Wild Wild West

This week, Tracy Sandler and Nikki Kay catch up on the Summer House reunion and then go all in on the NBA Finals-- recapping game one between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, and then look ahead to game two. Then they discuss the surprising developments coming out of the NFL this week, including A.J. Brown's glow-up, and Tracy connects the dots to Sabrina Carpenter. Plus, Nikki goes down the internet rabbit hole and lands Off Campus. 

Hosts: Tracy Sandler, Nikki Kay
Producer: Akua Murphy
BZZR.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to Slander and Slay on Buzzer. I am your host, Tracy Sandler, joined by my fabulous co-host, Nikki Kay. What's up, party people? We have so much to talk about today. We got the Knicks, we got Sabrina Carpenter, and we have AJ Brown. It is an amazing show, so let's get to it.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

I have questions for you, but first, how should we be going? Oh my gosh. Okay, so when you go on these, well, like on a really fun trip, and you know, you come back and obviously you get the Monday scaries. How long does it usually take for you to get back in the swing of things? Because I had an epic wedding weekend, and it's I'm thinking I think I'm climbing out of the hole of, you know, when you're all around, when you're around all your best friends, having the best time, celebrating love in a tropical destination, and then you come back and you're like, huh, I miss everyone.

unknown 0:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

That's fair. I think that's life is great, don't get me wrong, but sometimes you just get a case, like I said, of the wobblies. But the wobblies are stabilizing.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

The w- I love that the wobblies are like the through line here of this podcast because the wobblies can apply to so many things. They can apply to a tough game for an NBA player in the finals. They can apply to real life things like this. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Before you get into that transition, we gotta ask how you're doing. I'm good. And I'm really excited about today's podcast for a variety of reasons, not the least of which it's our first podcast of Pride Month. Happy Pride! Happy Pride, everybody. And a very dear friend of mine said this week that this podcast is a gay sports fans dream. And I thought that was great, like maybe the greatest compliment we could have gotten. Tracy, are you kidding me?

SPEAKER_02 1:50

Like, I we need to we need to get merch with that. We we may need to get merch with that. It was that is that is a a gay sports fans dream. Like, that is exactly the type of energy we want here at Slander and Slay.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Yep, 100%. So I was very excited about that. But generally, my week has been good. It's been busy. I'm getting ready to go on a big trip in a couple of weeks. So I feel like my preparation for travel is it's your whole personality trait right now. It basically is. It is my whole personality right trait right now and planning out, and this is something that the girlies will totally get here, is the planning out everything in the right time before I go from the nails to the spray tan to when do I pack and when do I have to get my tri cleaning in and get it back for the stuff that like all of these?

SPEAKER_02 2:42

It is an Olympic sport. It is an Olympic sport, especially like, and I saw it it's so funny. My sister and I were talking like the day before too, like a wedding weekend where it's a condensed, like four-day. I mean, you have you have to really strategize. Like you're preparing for a marathon because you'll be what how many days gone?

SPEAKER_00 3:00

I'm gone 16 days, and it is the longest amount of time I've ever been away from my dogs, and I'm a little bit I'm just gonna be fine.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

They'll be fine.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

Well, okay, can so can I share something like about that? Because this comes up on the FaceTiming, and I feel like it's not fair to them. It's for me, but for them, it's gonna be like, why does do I hear her? Yeah, I kind of see her bull-sizing tracing. It's a little selfish, so I don't do it because I am a nut and do always just do what's best for the dog. So my incredible dog setter who'll be staying with them here, he will send me photos of them every day, but I'm gonna miss them. But I will tell you from the time the trip starts to the time it ends, no matter where I'm going, no matter how much fun I'm gonna have when I'm there, I every morning announce out loud how many sleeps it is until I get back home to Kathy and Sadie. No, but be in the moment, which I know you are. That's that's gonna be epic. It is, it's gonna be amazing, and I will be in the moment and I'll enjoy every second of it. It's just funny. But normally on a summer trip, I would never go this long because usually three weeks later, I am going to training camp and then I'm basically gone for six months, but I'm not gonna be a beat reporter anymore. So I was like, okay, for this trip, I can do like the two-week-ish summer vacation. Um, because then I'll be back. And even though there will be travel and there'll be plenty of stuff throughout the season, it won't be quite to the same level it was before. Um but so I'm really excited about it. So I am I am in the opposite of where you were last week when you were preparing for your trip.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

I'm in the manic states of maybe I need to get another trip on the books because you know, there's nothing better than travel.

SPEAKER_00 4:42

But, anyways, in the here and the now. In the here and the now, I have questions for you. And these questions revolve around Summerhouse because through you, I have become oddly okay. So I was gonna say Summerhouse fan, but that's not really true. You don't watch a show, but you're very into it and you've you're watching all the reunions.

SPEAKER_02 5:02

I'm into the drama. And you're so drawing. I I got wind of the drama floating floating through the air on social media and was like, well, this these reunions sound like appointment viewing.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

And I take the appointment viewing as clips on social media that I watch, and then I kid you not, write down questions that I have for you about the clips I'm watching out of context about people I would never even know existed had there not been drama, and you told me about it.

