In short
Rich Eisen Show Hour 3 mixes NFL Draft talk with an in-studio interview. Segment 1: Chiefs GM Brett Veach discusses needs for the ninth pick and whether Jeremiah Love could fall to Kansas City; Rich and guests debate multiple draft targets across positions. Rich then unveils “Top 5 teams that should trade up,” each tied to a specific player: Browns for Jeremiah Love; Chiefs for Jeremiah Love; Saints for whoever the Jets don’t take (or Jeremiah Love); Jets for Carnell Tate; Cowboys for Jeremiah Love. Segment 2: Bob Odenkirk promotes Normal (in theaters nationwide starting April 17) and discusses his career, including Saul Goodman’s evolution from Breaking Bad to Better Call Saul, plus writing/performance insights.
Guest backgrounds
Bob Odenkirk is an actor/writer known for Saul Goodman (Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul) and comedy work (SNL, Second City). (Other referenced guests earlier: Alan Shipnuck, Chris Webber, Jonah Coleman.)
Key claims
Chiefs can draft in any direction due to roster needs; Jeremiah Love is “game-changing” and worth trading up for; trading up “turbocharges” an already strong roster. Odenkirk says Saul’s dialogue/acting required reconfiguring for Better Call Saul’s depth.
Notable examples
Chiefs’ potential targets include edge/OL/DB/WR names; Odenkirk recounts learning Breaking Bad dialogue late and Cranston “sniffing out” he hadn’t watched.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VONFL Draft Talk with Rich and Guests
1:00 to 2:26
Rich discusses the NFL Draft, team prospects, and upcoming guests.
“I want to thank the league for creating the play-in tournament.”
Chiefs Draft Needs Analysis
2:26 to 3:14
Rich dives into the Kansas City Chiefs' draft strategy and player needs.
“And then the director, Peter Farrelly, will be here in studio on our number three.”
Potential Draft Picks for the Chiefs
3:14 to 4:48
Rich discusses potential draft picks and positions for the Chiefs.
“That's the way he went in his mock draft.”
Rich's Top 5 NFL Teams to Trade Up
4:48 to 7:20
Rich reveals his top 5 NFL teams that should trade up in the draft.
“I know the Cowboys, a lot of people are penciling him in.”
In-Depth Analysis of Draft Trades
7:20 to 14:01
Rich provides detailed insights into potential trades and player picks.
“I think they're going to bounce back and they're going to be the Chiefs.”
Top Five NFL Teams to Trade Up
14:01 to 14:54
Discussing which NFL teams should make strategic moves in the draft.
“Because I didn't want to come on the air and sound like I don't know what I'm talking about.”
Bob Odenkirk Discusses 'Normal'
16:31 to 18:15
Bob Odenkirk talks about his movie 'Normal' and its unique blend of genres.
“No matter what you need, we have thousands of professional parts people doing their part to make sure you have it.”
The Creative Process Behind 'Normal'
18:15 to 20:00
Insights into the creative process and inspiration for the film 'Normal'.
“And it's why this movie, Normal, feels sometimes like a horror film, a comedy.”
Bob Odenkirk's Acting and Training Experience
20:00 to 21:58
Odenkirk shares his experiences with acting and training for fight scenes.
“training was actually really good for me like i like it i if i have to work out we all do yeah I would rather do a stunt workout than just some dumb thing that I would do on my own.”
Memories of Harry Carey and Cubs Culture
21:58 to 24:49
Odenkirk shares personal stories about Harry Carey and Cubs fandom.
“There's a couple stores across from Wrigley Field.”
Show all 15 chapters
Reflecting on SNL and Comedy Evolution
24:49 to 28:00
Odenkirk reflects on his time at SNL and the evolution of comedy.
“You want to read about it, go ahead and read about it.”
The Magic of Comedy Writing
28:00 to 30:32
Bob Odenkirk discusses his experiences in comedy writing and performing.
“Of course, I love Chris and everyone who knew him loved him.”
Transitioning to Saul Goodman
30:32 to 38:20
Odenkirk reflects on his unexpected journey to becoming Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad.
“But it had been on for an abbreviated season, seven episodes, and there was a writer's strike.”
The Complexity of Saul's Character
38:20 to 41:16
Odenkirk elaborates on the depth and evolution of Saul Goodman in both series.
“It was a story about brotherly love or jealousy.”
Bob Odenkirk's Insightful Stories
43:28 to 46:34
Bob Odenkirk shares his experiences and reflections on acting in 'Breaking Bad'.
“That's the all-new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Rich Eisen:For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves. Loved ones, neighbours, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts. At Thrivent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more. Thrivent, where money means more. Connect with us at Thrivent.com. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of the Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern.
0:43Rich Eisen: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. I want to thank the league for creating the play-in tournament. Thank you, Adam. This is the Rich Eisen Show. A sideline three for Steph Curry. From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Earlier on the show, long-time golf writer Alan Shipnacht. 2026 NFL draft prospect Jonah Coleman. Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Webber. Coming up, actor Bob Odenkirk. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Our number three of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air, and it's going to be great.
