Megan Rapinoe & Sue Bird

Summary

Episode Summary: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard Featuring Megan Rapinoe & Sue Bird

Podcast Information:

• Title: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
• Host/Author: Armchair Umbrella
• Episode: Megan Rapinoe & Sue Bird
• Release Date: November 20, 2024

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Introduction In this compelling episode of Armchair Expert, host Dax Shepard welcomes two legendary athletes, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe. As a WNBA champion and Olympic gold medalist, Sue Bird shares her extensive career in basketball, while Megan Rapinoe, a two-time World Cup champion and bestselling author, delves into her journey in soccer. Together, they discuss their new podcast, A Touch More, and explore the intricacies of their shared experiences both on and off the field.

---

Early Careers and Athletic Journeys

Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe delve into their formative years in sports, highlighting the challenges and triumphs that shaped their careers.

• Sue Bird's Beginnings: Sue recounts her upbringing in Reading, California, where her mother worked as a waitress and her father was involved in construction. Growing up in a large family with seven siblings, Sue describes the competitive yet supportive environment that fueled her passion for basketball.

  "I think we made it similar to your relationship with your older brother. It was like we made each other better because we could go without any insecurity as hard as we wanted at each other." (Sue Bird, 17:56)

• Megan Rapinoe's Path: Megan shares her experiences transitioning from high school to college soccer, emphasizing the pivotal moment when an ACL injury redirected her focus and intensified her commitment to the sport.

  "Tearing my ACL my freshman year is the best thing that could have happened to me. It woke me up in a way." (Megan Rapinoe, 30:15)

---

Shared Experiences and Transition to Media

The conversation shifts to their collaborative efforts in media, particularly their podcast A Touch More. Sue and Megan discuss the motivations behind creating content that highlights women's sports and the unique storytelling opportunities it presents.

• Launching the Podcast: Originating during the pandemic through Instagram Live sessions, Sue and Megan transitioned to a structured podcast format, aiming to fill the storytelling void in women's sports.

  "Storytelling is the most important thing. Whether it's writers in their books or journalists storytelling what's happening in the world... we've lived through this crazy period." (Sue Bird, 70:59)

• Challenges of Retirement: Both athletes reflect on retirement's impact, particularly the loss of structured routines and team camaraderie that defined their athletic lives.

  "Sports are sports. They're fun. And it's an event to go to, like a Concert or a comedy show... But retirement's rough because the foundation has disappeared." (Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe, 22:24)

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Challenges and Inequalities in Women's Sports

Sue and Megan provide insightful critiques of the systemic issues within women's sports, contrasting them with their male counterparts. They address topics like coaching styles, media representation, and the unique hurdles female athletes face.

• Coaching and Team Dynamics: The duo discusses how traditional coaching models, often rooted in male sports, fail to accommodate the collaborative and emotionally intelligent approaches that benefit women's teams.

  "We've always used the male model for judgment on those things, and I think it's starting to shift." (Megan Rapinoe, 47:05)

• Media and Representation: Sue emphasizes the importance of authentic storytelling in women's sports, arguing that media often overlooks the nuanced narratives that elevate female athletes.

  "We are really in a position... to narrate all the history. But also this is how we should be talking about women's sports because we also know men's sports." (Sue Bird, 70:59)

• Fan Engagement and Spectator Experience: They explore how women's sports are evolving to create more inclusive and engaging spectator experiences, drawing parallels with successful models in other leagues like MLS.

  "Women's sports have always had their own fan base, and as they've grown, they're tapping into the casual fan by focusing on community and inclusivity." (Megan Rapinoe, 57:33)

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Personal Lives and Mutual Support

Beyond their professional achievements, Sue and Megan delve into their personal relationship, highlighting the dynamics of being partners, business collaborators, and advocates for women's sports.

• Relationship and Support: The athletes discuss how their partnership has been instrumental in navigating the pressures of professional sports and transitioning into media roles.

  "We're figuring it out. We're learning how to separate our professional and personal lives now that we've retired." (Sue Bird, 21:43)

• Podcast Collaboration: They share anecdotes about launching A Touch More, emphasizing the importance of having an objective voice (Monica Padman) to keep discussions grounded and relatable.

  "Monica hasn't seen the movie or read the book or done the thing, because she's the audience." (Megan Rapinoe, 84:22)

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Future Endeavors and Advocacy

Looking ahead, Sue and Megan outline their plans for expanding their media presence and continue advocating for equality and representation in sports.

• Expanding Media Projects: They hint at upcoming projects, including documentaries and reality shows that aim to further elevate women's sports narratives.

  "We've got a couple of cool things coming out. We adapted a book... and we have a reality show coming up." (Megan Rapinoe, 84:52)

• Advocacy for Women's Sports: Both athletes reiterate their commitment to ensuring that women's sports receive the recognition and support they deserve, not just as entertainment but as platforms for showcasing resilience and excellence.

  "It's amazing here. Women's sports is incredible. Sports are incredible. It's one of the most vulnerable things you can watch someone do live." (Sue Bird, 72:10)

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Conclusion

This episode of Armchair Expert offers an intimate look into the lives of two iconic athletes, Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird. Through their candid conversations, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs inherent in professional sports, the dynamics of their personal and professional relationships, and their relentless pursuit of equality and representation in women's athletics. Their journey from esteemed athletes to media pioneers serves as an inspiring testament to resilience, collaboration, and the power of authentic storytelling.

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Notable Quotes:

• "Tearing my ACL my freshman year is the best thing that could have happened to me. It woke me up in a way." — Megan Rapinoe (30:15)
• "Storytelling is the most important thing... we've lived through this crazy period." — Sue Bird (70:59)
• "We've always used the male model for judgment on those things, and I think it's starting to shift." — Megan Rapinoe (47:05)
• "It's amazing here. Women's sports is incredible. Sports are incredible." — Sue Bird (72:10)

Timestamps:

• Introduction of Guests: [00:21]
• Sue Bird's Early Career: [08:31]
• Megan Rapinoe's Injury and Career Shift: [30:15]
• Launching the Podcast: [70:59]
• Challenges in Women's Sports: [47:05]
• Personal Relationship Dynamics: [21:43]
• Future Media Projects: [84:52]
• Advocacy for Women's Sports: [72:10]

Transcript

[Dax Shepard]

Wondry subscribers can listen to Armchair Expert early and ad free right now. Join onedry+ in the wondry app or on Apple Podcasts or you can listen for free wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome, welcome, welcome to Armchair Expert. Experts on Expert we have two physical phenoms today as our experts.

[Monica Padman]

We sure do.

[Dax Shepard]

Sue Bird and Megan Rapineau. Sue, of course is a WNBA champion and Olympic gold medalist. Megan is a two time World cup champion, Olympic gold medalist and bestselling author. They've got a new podcast that's out on Wednesday's weekly called A Touch More the Podcast. So I encourage everyone to listen to that. This was very fun. Couples are fun.

[Monica Padman]

They are fun. They are fun and they have such a great rapport and they're so interesting and it's a subject we don't know.

[Dax Shepard]

That much about and they have a great rapinoe in addition to their rapport. Please enjoy Sue Bird and Megan Rapineau. We are supported by Audible. Audible's best of 2024 picks are here. Audible's curated list in every category is the best way to hear 2024's best in audio entertainment. Like a stunning new full cast production of George Orwell's 1984. This is the one I am most excited to indulge myself with.

[Monica Padman]

I'm so excited to listen to James, which is a new title by Percival Everett that is very, very hot right now.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, there's so many good ones on the list.

[Monica Padman]

We love Audible. This is how you go to bed.

[Dax Shepard]

I love Audible. I swear by Audible. I can't wait to listen to the Orwell 1984 off this list. I'm also doing Fleas by Autobiography right now, which I'm obsessed with. I can't get enough Audible in my life every night. Go to audible.comdax and discover all the year's best waiting for you. That's audible.com Dax we are supported by Peloton. Are you tired of the same old workout routine or struggling to find motivation at this busy time of year? It's time to check out Peloton.

[Monica Padman]

Peloton is so great. We all know this also. Not only is it a good workout, which I did at our friend Molly's house.

[Dax Shepard]

Uh huh.

[Monica Padman]

It's a great workout, but it's also like pretty. It's sleek.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, it is. It's a good looking piece.

[Monica Padman]

Very aesthetically pleasing and you know that matters to me.

[Dax Shepard]

I know, I agree. Well, Peloton has a variety of training programs. They got Pilates, 5K, 10K, half and full marathon programs, strength training, boot camps. There's so many ways to challenge yourself.

[Monica Padman]

It's so helpful to have a set plan. It takes the guesswork out. It just makes it easier to get started on your fitness journey.

[Dax Shepard]

It's great. And there's so many options on Peloton so you can find a workout that gives you exactly what you're looking for.

[Monica Padman]

Kind of workout are you feeling today?

[Dax Shepard]

Well, I gotta tell you, I was recently advised by a doctor to incorporate some more blasts. Some high intensity blast that you get the special. He said, look at sprinters, right? Why do they look like that? Because they're in this really high heart rate for some period of time. It's really beneficial. So I'm looking to go hard. Hard.

[Monica Padman]

Cool. Well, whatever you're looking for. Peloton has the workout for you. And they have world class fitness instructors to push you to the next level.

[Dax Shepard]

Find your push. Find your power with [e-mail] he's an object. Oh, my God.

[Monica Padman]

Are you all right?

[Dax Shepard]

Well, let's see if I can recover. I mean, that's a big one. That's the most egregious in seven years.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, it happens.

[Dax Shepard]

It'll happen, but not today. That was sue and Megan.

[Monica Padman]

I know.

[Dax Shepard]

Athletes have to be on time.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

The coach will kill you.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, God, that is true.

[Sue Bird]

It's like drilled in our existence.

[Dax Shepard]

Wait, let me take in your shirt. Love and rock. Kids discard it.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, that's cool.

[Sue Bird]

I mean, I overpaid for it, but it's fine.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. I was listening to one of Yalls episodes and I thought for a second we were going to have a huge issue between Monica and y'all.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I can't wait.

[Dax Shepard]

Because one of their sponsors is the Row.

[Monica Padman]

Stop.

[Dax Shepard]

But it's not that Row.

[Monica Padman]

Okay.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I was like, it is.

[Dax Shepard]

Is it?

[Sue Bird]

I hope so.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Are they sponsoring us?

[Sue Bird]

Everyone's eyes just got huge. I would love to be sponsored by the row.

[Monica Padman]

What?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Me too.

[Dax Shepard]

I think the row you guys were promoting was some area of some town where there's lots of shops and there's.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, here, there's a row.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I don't even know.

[Dax Shepard]

I think it's like an area. It was like, visit this and this. But when I first heard the row, I was like, oh, Monica's gonna be really upset.

[Megan Rapinoe]

We love the Row too though.

[Dax Shepard]

Dream sponsorship.

[Sue Bird]

I don't think the twins sponsor any or give discounts or give a fuck about anyone, honestly.

[Monica Padman]

No, they sure don't.

[Sue Bird]

They sure don't.

[Monica Padman]

I'VE heard about their friends and family discount. It's quite minimal.

[Sue Bird]

Oh.

[Dax Shepard]

Even a friend or a family, I.

[Monica Padman]

Think they do have it. Probably just for Elizabeth Olsen.

[Dax Shepard]

Elizabeth. What's she paying?

[Monica Padman]

She gets 10% off.

[Dax Shepard]

10%, but probably if my siblings. You have a twin?

[Sue Bird]

I have a twin. Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

We love that.

[Dax Shepard]

It's scary interviewing two people and learning.

[Megan Rapinoe]

So much about two different people dating two people? Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Not really, but Rachel.

[Sue Bird]

Rachel, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

That's weird.

[Dax Shepard]

You guys are fraternal.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

If your twin sister Rachel started, that's not a good comp. Because it's Elizabeth we're talking about. You would expect to get way more than 10% off your sister. Right?

[Sue Bird]

I would get this all for free.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, free. 99%.

[Sue Bird]

For sure. I'm coming in there, and you need to tell everyone at every store in the world who I am. And I'm just like. As if it's a closet.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, the sister's here.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, the sister, everybody.

[Dax Shepard]

It's like the early release a million.

[Monica Padman]

And you get the hem. But it happens that day.

[Sue Bird]

They get it. They need to be on site, Correct? No, I'm getting everything for free.

[Monica Padman]

I know. Aren't they so cool? They're so elusive. Do you like, elusive, or are you like, that's too much? I mean, obviously, like, the row, but in general, elusive to a certain extent.

[Sue Bird]

But sometimes I'm like, well, how do you get it? You know, I guess that's the point.

[Megan Rapinoe]

That's the work.

[Sue Bird]

I'm on the outside sometimes when it's too much. I mean, like the restaurant situation we're talking about with reservations in New York.

[Dax Shepard]

How long have you guys lived in New York?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Just a year. I'm from there originally.

[Dax Shepard]

Long Island.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Long Island? Yep. So it's like a coming home, which is really nice. Megan always wanted to live there, so I was like, great.

[Dax Shepard]

You're from Reading?

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. Reading's a vibe. Let's talk about reading for a second.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I've been there. For sure. I think when you think of California, you think of LA and San Francisco and super progressive and liberal. But Redding's kind of blue collar.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

It's not what people would think of with California.

[Sue Bird]

No. Honestly, whenever I talk to people from California, they're like, cool. And I'm like, not that one. And then they go north and they're like, cool. And I'm like, not that either. They're like, what else is there?

[Dax Shepard]

Do you surf Redwoods or Star Wars?

[Sue Bird]

I know Redding is really interesting because it's situated right on i5. So it's this sort of throughway all.

[Dax Shepard]

Up and down the west coast in the meth pipeline.

[Sue Bird]

Totally in the meth pipeline. Drug use is especially historically, totally rampant, especially meth. But then it's right next to the Golden Triangle, which is the best weed.

[Dax Shepard]

In the world, but also gnarly shit happening in the Golden Triangle.

[Sue Bird]

It's progressive in the, like, anarchist, zero government kind of. So it's like where hippies meet. No government. And you're like, what's happening here?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, Sovereign citizens meet hippies.

[Sue Bird]

And then there is also traditional granola hippie vibes going on in and around Reading. I think a lot of people go there to, like, be left alone or have gone there to be left alone. But then it's also just a very normal conservative. And then there's, like, this evangelical church has gotten really big up there, Bethel, which I don't fuck with at all. And they have gotten into, like, conversion therapy and mysticism, and it's, to me, bad News Bears. And it's just a wild place.

