May 5, 2014 • 49 mins
Just three days away from the 2014 NFL Draft, Rich Eisen is joined by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and actor/comedian Tracy Morgan on this special edition podcast. Find out where the draft could be headed as Goodell hints at potentially moving the 3-day event from New York City to Los Angeles or Chicago in the coming years. Plus, Eisen and Goodell discuss playoff expansion, HGH testing and the future of Thursday Night Football. Next, actor and comedian Tracy Morgan stops by with jokes galore, explaining what it was like growing up as a New York Giants fan and which players he rooted for as a child. Morgan shares his thoughts on working on the NBC sitcom “30 Rock”, preparing for his comedytour “Turn it Funny”, and his daily life as a new father. Don’t forget to catch “The Rich Eisen Draft Special” Tuesday at 10:30pm ET on NFL Network. Enjoy, and as always, thanks for downloading!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Could not be more pleased to have back on the
Rich Eyes and podcast Matt Damon's are you one of
those Patriot fans that takes flee in the jets and
the butt fumbling? I made the Liberati movie this year,
so that's fine. Fumbling in that movie. Just a wee
little bit. Larry David could deceive you, sir. I think
a lot of writers can be offensive coordinators. What's harder?
If I could write stories, why would I be able
(00:22):
to draw up a play? He is none other than
Broadway Joe name it if mark word to get the nod?
And if he played decently? If if? What a big words?
Only two letters? Huh, Bobby kind of vall told you
about Derek Jeter story Yankees Atlanta the World series, screaming, screaming, screaming, nothing, nothing, nothing.
(00:45):
He doesn't even look at me. Finally, last at that
a Thinnings Jeter comes up. Just turn around, man, just
turn around. Finally he like, don't he does the thing
with the way he's about to go up. He turns around,
he looks at me, goes bro, I hear you, however, one,
and thanks for joining us. I'm Richard Oisen. I don't
(01:06):
download many podcasts, but when I do, I prefer Rich
Eyes and Podcast. Is your host, Rich Welcome to the
New York City based edition of the Rich Eyes and Podcast,
coming to you from League Headquarters in New York City,
just three count them, three days before the two thousand
(01:29):
four NFL Draft goes down in Radio City Music Hall.
I am your humble host, Rich Eyes, and Chris law
is right here next to me. Good see you here,
and good see Rich. Chris Brockman is back in the
Los Angeles studios, toiling hard at work. Let's put it
that way, with up against it, as they say, with
the Tuesday night airing of the Rich Eyes and Draft
Special that we are at Leak Headquarters to tape that's
(01:51):
on Tuesday at what time pm pm EAS Eastern, follows
the Mock Draft Show that you're a part of. Yeah, well,
that we're gonna be taping on Tuesday itself, and um
but we're here in New York City on the Monday
before getting set for a draft that right now is
still up in the air. As of this tap in
Houston still holds the number one overall pick. St. Louis
(02:13):
is still sitting at two with Jacksonville sitting at three
with everybody wondering if they're gonna take Watkins. If the
Rams pass on Watkins at two, maybe the Jaguars will
take Johnny manziel I'm still up in the air. When
I'm third on the clock on Tuesday's mock draft show,
I'm gonna go Manzell or what many people believe Gus
Bradley wants to have happened in Khalil Mack. I'm still
(02:34):
up in the air. I know. I said weeks ago,
ripped the numb off with Johnny Manziel Um and I
do believe Daniel Jeremiah has Um has in his latest
mock draft I saw on the bottom line Taker, Yeah,
I know, and his latest mock draft Daniel and Charles
one of them, I forget which one. Um. It says
that Manzell is gonna go to Jacksonville three. I think
(02:56):
it was. It was it was Daniel. Five Raiders, right
and so. But the Raiders are are reported by the
local media out there to have already acted Manzell or
Bordles as the pick at fifth overall, and that Texas
A and m Um had some visitors in the past
(03:18):
few days. That's st Louis the less need and contingent
with Jeff Fisher and Brian Schottenheimer apparently sat down with
Johnny man'sil and Less was on our show a few
weeks ago saying Sam, Sam's our guy moving forward, and
the Monday Morning Quarterback said that if Manzelle is available
at thirteen, if he's available att I don't know that
(03:41):
the Rams are gonna take him. It's amazing how everything
that has been essentially set in stone that Manzella is
easily the first quarterback take and he's definitely gonna be
a top five pick, what with three quarterback needy teams
going three, four, five in Jacksonville, Cleveland, and Oakland, and
certainly with uh even uh at seven, the Tampa Bay
(04:04):
Buccaneers may take a swing at Manzille because right now
they're they're mcglennan is backing up Josh McCown that if
somebody's sitting there or they're gonna definitely go Mike Evans
if he's sitting there. I mean, you hear all sorts
of things that if Manzell falls to eight, the Vikings
would take him. What if he falls all the way
to sixteen in Dallas is sitting on the clock. All
(04:26):
those scenarios are being thrown out right now as if
they're real possibilities. Well, the thing with two even is
the money isn't what it was when they signed Bradford.
So you can take a quarterback you don't. I don't
know who would acquire Sam Bradford. What do you do?
I mean, I don't think the Rams are gonna go
quarterback at two. It's the thirteen spot. If man'zelle should
show up, at least that's what Peter King could be
(04:46):
a lot on Monday, but it could be what Brian
Billick or Bill Belichick did when he invited Manzel up.
He's not going to the Patriots, but Less Snead and
Jeff Fisher want to just get inside his head and
see what he's thinking for when they play against him.
And then the Couplers situation in Enver where Mike Shanahan
never looked at Jack in person and drafted him traded
up to get him as a matter of fact, So
(05:09):
it's a you never know quality to this draft that
right now, I think everybody believes Clowne is number one.
I don't see anybody out there that says Manzil is
going to be the number one overall pick. But there
are scenarios under which the Texans would trade the pick
if they can get high enough, if they don't have
to drop down too far enough to maybe get Khalil
Mack LIKEC six might be too low to get And
(05:34):
and should the Falcons give up a number one overall
pick in next year's draft to get clowned because that's
what it will take to get from six to one
for a player at least that's what if Rick Smith
should be holding out for, you know, And um, I
think it's gonna end up going Texans are gonna keep
the pick and go clowning and then hope that Bridgewater
is sitting there in the second round maybe or just
(05:55):
hope that that that because they still need to I mean,
who they're gonna go? T J Yates? Is that where
they're gonna Yeah, they're starting quarterbacks gonna be Is that
what they're going to actually go ahead and track? We
saw what O'Brien did though with my my boy mcgloyin.
I mean he can develop, he can develop talent. T J.
Who was the kid that they that they had playing
last year. Um, the quarterback who was playing last year
(06:19):
they had in Houston. Yeah, in Houston who ended up?
I'm so I'm so living in this and this year's draft. Yeah,
now I's now blanking on that sort of thing. This
is bad. It is bad. Do you have enough cell
phone power to look this up? Cell we're both experiencing
some cell phone difficulties here in New York juice juice deficiencies.
(06:41):
But um, I think it'll be interesting. I mean, there's
no chance that that they I don't know who their
quarterback would be if they don't take one in this
year's draft. Savage, right, They're gonna grab Savage, the buzz
name of recent weeks. So you know, you take a
look at at at this year's draft class, and you
figured they're going to have to go ahead and get
(07:02):
a quarterback in this year's draft class. There's no doubt
about it. But you're hearing Bridgewater potentially at thirty three
even which is not what people thought. Ever, they got
Fitzpatrick right now as well? Isn't Ryan Fitzpatrick on their roster?
Ryan Fitzpatrick is? That's it's Fitzpatrick and Yates. Yeah, amash rifles.
There's no question about that. Man. I don't know what
(07:24):
they're gonna do. I guess that they can go into
the season with Ryan Fitzpatrick. You know, there's there's no
doubt about that. So at any rate, we've got a
great show in store for you today. A case Keenum's
the name of the quarterdraph last year, um long week.
It is in your heads in the draft right now.
Video was I mean you get a binder, a research binder,
(07:45):
and video was that. I didn't even take half of
one of them. It's not even a binder, it's a
phone book prospers. I didn't even take it. I didn't
even take it. Because if I'm the one to be
be the one on the set with all our draft
experts to telling you what this kid did in a
sophomore year, then then our draft coverages off. You know
my philosophy on the draft coverages. Keep it moving, keep
it like, keep it entertaining, keep it informative, keep our
(08:06):
analysts available for comment, and make sure that you know
who's on the clock. Make sure you know who's on
the clock next, so it could even factor into the
pick or the possibility of trading the pick. And then
when a team is on the clock, let you know
if they did acquire the pick for a trade in
the past, that this uh chicken, if you will, has
finally come home to roost. And and you know, we
(08:28):
will not hear the name Washington or the name Indianapolis
in the first round because they traded their first round
picks away unless they trade back into it. So when
the browns around the clock at Overall, you know, I'll
be sitting there reminding everybody this is the Trent Richardson trade.
That is top of mind for a lot of fans.
But if there's a second or third round pick that
you may not know about, like the Jets will be
drafting in the fourth round this year with a pick
(08:50):
that belongs to the Durell Rivers trade from last year.
So that's my job to remind everybody that this is
finally going to be the individual that that trade and
that pick turned into. That's my job. My job is
not to sift through a phone book of information left
at home. There's no way to pack it. There was
Christian can't believe the thing came to the house. You know,
(09:11):
they they got a fed X in the house. Because
I was away from the office this week. It showed up.
It almost cracked the front step that the box fell on.
Well at any rate, Um, so we've got a great
show in store. Tracy Morgan is on the show Yes,
looking forward to that, Yes and again, This is all
Gonna be On a ten thirty pm Eastern Time Tuesday
(09:31):
night on NFL Network. Tracy Morgan is on the program
The thirty Rock and snl Alum has got a new
comedy tour. He's traveling to a theater near you, potentially
all over the country. Go to live nation dot com
or ticketmaster dot com to find out where he's coming
in your town. Turn It Funny is the name of
his tour. He's got a new dvday DVD out called
(09:53):
Bona Fide, So you should get all those things and
listen to the conversation. But before that, just like last week,
I don't know, is this are these two completely polar
opposite guests that we could get possibly find in the
same week of last week to have Mike Mayock and
Bob Saget. It's it's it's in that, it's in that
it might even be more. It's further way. I don't
(10:13):
know Mayock and sag It. You can't get further away
from those two guys, and we did get, as expected,
a few tweets from people saying that sag it wasn't
their cup of tea. And then we got others well,
people also wondering why you let what your what your
philosophy on the bleeps were last week that that you
were because you bleaped out a couple of words that
that were. It depends on how they're used, well, I mean, okay,
(10:36):
how they're used. How they're used, and then in real
time that interview is happening, there was a lot of
the there was a lot written down about that interview
as to what maybe could but nads made it through.
But but but we don't even need to go there
for Cove is editing this, Okay, heeding, Okay, so let's
make it easy form since you're here doing things like
(10:58):
this show, the Draft Special and also your your mock
Draft Special. So but the reason why bring this up
is the Commissioner of the NFL. He has been kind enough.
