“I never thought that his death would put me in a position to lead 18 countries and all 50 states to protest at one time. I’m proud of that and I know he would have done the same thing for me.” – Stephen Jackson on leading a movement after his friend George Floyd’s death

“I think NASCAR has taken all the right steps to make sure everybody that comes to our races feels comfortable…I think for the sport going forward, for the future of our fans, I think it’s the right way to go.” – Martin Truex Jr. on NASCAR

 “This has been fun. We started the show, in large part, just to fill the void and because, as you saw, so many people were at home…As sports come back, we’re going to let us do what we normally do, and that’s cover sports…Thanks for enjoying lunch with us.” – Mike Tirico on today’s final episode of Lunch Talk Live

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 12, 2020 – Mike Tirico hosted today’s episode of Lunch Talk Live on NBCSN and was joined remotely by:

• • NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr.
  • Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher
  • ESPN Sunday Night Baseball play-by-play announcer and MLB Network host Matt Vasgersian
  • NBC Sports/GOLF Channel analyst Paul Azinger
  • NBC Sports NHL analyst Mike Milbury
  • NBC Sports horse racing reporter Nick Luck

 

The Rich Eisen Show followed Lunch Talk Live on NBCSN, as host Rich Eisen was joined by:

• • Former NBA player Stephen Jackson, who was a friend of George Floyd
  • NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico
  • NBC Sports golf analyst & host of “Feherty” on GOLF Channel David Feherty
  • Actor David Costabile of Billions

Following are highlights from Lunch Talk Live on NBCSN:

Mike Tirico on today’s final episode of Lunch Talk Live: “This has been fun. We started the show, in large part, just to fill the void and because, as you saw, so many people were at home…As sports come back, we’re going to let us do what we normally do, and that’s cover sports…Thanks for enjoying lunch with us.”

Martin Truex Jr. on the opportunity NASCAR has to create change: “I think it’s a big opportunity. I think NASCAR has taken all the right steps to make sure everybody that comes to our races feels comfortable in where they’re at, who’s around them, how people act. I definitely stand with NASCAR in their decisions of what they’ve done. I know it’s a tough topic for a lot of people, but, I think for the sport going forward, for the future of our fans, I think it’s the right way to go.”

Truex Jr. on the atmosphere at Wednesday night’s race: “You think about all those things leading up into the race and on the grid pre-race and you kind of understand what’s going on around you and how big of a moment it really is — what kind of an impact it’s going to have on the sport going forward…Once you get in the car, you’re in the zone and you’re focused on what you’re doing in the racecar and you forget about all those things and you just focus on doing your job. But it’s definitely a big night.”

Truex Jr. on winning Wednesday night’s race at Martinsville Speedway without fans in attendance: “So, after my interviews and things, I didn’t even know where to go. I was like, ‘Where do I go? What do I do with my car?’ So, it was a little bit strange to go do that and take the victory lane picture with the clock by myself and the mask. You know, it’s tough for everybody right now, but I really would’ve loved to have been able to celebrate with my team. That’s probably one of my favorite parts about winning these races is just to celebrate with the team and thank them.”

Jimbo Fisher on recruiting and communication today compared to the past: “The way you recruit and the things you do now compared to, not just 25 years (ago), but compared to even five or six years ago…the ability to communicate throughout our world and for people to get their stories and situations heard is totally different. It’s a totally different person. It’s a more, I’m not going say individualistic person, but one who can express himself in so many different ways and so many avenues and has the outlets to be able to do that. So recruiting and communication, it’s changed drastically.”

Fisher on student-led protests at Texas A&M: “Our athletic department and our student-athletes had a group…we’ve talked in football, ‘Do we want to have a walk? Do we not?’ They wanted to encompass all the student-athletes in the university, not just football, which I think was tremendous. They put it together and did a really nice job with it. It was very well organized and very good messages.”

Fisher on what he’s learned from his student-athletes over the past few weeks: “As a coach, sometimes you hear all the stories and you see stories around your athletes that have to do with athletics, and you hear off-and-on the stories that happen when they’re away from you out in society. But then, I think it’s just the time and the movement that’s going on right now, is allowing kids to feel freer, to really open up about everything, all the little details. I mean, there are so many things that you say, ‘Wow,’ and you’re there to be supportive, but I always felt like we have been…At the same time, it’s an extremely educational process. I like to say, what you want to try to do is make sure that you can help create change and apply change to make sure change is happening in the future.”

Mike Milbury on players returning to training camp: “You’ve got to skate. It’s that simple…I think a big factor in how this thing plays out down the end of the line here is how well these guys are trained and coached during this training camp. (It’s) going to be really critical to get them on their toes and moving quickly.”

Milbury on strategy based on new rule changes: “Now with the rule changes and the up-tempo game that everybody wants to play, you have to incorporate the (third and fourth lines). You have to have that kind of depth. You have to have that kind of trust in your fourth line.”

Milbury on the top seeds playing in the round robin format: “I think it’s been proven that home ice advantage is not as critical as it might be. So, I think they need to get themselves in those three games to a point where they feel comfortable about the way their team is performing. You win, you lose, you draw, they’re going to have to try to play to win.”

Matt Vasgersian on the odds of an MLB season taking place: “I’ve been confident throughout this and maybe I’m being a bit of a Pollyanna here, but I just think that there’s way too much at stake on both sides for somebody not to make the kind of concession that’s required to get the season in right now. The Commissioner has at his disposal the opportunity to implement a 50-game schedule, that’s a last-case scenario. Nobody wants to see this sport condensed to 50 games. It’s not organic to the way this thing goes…It’s not a great litmus test. That’s why they’re both actively engaged in trying to make this happen.”

