157: Best Losing Team with Joel Walkowski | Soder Podcast | BONUS

Hey everybody, thanks for watching the podcast. I hope you're having a good week so far, and if it sucks, I hope it gets way better. Take that shitty week. I'm on the road. November 5th through the 7th, I'm going to be at Wise Guys in Salt Lake City. We added a late show Thursday. You could see me there. Salt Lake City November 5th through the 7th, Wise Guy Comedy Clubs, one of the best clubs in the country. And then December 10th through the 12th, Comedy at the Carlson in Rochester, New York. I'm very excited. I love going back there. One time I was there, I was extremely constipated. So I'm excited to be back and to be able to eat your food and then poop it out. That's going to be real big for me. All tour dates. Go check it out. Thanks for watching. I hope you're doing all right. It's not really about the game. It's about the emotions that come with it and how you feel about it, how it makes you fucking. What makes your life? Sports fandom shapes your life in a way that I think if non-sports fans understood it, there'd be an easier way to get them in. And if only there were a work to publicize, that's the backbone of. That's the backbone of this entire thing. Yeah, Honolulu Blues. Look at that. We'll just do it right there. How loving a losing team. I love that subtitle. How loving a losing football team created a winning man. I'm known Joel forever. You are one of the most diehard Detroit sports fans I've ever met. Lions, tigers, pistons, you're on board. Live and breathe. I've been here since 2010, but I'll be a Detroiter forever. But what I respect about specifically Detroit sports fans is your guys' loyalty to teams when most people would be like. You could probably give up if you wanted to, you know what I mean? A losing is naturally occurring. Like you're going to lose. Why would you be upset with that? Do you get competitive with other losing sports teams? Absolutely. Like, jazz, brown, sand. Yeah, but the jets are the ones that I get, like, upset with you. Like you want a Super Bowl, you know, I don't care if it was before the moon landing, but you want. For real, that is crazy to think that they want a Super Bowl before we went to the moon. But by the way, I would almost say they are the most cursed because they wanted early. It's like being a rich kid when you're a toddler. And then the rest of your life, you're dirt poor and they go, well, you were rich and you were like, I was a fucking baby. Yeah, your crib was in that mansion. You remember that? I didn't have object permanence. I didn't remember that. And now I'm dirt poor and you're like, oh, but you did have money. Yeah, but your quarterback, you know, tried to kiss that sideline reporter, you know, it's not so bad. Dude, that is, that is such a quotable line. The Joe Nameth, where he goes, can I kiss you? Who is it? Leslie. Kissing Susie Colbert. Susie Colbert. Yeah. Hey, you know, I want to know what if she said yes. Oh, she would have gone into the fire. Yeah. What's wrong with that? I've started. She grabs his dick. She goes kiss me. She goes, this is nuts. That's what it is. You know how they say when a shark swims up on you, punch it in the nose. If a drunk Joe Nameth shows up on you, kiss him and grab his dick. You know, Susie Colbert, like, she's stronger than I am. If Nameth tried that one, maybe even today, walking eight years, that would have smooched him. I would have wilted. I would have gone, take me Broadway, Joe. Oh, the fur coat. It works wonders on me. There was, there was, you know, it's when you guys made it to the NFC championship game. Yeah. 2024. I don't remember the last two. I remember. I will say, and this is exactly what I said, because I'm going to keep the same energy that I had. I love Dan Campbell. I love, I love your guys' colors. I didn't like your guys' helmet when you went all blue. There's something about the silver and blue that goes together. You have a great stadium. The people of people sleep on this, all the, Detroit, all the stadiums are downtown next to each other in city limits. That's how sports should be. It's kind of like European soccer. Like, that's where you gather. Yeah, Philly has a similar thing where you can go to where all the stadiums are by it. It's not a little outskirts. It's like, we want you there to go to the casinos next. Yeah. They know what they're doing. The only one that I know that is downtown as much downtown as you either Cleveland or Indianapolis. Indianapolis is just like right there. But Indianapolis is just two teams, right? Sure. I mean, two and a half we count AAA baseball. You're in permanent cell mode where you're like, come to Detroit. Come to Detroit. Do you like tires? You could do whatever you want with them. Burn them if you want. But when you guys, when Dan Campbell started to turn that team around, and then you guys got really good that season. And this is what I said to my other friends that were Lions fans, because my sister-in-law's a Lions fan. And I was like, listen, I want you guys to win a playoff game. But you did this thing that I used to do when I was a kid. Or if I wanted one Christmas present specifically, like a bike. I'd be like, all I want is a bike. And I would say this line to my mom where I'd go, if you give me a bike, you don't have to give me anything else. And then she would get me the bike. And then I'd be like, there's no other presence. She's like, I got you the thing you want. Well, we were like, playoff win, playoff win. So like, I felt like the playoff win was the bike for you guys. For me, it was the car bed. You know? So that's a Detroit kid game. I want my bed to be shaped like a car. I need a car bed. We don't have enough cars around us. So I need to win my like, nocturnal hours. But you got the car bed. We got two car beds. So then you get