SmartLess: SmartLess Media Presents: Owned with Rex Chapman

Rex Chapman, hello.

Hello, Rex.

Hello, Will, Shawn, Jason.

So great to be here.

How is it going?

It's wonderful to meet you.

Thank you for talking with us.

So we got this new podcast with you called Owned.

We're very, very excited you said yes to doing this.

Thank you so much.

I'm so grateful you guys asked.

When they said that Rex Chapman was gonna do a podcast

with us, I said, how are we possibly gonna do a podcast

about moonshine?

But you know what?

They said it's not.

It's not.

Right, it's not that.

It's gonna be about sports owners.

But you are here today because of Owned,

which is a smart list media podcast

that we're so lucky to have you.

So nice that you said yes to do that.

I'm so thankful you guys asked.

It's fantastic.

It's out now.

I'm grateful.

Yeah, it's really, really great.

Tell us briefly exactly like what it is

and why you wanted to do it.

Talk to us like the dummies we are,

like maybe like a listener that has no idea

what this is about.

Yeah, I'm gonna go.

No, I'm gonna bring, okay, you ready?

Now talk to me now.

All right, here we go.

So you know how you guys with your movies

or your TV shows, there's a financier,

a person who's paying the bills, footing the bill.

Sometimes those guys, those women, people,

they don't know anything about making a movie

or a TV show.

And I'm sure for you guys, that's pretty frustrating

when that person wants to have say

as to what's going on on film.

It can be a challenge.

Well, you're looking at my track record.

I don't know anything about making a movie or TV show.

So let's be real, let's just call it what it is.

But sports ownership is really no different.

I mean, there are good owners

and there are not so good owners

and there are bad owners.

Most of them are millionaires to billionaires

and they do this for a hobby.

Some are very good.

Some of them have sports backgrounds

and those owners are usually pretty good

to work for and play for.

The others though are not just as you might imagine.

I was, they were asking me earlier

about some of the owners I had.

I played for two owners, four owners.

Two, the first one was in Charlotte

and that was a guy named George Shinn

and he was very cheap, didn't spend a lot.

I remember a couple, we got the transistor radio

for a Christmas one year

and a monogrammed Bible one year.

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.

Yeah, yeah.

And so then I was traded from there

and went to Washington and played for the old bullets.

Abe Bullen was the owner.

And my first day there, I get to the locker room

and we're practicing, we don't have a practice facility,

it's at Bowie State University.

And it's got a literal play stage on the side of the gym.

It's a high school gym.

But we're in there, I'm in there

and there's a note on my chair by my locker,

very first day and it asks me,

says you can take your gear home and wash it every day

or you can pay, have $25 taken out of your check every week

so we can pay the equipment manager

to wash your shit for you.

It's a professional basketball team.

Professional basketball team.

What year was that?

This was 1992.

Did you have to drive yourself to away games?

No, but we, but in Washington,

you're not supposed to take buses in the NBA

anything longer than an hour and a half.

So you can travel like Philly to DC maybe.

Right.

We traveled all over the East Coast on buses.

No. You did.

Boston, New York, New Jersey to DC.

And you know, we'd play the Knicks sometimes at home

and then play them the next night in the garden

and they would beat us home

because they flew back after the game.

And we're driving up on a bus the next day.

Wait, and you guys are, and you're not,

how tall are you Rex?

6'3", 6'4".

Right. So again, I mean, still by NBA standards,

maybe not the tallest, but also very tall.

Right.

And the rest of your teammates,

you probably had guys who were 6'7", 6'8",

crammed on a bus.

I mean, that's not good for the product.

It's not good for the product.

That was an ownership that just didn't spin.

I was traded though,

I was traded though from there to Miami.

The Miami Heat who are currently playing

or playing in the NBA Finals.

Great ownership, Mickey Erison got there.

He was one of the first team owners to buy a plane.

We got a plane our first year.