Vasgersian on a possible 50-game season: “I think that if there’s a 50-game season, I would hope that it would come prior to an expanded playoff format because that would kind of get the bad taste out of your mouth. If we get an NHL-style tournament with 16 teams competing, or whatever the number might be, that to me is an exciting thing, and I’m holding out hope that that actually takes place.”

Vasgersian on how players entering professional baseball are impacted by the situation surrounding Minor League Baseball: “If you’re a high school kid and you have a chance to go to college, I think that college opportunity is probably more lucrative than taking a $20,000 flier to go play short-season A Ball next year someplace. But if you’re a college senior and in the absence of a chance to go play overseas, you might consider that opportunity and you might sign that $20,000 minor-league free agent contract just to go show somebody you can play someplace. It’s really a very unusual time that the game is in right now.”

Paul Azinger on players competing without spectators: “I don’t think it’s going to be hard on these guys to adjust to no fans. I think maybe the big adjustment will be when the fans come back and how they are going to react with the fans and how…social distancing works out. But no fans for these guys, I think, is something that they’re embracing, and they love it.”

Azinger on Harold Varner III at this weekend’s Charles Schwab Challenge: “Guys like Harold Varner, they know this is an opportunity for them to come out here and play good. He’s got honestly more spotlight on him, for obvious reasons, but the golf ball, you know, once you get ‘pro’ by your name and you’re on the PGA TOUR, there’s no discriminating out here, he knows that. But he’s going to let his clubs do the talking, I think. Harold Varner, I know him. He’s a good kid, he’s smart and he can really play, and he’s got a lot of guts. And if you get a chip on his shoulder, watch out for Harold Varner.”

Azinger on Bryson DeChambeau: “I just can’t believe the size of the man, and the fact that what he’s doing is actually contributing to greater distance and greater speed. A lot of times when you see a guy increase in size like that, they lose their flexibility and elasticity. He’s got to be careful because longevity is a big part of golf. You want to be here a long, long time, and he’s playing golf and getting his body ready like he’s in here for the short haul…I’m not sure if he’s going to shorten his career or not by getting strong and big like this, but you know, if he breaks the mold, he’d be the right guy to do it. Everything he does is his own land.”

Nick Luck on next week’s Royal Ascot on NBC and NBCSN: “What I love about Royal Ascot is that it marries up the best of the ancient tradition of her majesty, the Queen, leading friends and family…in carriages up the famous Royal Mile that’s been going on since 1711…The very best of sport and the very best of horse racing and sport that Ascot have endeavored to make better and better. The event has a contemporary feel to it now, whilst retaining all that tradition, and of course this year, we’ve got an occasion with no occasion. So, what do you do? Do you recoil from that or do you try to go as big as you can? I’m really pleased that Royal Ascot have embraced this concept of ‘Royal Ascot at home.’”

Following are highlights from The Rich Eisen Show on NBCSN:

Stephen Jackson on when he first met George Floyd: “I don’t know the exact time, about 20, 25 years ago. I was at the end of my high school years…and a friend of mine…he brought him down and said, ‘I have a homeboy in Houston who looks just like you and he played basketball too. He was an athlete too.’ When he brought him down to Texas, our first reaction was, ‘Who’s your daddy? Who’s your daddy?’ because we looked that much alike. The conversation from there built onto a friendship of him being one of my biggest supporters. We addressed each other as twins from that day on. I got a lot of videos that I have been watching now and it’s just making me really emotional because he was someone that really supported me without any motives, you know what I am saying? He was a genuine supporter. Somebody that showed so much love had to die by somebody that showed so much hate. He didn’t have to go out like that.”

Jackson on when he first heard about George Floyd’s death: “I was on the couch and my daughter was at my house. I was asleep on the couch with my daughter…I had a video from my girlfriend’s mom — we talked about police brutality a lot, me and her — and she sent me a video and I’m half asleep when my phone rang or vibrated and I looked at the video like, ‘They killed another brother.’ You know, not even paying attention. She lives in Minnesota…and I’m just thinking it’s another video from her. As I close the video, I put my phone back down and my phone vibrates again, and I see that I have like 25 or 20-something messages and I open a message from my friend, Mike D., and it said, ‘Did you see what they did to your twin in Minnesota?’ It instantly clicked, and…I just got up screaming, starting to punch some stuff, scared the mess out of my daughter. I kind of lost it for a good 10 minutes because I instantly saw myself down there and I didn’t think that could happen to him…It put me in a place where, from that day on, I don’t know how I feel, what direction I’m going, I really just feel like I’m going in circles. Since that day on, I’ve just been in shock, kind of. It was a crazy day that day.”

Jackson on how George Floyd’s death is causing change around the world: “It makes sense to me because he was a protector and provider for everybody. Everybody that knows him, knows he will give his last to anybody…The last couple of conversations we had, when we talked about a year ago, was about his daughter and him being in Minnesota and changing his life. He wasn’t one of those friends that called me for money. He needed clothes and suits for job interviews and stuff like that. He was really changing his life, man. So, I’m not surprised that his death is going to be meaningful and his name and death is not going in vain. I’m going to make sure of that. I never thought that his death would put me in a position to lead 18 countries and all 50 states to protest at one time. I’m proud of that and I know he would have done the same thing for me. His death has been a blessing, and it’s also changing his daughter’s life. So, I’m looking at all of the positive things that’s coming out of his death because that’s all you can do right now since you can’t bring him back. But I just wish things could have been different.”

