Do Go On - 294 - The Curse Of The Billy Goat

Episode Date: June 9, 2021

It turns out baseball is a very cursed sport. One of Major League Baseball's longest running curses affected The Chicago Cubs for decades. A disgruntled goat owner, a black cat and the notorious Steve Bartman incident, this is The Curse Of The Billy Goat.Watch our four shows recorded live in Melbourne: https://sospresents.com/authors/dogoonFor tickets to Matt's shows in Sydney and Melbourne: https://www.mattstewartcomedy.com/ Support the show and get rewards like bonus episodes: patreon.com/DoGoOnPodBuy tickets for our screening of The Mummy on September 10: https://www.lidocinemas.com.au/mummyBuy tickets to our streamed shows (there are 12 available to watch now! All with exclusive extra sections): https://sospresents.com/authors/dogoon Check out our AACTA nominated web series: http://bit.ly/DGOWebSeries​ Check out Matt’s Beer show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej4TUguJL58 Submit a topic idea directly to the hat: dogoonpod.com/Submit-a-Topic Twitter: @DoGoOnPodInstagram: @DoGoOnPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoGoOnPod/Email us: [e-mail] Check out our other podcasts:Book Cheat: https://play.acast.com/s/book-cheatPrime Mates: https://play.acast.com/s/prime-mates/Listen Now: https://play.acast.com/s/listen-now/ Our awesome theme song by

Melbourne and Canada, we got exciting news for you. And we should also say this is 2026. Jess, what year is it? 2026. Thank God you're here. Right now, I'm in Melbourne doing my show with Serenji Amarna, 630 each night at the Cooper's Inn Hotel, having so much fun. We'd love to see you there.

Canada, we are visiting you in September this year. If you've somehow missed the news, we are heading up Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto for shows. That's going to be so much fun. Tickets for all this stuff, I believe, are online. And I'm here too. So, and welcome to another episode of Do Go On. My name is Dave Warnocky, and as always, I'm here with Matt Stewart and Jess Perkins.

Hello, I'm Jess Perkins. Hello, I'm Matt Stewart. Dave, how does this show work? Well, what we do here, Matt, is we take it in terms to report on a topic often suggested by one of our beautiful listeners. And whoever's turn, it is to report, goes away, does a bit of research, and then brings that back to the group. And it is my turn to report. on the topic this week. Isn't it crazy that all of our listeners are really hot?

We have a very big vetting system that if you're listening, you're not aware of it, but we are and we know how hot you are. So congratulations. It's like a sorority. We look at pictures of you and your interests, and we go, yay or nay. And for everyone listening, it was three big yays. So well done.

We actually bought Zuckerberg's early technology. The pre-Facebook Facebook, that's what we use. The Facebook. We always start with a question. And to get us onto topic, this is my question for both of you. All right, I'm going to give you a bit of a list here. What do the following things all have in common? Okay.

Okay, we've got the Chicago Cubs. Okay, curse. Well, you've already got it. Oh. Give me the others. All right, Jess, for your benefit, I was going to say, The Power Rangers, the Otsey Iceman,

and finally, Tutankarman. Oh, they're all past episodes of ours, Dave. That's the other thing. Have we done episodes on all these, apart from the Cubs? Yes, because we're going to talk about that today. They've all been cursed. We are talking about the curse of the Billy Goat.

Ooh. Okay. Do either of you know anything about this? Confused. Matt went straight to curse. I'm thinking that maybe you got a bit of info here. I, well, no, I just know that. So is the curse of the Billy Goat, that is the Chicago Cubs curse?

It definitely is. Yeah, right. No, I knew they were cursed, and similar to the curse of the Great Bambini at... We're going to talk about that as well, yeah. Okay, yeah, which is another baseball curse. curse. I don't know why they came to my mind. I just know they were on, they had a huge losing streak. It was so much so that it was a joke in Back to the Future that in the

future the Cubs won the World Series. That's right. Yes. That's absolutely right. And that's because of the curse of the Billy Goat, which we will get to. This one was suggested by three beautiful people and voted for by our Patreon supporters. So I put up four sporting topics because One of my favourite reports to research last year was a tale of two dream teams, the USA and Lithuania and the Olympics. So I put up four sporting topics and this one did win. So thanks to everyone that voted. And thanks to the people that suggested it, which is Daniel Garrett from Nashville, Tennessee, Troy Partridge from Adelaide and Timothy Poulton also from South Australia. So thank you very much.

All right. Well, let's jump in. Now, baseball, as Matt has alluded to, has a long series. series of curses. It's a very cursed sport. Over the years, they've had the curse of the Bambino that affected the Boston Red Sox, who didn't win a championship for 86 years after selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees in the 1920s. Babe Ruth's nickname was the Great Bambino, so that's where that comes from. There's also the curse of the Colonel, which affected the Japanese team, the hand-chin tigers. In 1985, fan-selling.

their team winning the Japanese championship series, which is a massive deal in Japan. As each winning player was read out during celebrations, a drunken fan jumped into the Dottonboree river, each fan representing one of the players. That's the idea there. But finally, they got to American first baseman Randy Bass, or Randy Bass. I didn't look at it. But he was a Caucasian man with a beard and the Japanese fans didn't have anyone in the area who looked enough like him to jump in the river as his representative. So instead, they grabbed a statue of the colonel

from a nearby KFC and threw it in the river instead. That's great. And that was a huge mistake. Oh, no. The statue sank and a curse was subsequently placed on them for disrespecting the colonel. What?

They did not win a championship, after that. Was anybody surprised the statue sank? They're like, oh, that's a bit odd, isn't it? They put concrete statue sank. That's odd. Huh. Didn't we talk about it in a Patreon bonus episode that,

was it Japan that really got into KFC at Christmas time? Yeah, that's right. Big deal. Millions of Japanese people visit KFCs on Christmas. Some of these other curses we're talking about lasted for nearly a century. Did you say 2015? No, 1988.

Oh, okay. That's longish. That is longish. I don't know. In my head, I'm like, 995 is only six years ago. Well, fans believe... Well, when you've lived as long as you have.

That's true. Fans believed the curse would live on until someone retrieved the kernel from the river. Several attempts were made to recover the statue, including sending divers down and dredging the river. But sadly, they all failed. I'm impressed they knew that it was at the bottom. Because they seemed very surprised that it sank.

Yeah, they were so so. If they can't find it, geez, that sounds, yeah, what's going on here? That sounds more than a curse. Well, fans are tempted to make amends by apologising to the store manager. A 16-year-old. It's a manager-based curse. It's all right. Don't worry about it.

We got another one. Imagine being like, I'd like to apologize to the manager. Sorry? What? Karen? That's never happened. This is new. As someone who was for a while, a manager in retail, that has never happened.

I'd like to apologize to the manager. No, no, no, no, no. Dave, do you think that the guy, the baseman surname being base? Is that an example of nomative determinism? Yeah, I think it might be. Oh, my God. Now that you've finally brought it up and it's been kind of close, are you going to keep bringing it up every time?

Have I broken the curse? Sadly for Mr. Bacey, he played in the outfield, so nowhere nearer base. But they apologise to the store manager, but the statue remained in the canal and the tigers remained cursed. Before finally in 2009, the statue was found and recovered from the river in multiple pieces. However, the statue was missing an arm and the colonel's glasses, and fans worry that until the statue was made whole again, they won't win another. series. They've made the championship final three times since but have lost each time. Damn you, Colonel. Damn you. That's incredible. I love that.

Jeez. The odds of ever finding the glasses again. Not strong. I don't understand. What do you mean glasses? To have, what kind of statue is this? I think I know you think you went concrete but I'm thinking that maybe it's one of those like plasticy ones out the front of. Like a Ronald McDonald. Yes, I think it's like that. Which is still. take a picture with. Would still probably sink, I reckon. Yeah.

But if they're hollow inside. Hmm. Okay, I take back some of my criticisms, but others remain. Well, and so does that curse. But we're not here to talk about fried chicken. We're here to talk about disgruntled goats. Little Simpsons reference there. But first, we've got to talk a little bit about how Major League Baseball works.

Now, Matt, you've got a team seemingly in every... league in every sport in the entire world. Do you have a team in the MLB? Go Detroit Tigers. Nice. I made a deal years ago with an American traveler. He was in Australia. And he said he'd start going for the Saints in the AFL if I got on board his Major League Baseball team, which was the Detroit Tigers. And yes, I've supported them ever since. I've bought the hat and, you know, I've got their app on my phone. They haven't been good for a quite a while, but, you know, I keep up to date with them. They play so many games in baseball.

Oh, it's mind-blowing. For a team that isn't very good, that means a lot of losses. I never thought about like that. Stop playing, please, you're losing. Please. Can we just end the season, please? They're going, like, feels like slightly better than they have been this year, but still, like, towards the bottom of the table.

But yeah, I don't know of any curses that they've had. That doesn't mean they don't exist. That's right. Sometimes you're unknowingly cursed. That's the worst kind. Yeah, I wouldn't surprise me if they were cursed based on their ladder positions. Do you feel like you cursed your American friend by making him follow the saints? Yeah, I think we cursed each other.

Although he's seen at least a few good years, you know, where this was back before our grand finals 10 years ago. so at least he had some close to glory days. Now, I must admit here, I only vaguely understood terms like the World Series and how the league and its divisions worked before this. So for the sake of the curse and explaining it, just to set up any baseball noobs like me and set them straight here, this is what I've learned.

Jess, I don't know, your baseball knowledge, probably second to none, I imagine. I've seen a league of their own. That's all I require. A great film. Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell, need I say more, probably. Go on. Gina Davis.

Tom Hanks, he pisses on the bus at one point. He pisses for so long in the rooms. He pisses by the butt. In the rooms, thank you. He's pissing and he's pissing just nonstop. Great moment. Great Hollywood moment. Ladies playing baseball, what?

It'll never work. The boys ain't here. Come on, gals. Doesn't he say that at one point? Women don't play baseball. Yeah. Something like that. That's a good movie.

Great movie. So yes, Dave, I know baseball. I thought you did. So this is for me and for anyone like me at home. Any fellow Poindexters are there. So Major League Baseball, like the NBA, is broken into two divisions. The American League and the National League. But unlike the NBA, it's not geographically based.

teams are both sides are all over the USA and one team in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays. These days there are 15 teams in each of the two leagues who play their own regular seasons, which in 2021 is an unbelievable 162 games. What? And that's before playoffs in the World Series. Everyone's playing at least a hundred. Is there an off season? Yeah, it goes for about 15 minutes and then you get back out there.

Logistically how? Are they playing like three games a week? More, statistically. Get the fuck out. No, thank you. No, please. Oh, I'm tired thinking about it. Oh, it's absolutely wild, isn't it?

