WEBVTT - One Woman Band with Meg Linehan 0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:02.800 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're stocking 0:00:02.920 --> 0:00:05.720 up on hot Off the Press's PWHL gear. 0:00:06.200 --> 0:00:08.600 That Victoire logo is fire. 0:00:08.960 --> 0:00:10.840 On today's show, we're gonna be chatting with the athletics 0:00:10.880 --> 0:00:14.520 Meglenahan about Alex Morgan's final pro game, the legacy she 0:00:14.640 --> 0:00:18.520 leaves behind, and why the Orlando Pride are so damn good. Plus, 0:00:18.600 --> 0:00:21.440 the PWHL has team names, the Music City is getting 0:00:21.440 --> 0:00:24.960 some hoops, and it's the Taylor Swift crossover we all deserve. 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:31.000 It's all coming up right after this. Welcome back, my 0:00:31.040 --> 0:00:35.360 little slices. Here's what you need to know today. The 0:00:35.400 --> 0:00:39.280 Professional Women's Hockey League aka the PWHL revealed its six 0:00:39.400 --> 0:00:43.560 team names and logos yesterday. Here they are the Boston Fleet, 0:00:43.960 --> 0:00:48.960 Minnesota Frost, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, and 0:00:49.080 --> 0:00:52.400 Toronto Scepters. The teams are keeping their primary colors from 0:00:52.440 --> 0:00:55.440 season one, and the league plans to unveil jersey designs 0:00:55.480 --> 0:00:57.800 closer to the start of the season. We hear a 0:00:57.920 --> 0:01:01.960 good Game are already huge fans. The Toronto Scepters. Shout 0:01:01.960 --> 0:01:04.080 out to Twitter user Sarah Jenkins, who noted that the 0:01:04.080 --> 0:01:07.920 team logo, which is an intertwined TNS, looks pretty similar 0:01:07.959 --> 0:01:10.640 to the logo on the cheerleading uniform. Taylor Swift warn 0:01:10.680 --> 0:01:13.640 the music video for Shake It Off, So I don't 0:01:13.680 --> 0:01:15.800 care if they're pandering the t Swift fans. That T 0:01:16.000 --> 0:01:19.280 and thats look pretty good Toronto. And for those of 0:01:19.319 --> 0:01:21.360 you who don't like the names your logos, just know this. 0:01:22.000 --> 0:01:24.760 The players are gonna play play, play, play play, and 0:01:24.840 --> 0:01:27.600 the haters are gonna hate hate, hate, hate hate. Baby, 0:01:27.920 --> 0:01:30.720 I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake shape. Also in 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:34.120 PWHL news, Toronto captain Natalie Spooner, who ended last season 0:01:34.160 --> 0:01:36.640 with the n Acltair, has revealed that her rehab is 0:01:36.680 --> 0:01:38.920 going well and she's returning to the ice this week. 0:01:39.920 --> 0:01:42.920 Basketball news, Athletes Unlimited is announced its twenty twenty five 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:46.120 season will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, with games being 0:01:46.160 --> 0:01:49.559 played at the Municipal Auditorium, which seats about eight thousand fans. 0:01:49.800 --> 0:01:52.520 The first Athletes Unlimited basketball season was held in Vegas, 0:01:52.600 --> 0:01:55.440 while Dallas played host the last two years. The twenty 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:58.800 twenty five season will run from February fifth through March second. 0:01:59.040 --> 0:02:01.680 League officials also said that twenty nine of the forty 0:02:01.720 --> 0:02:06.200 players signed on have WNBA experience. This year, AU faces 0:02:06.200 --> 0:02:09.000 a bit of competition in signing players because of Unrivaled, 0:02:09.160 --> 0:02:11.400 the new three on three league founded by Brianna Stewart, 0:02:11.400 --> 0:02:13.440 and the FISA Collier. A bunch of big names have 0:02:13.480 --> 0:02:16.280 already been announced by Unrivaled, but we do know folks 0:02:16.280 --> 0:02:19.079 like Sid Colson have announced their return to Athletes Unlimited 0:02:19.120 --> 0:02:21.560 as well. We're just psyched either way that players have 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:26.040 more options to play stateside during the WNBA offseason. Speaking 0:02:26.080 --> 0:02:28.800 of the WNBA, we all know that Diana Tarassi is 0:02:28.880 --> 0:02:31.760 nearing the end of her career, but just how close 0:02:31.919 --> 0:02:34.720 is it to ending? Because on Monday, The Phoenix Mercury 0:02:34.760 --> 0:02:37.000 posted a cryptic message on social media. 