SPEAKER_02 5:35

So that is the spark notes as the spark notes to your social media consumption. I'm gonna do the best I can with informed, informed context. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

So here's the number. Okay, here's my first one. Was Amanda of Amanda and West, and they are our villains. I understand that 100%. I have thoughts on all social media clips I watched from last night. Was Amanda married to someone else in the house too at some point?

SPEAKER_02 6:01

Yes, and I believe by state law, technically she still is married to Kyle. Kyle, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But their relationship was very tumultuous, very toxic. He had a myriad of issues. I think might have, you know, stepped out in one way or the other, was always out late partying, she didn't like it, but they stayed together in this toxic thing and apparently revealed on the reunion they hadn't they hadn't been intimate in four years. And everyone's like, why are you guys together? You know, just a really unhealthy setting. And he was not verbally very nice to her and has his eruptions, but he is what you see, what you get. So yes, she they still are technically married, although separated.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

Okay, okay, thank you. That was helpful for me. And then during a confessional, which I don't think either of us saw because that was probably during the show. Apparently, West, who is like public enemy number one, the worst of all worst. I've never actually seen so many clips, and again, I don't watch the show, of no one having a single nice thing to say about the show. There is not a single human being who has anything good to say. And I feel like a lot of times in these shows, you'll have someone be like, Yeah, but I like kind of understand her. I kind of understand there is none of that. There is a lot of like, this is the West show. West is devoid of all humanness, West has a black heart, West.

SPEAKER_02 7:20

The girlies, the girlies and the guys do not know.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

And the guys nobody likes him. Like his heart, there is a lump of coal where his heart should be. Like, he's nobody, nobody, nobody seems to like this West. But was there something he said in a confessional? And then Kyle took like about Amanda's. Oh, yeah. He took offense to it or something.

SPEAKER_02 7:42

Yeah, he went pretty. Oh, he called Amanda's husband back in the day, like what, you know, in the midst of their fighting, he called him basically like the wolf of Wall Street. Oh yes, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so it was like kind of insinuating much more nefarious activity, I think, than Kyle ever like deviated into. But West West did apologize for taking that too far. And that was one of his very few apologies or words in the reunion, which is everyone's thing. It's like, this is the dude that is the problem, is the biggest problem, the through line of just bad, bad men behavior. And he is mom. And he it it's just not a good look. And he's the more the the minutes tick on and the more that things are exposed, and the less he says, it's like we don't that's why people are are really, really adamant about not liking this guy. But I have a really good, I have a really good transition for you here. You know I love trans. I did see this hilarious clip of this New York man walking, met a New York Knicks fan, and he goes, I'm a Knicks fan, my girl is a Sierra Miller stan, and both of us don't F with the West. And I thought that was so good. Because we know Sierra Miller's our hero, our protagonist, our you know, our heroine. Our queen. She's our queen. Who by the time this pod drops, she's gonna be in a shaboozy music video. She's just on the up and up and up. For I just love that yeah, she's she's thriving at the behest of her ex-West, and the Knicks are trying to prove that the East is superior. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

I love that. That's so good. That's awesome. That's so clever. And also, we love a man who can take the Knicks and Summer House and bring it together.

SPEAKER_02 9:36

I kind of want to drop this podcast link in that video.

SPEAKER_00 9:39

Uh, you a thousand percent should drop it. And he should be listening, he and his his girlfriend should be listening to this podcast. It feels like it was made for them.

SPEAKER_02 9:48

I mean, I'm I'm all in on these NBA finals. Like game two tonight is first of all, like when you look at how game one played out, did it did it live up to your expectations? And did you did you see anything you didn't think was actually gonna play out?

SPEAKER_00 10:09

Oh, that's a very that's a good question.

SPEAKER_02 10:11

I think that's like two ways of asking the same question, honestly.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

No, I don't kind of, but not really, because yes, it definitely lived up to my expectations, but no, not necessarily, because I'm gonna start with our our guy Wemby. You know, we have our when wemby when wemby wembies, uh, which is something I said on on the radio last week, and I was really proud of that. And then it became a thing when wemby wemby's, which is when he's being amazing. Like when Wemby Wemby's is when he's like, you know, otherworldly, the alien, all the things. I kind of felt like coming off that Western conference series and how emotional it was, how hard fought it was, game seven, and then going into your first finals. It's just that would be a lot, I think, for anybody. And so I didn't expect that Wemby was gonna fully Wemby. He flat out said, I was bad. It's not more complicated than that. I don't think it might be more complicated than that. I don't think it's bad, but but he that's what you know, that's what he said. That was his feeling on it. But I also felt like it kind of played out how I thought it would. Like the Knicks jump out, the Spurs come back, and then the Knicks, you know, close it out. Jalen Brunson just is, I mean, Jalen Brunson's kind of looking like the alien right now. He is otherworldly in a lot of ways, and he's just unbelievable. I think Mike Brown said he was in his bag or he went to his bag. He went to his bag, which I can be you can be in your bag too, Tracy. You can be. But I wasn't sure. What I couldn't remember was if he said, was he in his bag or he went to his bag? I like he went to his bag better, to be honest, because his went to his bag kind of makes me feel like, well, he has Let me just reach into my DR. I'm not in it yet. Yeah, but let me pull go into that Dior and pull it out. Oh, there it is. Let's go. I'm gonna win game one of the NBA Finals. So I kind of liked it better when he said it. I was like, oh, I haven't heard it said like that, but I think I like it better. It feels more active than passive, basically, I think is what I liked about it.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

