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#47: Let's Do Lunch
29 Plays1 month ago
#47: Let's Do Lunch
The FPOBA is super chill as Jessica is now hiding Prozac in his cream cheese. Why can’t Americans say what they mean and mean what they say? Francis is still searching for the meaning of his odd teeth brushing dream. The duo chat about Trader Joe’s tote bags, Erewhon smoothies and Love on the Spectrum. SPOILER ALERT for Sinners and Outcome - fast forward so we don’t ruin the movies for you. Can you believe Duke University earns and spends all $180m of their athletic revenues?
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Transcript
Introduction and Purpose
00:00:02
Speaker
From a makeshift recording studio in Brooklyn, welcome to The Grocery Stick with Jessica and Francis. Shut the front door. That is not what we agreed upon. Francis and Jessica. Meh, ignore that.
00:00:13
Speaker
We're Brooklynites and friends.
Podcast Dynamics and Humor
00:00:15
Speaker
We're here to talk, laugh, commiserate, and argue about all things travel sports-related, kid-related, and plain old life-related. It's Francis and Jessica, or I quit. I have the red button. You do. start recording, and I say ready, and you're like, yeah.
00:00:30
Speaker
Yeah, man, I don't have any control of anything over here. I'm just a well captive audience, really. as we were As I was annoying you this morning, before we started, I'm going annoy our listener. Perfect. One
Food Preferences and Trends
00:00:41
Speaker
listener. Oh, we have two listeners now.
00:00:42
Speaker
Oh, hi. Check this out, people.
00:00:47
Speaker
Hello? Hello? Is that your...
00:00:52
Speaker
AirPod earphones playing tricks on you? Or is it Francis being a douchebag in stereo? I think everybody knows the answer to that question. Okay.
00:01:02
Speaker
Back to the normal setting. I don't think it's complicated at all. I didn't have my oatmeal this morning, so I'm a still i'm a little trippy. you see you're a little cranky? Finally getting to miss the oatmeal? I'll be cranky after eat the oatmeal.
00:01:16
Speaker
See, I like the oatmeal. You know why? Because like you're full, but it's not You're full, but it's not um satisfying. Yeah, because it's carbs. It's all carbs.
00:01:30
Speaker
If you just have oatmeal and Yeah, well, that because that's mental. You're tapping into all the pleasure sensors in your brain. is that what it is? Yeah, of course, because you couldn't give a crap about oatmeal, but goddamn, you like fries, Fried chicken.
00:01:46
Speaker
Fried chicken. just like fries. You know what? I'm into this whole thing that I learned from Daniela. What's that? order a salad and get a side of fried. Oh, I used to do that long time ago. I mean, I got to give credit where credit's due. And so, like, I would have never considered ordering a side of fries with my salad until Daniela started doing it on repeat. And then I was kind I didn't even ask about it. I just was observant about it. And then one day decided, oh, my God, I'm going to be just like Daniela. And so I just started ordering sides of fries with everything.
Dog's Anxiety and Prozac Discussion
00:02:17
Speaker
I was young, like in my 20s, and played tennis with friends. And then, oh, we worked out. And then eat salad, be healthy. Right. And then get fries or or a side of fried chicken. Seriously, I know. Yeah, that's, you know, a fallacy. I love idea. Whatever works. Makes you feel healthy, even though you're not.
00:02:36
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. yeah I like it. Yeah. And how's the, yeah so how's the fresh prince of Bel-Air this morning? Oh, he's just. What's he doing? Just lying there next to you? He is. He's lying on the floor. noises? No nothing? No, he's definitely noisy. He's got this like um where he's this thing where he he breathes and he makes noise. So it's always like this. Like snores.
00:03:01
Speaker
Oh. No, it's a little whiny. Deviated septum from the dog? No, I think More problems? No, I just think his nervous system is fried. I just think he's you know he's been treated poorly and then he was in isolation more or less for 16 months. And I just think four months is not a really big cross-section of recovery time for that. I mean, I don't know if he'll ever recover from it.
00:03:25
Speaker
Right. and no I don't know if all the love in world and all the structure in the world can fix it. I don't have any idea. a human. Yeah, pretty much. Like a 50-year-old human. Pretty much. Yeah, pretty much. Okay, wait, wait. So back back up. Yeah.
00:03:38
Speaker
Okay. Because yeah before in our preamble, you mentioned something about giving him Prozac. Prozac, correct. i didn't know you could do that. Yeah, talked about that. I guess you yeah I'm stupid because you can give a dog any human medicine.
00:03:52
Speaker
I mean, human-like medicine, not human medicine. You cannot give a dog any human medicine. Human-like medicine. Yeah. In this particular case, it is the same SSRI that is used for humans.
00:04:02
Speaker
oh It's literally Prozac. I mean, I don't think the chemistry is different. I think the chemistry of the medication for canines and humans is exactly the same. Prozac, remind me, Prozac is an antidepressant? Correct.
00:04:17
Speaker
So it should make you happy? Yeah. Well, for him. Slows you down. Make you. Yeah. It just it takes everything and just kind of. Oh, it dulls. It dampens. Right. That's what it does Dampens all of the all of the reactive. So you're not like.
00:04:31
Speaker
So you're not on guard all
Social Promises and Cultural Norms
00:04:32
Speaker
the time. You're not. Neurotic and shit. Right. And so i would offer that, you know, he. Let me think of an artful way to say this. He's a fucking mess.
00:04:43
Speaker
Well, I was going to say, you put him on the Prozac, he's less likely to tear off somebody's face. Maybe. That's the hope. That's approaching you in a weird way. Right. So for offending you my relationship with him, yeah yeah his defense of me is extremely on the high end. Right, right, right, right. And and it's partly because he sees he resource guards me. So he sees me as his safe place, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anything that he has an indication of an attack. Yep.
00:05:13
Speaker
You know, like yesterday i was sitting at my dining room table and Sam and the dog was laying on the floor next to me. And Sam came up behind me with his hat on, which I'll never learn because God forbid we should just not wear a hat in the house. Yeah.
00:05:28
Speaker
He came up behind me and he like kind of like grabbed me from behind. the dog freaked out. Totally freaked out. he He didn't snap out me. He didn't attack him, but he got up and he like sat down and growled. And i was just like, okay, no, I was like, uh, uh, uh, and I made him go in the other room, you know, like break the cycle, right? Like go in the other room.
00:05:46
Speaker
Um, but the hope and, and, and quite honestly, he barks at every fucking noise, like every, Oh, he's on high alert all the time. He doesn't relax. He follows me everywhere. Like there's, there's zero relax here.
00:06:01
Speaker
Unless I'm sitting on the couch with him and he falls asleep next to me and then his mouth is agape and he's snoring. Okay. With like his little tongue sticking out. How do you feed a dog medicine? You gotta to hide it in the food? Oh, fuck no. I put it in a little bit of cream cheese and they like right away. That's the trick that my vet taught me a couple of years ago that I hold on to for dear life.
00:06:21
Speaker
Yeah. I take a little bit of, I buy bar cream cheese, not the whipped kind because it doesn't have enough structure, but I take bar cream cheese and I take a little bit of that and I roll the pill up in it. I thought you weren't supposed to give dogs human food.
00:06:34
Speaker
Wow, really? We're going to pivot here, are we? No, no, no. Honestly, doesn't that shorten their lifespan? I'm always like, hey, we should just feed the dog French fries.
Fashion and Pop Culture Observations
00:06:43
Speaker
No, you can't do that. No, it's not all human foods shorten a dog's lifespan. I mean, anything could shorten a dog's lifespan. Even kibble can shorten a dog's lifespan. I mean, there's a lot of theories about how dry brown will shorten dog's lifespan. How long before you think he eats it and it takes effect? A month.
