Normal Gossip Bonus Episode: Introducing "Only If You Get Caught" with Patrick Redford

Podcast: Normal Gossip
Host: Rachelle Hampton
Guest/Featured Host: Patrick Redford
Date: October 22, 2025
Episode Title: Bonus Episode: Introducing Only If You Get Caught with Patrick Redford

Overview

This bonus episode of Normal Gossip serves as an introduction and cross-promo for the new podcast Only If You Get Caught, hosted by Patrick Redford and produced by Defector Media and Radiotopia. Rachelle Hampton sets up the premise: an in-depth narrative exploration of cheating scandals, with a focus on understanding competitive frameworks by examining who breaks the rules and why. The episode includes the premiere of Only If You Get Caught's first episode, which deeply investigates the infamous 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals between the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction to "Only If You Get Caught"

• Cheating as a Lens for Understanding Competition: Patrick’s show uniquely frames rule-breaking as central to understanding competitive fields—sports, business, even publishing.

  "The best way to learn about any competitive framework is by looking closely at who breaks the rules and why." – Rachelle Hampton [02:07]

• Focus on Scandals: Episodes cover major cheating scandals, such as the NBA’s largest ever owner fine, the Varsity Blues admissions scandal, and chess cheating.

Podcast Structure Explained

• The Cheating Scandal 'Cheat Sheet':
  • Every episode dissects a cheating event into five components: the cheater, the cheated, the broken rule, the stakes, and the arbiter of truth.
  • Quick-fire introduction by Patrick and producer Alex.

    "Who are the cheaters? The ill-omened Los Angeles Lakers as well as the NBA are alleged to have carried this out either in concert, or the Lakers benefited from malfeasance by the NBA." – Patrick Redford [05:39]

• Why the 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals?
  • The Lakers-Kings series is considered one of the most notorious NBA conspiracy theories, with many believing officiating malfeasance cost the Kings a championship.
  • The Lakers, led by superstars Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, were high-value for the NBA in ratings and narrative.

Anatomy of a Conspiracy: Kings vs. Lakers, 2002

• Sacramento Kings as Tragic Heroes:
  • Described as one of the best teams of the early 2000s, defined by teamwork and a selfless, artistic playing style.
  • Kings fandom is framed as an “accursed birthright,” and their continual losing streak is traced directly to the heartbreak of the 2002 series.

  "In Kings fan lore, this stinkiness all began in 2002 when they believe the NBA cheated them." – Patrick Redford [08:37]

• Lakers as Villains/Favorites:
  • Contrasted as flamboyant, star-driven, and managed by mastermind Phil Jackson.
  • Jackson's goading, like calling Sacramento fans "semi-civilized rednecks," becomes enduring lore and tradition (the origin of the ARCO Arena cowbells).

The Drama of Game 6

• Officiating Controversy:
  • The role of the referees (Dick Bavetta, Ted Bernhardt, Bob Delaney) is detailed, with Bavetta held up as the league’s go-to for extending series for ratings.

    "Dick Bavetta was known to be ... the guy the league would bring in to ref Game 6s in series that they wanted to go to seven." – Tommy Craggs [25:20]

  • Game 6 detailed: Kings called for 16 fourth-quarter fouls, dubious calls sway the outcome. Ultimately, the Kings' best players are on the bench due to foul trouble, and a critical no-call (Kobe fouling Bibby) seals the result.
  • Roland Beech’s analysis suggests bad calls gave the Lakers a decisive points advantage.
• The Emotional Fallout:
  • Patrick explores the lasting psychic effect on Sacramento and Kings fans, tying in sports fandom’s need for conspiracy as a means of communal coping.
  • The infamous series is framed as a formative trauma that explains both the Kings’ ensuing failures and the potency of conspiracy theories.

  "It's easier to believe in conspiracies than it is to accept losing." – Patrick Redford [10:35]

Conspiracies and Their Roots in Fandom

• Structural Power and Referees:
  • Discussion with Tommy Craggs on how sports conspiracies often reflect real imbalances in league structures and the political economy of sports.
  • Refs seen as “Stern’s cops” implementing the NBA commissioner’s will.
  • The Tim Donaghy betting scandal is discussed as confirmation of fans’ suspicions about refereeing and manipulation.

    "Refs can shape the outcome of the game, whether according to the prerogatives of the league or because of their own petty bullshit..." – Tommy Craggs [33:10]

• Modern Impact:
  • Post-2002, fans become fixated on officiating, with new transparency fueling more, not fewer, conspiracy theories.

Acceptance and Reflection

• The Limits of Conspiracy:
  • Patrick reflects on moving beyond conspiracy and finding perspective. He stresses human fallibility, the impossibility of fixing games without exposure, and the emotional need that conspiracy-fueled suffering fulfills for fans.

  "Believing in the conspiracy theory is a form of cope. It stems from an inability to come to terms with the fact that your team will lose. No one wants that, but that's sports." – Patrick Redford [36:49]

• The Point of Fandom:
  • Ultimately, embracing the unpredictability and heartbreak of competition makes fandom meaningful, not the fantasy of secret control.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Nature of Cheating Scandals:

  "People bend the rules to get advantages all the time, both in and out of sports. To truly understand something ... you have to understand how people cheat and why."
  – Patrick Redford [03:25]

• On Sports Conspiracy Theories:

  "Sports conspiracies in general are instances of fans sort of intuiting the structures of the league—who is favored and who isn’t, who has power in the context of the league and who doesn’t."
  – Tommy Craggs [30:45]

• On Fandom as Self-Delusion:

  "Being a fan of any team involves a certain amount of self-delusion. You know you have no control. When your team wins, it feels almost liberatory ... When they lose ... it feels deflating."
  – Patrick Redford [03:10]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00–02:40] Introduction: The premise of Only If You Get Caught and the Normal Gossip/Defector universe.
• [05:30–07:02] Cheat Sheet: Patrick and Alex break down the components of the 2002 Kings-Lakers scandal.
• [12:49–18:28] Setting the Scene: Kings and Lakers’ rivalry, ARCO Arena, and the cultural context.
• [24:53–30:45] Game 6 & Officiating: Detailed account of the controversial calls and their impact.
• [30:45–34:33] Conspiracy as Fan Culture: How and why sports conspiracies take root, with Tommy Craggs.
• [34:39–36:49] Aftermath & Reflection: The lasting impact on Sacramento and Kings fandom; Patrick’s reflections on conspiracies and fandom’s meaning.

Tone and Style

Patrick Redford’s narration is sharp, self-aware, alternately wry and heartfelt. Rachelle Hampton’s introductions are playful and conversational. The tone is rich in fan culture references, pop sociology, and self-deprecating humor, appealing to both hardcore sports fans and those interested in larger questions of group psychology and narrative.

Summary

This Normal Gossip bonus episode offers an engaging, narrative-driven taste of "Only If You Get Caught." Listeners get a highly accessible, emotionally intelligent exploration of why cheating scandals matter—not just to fans, but to how we understand competitive institutions. By focusing on the 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals, Patrick Redford illustrates how myth, fandom, and conspiracy become deeply entwined in our experience of sports and help us process both triumph and heartbreak.

Recommended For: Anyone interested in sports, institutional power, conspiracy culture, or the emotional logic behind why we love—and sometimes suffer—from being fans.