Jackson on the action he’d like to see: “At the end of the day…you know that I’m a guy that the same respect that I ask for and the same love that I give, I expect in return and give that back to everybody I meet, regardless of what color you are. That’s what I stand for and everybody that stands for that, everybody that stands for love and stands for right, I just want them to stand on the side of me and fight for what’s right, and that’s just equal justice. It’s really — the world has lost common sense kind of because what makes me emotional and makes me hurt, is that it’s common sense to treat people right. I don’t understand why I have to lose a brother or why my niece has to see her dad die for the world to see, for people to understand that all you have to do is to treat people the way you would want to be treated. It’s really common sense. So, I’m a person that stands and I told every race that I love them and mean it, and every race has told me the same and I believe it. If you stand for that, if you stand for what’s right, stand with me and fight for what’s right and that’s equal justice. That’s for everybody to be equal. That’s for everybody to be treated right, and that’s what I stand for. I’m not a politician, I never want to be a politician. I’m just somebody who loves everybody, and I think there’s more people that love than more people that hate, and that’s why everybody is standing together. That’s why you’re seeing change. That’s all I ask for.”

David Feherty on the PGA TOUR’s return: “I thought it was great…This is much better and enjoyable than I expected it to be. The golf was so good, these guys came back with a vengeance ready to play.”

Feherty on current tournament leader Harold Varner III: “He’s one of the most popular kids out there. He’s got a terrific sense of humor, really smart, a terrific young player and a great character. He’s a joy to be around.”

Feherty on the idea of players being mic’d up: “With no fans, I think it’s a terrific idea. Actually, even with fans, I have been in favor, maybe not the players, but the caddies so you get that interaction. Quite often, it’s more important what the caddy says. You get the peripheral around it as well. It’s certainly something worth thinking about.”

Feherty on the advantage for the new players to the PGA TOUR: “One of the things that I think is sort of an advantage to the new players is that the only golf we have seen on television like this is college golf. You get the kids out there and there aren’t that many people around. Some of the new recruits from the Korn Ferry Tour or wherever it may be, they may have a little edge there or be a little more at home compared to some of the established players.”

Mike Tirico on looking back at classic games he has called during the pandemic: “The one that I did actually sat down and watched was the return from Katrina New Orleans game back in 2006. 55 weeks after Hurricane Katrina. That was our third Monday Night Football game at ESPN, so that was game three in that run for me. I was doing play-by-play with Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser. I kind of watched the game afraid of watching it now, 14 years later, because hopefully you get better at what you do 14 years after the fact. I was thinking, ‘Oh my god, I must have been terrible here’ and the game was so enjoyable to watch. I thought Tony (Kornheiser) was just the perfect person to have there that night…That was a great memory for me and looking back on all those encore broadcasts.”

Tirico on the importance of sports after Hurricane Katrina: “That night reminded me that sports have such a civic pride. Almost nothing else carries. That night in the Superdome there were white and black, female and male, every religion you can imagine, and people that were this great big stew and collection of people that would identify themselves differently on a census box. They were all wearing New Orleans fleur-de-lis and New Orleans Saints stuff and were all there to celebrate. That event showed that New Orleans was ready to be open for business again, more than any event.”

Tirico on watching NBC’s Belmont Stakes special last week: “When American Pharoah won the Belmont (Stakes), Tom Hammond — who was so great covering the Triple Crown races and covered so much horse racing, has a degree in equine science — Tom said that was the loudest he ever heard a sporting event. To watch that few minutes after (American) Pharoah wins the Belmont because it was a 37-year wait, as Larry Collmus, the race caller, called that moment. To watch it again, I know he’s going to win, but I’m still going to watch this.”

David Costabile on getting starstruck by boxer Deontay Wilder on the ‘Billions’ set: “For me, I got to meet the heavyweight champion of the world (Deontay Wilder). I rarely get starstruck…the woman that does my makeup said, ‘Go up and talk to him and say hi.’ I said, ‘I can’t because he’s the heavyweight champion of the world.’”

Costabile on his love of boxing: “I’ve loved boxing since I was a kid. I used to watch (Muhammad) Ali with my dad.”

–NBC SPORTS–

Today at Noon ET on NBCSN – Lunch Talk Live with Mike Tirico – Guests Include NASCAR Driver Martin Truex Jr., Texas A&M Football Coach Jimbo Fisher, ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Play-By-Play Announcer Matt Vasgersian, NBC Sports NHL Analyst Mike Milbury, NBC Sports/GOLF Channel Analyst Paul Azinger, and NBC Sports Horse Racing Reporter Nick Luck

Today at 1 p.m. ET on NBCSN – The Rich Eisen Show – Guests Include Former NBA Player Stephen Jackson, GOLF Channel’s David Feherty, Actor David Costabile, and NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico

Today at 11 a.m. ET ON NBCSN – NBC Sports Football Flex Features Nos. 19 and 20 on Chris Simms’ Top 40 Quarterback Countdown

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 12, 2020 – NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr., who won Wednesday night’s race at Martinsville Speedway, Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher, former NBA player Stephen Jackson, ESPN Sunday Night Baseball play-by-play announcer Matt Vasgersian, and actor David Costabile highlight today’s guests across Lunch Talk Live with Mike Tirico and The Rich Eisen Show on NBCSN. Tirico will also join The Rich Eisen Show today.

Today’s Lineup on NBCSN (7 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET):

7 a.m. – 9 a.m.	PFT Live (LIVE)
9 a.m. – 11 a.m.	PFT Live
11 a.m. – Noon	NBC Sports Football Flex
Noon – 1 p.m.	Lunch Talk Live with Mike Tirico (LIVE)
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.	The Rich Eisen Show (LIVE)
3 p.m. – 4 p.m.	Lunch Talk Live with Mike Tirico

 

Lunch Talk Live begins at Noon ET on NBCSN, with Truex Jr., Fisher, Vasgersian, NBC Sports/GOLF Channel analyst Paul Azinger, NBC Sports NHL analyst Mike Milbury, and NBC Sports horse racing reporter Nick Luck joining Tirico on today’s episode.

The hour-long show airs weekdays at Noon ET on NBCSN, with an encore at 3 p.m. ET, and streams on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Select content and interviews will additionally be hosted on NBC Sports’ YouTube channel and social media platforms. The full show will also be available on The Mike Tirico Podcast.

