Just A Couple of Things

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand - Episode: "Just A Couple of Things" (Released June 24, 2025)

Introduction

In the "Just A Couple of Things" episode of the Armstrong & Getty On Demand podcast, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into two main topics: a special message from Representative Hank Johnson and the evolving dynamics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Through engaging discussions and insightful commentary, the duo explores the intersection of politics, sportsmanship, and media portrayal in contemporary sports.

Segment 1: Representative Hank Johnson's Musical Attempt

The episode opens with Jack Armstrong introducing a clip from Representative Hank Johnson, a Democrat from Georgia, who shares his personal endeavor of learning to play the guitar.

• [00:12] Jack Armstrong: "It's Representative Hank Johnson, Democrat, Georgia. Have you listened to it already?"
• [00:29] Joe Getty: "I have. He introduces it himself."

Hank Johnson's Musical Commentary: Representative Johnson humorously admits his novice status in guitar playing while attempting to perform a rendition of the classic song "Hey Joe."

[00:33] Hank Johnson: "I hate to hurt your ears and everything, but I'm just learning to play guitar... where you going with that gun in your hand? Hey, Trump, where you going with that gun in your hand?"

The hosts lightheartedly critique his performance:

• [01:17] Jack Armstrong: "Had you considered tuning your guitar?"
• [01:19] Joe Getty: "Yeah, I was gonna say missed the part of the lesson where you'd learn to tune the M."

Jack emphasizes the importance of mastering the basics before advancing, drawing a parallel to teaching his son guitar.

Segment 2: The WNBA's Shift Towards Aggressiveness

Transitioning from politics to sports, Armstrong and Getty discuss the recent trends in the WNBA that mirror the aggressive style of the early 1990s NBA.

• [01:44] Joe Getty: "I like to get no satisfaction from it."
• [02:00] Jack Armstrong: "Somehow the WNBA... has turned into the men's NBA of the early '90s, when people would beat the crap out of each other."

Highlighting Sophie Cunningham as the WNBA Enforcer

The conversation centers around Sophie Cunningham, a WNBA player who has taken on the role of an enforcer to protect her teammate, Caitlin Clark.

Play-by-Play of Sophie Cunningham's Protective Actions: Jack describes video clips showcasing Cunningham's aggressive defense tactics, including putting opponents in headlocks and taking them to the floor.

• [03:12] Sophie Cunningham:

  "Hello, everyone. I'm Sophie Cunningham. I don't start trouble, but I'm never afraid of it... You want to come at me, go ahead, but you better check with your bones first."

Analysis of Cunningham's Speech: Joe Getty reflects on the clinical and composed nature of her declaration, comparing it to the assertive rhetoric of 80s and 90s NBA players.

• [05:25] Joe Getty: "Her speech... I was a huge fan at the time. And a guy would say something like, 'I'm going to end it. You come up against me and MJ, you're going to know what time it is.'"

Jack points out the unique blend of toughness and poise that Cunningham brings to the WNBA.

• [06:10] Jack Armstrong: "Except for that one line. Check with your bones."

The Persona and Impact of Sophie Cunningham

The hosts discuss Cunningham's physical appearance and its influence on her role as an enforcer.

• [06:14] Sophie Cunningham: "You know, we kind of downplayed how hot this chick is."
• [06:24] Jack Armstrong: "She's like runway model material."

This combination of attractiveness and combativeness challenges traditional perceptions of female athletes in the league.

Segment 3: Comparisons to the 90s NBA and Future Implications

Armstrong and Getty draw parallels between current WNBA trends and the NBA's past emphasis on physicality and conflict.

• [04:36] Jack Armstrong: "It's like, do you want to put butts in the seats and have big ratings, we got to have a couple of fights."

They speculate whether the WNBA might increasingly feature on-court altercations to boost viewership, similar to how the NBA capitalized on rivalries and physical play to attract fans during the 90s.

• [06:33] Jack Armstrong: "From our text... that's an interesting aspect of the whole thing. Also, I don't know if this is going to end up being like the bread and butter for the WNBA where they just everybody figures out, boy, if you want to put butts in the seats and have big ratings, we got to have a couple of fights."

Conclusion

Wrapping up the episode, Armstrong and Getty reflect on the potential future of the WNBA and the role of players like Sophie Cunningham in shaping its identity.

• [07:13] Joe Getty: "My bones are fine with it. Trust me, they're enthused."
• [07:20] Jack Armstrong: "Well, I guess that's it. This is an iHeart podcast."

The hosts leave listeners pondering the balance between athletic skill and physical entertainment in modern sports, particularly within women's leagues striving for recognition and viewership.

Notable Quotes

• Sophie Cunningham:

  "You want to come at me, go ahead, but you better check with your bones first."
  [04:17]

• Joe Getty:

  "I don't be the only one who's completely struck by the nature of her. Her speech there."
  [05:25]

• Jack Armstrong:

  "She's runway model material."
  [06:24]

Key Takeaways

1. Representative Hank Johnson's Musical Endeavor: Highlights the human side of politicians, showcasing their personal interests beyond politics.
2. WNBA's Shift Towards Aggressiveness: Reflects broader trends in sports where physicality is emphasized to enhance entertainment value and viewership.
3. Sophie Cunningham as an Enforcer: Represents a strategic move within the WNBA to protect star players and potentially boost the league's appeal by introducing elements of rivalry and defense.
4. Comparative Analysis with 90s NBA: Suggests that the WNBA might be following a similar path as the NBA did in the past, focusing on creating memorable and dramatic sports moments through physical confrontation.

This episode offers listeners a nuanced exploration of how sports leagues evolve and adapt to changing audience preferences, emphasizing the delicate balance between maintaining athletic integrity and embracing entertainment-driven strategies.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast. A couple of things we're gonna talk about. It's one more thing. Strong and getty.

[Joe Getty]

One more thing. Wow. It's the anti introduction.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. I didn't know how else to tease it. So first, executive producer Hansen has been wanting us to play this for days. He's really a fan. I don't know exactly what it is. It's Representative Hank Johnson, Democrat, Georgia.

[Joe Getty]

Right? Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Have you listened to it already?

[Joe Getty]

I have. He introduces it himself.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, okay, cool. Well, let's just roll it then.

[Hank Johnson]

I hate to hurt your ears and everything, but I'm just learning to play guitar. And so I'm compelled with a new guitar and with some thoughts about that old song, hey Joe, you know, to give some commentary on where we are now. And if y' all don't mind, I'm gonna just strum a little bit. He. Where you going with that gun in your hand? Hey, Trump, where you going with that gun in your hand?

[Jack Armstrong]

Had you considered tuning your guitar?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I was gonna say missed the part of the lesson where you'd learn to tune the M.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay. Yeah. That's too bad. I have to tell my son that all the time. He's kind of trying to learn how to play guitars like you because, you know, if you don't know if you're completely new to music, you don't know it's in tune or not in tune, but you're not going to get anywhere if your instrument is completely out too. You'll get nowhere.

[Joe Getty]

So I like to get no satisfaction from it.

[Jack Armstrong]

I like to singing. I just tune the guitar. Okay. This other thing is Somehow the WNBA, the women's NBA, has turned into the men's NBA of the early 90s, when people would beat the crap out of each other. And it was just part of the sport. And there were certain things that I enjoyed about it and then certain things I didn't enjoy about it because it's a skill game and sometimes it would eliminate the. The ability for people to enjoy their skills. But this is one of Caitlin Clark's teammates who has decided she's the enforcer on her on the team, trying to protect their star player. We're talking about this last week when Caitlin Clark got beat around pretty good. And I was saying, you gotta. You can't do that. It's like whether it's Michael Jordan or Wayne Gretzky, if your star players getting pushed around, you gotta go beat the hell out of those people and say, no, you don't get to touch Our star. It's happened in a bunch of different sports. Anyway, so this is the girl that's taken on that duty, and I. You're not going to be able to see the videos, obviously, listening to this, but underneath her commentary, or videos for, like, girl coming down the lane, and she puts them in a full headlock and takes them to the floor, bashing their head into the floor. I mean, it's pretty violent. She's also very attractive, which is an interesting thing to fit in with this whole story, but here she is.

