Coco Gauff and the Liberty, the NBA Finals, and Basic Bear Safety

Summary

Casuals with Katie Nolan: Episode Summary
Episode: Coco Gauff and the Liberty, the NBA Finals, and Basic Bear Safety
Release Date: June 12, 2025

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1. Demarcus "Boogie" Cousins Suspension
Timestamp: [01:08]

The episode kicks off with Katie Nolan discussing the suspension of NBA player Demarcus Cousins, also known as "Boogie." Cousins, who has played for multiple teams including the Kings, Pelicans, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Bucks, and Nuggets, is currently with the Guaynabo Mets in Puerto Rico. He faces a season-long suspension following an altercation where he scratched his groin area and responded aggressively to a heckler.

Notable Quote:
Katie Nolan: "He is suspended for the season because he scratched his balls and then made a heckler sniff his hand."
[01:25]

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2. Support for Trans Athletes and Listener Feedback
Timestamp: [04:31 - 08:53]

Katie Nolan addresses the backlash received online regarding her previous discussion on trans athletes in sports. She expresses frustration over the negative and personal attacks but shifts focus to the overwhelming positive feedback from listeners. Producers Chris and Brady highlight heartfelt emails from listeners who appreciate Katie's advocacy for trans athletes, showcasing the podcast's inclusive and supportive community.

Notable Quotes:
Z from an email: "I just wanted to say thanks for your defense of trans athletes and calling out the hypocrisy of those who claim to care about protecting women in sports."
[04:52]

Andrea adds: "I almost started crying on my drive home from work... having decent allies using their reach to stand up for us keeps me out of hopelessness."
[05:28]

Britt remarks: "We are so lucky to have such a thoughtful and passionate advocate... thank you for tackling this difficult yet incredibly important topic."
[07:34]

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3. NBA Finals Recap and Insights
Timestamp: [33:07 - 37:14]

The podcast delves into the NBA Finals, focusing on Game 3 where the Indiana Pacers secured a 116-107 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, taking a 2-1 series lead. Katie highlights the Pacers' clutch performance, noting their impressive 9-1 record in high-pressure games this season. She also discusses Tyrese Haliburton's stellar triple-double and Benedict Mathurin's contribution off the bench.

Notable Quote:
ESPN research statistic: "Teams that win game three of a 1:1 NBA finals have gone on to win the whole thing 80.5% of the time."
[33:45]

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4. Live Streaming Yankees-Red Sox Game
Timestamp: [13:07 - 22:36]

Katie Nolan shares her upcoming live streaming plans for the Yankees vs. Red Sox game with her friend Miro. She humorously expresses anxiety about collaborating with Dylan Batanzis, a Yankees fan and former Mets pitcher, due to past tensions. The conversation includes light-hearted banter about jersey shopping and interactions with sports store staff.

Notable Quote:
Katie Nolan: "How do we handle working with someone who reminds me of an ex?"
[14:27]

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5. House v. NCAA and Title IX Lawsuit
Timestamp: [32:36 - 35:58]

Katie provides an update on the ongoing House v. NCAA lawsuit, highlighting a Title IX challenge against the proposed distribution of $2.8 billion in damages. The lawsuit argues that the allocation disproportionately favors male athletes over female athletes, potentially violating Title IX by depriving female athletes of $1.1 billion. Katie emphasizes the complexity and evolving nature of the case, reflecting on the long-standing debate over compensating college athletes.

Notable Quote:
Katie Nolan: "Paying out the money as proposed would cause irreparable harm to women's sports."
[34:20]

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6. Shoutout to Ananda Lewis
Timestamp: [35:58 - 37:00]

Katie honors Ananda Lewis, the beloved MTV VJ, who passed away at 52 after battling breast cancer. She reminisces about the influence VJs had on her generation, serving as both news sources and personalities that shaped their childhoods.

Notable Quote:
Katie Nolan: "A VJ was a huge part of our childhood... thank her for telling me all about probably NSYNC."
[35:45]

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7. WADA and Anti-Doping Efforts
Timestamp: [46:04 - 49:50]

The discussion shifts to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and their stance against performance-enhancing drugs in sports. Katie covers WADA President Withold Banka's call to shut down proposed drug-fueled enhanced games in Las Vegas. The segment touches on the ethical implications and the influence of high-profile figures like Peter Thiel in these initiatives.

Notable Quote:
Withold Banka: "We will urge the US authorities to find legal ways to block this initiative."
[48:15]

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8. Athletes Unlimited Softball League
Timestamp: [72:01 - 77:19]

Katie introduces the inaugural season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), a professional women's softball league featuring top talent from the NCAA and beyond. She discusses the league's structure, including its dynamic points-based system and the selection of four competitive teams: the Bandits, Blaze, Talons, and Volts. The segment highlights the depth of talent and the league's potential impact on women's sports.

Notable Quote:
Katie Nolan: "The level of talent is so deep on these rosters that women whose names you've heard are known for being incredible home run hitters are like at the bottom of the lineup because there's just so much talent."
[74:12]

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9. Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers
Timestamp: [49:00 - 54:35]

The podcast dives into Shohei Ohtani's recent performances and his future with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite undergoing Tommy John surgery, Ohtani remains a two-way sensation with an impressive batting record. The discussion examines his potential return to pitching and the Dodgers' strategic decisions regarding their pitching roster.

Notable Quote:
Listener: "He is teaching everyone that he might do it before the All-Star break, but basically it's almost guaranteed he's going to do it after."
[54:12]

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10. Bat Dog Promotion: Bruce the Bat Dog
Timestamp: [77:39 - 81:36]

A lighthearted segment features Bruce the Bat Dog, a beloved mascot for the Nationals. Katie and her co-hosts share the story of Bruce's promotion from AAA to the major leagues, celebrating his exemplary ball retrieval skills and adorable demeanor. They humorously speculate on the logistics of dogs receiving promotions and engaging with fans.

Notable Quote:
Katie Nolan: "Bruce retrieves the bats at AAA after batter's bat, and now he's getting called up to the majors."
[78:15]

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11. Bear Safety Tips
Timestamp: [68:00 - 72:28]

In a humorous yet informative exchange, Katie and her co-hosts discuss basic bear safety tips. They playfully debate strategies for encountering bears based on their color, blending entertainment with practical advice. The segment underscores the importance of being prepared while maintaining the show’s signature humor.

Notable Quote:
Listener: "If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lay down."
[68:26]

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Conclusion
Timestamp: [81:36 - 82:32]

As the episode wraps up, Katie Nolan thanks her listeners and crew for their support, expressing gratitude for the community's engagement and feedback. She encourages listeners to reach out via email or voicemail and hints at future topics and episodes, maintaining the podcast's approachable and inclusive atmosphere.

Notable Quote:
Katie Nolan: "We love you, we mean it, and we'll see you next week. Bye."
[82:01]

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Key Takeaways:

• Advocacy for Trans Athletes: Katie Nolan continues to use her platform to support and defend trans athletes, receiving significant positive feedback from listeners.

• NBA Finals Excitement: The Indiana Pacers' strong performance in the NBA Finals is a highlight, with key players like Tyrese Haliburton and Benedict Mathurin making significant impacts.

• Emerging Sports Leagues: The introduction of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League represents a significant step forward for professional women's softball, showcasing top-tier talent and innovative league structures.

• Ethical Sports Discussions: Topics such as WADA’s efforts against doping and the implications of sports gambling on athletes are thoughtfully explored, highlighting the evolving challenges in the sports world.

• Humorous Segments: Light-hearted discussions about bat dogs, bear safety, and robot drive-throughs maintain the podcast's engaging and entertaining tone.

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Stay Connected:

• Email: [e-mail]
• Voicemail: 646-801-0043
• Social Media: @CasualsThePodcast on Instagram and TikTok

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This summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting key discussions, listener interactions, and the hosts' unique blend of humor and insightful commentary.

Transcript

[Katie Nolan]

You know, summer isn't just for playing sports. It's for the conversations around sports, too. You know, the casual hangouts, whether they're inside in the air conditioning or out on the beach with fellow sports fans. Whatever kind of summer mood you're in, Starbucks has a beverage to match, like the Summer Berry Refresher, the unofficial drink of the summer. It's so good, it's sweet, but not too sweet. It's three berry flavors and it's everything I never would have thought I wanted, but absolutely do want. It's perfect for sipping while you catch up on last night's scores. No matter what, whether it's. Whether it's that drink or one of their other summer drinks, your summer favorites are ready at Starbucks.

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[Katie Nolan]

Hey, Isabella, do you know who Demarcus Cousins is? Do you know Boogie Cousins?

[Isabella]

I don't think so.

[Katie Nolan]

He was a basketball player. He played on the. I mean, a lot of teams. Kings, Pelicans, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Bucks Nuggets. He currently plays for the Guaynabo Mets in Puerto Rico.

[Isabella]

Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

And he is suspended for the season because he scratched his balls and then made a heckler sniff his hand.

[Isabella]

Okay, that's kind of crazy.

[Katie Nolan]

Do you think that the punishment fits the crime?

[Isabella]

Wait, what is it that he's not allowed to play?

[Katie Nolan]

I think he's done for the season. I think he's suspended for the rest of the year.

[Isabella]

Yeah, like, I don't know if I want someone to give me their crotch, so.

[Katie Nolan]

Well, you don't know. You don't know. You want to know.

[Isabella]

I do know, but against my will. I was gonna say is like, ooh, that's. Well, I don't know what I want it.

[Katie Nolan]

I don't know what I think I've somehow set you up for failure here.

[Isabella]

I don't know what I want anymore.

[Katie Nolan]

I don't think it's this.

[Isabella]

If I may shout out, Mets. They're called the Mets.

[Katie Nolan]

Hello. Welcome to Casuals, the sports podcast for everybody. Sports podcast that loves sports so much and Just wants to bring you in and make you love sports, too. I'm Katie Nolan, the aforementioned sports lover. But I'm joined by others. The casualties, we call them. They are the producers of this podcast. Only one of them is here with me physically. That's Isabella. The other two are beaming in through technology. We have Chris, we have Brady. If you want to reach us, you can email us. Casuals with Katie nolan gmail dot com. Our voicemail is 646-801-0043. On IG and tick tock, we are at Casuals, the podcast. We're gonna skip a yap today. We're gonna skip a yap today. I still have a migraine from the yap two days ago. It is. Is we. It what we. I've been off the Internet. I am protected by my loved ones in these situations. Dan was very good yesterday. About any time he came into the room, he was like, what are you doing? If I was on my phone and I was like, I'm texting my. The people I work with. I have to text the people that I work with to talk about what we're going to talk about on Thursday. But other than that, I've been off my phone because as we spoke about, the issue that was discussed in our yap on Tuesday about trans athletes in sports is one that the Internet is very loud and vitriolic about. There is not necessarily a group of people engaging in that conversation that are even constructive. There's not even like a constructive criticism. It's. It's mostly just personal attacks. I saw a couple of things about how I'm. This is why I'm a huge failure, and this is why my career is. Is in the. Is in the shithole. And I disagree. I have my own podcast and I get to say whatever I want. So I. But I can't. If I see that all day, it just seeps in. It has a way of seeping in. But producers, Brady, Chris, you guys had mentioned that there we were getting a lot of other stuff.

