🚛 “Sloppy Soundtracks” — Spotify’s AI purge. NFL’s 3 huge sales. Starbucks’ McDonald moment. + Anthropologie’s $1K rock.

Summary

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The Best One Yet – “Sloppy Soundtracks”

Spotify’s AI Purge, NFL’s Record Sales, Starbucks’ McDonald Moment, and Anthropologie’s $1,000 Rock

Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Date: September 26, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this brisk and witty 20-minute episode, Jack and Nick break down three major business stories shaping the week:

1. NFL teams selling stakes at historic prices and what could happen if fans, instead of just private equity, could be owners
2. Starbucks' massive store closure—their biggest ever—and why this could set up a turnaround reminiscent of McDonald’s and Walmart
3. Spotify’s mass purge of AI-generated music—a sign that the internet’s “AI garbage truck era” is just beginning

The episode layers these with their trademark pop-biz banter, opening with the viral story of Anthropologie selling literal rocks for $1,000 and closing with rapid-fire bonus news and their “best fact yet.”

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Episode Breakdown

[00:45] Teaser: Anthropologie’s $1,000 Rock

• Overview:
  Anthropologie (owned by Urban Outfitters) is selling big, plain rocks for $1,000 each. This started with a viral TikTok prank, then the company leaned into the joke by actually stocking rocks in stores.
• Stats:
  The original TikTok by Phoebe Adams received 12 million views.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • Jack: "A thousand bucks for a rock? Not a tiger's eye, not a quartz crystal. Just a big old ordinary heavy rock." (02:08)
  • Nick: "Anthropologie didn’t let the sticks and stones break their corporate bones." (03:00)
• Takeaway:
  Retailers are increasingly responsive to viral internet culture—even if it means selling ... rocks.

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[05:47] 1st Story: NFL’s Billion-Dollar Sales & Ownership Rules

[06:20] The Sales in Detail

• Chicago Bears: Selling 2.35% of team at $8.9B valuation
• New York Giants: 10% to David Koch’s widow at a $10B valuation
• New England Patriots: 8% to a private equity firm at $9B valuation

[06:59] Historical Context

• Robert Kraft bought Patriots for $172M in 1994. Now valued at $9B—a 5,000% return in 30 years (07:06).
• NFL teams traditionally “family-owned mansions,” with rules to ensure a controlling owner holds at least 30% (08:06).

[08:13] The New Rule

• Now permits sale of up to 10% to select private equity firms—giving owners liquidity without ceding control.
• “It’s like a country club. 32 members who don't want any more than that.” (09:34)

[09:45] Public Ownership Ban

• NFL banned IPOs/public ownership in 1960; Green Bay Packers are the only exception (grandfathered in), but the stock is symbolic with no real financial value.

[10:13] Elsewhere

• British soccer club Manchester United is publicly traded (10:04).
• Atlanta Braves, too, offer public shares (10:08).

[09:30 & 10:44] Takeaway

• Memorable Quotes:
  • Jack: "Why just big finance? The NFL should let owners sell to fans." (09:30)
  • Nick: "Even if there are no dividends, fans would love the emotional value of being a part owner." (10:23)
• Host POV:
  The NFL should consider letting fans buy stakes—potentially a huge PR and marketing win, increasing emotional investment and brand loyalty.

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[10:59] 2nd Story: Starbucks’ Largest Store Closures & Layoffs

[11:33] The Announcements

• Starbucks is closing 430 North American stores (2% of total) and laying off 900 employees (11:41).
• Closures include flagship spots, like Capitol Hill in Seattle.
• CEO asked employees to work from home during layoff announcements.

[12:03] Challenging Trends

• Starbucks over-indexed on digital/app orders and missed new “protein maxing” trends (12:10).
• Competitors:
  • Dutch Bros: 15g protein coffees
  • BlackRock Coffee: twice as many loyalty members per store as Starbucks
  • Chick-fil-A launching a new coffee chain (13:12)
• Starbucks now launching “protein foam”—possibly “too little, too latte” (12:49).

