Do Sports Make You Happier?

spooky kind of across the NFL. I'm not just talking about Sam Donald back at MetLife seeing ghosts. I'm also talking about my Kansas City Chiefs. Yikes. I don't even care what Shenanigan's the Mahomes family pulled this week. I just can't get over how bad they were in Smashville. So the Super Bowl losing team is nursing a hangover. And I'm sure They're not alone in Nashville nursing to hangover.

Lord knows we've all been there. But another big shape shifter in the a f C, the Cincinnati Bengals upsetting the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the a f C North. Who thought after Week seven we would be saying that that's crazy. Their fans used to wear brown bags over their heads for costumes. But talk about a trick or treat. Joe Burrow and the Bengals are legit. Jamar Chase is a favorite Twin rookie of the year.

It's just too good. And Tom Brady set a new touchdown record with number six hundred on Sunday versus the Bears Little redemption Game two for the Bucks where they lost last year and Tom Brady famously lost count on downs. Yikes, that's spooky too. But another snaffoo happened with this magical historic NFL moment, the six hundred touchdown pass football when missing. Be honest, did you see this? I did not see it because the football is missing, so I don't know who. Yeah,

where is it? Who has it? Let me tell you this, it's wild. So Mike Evans was the receiver who caught the six hundred touchdown pass. Well, he didn't know that it was this really important, valuable football and he gave the ball away to a fan in the end zone, which is you know something we see a lot. So he gets back to the sideline and they're like, all right, where's the ball? And he could not believe it. He

was so embarrassed. He tweeted about all this stuff. So the team equipment manager how to go back to the fan and ask for the football back. But look, of course, at that point it came with a price. Some are saying that that ball could have been sold for half a million dollars. Oh yeah, yeah, at that point you go, you want this football back. Well, let's talk to my lawyer and let's strike a deal. Baby. So I hope that fan got some money. He's in Tampa Bay. He

needs it. Uh yeah he did. Guess what the team gave him. I'm hoping some uh cold hard cash and not bitcoin. Nope, one thousand dollar of gift store credit. Oh god. And he and he said yes to that. Yeah, and they also gave him another football, so like not the magic six hundred touchdown football, but yeah, a thousand bucks to the gift shop by man, go get yourself a cheap shirt. Yeah that's horrible. And you know, a thousand bucks at a gift shop doesn't even go that far.

Things are crazy expensive in there. Yeah. I just want to say, uh, you're stupid, whoever you are. Mr. Fan. I feel bad for him. Yeah, you should have got a lot more money for that. And it's kind of one of those things what would you do, because obviously the right thing is to give it back because it'll go to Tom Brady, and Brady even said I don't keep a lot of mementos, but I really wanted that football. So it's like, Okay, you're big Brady fan, you're a

big Buck fan. You give it back, right, But at the same time, you got half a mill sitting in the palm of your hands while you're just at a game. Aime. I don't know that guy's Actually, he's probably never negotiated in his life. Okay, maybe he wants to give it back. He wants to be a good guy at least negotiate for something good, like maybe spend a day with the Brady family, get around with him and Giselle. You get to take Gazelle on a date. Yeah, you don't just

like have that football and give it back. That that was the most power that guy is gonna have in his entire life, and he gave it away. Yep. Oh my gosh. So I mentioned I love Halloween so much, favorite holiday, and I was asking you this weekend when we talked, I said, what are you and your family going to be for Halloween? Because your family is so darling, and your wife and I, who have become friends, is so darling, and you, Joannice, have become quite darling yourself.

You're I said, you're kind of a basic bitch. I hate to tell you that, but I know you guys are going to be some adorable coordinated Halloween costume, right, yeah, I am a b b a basic bitch, and you know we're going as monsters inc to match. My idea was better since my baby looks My little baby girl looks so much like me, I wanted to go as twins Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwartzenigger. So she's like the mini Danny DeVito and I'm Schwartzenigger because we're twins, we

look so much alike. I presented the idea of going as the Deckers, but my wife wasn't into that. I was gonna dress up as you. She she was gonna be Sam and my baby was was gonna Yeah, it was gonna be Kevin Hart, was gonna be Kevin Harlan, and we were gonna we were gonna sit around and talk football and talk basketball, but that was a no go. But yes, it's pumpkin season, it's boots weather, it's cozy time. I love it. I'm a basic batch. You are you're

you're You're kind of a scaliwag in your workspace. But when you go home, my friend, you are a pumpkin spice latte drinking fool. So I know it. I know. Hell yeah, I'm in my wife's sweater right now. See watching house. So I was going to the pumpkin patch. I know you, I said, yeah, Hocus podcast, don't even that's my favorite. Okay, lots to get to coming up. We have not one, but two great guests joining us. We're going to talk all about sports fandom with author

and journalist Larry Olmstead. His book titled Fans How Watching Sports makes Us happier, healthier, and more understanding what a great title is, a great read no matter who you root for, great hey, great holiday gift this holiday season. By the way, that's good for any fan. I agree with all those things, so I can't wait to pick his brain. Absolutely. Plus host embedding analyst Hannah A Stop Chuck will join us. I go on Hannah Show. Every Thursday,

cheddar Bets TV. Make sure you join that. She's wonderful. I can't wait to get her on my turf though, right Janice, we're having her come to us and I bet she's gonna be really great. We're gonna talk NBA with her. I can't wait. Big fan of her, and I just you guys are really like have become tight. So I just can't wait for us three girls to chit chat about hoops. It's a very friendship right, Like, I have no idea how tall she is. I don't

know what she likes to order at a restaurant. But yeah we we zoom yeah always At the end, we'll take a look ahead this weekend slate of games with our go to gambling guru, Peter Andrew from Bet MGM. He's kind of become a character on this show too. He's kind of a fixture ficture. That's a hard one. Yeah, I think it's fixture. But you know who am I to if anyone ship for how they pronounced things, I'm from New York. I call it coffee and water. Yeah, let me get some water. So let's go with he's

