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May 15, 2026 41 mins

NFL reporter Albert Breer peels back the curtain on the NFL schedule-making process and discusses how the league's focus remains casual audience expansion. Golf analyst Scott Van Pelt paints a picture of the brutal conditions at this year's PGA Championship and emphasizes Scottie Scheffler's must-watch presence. And longtime friend Rich Eisen looks back on days at Sportscenter with Dan, explains how the NFL schedule release has transformed into a full-scale social media event, and wishes DP a very happy birthday. 

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You are listening to the Dan Patrick Show on Fox
Sports Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Albert Breer is the Monday Morning quarterback senior NFL reporter,
and he joins this. Now, Albert, I was so curious
about when the NFL was building its schedule. How long
is this process and how do you start how do
you finish?

Speaker 3 (00:21):
Well?

Speaker 4 (00:21):
First of all, happy for youth birthday, Dan.

Speaker 3 (00:24):
Thank you, thank you.

Speaker 4 (00:25):
Yeah, it actually starts like the minute the regular season ends,
because at that point of course we know who's playing who.
And you know, this has changed over the years. I
remember when I first started doing this story, and you know,
Peter King did it at such a high level for
so many years and covering all of this, but it

(00:46):
almost seemed like at first it was like, you know,
when I first started doing this, it was sort of
like a tournament almost the way that they would narrow
it and narrow it and narrow it. And it's not
really that way anymore. They run like a hard to
call number of combinations through their computers and through you
know what they do with aws, and you know, I

(01:08):
what they wind up what they spit out about six
thousand what they would call playable schedules, right like based
on all the filters they have and everything else. And
then you know, from those six thousand, they narrow that
down and they find what they call the leader, and
then over the last couple of weeks, you know, the
leader is pitted against other schedules where they actually go

(01:30):
through it like by hand and compare one to the next,
and can you beat the leader?

Speaker 3 (01:35):
And the leader usually gets the leader.

Speaker 4 (01:37):
Might get knocked off, and then another schedule becomes the leader,
and now you try to beat that one until you
come up with what you you end up with, which
was you know, Tuesday Afternoon, I believe it was. They
had the final final edition that they had.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
But how do you keep score of you got a
leader in the clubhouse? And then a how does another
schedule get better than the one that you think is
going to be the Well, I.

Speaker 4 (02:00):
Think it's like, you know, you you go through it
and then you troubleshoot, like, okay, like here are five
issues because none of us gonna be perfect, right, so
here are five issues that we have with this schedule
and is there one that could solve those issues?

Speaker 3 (02:12):
And then you know.

Speaker 4 (02:13):
It's like, all right, well those five issues are solved,
but now there are seven issues over here, you know,
So I think they try to get it to the
point where there are enough, where there are there there
there is perfect enough, I guess is the way to
put it. And look like I think the huge part
of this, as you know, is like how they've you know,

(02:34):
like how many demands they have from their partners now
from the networks, from the streaming partners. Like I try
to explain this to people, you know, I think if
you go back fifteen or twenty years, there were tiers
to how much these were these costs the networks, right,
so in other words, like ESPN was paying x amount
less for Monday Night Football than what you know, NBC

(02:56):
was playing paying for Sunday Night Football. So it was
very easy for the NFL to go to ESPN say, well,
you know, NBC is paying this much more than you are,
so you know tough, you know, like you're gonna get
a worse schedule now, I'd say, you know, especially with
the latest rounds of negotiations, those numbers are closer, and
everybody's paying an astronomical amount to broadcast these games, and

(03:19):
you want them to keep paying that amount. So like
they're trying to keep everybody happy, and there's more equity
I think across the board, which is why they've turned
every game into a free agent, which is why they're
more you know, like they put like a higher level
of demands on teams. Like I don't know if you
sell the Rams schedule, but it is a gauntlet when
it comes to travel in short weeks and all that

(03:40):
different stuff. You know, it's why Like if you look
at it now, and this is I mean, you remember there
was a time Dame when everybody played at least one
primetime game. Well now there are more primetime games, but
there are more teams maxing out too.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
There are eight teams and I can name them.

Speaker 4 (03:55):
I can pull them up here. There are eight teams
that Matt they're playing either six or seven primetime games.
I guess these would be the marquee teams right. Those
eight are the Cowboys, Eagles, Bears, Packers, Seahawks, Bills, Chiefs,
and Rams. Meanwhile, there are five teams the Jets, Titans, Raiders, Cardinals,
and Dolphins that aren't playing any primetime.

Speaker 3 (04:15):
Games as well.

Speaker 4 (04:17):
So like the rules of engagement here have changed.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
And you know, I think as if March Manning is
with the Raiders. Yeah, this year, the Raiders have a
primetime game.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Oh yeah, yeah, but Fernando Mendoza is not going to
get it.

