RICH EISEN Is On The (Fake) Board of Staten Island Tourism

Summary

Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers

Episode: RICH EISEN Is On The (Fake) Board of Staten Island Tourism
Release Date: September 23, 2025
Hosts: Seth Meyers, Josh Meyers
Guest: Rich Eisen

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Seth and Josh Meyers welcome legendary sportscaster and Staten Island native Rich Eisen to reminisce about his childhood, family trips (or lack thereof), New York memories, and the oddities of growing up with public school educators for parents. They discuss the weird world of sports allegiance, the Staten Island ferry, the lost glory of summer camp, Yankees vs. Mets loyalty, and the little family moments that end up defining you.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Childhood & Sibling Dynamics

• Rich’s Staten Island Roots: Grew up in a tight-knit, working-class home; both parents were New York City public school educators.
• Sibling Rivalry and Smarts: Rich has one older brother, Jeff, who he describes as “way smarter” (19:00).
• Sports Allegiances: Rich turned away from the Mets and adopted the Yankees to separate from his brother's fandom (19:04–19:15).
  • “If he was rooting for the Mets and Jets, I would leave the Mets by the door side and root for the Yankees.” (19:04)

2. Family Sports Traditions and Nepotism

• Growing a Sports Fan: Despite his father’s indifference, Rich’s brother’s influence set him on his sports path (19:19–19:32).
• French Teacher Parents: Both hosts and Rich share the unique experience of having a French teacher as a parent; all admit to underwhelming language retention (20:30–21:10, 21:20–22:29).
  • "[My dad] would take his high school class on trips… and I'd ask for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when we were out. I just didn't have the palate, I didn’t have the mind for the language." – Rich (20:37)
• Nepotism in School Awards: Josh won French student awards via nepotism, got booed at the assembly (22:10–22:29).
  • "The tiebreaker was 100% nepotism." – Josh (21:58)

3. Sports Fandom—The Family Virus

• Long-Suffering Mothers: Seth recounts his mom blaming her sports heartbreak ("Aaron Boone, 2003") on the males in her family (23:25).
  • “‘You put this poison in me.’” – Seth, quoting his mother (23:25)
• Generational Team Choices: The Meyers and Eisen families have strong multi-generational allegiances, often dictated by fathers/grandfathers (28:39–29:50).
• Fandom Nuances: Seth allows his kids some freedom—just not Yankees, Giants, or Jets.

4. Staten Island, The Forgotten Borough

• Eisen: Fake Head of Tourism
  • "Staten Island, New York. The fifth and forgotten borough. The home of Wu Tang Clan." – Rich (10:52)
• Legend of the Ferry:
  • Rich and Seth marvel at the size (12:35–12:54).
  • Monkey business: Pete Davidson & Colin Jost’s purchase of a decommissioned ferry gets roasted (12:18–13:40).

5. Upbringing in a Teacher Household

• Modest Means: No lavish trips; summers were spent at camps where Rich’s father was a counselor (43:58–44:59).
• Camp Not a Sanctuary:
  • “My dad was my group leader for, like, the first two, three years.” – Rich (43:58)
  • Lack of camp friends: “I did not. I did not. It was really difficult for me…my wife really…had to tell me, go to therapy…” (45:17)
• Travel Opportunities: Most family trips piggybacked on his dad’s French-class excursions (45:11).

6. Memorable Childhood Trips and Moments

• Disney World (Classic 1970s):
  • Flew Eastern Airlines, stayed at the Polynesian, marveled at the monorail, wore a parka into the pool during a cold snap (45:00–47:58).
• Aging Grandparents & Wild Movie Nights:
  • Awkwardly watched “Dressed to Kill” (Angie Dickinson shower scene!) with his grandparents (49:51–51:13).

7. Parents, Pride & Technology

• Rich’s Dad, the Sportscaster’s Dad:
  • Distributed Rich Eisen trading cards to visitors, based on service quality (24:04–25:13).
• Elderly Parental TV Confusion: All commiserate about helping their parents adapt to YouTube TV, cable, and digital remotes (26:09–26:47).

8. Manhattan & Culture: The Family Field Trips

• Early Broadway Exposure:
  • Fiddler on the Roof, Zero Mostel—second row as a child (33:11–35:32).
  • “Truly one of my first memories of life.” – Rich (33:13)
• Ticket Stub Under Glass: Treasured mementos from all the Broadway shows, including a childhood autograph from Glenn Close (35:32).
• Garry Marshall Anecdote: Seth reminisces about Marshall blaming the Winter Garden Theatre for a flop—until "Cats" ran for 25 years (36:14–37:12).
• Meeting Tony Randall: Rich, post-jog in NYC, gets negged by an impeccably dressed Felix Unger (from The Odd Couple) about focusing on his recent parenthood, not just career praise (39:54–41:02).
  • “I would think you would congratulate me on my children.” – Tony Randall (40:59)

9. Parenting the Next Generation

• On Not Forcing Careers/Dreams: Unlike his grandfather’s hopes he’d become a rabbi, Rich isn’t foisting any plans on his kids (48:19–49:31).
• Traveling With Kids:
  • Italy wins as a “magical” family destination, especially Venice (54:13–55:14).
  • Kids get along…mostly, with typical sibling arguments (55:16–55:48).
  • Cherishing the rare moments of family harmony (“Pure bliss” over a calm breakfast: 55:44–55:52).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Naming Rights for Kids:
  “If we try for the girl…and we get the girl, you can name her… [But] my naming rights immediately got demoted to the middle name on the spot. But her middle name is Mattingly, after my favorite baseball player.”
  – Rich Eisen, on parent negotiations (08:40)

• On the Staten Island Ferry:
  “I don't recall ever having a warm, fuzzy memory taking the ferry, ever. Including my prom date vomiting off the starboard side…”
  – Rich Eisen (11:47)

• On the Influence of Sports:
  “If it wasn’t for my brother, the Rich Eisen Show every day would be about Judy Garland and show tunes… and it probably would not exist.”
  – Rich Eisen (19:19)

• On Family Fandom:
  “Sometimes my assistant, after the show, she’s like, ‘A friend of your dad’s is here.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, great.’ …And sometimes I’ll be like, ‘So how do you know my dad?’ He’s like, ‘I was in a bar wearing a Steelers hat, and he came over and started talking to me. And then he said, you were his son and if I ever wanted to go to the show, he could give me tickets.’”
  – Seth Meyers (25:21)

• On Childhood Broadway Experiences:
  “Zero Mostel singing If I Were a Rich Man…and I will never forget that. That is truly one of my first memories of life.”
  – Rich Eisen (33:13)

• Venice, Italy as an Unmatched Experience:
  "Venice truly is unlike any other city that you’ve ever been to. There’s nothing truly like it."
  – Rich Eisen (54:35)

• Speed Round: Dream Travel Companion:
  “The Griswolds.”
  – Rich Eisen (59:17)

• On the Grand Canyon:
  “I have not been to [the] Grand Canyon. …I have seen it from a plane…That canyon sure is grand from up here.”
  – Rich Eisen (60:29, 61:05)

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:16 | Jets vs. Steelers fan divide; bridging NFL loyalties | | 08:05 | Parenting and the pressure of having a girl; naming their children | | 10:52 | Growing up on Staten Island; home of Wu-Tang Clan | | 12:18 | Pete Davidson & Colin Jost’s ferry purchase, ferry size shock | | 18:01 | Sibling rivalry; Eisen’s “smarter” older brother Jeff | | 20:30 | Fathers as (poorly) supportive sports fans | | 22:00 | Nepotism over French awards; school assembly booing | | 23:25 | Meyers mom’s sports heartbreak; “You put this poison in me.” | | 24:04 | Rich’s dad giving out his trading cards to servicemen | | 33:11 | Childhood Broadway memory: Fiddler on the Roof | | 35:32 | Saving playbills, meeting Glenn Close backstage | | 39:54 | Meeting Tony Randall | | 43:58 | Summer camps as default “vacation” | | 45:00 | Childhood trip to Disney World; parka in the pool | | 51:13 | Watching “Dressed to Kill” with grandparents; Angie Dickinson scene | | 54:13 | Family trips to Italy, love for Venice | | 55:44 | Cherishing peaceful moments between siblings | | 57:33 | Speed round: ideal vacation, dream travel companions, “pitch” for Staten Island | | 60:29 | Has Rich been to the Grand Canyon? (Nope—only from the plane) | | 61:22 | Rich’s upcoming NFL travel schedule |

