TBTL #4544 “Gordon Geico”
Air Date: September 1, 2025
Hosts: Luke Burbank & Andrew Walsh
Overview
In this special Labor Day episode of TBTL, Luke Burbank and Andrew Walsh riff on contemporary labor issues, fantasy football anxiety, the Cleveland Browns, grocery store closures, the perils of unchecked capitalism, and, naturally, the cultural moment of Twisted Tea. The episode weaves together personal anecdotes, sharp observations on current events, and the friendly, self-deprecating banter listeners expect, all while occasionally threatening to actually share Labor Day “fun facts.”
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Labor Day and the Nature of Work
- The show opens with both hosts reflecting on their careers in podcasting and the (somewhat ironic) reality of working on Labor Day.
- [01:29] Luke: “That’s right. The day that we celebrate all the hard workers in this country… Of course, that’s not how it works over here in podcast land… Here we are working. We are available for y’all five days a week, 52 weeks a year.”
Andrew’s Fantasy Football Draft Anxiety
- Andrew brings up his total disconnect from current NFL players, leading to a sheepish request for Luke’s help with his fantasy draft.
- [03:02] Andrew: "Tonight is my fantasy football draft… I woke up thinking about today—I can name three NFL quarterbacks off the top of my head."
- Mild, comic confusion over player names ensues, including a running joke about "Mahomes" not counting as two names.
- Discussion shifts to the devaluation of running backs in the NFL, showing both their declining interest and appreciation for sports.
The Cleveland Browns: Moral, Civic, and Personal Disappointments
- Andrew rails at length about the Browns’ “stench,” referencing both the Deshaun Watson controversy and the Browns’ recent decision to move their stadium out of Cleveland.
- [06:52] Andrew: “They’re getting Joe Flacco literally out of the retirement home. I don’t mean out of retirement—I mean literally out of a retirement home to start.”
- [09:20] Andrew: “They’re moving [the stadium] out of Cleveland to Brook Park, which is like a suburb… Haslam did, to go down to the statehouse and [get] an exemption… so they’re not even playing in Cleveland anymore.”
- He expresses exasperation at how ownership decisions (influenced by MAGA politics and Trump tweets) disregard the city’s legacy and its working-class fans.
- [11:31] Luke: Highlights how relocating teams reflects and amplifies urban disinvestment and a wider social narrative painting cities as dangerous or failing.
Grocery Store Closures & Urban Decline Narratives
- The conversation pivots to the wave of Fred Meyer grocery store closures in Seattle and Portland, with both hosts angered by media coverage that blames “high crime” instead of larger economic and social trends.
- [13:22] Andrew: “I saw a headline… ‘Fred Meyer closing two Washington Locations because of high crime’… And literally the next day… people saying… the loss rates at these stores are not there. There are not the numbers to back up that you’re closing these stores because of high crime.”
- [15:05] Andrew: “It’s pretty clear this company has made bad business decisions… But when they close things, they have to say, ‘Oh, it’s because there’s so much crime in Seattle.’”
- [16:21] Luke: “It’s Amazon, it’s a million other things… Don’t make it seem like it’s shoplifting related when… your business model’s not working.”
Late-Stage Capitalism & Corporate Real Estate Games
- The hosts get philosophical about unchecked capitalism, the role of private equity, and the real estate angle underpinning retail closures:
- [19:59] Luke: “A lot of these large chains, what they really were were massive real estate holes… Because they were never planning on running that company. They were planning on stripping out the asset which was the real estate.”
- The take: What’s sold as safety or efficiency is usually capital consolidation at citizens’ expense.
TBTL Listener Acknowledgments (Donors of the Day)
- [22:46] A segment of lighthearted gratitude for listener-supporters, segueing into jokes about local politics—could Andrew ever be mayor? Would Luke run for mayor of Longview, Texas?
Hawaii Travel and the Comforts of Returning
- Anecdotes about vacation planning around Kihei, Hawaii, and Marriott Bonvoy points (with some mock humility about not remembering hotel details), lead into reflections about the joys of returning to familiar places.
