GoalLess: A Soccer Show (Feat. Rory Scovel)

Summary

GoalLess: A Soccer Show (Feat. Rory Scovel)

Podcast: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz (Russell Howard), Winnie
Guest: Rory Scoville
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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1. Introduction and Guest Welcome [00:11 - 00:51]

Winnie introduces the episode of Goalless, highlighting Rory Scoville as the guest. Rory is recognized for his multifaceted career, including roles in popular films like Babylon with Brad Pitt, and his stand-up and documentary specials such as Live Without Fear. Winnie sets the stage for a conversation that intertwines Rory’s soccer background with his entertainment career.

Notable Quote:

• Winnie: “Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to Go list.”

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2. Rory’s Soccer Journey [01:15 - 03:37]

The discussion begins with Rory’s deep-rooted connection to soccer, tracing back to his childhood at age five. He played club soccer from around age eleven, continuing through high school and college. Rory played at the University of Central Florida (UCF) before transferring to the University of South Carolina Upstate (USC Upstate). He reflects on the American collegiate system, emphasizing how education and sports are intertwined—a contrast to international models where academies focus solely on the sport.

Notable Quotes:

• Rory: “I started playing at 5 years old and then started doing club around, like, 11, I think.”
• Rory: “It was tied to school, and you tried to get a scholarship... But I don't know that long term, it's the smartest way to do it.”

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3. American vs. Global Soccer Culture [03:38 - 06:35]

Rory elaborates on the distinction between being a soccer player in the U.S. compared to being a fan. He expresses that many high-level players may not be true fans but use soccer as a pathway to education. However, Rory counters by sharing his genuine passion, fueled by an influential coach who deepened his love for the game through obsessive analysis and exposure to global soccer, particularly the English Premier League (EPL).

Russell Howard draws parallels between American football and soccer in England, noting the evolving landscape where American sports are gaining traction overseas and vice versa.

Notable Quotes:

• Rory: “I was very obsessed with it. It was something I started at such a young age.”
• Russell: “It's so interesting when you say that the world is so much smaller now... It’s so cool.”

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4. Pub Culture and Premier League in the U.S. [06:35 - 09:40]

The conversation shifts to the social aspect of soccer fandom, particularly the role of pubs in fostering a sense of community. Rory reminisces about the early days when pubs began broadcasting EPL games, creating a shared space for diverse American fans. He highlights the unique unity among fans who support various EPL teams, contrasting it with the tribalism often seen in more localized sports fandoms.

Rory observes the increasing acceptance and infrastructure supporting soccer in the U.S., such as more pubs showing live games, which were previously rare.

Notable Quotes:

• Rory: “It's like, hey, if we splinter off and all hate each other... it was like consolidation.”
• Russell: “There's a Premier League tribe rather than an individual football tribe. It's quite cool.”

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5. Transition from Soccer to Comedy [09:40 - 14:31]

Rory delves into how his soccer career has influenced his comedy and entertainment endeavors. He shares his longing for the camaraderie and competitive spirit of team sports, expressing nostalgia for the bond and intensity experienced on the field. This passion translates into his stand-up, where he aims to capture the spontaneity and emotional highs of being a team captain.

The hosts discuss the challenges of maintaining athleticism and competitive drive as one ages, using humor to reflect on Rory’s transition from an active player to a comedian who draws inspiration from his sports experiences.

Notable Quotes:

• Rory: “I know you never wanted to regurgitate things... I still always wanted a crowd to feel as though, no, this is right now and he's selling it.”
• Rory: “I would just say whatever Russell Crowe said in Gladiator.”

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6. Anecdotes and Personal Insights [14:31 - 17:37]

Russell shares a humorous anecdote about an imaginary breakdown similar to Ryan Giggs’ real-life controversies, playing on Rory’s mention of Giggs as his ideal soccer role model. This segues into a light-hearted yet pointed discussion on the fallibility of heroes and the importance of separating personal admiration from their off-field actions.

Rory concludes by emphasizing the importance of teamwork and sacrifice in both sports and life, paralleling his leadership on the field with his approach to comedy and performance.

Notable Quotes:

• Rory: “We would rip each other apart on that field... there's something about that.”
• Winnie: “The greatest ability in sports to make this incredibly hard thing look effortless.”

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7. Conclusion and Contact Information [17:13 - 17:43]

The episode wraps up with Rory sharing where listeners can find him, including his website and social media handles. He expresses gratitude for the therapeutic experience of the interview, highlighting the seamless blend of his sports and entertainment worlds.