a fixture on this show. Fixture that's I can't say that word. Also, you know when we have Peter on, that's when we reveal who lost our punishment picks from Latin week's games and has the embarrassing task of having to read an outro written for them by the winner. You can tell by the sound of my voice who has to do that. So last week we tied, so we split it, which was fun. That was kind of different. But this week it came down to the final game

of Sunday Colts and forty Niners. So more on that later, but you can probably guess who won that one. One person who unfortunately didn't win this weekend is our bad beat of the weekender Bad beat of the week where I guess the loser. His name is Frederick Jenkins on Twitter. He is at Billy Dreams. So at Billy Dreams, make sure you hit up bet MGM and get your free hundred dollars credit because you My friend got a bad beat. It was tough. He did a bunch of player props.

I'm looking at him right now. They all hit but one, so five of six player props hit. And player props are really hard to guess because someone could get injured in a first quarter and you're out. But it was on Chuba Hubbard, the Canadian running back. Not a lot of Canadians and NFL he's one of them, um, and they thought he'd score a touchdown and he did not. Carolina Panthers at New York Giants. So I'm so sorry.

My friend Billy dreams be, you're a hundred bucks richer, So go to bed MGM, make sure you let them know that you won. And everyone just submit your bad beat of the week every weekend. We'll read the winner on the show every week. Okay, let's get to our favorite segment. It's time for us to sound off on one topic we feel passionately about this week. It's the good, the bad, sometimes ugly, sometimes ugly tweeting my family members,

be honest, let's unleash. It's time Olivia. Yeah, you know, as soon as that NBA Greatest Players of All Time list came out, I got pissed. I got piste off. I've had enough of lists. It's like this American obsession we have with listing people talking about the goats, and I really believe it's led to this free Asian culture where people want to play with their friends. They're really

playing for their stats. I missed those great teams that stayed together forever and talked about team all the time, especially in the NBA. So and also I hate how arbitry it is seventy five because it was the seventy fifth anniversary. Then they had the fifty grave. This what's next when it's like they're gonna come up with the two thousand, fiftie best players ever lived? There's only one goat in His name is Sam Decker. Hey, he plays in Toronto, and I don't want to hear about it.

How are you gonna have a seventy five greatest players of all time without having my boy on their Nichols Galis, who's the greatest Greek basketball player of all time? Even read Arbach said his the biggest mistake he ever made was letting him go from the Celtics, and then he went to Greece and became the greatest European player to ever live. He was born in Jersey City. He was American, but he was Greek. Google it what a legend? And what about they hang on the greatest Greek to ever

play in the NBA? Hello, your namesake? Who was playing right now? Good point, Olivia. I forgot about him. He's from Greece. I know. You know. That's the reason why sometimes I don't like having you on this show. Is smarter than me, and you're an actual journalist, so you don't let me get away with anything. Go on, go on.

I like your point. Yeah, I mean, no, Chris Webber. No, Chris Webber on that great Sacramento team that got robbed because I believe one of those referees who ended up being infamous for throwing calls, that one call where Mike Bibby got absolutely massacred on an inbounds play and they lost Game six, and they should have won that series against the Lakers. Chris Webber on one of the greatest teams ever, Sacramento Kings with my boy Vladi DVEs and Start Jankog. I mean, you we should be it should

be the seventy five greatest teams. We should be teaching these kids that just hoisten up three pointers and trying to pad your stats is not the way to go. I mean, Damian Lillard is on the greatest No disrespect to Damian Lillard, but I mean, when's the last time they got out of the first round. Okay, I mean Robert Horry should be on that list because every team he goes to they win. Like me, I came on this show and turned it into a winner on the Robert ory Of podcast, Baby, It's me and oh D

and we are champions. I hate lists. It's it's demeaning and I feel you. Clay, you're one of the You're you're one of the two greatest shooters to ever play this game. And Clay is not on the list, but Paul Pierce is. Come on, come on, Olivia. Yeah, because anytimeson kind of made the most noise about it, and that I thought was refreshing. You don't see a lot of guys like stick up for themselves when stuff like this comes out, and he just flat out did and

stuck with it. He like kept talking about it and just saying I thought I should have I thought I should have made the list, and a lot of people agree with them. But you know who gave him a hard time for it, where his teammates they got him a jersey and hung it in his locker for practice that had seventies seven on it, Like he's the seventy seven gradest player of all time. So that was pretty funny, very funny, well done by the Warriors, have some fun

with it. I don't know. I don't like these lists either, because you're sitting and you're like, oh yeah, Like I was thinking, Damian Lillard is one of the best players of all time. Has he been on one of the best teams. No, but he's been kind of a one man machine with our friend of the podcast, c J McCollum. He's been amazing too in Portland. But the second you bring up these lists, everyone starts arguing because they say, what about so and so? What about so and so?