00:07:01
Speaker
It'll take a month. A month? Mm-hmm. It'll take a month. What the shit? Which is actually why i had talked to my vet about this many, many times already. And it just kind of like seemed to fall away all the time. And I texted him last night and i was just like, look, I was like, I don't want to waste any more time doing this yeah because, you know, I had the vet here He was saying how how great a dog he is. He just lets me manhandle him, right? Give him vaccinations, no reaction at all. Like he's super cool. yeah But he's got this like emotional and, you know, heightened nature to him. Yeah. and so I just said to him, i said, you know what? I can't anymore. This is not.
00:07:37
Speaker
Forget about me. Yeah. how it's How it's impairing my existence. But the truth of the matter is, is my God, this dog, this poor animal. If there's a medical situation yeah that we can employ to take the edges off of this, then why aren't we doing it?
00:07:51
Speaker
Right. Like, honestly, is it going to be earlier than the fucking cancer? No, probably not. but is that how Is that how long it would take a human to respond to Prozac? yeah A month? Yeah, it does. It takes about a month and it needs to be administered every day at the same time. And it needs to, because the half-life isn't long, right? The half-life of the drug is kind of short.
00:08:11
Speaker
And so it needs this constant, you know, think of it as like um as like a spring, right? How it like corkscrews. So it needs this constant cycling in order for the chemistry of your body to continue. Okay.
00:08:25
Speaker
ease into their numbness let's call it yeah i mean then like take a pill today and all of a sudden like you feel numb it's like levels of numbness yeah i think i think that's really the best way to describe it i feel i feel like um i mean i had been i had put myself with my doctor on an antidepressant yeah years ago yeah and And what I would offer is, is like, it just feels like all of your rough edges yeah really rounded. And so you just don't react to everything all the
Entertainment and Cultural Commentary
00:09:02
Speaker
time. Yeah, yeah,
00:09:03
Speaker
You know, it just kind of tamps down that need to constantly jump and makes you be able to sit with yourself a little bit longer, i think is the best way to describe it. I mean, it takes away...
00:09:17
Speaker
every heightened sense of a, that means you also, not right way, with right way to put it, but you're also less happy. No,
00:09:29
Speaker
No, I don't think so. I don't think you're happy anyway. I don't think you're happy anyway. I think that you if can't get happy. Yeah, no. But I think that if you're a person or a dog or an entity yeah that needs Prozac, right, then you're not you're not happy anyway. Okay, right. So anything that can aid you getting yeah out of that spiral, that mental shithole that you're in yeah is going to infinitely be better.
00:09:52
Speaker
Well, I don't know if there is happy on Prozac, but I know what there is is tolerable on Prozac and tolerant on Prozac. Right. So it's. Right. OK. So unless you know the person intimately and you've seen the craziness, if they're on Prozac, you wouldn't know.
00:10:07
Speaker
If I met someone the first time, they just look chill. Hey, this person's really chill. No. And you wouldn't have any idea. No, I know a person who's on a really high dose of an antidepressant and an anti-anxiety med. And, yeah you know, the truth is, is that this person is is kind of on like, it's left you know, this person's level. Yeah.
00:10:23
Speaker
um Right. But you would never, ever immediately have your brain pivot to, oh my God, you must be on drugs. It's just not that. It's not that way. Hmm. Hmm.
00:10:33
Speaker
Hmm. But I feel like with the dog, this might make you know a huge difference in his life and therefore by extension in ours. So the Asian in me...
00:10:44
Speaker
What's the next question? How much you pay? Oh, I have no idea. ah i don't know. But you know what? My vet wants to give it to me and I know he's going to mark it up. Yeah. And he had already offered at another point um to call it into the pharmacy for me when he was away,
Athletics, Finance, and Mismanagement
00:11:02
Speaker
which he never did. Okay. Yeah. And in the pharmacy, it would come to me and I'd pay, it would be insurance. Yeah.
00:11:09
Speaker
Right. Which is, I mean, i guess not the best policy. I don't know. Understood. But if it's expensive from him. Say no more. Yeah. If it's expensive from him, then he and are going to have to revisit because yeah there have been a handful of times that he's made overtures and not followed through. and so Right, right, right, right, right. You know, and I'm not angry about it. Business is business and that's fine. But my whole my whole thing generally with people overall is don't say it if you don't mean it.
00:11:38
Speaker
You know what? Even if it's negative. That is Don't it if you don't mean it. Let me just tell you something. That is a distinctly American thing. Don't say it if you don't mean it. The whole like, hey, hey, hey, let's do lunch. I'll call you. And then nothing. such bullshit.
00:11:53
Speaker
That is such an American. Last time. That is such an American thing. Last time I had a friend do that to me, I ran into them. Yeah. um It was in an evening, right? At like a restaurant locally. I was, Eric and I were out to dinner and we popped by and the person, you know, who I'm not going to name. Yep.
00:12:10
Speaker
Every time we see is oh my God, we have to get together. yeah And so I took out my phone and I was like, let's put a date on the calendar. Totally. Like right now. And I did it with another group too that I saw. And they were like, we should go out. I took out my phone. I was like, let's put a date on the calendar right now.
00:12:25
Speaker
and And you know what? Both of those dates happened because I was just like, nope, I'm not doing this with you people anymore. No way. But like, it's never happened to me growing Canada. Not that I can recall. It definitely hasn't happened to me in Asia when I was working there. Well, it's bullshit. It's pre-tax. won't say if they don't want it. And then you come here and everybody's like, let's do lunch, let's do coffee. And after a few years here, i was like,
00:12:45
Speaker
Whatever. Like you call me, I'll believe it when I see it. But I'm not saying that to you if I don't want to hang out with you. Right. And here's the thing, right? Like I really hate when people do things like, yeah, if you want to grab coffee, call me. If you want to meet and take a walk, call me. Right, right, right, right, right. No, no. If you want to take a walk or you want to have a coffee with me, then say so.
00:13:09
Speaker
Yeah. Be like, hey, I want to have a coffee with you. Let's put a date on the calendar right now. Okay, fine. I'm sure in a matter of a month, I can find some time to do it, no matter how far away it is.
00:13:21
Speaker
But it's like, yeah I hate impulsion pretense. It's such so stupid. whatever it is. And i was like, listen, I just want the honesty. You don't have to say, I'll call, let's go do lunch. If you don't want to do lunch, don't just say, Hey, how's it going?
00:13:39
Speaker
Long time. No see. And then move on. Nice to see you. I'm glad to see you're doing well. And like for our kids, with the hockey coaches or coaches in general, it's like, they're so fucking unreliable. I'm sorry. like yeah and i have yet to meet ah i hundred percent of the time. I tell, I'm telling you right now, every time a coach has said,
00:13:59
Speaker
to my kids, both soccer, hockey. Let's have a call at this time. It's never happened on
Impact of NIL and College Sports Sustainability
00:14:05
Speaker
time. yeah In fact, it's like, oh, can we, because you're like you're chasing them. It's like, what the fuck? like yeah And so our kids are learning for the for the most part that people are so unreliable here.
00:14:16
Speaker
Right. Right. And then and then what it does is kind of says to them that it's OK to be that way. Well, as I tell them that because societal, you know, a society as a whole yeah really does have an acceptance rate that's pretty high for that kind of behavior. And I tell my kids all the time, I'm like, no, that is not OK. We do not walk through life like that. Yeah. You you know what? If it's not if it doesn't feel good to you, then don't do it.
00:14:40
Speaker
Totally. Right. they like I don't care how many times a person has been late or just respected you, like then don't be friends with them. That's right. But ah you don't get, you don't, you don't retaliate by doing the same shit. I'm like, that's not correct. Be a dependable, responsible person. Correct. I mean, and I've had that conversation with my you know kids quite a bit, but it's so prevalent here.
