Empty Netters Podcast - Erik Johnson Dominates Cup Parties, Horse Racing, And The Broadcast Booth

Episode Date: August 4, 2026

Hey everyone, EJ wants to hang out! Erik Johnson, fresh back from vaca, gives the boys an incredible interview, sharing stories of winning the cup, battling Crosby in the Olympics, and of course racing horses. What is the hardest sport to play, and why is it hockey? Chris wonders if double dipping is exaggerated. And the beer league hotline is an emergency situation.  Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 3:16 - Erik Johnson Interview 12:22 - The Golf Cart Injury 39:16 - Stanley Cup Bloody Mary 47:46 - Erik's Broadcasting Career 58:27 - Erik plays Pass Shoot Score 1:17:10 - What is the hardest sport to play? 1:38:26 - Double Dipping Debacle 2:01:44 - Beer League Hotline PRESENTED by BetMGM. Download the BETMGM app and use code “NETTERS” and enjoy up to $1500 in bonus bets if you lose your first wager! Thanks to our Sponsors! BetMGM: Use bonus code NETTERS when signing up to receive up to $1500 in bonus bets if your first bet loses. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US) 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR) 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. See BetMGM.com for Terms. First Bet Offer for new customers only. Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This promotional offer is not available in New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Rep your team all season long with GLD. For a limited time only, new customers are getting an insane deal. Use code NETTERS to get 40% off with code NETTERS at https://GLD.com. After you purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them our show sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Empty Netters podcast. Can you believe what this has become? There was a full 48 hours where I felt like I was like literally Superman. Jumbo loves playing Fortnite, so he gets on the sticks. Did TR show you the sauna cycle, or was that all year? No, no, I invented that. Almost a year now that I haven't taken a body check. That's kind of nice.

So we are back. We are horned up, and we are going deep. Finish tonight with some chicken fingers and a few guineasasas and you guys. That's where this pod came to life. Ice is ready and welcome back to the Empty Netters podcast brought to you by BetMGM. I'm your host, Dan Powers, and wouldn't you know it back from his doctor sabbatical? The Dr. Watkins is back on the sticks. Hi.

Traveling abroad, fixing all of the diseases across the land. Do you return with more degrees? Like when a doctor disappears, does he come back with like? Yeah, what are those, they do those like? Residency? No, no. yeah, that is a thing, but I feel like sometimes doctors, when they go to foreign lands, it's called something.

Doctors without borders. Yeah, they, D without B. What's a sabbatical? Isn't that a word? The sabbatical is, I think, just a vacate. I think that's, like, time off. That's what they do to priests who have done bad things. Yeah, yeah.

They go on a sabbatical. Our dead ass, dude, the headmaster at the prep school that I attended. Uh-oh. I think it was the year before I got there, took a sabbatical, like took a year off of his job. which I believe you get paid for, I think. Yeah. I'm not sure, but he took a year off to do Frodo's walk. That's cool.

That is gas. And he was like, I just want to go do that. I fully support that. I was like, come on, bro. It would be so tight to have a job, like to be caking money with something like that and to have a job where you have so much tenure that you can just be like this. You know what? I've always wanted to do blank.

Yep. And everyone just goes like this, go do it. I think it's cool. But anyway, this is Chris Power. Yeah. As always, doctors used to go, like, they would go, there's a procedure that I don't know how to do. So I'm going to travel to this far off land that does this procedure. Learn it.

And then I return home with acquired skill. So now I can cure all the people from my land. Yeah. That need that. And that was dope. And that's what I presume you were doing. Well, now they can just look at a YouTube video and be like, I'm good. Yeah.

Evan has been studying pods in Ohio at the heart of it all. No, guys. I was in Ohio in the middle of the cyclist, Spariette. outbreak and I couldn't eat a fucking vegetable. That's such a great excuse that are like ham or burgers. I know. I mean, it's it's a vacation food anyway. I justified a lot. The diarrhea bug was great justification for many nights being like, you know, I'm just going to have a burger. Dude, when? Hold on a second. We've got a great

episode coming for you today. We've got a lot to talk about and not much of it is hockey because nothing is going on in the world. So right now we're going to kick it to an amazing interview we did with Eric Johnson. Such a fucking beauty. Unbelievable. It's a great chat. Enjoy it. And we'll come back and get into all of the nonsense because it's all we have to talk about after that. So for now, enjoy E.J. We'll see you after.

All right. We are joined by a Bloomington, Minnesota native. We love a Minnesota boy. The first overall pick of the 2006 draft to the St. Louis Blues, who also played for the Colorado Avalanche, the Buffalo Sabres, and the Philadelphia Flyers. a U-18 gold medalist, a world junior bronze medalist, a world championship bronze medalist, an Olympic silver medalist, and of course, most importantly, a 22 Stanley Cup champ with the abs. Eric Johnson, EJ, welcome to the Empty Netters podcast. Man, you're really digging through the archives there with those bronze.

I forgot about those, but nice to add to the resume. Their coasters, Dan, their coasters on the coffee table. Took the words out of my mouth. The dogs are playing with them in the background right now. Better than no metal, though, that's for sure. That is for damn sure, dude. That is for damn sure. I love it, man.

Well, dude, we're so pumped to have you. You just told us you're chilling right now in a beautiful spot in Colorado right now. So summer's treating you well, eh? Yeah, you know, I had the mountains in the background for you guys, and you said the lighting wasn't good enough, so we switched into the living room. So whatever you guys need, I'm here for you, you know? So, yeah, it's good. I mean, I was telling you guys before we went live here.

Summer's great, having an awesome time. traveling, kind of doing things that I wouldn't be able to do this time of year. I'd be getting ready for the season. And, you know, I've kind of been living the life in retirement here since October. And, you know, the season just ended, you know, a month and a half ago. But I'm ready to get back into the, into the trenches between the benches and start calling some games. So I'm excited for the early, early puck drop this year, this season. It's going to come quick, though, but I'm telling you, it's like September 29th, I think. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah, wow, on the day. Yeah, it's going to be...

E.J., I was going to say, give this media game a couple more years, dude. You'll be dreading the start of the season, just like we are. We'll see, but my wife wants me out of the house as much as possible, so I might be doing this long time. Yeah, fair enough. You're like, I've got to go to camp, babe. I've got to go to camp. It's crazy.

Why do you think I'm up in Vail and she's down in Denver? Get out of here. God, that's so good. That's true. Well, E.J., I wanted to ask you this first, because, as Dan said, first overall pick, fifth American-born player ever so nasty. Stahl and Tay's second and third, right?

Pretty good company. Dude, what a draft. Jesus Christ. I was really looking at that the other day. That's just beautiful. Bastrum as well is a really, really deep draft. I think it was the first draft in NHL history. I think the top seven players all played a thousand games.

Wow, what a stat, dude. That's awesome. That's a good rip. That's a good rip. Yeah, that's a good one. So it wasn't really heavy on good defensemen, and you could make a statement, whether I was a good defense or not, but a lot of good forwards.

That's for sure. Well, dude, that actually leads perfectly into my question because you, you know, you get drafted, you do a year at Minnesota, which must have been so awesome for you. And, dude, I also saw talking stats. Looking this up, I saw you were the first golden gopher to go first over it, which is fucking crazy to me. Insane. But anyway, you do the year, and then the next year you're like, okay, I'm ready to go pro.

You come up. You have a great year in St. Louis. And I saw some comments you made where early in your career, and certainly that first year, I'm sure, you did feel and put a lot of pressure on yourself, just being that first overall pick. But then you were able to kind of figure out, listen, I'm a damn good two-way defenseman, and I'm taking care of the puck in my zone, and contributing on offense. Just go out there and be myself. Tell me a little bit about what that was like mentally, just being the first overall pick

and trying to wrap your brain around that as you adjust to the NHL. Yeah, I think for me, it was tough starting out because, A, I think I was pretty mentally immature at that time to go through that. whole process. Like I was 18 years old. I probably was like mentally developed of like a 10 year old at that time. And now I'm probably like 21, which maybe even younger. So the frontal lobe just wasn't there. But no, I think like for me, I knew I was really skilled at that time and I was kind of a power play guy. So I was, I struggled to find exactly my identity as a player. And when you don't know your identity really early, it can kind of take some time to figure out.

where exactly you're going to be as a player. So, like, was I a high-end power play guy? I don't think I was that good of a power play guy, really, at any point in my career. Did I play power play? Yeah, I played power play a lot, but I wasn't necessarily, in my opinion, probably a lot of other people's too,

a great power play guy. So that was something that, you know, I didn't get a ton of points from there, so that might have lowered that. And then I had to figure out, I want to come in and be a two-way guy. I wasn't really great defensively coming into the NHL, either. I had a lot to work on. So I think what happened right away was I started on a team in

St. Louis that was a not very good. We did not have a lot of support. And, you know, we had young guys that weren't established. We had old guys that were kind of on their way out. And a lot of that was put on to me, as it should have been. But I think for me, it just took me a while to kind of get my footing like, okay, what type of player are you going to be? And then I had that unfortunate incident where I tore my ACL in the golfing accident. So that cost me a year of my development. No one's fault but my own. And so the best thing that ever happened to me was, you know, I was still a damn good player at that time. I made the Olympic team in 2010 playing top four for Team USA. You know, I was playing 23, 24 minutes a night. So it was still on an upper trajectory.

But part of it, I think, was I knew Andy Murray, the coach didn't have a lot of faith in me. And you can feel that as a player when you know the coach doesn't try. trust you. For sure. So whatever. Like I was a young guy. I could have handled it better looking back on it, but I think my confidence got down from there.

And then over time, I just never really got my footing there again. And I got traded in the middle of the night in 2011 to Colorado. I remember being just devastated, but it ended up being the best thing to happen to me because I went to Colorado and I could just be me. I didn't have to be the first pick. I could just be who you are.

And that's what Patrick Waugh really instilled in me there. So while I was devastated to, get traded from St. Louis because I absolutely love playing there. It could have spent my whole career there. Underrated city, great people. I totally loved it. The trade to Denver was like the best thing that ever happened to me. It's now my home.

We won a Stanley Cup there. It was the best thing to ever happen to me. That's awesome, dude. It's unbelievable. I do, I do want to circle back to Minnesota real quick, just because like I love college hockey so much and I love that program so much. And it's so cool to be able to play for the you.

Like when you're in Minnesota guys, It must be just the dream. But I'm always curious. So it's like, you know, I played prep with Kreider. And I remember, you know, that year, our senior year, he was, you know, a first round pick. Like people were like, he's going to go on the first round. And that was such an interesting aura going into that season. And then now it's so normal because college hockey is getting so big.

It feels like every year you look at these teams, they're loaded with, you know, first round, second round picks. Was that an element for you in college, you know, being that unbelievable of a prospect? and, you know, that high of a pick, was that kind of a thing as well? Or was it not as crazy then? Yeah, good question. I think for me, Dan, like, I was really dominant at the development program. And I went into the first year of hockey, of college hockey at Minnesota as a freshman. And I just expected that dominance to carry over.

But it was a lot harder. Like, you know, that jump from development program to college felt like a bigger jump than college to pro. Interesting. Wow. Yeah. For me. So like, you know, I think I maybe thought it was going to be a little bit easier than it was. And realistically, when you get drafted, that's really the first chapter of your NHL career. Like, the work is still to be to be done at that point. And I think maybe I didn't take that part as seriously. I think that's just part of me being immature at that time. Like, the work is just beginning at that point. So I maybe took for granted just a little bit how how, how, how, how, hard it was going to be to continue to be a dominant player. And, you know, it might have taken me a little bit longer than I wanted. And injuries definitely slowed me along the way. But that jump from the development program to college, like, I didn't think I was as dominant in that jump. And then even from college to pro, it didn't feel like that big of a jump as it did from the program to

college. But playing at Minnesota was an absolute gas. You know, we all could go under the bar underage. everyone loved us, you know, the bouncer do us. It was so much fun. And that was kind of before smartphones and the only thing we had was MySpace. Facebook was just getting big then, you know, so it was kind of house parties, you know, it was kind of the golden age of being a college athlete. So it was a total gas. Yeah. Amazing. I'll be interested to hear a McKenna talk about that, E.J. down the line. Like, because he dominated juniors. And then like he had a good year at Penn State, but not like maybe a Mac year or the years people thought, you know. So that anyway, that's a really, that's a really cool insight.

Dude, can you, and we can take this out if you don't want? Can I hear from you the actual golf card story? Yeah, I'm so curious about this. Because like, I know you were with high note and some of the boys and like, I know your foot got stuck behind the pedal or whatever. But like, I just need to know what happened that led to this moment. Yeah, it wasn't like everyone reported it that it was like a, you know, we were playing golf card polo and all that.

Like there was so many erroneous reports that just were not true. like literally like we were just driving and you know you when you drive and you kind of drag your dangle the leg yeah dangle the leg and it got caught on the cart that was parked right next to me and then I kind of got split apart and it was just bad luck I mean were we drinking yeah but were we like annihilated out of control yeah it was two days before training camp you know so it wasn't like we were like getting completely after it so a lot of blown out of proportion stories and a lot of people that said things even that I played with that wasn't true. So yeah, like was I an idiot and I made a mistake? Yeah, but like I don't look back and think like it could have really happened

to anyone. It was just like irresponsible. Yeah. But at the end of the day, I take responsibility for it. But it was yeah, a tough way to start your career. But at the end of the day like adversity only makes you stronger. I had to learn to grind from that point forward. Did you know right away something bad happened? Were you like, oh, fuck. Yeah. Yeah. Fuck. Yeah, like instant pop, and it just wasn't good. And, you know, that injury definitely slowed me down. I mean, I don't want to make excuses, but it definitely took away a lot of my pop.

And I had knee injuries as my career went on. But, you know, at the end of the day, I played over a thousand games, won a cup, made plenty of money, and made the memories of a lifetime. So I would not trade it and sign up for any other career ever again. Exactly right. That's awesome. It's amazing. Well, we talked about the Olympics.

And obviously, we just had an unbelievable rip this year. we saw the U.S. I'm so jealous of the boys. I know, I know, man. It's, because we went the other way, right? Yeah.