So now we're not even flying commercial,

which most other teams do.

We have our own plane and that changes the whole game.

And as you guys know too,

it's not just spending on the top players.

It's not just spending on the marquee actor.

It's spending on everybody

and making everyone feel loved and valued.

And that's what the good owners do.

I went on to Phoenix and played for Jerry Calangelo,

another great owner.

So it boils down to which owners are good,

which owners are not.

And the ones that aren't,

just kind of back off and let people do their jobs.

And it's not just money.

It's also just like that trickle down effect

vibe wise to the whole team is so important, right?

From the ownership.

No question.

The owners that know your kids and your wife's name

and the people that come to the game with you,

the owners that, it's no different than life,

relationships man.

Yeah, that's what I like about it.

Like it's no secret I'm not a massive sports fan

but listening to this podcast owned.

I'm like really into it because of what you just said

because it's, I love the human stories

and like I'm really, really into how that all works.

And like everything you just said,

I think it's fascinating.

I think you make a great point, Sean.

And I probably should have said this.

This isn't targeted for sports nuts.

This is targeted for people that listen to your guys show

who are entertainment people who love storytelling

and are gonna get some of these crazy owners.

Wait, by the way, Rex, sorry, just speaking of sports nuts.

Did you wear a cup when you were in the NBA?

I did not.

It's a good question.

We do that.

I think back and why didn't we wear cups?

But you also rarely get hit in the balls in basketball.

I wore one to high school

just so I could feel a little more masculine.

But it's fun to sort of vicariously like live through

these owners, like how many people have said boy,

if I had $10 billion, what would you do?

What would you buy?

And so to hear about what these massively wealthy people do

with all of that influence and access and permission,

a lot of them do the right thing

and a lot of them do the wrong thing.

And that's kind of some of the stuff you explore, yeah?

No question.

The good ones are always fun.

The bad ones are fun.

For instance, we have Rick Riley on.

Oh yeah, I love Rick.

And we did a, we have an episode on Marge Shot.

Yeah.

Ask Marge Shot.

Marge used to say the N word regularly.

She was not, she let her dogs poop on Riverfront Stadium

out there in the field.

But Rick was telling us a story.

He said, we asked him, you know,

any just crazy weird story with Marge,

he said, I don't know where to start,

but he came up with one.

He went to interview her at her house

and she was off chasing the dogs around

and he was kind of meandering through the halls

and she walks back and he pulls out of a drawer

a Nazi armband.

And he asks Marge about this

and she just kind of poo-poo's it says, oh yeah,

just, you know, just something in the drawer there.

Little memorabilia.

Little memorabilia.

What?

And this lady was running the Cincinnati Reds

for years and years and years.

I mean, see, those are the kind of stories

that you don't hear anywhere.

Like, and other guests that you've had on,

Larry Wilmore, Paul Sherr, Russell Crowe,

like Baron Holt, like a lot of people been coming on.

It's fantastic.

I wasn't sure I wanted to do this with you guys

because normally we just,

I just entertained the Oscar winners.

We've got Russell Crowe and Natalie Portman.

Right, Natalie Portman.

None of you guys have won Oscars yet, have you?

Now, what's Natalie talking about?

Lady, give them out for the Millers on CBS.

Sorry, go ahead Rex.

Natalie's part of a soccer team, right?

Natalie. A women's soccer team.

Yes, the LA Angels.

FC.

Oh, the Angels, Angels, yes, yes.

And I mean, it's just-

She's part owner, huh?

They've got a ton of famous actors, entertainers,

athletes that own that squad.

And it's become a big deal.

And they're so mission oriented.

They're trying to-

You should talk to-

Yes.

Sorry, you should talk to Peter Goober.

He's part owner of the Dodgers and-

Loves to.

And he's the Golden State Warriors, right?

Uh-huh.

And something else too.

I know you've got a connection

because you rarely miss a Dodgers game, don't you, Jason?