[13:33] Turnaround Potential: Lessons from McDonald’s & Walmart

• Both brands were considered dying a decade ago but innovated, refocused, and thrived.
  • McDonald's: Tripled in value, increased wages, upgraded menu (14:20)
  • Walmart: 5x'd stock, modernized stores, conquered e-commerce (14:25)
• Memorable Quotes:
  • Jack: “Starbucks will have what McDonald’s and Walmart are having.” (13:33)
  • Nick: “The coffee is always darkest before the dawn.” (14:39)
• Host POV:
  Big brands can rebound by focusing on their strengths and evolving with new trends. Starbucks’ current challenges echo those that McDonald’s and Walmart overcame.

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[16:59] 3rd Story: Spotify’s AI Slop Mass Deletion & Rise of the “AI Garbage Truck”

[17:09] The Situation

• Spotify deleted 75 million AI-generated (often spammy) tracks (17:09).
• AI is causing a flood of low-quality content (“AI slop”) on digital platforms.
• Not just music—3,000 AI-generated podcast episodes per week from some startups, plus viral fake videos (like “Rabbits on a Trampoline”) (19:25).

[18:32] The Scale

• Spotify has 100 million tracks; 75 million removed as fakes/spam (18:32).
• Jack: “For every four real songs on Spotify, three fake songs have been published by a bad actor and deleted by Spotify.” (18:51)
• Nick: "To quote the poet Bruno Mars—give me something I can feel, dude." (19:01)

[19:45] Workplaces & Digital Slop

• Now, AI-generated content (“slop”) is everywhere—emails, videos, podcasts.
• Harvard Business Review: 40% of workers facing “work slop”—long-winded, AI-drafted communications.

[20:43] Takeaway: Welcome to the “Garbage Truck Era”

• Platforms must hire “digital cleanup crews” and constantly update rules/filters to keep out AI trash.
• Every platform will need to label, filter, and ultimately remove low-value AI-generated content.
• Jack: “We are entering the garbage truck era of artificial intelligence.” (20:43)
• Nick: “Bad actors on the internet move faster than the rules do.” (21:15)

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[22:25] “What Else You Need to Know Today” (Quick Hits)

• TikTok Update: Trump signed off on a TikTok sale, but deal isn't done—China remains the wildcard (22:29).
• Amazon Lawsuit: Amazon settled a major antitrust suit, paying $2.5B for deceptive Prime sign-up practices (23:08).
• Nike x Skims: Collab launches—biggest Nike launch since Air Jordan (23:43).

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[23:59] Best Fact Yet: The Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black

• The Ryder Cup, featuring top US vs. European golfers, kicks off at Bethpage Black—a public, state-run course on Long Island (24:11).
• First-timers at Bethpage “haze” themselves by camping out overnight for tee times—Jack’s own story included (24:29).
• “Everyone was watching my first drive. Best drive I ever hit in my life.” (24:54)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “At its worst, AI can be used by bad actors and content farms to deceive listeners, push slop into the ecosystem, and interfere with authentic artists who are working to build their careers.”
  — Jack, quoting Spotify’s official blog (17:58)
• “Starbucks will have what McDonald’s and Walmart are having.”
  — Jack (13:33)
• “Why just big finance? The NFL should let owners sell to fans.”
  — Jack (09:30)

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Key Timestamps

• Anthropologie’s $1k Rock – 00:45 – 03:30
• NFL’s Billion-Dollar Team Sales – 05:47 – 10:44
• Starbucks Store Closures – 10:59 – 14:39
• Spotify’s AI Purge & ‘Garbage Truck Era’ – 16:59 – 21:27
• Quick Hits (TikTok, Amazon, Nike x Skims) – 22:25 – 23:47
• Best Fact Yet: Bethpage Black’s Ryder Cup Ritual – 23:59 – 24:58

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Tone & Style

The episode is fast-paced, playful, and heavy on pop-culture and sports analogies, maintaining the “fresh takes you can pretend you came up with” promise. The chemistry and humor of Jack and Nick (“too little too latte,” “the coffee is always darkest before the dawn”) keep the delivery conversational and engaging.

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Summary Takeaways

• NFL teams are selling record-breaking stakes but only to big finance, not fans—a missed opportunity for deeper community ownership.
• Starbucks faces disruption but could rebound with bold changes, as seen before with iconic brands like McDonald’s and Walmart.
• Spotify is fighting a tidal wave of AI-generated “slop,” showcasing how platforms everywhere must invest in constant digital cleanup as AI content explodes.