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Tone & Atmosphere

The conversation is light, self-deprecating, affectionate, occasionally nerdy about sports, and laced with family in-jokes. Rich Eisen fits in seamlessly, quipping about family lore (“My dad was not a sports guy…That’s why the Rich Eisen show would be about Judy Garland”) and game for Meyers-style ribbing. The episode moves fast but manages to savor little details—camp loneliness, ticket stubs, odd moments with aging parents and kids—that define family trips, even when the “trip” is just to a museum on Staten Island or a cold pool in Disney World.

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Summary

This episode with Rich Eisen is a loving exploration of what happens when your family is rooted, not in luxury, but in public schools, working summers at camp, New York subway lines, and making the best of it all. Through jokes, wistfulness, and warm zingers, the Meyers and Eisen uncover what matters most: a few good memories, a decent pizza, and the chance that maybe, just maybe, someone will hand you your own trading card if you do a good job fixing the dishwasher.

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Listen for:

• Brilliant banter about familial sports trauma
• Real talk about Staten Island and the ferry's unlikely fame
• Heartfelt memories of Broadway, New York, and why the best family vacation stories are the weird ones

Rich Eisen’s advice, in the end:
“Mix work and travel, if you can.” (62:22)

Transcript

[A]

Hey, everybody. It's Sufi Sanz Pashi. He is currently in Ireland with MacKenzie. They're going to a wedding next weekend, and they've made a real trip of it. And he's sending me a lot of videos to the whole family, to Ponka Yeri and Hurry as well. Of the two of them, it seems like the scope of their trip thus far has just been taking hikes in the windiest way. Whether anyone has ever taken a hike in this is what most of the videos sound like. Hey, everybody, I texted them the other day with this question, do they not have inside in Ireland? Because if I was daydreaming about a trip to Ireland, it would be me in a pub with a big old Guinness. And not what their trip seems to be, which is just a sort of light soaking of their clothes as they walk through undeniably lush settings. It's very beautiful, but is anything really beautiful if this is all you hear? They sent me a picture of their hotel room, and it was just a thousand sweaters hung over different things to dry. I would say, if there's a word that I. That pops into my head when I think about their trip so far, it's damp. Speaking of Ireland, look at this tangent for me. Really look at that. I kind of like this. Just me. I hope you guys are enjoying this as well. Maybe Pashi is redundant. You know what's nice? Everybody knows who's talking this time. Just me. I had Colin Farrell on my show yesterday with Margot Robbie. They're in a great new movie, big, bold, beautiful journey. And here's the thing, my favorite movie is in Bruges. It's a Martin McDonough movie starring Colin Farrell. And I've talked at length about it with Colin over the years. And I meant to ask Margo, when they were out, if she had seen it. And the interview ended and I had forgotten, and then I said, oh, do you like in Bruges? And she goes, oh, my God, I love it. And Colin said, ah, you don't love it as much as Seth here. He fucking went to Bruges. And that's true. And that wasn't a good Irish accent. But Alexia and I, I loved Imbruges so much, we actually took a trip to Bruges for the purposes of recreating a movie about a couple of hit men. So it wasn't the most romantic trip, but we have lovely pictures about it of it. Rich Eisen is on the show today, and man, oh, man, does he have a smooth, melodious voice that I hope you will enjoy a great deal. And, yeah, at this point now, especially after that, you know, shitty Irish accent, I do think we need Pasci back, and, I don't know, can't come back soon enough. All right, thanks, everybody.

[B]

Enjoy Rich family trips with the Myers brothers. Family chips with the. Here we go. Just got to turn my mom.

[A]

Oh, I hear. I hear that sultry voice. I can't see him yet.

[B]

I can't see me yet. I think.

[A]

No, he's here.

[B]

I don't think we turned our camera on is what it says.

[A]

That's how early it is. You haven't even turned your camera on.

[B]

Oh, I'm at my set right now. Seth. I'm not playing.

[A]

You're. You're. I'm sorry that I. Oh, my gosh. You really are. You're not messing. By the way, I want to say, every time we talk to people on sets, it somehow takes longer for them to turn the camera on than if they were at.

[B]

Seth.

[A]

Their home.

[B]

I have people for that now that I'm on Disney, dude.

[A]

Welcome back. Welcome back.

[B]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

[A]

Do. Rich. Should we open with what we have in common or what our differences are?

[B]

Whatever you'd like. No, it's your choice. It is your.

[A]

Let's start. Well, let's start with our differences.

[B]

What's. What's that? What are our differences?

[A]

Well, you're a Jets fan, and we're Steelers fans.

[B]

Understood. So Sunday, it was unlike the proverbial Donkey Kong. I understand.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But no, you know what I mean. As I've matriculated and grown older and have 32 teams that I have to talk about for the NFL Network, My. My jets fandom has waned a little bit. Plus, I have to call a Jets game in London later this year. So I got to. Everybody always thinks when you call a football game that you're rooting against their team. It's. It's called the Joe Buck disease that everybody thinks that you root against them. But that said, congratulations to your Steelers, Seth Myers.

[A]

And by. And let me just say I do. I never get even the slightest tinge of homerism from you in regards to.

[B]

Good.

[A]

Your New York upbringing. And I mean, that's.

[B]

I appreciate you saying that.

[A]

You know, because let's be honest, Mike Greenberg wears it on his slee.

[B]

Literally. Literally. Literally. He puts on a Jet jersey. He literally wears sleeves with the. With the jersey on. But I guess. But the New Yorker still comes out of me if you cut me off in traffic. That's where it Comes out.

[A]

But you are in la.

[B]

Yes, sir.

[A]

So I'm wondering, like, the one thing I'll say about New York. Cruise. And when I say cruise, I mean the crews that work on our television shows.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I would say they're 99% jets fans. And last year, one of our. The guys on. On my crew bet me in the Steelers jets game last year that if the jets won, I'd have to have a Jets mug on my desk. And if the Steelers won, he would get a tattoo of a Steelers logo on his arm.

[B]

Wow, that doesn't seem.

[A]

Very bad gambler. Very bad gambler. And then Steelers won. And I said, you do not. I was like, kenny, you do not need to do this.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And he's like, I'm a man of my word. And he's got. He's got a full Steelers tattoo now, by the way. Not Kenny's first tattoo.

[B]

He had.

[A]

It's a little. You gotta go looking for it.

[B]

He was previously inked. He was previously inked. Okay, very good.

[A]

And then what we have in common. But I'm not sure if it counts because you're a Michigan man, famously. But you did go to Medill.

[B]

I did.

[A]

At Northwestern University. Can we yell a Go, cats to somebody who's just Medill?

[B]

You know what? I'm happy to do that.

[A]

You're happy to receive it?

[B]

I'm happy to receive it. Northwestern was a big year for me. Going to Medill School of Journalism was a massive, massive, watershed moment in my, you know, journey, for the lack of a better phrase, since we are in a podcast about trips. Do you see what I just did?

[A]

Look at. Somebody's got somebody. Well, you could tell when someone hosts one. I can't tell when someone.

[B]

I can't turn it off, man.

[A]

So.

