← Casuals with Katie Nolan
Casuals with Katie Nolan
WNBA Finals, Phee vs. Cathy, and Not Marrying a Billionaire | with Sarah Spain
01:38:52
Hello! It’s the podcast that still has its sense of smell, so, careful now. Today, Katie and the Casualties cordially invite you to next week’s live show in NYC (link in IG bio!) and break down the latest in youth hockey, awkward phone sign-offs, and the ongoing PR disaster known as as “UNC Football”. Then, Sarah Spain of “Good Game with Sarah Spain” joins the show [20:37] to talk about her pod, her book, the incredible difficulty that mainstream media has with talking honestly about the WNBA, the incredible difficulty that WNBA leadership has with pronouncing its own players’ names right, Cathy Engelbert’s feud with Napheesa Collier, the Valkyries, the Sun’s move, the upcoming CBA negotiations and whether we’ll see a work stoppage, what the players actually want, what the players actually deserve, how the Aces jumped out to a lead in the WNBA Finals and how they can close it out, Paige Bueckers’ rookie season, the likelihood of a Paizzi pairing in Dallas next year, Caitlin Clark a...
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- [00:00]
A
I am so excited to be wearing fall clothes again. To be able to put on more than two articles of clothing and not sweat through it. Macy's fall fashion guide is your one stop shop for the season's biggest trends curated by Macy's style experts. Think weekend in the country, the new boho and statement luxury. For her that means romantic flowy dresses from cc, sheer looks from Inc. Luxe leather by Donna Karan and Karl Lagerfeld and bold animal prints from Anne Klein, Steve Madden and more. And for him, Levi's bomber jackets, vintage inspired denim statement loafers and relaxed suiting from Hugo Boss and Michael Kors. Shop now@macy's.com or in store today.
- [00:34]
B
Morning, Zoe got donuts.
- [00:36]
C
Jeff Bridges, why are you still living above our garage?
- [00:39]
B
Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T mobile commercial like you. Teach me. So. Dana.
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C
Oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly at t mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.
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B
W impressive. Let me try. T mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.
- [01:05]
D
Nice.
- [01:06]
C
Jeffrey, you heard them.
- [01:07]
B
T mobile is the best place to.
- [01:09]
A
Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on.
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B
Us with eligible traded in any condition. So what are we having for lunch?
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C
Dude, my work here is done.
- [01:18]
E
The 24 month credit is on experience beyond for well qualified customers. Plus tax and $35 device connection charge credit send and balance due if you pay off earlier. Cancel Finance Agreement. IPhone 17 Pro 256 gigs $1099.99 and new line minimum $100 plus a month plan with auto pay plus taxes and fees required in the US based on analysis by Ooklev Speed Test Intelligence data 1H 2025 visit t mobile.com hey Isabella.
- [01:35]
A
Did you see Amazon prime video airbrushed out the gun from like 007 promotional materials and then. And then they took it all down. When people reacted to that, why did.
- [01:51]
F
They airbrush it out?
- [01:52]
A
I don't know. He shoots, he scores.
- [02:10]
G
Hello.
- [02:14]
A
Did I peek in the audio? Hi.
- [02:16]
D
Hello.
- [02:16]
A
Welcome to Casuals, the sports podcast that loves you so much it could give you a little kiss right on the on your forehead. I'm Katie Nolan. I host this podcast, joined briefly here today by my casualties. We got Isabella. Hi, Chris. Hello, Brady. Hey.
- [02:33]
D
And we're here.
- [02:34]
A
We've got Sarah Spain coming in today. She's gonna be in a little bit, so we're gonna you know, keep this top part nice and tight. We're just gonna get you a couple a little bit of sports news before we dive into that. Lots to talk about in the wnba, both on the court and off. So stick around. We're gonna get to that. If you want to reach out to us. Casualswith, Katie Nolan gmail.com our voicemail is 6460043 on IG and tick tock. We are at Casuals, the podcast. We have to make an announcement here in housekeeping. That's what this is. So that's a drum roll. Okay, and the second one was we're doing a live show. We're doing a live show where there will be tons of adorable farts. It is going to be what you're calling our listeners. Yeah, adorable farts. Gather round, adorable farts, ladies. Farts. And watch. Geez, I hate this. I actually wanna kill this before it gets any further than this. And because I've said that now, I'm sure someone's gonna come with custom made merch to this podcast that says Katie's farts. And no one's gonna know and everyone's gonna think I fart a lot, which maybe I do, but I'm marrying a guy with no sense of smell, so I'm well within my rights.
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H
Ooh, handy.
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D
Okay.
- [03:50]
A
I can do anything I want as long as it's quiet. He has no. There are times where we're both sitting in it and I just look over at him and go, no clue. He's got no clue. No clue. Anyway, this live show, Wednesday the 15th of October. So that's soon. It's like next week, next day, next Wednesday. It's at here at Sirius XM in New York City at what we call the fishbowl, which is like the glass section of the middle of the office. It's, you know, fun. And you guys can come. You little farts. The doors are Gonna Open at 1245 Eastern. So if you're free on a Wednesday in the middle of the day and you want to come watch a live Casuals where the only farts in the room will be people there, no one's gonna act like farting in a fishbowl is really sounds horrendous. I couldn't say more that I wish this bit didn't start, but now there's no way to leave. We have to live here. Probably not the best sell, but it will be a live podcast. 15th doors at 12:45. The link to get into that, are we. It is it sell. It's not selling tickets. It's free, right?
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D
Yeah, free, yeah.
- [05:00]
A
Casual Is the podcast on Instagram is how you can. We'll put a link in our bio.
- [05:05]
G
Yes, it's already there.
- [05:06]
A
Lincoln Bio. It's to celebrate podcast month. SiriusXM podcasts are. Or no, sorry, International Podcast Day. But they're doing a whole month here to do live podcasts. So Conan o' Brien had a live show. How did this get made? The bonfire, Shout out, Crackle, Crackle, the Nicki and Brie show, and then, of course, us. So if you want to come out and hang out, doors are 1245 and you can come. It's a guest episode. We have a guest. I can't say it yet, I guess, just in case, but it's a great guest. It's a guest that, if you like me, you like this person. We've done stuff before, but they're very famous. Before we go to Sarah, do we have any emails that are worth getting into?
- [05:47]
H
Yes, we have one from Joshua from Tennessee. And Joshua writes in saying, So I called into fan service a bit ago and I've been debating whether this is hilarious or sad. I guess we'll see. I work from home, which is technically my parents. Apparently my mom just so happened to only hear the love you mean it. Needless to say, she was a bit crestfallen with the explanation. If I call again, I guess I'll go with that. Lymi instead. Love you mean it. Pretty sure she can't overhear that one. Oh, Joshua, is this hilarious or is this sad?
- [06:16]
A
I think it's hilarious. I think so too. I think it's. It's much better than when you accidentally say I love you to a boss when you're getting off the phone. That's the worst. You're like, gotta go. All right, talk to you later. Love you, bye. And then you go, I'm sorry, I didn't mean.
- [06:27]
D
And I wasn't.
- [06:28]
A
And I'm trying not to. That was like today in the pre show meeting for fan service, I had an idea and I said it to Nate Lee, my producer, and he, like, looked at me and goes, I love. I non sexual.
- [06:42]
D
I love you.
- [06:43]
A
I had the same idea and he, like, played a clip for me that he had just had the exact same idea, but it was so funny that he, like, instinctively went to be like, I love you. I love that. And then he automatically got right in his head and went, not. Not in a way.
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D
And I don't.
- [06:58]
A
Please don't buy me. Yeah, And I was like, oh, I.
- [07:00]
G
Promise you Nate has worked with women before. It shouldn't be.
- [07:02]
A
No, it's. It was just very funny. You could tell. He clearly was like, I didn't mean it like that. I was like, I didn't take it like that, I promise. But Joshua, you can tell your mom that I do take it like that with you. I meant it when I said it to you and you meant it when you said it to me. And she can say that's nothing but she doesn't know. That's very funny. I think it's funny that that happened. I think we're all going to. We'll survive.
- [07:28]
F
Love you. Mean it, Joshua.
- [07:30]
A
I also never know when to say it back to people when they call. Sometimes they say it at the top of the call and then I like try to sneak it in. But then because it's phone they like then they pause for too long and then now we're in mess. So I don't some. If I ever. If you ever call into fan service, which is Monday through Friday noon to 1 Eastern on SiriusXM, channel 82, just know that if I don't say it back it's because I couldn't find an in. Or I was like writing your name down in my little book or it just was too. It would have disrupted the flow. But I do love you, obviously. And I do mean it obviously. Yes to more email or moving on to these Belichick stories.
- [08:06]
H
We got one more quick email. I figured it was the right time to say it because the. The hockey season is starting so we're getting vibe. But this email is from Megan from Maine who says hi Katie. And the casualties.
- [08:16]
A
Sorry, wait, pause.
- [08:20]
D
I wanna.
- [08:20]
F
I wanna clarification as well.
- [08:22]
A
Right. Who from Maine?
- [08:25]
H
Megan.
- [08:26]
A
Right. I'm sorry, you're looking at me like one of these again in Australia. Megan is Megan.
- [08:33]
H
Yes.
- [08:33]
D
No.
- [08:34]
A
Let's hear what Megan had to say.
- [08:36]
H
Megan. Megan. Megan from me says hi Katie. And the casualties. Now that the baseball season is over, it only exists to me as long as the socks are in, I can truly focus on my new position of hockey mum. Which brings me to my. Did you see that? Did you see that? The Mid Coast Youth Hockey Junior Polar Bears now have a girls 10 12U team. My 9 year old daughter will be on the team for this inaugural season. We're so excited to be involved in such a wonderful program that is invested in the growth and development of girls hockey. I have floated the idea of taking our girls team down to Boston to watch the fleet play. So fingers crossed we can make that happen. Thank you for making hockey seem so approachable for a new fan. Love you. Mean it. Megan from mean.
- [09:19]
A
Megan from mean. I love you and I mean it too. That's amazing. That warms my heart.
- [09:25]
G
You know, now that we've given him for it, it absolutely is Megan. Like karmically, you know.
- [09:29]
A
Oh, you know that she's like listening and she's like, my name's Megan. Just like yesterday when people were like, isabelle is absolutely right. You should say someone's losing 0 to 10, which no, you shouldn't.
- [09:41]
F
Thank you, my friend.
- [09:42]
A
I'm sorry we can't listen. You know how frustrating it is to have spent your whole life having to try to prove to people that you like sports. And then when you're going like, hey, this is how we do it here. Someone goes, no, I think the girl that's brand new here and admits it is right and you're wrong, it actually disproves you again, driving me crazy. So Megan, Megan, whatever it is, don't tell us. Congratulations. This is fun and exciting. Also, shout out to your 9 year old daughter on the 1012 under team. Like that's one of the younger. It's on the younger side of players that'll be on the team. So that's good for. I'm excited. It's excited to hear how the season goes. Please call in and let us know how the season goes and definitely get to a fleet game if you can. If for no other reason then I imagine as soon as things become more popular they're just going to get more expensive. So this should be the cheapest it could be. So go and get a jersey or some merch cuz I love those fleet. That fleet look, it's nice. All right. Thank you for your emails. Don't forget casuals with kaden gmail.com if you ever need anything. Unless it's to tell me that I'm wrong and Isabella's right and then it hurts. Then maybe just tell your friend that instead. Call your mom.
- [10:50]
F
Write in your diary.
- [10:52]
A
Yeah, put it down in your journal. Three stories we kind of didn't have time to get to this week that I wanted to make sure got communicated to you. Dear casuals listener, all about UNC and Bill Belichick and what's going on over there. First story according to 247 Sports and CBS editor Ross Martin, he reported on Monday morning that UNC staff had been directed not to tweet or retweet anything related to the New England Patriots as a means of explaining the account's silence during and after the Patriots beat the Bills 23 to 20 on Sunday night, led by quarterback Drake May, who spent three seasons in Chapel Hill, which is where UNC is, before becoming the number three pick in the 2024 draft. So usually if a guy goes off in the NFL, the his alma mater where he went to school, will post a highlight and go like, that's our Drake May. That's our whoever doing a thing. Schools do it all the time. UNC does it for other players that aren't Drake May. Javante Williams had two rushing touchdowns and they tweeted out or put posted on X. All the sauce just gone from discussing that website. It used to have its own language and now it's on X. They posted highlights of Cowboys running back Javante Williams and his two touchdowns, and he played there from 2018 to 2020. So they clearly do it. It's. They are part of the practice. They just didn't say anything about Drake May. And then on Monday, after this report came out, UNC's account posted footage of May at UNC and a highlight of him in the game against the Bills. So it's like, this is what's crazy about unc. It feels like they're doing stuff. And then when someone goes, are they doing this? They go like, no, we're not. See, it's like a little too late, you guys. It's a little too late to go, no, no, no. We love Drake May. Really? How come somebody had to come out and say specifically, like, I get it. If you're telling UNC not to post about the Patriots, just like, why would they. If you're trying to say, hey, when promoting Bill, please don't mention the Patriots. We just don't want the word Patriots anywhere near him in the promotion of the. That would make sense, but it would be a crazy interpretation to then think that you're not allowed to talk about a Patriot who played at you. That's so silly, so dumb. Reflects so poorly on UNC as most of this circus does, that. It's embarrassing.
- [13:24]
H
Yeah, it's annoyingly petty.
