02x09 - Episode 9

[bunniefuu]

♪ ♪

Bomani: I don't know what

The nba will look like in 40

Years but it ain't going to

Sound like english.

If you guys have not been paying

Attention, we're losing the

Recipes.

Top three players in the league

From other places, we ain't got

That many dudes coming up the

Pike, we ain't got that many

Young dudes, the nba is going to

Look like europe if europe had a

Lot more black people.

[Laughter]

♪ ♪

[Cheers and applause]

Bomani: welcome to game

Theory!

Thank you, thank you.

I can't believe I'm saying this

In march, but we're starting the

Show with some baseball.

The wbc, japan, usa.

All the marbles coming down to a

Final at-bat for the ages.

Ohtani against his angels

Teammate, mike trout.

The two best players in the

World.

3-2 Game, 3-2 count, pure filth.

Wiffle ball slider to end it.

Ohtani said, I believe this is

The best moment of my life.

Bomani: and it sounded like

The best moment of mike trout's

Life too.

After the game he said, "this

Was probably the funnest 10 days

I've ever had."

He's a 31 year old man sounding

Like he was just came back from

Sleepaway camp.

Here's what we learned from the

World baseball classic: everyone

In the world enjoys playing

Baseball.

But us.

When we say that baseball is

Boring, we gotta throw on that

Nasty little modifier:

"American."

American baseball is boring.

And it's the players' fault.

They've got all these unwritten

Rules that prevent anyone from

Having an ounce of fun.

They get all pissy and ornery if

Someone hits a home run and

Looks them in the eye by

Accident.

Meanwhile the rest of the world

Is signing autographs during

Games!

And everyone loves it!

And what's so funny, is that I

Never see american baseball fans

Complain about the aesthetic of

Asian and latin american

Baseball.

They actually seem to like it!

But for some reason, we don't

Adopt it.

It's like how everybody

Loves hbcu bands, but no white

School will ever let their band

Scrub the ground!

[Laughter]

Why are we the only people who

Don't want to have fun?

It's cuz the problem with

Baseball, on this level, is the

Players themselves.

It's not like the

League suspends people for

Staring someone down after a

Strikeout.

The players enforce that.

They're the ones who think there

Should be a punishment for fun.

And that the punishment should

Be your skull gets fractured by

A 100 mile per hour fastball.

After watching the world

Baseball classic, it's clear to

Me that you players have gotta

Start taking some responsibility

For the sorry state of baseball

In america.

Bottom line-- I don't know if

They make a sativa chewing

Tobacco, or maybe y'all need

Some casa migos in the dug out,

But right now american

Baseball's looking real salt and

Pepper to taste.

I'll tell you who is keeping it

Spicy in the nba.

Dillon brooks.

Suspended for one game

Because he picked up his 16th

Technical foul of the season

Last night.

Officials say he taunted the

Mavericks players after a shot.

He's up to nearly $250,000 in

Fines this year.

When asked about it he said

"It's just paper."

The media gave me the ability

Villain role so I'm taking it

And doing what I need to do with

It.

Bomani: I need buddy to

Relax.

The media didn't give him the

Villain role, he cast himself.

Dillon brooks craves this

Attention and you know what?

Let him have it.

Because as annoying as his game

Is, the nba needs players like

Him.

If your league has no villains,

It also has no heroes.

However, let us note that his

Strain of villainy only exists

In a world where nobody will put

Him on the ground.

Back in the day, one false slip

Of the tongue towards a player

Like xavier mcdaniel would've

Gotten dillon a 2 piece and a

Biscuit.

Then they started calling the

Players th*gs.

And, yanno, the pacers put the

Paws to the paying customers in

Detroit.

So now, nobody fights, nobody

Throws clotheslines, nobody does

Nothing.

So dillon brooks can troll his

Way to fame and fortune with

Zero fear of consequence.

But I want to be clear: you

Might not want no problems with

Dillon brooks.

I have no idea.

But if he can fight, how come

His braids are always perfect?

[Laughter]

[Applause]

If you have braids, they need to

Be shaggy for me to believe you

Got hands.

See this guy?

He looks like he can fight.

And he wouldn't say a word the

Entire time he was knocking your

a*s out.

With those heavy a*s hands.

You know who I want to see

Dillon brooks fight?

Grayson allen.

Cuz somebody's gotta lose, so we

All win.

[Laughter]

[Applause]

And now, it's time to talk about

Money making mike!

Hornets owner michael jordan

Is in negotiations to sell his

Majority stake in the team.

That's according to adrian

Wojnarowksi.

