Verdict with Ted Cruz - Massive Bipartisan WIN to Save College Sports

00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.

00:00:02.560 Guaranteed human.

00:00:04.280 The Hard Rock Beck Casino app is now in Ontario.

00:00:07.380 The name you know and trust,

00:00:09.620 which means credibility, impeccable 24-7 customer support,

00:00:13.180 and an easy-to-use app are also here.

00:00:15.560 So you can play here,

00:00:17.400 there,

00:00:20.100 anywhere.

00:00:21.940 The Hard Rock Beck Casino app is now in Ontario.

00:00:24.920 Download the app.

00:00:26.000 Roll with us.

00:00:27.040 Must be 19 years of age or older to play.

00:00:28.840 Ontario only.

00:00:29.520 Please play responsibly.

00:00:30.660 Concerned about your gambling or that of someone close to you?

00:00:32.640 Visit ConnexOntario.ca.

00:00:34.640 I believe that whoever was in that room and did that was a murderer.

00:00:39.080 A new podcast series, Faultline Haditha,

00:00:41.560 tells the story of a shocking crime and a cover-up

00:00:44.360 at the highest levels of the United States Marine Corps.

00:00:47.620 If you've got five players and you offer immunity to four,

00:00:50.540 you better be right about the fifth.

00:00:52.340 Because if you're not, then you've just given immunity to your killer.

00:00:55.300 Listen to Faultline Haditha on the iHeartRadio app,

00:00:58.240 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

00:01:28.240 an all-star cast of co-hosts as we preview and recap every game. Listen to NFL Daily on the

00:01:33.940 iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Brett Coleman. And I'm

00:01:40.120 Trevor Sykema. If you love football and want to understand what's really happening on the field,

00:01:45.040 check out our show, NFL Pro. Every week, we break down the biggest plays, trends, and matchups using

00:01:50.060 exclusive next-gen stats insights and NFL content you will not find anywhere else. Whether you're

00:01:55.280 new to football, a fantasy football fanatic, or a diehard fan, NFL Pro will help you analyze the

00:02:01.000 game like a pro. Listen to NFL Pro on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

00:02:07.360 get your podcasts. Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every

00:02:16.380 Wednesday on our podcast, Lots to Say, with me, Bobby Bones, and Matt Castle. You're in training

00:02:22.220 camp and the rookie quarterback has one good throwing session in front of the media suddenly

00:02:27.080 everybody online says he should start over you week one how do you handle this you just go back

00:02:31.420 out to practice the next day and wait for him to mess up listen to lots to say with bobby bones

00:02:35.740 and matt castle on the iheart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts

00:02:40.740 whether you're a seasoned nfl fan or new to the game there's one place to keep up with all of it

00:02:46.320 the league's newest podcast the nfl report hosted by me andrew siciliano it is your home

00:02:51.920 for everything football, breaking news, expert analysis, game picks, and hear from your favorite

00:02:56.560 players too. Join me and an all-star cast of experts for everything you need to know from

00:03:01.320 around the league. Get new episodes of the NFL Report Monday through Friday, all season long.

00:03:06.080 Listen to the NFL Report podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

00:03:11.820 podcasts. Hey, I'm Mike Yam. And I'm Trevor Sikama. And together, we host the NFL Fantasy

00:03:18.300 Football Show. Are you ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Because if you aren't

00:03:22.960 locked in with us on the NFL Fantasy Football Show, you're already playing from behind.

00:03:27.600 Whether you're a first-time player or a grizzled vet chasing another championship,

00:03:31.700 we give you the advantage and the confidence you need to make every move count. Listen to

00:03:36.280 the NFL Fantasy Football Show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

00:03:41.140 podcasts. Welcome, it's Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you. Senator, we get to

00:03:46.780 be together finally in the same studio in washington dc on a really fun week where college

00:03:52.960 sports got a save that's the best way i can describe it it was fun to watch the battle it

00:03:57.720 was fun to see like so many coaches in the country involved i was laughing because i was last night

00:04:02.800 as everything was going down coaches were calling different people they were asking what's happening

00:04:07.880 where we are in the vote you were down there making making deals as they say making sure it

00:04:12.260 It's passed, and it worked.

00:04:13.880 We had a spectacular win last night.

00:04:16.860 By the way, welcome to the Swamp Inn.

00:04:18.540 That's right.

00:04:19.800 We got a massive vote on the floor of the Senate in support of the Protect College Sports Act.

00:04:25.640 And we have a guest.

00:04:26.840 We have a guest, a repeat guest.

00:04:28.500 He's a recidivist.

00:04:30.420 There's a very short list of repeat guests verdict.

00:04:33.500 I think you're one of Mike Lee.

00:04:37.200 Mike Lee.

00:04:38.500 Have we had any other repeat?

00:04:40.420 You may be in, you're in a camp of two or three.

00:04:43.280 I was going to say, I'm trying to think if there's anybody else.

00:04:46.760 I think it may be you and Mike are the only two retweets.

00:04:49.820 I'll take it.

00:04:50.420 I will take that.

00:04:51.060 Because Lindsey was once, right?

00:04:52.460 Lindsey was the first guest.

00:04:54.360 But it was one appearance.

00:04:55.620 And Lindsey did, it was right at the outset, and Lindsey started it by going, 0.97

00:05:00.620 what in the hell is a podcast?

00:05:04.740 He told me the first time we played golf, when I first got up here,

00:05:08.100 we played golf together.

00:05:09.600 And he goes, do you like pro-wrestling?

00:05:12.880 Pro-wrestling, yeah.

00:05:14.240 And I said, I do.

00:05:15.280 He goes, you're going to like the Senate.

00:05:18.120 It's a combination of policy and pro-wrestling.

00:05:20.520 I'm like, okay, I'm going to love this place.

00:05:21.600 You're going to like this place.

00:05:22.520 I do miss that guy.

00:05:23.500 You and I were both good friends with him.

00:05:25.760 The best guy to go to dinner with.

00:05:28.240 He had the best sense of humor.

00:05:30.440 Like he could, he was hands down my favorite dinner companion in the Senate

00:05:35.480 because he just, your ribs would hurt.

00:05:37.980 You'd just be laughing.

00:05:39.220 You never knew what the hell he'd say.

00:05:40.760 It was just situational.

00:05:41.880 Like some people are good at telling jokes.

00:05:43.880 Yeah.

00:05:44.460 Yeah, he's witty.

00:05:45.460 He was witty, situational.

00:05:47.680 He was very funny.

00:05:48.680 So I used to piss off Lindsay and John Kennedy because I'd ask them both who's funnier.

00:05:52.520 And they both would sort of bow up.

00:05:54.520 Yeah.

00:05:56.000 But I think the answer is.

00:05:57.820 Is the joke now John Kennedy's funny?

00:05:59.440 So John Kennedy's one.

00:06:01.200 But look, John Kennedy is a better stand-up comedian.

00:06:04.560 Like John Kennedy could literally do the comedy circuits.

00:06:06.720 Yeah.

00:06:07.400 But he preps his stuff.

00:06:09.780 Like it's not entirely off the cuff, but he thinks about it and he delivers it.

00:06:15.400 Well.

00:06:16.180 Look, Jeff Foxworthy's got nothing on John Kennedy.

00:06:19.220 Yeah.

00:06:19.940 Lindsey was wittier.

00:06:20.880 He'd just sit there and like just pop things off the top of his head that were just funny.

00:06:25.100 You know, maybe we ought to consider like a roast.

