"I Was The First Athlete To Be Outed"

Summary

Podcast Summary: "I Was The First Athlete To Be Outed"

Welcome to the Party | Treat Media
Hosts: Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, Billie Jean King
Date: February 10, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this vibrant and candid episode, the "Welcome to the Party" trio—Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, and Billie Jean King—delve into landmark moments in women’s sports, explore the nuances of athlete privacy and emotion, celebrate recent achievements (from Super Bowl celebrations to Olympic milestones), and have a raw conversation about identity with insight from Billie Jean King on being the first professional athlete to be outed. Notable highlights include interviews with the NYU women’s basketball team and a deep discussion on the acclaimed LGBTQ+ sports drama "Heated Rivalry." The tone is energetic, honest, humorous, and deeply supportive of women and LGBTQ+ athletes.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Super Bowl and Cultural Celebrations (02:27–08:09)

• Hosts recap the Super Bowl: praise for the halftime show (Bad Bunny’s Latin heritage spotlight), and Brandy’s live performance of “America the Beautiful.”
• Julie highlights the intentionality and details: “They couldn’t figure out how to bring all the plants in... so they made the plants people. They dressed people up as plants.” (04:12)
• Emotional resonance of Bad Bunny's message:
  Julie Foudy (05:08):

  “The only thing more powerful than hate is love is what you saw up there."

• Recognition of Aaron Jackson as the first Black flag bearer for Team USA at the Winter Olympics (07:57).

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2. NYU Women’s Basketball Team Interview: Historic Winning Streak (09:43–12:12)

• Julie and Abby welcome NYU Women's Basketball after an 82-game Division 3 win streak. Meg Barber (Head Coach, 10:23):

  “It’s the people we bring into the program... selfless, committed. They have not lowered their standard amongst all the winning.”

• Caroline Pepper noted as the only current player to have experienced a loss:

  “I think we were super prepared for every game that we play.” (11:02)

• Focus shifts from win streak to UA Championship and national titles.

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3. Winter Olympics Highlights with Marissa Tanden (12:57–21:09)

Figure Skating:

• US vs. Japan rivalry in team figure skating is recapped; Ilya Malinin earns gold, lands legal backflips.
• Marissa Tanden (13:54):

  "The backflip itself was not actually made a legal move in figure skating until last season... it was a black woman who actually executed that backflip in the Olympics."

• Amber Glenn becomes the first out female US Olympic figure skater, deals with public backlash (15:10).

Alpine Skiing:

• Lindsey Vonn’s comeback at age 40 detailed; hosts dispel online myths about her crash. Marissa Tanden (16:11):

  “Her crash had nothing to do with the fact that she had torn her ACL.”

• Breezy Johnson’s win after an ACL injury—literal and symbolic comebacks.

Women’s Hockey:

• Hillary Knight ties the US Olympic goals record.
  Marissa Tanden (18:52):

  “She has now tied for the USA record for most goals in the Olympics by a female hockey player, which is incredible.”

• Historic moment: Team USA vs. Team Canada will feature three Black women on the ice at once (19:34).

Other Olympic News:

• Update on Chloe Kim: overcoming injury and anxiety ahead of her quest for a third gold medal (20:27–21:09).

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4. Coffee with the Kinger: Privacy, Emotions & Double Standards in Women's Sports (30:13–41:08)

Coco Gauff’s Racket-Smashing Incident (30:49):

• Coco’s post-loss moment caught on camera sparks debate on athlete privacy. Coco Gauff, via Julie Foudy (30:49):

  "I tried to go somewhere where I thought there wasn't a camera because I don’t necessarily like breaking rackets... but obviously they did."

• Kinger’s take:
  Billie Jean King (32:50):

  “Her explanation was perfect... She’s under a lot of pressure... Let her be for a while.”

• Gender Double Standard: Abby Wambach (35:11):

  "A dude, you know, John McEnroe, breaks his racket... and he's called charismatic... women are called sore losers.” Billie Jean King (37:00):
  “It drives me crazy... When the announcers are doing women’s tennis, if they use the word nervous one more time, I’m gonna puke.”

• Proposals: Create neutral/private spaces for emotional release, clarify camera boundaries (green/yellow/red zones).

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5. Heated Rivalry: Identity, Coming Out, and Media Representation (44:40–53:34)

• Hosts discuss the breakout show “Heated Rivalry”—gay romance set in the hockey world. Billie Jean King (46:41):

  “Of course I relate to this. I’ve been through it... I was told we won’t have a tour if I discuss anything with my life.”

• Kinger recounts being the first athlete outed, the immense loss and burdens: Billie Jean King (47:51):

  "I was the first athlete to ever be outed… I had to keep everything quiet... Even privately, we wouldn’t talk."

• Abby gives credit:

  “You’re the kind of first person that took that shot for us, you know, and I’m just so grateful to you.” (49:23)

• The need for visibility and representation—especially for queer male athletes in team sports.
• Noted that despite progress, no NHL athletes have come out, but cultural tides may be shifting.
  Billy Jean King (52:02):

  “Someone’s going to have the courage to come out. I want them to have permission and then shown the support and love that they’re really going to need to get through this.”

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "The only thing more powerful than hate is love."
  — Julie Foudy (05:08), on Bad Bunny’s halftime message.

• "She took one for the team... It was a woman who did the Olympic backflip."
  — Marissa Tanden (13:54–14:23), on historical figure skating protest.

• "A dude, John McEnroe, breaks his racket... he's called charismatic... women are called sore losers."
  — Abby Wambach (35:11), discussing gender double standards.

• "I was the first athlete to ever be outed... I had to keep everything quiet..."
  — Billie Jean King (47:51), reflecting on her place in sports history.

• "You’re the kind of first person that took that shot for us... I'm just so grateful to you."
  — Abby Wambach (49:23), thanking Billie Jean King.

• "If I can say one thing about being older, really older, it's perspective."
  — Billie Jean King (53:56), on the value of life experience.

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Memorable Moments

• NYU women’s basketball team’s enthusiastic group welcome and “best welcome to the party intro” (09:43–12:12)
• Billie Jean King’s raw admissions of loss and resilience from being outed (47:51–50:16)
• Proposals for “locker room privacy” and debates over female athlete emotional expression
• Lighthearted banter about watching “Heated Rivalry” and the generational differences in LGBTQ+ representation (46:41–53:34)

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:27–08:09 – Super Bowl culture recap & Bad Bunny discussion
• 09:43–12:12 – NYU Women’s Basketball interview
• 12:57–21:09 – Winter Olympics updates with Marissa Tanden
• 30:13–41:08 – Coffee with Kinger: Coco Gauff privacy incident/debate
• 44:40–53:34 – All about "Heated Rivalry," identity, and Billie Jean King's coming out story

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Tone & Energy

The episode is fast-paced, passionate, warm, and humor-filled. Abby, Julie, and Billie Jean King speak openly and with camaraderie; their personal experiences and emotions elevate topics from sports news to personal histories, always centering fun and inclusion.