Notable Quotes:

• Rory: “roryscoville.com or if you go to Instagram or TikTok, I think it's just Roryscoville.”
• Rory: “This was like, therapeutic, really.”

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Key Takeaways

• Rory Scoville’s Dual Passion: Rory’s lifelong dedication to soccer has deeply influenced his approach to comedy and entertainment, blending teamwork and camaraderie into his performances.

• Soccer in America vs. Globally: The podcast highlights the differences between how soccer is integrated into education and sports culture in the U.S. compared to its global standing, emphasizing the evolving landscape and growing acceptance in America.

• Community through Sports Fandom: The rise of EPL games in U.S. pubs signifies a unifying factor for diverse soccer fans, fostering a sense of community despite varied team loyalties.

• Humanizing Sports Figures: The discussion underscores the complexity of idolizing sports heroes, acknowledging their personal flaws while celebrating their athletic prowess.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Rory on Starting Soccer Early [01:35]:

  “I started playing at 5 years old and then started doing club around, like, 11, I think.”

• Rory on Soccer and Education [02:05]:

  “It was tied to school, and you tried to get a scholarship... But I don't know that long term, it's the smartest way to do it.”

• Rory Reflecting on Team Camaraderie [10:13]:

  “I greatly miss having a team, and I greatly miss going to battle as a team and having that camaraderie.”

• Rory’s Influence on Comedy [14:31]:

  “I still always wanted a crowd to feel as though, no, this is right now and he's selling it.”

• Rory's Closing Remarks [17:37]:

  “Guys, thank you so much. This was great. This was like, therapeutic, really.”

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This episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz offers an insightful blend of sports passion and comedic reflection through Rory Scoville’s experiences, providing listeners with a heartfelt exploration of how soccer shapes personal and professional identities.

Transcript

[Rory Scoville]

You're listening to DraftKings Network.

[Winnie]

Hey, Levitar listeners. Winnie here. And I'm back on the Meadowlark airwaves for my new show, Goalless with the hilarious Russell Howard. Looks like Stugacs was right about Messi all along. He couldn't do it in the playoffs. Dano, I wanted to give you a sneak peek of my podcast. So here's our interview with standup comedian and former college soccer player Rory Scoville. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to Go list. This week we have another amazing guest for our goal hang. You've seen in the movie Babylon with Brad Pitt, Physical with Rose Byrne, his own show, Robbie, a Max Comedy Special, Religion, Sex and A Few Things in Between, and his brilliant half documentary, half standup special, Live Without Fear. It's Rory Scoville, everybody. Rory, welcome.

[Russell Howard]

Thank you. Hey, Rory, Just by looking at your face, you've been in Denver for three months.

[Rory Scoville]

That is such a good guess, but you are right. Thank you. Yeah, it is freezing today.

[Winnie]

You've got your gilet on, you've got a jacket on.

[Rory Scoville]

I've got on three layers. Three layers of hat. I'm growing out a beard. I'm really diving into the full uniform that is Colorado.

[Winnie]

You're bulking on for winter, my friend. And I imagine you'll have a profile picture of you hiking in the mountains soon enough. That's right. So let's start first, of course, with your connection to soccer. We like to tie everything back here to the global game. How did you start playing? And I believe you played college at UCF and then went to go play in South Carolina. So how did your football journey come about?

[Rory Scoville]

I started playing at 5 years old and then started doing club around, like, 11, I think. And then that carried me through, you know, club and high school and then college. I started at Central Florida for a semester and then transferred back in state to South Carolina. University of South Carolina. Spartanburg, now called USC Upstate. So I went from D1, UCF to D2, and now USC Upstate, I think is D. I know from they're D1.

[Russell Howard]

Now to an Englishman. How does that all work then? Like, did you get a scholarship? How does this sort of. I only know it from, like, Friday Night Lights and kind of watching. But it's so fascinating to us because we don't really have education and sport tied together.

[Rory Scoville]

I guess to me, growing up here, it's so natural that it's tied in with education. However, I think the United States has started to learn that it isn't beneficial long term to do it this way. I think they've started to realize, like, the education is the actual game and learning the game at a very young level, and you're learning it at a high level and making that sort of the academy that you go to. But, yeah, here it was, like, tied to school, and you tried to get a scholarship. You try to be good enough to be like, hey, play on our team. We'll give you money to do it. And it's just all tied in that way. But I don't know that long term, it's the smartest way to do it, especially for building on the international stage for competition. I don't know. That's great at building success.

