In short
Rich Eisen’s “Hour 3” covers April sports highlights (his Top 5 sporting events) and a conversation with Wilson Bethel, plus discussion of Kirk Cousins signing with the Raiders and Michigan basketball’s “Fab Five” alt-cast plans.
Guest backgrounds
Wilson Bethel is an actor known for playing Bullseye in Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again (Season 2 airing Tuesdays). The episode also references earlier guests: Levante David (14-year NFL veteran), Chris Webber (Basketball Hall of Famer), and Tom Pelissero (NFL Network insider).
Key claims
Rich ranks April events: (5) NBA/NHL playoffs start, (4) WrestleMania, (3) Final Four (men’s and women’s), (2) NFL Draft, (1) The Masters. Bethel says he’s a lifelong tennis player; Rich claims he could theoretically steal a point from Carlos Alcaraz by exploiting mental collapse.
Notable examples
WrestleMania coverage with O’Shea Jackson Jr. on ESPN2; Michigan vs. Arizona Final Four alt-cast with the Fab Five; Bethel’s “serve-and-hit” strategy to rattle Alcaraz.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOPreviewing the Show and Guest
1:13 to 2:48
Rich previews upcoming segments and discusses recent sports events.
“The Rich Eisen Show from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.”
Discussion on the Fab Five and Sports Fandom
2:49 to 9:31
Rich and his co-host debate the emotional investment of fans during games.
“that while Ian Eagle and the rest of the crew on TBS calling Michigan, Arizona, at the same time on True TV and on HBO Max, check out the Fab Five having an alt cast during Michigan, Arizona.”
Rich's Top Five Sporting Events in April
9:32 to 11:28
Rich shares his top five sporting events happening in April.
“I didn't want to do something because, yeah, but like when it comes to me, you don't, you seem like you don't get it.”
Rich Discusses WrestleMania and NFL Draft
11:29 to 14:00
Rich elaborates on WrestleMania and the significance of the NFL Draft.
“I want the camera on this man as I say it.”
Rich's Top 5 April Sporting Events
14:00 to 16:23
Rich shares his top five sporting events in April, emphasizing the NFL Draft and the Masters.
“Starting an absurd time on Monday night.”
Baseball Standings and Fan Engagement
16:23 to 18:29
Rich discusses the current state of baseball, including team standings and personal rivalries.
“Normally, we'd be putting baseball in here.”
Introducing Wilson Bethel
21:50 to 23:00
Rich introduces Wilson Bethel, discussing his role in Daredevil and the show's vibe.
“you can match with a dedicated expert who understands your specific tax situation and handles your taxes for you, start to finish.”
Behind the Scenes of Daredevil
23:00 to 28:00
Wilson Bethel shares insights about his castmates and experience on Daredevil.
“You are now the third guest that we've ever had on the show from this cast.”
Tennis Talk Begins
28:00 to 28:39
The hosts discuss tennis and Wilson's experience with the sport.
“into i mean here i am of the star of screen and stage so look at you now man exactly they're Without Bulls, but, you know, I guess you're Ben Franklin rolled so Bullseye can run.”
Favorite Players and Styles
28:39 to 29:48
Wilson shares his favorite tennis players and discusses their styles of play.
“I feel like I'm falling into a trap here.”
Show all 18 chapters
The Possibility of Scoring
29:48 to 31:16
The conversation shifts to the humorous notion of scoring a point against Alcaraz.
“And when he first came on the scene, I'm like, I can't believe he's Italian.”
The Strategy Discussion
31:16 to 33:45
They discuss potential strategies to score points against top players like Alcaraz.
“who have been playing tennis long enough know this, that great tennis players playing an infinitely inferior tennis player can actually lose.”
Personal Sports Experiences
33:45 to 35:15
Wilson shares his personal experiences with sports and competition.
“There's not a lot of phone lines that light up or like, wait, that's your take on Yannick's center?”
Growing Up with Sports
35:15 to 36:48
The hosts reflect on their childhood sports experiences and preferences.
“I become too self-conscious of like, like how the competitive mojo works interpersonally.”
Acting and Sports Connections
36:48 to 37:57
Wilson talks about his acting roles and connections to sports themes.
“Just from drinking lots of strawberry milk.”
Carl's High School Soccer Story
42:15 to 44:23
Carl shares a humorous story from his high school baseball and soccer days.
“Phone lines have been lit all day, and you Raider fans just really want to chime in.”
Debate on ABS in Umpiring
44:23 to 46:50
Discussion on the effectiveness of Automated Ball Strikes in baseball.
“What was that part about the yogurt and the finger?”
Importance of Umpire Accuracy
46:50 to 47:50
Exploration of the acceptable accuracy of umpires and the push for perfection.
“That it doesn't have to be so black and white that there's a gray area that we should allow the ABS to not have anything to say about it.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Protein is now at Starbucks, and it's never tasted so good. You can add protein cold foam to your favorite drink or try one of our new protein lattes or matcha. Try it today at Starbucks.
0:15Xfinity Tech Support, how can I help? I can't get Jurassic Park back online without... Oh, you just need Xfinity. Plug in your gateway and you're good. All set. Luckily, Xfinity has reliable, self-healing Wi-Fi that keeps you safe from threats. Wow. You can even boost speeds to your most important devices.
0:35Rich Eisen:Get reliable Wi-Fi at one price for five years. Guaranteed. Xfinity. Imagine that. Watch Jurassic Park with Xfinity. Restrictions apply. Select plans only. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of the Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. How do you think ABS is being taken in? The batter's challenged in the pits.
