1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Guess what, mango? What's that? Will? So, if you heard 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: about Victor, he's this trash talking robot. There's a trash 3 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: talking robot. Yeah. So he was designed at Carnegie Mellon 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:12,959 Speaker 1: University and and the point was for people to play 5 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: scrabble with a robot. So the engineers wanted people to 6 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 1: keep coming back to play with him, and so they 7 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: decided to make him, you know, like not very good 8 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: at it. And the only words in his vocabulary were 9 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: lifted from a Sherlock Holmes short story. Also, the scientist 10 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: thought it would be funny to make him really moody. 11 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: So when he starts losing, he just gets all sarcastic 12 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: on him. So what type of stuff is he saying? Oh, 13 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: he's got some really good stuff. He'll say stuff like, um, 14 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: this isn't golf. You're supposed to be trying for a 15 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:46,199 Speaker 1: high score? How goes that? And that's that's actually when 16 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:49,239 Speaker 1: he's a little bit more confident, But mostly he'll just 17 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: razue and question whether you're actually cheating, because you know, 18 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: of course he doesn't believe a human brain is capable 19 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: of coming up with good words. I love this idea 20 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: of like a robot swore loser. Yeah, and he he 21 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:05,199 Speaker 1: actually also blames his tiles a lot too. According to engineers, 22 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: it's way more satisfying to play against someone who's cocky, 23 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 1: but isn't actually that good. And one of the surprising 24 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: things about it is that beating a trash talker makes 25 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: people want to come back and beat him again. But 26 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:20,680 Speaker 1: learning about Victor made me wonder, you know, is there 27 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: an art to trash talking? Are there techniques athletes used 28 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: to block it out? And does it really psych out 29 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: your opponent? So that's what today's episode is all about. 30 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: Let's dive in. Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will 31 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: Pearson and as always I'm joined by my good friend 32 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: Man Guesh Ticketer and sitting behind that soundproof glass try 33 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: to distract us by playing his Is that a vufa zella? 34 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: I know that's the bad boy of how stuff works. 35 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: Mr Tristan McNeil, I can't believe he's playing feverd on 36 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: that thing. He's so talented. Wow, he really is all right? Well, Mango, 37 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: today's episode is all about trash talking. And I know 38 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: you've been wanting to cover this topic for a while, 39 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: so so why did you want to do an episode 40 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: on trash talking. I think it's partly because the stories 41 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 1: are so funny. I mean, you think about Muhammad Ali 42 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: writing poems about his opponents or Babe Diedrichson. Do you 43 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: do you remember her? She was like this athlete we 44 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: covered at Metal Fass. Yeah, I do remember her. She 45 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 1: competed in what wasn't like five events in some of 46 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: the early Olympics. She was phenomenal, and I believe she 47 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: said a javelin world record after tearing the cartilage in 48 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: her shoulder. But she also trash talked with the best 49 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 1: of them, like she'd let people know she was going 50 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: to beat them, and then she'd also run circles around 51 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,360 Speaker 1: them in warmups. What do you mean by that, like 52 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: show off her skills during the practices or what. No, 53 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,079 Speaker 1: she would literally run circles around them as she warmed up, 54 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 1: just taunting in an knowing them by playing her harmonica 55 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: as she did it. I love that she had a 56 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: harmonica on or that's so I know. But that's part 57 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: of what's so interesting to me is that this line 58 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 1: between trash talking and poor sportsmanship it's so blurry. Actually, 59 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 1: growing up, there was this kid in my neighborhood. He 60 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 1: was a wrestler, and he was incredible. He was like 61 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: number one in the state. He had been wrestling since 62 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: he was in elementary school, so when he started wrestling 63 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: on the high school team, it was sort of a joke. 64 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: The competition just wasn't up to his standard. And I 65 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: remember one time he pinned a guy with just one hand, 66 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: which is, you know, bad enough, right, But he was 67 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: using his other hand to wave at the cheerleaders on 68 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: the sideline. Like the whole thing was so cocky. It 69 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: sounds like it's from a movie or something, and I'm 70 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: guessing it was humiliating for the poor guy who got 71 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: pinned as well. Though. Yeah, I mean I was friendly 72 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: with the guy who got pinned, and when he told 73 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: me the story, he was more and add that had 74 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: happened to him than actually irritated by it. I mean, 75 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: I would have been furious. But on the one hand, 76 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: you kind of hate that sort of showman hip because 77 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: it feels indecent and on sportsmanlike, and on the other hand, 78 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: you think, jeez, he's a really good athlete. It actually 79 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: reminds me of the time, you know, Larry Bird was 80 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: just lighting it up against Utah, and he ran by 81 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: the opposing coach and he said something like, you know, 82 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: haven't you got anyone on the bench who can guard me? 83 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:18,479 Speaker 1: And so the coach just looked down at his bench 84 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:21,479 Speaker 1: and then slowly back at Bird and he pretty much says, no, 85 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: I don't see. I mean, you think, what a jerk. 86 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: And also he's Larry Bird, right, He's so good he's 87 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: allowed to say things like that. By the way, every 88 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 1: time I hear the name Larry Bird, now I think 89 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 1: about how the Twitter Bird mascot's name is Larry in 90 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,159 Speaker 1: honor of him. But you know, there's so many different 91 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: types of trash talk, right, Like there's the stuff where 92 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 1: you HiPE yourself up, and then there's the chirping where 93 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 1: you're trying to pick apart the other opponent and getting 94 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: their heads so they're off their game. And I guess 95 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: Larry was walking this line between the two. Yeah. One 96 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: of the most fun parts of thinking about this episode 97 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: was looking into the psychology of trash talking. It's super interesting, 98 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: you know how effective it can be when you're talking 99 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: about all these incredible professionals they've been playing the sport 100 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: and dealing with some element of trash talking all their 101 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: life and it happens in every sport there. I mean 102 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: there's trash talking and bowling and cricket and then swimming 103 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: and sprinting. You know, no sport is immune to it. Yeah, 104 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: that's right. But another reason I wanted to do this 105 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 1: episode was I've seen this headline in the Harvard Business 106 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 1: Review this fall and it read, uh, the case for 107 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:31,279 Speaker 1: trash talking at work, according to research. I just love 108 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: that sun had so much according to research, but it 109 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: sounded so ridiculous. I wondered, is there actually a case 110 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: for trash talking at work? I hope so, because I'm 111 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: feeling like we need to bring it to house that works. 