1:36Rich Eisen:Bob Odenkirk is here. In about 15 minutes, we're going to bring him out. We're going to go down every possible pop culture lane with this guy, Jimmy McGill, a.k.a. Saul Goodman. And he is currently in theaters nationwide starting tomorrow in a film called Normal, which is a wild movie. Start to finish. And we'll talk about that with him in a matter of moments. I believe he's got a special Cubs hat with him as well. It is all good in this hood. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. We've already had great chatter on this program with Alan Shipnuck, the golf writer, about what's going on with the Live Tour.
2:13Rich Eisen:Chris Weber as well. Jonah Coleman is an under-the-radar running back prospect in next week's draft in Pittsburgh, PA. We're going to be taking this show to Pittsburgh next week. Cam Hayward's on tomorrow's program. Zach Galifianakis in studio first up. And then the director, Peter Farrelly, will be here in studio on our number three. Lots of what's more likely Friday. And I mentioned 844-204-RICH is the number to dial on the show. The Kansas City Chiefs are ninth overall on the clock. Their general manager, Brett Veach, met with the media today via Zoom. And the question is, will Jeremiah Love be available for him?
2:52Rich Eisen:That was the concept going into the combine. Then coming out of the combine, everyone's like, there's no chance of it. But Daniel Jeremiah and his mock draft on the SportsCenter I hosted last Sunday night in Connecticut from Bristol said the Chiefs can sit there and have Jeremiah Love drop to him. Because no one else has taken him until the Chiefs go and the Jets are going to hop up and take Carnell Tate in front of them. That's the way he went in his mock draft. Brett Veach with talking about, the first soundbite I believe is him talking about the needs for the Chiefs going into this draft. There's a lot of areas to improve on our roster on both sides of the football.
3:31So I think it does open up that nine pick to go in any one direction. And certainly we'll see how the first five or six picks go. But I think whether it's the defensive backfield, the offensive line, edge rusher, receiver, again, And, you know, we need help in all those areas. So I do think that, you know, we'll be in a position there to get one of those players and then add throughout the course of the draft.
3:57Rich Eisen:So I just think where we are with our roster, you really can't eliminate any one need because I think, you know, there are a lot of them. So obviously you heard running back is not one of them. He mentioned four different position groups. Yeah. Edge rusher. And, you know, Bailey and Reese should be gone by then. And if they don't like, if they aren't going to go move up for Bailey or Reese, there's Bain who they could snag. There's Himesidor who they could snag. There's Keldrick Falk who a lot of people are pegging for a much later draft status for him. you want to go offensive lineman it's possible Spencer Fano will be available Francis Maunoa I think would be a stretch to be available at nine Caden Proctor who a lot of folks are talking about more and more from Alabama Blake Miller from Clemson is another one Monroe Freeling is a Georgia Bulldog there's that defensive back they should have if they want to take a shot of Caleb downs they could grab him but that's he's a safety you're talking about a corner mansoor delane you want to say okay trent mcduffie's gone we keep doing this thing where we draft him and then we just won't pay him turn him out generationally um you know or market changing money let's start again with mansoor delane you can do that you could um you could also snag McCoy from Tennessee, right?
5:37Rich Eisen:I know the Cowboys, a lot of people are penciling him in. A lot of team backs there. You could do that. The wide receiver, Jordan Tyson. That's who Todd McShay has them taking out of Arizona State. Cardinal Tate should be gone. Makai Lemon, if you want to go him. Or Mark Cooper Jr. is another. And Jeremiah Love, do you turn him down? Because you've already signed Kenneth Walker to that free agent contract. And in terms of the run game, though, this is what Veach had to say. First off, with Ken, to your point, Pete, we do have some talent on the offensive line. I mean, everyone knows the potential and the flashes that Josh has shown.
6:22And then working on that interior with Kingsley and Trey and Creed, I think it'd be a smart play to take advantage of that interior trio there
6:33Rich Eisen:and to be more violent and to kind of utilize those guys and their strengths. I think that is going to be something we're looking forward to. And certainly with EB coming back here, I think with his running back roots, it was going to be a high priority with that run game. So I think we're excited about that. Okay.
6:57Rich Eisen:Peter Schrager talking today about Bain to the Chiefs. That would be no surprise to me. Visited them on Thursday. Okay. No surprise to me. But they can go in any direction. Yeah. They really can. And get a really good player. Yeah, and when are they going to pick in the top ten again? I can't foresee it. Right. I think they're going to bounce back and they're going to be the Chiefs. Feels like it. feels like it for sure. 844-204-RICH, number dial. I got a top five here. Top five teams that should trade up in the NFL Draft presented by Hyundai. Hit it, please. High five. One, two, three, four, five.