00:06:27.220 We ought to do like a fundraiser or something that's a roast and we get five or six of our best people up there.

00:06:33.520 Did I ever tell you that I had John Kennedy to a donor retreat of mine, and he spoke at lunch, and he just did a roast of me?

00:06:41.360 Yeah, no, it was like, don't give this guy money, and here's 10 reasons why.

00:06:45.480 It was vicious.

00:06:46.000 I like stood up and was like, wait, I paid to fly you here. 0.94

00:06:48.880 What the hell are you doing?

00:06:50.320 It was funny as hell, and every one of my donors loved it. 0.76

00:06:53.200 They thought it was hysterical.

00:06:54.100 I bet, I bet, 100%.

00:06:55.660 All right, let me take a quick moment here and just talk to you real quick about a company that you need to know about,

00:07:00.620 and a company that I've been using for years, a company that I love because I know that when I pay

00:07:06.020 my bill to Patriot Mobile every month, I'm making a huge difference in this country. Patriot Mobile

00:07:11.740 is the only conservative Christian wireless provider. They also employ Americans. Their

00:07:18.220 customer service is right here in the U.S. Americans that you talk to who are working hard

00:07:24.040 in this incredible country, in our economy. Patriot Mobile then does something amazing when

00:07:29.680 I pay my bill. They take a portion of my bill every month at no extra cost to me, and they give

00:07:34.380 it back to conservative causes and organizations that fight for our First and our Second Amendment

00:07:39.740 rights, that fight for the rights of unborn children, and that stand and help our veterans

00:07:44.920 and our wounded warriors. Now, this is why I love Patriot Mobile, because I know I'm going to have

00:07:49.740 a cell phone bill, and I'm going to give it to somebody. Why would I give it to a company that

00:07:53.980 fights against my values? Why would I give it to Big Mobile? That is why I switched. Now,

00:07:59.200 They've been around for more than a decade.

00:08:01.360 Actually, it's gone on almost, what, 12, 13 years now.

00:08:04.380 And Patriot Mobile offer three, two, one.

00:08:07.440 And Patriot Mobile also offer what you want, premium, priority, nationwide service.

00:08:12.440 On all three major U.S. networks.

00:08:15.100 They give you unlimited data plans, mobile hotspots, international roaming.

00:08:18.940 They've got it all for you.

00:08:20.420 And you get the customer support you need from, again, right here in America.

00:08:24.200 So if you're ready to stand with a company that puts your money towards causes defending faith, family, and freedom, and they literally contribute millions each year to organizations on the front lines, then you need to check out Patriot Mobile.

00:08:37.940 Go to PatriotMobile.com slash verdict, or you can call them 972 Patriot.

00:08:44.180 And if you use the promo code verdict, you'll get a free month of service.

00:08:47.080 That's PatriotMobile.com slash verdict or 972 Patriot and make that switch today.

00:08:52.980 so you guys had a big week yeah let's talk about the beginning when did this become a thing because

00:08:59.500 i think this is people don't realize i love talking about like when this started you knew

00:09:04.260 there was an issue in college sports you decided to do something about it which is even harder

00:09:08.220 and not just complain about it so where did this begin and how do we get all the way to where we

00:09:12.700 are now well i you know for me i'm just a fan like actually like when i'm back home in missouri

00:09:19.640 Yeah.

00:09:19.880 The people that I hang around, they talk about sports.

00:09:22.240 We go to St. Louis Cardinal games.

00:09:23.920 We go to Mizzou football.

00:09:24.680 By the way, I'm feeling like a wuss because both of you guys were college athletes.

00:09:28.440 And I was a college debater.

00:09:30.820 They're not the same.

00:09:32.280 Yeah, they're not the same.

00:09:33.740 There's a totally different.

00:09:35.640 By the way, I'm just going to stop.

00:09:38.060 In between your last podcast appearance and this podcast appearance, something very important has happened,

00:09:44.840 which is Senator Eric Schmidt has appeared on SportsCenter.

00:09:47.620 This is true.

00:09:48.300 And he had a diving catch that was, so it's, it's amazing.

00:09:54.200 So major league baseball,

00:09:55.820 I think they calculated originally that like 92% of major league outfielders

00:10:01.420 would catch it. And then it became 85% and then it became 72%.

00:10:06.380 It was 18% catch probability, but it has made its way down to 15.

00:10:13.840 So that it's like a, it's like a fish story.

00:10:15.580 Like the one you caught by the time I'm 80 years old,

00:10:17.940 it'll be like a 1% catch.

00:10:19.440 It was a badass diving catch

00:10:22.020 and he cut his nose.

00:10:23.520 I was going to say,

00:10:23.900 there's blood involved.

00:10:24.940 All right.

00:10:25.460 All right.

00:10:25.720 Can you look in the camera

00:10:27.060 and say you didn't rub some dirt

00:10:28.400 in your nose

00:10:28.840 and make the blood?

00:10:29.680 I did not do it.

00:10:30.420 Although some of my friends

00:10:31.500 who've known me for a long time,

00:10:32.620 speaking of pro wrestling,

00:10:33.720 accused me of having a ketchup packet

00:10:35.340 in my back pocket

00:10:36.120 and putting it on my nose or something.

00:10:37.940 No, I didn't know.

00:10:38.860 First of all,

00:10:39.420 I didn't think I was going to get to the ball

00:10:40.660 and I got to the ball

00:10:41.900 and it's the warning track when I dove

00:10:43.620 and it's just gravel

00:10:44.520 and I guess I hit my nose.

00:10:46.300 I didn't really feel it.

00:10:47.280 somebody told me I was bleeding and about the second swipe of the nose and

00:10:51.420 blood going on my pants,

00:10:52.520 I realized this is going to look really good on television.

00:10:56.040 All right,

00:10:56.540 Ben,

00:10:56.800 I will bet you a hundred dollars right now.

00:10:59.300 I'm ready for this.

00:11:00.020 That Schmidt runs pictures or even better video of that catch in his reelect.

00:11:05.920 A hundred percent.

00:11:06.440 Like,

00:11:07.000 I won't even,

00:11:07.720 don't even take your money.

00:11:10.120 I'll lay out for you.

00:11:12.140 I'm all in for Missouri.

00:11:14.140 Yeah,

00:11:14.420 I can,

00:11:14.700 I can write.

00:11:15.340 Yeah,

00:11:15.520 I'm all in.

00:11:16.060 I can.

00:11:16.280 And were you number five on SportsCenter?

00:11:18.800 Yeah, I was the number five play of the day.

00:11:20.360 So top plays.

00:11:21.040 So people understand, like, the game you're talking about.

00:11:23.000 And by the way, you were an Ole Miss tennis player.

00:11:24.500 Did you ever make SportsCenter?

00:11:25.440 No, no, I did not make SportsCenter.

00:11:26.900 I mean, that's like.

00:11:28.180 No, it was not on my bingo card.

00:11:29.620 But this is a congressional baseball game,

00:11:31.000 so people understand the context of this.

00:11:33.100 It's a big game.

00:11:33.740 And it was genuinely.

00:11:35.140 So the congressional baseball game, look,

00:11:38.020 it's actually surprising because these are a bunch of guys

00:11:40.580 in, like, their 40s and 50s and even 60s.

00:11:43.300 Yeah.

00:11:44.060 Who actually play, like, real.

00:11:45.780 Look, it's not Major League Baseball, but it's surprisingly good given the age that these are members of Congress.

00:11:53.200 How many practices do you have?

