Sunday Papers w/ Greg and Mike Ep. 302 – February 22, 2026

Hosts: Greg Fitzsimmons & Mike Gibbons
Produced by: Gotham Production Studios
Theme: A weekly, comedic take on current events, culture, sports, and everyday life—with irreverent banter, reader submissions, and classic “Sunday Papers” segments.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Greg and Mike dive into the week’s headlines, riff on Olympic drama and sports spoilers, weigh in on AI scandals and royal family news, and banter about everything from Woody Allen films to whale communication. They manage corrections on past mistakes, field ethical hypotheticals, and round things out with obituaries, caption contests, and darkly funny personal stories—all in their trademark sarcastic, rapid-fire style.

Main Segments & Key Discussion Points

1. Olympics Mania & The Sports "No Spoilers" Debate ([01:41]-[14:41])

• Greg's Olympic Obsession:

  • Got hooked in the second week, especially women’s figure skating and Alyssa Liu's emotional gold medal win.
  • “She went into it saying, I really don’t care about the medals...When she did win, it was that much better because it wasn’t desperate.” – Greg [10:44]

• Sports Spoilers & Text Chains:

  • Greg complains about friends texting spoilers: “Is that too much to ask? … All that gets me through that flight is knowing I’m gonna sit on my couch with my bong in my hand—no, I don’t smoke a bong—but I’m gonna sit on the couch and watch football.” – Greg [02:24]
  • Mike ribs Greg: “Remember in 2001, we’re like, oh, my God, the second tower. You’re like, no, no, no, no. No spoilers.” – Mike [03:08]

• Olympians Switching Countries:

  • Discussion about Eileen Gu, American-born skier competing for China.
  • Mike: “China paid her…that’s controversial, I guess, with some people.” [06:39]
  • Greg jokes: “I think I'm going to do comedy for Ireland.” [06:53]

• Medal Mentality:

  • Mike: “No one is training for silver, right?” [14:16]
  • Greg: “Every single week that I go to the iTunes podcast charts and I see Bad Friends ahead of us, and it’s like a knife to the gut.” [14:28]

2. Comedy Industry and Epstein Files ([15:48]-[16:55])

• Discuss comedians’ names showing up in the Epstein files, with Greg suggesting it became almost a humblebrag, clarifying that many were only mentioned because Epstein attended their shows.

3. Listener Interactions & Corrections ([19:59]-[24:50])

• Greg and Mike read corrections from listeners:

  • Jenga/Jingo confusion
  • Biathlon pronunciation (bi-ath-alon)
  • Medal podium terminology
  • The Wright brothers and their bicycles
  • Facts about The Sound of Music

• Playful jabs at each other about who’s more distracted during recording.

  • Greg: “We should have the screen face down, because that's where your head is looking at your phone about 30% of the time.” [22:02]

4. Headlines and News Analysis

a. AI Deepfakes Scandal (Elon Musk's Grok) ([30:44]-[34:44])

• Congressional Concern:
  • Musk’s chatbot Grok “creates sexualized deepfakes,” including of minors.
  • “Once again...we're simply saying what's in the news.” – Greg [31:43]
• Should AI-Generated Child Content Be Allowed?
  • Touchy, satirical discussion referencing Louis CK’s “hear me out” SNL monologue.
• Political Side-Eye:
  • Mike: “Most Democrats were upset at this because it's hurting the stock price and they bought it early, just like all the other Congress people.” [33:58]
  • Nancy Pelosi’s stock-picking prowess [34:18]

b. Berkshire Hathaway & Conservative Investing ([34:44]-[37:03])

• 19.9% growth rate since 1964, “nearly doubling the S&P 500’s 10.4.”
• Anecdotes about Warren Buffett’s low-key lifestyle.

c. Royal Family, Justice, and Inbreeding ([38:00]-[40:14])

• King Charles’ statement supporting “the law must take its course” over Prince Andrew’s situation.
• Greg: “You gotta remember we're the new royal family...for thousands of years arranged marriages with 11 and 12 year old girls.” [39:12]
• Speculation about royal family’s inbreeding: “It’s a sapling, not a tree.” – Greg [39:56]

d. Taliban’s Oppressive Laws ([40:20]-[43:04])

• Taliban allows men to beat wives if there’s no visible evidence—darkly satirized by Greg and Mike.

e. Voter Suppression & Women’s Rights ([43:04]-[43:49])

• Suppression through document requirements for women who’ve changed their names.

f. Whale Communication Breakthrough ([44:45]-[45:25])

• Scientists exchange “contact calls” with a whale named Twain.
• Mike jokes: “Unfortunately, the whale named Twain kept using the N word...because he’s named Twain.” [45:00]

5. Entertainment Segment

a. Woody Allen Film Festival w/ Daughter ([53:01]-[55:50])

