December 4, 2025 • 28 mins
Derrick and Scott are here to break down Part II of the Final aka The Season 41 Finale, go over our new winners, what it means for everyone's legacy, who we think we'll see back on S42 and beyond, what we thought of the final and MUCH MORE!
This is a Free Preview of a much longer Episode Breakdown Podcast that is exclsuive to Maniac Level Patrons and above at www.ChallengeManiacs.com - You can also watch this and ALL of our podcasts in Video over there as well!
WATCH this full episode Here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-season-41-144931781
LISTEN to this full episode Here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/audio-season-41-144931940
www.ChallengeMania.Live for Tix!
www.ChallengeMania.Shop for Swag
www.ChallengeManiacs.com to Join the Pod Squad!
This is a Free Preview of a much longer Episode Breakdown Podcast that is exclsuive to Maniac Level Patrons and above at www.ChallengeManiacs.com - You can also watch this and ALL of our podcasts in Video over there as well!
WATCH this full episode Here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-season-41-144931781
LISTEN to this full episode Here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/audio-season-41-144931940
www.ChallengeMania.Live for Tix!
www.ChallengeMania.Shop for Swag
www.ChallengeManiacs.com to Join the Pod Squad!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
What's up, everybody. This is Scott Jeger here with a
good old fashioned Challenge Mania episode breakdown. Not just any
episode breakdown. This is the big one about to talk
about part two of the final of season forty one,
aka this season finale. This episode is brought to you
by the Book of Luke by Level Holder. That's right,
(00:35):
a long time Challenge Mania patron and a good friend
just dropped his novel that is about the wacky and
wild world of reality TV. He has constructed a fake
reality show, a scripted reality show, if you will, not scripted.
It's unscripted called Endeavor. That's the world that this book
exists in. Trust me. This is like if Uniman Murray
(00:57):
were Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy. The drama there. It
is sexy, it is cool. I've read the whole thing.
Really excited to be talking to you about this book here,
and Level doesn't even even though I'm doing this, so
it's not like this is a sponsorship or anything like that.
I'm just so excited and proud of him for this
book that I want you guys to check it out.
It is from Hatchet Book Group and Grand Central Publishing
(01:18):
can get it everywhere. You get your books. Guys. This
is an advanced copy, so you're not gonna get one
of these. You're gonna get it in hard copy, and
you can also get it in the audiobook form. And
Level was nice enough to give away five copies to
Challenge Mania patrons. So go and check out the Book
of Luke out today. Trust me, you guys will enjoy it.
All right. You didn't come for me, You came for
d d. We finally found out who our champions are
(01:42):
of season forty one. What's up, mister Derek Kazinski? How
are you, buddy?
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah, another grueling final turbo at the forefront of it,
except now not in first place but in second place.
Hell of a season for you know, people like Sydney,
who's obviously made a name for herself. She can I'm
sure she'll be on the you know, short call list
(02:08):
in future.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
She's both great, you know on the commentary end.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
She's a killer on the field, absolute killer on the field.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Olivia and year me with the.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Immaculate comeback and you know, coming from fourth place literally
on Connect four, can't beat anybody. Olivia loses to THEO
a board game that they that that she hasn't still
hasn't beat him in She loses to him on the mountain,
falls all the way back to fourth place, and somehow
miraculously they beat Turbo and Sydney up this mountain. Adrian
(02:43):
and theo uh you know, the the comeback King and
Queen all season long uh end up, you know, making
their way all the way up to second place off
of Connect.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Four and then fall all the way.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Back into last place and do not complete the final.
Cedric and Mikayla Mikayla literally uh you know it's got
the herd ankle all you know, maybe all you know,
close to all season long, and she makes it up
this mountain, uh, you know, getting up to second place
there after Connect four and then them dropping back into third. Uh.
(03:17):
Not only does she finish the mountain, uh, but uh
this is this is kind of her story. What was
she did not finish uh the last final she was in.
And then her new threat partner, the the the number
one pick in the draft. He's up there standing. Everyone
(03:39):
else is like, this is the hardest thing they've ever
been through. Laying on the ground, this guy's standing up,
you know. Tarbo's getting life flighted out and this guy
is just like, yeah, you know, just you know, enjoying
you know, the the you know the breeze up here.
You know it just I feel like, you know, it
(04:00):
was a great season. I'm surprised. I'm wondering, like, how
many people actually watch this thing because of course you
lost your Johnny's and your cts early on, and everything's
on streaming and stuff like that, and obviously there's all
these changes being made to you know, paramount MTV. Who
knows what's going on with MTV. You know, Rest in
Peace the music video. So I thought it was an
(04:23):
incredible ending, especially with the whole montage with uh, you know,
THEO and in Olivia and you know the you know,
the baby just came, you know, a few days ago,
November twentieth, I think he was born. So what an
incredible like way to enter the world. I think it's
baby Atlas. Welcome baby Atlas. Your mother is a fucking
(04:45):
challenge champion.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
I think champion, right, Atlas beat Turbo up the mountain.
So yeah, so congratulations to them. They just just posted that.
I believe he's born around November twentieth or something like that.
Came a little bit early.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I think she announced on announced on Thanksgiving came November twentieth.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
It was two weeks early.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah, yeah, and so five pounds, five pounds, five pounds,
five pounces.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
It will be interesting to know how they end up
kind of following up with this. Obviously, the reunion has
already been filmed, and it was filmed months ago when
baby Atlas is still very much inside mommy, right. But
but I think, you know, I mean, you might know
more than me because you were there. But it'll be
interesting to see how this is covered because look, I mean,
we talked about it on our next episode with John
(05:37):
Ay you'll you'll hear some of that. We've talked about
it for the last eight years we've been doing this podcast.
The challenge and pregnancies go together like ham and cheese,
you know. For whatever reason. I like to think it's
because they cast very, very sexually active people for this show,
both who maybe get it in before they leave and
then maybe part take on the show a little bit
(05:57):
as well. We have the luxury I think of knowing
via I think it's Olivia Theo and Derek Shavas at
this point have said that I believe this baby was
consummated or or whatever the word is on Derek's birthday
party that episode which was like you know, episode two
or three something like that, when we got the car
a roast. But so I mean this, I mean this
(06:18):
is kind of one of the crazier things we've ever
had on reality TV. Like I think that in sports,
I believe Serena Williams competed in a tennis tournament or
two while she was pregnant. We've seen Beyonce do some
pretty crazy performances while pregnant. It's weird where the line
is right because obviously the challenge involves a lot of
stunts and other things. But it's not like doctors flat
out tell you once you're pregnant you can't leave your house.
(06:40):
I remember when Lindsay was pregnant. She started asking our
doctor like, you know, when should I stop playing pickleball? This? That,
whatever it was, I forget And they even cited Serena Williams.
They were like the kind they kind of they went, uh, well,
Serena Williams won the US OP but while she was pregnant.