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For Listeners New to the Show

This episode offers a mix of celebration, advocacy, and deeply personal storytelling. Whether you’re a die-hard women’s sports fan or new to the space, you’ll find a window into the joys, challenges, and progress made in women’s and LGBTQ+ sports—and why “Welcome to the Party” is, above all, a community for everyone.

Transcript

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[Abby Wambach]

You're the kind of first person that took that shot for us, you know, and I'm just so grateful to you.

[Billy Jean King]

You know, I was told we won't have a tour. If I discuss anything with my life, I stand up and I get so angry because I get so sick of the double standard.

[Abby Wambach]

Some players might say, you know what? I don't want you to show me in the tunnel.

[Billy Jean King]

I don't know if I agree with that, actually.

[Julie Foudy]

I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to walk in an opening ceremony in your two Olympics.

[Abby Wambach]

And as an athlete, you can't really pee. And that would have really freaked me out. People are just peeing everywhere.

[Billy Jean King]

Attention.

[Abby Wambach]

The party is about to commence.

[Julie Foudy]

Welcome to the party. What's up, party people? I'm Julie Foudy.

[Abby Wambach]

And I'm Abby Wambach.

[Julie Foudy]

Abigail. Coming up later, the Kinger is joining us for our second installment of Coffee with the Kinger. The three of us get together and chat over coffee and one of us brings a topic and we don't know what it is. So Abby brought and brings, I should say, because it's about to happen, the topic of heated rivalry, which sparks a deeply personal conversation you don't want to miss. And I brought the topic, and y' all might have seen, of Coco Gauff's racket smashing moment caught on camera at the Australian Open, which opens an interesting debate, I think about amongst the three of us and many others debated this as well, about privacy in sports. We are also going to get an update on all things Winter Olympics from our Olympics reporter, Marissa Tanden as well. But first we have to talk super bowl opening ceremonies, super bowl halftime. I mean, did you watch all of it over the weekend? Yes, I was clued.

[Billy Jean King]

I did.

[Abby Wambach]

I watched it all. I loved it all.

[Julie Foudy]

I know.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. I mean, the game could have been a little bit better, the super bowl game, but yeah.

[Julie Foudy]

Did you know that Sam Darnold, the quarterback for the Seahawks, is a San Clemente boy?

[Abby Wambach]

I noticed it last night and I said, oh, my God. He grew up where Julie lives.

[Julie Foudy]

That's right. And the guy has had such a journey. Five different teams in eight years. So I was super pumped. And he's supposed to be a great dude. His family is awesome. So very happy for him.

[Abby Wambach]

And my girl Brandy, I know Brandy with America the Beautiful. She and the sista strings who are in her band when they travel, they are awesome. And a fun fact. Most people do a pre recorded thing that they then basically either lip sync to or just do a voiceover to. They have a track. And Brandy was like, no, I'm doing this. And so hers was for real. Yeah. You basically pre record it so that you know that you have something in case that there's some sort of technical glitch and then you can sing and you're singing with your. It's called a track. So like you're singing over your own track, essentially. And they just have one on backup in case something goes haywire.

[Julie Foudy]

Okay.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Julie Foudy]

And Bad Bunny.

[Abby Wambach]

Oh. I mean, the halftime show was like. I just was like, thank you for this.

[Julie Foudy]

Blew my mind.

[Abby Wambach]

Thank you so much for this. It was so beautiful. And it was such a celebration of his heritage and Latin culture. And when he, like, was naming all of the countries, I just was like, I had tears in my eyes. I had tears in my eyes. Yeah.

[Julie Foudy]

The intention of it all, it was so intentional that the level of detail. I read this article that said that because you only have eight minutes to set all that up. So it was basically his. His Puerto Rican hometown that he set up like in the sugarcane plantation and the market. And did you see the barber shop in the background of one scene? Well, and they can only bring in 25 carts so that they don't ruin the field. So they couldn't figure out how to bring all the plants in. So you know what they did? They made the plants people. So they dressed people up as plants. Like, did you see the little feet hanging out?

[Abby Wambach]

They were moving. Yeah. They were walker walking.

[Julie Foudy]

Because they couldn't cart in all these plants in the eight minutes and for the field. So they were people. Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

And the wedding was real.

[Julie Foudy]

Wedding was real.

[Abby Wambach]

It was a real wedding.

[Julie Foudy]

Ah. I just thought. And then when he had as the closing message, as I'm not even going to go there to what people were saying, but all the noise in the background, as we know of, you know, he is so un American. And his closing message was, the only thing more powerful than hate is love is what you saw up there.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Julie Foudy]

So that's Right.

[Abby Wambach]

We loved it. It was so wholesome, you know, like, we need more wholesome earnestness, like, injected into our world right now. Like, it feels like that was such a good balm for what I needed. For sure.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. Melissa Ortiz, my Colombian colleague from TNT Sports, who does all the U.S. women's National Team Games with us, was like, I text her right away because she was so excited for it. I was like, blew me away. And she's like, dude, it was insane. And you see all these images of her on Instagram just shaking her booty to it. I was like, it's so good. Okay. Opening ceremonies as well as. Well, all the feels I had because. I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to walk in an opening ceremony in your two Olympics.

[Abby Wambach]

That's okay. Yeah, we watched. We watched online and, you know, pee. As an athlete, you can't really pee, and that would have really freaked me out. People are just peeing everywhere.

[Julie Foudy]

They keep you in the. I walked in two of the three. I think that I did that. They keep you in the stadium next door or in an enclosed area where you then come in. You know, when they actually start the entrance and the parade. What do they call it? The parade of athletes. But for us, especially at 96 Olympics in Atlanta, it was in the United States. They were like, okay, you gotta. And there's so many athletes. And. And because we were the hosts, we went last. And they're like, okay, you gotta walk in and stay in line and stay all, you know. You know, organized and don't get out of order. And it was. It was complete chaos. When we walked in. It was like, you know, don't. Don't wave to the cameras. Everyone went running to the cameras and.

[Billy Jean King]

Going, ah, it was so fun.

[Abby Wambach]

Why would they not want you to wave to the cameras? That's, like, the best part.

[Julie Foudy]

I was like, no, we're gonna. We're gonna go crazy. Everyone went nuts. But I felt like between the Bad Bunny show and the opening ceremonies, where we got really this feel of Italian opera and theater and then this amazing Latin heritage that we got with Bad Bunny, like, that was two amazing things to watch this weekend that were so fun.

[Abby Wambach]

Jules, did you see that? Aaron Jackson was the USA's flag bearer? First black flag bearer. Free the United States of America.

[Billy Jean King]

Yes.

[Abby Wambach]

Freaking awesome. Yeah.