[Winnie]

So I guess I would then ask you, was the sport almost like your vehicle to get into a big university? I guess my question would be, because sometimes. This is another interesting one, trying to.

[Russell Howard]

Say, did you abuse soccer to get. To get education? Is that what you did? Like a bitch. Say it.

[Rory Scoville]

Yeah. Were you disrespectful of this global sport?

[Winnie]

I mean, what actually I'm trying to say, is there a remarkable number of people that play soccer at a high level that aren't really fans of it? They're fans of this thing that they're good at that's a vehicle for them to get to college?

[Russell Howard]

Yeah, yeah. Oh, okay. Right.

[Rory Scoville]

Yeah, Yeah, I think that's. That can be the case. I was very obsessed with it. It was something I started at such a young age. And then when I got. I really started getting educated on soccer. Sorry, football. I know that. Sorry. You know. You know what? This is.

[Winnie]

It's okay, Rory.

[Rory Scoville]

I was brought up in a world where people said soccer, I would gladly switch to football. It's just instinctual now. Yeah, I started really getting educated around when our club team got a new coach and he came in and he was someone who obsessed over the game and watched every game he could get at the time. You know, it wasn't so accessible over here. You had to go to a friend's house who had a weird satellite that had access to all these channels. I mean, I remember as a kid going to someone's house and having access to see, like, an English Premier League game. And that was, like, kind of bizarre. Like, you were just like, oh, my God, like, look how celebrated it is. It's like American football but there. And, like, people love it and obsess over it. Like, it's unfortunate that I had to come up at a time when that was A new revelation. You know, my daughter now gets to live in a world where, you know, it's celebrated so much more here, at least, and we understand it now. But I even forgot the question. I started rambling. Sorry.

[Russell Howard]

Oh, no. But it's. I could tell from that nostalgic reverie that you're clearly obsessed with football. It's lovely to hear. Who was your. Who was your team?

[Rory Scoville]

I never had a team because we didn't have teams and I didn't even know of teams. All I remember is that anytime anyone would talk about a team, it was Manchester United. And I think it's maybe because they just got. At least over here, they just got the best press. It was, like, notable, you know, But, I mean, we would know of teams. Like, when we would just play games, people. Someone would say, sheffield Wednesday. But none of us knew what that meant when, like, picking a name for a team, or Arsenal or Crystal palace, like, you know, these were. These are absurd names to us. We don't even know what that even is. We don't know what that. We don't know that there are places we have no comprehension of, like, why these are the titles or why those are the names.

[Russell Howard]

Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United have the best rivalry of mascots, I think, because Sheffield United, their nickname is the Blades, and Sheffield Wednesday, their nickname is the Owls. Now, if you go for a fight, the Owls are getting destroyed. But it's so interesting when you say that the world is so much smaller now, isn't it? We have American football in England now, where they kind of have games at Wembley Stadium, and you think, 20 years ago, that's unimaginable. You know, it's so cool.

[Rory Scoville]

Do people come out and are they, like, really celebrating, like, oh, this is so cool. We have this, you know.

[Russell Howard]

Yeah, definitely. So I live quite near Wembley, and you could just see it was like this kind of lovely mix of kind of really sort of giddy Americans and English people trying their best to match that energy.

[Rory Scoville]

Do you know what I mean?

[Russell Howard]

So it was just like, you see, with a big, like, I don't know what the team is, whoever was playing.

[Rory Scoville]

Yeah.

[Russell Howard]

But, yeah, it was really exciting.

[Winnie]

I've always actually kind of found the. There's real similarities between NFL fandom in the UK and Premier League fandom in the us it is sort of. It's a cultural appreciation. It's kind of a counterculture theme to do. And I would say the biggest difference is that gap in tribalism, because you look. You watch an NFL game from the UK and it's like an NFL convention. Everyone brings their jersey. Yeah. You've decided that you're an Indianapolis Colts fan and you're going to wear your Indianapolis Colts jersey even though they're not playing. And it's kind of like that with Premier League football. And, Russell, you've picked up on that difference here in the US where if a bunch of Americans are gathering at a bar, they're all having fun and having a great time, because, wow, look, we found some community in this kind of weird passion that I have.

[Russell Howard]

Yeah, yeah, definitely. Well, I've spoke about it before and you might know about it, Rory, but there's a pub in LA that shows all the Premier League games. I think it's out in Santa Monica. Everyone's happy there. Do you know what I mean? There's no fighting. It's wild. Like, if you had, like, different. If you had loads of, like, Liverpool fans, Man United fans, Arsenal fans, city fans, and they were there all day drinking and watching football, by the end of the day, it's going to be spicy. And yet there seems to be this kind of, I don't know, like, you say there's a tribe, there's a Premier League tribe rather than an individual football tribe. It's quite cool.