[Chris]

Yeah, we got a lot of positivity from our listeners. I think we have a really good listenership and a really supportive listenership as well. And I think it's important to highlight some of the emails that we've got from our listeners because it shows that there are people who, you know, just want to be as inclusive as we do, who want to make sure that the world is a better place. So I wanted to point out a couple of the emails that we've got first, and then we've got a couple of voicemails that I'll play after that. The first email is from Z and Z says, I just wanted to say thanks for your defense, for your defense of trans athletes and calling out the hypocrisy of those who claim to care about protecting women in sports. As a trans person, it meant a lot to hear that support and allyship from my favorite podcast. So thank you, Z. Very nice words there. We also got another one from Andrea who says, I am transgender woman and a longtime fan of yours, Katie. And the Tuesday episode this week really reminded me why hearing you go to bat defending trans people and specifically the way it was so apparent that this is something you really care about and you're really serious about. I almost started crying on my drive home from work. The world is a really fucked up and a scary place to be right now, but having decent allies using their reach to stand up for us keeps me out of hopelessness. So thank you. And then the last message that I wanted to highlight was from Britt. And Brit says, thank you for today's yap. I'm so proud to be a fan and follower of Katie's. We, allies and other advocates are so lucky to have such a thoughtful and passionate advocate. And in the sports media space, my sibling is trans. And while we're past our sporting prime, they are. They are having to be so much braver than they should be in order to live as a human. Thank you for tackling this difficult yet incredibly important topic. So some really nice messages of support from three of our listeners there. I also wanted to highlight some of our voicemails. This first one is from Elizabeth from Pennsylvania.

[Listener]

Emotional over the app today. It was amazing and powerful and so well said. And it just really angers me and upsets me how people continue to attack such vulnerable, marginalized people and with such stupid arguments as you so clearly laid out. Yeah, it just drives me crazy. And I just really appreciate you talking about this. I know so many people are staying away from these types of issues and there's just no reason for trans people to continue to be attacked. Love you all. Mean it.

[Katie Nolan]

Bye. I love you and I mean it.

[Chris]

This next one is from Josh in St. Louis.

[Listener]

I just wanted to thank you for today's yap. I know you didn't want to do that, I'm sure, but your words were thoughtful and accurate and eloquent and infuriatingly necessary. And Katie, you have been very good at giving voice to your principles for a very long time and you're really good at it. And I know I'm not the only one who appreciates it. And we all love you and we all mean it.

[Chris]

And the final voicemail that I wanted to highlight is Tori from Maryland, Shout out.

[Listener]

I just got done listening to your yap and I just wanted to say thank you. It I know that it can be really hard, especially as a woman in sports media, to be on the side of trans athletes and to say what you said. I really respect you. I really appreciate what you did. I think it takes a lot of courage and I just, again, I really want to say thank you. I've been a fan for a really long time and I'm so glad to know that I am a fan of somebody who stands up for the right thing, especially when the wrong side can be so hateful and bigoted and just horrible. So thank you for saying what you said. I really appreciate it. I love you so much and I do mean it.

[Chris]

We got many, many more letters of gratitude from our listeners as well, but they are the ones that I wanted to point out. So kudos to you, Katie, for doing what you did on Tuesday. We all are behind you and we appreciate your sentiments.

[Katie Nolan]

I thank you everybody. Thank you everybody for calling in and for writing in. I don't want to cry on my podcast, so I think we're going to move on, but I'm. That makes me feel like the people that needed to hear it heard it. That's the thing that can get lost and forgotten sometimes in these things is you're like, I feel like the only people who heard this are the people who are now really mad. So that was. Thank you for pulling those for me, Chris. I appreciate it. And thank you everybody for calling in and for listening. And I know it's a complicated issue. I know people are very passionate about it on either side. I just. I don't know. Not to restate the whole thesis, but I just feel like you cannot claim to protect women's sports and attack one of our greatest female athletes with her own abuse. So I. It's. There comes a point where you just got to say something. I reached that point and have taken enough Advil to get rid of the headache of a small village at this point. So we. That those aren't the only emails we received. We do still have haters that have arable things to say because I believe we heard from John man again. That's John Boy's dad. In regards to our new beef that we have. It's in air quotes. It's a Playful, fun, little beef that we have with John Boy. What did his dad say to us?

[Chris]

So this is a follow up from John man. And he says score. After one week of the rivalry. John Boy 2 Casual 0. This is what John Mann is claiming.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, it hurts.

[Chris]

He said the bid on John Boy with Katie versus the bid on Casuals with John Boy. Despite you saying the bid on John Boy, naming the best by each position did not make sense. Verse. Let's pick a zodiac sign for each fan base. Sorry. Point John Boy. I disagree. I love that one.

[Katie Nolan]

That's so wrong.

[Chris]

So wrong.

[Katie Nolan]

You just don't know what your moon sign is. But I can tell by this. You're a Sagittarius. I have no. I don't have him in front of me. I wish I knew one that was an actual burn. What's the second point?

[Chris]

The second one MLB invests in John Boy. Another point. We brought that up on Monday.

[Listener]

Somewhat legitimate, boys, because Jimmy got really rich last week.

[Chris]

I know, it's pretty good. I'm enjoying this thus far. And he also points out at the end, Chris, no cricket banter with Jimmy. Actually, the first time I met Jimmy, we chatted. I say we chatted cricket for half an hour. It was mostly Jimmy talking about cricket at me for half an hour because I had been out of the cricket loop for a couple of years and he was just filling me in on everything about the Australian cricket team and whatnot. But once the Ashes come around, I'd love to chat more cricket with. With Jimmy.

[Katie Nolan]

Does it take like three days to fill someone in on cricket as well or just to watch it as a sport? Great.

[Chris]

There's a lot to talk about. Lots of watch. But it's a lot of fun.

[Katie Nolan]

Two, nothing. Do we really think John Boy's up?

[Chris]

I'm giving us the first one maybe. One all.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, one all. Sorry.

[Isabella]

Did John Boy get a gritty.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, my God.

[Chris]

Good point.

[Katie Nolan]

Two.

[Chris]

One.

[Katie Nolan]

I think one or two. Yeah, we got. We could. Actually that's what I should have brought them because remember when they came here and they brought me this broken frog?

[Isabella]

Oh, true.

[Katie Nolan]

And I was trying to figure out what the hell they were trying to say to me by bringing me this broken frog when I went to their studio. Frogs everywhere. So it really was just a. But once I. Here's what happens with me. I was getting off of the subway. I had all the things checked. I was like, okay. I didn't forget to bring my purse. I didn't forget to put makeup on. I didn't Forget to get my keys as I'm coming out of the subway. I went, oh, I didn't bring them a gift. They brought me a gift and I'm forgetting to return the favor and bring them a gift. What I should have done was get our itty bitty gritty. Our second one.

[Isabella]

Which one do you categorize as the second one? Are you going to give them the boxing one or the. The pool time gritty?

[Katie Nolan]

I think I'd have to keep the pool time one. I just love a party gritty, you know, boxing gritty. They could maybe have. Maybe we would buy a.

[Isabella]

Would you also give them some. Some belly buttons?

[Katie Nolan]

I'd give them a belly button.

[Isabella]

Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

I don't think I could spare more than one. Certainly not with their father speaking to me the way that he does. I say their father like he's the dad of the website. He's the full blown dad of that. Yeah, I think that's how that works.

[Chris]

And then just a reminder, Yankees Red Sox tonight, it's most night. Series begins again.

[Katie Nolan]

It's tonight. I thought it was tomorrow night. It's tonight.

[Chris]

Oh, tomorrow, you're right. There's a game off tonight. Yeah, I just saw that. It was the next game that the.

[Katie Nolan]

Well, that leads into housekeeping because I'm actually going to be live streaming that game, Friday night's game with our friend Miro, who you guys met. He's been a guest on this podcast. I was a guest on his. I was drunk. Now here's my issue with that, that I kind of need your guys's guidance with. He is. He does these live streams. Watch along live streams with Dylan Batances, who used to be a he. He's pitched for, I believe, the Mets as well. But I knew him as a Yankees picture and I hated him. And I wasn't quiet about that. And now here's the thing. Partially it's because my mom and I used to always joke about this. He reminds me of an ex I had that we do not think of fondly. And so I've like, unfairly been really kind of mean to him. And now I have to go do this socks Yankees livestream with him and a huge Yankees fan. And I just feel like I'm gonna throw up. How do I handle that?

[Listener]

Be prepared. Banis is a sneaky, gigantic human being.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, well, it's a live stream so I don't have to, like, see him in person. We're not gonna be like standing next to each other.

[Listener]

Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

Physically, no, it's a live Stream.

[Isabella]

Is this gonna be on Twitch? On ig?

[Katie Nolan]

I don't know what platform he uses, but it's like. It's like this. It'll be this. But on a baseball game.

[Isabella]

Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

You know, I think. I don't know. I haven't gotten the email of the info. I just said yes.

[Listener]

I got the room talk all.

[Katie Nolan]

I got the all caps and. Oh, you're saying that I should not be afraid of him because we're not in the same room.

[Listener]

Oh, it's much easier.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Isabella]

Wear like, his jersey or something.

[Katie Nolan]

What? That's the worst possible advice.

[Listener]

Which Red Sox players own Dylan Botanzas? Let's just casually bring them up.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, yeah. Who? Find out. Find out for me.

[Chris]

Or wear their jersey.