[B]

But yeah, it was. It was big. Although I did. I wasn't in Evanston. The. The. My quarter was in Chicago on Lakeshore Drive, which was awesome, you know, And. And I loved it. I absolutely loved it. So I do have a place near and dear for the purple of Northwestern. That is for sure.

[A]

But you would not. You would not call yourself Torn when Northwestern plays Michigan.

[B]

Not at all, as a matter of fact. I mean, if Northwestern Beach, Michigan, that's a bad day in my life. A very dark day.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Unfortunately, you haven't had many top 10. I'm pretty sure I can name them all.

[B]

But, like, your children, right? Like, there's. It's the same thing. You can't choose one that's a favorite. It just.

[A]

I thought you Were saying it was like my children because it's only happened three times.

[B]

No.

[A]

You and I, we're going to get to your upbringing here in a second. You're. I noticed you're. You have three kids. Boy, boy, girl. What's your order?

[B]

Boy, boy, girl. I mean.

[A]

Oh, so that was. So you had two boys first as well. Yes, that's what I had. I think I'm going to say, I think it's the perfect. If you're going to have three, I think it's the perfect order.

[B]

It certainly is. Although, man, is there pressure on that third one. Not have a penis. My God.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

I mean, our daughter thinks she's going to get one once.

[A]

Yeah. She said the other day she was. She does. She. She's in a crib. She's now in a bed. But when she was in a crib and wanted a bed, she wanted to go, can't wait till I grow a penis so I can get my own bed.

[B]

Oh my God.

[A]

Oh, that's. You've made an incorrect causal relationship.

[B]

Yes, exactly.

[A]

That's why they have them.

[B]

That's why you got to give a roadmap there of what this is all about. And this is not an appendage dependent situation to get your own bed. Yeah. When, when we had two boys and my wife Susie says to me, I really want a girl. And you'd be a great girl, dad. We should. We got to try for her. And I'm like, you know, sure. But she even said if we try for the girl and we get the girl, you can name her. Like this is like some sort of thing that would be an incentive for me. Not like happy wife, happy life or everything else that she was saying about it. And I said, sure, let's do that. And so we try for the girl. We get the girl. And my naming rights immediately got demoted to the middle name on the spot. But her middle name is Mattingly, after my favorite baseball player of all time.

[A]

Oh, that's really nice.

[C]

That's a nice middle name.

[B]

I agree. Also her initials, Taylor Mattingly Eisen, or Tme for too much Eisen, which he is on a daily basis. So there you have it.

[A]

You also. We have an Axel and I really like having an X in one of my kids name. But you have a Xander, right?

[B]

We have a Xander with an X.

[A]

He's Alexander. How did the Xander. Oh, so he's the Alexander, but he goes by Xander.

[B]

Yes, on his diploma, driver's license, passport, Alexander. But he goes by Xander with an ax. He just. I don't know. It sounded great.

[A]

And did you guys. Were you the ones that started calling him Xander first or did he come to. Oh, great.

[B]

Decided we're gonna name him Alexander, but call him Xander? That was.

[A]

I'm really. The weird thing is when I. Xander was so popped so much to me that I forgot that it's the end of Alexander. Like, it didn't even appear. I was like, oh, oh, there you go.

[B]

It is. It's the back end. Yeah. But he. Yeah, he loves his name. Thank goodness. And, you know, my son's youngest son's name is Cooper, so we got.

[C]

He hates his name, famously.

[A]

He goes by oop.

[B]

No. Good one. No, we named him that because, again, my. My oldest son at the time, when he was a baby, was into cars, and when the only cars he couldn't recognize is Mini Cooper. And that was one of the only words he would say. And us.

[A]

Right. So we made it easy for him.

[B]

Yeah, we did. You know, so that's what we got there.

[A]

So where you're. Which part of New York did you grow up?

[B]

Staten Island, New York. The fifth and forgotten borough. The home of Wu Tang Clan. That was one of my favorite lines in the history of the Larry Sanders show. When Artie had. Was telling Larry who was on the show that night, and he mentioned it was. He called them Staten Island's streetwise troubadours, the Wu Tang Clan. And that was big for all of us in Staten island to hear that on that show. But, yeah, that's where I'm from.

[A]

Is the Pete Davidson Colin Joe's thing too much or just right?

[B]

Well, you tell me. Have they gotten rid of the ferry yet? Have you gotten rid of the ferry yet?

[A]

I don't think once you get that ferry, you get rid of it.

[B]

Can you offload? Where are you driving? Dry dock. That thing where.

[A]

Here's the thing. The only way you offload a ferry is if you find people dumb enough as Colin. You know what I mean? Like, now they gotta find two younger rich guys from Staten Island.

[B]

Honestly, I took the ferry all the time to New York City or Manhattan, and all the time. And I don't recall ever having anything that has a warm, fuzzy memory taking the ferry, ever. Including my prom date vomiting off the starboard side of it as we went back to Staten island because she had too much to drink at Danger Fields with her fake ID that night. So I don't know why there's anything charming about that.

[A]

For anyone who is not in the know, Pete Davidson and Colin Jost bought a decommissioned Staten island ferry. Now, I'm ashamed to say this, Rich, because I've lived in New York City since 2001. I only took the Staten island ferry for the first time last year for, oh, as a chaperone for my son's field trip.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And I just want to say, knowing that they had bought a ferry, I had no idea how big the Staten island ferry.

[B]

It's massive.

[A]

It's. It is. I'm not lying when I say it is 5x what I pictured.

[B]

Yes. Yeah.

[A]

Also, Staten island is, you know, 10x what I picture. Yeah, it is massive.

[B]

It is a big if it. At least when I live there. If it was its own city, it would have been the 20th largest city in the United States of America. And I'm sure it's gotten larger even in population, even though they obviously there haven't added landmass to it. But honestly, if you're, if you are buying a ferry and think we can have events here, you could literally have five different weddings at the same time on this large ass boat, you know.

[C]

And the boat's name is. Have they changed it?

[A]

I don't know. Titanic 2 is what they named it.

[B]

That's not what you call a ferry.

[A]

It is when you're two comedians who are bad with money.

[B]

It's a bad, you know, it's like one of those bad swing thoughts in golf. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, you don't want to go on a boat called the Titanic 2. Although it is sounding fitting about their.

[A]

Their business, they maybe knew which way it was going. Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors. Support comes from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Well, hallelujah, everybody. And I don't mean that literally. The Freedom from Religion foundation just won two big cases keeping the 10 Commandments out of your kid's math class. In Texas, a judge blocked a law that would have forced every school to hang a giant poster of Thou shall not. And in Arkansas, Conway schools had to take down their 10 commandment signs after surprise. The law was ruled unconstitutional. So kids can go back to learning reading, writing, and arithmetic and leave religion where it belongs. At home, at church, at a synagogue, or at the mosque. Can we get an amen to the Constitution? Because FFRF defense Constitution sues when public schools cross the line and protects kids from being preached at instead of taught. Go to FFRF US School or text the word family to 5115 11. Text family to 511511 Go to FFRF US School. Remember to text family to 511511 today. Text fees may apply. Support comes from NordVPN. Hey guys. NordVPN helps protect you from malicious sites, downloads, trackers and intrusive ads. Their threat protection is always on the lookout, even when not connected to a VPN. With NordVPN, all your Internet data stays safe behind a wall of next generation encryption. You can even block malware and ads. Turn on cybersec to avoid malware hosting websites, annoying ads and botnet control. So right now, for example, Paschi, you know he's traveling and he's not going to use unsecure airport or restaurant WI fi. Get out of town. Public WI Fi is notorious for being a hotbed for people to steal your data. So he's using NORDVPN when he emails me. Or at least he would if he emailed me. Been real radio silent since he left. It's like we don't have a podcast. I guess. When you use the custom link for the Family Trips podcast, you'll get a huge discount on a two year plan plus four additional bonus months. Get it at nordvpn.com familytrips it's risk free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee and it's the best deal on the Internet. Get [e-mail] familytrips or click the link in the episode description. That's Nord. N O R D vpn.com familytrips this message is a paid partnership with Apple Card.