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Anyone wanting a pulse on business, pop culture, and the digital age’s new challenges will find this episode both informative and laugh-out-loud insightful.

Transcript

[Jack]

This is Nick, this is Jack.

[Nick]

It's Friday. The Real Friday. September 26th. And today's pod. Today's Pod is the best one yet. It's a T. Boy.

[Jack]

Nick and I are whipping up the top three pop business news stories you need to know today.

[Nick]

Now, Yetis, last week I told you how Jack called ahead on Molly's and my first date night after our baby and had a drink waiting for us when we got to the restaurant.

[Jack]

Champagne, not Prosecco. Oh, yes, champagne.

[Nick]

Uh huh. Oui, oui. But Jack, I came up with a term for this. We're gonna call the Cocktail call ahead.

[Jack]

Nice.

[Nick]

The Cocktail call ahead. So, besties, if you are celebrating a win this weekend and you want to make a buddy feel fantastic on Saturday, do the cocktail call ahead.

[Jack]

And then Venmo, Nick and me, because I'm talking to my lawyer right now, we're trademarking.

[Nick]

Cocktail call ahead. We'll get you a shout out on the pod. But, Jack, three stories for today's T. Boy, it's so good. What do we got on the pod?

[Jack]

For our first story this month, three NFL teams are being sold at record high prices. The Giants, the Patriots, and.

[Nick]

And the Bears.

[Jack]

Oh, my, oh, my.

[Nick]

But instead of the private equity Patriots, Jack and I want to see the People's Patriots. We'll explain.

[Jack]

For our second story, Starbucks just announced their biggest store closure ever. Sadly, you may actually lose your local Starburst.

[Nick]

But Jack and I think Starbucks turnaround is gonna work out. And it begins at McDonald's.

[Jack]

And our third and final story is the biggest surprise problem at work these days.

[Nick]

Yep.

[Jack]

AI slope. In fact, Spotify just announced they deleted 75 million AI tracks. Wow.

[Nick]

So Jack and I think every company is about to have a new job. We call it AI Garbage truck.

[Jack]

But yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories.

[Nick]

Fantastic mix of stories for the end of the week.

[Jack]

Jack, how much would you pay Nick for a rock?

[Nick]

A rock? Like a regular old rock? I'm thinking a dollar. Less than a dollar. Honestly, I'm probably not paying for a rock, Jack.

[Jack]

I mean, full disclosure, I had a rock collection and a nice tiger's eye.

[Nick]

All right, so noted. I'm gonna get you a rock tumbler for Christmas. I'll make it. Make it happen.

[Jack]

But get this. Yetis over at Anthropologie, a store owned by Urban Outfitters, they are selling rocks for $1,000 each.

[Nick]

A thousand bucks for a rock? Not a tiger's eye, not a quartz crystal. Just a big old ordinary heavy rock.

[Jack]

Why is Anthropologie selling rocks. And why are they charging a grand for for a stone?

[Nick]

Well, we jumped in T boy style. And it all began with a TikTok video this month that got 12 million views.

[Jack]

Phoebe Adams was playing a prank on her boyfriend. She pretended to unbox a rock that she bought from anthropologie for only $150.

[Nick]

Now, her boyfriend Dan, he freaked out.

[Jack]

Phoebe defends herself and says, this is a one of a kind rock. Anthropologie had to go into the ground to find it, which caused her boyfriend.

[Nick]

Dan to just freak out even more.

[Jack]

Boyfriend Dan goes in the backyard and said, here, I got you this rock for.

[Nick]

But then she said it didn't have the feng shui of the Anthropologie rock.

[Jack]

Great prank. That video went viral for making fun of anthropology and Anthro girlies.

[Nick]

But here's the business. Anthropologie didn't let the sticks and stones break their corporate bones.

[Jack]

No, they got in on the joke and actually began selling rocks.

[Nick]

Anthro started putting up rock displays at stores so people can take pics with them and buy them.

[Jack]

So, Yetis, you can actually buy a rock, a plain old regular rock, at Anthropologie for. For way more than it's worth.

[Nick]

Well, we'll check in on the next earnings report from Urban Outfitters to see if you actually bought any.

[Jack]

And if you did, it's probably a sell signal for our stock market.

[Nick]

In the meantime, Jack, let's hit our three stories.