112 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: But is there No, it's total click fait. I mean, 113 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: it's interesting that academics decided to study trash talking and 114 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: how it affects people in the workplace, and apparently when 115 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:53,919 Speaker 1: the trash talk is coming from a different company, it 116 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: can be effective. Like one example they used was that 117 00:05:57,279 --> 00:05:59,840 Speaker 1: the head of GM was picking on Mercedes and he 118 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: said that the Mercedes C class was called that because 119 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: the C stood for mediocre, which is I know, it's 120 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 1: such a business to business put down. But the studies 121 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: point was that sort of language can actually be motivational 122 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,599 Speaker 1: for Mercedes employees, Like when the smack talk is coming 123 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: from a competitor, it can be useful to rev up 124 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: your labor force and kind of increase their focus. Yeah, 125 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: and I get that, you know, an outsider picking on 126 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: you can definitely be motivational. But but what if it's 127 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,239 Speaker 1: coming from inside the company? Right? So the articles titled 128 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: the case for trash talking at Work, so that's what 129 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: I expected this was going to be about. But the 130 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: study showed that when you try to motivate your own 131 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 1: employees by trashing them, it just ends up being demoralizing, 132 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 1: which is obvious, right. And also if your employees are 133 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: doing creative work, it totally throws them off. Like the 134 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:50,039 Speaker 1: research showed that workers often respond by working less hard 135 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 1: or often even sabotaging their own projects, which which makes sense. 136 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: So I guess there's a moral here, and it's that, 137 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: you know, don't trash talk your competition because it will 138 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: motivate them, and don't trash talk about your employees because 139 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: it will demotivate them. I guess. Yeah. Basically, if you're 140 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: a business person, just don't trash talk. Right. Well, all right, 141 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: so let's move from the workplace into some ridiculous trash 142 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: talking stories from sports. I know these are some of 143 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: our favorites and and I know there are a ton 144 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 1: of these. But before we do, actually let's talk for 145 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: a second about how we're defining trash talk. Yeah, that's 146 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: a good idea. So actually, that's one thing the paper 147 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: did a great job of. They have this really nice 148 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: definition of talking trash as quote competitive incivility, and basically 149 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: they consider trash talking either boastful comments or insulting comments 150 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: about an opponent, all delivered before or during competition. Alright, 151 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 1: so I guess that in that definition they're limiting this 152 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 1: to words, so we're not talking about touchdown dances or 153 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: dirty tricks. And actually that phrase competitive incivility. It sounded 154 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: funny at first, but it is interesting. And I was 155 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: reading about sledging, which is what call trash talking and cricket. 156 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: It was not something I knew about before, but there 157 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: were a bunch of articles on how bad it's gotten recently, 158 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: that the sledging in women's cricket is particularly bad. Apparently 159 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: in Australia it's it's terrible there. So what did they 160 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: do well? I guess this was in an Australia versus 161 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: England match, But it's pretty much what you'd expect, and 162 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: athletes picking on each other and trying to get each 163 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,680 Speaker 1: other off their game. There's a little body shaming thrown in, 164 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: which some might call over the line, but honestly, I 165 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 1: think partially it's because it was women doing the trash 166 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: talking that the newspapers reported it with such shock. And 167 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,319 Speaker 1: I guess cricket is also supposed to be this gentlemanly game, right, 168 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 1: I mean, it's dressed up as a gentleman's game in 169 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: sort of fancy white uniforms and sweaters, but I don't 170 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: really think of it that way. Plus, it's not like 171 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 1: trash talking is this new phenomena. Like I was looking back, 172 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: and there's trash talking in the Bible. I mean, David 173 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 1: walks up to Goliath and says, I will strike you 174 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: down and cut off your head, and that's not that 175 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 1: distant from anything Mike Tyson said. I mean, I don't 176 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: think it's quite as elegant as I'm going to eat 177 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: your babies, but you know, I see what you're saying, 178 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: And obviously trash talking at war might be slightly different 179 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: circumstances than in a game. But I think what I 180 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:15,959 Speaker 1: found funny was that in some of the articles there 181 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 1: was almost this maybe like a romanticism for this golden 182 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 1: age of trash talking and cricket, you know, back when 183 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 1: it was all super witty and actually, here let me 184 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 1: read you a few examples. This is from a site 185 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: called The Conversation. One of the more famous sledges was 186 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: between Australian cricketer Rod Marsh and then this guy from England, 187 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: Ian Botham. Apparently they were friends off the pitch, but 188 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: according to the anecdote, Marsh tried to get Botham off 189 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 1: his game by saying, quote, so how's your wife and 190 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,439 Speaker 1: my kids, which you could see how Botham might be offended. 