Well, I go to about 20 or 30 a year.

Yeah, I love them.

Did any of the three of you play sports seriously as a kid?

I played everything a little bit except for football.

My mother wanted me to play soccer

because she was from England.

So I never got to play football,

but everything else I played, I loved.

I played a little bit too.

I mean, I played everything at a very average rate,

but I loved playing stuff and I'm a huge sports nut.

The other guy you should talk to, by the way, is-

Sean Hayes.

Is Sean Hayes.

He's though, he's our buddy.

We all made the same joke.

Tom Warner.

Oh, yeah.

He's part owner of the Red Sox and Liverpool FC,

which is my club, and now the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Fantastic.

Yeah, they'll come on.

You guys gotta throw these owners our way.

You know, this is a smart-less thing.

And you really should share.

Let's share.

Sean, what sports did you play in school growing up?

Did you play soccer?

I played baseball.

I was on the Rens and the Roadrunners.

The Rens and the Roadrunners.

Yeah, different years.

And then I played football one year.

Tackle.

Yeah, and I'd be in the, I don't remember,

I think I played a safety,

and I'd be in the scrimmage line, right?

And I'd be in the stance, you know, in all fours.

And the guy across from me, inevitably,

would always say something like,

I'm gonna fuck you up.

I'm gonna kill you.

I'm gonna, like, you know, I'd kind of get in my head.

And I would take it so personally.

I'd be like, I literally have done nothing to you.

Why would you speak to me that way?

And I used to take it so personally.

And then I would only want to go to McDonald's

or get like the free, you know, pop or soda.

You know what's funny about that?

You never went to McDonald's in the middle of the game, did you?

You know what's crazy about that

is as most of us play sports, just to have fun

and to do something with our friends.

And, but there comes a point

where if you're gonna really play seriously,

you almost have to be an asshole.

And it's contrary to everything we teach our kids,

raise your kids to be polite, nice, respectful,

help each other, all of that stuff.

No, not on the basketball court.

Once you get to, you know,

senior and high school maybe,

but it's just different.

You gotta kind of be a juror.

When I played for the Roadrunners,

I was auditioning for commercials too at the same time.

And I get up to the plate

and the coach thought he was being real supportive.

Like, hey, let's hit that out.

Oh, it's United Airlines commercial.

I auditioned for you guys.

Hit it all the way to United Airlines.

And I'm like, you don't have to do that.

It's really nice, but I'm just trying to hit the ball.

It's very kind of you,

but you don't have to relate the two, you know?

Hey Rex, is there a common denominator

in terms of warning signs with a new owner

coming in that you gotta look for?

Is there other things?

No, I don't think, players normally just play.

The funny thing though,

is that you can always tell practices are, you know,

it's kind of you're punching the clock.

You're putting your time in.

Don't let the owner walk into practice.

The owner walks into practice,

everything ratchets up a notch or two notches.

Everybody plays harder,

wants to put on their best face for the owner.

And it doesn't matter what team, what franchise,

if the owner walks into practice,

you know you're gonna have a hard practice

because the coach is gonna push you harder

and the players are gonna play harder.

Yes, the boss is the guy who signs the check comes in.

I mean, I don't care if I'm sweeping in the corner,

if the boss walks in, I'm sweeping at twice the pace.

That's exactly right.

Especially if they got a Nazi armband on.

Yeah, that's gonna make you pick up the pace

if you see a fucking actual Nazi.

Turbo. Jesus.

That is so bad.

So bad.

That is genius.

Rack does get your attention.

Rack Chapman, it's called owned.

It is fun, funny, dynamic, surprising.

You're great, the guests are great.

We're so lucky to have you

part of the smart list media family.

Very cool, we got you.

God bless you, it's such a great show, I love it.

Listener, I'm about to play a clip

from the episode of owned, Rex did with Russell Crow.

Be sure to listen to the full episode

to hear that amazing Aussie accent.

