Casuals with Katie Nolan – Episode Summary

Episode: MLB MVP, WNBA Playoffs, and the Patrick Mahomes who isn't Patrick Mahomes
Date: September 23, 2025
Host: Katie Nolan
Regulars: Isabella, Chris, Brady (the “guy who knows everything about everything”)

Overview

This episode blends the usual lighthearted, irreverent sports banter with deep-dive discussion of the final week of the MLB season, the complexities of MVP voting, bizarre and fun sports stories, WNBA playoff thrills, and viral sports personalities. The crew is joined by their typical rotating cast (Isabella, Chris, Brady) for a nuanced but casual look at the news, with plenty of banter, questions, and engagement with listener correspondence.

Main Segments & Key Discussion Points

1. Housekeeping & Listener Mail

• Nugget Eating Stories (04:34–08:07)

  • A deluge of emails from listeners about their personal ‘chicken nugget challenge’ stories, including an Air Force flyer who completed 100 nuggets during a 12-hour military flight.
    • Quote (Katie, 07:27): “Aaron, we do say that. We do say that. We love you and we mean it, guys. That just enthused me and it’s like 9am.”
  • The hosts riff on the relatability of binge eating “nugget stories” and whether each tale is really unique.

• College Sports Nostalgia (08:07–10:17)

  • Listener Andrew suggests Katie and Isabella visit a Hofstra volleyball match. Clearing up that Hofstra now only has a women’s volleyball team.
    • Quote (Katie, 09:13): “Roll Pride. Roll Pride.”
    • Banter about how college names, like Elon, can cause confusion (“That’s where he’s been!”).

• NASCAR Update (10:17–10:37)

  • Shoutout to Ryan Blaney, friend of the pod, for a recent win.
  • Quick aside about how NASCAR fans spring up around any track.

2. NFL Monday Night Football Recap & "Mahomes Cosplay"

• Quick Recap: Lions vs. Ravens (14:28–16:01)

  • Lions beat the Ravens 38-30. Discussion about the pressure on Lamar Jackson and seven sacks in the game.
    • Quote (Brady, 15:26): “Lamar Jackson is like trying to get a dog into a bathtub. … He will get away from anything.”

• Mahomes' Quirky Play (16:01–16:47)

  • Katie and Brady react to Chris Collinsworth’s praise of Mahomes for a “created” fumble recovery.
    • Quote (Brady, 16:47): “Look how he set his own kitchen on fire and then put it out. Great job, great fire safety.”

• Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola – "Patrick Mahomes Cosplayer" (17:14–20:16)

  • Raiola emulates Mahomes from haircut to on-field hand signals.
  • Raiola laments constant comparisons, but the crew finds that he’s brought it on himself.
    • Quote (Katie, 19:27): “He has his own name, but he should be paying Patrick for his image and likeness.”

3. Sports Movie Review: “Him” & Football in Film

• Isabella reviews the football movie "Him", which disappointed due to plot, not horror/scary elements.
  • (20:33–22:41)
  • Katie and Isabella laugh about how the film briefly made Isabella "not like football."
    • Quote (Isabella, 22:32): “There was a part of me watching this … I know this is a horror movie. But a part of me was like, this makes me kind of not like football.”

4. Eli Manning, Jackson Dart, & Legend Disrespect

• (23:00–26:07)
• Eli Manning is hilariously asked for a top NYC dinner reservation by college QB Jackson Dart.
  • Debate over how much help legends “owe” the next generation.
    • Quote (Katie, 25:05): “Can I have this? … Did he get the reservation? … I’m not your reservations guy.”

5. Deep Dive: The Wild MLB Playoff Race & MVP Debate

MLB Playoff Math and Bubble Teams (26:42–32:00)

• Katie explains the playoff format to Isabella: divisions, wild cards, and tiebreakers.
• American League and National League wild, crowded races detailed.
• Focus on Mariners vs. Astros, with Katie owning her Astros hate and Mariners “side-piece” love.
• Notable Quote:
  • (Katie, 30:45) “I’m winking at the Mariners side piece. Well, the Phillies are technically my side piece. I guess the Mariners are like … the one that got away.”