7:40Rich Eisen:Rich's top five. All right, everybody. Here's my top five teams that should trade up in the NFL Draft presented by Hyundai. And you know what? It's so easy to do it just that way. I can't just do it straight up. What does that mean? What I'm going to do. Well, I'm going to go next level. That's what I do. That's what we do. Our truth. I'm our truth. Come on now. What's up? I'm going to give you the team that should trade up and for which player they should trade. Which is why you're on a different level, man. See? I mean, a top five list could be here. I'm going here. You might think it's here.
8:25Rich Eisen:Nope. I go here. and for the radio audience each time I say the second here it's higher than the first painting word pictures number five the Browns should trade up for Jeremiah Love oh wow why are we I mean what's going on here I know Quincean Judkins yeah no Judkins Love okay it's not I have no Judkins Love well he's an Ohio State guy it's got nothing to do with that and he's a Notre Dame guy this guy is that special yeah he is that special game-changing players how many do the browns have why not add another one yeah figure it out and he can also play different positions let's go judkins here love there what are we doing don't make it harder make it easier they could just take him at six they could potentially or or just move up a spot or two flip a little bit of you know a little bit of uh second and third day love for jeremiah love that could be all it takes all you need is right number four the chiefs they should trade up for jeremiah wait a second you're picking us you're picking something up here it smells familiar This is nice.
9:47Rich Eisen:Are you picking something up here? This is nice. Okay. Just the first two. Yeah, I know. I got you. Just the first two. I get it. They should do it. Okay. I know they just signed Kenneth Walker. Yeah, but... But love and... Let's go. Let's go. One more. Kenneth Walker, he didn't even lead the Seahawks in touchdowns. That was Zach Charbonnet. So... But he got the trophy. I get it. I understand. He had a great game. He did, and he had some nice run physically and spiritually for Seattle for years. But it's Jeremiah Love. I hear what you're saying. Number three on the list are the Saints. The Saints should trade up for whoever the Jets don't take it to.
10:36Rich Eisen:That's what they should do. Or they should trade up for Jeremiah Love. I know they got Kamara. But you're talking Bailey, Reese. Correct. Whoever the Jets don't take it to. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The Saints go up and take at three. Yeah. Why not? That's what the Saints should do. Number two, the Jets should move up. They should move up for Carnell Tate. When DJ put this one in my head, I'm like, that makes sense. And now we've got Todd McShay saying the same thing. Can't show that picture enough. You know what? I don't care. I just think it's cool. It's aura. I think it's aura, and I understand where it was at Michigan.
11:14Rich Eisen:and this was the day that that was the play where it was just like yeah you're not this is not gonna work yeah it's not happening this was a the message sender he sent a message to 100 000 people and he put his hands on his hips and like are you not entertained and he was on uh our show on wednesday he held up the gold pants the first of its kind since 2019 so i hadn't seen that in a while i appreciate him refreshing number one the number one team that should trade up in the draft the Cowboys should trade up for Jeremiah Love. Why wouldn't they? Come on, Joe. No. Why wouldn't they? Why not? Because that's the one side of the ball that we're pretty decent at.
11:56Rich Eisen:We're really good at. No, we just paid our running back. You could always be better. Super charge it. Javante Williams or Jeremiah Love. What are we doing? Super charge it. No. Super charge it. He's going to be great. Who loves to put stars with the star on the field? I can hear Monaco in the back screaming. Who wants to put stars in a helmet with a star on it? Go up to four to get ahead of Washington and the Giants. Do it. No. Do it. No. And then you still have one in your back pocket for the defender you need. Yeah. I'll do respect to Jeremiah Love, but. Hey, let me say, did the Eagles need Saquon?
12:33Rich Eisen:Yeah. In retrospect, yes, but at the time. It was a pretty big luxury. Did the 49ers need Christian McCaffrey? At the time, listen, I'm just saying when you add special players, you turbocharge what you already have working. Do it. Yeah. If they do it, you'll call me. I'm sitting. Here's what I want. I'm sitting on the NFL Network draft set. Everyone else has shoulder on me. Okay. and I'm sitting on that draft set in Pittsburgh on Thursday night and the Cowboys do this. You're going to text me, this is awful. Or you will just be losing your mind. First of all, I might run up on set with you. Jeremiah Love is more surefire than any defender that Cowboys can go ahead and get.
13:21Rich Eisen:That sounds great when you're doing this bit, but we all know how you feel about Sonny Stiles, so I don't think you really believe that. It's not a bit. But Sonny Stiles isn't going to be there at 12. It's not a bit if you believe it. Apparently, we're not going to be there at 12 either. So, no. Stop it. Do you think we need one more? We've got one more. Oh, come on. This one's for you, Chris. This one's for you, pal. I'm not saying the patch should trade up. We're at 31. The patch should pony up how he wants. Give us 31st overall and a third day pick. Give it to him. Would do it. It would do it.
