Spider League on Late Night: Tim Robinson, Brooks Wheelan and Zach Kanin Talk Battle of the Spiders

0:01 -You are dear friends with Tim Robinson.

0:03 -Yes, our dear friend Tim Robinson.

0:04 -Zach Kanin.

0:05 -Your friend with Zach Kanin.

0:06 -Co-creators of "I Think You Should Leave." -Yes.

0:08 You guys are in a— You have a fantasy draft, but for spiders?

0:13 -No.

0:14 Kind of.

0:16 We're in a Spider League.

0:17 -Okay.

0:18 Spider league.

0:18 -But you have to catch the spiders.

0:20 -You catch the spiders?

0:21 -No.

0:22 -Okay.

0:24 -So what you do— We have a bug— a bug identifier app.

0:28 And also Phredley Brown and Adam Peacock are in the Spider League.

0:31 -Okay, so it's a five-person— -Five people in the Spider League.

0:33 -So if you want to do this, you need four friends.

0:35 -Yes.

0:35 Four friends who get the app, it's pay-to-play.

0:38 -Okay.

0:39 -And then if you see a spider, you take a photo of it, it identifies it,

0:45 you send it to Spider League chat, that's your spider, it's part of your roster.

0:50 And then you battle everybody with your spiders.

0:52 -But obviously, since you don't have the spider,

0:54 it's just a hypothetical battle.

0:56 -The only people who need to understand it are the people in Spider League.

1:00 -Okay, but you did want to talk about it.

1:02 -I like Spider League a lot.

1:04 And I'm pretty excited to talk about Spider League.

1:06 -So, wait, does this mean that this— You didn't Google this, you saw this.

1:09 -No, I saw this.

1:11 And Spider League hasn't accepted it because

1:13 I saw it before Spider League started.

1:15 -Oh, no!

1:15 -I know!

1:16 I would be ranked number one with this.

1:18 -So is there a chance that you started Spider League because you saw this?

1:22 -No.

1:23 Spider League started because Tim Robinson has a catch

1:25 and release thing because he's very nice to animals.

1:28 And we saw spider in his house, he caught and released it.

1:30 He took a photo, and he said, "That's my spider.

1:32 I battle with it now," we started Spider League.

1:34 -Gotcha.

1:35 And they wouldn't allow you to add a spider you found before Spider League.

1:38 -No, and Tim says that's from the zoo.

1:40 It's not from the zoo!

1:42 That's from Carrizo Plain.

1:43 -Is there a lot of issues in Spider League

1:45 of people going to the zoo and taking pictures of spiders?

1:47 -Well, people are always saying they're going to do it.

1:52 -And so how— What is your current five people in Spider League?

1:54 What's your current standing?

1:56 -They say I'm last, and I don't think so.

1:58 I think me talking about Spider League on television

2:00 like this gets me to at least two or three.

2:04 I have a praying mantis.

2:06 They say that's not allowed, but I'm like, "It eats heads." -Brooks,

2:10 I'm just finding out about Spider League and even

2:13 I know a praying mantis is not allowed.

2:15 -Okay.

2:16 -It's famously not a spider, Brooks.

2:18 -Right.

2:19 -What kind of Spider League are you running?

2:20 -I'm not running it!

2:22 Tim's the commissioner!

2:24 Laughter] He's winning right now, too.

2:27 He's got a brown widow.

2:28 -Where's he getting a brown widow?

2:30 -He said he found it dead, but it counts.

2:31 I don't think it counts.

2:32 You find a dead spider?

2:34 -He found a dead spider, and he's using it.

2:36 -And also, when you find the spider, you screengrab,

2:38 you send it everybody, and Tim's phone is always dead.

2:41 Like it's got like 2% left.

2:43 And we say it's because he's been out all night looking for spiders.

2:46 -It's a dead giveaway.

2:48 -Yeah.

2:48 -Somebody's got a two percenter, that means they've been on a spider chase.

2:51 -They've been on a spider night.

2:52 Spider night all night.

2:54 -Wearing a little headlamp looking for a spider.

2:56 -Yes.

2:56 Shout out Spider League.

2:57 I'm number one now.

2:58 I talked about it on TV the most, so.