We got the O.T. goal the other way. But if you look at our, like, and I just to touch on that, like our team USA in 2010, we maybe had two Hall of Famers on that team,

hockey Hall of Famers. Yeah, dude. Yeah. A few U.S. Hockey Hall of Famers, but like, Jonathan Quick, but he was the third goalie.

Yeah. So, you know, Patrick Kane, will Ryan Suter be an, I don't know, maybe, If he's Canadian, he probably gets in. Yeah. But Canada had like 18 Hall of Famers.

This is a great take by you, dude. This is a great take. It's true, too. That would have been the 1980 version of Miracle. Yes. Yes. You're absolutely right. You're absolutely right.

And the NFL players. I mean, it's a little bit different because, you know, in 1980, they were all college players playing against the Red Army. But, you know, Canada had, I think if we go through the list, I think they probably had every single guy in that team is a Hall of Famer except maybe one or two. That's so insane. Yeah, no, just losing that burn.

Yeah, correct. Watching the boys win it this year, obviously, even more so, so proud of, yeah, pumped to be an American. But at the same time, it's like, you get silver in Vancouver, but like, what a run that was,

especially when you frame it like you just did. Such a cool game, so fun to watch as a fan. Do you have some epic memories from that tournament? Like, that must have been one of the great experiences of your career. Absolutely.

And to be of, such a big part of that team. And to be, you know, with Patrick Kane, we played the development program together. We've been really, really good friends for 20 years to go through that process with him was awesome. And like I said, that was before, you know, real smartphone era. So we could kind of go out and rip it a little bit. And guys, guys did when we had a few times, a few days between games. So we had fun there too. I remember at that time, somehow, Caner had met Miley Cyrus and he was just texting this one day, like in the lounge, like all day.

I'm like, who are you texting? He's like, Miley Cyrus. I'm like, you dog. You are. First he's talking to Taylor Swift and then it was Miley Cyrus. I'm like, Kainer, what are you doing? He's like, well, did you blame me? Like, no, I don't actually.

That is just all. That's also like peak party in the USA. Yeah, yeah. That, yes. Okay. So to piggyback off that, we had grand aspirations of blaring party in the USA in our locker if we won gold. Oh, my God, man.

Can you imagine if Canner has Miley on fucking speed dial while you guys won gold? Yeah, it wouldn't be FaceTime, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah, right. You're right. Holy shit, dude. That is so great. It was a great group of guys. Ryan Miller stood on his head.

John Tortoella was our assistant coach, and he was our de-coach. ran the D and we could dress 7D, which is unusual in the HL you can dress 6 and Ryan Whitney was our seventh offenseman and at one point Ron Wilson our head coach, and this is a documented story, Witt's

said this, but Witt wasn't having a good game and Ron Wilson literally yells down the bench to Torts and Witt is standing right in front of Ron Wilson and Ron goes Torts, we don't have to play

fucking Witten, you know that? And Witt's sitting there, he's like, I can hear you. I mean, it was such a blast that whole tournament. I mean, to have silver is such a great honor, but man, we're so close to gold. Like, Kessel hit the crossbar and over the car. I know. Yeah. Shit, man. What could have been? That could not happen to a better guy than Witt. I know. No one could handle that better than Witt. That is so good. But I mean, dude, like you just said, that game was insane. How Like, were you going nuts when Porezi tied it? Like, that must have been the moment for you guys where you were like, we're going to fucking do this.

Holy shit. Yeah, like, if you remember, we beat them in the round robin. Yeah, yeah. So then we were like, okay, we can hang with these guys. And then I think they went up to nothing late in the second. And we're kind of like, okay, we just got to get one at some point to have a chance. And then we got one. And then Porezzi tied it with whatever was eight, nine seconds.

Jesus. And I remember being on the bench thinking we were going to win. now might have just ripped the hearts out of Canada. But given credit, like, they stuck with it and, you know, they just made one more play. There's really no different than the gold medal game this year. Like, USA got all played for the majority of that game. Definitely. One more play, right?

Dude, it was so, it was so nuts. We were in that barn. And, like, we were talking about it. It was so crazy being in Milan. It felt like a Canada home game. I know, dude. That place was packed. Think about Vancouver.

Yeah. Good point. Seriously. I don't know being in the Lions den. Yeah. Seriously. Yeah. I mean, but you just said, you know, we had two overtime games with that and now this year. What did you think about the three on three?

Like, were you watching that being like, this is electric? No good. Yours was three. Yeah. Okay. You're not a fan. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. But listen, we agree. Like, when that was announced, we were kind of like, this is insane, man. Like, this is the Olympics. We got to have these teams win based on, you know, your best five on the ice. I did forget yours was four, though, eh? I forgot it. It was four on four.

is four, which I think if you poll the players, they'd rather have four than three. Totally. Not in the NHL, but to decide the gold medal. I mean, even go to freaking shootout, like penalty kicks like they do in the World Cup. I don't know. I just feel like three on three is like

pond hockey. And listen, I'm American. I was so happy USA won. I would say that if Canada won, I would say that if USA won, let them play five on five until they cannot play anymore. I mean, it's just completely agree. I just, it's I don't think it's too bad, but maybe they'll change it. I don't know, but it should be five on five, no questions asked.

I mean, you see it in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Like, there's a reason that it goes to five on five because it's like, this is hockey. This is what we should be playing. Well, Dan, I heard that it was like, you know, they put the game last, right? The men's gold medal game last. And then it was bumping up against the closing ceremony. So they're like, we need to, this needs to end. And I was like, who wants literal best on best to end quicker? Like who is like, why don't we just get this over with? I'm like, or let's play five. on five till tomorrow. That would be awesome. Because I think if that, if it stayed five on five, Canada had a distinct advantage throughout that whole game. It just felt like a matter of time before they scored five on five. And then three on three, it's a coin flip. Give USA a ton of credit. But I would have loved just to see five on five. That's as, that's as pure best on best as it gets. So sick. Dude, after so after the Olympics, like you talked about it a second ago, you get traded in the, in the dark of night. I wanted to ask you, because everybody eventually learns this is a business, right? But you were a

fucking kid. You're like 21 or whatever, 21, 22. First overall pick, just your third year in the league. Were you like fuming mad in that? Obviously, it was a lot to process, but were you also pissed off? Or what kind of emotions were you going through in that time? Yeah, a lot of different ones. I mean, we had just played in Buffalo and we flew back to St. Louis. We landed at midnight. I remember walking off the plane. And Mike Caruso, who was our director, of I think team services at that time or communications one of the two he said hey Doug armstrong wants to talk to you in the lobby when you walk off and I'm like well I'm gone oh okay was there any hints of it before did you like did they whisper any of this or was it

total blindside no not really but like you know when you kind of just have a yeah yeah yeah yeah feeling like something could be happening like I wasn't like super surprised even though I was shocked at the same time. So, yeah, so it was Jay McCleman and I got traded and I remember I was walking off the plane and, you know, someone was like, hey, did Mike just tell you to go talk to Doug? And I was like, yeah, and then Jay McCleman said, yeah, me too. So we went over there together. And Doug wasn't on the trip.

He was back in St. Louis. So he met it and told us in person, which I give him a lot of credit for for meeting us there at, you know, 1230 at night and telling us we got traded. But yeah, so we got traded. and funny story. My girlfriend at the time, she was at the house in St. Louis. I didn't want to tell her

that I got traded until I got home. But one of the girlfriends on the team beat me to the punch and called her. I was like, oh my God, I'm so sorry, blah, blah, blah. And my girlfriend was still asleep. She's like, what happened? Did the plane crash? Jesus Christ?

So she thought the plane went down because she was still kind of like asleep and, you know, a girlfriend called her. It was like, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, can you believe it? And so my poor girlfriend That we'd all got Yeah

But he was to Denver And she was like Denver? Yeah Gosh, I can't wait I was all I was all pissed off Because I love St. Louis Yeah Yeah

I wanted to spend my whole career there I totally loved living there I was super devastated But she's like Let's get out of here and go to Denver Dude I'm gonna be honest man That might be a hack You know like lead

Lead with devastating news And then be like Oh no no He just got traded Then the blow hits away Not as bad That might be a great great move. I was just about to say that, Dan, lesson to all the guys in the league,

listen to this. Tell your girlfriend, tell your wife our play. Yes, right away. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't wait. Yeah. Don't wait. That's so good, dude. That's so good. That's just about there. That is hilarious. And so was it though, E.J., like, once you got there, where you like, quick to go, okay, you know, let's, obviously, you just said earlier that was the best thing that ever happened to you, but how, how long did it take for that emotion to kind of set in? So a funny story. I remember sitting in the lounge in St. Louis us a couple weeks before and we were looking at the standings on NHL network and Colorado had lost 12 in a row maybe and we were all of us in St. Louis were sitting there and we were like,

God, would it suck to be in Colorado right now? What do you know? Bangs later. I'm on a plane to fucking San Jose. We're going up against the sharks for the abs. But no, like it was tough because we had just gone through a rebuild of St. Louis and we were knocking on the door of being. of like a grandio playoff team and then went to Colorado and they were just like kind of started their rebuild so that was difficult but like I said it was the best thing ever had the best years of my career there and wouldn't trade it for the world how it all how it all ended up it was unbelievable yeah that's perfect no doubt no doubt about it and it's become home too right like

it's such a special yeah we're here most of the year so it's yeah like it's just the way the fans have treated me and the organization it's just it's I couldn't be happier with how everything shook out. Super grateful for everything. Oh, yeah. It's unreal. And then obviously you get up to the 2022 season. You guys have had some, you know, tough second round issues in the playoffs leading up to that. You couldn't, you felt it was like you couldn't get over the hump. Something needed to change. And then in this run, you come up against the blues in the second round. And you have that awesome assist on the helm goal at the buzzer at game six. That was awesome, dude. It was so awesome. It really chills every time. Oh, God. Every single time. And like, dude, I remember watching being

like they're going to do it this year. And like that goal, I was like, oh shit, here we go. And it's funny enough, we've seen that you said that after that round, you kind of felt like the cup was yours. It was like, you get past and you're like, all right, we did it. And it's funny, we just talked to Ovi about their cup run. And he felt that same way getting past Pittsburgh. It was like, they got past Pittsburgh. It was kind of like their boogeyman. They do it. And he's like, all right. But you guys had a lot of work to do still. You know, obviously a huge Western Conference final. then you have to go up against the Titan Tampa Bay Lightning team. Were you still feeling that way?

Like going up against the bolts with Stammer and Cooch and Vassie, like were you even in that series where you're like, this is ours. We got it. We can do it. Yeah, like in a weird way, you guys, it's almost harder to go through those first few rounds of the playoffs because they're against your rivals more than like. Yeah, yeah, true.

And you're playing a team that you really don't have any history with. you know the fans typically don't hate each other there's just not a lot of hate between two teams when you get to the finals so i didn't want to say it was like easier because it wasn't easier at all it was very hard hockey but yeah you know we got through national rival we got through st louis huge rival edmonton you know who's going to make it mckenner and macdavid so like you know it wasn't as daunting of a task you know when you look at what we went through to get there And, you know, people say, yeah, you swept Nashville, you beat St. Louis and 6, you swept Edmonton, but those are still a hard series. And there's a lot of momentum swings and there's ups and downs and peaks in valleys and times where you're like, man, they have us on the ropes here. We have them on the ropes. And yeah, maybe we're up three nothing in a series, but you win game four in overtime. What if you don't win game four and it goes to game five. There's so many what is that you just don't know. So, yeah, going against Tampa was tough because they had one, those two cups. before in COVID. And they had Vasilevsky, which in my opinion was the biggest X factor. We, we,

we had really good pre-scout meetings on how to beat him, high blocker. It worked for us quite a few times in that series. And we had a ton of respect for him and what they could do. And they knew that we hadn't been there and we hadn't accomplished that and been in that situation. So they maybe wanted to take advantage of our inexperience. But we were a group that just believed in each other and got the job done. And the only reason, regret I have is we did not win on home ice in game five. Like looking back, if I could rewrite one thing on that year, it's like that would have been so fucking electric, man.

If you could win at home, like, I just can't imagine getting that cup from Landy at home. Like, it just would have been such a different experience. But, you know, we won the cup, so who give who care? I'm just being picky now. Dude, well, not to, not to pile on. But I will say, having been to a bunch the last few years, winning on the Western time zones is extra sick because the games, it's earlier, you know, like it's not fucking 3 a.

When you get out of the locker, a little bit more time to ramp up with the boys. Yeah. All these guys over the years winning in Vegas is so dangerous. It's insane. Well, as a member of the media now, too, like, just being on the east is so much better, though. Like, some of these games start at 8 o'clock on the West, you know, it's like criminal. What an advantage you have if you're starting at, you know, five, six or seven o'clock on the east and some of these puck drops are like nine o'clock central or, you know, it's like,

it's tough. But like as a media member now I get it, like TV and all that. Yeah, yeah. You have to, you have to abide by all that. But man, yeah, winning in Tampa was nuts because we drank the Marriott out of booze. So six ams on time. I know that Marriott too, yeah. Yeah, we're done.

There's nothing left. So, you know, we roll into bed by seven and have a flight to catch at 10. Like we had nothing left. God, that is so good. Was there anything you guys were doing that you remember from that run, like, you know, stuff during off days or pregame rituals between the boys, anything that was just kept the vibes going, that whole rip? Not really.

I think there's a, there's a crew of guys that hit the bike a lot after every single game. After the game, yeah. Yeah. So like McKinnon obviously led that crew, but. Shocker. I kind of got into a pretty luxurious routine after the,

after the first round. And when we swept Nashville, I was nursing a little bit of a knee injury, so I couldn't do a lot of post-game lifting. So I literally just got, massage, ice bath, hot tub for all four rounds. And I get to the final, I'm like, I could lose about five here before the series starts. I was not like in my finest shape kind of nursing that injury along.

And all these guys are, you know, like Lance Armstrong ripping on the Peloton after games and other thing. And I'm just like getting the whole flush. Yeah. And he's trying to nurse this knee injury. But EJ's just doing the executive workout before and after every game. You know, stretch, flush. It was great. Nate's,

we all got staring at you, you know, yeah. Nate's so superstitious. So an example, Landy and Nate were riding together to the games, most of the playoffs. And there was like road construction near their house. So they had to take this detour for the first two rounds. And then it opened back up that road,

like in the third round. And they're like, fuck that. We're taking the detour. They like intentionally went 10 minutes further just because they had taken that detour the first two rounds. So guys were totally set in their ways, like their stishes or superstitions. And you don't want to deviate at that point. Yeah, that's so funny. I got to ask, was there a small party that was pissed that St. Louis got their mug in 19 before yours?