191 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 1: But then Botham replied with a comment of something like 192 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 1: wife's fine, but the kids are a little dim. So 193 00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 1: he yes ended in exactly. I mean, that was always 194 00:09:57,840 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: my tactic to playing sports, right, You just let the 195 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: comments roll off you or use them to motivate you 196 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 1: and talk back on the scoreboard. But that comment actually 197 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: reminds me of the round table at the Algonquin. Did 198 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: you ever see that movie about Dorothy Parker? I think 199 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: it was called Mrs Parker in The Vicious Circle. No, 200 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: i'd heard about it, but I never actually saw it. 201 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:17,320 Speaker 1: I don't actually remember the movie that well, but there 202 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:19,439 Speaker 1: was this one scene where they showed the round table 203 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: at the Algonquin Club and this one guy joins the 204 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 1: table and picks on a bald writer who's sitting there like. 205 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: He just starts rubbing his head and he says, it 206 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: feels just like my wife's bare bottom. And then the 207 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: writer rubs his own head and says, why, yes, yes 208 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: it does. It's just kind of like one liner after 209 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: one liner. But I can't imagine all cricketing talk was 210 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: that witty. Yeah, I know, and and crickets certainly had 211 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 1: the reputation of being an elitist board, and maybe retelling 212 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: these stories helped make it feel a cut above. I 213 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,200 Speaker 1: don't know. But actually there's another funny story that the 214 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 1: conversation referenced where there's this bowler named Shane Warren and 215 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 1: a batter from South Africa named Darryl Cullinan, and Warren, 216 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: who's about to bowldo him, says, I've been waiting for 217 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: two years to have another go at you, so Colin 218 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: and just looks back and says, looks like you spend 219 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: it eating. I mean, these are the stories that still 220 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: get talked about, you know, like they're they're the models 221 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: for how to react to trash talking brutal, but it 222 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 1: almost makes it feel like modern trash talking can't be 223 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: witty too. So I was reading up on foul shots. 224 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 1: Apparently with enough trash talking or even distraction from the fans, 225 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: you can lower your shooters chances of hitting free throws. 226 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,080 Speaker 1: And there is one story of Scottie Pippen walking up 227 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: to Carlin Malone, who you know, was known as the Mailman, 228 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: right because because he delivered, right, Yeah, that's right. But 229 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: Pippin walked up to him as Malone was standing there 230 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: at the charity stripe and this was in the final 231 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: moments of an NBA Finals game, and he's about to 232 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 1: take two shots to tie and win the game, and 233 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 1: Pippin just whispers to him, the Mailman doesn't deliver on Sundays. 234 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:59,959 Speaker 1: It's so stupid and witty, and I kind of want 235 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 1: of how long you've had that in his pocket just 236 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 1: waiting to drop it. But it completely took Malone out 237 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,079 Speaker 1: of his rhythm and he missed the shots and lost 238 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: the game that's insane. All right. Well, I want to 239 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 1: talk about foul shooting and the airball chan and also 240 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,439 Speaker 1: about how fans actually can affect a game. But before 241 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 1: we do, why don't we pause for a quick break. 242 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:34,000 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Part Time Genius, and we're talking about 243 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 1: the art of trash talking. Now, obviously, trash talking is 244 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 1: not a new phenomenon. I was looking back at some 245 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: old stories we've done. I actually saw you wrote one 246 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: about Roman bullets and how they used to have these 247 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: kind of like sarcastic inscriptions on them. That's right, that 248 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 1: was for metal filass. Archaeologists found these ancient Roman and 249 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: Greek bullets and they were surprised to find all these 250 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: ridiculous things written on them. So some had inscriptions for 251 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:59,560 Speaker 1: good luck, you know, just so that they'd hit their targets. 252 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: But a lot of them had these ridiculous comments, like 253 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 1: out your for your backside. Actually, I think my favorite 254 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: one was one that said didn't say here's a sugar 255 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 1: plum for you. I know, that's that's so many words 256 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:16,080 Speaker 1: for one tiny rock. All right, So obviously trash talking 257 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: isn't new, but they're competing views on how well it works. 258 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: Psychology Today did a story on it and they talked 259 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,560 Speaker 1: to this sociologist, Richard Lapchick, and he founded the Center 260 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:28,599 Speaker 1: for the Study of Sports and Society up at Northeastern, 261 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: and his point was that it serves a good purpose. 262 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: You know, when well done, it gives athletes an edge 263 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 1: over their opponents. But then they talked to a sports 264 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 1: psychologist who works with the nets and college basketball teams, 265 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: and he had kind of a different point. He said, 266 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: not only does it put down generally make an athlete 267 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: play better, but all the time and energy wasted on 268 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:50,679 Speaker 1: thinking up the trash talk is taking away from playing 269 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: your best, and as he puts it, playing well as 270 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 1: the most intimidating factor, right, and when you're training and 271 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:00,199 Speaker 1: competing at this elite level, I'm guessing it's hard order 272 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 1: to get psyched out. I remember reading this book Open 273 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 1: by Andrea Agassi, and in it he talks about how 274 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:08,080 Speaker 1: his dad trained him, and you realize what sort of 275 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,200 Speaker 1: focus and training athletes have and just how much they've 276 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 1: practiced along the way. So as a baby, his dad 277 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: actually taped ping punk peddles to his hands so he'd 278 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: swing at the tennis ball mobile he built for him. 279 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 1: In his crib and then at age three or four, 280 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 1: he's got this sought off racket that he's allowed to 281 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: use to hit anything in the house, so it could 282 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 1: be balls, but also things like salt shakers or whatever. 