The prospective buyers are

Investment banker gabe plotkin,

Who already has a minority stake

In the hornets, and private

Equity executive rick schnall,

Who has a minority stake in the

Atlanta hawks.

Jordan has been the nba's only

Black majority owner since he

Bought the team 13 years ago.

Bomani: to honor him, the

Hornets will light a giant cigar

Like an olympic torch and put a

Statue of a craps table outside

The arena.

[Laughter]

[Applause]

But of course michael jordan's

Trying to sell the team.

You think he didn't notice when

The bucks sold for three and a

Half billion?

Or when the suns went for four?

Oh he noticed.

And he took that person to

[Laughter]

Jordan was

The second-ever black owner

After bet co-founder bob johnson

Sold him the charlotte franchise

In 2010.

And I'd like the nba to carry on

The tradition by selling the

Team to another black

Billionaire.

Tyler perry!

Just imagine it.

Tyler perry's: the charlotte

Hornets.

Hooooooo boy get ready for a

Whole lot more grandmas at the

Games, tithing during timeouts,

Church plays at halftime.

It'd be just like one of his

Movies!

Lamelo ball in a bad wig as the

Evil light-skin love interest.

Kelly oubre in a madea suit.

Grandmama madea, if you will.

And of course, gordon hayward as

The token white guy sitting at

The thanksgiving table, but

Really doesn't want to talk

About politics.

Who wouldn't love that?

C'mon nba.

Say goodbye to michael jordan

And hellurrrrrrr to tyler perry.

[Laughter]

[Applause]

This week, the sec charged a

Buncha celebrities for boosting

Crypto assets without disclosing

They were being paid to do so.

Including your man, jake paul.

But jake's not the only

Athlete who looks like an idiot

For going big on crypto.

Even the ones who pumped it on

The up and up seem like chumps

Now.

So let's take a moment

To remember the sports figures

Who lost their dignity hyping

That funny money.

I've always been in the

Crypto, all of that.

I'm naomi osaka and I'm proud

To partner with ftx.

Buy, sell, trade.

I'm getting in the crypto.

I'm in.

I'm into the whole

Cryptocurrency because I think

It's the future.

It's definitely the future.

The richest people in the

World are talking about it.

Are you?

Can I ask which currency?

No.

The crypto space can be

Mind-boggling at times.

What exactly does it do?

How do they monetize?

What you do is-- I apologize

I'm kind of nervous.

It's early in the morning.

[Laughter]

[Applause]

My guest tonight is the

Host of "first things first" and

The podcast "what's wright with

Nick wright," he's a friend of

Mine and the show, and he's got

Great hair.

Make some noise for nick wright!

[Cheers and applause]

We talk a lot about my guy jokic

And the mvp race, I would like

To know your guy luka not in the

Discussion.

My guy jokic in this but there's

Something ironic that happened.

The whole kendrick perkins-j.j.

Redick thing happened and it

Turned into a toxic firestorm

But it also alter the direction

Of the conversation and what

Seemed like a slam-dunk jokic

Nbp might be more ambiguous.

You said toxic, the reason

Folks were saying the mvp vote

Has gotten toxic, they have been

Tried to get out in front of

What's coming at them if he

Loses in round 1.

If they are playing the lakers

Or the warriors or luka in the

Mavs pick of the other thing

That changed the conversation is

Joellen peters scored 35 every

Night, yana sai-- we will keep

Giving it to jokic because we

Love triple doubles again.

Bomani: the nuggets are

Going to win the west.

I'm going to hold true to mine.

If anybody can win it and you've

Got the best player in the

League this season because I

Think giannis is the best player

In the league you will win the

West.

Of course!

Bomani: who was better than

Him in the west.

Luka is better than him.

Bomani: kevin durant can't

Play because he's always hurt--

Tell me how it luka is better.

This is more fun when we talk

About two white guys, there's

Usually only one at a time.

If you have to get a bucket,

There is no one in the league

Including giannis you would

Rather have them luka.

Bomani: let me ask you

This.

The michael jordan movie which

Isn't really about

Michael jordan but we talked

About this, I'm karis what your

Thought is on this.

I want to know when we talk

About michael jordan, what are

We talking about?

Are we talking about the

Entirety of his career?

Or are we only talking about the

Highs.

But I am called unfair want to

Make these points.

Michael jordan played five years

Of his career without

Scottie pippen.

All five of those years, he was

Below .500.

In those five years he won

One-- not one playoff series,

One playoff game.

Caleb you're counting the

Wizards years?

You're right I'm counting

Wizards years!

