BONUS - POWER TEAM

In 1991 or 92 I worked with two guys that were born again Christians that saw these guys in Terre Haute Indiana. Yeah I got to hear all about it then!!

James said Tommy Davidson instead of Morrison. Huuuuuuge difference

I saw them in Portland, Oregon at a Billy Graham Crusade; at the end of their set they started hawking framed individual pages from the "first King James Bible," which I'm sure were absolutely, positively, the genuine article.

Jimmie’s uncomfortable chuckle when James said “wasn’t Reba like 70 at the time!?” was hilarious.

Listen, I’m a black woman in Memphis TN and I absolutely loved Reba’s show.

Everything old is new https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/testosterone-and-the-bible-are-the-new-punk-rock-at-gorge-event/

forgot these guys existed 😂 they came to the church we went to when I was a kid & I distinctly remember finding them off-putting but fascinating.

I remember the Workaholics episode, with the religious wrestlers. Now I get it. Lol

I’ve opened beer bottles with my mouth. My teeth never chipped or shattered but a bottle shattered in my mouth and I had to pick the glass out of my gums 🤣🤣 don’t do stupid things when you drink kids 😂

Oh man. These guys came to my middle school in the late 90s. The school held a whole pep rally and everything. It was more on the anti-drug side vs religious side but I definitely remember the recruitment flyers and the show was super weird. We were all laughing like, "this can't be really happening, right??"

“Popeye fucks 13 year olds in Thailand” made me laugh for five minutes straight

I attended elementary school in the Bible Belt, my principal was a leader at a big Pentecostal church. We had the power team come to our public school, perform, and talk about Jesus. They performed at his megachurch as well, but the religion wasn’t separate from the performance at the school. 🙄

Reba McEntire had a show from2001 - 2007 and then a show that is still on since 2024.

They did this in public school. I grew up In Colorado Springs and I remember seeing these guys in middle school and high school. And they did invite you to a meeting that night..

James’ take on Popeye is hilarious. Talk about terrible “role models” we had as kids in the 60s.

Tearing a phone book is 100% technique. Anyone reading this can do it. Get a phone book and get on youtube.

I went to a Catholic high school and we had the Power Team come do an assembly for us. As a chorus/drama nerd, this did exactly nothing for me. I texted my sister about this episode because I couldn’t wait to hear it! (As a 41-year-old adult, I’m also an atheist.)

This shit is wild!!! Only in America 😆

Love James constant old school WWF comments. Strike Force!

https://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/pictures/strikeforce.jpg

These guys came to my school sometime in the 80s 🤣

I’m pretty sure Power Team was East Coast.

Somehow I've still not learned that just when I think America can't get any weirder....I find out about this kind of shit

The silent moment when James found out that Jimmie watched Reba is fucking priceless 😆 🤣

Workaholics spoofed it with the Lords Force, then Adam Devine(hack) took the same idea to the Righteous Gemstones

I also grew up watching this horseshit! I could never figure out what this had to do with God! Power team is as real as a cheese murderer!!

I absolutely loved the movie predator! Whenever I talk to skinney jean wearing vaping sensitive metro sexual men and want to give an example of MEN predator is what I use as my example lol. Loved Jesse Ventura in that movie lol. We were not so sensitive back then. But a lot of stuff in that movie would get you "canceled"

Hey, comic books/graphic novels are cool. Art and stories are amazing and if you're lucky as a writer you can get royalties off of a show or movie.

When I was in middle school. My parents drove us an hour and a half north of Atlanta to see them live.

25:40 Can we have a t-shirt of Jesus bending cast iron skillets, with a caption like "Because He can, I don't prey on children"🤣

Don’t stifle Jimmy’s freak, James. Maybe he wants to fuck older southern women.

So irreverent...I love you guys!

These dudes came to my public middle school in like 2005! How did I not know this was a Christian act and how did that get approved in a state funded school lol

I swear in 2001-2002 either Team Impact or the Power Team came to my high school! I graduated from a small farm town in bfe Ohio. My friend started hitting her bf right as the assembly was starting bc she found out he was cheating on her. It took 3 teachers to pull her off and escort her out. I remember it was about anti-violence and anti-drugs, and self-esteem. My mom was a teacher at the school, and I remember she said my friend could have benefited from attending the assembly LMAO.

Jimmie jokes about someone volunteering to read him the Bible but as soon as he said that, the first thought that went through my head was: “oh yeah I’d read him the Bible if he asked”. lol they weren’t wrong, we’d do it in a second 😂

I love Kevin James Thornton talking about seeing the Power Team at his church as a kid and trying to use the power of Jesus to rip the phone book at his house. Jesus did not give him the power so the phone book was just kind of weirdly bent and a few days later his mom is like “….what happened to the phone book?”