3:01 -We usually take our time together to talk about Detroit.

3:05 Detroit Pistons— very exciting time to be a Detroit Pistons fan.

3:10 But I want to talk to you about a different league

3:12 that our dear friend Brooks Wheelan talked about when he was here.

3:14 He's in something with you and some other people called Spider League.

3:17 -Yeah.

3:19 -Can you explain Spider League real quick?

3:20 -Yeah, alright.

3:22 And this is the second time Spider League has been talked about on your show.

3:26 -Yeah.

3:26 -And the first time, it didn't go great.

3:28 -No.

3:29 -Yeah.

3:30 -I think the audience,

3:31 the expression is didn't know what to make heads or tail of it.

3:33 -Right, right.

3:34 Yeah.

3:34 -Because I will say,

3:35 I find the rules of Spider League and its very existence hard to grasp.

3:40 -Yeah.

3:40 Well, I guess there is rules, but...

3:43 Alright, so what it is, is me and some friends have a text chain where we all

3:49 have this insect app that if you take a picture of an insect,

3:53 it tells you what it is and how poisonous it is, how strong it is.

3:56 -Yeah, okay.

3:57 -And so we find spiders, take pictures of spiders.

4:00 -Yeah.

4:01 -It tells us who that is and how strong they are,

4:03 how harmful to humans they are.

4:05 -And this is just through your normal life you guys are coming across spiders?

4:09 -Well, everybody does.

4:11 If you're seeing a spider going, "What the hell?" They're everywhere.

4:16 -Okay, I didn't mean to get you off track.

4:18 So you take a picture of the deadly spider.

4:19 -That's not weird.

4:20 Seeing spiders isn't weird.

4:21 -Okay.

4:22 Gotcha.

4:23 Laughter] -So...

4:25 -That's not.

4:26 I'm sorry.

4:27 Let me concede.

4:28 That's not the weird part.

4:30 Laughter] -Thank you.

4:33 Thank you.

4:34 So, yeah.

4:35 So then you find spiders, you put it in the text chain,

4:39 and then you say, "Whoa, that looks beautiful.

4:42 How powerful?" Then you go to the app.

4:44 App tells you how harmful it is.

4:46 And then we compete to see who can get the most dangerous spider.

4:50 -Okay.

4:52 Our friend Brooks Wheelan was very upset, beside himself, one might even say,

4:56 last time he was here 'cause he got kicked— He got suspended from Spider League.

4:59 -Well, he's the most— he's the biggest problem in Spider League, by far.

5:02 The biggest problem.

5:04 -Well, so he— this is the text chain.

5:05 You were nice enough to show us.

5:07 -Yeah.

5:07 -There's a photo.

5:09 Okay.

5:09 Just someone on a bike.

5:10 And he texted, "Just saw Anthony Kiedis riding my bike out in Malibu.

5:15 Can he be on my spider team?

5:17 I took a photo, so I did catch him." And then you wrote, "Happy for you.

5:23 You're suspended from Spider League." -And then he wrote, "Oh, God.

5:29 -He did.

5:30 He wrote, "Oh, God." -"Oh,

5:32 God." -So why— how did you come to your decision to suspend him?

5:37 -If you're in the— if you're in— if you're in the MLB,

5:41 you can't just like, instead of a bat, have a picture of Tom Cruise.

5:45 -Oh, so your issue was he posted.

5:46 -He's not playing the game.

5:48 -He posted a photo of something that wasn't

5:50 a spider on the text chain, and he was out.

5:53 -Well, he's suspended.

5:53 He's not out.

5:55 Laughter] -How long— Well, I do want to add, he said, "When is ban done?

6:00 Have a spider in my sights,

6:02 but don't want to push it by posting." And you wrote,

6:06 "Posting it wouldn't be pushing it.

6:08 It would be another two weeks out." You run a very, whoever,

6:14 Kenesaw Mountain Landis, whoever the guy, like,

6:17 the guy who suspended the Black Soxs.

6:18 That's who you are.

6:19 -I mean, no, he's breaking— He wants to post a spider when he's suspended?

6:24 Laughter] He's a— he's a— he's a [bleep] problem in this league.

6:31 He's a big problem.

6:34 -Now, I will say I'm friends with some people in the league.