[Julie Foudy]

I lost my mind when they went. When they came in, and there she was. That's so cool. You're voted on by other athletes.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. It's one of the most honoring things that you can get as an Olympian, it's really cool.

[Julie Foudy]

Party people, before we get to coffee with the Kinger, we have a fabulous surprise. Abs. As you know, over the last few weeks we've been watching something wild unfold. The NYU women's basketball team has been closing in on history. They have been hunting the Division 3 win streak record. Yes. And on Sunday they got it done on the road. The Violets beat Carnegie Mellon 69, 58 to break the Division 3 win streak record. They now own, get this, the longest run in D3 women's basketball history with 82 consecutive wins. They, they haven't lost a game since March 11, 2023. I will do the math for you. That's almost three years ago. So during those 82 consecutive wins, only four other teams got got within single digits of the Violets. The two time defending national champs led by head coach Meg Barber, a former Violet herself, just keep finding ways to win. So let's not talk about it anymore. Abigail, shall we? Bring in the record winning, history making Violets. We are ecstatic to welcome NYU's women's basketball team to the party.

[Abby Wambach]

Welcome. Yes. That was our best one yet. Yo, congratulations. Oh my gosh. This is incredible.

[Marissa Tanden]

Amazing.

[Julie Foudy]

How we doing? How we feeling?

[Abby Wambach]

Good? Tired. Tired? Yes.

[Julie Foudy]

What's been the secret sauce? How did you do it? Take us through it. I mean, three years almost since the last time you lost. What has been the success? Anyone can take it or all of you can take this one.

[Meg Barber]

I mean, I'll start on their behalf. It's the people we bring into the program and we recruit people first and we just have incredible, this group around me. All incredible people. Selfless, committed. And they have not lowered their standard amongst all the winning. They just keep showing up day in and day out to give to each other. So I'm really proud of them.

[Abby Wambach]

That's amazing. I mean, Caroline Pepper, just want to say congrats on scoring 27 in your last game to help break the record. You're also the only player in this team team to have actually lost a game in college. Did you have any idea you would never lose again after that loss?

[Julie Foudy]

No.

[Abby Wambach]

I mean, I don't think anyone really thinks that at all. I mean, every opponent gives us their best shots. There's always a possibility, but I think we were super prepared for every game that we play.

[Julie Foudy]

You get to this point of almost breaking the record, almost breaking the record, and that becomes the focus. Is it a bit of a relief to have that behind you? And what's next for this group?

[Meg Barber]

I Mean, our league is so talented. We really had to get through the first half of conference before we could realize that, you know, breaking the streak was even a possibility. And so really over this last week, you know, it kind of came to a tipping point where we knew we wanted to take care of business, mostly to represent the NYU community and represent New York City and have our name in the record books. But I do feel a sense of relief to be able to shift to, you know, trying to win a UA championship now and trying to get us back to the national championship so we can bring another one home for our school.

[Julie Foudy]

Back to back to back. Come on, let's go. Let's go. Enjoy the rest of the season. We'll be cheering you on.

[Marissa Tanden]

Thank you.

[Billy Jean King]

Thank you.

[Julie Foudy]

Okay. How cute are they?

[Abby Wambach]

So. Oh, my God. So cute. Makes me want to go back to college, you know?

[Julie Foudy]

I know.

[Abby Wambach]

So sweet.

[Julie Foudy]

That was our best welcome to the party intro, too, for sure. Can we adopt them as, like, our welcome to the party mascot or team or something, please?

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Julie Foudy]

All right. We are going to get this party started with a special Olympic themed party starter. The highlights and headlines you'll want to celebrate this week in women's sports. Marissa Tanden has been eating, sleeping and breathing the Winter Olympics, tracking what's popping, buzzing and building around the games and part of people. She's taken inside the biggest stories from Milan and Cortina as they unfold. Okay. Hi, Marissa. How are you?

[Marissa Tanden]

Good. Thanks for having me.

[Julie Foudy]

Let's get started with us because, you know, ABS is going to want to talk about this.

[Abby Wambach]

Yes.

[Julie Foudy]

US Winning team figure skating. Come on.

[Marissa Tanden]

Was literally insane. I don't think everyone who watches figure skating or if you're tuning in for the first time, like, you know, you only watch every four years, realized that Team Japan and Team USA were, like, going to be sort of down to the wire when it came to this. Team Japan has some incredible skaters, including their women's skater, their main women's individual skater, who actually was the one who won the individual event for both the short and the long program for the team event. So the women actually kind of brought it down neck and neck to the point that ultimately we saw Ilya Malinin bring home the gold for the team quad.

[Julie Foudy]

God.

[Abby Wambach]

And also back flipper. He backflipped twice. I think one thing I do think.

[Marissa Tanden]

Is really important about the backflip when it comes to US Figure skating and Olympic figure skating specifically, is that it was actually banned. And we had a black female figure skater named Sariah who actually Completed the backflip during the Olympics when it was banned and was penalized for it. And so the backflip itself was not actually made a legal move in figure skating until last season. And so I do think it's important to remember that history and that it was a woman who actually. Especially Black History Month. It was a black woman who actually executed that backflip in the Olympics.

[Julie Foudy]

That is rad.

[Billy Jean King]

Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

She took one for the team kind of, in a way.

[Billy Jean King]

Yeah.

[Marissa Tanden]

It was definitely a moment of protest.

[Abby Wambach]

For her as well. I don't know how you're supposed to do any kind of jumps or tricks on skates, but he does it taking off of one foot, which I think is also very rare.

[Billy Jean King]

Yes.

[Marissa Tanden]

Yeah, it is super rare. He landed in the short program, he landed a two foot backflip where he landed on both feet. And on the long program he actually landed on one foot, which is.

[Abby Wambach]

The landing is on one foot. Oh my gosh.

[Marissa Tanden]

Also worth mentioning, the backflip is legal, but it doesn't actually earn you points. It's just for style.

[Julie Foudy]

Like he's just doing it for flash. Yeah, it's for fun.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Julie Foudy]

Oh, interesting. I didn't know that either. What about Amber Glenn? Because I know it wasn't the performance she wanted, but they still won the gold.

[Marissa Tanden]

So Amber Glenn, I think is going to be okay. I know she's been dealing with a tough amount of kind of mental health stuff regarding social media. She's taken a step back because she was getting quite a lot of hatred on social media. It's worth mentioning that she is the first out female figure skater to compete at the Olympics for usa. So she came out a couple years ago.

[Julie Foudy]

Can be. It just makes me so angry.

[Abby Wambach]

Agreed.

[Marissa Tanden]

Yeah, it's tough. But I think even with all that being said and also with the fact that this is obviously the Olympics, it's her first time skating in this massive way. She had a tough program, but she still managed to pull out third. And I do think she'll have a stronger program in the individual now that hopefully some of those nerves are out.