So unless you feel like you're better than Serena Williams,
I feel like you can keep playing pick a ball whatever,
and we were like, oh, okay, a little sassy doctor,
but either way, So we just had a woman who
(07:02):
was pregnant, whether she knew it or not, and I'm
sure maybe we'll learn more about that as we go.
We had a woman who was pregnant just win one
of the toughest reality shows ever. I mean, when you
saw the clock at the end, it was it twenty
six hours that she competed, She went up a mountain,
she beat a challenge champion in Turbo, a marathon runner
in Sydney, and now the baby we know is here
and happy and healthy. So I think it's one of
(07:23):
the one of the craziest stories. And that's kind of
the headline. I think. I wonder if that will be
the headline though, because you wonder how much is the
show going to embrace that aspect of the narrative. Are
they maybe gonna tiptoe to the back of like does
this make us look like we should have known or
caught this earlier? Was this potentially unsafe? I am interested
(07:44):
because I have no idea. I am interested now to
see how this gets covered over the next few weeks,
beginning with I believe Olivia is gonna be on the
Official Challenge podcast. We'll hear that, we'll see how it's
covered at the reunion and whatnot. But that's that's Number one.
A for me is how do they do they waive
this baby like a like a like a flag and
a badge of honor of like, hey, how cool is this? Yeah?
(08:04):
Or they kind of big about it because if you
saw at the end of this episode, it was and
then a few months later, you know, and it's just
them rubbing the tummy and it's not you know, you know,
you know what I mean. So I wonder if they're
cool with the people who know knowing, but I wonder
if they're really gonna really go through with.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
The like, hey, well, you wonder what the new parents,
you know, what the new parents are gonna say about
it and how much they're gonna want to embrace it
or not. But I think it's I think it's like
a you know, an ode to like all of the
you know, bad ass all the moms out there who
are carrying children and still doing badass things. Yea, this
is like the highest of the mountain, right, Like this
(08:41):
is the hot like potentially the highest you can go
at while pregnant, right, you can go eleven thousand feet
in elevation up a mountain.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Well that's where that's where I'm pretty sure. I don't
know if they would like, let's say, you know, voluntary
rock like I'll put it through this way. When you
go to Disney World, you're not supposed to go on
the Safari if you're pregnant, you know, I mean, and
that's driving around in a van, you know. So I'm
just saying so. So my point is that obviously, the
big what if here is that who knew? Did she know? Whatever? Look,
we'll tease the John A podcast a little bit. We
(09:11):
talk about it with her mileage varies on who thinks,
you know, how obvious it was in during this game
and in this game Personally, I don't think it matters
at all. I think I think it's dope and cool
either way, because you know, ultimately it's, in my opinion,
the person's decision, I think. And who knows. She didn't
know for sure, so who knows, she goes, she gets
checked out for that, and then they realize, oh, maybe
(09:32):
your temperature is a little high. Should go home anyway?
You know, you know, I get it. I hear the
first rule of the challenges never go see the doctor.
I get it. So congratulations to Olivia and Jeremy. The
only thing I gotta say about Jeremy is, I mean,
you're slacking, bro. You you weren't pregnant, all right, Like,
I mean, come on, so you know, a couple of
flowers for Jeremy, but a million flowers for Olivia. That's
(09:52):
all I'll say. Come on, Jeremy, step up your game.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yeah you wonder if like I'm sure they can't do
studies on this, but like you wonder like now the
baby comes out with like stronger lungs or something like
that since it's gone through like the elevation. I don't know,
I don't know how developed the baby is at that point,
but like you know, they say, like I think this
is an absolutely terrible example, but like if the mom's
(10:16):
like doing drugs, you know, early on with the baby,
then maybe the baby is now you know, needs is
like kind of you know, yeah, you.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Know, messed up.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
But now like maybe like since it's been to you know,
eleven thousand feet elevation and climbed the mountain, maybe like
comes out and has like super lungs.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Maybe sounds like a superhero story to me, right, like.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Some I mean people, I mean, you hear about Spider
Man getting bit by a spider Like this guy's got
you know, a.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
THEO jeans in him on top of you know, the
the Challenge jeans.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Now, I'll be honest, I'll be honest. Atlas did better
than THEO did his final say that real quick? Can
we say that real quick? By the way, aptly named
because as I mean, having two parents who tour the
world and having somebody who's now on top of the world,
(11:10):
literally on top of a mountain. Atlas, as you know,
is a book of maps of the world. So I think,
I look, I think it's a great story. I'll be
interested to see how it gets covered real quick. You
might be getting a free preview of this on our
Challenge Mania podcast speed. If you are doing that, we
thank you, but we are going to say goodbye to
you in probably ten fifteen minutes when we do kick
(11:30):
it over to challengemaniacs dot com. It's how you can
get the full bonus episode here. If you want to
catch up on our full season of bonus podcasts, you
can do that. You can get full video of all
of our podcasts and interviews, some of them look like this.
Derek's down there in Morgantown, West Virginia. I'm here in
New York. But we did bank a few podcasts while
we were in Nashville. You can go check out full
in person interviews. Derek and I did the part one
of the Finals together. We did a full episode five
(11:53):
hundred interview with Noney. That's great, that's already up. You
can watch that, and then episode five oh one with
John A was done in person as well. So hopefully
we're going to be have Sketch Media come with us
and do some more of those in the future. But
even if you're just watching us here on stream Yard,
where we have a guest early in ad free audio,
full video, it's a great perk, as is pre sales
to our live shows and events. Next Wednesday, December the
tenth pre sale for Chicago Bowls too, gonna be Mark
(12:15):
long west Bergman, myself and many other of our challenge
favorites in Chicago on Sunday, March the first. But look,
by the way, we should say a big thank you
to everybody forgetting this episode five hundred. Now that's been
officially posted. We did record it a week and a
half ago or so, but it's officially posted on the feed.
We've gotten great feedback for it. I did record a
little preamble thanking everybody, but just to go to still
(12:39):
what I was saying about Level, where it's like, Look,
this episode is not sponsored by this book but us
Challenge Mania, right, This entire operation has been sponsored directly,
very directly, not even indirectly, by the levels of the world,
by all of you guys, the thousands of patrons who
have it, whether it's one dollar or I mean, I
did the math. If you've been a Diesel Level patron
of ours since two thousand and eight, you've contributed over
(13:01):
four thousand dollars to Challenge Mania over the years. Now
hopefully we've made it worth your while and given back
to you. But that's more money than I've ever let
a friend, family member, or a neighbor borrow in my life,
let alone given them. So you guys very much have
brought Challenge Mania to the world. Every episode we've done
has been brought to you by you guys. So that
of course includes Level, who looks started as a patron
(13:23):
reached out has come to many of our shows and
stuff like that. Has become a friend over the years.
I had the pleasure of hosting the talk at his
book event, the launch event here in New York City
this week. He's gone out to dinner with us a
few times in North Carolina, where he's from. And actually
in this book, if you go and you look at
the acknowledgments, we are very humble that we are thanked
along with Right here he wrote there boom it says.