[Intro Voice]

Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the Northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet. But the best is the norm. Jack. Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%. That's a fat tip. T boy city on your at, Liz. If you know, you know. Cause we rip to go we can't wait no more so just start the.

[Nick]

Show.

[Intro Voice]

Start the show, Start the show.

[Nick]

First, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

Airbnb.

[Nick]

Yetis. Our show actually started as a side hustle over 10 years ago. It began in secret outside of our bank jobs.

[Jack]

We were worried we'd get free, so we didn't tell our bosses. And we even left our names off the website.

[Nick]

Now, that was our side hustle, a media startup. But there are other side hustles that are a lot less risky than that.

[Jack]

And that have 0% chance of getting you fired. Like being a host on Airbnb in this economy.

[Nick]

It's a fun and rewarding way to make money off the thing. You're already paying for your house or your apartment.

[Jack]

I've hosted two previous apartments and my current chalet on Airbnb.

[Nick]

And when no one's using it, why not welcome a family, a couple that just got engaged?

[Jack]

You already have an Airbnb. You just didn't realize it yet.

[Nick]

Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host now a.

[Jack]

Quick break, switching topics to one of our favorite sponsors, Vital Proteins.

[Nick]

Yeah, it is. We've told you about vital proteins. They help support our hair, skin, nail, bone, and joint health with those collagen peptides.

[Jack]

But after doing their ads for a few months, we told Vital Proteins, hey, we like to shake things up, okay?

[Nick]

But then they took us too literally. And guess what product Vital Proteins just launched.

[Jack]

A ready to drink collagen protein shake with a smooth chocolate taste.

[Nick]

They shook enough to too much. We're talking 30 grams of protein. Enough to grow a third bicep, I think.

[Jack]

Nick, I've been using vital proteins for my coffee. Now I use it for my bicep curls, too.

[Nick]

It's all the benefits of vital proteins collagen. But in an 11 ounce shake, you can grab, go and shake.

[Jack]

So go to www.vitalproteins.com to learn more and where to buy. Get 20% off your next order by entering promo code T boy at checkout.

[Nick]

For our first story, the biggest action of the NFL season so far. It's not the actual football is in the balance sheets.

[Jack]

We'll tell you why three legendary NFL teams have sold at record high prices this month and why they should have sold to fans instead of finance.

[Nick]

Now, Jack, since you are a legendary D3 backup starting quarterback.

[Jack]

Yes.

[Nick]

Who also happens to be an economics major, I feel like the story was made for you to tell. So why don't you take it from here, Jack, Talk to us first about.

[Jack]

Duh.

[Nick]

Chicago Bears.

[Jack]

All right, the Chicago Bears. Duh. Bears are selling 2.35% of the team at an $8.9 billion valuation.

[Nick]

Okay, that's the Bears, Jack. What about the New York giants?

[Jack]

They're selling 10% of the team to the widow of the billionaire David Koch at a $10 billion valuation.

[Nick]

And finally, Jack, the New England Patriots. What have they been up to?

[Jack]

They're selling 8% of the Patriots at a $9 billion valuation to a private equity firm. And as a Giants fan, I'm glad the Giants are worth more than the Pats.

[Nick]

It's Pretty cool that it's less than the Giants, I got to say, Jack.

[Jack]

Although we should point out Robert Kraft is doing just fine.

[Nick]

Yeah, Robert Kraft owns the Patriots. He bought them for $172 million in 1994. So what's his return been, Jack?

[Jack]

At a $9 billion valuation today, that's a 5,000% return in 30 years.

[Nick]

Although that's only two times better than the stock market, the S&P 500 over the same period, we should point out.

[Jack]

Still, this deal is making Jerry Maguire jealous.

[Nick]

To quote Rod Tidwell. Show me the money now.

[Jack]

Why are three legendary historic NFL teams all selling stakes in themselves in the same month?

[Nick]

Well, it's because the NFL made a rule change one year ago that turned teams into banks.

[Jack]

Yetis historically NFL teams have been like privately owned mansions.

[Nick]

Yeah, they've been like mansions. Big family owned assets filled with the family.

[Jack]

For example, Jerry Jones, he runs the Dallas Cowboys like it's his own house and his own family.

[Nick]

He reportedly shows up to the Dallas Cowboys Stadium at 6am sometimes just to like check on the place.

[Jack]

In fact, the NFL owners wrote up the rules of the NFL to make it that way.