Mariners’ Sweep & Cal Raleigh’s Case for AL MVP (32:00–35:36)

• Mariners swept the Astros in Houston, Cal Raleigh (“Big Dumper”) broke home run record for catchers.
• Spirited MVP debate: Katie believes MVP should reflect the story of the season, not just stats like WAR.
  • Quote (Katie, 33:01): "If Cal Raleigh is not MVP this season, I feel like we're doing MVP wrong. Is that crazy?”
  • Quote (Brady, 33:08): “He’s having the greatest season ever by a catcher, which is the hardest position to play.”
  • Dismisses reliance on “wins above replacement” (WAR) as too abstract for MVP awards.
  • Quote (Katie, 34:26): “I don’t care about your WAR. I literally care about the value you brought to the game.”

MLB Anecdotes (35:36–39:59)

• Katie laments losing her blackout-free MLB TV account (“I had to watch baseball like you people, it was disgusting.” – 37:10).
• Victor Robles’ redemption: After months of rehab and earlier suspension, he makes a highlight-reel catch, helping Mariners.
  • Quote (A, 38:12): “Victor Robles … went flying over and caught the ball. It was amazing. The Mariners are incredible.”

Standings Implications & Astros’ Peril (39:02–40:34)

• Mariners three games up, Astros on the outside of the playoffs, could miss wild card.
• “Mattress Mack” discussion and Houston sporting culture.

AL Central Chaos: Detroit’s Funky Slide (41:34–42:28)

• Detroit Tigers’ once-massive lead evaporated after they started the “Trump Dance” celebration, now “skidding.”
• Quote (D, 42:36): “They pooped the bed like they just had a hundred nuggets.”

Fluky Plays & Mets Drama (42:28–47:16)

• Jacob Young’s ‘hacky sack catch’ for Nationals—repeat defensive marvel.
• Mets continued woes, fans' search for scapegoats, and Isabella’s personal grudges.
  • Quote (Isabella, 47:13): “There was this one guy … Siri … I don’t know, he was pissing me off that game.”

Dodgers & Baseball Farewells (49:42–52:04)

• Clayton Kershaw’s quiet retirement gets overshadowed by broadcast complaints—should legends be required to get mainstream air?
  • Quote (Brady, 51:31): “Clayton Kershaw had the championship belt as the best pitcher in baseball for … six years. … known to be the greatest ping pong player to ever play baseball.”

More MLB Shoutouts (53:24–55:31)

• Mike Trout hits 400th home run ("He’s so good, he never slipped up ..." – 53:36).
• Emphasis on how the culture of “what will you give me for the milestone ball” has shifted.
  • Guy who caught Trout’s 400th asks only for a “catch” on the field with Trout.
• Quote (Katie, 55:22): “Having a catch with Mike Trout is the coolest thing you could possibly do to a certain subset … of baseball fans.”

6. WNBA Playoffs — Surprises & Social Issues

Valkyries Eliminated, Awards, and Playoff Outcomes (55:51–58:04)

• Valkyries lose to Lynx despite a big lead—highlighting overachievement and record attendance.
• Review of other playoff results:
  • Aces beat Storm
  • Mercury upset Liberty
  • Fever beat Dream, then shockingly defeat Aces in next round (58:04).

WNBA Star Power and Pay Equity (58:04–60:02)

• Caitlin Clark fined only $200 for ref comment; discussion on how such small fines reflect WNBA’s pay disparities.
  • Quote (Katie, 59:41): “If you can only fine your athletes $200 … I really don’t know how to make the argument better to you [that salaries should be higher].”

Press Conference Awkwardness & Coaching Diversity (60:04–61:28)

• Players asked live if they want to fire their coach (“Imagine … someone asked me: ‘So, should we fire Brady?’” – 60:53).
• Seattle Storm’s firing of Noelle Quinn leaves WNBA with zero Black women head coaches; only two Black men, one Asian-American woman.
  • Quote (Katie, 61:35): “We could maybe stand to change that. I would like that to be different than it is.”

