Gregg Giannotti goes scorched earth on Rich Eisen before ESPN return: ‘Like smelling salts'
Gregg Giannotti has just one use for Rich Eisen's sports talkshow.
'The talk show is Ambien,' the WFAN 'Boomer & Gio' host said Thursday. 'Any clip that I see, it feels like they're doing a remote from a funeral home. It could not be more boring.'
Gionnotti shredded the popular NFL voice for being a terrible talkshow conductor after the recent reveal that Eisen will be returning to ESPN with his self-named show nearly two decades after he exited.
ESPN will begin airing Eisen's program this fall as part of the sports giant's direct-to-consumer service, according to The Athletic, along with ESPN+ and Disney+.
'He's got to be the most boring talkshow host in America,' Giannotti said of the 'The Rich Eisen Show' on Thursday. 'Why is everyone talking about him? Why does he have all these jobs?'
Eisen largely is viewed in a positive lens, becoming a popular 'SportsCenter' host in the late 1990s and early 2000s before leaving for NFL Network in 2003.
'The Rich Eisen Show' then debuted in 2014 and is now aired on Roku.
Giannotti praised Eisen for his 'SportsCenter' days, calling him a good studio host and complimenting his work when providing highlights.
Riche Eisen interviewing Kevin Costner on his show in 2017.
The Rich Eisen Show
But that's where the praise ended.
Giannotti referenced the time when Eisen hosted the 2023 NAB Marconi Radio Awards, describing his experience as 'Holy hell, I'm like I needed to get tased.'
He added: '(It) was like smelling salts.'
The WFAN host, who's known for his impressions, then referenced how controversial ESPN host Pat McAfee seemingly believes Eisen's return is a shot at him.
McAfee mentioned how the two will be live at the same time, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET weekdays, calling it a 'counter program.'
'That feels very interesting,' McAfee said on his self-named show Tuesday. 'But also, love Rich Eisen, so I am cool with whatever… Noon-to-3 is fascinating, for sure. Is that a message? I don't know. But yeah, cool, whatever. But nonetheless, we're happy Rich is back.'
Gregg Giannotti (r) is not a fan of Rich Eisen.
@awfulannouncing/X
Giannotti wondered how McAfee could even be concerned in the slightest since he believes there's an enormous gap between the two programs.
'If Pat McAfee is really worried about Rich Eisen messing with his show, then some executive is gonna get fired because Pat McAfee's show is interesting and entertaining, and he's done a really amazing job of carving out a niche…' Giannotti said. 'I can't imagine that that's actually a real thing, that they're trying to send Pat McAfee a message by putting on Rich Eisen.'
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