Empty Netters Podcast - Kopitar Gets His Statue And Who Are The NHL’s Best Defenseman

Episode Date: August 11, 2026

Number 11 is going to the rafters at Crypto and we can’t wait to be there. The NHL’s’ best defenseman list has some questionable choices. What would you do with your day with the Cup? Some NHL team names were almost insane. What’s the threshold for a call vs a text? What is the best arcade game of all time? And there is some unreal beer league hotline action.  Chapters 0:00 - Intro 3:07 - Kopitar number retirement and statue 20:32 - NHL Networks Top 20 Defensemen List 31:57 - What would you do on your day with the Cup? 37:54 - NHL team names that almost were 49:20 - Calling VS Texting 1:00:08 - Where are all the arcade games? 1:07:50 - 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. 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? Not 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 guineasas and ran into you guys. That's where this pod came to life. Ice is ready and we're back with another episode of the MTNators podcast brought to you by BetMGM. I'm your host, Dan Powers. We got Dr. Watkins on the sticks. Hi.

And we got new haircut CP as rarely. And we got new haircut Dr. Watkins, FYI. That's true. I got a little trim. You did. It's not as noticeable as Chris. It's the headphones I couldn't tell. FYI.

Because the back is trimmed up. You're right. We got a couple haircut boys. We got them together. chairs one next to each other. How often do you get your haircut? It seems like it's a pretty big savings for you to not go. Oh yeah. I probably do it once. Well, usually I kind of fluctuate between once a year and then sometimes if I'm enjoying the long hair, I will go in and, and it's still noticeable, but it's just like still long, just trimmed up. So once a year I go,

okay, I'm actually just annoyed right now. I'm very hot. That was what's happening honestly. Yeah, you're getting into heat season. I was like, oh my God, dude. How do you feel? I feel light. I feel fast. Yeah, you look fast. I feel fast. It is alarming to me how insanely better you look. You look like a completely different person. You look like someone that the world will take seriously.

You look impressive. You look like you could run for political office. And I don't think, I've realized there's no one worse in the world than Sandra in my fight to have you have a cleaned up haircut more off. Yeah. She's always like, no. I like when he looks like a little lost boy. And I'm like, you are an idiot. Yeah, Sandra.

I think if I had proposed to a girl who said, cut your hair, you would have had a nice soldier in your army. Yeah. But instead, instead, she joined Byr. Yes. Which the end of the day is great for the two of you. Yeah. Yeah. But I'll tell you what, we're about to enter the most successful period of our lives because of this haircut.

Ooh, that'll be a bad fact for me. Yeah, it's, yeah, it's going to be tough, dude. You're reversed Sampson. Yeah, yeah. You cut your hair and then everything goes well. Yes. It's unbelievable. Weekly haircuts, becoming a thing.

Becoming a thing, dude. We are in the dog days of summer, which for us is the best. We like a break from hockey. But there's not much going hockey news. We got a bunch of great interviews coming up for you guys here. But today we got a nice little mess around. with some cool hockey topics. Yeah, which is interesting.

I think we got to kick it off with our pal. It was just, it was exciting day. The king, and this was no surprise to anybody. But the kings have announced their retiring. Copies number 11 will go to the rafters, never to be worn again in L.A. It's on February 24th, game versus the habs. We should go.

That'll be sick. Definitely. And that day, they're unveiling a bronze. statue at crypto to go along with Wayno, Robatai, Dustin Brown. Yeah. It would be the fourth statue. First of all, first and foremost,

hell yeah, cope. Hell yeah, cope. I mean, duh. Duh. It wildly deserved. It was cool here in his comments. He's like, I just, and you hear this a lot, but he's like, dude, I just showed, I showed up in L.A. hoping to make the fucking team. Hoping to have an NHL career. Yeah. And now I got a statue.

He got a statue. Well, he's also the greatest king of all time. It's the greatest king of all time. So that's pretty sick. Now you got yourself a statue and a number retirement. Yeah. So all that's to say, this is completely deserving. Both of these honors are completely deserving.

What I'm about to say next is it has nothing to do with Copee. I'm just proposing a question. Okay. Are statues a bad precedent that we have done as a sports fan society? because now, like the rafters, I mean, the Southwicks have a fucking 25 numbers retired or something. It's a little crazy, but like,

it's kind of cool. It looks cool. You're like, oh, yeah, you just pump the numbers up there. You can put a million numbers up there. We can't be having fucking statues. Like, I hope the kings are a team for 200 more years.

What do we have fucking 25 statues outside of crypto? Are you done? Yep. I have the exact opposite take. Yes. I genuinely. You walk through the statue force.

To enter, going to crypto, enter through gate E through the statue force. I genuinely mean that. I think, first of all, it's two-pronged opposition that I have for you here. Number one, I have started to come around to, I think it's maybe not the best thing to retire numbers. Oh, don't get me wrong. I love the sentiment. And I want guys to get that nice achievement of having themselves retired. But I do look at a team like the Celtics and they've got too many numbers retired.

I got to see how many they do. I look at a team like the New York Yankees. I'm pretty sure, isn't the Yankees like they only have one single digit left or something? Yes, by Chris. Who do you think has more? Oh, more retired in the Celtics. the it's actually insane it's a tie wow they both have 24 but caveat the Yankees only have 22 numbers retired because they they had two people retired with the same number because like they had already

worn it and then they were like uh yeah sure both 24 people but only 22 numbers for the Yankees but single digit that's still 24 people you can do you don't have any no single digits left they're done yep they're done through 11 is the lowest number you can wear for the Yankees See, I think on one end, that's cool. It's cool lore. But on the other end, I'm like, that's ass. That sucks. And I feel bad for guys.

And I know there are a lot of anti-sports people who are like, who cares? It's just a number. And to that I say, you're an idiot. Well, I just say, don't yuck people's yum. They play sports. They love sports and they like their number. There's nothing wrong with that. And I think it's tough for, you know, really good players who get to a team who have a number

that means a ton to them, and then they can't wear it. Yeah. That stinks. That stinks. So I wonder if there's a different way. You know what I think that they should do is you should, like I like, I know it was a different circumstance, but I like that the Yankees were like, yeah, this guy was already wearing it.

So he's retired too. Why don't we just let numbers be worn and you can also get retired with that number? Yeah. And I know that you're going to be like, well, then it doesn't mean anything. No, it does. I think it's cool if your name is up in the after. Because to me the whole thing, I don't think it's cool that no one on that team can wear that number again. I think it's cool when I look up and that person is in the rafters.

It is. I do think it is cool. In the fucking sky. I also think it's funny. This has never really occurred to me. But I think it's funny that people wore the number before and those people get to, it's funny, like, it's funny that there's 20 patriots out there. Yeah. And they're like, I actually wore 12 for the Pats.

And we're like, what? Like, that's a funny thought. Excuse me? You did? I do think it's cool that no one can wear that number again, but I also think your thing is cool. And I just said, I hope the Kings are a team for 200 more years and that we're going to run out of statues.

But I also think that argues against myself where we're running out numbers. Yeah, it's like, why don't you retire names? Yeah, that's what I was going to say, no more, no more, Angie Copatars. Yeah, you can't have Copatar as a kid, so you can't play for the Kings. Yeah. Or you got changed your last name. You can never play for the Kings. No good.

That's tough. Well, I mean, I, listen, I think, I don't know, I think it's cool when, you know what I really like? This is a bad example because he was terrible for Chelsea. But I think it's cool. A guy like Kulabali gets bought by Chelsea. And he called John Terry and was like, hey, dude, I'm thinking about wearing 26. Would you be cool with that? And Terry was like, absolutely, man, that would fire me up, actually.

That's awesome. I think that is kind of cool It's funny you brought that up Because I was actually thinking the same thing with Chelsea Where I was like I actually hate that people Just get to wear eight And I'm like

Bro There are super Frank Lampert signs all over the bridge But that is what's cool Off your fucking back But that's what's cool You dumb shit No I don't like it No well you're not allowed to say it's not cool

I think it's cool if no one wears it Then I'm allowed to take that's cool I didn't say that I said it's cool that there is super Frank Lamper art stuff everywhere. That doesn't take away from his lore. Oh, yeah. The fact that Ross Barkley and Oscar are running around with eight on their jersey does not make me care about Frank less. I think there's someone who said, I think maybe Michael Irvin has this take where he's like,

I actually hate it because, yeah, he was talking about C.D. Lamb like wearing 88. And he was like, I love that he wears 88 because then people see that and they go, yeah, but fucking Michael Irvin had that number. Yeah, my go better than you. He's like, if I never see 88 on a Dallas Cowboys Field again, I'll be forgotten. And I'm like, that's a good take, dude. I don't know if that's a good take, but I... I'm not saying it's the take, but I think it is

a good take. Because here's the thing, dude, when I watch Chelsea matches and a new players wears eight, it makes me think of Frank. Way more than the Super Frank Lampard signs in the crowd, because I can't always see them. I never see them. But if I see a guy running around with eight all the time, and I go, God, you suck a bread to Frank. If someone was buzzing around... my thought every time. If someone was buzzing around TD Garden with 77 on, I'd be like, Ray, sick.

