The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Desus Nice On The Issues with Sports Stadiums | Sydney Colson and Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Episode Date: December 20, 2023

Desus Nice unpacks the issues with billionaire franchise owners using taxpayer money to build sports stadiums while the taxpayers don't receive many benefits from their investment. Desus then sits with WNBA champion, Sydney Colson, to talk about her recent win with the Los Vegas Aces and the increased visibility of the WNBA. He also chats with Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah and learns about the inspiration behind Nana's first novel "Chain-Gang All Stars."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Survivor 47 is here, which means we're bringing you a brand new season of the only official survivor podcast on fire. And this season we are joined by fan favorite and Survivor 46 runner-up, Charlie, Charlie, I'm excited to do this together. Thanks, Jeff. So excited to be here, and I can't wait to bring you inside the mind of a survivor player for season 47. Listen to On Fire the official survivor podcast starting September 18th wherever you get your podcast. You're listening to Comedy Central. Growing up I lived across the street from Yankee Stadium. I could hear the crowd. I could smell the glizzies. White people

those are hot dogs. When Redstock fans asked me for directions to the stadium, I point them straight to the projects. It was beautiful. Then in 2009, they built a new Yankee Stadium right next to the old one and it looked basically the same. It was like Drake's last two albums. You couldn't tell them apart. But there was one huge difference. The cost to the public. The city handed over 20 acres of public parkland and a billion dollars to tax paper money.

So the house that Ruth built really became the house that you and I built. Well, mostly you. I'm a sovereign citizen, I don't pay taxes. But this happens all the time. Just last year, New York gave the Buffalo Bills $600 million to build a new stadium. 600 million. That's almost as much as NYPD spends to stop $50,000 worth the turnstile jumping. So how does this happen? Why are billionaire owners getting welfare to build stadiums?

It's something I want to talk about in tonight's long story short. Right now, we're in a sports stadium building boom, and just about every one of them is funded by taxpayers. So how are billionaire team owners able to get these sweetheart deals? Easy. When asking for taxpayer subsidies, teams come to a community like a dude asking for open marriage. Nah, girl, it's not just good for me. It's good for you too.

Now, they say these stadiums will spread economic growth throughout the community. Construction jobs. Restaurant's Taylor Swift body doubles. Now, come on now, you think she's watching Travis Kelsey and doing a show in Argentina an hour later? Nah, that math is not math, then, come on. Yeah, see? Now, these owners also claim these stadiums will increase property values, which is one of the biggest lies in the world.

What kind of cycle is like, yeah, I want 50,000 drunk idiots pissing on my stoop every night. No way, bro. If any drunk idiot is going to piss on my stoop, it's going to be me. Next, they promise to donate money to the community, or build affordable housing. And if none of that works works, their theeeeeks, theks, thiiiiiiiiiiiiii, their thi, thi, thi, thi, their thi, their their their their their their their thi, they promise to donate money to the community or build affordable housing. And if none of that works, they threaten to move the team. And it usually works, because even though using taxpayer money in stadiums is usually unpopular, losing a team could end the politician's career.

Like for example, if Mayor Eric Adams lost us in Nix, he would be deported all the way back to his real home in New Jersey. But the truth is a lot of the time those owners are bluffing and we know that because they admit it. David Samson, the former president of the Marlins largely credited with pulling off the worst stadium deal for Miami Day taxpayers. It's actually a pretty easy playbook. I get a lot of credit for doing the Marlins Park deal, but it really wasn't very difficult because Miami did not to lose its baseball team and all we had to say is that we're ready to leave Miami if we don't get a deal done. Let me ask you, were the Marlins going's going going going going going going going going going going going going going going going going going going going going going going going going going the marlain is going going theruly. Absolutely not.

See these guys are full of shit. They were never going to leave Miami because no one ever leaves Miami. Like even people who are just visiting don't leave Miami. Now the cousin who went to a bachelor party six months ago he's still in a club partying with BBLs. So the teams get their free subsidies, and now that they have their brand new stadium that boost their value, but don't worry, because in return, the city gets hundreds of millions of dollars worth of jackshit.

