Drew and Roth ring in the new year with Kalyn Kahler, and go long about the NFL post-season. First and foremost, what the hell is going on with the Raiders? Has Tom Brady been an awful shadow president for the team? And then, to the Playoffs: How is Kalyn liking the Bears’ chances? What would be the most interesting matchup? 

Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720. That is 909-PANERA-0!

Stuff We Talked About

• €30 Plane WiFi
• Grinding the press conference tapes
• Nepotism at its finest
• Waking up with Dave Portnoy
• Turtle death pact

Sponsors

- Blueland, where you can get 15% off your first order

Credits

- Hosts: Drew Magary & David Roth

- Producer: Brandon Grugle

- Editor: Mischa Stanton

- Production Services & Ads: Multitude Podcasts

- Subscribe to Defector!

About The Show

The Distraction is Defector's flagship podcast about sports (and movies, and art, and sandwiches, and certain coastal states) from longtime writers Drew Magary and David Roth. Every week, Drew and Roth tackle subjects, both serious and impossibly stupid, with a parade of guests from around the world of sports and media joining in the fun! Roth and Drew also field Funbag questions from Defector readers, answer listener voicemails, and get upset about the number of people who use speakerphone while in a public bathroom stall. This is a show where everything matters, because everyone could use a Distraction. Head to defector.com for more info.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Drew and Roth reflect on their years, personally, professionally, and politically, and look forward to 2026 being, if not better, then maybe just a little more consistent. Then, they open the funbag to answer real questions from real listeners. Thank you for listening for another year!

Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720. That is 909-PANERA-0!

Stuff We Talked About

• The J Pass
• Lil Davie
• Yosemite, Four Kings’ crab, & Metallica/Oasis
• Fake cough syrup
• Pills the size of a bialy

Sponsors

- Mint Mobile, where you can get 50% off Unlimited premium wireless

- Factor, where you can get 50% off your first box plus free breakfast for a year

Credits

- Hosts: Drew Magary & David Roth

- Producer: Brandon Grugle

- Editor: Mischa Stanton

- Production Services & Ads: Multitude Podcasts

- Subscribe to Defector!

About The Show

The Distraction is Defector's flagship podcast about sports (and movies, and art, and sandwiches, and certain coastal states) from longtime writers Drew Magary and David Roth. Every week, Drew and Roth tackle subjects, both serious and impossibly stupid, with a parade of guests from around the world of sports and media joining in the fun! Roth and Drew also field Funbag questions from Defector readers, answer listener voicemails, and get upset about the number of people who use speakerphone while in a public bathroom stall. This is a show where everything matters, because everyone could use a Distraction. Head to defector.com for more info.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s the most magical time of the year once again! Drew brings Roth and guest Matt Selman, The Simpsons EP and Showrunner, a list of Williams Sonoma’s finest – who is more in tune with the everyman consumer? Does anyone need a $350 Porsche-branded Smeg toaster? No.

Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720. That is 909-PANERA-0!

Stuff We Talked About

• That new upstart TV show The Simpsons
• USB ports in the ice maker
• No possessions enlightenment
• The finer points of contract law

Credits

- Hosts: Drew Magary & David Roth

- Producer: Brandon Grugle

- Editor: Mischa Stanton

- Production Services & Ads: Multitude Podcasts

- Subscribe to Defector!

About The Show

The Distraction is Defector's flagship podcast about sports (and movies, and art, and sandwiches, and certain coastal states) from longtime writers Drew Magary and David Roth. Every week, Drew and Roth tackle subjects, both serious and impossibly stupid, with a parade of guests from around the world of sports and media joining in the fun! Roth and Drew also field Funbag questions from Defector readers, answer listener voicemails, and get upset about the number of people who use speakerphone while in a public bathroom stall. This is a show where everything matters, because everyone could use a Distraction. Head to defector.com for more info.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Drew and Roth are joined by Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller to talk football as the NFL season heats up. In this brand new world where K-balls are changing the entire game, how do we even tell if a player or a team is good at all?  Are the Cowboys actually any good? The Broncos? The Patriots? Is Matthew buying Caleb Williams? Then, they open up the Funbag to answer real questions from listeners. 

Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720. That is 909-PANERA-0!

Stuff We Talked About

• Matthew’s rescued greyhounds
• Why can’t teams pass anymore?
• Gridiron granddads
• Taco Today
• Choice culinary crap

Sponsors

- Blueland, where you can get 15% off your first order

- Storyworth, where you can save $10 or more

- MeUndies, where you can get get up to 50% off

Credits

- Hosts: Drew Magary & David Roth

- Producer: Brandon Grugle

- Editor: Mischa Stanton

- Production Services & Ads: Multitude Podcasts

- Subscribe to Defector!