- [13:26]
A
Very. And there was also this combined with the story before that was like, no Patriots, scouts or whatever are welcome to come to the it's like, that's you're hurting the players. It Stop putting yourself above the players. So sensitive, Bill. So sensitive. Or whoever's protecting Bill. Because you never know. This could all be Jordan speaking of her, by the way, it's Jordan. I'VE everybody has started calling her Jordan, like genuinely. And I just want to make sure we're not losing the plot. Her name's Jordan. We just. She spells it with an oh. So you may have heard that they had a Hulu series that was being planned, a reality series, which came after we had heard that HBO Hard Knocks had canceled and decided they weren't going to be doing anything at unc. That was over the summer. Then they said there's going to be a Hulu series. Well, it's been canceled. The football team is two and three to start the year. Not good. Unless Isabella says it's good. Is it good? Sure. Okay. So great record. But for some reason they have canceled the show. The team has scrapped the plans. It was supposed to chronicle their whole season. This comes from inside. Carolina is reporting this. It was. Reports in the aftermath of Hard Knock's decision cited discomfort with the role. Belichick's girlfriend, Jordan Hudson would play in the project. However, UNC strongly denied that and said the decision was ultimately Belichicks. They also strongly denied that she wasn't allowed in the facilities and whatever. So that's not happening. Which is kind of frustrating. Right? Because as a lady who likes reality TV enough and likes sports and is clearly fascinated by this situation, this is why we need the reality series. You don't get to cancel your reality show just because the team you were chronicling is doing poorly. That's reality. So it actually to me is a lot more interesting to see the behind the scenes of a team that somehow, some way people thought was gonna be good and is actually still good, actually, according to Isabella.
- [15:35]
D
Sorry, I forgot that we have to.
- [15:36]
A
Go by her rules.
- [15:37]
I
Hmm.
- [15:38]
D
What were you gonna say?
- [15:39]
F
It's a total tangent. You're gonna be annoyed.
- [15:42]
A
Oh, no.
- [15:43]
F
But UNC looks like unknown.
- [15:46]
A
Yeah. That's not a total tangent. That's okay. This is common.
- [15:49]
D
This is a common thing.
- [15:51]
A
So you think like unk Football and you're like, what?
- [15:53]
F
That's so funny.
- [15:54]
A
Unk Football is that thing we were talking about a couple weeks ago. What was that?
- [15:57]
F
But also, Bill Belichick is Unk.
- [15:59]
A
Yeah, he is. Well, you know, kind of. He's grand. Unk, I think. What was the 30 and over football, Brady? What was the thing we were talking about a couple weeks ago?
- [16:08]
G
Well, we were Talking about the 58 year old player at Lycoming College. I assume they could just. You call him Unk Football. That. That plays. Just go. There's a nickname.
- [16:18]
A
Johnny Football. Unk Football. No, I meant the the memes about people.
- [16:22]
E
Memes about the.
- [16:23]
G
The 40 year old men's leagues.
- [16:25]
A
Yeah.
- [16:25]
G
Where?
- [16:26]
A
That's uncle.
- [16:27]
G
Oh, God, yeah.
- [16:30]
A
Who's that player?
- [16:31]
F
Who's that? That 50 plus player that we were talking about?
- [16:34]
A
Mm. Go ahead, everybody recall that random guy's name.
- [16:38]
F
Oh, God, no. He's Unk, the one who had.
- [16:41]
D
He.
- [16:41]
F
He got over his addiction.
- [16:43]
A
I know exactly what you're talking about. I just.
- [16:44]
G
I'm about Thomas. That's right.
- [16:46]
F
Yes.
- [16:47]
A
Brought to you by Asper Cream.
- [16:50]
G
You know, good on him getting an nil deal.
- [16:52]
A
Yes, absolutely. Stat of the week. This is the third UNC story that we have. And then we're going to get to Sarah Spain. Stat of the week via Heal247, a fan blog on socials. So that's a source. Given how bizarre this is, what they said. Given how bizarre everything is right now around UNK football. How about this? 57 photos by Getty Images of the Clemson UNC game and 23 are of Jordan Hudson. 40%. 11 photos are focused on UNK players. 40%, 23 pictures of Jordan Hudson from Getty Images. And this is why I'm saying the Give us the Hulu series. I don't know why the Hulu series. It's not hard knocks. It's not associated with an existing franchise that I know of that purports to only chronicle the football side of things. I heard Hulu. Hulu series. And I thought, good, we can see. It'll be like watching Eladia Baldwin. Eladia, Hillary Baldwin on her reality show with her husband. And we should say Eladia was eliminated from Dancing with the Stars this week. So rip to her on that. And there's a clip of her talking about it that is so beautifully melodramatic. It's what we deserved from the Hulu Jordan Hudson reality show.
- [18:20]
G
Was she with full accent, talking about dancing.
- [18:22]
A
She just was like, you know, I closed the door on dance many years ago and on.
- [18:28]
G
How do you say dance?
- [18:30]
A
And how you say, I opened the door, maybe it's time to close it again. And she just like, looks down. It's like, ma', am, if I may, it was a reality show, okay? And like four of the people that are left are dancers there. You weren't gonna win anyway. I watched the first episode of their. Maybe the first and second episode of that Baldwin reality show. It is bleak. It's like there's so many kids and he's going on trial for shooting a lady to death on a movie set. And so the first episode you're just like, this is a lot. There's a lot going on, but I strongly recommend it. Hulu, let us know if we can buy that footage from you and cut it ourselves. I would love to take a look at the raw footage because we know it exists. I know people who were reached out to by the people making the documentary to ask for footage from certain pieces of programming that would then be making it into this doc so they have it. I really would like to see it, you know, version. Get it to a Safdie or something. Let's get that cut together into a. Give me this. We deserve this.
- [19:42]
H
Yeah, we could turn this into a better version than the original doc was going to be anyway. It was just going to be a PR. Fluffy right now. We can make it something real juicy.
- [19:50]
A
This is maybe part of a larger thought we'll get to later because we got to get to Sarah Spain. But aren't people embarrassed? Aren't you embarrassed to admit that you're going to cancel that because you guys aren't playing well, like to admit that the only purpose of this documentary, quote unquote, which is what you're referring to it as, is that unless it serves our. Our ultimate mission, which is to make people think UNC is good, we're not making it. That should be an embarrassing thing to admit. You should have to tuck your tail between your legs and like, apologize and go like, boo. This is embarrassing, but we're not going to make this anymore. Or you should hope that quietly in the night it goes away. Why would you possibly. Or.
- [20:28]
H
Or you should just win.
- [20:30]
A
Yeah, well, that's. They've tried that. I also bumped into a TikTok in the Wild in my algo of Mike Lombardi, who is the GM over there, came in with Bill because that's Bill's guy. That's how I think he's gotten every job he's had. It was just him talking about how he's. He's an old school type of guy and he uses a typewriter. And it's just him sitting in front of a typewriter talking to the camera earnestly about why he does it that way and how it's taught him to slow down. I'm like, buddy, read the fucking room. There's no way that people are watching this, going like, I love that. So old school. They're like, hey, maybe buy a laptop. Maybe buy a laptop and Google. What do we do to win? Hey, maybe use technology. Can you text Bill to cut the shit from a typewriter? No. Okay. Lombardi. Cute vid and all but your team fucking blows and you are, correct me if I'm wrong, one of the highest paid in that position cross college football. You are a like state employee who's just a bottomless pit. Whatever.
- [21:41]
D
Cool video.
- [21:42]
A
I liked it. I liked it so the algo will feed me more because I just need it. Okay should we take a quick break and then when we come back we'll be here with my my friend the wonderful, a voice of authority but also just charm and wit in the world of women's sports. Sarah Spain. We'll talk to her about the wnba, her Cubs, etc etc when we come back.
- [22:07]
D
We'll be right back.
- [22:12]
A
Oh baby. It's fall and everyone knows best fashion and best flavors. Are you stocking up on all things pumpkin or grabbing some ingredients for your favorite fall recipe? Let Instacart help to deliver what you need so you don't have to add another errand to your day. You can order fresh groceries and household essentials online or through the app and they can arrive at your door in as fast as 30 minutes. With Instacart and accurate orders, timely service and experienced shoppers make quality and convenience possible. It is so convenient. As a football fan, I use Instacart to get everything I need for game day. Chips, wings, drinks delivered straight to my door. Because if you know me, I'm waking up like pretty close to game time. It's just how it is and Instacart helps me have all the food and accoutrements that I need without having to take up my time. I also love that I can use Instacart's filtering tool to search for gluten free or nut free items. If you know I'm having friends over and they have allergies, download the Instacart app and use code CASUITS20 to get $20 off your first order of $80 or more. That's code CASUITS20 to get twenty dollars off your first order of eighty dollars or more. Offer Valid for a limited time, excludes restaurants. Additional terms apply. Viori delivers a new perspective on performance apparel with pieces designed to look great beyond the gym. Whether you're running errands, heading to the office or meeting up with friends, Vuori is perfect for whatever your day brings. Take the Vuori Performance Jogger. They're great for fitness, but they're also stylish enough for everyday wear and comfortable enough for loungin of the Dream Knit Connection. They are made of Vori's softest premium stretch fabric. They're lightweight, moisture wicking and feature a four way performance stretch. Mine, I got them in like a teal green color. What I really love about them is that they're thin. So in this time of the year, sometimes when you put on like a bulky sweatpant, it's too much. These are perfect. They're lightweight, they wick away sweat. So they're very good for wearing even in like a hot month. We're allowed to be comfortable in hot months, guys. And you should do that with the Vuori Performance jogger. It's an investment in your happiness. For our listeners. They are offering 20% off of your first Vuori purchase. Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothing on the planet@vuori.com casuals that's V U-O-R-I.com casuals exclusions apply. Visit the website for full terms and conditions. Game day season is here and if you're like me, you want to serve up incredible food without missing a single play. And that's where Gorton's Seafood comes in. For over 175 years, Gorton's has been serving up restaurant quality seafood that's that's unbelievably easy to make and ready in just a few minutes. Which is speaking my language. Whether you need some protein for your pregame meal or a whole spread of crunchy craveable appetizers for the crew, Gorton's has you covered with tons of easy prep seafood options like their popcorn shrimp or classic fish sticks. Think about it. Restaurant quality seafood ready in minutes and at a fraction of the cost of eating out. It's the perfect solution for your watch party whether you're hosting a big crowd or just having a lazy couch session. Me, I just bought an air fryer. Dan and I just got an air fryer and we had a big air for our weekend where we fried up a bunch of stuff and part of the reason was because we wanted to cook up our Gorton's popcorn shrimp that we had in the freezer. It was so tasty, so easy to make and just such a nice little game day treat. Visit gortons.com to learn more, find a store and get recipe inspiration.
- [25:18]
B
Morning Zoe Got donuts.
- [25:20]
C
Jeff Bridges why are you still living above our garage?
- [25:23]
B
Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T Mobile commercial like you. Teach me Saldana.
- [25:30]
C
Oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly AT T Mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.
- [25:41]
B
Wow, impressive. Let me try. T Mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.
- [25:49]
D
Nice.
- [25:49]
C
Jeffrey, you heard them.
- [25:51]
B
T Mobile is the best place to.
- [25:52]
A
Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on.
- [25:54]
B
Us with eligible traded in any condition. So what are we having for launch?
- [25:59]
C
Dude, my work here is done.
- [26:02]
E
24 monthly bill credit is on experience beyond for well qualified customers. Plus tax and $35 device connection charge credit send and balance due if you pay off earlier. Cancel Finance agreement. IPhone 17 Pro 256 gigs $1,099.99 and new line minimum $100 plus a month plan with auto pay plus taxes and fees required. Best mobile network in the US based on analysis by Oaklove Speed Test Intelligence data 1H2025 visit t mobile.com Sarah Spain is here.
- [26:19]
A
A dear friend who we were just trying to figure out the last time we saw each other and it actually upset me. So we don't have to say, but it was pretty whatever this world is now, it was before things got like this. Host of Good Game with Sarah Spain. It's an Iheart podcast. It is the first and still only.
- [26:36]
D
Yeah.
- [26:36]
A
Still only daily women's sports podcast.
- [26:40]
D
Yeah.
- [26:41]
A
Hell yeah. And then you have a book that came out this year.
- [26:42]
D
Yes. Runs in the Family.
- [26:44]
A
Yeah. I didn't know that.
- [26:45]
D
Yeah.
- [26:45]
A
How'd that miss me?
- [26:46]
D
Well, I'm glad to hear that because that means I need to be even more annoying with my promotion of it. I thought I was sufficiently annoying, but I'm gonna double up.
- [26:54]
A
It's like 90% of this gig is being annoying. I know.
- [26:56]
D
And you know what? I feel like the younger generations have been bred for that, whereas we were bred for the opposite. It was like, don't draw attention to yourself. Also, don't look cute because everyone will think you're screwing the players. Also, don't post photos of yourself. And now the whole game is post 11 photos of yourself in the same outfit from slightly different angles.
- [27:14]
A
And yeah, put it in a carousel.
- [27:16]
H
Yeah.
- [27:16]
D
And I have like a shame reflex from the old days that makes it hard. But I'm working on shameless self promotion.
- [27:23]
A
Yeah, that's the glass ceiling we've got to break through.
- [27:26]
D
Also annoying because when I was hot and young, I know you weren't allowed to show it off. I know, I know. And now they're like, just embrace your sexuality and like, post a thousand photos and wear no clothes. And I'm like, but I'm old now.
- [27:37]
A
I actually don't want love this version.
- [27:39]
D
No, I'd swear I'd rather it have.
- [27:41]
A
Right, exactly. It's like podcasts now being like, we're all pivoting to video and I'm like, I would like to come to work without any makeup on one day or.
- [27:48]
D
One day or all the videos are pivoting to not a two shot from far away, but just your face real close up with every pore visible is what people will click on.
- [27:56]
A
And by the way, hair and makeup budget has been cut.
- [27:59]
D
So now do it yourself.
- [28:00]
A
Face and skin is older. It's the oldest it's ever been for you. And also you've got to do it yourself, which we spent years not.
- [28:07]
D
So Dan, all the clothes that you were told explicitly like 15 years ago never wear, now you are now only wear those. And you're like, but my brain is saying no to this and so is my fupa.
- [28:18]
A
We reject this life and yet we live it.
- [28:21]
D
And yet here we are.
- [28:21]
A
And yet here we are.
- [28:22]
D
And yet we must thrive within it.
- [28:24]
A
The main thing I want to talk about you with as this is a podcast, ideally for a casual fan. Talk about with you. Yeah, I did it wrong.
- [28:32]
D
Nailed it.
