TBTL #4574 "That’s A Delicious Yammer"

Date: October 13, 2025
Hosts: Luke Burbank, Andrew Walsh

Episode Overview

In this Monday edition of TBTL, Luke and Andrew plunge into their particular blend of daily absurdity and life's small mysteries. They open with a goofy volley of “describe me in one word or less,” then launch into signature flights of banter, including a quirky advertising mystery and their evolving superstitions during the Mariners’ postseason run. The bulk of the episode explores the emotional highs, anxieties, and rituals of following the Mariners through their tense playoff games, dissecting managerial decisions, fanbase politics, interpersonal neuroses, and how all of this weaves into their own lives. Along the way, classic TBTL detours include childhood stories, box-disposal etiquette, the politics of national anthems, and an epic ode to calligraphy.

Key Segments & Discussion Highlights

1. Opening Banter — "Describe Me in One Word or Less" (00:00–01:40)

• Luke and Andrew riff with nonsense responses to the challenge, setting a playful tone for the show.
• Andrew: "Can you describe me in one word or less?"
• Luke: “Chubby.” Andrew: “Thank you. Can you describe me in one word or less? Meow.”

2. Mariners Superstitions & The Lucky Paddington Sweater (01:41–06:45)

• Luke details his "lucky" Paddington Bear sweater—worn for recent Mariners comebacks—which has assumed almost talismanic importance.
• Luke's workspace now includes a Mariners "shrine," with family photos, a Polanco home run ball, and more.
• Quote: "I put this on... and after I put the sweater on, they came back and won the game... now I guess I live in this sweater." —Luke (02:58)

3. Breaking Down a Curious Seahawks Ad (06:45–19:39)

• Andrew introduces the day’s first “mystery”: an unexpectedly placed calligraphy service ad that aired twice—specifically during Seattle Seahawks games.
• The two riff on what services would be "least likely" to advertise during football, before the reveal: it's a local calligraphy business, offering event calligraphy and even calligraphy event stations.
• Memorable moment: Andrew celebrates the audacity of their ad buy: “After hearing a bunch of men bang their heads into each other and go into blue tents... then they’re just like, ‘you need calligraphy at your next event.’ And I love this so much. Isn’t it great?” (19:14)

4. A Calligraphy & Family Business Detour (19:39–24:30)

• Luke shares how calligraphy has touched his own life: his father's foray into the sign business, and how former colleagues left for the "lucrative world" of calligraphy, focusing on Bible verses at farmers markets.
• The passing mention of pressed flowers and signage brings out nostalgia and musings on “naming some guys” in baseball and in life.

5. Box Etiquette, Family Dynamics & Liminal Guilt (24:30–32:00)

• Luke recounts giving his dad an expensive, slightly defective fire pit, only to be left with the soaking wet box to dispose of—triggering a small, comical spiral about adult family dynamics and transactional guilt.
• Andrew empathizes with the obsessive-compulsive box-cutting impulse, and together they muse on how family and work blend awkwardly when you're "your parent's employer.”
• Quote: “I think what’s underpinning all this was a slight feeling of, Oh, wow… was that the way, should I have given it to them? Should I have tried to resell it? Should I have held onto it for an extra six months? …it complicates your relationship when you have hired one of your parents.” —Luke (31:03)

6. Mariners Playoff Mania: Emotional Toll and Rituals (32:00–72:06)

a. The Joy and Terror of Following the Playoffs (32:34–61:00)

• Andrew details his journey from resigned pessimism to hope on Friday’s elimination game, including leaving the bar mid-game to finish listening alone—screaming and clapping in the street after their win.
• Luke describes watching alone, oscillating between dissociation, pacing, and outbursts so intense he fears his neighbors can hear.
• Both hosts explore how superfandom turns them into neurotic, illogical creatures, but also delivers singular, cathartic joy.

b. Managing Emotions and Rituals in Social vs. Solo Watching (61:01–74:00)

• Andrew laments feeling "too intense" in groups; Luke admits that solo-watching brings out his own weirdest behaviors.
• Both strategize future viewing—balancing bar socializing, routines, and solo pacing depending on the game’s importance.

c. Outlook for Remaining Series and Fan Temperaments (74:00–86:35)

• Optimism battles superstition: Luke dwells on savoring the possibility of a pressure-free win; Andrew counterbalances with anxiety about the Mariners carving a new, painful narrative.
• Quote: "I think what I’m worried about is the narrative where we lost in a devastating way... But I’m really scared of some sort of narrative that turns it into, 'boy they really owned us in a specifically torturous way.'” —Andrew (85:00)

7. Callers Chime In / Listener Voicemails (131:24)

• Fans express support, joy, and share that following the Mariners is more meaningful because of TBTL.

Notable Tangents & Memorable Quotes

On Mariners Fandom and Baseball’s Emotional Knife-Edge

• “Every single pitch could just be the game… There is just something unique about the way baseball functions as a sport that turns it into an absolute pressure cooker if you are someone who has, like, you said, Andrew, been really caring about this since March.” —Luke (66:15)
• “You become—particularly when there’s no one else around—a person in your home environment with no supervision and a baseball game on, a playoff baseball game on… it really brings out the crazy.” —Luke (74:46)

On National Anthems, Rivalry, and Politeness (40:41–49:39)

• Andrew raises the fear of Mariners fans booing the Canadian national anthem and expresses hope—shared by both hosts and donors—that the crowd stays respectful.
• Luke: “It used to exist in the category of razzing, but it, to me, it no longer does because of what is happening in this world… I don’t want us booing Canada because we may need to live there.” (44:13–44:21)
• Amusing sponsor thanks interwoven with imagined donor opinions, highlighting the show's meta-satire and deep listener relationships.

On Mariners Manager Dan Wilson and Managerial Debates (93:08–118:52)

• Extended, passionate debate about Dan Wilson’s performance as manager: Is he a “beer-loving, vibes guy” getting lucky, or a quietly capable leader? Are managers ever heroes, or only scapegoats?
• Quote: “I guess I feel like... the outcome from it has overall been, for me, positive. And so, like, I guess to me the proof’s in the pudding and the pudding is pretty good right now.” —Luke (111:09)
• The segment highlights how sports talk culture, fan psychology, and close textual analysis collide for fans in October baseball.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening Riff / "Describe Me in One Word or Less" — 00:00–01:40
• Mariners Superstitions & Paddington Sweater — 01:41–06:45
• The Calligraphy Ad Mystery — 06:45–19:39
• Personal Calligraphy-Signage Backstory — 19:39–24:30
• Box Etiquette & Family Dynamics — 24:30–32:00
• Emotional Playoff Baseball Odyssey — 32:00–72:06
• National Anthem & Fan Etiquette Debate — 40:41–49:39
• Listener Voicemails — 131:24

Tone & Language

The episode is classic TBTL: improvisational, self-effacing, and highly personal—equal parts wise, neurotic, and compassionate. Banter is laced with niche references, gentle sarcasm, and affectionate self-deprecation. Listeners are assumed to be in on decades of in-jokes, but the content remains inviting and earnest, especially when tackling sports, family, and the eccentric joys of "naming some guys."

Summary: Why Listen

If you’re a Mariners fan, a sports-obsessed neurotic, or simply love hearing two friends spiral about life’s meaning squeezed through snacks, family detritus, and October playoff tension—this is TBTL at its best: funny, real, and sneakily profound, with room for sublime digressions from calligraphy to cardboard boxes to why baseball can make normally rational adults lose their finely polished minds.