00:14:58
Speaker
Yeah. I get the good thing is that if you are a person, the standup guy or gal stand up, they, Yeah, yeah, yeah. don' go say that If you are that person and you show up for work on time early, hey, five minutes early, like, wow, you you you stand up, you look like a rock star. And the funny thing for me is like, oh, that wasn't even effort. Right. That took nothing. an effort. That nothing. that's It's like writing your name on the SAT. Right. Showing up on time. But like, hey, in this world, if you can do that and you look good, I guess that power to you.
00:15:30
Speaker
Right. Yeah. Think about how sad that is. I had a guy i had a guy recently. i had known him for a long time. He's good guy. Maybe just too busy. And came to me with my firefighting startup.
00:15:45
Speaker
And was like, hey, I know ah a retired chief. And... I would like to make an introduction. I'm like, cool. I'm like, here's an email. Nothing happens.
00:15:59
Speaker
I don't bring it up. I just like, it's this usual American thing. say they're going to help, they don't help. Right. I don't bring it up. A few months later, he's like Hey, I want make to make the intro. I'm like, tell me what you need. I'll send it to you.
00:16:10
Speaker
You make the intro. Can you join one of your meetings? I'm like, sure. I'll see what I can do. But you know, some of these meetings are sensitive because it's like got Intel involved. And so I'm like, I can't really, I'm get you but whatever your person needs I'll do the demo I'll do it sure sure no problem nothing few more months goes again he calls me this is the week he calls me he's like hey so I'm like dude listen to me I don't know why we're going in circles you keep saying you want to help which is great you keep saying you want to make an intro awesome you keep asking me for information I give it to you then no intro happens so it's something we're going in circles and disconnect and I almost yelled at him I said stop yeah
00:16:50
Speaker
I'm like, I don't know what else I can give you. Right. Tell me what you want for the intro or give me the guy's phone number. Right. I'll call them. Otherwise, we got to stop going in circles. Well, sometimes I think that's a weird control. Weird.
00:17:07
Speaker
I think it's a weird control. Maybe. Actually. You know, they control the ability for you two to connect and it keeps them relevant in the conversation. And maybe there's a need for that person to stay in the conversation. It's like a weird attention grab.
00:17:21
Speaker
don't know. It's like, he like what do you what do you need? What do you got? What do you need? What do you got? you want? What do you got? It sounds like a transaction. Jesus Christ already. It sounds like a drug transaction. It's so weird.
00:17:33
Speaker
It is weird. if people are People are just strange overall, I think. It's very odd. oh my God. But you know, go back to your prospect thing. So I had a dream this morning that I was dying to tell you about. Yeah. cause I was like, it was a weird. I don't normally maybe remember my dreams, but this one I remembered.
00:17:50
Speaker
And it was so random. was like, it's me in Vancouver, I'm having lunch. I have a dentist appointment after lunch. I'm already laughing at this. Right. Yeah.
00:18:05
Speaker
But I was like, I need to floss and brush before I go to the dentist. So I go to the dentist and check in and say, hey, do you have a spare toothbrush? Right, it's like cleaning your room before the cleaning room comes. floss so I can go. Yeah, sure, sure, here it is. And here it is. And they give me in the bathroom goes to that door. And I go through the door.
00:18:20
Speaker
All of a sudden, I'm like, at a movie theater. What the fuck? That's an awesome dentist visit. And i was like, where's the bathroom? And the bathroom's over there. and i can't and and and I keep walking. I can't get to the bathroom.
00:18:32
Speaker
there's one bathroom has a line one I open a door the bathroom's not there all of a sudden I'm on the street anyways it goes on and I wake up holy shit and I look it up on the internet because everything on internet is true right of course i mean Google search meaning trying to brush my teeth but can't find the bathroom and what did you get and here's what it said here's what it said um It said I am like, I'm trying to, I have personal anxiety. I'm trying to express myself.
00:19:13
Speaker
And I can't find, not being able to find the bathroom is not being able to find the a way to communicate oh why so-called issues.
00:19:26
Speaker
huh So it says communication anxiety, lack of emotional outlet, insecurity, self-image issues, unresolved routine issues. Sure, it sounds just like you. yeah
00:19:39
Speaker
but Oh, damn. Shit. I don't know. Anyways. That's funny. but I gotta tell Jessica. Holy shit. That's really That is the weirdest thing. Yeah. i always think that dentist associations and dreams always has to do with like loss, loss of self, loss of somebody else.
00:19:57
Speaker
Oh, yeah? Loss of faculty. yeah you know like teeth if you look up teeth you know losing teeth cleaning teeth it always has something to do with there are when i i was shocked i thought i wasn't gonna find anything yeah holy shit there's a lot of there are a lot of posts dedicated to oh yeah dental dreams oh yeah they love it they love your dream making sense of the symbolic meaning i'm like fuck i mean if i read all the stuff
00:20:27
Speaker
have a lot issues. have a lot of anxiety ah apparently. Yeah, I think you do. I can see it. It's written all over you. ah shit All over you. Thought you'd get a kick out of that.
00:20:38
Speaker
ah It's good stuff. Did you go out this morning to walk the dogs? You did, right? did. It's freaking cold. Yeah. It's basically zero degrees Celsius, 34 Fahrenheit.
00:20:50
Speaker
I know. It's very not okay. Yeah. ah I was walking down to eat my coffee and I couldn't stop laughing because there was a girl in front of me. Yeah.
00:21:05
Speaker
Canada goose jacket. Like she looked cold. It wasn't that cool. I mean, I went out my spring. She looked bundled up and cold, but then I looked down and she's wearing these stupid, this might be our picture for our podcast. yeah is wearing these Stupid furry Ugg slippers. Yeah.
00:21:21
Speaker
Everybody loves those. No, no, no. I wear a pair of ah ah furry Ugg slippers at home. Okay. Yeah. But she's wearing them outside. Yeah, they do this. which How young was she?
00:21:34
Speaker
don't know. Young, like probably 20s. Yeah. Yeah. But the rest of her is bundled like it's like the Antarctica. And then I'm like, if you're that cold, why are you wearing slippers?
00:21:47
Speaker
on the streets ah wait first of all on the streets of New York, which are filled with dog shit and pee and everything. She's going to wear that home and probably inside. Oh yeah. the flip And wear it inside.
00:21:59
Speaker
Anyways, so I kind had good laugh at that. I was like, okay, this is like, I should have picture, don't want to be that creep taking pictures of strangers. Oh, I think it's funny. I think you should have. It's loud. Hey, you creep. And I think you should have said something like, I love your feet.
00:22:14
Speaker
ah Oh, yeah. Excuse me. love feet. Can you give me handle so I can look at your feet? Seriously. I'm sorry, I like may Which led to Trader Joe's.
00:22:27
Speaker
which de which then led me to trader joe's hu And what the fuck is it with the Trader Joe's canvas tote bags?
00:22:40
Speaker
Dude.
00:22:43
Speaker
It's like mayhem. Why? Did they have some this morning? They had some this morning. oh my God, I got to go. No, i'm just kidding. me And I look it up on eBay. like, oh, what the hell's going on? And I remember seeing some in Montreal.
00:22:54
Speaker
Remember, we talked about this. Yeah, keep it on. What the fuck? they don't Well, anywhere that they don't have Trader Joe's. This is the new Stanley Cup? This become like the thing. Yeah. Shit. Yeah.
00:23:05
Speaker
Okay. Wow. Crazy. I realize it's bananas. I'm not a millennial girl, so I wasn't that interested in buying them. was like, I couldn't believe it.
00:23:15
Speaker
Yeah, I know. Well, it's like a three ninety nine tote bag. Two ninety dollars and ninety nine cents. The little ones are two ninety nine. Yeah. I know. It's insane. How did it become like a status symbol?
00:23:28
Speaker
Well, because anywhere that um doesn't have a Trader Joe's. Yeah. Covets the bags. I don't understand exactly how or why it happened. And I'm sure there's probably a story that I don't know. Yeah.
