FIFA 2026, Women in Poker, and Pete Rose Lifetime Ban Lifted | Ep. 47

What happens when passion turns toxic? Apparently, we get a nation of sports fans who think loyalty means hurling insults—and sometimes objects—at anyone in the wrong jersey. In New York, the so-called "sophisticated" fans prefer verbal assaults over actual celebration, while New York's NBA spectators seem to think abusing players is part of the ticket price. Meanwhile, legalized gambling and a little social polarization have turned sporting events into emotional pressure cookers. The poker world isn’t doing much better: with women making up a generous 3–5% of players, it's clear the tables are still reserved for those who enjoy casual misogyny with their chips. But hey, who needs inclusivity when you’ve got a solid boys’ club vibe? Even outside these arenas, the trend continues—drivers leaning on their horns like it’s a competitive sport, collectors proudly amassing hundreds of VHS copies of The Mummy, and public officials using international events as a chance to tell visitors not to get too comfortable. Whether we’re spectating, gambling, or idling at a red light, basic civility seems to be on an extended vacation. But by all means, keep honking—because clearly, that’s how traffic works.

Chapters

• 0:00 Road Rage Reflections
• 1:23 Sports Fans Gone Wild
• 4:00 Poker's Gender Problem
• 7:10 Unwelcoming America for World Cup
• 10:40 Pete Rose and the Hall of Fame
• 12:59 Medical Update and Skin Health
• 15:20 The Mummy Collector's Obsession
• 19:07 The Horn Honking Epidemic

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

I can be a red light and then it turns green. And between the half second it takes for me to switch my foot from the brake pedal to the gas pedal, the dingleberry behind me is honking his horn. Where you going, buddy? Huh, and what's your rush? Norman Chad, norman Chad, norman Chad. Welcome to Gambling Mad with Norman Chad. I am Norman Chad and, yes, my face has been defiled. More on that later on, coming up on the program today.

Speaker 1: 0:42

If you're visiting from abroad for the World Cup next summer, don't overstay your welcome. If you are coming to the World Series of Poker this summer, please be nice to women. And if you happen to root for the Pittsburgh Pirates, you are screwed. Blue. Gambling Mad, as always brought to you by Fritos. Gambling Mad as always brought to you by Fritos, picked fresh off of Central California trees every morning, delivered directly to your local retailer every afternoon, and by the refreshing taste of Fresca, fritos and Fresca. It's a meal. What is wrong with us? Yeah, I'm talking to you. Okay, I'm talking to every one of you.

Speaker 1: 1:29

Sports is supposed to be entertainment. The entertainment has given away to exasperation and rage, and it's ugly. Let's go straight to New York City, home of the so-called world's most sophisticated fans. Now I don't mean to pick on New York Fans. In most cities, most markets are more or less the same Heck. If you ask NBA players, they'll tell you the fans in Utah are as foul-mouthed and abusive as anywhere in the league Salt Lake City, utah. So in New York City, instead of celebrating the Knicks' improbable playoff success for the first time in a generation, some of their followers turned to thuggish behavior After the Knicks beat the Celtics in the second round, outside of Madison Square Garden, several fans started to verbally abuse and toss debris at an individual wearing Indiana Pacers gear, the Pacers being the Knicks' next opponent.

Speaker 1: 2:34

They followed him, they heckled him, they threatened him. Did this fellow kidnap the Lindbergh baby? No, he was just wearing a Tyrese Halliburton jersey. What you all aren't familiar with the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby. Google it, you hockadoodles. Example number two from New York After another Knicks playoff game, espn NBA reporter Brian Winhurst was walking back to his hotel and naturally he was taunted and jeered by fans and they also threw stuff at him.

Speaker 1: 3:10

Why? Well, had he declared his love for the Communist Party and he was a dirty red? No, apparently he just said something not so good about the Knicks over the air. What is wrong with us? It's been this bad my whole adult life and, with an angrier fan base and a more polarized, disenchanted populace, with a fresh dose of legalized gambling thrown in, it is now worse than ever.