Today’s Lunch Talk Live guests, which feature dynamic and cross-sport pairings, include:

• • NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr.
  • Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher
  • ESPN Sunday Night Baseball play-by-play announcer and MLB Network host Matt Vasgersian
  • NBC Sports/GOLF Channel analyst Paul Azinger
  • NBC Sports NHL analyst Mike Milbury
  • NBC Sports horse racing reporter Nick Luck

 

The Rich Eisen Show, which will be presented live on NBCSN from Monday through Friday from 1-3 p.m. ET, follows Lunch Talk Live today at 1 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Today’s guests on The Rich Eisen Show include:

• • NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico
  • Former NBA player Stephen Jackson, who was a friend of George Floyd
  • NBC Sports golf analyst & host of “Feherty” on GOLF Channel David Feherty
  • Actor David Costabile of Billions

 

At 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN, NBC Sports Football Flex, a one-hour show showcasing the most topical news and analysis from NBC Sports’ digital football content, features Nos. 19 and 20 on Chris Simms’ list of the top 40 NFL quarterbacks.

“I have a young African American team in terms of the players that we have, and it’s going to be hard for me to lead knowing that I’m feeling the same way that some of them may be feeling, and we have to discuss this as coaches,” Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce told Eisen yesterday about the conversation among all 30 NBA coaches.

Click here for more quotes from yesterday’s shows.

–NBC SPORTS–

“I have a young African American team in terms of the players that we have, and it’s going to be hard for me to lead knowing that I’m feeling the same way that some of them may be feeling, and we have to discuss this as coaches.” – Lloyd Pierce on the conversation among all 30 NBA coaches

“I think what we really found is how incredibly important listening is. People were really hurting under the surface.” – Dan Quinn on conversations with players and leading his team

 “The one frustration I had was no one was listening. Nobody could hear what we were saying, and you could see that same frustration bubbling over in the streets today with all the civil unrest. Now, I truly believe the NHL is in a good place.” – Anson Carter on his time as a player in the NHL

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 11, 2020 – Mike Tirico hosted today’s episode of Lunch Talk Live on NBCSN and was joined remotely by:

• • Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn
  • Wisconsin football coach Paul Chryst
  • NBC Sports horse racing analyst & Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey
  • GOLF Channel on NBC host and play-by-play announcer Dan Hicks
  • NBC Sports NHL analyst Anson Carter

 

The Rich Eisen Show followed Lunch Talk Live on NBCSN, as host Rich Eisen was joined by:

• • Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce
  • Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule

 

Following are highlights from The Rich Eisen Show on NBCSN:

Dan Quinn on participating in a peaceful protest in Atlanta with other members of the Falcons organization: “It was really inspiring. So many diverse people were there and now are no longer accepting things that they thought they couldn’t change, but now are saying, ‘I’m going to be a part of that change, and no longer going to accept those things.’ It was my first time in a protest or march, but it certainly won’t be my last.”

Quinn on his role as a coach during this time: “As coaches and as leaders, when something is wrong, you want to go fix it and be involved. What we learned, even hopping on a call Sunday night with 15 guys, I think what we really found is how incredibly important listening is. People were really hurting under the surface and so knowing that, it wasn’t saying, ‘What can we do and take action right away.’ It was, ‘Man, I’m angry and I want to talk about it.’ The first part of the week was about that and we couldn’t have been more impressed with our mayor, Keisha Bottoms, and the leadership she provided our city. I actually asked her to come and speak to the team. Moments like that, and to listen, were the biggest lesson in terms of the action we can take to spur change.”

Quinn on quarterback Matt Ryan’s leadership during the past few weeks: “What we recognized is that not all players and people have the same experiences when we leave the locker room and that is not OK. I think Matt recognized that as well and we both talked, it sounded hollow and we wanted to do more. Having those moments where we can listen and reconnect further as a team, those were impactful, and I think there will be more examples of this moving forward.”

Paul Chryst on conversations with his team over the past few weeks: “One, it’s having a space and trust that you can have open, honest and real conversations. I feel fortunate to have been in those, and yet we all want the conversations to be insightful and gain a different perspective, deeper understanding and appreciation. It can challenge you. For me personally, there’s no question Black Lives Matter. But that’s just a phrase. The reality is my black friends matter to me, my black co-workers matter to me, my black players matter to me, the moms and dads, brothers and sisters, grandparents of the friends, co-workers and players matter…I’m grateful for all those who have shared and there’s still a lot more conversation we have to have.”

Chryst on players returning to campus for voluntary workouts: “They took the tests and are in the self-quarantine phase…This is phase one, it’s a necessary phase. For us to get to phase two…and get closer to what we all want, and that’s being able to play, we’ve got to do a good job in phase one. It takes responsibility and accountability. I know everyone is excited to be back and get going.”

Anson Carter on change within the sport of hockey: “There’s a time and a place for everything. One thing I noticed when I was playing in the NHL, the one frustration I had was no one was listening. Nobody could hear what we were saying, and you could see that same frustration bubbling over in the streets today with all the civil unrest. Now, I truly believe the NHL is in a good place. The Commissioner (Gary Bettman) is listening, (NHL Deputy Commissioner) Bill Daly is listening, (NHL Executive Vice President, Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs) Kim Davis is listening, (Executive Director of NHLPA) Don Fehr is listening. That’s how you’re really going to see change take place. I feel very positive how things are right now.”

Carter on the progress for African American players within the sport today compared to when he played in the league: “I really believe things are different now. We’re having players get drafted in the first round on a regular basis — Seth Jones, K’Andre Miller, Evander Kane. We have players named MVP in All-Star Games — Wayne Simmonds. Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban. That’s all I wanted, to be judged like everyone else…It’s important not to focus on the past. It’s important to say what you have to say because there’s a baseline now. We can judge action going forward and I really believe the Players Association and the players involved in the game of hockey are focused on changing things going forward.”