[Rory Scoville]

Yeah. I think it's maybe because over here you go. Oh, whether you cheer for the same team or not, we almost have to unionize in our support of this thing because that's what sustains these pubs, deciding to even show us these games. It's almost like, hey, if we splinter off and all hate each other. Even though if I suddenly was a huge Arsenal fan, I have no ancestral history of, like, here's why. And my dad and my grandfather, like, I don't have that. The way that, you know, NFL teams for sure have it. I was a part of a generation that started playing at the YMCA in 1985. And I think now that I'm 44, naturally, I think we've come to a place where more and more people started playing youth soccer. Like, my dad didn't play youth soccer. That wasn't, like, a viable thing. And then more and more people are just doing it to where. Now you've got it where, you know, just a couple weeks ago, I was in Minneapolis and I saw a pub that was open. I got up so early to go get a coffee before my flight, and I went to the only coffee shop that was open at like, 6:30 in the morning, and the pub was open. And I thought, oh, it's a mistake. They've left the open sign on. That's where we were all drinking last night. And I just walked up to look in the window and every Premier League game was on the tv. And I was just like, oh, man, I love that. Because that in my youth was not only unheard of, no one would have showed up, no one would have cared. No pub would have even known how to show those games. And yet now it's like NBC or something early in the morning. Here's what's going on across the ocean.

[Russell Howard]

Well, exactly. And presumably you'd have to have a costume just to trick the barman to let you in, you know, when you're kind of 13, just like something backstory. Oh, she kicked me out again, Jeff.

[Rory Scoville]

Just me and a couple friends on each other's shoulders in a. In a trench coat.

[Winnie]

I still. I still kind of romantically think about our pub in Miami that used to open at 7:30 in the morning on Saturdays. Show Premier League. They closed. It was most devast. We still have not replaced it. Has your soccer career informed your comedy slash entertainment career at all?

[Rory Scoville]

You know what? I. In a depressing way, I greatly miss having a team, and I greatly miss going to battle as a team and having that camaraderie and like, being out there for each other, because you don't, you know, you really get that, you know, across the board, I think, in. In team sports. But, you know, now even playing in a men's league and I play on, like, Wednesday nights, it's like, in indoor, and I sometimes play on Sundays and I'll play when I can, but it's less to kind of taste that thing that can only exist for so long because now you're just an older guy doing it for the cardio. And if we lose the game, I don't give a shit. I'm like, yeah, great, we lost nobody. Nobody's injured. Everyone can still go to work on Monday. Like, it's just not the same. And I get it. You just kind of naturally. It's heartbreaking. Like, I want to be in a halftime, and I want, you know, a couple guys bleeding and somebody having to, like, give that cinematic speech. I mean, I was captain of the team on the senior year, and I loved nothing more than getting the guys fired up. And I don't know where these things came from, but I knew how to do it. I knew what to say in the huddle before kickoff, and I knew what to say at halftime to get everybody ready to fucking rage. And I miss that so much.

[Russell Howard]

Can you Remember any of the soliloquies, Anything?

[Rory Scoville]

I would just say whatever Russell Crowe said in Gladiator.

[Russell Howard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember one of my favorites. We had a football manager called Adrian Tim, and we were, I think 18 at the time. And he launched into this tirade where he's kind of go, gentlemen, we're not at the party. They're at the party. We're waiting for the fucking taxi. They're in the party, they're fucking our wives. Every one of them has got our wives we're not even at. And we're kind of looking around going, he's having a full on breakdown. But he kept this party analogy going. Somebody called a cab, get us to the party, stop, and fucking our wives, go. And we all kind of ran out in absolute hysterics. And he clearly felt it had gone well, you know what I mean?

[Rory Scoville]

But yeah, and he was going through a divorce. His wife was cheating on him.

[Russell Howard]

He might have been going through a divorce.