I think this is our third straight year that he
has sat down for the Draft Special and presented himself
kindly as the lead guest of the program. Broke news
last year with him about the draft being pushed back.
(11:19):
A lot of people are wondering if if, if, if that,
if the draft is going to be in May next year,
or if it's gonna be in New York next year,
because the same reason why this year's draft was pushed back.
The folks at Radio City Music Hall need the stage
for what they're putting together. An Easter Special extravaganza is
(11:40):
similar to the to the Christmas Special and so um. Basically,
Radio City I think is informed the NFL, I want
to try that again next year, even though the Easter
Extravaganza that had the stage booked. Now the Easter Extravaganza
didn't have the stage booked for the weekend of the
(12:01):
draft itself. The league has to get in a week
before to get ready to get prepared. I mean, it's
a monster stage that they put together, so they need
to get They need the weekend before to get in.
The extravaganza that had that weekend never took place. Radio
City Music Hall canceled. I guess they couldn't get their
act together. So they've told the league next year, we
(12:23):
still want to do it again, and I think the
league is potentially taking that as a sign of maybe
we should move it because I think the league has
been thinking about moving this draft to other cities in
the past. So there's lots of things that talked to
the commissioner about. And here he comes right now. Please
do have on the rich eyes and draft special once again,
the man of the hour as we are here in
(12:45):
New York City. Forget another NFL draft, the man with
all the hugs coming up this week, Commissioner Roger Goodell
to see a commissioner, what is Draft week? Menia? Was
the menia. It's one of the most exciting times of
the year for us. Yeah, it's the one day I
like to say that two teams all get better and
you know, we bring in some great young men. Each
(13:05):
team has a chance to improve and you're there as
part of the start of their career, which is you know,
if there's one moment which I always remember, is when
those young men come out on the stage and they
now realize their dream that they worked so hard for.
That's a good moment, right and then the bear hugs
that that started a few years ago. Uh here, Jerald McCoy,
(13:26):
I think probably get the most credit for that. Yeah,
he's a great young man, but he was it was
an emotional time for him, and he said it to
me in advance. He said, I lost my mother recently,
and this is uh something that when I realized that
opportunity to become an NFL player and I know the
team I've go to and I walk out on that stage,
is it okay if I get emotional? Well, it's the
(13:48):
first time we're here for a draft in May, and
I know a lot of fans have just been champing
at the bet for this thing to get started. What
feedback have you heard about the draft being two weeks
later than normal this year. I think everyone is anxious
for it. Everyone wants it to happen, most particularly our teams.
You know, they're ready to get their draft boards off
(14:08):
the board and get the players into camp and get going.
And that's that's probably our primary concern. I think fans
in general are ready for it. Also, you know, it's
it's later than it usually isn't There's just been a rhythm,
there's been a clock that everyone's used to and change
is difficult for people. But we didn't have the facility
available in April this year, and we're looking at different alternatives,
(14:31):
the facility being Radio City Music Hall and alternatives would
mean moving the draft out of New York City. It
certainly could. We're looking at the idea that we move
out of Radio City. We're looking the potential moving out
of New York. Radio City has been a great place
for us. But there are a lot of cities that
are interested in having this in the future, and we're
(14:51):
going to look at that. Who's knocking on your door?
Which cities switch municipalities have been not well, the two
most aggressive, probably of Chicago and Los Angeles, but we've
heard for a few other mayors also, Right, So at
what point would that decision have to be made? I
mean certain facilities, imagine get booked up concerts. And I'm
smiling because we just met on it this morning. Okay,
(15:12):
we're focused on the two thousand fifteen draft already. I
would guess sometime late this summer early fall, we'll have
to make a decision on the format, the location of
the date, and the format being just three days or
expanded as well. Are you looking at a how would
have four days? What's wrong with seven seven rounds of
seven nights? It sounds like a holiday special? It does
(15:36):
a little bit. Now we're I think our focus is
you know, when we moved to primetime a couple of
years ago. I think it was a great change for us.
The fans loved it, the teams loved it. Uh. You know,
we'll look at it's probably a three or four day
round uh. Three or four day drafts uh and seven
rounds in that time period. So uh like for instance,
(15:57):
one would be one night, two and three would be another,
and then you'd split up rounds four seven, or you
could have round two on the second night and maybe
round three on the third night and maybe the remaining
rounds on the fourth day. So there's some different concepts
that are being discussed internally, obviously involving our clubs, and
we're talking to our partners also. And what about having
(16:18):
it in May again? I mean, is this something that's
feasible in your mind? I think it's feasible. We'll do
is evaluate after this draft is over, the pluses and
the minuses. The football people will obviously have a say
in that. Uh, the fan reaction, our partners, Uh, we'll
have to see what the reaction is from fans from
(16:40):
this year's experience. UM playoffs expanded playoffs in the National
Football League, Is it possible that that happens in two
thousand fourteen, this very season that's coming up this fall.
It is possible that windows closing quickly. We have an
owner's meeting at the end of May. We'll make a
determination of that we're going to pursue it for the
(17:01):
two thousand and fourteen season, but that's an ownership decision
and we'll have to make that. We've been talking to
our players, we've been talking to our television partners, and
we want to make sure we do it right when
we do it. I do believe that it is something
that will happen in the NFL, whether it's fourteen or
(17:21):
fifteen h that's yet to be What do you think
the benefits of an expanded playoff field are? Because the
there are some who would who say that that would
water down a playoffs because it would allow more teams
to get in and make it an easier pathway for
a team to get into the playoffs. Obviously, what do
(17:43):
you what do you say? No, I don't rich you know.
There are several things. First, I believe that our league
is so competitive right now. The difference between winning and
this and losing in this league is very tight, and
if I thought that we were just going to add
two more playoff teams that had no tunity to win
the Super Bowl, I probably would feel differently about it.
(18:04):
What you see now is that we have so many
teams that could qualify for that playoffs and actually be
go to the super Bowl and win the Super Bowl
a seven seeded Super Bowl champion. And you're seeing that.
You're seeing teams that are lower seeds that are performing
incredibly well on the postseason, and we've done the analysis
on that. So there are some teams that have been
(18:24):
left out in the past couple of years that I've
had several teams tell me I'm grateful they didn't make
it to the playoffs. They had a chance to really
do some damage in the playoffs and maybe win it all.
So we believe that will just make our league more competitive,
that the races will be tighter as we get towards
the end of the season. That it will be great
from a fan perspective, be great from a player perspective,
(18:47):
And this is something that we could be very positive.
And would that require two seed no longer getting a
buy or are there feasible scenarios of expanding the playoff
field where both the one and to see needs get
a bye week as the best The best scenario that
we've been able to see is it only the one
seed in each conference would get to buy So a
two seed that's accustomed to having their will be playing
(19:11):
They'll be playing a team that maybe on a nice
head of steam in a seventh seed that nobody probably
would want to see. But that's exciting to us, is it?
You know we've seen that. You know, this league is
again so competitive and you can lose to a seventh
seed very easily, and they're they're that good. Is an
expanded regular season the concept of an expanded regular season
(19:33):
eighteen regular season games? Is that? Is that dead in
your mind? No? I don't think it's dead. I think
we'll always look at how we improve the call or
what we do that goes from preseason to regular season
to postseason. Are focused now is shifted to the postseason,
but we continue to focus on the preseason. Also, we
haven't had any discussions with the union about the eighteen
(19:56):
game season, but uh, that's something that may come up
in the future. Speaking of discussions with the union, where
does h G H testing stand as you and I
sit here right now for the draft, Well, we believe
there's no reason not to have it. We agreed to
it in our collective bargaining agreement three years ago. Uh.
The world has accepted the science and there's a global
(20:17):
understanding that this is here, and the union needs to
sign off on that. It's signed off on what we
agreed to. They have raised issues, We've addressed all those issues.
They're now raising from time to time, issues that are
completely unrelated to h H testing. But we think that
there's an obligation that for the player's health and safety
that this should be implemented. For obviously the integrity of
(20:41):
the elite, and last maybe more importantly, sending the right
message to kids who play our game in every other game,
this is not the way you play sports. You play
sports by the rules and and with fairness at the
top of mine. Now, obviously the Union would probably agree
with some of the sentiments that you've just expressed right there.
So what in your mind is holding it up, Commissioner, Well,
(21:05):
they probably do agree with some of the sentiments, but
they've been unwilling or unable to agree uh to the
testing program, and they've raised that we want to do
population studies. The science is not all the way there.
Uh In each one of those cases, they have been
addressed either by US or by global standards. Uh Hhh.
(21:25):
Testing has been happening on a global basis, and other
sports and Olympic sports, that testing is there. There's no
more excuses. Either you want to do it or you
don't want to do it, and we clearly as the NFL,
want to do it and we think it's best for
their players. Thursday Night Football, I know you've been expressing
a desire to make that um a pedestal game in
(21:46):
the National Football League. It's the kick off to a
National Football League week. UM eight of the games is
gonna be on CBS as well as NFL network together.
How do you make that, in your mind a cultural
touchstone as Monday Night Football was perhaps back in the
day when it started. How how do you raise that
(22:06):
in your mind to that level of television viewing a
fractured television universe that we live in America right now.
Rich The first thing is you have to build a franchise,
and you have to have a vision of how to
do that, and you have to have the patients to
do it. Because of the NFL network. We've been able
to create a Thursday night franchise. What we're doing now
(22:29):
is taking it saying we need to have even more
people exposed to Thursday night football, so it really becomes
a franchise where everyone knows who's on Thursday Night Football tonight,
and it becomes just like Sunday Night Football and Monday
Night Football and our afternoon packages. The way to do
that for us is through the partnership that we're creating
(22:50):
with CBS, where we can use the NFL Network and
a broadcast partner to reach a broader audience and make
sure that everyone has a all awareness to the fact
that we're playing football on Thursday nights. With the NFL.
What we've seen all along is if fans want more football,
they went on Thursday night, they went on Friday night,
(23:10):
Saturday night. We don't believe we should be playing every
night that we but we do think Thursday Night, through
the work that we've done through the NFL Network, is
the right way to go. Well, we won't play on
Friday and Saturday nights because of our respect and because
of the law to high school and college football. Yeah,
that's what I was gonna ask you too. Because you
know there are some and other sports who used I
(23:32):
guess hogs and pigs and analogy about the league expanding
into different nights. Um, there are no plans to take
the National Football League and put them on nights other
than Thursday and Monday. Is that what you would say, right? No,
at the end of the season, we have and we
would not say we have a Saturday night game. But
that's not unusual. We've done that from time to time
(23:53):
over our history. But you know, what we're doing is
building franchises, and we believe Thursday night is a franchise
we can build. Sunday will always be the core of
what we do, including Sunday Night football, and then Monday
night football has been a hit for close to fifty years.
