Erik Johnson Dominates Cup Parties, Horse Racing, And The Broadcast Booth

Summary

Empty Netters Podcast — Episode Summary

Episode Title: Erik Johnson Dominates Cup Parties, Horse Racing, And The Broadcast Booth
Release Date: August 4, 2026
Host: Almost Friday Media
Guest: Erik Johnson (EJ): Former NHL Defenseman; Stanley Cup Champion; Horse Racing Enthusiast; Broadcaster

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Episode Overview

In this vibrant and hilarious episode, the Empty Netters crew welcomes former NHLer and current broadcaster Erik Johnson for an in-depth, free-flowing conversation. The interview spans EJ’s highs and lows as a first-overall pick, reflections on his Stanley Cup run with Colorado, wild horse racing escapades, transition to broadcasting, prank-filled days in Philly, and his enduring love for the locker room. With classic locker room banter, genuine insights, and an overflowing infectious energy, this is a can't-miss feature for any hockey or sports fan.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Retirement Life and Broadcasting (04:14–05:04; 47:01–51:54)

• EJ’s Adjustment to Retirement:
  • Spent the summer traveling and enjoying life outside of the hockey season for the first time in nearly two decades.
  • Is excited to dive into his evolving broadcasting role in the upcoming NHL season.
• Broadcasting Surprises:
  • EJ draws parallels between playing and broadcasting, loving the team-oriented grind and game-night energy.
  • "It feels the exact type of routine as a player...You fly into the city...do prep, see the crew." (48:50)
  • Reveals a love for suit game and personal style on screen, with plans for more “flare” in his wardrobe.

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2. Embarking on an NHL Career & St. Louis Years (06:44–09:39)

• Being a First-Overall Pick:
  • EJ describes early mental immaturity: “I was 18, probably mentally developed as a 10-year-old...the frontal lobe just wasn’t there.” (06:44)
  • Difficulty in finding an identity as a player and adapting to the NHL's demands, especially on the defensive side.
  • Suffered a major setback with a freak ACL injury in a golf cart accident ("...just bad luck...it could have really happened to anyone." (12:40)), but ownership of mistakes and the role adversity played in his growth.
• St. Louis Reflections:
  • Despite tough times and a lack of support, EJ loved living and playing in St. Louis, calling it "such an underrated city."

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3. Colorado Avalanche: Career Revival & Stanley Cup Glory (09:39–38:18)

• Trade to Colorado:
  • The middle-of-the-night trade devastated Johnson at first, but ultimately allowed him to “just be me” and thrive away from the first-overall-pick shadow. (09:39)
  • Credits Patrick Roy: “He just let me be who I was.”
• 2022 Cup Run:
  • The Avalanche’s struggles to get past the second round, and how beating St. Louis in 2022 felt like breaking through a wall:

    "After we beat St. Louis...I felt like the Cup was ours." (25:31)

  • Unique playoff superstitions (detour car rides, postgame bike sessions, and EJ living by “executive workouts” of hot tub and massage).
  • “It’s almost harder to go through those first few rounds against rivals...by the finals, there’s not as much hate.” (26:16)
  • On not winning at home: “If I could rewrite one thing on that year, it’s winning at home, but you know what, we won the Cup, so who cares?” (28:21)
  • The notorious post-Cup party: “Winning in Tampa was nuts because we drank the Marriott out of booze...Rolled into bed by 7, had a flight at 10, we had nothing left.” (29:12)

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4. Olympic Memories and Rivalries (14:13–20:20)

• 2010 Olympic Tournament:
  • EJ played key minutes on Team USA’s "underdog" squad, reminiscing on “peak party in the USA times” with teammates like Patrick Kane:

    “At that time, Kaner had met Miley Cyrus, and he was just texting her in the lounge all day. I’m like, ‘Who are you texting?’ ‘Miley Cyrus.’” (15:45)

  • “If we’d won gold, we’d have been blasting 'Party in the USA' in the locker room.” (16:44)
  • Talks about the heartbreak — “When Parise tied it, I thought we’d win. But Canada, give them credit, made one more play.” (18:42)
• Olympic Format Rants:
  • On 3-on-3 OT for gold: “Not hockey. Let them play 5-on-5 until they cannot play anymore...I would say that if Canada won, too.” (19:41–20:20)

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5. Epic Cup Parties & Horse Racing Escapades (35:24–40:13; 58:44–73:07)

• Legendary Cup Party Travel Snafu:
  • EJ’s private jet to Del Mar for his Cup party was grounded with engine trouble. A mechanic saved the day for "thousands and thousands of dollars." (37:03–38:16)
  • “I wish I was a little more coherent at my Cup party—not a lot of vibrant memories, but good ones.” (37:13)
  • On notable Cup beverages: "Bloody Mary in the Stanley Cup—was awesome. What does not taste good is Screaming Eagle wine, $5,000 bottle...do not put in the Cup." (39:20)
• Horse Racing Passion:
  • Del Mar, Saratoga, and Santa Anita ranked: “Pass Santa Anita, shoot Saratoga, score Del Mar.” (59:27)
  • "Best adrenaline rush ever is watching your horse charge up the stretch. It's an out-of-body experience." (61:02)
  • Comical, his filly, wins at Saratoga—"Like a Stanley Cup celebration." (70:01)

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6. Locker Room Culture and Philly Prankster Days (40:13–46:51)

• Flyers Prank Era:
  • Retells viral stories about pranking radio host Smitty on the bench, escalating from water bottles to wigs, to lifting weights with props:

    “I was getting my ass bag-skated...I need to have a little fun here. What are they gonna do, not play me? I’m already not playing!” (41:52)

• Relationship with Torts:
  • Multiple run-ins and coaching stints with John Tortorella, including the 2010 Olympics and Flyers tenure. "He goes at guys publicly, but he wants the room loose. I had him on my no-trade list forever, then ended up loving it." (44:28)
  • On Torts taking the Flyers further than expected: “I was super happy to see him get that chance...I wish he got that cup.” (46:41)

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7. Reflections on the Avalanche’s Window & Sports Luck (54:25–57:56)

• Did the Avs Leave Cups on the Table?
  • “It’s so hard to win. You need so much luck—since 2022, there’s been objectively bad luck for the team.” (57:35)
  • Praises the core but acknowledges the window is “closing a little bit,” though confident they’re still legit contenders.

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8. Lightning Round: “Pass, Shoot, Score” & Sports Fandom Moments (58:44–73:07)

• Horse Racing: Del Mar takes the crown as favorite track.
• Sports Movies: “Score Best in Show.” Dog owner banter — “A lot of your viewers probably have never seen ‘Best in Show’—that’s ball knowledge.” (65:47)
• Denver Eats & Fine Wine: Restaurant Olivia reigns supreme, and EJ’s now deep into Italian wines, thanks to a sommelier’s prediction.
• Fan Moments: Highest sports-fan thrill was Comical’s grade-three win at Saratoga. “Stanley Cup-level celebration.”
• Stable Management: Owns a breeding farm — “I want to sell the dream, not buy the dream anymore. It’s just the best sport.” (72:16)

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9. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being traded:
  “I was all pissed because I loved St. Louis...She [girlfriend] was like, ‘Let’s get out of here and go to Denver!’” (23:14)
• On his viral Flyers bit:
  “What’s the worst that could happen, they’re not gonna play me? I’m already not playing!” (41:52)
• On Olympic hopes:
  “We had grand aspirations of blaring ‘Party in the USA’ in our locker if we won gold.” (16:44)
• On the Cup party mechanic:
  “We were shoveling thousands and thousands of dollars down his shirt to fix the plane—he was a total lifesaver.” (38:16)
• On the post-cup locker room:
  “Lifting guys to do keg stands off the cup was just awesome.” (34:21)
• On besting odds:
  “If anyone says they’re up gambling horses, they’re lying. We play for the love of the game.” (74:23)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:14 — EJ on retirement, switching to media
• 06:44 — Early struggles as first-overall pick, mental maturity
• 09:39 — Trade to Colorado and self-discovery
• 14:13 — Olympic tournament stories, Parise and ‘Party in the USA’
• 25:29 — The 2022 Cup run, St. Louis series, team momentum
• 35:24 — Cup party plane mishap, private jet to Del Mar
• 40:13 — Pranking Smitty and Philly days
• 47:01 — Surprises in broadcasting, routine similarities
• 54:25 — The Avs’ window, post-Cup letdowns, role of luck
• 58:44 — “Pass, Shoot, Score" rapid fire: horse tracks, sports movies, restaurants, fan moments
• 70:01 — Horse racing as a fandom highlight
• 72:16 — Why he now breeds horses to sell, not race
• 74:23 — Locker-room moments and winning for the love of the game

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Tone & Style Notes

• Classic hockey locker room flair—loose, funny, sincere camaraderie.
• EJ is sharp, self-deprecating, honest, and engaging; host banter is playful and irreverent.
• Deep sports knowledge laced with pranks, wild stories, and insights into pro athlete life.

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For further sports fan insight, wild party stories, or guidance on what horse to bet at Saratoga, this episode is a masterclass in both high-level hockey and living life to the fullest. Don't miss it.

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Empty Netters Podcast airs every Tuesday & Thursday. Follow for more top-tier NHL banter.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Empty Netters podcast.

[B]

Can you believe what this has become?

[C]

There was a full 48 hours where I felt like I was like literally Superman.

[A]

Jumbo loves playing Fortnite. So does he gets on the sticks. Did TR show you the saunacycle or was that already.

[C]

No, I invented that. Almost a year now that I haven't taken a body check. That's kind of nice.

[A]

So we are back. We are horned up and we are going deep.

[C]

Finished tonight with some chicken fingers and a few Guinnesses.

[A]

Ran into you guys and that's where this pod came to life. Ice is ready and welcome back to the Empty Netters podcast, brought to you by BetMGM. I'm your host, Dan Powers. And wouldn't you know it? Back from his doctor sabbatical, the Dr. Watkins is back on the sticks.

[D]

Hi.

[A]

Traveling abroad, fixing all of the diseases across the land.

[B]

Do you return with more degrees? Like when a doctor disappears, does he

[A]

come back with like, yeah, what are those? They do those, like residency? No, no. Well, yeah, that is a thing. But I feel like sometimes doctors, when they go to foreign lands, it's called something.

[B]

Doctors Without Borders.

[A]

Yeah, they d. Without B.

[D]

What's a sabbatical? Isn't that a word?

[B]

Sabbatical is, I think, just a vacay, right?

[A]

I think that's like time off.

[B]

I think that's like.

[A]

That's what they do to priests who have done bad things.

[B]

The. Yeah, yeah. Dead ass dude. The headmaster at the prep school that I attended, uh. Oh, I think it was the year before I got there, took a sabbatical, like, took a year off of his job, which I believe you get paid for, I think.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm not sure. But he took a year off to do Frodo's walk.

[D]

That's cool.

[A]

That is gas.

[B]

And he was like, I just wanna go do that.

[D]

And I was like, I fully support that.

[B]

I was like, come on, bro.

[A]

It would be so tight to have a job, like to be caking money with something like that. And to have a job where you have so much tenure that you can just be like this. You know what I've always wanted to do? Blank. And everyone just goes like this, go do it.

[B]

I think it's cool, Doc.

[A]

But anyway, this is Chris Powers. Yeah.

[B]

As always, let's get to the point. Doctors used to go, like, they would go, there's a procedure that I don't know how to do. So I'm going to travel to this far off land that does this procedure, learn it, and then I Return home with acquired skill. So now I can cure all the people from my land that need that. And that was dope. And that's what I presume you were doing.

[A]

That is dope.

[D]

Well, now they can just look at a YouTube video and be like, I'm good.

[B]

Yeah. Evan has been studying pods in Ohio at the heart of it all.

[D]

No, guys, I was in Ohio in the middle of the cyclosparia outbreak and I couldn't eat a fucking vegetable.

[A]

That's such, such a great excuse to like hammer burgers.

[D]

Well, I know. I mean, it's, it's. It's a vacation food anyway, so I justified a lot.

[A]

The diarrhea bug was great justification for many nights being like, you know, I'm just going to have a burger.

[B]

Due to when I.

[A]

Hold on a second. We've got a great episode coming for you today. We've got a lot to talk about and not much of it is hockey because not going on in the world. So right now we're going to kick it to an amazing interview we did with Eric Johnson. Such a fucking beauty. Unbelievable. It's a great chat. Enjoy it and we'll come back and get into all the nonsense because it's all we have to talk about after that. So for now, enjoy. Ej. We'll see you after all. Right. We are joined by a Bloomington, Minnesota native. We love a Minnesota boy. Oh, yeah. First overall pick of the 2006 draft to the St. Louis Blues, who also played for the Colorado Avalanche, the Buffalo Saints, Sabres and the Philadelphia Flyers. A U18 gold medalist, a world junior bronze medalist, a world championship bronze medalist, an Olympic silver medalist, and of course, Most importantly, the 2022 Stanley cup champ with the AVS, Eric Johnson. EJ, welcome to the Empty Netters podcast, man.

[C]

You're really digging through the archives there with those bronze. I forgot about those, but nice to add to the resume.

[B]

They're. They're coasters, Dan. They're coasters on the coffee table. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Took the words out of my mouth. Dude. The dogs are playing with him in the background right now.

[C]

Better. Better than no metal, though, that's for sure.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

That's for damn sure, dude. That is for damn sure. I love it, man.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Well, dude, we're so pumped to have you just told us you're chilling right now in a beautiful spot in Colorado right now. So summer's treating you well, eh?

[C]

Yeah, you know, I had the mountains in the background for you guys and you said the lighting wasn't good enough, so we Switched into the living room. So whatever you guys need, I'm here for you, you know, so. Yeah, it's good. I mean, I was telling you guys before we went live here, summer's great. Having an awesome time traveling, kind of doing things that I wouldn't be able to do this time of year. I'd be getting ready for the season and, you know, I've kind of been living the life in retirement here since October and, you know, the season just ended, you know, a month and a half ago, but I'm ready to get back into the, into the trenches between the benches and start calling some games. So I'm excited for the early, early puck drop this year. This season.

[B]

It's going to come quick, though. But I'm telling you, it's like September 29th, I think. Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. Wow. On the day. Yeah, it's going to be.

[A]

Ej, I was going to say give this media game a couple more years, dude. You'll be dreading the start of the season just like we are.

[C]

We'll see. But my wife wants me out of the house as much as possible, so I might be doing this a long time.

[B]

Yeah, fair enough. Like, I got to go to camp, babe. I got to go to camp. It's crazy.

[C]

Why do you think I'm up in Vail and she's down in Denver? Get out of here.

[B]

God, that's so good.

[A]

That's true.

[B]

Well, ej, I wanted to ask you this first because as Dan said, first overall pick, fifth American born player ever. So nasty. Stall and Tay, second and third, right? Pretty good. Pretty good company.

[A]

Dude. What a draft. Jesus Christ. I was really looking at that the

[C]

other day as well. Is a really, really deep draft. I think it was the first draft in NHL history. I think the top seven players all played a thousand games.

[B]

Wow. What a stat. Dude, that's awesome.

[A]

Good rip. That's a good rip.

[C]

Yeah, that's a good one. So it wasn't really heavy on good defensemen and you could make statement whether I was a good defenseman or not, but a lot of good forwards, that's for sure.

[B]

Well, dude, that actually leads perfectly into my question because you, you know, you get drafted, you do a year at Minnesota, which must have been so awesome for you. And. And dude, I also saw talking stats looking this up. I saw you were the first Golden Gopher to go first overall, which is kind of shocking crazy to me. Insane. But anyway, you do the year and then the next year you're like, okay, I'm ready To go pro. You come up, you have a great year in St. Louis and I saw some comments you made where early in your career and certainly that first year, I'm sure you did feel and put a lot of press yourself just being that first overall pick. But then you were able to kind of figure out, listen, I'm a damn good two way defenseman and I'm taking care of the puck in my zone of contributing on offense. Just go out there and be myself. Tell me a little bit about what that was like mentally just being the first overall pick and trying to wrap your brain around that as you adjust to the NHL.

[C]

Yeah, I think for me it was tough starting out because A, I think I was pretty mentally immature at that time to go through that whole process. Like I was 18 years old. I probably was like mentally developed of like a 10 year old at that time. And now I'm probably like 21, which most people maybe even younger. So the frontal lobe just wasn't there. But no, I think like for me I knew I was really skilled at that time and I was kind of a power play guy. So I struggled to find exactly my identity as a player. And when you don't know your identity really early, it can kind of take some time to, to figure out where exactly you're going to be as a player. So like, was I a high end power play guy? I don't think I was that good of a power play guy really. At any point in my career did I play power play. Yeah, I played power play a lot, but I wasn't necessarily in my opinion, probably a lot of other people's do a great power play guy. So that was something that, you know, I didn't get a ton of points from there, so that might have lowered that. And then I had to figure out I want to come in and be a two way guy. I wasn't really great defensively coming into the NHL either. I had a lot to work on. So I think what happened right away was I started on a team in St. Louis that was a not very good. We did not have a lot of support. And you know, we had young guys that weren't established. We had old guys that were kind of on their way out and a lot of that was put onto me as it should have been. But I think for me it just took me a while to kind of get my footing like, okay, what type of player are you going to be? And then I had that unfortunate incident where I tore my ACL in the golfing accident. So that cost me a year, my development, no one's fault but my own. And so the best thing that ever happened to me was, you know, I was still a damn good player at that time. I made the Olympic team in 2010, playing top four for Team USA. You know, I was playing 23, 24 minutes a night, so it was still on an upward trajectory. But part of it, I think was I knew, I knew Andy Murray, the coach didn't have a lot of faith in me. And you can feel that as a player when you know the coach doesn't

[A]

trust you for sure.