[Abby Wambach]

Can you give us an update on the downhill for women? You know, talking about Breezy Johnson and Lindsey Vonn. Can you give us an update on what's going on there?

[Marissa Tanden]

Yeah, so I think with the Lindsey Vonn thing, I'm very excited to talk about this because I've been seeing so many wrong takes online about this.

[Abby Wambach]

Thank you.

[Marissa Tanden]

It's just been Lindsay's Lindsey Vaughn actually being able to make this massive comeback. We talked about this last time I was on the show, she's coming back with this horrible injury. She's coming back at over 40 years old. It's all completely unheard of. And people are saying because she crashed and had to be airlifted out of the of her competition in her first downhill back, her crash had nothing to do with the fact that she had torn her acl.

[Abby Wambach]

Yes, that's right.

[Marissa Tanden]

It's so upsetting to see people saying that.

[Julie Foudy]

Ridiculous.

[Abby Wambach]

She took a bump and then got her arm stuck in the gate, and that's what got her rotating.

[Julie Foudy]

Because she was trying to cut it tighter for more speed.

[Marissa Tanden]

Exactly.

[Julie Foudy]

Because Breezy had such a good run.

[Marissa Tanden]

Right.

[Julie Foudy]

That's what. In her mind, she was like a.

[Marissa Tanden]

True competitor, going for the tightest run that she could. She was trying to grab extra speed, but the exact same thing could have happened to her if she were 20 years old.

[Abby Wambach]

I want to add one thing, because I thought that this is an important thing. A lot of people are like, oh, she took somebody's spot, and blah, blah, blah. In the training run, when she had her ACL completely ruptured, she was one of the fastest skiers. Yep. So this is about getting the best opportunity of meddling for our country. And she was still with a ruptured acl, the best choice. She was right. And. And. And the. The ACL was not the reason, like you said. So I. I'm. I have big feelings about this. We love you, Lindsey. We're sorry that you. You crashed, but you're still an American hero to us.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah.

[Marissa Tanden]

And I think a great example of. Of exactly what the Olympics are about. Just putting it out. So. But one other thing that's relevant is Breezy actually had come back from tearing her ACL at the last Olympics, so. Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

So.

[Marissa Tanden]

So seeing Breezy, John, was incredible because she also had this incredible comeback.

[Julie Foudy]

And that Breezy won by. Wasn't it like 0.04 second?

[Marissa Tanden]

It was really close.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. So close. And then has she broken her gold medal that I just read this morning?

[Julie Foudy]

Ripped off the ribbon.

[Marissa Tanden]

So many people have. Alyssa Liu on the USA Figure skating has also broken hers already.

[Abby Wambach]

So it seems like.

[Marissa Tanden]

It seems like the integrity of the ribbons may not be.

[Abby Wambach]

Seems not made from Prada. Yes. Or Gucci.

[Julie Foudy]

Italy's gonna be so upset about that because they're known for their materials. Yeah. Nice quality of the ribbons. Okay. USA Women's hockey.

[Marissa Tanden]

Yes.

[Julie Foudy]

Back to back wins. Let's go.

[Marissa Tanden]

Off to an incredible start. Hillary Knight looks incredible.

[Julie Foudy]

Truly, that goal was amazing.

[Marissa Tanden]

And she that goal actually was the. She. The first one that she. The second goal. Sorry, 13 and 14. So she has now tied for the USA record for most goals in the Olympics by a female hockey player, which is incredible.

[Abby Wambach]

I will just say this because after she scored the tying one, I went online to go find a USA Hockey jersey with Hillary Knight's name on the back. Do you know how expensive those jerseys are? They're $275.

[Julie Foudy]

Like a real, real hockey jersey.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah, I want the real deal, but I was like, I don't want it that bad. Are there fake, like, knockoffs? Come on.

[Marissa Tanden]

So when Team USA and Team Canada square up for the women's ice hockey event, which is actually today, if you're listening to this podcast right now, it's happening. They are. It will actually be the first time that three black women play Olympic ice hockey on the same ice at the same time. Team Canada has two black players, and Team USA obviously has Leela Edwards. So it's insane that it's taken this long, given the fact that the tournament started in 1998 for women, but very exciting.

[Abby Wambach]

So amazing.

[Julie Foudy]

That's a great one.

[Abby Wambach]

We got to hear one more story. We're all keeping our eye on Chloe Kim from an AP article. I have so much anxiety. She said two days before she begins her quest to win a third straight gold medal. But thankfully I have matcha and there's good vibes here and my family, so we'll be good. End quote. Can you give us an update on Chloe Kim? Yes.

[Marissa Tanden]

Chloe Kim seems to be pretty good, actually. She. We had this very scary injury where she dislocated her shoulder training ahead, which meant that her training was obviously interrupted right ahead of the Games. But she sounds good, she looks good, she feels good. We saw her have pretty intense nerves each Olympics, especially her first, and it seems like she talks about her nerves, and then as soon as she gets on. On the snow, it's.

[Abby Wambach]

It's. Yeah, whatever.

[Marissa Tanden]

You know, it's like, no big deal at all.

[Billy Jean King]

Oh, my gosh.

[Julie Foudy]

Let's go, Chloe. I'm nervous for her.

[Abby Wambach]

I'll.

[Julie Foudy]

I'll. I'll take some of that anxiety on for you.

[Abby Wambach]

She's got this. Yeah, you guys. Like, she's got a gold. She's got some golds in her back pocket. She's got this. She's got this. Let's go, Chloe. We're with you.

[Julie Foudy]

That is your Winter Olympic party starter, courtesy of Marissa Tanden. Thank you, Marissa and party people. You can follow Marissa on TikTok. Instagram and YouTube @Marissa Kamara. Sorry. So don't go anywhere. We've got coffee with the Kinger coming up next.

[Abby Wambach]

Okay, Jules, so you know, elite athletes succeed because of the teams behind them. You and I are firm believers of this. You've got your coaches, your trainers, analysts, your support staff. Now, QuickBooks mirrors this by providing a team composed of Intuit AI and trusted experts so business owners never have to build alone. Jules, I don't know if you know this, but I personally feel like I never scored a goal without the help of a teammate. A lot of people, in fact, have said, well, what about penalty kicks, Abby? And my answer to them is, do you know how many hours the goalkeepers stayed after practice while I trained my penalty kick after penalty kick? Thousands and thousands of kicks. The way that I got so good at them was when the goalkeepers would be in there, I'd even tell them, I'm going to go over here. So I'm going to give you an advantage. And I need. This needs to be so particularly, like, accurate and strong and powerful in order to score. Never one goal did I score without the help of a teammate. And, and, and to me, I think that, like, looking forward to the Winter Olympics, that is the thing that I look for the most. I'm looking for the teammates and the athletes who are cheering for each other. Yes, they're competing. Yes, they all want to win gold. But I do think that. I do think that the vibe of the entirety of the Winter Olympics for me, in the way that I look at them, is I just want to see people celebrating sport and working as hard as they possibly can in order to bring gold home for their country. We know what it takes to be a part of a team. And QuickBooks on the Intuit platform gives business owners access to a team composed of Intuit AI and trusted experts for the assistance you need. So doing it yourself no longer means doing it alone. Stop doing your critical business jobs alone and outdo it with QuickBooks on the intuit platform. As your partner. Learn more about Intuit [e-mail] Jules, what. What's your favorite World cup that you ever played in?