two car beds. And then what happens is the NFC championship can't go down. We got two and a half car beds. And do you guys start getting very like, well, now we got to go to the Super Bowl and win it all. And it's very like, you guys got your car bed. We got car bed. And you know, this book that we're talking about. So I'm taking care of my autistic father. I make the comparison that like cheering for a losing team is a lot like having a special needs parent. You know, you're not going to get what other people do. So you make the most of what you got. So this is a great way to look at it. So like, my dad, he's like actively dying. I'm his caretaker during this span. And he asked me to leave his deathbed and go to that game. And I do. I call him at halftime. We're like, can you believe this is happening? No, we can't. Wait, did you go to San Francisco? Of course. You went to Santa Clara. Yeah, the tickets have been in my family since 34. So it was my dad's dying wish was that I go to that game. And you go to that game in Santa Clara. You're up 24/3. 24/7. And the first play like James and Williams, like that reverse, like two minutes in the game. I'm beautiful, brilliant. And by the way, if you're not a sports fan, I'll see you next episode because we're about to get real nasty with it. If you like any sports, get in the waters. And I will say the book, people are like reaching out. Women like it most of all. So if you're not a sports fan. First off, I'm just going to tell you right now, I live with a woman that is a sports fan. There's a lot of sports fans that are women. But this is, there are ways that you can get non, this is for all non sports fans. You read this book because it is, it's a religion. People don't understand that modern NFL in a lot of families has taken the place of religion. Absolutely. And I make that same argument. Because like your dad was basically taking, telling you to take your hodge to go to Mecca, or just to go on your pilgrimage. And I grew up in a neighborhood that was Muslim Catholic mixed. So the only unifier, I'm three years old in 1989. Barry Sanders was the one thing. And like, we go a little sobriety in this where I was like, "Oh, you can pick whatever, Harry, higher power you want?" I got Barry Sanders. I love that. You know what's funny is I will always owe Barry Sanders a lot because when I was growing up, there was a time in my life that it wasn't good. You know, like shit was real bad. Like, 12 to 16, shit was real bad. Like mentally bad, physically bad. Everything was bad. And my friend, shout out, Mike McDaniel, the coach of the Chargers. He would always, he was obsessed with football. We were both obsessed with football. And he would always go, my mom and her boyfriend kind of talked to me in a way that was like, you know, my mom said, "I apologize for her shit," but her boyfriend would be like, "You're fucking dumb. You're not going to be shit. You're not." You know what I mean? And that does affect somebody and he would always go, "You know Barry Sanders' dad says that he's not even a top five running back." And he would go, "You know Barry Sanders' dad says, like two of his faces that Jim Brown is a better running dad." At the Hall of Fame enshrinement, he does that. And that was always, so as Barry Sanders to me always has this soft spot because at this worst time of my life, I was going like, "Dude, it's fucking Barry Sanders." 'Cause Barry Sanders is the man. Put on Barry Sanders highlights. If you don't like sports, pause this. You're on YouTube right now. Go over to Barry Sanders highlights. It's fucking awesome. The way he scoots back goes to switch. My dog does a thing when we're walking in the morning. I'll look to one side and she'll go to the other. And I'll look and she'll go to the other. And every time I go, "What are you, Barry Sanders?" Yeah, and not many football players transcend the sport. He did. He's not a football player. He's Fred Astaire. Like the way he whirls around is, you know, defying human movement. And he retires early, doesn't want a championship. But back to the religion part, so you go through all that. And your dad's on his deathbed and he's like. Go to the game. Go to the NFC championship. And like throughout that whole thing, like I'm packing up his hoarder house. I'm moving him back to Detroit. I started writing the book as a journal, like I buy his bedside. side. So like, yeah, how are you going to reach him? He loved sports. So I put him in a sports book. - How do you find out your father's autistic? - I mean, he owned 2,000 switch blades. He slept in a room of like every media guide from every four major professional sports team. - So you did truly was a way to connect with your dad? - It was the only thing, 'cause he was into like leather, switch blades, detroit lines, and like, I picked the right one. (laughing) - Did you be in a leather daddy with a fucking rule? You're gonna ask those chaps everywhere, do you ever hung out with Joles? Butts always out. - I was banned from the Bloomington comedy attic. He moved down there without ever stepping foot in the club, 'cause he would go backstage. He would give comedians a switch blade, brass knuckles, and a double-sided coin. - God dammit, why didn't you get it? I did it twice, where was your dad when I worked there? - He was probably a little ill during those days. - I loved if your dad came back and gave me a switch blade out of it like, thanks Mr. Walkowski, you fucking rule. - Yeah, like, I didn't even call him dad. He went by banjo, Bob. 