael Irvin is a Pro Football Hall of Famer (former Cowboys WR). Michael Bublé is a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer, joining via Zoom from Argentina.
Key claims
Irvin argues “pressure is on” quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson because coaches were fired and legacy questions remain without a Super Bowl. He lists other “something to prove” QBs (Dak Prescott for deeper playoff runs; Kyler Murray to run a franchise again; Deshaun Watson and Malik Willis to prove they can lead; Jaden Daniels to show year-one success wasn’t a fluke). He also discusses NFC playoff/standings shifts and coaching impacts.
Notable examples
Allen’s “easy path” yet no big-game closure; Lamar’s “crying” after setbacks; Eagles offense context around AJ Brown’s production in games without him; NFC North picks featuring Bears, Lions, Packers, Vikings.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOMichael Irvin and O'Shea Jackson Jr. Join the Show
1:47 to 2:45
Discussion with Michael Irvin and O'Shea Jackson Jr. about their projects and the show.
“Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.”
Discussion on Acting and Following Footsteps
2:45 to 4:13
O'Shea shares his experience in acting and following his father's legacy.
“You've got Becky Lynch as your guest in studio for all of that.”
Josh Allen's Pressure to Perform
4:13 to 5:46
A conversation about NFL players, particularly Josh Allen, and the pressure to succeed.
“And that's funny because I remember when they were talking about you acting, you know what I mean?”
Who Has Something to Prove in the NFL?
5:46 to 8:12
Discussion on various NFL players and whether they have something to prove this season.
“Let's go to Nathan in Chicago here on the Rich Eisen Show.”
Analyzing Team Dynamics and Player Development
8:12 to 11:45
Exploration of team dynamics in the NFL and how it affects player performance.
“We're going to look back at Lamar and Josh and start wondering are they one of the greats and how can they be one of the greats when they didn't win one Super Bowl and you know Sam Donald comes in and get him one.”
Fan Interaction and Predictions
11:45 to 14:01
Engaging with listeners on team predictions for the upcoming NFL season.
“But they helped him out too, though, by shipping off, you know, big fella.”
NFC Playoff Predictions
14:01 to 15:00
Discussion on which teams from the NFC will make the playoffs, including the Cowboys, Niners, and Eagles.
“The team I'm putting in for the NFC, I would say the Bengals.”
AFC Playoff Predictions
15:01 to 17:20
Analysis of the AFC teams likely to make the playoffs, focusing on the Steelers, Bengals, and Ravens.
“Just so I can get right back in those Eagles' faces and say, Fly, Eagles, fly all the way to your house because you're not going to the playoffs.”
Pressure on Quarterbacks
17:21 to 20:44
Exploration of the pressure faced by quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen in their careers.
“And I'm not so easy and quickly and ready.”
Hyundai Hope on Wheels
20:45 to 21:10
Rich Eisen discusses the importance of supporting pediatric cancer research.
“But there's a lot of ringless individuals in that room in Ohio as well, Michael.”
Show all 17 chapters
Michael Bublé Joins the Show
22:27 to 23:36
Michael Bublé discusses his fantasy football league experiences and interactions with his friends.
“Fast Fund's terms apply at SoFi.com slash DebtPlay.”
Fantasy Football Draft Insights
23:37 to 28:00
Insights from Michael Bublé on his recent fantasy football draft and strategy.
“His children are in the other room in Argentina from where Michael Bublé is zooming on Disney Plus, just like Dad is right now having this conversation.”
Discussing Fantasy Football Strategies
28:00 to 30:26
Learn about the dynamics of guillotine leagues and the excitement of fantasy football.
“He said, of course, they're not admitting I'm on that team.”
Rich Eisen's Fantasy League Experience
30:26 to 35:08
Discover insights into the complexities of managing fantasy football leagues and drafting players.
“Yeah, well, I'm in a draft right now, as a matter of fact, and I picked up George Kittle just before the commercial break.”
LinkedIn Hiring Pro and Text Chain Dilemmas
35:36 to 39:55
Explore hiring challenges and the significance of communication in fantasy leagues.
“But they feel very strongly when they, when they have the Android, they feel very, but you're, you know, thank God they don't have a BlackBerry.”
NFC North Predictions
39:55 to 46:00
Listen to predictions for the NFC North and team rankings.
“a bad hire costs time and money the right one helps your business grow and the challenge is finding that person without sorting through resumes.”
Show Business and Announcements
46:01 to 47:14
The hosts share updates on upcoming episodes and congratulatory messages.
“We'll drop the Cowboys because today we went to, we dropped the Chargers.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00It's Saturday. The tailgate crew is on the way. You've got the cooler iced, comfortable seating, and oof. Where's the charcoal for the grill? No worries. That's when Express Delivery from the Home Depot can help. Order in the app or online. Get what you need delivered fast and track it along the way so you can get set up in time for kickoff. Get what you need in two hours or less with Express Delivery from the Home Depot. Subject to availability, order select in-stock items by 4 p.m. Restrictions and fees apply. We all know Saturday's game time can get a little messy. Your crew just came over to watch.
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1:13Bear Ultra, only at the Home Depot. This is the Rich Eisen Show.