[C]

So whatever. Like, I was a young guy, I could have handled it better looking back on it, but I think my confidence got down from there. And then over time, I just never really got my footing there again. And I got traded in the middle of the night in 2011 to Colorado. I remember being just devastated, but it ended up being the best thing to happen to me because I went to Colorado and I could just be me. I didn't have to be the first pick. I could just, just be who you are. And that's what Patrick Waugh really instilled in me there. So while I was devastated to get traded from St. Louis because I absolutely loved playing there, could have spent my whole career there. Underrated city. Great people totally loved it. The trade to Denver was like the best thing that ever happened to me. It's now my home. We won a Stanley cup there. It was the best thing to ever happen to me.

[B]

That's awesome, dude.

[A]

It's unbelievable. I do want to circle back to Minnesota real quick just because I love college hockey so much and I love that program so much, much. And, and it's so cool to be able to play for the U. Like when you're a Minnesota guys, it must be just the dream. But I'm always curious. So it's like, you know, I, I, I played prep with Kreider and I remember, you know, that that year, our senior year, he was, you know, a first round pick. Like, people were like, he's going to go in the first round. And that was such an interesting aura going into that season. And then now it's so normal because college hockey is getting so big. Feels like every year you look at these teams, they, they're loaded with, you know, first round, second round picks. Was that an element for you in college? You know, being that unbelievable of a prospect and, you know, that high of a pick. Was that kind of a thing as well or was it not as crazy then?

[C]

Yeah, good Question. I think for me, Dan, like, I was really dominant at the development program, and I went into my first year of hockey, of college hockey at Minnesota as a freshman, and I just expected that dominance to carry over, but it was a lot harder. Like, yeah, yeah, you know, that, that jump from development program to college felt like a bigger jump than college to pro.

[B]

Interesting. Wow.

[C]

Yeah, for me. So, like, you know, I think I maybe thought it was going to be a little bit easier than it was. And realistically, when you get drafted, that's really the first chapter of your NHL career. Like, the work is still to be. To be done at that point. And I think maybe I didn't take that part as seriously. I think that's just part of me being immature at that time. Like, the work is just beginning at that point. So I maybe took for granted just a little bit how hard it was going to be to continue to be a dominant player. And, you know, it might have taken me a little bit longer than I wanted and injuries definitely slowed me along the way. But that jump from the development program to college, like, I didn't think I was as dominant in that jump. And then even from college to pro, it didn't feel like that big of a jump as it did from the program to college. But playing at Minnesota was an absolute gas ass. You know, we all could go into the bar underage. Everyone loved us. You know, the bouncers knew us. It was so much fun. And that was kind of before smartphones and the only thing we had was MySpace. Facebook was just getting big then, you know, so it was kind of house parties, you know, it was kind of the golden age of being a college athlete. So it was a total gas.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Amazing.

[B]

I'll be interested to hear McKenna talk about that. EJ down the line, like, because dominant juniors and then like, he had a good year at Penn State, but not like maybe a Mac year or the years people thought, you know, so that. Anyway, that's a really. That's really cool insight, dude. Can you. And we can take this out if you don't want. Can I hear from you the. The actual golf cart?

[A]

So, yeah, I'm so curious about this

[B]

because, like, I know you were with High Note and some of the boys and like, I know your foot got stuck behind the pedal or whatever, but, like, I just need to know what happened that led to this moment.

[C]

Yeah, it wasn't like everyone reported it that it was like a. You know, we were playing golf cart polo and all that. Like, there was so many erroneous. Reports that just were not true. Like, literally, like, we were just driving and you know when you drive and you kind of drag your dang on the leg. Yeah, dangle the leg. And it got caught on the cart that was parked right next to me and then I kind of got split apart and it was just bad luck. I mean, were we drinking? Yeah. But were we, like, annihilated?

[B]

Out of control?

[C]

It was two days before training camp, you know, so it wasn't like we were like getting completely after it. So a lot of blown out of proportion stories and a lot of people that said things, even that I played with, that wasn't true. So. Yeah, like, was I an idiot and I made a mistake? Yeah. But, like, I don't look back and think, like, it could have really happened to anyone.

[B]

It was just irresponsible. Yeah.

[C]

But at the end of the day, I take responsibility for it. But it was, yeah, a tough way to start your career. But at the end of the day, like, adversity only makes you stronger.

[B]

Right, dude?

[C]

And I had to learn to grind from that point forward.

[B]

Did you know right away something bad happened? Were you like. Oh, yeah, I did. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. Like instant pop. And it just wasn't good. And you know, that that injury definitely slowed me down. I mean, I. I mean, I don't want to make excuses, but it definitely took away a lot of my pop. And I had knee injuries as my career went on. But, you know, at the end of the day, I played over a thousand games, won a cup, made plenty of money, and made the memories of a lifetime. So I would not trade it and sign up for any other career again.

[B]

Exactly right, dude. That's awesome. It's amazing.

[A]

Well, we talked about the Olympics and obviously we just had an unbelievable rip this year.

[B]

We saw the best.

[C]

I'm so jealous of those boys.

[B]

I know, dude.

[A]

I know, man.

[B]

It's.

[A]

It's.

[C]

We went the other way, right?

[B]

Goal.

[C]

The other way. But if you look at our, like, and I just to touch on that, like, our Team USA in 2010, we maybe had two hall of Famers on that team. Hockey hall of Famers?

[A]

Yeah, dude. Yeah.

[C]

A few U.S. hockey hall of Famers. But like, Jonathan Quick, but he was the third goalie, so you know Patrick Kane. Will Ryan Suter be in? I don't know.

[B]

Maybe.

[C]

If he's Canadian, he probably gets in. Yeah, but Canada had like 18 hall of Famers.

[B]

This is a great take by you, dude. This is a great take.

[A]

It's true, too.

[C]

That would have been the 1980 version of Miracle.

[B]

Yes, yes, you're absolutely right.

[A]

You're absolutely right.

[C]

Players. I mean, it's a little bit different because, you know, in 1980, they were all college players playing against the Red Army. But, you know, Canada had. I think if we go through the list, I think they probably had every single guy in that team as a Hall of Famer, except maybe one or two.

[B]

That's so insane,

[A]

dude. Watching the boys win it this year, obviously, even more so. So proud and pumped to be an American. But at the same time, it's like you get silver in. In Vancouver, but, like, what a run that was, especially when you frame it. Like, you just did Such a cool game. So fun to watch. As a fan, do you have some epic memories from that tournament? Like, that must have been one of the great experiences of your career.

[C]

Absolutely. And to be of such a big part of that team and to be, you know, with Patrick Kane, we played the development. Development program together. We've been really, really good friends for 20 years. To. To go through that process with him was awesome. And like I said, that was before, you know, real smartphone era, so we could kind of go out and rip it a little bit. And guys. Guys did when we had a few times. Few days between games, so we had fun there, too. I remember at that time, somehow Kaner had met Miley Cyrus, and he was just texting this. This one day, like, in the lounge, like, all day. I'm like, who are you texting? He's like, miley Cyrus? Yeah, you dog. Talking to Taylor Swift. And then it was Miley Cyrus. I'm like, peter, what are you doing? He's like, well, do you blame me? Like, no, I don't actually.

[A]

Listen, that is just all. That's also, like, peak party in the usa. Yeah.

[C]

Yes. Okay. So to piggyback off that, we had grand aspirations of blaring party in the USA in our locker if we won gold. Oh, my. Absolutely odd, man.

[B]

Like, can you imagine if Kaner has Miley on speed dial while you guys won gold?

[C]

Yeah. It wouldn't be FaceTime, you know?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Right? You're right.

[D]

Holy. Dude.

[C]

It was a great group of guys. Ryan Miller stood on his head. John Tortorello was our assistant coach, and he was our D coach. He ran the D. And we could dress 7D, which is unusual at the Olympics. Yeah, you can dress six. And Ryan Whitney was our seventh defenseman. And at one point, Ron Wilson, our head coach. And this is a documented story. Woods said this, but Whit wasn't having a good game. And Ron Wilson literally yells down the bench to torts. And Whit is standing right in front of Ron Wilson. And Ron goes, ports, we don't have to play fucking Whitten. You know that. And Wit's sitting there. He's like, I can hear you. I mean, it was just. It was such a blast that whole tournament. I mean, to have silver is such a great honor, but, man, we're so close to gold. Like, Kessel hit the crossbar and overcome, man, what could have happened?

[A]

That could not happen to a better guy than Wit.

[B]

I know.

[A]

No one could handle that better than Wit. That is so good. But, I mean, dude, like, you just said, that game was insane. How. Like, were you going nuts when Parisi tied it? Like, that must have been the moment for you guys where you were like, we're gonna do this. Holy.

[C]

Yeah. Like, if you remember, we beat them in the round robin. Yeah.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

So then we were like, okay, we can hang with these guys. And then I think they went up to nothing late in the second, and we're kind of like, okay, we just got to get one at some point to have a chance. And then we got one. And then Parisi tied it with whatever it was. Eight, nine seconds.

[B]

Jesus.

[C]

And I remember being on the bench thinking, we're going to win now. Might have just ripped the hearts out of Canada, but. But give them credit. Like, they stuck with it, and, you know, they just made one more play. It's really no different than the gold medal game this year. Like, USA got outplayed for the majority of that game. They just had one more play. Right?

[A]

Dude, it was so. It was so nuts. We were in that barn, and, like, we were talking about it. It's so crazy being in Milan. It felt like a Canada home game.

[B]

I know, dude.

[A]

That place was packed.

[C]

Think about Vancouver.

[B]

Yeah, good point.

[C]

I don't want to be in the Lions. Then.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Seriously? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, but you just said, you know, we. It was. We had two overtime games with that, and now this year. What did you think about the three on three? Like, were you watching that? Being like, this is electric. Yours was three.

[B]

Okay. You're not a fan.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

Not hockey.

[A]

Listen, we agree. Like, when. When that was announced, we were kind of like, this is insane, man. Like, this is the Olympics. We got to have these teams win based on, you know, your best five on the ice.

[B]

I did forget yours was four, though. I forgot it.

[C]

Yours was four on four, Which I think if you polled the players, they'd rather have four than three. Not, not in the NHL, but to decide the gold medal. I mean, even go to frickin shootout like penalty kicks like they do in the World Cup. I don't know. Like, I just feel like three on three is like pond hockey. And listen, I'm American. I was so happy USA won. I would say that if Canada won. I would say that if USA won, let them play 5 on 5 until they cannot play anymore. I mean, it's just completely agree. I just, I just, it's. I don't. I think it's too bad, but maybe they'll change it. I don't know. But it should be five on five, no questions asked.

[A]

I mean, you see it in the Stanley cup playoffs, like there's a reason that it goes to five on five. Because it's like, this is hockey, this is what we should be playing.

[B]

Well, Dan, I heard that it was like, you know, they put the game last, right? The men's gold medal game last. And then it was bumping up against the closing ceremony. So they're like, we need to. This needs to end. And I was like, who wants literal best on best to end quicker? Like who, who is like, why don't we just get this over with? I'm like, or let's play five on five till tomorrow. That would be awesome.

[C]

Because I think, I think if that, if it stayed five on five, Canada had a distinct advantage throughout that whole game. It just felt like a matter of time before they scored 5 on 5 and then 3 on 3, it's a coin flip. Give USA a ton of credit. But I would have loved just to see five on five. That's as, that's as pure best on best as it gets.

[B]

So sick, dude. After. So after the Olympics, like you, you talked about it a second ago. You get traded in the. In the dark of night. I wanted to ask you because everybody eventually learns this is a business, right? But you were a fucking kid. You're like 21 or whatever. 21, 22, first overall. Your just your third year in the league. Were you like fuming mad in that? Obviously it was a lot to process. But were you also pissed off or what kind of emotions were you going through in that time?

[C]

Yeah, a lot of different ones. I mean, we had just played in Buffalo and we flew back to St. Louis. We landed at midnight. I remember walking off the plane and Mike Caruso, who was our director of, I think team services at that time, or communications, one of the two, he said, hey, Doug Armstrong wants to talk to you in the lobby when you walk off, and I'm like, well, I'm gone.

[B]

Oh, okay. Was there any hints of it before? Did you, like, did they whisper any of this, or was it total blindside?

[C]

No, not really, but I. You know when you kind of just have a. Yeah. Like a feeling like something could be happening? Like, I wasn't, like, super surprised, even though I was shocked at the same time.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So, yeah. So it was Jay McClellan, and I got traded. And I remember I was walking off the plane, and, you know, someone was like, hey, did Mike just tell you to go talk to Doug? And I was like, yeah. And then Jay McClellan said, yeah, me too. So we went over there together, and Doug wasn't on the trip. He was back in St. Louis. So he met it and told us in person, which I give him a lot of credit for. For meeting us there at, you know, 12:30 at night and telling us we got traded. But, yeah, so we. We got traded. And funny story. My girlfriend at the time, she was at the house in. In St. Louis, and I didn't want to tell her that I got traded until I got home, but one of the girlfriends on the team beat me to the punch and called her and was like, oh, my God. I'm so sorry. Blah, blah, blah. And my girlfriend was still asleep. She's like, what happened? Did the plane crash?

[B]

Jesus Christ.

[C]

So she thought the plane went down because she was still kind of, like, asleep. And, you know, a girlfriend called her, was like, oh, my God. Oh, my God. Can you believe it? And so my poor girlfriend thought we had all nightmare.

[B]

Yeah,

[D]

Denver.

[C]

And she was like, denver. Oh, gosh. I can't wait. I was all. I was all pissed off because I love St. Louis.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I want to spend my whole career there. I totally loved living there. I was super devastated. But she's like, let's get out of here and go to Denver.

[A]

Dude. I'm gonna be honest, man. That might be a hack. You know, like, lead. Lead with devastating news and then be like, oh, no, no. He just got traded. Then the blow hits way not as bad. That's. That might be a great move.

[B]

I was just about to say that. Dan, listen to all the guys in the league listening to this. Tell your girlfriend. Tell your wife our play.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Right away. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't wait.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

So good. Dude, that is hilarious. And. And so was it, though, ej, like, once you got there, were you, like, quick to go? Okay, you know, let's Obviously, you just said earlier that was the best thing that ever happened to you, but how. How long did it take for that emotion to kind of set in?

[C]

So, funny story, I remember sitting in The Lounge in St. Louis a couple weeks before, and we were looking at the standings on NHL Network, and Colorado had lost 12 in a row, maybe. And we were all. All of us in St. Louis were sitting there, and we were like, God, would it suck to be in Colorado right now? What do you know? Two weeks later, I'm on a plane to San Jose, up against the sharks for the ABs. But no, like, it was tough because we had just gone through a rebuild of St. Louis, and we were knocking on the door of being a, like, playoff team, and then went to Colorado, and they were just, like, kind of starting their rebuild. So that was difficult. But like I said, it was the best thing ever. Had the best years of my career there and wouldn't trade it for the world. How it all. How it all ended up, it was unbelievable.

[B]

Yeah, that's perfect.

[A]

No doubt. No doubt about it. I mean, it's become home, too, right? Like, it's such a. Yeah, we're here

[C]

most of the year, so it's. Yeah. Like, it's just the way the fans have treated me and the organization, it's just.

[D]

It's.

[C]

I couldn't be happier with how everything shook out. Super grateful for everything.

[A]

Oh, yeah. It's unreal. And then, obviously, you get up to the 2022 season, you guys have had some, you know, tough second round issues in the playoffs leading up to that. You couldn't. You felt it was like you couldn't get over the hump. Something needed to change. And then in this run, you come up against the Blues in the second round, and you have that awesome assist on the helm. Goal at the buzzer, a game six.

[B]

That was awesome, dude. Gosh. So awesome.

[C]

Gives me chills.

[B]

Every time.

[A]

Every single time. And, like, dude, I remember watching being like, they're gonna do it this year. And, like, that goal, I was like, oh, here we go. And it's funny enough, we've seen that you said that after that round, you kind of felt like the cup was yours. It was like, you get past and you're like, all right, we did it. And it's funny, we just talked to OVI about their cup run, and he felt that same way. Getting past Pittsburgh, it was like, they got past Pittsburgh. It was kind of like their boogeyman. They do it, and he's like, all right. But you guys had A lot of work to do still, you know, obviously a huge Western Conference final, Then you have to go up against the Titan Tampa Bay Lightning team. Were you still feeling that way, like, going up against the Bolts with. With Stammer and Cooch and Vassy? Like, were you even in that series where you're like, this is ours.