[Katie Nolan]

It's also been very fun. You know, I got that sick ass city connect jersey from the MLB store. Number one thing I love about that, I saw people go, where? How the hell did she get hers? I ordered mine and it's still not here. And I kind of feel bad. I realized that, like, it's easier to get it in New York than it is in Boston, I think, at the moment. Wow. But that's just how it is. But I went. I went back in to exchange it because I bought it at the wrong size. And the fun thing about buying a Boston jersey in New York is that every time you check out, you have to have playful banter with the checkout crew because they are most likely not fans of the Boston Red Sox. The first time, when I bought it with yours, Isabella, with the Mets jersey, I think the guy was trying to be helpful. I didn't understand, but he said, you sure that's the right New York team? I think he meant like, you clearly think there's a game coming up between New York and Boston. I think you're buying two jerseys. You realize this is not the right New York team. And I said, you couldn't pay me to buy a jersey of the other New York team. And then he was like, all right, I wasn't trying to fight. I was just trying to make sure you left with everything that you needed. Okay. But then this last time, the guy was trying to fight and he got a fight because he had a woman back there with him who was his, I don't know, co worker or what, but she was a Mets fan. And I clocked that. I was like, you seem smarter. You seem like a Mets fan. And she was like, I am. And then we ganged up on him. And then he brought up the Angels and how many games we lost to them. And I was like, I don't think that's any of your business. What does that have to do with you? Nothing. So shout out to everybody who works at that store. What?

[Listener]

Holy shit. Dylan Batanzis is really good. No one. No one ever hit two home runs off Dylan Batanzis.

[Katie Nolan]

He was so good. He's so good. And he looked like my shitty ass ex. He also, like. The other thing is he doesn't. You know how they say Isabella, have you ever heard the phrase boyfriend heir?

[Isabella]

No. Or, like, thinking of a boyfriend that farts?

[Katie Nolan]

I think they also. No, I think they also talk about, like, office Air. It's just a boyfriend. You guys don't hold it in until we get married. I've never experienced that Dan shit. With the door open on, like, our second date. I was like, okay, incredible. And here we are. No, it's like a boyfriend heir or office air. It's like when you go outside, you don't feel like you look the same as you looked when you were, like, in your apartment yourself. I don't know. What I'm trying to argue for the existence of is that there is baseball air where, like, when I would see Dylan Batanzis in a baseball game. Game, he looked it one way. And then when I see him now, like, do things, I'm like, oh, that doesn't really look like my ex at all. But on the mound with his hat, with the angles that the camera was at, it looked enough like my boyfriend that. But now I feel like I. He doesn't even look like him. So it's really not even a thing.

[Listener]

Aaron Sibia faced Dylan Batance's one time and hit a grand slam.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay.

[Listener]

Fit a JP Air in Sybia.

[Katie Nolan]

And that's. And that person, JP Aaron Sibia, former Blue Jays catcher. Okay. For how long? A long time.

[Listener]

A couple years.

[Katie Nolan]

All right. Okay. Other pieces of housekeeping, which is usually when we just update on stories we've already talked about. Remember House v. NCAA that we tried to make sense of with. With Dallin the other day? There's already a lawsuit filed against it. I read this on Front Office Sports. There is a Title 9 lawsuit. The group is arguing that the calculation to distribute the $2.8 billion in damages violates Title 9 because female athletes would theoretically receive less money than football and men's basketball players in damage payments and revenue sharing. Their attorney estimated it, quote, deprives female athletes of $1.1 billion. Paying out the money as proposed would be a massive error that would cause irreparable harm to women's sports. The settlement suggests schools would have paid male athletes over 90% of their revenue over the past six years, as though Title 9 didn't apply. If Nike wants to do that, that's their choice. If the school or a conference acting on the school's behalf tries to do that, they are violating the law. They can either pay the athletes proportionately or they can return all their federal funds, but they can't do both. This was an interesting wrinkle to the whole thing because as somebody who's been loosely following the paying college athletes conversation throughout the years, I know that originally the argument against was if you pay college athletes, you're not going to like the fact that the ones you don't bring in a lot of revenue, I. E. Smaller sports or women's sports will not see the same compensation. And that would be a Title 9 issue. So we will see what happens. This feels like a constantly, exhaustingly evolving story. I just wanted to update you that that is happening also. Sad news, but a part of my childhood. So I wanted to shout out Ananda Lewis, the MTV VJ has died at the age of 52 from her fight with breast cancer. I don't think kids understand mtv what it was for us, or even, I guess, people a little older than us, More so. But VJs were a huge part of, like, our childhood. That's where we got, like, our news. That's where we learned things. That's like their personalities were. And Ananda Lewis was fantastic and her story is very sad. So I just wanted to shout her out and thank her for, you know, telling me all about probably NSync. I was really big into NSYNC sync and I'm not embarrassed by that. Okay. I liked in sync better than like in the Backstreet Boys.

[Chris]

I was more of a 5 fan.

[Katie Nolan]

The number 5 in the IV is that baby when the Lights Go Out. Is that the song they sang? Yeah, that was a good song.

[Listener]

It's weird because that came out right after seven. And they're such different things. But these styles. The movie the same way. Yeah.

[Isabella]

The.

[Katie Nolan]

Where it was se the number seven en.

[Listener]

Yeah. And then there were five one Ve. Like, you guys have no relation. But that's the same demographic marketing guy.

[Katie Nolan]

That's the same demo. Do you think there was a debate over where this. What letter the seven would replace? Because it doesn't Options. Right. It doesn't really look like a V. So why wouldn't you just put it.

[Isabella]

As the S. It was a creative swing.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Listener]

Looks like.

[Katie Nolan]

No, that certainly doesn't look like Levin. I don't know where URLs come from.

[Isabella]

But that would be scary.

[Katie Nolan]

It is. It is. Isabella's like, I have a thing to say. What's in the box?

[Isabella]

Oh, I don't like that.

[Katie Nolan]

I don't like the box any more. Housekeeping. Oh, I went to that Liberty game. I went to that Liberty game. It was so fun. Ellie is okay. I saw Ellie up close and I, I, I panicked. I didn't say anything. I didn't do. I just went like.

[Chris]

You got starstruck.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, I went like Ellie and I was dancing along with her and then I.

[Isabella]

Did she have any accessories on?

[Katie Nolan]

I mean, always. Suza is always dressed to the nines. My friend I was with alleged that she's gotten some enhancements over the last.

[Listener]

Now you're, you're doing a hand gesture to imply where these would be enhancements.

[Isabella]

Yeah, it's an odd hand on her butt.

[Katie Nolan]

That's.

[Isabella]

You know, this is an audio podcast.

[Katie Nolan]

And it's not even coming from me. I'm suggesting that my friend said that that might be a thing and I say her suit, her choice, you know, whatever she feels she wants to do. Did we talk about Mrs. Met on this podcast or. That was off podcast?

[Listener]

We have not done mascot bb when.

[Katie Nolan]

You sent that text. Okay. All right. Brady sent a really inappropriate text to try to get to the, to get to the bottom of whether or not Mrs. Met is a suit or just a person.

[Listener]

I sent the text that needed to be sent. No, to get this specific information, arguably about the lower half construction of Mrs. Met.

[Katie Nolan]

The coolest thing about the. I mean, look, I hadn't been. I've told you, I have not been to a WNBA game. That was my first one. And I'm sorry to the Golden State Valkyries, to whom I am still loyal. I didn't wear any, like, Liberty stuff, okay, so don't freak out. But it was packed. The energy was awesome. It was such a. I don't know why. All the sporting events I've ever been to and I've never considered that like an in game promotion for Fenty Beauty, would I? I was like, oh, I'd never even noticed that this isn't the kind of stuff that's usually in a game and it was just geared towards women and it was. There were men there, dude. My. The thing that made me the happiest, I saw these like nine, like a group of four, nine year old Kids all in Liberty gear just like running around like playing at the, at the arena. They didn't think it was weird they were there. Like they've never known a life without the wnba. So it was just like a. I don't know, it's like a glimpse into the future where I wasn't terrified and crying, I guess where I felt a little bit hopeful. But the, the, yeah, the coolest moment was Coco Goff was there. And they do the celebrity row every now and then. They'll just like announce a person who's there.

[Isabella]

Like the cash was literally call it celebrity row.

[Katie Nolan]

You're absolutely right. Thank you so much. It is a celebrity row. Swin Cash was there and they, and then they, it was like they showed her highlights. So you know that they're about to say Coco Gauff is there. And the place went nuts. I took a video, but it's really blurry because my camera was. I hadn't wiped it off and if I stopped to wipe it off, I wouldn't have gotten it. So. But they exist on the Internet. You can look them up. The place went nuts. And then yesterday I'm scrolling through TikTok for the one of the 10 minutes I was allowed to have my phone and I bumped into this video from Coco Goth I thought was so sweet.

[Listener]

Hey guys. I'm just wrapping up like a two day kind of press tour that I did in New York. I just came from the Liberty game and like they announced me that I was there and like the whole arena was cheering for me, which I wasn't expecting just because I. It's not my sport. You know, I'm at a basketball game and it just made me realize like, how many people like see me and this is crazy. And I really appreciate you guys. Like, every congratulations. Every we love you. Every, every we support you. Every I was rooting for you. Like, really means a lot to me. And like, I know like an interview sometimes I try to hold the emotions back and like I'm right now trying to do it. Like I'm like feeling the tears coming, but it just, it means a lot. Like, it's like the tennis thing is one thing, but the fact that so many people are connecting and come up to me just for my personality and just on a personal level, like, it's crazy and you know, I'm. I just like, it just means a lot. So thank you. I see you, I appreciate you. And I might be turn off my phone for a few days. I don't even know, not turn it off, but, like, not posting as much. I don't know. Maybe I will. I don't know. But I just want to say thank you. That's all.

[Katie Nolan]

I thought that was real sweet.

[Isabella]

That's sweet.

[Katie Nolan]

See that from, like, a woman who just, you know, won on a huge international stage, that she comes home and was, like, taken aback by the support that she got was really sweet. And so. Shout out Coco Gauff. Shout out the Liberty. Shout out Ellie. Sorry, I didn't say anything. I got too scared. But your dance moves are really great. Oh, and shout out the timeless torches. A group I've always been a fan of from afar, but had yet to see in person. They're older. I don't even know, actually, because a couple of them looked my age. So I suppose we can all be timeless. But they are not young. They are a dance group, I guess is what you'd call them. And they danced to Thriller. And it was just a blast. It was just a blast. And then, like, after they were done, the torches were just, like, walking around dancing the way that people who just like to dance do. It was just a fun vibe, and it was just a really fun vibe. And I would really recommend going to Liberty games. They were great.

[Isabella]

They're a lot of fun.

[Katie Nolan]

A lot of fun.

[Isabella]

I noticed the same thing that you were saying is, like, it's just because I've been to both a WNBA game, I've been to an NBA game, and it's just when I went, I was like, oh, this is like a different vibe. And I.

[Katie Nolan]

With it. Yeah, the food sucked. I'll say.