7. Quirky & Viral Sports Stories

Bruce Pearl’s Sudden Retirement & Nepotism (71:28–74:15)

• Auburn basketball head coach Bruce Pearl retires just before the season, his son—whose only experience is coaching under his father—takes over as head coach.
  • Quote (Katie, 72:26): “His son has signed a five-year deal to be the head coach. I’m sure the buyout is low … [He] took over a program his dad built.”
• Bruce Pearl’s political ambitions debated; coincidental previous retweet about nepotism in basketball is highlighted.

8. Segment: “Am I Too Old For This?”

LeBron Claims & Football Grandpa (63:25–67:44)

• LeBron claims (again) to have predicted Kobe’s 81-point game.
  • Quote (Brady, 64:08): “I’m telling you, every time I say something, everyone thinks it’s a fucking lie.”
• Viral: 58-year-old Thomas Sillo plays college football as a defensive lineman. Panel debates if it’s inspiring or irresponsible.
  • Katie: “Yes, you are too old for this … I don’t want to discourage you, but … it scares me.”

Tom Brady vs. Dave Portnoy Twitter Drama (67:44–69:55)

• Bizarre spat over rumors of Tom Brady’s alleged Saudi payday; panel concludes both are “too old for this.”
  • Quote (Katie, 68:33): “I could punch that up. … You gave him shine in this moment. Shouldn’t have done that.”

9. What to Watch This Week (74:15–76:53)

• AFL Grand Final: Brisbane Lions vs. Geelong Cats; Sat. Sept 27, 12:30am ET, FS2.
• Women’s Rugby World Cup Finals: Canada vs. England, Sept 27, 11am ET, Paramount+; 3rd place: New Zealand vs. France.
• NFL Sunday Night Football: Packers vs. Cowboys, Sept 28, 8:20pm ET.
• MLB: Final frantic week; enjoy your team, “even if it’s your last chance before a long winter.”
• Fun Fact: Braves sign Charlie Morton for one final career start.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "Aaron, we do say that. ... We love you and we mean it, guys." (Katie, 07:27)
• "Lamar Jackson is like trying to get a dog into a bathtub ... he will get away from anything." (Brady, 15:26)
• "If Cal Raleigh is not MVP this season, I feel like we’re doing MVP wrong. Is that crazy?" (Katie, 33:01)
• "I don’t care about your WAR. I literally care about the value you brought to the game." (Katie, 34:26)
• "He gets the people going." (Katie, about Cal Raleigh, 35:41)
• Victorious Victor Robles: "He just went flying over and caught the ball. ... The Mariners are incredible." (Katie, 38:12)
• "I had to watch baseball like you people I know. Ew. It was disgusting." (Katie, 37:14)
• On the Mets’ bad luck: "They pooped the bed like they just had a hundred nuggets." (Chris, 42:36)
• “Having a catch with Mike Trout is the coolest thing you could possibly do to a certain subset of, like, age group of baseball fans.” (Katie, 55:22)
• "If you can only fine your athletes $200 … I really don’t know how to make the argument better to you [that salaries should be higher]." (Katie, 59:41)
• “We could maybe stand to change that. I would like that to be different than it is.” (Katie, on WNBA’s lack of Black women head coaches, 61:35)

Tone & Style

• Conversational, witty, relatable—reassuring for the sports-curious, fun for the sports-obsessed.
• Quick banter, inside jokes, friendly jabs—all grounded by good sports knowledge.
• Frequent diversions for pop culture, food, and listener engagement.

Useful for Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In:

• Educational for newcomers (e.g., detailed explanations of MLB playoffs, MVP debates).
• Heartfelt sports moments (Mike Trout’s milestone, Mariners’ run, Kershaw farewell).
• Social commentary (WNBA pay, coaching diversity).
• Leitmotif: It’s okay to love (or irrationally dislike) teams and players for emotional reasons, not just stats.

For the Next Episode

• Mina Kimes joins for deep NFL analysis.
• Ryder Cup preview promised, with potential appearance from Katie’s dad.
• Follow-up on Bruce Pearl’s next moves.

Contact & Socials:

• Email: casualswithkatynolan@gmail.com
• Voicemail: 646-801-0043
• IG/TikTok: @casualsthepodcast
• Fan Service (live): Mon–Fri, noon–1pm ET, Mad Dog Radio

Sign-off:
“Love you, Mina. Bye.”
(Katie, 77:49)