[Julie Foudy]

Oh, gosh, that one's a hard question. Yeah, I think I have to go probably with the. The obvious one. 1999 here in the States, Right?

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah, I guess. Makes sense. It kind of makes sense. Winning at home.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. But I will say, abs91 was incredible because you got to travel to, like, places like Guangzhou. Not everyone gets to do that. And being there surrounded by my teammates was probably one of the highlights of my career, for sure.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. It's like soccer has given us one thing for sure, and it's the travel bug. Right. Like now, you just know that at least once a year, I need to book a little getaway for me and my family, book ourselves an Airbnb and just settle in, explore all the new places together, because there's so much to explore in this world.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah, abs. I think booking a home on Airbnb was probably the one missing component from all that team travel back in the day. Can you imagine? No more splintering off at a hotel. And I love it when everyone is unified and you have this common space. Also, booking a place with a hot tub never hurt anyone.

[Abby Wambach]

I know. Plus, Jules, while you're away on your travels, you can actually host your home on Airbnb. Did you know that?

[Julie Foudy]

I know. And especially if you know, you'll be out of town during a big sporting event, which there are a lot of happening in the United States, you can help some fans find a place to land while making a little extra cash as well.

[Abby Wambach]

Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host okay, so Jules Peloton is shaping the future of fitness with the brand new Peloton Cross training Tread plus power. It's the most incredible thing. It's powered by Peloton iq. Yeah.

[Julie Foudy]

Have it. It is amazing. And as you can imagine, abs, I'm pretty particular about how I work out because I can't just, like, run on my own anymore. I can't just run like that. Like, obviously, we spent our life doing that and training that way, but it is the hardest thing. And I won't do it. I just won't. I won't do it anymore. It's not enjoyable. And that's why this new Peloton Tread plus is amazing, because you get all the classes, of course, in front of, so you feel like you're in a class, but you can totally mix things up. You're not just running. You can swivel that screen and you can get off and start doing a little boot camp on the side. It's so cool, the swivel. I was like, what?

[Abby Wambach]

It's the best. It's also. It's been a game changer for me because, like you, I can't run, but I can't run because I have foot problems. And so the tread and the forgiving nature of the actual tread helps me to be able to actually move. I can Walk on there. I can get an incline on there. I can swivel that screen. But I think what I love most is that the screen swivels in a way where I can guide and I can do the Pilates on the ground. I can do weightlifting. I'm like literally looking at this peloton plus tread. It's just.

[Julie Foudy]

It's in your basement, it's down in your basement. My wife loves it.

[Abby Wambach]

Seriously, I'm stunned at how much. I actually didn't know I needed this. It mixes up my weekly routine. It's guides by instructors. I feel like I've got friends, got trainers on my side now.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah, yeah, I love it too. I love it. So let yourself run, lift, sculpt, push and go. It does it all. Explore the new peloton cross training tread [e-mail] okay, party people. Today we have got to Abigail. Shout out the people who kept us literally on the field. Oh. Throughout our careers. So literally the people who taped us up, rebuilt us, rehabbed us, got us back out there and we were always able to perform at our best thanks to the medical professionals who always had our backs and our knees and your ankles. And the list goes on and on.

[Abby Wambach]

It's true.

[Julie Foudy]

And that's absolutely the case with legendary skier Lindsey Vonn. And as we've been following and talking about her epic return to the 2026 Winter Games, she's already, as we know, one of the goats. But now she's coming back after devastating injuries. And I'm thrilled to watch her because we know she's going to crush at the Olympics. And Milan and Lindsay's amazing medical team and the entire USA medical team will be wearing awesome uniforms from figs. This company makes kick ass scrubs normally and then their Olympic uniforms are next level. They are the official outfitters of Team USA's medical team. And the great news is you can wear the Team USA collection too. It's cool, it's functional. Ups your scrub game for sure. Check out the limited edition Team USA collection and get 15 off your first order at wherefigs.com with code FIGS RX F I G S R X. That's wherefigs.com code FIGS RX.

[Abby Wambach]

I'm actually gonna go get those right now. That sounds so exciting.

[Julie Foudy]

Welcome back, party people. We, drum roll please. Are now joined by the Kinger, Billy Ching King. And when we have the Kinger, we have another opportunity to do coffee with the Kinger. So we are pumping it through our veins. Decaf for the Kinger. And a reminder. The new concept is this, that one of us brings a topic, the other two don't know what it is. It's just our chance to catch up. We're having coffee with the Kinger, so it's ketchup time, and we react off of what that topic is. And so, Kinger, you brought the first topic to the first ever coffee with the Kinger. So, Abby, my turn. You good?

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. I'll go next. Yeah, you go.

[Julie Foudy]

Now, I know you both saw Elena Rubakina crowned Australian Open champion. Correct? Yes.

[Billy Jean King]

Yes.

[Julie Foudy]

Okay. I'm fairly certain you also saw Coco Gauff. After losing her quarterfinal match at the Australian Open for, by the way, the second year in a row and this one in straight sets, she left the court. She was looking for kind of a private space. She was in the tunnel in the stadium, in a tunnel, thinking she was away from the public eye, and she was caught on camera smashing her racket repeatedly into the cement floor.

[Coco Gauff]

I tried to go somewhere where there's no cameras. Yeah. I kind of feel like I have a thing with the broadcast. I feel like certain moments. The same thing happened to Irina after I played her final US Open. I feel like they don't need to broadcast. I tried to go somewhere where I thought there wasn't a camera because I don't necessarily like breaking records. I don't feel like that's a good representation. But, yeah, I tried to go somewhere where they wouldn't broadcast it, but obviously they did.

[Abby Wambach]

So.

[Coco Gauff]

Yeah, maybe some conversations we can be had, because I feel like at this tournament, the only private place we have is the locker room.

[Julie Foudy]

And I'm guessing Kinger, that's probably not even private, right?

[Billy Jean King]

No, that would be private, I hope. Gosh. That means the player would have to be.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. Out of it.

[Billy Jean King]

Out the camera.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah.

[Billy Jean King]

And that's. They're supposed to be priced private, don't you think, when soccer and all that, that's your place and every. You know, whatever goes on there stays there.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. Locker room's off limits.