That's too much. They play a lot of double-headed, don't they? Maybe triple-headed? They ever play triple-headers still? They have to play like, oh, we've got a game at 3am on a Tuesday just to fucking fit it in. And are people going to that? That's crazy.

And it doesn't end there. At the end of each regular season, which is the 162 games, five of each league go to the postseason where one of each team is named either American League or National League champion. You can honestly go get fucked. That is too much. And then it doesn't end there, Jess. The champions of the American League play against the champions of the champions of the

National League in the World Series. Oh, world series, yes, of course. That we all go to, the world. We're all there. And that's a best of seven games. Get, it doesn't make any sense. And then the team that wins the World Series is the champion of Major League Baseball. So that's how it works.

And then everyone gets a rest for about. That's too much. What do you mean? When do they get to rest? You get two hours off, you go to the mall and then you go back out there. Okay. Oh, that's too much. Do baseball players get paid quite well?

Incredibly well, yep. Do they really? Millions. Good for them. Some of them. I still wouldn't do it. Couldn't pay me enough. If you're like, Jess, I need you to sit down 140 times this year.

I'd be like, you got it, Chief. No problem. I'll do that for a million bucks. That's silly. I'm sure there's a lot of baseball fans out there who are angry at me now. I'm just saying, like, work life. balance people. Have a little bit of you time. Switch off. You know? You probably love baseball. That's why you are a professional baseball player. But now is it not a little ruined for you?

But there's no value I can put on that. For example, if you were Mookie Betts from the Los Angeles Dodgers, yes, his name is Mookie Betts. And I've got a 12-year contract, 365 million US dollars. He's getting paid 30 million a season or 186. 7,000 a game. Yeah, I reckon that's worth it. Getting out of bed for that? I mean, yeah. I mean, I figured, not for 12 years though, look.

I figured, obviously, like, even in AFL, there's, the base salary's good. And then you'd have, like, your big players who are making quite a lot of money, but that's in a lot of other promo deals and stuff. That's fucking wild. Yeah, nothing like that. He'd be getting the AFL's full player. It's just a bit.

Every player. Oh, that's true. Good on you, Mookie. I've looked up my boys, the Tigers. Wild that I haven't done this before, if I ever. They won the World Series in 1935, 1945, 1945, 1968 and 1984. So close to 69.

How good with that I've been. But they played in the World Series as recently as 2012, losing to the Giants. Do you remember that? No, I don't know how I missed that. That's a pretty shitty app you got there. Hey, Dave, I'll tell you what, if you remember 2012, you weren't really there. They were crazy times back then.

Oh, yeah. I thought the world was ending. Yeah. Last time I listened to them Mayans. All right, so that's how baseball works, which brings us to the talk of today's report, the Chicago Cubs. Now when I say Chicago, something come to mind. The Windy City.

Chicago. Chicago style improv. I did two levels of it actually personally. So, yeah. Wow. Give me a scene. Okay, you're in Chicago. Okay.

Hello there. I'm in Chicago. Oh, it's pretty windy. Wow. And the scene, did it. Bang. Like that. God.

It was like I was transported. Yeah, that's right. Where did Matt? You are. You are. You are truly very. You are truly very good. Oprah Winfrey got her start there, or not her start, but that's where she blew up.

She blew up. She blew up. You don't remember that. You did not put that in the report. Yeah, that's big. How did you miss that? Yeah. She blew up.

She exploded. Good grief. And Hugh Heffner, didn't he start his porn company there? I reckon. I reckon the first pawn palace was there, or whatever he called it, Playboy House. Pawn Palace is better. Pawn Palace. Well, the Cubs were originally known as the Chicago White Stockings.

Oh, that's why they're cursed. They were founded in 1876 one of eight inaugural teams in the National League. They even won the first ever National League championship. And were one of sports first dynasties winning six of the first 11 championship titles. Wow. So they're pretty old for American sport, 1876? Yeah. They're almost as old as.

the St. Kilda Saints, who started earlier that decade in 1873. Well, there you go. There you go. Well, Major League Baseball and the World Series came together in 1903, putting the two leagues together. The Cubs continued their success and won the World Series in 1906 and 1907. So they're very successful early on. They had continued success over the next few decades,

especially in their division, winning American League pennants. which means that they won their division in 1910, 1918, and a hugely impressive four penance in a 10-year span, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938. Huge. Between 1876 and 1945, the Cubs were one of the most successful teams in all of North America. They had 51 winning seasons, 16 first place finishes, 16 pennants and World Series appearances, two World Series titles and six championship titles. But it all changed on one fateful day in 1945.

Ooh. That felt like it needed an ooh. Was that a good instinct? Yeah, very appropriate. Thank you so much. You know who won the World Series that year? My boys. Great year, 1994.

I had a 45 in the world. Was it? Yeah. Wars ended. World Series were won. Everyone's partying. doing the bloody jitterbuggle down the street. Well, 1945, Chicago Cubs again won their 16th pennant

and again made the World Series where they faced the Detroit Tigers. Boo. Oh, I shouldn't have looked it up. That would have been such an exciting moment. Now, the Cubs were and still are based at Wrigley Field, named after chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr., who founded the Wrigley Company. So there you go.

good surname, Riggily. Yeah. I like it. A great chewing gum name as well, I reckon. Yeah, agree. He's right. Perkins, not good for anything like that. Maybe toilet cleaner.

Perkins? Because it's got a picture of a little butler and his name is Perkins. Perkins is a great butler name. Yeah, and cleans your butt. Ah, yes. Wait, what do you do with toilet cleaner, Matt? Yeah. You putting that in your butt?

Yeah, cut out of the middleman. I'm very thrifty in that way. That's actually not bad. Yeah. That way I never go to the tour. A gentleman never shits. A Wrigley himself also bought the Cubs in the 1920s. Very wealthy man, very influential around Chicago.

Riggly Field is nicknamed the friendly confines. Okay. Confines doesn't sound that friendly. I know. That's a phrase popularized by nicknamed Mr. Cub, Hall of Fame, Shortstop and First Baseman Ernie Banks. So the friendly confines, we'll come back to that nickname a little bit later. Oh, a bit of sizzle.

Bit of sizzle. So they're in the 1945 World Series against everyone's least favorite team, the Detroit Tigers. Did you know that I went for the Tigers when you asked the question? No, I didn't. And I didn't write. I must say, I've just added that in to add a bit of extra raz. I have no idea if people over there hate the Tigers or what. I'm assuming because they haven't been good for so long that people probably don't hate them.

You're not seen as a threat. Yeah. Do they pity you more than anything, do you reckon? I don't know. 84. It's not that long ago. It's no 1966, for instance. Yeah.

Like the St. Kilda Saints. Well, started calling them the St. Did they? Yeah, 66. Ah. Never heard that before? Hmm.

It's good to learn new facts, isn't it? Yeah. Hope that comes up and I can use that as some sort of trivia. That'll be fun. Yeah, maybe we'll. Announce it at your workplace. Oh! This is my workplace.

So... I'd be great if you could announce it to us at some stage. I'll save that, yeah. All right, so 1945 World Series, the Cubs lead the Tigers two games to one and are hosting game four, remember, it's best of seven, on their home ground. And things are looking good for the Cubs.

Fans, of course, want to go along and cheer on their boys, including William Billy Goat Shannis, owner of the local Billy Goat Tavern. Okay, that's why they call him Billy Goat. He's a man of... Also because his name's William. Yeah. Well, we'll explain the name because he's a man of Greek descent.

Shianis bought the tavern in 1934 when it was called the Lincoln Tavern. Apparently, he bought it for $205 with a bounced check and the proceeds from the first weekend that were open we used to pay for the bounce check. Wow. That's a good deal. $205. Payed itself off in one week. Yeah, if you can pay it off in one weekend, you've got a good deal.

So the Billy Goat Tavern, it still thinks. It's quite a famous venue for a few reasons. According to the Billy Goat's official website, the venue and its owner became known as Billy Goat when, quote, a goat fell off a passing truck and wandered inside. That's fucking great. Imagine just sitting in a bar having a drink and a goat walks in. That would be so funny.

You'd go home, you'd tell all your friends. I couldn't, I wouldn't be able to. Wait. In this day and age, I'd be taking a picture. I'd be sending you in the group chat. But guys, a goat just walked into this pub. Come on down. See this goat. This is the best day of my life. Well, Cianus adopted the goat, grew a goate himself and acquired the nickname Billy Goat and then changed the name of the bar to the Billy Goat tavern. He really leaned in. Yeah, it became his whole thing. I like that a lot. Have you seen, there's a video I keep seeing on Facebook of this little girl pointing out the window and she's got an Australian accent. she says to her mum, there's a fucking goat outside.

Yeah, the mum says, no, a goat. It's just a goat. She goes, no, it's a fucking goat. Very funny. Very good stuff. Very good stuff. I was sure there'd be a goat walks into a bar joke and they're not good. I found two of the same one.

A goat walks into a bar. Bar-tender says, we don't serve kids. So just for anybody who was halfway through tweeting, I'm so disappointed you missed an joke opportunity there. There really wasn't much there to work with. Can you explain that joke? Was there like a child riding the goat? Or what do they mean by a kid?

See, the thing is actually, Dave, that a baby goat, like a youthful goat, is actually called a kid. What? Much like a puppy is a small dog. Oh. A small goat is actually called a kid. So the bar owner won't serve an underage goat.

Is that what they mean? If they get to a certain age, you pour a beer? It's actually a bit of a play on words. I think it's what you would call a pun. And by that I mean there is a, there are two meanings for a kid. There is, of course, a small human like a child, who legally aren't not able to be served at a bar if they're not accompanied by a guardian.

Okay. And even then, they cannot be consuming alcohol. on premises. Right. But then on the flip side of that, it's a small goat. So what's walked in is a kid. Oh. Yeah, it's actually quite funny.

Yeah, you're right. That is very funny. I found another one. This one's maybe... Can't wait to explain it to me. Maybe slightly better. A goat walks into a bar and orders a beer. The bartender says, that'll be $10, please.

And no offense, but we don't get too many goats coming in here. And the mountain goat says, no shit. $10 a beer. It's not hard to see why. Was there something of a small child riding that Billy Goat? Well, again, from the Billy Goat Tavern's website, the Republican Convention came to town in 1944,

and Billy Goat, the guy that owns the bar, posted a sign saying, no Republicans allowed. This caused the tavern to be packed with Republicans demanding to be served and led to local fame for the savvy Billy Goat being called a publicity stunt master. But it was in 1945 that the tavern was really put on the map.