(13:46):
It says, I suspect I've consumed too much reality TV
over the last twenty five years to comprehensively attribute specifics
to any one source or inspiration. But nonetheless, if you
want some top tier reality TV podcasts, then I highly
recommend Derek is In and Scott Yeager's Challenge Mania. And
then he names a bunch of other ones I won't
waste your time with, but they're also great too, And
(14:06):
he actually names he names a bunch of the cast
members that he's had dinner with uh with us and
things like that. So honestly, UH, check out the book,
The Book of Luke. But also I just used that
as a way to thank you guys again forgetting us
to five hundred numbered episodes. But if you include all
the episode breakdowns, live shows, Survivor, Mania's Child, accepted, all
that stuff we've done over I think it's over fifteen
hundred to two thousand podcasts, So we would not still
(14:27):
be doing this today. Uh. If we would be, we
would be with the Fesci podcasts and the and the
Jemmy podcast if it wasn't for you guys, I'll say that.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
So yeah, yeah, and then yeah, I guess I I
you know, it's just it's I don't even know what's called.
Like he's just such a smart dude, Like I don't know,
I mean, just like to write a book and then
to be acknowledged for, you know, be thanked for it
in some way, shape or form, is uh, you know,
just just uh, you know, I'm just kind of, you know,
(14:56):
blown away because.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
He went to he went to Princeton, and he went
to Princeton and Brown. So he went to Princeton runderground
Brown for his MFA. Uh So, just in case anyone listening,
he doesn't know, Princeton and Brown are like two of
the best five schools in the world.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
So we are not worthy. We are not worthy here,
we are do.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Do do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Dooo in
our Wayne's World studio, saying we are not worthy level.
Congratulations on that book. I have my copy. I'm gonna
try to read it. I'm the worst reader. It makes
me read and I'm smarter to read.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Please, we're all ruined. We've all been ruined by podcasts
and tiktoks and this and that. I'm embarrassed by how
little I read these days. And I was telling him
this because I look for me. It's not first of all,
the book is great. It's not because the book, but
to me just to try to find the time to
sit down but also train my brain not to want
to have a podcast on or be scrolling or whatever. Uh.
(15:50):
It took me a while. But the books that it
reminds me of. Uh. Even though these books have nothing
to do with the subject matter. This is about uh, well,
it's about has a little bit of politics in a
lot of like uh, current social issues, but takes place
in the world of reality TV, a long standing reality
competition show that takes people from every show, sort of
like the challenge called Endeavor. But it reminded me of
(16:10):
this book called Ready Player, one that got turned into
a Steven Spielberg movie that's more about going into this
world of video games and this and that, but the
way that he establishes the world and actually, like by
by chapter four, you understand the show. And especially if
you're one of us who watches reality shows, you get
all these terms. You know, oh that put in there's
part dark. You will get PTSD readings of this because
(16:31):
he'll be like, and then we got on the bus
and they put us on ice. That means you can't
talk blah blah blah. Like he trust me. He's done
his homework a lot of which through Challenge Mania and
conversations with cast members, but just the suspense and the
idea that it's sort of a show within a book,
if you will, It reminded me both of Ernest Klein
and Ready Player one and if you guys, it's been
a while now, and I know he had some follow ups,
(16:52):
but the books that you might remember by this guy,
Dan Brown are the Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons.
And the thing he does that that guy does is
he and a lot of chapters with like a banger reveal,
like the last sentence of a chapter will be like
you know, and I'm just making this up. This is
a bad example, but like the last few sentences will
be like and that's when he realized he would never
see him again. And then you're like, oh, I gotta
(17:13):
find out why, you know, And then the next chapter
is going somewhere else, so you don't even find out
why for a couple chapters. So anyway, check out the
Book of Luke. Trust me, it's not hyperbole, and this
is honestly. You will read this book and you will
pick up so many anecdotes that he clearly got from
the Challenge Survivor, Big Brother, Amazing Race, the shows themselves,
but literally things that people have said on our show
(17:34):
because a lot of the behind the scenes tidbits that
they don't talk about on the show you need to
talk about in a book like this, because this book
is not about watching the show. It's about making the show.
It's about the characters who are on the show their
real lives and then going back onto the show and
it's being made. All the producers, camera people are also characters.
It's really effing cool. So check it out. The Book
of Luke out today, and I believe five patrons are
(17:57):
getting gifted a copy. And by the way, the way
I picked who is getting him was I didn't want
any Dereks or Scott's getting them. So I go comment
with how many books you've read this year? And some
of these motherfuckers. Let me just tell you, guys, I'm
humbled at you that you listen to our Some of
people were like, I'm on book fifty nine. Somebody had
one hundred and twelve books, and I was like, and
I was like, good, that's who's getting this, because that's
who will literally read or listen to this within a week.
(18:19):
But yeah, because look I get it, man, like you
and me. It's and people. It's not just you and me,
a the younger people as well, but even people of
our generation that grew up I hope reading books at
times like when did you used to read a book?
I would be like on a train where I had nothing
else to do. Now, you know, we've got these little
machoite we got a little laptops with us, you know,
and we're blessed because a lot of people, instead of
reading books decide to watch or listen to Challenge Mania.
(18:41):
So we thank you guys, but hey, put us down
for a little bit and check out the Book of Luke.
All right, let's get back to the Book of Olivia.
Let's get oh real quick. I got a shout out
so so so Sydney. This is how gangster Sydney is,
by the way, so I got to also shout out
Justin Shane, another longtime Challenge Mania patron. He comes to
all of our New York shows and events. He works
(19:02):
for the Jets. We've been uh he was actually my
fantasy football co owner last year. We've been trying for
for years to kind of make a Jets game happen.
I was always trying, and you know how it always
works with these schedules where it's like we only get
to New York to do a show a couple of
times a year. Football schedules only eight home games, blah blah.
Never lined up. So then this year I was just like,
let's just pick a week where it's not even the
Challenge Man the event, and I'll just ask all the
(19:23):
locals if they want to come. So on Sunday, we
finally did a Jets game home against the Falcons. Football weather,
if you will. It poured like NonStop, but I got
to bring brock Anissa was supposed to join us, but
unfortunately had the bail last minute. But we had Michelle
Pizgerald was there, Queen Sidney was there. Leo was there.
Came down from Connecticut running amuck in New York City,
by the way, all weekend. So I apologize to here any
(19:45):
of your daughters out there who may have read it,
but Leo this weekend and h Ryan KEYO Ryan Key
of course. And this is the coolest part. Jay Mitchell
who Jay, you know, drink the drink Jay not not
survivor Jay who I, by the way, adore this guy. Yes,
so he's he's every time he sees this in one
of these games. He goes and we're posting the first pitch,
he goes, bro, he goes, if you can ever get
(20:05):
me to one of these pleas? And so, of course
who was one of the first people I texted. I said, hey,
November thirties, put on your calendar. He brought his girlfriend,
also a firefighter, and it just so happened to also
be First Responders Day where they were honoring a firefighter
who passed away a few weeks ago who they knew.
