The Bill Simmons Podcast

William Zabka on 'Cobra Kai,' and a 2020 Sports Repodders Recap With Bryan Curtis and Jason Gay

Dec 25, 2020

William Zabka, best known as Johnny Lawrence from 'Cobra Kai', shares insights on the show's evolution and his character's impressive transformation from villain to hero. He reflects on the challenges of rebooting a beloved franchise and the excitement surrounding Season 3. Writers Bryan Curtis and Jason Gay join the conversation to discuss the significant impact of COVID-19 on sports media, innovative coverage methods during downtime, and the growing integration of sports betting into mainstream culture. Their witty banter adds depth to the changing landscape of both media and sports.

02:18:28

Episode guests

Jason Gay

Bryan Curtis

William Zabka

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

4min

NBA Team Dynamics and Playoff Strategies

6min

NFL Matchup Analysis and Betting Insights

8min

Strategic Insights into NFL Matchups and Betting

2min

Strategic Betting Insights and Million-Dollar Parlays

3min

Reviving a Classic: The Journey of 'The Karate Kid'

18min

Cobra Kai: Evolution and Impact

13min

A Year of Change in Sports Media

2min

Resilience and Evolution in Sports Media

13min

10.

Cultural Impact of Sports Media During Crisis

12min

11.

Bizarre Norms in Sports During the Pandemic

3min

12.

The Evolution of Sports Broadcasting

9min

13.

The Evolution of Sports Commentary Post-Pandemic

7min

14.

The Evolution of Gambling in Sports Media

4min

15.

The Gamble on Sports Broadcasting

18min

16.

Athletes, Media, and Narratives

15min

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons shares some early NBA reactions before giving out his Million-Dollar Picks for NFL Week 16 (3:00), before he is joined by actor William Zabka to discuss Season 3 of ‘Cobra Kai.’ They talk about making the platform switch to Netflix, successfully rebooting a classic franchise, Zabka’s character (Johnny Lawrence) switching from antagonist in the film franchise to protagonist in the TV show, Season 3 excitement, and more (23:00). Finally Bill talks with The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis and WSJ’s Jason Gay for another edition of the Sports Repodders. They discuss COVID-19’s major blow to the sports media industry, how sports media innovated when there were no sports to cover, a look back at the 2020 NFL draft, sports gambling permeating mainstream sports culture, the evolution of the relationship between athlete and journalist, and more (56:00).

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