So Game 4 of the World Series, we're back there. Cubs are playing at Wrigley Field. Billy Goat goes along and he buys two tickets. One for himself and one for his pet goat, Murphy. He thought the goat would bring his team good luck. That's the plan. Oh, God. Now there's a couple of versions of this story.

But most go, Billy Goat got to the gate where he was stopped and told he wasn't allowed to bring in Murphy. There's no animals allowed inside the park. What, you can't take a goat to a baseball game. What a fucking nanny state. But this isn't any... Nanny goat state, am I right, Jess? Is that anything?

Nanny goat state. Um, no. But you really seem to enjoy it. Well, I wasn't sure. I wasn't even sure of a nanny goat is a kind of goat. Nah. I was hoping that Jess would explain it, She can't.

Nanny goat. It's a mum goat. They're called nanny goats. That's why you didn't find that very, very funny. Is that a thing? Uh-huh. They're not called nanny goats. Are they not?

Doesn't matter. They're not called nanny goats. Yeah. First thing I type, if I type Nanny in a Google, the first thing it comes up is Nanny Goat. Second is Nanny McPhee. 100%.

Nanny goat. Mine is Nanny, Nanny McPhee. Nanny Mee. but Nanny McPhee cast. I get Nanny McPhee too, so pretty good. What is a Nanny goat? I get Nanny goat, Pino Noir.

It's a female goat, Jess. Nanny goat, female goat. Yes, that is fucking funny then. That is very good. And I'm actually quite genuinely impressed. You had that locked and loaded. Well done. Because I've never heard Nanny goat before in my life.

And then, Matt, You had that fucking good joke and I just stared at you blood, clearly like a piece of shit. I gave you nothing for that. That was so funny. Nanny State and Nanny Goat's saying that's fucking great. And I ruined it for you. I'm so sorry. I'm being genuine here.

Yeah. Because it's sounding so sarcastic. It sounds so sarcastic, man. It sounds like, and for good reason. No, that's funny. Nanny goat, you just had that and you got nothing for it. That is cruel. That is unfair.

I do apologise for that. That's very funny. Dave, did you need me to explain that to you? No, I think I'm right on this one. Thanks, mate. So he's brought the goat with him to Wrigleyfield. He's got a ticket, but he says you can't bring it in. But he's got a ticket for the goat.

He's bought a ticket. What do you people want? He's a bloody nanny goat's safe. Oh, very good. So Billy Goat, he appeals directly to the club owner of P.K. Rigley, the chewing gum man, asking him why he couldn't take his personal mascot to the game. Rigley allegedly told him, because the goat stinks. Oh, okay.

Give it some chewy then. Oh. You're the chewy man. You know, you're freshen it up. You know, any pet him out the back? Yeah, I just realized, like, that one of the other brands of chewing gum is PK. Is that after him as well? Oh, yeah.

Yeah, this guy is chewing him. His middle name is not Hubbubber, is it? P.K. Hubbubbubb, Riggily. That's fun to say. Junior, so there's two. So, Sianis, the goat owner, he's deeply offended. He apparently said, as he's leading the goat away, the Cubs ain't going to win no more.

The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field. Holy shit. He took his goat and he went home. Wow. So did he know he had the power to do a genuine curse? Well. I mean, why would you?

Why would you say it if you didn't know? Yeah. Exactly. It would be a weird thing to say. It immediately started coming true because the Cubs lost the game are only scoring one run. It went to seven games to series, but the Cubs lost. So they lost the World Series.

Good news for the Tigers, Matt. That's amazing. So the Tigers were the Ben. beneficiaries of the curse. Of the curse. You never would have won without this Billy Goat. So, you know. Wow.

You're welcome. Thank you so much. So they lost the World Series and Billy Goat sent Wrigley a telegram saying, Who stinks now? That's very good. That's so good. The curse of the Billy Goat had just been placed and it wouldn't lift for decades. For the next 20 years.

years throughout the remainder of the owner of the tavern's life, the Cubs would finish each season at fifth place or lower, nowhere near qualifying. Wow. And over the years, the team's lack of success made the legend grow and grow, and many incidents have been tied to the curse of the billy goat. For example, in September 1969, the Cubs played against the New York Mets. Both were in high contention to win the pennant and get a shot at the World Series. The Cubs, actually had the better record. But at the game, a stray black cat walked between the Cubs captain... A ladder.

Of broken mirrors. Would you believe it? The cat walked between Cubs captain Ron Santo and the Cubs dugout. They would end up losing the game seven to one. Had the curse read its ugly head in the form of a black cat? Yes. Yeah, obviously. Yeah, they were knocked out and the Mets went on to win the World Series.

So, yeah, I think so. Wow. Cut to 1984 and to quote from MLB.com because I love baseball talk. Quote, The Cubs seemingly had it all during the 1984 season, a national audience on WGN, a superstar in Ryan Sandberg, and a bona fide ace in Rick Sutcliffe,

who came over in a trade deadline deal. Love those names. Ryan Sandberg, Ace, Rick Sutcliffe. They've got it all. Yeah. The season even began with the Cubs humorously tempting fate by bringing a billy goat onto the field for opening day. And actually, it seemed to pay off. They finished the season with the best win record in the National League. That meant that they had home ground advantage in their matchup with the San Diego Padres. People were expecting big things for the Cubs. First time in decades.

They got a huge shot here, huge shot. They won the first two games. and were just one victory away from the World Series. But the Padres won games three and four, so it all came down to game five, winner takes all. The winner takes it all. Did you pause there knowing I would sing? Yeah. Because you said 1969 before and you did not pause for us to say nice.

And I was like, it's like Dave doesn't even know us. Sorry, I tried to, I even, I handballed you, Chicago, the windy city. I know you, I know you. You do. So they're down to game five. The Cubs were up three runs to two when the curse again struck. No. They let it go into the stadium.

Second black cats, bad news on Friday the 13th. Oh my God. Can you believe it? Couldn't be any worse. Well, first baseman Leon Durham let a ground ball go so the ball runs along his ground. Sorry, the ball runs along the ground. He's ground. Well, he should have been covering that ground,

but he let it go through his glove. It went between his legs, allowing the Padres to score a run. They went on to win the game knocking out the Cubs. To quote again from MLB, legend has it that a cooler filled with Gatorade was spilled in the Cubs dugout before game five, soaking Durham's first baseman's glove. Did a sticky mitt hinder Durham's ability

to make that fateful play in the bottom of the seventh? Sticky Mip is funny. Normally they do that after winning. Not before losing. They did it backwards. I also really enjoy Padres as a team name. I like that very much. What does it mean, Papa?

Is that what Padre means father? Yeah, they're the daddies. The daddies. I like that a lot. You should start a team called the daddies, Jess. The Melbourne daddies. All right. The Melbourne baseball team is currently called the Aces.

Why don't we get in contact and say, we want to change the name to the daddies. The daddies, the Melbourne daddies. Yeah. Melbourne mummies. A bit of a bit of alliteration there. Yes. There's also just a bunch of mums.

Yeah, fantastic. Everybody brings the oranges. There's too many oranges. Mums can play baseball too, Jess. No. You can't. As a feminist of the pot, I'm going to step in here. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, you actually don't understand. Once you have children, you no longer have a personality. or interests, sporting prowess. Or value outside of raising said children. And if you do anything, anything at all, good or bad, people going to judge. And it's a lot of fun. Well, I think you should look up someone called Serena Williams. Oh, wow.

Was she a baseball player? God, I bet if you wanted to be, she did. Honestly, yeah, what an athlete. She's incredible. So just to finish the, Gatorade glove. Sure, some people say he'd already accepted six chances at first base without

any trouble, but cursed believers believe Chicago was cursed and that the glove was yet another nail in the coffin. Because his glove was a bit sticky. Yeah, it's a sticky glove. I mean, obviously that's a curse, right? Obviously. It feels a bit like, and I use this

a lot since I re-learned it, confirmation bias. Oh, okay, well, let me confirm that bias by giving you yet another example. Okay. Because it is a powerful curse, Jess. You've got to understand this. Oh, I shouldn't be crossing this curse.

Sometimes it even curses players after they've left the team. Oh, my gosh. Can you believe? Wait a second. Are you saying people that played for the Cubs a long, long time ago have since died? Yes, that's right. People from that 1945 team are no longer with us. Whoa.

What? Dave, you didn't mention this at the start. Sorry, I didn't want to... Now I understand. I didn't want to look biased, but there you go. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. So is the hair on your beard. It looks real weird.

I'm very self-conscious about that, Dave. As you should be. It's weird. Okay, powerful curse. In 1984, Bill Buckner played for the Chicago Cubs for seven seasons before being traded to the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox were also facing the curse of the great Bambino at the time, so there was a lot of curses going on in the baseball.

But things were looking good for his new team, the Red Sox, because they made it to the World Series final. They were playing against the Mets and were up three games to two and were only one win away from the elusive championship. The game went to overtime and the Red Sox looked poised to take it all. They only had to get one player out to win. The champagne was literally on ice and being primed to be popped. That's how close to the win they were.

They were confident. Bill Buckner, who used to play for the Cubs, let's not forget this, was on first base when Mookie Wilson hit the ball slowly along the ground straight to Buckner, who if he grabbed it, it would get Mookiee out. Buckner went for the ball, but he missed it. The ball rolled to the left side of his glove through his leg. His glove? Yes, he got glubbed.

into a shallow right field allowing Ray Knight to run home and win the game. Whoa, whoa, whoa. It was one of the most controversial plays in baseball history. People still talk about this. Why was it controversial? Because he's supposedly a really great player, but he fucked up at the worst possible time.

So there wasn't controversy beyond him fucking up. No, it was just basically this, despite being a fantastic baseball player, like this is what he's known for. They weren't saying they reckon he had money on the other team or anything like that. No, nothing like that, no, no. But he obviously copped it from the press and from fans, he received booze on the day and death threats after this. Many at the time said it was another example of the curse of the great Bambino.

But remember, he'd started playing with the Cubs. Photographs of that infamous day were later examined and when the image was enhanced. Oh, my God. Guess what they found. A goat. Buckner. Goat shit.

There was a goat shitting in his glove. Yes. There was a goat that startled him. It was full of goat shit. Now what they found was Buckner had been wearing a Cubs batting glove under his glove at the moment he committed the error.

The Billy goat curse had struck yet again. Will this dastardly goat stop at nothing? Wow. That was like a double Bambini slash goat curse. He had two, curse twice. Hey Dave, you didn't mention before when the Padres beat the Cubs. Did the Padres go, they went on the World Series? How'd that one go?

Did they play against the Tigers? No, might have played against the Tigers. Well, no one cares about them. They're the most hated team in baseball. Oh, no. No, what happened? Did the Tigers beat the Padres? Yeah, that's the last World Series of Tigers won.

