Knicks Fever! 🏀🗽
Fresh off the New York Knicks winning the championship, Sam Morril and Mark Normand revel in the euphoria of a city united. They break down the playoff run, Jalen Brunson‘s legendary leadership, and the villain arc of Victor Wembanyama. From celebrity sightings at Madison Square Garden to the psychology of the die-hard fan, the episode weaves through sports book recommendations, sponsor reads, pet peeves, the Irish Goodbye, bizarre food trends, and classic movie picks — all with the trademark chemistry that makes WMBD essential listening.
Key Themes
🏆 Championship EuphoriaNYC united — the Knicks are champions.
💔 Generational Sports TraumaDecades of pain, from Ewing to now.
🎤 Comedy NostalgiaThe grind of the 2010s New York stand-up scene.
😤 Pet PeevesInvasive neighbors, the Irish Goodbye, rental car nightmares.
🍗 Bizarre Food TrendsHooters Airlines, Twin Peaks, and breastaurant absurdity.
📚 Sports Fan LitThe best books ever written for the die-hard fan.
📚 Top 5 Books Recommended
- A Fan’s Notes by Frederick Exley [32:35] — “One of the best books you’ll ever read.” A die-hard fan’s memoir of obsession, loss, and Giants football. Search Amazon
- The Whore of Akron by Scott Raab [32:52] — The Cleveland fan’s reckoning with LeBron James. Search Amazon
- Honolulu Blues by Joel Wawszkiewicz [32:58] — A diehard Detroit Lions fan navigating addiction and the long wait for a winner. Search Amazon
- Brute by Sam Tallent [33:31] — Sam Tallent’s highly anticipated second novel. Search Amazon
- The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler [58:36] — “To say goodbye is to die a little.” Search Amazon
🛒 Top Products & Sponsor Deals
- Fabletics Joggers & Jackets [44:45] — 70–80% off for new VIPs. “The only joggers you can sleep in and wear to the gym.” Search Amazon
- Shopify E-Commerce Platform [45:56] — $1/month trial. Seamless “Shop Pay” checkout. Search Amazon
- Hims Sildenafil [47:34] — Affordable, discreet ED care. Delivered to your door. Search Amazon
- Bodega Cat Whiskey [01:33:11] — The official whiskey of We Might Be Drunk. Search Amazon
- Knicks Championship Hats [01:33] — Sam bought one to commemorate the win. Search Amazon
🎯 Sponsors
Fabletics
Get 70–80% off your first order as a new VIP member. Comfortable joggers, shorts, and jackets. [44:28]
Shopify
Start your business for $1/month. The Shop Pay button alone eliminates cart abandonment. [45:56]
Hims
Affordable, private access to ED medication, delivered to your door. [47:34]
Bodega Cat Whiskey
The official spirit of We Might Be Drunk. Crack one open. [01:33:11]
⏱ Timestamp Directory
- [00:06] The Knicks Win — Sam and Mark erupt in celebration. The city is electric.
- [01:48] Celebrity Sightings — Jalen Brunson, Tan France spotted; the whole city’s together.
- [03:08] Ben Stiller’s Documentary — Ben Stiller is making a Knicks documentary.
- [04:06] Comics at the Game — Stavros Halkias and friends were courtside.
- [05:02] Wembanyama: The Villain — Victor Wembanyama‘s alien game and why the Knicks had to beat him.
- [06:34] MSG Celebrity Chaos — Donald Trump, Timothée Chalamet, DJ Khaled, Larry David — all in the Garden.
- [08:35] OG Anunoby & Brunson — What made OG Anunoby and Brunson the keys to the title.
- [10:08] Analytics vs. Heart — The Cavs complained about analytics while getting swept. Knicks won ugly and won.
- [10:48] Knicks Legends — Patrick Ewing, Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, John Starks, Larry Johnson — ghosts of MSG past.
- [13:05] Rick Brunson & LaVar Ball — Rick Brunson vs. LaVar Ball.
- [14:23] Dennis Rodman in a Spurs Jersey — Dennis Rodman shows up. A Philly guy causes chaos.
- [17:08] Byron Allen & Spike Lee — Byron Allen and Spike Lee going wild in the Garden.
- [21:19] The Mikal Bridges Trade — How Mikal Bridges came from Brooklyn and finally got his ring.
- [21:35] Jimmy Fallon — Jimmy Fallon in the celebrity roundup.
- [22:16] Leon Rose’s Genius — Knicks President Leon Rose‘s master rebuild plan.
- [23:03] Giannis & the Bucks — Giannis Antetokounmpo and the chain of defeats that led here.
- [25:27] The Jordan Standard — Michael Jordan‘s era compared to Brunson’s Knicks.