And I hate having to come up with an argument for it. So I'm just gonna let this one simmer. I didn't I didn't come up with the list, and I'm glad I didn't. And I'll just say no, Tony Parker, no, Bernard King. Yeah, that list is officially fake news. Fake news. Oh, speaking of someone who does actually say fake news seriously a lot. I don't know if you saw this on Saturday, I absolutely loved it. Mississippi state coach Mike Leach. He

is such a character. Look just look him up sometime and just see kind of conspiracy theories he's really into aliens. He's a treasure, He's a national treasure. One of my favorite coaches. So they trounced Vanderbilt to six. And after the game, he's giving an interview with the SEC Networks Alissa Lange, and this is what he says, which really is leading to my unleashed let's roll the tape about on the broadcast, how you hate candy corn? What's your

favorite hallowey corn? I mean, I completely ate candy corn when I was a kid. Well, gummy bears. Let's see gummy bears for sure. Um, the hairbowe it's got to be the airbow ones. Wow, talk about hot takes. First of all, I love this line of questioning. I actually know Alissa and I can just hear her producer in her ear be like, this was an awful game. Just talk about something fun. We've got one of the most colorful coaches, and they did the whole teams like celebrating

behind them for those of you who couldn't see. And and Mike Leach is just going on and on about Halloween candy, which I absolutely love. So it just got me thinking, as we are in Halloween week, let me break this down like, who the NFL quarterback equivalent is too Halloween candy. So, first of all, the goat the best, absolutely my favorite, and also one that is a geographical thing that people say differently all the time. I say reese Is. I know a lot of people say Reese's.

What do you say? Oh good? Okay, yeah, yeah, you're not weird, not weird, okay, not weird. Yet. Reese's are the Tom Brady of candy. They're timeless, they're beautiful, they're delicious. Everyone once one, but some people are haters and allergic to greatness. And you know Mac Jones, Josh Allen, Justin, Herbert Kyler, Murray, all these kind of younger almost goats maybe goats. I think they're Reese's pieces. And then candy corn the absolute worst Halloween candy garbage. They're the Jimmy

Garoppolo of candy. Just based on this week's comments from his former teammate Martell Has Bennett, They're very pretty. I like just decorating with them, putting them in glass bowls. They look great. Jimmy Garoppolo is very pretty, but according to Martell's Bennett, a little bit so wow, my quota of bitch this week is really high. Yeah that's number three. That's you just did the hat trick on bitch. But I just think candy corn absolutely sucks. To Coach Leach,

I'm with you. Candy corn is trash. It's not even a candy. It's basically like eating wax with a bunch of sugar. And again it's just more decorative. So how do you think Jimmy garoppolo of Halloween candy? Absolutely, I mean Jimmy g he should play without a helmet just to distract the defense because they just would stare it out beautiful spaces. He got a good looking man. Oh he's handsome. He is so handsome. So if you are giving away candy corn this Halloween, just be better. Just

put it away. Just how that on display. Our kids have all suffered enough this past year. They were in masks in school, they couldn't see their friends for a while. Give the kids a break. This is my p s A. And just give them real candy. In fact, give him king size candy. They deserve it. Okay, that was my unleashed I love that you unleashed on candy corn. I think it should be outlawed. I think candy corn should be outlawed. What is it? It's just like wax and like,

what is it? They make decent vampire fangs, but other than that, they're a gross They are the black licorice of candies. Yuck. Yep, I totally agree, Glad, I do agree. And that was our unleashed segment. Now it's time to get back to sports and let's bring in our first guest. He's the author of Fans How Watching Sports makes Us happier, healthier, and more understanding. Couldn't agree more with that title, Larry Holm said, is here, So Larry, thanks so much for

joining the show. The title of your book alone is fascinating, definitely hooks you in. I'm curious what made you want to dive into the world of fandom and study really the greater psychology of it. Yeah. Several years ago, I went to a Red Sox Yankees game at Fenway Park at the end of the season, and I saw this couple that had two really young kids, like under ten, dressed in T shirts that had kind of homophobic upsetities aimed at the Yankees. And I looked at them and

was like, you know, what's wrong with these people? These little kids? You know, and I'm thinking about it us, like you can't even buy those shirts at like the Red Sox gift shop, you know, so I thought like, maybe there's something about watching sports that makes us crazy. That was my first thought. So I was like, I'll look into this. It might be an interesting topic. And as soon as I started seeing the scientific data, I saw, you know, the exact opposite was true, that it's really

good for us. And I've come to realize that there were like thirty nine thousand nine other people at the game that day who I did not notice because they're normal fans, So you know, it kind of completely changed my mind, and I was like, Wow, this is great stuff. There's no rule without an exception, and Boston fans are the exception. I know. I know that as a Yankee fan. So you can't judge based on Boston fans. Yeah, yeah, I would say they're too passionate for better or worse.

They have a chip on their shoulder and they shouldn't because they've been winning. So enough is enough, Boston. I really, I absolutely love the book. I love the premise behind it because I always thought like sports is one of the purest things. It's one of those things you can talk about at dinner and argue about and uh not lose family members and friends over like politics. Do you think sports is something that could really unify this country

because we're so divided now? Do you think like we should just start talking about sports more on the news? I mean, I do think you know, it is you know, I call it the universal language. But you know, the thing about being a sports fan and a member of any team community, you know, it's it's funny because you know, we call it nation, right, Red Sox Nation, Raiders Nation. But you know, like if you're a Harry Potter's fan,

you've never heard of Harry Potter Nation. And it's because like the fandom group of any team is like a country. It's so diverse, right, It's spanned any any team spans you know, gender, race, age, education, income, none of that matters. You're all like, you know, Raiders fans in your black and silver. And I do think that that has a huge potential for for bringing people together. And you know, about fifty two percent of Americans slightly more than half

in polls identified themselves as sports fans. That's more than belong to any organized religion, political party, it's like the biggest thing in society now as you look into fan bases, every fan base has a stereotype. Right. What were your findings as you kind of dug into this team by team Yeah, I mean, I actually I think the difference

is almost more sport by sport. You know. Certainly, you know cities like you know, Boston, Philadelphia, the fans have certain reputations for being a little gung ho, and it really knows. I personally, I ran the Philadelphia Marathon years ago and it's the same thing, Like every mile of the course line with people channing at strangers running by. It's like they'll come out for anything, you know, And

you know, in some ways that's a great thing. But I find what really struck me was was college football fans, especially in the South, you know, like your Alabama fans. I mean I did not know when I was in college I could go into a bookstore and buy like an n C double a logo you know, Hologram licensed sweatshirt. But if you go to like the Alabama bookstore, you can buy a logo coffin, and that like really speaks

to the dedication. I think, what are some of the examples of how it makes us happier and healthier, because you know, I'm a Giants fan and a long time suffering Knicks fans, so I'd really like to know. Yeah, I mean, there's there's two big things there. You know. One is psychologists if identified all these mental health benefits sports fans enjoy more than non fans, things like higher self esteem, lower rates of depression, more satisfaction with their

social life. And all of that comes from the sense of community you get, like I said, of belonging to this nation. And with sports, what's really unusual is like if I watch a football game, people think like, I'm watching you know, twenty four guys on the field, but you're not. You're watching sixty people all the time on the screen in your team's logo where Way even signs foam fingers whatever it is. So you feel, even when you're home alone watching a game, like your part of something.