[B]

We got it.

[A]

We can do it?

[C]

Yeah. Like, in a weird way, you guys, it's. It's. It's almost harder to go through those first few rounds of the playoffs because they're against your rivals more than later.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, true.

[A]

It's great final.

[C]

And you're playing a team that you really don't have any history with. You know, the fans typically don't hate each other. There's just not a lot of hate between two teams when you get to the finals. So I didn't want to say it was, like, easier, because it wasn't easier at all. It was very hard hockey. But, yeah, you know, we got through Nashville rival, we got through St. Louis, huge rival Edmonton, you know who's going to make it, McKinnon or McDavid? So, like, you know, it wasn't as daunting of a task. You know, when you look at what we went through to get there and, and you know, people say, yeah, you swept Nashville, you beat St. Louis in six, you swept Edmonton. But those are still hard series. And there's a lot of momentum swings and there's ups and downs and peaks and valleys and times where you're like, man, they have us on the ropes here. We have them on the ropes, and yeah, maybe we're up three nothing in a series, but you win game four in overtime. What if you don't win game four and it goes to game five? Like, there's so many what ifs that you just don't know. So, yeah, going against Tampa was tough because they had won those two cups before in Covid and they had Vasilevsky, which in my opinion was the biggest X factor. We had really good pre scout meetings on how to beat him. High blocker. It worked for us quite a few times in that series, and we had a ton of respect for them and what they could do, and they knew that we hadn't been there and we hadn't accomplished that and been in that situation. So they maybe wanted to take advantage of our inexperience, but we were a group that just believed in each other and got the job done. And the only regret I have is we did not win on home ice in game five. Like, looking back, if I could rewrite one thing on that year, it's like that would have been so electric, man, if you could win at home. Like, I just can't imagine getting that cup from Landy at home. Like, it just would have been such a different experience. But you know what? We won the cup, so who give?

[B]

Who cares?

[C]

I'm just being picky now, dude.

[B]

Well, not to, not to rain, not to pile on, but I will say, having been to a bunch the last few years, winning on the western time zones is extra sick because the games, it's earlier, you know, like it's not 3am when you get out of the locker a little bit more time to ramp up with the boys.

[A]

Yeah, all these guys over the years, winning in Vegas is so dangerous, it's insane.

[C]

Yeah, well, as a member of the media now too, like, just being on the east is so much better though. Like these, some of these Games start at 8 o' clock on the West. You know, it's like criminal. What an advantage you have if you're starting at, you know, five, six or seven o' clock on the East. And some of these puck drops are like 9 o' clock central or, you know, it's like, it's tough. But like, as a media member now, I get it. Like TV and all that. Yeah, yeah, you have to, you have to abide by all that. But man, yeah, winning in Tampa was nuts because we drank the Marriott out of booze.

[B]

So 6am I know that Marriott too.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, we're done. There's nothing left. So, you know, we roll into bed by 7, have a flight to catch at 10. Like we had, we had nothing left.

[B]

God, that is so good. Was there anything you were doing that you remember from that run? Like, you know, stuff during off days or pregame rituals between the boys, Anything that was. Just kept the vibes going. That whole rip.

[C]

Not, not really. I think there was a, there was a crew of guys that hit the bike a lot after every single game, like really hard. Yeah. So like McKinnon obviously led that crew.

[B]

But yeah, shocker.

[C]

I kind of, I kind of got into a pretty luxurious routine after the, after the first round when we swept Nashville. I was nursing a little bit of a knee injury, so I couldn't do a lot of post game lifting. So I literally just got massage, ice bath, hot tub for all four rounds. And I get to the final, I'm like, I could lose about five here before the, before the series starts. I was not like in my finest shape, kind of nursing that injury along. And all these guys are, you know, like, Lance Armstrong ripping on the peloton after games and everything. And I'm just, like, getting the whole flush on the body trying to nurse this knee injury.

[A]

But EJ's just doing the executive workout before and after every game.

[C]

You know, stretch flush. It was.

[B]

It was great. I mean, we all got staring at you, you know? Yeah, yeah.

[C]

Nate's so superstitious, like, so an example. Landy and Nate were riding together to the games most of the playoffs, and there was, like, road construction near their house, so they had to take this detour for the first two rounds. And then it opened back up that road, like, in the third round, and they're like, fuck that. We're taking the detour. So they, like, intentionally went 10 minutes further just because they had taken that detour the first two rounds. So guys were totally set in their ways, like their stitches or superstitions and.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

You don't want to deviate at that point.

[A]

Yeah, that's so funny. I gotta ask, was there a small party that was pissed that St. Louis got their mug in 19 before yours?

[C]

No, not. No, actually. Actually, the complete opposite.

[A]

Like, I had a feeling.

[B]

I had a feeling.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, there's that. That town. It's so underrated. I don't know if you spent a lot of time there. Like, I really loved living there. There's just a really good vibe about it. It gets a bad rap from opposing players on the road because downtown's not very nice and all this, but, like, I could have totally lived there my whole career. I love playing there. Those fans deserved it after not having a cup and. And just, like, the type of people and like, how nice people, they go out of their ways for. Blues players was awesome. So I was really happy for them. Like, they really deserved that. So it was really just the opposite. And it all worked out, you know?

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Sure did.

[C]

They got their cup. You know, that's. That's how it works.

[A]

And, man, everyone who plays there, I know Dan. Same thing when. When Monty got there after the crazy thing with Boston, he was like, I love it here. And it was like, that just fires us up. It's like. I think that is a very, very consistent take by people who've been in St. Louis.

[C]

It's got the second highest alumni rate in the NHL behind Toronto. It's really unreal. Like, a lot of people are starting to stay in Denver now. Like, in my opinion, Denver is one of the best cities in the country. But St. Louis has a real charm about it. I really loved it and love getting back there.

[B]

That's awesome, dude. You told the Kachuk bros, and we've heard this from a lot of guys, that some of your favorite memories is actually just that moment in the locker room when it's like just the boys and the staff and the group that's been going to battle playoffs are fucking. Feel like they're eight months long, you know, just in it the whole way. In that moment. Do you remember, like, because I love asking AD Matthew and a lot of these guys that's won the last few years, like, who was given the, like, the super emotional speech, like, boys, boys, this is the best night ever. Who was spraying the champagne, like, what was going on in the locker room in there?

[C]

Yeah. Jared Bednar gave a great speech. Gabe Landiscott gave a great speech. And. And we had all been drinking for a little while when Gabe started talking. And Gabe was giving this really emotional, great speech. Like, a wonderful speech from the heart. And Pavel Francois, our backup goalie, who was really good for us, came in,

[B]

had a big playoff. Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

We don't win the cup without him. So Landy's given this big speech, and there's like, a little pause in his speech, and all of a sudden, like, you see out of the corner of your eye, Franco's Gabe Landiscog is the greatest captain in the world. And we're all just like, jesus Christ, Frankie. It was so funny, man. Like, this emotional, super, like, intense, you know, brotherly moment. And then, like, it's like the random tourist in the corner, like, pops off, and we're all just like, he wasn't done. And then Gabe kept going. But I just remember, you know, Frankie doing that, and it was just so funny, those little moments, and it was awesome. Like, lifting guys, our staff and. And people like that. To do keg stands off the cup was just awesome. Yeah.

[B]

Dude, that is amazing. Yeah, I know.

[A]

God, it's like everyone's. I mean, that's it, right? You go to war for months with these guys. You then get in the locker room after you've achieved your greatest lifelong goal. You would never want to leave that room. It's unbelievable.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And it was almost better that we went on the road in that sense,

[B]

because that's the person perk. Yeah.

[C]

All the families would have been down and friends if we wanted home, just because of the. The space and everything. So it was really cool to have that intimate time with, you know, the staff, the players, the coaches, management, ownership Everybody on down. It was just our. Our little group that was together all year long. Got that time together. Yeah.

[B]

And then. And then you celebrate again in the summer, obviously, when you get your cup. So I wanted to ask about this because you kind of got. You got dapped up a little bit. Like, two. Two day. Two day rip there, because you got to do Denver, and then you also got to do Del Mar, which is epic. That looks so sick. So I first got to hear. And I know some people know this, but just for our friends that don't. The plane. You guys got the plane issue, and you're just getting bombed on the plane for two hours.

[C]

Well, this is. This is. This, like, still gives me chills. Like, a week before, I had, I think, Labor Day weekend. And a week before, I remember having a dream that we had maintenance issues and I missed my way. I'm not kidding. I told my wife.

[B]

Holy.

[C]

And so a week later, like, we're getting, like, all my best friends, my family, everybody's on there. Like, 20 of us. You know, we rented a plane to go from Denver to Del Mar. It's hot as hell. You know, we have drinks, we have the cup. Like, it's just amazing. Like, perfect day. I had taken the. The cup in the morning to the police station for the firefighters. I took it to our emergency vet to see all the late night shift nurses there that have helped us out over the years. So, like, saw a bunch of people, took it to the practice rink that morning to have. See all the ABs fans, let them touch it, and then went right to the airport. So this is probably, like, I don't know, 4 o', clock, 3 o', clock. And, you know, we're getting ready to taxi, and, like, you just hear this, and I'm like, I'm the only one that noticed it because I had this awful.

[B]

Because you had a dream.

[C]

Yeah, like, dad, did you hear that? He's like, no.

[D]

What?

[C]

I'm like, I think an engine just shut down. And so we sit there for a bit, and the pilot comes back. He's like, we have a engine issue. We're gonna see if we can get maintenance here. But it's Labor Day, so we're gonna have to hang out here for a while. So we sat on the tarmac for, like, like, two hours.

[B]

Dude.

[C]

Hot as hell. Like, AC is, like, not ideal. Like, we've drank all the beer, all the. All the high noons. Yeah.

[B]

So.

[C]

So they find this maintenance guy, and I'm like, you tell him to name his price.

[B]

Yeah. Correct.

[C]

We were, like, shoveling this guy, like, thousands and thousands of dollars to fix this plane, and he fixes it in, like, two hours. We ended up flying there, getting to Del Mar a little bit late, got to two races. I was, like, completely out of my mind at that point. Like, if there's another regret, like, I wish I was a little bit more coherent at my cup party. Not a lot. Not a lot of vibrant memories, but good ones. And, yeah, we ended up making it there. But, like, the biggest pitfall in my stomach, you know, was I'm gonna let all these people down. All 300.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Flew to California to see me and see the cup, and they're not. I'm not going to be able to get there. So we were scrambling, trying to get planes for people. They were only going to be able to get one plane that sat 10 people. So 10 people were gonna have to stay in Denver. It was just a complete show. But I gotta find out who that mechanic was that. Seriously. We were, like, hundreds down his shirt, and it's so hot, and we're just like, man, just whatever you want, just take it. He, like, didn't want to take him. Like, man, you just.

[A]

Just.

[C]

You just saved. Saved us, so.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Oh.

[A]

Also, like, potentially saved our life.

[B]

Yeah. True.

[A]

Dan, was there a part of you when that plane took off? Were you like, well, hope. Hope for the best here?

[C]

Well, that's funny you say that, because I went up to the pilot, I'm like, hey, man. Like, we, like, we want to get there, but we don't really need to get there. You know, he's like, dude, I have a family. I'm not flying this plane unless you see.

[A]

Okay, there you go.

[C]

That made me feel a lot better. And. But, you know, I saw my. I saw a couple people, and we were taking off, like, doing this one.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

We were all so drunk at that point, we had to cut. We had our best friend. My best friends and family. If we go down, this is how I'm going down.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Did you. Did you let the mechanic touch the cup? That's my question.

[C]

No, it was actually. I might have. I might have. Or I let the pilots touch it. I don't. I don't remember it.

[B]

Because if not, we gotta find. We do have to find him. Like, someone will hear this interview and know who that mechanic is and make sure he gets to touch the cup this year.

[A]

Correct.

[C]

I know. I gotta find him. He was a total lifesaver.

[B]

Magic.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And. And, hey, how'd you. How'd you Decide on the Bloody Mary. The Bloody Mary in the cup.

[C]

Yeah. So I, I love Bloody Mary.

[B]

Me too. This is awesome.

[C]

Like I want a full meal in my bloody, you know, everything. So we had the, a chef come cook for us that morning, like a big breakfast. And I'm like, I want a Bloody Mary in this Stanley Cup. So they did it and then they're like putting donuts and stuff. I'm like, no, no, no, I don't want any donuts on this Bloody Mary. I want like an authentic great Bloody Mary. And I always just wanted to put a Bloody Mary in the cup. It was awesome. It tasted unbelievable. What does not taste good in the cup is Screaming Eagle wine. It's just gonna taste a little metallicy. You do not want to put a five thousand dollar bottle in the Stanley cup, let me tell you that.

[B]

Lesson learned. Lesson learned.

[A]

It's a very good lesson to learn. Bloody's fantastic.

[B]

Five thousand dollar wine.

[C]

No pass.

[A]

Maybe that middle of the cup doesn't mix perfectly. That's good to know know.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

I love it. Well, we mentioned your, your pit stops in Philly and Buffalo along the way on the career, but wanted to talk about Philly because that led to some just hilarious stories in your time there. And I especially loved your time pranking Smitty who is the host of the radio show over there. And when you're there, this guy's just trying to do his job. And you just made a habit of with this.

[C]

I'm not letting him do it.

[A]

Yeah, like just squirting him with water, messing him with the whole time. How is the relationship with that guy? And like, why did that start?

[C]

Yeah, so I could literally sit on this pod and just talk all three. I was there for one year. I loved it. I loved all the guys. I only played there once. I keep in touch with so many of them. Scott Ladden's probably one of my best friends. Beauty in touch with Danny Brier, Keith Jones, torts, all the staff, like they are as good as it gets. Like I, I cannot say enough good things about that city, that organization, those players. Just from the top down, the fans, that place should, if it's not a destination, it should be.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And it's going to be because they're going to be good as it gets going here. But I could just talk about Philly on this pod forever. So I loved it. So what happened with Smitty? So Smitty was. If anyone hasn't seen this blooper reel, Smitty would stand on the bench and he would do a pre game report the day of the game, like kind of after our morning skate. So he'd stand at the bench and talk about, you know, the Flyers are hosting the Detroit Red Wings tonight. The Flyers on a three game point streak. Sean Couturier has a four game goal streak. Let's see if they can continue. So I sound better than Smitty, but

[B]

that was so good.

[C]

So I love Smitty. So I'm scratched from like I hit my thousandth game in November towards like Johnny Money. You're not going to play a whole lot here the next couple months, so just strap in like, all right, that's fine. Whatever you want. So I was getting back skated a lot as a healthy scratch. Totally love my role, totally accepted it. All good. But I was like at some point, like, what's. I need to have a little fun here. Like, what's the worst that could happen? And they're not going to play me. I'm already not playing.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So Torts, like undercover likes to around and likes to kind of like have guys that keep the room loose. So I wasn't scared of Torts getting mad at me. So every time it started I think in Detroit or Pittsburgh and I just went by with a water bottle behind Smitty while he was filming the pregame show. And then it just evolved. So I started riding the stick and then I got props and I got this wig, dude.

[A]

Okay, the wig is so good.

[C]

Then I started lifting weights and then so it just became this whole thing and Smitty's like, like, dude, can you like.

[A]

He, he.

[C]

At first he was kind of like, I don't think he loved it. But then he started to like it because he started to get more views. I'm like, Smitty, people are actually watching your.

[B]

You're welcome.

[C]

Yeah, you're welcome. So I just totally around with Smitty and you know, just did stunts and props behind him while he was filming this pregame show. And I just loved it. I was getting my ass skated and just bag skated. That's what healthy scratches do at that time. I'm like this at the end. I'm gonna have as much fun as I want and just total around. So it kind of became a, you know, a cult following amongst all Flyers fans to see what I was going to do next. So it was, it was really fun.

[A]

It was incredible, man. And you mentioned the wig. I also love you. You with the wig also wore it to when to go and dap up all the boys. And correct me if I'm wrong, but Torts was like, ej, get the out of here.

[C]

Exactly what he said. He just won in San Jose. And I. I got the wig on in my suit, and I'm, you know, fist pounding the guys. He looks at me, he goes, jesus fucking Christ, get the fuck out of here. You know, like, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

You sound just, like, serious. Yeah.

[C]

You know, just the only way he could do it. But he loved it, and the boys loved it. And it's a long season. You have to have people that keep it light and fun. And it's just your career is such a short snapshot of your life. You just have to keep it fun.

[A]

Oh, yeah, man. And how awesome is your relationship with Torts? It goes back to the 2010 Olympic team. Then you get to play with him here in Philly, and then we get to see him win an Olympic gold this year.

[B]

Year. Like, must be awesome. That was so.

[A]

Yeah, it must be awesome to see that for you.