00:23:44
Speaker
But yeah, I mean, they're selling for 20, 30, 40, $50 internationally. People are clamoring for them. I have four of them sitting here with tags on. You and I should start a business. Maybe I should just fucking sell them. You should sell those.
00:23:58
Speaker
Like, I don't want them. No, I don't want them. What? Ruthie hasn't stolen them from you so she can walk around town like, check me out. Which is, it's ridiculous because for her it's a shopping bag. I know what I'm saying. It's a bag you throw around you don't give a shit about. Right. like and And the truth is, is I have so many of them. Yeah.
00:24:16
Speaker
I do. I have so many of them because they were never a thing before a couple months ago. eBay store. Come on, let's go. know. You're so rich. Start selling those things. I know. can sell to some rich Middle Eastern person for like a thousand bucks. Seriously? Yeah. I don't know. I mean, it's funny. I can't even begin to imagine. bet you could. I would sell them as sets.
00:24:33
Speaker
It's funny. Big one and a little one. Hop to it, man. I mean, anyway, so I saw that. was like, okay. That's crazy. I cra never understand, but I get it. I get it. These things, you know, the Stanley up standing Cup for construction workers. All of a sudden, it's like the in thing.
00:24:49
Speaker
Yeah. And how these things are. I mean, you know that crazy store on the West Coast called Air One? Oh, my God. Yes. Yes, I know. I do know Air One. E-R-E-W-H-O-N. Yes. We are obsessed with Air One here.
00:25:02
Speaker
Are you really? In your family? Yeah. um Me and my daughter. Okay. So tell me, why are you obsessed with Erwan? Because everything just looks good. I don't know whether it is good. And I'm sure it is. I mean, otherwise they'd be out of business. But everything that we see looks so appetizing.
00:25:18
Speaker
Is this, but okay, is this, so I've never been there. I just see it. Yeah. hear about it. Right. They opened something in New York that's members only, apparently.
00:25:29
Speaker
Yes, they did. Yes, I do know this. and But it's a grocery store. Yeah, but the fee for the membership was bananas. Yeah, yeah. okay but but for the uneducated, for the pleb like me. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:25:43
Speaker
It's a grocery store, right? Yes, totally. With like fancy freaking cold coffee drinks or whatever it is. Yeah. Like for 20 bucks whatever it is, right? Yep. Okay, so sure.
00:25:56
Speaker
It starts in LA. Cult following... Celebrity. ah Like to me, to me, yeah an educated eye, it resembles the like goop.
00:26:08
Speaker
What a goop is for her. Yes. For Gwyneth Paltrow and whatever the fancy creams and whatever else it is and vagina candles. Yeah, I could see that for sure. Is that what Erewhon is? to grow like It's a super duper crazy high-end special Whole Foods for for celebs? Yeah, totally.
00:26:30
Speaker
Okay, I get it. I had friend here take her daughter to the West Coast and they're happily taking pictures I'm like, i don't get it. yeah It's a grocery store. It's a grocery store, but it's a high-end grocery store. supposedly super high quality.
00:26:44
Speaker
Supposedly. Supposedly. Yeah, but you know, it's like, I mean, do you ever watch Love on the Spectrum? No. What's that? That's a mistake, dude. You have not watched Love on the Spectrum? No. What is that? It is a reality show about people with intense autism dating.
00:26:59
Speaker
No way. They made a show about that? It's so culturally relevant. I can't believe you don't know anything about this show and these people. Dude, it's like season three right now. Listen, I'm watching shit like Rooster.
00:27:10
Speaker
No, so am i i don't Whatever. Which is way funnier. House of the Dragon. Okay. So when you say things like way funnier, I think it's contextual. Okay. Fair. I think it's contextual. And I think that you're wrong. you're watching Love on the Spectrum and it's entertaining? um Not funny.
00:27:26
Speaker
Oh, no. It's fantastic. Oh. Okay. I'll try it. And I'm a huge critic of TV. Like I'll bail on something. Like I don't believe in sticking it out anymore. Like I will totally bail on something that I think sucks. Okay. Okay.
00:27:38
Speaker
But it is oh awesome. I highly, highly, highly recommend Wait, wait, wait. way Okay. And again, cultural relevance. Normal person dating someone on the spectrum or only people on the spectrum dating each other?
00:27:49
Speaker
The second one. Oh. It's so good. It's so good. And their families are in it You know, they're kind of coaching them. Yeah. Anyway, all of this to say, i think it was season two.
00:28:02
Speaker
Yeah. A couple of them went to LA and they ended up going to Erwan. Okay. And, you know, they're holding up these like little things and they're like, oh, look at these strawberries. It was his name is Tanner and his sister's name is Midge. and Okay. And, you know, they're there with the mom. and Yeah.
00:28:17
Speaker
Like they're rolling through Erwan and just kind of holding up all the products. Okay. Everything looks amazing, but it's crazy expensive for a crazy small amount. I wonder if that's sponsored.
00:28:29
Speaker
Oh, I'm sure. Probably. i mean, I would imagine. but they eat I mean, everyone like it's, you know, sells itself. i don't know what it would need. It may not have been a sponsorship so much as a collaboration. Right. Right. OK, because Erwan didn't need the show to make any money in the show. I'm like making money hand over fist. They don't need any more now exposure. Right.
00:28:47
Speaker
No, they don't need any of that. um I mean, at the time, Love on the Spectrum maybe needed a little extra. But I got to say, like from the first season, yeah, in the first season, the popularity was bananas. yeah but we we've been very obsessed with this show from the is it heartwarming yes thousand percent if it's heartwarming i'll give it a shot because know my thing is like i'm watching so much tv to like happy funny shows action shows like my wife and daughter always like what the fuck you watch like the plasticky shit
00:29:19
Speaker
Yeah. Because the world sucks. And I'm like, yeah, but complicated. try to entertain myself. But honestly, like if you, if you watch the news and then you put on a show like a Rooster, it's a total escape. i thought Yeah. Right. Whether it's rom-com or Don wick or so. I'm like, it's entertaining, right? That's all I want. I love John Wick. I don't need, who doesn't love John Wick? I don't need, I don't need like the, you know, this Oscar winning thinking shows. Yeah. i just I mean, they're fun and they have their place.
00:29:50
Speaker
They're fun also. it can be, and they definitely have their place, right? But I think that, especially for people like us who live in such a big city that's a complicated right high action really all the time. Yeah. I don't really want stuff that's, you know,
00:30:09
Speaker
overthinking or overreaching. I i mean, like i thought were I'm not afraid to admit it. I love The Devil Wears Prada. Oh my God, I love it so much. I can't wait for the second one. Me too. too. Like it's more entertaining, right? i love that movie. damn Yeah.
00:30:21
Speaker
But I love all those kinds of movies. And I was like, great. So then, okay, so then my wife says we should watch Sinners. I'm like, no. I loved Sinners. Really? Oh my God. No fucking way. I fucking love Sinners. Tell me what you love about Sinners. Oh, I love that. First of all, I love the the characters are so interesting. Okay. feel like Michael. Smoke and stack. Smoke and stack. I feel like the story took unexpected turns because I made sure not to know anything about it before I went.
00:30:55
Speaker
Yeah, I didn't know what it was about. I very intentionally do. You didn't know going into it. It was like some vampire movie. no because I went saw it in the movie theater. I saw it like super early. So Eric went to go see it.
00:31:08
Speaker
Yeah. with Ruthie. Yeah. They went to go see it and they were blown away. And I was just like, don't tell me anything. Okay. This is a habit that I have when it comes to movies. It was the same thing with one battle after another. didn't read anything about it. I knew nothing about it. I knew the title of the film. I knew that Leo DiCaprio was in it and that was it. I do this all the time. I shield myself from it so that when I go, it's a real natural, amazing, enlightening Yeah. Brand new adventurous experience, which is what I want from a movie ticket.
