Banana Ball Is Ruining Baseball + MLB Opening Day | Inside The Bus

Summary

Bussin’ With The Boys – Ep. 41: “Banana Ball Is Ruining Baseball + MLB Opening Day | Inside The Bus”

Release: March 27, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this lively, sports-heavy episode, the Bussin’ crew (primarily Will Compton, Taylor Lewan notably drops by briefly, and regulars Jack, Coop, and Ryan) dive into the state of baseball—spanning experiences at minor league games, Opening Day optimism, "banana ball" controversy, MLB parity, rampant travel stories, athletic evolution, and more. The tone is irreverent, opinionated, and thick with nostalgia, hot takes, and deep fan debate.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Minor League Baseball Deep Dive (03:27–13:56)

• The boys swap stories about their own minor league game memories and experiences sitting in the sun, getting burned, and sampling ballparks across the country.
• Jack recounts visiting the Tennessee Smokies’ new stadium, reminiscing about how minor league ballparks often feature gimmicks like lazy rivers and dollar beer/food nights. “It was an awesome Double A park because the backdrop was literally just like rolling forest, which is always a good vibe.” (07:30)
• Coop describes the grind of MiLB life: “Minor league baseball, what a grind... love for the game. That’s literally all it is.” (13:56)
• Multiple hosts highlight independent ball ("indie ball") and acquaintances grinding for love of the game over money or Major League glory.

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2. “Banana Ball” vs. Baseball Purists (14:04–16:48)

• Ryan introduces the baseball-cultural controversy: the rise of "banana ball" (Savannah Bananas), lauded for its fun and fan engagement, reviled by purists.
• Coop: “I’m a baseball purist. It’s just not for me.” (14:09)
• Jack calls some banana ball rules fun but insists "dancing on the mound” and TikTok trends “just not for me.” (14:47)
• Ryan and others recognize banana ball’s appeal for a younger crowd and its viral, sell-out status, but draw a hard generational line.
• Notable moment: The crew openly weighs whether Banana Ball represents “butchering” baseball, with grudging respect for its business model.

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3. MLB Opening Day & State of the Game (17:10–31:34)

a. Opening Day Optimism

• Coop (Rangers fan) delivers classic pre-season hope: “[The Rangers] are going to have a good lineup this year. I’m drinking the Kool Aid.” (17:14)
• AL West outlook discussed; consensus that the division is open—Astros “falling off,” Mariners competitive, rest bottom feeders.

b. MLB Parity & Financial Imbalance

• Ryan rants about MLB’s “bullshit” lack of parity, noting top prospects “will be on the Dodgers or Yankees” soon due to contract and market disparities: “Shohei Ohtani’s contract is all deferred, but he’s getting paid more than the entire Pittsburgh organization.” (18:43)
• Coop and Jack counter with examples of small-market upsets and baseball’s historic unpredictability, though all agree MLB’s CBA issues might prompt a lockout. “Oh, the lockouts coming. The CBA, the lockouts coming.” (20:33)

c. The Commissioner Problem & Shohei Ohtani’s Rise

• The group unites in thrashing current MLB commissioner Rob Manfred (“universally hated” – Coop, 21:02), contrasting baseball’s perceived stagnation with the refreshing global stardom of Shohei Ohtani.
• Jack: “Some of the things that are happening because of these specific guys [Ohtani, Judge] in the sport...it’s impressive.” (21:49)

d. Athletic Evolution—Today vs. Yesterday

• Spirited debate: Could today’s average athlete compete in Babe Ruth’s era?
• Ryan: “I could have played Major League Baseball back then.” (23:27)
• Discussions on pitching velocity, pitch movement, and general athleticism lead to consensus: high school and even average modern athletes would likely dominate a century ago, with baseball (and football) showing the biggest era-to-era disparity.
• Coop: “When we get to heaven...Let’s run a game where all these old timers and all these new timers just play at their means.” (25:27)

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4. More Opening Day Outlooks: Yankees & Rangers (27:43–31:36)

• Jack: “World Series or bust, honestly.” Yankees’ hopes pinned on Aaron Judge (“the best hitter in baseball,” 28:37) and a healthy supporting cast.
• Discussion of John Carlos Stanton’s injury history and the volatility of even big-market clubs.
• Coop and Jack predict a potentially epic Rangers-Yankees ALCS, with both “drinking the Kool Aid.”

Notable Quote

“The Rangers play 162 games. I will probably watch 140 of them.” — Coop (28:28)

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5. Playoff Baseball & Ballpark Culture (29:30–31:36)

• Unanimous love for the unique energy of playoff baseball: “Playoff baseball is, it’s up there.” (Ryan, 29:30)
• The panel reminisces about how attending games—whether as a spectator or player—creates indelible memories.
• Jack: “You enjoy that atmosphere. Day game, night game, doesn’t really matter...the four of us could be having this exact conversation right now and not miss a beat.” (30:38)

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6. Epic Travel Stories: Vegas, Bachelor Parties, and Flight Nightmares (31:36–48:00)

a. Bachelor Party in Vegas (Jack's Story, 31:36–37:10)

• Jack recounts a “profitable” and “absolutely a pleasure” trip to Vegas for a bachelor party, pool parties, and March Madness betting.
• “To get to go there and just like, kick back, drink all weekend, gamble, be a degenerate, it was absolutely a pleasure. So shout out Avery and all the fellas from Texas…” (35:20)
• Secret to big group Vegas: book an Airbnb.

b. Horrors of Hangover Flying (37:10–41:17)

• Tales of red-eye flights, group hangovers, harrowing nausea, and why traveling home after Vegas is a universal sporting/partying nightmare.
• Jack: “It was truly one of the most difficult travel days of my life. I have the 6:45 am flight because I’d rather be back at noon...” (35:38)
• Side convo on Taylor and Will always being in first class while everyone else is 32C middle (“the biggest humans you’ve ever met”), and the misery of being hungover on a flight (“top five worst things”—Ryan, 39:25).

c. Flying Headaches, Kids, and Airplane Etiquette

• Coop describes getting sick on every travel day. Others lament swollen ankles, pounding headaches, and the hunt for the right meal post-flight.

• Notable “Passengers from Hell” story: Coop had to basically protect a stranger's newborn from a two-year-old while the actual parent slept soundly across the aisle. (49:38)

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7. Gross-Out Segment: Airplane Vomit Stories (48:02–51:28)

• Panel starts by dreading sitting near a vomiting passenger and spirals into airplane barf horror stories—kids, adults, even a possibly Down syndrome gentleman “yucking” into a Ziploc bag in “milk white” style (Ryan, 50:14).
• Coop: “Wife, you get the throw up, I’ll deal with the poop...” (51:26)
• Strong consensus: airplane throw up is unanimously traumatic.

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8. Spring Tour & Upcoming Content (51:41–54:22)

• Brief show promotion: teasers for their upcoming Spring Tour, recalling last year’s Oregon, Michigan, Nebraska stops, and hoping to top those adventures.
• “We got three locked in next week, and then…trying to lock in two more for that following week.” – Jack (52:12)
• The crew’s road trip and content plans are left ambiguous (“nothing's been released yet”), but spirits are high as they reminisce and look forward.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jack, on Banana Ball: “If you're getting 70k to go out and play for sold out stadiums across the nation, good on you. That's fire.” (16:31)
• Coop on MLB’s future: “The lockout’s coming. The CBA, the lockout’s coming.” (20:33)
• Jack, on Shohei Ohtani’s Impact: “When you've got Shoei Ohtani out there…there’s no way to not view some of the things that are happening because of these specific guys in the sport.” (21:49)
• Ryan, on baseball in the old days: “I could have played major league baseball back then.” (23:27)
• Coop, on watching baseball: “Day at the ballpark is awesome.” (30:52)
• Ryan, on hangover flights: “Maybe top five worst things, top ten worst things is being hungover on a flight.” (39:25)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Minor League Baseball Nostalgia & Trials — 03:27–13:56
• Banana Ball: Purists vs. Popularity — 14:04–16:48
• MLB Opening Day & League Parity — 17:10–20:33
• Commisssioner Critique & MLB’s Rising Stars — 20:51–22:33
• Athletic Evolution Debate — 23:09–27:01
• Yankees/Rangers Outlooks & Playoff Baseball — 27:43–31:36
• Vegas/Bachelor Party Tales — 31:36–37:10
• Travel/Hangover Flight Stories — 37:10–41:17
• Kids, Headaches, and Flying Woes — 41:17–48:00
• Airplane Vomit Stories — 48:02–51:28
• Spring Tour Teasers — 51:41–54:22

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Final Thoughts

This episode is quintessential Bussin’—a rambunctious, sprawling, but friendly argument about baseball’s soul and cultural shifts, all within the loose framework of Opening Day. Nostalgia for “pure” baseball mixes with honest acknowledgements that new forms like banana ball are simply more fun for the next generation.