No, not. No, actually, actually the complete opposite. I had a feeling. I had a feeling. Yeah, like there's that, that town, it's so under. I don't know if you spent a lot of time there. Like, I really loved living there. There's just a really good vibe about it.

It gets a bad rap from opposing players on the road because downtown's not very nice and all this. But, like, I could have totally lived there my whole career. I love playing there. Those fans deserved it after not having a cup. And just, like, the type of people and, like, how nice people are there and how they go out of their ways for blues players was awesome. So I was really happy for them. Like, they really deserve that.

it was really just the opposite. And it all worked out. You know? Exactly. Sure did. They got their cup. You know, that's how it works. Man, everyone who plays there says the exact same thing.

True. When Monty got there, after the crazy thing with Boston, he was like, I love it here. And it was like, that just fires us up. It's like, I think that is a very consistent take by people who've been in St. Louis. It's got the second highest alumni rate in the NHL behind Toronto. Dude, yes. That's what they said. It's so sick.

It's really unreal. A lot of people are starting to stay in Denver now. Like, in my opinion, Denver is one of the best cities in the country. But St. Louis has a real charm about it. I really loved it and love getting back there. That's awesome. Dude, you told the Kachuk Bros. And we've heard this from a lot of guys that some of your favorite memories

is actually just that moment in the locker when it's like just the boys and the staff and the group that's been going to battle. Playoffs are fucking feel like they're eight months long, you know, just in it the whole way in that moment. And do you remember, like, because I love asking, Matt Matthew and a lot of these guys that's won the last few years, like, who was given the super emotional speech? Like, boys, boys, this is the best night ever. Who was spraying the champagne?

Like, what was going on in the locker room in there? Yeah, Jared Bednar gave a great speech. Gabe Lanniscault gave a great speech. And we had all been drinking for a little while when Gabe started talking. And Gabe was giving this really emotional great speech, like a wonderful speech from the heart. And Pavl-Francels, our backup. goalie who was really good for us came in.

Had a big playoff. Yeah, yeah. Six and out, we don't win the cup without him. So Landy's given this big speech and there's like a little pause in his speech and all the sudden like you see out of the corner of your eye, Frantzose, Gabe Landis Gogg is the greatest captain in the world. And we're all just like, Jesus Christ, Frankie.

It was so funny, man, like this emotional, super like intense, you know, brotherly moment. and then like it's like the random tourist in the corner like popped off and we're all just like he wasn't done and then Gabe kept going but I just remember you know Frankie doing that and it was just so funny those little moments and it was awesome like lifting guys our staff and and people like that to do keg stands off the cup was just awesome yeah dude that is amazing yeah I know god it's like everyone's I mean that's it right you go to war for months with these guys. You then get in the locker room after you've achieved your greatest lifelong goal, you would never want to leave that room. It's unbelievable. Yeah, and it was almost better that we

want on the road in that sense because that's the perk, yeah. All the families would have been down and friends if we wanted home just because of the space and everything. So it was really cool to have that intimate time with the staff, the players, the coaches, management, ownership, everybody all on down. It was just our little group that was together all year long, got that time together. Yeah. And then, and then you celebrate again

in the summer, obviously when you get your cup. So I wanted to ask about this because you kind of got, you got dapped up a little bit, like two, two day rip there because you got to do Denver and then you also got to do Del Mar,

which is epic. That looked so sick. So I first got to hear, and I know some people know this, but just for there are friends that don't, the plane, you guys got the plane issue and you're just getting bombed on the plane for two hours.

Well, this is, This is, this like still gives me chills. Like a week before, I had, I think, Labor Day weekend. And a week before, I remember having a dream that we had maintenance issues and I miss my way. I'm not kidding. I told my wife.

Holy shit. And so a week later, like, we're getting, like, all my best friends, my family, everybody's on there, like 20 of us. You know, we rented a plane to go from Denver to Delmar. It's hot as hell. You know, we have drinks. We have the cup. Like, it's just amazing, like, perfect day.

I had taken the cup in the morning to the police station for the firefighters. I took it to our emergency vet to see all the late night shift nurses there that have helped us out over the years. So, like, saw a bunch of people, took it to the practice rink that morning to see all the Aves fans, let them touch it. And then went right to the airport. So this is probably, like, I don't know, 4 o'clock, 3 o'clock. And, you know, we're getting ready to taxi. And, like, you just hear this. And I'm like, I'm the only one that noticed it because I had this awful.

Because you had a dream. Yeah. Like, Brad, did you hear that? He's like, no, what? I'm like, I think an engine just shut down. And so we sit there for a bit and the pilot comes back. He's like, we have an engine issue. We're going to see if we can get maintenance here, but it's Labor Day.

So we're going to have to hang out here for a while. So we sat on the tarmac for like two hours. Dude, hot as hell. Like AC is like not ideal. Like we've drank all the beer, all the, all the high noons. Yeah. So, so they find this maintenance guy. And I'm like, you tell him to name his price.

Yeah, correct. So we were like shoveling this guy like thousands and thousands of dollars to fix this plane. And he fixes it in like two hours. We ended up flying there, getting to Delmar a little bit late, got to two. races. I was like completely out of my mind at that point. Like if there's another regret, like I wish I was a little bit more coherent at my cup party. Not a lot, not a lot of vibrant memories, but good ones. And yeah, we ended up making it there. But like the biggest pitfall in my stomach, you know, was I'm going to let all these people down, all 300 people that flew to California to see me and see the cup. And they're not, I'm not going to be able to get there. So we were scrambling. trying to get planes for people. They were only going to be able to get one plane that sat 10 people.

So 10 people were going to have to stay in Denver. It was just a complete shit show. But I got to find out who that mechanic was. Seriously. We were like, in hundreds down his shirt. It's so hot. And we were just like, man, just whatever you want, just take it.

He, like, didn't want to take him. Like, man, you just saved us. Yeah. Also, like, potentially saved our life. Yeah. Yeah, true, Dan. Was there a part of you, when that plane took off, were you like, well, hope for the best here.

That's funny you say that because I went up to the pilot. I'm like, hey, man, like, we want to get there, but we don't really need to get there. You know, he's like, dude, I have a family. I'm not flying this plane unless it's sick. Okay, there you go. That made me feel a lot better. But, you know, I saw my, I saw a couple people

when we were taking off, like, doing this one. Yeah. We were all so drunk at that point. Yeah. We had the cup. We had our best friend, my best friends and, family. If we go down, this is how I'm going down. Yeah. Did you, did you let the mechanic touch the cup? That's my question.

No, it was actually, I might have. I might have. I let the pilots touch it. I don't, I don't remember at that point. Because if not, we got to find, we do have to find him. Like, someone will hear this interview with that mechanic is and make sure he gets to touch the cup this year. Correct. I know. I got to find him. He was a total lifesaver man. Magic. Yeah. And, and hey, how did you, how'd you decide on the Bloody Mary? The Bloody Mary in the cup? Yeah, so I love Bloody Mary. Me too. This was awesome. Like I want a full meal in my bloody, you know, everything.

So we had a chef come cook for us that morning, like a big breakfast. And I'm like, I want a Bloody Mary in this Stanley Cup. So they did it. And then they're like putting donuts and stuff. I'm like, no, no, no, I don't want any donuts on this Bloody Mary. I want like an authentic great Bloody Mary. And I always just wanted to put a Bloody Mary in the cup. It was awesome.

It tasted unbelievable. What does not taste good in the cup is screaming eagle. wine. It's just going to taste a little metallic. You do not want to put a $5,000 bottle in the stamina cup. Let me tell you that. Lesson learned. That is a very good lesson to learn. Bloodies, fantastic. $5,000 wine. Not so much. Yeah. Maybe that metal of the cup doesn't mix perfectly. That's good to know. Wow. I love it. Well, we mentioned your pit stops in Philly and Buffalo along the way on the career, but wanted to talk about Philly because that led to some just hilarious stories in your time there. And I especially loved your time pranking Smitty, who's the host of the

radio show over there. And when you're there, this guy's just trying to do his job. And you just made a habit of fucking with this dude. Of not letting him do it. Yeah. Ever. Like just squirting him with water, messing him with the whole time. How is the relationship with that guy? And like, why did that start? Yeah. So I could literally sit on this pod and just talk. all for it. I was there for one year. I fucking loved it. I loved all the guys. I only played there once. I keep in touch with so many of them. Scott Lawton's probably one of my best friends. Beauty did. I took in touch with Danny Breuer, Keith Jones, torts, all the staff. Like, they are as good as it gets. Like, I cannot say enough good things about that city, that organization, those players, just from the

top down, the fans. That place should, if it's not a destination, it should be. be and it's going to be because they're going to be good as it gets going here. But I could just talk about Philly on this pod forever. So I loved it. So what happened with Smitty, so Smitty was, if anyone hasn't seen this blooper reel, Smitty would stand on the bench and he would do a pregame report the day of the game, like kind of after our morning skate. So he'd stand on the bench and talk about, you know, the Flyers are hosting the Detroit

Redwoods tonight. The Flyers on a three-game point streak. Sean Couture has a four-game goal streak. see if they can continue. So I sound better than Smitty. That was so good. So I love Smitty. So I'm scratched from like, I hit my thousandth game in November,

torches like, Johnny, you're not going to play a whole lot here the next couple months. So just strap in. Like, all right, that's fine. Whatever you want. So I was getting bag-stated a lot as a healthy scratch. Totally loved my role. Totally accepted it. All good.

But I was like at some point, like, what's, I need to have a little fun here. Like, what's the worst that could happen? And they're not going to play me. I'm already not playing. Yeah. So Torts, like, undercover likes to fuck around and likes to kind of, like, have guys that keep the room loose. So I didn't, I wasn't scared of Torts getting mad at me.

So every time it started, it started, I think, in Detroit or Pittsburgh. And I just went by with a water bottle behind Smitty while he was filming the pregame show. And then it just evolved. So I started riding the stick. I got props and I got this wig. Yeah. Dude. Okay.

The wig is so good. And I started lifting weights. And then so it just became this whole thing. And Smitty's like, dude, can you like he, he, at first he was kind of like, I don't think he loved it. But then he started to like it because he started to get more views. I'm like, Smitty, people are actually watching your fucking pre-be. Yeah. You're welcome.

Yeah, you're welcome. So I just totally fucked around to Smitty and, you know, just did stunts and props behind him. while he was filming this pregame show and I just loved it. I was getting my ass skated and just bag skated. That's what healthy scratches do at that time. I'm like, fuck this at the end. I'm going to have as much fun as I want and just totally mess around. So it kind of became a cult following amongst all Flyers fans to see what I was going to do next.

So it was really fun. It was incredible, man. And you mentioned the wig. I also love you with the wig also wore it to go and dapp up all the boys. And correct me if I'm wrong, but Torz was like, E.J., get the fuck out of here. To see what he said. He just won in San Jose, and I got the wig on in my suit,

and I'm, you know, fist upon the guys. He looks at me, he goes, Jesus fucking Christ, get the fuck out of here. You know, like, you know, just the only way he could do it. But I knew he loved it and the boys loved it. And it's a long season. You have to have people that keep it light and fun. And it's just your career is such a short snapshot of your life.

you just have to keep it fun. Oh, yeah, man. And how awesome is your relationship with torts? It goes back to the 2010 Olympic team. Then you get to play with him here in Philly. And then we get to see him win an Olympic goal this year. Like, you must be awesome. Like that was so sick.

Yeah. It must be awesome to see that for you. Yeah, it was great. And a funny story. So he coached me at the Olympics in 2010. And he ran the D, as I mentioned. And I was playing, I don't know, 19, 20 minutes a night, top four minutes. He was playing me a lot.

And then I remember after the Olympics, we played in New York a couple weeks later. And the media gave him like a total softball question about me. Like, you know, Eric was a big part of your Olympic team, you know, played a lot of minutes. Like, what did you see from him there? He goes, that guy has no fucking clue how to play defense. And I'm like, you had one nice in the last minute in the Olympics in the semifinals, man. What are you talking about? But I was just like, that's it.

And I looked back on it and I, you know, I did, but I had a lot to learn still, too. That was just his direct way of how he goes at guys. When he coaches, he goes at you. He's not calling you out one-on-one. He's calling you out in front of the whole group. So, you know, I had him at the World Cup in 2015 and then we got reunited in Philly. And I had, I had torts on my no trade list forever because I thought that training camp that he ran was going to completely kill me. And then I get traded to Philly.

I'm like, yeah, I'll accept this trade to Philly from Buffalo. And the next year, I'm like, I'm going to die in training camp. I'm 13 years old. Like, I have no chance. Like, I'm going to completely pass away. And then I get there, I'm like, I'm lapping Mitch Koff. I'm like, this isn't that bad. The old guys still got it.

I'm lapping this 19 year old kid. But, no, he was awesome. Like, I was super, super happy to see him get that chance in Vegas. I wish it lasted longer for him, but that was kind of seemed like the plan that Vegas was going to go through, which is. fine, but man, I wish he got that cup. I really did for him. Like, that would have been a great way for him to go out. And he really invigorated that team down the stretch. And you could tell he's playing for him. So, you know, I'm sure he's disappointed. But if someone, if you told him when

he was sitting at the desk at ESPN in Bristol in November that you were going to go to the Stanley Cup final in June, he'd sign up every single time, whether he knew he was getting fired or not. Yes. Not fired, but let go. Yeah. Yeah. He was a just, just a really, really huge part of my career and I only played for him for really short time, but really grateful for the time I spent with them. That's it. No doubt. I still don't think we've seen the last of them.

We'll see. Yeah, I agree. Yeah. E.J., previously you had said after hockey, you were going to be done with the game, go fishing, go hunting, the whole thing, right? But then... You did your research, boys. Of course, man.