[Isabella]

Oh, you don't like. You didn't like the Barclays?

[Katie Nolan]

That might just be Barclays. The popcorn was not salty. Question mark. Oh, that's like, when you buy.

[Isabella]

You bring your own salt.

[Katie Nolan]

What's up? That's like the. When you buy popcorn in a bag like that, Like a popcorn that I'm gonna open and eat. Like, it's cold. It has to be. It's supposed to be, like, so buttery, so salty. You buy it so that you drink your beer. That's what it's. That's what I thought we all agreed on. And I took a bite of it, and I was. I immediately checked the package. Like, did I get diet popcorn by accident? And I didn't. It was the regular popcorn, which sucks.

[Chris]

Popcorn at a sporting event is still strange to me.

[Katie Nolan]

That's your strange.

[Chris]

I haven't gotten used to it.

[Katie Nolan]

What would you eat at a. What's wrong with popcorn?

[Chris]

To me, Popcorn is exclusively a movie snack in a.

[Katie Nolan]

If it's in an open ended bucket with layers of butter in it. Yeah, but I'm talking like a bag. Something that if I want to eat a snack and a, you know, I don't want to carry a tray. Something I just want to pop under my arm and take with me to my seat. Big bag of salty, shitty pop. Well, get over it. So is the fact that your toilet's flush the wrong way so's saying arvo, you know, and sort of after.

[Listener]

Chris, explain Australian meat pie.

[Chris]

The amount of time I've saved in my life by not having to say afternoon meat pie. Meat pie is incredible. What are you talking about?

[Listener]

Like, popcorn's weird. A sporting event. Have a meat pie.

[Katie Nolan]

Tell me more than meat.

[Chris]

Meat pie is the ultimate.

[Katie Nolan]

You gotta say more than meat. If it's hidden, I will say that if it's hidden inside of a pie, you have to tell me what the meat is and what else is happening with it.

[Chris]

Inside of pie.

[Katie Nolan]

Ooh. That doesn't make me want it more.

[Isabella]

Oh, I'm on a different wave. This is sounding pretty good.

[Katie Nolan]

Is it ground beef?

[Isabella]

Okay. What do you got? You got some peas in there, some carrots.

[Chris]

Sometimes there's different ones. Usually you can get, you know, two or three different ones. Sometimes there's like onions in some of them, peas in some.

[Isabella]

Add to the men.

[Chris]

Add to the Barclays. Yeah.

[Katie Nolan]

Or don't.

[Listener]

There was. I texted you from WrestleMania last year. There's a place selling them in Philly, like at Lincoln Financial. There's a whole stand of just Australian meat pies. I think I said to Chris, what is this? Way more common than I would have ever imagined.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, they're very common. I think England does them too, don't they?

[Chris]

Yeah, probably. Sausage rolls are a big thing as well. Pies and sausage rolls are sort of the thing.

[Katie Nolan]

And a sausage roll is like a hot dog.

[Chris]

Not really.

[Katie Nolan]

And in what ways is it not?

[Chris]

It's. It's like. It's what? What sort of meat is a sausage roll?

[Isabella]

Where are we going when this podcast should be pork?

[Katie Nolan]

It's got to be pork sausage. No.

[Chris]

I'm guessing so. And then you've got like a pastry wrapped around it.

[Katie Nolan]

It's crazy how little it matters to you. It. So it's like a. It's like a pig in a blanket. Ooh. But big. A big in a blanket.

[Listener]

The meat pie looks like an uncrustable. Filled with, instead of peanut butter or jelly, just unnamed meat. And that's the biggest issue is, like, can't see it.

[Katie Nolan]

Learning about myself as a person.

[Chris]

And also, Isabella, sausage rolls are made with ground pork.

[Katie Nolan]

That's what I said. That's what a sausage is. So I'm glad we all agree on that at least.

[Isabella]

Yeah, sign me up.

[Chris]

And then you've got a bit of pastry over it. Nice and nice and crispy.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay.

[Chris]

Bit of tomato sauce on top, a little tomato sauce.

[Katie Nolan]

That's not ketchup, right?

[Chris]

It's the same.

[Katie Nolan]

So it is. Is tomato sauce what you call ketchup? Yes. Okay. And salad cream. Is that you or is that England?

[Chris]

What the fuck is salad cream?

[Katie Nolan]

I think that's what they call dressing. Mayo. Oh, maybe not. It's a something salad cream. I bumped into it for the first time and I said, what is this?

[Listener]

Is it just mayonnaise?

[Katie Nolan]

I think it's mayo. But something. Something else. But I don't know what the something else is. And I'm not allowed to look at my phone. You know, summer isn't just for playing sports. It's for the conversations around sports too. You know, the casual hangouts, whether they're inside in the air conditioning or out on the beach with fellow sports fans. Whatever kind of summer mood you're in, Starbucks has a beverage to match. Like the Summer Berry Refresher, the unofficial drink of the summer. It's so good, it's sweet, but not too sweet. It's three berry flavors and it's everything I never would have thought I wanted, but absolutely do want. It's perfect for sipping while you catch up on last night's scores. No matter what, whether it's that drink or one of their other summer drinks, your summer favorites are ready at Starbucks.

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[Listener]

In the summer, all of Oregon is our playground thanks to our incredible park system. That's why it's so cool that Oregon Lottery gamePL, video lottery or Cash Pop helps support tons of parks projects statewide like accessible trails at Silver Falls State park or upgrades to your favorite dog park in Newburgh. It's Just one way. A little lottery play from many Oregonians can add up to a lot of good the Oregon Lottery. Together, we do good things. Lottery games are based on chance and should be played for entertainment only. Must be 18 or older to play.

You know that feeling when someone shows up for you just when you need it most?

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Listener]

I mean, we all need that. That's what Uber's all just a ride or dinner at your door. It's how Uber helps you show up for the moments that matter. Because showing up can turn a tough day around or make a good one even better. Whatever it is, big or small, Uber is on the way. So you can be on yours. Uber on our way.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay. NBA Finals Game 3 recap. The Pacers now lead the NBA Finals 2 1. After a 116 to 107 Game 3 win over the Thunder in which they outscored Oklahoma City 32 to 18 in the Final quarter, the Pacers improved to. Okay. The Pacers improved to nine and one in clutch games this season. What does that mean?

[Chris]

It's being within a certain margin in the last couple of minutes. I don't know exact metrics of it, but it's. It's incredible.

[Katie Nolan]

It's like a real thing. Okay. The most clutch wins in a single postseason since the Miami Heat went 11 and three in such games in 2020. According to ESPN research. Uh, teams that win game three of a 1:1 NBA finals have gone on to win the whole thing 80.5% of the time. I don't know how much that stat actually dictates what's going to happen, but it is a stat and we told it to you. Um, Tyrese Halberton, my new best friend, had 22 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists. The Pacers bench outscored OKC's bench 49 to 18. Benedict Mathurin?

[Isabella]

I think so.

[Katie Nolan]

Matheran.

[Isabella]

Never mind.

[Katie Nolan]

Benedict Matheran scored a game high 27 points off the bench, the most points for a reserve in an NBA Finals game since Jason Terry in 2011. Indiana shot 35 for 58. That's 60.3% on two pointers. That's the second best anyone has done against the Thunder this season. Is that low? Like, are the Thunder that good or.60.3 is high? Because I think an average person.60.3. That's not like a passing. I mean, it's a passing grade.

[Listener]

I mean, it's just for twos, right? That's pretty high for.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, yeah, sure. I don't know. I like my NBA teams to hit 80 of their shots? I don't know. Says the Celtics fan who had them hit like 1% of their.

[Chris]

Isabella, as. As a potential coach of the Knicks, what would you anticipate your team shooting from the field? What percent?

[Isabella]

These are a lot of numbers.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. What? Just the percentage that you'd like your team to shoot from the field.

[Isabella]

Oh.

[Chris]

If you were the head coach, what would your team be?

[Isabella]

Anything lower than 90 is unacceptable.

[Katie Nolan]

Wow. You hear that, New York? And you haven't called.

[Chris]

That's a potential 82 win season right there.

[Katie Nolan]

90% from the field. Now here's her little caveat that she's not mentioning 10% from the free throw line. They just are terrible at the line, but they'll hit 90% of their shots.

[Isabella]

Yeah, don't worry.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, don't worry about it. It's part of the process and you must trust it.

[Chris]

Also, just to clarify really quickly, clutch is defined as the game being within five points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay, that makes sense. That does make sense. Isabelle, don't you feel like we got smarter here today? I do, yeah.

[Isabella]

Is it gonna stay after the recording? I don't know.

[Katie Nolan]

No, probably not. But that's okay. Why would it need to? Why would it need to?

[Isabella]

I don't know when the Knicks want to interview me and I'm gonna be like, fuck, what was the one in three and five?

[Katie Nolan]

Neither team. Neither of these two teams has lost two games in a row all postseason. Isn't that nuts? In fact, the Pacers have not dropped back to back games since March 8th and 10th. Damn, that's not recent.

[Chris]

They're on some sort of streak. They finished the regular season as arguably the most informed team. Which is why it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that they're performing this well in the Finals. Even though it still is a surprise that they're performing this well in the NBA Finals.

[Katie Nolan]

Game four is in Indianapolis on Friday night, 8:30 Eastern on ABC. Hey, that's cool. We don't have to wait six weeks. Again, that feels like a nice quick turnaround.

[Chris]

It is nice. And we got hockey tonight to bridge the gap between the two games.

[Katie Nolan]

That's right. That's right. What time is that game? At 8 on TNT on DAZN. Just found out what Dazone is.

[Chris]

8 o' clock on TNT.

[Listener]

We had an emailer.

[Katie Nolan]

What?

[Listener]

We can come back to basketball. We had an emailer point out to us why Dazone. Dazone is apparently suddenly back and we thought that it was gone. And why they suddenly have. Yeah, mystery money. Saudi Arabian investment.

[Katie Nolan]

No. Oh my God.

[Listener]

Yeah.

[Katie Nolan]

Everything in sports, I feel like when it gets an infusion of cash you have to go, is this. What do they call it? Sports washing? I think it's sports washing.

[Listener]

Okay, so good For February of 2025, Dazone sells a minority stake to Saudi Arabia in a landmark one billion dollar deal.

[Katie Nolan]

And which disgraced sports media executive to zone now.

[Listener]

Give me enough time.

[Katie Nolan]

Cuz for a minute there it was almost like a developmental league, but the opposite. So it's for people who had been there for a while, couldn't, Weren't allowed around anymore. Yes, exactly.

