The Best Of Covino & Rich

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Best Of Covino & Rich Release Date: June 7, 2025
Hosted By: Covino and Rich
Platform: Fox Sports Radio
Episode Title: The Best Of Covino & Rich

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1. Thrilling NBA Clutch Performance

The episode kicks off with an intense analysis of the recent Indianapolis Pacers game, where Tyrese Halliburton delivered a last-moment three-pointer to clinch victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Covino and Rich delve into the significance of this play, emphasizing Halliburton's emerging legacy as a "super clutch superstar."

Notable Quote:
Tom Yamas: "Halliburton is sort of building a legacy right before our eyes as super clutch superstar. That's debatable. Super clutch, not debatable."
[03:35]

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2. The Impact of Athlete Endorsements on Footwear Trends

A substantial portion of the discussion centers around Tyrese Halliburton's new signature shoe with Puma, aptly named the "Hail Ones." Covino and Rich explore whether Halliburton has the influence to make Puma a trending brand again, likening the potential resurgence to Nike's partnership with Michael Jordan.

Key Points:

• Halliburton's Statement Play: His iconic shot and subsequent shoe drop at the podium are seen as a strategic move to bolster brand visibility.
• Color and Design Critique: While praising the shoe's design, both hosts express reservations about its hibiscus rose color, suggesting it may not appeal universally.
• Market Positioning: They compare Puma's current standing with giants like Nike and Adidas, pondering if Halliburton can bridge the gap.

Notable Quotes:
Tom Brokaw: "He's playing big. And he's also making a statement that, hey, here's my new shoe. I could bring Puma back."
[08:24]
Lester Holt: "What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core."
[10:28]

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3. Global Shoe Brand Rankings and Market Presence

Covino and Rich present a countdown of the top-selling shoe brands globally as of 2024, highlighting Puma's position and speculating on the post-game spike in sales due to Halliburton's performance.

Top 10 Shoe Brands Mentioned:

1. Nike
2. Adidas
3. Puma
4. Skechers
5. New Balance
6. Converse
7. Vans
8. Under Armour
9. Fila
10. Running Shoes

Notable Quote:
Tom Yamas: "I guarantee we're going to see a story that because of the shot Halliburton made, that the Halle Ones are selling through the roof because kids will jump on it."
[27:00]

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4. MLB Update: Corbin Burns' Injury

The hosts briefly address a significant setback for the Arizona Diamondbacks, with pitcher Corbin Burns requiring Tommy John surgery, potentially sidelining him for the remainder of the season and into 2026. They discuss the competitive challenges this poses for the Diamondbacks in the tight NL West division.

Notable Quote:
Tom Brokaw: "That's a tough loss for them."
[24:38]

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5. Celebrating Canadian Contributions to Sports and Culture

A heartfelt segment honors Canada's impact on sports and entertainment. Covino and Rich highlight figures like Ryan Reynolds, Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, and historic contributions such as Dr. James Naismith's invention of basketball. They also discuss the Edmonton Oilers' quest for their first NHL Stanley Cup since the 1990s, emphasizing the significance for Canadian sports fans.

Key Points:

• Canadian Celebrities: From actors like Jim Carrey and Mike Myers to athletes like Ryan Reynolds and retired stars.
• Cultural Imports: Discussion on iconic Canadian snack foods like "cheesies" and "All Dressed" chips.
• Historical Impact: A nod to legendary figures like Jim Carrey and the foundational role of Dr. James Naismith in sports.

Notable Quote:
Tom Yamas: "They get such a bad rap and they were everyone's punchline for many years for no reason whatsoever. Nickelback has to be in the conversation. I'm sorry. I know people love to hate on them and people are going to look different at me because I said it, but I like Nickelback."
[55:28]

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6. Audience Interaction and Call-Ins

Throughout the episode, Covino and Rich engage with listeners via phone calls, discussing various topics from shoe preferences to favorite Canadian exports. They share laughs over pronouncing Canadian names and reminisce about classic cultural moments.

Notable Quote:
Lester Holt: "The founder of basketball, Dr. James Naismith was born in Canada."
[75:48]

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7. Weekend Plans and Upcoming Events

As the episode nears its conclusion, the hosts share their personal weekend plans, including watching the Stanley Cup Final Game 2, UFC 316, and promoting their bonus podcast episode on "Short Kings." They also tease content related to upcoming NBA Finals and other sports events.

Notable Quotes:
Tom Yamas: "I'm going to watch. Not the biggest hockey fan, but I'll be tuning in for sure. Good luck, Oilers."
[79:46]
Lester Holt: "It was the Canadiens? Yeah, the Canadians."
[84:30]

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8. Listener Reviews and Feedback

Covino and Rich conclude the episode by reading listener reviews, addressing both negative and positive feedback. They emphasize the authenticity and fresh perspective they bring to sports radio, aiming to offer more than the typical sports talk by integrating entertainment and personal stories.

Notable Quotes:
Rich: "We're not real radio robots."
[78:59]
Lester Holt: "Covino and Rich are a good mix of good guys and funny stories. Truly a great show."
[78:54]

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Conclusion

"The Best Of Covino & Rich" offers a blend of passionate sports analysis, cultural commentary, and engaging listener interactions. Covino and Rich provide insightful discussions on current sports events, the influence of athletes on consumer trends, and celebrate international contributions, particularly from Canada. Their dynamic and personable hosting style ensures the episode is both informative and entertaining for listeners.

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Note: Timestamps are indicative and correspond to moments within the provided transcript.

Transcript

[Lester Holt]

This is an iHeart podcast. NBC Nightly News Legacy isn't handed down or NBC News.

[Tom Brokaw]

I'm Tom Brokaw.

[Lester Holt]

We hope to see you back here. I'm Lester Holt. It's carried forward. Tom Yamas is there for us. Firefighters are still working around the clock. As the world changes, we look for what endures. We are coming on the air with breaking news right now. We look for a constant and from one era to the next, Trust is the anchor for NBC Nightly News. I'm Tom Yamas. A new chapter begins NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas evenings on NBC.

[Tom Brokaw]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days?

[Lester Holt]

Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places.

[Tom Brokaw]

That take credit cards nationwide.

[Tom Yamas]

And every time you make a purchase.

[Lester Holt]

With your card, you automatically earn cash back.

[Tom Yamas]

Welcome to the now it pays to Discover.

[Tom Brokaw]

Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nilsson report.

[Lester Holt]

The OGs of uncensored motherhood are back and badder than ever. I'm Erica. And I'm Mila. And we're the hosts of the Good Moms Bad Choices podcast brought to you by the Black Effect Podcast Network every Wednesday. Yeah, we're moms, but not your mommy. Historically, men talk too much and women have quietly listened. And all that stops here. If you like witty women, then this is your tribe. Listen to the Good Moms Bad Choices podcast every Wednesday on the Black Effect podcast network, the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or go to find your podcast. Your gut microbiome and those healthy bacteria can actually have positive effects. Your mental health, your immunity, your risk.

[Tom Yamas]

Of cancer, almost any disease under the sun.

[Lester Holt]

This week on Dope Labs, TT and I dive into the world of probiotics. The hype, the science, and what your gut bacteria are really doing behind the scenes. From drinks and gummies to probiotic pillows. Yes, really, probiotic pillows. We're breaking down what's legit and what's just brilliant marketing. With expert Insight from gastroenterologist Dr. Roshi Raj. Listen to Dope Labs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is absolute. Season one, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1 Taser incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tom Brokaw]

Hey, thanks for listening to the Best of Cavino and Rich podcast. Be sure to catch us live every day from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio.

[Tom Yamas]

Find your local station for Cavino and [e-mail] or stream stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR Friday, Friday, Friday.

[Lester Holt]

Today's Friday.

[Tom Brokaw]

I'm excited for Friday Friday. Let's do this.

[Tom Yamas]

Hope you had a Tyrese Halliburton Pacer short of night and let's have a great weekend. We're gonna chop it up, but first and first mostly. We be rocking out. Let's go.

[Tom Brokaw]

All right.

[Tom Yamas]

Now, Rich, the Pacers led the game for 0.3 seconds last night and that's all it took.

[Tom Brokaw]

Is that a wild stat, dude?

[Tom Yamas]

OKC led the game for over 47 minutes. Pacers come in clutch with 0.3 seconds left. Halliburton is sort of building a legacy right before our eyes as super clutch superstar. That's debatable. Super clutch, not debatable.

[Tom Brokaw]

No doubt. Now you would think who's the, you know, most angry person about last night's 0.3 seconds victory? You might say, I don't know. SGA. Thunder fans, I'm going to say Jay Z. Did you see that? Jay Z bet a million dollars that the Thunder would win in five games. So now Jay needs a four game sweep from this point on to win that. That bet. That was, you know, and to be honest, OKC and 5 seemed like a pretty reasonable guess until last night, in fact, until the last point three seconds of that game. So Jay Z, not a happy camper on this Friday.

[Tom Yamas]

I mean, it was a statement game, a statement play. He silenced everybody last night. And you know, Monty, our very own Monsieur Bolanos from Fox Sports Radio, she went around the studio and asked everyone on the Fox Sports Radio team who they got. Yeah, and I quickly was like, yeah, okc.

[Lester Holt]

So was Rich. He said a lot.

[Tom Yamas]

You know why I think Rich, you said in six. But I was very confident in what I said because I'm like, they're just too damn good. But after last night, you just really never know. And that's what makes it fun. And that's what we talked about. Rich, when you were at the Mets game yesterday, watching your team lose, Danny G and I and Buyer, we're all here talking about How? Yeah, it might not be great for the ratings, but we might get a great matchup where we look back and we say, this was the start of a great rivalry or a great legacy. And, man, we had a great battle last night. What a game.

[Tom Brokaw]

Well, you know, fans talk out of both sides of their mouth, right? You know, fans will say, you know, no one wants the power team. You bought a team. You. You know, the big threes. And. And then when two teams from small markets actually build a winner and, you know, not pay a luxury tax and they're two smaller teams, people are mad about that. So I think no matter what, people just love to complain. Damn buyer. It's. It's what people do.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah. And I just want to do this for Rich Davis's benefit only because I got back from vacation and you were at the ball game yesterday. But I've said, rich, you know what? I've compared this series to Super Bowl 34, Titans, Rams, nobody really cared about those markets. But the Rams were an amazing team that regular season, and it produced one of the better Super Bowls that we had, especially leading up to that point. And I think it could be the same thing here.

[Tom Brokaw]

It was a reach away from going to overtime, right?

[Lester Holt]

Yes.

[Tom Yamas]

You know what it is? Nobody cares. And ratings will suffer because of the small market attitude that we have towards these matchups in these games. It's really the casual fan that we're talking about. Casual fans aren't tuning in. And since when do we really care about them? I understand networks want them, but why do we care about the casual fans?

[Tom Brokaw]

I know you're saying guys that get.

[Tom Yamas]

All pumped when the Olympics come around and that's just about it.