6:35 They think you might be the problem because

6:38 you're really hard on the people in Spider League.

6:39 -No.

6:39 -No?

6:40 Okay.

6:40 So John Solomon, he posts some spider,

6:42 beautiful spider, seems like he's playing by the rules.

6:44 -Seems like it.

6:45 -Then somebody else writes, "Great find,

6:47 not sure about the validity of that particular app." So it's a different app?

6:52 -He's using the wrong app.

6:53 That's not...

6:54 Laughter] That's not the official app.

6:57 -So they say, "I'll defer to Tim." And you wrote, "App is not league approved.

7:01 Warning."[ Laughter] I mean, the integrity you feel— -How is that mean?

7:11 I gave him a warning.

7:12 I didn't suspend him.

7:13 I didn't kick him out.

7:14 I said, "Hey, bud, that's a warning." -Alright, I would be remiss if I did not

7:19 ask about Spider League and our friend Brooks Wheelan.

7:22 Spider League, again, I don't want to— I don't want to editorialize

7:26 because I think it's a little dense concept.

7:28 So what— -Sure.

7:32 -So why don't you guys just explain it the best way you can?

7:34 Because I feel like you guys are critical the way I explain it.

7:36 So the floor is yours.

7:38 -Yeah, because you're dismissive of it.

7:40 Laughter] Okay, so what it is, is we take pictures of spiders,

7:47 we put it through an app, and we battle them to see which one is dangerous.

7:52 The most dangerous.

7:53 -Yeah.

7:53 -Not dense.

7:54 Pretty simple.

7:57 Simple, easy.

7:59 -That's the baseline.

8:00 That's what it is.

8:01 -That's what it is.

8:02 -But, like, so on any given day, like,

8:04 can I ask a few follow-ups without being— -Of course.

8:06 -I really— -But don't be facetious or anything.

8:08 Just ask sincere.

8:10 -All right, so how many people are in Spider League?

8:12 -Um, about five.

8:14 -Okay.

8:14 -Five or six, yeah.

8:16 -And is it not more out of lack of interest or is it a hard cap?

8:21 Do you have a hard cap at five?

8:22 -Ah, that's a good question.

8:25 -We do.

8:25 Yeah we do.

8:26 -Yeah, yeah, we do.

8:28 Laughter] -All right, so you find a spider hypothetically.

8:31 -Yeah.

8:31 -Now does the— In order for a battle to happen,

8:34 does one of the other four have to have found a spider on that day?

8:37 -Oh, no.

8:38 No, it's just like a over time.

8:41 It's like over your over a lifetime.

8:43 -Yeah.

8:43 -Over a lifetime.

8:44 -Yeah.

8:44 -This is a lifelong commitment.

8:48 -So our friend Brooks Wheelan is involved.

8:50 -Yeah.

8:50 -Yeah.

8:50 Oh, boy.

8:51 -And he's had some trouble over the years -Constantly.

8:53 -He's violating the rules and he's— Is he currently suspended?

8:56 -Uh, yeah.

8:57 -I think so.

8:59 Yeah.

8:59 Um, so why, uh— Why is he currently on suspension?

9:03 -He said something insensitive and...

9:05 -About a person or about a spider?

9:07 -Spider.

9:08 -A spider.

9:10 So he had to take a diversity class.

9:14 -About spider diversity.

9:15 -No.

9:16 -No.

9:18 Laughter] So the league paid for the class.

9:22 -The league paid for the class?

9:23 -Yeah.

9:24 -So he did— You guys asked him to send a video today.

9:27 -An apology.

9:28 That was a while ago.

9:29 Apology.

9:29 -We're not going to show it because it didn't turn out great.

9:33 Laughter] But you guys know that because here's look,

9:38 I just want to say this is so— This is Spider League's the name of the chat.

9:41 Here's his video.

9:41 We're not going to play.

9:42 And even you wrote, "Try again, sweetie."[ Laughter] -'Cause he was he was

9:50 doing an apology video while he's on vacation.

9:53 And I was like, "You're not sorry." -Oh, you don't think he should— You don't

10:00 think he should take vacations while he's suspended?

10:01 -Well, you can't— It's not a sincere apology if you're like on a lake in a boat,

10:05 you have to feel bad.