[C]

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[A]

I saw it in action when you picked up the bill last time I was in la.

[C]

Well, you didn't have your wallet or your phone.

[A]

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[C]

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[A]

And that Titanium card, always a conversation.

[C]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

But these women are in a league of their own. Mel has never been exposed to women like us. I don't know how he can handle it all.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

So, Staten island upbringing.

[B]

Yes, sir.

[A]

What's your sibling situation?

[B]

I have an older brother, Jeff, who lives just down the road here in Manhattan beach. The top notch estate and tax planning lawyer in the United States. If you want to, if ever need, just call Jeffrey Eisen out here in Los Angeles. Yeah.

[C]

All right.

[B]

Just one older brother. Two years older and way. Well, yeah, I mean I, I, we, we just lived in a, in a three bedroom house in Staten Island. Two New York City public school educators who moved from Brooklyn to Staten island when they built the Verrazano Bridge and you know, working class and we all lived, you know, in these rooms that were basically the doors to each room was about 2ft away from each other. And so, yeah, we were close and we still are. Bottom line is though, he was way smarter than me, you know, the salutatorian of his class, all that sort of thing. And that was my upbringing. He's awesome.

[A]

But you were at least smart enough to know that he was way smarter than you.

[B]

Yes. And also to know that if he was rooting for the Mets and Jets, I would leave the Mets by the door side and root for the Yankees when Reggie Jackson came to town in 19. So I was that smart, too. Interesting. Yes.

[A]

Did your, did your dad have a rooting interest? Was he a Mets fan?

[B]

My dad did not like sports at all. And if it wasn't for my brother, the Rich Eisen show every day would be about Judy Garland and show tunes and thus the Rich Eisen show probably would not exist.

[A]

No, I remember there were, I think it was three episodes and then it kind of ran out of steam.

[B]

Yep, that's right.

[A]

What a funny thing. So, and when you said your parents are public school educators, what did they teach?

[B]

My dad was a French teacher and also college advisor at the high school level, obviously. And my mom taught kindergarten mostly, but on occasion first and second grade. So that's what they did and my dad, again, he was not a sports guy. So when I started doing, you know, sports casting in the early in the mid-90s locally, and then when I got on Sports Sports center in 1996, his commentary to me the next day would be. How do you say the name Mitch Richmond so fast without stumbling on it like that's, that's the sports conversation I would have with my dad, you know, not at all.

[A]

Another thing we have in common, our mom, public school French teacher.

[B]

Is that right?

[A]

Yeah, retired, obviously, but junior high French teacher. No kidding.

[C]

How is your French, Rich?

[B]

Oh, terrible. I disappointed my father daily by not being good at it. You know, he would also take his, his. His high school class on trips abroad for the, you know, sometime. One time to Quebec, one time to New Orleans, you know, for French, and then one time to France itself. And I would go there and, you know, they would, you know, I'd ask for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when we were out and about. I just, I. I didn't have the palate. I didn't have the mind for the, for the culture and the friend in the language. So I was disappointing my dad on that front.

[A]

I think, I fear, I think, I think it's impossible to disappoint our mom, but otherwise she would have been deeply disappointed in me.

[B]

Oh, Josh was.

[A]

Josh's was better.

[B]

Oh, is that right?

[C]

Well, I won an award as the best French student in my class, and I can speak no French. Yeah, I was.

[A]

Which to this day I said was an ethical error by my mother to.

[B]

Award Josh that, well, sometimes I'm a terrible. I'm a terrible, you know, a in a Q and A because I'm always the Q. So I have to ask a follow up question. What are the criteria for receiving such an award?

[C]

It was just like it was grades. It was like I didn't miss anything on quizzes and tests. I was an exceptional student. But there were other classmates of mine who were exactly the same. I feel like I was.

[A]

So the tiebreaker was nepotism, Rich.

[C]

The tiebreaker was 100% nepotism.

[B]

Isn't it always?

[A]

Isn't it always? Look, my mom wouldn't give it to somebody who wasn't tied for first, but she's certainly not giving it to a non.

[C]

She saw it as her opportunity. I'm the youngest, and so when I was coming through, she's like, I'm not gonna get this opportunity again, so I'm gonna give it to my kid. And I got booed at the assembly when I went up on stage to receive the award from her, whereas I.

[A]

Had the decency to do poor enough in the class not to force my mom into that moral gray area.

[B]

But what a life lesson for the other students. In life, you're gonna lose out to nepotism all the time. What a. What another way to teach the kids while also rewarding her own. I think that's next level. That's next level chess right there.

[A]

Our. You know, so much like you're a French teaching parent. Armand did not start a sports fan, but then became a huge sports fan because of both our father and then the two of us and the famous. And again, she's a huge fan. Loves the Steelers, loves the Red Sox. And the famous story about her breaking point was a moment that I'm sure brought you a great amount of joy, which was the Aaron Boone home run in 2003 off Wakefield. And my dad said that when he hit it, she got off the couch, turned to him and said, this is all thanks to you and those fucking boys. And was so, like. Literally, she was like, you put this poison in me.

[B]

Wow, what a moment. Well, at least then it's been complete, like, Freaky Friday role reversal between the Red Sox and Yankees, basically, since that home run.

[A]

I was just talking to my. I was explaining the Curse of the Bambino to my boys on the walk to school.

[B]

They must be like, what is that? Like, what are you talking about? Like.

[C]

But it sounds fun from a kid's perspective.

[A]

They were. Look, they were enjoying, by the way. I was. I was halfway through, and sometimes I do think my kids are so bored. And then. And then we ran into another parent, and I started talking to the parent, and then one of the kids pulled my arm and was like, finish your story. And I was like, oh, well, thank you.

[B]

I am a storyteller by trade.

[A]

Oh, this is wonderful.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, my dad never really became a sports fan, but he did enjoy, you know, he was the typical, you know, Jewish dad as well, where, when I. When I got on SportsCenter, a trading card was made, you know, with me on the front with my stats as a sportscaster on the back. And they sent, like, 9,000 to the house. So I just sent them all to my dad. And I'm like, I don't know. I don't have anything to do with this or with this. You figure out whatever you want to do. So whenever anybody would come to the house to just, like, you know, work on the cables, you know, box or the dishwasher or the refrigerator, you know, if they did a good job or if they noticed a picture of me, you know, on the mantel and go, oh, I love your son. They. They got a card. So any, anytime, anybody, anybody, anybody who came to the house, I'm like, were they card worthy? And he'd be go, absolutely not. He did a terrible job. Or. Or not. Or the other way around. So that was the extent of my dad's sports fandom. He never really got there. Ever.

[A]

I will say, like, you know where I. It sounds like another thing we have a comment is like, proud parents. There's nothing quite like it.

[B]

No.

[A]

Sometimes my assistant will say, she goes after the show. She's like, you're a friend of your dad's is here. And I'm like, oh, great. And I always say hi to, you know, after the show. And so I go back and I'm talking to this, you know, lovely couple or whatever. And sometimes I'll be like, so how do you know my dad? He's like, I was in a bar wearing a Steelers hat, and he came over and started talking to me. And then he said, you were his son and if I ever wanted to go to the show, he could give me tickets.

[B]

Wow. I love it. How great is that? It's the best. It is the best. It's the best. It is the best. Although, you know, my dad passed in 2019, my mom is now at the point where me changing my show from the Roku Channel to Disney. Now I've got to like, she does have some issues trying to find.

[A]

You gotta fly home. You might have to fly home.

[B]

But she does speak into her Roku remote control. So we got that.

[C]

That's where our parents still have.

[A]

Our parents.

