Podcast Summary: "Batman Tried To Kick My Ass" w/ John Feitelberg | Not Today, Pal

Podcast: Not Today, Pal with Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler
Episode: Batman Tried To Kick My Ass w/ John Feitelberg
Date: September 25, 2025
Network: YMH Studios
Guest: John Feitelberg (Barstool Sports, KFC Radio, Le Mascot)

Overview

This episode reunites Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler (Meadow and AJ from The Sopranos) with guest John Feitelberg, a Barstool Sports veteran and co-creator of the new series Le Mascot. The trio discuss podcast anxiety, misadventures with driverless cars, messy adolescence, bathroom disasters, Barstool culture, and behind-the-scenes stories from New York’s costumed street performers—including the titular Batman altercation. The conversation mixes sitcom sibling chemistry with behind-the-scenes comedy industry insights and classic New York anecdotes.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Guest Introduction & Podcast Anxieties

• [00:11–00:50]
  John Feitelberg expresses nerves despite being a seasoned podcaster, noting it’s different as a guest, especially in front of the Sopranos duo—much to the amusement of Jamie and Rob.
  • “I get. I don't know why I get nervous doing shows, but I do.” – John Feitelberg [00:46]

2. Technology & Driverless Car Fiascos

• [01:03–04:26]
  Rob recounts his frustrating experience with a Waymo self-driving car in Texas, highlighting delays, lack of control, and being dropped blocks from his destination in the heat.
  • “I'm just angry at technology. Yeah, we're old men.” – Rob Iler [04:22]
• The crew debates the safety and inevitability of driverless cars.
  • “I guarantee you, you'll be in a driverless car before 2026.” – Rob Iler [04:38]
  • Jamie remains adamant: “Not a fucking chance.” – Jamie-Lynn Sigler [04:52]

3. Social Etiquette, Childhood & Hygiene

• [05:00–07:31]
  Joking about moms calling out smelly taxis, the group reflects on the embarrassment of growing up, puberty milestones, and hygiene.
  • “I remember, like, three armpit hairs. And then someone's like, my mom's like, I think you have to start using deodorant. I'm like, yeah, probably… throw me the Old Spice.” – Rob Iler [07:29]

4. Awkwardness of Adolescence (Puberty, Locker Rooms)

• [07:57–09:24]
  The hosts and guest share tales of bravado and exaggeration among boys—lying about “ball hair,” sex, and even the mythic group penis-measuring at summer camps.
  • “I was also lying, talking about having sex, and I was like, usually I only do it for like, 40 minutes, though.” – John Feitelberg [08:05]

5. Cultural Bathroom Differences & Public Humiliation

• [09:30–12:18]
  From “Dominican squats” in public ballparks to accidentally walking in on a stranger in a bathroom, the show mines humor from mortifying toilet etiquette.
  • “Locked eyes. It was the most vulnerable position I’ve ever seen a man in.” – John Feitelberg [11:24]
  • “I never want to see this person [again].” – Rob Iler [12:10]

6. Barstool Sports Drama & “Le Mascot” Clip

• [12:27–21:21]
  The hosts play a clip of a Barstool staff argument, discussing the long-running on-screen feud between Rico Bosco and Jeff Nadu, and the raw, conflict-driven dynamic at Barstool Sports.
  • “They just keep bringing this guy to mess with him and eventually you just have to fight. Like, for six years…you got to fight.” – John Feitelberg [17:33]
  • Jamie probes whether men feel a physical urge to retaliate after enough provocation: “Is there just, like, some sort of impulse that takes over?” [19:13]

7. The Psychology of Gambling and Turning Big Wins into Bankruptcies

• [24:21–28:24]
  Comparing gambling to social spending, the group debates how lottery winners often lose it all, sharing ideas of what they'd do with $300 million.
  • “If I take $200 and put it on the Knicks, I’m guaranteed three hours of fun, and half the time I double my money.” – Rob Iler [25:27]
  • Jamie: “I read some crazy statistic that, like, 33% of people that win the lottery claim bankruptcy.” [27:22]

8. Airbnb, Privacy, and Rich People Myths

• [30:16–32:04]
  None of the hosts or guest would ever Airbnb their own home, revealing deep-seated privacy issues and aversions to “strangers in my apartment.”