And then you go to the supermarket and you're you're in Vegas and you you you see somebody wearing a Golden Knight's hat walking down the aisle of the supermarket and uh, you're wearing you know, Golden Knight sweashirt. You gotta look at each other and make eye contact and like, yeah, hey, we're linked even though we don't know each other. So there's a big humans or tribal animals. We've always wanted to belong to groups since caveman days, and uh, sports

fulfills that. So that's like one one thing that makes us happy or our sense of belonging. And then to your point about the Giants and Knicks and thank god you didn't say Jets. You know, one thing that was really interesting I learned is that, you know, the winning and losing is not as important to our happiness as

you would think being a sports fan. And like I talked to some Cubs fans, especially older Cubs fans, who are like a little bit disappointed that they finally won the World Series because it took away like part of what made it so special to be a long suffering

Cubs fan. And you know, and there is some sad like the teams that lose a lot, their fans get a sense of pride because they're obviously not jumping on the bandwagon, right, But also it you get more mental benefit from winning, then you get mental downside from losing because your mind is like a thermostat right, you can only I look at like the super Bowl. Right, if you were um, a Tampa Bay fan, it's like a ten, right. You know, you're at home underdog, you win first time ever.

You know teams want at home. But if you're Kansas City Chief Stan, it's not a zero, it's like a six or something, right, because you had a great year. You won the a f C. You went, you played the game, you went to the super Bowl. So in the long run, if your team is most teams in the long run of fifty fifty, right, most teams are pretty average other than the Yankees kind of dynasty teams.

And given your lifetime, your team is fifty fifty, you come out way ahead because you get more from every one of those wins, and you lose from the losses. And if you are like the Giant the Knicks, and you happen to win ten years from now, that'll be with you for the rest of your life. Like I'm a Mets fan, so I can remember six, but I can't remember. I'll tell you who can't remember six is those actual Mets on the team? Yeah you know why? Yeah, well some of them are at a rehab now. Yeah, exactly.

I'm glad you remember it. I was just thinking of this past weekend Lions at Rams and all the people there in Matthew Stafford Lions jerseys, and I was thinking, Man, these guys have had it bad. Why don't they just take the opportunity to become a Rams fan now? And you're on a great team and their quarterback still And but that makes sense what you said, this kind of pride of not jumping off, of long suffering, and it always seems crazy to me, but that makes sense that

you found that in your research. Yeah. I mean I remember when, like the Saints fans used to wear paper bags over their heads, and but they still went to the game. You know, that's the thing, right, They still bought the tickets, they went to the game. They were making a statement, but they were happy to be there. And they did a study of soccer fans in the UK and found that the fans were more likely to be willing to change religions than change soccer teams. Yeah. Wow,

that says it all. That says it all. Did you also find in your in your research for the book that it uh broke down biases and hatreds because a lot of times you're rooting for people who are of a different ethnicity, different race, sometimes even different sects. Did

it open people's minds in that way? Yeah? Absolutely? And you know what I was just saying about, like that study in England, I mean the psychologists say, you know, people internalize their fandom of the team so much that the team is like literally a part of our psyche, right, we believe the team is part of us, or we're part of the team. And so like when Jackie Robinson came in came to the Dodgers, right, a lot of

the Dodgers fans were racist. You know, it's been romanticized, but the reality is a lot of them more racist, and they had to a sort of subconscious choice of am I going to continue to be a Dodgers fan or am I can continue to be racist? And it's easier in a lot of cases for them to accept the color rather than turn on their team. And so you know, that's the kind of the more the more understanding part of my title is all about that, the sort of social progress we've made from being sports fans.

I'm struggling with that right now because Olivia's husband Sam Decker plays for the Raptors, and I want to root for that team, but I hate Canadians, so I'm struggling with that. It's really prejudice. I've never heard anyone hate Canadians before. What's to hate? Yeah, they're too nice. They have a molested glow, They're too nice. See I'm Midwestern and we're too nice. So I think Canadians and Midwesterners

are kind of one and the same. My question for you, Larry, was what surprised you the most when you really dug into this, Because I think we all have a feel for what the experience of being a fan is like. But what really surprised you. The big thing for me was this sort of post traumatic healing power sports has.

And you know, I remember nine eleven, right, We just had the twentieth anniversary in the game and when my Piazza hit the home run, and I interviewed people who were at that Mets Braves game, and it was the first professional sporting event played in New York after nine eleven ten days later, I think, and people like people, everyone remembers when they were on nine eleven. Everyone I

talked about that game remembers every detail. Who sang the national anthem, and people said things to me like it was the moment when it was okay to smile again, to clap again, and then the same thing happens with like the Boston Marathon bombing. People from New Orleans talked about how much the Saints helped them through, you know, after Hurricane Katrina and the Las Vegas, the one October massacre.