[Dax Shepard]

You have super fun eyes. That's just an earmark. Who are we having where we realize their magic power? Oh, it was Heidi Klum. Oh. Where the eyes are somehow a third mouth. They're very expressive. Would you agree? As someone who stares in her eyes.

[Megan Rapinoe]

A lot, her face is very expressive.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. And the eyes almost can smile or something.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

No, you tell a lot with your facial expressions.

[Sue Bird]

For sure. I know. Good and bad.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. Or, like, it could be goofy. It could be kooky.

[Dax Shepard]

Your face betrays you a lot.

[Sue Bird]

I mean. Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I don't think she minds people knowing that.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, true. That's true.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, so you're from a very huge family. Huge.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

What did mom and dad do in Reading?

[Sue Bird]

My mom was a waitress for the whole time we lived there. She actually just retired a couple years ago. Jack's Grill, which is like a really cool sort of simple steakhouse. It was one of the nicer restaurants.

[Megan Rapinoe]

But it's not like nice saltines on the table when you.

[Sue Bird]

Redding.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, no.

[Sue Bird]

Like, white tablecloth or anything. And then my dad mostly worked in construction.

[Dax Shepard]

And were they born in Reading or were they part of some diaspora hippie anarchist?

[Sue Bird]

Not even hippie anarch. I honestly, I don't know.

[Dax Shepard]

The car broke down in Reading on the way up to.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, they were in San Diego and I was like, what happened?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sue Bird]

And then when they got together, they moved to Carson City. I think my mom's mom was sick at the time they went to take care of her, and then I don't know how they ended up in Reading. I still have a lot of questions of what happened there. And then they never left.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. And then seven siblings, six siblings.

[Megan Rapinoe]

You need a tree.

[Sue Bird]

She's like five or seven.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Sue Bird]

My oldest sister is actually my aunt. It's my mom's youngest sister who she raised. And my youngest brother is my nephew. It's my brother's child that my parents raised.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, wow.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. Okay.

[Sue Bird]

I say seven. It's really five.

[Dax Shepard]

Who cares?

[Sue Bird]

Just leave it out there for people.

[Dax Shepard]

It's a big Christmas is what I'm imagining.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

How mysterious.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God.

[Sue Bird]

Sue has one sister and she's like, whoa.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, that's a big old chain.

[Dax Shepard]

That's kind of what I'm hoping to establish is it does feel like opposites attract in a lot of fun ways. Just learning the seven Redding versus Long Island. Russian, Jewish father, one older sister. What's the vibe in Long island in 1980?

[Megan Rapinoe]

What movie was now and then? It's kind of like that. Like, all the houses are the same. You can ride your bike everywhere. Like, pretty chill. Middle class.

[Dax Shepard]

What? Little pocket of Long Island.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Syosset. So it's in Nassau County, North Shore.

[Dax Shepard]

Any other famous alumni?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Who?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Natalie Portman.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, shit.

[Dax Shepard]

What's her last name, though?

[Sue Bird]

Her name?

[Dax Shepard]

Her?

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

So Natalie was a year younger than I was.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, she was?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

She switched high schools.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, she did?

[Dax Shepard]

You did?

[Megan Rapinoe]

I also did. Yeah. So we only went to high school one or two years. Whoa.

[Monica Padman]

How bizarre.

[Megan Rapinoe]

She came in, I left like a year or two later.

[Dax Shepard]

But she had already been in the professional.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. So she came into school, we were like, oh, shit, that's the actress.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, great. We can do a parallel with Caitlin right now. Yeah, that was the episode I listened to.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

The basketball player. Were people gunning for her?

[Megan Rapinoe]

No. No, not at all.

[Dax Shepard]

They were excited.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Honestly, the way she is now when you're around her, almost unassuming, just kind of chill. Same thing, obviously, was just in a blockbuster movie, if you will, and just totally chill.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I can't even explain it. I don't wanna downplay who she was, but at the same time, it was like she wore sweats to school. Just so chill. Just another kid. Just another kid.

[Dax Shepard]

She wasn't walking around like a movie.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Star in fifth grade.

[Dax Shepard]

Not at all.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Not at all.

[Dax Shepard]

And you come into sports because your older sister is interested? Yeah. What's the age gap there?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Five years.

[Dax Shepard]

Same. I have the same.

[Megan Rapinoe]

It's a lot when you're younger.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. So I'm going to project onto you.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

Did you have this experience where in your mind you were like, well, I'm the weakest, worst at everything in the world. And then I started competing with my peers my age and I was like, oh, I'm kind of strong because I'd only been wrestling with this dude five years older than me my whole life. And then when I got around people my age, I was like, oh, I'm a good. I thought it was a terrible skateboarder.

[Megan Rapinoe]

No, not really.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, great.

[Megan Rapinoe]

But only because we had very quickly different lanes. She's way smarter than I am. Academics was her thing. She also played sports, but sports was my thing.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And so we didn't have a lot of competition in sports. I probably was beating her like very early. Do you have an older brother?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

It's different for boys. Like we weren't wrestling. It wasn't like a physical.

[Dax Shepard]

I beat him up at 14 when he was 19. It was the greatest day of my life. Probably to the point.

[Megan Rapinoe]

That's how I felt when I first like scored on my dad.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

My dad's 6 3, I'm only 5 9, so who knows what I was then 5 foot. And when I finally scored on my dad while we were just like shooting at the park. That was like a big day.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, so this would be a good advice column moment for you parent wise. So I struggle with this because I have two little girls and I play a lot of things with them and I'm always like, how much am I going to let them? I want to, you know, I want to give them the taste.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Don't let them win.

[Sue Bird]

Oh my God.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Don't let them.

[Dax Shepard]

That's hardcore.

[Monica Padman]

Don't you think they should feel the win once so that they chase it?

[Megan Rapinoe]

No, you want them to get it on their own because when you earn that, that's yours forever.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow. Ok.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I'm not saying if it was basketball. It's not like you gotta block their shot. Crazy all the time. Every time.

[Dax Shepard]

Every time.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Can we tumble them? But no, you don't have to like let them.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah. This actually rip very sad with Rachel and I and our older brother Michael. He kicked our ass in basketball. He's like 10 years older than us. Like more. He's probably 15 years older than us to be honest.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, he's so much older than us.

[Monica Padman]

You don't even know. You still don't know anything about any of the siblings.

[Dax Shepard]

He's either my uncle or my son.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

In that family, we don't know. And we played him like 2v1. We were probably 14 years old. He was barefoot in the street. He tore his feet up so bad he had to put like maxi pads on his feet. And he kicked our ass. And he gloated about it. And we were just like, first of all, whatever. You're fucking grown, man. Obviously you're gonna beat us. But we were pissed. Like, he could very easily let us win. We were just like, no, we had to try our hardest. I mean, we didn't beat him. And I'm sure we took it out on some other kids at school. Probably took it out on our basketball team.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, here's where I'm doing it. This feels right. They just started playing basketball.

[Megan Rapinoe]

How old are they?

[Dax Shepard]

9 and 11. Okay, we'll play pig.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

We're not up to horse yet. We'll play Pig A. I'm shooting close so they can make it. I'm not like out above the ark trying to make it. It's not a fun game if they have zero and they're pig every time. Go ahead. Not the move.

[Sue Bird]

I don't know.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't know.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I'm like, trying to think. When I play with my nieces. Same. I don't shoot, like, deep threes off the dribble. I'm not like, can I add?

[Dax Shepard]

She has the best. Best three point shooting percentage in NCAA history. I think 48.4.

[Sue Bird]

Holy shit.

[Dax Shepard]

That's an impossible three point percentage.

[Sue Bird]

That's so cool.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Played on good teams.

[Dax Shepard]

No, that's not how that works.

[Sue Bird]

No, I'm joking.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't think that would affect your percentage.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I'll tell you why. I shot well in college, so I was injured my freshman year. Basically missed the whole year. So I really only played three years in college and the fall of my sophomore year. It's very common in preseason you have these 6am workouts. So he had them three times a week. After every 6am workout, he would make me shoot threes. It wasn't crazy, like 30, 45 minutes, but like three times a week for two months, basically leading. Yeah, Me and a coach. And then he would watch.

[Dax Shepard]

And I'm sure you don't have the actual metrics, but how much did your percentage change?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Good gosh. Just from that exercise over the year in shooting percentages? If it goes up 2%, yeah. That's ginormous. I bet if you looked at my freshman year to my sophomore year, I Bet there was easily a 15% jump.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow. I'll just add that Jordan never ever scored more than 39% of his two point shots somewhere in that range.

[Monica Padman]

Don't need them on.

[Dax Shepard]

We love Last Dance, but not after.

[Sue Bird]

We can't bring them on. We already have Sue. You can't bring them on.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Embarrassing, but I'll tell you what, he didn't take it easy on me. I'm answering your question. Yeah, okay. He was a pain in my ass, to be honest.

[Dax Shepard]

You know, my kids aren't professional sports bound either. So you're kind of like, what's the point of this? Are we supposed to have fun?

[Monica Padman]

Well, at what age is that determined if they're gonna be professional sports bound or not?

[Dax Shepard]

And even a broader question that I think is really relevant is do you think the parent has to lead it or do you think the kid has to lead it? I'm of the opinion that the kid's gonna demonstrate that that's for them or not.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I agree.

[Dax Shepard]

You do agree?

[Megan Rapinoe]

100%.

[Sue Bird]

I totally agree.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I think that's both of our experiences.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah. There's of course, times where they're tired or they're being little shits or whatever and you're like, no, these are things that are important. My parents were always like, you guys lead. But the one thing they were like, you're gonna try hard if we half assed or something. They were like, oh, no, no, no. We're not putting all this time and effort in for that. And there's certain life things that you've gotta teach your kids, but I think in general, it kind of shows itself. In kindergarten we were like, busting kids ass in kindergarten. We're the most athletic kids in kindergarten. You're probably gonna be showing some signs of athletic talent and aptitude. Just like if you were, you know, music, anything. Yeah, exactly.

[Dax Shepard]

But your family in particular, they were committing a ton of time. They were driving you like two and a half hours to go compete somewhere.

[Sue Bird]

Sacramento. Sacramento in the Bay Area.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. So I guess when they do show that interest, you're just there to support that is drive them. Five hours.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

[Sue Bird]

They honestly had very frank conversations with us of like, if you two want to do this, we'll sacrifice our whole life for this, no problem. No, they were like, we'll do this, but we're not gonna be dragging you through it. They made that very clear. And we were like, no, we wanna do it. And they were like, okay, let's go.

[Dax Shepard]

How did the competition between you and Rachel Play out.

[Sue Bird]

I think when we were younger, it was in a play sense, we just played everything together all the time. I think we made it similar to your relationship with your older brother. It was like we made each other better because we could go without any insecurity as hard as we wanted at each other. And we played one on one baseball, one on one on one basketball, one on one. Like, we played one on one every Ghost runners galore. He was like running and running and hitting all at the same time. And we didn't really have that jealousy of each other. We more so were like, we're playing this together. We always played different positions. We went through different times where, like, she was a lot better than me pretty much until midway through high school. I feel like I hit puberty kind of later. She was always much better and more confident. Midway through high school, maybe like my junior year, I feel like I grew and grew into myself. But we were both great.

[Dax Shepard]

The best two of your team in high school.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, of our team.

[Dax Shepard]

How about when you went to Portland?

[Sue Bird]

Portland was a little bit more difficult, honestly, for both of us. We both had a lot of injuries. Rachel was severely anemic her freshman year, and she didn't know it and it was undiagnosed. So it was kind of like a shame on her. Thing of like, you're not working hard enough or you're not fit. But really, she was severely anemic. So all through her first year it was really difficult.

[Dax Shepard]

And were they able to treat that really quickly?

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, she had to get iron infusions. She was in like the cancer ward getting, like, bags of iron. Yeah, it was really crazy. Her levels were at like 1 and 2. Her hemoglobin levels, it was really bad. She actually went a season before I did, so I deferred my first season because I was playing in a youth World Cup. So she played a season before and then I came. She was really struggling with her anemia. I was playing, and then my sophomore year and junior year, I was out with knee injuries. Her junior and senior year, or sophomore and junior year, she was out. So we really only played together basically our senior season, which was great. She played forward and I was a winger and we had a lot of fun together. But it was hard because we were kind of parallel pathing these really difficult things and we were trying to figure ourselves out and had no language to do that. And we're twins, and the world's comparison when it comes to twins is difficult. No matter what, you're always going to be Compared to each other, because it's like, how are the twins? How are the babies?

[Monica Padman]

It's such a story for people.

[Sue Bird]

Totally.

[Monica Padman]

You want to know everything.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah. And so it was, I think, hard for both of us in ways to really understand and navigate that. And now, like, 20 years later, we're starting to talk about it, so it's good. That's good.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, you're like a married couple in that you have a shared identity way more than just normal siblings do.

[Sue Bird]

Totally.

[Dax Shepard]

How does that compound coming out? Does it?

[Sue Bird]

Well, it compounded it because I outed us both to my mom. Let me tell you how I compounded that. Oh, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Honestly put it in the compounder.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

I have a tendency to be spontaneous in the best of ways, but it's also really impulsive, so I'm working on integrating that also.

[Dax Shepard]

Just what if your mom asked you, is Rachel also gay? And you.

[Monica Padman]

It's your eyes.

[Dax Shepard]

Your eyes. Your eyes did a whole thing.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I think it was your mouth, too, this time.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah. Came right out of my mouth. I just honestly thought my mom would be like, well, obviously we know. When I figured it out for myself, I was like, oh, my God, this is kind of embarrassing, Megan. This is really obvious. So I didn't really have the. And so when I told my mom, I think it was just hard for her in the beginning. This is not the dream that she saw. Not that it was bad. It was just. She was, like, unprepared for it.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

And I was like, well, Rachel's gay, too. Obviously this is fine. And we're both doing it. Oh, fine. It's normal. So that was tougher. And I think she struggled with it a little bit more. And she was kind of struggling with her religious views, and she was in this sort of evangelical, fake progressive church that was honestly just kind of hateful and really conversion therapy vibe. So I think she was really struggling and struggling to find herself, and then I outed her to my mom. So I'm really sorry, Rachel. I'm still sorry to this day for that.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, my intuition would be that you would come out to Rachel first, and then also I could see where you'd come out to her last because of this shared identity thing.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah. It was almost like we were kind of figuring ourselves out at the same time. It's like when you're so close, you can't see it. And so we were both doing at the same time, and it. It was confusing. And we both went to college for the first time. It was like we were in Portland. It's so progressive. Compared to reading, everything was just new. Coming from such a small place, is.