0:02:37.360 --> 0:02:40.040 It was a compilation video of DT over the years, 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:40.520 with the. 0:02:40.400 --> 0:02:44.200 Caption, if this is it, you have two more opportunities 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:45.760 to see the greatest of all time at home. 0:02:46.560 --> 0:02:50.400 Now what the fuck? Come on? That can't be how 0:02:50.440 --> 0:02:51.960 we find out now listen. 0:02:51.960 --> 0:02:54.040 If you think this is impossible, like DT would for 0:02:54.080 --> 0:02:57.240 sure have some sort of season long retirement campaign, think again, 0:02:57.480 --> 0:02:59.440 because back in twenty twenty two, when she was asked 0:02:59.440 --> 0:03:02.280 how long she plan to keep playing, she told reporters quote, 0:03:02.400 --> 0:03:05.679 when I'm done playing, I'm just gonna stop playing. I'm 0:03:05.720 --> 0:03:08.400 not going to ease my way out. So yeah, maybe 0:03:08.400 --> 0:03:11.639 this is it, And it is actually what Sue Bird 0:03:11.639 --> 0:03:13.600 predicted when she came on the show a few months ago. 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:17.079 Let's run the tape. How much longer you think she's 0:03:17.080 --> 0:03:17.560 going to play? 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:22.840 Gone to my head? This is probably it, But okay, 0:03:23.080 --> 0:03:24.880 I don't know. It gets tricky when you're older and 0:03:24.919 --> 0:03:26.639 you're still playing at a high level. 0:03:27.200 --> 0:03:29.280 Listen, you wouldn't want it the other way. You wouldn't 0:03:29.280 --> 0:03:31.600 want to be like stinking it up or god forbid injury, 0:03:31.680 --> 0:03:32.720 Like you wouldn't want any of that. 0:03:33.240 --> 0:03:35.160 But it does make the decision. You're kind of like, oh, 0:03:35.200 --> 0:03:37.640 I can still do it, But I don't know. 0:03:37.680 --> 0:03:39.920 I think she has other thing she might want to 0:03:39.960 --> 0:03:44.880 get to, So we'll see. I mean, those two are besties, 0:03:46.400 --> 0:03:49.880 but I'm not ready. We said this a few shows ago. 0:03:50.080 --> 0:03:52.040 Can we get no more legends hanging them up? 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:56.200 This season? We have cried all of our tears DT No, 0:03:57.400 --> 0:03:57.920 not yet. 0:03:58.120 --> 0:03:59.960 Also, I'm a little bit worried, guys, because we talk 0:04:00.200 --> 0:04:03.520 about this on a previous show. She is perilously close 0:04:03.960 --> 0:04:06.400 to getting another technical and missing a game. Like if 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:09.040 she gets a tech in the second to last game 0:04:09.080 --> 0:04:11.320 and then she's sitting on the bench for her last game. 0:04:11.360 --> 0:04:13.440 Ever, I mean to. 0:04:13.440 --> 0:04:15.839 Be fair, that would be a very Dina Troossi way 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:18.800 to go on, just double middle fingering everybody on her 0:04:18.800 --> 0:04:19.760 way out of the arena. 0:04:20.440 --> 0:04:20.840 I don't know. 0:04:21.000 --> 0:04:23.800 I'd rather see her play, but there is something very 0:04:23.800 --> 0:04:27.240 special about picturing DT just teching her. 0:04:27.160 --> 0:04:29.279 Way out of the league. Oh. 0:04:29.320 --> 0:04:31.839 I just remembered though, that the Mercury in the playoffs, 0:04:31.880 --> 0:04:34.360 So even if she misses the last regular season game, 0:04:34.400 --> 0:04:36.719 she would still play in the playoffs and technical's reset. 0:04:37.279 --> 0:04:39.160 So I don't know. Now, I sort of hope that she. 