Casuals with Katie Nolan — “Swimmers, Spicy Hockey Shows, and Cozy Brazzers Sweatpants” (Dec 11, 2025) Host: Katie Nolan | Guest: Liza Treyger

Episode Overview

In this punchy, wide-ranging episode, Katie Nolan welcomes comedian Liza Treyger to “Casuals” for a delightful, meandering deep-dive into sports, fandom, comedy, and personal stories. The episode covers major sports news (baseball and football), Liza’s unique sports background, and a hilarious exploration of new trends—including gay hockey novels and sweatpants from adult brands. The vibe is friendly, irreverent, and inclusive: perfect for the sports-curious or anyone who loves a good story.

Key Discussion Points

1. Casuals Crew Sports Catch-Up: Alonso, Diaz & MLB Moves

(Timestamp 03:46–17:57)

• Pete Alonso’s Big Move: The crew reacts live to the news that Mets slugger Pete Alonso is signing with the Baltimore Orioles.

  • Katie admits she never vibed with Alonso:

    “Pete Alonso and I, vibes-wise, not a match... he just took the Home Run Derby, like, corny serious.” (05:01)

  • Brady, the Orioles fan, is thrilled:

    “Huge ass, five years in Baltimore, that man is gonna age gracefully. Just socking old man dingers.” (05:05)

• Mets in Turmoil: The gang discusses the loss of Edwin Diaz (to the Dodgers) and the general feeling of confusion for Mets fans:

  • Isabella:

    “Wait, I hate this team. I don’t like them anymore. Why do you need him? You already win every year.” (08:26)

• Philosophy of Fandom:

  “Would you rather have hope heading into the season and then be bitterly disappointed by a terrible end, or go in with no hope and be pleasantly surprised?” (09:14)

  • The team discusses how expectations shape fan experience.

2. Philip Rivers’ Return: The Geriatric Quarterback Era

(Timestamp 10:16–16:45)

• 44-Year-Old QB Signs With Colts:
  • Katie on Rivers:

    “He’s eligible for the Hall of Fame. That’s how long it’s been since he played. If he goes into a game, they’ll have to reset the clock on that.” (11:00)

  • Jokes about grandpa QBs, retirement, and injuries:

    “We should give him a couple special rules... maybe they have to count to five Mississippi before they can rush.” (15:40)

  • Discusses the family aspect of an unexpected comeback and how aging changes sports fandom.

3. Liza Treyger Joins: Comedy, Sports Roots, and Honest Stories

(Timestamp 22:22–73:04)

Liza’s Chicago Sports Childhood & Family Bonding

• Grew up in Skokie, a Chicago suburb; White Sox fan; threw the first pitch at a White Sox game.

  > “I begged for years [to throw the first pitch]... I waited outside the stadium with a ball in my hand.” *(24:29)*
  

• Stresses how sports events were “family lubricant”—making intergenerational gatherings more fun and less awkward.

Swimming, Football, and “Inspirational” Awards

• Liza’s youth swimming obsession, teaching swim lessons, and camaraderie of swim teams:

  > “We’d, like, after showers, take hair off each other’s backs. So intimate.” *(29:04)*
  

• High school drama: Quitting swimming over an Oprah taping, spicy coach stories, and regrets.

• Only girl on the 8th-grade football team:

  > “They weren’t happy I was there, but they weren’t—oh, they did... leave me for last on purpose to then just like beat the shit out of me.” *(38:06)*
  

Getting Into Hockey—via Spicy Gay Romance Novels

(Timestamp 38:29–42:37)

• Katie pitches the “Heated Rivalry” hockey romance show, now part of a viral HBO Max adaptation with explicit scenes.

  > “It treats the hockey like the sex in other shows—cuts away from hockey, here’s a guy sucking a guy’s dick.” *(40:44)*
  

• Discussion of why straight and lesbian women love gay hockey novels:

  “It’s got all of the masculinity... without a power imbalance.” (41:14)

• Liza is “in,” promising to watch—“It’s steamy, I heard!” (41:13)

On Fandom, Being a Casual, and the Art of Hating

• Liza discusses her casual fandom mosaic: Chiefs, Bears, Bills—mostly attaches to events and friends’ teams.