[Julie Foudy]

She was asked if it helps her to smash a racket, like, emotionally, to let it out. And she said, yeah, I know it helps me emotionally. I don't think it's a bad thing. She doesn't. She said, I just don't want to do it in public, but I do need to let it out. I don't want to be snappy with the people around me. And can we just say that and King, or. You would know this better. But, like, Coco seems like one of the most put together 21 year olds.

[Abby Wambach]

It's.

[Julie Foudy]

It's wild I have ever seen in a public forum. So she got some criticism online because it was posted of her smashing this racket in what she thought was a very private moment. And it's created all this discussion around this. So I, that is going to be my topic. I need to hear what you two think about this. Because elite athletes are expected to regulate emotions in environments where there is hardly any privacy. And should there be an area where athletes can have some privacy on site? And the second part of that is, are there different expectations for female athletes?

[Abby Wambach]

Yes.

[Julie Foudy]

You think we know that.

[Abby Wambach]

Billy, you want to go first with this?

[Billy Jean King]

I think her explanation was perfect. Okay. I think if people have a heart at all and she's under a lot of pressure because everyone kind of looks to her to be the next one, next big one. And I think they should stop doing that. Just let her be for a while. I think the question we have to ask her if you need to do that next time, have you got a different idea or not? Because it certainly backfired and you think you have some privacy. And I think today you can't think like that. I think today you have to think. I think everything's being recorded, Abs.

[Julie Foudy]

I'm curious what you think on this. That. What if they created a neutral space where, where that's private. Where they could go as athletes and have a little bit of freedom to, as Andy Murray say, detonate and give her a space to. And athletes, not just Coco, but athletes. A space to detonate. Which I thought was a great word. Just briefly. I mean, she even said, I, I realize I don't want to do this in public. I've done it public once. I don't want to do it. She actively was searching for a private spot. And now there are cameras in every tunnel and every entryway, which I don't want to get rid of, honestly, because I think that's a good thing. Because we're getting to see athletes in a different way. The way they come in, the fits they have, I think it's good for the game. But then, then if you're gonna do that, then create a space where athletes can unload, even momentarily.

[Abby Wambach]

I think that first of all, I think Coco is allowed to express herself however she wants before, during and after the game. People are going to inherently have opinions about one reaction or another for one reason or another. You can't please everybody. And I think that, like that, that feeling and having to respond to her having A frustration moment caught on camera there. The comparison between men's sports and women's sports is very rampant and very, like, prominent in this debate right now. Because a dude, you know, John McEnroe, breaks his racket. Did it all the time, and did it every single. Almost every single match, it feels like, because he's. And when you get. Gets upset with the referee or the umpire, the judge. What do they call those in tennis?

[Billy Jean King]

Umpire. The one in the chair is the umpire.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. Like, and he's called, you know, charismatic and. And a champion and compassionate and passionate.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. And.

[Abby Wambach]

And women are called sore losers or whatever, you know, and it's like, I actually don't mind her having done that and her having gotten it caught on camera, because people need to see women actually doing stuff like that in order to normalize some of this behavior. Now, she's not hurting anybody, right?

[Billy Jean King]

Exactly.

[Abby Wambach]

She's not hitting anybody else or, like, fighting. She's upset and expressing emotion. And for her to be needing to regulate her nervous system. I know what it's like to push my emotions down, to lock them away, to not show any kind of perceived weakness. And that's actually really debilitating for a person. All she needs to do is probably express herself for maybe 10 to 20 seconds, get it out, and then she can compose herself and have a pretty great press conference.

[Billy Jean King]

I totally agree with Abs on this. Absolutely. She has the right to let it go. She's trying to be very considerate of others by trying to. Trying to find a private place. But girls are definitely under the gun compared to guys. They just are. I mean, I can't believe how many more questions we used to get about emo. And also, we're always emotional. I'll tell you another thing. It drives me crazy when the announcers are doing women's tennis. If they use the word nervous one more time, I'm gonna puke. Okay. They don't set up guys. You know what they'll say? Usually, very rarely. Occasionally, they'll use the word nervous. Oh, this guy's nervous. But they usually don't. They'll say, he's out. It's really a tense moment right now.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Billy Jean King]

Oh, yeah, right.

[Abby Wambach]

But he's looking.

[Billy Jean King]

You think you're gonna say that when the girls are on? They're gonna go, oh, no, they're really nervous out here. And then I go. I stand up. I'm usually watching on the sofa. I stand up and I get so angry because I get so sick of the double standard, you know, It's Just like, I think one. One time guys were playing and they said, oh, this guy gets nervous and about fainting. That finally said it the way they would about us.

[Julie Foudy]

You know how in NFL they, like, pop those tents up? Have you ever seen those?

[Billy Jean King]

Yes.

[Julie Foudy]

Maybe they need, like one of those blue tents they pop up in the NFL where they. Then they. When they're checking them, they go in. It's completely private. Things are happening. You can see there's like people shuffling.

[Billy Jean King]

Oh, yeah, totally.

[Julie Foudy]

A medical team or whatever. And then. Then they. And then it evaporates. It's like. And then it's gone.

[Abby Wambach]

I also think. I think, like, making zones like the green. The court is green. Right. Like you are. You know, the cameras are there. Because some of these athletes might not remember that there are cameras that are attached to the walls in the. In. In the hallways of the back of the, you know, the tunnel. Right. So it's like you need to remind your athletes, like, or at least give them a protocol. Like, green is on the court. You know, you're going to be filming, filmed. Right. Yellow is like an area where the cameras are around, but you don't. You don't know if you're necessarily getting filmed at every single step. And then locker rooms. And behind that door is red. Right. Like, no cameras are allowed in there. And I think we do need to create some of these boundaries for these athletes because content. Every broadcast company, they want to get as much content as possible. They pay a lot of money to produce and to show these events on their channels and their systems. And I just think that it's really important to protect the players as much as possible and have them buy into what their limits are.

[Marissa Tanden]

Right.

[Abby Wambach]

Like, some players might say, you know what? I don't want you to show me in the tunnel. I feel, you know, I feel insecure right before going out in the match and I am talking to myself or I'm. I'm worried that I might do something after a match if I lose and make, you know, so it's like, can we be in communication with the athletes?

[Billy Jean King]

I don't know if I agree with that, actually.

[Abby Wambach]

Tell me more.

[Julie Foudy]

Oh, I love it. Tell me more.

[Billy Jean King]

Because I think, well, this is why I thought as an athlete, I guess as a professional athlete, which is different from being an amateur or whatever. My job, once I left the locker room, all's fair, everybody can see me. I know I'm going to have to deal with it. I am a professional athlete, and that means when you step out of the Locker room. When I step out of the locker room, it begins. So whatever I do, of course, I didn't care if I wanted to do something usually, but I know the gig's up as far as having any privacy whatsoever. But I think the way she handled it was amazingly well. She told the truth, Move on. And to speak about John McEnroe, that happened when we first had microphones near the umpire's chair because I used to be probably as bad as John, but because we didn't have microphones, you didn't know it, but now it's paid for. Now everybody has it. And he's made a kind of a big positive history out of it. But, you know, a lot of people talk about mental and emotional. And the WTA has had, the women's attention association has had services for that since the late 80s. And nobody knows about it because it's totally confidential and private. So when any tennis player starts to talk about it, just know we've been taking care of it since the 80s. Kathleen Stroja, who heads up our health services, is amazing. And that's one of the first things we talked about was health, you know, was the emotional. The emotional and mental challenges that come with being a jock. And she's done a great job. So we're known, I mean, within that world, that WTA has just done an amazing job. And her leadership is a big part of it.