So there are no plans to have a Friday night
game or Wednesday night game or Tuesday night game in
the National Football League. UM. Let me just hit you
(24:15):
on a couple of items before we wrap up outside
of the world of football, where the world of football
has been mentioned, um, and get your thoughts on that
if you don't mind, certainly with what just went down
in the National Basketball Association with Donald Sterling's comments, have
you at all addressed anybody in the National Football League
about that incident moving forward, just to reiterate this league's
(24:38):
position on on racism and things of that nature. Commissioner,
if you felt the need to do anything like that, No,
I believe that our ownership understands the world that we
live in, um, how much we value diversity, and and
that's something that is one of the essential parts of
what makes our league successful and has over the decades.
(25:00):
So uh, No, I don't see a need to do that.
I believe that our owners understand the importance of doing
things the right way. And there are some who feel,
based on what the commissioner of the NBA took a
stance with Donald Sterling, that the league should take a
similar stance on the on the name of the Washington Redskins.
Do you see any connection between those two No, I
(25:22):
don't know. The Redskins has been the name of football
team for eighty years. There's eighty years of tradition there.
This is, Uh, this is a much different circumstances and
the unionization of college players potentially and how that might
affect the National Football League. Is the NFL monitoring that
Are you involved in discussing anything that's going on with
(25:43):
the players potentially at Northwestern trying to unionize at the
collegiate level. No, we don't have any involvement in that, Rich,
It's not something that, uh, that we're directly involved or
even indirectly involved with. We obviously monitor, We're obviously aware
of what's going on, and we follow it, but we
we really don't know what the impact would be to us.
(26:05):
And frankly, because there's still a lot of things that
have to be dealt with, we're not sure it will
ever happen. But those are things that again we'll have
to monitor and deal with as they become a reality,
if they do become a reality. Yeah. The only reason
why I ask it's just so many people look to
the NFL obviously is an industry standard to take a
look at see what your stances on so many issues,
(26:27):
and that would be one that I know a lot
of people are wondering why I know, Rich and but
you know, I also believe that we're the National Football Again,
we should take care of our own house, and you know,
for for me to be making comments about what's happening
and in college football or other sports, uh, they have
people running those and they have people that are making
those decisions that are much more informed, uh and are
(26:48):
much more appropriate for them to be making comments about it. Lastly,
the movie Draft Day commissioner completely switching gears obviously. Are
you aware that you could be the first commissioner of
any sporty age or otherwise to be up for an
Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor? Are you? Are you
aiming for that right now? Yes, It's something that will
(27:08):
be very important to me. Rich. Yeah, but it's not
going to happen as you could tell, sure, because I mean,
you obviously are very convincing. I had to stay in
my own role, so that was, okay, I can't do that.
I'm in trouble, you know. But what what is? What
did the league think of of seeing the draft on
on the silver screen? Constner movie? And yeah, I think
it was fun. It was it was a chance for
(27:31):
people to see another side of the Draft, and you know,
quite frankly, was probably a lot of fans outside of
our core audience, people disunderstanding what happens behind it. People
can debate about yeah, was it realistic or not, But
there was a lot of work that was went into that. Uh,
And I know that when that movie is put together,
(27:52):
they did it with the cooperation of people on our side,
and we thought it was a fun movie and it
and it'll be great for just bringing more to to
the draft. Could that be the first of many movies
that the NFL is behind or putting out, Well, you
know we were, we were behind, and we were involved
with Blindside as an example, and you know we participated
on these movies. And uh, no doubt that more will
(28:13):
come our way, and we'll evaluate us on an individual basis.
And if we think it can be good for the
game and good for the NFL, we'll do it. But
not good for your acting career, that's not I don't
think that's going to be. I just want to make
sure about that. And lastly, I just want Chris Law
give this. We want to make sure you're not parched
during the announcement of any of the picks during the draft.
So should I keep this at the booty? That's what
(28:35):
I'm asking, yes, because as you understand the meaning of branding, obviously,
just put that right up there. I will make sure
because we don't want again any frogs. And I appreciate
anything obviously, when you've got the announcement of picks, I
think it'll be right there with me a Rich Eyes
and podcast water bottle. Is it's yours to keep. Thank
you for coming on. Thank you bet that's the commissioner
of the National Football They getting ready for another draft
(28:57):
week here in New York City with my podcasts right,
don't forget that Rich Eisen podcast and I just need
about the branding. Thanks for joining us, appreciating Well, that
was my chat with the commissioner and some interesting things.
Is Um he's h G H comment. I think enough
is enough in his mind. Um, it sounds like they're
(29:19):
open to moving the draft. That Rahm Emanuel, who is
an aggressive individual. As we all know, that mayor of
Chicago has been lobbying, same with Eric Garcetti in Los Angeles. Um,
we've been told just walking around the building here that
New Orleans has raised its hand Dallas. As we all know.
Stephen Jones said, Jerry's will holding the draft in that
(29:40):
stadium can accommodate a heck of a lot more people
than than are at Radio City Music Hall every year.
I love New York obviously because you need to come
here to has the buzz. It would be interesting. It moves, dude, Chicago,
it would go people go crazy, and they would also
get If you remember the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, everyone
from around the Midwest came out, driving distance from Indiana.
Folks would come from was Anson, Minnesota, Iowa. Think about
(30:02):
it from Ohio from a TV production, Semi Bianna, haven't
they said? Also, maybe one night in one city, one night. Well, hey,
you said, basically I thought it would be you know,
a four day It would be nights one and two
and three, and then four and five and then six
and seven. But he goes, no, we go one, two
and then three and then the rest on the final day.
(30:23):
And and I don't know how a teams are gonna
like losing a bye week if they're second seeded. That
that you you, you hump it. You You win twelve
thirteen games and your reward is to host a game
against a hungry seven seed. Think of the seven seeds
from last year. They would have been Pittsburgh in the
(30:45):
a f C, which as you remember, was a house
of fire, and it would be Arizona in the NFC.
Do you think Carolina would have wanted to see Arizona
the following week or New England would have hosted Pittsburgh. Now,
no Patriot fans did anything if they handled Pittsburgh pretty
well almost every time of late. But those would have
been those matchups last year and that could be the
(31:07):
case this year. I mean that was of interest as well,
a lot of I mean, we got to ask the
question about the Donald Sterling thing too, and it's it's
all interesting. Well, he says that there's there's a lot
of fans again who believe Redskins we we've talked about
it before, is a slur um some as you heard
the commissioners say it's a team name. There are many people.
(31:29):
And even when I say that there are many people,
I got tweets from people saying there's no argument what
that word is. But you heard the commissioners say that
that's a team name for eighty years, that there's no connection,
and also what you think. I mean, we don't know
what goes on people's personal lives, but Daniel Snyder is
not showing up to Redskins games with his mistress on tickets,
with the wife sitting there. I mean, there's the way
(31:51):
Donald Sterling has conducted his life and the webs you
know what I mean. It's that is apples and oranges.
But a lot of people are wondering if the league's
gonna do something, and you heard the answer is pretty
emphatic that I was asked an answered. Essentially, I think
we live in a different world to now post Donald
Donald Sterling because some of the incognito stuff that came
out through exchanges and the Riley Cooper incident. If that
(32:13):
would have happened now, I think penalties are much different
versus before. Even this is kind of put everyone's focus
on that issue. But you were talking about players. I'm
talking about player. Yeah, but yeah, this is management, sure,
which is held to a higher standard. But I think
if the Cooper incident were to have happened this offseason
(32:35):
post Donald Sterling, he would have seen a much probably
harsher penalty. Well, you heard what the commissioner had to
say about all of that, and we'll see how everything
plays out, certainly with the draft in the playoffs moving forward.
Playoffs could be this year would be this very year.
Don't remember how perfect everything was last year? That was
the perfect that opening weekend of games. I just don't.
(32:57):
You can't. You can't have as as he pointed out,
you can't have because you've got a three, four or five,
six and seventh seed with fought with one extra team
in the playoffs. You cannot have the two seed on
a bye week because then you have to put the
three seed up bye week two. You can't do that. Basically,
the only bye week would be handed out to the
(33:18):
top seed, which would make that an even more important race.
I mean, we never really look at the That's the
the I guess unintended exciting consequence of a draft of
expanding the playoffs, which I know a lot of fans
are aren't happy with because they feel that the league
is tinkering with something that's already working. And but the
(33:39):
unintended exciting consequence of that would be paying attention to
the race between one and two, which right now we
don't pay attention to other than the fact that, like,
you still get your bye week, because two and three
we pay attention to because it's a different different a
home playoff game the next week or a home playoff
game two weeks that we pay attention to. That would
(34:02):
just push that up the ladder to the one verses two.
That would be a huge race right there, did you
read between the lines at all. I kind of gathered
when you asked about are you interested in playing on
any other days? So we're interesting interested in franchising, and
he obviously said not to Friday and Saturday, but it
almost left the table open for we're looking at franchise.
(34:23):
We owned Sundays, Monday's great, Sunday Night's great. Thursday's the
next big thing. He didn't, really, he did. I asked
him Tuesday, said no, Wednesday. I must have. I've even
joked about that, you know, with Tuesday. Wednesday was sort
of a joke. But that's too Mark Cubans. Yeah, that's
when I mentioned the hogs and pigs, you know, and
his you know, folks who were listening to this didn't
(34:44):
see his facial reaction, but he just sort of nodded
his head because of what Mark Cuban said the last
month that the that you know, hoggs get fat and
pigs get slaughter, or pigs get fat and hoggs get
slaughter or whatever. He said, it wasn't very complimentary in
the NFL and saying that he wouldn't be surprised if
they're gonna play games on Saturday night or even Friday
nights and Friday night is just a nonstarter because it's
(35:06):
high school nights. And long time ago, the the the
exemption that the NFL gets from Antitrust right from Congress
was predicated on you can't play on Friday nights because
of high school games and New Years heard, he said,
out of respect to the college game. In the high
school games, we're not going to play on Friday and
Saturday nights. So Thursday night they want to make big
(35:27):
and then you get ready for Sunday games with Sunday
night and then the Monday night exclamation point is best
that ESPN can do it. So we'll see. It's now
time to switch gears. Tracy Morgan is walking through that door,
pleased to have now on the Rich Eyes and Draft Special,
a man whose comedy tour is beginning, the two month
comedy tour Turn It Funny, beginning this very month. Good
(35:48):
to see Tracy Morgan, to see you. How are you doing?
It's draft week here in New York City. The National
Football excited for the young players. Man, I'm excited for him.
Now you know a player in the draft, you know, Yeah,
Trey Mason from Yeah, you know, I know his dad.
His dad was the DJ from Daylight Soul Boy Mace. Yeah,
good guy. So you've seen him. I'm happy for him too.
(36:10):
You've seen him growing up, he saw him growing up
not like that. But you know, I grew up off
his stad's music. You know, his dad helped me through
some tough times with the music and all that stuff.
And I just was a big fan of Daylight Souls
And I'm happy that his son's going in the draft.
Cool stuff. Are you up to the Giants? So? Are you?
Are you a Giant fan? A Giant fan? Okay? Why
(36:32):
why the Giants go up off the Giants? My dad?
I used to be a Dallas Cowboy fan, but my
biological father, Tony Dorsett played for them. You know Tony
door it set is my daddy. Is that right? I
did not know. Yeah, he didn't know it either. I
bet you know now though. So yeah, and then and
(36:53):
then the Giant just came. My dad converted me and said,
you live in New York. You are a Giant fan.