84. Or. Beat the pub drags. Congratulations. Thank you so much. One of my great, well-earned. Great memory for me. All right.

One of the most infamous incidents of the curse happened in 2003. And this is known as the Steve Bartman incident. Or less catchy, but. What are you talking about? Do the Bartman. That was a great hit song. I take it back. Do the Steve Bartman.

Do not do the Steve Bartman. It will not go well for you. Is this ghost shit? Is there goat shit involved? Well, they could be. If we enhance the images. Enhance. It all happened during the 2003 National League Championship series.

It was the Cubs versus the Florida Marlins. What do you think of that, Jess? Marlins. No. No from Jess. Makes me think of the dad in finding Nemo. It is a kind of fish, isn't it, a Marlon? Yes.

Is his dad called Marlon? Marlon. Right. Marlon. It's one of those words if you say it too many times. It sounds so stupid. Why would you name a clown fish after a different kind of fish? Marlon.

Marlon. Yeah, it's all done. Aren't they the sort of big pointy ones, kind of beautiful game fish? Marlon. Marlon. Can you hear this? Marlon. That's crazy.

Yeah, Marlon's a great looking for, they've got a big, they've got a big pointy nose. What is, sorry? Marlon. Marlon. Marlon. That's down. Are you saying the same word? Marlon.

Marlon. Marlon Brando. Oh, Marlon Brando. That's a great name. Changes everything. Sorry, I der, Ralph. I don't like Marlon. What are we talking about again?

We're talking about the National League Championship Series Cubs versus Florida Marlins, 2003. This is the Steve Bartman incident. It occurred in the eighth innings of game six of the National League Championship series, Chicago leading three runs to zero. They're holding a three games to two lead in a best of seven series. If the Cubs win this game, they would win the pennant and go to the World Series.

They haven't done that in a long time. Okay. Come on, Cubbies. Fans are getting hopeful again. Is that a mistake? Well, when you cursed, absolutely. They're daring to dream. Dare to dream, dare to fly, dare to be.

The chosen one to touch the sky. What's this, Jess? What are you doing? Sydney 2000's opening or closing ceremony. It was John Farnham, Olivia Newton John. Oh, wow. What a powerful duo. And they are walking through the athletes, like high-fiving them.

The Aussies are going absolutely fucking nuts, obviously. John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John was there? Every other country is like, who the hell are they? Who are these old people? They are royalty. I reckon they know Olivia Newton-John from a little bit of, movie called Greece. Yeah, I was going to say, probably more John Farnham.

Who's that old man hanging out with Olivia Newton, John? I want John Farnham to adopt me. He just seems rad. Anyway, sorry, but when you say Dare to Dream, that's what's going to come into my head every time. I actually think John Farnham is featured on the soundtrack to the film, Rad. Fun fact. Well, I'll leave that up to you. If I knew what that was, I would say that's pretty fun.

I think it's like a, I think it's a BMX movie. that I've never seen that my cousin always talks about. Your cousin always talks about. He always goes on about rad. He can never find it. This movie, Rad. I don't know if it's... Is he sure it exists?

He reckons John Farman played in one of the key scenes, maybe playing to wins. And you just brought it up like everyone would know it and it might not even exist. What are you talking about? I've never looked it up. I should look it up. He talks about it a lot.

Apparently it's not easy to find. Unless your cousin doesn't have access to the internet No, I'm looking up I think you're fine It's definitely a film Yeah That's such a funny and specific conversation You've had with your cousin

Apparently multiple times About a John Farnham song appearing in this film that he cannot find That you've never seen or looked up But you brought it up assuming we would go Ah A fun fact about rad I just needed to look up

Wikipedia It's got its own page. It's a 1986 American sports film. No, I can't find it anywhere. And I've just done a page search for Farnham. And he's here. The soundtrack features various artists, including John Farnham, in his pre-whispering Jack days.

Farnham's Break the Ice was featured on a special list of the best songs from the 80s action film montages that appeared on music website, No Echo. That's specific. Well, thank you so much for that fun fact. I'm sorry. That's qualified that as fun, certainly. We've finally won over a few people who are baseball fans.

Like, I'm going to give this podcast a go, and they have not made it this far. You don't think there's a big crossover between 1980s John Farnham fans and Major League Baseball fans? But I don't think John Farnham fans would know that movie or song. I think it's pretty obscure. I've never heard the song, Break the Ice by John Farnham. I don't know that one. Sounds like it breaks the ice between you and your cousins. The only thing you ever talk about.

Do you even know your cousin? Is this all he talks about? Is he okay? You've had one conversation 20 years ago. Do you have his phone number? Well, I can get it. I'll ask my mum. Mom. Mums always have everybody.

They've got everyone's phone numbers, don't they? Yeah. In the roller decks. Yeah. All right, I've got to take you back to Bartman. It's Cubs, Marlins. Cubs, very close. They're five outs away from reaching the World Series

for the first time since the Billy Goat cursed them way back in 1945 and it's tense in the stadium. The Cubs are pitching. Sorry, people have put up tents, have they? Yeah, they're camping out. Did I also tell you that the 162 games go for five days each? So one season lasts many years. Oh, wow.

So it's like a festival. Oh, yeah. That's fun. The festival vibe in the stadium. Cubs are pitching. Louis Castillo from the Marlins was at the bat with one out and teammate Juan Pierre on second base. In the crowd was Steve Bartman,

a 26-year-old global human resources company worker from Chicago. He sat in aisle 4, row 8, seat 11, which is the front row along the left field corner of Wrigley Field. He's a Cubs fan. He's wearing a blue, Cubs hat, classic Walkman-style headphones. Oh, yeah, I love those. Remember those?

Sort of the little foamy sort of type ones. They're the kind of headphones I would have listened to John Farnham's Break the Ice. Oh, from that film, Rad. Rad. Fucking, that's rad. I love a BMX film. He's also wearing glasses and a green turtleneck poking out from underneath a black jumper.

Okay. He's sitting there, enjoying the game and mining his own business. He had no idea that what was about to happen would change his life forever. Oh, hope for the best. He pooped his pants. Goat pooped his pants. He goat pooped his pants. This isn't human poop in my pants.

What's happened here? The curse. What's happening to me? I'm pooping goat poop. I'm slowly, my poop is turning into goat poop. What a stupid person. R.L. Stein's done it again. So he's sitting there.

I don't know if he's listening to John Farnham whilst he shits himself, but he's got something in the headphones. Mark Pryor from the Cubs pitches the ball. Castillo or Castillo hits it and sends a foul ball high into the sky. Cubs outfielder, Moses Alou runs round to catch it. If he makes the catch, then the Cubs will be just four outs away from the World Series. It's one step closer.

The ball comes right near where Bartman is sitting. Aulu jumps up against the wall desperately trying to catch it. In this moment, Bartman and a bunch of fans around him also reach out to catch the ball. It glances Bartman's outstretched hand just as Alu is reaching out so Bartman actually makes contact with Alu's mitt coming up from below. Oh no. But neither of them are able to grab it and the ball will. is knocked back into the crowd and Cubs player, Alu, obviously, cannot make the catch. And he is

fucking furious. He yells into the crowd. He throws his glove off in frustration. He looks so pissed off in the replay. Like he's ready to kill someone. He's so pissed off. Now, is that, is that allowed? Well, meanwhile, the ball is grabbed by a fan behind Bartman. So he doesn't even get, he didn't even get the ball either. Do you mean is it, is he allowed to kill someone? I think in that moment, that's probably, okay to kill. Is that actually in the rule? Justifiable on the side.

Well, there's actually... If you lean over the fence and knock the ball, is that okay? Yeah, well, there's a bit of confusion because the rule state, the ball goes into the crowd, it's well and truly up for grabs and everyone hopes to catch a game ball.

It happens all the time. But they're not supposed to interrupt the game and lean over the barrier, and in this instance, it's very tight. Bartman was right on the edge. Did he lean over? Yeah, maybe a little bit. He leaned over a little bit.

But he certainly isn't leaning right over, like, right over. He's sort of a bit over. Right. And is he a Cubby's fan or is he a Florida fan? He's a Cubs fan. Oh, no. So he wanted a loo to make the catch. He wanted to make the catch.

Oh, what is he doing? That's so dumb. Oh, no. Oh, no. Well, the Cubs, they argued for a fan interference and that the catch should be awarded. They say that guy should be out because if someone in the crowd didn't touch it,

Alu definitely would have caught that. Is that what it looks like? It was falling into his mitt sort of thing? He's definitely reaching and jumping up for it. So you probably couldn't say definitely get it, but probably. So that's what the Cubs say. They say, let's say interference. But Mike Everett, the umpire,

rules that there's no interference because the ball had broken the plane of the wall, separating the field of play from the stands, and then it entered the stands. that call is still debated, but basically what it comes down to is the batter isn't out. It's just a foul ball. That is, what a nightmare spot for that ref to be in,

to have to make that call. That sucks. When you know that whatever you say, people are going to argue it and hate you. Yeah. Maybe he loves that. Maybe he loves being hated. Who knows?

I don't want to talk to me. I hate to love. Yeah. When I was talking before about R.L. Stein, writing a book about a man's shit turning into goat shit. I was actually meaning to reference animorphs. You know, those picture books where on the front it starts with like a kid and they

become an animal. But on the front of this book, I picture, we just see a guy's pants and it starts as human shit and it slowly morphs into goat shit. Is that a better? I've explained that better now, I think. I didn't want to pull you up on it, but at the time I did think, a terrifying thing, if your shit tended to go shit. That would be a goose bump.

Yeah. Oh, no. How would you know? Oh, you don't know the difference between your shit and a goat shit? Yes, they taste very different. Come on, mate. One's got grass all the way through it. And the other one's a goat shit.

Yes. I was hoping you'd go there. Great stuff. Fantastic stuff. Shit, chat. Your favorite. Always. Animal shit.

Farm animal shit I'm okay with. Okay. That's why it's a beautiful story. Human shit and a goat shit is great. I wish that happened to everyone's shit. So. And hello to the new baseball listeners. Yes, this is kind of what the show is.

To take you back to the baseball. So Bartman has tried to catch it. He hasn't made it. It's a pivotal moment in the game. And to quote from the Guardian, the Cubs go to pieces. Instead of closing the game out, they produce a comedy of errors and slide to an 8-3 defeat. Oh, no.

And sadly, a lot of people take it out on fan Steve Bartman. Oh, I bet they do. Oh, God. Remember how I told you Wrigleyfield is nicknamed the Friendly Confines? Yes. Well, that night, it was anything but that. Oh, dear. Poor bastard.