Jerry Bailey on the potential Belmont Stakes field: “Tiz the Law tops the Belmont field and he has all spring. He has been the favorite in many people’s and my eyes all the way through… (He is) likely the favorite in the Belmont, but (also) onto the Kentucky Derby.”

Bailey on the impact of this year’s shorter Belmont Stakes distance: “It’s less taxing and we will get horses that we wouldn’t normally get for a mile-and-a-half Belmont…You’re going to get faster horses, rather than stamina horses for a normal Belmont.”

Dan Hicks on increasing diversity in golf: “There have been some efforts, but I think everyone is thinking and listening more.  It was really great to see Harold Varner III come out and talk poignantly about growing up. He was more of a privileged young golfer growing up, but he understands it and can relay those thoughts to us. The moment of silence (at 8:46 a.m. ET during tournament play) today, I think it’s great sports can incorporate this movement. Golf has a long way to go, a lot of sports have a long way to go, we all have a long way to go in listening and educating ourselves.”

Hicks on players wearing microphones during play: “The few guys who do, in this case Rickie Fowler, it’s going to give us an opportunity to (see) those moments that would’ve slipped through the cracks…This is going to be an experimental thing.”

Hicks on storylines to watch as the PGA TOUR resumes play: “Rory McIlroy was playing the best of anybody in the world before the quarantine hit, how does he pick it up? Then, there are guys like Jordan Spieth, who I’m anxious to see if he can re-boot and get back to the form we are used to (seeing).”

Hicks on Rory McIlroy: “When he’s got it all going, he’s the most talented golfer in the world.”

Following are highlights from Lunch Talk Live on NBCSN:

Lloyd Pierce on the recent zoom call between all NBA coaches: “I reached out to coach (Rick) Carlisle and David Fogel — they’re in charge of the NBCA — and I just said, ‘Listen, we meet on everything having to do with coach-related issues. Our 401K, the direction of the funding for the coaches association, contracts, things of that nature, things that are important to us, and there’s not a bigger issue that was important to me than what we’re seeing with regards to African Americans and police brutality and just the entirety of what’s going on in our country. I just felt we have too big of a platform and we are united already as an association of coaches, that we have to discuss this because we lead a league of predominantly African American men, and we lead a league that these men have to deal with these issues. For us to be leaders, we need to be educated and we need to do it in a way where we’re united on that education and using our platform to do that.”

Pierce on how the call with the coaches went: “I said I’m vulnerable right now. I’m angry, I’m vulnerable. I’m an African American coach, I’m a young African American coach. I have a young African American team in terms of the players that we have, and it’s going to be hard for me to lead knowing that I’m feeling the same way that some of them may be feeling, and we have to discuss this as coaches. We can’t just walk in and say, ‘We can’t wait for the season to start,’ and we haven’t addressed the real live issue that’s going on in our country. So, I expressed that, and I told them we have to do something…They gave me the platform to speak, and I spoke freely and I spoke openly and I spoke passionately about systemic racism, blatant racism, and the fact that we need to do something. From the response — and we had every coach there and there was dialogue with every coach after — but the response was simple: ‘Thank you. This is needed. What can we do?’ I truly mean that when I say all 30 coaches were passionate, they were energized, they’ve been motivated, and they still are, to use their platform in their cities to address racism, to talk about the issues we’ve never confronted in the history of our country and to try to build up our community through this education. I tell you what, our coaches are phenomenal right now.”

Pierce on the message behind his Instagram post, which included a close-up picture of his face: “I posted it because I think sometimes people feel things more when it’s closer to you, when it’s closer to your heart, when you have a connection. You feel the depth of a person when it’s a friend, a family friend, someone that you knew — it attacks you emotionally. So, I’m a head coach and I just wanted my followers — people who know me as a head coach — I wanted them to know that I’m also a black man and for 44 years I’ve been a black man. If you changed the words, if you don’t know that it’s ‘coach Pierce,’ and you realize that I’ve been affected by this, this tragedy that George Floyd has experienced and his family has experienced, it can happen to me. It almost will happen to me in some form or fashion, whether it’s me directly, someone I’m related to, or someone that I know. A lot of times, I think we move on because it doesn’t hit us, and I just wanted it to hit everybody the way it’s hitting me, and so if I zoom in, you just know it’s a black man. You zoom out and you say, ‘Oh my goodness, I didn’t realize it was coach Pierce.’ It shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter who it is. It shouldn’t happen to any African American person, it shouldn’t happen to any person, it definitely shouldn’t happen to any black people because of the color of their skin, and that’s what’s happening right now.”

Matt Rhule on what the Panthers will look like this season: “I think we’re going to be an exciting team on offense. We’re not the most veteran team, but we got a lot of young guys who are going to go out there and try to do it the right way.”

Rhule on Cam Newton: “I think Cam Newton is a great quarterback and a great leader. His impact on the city of Charlotte was tremendous. We just felt as a team, this is what we had to do and this is the right decision for the team.”

Rhule on Teddy Bridgewater: “He’s taken a team to the playoffs, he’s proven last year he still has everything it takes. We just felt like what a great opportunity to get him in here for three years.”

Rhule on Tom Coughlin, who he worked under on the New York Giants staff: “He’s just an amazing, amazing guy, and I’m blessed to have worked for him.”