So I went out there and interviewed people who had been shot and shot at, who told me one after another about how like without the Golden Knights we would not have made it through. And when you people like literally tell you the Golden Knights save them, you can no longer dismiss sports as like trivial or you know,

a waste of time, which some non fans say. So that was like my big takeaway from the book was like, this is something that's part of the fabric of our society and does even if you don't, even if you're not a sports fan, you benefit from living in a

world with our sports fans. Wow. Yeah, I mean when you think about even how sports were founded by my people, the Greeks, the Olympics was sort of like away for them to take a break from fighting, from warring city states to stop fighting and sort of compete and make war kind of civilized war. Do you think sports has the potential and maybe the only thing for our hope for world peace. I actually have a chapter in a book called Sports and World Peace, So yes, and you're

totally right right that there was. It was a never ending cycle of war they lived in except for the Olympics. And to me, the big example is South Frica. You know, they made that movie UM with Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman about the rugby teams, and it's based on a

really good book called Playing the Enemy. But basically, you know, when Nelson Mandela, when apartheid ended in democracy took over, everyone in the world who was following it expected bloody civil war and Nelson Mandela basically averted that by using rugby fandom to smooth the transition of what most historians consider like the greatest peaceful government transition in human history. And a lot of it is due to sports fans. Now, we got to ask because this is a sports betting show.

So when it comes to betting, what are the impacts of you know, when you look at fantasy sports embetting, what are the impacts of fandom. Yes, So the interesting thing is that it's it's uh, and I look more at fantasy sports because it's just the legalization of betting outside Las Vegas is relatively new, so there's a lot more data on fantasy sports, but there's a big overlap.

And the the big thing about fantasy sports is it reduces that tribalism of you know, I hate the Red Sox, I hate the Yankees because now I have their players on my team. And I have a friend who's who's been really into fantasy football basically since it started and is a huge Washington football team fan, and uh, and he told me it took him like six years before he could take a player from the Cowboys and he kept losing, right, So you know, it's it's created that effect.

And I actually taught psychologists have already studied this, like it makes people hate the other team less, which you know, the rivalry is still there, but I think that's good. You know, it's it's producing like a more well rounded sports fan. That all we gotta do is do, Like a fantasy politics game started, and so like Democrats have to draft Republicans and Republicans have to draft Democrats. Maybe that will work there. That's like the best idea I've

heard this week. Actually, Larry, you've made me feel a lot better about my career choice too, because sometimes, you know, if you have friends who are doctors or are out there help in the world, I'm like, man, I'm just a sports reporter. But now I know that I am making people happier, healthier, and more understanding. So I really appreciate you writing a book that solidifies that. Yeah, and you know, I talked to fans and there are there

are doctors, their lawyers, their bricklayers, their cab drivers. You know. That's the thing about sports fans is they are everyone real jobs. Yeah, not like us, not like your honest and me. No, now we can. Yeah, there's a sense of importance. I I what you're doing, Olivia, is it. You're doing a great service to humanity exactly. Thank you, Thank you, Larry, Thank you again for joining us. Great

stuff there. Everyone, make sure you pick up this book called Fans, How Watching Sports makes Us happier, healthier, and more understanding. It's available now. Larry thinks again my pleasure. Thanks for having me. Now let's keep the discussion going, and we are bringing in a new guest. She's the host of cheddar Bets and the Backup Plan podcast. Hannah, Stop Chuck is in the building now, Hannah. I go on your show every Thursday. It's really fun to have you now on my show. This is on our turf.

What do you think so far? I mean so far it's totally different than what we do at our show. But I'm just so happy to have this exchange with you once again. Olivia, I talked to you every Thursday afternoon four thirty pm. That's when you can catch shutter Bets thirty pm Eastern. But yeah, it's nice to be able, you know, to have you asked me the questions this time of up right, I'll ask much easier questions than you normally ask me to. Yeah, we get we get

down a business on Thursdays on cheddar Bets. That's a lot of fun I do. We don't have a lot of time. We like just get right into it. Yes, yes, now we will get to more sports storylines in a second. But did you bet on Imon Schumpert to win Dancing with the Stars, because that looks pretty strong right now. I am so obsessed with Evan Champfort on Dancing with the Stars. You guys watch the show, yeah, a little bit? Okay, So like Opening Night he came out with this thing.

I think it was. I think it was the jive. He did something to outcause, I mean, I don't know how tall is he's like six nine. I'm gonna just guess, but normally you look like so awkward. I don't know if you guys saw Little more Oude him on Dancing Stars. Stiff is a board and Emon just kills it. I'm a huge fan of his family, his wife. They have a show on E like I fan girl over him. So every week I vote for Emon Champert. I have

no shave. It's like so embarrassing. It looks like like my phone and says like Emon Imon Emon, It looks insane, but gotta do it. I can't believe you guys don't watch. I just catch highlights the highlight reel, be honest, do you watch? No, after he left it next, I stopped catching. I stopped. I just stopped paying attention to him. You know, I liked him in the Kanye video. No, that was his wife. He was in it two I guess, No, he was in it two and he's got a body

on him. He's a he's got a hot bod. I have to go watch this. I had no idea his wife as a hot bod. Oh yeah, they both too, they both have a hot bod. But yeah, I mean not dancing with the stars just bothers me because it should be called, you know, dancing with the G League or dancing with the C list. I think it's more jealous. Yeah, would you turn it down? Yeah? I would turn it down for sure, because I can't dance. What Yeah, Olivia, would you turn it down? I would do it in

a heartbeat. But I would do anything for the right amount in a heartbeat. Okay, I've got a question for you, because I know you're closely following the NBA and the Ben Simmons storyline is wacky, and every day it seems there's a new development. Do you think it is the

best or worst story in sports right now? Okay? I would have argued that it was the best story in sports right now before he came out and said that he was having issues with his mental health, because then I think that like it totally switches gears here, because if if that's legitimate, like if that's the case. I mean they said that he was going under evaluation, and I don't know if that's for his back or for

his mental space. So like, if if that's the case, then this becomes so serious and he should take a break, Like he should be able to stop what he's doing and get in that, you know, the mental space that he needs and then go back and hopefully play for the Sixers, you know, for as long as he needs to, and then get out of there, but get out of there on a good note and not not whatever is

happening right now with the team. I feel like everybody has his back, Like I saw Tobias Harris talking about it, and I just feel like the team wants to support him, but we really have no idea what's going on. It was like really fun for a minute. I mean, I like to trash Doctor Sixers anyways, have I'm a heat fan, So but I think that now it gets serious because of his mental health issues and we know what happened.