[Tom Brokaw]

But when you're saying no one cares, you're right. It's. We're talking about nincompoops, right?

[Tom Yamas]

Because that was a hell of a game, man. And we knew that was def. We knew that was likely to happen because they're two young, hungry, solid teams.

[Tom Brokaw]

And again, I'll say it one more time. We don't know what we want.

[Tom Yamas]

Right?

[Tom Brokaw]

You can say that about relationships, family, work, everything. People think they want. One thing, it's like, is that what you really want? Because you can't in one breath say, I don't want big market teams that buy championships. And then when two small market teams that built from within make it, and you're like, man, this is boring. I want big teams. You sound like an ass. You really do. You. You're talking out of both sides of your big noggin so, hey, last night, game one provided some excitement. Like you said, point three seconds is all it took. But listen, while other people analyze the game, I have a better question. I know you and I are on the same page with this because we're going to get to NFL. There's news, there's a funny Cam Scatter Boo story. Aaron Rodgers, we're going to pay tribute to our friends up in Canada today. We're going to weekend hobnob. But after the game, you saw Halliburton throw those Pumas up on the podium.

[Tom Yamas]

They're called the, I think they're called the hail ones. The Puma hail ones. They're Halliburton's first ever, ever signature shoe. So he made two statements last night. He made a statement with that last shot that he's the real deal or he comes in clutch, however you want to pose it. He's playing big. And he's also making a statement that, hey, here's my new shoe. I could bring Puma back.

[Tom Brokaw]

Well, there's your question. Can he.

[Tom Yamas]

I mean, they're a solid shoe. I mean, they're not my color. I'm, I'm not into that look. But when you come through big like that and you're a young guy who's trying to buy the hottest new thing, you don't think that's a statement right there. You step up to the podium, I get the press conference after a Game 1 winning shot, and you drop those shoes. You basically drop them right there on the podium at the press conference. You're showing everybody like, I'm the man and these are the shoes that I wear.

[Tom Brokaw]

He might as well have dropped his junk on the table.

[Tom Yamas]

It was like a junk drop.

[Lester Holt]

So I ask you, are those salmon colored also? Because.

[Tom Brokaw]

Whoa.

[Lester Holt]

Well, well, I'm saying the shoes, they look all right, but the color is.

[Tom Yamas]

That's the thing. Not for me, Danny G. Maybe not for you. We're more of a toned down sort of color person when it comes to our shoes.

[Lester Holt]

Or at least have the color as like an accent, not the entire shoe, like a pinkish shoe.

[Tom Yamas]

These younger dudes will hop on that regardless, especially springtime, summertime. It's just not our style because it doesn't really go with anything. But you'll see some people trying to pull that off. But we ask you, based on this statement, he made two statements last night. Do you think that Tyrese Halliburton can make Puma cool again? And we're not saying that it's not cool, but it's not up there with Nike and Adidas. I mean, it's up there.

[Lester Holt]

Don't try to steal my Pumas the way you stole Travis Matthew from me.

[Tom Brokaw]

Hold on. I got to say this. I think you guys are looking at it slightly wrong because you're analyzing the actual shoe. It doesn't matter what the shoe looks like. If the guy is cool enough or the woman is cool enough, they make it cool. So I ask you, is Tyrese Halliburton cool enough to make something trendy?

[Tom Yamas]

Meaning the Kardashian moments he's creating.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah.

[Tom Yamas]

Are helping the cause. I don't know how cool he is, but when you're playing big like that, when it matters and you're dropping your junk on the podium at a press conference after it just happened, I think that sticks in a little kid's mind or a younger guy's mind to maybe make it cool.

[Tom Brokaw]

Well, flip it to women, right? Your wife will buy makeup based on some hottie influencer that starts doing a makeup tutorial on Instagram or Tick Tock.

[Lester Holt]

Right?

[Tom Brokaw]

The Kardashians took champion sweatshirts, which were on the clearance rack at Modell Sporting Goods and Dick Sporting Goods, the cheap ass champion sweatpants my parents would get me as a kid. They made champion cool again because they're the Kardashians. Kylie Jenner told the world who her doctor was and what exactly she did to get the perfect boob job. Hundreds of thousands of women want copycat work done now. So does Tyrese Halberton have that influence? Is the question. He's cool, he's a winner, he's clutch. But his Tyrese Halberton. Stephen A. Says he's not a superstar, but Camino. Is he a trendy enough NBA player where kids are like, yo, those are the Halliburtons.

[Tom Yamas]

I think the moment speaks volumes. I really do. I think every kid was watching that. Every young man was watching that, and they're like, yo, they're the ones that are influenced here. Not me. Not you, Not Danny G. We're in our lane. We get what we like. But yes, the answer, I think, is yes. And that's how trends start. That's how trends work. That was a big moment. You know, that was the press conference after a big shot, and he dropped them on the table. I don't know if you guys missed it. What I don't like is the color. We established that the salmon. But I think Puma could be back. It's never left for Danny G. But, Rich, fun fact, you know, the Dossler brothers are the ones who created Puma, right? You know, Adi Dassler.

[Tom Brokaw]

Adidas. Yeah, Adidas. The brothers split. They had a feud.

[Tom Yamas]

That's the legendary story. Two German brothers, German cobblers.

[Tom Brokaw]

It was a pretty big split up. It was like. It was like Musk and Trump. Like, it was. It was.

[Tom Yamas]

Well, I don't know if it was that heated, but what happened was, you know, Adi Dossler said, you know what? This is my company. He created Adidas. Adi Dossler. Wait, they're in the. Rudy Doler said, well, screw you and your weak ass shoe. I'm starting Puma. And, dude, this is like early 1900s. So it's really never left. It's been around forever. But is it the comeback? I'm just dropping a little fun fact for you. Can Halliburton make it the shoe again to rival the brother shoe, Adidas?

[Tom Brokaw]

I mean, when Halliburton. What did he say? He's like Stephen a Chalamet. Whatever. Pacers and six. If he keeps playing to the fans and the camera, I think he could become that guy. I think the NBA and sports needs these. You know, unless you're just nailing threes and you're Steph Curry and you're all subdued and, like, you know, a nice guy, I think. I think you should lean into it. Lean into the fact that his pops is a little nuts. And I think Halburn has potential.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah. And did you see him with SVP after the game where. Yeah, he was joking with him, admitting he was late to the Pacers party. And Halliburton said we were late, too.

[Tom Yamas]

Based on that. Have you ever been influenced on a purchase from an athlete at any point in your life? Like, did you buy cologne just because Jeter wore it? I didn't, believe it or not, but I'm saying, was there ever a product that you bought just because the athlete that you admired or the moment you admired influenced you?

[Tom Brokaw]

What does Jeter smell like?

[Lester Holt]

I don't know.

[Tom Yamas]

But he had cologne, right? Didn't Jordan have cologne, too? Success rich.

[Lester Holt]

You know, gift baskets.

[Tom Brokaw]

I remember there was a commercial success. Now we don't currently have a deal with Ford.

[Lester Holt]

Right.

[Tom Brokaw]

Okay, good. When Jeter was doing those commercials, and he's like, you know, Jeter's got the edge. I'm like, derek Jeer doesn't drive a Ford Edge. Give me a break. Stop it.

[Tom Yamas]

He's had one. It's like, I bet he had one, though. The company probably gifted him one, gave him one.

[Tom Brokaw]

But I'm saying it's like when Shaq would do a car commercial and hop in some little car and you're like, you think Shaq drives that? Get the hell out of here. I don't believe it. I think Michael Jordan is the, like, number one answer. And then you could go a million pegs below that and be like other influential athletes with merch and products. I do think that Halliburton, if they win the NBA finals, Puma will reap the benefits.

[Tom Yamas]

I guarantee you bigly. I, George Foreman, guarantee you probably bought the grill because he told you to. That every preteen teenage guy we kneel who watches NBA saw that moment. And they're like, yo, those are hot. We gotta get those. If not out loud, subconsciously, because even me, and I'm in my 40s when I saw this, I was like, what are those? And I didn't say that in a bad way. I didn't like the color, but I was curious and I had to look them up. And they're his first signature shoe. And what a perfect. By the way, hey, you remember when Tiger woods hit that shot and then the little Nike logo was right there, perfectly placed, like, that was a perfect moment to promote that shoe. He hits that shot, here's the shoe. Bam. Like, Puma couldn't ask for anything cooler or better than that in the moment. And like I said, when I saw it, I knew what he was doing. And I looked it up immediately, I'm like, what are those? And I found it on Twitter instantly. It's his first shoe. They're called the hail ones.

[Lester Holt]

Halle.

[Tom Brokaw]

I don't.

[Tom Yamas]

Halliburton's really, like. I don't know if he's known as, like, a cool, smooth dude. Doesn't matter to me. What he's doing on the court is what speaks volumes. So I think, yes, I think he can make it cool.

[Tom Brokaw]

You know, I was thinking about athletes that have influenced us with products and sneakers and merch. I watched the documentary because I'm so high brow sophisticated. That's what people think. Me, right, Kamino, of course. Yeah, exactly.

[Tom Yamas]

Everybody.

[Tom Brokaw]

I was watching a documentary about coffee. I'm not even joking, on the History Channel. It was the origins of coffee. How we went from just, you know, Danny G. People used to get beans, they'd roast them in their house, grind them up and filter them through like an old sock. Like, and then it was like Young Folger and Maxwell House. And there was the origins of coffee.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah. And the riper the sock, the better the coffee.

[Tom Brokaw]

And, yeah, the old dirty ass Red socks.

[Lester Holt]

That's what Common said on a TV show.

[Tom Brokaw]

So I bring that up not because I want to tell you that I watch a coffee documentary back in the day. Joe DiMaggio, his endorsement of the Mr. Coffee coffee pot was the reason they say it sold millions. Because he was just such a trusted voice.

[Tom Yamas]

Dude, he had that song. Joe. Joe DiMaggio. He's like, you wanna say.

[Tom Brokaw]

But when. When Joe was like, hey, Joe DiMaggio here, Mr. Coffee. And he showed you that he had a home coffee pot that was like revolutionary. It sold millions. And I know you said George Foreman with the grill.

[Tom Yamas]

Dude, he was with Marilyn Monroe. He had that old timey time song that everybody loved. He was the Yankee Clipper. If he told you to drink that coffee, people did. I think we're not as ambitious to do that. Now. Most people, but young people absolutely are influenced by the right person. And I don't know if Tyrese Halliburton is the right person, but he's the right person right now in the right moment. You see what I'm saying? Like, that's why it was a perfect storm of perfection. It was just the perfect moment for what had just happened.

[Tom Brokaw]

Well, hold on. I get. You know, this is a question for real. I want to ask our Covino and Rich FOX Sports radio audience. The cnr, Fox Sports Nation.

[Tom Yamas]

You really got to get in the mindset of a guy who's like, 13.

