Ben serves as Commissioner of his fantasy league. Following advice from this Court, he implemented a punishment draft—a mechanism we have praised as among the best innovations in modern fantasy football governance. Ben selected from the available punishments “hot ones audition tape,” a reference to the popular YouTube series in which celebrities are interviewed while consuming increasingly spicy chicken wings. Ben never defined the punishment’s precise parameters. He finished tied for last place. His league now disputes what completing a “hot ones audition tape” requires.
The questions presented are specific: Must Ben purchase all authentic Hot Ones brand sauces? Must he answer questions from league members in a simulated interview format? Must he submit the resulting video to host Sean Evans? We hold that Ben must create a video in the Hot Ones format—ten wings with progressively hot sauces, answering questions from his nine league-mates—and submit it to the show. However, he need not purchase the full suite of expensive authentic sauces. He must use at least one genuinely punishing hot sauce, specifically Da Bomb or equivalent heat level. He may use cheaper alternatives for the remaining wings.
I
The factual background requires little elaboration. Ben implemented a punishment draft based on this Court’s advice—specifically, the suggestion from a listener that transformed punishment systems across fantasy football. See In re League Punishment Eligibility Standards, 24-0850-3 (2024) (describing punishment draft as serving “critical functions in maintaining league integrity and competitive incentives”). League members submitted punishment ideas. Ben, as the punishment draft winner, selected “hot ones audition tape” from the available options.
Critically, Ben “never fleshed out what that actually meant.” He explains: “I picked the punishment hot ones audition tape but we never fleshed out what that actually meant.” For years Ben “finished top four most years”—a respectable performance placing him safely distant from punishment eligibility. But this season he tied for last place. The group chat immediately erupted with competing interpretations of his obligation.
One friend insists Ben must “actually buy all the hot sauces from the show” and “eat them on camera.” Another demands that Ben “answer questions from each of the other members and pretend like I’m on the show.” A third front has opened regarding “whether I need to address the tape to Sean Evans and whether I have to send it to him.” Ben, demonstrating the wisdom that comes with serving as Commissioner, defers to this Court rather than unilaterally interpreting his own punishment obligations.
II
We begin with a principle that pervades our punishment jurisprudence: punishments must be enforced as specified, without post hoc softening or exception-carving that undermines their deterrent value. See League v. Scott, 23-1009-1 (2023) (“leagues must enforce their punishments or the entire punishment system collapses”). When a league adopts a punishment, league members accept that finishing last will carry specified consequences. Those consequences must be honored.
But this case presents the inverse problem: what happens when the punishment’s parameters were never “fleshed out” before adoption? Ben selected “hot ones audition tape” as his potential punishment but defined none of its requirements. Now that he faces performance, competing factions advance maximalist and minimalist interpretations. We must determine which elements constitute essential requirements and which represent optional elaborations.
Our analysis proceeds in three steps. First, we identify what “hot ones audition tape” means by reference to the television program it invokes. Second, we apply principles of reasonableness to prevent economic costs from dwarfing league stakes. Third, we balance the punishment’s deterrent purpose—it must be genuinely unpleasant—against the prohibition on post hoc expansion beyond what the stated punishment fairly encompasses.
III
The phrase “hot ones audition tape” invokes a specific cultural reference: the YouTube series “Hot Ones,” hosted by Sean Evans, in which celebrities are interviewed while eating ten progressively spicy chicken wings. The format has three essential elements: (1) consuming ten wings with increasingly hot sauces; (2) answering questions during consumption; and (3) the interview format that structures the experience. These elements define what makes “Hot Ones” recognizable as distinct from simply “eating hot wings.”
An “audition tape” for Hot Ones would replicate this format in pursuit of appearing on the show. It would demonstrate that the auditioner can handle the heat while remaining coherent enough to answer questions entertainingly. The tape would be submitted to the show’s producers or host for consideration. These inferences follow naturally from the punishment’s stated terms.
We therefore hold that Ben must: (1) create a video featuring himself eating ten chicken wings with hot sauce; (2) answer one question from each of his nine league-mates while eating (the tenth wing can be consumed in silence or while addressing the camera); (3) arrange the wings in ascending heat order to replicate the show’s progressive structure; and (4) submit the completed video to Sean Evans or the Hot Ones production team.
These requirements flow directly from what “hot ones audition tape” means. A video without questions would be merely “eating hot wings on camera.” A video without submission would be “hot ones recreation” but not “audition tape.” A video without progressive heat would fail to capture the show’s essential format. Each element is necessary to satisfy the punishment as specified.
