The Best One Yet – Episode Summary

Podcast: The Best One Yet
Episode Title: 👟 “Air Force Kirkland” — Nike’s Costco sneaker. Amex’s $895 mirror card. Jimmy Kimmel’s cancellation. +Kevin Durant’s crypto password.
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Date: September 19, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Nick and Jack deliver their signature pop-biz news breakdown with three stories that range from a shocking credit card fee hike, to a late-night show scandal with political overtones, to the viral rumor of a Nike-Costco sneaker collab. They infuse the news with witty banter, memorable analogies, and practical takeaways–plus a wild investment story featuring NBA star Kevin Durant.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening Segment: Kevin Durant’s Forgotten Crypto Fortune

Timestamps: [01:13] – [02:52]

• Story: NBA star Kevin Durant forgot the password to his Coinbase crypto account in 2016 and hasn’t accessed it since.
• Result: Durant’s Bitcoin, once worth ~$700/coin, has ballooned in value to ~$117,000/coin—a 17,000% gain purely by accident.
• Hosts’ Hot Take: Sometimes the best investment strategy is to “put money in the market and then forget about it”—literally.
• Memorable Exchange:
  • “He’s not in foul trouble, he’s in password Trouble.” —Jack, [01:18]
  • “One of the greatest investments in the history of pro sports is a complete accident.” —Jack, [02:15]
  • “Forget your password. Just forget your password. Worked for Kevin Durant.” —Jack & Nick, [02:47]

Story 1: Amex Platinum Jacks Up Its Annual Fee to $895

Timestamps: [05:10] – [10:40]

The News

• Amex Platinum’s annual fee rises to $895, making it the highest in the market.
• The new platinum card is made of a “mirror” material, so you can “see the shock on your own face” when using it.
  • “To get into the Centurion Lounge at JFK, you have to cough up almost half a month’s rent.” —Jack, [06:17]
• Perks now theoretically amount to $3,500—but only if every perk is maximized.
• Many perks require action—like requesting certain credits.

Business Context

• Amex targets “DINKs” (Double Income, No Kids): DINKs are spending big and now form a major portion of new card signups.
  • “A record three out of four new Amex customers is actually under the age of 30 these days.” —Jack, [07:09]
• Amex’s rival cards (Capital One, Citi) have much lower fees—may benefit from customer frustration.

Hosts’ Math & Take

• Nick and Jack break down perks: if you fly, stay in luxury hotels, Uber everywhere, and use fitness/lifestyle credits, you could offset the fee—but most people won’t.
  • “Pretty much, only the points guy maximizes and gets all those values of benefits.” —Jack, [07:52]
• “Breakage” is rampant: companies profit when cardholders don’t redeem perks.

AI Hack

• Use AI to maximize your perks: Download your Amex statement, upload it to an AI chatbot, and have it flag unused perks.
  • “A powerful use of AI... is to review your spending and ensure that you’re getting all the perks you’re entitled to.” —Nick, [10:09]

Story 2: Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC Show Canceled – Who’s Really Behind It?

Timestamps: [10:40] – [14:36]

What Happened

• Jimmy Kimmel criticized MAGA figures in his monologue [11:05]; days later, ABC cancels his show following a public prompt from the FCC chair, Brandon Carr.

• Media consolidation context: Nexstar (a giant broadcaster) is attempting a $6B acquisition, which needs FCC approval.

• Carr, on a podcast, calls Kimmel “talentless” and threatens “we can do this the easy way or the hard way”; soon after, Nexstar removes Kimmel’s show from its airwaves, and ABC cancels it.

  • “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. That was a barely veiled threat to broadcasters because he can take away their broadcasting license.” —Jack, [12:35]

Big Picture: Media Turns Red

• Recent years: “blue” (liberal) media landscape is shifting “red” (conservative).
• Examples discussed:
  • Zuck (Meta) and Elon Musk (X) become MAGA boosters.
  • Trump wins multi-million dollar settlements from old media giants.
  • Larry Ellison (Trump donor) buys CBS, may soon control CNN.
  • Rumor: TikTok could be sold to Ellison, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz.
• “It’s the most sudden transformation in the media industry probably ever.” —Nick, [14:23]
• The lawyers may get involved: Kimmel’s First Amendment rights possibly at stake.