[Nick]

Rules that are written basically to keep the ownership like royalty. Right, Jack?

[Jack]

Each NFL franchise must have a controlling owner who owns at least 30% of the team and acts as the face of the franchise.

[Nick]

Okay, but here's the plot twist. One year ago, those owners agreed to allow the sale of up to 10% of an NFL team to private equity.

[Jack]

The reason why, like the Royals, actually many NFL owners are rich. On paper, they got a gorgeous palace. But they're broke when it comes to cash in their bank account.

[Nick]

That's the key. So this new rule change lets the owner sell 10% of the team to big finance, keep the ownership and get some liquidity.

[Jack]

But you can only sell to an approved list of private equity firms.

[Nick]

Yeah, you gotta be a private equity firm that has earned the right to buy part of an NFL team. Right, Check.

[Jack]

And a private equity firm where all the analysts can run a 40 yard dash in less than 5 seconds.

[Nick]

If your managing director can bench press 135 pounds, only then are you allowed to buy part of an NFL team.

[Jack]

So that rule change is why the top story of the NFL season so far isn't Saquon Barkley or Travis Kelce. It's historic teams selling stakes in themselves for the first time in decades.

[Nick]

It's the team sales. A new rule change that lets the owners sell a slice of their NFL mansions like Royalty for cash. It was time to use the button. Jack. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over in the NFL?

[Jack]

Why just big finance. The NFL should let owners sell to fans.

[Nick]

Yetis the NFL, it's like a country club. 32 members who don't want any more than that.

[Jack]

That's why they banned public ownership like an IPO way back in 1960.

[Nick]

Now I know what you're thinking. What about the Green Bay Packers? Yes, they do have stock in their team, but they got grandfathered in. And Green Bay packers stock isn't really stock. You know, it can't go up in value.

[Jack]

But Nick, it doesn't have to be this way.

[Nick]

True.

[Jack]

Over in the UK, the British soccer team Manchester United IPO'd fans can buy stock in Man U.

[Nick]

It's the same with the Atlanta Braves, the baseball team. You can buy that on the stock.

[Jack]

Market here in the States. NFL owners don't want the obligations of being a publicly traded company.

[Nick]

Earnings reports, SEC regulations stuff.

[Jack]

But they could stay private and still allow sales of stakes to fans and offer them maybe to die hard fans only. That'd be epic.

[Nick]

Even if there are no dividends, fans would love the emotional value of being a part owner.

[Jack]

And fan ownership. That'd be a PR win. Huge marketing opportunity.

[Nick]

I mean, just look at what happens at the end of Ted Lasso. Jack.

[Jack]

Spoiler, spoiler. But yeah, the Carolina Panthers, they could become the people's Panthers.

[Nick]

Why just big finance? The NFL should change the rules again and let the owners sell to Fans. For our second story, Starbucks announced it's closing 430 North American stores plus 900 layoffs. The company is decaffeinating itself, but the.

[Jack]

Night is always darkest just before the dawn. Don't look at Harvey Dent, look at McDonald's and Walmart as proof.

[Nick]

Yetis, you remember in Austin powers, Jack, when Dr. Evil becomes CEO of Starbucks?

[Jack]

Not the product placement that Starbucks was expecting. That was super random, wasn't it? The headquarters was the Space Needle and it said Starbucks on all the windows.

[Nick]

They were doing the Belgian dip. I hope they paid for it. But I'm also like, did you guys pay for this?

[Jack]

Well, Starbucks just had their worst day since Austin Powers.

[Nick]

And they may need Austin Powers to help come in and rescue the company.

[Jack]

The CEO brought Brian Nicol announced yesterday that the poorest performing 400 North American locations of Starbucks would close.

[Nick]

That's 2% of all Starbucks locations, including reportedly the iconic Capitol Hill Starbucks in Seattle.

[Jack]

Plus 900 non barista jobs like the desk jobs at corporate, those are gonna be terminated too.

[Nick]

In fact, the CEO asked everyone today to work from home as the layoffs become clear and the dust sadly settles over at Starbucks.

[Jack]

Now I gotta be honest, yeah, Nick and I saw this coming.

[Nick]

We did do a story on this related topic.

[Jack]

Like two weeks ago, Starbucks overindexed on digital orders and their app and they.