1:19Rich Eisen:Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of the Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This dude is a freaking animal. This is the Rich Eisen Show. The buck stops here. Essentially, that's what I'm saying. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Earlier on the show, Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin.
2:01Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. UFC president Dana White. Coming up, five-time Grammy Award winner Michael Buble. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
2:16Rich Eisen:Hour number three of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air, and what a show we've already had over the first two hours. Dana White was here. Hour two. Baker Mayfield stopped by as well. We were also hanging out with Michael Irvin all three hours. He's still sitting here to my right, and he is joined by my friend O'Shea Jackson Jr. here for this program. O'Shea, you are here in advance of recording the 100th episode of No Contest with TJ, huh? 100th. I've noticed that there's no cake. No balloons. We'll get right on that for you. That's crazy. Cat would have said wounds. You've got Becky Lynch as your guest in studio for all of that.
2:59Rich Eisen:If you missed any of the first two hours of this show, there is our Disney Plus page. There's also our YouTube channel. There's all three hours available through our podcast. You can also check things out however you wish through our social media feeds at RichEyesenShow for most of them. richeisenshop.com is also where you can get all the neat gear uh that michael irvin is not wearing today richeisenshop.com for hats and um and and uh mugs and all that good stuff uh we appreciate you stopping by there for for all of that um good to see you again irv it's always great to see you guys the two of you guys are are this is gonna be fun they do so man hey we're just having some fun talking about some of the stuff he's done, man.
3:45Some great stuff, man. When he played, you know, the unusual suspect in Den of Thieves. Yeah. That was such a great one. Do you know his dad? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I know his dad. Of course I know his dad. I mean, I just. He's kind of popular. I'm aware of that.
4:04Rich Eisen:But I just would imagine Irv and Cube would hang out at some point in time. His dad is as gifted as anything. Okay. But, man, that's good stuff, man. That's good stuff. And that's funny because I remember when they were talking about you acting, you know what I mean? And then you started putting out, so I was like, oh, man, this is great, man. So what has it been like, you know, following your dad, those big shoes you got to try to fill? I've done it with a chip on my shoulder because what I did straight out of Compton, you know, I had auditioned for two years to get that role. Left college, like dedicated myself to acting.
4:42And then when I got it, it was just talk about nepotism. And then when the movie come out and I kill it, they say, oh, well, of course he could play his dad. And it's like, you just told me that I wasn't supposed to get it in the first place. So I told my team every role I take has to be different from the last one. So they can't put me in a box.
5:01Rich Eisen:When you can't come on, man, can't touch me. Well, I mean, cocaine bear was definitely different. That was different. That is art. Cocaine bear. Why you had to bring that up? cocaine bear bro and i didn't die i want to remind everybody i did not die in that movie you got your arm bitten off or your hand my my my fingers i got two fingers missing that's it i should say spoiler alert but everybody had fingers missing from that movie yeah oh man what a good you're so funny erv i found out my dad was funny man i i did i watched that movie too i had to watch that movie yeah who did i was like i gotta see what cocaine bear you know Oh, my gosh.
5:42All right.
5:43Rich Eisen:We're going to take some phone calls and then maybe have some conversations based off of them here. Let's go to Nathan in Chicago here on the Rich Eisen Show. What's up, Nathan? You're on with Irv O'Shea and the rest of us. Hey, Rich. Great show so far. I love your show. I usually love your takes, but at the beginning of the show, you had your top ten list of guys under the most pressure. Yes. And I was shocked that Josh Allen wasn't on there. No, no. It was most approved, not under pressure. most to prove. What does Josh Allen have to prove? Well, that he can close it out, that he can win the big game, that he can get to the big game.
6:16He had the easiest path possible last year, and he still couldn't get it done.
6:21Rich Eisen:Do you agree with that, that Josh Allen has something to prove, Irv? I do. I do agree with it because Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, we can toast this cake any kind of way we want to, but they got those coaches out of there. That's ultimately what's Both defensive coaches, they're two quarterbacks. You know they've had battles late in the game when a coach wants to win with his defense and these gifted quarterbacks wants to win with their gift. That's why I say the pressure is on Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. You let go two great coaches, we're putting it on you. I don't know. Do we have the list potentially of the power rankings?
7:02Rich Eisen:If not, it's all good. I can just read it off. okay i mean we don't we we don't and thanks the call nathan for a kickstarter here i i don't the quarterbacks i have on the list about most to prove i've got two and pennix i've got jayden daniels i made him number five just because i didn't want to piss him off i don't show out malik willis deshaun watson and kyla murray those are the ones like what does josh allen have to prove i mean he's proven he can take a team deep into the playoffs and he's proven he's he's he's he's a quarterback you would want on your team if you want to make a super bowl if not win one it's just that you know how tough it is it's not easy to get there and then get back you got to get one rich and and and for that gift that talent they're expecting him to get when they're expecting lamar to get one you know what i mean it's it's the measuring so you're right what are the two parts of it.
7:57There's, do I need to prove that I can do it and I need to prove some people need to prove that I can do it at the highest levels to be considered one of the greats of this game. We're going to look back at Lamar and Josh and start wondering are they one of the greats and how can they be one of the greats when they didn't win one Super Bowl and you know Sam Donald comes in and get him one.