Speaker 3 (04:33):
We don't know when he's going to play. You don't
know what he's gonna play.

Speaker 4 (04:35):
Yeah, right, Like so if you're going to put them
in a primetime window, you might do it later in
the year and you can always flex and that sort
of thing. But yeah, I mean, it's it's you know,
that's a huge part of it, you know, you know,
I think it's just it's the curb appeal of each
of these teams. And it's it's not like necessarily getting
you or I because we're probably gonna be sitting there

(04:56):
on the couch anyway watching the games. You know, it's
it's how do you get like the AuAl f the
more casual fan engaged. And you know a lot of
times with the teams that are further down the line,
that are worse teams, you know, like you have to
have something that you can kind of wrap your arms
around from a storyline perspective, and you know, those five

(05:16):
teams like I, you know, you can see where the
storylines are sort of lacking with.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
Those would you have opened up with Seattle facing New
England in a Super Bowl remat.

Speaker 4 (05:27):
This is an interesting question because I think you do.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
Like I've gotten a lot.

Speaker 4 (05:31):
Of questions over the last twenty four hours on like
how much the Vrabel storyline has to do with this.

Speaker 3 (05:36):
I actually think it might now.

Speaker 4 (05:39):
I asked Hans Schroeder, who's you know, the head of
broadcasting in the NFL, about this yesterday and he said
it didn't But if you want to be a cynic about.

Speaker 3 (05:47):
This, yeah, I don't think they would be honest with
you on that, Albert.

Speaker 4 (05:50):
Yeah, I mean I don't need and if you want
to be a cynic about it, like like, it's the
same thing with the Super Bowl. You know, you got
everybody bitching in moment out who the halftime show is
every year. Again, that's not about like the football fan.
That's about pulling in the casual viewer. And I think
you know, if you put Mike Brable in the the

(06:12):
the in that Wednesday night slot, there might be some
curiosity from people like that don't really follow the league
like you or I do, that are like, oh yeah,
like I remember that story back in May and June.
Maybe I won't go out for that Hike. You know,
this afternoon, maybe I will sit down and watch football
this afternoon because I want to see I want like

(06:32):
an update on where things are with that guy that
I was paying so much attention to and my social
media was plastered with through you know, April and May.
If you want to be a cynic, you can look
at it that way, where you could say, okay, if
it was the Patriots or the Bears, like the Patriots
might have more appeal to the casual fan because of
the tabloid nature of the story that we've all been

(06:53):
you know, like it seems like America has been locked
in on over the last month or so. You know,
I personally think from a football perspective, the Bears might
have been the more interesting team.

Speaker 3 (07:05):
It's a bigger market, you know, And I agree with Caleb.

Speaker 4 (07:08):
There's like more curiosity with Caleb Williams that the Super
Bowl wasn't very competitive, So do you want to see
that again? You know, I think from a pure football perspective,
Chicago might have actually made more sense.

Speaker 3 (07:21):
But as we all know, it's it's bigger than just that.

Speaker 2 (07:24):
I am curious about football night in America. Somebody is
going to do a sit down with Mike Grabel. I'm
going to guess getting ready to show you that game.
I'm curious how much of this off the field, that
Diana Russini portion of this Mike Grabel's story can come
up in an interview that is maybe not football related,

(07:49):
it's almost football adjacent. So can you if you send
Jason Garrett to do a sit down, you know, one
on one, Yeah, what can you add ask that would
be pertinent to the actual game itself while also acknowledging
that this has to have been a distraction this right,

(08:09):
you know, he left the last day of the draft
to go to counseling.

Speaker 3 (08:14):
So how do you make it a sports.

Speaker 4 (08:16):
Story if I was on the other end, if I
was sitting across from him in that setting, and I'm
Jason Garrett or I'm Rodney Harrison or whoever else. First
of all, I think part of it is relative to
whether or not he's done the whatever you want to
call it, the Today Show interview between now and then, right,

(08:40):
because if he has actually sat down and addressed it
in full, it'd be easier for you, if you're NBC,
to just say, well, we've all moved on from that
he's addressed it. If he hasn't addressed it by then,
then I think it becomes the elephant in the room
if you don't address it right like, because if it's
still sitting out there, something that hasn't been you know,

(09:01):
fully vetted or gone through in that sort of setting,
and you're the first one to get in one on
one sins this happened, then I think it becomes the
elephant in the room if you don't address it, you know.
So I think like just from you know, having been
in those sorts of seats before and you know, interviewing
people in these sorts of settings, it does.

Speaker 3 (09:21):
Part of it does ride on how.