[Tom Brokaw]

Bro, you nailed it. I was gonna say, if you have teenage boys and you're living that dad life or mama.

[Lester Holt]

Right.

[Tom Brokaw]

Who and what influences your son? Because my daughter's older than my son. My son's only five. He likes baseball cards and he thinks Ohtani and Lindor are cool because he didn't. He's into baseball now.

[Tom Yamas]

Hey, he's not wrong. Those are two great guys.

[Tom Brokaw]

I know, but he's like, yeah, Benny boy. Who do you like, Dad? I like Ohtani and Lindor. Good choices, pal. But you know what influences women? And because it's obvious. Makeup tutorials. These girls that do A Day in the Life and watch me do my get ready routine. And that's how these young women make millions of dollars. Cuz women buy other women's outfits and wardrobes and hair products and makeup. And, you know, a girl gets good Botox. Everyone wants to know where Kylie Jenner's got perfect boobs. Every girl wants to know who her surgeon is.

[Tom Yamas]

What influences when that guy. Social media. And that clip was viral all over. Not only on television, all over social media. Last night.

[Tom Brokaw]

Who influences young men? Is it. Is it a sneaker of a star athlete? Because I'm really thinking, like anything that.

[Tom Yamas]

Goes viral, like that guy, Ashton hall, nobody knew who he was. He did his morning routine. He was using Saratoga spring water. Next thing you know, everybody's trying to buy that, to wash their face with it and to drink it and to feel young again. It just takes that right moment. And that's exactly what it was last night. So Puma, something you grew up with, I'm sure you're gonna see again. Again. Not that it ever left. I got a pair of Pumas. Danny's got a pair of Pumas. But it's not the upper echelon of shoe anymore.

[Lester Holt]

I have four pair of Puma.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, I know, they're dope.

[Lester Holt]

I mean, I like the suede low tops. So these are a little bit.

[Tom Yamas]

As far as a basketball sneaker, though I don't see that many.

[Lester Holt]

I like the design. I just like we established the color is. By the way, I was looking at a Holly one article here Cove, and it says that the official color of his shoes are hibiscus. Oh, it's a hibiscus rose color.

[Tom Brokaw]

I do wonder, though, what athletes come to mind? Is it a Bryce Harper? Because I know he's got a lot of baseball gear. I see the young kids have. Who is it? Is it some international soccer players that have that poll? Is it still LeBron and Steph? Like, who are these star athletes that.

[Tom Yamas]

It'S going to be guys like this?

[Tom Brokaw]

That's what I'm saying. Like, there's got to be someone that's next because everyone still rocks their Jordan, still a billion dollar brand. Who comes to mind for you?

[Tom Yamas]

Well, you think of Steph Curry, you think Under Armour, and that's not exactly where it once was.

[Lester Holt]

New Balance has a very impressive list of paid endorsers like Shohei Ohtani, Jamal Murray, Kawhi Leonard, Cameron Brink. But are people flocking to New Balance because they have like, probably the most. One of the best list of athletes.

[Tom Brokaw]

They have a young roster.

[Lester Holt]

I still think those shoes are ugly.

[Tom Brokaw]

Give me a. Give me this. You would probably know. Who's Caitlin Clark hooked up with?

[Lester Holt]

Nike.

[Tom Yamas]

Nike. But is there, by the way, speaking of Nike, Rich, right?

[Tom Brokaw]

Is there a rush for like a Caitlin Clark product? They're young women being like, I need the Caitlyn Clarks, but I haven't heard it.

[Tom Yamas]

Have you heard it? It's just not you.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah, she's pretty. She's pretty out there. And she promotes her Shoe. She promotes different types of shoes. She wears like a Kobe inspired Nike, I think. I think those are selling pretty well.

[Tom Yamas]

So again, he dropped the Halle, won the Puma. Halley won his first signature shoe on the podium yesterday. All smiles, sunglasses. They look pink to me. But you're right, they're like a salmon color. Danny G. So again, not my vibe. But he also tweeted out Tyrese Halliburton, Ty Halliburton, 22. It's got to be the shoes. Which is a Nike endorsement, is it not? Speaking of Nike, it's got to be that Spike Lee. It's got to be the shoes. But again, we're talking Pumas here.

[Lester Holt]

Am I the only one waiting for the Angel Reese Reeboks?

[Tom Brokaw]

Oh, I thought I. I was doing some work around the house. There's Angel Reese bricks. You could buy they.

[Tom Yamas]

Oh, no, I don't think he followed what I said, Rich. He used the Nike tagline to promote his Pumas last night.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah, but I don't think any young person knows who Spike Lee is or a slogan from the 90s. They weren't born yet.

[Tom Yamas]

But I just find it ironic and find it kind of funny, don't you think?

[Lester Holt]

And Rich, this article just from a couple of days ago. Caitlin Clark and Nike dropped the Kobe 5 Indiana Fever. They're called the rookie of the year, and they are cool. They're like silver and red. I think they look pretty neat. I would also say that one of the more popular shoes right now is the Sabrina Unescu Nike. And when you're talking about, like, name brand, like, it doesn't always have to be the top, top guy, but when you're talking about shoes, there's this avenue. There's, you know, that's something that.

[Tom Brokaw]

When Caitlin Clark got hurt, did they pause the season or.

[Lester Holt]

No.

[Tom Brokaw]

Are they still playing? Oh, okay. That wasn't true.

[Lester Holt]

Her tweets about the Pacers in that game are getting, like, millions of views. She's very popular.

[Tom Brokaw]

Did you guys think it was weird.

[Lester Holt]

When Halliburton also said where's the beef Last night?

[Tom Brokaw]

No.

[Tom Yamas]

Did you catch that? I thought it was crazy that he was using an old Wendy's tagline.

[Lester Holt]

I like Halberton, man. I think he's. I think he's.

[Tom Yamas]

He's.

[Tom Brokaw]

For his age.

[Lester Holt]

He speaks very well, I think.

[Tom Brokaw]

Did you remember that? He's like, yo, game two. Can't wait. Time to make the donuts. I was like, man, I thought that was.

[Tom Yamas]

I thought that was weird.

[Tom Brokaw]

It's crazy.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, well, I don't think someone in Nike is like, yo, and they're promoting this new shoe with our old tagline, that's crazy. So you're right.

[Tom Brokaw]

Your thoughts? Tyrese Halliburton, the way he's playing game winning shots, three of them now, right? Like, this guy's playing out of his mind. Indiana got a good storyline going on right now, but could he make puma?

[Tom Yamas]

If SGA was the man, he'd hit a game winning shot and drop his ponies on the podium for the next press conference.

[Tom Brokaw]

Well, hey, listen, your thoughts on Halliburton. And we will get to some Canada news. The Edmonton Oilers about to do some big things. Camp Scatterboo is in the news, but we got some breaking news right now. Baseball. Let's go.

[Lester Holt]

Breaking news from Fox Sports, guys. It was expected, but Arizona Diamondbacks picture. Corbin Burns will need Tommy John surgery in the first year of a $210 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Burns is expected to miss the rest of this season and potentially all of the 2026 season. Corbin Burns needs Tommy John surgery.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yikes. And I'll be honest, in a very tight competitive NL west, you lose your ace like that and you're trying to compete with the Giants, the Padres, and of course the Dodgers. Good luck. Good luck, Arizona. That. That's a tough loss for them.

[Tom Yamas]

I know you want to talk some cam Scatter boo and a bunch of.

[Tom Brokaw]

Stuff, but Rich have you like that should be Adam Sandler's favorite.

[Tom Yamas]

Oh, yes.

[Tom Brokaw]

Oh, I love me some.

[Tom Yamas]

Danny G. I'll give you the credit. Danny G super producing on the phones at 87799 on Fox. Danny G keeps it old school, keeps it fresh to death. He wears his British knights. He wears his Nikes. British wears his pumas, right?

[Lester Holt]

I love the Puma because they look like the low top run DMC show shoes from back in the day.

[Tom Yamas]

Right now I'm like, well, I never said pumas weren't cool, but maybe we misspoke a little bit, Rich, because we're not thinking global, okay? We like pumas. We grew up with it. Truck stop fungus hits us up at Covino and Rich, what up, Truck stop fungus? He goes, pumas have always been cool at backup.

[Tom Brokaw]

Danny G should get that looked at.

[Tom Yamas]

So I look it up. I went to my boy chat GPT and I said, what are the top selling shoe brands? Do you want to hear them real quick?

[Tom Brokaw]

Can I guess globally?

[Tom Yamas]

I'll give you the top 10. I'll do it like Spider Harrison. If you Want?

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah. Weekend countdown. Go ahead.

[Tom Yamas]

All right, here's a list of the top selling shoe brands globally based on revenue, market presence and sales volume from 2024. Coming in at number 10, Fila. Now you would have never thought that it would crack the top 10.

[Tom Brokaw]

But globally, Fila still, what is it?

[Tom Yamas]

Still making a billion revenue a year.

[Tom Brokaw]

Fila.

[Tom Yamas]

Okay, coming in number nine, a six. Okay, running shoe.

[Tom Brokaw]

Running shoes.

[Tom Yamas]

Number eight, Under Armour. Now they had a spike when Canelo and Steph Curry and all these young athletes they were signing were booming, but, but since then, not as much. Okay, coming in at number seven, vans. With the street culture vans is number seven. Coming at number six, Converse, owned by Nike. In the casual lifestyle sector. 2, 3 billion a year.

[Tom Brokaw]

I think just based on Converse alone, on just what do you call them?

[Lester Holt]

The Chucks.

[Tom Brokaw]

Like the Chuck Taylors. You got to remember Chuck Taylor's is probably that alone. Number six.

[Tom Yamas]

Coming in number five, New Balance. Popular among athletes and streetwear fans. Five billion a year.

[Lester Holt]

Also known as dad shoes from the.

[Tom Yamas]

Usa, by the way.

[Tom Brokaw]

Dad shoes or like young kid shoes.

[Lester Holt]

Like I know it's weird.

[Tom Brokaw]

It's like you're. If you have New Balance, you're either a 55 year old dad mowing his lawn or you're a trendy 16 year old.

[Tom Yamas]

But this is why we have misconceptions like Dave Concepcion. We have misconceptions here because coming in at number four, Skechers. Seven to eight billion a year. That's why they have standalone Skecher stores.

[Lester Holt]

I was gonna say that. I could see that just because in the city I live in, I've seen two standalone Skecher stores and they're massive. And I asked Linda recently, Warehouses. Yeah. How do they stay open?

[Tom Yamas]

You know how casual categories.

[Tom Brokaw]

My mother in law bought my kids Skechers. I'm like, why are you doing that?

[Lester Holt]

I mean they're afford. I own a pair of pairs of sketches. They're affordable and they're comfortable.

[Tom Yamas]

They are, they're very affordable. They're a great deal. They're a quality shoe. They got that whole Snoop Dogg line now with the slide on. So they're trying to market to sell.

[Tom Brokaw]

Me on the Snoop Dogg line.