It was the 90s, and I working in a crisis residential program for adults with mental illness. We had a gentleman admitted who had torn up his whole bedroom “for Jesus”. He kept telling everyone at the crisis home, “I I lift weights for Jesus”. I had never heard of the Power Team, and I was confused what the weights had to do with Jesus. I think he got screwed, actually. The man had bipolar disorder and I think he was committed to treatment because he watched this dipshit. His care team thought he had a psychotic break.

team impact came to my very public middle school like 2011-2012. same thing — torn phone books, blown up hot water bottles, rolled pans. but i grew up in flathead valley montana so i mean checks out

I genuinely love how most of this episode is tangents lol

This happened to my public school in South Dakota around 2012. We had an assembly during the day where it was strictly the strength stuff, then they performed that night again in the gym, where anyone could come, and they pulled the Jesus stuff. They pressured the crowd to raise their hands if they believed in Jesus (small-town in the Midwest, you pretty much had to) and they started collecting phone numbers from kids. School admin was pissed.

Jimmie quote of the day- "I'll bet the Bible's online, right?"

Something like these guys came to my public elementary school in like 1995-1996. I don’t remember any religious tones, it was still super dumb.

Only connection I have to anything in this realm is, my father in law has been to a Bible study in western New York that Lex Luger went to. He said years of steroids and wrestling fucked him up bad. He’s in a wheel chair, he had a stroke or something. So he found religion.

Jimmie, audiobooks are here for you! My library has the Bible on the Hoopla app. 😂 Also a lot of more exciting books too. I have ADHD and mostly read audiobooks.

The Strike Force came to our School back in the 80's....seems like they were their a couple of times. I am sure I have pictures somewhere. Lol

Jimmie, don't worry I call my aunt, The Next Candidate for god because she's always spouting and spewing the Bible at people. She'll read you the Bible, the tell you how to live, and what you're doing wrong.

I didn’t get that reference from Gemstones either. Just thought it was fucking weird. I must have changed the channel.

"they called them the power couple?" 💀💀💀 They came to my high school in the 2000s and they were the highest form of entertainment for sure.

Jimmie, get yourself a children’s bible with lots of pictures and preach from that lmaooo you guys open a church and my ass will travel from NH every damn Sunday to come get my Jesus on haha

Omg JIMMIEEEE!!! I literally commented out loud to the “jingle heimer smidt” thing so I DIED when you fucking said it!!! 🤣🙌🏻

The school assemblies was not just Christian schools, my public school had these guys stop by a couple times.

So disappointed with myself. I don’t remember any of this. 😩

I'm honestly surprised that James didn't bring back Marky Mark with the "I'll gift Jimmie a Bible and weight bench." 😂

Fuck yes I have been excitedly waiting for this. I don't have many memories of middle school but THIS, this I remember. The school just said we had an assembly but they didn't warn us about what was about any of it 🤣. Growing up in the Bible Belt even we were like "This is weird, how long is this assembly?" After relentlessly making fun of them that whole week we all pretty much never talked about it again.

James very confidently calls Tommy Morrison, Tommy Davidson. I’d watch that movie. Very different dudes lol

In the early 2000s some group came to our youth church service with snakes, and spiders and proclaimed that nothing can scare you with God on your side 😐. My phobia is snakes, the last thing I recall was them putting a big ass snake on the table in front of me, and then I was outside being laid on the ground. I passed out, God in fact did not make me stronger. I should have known then that shit wasn’t adding up. It wasn’t until I hit 20, when I was like wtf is this shit.

Just google “Korean Jesus”. I’d post a pic if I could

CIS bonus episode idea: people getting injured from on field celebrations. Lando Norris (or some other F1 driver) recently tried to slam a champagne bottle on the podium and it broke and he cut the shit out of his hand 😆

These guys came to my elementary school in Tennessee. I look back on it now and wonder how in the hell did that happen lol

Whoa whoa whoa let's not slander Reba. That show was great 😂 also she was 46 to 51 totally acceptable attraction age Jimmy don't let James yuck your yum

I’m from rural Ohio and they brought this (or a group doing the same thing) to our public school in the late 2000’s. I have always wondered how anyone let that happen.

I remember seeing the power team when I was at church summer camp. Lol. 😂

You said you like celebrations turning into injuries so here we go. My Sr year I played center, made a pivotal block for my RB to rush for a 80 yard touchdown. Ran up to shoulder bump him and felt my knee pop when I landed. Apparently that tore my acl, continued to play for 2 more drives until I was blindsided tearing everything else in that knee ending my career. Was being looked at by every college in nc and had an offer from the airforce academy 😂😭

I will read you the whole Bible! I’ve read it 3 times! 😂😂😂 I could deff give you the cliff notes 😂😂😂😂

You know heads are gonna roll when Phyllis Grizzle shows up.

Jimmie demonstrate your insane lung function by blowing up a hot water bottle, please 🙏

I was in college when this stuff was on TV. We would put it on in the student lounge and laugh at it to piss off the religious students.

These guys came to my school every year in middle school. 2005 to 2008. I had no interest in religion or bodybuilding so I just zoned out the whole time. It was basically a church service from gymbros. That's central Mississippi for ya

When I worked with it, we used 3/8” and 1/2” rebar for the concrete layer of I10. Unbendable at either size.