1:19Rich Eisen:It's entertaining. I think he's getting right again. The Rich Eisen Show from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Earlier on the show, 14-year NFL veteran Levante David. Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Webber. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. Coming up, actor Wilson Bethel. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Our number three of the Rich Eisen show is on the air. I had a great chat with Wilson Bethel just during our commercial break. He and I have something in common. We're both on Disney+. Okay. you know I'm a daredevil although he plays bullseye yeah he's trying to take out we're both tennis guys I did mention to him that there's something about my tennis playing ability I'm going to bring up to him as I do to any celebrity guest that we have who likes tennis we're really going to do that?
2:14Rich Eisen:he's very unaware of what it is so let's not keep going because the show's on in the green room yeah of course he has no idea what's about to hit him I'm sure he does not to be honest It's great. Well, neither does Alcaraz. I'll just say that. Speaking of hitting something. Okay. Great second hour. Tom Palacero and what we just saw from the story of the day, which is Kirk Cousins signing with the Raiders. What does it mean and all of that? I gave my opinion at the top. Your phone calls are all about it. We'll take some more in a second at 844-204-RICH. Number to dial. And then we had Chris Weber on the show just as Turner Sports was announcing that while Ian Eagle and the rest of the crew on TBS calling Michigan, Arizona, at the same time on True TV and on HBO Max, check out the Fab Five having an alt cast during Michigan, Arizona.
3:12Rich Eisen:Come on now. After UConn and Illinois is over, then Chris and Jalen Rose, who's on tomorrow's show, So Jawan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson will all get together. Man, that is so cool. And have an alt cast during that game. That's going to cause, I think, other colleges to put up their bat signal and maybe do the same thing with getting some of their legends together. Chris says they've been cultivating that caper. That's like the broadcasting Lufthansa heist right there for some time. And Adam Lefkoe is hosting it. Nice. So there's that. Syracuse. Go ahead. Say what you said in my ear. Go on.
3:52Rich Eisen:You can do it. Well, you look like you got mad at me for saying it. I didn't get mad at you. What do you mean? Have I ever gotten mad at you? Just one time. When did I ever get mad at you? It was something I posted on Twitter, I'm sure. I can't remember. Okay. That's when I was on it to actually pay attention. Before you also got banned from it because you, for some reason, kept trying to record things off of your television and post it. Why are you bringing up old stuff? Listen. Back when Twitter actually had operating rules that they enforced. Yeah. Like the stuff that people would say and post on Twitter.
4:26At any rate. That goes and I got banned. Go ahead. No, when he said that all those guys were getting together, I just said to you, man, you should be hosting this thing.
4:32Rich Eisen:Okay. Let me tell you one thing that I'm not going to be doing is being around too many other people during that game. Yeah, but not other people. I understand. It's the Fab Five. It's the Fabulous Five. Do you think it's possible? I got to be locked in. That's true. And they don't? To that point. Do you think it's possible that you care more about the Michigan basketball team than the Fab Five? I would say no, but for football? Okay, hold on a minute. I'm trying to find out what he's saying. You just said that you don't want to be around other people. Right. You're going to watch that game alone.
5:05Yes. They are going to be at the game together. Correct. Talking about it and watching. Okay. Totally fine.
5:11Rich Eisen:All right. Let me just say this. All right. I find it interesting how your brain works and the chemistry would say that I care more about the game than the Fab Five. Yes. I also know the way I'm wired, all right? And it's called self-care, what I'm doing. Self-care, something I try to preach to our children. That's what Susie and I try to preach to our children, self-care. Understand that what you need for yourself in the moment to be a better person, you know, and be mindful of others, that's the self-care. But you're a fanatic, and by definition, like, fans kind of, you know, go out of body and aren't good people in those moments while they're watching games.
5:56Rich Eisen:Right, but they've also done it. They were in the game. They've played it. It's a different perspective. No, they didn't lose the Final Four game, sir. As a matter of fact, Michigan's made the Final Four eight times, or 7-1 in the final four games. It's what they've done. The yada, yada, yada part hasn't gone very well. But I'm just saying, it seems to me, and I hear you talk about it. He's working you up. It feels just like you care more about the outcome than the guys who used to be in it. If you think them spending the game on the air doing it, right, means that they care less than the guy who does the on-air stuff for a living would prefer to be alone and just watch it on television.
6:39Rich Eisen:Right, exactly. Yeah. If you take that to mean that they care less about it than I do. That's not what I'm saying. That's your problem. That's a UP. That's a YP, not an MP. You care more than the outcome. Let me also say this. It's kind of weird. Listen, you know how I feel about Pat, right? You know how I feel about Mac. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. And I'm well on the record how I feel about him. We're huge fans. Okay. He reached out knowing that I was at the Rose Bowl with, you know, he was doing an alt cast in the end zone. Remember that? Michigan, Alabama. He reached out, would like me to show up there.
7:15Rich Eisen:I said no. That's crazy. Why is it crazy? I'm there with my kids. I'm there with my nephew. I'm there with my wife. And I'm there. This is the biggest football game of my Michigan fandom. I wasn't prepared to be in front of other people with recording equipment. But you don't think fans of you and fans of the show and fans of Michigan football would have wanted to see you on the Allcast like that? I don't. He doesn't want to let that creature out. I'm giving people what they want by showing up and being a nervous wreck. That's what we do. And I wanted to focus on the game. Not like with my back.
7:52Rich Eisen:Focus on the game like you have anything to do with the outcome. I don't. You know I'm not that guy. I'm not that guy like, you know, although that guy has yet to invite Dusty May on this program. Which is absolutely insane. All right, I might not be rational right now, but I don't know. That's why I'm saying it. It's self-care. It's self-care. That's why I'm asking you, do you think you care more than Chris Webber and company? I'm not going to go to some big, huge Michigan watch party. You won't answer the question. Well, I think also we as fans care more than the players do anyway. Sometimes it seems...