Economists who study stadium subsidies, say little or none of the money makes it back to taxpayers. One economist estimated that the contribution of a professional baseball team is similar to that of a mid-sized department store. As a University of Chicago economist aptly put it, if you want to inject money into the local economy, it would be better to drop it from a helicopter than invested in a new ballpark. Wait, that's an option? Yo, I wish they dropped a giant bag of money in my neighborhood. Like, rest of the piece of the person and lands on, but it'd be a payday for the rest of us.

So the economic boost they promise doesn't pan out. And I know that personally, because I saw that in the Bronx. In exchange for that 20 acres of parkland, the Yankees promised to donate $40 million to affected areas. But the immediate community has not seen a dime from the team. And more immediately, and more importantly, we haven't seen a World Series in like 20 years old. Like, if you want to screw my community out of 40 million, fine. That's business. But me not getting a ring, that's personal. I mean, at the very least, these teams could toss out some more shirts during games.

Like, how do you have 25,000 fans in the arena and only toss out 10 t-shirts? And they're all-sized Excel? Do mediums cost more? And also, could we please get a t-shirt cannon that couldshirts. And they're all-sized Excel? Do mediums cost more? And also, could we please get a t-shirt cannon that could hit the 300s? What the fuck? Up top in the row, up top! And the thing that really gets me heated,

these stadiums aren't even that old. Stadiums for the Braves and the Rangers last like 20 years before they built new ones. You can't be replacing a stadium that Leonardo DiCaprio was still hit. I'm not gonna be in Titanic too, sorry. But you know what the worst part is? How much it sucks for the fans? Because suddenly the team How much it sucks for the fans?

Because suddenly the team they've been rooting for their whole lives starts extorting them for a fortune. And all they can do about it is to go to the stadium and cuss out the owner, which is what they did in Oakland. Check this out. A's fans packing. The Oakland the Oakland the Oakland the Oakland the Oakland the Oakland the the the the the thia thia thia is their their thia is thian their thian thian thian thian their is thian is their isiseum for the first time in what seems like forever to send a blunt message to the athletics top brass.

A season best crowd of nearly 28,000 A's fans came out to the Coliseum for what was deemed a reverse boycott, which encouraged owner John Fisher to sell the team so it can remain in Oakland instead of moving to Las Vegas. Tonight, the Coliseum erupted with one-of-a-kind champs and cheers. Salvatie! Salvatie! Fisher sucks! Fisher sucks! Fisher!

Fisher? Fischer? Get the hell out of you here? 30,000 people are going to show up tonight to show John Fisher that he sucks. That's how you do it. Listen, I'm an East Coast boy, but Oakland, paying $20 to cust out a man you've never met is big New York energy. Respect. But, long story short, politicians got to stop falling for the stadium griff.

If we're getting ripped off by team owners, it should be the old way. We're $ to be talking about the election, earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient-to-bread ratio on sandwiches. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is a two-time WMBA champion who plays for the Las Vegas Aces. Please welcome Sydney Colson. Sydney.

Congratulations, to the Los Vegas Aces. Please welcome Sydney Cose. Oh, Sydney. Congratulations on another championship. Thank you. Let's see. Okay, we got Vegas fans in here? Oh, you got Vegas fans everywhere.

Sadly, this is supposed to be Liberty Turf. Right. You know, I've been Liberty Game. Oh, there's two. Uh, oh, I don't know. Did you come here to gloat? No, I'm sorry. Yes, actually, that talk. But actually, I don't have to.

Most of them were cheering for the Aces. I love it. OK, wow. So man, we got back, I think we just got W fans here, though. I appreciate that. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, I was going to go. This season, people are actually watching the game, people coming out. Y'all are killing it.