283 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 1: And by the time I want to say he's six 284 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 1: years old, he's hitting a thousand balls a day that 285 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 1: are blasted at him at a hundred twenty five miles 286 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: per hour. It's insane, Like he's just a kid, and 287 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: he's forced practice until his arms feel like they're going 288 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 1: to fall off every single day. And the first line 289 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 1: in his autobiography is about how no one ever believes 290 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: him when he says this, but he hates tennis. Of 291 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: course he hates tennis. I mean, that's insanity, I know. 292 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 1: But andre Agassi's dad was someone who believed in numbers 293 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 1: and math, and he thought that the kid who hit 294 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 1: a thousand balls a day for eighteen years was destined 295 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: to be number one in the world, you know, as 296 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 1: long as he's tough enough mentally. And there's certain points 297 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: in the story where a guess he gets intimidated and 298 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: thrown off his game, Like there's actually this great story 299 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 1: of von Lindell who walked around the shared locker room, 300 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,800 Speaker 1: because in tennis you're sharing one locker room. But Von 301 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 1: Lindell would walk around completely naked except for tennis shoes. 302 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: Then you do this before a game just to psych 303 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 1: his opponents out. And during that he kind of sneered 304 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 1: at Agacy and dismissed him as quote, just a haircut 305 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: and a forehand, and then of course he proceeded to 306 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 1: wallop him. I mean, Von Lindell was terrifying, I know, 307 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 1: and naked live on Lindell is even more terrifying. But 308 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: my point is like, maybe you can intimidate a young 309 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: player or get in their head a little, but you 310 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: hit that many tennis balls in your lifetime and you 311 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: put yourself in that many competitive situations at a certain point, 312 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: you've got to be just on autopilot. Yeah, and I 313 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: can see that though. You know, clearly there are times 314 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: when you can get under somebody's skin. You know. Think 315 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: about Zadan in the World Cup. Oh yeah, when that 316 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 1: player from Italy said something about his mom or his sister. Yeah, 317 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: that was it. And he was playing Italy in the 318 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: finals and he actually headbutted the other player and it 319 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: was clearly provoked by words and you've got this season 320 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 1: player on the custom of retirement, and his hot headed 321 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: reaction actually got him kicked out of the game. Also 322 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: it turned into this ridiculous meme. But but I do 323 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: I get what you're saying. And the focus that elite 324 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: athletes are applying to their games is intense. And I 325 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:31,680 Speaker 1: read a bit about it in an old esquire about 326 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 1: the American women's softball team and how the coach used 327 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: to write numbers on the balls and even though they 328 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 1: were coming at the batters, it over a hundred miles 329 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: an hour. In batting practice, the athletes would practice calling 330 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: out the numbers on the balls as they hit them. 331 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:49,040 Speaker 1: Their eyes were so honed in they could actually identify 332 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 1: the numbers as the balls were rotating towards them. How 333 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 1: crazy is That's incredible, it really is. But you know, 334 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: it's also why so many athletes have these routines for 335 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 1: when they're at bat or at the free throw line 336 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: or whatever it is where they need to concentrate. And 337 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: sometimes it's for the rhythm. You know, if you bounce 338 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:07,400 Speaker 1: the ball three times at a free throw line, then 339 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 1: spin it and find a certain scene, you kind of 340 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 1: calm yourself down, give yourself a rhythm you're used to, 341 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 1: but it also mentally resets you and and takes you 342 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:18,480 Speaker 1: out of the trash talking that might be going on 343 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:21,359 Speaker 1: around you. It's funny to talk about every setting because 344 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:24,119 Speaker 1: I read this story about a rot and that he 345 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 1: has this simple routine that a sports psychologist taught him. 346 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: So after strike, he'd stepped back from the batter's box, 347 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 1: close his eyes, remember how much he loved playing the game, 348 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 1: then look up at the sky and open them, and 349 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: the whole thing is made to make him sort of 350 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: like shrug off his worries and smile and just remember 351 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 1: to enjoy the game. Yeah, yeah, I actually kind of 352 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: like that. And I read about an even weirder one, 353 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 1: and this isn't so much a routine so much as 354 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: maybe a practice exercise. So in hockey, obviously there's a 355 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: lot of trash talking or chirping, and you're allowed to fight, 356 00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: so it serves a purpose, I guess. But I was 357 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 1: reading about this one exercise as sports psychologist made for 358 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 1: working with goalies. Basically, while you're on the couch and therapy, 359 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:09,680 Speaker 1: he'd place live mouse traps on your thighs and then 360 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 1: throw balls at you to try to catch, and the 361 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: training was supposed to be terrifying, but you know, you 362 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 1: get through it, and the ideas once you're on the ice, 363 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:21,880 Speaker 1: your body doesn't freeze up or get tense when you're 364 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,920 Speaker 1: getting talked to, but instead stays loose. That's the hope, 365 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:27,480 Speaker 1: at least. I mean, that has to be the strangest 366 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:30,439 Speaker 1: way to train against trash talking. I know, so, I 367 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: know you want to talk about the airball chan and 368 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,640 Speaker 1: the curtain of distraction, but before we do, can can 369 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 1: we actually talk a little bit about Michael Jordan's absolutely 370 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,160 Speaker 1: what about him? All? Right? Well, for listeners who grew 371 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 1: up when we did, you probably remember Air Jordan as 372 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:46,160 Speaker 1: much for his winning smile and all his commercials as 373 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,720 Speaker 1: for that incredible athleticism that we all know him for 374 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:51,679 Speaker 1: as well. I mean, he played this stifling defense, he 375 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: could slam dunk from the free throw line. He just 376 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 1: knew how to take over games, and so you know, 377 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: you were consistently stunned by his athleticism. But he also 378 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 1: seemed like this terrific ambassador for the game. Which is 379 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:06,439 Speaker 1: kind of funny because when you do the research on 380 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: trash talking, Jordan's name comes up all the time. I 381 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 1: know they kind of glossed over that part in Space Jam, 382 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 1: yet I did. I know how often you watch Space Jam, 383 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 1: and yeah, there's just very little of that. But he 384 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 1: was an epic trash talker. And we've mentioned that sports 385 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 1: psychologists don't know the overall effective trash talking and games, 386 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:28,119 Speaker 1: but Michael Jordan's a pretty good argument