00:11:55.040 Because that's what you would understand.

00:11:56.440 It's like five in the morning.

00:11:57.060 Roger Williams from Texas, the great state of Texas, a TCU star, is our manager.

00:12:02.240 And we're out there 445 or 545 in the morning D.C. time, 445 in the morning Missouri time.

00:12:07.800 Yeah, where you live.

00:12:08.800 Where I live.

00:12:09.320 and um we're out there um from april basically to mid-june in the mornings that we're here

00:12:15.820 because then we're done you know is it every day that you're yes really yes i didn't know that i

00:12:20.100 knew it was early wednesday thursday for the three mornings that are typically here and uh it's

00:12:24.680 mostly bp the irony of that catch was i don't judge fly balls for a living like i don't haven't

00:12:31.620 done that really for 30 years and it's the most intimidating part of the game because you have

00:12:36.180 the lights you have multiple levels people wearing different shirts you just don't my depth perception

00:12:39.980 is not the same when i was 20 years old and so the idea that like you would make a play in the

00:12:46.040 outfield and like catch a ball like full speed was just i would have never guessed that but it

00:12:51.100 was cool it was uh but no it's it's competitive and we want to win like roger williams tells the

00:12:55.220 team he's like listen for all the people who are out here uh unless you're one of our best nine

00:13:00.180 you're not going to play unless we have a huge lead then you might get into the game you might

00:13:04.260 Like, he wants to win.

00:13:05.140 And they still show up.

00:13:05.600 They still show up. 0.90

00:13:06.760 But by the way, the congressional baseball game is about to get ridiculous. 0.74

00:13:09.740 Oh, yeah.

00:13:10.260 Because Mark Teixeira.

00:13:12.000 From Texas.

00:13:12.680 Oh, yeah.

00:13:13.120 Is going to play.

00:13:14.220 So you've got a New York Yankee who's going to play.

00:13:17.060 Is he going to use an aluminum bat?

00:13:18.440 What do you think?

00:13:19.360 Have you asked him that?

00:13:20.440 He should.

00:13:21.120 Listen, I'm all for us winning 100 to nothing.

00:13:23.320 I'm actually wondering if they just intention to walk him every time.

00:13:26.200 They probably will, which is why I'm either, I'm lobbying to either be hit directly in front of Teixeira or directly behind Teixeira.

00:13:33.040 That's already happening.

00:13:34.220 that lobbying effort.

00:13:34.980 And by the way,

00:13:36.040 Tano Tijerina,

00:13:36.980 who is running in Texas,

00:13:39.660 was a pitcher,

00:13:40.260 against Henry Cuellar,

00:13:41.540 was a pitcher in college.

00:13:43.740 And I'll tell you,

00:13:44.540 Steve Scalise,

00:13:45.260 who's a buddy of ours,

00:13:46.660 and Steve cares a lot about the game.

00:13:48.440 Yes, he does.

00:13:49.360 So Steve sat down with Tano.

00:13:51.460 He said,

00:13:51.740 all right,

00:13:52.440 if you can pitch 80 miles an hour,

00:13:54.380 I'll give you 100 grand right now

00:13:55.620 for your campaign.

00:13:57.040 No way.

00:13:57.680 If you can pitch 85,

00:13:59.220 I'll give you 200 grand.

00:14:01.600 And Tano's wife,

00:14:02.780 And Tano's a big stripping dude.

00:14:05.300 Tano's wife leans in and goes, how much if he can pitch 90?

00:14:08.480 Really?

00:14:09.500 Like, I don't know if Tano will win.

00:14:12.460 That's going to be a close race, but he could win.

00:14:14.240 If Tano and Teixeira win, it may be like a 50-0 game.

00:14:21.140 Like that.

00:14:22.140 Is there a suicide limit, like runs?

00:14:23.820 No.

00:14:24.340 So you guys are right.

00:14:25.540 It's not like eight runs and then you switch it up.

00:14:27.160 It's seven innings.

00:14:27.800 And so we had scored 30-plus a couple of years ago.

00:14:32.780 And I guess it's a six-year winning streak now.

00:14:35.940 So what did your kids say about the catch, by the way?

00:14:37.680 You've got kids.

00:14:38.980 You know what's funny?

00:14:39.880 I have two daughters who were at the game at the time, what, 17 and 15.

00:14:45.960 And they don't.

00:14:46.400 All right, were they impressed?

00:14:47.380 Yeah, well, I was going to say, they don't care about, like,

00:14:50.340 they don't ask, hey, Dad, how's the banking bill going in Washington?

00:14:53.720 But impressing teenage daughters is hard.

00:14:55.960 But they were at the game, and after the game, it was just wild.

00:14:59.940 Like, people wanted, like, me to sign a baseball.

00:15:02.480 Anyway, and my daughters were actually genuinely impressed.

00:15:05.560 And my wife, too.

00:15:06.300 And we've been married for 27 years.

00:15:09.100 It's hard to impress my wife.

00:15:10.000 But they thought that was pretty cool that dad made a diving catch.

00:15:14.260 And they were there for the moment.

00:15:15.260 I promise you, when Eric is 95, and by the way, Chuck Grassley turned 93 just the other week,

00:15:21.840 and he has teeth falling out and no hair, he's going to be like,

00:15:25.400 and then I dove and catch that ball.

00:15:28.880 And it was like Grassley.

00:15:29.560 I flew it through the air.

00:15:30.900 That's right.

00:15:31.140 That might be Grandpa was kind of cool.

00:15:33.480 That might be what they say.

00:15:35.600 Amazing.

00:15:36.200 No, that was cool.

00:15:37.180 So the college sports bill, because I recognize.

00:15:41.720 Look.

00:15:42.160 By the way, I hope this is appropriate.

00:15:44.700 We're talking sports.

00:15:46.460 Tonight's sponsored by Ultras.

00:15:47.620 I have cracked open a beer.

00:15:49.120 I hope this is acceptable.

00:15:50.520 You represent Missouri.

00:15:52.900 Right.

00:15:53.140 We drink beer and eat pork steaks, barbecue.

00:15:55.340 This is what we do.

00:15:56.300 So hopefully.

00:15:56.760 You had me at barbecue.

00:15:57.360 And listen, that's probably worth two points in your next re-election.

00:16:01.520 That's right.

00:16:02.820 It won't hurt me at home.

00:16:03.960 By the way, I will say an interesting sports thing.

00:16:06.460 So I go to a lot of football games, baseball games, basketball games.

00:16:12.860 Astros game, it used to be a few years ago,

00:16:16.000 that every person in the stadium is drinking a Bud Light.

00:16:19.160 Yeah.

00:16:20.060 They no longer carry Bud Light in the stadium.

00:16:23.020 Like it's that bad.

00:16:23.860 Ultras probably.

00:16:24.780 Ultras now.

00:16:25.500 And I've always been, it's a little more parochial. 0.53

00:16:28.080 I've always been a Bush light guy.

00:16:29.480 So in, in St. Louis, Bush and Bush light is big.

00:16:32.360 That's what I've, my dad worked there.

00:16:34.320 My uncle worked there.

00:16:35.520 You beat a Bush heir in your race.

00:16:36.960 I did.

00:16:37.500 The irony of that.

00:16:38.420 How about that?

00:16:38.800 My dad worked midnights and I gave tours and took out the trash at the 0.84

00:16:44.140 mansion that she grew up in.

00:16:46.340 And they, it's called, it's called Grant's farm.

00:16:48.020 She grew up.