[Monica Padman]

It interesting for you that you had this shared identity? And in some ways you too have a shared identity. Also very public shared identity. It's like in some ways you've hopped.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, I know. Yeah, I know. I'm codependent. I'm working on it.

[Monica Padman]

I know, but we just have patterns, right?

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, totally. We talk about this a lot. I think, especially since we've both retired. I think when we were both playing, it was just naturally separated. Now we have to work really hard to have separate realms, and it's been hard. And we're figuring that out. It's really only a year into both of us being retired.

[Dax Shepard]

No, this seems like one of the most dangerous situations possible because I have a few friends that are either married to professional athletes or I know a couple. Almost universally, retirement's rough for so many reasons, and maybe you'll tell us about them, but if you just take the schedule, your whole life is scheduled and has been for decades, and then it's not. That's so disruptive.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Very. Yeah, I know. Honestly, we just. We just interviewed Alex Morgan recently. Oh, gosh. She also retired and she brought up this one element about showering. So to really make your point about scheduling, when you're an athlete, your shower is built in. You're showering after the game, you're showering after practice. You really don't have to think about showering. And now all the sudden, it was like 24 hours are going by and I'm like, I haven't showered.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

So even down to the shower.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I bet it's disruptive. And this change is disruptive.

[Dax Shepard]

And you build on top of it. Or many athletes. Right. Build on top of it, then their own weird routine that is kind of superstitious and control oriented. Right. So it's like also this other thing was scaffold on top of it, but the foundation has disappeared. So now your own little weird rituals, too, are probably change.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah. It's like you kind of have to be a little psycho to be a professional athlete. You have to have that routine. The routine is great because it's so structured, but it's also really unhealthy in a lot of ways because you're forcing yourself to do the exact same thing every day.

[Megan Rapinoe]

They disguise it with words like discipline.

[Sue Bird]

Right.

[Megan Rapinoe]

But it's really, like, crazy.

[Monica Padman]

It's controlled.

[Sue Bird]

Oh, very.

[Dax Shepard]

What I would imagine is it's a great distraction from your whole life. Like It's a bubble you enter at a certain time of the day, and you can only focus on a single thing and ignore all the childhood stuff.

[Megan Rapinoe]

You're rewarded for things that aren't necessarily gonna help you in your personal life.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, Right.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I feel like when you retire, you have to come face to face with that in a big way. Or at least I did.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And then the other thing I hear is really disorienting is being the member of a team. I think from the outside. I remember I watched a great doc on Brett Favre, and he got very depressed after retirement, and all these things happened, and people would think it's like, oh, they miss the attention. And it's like, that's. That's not it at all. They miss a purpose. They miss the team. I hear is the big thing.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Very safe on a team. I always say teams are so interesting because you will simultaneously know who your teammates are dating. For us, I'm like, I know when my teammates have their period. Who needs a tampon? And then at the same time, I don't even know if all my teammates had siblings. I don't know if I know their hometown all the time. So, yeah, you're, like, simultaneously so intimate and then also not. But it is really safe because that intimacy is automatic. Once someone comes on your team, that's it. You are in lockstep. You got each other's back. If they got traded, the next day, you'd be like, see ya. And you wouldn't think twice.

[Monica Padman]

It's a shared goal. And that's, like, driving the entire team.

[Sue Bird]

Yes.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And it connects you in these really wonderful ways. But I think to your point, when you don't have that, it's been such a safe place, in some ways, it shows up as family. By the way, even with all this intimacy, the difference is you do have very real relationships with your teammates too. The ones you click with do become family, whether it's the end of a season or retirement. All of a sudden, you go your separate ways, and then you just might not see them for months and months and months.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. This is the most literal manifestation of in group out, group tribalism, which is like, you're a team, you're a group. It is you against everyone. Not even figuratively. It's you against the world. And how about when they depart and you see them again as a competitor?

[Monica Padman]

That's just awful and sad.

[Megan Rapinoe]

It's really. Yeah. If anything, if it's someone you're cool with, you can't wait to go out to Dinner with them.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And then when you're on the court or the field, whatever, you just do it. You compartmentalize very well with that.

[Monica Padman]

This is exactly the thing that you were talking about that maybe isn't great for life. This level of being able to compartmentalize to such a degree is great in sport, but in life, tough.

[Sue Bird]

Not great.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Not gonna.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, not so great.

[Sue Bird]

It just doesn't work in life that way. To compartmentalize your emotions and the things that you want, you have to ask different questions. Even to point about attention. It's not necessarily the missed attention. It's the very clear value structure for yourself of like, where do I find my worth? In sports, it's like, if you're doing.

[Megan Rapinoe]

X, Y, and Z, it's a meritocracy.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah. In sports, it is a meritocracy. Like, you know, I have to do this, this, this, this, and this in order to do this. And then if I do that, then I'm going to be valued and I feel good about myself and everybody else feels good. And then when you stop playing, it's like, well, where do you find your value? My sister asked me that the other day.

[Dax Shepard]

How do you even evaluate yourself?

[Sue Bird]

How do you even evaluate.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

She was like, where do you find your value? I literally was like, I don't think I know yet. Because what is life?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

I'm like, I don't really know. I'm starting to figure out what kind of things I like. Or even just our relationship to working out in our bodies. Those questions have always just had answers. And now it's like we're having to answer all these questions. And for us, we played for a long time. So it's also coming at this time in life. You're 43, about to be 44. I'm 39. It's already the sort of second coming of the existential crisis anyways. And so it's all coming at that time. And now you're like, well, what even is life?

[Dax Shepard]

You guys should remodel an apartment and have two kids right at the same time.

[Sue Bird]

We did the apartment, the kids were holding. The kids were holding off on for now.

[Megan Rapinoe]

But the other part that I would just add to that is, for me especially, you go from never having your needs in the forefront. I got very comfortable. Like, my needs don't matter. The team's needs matter. As long as I'm servicing that, this machine works. And then my value gets shown. Right. And then I get rewarded. And then you go into your real life and you're like, I have to tell you what my needs are. Yeah, how do you do that? Yeah, how do I do that?

[Monica Padman]

What are they?

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, so. But 43.

[Megan Rapinoe]

While I retired at 41, I was like, how do I tell even Megan what my needs are? I don't know how to do this.

[Monica Padman]

Are you guys in couples therapy?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Oh, yeah.

[Sue Bird]

Oh, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

With Orna.

[Sue Bird]

No. I love the show though.

[Megan Rapinoe]

We do love the show.

[Dax Shepard]

We love it. The hair, I don't know how it's that disheveled and that perfect all at the same time.

[Sue Bird]

I'm like, is it wrapped up and braided?

[Megan Rapinoe]

She always comes in with something new.

[Dax Shepard]

I wonder if there's a method though. I want to see. Is it like a big wild. Like a pizza dough? Like, do you wap? And then it just.

[Monica Padman]

She just has one braid on.

[Sue Bird]

Braid.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Always perfect. Never been the same way twice.

[Sue Bird]

Nope. So true. Oh, we love a couples therapy.

[Dax Shepard]

There should be an Instagram account for Orna's hair.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

If there isn't already. I've never searched.

[Sue Bird]

We gotta talk to Netflix about that.

[Monica Padman]

Exactly.

[Sue Bird]

We gotta talk to them.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, so you're coming from a much different childhood than you are.

[Monica Padman]

Maybe use names for people who are.

[Dax Shepard]

That would have been smart. Sue and Megan are coming from much different childhoods. I'm not talking about Monica yet. It's funny, as I read your guys path through high school and then college, there are these weird overlaps, I would imagine. There's this confusing amount of shared experience and completely different experience. I even look at the injuries. Your ACL injury comes in what, sophomore year?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Freshman year.

[Dax Shepard]

Freshman year, Sue's ACL injury. And then Megan, you start getting ACL injuries. Now, is everyone just getting ACL injuries at the time or is this suspicious that you guys go down?

[Sue Bird]

Everyone is very common.

[Dax Shepard]

Very common to me. That might be the hardest part of doing this. You're mentally convincing yourself you're. You're immortal and invulnerable and all these things. And when one of those pops up, I have to imagine it's way worse mentally than it is physically.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. You're dependent on your body in a way that you have no control over. And we always talk about control, the controllables. There's so many cliches in sports, but some of them are true. And you do. You try to control as much as you can. So maybe you eat right, you sleep, you work out a certain way, you make sure you're strong, and yet you still have no control over it. And yet you're totally dependent on it because. Because if you tear your acl, you hurt your finger, whatever it is, you can't play, and there's your livelihood. But it really didn't stress me out till later in my career.

[Dax Shepard]

It didn't. Because what I would hate to find out as I'm starting, like, college, the ride's really just starting. Ooh, I'm vulnerable to that. Am I always gonna be vulnerable to that? Can I still exert? Can I ignore that? Can I convince myself it's actually now been repaired and it's stronger? How does one navigate all those thoughts?

[Megan Rapinoe]

I mean, in my experience, tearing my ACL my freshman year is the best thing that could have happened to me.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, plot twist.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, it woke me up in a way. I was very talented. Obviously, you know, you don't go to UConn if you're not talented. But I needed something that was gonna wake me up to really put me on a track where, like, I need to work harder. It was just a reset that I needed physically. I was young enough and, you know, you're a little ignorant. You're like, okay, I'll fix this. It'll be fine. I'll move on. You don't understand the magnitude of it, so you're lucky. I was 18 years old. Like, I don't fucking know. When I look back, by far the best thing that could have happened. Like I said, it just put me on this other track of focus that I really needed. And now I'm not taking it for granted. I'm actually focused on this, what people call a craft. Now, I wouldn't have called it then, but you're focused on your craft. You're trying to get better. I'm doing the shooting workouts at 6am I'm not complaining about it. It just put me in a whole other place.

[Dax Shepard]

Stay tuned for more armchair expert if you dare. We are supported by 23andMe plus total health. Advocating for your health and the personalized care you need and deserve in today's one size fits all health care system feels impossible. 23andMe + total health is a longevity platform that uses cutting edge genetic testing and blood biomarker analysis to help you create a health plan that's unique to you. With their advanced genetic screening, you'll get access to insights into your potential future disease risks, which can help lead to early detection and even prevent prevention.

[Monica Padman]

23Andme is how we learned about misophonia.

[Dax Shepard]

That's right.

[Monica Padman]

It's how we gave it credit.

[Dax Shepard]

And I just ordered a supplemental test that already was there. They just had to analyze it for our isaacson. Yes, with 23 me plus total health, you get comprehensive blood testing beyond routine labs, which can help you get a better understanding of how your health is changing throughout the year. Best of all, it's FSAHSA eligible. Check with your administrator to confirm eligibility. Advocate for your health today. Go to 23andMe.comDax to receive 10% off. That's 10% off at 23andMe.comDax we are supported by Audible. Audible's best of 2024 picks are here. Audible's curated list in every category is the best way to hear 2024's best in audio entertainment. Like a stunning new full cast production of George Orwell's 1984. This is. I am most excited to indulge myself with.

[Monica Padman]

I'm so excited to listen to James, which is a new title by Percival Everett that is very, very hot right now.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, there's so many good ones on the list.

[Monica Padman]

We love Audible. This is how you go to bed.

[Dax Shepard]

I love Audible. I swear by Audible. I can't wait to listen to the Orwell 1984 off this list. I'm also doing fleas by autobiography right now, which I'm obsessed with. I can't get enough Audible in my life every night. Go to audible.comdax and discover all the years waiting for you. That's audible.comdax we are supported by Bali Bally Breathe has arrived. A new collection from Bally, the leading national bra brand. It's a breathable and stylish collection of bras, underwear and shapewear with products that feel as good as they look. Monica, you got to try out some of the products from Bally Breathe collection. What did you think?

[Monica Padman]

Great. Very breathable, very comfortable. You know, these are really important things when you're dealing with undergarments.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, of course.

[Monica Padman]

Comfort is everything. Support is everything. I really liked it because it's very high quality materials and you can, you can tell.

[Dax Shepard]

Is it attractive? Is it gorgeous?

[Monica Padman]

It is. It's a nice, nice aesthetic.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, and what I really like is they've got matching sets. You know, I love a set.

[Dax Shepard]

Sure. Of course. You gotta have a set.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, it's. Even when nobody knows you're wearing a set, it's underneath, you know. You know, and it really brings a little peptide.

[Dax Shepard]

You're red. If the opportunity arises.

[Monica Padman]

That's right.

[Dax Shepard]

Visit ballybras.com and use code DAX for 20 off your purchase. That's B A L I bras.com with code DAX for 20% off your first order. We are supported by Macy's. Macy's is your one stop shop for all things gifting this holiday season. If you have trouble knowing what to give or ask for, Macy's gift guide is here to help. I love a gift guide Monica. Need them so much. I'm so bad at this.

[Monica Padman]

Gift guides are important. I mean Macy's is classic trusted brand. Yes. I was on their online store the other day buying something for a family member. I won't say because I don't want to give it away.

[Dax Shepard]

Right. Smart.

[Monica Padman]

It was a gift and you know it is. It's just like classic and homey and everything's great.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. You can shop a curated list and editors picks for under $25, under $50 and even Lux gift ideas. The Macy's gift guide is also a great way to figure out what you want for the holidays. This is my problem. I can never think of what I want. But they've got gifts for her, gifts for him, gifts for home. Spend a little time looking through their hand picked selection and you're sure to find something that catches your eye. Let Macy's be your guide to gifting this holiday season. Check out the Macy's gift guide@macy's.com for all the gifts you'd like to give and get curated for stress free shopping. Shop now@macy's.com and at a Macy's store near you. Was the work to be done a strength training in a way that would protect the knee or was it playing a different game?

[Megan Rapinoe]

For me it was more mental. Basically I went from a relaxed version of myself to an incredibly focused version of myself.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Monica Padman]

I could see almost getting addicted to that.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, it's like a way of life.

[Monica Padman]

Coming out of an injury stronger.

[Dax Shepard]

Well they think about for Shaun White how much of that's part of his story. Like getting counted out. Huge face, injury, almost dead, Olympics looming. Okay, now I have the fuel in the system. I need a story. Ultimately is what's fucking crazy about our brains is like we can lock onto this story and it's got a heroic outcome. You can find another gear. How did yours manifest itself?

[Sue Bird]

I feel the same way Gan I am. What'd you say?

[Dax Shepard]

Megan.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Megan. Megan.

[Dax Shepard]

No. You're dead right.

[Sue Bird]

You're dead right.

[Megan Rapinoe]

You're dead right.