- [28:33]
A
I was focused on the second half of the sentence. You ever do that? Is that I. The the WNBA is in a period of amazing growth. Lot of growth. More people talking about the league, more people watching the league. I saw the finals broke a record, the game one of the finals. And it feels like for a casual fan, a little bit difficult to dip a toe in because the discourse surrounding it is so toxic. And this is kind of a hypothesis. I theorize that the discourse a lot of times is from people who aren't even really engaging with the product anyway. But are you finding as as much as I am that like, that stuff is sort of a barrier to entry for people? And if so, what do you think we can. How can casuals, like, how can we help that?
- [29:26]
D
Right. I also think it can be a barrier even to the people covering it because there are landmines everywhere. And if you're trying to just do the work, actually talk to players, coaches, people involved, report, et cetera. And you're not trolling the Internet to figure out what all the theories are and accusations and problems are. You step into things without even realizing that you will then be accused of a L aligning with X or doing X, and you're like, I didn't even know that was a thing.
- [29:52]
C
Right.
- [29:53]
D
I'm doing the work I don't have time to be in the thread on Reddit that you are accusing me of agreeing with. So it's really hard. I think it's twofold. I think it is people who are arriving that don't really know the space but want to commandeer it. And then I also think, rightfully so, fans of women's sport are so protective because it's a space that has been poisoned over and over again by people who have no interest in seeing it succeed. So there's a protectiveness about. I know this stuff. I've been here. Don't. It's kind of hipster like that. Like, I've been here. I know this. Don't come in and say stuff you don't understand. But that's not a very welcoming space for people to enter who genuinely do want to, like, watch and get to know it. One of the things we do on our show that is really important to me is, like, try to consider how in men's sports, we are given all the information we need to show up for the game and then come back for the next one and then come back again. It's the stars. Staked stats and stories for each event. And then you could say, okay, here's the stars I'm looking for. This person's about to break this record. Story is it's his first game back for a team he used to play for. Will he get booed or cheered? And then the stakes. It's a regular season game or it's the last game of the regular season to make the postseason, whatever it is. Right. We don't do that for women's sports. We tell you one story about a woman who plays and also helps in her community. And we're like, don't you want to watch the game now? We're like, who are they playing and what sport is it? So we're.
- [31:09]
A
She's a mom.
- [31:10]
D
Exactly.
- [31:10]
A
Two kids. And you're like, okay.
- [31:12]
D
And then.
- [31:12]
A
And then. And then in the game team.
- [31:14]
D
Yeah, exactly. And then on my show, we're like, and there's another mom on the other team. They used to be married. Now they're divorced. See what happens.
- [31:20]
A
Love that.
- [31:20]
D
But, yeah, so we try to give them all the information. And then also, I do think, I think even in the last five to six years, and not just with the whole Elon buying X, but just in general, companies have figured out that to be enraged is to be engaged. And so they are wanting the platforms to anger people as much as possible so that they stay on Them commenting, fighting. And so I don't go in the spaces as often anymore as I used to, even just to talk about sports with people, because inevitably here comes someone swooping in and ruining it. And so I think if you're wanting to get into women's sports, you have to find the spaces that are going to actually present the sports. And your show, the Women's Game, which I love, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe's show a touch more our show, a bunch of shows on our I Heart Women's Sports network. They're the shows where you're actually gonna like, hear about the sports and the players and the athlet and the tea and the gossip and all that too, without people fighting all the time. And you kind of just have to seek those out because diving in on.
- [32:21]
A
The Internet, it's tough, man. Like, I use, I would say probably now with the elon of it all, I think I'm using probably Reddit the.
- [32:28]
D
Most to kind of I'm a blue sky girly. Because it creates still that like, sports bar online vibe when you're watching games.
- [32:34]
A
Yeah, I get that. Reddit I have dipping my toe.
- [32:37]
D
I've heard good things about Reddit. You and Mina both. That's two people I respect endorsing it, but it used to be so toxic that I'm afraid of it.
- [32:43]
A
Soft endorse, let's say. Okay, endorse. It's less, I would say less toxic than it used to be. I think it also depends on which subreddits you're spending time in.
- [32:52]
E
Right.
- [32:53]
A
But that's like where I will usually get my feed of, like, okay, what happened in the games last night that I didn't get to watch? What happened in this and what happened on Reddit. Interesting. Yeah. It's just harder with the wnba. I've noticed because like, even the WNBA subreddit, they had to make like a separate subreddit. That was for the people who just wanted to be Caitlin Clark fans, who are not all bad people, but who engage in sort of this just below the surface, tinged with racism.
- [33:23]
D
Right.
- [33:24]
A
Dialogue where it just as like a person who notices a dog whistle from spending so much time online just goes like that. But I could also see how somebody would think that's the WNBA subreddit for regular fans who like Caitlin Clark and then they're engaging in this and they don't even realize that it's all full of these. Like.
- [33:42]
D
Yes.
- [33:42]
A
And so it's really stressful for somebody who's just trying to help People who aren't basketball experts get into the game because it's hard to even go like, these are your safe space.
- [33:51]
D
Well, that's what I was gonna say is the fundamental issue for me is a failure of the media over the course of the past however many decades to invest enough in women's sports so that there can be established, veteran, trusted voices. And unfortunately, and this is not to call people out because. Because, you know, having been on shows like around the Horn and in spaces where you have to know everything about everything, there are times when you're kind of BSing your way through, like a late season NHL game. And what do you make of this?
- [34:19]
A
I knew you were going to say NHL.
- [34:21]
D
I knew it well, because it's first of all, so hard to watch. Or even baseball. Baseball's so regional, I can't watch all the games. And every other team. So end of the season, they're like, this pitcher's been throwing flames or like this goalie's been standing on his head and you're like, like, okay, practice saying the name of this.
- [34:37]
A
Ilya. His first name is Ilya.
- [34:39]
D
Yeah, I'm sorry, it's bub Bros. But so then when you get there, you're kind of. And you use statistics and you, you have facts behind what you say and you do your research for it, but that doesn't mean you're watching game in and game out. And so some of these people that are the most trusted voices in sports are the ones whose words get out there and travel fastest, and they don't know that her name is Nafisa Collier, not Nefesha, not Nefisia. So that's the immediate giveaway. And you're like, okay, this person's not really watching, but then where do I go? And one of the worst things about women's sports right now, and particularly the W, is because there's a lot of agendas being pushed. By criticizing someone like Angel Reese or by fighting on behalf of Caitlin Clark. There's a lot of misattributed quotes or fully made up quotes. And because there's nowhere to go to say, oh, she never said that. It just travels, travels, travels. Crazy NBA sent out. Well, you get tricked.
- [35:30]
A
Then you go to all the rite of passage. Someone goes, you got sent.
- [35:34]
D
You got me.
- [35:35]
A
It's not right.
- [35:35]
D
But then you go to all the main sources and you go, oh, they didn't say that. I can't find that anywhere. Where do you go for women's sports to be sure that if it happened, it would Be there.
- [35:44]
A
It's less obvious. Yeah, it's less easy. Your show is obvious, literally.
- [35:48]
D
Which is why we're like a daily show where we're trying to tell you, hey, this happened. This didn't. Here's what they said. Here's what's going on. Yeah, it's tough.
- [35:55]
A
It's a really good point about misinformation in sports. It's starting to get. I mean, everywhere, obviously, but if we could just stick to our little world. Yeah, it's starting to get pretty crazy. Like, I've had people in my life be like, did you see what Angel Reese said in a press conference? And I'm like, that wasn't real.
- [36:12]
D
No.
- [36:13]
A
And it's a. It'll be posted by some, like, sportskeeda or some thing that has a name that you're like, I don't know what this is, but it looks like a sports website. And it'll be an infographic with a picture of the athlete. The quote looks legit. Looks exactly like it. It would if it came from espn. And we're just at an era where someone sees that while they're scrolling and goes, oh, that's stupid. I hate her. And then they keep scrolling. It informs an opinion they already have. They scroll past it, and then they use it in conversation if they. If it ever comes up. But sometimes they don't even realize that they've just got in their head this completely. And, what, no one's doing anything about it.
- [36:48]
D
No.
- [36:48]
A
It stresses me out so much.
- [36:50]
D
No, I've been listening. I was at the Atlantic Festival because I'm a giant nerd while I was speaking at it. But then, of course, I went. I went humble, brag. But then I also am a nerd. So I went as early as the day started and went to all the panels before mine and then went to all the panels after mine because I like learning things. And Scott Galloway was there, and I was just, like, transfixed by what he had to say about how none of these social media companies are held to account the way journalistic enterprises like the newspapers or TV are. So they can artificially endorse and promote posts that are enraging, knowing that. That they'll get more, and they should be, like everywhere else, held accountable if they are doing that, knowing that they aren't actually getting that attention. They're the ones pushing up the things that are the most angering, and especially when they're blatantly false. I'm so tired. Me too. I want to go live on a farm. All I do is talk about how I'm going to move to a farm and, like, write more books and not talk to people. Yeah. Eleventy dogs, couple pigs.
- [37:47]
A
Feel bad because it's like, we gotta fix it. But it's like, what are we supposed to do? My dad sent me a. This was a while ago now, but he sent me a press conference between, like, Bruins players and ownership screaming at each other. And I'm like, dad, this is AI. This is obviously AI. If this happened, it would be on the news. It would be front page. What do you mean? The goalie threw something at the owner? That would be on the news.
- [38:11]
D
It would be on the news. Or like on Facebook when every single athlete and musician who's ever existed talked about how much they love Charlie Kirk.
- [38:19]
I
Yes.
- [38:19]
A
Or is saving somebody from a burning building.
- [38:21]
D
There was one with Peyton Manning. Someone shared where he had a secret adopted daughter that he had, like, found as a youth but never told anyone. He'd secretly been, like, taken care of. I'm like.
- [38:31]
A
And six fingers. We just never knew about it. He's got six fingers on his right hand.
- [38:35]
D
Such a good quarterback.
- [38:35]
A
Oh, my God. It's just a very frustrating time for the Internet, which is hard because for me, growth of sports is. So much of that happened organically through the conversations. Like you said about is happening on Blue sky now. Like, conversations during games. Like getting off your little joke during the game before somebody else liking somebody else's joke. Because you just saw the thing they're talking about and it's resonating with you. It was like a community building space for sports fans that weren't at a game.
- [39:01]
D
And I think for women especially, because there's no script, it's happening instantly. So when you make clear I know what I'm talking about and I'm funny, people are like, oh, that's really her. Like. Cause when I started my career, they were like, who writes your scripts? I'm like, me. What's on the teleprompter? There isn't one. Yeah.
- [39:18]
A
Or if there is, I went boop, boop, boop, boop. And then sent it to somebody who put it in for me. My scene stuff.
- [39:24]
D
Yeah, yeah. Now that we're lathered, now that I'm.
- [39:29]
A
All upset about this, I mean, you mentioned it's Nafisa Collier. And I. It did immediately make me think of the WNBA's own commissioner not pronouncing Natalie Nakase's name right when she got coach of the year, which is like.
- [39:45]
D
And at a. At a Conference at the WNBA All Star. Another employee of the WNBA was like talking about how great the stud buds are, but called her Natasha Heideman. And I'm like, what are we doing, guys?
- [39:58]
A
What are we doing, guys?
- [39:59]
D
What are we doing? This is your.
- [40:00]
A
It's like, get briefed.
- [40:01]
D
Yeah. If nothing else, or if you want to talk about how great they are, watch it. Right.
- [40:06]
A
But if it's like, well, she's so busy.
- [40:09]
D
Yeah.
- [40:09]
A
Get briefed. Have somebody whose job it is to go.
- [40:12]
D
And by the way, you know what they should do? They should be a woman in sports because you know that we are never throwing off names or stats off the top of our head that we're not sure of.
- [40:20]
A
You can't get anything wrong.
- [40:22]
D
You can't go like, like, I'm not sure. I just go, I'm not gonna make that joke. Right.
- [40:26]
A
Or I'm going like, do, do, do. Googling it. Making sure. It's just like. It was embarrassing because what a season from the Valkyries, which I don't know if you know this. That's my team.
- [40:35]
D
I.
- [40:36]
A
We had Natalie on this show. She was one of the first. It was like a pre tape guest that we got over the summer. And she was great. She brought merch. She was like, do you not have a team? This is your team now.
- [40:47]
D
Best merch. And Jess Smith, the president over there, is the best human. I would run through a wall for her. So they're one of my side pieces.
- [40:53]
A
Yeah.
- [40:54]
D
But what happens if the Conn end up in Boston?
- [40:56]
A
Well, then it's a conversation we have to have. But the more I followed that story, the more confused I got. Have there been more updates on what's going on? No, we don't know.
- [41:05]
D
It basically is summed up as the WNBA wants to be in charge of telling them who they sell to and then make them sell it so that they get the cost of the sale plus the expansion fee of another person paying to have a team in Boston instead of the first team just selling to someone who takes it to Boston.
- [41:18]
A
And now I'm no business lady and I don't mean to put you in this position. Are you allowed to do that? That doesn't seem right to me.
- [41:24]
D
It seems pretty bad.
- [41:25]
A
Yeah, but so does all of the kind of. About the wnba because stuff's kind of starting to. Cracks are showing and it's a scary time for that because everybody knows a work stoppage is never going to be good for a growing league with avid fans who are like, hungry for your product. And of course that is the power of a work stoppage is that it's like the fans don't want this, they want to watch basketball. So let's figure this out out. But my, you know, pessimism from observing the discourse around the W is I'm like thinking about what it because I've watched how spaces about like men's sports get toxically anti athlete when we get into conversations about strikes and work stoppages over CBAs. And so my brain is thinking ahead to what it will look like if the WNBA players are like we're not going to play until this is figured out. And the way that that will be framed and the way they will be.
- [42:24]
D
Discussed in I'm optimist about that actually.
- [42:26]
A
Okay.
- [42:27]
D
I think that the shift in just the last couple of years of people really understanding the value of the players in the WNBA has made the public all side with the players. I am not seeing even the most. Okay, that's not true.