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:41.560 Ends up spending the last game of the regular season. No, 0:04:41.680 --> 0:04:43.600 because the fans are going to travel to see her 0:04:43.640 --> 0:04:45.760 at home. All right, all right, fine, no more tex 0:04:45.880 --> 0:04:48.440 DT hould off for right now. All right, we got 0:04:48.440 --> 0:04:50.120 to take a break. When we come back, we talk 0:04:50.200 --> 0:04:59.039 foody with the Athletics Meglenahan. She's a senior writer for 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:02.159 the Athletic who covers the US women's national team, the NWSL, 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:05.240 and all things women's soccer. She also co hosts the 0:05:05.240 --> 0:05:08.960 Fantastic Weekly podcast Full time with Meg Lenahan. She loves 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:12.520 skiing Vermont and her dog, DeWitt, who fits nicely in 0:05:12.560 --> 0:05:13.960 a little doggy backpack. 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:16.359 It's Meg Lenahan. What's up, Meg? 0:05:16.960 --> 0:05:20.000 Oh, not too much, just hiding from the heat in 0:05:20.080 --> 0:05:22.560 San Diego in my hotel room. Right at the moment, I. 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:24.600 Have heard extremely hot. But we have to start with 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:27.120 the most important question first. What is the origin of 0:05:27.160 --> 0:05:28.320 the name DeWitt? 0:05:29.320 --> 0:05:33.000 Actually the TV show Dollhouse, which is a very deep 0:05:33.040 --> 0:05:36.520 cut so not familiar. That was yeah, no, it was 0:05:36.600 --> 0:05:41.760 an old Eliza Dashkou fronted TV show. That's where it 0:05:41.800 --> 0:05:42.279 comes from. 0:05:42.760 --> 0:05:47.240 When DeWitt does something bad, do you ever say do what? No? 0:05:47.480 --> 0:05:51.000 She does have many nicknames though, and we did just 0:05:51.000 --> 0:05:54.520 decide recently that she has advanced to her final Pokemon form, 0:05:54.560 --> 0:05:56.240 which is a Gremlin perfect. 0:05:56.279 --> 0:06:00.480 So yes, great, yep, you mentioned you're in Sandygo. You 0:06:00.480 --> 0:06:04.560 were there for Alex Morgan's final game. She assists in 0:06:04.600 --> 0:06:07.320 the thirteenth minute. She subs out in the thirteenth minute, 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:10.520 tears in her eyes. Big crowd twenty five thousand plus 0:06:11.000 --> 0:06:12.919 other than a loss for the wave, sort of a 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:15.680 storybook ending for number thirteen, but it. 0:06:15.680 --> 0:06:17.000 Felt too sudden. 0:06:17.640 --> 0:06:20.920 For me, I it just the news of I'm pregnant 0:06:20.960 --> 0:06:22.440 and by the way, this is my last game, and 0:06:22.440 --> 0:06:23.040 then I'm just done. 0:06:23.120 --> 0:06:24.440 I didn't have time to process it. 0:06:24.520 --> 0:06:27.000 So take us to the stadium on Sunday, Like what 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:30.880 stood out to and did it feel that same suddenness 0:06:30.920 --> 0:06:31.120 to you? 0:06:31.680 --> 0:06:33.599 Yeah? I mean I think we're also so used to 0:06:33.880 --> 0:06:36.360 getting these kind of farewell tours. I mean you think 0:06:36.400 --> 0:06:40.440 about Megan Rapino or Ali Krieger or Carly Lloyd, like 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:44.800 we've gotten kind of that big, long farewell for sometimes 0:06:44.839 --> 0:06:48.120 both club and country, and then yeah, it's Thursday, like 0:06:48.279 --> 0:06:52.120 midday we get the video, and then Friday the press conference, 0:06:52.160 --> 0:06:54.640 Sunday the final game. So there really has been I 0:06:54.680 --> 0:06:59.440 think this heightened emotional state too, because all of it 0:06:59.520 --> 0:07:02.120 is so sudden, and to be fair, I think part 0:07:02.120 --> 0:07:04.320 of it for Sunday was I mean, it was like 0:07:04.360 --> 0:07:06.719 one hundred and two degrees when the game started, so 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:09.800 everybody's also just kind of like, Okay, we're out here, 0:07:09.840 --> 0:07:13.280 we're doing it for Alex. Great. But what I think 0:07:13.720 --> 0:07:16.560 I was really struck by is on Friday she talked, 0:07:17.280 --> 0:07:19.760 you know, Alex Morgan has done a lot of media 0:07:20.080 --> 0:07:24.440 over the years. For sure, but on Friday, hilariously prompted 0:07:24.480 --> 0:07:28.480 by Naomi Germa in her final press conference, pregame to 0:07:28.720 --> 0:07:31.080 kind of think about what her final or like her 0:07:31.080 --> 0:07:34.240 favorite memory was, and she talked about some of those 0:07:34.240 --> 0:07:36.920 celebrations where she could finally smile and be a human 0:07:37.240 --> 0:07:41.160 and to see that really come through on Sunday, Obviously, 0:07:41.200 --> 0:07:43.800 I think she was very attuned to her own emotions, 0:07:43.840 --> 0:07:46.440 but I think also trying to be very intentional about 0:07:46.920 --> 0:07:49.160 I'm going to smile my way through this because I 0:07:49.200 --> 0:07:53.840 also denied myself smiling for so much of my career. 0:07:54.720 --> 0:07:58.160 And being able to be on the field with a 0:07:58.240 --> 0:08:01.440 camera and kind of get that close up view of 0:08:01.480 --> 0:08:06.600 her just really going through those emotions was very special. 0:08:06.720 --> 0:08:10.240 And to have such a rambunctious crowd all of those 0:08:10.280 --> 0:08:14.000 signs there was a lot happening, And again I think 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:18.400 it was really just this heightened state because everybody only 0:08:18.400 --> 0:08:20.679 had four days to process, and I think a good 0:08:20.760 --> 0:08:22.920 everyone had like a day to figure out how they 0:08:22.920 --> 0:08:23.920 were getting the San Diego. 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:27.520 So yeah, I was thinking about this because there are 0:08:27.520 --> 0:08:31.520 people who have played pregnant through and far deeper into 0:08:31.560 --> 0:08:34.440 their pregnancies than whatever we assume her pregnancy is. 0:08:34.440 --> 0:08:35.960 That since it's not showing yet. 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:39.800 But I was wondering if if I were coaching the 0:08:39.840 --> 0:08:42.440 opposition to a team where someone was playing her last 0:08:42.480 --> 0:08:45.600 game and had announced her pregnancy, I would be like, listen, y'all, 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:48.440 I want to win, and also I don't want y'all 0:08:48.480 --> 0:08:50.000 to get caught in a clip where it looks like 0:08:50.040 --> 0:08:51.360 you're roughing up a pregnant lady. 0:08:51.480 --> 0:08:53.400 Do you think there was a directive to be like 0:08:53.640 --> 0:08:54.920 just a little bit extra. 0:08:54.760 --> 0:08:57.280 Just like give her a little bit of space, Yeah, 0:08:57.320 --> 0:09:00.040 I mean there never really was. I mean, also, she 0:09:00.200 --> 0:09:02.400 just so good at running off of someone's back shoulder, 0:09:02.520 --> 0:09:05.080 So I think there was kind of the sense of, well, 0:09:05.120 --> 0:09:08.120 when when San Diego get corner kicks, I did sort 0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:09.960 of notice that she was in her own little pocket, 0:09:10.120 --> 0:09:12.280 and I was just like, could you just maybe back 0:09:12.360 --> 0:09:14.280 up a little bit, Like you don't have to you 0:09:14.320 --> 0:09:16.880 don't have to like go up for contested header right now, Like, 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:19.640 let's maybe not do that. And I think she knew 0:09:19.679 --> 0:09:22.520 like what her own physical limitations were. I mean, that 0:09:22.600 --> 0:09:25.200 was something that she had talked about of just making 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:27.839 that decision to retire and knowing like, okay, there's only 0:09:28.360 --> 0:09:30.480 I've lost a little bit of my touch over the 0:09:30.480 --> 0:09:33.160 past few weeks, and so knowing that she was going 0:09:33.240 --> 0:09:35.960 to play limited minutes, obviously that symbolic like we've got 0:09:36.000 --> 0:09:38.040 to get her to thirteen. It took her another couple 0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:40.000 of minutes to actually like make it off the field. 