Episode Details

Episode 636 starts with some college football trash talk after Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed calls out Texas well before the rivalry game. Mike and Rudy love the confidence, even if it blows up in his face. From there, the show gets into the guilty verdict in the Tupac Shakur murder case and the bizarre path that eventually helped authorities build the case decades after Tupac's death.

Then it's money, fandom and questionable financial decisions. A report saying nearly half of sports fans who spend money on their fandom have taken on debt sparks a bigger conversation about ticket prices, travel, concerts, Spurs games and whether experiences are worth spending serious money on. The Cowboys also continue tweaking their roster, adding former TCU running back Emari Demercado to the practice squad while Mike keeps getting more optimistic about Dallas heading into the season.

Topics Covered:

• Marcel Reed talks trash about Texas before the A&M rivalry game
• Why Mike and Rudy want more trash talk in sports
• Texas A&M's reputation as a program
• Guilty verdict in the Tupac Shakur murder case
• The strange circumstances that helped revive the Tupac investigation
• Biggie, Tupac and the dangers surrounding 1990s hip-hop
• Athletes, rappers and survivor's remorse
• Sports fans taking on debt to follow their favorite teams
• The insane cost of NFL and college football fandom
• Spending money on Spurs games, concerts and experiences
• PBR's response after a huge shipment of beer was stolen
• Cowboys add Emari Demercado to the practice squad
• Javonte Williams enters another important Cowboys season
• Malik Davis and the Cowboys running back room
• Mike continues buying stock in the Cowboys
• ITB Cowboys postgame coverage begins with Cowboys-Giants
• Rudy's reverse cowgirl versus Pilates public service announcement
• The Mike Taylor Cooking for the Kids BBQ Cook-Off

Key Moments:

• Marcel Reed says he doesn't like Texas and has “something for them,” which sends Mike and Rudy into a full debate about why athletes should talk their trash before the game.
• Mike and Rudy react to the guilty verdict against the man accused of orchestrating Tupac's murder and discuss how his own public comments helped bring renewed attention to the decades-old case.
• A report about sports fans taking on debt leads Mike to defend spending money on experiences, as long as the important bills are still getting paid.
• The guys compare some of the biggest amounts they've spent on Spurs games, concerts, tattoos and other entertainment.
• Pabst Blue Ribbon gets a Reach Around for its humorous response to thieves who stole truckloads of beer, including an offer to return it with no questions asked before the deadline.
• Dallas adds Emari Demercado to the practice squad, giving the Cowboys another experienced option behind Javonte Williams and Malik Davis.
• Mike reminds everyone that ITB Cowboys will have a postgame show after every Cowboys game this season, presented by The Shedfather.
• Rudy closes with an extremely ITB fitness tip after finding a viral claim that reverse cowgirl can work the glutes, quads and core. Somehow, Pilates became a sex debate.

Final Thoughts:

This one goes exactly where an ITB episode should go. It starts with Aggies trash talk, takes a serious turn into the Tupac murder verdict and the financial reality of being a hardcore sports fan, checks in on the Cowboys, celebrates PBR's handling of a beer heist, and somehow finishes with Rudy giving relationship-based fitness advice. Football season is here, and the chaos is already in midseason form.

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