AI Summary
5 min readSpurs rookie Stephon Castle said he expects to win the next three NBA Finals games after San Antonio cut New York's lead to 2-1. Ben Maller spent an hour of his late-night radio show defending that kind of confidence, unpacking Josh Allen's rise to the top of NFL merchandise sales, and explaining why 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is turning up the heat on social media. The throughline across all three segments is the same: in modern sports, public bravado is a strategic tool, not a mistake.
Castle's Confidence: Panache, Not a Jinx
When Spurs guard Stephon Castle told reporters after Game 3 that he expected to win "the next three" games of the NBA Finals, the predictable backlash arrived fast. Critics accused the rookie of putting a jinx on his team, of giving the Knicks bulletin-board material, of poking the bear. Maller rejected all of that outright. "This is not Voodoo Boogaloo," he said. The real question is what you want an athlete to say instead. "Did you expect the man to say he's planning on losing the next couple of games?"
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What you'll learn
- 1 (03:13) **Hour 4 Kickoff & Topic Tease** - Ben Maller opens the fourth hour, teasing segments on Stephon Castle's bold Finals prediction, Josh Allen's merch dominance, and Brandon Aiyuk's latest social media drama.
- 2 (07:26) **Stephon Castle's "Whammy" and the Spurs' Confidence** - Ben defends Castle's declaration that the Spurs will win the next three NBA Finals games, arguing it's panache, not a jinx.
- 3 (11:51) **Josh Allen Tops NFL Merch Sales** - The Bills quarterback is the NFL's #1 merchandise seller for 2025-26, beating out Drake Maye and Saquon Barkley.
- 4 (16:25) **Brandon Aiyuk Cranks Up the Pressure on the 49ers** - The disgruntled receiver posts another cryptic video, directly calling out the team without naming them.
- 5 (25:53) **JSN Trophy Mix-Up & LeBron's Nepotism Defense** - Quick hits: Jackson Smith-Njigba finally gets the correct Offensive Player of the Year trophy, and LeBron James pushes back on nepotism accusations regarding Bronny.
- 6 (28:12) **Caller Craig on Adam Silver's "No Backbone"** - Craig from Utah argues Silver hides behind committees and lacks integrity, using the Wemby flagrant foul non-call as an example.
- 7 (30:34) **Caller Dorco & Metaglass Kyle** - Dorco the Comedian hypes himself as the #1 caller and teases possible "Mallusa" merch. Metaglass Kyle calls in to discuss new Doritos flavors.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Ben Maller talks about Stephon Castle saying he expects to win the next three NBA Finals games, Josh Allen leading the NFL in merchandise sales, WR Brandon Aiyuk continuing to crank up the screws on the 49ers, Password: Word Game of the Stars, and more!
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