IV
We turn to the most contested issue: must Ben purchase the authentic Hot Ones brand sauces used on the show? The full set costs approximately $120. As Chief Justice Heifetz observed, “if the buy-in for this league is ten dollars there’s a chance the hot sauces are collectively more than the pot for the winner.” This economic reality cannot be ignored.
We have never held that punishments may impose financial costs exceeding the league’s buy-in or prize pool. Such a requirement would transform last-place finishes from embarrassing failures into financial catastrophes. In leagues with $10 or $20 buy-ins—often casual leagues among friends or coworkers—requiring $120 in sauce purchases would make the punishment cost six to twelve times the league’s entire financial stakes. That outcome is absurd and unsupportable.
We therefore hold that authentic Hot Ones brand sauces are not required where their cost would be excessive relative to league stakes. Ben may substitute cheaper hot sauces—Cholula, Tabasco, store brands—for most of the wings. If Ben’s league-mates wish to fund authentic sauce purchases, they may do so voluntarily. But Ben cannot be compelled to spend $120 to complete a punishment in a league where such expenditure would dwarf the financial stakes.
However—and this qualification is critical—Ben must use at least one genuinely punishing hot sauce. As Justice Horlbeck emphasized, Ben “has to buy da bomb.” Da Bomb Beyond Insanity, a sauce featured on Hot Ones and notorious for its brutal heat, costs approximately $10-15. This single authentic purchase is mandatory.
Why? Because without at least one genuinely hot sauce, the “punishment” becomes merely eating ten chicken wings with mild condiments—hardly a punishment at all. As Chief Justice Heifetz observed, if Ben uses only mild sauces then “the punishment for fantasy is oh you have to like fucking eat chicken wings that aren’t hot sounds kind of sick.” A pleasant wing-eating session does not satisfy punishment obligations.
The Da Bomb requirement ensures genuine discomfort. Justice Horlbeck described his personal experience: “it was so hot that chris called his parents he didn’t know why he just called his parents.” That level of heat—painful, memorable, potentially tear-inducing—separates actual punishment from performative video-making. Ben must experience at least one wing at this heat level.
Our holding therefore balances competing considerations. Full authentic sauce purchases would impose excessive costs. But zero authentic sauces would eliminate the punishment’s deterrent effect. Requiring one authentic punishing sauce (Da Bomb) provides a middle path: Ben experiences genuine discomfort without facing financial obligations that dwarf his league’s stakes.
V
We address the progression requirement in more detail. The Hot Ones format features ten wings with ascending heat. The early wings are relatively mild. The middle wings increase intensity. The final wings—particularly wing seven (Da Bomb) and wings eight through ten—deliver punishing heat. This structure serves a purpose: it allows the guest to remain coherent for most of the interview while facing escalating challenge.
Ben must replicate this structure. He cannot place Da Bomb on wing one and make the remaining nine wings progressively milder. Nor can he distribute heat randomly across all ten wings. The progression must be ascending, with Da Bomb or equivalent heat appearing in wings seven through ten. This ensures that Ben experiences what Hot Ones guests experience: the ability to answer early questions while relatively comfortable, followed by increasing difficulty as heat accumulates.
As Justice Horlbeck observed, “you can’t have 10 da bombs”—both because the cost would be prohibitive and because “the whole point is that you lead up to it.” The gradual escalation is part of the format. A video featuring ten identically-hot wings would fail to capture the show’s essential structure.
We therefore specify: wings one through six may use inexpensive hot sauces of Ben’s choosing, arranged in ascending heat order. At least one of wings seven through ten must feature Da Bomb or equivalent heat (measured in Scoville units, Da Bomb registers approximately 135,600). The remaining wings in positions seven through ten should be as hot as Ben can reasonably source, though we do not mandate specific Scoville thresholds for those wings given the cost constraints we have identified.
VI
The question requirement follows from the show’s interview format. Hot Ones is not merely “watching someone eat hot wings”—it is “watching someone try to maintain composure and answer interesting questions while eating hot wings.” The questions are essential. They create the entertainment value and the challenge.
Ben’s league has nine other members (he mentions “each of the other members” suggesting a ten-team league). Each member should submit one question. Ben must answer all nine questions on camera while consuming the wings. The questions can address any topic—fantasy football, Ben’s life, hypothetical scenarios, whatever the league members find amusing. Ben must attempt coherent answers even as the heat intensifies.