- [42:45]
A
Damn, we found it.
- [42:46]
D
The ones you expect it from, right. Who I do not intentionally follow or seek out but pop into my timeline line and my face goes ugh. And then I read briefly that they think that the players are morons and selfish and delusional and they're not worth anything and the W loses money and yada yada yada go on and so forth. But for the most part everybody is on the side of the players and it is impossible to ignore the rocket ship growth, the incredible investments, the giant valuations, the increased at every single number going up. And that doesn't mean revenue is not the same as profit. And there's a lot of that money coming in that needs to go into now charter flights and other things.
- [43:28]
A
Because they were flying commercial all this time.
- [43:31]
D
Exactly. But more so is the conversation is getting more sophisticated so that instead of the people dominating saying they want to get paid the same as LeBron, we've moved past that garbage to no, they want a better revenue share. Right. Because the one they have right now is ridiculous. There was a Nobel prize winning economist who did an op ed for the Times breaking down using all the data, what percentage compared to the men based on revenue per game, eyeballs for TV rights, et cetera and so forth. And it was should have been a third or a fourth of what the men are making and it's 1-80th.
- [44:07]
A
Yeah, crazy. And there will still be people who will mischaracterize it as they want to be paid what the men are paid because that is the easiest best thought to Have. And unfortunately, as much as I believe in people, we do usually people still, I try. I've got a little bit left. I have to, I have to. Or I'm not getting out of bed.
- [44:23]
D
That's right.
- [44:24]
A
But they. People do still default to the easiest thought. It is the worst type of people are the ones who default to the easiest thought and then are then dig their heels.
- [44:32]
D
Right. And don't do the work.
- [44:33]
A
What if instead of yelling at me, you thought about it?
- [44:36]
D
Yeah.
- [44:36]
A
Or like read and considered any other opposing opinion than yours. So it, it'll be interesting. I think you're right. I think women's sports fans, I've always praised them for being pro athlete, for being like, we've seen how leagues can run and then it gets so deep into a league's history that like, we're never going to change fundamentally the way that the, let's say NBA is run. I don't know, Pablo's kind of chipping away at that, so it might blow some things up. But like, even there, the players saw Pablo's report and now have reportedly said that they don't care about it if somebody's circumventing the cap. Whereas I think in women's league, it's like, it's not too big for us to still change.
- [45:16]
D
Right. Well, and the fundamental difference I think too is that there is people have an unfair hatred of rich, successful people. And so they know what the players make. And it feels like a lot because they can't even comprehend how much the owners have.
- [45:31]
A
Right.
- [45:32]
D
So they criticize millionaire players for demanding their fair share somehow on behalf of billionaire owners who are taking and taking more. Whereas in the women's game, game, when they hear that a player like Caitlin Clark has a $28 million Nike deal, but her WNBA salary is less than you make for being, you know, a manager at wherever they're like, oh, we should fight for them. And for right now at least, I think the women are getting a lot more un of like the empathy and sympathy because they're much more relatable.
- [46:03]
A
Yeah. One of the things that really made it stark for me is when you hear how much they get fined when they criticize a ref and you go, that's nothing.
- [46:11]
D
Which is why they used to not release that number because it was like a self indictment of like, this is.
- [46:18]
A
We can't finer more. This is it.
- [46:20]
D
Funny story. So I was for a couple years a minority owner of the Chicago Red Stars. Now Chicago neutral colored Stars, which is a dumb idea. Terrible.
- [46:28]
A
Yeah.
- [46:29]
D
Okay.
- [46:29]
A
Good.
- [46:29]
D
And within the first three weeks of being an owner, I was fined by the commissioner for basically like being anti racist, for like standing up for one of our players who said she and her boyfriend were racially profiled after a game. And my fine was $200 and I didn't even have to pay it myself, but I did frame it and put it on the wall.
- [46:49]
A
Great.
- [46:50]
D
And I was like, this is what I want to be as an owner. I want to just be the kind of owner that's getting fined by the commissioner and starting fights.
- [46:57]
A
So as a. You have the experience on the other side. Yeah. I don't know how much you want to say about your time there as an owner, but does that inform how you things like CBA negotiations and potential work stoppages in the W now?
- [47:12]
D
Yeah, I mean, I think in general it did give me a little bit more of a sense of like, you know, I spent most of my time at ESPN and in my job, like going after the man, whether that was a man or a woman, but whoever was in charge that was doing the wrong thing, saying the wrong thing, having the wrong environment, being toxic, whatever. So being a part of that space did make me at least better understand some of the complications of like when you're working with a vendor to get a jersey done and ready at the beginning of the season. And it isn't. It's not always the fault of the team. Sometimes it's the vendor or some agreement with the league about what you're going to change in terms of logos and when that needs to be, you know, all that stuff. And then a lot of it was actually me being behind the scenes and being like, this is a failure of imagination or execution and it is the fault of this team or these people that it's not being done right. And so I think I can hold both and be realistic. I mean, I think I try to lead with empathy in sports because it feels like everybody else leads with who can we scream at and hate? And so even when Kathy Engelbert, I think inappropriately in her presser, said, my kids are really sad and upset about what's being said about me. Meanwhile, sorry for that. Have you been in the mentions of your players, have you experienced the life of the women who have been been the blood, sweat and tears of this league for almost three decades now, fighting for respect while you're actively working against them and allegedly saying things like, you should be on your knees thankful for me for making this deal and you can't handle someone allegedly directly quoting you because your kids are sad. These women are getting death threats, right? These women are needing to hire personal security when they're getting paid nothing. And this is you're going to trot out the old empathy. And yet a still a part of me said I feel for her as a human being that her kids are hearing everyone say our mom sucks and that probably hurts. I can hold both, right? And so I try to do that, having been in the positions I've been in.
- [49:10]
A
Yes, she so Kathy Engelbert, the commissioner at the W, has denied saying that Caitlyn Clark needs to be grateful. She said, obviously I did not make those comments which already I'm going, well, that's a tough thing to say right after saying you respect a liar like you. You're like, I have so much respect to for her, obviously, obviously she's the Caitlyn has been a transformational player in this league. She's been a great representative of the game. She's brought in tens of millions of new fans to the game. I'm proud of what she's put on the court. I certainly did not say that. She also certainly did not deny saying that players should be on their hands and knees thinking they're lucky stars for the media rights deal. I got them. She said there were a lot of inaccuracies. It was I think Malika who asked.
- [49:52]
D
Her directly in the first one and Annie Costable followed up about Caitlyn Clark.
- [49:57]
A
Directly asking and she she was like, listen, a lot of people are saying a lot of things.
- [50:01]
D
There's been a lot of inaccuracies.
- [50:02]
A
It's like if it were me, I'd be like, I did not say those things. But clearly there's a line of communication that's broken down between me and some of my most respected stars in my league and I need to open that communication back up and make sure things are clarified right away.
- [50:15]
D
If that's what she remembers me saying. If I don't recall that, then my communication needs to improve.
- [50:20]
A
I've got work to do. Clearly I'm not communicating as well as I should.
- [50:24]
D
Didn't go over Great liar, by the way. Way. I don't know how far in advance Nafisa was scheduled to sit down with Kamala Harris. But imagine if you're Kathy Engelbert and write the follow up right after the report that your relationship with Nafisa is damaged beyond repair. She's sitting down with the former vice president.
- [50:43]
A
Woof, woof. How much longer does Kathy Engelbert have.
- [50:49]
D
This is an interesting one because number one, I think in the middle of CBA negotiations that she's been a part of for this year, plus whatever, it would be very hard to make a switch there. I also think when you consider the way we see commissioners in other sports, I was thinking about this the other day. Roger Goodell's job is to face the slings and arrows, absorb the boos, players, coaches, media, fans, on behalf of the owners that he works for.
- [51:18]
A
Exactly.
- [51:18]
D
It's slightly more complicated in the W. For those who don't know, The NBA owns 42% of the the league, but some of the NBA owners also were a part of a capital raise that owns 16%. So they're double dipping there. And multiple teams currently in the in the W are owned by NBA owners and multiple of the new expansion teams are NBA owned. So it's more like 60% of the league that is currently in control of NBA, the league or owners in the NBA. It's very difficult to parse because there's very little financial transparency and leadership transparency. We know that ultimately Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA, can hire and fire Kathy and has a lot of say over what the WNBA does. So is she exactly the same as Roger Goodell or is she like a little below Adam, who's the Roger Goodell? But he's not facing the criticism of fans the way that she is. He's not really doing the job that she is. So I think there's an expectation in women's sports that the commissioner is much more deeply connected to the players and the causes and the intersectionality of the sport than there is in men, where people see it as a business. Whether that's mildly misogynist, maybe, but I think that's one of the fundamental differences in men's and women's sports is the expectation that the teams, the leagues and the players stand for more than just sports. And so when you have a commissioner who feels so out of alignment with the league she represents, that feels much more tenuous than when you have a Goodell who also by the way, keeps his job because he's just making money on money on money. Whereas if he's feels like both Kathy and the NBA and Adam Silver are actually standing in the way of this league becoming what it could be because they are publicly criticizing it in a way that feels very weird. The fact that often before CBA negotiations is when Adam Silver is publicly talking about it, losing money, but without ever offering up any financials.
- [53:16]
A
Right.
- [53:17]
D
And while we see rocket ship growth and while we see valuations go in the hundreds of millions of dollars. They're still trying to convince us, while.
- [53:23]
A
We'Re seeing fights over a team in Connecticut that now we're seeing people be like, I want it. No, I want it.
- [53:29]
D
And all NBA. So you're telling me all the billionaire NBA owners want to be in the very bad business of the wnba losing.
- [53:35]
A
You money, it's hard to square.
- [53:36]
D
And yet it looks great to trot that out right before the players ask you for money.
- [53:40]
A
Yeah. And that certainly like in past leagues with CBAs, they'll say like, we actually lost money last year. But then when you zoom in on the accounting, you're like, that's creative. It's a yes.
- [53:49]
D
We're using that for tax breaks.
- [53:50]
A
Right. We're saying it that way and it's, I guess technically true, but it doesn't really mean what it sounds like it means.
- [53:57]
D
There's an article in ESPN just a couple years ago that said that a third of NBA teams reported a loss. Do we ever hear headlines about the NBA losing money?
- [54:05]
A
No.
- [54:05]
D
So it's very intentional.
- [54:07]
A
Right.
- [54:07]
D
And so that's a terrible answer to how long does Kathy have? But I guess my point is it's really complicated. Depends on what they're using her for, right? Depends on what they who she really answers to should be.
- [54:18]
A
I mean, I guess having her at the end of the spirit tunnel to give away the. Maybe that's why people feel like they need to be more toot because they're like, I'm here to bring you this thing.
- [54:26]
D
Right. Imagine Adam Silver at the end.
- [54:29]
A
I get to the end of a spirit tunnel and it's like goodell. I'd be like, what's wrong? Is everything okay? Did someone die?
- [54:35]
D
Yeah.
- [54:35]
A
You're here to bring me bad news, obviously. All right, So I just want to make sure that we have all of that covered because I know a lot of people are confused by what's going on over there. They want to be supportive of the athletes. They want to understand what's going on. And it's, you're right, very layered. But you are like one of the lone voices I to try trust of like sanity in this area. So I think we covered all that. Let's talk about the actual basketball. A little complicated because we are recording this on Wednesday and it will come out on Thursday. So by the time you hear this, the third game will be over. But luckily first year of a seven game series for the finals. So it won't be. Nothing will be decided. It will still be the Aces against the Mercury. Where we stand, it's two nothing. Aces in the series. Series. The first game was very close. Came down to some missed free throws. It was kind of a bummer. Second game, not so close. What are you seeing in this NBA Finals? And who do you think is going to walk away with wnba?
- [55:34]
D
But yes, I do that all the time. I. We actually, on my show, we call it the mnba and it helps remind us that we need to say either.
- [55:42]
A
Did I say NBA?
- [55:43]
D
You did.
- [55:43]
A
I did. I didn't even know. I know.
- [55:45]
D
It happens. We're so used to saying it. I know. Um, okay, so this is. I'm. I'm clinging to the old adage, a series doesn't start until the home team loses. Because I do not want this to be a sweep. I do not want this to be easy. I think the Mercury have been such a badass team all season. This is a team that returned almost no one from last year. We anticipated some growing pains. They lost Diana Tausi to retirement. Brittney Griner went to Atlanta. They brought in a whole new set of people, including Dana Bonner. And so we're like, okay, they're outperforming expectations. Okay, they're going through both of last year's WNBA Finals teams to get here. And then this matchup with the Aces has been bad for them all season. In every Aces matchup that Asia Wilson has played in, the Aces have beaten the Mercury this year. So the matchup is bad. But also I think the adjustments from Becky Hammond have been so much better than Nate Tibbets, the Mercury coach so far that we need to see something legit tonight. It can't just be that PHX arena is going off and Phoenix gets some home court advantage. They need to adjust to what they're seeing the double teams on. Alyssa Thomas, who is the engine of the Mercury, not only as an inside paint presence, but she brings the ball up, the offense goes through her. So if they take her away as a facilitator and a scorer by double teaming her, by sending the little gnats in there to try to mess with her when she's trying to make a move in the post, it takes her away on the defensive side too. And that's one of the really big problems. The Mercury is having had their turnovers then send the Aces running. They can't get back into defensive position and the pace of the game is killing them. And they were the ones that had used physicality and pace better in their previous matches. But this has not worked against the Aces. So somehow, some way, Alyssa Thomas needs to still be the focal point because we've seen Kalia Copper be great. She's basically getting eliminated by what Jackie Young does on the other end. They both defend each other, they're both great defenders and yet can't do much against the other one because the other one's so great. Evens out. And now you're left with Asia Wilson and Chelsea Gray who are killing it and Alyssa Thomas who's been really taking out of it. Dewana Bonner who hasn't done much. And to me it feels Sammy Whitcomb being not full strength. It just feels like the Mercury can't get anybody into rhythm. And that's because they're going for the the head, which is Alyssa Thomas. And when they take her out of it, everything falls apart.