8:24Rich Eisen:I don't know. Again, I just have a conversation of something to prove. I don't think Allen and Lamar have anything they have to prove. I think Kyler Murray's got to prove he could run a franchise for a second time with all these weapons that he has and a coach that can dial it up. You want to talk about defensive coaches, right? I mean, he had Jonathan Gannon for the last few years. Now he's got Kevin O 'Connell in his ear. Deshaun Watson, I think that's without even needing to mention. Malik Willis down in South Florida, he's got to prove that he can run a team, right? I mean, and Jaden Daniels has got to prove that year one was him, not year two, despite the injuries being a year two problem for him.
9:05Rich Eisen:That's where two impenics, I think, go without saying. Does Dak have something to prove? Yeah, Dak has to prove, oh God, yes. That he can go deep in the playoffs. That he can take it deep. I sat down with Dak. I was at the Cowboys camp and sat down with him. And I asked, I said, people keep saying 30 years. How much of that do you take on yourself? He says the last 11. As long as he's been there, that's all he can carry, you know. So I think he understands that, too, that they need to go deeper into the playoffs. Anybody in the Rams have something to prove? I was about to say, did we bring up the fact that Shea has Aaron Donald now?
9:42Was that brought up during the show? We brought up Aaron Donald. We didn't bring up the fact that Shea has Aaron Donald. I just wanted to be out there.
9:50Rich Eisen:We didn't bring it up through that mindset. Okay. Yeah. All right. But, yeah, Shea has Aaron Donald, America. I told you this would happen. And it's going to get real aggressive around here. I like that. We need to figure out the situation with Puka. But, like, I keep hearing, you know, something to prove. People talk about the Super Bowl. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Super Bowl is in Los Angeles. And that's where Aaron Donald loves the Super Bowl. And, yeah, we getting it. Can I just ask something about Puka? And I shouldn't. Uh-oh. I shouldn't. But I don't know. Was that a case or was that just a girlfriend complaint?
10:27Oh, I don't know. Is that a case? I don't know. These are all good questions.
10:31Rich Eisen:See, this is what. But he's not. Here's the thing. He's not on a commissioner's exempt list. Correct, correct. That's not happening as has happened to other players. Well, I'm saying. And it may. Yeah, no doubt. It's me because, you know, I'm a little. I see headlines. I see headlines saying this man assaulted or something like that. And I don't know if she filed a real complaint or is she just on social media sharing things. And, you know, then I think that's different. I think that's a hell of a difference. I wish I had the facts directly. Yeah, right. That's why I ain't saying nothing. But the fact is he is not on the commissioner's exempt list right now.
11:14Rich Eisen:And there are other players who have. And I think that that would have been a decided by now if not. So I don't know what it is. But listen, we're having a conversation about who has anything to prove. And, you know, I guess what the Rams have to prove that their team is Super Bowl worthy. I don't know. I'm just saying that Sean Mannion's on this list as well. He's got to prove that he can call plays for the Philadelphia Eagles. Because if not, that whole thing is going to be, you know, in the same cauldron as it was last year. But they helped him out too, though, by shipping off, you know, big fella.
11:54Yeah, shipping off.
11:55Rich Eisen:How was that a help? Now you can call plays in peace, you know, because you don't have to worry about calling plays just for him. And A.J. Brown needed to see this. The three games he did lead the league in receptions over those three games, The Eagles went 0-3 last year. 0-3. In those three games, he got more passes than anybody in the National Football League. So, you know, you just got to say, oh, okay, maybe we should run the ball first and then get me the ball. You know, that kind of thing. So, yeah, I think that'll help him not having A.J. Brown. Okay. Addition by subtraction. It's going to help him.
12:41I'm not saying it's going to really help Jalen Hurts, but he'll have a peace of mind calling the game. Jalen Hurts hopes that receiver catch that pass. Yeah, that may be different.
12:52Rich Eisen:Let's go back to the phone lines. Derek in Missouri is a regular of this program. You're on with Irv and O'Shea and the rest of us. What's up, Derek? How are you? I'm good, Rich. O'Shea, Michael. Nice to make you acquaintances, guys. Pleasure, Michael, for you, sir. I'm not a big Cowboys enthusiast, but when I was a kid, it was a thrill and honor to watch you play, sir. and God bless you, man. You're one of a kind. I'll give you that. Rich, before I get into my two in, two out, I wanted to mention this to you. It was on this day one year ago that your show debut on Disney+. Are you aware of that?
13:28Rich Eisen:It was one year. Was it September? How about that? Okay, thank you, Derek. I appreciate that. See, I didn't get a cake for myself. Well, I love myself, brother. It's a commemoration for us. I don't see any cake here either. I didn't mean to rope you into toxicity. He keeps saying I run a hostile work environment. It is. Look how stressed everybody is. You dropped about two cakes today. If I'm not mistaken, you want to put one team in the playoffs and one team out from each conference. Yes. Correct. So on the empty side of things, the one team I'm taking out would be the Steelers because I think last year was just a one-hit wonder because, well, it was for them when they played the Texans and they were gone just like that.