[Sue Bird]

I feel the same and I'm really thankful that happened. So it happened after my freshman year, beginning of my sophomore year. Five or 10 games in. I had a great freshman year. I knew I was good, but I think that year in college, against the best competition, we won my freshman year, we won national championship. You couldn't tell me shit. I was like, I'm the boss.

[Megan Rapinoe]

This is going to happen every year.

[Sue Bird]

I'm like, I'm the shit. I'm so arrogant. My head's big. I'm just, like, strutting into my sophomore year and then got injured. And even that injury, injury similar to what you're saying, physically, I'm like, oh, I got this. I'm gonna get back quicker than anyone. Kind of like, still in that same mindset. And then I did it again a year later, and I was like, okay, I get it. I'm not in charge. Fully not in charge here.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Sue Bird]

I think it took me out of myself and gave me this sense, and I have more language for it now than I would have back then. And this is how I've approached all my injuries since then is like, this is part of it. You don't get to control everything. You're not in charge of everything. You're not God. You do what you can. You control what you can control. You can work really hard and set yourself up, but ultimately sports the fittest you are. The closer you are to an injury, the better you are, and the more fit you are. I feel like you're always on that razor's edge.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, because you're playing as hard as you possibly can.

[Sue Bird]

You're playing as hard as you can. You're working as hard as you can. You're as fitted.

[Megan Rapinoe]

You're pushing the limits. Yeah, you're pushing the limits.

[Sue Bird]

You're always kind of right there. That's a risk that you take. You know, I tore my ACL again when I was 30. I obviously tore my Achilles at the end of my career. Literally, the last step I took, I tore my Achilles.

[Dax Shepard]

Achilles. Did you feel it go off your back?

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, yeah. She got kicked.

[Megan Rapinoe]

It was like the classic. Who kicked me?

[Sue Bird]

I was like, you gotta be fucking kidding me. I was leaving.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I was like, I'm leaving. I was already leaving.

[Sue Bird]

Oh, God. When I was young, I feel like it gave me this perspective that was just like, this is part of it. This is life.

[Dax Shepard]

Could we surrender?

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, definitely.

[Dax Shepard]

Like a surrender to reality.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

But there's also, like, an opportunity. So I've had probably 8 lower extremity surgeries, 6 on my.1 on each of my hips, and each one, you're a little different after. You can never go back. So that's the surrender part. It's really hard to let go of the previous version of yourself as an athlete and try to now create anew. But once you do surrender and once you get comfortable, I think with whatever this new adaptation's gonna be, you're like, oh, it might be better. And then you get a little psycho about that, and then you get a little addicted to that. Exactly.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. I can see that you have both.

[Dax Shepard]

Won titles in championships and medals in different domains, be it high school, colle, Olympics, FIFA, all these. How would we rank these? And do you guys agree with the elation? Because I know I talked to a lot of comedians who we all agree it just didn't get better than when we were performing for free at a theater without any expectation. That was really the most fun it ever was here. Yeah. And I'm just curious. Olympics feel special. National teams feel special. All these things feel special. Is there a way to rank them? And do you agree on the ranking?

[Sue Bird]

Oh, that's a tough one.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I feel like I could rank yours.

[Sue Bird]

No, I don't know. The. The most special, special one, because it was my first, was my gold medal in 2012. That was my first world championship. We had been in the World cup final the year before we lost, and then obviously 2019, for a lot of different reasons, was. I feel, like the crown jewel in my career. But that one, because it was my first, it was special. I'm, you know, an American kid, obsessed with the Olympics since I was little.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Oh, and back to the injury part. A lot of people don't talk about the Olympics is so stressful, because if you get injured, that's it.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, it's so stressful.

[Megan Rapinoe]

You don't get to participate. It's not a season where you're like, oh, I'm out for a couple, or I'm a couple months, and I'll get back. I've had teammates that have torn their ACLs or done something right before the Olympics, and then you just don't get the chance.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Hope you're great in four years.

[Dax Shepard]

Again.

[Sue Bird]

Again. And it might have passed you up.

[Dax Shepard]

Are you able to integrate that sense of doing it for your country? Is that part of the high.

[Sue Bird]

Definitely. And that definition, I think, has changed over time as I became more educated about the history of America and what I was standing up for and just who I am in America as a woman, as a gay, what that means. But I always took an incredible amount of pride to be able to represent America. It's not always the version of America that everybody else wants to talk about or Some people don't wanna talk about. Certainly after kneeling with Colin Kaepernick, that was a different sense. But I always took a lot of pride in being like, oh, no, I'm American too.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, exactly.

[Sue Bird]

This is also. I'm representing America. I mean, you guys always had that. I feel like women's basketball just intersects with every sort of ism possible. But I always took a lot of pride in being like, well, I'm American too.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, right, right, right.

[Sue Bird]

For sure.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And how I'm like going back and forth in my head on what I want to pick here. I think for me it is the Olympics. That's probably the tippy top. And that's because there was no WNBA for me growing up. So, yes, I wanted to get a college scholarship and that was kind of the immediate goal. But then it was the Olympics that to me was, you've made it, you're an Olympian. You heard about people going overseas, which I obviously did. But, you know, I'm not 15 dreaming about going overseas to play basketball. I'm 15 dreaming about being an Olympian. So to achieve for that reason, it's kind of hard to beat. But I am jockeying between what makes something more rewarding. Is it the stakes? Is it what you're representing? Is it the expectations? I've been on teams where we weren't picked to win and then we did, and there's something special and different about that. But I've also been on teams that were expected and we did, and there's something special. But I think to answer, it's the Olympics.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, you can find pride in both, because when you're the team that's expected to win, there's more pressure.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Oh, it's hard.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Yeah. When you're the underdog, it's like, however far you get, people, are you pumped?

[Sue Bird]

Sometimes it's just a relief to win. Like, I think in the situations for.

[Megan Rapinoe]

The Olympics, there's a little bit of a relief.

[Sue Bird]

The expectation is perfection. And so once you get there, you're like, well, thank God we didn't fucking lose. That'd be terrible.

[Dax Shepard]

Did Monica, Artie bragging, tell you she's a two time state champion cheerleader?

[Monica Padman]

I did not tell them, Monica. I kept that to myself.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, high flyer.

[Monica Padman]

I'm glad it's coming up now.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, high flyer. I got you, girl.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Thank you.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm your wing man.

[Monica Padman]

We won best and the first year we were totally underdogs and it was just pure happiness, pure joy. So special. It was so great. And then the next year we were supposed to win. And it was like down to one point and it was pure relief, which also felt amazing, but two completely different feelings. And it's wild.

[Dax Shepard]

As an outsider, I would want the first because the other one seems like relief's not a great.

[Monica Padman]

I know.

[Dax Shepard]

Feeling to chase. You know, it kind of implies that things were pretty shitty before we got to the relief.

[Sue Bird]

Scary.

[Monica Padman]

It's just like an abatement of fear, really.

[Megan Rapinoe]

You're also trying to recreate something from the year before and that's a trap. Yeah, totally. You're like, but last year, guys, we did it like this and this happened. Or last year we did it like that and it's a total trap that everybody, when they're trying to recreate, falls.

[Sue Bird]

Into trying to reproduce to the relief point. There also is something special about being able to be like, oh, no, I am who you thought I was the best.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Like, there is something.

[Sue Bird]

It's like, at the end of the day, I'm still an American, so I'm like, oh, no, I am the best in the world. There is something about proving, proving that to yourself. And when you are on those teams that have those expectations and you get to look around and just be like, oh, no, we are who we thought we were. That is special too. But there's something just unexpected in a surprise about winning when you weren't expected. That's just a different kind of special.

[Dax Shepard]

I think what tropes from male sports got grafted onto female sports that didn't work. I kind of think of we just had an expert on talking about medically, how we've not basically studied women. So we find out, oh, wow, guess what? You guys are twice as sensitive to Ambien. Oops. You know, all these things pop up.

[Sue Bird]

They used to just like, give us Ambien. And I'm like, I mean, I'm going to take it, but like, also, I'm.

[Dax Shepard]

Going to wake up at Rite Aid buying something. None of my male friends are doing this on Ambient.

[Sue Bird]

What's going on? Stay up for 30 minutes, obviously, to see what's going on here, but try.

[Dax Shepard]

To find my place in space and time.

[Sue Bird]

It was crazy. That was a crazy time period in America.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I never knew they would, like, give.

[Sue Bird]

It to us on planes.

[Dax Shepard]

People were peeing in aisles.

[Megan Rapinoe]

What a drug.

[Dax Shepard]

We went crazy for it for a minute. But do you think there's been things because so much of this famous coaching and these famous approaches, they originated in male sports and which ones of them are, like, ill fitting and have proved to Be. That's actually not how we perform best.

[Sue Bird]

A big part of what happens and what gets overlaid is that if it doesn't look and feel, feel exactly like men's sports, which of course it isn't because it's women's sports, then it's lesser. Everything is just automatically like, it's not going to be entertaining, it's not going to be fun, it's not going to make money. Nobody likes it, nobody wants to watch. And it's like, that's actually just not true. Women's sports, there's a ton of similarities because it's sports, but it is a different business. It's a different fan base, different business model. Things aren't exactly, exactly the same if.

[Megan Rapinoe]

You go the business route. For the WNBA, a big mistake was we took the NBA CBA 2003, I think, is when we first became independent, the NBA actually owned the entire WNBA up until 2003. And then it went to individual team ownership, which is more the model we're all familiar with now. That's how NBA is now. Okay, so WnBago's individual. So we now have to have a collective bargaining agreement. And we basically just took the MBAs and like copy pasted it and it's like, oh, that doesn't fit. We didn't really get to change that until our last one, which was 2019.

[Dax Shepard]

What was ill fitting about it?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Certain ways in which free agency was gonna work, certain ways in which the salary cap was gonna work. Certain rules. Well, one big one is that we didn't have maternity leave. So, like, that's different.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, right.

[Megan Rapinoe]

That's the most obvious and most glaring. And then there's other smaller ways in which our league didn't get to have fun. Free agency.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

NBA. What do we all love about the off season? The free agency. Where are these people gonna go? We were limited. Yeah. It just didn't work for our league. So there's like a business part to it. I think there is like a medical part. Right. The way we lift, the way we work out. We've always been following male guidelines and we're obviously different. I feel like where you're going, correct me if I'm wrong, is are we being coached? In a way, Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I think there's this kind of alpha dominance model. There's fun coaches. We interviewed the Seattle Seahawks coach and he's an anomaly and that's not his approach. There are ways that I talk to other dudes, that I don't speak to women that way. I just think there Are differences in how we communicate and how we're gonna excel best. And I imagine you just inherited a bunch of these. Whatever worked for these legendary coaches.

[Megan Rapinoe]

So I've played for men, I've played for women. There's always been this unspoken understanding or not understanding, maybe like a knowing that, like, the women coaches are more emotional.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And that's been a negative from the outside or internally on the even internally, like, oh, I don't want to play for her. Like, she's just so much more emotional.

[Sue Bird]

Meanwhile, they're not. Men are more emotional and throwing stuff and having tantrums and not being able to control their emotions or name them. Their emotions. It's just anger.

[Megan Rapinoe]

But to your point, it's like, I think now we're finally getting to a place where we're questioning that. Like, well, is that bad?

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Cause women are, in my experience, are more collaborative. We do like to do things together.

[Sue Bird]

Emotionally.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Together.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Emotionally intelligent. And we take that into consideration.

[Dax Shepard]

You look each other in the eyes when you talk. You don't need to go on a walk and, like, look at other things.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I think the egos are different in women's sports than they are in men's. They exist.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, they exist.

[Sue Bird]

I'm not trying to say they exist.

[Megan Rapinoe]

But I think it shows itself differently.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, right.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And we've always used the male model for judgment on those things, and I think it's starting to shift. And you're starting to see coaches. I'm not super familiar with what the Seahawks coach was saying, but I think in women's basketball, you're starting to find coaches that are looking to do it differently.

[Dax Shepard]

The notion that you would have one coaching strategy for the white kid whose dad was also the quarterback at Stanford, who has arrived, and then now this other kid from the inner city who's black, who didn't have a dad and hates male figures for good reason. But we're going to treat these two the same. You know, one who's, like, had respect for authority for a good reason. He had a great authoritarian above him looking out for him. And then another, you know, how on earth do you have one strategy that's gonna motivate both of these kids in the same way? And I think he's really taking into.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Account that I had a coach where we had a player who was dyslexic, and she totally changed how she drew up plays, how she described things. I think, to your point, it's like meeting somebody where they are.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. I mean, is your goal to Break a person and get them to follow your strategy, or is it to figure out what would help them best excel?

[Megan Rapinoe]

I have a lot more respect for that can adapt versus the ones like, this is how I do it. I've had success this way. You fit me.

[Monica Padman]

You'll be here.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

You guys will come and go. I'll be here. And this is my show.

[Sue Bird]

I think historically there's been also the vibe with coaches that they're the boss and the players work for them. And it's like, no, we're all co workers. Your job is to lead the team and make decisions. And there's certain decisions that are your job that aren't my job as a player, but also, I don't work for you. We're all working in an organization together. We can all respect each other and give each other the space to have different ideas or to disagree or whatever it is. I think historically with men and women's sports, there's also the added layer of sexism. And then if there's sexual abuse that happens or sexual harassment or just like the vibes of it, there's all of that happening as well. But I think even with men, just the sort of abuse that happens of just like, I'm gonna tell you what to do no matter what, and it's a privilege for you to be here. And it's like, no, they're here. Cause they're just as talented, probably more talented than you are. And we're all working together to do this.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Like Bobby Knight throwing chairs at people and stuff. It's just like, well, talk about hysterical.

[Monica Padman]

Emotional.

[Dax Shepard]

We did just have a psychologist on that was saying men are allowed to share their emotions. But in sport, that's the only place a man is allowed to cry with happiness or cry with disappointment or hug.

[Sue Bird]

Each other or show physical affections, grab each other's chest.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, they do that weird fasting.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. You can tell they have this little window to be intimate with each other.

[Sue Bird]

And like, we're squeezing started on homoeroticism in male sports.

[Dax Shepard]

It's strong. It's there. Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

How old is the WNBA? I should know that.

[Megan Rapinoe]

28Ish years.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Monica Padman]

Still so young.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Since 97. Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Well, even when you're saying you didn't grow up with it. So the Olympics was the big goal. I was like, oh, that's weird, because I felt like for basketball, the Olympics isn't. But for men's basketball, I mean, I'm sure it's still great, but for them, I feel like that's like an extra.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, their version was more like, I'm gonna go be famous on a team, Then I'll come together as this all star party group.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Money skews it.