8:27Think about how radical and how insane some fans are. Like, I can remember watching Tony Romo on post-game pressers, and he's just very, you know... And I'm sitting there... Because he didn't want to give anybody anything. Yeah, I'm still sitting there steaming, and I'm like, why does it seem like this hurts me more than him? So I feel like that's how most fans are. They really do probably take things way more seriously.
8:49Rich Eisen:Right, but the players take things really seriously, too. But now we're all fans. It's just that those fans, all five of them... have been in this game before, right? Yeah. Okay. So what would be the analogy that I've, if there's a broadcast that the whole world watches a broadcasting competition, I could be there and talking about it while my other, you know, other people were following in footsteps doing it. You know, there's no analogy. There's no analogy. I just want to be left alone. Including by you right now. I love that you're saying this, but then you don't give, you don't understand when I tell you guys.
9:27Leave me alone.
9:28Rich Eisen:Just leave me alone. You want to be left alone, but you don't understand when I tell you guys, no, I didn't leave the house. I didn't want to go out. I didn't want to do something because, yeah, but like when it comes to me, you don't, you seem like you don't get it. Where did Lefkoe go to school? The Cuse. The Cuse. Oh, did he? When the Cuse is in the house. So let him do it. Let him do it. Let him do it. Just leave Rich alone. Just leave me alone. That's all I'm saying. You know, I got him riled up for eight minutes. Top five. I've got a top. I got a top five. Hey, Abba Zabba. This is your idea, Chris.
9:58Rich Eisen:I give you the credit on this, sir. Appreciate that. Top five sporting events of the month of April presented by Hyundai. Hit it. Hit it. Five. One, two, three, four, five. Rich's top five. All right, everybody. There's so many that you can actually fill out a top five list. It's a crazy month. It sure is. And I'm actually, there's so many, I'm even combining number five. It's the beginning of the NBA and NHL playoffs. They begin. And this is the time where we're going to learn who's playing whom to start and who should be avoiding who and who couldn't avoid who. And the match-ups this, the match-ups that.
10:38Rich Eisen:And why in the world are we playing a game once every four days? Or what's happening? Although the hockey playoffs, they go. Every other day, boom, boom, boom. And then we'll find out at the end of the day. It's called NBA Finals, plural, but Stanley Cup Finals, singular. Final. We'll find that out. And then one thing that we try to determine now with the NBA playoffs being conducted the way it is, where do the points in the, you know, play-in tournament, if you will, where do those go? Where do they go? They go in that sort of Superman II phantom zone of sports, right? Nowhere, man. Right? With General Zod floating in outer space.
11:19Rich Eisen:Where do the points go? But it's the beginning of the playoffs. The beginning of the winner go home time in the NBA and the NHL. Long seasons finally culminating. That happens in April. That's number five. Number four on this list. I want the camera on this man as I say it. I know. Let's go ahead and say it. It is WrestleMania. Let's go! Look at you, Rich Eisen. See? I don't have my head in the sand. And as a matter of fact, no contest wrestling is making me a more well-rounded host and Rich Eisen Productions, I guess, owner. He. He. Give you the floor. Four letters, one word. What's so great about WrestleMania, TJ?
11:56Basically, and this is what, I wanted to save this for the air, but I'll say it now. Basically, if you guys. This is the air. What air? Whose air is more special? What the hell's happening here? Basically, you know, ESPN, this is going to be the first time they're showing WrestleMania. So it's going to open up a lot of people. It's going to be the first time a lot of people really get to see it. And to make a long story short, take all your major championships, whether it be the NBA finals, NHL final, your, your, your world cup, your super bowl. That is essentially wrestling's super bowl. WrestleMania is the biggest show.
12:29It's the grandfather of them all. And it's the biggest show that, that the WWE puts on each and every year, 42 years now it's been going on.
12:38Rich Eisen:And this year, this WrestleMania, though, is special because what's happening on the days before? Well, on the Friday before WrestleMania, O'Shea Jackson Jr. and myself will be, I guess, leading ESPN2's coverage. There's no guessing. Of WrestleMania. Yes. So we will be doing a pre-show for WrestleMania. That's right. It's kind of, I mean, you gave me the floor here, so you shouldn't have done that. No, no. I don't think I've. Damn it. calculate the amount of hours I've watched ESPN or the amount of hours I've watched wrestling. So to be able to do this for ESPN and their inaugural jump into WrestleMania, this is incredible for us, man.
13:20Let's go, baby. Yes. It really does. I got something for you, TJ.
13:23Rich Eisen:Yes. What you got, Jimmy? No contest. Nah. Yeah. I would say you'd put the P in PLE, but people might not know that stands for premium. Yeah. But yeah, so. Very good, ladies and gentlemen. WrestleMania is the Super Bowl. That's number four on my list. I take the floor back. I reclaim my time. Number three. I reclaim my time. No contest. Number three of the final fours, plural. Final floors, final fours, plural. Men's and women's. Ladies first. Friday night. Arizona, here we go. Saturday, men's. Let's go. Let's go. Championship game Sunday. Arizona for the ladies. Let's go. Monday night. Starting an absurd time on Monday night.
14:07Rich Eisen:For the men's, let's go. Nets being cut down. Championships being crowned. Here we go. Number two, I'm putting the NFL draft here. Yeah, boy, Rich. I'm putting the NFL draft here. Two? And it's amazing how it's become a traveling road show now. It's the greatest. It's awesome. Yeah. And I just love taking it from town to town to town to town. And each town's going to be different. Each town, you know, the league has done such a great job of transforming a city or utilizing a city and their landscape or their cityscape and turning it into their own draft hall. It's awesome. And and I I can't get enough of it is an honor of my life to be hosting it.
14:50But even I know there is a tradition unlike any other.
