The Late Night Happy Hour with Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

Good times? No. Fascinating times? Absolutely.

Bryan Curtis (bryancurtis), editor-at-large and host of The Press Box podcast at The Ringer, joins the show talking about the current and future state of media.

We start by asking a question that may sound simple, but isn't. When people talk about "the media," what are they referring to? What exactly is "the media?" From there, it's a peek at ESPN, which (not surprisingly) remains the epicenter of sports media, and by extension has a massive impact on how the rest of the industry operates. What does the departure of Dan LeBatard say about the direction ESPN is heading? Who are the audiences for institutional staples like sports radio or pregame NFL shows?

What happens after COVID? Fans and media may be allowed back into buildings, but that doesn't mean sports media will go back to operating the way it did before the pandemic. Both in terms of finances, but also how people do their jobs.

What about the intersection of politics and sports? With Donald Trump on his way out, will the tension between these worlds drop back to pre-Trump levels? Will Trump's exit create a news vacuum across the media landscape? What exactly will fill the void if the next administration is conventionally boring?

Finally, they're bringing back Little House on the Prairie. We have a game in the show's honor.

She's back! A favorite of the Late Night Happy Hour, Jourdan Rodrigue, who covers the Rams and the NFL for The Athletic. After a quick discussion of lactose intolerance, we looked at this week's opponent for the Rams, the New York Jets, and the utter disaster they've become. Is it worth everything they're doing to land Trevor Lawrence with the top pick in next year's draft? She says yes... but that Lawrence could very well force his way to another team.

What does all this mean for Sam Darnold, btw?

From there, it's a look at the Rams. Andy breaks out numbers explaining Jared Goff's struggles in the red zone, while Jourdan notes how the team has been reconfigured around high probability, high efficiency plays. It's something that should help Goff stay out of trouble, and plays to the strengths of the defense.

We ask whether defensive coordinator Brandon Staley is a viable coaching hire this offseason, and where he might go, before sizing up the Rams' chances against other postseason contenders like New Orleans and Green Bay.

Finally, it's a disaster trivia game!

A busy night on the Happy Hour...

We start with the big sports news of the day, namely the supermax extension for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will remain in Milwaukee (at least in theory) for an additional five seasons. So why did he stay, and how much leverage is he really giving up?

We pause the NBA talk to talk about gambling with David Hill. Author, gambler and host of "Gamblers" on The Ringer, an excellent podcast series that wraps up this week. All about the ins and outs of the professional gambler, from card counters to pool hustlers. What, exactly, does Vegas consider "cheating?"

Finally, we wrap with more Giannis talk, and how the Lakers were smart to move on from all of this preemptively. And oh by the way, Gal Gadot loves Taco Bell. Is she right?

It's a big night of NBA talk with Sean Highkin, who covers the league for Bleacher Report...

but before we get to that, it's a little talk about music (he had a picture of Rush drummer Neil Peart over his shoulder on the live show) and what it means to truly come to terms with hair loss at a young age.

Once that's over, though we ask some important questions. First, who in the West, outside the Clippers, is best equipped to take out the Lakers? Portland has made serious improvements, and in what could be one of the season's better stories, might have Carmelo Anthony primed to make a run at 6th Man of the Year. What could that do for a basketball rep that takes far more abuse than it should?

Then there's James Harden. What happens in Houston? How easy is it to trade him, transcendent a scorer as he is? For all the talk of landing in Brooklyn, would the Knicks actually be a better fit?

How has Kyrie Irving's imperfections as a messenger impacted the validity of his message?

Finally, if a team is going to beat the Lakers this season, which one is best equipped? How many have a chance, assuming LA stays healthy?

The Lakers are back! And if it seems like they never left, it's because they kind of didn't. A really short offseason is already in the rear view mirror, but the impact was seen by who wasn't on the floor Friday night as the Lakers beat the Clippers in the preseason opener. No LeBron James, no Anthony Davis. Or Markieff Morris, Marc Gasol or Kentavious Caldwell Pope.

Still, some interesting stuff happened, mostly with Talen Horton-Tucker, who put up a lot of shots and filled a bunch of categories in the stat sheet. It wasn't perfect, but the kid, still just 20, looked like a guy who belongs. Why a useful THT makes a potentially significant difference for the Lakers this year. There was also the debut of Montrezl Harrell... how'd it go?

From there, it's a look at the Clippers and the Paul George extension. Easy choice for PG... was it one for the Clips? George will now be earning $49,000,000 as a 35-year old. Could be a little problematic.

Finally, we dive deep into Kyrie Irving and his Friday instagram post, and talk about why his message isn't necessarily landing.