[Nick]

Missed the big trends in caffeine, protein maxing and broistas. The result? Starbucks stock has been down this year. It's been in its decaffeinated era.

[Jack]

Dutch Bros. Is now a Starbucks rival and they've gone viral for their 15 gram protein coffee.

[Nick]

And the Dutch Bros. Coffee is like a beef jerky of cold brews basically.

[Jack]

Meanwhile, BlackRock Coffee, they just IPO'd. They're small, but they have twice as many loyalty members per store as Starbucks does.

[Nick]

Add up all that protein and they're both targeting guys and fitness gals with giant cups of caffeine. Grab and go athleisure lattes if you will.

[Jack]

Meanwhile, Starbucks is still pushing pumpkin spice latte and they want you to sit and sip in the coffee house like it was 1990.

[Nick]

Now yes, we know what you're thinking. By the way, Starbucks did just launch protein foam, but it may be too little too latte for Starbucks on that.

[Jack]

One, which has allowed another rival to enter the market.

[Nick]

Seven brew. They were early on the protein trend. They probably put like two straws in each of their cups to get you energized ASAP over there.

[Jack]

They're the opposite of Starbucks. Oh, and this week Chick Fil A said they're launching a coffee chain.

[Nick]

Chick Fil A is probably gonna put white meat in the chicken cappuccinos for you, so you really leave with a protein high.

[Jack]

Now we said recently that Starbucks customer love isn't being disrupted, it's just being eroded.

[Nick]

But Jack and I are actually bullish on these Starbucks beans and we think Bruce Wayne would approve. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Starbucks?

[Jack]

Starbucks will have what McDonald's and Walmart are having now.

[Nick]

Yetis. Jack and I have been covering business news for over a decade and we've seen a range of iconic companies look like they're getting disrupted but come back stronger.

[Jack]

Ten years ago, McDonald's looked McDead as fast casual was a big negative for the McNugget industry.

[Nick]

But McDonald's increased its minimum wage, switched to all white meat chicken and brought back Grimace baby.

[Jack]

Ten years ago, Walmart's eulogy was being written as Amazon was absolutely hyperscaling.

[Nick]

But then Walmart increased their minimum wage, modernized their stores, they Learned E Commerce.

[Jack]

Ten years ago, the same negative vibes were facing McDonald's and Walmart as Starbucks is facing today.

[Nick]

But now both of them are seeing stocks at all time highs. Jack, what kind of numbers are we looking at?

[Jack]

McDonald's has tripled in the last 10 years and Walmart stock has 5X'd in the last 10 years.

[Nick]

Besties. These disrupted brands we thought focused on their core businesses, improved, adapted and thrived again once those fads faded.

[Jack]

So don't count Starbucks out. Big brands do not fall easy.

[Nick]

The coffee is always darkest before the dawn. Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Jack]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

To clarify, I am undefeated in senior year games in which I threw touchdown passes.

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[Nick]

For our third and final story before the weekend, Spotify just deleted 75 spammy music tracks as AI invades the music world.

[Jack]

AI slop has arrived everywhere on our digital shores, including at your work. So the next phase of AI is the garbage truck phase.

[Nick]

Yes, it is cleanup time, baby. Now, Yetis, Jack and I happen to be shareholders of Spotify, so we pay attention to their PR announcements. And Jack, what did we notice? They post on their site yesterday, in.

[Jack]

All capital letters, a blog post that said this Fighting AI impersonation, spam, and deception.

[Nick]

Spotify opened this announcement by praising how advancements in technology have improved music over the years.

[Jack]

And we were waiting the whole time for the but.

[Nick]

Yeah, the but. And here's the but, Jack. But AI is different. Spotify said that AI has been confusing listeners and unsettling for creatives. Jack, why don't you read us exactly what Spotify said?

[Jack]

At its worst, AI can be used by bad actors and content farms to deceive listeners, push slop into the ecosystem, and interfere with authentic artists who are working to build their careers.

[Nick]

So Spotify announced new policies to stop AI Bad guys and eliminate music AI Slop from their airwaves.

[Jack]

But how pervasive is this AI Slop that Spotify's trying to delete?

[Nick]

Okay, these numbers are, like, so wild, they're going platinum. You see, Spotify has deleted 75 million music tracks already. And that's just the beginning. Jack, could you sprinkle on some context, please?

