December 30, 2025 • 44 mins
Three-time Olympian and two-time World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe joined Sarah earlier this year to talk birthday celebrations, being on the good side of 40, finding joy post-retirement, what’s on her decade to-do list, co-hosting a podcast with her fiancée Sue Bird, what is lost when athletes don’t use their voices, and being a target for far-right foolishness.
- Listen to A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe here
- Leave us a voicemail at 872-204-5070 or send us a note at goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com
- Follow Sarah on social! Bluesky: @sarahspain.com Instagram: @Spain2323
- Follow producer Alex Azzi! Bluesky: @byalexazzi.bsky.social Instagram: @AzziArtwork
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we've been
tempted to repeat our fortieth birthday every year since we
officially crossed the rubicon, So why not offer that gift
to one of our faves, Megan Rapino. It's Tuesday, December thirtieth,
and this week we're running back a few of our
favorite interviews from twenty twenty five. Today it's our belated
birthday celebration for Soccer Legend, Fashion Icon Podcast or Extraordinary
(00:21):
Inspiration and all around good time. Megan Rapino, the now
retired NWSL and US Women's national team standout, join the
show back in July to talk about turning forty, finding
joy post retirement, what's on her decade to do list,
co hosting a podcast with her Beyonce Soue Bird, what's
lost when athletes don't use their voices, and being.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
A target per Far Right foolishness.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
And since we're reversing time here, feel free to choose
your favorite age to be while listening enjoy my chat
with Megan after the break.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Joining us now it's the belated birthday bitch herself.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
She's one of the most decorated, celebrated, venerated caffeinated, oft imitated,
but never duplicated women's soccer players ever. A three time
Olympian and twenty twelve Olympic gold medalist, two time World
Cup winner and one time World Cup runner up. In
twenty nineteen, she won the Ballendor Feminine, the FIFA Women's
Role Player of the Year, and the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson
of the Year. A three time NWSL Shield winner with
(01:18):
the Seattle Rain who retired her number fifteen jersey. She's
won half of a touch more the podcast with Sue Bird.
She's a passionista, a trendsetter, a tireless advocate and activist,
a former Time one hundred Most Influential People, and a
recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom back when being
president actually meant something. She yiaded her achilles in her
final game, and now she has her site set out
(01:38):
nothing less than world domination. We presume Pino Bird twenty
twenty eight. It's Meghan Rapino Hi Peno, Hi Hi Hi Wow.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
What an introduction.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Oh my goodness, I mean, you got to really cut
that down. There is too much to say about you,
and now you are on the right side of forty
happy belated birthday.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Thank you, Thank you feels good over here.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
It feels good. It really does.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
I used to think old people were lying, and I'm like, no,
I get it now.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
And I was going to tell you my advice.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
For all people who are newly forty, which is basically
that everything other than your body falling apart is better
on this side.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
And you give zero fix. But the problem is you've
always given zero fix.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
So I'm actually slightly concerned about what Meghan Rapino Postborty
is going.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
To be like about probably giving a couple more fix
in different places, which is good. You know, I'm getting
my seasoning is maturing in my older age. But yeah,
I mean I'm still just like, what's happening.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
That's happening? What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Like a fine wine, you could say, which is actually
where you celebrated your birthday?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
In one of my happy places.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
It's where I had my bachelorette, It's where my husband
and I celebrated are pre anniversary before we got married.
Tell us about the fortieth birthday celebrations. Oh it was
Sue Bird did a number on the So let me
tell you. If anybody ever has the opportunity to.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Let Sue plan a trip for them, which you likely
never will, but I will take full advantage.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
It was so nice.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
It was so chill.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
It like you know when like your vacation actually matches
up with the time where you need it, you want it,
It's like it's good you've blocked things out, so like
that was good about it. The weather was perfect. I
mean we did it really chill. It was like one
winery sort of like late morning, early afternoon, pool time,
(03:35):
great dinners every night. Got to experience the French laundry
for the first time.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Incredible.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
You know some of those places, like those fancy dancy places,
like halfway through You're like, I want to eat something else.
I don't want this anymore.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
I always call them a foam in a splooge place
exactly where I'm like, I just food. I don't need
a filminus blooch on every dish.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
I've been saying.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
It's like it ends up being like the foam that
is actually bread, but it tastes like dish, but it
is a burger.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
But like you're like, I'm but very hungry.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Yeah, you're like, what's happening? This was not the French laundry.
