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Speaker 1: Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're stocking

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Speaker 1: up on hot Off the Press's PWHL gear.

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Speaker 2: That Victoire logo is fire.

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Speaker 1: On today's show, we're gonna be chatting with the athletics

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Speaker 1: Meglenahan about Alex Morgan's final pro game, the legacy she

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Speaker 1: leaves behind, and why the Orlando Pride are so damn good. Plus,

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Speaker 1: the PWHL has team names, the Music City is getting

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Speaker 1: some hoops, and it's the Taylor Swift crossover we all deserve.

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Speaker 1: It's all coming up right after this. Welcome back, my

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Speaker 1: little slices. Here's what you need to know today. The

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Speaker 1: Professional Women's Hockey League aka the PWHL revealed its six

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Speaker 1: team names and logos yesterday. Here they are the Boston Fleet,

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Speaker 1: Minnesota Frost, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, and

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Speaker 1: Toronto Scepters. The teams are keeping their primary colors from

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Speaker 1: season one, and the league plans to unveil jersey designs

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Speaker 1: closer to the start of the season. We hear a

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Speaker 1: good Game are already huge fans. The Toronto Scepters. Shout

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Speaker 1: out to Twitter user Sarah Jenkins, who noted that the

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Speaker 1: team logo, which is an intertwined TNS, looks pretty similar

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Speaker 1: to the logo on the cheerleading uniform. Taylor Swift warn

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Speaker 1: the music video for Shake It Off, So I don't

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Speaker 1: care if they're pandering the t Swift fans. That T

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Speaker 1: and thats look pretty good Toronto. And for those of

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Speaker 1: you who don't like the names your logos, just know this.

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Speaker 1: The players are gonna play play, play, play play, and

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Speaker 1: the haters are gonna hate hate, hate, hate hate. Baby,

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Speaker 1: I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake shape. Also in

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Speaker 1: PWHL news, Toronto captain Natalie Spooner, who ended last season

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Speaker 1: with the n Acltair, has revealed that her rehab is

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Speaker 1: going well and she's returning to the ice this week.

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Speaker 1: Basketball news, Athletes Unlimited is announced its twenty twenty five

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Speaker 1: season will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, with games being

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Speaker 1: played at the Municipal Auditorium, which seats about eight thousand fans.

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Speaker 1: The first Athletes Unlimited basketball season was held in Vegas,

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Speaker 1: while Dallas played host the last two years. The twenty

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Speaker 1: twenty five season will run from February fifth through March second.

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Speaker 1: League officials also said that twenty nine of the forty

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Speaker 1: players signed on have WNBA experience. This year, AU faces

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Speaker 1: a bit of competition in signing players because of Unrivaled,

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Speaker 1: the new three on three league founded by Brianna Stewart,

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Speaker 1: and the FISA Collier. A bunch of big names have

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Speaker 1: already been announced by Unrivaled, but we do know folks

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Speaker 1: like Sid Colson have announced their return to Athletes Unlimited

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Speaker 1: as well. We're just psyched either way that players have

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Speaker 1: more options to play stateside during the WNBA offseason. Speaking

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Speaker 1: of the WNBA, we all know that Diana Tarassi is

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Speaker 1: nearing the end of her career, but just how close

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Speaker 1: is it to ending? Because on Monday, The Phoenix Mercury

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Speaker 1: posted a cryptic message on social media.

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Speaker 2: It was a compilation video of DT over the years,

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Speaker 2: with the.

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Speaker 1: Caption, if this is it, you have two more opportunities

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Speaker 1: to see the greatest of all time at home.

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Speaker 2: Now what the fuck? Come on? That can't be how

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Speaker 2: we find out now listen.

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Speaker 1: If you think this is impossible, like DT would for

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Speaker 1: sure have some sort of season long retirement campaign, think again,

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Speaker 1: because back in twenty twenty two, when she was asked

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Speaker 1: how long she plan to keep playing, she told reporters quote,

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Speaker 1: when I'm done playing, I'm just gonna stop playing. I'm

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Speaker 1: not going to ease my way out. So yeah, maybe

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Speaker 1: this is it, And it is actually what Sue Bird

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Speaker 1: predicted when she came on the show a few months ago.

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Speaker 1: Let's run the tape. How much longer you think she's

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Speaker 1: going to play?

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Speaker 2: Gone to my head? This is probably it, But okay,

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Speaker 2: I don't know. It gets tricky when you're older and

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Speaker 2: you're still playing at a high level.

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Speaker 3: Listen, you wouldn't want it the other way. You wouldn't

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Speaker 3: want to be like stinking it up or god forbid injury,

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Speaker 3: Like you wouldn't want any of that.

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Speaker 2: But it does make the decision. You're kind of like, oh,

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Speaker 2: I can still do it, But I don't know.

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Speaker 1: I think she has other thing she might want to

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Speaker 1: get to, So we'll see. I mean, those two are besties,

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Speaker 1: but I'm not ready. We said this a few shows ago.

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Speaker 1: Can we get no more legends hanging them up?

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Speaker 2: This season? We have cried all of our tears DT No,

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Speaker 2: not yet.

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Speaker 1: Also, I'm a little bit worried, guys, because we talk

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Speaker 1: about this on a previous show. She is perilously close

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Speaker 1: to getting another technical and missing a game. Like if

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Speaker 1: she gets a tech in the second to last game

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Speaker 1: and then she's sitting on the bench for her last game.

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Speaker 2: Ever, I mean to.

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Speaker 1: Be fair, that would be a very Dina Troossi way

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Speaker 1: to go on, just double middle fingering everybody on her

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Speaker 1: way out of the arena.

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Speaker 2: I don't know.

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Speaker 1: I'd rather see her play, but there is something very

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Speaker 1: special about picturing DT just teching her.

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Speaker 2: Way out of the league. Oh.

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Speaker 1: I just remembered though, that the Mercury in the playoffs,

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Speaker 1: So even if she misses the last regular season game,

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Speaker 1: she would still play in the playoffs and technical's reset.

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Speaker 2: So I don't know. Now, I sort of hope that she.

