WEBVTT - Group Chat: Energetically Butch with E.R. Fightmaster and Erin Foley 0:00:00.640 --> 0:00:03.040 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where our attention 0:00:03.200 --> 0:00:06.320 is being stolen away from women's sports by the trophy 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:10.600 for the Pop Tart Bowl. It's an actual functioning toaster, y'all. 0:00:11.039 --> 0:00:13.120 I don't care about the game. I don't care about 0:00:13.119 --> 0:00:15.920 the teams. I do care about the toaster trophy and 0:00:16.000 --> 0:00:20.520 that sexy ass Pop Tart mascot. It's Tuesday, December seventeenth, 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:22.919 and if you think me lusting after a Pop Tart 0:00:22.960 --> 0:00:25.759 mascot is unhinged. Buckle up for today's show because we 0:00:25.840 --> 0:00:29.800 got a hilarious and occasionally off the rails group chat 0:00:29.960 --> 0:00:32.800 with actor and podcast host er Fight Master and comedy 0:00:32.800 --> 0:00:36.600 writer and stand up Aaron Foley. Plus the BWHL is back, 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:40.120 the WNBA is going international kind of, and a tip 0:00:40.159 --> 0:00:42.960 for all those links you click but haven't gotten to yet, 0:00:43.159 --> 0:00:52.400 it's all coming up right after this welcome back. Here's 0:00:52.400 --> 0:00:56.840 what you need to know today. The WNBA announced on 0:00:56.880 --> 0:01:00.560 Monday that the league's first ever international regular season game 0:01:00.600 --> 0:01:02.920 will be played next season between the Atlanta Dream and 0:01:02.960 --> 0:01:07.080 Seattle Storm in Vancouver, British Columbia. Rogers Arena will host 0:01:07.120 --> 0:01:09.480 the two teams for a game on August fifteenth, and 0:01:09.520 --> 0:01:14.160 while it's technically international, it'll still be Seattle's closest away 0:01:14.200 --> 0:01:17.119 game of the season. Vancouver's just over one hundred miles 0:01:17.160 --> 0:01:20.720 north of Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. In college hoops, 0:01:20.720 --> 0:01:23.200 we've got some movement in the AP rankings following a 0:01:23.200 --> 0:01:26.039 couple big matchups last week. Ucla is still locked in 0:01:26.040 --> 0:01:28.720 at the number one spot, but notre Name climbed five 0:01:28.800 --> 0:01:31.720 spots to number three thanks to their win over Yukon. 0:01:32.160 --> 0:01:34.480 And speaking of Yukon, in the Huskies face another tough 0:01:34.480 --> 0:01:37.800 opponent tonight in Iowa State. Iowa State just fell out 0:01:37.840 --> 0:01:40.240 of the top twenty five after losing to Iowa in 0:01:40.280 --> 0:01:43.560 the Iowa Corns Syhawk series, so you know the Cyclones 0:01:43.600 --> 0:01:45.280 will be looking to make the most out of playing 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:48.880 another ranked opponent. By the way, I've said Syhawk multiple 0:01:48.920 --> 0:01:53.200 times and I just realized it's Cyclones plus Hawks Syhawk. 0:01:54.160 --> 0:01:57.520 Cool to three x three basketball, the team USA women 0:01:57.560 --> 0:01:59.800 won silver at the PHOEBA three x three AmeriCup in 0:01:59.800 --> 0:02:02.360 Porto Rico over the weekend after winning their group and 0:02:02.360 --> 0:02:05.760 defeating Chile and Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals and semifinals. 0:02:05.960 --> 0:02:09.880 The US team of Abby Sue Matty segrest Azare Stevens 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:13.680 and Britney Sykes fell to Canada in the final nineteen eighteen. 0:02:13.800 --> 0:02:17.079 In overtime. Sykes was named the Al Tournament Team, while 0:02:17.120 --> 0:02:21.560 Canadian player Paige Crozen was named MVP. To Hockey, The 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:24.839 PWHL is back in action tonight following a week long 0:02:24.960 --> 0:02:28.840 international break. The Boston Fleet hosts the Ottawa Charge tonight. 0:02:29.080 --> 0:02:32.040 We'll link to the full upcoming PWHL schedule in our 0:02:32.080 --> 0:02:36.040 show notes to Soccer Across the Pond. Prize money for 0:02:36.080 --> 0:02:39.160 the twenty twenty five Women's European Championship is set to 0:02:39.360 --> 0:02:43.680 double following a pledge from UEFA, the European soccer governing body. 0:02:44.000 --> 0:02:45.920 Now there's still a long way to go. The sixteen 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:48.920 women's teams that compete next July in Switzerland will share 0:02:48.960 --> 0:02:52.160 a prize pool of forty one million euros that's about 0:02:52.200 --> 0:02:55.440 forty three million US dollars, while the men's championship has 0:02:55.440 --> 0:02:58.679 a total purse of three hundred thirty one million euros. 