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00:00Enjoying the Olympics, are you people?
00:02And by the way, I have been.
00:03I think the coverage has been very good.
00:04Led by Mike Tirico, one of my favorite guys here,
00:07calling games in football, or just the Olympics themselves.
00:09Some really good storylines.
00:11But let's get the people updated, Joe, on the medal count.
00:14What's happening in Milan?
00:16How about this?
00:17Norway, 12 gold, 7 silver, 7 bronze, 26 medals to lead right now.
00:23Italy, the home team, 22 medals.
00:25Followed by Team USA at 17, Team Japan at 17, and France at 15 here.
00:31But Norway, running away with it right now.
00:34You got to love it, right, Donnie?
00:36We kind of, well, I guess they were favored for a reason, right?
00:39We knew that was coming.
00:40Everybody kind of figured that, yes, this is their games, right?
00:44They were the medal count winner last time.
00:47They're going to be the medal count winner this time here.
00:50You know, shout out to Italy for making a run here with 22 total medals here.
00:56But it looks like it's all Norway's games, and we're just hanging out,
01:00waiting to see how many they get, Donnie.
01:02Yeah, pretty good ratings so far for the Winter Olympics as well.
01:05And again, hockey comes up this week.
01:06And I know a lot of people really wait for the figure skating men's and women's here.
01:10Those really drive some numbers.
01:11But it says here from the Wall Street Journal,
01:12after a rough decade to success of Paris 2024 and now Milan-Cortina,
01:172026 has restored the luster of the games.
01:19And also understand this.
01:20It's great theater because when the fans are there and involved,
01:24it makes it much better here for the spectators at home watching through TV.
01:27And also, when you take a look at the ski slopes and what they're doing, Joe,
01:31it doesn't hurt to have snow all over the place,
01:33and it's snowing during competitions.
01:35So the visuals are fantastic, and the people in the games themselves
01:38providing those efforts here.
01:40I'm enjoying it.
01:41And I am.
01:41I'm not a huge Winter Olympics.
01:43I like the Summer Olympics a little bit better.
01:44But I'm really enjoying and watching along, Joe.
01:47Yeah, I mean, listen, there is.
01:49It's actually pretty fun, you know, pretty fun,
01:52especially exposed to, you know, sports, Donnie,
01:55that we don't often see, right?
01:57It's not something that's like an everyday occurrence.
01:59And, yeah, and the storylines have been great.
02:02And NBC has done a great job.
02:04Toriko's done a great job of setting it all up.
02:06A lot of this is all about the storytelling as well there, Donnie.
02:10And it's been a lot of fun to watch these.
02:13And I've got to tell you something.
02:14Like, when you go into the Olympics, you try to hype it up for your brand.
02:17Because NBC probably pays a billion dollars for the Olympic coverage here.
02:20But you want to build those storylines for superstars coming into the games.
02:23And maybe the easiest ones, which are the ones they're looking for,
02:26like, hey, give me a superstar talent that I know is going to get on that podium,
02:29and we can pump it along.
02:30And if he wins one gold medal, two gold medals, three gold medals,
02:32we'll hype that coverage all the way through.
02:34And it'll drive ratings.
02:35Well, the easiest guy on the men's Olympics, you know, teams here,
02:38and women's Olympic teams, was Ilya Malinan, the quad god out here.
02:41This guy was supposed to skate into this thing and wipe the floor with everybody,
02:44and he doesn't even have a medal.
02:46And how about finishing eighth place in the men's free skate final,
02:49something that he absolutely dominates.
02:51Like, you can't understand the pressure when you get to the Olympics
02:54and how good you're supposed to be there.
02:56But the simple fact of the matter is this guy was supposed to dominate.
02:59And it's not like he's just missing either at this point.
03:01An eighth place finish is crazy.
03:04Yeah, not good.
03:05And it hasn't gotten any better, Donnie.
03:08And that's the other problem here.
