NFC South Predictions

21:55Rich Eisen:Are you sure it's not the running style? Nnamdi, are you sure? Can I critique your running style? Nnamdi, please. Nnamdi, please. All right. By the way, Nnamdi, 445-40. So he knows. 4-4-40. I won't. I won't. No, no, understand this. This logo is, you know, obviously born out of me running the 40 in my suit at the Combine and for the last 10 plus years for St. Jude. When this show was born over 11 years ago almost, and I saw the logo, it was perfect in terms of exactly my running style, meaning the right leg was flared out in the most unathletic position possible. That's right. And so I said, I'd love to do this logo if you make it a more athletic running style.

22:44Rich Eisen:And I watched them graphically, computer generated, move my leg into more of an up-down position. So that's the best we could get. So then it's very good, Rich. It's very good. It is indeed, Nnamdi Awesome, the best we can get. But when did you first decide this type of work? entertainment, writing, acting, was something you were interested in. Were you always interested in this? I wasn't always interested in it. I remember, you know, when you play, I say when you play football, but probably when you play any sport, you're not really, or at least when I was playing, you don't talk about anything but your sport.

23:26So the coaches want you focused on it. You know, you don't want to talk about what you're going to do after. So we really didn't talk about that stuff. But I did start doing commercials, you know, Nike commercials. these sort of things. Back when you were with the Raiders? Back when I was with the Raiders, that all started. And I remember doing some commercials. I remember Peter Berg from Friday Night Lights doing a commercial with me and saying, you know, this is what you should really look into this when you're done because you're natural at the acting in it. And they're silly commercials. So I'm thinking, what are you talking about?

23:59Right. And I finish up and I'm talking to guys, Ronnie Lott, Rod Woodson, all these guys are telling me, You know, you just got to go into something that you love. You know, what do you love? Once you're done playing football? When you're done playing football.

24:14Rich Eisen:You talk about this with Ronnie Lott, two Hall of Famers, Ronnie Lott and Rod Wilson? No doubt. I mean, so many people were giving me. Because they were your teammates. They were your teammates? Rod was a teammate when I was, my rookie year, Rod was with me with the Raiders, and Ronnie was like a mentor when I first got into the league and helped me transition from safety to corner. I think he did the opposite. So yeah, these were guys that I would lean on and them and a few others would tell me, just find something that you love and go at it the same way you went at football. And this was something I loved.

24:50It doesn't mean that was the first thing I did. I tried real estate. It didn't work out. Got my salesperson's license. I tried to open restaurants and that didn't work out.

25:02Rich Eisen:So you weren't selling two bed, two bath? You're not the awesome lot of realty? you didn't see on the side of a bus or anything like that that didn't happen I was on my way though I was very close to doing that all right um but I didn't you know I didn't love it um apparel I just didn't I tried all these things um to try to see where where where my I my new identity lied and I just kept coming back to the movies and and that type of stuff that I loved and and then it took off from there what movie did you like grow up or what were you emulating or No. Nothing? Nothing? The first movie that I ever saw in a theater was Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

25:44Yes. That is awesome. By the way, a classic. A classic, absolutely. It really is a brilliant film. Oh, my goodness. Bob Zemeckis? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

25:52Rich Eisen:Oh, look at you, Mr. Auteur. Is that Robert Zemeckis? Bob! Bob Zemeckis! Oh, pardon me. Nnamdi. I didn't know his name was Robert. I don't mean it. I'm sorry. A fellow DGA. Yeah. I'm sorry. Okay. Bob De Niro and Bob, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Keep dropping. Yeah. But yeah, so that was the, that was my, my. I love it. Will you guys stop egging him on? Come on. Hey, Bob Hoskins is in that movie. Yeah, Hoskins. Oh, wow. Well done. Well done. What year? Yeah, what year? Would you look that up? Roger Rabbit? I think it's probably 89. Wow. So you were probably just going to college? 88, 88.