00:16:48.880 And so that was a, the liberal media hated that.

00:16:51.260 Like I was doing these ads about how it came from a working class family

00:16:54.700 and took out the trash at the mansion she grew up.

00:16:56.700 They didn't know how to process this whole thing.

00:16:58.900 So anyway, yes, it worked out just fine.

00:17:01.280 But yeah, no, we're, I like to say Budweiser was in my bottle growing up.

00:17:05.500 That's kind of the way it works in St. Louis.

00:17:07.420 So there is a fabulous meme that I shared with Mike Lee and Marco Rubio.

00:17:14.040 And Mike and Marco are both six months younger than I am.

00:17:17.660 So we're almost the identical age.

00:17:19.120 it's a meme that has it it it has a picture of a dad feeding his two-year-old a beer and it says 0.75

00:17:26.680 gen x the last great generation before all you sissies were born yeah well i'm gen x too i'm

00:17:32.720 you're i'm a little younger but i'm still how old are you i'm 51 now 51 so i'm 55 so we're not far 0.79

00:17:38.600 gen x is like it is like this bridge generation that knew what life was like like researching

00:17:44.240 on microfiche.

00:17:45.860 Yeah.

00:17:46.180 You know what I mean?

00:17:46.940 Like when I was in college,

00:17:48.240 if you did like-

00:17:48.940 You would go to the library.

00:17:49.520 You would go to the library.

00:17:50.080 You would go to microfiche.

00:17:51.060 And microfiche.

00:17:51.780 And by the way,

00:17:52.500 we were latchkey kids.

00:17:53.660 Like you'd go home

00:17:54.460 and you'd be on your own

00:17:55.640 and like you'd,

00:17:57.300 you look at things.

00:17:58.340 All right,

00:17:58.600 you're a dad with young kids.

00:17:59.920 Yeah.

00:18:00.300 You look at car seats.

00:18:02.440 We strap our kids in

00:18:04.020 like they're launching

00:18:05.020 on the Apollo mission to the moon.

00:18:06.780 Yeah, right.

00:18:07.540 To 17.

00:18:08.120 When we were kids-

00:18:08.620 It's a 17-point harness.

00:18:09.480 You had a station wagon.

00:18:10.040 You had a friend

00:18:10.400 that had a station wagon.

00:18:11.060 There were no seat belts.

00:18:12.500 You look backwards or sideways.

00:18:13.920 Yeah, because that was safe.

00:18:14.800 I may or may not have had a grandfather that had a pickup that had one of the, like, the, whatever, the shields over it.

00:18:21.440 And there were no, we were just hanging out.

00:18:23.600 So my dad, we had a wood-paneled station wagon.

00:18:29.300 And my dad would have me sit on the armrest with his arm around me.

00:18:34.480 No seatbelt.

00:18:35.520 I'm, like, seven.

00:18:36.860 And it's just the windshield is this death-like map.

00:18:41.520 And it was fine.

00:18:42.880 My dad was not trying to murder me.

00:18:44.520 It was just a different era where you're like, you know, most of the kids survive.

00:18:48.140 You know what's amazing about that, though?

00:18:49.340 One of the things that there's very few things that actually kind of changed pretty quickly.

00:18:54.360 That probably is a good development.

00:18:56.560 Do you remember, like, when we were going, people would just throw trash out the window.

00:18:59.580 Out the window.

00:19:00.440 Like literally.

00:19:00.980 The whole bag from McDonald's out the window.

00:19:02.200 Just like a McDonald's just throw it out the window.

00:19:04.160 And I'm actually glad that's changed.

00:19:07.080 Can I tell you a fun story about that?

00:19:08.740 do you know the phrase don't mess with texas oh yeah i've you told this at a lunch yes so i have

00:19:15.020 boots that have don't mess with texas yeah do you know where that came from i'm assuming from trash

00:19:19.960 texdot the texas department of transportation has the trademark because it was an anti-litter

00:19:25.640 campaign in the 70s this is a great and this is okay so ben is like 40 held 45 now 45 getting old

00:19:31.580 so the difference of 10 years is interesting you may not remember what eric and i do which is in

00:19:36.080 the 70s literally people would drive down the road and just throw crap out the window like it was

00:19:42.200 normal and the highways you just have garbage everywhere and and it's an amazing and my dad

00:19:48.220 said in tennessee the reason why there's so much trash do you remember that sir yeah i do because

00:19:51.500 he said the reason why people did it is it was a way to punish the guys that had to pick up the

00:19:57.160 trash that were the prisoners on the side of the road like the chain gangs yeah but it was like

00:20:00.260 That'll teach him to not rob or steal or cheat.

00:20:02.640 So it was like, you're, and the whole culture has changed.

00:20:05.960 Go ahead, pick up my trash.

00:20:06.320 Can you imagine how you would react today if you're driving down the road and someone

00:20:09.580 like throw a bag out the window?

00:20:10.620 Oh, he would honk, and it would be like, what the hell is wrong with like here?

00:20:14.520 It is, it is actually societally like one of the most remarkable changes that happened

00:20:18.660 in like, in like a 10 year period.

00:20:20.340 Like it just, the flip, the switch flipped.

00:20:23.280 I ever watch the episode, the series Mad Men?

00:20:26.120 Yeah.

00:20:26.820 So there's a, and Mad Men is great.

00:20:28.340 I've watched every episode, but there's a,

00:20:29.780 there's an episode where there's a pregnant woman in a bar drinking 1.00

00:20:33.280 martinis and smoking. And you're like, ah, like, like it.

00:20:36.960 And that was normal. Smoking on airplanes.

00:20:39.060 And by the way, let me be clear. My mother drank and smoked when she was pregnant 0.97

00:20:43.140 with me. That may explain a lot. I'm just saying,

00:20:47.140 and I bet your mom did too. I'm just saying it was a different era where

00:20:50.820 nobody like, it wasn't a thing. No. Yeah. There wasn't a lot of like,

00:20:54.460 you just went out and we played wiffle ball. We played baseball.

00:20:57.440 we played hot box or some people call it pickle yeah and you came home like when the lights when

00:21:01.920 the lights went out that was it yeah we'd play kick the can and we'd like run around and we'd

00:21:06.740 play other games whose names i won't repeat because they're not politically correct but

00:21:09.880 you know it was a different era you did all right and that is well let's bring this all together

00:21:14.820 that is we fell in love with sports we fell in love with sports and so i feel like uh and ted

00:21:20.940 and i've talked about this a lot if you would ask me a few years ago about whether or not

00:21:24.980 congress would be involved in this or i would be involved this i would have been very very

00:21:28.120 skeptical but the truth is uh where it's at now um is just pretty wild like you have a situation

00:21:35.560 literally you can go pro uh if you let's say you were in college for four years go pro come back

00:21:42.060 be 27 years old and compete against a 17 year old that might be on campus and by the way you

00:21:46.240 got pros that are leaving because they can make more money in college yes and and it's just the

00:21:51.040 chaos is an utter mess. And for me, like you asked, how did this start? So for me,

00:21:56.460 it started four years ago. So four years ago, I became the ranking member of the Senate Commerce

00:22:00.260 Committee. And when I became the ranker, I began having initially Texas colleges

00:22:06.180 coming in and just saying, college sports is a disaster. We need Congress to get involved.