The French laundry. Every single bite was amazing, and then
it was just like great people. Some of my closest
friends is more of like a West Coast friend thing.
My sister was there, Rachel, my twin sister, who was
also turning forty, so it was just like lovely. The
whole thing was amazing, so like slow paced and chill
(04:36):
and obviously drank some really good wine out there.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah that's so nice. I love that. What do you
think is the most washed part about you now that
you're forty?
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Man, most washed?
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Gosh, it's probably just like all the working out.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
I'm just like I'm over it.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
I'm fucking over it.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
I'm just like I can still do some stuff like
sometimes I'll go to a Berry's class or I'll like
do and then I'm just like, this is so hard
and something inevitably flares up every time I do it,
and it's like I could do more, and I'm just like, ugh,
my back, why my lower back is the.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Most washing me?
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Geez?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
I also found that at one point, I don't know
the exact day, after long days, I started even when alone,
sitting on a bed and being like oh yeah, oh
getting it just like that verbally making words when I
sit down, Oh, how nice it is to sit down.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
That's definitely the most wash part about me.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Nothing better than getting into bed.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Yeah, what's the thing that still makes you feel the
most young?
Speaker 4 (05:44):
You know? Right now I feel And it took me
a little time to get here after retirement, because it's
not like a skill you can just sort of turn on,
but like the joy of discovering doing something new, or
discovering joy or like even like Soon and I were
like riding the Lime bikes the other day and we're.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Like, what, like this is unbelievable. People ride bikes because
it's fun.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Been like we're just we've been so used as an athlete,
Like you spend all your time, energy and focus on
sort of like doing one thing and you get a
lot of joy out of it. You sort of says
a ton of built in joy. But just like kind
of clearing the space for myself to actually want to
do other things, and like I'm cooking a lot more,
and like I love flowers, and I'm like trying to
(06:32):
get into photography and I'm riding bikes. So it's just like,
I think the experience of finding joy and like having
actual like emotional space for that is like really been
a fun kind of like discovery the last few months
for me.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Yeah. On that note, what do you miss the most
about being a pro athlete? The final?
Speaker 3 (06:54):
The final and the locker room. Those are the two things.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
I think those are the only two things that I'm like,
I really really like you just you can't replicate, you
can't get back. There's nothing like it. And I think
those were like just like the two best parts. Showing
up to the locker room every morning just to shit talk,
just to banter, just to like get the vibes with
(07:20):
the with the players. And then obviously like the very
biggest moments. I've watched, you know, w finals, I've watched
World Cup finals, I've even just like watching the Euros
that are happening right now watching a tennis final.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
I'm like, oh, that is just.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Like and I obviously was lucky to play in a
number of them, and there's nothing like getting to the
moment where this is the point of it, like this
is why you do all the other bullshit that sucks,
and like you're running in the rain not to like
be like, oh I'm disciplined.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
No, that sucks.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
You run in the rain so you can get to
the final and like have that moment though, that's the
only thing I would ever go back to.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I've listened to Glennon Doyle and Aby Wambach on their
podcast and also on your podcast talk to you and
Sue about the high of winning and how it doesn't
last as long as you think it will. It's wonderful,
it's amazing, but even the very next day when you
get up to celebrate even more, you've already lost a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Of the edge from the night before right after the victory.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Does that seem to carry over post sports or can
you find longer satisfaction in the career wins?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
In the life wins?
