“Obviously it’s not the most important thing going, just a chance for you to get a break and enjoy some sports conversation.” – Mike Tirico on Lunch Talk Live
“Those people on the front lines, sacrificing their lives potentially, those are true heroes.” – Russell Wilson on his donations relating to coronavirus efforts
“The very first way everyone should see their role is that they’re part of the United States team. That we’re all team members everywhere.” – Mike Krzyzewski on the role everyone can play to help combat the coronavirus
Tomorrow’s Lunch Talk Live Guests Include NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NASCAR Driver Denny Hamlin, and NBC Sports’ Rebecca Lowe and Kathryn Tappen
STAMFORD, Conn. – April 6, 2020 – Mike Tirico hosted the debut episode of Lunch Talk Live today on NBCSN and was joined remotely by:
- Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson
- Duke men’s basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski
- NBC Sports’ Cris Collinsworth and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- NBC Sports’ Peter King
- Professional golfer Justin Leonard
- NBC Sports motorsports commentators Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte
NBC Sports’ new daily sports talk show, Lunch Talk Live focuses on the current state of the sports world and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, providing guests with a platform to discuss the state of sports, voice their personal stories, and detail how they are adapting their daily lives during this challenging time.
On Tuesday’s show at Noon ET on NBCSN, Tirico will be joined by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, and NBC Sports’ Rebecca Lowe and Kathryn Tappen.
Following are highlights from Lunch Talk Live on NBCSN:
Mike Tirico on Lunch Talk Live: “Obviously it’s not the most important thing going, just a chance for you to get a break and enjoy some sports conversation.”
Russell Wilson on coronavirus-related charitable work in the Seattle area: “Obviously it’s a worldwide pandemic, but in Seattle alone it’s been heavy. It’s our hometown, it’s a place that we love so much and so dearly, so we really wanted to be able to give back to our community…The most important thing is to serve, love, and care, and I think if we can do those things then we have a chance.”
Wilson: “My mom is in Seattle right now and she’s helping build, basically these portable hospitals in a way, in and around the community in Seattle so people can check for coronavirus and everything else…Those people on the front lines, sacrificing their lives potentially, those are true heroes. Those people make the difference and whatever we can do to help is what we’re always thinking about.”
Mike Krzyzewski on speaking with Dr. Fauci on his radio show: “Dr. Fauci has been a point guard his whole life. I called him America’s point guard because he’s always delivering, he’s always assisting. At this time, we have to listen to the experts in this field.”
Krzyzewski on how he views his current role during the coronavirus pandemic: “The very first way everyone should see their role is that they’re part of the United States team. That we’re all team members everywhere. What we do and how we’re responsible and how we individually handle what’s going on and deal with it, it’s fundamentally simple but if it’s all put together, like on any team if everyone is doing their job, we have a better chance to win.”
Peter King on the NFL’s offseason: “How is it possible that this is the offseason? There’s just way too much going on…Not only team’s preparing for the draft, but preparing for it in a historic way. It’s never happened like this before.”
King on the possible NFL schedule: “I know how they work and they’re basically going to be done with a workable, usable, good schedule maybe even now or in the next few days. But I believe – and this is not set in stone – but what I believe they’re doing right now is also getting makeable 12- and 14-game schedules…The NFL on a 12-game schedule without a bye can start as late as October 18. And if that happens, either with or without fans in the stadium, that stills gives the NFL a chance to have a representative season along with keeping the playoff schedule on course.”
Cris Collinsworth on working from home in the offseason: “The draft goes on and the interesting part about the NFL is that nothing’s really changed. Free agency was right on schedule…and then you roll right into the draft and now I’m studying all these guys and getting ready for that and trying to figure out who’s going where, when and how.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on participating in iRacing events from home: “It’s been a lot of fun using this iRacing platform and having the real drivers get on the platform…It looks real, it feels just as real when you’re driving the car. Obviously, you’re in the comfort of your own home. You’re not in a 130-degree temperature racecar vibrating and shaking around and the crashes don’t hurt, so all that’s really nice.”
Earnhardt on iRacing: “I’m having a lot of fun with it and it does break up the time. Just for a moment while we’re running these races, you almost forget all that’s going on in the world.”
Earnhardt, who is a Redskins fan, to Collinsworth on the team’s plans: “The question everybody has is what will they do with that pick? Will they take Chase Young?...Is there any real consideration from the Redskins to trade back?”
Collinsworth: “I think so, because of the value of that pick. If you want Tua Tagovailoa, you’ve got to jump up there somewhere, right…If I were the Washington Redskins and Daniel Snyder at this point right now, I would be telling everybody I could tell how much I love Tua. Because if they’re going to make that deal, I want them coming up and making that deal with me.”
Jeff Burton on Racing Week in America, which begins today on NBCSN: “Obviously none of us are happy about sitting at home and not seeing live events, but being able to go back in history and revisit some of the sports’ coolest races that Steve and I actually got a chance to call some of them, it’s going to be a lot of fun today to watch some of those races.”
Steve Letarte on RWIA: “The one fortunate part -- if anything can be fortunate in this awful situation -- is perhaps we all get to pause and remember some of the great times we once had. I get to spend some time with my family. I have a 16-year old son who hasn’t got to see many of these races, so I’m going to spend most of the afternoons over the next five or six days sitting with him on the couch.”
Justin Leonard on golf’s newly released schedule: “These tentative schedules, they’re tentative at best. We’re hopeful that we’ll get to see golf by mid-summer and if we do, the entire world will be watching. Because there’s so much going on in the world, sports is a release for a lot of people.”
Leonard on the difficulties the new schedule presents to the players: “Now we’re talking about having three major championships and the Ryder Cup in a period of about three months, so it’s going to take a toll on players. The guys have to start working now as far as fitness level and those things to the point where when the season is up and rolling, they’re ready to go.”
–NBC SPORTS–