- [28:10] Conan, Chris Rock — Conan O’Brien and Chris Rock on the game atmosphere.
- [32:35] Sports Fan Book Recs — Sam lists the essential die-hard sports fan reading list.
- [36:28] Clean Comedy & the NYC Scene — Michael Che, the 2010s grind, the underground New York comedy era.
- [37:23] Jim Jefferies — Jim Jefferies gets a shoutout in comedy nostalgia.
- [42:19] Sydney Sweeney at MSG — Sydney Sweeney was at the game.
- [44:28] Sponsor: Fabletics
- [45:56] Sponsor: Shopify
- [47:34] Sponsor: Hims
- [49:10] The Hooters Deep Dive — Origins of Hooters, Twin Peaks, and the doomed Hooters Airlines.
- [53:05] Pet Peeves Round 1 — Story undercutters, the word “giggles,” social annoyances.
- [56:14] Pet Peeves Round 2: The Irish Goodbye — Leaving without telling anyone. Both hosts strongly endorse it.
- [57:07] Ari Shaffir — Ari Shaffir referenced in pet peeves conversation.
- [58:53] The Jewish Goodbye — Elongated, guilt-ridden, everyone gets a three-minute farewell.
- [01:00:43] Gary Vee & Favor Callers — Gary Vaynerchuk and friends who only reach out when they need something.
- [01:01:41] Pet Peeves Round 3 — “Do you have time for a quick call?” and transactional friendships.
- [01:04:27] Fairweather Fan Sketch — Praising Liam Dalton‘s comedy video about new Knicks fans flooding the bandwagon.
- [01:05:22] Donte DiVincenzo & JLo — Donte DiVincenzo mentioned; Jennifer Lopez was at the game.
- [01:06:34] The Stolen Vintage Jacket — Sam’s eBay bomber jacket saga. Always update your shipping address.
- [01:20:31] Ricky Gervais & Martin Short — Ricky Gervais, Martin Short, and Mel Brooks in the comedy legends conversation.
- [01:23:25] Al Lubel Quote — Al Lubel: “I’m another second closer to death. Time’s not going to waste me, I’m going to waste time.”
- [01:24:08] Demetri, Carlin, Ronnie Shakes — Demetri Martin, George Carlin, Ronnie Shakes — old school legends.
- [01:24:43] Film Critics — Gene Shalit and Rex Reed get their moment.
- [01:26:40] Movie Recommendations — Blast of Silence, Fire Down Below (Steven Seagal), Point Blank.
- [01:30:34] Claire Danes & Stephen Root — Claire Danes, Stephen Root, director Hiro Murai mentioned.
- [01:31:35] David Cross — David Cross comes up in the comedy crossover.
- [01:31:54] Mark’s Upcoming Tour — Mark lists his upcoming shows across the country and Europe.
- [01:33:11] Sponsor: Bodega Cat Whiskey
- [01:33:38] Ryan Hamilton & Anthony Jeselnik — Ryan Hamilton and Anthony Jeselnik shoutouts as the episode winds down.
👤 People Mentioned
- Jalen Brunson — Knicks point guard, Finals MVP [01:48]
- Victor Wembanyama — Spurs center, episode villain [05:02]
- Rick Brunson — Jalen’s father / NBA coach [13:05]
- Josh Hart — Knicks hustle star [06:40]
- OG Anunoby — Knicks defensive anchor [08:35]
- Mikal Bridges — Traded from Brooklyn to become a champion [21:19]
- Karl-Anthony Towns — Knicks big man [09:10]
- Donte DiVincenzo — Knicks sharpshooter [01:05:22]
- Jose Alvarado — NBA player mentioned [09:20]
- Leon Rose — Knicks President [22:16]
- Mike Brown — NBA coach [21:28]
- Patrick Ewing — Knicks legend [10:48]
- John Starks — Knicks legend [10:48]
- Latrell Sprewell — Knicks legend [10:48]
- Allan Houston — Knicks legend [10:48]
- Larry Johnson — Knicks legend [10:48]
- Michael Jordan — The gold standard [25:27]
- Giannis Antetokounmpo — Bucks star [23:03]
- LaVar Ball — Ball family patriarch [13:28]
- LaMelo Ball — NBA player / LaVar’s son [13:28]
- Dennis Rodman — Spotted in a Spurs jersey [14:23]
- Spike Lee — Knicks superfan / director [17:16]
- Byron Allen — Media mogul at MSG [17:08]
- Malcolm X — Referenced historically [15:53]
- Cam Patterson — Mentioned in video clip [15:29]
- Ben Stiller — Making a Knicks documentary [03:08]
- Sydney Sweeney — At MSG [42:19]
- Jennifer Lopez — At the game [01:05:48]
- Donald Trump — At MSG [06:34]
- Timothée Chalamet — At MSG [06:34]
- DJ Khaled — At MSG [06:34]
- Larry David — At MSG [06:40]