0:09:40.080 --> 0:09:43.520 But yeah, I think everybody was kind of mentally being like, okay, 0:09:43.600 --> 0:09:46.360 just don't. Also, the field was so bad in San Diego, 0:09:46.360 --> 0:09:48.280 which is this ongoing problem, so it was just also 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:50.800 like can we not have a Megan Rapino? Yeah, like 0:09:50.880 --> 0:09:54.240 a repeat of like a torn achilles No, no, we not. 0:09:54.200 --> 0:09:56.720 Do that pregnant and rehabbing an achilles either, Like you 0:09:56.720 --> 0:10:00.520 don't Yeah? Those Yeah, so many awards accomplished on the 0:10:00.520 --> 0:10:03.240 football side and off the field. 0:10:03.600 --> 0:10:06.000 What is Alex Morgan's legacy to you? 0:10:07.000 --> 0:10:09.040 I mean, I think the off the field stuff is 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:12.720 as much as you know, like the Caps and the 0:10:12.720 --> 0:10:15.800 goals and assists like she's on I think every top 0:10:15.840 --> 0:10:18.600 ten list you could probably be on for the national 0:10:18.640 --> 0:10:23.120 team and for a lot of the the NWSEL list too. 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:27.480 But between the equal pay fight and everything having to 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:29.280 do with the NWSL, like, I think there's kind of 0:10:29.320 --> 0:10:32.720 three wings of the Alex Morgan legacy. There's the on 0:10:32.760 --> 0:10:36.400 the field stuff. There is the fight of equal pay 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:38.959 and player safety and NBSEL. But then there's also that 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:44.640 like commercial weight that she had and how important And 0:10:44.880 --> 0:10:47.000 this was also at a time where a lot of 0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:49.120 people weren't putting money in a women's We weren't on 0:10:49.120 --> 0:10:52.760 the rocket ship yet twenty thirteen, twenty fourteen, right. 0:10:52.600 --> 0:10:54.360 And if anyone knows what it looked like before the 0:10:54.440 --> 0:10:56.960 rocket ship, it's Meg, because Meg has been there since. 0:10:57.000 --> 0:10:58.920 It's been like two other people trying to get a 0:10:58.960 --> 0:11:00.439 postgame interview made. 0:11:00.840 --> 0:11:05.400 Yeah, So there there was this sense of Alex Morgan 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:08.240 being the face of a program, and that is both 0:11:08.640 --> 0:11:10.319 you know, there are pluses and cons to it. I 0:11:10.360 --> 0:11:13.920 think there were some resentments from other players even of 0:11:14.000 --> 0:11:16.480 like why does Alex get all of this attention, but 0:11:16.520 --> 0:11:20.840 then her using that part of her power to bring 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:23.679 that back around for either the national team for players 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:26.719 in general. She's also just I think a very underrated 0:11:26.800 --> 0:11:30.199 labor leader as well, Like everything having to do with 0:11:30.200 --> 0:11:32.400 the equal pay fight, she does. She does love a fight, 0:11:32.679 --> 0:11:37.320 like I think that is built into her personality. Yeah, 0:11:37.360 --> 0:11:39.959 I mean, like you think about that that final Columbia 0:11:40.040 --> 0:11:43.320 game AM seven coming in a little testy, and so 0:11:43.760 --> 0:11:46.960 she's got that spark to her. But I think a 0:11:47.000 --> 0:11:49.400 lot of the stuff, both on the field and off 0:11:49.480 --> 0:11:52.360 the field, doesn't really happen without that commercial part. And 0:11:52.400 --> 0:11:55.400 that is not like it looks really attractive. I think 0:11:55.440 --> 0:11:56.959 if you're on the outside, you're like, oh, yeah, you're 0:11:57.000 --> 0:11:59.319 on the cover of all these magazines and cool, and 0:12:00.679 --> 0:12:03.079 that is not always there is a cost to that 0:12:03.520 --> 0:12:06.400 and so, and there's also a way to use that 0:12:06.520 --> 0:12:08.840 for something better. So I think you have to consider 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:12.440 all of those pieces of her legacy together because