[Lester Holt]

Snoop is aging. He needs some easy to slip on shoes.

[Tom Brokaw]

I mean, Skechers, I feel like so do you apparently. Sketchers. Yep.

[Tom Yamas]

But this is why we might be off because coming in at number three top three selling shoe in the world is Puma. Five to six billion a year. Gaining popularity big in Europe through celebrity collaborations and performance Wear. And after last night, I, George Foreman, guarantee that you're going to see a spike. Just like you see people who do a Super bowl performance or whatever, their music automatically spikes the next day. I guarantee we're going to hear a story that because of the shot Halliburton made, that the Halle ones are selling through the roof because kids will jump on it. Number two is Adidas. Number one is Nike. So when we say not cool again, yo, maybe we're not wearing them, but they're still being sold a lot.

[Tom Brokaw]

I'll tell you what, out of the top 10 you just mentioned, only a few of them surprised me. The fact that Fila is In the top 10 shocked me.

[Tom Yamas]

Global, though.

[Tom Brokaw]

I haven't seen a pair of Fila. What are some Italian kids rocking filers? Like in Sicily? Like, who's wearing Filas?

[Lester Holt]

You see them at discount stores like Marshalls and places like that.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, they're originally from Italy, but South Korea. So popular chunky sneaker trend in the Asian countries. Dude, I just came back from Japan. Everybody was wearing those big, chunky, clunky shoes.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah, like platform shoes.

[Tom Brokaw]

Big soles, a six, I understand. Under Armour. Yeah. Vans, of course. Converse. Based on the Chuck Taylors, New Balance. Like I said, old guys watering the lawn or young trendy kids. Puma, Adidas and Nike. Number four Skechers. Again, I get it. You go to the mall, there's standalone stores and warehouses. But to me, I've never seen someone rock some Skechers as a grown up and be like, yo, sweet shoes. I really haven't. Not to be rude, but I've worn Skechers here.

[Lester Holt]

And Covino has complimented my sketchers before.

[Tom Brokaw]

I think it was lying, Sam. I think he was lying.

[Tom Yamas]

I'm not.

[Lester Holt]

No, I was like, sweet shoes, bro. Last year I had a pair of them that were all black and they didn't have the S or anything. And that's why I bought them, because they were really comfortable and they didn't say Skechers, which I liked.

[Tom Brokaw]

That's the key. I used to say that Old Navy's biggest mistake back in the day was plastering Old Navy on everything. Because it would be like, I want to advertise, like, you know, a cheap mall brand Skechers. To me, even if it looks cool, that S is weak as could be super weak. And I'm not a big sneaker head by any means at all. I just. To me, I don't know any friend that's 30, 40, or 50 something that's ever been like, yes, Skechers. But then again, you know what? I'm surprised. I guess it's too niche. But know what I see a lot of now? Hoka, those running shoes.

[Lester Holt]

Oh, yeah, very comfortable. Yeah. Like, waitresses and waiters get those as well.

[Tom Yamas]

It was school dads in la. Like, globally, it's a different story.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah. All right, what do I know? Let's go to your phone calls, then we'll go to DB for an update. Say what's up to Matt in Alaska. Hey, Matt. Hey. What's going on, guys?

[Lester Holt]

I was having a pretty good conversation with Dan on the phone. I think you guys are reaching a little bit on the Pumas. I mean, there's only one reason he.

[Tom Brokaw]

Put them on the on the podium, and that's because that's really the only.

[Lester Holt]

Way any of us were going to find out about them. I understand Puma's a global brand because they're big in the soccer world, but I don't see it catching on here in the States except in the state of Indiana and maybe where, where Halliburton's from and then wherever he went to college.

[Tom Yamas]

But I will. How do you think things trend and spike after moments like that? I think we're gonna see it.

[Tom Brokaw]

I'm not saying he's Michael Jordan by any means, Matt. But if you watch that movie Air, which I thought was great, by the way, you know, Nike was a running shoe that was, you know, not making a bunch of money and they took a chance on Michael Jordan. I'm not saying the same with the Halliburtons, but still, you're right. A winner and some success.

[Tom Yamas]

We don't think like a young person in that way. Because you would never wear those. They look pink. My eyes see pink. I'm like, I would never wear pink shoes.

[Tom Brokaw]

They're not pink, Kavino. What are they, Sam?

[Lester Holt]

Hibiscus. Yeah, Some young sparkling rose white wine.

[Tom Yamas]

Young alpaca headed alpaca bro with the broccoli haircut would rock those in a second, by the way.

[Tom Brokaw]

You know what? I wouldn't have been shocked if it was on this list. I know it's not a sneaker, but yeah, we make fun of them so much. But how many young kids rock Crocs over the last decade when we just made fun of them?

[Tom Yamas]

Right?

[Tom Brokaw]

I mean, they sold millions. So, you know, trends are a different category.

[Tom Yamas]

I don't know.

[Tom Brokaw]

Matt, you're on in SoCal. What's up, man?

[Lester Holt]

Yo, Covino. And rich natural content backed by sincere bs. And that was a Lot of sincere BS this week, you guys. You guys had some really good shows this week.

[Tom Brokaw]

Oh, thanks, man.

[Tom Yamas]

Real quick.

[Lester Holt]

I'll go as fast as I can. I do scouting and social media for high school and college basketball. One thing on Skechers, Skechers is making a push. They were at the biggest SoCal basketball tournament this year back in December. Also, the Puma thing, like, you have your circuits out there, especially on the club side. Nikel, they're the king. You don't touch them. But then there's those other tiers. We have Adidas, Under Armour and Puma. And I was at the Puma circuit this past year. And when you compare the talent, you compare the intention and you compare what they're trying to do. I don't mind putting them already in the category as Adidas and Under Armour. And again, you're looking at their target. I mean, it's not so much TV and ratings, but social media is their target. And I think they're nailing it. Just the way kids are on their phones and stuff like that. And you look at the colors and everything else and the product they're putting out currently, they're doing a heck of a job and keeping up.

[Tom Yamas]

That's a great point and that's great insight. And you have to remember what's on the downside of the trends in our opinion, in our, our mind is on the upswing. Maybe to a younger person like Rich. My daughter was telling me, I have a teenage daughter, she's in high school, right? So I'm always seeing what these kids are wearing, what's coming back. Everything comes back. You know, she's telling me, dad, Hollister is a big thing. I'm like, Hollister's a big thing. Again, like, to me, that's on the downswing. But again, young kid who never was influenced in that way, it's on the upswing.

[Tom Brokaw]

Tell me when Eric Styles hot again. All right, let's go to, let's go to Dan Buyer for an update. Db, what's doing, man?

[Lester Holt]

So, guys, there was Reddit thread that was tracking the most popular shoe in the NBA worn by players. This year the most popular shoe worn was the Nike Kobe 6, which logged about 63,000 minutes.

[Tom Yamas]

Wow.

[Lester Holt]

The second most popular, the Sabrina 2. The Sabrina Unescu, as I told you.

[Tom Yamas]

Really cool.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah. When it comes to the Nike, her signature shoe, the second version of it, popular throughout the NBA. No game two tonight. That'll have to wait until Sunday night. Pacers and thunder, 8 o' clock Eastern time Sunday from Oklahoma City Pacers up 1 0. The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. Hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by Velvet Buck, this podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best selling author and meat eater founder Stephen Rinella.

[Tom Yamas]

I'll correct my kids now and then.

[Lester Holt]

They'll say when cave people were here.

[Tom Brokaw]

And I'll say it seems like the.

[Tom Yamas]

Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves.

[Lester Holt]

So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this Taser the Revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

[Tom Brokaw]

Cops believed everything that Taser told them.

[Lester Holt]

From Lava For Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season one Taser and Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad.

[Tom Yamas]

It's really, really really bad.

[Lester Holt]

Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1 Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2 and 3 on May 21 and episodes 4, 5 and 6 on June 4 ad free at Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lod and this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back in a big way.

[Tom Brokaw]

In a very big way.

[Lester Holt]

Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner.

[Tom Yamas]

It's just a compassionate choice to allow.

[Lester Holt]

Players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne for Brothers Osbourne.

[Tom Brokaw]

We have this misunderstanding of what this.

[Lester Holt]

Quote unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher, Brent Smith from Shinedown got be real from Cypress Hill, NHL enforcer Riley Cote, Marine Corvette, MMA fighter Liz Caramouche. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things.

[Tom Brokaw]

Stories matter and it brings a face to them.

[Lester Holt]

It makes it real.

[Tom Brokaw]

It really does. It makes it real.

[Lester Holt]

Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Michael Kasson, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on Good Company, the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode I'm joined by Anjali Sud, CEO of Tubi, for a conversation that's anything but ordinary. We dive into the competitive world of streaming. How she's turning so called niche into mainstream gold, connecting audiences with stories that truly make them feel seen. What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. It's this idea that there's so many stories out there and if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content. The term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Get a front row seat to where media, marketing, technology, entertainment and sports collide and hear how leaders like Angelique are carving out space and shaking things up a bit in the most crowded of markets. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. The OGs of Uncensored Motherhood are back and badder than ever. I'm Erica. And I'm Mila and we're the hosts of the Good Moms Bad Choices podcast brought to you by the Black Effect Podcast Network every Wednesday. Historically, men talk too much and women have quietly listened. And all that stops here. If you like witty women, then this is your tribe with guests like Corinne Stephens. I've never seen so many women protect predatory men. And then me too happened and then everybody else want to get pissed off because the white said it was okay. Problem.

[Tom Brokaw]

My oldest daughter, her first day in.

[Lester Holt]

Ninth grade and I called to ask how I was doing. She was like oh dad, all they were doing was talking about your thing in class. I ruined my baby's first day of high school and Slumflower what turns me on is when a man sends me money. Like I feel the moisture between my legs when a man sends me money I'm like oh my God, it's go time. You actually sent it. Listen to the Good Moms Bad Choices podcast every Wednesday on the Black Effect podcast network the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you go to find your podcast at Live Aid.

[Tom Yamas]

Man, I remember buying this cassette. Raising hell.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah.

[Tom Yamas]

Run DMC. My Adidas 1984, I believe, right? 80.

[Lester Holt]

This is 86. Yeah, I have the 6. I have the CD single of this.

[Tom Yamas]

Bought it at Crazy Eddie's and get to us. My Adidas led to the group signing a 1.6 million endorsement deal with Adidas. And they had that long term relationship. And like you were saying, Danny G, off the air. That opened the door for all those NBA endorsements.

[Lester Holt]

It really did. This was the first time rap group collaborated with a major athletic brand. So it paved the way for all these collaborations between musicians and brands.

[Tom Brokaw]

You never, you know who never got a thing and he's mad about it. Nelly, Air Force once. He always claims that he made Air Force ones way more popular. He's like, they doubled in sales, the price doubled. But I saw nothing. That's like Nelly's big gripe, if you remember that one.

[Tom Yamas]

He made band aids cool. That's about it, yeah.