[Listener]

But okay rotation.

[Katie Nolan]

The Orioles are doing okay.

[Listener]

They're doing better.

[Katie Nolan]

You guys won by a lot last night, didn't you?

[Listener]

Yeah, 10101 over the Tigers on Bark at the park night.

[Katie Nolan]

Ah, that's why it was dog power.

[Listener]

Jackson, Holiday and three Bark at the park games this year. Six for 14.

[Katie Nolan]

You guys have already had three Bark at the park games.

[Listener]

You should have 81 Bark in the Park.

[Katie Nolan]

I agree. But you've had three. How many do you have a season?

[Listener]

Well, you got to cram them all in early because in the summer it's too hot for the dogs. You do them early in the year.

[Katie Nolan]

I mean, it depends on the dog.

[Isabella]

Do other teams do this because I'm trying to attend a Bark in the Park?

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, other teams do this. Oddly enough, some teams do this on the same night that they have fireworks scheduled at the park. Oh, and then people start scrambling to get their dogs out before the fireworks go off because famously dogs and fireworks do not mix. And then you've got like hundreds of dogs at a baseball field thinking that bombs are going off and that's a nightmare. So I would recommend to any baseball teams listening to this, if you've got Bark at the park this year, no fireworks that night. Okay.

[Chris]

Should be a no brainer.

[Katie Nolan]

Let's be. You'd think you'd think. But let's be cool about this. That was basketball talk. She brought it up before, but we need to really drill in on this. Isabella to the Knicks is getting more and more likely as the days progress because on Wednesday morning the Mavs firmly rejected the Knicks request to speak with head coach Jason Kidd about the open head coaching position that the Knicks have. This comes after Houston, Minnesota, Chicago and Atlanta all rejected the Knicks request to speak with their respective head coaches.

[Isabella]

So my question is, does this look like they didn't have a plan? Yes or okay.

[Katie Nolan]

It seems like they thought at least they'd get to talk to more people than they have access to. We never. I don't think we hear that often about getting a request like this blocked, do we? I feel like, well, for lateral moves.

[Listener]

Yeah.

[Katie Nolan]

It's like, of course I'm not gonna let you talk to my head coach. He's my head coach.

[Listener]

Yeah. Moves don't get blocked when. Like, if the Knicks want to go talk to, like, the Bulls assistant coach, sure, we will. We will allow you to interview for a promotion somewhere else.

[Katie Nolan]

Right, but why would the Mavericks be like, that's what I was wondering.

[Isabella]

Is this. Is that a thing? Like, when do people. Do organizations typically ask other organizations out.

[Katie Nolan]

Of all these teams, Houston, Minnesota, Chicago, atl, and Dallas. I would have. Dallas is the only one I can defend. I would ask Dallas for their star player. I would just go, hey, while we're just. While you guys are out here yard sailing, maybe I could have your coach. Like, that one makes sense to me, but, yeah, the others to go, hi, can I talk to your head coach? Is like, hey, can I talk to your girlfriend? It's like, no, I. That's my girlfriend. We're dating.

[Listener]

Which really does make it sound like they have no plan.

[Chris]

Plan.

[Listener]

Because if you ask me if. If we talk on a Monday and you're like, what's the plan for podcast guests this week? I'm like, I'll go see what LeBron's up to. I have no plan.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Listener]

Like, they can't just go say, look, here's all these good coaches out there.

[Katie Nolan]

Well, why did they see if they.

[Listener]

Want to coach our team now?

[Katie Nolan]

Because they felt. I think it's because they felt like they had to do something. I don't feel like it was. I mean, I heard a lot of criticism of. Of. I'm gonna do that thing again where I panic about what I'm doing with the H in his name. Tibbs. I. I heard a lot of criticism of Tibbs during the. During their run, of how he was the reason they weren't, you know, the matchups he was putting out there weren't the right. You know. Yeah, I don't know, because, look, I don't coach Isabella. You do.

[Isabella]

Yeah.

[Katie Nolan]

I'm sure you saw some flaws in his game, but you just would think they'd have, like, who's out there other than Isabella? Who's available?

[Isabella]

Can they bring up an assistant coach or something? Or is that, like, they could if.

[Katie Nolan]

They had one in mind, which it doesn't seem like they do.

[Listener]

So Jay Wright was The one that people kept talking about, the unemployed former Villanova coach, because everybody on the Knicks played for Nova. And Jay. Jay Wright was like, no, I don't want to do this. And now that seems like the only step they've taken of a unemployed coach or someone who's not doing the current job.

[Katie Nolan]

I feel like they just got to sweeten the deal. I feel like Jay Wright makes too much sense. Just sweeten the deal for him. Why doesn't he want to do it?

[Listener]

The disconnect here for all of this is that we are trying to assign logic to something that a billionaire did.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Listener]

Jim Dolan making a whim decision.

[Katie Nolan]

You know, he should have known I'm.

[Listener]

Gonna fire my coach.

[Katie Nolan]

He should have known.

[Isabella]

Anyways, I'm available.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. What?

[Chris]

Gotta get Isabella in here. We do crazy. I. I have always thought it was strange that in the NBA you can trade for a coach. You can.

[Isabella]

Oh, you can.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, dude. I found out recently. Well, not recently. I GUESS it was 10 years ago now. But I found out you could trade sports media people if you wanted. If you figured it out enough.

[Listener]

The Devil Rays traded Lou Pinella for Randy Win. Like that was like a manager got traded for an outfielder, which is the weirdest swap.

[Katie Nolan]

ESPN and Fox Sports discussed trading me, and I believe it was Marty and. Or Ian Eagle. There was like a trade discussion that got reported on that. I fielded calls that morning from my bosses that were like, we just want you to know, no matter what you see today, we want you around and we love you. And I was like, what. What is this? What am I about to.

[Isabella]

Yeah.

[Listener]

So what were the parameters of this deal?

[Katie Nolan]

I don't remember. You'd have to look it up. Marty Smith, Iron Eagle. Katie Nolan, Bill Simmons, question mark. I think it was for Grantland. I think it was going to be Grantland.

[Chris]

Ish SiriusXM's own money Smith.

[Katie Nolan]

That's right. Marty Smith.

[Listener]

Throw a couple first round picks in here. This all work under the cap.

[Katie Nolan]

Broke the news of Dan and I dating by posting a video of us at Dan LeBatard's wedding. Marty Smith. Really? Yeah. And then Calden was so apologetic. I got a voicemail from him when I got off my flight that was like. I realized I did something I didn't think I was supposed to do. I am so sorry. Roll Tide.

[Chris]

He's a very sweet man.

[Katie Nolan]

So sweet. He's so sweet.

[Listener]

That's what you guys get for being romantic.

[Katie Nolan]

You know, we weren't gonna tell anyone, but there we were.

[Isabella]

Love.

[Katie Nolan]

Love.

[Isabella]

I'm doing.

[Katie Nolan]

What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. That's how the song goes, right?

[Chris]

Yep.

[Katie Nolan]

Sing it again. So, just to reiterate, Nyx, we will allow you to speak with Isabella. We're gonna have to hear some terms first, but we will. If we are open to the idea. If you want to reach out. Okay.

[Chris]

The percent from the field, she will guarantee 90%. Your team shoots.

[Katie Nolan]

64-6-8010-0043. If you want to reach us, we will call you back at Casual is.

[Isabella]

The podcast reach out there as well?

[Katie Nolan]

That's right.

[Isabella]

Thank you.

[Katie Nolan]

Thank you. Thanks. Thank you. Thanks so much. Next story. The World Anti Doping Agency, I believe we call that wada. I want Chris to say it because when he tried to tell me this story in our meeting yesterday, I was like, what are you saying? Say it.

[Chris]

Wada.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, maybe it's because we were out of context, but when you were like, waddle. You said it like waddle. Anyway, they said on Wednesday that they're gonna urge public authorities to shut down the drug fueled enhanced games planned in Las Vegas next year. We talked about this with. Who did we talk about this with? It was a comedian. It may have been Sam Morrill, but whatever. We talked about it in an episode about how they're doing these enhanced games where they are letting the athletes do performance enhancing drugs. Wada, the anti doping. Of course they're against it. They don't like doping. And that's what this league is based off of. Quote, we will urge the US authorities to find legal ways to block this initiative. Good luck with that. At this moment, World Anti Doping Agency president Withold Banka said on the sidelines of. I just love a good name that you're like, that's catchy. What?

[Listener]

You know who they replaced?

[Katie Nolan]

Do I know who they replaced?

[Listener]

The legend. The former head of WADA was Dick Pound.

[Katie Nolan]

What a legend. Dick.

[Listener]

There you go.

[Katie Nolan]

Isabelle. Nothing on Dick Pound, huh?

[Isabella]

Is this a person?

[Katie Nolan]

It is. He's still with us. He's still pounding retired, but it's a long life with a little help.

[Isabella]

I don't know you.

[Katie Nolan]

Seriously.

[Isabella]

So I was like, okay, this is a name they're familiar with.

[Katie Nolan]

Dick Pound.

[Isabella]

Dick Pound.

[Katie Nolan]

But he's gone. Pound is out. Bonkers in or Banka, I don't know. Leave me hanging on the sidelines.

[Isabella]

Thank you, Chris.

[Katie Nolan]

A meeting of Olympic sports bodies organizers of the game scheduled for next May. That seems soon. Promise one million dollar bonuses to beat world record times by athletes who will be encouraged to use performance dancing drugs under medical supervision. For the sake of athlete health and the purity of sport, of course, it must be stopped. The water leader said. Yeah, that seems right. I also found out since Stavros told me, actually I did his podcast, he told me they that Peter Thiel is involved in this. And he was like, you know, I'd be down for this idea, except Peter. I don't love that Peter Thiel's involved. And I'm like, yeah, you know, I do hate when my human experiments are being run by that shady billionaire.

[Listener]

It just sounds like something that it would be fun all the way up until it wasn't. Yeah, it would be fun all the way up until you like the first knee explodes.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Listener]

Running 100 meter.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just an interesting time where people are going. Seems like no one's really paying attention. Perhaps we can do this. Perhaps we can stuff people full of steroids and see if they can beat the swimming world record or whatever. So that's happening. Ohtani also happening. He threw just under 50 pitches to two minor league hitters on Tuesday at Pek park before the Dodgers face the Padres. Was that the game where they had a position player pitching in the sixth inning when KK Hernandez took the mound in the sixth inning against their rivals? They're like in division rivals. Crazy. Just a little sidebar there. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts now says the chance of Ohtani pitching in a game before the All Star break Begins, which is July 14, is north of zero. To reiterate. Ohtani, Shohei Ohtani, a two way player. He hits, he pitches. But last season had surgery. Brady, did he have actual like, was it Tommy John or was he just.