Really good. Really good collections all the way down. Yes, you're exactly right. Yeah. Yeah. So then, you know, and as that new deal doesn't materialize after the last year in Colorado and you kind of spend July through October making peace with retirement, you get this opportunity to go into broadcasting. And I heard you say, which I thought was really cool, that being in the

booth, doing color, being between the benches, gave you a routine similar to when you were playing, right? Like, you can kind of feel that same rhythm? And I thought that was fascinating. So can you just tell me more about what are some of your surprise favorite parts about broadcasting? And then maybe some parts, like you were saying, where you got to talk about a guy you went to war with, you didn't like that much, like some parts that have kind of sucked. Yeah, I mean, I remember, you know, people asked me over the years when I was 29, 30, maybe around those ages, what are you going to do when you retire? I'm like, you're never going to hear from me again. I'm going to go fishing.

I'm going to go golfing. Like, I'm just, I do not want to stay in the game. And while all that is fun for a little while, it gets monotonous and not purposeful after a while, right? So as my career started winding down, I started to think, okay, what do I, what do I want to do? Because I feel like I wanted to stay stimulated. I wanted to have, you know, something that felt like it gave me a purpose. And I had the chance to go into management with Danny Breer and Keith Jones in Philly, but I thought I'd give TV a chance last year, ended up absolutely loving it, like absolutely loved.

A, it feels the exact type of routine as a player. You fly into the city the night before the game you're calling. You go to dinner with your crew. Hotels aren't as nice. It's not four seasons, okay? But not bad. Not bad about it. I'm not complaining.

But you get up, you have breakfast, you go to the morning skate. Sometimes I don't go to the morning skate. Do your notes all afternoon. Listen to the press conferences. So the prep of getting ready for a game is kind of like the same type of prep. you'd get ready to play just different, the same time, you know. And then, you know, you have a pregame meal, do some more prep. You go to the rink about four or five.

You talk to the coaches, prep some more, and you get ready for showtime around, you know, 6. 6.30, you're taping the open. Sometimes you do the open live. And you do the game and then go out for beers with your play-by-play guy and wake up and go home the next morning or go to the next city. So it's very similar schedule to a player. And as you guys know, as an NHL player or a hockey player, you're so routine-oriented after a long. Like you just need that.

I need that regimented schedule. And that's what TV brought me. I know where to be, when to be there. It's all set up. And it was just such a great transition from playing right into that. And I think maybe some guys, they would not like it because you're so close to the game, so fresh out of, plane, but it was the exact opposite for me. I knew my time had come. Would I like to play another

year in the right situation? Sure. But what fell in my lap with TV and how much I loved it and how much I improved over the course of the year, I couldn't have asked for a better transition into retirement. Yeah. And the dinners are pretty good. So great. Was it, where did we catch you, berries? Oh, that's right. You know what? That was funny. And I actually have to apologize to you guys, because it was dark in there at that time. And I'm like, God, I swear that's the empty netters guys. And I hadn't met you guys in person yet. Yeah, yeah, that's right. The night you guys came over and I felt bad. I hadn't said hi, but no, yeah. No, you did. It was great. Yeah. That was the fairies and Circa, right? That place is awesome, dude. That place is so great. It's so great.

It's so good, man. A little bit off the beaten path, right? Like Old Town Vegas, but what a spot, I think I was with Levy and Mess and Subban. I don't know what you guys were with, but what a spot. That was great running into you guys. Yeah. Oh, yeah. What a town. Incredible. Each, who's who's dialing in the suits for you, dude? The Warthel. Yeah, you're kind of. fucking incredible. You're kind of all over it. Like, that must be a conscious thing you're doing. Those aren't just suits off the rack. Yeah, I use Jens Playbook, a guy out east. Nice. Okay. I have to broadcast until I'm 90 years old to pay my school budget. This guy with a goddamn deal. But no, I'm just kidding. I just kind of have fun with it. Like when I played,

I didn't really care. You know, I wore a Navy, black, gray, Hugo Boss suit. You know, you're in it. You're out of it. It doesn't really matter. But, you know, when you're out, on the tube, you got to kind of bring the heat sometimes. Yep, that's true. It's true. Yeah, I like to mix it up. I like some flare. I like some traditional stuff. I don't like to wear a tie at all. I like to show off the chest here just a little bit. Absolutely. I did shave it up though for the Croatia trip, a little tight. You need to grow it out for the season here. Yeah, you got to be ready end of September, dude. We got to be four on a day. I just want to be relatable. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, I get you want to

wear a suit and tie and look professional. But at some point, like, the guy at home on the couch wants to see someone that, you know, isn't wearing a full-blown Armani suit. So I do like just leave the, leave the tie sometimes. Biz drops four buttons on the TNT panel. Dude, I just got his shirt off, dude. I can't. Whenever we go to a wedding and the bride and groom demand that I wear a tie, I'm furious. Suit, shirt, no tie is the vibe. Good luck. For sure. That's fantastic. That's my pet peeve about weddings. Like, please come to our wedding and be uncomfortable and hot for the entire time. Would you like to come to? too. Oh, dude, black tie.

Black tie only. We sweat your eyes off. E.J., you know what he's going to do? He's going to make everyone dress like the guys playing the trumpets at the beginning of the race. Yeah. Yeah. All the races, yes. Dude, E.J., we actually used to do this thing.

Me and Dan and the boys, we would do, we called it cheap suit day. And we would go to Goodwill and find the most ridiculous suit we could. And then we'd wear that to the track. So then you're just dialed in with the most outrageous fits ever. But it was perfect. We haven't done that in a while. We've got to do that again. I know.

Those are good times. I want to hear what you guys think. I'm kind of thinking about maybe trying out some of those bomber jackets on TV, you know, with a nice, like, crisp white t-shirt underneath. Like I think that,

I think we just got to push the envelope a little bit here. Like no one wants to see you in a baggy suit, you know, looking like a stiff all the time, in my opinion. Like, we got to bring a little bit of flair here and there. And I think a great generation,

the way guys are dressing now players as well. Like, I think you can show a little bit of your personality than in the past. I mean, listen, if the network's going to let you do it, absolutely, 100%. Look at the Kwear. So, like, that'll be my, that'll be my argument. I can't wear a bomber jacket, but PK is what looks like a fashion mogul, you know? Yeah. PK. is dressed like a monastery priest. I can surely wear a bomber jacket. Oh, I love it. And he's, oh, it's the best.

It gets people talking. He's so good for TV. I love being on TV with PK. He is so good for the game. Oh, he's amazing. That first fit he wore, I texted him immediately. And I was like, buddy you are doing God's work do not you dare stop and he was like he takes a lot of heat he doesn't care yeah yeah because again it's it's it's like smitty it's good for the views so i'm telling you it's good it's good for hockey to have p.k where all that i do like it i do absolutely phenomenal dude this uh this is the only even remotely close to harding question hard hitting question i'll ever ask anybody but i'm just curious your take because you're close to it at all whatever you want do you feel like because we do we said this on the pod the other day that's why i'm asking you

I feel like since the cup that this Avs group feels like they've left some on the table like it just seems like they from the teams they've had since the cup to now I can't believe they haven't got another one do you feel that way a little bit or are you like oh it's too it's just hard to win the cup and that's the game it's so hard to win I mean would they have liked to win another one sure like absolutely but a lot of a lot of shit has gone wrong for them

too also facts about like we talk about that all the time right like McCar got hurt. Nchuschen, you know, was dealing with something last year. They were banged up. And, I mean, I know it's not an excuse, but like it seems like since we won, a lot of shit has gone wrong for them

and not a lot has gone right. I mean, okay, let's be honest. They cruised to the president's trophy this year. They looked like a slam dunk to go to the final, right? No questions ask. And when you do take a deep breath and step back and look at that team, I think Joe Sackagic really did say it best.

And I'd love to chirp Joe and say, he's an idiot, but he's not when he said that. Yeah. He said, we had a bad week, ran into a hot goal. You can't put your entire season on one week. I mean, Carter Hart stood on his head that series. I mean, his goals saved above expected. I think was high, like very high.

They ran into a hot goalie. Vegas made one more play. They got one more save. If the abs go to the final and don't win the cup, no questions asked, right? We're not being this critical on them if that happened, right? True. Since they get bounced in the Western final, in the fashion that they did, even though every game was close, one goal game, empty-netter type game, right?

You ask a little bit of questions, but, I mean, I said it on a pod a few months ago, their window is closing a little bit, right? Like, they're not getting any younger, but they can still win. Like, yeah. I mean, they should be, they will be top three favorite for the company. Correct. 100%. 100%.

So, you know, I think, I think there's chapters still to be written for that core and that group and good ones, good chapters. I mean, I think they definitely can win. But, you know, it's tough when you roll out a team like that and don't get the job done. And just don't get me wrong for one second. Those guys work so hard. They prepare so hard. They're so dialed in.

like it is a very dialed in group. And I think they tried to have more fun this year than they did in the past. And it looked like they were having more fun than they were in the past. So look, they have every right to an opportunity to win the cup. And would you be surprised if they did next year? No. But that's what sports are about.

You ask questions when you think teams should win and they don't. Bottom line. Perfectly put. Dude, an NHL team owner was talking to us this year. And he was like, you know, he owns a team that is constantly in the fight. And he was like, listen, the painful reality that a lot of people don't want to admit is you need luck to win the same.

So much luck. And, and like that perfectly sums up the Colorado team is like since 22, there's been not only not good luck, but there's been objectively bad luck for the team. There's a whole flat cap during COVID too. Don't forget that. Right. Good point. Yeah, yeah. Like, what would you like to add?

Absolutely. You know, we would love to add those years. flat cap that that that tied our hands a little bit too it tied other team's hands right no excuses but um you said it exactly right dan i mean you need so much luck like there is so much luck you talk about puck luck it is so real i mean injury timing real hot goalie luck i mean real i mean look at look at bussy in the final like dude yeah buddy it's crazy they don't win if he doesn't come in you know like so that a lot of so true so true true All right, E.J.

We are going to now jump you into pass-shoots score. It's a game we play with all of our guests, basically a ranking system. So we're going to give you three things that we know you love. You've got to rank them pass-shoots score. Pass being your third shoot, second, score number one. As an offensive D-Man, you get it. That's exactly what we want. Started offensive, retired, strictly defensive.

Started power play, retired, strictly penalty killed. Yeah, that's the journey. It is the perfect arc. So we're going to start you off. I mean, this is like true Sophie's choice stuff. We're going to start you off with horse tracks. We know you're a big horse racing guy. This is great.

I love this. Yeah, we love it. So your pass shoot score is going to be Del Mar, Saratoga, and Santa Anita. Man, that's a criminal. Dude, we almost did your, we almost made you pick between your horses, but that made you feel like between our children. That'd be easier. We can do that too. We can do that too.

Let's circle back to that. Okay. Okay. I pass San Anita. I shoot Saratoga and I score Del Mar. Delmar had to win. I knew that that had to win. I'm just a West Coast guy too.

I love Saratoga. Don't get me wrong. Fantastic. But easier for me to get to Delmar. You're on the beach. Two hours from Denver. It's pretty special. It's pretty special.

Now, is it still true that you've yet to go to the Derby? No, I've been to the derby three times. Yeah. When Nyquist won, Paul Redham, who owned Nyquist, big Red Wings fan. I did the walkover with Nyquist when Nyquist won the derby. Sick. Yeah. That is huge. Have you been to all of the crown races? I've, yes, I've been to them all. So the derbies I've been to, I saw American Farrow went in 14. I saw Nyquist win in 15 and I saw Always Dreaming win. I think in 17. I don't think I've been back. and then I saw Exaggerator win the Preakness and I saw Sir Winston win the Belmont

so yeah I've been all three. Oh, fantastic. Actually, you can't really see it, but right back there is a nice triple crown. Oh, old school artwork. I love it. So, yeah, it's beautiful. Now, I want you to take this opportunity

because we're big track guys. It's just, it's the, oh, like, we have to die and do that. Yeah, we are going. I promise you that. Great. But I want you to take this opportunity to give a quick speech to anyone who has not experienced the joy of going to the track

and just tell people why it's the best time ever. So the best way I can describe it, and I'll try and say it in a few different ways, but if you're an athlete or someone that does something at a high level, whatever gives you the biggest adrenaline rush, if you're into horses and you love horses and you love going to the track, and you, so for me, for example, is a horse owner, when I see my horse fighting down the stretch and has a chance to win, and you are losing your horse home,

or you have a big bet on some horse, there is like an out-of-body experience that happens, an adrenaline rush. Like if you could bottle the feeling up when you see your horse win or when you cash a big bet, like if you could bottle that up and sell it on the open market, you'd be a billionaire. Yeah.

Because it's the best feeling ever. E.J. can I take it one step further? if the horse that I have been on or I'm rooting for or whatever is, you know, back in the middle of the pack and then we hit that eighth quarter pole and it charges, even if I don't come home and win. The feeling when my horse is like a runaway freight train coming up the outside, I'm like that I have never felt happier in my whole life than in those seven seconds. You have it's so hard to win. Just having a chance to win for your horse being able to cheer is so fun. I have lost my voice at the track more than anywhere else. race two on race two yeah correct correct it's gone by then it's unbelievable i hit a i hit a pick five at saratoga

last year off really for 130 grand and i needed like three or four horses to hit the pick five in the last race and and this this this fucking horse came out of absolutely nowhere dude get up and win i hedged like a yeah like a bitch yeah but to be able to like have that feeling of just being just hitting a better like that is just a body experience. You own the horse. It's like I've scored, you know, a few overtime winners in my career. That feeling is not very different than cheering home, a horse that you own or if you're going to cash a big bet. It's an unbelievable experience if you love horses. I explain it you guys. If you're a golfer, you like country clubs and you're going to join a course for 30,000 bucks, you're never going to see that money again. You're going to get hit with

your monthly dues and your food and beverage every month, but what are you going to get out of it? Great memories, great friends, great experience. It's no different than horse racing, getting into ownership or betting on horses. It is just the best sport. And I hope it's around for a long time. It's America's oldest sport. Yep. And they've had some reform through Congress and legislation and all that.