The episode is punctuated by hilarious horror stories about traveling, both as professional athletes and as regular ballpark junkies, demonstrating the relatable chaos of sports fandom at every level.

If you love baseball, road trips, or just group banter and hot takes, this one’s a home run.

Transcript

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[Coop]

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[Coop]

Nowitzki wore 41 for the Dallas Mavericks. This is episode 41. Welcome in, everybody. And now I will let Mitch take it away. That's all I got for the intro.

[Ryan]

Yeah, we have. We don't have, I guess, but I. Ryan, is this your first time on since calling Jared a bitch?

[Jack]

We had the B team episode this, and then. Yeah, this is the first time after that.

[Ryan]

So, yeah, we were just marvel.

[Coop]

He's called up.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Right.

[Coop]

It's baseball season.

[Jack]

Opening day, opening night.

[Coop]

Opening night.

[Ryan]

Right before we started, I was marveling at Ryan's thighs. So bad pause. Kid got torched. Stand up.

[Jack]

Yeah. So. Hell, yeah.

[Coop]

Oh, I see.

[Jack]

I've seen worse. But, like. Yeah, you got red.

Yeah. So I went to Knoxville this past weekend. My sister goes to Tennessee. Spent the weekend there Saturday, went on a hike. Did not get any of this on the hike. Great hike. Four miles. We went to. Out to the Smoky Mountains. Cove. Cove. Something.

I don't know. Once you get up, like, Pigeon Forge and stuff, I think.

Yeah.

I'm not too familiar with all of the hikes, but it was like.

I think it was called Chimney Rock Trail.

Oh, yeah, I've done Chimney Rock.

Awesome. I loved it.

Great.

One heard about, like, that whole story with how it burned down and everything was crazy. And then Sunday, we went to a baseball game, sat right down the first baseline.

How's that? You went to the Smokies?

Yeah.

How's that? Because that new stadium just got built last year, and it used to be out by Pigeon Ford. Oh, no, no, no.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Tennessee.

[Coop]

Yes.

[Jack]

Gotcha. Even better, though, new Chef.

I was talking to Chef. He's like, dude, you gotta take pictures. Show me all about the new, like, second level.

Yeah, I haven't been there since they did that one as well. Great.

I'll show you the pictures after. It looks great there, but, yeah, sat right down the first baseline and sun was peeking right over my right shoulder. My ass got torched.

Little base layer.

Yeah.

[Ryan]

I was basically in March.

[Jack]

Your boy does not tan at all.

[Ryan]

Yeah, just.

[Jack]

Just burns, clearly. But, yeah, Sunday night was really rough driving back here because I was driving back, like, as the sun was coming down, so sun's still beaming in. I'm burnt.

I'm like, once you. Once you dig that first sleep, too, when you're burnt and just like you, it's like a fire going on underneath your sheets. So hot.

[Coop]

I'm like, I'm caking up in sunscreen so hard all summer. I don't care. Last year, I got the worst burn in my life.

[Jack]

Me, too.

[Ryan]

And I gotta get some sun, though.

[Jack]

No summer of the screen.

[Coop]

Nope, Nope. I'm not getting sun. I tried getting sun. Ask. Ask Matt Malone. I was. I was tanning at my apartment last year. No sunscreen. Perfect time. Prime UV?

[Ryan]

Well, yeah, if you're the UVs that in.

[Coop]

No, no, no.

[Jack]

Prime.

[Coop]

It was prime. It was Prime.

[Jack]

What's Prime UV?

[Coop]

Do you know? This is. It was like 7 or 8. Not. Not the middle of the day. I'm tanning at the pool, I get no color. I go. I go to the lake, I put on some sunscreen, I get just completely wrecked. We got a cake. And I know what the hell's happening to my skin. It ain't getting tan, so.

[Ryan]

Well, you know, to reapply and everything.

[Coop]

No, I. Look, man.

[Jack]

Well, does that not turn into, like, the base layer?

[Coop]

It does, but it's not worth it. I'm pale, like, I see.

[Jack]

You gotta get through one bad burn of the year, and then it's greatness and beyond.

[Ryan]

Yep.

[Coop]

Dude.

[Jack]

I was like.

Yeah. And then you start, like, healing a little bit.

[Coop]

Literally tweaking my ocd.

[Jack]

Loves the peel, though, because I'll just kind of. I mean, as nasty as it is, I love just peeling.

Me.

Yeah. Kind of rub it, and you're just like.

[Ryan]

Just get in the shower and just of. Kind. Kind of go like this. And then.

[Jack]

Oh, I can feel that motion.

[Ryan]

But also, like, I don't know if I did this when I was a kid, if I burned, like, on my legs, I'll get, like, tape. Just kind of put it on there. On, like, the peeling skin and just, like, pull it off. And it looks like the glue, like, when you're peeling glue off of something. I don't know.

[Jack]

I don't think I've done that one before.

[Ryan]

Yeah, I mean, it is what it is.

[Jack]

I don't think I've done that one before.

[Ryan]

You brought up the. The Smokies, like, the Kodak Smokies? Yeah, I almost had an internship with them.

[Jack]

Wait, the Kodak Smokies? Is that.

[Ryan]

That's. Are they located in Kodak or another Knoxville Smokies?

[Jack]

Yeah, it's the Knox. It's like a double A team. It's the Knoxville Smokies. I don't think it's a co. It could be.

[Ryan]

I don't know, but it's. Is it located in Kodak Tennessee?

[Jack]

So the original Stadium when I was in college was off the exit, the Pigeon Forges, which is where Ryan went. Where you go up to, like the actual mountains and where like Dollywood and stuff is. But now they. That's like a 40 minute drive. And we would always go on Thursdays because it's dollar beer night and you just have some brave soldier who's just willing to drive you back because a 40 minute drive.

Sorry. They are in Kodak Tennessee. They are the Knoxville Smokies, but they

[Coop]

play at the Tennessee Smokey Stadium, so I'm confused.

[Jack]

So Kodak would be like the Pigeon Forge area.

[Ryan]

Yes, correct.

[Jack]

And it was al. It was an awesome double A park because the backdrop was literally just like rolling forest, which is always a good vibe. But now because they've. Hey, what's up, man? Taylor Lawan Taylor, the one, ladies and gentlemen.

[Ryan]

I don't even know if he's on camera, but we're doing good.

[Jack]

Hey, guys, how we doing? How about that ride in, huh? That's why they call it Sin City. Derek, when you have a minute, I'd love to chop it up with you downstairs.

[Ryan]

Okay. All right.

[Jack]

All good things. All good things. All good things. Do you. Do you want to go down there now? It seems pressing and he does. He's kind of. He kind of has the higher up on us upstairs. I'll. I'll come. I'll come switch. All right, we're going to do a little bit of a switch up because our humble boss came in and needs help. He needs help.

[Ryan]

But. Yeah, so I. Going back to. I originally had a. I. They offered me the internship at this baseball. The minor league baseball thing, but I was like 1,200 bucks a month. And, like, I wasn't about to move all the way down to Tennessee and not be able to pay rent or just anything like that. And it kind of seemed like it would have sucked. So. Yeah. It's just my story about. About the Smokies.

