US Women's Soccer podcast

US Women’s Soccer - the most polarizing national team in history?

Maybe they are - but for all the right reasons

places listening USA - NYC specifically Manhattan followed by the Bronx both my a mile this week.

Austria and Australia were 2nd and 3rd - Graz Austria got all of their listens so hello to our friends in Graz

#1 and it’s not the topic of this podcast. I believe the USWNT deserves the same pay as the USMNT. But, that’s a whole different podcast, so all I want to do is state for the record, I think they should be paid equally for their training, appearances in friendlies and for their appearances in real competitions, such as the World Cup. (Bonuses for winning games and advancing and such, is also something we should all talk about on a different day as well)

US Team beat a hapless Thailand team 13-0 (the next biggest blowout in the group stage was Italy’s 5-0 win over Jamaica

Thailand shouldn’t have been in the tourney - but here’s the break down of the where the 24 teams came from

AFC (Asian Football Confederation) 5 slots (including Thailand) and Australia actually plays in the AFC

CAF (Africa) 3 slots

CONCACAF (N America) 3 slots

CONMEBOL (S America) 3 slots

OFC (Oceania) 1 slot New Zealand

UEFA (Europe) 8 slots + the host happens to be France so 9 slots

The Final 8 were the US and 7 European countries

The Final 16 were those 8 plus - 2 from Africa, 1 N Am, 3 Asia including Australia, 1 Europe, 1 South America

So, Europe had 9 teams in the tournament and 8 made the round of 16 and 7 made the final 8. So Unless they wanted to add a 10th European team to a 24 team tournament , Thailand had to get in — or somebody else like Thailand…

But Jamaica was rated worse than Thailand in the world rankings, as were all 3 African nations and 2 of the South American teams… but nobody beat those trams worse than 5-0. Teams exercised restraint in their dominance.

The USWNT Tried to destroy Chile - were up 3-0 and then the Chilean Goaltender started trending on twitter - because she stopped everything (including getting in the head of the Carli Lloyd for a PK at the end). Could’ve been 7-0 but only 3-mil - so the Chilean goalie took ‘em down a peg.

Third game against Sweden - won comfortably 2-0 against Sweden - all they needed was the win, final game of group stage. The control they played with against Sweden is the control they should’ve played with against Thailand. It could’ve been 8-0 and they would’ve proven the same point as 13-0.

My biggest problem was them celebrating goals 11, 12, & 13 as if they were each sudden death game winners in the world cup final.

They Showed up inferior players, the way an older sibling ruthlessly destroys their younger sibling. They punched down - and that’s a factor later in podcast

USWNT also struggled mightily with Spain. Spain played an incredibly physical game and dared the refs to call Penalty Kicks… and the refs did. Megan Rapione scored both kicks, and that was important, because Spain scored on some poor defense and goal tending by the US.

So the Mighty team that smoked Thailand, and tried to embarrass Chile, played safe vs Sweden and then was in a dog fight vs Spain. As the games get bigger and the teams get better, beating Thailand means less and less… but the bullseye you put on your own back isn’t going anywhere.

Now the US plays France in the quarters and France is great at home. US is the better team, but we shall see. Winner of this game is the favorite to win the World Cup.

But now politics come into play. Megan Rapione is very vocally opposed to the way the current administration is treating many of our citizens and many of the immigrants who are legally in the US, let alone how they’re treating folks at the border, people of certain religions, people of most races and ethnicities and the LBGTQ+ community.

So, the USWNT are saying they wouldn’t go to the the White House win or lose invited or not. And I feel like this is interesting because they are calling out an administration that makes a living out of “punching down”. The way we treat each other in this country and the way we treat people who are in at risk demographics is MUCH more important than how the USWNT played against Thailand … but ironically them being the “bully” to Thailand and taking joy in it… That’s right out of the playbook of this administration since it took power in January of 2017.