26:36Rich Eisen:You were in high school? Seriously, pretty much, right? No? No, I was. Okay, just kidding. So you were a kid going to the movies. I was a kid going to the movies. First film blew me away. The second film that I ever saw in a theater was Boys in the Hood. Okay. Yeah, so my aunt snuck us in and I shouldn't, I think it was the next year, so I'm maybe eight years, like you don't watch Boys in the Hood at that age. sure but you know growing up in LA these two films made such an impression on me because one was like the spectacle and then one felt like real life and so with that I was like oh I think this is something I'm attracted to like these sorts of this medium or whatever and so as a kid I just fell in love with the movies and I you know I think those films shape who I am today as a filmmaker, but yeah.

27:29Rich Eisen:So who are your directorial, I guess, inspirations then? Now that you're a director. Bob Zemeckis.

27:39Bob Zemeckis, Forrest Gump. By the way, these things just keep popping into my head. So Forrest Gump. So Tom Hanks, 92 to 98, right? Quite the run. Quite a run. Can you give me seven films of his during that time period?

28:01Rich Eisen:Okay, let's do this. Just off the top of my head, 92. So Philadelphia would be in it, right? Philadelphia is in it. Forrest Gump is in it. Saving Private Ryan is in it. Wow. Catch Me If You Can, right? I don't know. You're out. You're out. Oh, really? Apollo 13? Apollo 13. Well done. Okay, that's not a bad one. Let's crowdsource it all. Don't look it up. No, I was looking up what year my movie was. Don't look it up. What else? What year are we starting? 92? 92 to 98. 92 to 98. Castaway. Was Castaway that? No, that's later. No, that's 2000. That's 2000. Give me the other one. Oh, you can get the...

28:45Rich Eisen:I'm just trying to think off the top of my head. Apollo 13 is not a bad idea. Is that That Thing You Do? That Thing You Do is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's 96. He was in it too. He was in it as well. That Thing You Do is one of my favorite. Is it really? It is a perfect movie. Do I need to re-watch that Thing You Do? You must. It is a perfect movie. I love it. From start to finish. I will watch. That's a remote drop. I love it. Go ahead just because my head is filled with too much stuff. I think you're missing League of Their Own. League of Their Own. We were just talking about that.

29:23Rich Eisen:We were talking about that the other day because the Hollywood Reporter, not to get you in any trouble with your industry by carping on an industry trade that you probably want writing about the knife. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They came out with the top sports movies of all time. How many? Was it top 25? 20 or 25. Yeah. Top 25, okay. League of the Other Own was not number one. It was not. Number one was Raging Bull, which you can go back and forth as to whether that's a sports movie or not. but you know Scorsese and Bob De Niro Bobby De Niro you know he's been on the show once and I'm a fool I'm sorry Nnamdi you want to put Toy Story in there yes Toy Story that's what I was waiting on but they also had documentaries like When We Were Kings they also had Docs in there?

30:22Rich Eisen:That changes things. It does change things. They put O.J. Made in America. It's not in sports movies, but the one that really got me because Field of Dreams wasn't in it. What? Oh, wow. Oh, yeah. We had this whole conversation when you were in here. Can I guess number one? Number one was Raging Bull. My number one is Hoosiers, which was 17th on the list. That's a perfect movie as well and it's got everything it's got you know david and goliath it's got jim hackman it's got a father-son story it's got you know uh dennis hopper i quote the lines all the time like you know we we say all the time here whenever we do a big broadcast doesn't matter the camera is the same uh distance to the to the desk as you know the same thing when you measured butler yeah but that was 17th on the list number nine was bring it on and i no you're kidding i am not kidding you yeah no wait for real you're not joking yeah i don't joke with no i'm not joking we did the whole thing there's no way what was the sport that's cheerleading cheerleading but it's like i don't know oh cheerleading yeah are we gonna consider what didn't make the list is why we what was here what didn't make the list also it was just everything the blind side didn't make the list remember the titans at the bottom major league the natural the sandlot uh caddyshack Miracle, he got a game.