- [58:09]
A
So it sounds like you're saying that the Aces are going to win.
- [58:13]
D
I believe so. Although I picked the Mercury in five before the series started.
- [58:16]
A
I mean, it's such a strong postseason for them. The start to the postseason was like, whoa. And look at them go.
- [58:21]
D
The Aces are the most fascinating team because they started the season terribly right. Then they figured it out and then went on a historic 16 game win streak.
- [58:29]
A
Crazy.
- [58:30]
D
And then in the postseason it was, it was infuriating to watch them because it felt like just a matter of focus. Like when they were on, you're like, who's stopping them? They've got like five Olympic players on their team and the four time MVP who's unstoppable, but they could not get it together. They never seemed in a flow. And then in this series it's like something clicked. And now, man, good luck.
- [58:53]
A
I know they're.
- [58:54]
D
But I want the Mercury to get a couple wins and make it interesting.
- [58:57]
A
Yeah, I mean if we're gonna, if we can finally go to seven, let's go. Let's get as close to seven as we we can. Shocking to me, shocking was that watching Becky Hammond do an interview in game during a finals, I was like this. In a men's league, they would never, they could never mic up a coach and make them do an interview live during the game. Wild.
- [59:22]
D
Wild, Wild.
- [59:23]
A
And I just wanted to point that out as another thing that's like we've got to be that much better and that much more willing to.
- [59:29]
D
Right. Because we got to figure out how to sell it. Right.
- [59:31]
A
And it's. I just thought that was incredible. During a very stressful moment in her blazer and her hoodie and the Nate Tibbets.
- [59:37]
D
When they did Nate Tibbets live too, it was great because of course, the game is happening. So he's like, yeah, we really need you.
- [59:43]
A
That's awful.
- [59:45]
D
Exactly.
- [59:45]
A
And the backdoor story about that, it's great content.
- [59:48]
D
We want it.
- [59:49]
A
But it reminded me of when I did the. The Celebrity All Star Game and they wanted to do a talk back and I was like, I'm focusing. Yeah, there's a lot. I gotta tell Bieber when to check in. Like, I got stuff to do. Crazy.
- [60:00]
D
They also mic'd up Chelsea Gray in the game.
- [60:03]
A
It's crazy.
- [60:03]
D
It's in the game.
- [60:04]
A
I do think they got the two stars from the MNBA finals mic'd up, but it was like never live. Was Chelsea's live or was it like they would go.
- [60:13]
D
No, they would.
- [60:13]
A
Of course. During a commercial.
- [60:14]
D
Yeah, yeah, because you don't know any.
- [60:16]
A
Anything on a hot mic. Exactly. Okay, let's talk about this, the WNBA season. I want to look. We're always looking for entry points for people, things that they might use to get into the game. So I figured if we look at it the throughout through the young stars, we can, you know, learn some stuff and share some knowledge. So let's talk about Paige Becker's Year 1, 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year. She was an all Star in August. She had that 44 point game. They lost 81. 80. That's tough. But to the Sparks, that was the most points by any rookie in WNBA history. 10th most points by any player in WNBA history. Average 19.2 points. Points. Also the only player in the season to rank in the top 10 in points, assists, and steals per game. And this is coming off of a season like literally weeks after playing her.
- [61:07]
D
College season and winning it all.
- [61:09]
A
And winning it all. And so it's like, to me, insanity. What an incredible.
- [61:14]
D
And how much did you hear about her?
- [61:15]
A
Not enough.
- [61:16]
D
Not enough.
- [61:17]
A
Not enough, huh?
- [61:19]
D
Interesting. Yeah. This. First of all, the Wings are not good, right?
- [61:25]
A
Which made it hard, makes it tough.
- [61:27]
D
And they were really bad versus, like, let's say last year. Caitlin Clark was on a Fever team that wasn't great, but was good enough to kind of be in the conversation. Angel Reese was on a Chicago sky team that wasn't good, but wasn't terrible. But I'm still shocked by, and I think it proves a lot of points from last year about that. Dumb. You need a rivalry. Everybody loves people. Paige. The vets love Paige. Dinah Tausi is out there saying she thinks Paige will end up being the Best player of all time. That coming from the best player of all time.
- [61:55]
A
Right.
- [61:56]
D
Unless Asia. We're. We're really starting to have that conversation. But, yeah, I mean, I think there's. It's really interesting when people always ask me why Caitlin Clark got so popular. There are cynical reasons to say, right, she looks like the girl next door. She's your little sister. She's white. She's from Iowa. To me, it was more obvious. It was the Steph Curry effect of she's shooting balls from far away.
- [62:19]
C
Yeah.
- [62:20]
D
You don't need to know who she plays for, who she's playing against, or anything about basketball. Anything about basketball. Anything about whether the other team's good at defense or good at all. She's just shooting from far away. And then she makes it, and then she does it in clutch time, and then she shrugs or hypes the crowd or does something cool. And that's really it. Right.
- [62:37]
A
She does a thing I look at and go, could you never do that?
- [62:39]
D
Right. And then you see male players trying to shoot from the logo spot at Iowa and missing. You see other players, you know, and there's been sobriety. Serena Ionescu. There's plenty of players who can shoot faraway threes. But it was the way she did it, the amount she did it on the stage, she did it repeatedly, and it was really exciting. And then she got.
- [62:54]
A
At the time when she did it.
- [62:55]
D
Yes. And then she got a rival in angel, and that helped because some people really like the rivalry and other people are racist and they wanted to pick a side and turn it into some sort of weird political and social agenda. Either way, that helped because talking heads had something to debate. And having been in the debate industrial complex, I understand the value of something to argue against or for in terms of putting it on shows that need an answer to something and not just a conversation. What's the conversation around Paige? You have to know about basketball to say, is she the best rookie ever? What does this look like? Who does this remind you of? You have to know what you're talking about. You don't have to know what you're talking about to argue whether, you know, angel should have done the you can't see me or whatever else you know. And so I think that's part of why Paige hasn't gotten as much excitement. I think the wing sucking is part of it. But if you watch her just unbelievably smooth, her passing, her midi, her. Her swagger is just so fun. And so I'm really looking forward to hopefully that team getting better. It's really interesting to see what happens with az, where she goes, Paige's girlfriend and will we get a little paisy with the wings or will we see them rivals in the W?
- [64:14]
A
That would be crazy.
- [64:15]
D
Yeah. There's the storyline people can cling to, so hopefully there's a little more conversation around that. But if you want to like basketball and like a person, it's gonna be tough to find someone that you're not gonna like more than Paige Becker.
- [64:29]
A
It's a good place to start. Yeah. All right. Caitlyn Clark only managed 13 games this season due to injury, but she was the 2024 rookie of the year. 2024 all WNBA first team, two time WNBA all star. A name that is. No one's going. I know about the W, but who's this Caitlin Clark. But what it this was kind of a lost season for her.
- [64:48]
D
Really sad.
- [64:49]
A
Yeah. So what's the. What's like the future of her role in all of this? How does she bounce back from this?
- [64:54]
D
Well, I'm very curious to see how the Fever. So first of all, for those who don't know, the CBA negotiations in the WNBA are going to potentially blow up a lot of the teams you're watching. There's like literally two veteran players under contract for next year in the league.
- [65:11]
A
Oh boy.
- [65:12]
D
Not.
- [65:12]
A
Is that because they knew this was coming?
- [65:14]
D
Yes.
- [65:14]
A
So they.
- [65:15]
D
Everybody made their contracts. I think it might literally be two, it might be four.
- [65:18]
A
That's crazy.
- [65:19]
D
It's insane if you're not on the end of a rookie contract. I know Lexi Brown with the Storm has another year, but almost every single player that is a veteran in this league had their contract end at the end of this season so that they can take advantage of the new CBA and salaries that they expect to skyrocket. So there could be a lot of movement. It's not guaranteed, but there could be a lot of movement. And then you factor in Toronto coming in and Portland coming in next season. So you've got expansion drafts. So players that you got used to on certain teams will be drafted away to those expansion teams. So the league's gonna look very different. The Fever will be interesting because they ended up outperforming expectations in the postseason by a billion teeth because they didn't just lose Caitlyn, they lost like five players to season ending injuries. And they were out out there with players signed mid season on hardship contracts putting up double digits every game. Crazy shout out, you know, Shea Petty shout out players who should be getting a contract next year. Odyssey Sims and not having to keep sign these, you know, two week contracts to fill in for injured players. But I'm interested to see how the Fever take those players that did so well without Caitlin and then put her back in the mix and figure out how to use her in the rotation. This year was really hard because she was in and out with injury and I think they looked better sometimes without her. Not because she's not a great player but because being in and out of the rotation makes it really hard to get in a rhythm. So I felt bad for her with the All Star game in Indy. I know like what a just missed opportunity.
- [66:45]
A
Frustrating. Yeah. Frustrating season for I'm sure Angel Reese and her discontent in Chicago. Two time WNBA all star led the league in rebounds per game. I know everybody loves to call them me bounds which I believe she turned into her great brilliant love that had a triple double earlier this season against the Sun. Missed most of the second half of the season due to a back injury. Appearing in 30 regular season games. Will not be playing in unrivaled this coming off season and was suspended by the team for half a game in September after her comments to the Chicago Tribune about not settling for the same we did this year. We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That's non negotiable for me willing and wanting to play with the best. However I can help to get the best here, here. That's what I'm going to do this off season. What are your thoughts on on all of that? I know it's also close to home for you.
- [67:34]
D
Yeah, first of all interesting stat. It was late in the season when she was still playing before she was out with the back stuff but at that point and I didn't do this calculation again at the end of the season but if you took away all of her offensive rebounds which people claim is how she gets all of her boards, she was still leading the league in total rebounds with just her defensive rebounds.
- [67:50]
A
Damn. So a stat worth mentioning.
- [67:52]
H
Yes.
- [67:53]
D
So the MI bounce thing is funny for her cause she trademarked it. But it's BS when people try to use that against her. Yes, of course she can improve her fundamentals and some of her play could improve but like to deny the effect that she has on games is ridiculous. I'm really worried she's gonna force her way out and I don't blame her. The Chicago sky need to catch up facilities wise and they're finally breaking ground on one Facilities wise Care for the players wise, just being current and cool, being thoughtful and interesting and modern with their approach to everything from merchandising to game promotion to everything else they're behind. And sometimes I'm resentful because I'm, like, grateful that we've had a team in my city for so long while other people have had to watch from afar. But the teams in new cities are coming in with facilities and crazy, crazy cool, interesting logos and merch and spending on doing it right. When I. When I go to the Valkyries, my secret side piece and I go to a game there, when I put my.
- [68:54]
A
Hat on real low and I'm like. And I walk in the door, no.
- [68:57]
D
One will recognize me here. I. I'm. I'm jealous.
- [69:01]
A
It's fun because that's.
- [69:02]
D
And, and listen, when the sky won it all in 2021, the games were amazing. Celebs were sitting courtside. It was really fun. But that could be every game if they did it right. And I don't blame the players for feeling. Feeling like they're bush league. And I mean, there's a history of this. We have multiple league MVPs who have chosen to leave. Sylvia Fowles, Elena Deladon, you know, Gabby Williams, Candace Parker. We've had great players that don't stick around because the sky don't do it right. And so if they lose angel another star because they don't do it right, that's on them. Now, I've said publicly, and I still agree with this, you gotta be real careful talking about teammates in the press. I think that's always gonna bite you. And whether I agree with what she said or not, that's not a conversation, I think, to take public. And it did affect her locker room. And we did hear players from that locker room express discontent about it. And I think that's to be expected when you go public with that. I agree with everything she said about the Sky. I even agree with her desire to get more better players, but you just got to be careful.
- [69:57]
A
And I think she learned that. I think she said that something to that effect. But, yeah, definitely an interesting thing to keep an eye on. But, boy, did they stink.
- [70:06]
D
They.
- [70:07]
A
I watched them get blown by, well.
- [70:09]
D
Courtney Vander Sloot going down early. That was a really big piece because you wanted a trip, true floor manager facilitator to set up the bigs in Cardoso and Reese. And when she went down, you just didn't really have that. But even before that, it was like, what's going on?
- [70:24]
A
What's the plan?
- [70:25]
D
What's the. What's your. No one can play defense and you can't shoot threes.
- [70:28]
A
What are we doing? Where do we see the winds coming from? And then lastly, Cameron Brink, who has joined unrivaled with a reported six figure income.
- [70:36]
F
Oh, okay.
- [70:36]
D
Get it, girl.
- [70:37]
A
Originally signed with the league in 2024, could not play in the inaugural season because of that need injury. She was a member of the Lunar Owls. I hate the names over there. I know we're running out of names.
- [70:46]
D
I love Phantom the gear. I've never seen a sports team with gear. That's spooky.
- [70:51]
A
Yeah, okay, good point.
- [70:52]
D
I'm really into spooky.
- [70:53]
A
I do like your. But Lunar Owls, I'm like, what are we doing, Moon Owl? What are we. What is this?
- [70:57]
D
Didn't need that.
- [70:59]
A
Blah, blah, blah. She only managed 15 games last season before suffering it. That was from unrivaled or was that from this season of the W?
- [71:05]
D
No, no, she came back, but it was very limited.
- [71:08]
A
Yeah, yeah.
- [71:09]
D
She was coming off a major injury that took her out for her whole rookie season, right?
- [71:12]
A
Yes, exactly.
- [71:13]
D
Yeah, I'm excited to see her. The Sparks are an interesting team too. You knew they were going to be in a rebuild mode. They have been. But at some point, kind of like the fever when you get a couple seasons in a row with the top pick, you got to start turning it around. And Kelsey Plum is a fascinating player. She had a great season but was lost a little after the beginning. Once it was clear that the Sparks weren't really competing, you didn't hear about her as much as you could have. But I want to see what that team can do with a full, healthy off season, preseason regular season. And Cam's a really fun player to follow. She's got a podcast. She does a lot of endorsements. Yeah, she looks like a supermodel. She does. She has like a freakish twin boyfriend who's also like a stretched out. She's like a stretched out Barbie and he's a stretched out Ken. And they're both like just hot, smart athletes. Cool.