I got a question. This is a blind spot for me. Do they retire numbers league-wide? Like, Gretzky's number, I'm assuming, nobody in the league can have it, or is it just the oilers? We got Jackie Robinson in baseball. None can wear 42. 99 is retired. The only one in the league-wide.

The only one of the league. Yes, in the NHL, correct. Interesting. And there was like a, there was a weird period where 23 was like, kind of retired in the NBA. Yeah, yeah. But it was more of an unspoken thing. Yeah, like why would you bring that on yourself?

Yeah, like LeBron left the Cavs and went to Miami and changed his number to six. Yeah. And then he came back to the Cavs and he was like, fuck Michael Jordan and War 23 again. And everyone was like, oh, okay. Dude, here's my only counter to what you said, because that was nice about seeing people buzz around. Yeah. I think it would be, this would be hard to even process. But, like, if a Bruin came along.

Kale McCar comes along and wore 77 for the B's and then won was better. Or wore four and won 15 straight Norris trophies, 10 MVP. Like it's like one of the, you know, goes down as a greatest player. And everyone's like this. For Kail McCar for the Bruins. Four for the Bruins means Kail McCar. I would be like, that is unfair. Okay.

Can I counter that? Yeah, yeah. That's a cowardly take, dude. So now retiring numbers is cowardly because you're afraid that a better number. You're afraid of competition. Yeah. Because I'm retired. That's shitty.

I used to love competition. I'm now retired and I now would let no competition. Here's an idea, dude. Why don't we retire records? Oh, okay. I like that. Some of wins. Patrice Berseron wins a record number of Selkees.

No one can win the Selki anymore. Change the name. It's now the Bergeron and the record for Bergeron's is something different than the record for Selks. Yeah. Like, I think we've got to re-figure this out. And to your statue point, you wouldn't be sad about that? Not at all. If someone knew it was 77.

Not at all. In fact, I think it would be so nasty that the Bruins have the two greatest 77 defensemen of all time. I'd be like that's sick. Yes, Jesus. He always gets raked over the goals. Now to your statue point, I think every arena and stadium in the world needs to have statue row. It's like right at their front gates, there's a massive, massive platform. slightly elevated. There can be some stairs

so you can go up and take pictures. But I think it should, like, you know when teams win the World Cup, they get a star on their international kit? So dope. I want every stadium in sports to have Statue Row and I want them to try to get it as

full as a fucking possible. So, it was it for the stadium, for the teams that don't have many yet, is it currently when you walk into the rink, just barren. Empty. Yeah, you walk in, you're like, you got to earn it. We suck. Absolutely. Sorry, Blue Jackets. You go to Team Mobile right now in Vegas, there's nothing there

because obviously there can be nothing there. But eventually they'll get their Mark Stone statue or something. Yeah. And Montreal is like nearly full. Oh my God. Yeah. She's actually you can't be good on Montreal anymore. No more room.

Don't you think that would be awesome? I think it would only add to the lore of the arena. Yeah. It's like people go, oh, what arena should we go visit? People always ask us that question. And when we can be like, oh, you got to go see this. one you gotta go see this one because you can be like, dude, the statue row at the bell center is so iconic to see. And I also think when I think about statues, like you're talking about

do we have too many statues here? Dude, I think it's a shame that in Boston there's only the Bobby statue. Now, I know there's going to be a lot of old heads. We're going to disagree and be like, that's why the Bobby statue's sick because it's just the statue there. But I'm like, you're telling me if that we didn't, if we had a Ray Bork status, statue, a Phil Esposito statue, a fucking Cam Neely statue, a Bergeron Charo statue in that section that also wouldn't be nasty? It would be. You can keep Bobby at the front. Why don't they do like animatronics like Disney World? You know, like, hello. Orr. Ask me a question. Can I pitch on your Disney pitch? Yeah. Maybe we do like how they have people in costume as the Disney princess

is walking around everywhere. Yeah. We get people in college. We get a Bobby or look alike. You look alike. Who is. constantly in character walking around TD Guard. Dude, I thought you were going to say this. I want outside a guy painted head to toe in gold. And, you know, he's just frozen. And he is, he is doing the chara statue. He is a chariot statue.

Yeah, wearing a charger. That's going to be a tall, tall higher. You know, they just stay completely frozen. Then when someone tips, he turns into Bobby. Oh, he goes through and does different ones. He can do all of them. Yeah, we have a guy. He's versatile. Interesting.

Trying to maintain the floating Bobby Orr, The iconic shot of his legs up. That guy would be a magician. Yeah, we'd be like, wait, he's a magician too? It's Chris Angel. Let me get this guy in Vegas. Mind freak.

Yeah. I think that we got a, I think we got to figure this out. Interesting. And here's the thing, nothing's going to change. They have figured it out. Yeah, we're going to say

everything's going to stay exactly how it is. I do worry, like, you know, I worry about some of these teams. Like, you're just losing iconic numbers. Yep. They make a joke about this in Futurama. what a show what a show reference

in Futurama there's an episode where they go to like a base it's like a futuristic baseball game and all the players are wearing versions of like decimals yeah you know it's like someone's wearing like 7.92

because like they're in the year like 8,000 or whatever and every they've been playing baseball so like every number is retired and it's like that listen I understand that there's a lot of numbers there's no no no but there aren't that many that's what I'm saying

like there aren't that Unless you start going like into the hundreds. Yeah, that's what you're saying. Yeah. I mean, we think, is, don't the Celtics have double zero and zero retired? No, no, not zero because Tatum wears zero. What am I talking about? They have, so there about.

Parrish has double zero retired, but Tatum wears zero. So like maybe that would be retired. And it's like, you have 24 numbers retired for the Celtics. Like, there's not that many left, dude. I mean, there's a lot. But like, you know what I'm saying? No, no. I think it's a shame. I think it's a shame when guys go to these teams and they can't wear a single digit number. Let's just retire numbers in general. I mean, as players, do you even fucking look at the numbers? Does that matter at all?

Absolutely. Does it really? I really genuinely do think it adds aura. If I see it. But I know, but I mean, like, on a practical level, like, do you really need to look at somebody's number, but like, I'm asking to this player? I see who it is. Oh, no, but I will say, like, Tom Brady has talked about how the NFL changing it. Like it used to only be able to wear certain numbers per position. Right. And when they recently changed that to you can wear whatever number you want, and Brady had since retired, but he was like,

I don't like that rule because it actually helps a quarterback. Like if you're surveying the field and you see a bunch of guys who have linebacker numbers moving, you're like, that is a linebacker. He's going to be doing XYZ. Whereas if it's like a safety or a corner who's wearing a different number, he doesn't consider them in whatever position they are in the field to potentially do something he's thinking about.

Yeah. I think for some things. So there's a practical reason for that. But like in hockey, no. No, it does not matter. It does not matter for the purposes of what you are doing on the ice. But yeah. But it's aura though.

I agree with that. If you are a good player and you've got a trash-ass number on your back, you better be really good because then you can steal the number. But otherwise, the number steals you. It steals your career. The number can steal you. What do you want the statue to be of cope? Yeah.

Because, see, there's like usually there's like a thing. so clearly Bobby O're flying through the air But I'm like, what is Kobe's statue going to be? Yeah. Damn. He's a scorer, I mean, so. Well, not even really. Like, he put up numbers, but like,

Copey is thought of for his like two-way play. Part of me wants to see him at the dot, dude. He was so good at the dot. To say that one, if it was snapping one back. Just taking a face off. I kind of love it, dude. You never see that. Like, literally.

You know what actually I would love? Because there's that awesome picture of his last day on the ice where he's just like, he's kind of like, hand up, like, waving to the crowd? Because Copey was such a man of the people. Mm-hmm. Because what's the Dustin Brown statue? That's him holding the cup.

I think Brownie has the cup. Yep. The cup one is always so obvious. I know. Yeah, it's kind of boring. We need to retire that one. And the Luke statue is him, like, you know, stick up celebrating.

Yeah. And then I think the Wayne. What's Gretzky's statue? I think his is the waving to the people. Wayne owes waving, yeah. Yeah. So we definitely can't do that for Cope because then he's going to be like,

I didn't want that. It's honestly, like, I, no disrespect. I think it is, like, kind of insane that there's a Wayno statue in L.A. He saved, he, the only reason there's hockey in California is because of Waino's Yeah. He saved talking. You know, you talk to a lot of L.A. natives who are hockey people and they get really mad at that take.

That what? That wingo created hockey here. They're like, that is fucking bullshit. We love the cakes. And that's true. No, no, no, no, it's not that. They get, it's not like they're like, we were already great. They get mad about the guys that came before him.