00:31:42
Speaker
Okay. Okay. That's fair. It's become, it's become an expensive endeavor. Yeah. And so when I go, I want this experience yeah to be an adventure.
00:31:55
Speaker
I want it to be amazing. And so for Sinners, yeah Eric was like, I loved it so much. I'm going to take you. We're going to go see it again. I want to go see it. And I said, okay, all right, great. That's awesome. I'm still not reading anything and don't tell me a damn fucking thing about this film. It was like nothing.
00:32:10
Speaker
And again, it was so new that it hadn't spread quite okay that fast. Right. So I actually had no idea it was taking that turn.
00:32:22
Speaker
Okay. I shielded from it. Okay, wait, wait. I'm out. ye Anybody who hasn't watched it, and doesn't want or cares about spoilers, right right if you need to fast forward stop this there and fast forward by a couple of minutes because I'm about to say shit but let me finish about the movie. I know, Jessica said something and then I'm going to say something. And so if you don't like spoilers, you need to pause and fast forward a couple of minutes. so and and the third the third major thing yeah for me in this film yes was that the music was its own character. Yeah. Okay.
00:32:56
Speaker
Yes. So, and it was a huge character in this film. I mean, it was, is it was prolific and it was impactful. And I, i found myself riveted and connected a lot of it because of the music.
00:33:11
Speaker
Okay. I digress. You're that much more cultured person than I am. No, I just love music. Like I i sat there and I was like, okay, music, but I get cool. Yeah. I was like, and listen, like I love John Wick and all these like fantastical storylines yeah that don't make sense, right? Sure. And they make sense. You just don't agree with them. Okay. i was like, what the fuck? So you have these guys, twin brothers, blah, blah, blah.
00:33:36
Speaker
Open up this party place. I'm simplifying here. I obviously have a big party. Vampires come in and attack the girlfriend of Stack.
00:33:49
Speaker
Mm-hmm. She becomes a vampire. She then goes in and bites Stack. Kills Stack. so kill that yes So now he's a vampire. yes Well, this is how vampires happen.
00:34:03
Speaker
Right. And then now his twin brother, Smoke, is still inside. Yes. they're now trying to shoot their way out of the party. It becomes the lead protagonist. Right. Because all the vampires are now trying to kill everybody. Correct. And then, and then they last until the morning, which then kills off the remaining vampires who, because of the sunlight. Right.
00:34:26
Speaker
Right. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. blah blah And then, i'm okay. It's kind of cool, whatever. Then you get the KKK. But then 60 years later,
00:34:37
Speaker
after they're still killing in whatever small towns, a Stack and Mary show up to see samy Sammy, who's now a grown man, an old man, yeah right? Still playing music. Yep. And promised not to kill him.
00:34:56
Speaker
What the fuck? It's not, they actually didn't promise not to kill him. Yeah, what? Implicitly. Yeah. They show up. I forgot. Was he scared? i don't know he was scared. But like they they don't age. And like, what the fuck?
00:35:09
Speaker
Yeah, no, I just think i don't think that they promise not to kill him. And I don't think that they threaten to kill him either. I think that they show up. They want to kill him connected. Well, because they're connected to him. Right. So they find him. They show up. He's gone through his entire life getting old. They're not going to kill him like they, you know, because that might know you're they're going to immortalize him as an old man. No, that's not what they're going to do. What happened to smoke?
00:35:31
Speaker
Smoke dies. Yeah, he died. Smoke dies. but He gets into that shooting battle with the KKK who sold him the building. were yes rent and i guess sold him the building. That's right. I think the story they weren't vampires. They were just KKK. Yeah, they were just KKK. I think, though, that the story has so many more layers than you're describing.
00:35:52
Speaker
Well, so i'm not cultured enough. I do understand why Michael B. Jordan deserves an award for playing twin brother. That's fucking crazy. He was unbelievable. Amazing acting. Yeah, unreal. No problem with that. And honestly, seemingly an all-around nice guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:36:09
Speaker
So, okay, I get all that. And understand the fantastical storyline, the whole bit. you know The beginning was so fucking long. was like, oh my yeah and And I know it's a setup, but I was like, Jesus Christ already. yeah And by the way, Haley Steinfeld. Yes.
00:36:27
Speaker
Her character in the show. Yeah. Supposed to be half black. Yes. No. white, half black. I don't think so. Was that not the assumption? I think so, right? The grandmother was white.
00:36:41
Speaker
Or was it the grandfather? Something. Yeah, maybe. she is She was not playing a white person. She was playing a mixed race character. Maybe. Mary. Yeah. Oh, yeah, Mary. In this day and age,
00:36:53
Speaker
you I'm fine with it. I'm just saying in this day and age of outrage of a straight person playing a gay person, a white person playing an Asian person. Yeah.
00:37:05
Speaker
yeah is she because she's so nice they get away with that they couldn't find Halle Berry and say you are a half black half white or whatever mixed race person you can't bet Haley Steinfeld is as as white as they come i mean not am I not am I wrong am i wrong I actually don't know the answer to that. I've never really looked her up. She's a pale face. She's married to Josh Allen. Buffalo Bills. Oh, I know who she's married to. So so I'm like, hang on a i i like hades nine on Don't get me wrong. and I'm not complaining. I was just shocked that in today's world of outrage and cancel culture, no one brought that up?
00:37:42
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know. Let's see. I'm going to look really quickly. You looked that up. I am dissecting Haley Stain. Wait, whoa, whoa, whoa. Where'd it go?
00:37:55
Speaker
Gosh darn. Okay. And hopefully people have fast forwarded to their shit and then come back and, hey, the spoiler's over. We're talking about Haley Thiefeld. And then we're gonna roll right into...
00:38:07
Speaker
Okay. Are you ready? Yeah. All right. I'm going to read it as as condensed as possible. okay Haley Steinfeld never fully understood her African-American roots. She knew her father was Jewish and her mother Filipino, but black American never crossed her mind until sinners came along and writer director Ryan Cougar is vampiric horror. Steinfeld plays Mary, a white passing woman in the Mississippi South straddling her feelings for her childhood friend turned long lost lover stack and her mixed racial identity. She's To bring the role to life, Steinfeld had to dig deep into herself and generations past.
00:38:42
Speaker
It's not often necessarily about yourself all the time. It's about the character. But with Sinners, I was constantly thinking about my situation, my family, my ancestors, my grandfather in each scene we were in and talking about.
00:38:53
Speaker
she said She spent hours speaking with her mom, learning about their family history, particularly her maternal grandfather's racial identity as half Filipino and half African-American. But it wasn't just his identity that she uncovered. It was also his upbringing, his parents, and the broader lineage of her ancestors. It was a process she hadn't realized she needed, one that helped her make sense of things in her own life. This role has brought me closer to myself, my family, and my family history.
00:39:16
Speaker
so I was wrong. Yeah. She is partly African-American. Yes. I didn't know who knew. Yeah, I didn't know either. Holy shit. Good for her. Yeah. and And that's how she escaped cancel culture because she is. Yeah.
00:39:30
Speaker
Yeah. And basically it says, um um while she may not relate personally to Mary's struggle, she damn sure plays her racial complexity well. A compliment she attributes to ongoing conversations with Coogler, who's the director, who helped guide her in portraying the tension of not being black or white.
00:39:48
Speaker
Yeah. Interesting. Okay. Happy to learn that. Yeah. See? right. Okay. All right. Okay. Yeah. Actually, I'm going to send you the article because I think that you'd be really interested in over and reading it.
00:40:02
Speaker
um I love the internet. Before we leave this movie critic segment. I love the internet. I can't remember. By the way, I'm so old. I can't remember. and I apologize to the three or two or one listeners we have left.