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:02.320 So yeah, ways to go. The European Championship is held 0:03:02.400 --> 0:03:04.600 once every four years, and the last time the attorney 0:03:04.680 --> 0:03:08.119 was held it broke attendance record after attendance record, concluding 0:03:08.200 --> 0:03:11.440 with more than eighty seven thousand fans squishing into Wembley 0:03:11.480 --> 0:03:16.920 Stadium to watch England defeat Germany in extra time. Quick 0:03:16.960 --> 0:03:19.560 me a kolpa from yours truly. Last week we shouted 0:03:19.560 --> 0:03:21.600 out the books in our Good Game book Club, from 0:03:21.680 --> 0:03:24.240 interviews we've done with authors to books we've recommended when 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:26.880 we've talked about different athletes and leagues and issues, and 0:03:26.960 --> 0:03:29.679 I forgot one. David Barry and Nefwalker came on the 0:03:29.680 --> 0:03:32.120 show in mid November for a great convo about their 0:03:32.120 --> 0:03:34.920 book Slaying the Trolls, Why the Trolls are very, very 0:03:34.960 --> 0:03:38.280 wrong about women and sports. It was a fantastic conversation 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:41.160 and it's a fantastic book and such a great holiday 0:03:41.160 --> 0:03:44.360 present for anyone who cares about women's sports, understanding their 0:03:44.400 --> 0:03:47.760 potential and economic opportunity, their history, and why the future 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:50.040 looks so bright. So my apology is to David Neff. 0:03:50.240 --> 0:03:51.840 But now I got your own little shout out, So 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:55.520 all's forgiven by the book local bookstore. Please, We're going 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:57.320 to take a quick break slices when we come back. 0:03:57.520 --> 0:04:01.080 Genderless Gap Ads, Ron Swanson and Low Bunny. It's time 0:04:01.080 --> 0:04:09.840 for group Chat with the hilarious Er and erin It's 0:04:09.880 --> 0:04:12.040 time for another edition of group Chat where we take 0:04:12.040 --> 0:04:14.040 the t from the text and we put it on 0:04:14.160 --> 0:04:17.120 the airwaves. Joining us. They're an actor known for work 0:04:17.160 --> 0:04:19.919 on Gray's Anatomy and Shrill, one of three co hosts 0:04:19.960 --> 0:04:23.520 of the hilarious podcast Jocular, and a musician. Last year, 0:04:23.520 --> 0:04:26.400 they released their debut EP Violence through their solo music 0:04:26.440 --> 0:04:29.440 project fight Master. They love to take a perve minute 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:33.000 for a rock climber's hands. It's Er fight Master. What's up? 0:04:33.240 --> 0:04:33.280 Er? 0:04:33.400 --> 0:04:33.640 Wow? 0:04:33.760 --> 0:04:35.600 What an intro? Thank you so much. 0:04:35.960 --> 0:04:39.760 You're welcome. Joining Er. She's a comedy writer, stand up comedian, 0:04:39.800 --> 0:04:42.240 and the host of the hur Lights podcast. Her writing 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:44.560 credits include two seasons of that ninety show, One Day 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:46.480 at a Time, and the sb Award. She's a massive 0:04:46.480 --> 0:04:50.359 sportsman and she probably dated your ex girlfriend. It's Aaron Boley. 0:04:52.200 --> 0:04:54.240 Oh my god, nailed it, nailed it. 0:04:54.279 --> 0:04:57.560 If you remember Aaron's past appearance. We went to the 0:04:57.600 --> 0:05:00.839 bar at the WNBA All Star Game and connected with 0:05:00.880 --> 0:05:04.000 her snow sister snowballs. What's that called again? 0:05:04.920 --> 0:05:06.480 Oh god, I don't even know. 0:05:06.920 --> 0:05:08.520 Is that term for like when you both the same 0:05:08.560 --> 0:05:11.760 people snowball snowball sisters. 0:05:12.000 --> 0:05:15.000 I have so many snowballs sisters that I bet you 0:05:15.080 --> 0:05:17.880 do everywhere I go, just another snowball sister. 