- [72:06]
A
Happy for them.
- [72:07]
D
Happy.
- [72:07]
A
Cool.
- [72:08]
D
I guess congrats for you. If you like that kind of thing. Being beautiful and rich, talented, athletic.
- [72:13]
A
Oh, cool.
- [72:14]
D
You have everything.
- [72:15]
A
Happy for you. Hope you get it together next season. All right, the nwsl, we're getting to the end of that season. The KC Current have really been running away with it. Insane. Hasn't been close, but obviously they don't just give them the wi. They got it. Still, people Go through the postseason. They have set the NWSL mark for most wins in a single season with 19. They Chicago Stars are in last Plains.
- [72:43]
D
Yeah, they're not good either.
- [72:44]
A
Just those plain stars. The neutral colors of no color. Was that when they. Did you leave when they changed from red stars to stars?
- [72:52]
D
No, that was this year. So that's the new ownership group who sure felt like they thought that that would help turn the page on some of the toxicity. But we're like, that wasn't the problem.
- [73:02]
A
The red was never the problem.
- [73:03]
D
And also the red star is specific to the Chicago flag and a neutral star is nothing.
- [73:08]
A
And it was one of the like best things about that team was that they had like the close connection to.
- [73:13]
D
The crest was like beloved and people bought the merch regardless of whether they cared about the team. Cuz it was the Chicago flag and it was really cool. And instead they turned it into what looks to me like a youth league logo. It just doesn't. I don't get it. That was not the thing to fix.
- [73:27]
A
It's like getting rid of the devil in the Devil Rays and going that fixes the thing. And you're like, it doesn't.
- [73:32]
D
There's still a right. But they are, are next season they are playing at Northwestern's like field for their soccer and lacrosse and stuff. That's temporary. The football field right now that's on the lake and it makes sense for right now this stadium that they were playing at in, in like a suburb of Chicago is hard to get to and far and small and the new one is beautiful on the water closer to the city. It's not a full time answer because that city has like laws against professional teams playing there. Which is why that new football stadium also, unless they can arrange something, isn't an answer. But the Chicago Fire building a big, a big stadium in Chicago that maybe the stars can get a hold of. I think that's going to help them a ton. They need to get fans in stands and they need to be a draw and it needs to be closer to the city.
- [74:13]
A
Would they ever go back to red stars to try to bring people back? That feels like, I mean they should.
- [74:17]
D
But I think they've, they, they've, they've.
- [74:19]
A
Labeled it as yeah. And so they can't go back. I get it.
- [74:22]
D
But they're in last. But thanks for reminding me.
- [74:24]
A
I just wanted you to know.
- [74:24]
D
Yeah, no, I appreciate that you were talking about the postseason. You just skipped all the way to the bottom.
- [74:28]
A
Yeah, yeah, we're going to talk about the. I just wanted to make sure before we got in, we knew they aren't getting.
- [74:33]
D
No, no. In case anyone was wondering, all they're done.
- [74:36]
A
Not even close.
- [74:36]
D
Have been eliminated.
- [74:37]
A
And now back at me. Boston's not getting in either because the team doesn't exist.
- [74:41]
D
It does not yet exist.
- [74:42]
A
They will exist next year.
- [74:43]
D
Yes.
- [74:45]
A
Boston Legacy fc.
- [74:47]
D
Yeah.
- [74:47]
A
Thank God.
- [74:48]
D
Yep. Because that original name, I like. The Swan.
- [74:51]
A
Yeah, I like the Swan, too. But the original approach, not great.
- [74:54]
D
Boss Nation. Too many balls.
- [74:56]
A
I just knew that they were going to put out merch. It's a girl Boss Nation. And I was like, please don't, please don't, please don't, please don't. And then, thank God, they were like heard. They were like, we're Swans now.
- [75:05]
D
They were like. And in our collab with Hugo Boss, which is what all the Youngs are wearing.
- [75:10]
A
Yeah. You know, I'm always rocking my Hugo Boss.
- [75:13]
D
You mentioned the current, which is like thrilling. But right now, the difference between third and eighth place and eighth is the final postseason spot is four points.
- [75:22]
A
Crazy.
- [75:22]
D
It's insane. It's a close three, four, five, six, seven, eight are all divided by.
- [75:26]
A
Up there.
- [75:26]
D
Yes. So the last couple weeks and they're. They have swing in NWSL called decision day, which is the last game of the regular season. They put all the games at once so that everything is on the line. You know, exactly. Who needs to win, who needs to lose, who needs to draw. So that's going to be super fun. And there's teams like Louisville that have never made the postseason in franchise history that are current, currently sitting in that position, trying to hang on. So like, there's definitely. Watch the last couple weeks.
- [75:49]
A
There's excitement.
- [75:50]
D
Yes.
- [75:51]
A
It's just not at the very, very. That part has been just. Oh, yeah. And then not at the very, very bottom either.
- [75:56]
D
Yeah.
- [75:57]
A
But yeah, it's gonna be exciting. I think it's gonna be an intense postseason.
- [76:03]
D
The Cubs.
- [76:03]
A
The Cubs, they are playing today. So again, we're in a little complex situation. This one. They could be eliminated. But you said earlier.
- [76:12]
D
Yes.
- [76:13]
A
That you subscribe to the notion that until you.
- [76:16]
D
Clinging to.
- [76:17]
A
Desperately clinging to the notion that until you lose at home, it's not over. And so today, 5 Eastern. It'll have happened by the time you're listening to this.
- [76:27]
D
The Cubs will have one that's mainly home field advantage. Spurred on by the energy of Wrigley Fields.
- [76:34]
A
How are you feeling about.
- [76:35]
D
Terrible.
- [76:35]
A
I know. Socks lost. So I'm with. I'm like a week removed from My.
- [76:39]
D
Misery, like, I guess, also. So first of all, I, I like, I hate the brewers, but also I feel for them. It's like one of those teams where you're like. It's. They're not like the Dodgers where they're.
- [76:50]
A
Not mad at them.
- [76:51]
D
You're not like mad at the brewers for being good. You're kind of happy for them.
- [76:53]
A
They.
- [76:54]
D
They've never. It like, I love that like, little glove that's an M and a B. One of the best logos. One of the best logos. It's just. There's like an Illinois Wisconsin rivalry thing.
- [77:04]
A
Yeah.
- [77:05]
D
But so close, I think. Also just we're getting our asses beat and it's happening in a way that hasn't happened very often this season. Like, the Cubs have been incredibly offensively productive and their pitching has been really good. We're not getting blown out a lot. And the first two games were just like, woof.
- [77:21]
A
I know.
- [77:21]
D
So I. I mean, there's been injuries. Every team has injuries. I just want them to like show up. And both of these games, it's been early and it's been like seven to one, nine to one. It's like, oh, okay. Yeah. So I'd like to have some pride and I would like they said it in the last series against the Padres when they were going into the decisive game three. These fans deserve like a longer playoff run. And I think after the season that they've had, it'd be really disappointing. But the brewers also, also just came out of nowhere and had like insane win streaks mid season to overcome them. They got free burgers from it. Yeah.
- [77:56]
A
Because if you win enough in a.
- [77:57]
D
Row, I have to say that Cubs have outperformed my expectations for this season.
- [78:00]
A
Yeah.
- [78:01]
D
So I'm kind of looking at as house money, a little gravy. But also you don't want to go out like this where just getting your ass beat by your like rival who calls you fibs. It's.
- [78:10]
A
It's also weird.
- [78:11]
D
That Illinois bastard, by the way, for.
- [78:14]
A
Those who don't know. Really, that's what that is.
- [78:15]
H
This.
- [78:16]
D
Yeah. That Midwest shit.
- [78:18]
A
When you guys try to be mean.
- [78:19]
D
But also they're like jealous because Milwaukee is like a suburb of Chicago.
- [78:24]
A
I don't go like, o, I gotta get out to Wisconsin.
- [78:27]
D
There's some nice stuff.
- [78:28]
A
Absolutely. And when I've been there, I've loved it. What a great time I've had.
- [78:32]
D
Just a little jellyfish. Cuz Chicago's the real deal.
- [78:34]
A
Yeah. That's a crazy thing to. On Chicago. I Mean, you guys are sports wise.
- [78:39]
D
Having a tough time. Tough time at the moment. Do you.
- [78:41]
A
I had this theory that, you know, we all throw the home run ball back when it's from another team.
- [78:46]
D
Yeah.
- [78:46]
A
Did that start as a Chicago thing?
- [78:48]
D
I know it's our thing. I don't know if everybody else is. Now I think.
- [78:52]
A
I think we all do it now because. Okay.
- [78:54]
D
We've been doing it forever.
- [78:55]
A
Right.
- [78:55]
D
So my. Actually Boston. A friend of mine and her sons were at Fenway for a game. Yeah. He threw it back and they got kicked out of the game.
- [79:03]
A
Yeah. You're not technically supposed to do it because like a.
- [79:06]
D
Like a. Like a 15 year old child.
- [79:09]
A
Did the child actually do the throwing?
- [79:11]
D
Yes. Threw them out of the game.
- [79:13]
A
We run a tight ship. We run a tight ship in Boston.
- [79:15]
D
We do this in Chicago. Sorry, we didn't know.
- [79:18]
A
Well, so my theory was that we all watched Rookie of the Year as kids.
- [79:22]
D
Yeah.
- [79:22]
A
And learned in our child. Brains, very malleable. That like you throw the home run ball back when it's the other team. And I think we stole it. I think everybody on earth stole it from you guys.
- [79:33]
D
Do you want to know something else that Chicago did that I learned in. In Greece? Have you ever gotten saganaki? It's that flaming cheese and they bring it to your table.
- [79:41]
A
No.
- [79:41]
D
Okay. Don't make that face.
- [79:42]
A
I don't know. I don't know. Flaming cheese. Okay. Could be any. It could be. Is it stinky?
- [79:47]
D
No.
- [79:47]
A
Okay.
- [79:48]
D
It's kind of like halloumi. I love halloumi. Yeah. But they bring it to the table.
- [79:51]
A
I call halumi. Squeaky cheese.
- [79:53]
D
So good.
- [79:54]
A
It squeaks when you.
- [79:54]
D
All right.
- [79:55]
A
Anyway.
- [79:55]
D
So good. That's also cheese Curds are squeaky cheese. But anyway, whatever. Anyway, firm cheese is what we're talking about, folks. And there's a firm cheese called zaganaki, and it comes to your table on fire and they blow it out. And I went to Greece. We ordered it. I thought it would come flaming. I was surprised. I googled it. A guy moved from Greece to Chicago, thought it would be exciting to keep it on fire all the way to the table. And now everywhere does that. But everyone thinks it's from Greece. But it was just Chicago, huh?
- [80:20]
A
Yeah. And that was actually the inspiration for Chicago Fire.
- [80:23]
D
1,000% and definitely not the Chicago Fire.
- [80:26]
A
Because why would you name a team after the Chicago Fire?
- [80:28]
D
I don't know.
- [80:29]
A
So it's got to be about the Greek guy who came here and lit.
- [80:32]
D
The cheese on fire. Must be why Would you name it after the thing that leveled during the entire city?
- [80:36]
A
I mean, you guys have also a block of TV on NBC. I feel like Chicago's got every Chicago.
- [80:41]
D
Med, Chicago pd, Chicago Fire.
- [80:44]
A
But then also, your sports teams are so dramatic. I feel like if we made a.
- [80:47]
D
Chicago sports show, we could. You could talk about just constant collapses. Also, by the way, can we talk about the fact that women's sports are finally popular and both my teams suck ass? I'm trying to convince everyone to come out, and my teams are, like, last place. That is tough. And we have won titles before and been good when we were trying to convince, and now everyone's in and we suck.
- [81:07]
A
I launched this podcast with the idea of, like, sports are amazing and some people don't have access and can't break into the world. I want to share it with them. I want everyone to feel the amazing joy that sports can make them feel. And then right away, the Boston Bruins traded our star, our captain to the team. The that has ripped my family apart over the last couple seasons. The he becomes a Florida Panther. And then I have to watch Brad Marchand win a cup with the Florida Panthers. And I'm like, hosting this show where I'm going, like, come in.
- [81:45]
D
It's great.
- [81:46]
A
And then I'm like, it hurts.
- [81:47]
D
Oh, do you guys remember Mookie Betts? Emile Devers? Are you guys interested in the NWSL Boston soccer team?
- [81:55]
F
Oh, my God.
- [81:56]
D
Too many balls.
- [81:57]
A
Immediately, I was like, I regret this. Turn around and leave sports. Aren't you good?
- [82:02]
D
The best part about being a casual.
- [82:03]
A
Yeah.
- [82:04]
D
Is you can, like, places and teams that are not yours and not have to be worried about. I'm not a band. I'm just a casual. I like all the teams.
- [82:11]
A
I'm just a casual. I'm just here because I have to.
- [82:12]
D
Be here getting paid for. I'm just here so I don't get fined.
- [82:15]
A
Do you have thoughts on Caleb Williams? Because he's very polarizing. I care less about the football. I'm not a Bears fan, but I feel like the I to me, the reason he's getting all the criticism is because he dares to be different and paints his fingernails 1001 to be able.
- [82:28]
D
To go, like, cried in college once. And he paints his fingernails to honor his mom. By the way, I love him.
- [82:33]
A
Yeah.
- [82:34]
D
I think he has said and done everything right since he got there. And we only talk about quarterbacks who screw that up. We never actually compliment the ones who are perfectly handling things, like their coaches being fired and having Multiple offensive coordinators and being in a system that sets them up for failure. He's looked great in the games where they've had good play calling. He's been, you know, actually getting protection from his offensive line, I think talent, talent wise. It's been really interesting to see people talk about how Ben has reacted differently to having him versus, you know, what he had with the Lions. Like, you can actually see him call a play like that insane flea flicker, knowing that he has the arm for that. And I. I think people, you know, are rightfully critical and cynical of the Bears in general and especially Bears quarterbacks and how we constantly ruin them. But I'm feeling optimistic.