Speaker 1: 3:43

I do not have an easy and quick solution other than, as always, to strongly recommend everyone go bowling at least twice a month. Bowling just strikes me right. The World Series of Poker begins its summer-long jamboree this week. Series of poker begins its summer-long jamboree this week, and I would like to make a plea to half the world population that largely skips the festival.

Speaker 1: 4:13

Dear women, in most any poker setting, whether it's at a home game or a local card room or the world championship, 95 out of every 100 players are men, sometimes 96 or 97. Some people say there's a reason for this as simple as the female species does not like to gamble as much as the male species, or that the female species supposedly is more careful with money than the male species. Maybe, maybe, there's some truth to those statements, but I still think a very, very large factor is that the poker room has never been terribly welcoming to women. Frankly, as men, we have not treated women as respectively as we can, as we can, being a lifelong man. This doesn't really surprise me much. Men sometimes are misogynistic. Men sometimes are just plain sexist. Men sometimes are pigs. Men sometimes are misogynistic, sexist pigs. This must stop. I don't want to make any promises I can't keep, but we must attempt to change this dominant alpha culture. We have to do better, we have to be better, and it will be and will get better, except for, maybe, that one flaming asshole that's sitting right next to you today at the table. Poker has so much room for growth it is stupid for us to shut out 50% of the potential market. So here in America and worldwide, I am extending an invitation, a very warm invitation, to women to please start patronizing your local card room and eventually plan to come to the World Series of Poker. I'll be there. Sexism is so 18th, 19th and 20th century Heck. I doubt the 12th and 13th centuries were a whole lot better on that front. We can get better.

Speaker 1: 6:25

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted next summer by the United States, canada and Mexico. 78 of the 104 games will be in the US. It is the most popular sporting event on the planet. Foreign soccer fans will be flocking to the US to watch, but the Trump administration is telling them don't be flocking for too long. Once you get here, vice President JD Vance recently said everyone is welcome to come and see this incredible event, but when the time is up they'll have to go home. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said come see America, but don't overstay your visit. Don't stay too long. This is Trump's America Deport immigrants if they are here illegally and discourage foreign visitors from hanging around. The Statue of Liberty is replacing its iconic give me your tired, give me your poor, your huddled masses message with the words no late checkout.

Speaker 1: 7:34

Seriously, folks, if you are thinking of coming here from abroad for the World Cup, I think you'd have to think twice. You could have trouble at customs coming into the US, trying to leave the US and in between you could be detained for who knows why. Drumming home this point do not overstay your welcome, do not overstay your visa is not exactly rolling out the welcome wagon to the world. Heck, my mother was Cuban-born and that's the last time I'm going to mention that anytime soon, publicly or privately, in fact. Let's edit that out. Let's edit that out. If anyone in production is listening to me right now, let's edit it out. Thank you, I heard one voice.

Speaker 1: 8:23

So the other day I'm cruising Sunset Boulevard, my convertible top down, listening to the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith and taking in the cool breezes of liberty and democracy, and suddenly I hear Kristi Noem and her voice pop up during a commercial break. This is what she said on my radio I'm Kristi Noem, the United States Secretary of Home Security. Thank you, president, donald J Trump, for securing our border, for deporting criminals, illegal immigrants, and for putting America first. President Trump has a clear message for those that are in our country illegal Leave now. If you don't, we will find you and we will deport you. You will never return. If you leave now, you may have an opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream. But understand this Under President Trump, america's borders are closed to lawmakers. Follow the law and you'll find opportunity. Break it and you'll find consequences. The choice is yours. That was Christine Noem.

Speaker 1: 9:36

Wow, homeland Security is running 60-second radio ads warning criminal illegal aliens to get out of Dodge ASAP. Now I don't want to tell the Trump White House how to spend its ad dollars, but are criminal illegal aliens really listening to K-Rock? Most of those crossing our southern border are Spanish-speaking. Most of those crossing our southern border are Spanish-speaking. There are like 30 or 35 Spanish-language radio stations in Los Angeles. I don't think Pablo and Carlos and Diego are really chilling with Ryan Seacrest weekday mornings. I don't think these gentlemen are going to hear our Homeland Security Secretary while taking the bus to Home Depot and immediately think to themselves damn, mamma mia, I better go pick up a $7 Supreme Luxe box from Taco Bell and go and get out of town before manana. Here's a suggestion to my government. I know Kristi Noem likes to get out into the field, so I would save the millions of dollars being spent on this ad campaign and just have her go door-to-door or lawn-to-lawn, as it would be threatening gardeners all across Southern California.