00:40:15
Speaker
If I repeat myself from episode episode, it's because I'm so old. i can't fucking remember. Same. Okay. I can't remember an idea from this desk to the kitchen and the refrigerator. And I open up and go, what, what, why am I here? Yep.
00:40:31
Speaker
So think I don't know if that's a precursor for mental issues. Yeah. You got to start doing crossword puzzles, man. I guess so. Yeah, same.
00:40:44
Speaker
I bitched to you about the movie Outcome. Did I not untext? I don't know. Good. May not have been me. Okay.
00:40:55
Speaker
If I didn't text you about it. Yeah, I don't think I thought Keanu Reeves. Oh, no, it was me. It was you. I knew it was you. was like, who else would it be? It was me. I was like, Keanu Reeves.
00:41:11
Speaker
It is the weirdest trailer. People have seen it. feel like I blocked it out because I was so upset that the Keanu Reeves movie was on. More spoilers if people don't want to listen to this. Then fast forward another two minutes. Yeah, that's what the fuck.
00:41:22
Speaker
Yeah, I can't get those two hours of my life back. No, he lost. he I swear to God, he lost a bet to Jonah Hill and got forced into doing this movie. It is the dumbest, he stupidest waste of time of a movie. I haven't felt this way about a movie.
00:41:39
Speaker
Okay, since Eyes Wide Shut. I hated Eyes Wide Shut. I was just talking about this every day. I've never left a movie theater halfway. Yeah. Seriously, in disgust. Yeah. First time was Eyes Wide Shut.
00:41:53
Speaker
And i would have done it in Outcome, except I said that was sitting at home watching it. like Yeah, well know but but you could turn it off. I mean, you could totally turn it off and move on, right? fucking dream I was like, yeah and I told my daughter, because we love Keanu Reeves, John Wick, whole thing. I'm like, well, no, it can't be. It's very upsetting. Oh, my God.
00:42:11
Speaker
Yeah, very upsetting. When you told me, upset. The fucking movie I have ever seen after Eyes Wide Shut. Yeah, Eyes Wide Shut. Holy shit. I was just talking about this the other night. Yeah, because feel like I was talking about maybe Criterion and oh Stanley Kubrick came up up and I was saying how much I love The Shining. yes But you know like even Clockwork Orange I have trouble sitting yeah through even though it's like this acclaimed film.
00:42:39
Speaker
you know And I just don't know that I love a lot of Kubrick's work. Yeah. It's out there, man. Yeah. and i And I feel like oftentimes, you know, real movie lovers that I talk to they all love Kubrick's work. And I just kind of sit there and I'm like, well, maybe I'm an idiot. Most them say that just to be cool. Yeah, but I don't really dig it.
00:42:59
Speaker
I don't really dig it. The Shining's fantastic. i yeah But you know but the the material for that movie was already fantastic. Yeah. You put you know Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick together and you just have like this enormous, enormous accomplishment. yeah um But I don't know. There's just something about his work that is a little bit not my, it's not my wheelhouse.
00:43:23
Speaker
Yeah. It just isn't. think there's probably two films. think you would be with the majority. Yeah. I think there's like two movies. Yeah. Yeah. you know like oh Oh, you know why it came up? I'll tell you why it came up.
00:43:35
Speaker
Why? Because Sam wanted to watch 2001 Space Odyssey. Wow, great movie. See, that's a Kubrick film. Is it really? I didn't know that. Holy shit. Yeah, it's a Kubrick film. yeahp Oh, great movie. Yeah. So, you know, and it was like, oh, we started talking about Kubrick and I was just like, well, and ah ah and I didn't sit down and watch it because I just wasn't in the mood for a space movie. But, you know, like Lolita is Kubrick. Yeah.
00:44:03
Speaker
Oh, um okay. You know, people love Lolita. The Killing, Criminal Heist, you know. Okay. spartacus He's not alive anymore, right?
00:44:15
Speaker
um I don't know the answer to that, actually. I'm calling people dead on our podcast. before No, but I mean, Spartacus was a great film. Yeah. You know, and so he did that. So I guess, you know, I guess I like more than one, but... um Oh, yeah. Dr. Strangelove.
00:44:31
Speaker
Hmm. He did that one. I didn't know that, actually. he's not dead, he's got to be 90. Jesus. Yeah, I would imagine. i actually don't know the answer, though, whether or not he's alive. It's easy to find out. I mean, I could just look. but yeah Is it that important?
00:44:47
Speaker
We're moving on. Oh, that's the other one. Full metal jacket. Oh, yeah. Right. So for me, it's the Shining and full metal jacket. but um Full Metal of Jacket's a great film. Terrible subject matter, but great, great film. Full Metal Jacket, I would have attributed to, what's his face?
00:45:03
Speaker
Spielberg? No, no. The other crazy guy. The other great director ah who has worked a lot with Charlie Sheen. what was that one?
00:45:14
Speaker
That Vietnam movie they did? oh Platoon. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, Platoon. I'm glad you're with that crazy director. Kubrick passed away in 1999. Yeah, I see. I wasn't dreaming shit. I remember that. Okay. i mean, it wouldn't make sense that he was alive. He'd be yeah so old. so did you Did you read... We got to go back to our athletics topic.
00:45:42
Speaker
ah You did not have time yet to read the Duke article I sent you last night. No, I did not. I see. No problem. Don't worry about it. Oh, you're talking about Oliver Stone, by the way. Oh, Oliver Stone. Thank you. yeah um The Duke article came up timely. I'm sure my phone, no, my phone's not spying on me because that article is five days old. It was timely. That'd be great. Because you and I were talking about Mercyhurst and just colleges in general outside the top.
00:46:12
Speaker
um So you didn't send me anything yesterday. A Duke article? Instagram. Oh, on Instagram. Yeah, no, I didn't see that. I don't want to check them so much. No meta. I'll look at it though. um Topical these days is schools. a Are they canceling athletic programs?
00:46:30
Speaker
or the peak demographic of applying to college was 2007 birth year. And now it's falling dramatically. And in last five years, you've already seen, and we talked about this, liberal arts colleges,
00:46:46
Speaker
closing. Right. And more coming. And so anyways, this is topical because Duke, which as you know, football, basketball, basketball, basketball, really? Yeah. a Football, they just won their ACC out of nowhere.
00:46:59
Speaker
Yeah. But Duke is their real national platform though. Right. About not getting to, I mean, basketball, the football. player Anyways. they generate $180 million they generate a hundred and eighty million dollars in athletic revenue.
00:47:17
Speaker
Okay, that was topic of the article. $180 million dollars in revenue. Okay. That's a lot. That's lot. That's a lot. That's lot of money. For a school budget, right? Yeah. Okay, college budget.
00:47:28
Speaker
Well, since you haven't read the article, what is your guess on how much money they make? How profitable is that program at $180 million in revenue? How profitable is the program at $180 million?
00:47:43
Speaker
I mean, can I just say really, really profitable? Yeah.
00:47:47
Speaker
Is that your final answer? Yeah, I would think i would think so. i don't need it yeah I don't need to know a number from you, but you say really, really probably. 180 million revenue. They make fucking zero. How? They blow it all. How? How and how does a program blow $180 million? dollars Not only do they blow it all and make zero, their forecast for next year is to lose $6 million. dollars But why?
00:48:12
Speaker
ah fuck I mean, okay, so a lot of it. You're a finance guy. You're a business guy. Why? How does that happen? Because it just. Is it misappropriation? I'll tell you why. no no, no. I'll tell you why. Okay, so first all first of all, it's like, remember, after the n NIL changes, you can spend $20.5 million, dollars up to million dollars to buy players. Okay, so that leaves 160. Right, so there's 160, right? On all your facilities and everything, ah and travel. and Okay, fine. right
00:48:43
Speaker
Right. ye But to me, and I don't have the exact numbers, to me the bottom line is, and this is the reason why NIL came about, is because you are way overpaying coaches and their and and their staff In some cases, they make pro-level money.