[C]

Yeah, it was great. And a funny story. So he coached me at the Olympics in 2010, and he ran the D, as I mentioned. And I was playing, I don't know, 19, 20 minutes a night. Top four minutes. He was playing me a lot. And then I remember after the Olympics, we played in New York a couple weeks later, and the media gave him, like, a total softball question about me. Like, you know, Eric was a big part of your Olympic team. You know, played a lot of minutes. Like, what did you see from him? There he goes. That guy has no fucking clue how to play defense. And I'm like, you had me on the ice in the last minute in the Olympics, in the semifinals, man. What are you talking about? But I was just like. And I look back on it, and I. You know, I did, but I had a lot to learn still, too. That was just his direct way of how he goes at guys when he coaches. He goes at you. He's not calling you out one on one. He's calling you out in front of the whole group. So, yeah, you know, I had him at the World cup in 2015, and then we got reunited in Philly, and I had. I had. I had Torts on my no trade list forever because I thought that training camp that he ran was gonna completely kill me. And then I get traded to Philly. I'm like, yeah, I'll accept this trade to Philly from Buffalo. And the next year, I'm like, I'm dying. Training camp. I'm 30 years old. Like, I Have no chance. Like, I'm gonna completely pass away. And then I get there, I'm like, I'm lapping Mitch cough. I'm like, this isn't that bad. The old guy's still got it. I'm lapping this 19 year old kid. But no, he was awesome. Like, I was super, super happy to see him get that, get that chance in, in Vegas. I wish it lasted longer for him, but that was kind of seemed like the plan that Vegas was going to go through, which is fine. But man, I wish he got that cop. I really, I really did for him. Like, that would have been a great way for him to go out. And he really invigorated that team down the stretch and you could tell he was playing for him. So, you know, I'm sure he's disappointed. But if someone, if you told him when he was sitting at the desk at ESPN in Bristol in November that you were going to go to the Stanley cup final in June, he'd sign up every single time whether he knew he was getting fired or not.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Not fired, but let go. Yeah, he's just a really, really huge part of my career. And I only played for him for a really short time, but really grateful for the time I spent with him.

[D]

Of them.

[B]

That's it.

[A]

No doubt.

[B]

I still don't think we've seen the last of them. We'll see.

[A]

But I agree.

[B]

Yeah. EJ, previously you had said after hockey you were going to be done with the game, go fishing, go hunting, the whole thing. Right?

[C]

But then you did your research, boys.

[B]

Of course, man.

[C]

Really good, really good questions all the way down. Yes, you're exactly right. Yes.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

So then, you know, and, and as that new deal doesn't materialize after the last year in Colorado, and you kind of spend July and through October making peace with retirement, you get this opportunity to go into broadcasting. And I heard you say, which I thought was really cool, that being in the booth, doing color, being between the benches gave you a routine similar to when you were playing. Right. Like you can kind of feel that same rhythm. And I thought that was fascinating. So can you just tell me more about what are some of your surprise favorite parts about broadcasting? And then maybe some parts like you were saying, where you got to talk about a guy you went to war with, you didn't like that much. Like some parts that have kind of seen sucked.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, I, I remember, you know, people asking me over the years when I was 29, 30 maybe around those ages, what are you going to do when you retire, I'm like, you're never going to hear from me again. I'm going to go fishing, I'm going to go golfing. Like, I'm, I'm just, I do not want to stay in the game. And while all that is fun for a little while, it, it gets monotonous and not purposeful after a while, right. So as my career started winding down, I started to think, okay, what do I, what do I want to do? And because I feel like I wanted to stay stimulated, I wanted to have, you know, something that felt like it gave me a purpose. And I had the chance to go into management with Danny Brer and Keith Jones in Philly. But I thought I'd give TV a chance. Last year, ended up absolutely loving it. Like, absolutely loved A. It feels the exact type of routine as a player. You fly into the city the night before the game, you're calling, you go to dinner with your crew. Hotels aren't as nice. It's not Four Seasons.

[B]

Okay, but not bad. Not bad.

[C]

Okay, yeah, I'm not complaining. But you get up, you have breakfast, you go to the morning skate. Sometimes I don't go to the morning skate. Do your notes all afternoon, listen to the press conferences. So. So the prep of getting ready for a game is kind of like the same type of prep you'd get ready to play, just different, the same time, you know. And then, you know, you have a pregame meal, do some more prep, you go to the rink about four or five, you talk to the coaches, prep some more, and you get ready for showtime around, you know, 6, 6:30, you're taping the Open. Sometimes you do the Open live and you do the game and then go out for beers with your play by play guy and wake up and go home the next morning or go to the next city. So it's very similar schedule to a player. And as you guys know, as an NHL player or a hockey player, you're so routine oriented. You just need that. I need that regimented schedule. And that's what TV brought me. I know where to be, when to be there. It's all set up. And it was just such a great transition from playing right into that. And I think maybe some guys, they would not like it because it's. You're so close to the game, so fresh out of playing. But it was the exact opposite for me. I knew my time had come. Would I have liked to play another year in the right situation? Sure. But what fell in my lap with TV and how Much I loved it. And how much I improved over the course of the year. I couldn't have asked for a better transition into retirement.

[B]

Yeah, dude, and the dinners are pretty good. Was it, Was it. Where did we catch you? Barry's.

[C]

Oh, that's right. You know what? That was funny. And I actually have to apolog apologize to you guys because it was dark in there at that time and I'm like, God, I swear that's the empty nutters, guys. And I hadn't met you guys in person yet. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, that's right.

[C]

The night you guys came over and I felt bad I hadn't said hi, but.

[D]

No, you did.

[B]

It was great.

[C]

Yeah, right?

[B]

That place is awesome.

[A]

Dude, that place is so great.

[C]

So good, man. A little bit off the beaten path, right? Like old, old town Vegas. But yeah, spot, right. I think, I think I was with Levy and mess and yeah. Yeah. I don't know who you guys were with, but what, what a spot. That was great running into you guys.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh yeah.

[C]

What a town.

[B]

Incre each who's who's dialing in the suits for you. Dude, the war kind of incredible.

[A]

You're kind of all over it like that. Must be a conscious thing you're doing. Those aren't just suits off the rack.

[C]

Yeah. I use gents playbook guy out east.

[A]

Nice. Okay.

[C]

I have to broadcast until I'm 90 years old to pay for my student budget. Goddamn deal. But no, I'm just kidding. It's I, I, I just kind of have fun with it. Like when I played, I didn't really care hair, you know, I wore a. Yeah. Navy, black, gray Hugo Boss suit. You know, you're in it, you're out of it. Doesn't really matter. But you know, when you're on the tube, you got to kind of bring the heat sometimes.

[A]

That's true. It's true.

[C]

Yeah. I like to mix it up. I like some flair. I like some traditional stuff. I don't like to wear a tie at all. I like to show off the chest hair just a little bit.

[B]

Absolutely.

[C]

I did shave it up though for the Croatia trip. A little tight. Need to grow it out for the option for the season here.

[B]

You got to be ready end of September, dude. We got to be.

[C]

I just want to be relatable, you know what I mean?

[B]

Like yes.

[C]

Yeah, I guess you want to wear a suit and tie and look professional, but at some, at some point, like the guy at home on the couch wants to see someone that you know isn't wearing a Full blown Armani suit. So I do, like, just leave the. Leave the tie sometimes, you know, biz

[B]

drops four buttons on the TNT panel. Shirt off. Dude, it's.

[A]

I can't. Whenever we go to a wedding and they. The bride and groom demand that I wear a tie, I'm furious. Suit shirt, no tie is the vibe. Good luck for sure.

[C]

That's. That's my pet peeve about weddings. Like, please come to our wedding and be uncomfortable and hot for the entire time, whole time.

[A]

Which, like, to come to.

[B]

Oh, dude, black tie. Black tie only.

[A]

Ej, you know what he's going to do? He's going to make everyone dress like the guys playing the trumpets at the beginning of the race.

[C]

All the races. Yes, dude.

[B]

Ej, we actually used to do this thing, me and Dan and the boys, we would do. We called it cheap suit day, and we would go to Goodwill and find the most ridiculous suit we could, and then we'd wear that to the track. So then you're just. You're just dialed in with the most outrageous fits ever. But it was.

[A]

We haven't done that in a while. We got to do that again.

[B]

I know.

[A]

Those are good times.

[C]

I want to hear what you guys think. I'm kind of thinking about maybe trying out some of those bomber jackets on tv, you know, with a nice, like, crisp white T shirt underneath. Like, I think. I think we just got to push the envelope a little bit here. Like, no one wants to see you in a baggy suit, you know, looking like a stiff all the time. In my opinion, like, we got to bring a little bit of flair here and there. And I think generation, the way guys are dressing now, players as well, like, I think you can show a little bit of your personality than. Than in the past.

[A]

So, I mean, listen, if. If the network's gonna let you do it. Absolutely.

[B]

100.

[C]

So, like, that'll be my. That'll be my argument. I can't wear a bomber jacket. But PK's what looks like a fashion mogul, you know?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

PK's dressed like a monastery priest. I can surely wear a bomber jack.

[C]

Oh, I love it. And he's. Oh, it's the best with it. It gets people talking. He's so good tv. I love being on TV with pk. He is so good for. For the game.

[A]

Oh, he's amazing. That first fit he wore, I texted him immediately, and I was like, buddy, you are doing God's work. Do not you dare stop. And he was like, he takes a lot of heat.

[C]

He doesn't care. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Because again, it, it's, it's like smitty. It's good for the views.

[C]

Telling you good. It's good for hockey to have PK wear all that. I do like it. I do.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Phenomenal.

[B]

Dude. This. This is the only even remotely close to Harding hard hitting question I'll ever ask anybody. But I'm just curious. You're close to it.

[C]

Whatever you want to ask.

[B]

Do you feel like. Because we do. We said this on the pod the other day. That's why I'm asking you. I feel like since the cup, the. That this AVS group feels like they've left some on the table. Like, it just seems like they. From the teams they've had since the cup to now. I can't believe they haven't got another one. Do you feel that way a little bit? Are you like, oh, it's too. It's just hard to win the cup. And that's the game.

[C]

It's so hard to win. I mean, would they have liked to win another one? Sure, sure. Like, absolutely. But a lot of, A lot of has gone wrong for them.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Also facts about, like, we talk about

[A]

that all the time.

[B]

Right?

[C]

Like Makar got hurt. Nichkin, you know, was dealing with something last year. They were banged up and I mean, I know it's not an excuse, but like, it seems like since we won, a lot of has gone wrong for them and not a lot has gone right. I mean, okay, let's be honest. They cruised to the President's Trophy this year. They looked like a slam dunk to go to the final, Right. No questions asked. And when you do, take a deep breath and step back and look at that team. I think Joe Sakic really did say it best. And I'd love to trip Joe and say he's an idiot, but he's not. When he said that, yeah. He said we had a bad week, ran into a hot goal. You can't put your entire season on one week. I mean, Carter Hart stood on his head that series. I mean, his goals saved above expected, I think was high. Like very high. They ran into a hot goalie. Vegas made one more play, they got one more save. If the ABs go to the final and don't win the cup, no questions asked. Right. Like we're not, we're not being this critical on them if that happened. Right.

[A]

True.

[C]

Since they get bounced in the Western final in the fashion that they did, even though every game was close, one goal game, empty netter type Game, Right. You ask a little bit of questions, but I mean, I said it on a, on a pod a few months ago. Their window is closing a little bit, right? Like they're not getting any younger, but they can still win. Like, yeah, if. I mean, they should be. They will be top three favorite for the company, correct?

[A]

100%. 100%. Yeah.

[C]

So, you know, I think, I think there's chapters still to be written for that core and that group. Group and good ones. Good chapters. I mean, I think they, they definitely can win, but you know, it's tough when you roll out a team like that and don't get the job done. And just don't get me wrong for one second, those guys work so hard. They prepare so hard. They're so dialed in. Like it is a very dialed in group. And I think they tried to have more fun this year than they did in the past and it looked like they were having more fun than they were in the past. So. So look, they have every right to an opportunity to win the cup and would you be surprised if they did next year? No, but that's, that's what sports are about. You ask questions when you think teams should win and they don't.

[B]

Bottom line, perfectly put, dude.

[A]

An NHL team owner was talking to us this year and he was like, you know, he owns a team that is constantly in the fight and he was like, listen, the painful reality that a lot of people don't want to admit is you need luck to win the stand.

[C]

So much luck.

[A]

And that perfectly sums up the Colorado team is like, since 22, there's been not only not good luck, but there's been objectively bad luck for the teams.

[C]

There's a whole flat cap during COVID too. Don't forget that.

[B]

Right, Good point. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Like absolutely correct.

[C]

You'd like to add. Absolutely. You know, we would love to add those years.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Flat cap. That tied our hands a little bit too. It tied other teams hands. Right? No excuses, but you said it exactly right, Dan. I mean, you need so much love luck. Like, there is so much luck. You talk about puck lock. It is so real. I mean, injury timing, real hot goalie luck. I mean real. I mean, look at, look at Bussy in the final.

[A]

Like, dude, yeah, buddy. It's crazy.

[C]

They don't win if he doesn't come in. You know, like so a lot of. So true. So true.

[A]

All right, ej, we are going to now jump you into pass shoot score. It's a game we play with all of our guests. Basically a ranking system. So we're going to give you three things that we know you love. You got to rank them. Pass, shoot, score. Pass being your third. Shoot, Second score, Number one as an offensive D man, you get it. That's exactly what we want.

[C]

Started offensives, retired, strictly defensive. Started power play, retired, strictly penalty kill.

[B]

Perfect arc. That's the journey. Yeah, it is the perfect arc.

[A]

So we're going to start you off one. I mean, this is like true Sophie's Choice stuff. We're going to start you off with horse trucks. We know you're a big horse racing guy.

[C]

This is great. I love this.

[A]

Yeah, we love it. So your pass, shoot, score is going to be Del Mar, Lamar, Saratoga and Santa Anita.

[C]

Man, that's criminal.

[B]

Dude, we almost did your. We almost picked. Made you pick between your horses, but that made you feel like, yeah, that'd be easier.

[C]

We can do that, too. We can do that, too. Let's circle back to that. But.

[B]

Okay, Okay.

[C]

I pass Santa Anita, I shoot Saratoga and I score down Del Mar.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Del Mar had to win. I knew that. That had to win too many.

[C]

Good west coast guy, too. Like, I. I love Saratoga. Don't get me wrong. Fantastic. But easier for me to get to Del Mar. You're on the beach two hours from Denver. Gotta go.

[A]

Pretty special. It's pretty special. Now, is it still true that you've yet to be go to the Derby?

[C]

No, I've been to the Derby three times. Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

When Nyquist won. Paul Readham, who owned Nyquist, Big Red Wings fan. I did the over with Nyquist when Nyquist won the Derby. Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

That is huge. Have you been to all of the crown races?

[C]

I've. Yes, I've been to them all, so.

[A]

Unbelievable.

[C]

So the derbies I've been to, I saw American Pharaoh winning 14, I saw Nyquist winning 15. And I saw Always Dreaming. When I think in 17, I don't think I've been back. And then I saw Exaggerated win the Preakness and I saw Sir Winston win the Belmont. So, yeah, I've seen. I've been all three.

[A]

Oh, fantastic. Actually, you can't really see it, but right, right back there is a nice triple cr. Old school artwork.

[C]

I love it.

[A]

So, yeah, it's beautiful. Now, I want you to take this opportunity because we're, we're big track guys. It's just.

[B]

Oh, like I'm dying too. Guys. Yeah.

[A]

I promise we are going. I promise you that. But I want you to take this opportunity to give a quick speech to Anyone who is, who has not experienced the joy of going to the track and just tell people why it's the best time ever.

[C]

So the best way I can describe it, I'll try and say it in a few different ways. But if you're an athlete or someone that does something at a high level and whatever gives you the biggest adrenaline rush, if you're into horses and you love horses and you love going to the track and you. So for, for me, for an example as a horse owner, when I see my horse fighting down the stretch and has a chance to win your horse home or you have a big bet on some horse horse, there is like an out of body experience that happens, an adrenaline rush. Like if you could bottle the feeling up when you see your horse win or when you cash a big bet, like if you could bottle that up and sell it on the open market, you'd be a billionaire.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

The best feeling ever.

[B]

EJ Can I take it one step further? If the horse that I have bet on or I'm rooting for or whatever is, you know, back in the middle of the pack and then we hit that eighth quarter pole and it charges even if I don't come home and win, the feeling when my horse is, is like a runaway freight train coming up the outside, I'm like that. I have never felt happier in my whole life than in, in those seven seconds.

[C]

So hard to win. Just having a chance to win for your horse, being able to cheer is so fun.

[A]

I have lost my voice at the track more than anywhere else.

[B]

On race two. On race two. Yeah.

[A]

Correct. Correct. It's gone by then. It's unbelievable.