00:22:14.060 And I started having conferences come in and the chaos. And some people have asked,

00:22:19.380 all right why did congress do this yeah why should congress get involved and the answer is

00:22:23.840 because congress screwed it up i mean there used to be rules and what happened is you had lawsuits

00:22:29.740 that struck down virtually every rule under the federal antitrust laws now if it's the federal

00:22:34.560 antitrust laws that caused the problem you got to fix it it's only congress are the only ones

00:22:39.120 yeah the only ones who can do it and and so the chaos right now you've got athletes transferring

00:22:46.280 through the transfer portal two, three, four times, you get to the end of a season and half

00:22:51.980 or more of your team can leave. You've got 27, 28-year-olds competing. You've got people

00:22:59.340 competing seven, eight years. You've got pros playing. And the spending spiral, almost every

00:23:05.100 athletic department in the country is losing millions of dollars. Many of them are losing

00:23:09.020 tens of millions of dollars. They can't afford it. And so every week they're canceling different

00:23:14.040 programs. They're canceling women's sports. They're canceling Olympic sports. And if we do

00:23:18.960 nothing, I think in five years, there will be 30 to 50 competitive football programs in the country,

00:23:27.080 basically a mini NFL. So let's take Texas. You and I both live in Texas. In Texas, the University

00:23:32.600 of Texas and A&M are going to survive regardless. Like if chaos continues, they've got such a big

00:23:38.560 donor network. All right. If there are 30 schools that play, UT and A&M will be among the 30 and

00:23:42.320 they've got enough donors, they can compete. It'll be a mini NFL. I don't know that another

00:23:48.040 school in Texas survives. I look at TCU, SMU, Baylor, Texas Tech, Rice, U of H. I think all of

00:23:58.480 them could go under. I love UT. I love A&M representing the whole state. It's great fun

00:24:03.420 to cheer for them. By the way, I don't know that Mizzou survives. I don't know that you have a

00:24:08.320 single school that survives in that chaos. Well, I think Mizzou does, but I don't know that

00:24:13.400 Missouri State probably does. I think there's no way Missouri State does. And even Mizzou is

00:24:19.220 stretching to be able to compete at that, like with the same level of donations that a UT or

00:24:25.220 Michigan or Ohio State. LSU. And LSU, by the way, is in debt. Did you see that? Like an $80 million

00:24:31.680 budget. Yeah, that's not where they're at. Yeah, that's not where they're at. They're probably

00:24:36.440 middle middle of the road on budget in the sec which is by the way uh a huge advantage versus

00:24:42.360 most other schools but if you're gonna if you're gonna have this kind of you know trajectory that

00:24:49.440 we've seen with the spending and the debt and the deficits that are happening it's just a matter of

00:24:54.180 time before you whittle out because of the old model of course was college football paid and

00:24:58.780 subsidized all the non-revenue sports but what happens when like you're losing money on football

00:25:02.920 or all your money is going towards football.

00:25:05.400 You're just necessarily going to get rid of all those non-revenue sports.

00:25:09.000 And that's an important thing to understand is the economics of college sports,

00:25:13.320 which is football generates virtually 100% of the revenue.

00:25:18.260 Occasionally men's basketball, but it's rare.

00:25:20.640 You've got to have a Duke, you've got to have a Gonzaga.

00:25:22.900 Like there are only a handful of programs where men's basketball generates money,

00:25:26.240 but every other sport loses money.

00:25:29.040 and if you have football go away from all but 30 to 50 schools yeah they don't have the funding so

00:25:36.920 they lose every other sport they lose and then it's not just losing sports

00:25:41.580 but a lot of schools i think you could see a lot of universities go under because a successful

00:25:49.160 athletic program you get alumni to give you get students to apply i mean it's i mean look at any

00:25:55.700 school that wins a national championship what happens next five years they have all right let

00:26:00.260 me ask you a serious question you were mildly slightly a tiny bit excited when Ole Miss beat

00:26:06.600 LSU yes I've never seen this guy more like like there's the birth of your children and there's

00:26:13.960 Ole Miss beating LSU and it's pretty and it's not even close I mean you love your boys so you're

00:26:19.160 gonna tell them but it's not yeah I mean I'm just saying it was yeah if you my aura ring that day

00:26:24.060 It was just peaking and solid.

00:26:25.620 I want to know, but I'm going to predict that Ole Miss's applications went up thousands.

00:26:33.280 Yeah, I'm sure.

00:26:34.040 Like the number of people who will apply to Ole Miss because of that one game.

00:26:37.540 And they saw it and they go, I want to be a part of that.

00:26:39.200 Yeah, like that's an amazing.

00:26:41.500 And so that dynamic.

00:26:43.260 Look at Giant Manziel and what it did for A&M.

00:26:45.220 I mean, look at Florida games.

00:26:47.600 They're still talking about 10-0.

00:26:48.600 I can tell you when a couple years ago, when I went to the game down in Dallas,

00:26:51.540 when Mizzou beat Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl,

00:26:53.960 they will track the views on their website

00:26:56.820 and the applications that come within a week.

00:26:59.240 And it's dramatic.

00:27:00.440 People are like, they see the exposure, they love it.

00:27:02.540 And that's just a reality of the situation.

00:27:04.060 Yeah, people want to go to school

00:27:05.160 where they can like cheer on their team

00:27:06.580 and it's fun and there's school spirit.

00:27:08.960 But that dynamic, the challenge we were facing was massive.

00:27:15.700 And so it was four years ago that I started working on this

00:27:19.220 and started negotiating with Democrats.

00:27:21.540 and and to try to get bipartisan legislation try to get bipartisan legislation on anything

00:27:27.040 it's really hard really hard yeah but this in particular for at least two years when i was

00:27:33.760 ranking member i was just banking banging my head against a wall like the democrats would not budge

00:27:38.380 we i was trying we did meeting after meeting we're going nowhere when i became chairman

00:27:43.160 i i said look this is a real priority this matters and part of why it matters i'd never

00:27:50.480 to focus on this i don't know if you ever thought about this college sports is unique to america

00:27:56.240 and i've been a fan my whole life but i hadn't really thought about it there are more than 500

00:28:01.020 000 college athletes in america right now yeah nobody else has that europe doesn't have that

00:28:07.180 asia doesn't have that latin america africa like it doesn't exist this and if we don't act

00:28:12.180 hundreds of thousands of those scholarship positions and and roster slots will go away

00:28:18.160 disappear and and but the ncaa ad that i love the best ad they've ever had about student athletes

00:28:23.820 was and 99 percent will go pro in something else yeah referring to you go to college you may get

00:28:31.340 a scholarship you may be full ride you may be amazing by the way 99 repeat that stat more than

00:28:36.260 99 percent of college athletes will never go to the nba the nfl they won't play pro ball they go

00:28:43.060 but their skills and eric and i did this at one senate lunch we asked around the table 53

00:28:48.620 republicans how many of y'all played college sports and it was what maybe 15 20 percent yeah

00:28:54.000 it was an impressive number i think i think what's what's fascinating about it the more you talk about

00:28:59.660 this with people there's so many lessons right it's discipline showing up on time i don't know

00:29:04.900 about you but i hire a lot of college athletes absolutely because you kind of know that i learned

00:29:09.440 a lot of grit from it show up you show up there's a lot of like that wind sprint you don't want to

00:29:13.660 do that you do you mentally excuses are usually not absolutely and you also realize like i don't 0.96

00:29:18.800 this person's next to me they're black they're hispanic i don't give it i don't care at all

00:29:21.860 they're my teammate and i want to go and look i didn't have the skill to play college sports but 0.99

00:29:25.420 i was a high school athlete and like you know when i mean my our high school basketball coach

00:29:29.640 would have us run sprints till we puked and like that experience of like being there and the grit

00:29:36.880 I mean, it's important.