Right. I I think honestly, we had been taking a heavy dose of Spurs our are it, you know. Like, how are the Knicks gonna have an answer for Wemby? And I I heard a really interesting thing. Like the Knicks rolled through 11 straight playoff wins, dominating inferior opponents by like 20 minimum 20 points. Everyone looks at the West slate, it's like, well, the Spurs had harder competition in the Timber Timberwolves and then uh Oklahoma City and the comebacks, it's like they're they're you know just a better team because they face better opposition. But the way the Knicks down 14 in the third quarter and Jalen Brunson couldn't. That's where he went to his bag. That's what I'm saying. That's why it's better. He's like, Oh, I'm down 14. I better go to my bag and get my stuff. Because it's it's time. And you know what I've learned in in the Knicks discourse because I'm heavily in Knicks, the Knicks uh algorithm. Like, I might as well be on the streets of New York right now. But they're calling him the Knight of Gotham, which I'm like, oh, Batman Brunson, duh, you know.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

Brunson, that's so good. Uh it is a real missed opportunity if the Knicks don't get a bad signal into the air for home.

SPEAKER_02 13:27

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 13:28

Oh my gosh, but just above MSG.

SPEAKER_02 13:31

Watching him in that contested shot, I think at the the score was like 99.95 and maybe 45 seconds on the clock or something. And he just it went, he went in his bag at that point, and it was like a dribble spin, crossover, contested, you know, it it was remarkable. And I was watching with my sister and her boyfriend, and I like I lost my breath. I mean, and just I think he was out of breath in his post-game interview, but I have to say both of you out of out of breath post-game about his performance.

SPEAKER_00 14:03

I love that.

SPEAKER_02 14:03

And then you look at like the way uh the the way Carl Anthony Towns handled Wemby, like that was a big reason for Wemby's difficult night. Was that Kat Kat showed up, I think his double double was like 18 and 15 or 15. I might be reversing it right there. And did you did you hear what he said to the inside the NBA crew after?

SPEAKER_00 14:26

I did not, because I was at my niece's promotion. So I was watching this through my phone.

SPEAKER_02 14:31

You know what? Sometimes promotions take precedent. Family first. Well, anyways, what I was getting out with uh Kat's comments to the crew, uh, it's been well documented, the loss he has endured losing his mother, um, how emotional and the the burden in his heart from you know tragedy. And he spoke about uh the presence he felt before the game taking the floor in this finals. And he was he was like, I was just calm. I felt present. I felt like her presence above me, and I felt like I was a kid going to an AAU Saturday game again. And you just watch this interview and you get goosebumps because to know what this Knicks team is uh playing for in terms of the heart, not just uh of of their individual selves and for each other, but for the city of New York. I I'm like the the storylines I I keep that keep unfolding are just they're they're really uh connected.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

Nikki, are we in New York's next podcast?

SPEAKER_02 15:38

Whispers.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

Whispers. Bingbang. Because I don't want the Spurs fans to get mad, but I'm just wondering if it's true. They've got a decade ahead of them. They're cra they're fine. That's a very good point. You know, they got a long time.

SPEAKER_02 15:49

This Wemvy is gonna Wemvy for a long time to come. And our girl Mariska Hargate was caught in an interview. She was saying she went up to hug Jalen, not at this game, at another playoff game. And the first thing he said to her was, Don't worry, I'll be there. He said that to her, and we're like, I'm like, what? What does that mean? Turns out Mariska Hargate is starting a new Broadway show, and he was saying that to her in that moment after their win, being like, I can't wait to be in the crowd for you, cheering you on.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Like, how beautiful is that? That is really beautiful. That really warms my heart. Okay, we are a New York Knicks podcast. Yeah, yeah. Especially, you know, we yeah. Kylie's Knicks. I want Kylie's Knicks to win it all. By the way, our king Timothy Chalamet was obviously at the game in San Antonio. I like that I'm playing him. I don't even know why. I've become this like Timothy Chalamet because of the Knicks. I mean, obviously he's a tremendous actor, so I'm gonna, I'm gonna give him that too. But I think it is because of his Knicks fandom and the relatability of that, of how much I love my teams and how much he loves his teams. Like, I've become this like Timothy Chalamet stan. Also, I love the Kylie Fitz. That was my only disappointment in game one. There was no Kylie with Fitz. And I saw on Instagram, I think she was in Turks and Caicos. Okay, fine. I need I need a courtside look for the final.