14:13Rich Eisen:Who do you put in? The team I'm putting in for the NFC, I would say the Bengals. I mean, it all depends if Joe Burrell stays healthy and that offensive line can protect him. And that defense could just come into fruition for once. And the NFC? That's rewards. The NFC? The NFC side. The Niners, I mean. I thought you were going to say Kemp. The Niners are not enough again. We haven't taken a snap of football yet. And then who are you putting in? It's going to be Kewi's heel. and I'm not saying it's because you're here, Michael, but the Cowboys. There's something different about this team this year.
14:47I don't know what it is, but we might see something coming to play.
14:51Rich Eisen:By the way, you speak his language, Niners out. I think out of any other NFC team that made it last year that he would prefer to be out for the Cowboys to be in would be Philadelphia. That's the one that you would choose at the top of your list, correct? It would be interesting. Thank you, Derek. Man, yeah, I think I guess I would. Just so I can get right back in those Eagles' faces and say, Fly, Eagles, fly all the way to your house because you're not going to the playoffs. All the way to your couch. You see what I'm saying? You have to find a little bit more that rhymes, I imagine. Right, right, right.
15:25Rich Eisen:Something rhymes with couch. I don't know. Ouch. All the way to your house and sit on your damn couch. There you go right there. I got it. Bars out here. All right, so give me Michael Irvin. a team in each conference that was in last year that's now out. Like an old game day morning season preview thing. Give me one that's out and one that's in. Well, he just hit it with Dallas being out. No, the Dallas is in, but who would you take out? Would you take the Niners out? I would take in the NFC. Last year's playoff team. Yeah, Green Bay, San Francisco. But if you take Carolina out, they were the winners of the NFC South.
16:05Rich Eisen:Yes. So somebody else would be in. from the South. Yeah. That was out last year. Right. So Dallas, Carolina being out in Dallas. They had a three-way tie right in the end, and Carolina got the tiebreaker. That's right. So you said it got to be either an NFC East team or another wild card team. Right, right. I do believe the Eagles make the playoffs this year. So it would be Niners, Seahawks, right? Niners. Niners, Rams. Listen. Niners, Rams. It's hard to call the Niners. Packers. also. What do you think? Packers. Packers out. Cowboys in. I'm going to have Chicago win that division. What do you got for me in the AFC?
16:46Rich Eisen:Caleb Williams, man. Fight off. What do you got for me in the AFC? Give me one that was in that's now out and one that was out that's now in. When it was in, it's now out. Who was out? I got Denver winning. Wild cards were Texans, Bills, Chargers. Texans got in. Remember nine game win streak? Chargers? Chargers, I believe, are getting in. Chargers, Patriots, Bills, Jaguars, Texans, Steelers made it. It's hard. I take out the Steelers, too. I drop out the Steelers. And who do you put in? Somebody from the AFC North.
17:25Who would I go with the AFC North?
17:31Rich Eisen:Bengals, Ravens, Browns. Just say Browns. No, no, no, no. We're not saying Browns. We're not saying Browns. And listen, let's stop this. And I'm not so easy and quickly and ready. Because we're always saying, if the Bengals can stay healthy, I'm not so easily and quickly and ready to give them that, you know, if they stay healthy. So, man, that's a tougher one.
18:00But who's out last year? The Ravens? Who's out? Ravens are being in. Ravens are getting in. Ravens are definitely getting in. Ravens are definitely. And that's why I was talking about the pressure that's on Lamar Jackson and the pressure to prove that's on Josh Allen. You've met Lamar. You can't cry like that, man. You can't cry at the end of the season and not come back and do like that. I mean, he was crying big time, man.
18:29Rich Eisen:Do you think Lamar feels an ounce of pressure ever? You know how that works. Come on now. I do. I do believe Lamar Fields. Lamar Fields, like he was the one that was supposed to prove to the world that a quarterback that can run win the Super Bowl. Yes, he does feel pressure. Jalen Hurts came in and proved that to the world. He just watched that goal and that dream slip away. Why would he not come in? And when he came in the league, he said, yeah, I'm a running back. So he set you up with saying, now I'm a running back, because he expected to be holding that trophy and saying, a running back won the trophy at quarterback.
19:12You see what I mean? He was setting it up. So yeah, he feels this pressure.
Read the full transcript
19:16Rich Eisen:Pressure to what? Win a Super Bowl. To win a Super Bowl. But his two MVP and one that was almost a third hasn't proved that he's as gifted a quarterback as the league has ever seen. It's not enough. Right. Not for legacy. If you feel pressure from anybody, you for sure got to feel pressure from the black community, bro. Right. Because we need to see you get there. Like, you got to get there. At least get there. And the same thing with Josh Allen. Now, Josh Allen, he got married in the offseason, so he got his rings. I don't know where his mind is. But, like, their window is closing. Their window's closed.
19:55He got a ring, but not equal. It's a pretty good ring. It's a pretty good ring. I got to push back on this. It's the ring.
20:05Rich Eisen:As a matter of fact, him getting married and maybe having a kid, his life is more in order. That could actually make him a better professional, quite frankly. It could. I believe that. On top of it, he's as generationally brilliant as there is. And I understand rings put you in a different position, and certainly to get in the room in Ohio that you are in forever. I understand all of that. But pressure, come on now. I don't think Lamar feels an ounce of pressure. He wants to win. That's it. I believe that. And I think he's proven enough that he's as good as they come. But the ring is part of the conversation at the end of the day.