Oh, no. Bartman, he stayed in his seat not knowing, so he just keeps watching the game, not knowing that at home, Fox is repeatedly broadcasting live shots of him between multiple replays of the foul ball. So they keep cutting back to him in the crowd. Whoa. His face and outfit become pretty recognisable to the millions of people watching at home. People are dressing up as him for Halloween and stuff.

Honestly, that year you could have. Wow. Whoa. There were no screens in the stadium at the time. So not many people at the actual game knew what he looked. like until people at home called their friends at the stadium and described his outfit so people could recognize him. No.

Fans chanted asshole at him and Barton was pelted with drinks and other debris. Oh no. It's so awful. Security had to escort him out of the ground as stuff was thrown on him and in the footage I've seen people are taking photos of him with disposable Kodak cameras. It really feels like another time. Oh my God. And the poor dude looks terrified.

He's just trying to cover his face with his jacket. It's really awful. Oh, boy. That's awful. And things get quickly out of hand. His name, address and phone number are shared on Major League Baseball message boards. He gets docks. Almost instantly in 2003, yeah.

How? How did they get that information? Someone finds it out and posts it. The mob descends and six police cars are called to his house. Get the fuck out. Because people turn up at his house. That's actually wild. Has he ever spoken about it, Dave?

I want to know what he was thinking. Well, there's a fair bit more to talk about. Oh, no. The Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, who was later jailed for corruption, is a bit of a wanker. He joked that Bartman should go into witness protection. Ha ha, ha, funny joke.

Classic. Not as good as the goat walking to the bar. Oh, that's good stuff. It was truly a fucking masterpiece. Unappreciated by us. Idiots. I would never heard it. Oh, I'm still so upset.

Oh, the nanny go. A bit very strong material, that. Now, Bartman himself, remember, he's just some guy. He issues a public apology to try and abate the mob. What? So he issues this apology publicly. He says, there are a few words to describe how awful I feel and what I have experienced within these last 24 hours.

I'm so truly sorry from the bottom of this Cubs fans' broken heart. I ask that Cove fans everywhere redirect the negative energy that's been vented toward my family, my friends and myself, into the usual positive support for our beloved team on their way to being National League champs. Oh, you poor thing. That sucks. And for that to happen, they would have to win the next game, which was the decider. So he'd be, yeah, he'd be barricing harder than most for the win.

Well, the Cubs manager, Dusty Baker. said, we've got to win for this kid. For us, it's just a ball game. For him, it's the rest of his life. Yeah, holy shit. The Guardian also quoted his brother Martin, who said, he's really hurting right now. I love him so much.

I'd give up a piece of my anatomy for him, which is a weird way to phrase. That's nice. Wow. It sounds like you're going to give him one of your balls. Maybe he would. I'd give up my balls, the left one, not the right. That's the good one.

And I think I want kids. Yeah, you've always got a favourite. You've always got a favourite. That's true. Yeah, everyone's got a favourite, Testy. Yeah, all right. Everyone's got one of those. Because of how many games they play in baseball,

they play the next game the next day. So... That's, honestly, have a fucking rest, would you? That's crazy. The Cubs go up early and take a five-three lead. Bartman looks like he's off the hook. But the curse strikes yet. again. And the Cubs lose the game, nine runs to five.

No. The Marlins win and they go on to win the World Series. Oh, no. Barthman. He's advised by the police not to go to work and he goes into hiding. Oh, my God. People's reaction to the guy is absolutely insane. Again from The Guardian, death to Steve Martin message boards are set up.

There are a picture. He's even cop in it now. Sorry, Steve. Steve Martin has to come out and say, I was not at the game, it's not me. I'm a wild and crazy guy, sure, but I had nothing to do with this incident. Please buy tickets to my next show.

To my banjo show. Sorry, death to Steve Bartman message boards are set up, as well as Steve Martin, I'm sure. There are pictures of Bartman in Saddam Hussein's bunker and mugshots of Bartman as the lead suspect in the Washington DC sniper shootings. So people are losing their minds. The Cubs released a statement after the incident and after they were knocked out saying,

Chicago Cubs would like to thank our fans for their tremendous outpouring of support this year. We are very grateful. We would also like to remind everyone that games are decided by what happens on the playing field, not in the stands. It is inaccurate and unfair to suggest that an individual fan is responsible for the events that transpired in game six. He did what every fan who comes to the ballpark tries to do, catch a foul ball in the stands.

That's one of the things that makes baseball the special sport that it is. This was an exciting season and we're looking forward to working towards an extended run of October baseball at Wrigley Field. That's a great message. Many players also step forward an absolved Bartman of any guilt or contribution to the team's loss, pointing out many other things that went wrong or for other mistakes that were made. It certainly wasn't this that was the be-all and end-all.

But what happened to the ball? Well, it was grabbed by a Chicago lawyer sitting behind Bartman and sold at auction in December 2003 to a restaurateur grant to Porter who paid $113,000 for it. Whoa, straight away too. Yeah, that's the same year, right? Yeah, straight away. Wow.

That's a spicy meatball. A couple of months. Well, speaking of meatballs, A couple of months later, 2004, it was publicly detonated in a televised event by special effects expert like Michael Liantieri. So they exploded it in an attempt to break the curse of the billy goat. He bought it for 100 grand and exploded it. And then because he owned a restaurant, he cooked a spaghetti sauce with remnants of the ball used to boil in the water. So people could eat the special baseball meat balls.

Why would you want to do that? Eat the curse ball. You can have a bit of curse through you. You can be shitting this curse out for days. And it's going to be goat shit. Cool. You can bet on that. Well, there have been many attempts to break the curse over the years.

Sam's yarness, the nephew of the Billy Goat Man, himself, has taken goats to Wrigley Field many times in an attempt to break the curse. Sadly, to no avail. He's come close. He went on opening day in 1984 and in 1989. both years in which the Cubs went on to win their division. So it kind of works but not quite.

In 2007 it was reported that a butchered goat was hung from a statue of sports broadcaster Harry Carey to which the Chicago Sun times noted, quote, if the prankster intended to reverse the supposed Billy goat curse with the stunt, it doesn't appear to have worked. Oh, well at least... Just a butcher goat.

At least the goat got hung from the thing, you know, so it's a bit of fun. even if the curse wasn't broken, at least something full-on like that happened. Yeah, at least some meat just hung out in the open for a long time. Well, they've called in priests from different religions that used holy water. Nothing seems to work.

And unbelievably, not even in 2015 when a team of competitive eaters ate an entire 40-pound goat in 13 minutes and 22 seconds. Oh, that's a great way to break a curse. They're just really rolling the dice. right. We don't understand how curses work. What if we eat it real quick? Will that help? Different goat, but we'll eat it real quick. Well, and the same year, another local vegetarian restaurant went the other way and tried to get people to break the curse by going meat free for the year.

Sadly, the Billy Goat was not happy with either offering. That was... That's cheeky billy goat. Until... Oh! 2016, the following year. What? What? We get to the end of the season and things are looking good for the Cubs. For the season, they've won 103 games, only lost 58. It's their first 100-win season since 1935. People are finally talking.

Is this the year that the curse is broken? I'm not talking about it. But then, that's right. They're also worried that this is the goat just fucking with them and no one wants to put the moz on it. You know jinks and everyone shut the fuck up. Be cool, be cool. It was close at one point, Dave.

It's 2016 the year that, um, I think it was 2015 maybe when Back to the Future was supposedly set, when they won in Back to the Future, in the Future, I think it was 2015, and they won the Cubbies won. And it looked like they were going to win that year as well. And people are like, oh my God, the Back to the Future prophecy is coming true. You're right, it was 2015. And I think that went quite close.

I don't know if they made it to the World Series, but they went a fair way through the postseason, I think. And people are like, here we go. it's going to come true. Yeah. Sadly not. But 2016, looking good. They make it to the National League final series

against the LA Dodgers and win in game six, their first pennant in 71 years, the first since the curse of the Billy Goat. Oh. And what day did they win it, you ask? Well, October 22nd, 2016, which was the 46th anniversary of Billy Goatman William Cianus's death.

Oh. Coincidence? I think. not? I think so. I feel like it might be Quincers. Yeah. It's not the most rounded

year or anything. What, 46th anniversary? But if you add four and six, what do you get 10? Pretty round? Oh, which is quite a round number. Yeah, that is quite a round. That's a good number 10. Thanks. You didn't invent the number 10.

Calm down. Oh. Thanks. Yeah, all right, mate. You don't own 10. Yeah, it's true. I've tried. I've tried to patent 10. They said, piss off, try 11. And I said, I'll never do it.

So, because they won that, they made it to the World Series against the Cleveland Indians. However, it was not a great start for the Cubs. They were down three games to one. But the Cubs were able to come back and even the series at three games apiece, which means the winner of the next game would win the World Series. The winner takes it all.

The winner? I can't help it. I know. I didn't even have that written down. I just, I improvised that for you. So it's winner takes all and it was close. It went into extra time, which is super rare for a game seven at the World Series. And things were really tense. With a game tied at six all after nine innings, a sudden cloudburst resulted in a 17-minute rain delay,

which is the first ever game seven to have a rain delay. Wow. Wow, that's a wild stat. Yeah, what a, wow. What a wow! What a wow wow. Like that's in, so that's like a hundred and, when did this team begin in the 1870s? Yeah, I think the first World Series is 1903, so it's 113 years of. And I never, and this is the first one in game seven.

I guess it doesn't get to game seven all that often, maybe or something. Because teams win in straight set sort of thing. But still, it's unprecedented. Unprecedented. I'm not trying to talk a damn day. It's also in extra time, which is so, you know, it's gone to extra time because it's so close. It's amazing. It's starting to feel a bit, bit cursy, like the goat is just hanging on to this curse now.

Yeah. Well, during the delay, Cubs right fielder Jason Hayward calls his teammates into a wait room behind the Chicago dugout, and he told them, we're the best team in baseball. For a reason, stick together and we're going to win this game. Did he think he's putting the Muzz on a bit there? No, that's belief. I think sport, a lot of it is about belief. Putting the moz on?

What does that mean? The moz? So it's like a curse, basically, sort of jinxing you. Putting the moz on, yeah, all right. Jinks. A bit of Morrissey. Put on some moz. All right.

Yeah, really depressing music. Is that what I mean? He's putting on some depressing music, isn't he? You know what I mean? Dave's a paper band for those listening at home. He loves moz and all his political belief. That's right. Not true.

I do definitely like the music of this myth. Some Morrissey solo as well, I'll definitely admit. Big fan of The Voice. But we're not here to talk about that, that was. You love the show, The Voice. Yeah, big fan. I like their big red chairs too. Was Morrissey not a judge on The Voice?