00:29:38.840 Absolutely.

00:29:39.680 Absolutely.

00:29:40.240 You're 6'6".

00:29:41.040 By the way, you've heard this, but I haven't talked with Eric on the pod.

00:29:46.940 Oh, yeah.

00:29:47.720 As you know, I challenged Pete Hegseth to play hoops.

00:29:51.080 And Pete played varsity basketball at Princeton.

00:29:55.180 And he made the tournament.

00:29:56.520 He played in March Madness only a minute.

00:29:59.040 It's still playing.

00:29:59.700 But, hell, that's a minute more than I played.

00:30:01.400 Yeah, you still play.

00:30:02.660 You're in the dance.

00:30:04.080 And so I challenged him to play.

00:30:06.060 And he came and he brought three guys from the Department of War to come with him.

00:30:10.260 And so I put together a senator's team.

00:30:11.980 And it was Eric and it was John Husted who played college football.

00:30:14.460 He was not a basketball player, but he's a good athlete.

00:30:16.900 And then I got a guy from my staff, actually two guys, Sam Cooper, who played D2 basketball.

00:30:23.940 And then Gray Harker, who played football at Arkansas.

00:30:27.380 Who, by the way, tore his ACL.

00:30:29.520 And his meniscus, both.

00:30:30.900 Like the first game we played.

00:30:32.560 Yeah. So we played and I got to say, I think Pete thought it was a joke. Like we're going up against a bunch of old fat senators. This is going to be fun. And we played two games scoring by one to 15 and we beat them both times.

00:30:46.880 No way. And and I went and told the press afterwards. I said, look, Pete was engaged in some really good ledge affairs. He threw the games. It was smart. He was kissing up to the Senate. I'm here to tell you, look, I don't believe in lying. I was lying.

00:30:59.880 I was flat out lying to the press

00:31:02.380 Pete wanted to win

00:31:04.260 Oh yeah

00:31:04.700 He's competitive

00:31:05.260 And the second game

00:31:06.860 Like when he lost the first

00:31:08.100 I am certain 1.00

00:31:09.660 He chewed the ass 1.00

00:31:11.500 Of his Pentagon guys 1.00

00:31:12.500 Well let me tell you something

00:31:13.260 You remember the first game

00:31:14.380 Early on

00:31:15.060 You were feeding me the ball down low

00:31:17.580 And I was kind of scoring

00:31:18.960 At will early

00:31:19.620 Now these are guys

00:31:20.400 Playing with Pete Hegseth

00:31:21.480 The Secretary of War

00:31:22.720 Who wanted to impress their boss

00:31:24.100 Yeah

00:31:24.400 They did not want to be scored upon

00:31:26.140 Like that

00:31:26.580 They were fouling the hell out of it

00:31:27.720 It was

00:31:27.960 I was

00:31:28.420 You know

00:31:29.060 So it was a, like, it was.

00:31:30.400 What was the score of the first game?

00:31:31.500 It was like 15-13.

00:31:33.420 It was close.

00:31:33.840 It got very physical.

00:31:36.260 And they were, look, Eric's 6'6", and frankly, I rode him like a rented mule.

00:31:42.760 Like, I'm like, he knew how to post up, and I played point guard.

00:31:45.820 You just feed the ball.

00:31:46.700 And so I could feed the ball, but they were every play they would foul.

00:31:50.980 You had bruises, because they were hitting you hard, and you're not 22 anymore.

00:31:55.540 No, no, no.

00:31:55.980 We were, I don't know if you remember this,

00:31:57.220 We had an all-senator briefing, like, the next day in the skiff.

00:32:00.040 And I saw those guys. 0.98

00:32:01.000 I'm like, you guys beat the shit out of me. 0.95

00:32:03.040 You know, I'm sore. 0.94

00:32:04.080 I was walking.

00:32:04.520 I took some Advil before I walked in.

00:32:05.980 You should, yeah.

00:32:07.000 I mean, it was.

00:32:07.600 You wake up in the morning, you're like, what car wreck did I get in?

00:32:09.720 I was like, what am I doing?

00:32:10.720 I will say this.

00:32:12.560 Hegseth stole the ball from me.

00:32:14.580 And we play.

00:32:15.560 You've been up there.

00:32:16.380 We play.

00:32:17.620 It's in the Senate office building.

00:32:19.300 There's actually an indoor tennis court that has a backboard to hoop on it.

00:32:23.320 And so it's a tennis court surface.

00:32:24.860 It's a terrible basketball surface.

00:32:26.740 service is bad for your knees it's terrible but it's what we got yeah so pete dove on the tennis

00:32:34.280 court to steal the ball and he ripped up his knee his knee was bleeding yeah and he got the ball

00:32:38.920 because i sure as hell wanted like i'm like you want and i told him afterwards i said pete i am

00:32:44.640 proud i want our secretary of war to want to dive on a dive and be bleeding like i feel i feel safer

00:32:51.460 Agreed. And to Pete's credit, remember, he rattled off two or three or four threes in a row.

00:32:56.680 They got back in that second game. Now, we still won.

00:32:59.340 He's a good ball player.

00:33:00.680 How close was the second game?

00:33:02.100 They were both within a point.

00:33:03.640 So it was down to the wire.

00:33:04.840 They were hard fought. And I was covering Pete, and he's a much better ball player than I am.

00:33:10.180 Has he asked for the rematch?

00:33:11.740 No.

00:33:12.480 Oh, okay.

00:33:12.960 But I can tell you this, and you played ball with me.

00:33:15.380 What I can do is lay a little bit of wood on you.

00:33:17.680 I get on defense. I'm not a small man.

00:33:21.660 Translation, he can foul you.

00:33:22.900 I fouled them.

00:33:24.840 That's what it means.

00:33:25.560 They were beating up Eric, but I was beating up Pete.

00:33:28.060 And it was like, all right.

00:33:29.720 And by the way, he also drew a charge.

00:33:32.260 He did.

00:33:33.160 I've never seen that.

00:33:34.340 Questionable call for it to actually be a charge.

00:33:37.260 Yeah, we gave it to him.

00:33:38.600 We kind of gave it to him.

00:33:39.460 But it was a little bit.

00:33:40.440 It was on the air.

00:33:41.260 You know, St. Louis just recently got the F-47 and the F-A-X-X.

00:33:46.300 So, you know, I was judicious with my.

00:33:49.640 several billion dollars and you're like yeah that's a charge clearly like okay that's a charge

00:33:53.600 for this one i do want to talk to you about an organization that is near and dear to my heart

00:33:58.460 it is called compassion international right now somewhere in the world there's a child waiting

00:34:03.980 not waiting for a birthday not waiting for christmas waiting for someone to choose them

00:34:09.780 that's what compassion international does every single day they connect children living in poverty

00:34:16.120 with someone who will know their name pray for them encourage them and help provide the food

00:34:21.800 medical care education and hope they need through a local church this year compassion is expanding

00:34:29.680 into four new countries malawi zambia cambodia and mirmar meaning thousands of children are

00:34:36.920 being reached for the very first time which is amazing now you can do what i've done and you can

00:34:42.640 sponsored child for just $43 a month. That's it. You can be the reason one child stops waiting.

00:34:49.860 It's so easy to get involved. Sponsor a child today at compassion.com. That's compassion.com.