20:41Rich Eisen:Always. How many have you won? Yeah. And that is a legitimate conversation. Always. But there's a lot of ringless individuals in that room in Ohio as well, Michael. I was a San Diego Charger fan, and I cheered for the goodest quarterback of all time, Phil Rivers. The goodest. You want to be great. Margo, you're great. O'Shea Jackson Jr. is here in support of the 100th episode of No Contest Wrestling. That'll be in our YouTube channel and in your RSS feeds with Becky Lynch later on today. Michael Irvin, one more segment with him. When we come back, I will be chatting fantasy football with the brilliant and talented and lovely Michael Bublé.
21:19Rich Eisen:Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and money. The right one, that 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. Getting started by, right now, posting your job for free at linkedin.com. Slash Eisen is a great idea. Terms and conditions apply. When we come back, Michael Bublé talks fantasy football.
21:51Rich Eisen:He's only in 19 leagues. Coming up next. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. 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 debtplay. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A., member FDIC, Terms and Conditions Apply, NMLS 696891. Fast Fund's terms apply at SoFi.com slash DebtPlay. The greats don't shy away from change.
22:32They attack it head on with confidence, preparation, and a clear strategy. KPMG LLP and their transformation professionals work with organizations across industries using their advanced AI to help them move faster, work smarter, and adapt with purpose. Because in today's business environment, winning teams don't react to change, they shape it. Learn more at visit.kpmg.us slash velocity.
22:56Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here. We talk a lot about battles in sports. Teams battling through adversity. 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. The audience has returned. Michael Bublé, five-time Grammy Award winner.
23:32Rich Eisen:We've established this in the Disney Plus side of things. His wife is shooting a Disney film in Argentina. His children are in the other room in Argentina from where Michael Bublé is zooming on Disney Plus, just like Dad is right now having this conversation. I think I brought everyone up to speed. He would still trade any one of those Grammys for the championship. So you did not win last year then is what you're saying. I won one. I won one. I won one. Because if you're. The league, it was called, by the way, it was called the League of the People, which I really enjoyed because I felt like the People's League had a bite to it.
24:07Rich Eisen:Okay. All right. Yeah. And who are the people that you beat? I got the belt. Who are the people that you beat? Oh, well, one of the people, I mean, they're all my buddies, my brother-in-laws. Okay. The commissioner of the league is a learned doctor who runs the ER in Vancouver. and that felt especially good because he was very sure that I was never going to take that belt and uh because I just I'll just send him pictures of me with the belt doing different random things I'll be like pushing the baby but there'll be no baby in it I'll just have the belt or I'll eat like you know breakfast with the belt just constant it's constant I don't stop all right so um in the league you drafted in last night what pick did you have I had the same pick I seem to have in every draft.
24:53I have been a lottery loser, but I don't want to say eighth. I picked eighth.
24:57Rich Eisen:Oh, eighth. That's a tough one. But is it, though? Is it the witch? I feel like. Who'd you take? Well, you know what's weird? I keep, you know, in the 4 ,322 mock drafts I did, where Gibbs fell to me at eighth every time. Yeah, I know. No, but you know what? I didn't hate being in the back there and coming around, depending on what happens. How many teams are in the league? Well, this one I did last night was a 10-team league. So every team is strong, but it was half PPR. So I started and I went running back, running back. And, you know, I didn't hate it. I didn't hate it. I got Brown. My first pick was Cook.
25:46Okay. And second was Brown. I got McConkie, Olave. It was a nice little start. I went late on tight ends and even later on QBs.
25:58And what's funny is I felt like I finished the draft and I went, I look good. And then I saw that projection for my first week against Alan Chang. And it doesn't look good, but it's just projection. I know it doesn't mean anything. I just got to keep telling myself that.
26:13Rich Eisen:Don't do the projection thing. And I don't care what the ESPN fantasy computer thinks of my picks either. It's just they don't know. Nobody knows. And that's the beauty of fantasy football. Nobody knows. It's also what's infuriating is somebody that doesn't know nearly as much as you do goes and beats you week one, and then you start pondering life and stuff like that. But James Cook and Chase Brown is not a bad running back running back. Certainly a way to go in a half PPR league too, You don't have to feel like, you know, that you blew a chance with some receivers. Certainly since Cook and Brown come out of the backfield, they can catch it.
26:52Rich Eisen:You know, that's not bad. Who is the quarterback that you held off on and you chose late? I took Lawrence and I took Bo. That was not bad either. All right, so Lawrence. And by the way, I mean late, like 12th, 13th. You got a hold. 14th. That's the way to go. You know what's funny, man? I was truly, this is how much it means to me. I really love you guys. I love this show. I've always been a fan. I was thinking to myself, do I lie like that guy who said he was on the football? Do I lie like him about who I drafted? So that in the next upcoming drafts, people aren't telegraphed. Because they all watch you.
27:34They all watch you. And now they're all going to go, okay, I know what Bublé's doing today.