14:57Rich Eisen:And it's the Masters. The Masters is the top sporting event of April. It really is. And corner. And, you know, because there are many other tournaments and there are other majors. In every other major, the location rotates. This one doesn't. And as a matter of fact, the location is the star of the show. The location is what frames the event and the history and the tradition. And it is truly unbelievable. And any time, that's the beauty of this course as well, is that no lead is safe. No lead is safe and no deficit is too large. And that's what we love about sporting events. No lead is safe. No deficit is too large.
15:54Rich Eisen:It means as much to the players as it does to us at home. All we want to do when we watch this tournament is go out and hit a golf ball, thinking we can get the jacket ourselves when we absolutely cannot. Because for us, most of us, and I include myself, there's a pond. A pool is for the folks who can win the green jacket. Pond will be good for you. That's my top five sporting events list. Oh, what? All right, we'll get one more. I got one more. Normally, we'd be putting baseball in here. But opening day doesn't exist in April anymore. It's now in March. So for baseball, I did include one. It's my new favorite pastime here on the Rich Eisen Show, which is updating our version of the standings between our teams.
16:43Rich Eisen:Yeah, we lost again. And as of last night's victory for the New York Yankees to take the series in Seattle, because Cam Schlittler is dominant. And the Mets losing and the Red Sox losing. I now have a two-game lead. Yankees are off today, so I'll maintain at least the two-game lead in the loss column. And the Red Sox are already four out. I hate this. Already four out. Yeah, when's football? When's training camp? We're not up there, but you're ahead of us too now. You know what? We're not including you. Yeah, but you're ahead of us too. You know what I'm saying? I don't want to include you. Well, because that means we'd have to put Del Tufo's face on the ground.
17:22Rich Eisen:Exactly, man. And Del Tufo is now the avatar, thank God, of being a bandwagon fan. Lids, well done. Thank you to, I thought it was, is it Lids? Lids, yeah. Thank you to our friends at Lids. I don't know if you got it from here or not, but the stupid-ass Yankee Dodger hat that Del Tufo wears, who gave it to him? It was R.J. Okay, the stupid-ass Yankee Dodger avatar, you know, logoed hat that Jason, you're holding up right now, you know, that he wears thinking it's funny or whatever. Our friends at Lids used it as an ironic April Fool's joke, calling it the bandwagon hat. So bad. You know? Has Mike reacted today yet?
18:12Rich Eisen:It doesn't matter if he reacts to it. Oh, no. Because we're going to keep reminding him. But at any rate, it's my new favorite pastime, showing our version of the Major League Baseball standings right now. And those are my top five sporting events of April, plus one that means a lot to me. Brought to you by Hyundai's 2026 hybrid vehicle lineup. Advanced safety and technology meets hybrid efficiency. It's the best of both worlds. Usually there are many worlds in which things can be best. Unfortunately, Yankees and Dodger logos on the same hats, That ain't one of them. Well, fortunately, I should say.
18:50Rich Eisen:Oh, man. Are you surprised I didn't put the draft one? No, I mean, my initial reaction was no, but then, yeah, the mask. I might have done that Tuesday. My last day as an NFL Network employee. I am now. I am just a totally different person. You are free of the shack. Oh, please. Free. Okay. You can go hit the blackjack table, baby. Let's go. When? In general. I mean, just, you know, whatever you want. Okay. Wilson Bethel, let's bring him on out. Disney Plus' Daredevil Born Again Season 2 airs Tuesdays on Disney Plus. Wilson joins us on this Thursday show next. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
19:32Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here. I've traveled all over for some of the biggest NFL moments you can imagine. Conference championships, Super Bowls, draft weekends, and everywhere I go, the city just feels different. It's buzzing, packed, electric. Now, take that energy and multiply it by the entire world. That's what's coming this summer with the FIFA World Cup. Fans from every corner of the globe are going to be traveling to experience it live. And when that many people come to town, they're all looking for a place to stay. That got me thinking. If you live in or near a host city, this is one of those rare moments.
20:06Rich Eisen:You already have a space. This summer, you could list your space on Airbnb while fans are in town for the FIFA World Cup. not as a full-time thing, not as some huge lifestyle change, just during an event when demand is naturally high. When I travel for big games, I just want a comfortable place in a real neighborhood, and that's exactly what so many visiting fans will be looking for. If you've ever thought about listing your space, this summer is a great time as we welcome FIFA World Cup fans. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host. Oh, oh, oh, O 'Reilly!
20:46Check engine, ABS, or maintenance light on? Take the guesswork out of your warning lights with O 'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE-certified master technicians. And if you need help, we could recommend a shop for you. Ask for O 'Reilly Veriscan today. Oh, oh, oh, O 'Reilly! Auto Parts.
21:16Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here. The April 15th tax deadline is coming fast, but don't worry. Hand off your taxes to a TurboTax expert today. You know how April feels. Everything speeds up. Games matter. More hoops and hockey schedules tighten. Your phone won't stop buzzing. And somewhere in the middle of it all, there's that quiet little reminder. Taxes. You'll get to it tonight or tomorrow or after the weekend. and if you handle it the old way, you're refreshing your inbox like it's breaking news, waiting, wondering, hoping everything's squared away. That's a lot of mental bandwidth. With Intuit TurboTax Expert full service, you can match with a dedicated expert who understands your specific tax situation and handles your taxes for you, start to finish.
21:59Rich Eisen:You can do it all online or meet in person at one of their new tech-enabled store locations, have your tax forms imported directly into the app and hand everything off to your TurboTax expert. While they work to get you every dollar you deserve, you can go about your normal routine, giving you time back to focus on what actually deserves your attention, like rooting for your team to make the playoffs. April 15th is not waiting, people. Visit TurboTax.com and hand off your taxes to a TurboTax expert today.