• Greg debates whether it’s wrong to show his daughter Woody Allen films.
• “I just don’t think that Woody would cheat on his daughter.” – quoting a stand-up on Woody Allen in the Epstein files [53:58]
• Praise for Crimes and Misdemeanors: “It’s an exploration of God and...essentially the heart of the movie.” – Greg [54:11]

b. Classic Films & Series

• Mike: Moonstruck is “close to flawless.” [55:57]
• Starting Lonesome Dove “because of the great Robert Duvall.” [56:02]

6. America’s Dark Side: Crime & Philly Stories

a. Florida Man Segment ([56:54]-[58:24])

• Father-son argument over walking the dog ends in fatal shooting.
• “If you have the energy to kill your dad, you can stand by a dog as it poops.” – Mike [58:15]

b. Philly Creep Segment ([58:24]-[61:37])

• Old woman mugged at bus stop; comparisons to 1970s New York.
• Anecdote about Vinnie “The Chin” Gigante’s mom being mugged and the aftermath.

7. Ethical Dilemmas ([47:38]-[52:55])

• Question 1: Would you switch seats with a drunk friend with a felony warrant at a DUI checkpoint?

  • Mike: “As I’m about to hop over, I’m like, you’re gonna pay for everything...Then I guess I would.” [49:43]

• Question 2: Would you provide a false alibi for your daughter in court?

  • Mike: “...If you will get away with this lie, I would.” [51:19]

• Tangential but hilarious asides about stop sign violations and using a mannequin to ride in the carpool lane.

8. Corrections & Listener Engagement ([19:59]-[24:50])

• Listeners correct errors: Jenga vs. Jingo, biathlon pronunciation, The Sound of Music, and Wright Brothers facts.
• Mike’s distracted podcasting called out playfully by Greg.

9. Obituaries ([67:56]-[75:18])

• Jesse Jackson: Trailblazing civil rights leader, two-time presidential candidate, SNL legend.
• Robert Duvall: Prolific actor, 7-time Oscar nominee, 4-time winner.
  • “Amazing actor. And also, the way he led his career…he really was about the work.” – Greg [73:02]

10. Weekly Caption Contest & Listener Creativity ([75:24]-[78:47])

• Caption of the Week (Snowman cartoon):
  “It's hard to see dad like this, but cheer up. The Dow is over 50,000 right now.” – Rob Mitchell [77:01]
• Next week's cartoon: Woman in cocktail dress at a slot machine, gin and tonic IV.

11. Best Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Remember in 2001, we’re like, oh, my God, the second tower. You’re like, no, no, no, no. No spoilers.” – Mike [03:08]
• “I just don’t think that Woody would cheat on his daughter.” – Stand-up quoted by Greg [53:58]
• “He gave me a card on where to get my steaks.” – Mike, about Robert Duvall’s obsession with meat [72:59]
• “If you have the energy to kill your dad, you can stand by a dog as it poops, right?” – Mike [58:15]
• “It’s so fucked up that these women in so many of these countries are not allowed to vote and yet they’re forced to dress as voting booths. That was in my act for a long time.” – Greg [43:04]

12. Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------|------------------| | Olympics/Spoiler Banter | 01:41 – 14:41 | | Epstein Files/Comedy Names | 15:48 – 16:55 | | Listener Corrections | 19:59 – 24:50 | | Grok AI Deepfake Scandal | 30:44 – 34:44 | | Berkshire Hathaway/Buffett | 34:44 – 37:03 | | Royal Family/Monarchy | 38:00 – 40:14 | | Taliban Law Satire | 40:20 – 43:04 | | Voter Suppression | 43:04 – 43:49 | | Whale “Conversation” | 44:45 – 45:25 | | Entertainment/Caption Contest | 53:01 – 78:47 | | Obituaries – Jesse Jackson & Duvall | 67:56 – 75:18 |

Tone & Style

• Fast-paced, irreverent, sharp, and often darkly humorous.
• Unapologetically opinionated, tangential, and willing to “go there.”
• Deeply interactive with listeners through corrections and contests.

Summary

This episode of Sunday Papers features Greg and Mike’s trademark comedic take on Olympic stories (spoilers, medals, and country-hopping athletes), a rundown of current events both ridiculous and disturbing (AI deepfakes, royal scandals, oppressive Taliban rules), and heartfelt if offbeat tributes in the obituaries section. Corrections from eagle-eared listeners provide fodder for self-deprecating jokes, and their ethical hypotheticals spark relatable, rule-bending confessions. The show is rounded out with a competitive caption contest, pop culture riffs (including whether it’s wrong to show your kid Woody Allen movies), and stories from their personal and professional lives—all while keeping the tone biting, playful, and welcoming to loyal listeners.

Recommended for:
Anyone who loves acerbic, quick-thinking news riffing with plenty of laughs, pop culture asides, and a peek into the life and mind of working comedians.