Speaker 1: 11:01

It is Pete Rose time again. It is Pete Rose time again. Mlb Commissioner Rob Manfred removed Rose from the permanently ineligible list, effectively reinstating him from his lifetime ban after Pete Rose's death in September. This clears the way for Rose to be considered for the Baseball Hall of Fame. This has been an endless discussion since Pete Rose retired from baseball. If they were going to put Rose into the Hall of Fame, they should have done it while he was alive. This whole notion that his lifetime ban has ended. Because his lifetime has ended is somewhat preposterous. He did what he did and his death does not change that. If you think he should be in the Hall of Fame with a note about why he was banned from the game, that is fine. If you don't think he should be in the Hall of Fame because he gambled on baseball games while he was a player and a manager, well, nothing changes with his passing.

Speaker 1: 12:08

My position has always been rather simple If you are banned from the game permanently, it is hard to be given the game's highest honor. But if he's voted into the Hall of Fame one day, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I got to tell you I do lose sleep over the fact that single admission double headers are now a thing of the past. Speaking of which? Speaking of which? Whatever happened to the double feature at the movie house? I guess I'm a bit way off topic right now. Okay, wait, it's my podcast. If I want to go off topic, I can go off topic. I'm tired of these split double headers where you have one game in the afternoon, one game at night and you got to pay two for admissions, and I'm tired of the fact that you can't go see a double feature anymore. Back in the day, two Woody Allen films was better than one. Have you noticed the bandages? Of course you've noticed the bandages.

Speaker 1: 13:04

Like many, many people over the age of 60, I have actinic keratosis, a precancerous condition, fairly common growths on the skin, generally caused by UV rays from the sun. These legions can develop into skin cancer, but if they're treated early, the cancer usually is prevented. Anyone can develop this condition. But if you are an older adult, like I am, if you have pale skin, like I do, and if you have blue eyes, like I do, you generally are more at risk. So you need to be diligent particularly people who are more at risk In checking for these legions as you get older.

Speaker 1: 13:50

They're often found on the face. In checking for these legions as you get older, they're often found on the face, the ears, the neck, the top of your scalp, particularly if you are bald up there, sometimes on the back of your hands and on your forearms. Have a dermatologist check it out. I have had several of these growths. What they do is they'll do a biopsy to assess the situation. This involves a needle for about 10 seconds and then, after that procedure. You have to protect the spots which have been tested to make sure they don't get infected, and you protect them for maybe five or 10 days.

Speaker 1: 14:26

No big deal Now, sure? God gifted me a fabulous face and because of these precancerous growths, my face has been temporarily sullied and spoiled. Just take a look at these before and after photos from just a week ago. There I was and then ouch my goodness, what a difference. Then ouch my goodness, what a difference. But I am healing and I will be back in singles bars and on Tinder faster than you can say. My wife, toni makes the best carrot cake. Yum. Folks, seriously avoid too much sun Always wear sunscreen and check often for unusual skin growths. D-gen's gonna D-Gen.

Speaker 1: 15:20

There is a 34-year-old man by the name of Evan Halleck. He lives in Long Beach, california. He quit his job as a commercial editor last summer to pursue his goal of amassing the largest collection of the 1999 film the Mummy on VHS. He wants every copy he can find of the Mummy starring Brendan Fraser on VHS. Do you even remember VHS? He only accumulates the tapes by visiting brick and mortar stores. He told the Los Angeles Times that this is a midlife crisis style project for him. He is chronicling it on TikTok and Instagram, so reminding you that he just started last summer, less than a year ago.