[Jack]

Yeah. Now the stadium, luckily is relocated to downtown Knoxville, so kids don't have to drive drunk all the time. So this is what I did.

[Coop]

This is whose team?

[Jack]

The Knoxville Smokies. It's a double. Oh, I think it's the Cubs, because I remember. I'm pretty sure it's the Cubs.

[Sponsor Voice]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Because I remember, like, their logo or whatever having, like something with a C or something Cubs related.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

And like the project I had to do for him, I would have been one of those, like, one of the guys that are like, hyping up the fans and just Being like the video guy for that. So I had to create like a

[Coop]

marketing in game entertainment.

[Ryan]

Yeah, Like, I would have, like, literally. So I have a shirt folder at home and I just had to make like a commercial infomercial about that. Like, that was my project for him. And like this. Thank God I didn't do that. That would have sucked.

[Coop]

Minor league baseball, what a grind there. There's a. When I was in Oklahoma, Oklahoma City is obviously pretty close to Stillwater. The minor league team there is the Oklahoma City Dodgers, which is the Dodgers affiliate. And like, those games are actually pretty hype. And if you're ever injured on the Dodgers, go to Oklahoma City for a little rehab. You get to see some good players because the Dodgers have good players.

[Ryan]

We have. Are there because you got Trenton. Right?

[Jack]

So Trenton Thunder. I forget they've kind of flopped around with like, AAA Double A, you know, which levels which. There's like the. The Staten Island Yankees, the Rockland Boulders, the New Jersey Jackals. Somerset Patriots, though, right down the road from Rutgers and going there. I didn't go to too many games when I was a student, but when I worked full time with the football team, there was, I think it was like the first week or two that I was full time.

[Coop]

Garrett Cole.

[Jack]

He was rehabbing a little bit. He came into the season like a month late, so. Or two months late. So it was like June. And he was making a rehab start in Double A. It was like $5 tickets. Me and my buddies went. They were like, you were saying, like $2 beers, $2 hot dogs. Literally through three innings. After the third inning, everybody left. It was so funny.

[Ryan]

We, I. We have the Reading Phillies and like the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. But I played in, in high school, like our counties, like our baseball tournament counties was on the Reading Philly Stadium or in the Reading Philly Stadium. It was like the coolest thing of all time. Like, we were like under the stadium taking BP and stuff. It was like this. Like, I made it. I made the coolest play of my life, too.

[Coop]

The Rangers, Double A in Frisco, which is very close to Arlington. The Frisco Rough Riders. I have not been there since I was little, but I think nowadays their ballpark has a lazy river in the outfield because, you know, there's some major league parks, like the. The Diamondbacks have a pool.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Coop]

The. I think the brewers might have one. Yeah. Slide at least. So, like, everyone's got these gimmicks. The Frisco Rough Riders have a lazy river, which is insane. And probably needed in the summer in Texas for sure.

[Jack]

I feel like that'd be such a big appeal for minor league teams.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[Jack]

Where it's just really low stakes fan like viewing.

It's like a family event.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[Jack]

It's like you're not like majority of people who are there are not upset really if your team's losing. I'm sure there are. I don't want to dog any like hu. Sounds fans, you know from our local market but I do know that I would be very inclined to go to a game if there's a lazy river waiting for me. But I do love the Sounds game. Every. It's every. I don't know if it's once a month on a Thursday, but they do four dollar tall boys and like two dollar hot dogs and if you give me a deal on beers and brats it's. It's over for me.

[Ryan]

I feel like AAA is kind of different too because like those guys are actually.

[Jack]

They're on the high stakes for sure.

[Coop]

Double A is pure love for the game.

[Jack]

Pure love for the game. Cheap, you know, a good ride.

[Ryan]

Brooks like best. Best friend from college, her husband is now on the Reading Phillies and we drove out there last year when he was. I think he was a part of the Mariners still and he played in Little Rock, Arkansas. We drove all the way out there and like got to see him pitch like it was cool and everything but I'm like there is nothing out here. Living out here must suck. And like the both like the wife and the husband, they're both from like Santa Monica, California where one of the most beautiful places on in the country. And now they're in Little Rock just chasing.

[Coop]

And guess what? When you're not playing at home, you're on the road in another.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Coop]

Place in the middle of nowhere. There's a. There's a minor league ballpark in Biloxi.

[Ryan]

Yep.

[Coop]

Mississippi. The Biloxi Shuckers.

[Jack]

He.

[Ryan]

He played for. He played for them too.

[Coop]

Did he? Yeah, they like minor league baseball is. It's. It's such an insane system we have.

[Jack]

They're.

[Ryan]

I don't know if they're. If it's independent ball but like have you heard of the Lancaster Barnstormers?

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

A kid that I went to high school with that I was actually really close with but kind of. He got drafted. He made actually a start for the Rangers. Five like starts. His name's A.J. alexi.

[Coop]

For real? Yeah, yeah, I do know who that is.

[Ryan]

I went to high school with him and like we Were like best friends in high school. And then he got drafted by the Dodgers and then was a part of the U. Darvish trade from the Dodgers to the Rangers the Udarvistrate. And he eventually made a start and like I. That he like got to big time and like. But yeah, he. He's now plays for the Lancaster Barnstormers, which is like a. Just an independent indie ball where it's like not affiliated with any team. But talk about love for the game. Like that's literally all it is.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

There's nothing. It's like it's lower than banana ball. Then now there's at least.

[Coop]

Yeah. Popularity.

[Ryan]

There's a kid that I actually played against in high school.

[Coop]

Banana ball.

[Jack]

Sacrileges.

[Ryan]

You don't like banana ball?

[Coop]

I'm a baseball purist.

[Ryan]

But I mean.

[Coop]

No, but I get. I get knocked.

[Ryan]

The hustle. Like they sell out everywhere they go.

[Coop]

It's just not for me. But I actually don't mind. I actually really don't.

[Ryan]

Would you go if like they were Nashville not too long ago.

[Jack]

They were.

[Coop]

They were at Nissan stadiums around this time last year.

[Jack]

I. I'm look. And I wouldn't go like T ball and like up to about middle school, but if I played competitive baseball, I absolutely would be on the side of Coop as a baseball purist. There's some like. I like that they're getting a younger generation in and selling tickets and like having fun with it. But if that was my sport that I grew up loving, I would consider it.

[Coop]

It's like being. It's. Yeah, it's being butchered.

[Jack]

I hate dancing on the mound.

[Coop]

Yeah. There's just. It's just not for me. It's just not for me.

[Jack]

There's a.

[Coop]

There's a crowd for it. They're the crowd. Maybe 1% of them. Like real baseball.

[Ryan]

I don't know. Yeah, I mean I definitely see.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

I see where you're coming from on the sense of like hating it and like the tick tock stuff, the tick tock dances and like that does get annoying. It's like. But like the trick plays and the. That they're able to do like they

[Jack]

are trick plays I'm in for.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[Jack]

Especially if like a. A foul ball goes out and an audience member catches it. It's like an out as well.

[Ryan]

I kind of. I like that concept.

[Jack]

Like I. I can get behind that. But it is. It's the dancing. But I mean even it's very athletic in my opinion. All like the backflip catches and like the umps are throwing out round offs and yeah, I can get behind some of it, but it's not something that I'm going to go spend my weekend doing. But I'm not going to sit from the sidelines and just be like, this is a travesty.

[Coop]

Yeah, I can't. I mean, like, it's not for me. I'm. But I'm not 10 anymore. So, like, who knows? Maybe I would have.

[Ryan]

Probably not, but the kid I played against in high school is now on like, it's in banana ball. On banana ball. I don't know what it is. He won the College World Series Home Run Derby. I think like a year or two after Aaron Judge. His name's Nico Holzer. He went to Morehead State. He like just hits nukes.

[Jack]

Do you know how much money these guys are pulling in? Like, do you know? I don't. No, no, no, no. Banana ball, brother.