00:34:58.840 All right. So I want to ask you guys back to the bill. You get it passed. And the big question

00:35:03.480 that so many people are going to ask now is what happens next? Yes. This is a huge victory. The

00:35:07.980 House is gone. They've got their reelect. They're back home campaigning. And now people are like,

00:35:12.940 was it law? Well, it's passed the Senate. What happens next? Let's explain where that goes for

00:35:17.260 now so people understand. So where we are right now, we had it passed 77 votes in favor. We

00:35:22.380 actually have 78 because Dan Sullivan supports it, but he was still in Alaska, so he didn't vote. So

00:35:25.880 we had 78 senators support it. We got every Republican but two. So it was a massive vote

00:35:31.880 on the Republican side. We got more than half the Democrats. We got a majority of the Democrat

00:35:37.400 caucus which is insane yeah that never happens you can't get 77 votes to congratulate santa

00:35:43.020 claus at christmas time yeah that's the reality socialist like he's giving away stuff for free

00:35:49.820 like i'm a no on that dad he's like you just made my point yeah yeah even santa claus can't get

00:35:59.340 these kind of votes um so it goes the house so now it goes to the house look here's what i think

00:36:06.120 will happen when i want to happen i want the speaker to call the house back and you think

00:36:11.400 they will i think there's a real possibility of it so they're gone right now the house is scheduled

00:36:17.020 to be gone until election day and they're out campaigning because look the house is up every

00:36:20.440 two years they're campaigning this is a rough election season that's no secret so they're out

00:36:25.100 campaigning i sat down we had the the republican convention a few weeks ago in dallas and so i

00:36:31.180 spent a half hour with the speaker there and i made the case to him look if we get this done and

00:36:36.460 i think we're going to get a big bipartisan bill i said and mike is a close friend he's a great

00:36:42.060 american i love the man he's principled he's a great human being i said look if we get it done

00:36:48.000 you ought to call the house back and by the way the house can move fast it's not long unlike the

00:36:52.380 senate the house can pass that in a day yeah and i said look there's nothing more productive you

00:36:57.460 can do all your members are running for re-elect then come back pass this bill in 24 hours

00:37:05.640 it polls north of 80 20 yeah and by the way there are millions of people who are college sports fans

00:37:13.100 who don't pay attention to politics it'll go i'll be damned like congress can do something

00:37:18.260 yeah that matters that that actually actually like it pertains to my saturday in my life look

00:37:23.560 i said this is good politics and what i want to see happen and i've suggested this president trump

00:37:29.740 i want to see him sign it and college game on the set of college game day and i actually have

00:37:34.440 suggested a game i actually think a&m alabama would be a great game it's kind of mid-october

00:37:39.660 it's the right time although i will say a&m's last game well i got another game for you i got

00:37:44.640 another game for you in early november texas at missouri that would be a good game is it before

00:37:50.040 after election day. It's Saturday after the election. So Cassidy was pitching Texas LSU,

00:37:55.960 which I liked, but it's, it's the week after election day. And so I'm like, no, we need,

00:37:59.740 we need it before election day. Yeah. I'm fine with that. If it gets it done, I'm all for it.

00:38:03.800 But if it somehow slips, then we'll do the Texas. I wanted Texas, Ohio state, but we didn't get it

00:38:08.400 done in time. Cause that would have been to have it. Um, but I'll say this bill, I believe we will

00:38:15.000 get it done. Look, does it happen before election day or not? I don't know for sure. I will say

00:38:19.680 last night i i spoke with the president he was elated yeah and and president trump wants the

00:38:26.240 house to come back and let me tell you something i talked to him too yeah he is not he is a real

00:38:30.720 sports fan like i think some presidents are kind of phony you know he loves ball people like he

00:38:35.240 loves this he's followed it his whole life he wants this is a he wants this done i think that

00:38:40.660 will matter with them i hope it matters with them um and like ted said it's like this is something

00:38:46.120 that they can do like in a day day and a half yeah and be a big win it's a cultural thing this

00:38:50.520 is not political people don't want this to be right no no they want this to be like hey that's

00:38:55.360 their team it's their region it's their conference it's their school that matters a lot more than

00:39:00.680 like red jersey blue jersey on this which is i think the secret sauce for all this that's how

00:39:04.480 we approached it was here are problems let's go try to solve the problem let's take our passion

00:39:08.920 that we have for sports and let's turn it into legislation that can matter and we did it like

00:39:13.300 we did it in the senate it's not easy to do but we were able to pull it off so ben at every stage

00:39:17.160 the critics thought we had no prayer before we introduced it the critics said there's no chance

00:39:23.460 you can't get bipartisan agreement we introduced it when we introduced it initially we had two

00:39:27.460 democrats two republicans so it was eric and me on the republican side we had maria cantwell as

00:39:31.960 the ranking member on the commerce committee democrat from washington state and maria put

00:39:36.140 an enormous amount of time and energy to this and then chris coons democrat from delaware so

00:39:40.580 And initially it was the four of us, two D's, two R's. 0.98

00:39:42.960 Yeah.

00:39:43.480 People were shocked.

00:39:44.300 Like when we introduced it, they're like, wait, these guys came together and did this.

00:39:48.200 Then we had the markup in the Commerce Committee.

00:39:51.060 And early on, the SEC and Big Ten were opposed to this.

00:39:54.460 And they were actively and vigorously lobbying against it.

00:39:57.180 And they're the two most powerful conferences.

00:39:59.880 They get 70% of the eyeballs.

00:40:02.100 Both Eric and I care deeply about the SEC because they matter a lot to our state.

00:40:05.960 So it took some courage for us to stand up and like.

00:40:08.620 Say, hold on a second.

00:40:09.700 Yeah.

00:40:10.360 And all the critics said, okay, SEC and Big Ten are lobbying against this.

00:40:14.300 You're done.

00:40:14.640 This is going nowhere.

00:40:15.960 It fails in the Commerce Committee, or maybe it's a party line vote.

00:40:19.540 We end up voting it out 19 to 9.

00:40:22.700 Yeah.

00:40:23.200 70% of the committee votes.

00:40:24.580 That was the pay attention moment.

00:40:26.140 That was a moment, and it ended up, I mean, we negotiated with the SEC and Big Ten,

00:40:30.740 and we brought them on board.

00:40:31.580 So they're supporting it now.

00:40:32.660 And look, Greg Sankey, Tony Petiti, the commissioners, they're good guys.

00:40:36.920 I know them well.

00:40:37.720 both both both eric and i spent a ton of time with them we made some concessions we got them

00:40:42.980 on board the whole process of this bill was growing the the coalition growing and expanding

00:40:48.800 it when we went to the senate floor this week i mean there were a lot of skeptics and to see the

00:40:54.580 votes and we had a by the way a bunch of amendments and we ended up building and building in the

00:41:00.200 coalition that that is a powerful thing and i would say for most people they probably think

00:41:07.340 that's how the Senate operates all the time.

00:41:10.420 That is not.

00:41:10.760 It almost never does.

00:41:12.020 It doesn't happen.

00:41:12.660 Most of it's kabuki theater.

00:41:14.180 Most of it's whatever.

00:41:15.780 It was like, wouldn't it be nice

00:41:17.300 if it happened like this?

00:41:18.100 Right, but it was actually legislating

00:41:19.700 because you didn't have some of the same constraints

00:41:22.240 that you would normally have on something.

00:41:23.920 You listened to people, when we did,

00:41:26.340 and you figured out.

00:41:27.860 Adopted amendments that got people on board.