Speaker 4 (09:22):
Much of the subject matter has already been covered, you know.
And then I think the other piece of it is
just kind of like you know, you you if you
want to keep it in the football context, like the
football context of it is relatively easy, like how did
does this affect, you know, the way that you did
your job in April and May and June, And how
did it affect your relationship with your players? And you've

(09:44):
preached about, you know, about family and welcome so many
people's you know, spouses and children into the building and
you've made it that environment, Like, has this in any
way affected your ability to do that? Like, I think
that there are there are fair questions, and look like
Mike's a logical guy. Mike's a really smart guy. I
think Mike deep down is a really good, really good guy.

(10:07):
You know, I really believe that I've known him since
he was a player, Like I think I think it's
he's a really good human being, you know, Like at
his core, I think he understands that this sort of
question is going to come, you know, and I think
he's smart enough to navigate it. And uh, you know,
if we could all be grown ups about it, Like,
I think he would answer questions on it. Now that's

(10:28):
just me talking, but like, you know, I think as
long as it wouldn't adversely affect the other people in
his life, which is the wild card and all this,
How does this affect his wife? How does this affect
his sons? I think, you know, he would be I like,
I like, I'd imagine, like you know, he would he would,
he would take the questions, and I don't like it.

(10:48):
I think he understands the way all this works. He's again,
like he's been in the public eye for so long,
for more than half of his life. I think he
kind of he kind of gets the rules of engagement here.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
I'm talking to Albert Brier the Monday Morning quarterback. How
close are we too? Every team will have an international game?

Speaker 3 (11:08):
You mean every year?

Speaker 4 (11:09):
Yeah, as soon as we get eighteen games, I think
it happens.

Speaker 3 (11:12):
Okay, And when is eighteen games happening? Well?

Speaker 4 (11:15):
I mean like there's still that thing hanging out there
that there's no date for the super Bowl after the
twenty twenty seven season in Atlanta, you know, Like so
I like that to me has been sort of the
smoking gun on what their plans are for a long time.

Speaker 3 (11:29):
Now.

Speaker 4 (11:29):
You know, the NFLPA has new leadership JC Tretters and
is the executive director. What's his stance on eighteen games?
They haven't been that public about it yet, They let
their let their feelings have been known on other subjects
like the grass versus turf debate and all of that.
So you got to figure all of that out.

Speaker 3 (11:48):
You know, I did.

Speaker 4 (11:49):
I did ask Peter O'Reilly, who's the head of events
for the NFL a month or two ago, Like when
you actually have to set the date for that Atlanta
super Bowl, and he's said you would have to set
it like before the start of the season, before that
Super Bowl year, so that will be the start of
this season.

Speaker 3 (12:08):
So you can you can, you can you.

Speaker 4 (12:12):
Move fast enough now to get something in place and
agreement in place for the twenty seven season. I think
we're that close of where the owners want to do it.
Whether or not they can pull it off that fast.
They can't make that decision unilaterally, so it's a lot
of it's going to come down to the players of cooperation.
But I will say this, like, I think when they
go to eighteen games, I think we're talking about a
sixteen game schedule of international and I think then the

(12:34):
rhythm becomes for teams that you play internationally once a year,
and one year that means nine home games, eight road games,
and a neutral site, and then the following year eight
home games, nine road games, and a neutral site.

Speaker 3 (12:49):
Are there any more live windows for the NFL to
go after.

Speaker 4 (12:59):
That's a good question.

Speaker 2 (13:01):
I mean, I I mean Friday night's off limits because
of high school football.

Speaker 4 (13:06):
As a high school football right, and then Saturday is
off limits because of college football and the rules there.
And I think they should respect those by the way,
you know. I mean, like Netflix has kind of like
created this like events package almost, I think is what
they would refer to it as, where they have a
week one game, a week eighteen game, two on Christmas

(13:27):
and one on Thanksgiving Eve. I just don't know what
the holiday would be outside of what they've already covered,
you know what I mean. And I think you see
like the breaking point where they need more inventory. I
had a look at the master schedule yesterday morning, and
so I'm going through it trying to digest as much
as I can. And what was really jarring to me

(13:49):
Dan was looking at week sixteen, and in week sixteen,
which is the Christmas week, they have a Christmas Eve game,
three Christmas Day games, two Saturday games, a Monday game,
a Sunday night game, and so that Sunday afternoon window.
CBS had two games in the early window. Fox had
two games in the early window, and then they had

(14:09):
one a piece in the late window, and that was it.
And two games are going to fall out from the
Saturday cluster, so it'll be a little more than that.
But this, I think it shows why they want eighteen games,
because they want more inventory. But it also shows there
may be a little bit of a breaking point as
far as like do we still respect Sunday as like

(14:30):
what you and I grew up watching was like this
is like massive buffet of football, you know, and Sunday at.

Speaker 3 (14:38):
One o'clock and four o'clock. I love that, you know
what I mean?