[Coop]

You know what I want to know? I want to know what the opposing team. Because they're all just pawns, right? What are they?

[Ryan]

I feel like it's kind of like the Harlem Globetrotters in the sense of like they travel with the. Like that the team is the team. Yeah.

[Coop]

But like they're the ones that everyone like.

[Ryan]

Yeah. You know, I feel like 70,000 a year.

[Jack]

If, again, I have no idea. If you're getting 70k to go out and play for sold out stadiums across the nation, good on you.

[Ryan]

Like they're.

[Jack]

That's fire. But I don't know. Speaking of baseball purity, though, we do have two big baseball heads being Ryan and Coop.

[Coop]

I'm loving this baseball talk right now.

[Jack]

And this was.

[Coop]

I'm already thinking of thumbnail.

[Jack]

It is.

[Coop]

Baseball is bad.

[Ryan]

I think I was already thinking of a title. We hate banana ball.

[Jack]

Well, we got. We have opening day. That just happened technically yesterday. It's recording on Wednesday, but this is Friday when it comes out. So Yankees fan and Rangers fan, do we have any kind of update, any kind of optimism?

[Coop]

Scared?

[Jack]

What. What's it look like this season for you guys?

[Coop]

Yeah, I'll start.

[Jack]

Okay.

[Coop]

Because you know, everyone knows the Yankees. Let me let you. I'll let you in on what's happening in Texas right before the season starts. I. Oh, that is like when optimism is at the highest because the last two years the Rangers have not been able to hit the baseball. The year before that, they hit the fuck out of the baseball. I'm starting to think maybe these fuckers were cheating, but they cut a lot of the fat. They're going to have a good lineup this year. I'm. I'm just, like, drinking the Kool Aid. I think the Rangers are going to be good this year. Surprise a lot of people because no one's really expecting anything. And I don't even know where I'm going with this. But just look out for the Rangers if you want to. If y' all want to pick up a team this year, might be the Rangers. Sneaky AL west champion, actually.

[Ryan]

But who else is in the West?

[Coop]

The AL West. So the Mariners will be good. The Astros are the Astros, but, you know, they're kind of. They're kind of falling off. The Angels are going to be awful. The Athletics are going to sneak some people because they're. They have a bunch of good players all the time for whatever reason, but they're actually just dog shit. There's.

[Jack]

I mean, yeah, they definitely could win the West.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Baseball is such bullshit nowadays because, like,

[Jack]

banana ball doesn't like mlb.

[Ryan]

No, I just think. I hate the fact. And I see where the players are coming from, but, like, the Pirates have Paul Skeens, and we know in two or three years he's going to be on the Dodgers.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

He's going to be on the Yankees. He's going to be on one of these, like. I think. I just think it's bad for baseball or I just don't think it's really fair that, like, Shohei Ohtani's contract is all deferred, basically. Yeah, it's deferred. But he's getting paid more than the entire Pittsburgh organization.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

The entire Athletics organization. Like, I think that, you know, you're going to see the same eight teams in the playoffs. You know that eventually it's going to be the Dodgers and whoever the fuck else in the World Series. And it just makes it uninteresting because,

[Coop]

you know, I will say, as much as that is like a. A real thing, and it's not really even recent. I was gonna say it's. The Dodgers are more a recent development because they're back to back. But, like, that's kind of always been a thing. And. And yet there's always so much parity in baseball. Out of nowhere, there'll be a team

[Jack]

like when the Royals were good, and then all of a sudden they just. The next year they weren't.

[Coop]

Yeah. And then, I mean, the Rangers in 2023, we're coming off 100 last season.

[Jack]

2.

[Coop]

Two seasons before, which is just not good. And then, you know, they had the best offense in like statistically in league history through the first three months of season, like, what the hell's happening? Baseball is just like, it's like any other sport. Like you can get hot, you can, you can win. I mean even the Dodgers, they, they should have lost game seven last year. They had a, their nine hole hitter, hit a two run home run to tie and go to extras like the Blue Jays winning. Like, who's. Yeah, I mean they're good, but who's expecting that? But it is like very much the Yankees have always been the Yankees. The Dodgers have money. I'm kind of a little lucky. The Rangers have some money. They're kind of spinning it, but it's

[Ryan]

just frustrating to like, it would suck

[Coop]

to be like a lower market team. A lower market team.

[Jack]

I mean, it's inevitable that that's going to happen.

[Coop]

It's inevitable. I don't think, I'm not against it.

[Jack]

I think that there's like a good chance that there is no season next.

[Coop]

Oh, the lockouts coming. The cba, the lockouts coming.

[Jack]

Yeah, it, it's not going to be good.

[Coop]

But as his baseball seems, it's, it feels like the popularity has been going up the last few years. I think a lot of that is because of Shohei Otani. So the MLB could give less of a classic World baseball classic. The last two GO rounds have been like huge.

[Ryan]

They need to get a new commissioner because he.

[Coop]

Yeah, I don't like, man, I remember

[Ryan]

like watching Pat McAfee like years ago and like he was talking about how the MLB commissioner literally called the trophy just a piece of metal.

[Coop]

Yeah. Rob Manfred is universally hated.

[Ryan]

I think people like said, probably saying, I wouldn't doubt it. He's the worst major sports commissioner.

[Coop]

Nothing about like the agencies or anything.

[Jack]

He is.

[Ryan]

It's just bad.

[Jack]

Yeah, he is.

[Ryan]

But that was also when like baseball kind of seemed like it was in a bad place like four or five, six years ago. So I could be wrong, but I mean, I don't know.

[Jack]

I mean, I don't think, I think that opinion on him is still like that. He's not liked at all. Yeah, a lot of commissioners aren't. It's like what happens with that job. But he's.

[Coop]

Manfred's getting a little lucky with players like Judge and Otani getting so big. And there's always been good players. But I mean, Ohtani is like, I

[Jack]

mean for me is someone who's like a very baseball casual. Like there's no way to not view some of the things that are happening because of these specific guys in the sport.

Yeah.

And so it's impressive when like, I don't know, I don't necessarily have such a fandom for baseball and I don't like follow it. Come October, like I'm gonna tune into the games and like I enjoy the World Series for, for what it is and the spectacle of sport. But when you've got Shoei Otani's out there like throwing. I mean, I saw a stat the other day that said his. For this year he should be on pace because of last year to at least do a hundred home runs in 50Ks. Does that make sense? I think that's the.

[Coop]

What over two seasons.

[Jack]

Is it flip? 50 home runs, 100 Ks.

[Coop]

Yeah, I just.

[Jack]

And again, like flip.

[Coop]

Oh yeah, 100.

[Jack]

I'm like, damn, let him juice if

[Coop]

he hits a home. 100 home runs.

[Jack]

I mean he did 50, 50. He was the first person ever to do. To hit 50 home runs and 50 seals in the same season.

[Coop]

Right. I think it was.

[Jack]

I mean he definitely had 30, 70.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[Jack]

And this guy's like a Cy Young caliber pitcher. I mean it's insane that that happens. It's like what everyone thinks of Babe Ruth, you know, because obviously he's the outfield of that hit nukes. But like he pitched to it first. I mean Shohei is just. It's insane.

[Coop]

Shohei's been a breath of fresh air because a lot of MLB superstars, Mike Trout, one of the best baseball players

[Jack]

ever,

[Coop]

just like very low key. Not really. Baseball's had a lot of superstars kind of be under the radar, you know, about their business. But having a global icon like Shohei has been massive.

[Ryan]

I don't know if this is a hot take and then we can get into your outlook for the Yankees. Do you think I, like, I'm in the stance of like I could easily play baseball back in back, way back when when like Babe Ruth was playing.

[Jack]

Oh, oh yeah.

[Coop]

Like players today would destroy players back then.

[Ryan]

But I think like the casual person, I even think sometimes with like that with football. But then you think of like Chuck Bednarik and just Mean Joe Green and people like that. But like I am in the firm stance of like I could have played major league baseball back then.

[Coop]

It's funny because I don't disagree with that at all. I don't.