Speaker 1: 16:13

How many VHS tapes of the mummy might you imagine that Evan Halleck has collected so far? Do you have a guess? Bree, seven. Okay, I'm not going to tell you my guess because it wasn't close and it was almost as bad as yours the number 330, 330 copies of the 1999 film the Mummy. He is very fond of this movie. Halleck has watched the Mummy, he says, at least 150 times and says it gets better with every viewing. Have I mentioned he has now collected 330 copies of the Mummy on VHS?

Speaker 1: 17:05

Halleck says pursuing this collection is the most creatively alive he has felt since moving to LA, la 12 years ago, to start his film career. He says he wants the glory and the honor of being number one in the world in something. He is number one here. How's he number one? He's collected 330 copies tapes on VHS of the mummy. Shouldn't there be a law against this? His fiancée how does he have a fiancée? His fiancée is not even a fan of the mummy. According to the LA Times, on one of their first dates he took her to a mummy movie night at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in downtown Los Angeles. This was clearly a sign for her to get out, and get out now, and she missed her opportunity. He will not buy any copy of the movie online. He insists on tracking down all VHS tapes of the movie on foot or via his Subaru. As it turns out, universal Pictures actually released and this was a different day and age, my friends just 26 years ago they actually released 7 million VHS tapes of the mummy. So guess what? 330 is nothing to this guy. He says he's shooting for 1,000 copies. Why stop there, evan? Why not 5,000, 10,000, 100,000? Fyi, I have never seen the mummy. I've got to say I'm a bit curious to perhaps see it now, but I am a little scared. I mean, it might be a gateway drug to start collecting copies of it on VHS and then maybe one day I will have 330 copies of the Mummy on VHS, like Evan Halleck does. D-gen's gonna D-Gen.

Speaker 1: 19:07

Before we wrap up, I'm gonna say this one time and one time only. I'm going to say this one time and one time only Stop honking your horn. The car horn is a safety feature. The car horn is not a sore head feature. Yeah, all of you are sore headed these days. Everyone's in a bad mood post-COVID pandemic. Everyone hates each other in Trump's America. Everyone's distracted on their iPhone while driving, but lay off the horn.

Speaker 1: 19:43

When I moved from the East Coast to the West Coast in the 1990s, I noticed that fewer people out here honked their car horn. Well, I guess too many people moved from east to west because now everyone honks their horn. I can be a red light and then it turns green, and between the half second it takes for me to switch my foot from the brake pedal to the gas pedal, the dingleberry behind me is honking his horn. Where are you going, buddy? Huh, and what's your rush? Okay, once he honks at me, I can guarantee you that if he's going to the same place I am, I'm going to get there first and we are going to do it very, very slowly. That'll do it for another edition of Gambling Matt with Norman Chatt. Hope to see you again next time and remember, if you're going to roll the dice, make sure they're loaded.

Speaker 1: 20:44

Since I was a kid, I've rooted for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers. I can't explain why. As an adult, I still root for the Pirates and the Steelers, though I have never set foot in Pittsburgh. This Pirates thing, I've got to tell you, is not working out too well. In 1992, with Barry Bond still on the team, they lost in seven games to the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series Starting in 1993, braves in the National League Championship Series Starting in 1993, the Pirates then had 20 straight losing seasons.

Speaker 1: 21:17

At the moment they're in the midst of their seventh straight losing season. They lose when they're behind. They lose when they're ahead. If there's a rain delay, it simply delays their losing. They have the best pitcher in baseball, paul Skeens, but he never wins because they never score when he's on the mound. The Pirates just went 26 straight games without scoring more than four runs, tying an MLB record. They have one of the baseball's lowest player payrolls and the team owner, robert Nutting, is nicknamed Bottom Line Bob. So, without getting too upset, I'm simply going to tell bottom line Bob what many Pirates fans have told him already Please sell the team, sell the team, sell the team. Okay, let me be a little more clear Sell the frigging team or, god help me, I will go gambling mad.

Speaker 2: 22:12

Gambling Mad with Norman Chad is written by Norman Chad and Ghosts, written by Norman Chad. Executive producers are John Scheinberg and Rick Barriodil. Produced by Norman Chad and Rick Barriodil. Our associate producers are Bree Coorey and Asher Freidberg. And edited by Asher Freidberg, with studio facilities at 360 Pod Studios, beverly Hills.