They knew this firefighter that they were honoring, and they
had his family there, so just that randomly happened. And dude,
(20:28):
so they rolled out the red carpet. We got to
go down the field for the warm up savasol Vip
area there. Ray Romano was there from Everybody loves Raymond.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Method Man was there, Michael Gandelfieni James Gandelfini's son was
there and I'm a big Sopranos guy, so it's cool
talking to him. And then and then Josh Sagara, who
is an actor who does a lot of Broadway but
he's also done a lot of movies and TVs and
Scream few other things. He comes up to us because
him and his wife and his kids were and they
were massive Challenge fans, so he was just coming up
to us a ton just loved that, wanted to meet
(20:59):
every single cast. Remember, he was super cool. So I
say all this to a thank Justin and Jessica and
the staff of the Jets and everybody who had us.
It was awesome. But on the comments, so the Jets
actually posted us on their social media, they had us
in their story. You know, they were very night whatever,
and Sydney comments on the Jets post you're welcome Jets
(21:19):
for me coming, And I'm like, she can't even break
character to like send a heartfelt thank you to the Jets.
And I know she would peak it out and had
a great time, but she won't even break character for
a second. She's still gonna go with the you're lucky
to have me there. You know you're lucky, You're you're
lucky that I that I could.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Have her, very MJF of her.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Here's what I'll say about her, man, I don't care. Look,
I think that, and I know she's been very outspoken
about not wanting to do another season. I hope she reconsiders.
I hope they throw the bag at her, even though
I know they're stubborn about, oh, it's only your second season. Sorry,
we got to offer you that, whatever it is, because
I think she has to be the number one draft
pick to come back from this loaded season. You can't
(22:02):
have everybody back, sixteen rookies, you can't bring back all sixteen.
But we talked about I think it was with John A, right,
we kind of did a little mini draft or whatever.
Maybe it was Nannie and and like, I think she
has to be the number one draft pick. What's what
do you say to that.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Yeah, I think, I think, I think so, I think you.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Can over yearmy who wins even over yearmy?
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yeah, you know this is this show's nothing against hear me.
I mean, super nice guy, you know, in our little industry,
in our industry, it's very much like nice guys finished last.
I've been the nice guy finished last many times. Haven't
been called back many times. A good athlete, great guy,
you know too nice that's but but again, like he
(22:55):
plays the game, he was risky and uh, you know
that one risk like had the whole butterfly effect going.
He's one of the main reasons why he had that
big blow up deliberation at the end of it. And yeah,
maybe it's like one moment and it's like he kind
of gets out of it unscathed and he goes in
there and he likes, you know, he steals, he steals,
(23:16):
he steals.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
The moment that was like, you know, that was like
the play.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Of the season, right, Like had he not look, had
he stayed with a Viv, maybe they lose to Mickayla
in that elimination, So had you know or or maybe
or maybe, which is why you look back at it
now and you go Aviv are you still not mad
at this guy for jumping ship? Like you know, and
(23:43):
and she's so gracious again another one that's like so nice,
but like, you know, had she not like accepted the
fact that her partner was going to leave her at
the you know, end of the game and the fourth
quarter basically you know, uh like to say himself, like,
we don't have this like deliberation, this historical deliberation. We're
(24:06):
all looking at each other like or they're all looking
at each other like fucking.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Everyone's guns out.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Everyone's pointing their guns like it's a let's say, movie's
smoking gun. You have smoking aces, you say, we're smoking aces.
But they're all just like you know, and it's like
Will and Non you're you know, pointing their guns at
each other and they're like, well, we're not gonna shoot
each other, right, and then bam they shoot each other.
It's all basically Jeremy's fault. So it's like, can you
not take that into consideration when you're you're you're casting.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
I don't know, just just kind of snooze fest.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
I have a little tidbit about how maybe Army could
be a little bit more exciting. Maybe why he is
but could be, but isn't. I'll put a same for
patreonsuse I think it's more uh more Patreon fodder. So
let's say goodbye to the main feed. And here's what
I'm gonna I'm gonna tease everybody with we'll talk about
this and be our first subject for the main feed.
But man, we talked about it last week. I think
I called it no staking of acclaim, and man, did
(25:03):
that look like a bad decision for about I don't
know six out of the eight people here who didn't
end up winning not named Olivia and Jeremie. So we're
going to talk about that at Patreon dot com slash
Challenge Mania aka Challengemaniacs dot com. Head there. If you
want to watch the rest of this podcast, watch all
of our podcasts all that bonus content. Remember to pick
up the Book of Luke by Level Holder out today
(25:24):
and take it away TJ. All right, guys, this sends
your time here on Challenge Mania. Take care of yourselves
and hopefully we'll see him the TC. What's up? Challenge Maniac?
Scott here to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving and
to remind you that we are returning to the big
Room at Citywinery, New York City on Friday, January twenty third. Boy,
(25:48):
do we have an exciting list of guests to announce
if you haven't heard it yet. Mark Long, westn Bergman,
Michelle Fitzgerald, and car Maria Sorbelo will all be in
the house, and as you know, we will have a
ton of additional guests and surprises, as we always do
in New York City. You can already get tickets a
challenge MANI a dot Live, So stop what you're doing
right now and go and get them. No pre sale,
no password. They're already on sale, they have been for
(26:08):
a few days. There are still some VIP meet and
greet tickets left. And boy, are you going to want
to be part of this meet and Greek because just
announced That's right, they just dropped the checklist. So I
can formally announce this Tops Allen and Ginter, that awesome
line of cards that drops every single year in the
fall and winter, is dropping next week. I believe it
is December. Last year we had CT and Derek in
(26:30):
the line. Well guess what this year, all four of
those people I just named are getting official Tops cards.
Mark Long, who already got one. Earlier this year he
got his first Pitch card, but now he's getting a
Ginter card. Also westn Bergman, Michelle Fitzgerald, and Carl Maria Soorbelo.
I believe they all have relic cards as well, which
will have patches or pieces of their jersey or other
forms of wardrobe that they submitted to tops. You have over
(26:53):
a month to get those, whether you buy the boxes
the packs, just go on eBay and grab singles, bring
them to the meet and greet. They will sign them.
That show on January twenty third is meant to highlight
and celebrate them being in this awesome line of cards.
We're going to talk about it on stage. Also in
this line, I had no idea about this. Jamie Chung
is getting a card as well. Survivor winner Ethan's on
two and tons of awesome celebrities like Brian Cranston, Al Pacino,
(27:16):
Larry David. It is loaded with celebs Drewski. Go and
pick up Alan and Gintery. Can pre order it now.