- [30:48] Andrew: “I love returning to places that bring me happiness… I don’t have that wanderlust of wanting to check off all kinds of boxes and seeing as many places as possible.”
Twisted Tea: From Irony to Cultural Moment
- A recurring show joke about Andrew’s affinity for Twisted Tea grows into an exploration of its meteoric cultural rise:
- [32:40] Andrew: “There’s something going on… They have made a push and they have broken through into another level… It’s like the Summer of Twisted Tea.”
- Discussion covers the flavors (particular disdain for the “Bomb Pop”/Rocket Pop variant), the changing American alcohol landscape, and the power of ironic-to-earnest product trends.
(Almost) Labor Day Fun Facts
- With only a few minutes left, the hosts finally approach the purported topic: Labor Day trivia.
- [37:23] Luke: “Oregon was the first state to declare Labor Day as an official holiday in 1887. That is the most fun fact about Labor Day, Andrew.”
- Cue a series of facts, bantered tone, and a Waffle House anti-labor joke.
- [38:44] Luke: “The first Waffle House opened on Labor Day… which of course indicates a certain anti labor practice on the part of Waffle House. Day one, you’re working on a holiday.”
End-of-Show Goofs
- The episode closes with riffs on the first Labor Day concert, the satirical idea of Rich Little playing all biopic main characters, and further banter about podcasting as “jogging”—it’s always better after it’s over.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On fantasy football cluelessness:
“That’s two of my three quarterbacks I can name.”
— Andrew, [03:38] -
On the Browns’ current QB:
“They’re getting Joe Flacco literally out of the retirement home. I don’t mean out of retirement—I mean literally out of a retirement home to start.”
— Andrew, [06:52] -
On urban disinvestment narratives:
“There are a lot of people who have been tricked into thinking that real cities are dangerous for them… which is so, so untrue and such a bummer.”
— Luke, [12:33] -
On Fred Meyer closures:
“Just because the company is saying why they’re making these moves does not make it true. And the Times headline writers just decided to run with that as if it were a fact.”
— Andrew, [13:22] -
On late-stage capitalism:
“It seems like the experiment is failing in real time now…”
— Andrew, [19:39] -
On the evolving Twisted Tea landscape:
“I want my twisted tea the way that my forefathers had it and their forefathers before them. Okay. I need all this new weird shit going on.”
— Luke, [36:42] -
On Labor Day trivia:
“That is the most fun fact about Labor Day, Andrew.”
— Luke, [37:44] -
On podcasting as exercise:
“This show is like jogging for me. Right before it starts, I’m absolutely miserable and convinced it was a bad decision, and then when it’s done, I’m so happy it’s over.”
— Luke, [44:31]
Key Timestamps
- Labor Day opening reflections: [01:16–02:13]
- Fantasy football confusion: [03:02–06:20]
- The Browns drama: [06:52–11:31]
- Fred Meyer/grocery store closures: [13:22–19:28]
- Late-stage capitalism rant: [19:59–22:19]
- Donor of the Day and local mayor speculation: [22:46–26:44]
- Hawaii travel & favorite places: [27:02–30:48]
- Twisted Tea deep dive: [32:04–36:42]
- Labor Day fun facts (at last): [37:23–39:40]
- Biopics and Rich Little tangent: [41:16–43:13]
- Outro riffing & closing thoughts: [44:31–end]
Tone & Style
Seamlessly blending sincere social commentary, digressive tangents, local color, and good-natured mutual ribbing, this episode embodies classic TBTL. Luke and Andrew’s conversational style is equal parts earnest grievance, comedic small talk, and affectionate reminiscence—on a day meant to honor working people, they find a way to vent, amuse, and connect it all to their own (somewhat unconventional) work lives.
For Those Who Missed the Episode…
This episode is a quintessential slice of TBTL: the hosts dive deep into everyday topics (sports, city politics, grocery stores), extract bigger meaning about the state of society and labor, sprinkle in inside jokes about Twisted Tea and local journalism, and wrap it in a thoroughly relatable, digressive, and self-aware package. Even without the purported “fun facts,” you’ll come away with a wry, timely meditation on work, community, and how to keep laughing through it all.