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Speaker 1: Ends up spending the last game of the regular season. No,

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Speaker 1: because the fans are going to travel to see her

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Speaker 1: at home. All right, all right, fine, no more tex

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Speaker 1: DT hould off for right now. All right, we got

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Speaker 1: to take a break. When we come back, we talk

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Speaker 1: foody with the Athletics Meglenahan. She's a senior writer for

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Speaker 1: the Athletic who covers the US women's national team, the NWSL,

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Speaker 1: and all things women's soccer. She also co hosts the

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Speaker 1: Fantastic Weekly podcast Full time with Meg Lenahan. She loves

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Speaker 1: skiing Vermont and her dog, DeWitt, who fits nicely in

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Speaker 1: a little doggy backpack.

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Speaker 2: It's Meg Lenahan. What's up, Meg?

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Speaker 3: Oh, not too much, just hiding from the heat in

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Speaker 3: San Diego in my hotel room. Right at the moment, I.

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Speaker 1: Have heard extremely hot. But we have to start with

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Speaker 1: the most important question first. What is the origin of

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Speaker 1: the name DeWitt?

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Speaker 3: Actually the TV show Dollhouse, which is a very deep

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Speaker 3: cut so not familiar. That was yeah, no, it was

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Speaker 3: an old Eliza Dashkou fronted TV show. That's where it

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Speaker 3: comes from.

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Speaker 2: When DeWitt does something bad, do you ever say do what? No?

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Speaker 3: She does have many nicknames though, and we did just

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Speaker 3: decide recently that she has advanced to her final Pokemon form,

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Speaker 3: which is a Gremlin perfect.

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Speaker 1: So yes, great, yep, you mentioned you're in Sandygo. You

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Speaker 1: were there for Alex Morgan's final game. She assists in

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Speaker 1: the thirteenth minute. She subs out in the thirteenth minute,

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Speaker 1: tears in her eyes. Big crowd twenty five thousand plus

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Speaker 1: other than a loss for the wave, sort of a

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Speaker 1: storybook ending for number thirteen, but it.

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Speaker 2: Felt too sudden.

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Speaker 1: For me, I it just the news of I'm pregnant

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Speaker 1: and by the way, this is my last game, and

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Speaker 1: then I'm just done.

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Speaker 2: I didn't have time to process it.

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Speaker 1: So take us to the stadium on Sunday, Like what

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Speaker 1: stood out to and did it feel that same suddenness

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Speaker 1: to you?

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Speaker 3: Yeah? I mean I think we're also so used to

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Speaker 3: getting these kind of farewell tours. I mean you think

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Speaker 3: about Megan Rapino or Ali Krieger or Carly Lloyd, like

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Speaker 3: we've gotten kind of that big, long farewell for sometimes

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Speaker 3: both club and country, and then yeah, it's Thursday, like

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Speaker 3: midday we get the video, and then Friday the press conference,

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Speaker 3: Sunday the final game. So there really has been I

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Speaker 3: think this heightened emotional state too, because all of it

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Speaker 3: is so sudden, and to be fair, I think part

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Speaker 3: of it for Sunday was I mean, it was like

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Speaker 3: one hundred and two degrees when the game started, so

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Speaker 3: everybody's also just kind of like, Okay, we're out here,

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Speaker 3: we're doing it for Alex. Great. But what I think

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Speaker 3: I was really struck by is on Friday she talked,

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Speaker 3: you know, Alex Morgan has done a lot of media

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Speaker 3: over the years. For sure, but on Friday, hilariously prompted

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Speaker 3: by Naomi Germa in her final press conference, pregame to

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Speaker 3: kind of think about what her final or like her

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Speaker 3: favorite memory was, and she talked about some of those

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Speaker 3: celebrations where she could finally smile and be a human

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Speaker 3: and to see that really come through on Sunday, Obviously,

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Speaker 3: I think she was very attuned to her own emotions,

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Speaker 3: but I think also trying to be very intentional about

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Speaker 3: I'm going to smile my way through this because I

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Speaker 3: also denied myself smiling for so much of my career.

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Speaker 3: And being able to be on the field with a

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Speaker 3: camera and kind of get that close up view of

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Speaker 3: her just really going through those emotions was very special.

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Speaker 3: And to have such a rambunctious crowd all of those

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Speaker 3: signs there was a lot happening, And again I think

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Speaker 3: it was really just this heightened state because everybody only

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Speaker 3: had four days to process, and I think a good

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Speaker 3: everyone had like a day to figure out how they

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Speaker 3: were getting the San Diego.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, I was thinking about this because there are

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Speaker 1: people who have played pregnant through and far deeper into

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Speaker 1: their pregnancies than whatever we assume her pregnancy is.

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Speaker 2: That since it's not showing yet.

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Speaker 1: But I was wondering if if I were coaching the

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Speaker 1: opposition to a team where someone was playing her last

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Speaker 1: game and had announced her pregnancy, I would be like, listen, y'all,

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Speaker 1: I want to win, and also I don't want y'all

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Speaker 1: to get caught in a clip where it looks like

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Speaker 1: you're roughing up a pregnant lady.

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Speaker 2: Do you think there was a directive to be like

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Speaker 2: just a little bit extra.

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Speaker 3: Just like give her a little bit of space, Yeah,

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Speaker 3: I mean there never really was. I mean, also, she

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Speaker 3: just so good at running off of someone's back shoulder,

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Speaker 3: So I think there was kind of the sense of, well,

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Speaker 3: when when San Diego get corner kicks, I did sort

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Speaker 3: of notice that she was in her own little pocket,

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Speaker 3: and I was just like, could you just maybe back

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Speaker 3: up a little bit, Like you don't have to you

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Speaker 3: don't have to like go up for contested header right now, Like,

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Speaker 3: let's maybe not do that. And I think she knew

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Speaker 3: like what her own physical limitations were. I mean, that

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Speaker 3: was something that she had talked about of just making

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Speaker 3: that decision to retire and knowing like, okay, there's only

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Speaker 3: I've lost a little bit of my touch over the

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Speaker 3: past few weeks, and so knowing that she was going

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Speaker 3: to play limited minutes, obviously that symbolic like we've got

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Speaker 3: to get her to thirteen. It took her another couple

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Speaker 3: of minutes to actually like make it off the field.