13:58Rich Eisen:I've asked a couple of people. You have. Because I didn't want to come on the air and sound like I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm throwing things around just against the wall to see if it sticks. I don't do those things. So this is a report. It's not a report. You said you made some calls. No, I've made some calls to some evaluators. Would this do it in your estimation? Would this be something that Howie would go, yeah, I know the cap hit. 31st overall and a third day pick to get A.J. Brown for your guy in Drake May do it come on come on TJ do it you want him gone I mean I let the Eagles take another guy in the back end of the draft and do it a lot of folks have told me this is compensation that Howie would have to sit there and go huh it's happening and that's my top five teams that should trade up in the NFL draft our truth Brought to you by the all-new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid.
14:58Rich Eisen:Learn how it makes everyday epic at HyundaiUSA.com. Epic. Jeremiah Love. Just like Zeke back in the day. And that was great, but what do we have to show for that? I mean, he scored a lot of touchdowns. That's Zeke's fault. Not Zeke's fault. No. Definitely not. Zeke is probably one of the most underrated running backs of his generation. Here we go. Facts. But no, I don't like... You will text me. You would be going nuts. You will text me. You will text me. I can't believe we just did that. Oh, what a shame. Oh, and I'll have it live on video. Okay. No. Yes. No. Okay. I like shaking things up. Two defenders, all right?
15:37Rich Eisen:Two guys preferably in the back of the defense. Let's go right there. I understand what the conventional wisdom says. I'm going the other way around. Well, you don't have a connection to the Cowboys like me. I don't. Because I'm like this. I know. I know. Now you are. Steven. I mean, you got business cards. Yeah. All right, let's take a break and bring Bob Odenkirk out here, ladies and gentlemen, on The Rich Eisen Show. Normal in theaters nationwide starting tomorrow. For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves. Loved ones, neighbors, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts.
16:16Rich Eisen:At Thrivent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more. Thrivent, where money means more. Connect with us at Thrivent.com. Need parts fast? O 'Reilly Auto Parts has fast. Need them now? We've got now. No matter what you need, we have thousands of professional parts people doing their part to make sure you have it. We're O 'Reilly Fast. Just one part that makes O 'Reilly stand apart. The professional parts people. Oh, oh, oh, O 'Reilly. Auto Parts.
17:06Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here. Every time I travel for a major sports moment, whether it's a playoff run or a huge primetime matchup, I see firsthand what happens to a city. Hotels fill up fast. energy builds. Everyone wants to be part of it. Now imagine that on a global scale. The FIFA World Cup is coming this summer, people, and with it, thousands of fans traveling to host cities across the country. If you happen to live in one of those cities and you're planning to be away, maybe you've got your own summer trip lined up, this could be a practical opportunity. While you're gone, you could list your space on Airbnb and welcome traveling fans who want to experience the FIFA World Cup in person.
17:45Rich Eisen:You're not changing your routine. You're not committing to anything year-round. You're simply making the most of a moment when your city is in the global spotlight. I know when I'm on the road for a huge event, having a comfortable home base makes all the difference. And that's what fans will be searching 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. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Funny and loves film so much. And it's why this movie, Normal, feels sometimes like a horror film, a comedy.
18:26Then it's an action film. It's kind of just such a mix of genres. Because these guys, this is their life. This is all they thought about since they were kids.
18:34Rich Eisen:Right. I focus on sketch comedy. I can talk to you about Bob and Ray. Yeah. I can talk to you about Stephen Leacock. Right. Going back to the 1800s. early 1900s they did they did movies and they did action movies well part of this you came up with part of the story though right like you're i did i helped with the first third uh which is the small town i grew up in naperville illinois sure and uh i actually was the one who pitched the title normal because of normal illinois and by the way we showed this movie in normal illinois which was so fun to do no kidding yeah yeah i went there i went down to normal they have an old theater they They still have the old marquee and the old entrance.
19:14And then they built a beautiful new theater inside it. And we showed this film to anybody who can get a ticket and loved it. And so anyway, Derek wrote the story and I said, I want to build out that small town fun. Yeah. And then I said, what if we call it normal? Because, of course, he's from Wisconsin, Derek Kolstad. Right next door. And he knew normal Illinois.
19:39Rich Eisen:Yeah. and it's it's it like i said it's just a ton of fun and it looked you know this and nobody you've been kicking ass the last couple of well once you get up to speed on it i mean why stop i i would happily do more if people want it was always a bit of a lark you know like a side yeah that wonder if this could work this would be weird if this worked right and then it worked and also the training was actually really good for me like i like it i if i have to work out we all do yeah I would rather do a stunt workout than just some dumb thing that I would do on my own. It's more interesting. Yeah, not a lot of workouts required for Saul Goodman back in the day.
20:18No, but I was doing nobody workouts starting in the third season of Saul Goodman. Yeah, because that movie took two plus years to get in shape.
