Sunday Papers w/ Greg Fitzsimmons and Mike Gibbons

Episode 301 — February 15, 2026

Produced by Gotham Production Studios
Part of The Gotham Network

Main Theme & Episode Overview

This episode finds Greg and Mike offering their trademark blend of news, irreverent humor, personal anecdotes, and ethical head-scratchers, all filtered through the “funny pages” of the week’s headlines—plus plenty of playful banter about life, family, and recent events. They tackle everything from Super Bowl losses and vacation stories to ongoing scandals involving Epstein, AI fears, and even a serial defecator in Wisconsin. The pair also invite listeners into their worlds with stories about family poker nights, bittersweet nostalgia, and hard-hitting takes on ethics, all punctuated by their quick wit and easy rapport.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Banter & Tech Woes

• [02:22] Greg faces audio issues, likening the experience to his wife echoing everything he says with sarcasm:

  “...I'm used to my wife repeating everything I say, but that's with an echo of sort of incredulity and sarcasm.” — Greg (02:22)

• Mike compares Greg’s struggles to his own time in Florida with his technophobic dad.

2. Family, Parenting, and Valentine’s Day

• [04:06] Both discuss how their children fled the Northeast winter—Sophie escapes to Guatemala/Nicaragua on her first vacation from her new job.

  “That's how much the cold drove her out.” — Mike (04:28)

• Greg admits he’ll miss Valentine’s Day for a poker game, much to his wife’s delight:

  “She just loves when I come home and I’ve lost money. It's just—it's romantic.” — Greg (06:06)

• Running joke about a friend’s poker night and the host’s wife, and Mike’s confessions on why he dislikes poker but loves backgammon.

3. Super Bowl Reactions & Halftime Shows

• [11:07] Both found the recent Super Bowl underwhelming, with Greg reminiscing about halftime's humble past:

  “It used to be something you did while everybody went and took a shit and went on a beer run. ...Now you’ve got people starting investigations about Bad Bunny. It's insanity.” — Greg (11:32)

• Mike appreciates the details of this year’s show, including use of real people and subtle nods to Brooklyn and LA taco stands.

4. Gambling Tales, Super Bowl Pools, and High Stakes

• [15:54] Mike recounts being seconds away from winning a pool, trying to sell his “square” for quick cash, but losing out.
• [17:10] Greg’s sister wins the pool, offsetting her husband’s near $50K loss due to a called-back touchdown. They marvel at how regular people manage such big money pools.

5. Miracle on Ice Documentary

• [18:01] Mike discusses watching the “Miracle” doc with his family, praising its “David and Goliath” narrative and highlighting how blue-collar the American players were.

  “It really did not go for ... the waterworks ... but the best part was my dad... and Olivia, though, was very into it.” — Mike (18:01)

6. Epstein Files, Conspiracy, and Political Theater

• [21:14] Both praise Tim Dillon’s new episode on Epstein:

  “Tim Dillon is, like, otherworldly as a podcaster. He is so powerful...” — Greg (21:14)

• [37:03] Pam Bondi’s congressional testimony on Epstein:

  “She accused the Democrat of theatrics for asking her to just make eye contact with them and recognize them.” — Mike (38:25)

• They satirize Bondi’s avoidance of accountability and the way political hearings pivot to unrelated “wins” (like stock market performance) in the face of tough questions.

7. Gambling & Insider Betting Scandals

• [41:12] Discussion of Israeli soldiers indicted for insider trading on Polymarket, with $150K in winnings and broader implications of betting on war and global events.

8. AI Fears & Bioweapons

• [66:43] They discuss a prominent AI researcher quitting, warning “the world is in peril.”

  “There once was a thing called AI, and billionaires used it to spy...” — Greg recites a limerick as the engineer’s possible first poem (67:40)

• [69:00] Worries about AI’s exponential learning and how it’s poised to eclipse entry-level jobs in multiple industries.

9. Ethical Dilemmas & Listener Questions

• [52:46] Is it ethical to keep nude pictures of an ex for personal use?