It was part of his career.

He had the whole league on lock.

Did nobody win titles?

In years he played basketball

The following people held the

Trophy.

Magic johnson, kareem, worthy,

Bird, isaiah, clyde, duncan,

Robinson, shaquille o'neal.

When people say jordan had the

League on lock, did he have

Reggie miller, karl malone,

Patrick ewing and charles

Barkley on lock?

Are we going to talk?

Bomani: here's what we are

Going to do, all you people

Clapping must be 14.

When he played five years

Without scottie pippen, he was

So good that all he needed was

Scottie pippen.

You say that like he didn't do

It without kareem or he didn't

Do it without james worthy.

He didn't do it without

Scottie pippen.

That man was so desperate for

Help in those early years that

All it took was scottie pippen.

Were not talking just to win

Championships we are talking

About being above .500.

Win a round in the playoffs, he

Didn't just have scotty, he had

The greatest coach ever end on

The second three pt had how many

Hall of famer's?

Dennis rodman is in the in the

Hall of fame, 22 coaches in the

Hall of fame, jordan is without

Question one of the three

Greatest players ever-- I'm not

Hating on michael jordan I'm

Just saying I got to hear people

Be like in the goat debate, look

At shoe sales-- look at

Ownership record.

He's finishing a disastrous run

With the charlotte hornets so

When lebron owns a team in

Las vegas and they make the

Conference finals does that help

His goat case?

Ashoe sales team to help

Michael jordan you got me riled

Up.

Bomani: get you a friend

That loves you so much you can

Come on his show just ahead on

Michael jordan.

I'm going to throw some things

At you I want you to tell me

Something that is worth 95% less

Than what I tell you.

A lobster state dinner.

Hotdog.

Bomani: front row seats at

A beyonce concert.

My paycheck?

Bomani: how about a

Rolls-royce?

95% Less than rolls-royce?

The car that I drive, a jeep

Cherokee.

Bomani: first class flight

On emirates.

Mega bus to d.c.

Bomani: first-class fights

On emirates airlines.

Mega bus.

Bomani: mega bus to where?

For some reason I want to say

D.c.?

Bomani: barrett is.

What's worth 95% less than the

Broadcast rights to the men's

Ncaa tournament?

A subscription to my only

Fans.

My bat mitzvah video.

The broadcast rights to the

Ncaa women's tournament?

Bomani: that is correct I

Guess it doesn't apprise you to

Find this out.

I don't know if you know

This, people hate women.

That's not surprising.

Bomani: at this point, we

Are all familiar with the ncaa's

Wraps, taking all the money

While keeping the talent broke.

Like barry gordon.

And guess what!

There also wildly incompetent!

Particularly when it comes to

The women's ncaa tournament.

And in 2021, it was impossible

To ignore.

It started with this

Behind-the-scenes video from

University of oregon basketball

Player sedona prince.

This is our weight room.

Let me show y'all the men's

Weight room.

The indianapolis facility for

Men filled with equipment.

Other differences between the

Men and women's tournament?

Less reliable covid tests and

Less online promotion.

Another major complaint?

The food.

The men got gourmet meals.

The women didn't.

An egg in a bag.

[Laughter]

Bomani: soon as you see

That egg in a bag, you can just

Smell the sexism.

Prince's posts highlighted the

Inequities between men's and

Women's college basketball that

Most people didn't realize

Existed.

And when they did realize it?

Oh, they were outraged.

The blatant disrespect shown

To the women was just

Jaw-dropping to me.

It's ridiculous to think that

These women had like a couple of

Yoga mats and like one set of

Weights when these are star

Athletes.

They have no defense.

They did you dirty.

Star steph curry not a fan

Either, tweeting wow, come on

Now, march madness, ncaa, y'all

Trippin.

Bomani: he's at home like

"I don't talk like that."

Been there.

But on the plus side, this

Outrage also created one of the

Greatest moments of local news

Coverage in history.

Ncaa leaders

Promised to do a better job of

Playing fair after a social

Media expl*si*n comparing the

Different treatment between male

And female athletes.

Eyewitness news reporter sue

Calberg joins us live with the

Anger and some answers.

Sue?

There's a train coming by.

Sorry about that.

I want to talk about-

[Train horn]

Ha ha ha.

Yeah!

Bomani: even freight trains

Are talking over women.

Look-- this mistreatment of the

Women's game by the ncaa goes

Beyond just subpar facilities

And bad food.

They have systematically cast

Aside the women's tournament in

Favor of the men's on a

Structural, economic, and

Promotional level.