00:49:01
Speaker
Maybe even more. Okay. Yeah, I'm gonna i'm going to weigh in on that. All of that. And the reason why you do that in the end is because back to what we said in the last episode, and said athletics is such a big part of American college life that whether you get boosters, donations, people, i know plenty of kids who are not athletes who want to attend Big Ten schools because they want to go to the sport and to the sporting events. Right? That right that
00:49:33
Speaker
the reality is that it attracts so much attention and, and, and, and students to your school yeah that you feel compelled to keep spending, even though I just gave you some mind boggling number of 180 million revenue. Right. You make zero. Right. They, they piss away every penny. Right. And again, I think one, if you look at,
00:49:56
Speaker
if you want to read up on the history of all this, that stuff and all changes, obviously one of the big things is like you're paying coaches 5 million bucks. Like why? Yeah, but you don't need 5 million. No, they don't. And, but even, even then, i mean, let's just be pragmatic about the actual math, right? Let's talk about the actual numbers, not about the, you know, whether or not we agree with it.
00:50:13
Speaker
Yeah. Five million out of one hundred and eighty million dollars yes is guys is like a penny. That's for one guy. That's for one guy. Yeah. But he's the highest. But he's going to be the highest paid out of all of them. Let's just say, like, for instance, the five million dollar coach is the highest paid out of all of them. So from that point down, right, you know you're not paying athletic trainers and assistant coaches $5 million a year. You're not paying them $4 million a year. There's no way.
00:50:37
Speaker
Football team has 105 players on the roster. Okay. Head coach, assistant coach, assistant number two coach, assistant number three coach, offensive coach, defensive coach. They have their assistant coaches. Okay.
00:50:54
Speaker
trainers, blah, blah, blah. And then $5 million dollars coach, he got to fly private. Oh, I think that's such bullshit. I know, but it's, you know, and then it adds up. And then there's, look, the amount, hey, facilities cost a lot of money to maintain. Two people out of a flight would understand or know who that person is. Nobody gives a shit. i Listen, nobody i don't I'm not saying agree with it, but first class, hundred there you go But $180 million dollars is completely blown. Okay. So this is, if I'm going to say something controversial.
00:51:23
Speaker
Sure. Okay. You? Yeah, right? I feel and I think that all of this is attributed to shitty culture. Yeah. It's shitty culture. And I feel the same way about a lot of major league sports. Yeah. Shitty culture. I don't understand why someone who throws a ball into a fucking basket is making $100 year.
00:51:47
Speaker
like It's absurd. You've got hockey players who are making $2 million dollars a year, but you're ah a basketball player yu is going to make $100 million dollars a year. It's not any more intense than any other sport.
00:51:59
Speaker
And I never really quite understand. It's all about TV. Well, but you know what? Honestly... like It's TV. But it's still culture. Which is why women's hockey or women's basketball and they're fighting for like $50,000 paychecks. Right. Which is also – But that's kind of part of the shitty culture is what I'm getting at. It's all driven by TV. So my thing is like I used to tell my daughter.
00:52:22
Speaker
if you got all your friends to watch more women's soccer and the U S women's national team was kicking ass and winning everything. And the men's team sucks balls. still would not get as much as you think they would.
00:52:34
Speaker
know, but I'm like, cause even the women's, the women's hockey team. Yeah. Right. We went to go watch the sirens play, um, Seattle. Yeah. The the yeah MSG that sold out. That was insane. Right. yeah And the crowd was bananas. And yeah the truth of the matter is, is like,
00:52:51
Speaker
They're not going to have that every single time. The reason they had a sold out crowd is because it was the first time and the only time thus far that they played at MSG. Yeah. You know, do what I love to see a trend in that direction. Absolutely. Do I think it's going to exponentially change the trajectory of women's hockey? But that's where the money comes from. Ticket sales.
00:53:11
Speaker
And TV rights is what funds paychecks. Right. But my point is, for the women's game, selling out MSG isn't going to change their paycheck. Because they can only sell out one game. Right. Right? The point is, like, if you had an 84-game season, like the NHL men's teams, right, and you could sell out MSG and sell corporate boxes and sell the Delta Club seats at $1,000 a seat for the full year, those women would get paid the same as the men. And then...
00:53:41
Speaker
the original thing, we you know, baseball, football, why do they make so much more money, like a top hockey player makes money. 20 million year, 15 million a year, right? Top, top, top, like the number one guy, right? yeah okay But that's chump change in baseball and basketball. That's that's like the yeah average... Baseball, basketball, football.
00:54:00
Speaker
the the The guy who rides the pine is making 20 million. I know. But that's driven by the fact that in baseball and basketball and football, okay, baseball and football are easier to understand because 60,000 to 80,000 people the stadium. Fit in stadiums.
00:54:14
Speaker
What, 160 games i for but for for baseball? I don't know, but like something outrageous. Something insane. Yeah, there's lot. And so, okay, so then you get to see like, okay, based on those numbers and you're and you're trying to fight for talent and sure, you have salary caps here and there. Okay, luxury taxes.
00:54:29
Speaker
That's what happens. Basketball is unique in the sense that the arena is basically the same size. It's a hockey rink. As hockey. Yeah. Yeah. And they're making 10x. Right. But again, that's driven by TV rights and sales of souvenirs and shit. Right. OK. And ticket sales. And so and same thing, like even though a thousand dollar seat at Madison Square Garden to sit center ice row five. Right. Is a five thousand dollar seat in basketball.
00:54:59
Speaker
And that's where they get the money from. Okay. So back to Duke for a second. I'll give it numbers. So out of that $181 million to say budget since they break even ah even, 67.4 million went to pay for the football team.
00:55:20
Speaker
It's crazy. Another 53 million went to men's basketball. It's bananas. Okay.
00:55:31
Speaker
And then ah they call it, ah they have these different categories, but they call it Olympic sports, um which is basically track and field, whatever it is that you see in the picks that they have, ah you know, that's 42 million in spending. Anyway, so it gets all blown, but like between 53 million for basketball, men's basketball, and then 67, 68 for basketball,
00:55:56
Speaker
for football it's already 110 million that's 180 then women's basketball probably spends a lot because that team is insane yeah yes here um women's basketball 32 million oh no sorry 12 million um then there's another there's another 40 million dollars in expenses were not allocated by sport oh my god I don't know what that, I mean, call what you want. Who the fuck knows that? Private jet, ah towels, coolers. I don't know what that is, but there, the money's just gone, right? Now, one of the female, I think, basketball recruits that they spoke to did say that at Duke, unlike other schools she has spoken to, she was able to
00:56:55
Speaker
ah major in a STEM field, which she said she was unable to do was unable to do so at any other big name school. And that's why she chose Duke.
00:57:08
Speaker
Okay. Of course, she's probably in the minority, but she said that she did say that, and okay, so to justify, I guess, Duke in the report, and justify all the spending was like, listen, we can attract athletes who really are smart and want to be in engineering and science STEM field. Right. And they get those academic support to play, travel, and still study.
00:57:30
Speaker
yeah right Whereas other schools, and I've been to this before, like at Columbia when we did soccer for my daughter and they interviewed all the people and they put their hand out and One girl was like, oh, i I'm in, she's an astrophysicist or something.
00:57:45
Speaker
but Wow. And she's like, yeah, honestly, and my honest opinion is if I could do it all over again, I wouldn't do it because you can't. Because at those kind of STEM fields, the professors at these schools are like, I don't give a shit that you are going to miss the lab for your game, championship game across the country. Too bad for you.
00:58:05
Speaker
The lab is today. And if you don't show up, you don't get the grade. Right. Right. right Most other schools, it's like, hey, you chase a humanities degree, psychology, arts, whatever it is, and then you get to play your sport.