- Jimmy Fallon — Late night host [21:35]
- Conan O’Brien — Referenced in comedy talk [28:10]
- Chris Rock — Comedy legend [30:42]
- Tan France — TV personality / celebrity fan [01:48]
- Stavros Halkias — Comedian / was at the game [04:06]
- Anna Faris — Referenced from Scary Movie [03:55]
- Bill Burr — Stand-up comedian [01:01]
- Godfrey — Stand-up comedian [09:06]
- Michael Che — SNL / stand-up comedian [36:28]
- Jim Jefferies — Comedian [37:23]
- Ari Shaffir — Comedian [57:07]
- Gary Vaynerchuk — Entrepreneur / Gary Vee [01:00:43]
- Liam Dalton — Comedian / Fairweather Fan creator [01:04:27]
- Ricky Gervais — Comedian / creator [01:20:31]
- Martin Short — Actor / comedian [01:20:47]
- Mel Brooks — Filmmaker / comedian [58:57]
- Al Lubel — Stand-up comedian [01:23:25]
- Demetri Martin — Stand-up comedian [01:24:08]
- George Carlin — Comedy legend [01:24:08]
- Ronnie Shakes — Stand-up comedian [01:24:17]
- Gene Shalit — Film critic [01:24:43]
- Rex Reed — Film critic [01:24:55]
- Stephen Root — Character actor [01:30:53]
- Claire Danes — Actress [01:30:34]
- Hiro Murai — Director (Atlanta) [01:31:02]
- Ryan Hamilton — Stand-up comedian [01:33:38]
- Anthony Jeselnik — Stand-up comedian [01:33:47]
- David Cross — Comedian / actor [01:31:35]
- Frederick Exley — Author, A Fan’s Notes [32:35]
- Scott Raab — Author, The Whore of Akron [32:52]
- Joel Wawszkiewicz — Author, Honolulu Blues [32:58]
- Sam Tallent — Comedian / author, Brute [33:31]
- Raymond Chandler — Author, The Long Goodbye [58:36]
💬 Notable Quotes
“It’s a good 9/11, the whole city’s together. Everybody’s going nuts.”
— Sam Morril [00:20]
“You might have f***ed your wife a lot but I went home with her.”
— Sam Morril [10:22] — on winning despite bad analytics
“I’m another second closer to death. Time’s not going to waste me, I’m going to waste time.”
— Al Lubel, quoted by Mark Normand [01:23:25]
“To say goodbye is to die a little.”
— Raymond Chandler, paraphrased by Sam on the Irish Goodbye [58:36]
📖 Stories & Anecdotes
- The Stolen Vintage Jacket [01:06:34]
Sam buys a cool vintage bomber jacket on eBay — but forgets to update his old address. Confronts the new tenant. The helpful neighbor likely stole it. Jacket: gone forever. - Missing the Seattle Flight [51:55]
Sam bought a CheapoAir ticket with connections on different airlines to save money. Missed the connection. Neither airline helped. Stranded at 6 AM. Had to buy a whole new ticket. - The Hooters Airlines Experiment [50:32]
Deep dive into Hooters’ disastrous 2003 airline attempt. Twin Peaks and Buffalo Wild Wings compared as smarter alternatives in the breastaurant sector. - The Irish Goodbye vs. The Jewish Goodbye [56:46]
Irish Goodbye: slip out without a word. Jewish Goodbye: announce your departure to everyone for 20 minutes and still never leave. Both hosts firmly pro-Irish.
💡 Key Concepts
- Analytics vs. Heart — The Cavs whined about advanced metrics while getting swept. Knicks won ugly and won what mattered.
- The Irish Goodbye — Slipping out without announcement. Endorsed by both hosts as the civilized exit.
- The Jewish Goodbye — Agonizingly long, guilt-drenched. Three-minute farewell per person minimum.
- Generational Fan Trauma — 25+ years of Knicks suffering, culminating in a city-wide catharsis. Patrick Ewing’s ghost put to rest.
- The Fairweather Fan Problem — Casual fans suddenly “loving” the Knicks after a championship. Liam Dalton‘s sketch captures it perfectly.
💬 What the Audience Said
- @KnicksFanForever
This episode is everything. Sam and Mark living out what we’ve all been dreaming since 1994. - @ComedyAndSports
The Irish Goodbye segment had me in tears. I’ve been doing this my whole life and now I have a name for it. - @NYCstateofmind88
“It’s a good 9/11” — only in New York. Sam nailed exactly what this feels like. - @WMBDdiehard
The book recommendations alone are worth the watch. Going to get A Fan’s Notes immediately.