They didn't even allow the

Women's tournament to use "march

Madness' branding until 202 the

Middle of the court just read

Women's basketball.

Think about how basic that is.

But its better than their other

Three choices: "sports girls"

"Females."

And of course: "breasteses."

It sure seems as though the only

Reason the ncaa didn't want to

Call the women's tournament

"March madness' is because they

Believed it would tarnish the

Brand.

They act like the "march

Madness" brand is a car they're

Afraid to let a woman drive.

But they're wrong.

Cuz the women's game is

Currently having a moment.

This year's ncaa men's and

Women's basketball tournaments

Have tipped off as the sport is

Getting the highest television

Ratings in years.

The big10 network also had

Its highest-rated season of

Women's hoops ever.

Up 41%.

Ratings are higher than

They've ever been, we're having

Greater attendance in college

Games than we've ever had and

The opportunity to sell our

Sport right now is really hot.

Bomani: increased ratings

And attendance?

Nah, definitely not something

The ncaa should be interested

In.

The 2021 women's final got

Double the ratings of the

Duke-unc men's rivalry games

That year.

[Applause]

It got higher ratings than the

Acc football championship game.

And it had higher average

Ratings than the nba playoffs

That year.

Despite what the ncaa's actions

Might lead you to believe,

People love women's college

Ball.

Meanwhile, interest in the men's

College game has fallen off.

A lot.

Viewership for last year's men's

Ncaa championship game was 36%

Lower than the 2015 final.

But viewership for the women's

Ncaa championship game?

It's up 57% since 201 you'd

Think there were dragons and

Whitewalkers running around on

The court.

[Laughter]

And the women's game has

Qualities that we love.

Some of the charm that first

Drew us to the men's game.

Recognizable players.

Like aliya boston and caitlin

Clark.

Teams that have real continuity.

Iconic coaches like geno

Auriemma, dawn staley, and kim

Mulkey.

Who dresses like the guest

Pastor at pepto bismol baptist

Church.

The 102nd dalmation.

Looking like she ends huddles

With "p*mps up, hoes down on

Three!"

Meanwhile the ncaa men's coaches

Rocking that stepdad sheikh.

The one not wearing a quarter

Zip is getting his petey pablo

On.

Point is-- ncaa

Women's basketball brand is

Already strong.

And we have every reason to

Believe it will only get

Stronger.

And yet, the ncaa is still out

Here sleeping on how to promote

It in such a way that reflects

Its actual value.

Just look at the difference in

This year's final four concert

Events.

The men got big names like megan

Thee stallion and lil nas x.

But, with the concert one week

Away, the women still just have.

We don't know!

Ladies and gentlemen, put your

Hands together for.

Tba!

You never know, that could be a

K-pop group.

And this discrimination runs

Far deeper than whether or not

The men or women get to see lil

Nas x.

The ncaa is holding back the

Women's game on a structural and

Economic level.

The ncaa has not lived up to

Its own standards on gender

Equity and inclusion.

That's the conclusion from a

Damning new report by a law firm

Hired to investigate gender

Equity concerns in college

Basketball.

Blasted the ncaa for not

Recognizing the growing value of

The women's game and wrote that

Bomani: after

Sedona prince's videos caused a

Controversy, the ncaa hired an

Outside firm to study the men's

And women's tournaments.

The result, called the kaplan

Report, was 352 pages

Highlighting massive inequity

Between the two.

And a large part of this has to

Do with the way the ncaa has

Structured their media rights

For march madness.

Which has had a direct impact on

The experience of female

Players.

Cbs and turner pay the ncaa

Nearly 800 million dollars for

The media rights to the men's

Game, and in 2025 that figure is

Meanwhile, the ncaa sold the

Rights for the women's

Tournament and other sports to

Espn in a package worth only 34

Million dollars.

But that 34 million dollars is

Crazy, because the ncaa has

Severely undervalued the worth

Of the women's tournament.

The kaplan report estimated that

In 2025, a year after the

Current espn deal is up, women's

March madness will be worth as

Much as $112 million dollars per

Year.

Now, to use these economics

Degrees for a second, 34 million

And 112 million are what is

Known as "not even f*cking

Close."

[Laughter]

But the ncaa discrimination

[Applause]

Against the women's game doesn't

Stop there.

We gotta talk about

Something called "the unit.'

Which sounds phallic, but is

Actually the way the ncaa

Distributes march madness

Revenue.

Think of the unit like a check

That gets written to a team that

Wins a game in the tournament.

This year, each win in the big

Dance is estimated to be worth

More than 2 million dollars.