31:44Rich Eisen:No end of giving Sunday. It's like this. You can't. Friday Night Lights, the movie? Miracle isn't on the... How's Miracle's like number one? Above the Rim didn't make it. Friday Night Lights, speaking of your guy Pete Berg, I mean... Friday Night Lights isn't on the list? No, no, no. None of these are. Longest chart. I was so outraged, I even included Rudy on that list. It's so bad. And, you know, I'm a Michigan guy, so I hope... Yeah, yeah, that's right. I hope the flag gets called on Rudy at the end for being off-sides. I told that to Sean Astin on this program, and he cursed me out. Was that the first F-bomb dropped on the air in the show?

32:16Rich Eisen:I think it was. I told Sean Astin that I hoped that Rudy was offside, and he cursed me. I was producing the air that day. The Sandlot wasn't on the list? No. Sandlot's a great movie, too, right? James Earl Jones in it? Yeah, this list was too gazing. What sport was the most represented? I think baseball. Baseball, right? That makes sense. Baseball. baseball films to me are the top sports films why is that i think it's just it's easier to get the cinematic sort of thing i think with basketball it's tough there's a little too much this is no offense there's a little too much skill you know like you gotta you gotta get the guys they're dribbling you guys there's a lot football is tricky too i mean football's up there but I think between baseball and boxing, those might be the top.

33:09Rich Eisen:Of course, there's a mystique about it, right? There's something that could be like a fable. Like the natural is a fable. Was the natural on the list? No, I don't see this. This was a trap. It was not a trap. Was Rocky on the list? Rocky was on the list. Rocky was, yeah. But we had Carl Weathers, may he rest in peace, and Sylvester Stallone on the show, and both guys agree it's a love story more than a sports movie. Okay. You know, Carl Weathers said it's a love story between Rocky and Adrian and also Rocky and Apollo Creed. Yeah. And, you know, it's a. I'll accept that. You know what? I mean, how are you going to argue with the two principles?

33:48That's right. That's right. Yeah. So I think Moneyball for me is.

33:52Rich Eisen:Moneyball's on the list, too. It's got to be a top five. It's very good. What was on the list in terms of a baseball movie was Eight Men Out. I don't know if you've ever seen that. John Sayles directed it about the Black Sox. John Cusack was in it and John Mahoney was in it. D.B. Sweeney was in it. It's a great cast. It's a great movie. Major League. It's Johnny Sayles for me. There's 8 out of 7. Rocky's 8 but there's Bring It On. Is Major League on the list? Major League is not on the list. No sir. No it is not. I don't want to get too deep in the weeds here because he's a new director and we don't need the Hollywood Reporter suddenly getting upset with this man.

34:37Rich Eisen:We don't need that. We don't need beef. You're also starring in Apple TV's The Savant, which premieres Friday, September 26th. You and Jessica Chastain. Yeah, trailer dropped like an hour ago. Yeah, check the trailer out. So how are you the lead? Are you the lead? Well, you're not the lead when Jessica Chastain's in you. I am the male lead. Yeah, yeah. Wow, let's go. Okay. Thanks, Rich. Now I'm the awesome man. Okay, fantastic. Yeah, I'm the male lead. I mean, that's also not a, that's a heavy story as well. What it's about? So it's about this woman that infiltrates these hate groups online, and she's trying to find like the next mass murder in the United States.

35:33So she's living this secret double life. But then it's also about her and us trying to keep the family together in the midst of all those secrets. Okay. Yeah.

35:45Rich Eisen:Serious, heavy stuff. And Apple TV is on fire right now. Yeah, they're doing great. As any spot. Absolutely. Right now. Yeah. I mean, and so many shows there who are so fascinating and interesting. And the savant now in the mix, too. I'm so happy for you. This is kind of crazy, man, because I'll be straight up. I went to your foundation dinner years ago. Oh, you were amazing. Well, no, that's not the reason why I'm bringing it up. Yeah, well, still. You go to Cal. You have an incredible career in the NFL. You're doing what you're doing right now in your business. and with all due respect, you are the biggest failure in your family.