It'll drop on your door on December third, or go
start looking for it in the card shops beginning on
the third. But more importantly than that, go to Challengemania
dot Live. Get your tickets. It's our first New York
City show of twenty twenty six. Hopefully not our last,
but it is certainly our first. Turns out now it's
(27:38):
our first show of the year, So celebrate ringing in
the new year with us at City Winery on Friday,
January twenty third. Pick up your boxes at Ginter starting
next week. Happy Thanksgiving and let's see you in New
York City. On January twenty third.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
The Challenge Mania Shop is open. Head over to challenge
Mania dot Shop today for the best way to support
the podcast while looking good doing it.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
New designs and items added every few weeks.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Maniacs time to mobilize. Check out challenge Mania dot Shop today.
What's up, everybody. This is Scott Jeger here with a
good old fashioned Challenge Mania episode breakdown. Not just any
episode breakdown. This is the big one about to talk
about part two of the final of season forty one,
aka this season finale. This episode is brought to you
by the Book of Luke by Level Holder. That's right,
(00:35):
a long time Challenge Mania patron and a good friend
just dropped his novel that is about the wacky and
wild world of reality TV. He has constructed a fake
reality show, a scripted reality show, if you will, not scripted.
It's unscripted called Endeavor. That's the world that this book
exists in. Trust me. This is like if Uniman Murray
(00:57):
were Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy. The drama there. It
is sexy, it is cool. I've read the whole thing.
Really excited to be talking to you about this book here,
and Level doesn't even even though I'm doing this, so
it's not like this is a sponsorship or anything like that.
I'm just so excited and proud of him for this
book that I want you guys to check it out.
It is from Hatchet Book Group and Grand Central Publishing
(01:18):
can get it everywhere. You get your books. Guys. This
is an advanced copy, so you're not gonna get one
of these. You're gonna get it in hard copy, and
you can also get it in the audiobook form. And
Level was nice enough to give away five copies to
Challenge Mania patrons. So go and check out the Book
of Luke out today. Trust me, you guys will enjoy it.
All right. You didn't come for me, You came for
d d. We finally found out who our champions are
(01:42):
of season forty one. What's up, mister Derek Kazinski? How
are you, buddy?
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah, another grueling final turbo at the forefront of it,
except now not in first place but in second place.
Hell of a season for you know, people like Sydney,
who's obviously made a name for herself. She can I'm
sure she'll be on the you know, short call list
(02:08):
in future.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
She's both great, you know on the commentary end.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
She's a killer on the field, absolute killer on the field.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Olivia and year me with the.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Immaculate comeback and you know, coming from fourth place literally
on Connect four, can't beat anybody. Olivia loses to THEO
a board game that they that that she hasn't still
hasn't beat him in She loses to him on the mountain,
falls all the way back to fourth place, and somehow
miraculously they beat Turbo and Sydney up this mountain. Adrian
(02:43):
and theo uh you know, the the comeback King and
Queen all season long uh end up, you know, making
their way all the way up to second place off
of Connect.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Four and then fall all the way.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Back into last place and do not complete the final.
Cedric and Mikayla Mikayla literally uh you know it's got
the herd ankle all you know, maybe all you know,
close to all season long, and she makes it up
this mountain, uh, you know, getting up to second place
there after Connect four and then them dropping back into third. Uh.
(03:17):
Not only does she finish the mountain, uh, but uh
this is this is kind of her story. What was
she did not finish uh the last final she was in.
And then her new threat partner, the the the number
one pick in the draft. He's up there standing. Everyone
(03:39):
else is like, this is the hardest thing they've ever
been through. Laying on the ground, this guy's standing up,
you know. Tarbo's getting life flighted out and this guy
is just like, yeah, you know, just you know, enjoying
you know, the the you know the breeze up here.
You know it just I feel like, you know, it
(04:00):
was a great season. I'm surprised. I'm wondering, like, how
many people actually watch this thing because of course you
lost your Johnny's and your cts early on, and everything's
on streaming and stuff like that, and obviously there's all
these changes being made to you know, paramount MTV. Who
knows what's going on with MTV. You know, Rest in
Peace the music video. So I thought it was an
(04:23):
incredible ending, especially with the whole montage with uh, you know,
THEO and in Olivia and you know the you know,
the baby just came, you know, a few days ago,
November twentieth, I think he was born. So what an
incredible like way to enter the world. I think it's
baby Atlas. Welcome baby Atlas. Your mother is a fucking
(04:45):
challenge champion.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
I think champion, right, Atlas beat Turbo up the mountain.
So yeah, so congratulations to them. They just just posted that.
I believe he's born around November twentieth or something like that.
Came a little bit early.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I think she announced on announced on Thanksgiving came November twentieth.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
It was two weeks early.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah, yeah, and so five pounds, five pounds, five pounds,
five pounces.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
It will be interesting to know how they end up
kind of following up with this. Obviously, the reunion has
already been filmed, and it was filmed months ago when
baby Atlas is still very much inside mommy, right. But
but I think, you know, I mean, you might know
more than me because you were there. But it'll be
interesting to see how this is covered because look, I mean,
we talked about it on our next episode with John
(05:37):
Ay you'll you'll hear some of that. We've talked about
it for the last eight years we've been doing this podcast.
The challenge and pregnancies go together like ham and cheese,
you know. For whatever reason. I like to think it's
because they cast very, very sexually active people for this show,
both who maybe get it in before they leave and
then maybe part take on the show a little bit
(05:57):
as well. We have the luxury I think of knowing
via I think it's Olivia Theo and Derek Shavas at
this point have said that I believe this baby was
consummated or or whatever the word is on Derek's birthday
party that episode which was like you know, episode two
or three something like that, when we got the car
a roast. But so I mean this, I mean this
(06:18):
is kind of one of the crazier things we've ever
had on reality TV. Like I think that in sports,
I believe Serena Williams competed in a tennis tournament or
two while she was pregnant. We've seen Beyonce do some
pretty crazy performances while pregnant. It's weird where the line
is right because obviously the challenge involves a lot of
stunts and other things. But it's not like doctors flat
out tell you once you're pregnant you can't leave your house.
(06:40):
I remember when Lindsay was pregnant. She started asking our
doctor like, you know, when should I stop playing pickleball? This? That,
whatever it was, I forget And they even cited Serena Williams.
They were like the kind they kind of they went, uh, well,
Serena Williams won the US OP but while she was pregnant.
So unless you feel like you're better than Serena Williams,
I feel like you can keep playing pick a ball whatever,
and we were like, oh, okay, a little sassy doctor,
but either way, So we just had a woman who
(07:02):
was pregnant, whether she knew it or not, and I'm
sure maybe we'll learn more about that as we go.