So here's how it works.

Take duke, for example.

Hypothetically of course.

Cuz they already lost.

For every game

Those cornballs play during

March madness, their conference,

The acc, is rewarded a unit.

The further those blue devils

Make it in the tournament, the

More units they earn.

And the more pissed off I get.

The acc then distributes that

Money to its member schools, who

Can spend it how they want.

If you're duke, you're probably

Gonna invest that reward money

Back into the men's team to earn

More units the next year.

Guess how many units the women

Get?

We get zero.

And the men, of course, are

Making millions and millions of

Dollars.

So if there's a way they can get

Some of those units over to the

Women's side, I think that will

Be something that would really

Help the gender equity.

Bomani: talk yo sh*t,

Muffet.

[Laughter]

The men have the ability to make

Millions and millions of dollars

And the women don't even have a

Chance.

There is no direct financial

Reward for investing in the

Women's game.

So what you get is a vicious

Cycle that kneecaps the women's

Tournament, skews the

Conversation about its worth,

And perpetuates the false idea

That the women's game isn't

Valuable.

But what's wild is that making

Changes to promote gender equity

Would not only be the right

Thing to do, it would make the

Ncaa more money!

They're missing out on a bag and

Good p.r.

And isn't that every brand's

Dream?

And I'm not the first person to

Point this out.

Neither was the kaplan report.

According to a letter to the

Ncaa from congress, there have

Been multiple reports over three

Decades with concrete

Recommendations on exactly how

To make more money.

Which the ncaa has ignored.

And that is wild.

Because we know they love their

Money!

They're in court right now

Fighting to make sure athletes

Can't be called professionals so

They don't have to pay them.

And still, the ncaa is letting

Tens of millions of dollars

Slide when it comes to the

Women's tournament.

A product that has proven value.

And look, sure, there have been

Some positive changes to the

Tournament.

The women's tournament can now

Call itself "march madness."

They added more support staff

And are paying refs equally

Across tournaments.

And, drumroll please.

You really did it.

The women have a pasta station,

Just like the men!

[Laughter]

[Applause]

But the core issues remain the

Exact same as they did since

Sedona prince's viral video.

The women have no units.

Their media deal is whack.

And there's at least $80 million

Dollars on the table.

So I have a question for the

Ncaa.

Are y'all a bunch of morons?

Or are y'all sexist?

Or is it both?

Cuz before a ball has even been

Bounced, you are selling

The women's game short.

And until you address the

Structural causes of gender

Inequity, and run these women

Their damn money, you can add

The words "march madness' to

Whatever you want, it's not real

Change.

[Applause]

And with the sweet 16 underway,

We wanted to add some hype of

Our own to the womens' game with

The help of someone very

Important.

It's that time of year, when

Dreams are made to.

Legends are born.

You have to remind the world

That you exist.

Wrong sport.

As a woman, you don't just have

To ball, you have to do it all.

You got to sweat it out in the

Gym.

Not this gym, this gym.

You got to eat a lot of sh*t.

Because if you're a woman,

That's what they are serving.

You got to teach your parents

Where to find your games.

It's the ncaa app, not the march

Madness app.

What channel is the app on?

It's not a channel.

The road doesn't end here, no

Matter how good you get to the

Real money is overseas.

[Speaking non-english language]

You still got to do it all.

No matter how many buckets you

Score, you will always have the

Deal with this guy.

Why what I watch?

Women can't dunk.

Did I mention you've got to

Be insanely good at basketball?

Like the top 0.02%.

For the win, good!

It's march madness, unleash

Your madness.

[Screaming]

Just tell us the channel.

Bomani: all right, that

That is our show.

Thanks so much for watching.

I think I might have some pasta

Night!

Good night!

So we're going to play a game

Called who is messing up you

Guess who the organization is.

During covid, the women working

For this organization were

Giving less reliable covert

Tests than the men.

The boston celtics.

[Laughter]

Bomani: you must hate the

Celtics.

I'm a knicks fan.

Bomani: this organization

Spent less than half as much for

The gifts they gave

Participating in the biggest

Event of the year than the men.

Has morel.

Bomani: there is not equity

In transformers!

When it comes to food, men got

Fillet and lobster

Mac and cheese while women got

Mystery meat and soggy

Vegetables.

Dall dallas mavericks.

Bomani: you earned every

Single one from them.

It took until 2022 to let the

Women tournament use the phrase

March madness.

Ncaa.

I get them confused with the

Naacp.

Bomani: that's like mixing

Up somali and samoa.