she 0:12:12.640 --> 0:12:15.280 used all She used the performance on the field to 0:12:15.360 --> 0:12:18.520 unlock the commercials. She used the commercial to unlock the 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:22.440 fight stuff. The fight stuff fueled the performances on the field, 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:25.880 and so all of them are so intertwined, and no 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:28.480 one else I think has a legacy across all three 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:30.720 of those wings the way that Alex Morgan does. 0:12:31.160 --> 0:12:34.400 Yeah, maybe Pino at Pinoso. 0:12:33.720 --> 0:12:38.520 But like even in Like Later I think too. 0:12:38.559 --> 0:12:40.160 On the Heead the door was open to her in 0:12:40.200 --> 0:12:44.240 part because of the palatableness of Alex that allowed us 0:12:44.360 --> 0:12:47.120 allowed us to have a more complicated figure. 0:12:46.880 --> 0:12:47.480 As the Hunter. 0:12:47.960 --> 0:12:48.080 Two. 0:12:48.440 --> 0:12:52.600 Yeah, your coverage of Alex's last game was of course 0:12:52.640 --> 0:12:56.199 filled with important context and thoughtful analysis and impactful quotes 0:12:56.240 --> 0:12:57.920 and even your own photography. 0:12:59.320 --> 0:13:03.240 ESPN's a recap, on the other hand, not so much. Now. 0:13:03.640 --> 0:13:07.400 They had plenty of coverage from actual reporters and human writers. 0:13:07.480 --> 0:13:10.600 But we talked about these AI recaps when they were 0:13:10.600 --> 0:13:12.839 first announced, and this was a good opportunity for them 0:13:12.880 --> 0:13:15.280 to show us that they did have humans overseeing the 0:13:15.320 --> 0:13:18.280 process and that they would be meaningful and useful, and 0:13:19.480 --> 0:13:21.880 not so much if the recap of that game doesn't 0:13:21.920 --> 0:13:25.559 mention Alex Morgan, You've been in the soccer media space 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:27.800 for a long time. You were writing about soccer before 0:13:27.840 --> 0:13:30.480 there were other people doing it. Now there's AI robots 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:32.920 trying to take the job of those new people that 0:13:32.960 --> 0:13:37.360 came into the space. I get that they want recaps 0:13:37.400 --> 0:13:40.400 instead of none, but if they're going to be like this, 0:13:40.480 --> 0:13:42.240 what does it mean and how do you see it? 0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:45.360 Yeah? I mean it is tough because also, I mean 0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:47.839 I work for an outlet that I was supposed to 0:13:47.880 --> 0:13:50.920 be in DC for the Washington Spirit Portland Thorns game 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:54.480 and literally we on a moment's notice changed and flew 0:13:54.520 --> 0:13:56.600 me across the country right, which takes a lot of money, 0:13:56.960 --> 0:13:59.320 and so there is a real investment. They were the 0:13:59.320 --> 0:14:01.920 first outlet hire a full The Athletic was the first 0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:04.320 outlet to hire a full time women's soccer writer. My 0:14:04.400 --> 0:14:07.240 job didn't exist before I got it in twenty nineteen. 0:14:07.960 --> 0:14:10.080 And so I think there is the sense of and 0:14:10.120 --> 0:14:12.600 I try to ask this on Twitter too, like in 0:14:12.720 --> 0:14:16.400 the most good faith reading of what ESPN is trying 0:14:16.440 --> 0:14:19.359 to do, which is they wouldn't do these game recaps 0:14:19.480 --> 0:14:23.120 otherwise they have human beings, right. They pointed to Jeff Kasouf, who, 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:25.040 to be fair, had a whole bunch of great coverage, 0:14:25.360 --> 0:14:27.400 wasn't on the ground, but had a great story about 0:14:27.440 --> 0:14:31.280 Alex Morgan's final game. They did have ESPN folks on 0:14:31.320 --> 0:14:33.360 the ground. I saw them with my own two eyeballs, 0:14:34.040 --> 0:14:36.640 so they did have people here. But there is this 0:14:36.760 --> 0:14:41.600 sense of we are still just absolutely scrapping for every 0:14:41.680 --> 0:14:44.600 single little bit of coverage that we can get with real, 0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:47.440 live humans for the sport. Like we've seen all this 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:50.960 explosive growth on women's soccer over the past couple of years, 0:14:50.960 --> 0:14:54.520 and we have not seen that outside of the broadcast sphere. 