Oh, oh. That's fair. Like they get really mad. It's interesting. Copey famous photo. God, the wave is good, though, Dan. I mean, that Copee wave is a great photo. But Wayne is waving good.

You can put him across from Wayne, and it looks like they're waving at each other. I love a face-off. A block shot, a back-check. He's just back-checking, playing good solid D. The problem is you need other players. In Pittsburgh, they've got the Lemieux one, but it's him going through two other players.

Oh, the statutes. Yeah, they had to make like two other islanders. He's kind of epic. Some islanders got off. I know. We have a statue. They got ricochet shots of them getting fucking rinsed by the view. Dude, that's actually an incredible trivia for those guys.

I mean, like, I actually have a bronze statue. I was so good I have a bronze statue outside an NHL ring. They're like, no way. I'm like, yeah, Mario LeMew is dusting me. That is so funny. That is incredible. Okay, more statues. We've unretired numbers and more statues.

Yeah, no more number of retirements. Moving on. Way more statues. That's great. Congrats, Copey. Very cool. The NHL Network released their top 20 defensemen on the league list. I normally hesitate to talk about these things because...

I always just ignore them. You just... Well, yeah. I mean, usually they're pretty bad. Anyone who makes lists. We made lists once. It's hard. And it was so hard.

It was terrifying. This list crazy. I always hesitate with stuff like this because you don't want to insult anybody. This list crazy. But there are a few things on this. list that are utterly insane to me. And there's also some that make me really happy. Here's the list. I'm going to read it. Please. Number one. Top 20 defensemen. And I'll put the graphic up too. Yeah. Number one, Kail McCar. Number two, Quinn Hughes. Number three, Zach Werensky.

Number four, Rasmus Dahlene. Number five, Miro Hiskenin. Number six, Lane Hudson. Number seven, Matthew Schaefer. Number eight, Jake Sanderson. Number nine, Moe-Sider. Number 10, Evan Bouchard, 11 Charlie McAvoy, 12 Jacob Slavin, 13 Adam Fox, 14 Brock Faber, 15 Roman Yossi, 16 Josh Morrissey, 17 Jackson Lecombe, 18 Victor Headman, 19 Che Theodore, 20 Devontes. Pretty, pretty wild stuff. Great defensemen. Yeah, good. Those are 20 great defense. There's great players on that list.

Where do you have issue? Again, I, I, there's just some that I'm like, woof, man, interesting choices. And it's not necessarily the guys. It's mostly the position. I do want to say one through three, they absolutely nailed. Yep, agree. Like, I think that's absolutely spot on. Well done.

I really want to go, Jackson Lecombe, fucking rights. Love that. Yeah, agree. Love Jackson and Lecombe getting those correct flowers. Yeah, there's just, there's some guys. Well, you want to talk about it, so you got to fucking do something. Well, I think I want to talk. Yeah, I want to talk.

talk about it more from the standpoint of like what what makes a good defense yeah and also how do these things how are these things done so wrong so often I do wonder does it say do they say who voted

it's got to be committee think it is for sure I know that and you know what we always talk about too it's like we talk about this with football a lot Evan there are there are NFL coaches who will do things in the NFL that are so so insanely dumb and bad.

And we sit here watching his fans and you go, surely that guy knows better than me. He is an NFL coach. But then does something so brain dead that you're like, well, maybe not. Oh, brother. I'm a Steelers fan. Yeah.

Remember that. Yep. And so there are times where this stuff happens. Like these lists are made and you figure out like who makes the lists. And like sometimes it's a bunch of fucking journals. It's his NHL network producers and analysts. Yeah. And I'm like,

Yep. Yeah. Chat, GPT. Yeah, we don't have to have this. Actually, I'm going to do that, Evan. Yeah, so it's like every now and then I just laugh at some, sometimes things are, there's a hive mind think that is just so wrong about certain things. And it's interesting.

Well, is it, do you feel like, I feel like some people lean on like, oh, they score a lot? And then you're like, yeah, well, but isn't a primary job of a defenseman to play defense? Yeah, don't. don't even open that bag of words. You know what I mean? To me, dude, there are several people on this list who are very high, who are in my opinion probably top 20 or 25 defensemen in the league, sure. But they are maybe way higher on said list than I would have them strictly because they score. Now, as we've seen, that is a very valuable and important thing. Like you need defensemen to score if you want to be a successful team. But you should also be able to do both. Key point C1, Kail McCar. He is the best offensive defenseman in the National Hockey League and is also insanely good at playing defense. There's a lot of guys on here,

some guys who had more points than him, who are very high on this list, who are not very good at playing defense. Dude, here's chat TBTs. Okay, what's their list? How does it match up? Kale, Quinn, Zach, Dahlene, Miro. Same.

Pretty good. I wonder what source chat TVT is. literally going from this. Six, Evan Bouchard, seven Adam Fox, eight Mo Cider, nine Lane Hudson, 10 Slavin,

11 Morrissey, 12 Sanderson, 13 Yosi, 14 Maccaboy, 15 headman, 16 Faber, 17 Gustav Forsling. Come on,

Goose. 18 John Carlson. 19, Drew Dowdy. Come on. 20 Devontes. I'll say some stuff if you don't want to. Slavin, I think, is recency,

even though they just want to cop, so this seems insane, but he was just so hurt. I think last year, I think this is recency slippage. Like, if this was the end of last season, he would be firmly in the top 10. But, like, he barely played this year and was pretty labored. And maybe they're saying that's this year,

you know, and I can accept that. Maybe they're saying this is strictly based... It says right now. Yeah, like it could be strictly based on last year. You know what I'll say? Yep. Habs fans are absolutely thrilled about this. This is one of the best days of their life.

Correct. I favor... And there's no shade with that comment. Yeah, yeah. That is Lane getting credit where credit he's due. He looked good. He looked good all year. Like the guys that Chattee but he added Foresling, Dewey, John Carlson, because those are the three not

here, right? All worthy, but like Shea is so good. You know, like, they didn't have Shea and Jackson Lecombe, and I'm like, they're incredible. I don't really issue with that. The one, this one's, this is my actually chat GBT and this, did this. Here's my take on this. I think, even though this dude is amazing, and I haven't met him yet, but I know a lot of

guys that know him and love him, that's a surprisingly high for Mo Sider for me. Okay. You know what? I'm very glad that you just said that because this is something that I would like to talk about. Mo Cider to me is like I am obsessed

with Mo Cider Yeah yeah he's a star and he is for my money if I'm starting a franchise he is the type of defenseman that I'm taking first

because he is so good defensively he's so big and strong and strong wrong. He kills penalties, can also play power play. He had 10 goals, 50 assist for 60 points in 82 games. Wow, that's way more points that I thought you. Yeah, dude. He is, and he is a valable, 82 fucking games. Every year. Wow. Yeah, yeah. And okay, then maybe he that, maybe this is right.

I'm just like, Mo is so fucking good. Now, he did, he had a lot of power play points, but like that, I don't care. And that's what I'm saying for him. For him to be as good as he was defensively and that, that get that many. Unbelievable. And dude, I really love to see Charlie McAvoy as high as he is on this list. And if frankly, I would put him higher, especially after the last year, Charlie McAvoy had 11 goals and 50 assists for 61 points in only 69 games. And also, when you think about the shit that he went through last year. Oh, his mouth. Like 10 times. Yeah. He lost so many teeth, broke his face multiple times, went through a grueling, like battled through all that injury and played in the Olympics and won a gold. metal. Like MacAvoy and Mo Cider, when I look at this list, let me go back to it, Kale Quinn, Z, well, Z is that too. Like Z is the best version of that in my opinion, because I do think he is so good. Dahlene, Hayskin, Lane Hudson, Schaefer, Sandy,

cider, Boosh, McAvoy. I'm going to stop at McAvoy at 11. Of those 11, the guys who are that prototype for me that are like, I trust you on any number one penalty kill, power play, playing 5V5, doing it both ways. So two-way defensemen. It is so fucking cool. I feel like we were in an era of the offensive defenseman for so long for the last 10 years. I consider one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, maybe, seven of those 11, those guys. Offensive defensemen?

No, both. Oh, oh, got you. They are two-way like, man, I trust you guys in any scenario. Yeah, I mean, they're just nasty, dude. And like, that is so cool. I mean, dude, I would say... Like, you know what I mean? Like, I think seven of those 11 guys, I trust to shut down any teams number one.

And I think that that's awesome. Dude, who would you even say on this entire list is just offensive besides Bouchard? Lane. Yeah, that might be unfair though. I think it is unfair because I'm giving him time. And listen, you know what it is unfair? Because of his size. I think a big part is like, well, his size is a huge factor.