–NBC SPORTS–

Today at Noon ET on NBCSN – Lunch Talk Live with Mike Tirico – Guests Include Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Dan Quinn, Wisconsin Football Coach Paul Chryst, NBC Sports Horse Racing Analyst Jerry Bailey, NBC Sports NHL Analyst Anson Carter, and GOLF Channel on NBC’s Dan Hicks

Today at 1 p.m. ET on NBCSN – The Rich Eisen Show – Guests Include Atlanta Hawks Head Coach Lloyd Pierce, Carolina Panthers Head Coach Matt Rhule, and NBC Sports/GOLF Channel Analyst Paul Azinger

Today at 11 a.m. ET ON NBCSN – NBC Sports Football Flex Features Nos. 21 and 22 on Chris Simms’ Top 40 Quarterback Countdown

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 11, 2020 – Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn, Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce, Wisconsin football coach Paul Chryst, and NBC Sports horse racing analyst and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey highlight today’s guests across Lunch Talk Live with Mike Tirico and The Rich Eisen Show on NBCSN.

Today’s Lineup on NBCSN (7 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET):

7 a.m. – 9 a.m.	PFT Live (LIVE)
9 a.m. – 11 a.m.	PFT Live
11 a.m. – Noon	NBC Sports Football Flex
Noon – 1 p.m.	Lunch Talk Live with Mike Tirico (LIVE)
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.	The Rich Eisen Show (LIVE)
3 p.m. – 4 p.m.	Lunch Talk Live with Mike Tirico

 

Lunch Talk Live begins at Noon ET on NBCSN, with Quinn, Chryst, Bailey, NBC Sports NHL analyst Anson Carter and GOLF Channel on NBC host and play-by-play announcer Dan Hicks joining Tirico on today’s episode.

The hour-long show airs weekdays at Noon ET on NBCSN, with an encore at 3 p.m. ET, and streams on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Select content and interviews will additionally be hosted on NBC Sports’ YouTube channel and social media platforms. The full show will also be available on The Mike Tirico Podcast.

Today’s Lunch Talk Live guests, which feature dynamic and cross-sport pairings, include:

• • Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn
  • Wisconsin football coach Paul Chryst
  • NBC Sports horse racing analyst & Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey
  • GOLF Channel on NBC host and play-by-play announcer Dan Hicks
  • NBC Sports NHL analyst Anson Carter

 

The Rich Eisen Show, which will be presented live on NBCSN from Monday through Friday from 1-3 p.m. ET, follows Lunch Talk Live today at 1 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Today’s guests on The Rich Eisen Show include:

• • Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce
  • Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule
  • NBC Sports/GOLF Channel analyst Paul Azinger

At 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN, NBC Sports Football Flex, a one-hour show showcasing the most topical news and analysis from NBC Sports’ digital football content, features Nos. 21 and 22 on Chris Simms’ list of the top 40 NFL quarterbacks.

“These things have been going on for decades stacked on centuries and it’s got to a point where I’ve never seen the group more determined…We know it’s a very long battle, but we’ve got the stomach for it and we’re into it,” Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle told Eisen yesterday about fighting racial injustice.

Click here for more quotes from yesterday’s shows.

–NBC SPORTS–

“These things have been going on for decades stacked on centuries and it’s got to a point where I’ve never seen the group more determined…We know it’s a very long battle, but we’ve got the stomach for it and we’re into it.” – Rick Carlisle on fighting racial injustice

“We have to make sure, for the legacy of (George Floyd) and his family, that this movement now continues the energy, continues the inertia, and we take some big — maybe uncomfortable — but some big steps forward.” – Robbie Earle

 “I support Bubba (Wallace) and I support NASCAR that the Confederate flag should not be at our sites and in our sport…It has been motivating for me to listen and learn.” – Jimmie Johnson

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 10, 2020 – Mike Tirico hosted today’s episode of Lunch Talk Live on NBCSN and was joined remotely by:

• • NBC Sports Premier League analyst Robbie Earle
  • Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba
  • PGA TOUR golfer and 2019 Charles Schwab Challenge winner Kevin Na
  • GOLF Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee
  • NBC Sports motorsports commentator Steve Letarte

 

The Rich Eisen Show followed Lunch Talk Live on NBCSN, as host Rich Eisen was joined by:

• • Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle
  • NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson
  • Director Judd Apatow of The King of Staten Island
  • Co-Founder of Thirty Five Ventures & Kevin Durant’s Business Partner Rich Kleiman

 

Following are highlights from The Rich Eisen Show on NBCSN:

Rick Carlisle on the NBA coaching community coming together to discuss racial injustice: “A couple of weeks ago when the George Floyd incident happened, we got our entire 30 head coaches together within a six-hour period. There was a real feeling of anger and the need to get together and talk about what was going on in the world, to try and use the platform we have to try and do something to make it better. So, within six hours, we got a Zoom call, founded a committee, the NBCA committee on racial injustice and reform, led by Lloyd Pierce of the Atlanta Hawks. The committee is composed of some of our outspoken people on this topic over the years — Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, J.B. Bickerstaff, Stan Van Gundy, David Fizdale, Brett Brown, Doc Rivers, and Quin Snyder. As President of the Coaches Association, I’m not on the committee, but I’m on all the calls. We’ve had four calls with the committee and we’re going to mobilize as a coaching group, partner with a local organization or two in our local markets, learn the lay of the world around all of the different problems we are having today, and likely partner with the Obama Foundation. We’re planning to be in this fight for the long haul. We’re interested in making a difference, educating people on racial injustice. These things have been going on for decades stacked on centuries and it’s got to a point where I’ve never seen the group more determined. We’re excited to get started. We know it’s a very long battle, but we’ve got the stomach for it and we’re into it.”

Carlisle on George Floyd’s death: “That image frozen in time will live in perpetuity. It’s got to be a major reminder that these things have to stop. Stephen Jackson, not only was he a tremendous basketball player, he’s a passionate guy, and a guy with a great heart. He had a couple great years with Indiana as a player and this has been tragic to see this happen and see his reaction to this, but he has handled it with a tremendous amount of grace and fortitude.”