03:10A lot of people just penciled in automatic gold medals for him.
03:14And, yikes, not working out here.
03:17I mean, we saw him fall not once, but twice.
03:20Yeah, it could be a situation where mentally above the shawls,
03:25not for talent reasons, Donnie, but it starts to weigh on you.
03:29And not easy for a young guy here to be able to overcome that kind of disappointment.
03:35Like, isn't it crazy where you take a look at some of these Olympic athletes
03:37and, like, he's multiple-time world champion, U.S. champion here.
03:40And none of that matters unless you get the gold medal at the Olympics here.
03:43But you do give him some credit.
03:45We see in some of the biggest moments here, superstars don't want to answer the press.
03:48And he showed up all week long answering to the press how embarrassing it's been at this point.
03:52And in the biggest moment of his life, all the agony here.
03:54So, at least give him a shout-out for that, being held accountable.
03:57Now, granted, his pockets are probably still fat from all his endorsements.
04:00But when you are the best and don't perform like you're the best on the biggest stage,
04:03that hurts you for life, man.
04:04It does.
04:05It really does.
04:07And, again, I mean, for somebody that you don't experience defeat all that often,
04:11and when you do, it's yikes.
04:14Especially when all the hype, Donnie, right?
04:17Heading into it about it was, you know, he was just going to be setting the world on fire
04:21with gold medals and just has not worked out that way.
04:25Like, he's a back-to-back world champion here.
04:27Like, you're supposed to just get there and just do the same thing,
04:29and it's a shame it hasn't worked out here, man.
04:30That guy does a lot of great things.
04:31But, again, you can't fall.
04:33Big competitions is what happens here.
04:34How about this?
04:36Kazakhstan's first Winter Olympic gold medal since Lillehammer back in 94
04:40when Vladimir Smirnoff, what a great name there,
04:43won the men's 50K false country skiing.
04:45That was 10 years before Mikhail Shadurov was even born.
04:49Kazakhstan getting there, Joe.
04:51You got to love it.
04:52Kazakhstan getting it done there.
04:55And, again, another big reason why these Olympics have been so much fun here
04:59is there's always some great stories coming out of them, Donnie.
05:02No, no doubt about it.
05:03And, by the way, when we're doing our PME shows here with the predictive markets,
05:07you take a look at saying, hey, you know what?
05:08Some of these 1%, 2%, 3% contracts, man, you might luck into a medal at that point
05:14and find some gold.
05:15And he certainly did that as well for Kazakhstan.
05:17By the way, Kazakhstan, is that where Borat is from here?
05:19Doing big things, people.
05:20We'll be right back after the break.
05:22More hot topics certainly on the way.
05:24Yeah, I've been enjoying the Olympics a lot, Tom.
05:26And, again, hockey is a lot of fun.
05:27But we are waiting for the collision courses.
05:29We saw one already on the women's side with Team USA in Canada here
05:32where the U.S. got the best of them, but the medal rounds are coming up.
05:35But we are waiting for Canada and the USA in men's ice hockey.
05:38You saw yesterday Canada 10-2 over France, which everybody's been lighting France up.
05:45And Team USA 5-1 victory over Germany.
05:47What have you seen so far from Canada and the U.S.?
05:50And will they be meeting in the gold medal game?
05:53I truly believe they will be meeting in the gold medal game.
05:55They both have buys, at least in this round.
05:57So it's the first round of the playoffs, then it's quarterfinals,
06:01and then there is reseeding.
06:03It's not a straight bracket.
06:04There's reseeding after the quarterfinals leading into the semis.
06:08And because Canada and U.S. are 1-2, they are expected to meet in the gold medal game.
06:12When it comes to Team Canada, obviously the offense has been unbelievable.
06:16And there's no defense really in the world, I guess I could say,
06:21that can contain McDavid, McKinnon, and even Macklin Celebrini
06:24who's having an unbelievable tournament.