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:58.320 And this was my own struggle too, being at that 0:14:58.440 --> 0:15:02.080 game of flying in and kind of having mental expectations 0:15:02.080 --> 0:15:04.280 of what I would actually be able to do on 0:15:04.320 --> 0:15:06.720 the ground, and like, I'm super glad that we got 0:15:06.760 --> 0:15:08.720 to talk to Alex after the game. Obviously she was 0:15:08.760 --> 0:15:11.400 going to be in super high demand Landon Donovan interim 0:15:11.440 --> 0:15:13.880 head coach. But I was kind of thinking, like, we'll 0:15:13.920 --> 0:15:16.360 have a mixed zone. Surely I'll be able to talk 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:19.120 to Naomi Germa or Kaylen Sheridan, all these players who 0:15:19.160 --> 0:15:20.360 have known her a very long time. 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:21.040 Nope. 0:15:21.760 --> 0:15:23.040 Yeah, And so it was just kind of like, you, 0:15:23.400 --> 0:15:26.720 you are going to get the NBSEL is going to 0:15:26.720 --> 0:15:29.680 get a big bump from this game no matter what. Obviously, 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:32.640 everything that they did with that broadcast of CBS agreeing 0:15:32.680 --> 0:15:36.360 to have it on ESPN and Amazon Prime Video and 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:39.640 all the like spectacular stuff. But at the same time, 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:42.200 you can't only service your broadcast partners. You've got to 0:15:42.240 --> 0:15:45.560 think about media coverage as a larger hole. And that's 0:15:45.560 --> 0:15:48.880 where unfortunately I put my little nerd hat on. I'm like, Okay, 0:15:49.120 --> 0:15:51.920 how do we because now we are being confronted with 0:15:51.960 --> 0:15:55.000 AI creeping into this space and knowing what we immediately 0:15:55.040 --> 0:15:57.520 saw that first product, and also you know, someone went 0:15:57.560 --> 0:15:59.960 through all those recaps too, and was like every time 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:02.360 they're saying like this is what where a team is 0:16:02.360 --> 0:16:06.320 playing next weekend, it is not correct, which should. 0:16:06.080 --> 0:16:09.960 Probably because yeah, the NWSL uses the opposite format of 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:13.840 predominantly American sports, which will show the second team is 0:16:13.880 --> 0:16:15.280 the one the game is at. 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:19.160 But also they're not even doing proper pairings. 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:21.000 For this, not even the right matchups. 0:16:21.080 --> 0:16:23.600 Oh yeah, it's all it's all completely bad. 0:16:23.680 --> 0:16:25.400 Yeah, and so this is this is the thing. 0:16:25.480 --> 0:16:30.440 It's like, like you said, the best faith explanation is 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:32.600 to say I'm glad they're trying to do something instead 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:35.840 of nothing and to continue adding coverage. On the other hand, 0:16:36.200 --> 0:16:38.520 there has to be this better balance of the resources 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:41.160 put into something with the expectations of what you're getting 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:43.040 out of it, and in women's sports, that has always 0:16:43.040 --> 0:16:45.920 been the flaw. And so as we're seeing these products 0:16:45.920 --> 0:16:48.520 and these leagues put more investment, put more money in 0:16:48.680 --> 0:16:51.840 the media, coverage has a tremendous impact on how people 0:16:51.840 --> 0:16:54.480 see the value of that product. And when you have 0:16:54.560 --> 0:16:56.960 outlets that aren't willing like ESPN has a once a 0:16:57.000 --> 0:16:59.400 week women's soccer showed out great, but if you're going 0:16:59.440 --> 0:17:00.840 to have that then we should also be able to 0:17:00.840 --> 0:17:02.760 trust you as a place that we're going to for 0:17:02.840 --> 0:17:04.280 something as simple as game recaps. 