Becoming a Best Ball Bro: Zero RB Isn't Dead?

**JJ Zachariason** (0:01)
Rich, they did it. The New York Knicks are the champions of the basketball world. How are you feeling, man?

**Rich Ryan** (0:09)
I have cried so many times since Saturday. Whatever the opposite of doom scrolling is, is what I've constantly been doing on my phone. Soaking in every video, every celebration, every time I see Cat Hug, Patrick Ewing.
I'm starting to get the clumps now, but just an incredible feeling that I'm sharing with many people of my age, especially Mets, Jets, Knicks fans, who to this point in our lives had never experienced a champion.

**JJ Zachariason** (0:44)
Yeah, I just got to say as someone who's experienced five championships in his adult life from his city's teams, welcome to just being a normal fan and having a normal team. I'm JJ, and over the last couple of years, I've been doing everything I can to be a best ball bro. Last season, things finally fell into place. I got 40th in the DraftKings Millie Contest taking home $20,000.
Maybe I became a best ball bro, but I'm still looking to learn more about this game, and I still want others to come on this ride with me. So even if you consider me a best ball bro, this could be your year. This could be the year that you officially become a best ball bro.
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Welcome in to another episode of Becoming a Best Ball Bro. I'm JJ Zachariason, joined as always by my New York Knicks loving Rich Ryan. Rich, how's it going, buddy? I mean, I'm sure you're on top of the world right now.

**Rich Ryan** (2:33)
Absolutely. I was just in Vegas. I was in Vegas four games, four and five. I don't think I dragged a meaningful pot playing poker that entire time, but you could not wipe the smile off my face regardless, because the New York Knicks are NBA champions.

**JJ Zachariason** (2:49)
Were you out there when the Canes won the Stanley Cup, too?

**Rich Ryan** (2:52)
I had just gotten back. It's so funny. Vegas has really turned into a hockey town.
Makes sense with all the success that they've had. And I did not see anyone wearing night's gear or anything, because Carolina had just taken a stranglehold on that series. So there was no hockey vibes whatsoever in the city. But yeah, I had a crazy run for them with torts taking over right before the playoffs and then somehow finally getting to the cup finally.

**JJ Zachariason** (3:21)
I know people really don't realize. Number one, people don't realize that the Hurricanes don't play in Charlotte. A lot of people think that, like that live outside North Carolina. They play in Raleigh. And it's Raleigh's only professional team, right? Because Charlotte has the Hornets and the Panthers. And then Raleigh has the Hurricanes. And because I have my immediate family all lives in Raleigh now. And so I'm there all the time. And I live in Charlotte. And I don't think like the atmosphere for the Canes is insane because it's right next to the arena is right next to NC State's football stadium. And so any big football stadium and big program football stadium, usually, especially in a, because it's an agricultural school, like there's farmland and stuff around. You know, it is downtown Raleigh like the school is, but there's a lot of land there where people can tailgate and stuff. Right. And so Carolina Hurricanes games are in this giant area where there's just so much tailgating going on. And so and it's their only professional team. So it's a very, very like popular, like well, you know, backed NHL franchise. The Hurricanes aren't.
I'm glad, and at least I'm hopeful that people were able to see that. You know, I'm a Penguins fan through and through, but just being in, you know, I've lived in North Carolina for 12 years now. And so like, the Canes are kind of like my, you know, if the Penguins don't do it, then I'm happy to see the Canes do it. Jordan Stahl winning Con Smythe is an amazing story. And he started, you know, with the pens and stuff. And I know that we're talking hockey here and this is a football show, but I gotta shout out, give a little bit of love to those Canes fans out there because they showed up, they showed out. Happy for Rod Brindamore. Just a cool story overall.