But just being a fair, like he would say this, two years ago when they lost to the caps in round one, he got body pretty heavily in those playoffs. I don't think he struggled nearly as much defensively this past year in the playoffs. What an unbelievable run. What an unbelievable season. But I don't think I'm putting Lane Hudson on a PK1 and up against a team's top line 10 times out of 10 yet. But I do think he will get there. To me, he's the exact same trajectory as Quinn. Like, Quinn is a more of an undersized guy.

It took him, like, four years to really be like, I am going to figure out how to play defense against anyone's top. guy using my feet. And he did it. And Lane will do that. Yeah. I mean, Lane is a generational test. Yeah, and that's what I mean, there's a ton of guy, like pretty much every guy on here.

I'm like, they're playing good D. But again, there's a lot of guys who are big defensemen who don't play good defense. Yeah. There's a, you know, they exist. So that doesn't answer the question. They are in the league. Yeah. But also, I bring it up, the number one reason I wanted to bring it up is as a guy who played defense and loves defensemen, D is so hot right now.

D is extremely hot, hot D in the NHL. Matthew Schaefer, number seven. Seventh best defenseman in the NFL, he's five years old. It's unbelievable. Imagine when he goes through puberty. Get the statue ready. Yeah, get the fucking statue ready, dude. Put Lemieux on it.

Schaefer dangling Lemieux. You could payback. Somehow. Yeah, yeah. You could already put a Schaefer statue on Long Island, I think. And people would be happy. And that actually would be sick for the new barn. the new little

maybe they unveil it at All-Star weekend as they're showing off their new area for Islanders hockey Statue Row Schaefer and Bossy

Whoa Gas double trouble double trouble for sure That'd be sick We are seeing some of the guys

with the Cains get their day with the cup now it's all happening We got a great pick from Blakey I saw Jordan Stolley and donuts

I saw KK out on a jet ski you know, this is a great time of the year for these boys that got to win the Stanley Cup. What would you guys do? Like, you get the cup for one day, Evan. What are you doing? Wow. Are we assuming that, like, I'm a hockey player, or did I just steal it as me currently?

No, like, I think you are, they go like this. For your guy's love of the Cains during the playoffs, you have been awarded, for your empty netters coverage of the Cains during the playoffs. Oh, okay. You have been awarded a day. the cup. Here you go, Evan. Some foolish team in the NHL let us, let Empty Netters buy

a minority stake in the team. Right. And as owners, they go, you guys get a day with the cup. I would have to take it to my mom and my sister in Ohio, because they're big hockey fans, and I think they would get it. It's the heart of it all. It's the heart of it all. Yeah. I don't take it to Ohio. Come on. Okay, so you go like in the morning, but like where is it? Are you taking to their house? Or are you like, hey, it's here. Everyone in in town.

and want to come see it? Or do you just... Yeah, I would probably take it to their house first and then take it to, like, a bar. Okay. Have people come and drink and drink. And, you know, you put stuff in the cup. You drink out of it.

You put cereal in it. What would you put in it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. What would I put in it? Yeah, you have 24 hours, big dog. I got to think about it, but you know what? My favorite soup, Italian wedding soup. Nice.

Hot Italian wedding soup. Yep. Love that. And I would eat some wedding soup. Homemade. Homeade. Homeade. Who make it? Mom?

Yeah. Or me. I can do it. Okay. but she makes it a little better. Yep, that's great. That's what I would do. I think, do you know?

I don't even, I, this has certainly been done, but we're going to stay on brand here. I don't have an answer yet for what I would do, but I often think about what I would eat out of it. I don't think, like, stalsy putting donuts in it. I'm like, that's awesome. Looks cool, cool picture, but I'm like, you don't eat donuts out of a bowl.

Yeah. I, being a psychopath, care too much about the, like, it should be something that you eat out of a bowl. I agree with that. I, one hundo pee, am eating shrimp cocktail out of that thing. Oh, dude, so good.

You bet the little shrimps around the rim? Absolutely. So good. I am filling the cup with cocktail sauce and jamming as many jumbo shrimp cocktails around the outer rim of that as I possibly can. I thought you were going to say clam chowder, which would have been pretty wild.

That's what I would do 1,000 percent. And it would probably be fucking gross. Because remember EJ was like, it's kind of pretty metallic. Like, you put the line in it. But I was like, dude, I would want, the clam chowder is my goat. And I would absolutely, absolutely. You have any idea how many oyster crackers you can fill in there?

So many. Wait, you know what would actually be good is like a Moscow mule because that naturally has a map. So that would taste fine. I would do food and then, yeah, drink after. Mule's pretty good choice, actually. Yeah. That actually could be fun.

I would do a marg and salt the room. Yep. Taheen. Taheen. Nah, I'm not into that. telling shit. And then I think I agree with you.

I would want to take it home, you know, because I'd be like want my, my parents to see it. Yeah. That'd be cool. Also fitting, I wouldn't.

Yeah. I would like, obviously, my, our parents would come to wherever I was. Yeah. But like, I don't,

you know what I think, when we talk about things like death row meal. Yeah. People are always doing too much. you're a big you're a big uh you're a slave to this idea no dude yeah dude i just want floes hot talks that's all i've ever said well i'm not i'm not talking specifically of death roe meal and also i don't think that that's true you can have more than flows well no you get like a starter but i'm my death row

meal is very very basic but i'm saying you try to do too many things oftentimes like we talk about something like a bachelor party and you're like this i would like to do this stuff and it's more things than some people do in their lifetime these are bags yeah my bachelor party i want to do nothing. I worry, but think about the activities at said bachelor party. You want to do a lot. That's my point. Okay. I think there are too many people for like their cup day who would be like, I want to do this, I want to take it here, I want to take it here. Over programmed. I'm like, I want to do one thing, dude. Like I would literally just take it like one place. I think that's what I would do. And I think Evans right. Like I think I would just like take it to one bar.

Yeah, you're like your favorite spot. Yeah. And I would like put it on a table and I would like sit there all day. Everyone's very generous. Charge tickets too. Everyone's very generous with that where they take it to a place. And that is nice. That is probably the way. I mean, I love the guys who, you like, I think Ikes did this. Like you take it to your like hometown rink. Yeah.

Yeah. We don't have that. And they just post up. Yeah. Like I'm not bringing that thing to fucking bitter for you. Yeah. Because see, everyone's so. No offense.

Everyone's so generous of that. I think I would be like, I just want it for me. Yeah. I would take it to, I would rent out Harry Potter World and take it there. And I would just rip Harry Potter rides, but me in the country. Dueling. You and you and the cup. What if you drop it in that like, yeah, that one ride?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, dude. It's kind of taking you around. Like, oh, no. You know, we fucking buff that bitch out. I mean, I get, I really like the lake days or like a house part. I was thinking that too. Like, bring it. Oh, speaking of the boat, did you see Taylor Hall put it on, brought it on a boat?

Which is funny because he, remember that tweet he did where he couldn't get his boat license. Oh, yeah. Years and years and he finally got his boat license. Yeah. Which he bribed the guy with the cup. Like, they were like, dude, you still failed. Yeah, you can't ride this boat. Water days are very cool.

I like that a lot. Yeah, I think like having it at a pool party or at the lake would be kind of nice. But shrimp cocktail in the cup, no question. Amazing. That'd be great. No question. That would be fucking awesome. Oh, yeah, this.

I saw this awesome thing I wanted to ask you guys about too. I thought we're at the ad, but we're not yet. I saw this on Reddit, and there was a list. They got released, a list of names got released that they almost named NHL teams. Okay. And I want you guys to tell me. which ones you like. And if any of them are better.

I'm going to be quick. The Seattle Sockyes. I believe that's a fish. Really, really like it. But Cracken is a perfect name. Cracken's better. Yeah. Okay?

Because it gives us the crack house. I like Socki because it reminds me getting punched. Yeah. Which is interesting. Even though it's also, I mean, it's about a salmon. Yeah, yeah. I don't think it's better.

I'd say it's equal. Okay. Wait, let me look up a sock eye fish. Yeah, yeah, let's see it. It's a type of salmon, isn't it? Yep, it is. Sorry, I'm just looking at what they look like. To me, it would be like a salmon with a bruised eye, you know, like a tough salmon.

Like that would be the mascot. Definitely. The fighting salmon. Like that mascot has a perennial black eye. Yeah, it actually, the fish does too. Like, you see the top of the eye, you know, like it's all black above the eye. That's actually awesome. There you go.

I feel like I'm looking at a different thing. Oh, yeah. Like above it's like on top of the tail. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I now I now wish it was this. Cracking way better. Phoenix, formerly the coyotes, the Phoenix Wranglers and the Phoenix scorpions. Both to, I mean, it's a little ridiculous for me to say that the coyotes is less generic than Scorpion. But like, Wrangler and Scorpion feel a little chat GPT to me.

And then I also. And then I also think Yotes is like a better nickname. Oh, the Yotes was cool, but the Scorps. Scorpion will be Scorps. I think Yotes is better than Scorpe's. Yotes is better than Scorps. I like that a lot. What about the Phoenix Tombstones would have been a cool name?