27:38Rich Eisen:The Dajon love of fantasy. Michael Buble is here on the Rich Eisen show. I had no idea. Did you draft it? Did somebody draft Dajon Love? Somebody do that? Is he available in somebody's GoFundMe draft? Okay. I like that he's honestly, personally, I like that he's doubled down. I really do. I feel like that's something that I might just do. Just get caught in the lie and then just double down on it. Yes. Yeah, he's. Yes. Well, he's in the. I like what he said. He said, of course, they're not admitting I'm on that team. Because if you're on Green Bay and you don't want them to know, oh, he's excellent.
28:15Rich Eisen:He's off the reservation. That's for sure. My favorite was he told someone that there was a lot of training camps going on, but he didn't have to go to training camp because training camp is for people who needed practice. And he didn't really need that much practice. Imagine telling that to an actual NFL coach. That's amazing. I don't need training camp. It wasn't coaches he was telling these things. I know. How many are you in, Rich? I'm in actually we're in a league draft right now. Vinny Pasquantino of the Kansas City Royals has invited all of us into his guillotine league. Are you playing any guillotine leagues?
28:48Rich Eisen:Knockout? Yes, I won my guillotine league last year. Is there any greater feeling than that? I have not won one. It's hard too. That is that might be the hardest one to win. I love it though. It's I kind of dig the knockout guillotine leagues more than the straight regular version. because, listen, if we're in a fantasy league together, it's me versus you and it's Chris versus TJ, and I'm not paying attention to Chris versus TJ until finally I just might, let's see what the rest of the league is up to, see who's winning and who's losing. But in the guillotine, the knockout, we're all hyper aware of what everyone else is doing.
29:29Rich Eisen:And then on Monday Night Football, when we're settling into ESPN and we're watching Monday Night Football, you know who's on the block. and who's maybe not on the block, and you're rooting for someone to get on the block because you want to pick at that person's roster like a buzzard in the desert, man. You know, and I kind of dig it. I love it. There is no greater drama, too. Like, watching that guy get that two-point convert, and it just changes, and then that's the low. Yeah. Actually, I have to give a shout-out to the Lark Canada League where I won that because one of my mates in that league, when I won, he made me a T-shirt because every week they would cut another guy's head off.
30:08And remember Futurama where they all have their heads, you know, in a – I don't know if you know what I'm talking about. The jars. The jars, yeah. In the jars. So they gave me a T-shirt with all the heads in the jars and me at the – so I actually – I got to post that. I got to come home when I get home and actually post that because it was amazing.
30:26Rich Eisen:Dude. Okay. Yeah, well, I'm in a draft right now, as a matter of fact, and I picked up George Kittle just before the commercial break. to pick up kittle i did i i think kittle's gonna play week one and even if he doesn't i think he's gonna be george kittle like we're used to um yeah uh we're in this you have so far all right it is a how it's so it's a it's it's a full guillotine league so it's 18 teams right we have 19 vinny added one extra what wow so one week two are going to be chopped
31:02hey am i am i allowed to ask if you want me maybe one year you can invite me in
31:06Rich Eisen:so that well here's the deal well we were just thinking it here we go we're doing a a guillotine league just for us and you're in okay we want we want to ask you we want to ask you okay yes okay you know what the divorce isn't going to be pretty but it's worth it we don't want that though No, I'm kidding. You know what's funny? My whole life is like, she knows we go to church on Saturday. Yes. It's not a joke. Because Sunday she knows. It's like Mike, stupid Michael is doing his stupid fantasy. And she also always said to me, like, it's no real. And I say, you don't know. I'm telling you, it's super real.
31:43It's no real. It's super real.
31:47Rich Eisen:Yeah, so we're going to do our own guillotine. I guess it's got to be full. We might have to go week one. Yeah, we're going to go week one. So I'll hit you up and we'll figure out the draft. Thank you. Yeah, totally. We're going to do that. And then a million percent, you know, keep up conversation. Because fantasy, listen, it's tough to have a conversation on a show like this one about it. Because if we're talking about certain players and other people haven't drafted them or they're not on his or her team, they're like checked out. And so you want everyone to be locked in. But having a conversation about fantasy, though, I can also think everyone can relate to because it means so much.
32:28Rich Eisen:I wish it didn't mean so much. You know what I mean? I wish it means so much. Michael, you know, this morning or one of our leagues, a keeper league had a serious, serious conversation about that. They had made mistakes of who they kept because you lose that play that player from that round. and even though they've played for five years somehow that slipped past them and there was a massive big you know can we it's hilarious and it was like it was serious it was like can you please and then there was no your keepers have been set that is it um but it like you know relationships end over and by the way at the same time you also create amazing friendships or like group chats and things where guys really like become buddies like you really grow relationships so it's i think it's a really cool thing well we're we're in the the regular straight up fantasy league that we do here uh amongst the show we just had a draft the other day you mentioned a text chain um there is a big problem with the text chain that's going on right now um is that um the text chain was clean of anybody who had an Android until somebody kindly added our director, Monaco, who's directing this broadcast right now.
33:46Rich Eisen:He's the one changing cameras. He's just professionally. He's not popping me off the screen right now because he got added and the text chain is now, 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 benefits software built for small businesses.
34:23Rich Eisen: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 plus you get unlimited payroll runs for one monthly price no hidden fees no surprises try gusto today at gusto.com rich and get three months free when you run your first payroll.