We do not mandate that Ben answer one question per wing, though that structure would most closely replicate the show’s format. Ben may choose his own pacing. Perhaps he answers two questions while eating the first wing, then struggles to answer one question across wings eight and nine as Da Bomb takes effect. The key requirement is that all nine questions receive attempted answers on camera.
We also do not mandate that another person appear on camera as “Sean Evans” to ask the questions, though Ben may choose this format if he wishes. Chief Justice Heifetz suggested that Ben should “do a hot ones video with like pretending he’s friend sean evans.” This would enhance the audition tape quality. But we decline to make it mandatory. Ben may film himself addressing questions directly to the camera or may recruit a friend to play interviewer. Either approach satisfies the interview format requirement.
VII
Finally, we address submission to Sean Evans. The phrase “audition tape” implies submission for consideration. An audition that is never submitted is merely a private performance. Chief Justice Heifetz was explicit: Ben must “send it to hot ones.” We agree.
Ben must submit his completed video to the Hot Ones production team or directly to Sean Evans. The submission may occur through whatever channels are available—email to the show’s production company, direct message through social media, formal submission through any audition process the show maintains. The form of submission is Ben’s choice. But submission must occur and Ben must provide proof to his league that he submitted the video.
We recognize that Sean Evans will almost certainly not respond. The show receives countless submissions. The odds that Ben’s league punishment video results in an actual Hot Ones appearance approach zero. But that is not the point. The point is that Ben must complete the full audition process, including the submission that makes it an “audition tape” rather than merely a “Hot Ones recreation video.”
This submission requirement serves an important function: it ensures Ben cannot simply film the video privately and share it only with his league. He must submit it to strangers who will judge his performance. This adds an additional layer of mild embarrassment that enhances the punishment’s effect. And it creates the remote possibility—however unlikely—that something genuinely interesting could result from Ben’s obligation.
* * *
We synthesize our holdings into a clear checklist for Ben and for future leagues facing similar ambiguity in punishment definitions:
(1) Ben must obtain ten chicken wings and ten hot sauces arranged in ascending heat order.
(2) At least one sauce (applied to wings seven through ten) must be Da Bomb Beyond Insanity or equivalent heat level (approximately 135,000+ Scoville units). The remaining sauces may be inexpensive alternatives.
(3) Ben must film himself eating all ten wings while attempting to answer nine questions submitted by his league-mates, with one question per league member.
(4) The video must capture Ben’s full experience including any reactions, struggles, or commentary as the heat intensifies.
(5) Ben must submit the completed video to Sean Evans or the Hot Ones production team through available channels, with proof of submission provided to his league.
(6) The video should be shared with Ben’s league for their entertainment, though this goes without saying.
These requirements satisfy what “hot ones audition tape” means while respecting economic constraints and avoiding post hoc expansion beyond the punishment’s stated scope. Ben will experience genuine discomfort from Da Bomb. He will face the challenge of answering questions while managing increasing heat. He will create an audition tape and submit it to the show. But he will not face financial costs exceeding reasonable bounds.
We close with praise for Ben’s league and for the punishment draft system generally. As we noted in League Punishment Eligibility Standards, punishment systems “create year-round competitive pressure that prevents roster abandonment, trade deadline tanking, and the general malaise that can afflict teams eliminated from playoff contention.” The punishment draft adds an additional layer: it distributes agency among league members, allowing them to select from a menu of creative consequences rather than facing a single predetermined fate.
Ben selected “hot ones audition tape” from that menu. He now faces performance. We have clarified what performance requires. The league should monitor Ben’s completion with appropriate skepticism—demanding proof of Da Bomb purchase, reviewing the video for evidence that all nine questions received attempted answers, and confirming that submission to Sean Evans actually occurred. But the league should also recognize that Ben has been a good Commissioner and should support him through this challenge with the mixture of encouragement and mockery that defines good league culture.
Finally, a lesson for future punishment drafts: define your terms. When selecting or proposing punishments, specify the requirements with sufficient detail that no ambiguity remains. Ben’s league learned this lesson the hard way. Future leagues should specify whether “hot ones audition tape” requires authentic sauces, how many questions must be answered, whether submission is mandatory, and any other parameters that might generate dispute. Clear rules prevent the need for Fantasy Court intervention and ensure that league members understand exactly what fate awaits them should they finish last.
Ben must complete the hot ones audition tape with at least one genuinely punishing sauce (Da Bomb), answer nine league-submitted questions on camera, and submit the video to Sean Evans. Full authentic sauce purchases are not required.