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Are you learning how to reset your brain so that
it isn't about the build up to the thing and
then when the thing's over there's a letdown.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Well, I'm certainly resetting, reframing my brain and like my
nervous system and all of that. I think I still
for sure have the like thrill seeking because that was
just built in, whether it was a game or a
goal or a tournament. I am finding the I think
(09:03):
the growth part is like seeking out things that have
like a longer tail of enjoyment and of satisfaction and of.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Like comfort in a lot of ways, I.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Think so much of sports is just being on the
edge at all moments, mentally, physically, emotionally, and it's like, yeah,
if you're on the right side of that edge, you're
doing great.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
If you're on the wrong side of that edge.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
And either way, you're pumping cortisol NonStop, which like ultimately
for a lifetime is unhealthy.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Is usual moments, yeah, and it's difficult to sustain. And
I think in the beginning when I first retired, I
just found myself either either wanting those moments even just subconsciously,
or just feeling the absence of like there's no like
roller coaster to ride. But I think being out of
(09:59):
it a little bit more, I'm able to. I think
I've like built this muscle, like even just like going
for a walk or having a slow afternoon, or learning
new skills, or just like the enjoyment of just like
calming down and being in a really different place is
so nice.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Like it's hard.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
You kind of have to like let go of that rope,
float around for a bit, and then before you're kind
of getting I feel like I'm just now sort of
getting on the other side of that and being able
to be like, oh, that's what that means. That's why
a walk is so nice, right, That's why ballads is
so nice.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
So that's why cooking is so nice.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
I'm actually able to like feel that in my body
now way more than I have.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
And it's nice that that happens as we get older
and we do start to appreciate things that we can
do as older people, because you know, you get restricted
down the other stuff. And for you, in particular, your
retirement was so sudden. It wasn't just that you knew
it was coming and this will be my last game,
but due to the aforementioned achilles, eating didn't finish the game,
and then you didn't get to wake up the next
day and be like, oh, do I want to go
(11:03):
for a run in my first day of retirement or chill? Instead,
it was Okay, I'm gonna be in a freaking boot
and do rehab. I don't think you've talked much about
the process of rehabbing the achilles Wowell retired and being like, oh,
I'm not working back toward being.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
A World Cup athlete anymore.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
I'm just working back toward like making my like function
for the rest of my life.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
What was that? Like?
Speaker 4 (11:24):
You know, in one sense, it was like easier that
it happened the way that it did, because I was
still just like there.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
I was like, I have to rehab now.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
I rehabbed probably seventy five percent of what I would of.
I was like, you know, when you're an athlete, you're
like psycho about it, you know, doing every single little thing.
And I was like, I'm gonna do enough, and like
I'm fine, now i can run.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
And I rehabbed a grade and all of that.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
But it almost made it easier because I had a
little bit of structure. I had some like discipline and
some guard rail and some like babying basically still happening
because I had to like you know, get surgery and
show up and getting coached up on the re getting
coached up. And I have you know, an amazing physical
(12:11):
therapist Kyle, who I still work with, who is like
the perfect balance because I just like want to go
in there and yack and like I want to like
do my rehab, but I also just want to like
mess around and stay healthy and and do all the things.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
But it was also like incredibly.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Difficult, because I mean, anybody who's had an achilles, it's
just the first two months just suck.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
You're like in the next twenty years.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Yeah, if you get a shitting.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
Searcher in your Yeah, yeah, O'Malley, who's become the aforementioned
sort of Achilles guy. He has has been for a
long time, does a ton of ton of US pro athletes.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
He did a great job.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
But it's just like you're not weight bearing and you're
either on crutches or the scooter. But even like around
the house was the worst. If something, if something's like
one foot outside of your you know, your range, I'm
just like, ough, now I'm hopping. So that was like arduous,
I think in a time where like I was so
tired and so done and so ready to retire, Like
I really was excited about retiring, and just like having
(13:12):
that burden on the back end was difficult. And then
I think just the actual game, like that is so
I I of course I do not want.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
That to be the last time I ever played.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
I have two really difficult moments and like the last
meaningful times that I ever played for my national team.
Obviously and for the rain in the league, and like
part of it is like so poetic because it's just
like that is so life, and I've had the highest
of eyes and the lowest of lows, So there's something
I really do appreciate about it.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
But like, no, I wanted to play the game. I
was feeling good.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
I wanted to finish out the season and do that,
and I, you know, I don't really feel like anything
was taken from me, because that's what you do. You
go out on the field, and you know, if it
would have happened like the day before or in practice
that week, that would have been even worse. But this
is like you go out and play and there's always
sort of that risk. But yeah, it's like, in a way,
(14:09):
of course it happened this way, and it feels like,
you know, totally perfect that it did. And then in
a way it's like, yeah, I wish I had a
time machine and I don't know, could like it on.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Tape or he'll lift in there or something.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Plenty more with Megan coming up right after this, A
lot of your teammates former teammates have retired in the
time since you left. In fact, we're recording this on
Tuesday ahead of the US women's national team PA Players Ball,
where they're going to honor a handful of players, Tobin Heath,
(14:46):
Becky Sowerbrun, Alex Morgan, sam Us, Kelly O'Hara, Meghan Klingenberg.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
It's just this whole era of players.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
That meant so much to the national team. What's it
feel like on the other side watching someone hang them up.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
It's been so like surreal almost to see, you know,
all of us do this over.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
It's kind of like it feels just like a steady succession.