Speaker 5 (14:41):
So I'd hate to see that go away.

Speaker 4 (14:43):
So it's just gonna be interesting to see the way
that that that that that's handled. I just don't know
where the extra windows would be. Maybe it's Labor Day
and they they they they they go in on Labor
Day and try to turn that into a big kickoff weekend.
If they don't want to move the super Bowl even
further back, and they do want to end the second
they do want to have the second bye week, that

(15:04):
will be one one area I just could see them
going in. I'm not sure where the next broadcast one knows,
but if it's out there, I guarantee you that they're
gonna find it.

Speaker 2 (15:12):
Thank you, Albert, have a great weekend, awesome thanks DP.
Happy birthday, Albert Breer they like to call him Bert.

Speaker 1 (15:19):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan
Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 6 (15:29):
Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning
on my podcast, Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't
your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down
your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions
on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help
you win big at the sports book.

Speaker 1 (15:49):
And all the best guests.

Speaker 6 (15:50):
Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with
Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your podcasts.

Speaker 2 (16:01):
Scott Van Pelt SportsCenter anchor, Monday Night Countdown host, golf host.
He's there on the call for ESPN's coverage of the
PGA Championship Round two, starting at noon eastern. Van pas
good to talk to you. What's the atmosphere like there
outside of Philadelphia?

Speaker 7 (16:20):
Well, I please, if I may, from my heart, happy
birthday to you. My only gift is my presence. I
don't know that that's much of a president, but thank
you and happy birthday from Philly. It is carnage out here, man.
I am shocked. It is so much more difficult than
we thought it would be. It's much windier than I

(16:41):
think anyone projected. The whole locations are tough. Guys are
backing up, great scene. It's the sports fans in the
Philadelphia area are phenomenal. They're coming out and I think
throughout the weekend it'll only get more crowded and more voluminists.
But right now it is a struggle for the best
in the world.

Speaker 2 (16:58):
Give me your dream matchup on Sunday. What would you
hope to see.

Speaker 7 (17:04):
I mean, when Scotty's in the mix, I think he's
the He's the the yardstick at the moment, and anyone
that from that zip code. I mean, it's hard to
say Rory now just because he's so far out of
it after yesterday. Although if he shoots a couple under,
he's still in the mix. But I mean, look, Scotty
Rory would be fun, just because we've really never seen

(17:25):
it Dan at this point. And that's the thing about golf,
you know, for years we tried to manufacture, Man, how
cool would it be of Tiger and Phil. Well, there's
one hundred and fifty six guys out here, and there's
four days of your life and it's all got a
funnel correctly, But Scotty against any world class player would
be fun just because Scotty's been so consistently brilliant.

Speaker 2 (17:44):
Do you think or what has to happen for us
to root for Scotty to see his greatness the way
we did Tiger?

Speaker 5 (17:52):
Totally different people, right, I.

Speaker 7 (17:54):
Mean it's it's not Lebron and Jordan because those are
different air is then I guess to look, Tiger and
Scotty are different areas as well. But Tiger made people
feel and there was another electricity to him. There is
a completely different feeling with Scotty. He's not emotionless, but
he doesn't outwardly show it a lot. And so I

(18:17):
think that the respect for Scotty's greatness, I don't know
how you could withhold it at this point, but I
don't know that he plays in a way that moves
people to feel passionately about man.

Speaker 5 (18:29):
I can't wait to watch it, I thought.

Speaker 7 (18:31):
Paul McGinley of the Golf Channel did an awesome job
last night of describing Scotty's first round about the technical
brilliance of it. Well, he shot sixty seven and he
just thought his way around the golf course. You know,
Tiger felt like he forever had that one shot right
Dan that would just make you jump up out of
your seat. And I guess s Sheffler doesn't do that
quite as much. But I would just say that really

(18:51):
comparing anyone to Tiger is kind of a fool's Errand because.

Speaker 5 (18:54):
He's singular, you know, he's the only one of him
that were likely to ever see in our life.

Speaker 3 (19:00):
Scheffler is like Pete Sampras in tennis.

Speaker 7 (19:03):
Perfectly said, you know, perfectly said, and and you know
Pete was an all time great. But I mean, did
he move people in the same way that maybe a
Federer did. Probably not.

Speaker 2 (19:13):
I think Deshambo if he had Scheffler's success and was
playing on tour, Scheffler moves the needle or Deshambo moves
the needle from the standpoint of you're like, oh wow,
And he's got personality attached to that as well. I
just don't know if we're going to see that anytime,
certainly not seeing it this weekend there. But like his

(19:36):
future on the PGA tour is what in your opinion.

Speaker 5 (19:40):
For de Shambo, I don't know.