'Cause like, yeah, absolutely, he was a master banjo player. So like, six hours a day, he like, fanatically made leather, played banjo, that's what I grew up with. - Did you, because of that, did you have any interest in learning the banjo? - I hated. (laughing) - I'm deliverance mode. The banjo scares the shit out of me. - But what could he be a placa? - He was nasty. - Is there any part of you that thought it was cool when you'd watch 'em rip? Like, 'cause they like pick it, don't they? - Yeah, like, he did like a cover of like, the animal's house to the rising sun that was just like, gnarly, played Detroit jazz cubs in the jazz people. Like, what the fuck is the banjo doing there? Then he shows them what the banjo supposed to do there. - You got the joke like, I don't like why boy, go ahead. - Yeah. - Man, man, man, man, man, man, man, man. - Yeah, absolutely. Like, the one regrettable thing when he played, he would always wear a beret. So, you know, you can't really approve that. That's a tough look. - Was he a whore vet? - No. - Oh, damn. - And that's the only way you can get a boy out of the berets if you go, you know that guy served and you go, don't touch him, he's got a beret on. - No, he grew up in Detroit, but then decided he was a country gentleman as like the second half of his life. So, moved to the woods and like, took on this persona. - Like, almost like a wrestling persona. - Absolutely. - Really? - Was that hard to deal with? - Yeah. - Were you like going like, yeah, but I'm going like, how gradual is it? - Well, I mean, it's a switch flip. So, he played guitar, he fell off a ladder, he shattered his wrist, and like, then the banjo's lighter than guitar, so he switched, hard and fast, and then like went all the way in with it, relocated to live near the banjo makers, and that was his entire life. - In Indiana? - Yeah, Bloomington, like 10 miles outside of it, and like, he'd be like, come on, visit me. We can go see the Buffalo Skull. There's a big pit where they throw dead animals and it's like, man, I just want any advice. - That's so funny. - I know it's so funny is because I always think it's the child of an alcoholic. You just only lose your parents to alcohol, never the banjo, I never thought it would be like, if he just crawls way out of a banjo and call me on my birthday. But I mean, back to the point of sports being a religion, it really is like, it is a way in, 'cause it was like, my dad abandoned me, but look, I still got my Niners hat on, I still love the four. I never lived, I never went to school in San Francisco. I'd lived there for weeks, but I'd never like lived there, but I was a, I'm a die-hard 49ers giants fan. - Yeah, and you can project the entire father relationship on a team. - On to it. - And I'm gonna tell you right now that it's so funny because it's like, man, now that I know that you were there and your father's on his deathbed and you fly out to Santa Clara, you're in Levi's. - And then we have a phone call, then journey plays, don't stop believing. - Don't fucking, by the way, I'm gonna tell you this, and this is a compliment I'm gonna give Detroit, but when a local, when you have a local band that has bangers, it helps the stadium. - Absolutely, and they saying the South Detroit thing, I was like, oh, this is our day, wasn't our day, Dan. - Journey from San Francisco. - Recognize who the fuck in bands are, 'cause I went to a 49ers Lions game at Ford Field a couple seasons ago, I think like 2021 or 2022, your opening montage is the sickest shit I've ever seen in my life. The stadium goes dark. It's seven nation army into Kid Rock, into Eminem, into like fucking like classic soul, back into Jack White. - Ooh! - If you're not, if your blood isn't fucking pumped, when you hear that Lions intro, it's fucking awesome. - Yeah, and like everything associated with this team is fantastic, except the win lost record. - Except that, you got the colors silver and blue rule, but that game, you guys are beating the shit out of us to the point that at halftime, you know what was the one thing? It was CJ Gardner Johnson, waved at our crowd. - Waved at the crowd, and then. - No, he didn't, he went like that. He went by, like that, to the whole stadium and Santa Clara, he went by, and I, to Katie, I went, it'd be real nice if that went up, if we got to shove that up his ass. - Yeah, and then God abandoned us in real time. - Yeah. - So the ball bounces off our defensive back's face, the one time, you know, beloved nine or Brandon, I use. - Well, he was beloved until this off season. - But he was like, he was waiting for him to come, he had like that one year, and it crested with that one play. - And then we came back, we came all the way back, Gibbs fumbles on the next opening draft, too. - And then we're in it. Now it's 24/14, and we got the ball. - The fingers are tight, it's over there. - Did you know right then, on that fumble? - Yeah, the fumbles, like, oh, I've seen this movie, 'cause there are certain losses that are only Lions losses, where it's not, it's not like losing a game, it's like gravity, where it's always, it's gonna find a way to its destination, one way or another. - Science, it's science, the Detroit Lions will find a way, and I loved Dan Campbell. I loved him when he played in the NFL. I liked him when he was a coach of Miami. I've always liked his energy. Watching that loss afterwards was like, "Damn, I wish it wasn't us." - Yeah, and anyone, and like, you know, there's a difference between sobriety and recovery, right? And I've always kind of projected my id onto this team for good or bad around September 2021. I really got into the recovery. - That's really fun. - Yeah, and like, I needed to rework things that as Dan Campbell's taking over my team, and is like, "Oh, okay, we didn't get to see your ball, but I don't do pills anymore, so it's not that bad." - Yeah, you're like stacking the wins. You go, "Hey, we're on the right path, and I'm clean for the first time in years." But Dan Campbell is a guy where he was like, so I was so high on us winning, 'cause I was like, immediately what I thought, you guys, no offense, you guys were an afterthought. We