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Speaker 3: But yeah, I think everybody was kind of mentally being like, okay,

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Speaker 3: just don't. Also, the field was so bad in San Diego,

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Speaker 3: which is this ongoing problem, so it was just also

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Speaker 3: like can we not have a Megan Rapino? Yeah, like

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Speaker 3: a repeat of like a torn achilles No, no, we not.

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Speaker 1: Do that pregnant and rehabbing an achilles either, Like you

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Speaker 1: don't Yeah? Those Yeah, so many awards accomplished on the

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Speaker 1: football side and off the field.

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Speaker 2: What is Alex Morgan's legacy to you?

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Speaker 3: I mean, I think the off the field stuff is

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Speaker 3: as much as you know, like the Caps and the

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Speaker 3: goals and assists like she's on I think every top

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Speaker 3: ten list you could probably be on for the national

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Speaker 3: team and for a lot of the the NWSEL list too.

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Speaker 3: But between the equal pay fight and everything having to

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Speaker 3: do with the NWSL, like, I think there's kind of

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Speaker 3: three wings of the Alex Morgan legacy. There's the on

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Speaker 3: the field stuff. There is the fight of equal pay

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Speaker 3: and player safety and NBSEL. But then there's also that

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Speaker 3: like commercial weight that she had and how important And

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Speaker 3: this was also at a time where a lot of

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Speaker 3: people weren't putting money in a women's We weren't on

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Speaker 3: the rocket ship yet twenty thirteen, twenty fourteen, right.

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Speaker 1: And if anyone knows what it looked like before the

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Speaker 1: rocket ship, it's Meg, because Meg has been there since.

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Speaker 1: It's been like two other people trying to get a

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Speaker 1: postgame interview made.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, So there there was this sense of Alex Morgan

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Speaker 3: being the face of a program, and that is both

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Speaker 3: you know, there are pluses and cons to it. I

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Speaker 3: think there were some resentments from other players even of

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Speaker 3: like why does Alex get all of this attention, but

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Speaker 3: then her using that part of her power to bring

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Speaker 3: that back around for either the national team for players

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Speaker 3: in general. She's also just I think a very underrated

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Speaker 3: labor leader as well, Like everything having to do with

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Speaker 3: the equal pay fight, she does. She does love a fight,

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Speaker 3: like I think that is built into her personality. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: I mean, like you think about that that final Columbia

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Speaker 3: game AM seven coming in a little testy, and so

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Speaker 3: she's got that spark to her. But I think a

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Speaker 3: lot of the stuff, both on the field and off

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Speaker 3: the field, doesn't really happen without that commercial part. And

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Speaker 3: that is not like it looks really attractive. I think

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Speaker 3: if you're on the outside, you're like, oh, yeah, you're

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Speaker 3: on the cover of all these magazines and cool, and

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Speaker 3: that is not always there is a cost to that

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Speaker 3: and so, and there's also a way to use that

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Speaker 3: for something better. So I think you have to consider

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Speaker 3: all of those pieces of her legacy together because she

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Speaker 3: used all She used the performance on the field to

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Speaker 3: unlock the commercials. She used the commercial to unlock the

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Speaker 3: fight stuff. The fight stuff fueled the performances on the field,

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Speaker 3: and so all of them are so intertwined, and no

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Speaker 3: one else I think has a legacy across all three

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Speaker 3: of those wings the way that Alex Morgan does.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, maybe Pino at Pinoso.

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Speaker 3: But like even in Like Later I think too.

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Speaker 1: On the Heead the door was open to her in

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Speaker 1: part because of the palatableness of Alex that allowed us

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Speaker 1: allowed us to have a more complicated figure.

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Speaker 2: As the Hunter.

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Speaker 3: Two.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, your coverage of Alex's last game was of course

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Speaker 1: filled with important context and thoughtful analysis and impactful quotes

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Speaker 1: and even your own photography.

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Speaker 2: ESPN's a recap, on the other hand, not so much. Now.

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Speaker 1: They had plenty of coverage from actual reporters and human writers.

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Speaker 1: But we talked about these AI recaps when they were

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Speaker 1: first announced, and this was a good opportunity for them

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Speaker 1: to show us that they did have humans overseeing the

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Speaker 1: process and that they would be meaningful and useful, and

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Speaker 1: not so much if the recap of that game doesn't

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Speaker 1: mention Alex Morgan, You've been in the soccer media space

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Speaker 1: for a long time. You were writing about soccer before

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Speaker 1: there were other people doing it. Now there's AI robots

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Speaker 1: trying to take the job of those new people that

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Speaker 1: came into the space. I get that they want recaps

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Speaker 1: instead of none, but if they're going to be like this,

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Speaker 1: what does it mean and how do you see it?

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Speaker 3: Yeah? I mean it is tough because also, I mean

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Speaker 3: I work for an outlet that I was supposed to

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Speaker 3: be in DC for the Washington Spirit Portland Thorns game

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Speaker 3: and literally we on a moment's notice changed and flew

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Speaker 3: me across the country right, which takes a lot of money,

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Speaker 3: and so there is a real investment. They were the

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Speaker 3: first outlet hire a full The Athletic was the first

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Speaker 3: outlet to hire a full time women's soccer writer. My

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Speaker 3: job didn't exist before I got it in twenty nineteen.

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Speaker 3: And so I think there is the sense of and

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Speaker 3: I try to ask this on Twitter too, like in

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Speaker 3: the most good faith reading of what ESPN is trying

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Speaker 3: to do, which is they wouldn't do these game recaps

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Speaker 3: otherwise they have human beings, right. They pointed to Jeff Kasouf, who,

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Speaker 3: to be fair, had a whole bunch of great coverage,

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Speaker 3: wasn't on the ground, but had a great story about

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Speaker 3: Alex Morgan's final game. They did have ESPN folks on

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Speaker 3: the ground. I saw them with my own two eyeballs,

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Speaker 3: so they did have people here. But there is this

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Speaker 3: sense of we are still just absolutely scrapping for every

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Speaker 3: single little bit of coverage that we can get with real,

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Speaker 3: live humans for the sport. Like we've seen all this

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Speaker 3: explosive growth on women's soccer over the past couple of years,

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Speaker 3: and we have not seen that outside of the broadcast sphere.