[Jack]

Part of me doesn't disagree with it, but other, I just don't know.

[Coop]

I wasn't there.

[Jack]

I feel like some of them, especially

[Coop]

the pitchers, I don't know how good they really were. I know they weren't throwing that fast.

[Jack]

Yeah, but the pitchers were going out there every day throwing 100 pitches and then would go the next day.

[Ryan]

Like Satchel Paige was throwing like through like a thousand pitches in one week.

[Coop]

Yeah. And they were smoking cigs and chugging beer. It's. It's like you're lucky.

[Jack]

I'm trying to think how long it would take someone to throw a thousand pitches now.

[Ryan]

I think that may have been an exaggeration.

[Jack]

I mean, even if not, he, like

[Ryan]

would throw 150 pitches next day, he's out.

[Jack]

There were people who threw like 15 inning complete games.

[Ryan]

Yes.

[Jack]

Yeah, that's ridiculous.

[Coop]

Yeah, yeah. No, I think like athletes today could definitely, if you just dropped them in,

[Ryan]

compete and said, I'm, I'm not even, I'm saying, yeah, athletes for sure would tank them.

[Jack]

I'm saying you pick up the average Joe off the street.

[Ryan]

Be like the kid that played in high school. Like high schoolers now could play back then and I think would hold their own.

[Coop]

Yeah, I don't, I don't disagree with that.

[Jack]

My boy Brian Reynolds could definitely play.

[Coop]

Brian Reynolds can definitely play now. So, like. Yeah, well, yeah, I mean, I think like, baseball might be the biggest example because you could say that about all sports. Baseball, to me, all the old footage just like it is. So the game was very, it's like very similar, but very slow. Like they can't. The pitching now is just insane.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

I mean, you got. Skiing's topping out at 103. And then you got another guy, your closer comes in at 105 and it's like, I'm not touching.

[Coop]

And that's just, and that's just the heater. Like all the, all the movement on the pitches now, they didn't have skins

[Jack]

can make a 103 fastball. You know, you could pitch that, oh, one. Next pitch you're thinking it's a fastball and then it's a splitter all of a sudden. And it looks the exact same until

[Coop]

you go to swing and then it just drops.

[Jack]

Like, that's just not.

[Coop]

Yeah, that I wish. When we get to heaven, can we just say, hey, let's. Let's run a game where all these old timers and all these new timers just play at their means. Let's see how this really would have gone.

[Ryan]

I feel like I gotta see it based on. I feel like baseball and football, I feel like are the two sports where there would be a massive, like, disparity. I think hockey and Basketball, I feel like, would be closer, if that makes sense.

[Coop]

Yeah. I don't know about basketball.

[Jack]

That one's interesting because this was shooting threes.

I mean, they always are like you're. They're playing against plumbers and, you know, I don't know. I feel like those old basketball players were kind of weak as fuck.

Yeah. I. Part of me disagrees with the, the baseball thing because when you look at like baseball versus basketball, it is so. It's so much more athletically demanding playing basketball. And obviously these athletes are so much better now with all the technology and everything. It's like, you know, the MJ and LeBron. But it's like you put, you put Wemby in a game in the 1960s, think people are going to legitimately think he's an alien.

[Coop]

Probably.

[Ryan]

There was like, Will. Will. Who else? Bill Russell. Who else was like Bob Koozie. Yeah. Jason Williams.

[Jack]

I mean, like, damn, we're skipping around now.

[Coop]

I really think it would be insane for any sport. I. I see your point. On baseball. My whole thing with baseball isn't even like the athletes thing. It's just the pitching now and the. It's just like different. It's different for everything. But yeah, I definitely think like a good athlete today. High school athlete could hold their own back 100%.

[Ryan]

Like you're not.

[Coop]

They're seeing the same speed pitches in high school.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Coop]

Yeah. With better movement on it.

[Ryan]

The travel ball and stuff that they're like. The travel ball is probably comparable to mlb.

[Coop]

It is called Is America's Past. Like it was a pastime. Now it is like a. Like people are from the womb.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Coop]

Like prospects, which is.

[Jack]

I mean, there's minor leaguers that are 14 or signed to contracts.

[Coop]

I'm sorry. Yeah.

[Jack]

Jason Dominguez, current Yankee, was on a Yankees contract at 16 years old.

[Coop]

Yeah. Back then that was for fun.

[Ryan]

Wander Franco.

[Coop]

Wander Franco.

[Jack]

Yeah.

Wow.

[Coop]

I wonder what he's. Wonder what he's doing.

[Ryan]

He's in jail.

[Coop]

Yeah. I wonder what he's doing, like, in jail.

[Ryan]

What's your outlook for the Yankees?

[Jack]

I mean, it's like I'm lucky enough. Yeah. It's like World Series or bust, honestly. I mean, didn't have many changes going into the offseason or in the off season. Re signed Cody Bellinger, which I'm hype about. Aaron Judge is the best hitter in baseball. I mean, hoping for a fourth MVP from him. He can facilitate enough around him to where it's like if he's in the lineup, he's healthy, like 20, 22. We were going to be one of the best Al teams. He gets hurt, the whole thing falls apart. But it's like you have that one stud in your lineup and people will find ways to contribute. John Carlos Stin, I don't know if you guys saw this. He's trying to play all, whatever 162 games. He's going to say that, right? He can't. He has tennis elbow in both his elbows. He can't open a bag of chips. But he's going to try to hit 50 home runs this year.

[Ryan]

How does that, like how did you get it in both elbow?

[Jack]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Coop]

He, he's always been, he's just, he's

[Jack]

always got injury concerns. But I mean, top to bottom, I, I love our squad. Pitching rotation is great. Garrett Cole, I mean, Max Freed, Rodin heel. Schlitler. Coop and I were talking the other day. Cam Schlitler is the Boston guy who's the Yankees pitcher, pitched game three of that Wild Card series. When the Yankees game was on in the stream. We were, it was like a football stream. It was like his debut, playoff debut. 14K sat the Red Sox down. So that fires me up to see what he'll be like this year. But I mean, yeah, World Series are bust. If we don't get a ring.

[Coop]

The Rangers, Yankees ALCS is going to go hard, better.

[Jack]

So all I know is Juan Soto's crying every night wishing that he stayed with the Yankees. But hey man, you want more money, so take it.

[Ryan]

Playoff baseball is, it's up there.

[Coop]

It's my favorite, dude.

[Jack]

The.

[Coop]

The crowd pops for a home run.

[Jack]

The. The Lindor.

[Coop]

Yeah, all of them, dude. The Seeger. I'm biased with the Seeger game tying home run.

[Ryan]

I just, I. My first year here, like working here, I kind of hated it in Nashville. And that was when the Phillies were making their World Series playoff run. And like all my friends back home were like going to the Phillies games. I'm like, I kind of want to go back to Philly.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

And like move. But then that was very short lived. Yeah, but like just the atmosphere around playoff baseball and like, oh, it's electric.

[Jack]

It's sick because it's so fun to be at those games too. And I mean this is all baseball in general. Kind of like what we were saying before with minor league baseball. It's like you go to the game obviously to have fun, watch baseball, but it's like you don't really care about what's Happening in the game. And the game is so slow paced anyway, even with the pitch clock that it's like the four of us could be having this exact conversation right now and not miss a beat about what's happening on the baseball.

[Ryan]

You just hear, that was a foul ball. Back to the conversation.

[Jack]

But mlb, I mean, obviously it's like that too. And so that's why I love going to baseball games. It's like you enjoy that atmosphere. Day game, night game, doesn't really matter. You guys can go with the boys, get those two dollar beers, two dollar hot dogs and just vibe out and

[Coop]

not miss any day at the ballpark is awesome.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Playing like, I mean, it goes with anything, but playing base. Like, I can't stand watching baseball now, but I loved playing it.

[Jack]

Oh, so much.

[Ryan]

Like in. Granted, that's. I feel like with any sport.