[C]

I hit a, I hit a pick five at Saratoga last year off really for 130 grand and I needed like three or four horses to hit the pick five in the last race and, and this, this horse came out of absolutely nowhere. Dude, get up and win. I hedged like a, like a. Yeah. But to be able to like have that feeling of just being, just hitting a bet like that is just dude, out of body experience. You own the horse. It's like I've spoken, scored, you know, a few overtime winners in my career. That feeling is not very different than cheering home a horse that you own or if you're going to cash a big bet. It's an unbelievable experience. If you love horses, I explain it you guys. If you're a golfer, you like country clubs and you're going to join a course for 30,000 bucks, you're never going to see that money Again, you're going to get hit with your monthly dues and your food and beverage every month. But what are you going to get out of it? Great memories, great friends, great experience. It's no different than horse racing, getting into ownership or betting on horses. It is just the best sport, and I hope it's around for a long time. It's America's oldest sport.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

And they've had some reform through Congress and. And legislation and all that, and I just hope it keeps going in the right direction because those horses are very, very well taken care of and looked after, and it's an unbelievable sport to be a part of.

[B]

Dude, I love the animals. Most important.

[A]

Oh, yeah, they're important.

[B]

Amazing.

[A]

We had.

[B]

I learned a lesson one of our first times at the track where I had, you know, whatever, the seven horse to win, and he finished second, and I trashed the ticket. And then the winning horse got DQ'd at the neck race. They announced like, oh, yeah, in the previous race. So the seven horse, bro, I am upside down in a dump in a trash in my suit. Not even cheap suit day. My real suit. I got mustard up my sleeve, but I found it, dude. We got.

[A]

Today, it was.

[C]

If you do lose your ticket or toss it, you can go to the teller and they can up. You don't need to get the mustard on the sleeves.

[B]

Yep, exactly. It was.

[D]

It was.

[B]

It was about the heart. It was about the heart.

[C]

Classic.

[B]

That's. Jesus Christ. Okay, ej, here's your next category. All right, this one is sports movies. So pass, shoot, score. Best in show. Secretary Harriet Money Ball.

[C]

Oh, man, those are all awesome, dude.

[A]

You're. By the way, the ball knowledge of you to have best in show is

[C]

like, score for me. I'm not kidding.

[A]

That movie is so funny, right?

[C]

Is it Eugene Levy?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

The two left feet, baby. It's unbelievable.

[C]

God, that movie is all time.

[B]

Dan, EJ has six dogs.

[A]

I know.

[B]

It's like.

[C]

Yeah, I got. My.

[A]

My golden retriever is right there.

[B]

We've seen.

[A]

We've seen a couple of them making the rounds.

[B]

Behind you, couple tails.

[C]

St. Bernard is. There's Ruth.

[B]

Oh, my God. I actually should do this.

[A]

Hold on.

[B]

I got. I got to Foley's dog right now. E.J.

[C]

yeah, dog.

[B]

Yeah, Ruth.

[A]

Ruth could swallow to Foley's dog in one go.

[B]

Correct.

[C]

So let's see. Pass, shoot, score. I love Moneyball. I love Secretary. I'm gonna pass Secretariat. I'm gonna. No, I'm gonna. I'm gonna pass Moneyball. Shoot Secretariat. And score Best in Show.

[B]

I love it. God damn it.

[A]

That fires me up.

[C]

And a lot of your viewers or listeners probably have never seen Best in Show.

[A]

That's what I'm saying. It's ball knowledge that you have it. It's unreal. So you like Secretariat more than Seabiscuit?

[C]

Oh, yeah, I do. I do. My friend, Walker Hancock, he runs Claiborne Farm. They had Secretariats. He's buried at their farm in Paris.

[A]

So nice.

[C]

We do a lot of business together. So I got to give a shout out to Claiborne Farm. Awesome place. And Secretariat once. Once resided there. There's the pup.

[A]

There she is.

[B]

There's Stella. Hi, Stella.

[C]

Yeah, Ruth. Ruth might have her for dinner.

[B]

Stella.

[A]

That's what I'm saying. Stella's the smallest dog I've ever seen.

[B]

It's incredible, dude. It's. It's. Well, Cat's the smallest person I've ever met, too, so it's their perfect sense. That's awesome.

[A]

Like, Ruth is bigger than Cat. It's unbelievable. Oh, man, that's a great rip, dude. I mean, it's like, I. I like that you don't have. I mean, I know sandlot. Remember, the Titans are up there for you, but it's. It's nice to see. I mean, I think miracles out of this world, but I like that it's not on your list. You got to change it up sometimes. Okay, we're going to hit you now. Next one is going to be Denver restaurants. I have a lot of stock in this one, so I'm very curious. So your pastry school score is going to be North Italia and Cherry Creek Restaurant Olivia and Wash park and Quality Italian in Cherry Creek.

[B]

This is.

[C]

This is easy. I'm gonna pass Quality Italian and I am going to. What was the second one?

[A]

Restaurant Olivia.

[C]

I am scoring Restaurant Olivia. And what was the other one?

[A]

North Italia.

[C]

North. Yeah. North. I'm gonna. I'm gonna shoot.

[B]

Shoot.

[A]

Okay, good. That's what I wanted.

[B]

And Olivia, what's your order at Olivia?

[C]

I think it's the Gemelli pasta. I like. I like little Barbaresco. They have an awesome house salad. I took Ray Ferraro there, and I always get peas on my house salad. Call me psychopath. I like peas, but they have a great vibe there. It's. It's a tough reso. Heather there is awesome host. Always gets me in, and I would score Olivia every single time. A nice Barbaresco nebbiolo. You can't go wrong.

[B]

We gotta go there, Dan, because we we hit Denver because we get to some ass games. Yeah. No, we've never been, so we're trying to. We were trying.

[A]

I've not been to Olivia.

[C]

I'm impressed. You know Olivia, though. That's. That's.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

[C]

How do you. What's the connection?

[A]

Dude? It's just every time we've been there, I think. I think.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Y. Rosco. And then Ly told us about it as well. But I mean, I love that you're an Italian guy. Like, that is just a nice. A nice wine. A nice nebbiolo with an Italian meal is just gonna get it.

[C]

I recently. Just full cabernet. I would only drink Cab Save. And then. Yeah. We went to a tasting once in Napa, boys. And I. I met with a sommelier, and he's like, you might like Cab today. And in five years, you might hate Cab and only want to drink Italian wine or French wine. I go, this guy's high off his ass. What is he talking about? I'm going to only drink Cab forever.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

What do you. What do you know? Five years later, I only drink Italian and French. I can't even stand Napa Cab. And I have a cellar full of Napa Cab. But this sommelier was right on.

[A]

On.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Your palette totally changes. And I've just been on this biggest Italian barbaresco kick. It's great.

[B]

That's amazing. God, I love it. Okay, here's your last one, ej. And this one's a little out there, but I'm really excited to give you this one.

[C]

I could do this all day. This is great, man. I've never.

[A]

Oh, yeah. These are the most fun.

[B]

This is where.

[A]

This is where the magic happens.

[B]

My favorite part. Okay, this. I. We're calling this category. We're calling sports fan moments for you. So you being not. Not the athlete that you are, but a sports fan. Yeah. Former athlete, passion score. These three moments for you as a sports fan. Comicals grade three win at Saratoga.

[C]

Dude, you did your research. Let's go.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Seeing Junior get a hole in one at Delmare Country Club. Wow. Or catching Shannon Stewart's foul ball at the Twins game when you were a teenager.

[C]

Was it Shannon Stewart?

[A]

Wow.

[C]

Damn, dude, you guys really did your research.

[A]

I am. Am.

[C]

I am passing. I'm passing Junior's hole in one because I was kind of a hole behind, so I didn't do it.

[B]

Okay, okay. You just heard him screaming.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Good. Good caveat. Good caveat.

[C]

The foul ball would be. Shoot for sure. I. I Don't have a foul ball yet.

[B]

I'm dying to get one.

[C]

Dude, dude. Upper deck, like, way up there. And I'm 16 years old, and this thing hits, like, four railings, bounces in my hand, and my buddy's dad's like, I'll give you 200 bucks for that ball. I'm like, not a chance. Yeah, that was in high school, but,

[A]

yeah, I genuinely think that that's Chris's greatest dream on planet Earth.

[B]

Like, I want to foul ball so badly. I've caught a few pucks, just no foul balls.

[A]

It was.

[C]

It was awesome, man. I mean, it. You kind of. I would always bring my glove as a kid. I mean, it's. Yeah, that's kind of what you dream of. But I have to score comicals, win at Saratoga. Like, we flew out there, eight of us from California, and we went to the race. We stayed for the weekend. She kind of came from. Like, she looked like she wasn't in it.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And then she kind of fought on and won. I mean, that. We were kind of.

[B]

You must have lost your mind.

[C]

We were going absolutely insane. One of my buddies was like, you have. Like, you have to reign yourself in a little bit.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You need to calm down.

[C]

It was so awesome. Like, it was like a Stanley cup level celebration. Just so people don't know, like, winning a graded stakes race at Saratoga is like scoring a goal at the Bell Center.

[A]

Like, it's.

[C]

It's like that big.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

You know, Or. Or it might even be harder than scoring a goal at the Bell Center. Be like, scoring.

[A]

I think it is.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

There you go. Yeah.

[C]

So it was just. It was incredible. Opening day, Saratoga. Comical, our Philly one. It was. It was incredible. Man. That's a lifetime moment to. To win. So I think I was trying to count the big tracks I've won graded stakes at. Won a grade one at Keeneland, won a grade three at Saratoga. Won a grade one at San Anita, a grade two or three at Del Mar. So we've been lucky to win some great stakes.

[A]

How many do you have in the stable right now? I feel like you own so many, and the names are absolutely hysterical.

[C]

So we bought a farm towards the end of last year, so we have about 50 acres in Lexington. So right now we have eight brood mares and eight babies on the ground.

[A]

Nice.

[C]

So we get out there a couple times a year just being out there with the horses. And so what we call. Not what we call ourselves, what we would be called is a commercial breeder. So we breed to sell at all the auctions.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

And so, you know, I want to sell the Dream. I don't want to buy the Dream anymore. It's, it's, it's too tough. So we try and raise a good horse, sell them at the auction and, and hopefully someone can take one of those horses and win one of the big races and then, then the mamas are worth a whole lot more and yeah, siblings and all that. So we have the mares out there.

[B]

Out there.

[C]

And then I have three horses in training right now. One is a Nyquist colt named Malarchuk who we bought, who's already named Malarchuk, named after Clint Malarchuk. He's out in California with my partner, Paul Readham. He's my partner in that horse. And then we have a two year old named Castle Pines, named after my golf course in Colorado. He's actually running next week in Indiana. He's got some promise. And then I have a two year old homebred that I bred who's getting ready to race. She's with Doug o' Neal out in Kentucky. Her name's Van Dennis.

[B]

Oh yeah, Sick.

[C]

Yeah, good name, Good name for her.

[A]

So I like that a lot.

[C]

I'll keep you guys posted. I'll shoot on the group chat when they're running. Yeah, please.

[B]

It would be a dream to go see one of your horses with you too. Like that. Yeah, I would go anywhere, bro. That would be awesome, dude.

[A]

Betting on an EJ horse and that horse winning would be.

[B]

I can't even talk about it. I can't even talk. I can't even talk about time. Oh, dude.

[C]

So a good story. Probably seven or eight years ago ago, Dan and Chris, we had this filly that we claimed for 29,000, 25,000. Her name was money spun and we kind of raced her up the ranks and we kind of put her maybe above water a little bit where she should have ran. She ran in the. We re entered her in the grade three Torrey Pines about a month after we claimed her for 25,000. She laps the field from last at 19 to 1, loses by this much and the horse that wins got get disqualified and we get put up to first at 191 to win the great at stake Torrey Pines.

[A]

Holy.

[C]

Sold her for a hefty sum after we. We had some cash bet on her at 19 1.

[B]

I bet you did.

[A]

I bet. Dude, I would have too.

[C]

I've given it all back soon, of course.

[B]

That's the game, dude. That's the game.

[A]

Listen, what we always say is all we ask is for a seat at the table. And like that's, that's what it's all about.

[C]

If anyone says there are they are up gambling horses in their life that they're lying.

[B]

They're a psychopath. Yeah, yeah.

[C]

Correct.

[A]

But that's not why we play, dude. We play for the love of the game.

[C]

Exactly right?

[A]

It's unbelievable.

[B]

God.

[A]

Oh my God. Well, dude, we have taken enough of your time. This has been so much fun. We got to get you back on.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

But before we let you go, is there anything you want to shout out? Anything you want to plug what's going on in your life?

[C]

No, nothing exciting, man. I'm, I'm just excited for the season to get started. We just went to Croatia and Italy had a great time, time getting ready. I told you guys before to play Cyprus and Monterey Peninsula in a couple weeks. Excited for that and head to Delmar and maybe, maybe a trip to Napa. We're going to go to Bordeaux later in the fall and. Oh yeah, that's, that's just the part about being retired. That's been great. It's just being able to do things that I hadn't been able to do for 20 years longer really. And it's just been nice to relax and spend some time with my family. I have an almost two year old nephew, you. So I've been able to see him which has been fun. So yeah, it's been, it's just been great just to be start this new chapter and super grateful for my career but super grateful for this new chapter as well in my life.

[A]

Absolutely perfect man. Love that so much.

[C]

Hats off to you boys. Thanks for having me.

[B]

Massive thank you to ej. What an absolute stud. Long time coming. Long time coming. EJ. If you're listening, if any of EJ's friends are listening, he's going to be back many times.

[A]

Oh yeah.

[B]

Literally. Cannot wait to see him at the track. God. EJ and us Del Mar together.

[A]

I can't even think about it.

[B]

Is going to become a yearly cannot miss on the calendar.

[A]

Cannot even think about it.

[B]

That is going to be incredible. EJ and us on the road together. Many, many good things coming. Huge fan. Cannot wait to have him back. Incredible interview. One of the most fun interviews we've done in a long, long time. Ej. Love you. Big thing. Thanks buddy. Now we're going to take a quick ad break and we will be right back. BETMGM is cooking just like always. It never stops, this train. Never Stops. And if you haven't signed up for BETMGM yet, do it right now. Pause the video, go sign up, come back, keep watching, Use bonus code netters. That's N E T T E R S. Pause the video, go in, put that in, come back. And then you get up to a fifteen hundred dollar new player offer offer on your first wager. Pause the video to celebrate, unpause, come back. Here's how it works. All you do is download the BetMGM app. It's incredible. And then you use that bonus code netters. When you sign up, you deposit at least 10 bucks and place a wager on any game.

[A]

Any game.

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[D]

Ping.

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And then you get access to second chance promos, odds boost tokens, same game parlays, the works. BetMGM always cooking. BetMGM makes it legendary. We're back. And boys, I gotta tell you, I had one of those, one of those just unhinged. I don't think girls do this, but I just had one of those unhinged with the fellas debates of somebody says something about sports and then it just like everyone has a take and we just go toe to toe. You get a big fight for Al, but no one's actually mad. Yeah, yeah, it's just like, what? What are you talking about? You know, and then it just. And then in the morning, we're all like, God, that was sick.

[A]

I mean, yeah, it's what we do in the sports annex all day long. Like, Danny and I got in that MJ LeBron debate, something I don't care about at all. And we were like screaming at each other and Luke was like, now you're fucking name calling.

[B]

And I was like, I didn't fucking say a word.

[A]

Yeah. And next thing you know, we're all just idiots.

[D]

Were you team MJ or were you

[A]

team I'm team mj. Yeah, I am.

[D]

I agree.

[A]

But, but, but I. I have fully come around. We don't need to do this now. I have fully come around to. I do think LeBron is the greatest basketball player to ever live. But. But if I am taking one, I am taking mj.

[B]

Okay, yeah, you're right. We can't talk about this right now. But I have a lot to say about that. But that's a good. Well, well phrased.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, it's just.

[D]

Leave it alone.

[B]

Leave it, leave it, leave it, leave it.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, look, I'm sorry, dude. Like longevity. He added the three ball. Like LeBron is the greatest player to ever exist.

[B]

The one we. The one we cooked into was what is the hardest sport to play. Now specifically, I just want you two to know and hear and everyone at home listening and in your cars, I want you to know that I'm not saying who are the greatest athletes because that is a whole other debate that we can have. And that's a lively one end at the. But I just want to know what the hardest sport to play is. And I'll tee you two up, because here was the crux of it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

As you can imagine, I in the fight was. And a couple people I was with,

[A]

I was going to say, I can imagine someone who was heavy on this.

[B]

We're dying on the hockey hill. Because I'm going, dude, it's all the hand, eye and body and physicality of everything else you're talking about. Talking about. Except you're also doing it on skates. Like you literally have to. Then you have to do football and basketball and everything. And then also scan lacrosse and then also skate.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

So I'm. And admittedly I was in one. As we were. As we were having this debate. So I was very bullish on this. And it was. It was reaching the point where you couldn't win with me because I was like, well, we're on skates, so fuck you. Loop was dying on tapes.