10:06 You have to be a little hang-doggy.

10:07 -Yes.

10:08 -All right.

10:09 I want to say— Hold on.

10:11 Somebody in Spider League— Well,

10:13 Brooks— Brooks thinks he's bullied in Spider League.

10:16 -That's— -Okay.

10:18 -And he wrote about the bullying, "This is why Seth is afraid to join." -Uh-huh.

10:22 -Uh-huh.

10:23 -And then this is one— This is you, Zach?

10:25 This is your work?

10:26 You wrote, of me, "He's an enemy of the league." -Right.

10:31 Yeah.

10:32 -He exploits the league for ratings.

10:36 That's what you guys think I'm doing.

10:40 I mean— -You're not seeing a bump.

10:42 What?

10:43 -When you talk about Spider League, you're not seeing a bump?

10:46 -A huge spike, a spike any time you mention it.

10:49 -You're seeing a bump.

10:50 -You think I'm seeing a bump?

10:52 You think this conversation we just had is a bump?

10:54 -I don't know about this one, but in the past there's been bumps.

10:57 -In the past we've seen a bump.

10:59 We have.

10:59 In the past we have seen a noticeable bump, yeah.

11:02 And the network is always like,

11:04 "Can you do more Spider League stuff?" -They need more content.

11:07 -But if I actually said with sincerity,

11:10 I would like to join the league, what would the answer be?

11:12 -You could join.

11:13 -Yeah.

11:13 -So there's not a hard cap?

11:15 -Oh.

11:15 -Uh...

11:17 -No.

11:21 I don't think there is.

11:22 -Buddy, that was a great set.

11:24 And I love, I love when you reached out and said you wanted to do stand up,

11:26 it was like an immediate yes, I'm so happy.

11:28 But it turns out you had a bit— -I don't care about that.

11:31 -Yeah, you had an ulterior motive.

11:33 -I don't care about that stand up set.

11:34 That was just a way to get on your show,

11:37 to talk about some allegations that have

11:40 been levied against me in Spider League.

11:41 -Okay, so now not everybody right away is going to know...

11:45 -They do.

11:45 Do you know about Spider League?

11:47 Cheers and applause] -Some people.

11:49 -That's everybody.

11:50 -That's everybody.

11:50 So for those who might be a little bit behind

11:52 on Spider League and your role in it, um— -They're not.

11:56 -Okay, but who is involved and what is— what are the current allegations?

12:00 -Okay.

12:00 So Spider League is a game I play with some of my friends,

12:03 Tim Robinson, Zach Kanin— -Yep.

12:05 And they were both recently on the show.

12:06 -They were both on the show.

12:08 -And besmirching your integrity a little bit.

12:09 -Yeah, yeah, they were coming at me pretty hard with some allegations.

12:11 -But first, how does Spider League work again?

12:13 -So what we do is it's a game where we take photos of spiders that we see.

12:18 -Yeah.

12:18 -And we run them through an app to see what type of spider it is,

12:21 and then we share them with each other to see who has the most powerful spider.

12:25 -Gotcha.

12:27 -It's— it's really fun.

12:30 -Yeah.

12:30 -But Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin have let,

12:33 uh, power go to their heads, and they— -Okay.

12:36 -They're continuously, um, suspending me.

12:38 -Yep.

12:39 -For reasons I don't think are necessary.

12:42 -Yeah.

12:42 Now, there's only eight people in Spider League, is that right?

12:44 -Uh, six.

12:46 -Gotcha.

12:47 So there's six people in Spider League.

12:49 Tim and Zach are— so a third of the league,

12:51 and basically, so they're the commissioners?

12:53 -They've decided that.

12:54 No one decided that.

12:55 They decided it.

12:56 They're bullies.

12:57 So— Here's what, here's my problem with Spider League right now.

13:01 Uh, Tim and Zach— -Not that it's dense and hard to understand?

13:04 -It's so easy to understand.

13:06 -Gotcha.

13:06 -Yeah.

13:07 You take photos of bug— spiders.

13:09 -It's not bugs.

13:09 Arachnids.

13:09 -You're gonna get in trouble for saying bugs.

13:13 You're gonna get so much trouble for saying bugs.