And ever since then, I'm Giant fan. Jets were never
an option for uh jets. No, my dad, my father
was a Giant fan. I'm a Giant seem like you're
being polite about that about because I love the Jets
to the Jets a good team and the New York team,
but I'm I'm I lean Giants and plus some good
(37:16):
friends with the Titch family. Yeah yeah, and his son too. Yeah,
because I also know Um after the draft a couple
of years ago, r G three gets drafted and what
is he What's the first thing that he does is
he visited the thirty Rocks that when you were doing
a live show right down the street right started, Yeah,
(37:38):
and we took a picture together. M was exciting. That
guy's good. That's good. So who do you what do
you think of the Giants right now? Tracy? Do you
think they've got a We just came off for Super
Bowl two years ago and last year was a sort
of a rebuilding we started. But I think we're gonna
be good this year. Well, well, we will compete this year.
You're like, because is it the momentum of the end
(38:01):
of last season going into the season. We had a
good ending to the season and we will continue with that.
And I like it this season. You were in the
National Football League home office right now, the commissioners just
down the hall, I'm gonna visit them too. You're gonna
go visit Yeah, I got a couple of things I
wanna say. Talk. That's what I wanted to ask, because
this is an opportunity for you to help change the
game that you love. Let defense play defense. I looked
(38:25):
at the game recently, and every time there's a pass throw,
the receivers looking for a yellow flag like he's supposed
to get it, like the entitle to it. You gotta
let the guys play defense. So what are you not like?
You think that the rules? Just think that you can't
touch the receiver us if you if you're competing, let
them compete. And that's what I don't like. If if
(38:46):
I was able to walk you down the hall to
see R. G One as we referred to him here, Roddell,
that's what you you'd say, let's the defensive backs compete.
Is there anything else that you I'm fine with the game.
I love the game. I like to see a little
bit more, maybe maybe a tab more aggression, but you know,
not anyone getting hurt. I mean, safety is always first,
(39:07):
but it's football. And like Deacon Jones said one year,
he's eleven on eleven when you meet him. I met
him two years ago. Uh. I was presenting some awards
at the Super Bowl, a Super Bowl award show, and
he was there and it wasn't on I was icon. Yeah,
he was Jones maybe two words, Deacon Jones. Yeah, I
know it. Actually I got to meet Billy White Shoes
(39:29):
and Harvey Martin and all these grades, and I couldn't
find Tony does Set man. Uh. A player that I
would love to have met too was Reggie and Walter.
I don't need to say the last name, don't you
don't Those are two guys anyway. Yeah, but I love them, man,
(39:51):
those are guys that you would love to have met. Yeah. Man,
I'm pat of my life after them being gentlemen and
how they were respected and they knew their profession. How
do you go about your profession with the comedy, Tracy?
How do you get ready for like a two month
tour that you're doing right now? Uh? At this point,
I'm just spending a lot of time with my family.
I'm tuning up material, but I'm spending a lot of
(40:13):
time and my new daughter, my sooner be wife, and
my family. As long as I know, I've spent a
lot of time video. Collyone said that Vito Coleone told
the guy Frankie, did you spend you spend time with
your family? Of course I do, he said. A man
is not a man unless he spends time with his family.
(40:33):
So before I hit the road, I'm spending a lot
of time getting a lot of time in with him,
quality time. It makes me feel better while I'm on
the road, and it assures them that daddy be back.
So are you now that you've got to be a
baby daughter? Has that changed? Beautiful baby daughter? And I
also got a shotgun to shovel in the alibi good
one because I just had I've got a daughter is
(40:54):
eight months and I was wondering what I needed to do.
A shot what? What? What? What do you need to do? Well,
just you get there? That's it. But a shotgun what
is it? And a shovel and you need a great alibi. Yeah,
I'm not gonna kill nobody. Kneecaps one day when they're
shopping at Macy's and a husband since enegold baby, my
(41:17):
knees are hurting and she goes, what's wrong with your name?
I don't know actual father? So do you miss dirty rock?
I missed the people that I worked with. I missed
the people, the unsung heros, the grips, the cameraman. I
missed those people that I saw for seven years straight
that helped me look good and be better. And I
(41:37):
missed my co workers. But I don't miss the show,
not like I aunt died or anything like that, because
we did seven years a good TV so I can
see the show anytime I want. All I got is
in syndication. But then you watch the show and you
think about that camera guy or that makeup lady or
craft service, and that's what I missed seeing those people.
(41:58):
What was your your football playing career life? I played
up until maybe seven. I was a pretty good money back,
very fast. Yeah. As a junior in high school, I
ran maybe a four or five forty yeah, and ran
track two. Track was my passion and I love football,
but I was injury prone. Man. I was like a
hundred and seventy pounds, hundred sixty pounds. You touched me
(42:19):
and a finger was broke, So I pretty much do
that was gonna be a career. Like Doorsett was my note.
The Doorset was my guy. But I tried to dress
like Eric Dickinson, bird cage, goggles, your heads hanging out,
spat it up all the time, pretty towel hanging from
the side. Pretty you dressed the way you play. You
played the way you dress, so I was always pretty
(42:40):
with it. And I think, if I'm not mistaken, you
wound up playing Eric Dickerson on a Saturday night. Yeah that, well,
you see where that came from from back, it's my
life play that Dickson. I got to meet him to
I'm good friends with him actually, and Jerry and uh
Kellen Winslow. Two years ago, I had a Super Bowl commercials,
so I went to the Super Bowl. Was that last year?
(43:03):
Last year? I want to promote because I had me
oh fit and I had to promote it. So I
got to go on all the sets and I did
all these interviews and I got to meet everyone except
for Tony and I love you Tony, and get better.
I love you man. So, uh, when you're going on
in your comedy tour, is there? Uh? When people are
(43:23):
you know, coming to see you, what do you want
them to walk away with? UM? If you see me,
see me with your heart and not your eyes. I
would just like to release some endorphins and make everybody
just leave the world in a little better shape than
it was when I got here. Just spreading laughter. That's
my way of showing love, sharing my life, my experiences,
(43:47):
and my perspective in a funny way. And when do
you watch When you watch football games, describe Tracy Morgan
football relaxed you. Man. I go to the game. I
go to the Giants game. I mean, I'm into it, man,
I know the game. I know what's happening on the field.
So there's a lot of fans. That's where people strangers
(44:08):
absolutely come and they share one cause. And it's I
love being at the game because fans, Man, we were together.
You know, it's like a sisterhood and the brotherhood and
you know when the call is not right and you
know it's passion and that's what's good about it. And
everybody when to have to win, everybody's filing out of
the stadium feeling good about that win. You know, no
(44:30):
matter how many games you lost, it's good to be
back in the win column, you know what I mean.
I'm getting excited to talking about it. Man. I'm gonna
the next season a helmet, you know what I was
in Dick sporting goods the other day, and I was
gonna buy suit just to put it on, just to
see how I feel. And my lady was like, you're
gonna buy a whole football, So I said, yeah, I wanted.
I wanted to feelip haads again. It's been so long.
(44:51):
I'm forty five, you know what. I've been so long.
I was just gonna have hers spat me up. That's
gonna sit on the kitchen table with a hangar pulling
my toes and make her spat me up. I would
pay to see that. Yeah, you know, I got I
got the I got the money now to buy some
top knots equipment. When I was in high school at
eighties seven, men, my helmet was a suicide helmet. They
had one paddle on the right side. We gotta protect
(45:14):
that right lobe. You know, the left blobe was completely
right over. You gotta understand, man. People used to play
with leather helmets man cottonell for THI peg. You know
these people got the best. They got evil Conel helmets. Yeah,
I know that thing is pretty huge, right there, no
doubt about that. So the Giants, do you think this
(45:36):
is a potential Super Bowl? Even you would definitely a
Super Bowl. Yeah, you never could tell in the league
every year. Well this man again. Your DVD is out
bona fide, that's unavailable now and basically what you should
do is go to either Live Nation or ticketmaster dot
com and get tickets to see this man and his
two month long comedy tour that's beginning just this month.
(45:59):
Turn it fund. Yeah, we are. We're wishing for a
good tour. People come out and leave and get their money.
We want to give everybody a bank for the dollar
and give him some good comedy and give him some
good stories and some good characters out there, some good
jokes to tell that the water cool UK and we
just want anybody to come to Turn It funny man.
You know, I'm I'm taking all the suffering and pain
(46:19):
and my experiences that I ever been through and I'm
turning it off funny now and hopefully people will relate
and identify with it. And I just want everybody to
know that you're not the only one. You're not the
only want to go through anything. Let's laugh at it.
Good to see him. Thank you. That's Tracy Morgan here
on the Rich Eyes and Podcast. Tracy Morgan everybody. Tracy,
(46:44):
he knows his football. He does. He's also very um introspective, Yes,
very that was more of an interest. I thought he
would be banging off the walls and doing crazy stuff.
But he was a very introspective guy. Justice giants doing
some research. I mean, he's a guy that's lived a
couple of lives. I mean he said had an interesting
childhood and lifestyle when he was younger, and definitely a
(47:05):
mature man. And I think he said it a few places.
He said it here having the daughter changed for five
years old. Anyway, go get his DVD bona fide and
find out where he is coming to a comedy club
or theater near you for his tour. Um turn it funny,
take a master dot com slash Tracy Morgan, all right,
(47:27):
you ready for your mock draft Tuesday night on NFL
Network at nine o'clock. Nine o'clock. Uh. And I got
a little surprise at three, a little I don't know
what something. Oh yeah, I know, we've got it was
an idea that I came up with a few weeks ago.
And you have as you're producing, you know, you cracked
deep into the budget, which, by the way, let's let's
(47:47):
hope the water bottle shows up with the commissioner, how
awesome will advertize in podcast water bottle. There's no chance,
has no chance. That's like the Carson Dale a sound
bite of Madonna from a couple of years ago. No chance,
no chance, none, none, there's no chance of him bringing
the rich eyes and podcast water bottle. It's very nice though,
I can take one of those, right, Yeah, we got
got okay, got some home um so and then our
(48:11):
specials on after the Mock Show ten thirty pm Eastern
Time with the commission the television version of cutdown of
what you just heard on the show, and kudos to
Brockman in advance of putting that thing, slamming it together.
And he's got a different editor. Our editors was gone,
so he's he's he's gonna be up against him be
slicing indicns. Why Brockman gets paid the medium bucks the
medium bucks very good. Also a late release. We'll put
(48:34):
the mock draft up as a podcast as well. Very good,
so we'll get that up to all right, very good.
Thank you for everything, Chris laughs, Thanks Stacy Garcia and
our booking staff. I want to thank also the Commissioner's
staff for for putting us on his very jammed busy schedule, Pete,
Greg and b Mac big huge don't forget them all,
(48:55):
all of them, you know. Um so for Chris Law
at Chris Law, I'm at rich eyes from for at
the Eisen Pod guests, We're gonna get uh our friend
from Sweden's open back on next week. That was a big,
huge hit. But for the moment, we just you know,
you're out of the office. We just had to keep
it straight up. The old, old stale opens returned this week.