Speaker 7 (19:42):
I mean the suggestion that he could go be a
YouTube player and then just show up and play in
the majors. I mean, I don't that's just not a
realistic thought. You have to you have to be competitive,
competitively sharp to come out here and play the hardest
courses in the world against the best players the world.
And you know, your reference to Shambeau, we saw I

(20:04):
think the height of his popularity when he won at Tinehurst,
and that was an immensely popular victory and he hit
a shot of a lifetime to beat Rory there, and
you know that to me was sort of his peak
moment of power. And you could do that, be an influencer,
be a YouTube player, and I'm sure you could monetize

(20:24):
that and make a pile, but ultimately, you make your
bones in this game and your legend in this game
being a major championship player. And you know, he got
off to a horrific start, didn't play well with the Masters,
and missed the cut there with with a triple on
the last on Fridays. So you know, I think for
your popularity to continue to ascend, or at least maintain
its place, you need to be part of the weekend

(20:46):
story in the biggest tournaments of the year.

Speaker 2 (20:48):
I also wonder and watching the coverage yesterday with these greens,
that there are fast greens and then there are greens
that are punishing, and these are you know, we've played Augusta,
and yes, those are challenging greens. They're nothing like some
of these other courses around the world. If they really

(21:08):
want to dress it up and say you're going to
be three under and win, Augusta doesn't want the Masters,
doesn't want three under. They want birdies and eagles and roars.
This the US Open, like they want to humble a
little bit here.

Speaker 7 (21:24):
Yes, but I'm shocked, I mean legitimately shocked because for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
I wander around out here with these you know, the
best in the world, which is it's so much fun,
right you get to see them and how they're going
to play this golf course, and they had driver wedge
into these greens, and I thought, yeah, the greens are
really really challenging, and they could put the.

Speaker 5 (21:43):
Whole locations in spots that would make it very difficult.

Speaker 7 (21:46):
But I thought low was in the offing, and so
did everybody else, all the players, all the folks you
talk to on the range are like, yeah, this is
mid teens or you know, literally like fifteen under.

Speaker 3 (21:57):
Is going to win.

Speaker 5 (21:58):
Well, they the winds, and they have.

Speaker 7 (22:01):
Put the whole location through two days in some spots
that are incredibly difficult, so it feels more like, Look,
the weather feels like the Open Championship, the leaderboard looks
like a US Open.

Speaker 5 (22:13):
And normally in the PGA you see him go low.

Speaker 7 (22:16):
Now the weather could change, it could get warmer, and
they could give him some more accessible whole locations, and
I would think the PGA of America would because I
don't think they want to see, you know, the best
in the world that are really not able to hit
shots that are rewarded.

Speaker 5 (22:29):
That's I don't know who wants to see that.

Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yeah, I always get that when somebody says, boy, I
like to see them struggle like we do, and I go,
I don't like watching you play, So why would I
want to see the great golfers play like that?

Speaker 5 (22:41):
Right?

Speaker 7 (22:41):
And the thing about that Dan, you know, the six
or the ten or the eighteen handicapper that wants to
sit down, pop a beer on the couch, and I
want to see Scottie Scheffler shoot seventy eight. Buddy, if
you played out here, you'd shoot one hundred and fifty.

Speaker 5 (22:57):
I promise you.

Speaker 2 (22:59):
Thanks for making some time. I know that you guys
are going to start at noon Eastern. Thank you again, Scott.
You have a good weekend.

Speaker 7 (23:05):
Sincerely, man, happy birthday. Can continue success in everything. You're
an inspiration. I mean you've been in inspiration for years.
If you'll let me say something kind to you, I
just appreciate your friendship and your kindness all these years.

Speaker 5 (23:16):
Dan, you're the best.

Speaker 2 (23:17):
All those years I was trying to pry you away
from the Golf channel. I kept saying, Scotti, you're wasting
your talents there. Come on and you go. I got
a great gig here, and you did. But we're grateful
that you did come to the Mothership, my man. Thank
you all right, buddy.

Speaker 1 (23:36):
At Scott van Pelp. Fox Sports Radio has the best
sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our
shows at Foxsports Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio
app search FSR to listen live.

Speaker 2 (23:49):
Rich Eisen's here he is, of course NFL Game Day
Morning and the Rich Eisen Show on the Mothership. And
now you have this was Sports Center limited podcast series
that you're doing interviews with Sports Center anchors including me.

Speaker 3 (24:05):
That's right later today, later today?

Speaker 2 (24:07):
What exactly is the platform here? What do we just reminiscing?