How strange? Whose nickname is the voice, though, Dave? Johnny Farnham, thank you. Thank you. And I believe he's also contributed to a few film soundtracks in his time. What's that one? A great sporting test. You're thinking of Rad.

How have you forgotten Rad? Rad. Oh, fantastic. I love him. Dave, that's so embarrassing that you forgot you. I really hope there's a listener out there who's seen Rad. Or at least heard of Rad. There isn't.

I'm so sorry. There's not a single person. Sorry, Bard. Someone's got the VHS of Rad out there somewhere. I will not. I do sincerely apologize for not backing you up on your Nanny Goat State joke. That's great. But the rad one, I do not apologize.

Please let the nanny goat bit go. I won't. That was very good. Oh, no. That's the funniest thing you've ever said. I don't know what I don't. No. No, it's not the funniest you ever said.

You're very, very funny. But that you had nanny goat in your brain. And it just came out. It was perfect. It was perfect. It's not a perfect joke. But it was perfect for the scenario. we were in and I fucked you.

I fucked you. Sorry what? Say again? I fucked Matt. In that I didn't back him up. I wasn't a good friend to him. I fucked him. Isn't that what we say?

Doesn't everyone say that? Everyone says that. I fucked him. I fucked my friend. Fuck my friend. I fucked him. Sue me. All right.

They come back from the dugout. They've had the pump up, the big speech. rain delay. Let's keep it together. After the delay, they went back out there and the Cubs scored two runs and went up eight to six. Okay. But then the Cleveland Indians scored a run of their own and it was only a one-run game. Still super close. Michael Martinez, who had scored the game winning run in game three for the Indians was up,

hoping to save the day yet again. Mike Montgomery was pitching for the Cubs and he pitched to Martinez. who hit it along the ground. The ball picked up by Chris Bryant, who threw it to Anthony Rizzo on the first base before Montgomery could get there, which meant he was out. And this means the Cubs won the World Series.

They did it. I can't believe it. They broke the... I mean, I knew this, but I still, I can't believe it the way you built it up. That's fantastic. Thus ending, the longest world championship drought in North American professional.

professional sports history. It had been 107 seasons since the Cubs' last won a world series back in 1908. The curse of the Billy Goat had finally, finally been broken. Can you imagine the piss up that night? Obviously, they'd have to have an early one because they do have a game tomorrow. The next season starts. But, oh man, it would feel so good. I mean, obviously it would feel good to win any kind of championship.

like that, but after such a long time and after all the superstitions of the curse, you must have, they must have felt so fucking grateful and lucky to be in the team at that time. That would be sick. Can you imagine Rizzo who's on first base who's got to make the catch when the guy throws it to him? Like imagine you'd be the pressure. Like if you drop it. If you really bored into the whole cursing, but I feel like, yeah, that's more

for the fans, right? The players, they've just been drafted in from some other city. They haven't grown up with this cursed, weighing them down. And, yeah, so hopefully it wouldn't be in their head. Because if it was, you know, maybe you'd get a bit shaky. But I imagine he's just thinking, I catch balls all day. This is what I do. Yeah, I do this thousands of times. That guy, Rizzo, he called the rain delay,

the most important thing to happen to the Chicago Cubs in the past hundred years. I don't think there's any way we win the game without it. Really? Oh, wow. So that was real reverse curse stuff. Yeah. Maybe the billy goat brought the rain. Right.

I was genuinely starting to think, wait, did they break this curse? The way it was going, it really felt like maybe it was going to be cursing on. No, sadly, well, happily, I should say, the curse was broken. But. And they've just won every year since. Yeah, that's right. It's super dull, super boring now. Predictable.

But there's one little loose end to tie up here, and that is what about our friend Steve Bartman? Yeah. The guy who absolutely copped it in 2003, had his life turned upside down. Well, he's actually completely shunned the limelight over the years. He's been offered to pitch the first ball. He didn't want to do it.

He's reportedly turned down a six-figure sum to appear in a Super Bowl ad. Wow. What? He's denied fans who have offered him $25,000. to sign a photo. He doesn't want anything to do with him. ESPN even made a documentary about him called Catching Hell, and he declined to be involved.

He just doesn't want any attention. It sounds like it's really ruined him a bit. Yeah. However, the club itself has not forgotten him. When the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, the club and its owners sent Bartman a championship ring as a special gift, which was the same as the same ring given to championship,

players, it features 108 diamonds and even says Bartman on it. Wow. Whoa. Oh, that's so nice. Because he really did go through hell by the sounds of it. Yeah. Well, they released a statement saying, We hope this provides closure on an unfortunate chapter of the story

that has perpetuated throughout our quest to win, a long-awaited World Series. While no gesture can fully lift the public burden he has endured for more than a decade, we felt it was important Steve knows he's been and continues to be fully embraced by this organisation. That's so nice. After all, after all these sacrifice, we are proud to recognise Steve Bartman with this gift today.

Lovely. Absolutely lovely. And he released a statement in reply. He did this all quietly. He didn't want to be in the limelight, like I said, but he said in a statement, although I do not consider myself worthy of such an honour, I'm deeply moved and sincerely grateful to receive

an official Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series Championship ring. I am fully aware of the historical significance and appreciate the symbolism the ring represents on multiple levels. My family and I will cherish it for generations. Most meaningful is the genuine outreach from the Ricketts family, they're the people who own the club these days, on behalf of the Cubs organisation and fans, signifying to me that I'm welcomed back into the Cubs family and have their support going forward. I'm relieved and hopeful that the saga of 2003 and the foul ball incident surrounding my family

and me is finally over. So he got a bit of closure hopefully. Yeah, and it sounds kind of like people had moved on anyway. Fans wanted to get his autograph and stuff. He'd become more of like a, it's just a part of their history. But at the time, very hairy stuff. Not great for him was that every time they came close to winning again, he'd come back in the news and people would do things like,

where is he now and stuff like that? and he didn't want any attention like that. So I think he's hoping that, you know, but they finally won. It's all good. They've recognised him. He said it's cool. We don't have to do it anymore.

His own little curse is now broken. Yeah. I wonder what, like, just no game sense to be like, my team needs to catch this ball. Just, I just, it does seem a bit strange that, but it would have, I guess, was a rush of blood. Oh, and you have like a split second to react. Yeah.

Yeah. And then also recognize, hey, am I, you know, 10 centimeters over the barrier here? Yeah, is it right over the barrier or not? Yeah, of course. Yeah. I'm looking at pictures now. He's not a pro baller who would know exactly where the ball's going, etc. Yeah.

Yeah. But it's kind of interesting that everybody else around him, except for one other person, has pulled their hands back. Oh, right. So they all knew. There's everybody kind of doing this, like a, ooh, a kind of move. So they've pulled back. There are other people who definitely reach for it.

And that's what I feel bad for him because. Like, it could have been anyone else who's the one who actually touched it. Exactly, yeah. Great report, Dave. Great story. Yeah. What a story. I knew absolutely none of that.

So that was a real rollercoaster for me all along. I also didn't know about nanny goats. We've all learned something here today because I didn't know. And you've learned about the song, Dare to Dream, Olivia Newton, John and John Farnham. Yes, I'll send you a YouTube link later, guys. You can have a look. Thanks so much. I look forward to listening to that.

And then the full soundtrack to the movie, Rad. Again, I mean, obviously I listen to that at bedtime every night, but I'll do it twice. That Olympic song, I'm pretty sure, was written by, like, it was a competition. Anyone could enter their Australian Olympic theme, I think. And on the dream. Okay, well, you went from not knowing this song at all to now you've got some time. Well, I don't know the winning song.

The songs I know were the. runners-up, which on the dream, which was Rawan HG's show during the Olympics, they played the runners-up beforehand, and they were very funny. And one of them, Farnsey came into the studio and sang with the people who came runners-up in the thing. It was called Put a Gap in them. Go, you good thing. Put a gap at him.

And then Farnsey comes into the studio and sings. Is it in front of the green screen of the couple who entered the song? And it's just a magic moment of a showing TV. I'll share it with you two later, so maybe we'll share it with the listeners during the week on our socials. I'll also try and put out the clips of your Steve Bartman and stuff. Yeah, maybe more relevant. Sure, yeah, okay, you want to keep it relevant, sure.

But, yeah, if you want to check out more of the footage, I'll put links in the description of this episode, if you want to see what Bartman looks like for yourself. Oh, I'm looking at that photo. Yeah, that is, oh, it is stiff. Oh. Yeah. But, man.

Yeah, it hurts to look at it. It does hurt. Yeah. I mean, I feel for him, but I also, like, he should have, he should have known not to. Yeah. But anyway, you're right, Dave. It's millimeter split seconds.

Yeah. Poor bastard. Oh, it is very tough. I feel for him with the Walkman headphones on. I know. Oh, he's just a guy. loves baseball. He just looks like a sweet, nerdy guy.

Oh, no. Steve, you've broken my heart. Oh, I'm going to think about that all night now. Oh, Steve, that is such a sad. I wish I didn't look at the photo. Well, look up Steve Bartman. Those fucking assholes. Oh, man.

Look up Steve Bartman ring. You'll see that the ring with over 100 diamonds in it. Hopefully they'll make you feel a little bit better. Yeah, diamonds, which. As you know, Matt, a lot of worth. Oh. So, that make you feel better? Oh, man, Steve.

Oh, my God, it's so many diamonds. That's crazy. I got to stop saying crazy, but it is crazy. Well, yeah, that is my report on the curse of the billy goat. Well done, Dave. Thank you so much for that. What a treat. Thank you.

Great work, Dave. And now it's almost time for everybody. favorite section of the show. But before we get to that, by the way, it's just Dave here now. I had to let the others go. They just weren't pulling their weight. You understand. Now, what's happened is Melbourne has gone into a snap one week now, two-week lockdown due to COVID stuff, and it's getting a little bit tricky to our fine time where we can get together. We've been doing a bit of zooming stuff, but it was decided that I would be trusted with doing the next section of the program. But I've also been trusted with making a special announcement.

And that is, now, back in April and May, we were absolutely stoked before we went to the lockdown to do four live shows our first and 18 months in front of a real crowd in Melbourne. We were upstairs at the European Beer Cafe had the absolute time of our lives. And the good people at Stupid Old Studios filmed, edited and produced those four episodes. And you can now watch those at SOSPresents.com. So the four episodes we did the McDonald's Monopoly heist, the Kentucky Meat Shower, the surreal life of Salvador Dali,

and who could we get the masquerade treasure hunt? And basically you get to watch the show as if you're in the crowd, so that means we had to edit out a bunch of stuff that didn't make sense if you were just listening to the audio. There's a bit of regret face in there, a few other interactions with crowd members, that sort of stuff. And at the end, there's a little bit of behind-the-scenes stuff on the back of each episode,

so you will see stuff that no one else can. and see, and you can buy tickets to those, basically. There's a season pass. You get all four shows. It's 30 Aussie dollars to see all four. Or if you're a Patreon supporter, you can use a little discount that we posted about in Patreon to get some cheaper tickets.

