When Rich Eisen joined the NFL Network for its launch in Nov., 2003, the notion that he would call a regular-season game from London that airs exclusively on the network had to feel like a pipedream.
Yet here Eisen is 15 years later, getting set to do play-by-play for the Philadelphia Eagles, the defending Super Bowl champs, and Jacksonville Jaguars match-up in London's Wembley Stadium. NFL Network will carry exclusive coverage Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
And you know what? Eisen isn't surprised to be in this position.
"This is what we were hoping to do when we launched NFL Network," Eisen said. "We were hoping we would get to do football games and that we would be a viable network part of the NFL media fabric. We are. I'm very excited to do this."
It is a fitting assignment given that Eisen has been the face of NFL Network since its inception. Or as he likes to say, he is the person who has "planted the flag" for almost all of the network's signature shows, especially NFL GameDay Morning on Sundays. It was Eisen who welcomed viewers in the network's debut on Nov. 4, 2003.
There weren't many viewers back then, as the NFL Network had a limited distribution. Eisen admitted that there were plenty of people who thought he was crazy to leave a high-profile position at ESPN to join the new network.
"I lopped off about 90 percent of my visibility," Eisen said.
Eisen still has vivid memories of an exchange with a fan at the 2004 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles.
"The fan came up to me and said, 'I love what you do. I watch you every morning,'" Eisen said. "I said, 'Wow, so you have NFL Network?' He said, 'No, I'm talking about SportsCenter [on ESPN].' When I told him I hadn't been on SportsCenter for almost a year, he looked at me and said, 'Are you alright?'"
Eisen was fine with his decision for several reasons. In 2003, the NFL Network was being run by Steve Bornstein, his former boss at ESPN.
And more importantly, it was being launched by the NFL, the most popular sports brand in the United States.
"I mean, this is the NFL we're talking about," Eisen said. "Plus, getting to work for Steve was a huge bonus. For me, it was a no-brainer."
Looking back, Eisen says there also was another important factor that he didn't realize at the time. Shortly after joining NFL Network, he got an invitation to play a round of golf with Roger Goodell, who was the league's chief operating officer at the time. Since his concentration was mostly on baseball at ESPN, Eisen admits he didn't have much awareness about the future NFL Commissioner.
"I called up [Bornstein] and said, 'Should I do this?'" Eisen said. "He said, 'Call him back right now and say yes.'"
During their round, Goodell said something that always stuck with Eisen.
"Roger said, 'If anybody asks you to do something you don't want to do or is upset with something you said, you call me and I'll fix it,'" Eisen said. "He's been a man of his word for 15 years. He has allowed us to do what we need to do. If something [controversial] occurs during Sunday's game, it is absolutely fine to voice what I am thinking."
Eisen got an inkling of the NFL Network's potential at Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston in 2004.
Bornstein insisted on placing numerous monitors in the convention center, on media buses and in the hotels airing NFL Network's non-stop coverage.
"It was the first sense of what it would be like if we were fully distributed throughout the country," Eisen said.
Larger distribution took some time, but it eventually happened. NFL Network tapped into the fans' interest and demand for content beyond game days.
Eisen recalled "people literally laughed" at NFL Network when it did a show on the release of that season's upcoming schedule in the spring.
"Now ESPN does it too," Eisen said. "We [and other networks] do live pro day [pre-draft] coverage and nobody bats an eyelash. None of that happens if not for NFL Network."
Eisen said he has been arguing for years to do a live NFL GameDay Morning show from London. It will be a bonus for him to get do the game with his GameDay Morning team of Steve Mariucci, Michael Irvin and Kurt Warner as analysts. While a four-man booth seems crowded and unconventional, he insists the crew meshed during two rehearsal games.
"I never would have thought a four-man booth would be viable," Eisen said. "However, when four people have known each other for seven years, you know their body language, their queues. I know when all three of them want to say something. It is going to be a good listen."
Calling his first regular season NFL game will be a highlight for Eisen. It also is a barometer of how far he and the network have come since its debut in Nov., 2003.
When asked what he is most proud of during his 15 years, Eisen talks about the overall impact and legacy of NFL Network.
"I'm proud that we are considered part of the fabric of watching the NFL," Eisen said. "I'm proud that if you want to learn something about the NFL, or if there is breaking news, you go to NFL Network. We're in and we're never going away. We are going to be here forever."