[Tom Brokaw]

Price of band aids, however, went way up as well.

[Tom Yamas]

Live from the Fox Sports radio studio, it's Covino and Richard and it's time for our tire rack play of the day. It would have been Rich's Mets choking against the Dodgers, but the NBA finals were last night and there's a student we've been talking about named Tyrese.

[Tom Brokaw]

Rebound, Indiana, eight seconds to go.

[Lester Holt]

The Pacers are not going to call a timeout.

[Tom Brokaw]

Halliburton has it with three, driving with two, pulling up and hitting with three tenths of a second to go. How many more times can this team do that? So we. Makes me want some pumas right now. Another comeback for Indiana that's courtesy of Pacers radio network. And that's our Tyrack play of the day.

[Tom Yamas]

And I guarantee that we will see a spike. Puma still up there, number three in the world. But we're going to see a spike after last night when Halliburton dropped that shot. He also drops his junk on the table with his first ever signature shoe. Well, and everyone else is going to jump on board Rich. And you're going to see Siakam trying to bring Pony back. You're going to see Neesmith trying to bring back some kangaroos. They're going to bring back all the 80s brands, make them cool again.

[Lester Holt]

Wait, are you saying that Siakam is going to bring back? He's going to start the Pink Pony Club.

[Tom Yamas]

That's where Rich is going Tonight, right?

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah. Hey, by the way, I heard you dig. I heard you heard it dig about my Mets. Of all the people, the other people to beat the Mets yesterday. Well, first of all the Mets beat themselves with Beatty making that weak ass error like double clutching when. When he was dead at home plate. Worst play I've seen all year. But Michael Confardo. Yeah, I said Confardo. That guy stinks. I mean he's betting 160, he gets a game winning hit. Could he retire now? Now that he, you know, beat his old team? Yo, Danny G, you gotta hate that guy.

[Lester Holt]

No, I like him now. And, and Rich, have you ever won yet at Dodger Stadium? I feel like. No, I feel like you're six there.

[Tom Brokaw]

No, I'm. I'm way where my kids, I've gone without them. I'm on a cold streak. My kids are oh and five. They've never seen the Mets win in person. And I hope that changes when I'm in New York in July. I'm going to take them. The Mets are playing the Reds mid July after the all Star break.

[Tom Yamas]

So bet on the Reds.

[Tom Brokaw]

And if, if they can't beat the Reds on a weeknight in Queens, I. It's over. Speaking of the NHL Stanley cup finals, if Edmonton wins, correct me if I'm wrong, which I don't think I am, it would be. Oh Canada. It would be Canada's first championship in the four American major sports since 93, which I believe is the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto Raptors won. But that doesn't count, does it?

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, it does. The quadruple dunk.

[Tom Brokaw]

It does.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah. But still they haven't won in hockey since 90.

[Tom Brokaw]

They won in hockey and basketball.

[Lester Holt]

Remember the Blue Jays won later on in 93 as well against the Phillies. So it's in hockey, in the, in the NHL.

[Tom Brokaw]

So other than the Toronto Raptors and Kawhi's quadruple doink, it's been 30 plus years since the Blue Jays repeated touch them all Joe. Their Blue Jays back to back World Series and the Montreal Canadians, that was in the 90s as well. So. Edmonton Oilers, you know, three wins away from bringing some glory back to Canada. And I did want to pay a little tribute to Canada in a few minutes. But Kavino, I had a question for you.

[Tom Yamas]

Sure.

[Tom Brokaw]

Have you ever talked smack about someone and then had to work with them?

[Tom Yamas]

Ooh, that's a good one.

[Tom Brokaw]

And I bring that up because I was just talking to Danny G. About of a Pittsburgh Steeler Deshaun Elliott who?

[Lester Holt]

Their safety? Yeah.

[Tom Brokaw]

Months ago, in reference to Aaron Rodgers, was quoted as saying, leave his old ass at the retirement home. And now awkward Aaron. I'm just kidding. Like, that's, that's not awesome. I mean, that Jalen Ramsey, that's happened with him in the NFL because he talks a lot of smack about quarterbacks. So wherever he would end up, he had to probably do a little, a little, little work in the clubhouse or locker room, right?

[Tom Yamas]

No. Well, I gotta say, that's gotta be a little embarrassing now that Rogers is a Steeler. I'm sure he made a mental note of that. I'm sure Rogers knows. I bet. I believe he does. But to answer your question, I don't think I've done that. I try to keep work relationships as positive as I could be. And we say it all the time, we try to practice what we preach. You never want to burn a bridge. And I'm not like a talk smack kind of guy in that way. I don't like everybody, but I'm not a talk smack kind of guy.

[Tom Brokaw]

I always think it's so counterproductive. When you see someone that gets fired from a company or a team, you know, get cut, released, traded, when they talk smack, I'm like, what are you doing? Because it's such a small world. Every industry, right, no matter what you do for a living, the same sentiment applies, which is, wow, what a small world, right?

[Tom Yamas]

This happened to Marcus Stroman, that, that happened.

[Tom Brokaw]

That doofus talked about how New York stunk, right? And then he ends up with the Yankees.

[Tom Yamas]

Fight, fight extra hard to gain respect for that from the fan base that you now play for. So it does nothing positive for you.

[Tom Brokaw]

So when you don't know where a quarterback or a player is going to end up to say, Aaron Rodgers should leave his old ass at the retirement home, I don't. I wouldn't have to. Sean Elliott, it's like, yo, man, I was playing. I'm just kidding.

[Tom Yamas]

I mean, yeah, he could try to say that and pull it off and as a competitor, they might understand, right? Hey, I didn't care about you. You're the opposing team, you know, but now that we're teammates, you know, f everybody else, it's a decent way to get out of it. No doubt. But that's why you got to be careful because you don't know where your next paycheck is coming from.

[Tom Brokaw]

Now, you could go into the assumption, Cavino, that Aaron Rodgers all along, I mean, everyone in this room, your kids, your grandparents, everyone sort of got the vibe like, he'll end up in Pittsburgh. It's just when he's good and ready. Like, I mean, you could tell from the draft they got. They, they drafted a quarterback, but not early on. It was like, all right, we get it. Pittsburgh, it's going to be Aaron Rodgers new home for at least one year. Right. If anything, are you shocked that the Vegas odds didn't change even a little when he signed with the Steelers? Meaning their odds of winning the super bowl didn't move.

[Tom Yamas]

Didn't move. Yeah, it was surprising. It was a little surprising.

[Lester Holt]

Were you really surprised, though, because you don't see him as a Super bowl quarterback right now in his.

[Tom Brokaw]

No.

[Tom Yamas]

But you would think that their chances would increase a little bit. Right.

[Lester Holt]

Because to win a couple of playoff games, maybe not to go to the super bowl and win a Super Bowl.

[Tom Yamas]

As far as Super Bowl. Yeah, that's, that's, that's true. He's making a great point, Rich. I'm just thinking, you assume that they're going to be better, so their odds are going to be better, but to win the Super Bowl. Yeah. No, I guess Danny's right there. Really not a surprise. Nothing about this was really a surprise. Even Dan Byers announcement, It was a hell of an announcement. But he was like, yeah, we got breaking news. It's not really surprising news, but breaking news. Nobody was surprised. We all kind of knew that was coming.

[Lester Holt]

That could have also been baked into the number, I think.

[Tom Brokaw]

So I feel like maybe it was originally like, he'll end up here.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tom Yamas]

Oh, yeah. That's a great point.

[Tom Brokaw]

Because it was an assumption. Hey, where do you. I know Danny G. Every time we talk. Aaron Rodgers.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah. I already started the timer on you guys.

[Tom Brokaw]

He has the Rogers timer. We're not allowed to go more than two minutes before Danny G. Strangles me.

[Lester Holt]

You have a minute and 12 seconds left.

[Tom Brokaw]

Then one last Aaron Rodgers question before we say what's up to our friends up north in Canada? Where does Aaron Rodgers rank in that division? Is he the third best quarterback or do you put him at the bottom? Is he the second? Because listen, you got Lamar Jackson. He's not better than him. Not better than Joe Burrow at this stage. Cleveland. Who's Cleveland going with right now?

[Tom Yamas]

We don't know, do we?

[Lester Holt]

I mean, the reports are that DeSean Watson's coming along. Yeah. With his rehab.

[Tom Brokaw]

If Deshaun Watson is healthy. Did they go with Deshaun Watson even though the owner said they made a swing and a miss with Him.

[Tom Yamas]

I guess it's safe to say he's third best. Rich. Yeah, for now. Because the other one's just a question mark. Still.

[Tom Brokaw]

I'm still intrigued by Aaron Rodgers. I know you guys are.

[Tom Yamas]

Boo. Has no idea what we're even talking about.

[Lester Holt]

But Deshaun Watson would be maybe a mid season if he was healthy return. I don't think they have any plans for him week one. But because of everything that's gone on, I also don't think that they want him anywhere close to anything. So to that point it's just Joe Flacco or Aaron Rodgers. I think that would end up being your debate. Really?

[Tom Brokaw]

It's interesting, right? Like how quickly people fade in all major sports. Anyway, enough Aaron Rodgers. The timer's gone off.

[Lester Holt]

Danny, right now you have five seconds left.

[Tom Brokaw]

And then. And then. Scene. All right. Edmonton Oilers. I did forget the Raptors for a second. They did win with Kawhi, but besides that, it's been a long time since the Canadian team has won. Like I said, the Blue Jays, we remember. Touch them all. Joe. Joe Carter. That. That squad that went back to back. And the fun about that was they won back to back. And then the baseball strike happened. And then after that it felt like baseball was just so different. Right. And the Expos were so good around that time. And if any team should hate the fact that the baseball strike happened where the Expos. That was like a season Yankees were slaying it. Not as much as the Expos.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, they were in 94 and Paul O' Neill was the batting champ. They were. They were in first place. I know that in the al.

[Tom Brokaw]

I'm going to look it up right now.

[Tom Yamas]

Good.

[Tom Brokaw]

In let's see, standings in 1994 MLB standings. If there should be a team that's upset. Yeah. Best. Best record when the strike happened were the Montreal expos. They were 74 and 40. So hey, expos, it could have been their year, but the strike happened and then eventually moves to D.C. blah blah, blah. You know the story. So I ask you, being that the Edmonton Oilers could bring some glory back to our friends up north in Canada, what are your favorite things that Canada has given us? Actors, musicians, athletes, food, treats. Like what, what. What is. What is it that you love that Canada has given us?

[Tom Yamas]

I steal one of your personal answers without really stealing anyone else's. Yeah, we have a lot of Canadian friends that we've made do the radio show throughout the years. A lot of listeners from Canada and we appreciate you guys. A On this Friday. A but when they send you cheesies, you get so pumped about that. We don't have those in the States.

[Tom Brokaw]

They are the best.