[A]

Hold on. Are you telling me you were being an insufferable twat?

[D]

Yes.

[A]

Shocker.

[B]

Loop was dying on tennis.

[A]

Cause he's a little tennis boy.

[B]

But his just argument is like, dude, it's what they go through. What the ball. It's five hours. Think about that. A soccer game's 90 minutes. A football game's 10 minutes of actual physicality. Right. Hockey players play 20 minutes. Those guys are playing tennis for five hours.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then we all kind of landed on hitting a baseball. A pitched baseball that's breaking and going 102 is the hardest thing to do in any sport specifically. So does that, ipso facto, I'm your boss, make baseball the hardest to play? Because it has the hardest thing to do. The floor is yours.

[A]

Yeah. So I'll. This debate's great because, like it started with who is the most athletic. So no, I do not. Because you could make the argument, dude, the way that billiards players manipulate that ball is like equally, equally hard. So I'm like, no, they're not the best athletes. So we.

[B]

You have.

[A]

You guys have changed the discussion. Two different own discussion.

[B]

Two different debates.

[A]

Yeah. Which is the worst thing you can possibly do.

[B]

This is the. This is the better question, though, I think. Yeah.

[A]

What is the most challenging thing to one single thing in sports to do? That is a very different debate. Because if we were just talking about who is the best, best athletes, I'm gonna come back to hockey, too. And a big thing for me is I. Growing up, I feel like most of the time the great hockey players were also nasty at another sport. And I did not find that to be as consistent with other sports. Like, the best football player wasn't also dope at baseball. Like, more of the awesome hockey players were also nasty at other sports. And I'm talking on the simple high school level.

[B]

Yeah. Cause I was going to push back and say in pro sports, like, actual pros, I feel like I hear all the time. And I guess I'm about to list, like, three quarterbacks, but all these guys are going. I was also, like, D1 baseball player and was going and was drafted to the mlb. Like Brady Mahomes, Russ Wilson, Kyler Murray. Like, all these guys could have lucrative MLB careers. And I don't think a lot of hockey guys, NHL guys I've ever heard that are like, I was also nasty.

[A]

I'm like, incorrect.

[B]

You were the best good at hockey.

[A]

That's fair.

[B]

But also. And I think you are answering this, but it's.

[A]

I think because it's so hard to be good at hockey that they had to focus so much on.

[B]

Yeah, okay, see now this is bad

[A]

because, like, a bunch of football players are like this. I can go play that fucking plumber sport. Baseball.

[B]

I'm serious.

[A]

Like, Kyler Murray's like, I fucking throw a rock at football. I also throw a rock at baseball. I'm like, that's not shock talking.

[B]

Yep. What do you think, Ev.

[D]

I was gonna say, like, remember when they there used to have, like. Like, Bo Jackson was football and baseball. They don't do that. People don't do that anymore professionally. Right. When was the last athlete. Athlete that, like, did two professional sports?

[B]

Dude, I don't even know if it could. Deion Sanders is the last one to ever do it. And Deion Sanders, by the way, has given an interview where they were like. And theoretically on paper, him and Bo Jackson are like, the two of the greatest athletes to ever live. Right? Because they're like, you guys, you did it. A lot of people talk about it. You literally did it. And they. Into the. They have interviewed Deion Sanders and they said, what is the hardest thing you've ever done? And he said, hitting that baseball?

[D]

Really?

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

He's like, there's a case for baseball.

[B]

Yep. But I also think this didn't even come up in our drunken stupor, but football wasn't even mentioned. And I do think it's. It's worth mentioning, though, because it is so physical.

[A]

Like, it is so physical.

[B]

It's such a hard game.

[A]

I mean, that's the other thing about hockey is, like, when Loop brought up tennis, I'm like, that's such a Loop thing to do. And also, great call.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because tennis is insanely. I. I mean, you want to talk about just being in shape of getting back and forth on the court and all that. Absolutely. But also, hitting a tennis ball is not easy.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And like, relating it the way that's what I'm saying. And then, like, I dare someone who thinks tennis is lame to stand in there against a fucking serve from one of these guys. And I'm like, this. Try to even get your racket on that, let alone return it in a way that's going to be challenging. But if you do want to just talk about, like, the athleticism and physicality, it's.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, it's so hard for a tennis player to play a full match. I'm like, why don't you try getting hit by Alex Ovechkin on a forecheck?

[B]

Yeah. Right.

[A]

And then try to play the rest of a hockey game. So miss me with the, like, oh, it's so challenging on the body. I'm like, that's challenging on the body. Get hit in a hockey game. Block a shot in a hockey game that's challenging on the body, and then

[D]

come back and keep playing.

[A]

Yeah. Like, give me a fucking break, dude. Like, yes, I know it's challenging, but hockey players and football players are like, after every single game, they are like, I have broken bones that I'm now going to play through. So I do not want to hear the challenging on the body argument.

[D]

What about rugby? Did anybody bring up rugby?

[A]

I mean, also.

[B]

Good one.

[A]

I'm going to say something that I. I am sure I would have been made fun of in that conversation. But, like, if we're talking best athletes.

[B]

But we aren't talking best athletes, just what's. And not the hardest thing.

[A]

We've officially changed the discussion.

[B]

Well, so this is the part you

[A]

missed, but I do. No, I do want to add this because you said you started this discussion on what is, like, the most athletic sport to play.

[B]

No, no, we actually said. At the very beginning of it, we said, to be clear, we are not saying who are the best athletes. We are saying what is the hardest sport to play? And then it got fucked. Because the hardest thing in sports was something. But just what is the hardest sport to play?

[A]

Okay, fair. I would like to circle back. I know this isn't the discussion, but if we are talking about the athletics thing, I do think gymnastics needs to be discussed.

[B]

Oh, whoa. That one did not come up very good.

[A]

And I, again, I am sure I would have been made fun of for saying that. And I'm like, you're all dumb, dude. Gymnasts are fucking freaks. Insane freaks. Like, what they do with the. I think. I mean, I don't know shit about gymnastics from, like, a full perspective, but when I watch the. I don't know what. It's called. The. The bars thing.

[B]

Oh, the. I. I thought it was.

[A]

Hey, see that thing right in front of you?

[B]

You got one, too. You.

[A]

You wouldn't believe. But I'm talking. I can't talk and type here.

[D]

I'm typing. Parallel bars.

[A]

No, not parallel bars. I'm talking when they are flinging themselves around and launching to another bar.

[B]

I think it's like.

[A]

And, like, spinning bars, dude, that. That is, like, dislocating their shoulders and they're flying through the air, like, grabbing onto it.

[B]

Dude, the uneven bars are gas.

[A]

Like, is that that what it is? Uneven bars?

[D]

Yeah, it's basically.

[A]

Uneven bars is the most insane thing ever seen.

[B]

Like, who? Whoever. I mean, you're a trapeze artist. You're a circus.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You're an acrobat. I'm gymnasts and, like, acrobats. Like, if we're having that discussion, dude, they.

[B]

Circus people.

[A]

They are the answer. Like, they are all ripped to and then flying their bodies through, like, risking their lives every five seconds. So shout out, gymnast. That shit is insane.

[B]

I went to my first Cirque show ever when I was in Vegas. It must have been for the cup or something. Like, I was with. Sandra was there. I can't remember why she. She came for that last day, right?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Sandra went to a Cirque show, and it was the absinthe one.

[A]

And so good.

[B]

Yeah. But, dude, you're right. Those dudes, people, like, there's a ton of different acts, but they come in and they are. They are flippy flopping in ways that make no sense.

[A]

No sense. Dude, it is insane. So shout out.

[B]

Really good one.

[D]

I don't know if this counts, but have you ever tried to walk on a slack line?

[A]

Yeah, dude, it's hard.

[D]

That's I'm like, there's no way I could do that.

[A]

Also, it made me. When I was young, when that started. Started becoming cool, it was like. It was a very, like, beach kid, hippie thing.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

In Maine.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And, like, I would look at some of these, like, stoners that I'm like, in my, like, arrogant high school days, I'm like, I'm so much more athletic than you. And then they were just doing backflips on the slack line, and I was like, no, I'm not.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[D]

Just smoke more pot.

[A]

Smoke more pot.

[D]

Dan.

[A]

Tennis.

[B]

I like your 10.

[A]

I mean, dude, if we're going back to the single hardest thing, I might. I'm circling back to Jamaica. Gymnastics, dude.

[B]

Hard. The hardest sport to play is gymnastics.

[A]

I think it might be.

[B]

And they're doing.

[A]

They're flippy flopping.

[B]

I can't tell if this helps or hurts.

[A]

You're not in your suit. Flippity floppity.

[B]

Yeah, right, Exactly.

[A]

No one really knows who you are.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, think about these people.

[B]

I don't know if it helps or hurts their argument that you have to be tiny. Like, part of me goes, that helps their argument because if you're tall, you literally can't do it. But then it kind of makes me be like, well, it's actually only hard because we're all not four, ten.

[A]

Well, not all of them.

[B]

They pretty much.

[A]

Simone is.

[B]

I think they're objectively small. Very, very small.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

I do think Nadal, like, the Rafa Nadal of the world. They're like, my fingers hurt, and I'm like, my.

[A]

I'm ripping my heels open.

[D]

My fingers hurt. Oh, now your back's gonna hurt.

[B]

Exactly. Barreling down the neutral zone.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So, yeah, yeah.

[D]

I mean that. There's just. I mean, it is really, like, are you factoring in the pure physical pummeling you take?

[B]

I think that.

[D]

Or is it. Or is it the skill with which you're doing the one activity actually counts?

[B]

Like, to me, I want it all for the. I think the. The hitting a baseball is the specific to the skill, and I think that's the hardest thing, but I want it to be like, everything. What is the hardest skill in your sport? Is it physical? How? What's the duration?

[D]

I mean, not to be a homer, but I agree that hockey is. You're fucking up there. You literally do it while skating and you're getting your ass hit.

[B]

I understand how anyone would think it's not hockey when they're like, dude, imagine, like, Football taking a hit from a free safety. And I'm like, do try doing that on skates. Imagine throwing a lacrosse ball and a lot more cardio. Try doing that.

[A]

Listen, this is a great podcast for the hockey debate.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I will say it does always come up. And there are tons of professional athletes of other sports who bring up hockey and they're like, I mean, they're doing everything we do on skateboarding with 30 pounds of equipment on. So like, that's pretty hard. Sometimes though, I, when I watch videos of guys like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes,

[B]

I was just about to say Josh

[A]

Allen breaking down what, what they have to do.

[B]

Yeah, dude.

[A]

Pre snap.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

And then post snap. And when I think about like those guys going, I need to know every single play in this playbook.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And then I stand under center And I have 25 seconds to look at these. What is it, 11 guys. And try to figure out what they're doing and how that combats my skill player guys. And I go, okay, I think I know what to do here. And then I hit say. Then I say the word hut.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And a ball's put in my hands. And then Miles Garrett is right there going like this. I am trying to murder you.

[B]

And I.

[A]

And I'm like, what? That does make me go like, I don't know, man, like playing quarterback must be pretty shit.

[D]

And then throw a ball like a billion yards away.

[A]

Throw it diamond shaped ball in a perfect spiral 60 yards down a field to hit another man who's running a 4, 5, 40 in stride.

[B]

Dude, let me put this on top of that because I thought you were going to say this too, Dan. When you see those back views of QBs in the NFL, not so much college in down, but NFL. NFL, bro. It's like the receiver is like turning left and they throw it over here. They know in two seconds he's going to break back, right? And then as he turns the balls there like the, the early into space throws they make is banana land. Considering in hockey and other sports you pass because you see the guy. I'm like, he's right there. Give him the ball.

[A]

If we, if we do. If we're saying hitting a baseball is

[B]

hard, hardest thing to do in sports,

[A]

are we not saying, do we think that hitting a round ball with a

[B]

round bat coming 102 is that harder

[A]

than hitting a golf ball at a professional tour level?

[B]

Golf is. Okay, maybe golf's the hardest sport to play.

[A]

Golf's pretty hard now. The ball's not Moving at you.

[B]

Yeah. Hitting a golf ball is not harder than hitting a baseball.

[A]

But when you think about how small the pinhole is, is, and you're standing as far away as you are, and. And people are like this. You have four try. Not only do you have four tries to get it in there, but you should do it in three if you want to win.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, that's pretty insane.

[B]

And I've said this before on the pod, but I don't know if you were there. Evan. One of my favorite facts about golf is you're playing yourself. Right. You're playing the course. But it's just there's no one stopping you. Right. In the NBA and there's defenders and NHL defenders in every other. We are. We are good humans are very good at stuff, and we are very athletic.

[A]

We sure are.

[B]

In every other sport where it's just you versus the course or the board or the table, we have mastered it years ago. Bowling, the pros shoot 300. If you shoot 297, you lose darts, we get triple 20s. Like, that's how you play billiards. You don't even give the ball the cue ball ball back. Right. Like, the good guys run the table. That's how you win.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Golf is the only sport in or on earth that it is just us versus the. The course.

[D]

But I think nature is more bigger

[B]

part of it, and we can't do it. Like, we're still. Like, you'd think by now, everyone shoots eagle every hole. And we're like, no, this game's really hard. We can't do it like it is. It is that difficult.

[D]

And also, you have to be drunk while you golf, too. So that's another. You have to be drunk. The People PGA Tour had.

[A]

I'm circle back again and combine two of the things we've been talking about. I can't believe we haven't said this yet, dude. Figure skaters.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

I was going to bring that up, but you. You beat me to it, dude. It's so hard.

[A]

We've talked about watching when, like, being able to be in Milan and watching Alyssa doing what she was doing.

[B]

And the. And the quad God, dude.

[A]

And the quad God. But we've also talked about Shout Out Great park in Anaheim. Unbelievable figure skaters there training and going through all their practices and all that. And when we were interviewing Schaefer down there, I had never been that close to, like, elite Olympic figure skaters. The sound. Yeah. When they land is so loud.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And like, I was just like, oh, yeah, you're you know, like these men, like you weigh like 160 pounds probably. And you're doing fucking backflips. Like the quadcot's literally back flipping with blades on his feet on ice.

[B]

People were like, that's not impressive.

[A]

And I'm like, are you insane?

[B]

That is.

[D]

And you have to perform too.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

You're only physically do it, but you have to like emotionally.

[A]

That's why I mentioned Alyssa. Like, Alyssa puts on a. Oh, she was great. Like she puts on a true like dance all star performance and thinking about it and then does it with blades on her face. Right.

[B]

And think about this. I would say that considering the world, Dan, the entire population of the world.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You and I are in the 1% of skaters. Cause most people in the world. Cause the world.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Like obviously NHL players and that's pretty much way better skaters than we ever were. But like we were in the top 1% of skating ability in the world. And I could never. I couldn't even do a 360.

[A]

No.

[B]

Like, you know what I mean? And I'm in the 1%. I'm like, they are. It is actually insane. The body manipulation than they do in air.

[A]

Sports are hard.

[B]

Sports are hard.

[D]

News flash.

[B]

Sports are hard. I think it's basketball and it's not even close.

[D]

Wow.

[A]

Damn.

[B]

Unless. I mean, if you want to. I'm not counting like bowling and shit, you know.

[A]

No, no, we got it. Okay. You're not counting that stuff.

[B]

Like bowling, darts.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Pool. I hear you. That it actually is a cue ball manipulation. And that is cool. So is bowling. But I just miss me with the bar game sports for a second.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Basketball. As I'm like one of the big majors. They're great, great athletes. I'm not saying that this is not. They're not athletic. They are. They are wildly athletic.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And they're also massive. Like when every time you see an NBA guy in real life, you're like, holy.

[D]

Yeah, dude.

[A]

What about soccer? Dude, you're just kicking a ball.

[B]

Maybe soccer. Soccer is the easiest sport, but it is.

[A]

You do have to manipulate soccer ball.

[B]

And more endurance for soccer.

[A]

Way more endurance.

[B]

Basketball, they just popping up and down the court, dude.

[A]

Well, you know, it is funny when you think about it. When you're trying to get kids and infants into sports, the first two things you give them is a soccer ball to kick around and then a basketball with a little. Little tykes hoop.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Cause that shit's for fucking clowns.

[B]

Yeah. Here you go, you bitch ass.

[D]

I'm Fucking terrible at basketball. I just can't shoot.

[A]

But Evan, I once in middle school, being a lifelong hockey player, to this day I have never in my life played one second of organized basketball. One sec. And by that I mean that has a league. Of course I've played pickup basketball with friends, but I have never played basketball. And once in middle school, out at recess, got a bunch of friends were like, let's play some basketball, shoot some hoops. And I picked up a ball and like I can dribble a basketball, obviously, but I shot a ball and threw an airball and got ridiculed by my friends. And it was so embarrassing that I went home to our driveway. We had a goal for like weeks and every day I shot 100 basketballs because I was like, I will never embarrass myself again.

[B]

Literally. What a waste of your time.

[A]

What a waste of my time.

[D]

Shoot.

[B]

100 bucks.