We had a woman who was pregnant just win one
of the toughest reality shows ever. I mean, when you
saw the clock at the end, it was it twenty
six hours that she competed, She went up a mountain,
she beat a challenge champion in Turbo, a marathon runner
in Sydney, and now the baby we know is here
and happy and healthy. So I think it's one of
(07:23):
the one of the craziest stories. And that's kind of
the headline. I think. I wonder if that will be
the headline though, because you wonder how much is the
show going to embrace that aspect of the narrative. Are
they maybe gonna tiptoe to the back of like does
this make us look like we should have known or
caught this earlier? Was this potentially unsafe? I am interested
(07:44):
because I have no idea. I am interested now to
see how this gets covered over the next few weeks,
beginning with I believe Olivia is gonna be on the
Official Challenge podcast. We'll hear that, we'll see how it's
covered at the reunion and whatnot. But that's that's Number one.
A for me is how do they do they waive
this baby like a like a like a flag and
a badge of honor of like, hey, how cool is this? Yeah?
(08:04):
Or they kind of big about it because if you
saw at the end of this episode, it was and
then a few months later, you know, and it's just
them rubbing the tummy and it's not you know, you know,
you know what I mean. So I wonder if they're
cool with the people who know knowing, but I wonder
if they're really gonna really go through with.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
The like, hey, well, you wonder what the new parents,
you know, what the new parents are gonna say about
it and how much they're gonna want to embrace it
or not. But I think it's I think it's like
a you know, an ode to like all of the
you know, bad ass all the moms out there who
are carrying children and still doing badass things. Yea, this
is like the highest of the mountain, right, Like this
(08:41):
is the hot like potentially the highest you can go
at while pregnant, right, you can go eleven thousand feet
in elevation up a mountain.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Well that's where that's where I'm pretty sure. I don't
know if they would like, let's say, you know, voluntary
rock like I'll put it through this way. When you
go to Disney World, you're not supposed to go on
the Safari if you're pregnant, you know, I mean, and
that's driving around in a van, you know. So I'm
just saying so. So my point is that obviously, the
big what if here is that who knew? Did she know? Whatever? Look,
we'll tease the John A podcast a little bit. We
(09:11):
talk about it with her mileage varies on who thinks,
you know, how obvious it was in during this game
and in this game Personally, I don't think it matters
at all. I think I think it's dope and cool
either way, because you know, ultimately it's, in my opinion,
the person's decision, I think. And who knows. She didn't
know for sure, so who knows, she goes, she gets
checked out for that, and then they realize, oh, maybe
(09:32):
your temperature is a little high. Should go home anyway?
You know, you know, I get it. I hear the
first rule of the challenges never go see the doctor.
I get it. So congratulations to Olivia and Jeremy. The
only thing I gotta say about Jeremy is, I mean,
you're slacking, bro. You you weren't pregnant, all right, Like,
I mean, come on, so you know, a couple of
flowers for Jeremy, but a million flowers for Olivia. That's
(09:52):
all I'll say. Come on, Jeremy, step up your game.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yeah you wonder if like I'm sure they can't do
studies on this, but like you wonder like now the
baby comes out with like stronger lungs or something like
that since it's gone through like the elevation. I don't know,
I don't know how developed the baby is at that point,
but like you know, they say, like I think this
is an absolutely terrible example, but like if the mom's
(10:16):
like doing drugs, you know, early on with the baby,
then maybe the baby is now you know, needs is
like kind of you know, yeah, you.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Know, messed up.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
But now like maybe like since it's been to you know,
eleven thousand feet elevation and climbed the mountain, maybe like
comes out and has like super lungs.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Maybe sounds like a superhero story to me, right, like.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Some I mean people, I mean, you hear about Spider
Man getting bit by a spider Like this guy's got
you know, a.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
THEO jeans in him on top of you know, the
the Challenge jeans.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Now, I'll be honest, I'll be honest. Atlas did better
than THEO did his final say that real quick? Can
we say that real quick? By the way, aptly named
because as I mean, having two parents who tour the
world and having somebody who's now on top of the world,
(11:10):
literally on top of a mountain. Atlas, as you know,
is a book of maps of the world. So I think,
I look, I think it's a great story. I'll be
interested to see how it gets covered real quick. You
might be getting a free preview of this on our
Challenge Mania podcast speed. If you are doing that, we
thank you, but we are going to say goodbye to
you in probably ten fifteen minutes when we do kick
(11:30):
it over to challengemaniacs dot com. It's how you can
get the full bonus episode here. If you want to
catch up on our full season of bonus podcasts, you
can do that. You can get full video of all
of our podcasts and interviews, some of them look like this.
Derek's down there in Morgantown, West Virginia. I'm here in
New York. But we did bank a few podcasts while
we were in Nashville. You can go check out full
in person interviews. Derek and I did the part one
of the Finals together. We did a full episode five
(11:53):
hundred interview with Noney. That's great, that's already up. You
can watch that, and then episode five oh one with
John A was done in person as well. So hopefully
we're going to be have Sketch Media come with us
and do some more of those in the future. But
even if you're just watching us here on stream Yard,
where we have a guest early in ad free audio,
full video, it's a great perk, as is pre sales
to our live shows and events. Next Wednesday, December the
tenth pre sale for Chicago Bowls too, gonna be Mark
(12:15):
long west Bergman, myself and many other of our challenge
favorites in Chicago on Sunday, March the first. But look,
by the way, we should say a big thank you
to everybody forgetting this episode five hundred. Now that's been
officially posted. We did record it a week and a
half ago or so, but it's officially posted on the feed.
We've gotten great feedback for it. I did record a
little preamble thanking everybody, but just to go to still
(12:39):
what I was saying about Level, where it's like, Look,
this episode is not sponsored by this book but us
Challenge Mania, right, This entire operation has been sponsored directly,
very directly, not even indirectly, by the levels of the world,
by all of you guys, the thousands of patrons who
have it, whether it's one dollar or I mean, I
did the math. If you've been a Diesel Level patron
of ours since two thousand and eight, you've contributed over
(13:01):
four thousand dollars to Challenge Mania over the years. Now
hopefully we've made it worth your while and given back
to you. But that's more money than I've ever let
a friend, family member, or a neighbor borrow in my life,
let alone given them. So you guys very much have
brought Challenge Mania to the world. Every episode we've done
has been brought to you by you guys. So that
of course includes Level, who looks started as a patron
(13:23):
reached out has come to many of our shows and
stuff like that. Has become a friend over the years.
I had the pleasure of hosting the talk at his
book event, the launch event here in New York City
this week. He's gone out to dinner with us a
few times in North Carolina, where he's from. And actually
in this book, if you go and you look at
the acknowledgments, we are very humble that we are thanked
along with Right here he wrote there boom it says.