0:17:05.040 --> 0:17:06.920 Yeah, and I think, you know, it's tough. I haven't 0:17:06.960 --> 0:17:09.840 written a game recap probably in about five years, so 0:17:10.400 --> 0:17:12.960 like there is a sense of like what is useful, 0:17:13.080 --> 0:17:15.760 what can add value to the space, And sometimes game 0:17:15.800 --> 0:17:17.960 recaps really are like yeah, I want to know the 0:17:18.000 --> 0:17:20.280 story of what happened in a game, And so I 0:17:20.320 --> 0:17:22.920 think there is still a demand for them. But the 0:17:23.000 --> 0:17:25.320 problem is, and I see this even in my own 0:17:25.400 --> 0:17:28.879 role of when you are working in women's sports, you 0:17:28.960 --> 0:17:32.040 have to fulfill so many different things all the time. 0:17:32.119 --> 0:17:33.480 Like I have to do analysis, I have to do 0:17:33.520 --> 0:17:35.359 breaking news, I have to do columns. I have to 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:37.120 do you know, like big field photographer. 0:17:37.600 --> 0:17:37.840 Yeah. 0:17:38.119 --> 0:17:39.679 Like and to be fair, I wanted to do that, 0:17:39.760 --> 0:17:42.439 like that's going back to my og roots. But also 0:17:43.080 --> 0:17:45.520 there is a sense of like you get to specialize 0:17:45.520 --> 0:17:48.080 in men's sports in a way that you don't get 0:17:48.119 --> 0:17:51.080 to in women's sports. 0:17:50.400 --> 0:17:52.800 Ever got to be a one woman band. 0:17:53.040 --> 0:17:55.040 Yeah, that pressure too of like oh, if I'm not 0:17:55.119 --> 0:17:57.840 doing this, who's going to do it? And we're trying 0:17:57.840 --> 0:18:01.240 to take that part out of your brain and being like, no, 0:18:01.320 --> 0:18:02.200 actually you can. 0:18:02.040 --> 0:18:02.480 Go to bed. 0:18:03.080 --> 0:18:06.159 Yeah, after being outside for like ten hours and one 0:18:06.240 --> 0:18:09.520 hundred degree heat, Megan, please eat a meal and go 0:18:09.560 --> 0:18:11.560 to bed Like that was something that I even had 0:18:11.600 --> 0:18:14.240 to work on myself, being five or six years into 0:18:14.240 --> 0:18:14.560 the shop. 0:18:14.600 --> 0:18:18.680 Now this brings us nicely to our next question, which 0:18:18.680 --> 0:18:21.480 relates to the players feeling like that, like a little 0:18:21.520 --> 0:18:25.960 bit overworked. This season has a lot of in season 0:18:26.040 --> 0:18:29.280 tournaments and competitions in addition to the NWSL schedule of 0:18:29.320 --> 0:18:33.120 course the Olympics, but also NWSL, Times League, MX, Feminial 0:18:33.160 --> 0:18:35.480 Summer Cup, CONKA, caf W Champions Cup. 0:18:36.040 --> 0:18:37.560 Is it all too much? How do you. 0:18:37.560 --> 0:18:42.760 Reconcile the demand without getting in the way of player recovery, bodies, 0:18:42.800 --> 0:18:43.479 all that stuff. 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:46.520 Yeah, I think, And this is what we're going to 0:18:46.560 --> 0:18:49.359 start seeing too in the CBA as well, right, Like, 0:18:49.400 --> 0:18:51.199 the CBA is going to play a big role in 0:18:51.280 --> 0:18:54.400 trying to at least I think, limit some of this 0:18:54.880 --> 0:18:57.840 and to be fair, part of to go back to 0:18:57.880 --> 0:19:00.480 this bigger theme of commercialization, This is kind of the 0:19:00.680 --> 0:19:04.440 natural outcome where everybody's figuring out like, Okay, we can 0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:06.879 make We've got to make money together. How do we 0:19:06.920 --> 0:19:10.240 do that, and on the other part of that is 0:19:10.280 --> 0:19:14.160 the player's safety side. And it's not just about recovery 0:19:14.240 --> 0:19:16.240