- [83:27]
A
Okay.
- [83:28]
D
Yeah, that's good.
- [83:29]
A
Yeah, I don't want to kill that.
- [83:30]
D
That's also like, just quit sports if you can't start the season. Optimistic.
- [83:36]
A
Right? If you're this deep into the. Well, I feel like.
- [83:38]
D
Don't be delusional.
- [83:39]
A
Ravens fans might be.
- [83:40]
D
Or like Jets.
- [83:42]
A
Yeah.
- [83:42]
D
Oh my God, is that a football team? Even at this point, does it count? Technically, I think don't be delusional and start every season like super bowl or bo but be optimistic about the good things. Be positive and then when they rip your heart out again, be surprised so that you can come back next year and do it all day.
- [83:58]
A
You have to have a short memory. You know, you got to remember it all, but also forget all of it. Any moment when is advantageous for you emotionally.
- [84:06]
D
I fully endorse side pieces.
- [84:08]
A
Yeah, we've heard that. And she's talking about sports teams.
- [84:10]
D
I just feel maybe I've also been married a long time, so I don't know. Do what you have to do to get through a big billionaire on the Internet who's not actually a billionaire.
- [84:19]
A
So funny. One of the things that like a lie that just hasn't died. It was maybe the first piece of misinformation we had that really ever on the Internet. People used to always in Sarah's comments be like, oh yeah, well you can see that. Cuz you're married to a billionaire.
- [84:32]
D
Still happening.
- [84:33]
A
No chance. Still happening.
- [84:35]
D
She's not married to a billion. And also the cool thing about that is it's so patriarchal that everything I achieve, they're like, well, but it must be easy because. Or when we go on vacation, must be nice to have a husband. I'm like, God damn.
- [84:49]
A
I mean, I've started getting. They're not as much, but I've started getting. Katie's funny now because she's marrying Dan.
- [84:54]
D
Oh no.
- [84:54]
A
Which Is like.
- [84:55]
D
Well, no, hey, well, wait a minute.
- [84:58]
A
Hey.
- [84:58]
D
Actually, before I met this comedian, how.
- [85:01]
A
Do you think I got. Is that he thought I was so you. Yeah.
- [85:06]
D
No, my favorite was when I was on the Levitard show all the time. And then I lost a grit of death punishment and had to write a rap. And I wrote a rap using all the references from the show. I performed it, frankly crushed it. And the comments were, I wonder if her husband helped someone who had never been on the show. Not to mention watched it and doesn't work in sports. But that does definitely make more sense.
- [85:29]
A
Yeah.
- [85:29]
D
That he would. As opposed to the person who works in sports, is a writer and has a budding. Has a background music. Yeah.
- [85:36]
H
Cool.
- [85:39]
A
Yeah, very funny. Back to Chicago sucking song.
- [85:41]
D
When's the wedding, by the way?
- [85:42]
A
No, nothing. Still nothing. We're as close as we were three. Was it three years ago? Yeah. I just don't care. I wanted to get a job first.
- [85:49]
D
Good smile.
- [85:50]
A
I was like, let me plan a podcast before I plan a wedding. And so now we're doing that. And now I'm doing the like. Well, I'm too busy.
- [85:56]
D
Right.
- [85:56]
C
Fair.
- [85:57]
A
Now I have a podcast and a radio show.
- [85:58]
D
How long have you been together?
- [86:00]
A
We started dating. We obviously knew each other before.
- [86:02]
D
Yeah, yeah.
- [86:03]
A
Started dating right before the pandemic.
- [86:04]
F
We also.
- [86:04]
D
Sparks fly when he was a guest on your show.
- [86:06]
A
It was like 2019. So October of 20.
- [86:10]
D
We didn't get married for seven years.
- [86:11]
A
Okay.
- [86:12]
D
We got engaged after five.
- [86:13]
A
Yeah.
- [86:14]
D
And we got married after seven. We weren't going to have kids. We were living in sin. Our parents are not like weird about us living together. We had a. We bought a condo, dogs, car, etc. We did all that first. We went to like, no joke. I think it was like 60 weddings. 50 weddings together. Crazy before we got married.
- [86:33]
A
Crazy.
- [86:33]
D
Not counting the weddings we went to before we met each other. So we were just like, when are we going to. We're just too busy being at weddings.
- [86:38]
A
Right.
- [86:38]
D
What?
- [86:39]
A
We don't have time for a wedding. Too expensive.
- [86:40]
D
And then eventually we just wanted to throw a party.
- [86:42]
A
That's what I think. We're going to come.
- [86:43]
D
Yeah, we just threw a rager.
- [86:44]
A
They're just so expensive. Like they are. And because I think the backlog of COVID weddings are still being thousand percent. And so it's like everything's kind of.
- [86:52]
D
Peak as they charge everything because they know it's your big day.
- [86:55]
A
It's like, what if I just.
- [86:56]
D
You just need a lot. Yeah. Just throw a.
- [86:58]
A
But then I'm going to show up in my white dress, and they're going.
- [87:00]
D
To go, who cares? Too late. Tell them it's a funeral. And see if they give you, like, bereavement.
- [87:05]
B
Truly.
- [87:06]
A
Truly. I feel like Dan losing health insurance through SAG is gonna be why we get married. I'm gonna go, like, we'll just go.
- [87:13]
D
Let's just get married.
- [87:14]
A
Right? Let's just get that taken care.
- [87:15]
D
Let's have a. Just have a party because it's fun.
- [87:17]
A
Yeah. That's the plan.
- [87:18]
D
And also, like, unfortunately, the stress of a wedding is we don't get to. I think you might feel this way. Well, no, but, like, you and I like attention when we get to be funny and talk. Yeah. I don't like people looking at me and not being able to make a joke or say anything. So the walk down the aisle is, like, the longest and worst.
- [87:33]
A
So tough.
- [87:34]
D
I'm gonna be going 15 seconds of my life.
- [87:36]
A
Yeah.
- [87:36]
D
So no offense, but the older you get, the. The more you're still trying to look your best, and it's hard. So just do it now while you're still hot.
- [87:43]
A
Yeah.
- [87:43]
D
Not that you're not gonna be hot.
- [87:44]
A
Thank you. I'm gonna be hot forever, obviously. Always been hot and will be hot. I got my teeth fixed. You did part of the. Yeah, I had, like, a really bad.
- [87:52]
D
How did you do?
- [87:52]
A
Oh, my God. I love you. That, you know.
- [87:53]
D
Oh, my God.
- [87:54]
A
Thanks. That's so embarrassing. It looks beautiful.
- [87:57]
C
Thank you.
- [87:57]
A
I got him fixed, and I was like, I'll get these. Let me get these done. Because I. The thing I keep thinking about is, like, you're gonna have wedding photos.
- [88:02]
D
That's what I was saying about dating a life. It's a. Just, like, the upkeep. I know. Just let go.
- [88:08]
A
Hard to get married so you can let yourself go. That's actually the most convincing argument anyone.
- [88:12]
D
Has made to me.
- [88:12]
A
Everyone else is like, don't you want the party? Don't you want the. And you're like, listen, just look hot.
- [88:16]
D
You're holding yourself. Go for no reason.
- [88:19]
A
Let me finish telling you about the Chicago teams that suck.
- [88:22]
D
Oh, okay. Great.
- [88:22]
A
The Chicago Blackhawks rebuilding. Oof.
- [88:26]
D
Connor Bedard. We believe in you. And that's about it so far.
- [88:29]
A
Yeah. While getting yelled at through the glass every game by CM Punk. Got to be tough to.
- [88:34]
D
Good. Good times.
- [88:34]
A
Got to be really tough to fail in front of Punk. The Pope is. Is a White Socks fan. I know you're a.
- [88:41]
D
A co.
- [88:42]
A
But it's Chicago in general. You Must feel proud and closer to the Lord.
- [88:47]
D
Of course, I'm very religious, as I'm sure you've gathered.
- [88:50]
A
Devout is the first word I say when describing you.
- [88:53]
D
I. I mean, it was worth it for the memes. Just, I mean, Malort and Savior. There, There were just endless memes that were so good. And the idea that as Chicagoans, we can brag about Jordan, Peyton, Obama, Bob from the south side, the Pope, just like you do, have a big. Other than New Yorkers, we are probably the most insufferable people to deliver a Pope to, because we are already.
- [89:19]
A
Congratulations, you got a Pope.
- [89:20]
D
Yeah, we're the best. Here we go. Also, though, I'm not a big Pope follower, but it sounds like he's nailing it. Yeah, he does seem to be doing like. He's doing like modern progressive takes on. Right. Religion. Right.
- [89:31]
A
Which, you know, the Pope before him also. Did we shout out to that Pope.
- [89:35]
D
Whatever his name was? Yeah, Francis.
- [89:37]
A
Yeah, I think so. That sounds right.
- [89:39]
D
Look at me.
- [89:40]
A
I don't follow. I don't really know the job requirements.
- [89:43]
D
But I do like that they show him in his little Popemobile, like waving, and then people will hand him like socks, hats or Cubs gear, and he takes it and is like, go socks. Like, that's the Pope.
- [89:54]
A
Right?
- [89:54]
D
You got the Pope.
- [89:55]
A
And then still, I mean, they didn't have as bad of a season as they had before.
- [89:58]
D
They still lost over 100 games.
- [90:00]
A
It's like, how dare you.
- [90:01]
D
Here's the thing though.
- [90:02]
A
The Pope is watching.
- [90:03]
D
I don't want to discourage anyone from religion if it helps them through tough times, 100%. But also, is it possible that God is not really doing what you're hoping he does if he's letting the Pope's team lose a hundred games?
- [90:17]
A
Right. If God's favorite, if theoretically favorite can't even get a. Can't get 500 season right, then maybe, I don't know. And again, we don't want to discard marriage.
- [90:25]
D
Of course he's working on more important things like preventing authoritarian coups or trying preventing innocent kids from being zip tied. Oh, he's not.
- [90:33]
A
You could, you could argue that the Pope being a White Sox fan is.
- [90:39]
D
Actually.
- [90:41]
A
Case in point of to like a testament to new or Old Testament to how important faith is. Keeping faith that he didn't abandon his team. He still believes, no matter all against all evidence that shows that no one's in charge and the thing's going off the rails. He believes in a higher power to.
- [91:03]
D
A great metaphor for life. Right. Now I'm like, in spite of all evidence, while all things crumble, stay hopeful of something.
- [91:11]
A
People need something.
- [91:12]
D
People need something.
- [91:13]
A
And if.
- [91:13]
D
And for me, it's Taylor Swift's new album and my dogs.
- [91:18]
A
What about Sister Jean? Coming. Sister Jean retiring at 1.
- [91:22]
D
106. 106. Can I tell you that I interviewed Sister Jean like two years before she blew up and went viral.
- [91:29]
A
I was early on the Sister Jean train.
- [91:31]
D
Sister Jean hipster. And this woman played basketball back when women were not allowed to dribble and you only played half court.
- [91:37]
A
And it was like, sorry, they carried the ball around.
- [91:40]
D
No, no, no. You could stand and pass it. Wait, yeah.
- [91:44]
A
You weren't allowed to move.
- [91:46]
D
No. So you had to just pick a.
- [91:47]
A
Spot and stay there for the whole game.
- [91:49]
D
I believe after you passed it, you could move.
- [91:50]
A
Okay. So I was just picturing a frozen bunch of people.
- [91:54]
D
It was like that volleyball game that they teach you as a kid to learn volleyball. Like newcome, where you don't hit it, you catch it and throw it back. It was like that. But that's what. Women's basketball was wild. Because of course, they had to play in whatever, like, skirts.
- [92:05]
A
We'll do whatever they'll let us do.
- [92:06]
D
And it couldn't be physical. But she has been a fan of basketball since then. Like a dedicated. And I'm like, more like amazing. That's incredible.
- [92:14]
A
It's amazing. Don't ever send me a push notification about her without leading with the fact that she's retired.
- [92:21]
D
Kind of like the Dolly Parton stuff. I'm like, dolly Parton's sister came out and was like, oh, yeah, she just had kidney stones. But whenever we're struggling with anything, we ask for prayers. I'm like, yeah, don't do that.
- [92:29]
A
I hadn't seen that update till you just said it. You just made me so much better. I've been all day, like, check in on Don.
- [92:35]
D
We cannot take.
- [92:36]
A
We can't lose Dolly right now. We can't lose Dolly right now more than ever. Just listen.
- [92:40]
D
I don't.
- [92:41]
A
I like to give rationale for everything. I don't. I won't give you any reason why we can't lose Dolly right now. It will not be good for us. It's not good for our national psyche.
- [92:49]
D
It was like we lost Mr. Rogers at the exact wrong time. And everything's been even worse ever since then.
- [92:55]
A
Can I ask you something crazy?
- [92:56]
D
Yes.
- [92:58]
A
If women's basketball used to be that you would have to stand still when you got there.
- [93:02]
E
Ball.
- [93:02]
G
Yeah.
- [93:03]
A
Is there any possible future where Women's basketball is just 3v3 and it's owned by the players and run by the players, takes over? Yeah, that's crazy, right? That's too big of a sea change and it's probably not something the players would ever argue for or want.
- [93:21]
D
I think I've heard arguments for this and there's a lot of good points to be made about a player run league that actually can cares about childcare and insurance and health and wellness and all the other things. I think it would be a real shame for a league like the WNBA that has the history it does, that's lasted 25 plus years, that is experiencing the growth it's experiencing, for it to shut down because of internal strife at its peak moment. This is such a great inflection point and that's why it's so frustrating for them to be fighting each other. I also think, you know, it's hard not to be cynical right now. And when there are Wall street journalists, op eds that Caitlyn Clark being fouled is a civil rights offense that Congress should look into. I'm not sure if you're aware that that is a real thing that like.
- [94:06]
A
Recent or like, like a year ago?