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Speaker 3: And this was my own struggle too, being at that

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Speaker 3: game of flying in and kind of having mental expectations

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Speaker 3: of what I would actually be able to do on

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Speaker 3: the ground, and like, I'm super glad that we got

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Speaker 3: to talk to Alex after the game. Obviously she was

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Speaker 3: going to be in super high demand Landon Donovan interim

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Speaker 3: head coach. But I was kind of thinking, like, we'll

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Speaker 3: have a mixed zone. Surely I'll be able to talk

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Speaker 3: to Naomi Germa or Kaylen Sheridan, all these players who

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Speaker 3: have known her a very long time.

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Speaker 2: Nope.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, And so it was just kind of like, you,

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Speaker 3: you are going to get the NBSEL is going to

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Speaker 3: get a big bump from this game no matter what. Obviously,

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Speaker 3: everything that they did with that broadcast of CBS agreeing

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Speaker 3: to have it on ESPN and Amazon Prime Video and

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Speaker 3: all the like spectacular stuff. But at the same time,

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Speaker 3: you can't only service your broadcast partners. You've got to

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Speaker 3: think about media coverage as a larger hole. And that's

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Speaker 3: where unfortunately I put my little nerd hat on. I'm like, Okay,

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Speaker 3: how do we because now we are being confronted with

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Speaker 3: AI creeping into this space and knowing what we immediately

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Speaker 3: saw that first product, and also you know, someone went

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Speaker 3: through all those recaps too, and was like every time

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Speaker 3: they're saying like this is what where a team is

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Speaker 3: playing next weekend, it is not correct, which should.

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Speaker 1: Probably because yeah, the NWSL uses the opposite format of

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Speaker 1: predominantly American sports, which will show the second team is

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Speaker 1: the one the game is at.

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Speaker 3: But also they're not even doing proper pairings.

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Speaker 2: For this, not even the right matchups.

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Speaker 3: Oh yeah, it's all it's all completely bad.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and so this is this is the thing.

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Speaker 1: It's like, like you said, the best faith explanation is

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Speaker 1: to say I'm glad they're trying to do something instead

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Speaker 1: of nothing and to continue adding coverage. On the other hand,

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Speaker 1: there has to be this better balance of the resources

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Speaker 1: put into something with the expectations of what you're getting

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Speaker 1: out of it, and in women's sports, that has always

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Speaker 1: been the flaw. And so as we're seeing these products

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Speaker 1: and these leagues put more investment, put more money in

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Speaker 1: the media, coverage has a tremendous impact on how people

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Speaker 1: see the value of that product. And when you have

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Speaker 1: outlets that aren't willing like ESPN has a once a

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Speaker 1: week women's soccer showed out great, but if you're going

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Speaker 1: to have that then we should also be able to

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Speaker 1: trust you as a place that we're going to for

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Speaker 1: something as simple as game recaps.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think, you know, it's tough. I haven't

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Speaker 3: written a game recap probably in about five years, so

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Speaker 3: like there is a sense of like what is useful,

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Speaker 3: what can add value to the space, And sometimes game

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Speaker 3: recaps really are like yeah, I want to know the

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Speaker 3: story of what happened in a game, And so I

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Speaker 3: think there is still a demand for them. But the

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Speaker 3: problem is, and I see this even in my own

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Speaker 3: role of when you are working in women's sports, you

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Speaker 3: have to fulfill so many different things all the time.

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Speaker 3: Like I have to do analysis, I have to do

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Speaker 3: breaking news, I have to do columns. I have to

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Speaker 3: do you know, like big field photographer.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: Like and to be fair, I wanted to do that,

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Speaker 3: like that's going back to my og roots. But also

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Speaker 3: there is a sense of like you get to specialize

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Speaker 3: in men's sports in a way that you don't get

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Speaker 3: to in women's sports.

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Speaker 2: Ever got to be a one woman band.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, that pressure too of like oh, if I'm not

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Speaker 3: doing this, who's going to do it? And we're trying

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Speaker 3: to take that part out of your brain and being like, no,

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Speaker 3: actually you can.

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Speaker 2: Go to bed.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, after being outside for like ten hours and one

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Speaker 3: hundred degree heat, Megan, please eat a meal and go

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Speaker 3: to bed Like that was something that I even had

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Speaker 3: to work on myself, being five or six years into

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Speaker 3: the shop.

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Speaker 1: Now this brings us nicely to our next question, which

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Speaker 1: relates to the players feeling like that, like a little

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Speaker 1: bit overworked. This season has a lot of in season

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Speaker 1: tournaments and competitions in addition to the NWSL schedule of

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Speaker 1: course the Olympics, but also NWSL, Times League, MX, Feminial

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Speaker 1: Summer Cup, CONKA, caf W Champions Cup.

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Speaker 2: Is it all too much? How do you.

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Speaker 1: Reconcile the demand without getting in the way of player recovery, bodies,

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Speaker 1: all that stuff.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think, And this is what we're going to

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Speaker 3: start seeing too in the CBA as well, right, Like,

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Speaker 3: the CBA is going to play a big role in

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Speaker 3: trying to at least I think, limit some of this

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Speaker 3: and to be fair, part of to go back to

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Speaker 3: this bigger theme of commercialization, This is kind of the

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Speaker 3: natural outcome where everybody's figuring out like, Okay, we can

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Speaker 3: make We've got to make money together. How do we

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Speaker 3: do that, and on the other part of that is

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Speaker 3: the player's safety side. And it's not just about recovery

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Speaker 3: or how many games they're playing in the minutes they're

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Speaker 3: piling up on their bodies. It's also like, how are

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Speaker 3: you flying players to places? Right? And I don't know

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Speaker 3: if the NWSL has a great solution for this yet.