had lost to the Chiefs. - Yeah, move on to the Chiefs. - So we go, "Oh, we get revenge." Like, "Oh, this is gonna, to me, it was, how my religious view of the sports was, this will, the world will be even." - And it looked like San Francisco fans were looking ahead to the next week where they needed one more, where that win would have been the best thing that ever happened to me. (laughing) - Yeah, and it really was, we really beat the Lions on our way to like, "Well, we need to settle a score. We need to settle a score at the Chiefs." And then it took me a while to go, like, "I feel bad for Lions fans." - Yeah, and I would argue that that game killed my father. - You know, so, you know, maybe we could have pulled it out. - Oh, no, we did it, we did it. - 'Cause I'm like going, I'm getting back to, I fly back to Detroit, I'm talking to him about the game. And like, you know, we're pretty well positioned moving forward. - He just kind of leaves, you know, in that moment. - How fast after the game did he die? - Like, 10 days, so like, it was around, but like, he was on an upswing. And then like, after that, boom, where he's in like, the death rattle mode. - Do you honestly believe, what was your dad dying of? - He had the combination of COPD and diabetes, which, if you're not familiar, it gives you panic attacks. It cuts off the oxygen. So if you left him alone, he would call an ambulance, no matter what, and he'd make up excuses to go into that. Like, at one point, he got put into like, a mental institution, just 'cause like, he couldn't be left alone for five minutes. - 'Cause he would freak out. - Yeah, he'd freak out, like, he'd do. And like, it's funny when like, it's pretty gallous here, but like, a dying man talking about, is like, what, you're saving us two weeks? (laughing) - Yeah, oh, you're gonna leave right now, please don't. It's like you're in-laws leaving it daily. - Yeah, we'll leave it daily, no. Yeah, you're going to leave anyway tomorrow. - All right, thanks for clearing up that week and a half. (laughing) - So he was talking about, before he died? - Absolutely, and he was very strategic 'cause if there's a certain way you threaten, they really take good care of you. - Where are you? - Yeah, he said, what's the way? - If you, it's not, I'm gonna kill myself. I'm gonna kill myself with a certain way of doing it. If you say that, they have to keep you for three days, and he knew that role. - Because to them, it says you have a plan. - Yeah. - So if you go, I have a plan and I'm gonna do it, they go, fuck, you gotta stay here. - Yeah, and he was gonna, I'm gonna smoke my cigarette next to my oxygen tank and blow myself up. Which, colorful? - Bad ass. - Give 'em credit for that. - That's the most bad ass. - Literal blaze of glory. - You can do the action movie thing and flip your cigarette and fucking blow yourself up. That's kind of bad ass. When you go to San, when you go to San Francisco, with your dad on his deathbed and he's in this stage where he's gonna call an ambulance every five minutes, Are you the only one in the world? that looks after him? - I'm the only one who looks after him. - Are you an only child? - I have a sister, but she's like not totally with it, so it all fell on me. - Damn. - So when you leave, are you going like, I don't want to go 'cause I don't want to deal with having to deal with the end? - Yeah, and he stayed next to the airport and like we had a good facility. Like that problem had been solved at some point. So there were people there to look after him, like independent living facility. And like until like the last minute was like, can I stay? Can I stay? It's like no, you got to go and like, you know? But do you think if the 49ers lose that game and the Lions went and go to the Super Bowl, how many more days does that buy your father? - I think it buys him about three months. So writing was on him. - He goes, he gets to March or April. - Yeah, like he sees a flower again. - You know, I cost your father a, he cost a bunch of dollars last spring. (laughing) Does that spring awakening? Oh no. So when you, when you, when you're leaving the stadium, where did you stay? Did you stay by the stadium? I stayed at a friend's house and like, I went down to the mission and like, now Niners fans would just go up to me and be like, "Oh, you guys played really well, man." Yeah, the mission fans, they were lit. The ones in the stadium, they were looking forward to Kansas City. - Yeah, I could see that. It sucks losing, but you really see how a fan base treats you. - Yeah, they treated me great. Someone picked up my tacos. We're just like, that was a tough one. - Yeah, dude, and you know what it is? Is I like that hearing that as a 49er fan? Because there's our fan bases like Philly or other places that'll just like rub your face in it. When McDaniel was with the Dolphins, I went to the playoff game against the Bills. - That was a tough one. - There's a tough one. Skylar Thompson, but they went, almost, they took him to the distance. They like, McDaniel coached his dick off. Almost had him beat in the Bills. Bill's hands couldn't have been nicer. There was one guy sitting next to me that was kind of a dick, but he was just super excited and I could tell he was excited that the Bills were good. - There's a difference between excitement and malice. We're like Philly, like, you walk through the parking lot and like, last year I went and like, someone threw lit cigarettes at me and he's like, "Dad, is that you, bud?" (laughing) - Oh my god, get back. - Yeah, there is malice. There's like, New York Giants fans. New York Giants fans, you go there. They are very like, fuck you, Jets fans. Like the New York fan base. When I went to Dolphins at Jets, the Jets sucked. And we were leaving and they're like, fuck you! And you're like, you don't even have a team. The