[Jack]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

But like I loved playing baseball and then now just watching it and like thinking of when I have. If I have a son and I have to go to all of his travel games and just sit there.

[Jack]

You got to be coaching. Sitting in the dugout when your son's team is in the field because the pitcher can't throw strikes and you're losing by 10.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Jack]

And the fielders are out there for 20 minutes.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Jack]

Those are some of my worst sports.

[Coop]

Watching baseball, though The Rangers play 162 games. I will probably watch 140 of them.

[Ryan]

That's so crazy.

[Jack]

Yeah, I like to watch them.

[Ryan]

So, Jack, how was Vegas?

[Coop]

Let's dive into Vegas.

[Jack]

Vegas was good, man. Profitable. Always get to go to Vegas without Taylor and still know you have it. I got to shout out my boy Avery. Freeze the guru at the guru on Twitter if you want good plays. He has a model built on gambling and it is very impressive the stats that go in behind it and all the analytics. But I want to say he was up like 22 and a half units over the weekend alone on March Madness. And my buddy Avery went to Texas. And it was me and four of my buddies that grew up here in Nashville that we went to high school with Avery. And we were going to meet essentially all of the guys that he has essentially replaced us with through college. And we've as bad friends never went to visit Texas and haven't been to Dallas post grad. So it was a very interesting dynamic going into the weekend because you never know if you're all going to mesh well and then if you're going to kind of be like your own little small group and like there's like a group of 15 guys that, like, all have been like, you know, cutting teeth with each other for the last 10 years. And you're kind of the odd man out. Could not have gone better. All of his boys, awesome guys, Got to hang out with a ton of them. And the wedding is in two weeks. I. I've realized something. I feel like years ago, it was very common to have a bachelor party and then you get married, like six months to a year later. And because this bachelor party just happened this past weekend, the wedding is in a week and a half, two weeks in Dallas. I kind of love it because you still have that momentum going from the bachelor party. All the new guys you just met. It's not like a, oh, hey, what's up? Like, what was that guy's name? I feel like everyone's not gonna skip a beat when we get there. So very excited for that wedding. But, dude, going to Vegas during March Madness is, stressful as it may sound, is so much fun. You just can't go wrong everywhere that you go. Obviously there's games on everywhere, and you can gamble if you want on the games. You can go to the tables, you can go to the pools. We had a really good weather weekend. Sunny, hot as hell. I think it was like, got up to 98, 99 one day, and that was my first time ever going or experiencing a Vegas pool party. And I go to Vegas constantly and been gone for the last three years. So to see the other side of, like, how, like, really traditional Vegas works, man, it's a blast. Especially the pool parties. I feel like that's the way to go. I am in my old age of 31 now. I've lost all desire for clubbing. Like every now and again, like, I'll go, I'll go to bars and stuff, but, like, I don't actively seek out to, like, go to a place with, like, crazy loud music where you're having to scream at your boys, you know, you're paying fifteen hundred dollars, whatever. It still would be fun. But I. If I'm in Vegas, I'm gonna go gamble. And dude, we had so much fun at these pool parties. We just had the best service. It's just a good overall hang. And it felt like everyone for the most part. I'm sure there's a couple stragglers that weren't as loud as us, but we all came back, um, which with a group of 17 guys, I believe it's. It's tough to come back when majority of people came back winning and it just gave me that itch that when I go to Vegas, it's typically for work stuff. And so to get to go there and just like, kick back, drink all weekend, gamble, be a degenerate, it was absolutely a pleasure. So shout out Avery and. And all the fellas from Texas can't wait to see you guys. A couple of them are, like, pretty big busing fans too, which was funny. And like, you know, they're like, giving me and like, oh, you think you're famous. Like, you know, like, really getting in grill. And I'm like, this is what I want. Like, I don't want it to be some weird, like, kind of like, oh, so, like, how's this? How's that? Like, it was like a meaty, like one of my boys just grilling me. So we had a blast, man. Can't wait to go back already. Don't know when that'll be, but, yeah, Vegas has my heart. Always will. And it was. We stayed in an Airbnb too. That was sweet. I don't really do that route either. And I feel like most people, when they go there, you stay in like, casino hotel. But if you're going out there with a big group of guys, do not discount. In Airbnb, there are a lot of good options. We had a really fun time.

[Ryan]

And especially with 17 guys, you can make that Airbnb cheap.

[Jack]

Yeah. I will say this. The only mistake I made, and it wasn't even a mistake, but it was truly one of the most difficult travel days of my life. I have the 6:45am flight because I'd rather be back at noon than to get back at 5pm and then you kind of just get back and it's like, do I stay up for a couple hours even though I'm dead tired, or do I fall asleep right now, risk waking up at 2am I. I just stayed up all night Saturday, and when I left, guys were still partying our Airbnb. Like, probably. Well, after I'd taken off, man, I got just incredibly nauseous and dizzy and I was sweating out of every pore on my body. And I just remember being like, half conscious, half unconscious, just, like shaking in my plane. Yeah. On the plane back and just like, I'm like, oh, my God, we four hours left. And thankfully, you know, after whoever. I don't know how long it was that I was hallucinating, but finally just woke up in Nashville and then had a pretty big rest day on Sunday, which was nice, but I don't know. I'm always in for getting back at least at noon. Then to get back at night. I mean, broads who. Many of you guys know. He didn't come back till last night. So he was in Vegas a little personal. He went and stayed at the Red Rock because he's went and gambled there with me before. So they gave him. Him. I think it was three nights of to stay and like 800 free play to just like do whatever he wanted. He said he ended up putting like 450 bucks in free play. Turned it into like 2500.

[Ryan]

Damn.

[Jack]

So he did well. Got back last night. Yeah. Shout out broads and. But yeah, overall, very successful trip.

[Ryan]

I was gonna ask something, but I'm blanking. So somebody helped me here.

[Coop]

All I'll say is the traveling. Obviously I remember now.

[Ryan]

Good.

[Coop]

I'll be quick. Your circumstances are obviously different for this trip. Every time I travel, I get like sick or I get like the worst headache or I just feel like complete. When I was flying back last week, when we were figuring out, I was texting Ryan because I was trying to figure out what was going on here because I was working on the airplane. Dude, I felt so awful. And then like, I get home, sit down for 30 minutes and I'm fine. But while I'm traveling, it is like the worst. I hate. I hate it. I hate going to the airport. I hate all of it. I'm out on it. So relatable.

[Ryan]

I was gonna say, do you remember, well, three spring tours ago when we did live shows at every spot.

[Jack]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryan]

And then the next morning, smelling salts.

[Jack]

Was that. I mean, I just. Columbus. Yeah.

[Ryan]

Like staying up late. There was a. Like. And we. The guys would do the live show and then we would go out afterwards. That was when we were hanging out with Laser. We were.

[Jack]

This is back also when Will and Taylor were drinking.

[Ryan]

Yes.

[Jack]

And so things just. We were. We were running it hard, bro.

[Ryan]

That like. Those are some of my most favorite memories, like working here. But also, bro, those plane rides back.

[Jack]

Oh, dude. And Will and Taylor in first class. You're in 32C middle biggest humans you've ever met.

[Ryan]

And you're just. You're hungover, you're tired. You feel like. Like dog. And you have like. There was when at our New Orleans. We woke up at like 3:30am because we were in Baton Rouge.

[Jack]

I didn't sleep that night. I came from the casino in. In New Orleans and went home, packed and then met you guys in the lobby. I don't think anyone ever knew that until Just now.

[Ryan]

Yeah. I don't think I knew that, but we would. Like, we woke up at, like, 3:34 because we were in Baton Rouge. Had to drive all the way to New Orleans to get on the, like, the flight. G was like, dude, and he shout out G for being able to drive. But the amount of, like, there was a period of time, I think for like, three or four months, because then I went other trips that I went on, but I did not. I was not on a flight back to Nashville where I wasn't hungover. And maybe top five worst things. Top ten worst things is being hungover on a flight.