So here were go - there are 4 distinct schools of though on how people feel about the 2019 World Cup USWNT:

#1: Love that they beat Thailand 13-0, hate that they won’t go to the white house (Likely Moderate Republicans)

#2: Love that they Beat Thailand 13-0, love they they won’t go to the white house (Likely Libertarians)

#3: Hate that they Beat Thailand 13-0, love that they won’t go to the white house (Likely Far left Democrats, Green Party)

#4: Hate that they Beat Thailand 13-0, hate that they won’t go to the white house (I actually think this category may not exist in real life, but it’s plausible) Tea Party/ Fan Right folks aren’t very likely to watch soccer - cuz it’s for Sissies (so, i’ve been told)

But if we think about most of our national teams — we care about them as a nation, once every 3 to 4 years at best. The casual american non sports fans isn’t talking about them much. But, right now, they are — so whether or not this team is polarizing, people have an opinion — and that’s genius for a group that is trying to heighten awareness of the “equal pay movement”.

Crazy or Crazy like a fox - they’ve made the most of this world cup appearance, even if they lose to France. And if they keep winning - the snow ball of momentum is only going to grow.

But they’ve got to keep winning — so I hope they saved enough goals to eek out 3 more wins — cuz they certainly didn’t need all 13 they scored in game #1 - but i’m pulling for them to figure it out.

Lipscomb, Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, Peyton Manning and Izmir Turkey - Freestyle Mashup

What’s w people saying you’re fine when you say “excuse me”.  I think Fine is an weird word. 

Izmir Turkey most listens this week - love it. Izmir seems fantastic btw (like as a place in the world)

Ashburn, VA creeping back into listening charts 

Turkey as a nation wins the week, Brighton, Australia is the 3rd place city- it’s on the outskirts of Melbourne / UK is the 3rd place country and Redcar England up by Newcastle has emerged with some serious listeners as well

Props to Norway, Chile, India, Romania, Kazakhstan and Sweden for listening

Litter pick up on exit 28 at 8:45am on a Friday. you can’t wait til 9:30 for that crap ?!?

Best thing about papa johns ditching the nfl is the dramatic lessening of Peyton Manning appearing with papa johns founder John Schnatter 

Also, Pizza Hut slicing into the official pizza of the nfl within about 15 minutes of papa johns vacating it - shows you how strong the nfl brand is

Stock market has taken a dive recently and tariffs on aluminum and steel are a major factor thus far. 

This is where being a populist America first leader veers wildly from many republicans- you mess with their money- that’s a problem. Greed is a much stronger factor than xenophobia- rich Americans want to stay rich

Basketball sneakers that look like timberland work boots - dude on Purdue wore em today. I’m at once in favor of the look and also think it looks kind of whack simultaneously

Lots of basketball - it’s championship week

congrats to Lipscomb on their first ever Big Dance

you know when the ball gets wedged in between the basket and the backboard, and the game awkwardly stops. Instead of going to the possession arrow — it should either be worth 1 points. cuz it’s actually harder to do than put it in the basket. And you can’t “dunk” the ball into the wedged position, it’s got to be a shot and an unblocked / tipped/ defected shot at that. You might be saying, Gavin... Actually, it should be worth negative 1 point — if you put up a shot and miss, so be it, but if you hoist a shot and the game has to stop because of your miss — you lose a point. Either way, it would make basketball have an added wrinkle. 

I’ll put up a poll and we’ll see what people think 

Wine, Wall & Dragons - Season 6, Episode 10 finale show notes

Game of Thrones week 10 notes ( Wine, Wall & Dragons))

Places listening - Japan is 2nd place (Cousin is on vacation there but props nonetheless), Mexico in 3rd, UK and Germany tied for 4th. New places Gambia, Indonesia and Hungary

Top cities listening - Philadelphia, Tokyo, Anchorage, AK, Walpole — can’t really explain who’s listening in Alaksa, but I hope you’re “on the crab”

GV predictions - NIght’s king penetrates wall, Varys kills Kevan lannister, Bran wargs a msg to Jon or Sansa, Brienne dies

DOB’s predictions - Night’s king gets to walls, Cersei blows up kings landing, Catlyn stark appears, Walder Frey dies.

can believe it’s week 10 — KIng’s landing - Cersei awaits trial in the sept 

Tommen, Margery, the whole gang is getting dressed for the “trial of the century” - I haye TOmmen’s face

Lords appears to be a broken man- Margery seems to have an understanding with the High Sparrow - Cersei seems to be dressed in an homage to Prince. Paecelle still hitting the ladies of the evening 

Loras’s trial — he confesses in 3 seconds… to everything. Decides to go “Full born again mode”. Abandons the Tyrell name and Highgarden. Takes a life of celibacy. Tattooing dudes’ heads. Something tells me that Cersei ain’t going out like that. 