It's a busy night on the Happy Hour, as the Rams laid the wood on a former nemesis on Thursday Night Football, beating New England 24-3, meaning all that's between them and a playoff spot are the winless Jets next weekend. Win, and they're in. We talk about what was good for the Rams (Cam Akers, with 171 yards!) what was great (the Rams defense) and what was irrelevant (Jared Goff). Plus, what made us sad (Pats QB Cam Newton, who is clearly just a shell of his former self).

From there, it's a conversation with documentary filmmaker Bernardo Ruiz, who directed the new 30 for 30 entitled "The Infinite Race," which premieres December 15, on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. It chronicles Raramuri people of Mexico's Copper Canyon, also known as the Tarahumara, a community of people famed for their distance running abilities despite extreme poverty, and the rise of ultramarathon running they helped inspire. It's an incredible film dealing with culture, power, and what can happen when those things intersect, even among well meaning people.

Finally, we kick around Paul George's contract extension with the Clippers. Has the PG slander gone a little too far? Or at the least, does it too often miss the point? Well, sort of... but not always.

It's always a great time and a better conversation when Darius Soriano of https://www.forumblueandgold.com/ (Forum Blue and Gold )and the https://www.google.com/search?q=Laker+Film+Room+podcastandoq=laker+film+roandaqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j69i60j69i61j69i60.1757j0j4andsourceid=chromeandie=UTF-8 (Laker Film Room Podcast) stops by, and Wednesday was no exception.

We started on the big LA rumor of the day... that Lakers great Pau Gasol is interested in returning for one last season. Is it a good idea? Can the Lakers afford what amounts to a nostalgia play, even for someone as beloved as Pau, in a pandemic year where every player on the roster might be pressed into service?

From there, it's a look at the rest of the West, and who might challenge the Lakers. When looking for teams that might have a shot, is it really just the Clippers? And speaking of them, are they equipped to take the Lakers out? Forget the chemistry problems, do they have the personnel? And does the pressure help or hurt them this year?

Is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the GOAT? We don't mean in basketball, here, either. We're talking life. Might he be on the Mt. Rushmore of incredibly impressive humans?

Finally, Darius asks which Eastern Conference teams are of interest... and quickly the conversation turns to the Sixers.

It's been a weird year for everything, and movies are no exception. But nonetheless, Oscars season is starting to percolate, and here to break it down is Scott Feinberg, who covers the awards for The Hollywood Reporter, and hosts the fantastic THR Awards Chatter pod.

We start, though, on Kobe Bryant, who Scott had a chance spend time with as Kobe went through the process of making, getting nominated and ultimately winning an Oscar for "Dear Basketball." What made his journey in Hollywood unique?

How about LeBron James? Clearly concerns about his commitment to hoops vs. commitment to Hollywood have been eliminated, but that doesn't mean he's not interested in the Hollywood stuff. And it's going pretty well, too.

From there, it's on to news about this year's Oscars ceremony. What is it going to look like? What movies are making headway, and how might the way in which they're distributed this year impact future Oscar seasons? Was there any consideration to cancelling, given how many release dates have been pushed back?

Finally, what does the week's news about Warner Brothers and HBO Max mean for the future of the industry? What else is coming? Is the theater-going experience, at least as it was before the pandemic, officially dead?

Megan Gailey, host of the Megan Gailey Bubble Machine and a Comedy Central special opening up on YouTube on Dec. 14, joins the show talking her love of Indiana sports (and Victor Oladipo, specifically), her soft spot for Paul George, James Harden's love of strip clubs, and more.

That includes a deep dive into the ins and outs of sushi modeling, and the stunningly awesome trailer for the new Lifetime mini-movie about Col. Sanders... "A Recipe for Seduction."

It's been a busy week in the NBA, and joining the Happy Hour to cap it all off is Daman Rangoola (@damanr).

We start on how he became a figure on NBA Twitter. What brought him to basketball, the NBA and social media. A nice jumping off point to the big story about media from Friday... namely Kyrie Irving refusing to do any with the Nets as the season opens up. Does he have a point? Should he feel obligated to speak? Why would any athlete trust the media, especially if they feel they've been burned before. And who is Kyrie really hurting if he goes all year without talking? (Hint, it's not a victimless crime, and the media isn't the victim.)

Next, it's onto the Lakers. LeBron and Anthony Davis are both locked up. What do the week's events mean for the Lakers' championship window? For Rob Pelinka's job buillding around them? It's all good news, that's for sure. Just how special can the duo be?

Finally, we wrap with a Daman specialty... Clippers slander. Where they went wrong last year, why Kawhi Leonard deserves much more heat, and why the Clippers have a gajillion times the pressure on them this season than the Lakers, even with the Lakers entering the year as the clear title favorites. That's saying something.