Casuals with Katie Nolan: "Lineman TDs, Bea Arthur, and Red Flags for Sports Fans" (with Jared Freid)

Release: October 23, 2025 | Host: Katie Nolan | Guest: Jared Freid

Episode Overview

This episode of Casuals with Katie Nolan welcomes comedian and podcast host Jared Freid to an energetic, irreverent roundtable on sports fandom, nostalgia, the Golden Bachelor, and the sometimes embarrassing realities of being a fan. Katie and Jared riff on everything from childhood football glories to modern dating "red flags" in sports fans, offering thoughtful and hilarious commentary on sports culture, personal identity, and the increasingly blurred line between fans and the games themselves. The show blends sports news with personal anecdotes, pop culture references, and crowd-pleasing debates—true to the podcast’s mission of making sports talk fun and accessible for all.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sports News Roundup

(04:10–15:17)

• World Series Set: The panel revisits their mostly-wrong game predictions and playfully critiques their own misconceptions about upcoming MLB outcomes.

  • “Of course they were going to go to Bizardo, and of course it wasn’t going to go well…” (Katie, 05:08)

• National Allegiances: Katie reflects on the trope of USA vs. Canada in sports rivalries, expressing preference for rooting based on story rather than country and resisting the urge to default to “America first.”

  • “Once we’re out there in the world, that’s America. That’s my team; they represent me and I root for them.” (Katie, 07:02)

• NBA on NBC Returns: The hosts praise the return of NBC’s NBA coverage, with nostalgic appreciation for “Roundball Rock” and the network’s attention to honoring the product and history.

  • “What an indictment… that the number one praise is how much the broadcast cares about and loves the product of basketball. That should be everybody, across the board.” (Katie, 13:12)
  • “They knocked it out of the park.” (Chris, 11:26)

2. Guest Introduction: Jared Freid

(15:17–18:25)

• Katie introduces Jared Freid, highlighting his podcasting pedigree (JTrain, U Up), comedy career, and Boston sports fan roots.

3. Happy Gilmore 2 & Modern Nostalgia

(18:25–24:04)

• Jared and Katie roast “Happy Gilmore 2” for its reliance on nostalgia and celebrity cameos (like Travis Kelce), wishing instead for fresh comedic talent to be featured, and bemoaning how beloved figures can sometimes play it too safe.
  • “The reason we are going to revolt, it is the picture of income inequality in this country… You didn’t need Travis Kelce to do mediocre acting to make sure people go see it. We were going to see it.” (Jared, 18:45)

4. Being a Transplant Sports Fan

(25:36–31:56)

• Moving and Fandom: Jared reflects on how moving away from Massachusetts changed his feeling of “local” fandom, and how being in a place like NYC means reinterpreting sports loyalties.
  • “It’s way harder to live in the illusion that the people of Cincinnati don’t deserve to win as much as the people of Boston when you have very similar malls with the same Chick-fil-A.” (Jared, 25:46)
• Katie notes the impact of working in sports media on fluctuating team allegiances and the odd expectation of impartiality.

5. Is Being a Fan Embarrassing?

(31:56–33:59)

• The group discusses whether being a sports fan is “embarrassing,” agreeing there’s a self-aware stupidity and purposeful suspension of disbelief in hardcore fandom.
  • “It’s immediately showing your stupidity. The definition... Cowherd always says: fan is short for fanatic. You’re acting like a crazy person.” (Jared, 32:07)
• They contrast fandom in sports vs. other domains (“cinema fan”) and muse on the joy and jealousy of losing yourself in something so completely.

6. Family Ties & NFL Bloodlines

(39:03–45:13)

• Jared shares unique insights on rooting for the Chicago Bears, given his brother Harry’s role as Director of Research & Analytics for the team. This adds a personal, life-or-death element to watching games, and recasts how one roots for a team:
  • “I am a Bears — this is life or death, this is family, this is blood.” (Jared, 40:41)
• A run of hilarious family and wedding planning anecdotes ensue, revealing the crossover between sports and personal life.

7. Local Legend: Jared’s Lineman Touchdown

(47:24–55:46)

• Jared relives his crowning high school football moment: intercepting a ball and running back a 14-yard touchdown against Katie’s hometown team, Framingham.
  • “I intercepted a ball and ran it back 14 yards for a touchdown… All 14 of them as a D-liner.” (Jared, 47:24)
• The two realize they were at the same game (Jared on the field, Katie dancing at halftime), triggering a delightful burst of shared nostalgia/generational cringe.
• Jared explains why he called himself “TD Freed” long after — earning a math teacher’s recognition and endless ribbing from friends.