Carlisle on the NBA’s plan to resume play: “I know there is an asterisk next to everything in terms of the level of fluidity we are dealing with here, but we are excited to get back playing…We’re all going to have a laser-like focus on everything we are doing…We are dealing with a far different set of circumstances, we have a lot of smart people in this league, on all these teams and we will work through it meticulously.”

Jimmie Johnson on conversations he has had with Bubba Wallace: “Bubba is a great friend of mine, I’m really proud of how courageous he has been throughout all of this. His voice, his friendship and relationships in the garage area has really garnered a ton of support and has helped educate those within our industry on a deeper level. The unity to create a common voice is so needed and impressive.”

Johnson on social injustice: “We need to soften people’s minds and help motivate people to have a deeper understanding of the injustices and inequalities that are out there. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and a right, and I have an opinion and a right to have the stance that I do…I support Bubba and I support NASCAR that the Confederate flag should not be at our sites and in our sport…It has been motivating for me to listen and learn.”

Johnson on racing without fans at tracks: “Pre-race, post-race, there’s so many parts of my experience now that without a doubt I notice the fans aren’t there. Going to these huge venues with only essential personnel and actually racing — not being a practice or testing session — is really bizarre. When you’re in the car and at work, and the eyeline is focused on competition and you’re caught up battling your competitors and the car itself, you kind of lose sight of that. I am thankful I am not in a sport where you feed off the energy of the fans, that would be a huge adjustment to get used to.”

Johnson on his bucket-list following his NASCAR retirement after this season: “I have a bucket-list of cars and tracks that I still want to experience. Ultimately, I am in a sport and have had enough success, that hopefully I can call my shots (and say) here’s the top four or five races I want to experience…I’ve always wanted to race and drive in INDYCAR. I’m not interested in oval (tracks), so the INDY 500 would be out, but to experience one of their cars on a road course would be really amazing to me … I’ve always had a big interest in dirt sports car racing and there’s a longer runway for that kind of racing for me…so sports car racing is something I want to look really hard at.”

Rich Kleiman on the NBA resuming play: “I feel like it is likely. The NBA is as diligent and prepared a league as there is. Adam (Silver) has been able to lead the NBA through ups and downs and always does it with grace. You don’t think he will make any decision without covering any angle and seeing everything twice. I don’t think you announce that unless you’re fully intent on going ahead with it…Like anything else in the world right now, always with a qualifier because everyone wants to make sure it is safe.”

Kleiman on the NBA players’ potential protests once play begins: “Historically, the NBA players have been on the forefront of speaking out, about being on the side of right, advocating and some of the astute minds. I’ve always felt this way, I see it in business, philanthropy, social activism and I expect nothing different. We are living in a scary, yet exciting time in that it feels like for the first time ever that the line between right and wrong has been truly drawn and people can’t hide from that.”

Judd Apatow on directing LeBron James in Trainwreck: “He showed up so prepared, his acting was great, and he is genuinely funny. It’s not a performance where I had to try and squeeze it out of him. He was riffing like a guy who had been doing comedy and improv for the last ten years.”

Following are highlights from Lunch Talk Live on NBCSN:

Robbie Earle on the level of competition during next week’s Premier League return: “I think for the first game or two we might not see quite the intensity we used to see…I think over a very short space of time we will see good levels of football, good intensity, and teams really going for it.”

Earle on protests in London and Europe: “Many times I think we felt that racism is happening in our streets, in our city, maybe in our state. But what we have seen over the last two weeks is people have responded to the George Floyd incident with a movement that has gone global. In Europe or other countries — we have seen it in China, in all parts of Asia, in Africa, South Africa — we have seen a movement where people are saying this injustice is enough and we have to do something about it. What is really going to be interesting is we have seen some very high, high profile, prominent young black players making a stance, having a say, amplifying their voice and their celebrity to join this movement. I am talking about the Raheem Sterlings, and the Marcus Rashfords, and Tyrone Mings, the big center back for Aston Villa who is an England international. It will be interesting to see how maybe some of those players, and a number of the teams who have supported the Black Lives movement, maybe celebrate or have something that they do during the course of the games because the eyes of the world will be watching the start of the Premier League. It’s the best league in the world, it’s the richest league in the world, it’s the most-watched league in the world, and starting from next Wednesday, June the 17th, there’s going to be a huge focus and magnifying glass on that league. I just wonder, and I will be quite interested to see, if some of the players use that position, use that platform, and amplify the voice that they are trying to do, and say enough is enough. We have to get to the stage in this fight where — talking is important — but we have to see change, we have to see the action. George Floyd was buried yesterday…and we have to make sure, for the legacy of him and his family, that this movement now continues the energy, continues the inertia, and we take some big — maybe uncomfortable — but some big steps forward.”

Earle on England’s Football Association’s stance on allowing players to support social causes: “That is huge for the FA to do that. To give license to players to express themselves, how they feel, how clubs are feeling, to make an expression that will go over the world, it is huge for the FA. It is interesting over here in New York, we have seen the NFL retract on the position they took with Colin Kaepernick. It will be interesting to see when other sports come back what their stance is on it. But for English football to do this is a real step forward. It is a move forward and I am pleased to say many corporations, broadcasters over in the U.K., are getting behind the players and the movement themselves and saying that they want to play their part in equality for Black and Asian and ethnic minorities in the U.K.”