[Abby Wambach]

Okay, so, Jules, real progress starts when you stop guessing and start completely understanding what's actually happening inside your body. Whether it's inflammation, hormones, thyroid function, metabolism. These are all quiet drivers behind your energy, your sleep, your workouts, and how you feel day to day, whether you're paying attention to them or not. Okay, so this year I'm being more intentional about protecting my energy and thinking long term about my health instead of hoping my routines are just good enough. Okay, so that's why I went with function. And Jules, I can't wait to tell you about this. Because they give you a comprehensive look at your body through 160, over 160 biomarkers. From hormones and heart health to inflammation, stress, toxins, all tracked over time. And guess what, Jules, One place you can find in a dashboard. You can even add advanced imaging like MRI or chest CT scans. And there's a reason leaders like Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Andrew Huberman are behind function own your health for $365 a year. That's a dollar a day. Learn more and join using my link. Visit www.functionhealth.com party or use gift code party25 for a 25 credit toward your membership. And if you want to follow me along this year, folks, I'm going to go on a little function health journey and I'll update you along the way.

[Julie Foudy]

I want in on that Journey party.

[Abby Wambach]

Jules, it's so great. They have these. It's awesome. Like, I'm gonna get every, I'm gonna get all the MRIs done and then it gets tracked and they, they have these really cool like brick and mortar stores that you can go into and talk to like real life people. Or you can also do, do stuff online and do at home tests. It's just, it's great. I'm really actually pumped about it. Okay, so Jules, party people, if you're listening to this show, chances are you're already thinking about the World Cup. Yeah, I know I am. And that's why I use Shipt. With Shipt, you can get the same day grocery delivery from stores you already shop at, which means no last minute runs when you rather just be on the couch glued to the tv, as I certainly will be during the World Cup. You can order from places like Safeway Albertsons. It's not just grocery stores, but other essentials too. And you're connected to a real shopper with Shipt who actually pays attention to the details. You can text one on one. If you're picky about brands size, dietary needs, which I am at the very specific ripeness level of bananas, which is the. It's true.

[Julie Foudy]

It's huge.

[Abby Wambach]

Please let me be able to eat them the day that I get it or not. Get me some green ones because I've got a few and I just need these to ripen a little bit longer. If you have an annual Ship membership, you can place as many orders as you want, get zero delivery fees on orders over $35, unlock exclusive deals, and even request your favorite shoppers again. Download the app or order now at ship.com. that's S-H-I-P-T.com. I think we've gotta switch gears real quick and get into our second topic, Jules.

[Julie Foudy]

Oh, we're gonna have a second topic?

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah, we are. Oh, I'm throwing a card.

[Julie Foudy]

You're like, my turn.

[Abby Wambach]

Okay, Heated Rivalry. We've got Billy here. Yeah.

[Billy Jean King]

Yes. Lana and I are watching.

[Abby Wambach]

Okay. Okay. So for those, for the party people who are listening and, and, and those who have not started watching Heated Rivalry, it's the surprise hit BR breakout show produced in. Produced by Crave in Canada and then is now streaming on hbo Max here in the United States. The TV series is based off of Rachel Reed's Game Changers book series and drew inspiration from the real life rivalry between hockey stars Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. Yeah, the rivalry part, but not the gay lover part, obviously. And we knew we had to revisit this discussion because you may remember on our last coffee with King or Billie Jean King got social media all abuzz with this clip. Can we play it? Have you seen the television show Heated Rivalry?

[Billy Jean King]

No, but I've sure heard about it and I'm going to.

[Abby Wambach]

You're gonna watch it?

[Billy Jean King]

Oh, are you kidding? Wait, it's gay boy sex hockey. I'm there.

[Marissa Tanden]

I'm there.

[Julie Foudy]

Are you kidding me?

[Abby Wambach]

Okay, so, Billy, we have been informed that you and Alana have watched. Jules, you have also watched. I have finished. Finished.

[Julie Foudy]

I just finished it.

[Abby Wambach]

Okay, great. So you got a. You're a couple episodes in, right, Billy?

[Billy Jean King]

No, you're four episodes.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah, you're four episodes in.

[Billy Jean King]

You get two more total stories. Yeah, I think it's four. Right.

[Abby Wambach]

What do you think about it? Just give us what you're thinking.

[Billy Jean King]

I think it's great. And I know this generation and. Well, I'm an old fart, but, you know, love it. I find with the young kids, they like soft porn a lot more than we.

[Abby Wambach]

Oh, soft porn, Yes, I would agree.

[Billy Jean King]

That's really what it is. It's about how they have. I mean, of course I relate to this. I've been through it. Is how they've had to hide, how they've had to have their own language to communicate just with the look, sometimes not with words, but they understand each other. But the challenges to maneuver your everyday life with these feelings is just really difficult for me personally. It brings back a lot of old memories because, you know, I was told that we won't have a tour if I discuss anything with my life trying to figure out who I am. And I feel so much for these guys and how they have to hide all the time. And I think we need to hear more from the men and how they feel about their sexuality than the women have always had to talk about since the 80s. We lose it. Well, I lost everything in endorsements.

[Julie Foudy]

Tell us that story. So when did you come out or were you outed? I recall I was outed.

[Billy Jean King]

I was the first athlete to ever be outed. The only other athlete who I don't even know if they discussed was Glenn Burke. I know that whoever he was playing for, they offered him $75,000 to get married to a woman. Oh, my gosh. And it's just horrible. And I just remember I couldn't talk about anything. I had to keep everything quiet. And even the gay women in the locker room, we didn't even talk about being gay or anything. Nobody ever talked about anything because just. Just so verboten and so difficult. So even privately, we wouldn't talk. Today, that's not the case at all. I mean, people are coming out all the time now. I mean, particularly women. They go, that's it. I can't keep hiding. Or I can't have a boyfriend. And I'm not going to keep doing that. It's not my true self. When I watch this heated rivalry, I'm always thinking about how they maneuver and how they get through a day and how they have to keep so many feelings in their heart and soul. And they can't. They can't discuss it with family. They can't discuss it with friends. It's amazing. They really don't talk about it. And. And I think when you watch Heat and Driveway, that's what hits home to me. Yeah, because they don't show everything, by the way, everyone. So just calm down. It's like, no, but I just feel for them.