SPEAKER_02 17:15

To your point, I and I know you're watching on your phone, so you probably didn't catch it as much, but I was like, wow, the San Antonio Funfetti Fiesta Pinata striping the arena doesn't seem to pop as much. And then I realized it's because the Knicks fans had inner spot had traveled so well. Because it's cheaper too.

SPEAKER_00 17:38

Like it is cheaper for as we've talked about a little bit last week, it is cheaper for Knicks fans. I saw a fan specifically said this, like to fly first class from New York to San Antonio with hotel rooms and tickets was less expensive than tickets at Madison Square Garden.

SPEAKER_02 17:54

And if you think about it, this is like 30 years of income saved on their their Knicks fans. So they the the the savings for Knicks travel has been, you know, building with interest, so to speak. But yeah, I mean I was and then the videos of the fans taking over the Spurs comp like that's hostile territory. That's a that's an arena that doesn't get a lot of travel. And I mean, you look at the destination of San Antonio, but uh that was that was just a remarkable site.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

No, it really was. It was great. It was fun. I mean, these funnels, it's I'm going back and forth, and I was going back and forth on this last night and this morning. I just want you to know, not only was I scouring social media for uh Summer House, I was scouring for any and all fun Knicks Spurs content. Who was there? What were they wearing? You know, all the things that are weird, guys. Like really, really bad. But it made me in all of this research, so to speak, I was thinking, like, this series to me, like, are the Knicks gonna sweep again or are we going to six? And I feel like those are the only two options. I really do, I don't think it's five. It's not seven. It is a sweep or we're going to six. I don't know why, but that's just how I feel about it.

SPEAKER_02 19:05

I I think the way this story is being written is that we need we need a at-home celebration in the garden. The a win on the road, uh seven game series would be awesome, but a win on the at home for the New York Knicks and that fan base, I think, I think the world might just explode.

SPEAKER_00 19:26

Yeah, I mean, I mean the the sports world certainly might. New York. I mean, so funny too with the Knicks, because now we're seeing all this on social media too. But the Knicks, for a team that has not been in so long, they've been so relevant kind of culturally in pulp culture. They were in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. That was a big part of the storyline. And it's been all over the street. It's so good. It's so good. And then it was a part of the storyline in Sex in the City and the it is definitely. Oh, and in train wreck. Oh, was it in train wreck?

SPEAKER_02 20:00

Do you remember when that he does the dance with the New York Knicks dancers at the end to win her over? That was a long, it was a who's what is I'm not sure if I'm familiar with train wreck. It's the SNL guy and um Amy Schumer.

SPEAKER_00 20:14

Yeah, yeah. But she's not the SNL guy, but the SNIL guy's in it with her. Yeah. I remember her drinking a lot of wine in that movie. Yeah. Right? Lots of wine. So much wine. That is the thing that stands out to me the most. But then at the end, he dances with the Knicks. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 20:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:28

A lot of wine.

SPEAKER_02 20:29

But yeah, they're in pop culture time and time again.

SPEAKER_00 20:32

And yet, and now here, could you imagine what's if they do end up winning this thing, like with the pop culture? The parade. I don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but that parade may be the most star-stedded event of it, it may put the Met Gala to shame in New York. Like it might be the most. As it should. As it should. As it should. I agree with that. Maybe they get all dressed up too. That'd be fun. Theme NYX.

SPEAKER_02 20:54

So I think like looking ahead to game two, you know, you mentioned it. Wemby point blank needs to be better. Um the Spurs rebounding has to improve. And I think the Spurs left a lot of shots on the table. You know, they they're often sputtered, and uh the Knicks have enough chemistry and season to them that they took advantage and took took the reins and drove it home. So, but also Jalen after the game was saying they they could have executed a lot of things better in it. And they definitely could have. Yeah, yeah. So I'm I I love this about a series, the chess match that it becomes. So, and I'm sure as we've seen Wemby time and time again, when he's challenged, he takes it personal. He does and he'll do it with a fury.

SPEAKER_00 21:43

He's gonna go to his bag, see what he left in there, and what he can fly. I'm gonna take this metaphor with me until the end of days. I just when he when Mike Brown said it like that, I was like, I love that so much bet more than he like he went to his bag. So now Wemby is going to his bag and he wants to. See what he left in there.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

Our fantastic producer Akua just gave this a wonderful nugget. Ever since a notorious Knicks fan, Anne Hathaway, appeared in the Devil Wears Prada alongside a cameo from Carl Anthony Towns. The Knicks have not lost a game.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

I mean, talk well, I don't want to make a big deal of this, but I'm going to Prada being in the title. We're all about bags here. And I think that we're getting a through line. I think this, I think that this is definitely a through line. I don't know that they're I so here's my feeling. The Spurs win on game two, and we're going to six. Not even five, we're going to six.

SPEAKER_01 22:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:42

Otherwise, they're getting swept.

SPEAKER_02 22:46

That's actually very fair. Because I mean, yeah, to to counter like balance the the five notion would mean New York has to win three straight. Yeah. And that's that's very difficult in any way.

SPEAKER_00 23:00

But we but I could see them winning four straight, which is odd.