[Jack]

How big is 75 million AI slop songs?

[Nick]

Well, it's more than there are ABBA tracks, Jack, but yeah, how many is it?

[Jack]

Well, according to Spotify's website, Spotify has over 100 million tracks that you can listen to.

[Nick]

Okay? So a number 75% as big as that have been fake tracks.

[Jack]

Let me say this another way. For every four real songs on Spotify, three fake songs have been published by a bad actor and deleted by Spotify.

[Nick]

Okay? For every four real songs, there are three fake songs. I'm sorry, Jack, but to quote the poet Bruno Mars. Give me something I can feel, dude.

[Jack]

I can feel that.

[Nick]

I mean, like, I want music I can feel. You know what I mean?

[Jack]

But yetis, it's not just music. Where AI slop is everywhere.

[Nick]

There's a story we almost covered about a new podcast startup that is, as they put it, flooding the zone with AI podcasts.

[Jack]

Right now, this startup is generating 3,000 AI generated podcast episodes every week.

[Nick]

And one day, we may get a knockoff. Nick and Jack.

[Jack]

It's gonna be called Jack and Nick. Here's another industry video. The most viral video of the summer was Rabbits on a Trampoline. Did you see that? It was a delightful watch.

[Nick]

I thought it was lovely until I.

[Jack]

It was fake. We all got duped.

[Nick]

We all got duped. But besties, it's not just music. It's not just podcasts, and it's not just videos either. With AI slop, it's your cubicle at work. Every industry is dealing with work slop these days as well.

[Jack]

We're receiving emails twice as long as they used to be that aren't actually written by our coworkers.

[Nick]

Let us know if you've had this scenario before. Carol in accounting prompted chatgpt to lengthen her idea into one long, comprehensive email.

[Jack]

And then you received that email from Carol and used ChatGPT to shorten the email to something much shorter. I think Carol should have just come to you directly. Cut out the two AI bots.

[Nick]

Classic Carol. But according to HBR, Harvard Business Review, 40% of us are getting that kind of work slop right now in our cubicles.

[Jack]

AI was supposed to save us time, but this kind of nonsense does the opposite.

[Nick]

It's nonsense. That's a good word, Jack. Your dad would use that word. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies dealing with AI slop?

[Jack]

We are entering the garbage truck era of artificial intelligence.

[Nick]

Yetis. Spotify also, interestingly, announced a filter to catch slop and spam as it's uploaded.

[Jack]

But as AI proliferates, they'll have to up their efforts to delete the stuff that gets through the filters.

[Nick]

So Spotify also has to rewrite the rules for labeling something more nuanced. Than simply AI and not AI.

[Jack]

And we think this will happen across all content platforms.

[Nick]

Yes.

[Jack]

They're gonna have to come up with filters, labels, and rules for how AI can be on the platform or not.

[Nick]

And, Jack, one thing we know about bad actors on the Internet, they move faster than the rules do.

[Jack]

So every platform is also gonna need a garbage truck, a way to get the AI trash off the platform, or people won't wanna be there.

[Nick]

Besties, AI Slop has already arrived in our shores, so it's time to hide the digital cleanup crews. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways.

[Jack]

For us for the Real Friday, ownership stakes in NFL teams are changing hands like never before. But it's only with PE firms, so.

[Nick]

The NFL should change the rules. Again, we're throwing a flag. Let fans become the owners, not just finance.

[Jack]

For our second story, Starbucks is sadly closing 400 North American stores, about 2% of the total number, and laying off 900 people.

[Nick]

But Starbucks will have what McDonald's and Walmart are having.

[Jack]

And our third and final story is Spotify. They announced they've deleted 75 million spammy AI tracks from their music platform.

[Nick]

And you just got a 75 million word email from Franken Finance.

[Jack]

AI slop has arrived on our shores.

[Nick]

It's time to hire the digital cleanup crew.

[Jack]

But, besties, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today.

[Nick]

First, TikTok. I can't believe we're giving another update, but President Trump signed an executive order approving the sale from the US side, but it is still not done yet. We did not get all the details.

[Jack]

Trump did not give details Monday on who from the US side is gonna buy TikTok. He only said that Larry Ellison, Michael Dell, and Rupert Murdoch are involved.