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Speaker 3: And you get kind of these external places like fIF PRO,

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Speaker 3: which is the Global Players Union, that try to do

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Speaker 3: these studies, which I think are really good helpful data points.

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Speaker 3: But the one place where I am encouraged for the

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Speaker 3: end of BSEL is they just actually announced a pair

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Speaker 3: of hires. But one of them is Sarah Gregorias, who

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Speaker 3: was the former director of women's football at fIF PRO,

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Speaker 3: and she's coming at this from a very specific point

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Speaker 3: of view. And Sarah Gregorias is a person that I

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Speaker 3: truly trust to have players at the heart of what

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Speaker 3: she wants to accom and so I think that higher

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Speaker 3: to me, really does show there is real intent from

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Speaker 3: the NWSL of like, Okay, we want to make as

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Speaker 3: much money as possible, and also the players are going

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Speaker 3: to benefit off of that money making now, but how

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Speaker 3: do we do this in a way where we're not

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Speaker 3: actively destroying people at the same time.

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Speaker 2: And the product.

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Speaker 1: The product is the players, so if they're injured or

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Speaker 1: unable to play, that's a huge part of selling it

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Speaker 1: the game as well. Since you brought up the CBA,

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Speaker 1: lots of changes coming as results of that new CBA.

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Speaker 2: What do you think will end up being the most

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Speaker 2: impactful part of the agreement.

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Speaker 3: I mean, there's there's a lot to dig into, and

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Speaker 3: we still actually haven't even really seen the full version

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Speaker 3: of the CBA. But I think what the players wanted

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Speaker 3: to accomplish with this new CBA is freedom of movement,

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Speaker 3: and that is what they have achieved. And I think

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Speaker 3: we're going to eventually have bigger questions of like, did

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Speaker 3: they maybe give up some money in order to get

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Speaker 3: the wins on freedom of movement that they wanted? And

437
00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,320
Speaker 3: I think the answer will probably be yes. But they

438
00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:01,240
Speaker 3: might be okay with that trade because it is total

439
00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,640
Speaker 3: free agency. There's no discovery list, waiver lists, like all

440
00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:08,000
Speaker 3: of that stuff is now gone. You can't get traded

441
00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:11,000
Speaker 3: without knowing about it, right, which is the terrible Lynn

442
00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:15,399
Speaker 3: William's story, amongst others. And so I think that is

443
00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:18,120
Speaker 3: going to be the defining piece of this because also

444
00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:20,199
Speaker 3: there's no drafts, right Like, teams are really going to

445
00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:24,199
Speaker 3: have to work to attract and retain talent in a

446
00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:26,960
Speaker 3: way that they have never been forced to before. But

447
00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:28,640
Speaker 3: at the same time, they're probably going to make more

448
00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,320
Speaker 3: money down the line, so they're going to be able

449
00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:34,000
Speaker 3: to like afford more talent. So it is going to

450
00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:35,040
Speaker 3: reshape this league.

451
00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:37,639
Speaker 1: It'll be interesting to see the haves and have nots

452
00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:40,280
Speaker 1: in a league that has very clear ones right now,

453
00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,080
Speaker 1: how that will shake out when it's kind of required

454
00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:46,359
Speaker 1: that you need to actually have good facilities, good resources,

455
00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:49,399
Speaker 1: people want to play for you, all of that stuff quickly.

456
00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,320
Speaker 1: What is a crucial item left on the to do list?

457
00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:54,480
Speaker 1: There has been so much progress for this league, but

458
00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:56,359
Speaker 1: what do you see as being something that's going to

459
00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:57,840
Speaker 1: come up in the next couple years that still needs

460
00:21:57,880 --> 00:21:59,800
Speaker 1: to be addressed beyond what we talked about with maybe

461
00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:01,439
Speaker 1: try and player health.

462
00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:05,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think there is still the sense of, you know,

463
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,159
Speaker 3: we've had a whole generation now I players retire that

464
00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:11,879
Speaker 3: I think we're some of the really big household names

465
00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,000
Speaker 3: and now the NWSL has to figure out how do

466
00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:18,560
Speaker 3: you turn Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, Mouse wantson even to

467
00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:21,920
Speaker 3: some extent like a lot of these players and teams

468
00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,560
Speaker 3: like this is now maybe the chance to build some

469
00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:29,560
Speaker 3: of these storylines and individual and team narratives. I mean,

470
00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:33,400
Speaker 3: we've obviously seen team valuations skyrocketing and all that sort

471
00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:35,240
Speaker 3: of stuff, but I think there is still the sense

472
00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:37,840
Speaker 3: maybe of people watching in Europe being like, okay, but

473
00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,159
Speaker 3: what is angel City? It's yeah, Manchester City or Manchester United, right, Like,

474
00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:45,160
Speaker 3: there's no there is both a blessing and a curse

475
00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:47,800
Speaker 3: of not having some of this history. And so now

476
00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:51,080
Speaker 3: with having a deal that runs through twenty thirty, you

477
00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:53,520
Speaker 3: can maybe take that step back and say, who do

478
00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:55,720
Speaker 3: we want to be as a league? Right, Like, what

479
00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,080
Speaker 3: is the five year vision for the n of USEL

480
00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:00,440
Speaker 3: would still love to know what that is?

481
00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, so that is containing people for that long?

482
00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:04,440
Speaker 3: Right.

483
00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,720
Speaker 1: When there's as much turnover as there has been throughout

484
00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:10,080
Speaker 1: the start of the league, whether that's teams, owners, commissioners,

485
00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:13,840
Speaker 1: et cetera, then it is always just a we're refreshing now, Okay,

486
00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:15,680
Speaker 1: well what does the new look look like? And then

487
00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:17,400
Speaker 1: it lasts for a couple of years and then we're

488
00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,119
Speaker 1: like and we're starting again, which makes it really hard.