[A]

I shot 100 basketball. I again, I am not a basketball player. I never intended to play basketball. It was literally just embarrassment. I was so embarrassed that I was like, I can't have that happen again.

[D]

Yeah, I did the. They got me for the half court shot at a Clippers game once and it was to win a Jeep. And man, I really could have used that Jeep. I really needed to. That Jeep, my buddy, I fucking whiffed it short. It's hard. A half court shot's really hard. But my buddy who I was with wanted me to say when they, he's like, hey man, when they get the mic up to your face, just say, I'm recently divorced and I chickened out. I really need this. I didn't do it. I should have fucking done it.

[B]

Dude, you'd be. What year was this?

[D]

I want to say like 2015.

[B]

Okay. Yeah, dude, you'd be on the Internet still. Like people that would, that clip would exist.

[D]

I know. No, I, I it up.

[B]

That would have been awesome. You know like, you know when someone grabs the. But like someone's holding. Yeah, yeah, they're like really silly.

[D]

Divorced.

[B]

God.

[D]

This is for you, Carrie.

[B]

Then you cash it. That would have been one of the

[D]

great YouTube I know if I had made it.

[B]

I'm recently divorced. Bang. Half court bomb.

[D]

It's, it's unbelievable. Unlike Dan, I did not go home and do a bunch of half court shots.

[B]

I've actually thrown a fan share of half court shots in my. Not, not publicly but you know, like every time on a court I, I tend to try one just cuz I'm like, this is fun.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

So I'll be ready when they call. I'll be. I'll be ready. I promise you that. I promise you that. All right, I got to take you guys to another top. Okay, so final answer. Golf, Hockey.

[A]

I.

[D]

We. We. There is no answer. I would say hockey.

[A]

I don't feel closer to an answer at all. I just. I'm glad. We just gave flowers to a lot of things that deserve.

[B]

This was detrimental. Easiest sport, basketball. All right, I gotta take you guys into another debate topic. I was having not really debated. I guess I had more of a question for you two.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

This weekend, I was eating tendies. Love some tendies. And I was with some people, and we were eating tendies, and there was a.

[A]

Do you have a. I'm sorry to get off topic, but do you have, like, a spot?

[B]

No. Let me see.

[A]

Tendies are so fucking jamos.

[B]

Jamos has good tendies.

[A]

They do. I don't like the dipping sauce at jamos.

[B]

Yeah, I kind of hear that.

[A]

I think I have this take with wings, too. No ranch disrespect, but I do think ranch is a little childish, so.

[B]

So.

[A]

Yes. No, no. It's like, if you like ranch, that's fine as well.

[B]

Yeah, but I'm with you. I'm with you.

[A]

But I mean, like, when people are like, ranch is your go to. I'm like, there's a whole world of dipping sauces out there, guys. We gotta open it up a little bit. And jmos, which I love, shout out jmos, they kind of only offer for ranch buffalo. And I think they have a honey mustard. And honey mustard is great.

[B]

Honey mustard.

[A]

I'm like, okay, but, like, you're famous for your tenders. Let's broaden it out. Like, get me like a Polynesian. Get me, like, you know.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. My ranch. My respect for ranch went up during the Olympic, during the World cup, when everyone from another country was like, ranch is amazing.

[D]

They're like, you don't know what you have here.

[B]

It's like, oh, respect your ranch. I didn't realize how sick I branches.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So.

[D]

All right, so what, you had a tendee situation?

[B]

I was having tendies. There was a thing of barbecue sauce. Everyone was using it. And I dip the tendy. Take a bite. We're chatting, we're chatting. And then I dip again. And the person I'm with goes like this. Did you just double dip? And I was like, yeah. And they were like, dude. And they weren't mad, obviously, but they were like, dude, at least, like, you know, flip it to the other side.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

And if you need more than that, you gotta be breaking it. They said you gotta be breaking off pieces and then dipping. And I was like, oh, I thought double dipping was like a thing you said in the elementary school cafeteria. And then we all grew up and no one gives a flying fuck about me double dipping my tendy.

[A]

You're so wrong.

[D]

Yeah, this is a famous. This is a famous Seinfeld episode that

[B]

I never really watched that.

[D]

That was like a cultural moment 100% where they were like, you can't double dip the chip. It's rude.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And like, well, chip is kind of crazy. I'm like, just fucking need the chip. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

But the, the. I mean, dude, you are like, you're so wrong, dude. But, but, but, but I. If you. If you're a double dip policeman and you have a problem with the flip, you're a clown and they didn't.

[D]

Nobody should have a problem with.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, the flip is just like, that is just intelligent. Like, that's. That's what you do. But yeah, man. I would. I would almost venture to say it's worse as. As an adult. Cause like, as an adult, you've got. There's more has been in that mouth, brother.

[B]

No, but the children. Children bacteria.

[D]

Oh, yeah, that's true.

[B]

You can't even. A kid can't even breathe on you.

[D]

Running into their lips always.

[A]

But they all have it already. Like, those are kids.

[B]

I can't have a child double dip.

[A]

No.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

I personally have a multivariant double dip policy. Like if I'm with my wife or close friends. Friends or my brother, we're double dipping.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

If it's a small group of friends, it's like, I don't care. But if it's a larger pool of people, then I think, like, there's no double dipping. Should be allowed.

[A]

Agree completely.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

If I am with Alice and she like takes a bite of something and then dips it on the bitten part, I obviously do not care.

[D]

Right. And.

[B]

And. Cause the group I was with was. And this was kind of my point, Evan. The group I was with was also being like sharing drinks. You know, it was like, oh, try this drink. You know, like we had all been like drinking out of the same glass the whole fucking day. And I was like, you have an issue now with my double dipped tendy. And here is my other point. I don't think. And this is another argument for why it's worse for the children. I am not. Fuck the children. Fuck Them kids. Fuck them kids. Dude, I am not really, like, can you right now mime to me how you bite into a tendee? Yeah.

[A]

I am a rich.

[B]

Okay, but if you weren't a ripping. Just bite into your hands.

[A]

I grab my tendy, I go like this.

[B]

Okay, pretty much. Me too. So, for example, enough that you would ever double dip a taco.

[A]

What the fuck are we talking about? How is the. How else do you eat a tendy?

[B]

Well, this is my point. If it's a taco, I'm kind of like. Like there's a lot of shit going on.

[D]

But that's messy, right?

[B]

With a tendy, I go like this.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I'm like, it's a clean bite, the double dip. It's not like I'm fucking slobbering over this end of the tendy. It's been scissored off by my fucking teeth in that ear.

[A]

You know what? You know what? You know what my major problem with you is in life in general?

[B]

I can't believe there's one.

[A]

When you have a stance like this, it would be so easy for you to look at society and go, I understand that I am wrong here. But instead, you so passionately defend your point like this, as if we're all crazy. Dude, your mouth and saliva is getting all over that tendy. No, not really.

[B]

I don't. Yes.

[D]

Well, wait, do you. When you bite it, could you, like.

[A]

Evan, use your teeth. Evan, don't.

[D]

And pull your tongue back.

[A]

I'm begging you.

[D]

I'm not.

[A]

Do not try to help him here.

[D]

I'm not condoning it.

[A]

It's. I don't give a shit what you think you're doing, because here's what I know. You aren't. And maybe you will now because you're such a scumbag. You aren't going like. Like this. Let me dry off my teeth.

[B]

I do that.

[A]

And then grabbing a tender and going, ha, ha. And just.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, I did.

[A]

Guillotining it.

[B]

Guillotined.

[A]

You are not doing that.

[B]

Guillotined every time.

[A]

No, you're not. Stop lying.

[B]

Guillotine.

[A]

You are not doing that. So even if you were, it would still be. It's in your mouth. It is inside your mouth, there is saliva and whatever, germs, whatever you want to call it, on your teeth and lips that is touching it. So I know, logically, you know why people have a problem with it. So stop sitting here and trying to act like we're all nuts. Just go like this. I have no problem with it. I understand I'm in the minority and wrong. Just say that.

[B]

Here's another point, Dan. And this is. I've been. This is my magic bullet. I've been holding this for long.

[D]

I don't think he heard any of that.

[B]

Here's my magic bullet. I've been holding this.

[A]

Truly, Evan. The whole time he was going like this. Dan is so wrong.

[B]

Watch this because you'll hear me out after you watch this. Here's the tub of barbecue sauce. And there's sauce everywhere. And I guillotine my chicken, but it's not perfect because no one can perfectly guillotine a tendi. So then I can see that the surface, the half moon shaped surface of my tendy has saliva on it. Okay. Then I dip that into the barbecue sauce. The only part of the barbecue sauce that comes in contact with my saliva comes back up with the backside of that has touched zero stuff. Zero. Zero. Mark Strong zero of my saliva. Like I have left Barbie Cassandra there. Mark Baum. That is not touched my saliva. I bring it back up with me.

[A]

Dude, I'm begging you to stop.

[B]

This is my magic bullet.

[A]

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

[D]

We're. We're dead. You're dead. We can't. We've been killed. The science is in the sauce.

[A]

What is it comes up with me, Dan. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Your lack of understanding of this basic principle is why you're sick all the time. Like, you're like. You genuinely can't process germs spreading or anything spreading. And this is why you were perpetually sick.

[B]

Germs. It's a five second germs take five seconds to get on food that's on the ground. You're telling me my dip, my 0.3 second dip spreads into the whole barbecue sauce? That doesn't Even pass the 5 second rule.

[D]

How long would your. How long would your tending need to be in it before the saliva goes to the entire.

[B]

Yeah. If someone dips. If someone double dips, I'm like, all good. But if they hold their. If they look over at me and they're holding in a double dip, I'm like, get that out. Take that out right now. Double dipping.

[D]

It's.

[B]

It's.

[D]

It's not the worst thing in the world.

[A]

It's. It's.

[D]

But it's not great. Great.

[A]

It's not great.

[B]

It's c. I'm glad at least you guys are on the side of certainly with your inner circle. I'm like, if.

[D]

If it's people you.

[B]

If I'm At a Super bowl party even. I'm kind of like, okay, I don't need to.

[D]

We got a lot of people here.

[B]

Yeah, I don't need to get in that sauce.

[A]

We got to talk about some great things. Let's take a quick ad break and then jump on back in. If you listen to this show, you know that I am a style guy. I love me some clothing, I love me some access. So we're going to talk about GLD right now. GLD is giving you some of the best jewelry in the game. I'm a big chain guy. I wear them all the time. CP's got a GLD chain on right now as we speak. But when it comes to chains, bracelets, all of that good stuff, GLD is giving you some of the best, most high quality and awesome looking stuff that you can get right now. Accessorizing is huge. Accessorizing. I cannot emphasize that enough. Here's the deal, folks. Guys, I'm talking to you right now. Enough with popping on a T shirt and jeans and walking out the door. You're trying to look a little bit fancier. Going to the bar. Oh, maybe I'll pop a button down on.

[C]

Come on.

[A]

We gotta be better. We gotta broaden our horizons. We gotta start looking through the trees and messing with different types of styles, caring about how we look. Because when you look good, you feel good. When you feel good, you perform good. Everyone knows is that basic principle, that formula, it works every single time. So let GLD help you there. Get an unbelievable chain bracelet. Whatever you feel like you need. They've got different colors, different styles, they all look incredible. And here's the thing, new customers right now get 40% off with code netters N E T T e r [e-mail] you can go there and check out all of the amazing options that they have have. But I'm telling you, we gotta up the style vibes right now. Care about how you look because you look amazing. Let GLD take that to the next level. Go to gld.com and again, if you were a first time customer, 40% off on your next purchase with promo code netters N E T T E R s. So we're talking about double dipping, which obviously includes foods, chips, things like that. I was in the grocer the other day and I was looking. There's one thing I was looking at specifically that brought this up to me and it was Reese's. Reese's is. I don't know if you guys have noticed this. Reese's is Having a moment.

[B]

Oh, really? That's great.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, Reese's is everywhere. And they've got all of these different options. I mean, I was. Reese's is in Oreos. It's in Twix. It's. Dude, it's crazy.

[B]

They're in Oreos.

[A]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure. It's like, you can get an Oreo with Reese's peanut butter.

[D]

Oh, that's really good.

[B]

Oh, oh, oh, sick. Yeah, yeah, of course.

[A]

Keep up.

[B]

Dude, I was like, they put the

[A]

little chips in the fucking Oreo, but Reese's got me. What do you mean chips?

[B]

I was thinking about Reese's Pieces. I was like. I was all fucked up.

[A]

Funny that you say that, dude.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

The fact that you think pieces first. Yeah. Is my point. Yep. That is not what Reese's is. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is the original.

[B]

Yep.

[D]

Oh, my God, look at this caramel cup.

[A]

Right. It's insane. So it got me thinking, how many things in the game out there when it comes to, you know, big brand foods and drinks like this, where some of their alternate options down the line are better than the og.

[D]

Oh, I got one.

[A]

So I. I have a bunch for you guys and I want you to. I'm going to give you a list of things and I want you guys to say yay or nay.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

One. These are all ones that I believe are better. Are better.

[B]

Okay. So you're. You're yaying all these?

[A]

I am. I am yaying all these. My first One is M M's. I think peanut M M's and then maybe even more so. Peanut butter M M's are better than M M's.

[B]

Yay.

[D]

100% Yay. Peanut M and M. And both of

[B]

them, Dan, both of them are better.

[A]

And how iconic is that moment for Eminem? Yeah. They make dude Frank Mars, Milton Hershey team up to help soldiers in the war by putting a hard candy shell around chocolate so it doesn't melt during travel. And while they are overseas, they create Eminem. And then they go like this. What if we put something in?

[B]

I know. This is insane.

[D]

We need some protein in there.

[A]

And they made it.

[B]

Yes, exactly.

[A]

So my next one, which kind of started this conversation. Reese's. I actually think I prefer Reese's. Peanut butter cups are incredible.

[B]

And do you like the flat wide or the taller.

[A]

Like the tall minis? Yeah, I prefer the flat wide, but I'm going pieces over them. I'm going the animal crackers over them. I've been jerking those animal Brothers, I have been. Been jerking off Evan. I have been double wrister. Spit in both palms. Keep eye contact the whole time. Those Reese's animal crosses are insane. Also, I'm gonna go seasonal here. I actually think my. Maybe goat. Reese's product, other than I do love Reese's Pieces. The pumpkin.

[B]

Oh, but that's. That's cup, though, essentially.

[A]

Yeah, but it's better than the cup. Cause it's a little thicker.

[B]

You get a little more peanut butter.

[D]

Yeah, you get that with the egg too.

[A]

Y. The egg as well. The pumpkin and the egg. Like the ind. We're not talking about the hard candy shell egg thingies. We're talking about the egg shaped Reese's. So I think Reese's has better than the rest.

[B]

I actually, shockingly, will go yay. Because I love the pieces.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The pieces are so addicting.

[D]

I, I, I, I would. I like the egg and the pumpkin. I'll see you on that one. I don't necessarily go to Reese's Pieces.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Unless I'm at, like, the movies or something.

[B]

Right, right.

[A]

It doesn't need to be pieces.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You are saying, though, that some other iteration you think is better than the OG Cup.

[D]

Better.

[A]

You can say nay. Say nay.

[D]

I'll say nay. But. But it's very close.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right, My next one. Doritos.

[B]

Ooh.

[D]

Well, what is an original Dorito?

[A]

The original nacho cheese. Oh, that's the first one, I think Cool Ranch. And I'm even gonna go sweet chili. I think sweet chili. Sweet chili is incredible.

[B]

Sweet chili is to die for. And Dan, you. I'm shocked you're a Cool Ranch guy. Cause so am I. And I think that's an uncommon take. But I think Cool Ranch is magical.

[A]

Yes. It's incredible.

[D]

I prefer the nacho cheese.

[B]

I also love a nacho cheese.

[A]

So this is. I actually like that Evan is saying nay on some of these. Because the other element of this is they're a lot that I'm like. The OG Is pretty solid. Okay. My next one. Actually, I'm gonna be honest. This is a nay for me, but I wanted to bring it up or. Excuse me. My next one is. This is a little dangerous. It's Ruffles. Because we could do this with any chip. But like, Ruffles. Original Ruffles. Sour cream and cheddar. Ruffles. Sour cream and onion.

[B]

I kind of feel about Doritos. It's unfair that it's like, the whole feel.

[A]

But Dorito is not a normal chip.

[B]

Yeah, Fair.

[A]

That has a Flavor.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. Yep, yep.

[A]

So you. When you say you kind of feel that way, you kind of feel dumb.

[B]

I do feel dumb right now.

[A]

Because if. If Doritos was just a tortilla chip, you'd have a leg to stand.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. What's better, Tortilla chips or Doritos? Any Doritos.

[A]

So I don't even want to bring up Ruffles. All right, next one is Oreo.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

There are so many flavors.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

It's actually insane.

[A]

If you go to the cookie aisle, Oreo commands about half the aisle.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

I. I actually think. Nay. I think double stuff is too much going on in there. I think the Golden Oreo is amazing, but I would prefer a normal Oreo.