About The Show

The Distraction is Defector's flagship podcast about sports (and movies, and art, and sandwiches, and certain coastal states) from longtime writers Drew Magary and David Roth. Every week, Drew and Roth tackle subjects, both serious and impossibly stupid, with a parade of guests from around the world of sports and media joining in the fun! Roth and Drew also field Funbag questions from Defector readers, answer listener voicemails, and get upset about the number of people who use speakerphone while in a public bathroom stall. This is a show where everything matters, because everyone could use a Distraction. Head to defector.com for more info.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Drew and Roth are joined by Peter Brannen, author of The Story of CO2 Is the Story of Everything: How Carbon Dioxide Made Our World to talk about CO2’s role in our lives, past and present. Should CO2’s image be rehabbed? Then, they talk about the NBA–with the OKC Thunder at 21-1, how screwed is the rest of the league? Finally, they open up the funbag to answer real questions from listeners, like are string cheese and mozzarella sticks the same?

Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720. That is 909-PANERA-0!

Stuff We Talked About

• Deep sea alkaline hydrothermal vents
• Earth’s previous science fiction worlds
• The Monster energy drink geological layer
• The Celtics Abu Dhabi connection
• Just passin’ through guys
• Best celebrity + sandwich experience

Sponsors

- Mint Mobile, where you can get 50% off all Unlimited plans

- Raycon, where you can get 20% off

Credits

- Hosts: Drew Magary & David Roth

- Producer: Brandon Grugle

- Editor: Mischa Stanton

- Production Services & Ads: Multitude Podcasts

- Subscribe to Defector!

About The Show

The Distraction is Defector's flagship podcast about sports (and movies, and art, and sandwiches, and certain coastal states) from longtime writers Drew Magary and David Roth. Every week, Drew and Roth tackle subjects, both serious and impossibly stupid, with a parade of guests from around the world of sports and media joining in the fun! Roth and Drew also field Funbag questions from Defector readers, answer listener voicemails, and get upset about the number of people who use speakerphone while in a public bathroom stall. This is a show where everything matters, because everyone could use a Distraction. Head to defector.com for more info.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happy Thanksgiving! It’s a Drew and Roth solo episode this week, and they talk about Roth’s latest artistic discovery, Drew’s hometown, and, of course, their Thanksgiving food plans. Then, they’re joined by a lucky listener to open up the funbag and answer questions from other lucky listeners.

Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720. That is 909-PANERA-0!

Stuff We Talked About

• Unexpected art galleries
• First kisses
• Movies that are better than girls
• Good ass pie
• Time savings vs emotional support
• In-the-house accents

Sponsors

- HIMS, where you can get a free online visit

Credits

- Hosts: Drew Magary & David Roth

- Producer: Brandon Grugle

- Editor: Mischa Stanton

- Production Services & Ads: Multitude Podcasts

- Subscribe to Defector!

About The Show

The Distraction is Defector's flagship podcast about sports (and movies, and art, and sandwiches, and certain coastal states) from longtime writers Drew Magary and David Roth. Every week, Drew and Roth tackle subjects, both serious and impossibly stupid, with a parade of guests from around the world of sports and media joining in the fun! Roth and Drew also field Funbag questions from Defector readers, answer listener voicemails, and get upset about the number of people who use speakerphone while in a public bathroom stall. This is a show where everything matters, because everyone could use a Distraction. Head to defector.com for more info.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Food journalist and founder of the newly-revived website Roads & Kingdoms Nathan Thornburgh returns to the podcast after many many moons. Where’s he been this whole time? Well it turns out, lots of places! Drew & Roth get a rundown of Nathan’s favorite food places in the world, as well asp the surprising challenges involved in preparing an iguana for consumption. And of course, we’ll serve Nathan up a Funbag question, sourced farm-to-table from real Defector readers & Distraction listeners.

Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720. That is 909-PANERA-0!

Stuff We Talked About

• Asking chefs for money
• Tap a toe in Bosnia
• George from Georgia
• The weirdest marsupials
• Professional dishwasher loading

Sponsors

- Blueland, where you can get 30% off your order during their Holiday Sale

- Storyworth, where you can get $10 or more off for the holidays

Credits

- Hosts: Drew Magary & David Roth

- Producer: Brandon Grugle

- Editor: Mischa Stanton

- Production Services & Ads: Multitude Podcasts

- Subscribe to Defector!

