Hour 4: Craig Clashes Over Trump's Presence as Knicks Host the Spurs artwork

Hour 4: Craig Clashes Over Trump's Presence as Knicks Host the Spurs

The Carton Show with Craig Carton & Chris McMonigle

June 8, 2026

Craig and Big Mac analyze the intense atmosphere at Madison Square Garden as the Knicks face the Spurs in the NBA Finals. They clash with callers over the impact of Donald Trump’s attendance and soaring ticket costs on the team’s home-court advantage.
Speakers: Craig Carton, Chris McMonigle, Peter, Anthony Gallo
**Craig Carton** (0:00)
You got a thick old trunk, baby. Thick old trunk, that's right. That's what I just said.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:04)
Speaking of Creed, have you liked that guy? I told you, he puts Creed songs to other...

**Craig Carton** (0:08)
I didn't like it as much as I hope to have liked it.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:10)
Oh, okay.

**Craig Carton** (0:11)
And also, he doesn't do like the whole song. No, it's just a little bit, yeah. He does snippets of it. Very talented.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:16)
Yeah, the Pina Colada song, I want. I want that whole song. I love it.

**Craig Carton** (0:19)
Right, but he doesn't do the full length. No, I know. You know what I mean?

**Chris McMonigle** (0:21)
Yeah.

**Craig Carton** (0:22)
But I did like it. It's very clever.
And then to be fair, by the fourth one, I'm like, I don't get it. You know what I mean? Yeah, I don't know.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:29)
I think it's boring after a while. But there's a couple bangers in there.

**Craig Carton** (0:33)
Yeah, it would be great if you did the entire thing. But he chose not to, I guess. I don't know.
Well, what Big Mac showed me was a guy takes random songs and slows down the beat at times to make it fit a Creed song. And it's very, very good.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:51)
Very good. The one that jumps out to me is he took the Pina Colada song.

**Craig Carton** (0:54)
Peter, will you get that, please?

**Chris McMonigle** (0:56)
Yeah.

**Craig Carton** (0:57)
It sounds great. With arms wide open.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:59)
Yeah, that's the jam of the summer if he gets a full song.

**Craig Carton** (1:02)
Which I don't know why he wouldn't do the full song.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:05)
I'm sitting on the balcony of a Disney cruise ship on loop with that song if he gets a full version.

**Craig Carton** (1:10)
Why don't we invite the guy to do it live when we do our Salt Shack show end of summer?

**Chris McMonigle** (1:13)
That'd be great.

**Craig Carton** (1:14)
Right? I'm working on a country music star right now for that.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:17)
Oh, okay.

**Craig Carton** (1:18)
Yeah, there's this new girl.
What's her name again? Something lefty? Stella Lefty? Yeah, Stella Lefty. She has a song about going to Boston or something.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:26)
Okay.

**Craig Carton** (1:27)
But she's going to be a huge country music star. So I'm trying to book her for the end of summer show.
Look her up, Stella Lefty.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:36)
Stella Lefty.

**Craig Carton** (1:37)
Yeah.

**Peter** (1:37)
Yeah.

**Craig Carton** (1:38)
I think her dad was the founder of Groupon.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:41)
So, nepotism.

**Craig Carton** (1:44)
No, she's wildly talented.

**Peter** (1:46)
Yeah.

**Craig Carton** (1:46)
I'm a huge fan of hers. Is this the Pina Colada song? This is the thing Big Mac is talking about. Let's do it real quick.
Really good, right? Oh, but he doesn't do the whole song. If you like peeing, you're cool.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:21)
I'm telling you right now, if I get a full version of that song, you're in. That's my song of the summer.

**Craig Carton** (2:26)
Loop Dee Loop?

**Chris McMonigle** (2:26)
That's on loop. I'm driving in every day listening. That kicks ass.

**Craig Carton** (2:30)
Yeah, windows down.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:31)
Windows down.

**Craig Carton** (2:32)
No navigation, but windows down. No navigation.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:35)
I don't know how I'll play the music with no... I have to be on the radio.

**Craig Carton** (2:39)
Here's Rui in Mountside on the fan. Rui, good afternoon. How are you?

**Peter** (2:44)
What's up, Craig?
Hey, before I tell you my funny Nick story of 1994, Craig, because that story you said about the Garden of Dreams and the million dollars, that was great. And many people don't know what the Garden of Dreams does, but my son Nicholas, who passed away at 13 in 2013, he was chronically ill, but in 2009, through the Garden of Dreams, we had gotten invited to go to the Adam Gray's retirement ceremony. So all the guys were there. I mean, Leach and Bukabum and Messier and Rick, they're all of them, and the old timers too. And just all the pictures that I have and all the memories, every once in a while they pop up on my phone. So that's the kind of stuff the Garden of Dreams does, and I still hold those memories all these years later, I always will.

**Craig Carton** (3:35)
Yeah, I will tell you that we've all been blessed to be a part of some really amazing causes and charities. The Garden of Dreams Foundation is, for my money, the single greatest foundation in New York City. It's amazing the amount of money they raise and how they use that money for kids, you know, and experiences like you got to experience with your late son.

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