[Julie Foudy]

They show what they're like, holy cow, I got this on the big screen. And what if someone walks in? Really?

[Billy Jean King]

But they don't really show everything.

[Abby Wambach]

Jewels.

[Julie Foudy]

They show a lot.

[Billy Jean King]

I was like, they don't show their jewels.

[Julie Foudy]

No, they don't.

[Abby Wambach]

I can't.

[Billy Jean King]

I couldn't resist.

[Abby Wambach]

Well, Billy, I think one thing to consider, the fact that you came out even though you were outed.

[Billy Jean King]

Well, they thought I wouldn't.

[Abby Wambach]

The fact that you. You stepped into it, you lost all your sponsors, and I don't know what year this was.

[Billy Jean King]

81.

[Abby Wambach]

81. Fast forward. You know, 15, 20 years when people started to start really stepping into their sexuality publicly for women athletes. And I, you know, you're the kind of first person that took that shot for us, you know, and I'm just so grateful to you for having the courage to do that.

[Billy Jean King]

They were counting on me because they wouldn't meet with us or anything. They were counting on me still hiding. And my mom always told me that I know himself be true. You know, all this.

[Julie Foudy]

Wait, what'd your mom say?

[Billy Jean King]

To thine own self be true, which is Shakespeare, I think. And that rang first in my head that, you know, what they think I'm not going to tell the truth, but I am. And that's going to just screw them up. Totally. I don't care. I knew I lose everything. I think that's helped start people to be more truthful.

[Abby Wambach]

And that's why this, that was my.

[Billy Jean King]

My hope for the future.

[Abby Wambach]

And it was. And that's why a show like this, that they're playing the trailers in NHL.

[Billy Jean King]

Stadiums, arenas, isn't that amazing?

[Abby Wambach]

And like.

[Julie Foudy]

And no NHL athlete has come out.

[Abby Wambach]

That's right.

[Julie Foudy]

Yet.

[Abby Wambach]

That's right.

[Julie Foudy]

Correct.

[Abby Wambach]

Yes, correct. And the thing that I want people to know is that there. This doesn't mean. Because no NHL athlete has come out of the closet, this doesn't mean that there aren't any. Statistically it is. It is true that there are gay men in every sport.

[Billy Jean King]

Of course.

[Abby Wambach]

Every professional sport. They're everywhere.

[Billy Jean King]

Absolutely.

[Abby Wambach]

They just don't have the same kind of permission to come out. And, and, and I'm just thinking about the 12 year old boy sitting in that NHL stadium watching the trailer of heated rivalry come on. And the fans cheer.

[Coco Gauff]

Right.

[Abby Wambach]

And. And you know, it's still going to take time to become more to have somebody like a current player in a major league sport who is one of the best players come out. Right. I think it will take more time until we get there, but I don't know, it just.

[Billy Jean King]

Right on. I think you're right on. About the 12 year old story. When he hears people cheering. Someone's going to have the courage to come out. I want them to have permission. Like you said, Abby, about coming out. I want them to have permission and then shown the support and love that they're really going to need to get through this.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. Well, it.

[Julie Foudy]

I cannot wait for you to see the last two episodes we're gonna have. I'm dying to talk about it. I know. I'm dying to talk about it. Get on it. Get that. Get it on.

[Abby Wambach]

Get it on.

[Billy Jean King]

Jesus.

[Julie Foudy]

I'm so literally, literally, get it on.

[Billy Jean King]

If we didn't have Sundance, we would have been through it.

[Julie Foudy]

Dang Sundance.

[Billy Jean King]

We watched so many things. We always stay up too late because of it. Oh, we're so bad. We binge.

[Julie Foudy]

At least you had someone to watch with. I was watching my own and that is just no fun.

[Billy Jean King]

I was like, come on.

[Julie Foudy]

Cause Ian was like, no, thank you. I'm good. I don't want to watch it.

[Abby Wambach]

I was like, he needs to see.

[Billy Jean King]

It more than anybody I know.

[Julie Foudy]

I.

[Billy Jean King]

Come on, Ian, you're a coach.

[Abby Wambach]

Coach.

[Billy Jean King]

Tell him as a coach, he needs to see it.

[Abby Wambach]

Maybe.

[Billy Jean King]

Well, when I love Ian, say hi.

[Abby Wambach]

So Glennon and I, we would be watching, and our. Our kids would start walking into our bedroom, you know, and we'd be like, you might not want to come in here right now. Yeah. And Emma would be like, are you watching Heated Rivalry? And she's like, all right, when you get to season five or episode five and six, I'll watch with you guys, but I cannot watch with you until then.

[Billy Jean King]

That's hilarious.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah, it's really good. Really good. Thanks for sharing that story, Kinger.

[Abby Wambach]

Well, I love coffee with Kinger. We should do this once a month. What do you guys think?

[Julie Foudy]

Deal.

[Abby Wambach]

Deal. Great.

[Billy Jean King]

Well, I've had a lot of life, you know, when you're 82 years old, you have a more. You just have more. You know, it's just in perspective, I think. I think.

[Marissa Tanden]

Right.

[Billy Jean King]

If I can say one thing about being older, really older, is perspective.

[Julie Foudy]

Let's clank.

[Billy Jean King]

The best thing.

[Julie Foudy]

Perspective. To perspective. To having the courage to set the path for all the others. The Kinger Clay.

[Billy Jean King]

Thank you. Thank you, Dunk. Okay, why do I have a straw? So my lipstick doesn't get all funny.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Billy Jean King]

And get it on my two first.

[Julie Foudy]

All right, party people, don't forget to subscribe to the welcome to the Party YouTube channel. I highly recommend it because you get all these fun graphics and B roll and insights pictures so you can actually watch the party and click that little bell icon so you can get updates when new episodes go live for sure.

[Abby Wambach]

And if you take one minute, we would so appreciate it if you can rate, leave a comment and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We are now over a thousand. Let's go 2,000 comments. Let's get to 2,000. Let's get to 2 million.

[Billy Jean King]

You think we're jocks? I mean, listen to you and be.

[Abby Wambach]

Sure to follow us. Content. Quiet over there. And be sure to follow us on Tick tock and Instagram at Welcome to the Party show where Julie, Billy, and I will bring the party straight to your feed. You can also email us at party people questions gmail.com. we read every email. We want to know what you want to know about and what you want us to talk about. We love feedback. Feedback is our friend. All right, USA Pause in.

[Julie Foudy]

Pause in.

[Abby Wambach]

USA on three. One, two, three. Give me the ball. Welcome to the Party is an independent production brought to you by Treat Media. Treat Media makes art for humans who want to stay human. Initial Digital is our production partner, and you can also watch our full conversations on the welcome to the party YouTube channel and follow us at. Welcome to the Party show on Instagram and TikTok. TikTok. Thanks for listening.

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