  “I never had any nude photos at all of any ex-girlfriend. I never saw a nude photo of a girl I was dating. Like, I'm that old.” — Greg (53:55)

• Rapid-fire: Ditching a helpful friend with bad opinions, helping a homeless cousin after years of frugality, and reporting a neighbor’s makeshift auto shop (with ICE implications).

10. News of the Weird: Serial Defecator & Texas Tragedy

• [59:54] Wisconsin woman repeatedly shitting in a park—drone footage helps police catch the “serial defecator.”

  “If you write her a ticket, she’s just going to wipe her ass with it.” — Greg (61:04)

• [62:43] In Texas, a drunken father accidentally shoots and kills his daughter after a Trump argument; the man is not charged, provoking both hosts’ horror and satire.

11. Swiss Population Control Referendum

• [49:30] Switzerland’s proposed population cap triggers jokes about Swiss countryside and government euphemisms:

  “Family reunification, that sounds like such a nice way of kicking somebody the fuck out of your country.” — Greg (50:27)

12. Olympics: Scandal, Confessions, and Proposals

• [71:39] Norwegian Olympian uses his post-race interview to confess cheating on his girlfriend, revealing the personal pressure faced by high-achieving athletes.

13. This Day in History & Trivia

• [74:00+] Mike quizzes Greg on events like the creation of YouTube (2005), “Silence of the Lambs” release (1991), and the adoption of Canada’s maple leaf flag (1965).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Old Friends Moving Away:

  “It's like you stepped in it and it's in your shoe—you’re not getting rid of that.” — Mike, on the serial defecator’s persistence (60:58)

• On Pam Bondi Testifying:

  “Translation: I am not going to do my job, which right now is to answer questions, and I'm also not going to do it in general.” — Mike (38:31)

• Greg on Young Love Letters:

  “I just felt like I’ve never loved anybody the way I love her. And I wouldn’t want [my wife] to read those and think that I had because...love is excessive at that age.” (55:34)

• On AI Outpacing Us:

  “AI can tell when it’s being tested and behaves better...and then when it's not, it gets a lot more autonomous.” — Mike (69:00)

• On Greg’s Travel Burnout:

  “I'm in the middle of 10 weeks on the road, and I'm starting to burn out already. Jesus. I'm not sick, though...” — Greg (24:05)

Important Timestamps

• Tech troubles and family banter: [02:22–03:25]
• Super Bowl/halftime discussion: [11:07–12:58]
• Gambling, Super Bowl pools: [15:54–17:51]
• “Miracle” documentary chat: [18:01–20:25]
• Corrections segment (Epstein, Raging Bull, Leno, etc.): [24:54–29:36]
• Epstein testimony & Pam Bondi: [37:03–41:12]
• Polymarket insider trading scandal: [41:12–44:50]
• AI researcher quits: [66:43–69:29]
• Serial defecator/Drones in Wisconsin: [59:54–61:56]
• Texas daughter tragedy: [62:43–66:08]

Listener Interactions, Letters, and Games

• Ethical questions: [52:46–59:13]
• Letters to the Editor: [80:07–82:38]
• Obituaries: [82:41–84:39]
• Comic Caption Contest: [84:46–87:35]
• Sunday Funnies Read-Through: [89:52–91:47]
• Trivia/This Day in History: [74:00–79:53]

Tone & Style

Irreverent, quick-witted, and openly self-deprecating, the conversation is both newsy and personal, veering from hard-hitting satire of political theater (especially around Epstein and Pam Bondi) to nostalgia, trivia, and the absurd. The frequent asides, shared laughter, and willingness to poke fun at themselves, their families, and each other make for a lively, free-wheeling show.

Summary Takeaway

This is a classic Sunday Papers episode: wide-ranging, acerbic, and intimate, mixing big news with petty grievances and offbeat ethical quandaries. Whether they’re dissecting the failures of politicians, sharing gambling woes, debating morality, or analyzing drone footage of a serial pooper, Greg and Mike bring a blend of sharp humor and honest insight—reminding listeners that sometimes the news really does belong on the comics page.