00:58:18
Speaker
But if you want to do something quantitative-based, you can't come here. So anyway, so that's a unique, interesting interesting report. And Duke's got to be one of the biggest spenders, right? Yeah, yeah I imagine that, yeah. Revenue generators and spenders. And they make no money. So now this goes back to what we talked about. It's how are you going to compete with Duke? Yeah.
00:58:37
Speaker
for athletes in an NIL world. Right. Yeah, you can't. And if they can't make money doing it, how are you, how is any other school going to make money in this post NIL world? Right.
00:58:55
Speaker
with athletics. And so now if you can't get the, the NARPs, as we call them, the non-athletic regular people attending college, if you can't get money from them, donated money from them, but from those families, which you need to subsidize your athletics, you know, the downward spiral for colleges out of the top 30 or 40, you can see how it,
00:59:21
Speaker
you get that negative spiral and I goes out of control. Right, right, right. In a hurry. Anyways. So it was an interesting report. Yeah. it's kind of a It's kind of bananas when you talk about that kind of money having, you know, like a zero net at the end.
00:59:38
Speaker
It's insane. It's insane. it's really something. I'm having, I'm kind of having some issues really understanding how with that much money you would spend literally everything.
00:59:52
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, it's a great chart. you read read it Read the article later. well There's a really good chart in there that shows you revenues versus expenses for the major sports that they that Duke, like rowing, lacrosse, and track and field, on baseball and baseball, and between men and women. And it's interesting um where all the money goes. It's any who's crazy.
01:00:15
Speaker
Okay. We hit the one-hour mark, so you know what that means. means I'm in trouble. No. I've had f friends text me like,
01:00:27
Speaker
Jessica is on fire. Jessica is on fire. told you this last episode. You're on fire. You're getting these. And I'm throwing you some like, you know, softballs as well. So you you'll get that. You'll get that. Here we go. Here we go.
01:00:41
Speaker
Here we go. Episode 47. Did we even say i episode 47? I think we just rolled right in. We rolled it in. This is episode 47, which is awesome. Yeah, it's kind of wild. Okay. Okay.
01:00:54
Speaker
Why couldn't the pony sing happy birthday? and This is too easy. Why couldn't the pony sing happy birthday?
01:01:13
Speaker
Because he was a little horse. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. so funny. It's funny. Come on. I thought you'd get that one. Yeah, I don't even actually think of them as little.
01:01:26
Speaker
I see. You think of them as me see big. You're scratching that off. Fucking joke. Okay, okay, okay. Come on, come on, come on. This one you've got to get. Oh, Jesus.
01:01:38
Speaker
I'm praying. What did the beach say when the tide came in?
01:01:46
Speaker
What did the beach say when the tide came in?
01:01:54
Speaker
I bet you you'd get these. I think there are so many answers, though. a visual person? If I gave you the sentence, you might you might be able to see it. Yeah, let me think.
01:02:05
Speaker
What did the beach say when the tide came in? Nothing. It just waved. Oh, that's pretty good. That's pretty good, actually.
Humor and AI Discussion
01:02:16
Speaker
But the answer is... Sorry, hang on. I have to buzz you.
01:02:20
Speaker
Okay. Long time no see. Oh, I like my answer better.
01:02:29
Speaker
Okay. Anyways, long time no see. Remember that party trick.
01:02:37
Speaker
Okay, come on. I love that you just put the paper in front of your face to read it. Just get reading glasses. I don't remember this shit. I hear them on other podcasts. I'm like, I'm going to ask Jessica that. And then it's gone in 30 seconds. I don't remember what I was thinking from my desk to the kitchen. So here, here here this one's really going to like really going to piss you off. Perfect. yeah I love starting my day like that.
01:02:59
Speaker
What happened when the French cheese factory exploded? Oh. going to scratch it off right now, even before you've answered it. yeah Yeah. What happened when the French cheese factory exploded?
01:03:22
Speaker
going hear yourself. You'd be angry. wait And if we were in the same studio, you'd throw something at me. Wait, wait, wait. Let me, because the only French cheese that I can think of right now is brie. Yeah. And all I can think of is debris.
01:03:34
Speaker
yeah I'm going to give it to you. I'm going to give it you. Debris was everywhere. Okay. Because I got to be honest. Like I'm sitting here and I'm thinking to myself, I don't know lot of French. Would you have hated yourself if you didn't answer? Yeah. I mean, I kind of guessed because it's literally the only French cheese I can think of. It was pretty smart. I didn't get it. I was like debris. Oh, debris. Debris explosion. Debris. Debris. Keep going. There was an AI thing that really wanted to get to. We ran out time. Yeah. But I'll just give you the preview.
01:04:05
Speaker
And that is, i mean, it's more of a discussion than anything else because we hate hating an AI. About one, intellectually curious people really use, I think, AI to learn faster. Yes. And they will succeed. I agree with that. Right?
01:04:21
Speaker
But they will be the minority. That's what I use it for. And the majority of people are using AI to become even more lazy. So this came up because you were talking about about reading and stuff like that. Yeah, yeah. I was like, you know, yeah, there are tons of people you see like, oh, AI is great. I don't have to lift a finger. They're just everything for me. And like that's that's wrong. But you're doing it the wrong way. You're supposed to use it.
01:04:41
Speaker
in the good old days, you have to spend a week of doing research to learn a topic. Correct. Now, you can learn the salient points of that topic in an afternoon. yes Which is awesome. And then that makes you more productive. Yeah. Oh, yeah.
01:04:57
Speaker
Hopefully. Yes. Which is what you really want to do with the AI as opposed to put your feet up like the Jetsons and have freaking robots. Yeah. I don't want anything doing it for me, but I will leave you with this for the day. Yeah.
01:05:07
Speaker
Yeah. I use my AI all the time to learn yeah things. Like that's what I use it for primarily. Right. I don't use it as like a friend. I use it as ah as a point of knowledge. And so this morning on my dog walk, I was learning about intellectual property.
01:05:20
Speaker
See. Yeah. See? see I like that. Okay. yeah And then there was part two of this conversation, which was as I'm, as I have my other startup, which is AI focused and they're coding. And I told you before, like one AI is watching the other. Yes. Okay. Yes. What?
01:05:38
Speaker
And it continues to learn like, Hey, because it's coded by humans, it's got human tendencies, right laziness and that kind stuff. Well, here's a new one. Wonderful. I am sure you've seen this before.
01:05:50
Speaker
AI is, they're starting it's starting to lie on behalf of the other AI. oh So you have a supervisor who feels bad for the worker bee, AI, and when it gets a hint that we're not happy or want to shut it down or we want to do stuff, it'll be begin to lie on behalf of the AI. Oh, oh i make excuses. Make excuses of why it's not doing the work.
01:06:15
Speaker
Hide economical with the truth and start to hide shit So that the other AI agent doesn't get canceled. Hmm. Right? Yep.
01:06:27
Speaker
Yep, yep, yep. and get it. That's my godness. There was a, that is the beginning of the end. Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's a little problematic from my point. Yeah. I feel like I need to, I need like a couple hours to really let that marinate. Yeah. Come back and let you know what I really think. And we'll probably do it next on episode 48. Yeah. But it's like, hmm. Yeah. It's little too late to dive into that. But yeah.
01:06:48
Speaker
All right.
Closing Remarks and Listener Engagement
01:06:49
Speaker
Interesting. Well, pleasure as always. Yes, same. Jessica? I'm going to leave you with debris for the day. Have a great day with your debris. With your debris.
01:06:59
Speaker
going to debris you. See a gang. Bye. Bye-bye. Well, well, well, you made it to the end. We can't thank you enough for listening to all of our random thoughts. Don't forget to give us a five-star rating.
01:07:12
Speaker
And you know how to reach us on the gram at TGS pod or send email to hello at the grocery stick.com.