SPEAKER_02 23:03

But it's different when you won, you know, it depends how yeah, it how game two pans out is it going to extinguish any hopes of life from a Spurs team that has been completely gassed. Right. And both teams were were laying it all out there, but the Spurs also have had to go to what they went to six and seven comeback comeback series.

SPEAKER_00 23:27

Six seven. Sorry, I had to. I couldn't, I couldn't help myself.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

And that's and that's a meme. There it is.

SPEAKER_00 23:40

No, but I'm excited. I'm excited too. It'll be it'll be really fun. It's funny because it also feels like these NBA playoffs have been going on since the beginning of time because they have. It's been like two months, but we're we're not done yet. If it goes to game seven, it goes till June 19th. And I actually noted this the other day in a newsletter I write. I look at Memorial Day as the official start of summer, even though summer doesn't actually start, I think till June 22nd or 21st. If this goes till game seven, the NBA playoffs will have gone long enough to be through spring all the way to the almost official start of summer. So very long.

SPEAKER_02 24:21

And then we get what? A brief respite before football. Well, football will inevitably be back already. Football is back.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Football is back, right? Oh my god. Nikki, I cannot tell you my level of pride on the way you just segueed that. I just want you to know, like, I just it's like my heart is bursting right now.

SPEAKER_02 24:40

You know what? I it was unintentional, but you set the table.

SPEAKER_00 24:44

Well, that's the thing about the I just filled the water in the cups. I filled the water in the wine. Well, I I think the thing with a great segue is it should just unintentionally flow.

unknown 24:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:56

And that was is beautiful. So that was a thing of beauty. You're welcome. It was a thing of beauty. And since Nikki brings up. I'm proud to make you proud. This is a special day. God, episode four, and we are just hearts are warmed. I love it. Okay, so Nikki brought it up. Let's, it was a very big NFL week, as most first weeks in June tend to be. This was a huge week in the NFL. June 1st, everyone is on an NBA playoffs high. The finals are coming. Baseball is being exciting. There's so much discussed. This, like, this salary cap proposal thing that that's a whole other issue for another time. You know, Shohei Otani is like basically is an alien himself, unicorn, all of the things. And the NFL was like, oh no, no, friends. Oh no, no. Hold my beer because we are about to drop some news. Miles Garrett gets traded to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Verse, and I think a couple of draft picks, I think, is something in that in that world. The big news.

SPEAKER_02 25:52

I believe the saying is F them picks. F themes.

SPEAKER_00 25:54

From the Rams front office. And I think it's in all the changes in the middle of the table. FM picks was created because of the Rams front office, which, first of all, I appreciate this about the Rams or any team. They're like, no, we are in a win now mode. We have got our superstar quarterback in his prime, won two more seasons tops, and we have a Super Bowl coming to LA this year. The last Super Bowl we won was in LA in our home turf. We'd like to do that again. And we are, like you said, pushing all the chips to the table. So Miles Garrett gets traded from the Cleveland Browns, where he has performed so well on a team that is so bad his entire career. And he gets to come to LA closer to his girlfriend, Chloe Kim, which I love priorities, priorities. I actually did a reel the other day that in my head was really funny. I don't know if anybody else liked it, but it made me laugh. And I just said, you know, just thinking about how cool it was of Miles Garrett's company to transfer him to LA so he could be closer to his girlfriend. And I love that.

SPEAKER_02 26:55

So like forward thinking of them. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:59

We love love. Even the Browns love love. They don't love winning, but they love love. But but they do get Jared Verse, who is no slouch in his own right. I kind of feel these kind of trades you always really feel for the other guy. And I understand not that many people make it in the NFL. Not that many people even make it to a career as long as Jared Verse has had right now, and it's only a few years in. So he is very lucky to do what he loves. He's playing a game, all of the things. But he was on the Los Angeles Rams, who potentially could win a Super Bowl. His quarterback is Matthew Stafford, even though he's on defense, but still he's like part of the whole thing. And and he's living in LA and he got traded to Cleveland.

SPEAKER_02 27:42

I it it's hard. Yeah, when you look at it from the team standpoint, it's kind of a win-win because for the team. Sure, yes, yes, team standpoint, win-win. Like both uh Garrett and Verse are sensational defensive talents. There's no disputing Garrett is like wears the defensive crown in terms of player talent. Literally. Right. It was JJ Watt, then Aaron Donald. Now it's Miles Garrett, right? And then Verse has been like one of the up-and-coming stars of this Rams defensive line that was able to uh re-establish itself so quickly in the absence of AD's retirement. Which was really impressive. And it just is a nod back to showing how the Rams front office operates. And even if they trade away, you know, they mortgage their future for the sake of the present, the Rams do really well in later round draft picks and identifying talent on both sides of the ball. And so it, you know, as someone who covers the Rams, hell yeah. We're we're pumped. And I'm I'm excited to have Garrett in LA. Do feel for Verse. Uh yeah, you go from a championship contender and, you know, to no fault of your own being traded away for someone who's who's just the best.