It was Simone Bios right, and then Naomi Osaka, like I feel like a lot of people have talked about mental health issues recently and they've made it known that like, hey, this is serious, Like this is serious for everyone in the world, not even just athletes. So I think that changes things, and I think that people now need to respect him and just kind of let him figure this out on his own pace because it could be a while.

Are we sure that's what it is though, because he's demanding a trade, right he wants I mean, isn't one of the things that he's saying is he just wants out of Philly. I saw that Darryl Morey was on like this radio station in Philly though, talking about it, and he said that this could go on for four years,

which is insane. Can you imagine? I mean, I think he has he has a four year contract, right, so like the four years of this and then he even this is the president of some some of the Sixers even compared it to go to a hunt, much like I don't know where that. I don't know where that fits.

I don't know what he's talking about. Really, No, I don't think it's Maybe yeah, it could mean that maybe he met a nice young lady in the off season and she lives in Kalamazoo and he wants a trade to some team in Kalamazoo because he wants to go see about a girl. That's what right? How do you like? Yeah, he wants about a girl. Since you're a he fan, let me ask you this question. Tyler Hero has said that he you know, he's very boisterous. He said he

belongs in the conversation with Luca and Trey Young. Take your bias out of it as the Miamm girl you're from, le mea me and just is he as good as those guys from his class? He can be. I don't think he is. I don't think he is right now, but he can be. And I think he was for a minute, I think he was. I mean, I'm a Jack Harlow fan as well. I think Jack Harlo would great with me. But I think that I think that he can be. What do you guys think? Well, that

is like the coolest best friend group. Also, by the way, I totally with you. I actually know Tyler Hero pretty well. He's from Wisconsin and he's come up to our house in Cheboygan to come shoot hoops and with my husband and he didn't know what did I know? But I watched And this is before he was drafted, and he didn't know what Lake Lake, Michigan was and he grew up on Lake Michigan, so I had a little problem.

I can't shake that story out of my head. For all the Markles just say he was like really focused. Maybe not on the geography, but yeah, I know. I think when we saw him in the bubble, right, that's the Tyler hero that we're thinking of. But last season definitely fell off. He's a new father, he has a lot of exciting things going on in his life. But I think you would agree hand at Miami it is a pretty distracting town, right, And he's a young guy. And I saw the flash, so I don't know if

that's the best location for him to be in. I used to cover the heat. I used to work with them when I was working for a network down south, and I used to go out and I would see the guys out all the time. I mean, like they definitely like if they say they're not out, it's a live total throughout every single day. So that's so bad. I shouldn't say that. It's probably not it's probably not

totally true, but you know what I'm saying. I agre with what you're saying, and I'm only coming at it from a place of jealousy because my husband plays in Toronto. So I'm just it's ready where this is coming from. You know, look like the Lakers after just two games, they've already showed signs that they may have worse chemistry than j Cutler and Kristen Cavalari for an example. But you just look at them, and I know it's early.

I know it's early, But can russ A, d Mellow, Lebron and Dwighte work in l A if they're not, you know, putting their fingers in each other's faces on the bench. I have no idea. What do you think about this Lakers team? I really think they look they look a bit like a mess. I couldn't believe that the Grizzlies were almost three and now and then the

Lakers want against them. And I thought, by the way, the craziest thing about that game was that Ziah Williams, who is who plays for Memphis, was one of Brawnie's Brawnnie james former teammates. Crazy, so Lebron James was playing against like a regular season NBA game against one of his son's former high school teammates. So I think that I think that shows like how much the game is changing and how different everyone is. That like these old vets really got to get used to it, and I

think they have to switch it up a bit. I don't know. I don't know what they're gonna do. I think that little skirmish on the sidelines that we saw between A d and Dwight Howard shows that they may not make a great team, but they would make a great real world episode if we can film those guys. If you put those guys on a team and we just roll cameras, I think we're going to see a

lot of drama. I don't see it working. It's crazy how the as like everyone goes to those games, regardless of how well they're doing, to see and be seen. It reminds me of the Knicks. Like the Knicks can be like, you know, the whole teams on fire, and still you have like the best celebrities in the front row watching going to watch them. I just I'm like, where is what's everyone doing? There's nothing else going on tonight?

Well we're doing with the Knicks. It's again very early, but here we are trying to diagnose who's good who's not. Is it possible that the Knicks end up with a better record than the Nets. I mean, I'd be shocked. I'd be shocked, and just at the state of like New York teams in general, I'd be shocked. I don't think it's been going well for them. I don't think

I would think it's going well for them. I mean, besides, besides, you know, the Yankees said a minute, but like, I think New York teams have a couple of years of I don't know, is that terrible to say. I mean, I'm talking about them as a whole, like they all need to change at the same time. But really, it's it has become like a problem. This is not the year New York. And this is a big New York fan.

What your teams are Giants and Nicks, not Nets, right, Yeah, I'm more of a Knicks fan, and I think the Knicks might have a chance. They just don't have the distractions the Nets have right now. I mean, I don't think there's just a bunch of like anti VAXs mandate protesters trying to break into the garden. So that's a

good thing for the Knicks right now. Yeah, It's never a good thing when your season is kind of hinging on a mayoral race because that is going to drastically affect what they're able to do with the vaccine with Kyrie. But that's not I think for another month. But that whole storyline is crazy that that can really affect this team.