Speaker 3 (24:13):
That's it? You and I have done this before, Yes
we have, and it's just gonna it's a fun series
that it's mostly in the can. But you're the missing piece. Wait,
how many of these interviews have you done? I've done
five already, Okay, and you are the you're the lead.
Guess you're the one who's We're coming out of the
shoot on June fifth on Disney Plus and the ESPN

(24:35):
app and my YouTube channel and wherever you get your podcasts,
because you could watch it and listen to it, Okay,
and you know, I mean the nostalgia of when we
did what we did, you know, or you were doing
before I even arrived, you know with Ko and Berman
and you know Bob Lee and Robin and Charlie. I mean,

(24:58):
I can go down the whole lane. He here. Who
are the other anchors that you've I interviewed Chris Berman
at the Super Bowl and Chris Fowler then stopped off
in my l A show studio after coming back from
the Australian Open, so I interviewed him there, Mike Greenberg

(25:18):
in New York, and then just this past week I
interviewed Linda Cohne and Kilby Lord Kilby, oh Kill, Craig Kilbourne,
Craig Killer Killer, he told some, He told some, He
spun some yards Dan, including on just But it's just fun,

(25:38):
like I provide the memories that I have. Obviously, you know,
you and I go way back, and you know and
how I first arrived there and and some fun stories
about that. And Craig got he He and I overlapped
by about three months. And I'll never forget. He took

(25:58):
me to dinner, he asked, because we were doing a
two am sports center. He said, Spark, do you want
to go to dinner? And I'm like sure. We hopped
in his car and he took me through the Kenny
Rogers roll in Roaster Drive three Yeah, in Southington, beautiful
downtown Southington, Cannet. That wasn't Plainville, that was South it
was Southington, Okay, And I'll never forget him. After we

(26:22):
ordered our chicken, he turns to me and he proceeds
to tell me that he's got another job offer and
should he take it? And I'm like, again, I'm twenty six.
I just showed up from reading California. This might have
been like my tenth sports center I ever did. I'm like,
why is he even asking me this? And he described
the Daily Show to me and I'm like, sounds great. Man, like,

(26:45):
let's go do it if that's what make you happy. Honestly,
I didn't know him from Adam, so to recount that
story with him, now you know about thirty years later,
not about it is thirty years later. That's what the
show's all about. You know. Have you reached out to
Keith Oberman? I have, indeed, and I try to interview

(27:05):
him when I was in New York recently, but schedules
just didn't align. But he'll he's up for doing it.
Who else? But that's this is just for the first season.
I'm just doing six just to get this ball rolling.
But I told you this, and this is you know,
no surprise. I mean, you're the only person I'd want

(27:26):
to be the first guest of this series because of
what you've meant to me and what you did mean
to me back then, what you mean to so many people,
and you know, and I appreciate you doing it. The
older I get, the better I was though, rich, is
that what it is? I think so, because you know
when you're doing it.

Speaker 2 (27:47):
When we did Sports Center, yeah, you're just trying to
survive because it's really really competitive. And I told people that.
I tell people that it was cutthroat. Oh yeah, like
it wasn't. Hey, we're we're rooting for you. You had
people who were circling, you know, the Sports Center set,
waiting for somebody to keel over so they could sit

(28:07):
in the chair.

Speaker 3 (28:08):
Well, and this is something that I plan on talking
with you later. I mean when when Ko left and
your seat was open, it was on. I mean it
was way on for everybody wanted that seat next to
you in the worst way, at least I know I did.
That was a bad time.

Speaker 2 (28:24):
It's a bad time for me because I didn't want
to pick Keith's successor. I wanted management to do it right,
because I wanted them to be on the hook for
that person to sit in Keith's chair, which that's you know,
almost irreplaceable, you know, trying to get somebody to sit

(28:45):
in there. And so I turned it around to management.
I said, tell me who you want to watch at night? Right,
And I mean, I had my thoughts, but I was worried.
Were we going to try to recreate Keith and Dan?
And I didn't want to do that because it wasn't
fair whoever sat there. And then I thought, well, Linda

(29:06):
Cone could sit in and then there won't be any comparison.
And then they came back to me. I'm on a
scouting trip with my son. I have no contact with anybody.
They say they're going to make the decision over the
next two days, and all of a sudden, I go
to a convenience store to get a six pack of
beer because I couldn't survive the scouting trip without having beer,

(29:29):
even though they frowned upon that you could lose a
merit badge or something like that. And I see my phone.
It's got a message and it says we're going to
go with Kenny Main. And I called my boss and
I said, I got your message, okay, and that was it.

Speaker 3 (29:47):
Well, because we all assumed that you would be giving
two cents, I did not, and that had to be
you know, I had to be tough for you. But
I mean, again, this is the sort of stuff that
this show, This Was Sports Center is all of out
like diving into this behind the scenes that sure, no,
I can to the airport. Can we just clip and save?