Bills fans, after the Dolphins lost, show nice. They were like, man, you guys really played hard. You really played hard. The next season, I went to Kansas City. - They're great. Kansas City. - Oh, okay, I went neutral. - So. - I went to the game Garoppolo got hurt. So, he, again, one of my homes for a start. - Yeah, that was when he blew his knee out. 2018. - 'Cause I had like a wedding in Kansas City went solo. And like, I would say, I thought they were all right. And then I went with the Dolphins. Obviously, you know, I was a Dolphins fan at the time. Not anymore. But I went, they were the rudest after they won. That's, to me, I was like, you know, fuck the chiefs. Also, fuck the chiefs because the 49ers we caught shit for Kaepernick and Eric Reed taking a knee during the national anthem. You know? - Yeah. - Love the people, love the dorshin on us about that. Which at the baseline was people were like, you're disrespecting the national anthem. That was the entire point of their argument. You go to a chiefs game, the national anthem at the end when it says, and the home of the land of the free, home of the, they all yell out chiefs. Fuck you, how is that not disrespecting? - And there's at least nuance in what Kaepernick and Reed were doing. - Right. - Also, it was the land of the chiefs. And then you want the fuckers showed up. And now it's no longer the land of the chiefs. But to like interrupt, that was what's funny 'cause Eric Reed was still on the team. I went to a Niners Eagles game in Philly in 2016. And Eric Reed was still taking a knee during the national anthem. And the national anthem's playing in all these Eagles fans are going to be like, "Yo, stand the fuck up, stand the fuck up." And you're going, you're screaming during the national anthem. That's way more rude than this guy taking a fucking quiet knee. - Yeah, the knee's like a very humble gesture. Like, I'm just have standing. I don't want to stand for everything this stands for. - Listen, it was crazy to watch people get so fucking mad about that just 'cause it was my team. And you were going like, chill out guys. 'Cause you see it at other stadiums, but chiefs fans, after the dolphins lost, they were very like, get the fuck out of here. Like it was freezing outside. And they were like, get the fuck out of here. - Oh, you went to that one. - And they're like, leave, fucking go. And you're like, you know, we're hurting. And they're like, get the fuck out of here. And you're like, man, fuck the chiefs. Also, I'm personal. - Yeah, yeah, the couple super balls. And a couple, you know, shady calls went against you like. - I don't know when they tackled Fred Warner and didn't call a holding penalty. - You hear all holding calls and a super ball is crazy. - But, I mean, you did lose a super ball for George Kittle doing a bit. The ball is out on the field. George says, hide to another George and the ball just scoots past him. I mean, as a comedian, you got at least respect. - That was fun. - The comedian. - George, that was a good bit. You could have grabbed that phone ball. Now, man, I, in actuality, I know a lot of chiefs. One of my buddy, Rob, works for the chiefs. And I know like, their organization is, they've won enough. So now, it's like, I hope we get this point with the Lions. Where you guys win three super balls and everyone goes like, all right, go away now. - Yeah, just give me one appearance. I'll settle for that. - But is this gonna be all I want for Christmas is a bike? 'Cause I disagree with that. 'Cause I'll tell you right now, you don't want that. You don't wanna go to a super ball lose. - Well, I mean, I did, I do have my dad's ashes and I promise that I would spread him at the super ball. So on that level, I need to get rid of these ashes. - That's right. All right. - And I get Joseph, I like a super ball is less than, you know, a general funeral cause. So I can really justify the expense. It might not be, not any more, with how much they are now, with how, like, I had to beg, I had to beg Michael Tray to take me with the SNL ticket. That's what I did, I went, which, 'cause he's a huge liner fan and we text all the time and I was like, you see, you can get tickets from Lauren and he's like, I'll ask. And that's when I was like, let's go. - I can't go, they're so expensive. The only other reason I got to go to the super ball against the chiefs, I've been to two super balls, both losses, I'm good. And I've said, and you're, by the way, you're a sports fan that would understand this, because I said it on a rich eyes and show and people didn't understand what I was saying. I was saying, if the 49ers make it to another super ball, I will not go. - Yeah, you want to get the spectacle out of the way, but like at some point, you really want to pay attention and immerse yourself in the moment. - I just, I also want them to win. I've been twice, they've lost twice. The proof is there. I cannot go again. - Yeah, you're the bad judo. And like those little, those little. - The front of the way. - But if other fans did this, this is what fandom is. - You go, I'm the bad judo, I'm not going to go. - Yeah, and like I am determining the outcome. My personal actions, like the 53 men on the roster, they mean nothing. - The playing, the coaching staff. - It's my shirt. - Eighties, where I was sitting on the couch, 'cause I changed it and I caught that pass. Now, would he have done that if I was sitting in the middle seat? - Who's to say? - Who's to say? - Probably not though. - We know. - What was your dad's first reaction when you got back from that game? - I mean, he was grateful. Like, 'cause for him, he lived through a lot of bad seasons where it was 2 and 14, 3 and 13, 0 and 16 for us to like. - Are you the only 0 and 16 team? - The Browns got another one, so we share that. We're competitive with the Browns of that, but