13:15 -No, no, no, no, no— this is not suspension stuff.

13:18 We're nice to each other, but, no, it's just like...

13:21 Tim and Zach and John Solomon are three— are half of Spider League.

13:25 They all work on "The Chair Company" together.

13:26 -Yep.

13:27 Wonderful show on HBO.

13:28 -Great show.

13:28 So they all are together all the time.

13:32 And then, so they run Spider League just from the top.

13:36 Like, I'm here to talk about the little guys that are involved in Spider League.

13:40 -Right.

13:40 Sort of the other three.

13:42 -Yeah, they're big Spider League.

13:43 -Alright.

13:44 -I'm little spider— I'm here for the little guys.

13:46 You should root for me.

13:47 -Okay, so, um, one of your buddies, this is the issue, right?

13:51 He posted a photo.

13:53 The app told him it was a Hacklemesh weaver.

13:55 -This is why I'm currently suspended, and I disagree.

13:57 -Okay, so Hacklemesh weaver.

13:59 -Hacklemesh weaver.

14:00 -He then said, "Pretty regular spider.

14:02 It was just chillin in my tub." The Hacklemesh weaver.

14:05 And then you said— -I said, uh,

14:07 and I understand this isn't perfect, but I don't think it's suspension worthy.

14:10 I said, "First Jewish spider.

14:12 Pretty rad." -Yeah.

14:13 -Hacklemesh sounded Jewish to me.

14:16 -Yeah, it does, and you know, you've never heard of a Jewish spider.

14:18 And you did say it was pretty rad.

14:20 -I said it's good.

14:21 I said, this is good stuff.

14:22 -And immediately Tim said, "Our first suspension for racism, folks." -Yeah.

14:27 Laughter] -So they say, yeah.

14:29 -Yeah.

14:29 -And by the way, obviously like they're all haha.

14:32 They can't haha bubble fast enough.

14:35 -Bully, bully, bully, bully, bully.

14:38 -So then they— what were the steps they took?

14:41 -So then they said I needed to take a diversity

14:45 class and I really didn't think I needed to.

14:48 -Yeah.

14:48 They started a GoFundMe.

14:50 -So I said— 'cause diversity classes do cost money, I found out.

14:53 -Uh-huh.

14:54 -And they started a GoFundMe to give me $25 so I could, um...

15:00 take a diversity class.

15:01 -Yeah, this is "Help Brooks Wheelan Make Things Right."[ Laughter] So

15:07 it's not a very expensive diversity class if it's only $25.

15:10 -No, but I don't need that, like on the internet.

15:13 -Yeah.

15:13 -Make it sound like I'm a bad guy.

15:15 -Yeah, yeah, yeah.

15:15 Well, I think, right, if you heard that you had to take diversity training,

15:18 you'd be very surprised if you found out it was about your, you know,

15:22 pretty harmless joke about the Hacklemesh weaver.

15:24 -I did try to have a rebuttal where,

15:26 uh, 'cause I typed in "Hacklemesh Jewish name." -Yeah.

15:30 -Nothing.

15:31 -Okay, so it turns out it's not even— -Just a spider.

15:32 -Yeah.

15:33 -So I was wrong.

15:34 -Yeah.

15:34 Gotcha.

15:34 -Yeah.

15:35 -It was low-key racist.

15:37 -Yeah.

15:37 Look...

15:38 Low-key racist.

15:39 -Yeah.

15:40 And so then it turned out they took your punishment to an outside— -Yeah.

15:45 So— -What was it?

15:46 Outside panel.

15:46 -So they have, uh, created an outside panel in our Spider League of six people.

15:51 -Yeah.

15:52 -Uh, and they won't tell me who's in it.

15:54 -Yeah.

15:55 -And it's really upsetting.

15:58 -Yeah.

15:58 So here's the back and forth, Tim said,

16:00 "Brooks' punishment is officially under review by the outside panel." -Mm-hm.

16:03 -You wrote, "Wait, what?

16:05 Who's the outside panel?

16:07 And it's for being excited about spider diversity?" -Yes.

16:11 -So now you're claiming your excitement was pro-diversity.

16:13 -I got, you know, I'm pivoting to— -Yeah.