We hope to return next week with a far more
(49:17):
fresh piece of open. But for the moment, Uh enjoy
our draft specially again tomorrow night. Tent Tuesday night at
ten thirty pm Eastern Time for at the Eisen Podcast,
I'm notrech Eisen sign again, Stay listening.
Could not be more pleased to have back on the
Rich Eyes and podcast Matt Damon's are you one of
those Patriot fans that takes flee in the jets and
the butt fumbling? I made the Liberati movie this year,
so that's fine. Fumbling in that movie. Just a wee
little bit. Larry David could deceive you, sir. I think
a lot of writers can be offensive coordinators. What's harder?
If I could write stories, why would I be able
(00:22):
to draw up a play? He is none other than
Broadway Joe name it if mark word to get the nod?
And if he played decently? If if? What a big words?
Only two letters? Huh, Bobby kind of vall told you
about Derek Jeter story Yankees Atlanta the World series, screaming, screaming, screaming, nothing, nothing, nothing.
(00:45):
He doesn't even look at me. Finally, last at that
a Thinnings Jeter comes up. Just turn around, man, just
turn around. Finally he like, don't he does the thing
with the way he's about to go up. He turns around,
he looks at me, goes bro, I hear you, however, one,
and thanks for joining us. I'm Richard Oisen. I don't
(01:06):
download many podcasts, but when I do, I prefer Rich
Eyes and Podcast. Is your host, Rich Welcome to the
New York City based edition of the Rich Eyes and Podcast,
coming to you from League Headquarters in New York City,
just three count them, three days before the two thousand
(01:29):
four NFL Draft goes down in Radio City Music Hall.
I am your humble host, Rich Eyes, and Chris law
is right here next to me. Good see you here,
and good see Rich. Chris Brockman is back in the
Los Angeles studios, toiling hard at work. Let's put it
that way, with up against it, as they say, with
the Tuesday night airing of the Rich Eyes and Draft
Special that we are at Leak Headquarters to tape that's
(01:51):
on Tuesday at what time pm pm EAS Eastern, follows
the Mock Draft Show that you're a part of. Yeah, well,
that we're gonna be taping on Tuesday itself, and um
but we're here in New York City on the Monday
before getting set for a draft that right now is
still up in the air. As of this tap in
Houston still holds the number one overall pick. St. Louis
(02:13):
is still sitting at two with Jacksonville sitting at three
with everybody wondering if they're gonna take Watkins. If the
Rams pass on Watkins at two, maybe the Jaguars will
take Johnny manziel I'm still up in the air. When
I'm third on the clock on Tuesday's mock draft show,
I'm gonna go Manzell or what many people believe Gus
Bradley wants to have happened in Khalil Mack. I'm still
(02:34):
up in the air. I know. I said weeks ago,
ripped the numb off with Johnny Manziel Um and I
do believe Daniel Jeremiah has Um has in his latest
mock draft I saw on the bottom line Taker, Yeah,
I know, and his latest mock draft Daniel and Charles
one of them, I forget which one. Um. It says
that Manzell is gonna go to Jacksonville three. I think
(02:56):
it was. It was it was Daniel. Five Raiders, right
and so. But the Raiders are are reported by the
local media out there to have already acted Manzell or
Bordles as the pick at fifth overall, and that Texas
A and m Um had some visitors in the past
(03:18):
few days. That's st Louis the less need and contingent
with Jeff Fisher and Brian Schottenheimer apparently sat down with
Johnny man'sil and Less was on our show a few
weeks ago saying Sam, Sam's our guy moving forward, and
the Monday Morning Quarterback said that if Manzelle is available
at thirteen, if he's available att I don't know that
(03:41):
the Rams are gonna take him. It's amazing how everything
that has been essentially set in stone that Manzella is
easily the first quarterback take and he's definitely gonna be
a top five pick, what with three quarterback needy teams
going three, four, five in Jacksonville, Cleveland, and Oakland, and
certainly with uh even uh at seven, the Tampa Bay
(04:04):
Buccaneers may take a swing at Manzille because right now
they're they're mcglennan is backing up Josh McCown that if
somebody's sitting there or they're gonna definitely go Mike Evans
if he's sitting there. I mean, you hear all sorts
of things that if Manzell falls to eight, the Vikings
would take him. What if he falls all the way
to sixteen in Dallas is sitting on the clock. All
(04:26):
those scenarios are being thrown out right now as if
they're real possibilities. Well, the thing with two even is
the money isn't what it was when they signed Bradford.
So you can take a quarterback you don't. I don't
know who would acquire Sam Bradford. What do you do?
I mean, I don't think the Rams are gonna go
quarterback at two. It's the thirteen spot. If man'zelle should
show up, at least that's what Peter King could be
(04:46):
a lot on Monday, but it could be what Brian
Billick or Bill Belichick did when he invited Manzel up.
He's not going to the Patriots, but Less Snead and
Jeff Fisher want to just get inside his head and
see what he's thinking for when they play against him.
And then the Couplers situation in Enver where Mike Shanahan
never looked at Jack in person and drafted him traded
up to get him as a matter of fact, So
(05:09):
it's a you never know quality to this draft that
right now, I think everybody believes Clowne is number one.
I don't see anybody out there that says Manzil is
going to be the number one overall pick. But there
are scenarios under which the Texans would trade the pick
if they can get high enough, if they don't have
to drop down too far enough to maybe get Khalil
Mack LIKEC six might be too low to get And
(05:34):
and should the Falcons give up a number one overall
pick in next year's draft to get clowned because that's
what it will take to get from six to one
for a player at least that's what if Rick Smith
should be holding out for, you know, And um, I
think it's gonna end up going Texans are gonna keep
the pick and go clowning and then hope that Bridgewater
is sitting there in the second round maybe or just
(05:55):
hope that that that because they still need to I mean,
who they're gonna go? T J Yates? Is that where
they're gonna Yeah, they're starting quarterbacks gonna be Is that
what they're going to actually go ahead and track? We
saw what O'Brien did though with my my boy mcgloyin.
I mean he can develop, he can develop talent. T J.
Who was the kid that they that they had playing
last year. Um, the quarterback who was playing last year
(06:19):
they had in Houston. Yeah, in Houston who ended up?
I'm so I'm so living in this and this year's draft. Yeah,
now I's now blanking on that sort of thing. This
is bad. It is bad. Do you have enough cell
phone power to look this up? Cell we're both experiencing
some cell phone difficulties here in New York juice juice deficiencies.
(06:41):
But um, I think it'll be interesting. I mean, there's
no chance that that they I don't know who their
quarterback would be if they don't take one in this
year's draft. Savage, right, They're gonna grab Savage, the buzz
name of recent weeks. So you know, you take a
look at at at this year's draft class, and you
figured they're going to have to go ahead and get
(07:02):
a quarterback in this year's draft class. There's no doubt
about it. But you're hearing Bridgewater potentially at thirty three
even which is not what people thought. Ever, they got
Fitzpatrick right now as well? Isn't Ryan Fitzpatrick on their roster?
Ryan Fitzpatrick is? That's it's Fitzpatrick and Yates. Yeah, amash rifles.
There's no question about that. Man. I don't know what
(07:24):
they're gonna do. I guess that they can go into
the season with Ryan Fitzpatrick. You know, there's there's no
doubt about that. So at any rate, we've got a
great show in store for you today. A case Keenum's
the name of the quarterdraph last year, um long week.
It is in your heads in the draft right now.
Video was I mean you get a binder, a research binder,
(07:45):
and video was that. I didn't even take half of
one of them. It's not even a binder, it's a
phone book prospers. I didn't even take it. I didn't
even take it. Because if I'm the one to be
be the one on the set with all our draft
experts to telling you what this kid did in a
sophomore year, then then our draft coverages off. You know
my philosophy on the draft coverages. Keep it moving, keep
it like, keep it entertaining, keep it informative, keep our
(08:06):
analysts available for comment, and make sure that you know
who's on the clock. Make sure you know who's on
the clock next, so it could even factor into the
pick or the possibility of trading the pick. And then
when a team is on the clock, let you know
if they did acquire the pick for a trade in
the past, that this uh chicken, if you will, has
finally come home to roost. And and you know, we
(08:28):
will not hear the name Washington or the name Indianapolis
in the first round because they traded their first round
picks away unless they trade back into it. So when
the browns around the clock at Overall, you know, I'll
be sitting there reminding everybody this is the Trent Richardson trade.
That is top of mind for a lot of fans.
But if there's a second or third round pick that
you may not know about, like the Jets will be
drafting in the fourth round this year with a pick
(08:50):
that belongs to the Durell Rivers trade from last year.
So that's my job to remind everybody that this is
finally going to be the individual that that trade and
that pick turned into. That's my job. My job is
not to sift through a phone book of information left
at home. There's no way to pack it. There was
Christian can't believe the thing came to the house. You know,
(09:11):
they they got a fed X in the house. Because
I was away from the office this week. It showed up.
It almost cracked the front step that the box fell on.
Well at any rate, Um, so we've got a great
show in store. Tracy Morgan is on the show Yes,
looking forward to that, Yes and again, This is all
Gonna be On a ten thirty pm Eastern Time Tuesday
(09:31):
night on NFL Network. Tracy Morgan is on the program
The thirty Rock and snl Alum has got a new
comedy tour. He's traveling to a theater near you, potentially
all over the country. Go to live nation dot com
or ticketmaster dot com to find out where he's coming
in your town. Turn It Funny is the name of
his tour. He's got a new dvday DVD out called
(09:53):
Bona Fide, So you should get all those things and
listen to the conversation. But before that, just like last week,
I don't know, is this are these two completely polar
opposite guests that we could get possibly find in the
same week of last week to have Mike Mayock and
Bob Saget. It's it's it's in that, it's in that
it might even be more. It's further way. I don't
(10:13):
know Mayock and sag It. You can't get further away
from those two guys, and we did get, as expected,
a few tweets from people saying that sag it wasn't
their cup of tea. And then we got others well,
people also wondering why you let what your what your
philosophy on the bleeps were last week that that you
were because you bleaped out a couple of words that
that were. It depends on how they're used, well, I mean, okay,
(10:36):
how they're used. How they're used, and then in real
time that interview is happening, there was a lot of
the there was a lot written down about that interview
as to what maybe could but nads made it through.
But but but we don't even need to go there
for Cove is editing this, Okay, heeding, Okay, so let's
make it easy form since you're here doing things like
(10:58):
this show, the Draft Special and also your your mock
Draft Special. So but the reason why bring this up
is the Commissioner of the NFL. He has been kind enough.
I think this is our third straight year that he
has sat down for the Draft Special and presented himself
kindly as the lead guest of the program. Broke news
last year with him about the draft being pushed back.
(11:19):
A lot of people are wondering if if, if, if that,
if the draft is going to be in May next year,
or if it's gonna be in New York next year,
because the same reason why this year's draft was pushed back.
