The Derek Hunter Show · WMAL | CMLS Washington DC

HR 2 March 20th, 2026

·35 min·2 clips

Caputo says the "pain" was the point of repeated investigations, subpoenas, and $50,000 meetings.

The episode opens on the argument that suing people to punish them is lawfare, plain and simple. The host says that if someone did not break the law, the courts should not be used just to make them miserable, and he leans on a record-store analogy to push back on the idea that salaried government work somehow becomes a fresh taxpayer hit every time a lawyer does the job. The point is blunt: if the work is already budgeted, the outrage math does not change just because the lawyers are busy. The tone stays skeptical and unsentimental, with the focus on consequence rather than sympathy. The show then rolls through the traffic-center banter and station promotion before moving on to baseball gambling. The host brings in Brian McNichol, a former sports reporter now doing freelance work in the sports writing world, to talk through MLB's deal with prediction markets. He treats the deal as more than a standard sportsbook story, because prediction markets could widen the whole gambling problem. His concern is not abstract. Recent scandals have made him less willing to trust the old argument that wealthy athletes have no reason to cheat. McNichol and the host talk through point shaving, fake injuries, and the possibility that money can tempt players even when they already make plenty. The conversation also pushes back on the idea that greed is the only motive, since some people gamble for the rush rather than the payout. That makes the betting landscape look shakier, not safer. The segment then shifts into baseball schedule logistics, including why Opening Day sits where it does on the calendar. They talk about the league wanting more games and fewer November finishes, which helps explain why the season timing has been nudged around. McNichol notes that late March and early April weather are not all that different, so the calendar change is more about structure than climate. Day-night doubleheaders come up as well, with the practical note that teams and customers usually do not love clearing out the stadium unless rain forces it. The interview closes on a familiar radio rhythm, with the host thanking McNichol, affirming the shared point of view, and rolling back into station traffic. The whole hour hangs together as a fast, combative blend of legal grievance, media suspicion, and sports-world anxiety.

As heard by us

A brisk hour that ties civil-punishment arguments to gambling skepticism.

The hour moves from lawfare into MLB's gambling deal with a clear point of view: suing people to punish them looks less like a crime case and more like punishment carried out through civil power.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a talk-radio ride from lawfare to MLB gambling, this one keeps moving.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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