The Nightly — “The Knicks are Cursed” w/ Carl Tart
Host: Hatch Podcasts | Date: March 28, 2026
Guests: Carl Tart
Summary by segment — skipping ads, intros, and outros

Episode Overview

This cozy installment of The Nightly, hosted by Josh and Kristen from Hatch Podcasts, invites comedian and basketball fan Carl Tart into the “pillow fort” for a late-night discussion blending sleep routines and spirited debate over the alleged curse of the New York Knicks and more NBA controversies. The tone is friendly, playful, and laced with personal anecdotes, jokes, and occasional hot takes.

Sleep Rituals & Bath Philosophy (00:30–02:47)

• Carl’s Sleep Tip: Pre-bed baths (PBBs), with lavender Epsom salts and music.
  • “I've been, I've been in my PBB bag. Got a PBB loan.” — Carl Tart (01:23)
  • “I'm still too big for the bathtub. I'm a tall man. But it's just something about that that's been exciting me before I get into bed.” — Carl Tart (01:28)
• Ambiance: Music is a must; candles are under consideration.
• Hosts praise the “spa life” Carl is curating at home.

Game: Snooze or Choose — Main Theme: Are the Knicks Forever Cursed? (02:47–09:41)

Team Loyalty & Changing Allegiances

• Carl’s Position: Firmly chooses the statement “The Knicks are a forever cursed franchise,” expressing anti-Knicks sentiment as a loyal Clippers and Dodgers fan.
  • “You will see me in New York walking around with my Dodger hat. Walking around in my Clippers hoodie. I'm not picking up the local team.” — Carl Tart (03:42)
• Both Carl and Josh discuss the ethics of changing team allegiances after moving cities.
  • “I think it is your duty when you move to a large city with two teams to root for the team that does not get the level of respect as the first team.” — Carl Tart (04:44)
  • Loopholes are allowed for people moving from larger to smaller sports markets, or when a team’s original location matches your hometown.

The Knicks’ Historical "Curse"

• Kristen pushes back, noting the Knicks’ (distant) championships:
  • “They have won championships, first of all. And a forever cursed team doesn't win championships.” — Kristen (06:37)
  • “None of us have been alive for any of their championships.” — Kristen (06:55)
• Josh: “Respectfully, 50 years is like a nice start on forever.” (07:01)
• Carl clarifies his “curse” stance, making it personal as a lifelong Clippers fan:
  • “It's like kind of like my villain origin story… The word curse is thrown around like the word hello.” — Carl Tart (07:31)
• Ownership blamed for curses:
  • “The curse was in the front office. And I think that's the same thing with the Knicks. If the Knicks sell to venture capitalists, then they might win a championship.” — Carl Tart (08:01)
  • Specific call-out of James Dolan’s ownership and his blues rock band as a possible curse source.
    • “This, to me, is the source of the curse.” — Josh (08:49)

Major Market Bias

• The group debates “It’s good for the league when the Knicks are good.”
  • Carl: “I actually disagree with that… I feel like it's good for the league when every team is good. I don't think we should have bad teams.” (09:21)
  • Advocates for rule changes to ensure league-wide competitiveness (jokingly suggests “eliminate the Lakers, eliminate the Knicks”).

Snooze or Choose: American vs. International Players (11:00–15:40)

• Carl doesn’t fully believe American players are losing dominance to internationals, but highlights “a problem with the American farm system.”
  • “We still got some great stars coming out of America. We got Anthony Edwards… K. Cunningham… Jason Tatum… Jalen Brown…” — Carl Tart (11:12–11:56)
  • “I do have an issue with the Euro guys. I don't like the way they play… a lot of flopping around.” — Carl Tart (11:57)
• Kristen praises Victor Wembanyama and European style:
  • “He moves… just everywhere on the court beautifully. And I think that's the way I want to see basketball played.” — Kristen (13:33)
  • “Five out of seven of the last MVPs have all been European, right?” — Kristen (14:16)
• Cultural angle: US kids in basketball less often come from “struggle” compared to Gen X or older.
  • “A lot of these kids now are sons of former players, and so they are privileged.” — Carl Tart (12:54)