Story 3: Did Nike Just Team Up with Costco for a Kirkland Sneaker?

Timestamps: [16:51] – [21:13]

The Scoop

• Viral photos of a Nike x Kirkland sneaker circulate—are they real?
• Nike has been on a collab spree: Kim Kardashian, Nobu, Lego, Wu Tang, Yu-Gi-Oh, and—maybe—Costco.
  • “The only brand they haven’t collabed with yet is, like, the Shark Ninja.” —Nick, [17:56]
• The “leaked” shoe: Looks like a Kirkland sweatshirt; hype and jokes abound.
  • “Nothing pairs better with a chicken bake than a size 11 Air Force Kirkland.” —Nick, [18:12]
• Nick and Jack dig in: source is a sketchy Instagram account, suspicious price tags, and no official confirmation.
  • “Another red flag here is that the photo shows a Costco price tag... but it’s not in the font of the typical Costco style. Sus.” —Jack, [19:18]

The Intentional Leak

• Is the “leak” a marketing test? Nike likely seeded the rumor to gauge reaction.
• “Nike has social media sentiment trackers that tell them how people are talking about their brand online, either positively or negatively.” —Nick, [20:20]
• If feedback is positive, the shoe might launch; if not, it quietly dies—at no real cost for Nike.
  • “If the reaction... is positive, we’ll push it forward... If not, we’ll kill the project and move on at no cost.” —Jack, [20:36]
• Larger point: Nike can’t just “collab their way out of this hole”—sales and share price are both down.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Amex fee:
  “Your move, Jamie, your move.” —Nick, [06:45]
• On “breakage”:
  “If you don’t use the perks that they offered you, Amex books them as profit.” —Nick, [09:47]
• On the media shift:
  “Meta turned MAGA.” —Jack, [13:43]
• On Nike collabs:
  “To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson: if you partner with everyone, then you stand for nothing.” —Jack, [19:41]
• On intentional leaks:
  “Sometimes a leak is a problem... [but] the intentional leak can be a low-cost way to test things to gauge the public’s reaction.” —Nick, [21:07]

Takeaways for Each Story

1. Amex Fee Hike: Use AI to ensure you actually receive all those high-end perks, or you’re just burning cash for the brand's profit puppy.
2. Kimmel Cancellation: The media pendulum is swinging fast from “blue” to “red”—and big acquisitions mean big political pressure.
3. Nike x Kirkland: Viral product “leaks” can be a smart way for brands to crowdsource feedback before sinking millions into development.

Other Quick Hits

[22:09] – [25:01]

• Krispy Kreme stock surges after the FBI director says he’s “long” on donuts during congressional testimony.
• Intel stock jumps 30% after a $5B investment from Nvidia; Intel gets a second chance as the government and chip leader back its comeback.
• New York State bans cell phones in schools statewide—kids “have to send messages with spitballs again.”

Fun Fact of the Day

[23:33] – [24:46]

• September = Birthdays: 9 of 10 most common birthdays are in September; September babies are more likely to excel academically, possibly because they’re the oldest in class.
• “Must have been a fun New Year’s Eve party.” —Nick

Closing

• Nick and Jack tease a possible upcoming interview with Jim Cramer (“If true, huge. Is this an intentional leak?”).
• Birthday shoutouts for listeners and the TBOY staff.

Episode Mood & Tone

Light, irreverent, bantery, packed with pop-culture references, but rooted in business insight—"from brunch to the boardroom."

For New Listeners

If you missed the episode, you’ll walk away with smart insights on credit cards, media power plays, viral sneaker drops—and the knowledge that sometimes, the best strategy is simply to forget your password.