That would have been very cool. Why that, though? Because if you ever die in there? Tombstone, Arizona. Oh, is that place? Because that's where the gun fight happened, the famous OK Corral. The movie Tombstone. And the movie Tombstone.

That would be cool. We should have done that. Friend of the pod. I think I like Yotsmoor. Okay? Yeah. The Columbus justice.

Horrible. What the fuck? One of the worst things I've ever heard. Just a concept. Just a concept of justice. It's just a judge. It's like everyone brings it. It's like an old man.

Gavles to the Greek. That's actually kind of bad. That's pretty funny. Absolutely terrible. I don't understand. What's the connection between Ohio and justice or Columbus? I have no idea, dude. Like what?

Is it because they legalize a death penalty or something? It is so bad, dude. I mean, we've talked about this on this show. The misuse of Blue Jacket for years with that team is one of the craziest things I've ever witnessed. I've ever witnessed. I mean, the Stinger is still a thing. I know. It's insane.

The Minnesota Freeze? There's a P. Dubbed team to freeze, right? Frost. Frost, yeah, yeah. And I'm like, I mean, I like Frost way more than Freeze. Yeah, Frost is actually better than Free. It makes me think of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Mr. Freeze.

I like it, but it does feel... Ice to see you. Yeah, ice to see you. It just feels... Ice to see you is so good. God, the puns in that movie are phenomenal. I think you could have fun with it. It just feels so basic.

Yeah. Minnesota Freeze. Or the Minnesota Northern Lights. I mean, love. I actually like that more than wild. But North Stars is the greatest name of all time. Agree, but they couldn't do it again. Actually, I guess they could have.

Yeah, what's stopping them? The Jets came back. Northern Stars is, Northern Lights, sorry, it's a little too long. Yeah. And North Lights says it makes sense. They'd get called the Lights, probably. What if they did the Minnesota Aurora Borealis? Better.

Also better. Also better. Nashville Ice Tigers? Nope. Predators is doing the same thing. The fuck is an ice tiger. No one knows. I'm sure they're doing it for the fossil thing.

You know about that, right? they're called the predators because in Nashville they found a prehistoric saber-tooth tiger fossil got it and they're like this is so sick it's regional it blah blah blah and so ice tiger but why didn't they just do the the Nashville saber tooth yeah agree Nashville fury hate yeah generic just concept it's just a concept Nashville the attack they almost were called them the attack. Whoever suggested that should be fired. It should be shot.

Taked behind the bar and shot. Genuinely shot. The attack. That's like close to assault, which means sexual assault. Now we're back to predator. Somehow worse than predators. Yeah, we're between the attack and predators.

And I'm like, how are we between the attack and predators? What psychopath was naming the fuck? Hold on, hold on, hold on. It literally was almost Nashville, the attack. The attack. You're fired. Yep. I'm assuming it would have been the Nashville attack, right?

Yeah, it have to be. Tampa Bay Oceanics. Really dig it. Me too. But why are they the lightning? There's got to be thunderstorms down there. The thunderstorms capital of the world? Probably.

Probably a lot of thunderstorms. And also, Bolts is so cool. He's awesome. And lightning is a cool name. There's not really many lightning. I hear lightning, and I think the Tampa Bay lightning before, I think the weather that happens. Well, yeah. Yeah. Well, you see lightning and you hear thunder.

Yeah, yeah, correct. So they could have also been the thunder, but that's Oklahoma. I'm saying, when I said I hear lightning, I mean literally when someone says the word lightning. You hear lightning, though? I get a reverse. I actually see thunder. Yeah. But the oceanics are cool. Oceanics is cool. The San Jose Blades, terrible. Generic. The San Jose fog love. You know what? Bro. Can you imagine the fucking fog machine

when they come out? Yeah, entering the ice would be cool. Really into that. That would be really difficult to make a logo. Well... It looked like a fart. Yeah, it would be the fart emoji. Especially if it was green.

Yeah. But I think you could do it. I don't know. I don't know either. We got to actually look at somebody. I would love someone to make us a couple of fog. San Jose fog. logos and we can take a look at them. That would be very

challenging, but I love the name. San Jose Fog fired me up. And then this is the best one by far and the last one. Colorado Rocky Mountain Extreme. Change the team name right now. Literally, dude. The Colorado Rocky Mountain Extreme.

Right now. What would be the logo? A dude shredding gnar? 100%. It would be a 1980 skier. Yeah. With like really skinny snow pants on and a nice poofy color jacket. it with pit vipers on it's just like the name of a VHS tape from like 94 where it's like learn how to ski it's a street one of the great movies of all time you know what Colorado avalanche is one of the

most perfect names of all time and logos what sucks and logos yes and what sucks is if it were let's say Colorado didn't have a team yet and someone's like there's a Colorado team we're thinking about names and someone suggested that the way the internet has ruined our brains we'd be like this too generic that's so avalanche yeah yeah we'd be like that's kind of chat jean well there's a line between generic and iconic. Sometimes when things are super simple, they can be iconic. Actually, maybe we wouldn't.

Avalanche is a sick. If they were like, just hurt people. If they were like the Colorado mountains, I'd be like, yeah, that's a dumb. That's why you say Rockies. Rocky Mountain, extreme. And they're like, oh. What if we had the Colorado Rocky Mountains?

And they were like, not. I'll tell you what. Extreme. And they were like, okay. We talk about this a lot. When I think about it, Colorado, auto, and let's call it Denver, is maybe in the running for the greatest foursome names ever.

Nuggets, sick. Rockies, sick. Oh, yeah. Avalanche, sick. Broncos, very cool. Oh, yeah. You're right. Right?

Well, let's see. The only thing I think compares, and what's funny is the weakling of the four is the, is a, an animal. Red wings, sick. Pistons. Oh, so fucking sick. Lions and tigers are kind of like, whatever. So I would, I'm biased, but I would throw in. Also, the Detroit Tigers, somehow, it's just a tiger. It, there's something very, like, iconic about the Detroit Tigers. I agree, but it is, it does make no sound like, why. Yeah. But I agree. I mean, truly, they were just like lions and tigers. Like, it's shocking they didn't go bears as well. were taken. They were like, they're like fucking Chicago.

But Pistons is, I think Pistons is one of the coolest, especially like regional names ever. Boston is good though, because Celtics and Patriots are amazing. Agree. Red Sox is like, makes no sense, but it's so iconic. But it's so cool. And then the Bruins is the weakest one, but it's still cool. Yeah, at least it's not bears. Yeah, right. So I'm like, Boston is very good. Boston is really good one. Boston is very good. But Denver. Denver is Denver. The more I think about it, I'm like, we got to, I want to do it. I want to think about that. more but Denver slaps. Yeah, you know what also is very good that you would never think of is dolphins, Marlins, heat. Heat is funny. He's good, it's really good. And I mean, I guess we could say Panthers. Yeah, or the lightning. But that's Tampa. Yeah, you know you want Miami.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Panthers. Like, we can say, we can allow Miami to claim the Panthers. Oh, they definitely claim the Panthers. That one, Panthers is the weakest of the Masks. But like the Florida Panther is a thing. It's not a random name. There's no tigers in Detroit. Yeah. Okay, then those are pretty good. True. There's also no penguins in Pittsburgh, but that was because we had the igloo. Oh yeah, which was cool. Very cool. Steelers. Pirates. Pirates. Pirates. Pirates. Pirates. There's no pirates and

what, dude. Yeah. It's an awesome team name and logo. It's so fucking cool. Yeah. Pittsburgh Pirates hats, uniforms, and their, their mascot slash logo. Oh, gas. Incredible. So yeah. Very cool. Okay, let's take an ad break and then change the Rocky or change the Appalanche team name. Listen up, people. I don't know how many times I got to say it if you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet you are losing your mind.

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There is so much action there. It's coming out my ears. BetMGM, make it legendary. All right, we're back, and I have a question for you guys that I find personally very pressing. I, when phones started texting, I hated it because I was like, what is this, dude? I have to type out things, my thoughts, like this takes forever. I could just say it to you and you could say the answer back to me. And back then it was probably the T9 or whatever.

Yeah, so I'm like, I'm like, did it, I missed it. did, did, did. Yeah, yeah, yeah. T9 was crazy. But it was, it was like smart, you know, but it was just crazy. Yeah. Yeah. So anyway, then texting became very common.

I got a Blackberry and then, you know, whatever, whatever. And now everyone's got the iPhone 80. And now I don't even answer text, but that is the only way you will ever communicate with me. I will never answer a phone call for the rest of my life. And I will rarely answer text, but sometimes I do. And some, I have. friends that are still firmly call people, like always calling. Yeah. To the point where I'm like, bro, stop. Well, what do you want? You know? And they were like, I just wanted to answer to this.