On cue the mountain pays Tommen a visit - DOB’s firewater prediction — seems to be gaining steam. Lancel Lannister is “Hip to the sabotage” 

Kyburn has a little kids butcher Pycelle - Didn’t see him winning our sweepstakes — but he just did 

Lancel stabbed by a kid too - Child Soldiers — hitting dudes left and right 

Not sure how i feel about CErsei’s move here ( do i root for her or not) — Margery essentially pulls the fire alarm — Sparrow = hubris 

HOLY COW that stuff is explosive - Cersei drinks wine an gloats — damn! Tommen - speechless - 

Cersei even settles score with that lady septon. Ice COLD. She is the coldest lady in all the realm — and she’s planning to go all ramsay bolton on her 

Ser Gregor took off the mast. Tough look 

The Tyrell’s besides Olyanna are all dead

Tommen just committed Suicide?!?!!?!?!?!?!? Stannis dead? WHO IS KING??? As usual Cersei is winning the battle and losing the war. Son is dead, prophecy is fulfilled.

Frey and Lannisters — at a banquet - Bronn is awesome - Jamie is awesome. Jamie and Frey ( Edmure is alive foreshadowing) - Jamie is calling out Frey a bit — and now he’s calling him out big time - gonna be interesting. 

Sam and Gilly are back — Looks like Old town - home of MIT the Maester Institute of technology - Sam is at the registrar. Registrar is DB - just like in real life. Gilly is looking good - i’m just saying. Sam needs to visit the Archmaester - pretty baller library - Makes hogwarts look like a preschool. 

Up north - Jon Snow / melissandre talking old school. Davos seems pretty hot and bothered about Shireen getting burned (as predicted). Melissandre lobbies to stay alive — Jon sends her south — seems like that’s a bad idea. Davos puts my green onions idea to bed. Not gonna happen 

Sansa shows up — seems pretty cunning and hip to Little Finger. IT’s winter time and Jon and Sansa share the irony of “winter is coming” 

Dorne - and Lady Olynna is in Dorne - Varys is in Dorne too — that’s super interesting (He can’t kill Kevan Lannister, cuz uncle Kev burned alive)

Daneryous and Daarhio Naharas — are breaking up — He’s groveling like the sell sword he is. Bay of Dragons is the new name of Slaver’s Bay. 

Tyrion - drinking wine (like Lannisters do) - talks with Dany — he gives her a bit of a pep talk - Tyrion is the “hand of the Queen” — boom!!! Two time hand on two continents, that’s a record! 

Walder Frey - drinking, eating and talking dirty for serving girls — ohhh boy — the girl cooked Frey’s sons Arya stark — YES!!!!!! That was awesome. Ice cold again. 

Sansa and Little Finger in the Weirwood - Little finger talks about being the King of Westeros —

Bran and Meera are getting dropped off by Benjen — so he’s essentially dead — but a force for good 

Bran - logs on line to the weir wold web - Tower of Joy - Young ned stark - Lyanna Stark — she spills the beans on Jon Stark’s lineage. BOOM!!! 

Jon spills the beans on the NIght’s King - Lyanna Mormont calls playas out. Manderly is in. Glover is in. They are naming Jon Snow the king in the north. Little Finger is NOT IMPRESSED. Sansa and Little finger exchange a glance 

Jamie Lannister arrives back in King’s landing — Cersei is about to do something bad ass that’s apparent — ahhhh she just Sat on the Iron Throne — First female Queen — Mic Drop — didn’t see that coming at all — So maybe she just won the long game 

Jamie looks HEATED!!!

Theon and Yara are sailing with Grey Worm an the Whole Crew of Dangerous’s Army and Navy- VARYS is on the BOAT!!!!! IS that a slip — or did they swing by and grab him in Dorne