35:00Rich Eisen:That's three months of free payroll at gusto.com slash rich. One more time, gusto.com slash rich. 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, 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 green and not full iphone blue i understand you right you understand like this is a problem this is a this is an issue and i'm i'm you know i'm thinking of demanding that he'd be removed back off of the text chain or change his phone this is where we're at you understand like this text chains on fantasy leagues are almost as important as the draft itself you understand right yes yes i don't want to have to talk smack with somebody and then have to hit it 15 times because it's not going through you know that i also don't know you know what i mean Like, I don't want to see green.
36:17Yeah, I understand. But they feel very strongly when they, when they have the Android, they feel very, but you're, you know, thank God they don't have a BlackBerry. Oh man.
36:27Rich Eisen:Monica, you don't have a BlackBerry, do you? I'm talking to my director through, through a zoom through Argentina. This is amazing. Bitching and moaning about an Android versus a phone, an iPhone and blue versus green. It's a very 21st century conversation. All right. So lastly, you're, you're, you've established, you're in a regular snake draft league, right? You're in one of those. And you're also in one of the, you're in a guillotine league. You're in one of those? In a guillotine league, yeah. Okay, you just, you're in an auction draft league? Are you in one of those? No, that's actually funny.
36:55That's the one thing that I haven't, I don't have is an auction draft. Everything else is just regular, you know. Snake draft, everything, okay. Snake, yeah. The only one that's different is that in the People's League this year, they changed it where they went back in the third round where you go back to, so instead of the snake for that one round it goes back to uh you know what i mean to the to the to the end of the okay which is which is cool and by the way i have the eighth pick in that one too and that's really awesome because i get you know four of the top 40 or whatever or the top 30 okay
37:31Rich Eisen:so it works all right for me well listen uh i need to send you back to your kids since they're i mean they might be all out of candy they're so good right now okay they're so quiet it's probably not a good thing that they're not quite hey listen rich i've got i've got a record that uh comes out later in the next you know 27 yeah um and you and i still have not done our song together and i so i told my publicist i said dude i don't know how i don't know when but i need to bring the band in that studio and you and i need to crush my way or feel it or something my way is i think if i had to choose i think it would be my way i think you know what i'm gonna do then too I did that karaoke over the summer, and I'm feeling good to use that.
38:18I'm going to call Paul Anka, who is also a football guy, and I'm going to ask him if he can rewrite the words for you and I so that when we do our version, it's only our version.
38:30Rich Eisen:Okay, we're doing it our way. Wow. Okay. We're doing it our way. All right, Michael. There's a lot going on between us right now. It's outstanding. and I love your passion for fantasy football and the fact that we're friends is pretty cool too, man. I appreciate it. Hey, listen, this guy's got Grammys. He's got a beautiful family. Otani uses his song as a walk-up song. He's in Argentina. Disney Plus is what he's on now. His kids are on it. His wife's making movies for it. Look at us. We're improving American-Canadian relations with each word we're doing right now? Look at us. You know, I don't care what the lake's called.
39:13Rich Eisen:I love you. You know what I mean? You take care of yourself, Michael. All right, guys. Okay. Thanks for having me. That's Michael Bublé, everybody, from Argentina. Let's go. We're drafting players. We're talking fantasy. He's in our guillotine league now. Right. Now we've got to figure out when that draft. Can't wait to take his quarterback when he's chopped. What? He's off the Zoom. He didn't hear that. he's running to make sure his kids aren't like just throwing down sugar right oh my god argentinian sugar okay um when we come back we'll finish the show with irvin osha one more segment i knew this show would go in two seconds flat running a small business means every hire matters a bad hire costs time and money the right one helps your business grow and the challenge is finding that person without sorting through resumes.
40:07Rich Eisen:And this is 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 that 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. I don't know why I said the word free like that. We're back with your calls, Irv and O'Shea, in a moment. The Rich Eisen Show. The Podcast.
41:05Rich Eisen:from Hyundai, their dealers, and every new Hyundai sold. Hope on Wheels has contributed over$300 million to childhood cancer research, helping save more than 40 ,000 kids. Please join our fight at HyundaiWarriors.com. Michael Irvin, back on the set here. Pull that microphone back towards you. I got this. And then O'Shea Jackson Jr. here again. TJ, you ready for Becky Lynch to stroll in here for the 100th episode of No Contest Wrestling? We've been cultivating this caper for a while. We have. And this is apparently this one-year anniversary of our appearance for the first time on Disney+. How about that?
41:38Rich Eisen:I had no idea about that either. You didn't get a cake for either of them. There's no cake. Okay. It's funny. Susie might send donuts. Yeah, she might. But she's coming in here tomorrow for Women's Sports Now, episode 20 of season two. Okay. 844-204-RICH has been the number to dial here all day. The NFC North, we're going to predict it. Let's do that real quick. TJ Jefferson, you're first up. Who wins the NFC North 1-4? How do you see it going here? You know, I wasn't prepared, but I know that I had the Minnesota Vikings at 4. Okay. Even though I think they're going to have a better year than everybody thinks.
42:14And I think Kyler Murray's going to help my cousin, Justin Jefferson, kind of get back to where he was in terms of the wide receiver rankings. At number 3, I believe I had the Detroit Lions. Okay. Everyone thinks the Lions are going to win? I'm not so sure, Rich. Okay. I don't know. All right. And number two, we have the Green Bay Packers.