489
00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,359
Speaker 3: Yeah. And also, you know, post twenty twenty three World

490
00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:25,440
Speaker 3: Cup where the US crashed out so early, there was

491
00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:27,439
Speaker 3: such a focus on how do you bring in all

492
00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:29,560
Speaker 3: this international talent? And now the question has to be

493
00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:31,520
Speaker 3: how do you retain all of the international talent? How

494
00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:33,840
Speaker 3: do you keep bringing in more? Are you making sure

495
00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:37,120
Speaker 3: that you can still compete with some of these skyrocketing

496
00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:41,040
Speaker 3: salaries over in Europe? And now also you've got free

497
00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:43,080
Speaker 3: agency that matches with that, so you've set up a

498
00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:45,360
Speaker 3: lot of the like roster stuff of it. But now

499
00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:48,920
Speaker 3: we've got to think about Okay, you've said you want

500
00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:50,320
Speaker 3: to be the best league in the world. For a

501
00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,720
Speaker 3: long time, the NBSEL kind of coast it on claiming

502
00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:56,199
Speaker 3: that title, and now I think they actually have to

503
00:23:56,359 --> 00:24:00,080
Speaker 3: prove it, and that's a big, big challenge.

504
00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:00,440
Speaker 2: Yeah.

505
00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:02,200
Speaker 1: One of the first things I thought about when I

506
00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:04,320
Speaker 1: joined the Red Stars ownership group was how do you

507
00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:08,639
Speaker 1: create organic tradition and nostalgia for a product that's very young.

508
00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:11,040
Speaker 2: It's very cool that you could.

509
00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,960
Speaker 1: Start inventing that, but it feels difficult to do. And

510
00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,080
Speaker 1: I would look at the spaces around Chicago, like the

511
00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:18,960
Speaker 1: Cubs and say, there's so many built in things that

512
00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:20,560
Speaker 1: you just know are a part of going to a

513
00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:22,840
Speaker 1: game and being a fan. That are really hard to

514
00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:24,760
Speaker 1: do both in soccer because there aren't that many breaks

515
00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:27,560
Speaker 1: and moments throughout the game with pauses where you can

516
00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:31,320
Speaker 1: have things happen, but also just people can feel when

517
00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:33,800
Speaker 1: it feels inauthentic. So I think the league needs to

518
00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:36,600
Speaker 1: continue to figure out how to establish who it is

519
00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:38,639
Speaker 1: and why it's a part of your identity instead of

520
00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:40,159
Speaker 1: just something you buy a ticket to every once in

521
00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:42,840
Speaker 1: a while. That's the real shift, is when sports become

522
00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:46,080
Speaker 1: your identity and not just one of your many entertainment options.

523
00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:48,199
Speaker 1: And I think the NWSL, I think some of the

524
00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:50,520
Speaker 1: players are going to help. And you mentioned the international players.

525
00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:52,840
Speaker 1: On an individual level, a couple of those players have

526
00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:55,960
Speaker 1: taken the league by storm. You look at the CAC Currents, Temwashuwinga,

527
00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:58,199
Speaker 1: you look at the Pride Barbara Banda. That's two of

528
00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:01,160
Speaker 1: them extraordinary in the NWA sell and outside.

529
00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:02,359
Speaker 2: Where do you rank them.

530
00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:06,280
Speaker 1: As the as the best forwards currently I guess and

531
00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:10,280
Speaker 1: potential in the future that you could see from.

532
00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:13,360
Speaker 3: Them, Yeah, I mean they have immediately just come in

533
00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,320
Speaker 3: and I think revolutionized this league. Both of them potentially

534
00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:20,360
Speaker 3: could set and break the single season scoring record set

535
00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:22,560
Speaker 3: by Sam Kerr. But I think there is this real

536
00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:25,920
Speaker 3: sense of those are two players that not only can

537
00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,080
Speaker 3: you build, but then the NWSL is a league can

538
00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:31,040
Speaker 3: be like, look at what we have done right, bringing

539
00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:33,640
Speaker 3: in this international talent and using them as a framework

540
00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:35,520
Speaker 3: to build upon and show how important we can be

541
00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,440
Speaker 3: to an international framework. But I mean Barbara Banda and

542
00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,640
Speaker 3: Tim much having seen them both in like, they are

543
00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:46,040
Speaker 3: just on a completely different level. I mean, honestly, I

544
00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:47,439
Speaker 3: know you just said like you've got to have it

545
00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:49,040
Speaker 3: be an identity, but like, if you can buy a

546
00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:51,200
Speaker 3: ticket and see either of these players play, you have

547
00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:54,600
Speaker 3: to do it. And there is a sense here of

548
00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:57,879
Speaker 3: this could really just be the start, right, like this

549
00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:01,480
Speaker 3: is their first season. To be fair, they have immediately adjusted.

550
00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:06,000
Speaker 3: But what happens in year two and Orlando Pride to

551
00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:09,520
Speaker 3: like Kansas City current? Obviously Tim Wuchunga is like the Star,

552
00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:13,359
Speaker 3: but Orlando Pride is the most complete NWSEL team I

553
00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:16,680
Speaker 3: have ever seen in this league. And also with Marta

554
00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:22,400
Speaker 3: as well, just immediately becoming this vintage version of herself

555
00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:25,639
Speaker 3: the season and unlocking just scoring a goal even this

556
00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:30,439
Speaker 3: past weekend and like we're watching something very special in

557
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:32,760
Speaker 3: the NWSEL this year. I don't know how it will end,

558
00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:34,639
Speaker 3: but I think this is one where we just kind

559
00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:36,040
Speaker 3: of have to sit back and be like, we're never

560
00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:37,520
Speaker 3: going to see anything like this again.

561
00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:39,639
Speaker 1: Your tea and me right up, because I have to

562
00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:42,480
Speaker 1: ask the Orlando Pride used to be a team that

563
00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:44,760
Speaker 1: was the punchline of jokes about where you would get

564
00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:47,720
Speaker 1: traded if you played poorly, Like nobody wanted to go

565
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:51,080
Speaker 1: to the Pride top of the table unbeaten since THENTO

566
00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:53,360
Speaker 1: twenty twenty three, can anyone beat them?