20:28Rich Eisen:Yes. And I was getting in shape doing the workouts. And Daniel Bernhardt, who trained me for Nobody and Normal, would fly down to Albuquerque twice a year and run a workout with me and sometimes show. Because I would work out at like the MMA gym, Jackson Wink there. The ABQ in Albuquerque? Yeah. I would work out at their beginner gym. Okay. Anyway, fighters know it. And then there I would be doing my stunt fighting workout, which is not real fighting. Guys, please. I know. And they would laugh. They would laugh. Or we would show them the moves. Yeah. And they would be like, what? What are you doing?
21:11Because it's not really anything you really want to do. It's actually dangerous what I learned. If you were in a real fight.
21:19Rich Eisen:I put myself in more danger. Yeah. I mean, because, you know, you're. Because you open your face up and you do these wide swings. Different. All stuff you should never do. Survival is different than acting, for sure. Normal again is available in theaters nationwide tomorrow April 17th go check it out look at Henry do you love that poster I love it it's like it's old school it's old school which the movie is yeah you know it's got like a Jackie Brown feel to it you know what I mean like a Tarantino there's some Tarantino turns and if you look at it and you blur your eyes it's kind of a skull oh with the teeth the people in the upper teeth look at you man I didn't Brilliant piece of work by the artist.
22:00Rich Eisen:Bob Odenkirk here on the program. You're wearing your Cubs hat? I am. I like to get interesting Cubs hats. There's a couple stores across from Wrigley Field. Right. I like the Cubs normal hat, but I like oddball ones. Okay. Like interesting. It's a little too much of a choo-choo train hat, a little too high up. But I like to wear. It's got like an old, you know, 79 Pittsburgh Pirates hat feel to it. That's not right in a way. From a distance, you're like, that's not a Cubs hat. But obviously it screams Cubs at you. It does indeed. But I like to wear the more offbeat ones. Do you ever meet Harry Carey?
22:41I didn't meet him, no. I sat right under him when I was a kid. My grandfather grew up four blocks from Comiskey.
22:50Rich Eisen:He saw Babe Ruth. My grandpa saw Babe Ruth play at Comiskey. No kidding? Yes. No kidding. And then he took us. He was a Sox fan because of that. Yes. But then he changed his allegiance to the Cubs. And I think it's because he lived in Oak Park then as a retired older man. Yeah. And the Cubs signal was very good as opposed to the Sox signal, not to mention the games were on every day in the afternoon. Right. And if you're getting old, you don't want to wait up and watch all night with a bad, terrible signal. Your eyes are already bad. Right. And now the signal's bad. But so he switched to the Cubs.
23:27So we all switched to the Cubs. Sorry, Sox. But the first time I saw Harry, we sat right under him at Comiskey. And he put the net down and got stuff to sign. And that's where I met. That's where I was introduced to the legend that was Harry Carey.
23:45Rich Eisen:I met him one time because I went to Northwestern Medill School of Journalism graduate school program. Wow. And the Cubs were, when I was a student, the Cubs were introducing Tom Treblehorn as their manager in 1994, 95. And I went to a late morning press conference at Wrigley Field. And I showed up early because I wanted to be one of the first ones there. And there was only one person there already deep into a Bloody Mary. Oh, boy. Was he? Harry Carey at 10 in the morning already was. What a thing to be Harry Carey. Right. What a, what time, what part of his life did he realize? Oh, I'm, I'm Harry Carey.
24:28I'm, I'm, I'm a mascot. It's like I live inside of a costume that everyone is so happy to see the minute they see it. I think sometime during his sock, socks years, don't you think?
24:41Rich Eisen:Right. Because before that was some turbulence in his life. Yeah, very much so. Yes, yes. Yeah, yeah. St. Louis. Not great. Yeah, I know St. Louis. Not good. Not good. You want to read about it, go ahead and read about it. But after you get through that, I think you go like, so I can drink in the morning and watch a baseball game and just chatter and people are going to, all right, I'll do that. I will choose that over what I just got through. What he went through, right? No doubt. I don't really know the specifics, but I kind of know. It'll give you a different look on life, I'd imagine. Yeah.
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25:17It's a wonderful thing that he knew who he was, and he shared it with people and was so happy to do that.
25:22Rich Eisen:Were you on the SNL staff when Will Ferrell was doing him? No, I was there before that. You were there before that, right? Yeah. 87 to 91 or something like that, right? That's right. Who was on the staff when you were there? I had two sort of teams of cast members. Jan Hooks, Nora Dunn, John Lovitz, and then into Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman, and then into, I guess, three, one year with Farley and Spade and Sandler. Yeah, so I knew all those people, and I worked with all those people, but I did my best work with the latest crew, you know, Sandler and Spade and Rock, because I finally understood how to write for that show.
26:06It was very hard for me. That show was so hard for me. Why? I mean, it's hard for anyone. It's just that damn thing is happening. It's happening in four days. Right, right. And what the show wants, it was never easy for me to grasp what the show wanted. Of course, I love Monty Python. And that's just sort of fundamentally a different thing.
