The Nightly – "Pregaming the Olympics" w/ Jeremiah Coughlan & Joe Simons

Date: February 5, 2026
Host: Kristen (Hatch Podcasts)
Guests: Jeremiah Coughlan & Joe Simons (hosts of “Sleepy Time Sports”)

Overview of Episode Theme

On this cozy, late-night episode of The Nightly, Kristen welcomes sports-comedy duo Jeremiah Coughlan and Joe Simons into the playful “pillow fort” to help listeners unwind by diving into Winter Olympics fever. It’s a lighthearted, pop-culture-slumber-party take on the Games: discussing Olympic obsessions, quirky events, and the uniquely compelling stories and athletes set to capture attention on the world stage. The trio assembles their “snooze pack” dream team of must-watch athletes and events, shares playful banter, and debates what really makes the Olympics such a universal draw—even for those who don't think of themselves as sports fans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Olympic Excitement and Rituals

• Kristen admits her Olympic obsession, celebrating the communal joy of the Games and the "national outfits" parade.
  • [01:10] Kristen: “My friends and I throw a party just for the opening ceremonies where we clap for everybody entering the arena in their cute national outfits.”
• Joe notes the unique “sports fling” quality of the Olympics, how fans obsessively learn about athletes for two weeks and then promptly forget until the next Games.
  • [01:49] Joe: “This is the best sports fling that we have… we fall in love, learn every detail, and then they’re gone.”
• Jeremiah loves the sudden, widespread enthusiasm for obscure winter sports during the Olympics, enabling “water cooler” conversations about the luge and biathlon.
  • [02:21] Jeremiah: “Suddenly we all have strong feelings about biathlon…”

The Biathlon: Functionality Meets Absurdity

• The biathlon gets special attention for its unique combination of cross-country skiing and marksmanship.
  • [02:56] Kristen: “My understanding: it’s like running a thousand yard dash, threading a needle, and then running six miles and threading a needle.”
• Joe compares it (jokingly) to “The Revenant” but clarifies the real event:
  • [03:26] Joe: “You’re shooting a gun, then performing winter activities—cross country skiing and skeet shooting, basically.”

Snooze Pack: Building the Winter Olympics Dream Team

The group collaborates to build their “snooze pack”—six must-watch events or athletes.

Jeremiah’s Picks:

• Hockey (Men’s & Women’s) [05:32]:
  • Excitement for NHL players returning after 8 years in men’s hockey.
  • Women’s hockey praised for pure competition absent the “drama”—highlighting the rising competition level, especially USA vs Canada.
    • [06:40] Kristen: “In women’s sports, it seems… it’s just about playing, and it’s not about drama in the same way.”
• New Winter Olympic Events [07:32]:
  • "Ski Mountaineering"—described as climbing up, then skiing down the mountain.
  • New formats: doubles luge ("nuts to butts," as Jeremiah jokes [08:56]) and skeleton relays.

Joe’s Picks:

• Nick Baumgartner (Snowboarder, Team USA) [09:29]:
  • 44-year-old snowboarder, oldest on his team, Olympic veteran since before some teammates were born.
    • [09:40] Joe: “He’s been on the U.S. Olympic team longer than two of his teammates have been alive.”
  • Won first gold at age 40; story celebrated for persistence and “outworking everyone.”
• Olympic Figure Skating Broadcasters [11:41]:
  • Shoutout to Johnny Weir, Tara Lipinski, and Terry Gannon for their entertaining, knowledgeable commentary.
    • [12:07] Joe: “Fabulous people being fabulous and not apologizing for it… this is what the Olympics is all about.”

Kristen’s Picks:

• Ilia Malinin (“The Quad God,” Figure Skating) [14:35]:
  • Young American skating phenom; first to land a quadruple axel in competition, regularly performs multiple quads in routines.
    • [15:41] Kristen: “You’re spinning around four and a half times in the air, landing on an eighth of an inch wide blade—a knife, basically.”
• Alysa Liu (Figure Skater, Team USA) [15:53]:
  • Retired at 16 to have a “normal” life; attended college, then returned and won 2025 World Championship.
  • Praised for pursuing personal balance and boundaries—“not just an athlete, but a person too.”
    • [16:58] Kristen: “It’s just such a fun story… able to be a world-class athlete, but also have that sense of personal balance.”

The Irresistible Human Drama of the Olympics

• The panel agrees that personal stories and comebacks (like Baumgartner’s and Liu’s) hook casual and hardcore viewers alike.
  • [18:07] Jeremiah: “The human interest portion of the Olympics… is what engages the general public.”
  • Discussion of how athletes now often compete (or return) later in life, e.g. Lindsey Vonn, Hilary Knight.