00:41:29.420 Exactly, and that's kind of how it's supposed to work

00:41:31.580 on something like this.

00:41:32.800 And I will tell you something, Ben.

00:41:34.500 Eric was hugely helpful.

00:41:35.900 It was interesting.

00:41:36.420 eric and and maria and chris kind of everyone was lobbying different people and we had sort of a

00:41:42.040 team and look with 100 senators you got a lot of people so eric spent a lot of time and we had this

00:41:46.020 vote that was unhappy this vote was unhappy and so he was out negotiating we did i i hosted a party

00:41:52.020 for for the four senators who led this and for the staff and i i gave bottles of scotch to everyone

00:41:57.860 that's awesome i mean it was a a celebration of like i i will say it's your dream of coming to

00:42:02.800 Senate and how it's supposed to work.

00:42:04.800 And this was the most complicated

00:42:06.740 thing I've ever negotiated.

00:42:09.080 Listen, this makes 0.96

00:42:10.680 Middle East peace seem simple.

00:42:12.340 And by the way, people care less about Middle East peace

00:42:14.700 than they care about college football.

00:42:16.440 Well, let me say two

00:42:18.680 things. One, congrats. What a fun

00:42:20.700 week. Two, it was fun to watch. Three, we

00:42:22.700 get to now see what happens on the House side.

00:42:25.060 And it's going to be really fun. And for

00:42:26.760 everybody that's watching right now, don't forget.

00:42:28.700 Ben, close by telling the

00:42:30.680 story of when the baseball team

00:42:32.620 and the tennis team at Ole Miss went to,

00:42:34.640 was it batting practice?

00:42:35.600 We went to batting practice.

00:42:36.460 So when I was at Ole Miss,

00:42:37.900 the teams would trade off and you would play.

00:42:39.640 We played the baseball team

00:42:40.840 and then smoked them in tennis.

00:42:41.860 They were terrible.

00:42:42.580 And then they went and said,

00:42:43.580 well, you're going to come to batting practice.

00:42:44.940 Well, we all had eye hand coordination.

00:42:46.480 We had balls hitting at 120 on the concrete

00:42:48.660 and you're hitting it back.

00:42:49.880 And we were just hitting dingers off the machine

00:42:51.420 because it was just pure straight.

00:42:52.820 And then one of the guys on the team,

00:42:54.200 the coach tried to actually recruit

00:42:55.620 and our coach was in his face.

00:42:56.800 You're not touching my tennis guys.

00:42:58.200 You're not touching, but it was so much fun

00:42:59.780 because like, how do you guys do that?

00:43:00.920 I'm like, guys, we are used to hitting a ball that's bouncing 120.

00:43:04.160 It's coming straight every time in the same place.

00:43:06.560 You can get bat on ball really fast.

00:43:08.180 It was fun.

00:43:08.680 That's cool.

00:43:09.160 Yeah, we beat those guys well.

00:43:10.480 You told a more pro tennis story this time than last time.

00:43:14.260 Well, I mean, we said it.

00:43:15.900 It's like Eric's couch story.

00:43:17.640 It's getting better, Ben.

00:43:18.860 It's getting better, yeah.

00:43:19.860 Because the last time I heard the story, you said, wow, a fastball comes fast.

00:43:24.300 Did I tell you the catch probability in that game is 5%.

00:43:29.140 5%, by golly.

00:43:30.740 There's the fish.

00:43:31.420 Don't forget we do this podcast Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

00:43:33.840 Hit that subscribe or auto-download button.

00:43:35.680 You can also watch this episode on YouTube as well.

00:43:38.740 From the swamp, it's always great having you guys with us,

00:43:40.980 and we'll see you back here on Friday morning.

00:43:43.240 I believe that whoever was in that room and did that was a murderer.

00:43:47.240 A new podcast series, Faultline Haditha,

00:43:50.180 tells the story of a shocking crime and a cover-up

00:43:52.960 at the highest levels of the United States Marine Corps.

00:43:56.220 If you've got five players and you offer immunity to four,

00:43:59.040 you better be right about the Fed, because if you're not, then you've just given immunity to 0.59

00:44:03.120 your color. Listen to Faultline Haditha on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

00:44:09.400 get your podcasts. The new NFL season is here, and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we

00:44:17.620 march along to Super Bowl 61. It is in the name NFL Daily. You'll have fresh content in your feed

00:44:23.560 every day, all season long.

00:44:25.420 That game-winning drive, maybe it's Herbert,

00:44:27.860 maybe it's Gino, maybe it's Mahomes.

00:44:30.060 We'll have the highlights.

00:44:31.320 If Fernando Mendoza or any of the rookies are balling out,

00:44:33.960 we'll break down the tape.

00:44:35.040 Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and an all-star cast of co-hosts

00:44:38.480 as we preview and recap every game.

00:44:40.780 Listen to NFL Daily on the iHeartRadio app,

00:44:43.980 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

00:44:47.180 I'm Brett Coleman.

00:44:48.480 And I'm Trevor Sikama.

00:44:49.560 If you love football and want to understand

00:44:51.720 what's really happening on the field,

00:44:53.560 Check out our show, NFL Pro.

00:44:55.180 Every week, we break down the biggest plays, trends, and matchups

00:44:58.340 using exclusive next-gen stats insights and NFL content you will not find anywhere else.

00:45:03.180 Whether you're new to football, a fantasy football fanatic, or a diehard fan,

00:45:07.540 NFL Pro will help you analyze the game like a pro.

00:45:11.460 Listen to NFL Pro on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

00:45:20.420 Hey, it's Bobby Bones.

00:45:21.720 Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Cassel every Wednesday on our podcast,

00:45:27.100 Lots to Say, with me, Bobby Bones, and Matt Cassel.

00:45:30.200 You're in training camp, and the rookie quarterback has one good throwing session in front of the media.

00:45:35.440 Suddenly, everybody online says he should start over you week one.

00:45:38.480 How do you handle this?

00:45:39.360 You just go back out to practice the next day and wait for him to mess up.

00:45:42.720 Listen to Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Cassel on the iHeartRadio app,

00:45:46.700 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

00:45:49.260 hey i'm mike yam and i'm trevor sykema and together we host the nfl fantasy football show

00:45:56.260 are you ready to dominate your fantasy league this season because if you aren't locked in with

00:46:00.760 us on the nfl fantasy football show you're already playing from behind whether you're a first time

00:46:05.940 player or a grizzled vet chasing another championship we give you the advantage

00:46:09.980 and the confidence you need to make every move count listen to the nfl fantasy football show on

00:46:15.160 the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

00:46:45.160 The NFL Report Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

00:46:51.540 The World Cup is over, but if you caught the soccer bug and aren't sure what to do now,

00:46:55.300 check out our podcast, Big Kick Energy.

00:46:57.360 I'm Cameron Dicker, the kicker from the Los Angeles Chargers,

00:47:00.140 and I'm here with Timmy Tillman, current LAFC star player.

00:47:03.620 So, we know a little something about kicking balls.

00:47:06.500 Each week, we'll tackle things like, who's winning the Premier League this year?

00:47:10.000 What do you think is harder, scoring a penalty kick or scoring a field goal?

00:47:13.800 Join us each week for a quick chat with your soccer-loving bros about the best sport in the world.

00:47:18.500 Soccer. Just don't tell my coaches I said that.

00:47:21.400 Listen to Big Kick Energy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Verdict with Ted Cruz - September 30, 2026

Massive Bipartisan WIN to Save College Sports

Episode Stats

Transcript