[C]

I was just home. They still have cable and YouTube TV. And I was like, these are the same things. And they're like, but then how do I get like, if I Want to watch ESPN on YouTube TV, how do you do that? I was like, you go to espn, it's the same deal. But they're afraid of change. And they really got YouTube TV just so they could get the Sunday ticket. I feel like, there you go.

[B]

I like it.

[C]

But they haven't let go of whoever provides their cable.

[A]

Yeah, they like to support media. Media. It's a tough time for media. And so they're like, we're gonna pay for all of it.

[B]

I hear you.

[A]

Do your. So your mom mentioned, like, does your mom watch your show?

[B]

She does on occasion. When she cashes it. Yeah. And sometimes, like, back in the day she would come here too and we'd pop her and my dad on the air and stuff like that and it would be some fun moments, you know.

[A]

That's great.

[B]

I do love it.

[A]

Did they like it? Did they sort of thrive as parents on your show?

[B]

Of course. They just loved it.

[A]

Ours do too. You know what I mean? You know, my parents, Josh, come on my show every year for Thanksgiving and it's the best.

[B]

I was just trying to avoid the Costanza moments when we were on live television with them, you know what I mean? Those were the Del Boca Vista moments. But they were great.

[A]

We kind of, I kind of try to push my parents towards it. It makes for better television.

[B]

It is, it is great. You know what I mean?

[A]

We have, you'll appreciate that the long running bit is, you know, we have them on Thanksgiving and every year NBC has the late Thanksgiving NFL game. So the highest rated show late night has of the year. No, close second is a Thanksgiving show. Not because people are watching, but because they just leave the TV on.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And, and every year my parents are like, we did it again. We nailed it. Highest rated show of the year.

[B]

I love it. Now I've asked you this before too, because you know my son again with my wife's from New England and so when my kids were born to say, you need to be a Jet fan and not a Patriot fan, while Tom Brady of my initial alma mater, you know, is killing everybody. So like child services would have removed the kids from the house if I'm like, you must be a Jet fan. So my youngest son, because my oldest son does not really care much about sports. He's more into Taylor Swift and everything going on with Travis Kelce and so that's Xander. But Cooper is a die hard sports fan and he's going to go to school saying I'm a Patriot Celtic Yankee fan. And people are going to go like, really? What's up with that weirdo? So how are you? Steeler Red Sox. How does that happen?

[C]

Yeah, Steelers, Red Sox. Our dad's from Pittsburgh, from East Liberty and was just. Our grandfather had season tickets when the Steelers started in like 38 or something like that. So it was. Yeah.

[A]

And that was non negotiable.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And then also we kind of grew up in an era where the Steelers weren't by the time we cared they weren't particularly good but they like they had been recently the best team. So like yeah, I, we grew up in Michigan and everybody was either a Cowboys or a Steelers fan. Like that was that era.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And then like, we moved to New.

[C]

Hampshire and like, the Patriots were like Tony Eason, Steve Grogan. Best case scenario, they were 8 and 8. So they were on TV and you'd kind of like root for them. But our, you know, we bleed black and gold. And then, yeah, there came a time when they started beating us in AFC championship games. And it was rough, but they never wavered.

[B]

Never waver. Hang in there.

[A]

But then, and then the Red Sox thing was really just like we were a family that would like watch baseball every night and like back in the day with like your local team was what was on.

[B]

That's it.

[A]

And you know, we, we moved pretty. You know, I think we moved in 80. So the 86 Red Sox happened and we cared about it and that's all. That's all that matters.

[B]

Yeah. I remember being in my dorm room at Michigan watching Mets, Red Sox, wishing for the meteor to hit. You know what I mean? Like, I'm like, as a Yankee fan, I'm like, this sucks. Like, what is happening? Mets, Red Sox are playing for the World frigging Series. And then that game six happened and it was that. That was the equivalent of a meteor, you know, and it really was, you know, and. But yeah, it's tough to explain to people that the Steelers, prior to the Immaculate Reception, were one of the worst franchises for decade.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, and. And now obviously, for the last 50 plus years, it's been a totally different ball of wax.

[A]

It's a fun team to watch. We. I will say this, Rich, I said to my boys, I was like, look, I'd rather. Look, you don't want to be jets or Giants fans, and I won't let you be a Yankees fan. But, you know, because I'm. We're Celtics fans. I was like, if you want to be Knicks fans, that's totally fine. Like, it's too cool how close you live to Madison Square Garden. Like, you know what I mean? It's like one subway stop from where we live. So if you guys want to be Knicks fans, I fully support it. I'll take you to games. And so. And I think that would be also fun for me. So that's what I'm. They might be the weirdos who show up at college being like Red Sox, Knicks dealers.

[B]

There you go. There you go.

[A]

But they'll come to all of it, honestly.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I like that you have decided for them also that they won't be jets or Giants fans.

[A]

Well, just that that's like, again, it's like the Child Protective Services that Rich was saying, you gotta step in and help them.

[B]

Yeah. But then there is one sort of like you're a lawyer picking a jury where there's one preemptory where this is not going to be an empaneled juror here. And that, for me, was the Red Sox gear that would come to the house. The onesies in the frigging, you know, children's books about the monster of Fenway and all that sort of stuff just came streaming in from the east coast when our firstborn arrived. And I'm like, this is not happening. That's the one where I'm gonna just put my marker down here and the Red Sox shall not enter the gates. And everything else was just like, okay, free choice, freedom of choice. It's the country in which we live. And that's it. You know, but that. That was my one preemptory. No Red Sox. I just can't have it. Or if. If Ohio State was in any way, shape or form in the equation, which it was. And my. My. My wife went to Columbia, so she has. She's agnostic when it comes to collegiate football. So that. That's.

[A]

That helps.

[B]

Yeah, big time.

[A]

We. I had a lovely moment where on Sunday, you know, during the Steelers jets game, like, we were, you know, it was a beautiful day. We were outside, you know, we're not, you know, inside watching the game. I was kind of well aware of what was happening in the game, I will admit. But then I got home and I said, you know that lovely condensed game that you can watch these days.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And so I said to my 9 year old, I'm like, hey. And I didn't tell him who won. I'm like, you want to watch? You want to watch the game? And he's like, yeah. And we went. And about halfway through it, he goes, so I think I'm gonna go read a book. I was like, great. I was like, I love you so much.

[B]

That's great.

[A]

Godspeed. And he's like, but let me know what happens. I'm like, you bet, buddy. Cause at some point I'm like, this is better. This is healthier.

[B]

Yeah, this is. Read a book. Fantastic.

[A]

Go read a book.

[B]

What a win.

[C]

So if your father was sort of more on the Judy Garland track, would you guys. Would you get taken into Manhattan to go see shows?

[B]

Would you go? Absolutely. One of my first memories of life. I'm not kidding you was sitting in. I don't know how they got this. They got somehow second row Seats to Fiddler on the Roof at the Winter Garden Theater. And I just remember Zero Mostel singing if I Were a Rich Man. And I guess because I was a little kid sitting in that row, he sang it like, directly locked in at me. And I will never forget that. That is truly one of my first memories of life is doing that. And then I also remember standing on a massively long ticket holders line for Star wars at the Ziegfeld Theater. That's another memory of mine. So we.

[A]

I feel like that's like in the documentaries about Star wars coming out.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

They would, like, show a line at the Ziegfeld.

[B]

Yeah, ticket holders line. I'm like, anytime I do see stuff like that, Seth, or a photograph, I'm like, like, looking for Waldo. Could I be in that picture on that one moment in time where picture was taken? But I remember that. I remember going to Radio City, which is, again, what a blessing for you that you go to work in that building, Seth.

