We're excited to announce a new partnership with the Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast hosted by Spike Eskin and Michael Levin. Available starting March 20, 2024 is the freshly updated Ricky Shirt featuring all the Process players to date.
Shibe co-owner Johnny Goodtimes talked with Spike about the sensation that the podcast has become along with his thoughts on some Process decisions from recent years.
Johnny: I know you've had lots of cool things happen since you started the podcast: big draft parties, Q&A's with players, events at other stadiums that RTRS fans traveled to, you even got to ring the bell before the Sixers game recently. What's been the biggest highlight of it all?
Spike: It's truly the community we've built around the podcast. From the people who are part of our Ricky crew (writers, producer, artist), to the people that come to all of the events, leave voicemails, send emails. It's really I think what sports is supposed to be about, the idea of one common interest bringing all sorts of different people together. We've been doing it so long that there are people who were 12 when we started, and are now college graduates... and still are with us! I'm incredibly proud of all of that.
I've officiated Ricky weddings, helped raised thousands of dollars for causes we care about, and be involved in so many of the lives who are part of the community. It's been very special.
Of the dozens of role players on this shirt to come through Philly, who has been your favorite?
Robert Covington, TJ McConnell, and Isaiah Cannan. Don't even have to think twice. He was only here for one year, but I also will always love PJ Tucker.
I think it's clear that the biggest thing the Sixers got right during the Process was drafting Embiid. But there have clearly been a lot of mistakes along the way. What was the biggest one?
Not trading Ben Simmons much, much sooner. I know people say this is easy to identify in retrospect, but it was also very easy to identify in real time. His game was very obviously not evolving in a way that would make him a natural fit with Joel. Many people say drafting Okafor, which was certainly bad and ended up getting Hinkie fired, but they could have absorbed that if they had moved on from Ben sooner.
What has been the secret sauce that makes Ricky such a beloved podcast? There are dozens of Sixers podcasts out there, but I think it's clear you guys are THE Sixers pod. What makes y'alls pod so special?
Our podcast is not about the Sixers, it's about Mike and my experience as Sixers fans. Our podcast is also about the people who listen. To be clear, there are no other Sixers podcasts.
What's the future hold for the Sixers, the Process, and the Pod?
Sixers... pain. Process... pain. Pod... pain, until we die.