[Listener]

His second Tommy John?

[Katie Nolan]

Second Tommy John. So he was last year, did not pitch, only hit and then, you know, stole all those bases. He hasn't pitched in a major league game since Aug. 23, 2023, when he abruptly left in the second inning of his final start for the Angels. So he hasn't pitched for the Dodgers. I didn't even think of that. That's crazy.

[Listener]

That was risky when they signed him. Now I'm remembering, already hurt.

[Katie Nolan]

It's all coming back.

[Chris]

But he's still Brick rickles, still the.

[Listener]

First 5050 guy in history.

[Katie Nolan]

In history. Ohtani has demonstrated elite pitching ability when healthy. He went 3819 with a 301 ERA. And I don't think our listeners are going to care about winning WHIP personally. Isabelle, if you had to guess what WHIP WHIP stands for in terms of advanced metrics for baseball, and I'm not judging you at all. I'm asking you to guess.

[Isabella]

My first thought is the game Whip it or no. Is that what it's called?

[Katie Nolan]

Bop it.

[Isabella]

Bop it. I'm sorry.

[Katie Nolan]

No, it's much different.

[Isabella]

Whip it is the thing. Isn't that the like helium?

[Listener]

Whip it is.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, yeah, it is.

[Isabella]

Never mind.

[Katie Nolan]

Whippet is very popular among college Ivy League college students. Students.

[Chris]

Interesting.

[Isabella]

Whip it Whip. Oh, not whip it. Whip is the.

[Katie Nolan]

The W stands for something. The H stands for. I'm just trying to help you. W stands for a word and the H and then the I and then the P. Way home.

[Isabella]

Home In. In Petco.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, it's how you get out of the. Oh, okay. I was gonna say it's how you get out of the store. Is like this is the whip. Follow the whip. This is the way home in a Petco. This is how you get out. It's walks and hits per innings pitched. I believe. Walks and hit. Right. Walks and hits per innings pitched.

[Listener]

Yep.

[Katie Nolan]

He had a 108. That's if that's something you care about and that's good. And that's thumbs up on that. Yes.

[Listener]

Now do F4.

[Katie Nolan]

F4 is. Is. Well, it's wins above replacement. What's the F? Is that when they adjust it to the.

[Listener]

Oh, that's fangraph's measurement of wind. Above replacement.

[Katie Nolan]

What's the one where they adjust everything to 100? Is that.

[Listener]

That's ops.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, plus. That's when you put a plus.

[Isabella]

That's not a streaming service.

[Katie Nolan]

No, that's what it sounds like to me. Darts tonight. You guys on OPS? Click on over to Woba. He didn't pitch at all in 2019. Made two starts in 2020. Oh, look, all the questions I asked are answered right here. While recovering from Tommy John surgery, Ohtani has been only a designated hair since he agreed to a 10 year, 700 million dollar free agent deal with the Dodgers. Immediately won his third MVP award in 2024, batting.310 with 54 homers, 130 RBIS. Are we an RBI's podcast or are we an RBI podcast?

[Listener]

RBI. No, don't throw the S on it.

[Katie Nolan]

You did stickler. Oh, maybe Chris did. You're a stickler for it. People hate sticklers about it.

[Listener]

I guess.

[Katie Nolan]

Here's the argument, Isabella. Rbi. Rbi. When you get an rbi, it's a run batted in. So it means that like what I did at the plate caused somebody to score. Even if I just hit a single, somebody scored on my hit. That's one rbi. So plural. Rb. Eyes that sounds like run batted ins.

[Isabella]

Yeah. Whereas R. Would that be like if you got. Got more than one.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Isabella]

Score.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. Yeah. So, like, if I batted in two runs, some people say that's two RBIs, other people say that's two RBI because they think that the S is hidden within the rb. This isn't probably worth anyone.

[Listener]

The S is hidden in the S.

[Katie Nolan]

Is a part of the R. Yeah.

[Listener]

Well, it's already plural.

[Katie Nolan]

I don't know. I don't actually fall either way on it. I think it's fascinating.

[Listener]

Someone has three DUIs. Yes. There's an S on the end of that.

[Katie Nolan]

Why not? Those are dui.

[Listener]

They're not driving.

[Katie Nolan]

Driving's under the influence. They are attorneys general.

[Listener]

Driving's under said influence.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. Okay. DUI is fine. RBI is not fine. Also, 59 stolen bases. This is exciting. I think they've said he's going to pitch this year. Correct. Like, this is just saying that he might do it before the All Star break, but basically is almost. Almost guaranteed he's going to do it after the All Star break.

[Listener]

He's going. I mean, it's been a while since he got hurt.

[Katie Nolan]

Right.

[Listener]

He had surgery, like.

[Katie Nolan]

But it is his second Tommy John, so that does feel like a.

[Chris]

And he's been hitting.

[Katie Nolan]

Yes.

[Chris]

While he's been recovering.

[Katie Nolan]

Yes, just a little. Good point. Yeah, good, good. Really good point.

[Listener]

He can't go through the regular workouts.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. So I'm excited now. It's. It is happening with the Dodgers. That part I would say not thrilled about. Okay. But sh. Otani's greatness transcends, I guess, teams like, I root for him. How cool. How cool it is to watch him do what he does. And I've only watched him do it for the Angels. Is. Is. Is worth the fact that he's going to do it for a team that's already good. But here's my thing with the Dodgers, right? You've got everybody on your team. Do not put a position player on your mound in the sixth inning. Figure it out, okay? You've got every player, so maybe you don't get to go. Well, this game, we're not really gonna. You should be winning every game.

[Listener]

Their whole ass team is hurt. Like, all of their pitchers are down. They have guys you've never heard of in the. In the rotation. They just move Ben Kasparius into their.

[Katie Nolan]

Rotation and you don't know. I've got a Ben Kasparius shirt, okay?

[Listener]

Greatest field hockey player in NCAA history.

[Katie Nolan]

And that's why it's Actually, her shirt that I have. Why do you know so much?

[Listener]

Aaron Matson's a goat that fly.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, that. I know that name.

[Listener]

Yeah. Head coach at UNC now.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. She's like, literally the greatest in the history of the sport.

[Listener]

Yeah. When the Dodgers won the World Series, she was on the field with Ben.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, that's sick.

[Listener]

I was like, oh, I know you. Yeah.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, that's sick. Okay, so he's not a nobody then. He's royalty.

[Listener]

I mean, he's a nobody. He's a wag. He's.

[Katie Nolan]

He's a hab.

[Listener]

He's a hab.

[Isabella]

And what does that stand for?

[Katie Nolan]

Husband and boyfriend. Because WAG is wife and girlfriend.

[Isabella]

Oh, this actually does stand for something.

[Katie Nolan]

Well, it does now. Yeah.

[Isabella]

Is this a baseball term?

[Katie Nolan]

Yes. This is wag plus sports.

[Isabella]

Sports wise, I'm gonna enter a conversation and be like, yeah, well, I know what WAG is.

[Katie Nolan]

WAGs are a thing. That's a real thing. It's not a stat that. It's just a category of person. If you like to talk about wags, that means you're talking about the wives and girlfriends.

[Isabella]

That's win a great summer. Anyways, anywho.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, this also reminds me, while we're talking about the Dodgers, did you guys delete my comment in the casuals Instagram comment or did Instagram delete it because I. Because it was a threat?

[Listener]

The one where you threatened Ian, where.

[Katie Nolan]

I said I would kill him with a gun. I noticed that it's gone now, and I was just wondering.

[Listener]

You may have breached terms of service, threatening the host of all fantasy ever.

[Katie Nolan]

But his replies are still there, and that doesn't feel fair to me. It seems like he's talking to nobody. It was a very funny interaction, and I thought about using little asterisks, and I didn't because I was like, oh, don't. That'll look like I'm trying to be. And now it's just fully gone. So I was talking about Roman Anthony. He commented, future dodger.

[Listener]

And I replied, threat against your life.

[Katie Nolan]

And I replied, I will kill you with a gun. And then he said. And then he said, you guys traded the gun to the Dodgers for some guys in high A, which is very funny, but it's not as funny when I will kill you with a gun is not there anymore. Rude. It's just rude.

[Isabella]

I think it goes against community guidelines lines.

[Katie Nolan]

Am I silent or am I silenced? I love that no one has ever.

[Listener]

Lost a family member to a Ben Sherington trade, but to gun Violence, maybe so I don't think it's kind, I.

[Katie Nolan]

Guess, but I just feel like the Dodgers. If the Dodgers taking everybody we love isn't a threat to my life, what is? Okay, so that's baseball. Pope Leo. Oh, wait, this is still baseball then. And this is Pope Leo the 14th. I hate Roman numerals. Truly. We've got numbers now, so we don't have to do this anymore. Please stop. Like certainly stop with the, with the Super Bowl. Please, please. On Wednesday, Pope Leo the. I just said it and I have to do it again. 14th took his baseball fandom to the Vatican. The 69 year old Prevost was photographed wearing a classic White Sox hat during his weekly general audience. Obsessed with the idea of this, especially because being Pope comes with quite a few hats, fancy big hats. And he brought his own hat. He wore that hat. Guys, you don't seem as excited that baseball is being represented internationally.

[Listener]

Now the gears are turning. Could he brand the Pope hat?

[Isabella]

That's what I was just about to say.

[Listener]

You A White Sox logo on the papal tall thing.

[Katie Nolan]

Sure, sure. The papal.

[Isabella]

Was that good? No, no.

[Katie Nolan]

Do you want me to be honest?

[Chris]

Is just very funny. What a baseball cap within the context.

[Katie Nolan]

Of the Vatican, it's like, I like my Jesus. My Jesus wears a tuxedo T shirt type of a thing. I like my Pope in a baseball cap. I will say Pope has a room.

[Listener]

At the Vatican where, I mean, he's got an easy chair and a big TV and he's watching.

[Katie Nolan]

Does the Pope have a man cave? Does the Pope have a man cave at the Vatican? We need to know.

[Listener]

So if you're a die hard fan, his conditions for becoming Pope had to have been like, you gotta let me watch some games.

[Katie Nolan]

I need MLB tv. I need MLB TV in the vat. That's what they call it in the vat because in the vat I can watch baseball. That's what I would say. I wonder if they have blackout restrictions over there if you're not allowed to. I, I think that he has the ability to convert a lot of people to the faith. Because if the White Sox suddenly are good proof of miracle, you're telling me that won't make you think God is.