And I just hope it keeps going in the right direction because those horses are very, very well taken care of and looked after. And it's an unbelievable sport to be a part of. Dude, I love the animals, most important. Oh, yeah. They're amazing. We had, I learned a lesson one of our first times. the track where I had, you know, whatever, the seven horse to win, and he finished second,

and I trashed the ticket, and then the winning horse got decued. At the neck race, they announced like, oh, yeah, on the previous race. So the seven horse, bro, I am upside down in a dumps, in a trash bin, in my suit, in my real suit. I got mustard up my sleeve, but I fucking found it, dude. Wow. It was, if you do lose your ticket or toss it, you can go to the teller and they can do it.

You don't need to get the mustard on the sleeves. It was all done. Yep, exactly. It was about the heart. It was about the heart. Jesus Christ. Okay, EJ, here's your next category. All right.

This one is sports movies. So pass shoot, score, best in show, Secretariat Moneyball. Oh, man. Those are all fucking awesome. Dude, by the way, the ball knowledge of you to have best in show is like, Dude, that makes me score for me.

I'm not kidding. That movie is so fucking funny. Did he. Eugene Levy, right? Is it Eugene Levy? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The two left feet, baby. It's unbelievable.

Oh, my God, that movie is all time. Dan, Dan, E.J. has six dogs. I know. It's like... Yeah, I got... My golden retriever is right down here. We've seen a couple of them making the rounds behind you. A couple tails.

St. Bernard is. There's Ruth. Oh, my God. I actually should do that. hold on. I get to Foley's dog right now, E.J. Yeah. Dogs? Yeah. Ruth. Ruth could swallow To Foley's dog in one goal. Correct. So let's see. Pass shoot score. I love Moneyball. I love Secretariat. I'm going to pass Secretariat. I'm going to, I'm going to pass Moneyball, shoot Secretariat, and score best in show.

I love it. God. Damn it. That fires me up. A lot of your dealers or listeners probably have never seen Best in Show. That's what I'm saying. It's ballin. It's ball and a lot. You have it. It's unreal. So you like Secretariat more than Seabiscuit.

Yeah, I do. I do. My friend Walker Hancock, he runs Claiborne Farm. They had Secretariat's buried at their farm in Paris, Kentucky. So we do a lot of business together. So I got to give a shout out to Claiborne Farm. Awesome place.

And Secretariat once resided there. There's the pup. There she is. There's Stella. Hi, Stella. Yeah, Ruth might have her for dinner. That's what I'm saying. Stella's the smallest dog I've ever seen.

It's incredible, dude. Well, Kat's the smallest person I've ever met, too. So they're a perfect family. It's awesome. Like, Ruth is bigger than Cat. It's unbelievable. Oh, man. That's a great rip, dude.

I mean, it's like, I like that you don't have. I mean, I know Sandlot, remember the Titans are up there for you. But it's nice to see. I mean, I think miracles out of this world. I like that it's not on your. You got to change it up sometimes. Okay. We're going to hit you now.

Next one is going to be Denver restaurants. I have a lot of stock in this one. So I'm very curious. So your past street score is going to be North Italia and Cherry Creek. Restaurant Olivia and Wash Park. And quality Italian in Cherry Creek. This is easy. I'm going to pass quality Italian and I am going to, what was the second one?

Restaurant Olivia. I'm scoring restaurant Olivia And what was the other one? North Italia North, yeah, North I'm gonna shoot. Okay, good. That's what I wanted. And what Olivia?

What's your order? At Olivia, I think it's the Jameli pasta. I like a little barbarasco. They have an awesome house salad. I took Ray Ferraro there and I always get peas on my house salad. Call me a psychopath. I like peas. But they have a great vibe there.

It's a tough Rezo. Heather there is awesome host. Always gets me in. And I would score Olivia every single time. A nice Barbarresco, Nebioolo, you can't go around. Yes. We got to go there, Dan. Because we hit Denver because we get to some ass games.

Yeah, no, we've never been. So we're trying to, we were trying to find the time. I'm not been to Olivia. I'm impressed, you know Olivia, though. That's, that's, how do you, what's the connection? Dude, it's just where every time we've been there. I think, I think, I think, yeah, Rossco. And then Lilesie told us about it as well.

but I mean I love that you're an Italian guy like that is just a nice a nice wine a nice nebiolo with an Italian meal is just going to get it good every single time. I used to be just full Cabernet. I would only drink Cabsov and then we went to a tasting once in Napa boys and I met with the Somalier and he's like you might like Cab today and in five years you might hate Cab and only want to drink Italian wine or French wine. I go, this guy is high off his ass. What is he talking about? I'm going to only drink Cab forever. What do you know? Five years later, I only drink Italian and French. I can't even stand Napa Cab. I have a seller full of Napa Cab, but this Somalia was right on. Your palate totally changes. And I've just been on this biggest Italian barbarasco kick. It's great. It's great. It's great. It's great. This is great. This is where the magic happens. It's my favorite part. Okay, here's your last one, E.J. And this one's a little out there, but I'm really excited to give you this one. I could do this all day. This is great, man. I've never seen. This is the most fun. This is where this is where the magic happens. This is my favorite part. Okay. We're calling. We're calling. We're calling. We're

this category we're calling sports fan moments for you. So you being not the athlete that you are, but a sports fan. Former athlete. Yeah, former athlete. Pasture scored these three moments for you as a sports fan. Comicals grade three win at Saratoga. Dude, you did your research. Let's go. Seeing JR get a hole in one at Delmar Country Club.

Wow. Or catching Shannon Stewart's foul ball at the Twins game when you were a teenager. Was it Shannon Stewart? Wow. Damn, dude. You guys really did your research. I am I am passing um I'm passing jr's hole in one because I was kind of a hole behind so I didn't okay okay okay you just heard him screaming yeah good good caveat good caveat the foul ball

would be shoot for sure I don't have a foul ball yet I'm dying to get one dude upper deck like way up there and I'm 16 years old and this thing hits like four railings bounces in my hand and my buddy's dad's like, I'll give you $200 for that ball. I'm like, not a chance. Yeah. That was your electric in high school. I genuinely think that that's Chris's greatest dream on planet Earth. Like it's so badly.

I've caught a few bucks. Just no foul balls. It was, it was awesome, man. I mean, you kind of, I would always bring my glove as a kid. I mean,

it's, yeah, that's like kind of what you dream of. But I have to score comicals when at Saratoga. Like, we flew out there, eight of us from California, and we went to the race.

We stayed for the weekend. She kind of came from, like she looked like she wasn't in it. Yeah. And then she kind of fought on and won. I mean, that we were kind of. You must have lost your mind. We were going absolutely insane. My buddies was like, you have to rein yourself in a little bit.

Yeah, yeah. You need to calm down. It was so awesome. Like, it was like a Stanley Cup level celebration. Just so people don't know, like, winning a graded stakes race at Saratoga is like scoring a goal at the Bell Center. It's like that big. Yep.

You know, or it might even be harder than scoring a goal at the Bell Center. I think it is. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there you go. Yeah, so it was just, it was incredible. Opening day, Saratoga, Comical, our Philly one. It was incredible, man. That's a lifetime moment to win. So I think I was trying to count the big tracks I've won graded stakes at.

I won a grade one at Keenland, one a grade three at Saratoga, when a grade one at San Anita, grade two or three at Delmar. So we've been lucky to win some big stakes at all the big tracks, man. How many, how many do you have in the stable right now? I feel like you own so many. And the names are absolutely hysterical.

So we bought a farm towards the end of last year. So we have about 50 acres in Lexington. So right now we have eight brood mares and eight babies on the ground. Nice. So we get out there a couple times a year, just being out there at the horses. And so what we call. all not what we call ourselves. What we would be called as a commercial breeder. So we breed to

sell at all the auctions. And so, you know, I want to sell the dream. I don't want to buy the dream anymore. It's, it's too tough. So we try and raise a good horse, sell them at the auction. And hopefully someone can take one of those horses and win one of the big races. And then the mamas are worth a whole lot more. Yeah. siblings and all that. So we have the mares out there. And then I have three horses in training right now. One is a Nyquist. Colt named Malarchuk who we bought, who was already named Malarchuk, named after a Clint Malarchuk. He's out in California with my partner, Paul Redham.

He's my partner in that horse. And then we have a two-year-old named Castle Pines, named after my golf course in Colorado. He's actually running next weekend in Indiana. He's got some bombets. And then I have a two-year-old home bread that I bred who's getting ready to race. She's with Doug O'Neill out in Kentucky. Her name's Venice. Oh, yeah.

Sick. Yeah, good name for her. I like that. I'll keep you guys posted. Please do. In the group chat when they're running, yeah. It would be a dream to go see one of your horses with you, too. Like that, I would go anywhere, bro.

That would be awesome. Dude, betting on an EJ horse and that horse winning would be, I can't even talk about it, Dan. I can't even talk about it. Oh, dude, so a good story, probably seven or eight years ago, Dan and Chris, we had this Philly that we claimed for $29,000, $25,000. Your name was Money Spunt. And we kind of raced her up the rank. And we kind of put her maybe above water a little bit where she should have ran.

We entered her in the grade three Torrey Pines about a month after we claimed her for 25,000. She lapsed the field from last at 19 to 1, loses by this much. And the horse that wins get disqualified. And we get put up to first at 19 to 1 to win the graded stake, Tori Pines. Holy house. Incredible. We stole her for a hefty sum after we had some cash bet on her at 19. 17 to 1. I bet you did. I bet, dude. I would have two. I've given it all back since. Of course. That's the game. That's the game. Listen, what we always say is all we ask is for a seat at the table. And like that's what it's all about. If anyone says they are they are up gambling horses in their life, they're lying. They're a psychopath. Yeah, yeah. Correct. But that's not why we play for the love of the game. Exactly right. It's unbelievable. God. Oh, my God. Well, dude, we have taken enough of your time. This has been so much fun. We got to get you back on soon. Yeah.

But before we let you go, is there anything you want to shout out, anything you want to plug? What's going on in your life? No, nothing exciting, man. I'm just excited for the season to get started. We just went to Croatia, Italy, had a great time. Getting ready. I told you guys before to play Cyprus and Monterey Peninsula in a couple weeks, excited for that. And head to Delmar and maybe a trip to Napa.

We're going to go to Bordeaux later in the fall. Oh, yeah. That's just the part about being retired. That's been great. It's just being able to do things that I hadn't been able to do for 20 years longer, really. And it's just been nice to relax and spend some time with my family. I have an almost two-year-old nephew. So I've been able to see him, which has been fun.

So, yeah, it's just been great just to start this new chapter and super grateful for my career, but super grateful for this new chapter as well in my life. Absolutely. Perfect, man. Love that so much. Tats off to you, boys. Thanks for having me. Massive thank you to E.J. What an absolute stud. Long time coming. E.J., if you're listening,

if any E.J.'s friends, he'll listen. He's going to be back on many times. Literally cannot wait to see him at the track. God. E.J. and us at Del Mar together. I can't even think about it. He's going to become a yearly, cannot miss on the calendar. Cannot even think about it. That is going to be incredible. E.J. and us and us on the road together. Many, many good things coming. Huge fan. Cannot not wait to have him back. Incredible interview. One of the most fun interviews we've done in a long, long time. E.J. Love you. Big thanks, buddy. Now we're going to take a quick ad break, and we will be right back. Bed MGM is cooking, just like always. It never stops. This train never stops. And if you haven't signed up for bed MGM yet, do it right now. Pause the video.

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odds boost tokens, same game parlays. The works. BetMGM, always cooking. BetMGM, make it legendary. We're back and boys, I gotta tell you, I had one of those just unhinged. I don't think girls do this, but I just had one of those unhinged with the fellas' debates of somebody says something about sports and then it just, like everyone has a take and we just go toe to toe. You know, big fight.

For out. But no one's actually, yeah, yeah, it's just like, what, what are you talking about? You know, and then it just, and then in the morning we're all like, God, I was sick. I mean, yeah, like, it's like, it's, it's what we do in the sports annex all day long. Like, Danny and I got in that MJ LeBron debate, something I don't care about at all. And we were like screaming at each other. And Luke was like, now you're fucking name calling. And I didn't fucking say a word. Yeah. And next thing you know, we're all just idiots. Were you team MJ? Or were you team? I'm team MJ. Yeah. I am. But, but, but I have fully come around. We don't need to do this now. I have fully come around to. I do think LeBron is the greatest basketball player to ever live. But, but if I am taking. one I am taking MJ. Okay, yeah, you're right.

We can't talk about this right now, but I have a lot to say about that, but that's a good, well, well, well, well, well, well, leave it alone. Leave it, leave it, leave it, leave it.

Yeah, I mean, I'm sorry, dude. Like longevity, he added the three ball. Like, LeBron is the greatest player to ever exist. The one we, the one we cooked into was, what is the hardest sport to play? Now, specifically, I just want you two to know,

and here, and everyone at home listening and in your cars, I want you to know that I'm not saying who are the greatest athletes. Because that is a whole other debate that we can have. And that's a lively one as well. But I just want to know what the hardest sport to play is. And I'll tee you two up because here was the crux of it. Yeah.

As you can imagine, I in the fight was, and a couple people I was with. I was going to say, I can imagine someone who was heavy on We're dying on the hockey hill because I'm going, dude, it's all the hand eye and body and physicality of everything else you're talking about, except you're also doing it on skates. Like you literally have to then, you have to do football and basketball and everything and then also scan lacrosse and then also skate. So I'm, and admittedly I was in one as we were having this debate.

So I was very bullish on this. And it was reaching the point where you couldn't win with me because I was like, well, we're on skates. So fuck you. Loop was dying on. Hold on. Are you telling me you were being an insufferable twat? Yes. Shocker. Loop was dying on tennis because he's a little tennis boy. Yeah. But his just argument is like, dude, it's what they go through. What the ball, it's five hours. Think about that. Soccer games 90 minutes. A football games, 10 minutes of actual physicality. Yeah. Right.

Tockey players play 20 minutes. Those guys are playing tennis for five hours. Yeah. And then we all kind of landed on hitting a baseball, a pitched baseball that's breaking and going 102 is the hardest thing to do in any sport specifically. So does that, ipso facto, I'm your boss, make baseball the hardest thing to play? Because it has the hardest thing to do. The floor is yours. Yeah. So this debate's great because it started with who is the most athletic. So, no, I do not, because you could make the argument, dude, the way that billiards players

manipulate that ball is like equally hard. So I'm like, no, they're not the best athletes. So you guys have changed the discussion in your own discussion. Two different debates, yeah. Which is the worst thing you can possibly do. This is the better question, though, I think. Yeah, what is the most challenging thing to one single thing in sports to do? That is a very different debate.

