You read that headline right. Months in the making, Ian Eagle joins the show to talk about the myriad of things he’s been doing while not being on our show.

You know, Monday Night Football, Army-Navy, NFL Playoff games, the NBA (a case can be made that the last decision...actually a poor one). But he’s here, and he’s hilarious.

We talk about his schedule and I ask how much of it is set and how much of it is, “hey Ian, can you come do this game...” We talk about the legend that is Marv Albert, and Eagle does his stellar Marv impersonation. Spot on. At one point he calls himself the “Rich Little” of sports broadcasting. Frank Caliendo, not available for comment.

We talk about the legend that is Bill Raftery and are treated to the story of how Raf’s “ONIONS” call originated.

1. “I remember it vividly. It was my first year and the Nets were playing a game down in Miami. And Kevin Edwards hit a big three from the corner to give the Nets a one-point lead late in the game. I had the call: ‘Edwards from the corner, three is GOOD.’ And Raf goes, ‘OOOOH, ONIONS!!!!’
   

1. And I turn to him, and I knew Raf’s Raf-to-English translation like the back of my hand. I was able to provide listeners with the track that they needed to follow along. But I had no idea what he was talking about. So I turn to him during the break and say, ‘Bill, Raf, I don’t get that, what is that? Onions? What, it was so good that you cried?’ He said, ‘Hey Bird (Raf’s nickname for Eagle)...BIG BALLS.’ And that was it. That’s when ONIONS was born.”
   

Then we delve into the (even more) ridiculous to get the story of Raftery and Eagle in a sauna. Yes, that’s the hook of the show now...old men in saunas. It’s worked before, it’ll work now.

With Dick Vitale taking over the NBA for a night (last night) we discuss the actual job of calling basketball games and the difference between calling an NBA game and a college game. I come to find out, its more different for a play-by-play guy than I had expected. We also talk about the preparedness needed to call a game. How much of the telecast is canned information and how much of it is reaction on the fly?

I wanted to talk with Eagle about his Sports Broadcasting Camp with Bruce Beck where they teach kids to ostensibly become their replacements. For money. It’s a brilliant idea and a great camp that I wish existed 17 years ago. I lobby to get a guest speaker role in this year’s camp. And it just might work.

Before we end, I get the scoop on the rumors this past summer that Eagle was a candidate to replace Chris Russo on Mike and the Mad Dog on the FAN. Turns out, Eagle was offered the gig, but turned it down. We get the story.

1. “I’ll be honest about it. Yeah. There was a lot of talk. I absolutely can tell you that there was an offer made. Mike (Francessa) is very comfortable with me. I’m very comfortable with Mike. I go back with him a long time. I worked behind the scenes on that show back in 1992. I have a history with him, I have a history with Chris (Russo). I think Mike liked the idea of having somebody in my age group that brings a little more to the table than just sports. I’m a pop culture guy. I can feel just as comfortable talking about the Philadelphia-Giants matchup as I can talking about Diff’rent Strokes and the career that Gary Coleman should have had.”
   

Yes, THAT IS HIS POP CULTURE REFERENCE. And I call him out on it. But he continued about the FAN (after a Facts of Life drop).

1. “I do believe that it could have worked. I’m certainly not going to go in there and be Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo. But there was no way for me to keep doing the things that I’ve been doing in my career and building towards and do that show and do it well on a daily basis. I see myself as a play-by-play guy. I see myself as someone who can be at the network level for 30 years. I think looking back on it I’ll be more satisfied than if I went back to the sport radio route, which was my roots.”
   

We also talk about the vast power of the internet, and I wonder why the only funny thing you can find on Eagle is that silly head-bob video where he feels like he’s at a bar mitzvah (pictured to the right). We need sauna footage! Wait.....no we don’t.

Oh and we get into the name – is his name REALLY “eye-in” Eagle or is that just a clever stage name? And how does Louis Gossett Jr feel?

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