I mean, I think more than anything.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
I feel pride because every single one of these players retiring,
You're just like, wow, that's like one of the most
influential female athletes in our country and certainly on our program.
And everybody has like their own very unique special story,
and I know them all inside out. Like we played
(15:35):
the bulk of our career together. We did all of
these things together. We built so much together, we fought
through so much, we laughed so much, so many dinners
and locker rooms and games and championships and parties and
all of it. So it's like I don't feel a
ton of sadness honestly, because I'm just like, yeah, this
is this is sort of what happens. I think, you know,
(15:57):
more than anything, I feel like pride and joy and
our generation left the game in such a different place,
and I would argue such a better place than it's
ever been. And like the way that the game is
going now is such a testament to our group's fight
and our group's tenacity and skill and joy and personality
(16:20):
and all of it. We had so many elements that
were needed at that time, and like, just to look
at what's happening now, the success of the national team.
I mean, obviously everybody saw us in Paris, just like
the proudest antis you could ever be being there. Like,
I think we all feel that about the game, and
you can tell, and it's really cool to see all
of us pouring back into it obviously in podcasts and
(16:43):
business and investing and media and commentating and in all
the ways that we're doing it, Like you can tell
how much the game means to us, but also how
much we mean to the game.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Yeah, you know, I wanted to ask you about that
because the US women's national team has stood for so
much more than just great soccer players. Had to fight
for more, and you were a part of a team
that fought for equal pay, the team that threatened to
boycott ahead of the ninety six Olympics to get a
better contract. All these battles over the years, not just
for the current team that was playing, but for the
next generation of players to come. And I think it
(17:15):
also led to a lot of you finding a voice
that you used to speak up for others as well,
whether that's LGBTQ rights or racial justice. And in your case,
you wore Britney Griner's initials to the White House to
draw attention to her detention in Russia. We may never
have a player quite like you when it comes to
being sort of a walking protest.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Maybe we will. I hope we will.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
But it feels like just in general, the national team
as a whole has been quieter of late when it
comes to advocacy. Do you think that's a fair characterization,
And do you think it has to do with specific
players on the team with what's going on in the world,
or do you think with less of a need to fight,
they don't feel that urge for activism overall.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Quite as much.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
I mean, I think the first thing I say, I
hope nobody has to fight like our generation had to
fight or stand up for all the things, so hopefully
that's that's part of it.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I do think that the team has been quiet.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
I don't even think that's like a controversial thing to
say or a thing that you can argue. I think
they absolutely have coming off an era that had like
gigantic personalities, whether it was Alex or myself or Carly
or Hope or Tobin or Press or Kelly, like all
(18:29):
of us had these huge personalities, and then collectively as
a team, we have this huge personality and we have
you know, the equal pay and racial justice and a
different time in the country and all that. So I
think there's naturally gonna be like a little vacuum that
happens where it's like players haven't been able to step
into who they are quite yet. And I think things
(18:52):
have gotten a lot better, Like Okay, you're obviously not
gonna be fighting for equal pay anymore or protesting that
or talking about that, so like that it's a huge
topic that's like the off the table. So I think
I won't say like as things get better, players get quieter,
but like they'll find their things that they need to
turn the screw on and that they need to go
(19:13):
full gas on. And I would always say this to players,
whether it's national team players.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Soccer players, basketball players, whatever.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
Like the more you are involved, the better it's going
to be for you, Like the more you use your voice,
the more you're in on the CBA, the more educated
you are on.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
The business of it.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Because while things have gotten better, of course now it's like, Okay,
this player got transferred for a million dollars, like is
that even enough?
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Like is that market value? Is your salary enough?
Speaker 4 (19:43):
Or the right?
Speaker 2 (19:44):
How much of that are they getting right exactly?