What does it feel like to be part of that movement? We're now like, you're more visible and people really rock with the WMBA? It's incredible. I think about when I came in the league in 2011 and what it looked like them versus what these arenas will look like today and what, how many times we'll see players on commercials, on TV shows, on just a variety of things. There wasn't anything I ever expected to see in like my time that I was playing, but especially as like a young black player to see women that look like me doing it and killing it, I was like, I just got to keep working.

Okay. Okay. Now going in the game for you were down two-star players. And that's the game you had choice words for all the doubters? Oh yeah. I think we have a clip. Okay. People wanted to count us out because we had two of our starters down, but they don't know

we got some dogs on this team. So I got two words to say, night, night. Wow. Wow. I mean, she got to ring the back. Get up. But do you feel you're one of the best trash talkers in the WMBA? When I tell you I'm not even a trash talker, I'm not. This particular moment blew up and it makes me look like such...

Now I'm loving it. I'm loving your villainer. I'm like, I didn't even know I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be I would be in I would be in it I would be in it I would be in I would be the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th the. I would be in the. I would be in theateate. I would bea. I would bea. I would bea. I would bea. I would bea. I would bea. I would bea. I would be It blew up and it makes me look like such a doucheback. I'm loving your villain era. I'm like, I didn't even know I would be in it, but I'm like, people, I'm trolling people at this point online, because I don't care, they're like, you only had two points, she's got two points, how she on the daily show. That's gonna be them. Yeah. I mean, speaking the two points, to, to, they. to, they. th. th. th. th. tha. tho, th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. tho, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm their. I'm their. I'm their. I tho, I their. I their. I their. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I thin. I didn't, I didn't th. I didn't th. I didn't th. I didn't th. I didn't the. I didn't the. I didn't the. I didn't the. I didn't the. I didn't the. I didnoday by Asia. I know, right? It'd be your own teammates.

It'd be all teammates. She said, you thought the whole team was going to see Usher? And she tweeted in response to, L-O-L-O-L-L-O-L. Sint scores two points in game four. Thinks she gonna get take that. I responded to and I know you saw that. Okay. Is this like playful rivalry?

This is for sure. I love that. Yes, man. This like, we haven't seen that before in the WMBA. Just like even like the rivalry between the Liberty and you, but it's also you guys respect each other on you joke on each other, but you love them. Got you, got you.

You're now working on a new unscripted comedy series called the Sid and T.P. show. Are you trying to take my job? No, tell me about your show. So, uh, the log line is like two WMBA benchwarmers, who try to become to become to become to become to become to become to become to become to become to become to become to become to become to become to become to become to become to become the to become the the the the their their their their their their their their their their the the their, their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their, their, their, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th th the, the, the, tie., tie., tean, tean, tie-s., together, together, the., thean., thean., thean. the the try to become the face of the league even though nobody asked them to. And it's just hilarious. There's a lot of like man on the street type stuff. A few like sketches that we do. And us just anybody who knows our personalities or have seen us like on the ACES is social.

I think they'll enjoy it. You gotta have me on. Season 2. You gotta have me on. Oh, season two, we're hoping for it. Let's go, say it last. Yes, come on. The senior TV show is now streaming on FDW's National Effort and Fubo Sports. My guest tonight is a best author whose latest book book, chain gang all shows is finalist for the National Book Award. Please welcome my man, Nana Kwaume and Anja Brenjo. Wow. Okay, okay. Now, full disclosure, you currently reside in what borough? The Bronx.

VX-O-D. Okay? I only telling you, because if you see the drip, you'd wonder. Okay. J.J. Or also, you're first novel. Tell us about it. Because it's super popular. Everyone I'm talking to, everyone I'm talking to, I was saying, I've read that book already. So what I'm missing on? Thank you. I appreciate it. So my first novel is about an imagined

future in which convicted wards of state can opt out of a sentence of at least 25 years and participate in death matches. So it's really about abolition the prison system, but in a fun way. So basically incarcerated people can fight to the death to become free? They become gladiators and they're fighting for their freedom, yeah. Don't give Eric Adams that idea, man. Call it. This is a satirical book, Eric Adams, please. Is it hard to write a dystopian novel because we're kind of living in a dystopian novel right now? Bro, it is crazy to see it.

