Ben Maller Show Best of the Week

June 13, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Ben Maller Show: A Week of NFL Drama, NBA Collapse, and Media Ethics

The Ben Maller Show's best-of-the-week compilation opens with a vivid image: San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, still under contract, posting a video of himself wearing a Washington Commanders hat and comparing himself to a toy his current team doesn't know how to use. The NFL season starts in 94 days, training camp in about a month, and Aiyuk is stuck at a standoff with the 49ers — a situation Maller calls "the world's slowest breakup."

The Aiyuk Standoff: A Spoiled Athlete Corral

Maller frames the Aiyuk situation as an Occam's razor problem. The simplest explanation is that Aiyuk is frustrated and trying to expedite his departure. He's "passionately banging the closed door button on the elevator" — wanting out but lacking the leverage to force it. The 49ers, meanwhile, are holding firm, and Maller argues this isn't really a football story anymore. Aiyuk hasn't played in a long time, has an active arrest warrant for street racing around the team's stadium, and is now publicly wearing another team's merchandise while still under contract.

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What you'll learn

1 (03:03) **Brandon Aiyuk's Social Media Feud with the 49ers** - Ben breaks down the wide receiver's latest rant, including wearing a Commanders hat and calling himself a misused toy.
2 (08:02) **Why the 49ers Are Holding Aiyuk Hostage** - Ben explains the salary cap and "message-sending" reasons behind San Francisco's slow-play of the situation.
3 (13:20) **Erin Andrews' Bahamas Vacation with Matthew Stafford** - Ben questions the journalistic ethics of an NFL sideline reporter vacationing with a starting quarterback.
4 (21:39) **World Cup Pick'em and NBA Finals Preview** - Ben sets up the night's segments, including a World Cup bracket game and a deep dive into the Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals game.
5 (23:18) **Knicks' Historic 29-Point Comeback in the NBA Finals** - Ben breaks down New York's 107-106 win over San Antonio to take a 3-1 series lead.
6 (25:11) **Who Gets the Blame for the Spurs' Collapse?** - Ben performs a "forensic pathology" on San Antonio's historic 29-point blown lead in the NBA Finals.
7 (30:44) **De'Aaron Fox's Boneheaded Play** - Ben highlights the critical mistake that sealed the Spurs' fate.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Big Ben talks about 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk taking to social media to put pressure on the team to trade him while wearing a Commanders hat, the San Antonio Spurs giving up the biggest blown lead in NBA Finals history to the Knicks in Game 4, Maller's Mountain of Money: Kanye West Edition, and more!

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