Papa John's 2 with Raiza Licea

"Papa John's 2 with Raiza Licea" is Episode 288 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Papa John's 2 with Raiza Licea" was released on February 18, 2021.

## Synopsis

Raiza Licea (*Spanish Aqui Presents*) joins the 'boys to talk basketball, Cuban food, and Papa John's. Plus, another edition of Can I Take Your Order?

## Nick's intro

"*Does this pizza chain hate the state of Ohio?*"

This paraphrased headline appeared atop a 2008 viral post by food blog, So Good, regarding a controversial promotion. In advance of a playoff game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Washington Wizards, a DC-area location distributed t-shirts with the brand's logo and the phrase "Crybaby 23," using the jersey number of Cavs superstar, Lebron James. The defamatory shirts were spotted on fans at the NBA game and the subsequent backlash forced corporate ownership to apologize and offer Ohioans 23-cent pizzas: an appropriate bribe for the carb-and-cheese crazed Midwest.

But the now-forgotten incident would prove a comparatively minor controversy next to those caused by the chain's founder and CEO over the next decade, who inconveniently remains the name and face of the franchise.

First, he criticized Obamacare for raising his labor costs. Then, separately, he blamed kneeling NFL players for declining pizza sales, which, in our capitalist utopia where brand allegiance signals political affiliation, turned the pizza into the preferred pie of the alt-right. And finally, he made overtly racist statements on a conference call, which led to his firing from the company.

Enter another NBA legend, tasked with reviving this toxic, decaying brand: the four-time NBA champion and *Kazaam* star, Shaquille O'Neal - today an analyst on TNT's *Inside the NBA*, whose analysis consists mainly of unprovoked personal attacks on players. In 2019, the pizzeria added Shaq to its board of directors and made him a brand ambassador and steward of Atlanta area locations. The partnership has breathed new life into the chain, as has, unnervingly, the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to surging demand for pizza delivery from locked-down consumers and boosted the eatery's sales by double-digit percentages.

Today, Lebron has matched Shaq in on- and off-court pursuits, winning four championships of his own (including one with the Los Angeles Lakers), starring in a movie (the upcoming sequel to *Space Jam*), and even investing in a pizza chain (Blaze). And while Bron remains Ohio's favorite son, it's the larger-than-life and physically large Papa Shaq who will forever have the heart of Los Angeles.

This week on *Doughboys*, we return to Papa John's Pizza.

## Tenedores rating

Papa John's was first reviewed properly in 2018; Nick gave it 1 fork and Mitch gave it 2.

Papa John's has shown up a number of other times on the show, as well. First, it was in the 2016 Doughlympics in a pizza matchup with Domino's and Pizza Hut (it came in third in most categories). Then in the 2018 Munch Madness: The Slice Is Right, Papa John's lost in the first round to Little Caesars. It then advanced to a big Fat Chance Kitchen battle of only sides with Sbarro, Pizza Hut, and California Pizza Kitchen (and everyone rated Papa John's fourth). Last summer, they did a Double episode reviewing the Shaq-A-Roni pizza (they didn't really like it). Papa John's, as you can see, has never been particularly popular with The Doughboys.

	+ Mushrooms, Banana Peppers, Onions
	+ BBQ Sauce
	+ Ranch Cup
* Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza
	+ 3-Cheese Blend
	+ Original Sauce
	+ Well Done
* Cheese Pizza
	+ Pineapples, Jalapeño Peppers
	+ Thin Crust
 Mike Mitchell
* Double Cheeseburger Papadia
* Buffalo Chicken Poppers (10 piece)
	+ Buffalo Sauce Cup
* Jalapeño Popper Rolls
	+ Ranch Cup
* Tuscan Six Cheese Pizza (small)
* Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza (large)
	+ Extra Cheese
	+ 1/2 Onions, Sausage and 1/2 Pepperoni
* Double Chocolate Chip Brownie
 Raiza Licea
	+ Mushrooms
	+ Well Done
	+ Special Garlic Sauce Cup

**Spoonman's Bite of the Night** went to the Double Cheeseburger Papadia.

## Can I Take Your Order?

In this segment, Nick presents a restaurant chain, and using its menu, Mitch and guest craft an order under an "array of pre-conditions."

The restaurant for this episode is The Cheesecake Factory.

The preconditions this time are:

* They have one minute to craft an order.
* It is brunch time.
* They must stay dairy-free.
* (Since the online menu has no prices, there's no budget limitations for this version, which sort of changes the game a bit.)

Emma and Nick declare that Raiza wins because she had a cocktail to push the order over.

	+ Two Eggs Over Easy
* Strawberry Fruit Smoothie
* Avocado Eggrolls
* Factory Huevos Rancheros
	+ Poached Eggs
	+ No Sour Cream
	+ No Cheese

## Photos

3-Cheese Blend Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza3-Cheese Blend Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza SliceEpic Stuffed CrustJalapeno Peppers and Pineapple PizzaPapadiaPapadia1/2 Pepperoni, 1/2 Sausage & Onion Epic Stuffed Crust PizzaTuscan Six Cheese PizzaDouble Cheeseburger PapadiaJalapeno Popper RollsBuffalo Chicken PoppersDouble Chocolate Chip Brownie