Because if we were just talking about who is the best athletes, I'm going to come back to hockey too. And a big thing for me is, I, growing up, I feel like most of the time, the great hockey players were also nasty at another sport. And I did not find that to be as consistent with other sports. Like the best football player wasn't also dope at baseball. Like more of the awesome hockey players were also nasty at other sports. And I'm talking on the simple high school level. Yeah. Because I was going to push back and say in pro sports, like actual pros, I feel like I hear

all the time, and I guess I'm about to list like three quarterbacks. But all these guys are going, I was also like D1 baseball player and was going and was drafted to the MLB. Like Brady Mahomes, Russ Wilson, Kyler, like all these guys could have lucrative MLB careers. Yeah. And I don't think a lot of hockey. guys, NHL guys I've ever heard that are like,

I was also a nasty at baseball. I'm like, incorrect, you were just good at hockey. That's fair. But also, and I think you are answering this, but it's, I think because it's so hard to be good at hockey that they had to focus so much. Yeah, okay, see, now this is bad. Because a bunch of football players are like this, I can go play

that fucking plumber sport baseball. I'm serious. Like, Kyler Murray's like, I fucking throw a rocket football. I also throw a rocket baseball. I'm like, that's not shocking. Yep. What do you think of?

I was going to say, remember when they used to have like, like Bo Jackson was football and baseball? They don't do that. People don't do that anymore. Professionally, right? When was the last athlete that like did two professional sports? Dude, I don't even know if it could. Dionne Sanders is the last one to ever do it.

And Dionne Sanders, by the way, has given an interview where they were like, and theoretically on paper him and Bo Jackson are like two of the greatest athletes to ever live. Right. Because they're like, you did it. A lot of people talk about it. You literally did it. And they have interviewed Dionne Sanders

and they said, what is the hardest thing you've ever done? And he said hitting that baseball. Really? Yeah, he's like, it's fucking insane. There's a case for baseball. Yep. But I also think this didn't even come up

in our drunken stupor. But football wasn't even mentioned. And I do think it's worth mentioning though because it is so physical. It is so physical. It is so physical. I mean, that's the other thing about hockey is like when Loop brought up tennis,

I'm like, that's such a loop thing to do and also great call. Yeah. Because tennis is insanely, I mean, you want to talk about just being in shape of getting back and forth on the court and all that, absolutely. But also hitting a tennis ball is not easy. Yeah. And like, manipulating it the way. That's what I'm saying.

And then I dare someone who thinks tennis is lame to stand in there against a fucking serve from one of these guys. And I'm like this. Try to even get your racket on that, let alone return it in a way that's going to be challenging for them. But if you do want to just talk about like the athleticism and physical. It's like, yeah, oh, it's so hard for a tennis player to play a full match. I'm like, why don't you try getting hit by Alex Hvejkin on a four check? Yeah, right. And then try to play the rest of a hockey game.

So miss me with the like, oh, it's so challenging on the body. I'm like, that's challenging on the body. Get hit in a hockey game. Block a shot in a hockey game. That's challenging on the body. And then come back and keep playing. Yeah, like, give me a fucking break, dude. Like, yes, I know it's challenging, but hockey players and football players are like, after

every single game, they are like, I have broken. bones that I'm now going to play through. So I do not want to hear the challenging on the body argument. What about rugby? Did anybody bring up rugby? I mean, I'm going to, I'm going to say something that I, I am sure I would have been made fun of in that conversation. But like, if we're talking best athletes. But we aren't talking best athletes. Just what's, and not the hardest. So we've officially changed the discussion. Well, so this is the part you missed. But I do, no, I do want to add this, because you said you started this discussion on what, what is like the most athletic sport to play? No, no. We actually said, at the very beginning of it, we said, to be clear, we are not

saying who are the best athletes. We are saying what is the hardest sport to play? And then it got fucked because the hardest thing in sports was something, but just what is the hardest sport to play? Okay, fair. I would like to circle back. I know this isn't the discussion, but if we are talking about the athletics thing, I do think gymnastics needs to be discussed. Oh, whoa. That would did not come up. Very good. And I, again, I am sure I would have been made fun of for saying that. And I'm Like, you're all dumb. Dude, gymnasts are fucking insane.

Freaks. Like, what they fucking do with the, I think them, I mean, I don't know shit about gymnastics from like a full perspective. But when I watch the, I don't know what it's called, the bars thing. Oh, the, uh, fuck. I thought it was called Parallel cars. Hey, see that thing right in front of you? You got one too.

You wouldn't believe, but I'm talking. I can't talk and type. Here, I'm typing. Parallel bars? No, not the parallel bars. I'm talking when they are flinging themselves around and launching to another bar and like spinning. Uneven bars. Dude, that shit is like dislocating their shoulders and they're flying through the air, like grabbing onto it.

Dude, the uneven bars are gas. Is that what it is? Uneven bars is the most insane thing I've ever seen. Like, whoever, I mean, you're a trapeze artist. You're a circus. Yeah, you're an acrobat. I'm gymnasts and like acrobats like if we're having that discussion. Dude, the circus people.

They are the answer. Like they are all ripped to shit and then flying their bodies through like risking their lives every five seconds. So shout out gymnasts. That shit is insane. I went to my first, uh, Cirque show ever, um, when I was in Vegas, it must have been for the cup or something. Like I was, so Sandra was there. I can't remember why she came for that last day, right? Yeah.

San Diego went to a Cirque show and it was the, uh, absinth one. Oh, so good. Yeah. But dude, you're right. Those dudes, people, like, there's a ton of different acts, but they come in and they are, they are flippy flopping in ways that make no sense. No sense, dude. It is insane.

So shout out there. Really good one. I don't know if this counts, but have you ever tried to walk on a slack line? Yeah, dude, it's hard. I'm like, there's no fucking way I could do that. Also, it made me, when I was young, when that started becoming cool, it was like, it was a very, like, beach kid, hippie thing I do in Maine. Yeah.

And, like, I would look at some of these, like, stoners that I'm like, in my, like, arrogant high school days. I'm like, I'm so much more athletic than you. And then they were just doing backflips on the slack line and I was like, no, I'm not. They're insane. Just smoke more pot to play. Tennis. Smoke more pot, Dan. Tennis, I like your tape. I mean, dude, if we're going back to the single

hardest thing, I might, I'm circling back to gymnastics, dude. The hardest sport to play is gymnastics. I think it might be. And they're doing, fuck it, they're flippy flopping. I can't tell if this helps. You're not in your suit, flippity floppity? Yeah, right. No one really knows who you are.

Yeah. Like, you're doing. Think about these people. I don't know if it helps or hurts their argument that you have to be tiny. Like part of me goes that helps their argument because if you're tall, you literally can't do it. But then it kind of makes me be like, well, it's actually only hard because we're all not fucking four ten. Well, not all of them. They pretty much all. Simone is to, I think they're all very, very small.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I do think Nadal, like, the Rafa Nadals of the world are like, my fingers hurt. And I'm like, I'm ripping my heels open. My fingers hurt. Oh, now your back's going to hurt. Exactly. You just pulled landscape and duty. Because Ovexkins barreling down the neutral zone.

So, yeah. I mean, there's just, I mean, it is really like, are you factoring in the pure physical pummeling you take? I think that. Or is it the skill with which you're doing the one activity that actually counts? Like, to me. I want it all for the, I think the hitting a baseball is the specific to the skill. And I think that's the hardest thing.

But I want it to be like everything. What is the, hardest skill in your sport. Is it physical? What's the duration? Yeah. I mean, not to be a homer, but I agree that hockey is fucking up there. You literally have to do it while skating. And you're getting your ass hit. I can't understand how anyone would think it's not hockey when they're like, dude, imagine like football taking hit from a free safety. And I'm like, do try doing that on skates. Imagine throwing a lacrosse ball and a lot more cardio. Listen, this is a great podcast for the hockey debate. And I will say it does always come up.

And there are tons of professional athletes of other sports who bring up hockey. And they're like, I mean, they're doing everything we do on skates with 30 pounds of equipment on. So like that's pretty hard. Sometimes though, when I watch videos of guys like Tom Brady, Patrick Holmes, Josh Allen, breaking down what they have to do. Yeah, dude. Pre-snap. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And then post-snap. And when I think about, like those guys going, I need to know every single play in this playbook. And then I stand under center and I have 25 seconds to look at these, what is it, 11 guys and try to figure out what they're doing and how that combats my skill player guys. And I go, okay, I think I know what to do here. And then I say the word hut. Yeah. and a ball is put in my hands, and then Miles Garrett is right there going like this.

I am trying to murder you. And I'm like, what? That does make me go like, I don't know, man. Like playing quarterback must be pretty shied. And then throw a ball like a billion yards away. And throw it, and have somebody catch it.

In a perfect spiral 60 yards down a field to hit another man who's running a 4-540 in stride. Dude, like, let me put this on top of that. because I thought you were going to say this too, Dan. When you see those back views of QBs in the NFL, not so much college and down, but NFL, bro, it's like the receiver is like turning left and they throw it over here because they know in two seconds he's going to break back right. And then as he turns out the balls.

Like the early into space throws they make is banana land. Considering in hockey and other sports, you pass because you see the guy. I'm like, he's right there. Give him the ball. If we do. if we're saying hitting a baseball is hard, hardest things do in sports? Are we not saying, do we think that,

hitting a round ball with a round bat coming 102, is that harder than hitting a golf ball at a professional tour level? Golf is, okay, maybe golf's the hardest sport to play. Golf's pretty hard. Now, the ball's not moving at you. Yeah, hitting a golf ball is not harder than hitting a baseball.

But when you think about how small the pinhole is, and you're standing as far away as you are. And people are like this, you have four tries. Not only do you have four tries to get it in there, but you should do it in three if you want to win. Yeah. Like that's pretty insane. And I've said this before on the pod,

but I don't know if you were there, Evan, one of my favorite facts about golf is you're playing yourself, right? You're playing the course, but there's no one stopping you, right? In the NBA, and there's defenders and NHL defenders, in every other, we are good. humans are very good at stuff. And we are very athletic. We sure are.

In every other sport where it's just you versus the course or the board or the table, we have mastered it years ago. Bowling, the pros shoot 300. If you shoot 297, you lose. Darts, we get triple 20s. Like, that's how you play. Billiards, you don't even fucking give the cue ball back, right? Like the good guys run the table.

That's how you win. Golf is the only sport on earth that it is, just us versus the course. I think nature is more bigger part of it. And we can't do it. Like we're still, like you'd think by now, everyone shoots eagle every hole and we're like, no, this game's really hard, we can't do it. Like, it is that difficult. And also, you have to be drunk while you golf too.

So that's another, you have to be drunk. That would actually be so sick of it. The PGA tour had a drinking. I'm going to circle back again and combine two of the things we've been talking about. I can't believe we haven't said this yet. Dude, figure skaters. Okay. I was going to bring that up, but you beat me to it.

Dude, it's so hard. We've talked about watching, like, being able to be in Milan and watching Alyssa doing what she was doing. And the quad god, and the quad god. But we've also talked about, shout out Great Park in Anahe, unbelievable figure skaters there training and going through all their practices and all that. And we, when we were interviewing Schaefer down there, I had never been that close to, like, elite Olympic figure skaters. the sound. Yeah. When they land is so loud.

Yeah. And I was just like, oh yeah, you're, you know, like these men, like you weigh like 160 pounds probably. And you're doing fucking backflips. Like the quad cuts literally backflipping with blades on his feet on ice. And people are like, that's not impressive. And I'm like, are you insane? That is. And you have to perform too.

Yeah, right. You only have to like physically do it, but you have to like emotionally embody. I mentioned Alyssa. Like, Alyssa puts on a fuck-you. Oh, she was great. Like,

she puts on a true, like, dance, all-star performance. And think about this. And then does it with blades on her feet. Right.

And think about this. I would say that, considering the world, Dan, the entire population of the world, yeah. You and I are in the 1% of skaters.

Because most people in the world. Because the world, yeah, yeah. Like, obviously NHL players and KHL players are way better

skaters than we ever were. But, like, we are in the top 1% of, skating ability in the world. And I could never. I couldn't even do a 360. No.

Like, you know what I mean? And I'm in the 1%. I'm like they are, it is actually insane. The body manipulation they do in air. Sports are hard. Sports are hard. News flash. Sports are hard. I think it's basketball and it's not even close. Wow.

Damn. Unless, I mean, if you want to, I'm not counting like bowling and shit, you know. No, no, we got it. Oh, okay. You're not counting that stuff. Like bowling, darts. Yeah. Pool, I hear you that it actually is a cue ball manipulation, and that is cool. So it was bowling. But I just missed me with the bar game sports for a second. Yeah.

Basketball, as I'm like one of the big majors. They're great athletes. I'm not saying that. They're not athletic. They are wildly athletic. And they're also massive. Like every time you see an NBA guy in real life, you're like, holy fuck, dude. What about soccer, dude?

You're just kicking a ball. Maybe soccer. Soccer is the easiest sport. But it is, you do have to manipulate a soccer ball. And more endurance for soccer. Way more endurance. basketball, they just popping up and down the court, dude. Well, you know, it is funny when you think about it, when you're trying to get kids and infants into sports, the first two things you give them is a soccer ball to kick around and then a basketball with a little tyke soup.

Yeah. Because that shit's for fucking clowns. Yeah. You hear you go, you bitch ass. I'm fucking terrible at basketball. I just can't shoot. Evan, I once in middle school being a lifelong hockey ball. To this day, I have never in my life played one second of orchestrated.

organized basketball. One sec. And by that, I mean, that has a league. Of course, I've played pickup basketball with friends, but I have never played basketball. And once in middle school, out at recess, got a bunch of friends were like, let's play some basketball, shoot some hoops. And I picked up a ball and, like, I can dribble a basketball, obviously, but I shot a ball and threw an airball and got ridiculed by my friends. And it was so embarrassing that I went home to our driveway. Yeah, we had a goal. For like weeks.