(13:46):
It says, I suspect I've consumed too much reality TV
over the last twenty five years to comprehensively attribute specifics
to any one source or inspiration. But nonetheless, if you
want some top tier reality TV podcasts, then I highly
recommend Derek is In and Scott Yeager's Challenge Mania. And
then he names a bunch of other ones I won't
waste your time with, but they're also great too, And
(14:06):
he actually names he names a bunch of the cast
members that he's had dinner with uh with us and
things like that. So honestly, UH, check out the book,
The Book of Luke. But also I just used that
as a way to thank you guys again forgetting us
to five hundred numbered episodes. But if you include all
the episode breakdowns, live shows, Survivor, Mania's Child, accepted, all
that stuff we've done over I think it's over fifteen
hundred to two thousand podcasts, So we would not still
(14:27):
be doing this today. Uh. If we would be, we
would be with the Fesci podcasts and the and the
Jemmy podcast if it wasn't for you guys, I'll say that.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
So yeah, yeah, and then yeah, I guess I I
you know, it's just it's I don't even know what's called.
Like he's just such a smart dude, Like I don't know,
I mean, just like to write a book and then
to be acknowledged for, you know, be thanked for it
in some way, shape or form, is uh, you know,
just just uh, you know, I'm just kind of, you know,
(14:56):
blown away because.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
He went to he went to Princeton, and he went
to Princeton and Brown. So he went to Princeton runderground
Brown for his MFA. Uh So, just in case anyone listening,
he doesn't know, Princeton and Brown are like two of
the best five schools in the world.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
So we are not worthy. We are not worthy here,
we are do.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Do do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Dooo in
our Wayne's World studio, saying we are not worthy level.
Congratulations on that book. I have my copy. I'm gonna
try to read it. I'm the worst reader. It makes
me read and I'm smarter to read.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Please, we're all ruined. We've all been ruined by podcasts
and tiktoks and this and that. I'm embarrassed by how
little I read these days. And I was telling him
this because I look for me. It's not first of all,
the book is great. It's not because the book, but
to me just to try to find the time to
sit down but also train my brain not to want
to have a podcast on or be scrolling or whatever. Uh.
(15:50):
It took me a while. But the books that it
reminds me of. Uh. Even though these books have nothing
to do with the subject matter. This is about uh, well,
it's about has a little bit of politics in a
lot of like uh, current social issues, but takes place
in the world of reality TV, a long standing reality
competition show that takes people from every show, sort of
like the challenge called Endeavor. But it reminded me of
(16:10):
this book called Ready Player, one that got turned into
a Steven Spielberg movie that's more about going into this
world of video games and this and that, but the
way that he establishes the world and actually, like by
by chapter four, you understand the show. And especially if
you're one of us who watches reality shows, you get
all these terms. You know, oh that put in there's
part dark. You will get PTSD readings of this because
(16:31):
he'll be like, and then we got on the bus
and they put us on ice. That means you can't
talk blah blah blah. Like he trust me. He's done
his homework a lot of which through Challenge Mania and
conversations with cast members, but just the suspense and the
idea that it's sort of a show within a book,
if you will, It reminded me both of Ernest Klein
and Ready Player one and if you guys, it's been
a while now, and I know he had some follow ups,
(16:52):
but the books that you might remember by this guy,
Dan Brown are the Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons.
And the thing he does that that guy does is
he and a lot of chapters with like a banger reveal,
like the last sentence of a chapter will be like
you know, and I'm just making this up. This is
a bad example, but like the last few sentences will
be like and that's when he realized he would never
see him again. And then you're like, oh, I gotta
(17:13):
find out why, you know, And then the next chapter
is going somewhere else, so you don't even find out
why for a couple chapters. So anyway, check out the
Book of Luke. Trust me, it's not hyperbole, and this
is honestly. You will read this book and you will
pick up so many anecdotes that he clearly got from
the Challenge Survivor, Big Brother, Amazing Race, the shows themselves,
but literally things that people have said on our show
(17:34):
because a lot of the behind the scenes tidbits that
they don't talk about on the show you need to
talk about in a book like this, because this book
is not about watching the show. It's about making the show.
It's about the characters who are on the show their
real lives and then going back onto the show and
it's being made. All the producers, camera people are also characters.
It's really effing cool. So check it out. The Book
of Luke out today, and I believe five patrons are
(17:57):
getting gifted a copy. And by the way, the way
I picked who is getting him was I didn't want
any Dereks or Scott's getting them. So I go comment
with how many books you've read this year? And some
of these motherfuckers. Let me just tell you, guys, I'm
humbled at you that you listen to our Some of
people were like, I'm on book fifty nine. Somebody had
one hundred and twelve books, and I was like, and
I was like, good, that's who's getting this, because that's
who will literally read or listen to this within a week.
(18:19):
But yeah, because look I get it, man, like you
and me. It's and people. It's not just you and me,
a the younger people as well, but even people of
our generation that grew up I hope reading books at
times like when did you used to read a book?
I would be like on a train where I had nothing
else to do. Now, you know, we've got these little
machoite we got a little laptops with us, you know,
and we're blessed because a lot of people, instead of
reading books decide to watch or listen to Challenge Mania.
(18:41):
So we thank you guys, but hey, put us down
for a little bit and check out the Book of Luke.
All right, let's get back to the Book of Olivia.
Let's get oh real quick. I got a shout out
so so so Sydney. This is how gangster Sydney is,
by the way, so I got to also shout out
Justin Shane, another longtime Challenge Mania patron. He comes to
all of our New York shows and events. He works
(19:02):
for the Jets. We've been uh he was actually my
fantasy football co owner last year. We've been trying for
for years to kind of make a Jets game happen.
I was always trying, and you know how it always
works with these schedules where it's like we only get
to New York to do a show a couple of
times a year. Football schedules only eight home games, blah blah.
Never lined up. So then this year I was just like,
let's just pick a week where it's not even the
Challenge Man the event, and I'll just ask all the
(19:23):
locals if they want to come. So on Sunday, we
finally did a Jets game home against the Falcons. Football weather,
if you will. It poured like NonStop, but I got
to bring brock Anissa was supposed to join us, but
unfortunately had the bail last minute. But we had Michelle
Pizgerald was there, Queen Sidney was there. Leo was there.
Came down from Connecticut running amuck in New York City,
by the way, all weekend. So I apologize to here any
(19:45):
of your daughters out there who may have read it,
but Leo this weekend and h Ryan KEYO Ryan Key
of course. And this is the coolest part. Jay Mitchell
who Jay, you know, drink the drink Jay not not
survivor Jay who I, by the way, adore this guy. Yes,
so he's he's every time he sees this in one
of these games. He goes and we're posting the first pitch,
he goes, bro, he goes, if you can ever get
(20:05):
me to one of these pleas? And so, of course
who was one of the first people I texted. I said, hey,
November thirties, put on your calendar. He brought his girlfriend,
also a firefighter, and it just so happened to also
be First Responders Day where they were honoring a firefighter
who passed away a few weeks ago who they knew.