About The Show

The Distraction is Defector's flagship podcast about sports (and movies, and art, and sandwiches, and certain coastal states) from longtime writers Drew Magary and David Roth. Every week, Drew and Roth tackle subjects, both serious and impossibly stupid, with a parade of guests from around the world of sports and media joining in the fun! Roth and Drew also field Funbag questions from Defector readers, answer listener voicemails, and get upset about the number of people who use speakerphone while in a public bathroom stall. This is a show where everything matters, because everyone could use a Distraction. Head to defector.com for more info.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stefan Fatsis joins Drew and Roth to talk about dictionaries! For his new book, Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary (out now), Stefan embedded with Merriam Webster, and even drafted some new entries. Then, Stefan and Drew discuss the finer points of the letter V’s usage in Scrabble, and they figure out if NFL kickers are too good now. Finally, they open up the funbag to answer a question about begging the question.

Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720. That is 909-PANERA-0!

Stuff We Talked About

• Sheeple
• Filling your house with sand
• New letters
• Thou vs you
• Garden variety swears
• The return of K-balls

Sponsors

- MeUndies, where you can get get up to 50% off

Credits

- Hosts: Drew Magary & David Roth

- Producer: Brandon Grugle

- Editor: Mischa Stanton

- Production Services & Ads: Multitude Podcasts

- Subscribe to Defector!

About The Show

The Distraction is Defector's flagship podcast about sports (and movies, and art, and sandwiches, and certain coastal states) from longtime writers Drew Magary and David Roth. Every week, Drew and Roth tackle subjects, both serious and impossibly stupid, with a parade of guests from around the world of sports and media joining in the fun! Roth and Drew also field Funbag questions from Defector readers, answer listener voicemails, and get upset about the number of people who use speakerphone while in a public bathroom stall. This is a show where everything matters, because everyone could use a Distraction. Head to defector.com for more info.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rohan is back with Drew and Roth to talk about the Mamdani win and what it could mean for the political future. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of sandwich talk as well! Then, they talk about the Dolphins, the Jets, the World Series, and the real insider secret to getting traded: location, location, location.

Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720. That is 909-PANERA-0!

Stuff We Talked About

• NYC has a good mayor!
• Secretary of Sandwiches Nadkarni
• Pretending to be someone else in an Uber
• Coaches not just on the field, but in real life
• Planting a porn tree you will never sit under

Sponsors

- Mint Mobile, where new customers can get a premium wireless plan for $15 a month

- Raycon, where you can get 20% off the Everyday Earbuds Classic

Credits

- Hosts: Drew Magary & David Roth

- Producer: Brandon Grugle

- Editor: Mischa Stanton

- Production Services & Ads: Multitude Podcasts

- Subscribe to Defector!

About The Show

The Distraction is Defector's flagship podcast about sports (and movies, and art, and sandwiches, and certain coastal states) from longtime writers Drew Magary and David Roth. Every week, Drew and Roth tackle subjects, both serious and impossibly stupid, with a parade of guests from around the world of sports and media joining in the fun! Roth and Drew also field Funbag questions from Defector readers, answer listener voicemails, and get upset about the number of people who use speakerphone while in a public bathroom stall. This is a show where everything matters, because everyone could use a Distraction. Head to defector.com for more info.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s a Drew and Roth solo joint this week! They start with the World Series and how it’s good! Really good! Then, does the NBA gambling scandal matter? And finally, Drew is NOT making any predictions about the NYC mayoral election, but he and Roth have some hopeful thoughts about it.

Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720. That is 909-PANERA-0!

Stuff We Talked About

• The magic of YT TV
• The NY bagel of wonton skins
• Organized crime
• The NYC mayoral race
• Follicular density

Credits

- Hosts: Drew Magary & David Roth

- Producer: Brandon Grugle

- Editor: Mischa Stanton

- Production Services & Ads: Multitude Podcasts

- Subscribe to Defector!

About The Show

The Distraction is Defector's flagship podcast about sports (and movies, and art, and sandwiches, and certain coastal states) from longtime writers Drew Magary and David Roth. Every week, Drew and Roth tackle subjects, both serious and impossibly stupid, with a parade of guests from around the world of sports and media joining in the fun! Roth and Drew also field Funbag questions from Defector readers, answer listener voicemails, and get upset about the number of people who use speakerphone while in a public bathroom stall. This is a show where everything matters, because everyone could use a Distraction. Head to defector.com for more info.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.