I'm like, text me. And it raised this question to me where, and I'm curious if you guys, how often you call still each of your personal preferences. But what is the threshold of I need to call this person or just text this person in your daily life? Like I imagine when you think things, you text people. And we're removing the, I would like to talk. Oh yeah, this isn't like a catch up. Yeah. I just want to chat. To me, it is the, how quickly do I need an answer?

If I really, if I'm doing something and my thought process is firing and I'm trying to handle something and I need a quick answer, I will call immediately. Okay, so it's just a speed thing. Yeah, for me, it's just speed. Yep. Evan? Similar, but I'll add on top. like urgency, yes, and complexity. Ooh, complexity is pretty good.

If it's like too much for me to have to like explain it over text or it's too confusing, like for example, I had, I was telling you earlier, I had to call my friend because I had an audition for, oh yeah, uh, fallout. Yep. And I haven't really watched the show. So I had a question about this audition. So I called my buddy to explain to him because over text, it would have been too weird to like type the whole thing out. Okay.

So I got my answer pretty quickly, which was good because I had to tape that day too. And then what do you think about this? Because I've been... That is a great answer. That's a great answer. And to answer that from my POV, I've been doing this way more lately, I send the voice thing.

Like, I don't call you, but I go, hey, dude, I have this question, it's too much to type, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then they get that text, and then they sometimes voice back. Yeah.

I do voice notes a lot. I think voice note is the new call. I don't do those ever. I didn't used to, dude. And now I'm like, I might only do this. I do them all the time. I was actually driving to Palm Springs this weekend

and was talking about Spider-Man, with our boy from home. Yeah. And since I was driving, we were just voice-noting back and forth. It was very funny. There came a point where I was like, why didn't we just call each other? Yeah, right. Yeah.

But I think he was Friday, so I was like he might be working. Yep. And like he can answer at his own pace. But there was a period where it was just like this. Boom, boom. Yeah. And I was like, we should just be on time. I think maybe I didn't realize voice notes were a thing for a while because I just thought that

was talked to text. Yeah, which I hate. Because it never gets anything right. Totally agree. That was my exact journey. I was like, I don't want to talk into my phone and then have you try to transcribe this into a text to then send. But then I realized you can just send my voice. The voice memo.

Amazing. So here's my other question. I legitimately, if you're calling me, Dan, for a, hey, dude, what time does the movie start? Like, you're calling me because it's urgent and you just need a thing that I know. Yeah. I'm fine with that. But I actually think it is literally rude to call someone and ask, um, like they're, what they're doing later or they're,

or do you want to come to this or something? Because then I'm just on the phone with you and have to answer. They're like, hey, do you want to come to this thing? Like, what are you doing later? Do you want to come to this? And I'm like, I don't know. What are you going to offer?

I don't know what else I have planned. Now I have to just stumble backwards and be like, I got to think about it and call you back. Yeah. Text me the thing so I can go, here is what is being asked. Let me assess all my options for my day. Or make an excuse.

Or make an excuse. think about it often make an excuse heaven but just putting me on the spot is so wildly inappropriate in the year of our lord 2026 that i cannot believe you didn't just text me this it's like it's like saying like hey man what are you doing tuesday night i'm like uh i don't fucking know dude i'm gonna yeah yeah because because if you say nothing they're like great now you get to go to my one-man show yeah fuck yep i'm like oh i'm always like i got a bunch of things i'm not sure yet uh you know like just shoot me a fucking text dude you're already pissed he's pissed no i'm not pissed because I can relate to the feeling but I unfortunately think that we all feel this way

because we're all assholes 100%. Yeah. We just need to be honest with each other. Yeah, we're all just so selfish with our time and I mean you do this a lot and it really pisses me off when someone will text and be like, hey, doing this thing, would you like to come? And you are like, I need to figure out exactly who is going. Yep. What is like, make this dance monkey. Make this worth my time. And I think it's super rude.

But I get it. Yeah. I do get, but I do think it's rude. And I don't, I don't, it doesn't piss me off when you have the thought. It pisses me off when you have the audacity to ask.

And sometimes you do it to our good friends. And frankly, frankly, that's the only time you do it. And I'm just like, is that friend not a good enough friend for you to just show up and be like, yeah, I trust that I will have a good time with you or because you are a good friend that cool people will be there because you are my good friend.

I think it's so fucking rude. But I do get it. If it's something that matters to them, I go, you know, if they're like, hey, I am being bestowed this honor. Yeah. Will you come? I go, okay. Even though internally I go, I hate you and I wish you had never gotten this honor and then I wouldn't have to be here. Yeah.

But if they go, hey, dude, do you want to have a picnic? And it's my good friend. I go, with who, dude? like who else is fucking coming who's coming to this picnic you know if they say like come to my barbecue and it's like three people I can understand that can be a little lame

but sometimes a three person hang is great you just never know and Evan sometimes you gotta go in you got to have no other options to circle all the way back I think I'm on your side just absolutely springing something on someone you have not talked about this at all

someone calls and I answer I go hello is your mom dead Yeah, dude, that's... And they go like this. No, I wanted to see if you wanted to come over in a couple hours. I'm like, are you out of your mind? What if you get the bang-bang call that you call, you don't pick up, and they call you again? Oh, it's got to be an emergency.

Genuinely, when I answer the phone, when that happens, I'm like this, oh, dear Lord, something else. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, something bad happened. Yep. And I actually feel that way with... I feel that way in the first call. Literally, I'm like, what... Dude, what can you awesome do you watch?

Well, and also, I will say this, getting, like, now that we get so many spam calls. Yeah. I never answer a number I don't know, which sucks because sometimes in the back of my head, I'm like, oh man, what if it's publisher's clearinghouse? I'm going to get a million dollars. I know. It has been such an unbelievable development from Apple that most of the time now it says under possible spam. Yeah. I still get regular ass numbers, though.

Yeah, me too. I answer almost all the time because my mentality is what if it's a person that I met randomly at some point in my life who has. a billion dollar opportunity for me, I am going to answer. And I know you, I was going to... How many times does that ever work out? Never. But... But I'm still trying.

You only need one. Obviously not a billion dollar opportunity, but I will say there have been a couple times where I've answered a random number, and I've been like, thank God I answered that. Yeah. Like, it was something important. And I'm like, nice. So that's why I keep doing it. They do, usually the important ones do leave voicemails, though.

Like, I've had that experience. Yes, for sure. Where they're like... You know what I will say is a lot of the young guys are big, FaceTimers and I am worseed. Well listen. I get so mad about it. I am too busy in my life. Yeah. And a lot of these youngens

are, they've got nothing, especially right now in the summer, they've got nothing going on. But I will say every now and then when the FaceTime comes through and I'm available, I'm like, this is delightful. Yeah. And I do answer it and I'm just like, what's up? And Dan, I will say this. A FaceTime is usually... FaceTime is less serious than a phone call. Yes, it's usually safer because, Because it's usually like, I'm with someone that you're not going to believe.

Like, oh, look at this. Or they're just like, what's up, dude? I think nine, I think seven times out of ten, it's them sitting on the couch like this. Yep. And I answer and they go, yo, just seeing what you're doing. Yeah, exactly. Versus a call is like, hey, dude, are you available Wednesday? Or, fuck you.

I'm in jail. Yeah. And I'm like, okay. And then they bang, bang. If they're in jail, actually, I guess you get one call. Jail should change to two calls in today's era. Because they go, you know what I recently found out? You get two phone calls, but you've got to call the same person twice.

What I recently found out? God, that is funny. I'm going to blow your mind. Laugh all you want, pal, but learn some knowledge here. I recently found this out. You get one connected phone call. Oh, cool. If you call someone and there is no answer, you can call another.

You get one phone call that a person answers and is like, what's it? Don't ask me how I know this, but when you do go to jail, they let you, they take yourself in a way, but they let you go through your contacts and write down the numbers because you're not going to remember them because they know people don't remember them, which is nice. That is awesome. Don't ask me how. I know that. Do you feel like I know the answer? Remember the old commercial where it was like, Bob, we had a baby eats a boy?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We had a baby eats a boy. That's what I would do to everyone. To try to explain call ATT or 1-800 commercials to kids now is insane. Crazy also. dude, that is one of the greatest commercials ever written. It was so effective. We all remember it.

And it was kind of gas. Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. It was amazing. When I was young pre-cell phone, because you had like 60 seconds free, and I would just collect call, mom and dad. And they'd be like, you have a collect call from Dan. And they'd pick up and I'd be like this, hey, I'm at the movie theater.

I need a right home. And they'd be like, cool. Yeah, yeah, dude. It's great. Awesome. God, those were the fucking days, dude. Fucking great, dude. That's amazing.

It worked out great. Another thing that was amazing is the bachelor party we were on this weekend. It was an all-time house, Evan. It looked like Love Island. It literally looked like a set on Love Island. Slime everywhere? There was slime everywhere. There was slime and disgusting food every year.