42:35Rich Eisen:And then coming in at number one, the Bears. You got the Bears winning the NFC North. Yeah. All right. Let's see who you have over there, Christopher. Who do you have? Yeah, I agree with TJ. I'm big on the Bears this year. I actually think this division is probably going to have the most wins this year. That would be my pick. But I do think the Vikings are fourth. I like Green Bay third. Detroit second. And the Chicago Bears winning the division. I think the top three all make the playoffs. All right. Where are we going next? Are we going to go to Irv next? Irv. Michael Irvin, you're playing this game with us today.
43:04Rich Eisen:Predict the NFC North. Yeah, and I think all of us probably have that one and four similar to something like that one and four. And the more and more I dive into my cranium, thinking about these Packers-Lions, I mean, because Mike Parsons is not totally healthy early on in the season, this could possibly flip. But I got it, Packers, Lions, and Vikings. But it could possibly flip because they get no pressure without Michael Parsons. Okay. And listen, I have something different. Oh. One and four is not the same for me. Okay, I want to see. One and four might be the same for me. Listen, I think the Bears had a great season last year.
43:51Rich Eisen:Oh, Bears. And part of the reason why is because they kept on winning games in the fourth quarter and their defense was highly opportunistic. I am concerned about the Packers, though. Josh Jacobs, I don't know how long he's going to be out, and Micah's definitely out for the first one. And that's what I'm saying, Rich. And right. You're not going to put a fourth, though. The Packers always do better than you think, though. They finished poorly last year as well. So I'm going to have them. I even toyed with having them finish last. You pop it up on the screen. I do have them finishing last. Wow.
44:26Rich Eisen:I'm putting the Lions one. I think Jameer Gibbs is going to do what everybody expects. I think Goff's going to come back. I think the offense is going to be better. And I think defensively, let's just have the football Goff stop kicking him in the injury nards, man. That's true. So I just went totally different just because it's always going to be different. Let me tell you something. Ben Johnson is the swing in this Chicago-Detroit thing. Since Ben left, Detroit's not really been Detroit offensively anyway. That's one year. Yeah, and look at what he's done in the year over on the other side. I'm just saying last year, their plan to replace Ben Johnson didn't work out.
45:13Rich Eisen:They needed a better plan for that. Their plan was definitely not like, let's switch coordinators midstream and have Dan. Right, and it went all through it. Dan, you don't call. No, you call. It's not as easy. You think you got the great players. You can bring anybody in here and they run these plays. It doesn't work that way. It doesn't work that way. But it's going to be interesting because the Michael Parsons is a bit, and I didn't mention the Josh Jacobs, but the Michael Parsons is going to be, it'll be huge for them. Right. And I think everybody's above 500, though. That's for damn sure. And it's going to be tight and it's going to be close.
45:46Rich Eisen:And just because one team's in fourth place, it's not because I don't think they're, I just don't know how they're going to start. That's all. and I think it's helpful they're at the Jets week too at least you know I'm not saying that the Jets are in homecoming but you never know here alright so let's get all business on the table no contest wrestling later on today O'Shea you and TJ and Becky Lynch congratulations on episode 100 guys really proud of you guys you work really really hard at this and booking the show and everything like that along with our staff it's great the White House Netflix Yes.
46:24Rich Eisen:Okay. White House. When does my episode with Suze drop? When do we get that? We drop that next week. Okay. Yeah, next week. That's great. We'll drop the Cowboys. We'll drop the Cowboys because today we went to, we dropped the Chargers. Okay. Then we'll drop the Cowboys. All right. Then people get that on Netflix and YouTube as well, right? Right there on Netflix. Okay, very good. And then your show that. Fetching Fletchers. Fetching Fletchers. That's on YouTube. and at the show, yeah, we had Linda Fletcher in here. They're traveling. She's become now, she's the official Madden Cruiser. I like it.
47:02Rich Eisen:Yes. She's a Fletcher Cruiser. Just so we do miss John. We miss John. Kane Cruiser. God bless her. Love it. Hurricane Cruiser. Love you, Irv. Love you guys. I wanted to say how to you, too. Great job. All right, so we've got one more segment on Disney+. us, everybody else get to a no contest wrestling spot near you for that big episode today. I love you too, Suze. Gotta put Suze in there. 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.
47:47Rich Eisen:In ESPN's wild world of college football, every Saturday begins with a ritual. And then the migration turns to mayhem. Predators hunt. Territories are defended. Rivals clash. In this wild world, legends are unleashed on Saturdays. No one brings you closer to the wild than ESPN. College football on ESPN continues Labor Day weekend. Witness the wild on ABC, ESPN, and the ESPN app. Bye.
From the publisher
Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin and Rich Eisen discuss that Bills QB Josh Allen, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, and Cowboys QB Dak Prescott all have something to prove in the 2026 season. Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin joins Rich and tells us which AFC and NFC teams who would put into the playoffs and which teams he would put out. Singer Michael Buble joins Rich Eisen and discusses his love of fantasy football and some of the players he picked in a recent draft. Rich Eisen and the guys reveal their predictions for how the NFC North will finish this season among the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers.
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