[Tom Yamas]

They're like the Canadian version of. Of a Cheeto.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah, Cheetos, Cheese doodles. Whatever we have here in the United States stinks in comparison to Canadian cheese.

[Tom Yamas]

And R knows cheese, so.

[Tom Brokaw]

Dude, they're made from real, like, cheddar. They're unbelievable. Danny, I'm sure they're terrible for you, but cheesies are so freaking good.

[Lester Holt]

Ben Maller and his show, they were just at a meet and greet with their listeners in Vancouver and he went to the Costco there and bought an extra large bag of those cheesies and he stuffed it in his carry on, bro.

[Tom Yamas]

Those are like. People fight over those when. When we get the mailed to us. And Rich, like, he claims them, he loves them, and he's the cheesiest guy I know. So. So there's something to be said about that. And I feel. I feel like that's a fun answer without taking any good ones because I think there's a number one import from Canada that we have. There is a number one celebrity, in my opinion, that trumps all these people and all these things.

[Tom Brokaw]

Spotty, I know you're a big fan when we have listeners send us, like, ketchup chips. Oh, yeah, what's that candy bar. You like the Coffee crisp.

[Lester Holt]

Coffee crisp is great. All season chips. Would you guys know. Yeah. The All Dressed. This is what the lay's brand that Canadians love is the All Dressed. It's like salt vinegar barbecue all combined into one sour cream, onion salt, vinegar barbecue flavor all combined and tangy tomato seasoning. You guys are making me hungry.

[Tom Brokaw]

I'm gonna. I'm gonna give you tangy. I'm gonna give you an import that they started opening on the east coast and I think they slowed down. But there was a time. Do you guys remember about 10 years ago, if you live on the east coast and you're listening, there was a time where a bunch of Dunkin Donuts started turning into Tim Hortons, Timmy's and the Timbits, you know, Timmy's, Eh? That's a big deal. Tim Hortons coffee and their little Timbits and their donuts. I am a huge fan of poutine.

[Tom Yamas]

The cheese curds and the gravy Jersey east coast version of those. We had. We called them disco fries. They're similar. No?

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah, that's mozzarella cheese with gravy. Yeah, it's similar enough, but I mean, poutine's at home, you know.

[Tom Yamas]

All right, well, I'm not going to sit here and dilly dally like you guys. The number one answer by far, number one according to greatest Canadian import that we're the most thankful for.

[Tom Brokaw]

Celine Dion. No, no.

[Tom Yamas]

It's easily not an athlete. Not to me. It's Jim Carrey, period.

[Tom Brokaw]

He is the greatest Canadian that we've ever been.

[Tom Yamas]

Gifted.

[Tom Brokaw]

I mean, I wanted to beat you, Rich.

[Lester Holt]

I have a wrestler, though he unfortunately passed away in 2015. I guess you could call him an actor too because his movie was pretty awesome in a cheesy way. Rowdy Roddy Piper.

[Tom Brokaw]

Dude, people think he's a Canadian import. Yeah, yeah, man. The hot rod doesn't make your list, Kavino.

[Tom Yamas]

No, I think that's a really great answer because of the misconception. You're right. I think that's a great one. And I'm going to throw this out there as a rock fan. They get such a bad rap and they were everyone's punchline for. For many years for no reason whatsoever. Nickelback has to be in the conversation. I'm sorry. I know people love to hate on them and people are going to look different at me because I said it, but I like Nickelback.

[Tom Brokaw]

Putting Chad Krueger on your list, huh?

[Tom Yamas]

Absolutely. Dude, they just make hits for days. They got a lot of great songs. People that hate on them just don't know. It's their ignorance shining through. I'm not saying you gotta love them, but to not respect what they've been doing since 1995. On the highest of levels, you're just hating because he looks goofy. You're hating for no reason. So I'm not hating, I'm just stating that Nickelback should be in the conversation for sure. And if you want to take it back even further, you know the Guess who was a big Canadian band back in the day. I'm not a big Rush guy, but Nickelback is my answer for sure.

[Lester Holt]

Give me some Lover Boy. You want to talk about hit after hit after hit?

[Tom Brokaw]

Everybody's working for the weekend.

[Lester Holt]

Yes.

[Tom Yamas]

And they were doing it for a long ass time. Dan Byer. I think they go back to the late 70s.

[Lester Holt]

Yes. No, you listen. There's so many Lover Boy tracks that you're just like, oh, that's great, that's great, that's great. Yeah, give me Lover Boy.

[Tom Brokaw]

Our buddy Sean hit us up who listens on the Iheart app out here in la, said those chips that I was Sam mentioned the all dressed are the bomb apparently, they're the best potato chip out there. Cavino.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah.

[Tom Brokaw]

What about a couple people in the music world more. More current than the ones you're talking about? What about maybe. I know he's had a rough couple years, but Drake? What about Justin Bieber? Justin Bieber can't be.

[Tom Yamas]

Can't not be brought up in the conversation. Personally, am I a huge fan? No, personally, I'm a bigger fan of Three Days Grace, who I play on Turbo 41. You know, Shaquille O' Neal put out a video recently. That's right. I love me some Three Days Grace. It's never too late. Never too late to learn how to play the guitar. Did you see that video of Shaq playing a guitar? And it looked like a little baby ukulele when he was playing it. He made a viral post and it was to Three Days Grace. And they're a very successful Canadian band, Rich. And you might not know the song with the band, but if you heard the song like, oh, I know that song. And that would be Three Days Grace. Very popular Canadian band. But again, I feel like you guys are beating around the Canadian bush.

[Tom Brokaw]

Oh, slow down.

[Tom Yamas]

Listen, if we're gonna bring up Jim Carrey, I think the number two here, we named some really good bands. The number two, yet often forgotten greatest import from Canada is by far Mike Myers.

[Tom Brokaw]

It's another great one.

[Lester Holt]

Right.

[Tom Brokaw]

Till I make you a holy baby.

[Lester Holt]

I'll take your Mike Myers and raise you John Candy. Yeah, it's my guy.

[Tom Yamas]

That's a good one, bro.

[Tom Brokaw]

I'll raise you a Dan Aykroyd.

[Lester Holt]

No, thanks. He's no John Candy. I'll raise you a Phil Hartman. Oh, the late I'll raise you a Norm MacDonald.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yo, Norm. Great answer.

[Tom Yamas]

You know what I always think? Too Rich. Again, misconception. But not really, because Warren Moon was in the. Wasn't he in the. Oh, yeah, Canadian hall of Fame. Like, I associate him as a great Canadian football player that was also a great NFL player, but he's from la, if I'm not mistaken. But I think of that.

[Tom Brokaw]

You know, a movie that Kavino, you cry to every time you watch it. The Notebook. McAdams and Gosling. Both Canadian.

[Tom Yamas]

No way. They're both Canadian.

[Tom Brokaw]

Both Canadian. Bob.

[Tom Yamas]

Oh, wow.

[Tom Brokaw]

Canadian. Buddy boy.

[Tom Yamas]

So just paying a little tribute. A little thanks. Little homage to Canada because again, Edmonton has a shot.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah, it's been a minute.

[Tom Yamas]

It's been a minute for Canada. 90. Would you say 93. When the Canadians were.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah, I mean, listen, I forgot for a Second that, you know, the, the Raptors had won with Siakam and.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, but they haven't won anything in a long time.

[Tom Brokaw]

But no, hockey, I mean we think hockey, you think Canada. And it's been 30 plus years since a Canadian team has won. And in baseball, man, we don't have two Canadian teams anymore. We have the Blue Jays and it's been 30 plus years since, you know, Tom Hankers like that were pitching. Guys, guys like they had a bunch of hired guns, huh? Remember like Ricky Henderson, David cone, the Rocket. They had, they had some players on that team.

[Tom Yamas]

Now Danny G brought up John Olarud in his helmet. Oh, he had a great helmet. Danny G brought up Rowdy Roddy Piper. Brett Hart was Canadian.

[Tom Brokaw]

That whole, the whole Hart family.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah. So. Well, I'm going, you know, Brett was the legend there. So I'm just giving him props for sure.

[Tom Brokaw]

Is that why you still wear pink spandex once in a while or no?

[Tom Yamas]

Sometimes. And that's why Danny G rocks those sunglasses.

[Tom Brokaw]

It's funny. Danny G at live events, he'll pick someone and he puts his sunglasses on them like Bret Hart would do to a kid.

[Tom Yamas]

He wears the Hitman sunglasses. For sure.

[Lester Holt]

It's true. I'm gonna do that in Vegas in a couple of weeks.

[Tom Yamas]

I know. 87799 on Fox at Covino. And Rich, as we all, you know, put on our best Canadian. Are they called tooks? We put on our tooks tonight and get ready for the NHL final sweaters. Is it a toque or a took?

[Lester Holt]

I don't know. I think it's a toque.

[Tom Yamas]

As we get. As we put our toques on.

[Tom Brokaw]

Can I say something the bit off color for a second maybe. We've been to Canada plenty of times. I always find it funny how strip clubs in Canada, there's coins involved because their dollars and $2 are loonies and toonies and they have a different currency system. I always thought it was funny how like you almost like you almost toss the girl a little coin. Like, hey, got a nickel in my pocket. Like, like you're flipping coins at the girl on stage. Which I always thought was like weird.

[Lester Holt]

Ow. Hit me in the eye.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah.

[Tom Yamas]

Hey, Rich, you. You're forgetting two that are right in your wheelhouse. As a pop radio guy, are you.

[Tom Brokaw]

Going to call me maybe Carly Rae Jepsen, one hit wonder.

[Tom Yamas]

Nope. Even bigger than that.

[Tom Brokaw]

You said Bieber.

[Tom Yamas]

I'm talking really great songwriter and big time pop star married to another Canadian band from. Oh, Avril Lavigne. There you go.

[Tom Brokaw]

Avril Lavigne.

[Tom Yamas]

Avril Lavigne from Canada. She was married to at one point. Remember Derek Whibley of some 41, also Canadian.

[Tom Brokaw]

And check.

[Tom Yamas]

But there's another band that you love. They came up in the late 80s, blew up in the early 90s. I think they're kind of corny, but they're nice dudes.

[Tom Brokaw]

Oh, I know. I know who it is. It's been one week since you look at me bare nickel.

[Tom Yamas]

You know what, though? But they belong in the conversation. You know, they. They made it here in a big way. That means a little something in entertainment.

[Tom Brokaw]

Listen.

[Lester Holt]

Hey, Richard. Pop boy. I can't believe you didn't think of this. New Brandon just popped his head in the door here. He said. The new sensation, Tate McCray.

[Tom Brokaw]

Tay McCray. She is a big deal. Oh, dude, you know what?

[Tom Yamas]

She might be number three. Answer.

[Tom Brokaw]

She leads with Canadian sexuality.

[Tom Yamas]

Yo, dude, she's sexy. Yeah, you know, she really is. She's a great performer. It's wild because she looks like. I don't know, she looks like some girl you'd see at a Jersey mall. But like a hot girl that you'd see at a Jersey mall.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah.