SPEAKER_00 29:02

And so yeah. The Rams will have the defensive player of the year and the reigning MVP on this team. And I think it's worth mentioning that like a million things can happen between now and a season. And when the Packers got Micah Parsons, it felt like, well, yeah, it's an inevitability the Packers are gonna win it all. And that's and it's over now. And and it's totally fair to think that right now. It's just so many things happen within the course of a season. We just don't know. But as it stands right now, I kind of imagine the three other NFC West teams, mainly the 49ers, well, the Seahawks, I guess the 49ers and the Seahawks, the Seahawks coming off their own Super Bowl win, a lot of changes in their organization. But I really kind of in my head imagine like all the other three NFC West teams seeing that trade and just like a like a full deflation, like letting the air out of a balloon and total deflation. I feel like in some ways, especially for the 49ers, just because that has been such a rivalry and they're such a thing between those two coaches and who are good friends, but such rivals. But I mean, anything can happen, but those Rams are gonna be really tough to beat.

SPEAKER_02 30:09

And you know, it's crazy. Yeah, I now like backtracking. We saw my producer and I saw Miles Garrett at a Lakers playoff game. Like, yeah, and now I text him, I go, things are really starting to uh you know stack up. And granted, he could live here, train here in the off season, but I think he does. I think he does because yeah, but it you know, it just things were aligned. And you know what, Tracy? I this is gonna sound crazy. I'm not gonna be surprised. I'm saying when, not if, Aaron Donald comes out of retirement at the age of 35 to rejoin the Rams for one final ride.

SPEAKER_00 30:48

I think he 100% is going to, and here is why I think he is. Because his wife tweeted the other day, you all are crazy, or something along those lines. It's like when a team is asked about like, is Nikki Kay still gonna be your coach after blah, blah, blah? And Tracy Sandler team president says, absolutely, we stand by Nikki Kay 100%. And by the next morning, Nikki Kay has been fired of the coach of the Devilwear Prades, whatever it is. So you've been fired. So this to me, it's it's like the opposite of that. It's kind of been, it was a rumor. He's kind of flirting with it. His wife says, You all are crazy. He's 100% coming back. I have no doubt about it.

SPEAKER_02 31:30

It's like, it's like when you had a crush on someone in like grade school or whatever, and people would be like, Do you like someone? So and you're like, No, you. You totally do. You know, literally or do you like like him? And you're like, no, oh my god, ew, he's so gross. No, meanwhile, you're obsessed.

SPEAKER_00 31:48

Your name's like you're writing his name in his journal, your journal, like with your your name to see how it see how it plays out, hearts over the eyes, the whole thing. Yeah, that's the whole thing. Well, I would be very surprised if he doesn't even end up coming back.

SPEAKER_02 32:02

That would be I mean, what a he's been staying in shape. I mean, all you have to do is look at his social media. He's been in shape. The day he walked away was the day he could have started playing again.

SPEAKER_00 32:12

100%. That's 100% true. And he walked away, also. He didn't walk away because he was faltering or wasn't as good or forced. He just chose to walk away, which is the best way to do it. And I don't think he is a person that it feels like, oh, if he comes back, like, oh, come on, Aaron, let it go. It doesn't feel like that at all for him. Not that he'd care, but not unlike the other Aaron who keeps coming back. But that's a whole other story, also for another time. But um, I think it's gonna be fun. I really think it's gonna be fun to watch. I think these Rams are gonna be tough. They had been my pick last year. Yeah. And then the Seahawks really just obviously put all of that to rest. But uh I this one, it'd be such a true Hollywood story, just like it was last time. They do all this and then they win again on their home turf. And then I guess they don't win again until the Super Bowl's back in LA. Like that just might be their thing that they do.

SPEAKER_02 33:04

Yeah. It might be, it might be, you know, they're like, why win on the road when you can win at home?

SPEAKER_00 33:09

You know what? It's a great life motto, perhaps. Yeah, to think through that. But yes, potentially life motto. Yeah. There was another shopping. It might need some work. We can do that. This is a workshopping safe space. You guys feel free to comment and tell us how you feel about that life motto and and what work it needs. There was another trade this week, and I'm very excited to talk about it because I have compared it to some love triangles that I'm I'm getting my notes. I'm so excited to talk about this. I'm I'm I'm here for all the comps. So AJ Brown to the Patriots, which is not a surprise. Nope. This has been that's been cooking for some time. For quite some time, and it was pretty much reported once June 1st came along, they were gonna, you know, get that done. So AJ Brown to the Patriots. Huge, huge win for New England, huge win for Drake May. I think this is a really good fit for everybody. Uh Brabel and A.J.

SPEAKER_02 34:00

Brown have a back story too from their time in Tennessee, right?