And every day I shot 100 basketballs because I was like, I will never embarrass myself like that. Literally, what a waste of your time. What a waste of my time. Shoot 100 pox to you being in a show. For weeks, I shot 100 basketball. Again, I am not a basketball player. I never intended to play basketball.

It was literally just embarrassment. I was so embarrassed that I was like, I can't have that happen again. I did the, they got me for the half court shot at a Clippers game once. And it was to win a Jeep. And man, I really could have used. use that jeep. Yeah.

I really needed that Jeep. My buddy, I fucking whiffed it short. It's hard. It's hard. It's long. It's really hard. But my buddy, who I was with wanted me to say when they, he's like, hey, man, when they get the mic up to your face, just say, I'm recently divorced.

And I chicken now. I really need this. I didn't do it. I should have fucking done it. Dude, you'd be, what year was this? I want to say like 2015-ish. Okay, yeah. Dude, you'd be on the internet still.

Like people, that would, that clip would exist. I know. I fucked it up. That would have been awesome. You know, like, you know, when someone grabs the, like, someone's holding, yeah, yeah, they're like, I recently divorced. I'm really still divorced. God, this is for you, Carrie. Then you cash it.

That would have been one of the great YouTube posts I've ever seen. If I had made it. I'm recently divorced. Bang, half court. It's, it's, I, unlike Dan, I did not go home and do a bunch of half court shots. I've actually thrown a fair share of half court shots in my, not, not publicly. But, you know, every time I'm on a court, I tend to try one just because I'm like, this is fun. Yeah.

So I'll be ready. When they call my name, I'll be fucking ready. I promise you that. I promise you that. All right, I'm going to take you guys to another topic. Okay, so final answer, golf? Hockey? There is no answer.

I would say hockey. I don't feel closer to an answer at all. I'm glad we just gave flowers to a lot of things that deserve it. This was detrimental. Easy a sport basketball. All right, I'm going to take you guys into another debate topic I was having. It's not really debate. I guess I had more of a question for you to.

Okay. This weekend, I was eating tendies. Love some tendies. And I was with some people And we were eating tendies And there was a Do you have a I'm sorry to get off topic

But do you have like a spot? Uh, no Let me see I Tendies are so Fucking Faking Jamos

Jamos has good tendies They do I don't like the dipping sauce Yeah I kind of hear that I think I have this take with wings too No ranch disrespect

But I do think Ranch is a little childish So yes. No, no. It's like if you like ranch, that's fine. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I'm with you. But I mean like when people are like ranch is your go-to.

I'm like, there's a whole world of dipping sauces out there, guys. We got to open it up a little bit. And J-Mos, which I love, shout out Jamos. They kind of only offer ranch, buffalo. And I think they have a honey mustard. And honey mustard is great. And I'm like, okay. But like, you're famous for your tenders.

Let's broaden it out. Like get me like a Polynesian. Get me like, you know. Yeah, yeah. My ranch, my respect for ranch went up during the World Cup, when everyone from another country was like, ranch is amazing. They're like, you don't know what you have here.

I was like, oh, you know what? I didn't realize how sick ranch is. Yeah, so. All right, so what, you had a tendee situation? On seven tendies, there was a thing of barbecue sauce. Everyone was using it. And I dip the tendee, take a bite. We're chatting, we're chatting.

And then I dip again. And the person I believe goes like this, did you just double dip? and I was like, yeah. And they were like, dude, and they weren't mad, obviously, but they were like, dude, at least like, you know, flip it to the other side. Yeah.

And if you need more than that, you've got to be breaking it. They said you've got to be breaking off pieces and then dipping those. And I was like, oh, I thought double dipping was like a thing you said in the elementary school cafeteria. And then we all grew up and no one gives a flying fuck about me double dipping my tending. You're so wrong.

Yeah. This is a famous Seinfeld episode that I never really watched that. That was like a cultural moment. 100% where they were like, you can't double dip the chip. It's rude. Yeah. And like, well, chip is kind of crazy. I'm like, just fucking eat the chip, bitch.

Yeah. Yeah, but the, I mean, dude, you are like, you're so wrong. Dude. But, but, but, I, if you, if you're a double dip policeman and you have a problem with the flip, you're a clown. And they didn't. Nobody should have a problem with it. Yeah.

I mean, the flip is just like. that is just intelligent, like that's, that's what you do. But yeah, man, I would, I would almost venture to say it's worse as an adult. Because like, as an adult, you've got, there's, more has been in that mouth, brother. No, but the children, children, bacteria. Oh, yeah, that's true. You can't even, a kid can't even breathe on you. But they're all, but they're not running into their lips always. But they all have it already. Like, those are kids jerks. I don't know what I'm saying. I can't have a child double bit. No, yeah, yeah. I'm like, you're dead. I personally have a, a, um, a multivariant, uh,

dip policy. Like if I'm with my wife or close friends, or my brother, we're double dipping. If it's a small group of friends, it's like, I don't care. But if it's a larger pool of people, then I think like there's no double dipping should be allowed. Agree completely. Okay. If I am with Alice and she like takes a bite of something and then dips it on the bitten part, I obviously do not care. Right. And because the group I was with was, and this was kind of my point of, and the group I was with was also being like sharing drinks. You know, it was like, oh, try this drink. You know, like, we had all been, like, drinking out of the same glass the whole fucking day. And I was like, you have an issue now with my double-dipped tendi.

And here's my other point. I don't think, and this is another argument for why it's worse for the children. I am not, fuck the children. Fuck them kids. Fuck them kids, dude. I am not really, like, can you, can you right now mime to me how you bite into a tendi? Yeah, I am a ripper, though. Okay, but if you weren't a ripping, just bite into a tent. I go like, I grab my tending, I go like this. Okay, pretty much me too. So, for example, enough that you would ever double dip a taco. What the fuck?

Are we talking about? How else do you eat a tendi? Well, this is my point. If it's a taco, I'm kind of like, like, there's a lot of shit going on. But that's messy. Right, with a tendi, I go like this. Yeah. So I'm like.

It's a clean bite. The double dip, it's not like I'm fucking slobbering over this end of the tendi. It's been, it's been scissered off by my, fucking teeth and then you know what is you know what my major problem with you is in life in general when you can't believe there's one when you have a stance like this it would be so easy for you to look at society and go i understand that i am wrong here but instead you so passionately defend your point like this as if we're all crazy dude your mouth and saliva is getting all over that tendi.

No, I don't, I don't, yes, really. Well, wait, do you, when you bite it, could you like, use your teeth only? No, Evan, don't. And pull your tongue back. Yeah, yeah. I'm begging you. I'm not, do not try to help him here.

I'm not condoning it. It's, I don't give a shit what you think you're doing, because here's, here's what I know. You aren't, and maybe you will now, because you're such a scumbag. You aren't going like this. Let me dry off my teeth. I do that. And then grabbing a tender and going, and just geotining it.

You are not doing that. It's guillotined every time. No, you're not. Stop lying. You are not doing that. So even if you were, it would still be it's in your mouth. It is inside your mouth. There is saliva and whatever germs, whatever you want to call it, on your teeth and lips.

That is touching it. So I know, logically, you know why people have a problem with it. So stop sitting here and trying to act like we're all nuts. Just go like this. I have no problem with it. I understand I'm in the minority and wrong. Just say that. Here's another point, Dan.

And this is my magic bullet I've been holding this whole time. I don't think you heard any of that. Here's my magic bullet I've been holding this whole time. Truly, Evan, the whole time he was going like this. Dan is so wrong. Watch this. You'll hear me out. Here we go.

Here's the tub of barbecue sauce, right? And it's sauce everywhere. And I guillotine my chicken, but it's not perfect because no one can perfectly guillotine attendee. Yeah. So then I concede that the surface, the half moon surface of my tendi

has saliva on it. Okay? Then I dip that into the barbecue sauce. The only part of the barbecue sauce that comes in contact with my saliva comes back up with my tendi. The backside of that has touched zero.

Stop. Zero. Zero, Mark Strong, zero of my saliva. Like, I have left barbecue sauce. Wrong. Mark Baum. Mark Baum. That is not touched my saliva.

I bring it back up with me, dude. I'm begging you to stop entertaining. This is my magic bullet. Boom, boom, boom, boom. We're dead. You're dead, dude. We can't, we've been killed. There's no, the science is in the sauce.

What is so, this. It comes up with me, dear. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You, your lack of understanding of this basic principle is why you're sick all the time. Like, you're like, you genuinely can't process germs spreading or anything spreading. and this is why you were perpetually sick. Jerms, it's a five second. Jerms take five seconds to get on food that's on the ground.

You're telling me my dip, my 0.3 second dip spreads into the whole barbecue sauce. It doesn't even pass the five second rule. Yeah. How long would your, how long would your tending need to be in it before the saliva goes to the entire? Yeah, if someone dips, if someone double dips, I'm like, all good, but if they look over at me

and they're holding in a double dip. I'm like, get that out. Take that out right now. Devil dipping. It's not the worst thing in the world. But it's not great. It's not great. I'm glad at least you guys are on a side of certainly with your inner circle.

I'm like, yeah, if it's people you trust. If I'm at a Super Bowl party, even I'm kind of like, I don't need to get a lot of people here. Yeah, I don't need to get in that sauce. All right.

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40% off on your next purchase with promo code netters, N-E-T-T-E-R-S. So we're talking about double dipping, which obviously includes foods, chips, things like that. I was in the grocer. the other day. And I was looking, there's one thing I was looking at specifically that brought this up to me. And it was Rees's. I don't know if you guys have noticed this. Rees's is having a moment. Oh, really? That's great. Yeah. I mean, there, Rees's is everywhere. And they've got all of

these different options. I mean, I was, Rees's is in Oreos. It's in Twix. It's, dude, it's crazy. They're in Oreo? Yeah, I'm pretty sure. It's like, you can get an Oreo with Reese's peanut butter. Oh, that's really good. Oh, oh, oh, sick. Yeah, of course. Keep up, dude. I was like, they put the little chips in the fucking Oreo. But Reese's got me, what do you mean chips? I was thinking about Reese's pieces. I was like, I was all fucked up. Oh, funny that you say that, dude. Okay. The fact that you think pieces first is my point here. Yep. That is not what Reese's is. Reese's is, piece is peanut butter cups is the original. Oh, my God, look at this. Caramel Cup. Right? It's insane. So it got me thinking how many things in the game out there when it comes to

you know, big brand foods and drinks like this where some of their alternate options down the line are better than the OG. Oh, I got one. So I have a bunch for you guys and I want you to add. I'm going to give you a list of things and I want you guys to say yay or nay. Okay. Okay. These are all ones that I believe Are better. Are better. Okay, so you're yaying all of these. I am yaying all these. My first one is Eminem's.

I think peanut Eminem's, and then maybe even more so, peanut butter Eminemes are better than Eminem's. Yay. 100% yay. Peanut Eminemps are great. And both of them, Dan. Both of them are better. And how iconic is that moment for Eminem?

Yeah. They make, dude, Frank Mars, Milton Hershey team up to help soldiers in the war by putting a hard candy shell around chocolate so it doesn't melt during travel. while they are overseas. They create eminent. Yeah. And then they go like this. What if we put something in there?

I know this is insane. We need some protein in there. And they made it even. Yes, exactly. So my next one, which kind of started this conversation, Rises. I actually think I prefer, Reese's peanut butter cups are incredible.

And do you like the flat wide or the taller? Like the tall minis? Yeah. I prefer the flat wide. Okay. But I'm going piece. pieces over them. I'm going the animal crackers over them. I've been jerking. Oh, dude, those animal crackers. I have been jerking off. I've never had those.

Evan, I have been double-rister spit in both palms, keep eye contact the whole time. Those Reese's animal crackers are insane. Also, I'm going to go seasonal here. I actually think my maybe goat Reese's product, other than I do love Reese's pieces, the pumpkin. Oh, but that's that's cup though. essentially. Yeah, but it's better than the cup because it's a little thicker. You get a little more peanut butter. Yeah, you get that with the egg too. The egg as well. The pumpkin and the egg, like the end of

we're not talking about the hard candy shell egg thingies, we're talking about the egg shaped reesis. So I think reissus has better than the register. I actually, shockingly will go yay because I love the pieces. Yeah. The pieces are fucking so addicting. I I would

I like the egg and the Pumpkin, I'll see you on that one. I don't necessarily go to Reese's Pieces. Yeah. Unless I'm at like the movies or something. Right, right. It doesn't need to be pieces.

You are saying, though, that some other iteration you think is better than the OG Cup. Better? You can say nay. Say nay. I'll say nay, but it's very close. All right. My next one, Doritos. Ooh.

Well, what is an original Dorito? The original nacho cheese. Oh, that's the first. I think Cool Ranch, and I'm even going to go sweet chili. I think sweet chili is incredible. Sweet Chili is to die for. And Dan, I'm shocked you're a cool ranch guy because so am I. And I think that's an uncommon take, but I think Cool Ranch is magical. Yes, it's incredible. I prefer the nacho cheese. I also love a nacho cheese. So I, this is, I actually like that Evan is saying nay on some of these because I, the other element of this is there a lot that I'm like, the OG is pretty solid.

Okay, my next one. Actually, I'm going to be honest, this is a. nay for me, but I wanted to bring it up. Or, excuse me, my next one is this is a little dangerous, it's Ruffles because we could do this with any chip. But like Ruffles original, Ruffles sour cream and cheddar, Ruffles sour cream and onion.

I kind of feel about Doritos. It's unfair. That's like the whole field of things. But Dorito is not a normal chip. Yeah, fair. That has a flavor. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So when you say you kind of feel that way, you kind of feel dumb. I do feel dumb right now. Because if Doritos was just a tortilla chip, you'd have I like to stand. Yeah, yeah. What's better?

tortilla chips or Doritos. Any Doritos. So I don't even want to bring up ruffles. All right. Next one is Oreo. Yeah. There are so many flavors of Oreo now. If you go to the cookie aisle,

Oreo commands about half the aisle. I actually think, nay. I think double stuff is too much going on in there. I think the golden Oreo is amazing, but I would prefer a normal Oreo. This is an interesting one for me personally because I do believe that there are flavored Oreos that I like more than Oreo. So for that reason, I should say yay, but...

You can't think of it. No, no, it's not even that. It's just eventually I don't want them. There's like the cinnamon bun one or whatever. There's like, there's a few. There's more than one. The novelty wears off. Exactly.