[Dax Shepard]

Icing on the cake to go do something for the purity of it. That was the finish line for a female.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. I think the men do take a lot of pride when they play on the Olympic team, but their decision to do it, it's totally different.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. They're flying there first class. They're at a very nice place. They don't even stay in the camp, I don't think.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, we don't. So USA Basketball, men's and women's, it's one thing. So we do everything together.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, you do?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And do you like men's basketball?

[Megan Rapinoe]

I do. I'm a big fan.

[Dax Shepard]

Who were you most pumped to be in a camp with?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Like, before?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

So I'm, like, 23 years old. I'd never met Allen Iverson.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh.

[Megan Rapinoe]

So I was like, this is kind of cool. Some of my favorite memories were just on the bus going to probably opening ceremony or something. And the whole time, he was just like, name a sport. Give me a month. I'll be an Olympian. He was like, name Hollywood. Name it. We were like, swimming. He was like, give me a month. Cause that's how insane of an athlete is, to be honest.

[Dax Shepard]

And so gorgeous. Holy cow.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

Ugh. I know.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I don't see spending time with all of them. I could go down the list. We had good times.

[Sue Bird]

I think what I like most about the Olympic men's basketball team is these guys. They're all the best on their teams. They all have huge egos. They're all just like, Mr. Man out there. And then they get there, and the hierarchy shows itself, And I'm like, ooh, I like it. I like the drama, psychologically. Psychologically, it's really interesting because they're all good enough to play, and then you get in the game, and it's like, oh, no, this is Steph lebron and kd. Or you get in the game, and it's Asia, Stewie. And really, those two were the best.

[Megan Rapinoe]

2004 Athens Olympics is the one I'm referencing with Allen Iverson, LeBron, D, Wade, Melo are on that team.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow.

[Megan Rapinoe]

They didn't play a lot. No.

[Dax Shepard]

It's crazy.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I was on the team with Diana Taurasi. We were kind of the young bucks. We. We didn't play a lot. So the five of us were just like, every night, like, what the fuck this fucking bullshit.

[Dax Shepard]

How many minutes do you get tonight? Olympics sucks.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, it's an interesting experience.

[Sue Bird]

I love the drama. I mean, I'm here for all drama.

[Dax Shepard]

That's why I love the movie the Departed. Forget the movie itself, because you take like the eight biggest movie stars in the world and put them in scenes together and you're like, ooh, who am I gonna look at? And for my money, I was like, fucking Jack Nicholson. I'm a huge Leo fan. But I'm sorry, they're in a two shot. I'm like, all eyes on Jack Nicholson. Ooh, it's tasty.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I know, I do.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm like, we're hierarchy creatures. We love it.

[Sue Bird]

I like to see it all play out.

[Dax Shepard]

Now, one of the other things, I imagine maybe you guys have thought a lot about this because you are part owners of different sports teams now. There was the tropes of the sport itself and then maybe the coaching and these different things, but also the spectator experience has always been very male. Right. Some military dudes are going to fly in, we're going to send the jets over the thing. We're going to have some sexy cheerleaders. Clearly, the whole entertainment package is to appeal to men. And I don't know how much thought ever went into, like, what would the WNBA viewers that are female getting other than the game, is that part of the thing that's been left out?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. So interestingly, the New York Liberty, who are in the WNBA finals now, they moved to Brooklyn a couple years ago, so they had to change their mascot up. And they have Ellie the Elephant. I think it's like short for Ellis island or something like that. This mascot has tapped into something, I think, in terms of spectators, fans, the connectiveness, like, arguably, Ellie is like, bigger than the players.

[Sue Bird]

That's a superstar.

[Megan Rapinoe]

She was just on stage with Justin Timberlake.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God.

[Megan Rapinoe]

When he performed at Barclays, was on stage when Missy and Ciara came through, performed with Sierra.

[Dax Shepard]

Whoa.

[Megan Rapinoe]

So the show, when you go to the game, is very much about the game and very much about Ellie. People go for Ellie and I think that speaks to women's basketball fans. If you see her perform, you'll understand what I'm saying.

[Dax Shepard]

I must. I needed to.

[Megan Rapinoe]

You have to see it.

[Dax Shepard]

Check it out.

[Sue Bird]

Twerking and dance.

[Megan Rapinoe]

She does like a Beyonce. She'll do like a Beyonce. This is my show.

[Dax Shepard]

The football team that Natalie's an investor in here has done such a great job. Is like, the experience is incredibly fun. And they're sold out and It's a party. And they've, like, figured out how to make that whole experience, not just the game, really deliver what they would want.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, I think, too, men's sports has not always been an actually safe place for a lot of people to go. If you think about an NFL game.

[Dax Shepard]

You can say the Raiders.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, yeah. Or the Cowboys or anybody else. You know, take 20, 16, 17, 18, and you are a queer person trying to go to the game. You're, you know, a black family trying to go to the game. Maybe it's just not always the safest place for you. And it's very much marketed like, this is who we are. It's jets flying over, it's explicit conservative patriotism. And for women's sporting events, I think this has always been true. Basically, it's like, don't be racist, misogynistic, sexist or homophobic. That's the rules, period. And then have fun. Bring your friends, bring your family, be queer, be black, be whatever you want to be, and just come and enjoy the sport that's being played without getting.

[Dax Shepard]

Knifed in the parking lot. I, as a tall, strong white dude, have been afraid to go to a lot of these games just to include.

[Monica Padman]

Myself in that game.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, it's aggressive.

[Sue Bird]

It's hyper masculine. There's a lot of alcohol.

[Monica Padman]

Drunk.

[Sue Bird]

It's drunk. There's people fighting.

[Dax Shepard]

All the men felt emasculated by the physiques of the players.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

I mean, traditionally, I think women's sports has just had its own fan base for a very long time. And I think as women's sports has gotten more popular over the last five, six, seven years, people are coming to the games because they wanna support something bigger. A woman who's suffering equal pay issues in her own job. You know what? I'm going to the soccer game.

[Dax Shepard]

Critics would probably go. I guess they would parallel it with like, I'm gonna vote for that person. Cause they're black, or they're female. And they would go, you need to vote for them on their character or the this or that. It feels adjacent to that. Where a critic might go, like, it's gotta be about the sport. It shouldn't be about the movement around it or the vibe around it. But I would argue what has made the NFL so popular is it. Is that it's the same thing. It has this.

[Sue Bird]

They're the ones doing identity politics.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I'm gonna do my fan rundown. The way. The way I see it is this. In sports, there's like, three buckets of Fans. There's the Die Hards. They love the sport they're in, no matter what. Doesn't matter. They're traveling to road games. Yeah, yeah. Then there's the people that don't give a shit, and that's okay, too. There's people that don't like certain sports, and they just don't care. You'll never get them. And then there's the bigger bucket, which is the casual fan. And I think for women's sports, we've had a really hard time tapping into the casual fan at times. And that's what you're seeing in this rise. It's the more casual fan, where it doesn't have to just be about the game. For some it is. For some it's not. I remember when the Sounders, which is the MLS team in Seattle, when they started to get really big and they average, I think, like a league best.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, they're 40.

[Megan Rapinoe]

It's like 40,000.

[Sue Bird]

They're selling it every game.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And so I went to a game, and the first thing I noticed was, okay, everybody's got the scarf on. People love a scarf in soccer. We'll get to that in a second.

[Sue Bird]

Ingroup.

[Megan Rapinoe]

What the fuck?

[Dax Shepard]

That's right.

[Megan Rapinoe]

They were doing a tailgate thing. Then we got to the game, and a large percentage of the people around me clearly did not know the rules.

[Monica Padman]

Right.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And then I was like, what is happening here? And I was like, oh, you're a. There's a community. So for some, it's that.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And so I just think that casual bucket. Who cares why they're going. Something touched them and they're going, yes. And women's sports is finally tapping into that. Because for a while, we were just. The punchline.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

So the casual fan was like, why do I go to a WNBA game? They're making fun of it on snl.

[Dax Shepard]

Right, right, right.

[Megan Rapinoe]

That's all changing.

[Monica Padman]

I might as well go to a baseball game.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. It's cool to be at an NBA game. It's cool to be at an NFL game. They don't care about the sport either.

[Dax Shepard]

But I'm so that I'll end up at one or two baseball games a year. Maybe a football game, maybe a basketball game. And I am going, because sitting outside and eating a hot dog at Dodger Stadium in the summertime, awesome. It's just incredible. The game's so boring and slow. Like, you're not gonna miss shit. You can talk a lot. Every now and then you're like, oh, fuck, we're standing up. Everyone's standing up.

[Sue Bird]

Home run. It's just an event.

[Megan Rapinoe]

It's a fun thing.

[Monica Padman]

You change up your weekend.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. And then I go to a hockey game and I'm like, this game's spectacular. Why don't I watch it? It's so fast in person. And then I just went recently to LAFC and I was like, this game is so dynamic in person and so fast. I don't know why they can't capture that yet perfectly on camera. But I'm like, oh, this is incredible. And same thing. The soccer movement is, I think the movement of movements in sports. It feels like people have a sense that it hasn't been defined yet and they can have ownership. Yeah, right.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I think there's some of that.

[Sue Bird]

It's a real sort of counter culture vibe. Sounders have that definitely here in lafc, the chanting and it's like all the football fans have been captured, the baseball fans have been captured. It's classic America sports. And this is like, ooh, this is a little subversive.

[Monica Padman]

Right.

[Sue Bird]

I think we like it.

[Dax Shepard]

Soccer's always been that way. So I played soccer as a kid and I hated jocks. I didn't like football players or any of that stuff. But I played soccer. Cause it was like a punk rock thing to do. It's always kind of had that vibe. And I'm glad to see it's like carrying into the professional side.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, it's fun. It's a cool vibe with all the supporters groups and they're yelling and they got the flags and the flares and the T fos and it's crazy.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And the scarves.

[Sue Bird]

And the scarves.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sue Bird]

I don't know why.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. There's a whole section at the LAFC game. The tickets exist just for this union of people. No one else can buy them.

[Megan Rapinoe]

The supporter group people.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like Mad Max. They're banging on trash cans and they sing the entire time. Yeah, it's quite incredible.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. So how long ago do you decide to start the podcast?

[Sue Bird]

It started during the pandemic, just on Instagram Live. Because we were like, we know what the people drinking us drinking and fucking around. That's sort of the ultimate origin story. But then we did a couple of live shows and those were just fun.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Like at the Women's Final Four.

[Dax Shepard]

Tell me more. Like what was this?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Like a bar rest, like a little bar. The fans come and then we get up there. Just like a kind of do like a version of a live podcast basically.

[Dax Shepard]

With A guest or without a guest?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Usually with guests.

[Dax Shepard]

And you have a list of topics you're going to go through and how many did you set out to do and how many did you end up doing?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, we're pretty good. We'll go long.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, that's kind of our. I feel like we're.

[Sue Bird]

Oh, yak and yak and yak.

[Megan Rapinoe]

We don't know how to not go long. But we're at certain events that beg for certain topics to be talked about. There's not like as much leeway. We're at the final Four. We're talking about basketball.

[Sue Bird]

We're talking about that.

[Dax Shepard]

I missed one thing I wanna talk about before the podcast. You guys met in rio at the 2016 Olympics. Okay. But you were in a separate village with the basketball players.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. So we met at the Nike house.

[Dax Shepard]

I think getting free shoes.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

This is Dax's dream. He's always talking about falling in love at the Olympics as athletes.

[Dax Shepard]

Thanks for painting it in such a positive light. I think about fucking.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Well, that's what the village.

[Dax Shepard]

I mean, because everyone's.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Everybody's in amazing shape.

[Dax Shepard]

You're just never gonna see.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I always say it's the one place you go to be honest, to like, feel like shit about yourself. Because everybody looks even better. So good.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Like, you think you look good and then you see, like, attractively someone in track.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

And you're like. And you're like, oh, yeah. Have I ever done a sit up? Like, what's happening?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Cause, like, we're obviously in shape, but we're not worried about one tenth of a second.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Monica Padman]

Exactly.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And that's a different kind of shape.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, that's my favorite part of watching the Olympics is, oh, this activity gives you that body. That's fascinating. All the female volleyball players, sand volleyball, all look the same. All the sprinters look the same.

[Megan Rapinoe]

All the soccer players look. This is when we first started dating. I was actually, like I said earlier, I'm only 5 9. In my world, I'm tiny.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I'm in the back, in the middle seat. Always in the car, like always. I just took that on as my identity. Then we got together and her teammates.

[Sue Bird]

Were like, she's huge.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, she's a freak.

[Sue Bird]

Shotgun for sale.

[Dax Shepard]

Where'd you get this? Giraffes, Literally.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And it was interesting because I was like, oh, as a soccer player, you have to be of a certain height and build.

[Dax Shepard]

You're not going to 6, 8.

[Megan Rapinoe]

You have to be able to run. If you can't run fast. You can't play right and run forever.

[Sue Bird]

Forever.

[Megan Rapinoe]

40 hours straight.

[Dax Shepard]

So you guys were at the Nike.

[Sue Bird]

Store, the Nike house.

[Megan Rapinoe]

People do houses.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, tell me more.

[Megan Rapinoe]

USA has a house. Nike has a house. I'm sure Adidas has a house.

[Dax Shepard]

Security house for mingling.

[Megan Rapinoe]

It's more like a place to go. Cause the Olympics are kind of wild and for the athletes, you're in the village, you don't really get to see your family. They can't come in the village. So a brands, a lot of different people have these houses, which is really just a place you can go and bring your family to your people.

[Sue Bird]

They'll have food or they'll have a little shopping section or sometimes they'll throw a party. And it's kind of these multi use spaces. That's like landing nice setting up here for the Olympics kind of deal.

[Dax Shepard]

And you were both there. Who were you with, teammates or family?

[Megan Rapinoe]

I was with my teammates.

[Sue Bird]

Our team had already gone out. We like bombed out of the Olympics. Terrible.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I think you were there socially.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Just hanging out, licking your wounds and getting free vodka.

[Sue Bird]

Red Bulls, literally. A lot of my teammates, we weren't even in Rio for our games. Soccer travels all over, so we hadn't even gone to Rio yet. Most of my teammates, it was pretty devastating loss. We did terrible. They were like, we're going home, this is awful. And I was like, well, I'm going to drown myself in Rio and I'm gonna have myself a ball. There was like six or seven of us that went down there. It was great.

[Monica Padman]

So you had not met before.

[Megan Rapinoe]

We're in the same agency, not the same agent. And we both play in Seattle in our professional team. We knew of each other, we had met once. But what the Olympics really marked was like, this is dumb. We're both in Seattle. Why aren't we friends and hanging out? Why aren't our teams hanging out? This is stupid. And that's really how it started.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. And then so you're chatting at this party, you're going, oh, it's crazy. We don't hang out. We both live in Seattle. How quickly though are you going? Like I'm acting like we should be friends for this greater purpose of our.

[Sue Bird]

Well, are you going to tell us Seattle kinship? Are you going to tell someone at the.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Okay, so that complicated dating is.

[Sue Bird]

I was engaged to someone at the time.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I know, I'm like dating.

[Sue Bird]

I was engaged to someone at the time. And yeah, we were going through a little bit of a rough patch. And that wasn't going to work. And then obviously meeting sue, it just became very queer. Clear. That queer.

[Dax Shepard]

Clearly queer.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

Then it escalated after I broke up with.

[Megan Rapinoe]

That's real fun.

[Sue Bird]

I broke up with my fiance at the time. And then we started talking. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. And then quickly. Thick as thieves. Do we become inseparable pretty fast.

[Megan Rapinoe]

You know how lesbians roll.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, I have heard a great joke.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I do. Love the one joke.

[Monica Padman]

What is it?

[Dax Shepard]

They already know it. What do lesbians bring on a second date?

[Megan Rapinoe]

U haul.

[Dax Shepard]

A U haul. What do gay dudes bring on a second date? What second date?

[Sue Bird]

Oh, yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Was there like another gay dude?

[Sue Bird]

And it was like poppers. I don't know.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I know another gay dude.

[Dax Shepard]

Lou, that's a good joke.

[Sue Bird]

Oh, yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Oh, it's a true form.

[Sue Bird]

Those jokes exist for a reason. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

When they hit a truth.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

It is what it is. Was it coordinated about retiring at the same time? Roughly. It's not right. You had done 20 years with Seattle. That's crazy. Is that a record in the wnba, were you the longest playing?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Maybe. Definitely up there.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

You and Diana probably and Megan, you.

[Dax Shepard]

Played for a very long time as well.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And so that just timed out kind of perfectly, I guess.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, it did.

[Dax Shepard]

And then collectively, do you start talking about like, well, what are we going to do now with the remaining 45 years of our lives?

[Megan Rapinoe]

What the fuck do we do now?

[Dax Shepard]

And bold people are scared, probably.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. What was my favorite Derek Jeter quote when he retired? He was like, oh, I went from being an old man to a young man. Because when you're 41 in sports, you're old as fuck and they treat you that way and they talk about your age and they ask you what you're.

[Sue Bird]

Going to talk about as soon as you hit 30. They're like, what are you going to do next? Retirement conversation.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And then the minute you retire, like, oh, I'm young again. This is great. I'm not the oldest one at dinners. This is true.

[Dax Shepard]

There's a Formula One race car driver named Fernando Alonzo. Yeah. He's 43. In every lap that he's on TV, they're talking about that he's 43. And I'm like, excited. He's 43, cuz I'm 49. I'm like, you go get it, old timer.

[Sue Bird]

Just let him live. He's just driving his car. Just let him live.

[Dax Shepard]

In any other career trajectory, he'd be like midlevel right now, about to get his big coming in at 50.

[Megan Rapinoe]

So what's interesting about that is you're in your late 30s, early 40s, but you're at an expert level in your career. But now you get to go into this what we call, like, the real world. And we do have an expertise that's unique. We hit that level of our career, but we're young again, and I think that's really where we are. And that's what makes what we're doing exciting. Like, whether it's the podcast or the other business ventures that we're in, we have an expert level, but we're still pretty young.

[Monica Padman]

You have time.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, that's a great way to frame it because it's very hopeful and there's so much opportunity when you're young, there's so much to come. Whereas most people, you're 40, you're in your track. That's pretty much that.

[Megan Rapinoe]

This is it.

[Dax Shepard]

Stay tuned for more Armchair expert if you dare. We are supported by Sonos. Oh, boy, oh boy. Sonos is my favorite product in my whole life. I'm listening to it all day long. I'm in the gym listening to Sonos. I'm at home, listen, watching TV with my Sonos soundbar. I mean, it's.

[Monica Padman]

It really changes the whole experience of listening.

[Dax Shepard]

Look, you're listening to the podcast right now, but how are you listening if you're not listening on a Sonos speaker? You don't even know how amazing the dulcet tones of our voices can sound. Sonos is known for having the absolute best sound quality of any speaker on the market. You've got to hear it. And as good as Sonos can make us sound, imagine listening to Pink Floyd on a Sonos speaker or hearing the booming dramatic music in a great action film on a Sonos soundbar. Game changing. Another incredible feature of Sonos, their integrated sound system makes it easy to play anything in any room.

[Monica Padman]

I love that it's easy, easy to.

[Dax Shepard]

Use too, so you can keep your dance party going throughout your whole house. Visit sonos.comdax to learn more. That's sonos.comstacks we are supported by Shutterfly. Reconnecting with the people in your life is so important, and sending a holiday card is a meaningful way to do that. But it can be hard to know where to start. Shutterfly makes it so easy to share a custom card that's perfect perfectly you. They've got a style for everyone, from classic seasonal designs to hand drawn holiday cheer. Customize your card by adjusting the color to complement colors from your photo you can add more photos and text to the back of your card for free and even upload your own design and take advantage of Shutterfly's high quality printing and simple mailing services. Shutterfly is so fun to use and you just blast them out. I receive them all the time. My mother in law is a big Shutterfly person and they're so fun.

[Monica Padman]

I love getting holiday personalized cards.

[Dax Shepard]

Me too. Find the perfect holiday card for [e-mail] and start customizing today. Enjoy 40% off your Shutterfly order with promo code DAX40 and send something meaningful this year. Get free shipping on qualified orders. C site for more details. Apple Card is the perfect card for your holiday shopping. When you use Apple Card on your iPhone, you'll earn up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase, including products at Apple like a new iPhone 16 or Apple Watch Ultra. Apply now in the Wallet app on your iPhone Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and [e-mail].

[Sue Bird]

With the podcast what was so and even our production company that we started and wanting to like get into media and content. Storytelling is the most important thing. Whether it's writers in their books or journalists storytelling what's happening in the world or storytelling and narrating around sports and women's sports has had such a lack of storytelling, understanding, conversation, a lack of nuance. And we've lived, you say it all the time, in a very non arrogant way, like we really are the experts. We've lived through this crazy period of basically the last 25 years where now we're at this period in sports where basically all the money's like, okay, fine, women's sports, we're gonna do it. It seems like it's a good thing. And now there's all this money coming in and there's all this interest and there's all these eyeballs and stories need to be told. We are really in a position. We know all the stories, we know where all the bodies are.

[Megan Rapinoe]

We know how to tell them.

[Sue Bird]

If we don't know it personally, we know the person who does know it personally. We've lived it all. We've understood how we've gotten to this moment. So I think with the podcast and with our production company, we really feel like we're in to like narrate all the history. But also this is how we should be talking about women's sports. This is how it's different from men's sports because we also know men's sports. We're huge fans of men's sports for our whole lives, and we've had so much. Whether it's the Last dance or just watching it for so long, we have so much information about it. This is so exciting for us and why we even want to do this, because, as you guys know, it's a lot of work to, like, sit in front of a mic and prepare and tell these stories and do this narration all the time.

[Dax Shepard]

Show up half hour late. It's hard.

[Megan Rapinoe]

We're at your own house.

[Dax Shepard]

I think you were recording at 11.

[Monica Padman]

It was 10.

[Sue Bird]

But it's a really exciting time, I think, for both of us. And what excites both of us about it is we really know what it is and how the story should be told to bring more people in. Because we're like, this is amazing here. Women's sports is incredible. Sports are incredible. It's one of the most vulnerable things you can watch someone do live is to try their very hardest with their physical body in tandem with other people and try to achieve this goal.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And somebody's trying to stop you.

[Sue Bird]

And somebody's trying to stop you.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. We'll talk about story. Sports is the ultimate story. The objective's very clear. The stakes are baked in. Like, I don't watch a lot of sports, but I watch every single sports documentary. I don't think there's one I haven't seen. I love them all because the second it starts, I know what the stakes are. I know what the goal is. I know what defeat looks like.

[Sue Bird]

Sports stories are so human. Whether you're climbing the face of El Capitan, which none of us can do. You can, like, understand the story of what Alex is doing up there, you know, or watching Power of the Dream. Like, you guys documented how they basically saved America. You understand what. And you can feel yourself in that.

[Monica Padman]

It is so trite. It's like, I shouldn't even say it because it's so stupid to say, but it really is so true that representation matters.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, it really matters.

[Monica Padman]

I just got this Barbie sent to me.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, we saw it.

[Sue Bird]

The Dewalt Barbie.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I did see this morning.

[Sue Bird]

It was in the USA Today. I was like.

[Monica Padman]

They sent it to me, and I was like, whoa. I had friends over for dinner. And I was like, you guys, look at this Barbie. It's so great. I literally said that. And I was like, it's crazy that I never could say that growing up. I could never say, hey, guys, look at this Barbie that looks like me. It's so powerful to feel Part of the group.

[Dax Shepard]

Sue, you have a Barbie coming out, right?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, yeah, it came out.

[Dax Shepard]

It came out. I know the ding, ding, ding here.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I always joke, my Barbie has better knees than I do. I'm like, low key jealous. They made her bionic. I'm like, damn.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, that's exciting.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I need that technology.

[Sue Bird]

No, it really does matter.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I feel like it's so cool.

[Sue Bird]

Like. Yeah, you're talking about gay women and black women and queer women and straight women and white women. It's like there's a million things going on in here and everybody can find their place in it.

[Dax Shepard]

I think it goes even beyond that because I think the hardcore misogynistic male defenders of male sports would probably say, no, no. Golf is intrinsically interesting and the NFL is intrinsically interesting. But if you look at the viewership, it's like, no, no. You need Tiger woods to show up. He's a person whose story we get fascinated on and it quadruples. Sports drive to survive comes out and we learn the personalities of these race car drivers.

[Megan Rapinoe]

That was banging.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, same. I didn't like it before.

[Sue Bird]

I was like, am I an F1 super fan? Yeah, she is, because I am.

[Dax Shepard]

They gave us protagonists.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yes. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And then it 4x'd in America. F1. There's so many elements, but it's also like, shamefully, I know Cheryl Miller. That's who I knew. I just know she's great. I didn't get to see her be great, really. I didn't see any college basketball games of hers. I just know her stats, and I go, oh, those are fucking wild. But you need these kind of breakthrough superstars that ignite interest in these sports. The sports themselves aren't.

[Monica Padman]

Nothing's intrinsically interesting.

[Sue Bird]

No, it's all the story around it. It's all the history around it. It's all of the little things that pull you in. That's why I love the Olympics so much. Cause that is the Olympics. They show you the pre story and especially how it used to be, where it was like, it's coming on at primetime. They show you the story and then you watch that person go and run around the track.

[Dax Shepard]

Did you guys watch Sprint before the Olympics?

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And I'm like, oh, I care more about this than anything. Like, I am locked in Sha'carri. I love you. I want to see you win.

[Sue Bird]

All of those things matter, and then you're invested in it, and then. Yeah, sports are sports. They're fun. And it's an event to go to, like a Concert or a comedy show or the farmer's market, or you go to sports. It's like, this is something that we're doing for entertainment. I think there's something that you always say that's like, not every sport is for every person. You said baseball was boring, but you can maybe go on time and enjoy it, or you don't go at all and you don't love it and you say something literally, but it's like, but you don't shit on baseball every day.

[Dax Shepard]

You don't spend all of your time threatening my identity. Right.

[Sue Bird]

You're not spending all of your time on the platform that you have to make sure everybody knows you hate baseball.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And it has no value. That's what people do to women sports. So it's like you don't have to.

[Sue Bird]

Even come to the most popular ones that you'll probably like. You don't even have to do that. But why do you have to shit on it?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Why do you think?

[Sue Bird]

Why is it threatening? Yes, why is it threatening?

[Megan Rapinoe]

That's the point.

[Sue Bird]

It's okay if you like one thing better than another.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I would argue that. And I can't really pull like an exact example, but I might argue that. I'm not gonna argue this. Someone might say men's tennis is more, what, athletic, exciting than women's tennis. And yet aren't there people that prefer women's tennis?

[Dax Shepard]

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

So it is just the preference. And then back to what Megan said. Women's basketball is a great example. We don't dunk. We have to deal with this all the time. You guys don't dunk. It's boring. You don't dunk.

[Dax Shepard]

That's the big complaint?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, I'm not in the silo enough. I don't hate the wme.

[Sue Bird]

So I don't know, I love that.

[Megan Rapinoe]

But it's like you constantly having to answer that. But it's like, okay, you, you don't like it, that's fine. But what she said, why do you feel the need to shit on it? Because that shitting on it has infested and gotten in the veins of like the cultural cachet of it all.

[Dax Shepard]

What's your armchair explanation for this? You could just go misogyny. Great.

[Megan Rapinoe]

But I do for basketball, I have one.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, great.

[Megan Rapinoe]

That's very specific to basketball.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, great. I want to hear it.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Okay. So different from some other sports, particularly team sports. A lot of men, boys play basketball.

[Dax Shepard]

Uh huh.

[Monica Padman]

Yes.

[Megan Rapinoe]

They play it. They play it on the park, they play it in Gym class, they play it on their teams in elementary school, middle school, so on and so forth. And they think they're good. And what do men a lot of times do, in my experience is they're constantly sizing the women's basketball players up. And so they're looking like, I could do that, I could beat you. And that is their way of like flexing. That they could do it. And therefore it doesn't have value.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Megan Rapinoe]

So that happens a lot. And I think it's because basketball is just such a popular sport in our country. I can't even tell you how much I encounter that.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, no one's mad at women swimming. Cause no one thinks they're a good swimmer.

[Megan Rapinoe]

No one thinks they're a good swimmer.

[Dax Shepard]

Like, I can just barely swim.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Soccer. Megan doesn't get this rare, if ever, does she have a guy come up to her and be like, I could take you. Whereas this is like, well, if it's not an actual one on one game, it's a game of horse.

[Dax Shepard]

Do dudes do that to you a lot?

[Megan Rapinoe]

All the time. I'm constantly. Now a lot of times it's friendly. They're not being jerks. It's like a friendly banter maybe, you know, we're out at a bar. I don't know what it is, but it happens all the time. And I'm smaller sometimes. It's someone who maybe did have a good high school career, maybe played D2, D3. And I always say, this is always my response. I'm like, if I had your body, I'm like, you'd be looking at the highest paid player in the NBA.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah, right.