06:25When they are on the line together, and then you still have to deal with the likes of
06:29Mitch Marner or Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, whatever it might be,
06:32there's too much talent for any one team to contain them.
06:35So I truly believe Canada is the best team in the world,
06:38and they're on a collision course for the gold medal game.
06:42Yeah, and it's both sides, right?
06:43I mean, likely both the women and the men.
06:46It's USA and Canada.
06:48I mean, it feels like if you're going to get an upset, you might get it on the men's side,
06:53but it doesn't feel like the upset's coming on the women's side, does it?
06:56No.
06:57On the women's side, Team USA is unbelievable.
06:59They are better than Canada, at least when it comes to the women's game.
07:02They're both huge favorites today, getting that underway.
07:06When it comes to the upset on the men's side, you know, Sweden's a great team.
07:10Sweden's arguably the third best team in the world.
07:12Then Team USA is set up to play either Latvia or Sweden tomorrow, excuse me, on Wednesday.
07:17So Sweden and Latvia play tomorrow.
07:19Sweden's amazing.
07:20They could very easily beat Team USA.
07:22However, they're going to play on a back-to-back, right?
07:25So Team USA clearly has the advantage in that one, but they are a very good team.
07:29If there's any stumble, it would be a lower-scoring game that Sweden wins, you know,
07:333-2 or 2-1, and Team USA just can't get the offense going.
07:37Watson, the Olympics, there's a couple sporting events that I do really enjoy.
07:40Like, I see curling on Team.
07:42I don't really understand.
07:42It seems a little bit too long, but that seems to be like that's what they like to show us
07:47on the broadcast here.
07:48Good for that because the U.S. has made some strides in curling.
07:51But when I look at the snowboarding, it's okay to me.
07:53The slalom, yeah, it's all right.
07:54I really enjoy the speed skating, Joe, but for me, it's always been hockey.
07:58I've always been a hockey fan, even though my flowers have stunk for the better parts of a last decade.
08:02But when you get the superstars on ice and they really care about the competition,
08:07it's a lot of fun to watch, Joe.
08:09And now we're finally saying, like, yeah, you get to watch a couple games.
08:11But the medal rounds, when everything ratchets up and the pressure gets there, Joe,
08:16it's one of the best events you can watch.
08:18It really is.
08:19And, you know, listen, hopefully it's going to end up with the two best teams
08:24that we think it's going to be here in some of these events.
08:27And all will be right and could very well be one of the biggest ratings, you know,
08:33boons that we've seen for NBC because you mentioned it earlier, Donnie.
08:37The ratings have actually been much better than I thought they were going to be so far for the Winter
08:42Olympics.
08:42And by the way, like, technology gets better year to year.
08:45Like, the visualization of the Olympics is great.
08:47Like, every single, like, you know, skiing event has the drones out there.
08:50They get you really close to the action.
08:52It's been really good.
08:53Even though some of the – a lot of stuff is tape delay where they put it on in primetime.
08:56Still really enjoyable to watch and play it out here.
08:58But let's talk about hockey, or particularly men's hockey.
09:02And yesterday on the ice, Canada decimated France.
09:04France is 0-3 in the tournament and getting hammered on a game-to-game basis.
09:07But Canada stretches their legs there.
09:0910-2 victory in that one.
09:11And then Team USA played Germany, had the 5-0 lead.
09:15Germany scores late to make it 5-1.
09:16Both of these teams, Joe, seemingly on a collision course for that gold medal game.
09:21Yeah, I mean, 10-2 was laughable there.
09:24We can't – I mean, what are they, 17-goal differential?
09:28Like, it was kind of absurd, Donnie.
09:31But listen, Team USA handled their business, right?
09:34Hellebuck gets the win, 23 saves there, gave up one goal to Germany.
09:39And, all right, listen, you just – you keep scoring five, six goals a game, you're going to be fine.