Memorable Quote:
"It is like Al Bundy talking about his 10 touchdowns."
— Jared (49:16)

8. Modern Baseball: Too Much Math?

(57:03–59:15)

• Jared laments that baseball has become “personality-less” and too centered around advanced stats, which displaces the old-school stories and player narratives that made it compelling.
  • “I want Pedro throwing a ball at someone’s head. I want that… the rough edges more than the perfectly… the math does bug me, too.” (Jared, 57:59)

9. The Golden Bachelor & Football Culture

(68:45–83:24)

• Mel Owens Controversy:
  Jared unpacks the headlines around Mel Owens, the former NFL linebacker turned Golden Bachelor, who said he’d only date women 45-60 (while being 66).
  • “If they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them… This is not the Silver Bachelor, this is the Golden Bachelor. But they’re gonna be hot, don’t worry about it.” (Mel Owens, recounted by Katie, 69:53)
• Jared, a Bachelor superfan, roasted Mel on the show and reflects on his lack of self-awareness in the role vs. prior “tearjerker” Bachelors.
  • “He didn’t get how big a deal being the Bachelor was, like this is an elected position… there’s Cinderella involved.” (Jared, 75:02)
• Defending Mel:
  Jared argues Mel reflected a common preconception about what dating after 60 “looks like” — until the show subverted expectations with fun, vibrant contestants.
  • “It actually made you think of that age differently after watching the show.” (Jared, 77:15)
• Katie and Jared agree the Golden Bachelor succeeds because it exposes new family dynamics and interrogates what love and partnership mean late in life.

10. Red Flags for Sports Fans: Dating Game Segment

(84:33–99:03)

Katie unveils a bouquet of “challenge flags.” Jared, as a dating podcast authority, has to decide which sports fan behaviors are genuine “red flags” in partner compatibility:

Examples:

• Superstitious Behavior: Not a red flag — “fun.”
• Pregaming: Not a red flag unless can’t function after.
• Wearing a Jersey to Church: Red flag — “Not knowing the environment.”
• Bandwagoning: Not a red flag — “A person who likes fun!”
• Harassing players online: Big red flag — “Misunderstanding where you belong in this whole thing.”
• Slamming a friend through a flaming table in a parking lot (Bills Mafia): Red flag — “Not ready for a serious relationship.”
• Eating horse poop after Super Bowl (Philly fan): Red flag — “Don’t date that guy.”
• Crying after a Super Bowl loss: Green flag — “A full range of emotions.”
• Stealing a home run ball from a child: Only a red flag if you don’t give it to the kid after.

Memorable Quote:
“Nothing changes a human more than a T-shirt gun… People turn into T-shirt gun people!”
— Jared (99:13)

11. Advice Segment: The Marathon Sign

(102:07–107:31)

• Listener Ryan asks for sign ideas to encourage his girlfriend at her first marathon. Jared and Katie weigh in:
  • Avoid puns that can be mocked, don’t make the sign about yourself (“participation trophy husband”), and absolutely follow through if promising a dog.
  • General rule: sign/message should work for both “grandma and your friends.”
  • Personalization wins the day: draw on her unique fears, dreams, or in-jokes.

12. Quick Fire: Life as a Comedian & Relationship Talk

(109:27–111:17)

• Jared shares the difficulty of dating as a public figure and the blurred boundaries between “material” and real life.
• Katie discusses how her partner (comedian Dan Soder) turns fights into comedy, helping her find humor in tough moments.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “The act of being a fan is dumb… we don’t judge things based on how they are. It’s like the Dave Matthews Band theory: it’s not a bad band, it’s the person who likes them the most that you hate.”
  (Jared, 37:00)

• “You put your own name [on a jersey]? What are you, a toddler? It’s crazy, but it’s not a red flag — they have whimsy.”
  (Jared, 96:43)

• “Flood the comments. Just do something… [We] need the worst thing on earth, the most toxic thing on earth, to make the videos go. That’s what Internet comments are — fossil fuel.”
  (Jared, 96:20)

Additional Memorable Moments

• Serendipitous High School Connection: Katie and Jared realize their high school paths literally crossed—Jared’s lineman touchdown in a Framingham–Needham game which Katie cheered at as a Framingham dance team member.
  (50:13–51:42)

• Fantasy Football Check-In:
  Isabella, the team's newbie manager, continues her undefeated streak in the show’s fantasy football update—adding a dash of enthusiasm and inexperience that's celebrated by the team.
  (114:26–119:00)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 04:10 — World Series predictions & national allegiances
• 10:56 — NBA on NBC nostalgia and coverage praise
• 18:25 — Jared’s Happy Gilmore 2 rant
• 25:36 — On being a relocated sports fan
• 31:56 — Is fandom embarrassing?
• 39:03 — NFL family ties/Bears fan evolution
• 47:24 — TD Freed: The lineman touchdown story
• 68:45 — Golden Bachelor and the Mel Owens controversy
• 84:33 — Sports fan red flags dating game
• 102:07 — Listener advice: marathon sign
• 114:26 — Isabella’s fantasy football update

Tone, Style, and Takeaway

The episode brims with camaraderie, self-deprecating humor, and open dives into the social meaning of sports. Both Katie and Jared bring warmth and wit to even the most absurd moments of fandom, making sports feel like a welcoming, messy, and often embarrassing family you can’t help but root for. Through laughter and genuine reflection, “Casuals” keeps its promise: sports talk that feels like recess, not homework.

For fans looking for insights on the Golden Bachelor, sports as social glue, or the real-life etiquette of fandom (and dating one!), this episode is a must-listen.