The folks at Radio City Music Hall need the stage
for what they're putting together. An Easter Special extravaganza is
(11:40):
similar to the to the Christmas Special and so um. Basically,
Radio City I think is informed the NFL, I want
to try that again next year, even though the Easter
Extravaganza that had the stage booked. Now the Easter Extravaganza
didn't have the stage booked for the weekend of the
(12:01):
draft itself. The league has to get in a week
before to get ready to get prepared. I mean, it's
a monster stage that they put together, so they need
to get They need the weekend before to get in.
The extravaganza that had that weekend never took place. Radio
City Music Hall canceled. I guess they couldn't get their
act together. So they've told the league next year, we
(12:23):
still want to do it again, and I think the
league is potentially taking that as a sign of maybe
we should move it because I think the league has
been thinking about moving this draft to other cities in
the past. So there's lots of things that talked to
the commissioner about. And here he comes right now. Please
do have on the rich eyes and draft special once again,
the man of the hour as we are here in
(12:45):
New York City. Forget another NFL draft, the man with
all the hugs coming up this week, Commissioner Roger Goodell
to see a commissioner, what is Draft week? Menia? Was
the menia. It's one of the most exciting times of
the year for us. Yeah, it's the one day I
like to say that two teams all get better and
you know, we bring in some great young men. Each
(13:05):
team has a chance to improve and you're there as
part of the start of their career, which is you know,
if there's one moment which I always remember, is when
those young men come out on the stage and they
now realize their dream that they worked so hard for.
That's a good moment, right and then the bear hugs
that that started a few years ago. Uh here, Jerald McCoy,
(13:26):
I think probably get the most credit for that. Yeah,
he's a great young man, but he was it was
an emotional time for him, and he said it to
me in advance. He said, I lost my mother recently,
and this is uh something that when I realized that
opportunity to become an NFL player and I know the
team I've go to and I walk out on that stage,
is it okay if I get emotional? Well, it's the
(13:48):
first time we're here for a draft in May, and
I know a lot of fans have just been champing
at the bet for this thing to get started. What
feedback have you heard about the draft being two weeks
later than normal this year. I think everyone is anxious
for it. Everyone wants it to happen, most particularly our teams.
You know, they're ready to get their draft boards off
(14:08):
the board and get the players into camp and get going.
And that's that's probably our primary concern. I think fans
in general are ready for it. Also, you know, it's
it's later than it usually isn't There's just been a rhythm,
there's been a clock that everyone's used to and change
is difficult for people. But we didn't have the facility
available in April this year, and we're looking at different alternatives,
(14:31):
the facility being Radio City Music Hall and alternatives would
mean moving the draft out of New York City. It
certainly could. We're looking at the idea that we move
out of Radio City. We're looking the potential moving out
of New York. Radio City has been a great place
for us. But there are a lot of cities that
are interested in having this in the future, and we're
(14:51):
going to look at that. Who's knocking on your door?
Which cities switch municipalities have been not well, the two
most aggressive, probably of Chicago and Los Angeles, but we've
heard for a few other mayors also, Right, So at
what point would that decision have to be made? I
mean certain facilities, imagine get booked up concerts. And I'm
smiling because we just met on it this morning. Okay,
(15:12):
we're focused on the two thousand fifteen draft already. I
would guess sometime late this summer early fall, we'll have
to make a decision on the format, the location of
the date, and the format being just three days or
expanded as well. Are you looking at a how would
have four days? What's wrong with seven seven rounds of
seven nights? It sounds like a holiday special? It does
(15:36):
a little bit. Now we're I think our focus is
you know, when we moved to primetime a couple of
years ago. I think it was a great change for us.
The fans loved it, the teams loved it. Uh. You know,
we'll look at it's probably a three or four day
round uh. Three or four day drafts uh and seven
rounds in that time period. So uh like for instance,
(15:57):
one would be one night, two and three would be another,
and then you'd split up rounds four seven, or you
could have round two on the second night and maybe
round three on the third night and maybe the remaining
rounds on the fourth day. So there's some different concepts
that are being discussed internally, obviously involving our clubs, and
we're talking to our partners also. And what about having
(16:18):
it in May again? I mean, is this something that's
feasible in your mind? I think it's feasible. We'll do
is evaluate after this draft is over, the pluses and
the minuses. The football people will obviously have a say
in that. Uh, the fan reaction, our partners, Uh, we'll
have to see what the reaction is from fans from
(16:40):
this year's experience. UM playoffs expanded playoffs in the National
Football League, Is it possible that that happens in two
thousand fourteen, this very season that's coming up this fall.
It is possible that windows closing quickly. We have an
owner's meeting at the end of May. We'll make a
determination of that we're going to pursue it for the
(17:01):
two thousand and fourteen season, but that's an ownership decision
and we'll have to make that. We've been talking to
our players, we've been talking to our television partners, and
we want to make sure we do it right when
we do it. I do believe that it is something
that will happen in the NFL, whether it's fourteen or
(17:21):
fifteen h that's yet to be What do you think
the benefits of an expanded playoff field are? Because the
there are some who would who say that that would
water down a playoffs because it would allow more teams
to get in and make it an easier pathway for
a team to get into the playoffs. Obviously, what do
(17:43):
you what do you say? No, I don't rich you know.
There are several things. First, I believe that our league
is so competitive right now. The difference between winning and
this and losing in this league is very tight, and
if I thought that we were just going to add
two more playoff teams that had no tunity to win
the Super Bowl, I probably would feel differently about it.
(18:04):
What you see now is that we have so many
teams that could qualify for that playoffs and actually be
go to the super Bowl and win the Super Bowl
a seven seeded Super Bowl champion. And you're seeing that.
You're seeing teams that are lower seeds that are performing
incredibly well on the postseason, and we've done the analysis
on that. So there are some teams that have been
(18:24):
left out in the past couple of years that I've
had several teams tell me I'm grateful they didn't make
it to the playoffs. They had a chance to really
do some damage in the playoffs and maybe win it all.
So we believe that will just make our league more competitive,
that the races will be tighter as we get towards
the end of the season. That it will be great
from a fan perspective, be great from a player perspective,
(18:47):
And this is something that we could be very positive.
And would that require two seed no longer getting a
buy or are there feasible scenarios of expanding the playoff
field where both the one and to see needs get
a bye week as the best The best scenario that
we've been able to see is it only the one
seed in each conference would get to buy So a
two seed that's accustomed to having their will be playing
(19:11):
They'll be playing a team that maybe on a nice
head of steam in a seventh seed that nobody probably
would want to see. But that's exciting to us, is it?
You know we've seen that. You know, this league is
again so competitive and you can lose to a seventh
seed very easily, and they're they're that good. Is an
expanded regular season the concept of an expanded regular season
(19:33):
eighteen regular season games? Is that? Is that dead in
your mind? No? I don't think it's dead. I think
we'll always look at how we improve the call or
what we do that goes from preseason to regular season
to postseason. Are focused now is shifted to the postseason,
but we continue to focus on the preseason. Also, we
haven't had any discussions with the union about the eighteen
(19:56):
game season, but uh, that's something that may come up
in the future. Speaking of discussions with the union, where
does h G H testing stand as you and I
sit here right now for the draft, Well, we believe
there's no reason not to have it. We agreed to
it in our collective bargaining agreement three years ago. Uh.
The world has accepted the science and there's a global
(20:17):
understanding that this is here, and the union needs to
sign off on that. It's signed off on what we
agreed to. They have raised issues, We've addressed all those issues.
They're now raising from time to time, issues that are
completely unrelated to h H testing. But we think that
there's an obligation that for the player's health and safety
that this should be implemented. For obviously the integrity of
(20:41):
the elite, and last maybe more importantly, sending the right
message to kids who play our game in every other game,
this is not the way you play sports. You play
sports by the rules and and with fairness at the
top of mine. Now, obviously the Union would probably agree
with some of the sentiments that you've just expressed right there.
So what in your mind is holding it up, Commissioner, Well,
(21:05):
they probably do agree with some of the sentiments, but
they've been unwilling or unable to agree uh to the
testing program, and they've raised that we want to do
population studies. The science is not all the way there.
Uh In each one of those cases, they have been
addressed either by US or by global standards. Uh Hhh.
(21:25):
Testing has been happening on a global basis, and other
sports and Olympic sports, that testing is there. There's no
more excuses. Either you want to do it or you
don't want to do it, and we clearly as the NFL,
want to do it and we think it's best for
their players. Thursday Night Football, I know you've been expressing
a desire to make that um a pedestal game in
(21:46):
the National Football League. It's the kick off to a
National Football League week. UM eight of the games is
gonna be on CBS as well as NFL network together.
How do you make that, in your mind a cultural
touchstone as Monday Night Football was perhaps back in the
day when it started. How how do you raise that
(22:06):
in your mind to that level of television viewing a
fractured television universe that we live in America right now.
Rich The first thing is you have to build a franchise,
and you have to have a vision of how to
do that, and you have to have the patients to
do it. Because of the NFL network. We've been able
to create a Thursday night franchise. What we're doing now
(22:29):
is taking it saying we need to have even more
people exposed to Thursday night football, so it really becomes
a franchise where everyone knows who's on Thursday Night Football tonight,
and it becomes just like Sunday Night Football and Monday
Night Football and our afternoon packages. The way to do
that for us is through the partnership that we're creating
(22:50):
with CBS, where we can use the NFL Network and
a broadcast partner to reach a broader audience and make
sure that everyone has a all awareness to the fact
that we're playing football on Thursday nights. With the NFL.
What we've seen all along is if fans want more football,
they went on Thursday night, they went on Friday night,
(23:10):
Saturday night. We don't believe we should be playing every
night that we but we do think Thursday Night, through
the work that we've done through the NFL Network, is
the right way to go. Well, we won't play on
Friday and Saturday nights because of our respect and because
of the law to high school and college football. Yeah,
that's what I was gonna ask you too. Because you
know there are some and other sports who used I
(23:32):
guess hogs and pigs and analogy about the league expanding
into different nights. Um, there are no plans to take
the National Football League and put them on nights other
than Thursday and Monday. Is that what you would say, right? No,
at the end of the season, we have and we
would not say we have a Saturday night game. But
that's not unusual. We've done that from time to time
(23:53):
over our history. But you know, what we're doing is
building franchises, and we believe Thursday night is a franchise
we can build. Sunday will always be the core of
what we do, including Sunday Night football, and then Monday
night football has been a hit for close to fifty years.
So there are no plans to have a Friday night
game or Wednesday night game or Tuesday night game in
the National Football League. UM. Let me just hit you
(24:15):
on a couple of items before we wrap up outside
of the world of football, where the world of football
has been mentioned, um, and get your thoughts on that
if you don't mind, certainly with what just went down
in the National Basketball Association with Donald Sterling's comments, have
you at all addressed anybody in the National Football League
about that incident moving forward, just to reiterate this league's
(24:38):
position on on racism and things of that nature. Commissioner,
if you felt the need to do anything like that, No,
I believe that our ownership understands the world that we
live in, um, how much we value diversity, and and
that's something that is one of the essential parts of
what makes our league successful and has over the decades.