[A]

My God, I never take it for granted. And you know what? You know, who reminded me when. And, you know, the 2007, 2008 writers strike, there were a bunch of Letterman writers that I was just meeting for the first time. And of course, a lot of them had worked in the building and they were at the, you know, at Sullivan Theater, which is also a great building. But they were like, never forget. You work in the best building, period, period.

[B]

With all the memories and all that stuff and all the history, pop culture history in that building. And so, yeah, I just, I just. The answer is yes. And those are my memories of seeing.

[A]

And were your parents the kind of people that like, talk to you about after you saw it? Like when you saw Fiddler, were they like. Yeah, that's the best.

[B]

They probably left out the pogrom part. You know, to a little kid, they, like leaned in.

[A]

The matchmaking.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes. The love part of it. Yes, that's. That's, that's where they leaned into it. But no, yeah, I mean, we would, we would talk about it and I would. You know, as a kid, I had a desk where there was a glass top, and I would. I would put ticket stubs underneath the glass. And we did that.

[A]

That was a big thing.

[B]

Yeah, I did that. And then there was one time I saw Barnum on Broadway and I don't know how this happened, but we went backstage and I met Glenn Close as a kid and, you know, and she autographed my playbill and I had that under the glass. Probably the only 5th grader in Staten island to have a Glenn Closes autograph on a playbill. But that was my upbringing. We always went whenever we could to Manhattan to go to see Broadway plays. And I'll never forget it. So, yeah, that is part of my DNA.

[A]

This is a total side story, but only because you mentioned the Winter Garden Theater. Did you ever have the pleasure of meeting Garry Marshall?

[B]

Oh, God, no. But he's, you know, the best. The Odd Couple is such a part of my fabric. Watching it at night on Channel 11 in New York. But he. I'd love to hear this story.

[A]

He's the best and, you know, Northwestern guy and greatest storyteller. And I remember he told me, somehow we got around to talking about Jason Alexander, who'd been in Pretty Woman. And, you know, he's like, you know, I did a play with Jason, his first Broadway show, and it was. Got terrible reviews. It closed in a week. It was at the Winter Garden Theater. And everybody said, gary, it's not your fault. The play's great. It's the Wintergarden. Nothing works at the Winter Garden. The next play that came into the Winter Garden, Cats, he's like, it ran for 25 years. They all said, gary, it's the Winter Garden.

[B]

That is fantastic. And I have to mention, as well, I'm sure you know it, and hopefully your listeners and viewers do, too. The scene in Lost in America with Albert Brooks where he plays the casino boss, you know, and Albert Brooks is trying to get his nest egg back, his money back that his wife gambled away while he slept in the hotel room, is truly one of the best scenes in the history of movies. I love that scene.

[A]

I did one of Garry Marshall's less memorable movies called New Year's Eve, and the sole reason I did it was to talk to him about that scene.

[B]

Are you serious?

[A]

It's my favorite scene. I just did Criterion Closet and talked about that scene, how it's the perfect scene and the best thing and everybody should watch the scene. Albert Brooks, Garry Marshall. It's on YouTube from Lost in America. And Garry wasn't an actor, but Albert was his friend. And Albert knew he'd be perfect at it. And Gary, so funny goes the worst thing. He goes, we got it on the first take, and Albert had to do it again and again. And it's just the best thing about Garry Marshall is this wonderful scene. And all he does is complain about how long the day was.

[B]

God, the desert in has heart. And him saying, there is no Santy Claus, you know, oh, my God, I Do sometimes just out of boredom, just want to just watch it back. And it's like four or five minutes long. It's classic, classic.

[A]

And the most still to this day, the most amazing thing about Gary Marshall. Not Jewish.

[B]

What?

[A]

Isn't he Italian?

[B]

Are you serious? Because that's pretty soon. Are you serious? Because now I, I might roll into a fetal position.

[C]

Yeah, that seems, that seems like a stretch, but I don't know.

[B]

But the odd couple that was part of my upbringing as well is channel 11. One of the local stations there in New York would have a back to back of the Odd Couple and the honeymooners from 11 to midnight. And whenever I got to stay up late, I would watch that back to back and it just so, you know, molded me and what my sense of humor is. And I'll tell this story if you don't mind. I met Tony Randall on the street once and it was amazing. When I worked on SportsCenter up in Central Connecticut, I was a single guy and so I got a small like one bedroom on the Upper west side to go, you know, crash at like a little crashing pad whenever I go to New York for a couple of days when I had days off. So I'm running in Central park and I'm sweating like a pig and I'm walking back and I'm right at the, it was on 81st in Columbus on the Upper west side of Manhattan and I'm getting right to my apartment and who's walking towards me pushing a baby stroller with his new kid at age 70, whatever is Tony Randall. And dressed exactly like I would think he would be dressed like Felix friggin Unger with a double breasted blue jacket and a crisp button down white and blue striped shirt. And I just said, I just realized I'm a sweaty mess, but I have to say something, I can't let this go. And I just told him exactly what I told him. I said, you know, odd couple this, odd couple that. You formed my sense of humor. And I just, I know I'm sweaty, but I just needed to say thank you. And he goes, well, thank you. And then he starts pushing the stroller and then turns around over his shoulder, he goes, but I would think you would congratulate me on my children. And keeps walking and I'm like, I'm a sports guy who's a mess. And he, we just played this out. Like this just actually happened. Like he corrected me on the way I thanked him or congratulate, oh my.

[A]

God, the greatest Gary Marshall confirmed Naju wow, Italian from the Bronx. Which also by the way, FYI means Penny Marshall isn't either. So just that will be your day. Also not Jewish. Larry David? Mel Brooks. No, I'm kidding.

[C]

All right, hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors.

[A]

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[A]

Here it goes. All right, we're gonna get. Josh, get into it. Cause we've got 20 minutes.

[C]

So. Yeah. What were your family trips like? You've got public educators for parents. I'm guessing you weren't, you know, flying to Italy, St. Barts. What were the trips and when were trips?

[B]

I'll be honest with you. The. The trips were, again, because my parents were public school educators. They mostly. We spent our summers mostly in summer camps that they were working in. So my. My summer camps. My dad was my frigging group leader for, like, the first two, three years. So the kids wanted to go make.

[C]

You cooler in the eyes of your fellow campers?

[B]

Oh, my God, the exact opposite. They wanted to go raid some other bunk. And if I went with them, I wasn't just defying any authority. You know what I mean? Like, and so I was the kid going, do we really want to do this? You know what I mean, in summer camp? Who wants to be the. Do we really want to do this kid in summer camp? You know, and plus, I realized at a very young age that I should talk about sports for a living, because I sure as hell couldn't hit the curve. But honestly, this is not. I feel like I shouldn't turn your podcast into therapy, but that did preclude us from taking a lot of, say, like, summer trips or anything like that.

[A]

Where were the cases?

[B]

Camps. The camps were in the Catskills. One was Camp Locanda in Glen Spay, New York, and the other was Trails End Camp in Beach Lake, Pennsylvania, for those scoring at home, you know.

[A]

And so did you look forward to camp? Like, did you. Were you. Did you go to the kind of camps where you made lifelong friends?

[B]

Nope, I did not. I did not. And it was really difficult for me, and my wife really, basically had to tell me, go to therapy when I was. When we were beginning to send our children to summer camp to not place my bullshit on them. You know what I mean? Like, I had to work really hard at that. But that was amoeba. Like, when an mp, right? To use the Boogie Nights phrase, not a yp. And so the bottom line is we didn't have a lot of those trips. But the trips that I was telling you about before, that we would go on as a family, my dad would fold my brother and yours truly into the. The French class trips. So New Orleans, Canada, we did go to France. That was a. Now those. Those were the ones that I just recall More than anything else, we did go to Disney World once on Eastern Airlines, flying that from JFK once upon a time back in the day. So we did do that where we stayed in the Polynesian Hotel. I remember the monorail. When I was a kid and the monorail was first built, I literally thought I was on the Jetsons. It was amazing, you know, going into the contemporary hotel, looking around like, it was unbelievable when I was a kid going on that trip.