Should Regular People Compete First?

• Debated whether every event should first be attempted by an “average person” for context.
  • Joe thinks most events are so challenging it’d be dangerous, but volunteers the trio for curling.
    • [20:08] Joe: “The three of us should be a curling team. Is it that big of a disparity? I don’t know.”
  • Kristen and Jeremiah riff on how fun it would be to see a “Steve from Duluth” attempt Olympic events for contrast.
    • [21:03] Jeremiah: “…just a guy, and you put them in the same situation, then you really get an idea of how crazy it is, what these guys are doing.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Olympic Knowledge Dump:
  • [01:49] Joe: “This is the best sports fling that we have. Every couple of years, we fall in love, we learn every detail about them, and then they’re gone.”
• On the Biathlon:
  • [02:56] Kristen: “It’s like running a thousand yard dash, then threading a needle... and the precision that’s involved and so on.”
  • [03:26] Joe: “It’s a lot like the 2015 film The Revenant with Leonardo DiCaprio, where he has to fight bears in the woods. No, you’re shooting a gun, and then you’re performing winter activities.”
• The Value of Women’s Hockey:
  • [06:40] Kristen: “When you watch men’s soccer, they just go out there and they kill it. And I kind of feel that way with women’s hockey.”
• Nick Baumgartner’s Longevity:
  • [09:40] Joe: “He’s been on the U.S. Olympic team longer than two of his Olympic teammates have been alive.”
  • [10:13] Joe: “They’re on Wheaties boxes, they’ve opened a car dealership, drafting on their fame at that point. But he’s just getting started.”
• The Broadcasters’ Flair:
  • [12:07] Joe: “Fabulous people being fabulous and not apologizing for it. This is what the Olympics is all about.”
• The Quad God:
  • [15:41] Kristen: “You’re going into it backwards, you’re spinning around four and a half times in the air, landing and going forward on an eighth of an inch wide blade… and he does this seven times.”
• Alysa Liu’s Return:
  • [15:53] Kristen: “She said, I want to do things that teenagers do… and then she announced, you know what? I’ll compete again. And of course, she came back after her retirement and won the 2025 World Championship because that’s how easy it was for her.”
• Seeing 'Regular People' Try Olympic Events:
  • [21:03] Jeremiah: “If, like, before every event they were like, ‘Oh, yeah, and we got Steve Williams from Duluth, and he’s just going to go out there and try snowboarding for the first time…’ I’d watch.”
• Pet Goodnights:
  • [22:46] Joe: “My beloved cat, Big Guy, who never goes to bed when I want him to. Big Guy, if you’re listening, please go to bed and stop torturing me and your mother. Thank you, good night.”
  • [23:13] Jeremiah: “My little babies, Oscar and Annabelle… Oscar’s 14, so he’s sort of in bed all the time… Annabelle… probably like Joe’s big guy, does not really like to go to bed until she decides.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:10] Kristen describes her Olympic Opening Ceremonies rituals.
• [02:21] Jeremiah on Olympic fever for obscure sports.
• [02:56] Kristen and Joe explain and joke about the biathlon.
• [05:23] "Snooze Pack" game intro — building their must-watch Olympic lineup.
• [05:32–09:13] Jeremiah’s picks: hockey excitement & new events.
• [09:29–13:14] Joe’s picks: Nick Baumgartner’s career & figure skating broadcasters.
• [14:27–16:58] Kristen’s picks: Ilia Malinin the “Quad God” & Alysa Liu’s comeback.
• [17:44] Reflection on the emotional “hook” of athlete stories.
• [20:08–21:51] Should “average Joes” try each Olympic sport? Group discussion.
• [22:04] Plugs: Joe’s Trail Blazers show, Jeremiah’s stand-up & Triple Bogey Comedy.
• [22:46–23:46] Pet-themed goodnights and pillow fort signoff.

Episode Tone & Style

Warm, funny, inclusive, and sleep-adjacent, with a laid-back slumber party energy. The hosts lightly riff and joke, but offer genuinely insightful takes and personal enthusiasm for the communal joy, incredible feats, and very human stories that make the Olympics endlessly magical—even for non-sports fans.

For Olympic Newcomers & Nightly Listeners

Whether you’re a die-hard Olympics watcher or mostly in it for the memes and the spectacle, the trio’s blend of sporting knowledge, pop culture references, and gentle bedtime banter makes the Winter Games feel like the world’s coziest sleepover.

Contact & Follow:
Reach The Nightly at thenightly@hatch.co and follow @hatchpodcasts for more slumber-friendly pop culture fun.