09:44But the real test is going to be whoever wins this Sweden-Latvia game that's coming up, that's who Team
09:50USA will have to go through.
09:52So they'll have a little tougher time, I think, through than what Canada's going to have.
09:57You know, the one thing I do look at as well is, like, you know, when they get to that
10:01gold medal game, if they do meet, which I think they will.
10:03Like, it's just one game.
10:04You're not playing a best-of-three, best-of-seven at this point.
10:06But if you are watching the Olympics, and starting with the women, right, Team USA for the women versus Team
10:11Canada, USA's been the most dominant force.
10:13And they already waxed Canada.
10:15So, yes, they should be a heavy favorite.
10:16The one thing I find interesting watching, Joe, with these Olympics are the way the odds are moving on who's
10:21going to win the men's gold medal right now.
10:23Because Canada was around that, like, plus 105, minus 100 price.
10:26But it's apparent right now that Canada looks like the better team, at least the more dominant team, than Team
10:31USA.
10:32And as you see in the current results here, Canada minus 145 and USA plus 210.
10:36Those numbers have been on the move in Canada's favorite since we got them a lot.
10:41Yeah, well, and listen, it goes without saying.
10:43I mean, you compare both teams, it's clear that we've got NHL All-Star Games, you know, teams set up
10:51here.
10:51I mean, the collection of NHL talent is absurd on both sides.
10:56But, hey, listen, if I'm Team USA, it's not like they have ever been in jeopardy of losing anything here.
11:02And I'm pretty sure they would have dropped seven or eight goals on France as well.
11:06So, I still think, ultimately, the two best teams are going to face off when it matters the most.
11:12Take a look at the upcoming schedule here for the Olympics in men's hockey on Tuesday, February 17th, which is
11:17tomorrow.
11:18Two games at 6.10 a.m., one game at 10.40, and one game at 3 o'clock.
11:22Germany-France, Switzerland-Italy, Czechia versus Denmark, Sweden versus Latvia.
11:27Now, once you get through those games, then you come up with the quarterfinals with the teams with the bye.
11:31Slovakia, Canada, Finland, and the USA.
11:33So, if we're just lining up the anticipation of USA versus Canada, Canada's going to take on either Czechia or
11:39Denmark,
11:39and USA's going to take on either Sweden or Latvia.
11:42And those games, Canada will play in the morning on Wednesday, and the USA in the afternoon at 3.10.
11:46Man, perfect timing, man.
11:48Three o'clock game for U.S. as we get to the medal rounds.
11:51I love to see that.
11:52Yeah, you got to love, right, how it's working out as far as that goes, Donnie, from a timing perspective
11:57here.
11:58But, yeah, that lowers number one seed should get the lower, you know, the worst of those two teams there.
12:04Although, Denmark might surprise a few people here.
12:07But, ultimately, listen, Team USA has got to go up against what everyone thought going in was the third best
12:13team, right, in Sweden.
12:14So, they make it through them rather easily than we're on a collision course for exactly what we thought we'd
12:21get.
12:22By the way, Joe, let me ask you a question about this.
12:24A lot of people out there were questioning why Swayman is in goal.
12:27Get this guy out of here.
12:28They go back to Hellebuck, and he was fantastic against Germany.
12:31What was the move there for Swayman to get in there just to give him a break or get a
12:34test out there?
12:35Because, apparently, it's like, yo, get this guy out, man.
12:37What are we doing?
12:39Well, yeah, I mean, yeah, the back-to-back situation, the scheduling was the issue there.
12:45But, I mean, listen, that's why you got three goalies on the team, right?
12:48And I don't think we were ever worried about losing to Denmark anyway.
12:52But, you know, Swayman did make it interesting, at least, for the first couple of periods.
12:56But, after that, it was all she wrote.
12:58But, yeah, it's good to get somebody else in that there just to see and kind of break up the
13:03monotony because it's going to be all about Hellebuck from this point forward.