36:24Rich Eisen:Yeah, it's so true. It's so true. Will you tell, I was walking around there. And still the biggest failure. I mean, the accomplishments of your family. They're hard workers. They are hard workers. They're hard workers. My God, the brains and the hearts and the minds. Like what, I forget, what does everybody do? They care about degrees and all that type of stuff. You know, doctors. Temperatures. PhDs, and all that sort of stuff. And all that sort of stuff. Business people, yeah. Guys, I'm not kidding you. It was one after the other. It was Dr. Asimwa. Hello, Dr. Asimwa. What's up, Dr. Asimwa? Dr.

37:02Rich Eisen:Asimwa, nice to meet you, Dr. Asimwa. Doctor, doctor, doctor. Hey, hey, hey. That's what it was like. I'm like, wow, you are a total failure. I need to find a clip from that day. Like, I need to find you. You gave a great speech. It was amazing. Well, I appreciate it, but your family is remarkable, and I love what you're doing here. Have you ever been in a movie? Oh, yeah. I don't know. Rich has. Big movie star. We have a set here called Residual Rich. We opened up its residual checks, Nnamdi. Nnamdi, come on now. Nnamdi, Nnamdi, big movie star, Rich Eisen. I opened this check up moments ago. My sad after check.

37:42Rich Eisen:Have Nnamdi guess. Do you want to guess? I just opened my check of my residual from when I was on CSI Miami. I know that's not a film. $11 at 28. Oh, no. Oh, no. Lower. Lower. Lower. I'll hand it to you. Hold on. You can read it out. Yeah, I want to see his face when he looks at it. Read it out. There's a check. All right. This is going to be great. Read it out. Read it out. Read it out. Read it out.

38:08One sentence.

38:12One sentence. Will you cash this check? I'm afraid. I'm afraid. No, no, frame it. Great question. I think we can Caruso to sign it, then frame it. In this day and age, you don't go to a bank. You just put it on, you know, you need to take a picture of it.

38:28Rich Eisen:Yeah, no skin off my nose. It's a penny. But what did you play? Myself. But I'm in movies. We're going to get you to stretch and do a... I would love to stretch. What character? What should Rich play in a film? Good one. Good one, Namdi. What type of film are we talking about? Are we going dark? Yeah. Let's go. Yeah, let's go dark. I could be heavy. Because comedy would be easy for him. Let's go dark. Let's go dark. I want Rich to be like a mysterious. He works in the police office, but he's one of the other guys. Or he could even be the police chief, honestly. Like in The Departed? Chief? Chief?

39:07Chief? Chief? A police chief? Come on. Yeah. You're like the grisly old lead detective who's given advice to Nandi, who's the young guy with full of vigor. He's the corrupt one, right? Right. You're on the take. I want to see Rich stretch his chops. I want to see him play a fiend. He's a drunk. A fiend. A fiend. A kooky. Kooky from New Jack. Kooky from New Jack City. Or seven. I'm up for it.

39:41Rich Eisen:I'm happy to surf off your cold table. Let's figure it out. Okay, well, do it. Before I let you go, I need your favorite Al Davis story. Namdi Asamoah. I was thinking. I don't... Come on now. You got something for me. What do you got? Did he... Oh, I've got some... Oh, I've got some tough ones. I can't. Okay. There's some that I can't... Come on, you're a director now. What do you care? Oh, man. Come on now. The Knife's in theaters near you. He's saving it for the Al Davis story. You're the male lead with Jessica Chessy. Yeah, come on. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's going to direct the Al Davis story.