[Jack]

Oh, 100. Has anyone ever thrown up from being hungover on a plane? Because that's one of my big. I thought I was. I was about to hit that. I was. You know when you start salvating your mouth? Yeah. It started happening on the plane, and I. And I was in the. Or the window seat. So I was like, I might have to do it in the bag. I don't like. And it was like, in that, like, weird, awkward moment where we're about to take off. So, like, you can't just jump up and go to the bathroom. The last thing I needed was just to throw up in my aisle and then pass out and probably be, like, laying on the guy, like, next to me the rest of the flight.

[Coop]

I'm getting nauseous right now just. Just talking about traveling, I swear.

[Jack]

Me too.

[Ryan]

I never heard, like. I've never heard somebody, like, just get sick for the day of travel. Like, I've heard of, like, getting sick from travel.

[Coop]

I honestly think it's my fault because it's.

[Ryan]

Did you get, like, anxious or something about it?

[Coop]

No, I think it's more of, like, the tunnel vision of, like, I was supposed to be home at noon last week, so I'm like, small breakfast. I'll eat lunch when I get home. Like, I'm not having enough water all day. All of a sudden, I'm my lunch. Like, I'm not eating because I'm like, I'm gonna eat when I get home. It's lunch time. And then all of a sudden, I get home at 2, and I haven't had anything to eat all day. And I'm just. I do it to myself, I guess I just don't try.

[Jack]

You also don't want to. Like, I take all my meals very personally. Like, I want every meal that I eat to be the best meal I've ever had. Yeah. So especially on a travel day, coming back from a long weekend like that Sunday, like, I'm gonna pig out. I'm gonna enjoy it. We'll get back to work Monday. But man, you don't want to waste one of those meals for a breakfast. Airport meal sounds. It feels like it's gonna add to how much you feel. So I'm with you. I always. I always get weird and kind of my ankles swell up, my feet hurt like a motherfucker.

[Coop]

When I travel, it's always my head. My head just gets like, just a pounding headache.

[Ryan]

Do your ears pop? Can you like pop your ears to like make that?

[Coop]

Yeah, but that's like my problem just I guess the head is like pressure. But like I said, I. After I'm home, my body knows I'm home. I'm good.

[Ryan]

What's the longest light you've been on?

[Coop]

Oh, Hawaii. So like an eight, eight hour flight. But that was a long time ago.

[Ryan]

How long is Greece?

[Jack]

Greece we went from. Where'd we go? We went at or Atlanta to Athens. And I want to say it was like 10 hours. So that's not bad. But yeah, Hawaii from Nashville if you connect to Dallas. From Dallas it's eight hours.

[Coop]

Dallas is a straight flight.

[Jack]

Hawaii's a long flight.

[Coop]

It was long.

[Ryan]

That doesn't sound as long as I thought it was going to be.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Coop]

What, eight?

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Coop]

Yeah. It didn't. And yeah, it didn't feel. We got. I. It was like the best flight experience of my life. So that one, I'm not even gonna count because we had like. I have to show you a picture.

[Ryan]

We.

[Coop]

We had like those really nice, like pods.

[Ryan]

Oh.

[Coop]

And. And you could like lay down. They gave you a tv, little game system, like a blanket and a pillow. And you'd like lay down in your chair and all like little bells and whistles.

[Jack]

The.

[Coop]

The food that the. Sir, I just like skipped off and just slept. It was awesome.

[Ryan]

Sick. Yeah. Long I've been on or. Go ahead. What about you?

[Jack]

I think five hours. We flew from Jersey from like Newark to Arizona when we had a ball game last year. I was lucky. Like, similar with you. We were like. The whole team was on a plane. The team was on one plane, support staff was on the other. And so like, we had all our meals.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Jack]

Like, just given to us. We had like menus and everything. They're like, oh, what do you want? Got like chick fil A right when we were about to take off as a snack because you know these football players are start taking 20, 000 calories. Yeah. And then I had like chicken Parm on the plane for like my entree. I was like, dude, this is. Dude, it's.

[Coop]

Yeah, I had a steak on the way to Hawaii.

[Ryan]

Like a legit steak or like a microwave.

[Coop]

I mean, I don't know if it's my. It was small. It was a small state.

[Ryan]

Like my. The longest flight I've been on was from LA to Fiji. That was 11 hours.

[Coop]

Oh my God.

[Ryan]

And that was like the 333. And I. If I remember correctly, I was in the middle of the middle three and

[Coop]

only see those planes in the movies, bro, that. That gets fucked in the same spot that you said in the.

[Ryan]

Like there was like a little kid next to me, like fell asleep on me. Was playing video games or like on his little pad or whatever. And it was just loud as fuck. Sucked. And then the one thing that was cool is they gave you these cool like, like blankets. It was Fiji Airways. So like this Fijian, like pattern blankets. And I wanted to keep it so bad, but I felt bad. Foul. Ended up keeping one.

[Jack]

But is it Fijian? And I'm not saying you're wrong. It just. It sounds hilarious.

[Ryan]

I know, like when I said I'm like that kind of sounds. I'm fine with Jillian, but I believe it is.

[Jack]

I think. No, it sounds right. It just. I don't mean to cut you off. I just. I think it's the first time I've heard that in that context.

[Ryan]

So I don't know if they're. It's like kind of how New Zealand's or New Zealanders or Kiwis. Like, I don't know if there's another word for Fiji's. No, I'm good with Fiji's Fijians. But then like that flight was fucking forever. But luckily I like going out there. I had foul with me. And then we. It was five hours of Fiji and then like an hour and a half, two hours from Fiji to Samoa. And then I went to Australia after Samoa. So it was Samoa to Fiji and five hours from Fiji to Australia and then Australia back to Fiji, Fiji to LA, LA to New Jersey. All of that, all of that by myself. And that I don't even remember because I think I just blacked out for the entire thing.

[Jack]

So much fun.

Those connecting flights on the way back. So it just starts killing you because you got to just wait in line. A lot of times they don't match up. 45 minutes. Yeah, two and a half hours. Some bullshit airport.

[Ryan]

Luckily, I think coming back like it was like it was a long enough Layover. I think I'd like two or three hours. That. Because when you're coming back, you have to go through customs and everything. So it was. It was fine. But I remember going to Australia and, like, getting there and, like, they're pretty strict with their customs. Like, they had dogs and everything walking around everywhere, and it was actually super quick. But, like, yeah, the flying that long is insane.

[Coop]

And back to something you said about the kid playing his games next to you. I might be that adult, because you definitely are. I was story. It's really probably not even a good story, but it was when I was flying out to my sister's, like, surprising engagement and Southwest. So, like, you're picking your own seat. And I got, like, in the back of the plane. I just wanted a window seat. And I'm, like, sitting there, me and this guy, he's on the aisle. And it's like, at the buzzer, this girl, last person on the plane, worst human being ever is, like, on the phone, like, giving her boyfriend trouble. And, like, like, literally the most brainwashed conversation ever, too. And, like, I saw her text, and they were just wild and. But she sits down just like, somebody cheated.

[Jack]

I don't even know paragraph messages.

[Coop]

But this girl, like, her lips, like, filled to the brim. Like, it was. It's like stereotypical airhead Barbie doll girl. Like, but she sits down and she. And, like, she's given this dude next to me problems. She's like, this is my armrest.

[Jack]

Like, let me have my armrest.

[Coop]

And then she's, like, complaining about the flight system. She's like, they have me all the way in the back of the plane. They're playing video games back here. I was on my switch.

[Jack]

I was like.

[Ryan]

She was.

[Coop]

She's like, on the phone. She's like, yeah, they're literally playing video games. I'm like, oh, I thought you were

[Jack]

reading this off a text message. She's saying this audibly.

[Coop]

She's. Yeah, well, yeah, the text messages were after. I should have clarified that. She's on the phone, like, complaining about her situation.

[Ryan]

She was bitching about you playing video games.

[Coop]

Yeah, I'm sitting there, like. I'm sitting there, like, in the corner, just.

[Ryan]

You should have been like. You should, like, get your fucking shit together before you start coming at me for playing.