Read the full transcript
22:53Rich Eisen:We're cooking, baby. We're bridging shows. Pretty damn. and pretty damn amazing. And we just saw the trailer on the TV side of things. You are now the third guest that we've ever had on the show from this cast. Matthew Lillard's been on the show a couple times. And Vincent D 'Onofrio, man. Dude. He came on here and I just, like, I try to hold off on asking about Full Metal Jacket right away. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, or anything else that he's been in being awesome. What's it like being in a cast with him? Dude, he's the best, man. I mean, like Vincent is formidable, right? So like you do not, you don't want to end up on the wrong side of Vincent.
23:32Right. But, but shy of like, you know, screwing something up and really doing something to get on his bad side. He's just the loveliest guy. He's, he's like such a ready fountain of, of like advice and wisdom and care. It's an amazing, and also just like legitimately an ego free guy, which I think is again, again, like speaking to the general vibe of the show and just what a gift it is, like it could such, it could so easily be a show where you step on a set and like every third person is, you know, checking, I don't know, talking to their publicist every six seconds and you know, whatever, no, no disrespect to publicists.
24:12We love them. Right. But it's just, it's, it's like so little ego and Vincent's an incredible example of that. Charlie, the guy who plays Daredevil, incredible example
24:22Rich Eisen:of that and it's uh yeah it's just the best yeah i mean when he was here and i asked him about you know kubrick and full metal jacket and he's he said i've got two stories and which is a gift to somebody sitting in the chair yeah yeah and then he started talking about like his acting process yeah and then i asked him a follow-up question on that and i'll never forget he looked at me he goes really like you want to ask me about that when i'm telling you these stories about yeah yeah And I kind of wanted to back off right away. I'm apologizing to my interview subject for going in a direction that he didn't think I wanted him to go.
24:59Rich Eisen:Yeah. I look back on that and I'm like, oh, damn it. I should have just let him talk. He's very disarming in a way. Right. There's like a tenderness about him that belies the six foot four, 270 pound bad MF-er that he is. Yeah. So, yeah. Yeah. See, I'm trying to not swear. I'm like desperately trying. Really? Yeah, yeah. And then and then like these like these like, you know, abbreviated version come out. And I'm just like, I sound stupid. So, you know, like in another version of this, I should overdub myself. But, you know, Wilson potty mouth. Really? I'm also being distracted by how bright white these socks are that I'm wearing.
25:38I'm like, I'm a little nervous. Socks are too white. I'm using dirty white socks.
25:43Rich Eisen:Yeah, I mean, should I say that from the waist up, you look like one of those guys who should wear this medium shirt that you're wearing right now. Should I do this? From the waist down, you look like Ben Franklin. You know what I mean? You look like an American patriot. Can I tell you that I... With the shoes? I mean, this is all a great choice right now. In sixth grade, I played Ben Franklin in my school production of 1770. 76. So did my brother. No way. My brother played Ben Franklin. This is an important question we need to get to. Did your brother go full bald cap or did he like, cause I went full, I went full bald cap.
26:23Well, he was in grade school. So yeah. Yeah. Okay, cool.
26:26Rich Eisen:Like I didn't know if he committed that way. Now today he wouldn't need it. Yeah. Okay. Nice man. Hey, as he is, he'd be able to hit the stage just the way he is and crush it, dude. 17. Yes. I try to tell my kids all the time because Hamilton is a must in my house. Yeah, sure. Okay. that before Hamilton, there was 1776. Yeah, hot take. Where there was a great Broadway musical. Maybe not quite on the same. No, no, no, no. I'm kidding. I love Hamilton. Right, but 1776. We're singing about the making of the Declaration of Independence. Incredible. John Adams being an a-hole. Can I tell you? So I was in, whatever, sixth grade.
27:04Didn't think you could go here on this, but go for it. It's important. This is an important conversation. I grew up with my mom who was like an avid yard sailor. Yeah. And so every Sunday we'd be going to yard sales and I grew up in New Hampshire. So there's a lot of weird stuff at these yard sales and old stuff. And so I got the role of Benjamin Franklin in 1776 and I'm taking it very seriously. Okay. And one Sunday we're at a yard sale and my mom finds a wheelchair from like 1777. Like, I mean, literally the oldest wheelchair you've ever seen in your life with like a wicker back. And she said, I'll buy this wheelchair for you for the play.
27:39if you spend like the next three years you know doing yard work or whatever so that was like i made a deal with the devil to get this wheelchair and then and then i did the production in like a museum quality like 200 year old wheelchair that everybody in my school knew was like it was like a collectible wheelchair it was like oh my god yeah uh anyway what did it help you transform into i mean here i am of the star of screen and stage so look at you now man exactly they're Without Bulls, but, you know, I guess you're Ben Franklin rolled so Bullseye can run.
28:15Rich Eisen:Is that basically what we're saying right now? Great. I think that sounds right. That sounds right. Daredevil born again. Ladies and gentlemen, season two airs Tuesday on Tuesdays on Disney Plus. Wilson Bethel is here on the program. You're a tennis guy. Yeah. Yeah. I've been playing my whole life. You have been? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. How good are you? I'm pretty good. Okay. Yeah. I'm still like, I still play like at least twice a week. You do? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I play at a pretty high level. All right. Yeah. So who's your favorite tennis player? I feel like this is a leading question. I feel like I'm falling into a trap here.
28:42You are not falling into any trap. Look, all time. By the way, I'm not trying to trap you. You may look like Ben Franklin from the waist down, but I respect you. I heard whisperings backstage. They were saying, did he mention anything about Al Karaz? And so I was like, oh, then this is a trap is set.