40:17Rich Eisen:No, no, excuse me. That's already being done. Christian Bale's playing Al Davis in John Madden's. Did you see he's playing who's Al Davis? Christian Bale is Al Davis. Nick Cage is Al Davis. No, Nick Cage is John Madden. Christian Bale is Al Davis. I've seen Christian Bale the images. I think it's great. He looks like him. I didn't see Cage. yeah but i saw he really looks like john badden you're wondering like he hasn't put on that much weight but they they look just like him yeah yeah yeah um you know but come on what do you got you're out the gate i i i mean there's some they are too many interesting you know okay al you know as we would walk through have you ever seen um what's that movie uh uh Devil Wears Prada.

41:12Rich Eisen:Yes. Okay. All right. He's the Meryl Streep where he's coming to work and everybody's scurrying. Are you serious? I mean, a trillion percent. You could ask anybody that played. And so he would always, we would always, I mean, you could sort of. Devil Wears Prada. That's great. I mean, you knew when he was coming down the hall and guys would turn their different ways. and like people are going into doors that don't even you know what i mean like just getting out of the way just like jumping in a broom closet a thousand percent and yes yes and um but you know eventually i'm trying to think of another movie but eventually when you realize that he's a real person yes you stop fearing him you know what i mean and so there was a point where i think it was It was in like my second year when, you know, he just pulled me to the side and we started talking.

42:12And then for the rest of my time in Oakland, so the next, you know, seven, eight years, he and I, every couple of weeks on a Monday, we would meet in his office for about 10, 15 minutes. What was that like? Wow. I mean, I can't, and just, And my teammates would be like, you're up there. You're talking to Al. I mean, like, he would call me up. We'd go up there every, I mean, H-Rod, who was our trainer at the time. I mean, he knew all the stories. I'll come down and H-Rod would say, you're talking to Al. Yeah, Al told me you guys talk every couple weeks and stuff.

42:54Rich Eisen:So I don't, you know. You would pick his brain or you would just tell you stories of back in the day of the AFL or with Madden or with... You couldn't really. I mean, you could try... Lester Hayes, did he try to get you to try stick him one point? No, stick him. No, he did not. Okay. But he was so smart. You couldn't really pick his brain. He was always picking yours. You know what I'm like? Even if you didn't think he was, you know, there was a time when we were getting ready to... I saw him at the airport in L.A. and I was a rookie. I think we were just getting into the off season. And I ran into him at the airport, and he's getting ready to get into a limo or a car or something.

43:36And I walked up to him. I said, I know everybody runs for him, but I think I got to walk up to him. And so I walked up to him, and I said, Mr. Davis, hey, it's Nnamdi. And he turned around, and he's like, oh, how are you? We start talking. He's getting ready to get in his car. And he says, I'm thinking about getting a quarterback named Kerry Collins. He said, can you tell me about him? We're, I'm trying to get home. He's trying to get home. I mean, like we're in the middle of like rushing, everybody's rushing. And so I'm like panicking and I have to give him, you know, my quick Kerry Collins spiel.

44:12And it was like a quick minute. He didn't care. He wanted to know if I cared about the game. You know what I mean? He wanted to know what I knew about the game of foot. Like, am I following other, do you know what I mean? Sure. And I think that was one of those moments where I was like, oh, no, this isn't someone to fear. Like, he's one of us.

44:34Rich Eisen:Four-dimensional chess, and you're the best, Namdi. Thanks for coming on. Come back any time. Your directorial debuts in theaters now called The Knife.

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45:48Rich Eisen:Tell everybody, Jack, who your godfather is. Who's your godfather? Ron Shelton, who is the writer of Bull Durham. The movie that made me exist.

46:02I'm here because of that film.

46:04Rich Eisen:So why not have him as the godfather of your child? Absolutely. Cosmic All-Star. What is it like to have Ron Shelton as a godfather? I mean, as I got older and realized all the movies he had written and directed, it. I mean, as I did what he does, it really became more of a resource. We get lunch a lot now, and I really like the guy. He's amazing. Okay. How were you introduced him to Bull Durham? How was that introduced to you? Well, I went to audition for Ron. I did really well, and then the agent says, you did really well, but you got to go throw. And so then I went out and met Kevin and pitched through the ball around with him.