0:05:19.760 --> 0:05:22.000 Thanks for joining. How do you all know each other? 0:05:22.040 --> 0:05:24.039 Because Aaron, you helped wrangle er because I didn't have 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:25.200 R's number, but you did. 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:29.760 We just met actually at a UCLA basketball I don't 0:05:29.800 --> 0:05:33.960 know what would you call that? A fundraiser? Fundraiser and 0:05:34.000 --> 0:05:35.800 we were sitting next to each other. I was like, Hey, 0:05:36.480 --> 0:05:38.479 what's going on? And then we were fast friends because 0:05:38.480 --> 0:05:39.640 we're just ripping on everything. 0:05:39.839 --> 0:05:42.400 But I also I also believe that it's a bit 0:05:42.400 --> 0:05:45.120 of vanity because I think we kind of look alike, 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:48.200 and so I think we were like, should we be friends? Yeah, 0:05:48.600 --> 0:05:51.839 there was a real ease of communication. And actually I 0:05:51.880 --> 0:05:56.760 remember watching your stand up God and the person I 0:05:56.800 --> 0:05:59.160 was with at the time, they're like, Jesus, y'all could 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:02.120 be related. And then so then when we met it, 0:06:02.200 --> 0:06:05.520 the thing I had a really deep like went through 0:06:05.560 --> 0:06:09.279 a like a tunnel of like recollection, which is why 0:06:09.320 --> 0:06:11.200 I think you said your name and I kind of 0:06:11.279 --> 0:06:13.679 held like your hand and shook it for too long. 0:06:14.120 --> 0:06:15.840 I was back here. I was having a that' so 0:06:16.000 --> 0:06:17.000 raven moment. 0:06:20.240 --> 0:06:23.680 I could see it. I could see it for sure. Yer, 0:06:23.839 --> 0:06:25.960 I want you to tell us. Speaking of names, I'm 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:27.680 sure you've said this a million times, but for our 0:06:27.720 --> 0:06:31.360 listeners that haven't heard it, can you explain your social 0:06:31.400 --> 0:06:33.080 media name genderless gap Ad. 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:38.320 I came into a theater rehearsal one time dressed in 0:06:38.440 --> 0:06:42.720 all denim and a white hat, and my director at 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:45.799 the time went, you look like a genderless gap Ad 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:50.039 and I said, I'm changing my handle right now. 0:06:50.520 --> 0:06:55.080 Yeah, and it is very appropriate. I've never asked or 0:06:55.160 --> 0:06:57.880 wondered about an origin story. It just felt right. 0:06:58.880 --> 0:07:02.320 No, And sometimes, like I'm walking around, people will say, like, 0:07:02.560 --> 0:07:05.000 I think I have a memorable real name, but people 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:11.520 will be like, genderous gap Pad. It's kind of awesome. 0:07:12.320 --> 0:07:14.320 Yeah, I mean, fight master is your real name, so 0:07:14.360 --> 0:07:16.680 you'd think anyone at any time would go for that one. 0:07:16.760 --> 0:07:19.560 But there is a really nice ring to genderless gap Ad. 0:07:19.840 --> 0:07:22.440 I think people think I'm I think people think I'm 0:07:22.440 --> 0:07:24.480 talking with them with the fight master thing, and so 0:07:24.560 --> 0:07:27.200 sometimes I think people avoid saying it because they're like, 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:30.960 you're not going to get me, Like everybody else might 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:32.160 believe this, but not me. 0:07:33.680 --> 0:07:37.640 That's funny genderless gap pad just rolls off the tongue. Yeah, 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:41.240 does just look at you and I'm like, okay, yeah. 0:07:40.960 --> 0:07:43.600 That's like there was a certain time where any photo 0:07:43.640 --> 0:07:45.880 that had a diverse group of people in it, we 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:49.000 would always say it looked like a Benetton ad. Do 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:52.880 you remember that? Oh yeah, I'm aging myself. Maybe er 0:07:52.920 --> 0:07:55.560 doesn't remember. Aaron and I are closer in age, but yeah, 0:07:55.600 --> 0:07:57.760 that was like you do. That was the go too. 0:07:57.840 --> 0:08:00.840 Is it looks like a Benetton