(25:00):
So uh, No, I don't see a need to do that.
I believe that our owners understand the importance of doing
things the right way. And there are some who feel,
based on what the commissioner of the NBA took a
stance with Donald Sterling, that the league should take a
similar stance on the on the name of the Washington Redskins.
Do you see any connection between those two No, I
(25:22):
don't know. The Redskins has been the name of football
team for eighty years. There's eighty years of tradition there.
This is, Uh, this is a much different circumstances and
the unionization of college players potentially and how that might
affect the National Football League. Is the NFL monitoring that
Are you involved in discussing anything that's going on with
(25:43):
the players potentially at Northwestern trying to unionize at the
collegiate level. No, we don't have any involvement in that, Rich,
It's not something that, uh, that we're directly involved or
even indirectly involved with. We obviously monitor, We're obviously aware
of what's going on, and we follow it, but we
we really don't know what the impact would be to us.
(26:05):
And frankly, because there's still a lot of things that
have to be dealt with, we're not sure it will
ever happen. But those are things that again we'll have
to monitor and deal with as they become a reality,
if they do become a reality. Yeah. The only reason
why I ask it's just so many people look to
the NFL obviously is an industry standard to take a
look at see what your stances on so many issues,
(26:27):
and that would be one that I know a lot
of people are wondering why I know, Rich and but
you know, I also believe that we're the National Football Again,
we should take care of our own house, and you know,
for for me to be making comments about what's happening
and in college football or other sports, uh, they have
people running those and they have people that are making
those decisions that are much more informed, uh and are
(26:48):
much more appropriate for them to be making comments about it. Lastly,
the movie Draft Day commissioner completely switching gears obviously. Are
you aware that you could be the first commissioner of
any sporty age or otherwise to be up for an
Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor? Are you? Are you
aiming for that right now? Yes, It's something that will
(27:08):
be very important to me. Rich. Yeah, but it's not
going to happen as you could tell, sure, because I mean,
you obviously are very convincing. I had to stay in
my own role, so that was, okay, I can't do that.
I'm in trouble, you know. But what what is? What
did the league think of of seeing the draft on
on the silver screen? Constner movie? And yeah, I think
it was fun. It was it was a chance for
(27:31):
people to see another side of the Draft, and you know,
quite frankly, was probably a lot of fans outside of
our core audience, people disunderstanding what happens behind it. People
can debate about yeah, was it realistic or not, But
there was a lot of work that was went into that. Uh,
And I know that when that movie is put together,
(27:52):
they did it with the cooperation of people on our side,
and we thought it was a fun movie and it
and it'll be great for just bringing more to to
the draft. Could that be the first of many movies
that the NFL is behind or putting out, Well, you
know we were, we were behind, and we were involved
with Blindside as an example, and you know we participated
on these movies. And uh, no doubt that more will
(28:13):
come our way, and we'll evaluate us on an individual basis.
And if we think it can be good for the
game and good for the NFL, we'll do it. But
not good for your acting career, that's not I don't
think that's going to be. I just want to make
sure about that. And lastly, I just want Chris Law
give this. We want to make sure you're not parched
during the announcement of any of the picks during the draft.
So should I keep this at the booty? That's what
(28:35):
I'm asking, yes, because as you understand the meaning of branding, obviously,
just put that right up there. I will make sure
because we don't want again any frogs. And I appreciate
anything obviously, when you've got the announcement of picks, I
think it'll be right there with me a Rich Eyes
and podcast water bottle. Is it's yours to keep. Thank
you for coming on. Thank you bet that's the commissioner
of the National Football They getting ready for another draft
(28:57):
week here in New York City with my podcasts right,
don't forget that Rich Eisen podcast and I just need
about the branding. Thanks for joining us, appreciating Well, that
was my chat with the commissioner and some interesting things.
Is Um he's h G H comment. I think enough
is enough in his mind. Um, it sounds like they're
(29:19):
open to moving the draft. That Rahm Emanuel, who is
an aggressive individual. As we all know, that mayor of
Chicago has been lobbying, same with Eric Garcetti in Los Angeles. Um,
we've been told just walking around the building here that
New Orleans has raised its hand Dallas. As we all know.
Stephen Jones said, Jerry's will holding the draft in that
(29:40):
stadium can accommodate a heck of a lot more people
than than are at Radio City Music Hall every year.
I love New York obviously because you need to come
here to has the buzz. It would be interesting. It moves, dude, Chicago,
it would go people go crazy, and they would also
get If you remember the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, everyone
from around the Midwest came out, driving distance from Indiana.
Folks would come from was Anson, Minnesota, Iowa. Think about
(30:02):
it from Ohio from a TV production, Semi Bianna, haven't
they said? Also, maybe one night in one city, one night. Well, hey,
you said, basically I thought it would be you know,
a four day It would be nights one and two
and three, and then four and five and then six
and seven. But he goes, no, we go one, two
and then three and then the rest on the final day.
(30:23):
And and I don't know how a teams are gonna
like losing a bye week if they're second seeded. That
that you you, you hump it. You You win twelve
thirteen games and your reward is to host a game
against a hungry seven seed. Think of the seven seeds
from last year. They would have been Pittsburgh in the
(30:45):
a f C, which as you remember, was a house
of fire, and it would be Arizona in the NFC.
Do you think Carolina would have wanted to see Arizona
the following week or New England would have hosted Pittsburgh. Now,
no Patriot fans did anything if they handled Pittsburgh pretty
well almost every time of late. But those would have
been those matchups last year and that could be the
(31:07):
case this year. I mean that was of interest as well,
a lot of I mean, we got to ask the
question about the Donald Sterling thing too, and it's it's
all interesting. Well, he says that there's there's a lot
of fans again who believe Redskins we we've talked about
it before, is a slur um some as you heard
the commissioners say it's a team name. There are many people.
(31:29):
And even when I say that there are many people,
I got tweets from people saying there's no argument what
that word is. But you heard the commissioners say that
that's a team name for eighty years, that there's no connection,
and also what you think. I mean, we don't know
what goes on people's personal lives, but Daniel Snyder is
not showing up to Redskins games with his mistress on tickets,
with the wife sitting there. I mean, there's the way
(31:51):
Donald Sterling has conducted his life and the webs you
know what I mean. It's that is apples and oranges.
But a lot of people are wondering if the league's
gonna do something, and you heard the answer is pretty
emphatic that I was asked an answered. Essentially, I think
we live in a different world to now post Donald
Donald Sterling because some of the incognito stuff that came
out through exchanges and the Riley Cooper incident. If that
(32:13):
would have happened now, I think penalties are much different
versus before. Even this is kind of put everyone's focus
on that issue. But you were talking about players. I'm
talking about player. Yeah, but yeah, this is management, sure,
which is held to a higher standard. But I think
if the Cooper incident were to have happened this offseason
(32:35):
post Donald Sterling, he would have seen a much probably
harsher penalty. Well, you heard what the commissioner had to
say about all of that, and we'll see how everything
plays out, certainly with the draft in the playoffs moving forward.
Playoffs could be this year would be this very year.
Don't remember how perfect everything was last year? That was
the perfect that opening weekend of games. I just don't.
(32:57):
You can't. You can't have as as he pointed out,
you can't have because you've got a three, four or five,
six and seventh seed with fought with one extra team
in the playoffs. You cannot have the two seed on
a bye week because then you have to put the
three seed up bye week two. You can't do that. Basically,
the only bye week would be handed out to the
(33:18):
top seed, which would make that an even more important race.
I mean, we never really look at the That's the
the I guess unintended exciting consequence of a draft of
expanding the playoffs, which I know a lot of fans
are aren't happy with because they feel that the league
is tinkering with something that's already working. And but the
(33:39):
unintended exciting consequence of that would be paying attention to
the race between one and two, which right now we
don't pay attention to other than the fact that, like,
you still get your bye week, because two and three
we pay attention to because it's a different different a
home playoff game the next week or a home playoff
game two weeks that we pay attention to. That would
(34:02):
just push that up the ladder to the one verses two.
That would be a huge race right there, did you
read between the lines at all. I kind of gathered
when you asked about are you interested in playing on
any other days? So we're interesting interested in franchising, and
he obviously said not to Friday and Saturday, but it
almost left the table open for we're looking at franchise.
(34:23):
We owned Sundays, Monday's great, Sunday Night's great. Thursday's the
next big thing. He didn't, really, he did. I asked
him Tuesday, said no, Wednesday. I must have. I've even
joked about that, you know, with Tuesday. Wednesday was sort
of a joke. But that's too Mark Cubans. Yeah, that's
when I mentioned the hogs and pigs, you know, and
his you know, folks who were listening to this didn't
(34:44):
see his facial reaction, but he just sort of nodded
his head because of what Mark Cuban said the last
month that the that you know, hoggs get fat and
pigs get slaughter, or pigs get fat and hoggs get
slaughter or whatever. He said, it wasn't very complimentary in
the NFL and saying that he wouldn't be surprised if
they're gonna play games on Saturday night or even Friday
nights and Friday night is just a nonstarter because it's
(35:06):
high school nights. And long time ago, the the the
exemption that the NFL gets from Antitrust right from Congress
was predicated on you can't play on Friday nights because
of high school games and New Years heard, he said,
out of respect to the college game. In the high
school games, we're not going to play on Friday and
Saturday nights. So Thursday night they want to make big
(35:27):
and then you get ready for Sunday games with Sunday
night and then the Monday night exclamation point is best
that ESPN can do it. So we'll see. It's now
time to switch gears. Tracy Morgan is walking through that door,
pleased to have now on the Rich Eyes and Draft Special,
a man whose comedy tour is beginning, the two month
comedy tour Turn It Funny, beginning this very month. Good
(35:48):
to see Tracy Morgan, to see you. How are you doing?
It's draft week here in New York City. The National
Football excited for the young players. Man, I'm excited for him.
Now you know a player in the draft, you know, Yeah,
Trey Mason from Yeah, you know, I know his dad.
His dad was the DJ from Daylight Soul Boy Mace. Yeah,
good guy. So you've seen him. I'm happy for him too.
(36:10):
You've seen him growing up, he saw him growing up
not like that. But you know, I grew up off
his stad's music. You know, his dad helped me through
some tough times with the music and all that stuff.
And I just was a big fan of Daylight Souls
And I'm happy that his son's going in the draft.
Cool stuff. Are you up to the Giants? So? Are you?
Are you a Giant fan? A Giant fan? Okay? Why
(36:32):
why the Giants go up off the Giants? My dad?
I used to be a Dallas Cowboy fan, but my
biological father, Tony Dorsett played for them. You know Tony
door it set is my daddy. Is that right? I
did not know. Yeah, he didn't know it either. I
bet you know now though. So yeah, and then and
(36:53):
then the Giant just came. My dad converted me and said,
you live in New York. You are a Giant fan.