28:54Rich Eisen:It's no trap. Okay, all right. You answer how you – You be yourself. Okay, there's two answers to this question. Sure, okay. My all-time favorite is – I mean, it's still Nadal. Okay. right rafa is still like my all-time guy okay very good but current player is alcaraz it's and it's not that i have some fetish for spaniards but they both there's something yeah there's something how gasol is your favorite basketball player it's really weird exactly john rom is your favorite golf yeah really weird yeah okay wait maybe i do have a thing for you may have everything no uh alcaraz is unbelievable where he can get to any anything ball any ball he's also just like a pure like i think when i think of sports one of the things that i appreciate like i appreciate pure athleticism yes and that guy is about as pure an athlete as you'll find in terms of like power speed mental toughness like i mean it's he is a genuine like crazy athlete right and and endurance and we have him on perfect that you have this shot up here the fact that he's you know loses to sinner yeah you know who looks like a guy on vacation who needs a better tan i literally in this image looks like Gumby in the green.
30:04Rich Eisen:Right. And when he first came on the scene, I'm like, I can't believe he's Italian. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Look, it isn't sound. He's not Italian. Yeah. But the fact that that that Alcaraz lose as he's lost a couple of. Oh, yeah. Here. Yeah. Makes me think again. I'm I play, but not nearly as much as you. Yeah. I love playing. Yeah. I'm not very good at it. OK. My 15 year old. We can get better. I used to teach tennis. I can get you up to speed. No, no, I have trouble, you know, dropping the racket, you know, to hit from, you know. Sounds maybe like a flexibility thing. We can work on that. It's no question.
30:43Rich Eisen:There's many issues that happen. But I believe, I'm just trying to set the stage to tell you my lack of playing ability. Sure. I believe I could get one point off of Carlos Alcaraz. Okay. One point. Tell me more. If I play him, I could, by the way, first of all, I appreciate your interest. By this point in time, I'm already being shocked out, correct? Yes, I'm actually shocked, Wilson, that you are entertaining the mere thought of this. Well, here's the thing. I actually think that it's possible because there is a world, and this is like people who have been playing tennis long enough know this, that great tennis players playing an infinitely inferior tennis player can actually lose.
31:26because there's something about an infinitely inferior player that like explodes their mind. And once a tennis player loses their confidence, it's game over. So if you got into Alcaraz's head with some kind of witchery, with some trick shot with stupid spin on it that he's never seen before, there's a chance you could beat him outright. What?
31:48Rich Eisen:First of all, they don't call this man bullseye for nothing. You are right. and the only thing you're a little off on is my strategy okay what's the what's the strategy spin that the guy who's down there on clay okay grass you know let alone a hard court like i'm not gonna come up with something i've never seen before okay but i can get in people's grills great i love it i can get in between people's temples um that's you know even even though you know spanish is not my first language doesn't matter i could still i can get there it's better if it's fake Spanish but my my there's my plan yeah this is I didn't have this until Marty Fish came in and gave me this idea amazing I didn't know this about tennis I should have um if I keep serving it and he gets closer and closer and closer right he yeah right destroying me right I still haven't got my point yeah yeah and it's now like four four you know he's up for love right but I'm serving It's my last service game before he closes my ass out here.
32:51Rich Eisen:So I'm now getting ready. He's as close as close. I come up with a serve and hit him with it. Yeah, great. A bullet. Love it. He can't get even the guy who can get anywhere on the court can't get out of the way. Yeah. And if you get hit with the ball, as we know. Whose point is it? It's your point. That's it. I love it. Thank you. Genius. Genius. Genius. What I'm saying is. Genius. There's a chance that at that point. Yes. He mentally collapses. Over. And then it just crumbles. Yeah, exactly. And then at that point, it's your match to lose. Yes, my match to lose. We all woke up. Guys, where have you been, man?
33:29Rich Eisen:Hey, man, I'm here anytime you want me. Where have you been? We've been talking about this for how long? Way too long. Not way too long. He lost in Indian Wells, and he lost in Miami. Yeah, to professional players. Con Hyman Roth. He lost in Miami. so he is vulnerable yeah he's primed he's primed for a great fall for grace carlos alcares right now vulnerable vulnerable yeah yeah absolutely forget the fact that he's number one in the world oh he could forget that yeah not for long if he keeps losing yeah yeah that's true that's he's got gumby on his tail it's simply gumby he doesn't you know and medvedev's back too i love that guy that dude the octopus the russian octopus he's unbelievable he's like randy johnson playing tennis he's unbelievable yeah look at us chopping it up about tennis man did you like so did you talk about i feel like i feel like tennis i come on a show like this and i'm like oh man do i like i feel like you want to talk about like that's all right like big money sports it's okay tennis is like niche right it's a little boutique yeah it's a little boutique so wilson bethel here to talk about Highline next.
34:36Rich Eisen:All right. No, I'm just kidding. No, no, no. There's not a lot of phone lines that light up or like, wait, that's your take on Yannick's center? I got to call in. And, you know, like that's, no, that's not the way of America. I mean, I grew up, you know, like I grew up like a baseball fan too. And like, you know, I grew up in New Hampshire. So like, you know, I grew up going to the Red Sox games. You did. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I love, you know, I love sports. Right. But you know what it was? Like, so I grew up playing baseball and soccer and, you know, a bunch of stuff. Yes. I just, I'm not great in a team environment.
35:08You're not? No. Well, except this cast.
35:11Rich Eisen:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, that's a different thing. But like in a competitive environment, what it is in a competitive environment, I become too self-conscious of like, like how the competitive mojo works interpersonally. Yes. I want to be entirely responsible for my own competitive mojo. And that's why tennis sort of appealed to me. I want the entire experience to be in my hands. Okay. And I want my self-combustions to be mine alone. I don't want that to weigh on anybody else. I can completely understand what you're saying. Yeah, all right. There we go. Shout out 603, New Hampshire. That's right, man.
35:45Living free and dying.