26:33Rich Eisen:Right. And so I just hadn't adjusted. It took me three years to adjust, really. Right. and then here comes Sandler and Spade and Rock and and I'm finally getting good at this thing and then they don't know how to do anything and I was able to like help them that meant a lot that felt good to me uh and of course I'd written the motivational speaker for Farley while I was doing Second City over the summer in between SNL seasons I wrote that scene for him which later played well on SNL but just to be able to help in my last year at Saturday Night Live to help Chris to help Adam and Farley was such a good feeling.
27:14And it was a weird moment of like, boy, I could actually do this now. But I knew I wanted to perform and I knew I wasn't going to get that chance because I just wasn't good enough. I wasn't going to ask Lorne. So I called Lorne and I said, I think I have to leave. Thank you. Because I want to be a performer sometimes. I felt embarrassed to say it um he was very gracious about it because he likes to perform too yes and so he understood and um i just felt weird you know like sorry and i said you don't have to i'm not asking you to put me on right i'm not good enough i gotta go get good and and then i left and came to la and you know i did i did one man shows and stand up and i and i also carried on writing for television as well.
28:05Rich Eisen:Sure. So you wrote the van down by the river? I did. I wrote that for Chris at Second City. I've talked about it a lot. Please. But it was actually a big deal to me. Of course, I love Chris and everyone who knew him loved him. And it was just a perfect little lightning strike. He did this improvisation. I was in it too with Jill Talley at the Second City show and he did a coach yelling at the kids about you know a drug and anti-drug right thing and and i had been listening to tony robbins a little bit somehow he was coming out to the scene yeah and then i had this thought about a motivational speaker who uses himself as a negative uh example of what you don't want to be and then i just and then i had just seen chris do this coach i sat down wrote that sketch just the way it's done brought it in handed it to chris boom i mean magic and um magic is right i mean really just you know one of the things that's hard this is not a show for comedy sketch writers is it we talk about this sort of stuff all the time bob can i just is it okay to go a little um a little deep uh in the in the writing game writers want the writing to be the star but the writing is not the star in sketch comedy the performance is sure so what's great about the motivational speaker sketch is it is really 50 50 maybe maybe 60 40 which is to say the writing has a value up to 40 yeah it's still weighted towards performance well i mean when he comes out dressed that way i mean his movements i mean it's insane right and by the way when he did it at second city which is where we first did it and i played the dad yeah chris would not finish that sketch until he made every performer laugh every single night seven shows a week he would not stop and you know he didn't he won he won every time you know my daughter asked me when she was very young like seven years old yeah what's the most fun you ever had doing what your job and right away and it was years earlier than I'd done that sketch I said this this sketch that I did with my friend Chris Farley every time I did that sketch was the most fun I ever had I love it Bob Odenkirk here on the Rich Eisen show how did you first hear about Saul Goodman I was sitting at my desk here in Hollywood I'd been directing some feature films I'd been writing TV shows in fact I'd written one about a minor league baseball team called the san diego snakes okay and fx was great about it and they i love i love minor league baseball i love reading about it yeah um it's just such a tough world you know and it asks a lot of people and you know there's some great books about it sure and uh so my friend reed harrison uh he he knows a lot more about baseball than i did we had written this pilot so it was in the stages of dying fx was great about it but they were like we can't it was so much hassle rich because we wanted to shoot alongside a real minor league team we had found this um private league okay three teams that was gonna consider letting us shoot you know with them but it was such a hassle i mean it was so much hassle so it's a good thing you got this call about so i'm sitting there here's two stacks on my desk i have film scripts here yeah i have tv scripts here to direct okay to consider directing yeah i had some cachet as a director at that moment and uh i get a phone call my agent says this to me they're going to ask you to do a part in a tv show don't say no because i said no to a lot of stuff okay and he goes it's called breaking Bad.
32:07Now, Breaking Bad had been on already. Yes. But it had been on for an abbreviated season, seven episodes, and there was a writer's strike. And it paled in light of Mad Men, which was such a breakout, massive hit.
32:21Rich Eisen:For AMC. And then this other show, Breaking Bad, is like, why are they even keeping that on? I mean, they've got their big hit. Why do it? And so he goes, don't say no. They're going to offer you this role. Okay. yeah okay well yeah don't worry about it just send me the script of course right away i'm like i don't know i called my friend reed who had written this uh pilot with i go did you ever see the show breaking bad he goes that's the best show on tv you gotta do it do not say no i go all right all right i hadn't seen it i'd only see the billboards i only knew it from the tighty whitey guy and uh well lucy whitey i think uh anyway uh you know vince sent me the script and i'm looking at it and i immediately knew how to play this guy but i also was like boy he talks a lot this character they're not going to use this this is way too much chatter you know you don't do it and in In comedy writing, no character talks for a paragraph.