567
00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:55,399
Speaker 2: And how do you explain this turnaround?

568
00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:59,480
Speaker 3: Yeah? Again, it's so that very easy answer is just

569
00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:04,119
Speaker 3: investment and someone caring, right, and Hailey Carter as a

570
00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,560
Speaker 3: GM coming in someone who had played in this league,

571
00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:09,560
Speaker 3: knows this league so well. I think has just kind

572
00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:11,439
Speaker 3: of come in with this very clear eyed approach of

573
00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:15,000
Speaker 3: like I know what this team can be. Very much

574
00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:18,880
Speaker 3: helps seb Hines becoming a coach that has just led

575
00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:24,240
Speaker 3: this team into uncharted territory. But for Orlando, I think

576
00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:27,120
Speaker 3: this simple answer is just like someone finally said, like, okay,

577
00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:30,160
Speaker 3: let's start on the money and see what happens. Yeah,

578
00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:32,119
Speaker 3: and so part of that is ownership. Part of that

579
00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:34,960
Speaker 3: is having a plan for that money. And I think

580
00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:38,439
Speaker 3: you know the piece now too is Okay, we haven't

581
00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:41,200
Speaker 3: quite seen we've seen all the performances on the field.

582
00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,600
Speaker 3: How do you get attendance into that place where the

583
00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:49,399
Speaker 3: team deserves That is still again a much bigger question

584
00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:52,280
Speaker 3: that the end of Busel has never really unlocked the

585
00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:55,160
Speaker 3: answer to it. But from an on the field point

586
00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:57,800
Speaker 3: of view, it's just really I think you could see

587
00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,879
Speaker 3: it brewing at the start of twenty twenty three. Adding

588
00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:04,560
Speaker 3: in Barbara banda immediate game changer. But they have a

589
00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:07,560
Speaker 3: strong defensive unit as well. I mean like they are

590
00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:11,840
Speaker 3: just they're clicking. And usually I would say like, oh,

591
00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:13,959
Speaker 3: you don't want to be that team heading into postseason

592
00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:17,320
Speaker 3: looking like this, because that's that's where you get tripped up.

593
00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:19,440
Speaker 3: And this year I'm actually like, I don't, I don't know, man,

594
00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:21,760
Speaker 3: Like it might not make a difference. Yeah, I think

595
00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:24,119
Speaker 3: the game, like I said this on my podcast, but

596
00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:28,040
Speaker 3: that game against the Spirit on October sixth, like that's

597
00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:30,360
Speaker 3: the one I have circled because currently that's the one

598
00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,080
Speaker 3: and two teams. So that's the one where you're like,

599
00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:37,159
Speaker 3: well maybe maybe uh, but they just look unstoppable.

600
00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,120
Speaker 2: They look pretty good. We're running out of time here.

601
00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:40,960
Speaker 1: So I got to ask you, though, how many teams

602
00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:42,600
Speaker 1: do I have to give you for you to say

603
00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:44,880
Speaker 1: that's the number that I believe could truly win it

604
00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:46,080
Speaker 1: all this year?

605
00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:52,000
Speaker 3: I would say, I mean this year. Every the twenty

606
00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:54,880
Speaker 3: twenty three narrative was parody, right, and that is not

607
00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:59,600
Speaker 3: the narrative of twenty twenty four. I do think this narrative. Yeah,

608
00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:02,840
Speaker 3: there's there's like a clear top. I mean there's Orlando Pride,

609
00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:05,360
Speaker 3: and then there's like three or four teams, and then

610
00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,800
Speaker 3: there's like a mid pack and then there's the rest.

611
00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:11,960
Speaker 3: But I do think, you know, once you get in

612
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:14,720
Speaker 3: the playoffs, it can be really tough, totally predicted. It

613
00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:17,040
Speaker 3: also just depends on like who's hosting, what's the weather,

614
00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:19,720
Speaker 3: like what are we getting in ourselves into. But I

615
00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:24,680
Speaker 3: think there's probably a good four teams that I'm like, yeah, no,

616
00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:28,680
Speaker 3: I could believe it. But also I think anyone not

617
00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:30,800
Speaker 3: the Orlando Pride is still going.

618
00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:34,120
Speaker 2: To have Yeah, it's Pride versus the field basically.

619
00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:36,120
Speaker 3: This Yeah, I would I think that's still pretty fair.

620
00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:37,440
Speaker 2: All right. Last question.

621
00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:40,280
Speaker 1: We have a segment on the show called No Dumb Questions,

622
00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:42,760
Speaker 1: and we invite listeners to send us questions things that

623
00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:45,040
Speaker 1: are on their minds. But we actually have a dumb

624
00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:47,600
Speaker 1: question ourselves this time because we don't know the answer.

625
00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:49,600
Speaker 1: Producer Alex asked us and we were like, we don't know.

626
00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:52,880
Speaker 1: Does Alex Morgan's retirement before the end of the season

627
00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:54,920
Speaker 1: open up salary cap space for the wave?

628
00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:58,560
Speaker 3: I would assume so. I would assume so. But the

629
00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:02,239
Speaker 3: problem is is that the win did just close at

630
00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:06,280
Speaker 3: least the trade window, but in theory they should I

631
00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:11,320
Speaker 3: think be able to add because the roster freeze date

632
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:12,600
Speaker 3: has not happened yet.

633
00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:17,200
Speaker 2: Right, Okay, so probably maybe likely?

634
00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:20,240
Speaker 3: Yes, I would. I would, That would be my initial.

635
00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:22,440
Speaker 3: That's a good one to be, like, Hello, NWSL, can

636
00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:25,560
Speaker 3: I just verify this for you? But like I would,

637
00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:26,560
Speaker 3: guess that's right.

638
00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:30,080
Speaker 1: Thanks Meg for coming on. I always appreciate talking to you.

639
00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:32,320
Speaker 1: Are go to source for everything, so keep up the

640
00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:33,920
Speaker 1: good work. And even though I do want you to

641
00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:35,720
Speaker 1: sleep and take naps, I also do want you to

642
00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:37,320
Speaker 1: work like all the time so that I always have

643
00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:38,280
Speaker 1: the content that I want.