I started this book about seven years ago, almost eight years ago. And in the process of writing it, I sort of watched the world become more and more aware of some of the things I was thinking about because it was coming more and more true we're seeing just how heinous the system was in so many different ways. And so it's difficult but also makes me feel like maybe I'm doing something that needs to be done. Got you. And now in your book it's a for-profit prison system, which is kind of similar to, I don't know,

the NFO? Do you see any power loads there? Yes. Well, no, I mean, I think that in general, our our, I, I, I, I, the the the the the thu, thu, thu, thu, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, that in, I, I, I, I, I, I, thi, thi, thi, thi, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's difficult, it's difficult, it's difficult, it's difficult, it's difficult, it's difficult, it's difficult, I, I, I, it's difficult, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, thi. It's, thi. It's, thi. It's, thi. It's, thi. It's, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. It's, thi. It's, thi. It's, t. It's difficult, t. It's difficult, t. It's difficult, it's, t t t t ti. It's difficult, it's, I think that in general our sort of consumer culture where we have this idea where people's bodies are things for us to be entertained by. We've gotten really comfortable just viewing humans as a means to an end, you know, or outside of being a means to an end and of themselves. So I think the NFL is particularly heinous, I think, like that's like the big jungard out of evil white men telling black bodies to go hurt yourself. But, uh, I mean, talk that talk.

But, uh, I think that paradigm exists in a lot of places too. Got you, got you, got you. And in this book, the protagonist, the protagonist, the protagonist, the protagonist, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, th is, thi, thi, thi, is, is, is thi, is thi,, got you. And in this book, your protagonist is a black woman? Yes. Was that a conscious choice? Absolutely it was. I think that there's a particular way in which the black woman can be both respected but also disrespected in the same breath. I think if you think about Serena Williams,

both Serena Williams and Bron, something that's particular to her which is always being sort of like disrespect or reduced to sexuality, her image and so many other type of little weird little jabs that they give her I think that that intersection of being a woman being an athlete being someone who's in the eye of the public all those things felt important for this book and so it made sense for the protagonist to be a woman. That makes sense. Okay, I recently hosted the gala for the Bronx. They're public defenders in the Bronx. That's the name, duh. But your father is also a defense attorney? Yep, he was.

Did that affect your view on the just criminal justice? It absolutely, absolutely did. He told me about how he was in the middle of defending someone who had committed a murder. Got you. of defending someone who had committed a murder. Gotcha. And I remember being like, dang, like, okay, I guess my father's a villain. He's a bad guy. And I remember him telling me it's not that simple. And just in that little moment,

I was probably like 11, 10-ish, a little seed was planted, I think is a big part of how this book came to be. How satisfying does it feel to actually complete your first book? Oh my god it's um it's the biggest award to be honest. It's the day where I sent it in and it was like done done done done done is bigger than any reward I can get so I'm just grateful it's out there I'm grateful people are reading and grateful people are thinking about the prison system and how we can maybe be more compassionate so that's really the big gift. Okay this might this this th. This th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. the the the th. th. thi. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. thi thi thi. te. te. te. today today today today today today thi thi thi thi. the big gift. Okay, this might be a little disrespectful to you. Last question. F. Mary Kill.

Tony Morrison, Zoran, Hirsten, James Baldwin. Um. My English teacher is going to kill me. Tony's the god, so I want to marry her. And then, I feel bad to even say it. Zoranil Hurston and I would have some relations. Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11 10 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Fairmount Plus. This has been a comedy central podcast. Survivor 47 is here which means we're bringing you a brand new season of the only official Survivor Podcast on Fire and this season we are joined by fan favorite and survivor 46 runner-up Charlie Davis to bring you even further inside the action Charlie I'm excited to do this together. Thanks Jeff so excited to be here and I can't wait to bring you inside the mind of a survivor player for season 47th.

Listen to on fire the official survivor podcast starting September 18th wherever you get your podcasts.