[Jack]

I was like,

[Coop]

I took my AirPod out.

[Ryan]

I was like, shay, fuck me fault.

[Coop]

I was like, yeah, yeah, they are Mario Kart. I got a flight to. I got time to burn.

[Ryan]

I got time to get.

[Coop]

And then. And then she gave the dude next to his business on the way out and he called her Princess. He's like. He's like, later, princess. She's. It was weird. And then me and that guy at the baggage claim were talking a lot of shit about her. It was, it was. But yeah, you're that buzzing.

[Jack]

I think it's my phone. I left it over there.

[Coop]

So it's your mom.

[Jack]

Yeah, you're good.

[Ryan]

You can shut up.

[Jack]

We'll get her on the. We'll get her on next week.

[Coop]

But yeah, it was just wild. It was. You had to be there. It was fun. It was funny.

[Ryan]

On Southwest. That's interesting because like, I would expect that type of behavior on like Spirit.

[Coop]

Yeah, I just like. And that was my first time flying southwest since the Nebraska incident. I guess. It wasn't an incident.

[Ryan]

It was the Nebraska fun.

[Coop]

The Nebraska movement.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Coop]

And I was just like. I was like, just lucky, you know, I had nowhere to be, like super fast. So I'm like, I'll go in the back and get a window seat. Like, I don't care. I'm just gonna be tucked away playing my games. Have passed the time, have you.

[Ryan]

Going back to like talking about throwing up on a plane. Have you ever been on a plane and like near somebody that threw up?

[Jack]

Oh, yeah. But only children. I was one seat away from a child throwing up on her mom. And it was, it was not like a casual kid throw up. I was like, this is a grown ass man's throw up.

[Ryan]

It was so much like next to you.

[Jack]

So I'm in the window seat and then I believe she was in the center seat and her husband was aisle and they had like a baby that was small enough where they could hold it and they switched at one point. Thank God they switched and the baby threw up on her in the aisle seat. And it was, it was a brutal one to where like it felt like every. They like had extra flight attendants come out of nowhere cleaning this stuff up. It was. And dude, the smell, you can imagine.

[Coop]

Hey, oh my God, that's gonna make me throw up. Anyways. I do not envy people traveling with kids.

[Ryan]

No.

[Coop]

I know it's hard, but if you're going to do it, stay awake on the plane when your kids are running amok. Because one time I was sitting in the back row and this woman, I don't know where her husband. I don't know if she had. I don't know where he was. She had a newborn baby and a two year old and she gets on the aisle seat and she was holding the baby. Two year olds, like, sitting in the middle and she just like passes out with the baby. And like the two year old like is like trying to hold the baby and she. This girl, like, this woman is slumped and this is like a newborn baby that's being held up by a 2 year old toddler that I just didn't trust to be. Just to be frank. And so I spent like this entire flight, like basically holding this baby.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Coop]

Like, it was insane baby away from. Yeah. I'm not even kidding. Like, this baby was you.

[Jack]

Like Mario Kart.

[Coop]

No time to play games. I gotta save life. I've had some weird flying experiences.

[Ryan]

I was on the. We used to go to Florida every year because for spring break in high school. And there was this one time and like, I hate throw up. I hate throwing up. I hate looking at it. Like, everything about it.

[Coop]

I can't do it.

[Ryan]

And like, there was like three or four aisles up and there was this guy and I like, I'm not saying this to be like I think he had down syndrome or something.

[Jack]

Whoa.

[Ryan]

And I was in the window seat and like, I could start hearing this commotion and I'm like, what is going on? And I look through like the cracks of the seat and I see this, the guy in like a like Ziploc like gallon bag just yucking. And it was like, it was. I still. It's burned in my mind like milk white. Dude. It was awful.

[Coop]

Dude, that I can't smell.

[Ryan]

Like, like Jack said smelled up the entire plane. I'm like, get me out of here, dude.

[Coop]

The. I can't do throw up. That. That, like, why do I want to call an ad? I forget who. What it was for, but. Oh, the. The merch thing, the design contest, like, the little skit we did. Dude, my role. And I like, I can't do anything. Throw. My role was to pretend like I was throwing up. And I damn near like, actually threw up pretending to throw up. That's how bad it is. I was like, it was bad. I can't even believe I made.

[Ryan]

Like.

[Coop]

So why did I get this role?

[Ryan]

I can. I can't just like, see people for like, it's.

[Coop]

No, I can't. The smell.

[Ryan]

Like, I've told, like, like, when I have kids, like, hey, wife, you get the throw up. I'll deal with the poop. Like, I'll do.

[Coop]

Honestly, I'm the same. I can't do throw up.

[Ryan]

It's. I'm bad with it.

[Coop]

And good, not good. We can't end on those. What are we at? What are we at?

[Jack]

We are at 49 minutes, 30 seconds. So, honestly, chucking through it.

[Ryan]

What do we have coming up the next couple weeks? Oh, Spring tour.

[Jack]

Spring tour.

[Ryan]

That's start. That's next this time next week, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Coop]

We're.

[Ryan]

Nothing's been released. Nothing's been released yet, so we don't want to say anything quite yet.

[Coop]

Exciting stuff, though.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Really cool spots coming up. So stay tuned for that content. We'll have more. We'll be able to talk about it more, recap some of the trips that we go on. Some. We got three lined up. Yeah. You can speak about it because you do all of the booking.

[Jack]

Yeah. We got three locked in next week. And then. So one's right before Easter. Two are back to back right after Easter. We're trying to lock in two more for that following week.

[Ryan]

Yeah, I think.

[Jack]

And then the draft.

[Ryan]

Yeah. April's hell.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

That's kind of crazy.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[Jack]

So much.

[Ryan]

But it'll be fun. I know. Like, we kind of found the formula when we went to Oregon last year. So I'm curious how some of these other schools.

[Coop]

Spring tours banged last year.

[Jack]

A lot of the schools there was.

[Coop]

They were good last year.

[Jack]

That was like, oh, we love what you did with, like, Lanning.

[Ryan]

Oh, really?

[Jack]

And like, that sounds like such a good time. Like, we're back. We kind of want. But yeah, I think. I mean, how could you not love, like, that vlog?

[Ryan]

Yeah. I mean, I'm trying to. Like, we went to Oregon last year.

[Jack]

Yeah, I went to Oregon. I swear. I don't know why I can't think. Did we go to Nebraska? Yeah. Because we did a live show.

[Ryan]

Yep.

[Coop]

You did Michigan. They did the workout there.

[Jack]

Yeah. Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon was the three.

[Ryan]

That was it.

[Jack]

I think so. I don't think there's a draft vlog

[Coop]

as well that kind of parlayed into it.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Jack]

I know. We Delaney and Will do that live show and Lincoln. Was that or was that. No, no, Taylor came for this one.

[Coop]

I just looked at the vlogs the other day just to see the thumbnails on them, and I think. I think those are the only ones.

[Ryan]

The Oregon one. I mean, Oregon is just sick. Like, as a little kid. Especially me.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

I think. I don't know if, Jack, you've tweeted out the video or the picture of me. I know I have. I was a neon kid growing up.

[Jack]

A vault kid.

[Ryan]

Yeah. And Oregon with their neon uniforms and stuff. Like, I always loved them. And like, you obviously, you know, like the CEO of Nike, the creator of Nike, is like, out there and it's like that. That is the cream of the crop as like a little kid. So being able to finally go out there, because I know you guys went out there a couple years ago, like, beforehand and like, it was everything and more. And Lanning is the fucking homie. So I'm excited to see what these other schools.

[Coop]

I'm excited to hold it down back in Nashville.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Yep.

[Jack]

Coops in charge.

[Ryan]

Go ahead, Ryan, sign us out.

[Jack]

All right, this has been episode 41. 41 Inside the Bus. Like, Comment? Subscribe. We will see you next week. Hell yeah.

[Coop]

42 Jackie Robinson.

[Jack]

Another baseball pod loading.

[Coop]

Let's go.

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