46:43So, okay. So Ron wanted to make sure that, you know, people could throw. Yeah. And I played third base, never pitched before. So I had to learn all those mechanics. And then I, on top of that, I wanted to do a kind of Fernando Valenzuela thing. You know, rolling the eyes.

46:58Rich Eisen:You breathe through the red eyelids. Right. Which Ron was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because you've got to breathe through your eyelids. Yeah, pretty much. So the catch that you had to conduct in order to get the gig was with Kevin Costner? Yes. Where? Do you remember? Out at Warner Brothers Studios out in the valley. Just on the lot? Yeah, outside of bungalow. Yeah, outside of bungalow there. So people are driving their golf carts around you while you're trying to have a catch with Kevin Costner? Yeah, and I was like, okay, no, don't break any windows. That's right. Because you are a nuke Lelouch.

47:32Rich Eisen:You're supposed to throw it in any direction right there. You know, he was written as a lefty. Right. And Ron decided that, you know, he wanted me, so he turned into a right-hand. That kind of ruined the movie, though. If only he was a lefty, that would have really taken us to the next level. Be careful what you wish for, because you might not exist. That's right. You know, if you think about it, you boil it all down. Yeah, pretty much. I'm glad you got the part. I'm glad you memorized your lines that day. Yeah. Ouch. Wow. That was a fastball. That was a nuclear fastball high in time right there.

48:03Rich Eisen:Yeah. I know. Yep. Pretty much. Rushback. Do you have a question for this, man? Like, that's your movie, man. Yeah, I guess for me, you know, the lines of Bull Durham. Do you have a favorite line? That you remember? Those goes in the front, big guy. And I still have those, you know, garter belt. You have the, where? Where's the garter belt? It's in storage somewhere. We're going to bring it out for a big auction someday. Would you do, I mean, we'll help you auction that thing. I have my jersey, too, still. You can get your jersey. And one of my jerseys is in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. That is so damn cool, man.

48:35Yeah, I mean, come on. Cooperstown, what a dream. That was awesome.

48:40Rich Eisen:Ah, yes. Fun stuff back in the day. Those were our last in-studio guests before we shut down due to COVID. Although, no, Rob McElhaney was. No, no, it was our buddy from Better Call Saul. Who was that? Was our last guest Patrick Fabian? Patrick Fabian. He was the last of those two, and then the next day was Patrick Fabian, and then everything shut down. And then it shut down. Yeah. Crazy days for this show. Wild. I remember doing a green room interview with those two, and we were talking about not shaking hands. Yeah, we fist bumped. All right. I mean, a new top moment of our program. Nnamdi Asamoah wondering if I act, and then I hand him a one-cent check I just opened from CSI Miami.

49:21Rich Eisen:And his answer was like, I guess you don't. One cent? One cent? Hell yeah, I'm going to cash it. What a delight. Nnamdi Asamoah is just awesome. I'm a little mad. Great. Love that, dude. I'm not kidding. Like, the rest of his family was one doctorate, like brain surgery after another. and I'm like Nandi when you said you wanted to play football did they look at you like what's your problem you know now he's doing all this great stuff too it's awesome fun show right now everybody fun show by the way Eric Stone Street texted me during the commercial break jokingly that he couldn't tell us what he knew yesterday he did not know he learned just like the rest of us Wow.

50:06Rich Eisen:That it is not fake. Look who's down on a knee. The gym teacher. It does look like a gym teacher. I'm so happy. This is great. And again, that they're happy, that it's real, and not only their love is real, it's as real and as solid a bond as the new cell phone policy in Xander's school. Still haven't heard from Xander? I have not heard. Oh, my gosh. Yeah, she must be freaking out. Oh, I'm head over heels for that.

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51:11Rich Eisen:1-800-CONTACTS