[Megan Rapinoe]

It's just that I don't, you know.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Because there's.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm not six, four.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Anyways, that's a really good take. How easily men feel emasculated.

[Monica Padman]

Definitely.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And then it just became the thing to shit on.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Cause I had a hot take. In Defense of Men, it was about Taylor Swift and it was about a very common male thing to happen was when women would find out she had given her road staff like $18 million or something. Which is by all accounts a radical gesture. We kept hearing this became a topic. Remember this? Men would be telling their girlfriends, like, well, yeah, she makes a. Of course she can give 18 million. Like they couldn't latch on to how cool it was she had done that. I was like, why is that the reaction? I really need to understand what's going on in their body when they choose. I gotta bash this And I was like, oh, I think they're like, my girlfriend or my wife loves this woman. I can't really compete with anything she does. I'm not a singer. And now she's really generous. Well, I'd be generous too, if I had a billion dollars. It's like this weird.

[Megan Rapinoe]

You put it down.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. It's like somehow they're less because Taylor had this generosity. And they have to point out, well, it's not very generous. I would give someone that too, if I had a billion dollars.

[Monica Padman]

And also another one.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

And also Elon Musk is doing what he's doing with his billions of dollars.

[Monica Padman]

Yes, I know.

[Sue Bird]

Not to say that all men are Elon Musk, but we have questions.

[Dax Shepard]

But it's like, what is going on? Why is that the standard reaction?

[Megan Rapinoe]

I've been at dinners. We've been at dinners with close friends, and some of them are married couples, men, women. And there was this one topic that went around of who's the best shooter? And by the way, a lot of my friends are former athlet, also basketball players. The women are. And their husbands didn't play in college, but they played. I've seen them play. They're decent. And we went around the table. Who's the best shooter at the table? I didn't get picked first.

[Sue Bird]

It was crazy.

[Dax Shepard]

I just bite this, dad.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Or it was, well, okay, yeah, I guess we have to pick sue first. And I just don't know. Because they're at the table.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Because that's the answer.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. I'm not even gonna go in the Steph Curry route if they're Reggie Miller. Yeah. Jason Kidd. Not even the best of the best, but like they would ever say, well, I guess we have to put Jason first.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Right.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Because Steph Curry, Ray Allen, Reggie Miller.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

They'd be like, oh, of course, guys. Yeah, LeBron. Even so, you could argue LeBron's not the greatest shooter of all time. Anyone could make that argument. And yet they would still be like, oh, LeBron's first. And I was just looking around, I was like, guys, get real. What are we doing here?

[Dax Shepard]

Let's go to the three point line right now.

[Monica Padman]

That's happening for women in general. It's like, what's it going to take?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Men's ball, women's ball, volleyball, beach ball, Pick it, let's go.

[Sue Bird]

I think there is something about. And I think this generally happens in equality conversations, but there is something about women getting more rights that feels threatening. And it's like, no one's Taking your rights away, men, no one's doing that. That's not inequality that we're having more rights.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, we're just trying to get the ones you already have.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes, I agree. But I'll add, if I can give my most generous, good faith explanation is these guys already feel like they can't get a woman and they had some path in the 50s, like, well, if I go get a job and I earn some money, I'm going to end up with one. And I think it's a little bit more of the insecurity of like, if they don't need me, will I ever have anyone? If I can be the most generous. I think a fear is driving it of like, well, if they don't need me, why would they be with me less than maybe. Well, in practice it would be I don't want them to have it, so they do need me. But it's just hard to really figure out what's going on in the person. Like what fear is actually happening that they're bringing. Behaving in a way that's repugnant.

[Sue Bird]

Well, I do think there's something that's generally happening in America with the falsehood of the American dream of if you work hard and do X, Y and Z, then you'll get X, Y and Z. Whether that's in a job, which is not true anymore. There used to be a path forward and then corporations got greedy and are blaming it on immigrants that now you can't have this pathway to have a job and have a life in success because other people are taking. It's like really corporate profits have gone up crazy. So there's that part, but then there's also this part of, oh, you're a guy, these are the things that you deserve. You're entitled to a woman. And it's like, no, nobody's entitled to anybody else. Women don't not need men. Obviously not every woman is a gay woman, otherwise that would be a problem. That would be a problem. But like you're not entitled to this other person. So what are you bringing to them? What are they bringing to you? The relationship is just becoming more equal. Men, I think, have historically been told be hyper masculine, do these things, don't any emotion and they are going through a crisis.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. We're asking for something a little different.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah. And I also am kind of like, and that's not our emotional labor to hold, that's men's. You guys have to take that on yourself and figure that out. We have to do that. For ourselves while fighting against the threat that is inequality. I think men are going through a crisis. I feel that, and I see that, and I am empathetic to that. And also, we figured it out, like, under the boot. So you guys could do it.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. And I think that needs to come from men. People who have figured it out to help these boys.

[Dax Shepard]

And you. Me and you.

[Monica Padman]

I'll help.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

We're together. Doing it. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You guys are so much fun.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. Help.

[Dax Shepard]

I really like you. I'm even extra ashamed that I thought it was 11. Cause I would have loved another 20 minutes with you both. What's the name of your podcast?

[Megan Rapinoe]

A Touch More.

[Dax Shepard]

A Touch More. I listened to it. You guys have a very, very good flow and dynamic. That's really good for this space.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Thank you.

[Sue Bird]

We're learning.

[Megan Rapinoe]

We're figuring it out. Yeah.

[Sue Bird]

So many.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Any questions for you guys?

[Dax Shepard]

I'm still learning.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The interviewing is probably where as two people interviewing one person, that's a dance we're getting.

[Dax Shepard]

It's really hard, and we've had to take the route. Two people really can't do it. If you're trying to come up with some grand arc, it's really kind of quite hard to do it that way.

[Megan Rapinoe]

We're figuring that out.

[Dax Shepard]

And then one other tip was just. We have found out, too, it's really helpful that Monica hasn't saw the movie or read the book or done the thing, because she's the audience. And if we're getting too esoteric, the guests and I. She's like, whoa, you guys missed a chapter or something. Like, what are you talking.

[Monica Padman]

Gonna follow this? So we're gonna have to.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Nobody's.

[Dax Shepard]

You need, like, an outsider's eyes on it almost at times.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. One time I couldn't help myself, and I had to watch Fargo season five. I had to. I couldn't stop. And then during the interview, I was panicked. Cause I was like, I don't think this is good.

[Megan Rapinoe]

I don't know.

[Monica Padman]

Because I watched it, and I don't. There's no way for me to be objective anymore.

[Megan Rapinoe]

That's a good point.

[Dax Shepard]

And then I hope you guys will make docs. Are you gonna make docs with your media company?

[Megan Rapinoe]

I think so.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

We got a couple of cool things coming out. We adapted a book clique. Cute. The show is gonna be called Playing the Field.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah. Sarah Tapscot College Lives of Sex Girls. New Girls.

[Sue Bird]

She's the college girl.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, sorry. Sex Lives of College and the College.

[Dax Shepard]

Lives of sexy girls.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Honestly.

[Sue Bird]

Same same you guys.

[Megan Rapinoe]

She's our showrunner, so we're really excited about that one. And then we have like a reality show coming up.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, good.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, we're excited.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, so you're not going to be sitting around. There'll be a shooting schedule. Schedules in your future.

[Sue Bird]

We have lots of schedules. You know, Google Docs and I know calendars on my gc.

[Monica Padman]

What is this inserted in the calendar?

[Megan Rapinoe]

Maybe.

[Sue Bird]

Literally, maybe. Wild out here in these normal worlds.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, sue and Megan, this has been so much fun. I hope you come back when you have one of these projects up and running to promote. Cause I want more time with you guys.

[Sue Bird]

Definitely come back.

[Dax Shepard]

You're wonderful and I liked it.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Thanks for having me.

[Sue Bird]

Thank you.

[Megan Rapinoe]

And maybe let your daughters win in horse. I think I changed my mind. I've been stewing over here.

[Sue Bird]

No, block them. Every time.

[Dax Shepard]

I know where I got you. I'm like, are they really college bound?

[Megan Rapinoe]

No. And you're like, well, fuck, I'll take it either.

[Dax Shepard]

That's a new situation.

[Sue Bird]

Give them some. Some affirmation. Stay tuned for the fact check.

[Monica Padman]

It's where the party's at.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. Full disclaimer to the armchairs. It would feel dishonest to not say we attempted to talk about the election.

[Monica Padman]

You wanna go back?

[Dax Shepard]

Well, no, it just didn't go well. I would say that we tried and of course it's on our minds the most. And that seems like the topic we would be talking about. But we tried and it just. It didn't go well, so we're going to skip that.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And so it might be a short fact check, I guess, is all I'm saying. Because there's really no other details going on. It was election, election, election. Marcia, Marcia, Marcia.

[Monica Padman]

A couple weeks ago. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it was. And it's still on our minds.

[Dax Shepard]

It's still lingering.

[Monica Padman]

And did you have to hope everyone's doing okay out there.

[Dax Shepard]

Me too.

[Monica Padman]

So sue and Megan. Very fun. Very, very, very fun. Oh, okay. So I made the mistake of saying that the friends and family discount from the row.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Is like. They don't get stuff for free.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. You said it was small, right?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, it's small. No, I don't. I never. I don't know.

[Dax Shepard]

It commits any numbers.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I didn't commit to any numbers. This is what I heard through the grapevine, but I don't know it for sure, so. And there's obviously no information on that on the Internet. Like, I don't know if Elizabeth Olsen Is getting stuck stuff for free. I hope she is.

[Dax Shepard]

She must be. But they also. Do you. Well, let me ask you this. Do you think they're gifting to celebrities?

[Monica Padman]

No.

[Dax Shepard]

Or they don't need to?

[Monica Padman]

I. I don't think they gift. I. They definitely, like, people will wear their stuff to red carpet things, but they don't get to keep it.

[Dax Shepard]

They don't get to keep it.

[Monica Padman]

God, I know.

[Dax Shepard]

They should let. There's a couple people they should, like, keep it. Cate Blanchett. Can't we let her keep it?

[Monica Padman]

I would love that.

[Dax Shepard]

She deserves it.

[Monica Padman]

I wonder who they would do it for. No one.

[Dax Shepard]

Wait, that reminds me. We're seeing a performance right now that is so off the charts. Good. What is it? Well, first of all, we're watching season two of the Diplomat.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, nice.

[Dax Shepard]

Which is great. And Keri Russell.

[Monica Padman]

Love her. We had her on Friend of the Pod. She's in the archives.

[Dax Shepard]

She drank a couple beers, which is so cool. She's our only guest who slammed a couple beers while she was there. Yeah, that I recall, could be wrong.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

She's so consistently awesome. But that's not the one. Oh, I know who I want to applaud.

[Monica Padman]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

Are you watching Escape from Dannemore?

[Monica Padman]

No, I'm not.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. We missed the boat. Oh, no, big time. And I hate to admit this, but I loved. What's the other show, Ben's other show that we love?

[Monica Padman]

Oh, Severance.

[Dax Shepard]

My God, we love Severance so much. I am obsessed with Severance to the degree where I was like, you know what? Escape from Dannemore is probably excellent. Cause he directed all that as well. Not all of it, but you know, he did the same thing as he's doing on Severance. It's phenomenal. And Patricia Arquette is like next level as this woman. And I found out a bunch of behind the scenes stuff. She gained and lost 50 pounds during production. The her look, the way it changes her. She is so dialed into this person. It's so. The show's phenomenal. I didn't even realize. Benicio Del Toro is one of the leads.

[Monica Padman]

He's awesome.

[Dax Shepard]

What an enigma. What is he doing? Why doesn't he work? How? I need to talk to him and understand. And he works the hell out of it when he does. He's so fucking interesting. And then Paul Dano's fantastic. Everyone's f. It's. It's a great, great show that we missed, I think, because it was on Showtime. That's my explanation. But now it's on Netflix. You see, it's like it was number two.

[Monica Padman]

Okay, I'll have to check it out.

[Dax Shepard]

I've had this. I was about to say, it must be so rewarding. But I've had this with Chips, where all of a sudden CHIPS was climbing up to number one or two in movies over, you know, and it come out years before. It's such a fun thing.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I wonder from Ben's perspective what it's like to have this show that was out 10 years ago that's like number two on Netflix. Must be.

[Monica Padman]

Have fun. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And probably more people are seeing it now than ever saw it in its first run.

[Monica Padman]

I am going to watch it. I need a new show to be.

[Dax Shepard]

Able to play Alabama Worley at one point in her life. You don't know that character, do you?

[Megan Rapinoe]

True romance.

[Dax Shepard]

True romance. Alabama Worley. Unbelievable.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Oo.

[Dax Shepard]

And now does play this character. What a gap between those two characters.

[Monica Padman]

Also, we haven't had her, but we have interviewed David, her brother, and that didn't help. He's in the archives.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, he's in the archives. Check him out.

[Monica Padman]

Just like Carrie Russell.

[Dax Shepard]

Just like a minute or two.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, a minute or two with Keri Russell and.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, right. They're all.

[Monica Padman]

Actually, that David Arquette interview is a beautiful interview.

[Dax Shepard]

It is.

[Monica Padman]

He is a very special person.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Okay, I'm going to watch that. Wait, why'd we get on subject of friends and family discount.

[Dax Shepard]

Elizabeth Olsen, Cate Blanchett. Yes. Actors. That should get free Row merchandise.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

So I have Patty Arquette to the list.

[Monica Padman]

I think Elizabeth gets free stuff. I hope so.

[Dax Shepard]

I think she probably does if she wears it might be an act of rebellion.

[Monica Padman]

No, she supports her sister. They love each other, probably anyway, so I don't want it to come off like they're not generous.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay.

[Monica Padman]

Because I don't know about.

[Dax Shepard]

So you didn't get the real number or anything? You just. In general, you want to say, maybe it is a really nice one.

[Monica Padman]

Maybe it's 90%.

[Dax Shepard]

You know, if you followed a bunch of car accounts like I do on Instagram, you would have heard Porsche recently ended their friends and family discount for employees.

[Monica Padman]

Really?

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. And the number was staggering because Porsches are generally hard to get. There's not a bunch of them at the dealership. You got to order one, you got to wait and all this stuff. So everyone that can get one, those executives, they all get one because they're ultimately end up being worth more and they're, you know, so. But it was in the tens of Millions of dollars that they saved on the bottom line by getting rid of that. They're like, no, no more cheap Porsches for people who work here.

[Sue Bird]

Really?

[Monica Padman]

That makes me kind of sad though. They put in the time they're representing their company.