[Nick]

Now, Jack and I have done a few deals before, and here's the key, B. We don't have the other side of the deal. China has not approved this yet, so the TikTok deal is not done until President Xi says so.

[Jack]

It's like me posting on Instagram that I bought a house, but the seller of the house has not agreed to sell the house to me, so I probably should hold off on making that post.

[Nick]

And second, Amazon's antitrust lawsuit, the huge one that started this week. It's already over. They settled.

[Jack]

Amazon will pay a $2.5 billion fine for allegedly tricking US customers into our prime subscriptions.

[Nick]

The government said that Amazon used dark tactics to get signups and then made you click like 17 times. If you wanted to unsubscribe from prime.

[Jack]

Now, some of the two and a half billion, it's gonna go to victims who signed up by accident.

[Nick]

Yeah, you get a payday, which you'll probably end up spending on Amazon. And finally, Nike skims. The collab of the year goes on sale today.

[Jack]

It's the biggest new Nike brand since Air Jordan.

[Nick]

Literally.

[Jack]

Watch out, gym rats. A new fashion is coming to the squat rack near you.

[Nick]

Now, time for the best fact yet. This one whipped up by Jack and me. Cause Jack's got. This one's personal. This one's personal, Jack.

[Jack]

All right, so today the Ryder cup begins. Yes, it's the best golfers from America versus the best golfers from Europe.

[Nick]

And it's going down on Long island over at the Bethpage Black famous golf course.

[Jack]

Now, one reason Beth Page Black is awesome, it's a public course, it's owned by the state of New York.

[Nick]

So anyone can go play. You don't need some fancy schmancy club to get an alien.

[Jack]

Yes, technically, everyone can play. But first time golfers at Bethpage Black basically have like, a hazing ritual.

[Nick]

Okay, talk to you.

[Jack]

You have to camp out the night before and wait in line to golf there the first time. It's a rite of passage.

[Nick]

Something tells me these words are being spoken right now from a man traumatized from such an experience.

[Jack]

No, I wasn't traumatized. It was awes.

[Nick]

Brother.

[Jack]

Tuck and I, we camped out in the car. We got a tee time finally at 7am Went to McDonald's, got some Egg McMuffins, teed off Nick. Everyone was watching my first drive. Best drive I ever hit in my life.

[Nick]

And your final score on that match, Jack.

[Jack]

I don't want to talk about it.

[Nick]

Story for another pod. Story for another pod. Yetis, you look fantastic going into the weekend, Jack. I gotta say, you look like.

[Jack]

Cash money.

[Nick]

Yeah, you look like cash money today, besties, if you got some wins to celebrate, hit us up. We'd love reading them when you hit us in the DMs.

[Jack]

Dude, we should put one of those machines on our T boy store.

[Nick]

I think what you're saying, Jack, is if we started selling this thing, you and I would be making tell the buddy. Hyh. TBY this weekend. And Jack and I will see you Monday. And before we go, a happy, happy first birthday to legendary yeti Ava Villarreal. Celebrating up in Napa with, get this, Jack. A silly goose theme party. And Israel Martinez in Dos Palos, California. Happy birthday over there.

[Jack]

Happy birthday to Josh hatfield in Albuquerque.

[Nick]

N.M. and Maren Edsman is celebrating the best birthday yet on legendary Hawaii.

[Jack]

And Joe Bader II from Fort Wayne, Indiana, happy birthday.

[Nick]

And Jacqueline Traeger in New Canaan, Connecticut, has a new job and a birthday.

[Jack]

Happy birthday to Myles Clark in Summ.

[Nick]

Salt Lake City, Utah and Alex Chong celebrated in Sugar Land, Texas.

[Jack]

Happy 6th anniversary to Jason Geiger and his wife Ida in Buffalo, New York.

[Nick]

And congratulations to Jing Wang, whose pet funeral service over in Toronto is opening up their second location.

[Jack]

And congratulations to Crystal Kennedy over at Duke University, who is a PhD graduate of Genetics and genomics.

[Nick]

She was born to do it, Jack. She was born to do it.

[Jack]

This is Jack. I own stock of Amazon, Nick owns stock of Nike, and we both own stock of Spotify. If you like the best one yet, you can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery and the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[Nick]

Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us a.

[Jack]

Little bit about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey we want to.

[Nick]

Get to know you.

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