ad? Okay, Aaron, you 0:08:00.880 --> 0:08:03.680 were on before. This is your triumphant return to group chat. 0:08:03.720 --> 0:08:05.160 But for those who might have missed it, give us 0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:07.760 a quick summary of her lights and why people should 0:08:07.800 --> 0:08:08.600 watch and listen to it. 0:08:10.440 --> 0:08:13.000 Well, I've been obsessed with women's sports since nineteen twelve, 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:16.600 and so I just decided I started it actually ten 0:08:16.680 --> 0:08:19.640 years ago and when no one was paying attention, which 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:22.280 is always good timing, and then I took a couple 0:08:22.320 --> 0:08:24.840 of years off, did a rebrand. So it's just basically 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:28.560 like a weekly deep dive conversation in the world of 0:08:28.600 --> 0:08:32.120 women's sports for like an athlete, coach, reporter, journalist, And 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:34.160 it's just like kind of you know, trying to elevate 0:08:34.200 --> 0:08:38.120 them as a human, elevate the sport, and yeah, just 0:08:38.160 --> 0:08:40.800 getting to know them as like human beings versus like 0:08:41.040 --> 0:08:43.560 x's and o's. I mean, sometimes it gets nerdy, but 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:46.839 I just love like hearing people's origin stories and how 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:50.360 they got into what they're doing. And yeah, I just 0:08:50.440 --> 0:08:52.520 love meeting people. Literally I could talk to like a 0:08:52.559 --> 0:08:55.040 new person for like an hour and a half about nothing, 0:08:55.240 --> 0:08:58.440 so pretty much it's pretty fun and nerdy and yeah, 0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:00.000 and I try to keep it light and fun. There's 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:03.120 there's no like hard hitting journalist questions. 0:09:04.000 --> 0:09:05.800 You ever on the phone and the other person drops 0:09:05.840 --> 0:09:08.040 out and you wonder how long you were talking before 0:09:08.360 --> 0:09:10.840 you realize that they weren't there anymore. Because that's me 0:09:11.000 --> 0:09:14.120 with both new people and like walls, Like I could 0:09:14.120 --> 0:09:16.600 talk to like inanimate objects for a good hour before 0:09:16.600 --> 0:09:20.480 I'm like, oh, we're not talking. You did some interviews 0:09:20.480 --> 0:09:23.240 on the road lately with like Rene Stubbs and Anti Costable. 0:09:23.600 --> 0:09:26.400 What are those? Are those a specific kind of episode 0:09:26.480 --> 0:09:27.520 or a different kind of tour? 0:09:28.000 --> 0:09:30.600 I think I think what it is is like when 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:32.520 you start something new and you get really excited and 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:35.880 then you just put five live tour dates on your 0:09:36.200 --> 0:09:38.600 calendar and you have no idea what's going to happen. 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:42.600 I would encourage everybody to crawl outside of their comfort 0:09:42.679 --> 0:09:46.080 zone and then also drink. But it was it was 0:09:46.120 --> 0:09:48.320 really fun. I just was like, what if I just 0:09:48.440 --> 0:09:50.800 tried to combine and stand up comedy in a live podcast. 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:52.760 I'm not saying it was a cute, it was I 0:09:52.760 --> 0:09:56.400 would tweak the format. Yeah, just honestly talking like with 0:09:56.480 --> 0:10:00.960 Annie about Chicago Sky and WNB and like her life 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:03.720 as a reporter and how she got into it in 0:10:03.760 --> 0:10:06.200 front of a live, you know, a live audience. It 0:10:06.280 --> 0:10:09.280 was so much fun. It was fantastic, you know. So 0:10:09.360 --> 0:10:11.480 and then Renee, you know, I've known her forever. We 0:10:11.559 --> 0:10:15.160 met at a comedy club a long time ago, randomly 0:10:15.640 --> 0:10:20.240 and then I stalked her gently. So yeah, we talked 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:22.199 about like, you know, tennis, and she's a big Liberty 0:10:22.240 --> 0:10:24.400 fan and so it was just it was just so fun. 