[Tom Yamas]

And she's Canadian, doing her thing. She's got the dance moves. We saw her at Shingle Ball.

[Lester Holt]

Rich.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, we were impressed.

[Lester Holt]

A hero of the Covina Rich Show.

[Tom Brokaw]

Hey, I'm Talking to you, McFly, you Irish bug.

[Lester Holt]

Michael J. Fox.

[Tom Yamas]

Michael J.

[Tom Brokaw]

Fox is Canadian.

[Tom Yamas]

Dude, we now. All right, hold up, hold up. Okay, it's Jim Carrey, number one, coming in at number two. Mike Myers coming in at number three. Michael J. Fox. Actually, he could be at number two.

[Lester Holt]

Where's John Candy?

[Tom Yamas]

I mean, and then, you know, bro.

[Tom Brokaw]

Not my cup of tea.

[Lester Holt]

You have, like, SNL cast members that are deceased, like John Candy and Phil Hartman. I mean, not my big names at the time.

[Tom Brokaw]

Sam, not Mike, but guys were still with us. Not my preference. But Celine Dion's also huge in this.

[Lester Holt]

Celine Dion's talent is under undeniable.

[Tom Yamas]

So I wonder what a Canadian would say. We got some people on the phones though, right? So maybe, like, maybe our impression is way different from their impression.

[Tom Brokaw]

Let's say hi to Steven in Washington state. Hey, we're paying tribute to Canada. Why not? It's a random Friday. The sports world leads us to the NHL Stanley cup tonight, Game 2. And the Edmonton Oilers, they. They, you know, they're up a game. Could be the first time a hockey team from Canada WINS in over 30 years.

[Lester Holt]

It was the Canadiens?

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah, the Canadians.

[Lester Holt]

Montreal Canadiens.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah. What's up there, Steven?

[Lester Holt]

Hey, guys. So I was thinking about all this and you guys kept bringing up names. So I had Jim Carrey number three, but I had a duck him down a little bit after you said Norm MacDonald. So I would go Jim Carrey, number four, Norm MacDonald number three, Mike Myers number two, and number one, I always see him when he comes to sound is Harland Williams.

[Tom Yamas]

They're all great. There's no way that Jim Carrey's not number one on all of those.

[Tom Brokaw]

I mean, I love Harlem personalist.

[Tom Yamas]

That's fine.

[Tom Brokaw]

I mean, it is Steve's personal list, but. Yo, Camino. See, pull over.

[Lester Holt]

No, it's a card. That's two Canadians talking to each other.

[Tom Brokaw]

Remember half baked Buttercups. Butternuts. Yeah, that's. That's Arlen Harlan Williams.

[Tom Yamas]

Very funny guy. I'm glad you brought him up. But you know what? Unless I missed it because I was racking my brain, Rich, I can't believe no one has said former Mrs. Joey Gladstone.

[Tom Brokaw]

I said Alanis. Did you say when you were saying Avril. When you were leading me to Avril. I said Alanis because I thought that's where you were going.

[Tom Yamas]

No, because that's a really great answer, man.

[Tom Brokaw]

I think.

[Tom Yamas]

I think that was the. Her Jagged Little Pill album.

[Tom Brokaw]

Great.

[Lester Holt]

I think that was front to back. Excellent.

[Tom Yamas]

Sounds sexist, Rich, but that was like. That was like Nirvana, Nevermind for women.

[Tom Brokaw]

But the thing is, I think now that we look back, when we look back, you know, maybe sexist. Teenage Kavino. That was like, you know, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, you know, Allison Chains, looking back, that Alanis Morissette is as.

[Tom Yamas]

That.

[Tom Brokaw]

That I. That that album, Jagged little Pill is as good as any of them.

[Tom Yamas]

Every song, without a doubt with. Yeah, Sam, I agree with you. Without a doubt. It might be better than most anthems. Really spoke to women, though. Specifically the same way those other grunge bands spoke to a lot of dudes.

[Tom Brokaw]

And it made everyone look at Dave Coulier a little differently.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, it gave Dave Coulier street cred.

[Tom Brokaw]

What did she do?

[Tom Yamas]

Whoa.

[Lester Holt]

Did Lance Morset make a. She made at least one appearance on Curb your enthusiasm, right? She was in an episode, I believe. So I feel like she's. She's done extra stuff because. Because how big that album.

[Tom Brokaw]

No, she's great, dude. You know what? Let's say hi to Oscar in Vegas real quick and then we'll break Vegas. Oscar, what's up?

[Lester Holt]

Hey, how are you?

[Tom Brokaw]

What's up, man? Who do you think of when we say Canada?

[Lester Holt]

When I think of Canada as a working man, I think of Rush because more Canadian than Rush. But my number one Canadian who is Alex Trevor.

[Tom Yamas]

That's a good one. That's a good one.

[Tom Brokaw]

Hey, in honor of the Edmonton Oilers who are trying to, you know, win a Stanley cup for Canada, they're up 1 0.

[Lester Holt]

The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. Hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by Velvet Buck, this podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best selling author and meat eater founder Stephen Rinella.

[Tom Yamas]

I'll correct my kids now and then.

[Lester Holt]

Where they'll say when cave people were here.

[Tom Brokaw]

And I'll say, it seems like the.

[Tom Yamas]

Ice age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for cave.

[Lester Holt]

So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this Taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

[Tom Brokaw]

Cops believed everything that Taser told them.

[Lester Holt]

From Lava for good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season one, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad.

[Tom Yamas]

It's really, really, really bad.

[Lester Holt]

Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episode episodes 1, 2 and 3 on May 21 and episodes 4, 5 and 6 on June 4 ad free at Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lodd and this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Sir, we are back in a big way.

[Tom Brokaw]

In a very big way.

[Lester Holt]

Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman.

[Tom Yamas]

Trophy winner, It's just the compassionate choice.

[Lester Holt]

To allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne For.

[Tom Brokaw]

Brothers Osborne we have this misunderstanding of what this quote unquote drug thing is.

[Lester Holt]

Benny the Butcher Brent Smith from Shinedown got be real from Cypress Hill NHL enforcer Riley Cote Marine Corps vet MMA fighter Liz Caramouche what we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things.

[Tom Brokaw]

Stories matter and it brings a face to them.

[Lester Holt]

It makes it real.

[Tom Brokaw]

It really does. It makes it real.

[Lester Holt]

Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcast, foreign founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on Good Company, the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode I'm joined by Anjali Sud, CEO of Tubi, for a conversation that's anything but ordinary. We dive into the competitive world of streaming, how she's turning so called niche into mainstream gold, connecting audiences with stories that truly make them feel seen. What others dismiss as niche we embrace as core. It's this idea that there's so many stories out there and if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content. The term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Get a front row seat to where media, marketing, technology, entertainment and sports collide and hear how leaders like Angeli are carving out space and shaking things up a bit in the most crowded of markets. Listen to Good company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. The OGs of uncensored motherhood are back and badder than ever. I'm Erica. And I'm Mila and we're the hosts of the Good Moms Bad Choices podcast brought to you by the Black Effect Podcast Cast Network every Wednesday. Historically, men talk too much and women have quietly listened. And all that stops here. If you like witty women, then this is your tribe with guests like Corinne Steffens. I've never seen so many women protect predatory men. And then me too happened and then everybody else want to get pissed off because the white said it was okay. Problem?

[Tom Brokaw]

My oldest daughter, her first day in.

[Lester Holt]

Ninth grade and I called to ask.

[Tom Brokaw]

How I was doing.

[Lester Holt]

She was like oh dad, all they were doing was talking about your thing in class. I ruined my baby's first day of high school and Slumflower, what turns me on is when a man sends me money. Like, I feel the moisture between my legs when a man sends me money, I'm like, oh, my God, it's go time. You actually sent it. Listen to the Good Moms Bad Choices podcast every Wednesday on the Black Effect podcast network, the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you go to find your podcast.

[Tom Yamas]

I was thinking about my dad and his. One of his first jobs was Canada Dry. So I got a shout out there, ginger ale, because it's one of my favorites for sure. And Mercer hit us up, and it reminded me that my dad's a huge fan of William Shatner. So Canadian imports. Get to your phone calls now. All right.

[Tom Brokaw]

In honor of the Edmonton Oilers trying to win the first NHL Stanley cup since the 90s, Canada's had a little bit of a drought. A. Kevin, Ohio. What's up, bud?

[Lester Holt]

Hey, how's it going, guys?

[Tom Brokaw]

What's up? Your favorite thing from Canada. Go ahead.

[Lester Holt]

Ryan Reynolds, Tim Riggins, and probably. That's. That's probably.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah, Reynolds is cool as hell, but he's fallen down the list a little bit past year.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah, him and the whole Blake Lively thing. That is. Yeah, it. Before that. Ryan Reynolds is the top five answer for sure.

[Tom Yamas]

He was a treasure.

[Tom Brokaw]

Let's go to Alaska. What's up, Donald Trump?

[Lester Holt]

Hey, so come on. Just got taken, but I will. My number one was Captain Kirk. My number three was Deadpool. So I will come in at number two with Donald Sutherland.

[Tom Brokaw]

Good one.

[Tom Yamas]

Good answers, man. Thanks for calling.

[Tom Brokaw]

Thank you, Donald. Joe in Pennsylvania. Hey, buddy.

[Lester Holt]

Hey, how you doing?

[Tom Yamas]

What up?

[Lester Holt]

There have been some good ones, but I gotta throw out Leonard Nimoy to go along with William shatner, the original Mr. Spock.

[Tom Yamas]

I thought he was just from, like, another planet.

[Tom Brokaw]

Snow Canada, apparently.

[Lester Holt]

What?

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah. Thank you, Joe Tanner in Iowa. What's up, Tanner?

[Lester Holt]

Not much. How you doing?

[Tom Brokaw]

What you got?

[Lester Holt]

The best duo in Canada history is Terrence and Phillip from the Terrence and Philip.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yo, Terrence and Philip. Great answer. I picture everyone in Canada having a floppy head like they are on South Park.

[Tom Yamas]

I've pictured that for years. And then I met a few and I was like, wait a second.

[Tom Brokaw]

Blame Canada. Let's go to Ben, who's in Canada to wrap this up.

[Lester Holt]

Perfect way to wrap.

[Tom Brokaw]

What's up? Hey, how's it going, guys?

[Lester Holt]

Thanks a great show. Thanks for taking my calls. The number one thing that we gave you guys was your America's sweetheart, Mary. Pickford.

[Tom Yamas]

I'm sorry, Sorry, but I don't know.

[Lester Holt]

That is the silent movie star. No, she was America's sweetheart. She started MGM with Charlie Chaplin and the boys. The silent movies. Your movie industry started with a Canadian. Look at that.

[Tom Yamas]

You know what, that's a great answer because then we, we learned a little something.

[Lester Holt]

Hey Ben, way back in the day.