Oh yeah, oh yeah, probably. And the Knicks had that huge win over the Magic, and then I think they got so cocky that when they played them again, they like forgot that they needed to still bring it and it was just embarrassing that. I mean, the Magic are like in a rebuilding phase, so I think to lose

to them just kind of changes the tone. I'll say it. Now, Nick's are going to make the playoffs, and there is a good chance they have a better record than the Nets because I think there's just too much drama in Brooklyn. I think they can rise above the drama. I'm ready to see them. I'm ready to see them be like the team of New York. Honestly, I kind of agree. Too many accomplished, tested, veteran players on that team to let this get away from him, I think, yeah, absolutely.

I know I don't want to be labor the point, but when has a team with so many egos really worked out, you know, like Miami. I guess the Celtics too, with the Big three. Okay, I made a bad point. Yeah, there we go, There we go. I mean that's really the only time. I can't think of it the other time, and they always last for the shortest amount of time. I will say that that's true. Okay, I'll just I'll

take a mellow. I'll take a mellow jab though, what when has a team with Carmelo on it ever worked out? So the Lakers are doomed? Great point. I went to Syracuse and so I used to be like a huge Mellow fan for that reason only, and then I realized that, like it was actually embarrassing to rep Mellow as intensely

as I was. So that's when I was just like, you know what, I'm going to settle and on being a Heat fan and I'm going to stay away that this is when he was with the next so right, But yeah, he's he's really gone through it, like he's a bet through and through. And I mean he actually didn't play too bad this past weekend. He was like really holding it down for the team. But I think those games are hot, very hot and cold when it comes to him. Yeah, I agree. Well, Hannah, that's all

the time we have. Thank you so much for joining us talking a little hoops. It's early, but it's so fun to dig our claws into the NBA. So we really appreciate it absolutely, and I'm sure I'll talk to you later this week on cheddar Bets. Yes, we will. Ever make sure you check out chadar Bets. Hannah and I really get into it and we stopped messing around like we do on our show, and you can follow Hannah on Twitter at Hannah a stop check. Thanks so

much for joining us. Thank you by Hannah Begay. Two amazing interviews with two amazing people, both writers, both journalists, both beautiful, but not as beautiful as our own bet MGM Betting Expert bandelists. However you want to say it in Greek, Peter Andrew, how are you doing, my friend? I thank you for the Hell's nice. Yeah, good to see you. Let's hop right into a little MBA because we touched upon it with Hannah and the season is

often running. We have two unexpected, exciting good teams who are undefeated. Talk to me about the Chicago Bulls and your squad down there with Michael Jordan's Charlotte Hornets. I think it's just three words, big ball brand, right, yeah, Lonza, Chicago, LaMelo, and maybe lo Angelo at some point in Charlotte. I

think LaMelo first. I know I'm a little bit a little bit of a homer here as a Hornets fan, but they look really good, and they Jael when he plays well, and the first couple of games he's looked really good. I mean puts points off at will. He's an underrated shooter, but but obviously his passing is unbelievable. He had one yesterday. Gordon Hayward No look in the corner. I mean it was just ridiculous. Both of them look really good, and you're starting to see some of those

bulls moves. You know, they're starting to make a ton of sense where you don't just need a superstar or two superstars with three superstars. When you have a team that can gel, they can win games. And I think you look at the Bucks last year as that example where there's just a lot of players that do you know, do their job, know their role. You obviously need that big guy like a Yanni sword, like a LaMelo or whoever. But they look great and there's some really good value.

Just you know, I'm not gonna say they're gonna win the title because that's a bit of a long shot. But the Hornets to win their division plus twelve hundred also win, there's plus a thousand. It's not a bad bet. And if they go in a bit of a streak, that number is gonna drop a bit. You're gonna see it at six hundred, So a good time to take

it now. And and then conversely to that, you have a couple of teams that maybe have started a bit slow, Lakers as an example, Maybe see their price just jump up a little bit and maybe it's a good opportunity to get them. So it's it really is. It's crazy starts the seasons only ben a couple of games, but but super exciting for somebod these kind of up and coming teams. Yeah, I was gonna ask you that when

we're recording. These teams that we're talking about are three and oh and you mentioned their values still pretty good. I mean, how much has it jumped since preseason for to win their division? Yeah, it's been a little. I would say it's nothing more than maybe you know, plus a hundred. Ever, takes. So if it isn't crazy, but it's the point of getting it now before they go. You know, hornets as things they will win against self knit, a pretty decent team. Rattle off a couple more you'll

start seeing on the fold. But like you said, it's you know, it is just the beginning of the the season. A lot of as play. I just want to make this quick point because I unleashed on the seventy five list. I just remembered the Detroit Pistons who won a championship. Not one of those players was on the seventy five all time list, And I love your points about great teams and everyone doing their role. So I just want to take another jab at that seventy five lists. I mean,

those teams, they had some pretty good players. They weren't superstars, but Dan Rashid rip right, all those guys they played their partner with dogs in the paint. Absolutely, And my point was like, let's stop extolling only individual players and talk about some of the greatest teams of all time. And you know what, that Detroit Pistons team defense Baby, Ben Wallace, Baby, I'm with Let's get back to the

NFL too. I'm looking right now at futures odds and Kyler Murray with the Cardinals still leads the packet plug us three fifty and they take on my Green Bay Packers on Thursday night and what should be one of the best games not only of the weekend, but I think in this first half of the season. I think that's a good place to start. Packers are on the road and they are three and a half point dog. Let's kind of break this one down and look at it, because you know that's my team. But I'm having a

hard time going against the Cardinals here. Yeah, I think the Cardinals. What scares me is how how many, you know, weapons they do have. They've got a couple of running backs, they got James Conner, they got Chase Edmons, they have a couple of receivers other than DeAndre Hopkins that can catch small a j. Green, and then you're seeing this emergence of Christian Kirk too. And that's not even going into they just acquired Zach Ertz just a week ago.