644
00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:40,959
Speaker 3: Okay, I'll keep that in mind. That's what I'll use

645
00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:42,800
Speaker 3: to justify it to my wife. And I'm like, actually,

646
00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:45,160
Speaker 3: I need to work this weekend because Sarah Spain wants

647
00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:45,440
Speaker 3: me to.

648
00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:48,160
Speaker 2: Sarah Spain said, so you can blame me. You can

649
00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:48,560
Speaker 2: blame me.

650
00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:53,280
Speaker 1: Thanks again to Meg for taking the time we got

651
00:30:53,400 --> 00:31:01,000
Speaker 1: to pay the bills. Stick around, welcome back slices. As always,

652
00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:02,560
Speaker 1: we love that you're listening, but we want you to

653
00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:03,800
Speaker 1: get in the game every day too.

654
00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:05,680
Speaker 2: So here's our good game play of the day.

655
00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:08,280
Speaker 1: We want to hear what you think about the PWHL

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00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:09,360
Speaker 1: logos and names.

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00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:12,080
Speaker 2: What's your favorite? Is there one you're not feeling?

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00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:14,680
Speaker 1: Do you think the Ottawa Charge logo looks just like

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00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:17,480
Speaker 1: the Calgary Flames logo? Because if so, you're not alone.

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00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:20,880
Speaker 1: Tell us what you think. Which jersey are you pre ordering?

661
00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:23,080
Speaker 1: And do you think the new names are an improvement

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00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:25,040
Speaker 1: over the names that were leaked last year? Because last

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00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,760
Speaker 1: year there were names trademarked and there was a lot

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00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:33,720
Speaker 1: of response to them. They were Toronto, Torch, Montreal, Echo, Ottawa, Alert, Minnesota, Superior, Boston,

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00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:36,560
Speaker 1: Wicked and New York Sound. I think we're better off

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00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:38,120
Speaker 1: with the new ones. I mean I think we're all

667
00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:40,600
Speaker 1: happy that the league didn't go through with the Ottawa Alert.

668
00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:43,080
Speaker 1: I know they were honoring history and a previous women's

669
00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:46,320
Speaker 1: team called the Ottawa Alerts from like nineteen fifteen, and

670
00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:49,800
Speaker 1: that's a noble idea, but that just doesn't sing as

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00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:51,680
Speaker 1: a name Ottawa Alert.

672
00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:53,920
Speaker 2: No. We're a little torn on them.

673
00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:56,440
Speaker 1: Ditch in Boston Wicked though, because on the one hand,

674
00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,320
Speaker 1: there's an opportunity there for a lot of Witch content.

675
00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:02,560
Speaker 1: It's the title that we have reclaimed and we now celebrate,

676
00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:06,360
Speaker 1: and the opportunity to hear Boston people saying their team

677
00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:10,520
Speaker 1: is Wicked, good, Wicked, smart. I like that, but I

678
00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:12,720
Speaker 1: do worry that people would think they're buying tickets for

679
00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:15,800
Speaker 1: the musical and not the hockey games. I guess they're

680
00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:17,480
Speaker 1: right on that one. I guess we can say goodbye

681
00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:19,000
Speaker 1: to the Boston Wicked, but let us know what you

682
00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:20,800
Speaker 1: think of the new ones. Hit us up on email

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00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:23,360
Speaker 1: good game at wondermedianetwork dot com, or leave us a

684
00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:25,880
Speaker 1: voicemail at eight seven two two oh four fifty seventy.

685
00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:28,840
Speaker 1: Hit me up on Twitter at Sarah Spain or on

686
00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:32,840
Speaker 1: Insta at Spain two three two three and as always

687
00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:37,360
Speaker 1: how many times I gotta tell you? Subscribe, Rate and review,

688
00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:40,200
Speaker 1: scroll down, find the stars, hit five, leave a review,

689
00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:43,760
Speaker 1: tell us you love us. It's super easy. Watch vet

690
00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:49,520
Speaker 1: bills rating one out of five. Review Like, we get it,

691
00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:52,760
Speaker 1: it's necessary, and we know healthcare is expensive, and we

692
00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:55,880
Speaker 1: definitely think vets deserve to get paid they're basically heroes.

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00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:59,400
Speaker 2: But also doesn't it feel.

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00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,760
Speaker 1: A little bit like taking advantage of our love for

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00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:05,320
Speaker 1: our furry babies. I mean, there is nothing like getting

696
00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:07,479
Speaker 1: a clean bill of health from a pupper, but the

697
00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:11,160
Speaker 1: bill of expense is too grand. Like I can't even

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00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:12,720
Speaker 1: be as excited as I want to be for my

699
00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:14,680
Speaker 1: little fur child when it cost me two thousand dollars

700
00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:18,080
Speaker 1: to find out he's perfectly fine. And don't even get

701
00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:20,800
Speaker 1: me started on private equity buying up animal hospitals.

702
00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:24,840
Speaker 2: Big vet is a real thing, y'all. Look it up. Sucks,

703
00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,520
Speaker 2: but my pup is healthy. Now it's your turn.

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00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:32,360
Speaker 1: Rate and review, Thanks for listening, See you tomorrow. Good game, Meg,

705
00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:37,920
Speaker 1: Good game, pwhl you loopy pet post vet poopin.

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00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:40,040
Speaker 2: In your bedroom TMI.

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00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:43,840
Speaker 1: Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports

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00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:46,680
Speaker 1: production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.

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00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:47,720
Speaker 2: You can find us on.

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00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:51,400
Speaker 1: The iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:55,280
Speaker 1: Production by Wonder Media Network. Our producers are Alex Azzi

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00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:59,360
Speaker 1: and Misha Jones. Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz,

713
00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:03,080
Speaker 1: Jenny Cap and Emily Rutterer. Our editors are Jenny Kaplan,

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00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:07,120
Speaker 1: Emily Rudder, Brittany Martinez and Grace Lynch. Production assistants from

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00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:09,640
Speaker 1: Lucy Jones and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain