Rivalries, Legends, and Olivarisms with Oliver McGrath 9-2-25

Summary

Overview

Episode Theme:
In this engaging episode of Becker Business, host Scott Becker welcomes Oliver (“Ali”) McGrath, a young, insightful sports fan with an international background and a knack for “Olivarisms.” Together they dive into sports fandom, favorite teams, sporting legends, the dynamics of rivalries, and Oliver’s personal philosophies and witticisms, offering both an update on the world of sports and a lesson in thoughtful, independent thinking.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Oliver’s Background & Sporting Interests

• Oliver’s Introduction ([00:56]):

  • Age: Not specified, but young (school-age)
  • Teams for Chelsea Pier soccer in NYC
  • International heritage: Austrian, British, American
  • Educational journey: Formerly at a German school, moving to the Clinton School in Manhattan

• Sports Passion ([01:30]):

  • Main sport: Soccer (as a player and fan)
  • Follows: Formula 1 (F1), basketball

Favorite Teams & Legends

• Favorite Soccer Team ([02:01]):

  • “My favorite team is Manchester United. I think they're the best team ever.”
  • Admirer of Barcelona's playstyle

• Basketball & F1 ([02:10]):

  • Basketball: Chicago Bulls – respect for Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan
  • F1: Ferrari (“they had Michael Schumacher, they have Lewis Hamilton and they used to have Niki Lauda”)

Soccer: Relegation & Rivalries

• Soccer Relegation Explained ([02:56]):

  • “If you're relegated...you won't be playing for the same teams you were that year. But if you do well enough, you can get promoted to the league you were just in.”

• Venice FC’s Hope

  • “There is hope for Venetia FC to make it back up the next year or so, but… it's tough when you're relegated.” ([03:13])

• Manchester United’s Biggest Rival ([05:42]):

  • “Biggest rival is Liverpool because they both won the same amount of premier leagues. There are a lot of clashes between the players and coaches and fans…”

Thoughts on Basketball and the Chicago Bulls

• Bulls’ Prospects ([03:54]):
  • “I think they will get a little better, but I don't think they're going to be title contenders for a very long time until they get some good draft picks.”

Sports Fandom Advice

• How to Get Into Sports ([06:22]):
  • “Most of my information [is from] just watching YouTube videos, googling who's the best at what sport, what are the rules, trophies you can win, how you win them, the best players, teams, coaches. And I read some books.”
  • Magazine recommendation: “442”
  • Documentaries: “30 for 30,” “The Last Dance,” “Beckham documentary”

Notable Sporting Heroes

• Favorite Player ([07:47]):
  • “David Beckham is my favorite player of all time.”

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Memorable Quotes & “Olivarisms”

On the McGrathisms & Personal Philosophy

• “The great ones adjust.” ([05:12] – Oliver, on his favorite “McGrathism”)
  • Scott: “Michael Jordan was a great example. Every year he came back with an improved skill set...I absolutely love that the great ones adjust.”

Oliver’s Original Sayings (“Olivarisms”) ([08:14] onward):

• “I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count.” ([08:14])

  • “That means the question so obvious that you don't really have to ask it.”

• “If it was a snake, it would bite you.” ([08:45])

  • “If you're looking for your glasses but they're right next to you... it's so close to you, it would bite you.”

• “If I were you, who would be me?” ([09:11])

  • “A lot of the time, someone's saying, do this, do that... So you can say, if I would be you, who would be me? Because then you're just doing what that person's telling you to do… but instead doing your own thing.”

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:56] Oliver’s introduction, background
• [01:30] Favorite sports
• [02:01] Favorite teams and sports legends
• [02:56] Explanation of relegation & Venice FC
• [03:54] Analysis of the Chicago Bulls’ future
• [05:03] On McGrathisms & “the great ones adjust”
• [05:42] Manchester United’s biggest rival
• [06:22] How to become a sports fan
• [07:47] On David Beckham as favorite athlete
• [08:14] Introduction to Olivarisms
• [08:45], [09:11] Further Olivarisms

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Notable Moments

• Oliver’s self-assurance in his sports knowledge:

  • “Definitely me.” ([04:38]) – On being the most knowledgeable sports fan in the McGrath household

• Playful family dynamic and encouragement of independent thinking:

  • “He's teaching you to be an independent and intelligent thinker, which is fantastic.” ([09:54]) – Scott on Oliver’s interactions with his father

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Style & Tone

The conversation is cheerful, witty, and full of mutual respect. Oliver is sharp and well-spoken, mixing knowledgeable opinions about sports with original, thought-provoking sayings. Scott Becker steers the conversation with warmth and good humor, engaging Oliver’s insights and providing encouragement for his budding philosophies.

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Final Thoughts

This episode is both a lively sports conversation and a testament to curiosity, family wisdom, and the power of developing one's own point of view—even at a young age. Whether you’re interested in the future of the Chicago Bulls, the meaning of McGrathisms, or the rise of Olivarisms, there’s something here for every thoughtful sports fan.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

This is Scott Becker with the Becker Business Podcast and the Becker Private Equity Podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by a very special guest. We're joined by an avid sports fan, a brilliant sports fan, Ali McGrath. And Ali McGrath comes to us from a brilliant health system executive I've known for years, Tom McGrath. I assume that Ali is the much smarter part of the McGrath family and likely comes from the mother. Ali, can you take a moment and introduce yourself and then we're going to talk about sports today?

[C]

Yeah, sure. I'd be happy to, Scott. So I'm Oliver McGrath. I'm Tom McGrath. Zahn. I play for Chelsea Pier soccer team in New York City. We live in New York City. I used to go to a German school. Now I'm going to go to the Clinton School in Manhattan. I was born in California and I'm Austrian, British and American.

[B]

What an amazing, amazing background. Tell us, Ali, your favorite sport and what sports do you follow most closely?

[C]

My favorite sport is soccer and that's the one I play the most. And I follow F1 and basketball pretty closely too.

[B]

So F1, fascinating. So much more popular in Europe than here. Basketball is obviously popular every place and soccer is becoming more popular here. But still so much more popular in Europe. Correct?

[C]

Yeah, that's for sure true.

[B]

What is your favorite team? Who's your favorite team?

[C]

My favorite team is Manchester United. I think they're the best team ever. But Barcelona is great. I love the way they play in basketball. To the Chicago Bulls, for sure, they have the greatest coach of all time, Phil Jackson and the greatest player, Michael Jordan. And I also in F1, it's definitely Ferrari because they, they had Michael Schumacher, they have Lewis Hamilton and they used to have Niki Lauda.

[B]

Let me ask you a question, and this might not be, you might not be familiar with this, but there's a famous Venetian soccer team, the Venezia Football Club, Venezia fc. And they were recently relegated. If you're relegated, can you tell the audience what that means? And if you are relegated, should you, is there still hope for you to get back at it the next year?

[C]

Yeah. So if you're relegated. That means you won't be playing for the same teams you were that year. But in. In the next year you're going to be playing with different teams. But if you do well enough, you can get promoted to the league you were just in.

[B]

There's hope for them to come back and so. So there is hope for Venetia FC to make it back up the next year or so, but. But it's tough when you're relegated, but you hope that you do well and so forth. Did you see the new Formula One movie? Did you see that with Brad Pitt?

[C]

Yes, I actually did. That was one of the things that got me into Formula One. I thought it was a great movie.

[B]

100%. And do you follow American football? American Basketball? Any favorite teams there in basketball?

[C]

American Basketball?

[B]

Yes. There you've got the Chicago Bulls. Right? Are the Bulls going to get any better? Are they going to be stuck in mediocrity for a long time?

[C]

I think they will get a little better, but I don't think they're going to be title contenders for a very long time until they get some good draft picks. I think they'll stay where they are now for a while.

[B]

Sort of Midland. Right. And what about American Football? Do you follow American Football at all?

[C]

No, I don't follow American football.

[B]

Okay. Well, let's hope this is a year that the Chicago Beers start to get better. We'll see how it goes.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. Who is the most. Who is a. Oliver, you don't have to answer this question. Okay. Let me know if you're ready.

[C]

Yeah, I'm ready.

[B]

Who is the most knowledgeable sports fan in the McGrath household?

[C]

Definitely me.

[B]

Definitely you. Not even a question about that?

[C]

No.

[B]

And if like, you know, and both parents are great parents, we'll go with that. I'm not going to ask questions to differentiate mom versus dad and stuff like that. Do you ever follow the McGrathisms that your father has put together and published? You read those? Do you follow those? The McGrathisms?

[C]

No, I don't follow them, but I do have my favorite ones. I love the McGrathism or Thomas. The great ones adjust. That's my favorite one.

[B]

Love that. That the great ones adjust. And Michael Jordan was a great example that every year he came back with an improved skill set with something else he did better and better. I absolutely love that the great ones adjust. And are there other McGrathisms that you just love?

[C]

A few are pretty good. I didn't. I don't know a lot of them, so. Yeah, but the great ones are Just is definitely the best, I think.

[B]

Fantastic. And Manchester United, the greatest soccer team of all time. Who is Manchester United's biggest rival?

[C]

Biggest rival is Liverpool because they both won the same amount of premier leagues. There are a lot of clashes between the players and coaches and fans. And there have been huge games deciding games that have been played between them. So yeah, Liverpool is Manu's biggest rival.

[B]

Fantastic. Any advice with an emerging sports fan? How do they follow up to date on it? What advice do you give to an emerging sports fan?

[C]

Well, I actually found most of my information on just watching YouTube videos googling who's the best at what sport, what are the rules, trophies you can win, how you win them, the best players, teams, coaches. And I read some books. A great magazine for soccer that I used to read was 442. 442's information is the name of the magazine. 442 comes out I think every month and it talks about all the latest news, predictions for the new season, the players, what's gonna happen, the games. So 442 is great. I also watch documentaries, like a basketball documentary. And also it also covers more sports. Is 30 for 30 and the last Dance. And there's Beckham documentary too.

[B]

And those are fantastic. Quite frankly the 30 for 30s and the last Dance and the Beckham documentary. I mean Bendam, I mean not dependent, but what a fantastic, fantastic person he is to watch. Fantastic. And anything else, Oliver, that you'd like to share today with the audience? We are so thrilled to have you on. Makes my day. Brilliant young sports fan. Anything else you want to share with our audience today?

[C]

Well, David Beckham is my favorite player of all time and yeah, that's it.

[B]

And Scott, I think Oliver has his.

[C]

Own flavor of Oliver Isms that he's.

[B]

Come up with as well.

[C]

And he likes to use that he would probably love to share with you as well.

[B]

Oliver, I totally apologize for the studio interruption, but if you could give us a couple of those, Oliver, we would love to hear them.

[C]

Okay, sure. So algorithm is. I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count. That means the question so obvious that you don't really have to ask it.

[B]

We understand that one completely. You say that to one of your friends who's not that smart. I'm going to give you three guesses. The first two don't count. If you get the last one, you've got this. And we use that with our friends. Tease them who aren't that smart. Yeah, give me another One.

[C]

Yeah. Another one is, if it was a snake, it would bite you. Which is just like. If you're looking for your glasses, but they're right next to you, you would say, if it was a snake, it would bite you. Because it's so close to you, it would bite you.

[B]

I love that. And I love, more importantly, this concept of starting to categorize your thoughts at a young age and building a framework for thinking about things. Do we have another algorithm today?

[C]

Yeah. One last one. It is, if I were you, who would be me? So a lot of the time, someone's saying, do this, do that, do this, do that. And that's. They're basically saying, do this because I told you to. This is what I would do. This is what I want you to do. So. So you can say, if I would be you, who would be me? Because then you're just doing what that person's telling you to do, which is what they would probably be doing, but instead doing your own thing.

[B]

Do you ever say that to your father? Or does that get you in trouble?

[C]

No, I do say it to my father, and it doesn't get me in trouble.

[B]

That is good. That is good. Good, good, good, good. He's teaching you to be an independent and intelligent thinker, which is fantastic. Ol. What a pleasure to visit with you. I totally apologize for the interruption from the studio audience. However bright the studio audience is, you know we can't allow that. Oliver. No, I'm just kidding. What a pleasure to visit with the two of you. Tom and Oliver, Just fantastic. Thank you for joining us on the Becker business podcast. The Becker Private Equity podcast. What a pleasure. Fantastic. And there is hope for Venetia fc. There is some hope for Venetia fc.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Good. Thank you.

[C]

Thanks a million.

[B]

Absolutely great pleasure. Thank you so much.