35:46Rich Eisen:Living free and dying from Maine. 207. Yes. I love it, man. So you're from the Staten Island of Maine, is what you are. See? The Staten Island of New Hampshire. I don't love that. You're the Staten Island. I'm from Staten Island, New York. So he thinks I'm not really part of New York City. Okay. It's the fifth and forgotten borough, admittedly. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. He's from Maine, which I keep calling the Staten Island of New England. New England. Right. Well, I don't think that's fair. But, you know, but I'm here also to just, you know, I'm here to make friends with everybody. So I want to heal old wounds and I want us to move forward.
36:17Rich Eisen:We've just met. I feel like this is what happens when you're not allowed to curse. Exactly. I suddenly become a therapist. More amenable. Definitely. Everybody. Yeah, definitely. You're not cursing. Yeah. If he cursed, he'd say F in Maine. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Get the F out of here. Like a hanging chat up there. It's practically Canada. Maine and New Hampshire are very alike. Absolutely. Absolutely. Where there's a Cumberland Farms, there's Brotherhood. Oh, okay. Cumberland. Cumberland. Cumberland's brave. My kids go to camp in Maine. Yeah. And the chocolate milk, the strawberry milk at Cumberland Farms.
36:51Rich Eisen:So good. So good. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, dude. A lot of bone density up there. What do you mean? Just from drinking lots of strawberry milk. I don't know. A lot of big boned kids. Yeah. I still can't float. Bone density. My wife gives me shit about it all the time. Oh, man. Hey, you did it. Yeah. Oh, man. Hey. Couldn't make it. Yeah. Couldn't make it. I can't float in the water. What? I don't know how to float. Okay. Neither does my dad. Neither does my brother. Nobody in my family knows how to float. Okay. And so, like, my joke is that, like, we've got bone density. Okay. And I think maybe it's because we drank a lot of it.
37:25Too much to go in front. I'm starting to put the pieces together. A lot of whole milk. Pieces together.
37:28Rich Eisen:yeah yeah you're also an imperfect women nice role you're on right now thanks man you know it's on apple tv yeah kerry washington yeah um and elizabeth moss marquee cast and kate kate mara as well correct i'm getting this right all the above yeah she is the uh she's new york giants football royalty yeah no she's been on this program and talking about you know growing up going to giants games and stuff like her granddad's nickname is on the football yeah yeah it's crazy That's pretty cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I would intend it. I know. Yeah. I mean, that whole cast. Yeah, those are heavy hitters.
38:00Rich Eisen:Okay. Same thing with you and the cast of Daredevil, Born Again Season 2. Congrats on everything going on, man. Thanks, man. You got it. All right. So what have we learned? This is the recap portion. This is the recap portion. Let's recap, everybody. You need to come back on and talk about how I can beat Carlos Alcares anytime. Done. I mean, even with my over-glorification of any chance that I have, never thought that he would collapse mentally and I would have a chance to just win the set at the end of the day. Put me in your corner, man. We'll figure it out. Like, I'll be your bench coach, man.
38:38You'll be? Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. Together, we will conquer Alcaraz. Unbeatable.
38:44Rich Eisen:Yeah, exactly. Can we get D 'Onofrio there to stare at him? Absolutely, yeah. The private pile stare? Yeah, cast a shadow over him. Hey, we got that. And then we learned that you're better cursing. And we learned that, you know, Daredevil, Born Against Season 2 is on Disney+. It's on air, and I'm murdering people left and right, man. It's a lot of fun. You're doing that. And that as soon as you're done here, you're going to go off and sign the Declaration of Independence. As ex-Ben Franklin's do. Dude, I'm taking these pantyhose off. First thing, as soon as they call gut, I'm lighting these pantyhose on fire and I'm leaving.
39:29I'm getting the F out of here. You're going to go discover electricity. Yeah. We're going to find them in the green room. Yeah, yeah. We're coming back. I'm going to sign it and put it on your wall. Ladies and gentlemen. Look, Wilson, I got a feather pen for you. Thank you.
39:43Rich Eisen:Dang, dude. I feel very comfortable with those here. That's what I'm saying. That's one of the lines from 1776. If I'm the one to do it, they'll run a quill pen through it. I'm obnoxious and disliked. Dang, man. You're a 1777. Super fan. Yeah, my brother was in it. We watched it nonstop. I'd love to show my kids. The problem is it's a musical about, you know, the Continental Congress in standard definition. They're never going to do that. Yeah, that's a tough sell. That's a tough sell to a kid in 2026. Let's watch Hamilton again right here on Disney+. Yeah. Good to see you, Matt. Thanks, man. Hey, thanks for having me.
40:18Rich Eisen:and Bethel, everybody right here on The Rich Eisen Show. We're back to wrap it up with some of your phone calls and more in a moment. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
40:31Rich Eisen:No one likes having to choose. That's why with America's best lineup of hybrids from Hyundai, you get the best of both worlds. Like the reliable and efficient Tucson hybrid with America's best warranty or the stylish yet capable Santa Fe hybrid with the power to navigate the toughest terrain. It's like having your cake and eating it too, but, you know, better. Hybrids from Hyundai. It's the best of both worlds. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for more details. As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back.
41:08From professional-grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery. They're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by.
41:34Rich Eisen:Here on the Rich Eisen Show, 844-204-H, number to dial. We'll take your phone calls in a second. Let's talk about pedaling windows and doors, because sometimes, as we all know, Teams need to take a time out to regroup and call the right play. And when it comes to your home, our friends at Pella Windows and Doors always have that winning game plan just for you. They're not just window and door experts. They're experts at taking care of you and your home. At Pella, they find the right products that meet your needs, and their experts install them. They do it every day, and that's why your neighbors trust them.