Enjoy owned on the Wondery app

or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can listen to owned early

and add free on Wondery Plus.

Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app

or on Apple Podcasts today.

Australia, a huge wild country full of Tasmanian devils,

snakes, and also some of the most passionate rugby fans

you'll ever meet, especially here in Redford,

a small working class suburb of Sydney

and home to the South Sydney Rabbitos.

It's 2006 and frankly, the club has seen better days.

A recent legal battle has left them strapped for cash

and their win-loss records shows it.

But Rabbitos fans are loyal

and although they've never wavered

in their support of the bunnies, they want change.

Which brings us to March 19, 2006.

The club's voting membership is holding a general meeting

to decide the future of the club.

And the place is packed.

Just a large hall full of emotional Australian dudes

in dark green Rabbitos gear.

And toward the back, leaning against the wall,

is the man they're all here to see.

Because he wants to buy the team

and in order to do that,

he needs to win over 75% of the people in this room.

I sure hope he's good at public speaking.

The man approaches the microphone.

He's got messy hair and his dark green Rabbitos polo

is tucked into a pair of worn jeans.

He unfolds a crumpled piece of paper and begins to read.

How you doing folks?

How are you?

However the situation ends up today,

our relationships together as a group of people

will never be the same.

However this goes, now listen carefully,

this could be really big.

Everyone is on the edge of their seats.

Geez, this guy is a good public speaker.

Like he could probably win an Oscar or something someday.

Well, turns out he already has one.

I'd like to thank the Academy.

Because this man, the guy who wants to buy the Rabbitos

is Russell Crowe.

The Russell Crowe.

And Crowe's channeling a role that's all too familiar.

A leader, a gladiator,

addressing the town's people,

gaining their trust, giving them hope.

Those of you in favor,

repeat that simple, optimistic word after me.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

You almost expect to hear the director yell cut

at any moment and rap for lunch.

But even though Russell Crowe is a Hollywood big shot,

today he's not acting.

Today he's getting back to his roots.

He's a lifelong fan of the South Sydney Rabbitos,

a kid who grew up watching the bunnies dominate the league

and who wants nothing more

than to restore this struggling club to its former glory.

So Russell Crowe is not taking

this whole ownership thing for granted.

His fist pumps in the air

and he's constantly spinning in circles

as if trying to address every person in the room individually.

I believe this club is a viable competitive team

of the future.

Yes.

I believe and love and respect the history

and past players of South Sydney.

Yes.

I want to win.

Yes.

Vote yes.

Let's get in bed together.

I hope you respect me in the morning.

Remember, Crowe needs 75% of the people in this room

to get into his bed.

And as the votes are counted,

everyone waits with bated breath.

Will Russell Crowe, the Russell Crowe,

save the Rabbitos from decades of financial instability

and bring them back to their glory days?

Will these working-class people from South Sydney, Australia

actually trust this charming actor from Hollywood?

Resolution one, total ballot votes, 3,942.

Yes, 2,998, representing 75.8%.

By a margin of just 32 votes, Academy Award winner Russell Crowe

became the proud owner of the South Sydney Rabbitos,

the professional club he'd loved his whole life.

And how did that go for everybody?

Well, we'll get into that right after the break.

Well, that's a man that can host a podcast.

He's a great actor.

He's a great actor.

He's a great actor.

He's a great actor.

Well, that's a man that can host a podcast clearly.

He's got a nice speaking voice.

And he was a huge NBA star.

And he understands the sport right from the inside.

Uh-huh, yeah.

He can, I mean, we're in good hands with him.

It seems like, you know.

I guess we could, I don't know about you guys,

but I never read his auto.

Bye.

Bye.

Oh, he's a great actor.

Will.

Listen to OWNED wherever you get your podcasts.

You can listen to OWNED early and add free on Wondery Plus.

Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts today.

Machine-generated transcript that may contain inaccuracies.