So I'm kind of like, oh, I do. If it was forever, if you said, you can only have one of these forever, I would go back to the original. I've got sort of a sideways take on this because I've kind of outgrown Oreo cookies as like a thing. What, dude? I don't really enjoy the Oreo cookie because for whatever reason there's sort of a chalkiness to when I bite into it. To me, it's like a film.

Yeah. I'm with Evan, dude. The only time I ever eat an Oreo now is like when I'm hammered on a ski trip and someone's bought Oreas. But I will say this, though. I will say my favorite way to have an Oreo is in cookies and cream ice cream. When there's Oreos and ice cream, I'm there. Oroes is goaded. Yeah.

Orio's an ice cream. Like an Oreo blizzard. I had Oreo cheesecake ice cream last night. It was great. Amazing. Yeah. Okay, next one, I think I'm going to get you on this one for sure. Ginger's right now has a Samoa.

Oh, pretty cool. Ice cream, and it was. Yeah, that's amazing. It was tremendous. Skittles. Oh, fuck. What's the iteration on that, like tropical? Sour skittles.

I put tropical down as well. And there's the wildberry one, too. Wildberry skittles, I think they're all better. Fuck. This is the hardest one so far for me. in what world are you not picking sour skittles over skittles? Well, sour skittles is my favorite skittles, but it's the same thing. Like, I don't know if I could have that forever.

It would rip it my tongue up. Yeah, but you couldn't have skittles forever either. Okay, then yeah. I only ever eat skittles and I have scurby. Sour Patch kids? A surprising nay for me. I know. You've said this before.

I know everyone loves the watermelon. And they're great. I think one single watermelon sally is so infinitely better than every single sourpatch. Patch kid. Like you put, you can get the whole gang, whole gang to fight one watermelon slice, and the watermelon slice beats the wheels off those kids. I'm going to be in the minority there. And they're both, they're two of my, they're probably, I got two more. And my last one, I think is the greatest landslide in the history of this. Yep. Next one is Cheerios. I think Honeynut puts it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Clear yay. Yeah. And there's a lot of Cheerios. I mean,

remember Frosted Cheerios? I was just going to bring that up. I don't think they make that anymore. I don't think they do either. That was a 90s there. And there was a time. There was a time. And there was a time, this was actually hilarious, rice crispy cereals. Serial was a thing. And then someone, some lunatic at the Kellogg factory decided to make Rice Krispy Treat cereal. Insane. It was so good. It's literally just Rice Krispy Treats in water. In milk. And. Did you say water? Yeah, he did. Yeah, sorry. I was that, tell me that's not how you're having cereal. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Yeah, psycho. And then they were discontinued.

Probably because they're super unhealthy. But when I was in college, there was a little grocery store in like situate mass where a friend from school lived. And it was clearly like they just had like stock from the old and from, you know, like it's like kind of it's a small town place. And she like bought all the Rice Krispy Treat cereal for. Yeah. Yeah. It was amazing. Okay.

And then my last one, again, I think this is the greatest beat down of all time, Gatorade. Oh, yeah. Gatorade's OG is lemon lime. Oh, oh, oh, oh, I see. Yeah. I can't remember the last time I drank lemon lime gatorade. So I'm not as passionate as you because I had one the other day and I was like, yeah, this actually slaps, but you are completely correct.

There are other flavors that are far superior. I go blue every time. Blue is amazing. Red was red second? Yeah, yeah. Probably. Like, I feel like the red. It must have been.

It must have been. Because that's like the fruit punch. Yeah, yeah, exactly. That is like. I never go for. I know, same. And I'm like, I'm a red in everything else, like every candy I want the red one. I feel like I'm just drinking straight red dye. Yeah, that's what's making me freak out. I kind of, I outgrew. You know, I was like, okay, I don't need more fruit punch.

Yeah. You landside and Gatorade, great one. I would agree. I mean, I do like the lemon one if I, if I'm, oh yeah, no, it's good. If I'm sick, but I just think like, I'm never, I'm never, you're a better one. Do you, is that, is that, is that all? That's my, that's my list. Which one did you have? I had, um, do you know, guardettos? Oh, what do you have? What is that? Gardettos are like those, you know, it's like Czechs mixed, but it's a little more Italian. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. They do a version of Gardettos where it's just the bagel chip only. It's called the special request, Gardettos. Yeah. Because somebody must have just been like, I want these bagel chips.

Like they're, because, you know, you get like the checks, you get the little breadstick. Yeah, the pretzels, but this is specifically that to me, way better. Just give me what I want. Is the bagel chip, the big brown piece? Yeah. It's amazing. It's the round, brown, like, those are. so salty and they're so good.

It's hilarious when things universally, the ride chip or something. It's like in trail mix, no one wants the raisin. Like, everyone's like, God damn it, dude. And I feel like the pretzel in those things. Everyone's like, everything else is so unique and cool. And they're like, here's a pretzel. And then it's all pretzels and I'm so mad.

Yeah, well, the pretzels are boring as shit. Exactly. I have pretzels, dude. Do you guys have any? God, you had such good ones. I mean, again, I gave a lot. Yep, yep, yep. Um, I think, you know what I think is nay often is, unlike Gatorade, is sodas.

Like for the most part, I was looking at sodas, dude. Yeah, I mean, I, I, I'm sure that there are some people out there. Like, I saw, I was thinking about like cherry Coke. Yeah. Uh, wild cherry Pepsi, things like that. And I'm like, those are all great. But it's, it's, uh, you know what one came up a lot is Baja blast. Yeah.

I think, wait a second, wait a second, wait a second, wait a second. But I think Code Red was gas. I would say in general, I don't, I don't agree with this, but I would say in general, diet of whatever, diet Coke or diet Pepsi is a great call. It's probably more popular than the regular, at this point in the game. If we're going to count that as a change. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, fair. Diet's the variation that everybody goes.

Or zero sugar. I actually cannot believe. I'm sometimes I'm with people and they're like, can I, oh, like they'll get a regular soda. Yeah. the movies or something and it's like the big it's like this big yeah and I'm like oh no dude cut your foot off now yeah are you aware that's what I do I mean I I I don't like diet colas because I just don't like the taste but I also don't drink soda that much so when I drink soda I'm like I'm gonna get a fucking regular full fat yeah I love Mexican like the Mexican Coke or whatever it's like the full

sugar so good but like a straight up dr. pepper a straight up Pepsi like the regular mountain do to me I agree is all better than the weird flavors I like chair in a soda sometimes. The vanilla, not so much. Not a huge vanilla in my soda guy. Shout up, Brian Farrell. And then I kind of would argue gums. Like gum?

I think that's getting too crazy. Gum. I mean, like the whole point of gum is different flavors. It's flavors. It's flavors that disappear after three seconds. All right, let's wrap things up with a beer league hotline. Evan, what do you got for us? All right, here we go.

our rink in SF, that's San Francisco for the uninitiated, got renovated and is under new management. The captains of all the leagues just received emails stating that the rink is almost ready, but there are rule changes. Each of the four leagues are being reduced by two teams. There has been no information as to how that is going to happen. And we were told that players can't play in multiple leagues anymore. I manage a team in the A and B League and a lot of the guys straddle. And of course, our time slots are being pushed back. 11.30 p.m. is now our late slot.

What do we do as captains? Help! Dance deep in thought. Yeah. Let's rank the three in terms of levels of infrastructure. This is a serious one. This is not good. So they underwent renovations. The rinks gets remodeled, new management.

So they go, hey, we're almost ready to come back. And they go, amazing. And they go, good news. We are almost been. Back. Bad news. We're pushing all your time slots back. So you play at 1130 now. Yeah. Also, you're no longer allowed to play in two leagues. Also, every league is being reduced by two teams, and they don't know yet how two teams are literally being cut out of beer league. Like, you're not in beer league anymore. Well, I think what they're going to, what they're going to say is

join the other teams and you'll just have more bodies, which is a nightmare. And less ice time. Yeah. Because I would be like, you know, we're from. Every single one of these things is horrible. utterly moronic. Yep. You are, all you are doing is opening the possibility of making less money.

Yep. And, and there's surely a reason for it because they're not morons. Like, right? Like something has happened where they're going,

hey, someone else bought ice earlier in the evening that is paying more than you, you know, like we're now sold this to the figure skating group. You're now getting pushed back.

And because there's less slots, you can have less teams. Fuck yourselves. Yeah. I'm going to rank them. The 1130 is the least bad for me. I'm sure most of people are going to say that for the worst bad. Yeah. No, it sucks, but it's not.

It's fucking awful. You're playing to one now. Like literally that game's going to end at one. But you don't always have the 1130, but that I can live with because I just stay up late anyway. The double, the no two leagues is I'm still into. I know not everyone is anymore, but I love playing more. So I'm like, that sucks. And it seems so insane that I'm like, what's your fucking problem, dude?

Yeah. Again, it's just more money. You're just getting more money for people. And then the eliminating two teams... Is the craziest thing I've ever seen? Dude, is the craziest thing I've ever seen because to your point, there's no room for your full team

to join another league because they've already trimmed. The only option is your whole team disbands and joins other teams, which is not fun for the other teams because they're like, we're full and not fun for you because now you don't get to play with your friends. To me, this feels like a... This is an issue of ice time, clearly.

Yes. Like you're getting... pushed back because whatever renovation you have done has clearly made more like youth leagues or something want to skate here. So you've now pushed back the beer leagues. And because of that pushback, you're like, we also can't have two extra teams playing because that's an hour we don't have. Yep. So what you have to do, unfortunately, is it sounds like this renovation lasted a reasonable amount of time. So presumably, everyone in this league has been without beer league hockey for a little bit of time. and they're all chomping at the bit to get back to the game.

Unfortunately, what you must do right now is literally go on strike. Work stoppage. You go, hey, if this is what's happening, then we're not coming back. And fuck you. And make the rink eat that ice time. Because you just survived however long without beer. You can do it again. You can do it one more year.

I know it sucks. I wouldn't want to do it. But we actually almost had to do this in our league the other day. I would literally go on a full call all the captains and go, we are not going back. Don't pay them a fucking dime and we're not playing until they, at minimum let the teams stay or something. You know, like you're going to have to compromise. Maybe you play the late games.

But at minimum, you're not cutting teams out of beer league. This is a tough one because there's just, there's nothing funny here. Oh, no, it's just a brutal dilemma. No, he actually needs help. That's why he was like, wait. I genuinely don't even know what to say. Because here's the thing, man, if we here did that and they went,

okay, I'm fucked. I have nowhere to play. Yeah. Because I ain't fucking driving to Anaheim and I'm not driving to, you know, wherever. So, like, if this is the only rink nearby, like, you're kind of bent over or a barrel being shown the 50 states, and I don't know what to say to you. But they just went, that's my point. They just went however long without playing. Yeah. Because the rink's been under construction. So I'm like, just go a little bit longer. You're surviving without our

man. I do wonder in an SF, San Fran, if, uh, that people don't call it Sam Fran. We got, somebody talked to me about that. Yeah, yeah. Um, if there is another rank nearby. I mean, is that an option for them? Yeah. Just be like, we're going to take our talents somewhere else. I do. If not. If not. But I do think you have to pick one of these issues. I would pick the two teams. Being able to plan two teams? No.

The two teams getting eliminated. And I would be like, hey, I would agree. I would email all the captains and go, guys, we are, we need to boycott the league until they give us something. And I would say you can't eliminate two teams. My fear, though, is they're going to go, we literally don't have the ice time for it. And if they say that, then maybe you go. we should be able to play in both leagues.

Yeah. Because that one, I do not understand. How is that even enforceable? I know. Well, it's just your name. Like if you register twice. Yeah, but you could put a different name and wear a disguised. Get another ID.

Now we're talking. Yeah. So more I think about it, maybe actually what you have to fight for is being able to play in both leagues. Because, again, if I'm the rink, I go like this, guys, we would love to do it. We don't have the ice time. If that's what they say, then you have to go.

Yeah. Which is what they're going to say. It's the same reason why. times have been pushed back. Yeah. So I think you need to fight for one. God, the new, the private equity groups buying rinks and turning it into just a money-making thing, which is what's happening here too. Oh, I heard about that. Dude, it's awful. Yeah. They're going like this. We're just going to sell the ice time to other people because we don't care about your beer league. And I'm like, okay. Yeah. What do they do? Do they just have an open skate for like people to like dick around,

like kids and people coming through? I don't even know. They're, they're ruining our weeknights. They're pushing the games back. I hate that. It's crazy because you, when I look at how much we pay for Beer League, I'm like, this is the most criminal racket of all time. But then clearly they're like, we don't make any money off of you guys. And I'm like, what? I more think it's this, Dan, they go, oh, we could be making more. They find these little ways to just make it tighten the screws even more. And I'm like, okay, thanks.

And they also, it's like everyone just hates it. Like all the refs are like, great. It's an 1130 beer league game. This sucks. Everyone at the rink is like, great. We have to stay here forever. And I'm like, that is, that is crazy. They're ruining, like, they ruined Jersey,

or trying to ruin Jersey mics. They're ruining Jersey mics? Well, apparently, they got bought by private equity. Yes. So now they're putting in less meat. They're caring less. But this has been going on for a lot. I haven't had a problem with Jersey mics.

I think it's good, too. Okay. I think it's the fear that that's going to happen. I have not seen evidence yet. DeVito will never let that happen. I hope not, dude. You never know, not while he's alive. Don't make me go to Subway.

As long as he's getting that private equity money, you are wrong. He doesn't give a shit. He's got a private chef. It's tough. I mean, the answer is just we need more ice in this world. I mean, nothing has ever made me more. Obviously, this is a winter thing, but being in Canada and seeing the ODRs and hearing guys being like that, that's what our beer league is. I'm like, incredible.

That would be amazing. All right, that's going to wrap things up. Hope you enjoyed that amazing interview with Eric Johnson. We've got more awesome fun interviews for you coming. Do not forget if you are a fantasy sci-fif. fan tune in to sci-fi section every wednesday that'll be coming out tomorrow episode two unbelievable reception on the first app so so so fun if you're a red rising fan if you're looking to get into a new book check it out listen follow us on all the socials guys subscribe

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