42:05Rich Eisen:Discover why Pella is a trusted choice for homeowners everywhere. Visit Pella.com slash eisen today. That's Pella.com. slash Eisen. Phone lines have been lit all day, and you Raider fans just really want to chime in. But here's one separate from that category. Carl in Antioch, Illinois, here on the program. What's up, Carl? Hey, guys. Real quick, I wanted to talk ABS, but you reminded me of a story. I'm in high school. I'm on the baseball team. My center fielder is also the soccer goalie. I tell him I'm going to do a penalty kick. I bet him I could score on him. I'm going to fake left. I'm going to go high right.
42:40All right? I'm not good at soccer at all, but I told him I could score on him. I get running. I fake left, go top right. He jumps to the right side of the net, but I'm so bad that I missed, and it went rolling bottom left at about four miles an hour, ended up going in the goal. I didn't even plan it, but I was so bad I ended up actually beating him.
42:57Rich Eisen:So the center fielder is the Alcaraz in this story. Yes, I was so bad that I actually fooled him. It's like throwing a fastball to Aaron Judge at 63 miles an hour, and he swings and misses, and it's like that wasn't a changeup. That was the best I got, but he's just not used to it, you know? So, you know, so the ABS, I got to say, personally, I love it. All right. You got to think of it like this. If you're a parent of a teenager and their curfew is 11 o 'clock p.m. and they come in 1105, 1110 and you don't punish them, they're going to start coming in at midnight, 1 a.m. until eventually they come in on like Wednesday morning with like a lady of the night and an empty bottle of moonshine.
43:30And they're putting their fingers in your yogurt saying, make me some eggs. You got to sit down the law and nip it in the bud. If you punish them, but with the small things, the big things will never happen, which is a blown call in the WBC or the World Series. Okay? So I think if we give a raffle out to, like, the audience, to the attendance, and every time the guy misses a call, we get raffle tickets, and then there's a raffle at the end of the game, the umpire goes in a dunk tank, and then there's a raffle to throw balls and try to knock him in. If we can also put his stats up and announce that they've been getting to the game, like, you know, the umpires for the game home plate, Joe Johnson, who has a 37 % failure rate of calling balls, is trying to, like, announce it.
44:08And that'll really drive them to really do good. Now, sometimes I think I overreact, but then sometimes, again, I think I just miss my dear friend Andy.
44:17Rich Eisen:Carl in Antioch, Illinois, very entertaining and informative. Thank you very much for the call, Carl. What was that part about the yogurt and the finger? Do I want to know? Moonshine. Got it. I don't think. Listen, I like ABS. I like it a lot. But the issue I see people having with it is a lot of these pitches in question are less than, you know, less than one tenth of an inch out of the strike zone. And the fact that that's called a strike or a ball to begin with is a sign that the umpire is pretty damn good to start. Okay. Yeah. So what do we do? It's the ones that are right down Broadway that you're like, oh, God.
45:02Right. And so I feel the whole, this is the dunk tank, to use his analogy, right?
45:11Rich Eisen:You know, we're doing it by shame. We're shaming. Well, it's not shame. It's getting the call right to begin with. And the difficulty here is, again, home plate umpires are, for the most part, pretty accurate. But then there are ones where the ABS needs to fix them. now do you want to make a tweak that abs if if it is within um a tenth that the call stands one inch if this big right so so it's got to be outside of that yeah for it to be overturned over if it's inside of that no it stays as called it stays as called i think we've just gone overboard on replay in general across all sports that one i'll push back on i'm sure you want you want 100 percent accuracy in a sport that in all sports that is impossible so these umpires are 98 percent accurate right generally every single game why isn't that good enough for everyone so potentially it it shouldn't be is it in that strike zone or is it even infinitesimally outside of it and if it's infinitesimally outside of it we're overturning it or if it's infinitesimally inside of it we're overturning it.
46:27Rich Eisen:We're going to overturn the original human call that maybe now we should make it like it's got to be give a little bit more grace to the home plate umpire. These pitchers are going 100 miles an hour and these guys are making split second judgments and are right 98 % of the time. That's good for me. Why is that not good for everyone else? That's crazy. TJ, what do you think? That it doesn't have to be so black and white that there's a gray area that we should allow the ABS to not have anything to say about it. If that's the case, then we just should accept that in every walk of life. Like, you know, I got a 75 in school.
47:10Should I get an A? No. Close. That's not right. 98%. Interesting. These umpires are getting it right. 95 to 98 % of the time, every single game.
47:20Rich Eisen:So you don't want 100 % correction? So let me ask you a question. It's not a sport based on 100%. Is it me or my child getting a 75 on the chest? Let's say your child. Okay. Absolutely. Give him an A. 70 % failure is an all-time great, but we want 100 % from our umpires on balls and strikes? What are we doing? But if you can't get 100%, why don't you want to get 100? Then why do we have umpires at all? Well, then let's... We're focused on the wrong things. Damn it. I thought we would solve ABS in the final seconds of this show. Thankfully, there's a Friday one. 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
48:13Rich Eisen:from 30 for 30 podcasts
48:23Brian Pata, senior defensive lineman from Miami, gunned down. The key to this case, it's Brian. Brian, he's ripping. An hour before he died, he was on the phone arguing with somebody. This might be a hit. You want the truth. They just want a conviction. You can place him to arrest. We had a killer amongst us. Murder at the U.
48:42Rich Eisen:Listen now.
From the publisher
Rich ranks his favorite April sporting events including The Masters, the Final Four, WrestleMania, the NFL Draft and more. Actor Wilson Bethel joins Rich in-studio to promote the new season of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ on Disney+, reacts to Rich’s boast that he can win a point if he played against the world’s #1 tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, and more. Rich and Brockman debate if MLB’s new ABC challenge system is good or bad for baseball.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices