Podcast Summary: TBTL #4572 “Corny On Main”
Date: October 9, 2025
Hosts: Luke Burbank & Andrew Walsh
Main Theme & Episode Purpose
This episode of TBTL captures classic “friends goofing through life” energy, with Luke and Andrew deep-diving into personal reactions to a recent, painful Seattle Mariners playoff loss. The discussion weaves in coping mechanisms for sports heartbreak, the psychology of fandom, childhood nostalgia, and tangents on everything from grocery stores to viral advertisements. The hosts’ unique blend of banter, sincerity, and pop culture references is front and center, with “corny on Main” moments about viral ads and social media lingo. The episode also includes their traditional "Blursday" birthday shoutouts.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Mariners Playoff Loss and (Not) Coping Well
- Luke and Andrew recount the emotional fallout from the Mariners blowing a playoff lead. Andrew watched the loss unfold, while Luke missed the game due to work, only catching up later.
- Andrew chronicles his emotional pivot: from “drinking a midday Bloody Mary in celebration” ([03:20]) to getting hit with “sports pain” so acute he chose to go on a therapeutic walk and grill instead of wallowing ([06:44]).
- The hosts reflect on their evolving approaches to sports heartbreak—whether to buffer your heart against possible pain, or just live in the moment and deal with consequences later.
- Discussion of how processing sports loss sometimes leads to misplaced anger online:
“Anything that’s a big deal to you is a big deal to you... Even if that thing is not important to someone else.” – Luke ([27:39]).
Notable quote:
“I'm not going to Rolling Thunder this sadness… I'm just not.” – Andrew ([04:32])
2. Mariners Group Chat & The Art of Sports Group Grieving
- The guys dissect the tone of their ongoing Mariners fan group text during the loss—debating the line between “venting” and “manifesting doom.”
- Disagreement over one friend’s “I always know…” comment (paraphrased as “told ya”), with Luke expressing that “pessimism for protective reasons” grates on him more than open despair ([15:30]).
- Insight into "text chain etiquette" for fandom and Andrew’s personal contribution:
“I'm going to fucking puke.” – Andrew, reading his own contribution ([14:00])
3. Coping Strategies & Emotional Regulation—on the Field and Off
- Luke encourages that it’s fine to feel deeply about sports, so long as you don't weaponize those feelings against others ([27:39]).
- The hosts share recent moments where they almost misdirected post-game anger at random internet strangers—“It feels better to be mad than to be sad” ([27:39]).
- They reflect on the therapy maxim: “if it matters to you, then it’s real.”
4. Mariners Managerial Decisions & National Perception
- Discussion of how Mariners manager Dan Wilson is perceived by national media as “not a good in-game manager” in contrast to Detroit’s AJ Hinch ([34:03]).
- Debate on whether specific managerial choices (pitcher changes, etc.) truly “cost” the series, summarizing: “It’s a no-win situation for the manager. Unless you win.” ([35:41])
5. Pop Culture Tangents: Halloween Costumes, Viral Ads, and Social Trends
- Luke and Andrew riff on Halloween costume ideas (“Leo DiCaprio in One Battle After Another”) and the pitfalls of appropriating characters from other cultures.
- In-depth tangent on a Buffalo Wild Wings ad featuring SNL’s Heidi Gardner and a CGI buffalo, and the overt “horny on main” energy of the premise ([42:41]).
- “She’s advocating for coitus with a massive buffalo… Again, a video of that on the Internet would get you flagged by the FBI.” – Luke ([42:16])
- Andrew introduces Luke to the social media term “horny on main” ([42:47]).
6. Listener Community & Positive Influence
- They remind listeners not to weaponize the show’s community for petty grievances, referencing a past negative Yelp review situation. Luke explicitly tells listeners not to go after businesses on their behalf ([31:24]).
7. Childhood Nostalgia: Grocery Stores, Neighborhood Freedom, and Privilege
- Deep dive into Seattle history and personal nostalgia around Bartell Drugs and Fred Meyer closing ([51:04]).
- Andrew recounts the rich cultural experience of shopping at a new international-focused grocery store and the practical joys of a listener-sent foldable backpack ([61:22]).
- Both reflect fondly on 1980s childhood independence, comparing how “free-range” kids used to be vs. today, with Luke deliberately caveating commentary around “helicopter parenting” ([69:47]):
“I guess all I’m trying to say is I am very, very grateful that I got to grow up in a way that was pretty free ranging and I would love... for more kids to be able to free range as much as possible.” – Luke ([66:00])
8. Internet Spam, Subscriptions, and Tech Headaches
- Andrew rails against the underhanded tactics businesses use to bury unsubscribe options in promotional emails ([92:22]).
- Both reminisce about the “Radio TV Interview Report” booklet—a symbol of analog promotional spam ([91:27]).
9. Blursday Shoutouts (Listener Birthday Segment)
- A round of birthday greetings to TBTL listeners, replete with inside jokes, loving messages, and some awkwardly explicit entries.
- “To the determined little sperm who jumped my tilted uterus and made me a mom. Happy 30th, Blursday, Elizabeth…” – Paula’s message ([78:12])
- “He wears his ‘No Mountain Too Tall’ hoodie with pride. Mommy loves him.” – Emily wishes James a happy 13th birthday ([77:36])
10. Upcoming Personal Excitement: Vegas Anniversary, Listener Questions for Susie B.
- Andrew mentions plans for a first real Las Vegas trip for his 25th anniversary ([82:01]).
- Luke puts out a call for listener questions for an upcoming special Q&A with his mom, Susie B. ([54:35]).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “I'm just not going to Rolling Thunder this sadness.” – Andrew ([04:32])
- “If you feel strongly about something ... If something matters to you, then it matters to you.” – Luke ([27:39])
- “It feels better than being sad: being mad.” – Luke ([27:39])
- “That was some real Hodor energy.” – Luke, to Andrew absorbing all the sports pain ([12:08])
- “She's advocating for coitus with a massive buffalo … Again, a video of that on the Internet would get you flagged by the FBI.” – Luke ([42:16])
- “Somebody's horny on Main.” – Andrew ([78:12])
- “I got really, really, really lucky with my young life in ways that it’s only now in adulthood do I realize how lucky I got it.” – Luke ([74:16])
- “I’m going to fucking puke.” – Andrew, re: Mariners’ loss ([14:00])
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:52 – Show open, Mariners playoff pain begins
- 03:20 – Andrew’s Bloody Mary, and switching from booze to a walk to ease pain
- 06:44 – Mental health, choosing not to “Rolling Thunder” the sadness
- 10:41 – Coping with the loss: actively NOT watching vs. living through it
- 15:19 – Mariners group chat etiquette: what’s helpful vs. what’s toxic in fan despair
- 27:39 – Why sports pain becomes targeted anger, and therapy wisdom
- 34:03 – Mariners managerial criticism: Dan Wilson vs. AJ Hinch
- 42:16 – Critique and breakdown of Buffalo Wild Wings’ “horny for buffalo” commercial
- 51:04 – Bartell Drugs and Fred Meyer closing: Seattle nostalgia
- 61:22 – Andrew’s love letter to his neighborhood grocery store
- 66:00–69:47 – Free-range kid nostalgia and shifting norms around childhood independence
- 77:36–80:49 – Blursdays: milestone birthdays, listener tributes, “tilted uterus” shoutout
- 82:01 – Vegas trip plans: architecture, recommendations, and blackjack
- 91:27 – Spam email hell and longing for the pre-internet era
Tone & Language
TBTL’s signature relaxed, tangential, and earnest conversational style dominates the episode. Listeners experience the emotional spectrum: sincere sports heartbreak, playful pop culture riffs, self-deprecating nostalgia, and the steady joy of inside jokes. The hosts’ open, self-aware banter is peppered with internet lingo and relatable moments.
For New Listeners
This episode is an excellent window into what makes TBTL beloved by its fans: the show is as much about community, camaraderie, and sharing the messiness of adult life as it is about any specific topic—baseball, childhood, or viral advertising. Even for non-sports fans, the discussions about emotional regulation, group chat dynamics, and nostalgia are universal and entertaining.
Skip ads, intros, and outros—the magic here is in the messy, meandering middle.