9. The Inevitability of Economic Disparity

• [32:04–34:31]
  Rob provocatively argues that giving “everyone a check” wouldn’t end poverty, since so many lottery winners go back to being broke.
  • “There’s always going to be poor people because of what we just talked about…” – Rob Iler [32:04]

10. “Le Mascot”: Times Square’s Real-Life Cartoon Characters

• [34:31–38:07]
  Feitelberg describes the making of Le Mascot, a Barstool-produced series about NYC street performers. The characters (Elmo, Cookie Monster, Batman) compete for tourist dollars and turf—sometimes violently.
  • “I got in a fight filming. The footage is in episode one… I started getting pushed. And I was like, oh, hell yeah. Batman’s into it. So I started pushing back… then I felt a cold [hit]… it was just a homeless guy, head down, swinging…” – John Feitelberg [38:06–39:00]

11. Barstool’s Early Days, Growth, and Wild Ride

• [39:29–44:37]
  Feitelberg recounts joining Barstool as employee #5, reminiscing about the Blackout Tour days when he donned mascot suits, and the evolution to national stardom.
  • “When I first started, I was just an intern.” – John Feitelberg [41:18]
  • “I think one day, like, they're gonna make the Barstool movie. And I think it's gonna be really fucking good.” – Rob Iler [41:18]

12. Creative Freedom and Barstool’s Pirate Ship Mentality

• [46:25–52:54]
  In-depth discussion on Barstool’s culture pre- and post-corporate buyouts, creative autonomy, and how being owned by a gambling company (Penn) led to self-censorship and more regulation, only for Dave Portnoy to get the company back for a dollar.
  • “The goal is, of course, always to sell something like that. But then when you sell a pirate ship to a museum, they're going to decorate a little differently.” – John Feitelberg [51:24]
  • “We didn't clear it with anybody… if you're looking for creative freedom, we couldn't possibly have more.” – John Feitelberg [52:25–52:54]

13. Wrapping Up: The Joy of Making Art with Friends

• [53:28–54:48]
  Feitelberg, Jamie, and Rob reflect on the joy of making Le Mascot and other content with friends, where the fun and camaraderie outweigh embarrassment.
  • “You let people just explore… even if you fall flat on your face, you discover things through those moments.” – Jamie-Lynn Sigler [52:59]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Rob on driverless cars:
  “I'm just angry at technology. Yeah, we're old men.”
  [04:22]
• Jamie draws a boundary:
  “Not a fucking chance. I will never [get in a Waymo].”
  [04:52]
• Feitelberg on adolescent bravado:
  “I lied constantly, being like, yes, I definitely have ball [hair].”
  [07:58]
• Bathroom walk-in trauma:
  “Locked eyes. It was the most vulnerable position I’ve ever seen a man in.”
  – John Feitelberg [11:24]
• On Barstool drama:
  “They just keep bringing this guy to mess with him and eventually you just have to fight.”
  – John Feitelberg [17:33]
• Jamie on giving away lottery winnings:
  “I would give you 10 [million].”
  [28:13]
• Feitelberg on Barstool's culture:
  “When you sell a pirate ship to a museum, they’re going to decorate a little differently.”
  [51:29]
• Reflections on creativity:
  “When you let people just explore… you discover things through those moments.”
  – Jamie-Lynn Sigler [52:59]

Key Timestamps

• 00:11: Feitelberg’s intro and nerves
• 01:03–04:26: Rob’s Waymo saga
• 05:00–09:14: Childhood hygiene, puberty stories
• 11:02: Feitelberg’s bathroom walk-in horror
• 12:27: Barstool “Rico vs. Nadu” video and studio drama discussion
• 24:21: Comparing spending on gambling vs. social life
• 27:22: Discussing lottery winners and financial mishaps
• 32:04: Rob on “why poverty persists”
• 34:31: Inside Le Mascot and Times Square mascot culture
• 38:06–39:00: Feitelberg’s Batman “fight” story
• 41:18: Early Barstool history
• 46:25: Corporate buyouts, creative restrictions
• 51:24: The “pirate ship” ethos
• 52:57: Value of creative freedom

Closing Thoughts

This episode embodies the unscripted comic chemistry of Jamie-Lynn, Rob, and their guest—blending real-life mishaps, commentary on changing tech, adolescent nostalgia, and rare peeks behind the scenes of Barstool Sports and grassroots comedy production. The format is dynamic: organic story-sharing, deep dives, and running gags (driverless cars, bathroom humiliation, mascots-in-brawls) make it as engaging for Barstool fans as casual listeners.
“Le Mascot” emerges as both a love letter to New York City oddballs and a showcase for the kind of comedic risk-taking that Barstool and its alumni stand for.

Featured:

• Le Mascot (Barstool Sports on YouTube)
• KFC Radio
• Classic Barstool stories
• Sopranos trivia (“bad thoughts” on acting and set life)
• Creative, entrepreneurial comedy advice

For laughs, insight, and excellent behind-the-scenes stories, this episode is a must-listen for both Barstool Sports and Sopranos fans—plus anyone who’s ever awkwardly locked eyes in a public restroom.