[A]

That, by the way, is such a nice reminder that kids are not easily impressed. But it doesn't take much for kids who don't have a ton of experiences to be blown away, which is one of the reasons why you don't have to, like, do the most amazing thing in the world with your children. It's just take them somewhere different and they'll be, you know, their eyes will be open to it.

[B]

Don't overthink it. Sometimes, you know, when our kids were sitting in car seats as little babies, the thing to help them pass the time is like a, like a plastic water bottle. Just hand it to them and they would just like, you know, make the noises and the air would blow out and it would be like the cheapest, you know, $1.99 toy we could hand our kid to pass 30 minutes in a car, you know, so don't overthink. I just, again, I remember when I showed up, we were in Disney World and it poured rain for the first two days. And it was one of those was unseasonably like 50 degree cold Florida day. But we showed up and I remember I saw a slide into the pool and I'm like, I've got to go on it. So my. There's. There is an old school, now grainy picture of me going down this slide in my. In my zip up Camp Locanda Parka. Because of course, my Jewish parents would not let me in the pool without it because it's cold. You know what I mean?

[A]

Right.

[B]

Catch cold in Disney World, you know. So there's a picture of me sliding down into a pool with a parka. A zip up parka.

[C]

That'll keep you warm.

[B]

No, when it gets wet, that kind of makes you colder. But they were just like, sure, let's, let's. You want to go on the slide? Go on the slide. So, yeah, I don't remember like any. We never went on like long car trips or anything.

[C]

Like grandparents nearby.

[B]

We did, we did in Brooklyn. Both in Brooklyn, one near Coney Island. Sometimes we would go to the amusement park there and the other one on East 48th street in Brooklyn. So I do remember disappointing my grandfather on the porch of his place there to inform him that his dream of me being a rabbi one day was over. That wasn't happening. And I knew that at age 12 this wasn't happening. But yeah, that's.

[A]

Had he been explicit that that was his. Was that his plan for you?

[B]

He was like, it was indeed, yes. And I had to break the news to him one day at his age 12 as I was getting ready for my benefits, but this was not happening.

[A]

Did you know you had to tell him or were your parents like, you should probably tell him?

[B]

No, I don't know why I did. I just had a moment of clarity, you know, my adolescence, you know, like I'm just break the news. I want to be a sportscaster.

[A]

It's so funny. Cause I'm assuming you and your wife Susie are not trying to impart onto your children what careers you think are right for them. But it is so funny to think just like, I mean, maybe it's still happening and I just, it's not amongst the people I know, but like the idea of like you telling your kid at 12, like we think you should be, this is just so funny.

[B]

Right? Well, it's old school certainly, you know, again, to go back to the Anatevka days like this just. This wasn't happening, you know, like, I just knew it wasn't.

[A]

Did you ever. Did you ever travel with a set of grandparents?

[B]

No. God, no.

[A]

No, because they would be bad company or they didn't want to or that just seemed like too much.

[B]

I don't know, I should ask my mom, like, why don't we travel with them? I don't know, it just. I don't think they weren't moving around too well, you know what I mean? Like, it just. No, I couldn't even imagine that. The only, the only thing like out of the lane that I remember. Oh God. Was watching, you know, in the basement of my Staten island house. We had, I don't know, I had a movie night. We watched whatever was on Wometgo. Wht. Remember that old school movie. But it was like predated hbo. And we watched, we watched Dressed to Kill with my grandparents sitting there. And if anybody recalls, Angie Dickinson was butt ass naked in the shower in the first minute. That's why I remember that to this day as a 56 year old man sitting here with you two guys right now.

[A]

Right.

[B]

By the way, are these the stories you're looking for on Your pod. I will tell you this, they're not travel stories.

[A]

I will tell you this. When you said that, I had a flashback to the first time I saw Dressed to Kill. I'm sorry, dress, what is it?

[B]

Dress To Kill. Dressed to Kill. Brian De Palma. Yeah.

[A]

Michael Kane.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, he was.

[A]

And I definitely also saw that at a time that was deeply age appropriate and left a mark. Left a Angie Dickinson sized mark.

[B]

Hey, man. My subconscious police woman had it. She had her A game going, but she had it.

[A]

She still has it.

[B]

In front of, in front of my 80 year old grandparents though. That was. I didn't see that one coming.

[A]

How were your parents as travel companions? How did they interact with each other?

[B]

They were, they were okay. Again, my dad was mostly a chaperone on these trips, you know what I mean? Like, it's not like they. We didn't save up to go away again because of our summer trips didn't really exist. There weren't really spring trips, so they seemed okay. I don't remember any arguments or anything like that. No recrimination. We were just, we were just on, on a trip just trying to experience the culture. And they were, they would, they would always try and explain this stuff to me, whatever was necessary. Whenever we were anywhere, I mean we would go. Some trips that we would take, to be honest, were to some museums in Manhattan, you know where. And my mom would definitely take the time to explain what we were looking at. And I probably checked out on her, to be very honest. You know, I'm. I just, I do the same thing right now in museums with, with Susie taking the kids around on trips right now.

[A]

You're still checking out.

[B]

I'm trying, I'm trying not to. You know what I mean? I'm trying to be a better parent to try.

[A]

And I've been saying this. My father in law, who's my father in law, who. It was just a wealth of information. And when I, before I had kids, he would like tell it to me all the time and I just was like fully checked out. And now my kids are actually like, they are great, great receptors to his information. Like he'll be like the amount. He's like, you know what kind of rock that is? And they're like, whoa, tell me more. And I'm like, oh my God, I'm so happy. I'm not talking about the rock. So happy he's talking about the rock to somebody else.

[B]

This is the best. And you're not talking about Dwayne Johnson either, are you? No, no, no, it's an actual rock you're referring to?

[A]

Oh, yeah, 100%. Did you, did your parents ever travel with you and your kids?

[B]

Oh, God, no.

[A]

I love it. There's just no, like, by the way, like never narration.

[B]

I'm like the most interesting guest in the history.

[A]

No, you're a great guest. I mean, I just think. No, you know, I think you're next. Once you work through camp and therapy. Maybe try to dig into this part.

[B]

No way. No, no, no, no. My mother in law, we took, took the entire, the entire family to Israel prior to my oldest son's bar mitzvah. We did that. Or my youngest son's bar mitzvah in between the two. Bar mitzvah was she did take us there, so we traveled with her.

[A]

I did, I went with my in laws. The, the only time I went to Israel was my in laws took me.

[B]

Yeah, so we did that and it was incredible. And it was before all the insanity broke out a couple of years ago. But yes, so we did that. And you know, we, we take our, we take trips to, you know, with our kids to. We try to take them to Europe as much as we can, you know, before, you know, obviously our son's going off to college soon. So you only, I mean, not to get too deep here. You only get a. We were told this when the kids were born. We only get 18 summers with them, so make the most of it. And we try our best to do that.

[C]

What's your favorite place you've taken the whole family in Europe?

[B]

Italy. There's no, there's no country like Italy. There's nothing like it. I mean, it is just beautiful. And, and the food, the culture, the different places. You can take them from the Amalfi coast to Rome to Siena, Florence. We took them to Venice as well. I mean, in terms of places to go in the world, you could talk about a place that there's no other place like it. Right. And you could use that phrase. But, but say you can go to Paris and there are other. There's no place like it. Well, there are other places with similar culture and type of city that it is international, whatever. Venice truly is unlike any other city that you've ever been to. There's nothing truly like it. And so going there with them was magical. It was just awesome, just great.

[A]

What's the age gap with your three kids?

[B]

Two and a half years each time.

[A]

Time. So. And how are the three of them? Do they travel well together?

[B]

Yeah, they do. They do.

[A]

That's great.

