Leverage

This is pretty much every game.

Eliot: Does he ever win?

Yeah, he always wins.

This is my dad's strategy --

he's a punching bag who punches back.

Which makes the other guy focus on his hits

and forget about his balance.

Yeah, like Terry O'Reilly.

He actually used to be pretty good.

In the juniors, they said he skated like guy LaFleur.

Then they saw his right hook.

That's it. All done. Come on, guys.

Well, the crowd loves him.

You should see him after the game.

He comes home all kinds of messed up.

He gets confused. He says things that don't make sense.

Like what things?

Like the other night, after the game,

he looked around the car,

and he asked me where my mom was.

Where was she?

Uh, it was a car accident.

Three years ago.

I've looked online, and all the medical sites

say the same thing about my dad's symptom.

It's called concussion syndrome.

It can lead to brain damage and even death.

What about his own doctors? He's got to be cleared to play.

That's kind of the problem.

He has to get evaluated by the doctors all season.

He's got stacks of these papers.

"We have conducted a complete medical..."

Okay, so, it doesn't say anything about any serious head trauma.

Just basic cuts, bruises, things like that.

Who is this Dr. Matsuda -- team doctor?

Yes.

I know it says he had MRIs

and the doctor said he was fine,

but I see my dad off the rink.

And he is not fine, Mr. Ford.

There's two games left in the season.

So, after the season, why don't you just

bring him to a specialist and get another opinion?

I mean, somebody who would -- It's not gonna work.

I've tried that a hundred times.

He won't do it.

My dad thinks he's indestructible.

He needs help.

You help people who are being hurt, right?

I need you to save my dad from himself.

But I want to see it!

I'm serious, Parker. No. It's not a toy, okay?

This is a rare earth electromagnet.

It's very strong, very dangerous.

You ever wonder why the nerds have nine fingers?

That's why.

Okay? Right now, it's inert.

But you flip the switch...

Hm.

Nate: Okay, Hardison.

Okay. The Oregon otters.

They're a minor-league hockey team

currently in their fifth game of a seven-game playoff series.

Uh...

There goes our man Craig Marko. That's Danny's pop.

He plays wing for the otters,

but, more importantly, he's an enforcer.

Goon.

Like a bodyguard?

No. Yeah.

Well, yeah.

I mean, the enforcers exist to protect the elite players

like your Gretzkys, your Crosbys, and everything.

They intimidate. They keep order.

Without the enforcers, what would you have?

I mean, you know, they exist to do exactly that.

It's sort of like the fear of having to fight one of them

is what keeps everything cool.

Oh! Schelling's theory of rational deterrence.

The cold war?

That's actually, terrifyingly, exactly right.

But it doesn't apply here.

Goons exist for nothing more

than a twisted, ritualistic battle

that grinds the actual hockey to a halt

so that two thugs can just slug it out.

Well, if you didn't have the enforcers, superstars wouldn't exist.

So, the opposing team would just go after the sniper.

Come on, there's a job to do.

Uh, yeah.

Now, this is Pete Rising. He's the team owner.

Did a small stint in the NHL.

He bounced around a couple Russian leagues for a minute.

And then he inherits a ton of money,

he buys the Oregon otters,

and he turns out tripling the team's revenue.

And he did it by turning the enforcer, or "goon" fights,

into a circus attraction.

You see, he marketed the brawls.

He created, like, a culture where going to an otter game

meant hockey was just something that happened

in between the fights.

Look. See all these dots right here?

Every one of these dots is a Craig Marko throwdown.

What are the red ones?

The red ones are fights that other players initiated.

And, as you see, there aren't many of them,

but when they do happen, they happen in clusters.

Fights in every period, even on power plays?

How would you even know what --

I thought this guy was like a minor-league hammer.

You know, like -- like -- like Dave "The Hammer" Schultz?

- Who is she? - What? Oh. A girl can't watch hockey?

Wh-what did you steal?

Something... Hockey-related.

A certain...trophy.

No, you didn't. No, not the Stanley cup.

- Uh-huh. - No. I saw it last year in Boston.

No, that was a fake. It wasn't a fake.

And not a very good one.

No, no, no, no, no. I'm sorry. My engraver was awful.

Okay, so, where's the real one?

I don't remember.

Did -- Nate, the...

So, Danny, Marko's kid,

thinks that the real medical files are being hidden somewhere.

So we got to make sure that we get those

and that Marko doesn't fight.

How are we gonna keep that guy from fighting?

That's what we have Eliot for.

You know, to, uh... For the...

Okay, my wa-- anyone seen my watch?

Hardison? My watch. Huh? What?

I ain't seen nothing. Why are you calling me out?

Like I said,

I'm on my way out, and I don't have time.

So if you can, call my office and schedule an appointment,

and then we can go ahead and talk about this.

I know, but it really hurts when I do this. Ow!

See? Right there.

We could just go to your office for like a second.

Oh, want some gum?

Yeah.

No, I mean, I don't have time, Mrs., uh...

Which player is your husband?

The big one...

Who can skate.

Is this his actual MRI?

Yeah. And you don't want to see his X-ray.

Looks like a game of pick-up sticks.

This says,

"indications of swelling on the brain, possible edema."

Mm-hmm.

Rising's not just letting him play,

he's hiding this to make him play.

Right.

The next blow to the head that Craig Marko takes...

Could be his last.

Nice shot.

The ice is closed.

This is my private time to clear my head. I'm the owner.

Pete Rising, right?

Jeff Hansen.

Agent.

Big fan of you and your otters.

I hate agents.

You and me both, brother.

Listen, the thing is, I got this player, right?

He's just out of his contract,

and he needs a little exposure.

Can you help out?

I'm afraid I can't help you there, brother.

You don't even want to hear his stats?

You think I sign players 'cause of their stats?

People don't come here to watch hockey.

They come here to see bloodstains on the ice.

So why don't you clear it?

Tell you what -- how about 1,000 bucks a puck?

So, this isn't just hypothetical?

Hey, if it makes you nervous...

You know, I used to play professionally. Sure. Europe.

Cup of coffee in the NHL -- Yeah, you played for a minute.

Cup of coffee, huh?

Let's shoot pucks for money.

You know, money -- it's just... It's overrated.

Let's make it more interesting.

Let's say, uh, 10 pucks, yeah?

If I win, you play my guy, you sign him.

And if you win, you can have my boat,

my house, my jet, my wife.

Line 'em up.