16:16 -Little spin.

16:17 -Uh, then your friend said, "Yes.

16:19 Unfortunately, panel has requested anonymity..." -Mm-hmm.

16:21 -"...to avoid persuasion." They were afraid you

16:24 were gonna try to persuade the panel.

16:26 -The panel is them, and— they're— they're running wild with Spider League.

16:32 I came in to have a little bit of fun.

16:34 And then when Tim comes on here, he only tells his side of the story.

16:37 -Yeah.

16:37 -He's the Fox News of Spider League.

16:39 -Yeah.

16:39 -He doesn't look at it.

16:41 -And he, right, and he's out here saying he's fair and balanced.

16:43 -Yeah, he's not fair.

16:44 He's not balanced.

16:45 It's just his opinion.

16:46 -This is what really hurt me is basically

16:48 the next thing after they said the panel's anonymous,

16:51 is somebody, a week later somebody writes "Happy birthday, Brooks." -Yeah.

16:54 -And then our friend John Solomon,

16:55 who I would have said is a good person, wrote "Brooks, happy birthday.

16:59 Not sure how the outside panel will come down on your suspension,

17:02 but just enjoy yourself today." -Yeah.

17:04 Laughter] They make you worried.

17:07 -They make you worried.

17:07 -They keep you on your toes.

17:08 Yeah.

17:09 Um, but I— Yeah, I just wanted to come on and be like, I'm not a bad guy.

17:14 -Um, then you also got pitched, somebody who did not ask about it.

17:18 You did not go out searching for this.

17:20 Someone reached out to you.

17:21 -Yes.

17:21 -They saw Spider League being discussed.

17:23 And they had a pitch deck, which is basically where you sell a TV show.

17:27 -Yeah, they— I was reached out to to make Spider League a real television show.

17:31 -Gotcha.

17:31 -And they reached out to me and they said,

17:34 "Would you want to make Spider League a real TV show?" And I said,

17:38 "The Spider League is going to be really mad about this.

17:40 -Yeah.

17:40 'Cause you're sort of making yourself the face of Spider League.

17:43 -But I didn't even do it.

17:45 -I know, but I think if they voted,

17:46 I mean, based on everything we've heard so far,

17:48 Spider League does not want you to be the face of Spider League.

17:50 -No.

17:50 No.

17:51 No, they're mad that I have fun with it.

17:53 -Yeah.

17:53 -Uh, so I took it, I just showed Spider League.

17:56 I was like, "Hey, guys.

17:57 Somebody--" -Oh, you made the mistake of sharing.

17:59 -I didn't make the mistake.

18:01 I'm full transparency.

18:01 I showed them, hey.

18:02 -But I've seen this.

18:03 It's like your face— It's a lot of pictures of your face holding a spider.

18:06 -It does say "Spider League starring Brooks Wheelan." -Yeah.

18:09 -And Spider League outside panel was not into that.

18:12 -Yeah, and was there maybe a follow-up suspension when this first suspension is

18:16 over that you're going to get suspended again for the Spider League TV show?

18:19 -Spider League's loose right now.

18:20 I don't know, man.

18:21 -Yeah.

18:22 -Yeah.

18:22 -Do you ever think, Brooks,

18:24 and you know I want you to, you know, really think about this.

18:25 Do you ever think about walking away from Spider League?

18:29 Laughter] -Uh, I love it so much.

18:33 Laughter] -I mean, I threw my— -Do you think— -I really threw my parents under

18:37 the bus doing stand up just so I could come on and talk about Spider League.

18:40 -That's true.

18:40 Yeah, you did.

18:41 -Like, I ruined Christmas to come on your show.

18:43 -Yeah.

18:44 -'Cause if I— I ran those jokes past my dad,

18:49 and he said, "Do what you need to do to make money." -Yeah.

18:53 But so he's going to be real disappointed when it turns out

18:55 you did what you had to do to talk about Spider League.

18:58 -Yeah.

18:58 No, I don't think he sees dollars in this.

19:01 -Well, I don't think anybody sees dollars in this, bro.

19:04 -There's dollars!

19:04 I was offered a TV show that was a green light on HBO.

19:08 -It was not a green light.

19:09 -It was a green light on HBO.