(30:09):
But yeah, like and and I think fans can't get
enough of it, you know, and when you came back
and did your show with with with Keith, you know
a few years ago, when you did your show with Kilbourne,
because we he and I talked about that that was
the last time he did Sports Center. Fans can't get
enough of it, Dan, they really can't. I mean, I

(30:31):
did it twice in the last year, and the reaction
that I got was overwhelming and obviously humbling and awesome.
It's just a different time and and and that's why
I'm just diving straight into the nostalgia.

Speaker 2 (30:45):
He's Rich Izon joining us here in the man Cave
and the podcast This Was Sports Center taking off the
This is Sports Center campaign June fifth on Disney Plus ESPN,
the Rich Iison Show as well. The schedule really, yes, sir,
when did it become When we.

Speaker 3 (31:05):
Were starting NFL Network and we're like, what are we
going to do in between games being played? And you know,
and how are we going to follow through on the
branding that we put out there. The very first NFL
Network Super Bowl commercial was in two thousand and four

(31:28):
after we launched an three in the middle of the
Patriots and Panthers Super Bowl, Jake Dilone versus Tom Brady,
and it was right was that Jane Jackson Sir, which
mean and And this commercial was amazing because they we
got the rights to Tomorrow from Annie, and we had

(31:51):
Jerry Jones and Bill Parcells and Warren Sapp and uh
Terrell Owens and all the stars of the day singing
Tomorrow because the day after the Super Bowl is when
NFL Network you should still tune in because everybody's O
and O, all thirty two teams are active and we're
going to be all over it. That was the branding
of the commercial and I'll never forget it. I found

(32:14):
a TV in the stadium in a in a suite.
I snuck in so I could see the commercial. It
was very big for me and everybody that worked there.
And then it was in the commercial pod right after halftime.
Nobody saw it. Not a soul saw the commercial. As
a matter of fact, it was the most rewound TiVo

(32:36):
moment in the history of that DVR, so nobody saw
the commercial, but we had to come We had to
follow through on it, though, Dan. We had to start
coming up with things that we had to cover, and
one of the first things we came up with was
what if we eventized the schedule being released, Like what
if we're celebrating paperwork, you know what I mean, which

(32:57):
is basically what it is, the same thing with the draft.
It's just that, is it. I mean, like you could
do the NFL Draft like your fantasy league and do
it in two hours and be done with it. But
it's a show. And now it's something massive where it's
like the super Bowl for every team's social media group
and they've been better out of them and great at

(33:18):
it that these are these are fun videos to watch
and now it's a big thing. And now you know,
the NFL times it with their ten different partners and
all the upfronts and everybody announces a game here, in
a game there, and I think it just it just
gives the NFL a big splash in the middle of May.
Right now. Is there such a thing as too much football?

(33:43):
I don't think so, do you? I think we will.

Speaker 2 (33:48):
I think we're inching closer to are you going to
watch all the games?

Speaker 3 (33:53):
Well, I think you're You're asking a lot of people
when you know, Thanksgiving is one thing. Hey, we're all
sitting around, we don't want to talk to each other.
Let's watch a game. Or you've spoken to each other enough,
let's watch a game. And there's three of them. Now
it's a Wednesday and a Friday with the three in
the middle. If I'm the NBA, I'm like, you're looking

(34:15):
at that Christmas Day triple header? Oh? They just those
and the NFL. You could see the NFL is deciding
to just keep on raising the ante on those holiday specials. Yeah,
I mean the Thanksgiving games used to be, you know,
two games and it didn't matter who the Lions or
the Cowboys were playing. Now, you know, last year they

(34:37):
put the Chiefs in Dallas fifty seven million viewers for
that one. And the NFL is like, all right, let's
let's see if they, you know, this year last year
can hold this year's beer. And they decide to put
the Eagles in Dallas after the Bears and the Lions
before the Chiefs and the Bills. And that's after the
Rams and the Packers kick it off on a Wednesday,
and the Steelers and the Broncos have at it on

(34:59):
a Friday. So that's asking a lot of people to
watch all five.

Speaker 2 (35:04):
Well, I think we're doing a disservice to Sunday afternoon schedules,
Like I worry about that, where we're kind of kicking
games to the curb, you know, like Sunday at one
and Sunday at four thirty. Sunday night is still going
to be special with NBC.

Speaker 3 (35:18):
Okay, so you're lighting a candle for Scott Hansen? Is
that what you're saying?

Speaker 1 (35:21):
Right?

Speaker 3 (35:24):
Scott got one game? One game a red game. It's
a red game. It's not even a zone anymore game.
All right, Well, they're on the twenty three yard line
and it's for sure. What happens to the NFL network?
Oh what do you mean now? Well, the games are now,

(35:46):
they're still on NFL Network. There's seven of them, five International,
two others. Nothing changes though with the marriage.

Speaker 2 (35:53):
No.