we're the only team that ever have a player die on the field and stay dead. - Okay. - Oh yeah. - And the Bar Hamlin came close. - And the best part is you can tell how well around this franchise is, continued the game. - Yeah, that's crazy. - Do I get up? We're so good. So when you got, wait, the Lions continued the game? - Yeah, we continued the game. - What do you guys, Vince McMahon with Owen Hart? That's fucking a while. They're like, it must go on. But with your dad, did you bring him back like a program? - Yeah, all the chat, he loved Chachki. So any program, any pom-pom, any giveaway, like. - What did you get? - Oh, I mean, I got a towel. - A great towel for sure, and that was the big one. And like, hey, throw this out, but I want you to have it. - Yeah. - 'Cause he's a hoarder, you know? So like anything, you know, we're gonna keep stuff from a winning season now. So start over a new with the new Chachkis. - I love that. Did he have a hard time letting go of the old Chachkis? - Well, when he was in the mental hospital, I filled the dumpster with the Chachkis. So, you know, he never ended up going back to that house. - Was there anything that you kept? 'Cause there was like, cool. - I kept 17 banjos. - Really? - You have 17 banjos? - Yeah. - That's nuts. But you hate the banjo. - I hate the banjo, but yeah, it's hard to get rid of them, right? - Sure. - My father's soul is in these banjos. I can't, I have to hold on at some point. - Is there a moment in your life where you come to terms with the fact that you are the banjo prince? - I'll just pick it up one day, and I'll just know how to plug. - That's what I want to do. 'Cause do they put picks on their fingers? - Yeah, but he grew his fingernails out long and gnarly, like real, like Rumpel Stiltskin vibes, you know what I mean? - But he could pluck them up and fuck herself. - Like a mother fucker. They're about, in diabetes, it makes her nails thick. So diabetes, he's like genetically, like LeBron is to basketball. He is for banjos. - Yeah. - Why did he even take it that? That's like when Andre, 'cause Andre the giant became a giant because he had like a pituitary gland problem. So it's like that was your dad with the diabetes where he's like, "No, I need the beat." Yeah, give me that ice cream, I gotta play. Give me some sweets, I love to jam out. Damn, that's fucking, could he play songs just by hearing them? Like for sure, and like he'd ever, he would like study composition where he had like a real intellectual approach. It was his fixation, it was his everything. Sure, sure, did you, do you notice you have any of that in you with like certain things? Yeah, I mean, I do have the 300 page book on the Detroit line, so I think I have the fixation thing to have. Absolutely. Do you go to training camp and shit? I've went in the past, but the one thing about the lines, we had that like one winning season, we act like we're a blue blood now, like the ticket prices went through the roof. It's hard to get training campsites where it's just like, and it's like next to my mom's house, and now it's like a whole hard to get in, like I was hopping fences as a boy. It's really changed. Yeah, it really was. It used to be a thing where if you just went to where they were, you could watch. And now it's like, they're selling like a fan experience. If they can make money, they will. And like I get it, but it does suck, because it also kills the kind of like community part of it. You know, like Green Bay has it where they do that bike ride, where like they ride the kids bikes back to the facility. You kind of want it being a part of the community. Yeah, and like you want to enmeshed it a little bit and you can't really have that when it's sponsored by American Express. You know, are you like a big pistons, tigers, red wings? Yeah, pistons for sure. What's your second biggest team? Pistons, no doubt. So you got the chip. Well, I got the chip. It's great. Was that the one of the, I mean, that was the day I graduated high school. It was awesome. Shout out, Chancy Billups, Mr. Big Shot. Yeah, and you know, you get your diploma. You watch your team win the title, like riding that high and one of the great upsets in like American sports history. You guys beat a stacked Lakers team. That was the Lakers team with Carl Malone and Gary Peyton, right? Yeah, washed Lakers, but like people didn't know they were washed. So it was just like you beat Goliath. You guys had sheathe, you had Ben Wallace, Tasha on prints, you had everybody. Yeah, the high moment, but like maybe that was the bike I got for Christmas, right? I might never get another one and I have to be cool with that. I'm just thinking about this out loud. I didn't realize as a San Francisco sports fan, we got two on you that are hurt really bad. We got all the giants, the giants with like 12, the accidental dynasty of the, was an accidental baby. That's the farm system. 2012 World Series. We beat the Tigers. Yeah, and it was smoked us, beat the shit out of it. And like that made me less of a baseball fan because the Tigers were the best team in baseball for a decade. Didn't win a championship. You guys had McElpa Cabrera, you guys had everything. Prime Verlander, Prime Scherzer, nothing to show for it. Prime fucking Verlander. That was when he was dating Kate Upton before he made her his wife. He had a sports little straight, you're right. And then we come along with fucking Tim Linsekum and just beat the brakes off you. Yeah. That was where we had the harder problem in the NLCS with the Cardinals than we did with the World Series. That was always the giants. We had struggle in the NLCS and then we just beat the shit out of somebody in the World Series. Yeah, it wasn't even close. Smoked us beyond oblivion. So so many years, like we were the best team. And then like the next year Boston, it's