And yeah, you get all four of those episodes. So go to sOS presents.com or click the link in the description of this very episode. Lots of fun. And yeah, thanks so much to see. stupid old studios for making those happen. Really, really cool. All right. Now that's done. It is time to get to everybody's favorite section of the show, which is the fact quote or question, which has a little jingle that I believe goes a little something like this.

Fact quote or question. I always remember the ding. Now this is the section of the show where we get to thank some of our Patreon supporters. And if you want to be one of those fantastic people, you can go to patreon.com slash do go on pod. And when you're there, you sign up to support the show. You give us a pledge and each month will give you bonus content. So there's three bonus episodes that we put out every single month, as well as access to the previous 110 plus episodes that we now put up. So you get instant access to all the extra stuff.

You get to be in the Facebook group. You get to vote on episodes. This episode that I just did about the Billy Goat, I put up three sports topics and, This one was narrowly voted into the number one spot by the Patreon supporters. So you really do get to change the outcome of the show, as well as get shoutouts and all sorts of stuff, as well as if you're on the Sydney Shinebeg Deluxe Memorial Package Rest in Peace level, which is one of our top tiers, you get to enter yourself into the fact, quote or question,

where you give us a fact, a quote or a question, as well as a nickname for yourself. and we've got four here to go through this week. And the first one comes from Jamie Griffiths. Thanks, Jamie, whose nickname is Head of Inhuman Resources. Am I right? Jamie, I love that. It's good stuff. That is very good stuff.

And Jamie's given us a question, and that is, what podcasts do you guys listen to or recommend? Oh, man. So many. So many that I are. I just pull out my phone, you know. Go through that here. Go through the podcast.

Oh, now, number one, I've been absolutely smashing this lately. And that is basically BBC Radio programs. There's the BBC World Service. They have a show called Witness, and they have a massive archive that they have uploaded to Apple Podcasts where I've been listening to this. Witness Archive 2013 I've been going through and they go through some very interesting stories

from history. Little programs, they're about nine or ten minutes each. And yeah, they go through stuff from history, they interview people on the scene. It's just these little reports. And I love it. I go for a drive and I just put it on shuffle basically and listen to three or four of those in a drive. What else we got? I listened to Conan O'Brien needs a friend, Conan Show, which I know Matt really likes as well. The most recent one, he interviewed Barack Obama. So that was really cool. Don't you know who I am? No secret here that I absolutely adore Josh Earle's show. So, so, fun, has been going for five, six years now

and he gets four very, very funny people and quizzes them about their lives and basically gets them to tell their best stories. Six years later, I'm still like, that's the best part in the country, I love it. Answer me this, another one that I've been listening to for many, many years, Helen and Ollie, two great British podcasters that have been in the game for like 14 or 15 years or something.

very, very early to it. And their show, they just answer listeners questions. And I still love it. What else are we got? I've got a song Exploder. I love that when they go through music, songs from musicians, and they pull apart their songs. Willosophy, Will Anderson's program where he interviews people as well.

He's just a great interviewer and it's just only getting better and better. I love that. A bit of the Weekly Planet, we love those guys. What else we got here? The debrief with Dave O'Neill where he does a gig and drives back from the show with the comedian that he's done the show with and interviews them in the front seat and they debrief about the gig.

I think that is awesome. Dan Carlin's hardcore history. Absolutely love that. That is just one of the best. The Adam Buxton podcast, another great interviewer, very super casual English dude. Yeah, I love his style. And he also always starts the episode.

by walking around the paddock. He lives out in the countryside and him and his dog Rosie and he just addresses the interviewer whilst walking. I just love that. The Grub with last week's guest, Ben Russell, Anne Edmonds and Greg Larson. Very, very funny.

And finally, another one I've been listening to for years and that is Pappy's Flatchair Slamdown. Three English comedians. And they do a few different shows on the one feed, but my absolute favourite is Flatchair Slamdown, which is a panel quiz show where one of them the hosts, the other two are team captains, and they bring on a friend each, and they pretend that they're living in a sharehouse and they've got a problem.

It's very, very silly. Been going for years, and they've still been going during COVID, which is awesome to see. All right, there's a bunch of stuff that I listen to. A lot of comedy things in there, isn't there? Apart from the BBC Witness stuff, man, love it. It's really gotten into that lately. Thanks, Jamie. Let us know.

What are you listening to? Always keen to hear about more pods out there. Next up we have Stefan Headley, whose nickname is King of Pies in the United Kingdom. Well, from a pie guy to a king, I bowed down before you. And you have some great pies in the UK. Absolutely love your pies. And a fact from the king, which is, it's a royal fact. Queen Elizabeth's nickname is Gary.

Prince William's young boy could not pronounce Granny. Instead, he called her Gary. I love that. But do we talk about on the Queen Elizabeth episode? I feel like that kind of rings a bell, but maybe that's just Matt's obsession with Gary's brought that up. I don't know. It was many years ago.

But thank you very much for bringing that to our attention, Queen Elizabeth, aka Gatti. Next up, John Mulligan. Thank you so much for you support John, whose nickname is Chicago's favorite milkman. John, are you seriously a milkman? Don't know if I've ever met one. Not really a thing here anymore.

that'd be awesome. And if you are Chicago's favourite milkman, that would be great. And also, I probably should say, bearing the lead here, are you a Cubs fan? Huh? Were you stoked when they finally broke the curse? Maybe. Maybe you're less of a white stockings fan

and more of a white socks fan, though. Am I right? Well, anyway, John, given us a question. And that is, if you were to nerd out on one topic from your young teen childhood on an episode for a topic, what would that topic be? And I've got to tell you, for me, I've already done it. It was The Simpsons.

That is a topic that I, yes, by myself near and dear too. Growing up, it's still absolutely the best show ever. But maybe another TV show would be Diagnosis Murder. I was a huge, huge fan of that. We'd love to talk Dick, Van Dyck, of course. Shane, his grandson, Barry, his son, he managed to cast the entire Van Dyck.

family. There was another brother in there. And also the daughter of Dick Van Dyck was on the show. Oh, so, so good. I love it. But I'm trying to think of other things that I was super nerdy on. Pokemon, absolutely obsessed with it. And they've been back in the news this week with the Pokemon cards, apparently going up several hundred percent in value this year when people in lockdown. And I still have a bunch of the Pokemon cards. So I'm thinking, am I sitting on an absolute gold mine. I think I was stoked when I was a kid because I filled up two pages of the shiny holographic things in the booklet. You know, you get those little plastic sleeves and display them. And there was three rows of three, and then you flipped it over it, there was another three rows

of three. So I had 18 shiny ones. One of them may have been a Japanese snorlax, but still, maybe that's the most valuable one of all. I don't know. Yeah, but I never got Charazar And we got Charozoid or Blastoise. Had Venusaur? Never Charazard or Blasso. They were the two that alluded me in the original 150. I feel like those were the shiny ones that I was, the holographic. But in Australia, in my primary school anyway, they were called shinies.

And so you want to trade a shiny? That sounds so weird now, doesn't it? So I could nerd out about Pokemon cars. Absolutely loved it. It could also nerd out about Pokemon red and blue. love the games. Last year I, on Nintendo Switch, got Pokemon, Let's Go, Pikachu,

which is basically that game, but re-made with better graphics and stuff. Absolutely loved it. So yeah, John, Pokemon, I could nerd out about that. I think that actually would make a good episode because, you know, from humble beginnings to it, like a massive franchise, it's one of those things I can't believe that,

like when I was a kid, it was massive, obviously. This is now over 20 years. ago. And then my younger cousins came along and they were 10, 11 years younger than I was, still massive. And I thought, wow, I can't believe that this is still big. And then a decade after they're into it, it's got no sign of slowing down. Is it the longest running fad? Something to think about there. Thank you so much to Chicago's favorite milkman, John Mulligan. And finally, I would like to thank Tessa Chilcott, who's given us the nickname, Queen of the World, in brackets, said in Leonardo DiCaprio's voice from Titanic,

your queen of the world! Tessa. Was that all right? And finally a quote. We don't get too many quotes and I love them. Obviously, without even reading this, I'm going to say, you're going to set my life by this quote. Here we go. Two things are infinite. The universe and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe. And who's at that? Albert Einstein. Hey, if he knows, it's probably true. I meant to say if anyone knows, my goodness. I'm proving his point that stupidity. So thank you so much to our fact quote or questioners.

And now it's time to thank a few more of our Patreon supporters. If you are supporting the show at patreon.com slash do one pod, like I mentioned before. One of the rewards is also you get a shout out for being such a legend. And I've got nine names before me now. And I'd like to thank these people. And we usually come up with a bit of a game. on here, something to do with the episode and with Matt and Jess's blessing. I've decided that I'm going to assign each member here a baseball team, but not a major league baseball team, more of a

minor league team or another team from around the world. I've got a few different lists open, and I'm going to assign you a baseball team. Some of them really made me laugh when I found these list. But first up, I would like to thank from an unknown place. Got no information about where this person's from. I can only assume they're from the fortress of the Moles. Is there, oh, let me see if there's a baseball team called the Moles. As Fenton Moll, nicknamed Mussels, an American Major League baseball player, born in 1925. I think coming up immediately. All right, don't worry, I've got a list here. I've got some good stuff either way. But I'd like to thank Robert Clas.

Robert Clark, and I'm going to assign you the team name. This is an Aussie one playing in the ABL, the Australian Baseball League, the Brisbane Bandits and the mascot or at least the image for the team. The logo is a very sinister looking dude with a hat on and then like something covering his face, like a real roadside bandit. handkerchief over the mouth and nose. You can only see the eyes. A real bad ass. And I'm sensing that you are too, Robert Clark. You want to give away where you are? You have the metaphorical hat and think over your face. Can't think of the word.

Anyway, you're a bandit. Robert Clark. Thanks so much. Next up, I'd like to thank from Lamington Spa in Great Britain. Thank you so much to Lucy Barrington. Lucy Barrington. Now I'm going to give you, Lucy, the team, the Montgomery Biscuits. Montgomery Biscuit. You've got to see this logo.

There's an M and they're peering out from behind it with two little hands and then Googly Eyes is a biscuit. It's a biscuit with Googly eyes. Apparently they are affiliated with the Tampa Bay arrays in the MLB in the class is AA. The name was chosen from thousands of entries in a name the team contest because it sounded fun, quirky

and could be utilized for marketing opportunities like naming the team store, the biscuit basket. Puns such as, hey, butter, butter, also appealed to the owners when selecting the name. This is according to the sportchief.com. So thank you so much. I hope you're happy with that, Lucy Barrington.