- [94:07]
D
No, like a month and a half ago. Oh my God, two months ago when she was playing, somebody wrote an actual op ed that the Wall Street Journal actually published. Oh boy. That it was a civil rights crime because she was being fouled aggressively and extensively for being white and that Congress should look into it. And, and for me, that is a clear sign to be afraid of this administration meddling in a league that is known for empowered progressive women of color and queer women. When you have an administration that is essentially pushing women backwards in every single space and then you have one space with rocket ship growth full of queer women, black women, progressive women that they could try to get their stinky hands on. This is not the time for in fighting and stoppages in play. This is get the deal done, get the shop done, trying to get the.
- [94:57]
A
Deal done so we can get it.
- [94:57]
D
Done and take advantage of this moment. And I think unrivaled is a great plus to the W, not a replacement for it. And I think you lose a ton of history, you lose a ton of. And like it's a constant issue. I think anytime you realize that the underserved need the people in power in order to actually succeed, at some point those allies that have the money and the power have to help underserved communities, marginalized communities, they can't do it alone. And so the fact that the NBA does have so many really, really, really rich owners looking to invest means stability financially.
- [95:36]
A
But they lost a lot of money. They've lost a lot of money on that.
- [95:39]
D
It's such a loss.
- [95:40]
A
They're poor help.
- [95:42]
D
They know those owners are. They're being forced into buying expansion teams and fighting over them and you're being very mean to them because we're bitchy.
- [95:48]
A
Women and nags bitches are being very mean.
- [95:51]
D
But I mean truly I do think have both and have them both be great for sure and have a rival did do what it did last year which you know these are their stats. But every player who played had increases in most of their productivity this season in the W because it was a great place to work on skills and.
- [96:10]
A
Sets and and because they didn't have to go overseas to another country to make enough money to live to live the life of a professional athlete as we have made that be. So I think it's the only reason I ask is because I just think of like you're never going to get a WNBA to really fully be player owned. They would never hand over the records of a successful so if you're building something up that is player owned it's like that. But you're. I. You're right.
- [96:32]
D
That's.
- [96:33]
A
You wouldn't ever want to get rid of anything that has happened in the wnba. It's what a great league that has existed for a long time. I know a lot of people are new to it and as a casuals podcast I don't want to discourage anybody who's new. New is great. But also be aware of the history that came before you and all the people and amazing players that like when you really think about it it's kind of depressing how great some women's players were that were never really talked about.
- [96:56]
D
Or they were at one point. And then Mark Shapiro at ESPN has come out and publicly said he didn't like the product. So he buried it. And that was when it went from millions of views. If you ever hear statistics and you're like oh, interesting. The highest rated game since 97 was going on in 97. What's going on 98. When the league started it was insanely popular.
- [97:16]
A
Yeah.
- [97:16]
D
And it had the backing of ESPN and. And then executives decided to tank it. And it worked the same way.
- [97:22]
A
One game finals by the way in 97. Looking back at that, the winner take all.
- [97:26]
D
One game.
- [97:26]
A
Woo.
- [97:27]
D
Yeah.
- [97:27]
A
That's so stressful. That's so stressful. And yet Game one from this year, the average viewership outrated that, which is like, let's go.
- [97:35]
D
So, like. But it is fun to go back and on our show, Good Game with Sarah Spain, we give a lot of context and we do say that. We say when someone passes someone, we say, oh, and here's who used to have the record and here's who they were and why they were great. And like, go watch those clips. I've heard Sue Bird talk about this. Like people talk about how the product is so much better. It is because sports inevitably get better and especially the style of play in the W is now becoming much more modernized and, you know, 3 and D and like the Unicorns and positionless and all the other stuff. But go back and watch some of the teams and players that existed before they were not. It was not a bad product and it was not bad basketball.
- [98:09]
A
Yeah. It just wasn't getting the support that it needed.
- [98:12]
E
And.
- [98:12]
A
And now hopefully it is. You mentioned it. Good Game with Sarah Spain. The first and only daily women's sports podcast. You can get, I assume, wherever you get your podcast.
- [98:22]
D
Yes.
- [98:22]
A
But it's brought to us by iheart.
- [98:24]
D
That's right. Thank you.
- [98:24]
A
And Runs in the Family is the book that you can go get, I assume wherever you get books. And if she's being annoying about promoting it online. No, she isn't. Leave her alone.
- [98:32]
D
It's Katie's fault.
- [98:33]
A
Now it's my fault because I said I didn't know about it. Thank you so much for being here.
- [98:37]
D
Thanks for having me. We'll have to have you come on my show. Home and away.
- [98:40]
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You cleared so much up for us. I feel like that we've been wanting to talk about the W, but in a way that I knew I wasn't accidentally stepping in something much bigger than me. Been very helpful.
- [98:50]
D
Thanks for having me.
- [98:51]
A
Thanks for being here. Okay, amazing. Game day season is here and if you're like me, you want to serve up incredible food without missing a single play. And that's where Gorton Seafood comes in. For over 175 years, Gorton has been serving up restaurant quality quality seafood that's unbelievably easy to make and ready in just a few minutes, which is speaking my language. Whether you need some protein for your pre game meal or a whole spread of crunchy, craveable appetizers for the crew, Gorton's has you covered with tons of easy prep seafood options like their popcorn shrimp or classic fish sticks. Think about it. Restaurant quality seafood ready in minutes and at a fraction of the cost of eating out. It's the perfect solution for your watch party, whether you're hosting a big crowd or just having a lazy couch session. Me, I just bought an air fryer. Dan and I just got an air fryer and we had a big air fryer weekend where we fried up a bunch of stuff and part of the reason was because we wanted to cook up our Gorton's Popcorn shrimp that we had in the freezer. It was so tasty, so easy to make, and just such a nice little gameday treat. Visit gortons.com to learn more, find a store and get recipe inspiration.
- [99:57]
B
Morning Zoe Got donuts.
- [99:59]
C
Jeff Bridges why are you still living above our garage?
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B
Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T mobile commercial like you.
- [100:07]
C
Teach me so Dana oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly AT T Mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.
- [100:21]
B
Wow, impressive. Let me try. T Mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.
- [100:28]
D
Nice.
- [100:28]
C
Jeffrey, you heard them.
- [100:30]
B
T Mobile is the best place to.
- [100:32]
A
Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on.
- [100:34]
B
Us with eligible traded in any condition. So what are we having for launch?
- [100:38]
C
Dude, my work here is done.
- [100:41]
E
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Moderate to severe plaque psoriasis symptoms define me.
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- [101:59]
I
Do you ever wonder if you might be at higher risk for getting very sick from a respiratory illness like flu? While most people have mild symptoms, respiratory illnesses can be more serious if you're over 65 years old or have certain underlying conditions. If you're in one of the higher risk groups and start feeling sick with a respiratory illness, get medical care as soon as possible. Talk to your doctor today about recommended vaccines. A message from cdc.
- [102:28]
A
Big thanks to Sarah Spain for being here. So good to see her. I cannot believe how long it's been since I've seen her, but I feel smarter now that we talked. It is Thursday, which means we have to check in with our girl Isabella's fantasy football team. Isabella has never played fantasy football. Isabella, is it safe to say, knows next to nothing about football. Is that fair? I don't want to trying to sell it to the audience.
- [102:49]
F
Yeah, I don't know much. I'm aware of the downs.
- [102:52]
A
Sure.
- [102:52]
D
That's.
- [102:54]
A
She knows that I know the downs. And what more could you need to know? We had her draft our fantasy team this year and so far their record is five and. Oh, you won again this week.
- [103:04]
H
Yeah.
- [103:05]
A
Oh my God.
- [103:06]
G
Just fuck off.
- [103:08]
F
I'm so good.
- [103:09]
A
You are the only team in the league that has scored over 700 points. You have 723 total points on the season. I'm. It's amazing, it's beautiful and I love it. This week you beat I. I puka ring on it, which I don't know how I feel about that. I puka ring on it. I put.
- [103:28]
F
I put a ring on it.
- [103:30]
A
Yeah, no, I see what they're going for, but it's like I put a. I put a ring. I puka. Did they just get engaged?
- [103:36]
F
I don't know.
- [103:37]
A
Well, I don't know. I don't know anything. They better have. You only won by four points.
- [103:40]
D
Oh, really?
- [103:42]
F
I just saw. I just saw that I won and.
- [103:44]
H
Didn'T really sweat on Monday night.
- [103:48]
F
Well, no, I saw that by Sunday I was already doing well, so I was like, I'm probably going to win.
- [103:52]
A
That's crazy. It's just such a fundamentally different experience than mine with fantasy football where she.
- [103:59]
F
Goes, ah, why would and Also this week, I actually. I really did think that I wasn't going to do well because I made a little bit of a oopsie.
- [104:06]
A
And what's.
- [104:09]
F
So, you know, I need a new quarterback because I didn't have Caleb Williams.
- [104:13]
D
So I actually.
- [104:14]
F
I forgot that you said that I needed to. That if I wanted to get Daniel Jones, I would have to go through the. The wavy wire or something. And so I didn't realize that that transaction, like, that request went through. So then I was like, oh, I can't get him. I forgot. So then I got Geno Smith instead as my quarterback. But then I got a notification like, a few hours later saying your request was successful. So now I have three quarterbacks.
- [104:39]
A
Oh, my God.
- [104:43]
F
So now I need to know for next. Like, should I. I'm thinking maybe I should drop Geno and then just keep Caleb and. And Daniel Jones.
- [104:52]
A
I mean, you could drop two of them.
- [104:53]
I
You could.
- [104:54]
A
You have three quarterbacks.
- [104:56]
F
Kind of like the power of having two quarterbacks.
- [104:59]
A
Okay.
- [104:59]
H
And that's real quick, though. Who did you drop to bring in those two?
- [105:03]
F
I know.
- [105:04]
H
T. Higgins and T. Higgins.
- [105:07]
A
Sorry.
- [105:09]
F
Yeah, I did drop T. Higgins because he was kind of not really doing much for me.
- [105:15]
A
Okay.
- [105:15]
H
That's. That's the only. The opinion of someone who is just absolutely dominating in every way possible.
- [105:20]
D
I mean, here's the thing.
- [105:22]
F
Like, he wasn't getting that much, and I know he was.
- [105:24]
A
He wasn't. He won.
- [105:25]
F
That Matthew Barry was like, hold on to eventually.
- [105:28]
A
No, that was Godwin, I think. Oh, Godwin, who is back now.
- [105:31]
F
And then Mina was like, he's not really doing much for you. So I was like, all right. He seems to kind of.
- [105:36]
G
Isabella, you have to realize everything you have done has been the right choice.
- [105:39]
D
Yeah.
- [105:39]
A
So who are we to tell you? Oh, I thought you were like, we're losing out of 15. No, I mean, it is crazy to drop T. Higgins. And I will say that Joe Flacco now in Cincinnati. Right. So. So maybe he. T. Higgins is going. Like, the reason their receivers haven't been doing a lot of catching is because they haven't really had a quarterback who's thr. Throwing it as much to them. I feel like it could go either way, so don't listen to me. But it. Dropping T. Higgins, I'm assuming, already has been picked up on waivers by somebody. Yeah, there's a chance that would still be available as he was a very early draft. I mean, that's a good guy. He's really good. So that's a Tough.
- [106:20]
F
He hasn't been giving me points, so.
- [106:22]
A
And what have you done for me lately?
- [106:24]
H
He's good. Unless you compare him to puka and Christian McCaffrey.
- [106:28]
F
And he never lets me down.
- [106:30]
H
Isabella.
- [106:31]
F
Also, Brady, you haven't updated our team name. I gave you a final name.
- [106:35]
A
What was it?
- [106:36]
G
Just updating it right now.
- [106:38]
F
Yeah, you can update it.
- [106:39]
D
What was it again?
- [106:40]
G
Pukalicious definition.
- [106:41]
F
No, I want Puka full of sunshine.
- [106:43]
A
Oh, okay. Puka full of sunshine. See, that's so much better than Puka ring on it because it fits. Like, put a ring on it. It'd have to be Puka. His name would have to be Puka for me to like that pun. Yours is like, I got a Puka. Got a Puka full of sun. That's fun. Yeah.
- [106:57]
F
Should we do Puka full of sunshine or I gotta or no, just Puka.
- [107:01]
A
I think Puka full of sunshine is good.
- [107:03]
D
Yeah.
- [107:04]
I
All right.
- [107:04]
A
All right, watch.
- [107:05]
C
Now.
- [107:05]
F
This is the thing. This is the bad luck that makes me lose.
- [107:09]
A
What is? Changing your name.
- [107:10]
F
That I have a name.
- [107:11]
A
How dare you? How dare you. Because here's the thing. You were supposed to legally, as of part. Part of the segment, have a name week one. So don't. Now say when we make you have a name that we are going to. And it's going to work. It's going to happen. She's going to lose and she's going to change her name back to Isabella's. I can't win. I cannot win on this podcast. But luckily for all of us, this podcast is over. Thank you so much for listening. Big thanks to Sarah Spain for coming in and to Isabella for somehow running the greatest fantasy team that anyone's ever known or seen. If you want to reach us, It's Casuals with katienolanmail.com 646-810-0043 is the voicemail IG and TikTok. We are at Casual as the podcast. Don't forget to check at Casual as the podcast on IG in our bio to find the link to get tickets for that. Wednesday the 15th of October. Coming up next week at the SiriusXM Fishbowl, our live podcast. You won't want to miss it. Great guest. Who? I just can't say. And we'll see you next week. We love you. We mean it. Bye.
- [108:05]
I
Do you ever wonder if you might be at higher risk for getting very sick from a respiratory illness like flu? While most people have mild symptoms, respiratory illnesses can be more serious. If you're over 65 years old, or have certain underlying conditions. If you're in one of these higher risk groups and start feeling sick with a respiratory illness, get medical care as soon as possible. Talk to your doctor today about recommended vaccines. A message from cdc.
- [108:34]
C
You know how everything's a subscription now? Music, movies, even socks.
- [108:39]
A
I swear.
- [108:39]
E
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I
Uh, what?
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C
No. Anyway, Blue Apron.
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E
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C
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E
Wait, no subscription?
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