[Sophie Cunningham]

Hello, everyone. I'm Sophie Cunningham. I don't start trouble, but I'm never afraid of it. You can provoke anyone, but there's one person you don't touch. Caitlin Clark. Even if it comes to a fight. I'm not worried about anyone pulling my hair. Why? Because I know they don't dare and they don't have what it takes. You all saw that game. The sun were pulling cheap tricks all night to slow Caitlyn's rhythm. Especially JC Sheldon with two blatant slaps to the face. And the refs, they just stood there like statues. You think I'd let that slide? When I took Sheldon down, some called me impulsive, some said I pulled her hair. But have you ever thought about why I acted without hesitation, yet wasn't afraid of her fighting back? First, I'm a black belt in karate, trained in combat since I was a kid and I played college football. You want to come at me, go ahead, but you better check with your bones first. Second, I made a promise to my entire team and even the whole league. As long as Caitlin's on the court, I've got her back. Third, I know my limits. I'm not just fighting. I use precise grappling techniques to lock an opponent's arm, leaving them no chance to escalate. I'm not here to punish anyone. I'm here to send a message to the entire league. Caitlyn isn't fighting alone. She's got me behind her.

[Jack Armstrong]

If you want to come at me, check with your bones for.

[Joe Getty]

Jeez, that's a pretty good line.

[Jack Armstrong]

That is a pretty good line.

[Joe Getty]

I don't know why everything has to have background music these days, but that was. That was a fine screed. That was an oddly like, well composed. It was an essay.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, also, she's got that thing that people who are really okay with fighting have, where they're very calm about it. Yes, it is not for whatever reason, and I've known people that are likes to fight guy or Likes to fight woman. They. It affects them differently than it affects normal people. It's just a thing. Oh, we're gonna fight now. Okay, let's go. Whereas the rest of us are like, holy crap, this is the biggest moment of my life. They're just, okay, I guess it's fighting time. She's one of those people. And I. Did the WNBA see this coming a couple of years ago that they were going to become the 90s NBA. It's all about, ooh, boy, there'll be lots of fighting tonight. Let's tune in. The ratings are getting big for anytime two teams play that have a, you know, you know, they're going to fight. Like it's, you know, pistons, Celtics of 1990 or something.

[Joe Getty]

I'm just, I can't be the only one who's completely struck by the nature of her. Her speech there. I mean, because I'm familiar with the 80s 90s NBA. I was a huge fan at the time. And. And a guy would say something like, he wants to start some trouble. I'm going to end it. You come up against me and mj, you're going to. You're going to know what time it is. Right? She was like, I am trained in a variety of martial arts. I have a black belt certification. I've been involved in grappling since I was a young kid. And certainly I will use grappling techniques to neutralize their arms and pin them against them and avoid any sort of escalation if it comes time to pursue perpetrate acts of violence. It's oddly clinical.

[Jack Armstrong]

Except for that one line. Check with your bones.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, that was the best part.

[Sophie Cunningham]

You know, we kind of downplayed how hot this chick is. Yeah, I hadn't seen her.

[Joe Getty]

I don't know her.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, she's like.

[Sophie Cunningham]

I mean, she's Runway model material.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Joe Getty]

So give me the name again.

[Sophie Cunningham]

Sophie Cunningham.

[Jack Armstrong]

Craig sent it to us yesterday. He's the one that. Where I got this clip.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

From our, from our text. Yeah, yeah. So that's an interesting aspect of the whole thing. Also, I don't. I don't know if this is. Is this going to end up being like the bread and butter for the WNBA where they just everybody figures out, boy, if you want to put butts in the seats and have big ratings, we got to have a couple of fights. Like it's.

[Joe Getty]

Holy cow, cutie. Yeah, you want to, you want any grappling practice?

[Jack Armstrong]

Like it's roller derby or hockey or something? Just people are here for fights. We gotta have some fights.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I'll put up a fight for a little while, and then you can just, you know, whatever you want.

[Jack Armstrong]

Ask your bones first.

[Joe Getty]

My bones are fine with it. Trust me, they're enthused.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, I guess that's it. This is an iHeart podcast.