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:26.040 I had like the time of my life. So hopefully 0:10:26.040 --> 0:10:27.720 we do some I try to get you. You were 0:10:27.800 --> 0:10:30.000 my first ask and chicken, I know, and I. 0:10:30.000 --> 0:10:31.640 Was so bummed to miss because the night that you 0:10:31.679 --> 0:10:33.920 had it was my big Halloween night party. So I 0:10:34.000 --> 0:10:35.679 was dressed like Ellie the Elephant, and it would have 0:10:35.679 --> 0:10:37.960 been a perfect time to crash your event. It just 0:10:38.080 --> 0:10:40.280 was complete other side of town. So we're gonna do 0:10:40.280 --> 0:10:42.679 it another time. Once you tweak, I'll just be like 0:10:42.720 --> 0:10:45.439 the debut episode of the better and nearly tweaked version, 0:10:45.559 --> 0:10:49.200 perfect perfect Er. I'm obsessed with jocular as you know, 0:10:49.280 --> 0:10:51.160 I was recently on the podcast, so everyone can go 0:10:51.200 --> 0:10:55.280 find the episode, right, guest, Thank you. It was so 0:10:55.360 --> 0:10:58.600 much fun. It makes me laugh so much. It's my 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:01.320 It's one of two podcast that when I listen walking 0:11:01.360 --> 0:11:03.240 down the street, I'm fully aware that I look like 0:11:03.280 --> 0:11:06.720 a lunatic because I'm just walking alone laughing. And it's 0:11:06.760 --> 0:11:09.800 probably not clear I AirPods. And what was the genesis 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:12.280 for that podcast? What inspired it? Uh? 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:16.600 The genesis was twenty twenty Actually we were, you know, 0:11:16.960 --> 0:11:19.400 Katie and Tiana and I were all in our respective 0:11:19.960 --> 0:11:22.920 homes and we were all sending these memes back and forth, 0:11:22.960 --> 0:11:25.120 and you know, like twenty twenty months obviously the year 0:11:25.760 --> 0:11:29.160 where all of these people that were otherwise not watching 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:32.880 women's sports had no option but to start watching women's sports, 0:11:32.920 --> 0:11:35.199 and so you were starting to see all the dialogue 0:11:35.280 --> 0:11:38.040 start to happen, and in some graceful ways and some 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:43.360 ungraceful ways about women and the color of their skin 0:11:43.520 --> 0:11:45.640 and the amount they were making and whether or not 0:11:45.679 --> 0:11:48.560 they had children and all this stuff. And and Tienna 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:52.640 and I are all very like activist based, we're big 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:55.760 old feminists, and we were just kind of, you know, 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:59.040 we're so fascinated by the sports themselves, but really becoming 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:03.960 fascinated with Oh, this is going to be the come 0:12:04.000 --> 0:12:08.960 together point for so many important cultural conversations that we're 0:12:09.040 --> 0:12:12.720 not willing to have, and we want to be there 0:12:12.720 --> 0:12:14.640 for that conversation, and we want to do it in 0:12:14.679 --> 0:12:17.640 a funny way. And so that was the genesis of it, 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:22.400 and it's mutated in a beautiful way into this very fun, 0:12:23.000 --> 0:12:26.000 lighthearted queer thing. And our goal is always to bring 0:12:26.040 --> 0:12:28.960 in listeners that have felt excluded from the sports space 0:12:29.880 --> 0:12:32.720 and people that maybe did not play sports or don't 0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:34.640 know anything about sports at all, who don't want to 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:35.960 hear anything about statistics. 0:12:35.960 --> 0:12:36.559 They want to come. 0:12:36.679 --> 0:12:39.640 They want to hear us talk and joke about the 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:42.400 women and queer people who play sports and do it beautifully, 0:12:42.520 --> 0:12:44.960 and then they get to feel like they are supporting 0:12:46.240 --> 0:12:49.280 all of these leagues full of women that are all 0:12:49.320 --> 0:12:52.040 on their margins, you know, And so I think I 0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:54.200 think the listeners feel good, we feel good doing it, 0:12:54.240 --> 0:12:55.679 and it's just been a great experience. 