like a magical home run. It sends us all, you know, Boston, they really need it up there. Well, did you look at a city like Boston and you go, you can turn around and become the greatest sports town of all. I mean, the run that Boston's had in the last 20 years makes them the greatest sports team. I mean, best sports city, I think, time period ever. But I think it's like my argument is I've only lost and I still love it. So in terms of being equipped for life, I'm good, bro. Can I tell you that is something that I never thought of until the 49ers became ass in 2002, 2003, where the ownership changed and we started losing. And what I did is I watched people stop being 49ers fans. And that made me furious. When we were 2 and 14, you know, 2000, the 2005, 2004 season, we're 2 and 14. Just fucking awful. And then I moved here in '07 and I used to go to a bar to watch 49ers. And I remember a guy out. So I'm smoking a cigarette and a guy outside walk by me goes, oh, dude, I used to be a 49ers fan. And I was like, you fucking you got to earn it with the losses, right? It is though. The key component isn't just the losing. It's like, it's Tuesday afternoon. Work is shit in. You're like, man, I can't wait to watch my team lose. Like, that's still going to be the best part of my week. They're going to get stomped out and I'm still going to watch it. And the wins aren't the point. Like, my life has ritual and ceremony. That's so hard to come by where like the outcome is almost secondary given that. And it is hard to explain to sports fans what it feels like on a Sunday when you're so excited. It's like truly seeing a family member you're excited to see, even if your family members strung out in a fucking loser, you go, I love that cousin. And I'm excited to see that cousin, even if they're a loser. Yeah, they're going to borrow money, not pay it back, but like, I'm going to lend them money again. And it really is like a fun thing of a Sunday morning being like, people don't understand. I'll drive back like six hours through the night so that I can watch the game if the 49ers are playing at 1 p.m. So I can watch them at home. Yeah, and I've turned a bar in Brooklyn into a lion's bar. Who is that? I've been going to the same bar since 2011. Shouts, Nate Fritz, and who did it with me. But we've seen our little song after every touchdown. And now a lot of other Lions fans come and like other teams go, but like, there's a big like, my whole circle comes out and like, it's a celebration every week. And like, who cares what the score is at four o'clock? I see like 15 people I love. Yeah, that's the best part. That's the thing I liked the most about sports and what I've always loved is like, because the only Denver team I supports the Nuggets. And I chose that when I was 10 because my mom was living there. I was going to school there and I didn't like any of the teams. And I was like, well, I need a team here. Fuck it, the Nuggets because the Warriors traded away Tim Hardaway. And my dad was like, good luck with the Nuggets. But what's crazy is when we won the championship in 2023, all my friends from Denver and I were like calling each other about it and it like, it like activates the community. Absolutely. We're like calling after a loss and you're like, I do not think we'll be all right and you know, turn around. And that's what happens with the sports team where you're like, I have my group chat for the Niners. Yeah, and you're in each other's lives. Yeah, so much more. We're like, yes. Am I going to talk to my buddies about their kids like, oh, she's starting kindergarten tomorrow. No, I'm not going to do that. But like, you know, James and Williams have a good camp that he throws in. Oh, my daughter's in kindergarten is like, oh, cool. It really is like what I love about sports fandom is the community you find with it. And what's also fun is when you realize that it is just a game and it's like week by week and you take it too seriously because I saw Dan Campbell when I went to Vegas for the Super Bowl. You come down the escalator at the Vegas airport and there's like where you take a train. Dan Campbell and his wife were standing there and I came down. I was wearing this hat and I was like, came down and I was like, ah, do I say something? And I was going to walk up to him and do the like, you guys had a hell of a season, like hell of a game. But then I also go, I don't think I should do that. You guys had a hell of a season. I think you're great. All right, I got to go. But I'm walking up and I heard him having an airport fight with his wife. Not like a big fight, but like a like, 'cause I don't know where the train is like that. And I went and just turned around and I was like, I'm good man, I ain't going to say shit to him. I left him completely alone. Yeah, one of the rules about approaching a celebrity in public. Like New York, like, I don't bother anyone if I see him. And I thought I was steadfast in this. I saw a survivor winner made a beeline. I pegged him from 100 yards away. I was like, oh, that's Kyle Frazier's like, hey man, great season. That's so fun. I would never in New York, that guy was on big brother. Like I've walked past Mick Jagger, like nothing. But like a survivor guy was like, holy shit. Is that your shit? Are you super in the survivor? Yeah, I mean, I like sports, survivors of sport. It is that when you can get into, that's the smart thing that some reality TV shows did. They go make a competition because I got into like MTV's the challenge during, during COVID. Because it was just on and we like watch it and you're like, oh, this does feel like a sport. If you can gamble on it, it's a sport. Yeah, were you an old school gambler before the apps? Yeah, and like still, I like to, I probably have an old school bookie. Like why I support small businesses. That America is how you