[B]

This is an interesting one for me, personally, because I. I do believe that there are flavored Oreos that I like more than just an OG Oreo. So for that reason, I should say yay.

[A]

But you can't think of it.

[B]

No, no, it's not even that. It's just. Well, then I don't want them. There's like, the Cinnabon Cinnamon Bun one or whatever. There's like. There's a few. There's more than one.

[A]

The novelty wears off.

[B]

Exactly. So I'm kind of like. I do. If it was. If it was forever. If you said you can only have one of these forever, I would go back to the original.

[D]

I've got sort of a sideways take on this because I've kind of outgrown Oreo cookies as, like, a thing.

[B]

What?

[D]

Dude, I don't really enjoy the Oreo cookie because for whatever reason, there's sort of a chalkiness to. When I bite into it, I'm like.

[A]

To me, it's like a film.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm with Evan, dude. The only time I ever eat an Oreo now is like when I'm hammered on a ski trip and somebody's.

[D]

But I will say that this, though, I will say my favorite way to have an Oreo is in cookies and cream. Ice cream. When there's Oreos and ice cream Oreos, I'm.

[B]

There is. Is go.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Oreos and ice cream.

[D]

Like an Oreo blizzard.

[A]

I had Oreo cheesecake ice cream last night. It was great.

[B]

Amazing, dude. Yeah.

[A]

Okay, next one. I think I'm going to get you

[B]

on this real quick. Gingers right now.

[A]

Is.

[B]

Has a Samoa.

[A]

Oh, pretty cool.

[B]

Ice cream.

[A]

And it was last night, too.

[B]

Tremendous.

[A]

Skittles.

[B]

Oh, fuck.

[D]

What's the iteration on that?

[A]

Like tropical sour Skittles. I put Tropical down as well.

[B]

And there's the wild berry one, too.

[A]

Wild berry Skittles. I think they're all better.

[B]

This is the hardest one so far for me.

[A]

In what world are you not picking sour Skittles over Skittles?

[B]

Well, sour skittles is my favorite skittle, but it's the same thing. Like, I don't know. If I could have that forever. It would rip my tongue off.

[A]

Yeah, but you would. You couldn't have Skittles forever.

[B]

Okay, then. Yay.

[D]

I only ever eat skittles and I have scurvy

[A]

Sour Patch Kids.

[B]

A surprising nay for me.

[A]

I know you've said this before.

[B]

I know everyone loves the watermelon and they're great.

[A]

I think one single watermelon saue is so infinitely better than every single Sour Patch Kid like you put. You could get the whole gang.

[B]

I know.

[A]

Whole gang to fight one watermelon slice. And the watermelon slice beats the wheels off those kids.

[B]

I'm going to be in the minority there. And they're both. They're two of them. They're probably.

[A]

I got two more. And my last one, I think is the greatest landslide in the history of this next one is Cheerios. I think honey nut puts it beaten down clear.

[B]

Yay.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And there's a lot of Cheerios.

[A]

I mean, remember frosted Cheerios?

[D]

I was just going to bring that up. I don't think they make that.

[A]

I don't think they do either.

[D]

That was the 90s.

[A]

There was a time this was actually. Hello, Hilarious. Rice Krispie cereals. Cereal.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Was a thing. And then someone, some lunatic at the Kellogg factory decided to make Rice Krispie Treat cereal insane. It was so good. It's literally just Rice Krispies in water.

[B]

In milk.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

And wait, did you say water?

[B]

Yeah, he did.

[A]

Yeah. Sorry. I got.

[D]

I was like, tell me that's not

[A]

how you're having cereal milk.

[B]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

[A]

Sorry.

[D]

Yeah. Psycho. And

[A]

then they were discontinued probably because they're super unhealthy. But when I was in college, there was a little grocery store in like Scituate, Mass. Where a friend from school lived. And it was clearly like they just had like stock from the olden from, you know, like, it's like kind of. It's a small town place and she like bought all the Rice Krispie Treat cereal for.

[B]

Why not?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Nice.

[A]

Yeah, it was amazing.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And then my last one again, I think this is the greatest beatdown of all time. Gatorade.

[D]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Gatorade's OG is Lemon lime.

[C]

Oh, oh, oh, I see.

[A]

I can't remember the last time I drank lemon lime Gatorade.

[B]

So I'm not as passionate as you, because I had one the other day, and I was like, yeah, this actually slaps. But you are completely correct. There are other flavors that are far superior.

[D]

I go blue every time.

[B]

Blue's amazing. Red was red flavor second?

[D]

Yeah, yeah, probably.

[B]

I feel like the red.

[D]

It must.

[B]

Gatorade is like.

[D]

Because that's like the fruit punch.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, exactly that.

[D]

I never go for red.

[B]

I know. Same. And I'm like. I'm a red in everything else. Like, every candy. I want the red one.

[D]

I feel like I'm just drinking straight red dye.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

That's what's making me freak out.

[B]

I outgrew. You know, I was like, okay, I don't need more fruit punch.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Landslide and Gatorade. Great one.

[D]

I would agree. I mean, I do like the lemon one. If I. If I'm.

[A]

Oh, yeah, no, it's good.

[D]

It's good.

[A]

But I just think, like, I'm never.

[B]

I'm never a better one.

[D]

Do. Is that. Is that all?

[A]

That's my. That's.

[C]

That.

[B]

That's my list. Which one did you have?

[D]

I had, you know, gardettos.

[B]

Oh, what do you have? What is that?

[D]

Gardettos are like those. You know, it's like Chex Mix, but it's a little more Italian.

[B]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[D]

They do a version of Gardettos where it's just the big old chip all. Only it's called the special request.

[A]

Nice.

[D]

Gardettos.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Because somebody must have just been like, I want these bagel chips. Like, they're. Because, you know, you get, like, the checks. You get the little breadstick. Yeah, the pretzels. But this is specifically that to me. Way better. Just give me.

[A]

What I want is the bagel chip, the big brown piece.

[B]

Yeah, it's amazing.

[D]

It's the round brown.

[A]

Like, those are so salty, and they're so good.

[B]

It's hilarious when things universally.

[D]

The rye chip or something.

[B]

It's like in trail mix, no one wants the raisin. Like, everyone's like, God damn it, dude. And I feel like the pretzel in those things. Everyone's like, everything else is so unique and cool. And they're like, here's a pretzel. And then it's all pretzels, and I'm so mad.

[D]

Yeah, well, the pretzels are boring as shit.

[B]

Exactly. I'm like, I have pretzels.

[D]

You have to have dip with pretzels.

[A]

Do you guys have any?

[B]

God, you had such good ones.

[A]

I mean, again, I gave a lot.

[B]

Yup, yup, yup.

[A]

I think.

[B]

You know what I think is, Nay often is, unlike Gatorade, is sodas. Like, for the most part, I was

[A]

looking at sodas, dude. Yeah. I mean, I'm sure that there are some people out there. Like, I saw, I was thinking about, like, Cherry Coke, Wild Cherry Pepsi, things like that. And I'm like, those are all great. But you know what? One came up a lot. Is Baja black last?

[D]

Yeah, but I think. Wait a second, wait a second, wait a second.

[B]

Point on Mountain.

[D]

Wait a second.

[A]

But I.

[B]

Code red was gas.

[D]

I would say in general, I don't, I don't agree with this, but I would say in general, diet of whatever. Diet Coke or diet.

[A]

That is a great call.

[D]

It's probably more popular than the regular at this point, if we're going to

[A]

count that as a, as a. Oh,

[B]

yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[D]

Diet's the variation that everybody goes. Or zero sugar.

[B]

I actually cannot believe I'm. Sometimes I'm with people and they're like, can I. Oh, like they'll get a regular soda at, like, the movies or something. It's like the big. It's like this big.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

And I'm like, oh, no, dude, cut

[D]

your foot off now.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Are you aware that's what I do? I mean, I, I, I don't like diet colas because I just don't like the taste, but I also don't drink soda that much. So when I drink soda, I'm like, I'm gonna get a regular full fat.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

I love Mexican. Like the Mexican Coke.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[D]

Or whatever. It's like the full sugar.

[B]

So good.

[D]

But like a. But yeah, like a straight up Dr. Pepper. A straight up Pepsi. Like the regular Mountain Dew. To me, I agree, is all better than the weird flavors. I like cherry in a soda. Sometimes the vanilla, not so much.

[B]

Yep.

[D]

Not a huge vanilla in my soda. Guy.

[A]

Shout out Brian Farrell.

[B]

And then I kind of would argue gums. Like gum flavors.

[A]

I think, I think that's getting too crazy. Gum. I mean, like, the whole point of gum is different flavors.

[B]

Flavors is flavors.

[D]

But yeah, flavors that disappear after three seconds.

[A]

All right, let's wrap things up with a beer league hotline. And, Evan, what do you got for us?

[D]

All right, here we go. Our rank in sf. That's San Francisco for the uninitiated. Got renovated and is under new management. The captains of all the leagues just received emails stating that the Rink is almost ready, but there are rule changes. Each of the four leagues are being reduced by two teams. There has been no information as to how that is going to happen. And we were told that players can't play in multiple leagues anymore. I manage a team in the A and B league, and a lot of the guys straddle. And of course, our time slots are being pushed back. 11:30pm is now our late slot. What do we do as captains? Help.

[B]

Dan's deep in thought.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Let's rank the three in terms of levels of stress.

[D]

This is a serious one.

[B]

This is not good.

[A]

So they underwent renovations, ranks gets remodeled, new management.

[B]

So they go, hey, we're almost ready to come back. And they go, amazing. And they go, good news, we are almost back. Bad news, we're pushing all your time slots back. So you play at 11:30 now.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Also, you're no longer allowed to play in two leagues. Also, every league is being reduced by two teams. And they don't know yet how two teams are literally being cut out of beer league. Like, you're not in league anymore.

[A]

Well, I think what they're going to. What they're going to say is join the other teams and you'll just have more bodies, which is a nightmare.

[D]

And less ice time.

[B]

Yeah. Because I would be like, you know what?

[A]

Every single one of these things is utterly moronic.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

You are. All you are doing is opening the possibility of making less money.

[B]

Yep. And there's surely a reason for it because they're not morons. Like, right. Like something has happened where they're going, hey, someone else bought ice earlier in the evening that is paying more than you. You know, like, we're now sold this to the figure skating group. You're now getting pushed back. And because there's less slots, you can have less teams yourselves.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm going to rank them. The 1130 is the least bad for me. I'm sure most people are going to say that's the worst bad.

[A]

No, it sucks, but it's not.

[B]

It's fucking awful. You're playing till one now. Like, literally that game's going to end at one. But you don't always have the 11:30. But that I can live with because I just stay up late anyway. The double, the no. 2 leagues is I'm still into. I know not everyone is anymore, but I love playing more. So I'm like, that sucks. And it seems so insane that I'm like, what's your fucking problem, dude?

[A]

Yeah, Again, it's just more money. You're just getting more money from people.

[B]

And then the eliminating two teams is

[A]

the craziest thing I've ever seen.

[D]

Dude.

[B]

Is the craziest thing I've ever seen. Because to your point, there's no room for your full team to join another league because they've already trimmed. The only option is your whole team disbands and joins other teams, which is not fun for the other teams because they're like, we're full. And not fun for you because now you don't get to play with your friends.

[A]

To me, this feels like a. This is an issue of ice time.

[B]

Clearly. Yes.

[A]

Like, you're getting pushed back because whatever renovation you have done has clearly made more like youth leagues or something. Want to skate here? So you've now pushed back the beer leagues. And because of that pushback, you're like, we can't. We also can't have two extra teams playing because that's an hour we don't have.

[B]

Yep. So what you have to do, unfortunately, is it sounds like this renovation lasted a reasonable amount of time. So presumably everyone in this league has been without beerly cocky for a little bit of time, and they're all chomping at the bit to get back to the game. Unfortunately, what you must do right now is literally go on strike. Work stoppage. You go, hey, if this is what's happening, then we're not coming back. Yeah. And you. And make the rink eat that ice time because you just survived however long without beer. You can do it again. You can do it one more year. I know it sucks. I wouldn't want to do it, but we actually almost had to do this in our league the other day. I would literally go on a full, call all the captains and go, we are not going back. Don't pay them a dime. And we're not playing until they, at minimum, let the team stay or. Or something. You know, like, you gotta. You're gonna have to compromise. Maybe you play the late games, but at minimum, you're not cutting teams out of beer league.

[A]

This is a tough one. Cause there's just. There's nothing funny here.

[B]

Oh, no.

[A]

It's just a brutal dilemma.

[B]

No, he actually needs help.

[A]

That's why he was like, I genuinely don't even know what to say. Cause here's the thing, man. If we here did that and they went, okay, I'm fucked. I have nowhere to play.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Cause I ain't fucking driving to Anaheim and I'm not driving into, you know, wherever. So, like, if this is the only Rink nearby. Like you're kind of bent over a barrel being shown the 50 states and I don't know what to say to you.

[B]

But they just went. That's my point. They just went however long without playing.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because the rink's been under construction. So I'm like, just go a little bit longer. You're surviving.

[D]

I do wonder in an SF San Fran.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

If that people don't call it San Fran. We got. Somebody talked to me about that.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[D]

If there is another rank nearby, I mean, is that an option for them to just be like we're going to take our talents somewhere else?

[A]

I do. If not, I do think you, you have to pick one of these issues. I, I would pick the two teams.

[B]

Being able to play on two teams.

[A]

No, the two teams getting eliminated. And I would be like, hey, I, I would agree. I would email all the captains and go, guys, we are, we need to boycott the league until they give us something. And I, I would say you can't eliminate two teams. My fear though is they're going to go.

[B]

Go.

[A]

We literally don't have the ice time for you.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And if they say that then maybe you go. We should be able to play in both leagues.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Cuz I. That one I do not understand.

[D]

How is that even enforceable?

[A]

I know. Well, it's just your name.

[B]

Like if you register.

[D]

Yeah. But you could put a different name and wear a disguise.

[B]

Get another id.

[A]

Now we're talking.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So now more I think about it, maybe actually what you have to fight for is being able to play in both leagues. Because again, if I'm the rink, I go like this guys, we would love to do. We don't have the ice.

[B]

If that's what they say, then you have to go. Yeah.

[A]

Which is what they're going to say. It's the same reason why times have been pushed back.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I think you need to fight for one.

[B]

God, the new. The private equity groups buying rinks and turning it into just a money making thing, which is what's happening here too.

[D]

Oh, I heard about that.

[B]

Dude, it's awful.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

They're going like this. We're just going to sell the ice time to other people because we don't care about your beer leak. And I'm like, okay, well yeah, there's.

[D]

What do they do? Do they just have open skate for like people to like dick around? Like kids and people?

[B]

I don't even know. They've. They're, they're ruining our weeknights. They're they're pushing the games back.

[A]

It is. It's crazy because you. When I look at how much we pay for beer league, I'm like, this is the most criminal racket of all time. But then clearly they're like, we don't make any money off of you guys. And I'm like, what?

[B]

I more think it's this Dan. They go, oh, we could be making more. They find these little ways to just make it tighten the screws even more.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

And I'm like, okay, thanks.

[A]

Also, it's like everyone just hates it. Like, all the refs are like, great. It's an 11:30 yearly game. Everyone's miserable. Everyone at the rink is like, great. We have to stay here forever. And I'm like, that is. That is crazy.

[D]

They're just ruining. Like, they ruined Jersey or trying to ruin Jersey Mike's.

[B]

They're ruining Jersey Mike.

[D]

Well, apparently they got by. By private equity.

[A]

Yes. And so now they're putting in less meat. They're caring less.

[C]

But.

[A]

But this has been going on for. I haven't had a problem with. Still slip.

[D]

I think it's good too.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

I think it's the fear that that's going to happen. Yeah. I have not seen evidence yet.

[B]

DeVito will never let that happen.

[D]

I hope not. Dude.

[A]

You never know.

[B]

Not while he's alive.

[D]

Don't make me go to Subway.

[A]

As long as he's getting that private equity money. You are wrong.

[D]

Yeah, he doesn't give a shit. Yeah, he's got a private chef. Shit.

[A]

It's tough. I mean, the answer is just we need more ice in this world. I mean, nothing has ever made made me more. Obviously this is a winter thing, but like being in Canada and seeing the Odrs and hearing guys being like that, that's what our. Where our beer league is.

[B]

I'm like, incredible.

[A]

That would be amazing. All right, that's going to wrap things up. Hope you enjoyed that amazing interview with Eric Johnson. We've got more awesome fun interviews for you coming. Do not forget if you are a fantasy sci Fi fan, tune in to Sci Fi section every Wednesday. That'll be coming out tomorrow. Episode 2 Unbelievable reception on the first app. So, so, so fun. If you're a Red Rising fan or if you're looking to get into a new book. Ch. Check it out. Listen. Follow us on all the socials guys. Subscribe, subscribe. Subscribe please. We love you. And until next episode, skate hard.