SPEAKER_00 34:04

Oh, yes, you're right. Yes, they do. Yes, they do. It's a very good point. So I think it it works out really well for everybody on that side. You know, as far as the Eagles are concerned, I have a few thoughts. You know, they draft a wide receiver in Malachi Lemon, who is a burgeoning talent. And my thing with that is he's a burgeoning talent. You just don't know. You know AJ Brown is a top receiver in this league. You just don't know what's gonna happen with a draft pick. That's just that's part of it. That's just the way it goes. Point blank. Yeah. Point blank. You just never really know. But I think Eagles fans had created this narrative. And Eagles fans are not gonna like this. So I'm sorry in advance, guys, but it's my feeling. They created this narrative that AJ Brown was the problem, that the two problems were the offensive coordinator, which they weren't entirely wrong about that. He definitely was a problem, which is why he's no longer the offensive coordinator, and AJ Brown. These were the two problems going on, and AJ Brown would complain about the offense. And I don't think AJ Brown's complaints were unfounded, and I don't think they were wrong. And I do think that I think the problem that they may have in Philadelphia, and Eagles fans don't like to hear this, but I think it's twofold. I think you have a coach who is a vibes guy, and that is fine. But if you're gonna be a vibes guy, then the vibes have got to be good, and the vibes have not been good in a while. You also have to hire good X's and O's guys, which is a mistake that he made with the previous offensive coordinator. So we'll see what happens with this one. But I also think they have a little bit of a quarterback leadership problem in in Philadelphia, and that is, you know, come out in bits and pieces. And I've had this conversation with Eagles fans. They do not like it. They do not like hearing anything is wrong about Jalen Hurts. And this may all be proven wrong to me, but I kind of think the winner in this trade is gonna be AJ Brown. And that's kind of my feeling on this. And I feel my comp, it might be a stretch, but I'm so excited about it, Nikki, that I just I'm gonna let see if you'll let me have this. Okay. Okay, I mean I'm following. Okay. So we have these like three pop stars: Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo. There have been rumors of a Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter rivalry, so to speak, over a guy. By the way, a guy that I don't think I've ever heard of. So I'm gonna start right there. Like I've never even heard of this guy. But okay, so I'm gonna, and I'll let you pop in on that second. So I don't think I've ever heard of him. Then you have the Olivia Rodriguez Rodrigo Sabrina Carpenter sort of rivalry. You mean over Gracie Abrams started over? No, there's a Gracie Abrams Sabrina Carpenter, and then there's an Olivia Rodrigo Sabrina Carpenter.

SPEAKER_02 36:47

Okay, that's the guy I know.

SPEAKER_00 36:49

Okay, so that guy, his name is Josh something. Bassett? Bass maybe?

SPEAKER_02 36:52

Josh Bassett.

SPEAKER_00 36:53

Yes, him. He was on the Disney, the high school musical uh series. High school musical, the musical, the series? Yeah. It's one of my great favorite titles of all time, by the way. It's as if they were like, you know what? F it, we're gonna go full out on this, and we are calling this thing high school musical the series, the musical of the series. Um, okay, so that is apparently the rumor, fan rumor. We don't know for sure, no one's confirmed or denied, that driver's license by Olivia Regio Rodrigo is basically about that. And the blonde girl she mentions is Sabrina Carpenter. Now, granted, none of us know this for sure. Then you have the Gracie Abrams, that's so true. Her ex-boyfriend, I had never heard of this guy either, Dylan O'Brien. Do you know him? Yes, yes, yes. So you've heard of this guy. I never heard of this guy. So, but I know all the songs. So that apparently, again, fan speculation, whatever is about them, and Sabrina Carpenter linked to Dylan O'Brien. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 37:48

So we've got a Venn diagram. We've got a Venn diagram.

SPEAKER_00 37:52

So what I'm bringing back here is in a good way, AJ Brown is Sabrina Carpenter. Okay. Okay. And he's gonna win wherever he is. And Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter apparently are like fine now. Gracie Rodriguez, Gracie Abrams and apparently fine now. The women are all fine. The Eagles are Dylan O'Brien and Josh Bassett. Whereas AJ Parp AJ Brown is gonna like glow up like all three of these women have. And these two guys that you've heard of, but I've never heard of in my life, are just gonna find AJ Brown was not necessarily the problem. I realize that was a lot, but I appreciate you staying with me.

SPEAKER_02 38:36

Okay, okay. Well, all right. I'm with you that AJ Brown to agree with me. AJ Brown's on the glow-up train, as our pop star divas have shown. Yes. That they don't need that they don't need the system.

SPEAKER_00 38:51

They don't need and they don't need those, these, these two guys that no one except you just kidding, no one except you has heard of.

SPEAKER_02 38:57

I've decided that no one except you're forecasting AJ Brown to have a hit album, a breakout season with the New England Patriots.

SPEAKER_00 39:05

Yes, I get it.

SPEAKER_02 39:06

That's what I can. I get that.

SPEAKER_00 39:07

I get that. And then, and then like, you know, his his play, his teammates also are gonna have hit albums, all of Gracie Abrams and Olivia Rodrigo. Okay, everyone around, they're gonna have hit albums. That's my that's my forecast.

SPEAKER_02 39:21

Everyone's everyone's dropping singles this season.

SPEAKER_00 39:24

Everyone's dropping singles except the Eagles, aka Dylan O'Brien, and Josh Bassett Bassett, who, by the way, I've now said those names in this podcast more times than I've ever heard or said them in my life.