[Tom Brokaw]

Ben, one quick question before we go. Since you are Canadian, how do Canadians pronounce Mark Messier? Do they say, do they say Mark Messier, eh? Is it today?

[Tom Yamas]

That's what I heard. That's what I heard.

[Lester Holt]

Or is his name actually just Mark.

[Tom Yamas]

Messi and that's they've just been saying Mark Messi eh for all these years.

[Lester Holt]

That joke never gets old.

[Tom Brokaw]

I know. Thank you Canadians. Thank you Covino and Rich. Fox Sports Radio Nation.

[Tom Yamas]

Now Danny G. And good luck Edmonton.

[Lester Holt]

Sorry, I know we have a lot to get to. Can I just say the founder of the founder of the Inventor of basketball, Dr. James Naismith was born in Canada. He eventually made his way down to Illinois and different or parts of the Midwest. But Dr. James Naismith, Canadian, invented basketball.

[Tom Brokaw]

Well I will say this as we we move along the show for all the Canadians that possibly listen through affiliates we've party with Canadians. There's something about people from Canada. They party harder than Americans. You try to keep trying to keep.

[Tom Yamas]

Up in the culture is crazy trying.

[Tom Brokaw]

To keep up drinking with Canadians. Good luck. So coming up before we get out of here for the weekend Danny G. Is going to give away a couple swiggies and we are going to do some weekend hobnobbin. So hang tight. If you go to at covey and on Rich in about five minutes I'm in full baseball uniform. I have to go straight to a baseball vent in the valley for my kids pony ball and I'm trying to decide do I go high sock with the stripes or do I pull the pant leg low like I'm Griffey Jr. In 89.

[Tom Yamas]

You really got to wear full uniform.

[Tom Brokaw]

Dude, I got Joe Tori, I got a full uniform.

[Tom Yamas]

What the hell is that about? You're little.

[Tom Brokaw]

Am I going hot sock or am I what am I doing?

[Lester Holt]

It's weird too because he has chew in his back pocket. I look in the studio and Rich is wearing his normal clothes and then I look up and he's all of a sudden it's like Clark Kent turning into Superman.

[Tom Yamas]

My little league coach wore wranglers and.

[Tom Brokaw]

Like the hat we had, that's not allowed. You would get kicked Out.

[Tom Yamas]

No. Okay, well, we have reviews and we have prizes to give away because it's Friday.

[Lester Holt]

Let's go. Apple podcast page Covino and Richard. We'll do a couple of 1 stars here to keep you guys humble before I get to the five star winners. All right, the title from EJA here. Another weak lineup from Fox. He doesn't know we're number one right now.

[Tom Brokaw]

Make sure he's not confusing us with the other network.

[Lester Holt]

I was gonna say not fake number one. Like we actually have number one ratings.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah.

[Lester Holt]

All right. His review says these two are annoying and lousy broadcasters.

[Tom Yamas]

Well, I mean, he's right about the annoying part. I think he's broadcaster part. I take offense.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah, tell me what that guy does for a living. I'm gonna call his him. He stinks.

[Lester Holt]

All right, and now from Harry 6969.

[Tom Brokaw]

Sounds credible. Yeah.

[Lester Holt]

Take that guy seriously. Awful is his headline. One star can't stand you guys. Horrible. Never listen to episode. Just ads. 60 seconds of nails on a chalkboard, man. But if he never listened, how does he know you're horrible?

[Tom Yamas]

Tell us how you really feel.

[Tom Brokaw]

No, it's like. It's like Kabino, who won't watch a show based on the name. So Camino, you're cut from the same clothes cloth. Is this idiot?

[Lester Holt]

Yeah. And by the way, the way the podcast works there with Apple. You can fast forward commercials. All right, genius. M jealous 11 here. Five star review. His title, the way sports talk was meant to be.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[Lester Holt]

Covino, I knew you'd like this one better. C and R bring a freshness to sports radio that has been missing. It's not sports as usual. It's sports, entertainment, movies and everything you're talking about with your buddies at the bar. It's not sports as usual. It's sports with your friends.

[Tom Yamas]

Hell yeah. It's been missing and we found it. Thank you.

[Lester Holt]

Next one up here, five stars from Lawson the Radiator Builder. Awesome is his headline. Covino and Rich, you guys are awesome. First thing I turn on when I get to work is Fox Sports Radio so that I can tune into your show. Love it. Keep it coming, dude.

[Tom Brokaw]

Thank you.

[Tom Yamas]

Thank you.

[Tom Brokaw]

People are smart out there. I know. Because we're real people.

[Tom Yamas]

We're not real radio robots.

[Lester Holt]

And one more here. Good Dudes is the title from Mr. 8042. Five star review. Covino and Rich are a good mix of good guys and funny stories. Truly a great show. Everyone should be listening, man.

[Tom Yamas]

I Could have said it better. I love that one.

[Tom Brokaw]

Who wrote that one? Your cousin?

[Lester Holt]

No. If you heard your review, Red, email me. It is crprises gmail.com. that's crprises gmail.com.

[Tom Yamas]

Felt like that last one really got us. I like it. Thank you, everybody, and thanks for checking out our show. And now we do it every Friday. We call it weekend Hobnobbin. Let's go Living for the weekend.

[Lester Holt]

You're winning bets for talking points. If you get stuck socializing.

[Tom Brokaw]

You ever done anything dangerous?

[Lester Holt]

You ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?

[Tom Brokaw]

That is dangerous.

[Lester Holt]

Friday brings us weekend Hobnobbies.

[Tom Yamas]

I'll make it snappy. So, Rich, I'm here on the East Coast. My brother's coming by. We're going to order some pie. And of course we're going to watch the Yankees, Red Sox. But you know what else we're watching? Stanley Cup Final, game two. Panthers, Oilers, Oilers up one game to none. We talked about it, but I'm watching. Not the biggest hockey fan, but I'll be tuning in for sure. Good luck, Oilers.

[Tom Brokaw]

I don't believe you.

[Tom Yamas]

I am. You know what else I'm watching? UFC 316 this weekend. I believe that Dwalishvili is fighting Sugar Sean o' Malley in the rematch. It's their second fight. O' Malley lost unanimous decision in the last fight. And in the women's title bout, Pena vs. Harrison, again, UFC 316. So that's a pretty cool line up there. I love Sugar Sean o' Malley. I hope he gets his redemption. And then I shamelessly want to promote Over Promised. Our bonus podcast dropped yesterday. Episode 95. We talk about short kings. We give props to the short kings out there. And we talked Tom Thibodeau and how unfair it is that he got axed this week. And we talk about the Baldo Ronaldo bald guy. So we give props to short king kings and bald guys on Over Promised. That's on fox Sports Radio's YouTube page.

[Tom Brokaw]

Man, what a guy. Steve Covino. Hey, if you're a fan of Shane Gillis, and I am, I think he's hilarious. I. I'm a. I'm a fan of what he does in the comedy world. Season two of Tires. Now I know season one Camino, you were not underwhelmed or overwhelmed. Didn't he say you were just whelmed? Yeah, from what I'm hearing, season two better than the first season. So season two of of Tires on Netflix. I don't know if anyone's wife or girlfriend has you watching Ginny in Georgia. Season three is back for that show, which is trending number one on Netflix as we speak. But he's on our show every so often. Shaquille o' Neal. Shaq. You know, the guy that crashed the NBA Finals desk last night. Power moves with Shaq on Netflix as well, where you see the business side of Shaquille o' Neal. And I'm going to watch the Mets Rockies. And inevitably, after this emotional Mets Dodgers, which felt like a playoff split. If they lose to the Rockies, I wouldn't be shocked any G. I really wouldn't. You come off an emotional like two best teams in the National League. Don't you expect the Mets almost to poop the bed a little bit against the worst team in the National League?

[Tom Yamas]

I'll tell you outside looking in too. Man, that was an intense series. It really did feel like a playoff series.

[Tom Brokaw]

No doubt. Danny G, Anything you want to add?

[Lester Holt]

NBA Finals, of course, on Sunday, and a brainless reality TV challenge show. It's been great on Netflix. Battle Camp. Keep your name off the wheel. It's not just about the challenge and popularity votes. It's up to chance, as you don't want the wheel to land on your name.

[Tom Brokaw]

You know, there's a couple dumb dating shows out there, but if you want to go to the movies, obviously I recommend Lilo and Stitch. So with the kids, it was great.

[Lester Holt]

Great.

[Tom Brokaw]

Mission Impossible still out. But if you're a John Wick.

[Lester Holt]

Oh, yeah, that's mine.

[Tom Brokaw]

Anna De Armas, right?

[Lester Holt]

Anna Armis in anything I'm gonna watch. But yeah, Ballerina from the the world of John Wick.

[Tom Yamas]

Yeah.

[Tom Brokaw]

Is she the female badass? And she's hot as really great reviews.

[Tom Yamas]

People are liking it more than Karate Kid legends, which I suggest you go.

[Tom Brokaw]

It's funny. I mean, I'm connecting the dots, but I'm imagining they're still friends from Knock Knock.

[Lester Holt]

Oh, maybe, Right?

[Tom Brokaw]

No, I will. So we'll see you guys on Monday. Enjoy. Arriba. Dare she, baby.

[Tom Yamas]

See you in the promised land. Bye, guys.

[Lester Holt]

Today's Friday. The OGs of uncensored motherhood are back and better than ever. I'm Erica. And I'm Mila. And we're the hosts of the Good Moms Bad Choices podcast, brought to you by the Black Effect Podcast Network every Wednesday. Yeah, we're moms, but not your mom. Historically, men talk too much, and women have quietly listened. And all that stops here. If you like witty women, then this is your truck. Listen to the good moms Bad Choices podcast every Wednesday on the Black Effect podcast network, the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you go to find your podcast. Your gut microbiome and those healthy bacteria can actually have positive effects. Your mental health, your immunity, your risk.

[Tom Yamas]

Of cancer, almost any disease under the sun.

[Lester Holt]

This week on Dope Labor Labs, Titi and I dive into the world of probiotics. The hype, the science, and what your gut bacteria are really doing behind the scenes. From drinks and gummies to probiotic pillows. Yes, really probiotic pillows. We're breaking down what's legit and what's just brilliant marketing with expert Insight from gastroenterologist Dr. Roshi Raj. Listen to Dope Labs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yes, I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season one, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Why is a soap opera western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience experience the region today. Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Clayton English.

[Tom Brokaw]

I'm Greg Lod.

[Lester Holt]

And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast.

[Tom Brokaw]

Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war. This year, a lot of the biggest.

[Lester Holt]

Names in music and sports. This kind of star studded a little bit, man.

[Tom Brokaw]

We met them at their homes. We met them at the Record Recording Studios. Stories matter and it brings a face to them.

[Lester Holt]

It makes it real.

[Tom Brokaw]

It really does. It makes it real.

[Lester Holt]

Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs Podcast, Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an iHeart podcast.