0:12:56.200 --> 0:12:59.839 Yeah, I am really waiting for the seminal work that 0:13:00.080 --> 0:13:03.439 someone writes about twenty twenty, because I'm sure there's been 0:13:03.520 --> 0:13:07.520 so many think pieces and like shorter things, but it's 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:11.920 really fascinating how much came out of stillness or a 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:16.120 forced just slowing down. And so for a lot of people, 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:17.880 it's been really hard to go back, and a lot 0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:20.000 of people really struggled with like getting back up to 0:13:20.080 --> 0:13:23.120 speed after they finally slowed down. But also so many 0:13:23.160 --> 0:13:25.800 people finally like looked around and like created a new business, 0:13:25.880 --> 0:13:29.040 created a company, started a podcast, wrote a book, did 0:13:29.040 --> 0:13:30.959 all these things that like all they really needed was 0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:33.600 enough time to like stop for one second and listen 0:13:33.640 --> 0:13:35.960 to their own thoughts. And same goes with like all 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:39.360 of our collective reckonings around so many major issues. It's like, 0:13:39.400 --> 0:13:41.840 if we're busy enough, let's just keep avoiding talking about 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:46.320 institutional racism and women getting the shaft. Not literally no 0:13:46.400 --> 0:13:49.480 perf moment there, but yeah, and then instead we have 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:53.200 this opportunity and the question is are we actually going 0:13:53.280 --> 0:13:56.600 to learn from that at all going forward and try 0:13:56.600 --> 0:13:58.800 to incorporate more of that stillness and time and space 0:13:58.840 --> 0:14:01.360 into what we do so we can more creative and 0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:04.480 fine possibility, or are we immediately rushing back to like 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:06.679 that was a little scary and much so let's fill 0:14:06.720 --> 0:14:08.640 every second of our day again. You know what the. 0:14:08.600 --> 0:14:11.760 Bravest thing to me about twenty twenty, it was either 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:13.880 twenty twenty or twenty twenty one where we had the 0:14:14.000 --> 0:14:19.040 WNBA bubble twenty twenty right twenty twenty, I think, and 0:14:19.320 --> 0:14:22.720 we had we had the bubble, and these women who 0:14:22.760 --> 0:14:25.480 are in this league that was like largely unwatched by 0:14:25.480 --> 0:14:28.440 most of America, all of these like a league that's 0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:30.920 like eighty percent black women, they finally have the mic 0:14:30.960 --> 0:14:33.280 that people are finally watching their games. And at the 0:14:33.320 --> 0:14:36.520 same time, the BLM movement is happening in full force, 0:14:37.080 --> 0:14:42.440 and those women without missing ab are like, we're going 0:14:42.480 --> 0:14:45.600 to use this as an opportunity to do activism and 0:14:45.680 --> 0:14:48.360 to speak up about you know, police violence and what 0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:51.920 we believe in. And there was I was just like, whoa, Like, 0:14:51.960 --> 0:14:55.720 the camera's finally on you, and none of you are like, okay, wait, 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:58.160 you guys, this is our time to be really palatable. 0:14:58.520 --> 0:15:00.600 This is the time to win the hearts. Mind they 0:15:00.640 --> 0:15:02.880 fully were coming in with those like T shirts, everyone. 0:15:02.680 --> 0:15:06.120 Wear half shirts, your hair up, cute. 0:15:05.960 --> 0:15:10.480 Big bikinis. Hid the lesbianism. They were fully like no, 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:14.280 like say her name, like I don't know. 0:15:14.280 --> 0:15:16.160 I found it so brave. 