gamble. You go to a bookie who has a fucking, who has numbers and you give him the money. Yeah, Bette MGM is going to call me and be like, hey, how's the book going? But it is. That was also the like the small part of the community is like being like, and if you feel good about it, put action on it and hang over here. We'll break your knees if you don't. Yeah, I like that one person's getting ahead. And with the gambling apps, no one person from the app is a private equity firm. It's like, you know what I mean? You're not, it's venture capitalism. No one's getting ahead on. Yeah, if I lose the worst, at least I want someone getting on because of it. A sense of community. But it really is like old school bookies to me are cooler. It's what I always say. It's different smoking and vaping. It's like vaping will never be cool. Yeah, there needs to be a guy on the other end of the phone, right? Exactly. Online gambling will never be cool to me. But you have a bookie. That's great. And like sports gambling, it kind of ruins the sports watching game. Like I don't want to, my million dollar ideas. sports bar we can't talk about gambling or your fantasy team that ruined it too because fantasy team guys would like talk to you about sports when we were at so Che and I are at the Super Bowl the 49ers they're about to lose right like it's pretty obvious we're about it was in overtime we're about to lose someone dropped it and the guy behind us went oh he's on my fantasy team and I was just like I might get an assault right now I might catch an assault yeah these things are supposed to accentuate the things we love and they become the primary things we're like I'm talking about the number 29.5 obsessively and both like who gives a shit yeah exactly and that also is the thing where I also think it changed the sport fantasy football because now guys are actually like worried about their points and then gambling is fucking fucking sports up because gambling in the era of social media these people just start accounts and then just and you could find the clips of guys fixing games in the NBA specifically yeah yeah that Donahue thing man with that fucking ref you were like was that his name Donahue Donahue I had him announce my charity basketball tournament last year so he's the homie dude I love it that's so great he brought him in and he did yeah I always get like some celebrity to announce the matchups and they have to be like a funny celebrity like in his freedom come on down so Donahue like he gave us nice announcements he gave us some gambling picks he was a great guy about it having Donahue give you gambling picks is so fucking funny he just threw him in he couldn't help it he's from Delco he wanted the action he's like and also they're looking good don't you take the action on him and I think it's right and proper that every NBA rep is from the same neighborhood in Philadelphia they always are by the way there was a NBA ref named Joe Derosa for a long time just full name and you're like oh shit how are his sandwiches yeah not it's good and I would say not as good I would say the motherfucker doesn't know how to make a sandwich I hope the lines do well the season man yeah I mean schedules great and if not I'm built for it yeah that's what I mean Joel your toughest Joel you know what I've always loved about Joel's you've always been so uniquely funny and like I loved wild cats I loved you guys were always like what I loved about the old creek was coming there and watching dudes be creative in ways that made me feel like I'm not creative enough and you were always one of those guys wow that show up and I'd be like do Joel's funny is fuck you're also a great dude well thank you for saying that like you know soda you're you're like the pinnacle like when I talk to I like I was like yeah I'm mean soda everyone's like pump pump an hour and like when I wanted I know I got to pump this book up yeah and you're the number one guy I want to chop it up with because I figured you would get it yeah absolutely I'm excited to read it I'm sorry I haven't read it before because I'd give you but I'll tell you man I without reading a book I'm recommending a book because I'm telling you Joel's the fucking man pick up Honolulu Blues it's just it's a look at how you can love a losing team and love life and it was without hyperbole it's one of the best reviewed nonfiction books of the year people are loving this shit dude I'm finishing this is such a funny way say Sam or real that that's my guy Sam or I put that happier you for him now at next championship is like you went in a lion's Superbowl I mean I saw how big his framed photo is of all the newspapers like man that's a run you could tell from the size of the frame how good that postseason was he I saw him last night and he was in a Nick shirt and I go I hope I don't see you in anything else till next season yeah and Sam like he's kind of he's stand-ups a little intimidating you get that sharp wit what a sweetheart darling of a human being and the hell of a sports fan a sports fan that in when you know we both live in New York and we watched them we watch the next win and you almost go like you saw so many people be bandwagon jumpers Sam was one of the Sam and my friend Brian compliment were the two people I reached out to be like you guys fucking deserve that you deserve that championship so when the lions win a Superbowl you're gonna be the guy I text I'm my phone will be smoke will be coming on you and my sister-in-law Julie will be the two people that I text first read this is Joel you guys fucking check out Honolulu blues go order it right now Joel's the fucking man go follow him on Instagram thank you for listening non-sports fans go pick up this book because you're gonna like it if you don't like it hit me up for the Venmo request I'll get you or a banjo yeah s you