[Chris]

Real Catholicism or the faith of White Sox family?

[Katie Nolan]

I think the faith of Catholic Catholicism. If the White Sox suddenly now that the Pope is wearing their insignia, if the White Sox suddenly turn it around and are a good team, I mean they're certainly not the worst. Thank you, Colorado Rockies. This would be like proof of God. This is almost like a miracle. He could be sainted based off of this. I believe in order to be sainted, you have to perform two miracles. And I think turning around the White Sox, I would call it one. Would you not?

[Chris]

I would.

[Katie Nolan]

Thank you.

[Chris]

They're almost at 500 since he became Pope.

[Katie Nolan]

And tell me that ain't nothing. Look at God.

[Listener]

Two verified miracles. So now we even have a board verifying miracles.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, it's the same ones that are making sure any nil deals over $600 are on the up and up. Yeah. So Deloitte is in charge of the miracle verify. Deloitte verifies our miracles. What would his second one be? If his first one is to make the White Sox good again. His second one.

[Chris]

If he is part of that Villanova Knicks brotherhood. If Isabella gets the job as the Knicks head coach. That is the second miracle.

[Isabella]

That is the second miracle. All right, Never mind.

[Katie Nolan]

My God.

[Isabella]

Never mind. Put what is not. Francis.

[Katie Nolan]

Leo.

[Isabella]

Leo.

[Katie Nolan]

Damn. I think he just smited you instead. I feel like he heard you say.

[Isabella]

That and he was like, well, then fine, you're not.

[Katie Nolan]

He said the Pope said. And I'm quoting him here. I'm sorry, but I'm quoting him. This thinks I'm Francis, and that's crazy. That's great. I'm so sorry.

[Chris]

I believe it was Dis.

[Katie Nolan]

Dis said I'm Francis. There was an article in the Athletic, which is New York Times, so I think if you have a New York Times subscription, you can read the Athletic. That seems right. That tracks about the impact of sports gambling. They did their annual MLB player survey, and one of the things that came out of it was this article by Brady. It's your friend. What's his name?

[Listener]

Tyler Kepner.

[Katie Nolan]

That's right.

[Chris]

About what show he was on. On. Nobody mentioned the show that he was on.

[Katie Nolan]

The Simpsons. He was doing what?

[Isabella]

We don't talk about that show. Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

I just haven't seen it, and I don't like being left out of the jokes being made on my own podcast. What was he on? The Simpsons? No. You don't guess.

[Listener]

Bit. They were doing a baseball episode and Tyler was a.

[Katie Nolan]

That's cool.

[Listener]

Reporter in the crowd.

[Chris]

Very cool.

[Katie Nolan]

That's really cool. Anyway, that Simpsons guy wrote an article about the impact of sports gambling on players. And one of the fascinating things I found here. I do recommend you go read it, but was how often these players are being harassed. Via Venmo request. I'll read from this article. One veteran relief pitcher said he had gotten threats his entire career, but they've become more specific because of gambling. He, too, fears the worst. I've received something as simple as a Venmo request with a threat on it that says, you owe me $9,000 because you blew the game. I need you to send me that money or I'm going to find your family, he said. That's too far. We've communicated as players to MLB Security that we need to get a handle on this before it gets out of control. I don't want to say this, but something bad is going to happen and it's going to be like we told you so. Players said that it was different when fans focus more on their fantasy teams these days, they can tell there's a different level of intensity and that some fans want to take out their problems on the players, someone said. An anonymous veteran outfielder said it's the worst thing that's happened to the game since I've been up here. I think it's only going to get worse because of how popular it is. There are ways to bet pitch by pitch in the stadium during the game. I'll be in Wrigley in center field and I well, now we've narrowed it down and I have people telling me they're going to put money on me to hit a home run the next at bat. I do not need to know that, which I get. That is true. And we've talked about this before. It's a trend we're kind of loosely following here on our podcast, not brought to you by any gambling anything. It is fun. In the article they have to disclose that they have a partnership with one of them. But we've talked about this, about the just the rise of economic insecurity mixed with the rise of legalized gambling mixed with just I feel like we've seen a lot of fan player interaction stories recently and it just kind of feels like, you know, hopefully everything goes fine. But it does feel like a a tense environment in a new way. Sports are usually kind of tense, but this feels new and scaly. If I may a little bit.

[Listener]

Liam Hendrick got death threats because he blew a game in his return from cancer.

[Katie Nolan]

Yep.

[Listener]

Like he his first game back with the Red Sox after cancer and an elbow injury and he comes back, blows the game and then had to address people on social who were going after him because he lost them bets. Lance McCullers with Astros came back and, and, and came back from injury. Like he was out for like two years, kind of struggled out of the gate and said he was getting threats against him and his family.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. Which is cool. I think if it were my friends doing that, I'd go, hey, thumbs up. Hey, good way to go. Hey, cool job telling that guy who just came back from surviving cancer to die. That was sick and cool. That's what I'd say. Right, guys?

[Listener]

Not well adjusted humans.

[Chris]

Yeah. And it's part of the social media landscape where everyone feels empowered to say.

[Katie Nolan]

Whatever the hell they want to say. You're not allowed to say, okay. Our culture, not a costume, not something you can speak on. Chris is not on social media. Famously. He doesn't even own a tv. He likes the book better type of a guy. So you can't speak on this. Okay. Is that fair to say?

[Chris]

That's fair to say.

[Katie Nolan]

But he's right.

[Chris]

Part of the reason why I'm off.

[Katie Nolan]

It is the social media. It's where you think you can say anything to anybody. It is also weird when you're banking is the social media. Like, it's. As soon as a fan was able to request $9,000 from you just in the off chance you might hit the wrong button and send it to them, of course they're going to try. That's just like, I don't know. I don't think we need to. I try to make all. Sometimes I forget, but I try to make anything I do on Venmo private. Not cuz like, I move in a sneaky way. It's just like, I don't want to have to write a cute little comment about what I'm. I just want you to have this money.

[Listener]

Scotty Scheffler, before the US Open yesterday, was talking about how he had to get off Venmo for this reason. People were demanding money from him when he lost them bets, which is very rare, but also because he's been winning so much lately. Scotty Scheffler said he also had people just giving him money, which is also a very weird thing.

[Katie Nolan]

That's cool. I think someone's done that to me once.

[Isabella]

Yeah. You could give me money.

[Katie Nolan]

It was like 20 bucks. And I was like, I don't send back. I was like, I don't want this. This is. What is this? What is this? Immediately makes me go like, yeah. This makes me go like, is somebody coming for something? Is someone gonna go, I paid you $20. Now you have to. As a girl who has accepted a free drink from a man at a bar and then later come to find out that's supposed to. That meant I was entering into some Sort of social contract. I don't usually just accept money being handed to me because I'm afraid someone's going to go and that. And that means I get to show up outside your window. You said it was okay. You took my $20. It was like a joke. It was a joke about how it was a joke. Guys.

[Listener]

No one's comfortable laughing about your stories.

[Isabella]

Joke man showed up at your window.

[Katie Nolan]

Nobody did it. Nobody did it.

[Listener]

So, like, me and the bear are not supposed to be sitting in the woods clinking drinks and laughing like I'm staying away from this one.

[Katie Nolan]

I choose the bear. Especially if he's drunk.

[Isabella]

Just running zigzags.

[Katie Nolan]

That's what they say. You just got to be faster than whoever's with you.

[Listener]

If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lay down.

[Katie Nolan]

I, I. And he's talking about bears. I hated that. I just don't, I don't like that. I didn't like that at all. I know that it's about bear. You live in the woods.

[Listener]

You have to grow up with basic bear safety tips.

[Katie Nolan]

Sure. And that's a good one. And I just wish up in the woods.

[Listener]

Oh, yeah.

[Isabella]

Oh.

[Listener]

I did not grow up on a paved road.

[Isabella]

Are you joking right now? I don't.

[Listener]

No, I'm not.

[Katie Nolan]

I didn't pave my road.

[Isabella]

Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

Try that in a small town.

[Listener]

That's why I know bear safety.

[Katie Nolan]

Great. And it was, if it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lay down.

[Listener]

Yeah. And if it's white, you're just gonna die anyway because, like, polar bears will just kill you.

[Katie Nolan]

Whoa. Also, what are they doing there? Where are you? That they are. And let them kill you.

[Listener]

I mean, you're probably on their turf, right?

[Katie Nolan]

Let them kill you. They are endangered, are they not?

[Chris]

Not.

[Katie Nolan]

Have we reversed that cycle? Did Coca Cola bring back the polar bears?

[Listener]

AI Polar bears. So they're not even paying. Real polar bears.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, God. Robots coming for all our jobs.

[Isabella]

Yeah. Speaking of robots.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. Yeah. Doll.

[Isabella]

Did you probably call me dog?

[Katie Nolan]

Dog, Doll and darling. It was 3D words that all went, sup, dog?

[Isabella]

When I went in a Taco Bell drive through the other day, it was Rob does. Yeah. It was a robot who took my order.

[Katie Nolan]

Just thought it was the full time.

[Isabella]

Yeah. The whole time.

[Katie Nolan]

Because what bugs. Thank you. At a McDonald's drive thru, they go, welcome to McDonald's. Will you be using the app today? And when you go, no, they go, hi. What do you want? Yeah, go straight to a human.

[Isabella]

Right.

[Katie Nolan]

It starts as A robot. The Taco Bell one is a robot. All the way through.

[Isabella]

It was the whole way through. And they're like, do you like all the. Do you want to drink with that? That? No. Okay. Do you want some hot and mild sauce? Like, it was all the way to the end.

[Katie Nolan]

Were there any complications?

[Isabella]

No, actually, it was. And I was, like, not saying it, like, how. You know how sometimes when you're talking.

[Chris]

About Matthew McConaughey's talking about, it works so much better than humans.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. They didn't give you shrimp cocktail in the rain, did they?

[Isabella]

No. Stop. Supreme.

[Katie Nolan]

That's right.

[Isabella]

In the sun after running 10k. Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

Nice. Sick.

[Listener]

I was going to say this is entirely motivated by the track of 50k, right?

[Isabella]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Katie Nolan]

I think if you're going to let a robot take my order, I should be allowed to walk through the drive through. Thoughts?

[Chris]

Yeah, 100% should always be allowed to walk through.

[Katie Nolan]

I think so, too. We got in a lot of trouble for it in high school because we used to always. Did you guys have a parking lot that if nothing was going on or if you didn't know what the plans were for the night, everyone would meet up at the parking lot, and then some nights you would just end up. Up hanging out there all night, or is this just specific to my town?

