Casuals with Katie Nolan: Episode Summary Episode Title: Madness, Fat Bats, and Lebron/Snow White Crossovers | with Gianmarco Soresi
Release Date: April 1, 2025

1. Introduction

In this episode of Casuals with Katie Nolan, host Katie Nolan welcomes comedian John Marco Cerese to discuss a variety of sports topics, making the world of sports accessible and entertaining for casual fans. The conversation touches on recent achievements in figure skating, the excitement of March Madness, controversies in Major League Baseball, and humorous takes on first pitches thrown by celebrities.

2. Women’s Figure Skating: Alyssa Liu’s Remarkable Comeback

Katie Nolan opens the discussion with a spotlight on Alyssa Liu, a standout US figure skater who made headlines by winning the World Championships in Boston. At 19, Alyssa became the first US woman to win the title in nearly two decades, following her earlier retirement at 16 to focus on personal growth. Her return to skating and subsequent victory exemplify passion and personal agency in sports.

Katie Nolan [05:30]: "She was doing it on her own terms... It was like this was a girl who knew she was great at something, decided she was done with it, came back to it kind of more naturally."

3. March Madness: Final Four Analysis

The conversation shifts to the NCAA March Madness tournament, highlighting the men's Final Four teams—Auburn, Florida, Duke, and Houston—all number one seeds. This rare occurrence, only the second time all top seeds reached the Final Four, sparked discussions about the predictability of brackets.

John Marco Cerese [14:37]: "If anybody still has a bracket that's alive and well, that's a very boring person, because that means you just picked the guy who was gonna win the whole way through."

In contrast, the women’s Final Four features South Carolina, UCLA, Texas, and Yukon, with Yukon’s Paige Beckers making waves by scoring 40 points in a game, setting a UConn tournament record.

4. Major League Baseball: Controversies and Mishaps

John Marco Cerese delves into recent MLB events, including the introduction of the controversial "torpedo bats" by the New York Yankees, which have been linked to record-breaking home runs. The discussion criticizes the fairness and impact of altered equipment on the integrity of the game.

John Marco Cerese [27:35]: "It's like cheating. Your tools are better."

Additionally, the episode highlights MLB’s technical issues on Opening Day, where fans experienced streaming outages despite paying for the service. The response from MLB, offering minor discounts, was met with skepticism and frustration from the hosts.

Katie Nolan [22:39]: "How dare they present that as a gift... They are just making slightly less profit."

The segment also humorously critiques Fanatics' merchandise errors, where team logos were incorrectly printed, leading to awkward and unintended messages.

5. First Pitch Fiascos: Celebrities Take the Mound

A recurring segment explores the often entertaining yet cringe-worthy attempts by celebrities and comedians to throw first pitches at baseball games. Highlights include:

• Bert Kreischer’s Attempt

  Katie Nolan [32:53]: "He looks like that guy that, like, he still did it in high school."

• Sarah Silverman’s Performance

  Katie Nolan [33:26]: "She threw that like she did. Played sports."

• Nick Thune’s Uniform Blunder

  Katie Nolan [34:52]: "Oh, listen, a nice pitch. If he was wearing sweatpants... I'd be like, whoa, that regular guy can throw a pitch."

• Sam J.’s Struggles at Fenway Park

  Katie Nolan [35:47]: "Oh, boy. That is horrendous."

These anecdotes provide a humorous take on the challenges celebrities face when stepping into the athletic spotlight.

6. You Don't See That Every Day: Unusual Sports Moments

In this unique segment, the hosts share extraordinary and lesser-known sports stories:

• Chicago Bulls’ Lightning-Quick Scoring

  Katie Nolan [60:49]: "This is a problem. LeBron... I'm gonna say, motherfucker."

• Nashville Predators’ Reddit Mishap A Reddit user mistakenly posts in the Nashville Predators' subreddit, believing it to be a community for predators, leading to humorous confusion and inappropriate interactions.

• The Lost Boys: MLB Players from the 2020 Season Kyle Hart, one of the "Lost Boys" who played during the fan-less 2020 season, returns to the MLB after excelling in the Korean Baseball League, finally playing in front of fans again.

  Katie Nolan [67:28]: "I wonder if they look at the stats for those games, like how it was affected by not having like people cheering or booing."

7. LeBron James vs. Stephen A. Smith: A Heated Rivalry

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the escalating feud between LeBron James and sports commentator Stephen A. Smith. The conflict ignited when Stephen A. criticized LeBron for featuring his son, Bronny James, on the Lakers team, accusing him of nepotism.

John Marco Cerese [44:03]: "LeBron James confronts Stephen A. Smith while he was courtside... 'Keep my son out of this shit, bro.'"

LeBron’s response on the Pat McAfee Show and subsequent social media interactions further fueled the tension, with both parties exchanging accusations and insults. The hosts discuss the implications of this public confrontation, emphasizing the challenges of maintaining professionalism and personal boundaries in the world of sports entertainment.

8. Upcoming Sports Highlights

Before concluding, the producers share key upcoming sports events:

• Men’s and Women’s NCAA Final Four Matches

  • Women’s match featuring Paige Beckers’ remarkable performance.

• NHL Clash: Capitals vs. Islanders

  • Highlighting a player on the verge of breaking a scoring record.

• MLB Showdown: Braves vs. Dodgers

  • Featuring Dustin May’s return from injury against an undefeated Dodgers team.

9. Conclusion

Katie Nolan and John Marco Cerese wrap up the episode with light-hearted banter about their growing interest in sports drama and anticipation for the upcoming games. They encourage listeners to engage with the show via email and social media, promising more engaging sports content in future episodes.

Katie Nolan [72:03]: "I love the drama."
John Marco Cerese [71:56]: "If you ever see anything in sports you want to talk about, you can come here. We'll always have you."

Notable Quotes:

• John Marco Cerese [14:37]: "If anybody still has a bracket that's alive and well, that's a very boring person, because that means you just picked the guy who was gonna win the whole way through."

• Katie Nolan [22:39]: "How dare they present that as a gift... They are just making slightly less profit."

• John Marco Cerese [44:03]: "LeBron James confronts Stephen A. Smith while he was courtside... 'Keep my son out of this shit, bro.'"

• Katie Nolan [72:03]: "I love the drama."

This episode offers a comprehensive and entertaining overview of current sports events, blending insightful analysis with comedic commentary to engage both avid and casual sports fans.