33:30It's two lines, three lines, and then somebody else says something. And so this character just ran and ran. So Vince calls me and I go, he goes, we need you for three or four episodes. We're not sure which. All I was there to do was to get this plot to move forward. You know, they were kind of stuck in a corner. And I said, well, I can't do four because I was signed up to do How I Met Your Mother. so I figured that might kill it but he's like okay we'll do three three episodes with you and uh and also I didn't learn the script because I was like there's no way they're gonna have me talk this much nobody talks this much on tv so I didn't bother to learn it and I didn't watch the show I knew it was a drama jeez I had little kids at home yeah and I knew it was a violent I knew it was violent yeah so and my kids you know kids will wander into your room when they're that age, five years, four years old.
34:27You put anything on the TV that you don't want a kid to see, a movie or something. Guaranteed they're walking in at 2 a.m. It doesn't matter what time it is. That's going to magically make that happen. You know what I mean, right? It's like life, you know? You turn your phone off because you're like, I'm going to take a break from my phone. You turn it on an hour later, 50 message.
34:48Rich Eisen:Where the hell are you? That's right, I know. Go figure. And so I hadn't watched the show. I knew it was a drama. I was, you know, thankful for the opportunity to try to live in that world. And I didn't learn the script. And I get it on Friday. I get the blue pages, the last pages. And I fly down there like on Friday. And I get the blue pages on Thursday or Friday morning. And it's exactly the same. One word has changed. One word. I'm like, oh, thank you for that. I got to learn this? So I spend all weekend, you know, I'm kind of scared, and I learn this wonderful dialogue, so great. But in learning that dialogue, in deconstructing it, is where I thought a lot about drama and what this is and how it's not just a run-on paragraph of me talking to Walter White and yammering for no reason.
35:46And it's a guy watching another guy's eyes and trying stuff on him, trying this, trying that, trying this, trying that. Is he, am I getting him? Am I getting him? Have I got him? Have I got him? It's, he's, you know, taking stabs in the, in the dark with whoever he's talking to.
36:05Rich Eisen:Right. And looking to get a reaction and connect. And so that was then, that was Saul. Saul was always, everything he said mattered, even though he said a lot, and it kind of flew off into the air. Right, but then, obviously, Better Call Saul comes around. Yeah, well, then that's a whole other level, Matt. I imagine, like, you would have to, you had to have reconfigured the way you thought about playing Saul Goodman for that. I had to reconfigure how I thought about it, acting and being serious about that job and what that job was. because it really was a huge, you know, qualitative difference.
36:51It wasn't quantitative, which is how I talked to myself. I said, so what? I'm going to talk more. I'll be, it doesn't mean anything. I mean, in other words, I was trying not to be intimidated by being the lead by just saying to myself, you've done a lot of acting. So what? You're going to talk a little more. Right. Nothing. don't don't don't don't get build it up in your mind but it was not that it was fundamentally a different thing the degree of uh depth and layering you have to think about and try to bring in that the writing presented um you know it just set me back for i mean it was two years of sweat of real fear and sweat.
37:39I lost my voice on the first week before. And by the way, I'm losing my voice now
37:45Rich Eisen:because I've done so much promotion for normal, but I'm happy to do it because I love that movie. But anyway, it was, boy, that thing knocked me on my ass. And so did Broadway when I did And I thought I was past being intimidated by this job. But it was a beautiful thing. It's a wonderful thing at an older age to be invited to challenge yourself. It's a gift. It's a crazy gift. But it's also scary as hell. I got to tell you, though, you pulled it off because, I mean, you know, Saul Goodman went from a character in Breaking Bad that was occasional comic relief and obviously a very important part of the plot and the story and a crucial character to in Better Call Saul.
38:38Rich Eisen:It was a love story. It was a story about brotherly love or jealousy. it was uh you know uh a breaking bad drug um cartel intense storyline it was all of that you know all of that man and you killed it you killed that thank you so much i mean i i the fear helped me of course fear can help you uh to dig in and work hard i always felt that the guy's story was one that, you know, we tell in America, we tell stories of people who find their voice and their strength and their confidence at the age of 21, at the age of 17, at the age of 23. That's the story we like to tell. And Saul was a guy who had a gift of some sort of speaking, of analyzing people, of swaying people, convincing them of things, but he couldn't find a place to put it.
39:41He didn't know where it belonged and he wanted this respect from his brother and from his love interest and he couldn't get it. And I think that his journey is probably a more understood and shared thing of a guy leaning, moving into his 30s and 40s even and going, I know I've got something to offer. I know it. I've seen it work. Where do I put it that people will look at me and go like, hey, you're great. Hey, good job. I can't find a place to put it that everyone agrees. And I just think people relate to that. They love to hear stories about magical unicorns, Pete Crow Armstrongs. Yeah. Right?
40:32That's a story we want to hear. We love that story. But that's not most people's story. Most people's story is stumbling through their 20s, somewhere in their 30s going, I think, oh, I belong over here. Right. And then grinding it, making their way to some power and some confidence and some appreciation, hopefully by their 40s.