SPEAKER_02 39:36

Well, you know what? I'm yeah, I don't know what what what do you forecast for the Eagles this year?

SPEAKER_00 39:42

I nothing good. I really think so. We saw two years ago, they come out to this crazy start. They're like, they think they don't lose any games or lose one game. They play a December 3rd game against the 49ers in Philadelphia, come out to this two-score lead. The 49ers come back and just destroy them. And then from that point forward, I don't think they win another game all season. They end up losing home field advantage in the playoffs, they lose in the first round. It's a mess. But we're gonna look forward. And we're meanwhile, in don't in that season, they changed defensive coordinators like in December, which is never a great sign. Now, the Rams did it last year with their special teams coordinator, but it's that's never a great sign. Then they come in this year and they just never perform up to their potential, up to their ability. They have this so much talent on this offense. And you can blame the offensive coordinator, and I'm not saying he's without blame, but it is problematic to have that much talent on that offense and not be able to perform. It's actually bizarre. I think you would actually have to work for it. Then you have late in the season, they have a vibes bunny in their locker room, which was the beginning of the end, maybe of the organization as far as I'm concerned. A vibes, good vibes bunny. You know what says bad vibes? That we needed to put an inflatable good vibes bunny in our locker room. So that becomes the whole thing. They lose to the 49ers who are injured all over the place. And not only just lose, they get beat by the 49ers in the first round of the playoffs. So I just think they're not, they're trending down. They are not trending up. I am not a Syriani person. I think it's a big act and they get worked for a while in the beginning, but I just do not forecast good things for the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, they are in the NFC East, which is probably the best thing that they have going for them right now. Um, but what if the Cowboys actually are decent this year? What if they actually give them a run? I don't know. But right now, I just don't see much, and I think I think there's gonna be infighting, I think there's gonna be stuff, and I do think Yeah, just AJ Brown gets to be at the globe walking away from the dumpster fire. Exactly. That's my feeling. So there's my forecast for the Eagles. It's not great. A lot of rain and snow. Sorry. That's my feeling on that. That's what I've got for you. I love it. I I I sense the same vibes. Yeah, it's not, it's it's not great, but we'll see. We've got so much time into football season, even though we've been talking about non-stop like a gameplay till meet this September. No, but I I just think from what we've seen, but we'll see. Could be wrong about that. Well, I forecast for us, this is not my greatest segue of all time, so I'm gonna I'm going to own that from the right here, but I forecast for us that it is time for K-pop.

SPEAKER_02 42:24

Ooh, I love this. Well, Trace, I was thinking, and we might be a couple of days late to talking about the sensation that has been consuming not just scrolling, but our hearts and our minds. And it's the off-campus series on Amazon Prime. That's so. Did you have you watched it?

SPEAKER_00 42:43

I haven't finished it. I have three left.

SPEAKER_02 42:45

It is addicting and it is pure and it is fantasy, and it is one of the best sports series I've watched in recent history. And for anyone who doesn't know, it's it's a lot of it's funny. Some people are like, is this just a straight heated rivalry? And I didn't watch heated rivalry. I've heard that was inside incredible, also.

SPEAKER_00 43:05

It was, it was really good.

SPEAKER_02 43:06

But yeah, I I'm obsessed with all these characters, Garrett Graham, Dean DeLuca. Like, they're just oh Dean DeLorentis.

SPEAKER_00 43:14

De Laurentis. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dean and DeLuca was that amazing grocery store that used to be in New York. And it was good. So good. Dean and DeLuca.

SPEAKER_02 43:22

New York, we're back to New York. We are on Nick's podcast. Sorry. But no, the off-campus series is incredible. And I think everyone who watches it, if you're late to the game, you understand why the the fanfare is so electric. And I'm counting down until we get the spin-off series, which is featuring, you know, two of the characters. But what I like about this kind of show is that they talk about real things, real problems, but they don't dwell on them to a point where you get anxiety as a viewer. You know, kind of like the opposite of Euphoria, where it's like, God, I can't watch Euphoria for that reason. I stopped watching Euphoria. Yeah. But anyways, off campus is my rabbit hole of the week. And I'm obsessed with all the actors. So I can't wait for more.

SPEAKER_00 44:05

I agree. I really have enjoyed it so far. Like I said, I have three left to go, but I I do appreciate kind of like what you said. They tackle serious topics and they do it in a really good way. It doesn't feel performative. It doesn't feel like they were like, we got to put this in here in it. Yeah. They really do a great job with it. I think the actors are great. And the characters are really likable. And I think something we've really been missing on TV and in a lot of our entertainment are characters that we actually like. There's been a lot of rooting for characters that were like, well, they're flawed, but we love them, but kind of not really, and they make us cringe. It's kind of nice to just like these people.

SPEAKER_02 44:42

Absolutely. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 44:44

Well, this has been a fun one, mainly because I like you so much. I love you. I can't wait till we're back at it again. Uh, which we will be next week. You guys make sure to subscribe, rate, review, slander, and slay on Buzzer. I'm Tracy Sandler. This is Nikki Kay. We will talk to you next week and we'll see what is happening with our New York Knicks. Bye.