Any chance you guys could post the YouTube links here when you watch videos?

These guys came to my high school in 1987. A public high school. We all thought they were douche bags. From what I remember, they didn't preach about Jesus. They focused on anti drugs and anti gang messaging. From what you guys talked about they may have done an after school thing that would then push Jesus but I don't remember.

I wanted John Goodman to be my dad when I was young. He was awesome. When his kids on Righteous Gemstones were mean to him....I hated it. And then the 69 scene happened and I was NOT ok!! I can't see him like that🤦‍♀️

Hey Reba is actually not that bad of a show. I know its nothing revolutionary and spectacular but its light hearted and definitely makes me chuckle. (I definitely know its not their particular taste and thats okay haha) i fucking hate modern family and that shit was on FOREVER.

James I went to Roy C Ketcham class of 96. I’m almost positive these guys did a assembly at the high school.

This reminds me so much of the 'World's Strongest Man' gimmick Mark Henry had in WWE, I imagine it was a inspiration

James Jimmie you guys speaking against tradition so do you make women pay 50/50?

“I was sexually attracted to her” 🤣🤣🤣

“Jesus ripped my phone book” sounds like a discarded ministry song

Saw them when i was 5 at a light of the world church that itself turned out to be rooted in a cult. Ps the phone book trick you just push it together from boths sides so that it spreads in the middle and you're able to tear one page at a time. Once its started its easy.

They came to my (public) high school. I remember wondering, “How is this legal?” when they started talking about Jesus.

These motherfuckers came to my middle school. We also had random ex crack heads come tell us how the rock took everything from them. The Bible belt was sad and hilarious. Btw, it was a public school I went too, it really shouldn't have happened there.

They came to my Texas high school every year in the mid 90s

You can look in YouTube how to tear a phone book in half, anybody can do it. The hardest part is finding a phone book.

That makes two shows that Adam Devine has incorporated an element of the power team into them because my favorite episode of workaholics is the Lord’s force and that is basically the power team but two of the members are gay and it’s hilarious

Funny enough they (or a copycat group) came to my church when I was little (suburban Columbus Ohio). I remember my older sister keeping one of the snapped baseball bats that she got signed by one of them 🤣 was probably very early 2000s.

“The albetification of everything…”

I been looking fwd to this one, somehow I completely missed back in the 90’s

Guys, this week I learned that those Missionaries from Utah will actually do shit like remodel your house, do your gardening...whatever you ask them to do...for free!

I'd love to hear your comics POV of Dave Chappelle... I grew up watching Premium Blend and Comedy Central Presents. I appreciated this episode so much!! It's hard to make me laugh. I grew up with a fam that tore people to shreds, my family is from Boston ( big, loud & Irish ). I have genuinely laughed out loud to these podcasts. Loved the Evel episodes. Anyway don't change a thing. Love the dynamic and well researched and layered jokes.

Thank you so much for this

I was in school from 99-13 and I remember these dudes coming into to every school (same district) and ripping up phone books and shit and telling us to not do drugs. Maybe I blocked out the Bible shit 🤔

They came to my middle school in Houston in the mid 90s! I got picked to be one of the kids that held onto one end of a bar that one of the guys lifts in the air. I was a chubby kid, so I just remember worrying the whole time about him being able to lift me...🫠

James is 💯% right about the Bible-y people! They loooove to sit and study those stories. They're interesting to listen to 🤷 (the stories, I mean; not the Bible-y people).

I’m one of the lucky evangelically raised children that saw a couple of these events live. The thing that I remember most of that one of them sat on my brothers lap while they were doing crowd work. America.

If you want to know the technique for ripping phone books, you have to push the ends together to cause the pages to separate in the middle enough that they don’t rub together, that way instead of a big block of pages it’s all the pages individually but ripping them at the same time

I've been looking forward to this since they announced this episode. I saw these guys "live" in 2000 or so in an overflow seating area on a TV 😂 Hilarious now but with my ultra Christian upbringing at the time, it was inspirational haha

"He rolled that cuisine art and now I don't have to fuck a concubine" hahaha

I actually got dragged to a Power Team show with my friend and his hyper Christian mom. It was ridiculous and even at 7 I was like, “This is stupid.”

I love knowing that when they came to my church’s youth group in 2000/2001, they had been around for a while. At the time, it felt so peak “new millenium cool Christianity” to me. 😂😂 I love this episode so much.

I was in a high school in Texas in 1989 and our school brought these dudes in. I remember it was in our Willie Pigg auditorium! Fr

I can't wait to listen to this! Did they visit schools, too? I remember having them visit (or a group like them), when I was in middle school.

I have been anxiously awaiting this episode. I was raised Christian and totally saw these assholes “live”. It was something…

I actually went and saw them live a few times when I was kid.

I rip phone books in two, but nowadays they are like toilet paper.

I’ve been so hype for this. 😎