13:09Yeah, I'm interested to see how it does play.
13:11And, again, on the biggest stage, half a world away, as we like to say, USA, Canada.
13:14Nobody has that homeless advantage, per se, where if the Olympics are in Vancouver or Salt Lake City.
13:19So, I want to see how that happens.
13:20And, also, do we have – I don't know if we have a time because I'm assuming, like, they try
13:24to put the U.S. in the best spot because that's where a lot of the ratings come from here
13:27and a lot of the heavy, like, packages that, you know, NBC is paying for.
13:31When would the gold medal game be, Joe?
13:34Do we have an estimated time?
13:35Like, we know when the Super Bowl would start at 630.
13:38Do we have a time for that game?
13:39Will they hold that the prime time?
13:41Or is prime time just going to be in the middle of the afternoon again for us?
13:44Well, I mean, prime time for who?
13:46I mean, prime time, eight hours difference, is it?
13:49Something along those lines.
13:51So, that would be –
13:52Played a midnight out there, Colin.
13:54Yeah.
13:5520-second.
13:56Whoa!
13:58That's crazy in a morning.
13:59Yep.
14:00Now, what day is that?
14:01What day is that actually?
14:02What day did you say was –
14:03Oh, Sunday.
14:05Ah, see, now as I was saying, Joe, we could have a watch party right here.
14:09You know, 7 to 9 a.m.
14:10Monday through Friday, it goes down right here on the network.
14:12Can you imagine the gold medal game?
14:14Would we be allowed to do, like, an in-game live as opposed to just do our show?
14:18I would actually really enjoy that here.
14:19But, again, it is a Sunday at 8 o'clock and not an 8 o'clock Monday.
14:23Yeah, we missed an opportunity, Joe.
14:24We did.
14:25Darn it.
14:25We really did.
14:26Scheduling, Richard.
14:27We got to have a word with the Olympic people there who made the scheduling, Donnie.
14:31That's just not right.
14:32Not right.
14:33Just not right at this point.
14:34It's not right.
14:34So we're going to get that on a Sunday morning, get to wake up early and watch that, which
14:38we will have fun with.
14:39But, boy, that would have been nice, though.
14:40I know beggars can't be choosers.
14:42The Olympics have been good in Italy.
14:43But that just feels like, Joe.
14:447 o'clock start, primetime, NBC, and it shatters the record books in North America, at least
14:50for Canada, watching that there at that point of this year.
14:52So it is what it is.
14:53We're enjoying the Olympics.
14:54More hot topics on the way, which include the predictive markets coming up next.
14:59Joe Ranieri.
14:59It's not any right side.
15:00It's the bridge.
15:01Come on back.
15:01Let's flip it over to the Winter Olympics here.
15:03Japan versus Canada.
15:04Why are we asking that question?
15:06Why?
15:06Because it's Olympic female curling, which Canada has a 73% chance here at Kalshi, 27% from
15:14Japan.
15:14Can they pull the upset, Joe?
15:16Or is Canada going to get a gold medal?
15:18By the way, does Canada even have a gold medal yet at this point?
15:21I don't think they do yet.
15:21Do they?
15:22Yeah, that's a good question with the medal count here, Donnie.
15:26I don't think they, at least they had not earlier.
15:30But that's kind of crazy.
15:31When you think about it, Donnie, they have Canada as, yes, they have one gold, four silver,
15:38five bronze.
15:38So 10 altogether at the very bottom of that list here, though.
15:43But yeah, I think, listen, favorites for a reason here, especially when it comes to curling,
15:48if it's one thing that we've seen is that, yeah, they've been pretty spot on so far to
15:54predict the markets with some of these events in the Olympics.
15:57And there's no reason to go against it here.
15:59And there's no reason to go against it here.
15:59And there's no reason to go against it here.
15:59And there's no reason to go against it here.
15:59And there's no reason to go against it here.
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