[Dax Shepard]

It makes me sad too, because also I grew up in a family that had the GM discount, which was relevant, although often it was the same as whatever sale they were running. But in general it was good. But I will say it's a slightly different business model, which is GMs making millions and millions of cars. Porsche is making a very finite amount of cars. And so, you know, at some point if you go like, well, I don't know what the percentage was. Well, let's say 8% of our cars are just going to our own employees at this discount. This is untenable.

[Monica Padman]

I guess.

[Dax Shepard]

So I think they decided it was untenable.

[Monica Padman]

Huh. That's interesting because I also wonder how many people can afford, like how many people aren't getting Porsches that would have got them? Probably not though.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, right. These are highly paid German employees of Porsche. The Germans pay well. They pay their folks good.

[Monica Padman]

Well, sorry, I guess, I mean like, because like they're giving these. In their head, they're giving these Porsches away to their employees.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Monica Padman]

And it's not good because other people.

[Dax Shepard]

They can't be a business that just builds cars for their employees at no profit.

[Monica Padman]

But are people who would buy a Porsche, not their employees, regular people who would buy a Porsche, are they not able to buy the Porsche?

[Dax Shepard]

Well, I think it's that it's a supply issue with Porsche.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

If it were like Tesla where they can make 100,000amonth, they go, no problem. They turn the dial up on the machine.

[Monica Padman]

Right, okay.

[Dax Shepard]

But I think they're having like supply issues. And then they're going like, okay, well, we're selling a significant percentage of these to our own employees at.

[Monica Padman]

This makes sense.

[Dax Shepard]

Cutthroat.

[Monica Padman]

That's not a dream car for me.

[Dax Shepard]

None of them.

[Monica Padman]

Porsche is not.

[Dax Shepard]

What about like the four doors? None of those appeal.

[Sue Bird]

Do you.

[Monica Padman]

They look very pretty, but it's, it doesn't feel like it's my personality.

[Dax Shepard]

So the one that I have been bouncing around about is I don't think their electric cars are selling well. The take hands.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, really?

[Dax Shepard]

Which are the only electric car I've ever driven that I loved. Where I was like, oh, I love this car. Forget electric, non electric. This is a phenomenal car. Bill Gates recommended that was the one. And then I Reviewed one on Top Gear and I loved it. So that planted a seed. Then they came out Monaco with a fucking shooting brake style. A wagon. So they make a take hand now in a wagon profile.

[Monica Padman]

Electric.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. And you know, I love station wagons.

[Monica Padman]

You do.

[Dax Shepard]

And they're really discounted. Really, like shockingly discounted right now. And so for about six weeks, I spend at least 20 minutes of my day talking myself out of buying a Takan station wagon. I'm like, oh, these are. I'll give you my argument when I'm convincing myself. Well, they're practically free. I mean, I think they're half off right now. It's such a good value. Also, I should have an electric car. It'd be great if I reduce my carbon footpoint a little. Do a little bit. Yeah, these are all like. Now it sounds like I've got like a ethical cause on my hands. Right?

[Monica Padman]

You're on a moral high ground.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm on a moral crusade to buy this car.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And then I go, no, no, Dex, you. You don't need another car. You don't even have time to drive another car. It would be another vehicle sitting here that needs to be maintained and serviced and you don't want that. That's not going to up your enjoyment of life.

[Monica Padman]

That's good.

[Dax Shepard]

But. But then an hour later I'm like, God, I saw one in red. I should really get one that's a wagon in red.

[Monica Padman]

And also, I mean, it's probably good to get the electric car now while it's.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Stay tuned for more Armchair Expert if you dare. We are supported by Amazon Luna. Luna is Amazon's cloud gaming service that lets you play video games like you stream shows and movies straight from the cloud, no console required. With Amazon Luna and a high speed Internet connection, you can play games on almost any screen. Play on fire tv, tablets, smartphones and even a browser window. Amazon Luna has hundreds of games from the latest releases to beloved classics. We're talking Star Wars Outlaws, Arkham Knight, Sonic Mania and so much more. This is great. If you just got your phone on you and you want to kill some time at the airport, pop over to Amazon Luna and play some of these great games. Prime members can play select games free, including Fortnite and a rotating monthly selection of games from across the Luna library. Go to luna.Amazon.com to get gaming.

[Monica Padman]

Well, my next car is definitely going to be electric. Okay, I'm gonna.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, you should think about getting a Tay. Can take. Can.

[Monica Padman]

Station.

[Dax Shepard]

Station wagon.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, it's not really on brand for me.

[Dax Shepard]

What part?

[Monica Padman]

Station wagon.

[Dax Shepard]

Cuz you're not cool. I think you're very.

[Monica Padman]

I'm not cool enough to drive a station.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, I don't. I, you know, we disagree on your coolness.

[Monica Padman]

Thanks.

[Dax Shepard]

I think you can pull off shave side. I think an AMG is for you.

[Monica Padman]

An AMG is for me because it's a sedan. Ultimately, it's only chic sedan for you.

[Dax Shepard]

Because it just landed in your lap and you started driving. You're like, yeah, I feel great in this. I don't think you would have gone to the dealership and picked that out.

[Monica Padman]

I wouldn't have picked an amg.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Monica Padman]

I would have picked the normal.

[Dax Shepard]

Normal sedan. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it turns out you're definitely pulling off an amg. And when I hear you start your car down the block, I'm like, what a badass.

[Monica Padman]

But all I'm doing is pressing a button.

[Dax Shepard]

I know, but it's rumbles.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, wow.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Anyway, I do.

[Dax Shepard]

Do you like the sound of it when it starts?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Well, I'm just wondering if that even appeals to you. Is that part of the visceral thing?

[Monica Padman]

I kind of don't hear it anymore.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't care.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, yeah. When I first was doing it, I was embarrassed.

[Dax Shepard]

Right. It's too loud for you.

[Monica Padman]

It was really loud. It felt a little toxic. A little toxic. A little toxic. But now I don't even hear it, which is interesting because it's not like it went down. People still can hear it. I just can't.

[Dax Shepard]

When I start my AMG wagon, I have a full 30 seconds of euphoria.

[Monica Padman]

Wow.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm like, the way that low rumbles is so pleasing.

[Monica Padman]

The other day I was somewhere and some car was driving by and it.

[Dax Shepard]

Was so loud, obnoxiously loud.

[Monica Padman]

And I was. I was irritated. So angry about it.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah.

[Monica Padman]

It felt so disturbing and so entitled. Like, why do you get to. Why do you feel like you can ruin everyone's day?

[Dax Shepard]

Because that person loves that sound. So they're not thinking you don't love the sound. They're assuming you love the sound. They love the sound.

[Monica Padman]

Do you think most people love like extremely loud sounds?

[Dax Shepard]

I can. I don't know what most people think. I know that me and my guy friends all love the sound of an amg.

[Monica Padman]

We love the sound like times. This is not like the sound of an AMG.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Monica Padman]

This is times 4000.

[Dax Shepard]

I think the best example everyone can relate to is a Harley that's also a very polarizing sound for people.

[Monica Padman]

Very loud. Too loud.

[Dax Shepard]

I remember Mike Judge going on and on for like 20 minutes. How annoyed he is at this group that rides by his house and there's like 50 of them. He's like, you know, how much attention do these guys need? You know, he's like, really going. They're all solid points. And at the end of it, I just had. I would have felt fraudulent. I go, I know. I'm one of those guys. I love that sound. And I love when I hear a pack of bikes go by. I just love it. Well, Teach their own is the same, I think.

[Monica Padman]

Teach their own. Oh, okay. She mentioned. Megan mentioned her sister who was sick. She had, like, really bad anemia, and she said her hemoglobin levels were like one or two. And that sounded really bad. But I also didn't know what the ratings are, what the rates are. Yes. For men, they should be between 13.2 to 16.6.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Monica Padman]

And for women, 11 point to 15.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. So there's some overlap. 13 to 15 is some male, female overlap.

[Monica Padman]

Exactly.

[Dax Shepard]

That's one of the side effects that can happen to people on testosterone replacement therapy.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, really?

[Dax Shepard]

Their hemoglobin can get too high. Eric's had this. Mine's never. That's never been a side effect I had, luckily. But for some people, that can happen. And then you know what the solution is?

[Monica Padman]

Donuts.

[Dax Shepard]

Donate blood. Oh, you go donate some blood, and then it lowers it all to normal.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, wow, that's cool. Okay. Speaking of medicines, I started my statin.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, you did? Congratulations. When did you start it? How many days ago?

[Monica Padman]

Probably a week ago at this point. Maybe a little more than that.

[Dax Shepard]

Are you feeling any.

[Monica Padman]

Feeling fine.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. I don't think you feel any difference.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, you can have. There's like. You're supposed to look out for leg numbness.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Monica Padman]

Which I don't.

[Dax Shepard]

And muscle pain.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. Like maybe muscle stuff.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't know.

[Monica Padman]

I haven't felt anything like that. I do think my appetite has gone down.

[Dax Shepard]

I think that's the stress of our life. Of. Yeah. The. The last week.

[Monica Padman]

But I also. I looked it up and it is a side effect.

[Dax Shepard]

Really?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. It can be a appetite suppressant or like a. It makes you feel full, you know, that.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

It's like ozempic. I was going to say it's like over the counter. Well, it's not over the counter, but yeah.

[Monica Padman]

And I'm only taking half right now. I hope my doctor doesn't hear this.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. See where that gets you.

[Monica Padman]

But Dr. Richard Isaacson said I could start with half.

[Dax Shepard]

I had my first. Did I already brag about this? My last hormone labs, which were, like.

[Monica Padman]

A month ago, and they were perfect.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, I was under the cholesterol by a. Like, I've never been on. I haven't been under since I've been getting it checked.

[Monica Padman]

Right. That's great.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my. I didn't think this was a possibility.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, it's surprising because you eat so much red meat.

[Dax Shepard]

I know, but it's really not that. It's like, your genetics.

[Monica Padman]

Well, genetics is a huge thing, but red meat can really affect it. And it can bring it down a ton if you cut it out.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

But for you, I guess it doesn't matter.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. My N1 experiment of having been vegan for a year and my cholesterol didn't move at all.

[Monica Padman]

Cali's mom went vegan, and it completely fixed her cholesterol.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, really? Yeah. I think that happens for people. I think if people don't have the genetic disposition where it's like they're just naturally high, which my whole family has been naturally high. When I did it with diet, it didn't really do anything. I can have a lot of fiber. It doesn't really do much.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

So the red yeast. And then now I'm on a new. Instead of a statistic which blocks it somehow, there's a way to block the absorption. So I'm on a different one that blocks absorption.

[Monica Padman]

And how's that going?

[Dax Shepard]

Really good. I mean, I had gotten myself to where I was already just teetering unhealthy, but this put me into, like, positively healthy.

[Monica Padman]

Wow, that's great.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Thank you, Dr. Richard Isaacson.

[Monica Padman]

It's really helping us out.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. My internist asked if he could get enrolled in that study, and so did my mom.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, yeah. It's a hot study.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, it's the hot study to be in in 2024.

[Sue Bird]

It is.

[Monica Padman]

Ellie the elephant they were talking about is the mascot in New York. Yeah. And I did look her up. She does look really cool. And she does twerk and she dances and she, like, flips her hair. She's very cool.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, funny enough, I would have never known anything about Ally the Elephant except for when I was in New York a couple weeks ago. I was watching the news, and there was a whole thing about Ally the elephant.

[Sue Bird]

Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God. This is the thing they're talking about. The city is obsessed with Ellie the elephant.

[Monica Padman]

That's so funny.

[Dax Shepard]

She was on the nightly News. Wow.

[Monica Padman]

Is sue, does she have the record for the longest player in the WNBA? She's one of sue and Diana Taurasi. As of October 2024, Sue Bird led the all time list of games played in Women's National Basketball Association. Let's see what that number is. Bird played 580 games for the franchise.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Monica Padman]

Diana as of September has a sec. Had the second at 565.

[Dax Shepard]

But maybe you could be in longer.

[Monica Padman]

Uh huh. True.

[Dax Shepard]

And played less games.

[Monica Padman]

True.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. You could have an injury and be out for a season. You're still. That's a year. You were in the WNBA but you.

[Monica Padman]

Were out definitely 50 games. But I think this is how they quantify it. So that's cool.

[Dax Shepard]

Yep.

[Monica Padman]

That's it for sue and Megan. Not many facts, just fun.

[Dax Shepard]

A lot of fun. Light on facts, heavy on.

[Monica Padman]

Heavy on fun and heavy on information. It is really cool to have these women who represent women's sports and know a lot about it. The inside and obvious. Like objectively and subjectively, I would say.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

And she, sue said that you could let the girls win at basketball. She turned a corner on that.

[Dax Shepard]

She switched mid interview.

[Monica Padman]

She did.

[Dax Shepard]

I wonder if when she left she was like, well now I regret switching actually.

[Monica Padman]

She's been back and forth since then.

[Dax Shepard]

I think the key was I think she would keep her original opinion. If your child had expressed a goal to end up in a professional sport. I think the turning point was me saying like they're not en route.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

To any professional organization.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

So.

[Monica Padman]

So what's the point?

[Dax Shepard]

What's the point?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yeah, I agree.

[Dax Shepard]

All right. I love you.

[Monica Padman]

Love you.

[Dax Shepard]

Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondry app, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to every episode of Armchair Expert early and ad free right now by joining Wondry plus in the Wondry app or on Apple podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short [e-mail] survey. Hey Armchairries, quick question for you. Have you ever stopped to wonder who came up with that bottle of sriracha.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Sitting in your fridge?

[Dax Shepard]

Or why almost every house in America.

[Sue Bird]

Has a game of Monopoly stashed away somewhere?

[Dax Shepard]

Well, this is Nick and this is Jack and we just launched a brand new podcast called the Best Idea Yet. It's all about the surprising origin stories of the products you're obsessed with and the people who brought them to life. Like Super Mario, the best selling video game character ever. He's only a thing because Nintendo couldn't get the rights to Popeye or Jack. How about McDonald's Happy Meal? Believe it or not, the Happy Meal was dreamed up by a mom in Guatemala. Every week on the Best Idea yet, you'll discover the surprising stories behind the most viral products of all time while picking up real business insights along the way. We guarantee you'll be that person at your next dinner party, dropping knowledge bombs at the table. Follow the Best Idea yet on the.

[Sue Bird]

Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dax Shepard]

You can listen to the Best Idea.

[Megan Rapinoe]

Yet early and ad free right now.

[Dax Shepard]

By joining Wondery Plus.