0:15:16.360 --> 0:15:20.120 And then played the Best Basketball Hours lead. It was 0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:22.680 mind blowing. I mean, par the dream that documentary. If 0:15:22.680 --> 0:15:24.480 you haven't seen it, you have to. Everybody has to 0:15:24.480 --> 0:15:24.880 see that. 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:27.840 Yeah, but it also was like yet another lesson of 0:15:27.880 --> 0:15:31.520 like actually leaning into authenticity and standing for something. Is 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:36.640 the women's sports space. It is the women's sports space. 0:15:36.760 --> 0:15:39.520 It is what drives and interests people in addition to 0:15:39.640 --> 0:15:41.320 great sport. And yes, some people are just there to 0:15:41.320 --> 0:15:43.920 watch great sport. Awesome, and so many other people. To 0:15:43.960 --> 0:15:45.480 your point, here are the people who listen to your 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:47.440 podcast want to be a part of something they've never 0:15:47.520 --> 0:15:49.840 been invited to before. And the way to do that 0:15:49.960 --> 0:15:52.720 is to stop thinking about what the average man wants 0:15:52.840 --> 0:15:54.960 and instead thinking about what matters to you and how 0:15:55.000 --> 0:15:57.160 you want. I have a friend who has never been 0:15:57.160 --> 0:16:00.400 interested in sports, and she saw Megan Repina do an 0:16:00.440 --> 0:16:02.680 interview saying We're not going to the fucking White House, 0:16:03.080 --> 0:16:05.360 and she was like, who is this? What's happening? I'm 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:08.280 interested right, this queer friend of mine, I like this, 0:16:08.280 --> 0:16:11.800 what's happening? Decided to go to a US Women's National 0:16:11.840 --> 0:16:14.560 team watch party in the park in Chicago. We have 0:16:14.600 --> 0:16:17.840 these big like screens and bars and setups when there's 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:20.280 big moments like that here in Chicago. But she brought 0:16:20.320 --> 0:16:21.560 a book because she was like, I think I'm going 0:16:21.640 --> 0:16:24.440 to be bored, and then a little picnic blanket and 0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:26.480 like sat really far away from everybody else and then 0:16:26.680 --> 0:16:29.520 was like by the end of it, booking flights to 0:16:29.680 --> 0:16:33.800 go to friendlies in other cities and like buying merchant 0:16:33.920 --> 0:16:37.040 was like, oh my god, whatever this is, I'm obsessed 0:16:37.080 --> 0:16:39.360 with it, and like that's it. I asked her I 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:41.480 wanted to interview her after that for a espnW story 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:43.120 because I was so intrigued, and I was like, when 0:16:43.160 --> 0:16:45.800 was the last time you were at a sports stadium, like, 0:16:46.000 --> 0:16:47.600 because she went to Soldier Field for one of the 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:49.920 US Women's National team games and she said, does Taylor 0:16:49.960 --> 0:16:53.800 Swift count And I was like, no, it doesn't count 0:16:53.960 --> 0:16:57.560 as a sporting event that you last went to. Anyway, 0:16:58.000 --> 0:17:00.160 I think that is fascinating earon that they lean and 0:17:00.160 --> 0:17:01.120 so hard and it worked. 0:17:01.520 --> 0:17:03.240 I will say we did cover the eras to her 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:06.480 as a sporting event on Jocular because of it, because 0:17:06.640 --> 0:17:09.200 being three hours long and running for months and months 0:17:09.240 --> 0:17:11.560 and months, and so that's all I'll say for the 0:17:11.640 --> 0:17:12.400 swifties out there. 0:17:13.000 --> 0:17:15.680 Yeah, well, and Taylor inspired a lot of other people 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:18.040 to start running on the treadmill trying to do what 0:17:18.080 --> 0:17:20.080 she did for three hours and realizing that she is 0:17:20.359 --> 0:17:26.639 literally superhuman. Okay, let's talk Caitlyn Clark. This Time magazine 0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:31.159 interview was incredible. Also, wish it had run I don't know, 0:17:31.359 --> 0:17:35.840 six months ago. Yeah, it's a lot of time and conversation. 