40:55Rich Eisen:And every single time I was sitting there rooting for your character to find the right spot to put it in, it looked like you were going to do it. It just, it all turned to crap. Yeah, yeah, which is what led me to be in an action character. I love it. Because that not quitting that Saul had. I've got to take a quick break on the radio side of things. And if you don't mind, we'll just finish up the hour together. I love it. Bob Odenkirk is here. Normal is going to be in theaters starting tomorrow nationwide. We're back with Bob Odenkirk to just wrap things up in a sec. In a world in need of a hero, one man rises to the challenge in style.
41:30Rich Eisen:He is just driving the kids to soccer practice. Make every day feel epic in an all-new Hyundai Palisade hybrid with up to an EPA-estimated 619 miles of range on select trims, advanced tech, and class-leading interior space. Because when you're hauling kids' gear, snacks, and backpacks, space matters. And so does comfort. Just make sure they keep their cleats off the seats. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for details. If you've ever wanted real energy without choking down something that tastes like regret, bucked up is the answer. The flavor is the thing people keep coming back for. Insanely delicious, which is not a phrase usually associated with energy drinks, and they're built on real science-backed ingredients.
42:13Rich Eisen:Clean energy that actually works without the garbage you don't want. Bucked Up is so confident you'll love their drinks, they're giving away an island vacation just to prove it. That's the kind of brand this is. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest Bucked Up at BuckedUpEnergy.com. grab a bucked up and feel like a million bucks. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Every time you see Saul squeal that car to a stop or turn a corner really fast, that's me going hard. I swear to God, I almost flipped that esteem. I'm pulling into a parking lot and I turned so hard and I was going so fast.
42:58and i caught so many great um kudos from the stunt uh team because i would stop that thing on a freaking dime i love it i would fantastic perfect time for me to tell you that um you can
43:11Rich Eisen:make everyday feel epic in the all-new hyundai palisade hybrid with up to an epa estimated 619 miles of range on select trims advanced tech and class leading interior space because when you're hauling kids gear snacks and backpack space matters and so does comfort just make sure they keep their cleats off the seat. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for details. That's the all-new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid. Normals in theaters near you starting tomorrow. Bob Odenkirk here, I got about three minutes left. You got a good, your favorite Cranston story, Brian Cranston. Oh, it's the one where I'm sitting in the makeup trailer and I'm in my second season of Saul.
43:51I still haven't seen the show. Oh, I mean, Breaking Bad. yeah right right yeah yeah and i'm looking at the pages they're talking about something and talking about gus and i'm like well you and gus you know you're working together right so you should i i don't know i said something about he and gus by the way they always show this damn picture of me i'm wearing a bulletproof vest people are like odenkirk lost weight the character is wearing a bulletproof vest for like five episodes under his shirt and everyone's like boy remember when he was so chunky well now we know why you were so you're talking to cranson and he goes he looks at me and he goes gus and i aren't friends you don't know the show do you he goes you've never seen the show have you and i go he's right i went home and watched it after that though i felt bad no kidding because that was disrespectful to not actually have watched and understood cranston sniffed you out oh he sniffed it out and i did watch the show and my daughter did come in when gus pulled out the box cutter are you serious wow she walked right in the room did it change how you viewed the show having then caught up and watch sure yeah it was a complicated show i had this stupid scheme in my mind that Walter White and all the drug dealers were friends hanging out together.
45:21They were trying to do this work. I really, but you know, here's how I justified it. This is going to sound weak, but really, I said, my job here is to be Saul. And Saul doesn't know what's going on. He only knows what the person he's talking to. He doesn't know this show that he's in. So, hey, it's actually an actor's choice to not read and understand the story. What's your favorite good Saul Goodman line? Now you're the handsome one. When Jesse gets the s*** kicked out of him, and I look at him in the hospital bed, and what do I say? I don't have the exact line, but I look at Walter White, and I go, how about that?
46:13Now you're the handsome one. You're the pretty one.
46:19Rich Eisen:Fantastic. What a pleasure. Thanks for coming on. Hey, man, thank you. This is just great to sit and talk. And thanks for letting me go deep on these things. I love it. That's that's what we're here for. And I greatly appreciate you wanting to. So thank you for being here. Normal is available in theaters nationwide tomorrow, April 17th. Everybody go see it. And you won't believe what happens to Henry Winkler. unbelievable yeah great stuff man only in the movies only in the movies 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
From the publisher
Rich weighs in on the KansasCity Chiefs’ options in the NFL Draft with the 9th overallpick, and reveals his list of teams that should make a bold move to trade up in the draft. (2:09)
Bob Odenkirk joins Rich in-studio to plug his new ‘Normal’ film and reveals the extent of the physical training that went into making the action move,
discusses his lifelong Chicago Cubs fandom, his time on ‘Saturday Night Live’ where he wrote Chris Farley’s unforgettable Matt Foley “living in van down by the river” motivational speaker sketch, reveals how he landed ‘Breaking Bad’ despite never having seen on second of the show, that he almost wrecked and bought the infamous Suzuki Esteem he drove in ‘Better Call Saul,’ and more. (15:35)
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