Snooze or Choose: Does Boston Have the Worst Fan Base? (15:49–19:01)

• The hosts expect Carl to choose (agree) Boston has the worst fans, but he snoozes (disagrees)!
  • “I get into it with Dallas fans quite a bit… Dallas Cowboy fan base… Oh, Philly. What am I talking about? Philly's the worst fan base.” — Carl Tart (16:04–16:52)
• Kristen’s firsthand story:
  • “Phillies vs. Mets [game] is the first time I ever was up close and personal with a fist fight.” — Kristen (16:52)
• Knicks fans called chaotic at away games:
  • “Knicks fans, they travel, and they are. From minute one, it was nonsense.” — Carl Tart (17:28)
• New Orleans fans praised for joy over aggression.
  • “New Orleans is all about the party. And you go to a Saints game, there might be a little bit of jawing, but it ain't gonna never turn to nothing crazy.” — Carl Tart (19:10)
• Panel concludes: All US fan bases are “terrible” in their own ways, but Philly edges Boston out as the worst, with New Orleans as the best.

Anecdotes & Notable Quotes

• “Sometimes you count sheep and sometimes you count enemies that you're planning to vanquish or friends you're planning to vanquish.” — Josh (21:18)
• “No child should be a fan of a sports team. That's good.” — Josh (19:50)
• “Children like winners. And I go, when I was a kid… root for the underdog… that gave me, like, an allegiance that I can't, like, take away. Like, that's my squad.” — Carl Tart (19:56)

Goodnight Shout-Out & Carl’s Projects (20:45–22:57)

• Carl gives a cheeky goodnight to Jaquees Neal, teasing him about the Cubs. (“…knowing that the Cubs will not win the World Series this year…” — Carl Tart (21:14))
• Plugs:
  • Hollywood Handbook podcast network, The Flagrant Ones (basketball), The Filthy Ones (baseball), and Xoxo Bada Bings (Sopranos watch) ([22:40])
  • Carl is also part of Saturday Night Live and formerly starred in “Grand Crew.”
    • “I'm watching the Sopranos in real time. I watch an episode a week. I've never seen it before, so I'm reacting… It's different from Gossip Girl, I tell you that much.” — Carl Tart (22:40)

Memorable Moments

• Jokes about James Dolan’s band being the real Knicks curse.
• Good-natured ribbing between Carl and Kristen about the Lakers, beautiful basketball, and NBA allegiances.
• Lively debate on what teams and fans deserve the “cursed” label, ending on the consensus that underdog fandom is character-building—and that sports frustration is ultimately just part of the fun.

Key Timestamps

• 00:30 — Sleep routines: PBBs and spa life
• 03:42 — Allegiance: Never switching loyalties (Knicks are cursed debate)
• 07:30 — The “curse” as a sports fan’s origin story
• 08:15 — James Dolan & the Knicks’ curse
• 09:21 — “Good for the league” debate
• 11:00 — International vs. American NBA dominance
• 13:33 — Kristen on Wemby and “beautiful” basketball
• 15:49 — Boston’s rep as worst fan base discussed (spoiler: Philly takes the cake)
• 19:10 — New Orleans fans praised
• 21:14 — Goodnight shoutout with a Cubs dig
• 22:40 — Carl’s podcast and TV plug

In Essence

A playful, wide-ranging, late-night chat hitting the sweet spot of pop culture bedtime banter. Carl Tart’s Clippers pride and sharp NBA takes anchor a debate about team curses, sports loyalty, and fan behavior, delivered with plenty of humor and heart. As always on The Nightly, the atmosphere is warm, inclusive, and delightfully unserious—perfect pre-sleep listening.