that trash talking 387 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: can work. And he actually had a specific philosophy about 388 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: trash talking. I thought this was super interesting. So basically, 389 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 1: he saw basketball as a team sport. But when he 390 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 1: talked to you, and he do everything from shooting free 391 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:43,240 Speaker 1: throws with his eyes closed too, you know, just to 392 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: show you how much better he was than you, or 393 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 1: maybe he would tell you the movie he was gonna 394 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 1: make and then do it on the next play and 395 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:51,200 Speaker 1: just beat you doing it and make you that much 396 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: more embarrassed than trying to play them. But you know, 397 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 1: his philosophy was that trash talking makes a players stopped 398 00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 1: playing with their team. Often they're so installed that that 399 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: they'll want to prove their skills against you, and it's 400 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 1: easier for a team to be one player than a 401 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: whole team. Oh that's really interesting. So he was kind 402 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 1: of taking people out of making a smart pass or 403 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: a smart assistant, sort of daring them to make a 404 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 1: more glorious play. Yeah, and there there was actually this 405 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 1: one time the Nine Playoffs against one of your favorite players, 406 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: Muggsy Bows. I know, I loved Muggsy Bogs, And partially 407 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: it was just that he was so short. He was 408 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 1: like five three, But watching him gave me so much 409 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:34,199 Speaker 1: hope as a short kid. He was really fun to 410 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: watch though. And and and Jordan was guarding Muggsy in 411 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: this this one story, and he gave him all the 412 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: space and then he just said shoot at you. And 413 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: so I condensed that he used an expletive there and 414 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 1: made fun of his height in doing so. But Muggsy 415 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:50,199 Speaker 1: took the shot and not only did he miss, but 416 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 1: he missed like terribly and so totally airballed this shot. 417 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:56,280 Speaker 1: And the sad part of the story, this actually kind 418 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: of heartbreaking, is that Moggy Bugs claimed that that moment 419 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 1: ruined his career. Until then, he'd had three straight years 420 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:06,679 Speaker 1: of putting up double digit points in a game, but 421 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 1: after that year he was never the same. I think 422 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,680 Speaker 1: he everaged something like five point nine points a game 423 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 1: after that. Oh that's horrible that trash talk had a 424 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:19,360 Speaker 1: lasting impact. It's insane. Yeah yeah, And you know, part 425 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 1: of what made Jordan's so good, though, was how he 426 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 1: reacted to trash talking. So if you dared to trash 427 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:28,679 Speaker 1: talk to him, it just motivated him insanely. Yeah. So, 428 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 1: I know we've all heard lots of these stories, but 429 00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: no one pointed me to this one about the Dream 430 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: Team and how in scrimmage once Magic Johnson's team was 431 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 1: off to this early lead, so to rattle Jordan a little, 432 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:41,360 Speaker 1: he tapped him on the shoulder and said, hey, man, 433 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: if you don't turn into air Jordan's soon, we're gonna 434 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:46,879 Speaker 1: blow you out today. And the way Magic tells it, 435 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:50,640 Speaker 1: like Jordan's eyes just went huge and he was livid. 436 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:52,680 Speaker 1: So he comes down the court on the next play 437 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:55,439 Speaker 1: and hits the three and then another three and just 438 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,119 Speaker 1: torches the other team. And Magic Johnson actually calls it 439 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:01,400 Speaker 1: the best game he's ever been a part of. How 440 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: I don't know why anyone would be dumb enough to 441 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:06,960 Speaker 1: trash talk Michael Jordan those kinds of situations. All right, Well, 442 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:10,399 Speaker 1: we still haven't gotten into how crowds impact games. But 443 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:12,360 Speaker 1: why don't we take a quick break and then we'll 444 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: get into that, all right, mangoes. So, as you know, 445 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,160 Speaker 1: we get a lot of great questions from our listeners. 446 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 1: But it's been kind of funny because the question we 447 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,879 Speaker 1: get most often is who is Jason? And if you 448 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:34,679 Speaker 1: don't know what I'm talking about, At the very end 449 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: of each episode, in the credits, we have this little 450 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: inside joke where we say that we forget to mention Jason, 451 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,600 Speaker 1: and then we say Jason Who. And it's so funny 452 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,679 Speaker 1: how many people right in asking who Jason is? And 453 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:49,359 Speaker 1: I'm happy to report that we've actually got Jason here 454 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 1: in studio with us. He's a member of the House 455 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,920 Speaker 1: Stuff Works team, but we are not actually allowed to 456 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: say his last name. He's going to remain a mystery. 457 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 1: But Jason, welcome to Part Time Genius. It is such 458 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 1: a pleasure. Guys. Now, the reason we're having you on 459 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:07,160 Speaker 1: this episode because it is about trash talking, is because 460 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: you've actually worked at How Stuff Works twice and in 461 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 1: between these stents at How Stuff Works, you actually worked 462 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:18,920 Speaker 1: for the w w E, the World Wrestling Entertainment Company. Right. Yeah, 463 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 1: it was kind of a phase. You know, It's kind 464 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 1: of like, you know, after college when you move away 465 00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:25,439 Speaker 1: out of your parents basement or something like that. It 466 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:27,439 Speaker 1: was just it was something I needed to do. Wow, 467 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:30,320 Speaker 1: it's pretty awesome. Okay, So, Jason, one question I had 468 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:33,240 Speaker 1: for you was what is your best experience of trash 469 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 1: talking at the w w E? Like, did you actually 470 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: get to see anything up close? You know, I have 471 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 1: so many stories that could probably go into at least 472 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 1: two volumes of books someday. But I will tell you 473 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 1: that I was backstage one time and John Cena said 474 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:52,159 Speaker 1: to me, can I run something by you? And he 475 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 1: literally cut a promo backstage and I said, it sounds great, 476 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:01,200 Speaker 1: and then he went on to deliver. Ever, five minutes 477 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: later in front of folks, cut that same promo in 478 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 1: front of the rock And I'll never forget that. That 479 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:12,959 Speaker 1: is unbelievable. You got a yeah, what am I supposed 480 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:15,720 Speaker 1: to say if I didn't like it? And actually, there's 481 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,680 Speaker 1: another strange connection between w E and how stuff works. 