0:17:37.600 --> 0:17:40.000 But of course, the inevitable is the reaction from the 0:17:40.040 --> 0:17:42.480 folks who are saying they will now stop rooting for 0:17:42.680 --> 0:17:45.480 and watching her. The die hard basketball fans who were 0:17:45.560 --> 0:17:48.200 very much there for the basketball will now stop watching 0:17:48.240 --> 0:17:50.879 and rooting for her because she mentioned the word privilege, 0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:52.760 and she talked about how great it would be if 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:54.919 we acknowledge and lifted up black players who helped make 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:57.600 the league what it is and continue to do so. Aaron, 0:17:57.680 --> 0:18:03.560 this is predictable potentially even just parroting conversations other people 0:18:03.560 --> 0:18:05.159 are seeing there. It might not even be people that 0:18:05.200 --> 0:18:06.520 believe this, they're just like, Oh, I want to be 0:18:06.560 --> 0:18:08.159 a part of this anti woke thing, so let me 0:18:08.359 --> 0:18:11.119 copypaste that. I'm not watching Caitlin anymore. But what is 0:18:11.160 --> 0:18:13.080 your reaction to her finally saying the thing that a 0:18:13.119 --> 0:18:15.080 lot of people were sort of waiting for her to articulate, 0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:19.000 and what that means going forward for the league, whether 0:18:19.040 --> 0:18:20.800 it can actually help repair some of the stuff that 0:18:20.840 --> 0:18:23.600 we saw so terribly manifest la last season. 0:18:24.880 --> 0:18:27.560 Yeah. Well, first of all, my reaction to people saying 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:30.439 they're not going to watch her again or watch the WNBA, great, 0:18:30.960 --> 0:18:36.000 bye bye, Masia. Just put slide that manhole cover over, 0:18:36.359 --> 0:18:42.679 crawl back in to your humanity adjacent life. You obviously 0:18:42.840 --> 0:18:46.359 had no experience any of the mission statements from day 0:18:46.400 --> 0:18:49.159 one about the w what the WNBA stands for, you know, 0:18:49.359 --> 0:18:52.320 just inclusion and equity and social justice. They obviously have 0:18:52.400 --> 0:18:55.320 missed that for the last twenty eight seasons, so good 0:18:55.400 --> 0:18:58.520 riddance to that. We got to wed those out anyway. 0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:01.119 So but yeah, yeah, I mean, you know, she was 0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:06.040 under so much pressure every single time. Like it's just 0:19:06.520 --> 0:19:08.320 I felt like, God, we needed to give we have 0:19:08.400 --> 0:19:11.159 a little a little bit more patience, you know that 0:19:11.200 --> 0:19:12.720 all of a sudden, you can play the highest level 0:19:12.720 --> 0:19:15.080 of basketball, what is she you know, fifteen and then 0:19:15.160 --> 0:19:19.639 speak eloquently about race and inclusion and equit, you know 0:19:19.640 --> 0:19:23.480 what I mean. So, but obviously she has a responsibility too. 0:19:23.760 --> 0:19:27.359 So I think the article and I you know, I'm 0:19:27.600 --> 0:19:29.640 I'm kind of blown away by her first of all, 0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:32.120 long time coming, but like also gave her a lot 0:19:32.160 --> 0:19:36.080 of like leeway to have those learning curve for sure, 0:19:36.840 --> 0:19:40.159 But I'm just so impressed, like how comfortable she is 0:19:40.200 --> 0:19:43.280 in her own skin, Like that's pretty amazing that, you know, 0:19:43.400 --> 0:19:45.399 for her just to kind of sit back and be 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:47.080 like this is who I am and blah blah blah. 0:19:47.119 --> 0:19:50.280 And it seemed really sincere and not like a pr move. 0:19:50.480 --> 0:19:53.919 And so yeah, I'm hoping we just get back to like, 0:19:54.200 --> 0:19:56.520 you know, awesome basketball in twenty twenty five and not 0:19:56.680 --> 0:19:59.720 have these like idiots, you know, trolling around saying the 0:19:59.760 --> 0:20:00.520 dum miss shit. 0:20:01.200 --> 0:20:04.920 Well, she also provided some really good sort of antidotes 0:20:04.960 --> 0:20:06.840 to some of the things that people were pissed about 0:20:06.880 --> 0:20:09.400 like Danna Tarrossi saying, like, you know, get ready, rook, 0:20:09.440 --> 0:20:10.800