And ever since then, I'm Giant fan. Jets were never
an option for uh jets. No, my dad, my father
was a Giant fan. I'm a Giant seem like you're
being polite about that about because I love the Jets
to the Jets a good team and the New York team,
but I'm I'm I lean Giants and plus some good
(37:16):
friends with the Titch family. Yeah yeah, and his son too. Yeah,
because I also know Um after the draft a couple
of years ago, r G three gets drafted and what
is he What's the first thing that he does is
he visited the thirty Rocks that when you were doing
a live show right down the street right started, Yeah,
(37:38):
and we took a picture together. M was exciting. That
guy's good. That's good. So who do you what do
you think of the Giants right now? Tracy? Do you
think they've got a We just came off for Super
Bowl two years ago and last year was a sort
of a rebuilding we started. But I think we're gonna
be good this year. Well, well, we will compete this year.
You're like, because is it the momentum of the end
(38:01):
of last season going into the season. We had a
good ending to the season and we will continue with that.
And I like it this season. You were in the
National Football League home office right now, the commissioners just
down the hall, I'm gonna visit them too. You're gonna
go visit Yeah, I got a couple of things I
wanna say. Talk. That's what I wanted to ask, because
this is an opportunity for you to help change the
game that you love. Let defense play defense. I looked
(38:25):
at the game recently, and every time there's a pass throw,
the receivers looking for a yellow flag like he's supposed
to get it, like the entitle to it. You gotta
let the guys play defense. So what are you not like?
You think that the rules? Just think that you can't
touch the receiver us if you if you're competing, let
them compete. And that's what I don't like. If if
(38:46):
I was able to walk you down the hall to
see R. G One as we referred to him here, Roddell,
that's what you you'd say, let's the defensive backs compete.
Is there anything else that you I'm fine with the game.
I love the game. I like to see a little
bit more, maybe maybe a tab more aggression, but you know,
not anyone getting hurt. I mean, safety is always first,
(39:07):
but it's football. And like Deacon Jones said one year,
he's eleven on eleven when you meet him. I met
him two years ago. Uh. I was presenting some awards
at the Super Bowl, a Super Bowl award show, and
he was there and it wasn't on I was icon. Yeah,
he was Jones maybe two words, Deacon Jones. Yeah, I
know it. Actually I got to meet Billy White Shoes
(39:29):
and Harvey Martin and all these grades, and I couldn't
find Tony does Set man. Uh. A player that I
would love to have met too was Reggie and Walter.
I don't need to say the last name, don't you
don't Those are two guys anyway. Yeah, but I love them, man,
(39:51):
those are guys that you would love to have met. Yeah. Man,
I'm pat of my life after them being gentlemen and
how they were respected and they knew their profession. How
do you go about your profession with the comedy, Tracy?
How do you get ready for like a two month
tour that you're doing right now? Uh? At this point,
I'm just spending a lot of time with my family.
I'm tuning up material, but I'm spending a lot of
(40:13):
time and my new daughter, my sooner be wife, and
my family. As long as I know, I've spent a
lot of time video. Collyone said that Vito Coleone told
the guy Frankie, did you spend you spend time with
your family? Of course I do, he said. A man
is not a man unless he spends time with his family.
(40:33):
So before I hit the road, I'm spending a lot
of time getting a lot of time in with him,
quality time. It makes me feel better while I'm on
the road, and it assures them that daddy be back.
So are you now that you've got to be a
baby daughter? Has that changed? Beautiful baby daughter? And I
also got a shotgun to shovel in the alibi good
one because I just had I've got a daughter is
(40:54):
eight months and I was wondering what I needed to do.
A shot what? What? What? What do you need to do? Well,
just you get there? That's it. But a shotgun what
is it? And a shovel and you need a great alibi. Yeah,
I'm not gonna kill nobody. Kneecaps one day when they're
shopping at Macy's and a husband since enegold baby, my
(41:17):
knees are hurting and she goes, what's wrong with your name?
I don't know actual father? So do you miss dirty rock?
I missed the people that I worked with. I missed
the people, the unsung heros, the grips, the cameraman. I
missed those people that I saw for seven years straight
that helped me look good and be better. And I
(41:37):
missed my co workers. But I don't miss the show,
not like I aunt died or anything like that, because
we did seven years a good TV so I can
see the show anytime I want. All I got is
in syndication. But then you watch the show and you
think about that camera guy or that makeup lady or
craft service, and that's what I missed seeing those people.
(41:58):
What was your your football playing career life? I played
up until maybe seven. I was a pretty good money back,
very fast. Yeah. As a junior in high school, I
ran maybe a four or five forty yeah, and ran
track two. Track was my passion and I love football,
but I was injury prone. Man. I was like a
hundred and seventy pounds, hundred sixty pounds. You touched me
(42:19):
and a finger was broke, So I pretty much do
that was gonna be a career. Like Doorsett was my note.
The Doorset was my guy. But I tried to dress
like Eric Dickinson, bird cage, goggles, your heads hanging out,
spat it up all the time, pretty towel hanging from
the side. Pretty you dressed the way you play. You
played the way you dress, so I was always pretty
(42:40):
with it. And I think, if I'm not mistaken, you
wound up playing Eric Dickerson on a Saturday night. Yeah that, well,
you see where that came from from back, it's my
life play that Dickson. I got to meet him to
I'm good friends with him actually, and Jerry and uh
Kellen Winslow. Two years ago, I had a Super Bowl commercials,
so I went to the Super Bowl. Was that last year?
(43:03):
Last year? I want to promote because I had me
oh fit and I had to promote it. So I
got to go on all the sets and I did
all these interviews and I got to meet everyone except
for Tony and I love you Tony, and get better.
I love you man. So, uh, when you're going on
in your comedy tour, is there? Uh? When people are
(43:23):
you know, coming to see you, what do you want
them to walk away with? UM? If you see me,
see me with your heart and not your eyes. I
would just like to release some endorphins and make everybody
just leave the world in a little better shape than
it was when I got here. Just spreading laughter. That's
my way of showing love, sharing my life, my experiences,
(43:47):
and my perspective in a funny way. And when do
you watch When you watch football games, describe Tracy Morgan
football relaxed you. Man. I go to the game. I
go to the Giants game. I mean, I'm into it, man,
I know the game. I know what's happening on the field.
So there's a lot of fans. That's where people strangers
(44:08):
absolutely come and they share one cause. And it's I
love being at the game because fans, Man, we were together.
You know, it's like a sisterhood and the brotherhood and
you know when the call is not right and you
know it's passion and that's what's good about it. And
everybody when to have to win, everybody's filing out of
the stadium feeling good about that win. You know, no
(44:30):
matter how many games you lost, it's good to be
back in the win column, you know what I mean.
I'm getting excited to talking about it. Man. I'm gonna
the next season a helmet, you know what I was
in Dick sporting goods the other day, and I was
gonna buy suit just to put it on, just to
see how I feel. And my lady was like, you're
gonna buy a whole football, So I said, yeah, I wanted.
I wanted to feelip haads again. It's been so long.
(44:51):
I'm forty five, you know what. I've been so long.
I was just gonna have hers spat me up. That's
gonna sit on the kitchen table with a hangar pulling
my toes and make her spat me up. I would
pay to see that. Yeah, you know, I got I
got the I got the money now to buy some
top knots equipment. When I was in high school at
eighties seven, men, my helmet was a suicide helmet. They
had one paddle on the right side. We gotta protect
(45:14):
that right lobe. You know, the left blobe was completely
right over. You gotta understand, man. People used to play
with leather helmets man cottonell for THI peg. You know
these people got the best. They got evil Conel helmets. Yeah,
I know that thing is pretty huge, right there, no
doubt about that. So the Giants, do you think this
(45:36):
is a potential Super Bowl? Even you would definitely a
Super Bowl. Yeah, you never could tell in the league
every year. Well this man again. Your DVD is out
bona fide, that's unavailable now and basically what you should
do is go to either Live Nation or ticketmaster dot
com and get tickets to see this man and his
two month long comedy tour that's beginning just this month.
(45:59):
Turn it fund. Yeah, we are. We're wishing for a
good tour. People come out and leave and get their money.
We want to give everybody a bank for the dollar
and give him some good comedy and give him some
good stories and some good characters out there, some good
jokes to tell that the water cool UK and we
just want anybody to come to Turn It funny man.
You know, I'm I'm taking all the suffering and pain
(46:19):
and my experiences that I ever been through and I'm
turning it off funny now and hopefully people will relate
and identify with it. And I just want everybody to
know that you're not the only one. You're not the
only want to go through anything. Let's laugh at it.
Good to see him. Thank you. That's Tracy Morgan here
on the Rich Eyes and Podcast. Tracy Morgan everybody. Tracy,
(46:44):
he knows his football. He does. He's also very um introspective, Yes,
very that was more of an interest. I thought he
would be banging off the walls and doing crazy stuff.
But he was a very introspective guy. Justice giants doing
some research. I mean, he's a guy that's lived a
couple of lives. I mean he said had an interesting
childhood and lifestyle when he was younger, and definitely a
(47:05):
mature man. And I think he said it a few places.
He said it here having the daughter changed for five
years old. Anyway, go get his DVD bona fide and
find out where he is coming to a comedy club
or theater near you for his tour. Um turn it funny,
take a master dot com slash Tracy Morgan, all right,
(47:27):
you ready for your mock draft Tuesday night on NFL
Network at nine o'clock. Nine o'clock. Uh. And I got
a little surprise at three, a little I don't know
what something. Oh yeah, I know, we've got it was
an idea that I came up with a few weeks ago.
And you have as you're producing, you know, you cracked
deep into the budget, which, by the way, let's let's
(47:47):
hope the water bottle shows up with the commissioner, how
awesome will advertize in podcast water bottle. There's no chance,
has no chance. That's like the Carson Dale a sound
bite of Madonna from a couple of years ago. No chance,
no chance, none, none, there's no chance of him bringing
the rich eyes and podcast water bottle. It's very nice though,
I can take one of those, right, Yeah, we got
got okay, got some home um so and then our
(48:11):
specials on after the Mock Show ten thirty pm Eastern
Time with the commission the television version of cutdown of
what you just heard on the show, and kudos to
Brockman in advance of putting that thing, slamming it together.
And he's got a different editor. Our editors was gone,
so he's he's he's gonna be up against him be
slicing indicns. Why Brockman gets paid the medium bucks the
medium bucks very good. Also a late release. We'll put
(48:34):
the mock draft up as a podcast as well. Very good,
so we'll get that up to all right, very good.
Thank you for everything, Chris laughs, Thanks Stacy Garcia and
our booking staff. I want to thank also the Commissioner's
staff for for putting us on his very jammed busy schedule, Pete,
Greg and b Mac big huge don't forget them all,
(48:55):
all of them, you know. Um so for Chris Law
at Chris Law, I'm at rich eyes from for at
the Eisen Pod guests, We're gonna get uh our friend
from Sweden's open back on next week. That was a big,
huge hit. But for the moment, we just you know,
you're out of the office. We just had to keep
it straight up. The old, old stale opens returned this week.
We hope to return next week with a far more
(49:17):
fresh piece of open. But for the moment, Uh enjoy
our draft specially again tomorrow night. Tent Tuesday night at
ten thirty pm Eastern Time for at the Eisen Podcast,
I'm notrech Eisen sign again, Stay listening.
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