Next up, I would like to thank from Corpuru in Queensland. Maybe you already support the bandits. in Queensland, Alison Pottinger. Alison Pottinger, let me go back to my list here. I'm going to give you, this is not a good one, the Batavia Muck Dogs. The Batavia Muck Dogs, their logo is a very, very angry looking pup.

They're a collegiate summer baseball team of the perfect game collegiate baseball league, located in New York State. Batavia Muck Dogs. Man, that's good. Love that. Thanks, Lucy. I would like to thank, sorry, thanks Alison. I would like to thank next from Elwood, right here in Victoria. Jim Bates, Jim Bates, Jim Bates. I'm going to give you Jim, the Clinton Lumber Kings.

Clinton Lumber Kings. There's a dude with a very big eyebrow, he's popping it like the rock when he was a wrestler. He's wearing a crown and then holding a bat, giving a cheesy, cheesy grin. Clinton Lumber Kings. Where are they from and look better? Also collegiate summer baseball team they are located in Clinton, Iowa. Love that. Thank you so much, Jim. Next up from Elvie, also in Victoria, Elvye, Lvie, Tyson Graham. Anya Tyson, you absolute legend.

All right, I'm going to give you the team, the Amarillo Sod Poodles. The Amarillo Sod Poodles, which they have that name. name to the large number of prairie dogs in West Texas. Thank you so much sod, poodle. Tyson Graham, your ledge. From Ames in Iowa, my goodness.

Oh yeah, we're heading to Iowa with Caleb Devick. Caleb Devick. Probably Devic. Caleb Devic. Caleb, I can't talk right now. Caleb Devic. Caleb Devic. You got a Caleb Devick.

I don't think that's right in anyone's language. Thank you so much, Caleb. Look, we get names down under as well, all right. Let me give you a baseball team. How about this? Are you happy with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos? The Pensacola Blue Wahoos. They're a minor league baseball team of the AA South.

Affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are, of course, based in Pensacola, Florida. The Blue Wahoos. I really like that. Hopefully you do too. Caleb slash Caleb. I know what it is. Thank you so much.

I would like to thank from Mermaid Waters in Queensland. Philippa Hyatt, Mermaid Waters. Now, that is good. Is there a Mermaid baseball team? Let me look that up. Mermaid baseball teams. There are the Miami Marlins mermaids.

According to MLB.com are this sort of a cheer squad it looks like, a strong, empowered, confident women focused on our team, our fans and our community. All right, that's not quite that. All right, I'm going to find you a baseball team. Let me get you something out. All right. Philippa, how would you like the Binghampton Rumble Ponies? Yes, please, is what I think you'd be saying.

That's amazing there. associated with the New York Mets, again from the sports chief. They're not all from the sports chief, but this one is, if you don't know like me, the author says, Binghampton is part of what people call the triple cities along with Endicott and Johnson City. And these triple cities are referred to as the Carousel Capital of the World. So to honour that name,

naturally the Rumble Ponies were born in 2016 to replace the Binghampton Mets, much cooler. Love it. Rumble Pony's. Cool logo too. It's like a pony going into battle wearing some armour over their face. Super cool. Philippa, thank you so much.

Next up, I would like to thank, and yes, I have definitely Googled how to say this because it is a confusing looking word written down from Ipsilanti in Michigan. Did I get it right? Thank you too. Sam Cash, Sam Cash, from Ipsolanti. Also says here, often called Ipsi. I think that's pretty cool. And I'm going to give you the team name the Midland Rock Hounds.

The Midland Rock Hounds. And he's an absolutely badass-looking dog. Rocking a sweet, sweet baseball bat in his hand. Oh, I love it. They're from Midland, Texas in the minor leagues. Very cool stuff. Great logo. Look it up if you can.

Sam Cash. Thank you so much. And finally, from Belly Claire. Great Britain, I would like to thank Katie Skillen. On your Katie. And I've got two here to go here. And it's got to be the Rocket City Trash Pandas. Associated with the LA Angels.

They're located in Madison, Alabama. The name is a reference to the city, or the area's ties to the space industry and raccoons who supposedly have a lot of determination and ingenuity. The Rocket City, trash panders. That is awesome. And that's your team. Katie, do with it what you will. So thank you so much to all the people, Robert, Lucy, Alison, Jim, Tyson, Caleb, Philippa, Sam and Katie for supporting the show. And with that, there's only one thing left to do, and that is check if we've

got any members to induct into the Triptitch Club. And the way this works is these are the people that have been on the shoutout level or above consistently for three consecutive years. And boy oh boy, are we grateful for them keeping up their pledge and keeping this show rock and rolling for those years? Because of that, we've actually built a little club, a place that they can come and hang and be with their kin. And also us, we hang out there a lot. It is the trip ditch club.

It's everything you want to be and nothing you don't want it to be. Too many negatives there? I don't know. Not enough time to go. I can count it, but basically it's a fantastic place to hang out. We have live music, we have a bar with drinks, we have food. And every week we get a new act in to come and play. And we also have a new drink to add to the menu and also food to add to the many, many

dozens of can of paste that we have. We have to hire a new chef every week to keep up with the demand. It's crazy. We're wasting a lot of food, but still, I mean, once you add a food, you've got to keep it up. So you're never going to believe this. I googled, oh, with Chicago Cubs, this week's episode, so I googled Chicago band that we can hire. And you're never going to believe who came up.

The band, Chicago, they are from Chicago. So thank you so much to the Chicago guys coming down, playing a few of their tunes that they have been rocking and rolling with since 1967. So can't wait to hear that. Then I googled, what about Chicago drinks? What can we have on the menu? You're never going to believe this either.

The Chicago cocktail comes up. A brandy-based mixed drink, probably named for the city of Chicago, Illinois. Good enough for me. And then I googled, actually, I knew this. This is something I've been wanting to try. I've never had it before, and that is Chicago Deep Dish Pizza is on the menu tonight. Chicago style pizza prepared according to several different styles developed in Chicago, so we'll have to have several different types of pizza.

deep dish pizza. We'll go around and we'll rate our favourite. All right, let's check if there are people to induct into the Triptage Club. We've got Matt standing by lifting up the velvet rope. And it's my job to hype these people up as we welcome them in. And there is, oh my goodness, we did something good three years ago to get people into the Patreon because there are 14 to go through this week. Okay, so what I do is I give them a little hype up. And usually Jess or Matt hypes me up as.

after as I hype these people. Obviously, it's just me. So I'm going to have to pretend that this is going better than it obviously will. Okay? So I need you to believe, like I wish I had some sort of hype career here,

but I don't. I've got to go solo. So these other people, hopefully this isn't the most embarrassing thing I've ever done. All right, I've done it before, but never 14. Okay, here we go. I would like to thank and welcome into the Trip-Ditch Club. All right, here we go.

I would like to thank from Evat. Evit in the Australian Capital Territory, it's Anciss Evasans. You're every son to me. Yes, what does it mean? It sounds positive. Keep it going. I'd like to thank from Columbus, Ohio. Shout out to one of our favorite states.

I would like to thank Jackie Quivillan. Jackie, you ain't no villain. Yeah, you're a hero. Come on in. All right, that was a little bit better. We'd like to thank from Cheshire now. Katie Higgins. Cheshires to you.

Go to Higgins. All right. Thank you so much. Staying in Great Britain from Monofith. I would like to thank Kieran McLeary. Neverweary with Kieran McLeary. Yes, yes, that was good. All right.

That's a few down. Many more to go. Here we go. Keep it going from Lisburn. Also in Great Britain, Noel Walker. Keep walking. No, smooth talker, Noel Walker. All right, come on in.

I would like to thank from Bendigo in Victoria here in Australia, Megan Harrison. Bendie, go on in and have a great night. Bendigo on in. Does that something? Megan, thank you so much. Now, from Sydney, New South Wales, Michael Nielsen. Makes me feel, sen. Feel good, that is.

Yes, all right. Now from Yukon in Oklahoma, Lauren Roselle, Yukon. Count on a good night. Yeah. From, I'm just shouting this in my empty house. I sound insane for the neighbors. From Eureka in California, Andrew Barney, Eureka! We've struck gold with this guy. Oh yeah. That was pretty good. From Hervey Bay in Queensland, Brianna Barney. Another Barney. A, A, B, and Smarmy. You rule, Brianna.

All right. Two parties in a row. Different sides of planet Earth, but maybe know each other. Come on in, hang out. Have a Chicago cocktail. I would like to thank now from Fairport Harbor, also in Ohio, great state. Thomas Fizekis. Fairport to you, sir.

It's meant to sound like Fairplay. Fairport, Fair play. To you, sir. All right, moving on, Thomas. You're a legend. From Berlin now in Deutscheland, Silk Westendorf. More like Bestendorf. Can we end there?

God. All right, let me get left. Thanks, Silke. I should probably say. From Naganoal in, also the Australian Capital Territory, Reese, and Bronwyn Duke. It ain't no fluke. You're here together tonight.

All right. Thank you so much. And finally, from Fairbanks in Alaska, it's rosa, spicer, couldn't be nicer. Do we do it? Oh my goodness, I had so many doubts about that. I still don't know how it went,

but, you know, I feel like that was something. That was something. I yelled some names in my house. I tried a couple of rhymes, a couple of bad puns, a couple of things that probably, honestly, weren't anything, but you know what? I tried.

And I would like to thank all those people, honestly, because they are, people that have been supporting the show for three plus years building up to that moment. And I hope there was everything they wanted it to be and probably more. Thank you. Don't worry. Matt and Jessel knew anything. So thank you so much to those people.

You are absolutely fantastic. And if you want to be involved with that, and I mean, and who doesn't want to have their name shouted out by Dave Warnocky in the middle of his house? You can go to Patreon.com slash do go on pod. Heaps of bonus episodes up there for you to get through. and lots and lots of other stuff. That's it from me. Thank you so much for listening to the end of the episode.

Truly appreciate that. All the links to all of our stuff is at do go onpod.com. Our Facebook, our Instagram, our Twitter, our email, where you can suggest a topic, our Patreon, where you can buy merchandise, and we can send it to you anywhere in the world. You can go to dogo onpod.com. But I appreciate it. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. And until next week, hopefully we'll be all back together again.

But until then, I'll say thank you so much and goodbye. Don't forget to sign up to our tour mailing list so we know where in the world you are and we can come and tell you when we're coming there. Wherever we go, we always hear six months later, oh, you should come to Manchester. We were just in Manchester. But this way you'll never miss out. And don't forget to sign up, go to our Instagram, click our link tree.

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