It was crazy. This was out in the desert? Out in the desert. Got it. And in one of the buildings on the compound was a game house or whatever. So there was all the table games, you know, pool and ping pong and all that stuff. but then there was also like an arcade. There was a pretty like an arcade.

A lot of arcade games. Which is sick because it's all free, you know, and you just let it rip. And I wanted to ask you guys what you think are the best arcade games ever. And I wanted to ask you guys, I wanted to ask you guys, why do we stop going to them? Because I actually think arcades are super fun still. And when I go home, there's an arcade in our beach town that I go to because now I actually have money. Like it's not like it's expensive to go there, but I used to be. be like fighting tooth and nail for quarters. And now I'm like, here's 20 bucks. And they give me

$20 of quarters and I have the best five hours ever. You know, and I'm like, why did we, why don't we do this? Why is it only young kids in there? Did, did you miss the barcade explosion of the 2010s? I guess maybe. Because that, I mean, from what I can remember, tooling around like Silver Lake Echo Park. Talking about like Dave and Busters. Yeah, I guess that's yeah. Yeah, like Dave and Busters to an extent, but there, but there were more like, at least in L.A. there were more like independently run bars and restaurants that had arcades a lot like I feel like they're kind of dying off now yeah because I'm wrong well yeah but I mean I so I've but they all had the same like 20 fucking games yeah right there's really not that much variety anymore that is also true

when I was looking at best arcade games I was like there's going to be stuff I've never heard of and pretty much there is no variety and everyone says the same game and I was like pinball pinball kind of fucking blows I actually totally about pinball people love pinball I'm like a I was about to say. I think pinball's awesome. Pinball sucks. I just don't, it's like this, it's, what do you get? I get if you win pinball.

So on this, on this bachelor party, I, I kind of had a thought that the whole arcade room is a gimmick. Yep. It looks cool in the photos when you're searching through an Airbnb and you're like, oh, an arcade. Sick. But then how often do you actually use the arcade games? But there was a Jurassic Park game that guys were ripping up.

The shooting games got all the play, though. Like, no one played Pac-Man. You played a little Pac-Man, but like, no one played... Dude, they had... I did play Golden T and I set the house record. They had Mortal Kombat. Because I think Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter 2 were so sick. Oh, those are great.

Fighting games are great. The head Mortal Kombat set on, like, level X-Rexper? I couldn't even get a punchoff. I was like, the fuck was going on. It was insane. When you just said you couldn't get a punch off, the punch and kick buttons were broken. I was like, I'm getting murdered right now. And it made me so happy because I was like, what the fuck?

and then I was like, oh wait, none of these are working. The, like, to me, the idea of like, well, let me ask you this. Were they newer, were they like the newer ones, like the arcade up ones that are smaller? Were these like the old games, like the original like cabinets? They were pretty large, dude. But they also had newer ones, like the Jay Park and the Halo one were fucking like, well, those were like, you sit down and you were like holding a fucking turret, you know, and reload, yeah.

But no, Golden T, Street Fighter, Pac-Man, they were all the full-on cabinets, sit there. and do it. Pac-Man sucks. Oh, yeah. That's a- I'm pretty bad at Pac-Man. It's hard. It's harder than... It's wicked hard. The ghosts go fast. And I'm sure there are people out there who have, like, cracked Pac-Man. Pac-Man sucks.

Like, you're just jerking this fucking thing around. Is that training you for? Yeah. If you're mad at it, it could be training you. But, like, it's just not great. I think Pac-Man is fun, but it is really hard. I wish you could get deeper into Pac-Man before it got so hard. You know what I mean?

I mean, like, it'd be fun to be like, I'm on level eight. So I die on the second level every time. I'm going to give you this. I think we were, we had a hankering in that room for someone to get the N64 working. Yeah. I think that's why arcades are ass. Because N64 is better. I think video games are better.

N64 is the best. Well, it's just crazy to me to think like back in the day it was like a computer that they fucking hooked up to a TV that they stuck like sideways and put it in a wooden cabinet. Yeah. Now you can do that like in this small. for a thousand games. I mean, so it was just the size of it.

But yeah, like video games were just... When we think about it, arcades are video games. Yeah. And then we made Atari, and Atari just put arcade games in a console at your house.

And then those things got better. That's why arcades are dead. But I think there's something fun about... I mean, I guess, again, I'm clearly wrong, but there's something fun about having them all... Like, Atari, I can only play one game at a time, right?

Like, I plug in N64, I can play one game at a time. I plug in my game and we're playing it. Whereas in an arcade, every game is available all at once. So I'm like, you go play that. I'll go play this. Like, I'm not taking turns. This is one of your worst takes in the world. No, I'm just saying a fact.

No, he just likes to be in the orgy of games. So I'm saying it's cool to if we're, if 20 of us are drinking somewhere and I'm like, hey, all 12 games. I'm going to be honest, dude, you approach that in a very bad way because, no, you did. I said, Nintendo 64, you plug in one game at a time. No, but what you were saying is you can only play one at a time. and I'm like, that is the case for literally every... You can only play one video game at the time. You can only play one arcade.

What you meant is all of your friends can be playing something. Yeah, we're out drinking. Yes, you got there eventually. To your point, what would be better is if in the bar... We had 50 N64s. It was like plug in whatever game. That would be better. There was a bar in a little Tokyo

that had an N64 Mario Kart like challenges at night. You would go and play against other people. I mean, I think... stuff like that. Yeah. Yeah. If I were making an Airbnb that people were renting, instead of a game room, I would just have 10 N64s and multiple TVs. Yeah. And where I was headed was having lived through this one, definitely the shooter games are cool. What was that one at Funorama? There was one shooter game that everybody loved. Do you remember what I'm talking about? Like where you're literally, maybe it was where you're holding the thing. Yeah.

Oh, you had the gun. Area 51. Area 51 was a good one. It was like you had the pistol and then you reload. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But there was like a few different, there's like Time Cop. That's a good one. Yeah, that might have, that was. If it wasn't, aliens was Area 51, but the cop one was like Time Cop. And there's a bunch of those.

So I would definitely put shooter games in if I was designing one of these. But I, now that I know, I would kind of lose like any pinball, Pac-Man. They had like the Galica. Gallagica. Gallagia. Gallagia. Gallagia. I would pretty much lose all those.

And I, the ones I was craving was like Ninja Turtles and the Simpsons. The side scrollers where multiple people can play are so much fun. I literally was like the Ninja Turtles is the best arcade games. Yeah, the Simpsons are a similar one, but fucking A. God, dude, I loved those side-scrolling games. That was fucking awesome. And then the only other one out of my point, those are like Sega and Nintendo games. They're amazing.

Was Cruising USA. Yeah. That was. Yeah, I, you know what? I never loved those. They felt they looked cool because you were like, I get to sit in here and drive a car. but there was always like pretty shitty like yeah it was awful yeah he's like I sucked at the fucking car games yeah and then again like

n64 in those games were like this here's a driving game that's way better yeah here's a we yeah I'm like oh whoa whoa sick that is dope that is dope okay well arcades are cool bring them back I'm in agree uh we're gonna go to a beer league hotline but before we get to the new beer league hotline I have a very important follow up to a previous beer league hotline yeah man one of our best beer league hotlines ever, the whole stud being a cop pulling over the goalie. And we're probably going to make this a clip too because the people need to know. Okay, yeah. So this is the Bacon Boy, D-U-I, Beer League hotline follow-up.

All right. And here's the message I received. This is actually incredible. And to refresh the story like Dan just said, a team had a new study. He scored three plus goals a game. Everybody liked him because he dished sick apples too. Then he would dome up their goalie and warm-up, so the goalie didn't really like him. And the stud is a cop, and the goalie would always chirp him calling him Bacon Boy.

One night they had the early game. Bacon Boy cop says, I can't go tonight because I picked up an overtime shift at work. The boys play the game. Goalie, the group thread on the team blows up in the middle of the night. The goalie driving home was pulled over by Bacon Boy and given a DUI a mile from the rink. Wow. Now the goalie is saying, I refuse to play on this team unless we kick him off. Some guys are going, well, he's nasty and, you know, whatever.

And also now the goalie has no license for 90 days and has to get picked up for the rink. It was a whole, there was a whole debate. And the person who submitted it said, please be the tiebreaking vote. Everyone's in shambles. We don't know what to do. Wow. Then we got this. Here's the message.

Miss Piggy. Sorry. Miss Piggy is the asshole in this situation, and we are all terrible teammates. This should have never been a debate. Our goalie has played for six years, rarely misses, loves hockey, and is still really good. Which I loved to hear all. I love to hear. Our group didn't have his back, and we are the biggest assholes for it.