That's six pretty good weapons. And talking about Kyler what he can do with his feet, you know, there was probably been a concern role in the season that you know, this is Kyler's maker break here. This is the coaching staff maker break here. They are a really really good team. Their defense is shown out I know in fantasy football right now they're the number one defense, so they're making

turn numbers when they need to. They are a really really tough team, especially when you go into Arizona into Glendale. So this is an interesting one. Be interesting to see what you take Olivia here, whether you go over your head or your heart. Well, you're honestly go first. Who are you picking in this one? Okay? Well you know, I guess I'm the only one loyal too, because you

have Olivia. You apparently have two teams, and it's convenient whenever you want to mention you're, Yeah, you're a Kansas City Chief fan when you want to talk about them. And then you always call Green Bay your team because you grew up watching Green Bay. So I don't trust your father that I can throw you. Okay, I'll just say that right now, because I'll take the Green Bay Packers. I'll be the loyal one year, okay. I I love a world look. I love the way they're looking. I

love how the goat is looking. I love his his Optionsvante Adams rais cop I love it. I'm going with Green Bay. Baby, I am too, So just back up your hate truck because I am also taking it. Because if the Packers were to win and I took the Cardinals, I wouldn't forgive myself. And I agree. I guess I just have a bad taste in my mouth still from week one and from the off season, and a part of me feels like this great season they're putting together

could crash and burn at anytime. But yeah, I'm sticking with my team. I'm sticking with my guys. And by the way, I'm not the only person. I have two fans. You just heard Larry Olms said say that it makes us happier and healthier. So I am happy and healthy with my two teams. You honest, that's good point, and it's good to know that you still have a little bit of a heart left, just a little. There's two

things of thought here. You can go and not forgive yourself if you picked the Cardinals, or you can do the emotional hedge. You picked the Cardinals and then either way you win. Right, So then if the Packers one, it's like on my team one. But if the Cardinals, one honest is, probably got a speech lined up for next week exactly. Nice time, Peter. I don't think so. I don't think that works, but you get it. Okay, what's the next game? Next game? Interesting one? Uh, Brown's

pretty shaken up. So Brown's against the Steelers team that I think is underwhelmed most people as well. What are you guys like there? Uh? You want me to go first, Olivia, or you want to go first? Um, I'll go quick and short Browns for me. I'm gonna go with because no, no, I want to hear a reason Baker's must be back this weekend. Not that case Kingdom was bad, but I just think when you have your starting quarterback, everything is a little bit more in sync. So I'm gonna go

with Baker. Okay, I'm going with the Steelers. There we go. We got a disagreement there. I think they look a little revitalized. I think they may go on a little run before they fall apart. So they're gonna win this game, all right. Last one, probably the most impressive performance of of this weekend is past weekend Tennessee Titans, and they're all pro quarterback not Ryan Tannehill. Rrick Henry, uh said Derrick Henry and minus one against another strong performance the

Colts plus once. So Colts at home basically pick up what you laders like here. Well, I'm really surprised that line is only at one. That seems very surprising after how great the Titans beat up on the Chiefs this last weekend. I cannot believe Indie is projected when I'm just looking at matchup predictor. Indie's fifty three percent supposed to win, so they're the one point underdog. I'm going with Tennessee here. They looked unstoppable last weekend. I like what I saw. I like what I saw in the

late game on Sunday. I really like RICE saw on the defensive ent. I'm going with the Cults Indianapolis. I stand with you. This is an interesting one to see how this shakes out throughout the week because I don't think that line is gonna stay at I can see Tennessee, especially we have a loyal Tennessee fan base. I can see that, you know, going up to two and a half three points so be really interesting. But I think that's one of the games the week, along with the

doctor skarts. Okay, well, now let's get to it. The winner of our punishment picks. It came down a Sunday night, like we just mentioned in the colds forty Niners game. What a nail biter, and that was what did me in. I can't believe it that I took forty niners. Jimmy G was back, even though I called him a candy corn bitch earlier. Jimmy G was back, that beautiful son of a gun, and they lost it. Joanna's had the cold, so Joanna's congratulations. Thank you. I love hearing you say

that every time. Okay, so I gotta read it, read it first time. My eyes are seeing these nasty words lined up together, and your sick brain came up with let's see what I got. Read it like you meet it, Olivia, like you meet it, like you wrote it. Okay, like you wrote it. Jeez. I'm nervous every time. I gotta start winning this damn game. Okay, thanks for listening everyone. Now everything seems right again. Yanni the Great is back

on top. Anyway, I want all my fans to know that whatever the fake news says in the next couple of days, I was not in Washington, d C. The night of storming the Capitol Yacht is also to all the girls I made crying grade school. In high school, that's not true, because I was most deaf, a mean girl cheerleader. I want to say, ha ha, I'm still beating you witches. I'm on a show with the best comedian inde world. Happy Halloween, bitches, how many bitches before

my mom? I really? I'm off to watch some Hope is Focus, drink some pumpkin spice lap Days, and put on one of Sam's sweaters and fuzzy socks because it's boots weather and I'm a basic bitch. Okay to shake because I've been calling you that, I'll show. Yeah, that's number five. That's you're starting five. Five bitches from oh h d mom. That is our show. Make sure everyone tunes in, subscribe, leave review every week. We have too

much fun doing the show. We hope you have a lot of fun lit name see you guys, next week's out.