They knew this firefighter that they were honoring, and they
had his family there, so just that randomly happened. And dude,
(20:28):
so they rolled out the red carpet. We got to
go down the field for the warm up savasol Vip
area there. Ray Romano was there from Everybody loves Raymond.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Method Man was there, Michael Gandelfieni James Gandelfini's son was
there and I'm a big Sopranos guy, so it's cool
talking to him. And then and then Josh Sagara, who
is an actor who does a lot of Broadway but
he's also done a lot of movies and TVs and
Scream few other things. He comes up to us because
him and his wife and his kids were and they
were massive Challenge fans, so he was just coming up
to us a ton just loved that, wanted to meet
(20:59):
every single cast. Remember, he was super cool. So I
say all this to a thank Justin and Jessica and
the staff of the Jets and everybody who had us.
It was awesome. But on the comments, so the Jets
actually posted us on their social media, they had us
in their story. You know, they were very night whatever,
and Sydney comments on the Jets post you're welcome Jets
(21:19):
for me coming, And I'm like, she can't even break
character to like send a heartfelt thank you to the Jets.
And I know she would peak it out and had
a great time, but she won't even break character for
a second. She's still gonna go with the you're lucky
to have me there. You know you're lucky, You're you're
lucky that I that I could.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Have her, very MJF of her.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Here's what I'll say about her, man, I don't care. Look,
I think that, and I know she's been very outspoken
about not wanting to do another season. I hope she reconsiders.
I hope they throw the bag at her, even though
I know they're stubborn about, oh, it's only your second season. Sorry,
we got to offer you that, whatever it is, because
I think she has to be the number one draft
pick to come back from this loaded season. You can't
(22:02):
have everybody back, sixteen rookies, you can't bring back all sixteen.
But we talked about I think it was with John A, right,
we kind of did a little mini draft or whatever.
Maybe it was Nannie and and like, I think she
has to be the number one draft pick. What's what
do you say to that.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Yeah, I think, I think, I think so, I think you.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Can over yearmy who wins even over yearmy?
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yeah, you know this is this show's nothing against hear me.
I mean, super nice guy, you know, in our little industry,
in our industry, it's very much like nice guys finished last.
I've been the nice guy finished last many times. Haven't
been called back many times. A good athlete, great guy,
you know too nice that's but but again, like he
(22:55):
plays the game, he was risky and uh, you know
that one risk like had the whole butterfly effect going.
He's one of the main reasons why he had that
big blow up deliberation at the end of it. And yeah,
maybe it's like one moment and it's like he kind
of gets out of it unscathed and he goes in
there and he likes, you know, he steals, he steals,
(23:16):
he steals.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
The moment that was like, you know, that was like
the play.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Of the season, right, Like had he not look, had
he stayed with a Viv, maybe they lose to Mickayla
in that elimination, So had you know or or maybe
or maybe, which is why you look back at it
now and you go Aviv are you still not mad
at this guy for jumping ship? Like you know, and
(23:43):
and she's so gracious again another one that's like so nice,
but like, you know, had she not like accepted the
fact that her partner was going to leave her at
the you know, end of the game and the fourth
quarter basically you know, uh like to say himself, like,
we don't have this like deliberation, this historical deliberation. We're
(24:06):
all looking at each other like or they're all looking
at each other like fucking.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Everyone's guns out.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Everyone's pointing their guns like it's a let's say, movie's
smoking gun. You have smoking aces, you say, we're smoking aces.
But they're all just like you know, and it's like
Will and Non you're you know, pointing their guns at
each other and they're like, well, we're not gonna shoot
each other, right, and then bam they shoot each other.
It's all basically Jeremy's fault. So it's like, can you
not take that into consideration when you're you're you're casting.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
I don't know, just just kind of snooze fest.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
I have a little tidbit about how maybe Army could
be a little bit more exciting. Maybe why he is
but could be, but isn't. I'll put a same for
patreonsuse I think it's more uh more Patreon fodder. So
let's say goodbye to the main feed. And here's what
I'm gonna I'm gonna tease everybody with we'll talk about
this and be our first subject for the main feed.
But man, we talked about it last week. I think
I called it no staking of acclaim, and man, did
(25:03):
that look like a bad decision for about I don't
know six out of the eight people here who didn't
end up winning not named Olivia and Jeremie. So we're
going to talk about that at Patreon dot com slash
Challenge Mania aka Challengemaniacs dot com. Head there. If you
want to watch the rest of this podcast, watch all
of our podcasts all that bonus content. Remember to pick
up the Book of Luke by Level Holder out today
(25:24):
and take it away TJ. All right, guys, this sends
your time here on Challenge Mania. Take care of yourselves
and hopefully we'll see him the TC. What's up? Challenge Maniac?
Scott here to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving and
to remind you that we are returning to the big
Room at Citywinery, New York City on Friday, January twenty third. Boy,
(25:48):
do we have an exciting list of guests to announce
if you haven't heard it yet. Mark Long, westn Bergman,
Michelle Fitzgerald, and car Maria Sorbelo will all be in
the house, and as you know, we will have a
ton of additional guests and surprises, as we always do
in New York City. You can already get tickets a
challenge MANI a dot Live, So stop what you're doing
right now and go and get them. No pre sale,
no password. They're already on sale, they have been for
(26:08):
a few days. There are still some VIP meet and
greet tickets left. And boy, are you going to want
to be part of this meet and Greek because just
announced That's right, they just dropped the checklist. So I
can formally announce this Tops Allen and Ginter, that awesome
line of cards that drops every single year in the
fall and winter, is dropping next week. I believe it
is December. Last year we had CT and Derek in
(26:30):
the line. Well guess what this year, all four of
those people I just named are getting official Tops cards.
Mark Long, who already got one. Earlier this year he
got his first Pitch card, but now he's getting a
Ginter card. Also westn Bergman, Michelle Fitzgerald, and Carl Maria Soorbelo.
I believe they all have relic cards as well, which
will have patches or pieces of their jersey or other
forms of wardrobe that they submitted to tops. You have over
(26:53):
a month to get those, whether you buy the boxes
the packs, just go on eBay and grab singles, bring
them to the meet and greet. They will sign them.
That show on January twenty third is meant to highlight
and celebrate them being in this awesome line of cards.
We're going to talk about it on stage. Also in
this line, I had no idea about this. Jamie Chung
is getting a card as well. Survivor winner Ethan's on
two and tons of awesome celebrities like Brian Cranston, Al Pacino,
(27:16):
Larry David. It is loaded with celebs Drewski. Go and
pick up Alan and Gintery. Can pre order it now.
It'll drop on your door on December third, or go
start looking for it in the card shops beginning on
the third. But more importantly than that, go to Challengemania
dot Live. Get your tickets. It's our first New York
City show of twenty twenty six. Hopefully not our last,
but it is certainly our first. Turns out now it's
(27:38):
our first show of the year, So celebrate ringing in
the new year with us at City Winery on Friday,
January twenty third. Pick up your boxes at Ginter starting
next week. Happy Thanksgiving and let's see you in New
York City. On January twenty third.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
The Challenge Mania Shop is open. Head over to challenge
Mania dot Shop today for the best way to support
the podcast while looking good doing it.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
New designs and items added every few weeks.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Maniacs time to mobilize. Check out challenge Mania dot Shop today.
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