[Isabella]

Yeah, that's a suburb thing.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Listener]

It was big amongst the not growing up on a paved road crowd. Yeah.

[Katie Nolan]

What is with this guy? What is with this guy? Anti pavement. It's like, it's done a lot of good for them.

[Isabella]

Brady was like, guys, let's meet up.

[Katie Nolan]

Where the.

[Isabella]

Where the brown bear.

[Katie Nolan]

Where the rubber meets the road, where the street lights don't go.

[Listener]

This has affected me. I never learned how to ride a bicycle for this.

[Katie Nolan]

What?

[Chris]

What? You can't ride a bike on an unpaved road. What are you talking about? That.

[Listener]

On a gravel road, it was very difficult for a child to learn how to.

[Katie Nolan]

Are you a child still?

[Listener]

I have gotten on a bike, and I think I can figure it out with my, like, idiot adult muscles, like, being able to pedal and not fall over. But I won't do it in public. Like, it doesn't.

[Katie Nolan]

Look, we got to get Brady on a city bike. Brady on a city bike is content. The Internet needs to see. We got to put a GoPro on a city bike and have him ride.

[Listener]

It around until I hit the first cab door.

[Katie Nolan]

Yes.

[Isabella]

Through midtown.

[Chris]

Did you not have grass anywhere growing up? Grass just didn't exist.

[Katie Nolan]

Exist.

[Listener]

It existed but it's on. I'm on a mountain. So it's like not even like flat grass.

[Katie Nolan]

Like we're, we're not mountain paved. What are you, are you like a survivalist? Are you Bear Grylls? What is this?

[Listener]

This was, this was, this is me as a child.

[Chris]

I refuse to believe there was no patch of anything that was available for you to learn how to ride a bike.

[Listener]

Can you not negate the experience of like wearing.

[Katie Nolan]

Wow, you really are. You're really discounting his lived experience of there being no pavement.

[Listener]

Like I'm sorry. It doesn't compute that there was not.

[Katie Nolan]

Damn sorry I was raised differently than you. Damn sorry my life's a little different. All right. The inaugural season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. AUSL has kicked off. It is a professional women's softball league for the world's best professional softball players. Four teams will compete in a 24 game slate followed by a three game championship series in a dynamic points based All Star cup. The Bandits, the Blaze, the Talons and the Volts. So that's all S's except the Blaze. Brady. So I know which team you're not rooting for.

[Listener]

Absolutely. Three out of four though.

[Katie Nolan]

I played for a Blaze.

[Chris]

Chickens have large talons.

[Listener]

The players are like.

[Katie Nolan]

Is that from the Simpsons?

[Chris]

No, that's from a Napoleon Dynamite.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, I was a Blaze. You were ablaze.

[Isabella]

You were blazed.

[Katie Nolan]

Not yet. I was still scared of it at that age. It was still giving me panic attacks. Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts will compete in the inaugural season. Featured players include 50 NCAA All Americans, athletes from each of the 11 NCAA title winning teams and other notable stars like Brie Ellis, Skyler Wallace and more. Lexi Kilfoyle. Yeah, and more. That's awesome. I was, I saw a thing promoting it that was like the level of talent is so deep on these rosters that like women whose names you've heard of, who are known for being incredible like home run hitters, power hitters are like at the bottom of the lineup because there's just so much talent. And I think it's an interesting idea to start small like this, to start with four teams so you can focus stack the rosters, make it super competitive. A shorter season that's sort of compact, I believe. Doesn't it travel all around the country?

[Listener]

Yeah, and it makes perfect sense that way. Like just bring it to people instead of expecting, you know, a local over and over for a whole season. Like yeah, yeah. That you're going to have fans coming to Birmingham like for an Entire summer.

[Katie Nolan]

And the cities they picked are interesting. I imagine it's based on research and how there's like an appetite for softball in those areas. But do we have the cities? Does anyone have the cities in front of them?

[Chris]

Okay, we got Rosemont, Illinois, Wichita, Kansas, Sulphur, Louisiana, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Norman, Oklahoma, Omaha, Nebraska, Seattle, Washington, Salt Lake City, Utah, Round Rock, Texas, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

[Katie Nolan]

Pretty cool. Pretty cool. Because like you said, you don't have to do it in a market where there's enough to sustain a team. You just have to bring it to a market that would want to watch the competition. I think it's fascinating. I'm excited to see how it goes. They're like backed by mlb, right? They've got like a. Yeah. So that's why you're seeing it on tv. I think this is very exciting. There's never really been an option for what to do after softball. And if you've watched the, you know, College World Series, which we are fresh off of, it's exciting competition. I know we've done a lot to speed up baseball in the past few years, but softball is naturally faster anyway. And you can pitch just like all the time. You have the same pitcher all the time. Not that they probably will, but you can.

[Listener]

They could. Tegan. Tegan. Kevin threw 31, 31 and 2/3 in the Women's College World Series. Like she was out there every day.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, it's pretty sick. So that's that. We just wanted to tell you about that. Tune in to that. We should probably pick a team as a podcast that we root for. We won't pick the Blaze, Brady. Don't worry, Talons. Although I do have the merch. Probably still at my parents house. Some old Blaze jerseys from my softball days.

[Isabella]

The Bandits.

[Listener]

I'm gonna go Bandits.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay. Maybe.

[Chris]

Maybe the name of an ABL team that aren't the Melbourne Aces, though, so. I don't like the Bandits.

[Listener]

Bandit is also Bluey's dad, so.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay. And Bandit is my friend's dog, so I could see a conflict of interest.

[Isabella]

How do you say that? Third one. Talone.

[Katie Nolan]

Talons.

[Isabella]

Talons. Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

You like them? It's like a claw.

[Isabella]

Oh.

[Katie Nolan]

So maybe we could get our nails done.

[Isabella]

Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

And be the Talons.

[Isabella]

Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

We're very talented. That might be our team. We got a couple things here for you. Don't see that every day, but I feel like we're at an hour plus. Yeah.

[Isabella]

Yes.

[Chris]

We're well and truly.

[Katie Nolan]

Well and truly past an hour plus. I left my little Timer at home again. So we are just out here flying blind. But I do. I think if there was one we wanted to mention, I think, well, Brady, you did want to talk about the bat dog. Can you tell the story of how the bat dog got promoted?

[Listener]

The Nationals have called up Bruce the bat dog from aaa. Bruce retrieves the bats at AAA after batter's bat. And, you know, it makes sense that if you have a golden retriever, he's gonna go get the stick off the field and bring it back to your. So Bruce has been called up to the majors for Saturday's game against the Marlins. He will be retrieving for the Nationals at Nationals Park. Bruce earned his promotion, posting a 1000 retrieving averages and 3, 3 appearances at AAA. He is a goodest boy. I'm very excited for him. This will be the Nationals pups in the park also on Saturday.

[Katie Nolan]

So they don't just call it bark and that. They have to call it something different.

[Listener]

I don't know why they're calling it everyone else's bark in the park. Their pups in the park.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay, maybe they don't want them to bark. Maybe they want to silence them.

[Listener]

They did a video of AAA manager Matt Lacroix breaking the news to. To Bruce that he would be getting the call up. Called him into his office, said, look, we really appreciate you've. You've put your. Your heart and soul into this, made all the adjustments. Now you're heading up to the bigs. And they cut over to Bruce and he had the same exact reaction as Paul Skeens to Paul schemes. Getting told that he was getting the opening day, which was nothing.

[Katie Nolan]

He just went, cool, cool. Okay, cool. I think it's probably because one of those understands what was said to them. And the other one I don't think knew were there t words involved. I'm not allowed to say T r e a t s because Myrtle will go nuts. But did they give the dog a lot of T words?

[Listener]

No, no. He was just sitting like a good boy on his own.

[Katie Nolan]

How do you not give a good boy T words when he's getting a promotion?

[Listener]

Because this is a good boy with a job. He's fashionable.

[Katie Nolan]

You can pay good boys with jobs.

[Listener]

God, I'm just a little. I'm more upset that the fact that it took this long. It's June.

[Katie Nolan]

I know. Three games, though.

[Listener]

It's June. We had to manipulate service time just so that they could have. Well, they didn't want him to get 49 dog years.

[Katie Nolan]

They didn't want him to get rookie of the year and he might. If they call him up now and he gets rookie of the year, they're screwed.

[Chris]

So real quick, before I move on to the next one, I realized I sort of fell asleep for a second. I forgot to hit the sting for. You don't see that every day. So let me.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, sorry. Hit the button. Do you have button? It's right there and then you're gonna push it. You don't see that every day. Wow, it sounds even better than I remember. I remembered it being different. I'm picking the one I want to say. I don't know if anybody else has one they want to really fight for, but there was a video. After the Florida Panthers defeated the Oilers in game three of the Stanley cup final on Monday, Clay Ferraro of Miami ABC affiliate WPLG introduced viewers to Sophia, a nine year old Panthers fan that he met before the game. Sophia liked what she saw on the ice. A lot of people were talking about too much fighting in that game, but Sophia really liked it. Can we play the clip of Sophia, the only good Panthers fan?

[Chris]

Sophia, what is your favorite part of Panthers game?

[Katie Nolan]

The fighting.

[Chris]

The fighting. Okay, so now I have to ask you, now that it has become the big story from this game, what did you think about the fighting, especially in that third period?

[Katie Nolan]

It was really good and I really liked how they punched each other a lot.

[Chris]

Now, did you feel like the Panthers won the fight in addition to the game?

[Listener]

Yeah, probably.

So do you want to be our.

[Chris]

Local 10 fighting hockey expert?

[Katie Nolan]

Yes. Yeah.

[Chris]

Cutest thing ever.

[Katie Nolan]

She sees an opportunity, she takes it. Do I want the job? Yes. I love it.

[Chris]

I love this.

[Katie Nolan]

That's hockey is fighting culture. It was funny watching people be like, oh, everyone's always worried about the kids. The kids. If the kids see the fighting, what will they think? And this one's like, I love it. It's my favorite part. Actually.

[Isabella]

Do it again, please.

[Katie Nolan]

Punch each other in the face more. I just love that. That's probably it.

[Chris]

That's it.

[Katie Nolan]

Don't forget, if you wanna email us casualswithkatynolanmail.com if you wanna leave us a voicemail. 646-801-004 we are CasualsThePodcast. Thank you everybody for all of your support and feedback on earlier this week's show. And thank you to the crew who have been dealing with a highly anxious me and have been great about it. We love you, we mean it and we'll see you next week. Bye.

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[Listener]

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