482 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 1: We've actually had some professional wrestlers in the studios and 483 00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: how stuff works, right, Jason. Yeah, So folks may not know, 484 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,000 Speaker 1: but actually Rick Flair lives right outside of Atlanta and 485 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:32,400 Speaker 1: he was in our studio about a year ago doing 486 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:37,400 Speaker 1: some voiceover recordings, and uh, it was incredible. The guy 487 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: is everything you see on TV uh and more. It 488 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 1: was amazing. He's more tan than he looks on TV. Uh, tan, purple, 489 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: whatever you want to say. All Right, Well, since we've 490 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,199 Speaker 1: been talking about trash talking and the w w E, 491 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:54,240 Speaker 1: we're gonna put you to the test, Jason, and we 492 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:56,640 Speaker 1: may harass you if you don't do super well. But Mango, 493 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:58,880 Speaker 1: what game are we playing with Jason? Today? Today's quiz 494 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 1: is called nine seven needs professional wrestler or Teddy Roosevelt's 495 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: guinea pig. Of course, yeah, that's that was the obvious 496 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:08,400 Speaker 1: quiz for today. And so so what we're gonna do, Jason. 497 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 1: We're gonna give you a name and it's either a 498 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 1: former pro wrestler or a guinea pig owned by Teddy Roosevelt. Now, 499 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,359 Speaker 1: if you're a presidential guinea pig enthusiast, which we know 500 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 1: you probably are, this should be easy for you. So 501 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 1: are you ready to play? Jason? I am. I know 502 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,639 Speaker 1: a lot about wrestling history too, I'm I'm up for 503 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 1: the challenge. Okay, alright, there's five of these. Number one 504 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 1: the name is Haystacks Calhoun. Is this the name of 505 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 1: a professional wrestler or a Teddy Roosevelt guinea pig? I 506 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 1: think it's a guinea pig. It's actually a professional wrestler. Okay, 507 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:49,160 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna shut up now, Oh ruined the reputation 508 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 1: cut me among Okay, here we go, all right. Number 509 00:25:54,000 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 1: two father O Grady, Wow Um, I'm gonna say guinea pig. Yeah, 510 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 1: that's right, appriendly. He was a local priest. The kids knew, 511 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 1: all right, so you are a one for one. Nice comeback. Okay. 512 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 1: Number three, Pampero Furbo. That has to be a wrestler. Yeah, 513 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,159 Speaker 1: that's right. He was known as the wild Man of 514 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,920 Speaker 1: the Pampas, and initially he went as Irvan the Armenian 515 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 1: and the Missing Link before he settled on his stage name. 516 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 1: But one of the best pieces of tribute about him, 517 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:24,680 Speaker 1: and this is from Metal Flaus, is that his catchphrase 518 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:28,160 Speaker 1: of oh yeah was later borrowed by Randy the Macho 519 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:31,919 Speaker 1: Man Savage. Wow, it's pretty good. You're almost as timidating 520 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:34,159 Speaker 1: as Randy the mancho Man Savage when you say it 521 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 1: like that, man, go oh yeah, all right, two out 522 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: of three so far, you're doing well. Number four, Bobo Brazil, 523 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 1: Bobo Brazil. It's gotta be a wrestler. Yeah he was. 524 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: He was a rival of the Sheik, of course he was. 525 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 1: All right, last one, here we go, number five fighting 526 00:26:56,040 --> 00:27:00,400 Speaker 1: Bob Evans. That has to be a guinea pig. Yeah, 527 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:02,879 Speaker 1: that's right. All right. Well, how did Jason do on 528 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:05,600 Speaker 1: the quiz today? Well, Jason went an amazing four for 529 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:08,720 Speaker 1: five and uh that entitles them to a part Time 530 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:12,119 Speaker 1: Genius certificate of Genius and a hearty handshake for playing. 531 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:15,640 Speaker 1: Oh man, I wanted to trash talk him so bad 532 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:18,959 Speaker 1: if his performance slip, but he's just too good. Congratulations Jason. 533 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 1: Thanks guys, Welcome back to Part Time Genius. All right, so, man, go, 534 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 1: I know you've been itching to talk about the sixth 535 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:40,600 Speaker 1: man at games, you know, the roaring crowd and and 536 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 1: how it can actually affect games. Yeah, I do so obviously. 537 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:46,240 Speaker 1: As some of our listeners might know, we went to 538 00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:49,440 Speaker 1: Duke and Cameron Indoor Stadium is a notoriously hard place 539 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:52,439 Speaker 1: to play basketball games for opponents. But one of the 540 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 1: things I've always been surprised by is how athletes try 541 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 1: to block out the noise when they first walk in, 542 00:27:57,800 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: Like often you see them coming off the bus all 543 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:02,680 Speaker 1: wearing headphones, and I think I saw this first in football, 544 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:05,639 Speaker 1: but it's become common in all sports. Yeah. Actually, I 545 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 1: read this article about Olympic swimmers and and how people 546 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:10,840 Speaker 1: used to think it was on sportsmanlike, you know, to 547 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 1: walk in the stadium wearing these noise canceling headphones. But 548 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,640 Speaker 1: now it's just become the norm, you know. I don't 549 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: know if Michael Phelps started it. He used to walk 550 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: into the stadiums to pump himself up. He'd be listening 551 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,280 Speaker 1: to Little Wayne, which is totally our move. I know, 552 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:26,920 Speaker 1: we usually listen to a a Little Wayne before every episode, right, 553 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 1: that's right, But part of that is just the focus, 554 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 1: right for something like the Olympics. Athletes have been training 555 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 1: for this day intensely for their entire lives, and you know, 556 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: blocking out screens and taunts from fellow swimmers Like I. 557 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 1: I didn't realize this, but in Michael Phelps case, there 558 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:45,160 Speaker 1: was a lot of dishing back and forth between the 559 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: South African and the French swimmers in the US. It's 560 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,840 Speaker 1: kind of amazing because I kind of think of swimming 561 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,760 Speaker 1: as such a solitary sport, but you want to tune 562 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:57,360 Speaker 1: all that out and relax and meditate on this important 563 00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 1: race ahead. Yeah, definitely, And you know, I know this 564 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: episode is sponsored by Beats by Dre. But one of 565 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 1: the things I've been curious about for a while is 566 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 1: whether those headphones really work and how they work, Like, 567 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 1: are they just creating this cocoon around your ears and 568 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 1: it's the paths that block out the noise or what 569 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: I know. So one of my concerns with wearing headphones 570 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:20,600 Speaker 1: in noisy places is that you have to turn them 571 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: up so loud to hear the music. Like I rarely 572 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 1: listened to podcasts on the subway when I lived in 573 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 1: New York, just because I was afraid of damaging my 574 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,800 Speaker 1: hearing from the standard headphones I had. But the technology 575 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:34,920 Speaker 1: behind noise canceling headphones is really interesting. So basically, there's 576 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:37,640 Speaker 1: a microphone in the headphone that's listening for ambient noise, 577 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 1: and when it senses noise around you, it creates this 578 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: fingerprint of that noise. You can read all about this 579 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: on how Stuff Works website. But the software inside basically 580 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: recreates that noise and then inverts it. So if you 581 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:52,960 Speaker 1: think about the waves of sound coming at you, it 582 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 1: figures out the patterns of those sound and mixes it 583 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:58,400 Speaker 1: with the opposite signal to neutralize it. And the higher 584 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:00,960 Speaker 1: end headphones are just doing this for one noise, but 585 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: they're targeting two or three different noises, like the hum 586 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: of an airplane, but also the baby that's crying two 587 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:10,120 Speaker 1: miles back. It's pretty crazy that they're able to pull 588 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:12,720 Speaker 1: this off, and and obviously it works before a match 589 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:16,040 Speaker 1: or a race, but unfortunately it can't help you during 590 00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:17,960 Speaker 1: the game. At least, I've not seen any players trying 591 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 1: to wear noise canceling headphones during their games. Right, So 592 00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 1: back to Cameron Indoor and as you know, the stadium 593 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 1: is actually kind of small, but the crowd tends to 594 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 1: cheer the same thing in Unison, so it's tough for 595 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:32,160 Speaker 1: an opposing athlete not to hear it. And the whole 596 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 1: time we were in school, i'd heard that the airball 597 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:36,760 Speaker 1: chat was actually invented at Duke. You know, I've actually 598 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:38,720 Speaker 1: heard that too, and I guess it's really not that 599 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 1: hard to imagine. Yeah, but apparently they didn't invent it there, 600 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 1: so they only modified this existing chat before. Apparently people 601 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 1: used to sing air ball and then clap twice and 602 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:51,120 Speaker 1: then say air ball again and clap twice. But Duke's 603 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 1: contribution was to take out the claps and lengthen it, 604 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 1: so it became the familiar air ball. Air Ball just 605 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:02,719 Speaker 1: really took it to the next level. That is revolutionary 606 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:06,400 Speaker 1: and worth every dime of tuition that our parents paid. So, uh, 607 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:09,960 Speaker 1: how did you actually find this out? There's this academic 608 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 1: paper on it called air ball Spontaneous large group precision chanting. 609 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 1: Is that really it looked into how a crowd of 610 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: strangers can chant things together without any sort of pre 611 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:24,360 Speaker 1: planned effort. But as the article put it, while quote 612 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:27,760 Speaker 1: air ball is a reasonable insult, it's the cadence that 613 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:31,640 Speaker 1: makes it a perfect basketball taunt. Wow. Alright, so we 614 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 1: we know crowds taunt athletes and and I guess now 615 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:37,080 Speaker 1: we know why crowds do it with that rhythm. But 616 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:39,120 Speaker 1: I guess the question we still have to answer is 617 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 1: whether crowds actually have an impact on the games. Yeah, 618 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,760 Speaker 1: so I can actually answer that. The New York Times 619 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:48,040 Speaker 1: did a study on crowds and whether they affected the outcomes, 620 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 1: and mostly they analyze free throw attempts because it's the 621 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 1: only time in a game where the crowd is the 622 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 1: only defense on the court. Oh yeah, I guess, I 623 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: guess I had not thought about that way before. Yeah. So, 624 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 1: according to the numbers, on average, college basketball player will 625 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: shoot one percentage point less in a hostile arena, meaning 626 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:07,600 Speaker 1: the crowd does have an impact. And in some stadiums, 627 00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:09,840 Speaker 1: like if you take Utah or u c l A, like, 628 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:13,440 Speaker 1: the whole team will shoot about one point less. But 629 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 1: there's some places where that number is way, way worse. 630 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:19,520 Speaker 1: And the king of those stadiums is Arizona State, where 631 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:22,000 Speaker 1: they have the curtain of distraction. All right, well you 632 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 1: should definitely explain what the curtain of distraction is. But 633 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:27,520 Speaker 1: how much worse the players shoot there? Well, they shoot 634 00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 1: nine percentage points less on average. Yea, So here's what 635 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:34,720 Speaker 1: the curtain of distraction is. For those of you you 636 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 1: haven't heard of it. It's almost like the I don't know, 637 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 1: the David S. Pumpkins of college basketball, Like the students 638 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:44,360 Speaker 1: open the curtain that's built around this PVC pipe and 639 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 1: and then they have these ridiculous scenes with crazy props 640 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:49,920 Speaker 1: and it's right behind the opposing team's basket and it 641 00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:52,720 Speaker 1: opens just before the shooter shoots the ball. But they'll 642 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 1: do things like they've got one skit called the Unicorn 643 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 1: Love Story where one person in a unicorn mask will 644 00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:03,400 Speaker 1: jump into another arms and they'll just make out, of course, 645 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:06,960 Speaker 1: or other bizarre things like one time Michael Felts was 646 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:08,840 Speaker 1: there and for the first free throw, he and this 647 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: other guy re enacted the Chippendale sketch from SNL. Like 648 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:15,240 Speaker 1: you remember that sketch where Chris Farley and Patrick Squeeze 649 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,040 Speaker 1: or Chippendale Dancer. Of course I remember it very well. 650 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 1: But right before the next free throw he pulled off 651 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 1: his pants and revealed this bright gold speedo, which, of course, 652 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 1: you know, distracted the shooter. That's pretty great. I do 653 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 1: love when there's an element of silliness to the taunts, 654 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 1: you know, like there's plenty of mean spirited stuff out there, 655 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 1: but there was another one I was looking at. When 656 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:39,720 Speaker 1: Scotland played Italy and soccer, the crowd chanted deep fry 657 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:43,240 Speaker 1: your pizzas. We're gonna deep fry your pizzas, which just feels, 658 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:47,240 Speaker 1: I don't know, so ridiculous, it's just funny. Well, you 659 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 1: know what doesn't feel ridiculous? Ending this in a little 660 00:33:49,560 --> 00:34:00,560 Speaker 1: trash talk backed off, all right, let's do it. So 661 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:03,080 Speaker 1: I love those photos of the sane bulk looking back 662 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:05,760 Speaker 1: at his competitors and just smiling at the camera like 663 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:08,279 Speaker 1: those were in all the