[Rory Scoville]

But I mean, the things that I would say, like, it would be genuine and in the moment. I never, like, wanted to regurgitate things. I never wanted anybody to. And I guess in a way, now that I'm saying this out loud, it somewhat informs my standup because I feel that way every time I take the stage. Despite the fact that, you know, we repeat our material and we repeat our segues and we repeat our little tiny moments that were probably born out of an improvised, spontaneous moment, but work so well, you use it every time and it just kind of becomes this cemented show. I still always wanted a. Want a crowd to feel as though, no, this is right now and he's selling it. But it would just be trying to get guys revved up because you're fucking tired and you're hurt and it's like halftime. That's the only time you can really see what you did in the first half. Pull everyone back together in the. In the second half. I gotta say, it was clearly much easier to do when we were tied or we were down a goal or two and we knew we should be doing better. But the thing that I loved was we would rip each other apart on that field. If you weren't getting back to cover or if you weren't getting forward, we. You would lose your mind. We would yell at each other. And then the moment that game was over, we were having a beer and a laugh and it was like, there's something about that. But I don't know, I would, I would go into a place of like, this Is hell, I would just tell them what I'm going to do, and I would just be like, I'm going to give everything. I go the first 50, 50 ball, I'm going to go in so hard, and if I get a red card, I'm done. And I don't. I don't care. I go because I'm. That's the level that I'm playing. And you're just trying to get other people, you know, at least as a captain, you're just trying to get them to tune back in to remembering, hey, we bust our asses at these practices and it's because of the next 40 minutes, so why do it at all if we get to these 45 minutes and you can't die out there, it was really just trying to get people to sacrifice.

[Russell Howard]

That's another thing that goes when you're 44, that desire to make a 50, 50 tackle. Do you know what I mean?

[Rory Scoville]

Oh, yeah. You give up. Yeah.

[Russell Howard]

There's no way. Because as you're running towards the ball, your brain's thinking, well, I've got a gig tomorrow and I just don't want the stiffness.

[Rory Scoville]

I've out loud, verbally said, you take it.

[Russell Howard]

Who would you describe as the most perfect vers of you?

[Rory Scoville]

You know, my coach would always tell me to be like, was it Ryan Giggs for yes, for me and you. So he would always. He always, like, brought him up. And again, you could only see flashes of these people on a VHS tape where someone's like, man United the treble. You would go. And like, you'd watch that and you go, oh, that's what. That's who he's been referencing. So I guess that because it was said to me all the time, but I don't know that I ever had anyone specifically because in the US any professional sport you name, we didn't have it. Where I grew up, we didn't have a team. So we cheered for teams from Atlanta all the time. But I never cared because it wasn't a part of my family's history in any way. I also never had a professional player that people would talk about. We'd all do the same shit. Talk about Pele, Maradona, which is. Which at this time is also already outdated in a weird. In a weird way. And then Beckham. Everyone would just talk about Beckham. I got into Henry for a long time. I just loved Phenomenal. I just loved how it looked like he wasn't trying yet was crushing it, but looked like he was just like Ah, yeah, I'll play. Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I'll make a run. Yeah, all right. I'll dribble the field.

[Winnie]

It's the greatest ability in sports to make this incredibly hard thing look effortless.

[Rory Scoville]

Look at. And also look like you're disinterested.

[Russell Howard]

Yeah, well, it's a bit like. It's like when you watch like Federer play tennis and you're like, his head doesn't move, he doesn't sweat. It's just this balletic performance.

[Rory Scoville]

Yeah. Have you.

[Russell Howard]

So, Rory, given that you were compared to Ryan Giggs, are you familiar with what's happened to Giggs post playing career zero?

[Rory Scoville]

No.

[Russell Howard]

Well, he basically was having sex with his brother's wife for about a decade.

[Rory Scoville]

Oh, yeah, I did all that. Okay.

[Russell Howard]

Yeah.

[Rory Scoville]

So this is very relevant to me.

[Russell Howard]

So this is it. Imagine if your coach was like, this is why you like gigs. He also, he wrote a lot of, like, really cringe worthy erotic poetry to a young lady. And he kind of. They went through a very messy split. It was all very dodgy. And all the poetry was printed over here in the uk.

[Rory Scoville]

Yeah. This is why you just gotta keep guys in sports. And then as soon as they're done, you have to kill them.

[Winnie]

Don't get to know your heroes and all that.

[Rory Scoville]

Yeah, yeah, kill them immediately. As soon as they retire. That's all you can do.

[Winnie]

All right, Rory, where can our listeners find you?

[Rory Scoville]

I tour a bunch and I'm trying to tour as much as I can. So I guess roryscoville.com or if you go to Instagram or TikTok, I think it's just Roryscoville, but that's probably the best way to find out about any product I'm pushing.

[Winnie]

And that's Rory Scoville with today's goal hand. Thank you for joining us, sir.

[Rory Scoville]

Guys, thank you so much. This was great. This was like, therapeutic, really.

[Winnie]

Thanks for listening. Please subscribe and follow us olustheshow on Instagram Fancylad out.