• Being a Bears newcomer and loving the “electric” vibe of football, especially late-game heroics:

  > “You don’t have to know the rules to see two guys jump up to try to catch a ball and one comes down with it... that’s electric.” *(51:36)*
  

• The importance and politics of stadium food (and overpriced drinks!):

  > “A double [at Liberty game] is like $48. You’re spending $84 on two drinks.” *(61:03)*
  

Iconic Anecdotes: Sports Arrests, Tailgating, and Degenerate College Years

• Liza’s stories include being arrested at a White Sox game and learning about “tailgating” the hard way:

  > “First college football game—I got apprehended by the police in the jail at the [stadium].” *(65:00)*
  

4. Comedy, Merchandise, and the Magic of Swag

(Timestamp 73:04–95:01)

• Delta Air Lines trading cards from pilots as Liza’s surprising collectible habit.
• Airport & travel “fit”: Liza’s iconic Brazzers sweatpants and the story of their origin (“really good quality, $250 sweatpants, lasted me years... my mom patched them up. She has no idea what that is.” (94:12))
• Katie’s Liverpool/Hitachi kit anecdote:

  “People see it and go, like, ‘like the vibrator?’” (92:27)

5. The “No Girls” Bit: Pat McAfee’s Song “Dookie”—A Live Review

(Timestamp 75:24–83:48)

• Katie and Liza listen to Pat McAfee’s debut rap single, “Dookie” (yes, really).

  > Katie: “Why didn’t anyone go like, ‘Hey... the thing about choruses is, you do have to have one.’” *(80:55)*
  > Liza: “Is this a midlife crisis? Like, what’s happening?” *(80:33)*
  

• Honest, unsparing critique—pondering sincerity, lack of fun, and whether media ecosystems have too many “yes men.”

6. Hating Commercials & Super Bowl Ads: Creative Crisis

(Timestamp 54:08–56:29)

• Nostalgia for clever, creative Super Bowl commercials (Budweiser frogs!), disdain for “celeb-celeb” fast-and-lazy ads, and a lament for the loss of originality.

7. Quick Hits & Memorable Moments

• Favorite Quotes/Segments:
  • “Baseball player hits home runs. Yeah. Okay, well, what it sounds like is something Jordan Hudson does to her boyfriend… she puts that old man dinger in a sock.” (05:34)
  • “My dad works at the community pool and he’s kind of a klepto... so we have tons of goggles, towels, and Skokie Park District attire.” (35:14)
  • About Pat McAfee’s song:

    “Feel like new school dean — what do you think those five words mean, in that order?” (85:54)

  • On airports:

    “My favorite thing in life is doing nothing... at the airport you’re doing a lot of nothing and you’re allowed to.” (88:19)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:46 – Pete Alonso, Mets, and MLB free agency talk
• 10:16 – Philip Rivers and aging QBs in the NFL
• 22:22 – Liza Treyger joins, White Sox first pitch, Chicago roots
• 29:04 – Swimming nostalgia and gym class records
• 35:34 – Quitting swimming for Oprah, high school drama
• 36:15 – Girl football stories, “most inspirational” humiliation
• 38:29 – Gay hockey romance novels, “Heated Rivalry” TV show
• 51:29 – Why football is fun even if you don’t know the rules
• 61:03 – Wild stadium food and drink pricing stories
• 65:00 – Arrested at sports events / outrageous sports tales
• 73:04 – Delta trading cards & Brazzers sweatpants saga
• 75:24 – Pat McAfee’s rap “Dookie,” real-time reaction
• 94:10 – Mom patches Brazzers pants
• 95:01 – Letting go of stuff, Marie Kondo talk
• 99:15 – Fantasy football update with Isabella, playoff clarifications

Tone & Style

• Inclusive, goofy, candid. No sports gatekeeping—inside jokes but plenty of explanation for the casual.
• Signature mix of banter, vulnerability, pop culture, and detailed sports knowledge.
• Frequent tangents—always returning to fandom as a source of identity, community, and humor.

Takeaways for Listeners

• You don’t have to be an “expert” to love sports—fandom is about connection and fun.
• Sports stories go well beyond the field—into personal history, humor, and even spicy fiction.
• The value of “no girls” and honest feedback: Not every celeb project deserves a pass!
• The casuals community is about celebration and a little bit of irreverence: everyone’s invited, especially the weirdos.

Guest Plugs:

• Liza Treyger Netflix Special: “Night Owl”
• IG: @glittercheese
• Podcast: “That’s Messed Up: An SVU Podcast”

Host: Katie Nolan

For sports newbies or avid fans—the one to play if you want honest, funny, and deeply human sports (and life) content.