papers, and he just makes 664 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 1: it look so easy. But I didn't realize that trash 665 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 1: talking is also a big part of his playful routine, 666 00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:17,479 Speaker 1: Like he likes to remind relay racers to hold onto 667 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:20,080 Speaker 1: the baton and make sure they don't drop it because 668 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:23,720 Speaker 1: it's very important not to drop the baton, and also 669 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 1: not to focus too hard on the bottom of the 670 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:29,120 Speaker 1: shoes as he races away. He was definitely able to 671 00:34:29,160 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 1: back up that trash talk. That's pretty good though, But 672 00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:33,839 Speaker 1: one of my favorite moments in trash talking histories when 673 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:37,680 Speaker 1: Chad Ocho Sinko Johnson he typed out an official letter 674 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:42,759 Speaker 1: demanding double coverage from his opponents. It reads, quote Chad 675 00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:46,440 Speaker 1: Johnson's rule number one zero five nine. It is against 676 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:49,600 Speaker 1: NFL policy to cover Chad Ocho Sinko man to man. 677 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: It always has been a rule, but with the events 678 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:54,920 Speaker 1: of the last year, we must have forgotten who he was. 679 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:58,240 Speaker 1: Please note that he is still the most uncoverable receiver 680 00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:00,560 Speaker 1: in the league. This rule is for the safety of 681 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:07,960 Speaker 1: embarrassment to all defensive backs. I love that it's so elaborate. Okay, 682 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,120 Speaker 1: so I love trash talking at sports, but I had 683 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:12,799 Speaker 1: to bring in one from the non sports world, and 684 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 1: this is from hip hop. I'm sure you remember how 685 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,640 Speaker 1: Drake famously made a power point of trash talk just 686 00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:22,400 Speaker 1: to show with superiority to Meek Mills. But my favorite 687 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:24,960 Speaker 1: hip hop trash talk was when uh, jay Z and 688 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 1: Nas were in this back and forth and jay Z 689 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:31,000 Speaker 1: sampled mass voice on the song the takeover. The lyric 690 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:34,479 Speaker 1: is quote, yeah, I sampled your voice. He was using 691 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:39,880 Speaker 1: it wrong. How unbelievable. And Brasen is that that's pretty 692 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:42,120 Speaker 1: good though. All right, well, did you know there's actually 693 00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 1: a bad boy of bowling. His name is Pete Webber, 694 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:49,240 Speaker 1: and he's the guy responsible for not just trash talking 695 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:53,239 Speaker 1: his opponents, but also introducing the wrap around Oakley's and 696 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: the victory crotch chop to professional bowling. Apparently his dad 697 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:01,480 Speaker 1: was a pro bowler and a woman's spokesman for the sport. 698 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:04,560 Speaker 1: But as the website Azzi wrote in a profile of him, 699 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 1: no one has ever won so much, so soon, so classlessly. 700 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:14,080 Speaker 1: I think he just became my favorite bowler, right the 701 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:17,120 Speaker 1: only one you can name the I think some of 702 00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:19,440 Speaker 1: the worst trash talk is when it's done politely. So 703 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 1: the New York Post had this anecdote about NFL player 704 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: Reggie White and how he was the most unique trash talker. 705 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,120 Speaker 1: And this is according to Trent Dilfer, who's quoted in 706 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:31,719 Speaker 1: the article, and he said, not only would he destroy you, 707 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:34,960 Speaker 1: but then he'd say, quote, brother, Trent, you all right. 708 00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:37,879 Speaker 1: I almost feel bad doing it to you, but I'm 709 00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:41,440 Speaker 1: coming back. That's pretty good, all right? Did you know 710 00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:44,719 Speaker 1: the US women's soccer team is notorious for their trash talk. 711 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:48,560 Speaker 1: According to one striker, Lady Andrade, who played for Columbia, 712 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:52,680 Speaker 1: the whole team felt belittle by the US. She explicitly 713 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:55,840 Speaker 1: told the press she quote wanted to beat them because 714 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:58,799 Speaker 1: the US women liked to talk so much. And a 715 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:01,840 Speaker 1: previous World Cup she punched Abby Wamback in the face 716 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:04,520 Speaker 1: because she, you know, the talking finally got to her. 717 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:08,799 Speaker 1: That's wild. So this isn't about trash talking, but it 718 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:11,560 Speaker 1: does relate to the stuff we talked about before, about 719 00:37:11,640 --> 00:37:14,719 Speaker 1: routines and getting yourself in a rhythm. Did you know 720 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:18,240 Speaker 1: that Dirk Nowitzki hums a David Hasselhoff tune to himself 721 00:37:18,239 --> 00:37:22,279 Speaker 1: before every foul shot. No I didn't. Apparently the song 722 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:26,960 Speaker 1: is called looking for Freedom, but it must work because 723 00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:28,920 Speaker 1: at the time it was written about he was shooting 724 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:32,840 Speaker 1: nearly for the line. Wow, you totally broke the rules 725 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:35,080 Speaker 1: by not talking about trash talking, but you did manage 726 00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:37,719 Speaker 1: to work at David Hasselhoff tune into this, So it's 727 00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:39,480 Speaker 1: a good fact. I think I'm going to have to 728 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:41,279 Speaker 1: give you the trophy this week. I know, and it's 729 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:43,640 Speaker 1: a shame the audience can't see me doing my victory dance. 730 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:46,640 Speaker 1: It's also a shame that I can. But all right, well, 731 00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:49,440 Speaker 1: if there are any great stories we missed you, guys 732 00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:51,920 Speaker 1: can always hit us up on Facebook or Twitter, or 733 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:54,439 Speaker 1: drop us an email at part Time Genius at how 734 00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:57,400 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot com. We always love hearing from you, 735 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:00,640 Speaker 1: or you can call us on our seven fact hot line. 736 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:04,160 Speaker 1: That's one eight four four pt Genius. That's it for 737 00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:06,680 Speaker 1: today's show. Thanks to Beats by Dre for sponsoring, and 738 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:22,520 Speaker 1: thank you for listening. Searcher, thanks again for listening. Farttime 739 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:24,760 Speaker 1: Genius is a production of How Stuff Works and wouldn't 740 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:27,520 Speaker 1: be possible without several brilliant people who do the important 741 00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:30,600 Speaker 1: things we couldn't even begin to understand. Tristan McNeil does 742 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:32,960 Speaker 1: the editing thing. Noel Brown made the theme song and 743 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:35,840 Speaker 1: does the mixy mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland does the 744 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:39,440 Speaker 1: exact producer thing. Gaveluesier is our lead researcher, with support 745 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:42,279 Speaker 1: from the Research Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and 746 00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:44,400 Speaker 1: Lucas Adams and Eve. Jeff Cook gets the show to 747 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:46,960 Speaker 1: your ears. Good job, Eves. If you like what you heard, 748 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 1: we hope you'll subscribe, And if you really really like 749 00:38:49,120 --> 00:38:50,960 Speaker 1: what you've heard, maybe you could leave a good review 750 00:38:51,000 --> 00:39:00,800 Speaker 1: for us. Did you forget James Jason who it is 751 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:02,120 Speaker 1: the best pos