We split a 30 rack that night between 10 of us. So, equal footing, three beers a pop. No one was Saused and sumbling Sober, no But not hammered by any stretch To be fair Bacon Boy is filthy

Best player we have by far But fuck him He domes up every goalie we have So it's not just this goalie Remember we had surmise Like he just must hate this goal He domes up every goalie we have And like is he just sorry

I shouldn't be interrupted No no I need to know Is he just so inaccurate Or is like this is actually a power Is he trying to hit them in the head? Good question Dan And every goalie we play at least once a night. Similar question. A goal you play, I kind of assume you're in that.

You were just trying to shoot high, you know. He scored six yesterday, but guess what? We still lost again. For what you ask? Because our goalie's mom was Bacon Boys High School principal. We made the connection a few weeks ago, but the damage is done already. He's already even picked up by another team, and I'm pretty sure ours is probably done now, our team. It's our own fault. So please help me apologize for not having his back from the beginning. We feel terrible about it. Unbelievable. We knew it.

Dude. We knew it from the jump. There had to be something here. There had to be some issue that this guy has. Two things for me. One, you are such a garbage pale kid, dude. The cop. Okay. Like, you are such a tool. And number two, this is

such a bad look for cops. Yes. Because so many people, especially people from like small towns, like all three of us, there is that narrative of like, oh yeah, the guys who like sucked in high school and didn't get good grades and just like kind of flamed out just become a cop and they take out all their anger for being a bum on people who now live in that town. This guy, his mom, the goalie's mom was your principal. And you are so mad about that 20 years later more. maybe, that you are literally arresting her son. Like, clearly you were just a troublemaker piece of shit in high school. And this principal was probably trying to help you out.

And be like this, dude, get back on track. Get your grades in order. And instead you were like this, I'm going to hold a lifelong vendetta against your bloodline. And crazy. I have to say, and this doesn't say there was equal opportunity here on the 30 rack. But as we said in the first Peer League hotline, we are extremely anti-D-UI. Do not be driving drunk. There are a million ways to get.

Ever, ever, ever. A million ways to get home. Three beers. And listen, dude, like you told me the other day, you know, I always bring up the 0.08 thing, but in most countries it's fucking 0.02. You know, I don't drink. But we have a 0.08 law in this country. Three beers, if it was equal opportunity.

Maybe the goalie drank 10 of the beer, you know, but he says no one was stumbling, everyone, no one was sober. But if he really only drank three beers and Homeboy pulls him over and it's right on 0.08, this does feel vindictive. You know, this does feel a little harsh where it's like, bro. It's also hearing this information, it feels like this fucking guy. And also, what I need to remember, like, did he play that night? No, he took, he said, I can't play tonight.

I have to work an overtime shift. Yeah. So then, and then he was parked a mile from the rink. And this guy literally goes to the rink, a mile away where he knows the goalie is driving home and just waited for his cars come up up. And he knows they're probably drinking after the game. Of course. Because they said the original message says, we did what we do. We did every game.

Yeah. And again. he definitely just waited there until the goalie drove by. Guys, this is like the next season of that show beef. Yeah. There's some deep shit in this. This is insane. This is intentional.

It's a huge bummer. And dude, I really, it saddens me that their team, from this message, it saddens me that their team is possibly done from this. And I cannot tell you how much, I don't ever say names in these, but I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this guy being like, we feel. awful and I know and we abandoned we abandoned our boy yeah so to to the goaltender from your boys from your teammates there's a huge apology here yeah he said please help us apologize so know that your boys feel terrible they want you

back they want to make up for this that's a disaster and I hope we can put I hope we can mend this and put and get the gang back together the quack attack is back baby and um let's get some Uber's if we need to. We'll get some Uber's if we need to. Neat to. Insane. Just brutal. Okay, Ev, take us to our new Beerley-Cotline. I'm a goalie on a

Division I team and have been for a long time. Most of us are in our late 30s to mid-40s. We play all year to stay fit and hang. Last season, we were up 8-4 with four minutes left. The other team pulled their goalie. I've been eyeing a goalie goal for the last 20 years of my life. We won the face-off and I got the loose puck. Legendary status was in my sights, but my D-man jumped in front of the shot and the puck deflected into my own net.

Ooh. I thought it was hilarious. Several of my teammates did not and gave me shit. I need help getting the point across that they are in the wrong, and I'm a legend for even trying. Wow. Legend. Dude, sometimes I just get so confused by human being behavior. Yeah.

How could anyone on his team? have an issue with what happened. Dude, especially if they won 8.5. You're up 8.4. If they came back, if this started the floodgates, which happens sometimes, right? Like, oh my God, momentum shifted and we got killed. And also, this feels like a regular season game.

You know what I mean? I don't even think this was a playoff game. Yeah. So if they won 8.5, who is mad at this? I cannot process being mad at the goalie for this. Frankly, even if it started a win, fall that you then gave up this lead. You have to give up three more goals, you assholes in the last three minutes. Like that's on you. I bet this was not as cut and dry as this guy's making it sound.

I bet it was like a, the puck kind of squirted it out and he aggressively like jumped at one and just like ripped it with his stick. And I doubt it was, I'm picturing a Disney movie where the red sea has parted and a puck just slides back from the face off and he's like, oh my God. I have, look at this. And then some guy just flies in front of him. But I bet it was a little more ridiculous. Like he says, we won the face off and I got the loose puck. I bet it was a D-Zone draw.

Oh, definitely was. And it just squirts out here and he just jumped up and snapped one. And the defenseman was probably still lined up at like the hash marks. And it hits him and goes in and he was like, dude. And by the way, usually I err to the middle because the goal. is always shooting it sideways. So I think if he got it, I would have slid middle to be like, yeah, clear it. Just put it in the corner or something.

Exactly. So, but that's the other thing, dude. If that had been me, if I was the defenseman and the goalie did that and I just slid the middle and it drilled me and went in, I would have laughed. I'm like, oh, sorry, too. Definitely. I love that this goalie's like, I thought it was hilarious. Yeah, like I can't believe anyone didn't think that was funny.

The only knock I have on the goalie, and I hate ever criticizing people that submit. But is, I don't know that you're a language. Legend. Like, yeah, I would try to get a goalie goal too, but he's hyping himself up for the attempt more than I think is deserving. Fair. He's like, I am such a legend for doing that. And I'm like, well, you're, I'm glad you did that. That would have been awesome. Yeah. But I don't think you need to be rubbing it in their face. Like, I'm a legend. Yeah, he says, I'm a legend for even trying. I think he might be a little tongue in cheek with this. I'm assuming he's, he's kind of joking. I think that's a good assumption.

Yeah. Because when he says legendary status was in my sights, that is true. That part is Getting a goalie goal, especially in beer league, would be all time. Yep. And yeah, I'm going to, I'm going to air on the side of he is being tongue-in-cheek by being like, I'm a legend for even trying. Yeah, okay, because you do have to try. I'm with you there, sir. You will 1,000 percent.

Dude, if the goalie was pulled and I was a goalie, every time the puck even got near me, I would be firing it down the edge. So I'm, yeah, I mean, to your teammates, what were you possibly upset about? Buddy, you got to calm down. If you have a good lead, I mean, again, if this was a one goal game and this tied it up, frankly, if this was a two goal game and this made it a one goal game. And I would be a little annoyed probably. But given that you are so ahead, the second your goalie touches the puck when the other team's goal goalie is pulled, you better be losing your mind. Shoot it.

Oh my God, shoot it. Totally. So I was actually just thinking, Dad, if we ever have a lead with the goalie pulled, I might, and the puck gets cleared down, I might like, like, like knock it to perish. Be like, yo, shoot. Shoot it. Like, shoot. Please.

No doubt. So yeah. Do you think maybe this is more of an issue of team communication? Like, did they not know he was going for this? Because maybe then that that's the note I would say is like communicate with your D-Men so they know that if you get the puck, you're going to shoot down the middle of the ice and try to get it. Yeah. And dude, this says last season this happened.

And so it implies that they're still like, remember when you did that? I'm like, what are you talking about? And also, hey guys, from now on. he's going to shoot. So be aware. Head on a fucking swivel. Yeah. So yeah, boys, this is not a big deal. You know what? He is a legend for trying. And certainly, fuck it. He is a legend for trying. Retire his number. Put the statue out there of him getting the goal knocked into his own. I think most importantly, don't dissuade him from trying this again with these antics. Yes. We need to support goalie goals. You won eight five. For sure. All right, that's going to wrap

it up for today's episode. Thank you all so much for listening. Make sure to please check out. our Red Rising Recap episodes coming out every Wednesday. We might even bump it up, but certainly Wednesdays for now. They've been so much fun. If you're a fantasy sci-fi fan, jump on board. If you've read the books, listen to the recap because they're fun. Our buddy Jordy just texted us saying he's loving it so much. He's going to start rereading them again. Fires me up. If you want to start reading it for the first time, we're going at a great pace. You can keep up with us, watch it every. It's like a TV show. Yeah. It's truly, we're giving you the best new TV show that exists right now. It's amazing. cannot wait for you to check it out.

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