Speaker 3 (35:53):
I have been told Sunday Game Day Morning that I'm
hosting is the same, and so is the combine in
the draft. If we're gonna we're still gonna have the combine.
We're gonna have the draft. The rest of it. I mean,
we didn't have a schedule release show for the first
time in years. I don't. I don't know if that's
an indication other than just you know.

Speaker 2 (36:13):
But do you want to be introduced as ESPN's Richison
or the NFL Networks rich Ion?

Speaker 3 (36:18):
How about you know your your good friend here on
your birthday?

Speaker 2 (36:20):
Oh? I know, but I have to say I don't
know the NFL Networks Richison who also works for the
Mother show, The.

Speaker 3 (36:26):
Rich Isison Shows Richison just so because you could say
my name twice in the same sentence. Okay, product placement there,
Oh yeah, but it's all about the branding. But no,
it doesn't matter to me. But it's pretty wild to me.
It's I'll tell this story to you when I went
back and I did Sports Center in Bristol, or did
I tell you this one? I called you the Today whatever,
I'll tell it here because you know, twenty three years ago,

(36:49):
I got handed a cardboard box.

Speaker 2 (36:52):
And I was with you remains, Yes, sir, I was escorted.

Speaker 3 (36:59):
Man. I went in and then I was escorted, and
then Pete mcconvall and Gus Ramsey. You know you're was
I there when you got escorted. I don't think so
twenty three years ago, but I was there and they
helped me clear out my apartment after I got escorted.
So I had a cardboard box. And when I went
back this time, I wore my show gear. I wore

(37:21):
a Rich Eisen Show like pullover. And I did that
on purpose because I'm like, you know what I'm gonna do.
I'm gonna wear my show gear because I'm a partner
of the ESPN. I'm not just an employee. I'm a partner,
Damn straight, Okay, and I'm a partner. I'm gonna walk
through that same door with my show gear that I
walked out of with my cardboard box I was escorted out.

(37:42):
And not only could I not find that place when
I first got there because it's a totally different spot.
I finally found it and it's now a brick wall.
So I'm like, okay, I'm so glad I spent all
that energy on that, but it's just totally changed. It's
totally changed. But it's wild that, you know, I have
an ESPN ID now and I am an ESPN employee again,

(38:08):
working for the spot that I left to go start.
It's you can't make it up. You know, it's wild.

Speaker 2 (38:13):
When I went back after ten years and I was
on with Van Pelt and I showed up at the
security desk with Paulie, and I didn't want to go back.
I still had bad feelings there and some things that
happened behind the scenes. But Scott said, hey, look, I'm
launching this show. Will you please come on? I said yes,
I'll do it for you. I get there at the

(38:33):
security desk and the guy goes, I d please. I said,
I helped build this place. Yeah, and then he goes,
I still need an idea, so he gave me a
Hello my name is Dan, So he gave me a
name tag, which I wore on the show with Van Pelt.

(38:55):
I'm like all right, and then I remember the producer
Mike McQuaid goes.

Speaker 3 (38:59):
Hey, can you take that off? And go no, no Q,
I'm gonna wear this.

Speaker 2 (39:03):
I you know they don't This guy didn't care, didn't know,
didn't matter, Yes, Polly and rich.

Speaker 3 (39:09):
On the way out, Dan lit up the tires and
did a patch.

Speaker 2 (39:12):
Did are you seriously? I had my truck, I had
a boy. And then I'm like, all right for you,
and I burned my burned rubber.

Speaker 3 (39:21):
It's so funny because when I did this Sports Center
a few weeks ago, I showed up early and they
had it. They have this terrific team there for special
pieces and features involving Sports Center, and we shot a
you know of this was Sports Center kind of mock

(39:42):
up old school commercial based on my return and one
of the segments or parts of the piece was I
walk up and my card doesn't work. And so the
guy we had, this guy in New York accident was
really working behind the security deak screen. Can I see

(40:02):
some ID? And I held up a picture of me
and Stuart from like thirty years ago, and the guy goes, really,
that's the sort of thing you're talking about, Like, you know,
I've been here, you know, like you did with Keith
and all of the colleagues you had in the day,
created something incredibly special, man that it still resonates today.

(40:24):
It's part of your fan base as you sit in
that chair, and it's also part of the reason why
you know, Van Pelt says, I want you to please
come and why I'm physically here and appreciate your doing
this on your birthday because you know, you deserve it.
I know you don't like people talking about you, but

(40:44):
it's the truth, man, right you the man? Well, take
a break. It's a meat Friday if you want to
join us. I have already seen what's going down out there,
and I would be offended if you asked me to leave,
all right.

Speaker 2 (40:56):
To be honest, you'll be able to see this episode
June fifth on Disney Plus ESPN The Rich Eisen Show
YouTube channel wherever you get your podcast. Rich Eisen of
NFL Network, ESPN, ESPN, NFL slash Nets
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