[B]

They do. I mean, there are many recriminations that occur, just like with all children. And the occasional don't make me pull this thing over type moments that you try to get through.

[A]

I've had a couple moments this week. You know, we're just starting up school again where, oh, boy, both my wife and I are getting ready, and we just realized that the three kids are eating breakfast and talking to each other.

[B]

Other. Yeah.

[A]

And, like, it's not. And you're just like, oh, my God, this is.

[B]

That's it.

[A]

Pure bliss.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

This is. You know, this is all you ever want is this moment.

[B]

Exactly. How old are your kids again? They're.

[A]

They're young. They're nine, seven and almost four.

[B]

Okay. Yeah, yeah, you're gonna get.

[A]

But it's great.

[B]

You'll get to other moments where, you know. Well, they'll just say things, you know, like, my daughter, we were zooming with her and. And can't. And we were talking about her birthday when she was coming back and her party and who to invite and who not to invite, and she mentions the name of a friend who should be invited. And my mom goes, oh, oh, I thought you kind of had a little bit of a, you know, a problem before you left for camp with her. And she just says it honestly, straight up. She goes, that's okay, Mom. I've matured a lot this summer. That's what she says. Just like that. And it's one of those moments where, you know, Susie and I are kind of elbowing each other underneath the zoom rectangle so she doesn't see our reaction, you know, but those are the moments, or, you know, I chose the Chiefs, the Lions, to win the super bowl this year. It's like throwing a dart, you know, but it is a job to have to dart, throw. And. And it's. Those are great moments. If you're right, you won't stop talking about it. And if you're wrong, you're like, I mean, it was so early. What am I supposed to know? So. So I chose the Lions and the Chiefs and the Lions did not look good in week one. So my 14 year old, while we're watching the Sunday night game between the Bills and the Ravens, he just turns to me out of the blue and goes, you know, dad, that Lion's take of yours isn't so hot right now, is it? You know what I mean? Like, those are the types of things that are down your pike, you know, with the kids, and I can't get enough of it. You're Right.

[A]

I'm. It's the best. It's the best. We. We know you are a busy man, so we are going to now move on to our speed round. Questions every. Everybody.

[B]

Okay, let's do it.

[A]

I. I feel like you're gonna be very good at it.

[B]

Okay. I like it.

[C]

All right, Rich, you can only pick one of these. Is your ideal vacation relaxing, adventurous, or educational?

[B]

Relaxing. Good God. Give me a book and a beach.

[A]

Seems like this is. By the way, this is someone whose parents dragged him to museums.

[B]

Oh, my God. I am not a skier either. My wife is with the rest. I. I am in world class appre. Skier. That's what I do on those vacations.

[C]

Very good.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Bravo. And that's a little French, so you're probably skiing.

[A]

Just rolled off the tongue.

[B]

Look at me. Look at me.

[C]

What is your favorite means of transportation?

[B]

I do love a train. There's nothing like just settling in and looking out the window and just. I do. It's really relaxing. My God. When I called a game in Frankfurt, Germany, for NFL Network, and I don't do well by myself, by the way. I'm not good at that at all. And my wife's like, just go to Berlin. Take a train. Go to Berlin and just do that. And I'm like, okay. And it was awesome. It was zen. It was totally relaxing. It was great. Amazing.

[C]

Yeah. Those European trains, they're the best. Sort of the Japanese trains. For the record, everywhere but here tends to do them great. Although we've got the Acela.

[A]

We've got the Acela. Eastern corridor is totally fine. Yeah.

[C]

And I don't mind the surfliner out here on the west coast.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, you can get yourself a nice micro microwaved bun thing in your cellar. Come on now. Sure.

[C]

If you could take a vacation with any family, alive or dead, real or fictional, other than your own family, what family would you like to take a trip with?

[B]

The Griswolds.

[A]

Great answer.

[B]

Thank you, sir.

[C]

The Griswolds, you know, you are from Staten Island. If you were the head of the board of tourism for Staten island, how would you pitch Staten island as a vacation destination?

[B]

The pizza is absolutely. The food is amazing.

[A]

So, like, there is a real pizza tourism argument for sure.

[B]

100%. Absolutely. And by the way, Pete Davidson's movie was spot on.

[A]

That's what I've heard.

[B]

Spot on. Hit the bullseye directly where the people are, you know, 100% blue collar down home, family oriented. Just do not piss them off and go and have some Great food. That's my Staten island pitch to you.

[A]

Great. Great.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

If you had to be stranded on a desert island with one member of your family, who would it be?

[B]

Oh, man. Stranded on. Be my wife. Of course it would be for better or for worse. Thank you. It's like Family Feud. Good answer. Yeah, good answer. Good answer.

[C]

And then Seth has our final question.

[A]

Have you been to the Grand Canyon? Canyon?

[B]

I have not been to.

[A]

Do you want to go?

[B]

Of course I do. Million percent.

[A]

Well, of course you do. You've had a long life. You haven't done it.

[B]

It's not like it's geographically unsound. For my current position, I agree with.

[A]

Yeah, it's like, close and everything.

[B]

Take a trip.

[A]

By the way, you. You know, you had 18 summers. Well, you missed it. Guess what? Guess what? Your college student doesn't want to go to the Grand Canyon with his parents.

[B]

Well, yes. We're out of time with the 18 summers. You've had your moment. But I have seen it from a plane. You know, we fly back and it's just like, oh, there.

[A]

That's great. That's great. That's what our listeners love, people who've seen it from a plane.

[B]

That canyon sure is grand from up here.

[A]

Rich, you're the best. It's really cool. Congratulations on the arc of your career, bringing you back to where it all began. And it's really exciting and really cool. You're just doing. So you're doing Jets, Vikings, but you're not doing Viking, Steelers, and oh, God.

[B]

Did I want that assignment in the biggest, worst way. But that's going to be a Fox game, NFL Network, and it's all on NFL Network. So I'm a Ford holder for that one where I'll be doing the pregame for that one. So you'll be checking me out hopefully at halftime and pregame of that. And then I'm doing Jets, Broncos in Tottenham and then Rams, Jaguars the following week in.

[A]

Oh, I forgot how many there was Wembley.

[B]

Oh, yeah. I just did the YouTube, Steeler. I mean, Chargers, Chiefs in Brazil, and that was the first of seven. There's one game in Spain for the first time ever, and then one in Berlin in which is going to be great because they. The Germans do love their National Football League. That is a fact. I've seen it firsthand, man.

[A]

Well, congratulations on sort of figuring out how to travel and work at the same time. You've cracked the code. Hey, it's always a delight to talk to you.

[B]

My dad taught me the way.

[A]

Look look at this.

[B]

I had no idea. Now finally putting two and two together. How I learned it as a kid, you know?

[A]

There you go.

[B]

Mix work and travel if you can. So there you go.

[A]

All right. Thanks, buddy. Really appreciate it.

[B]

Thank you.

[C]

Thanks, Rich.

[B]

Take care.

[A]

See you soon, buddy.

[B]

You bet.

[C]

Take care.

[A]

Bye.

[C]

A baby boy from Brooklyn once moved to Staten Island Grandad had his hopes.

[A]

On a new rabbi but there were.

[C]

Other things in store for Rich Eisenhower.

[A]

Micklin close after one of her shows second row to see Fiddler with zero Star wars line was a hell of a time that Richie Eisen loves the jets but is it as smart as Jeff Summers and didn't have any camp friends in Perry Peanut butter jelly That's Richie Eisen. Movie night was fun well, it was fun until the first minute. And Richie got quite the thrill. It was licensed to kill Grandparents couldn't take it and cheat Dickinson was naked Disney trip but the rain wouldn't quit Monorail Polynesian hotel looking cool wearing his coat in the pool was not good at sports but they made a playing part of Richie Eyes.

[B]

Eyes.