Earle on if it is any better for black players playing now than it was when he was playing: “We had a former international player, who played in the Premier League on The 2 Robbies podcast with me and Robbie Mustoe last week, Jan Age Fjortoft. We were talking about the situation and I said from the time I started in early ‘80s to the ‘90s, to be honest…in those situations, you had to keep your head down. You couldn’t put your head above the parapet. You would be often seen as somebody with a chip on their shoulder or difficult to deal with and that would be a characteristic that would stay with you through your career. So, because of that, as a player in those times, you used to just bite your tongue, sort of smile, get on with things and not make too much noise about it. What has been really pleasing with these young players, and some of them are in their early 20s and still maturing into men and who they are going to be, but they have taken the stance, they have taken the platform — we now have social media, we are now in a different world, a different generation, where people are prepared to listen. What has been encouraging when we have seen demonstrations, not only in the U.S. but all over the world, is it’s  been every denomination of people from different classes, different backgrounds, different cultures and because of that diversity, because the messages are being heard and discussed at a different level than we have in the past, that gives me hope that we can start to move forward and make some serious changes that, not only this country, but the world needs to do for society.”

Matt Dumba on the formation of the Hockey Diversity Alliance: “It started coming together in November actually. Just a group of guys talking, kind of expressing to each other that there is probably a need for this in the league. As of the last two weeks, I think I have talked to these guys every day for over an hour. There has been some really good talks and I think we have an opportunity to do big things in our sport and help a lot of kids. I think that is one of the main focuses, is eradicating racism and making sure our game is for everyone.”

Dumba on his path to the NHL and the racism he experienced: “Being a minority in the prairies in Saskatchewan and then in Calgary, it wasn’t easy growing up. Kids, with my darker skin tone, really kind of threw the book at me to see what would stick as far as racial slurs. Knowing all that, everything my family went through, seeming my mom come away from the rink, seeing my dad, my family leaving in tears. Just talking to these guys rekindled those feelings, and when I think about it more and when I lay my head down to sleep at night feeling this, it was such strong feelings and such passionate feelings that I don’t believe any kid should to go through that or bottle that up or hide that from their parents trying to be strong. As all of us in our group did, and I am sure so many kids, minority kids, across the countries do all the time, try to take the high road but that is not a conversation white parents have with their kids. I don’t think it is a conversation any parents should have with their kids because racism shouldn’t be tolerated in our sport.”

Dumba on the Hockey Diversity Alliance speaking with Colin Kaepernick and the best advice he gave: “I think the biggest one for me was just the unity we will have to have moving forward. Bringing people in, having the right advancers, including everyone — that is what this is about. Just eradicating racism can’t be on the shoulder of seven guys. Everyone’s going to have a part in this. We are just on this committee as the seven board members, but there are so many people who are going to be behind the scenes, people who are going to want to join this and make some moves. It is limitless. We don’t want to box ourselves into anything because I think we all see it, that there can be a real change in our sport, and we can be the pioneers for this, and I hope this is just one step. This is day two of the announcement of the HDA, and hopefully a year from now we have done some big things. Two years, three years, four years…we can just watch this thing grow because it is time.”

Dumba on playing in Minnesota and watching the protests there: “It is a city that has really taken me in with open arms. I work with a group called ACES, Athletes Committed to Educating Students, and a lot of those students are from the neighborhoods and communities that are being burned down and the riots and the protests. So, I was really scared for those kids. I feel like I am a part of those communities…I want to be on those front lines, I want to be helping out just like some of my friends are…I am proud of how the community has come together now and really picking each other up.”

Steve Letarte on NASCAR’s new protocols restricting practice time: “I am hoping desperately what we have learned as a sport is, we do not need three hours of practice. It only allows the heavily funded teams to get better. The lack of practice has actually given a little bit of a challenge to the teams to try and figure it out on the fly.”

Letarte on Bubba Wallace and the NASCAR community discussing the Black Lives Matter movement: “First, speaking of Bubba specifically, I couldn’t be more proud. I call him a friend and he has really become a leader and a spokesperson in a sport that is predominately white. He is the only black driver in the sport, and he has taken a position of conversation. It is really giving me specifically a great opportunity to be quiet, to listen, to try and understand, to try and educate myself. What he has done by taking the burden of communication and conversation on for the entire sport when it comes to the stars is really commendable. The paint scheme he will run at Martinsville I think is a great opportunity and it is something that needs to be done. It will be great to see that car on the race track tonight, primetime, under the lights, at NASCAR’s oldest track at Martinsville Speedway. And the sport, in general, there was a moment before the last race during the pace laps where the cars stopped silent on pit road and the president of NASCAR, Steve Phelps, addressed the drivers and the fans over the teams radios and told us all we can do better and I was proud to be a part of NASCAR. This is a sport I have grown up in and I have encouraged everyone to be a part of and I want to make sure that encouragement is for everyone. I am learning that perhaps over time, the things that have happened in the world — it is not inclusive, and it needs to be. Everyone should be able to be a part of this sport as in everything in this country, and I am so proud of Bubba and the sport for, as you said, having the conversation. I think this is nowhere near the time people should be silent and hide from these awkward conversations, and I applaud NASCAR and (am) proud to be part of a sport that took that time, that took that moment, and said, ‘You know what? We all need to listen,’ and I listened and I will continue to listen.”

Kevin Na on his first practice round before returning to competition at tomorrow’s Charles Schwab Challenge: “It was a little bit weird, having three months off and coming back. I haven’t been able to practice a whole lot, but it was nice to be back and see my fellow competitors.”

Na on his comfort level coming back: “I feel really comfortable. It feels like everything feels normal besides the no fans part…I don’t know what to expect, but that first round is going to be really important for me for me to able to get a good start so everything will be able to go smoothly for the rest of the week.”

Na on playing without spectators in attendance: “Fans are what make the atmosphere of a sporting event. When you make a key putt or a putt to win and you hear that roar and that cheer, you remember that for a long time.”

Brandel Chamblee on what to expect in the first round of tomorrow’s Charles Schwab Challenge: “Probably a lot of enthusiasm from the players perspective…So, huge enthusiasm from the players and PGA TOUR executives I think just to get back to some semblance of normalcy.”

Chamblee on the players returning to competition after a three-month break: “Physically, they are going to be in great shape. Technically, they might be a little rusty.”

–NBC SPORTS–