Speaker 4 (19:47):
So I think they'll find their ways into the things
that they care about. And I think they'll also find
that the less they use their voice, the worse it's
going to get for them, or the slow or the
progress is.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Going to be like that, that's just natural.
Speaker 4 (20:04):
So I think that would like if I would have
a warning shot, which is not really a warning shot.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
But like, the less you do, the worse it will
be for you.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
So like, be involved in those things, be involved in
the PA, be involved in in the CBA negotiations, like
be involved in your own brand.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
I always say this like it's yours. Like the players, the.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Game is yours, Your own brand is yours, Your your
ability to control it is yours. It's whether you own
it or not, so like you can either own it
all and have a huge hand in it, or someone
else can own it for you.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
But like, no matter what, like it's yours.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
So I think the more that they're involved and the
more they have time to kind of step into that
and build those voices and find those voices, and honestly,
it takes certain personalities to do that. I mean, I
would argue that m Hayes is the biggest star of
the women's national team right now, and I think she's
happy to do that.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
I also think the players are.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Are happy for that.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Some of the obviously outdod to injury, out do maternity leave,
other players are stepping up. But I just think it's
kind of a mix of all of that. But yeah, again,
the more you use your voice and are involved, the
better the environment is going to be for you.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
And I think something I've been thinking a lot about
as like the larger political landscape is changing so drastically
with the new administration, is that they always warned that
in political times of what feel like calm for those
whose party is in power and who things are going
well for, there does tend to be a relaxing and
during that time, you sort of think everything's fixed without
(21:35):
recognizing that the other side is working double time to
get back. And that's when ree View Wade gets overturned,
and that's when this administration starts taking things back that
we've sort of started taking for granted. So sometimes in
the calm moments is actually when you need to be
working double hard to get things passed while the things
that are in place, the people that are in place
are more likely to be amenable to it. And so
(21:55):
right now it feels like we're so overwhelmed by the
millions of things that are going wrong, and I'm thinking, man,
a couple of years ago, we should have been pushing
for even more of the things that we wanted so
that it'd be harder for them to claw them back,
which is something to consider for women athletes right now
as we worry about like what's what's to come? I wonder,
you know, you're such an incredible voice for progressive women,
pushing us to demand more and expect more.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
And deserve more.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
And I've told you this before, But I look up
to you so much because I need women who are
even bolder than I am, who are even more fearless
than I am, who are even more out ahead of
things than I am, because I feel like I am,
and I still get scared sometimes, or still feel like
I need to step back sometimes. When, if ever, have
you felt scared or nervous about standing up for yourself
(22:37):
or marginalized groups for whom you advocate.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
I mean, I think it's always like in the mix.
Some for sure, you're always sort of like making the calculation.
I think for me, it's like do I believe in
it or not? And if I do, then it's going
to be something that I want to talk about and
I want to stand for and I want to be
there for.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
I think the law larger thing is like strategy.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
So I think that, you know, especially from twenty sixteen
to twenty there was like a particular strategy that was working.
It was bullet it was up front, it was sort
of banging the drama.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
It was explicit.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
Maybe that's not working as well or as much now, Okay,
so how do we shift strategy?
Speaker 2 (23:19):
I mean, I think there's a really interesting.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Opportunity right now for women's sports and for women athletes
and female athletes.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
It's like the.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Tide of the country is sort of moving more conservative,
or you could say that obviously with this administration and
the roll back of everything and just progressive values in general.
And yet women's sports is the most popular thing that's
happening right So everybody seems to be fine with that.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
They love going to watch the basketball games, they love
going to.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Watch the national team.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
So like, what is that opportunity that you can use
as a female athlete to say, like, Okay.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
We're rolling back Row v.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Wade or we're rolling back all of these rights, and
yet you still want to watch me play, and yet
you still want this to happen. You still want your
daughter to have the opportunity and your son to have
the opportunity to grow up in this kind of world.
So like you're still the role model. And I think
that's something that's so special about athletes, like just by
(24:21):
nature of sports, like you're setting the right example, you're
doing the right thing, you're trying your hardest, you're working
with your teammates, you're you know, having respect for other people,
you have discipline, you have joy, you're playing, it's go
for your body, all of these things. So I think
that's how I encourage athletes now, because it is daunting.
I mean, I think it's daunting for me personally, it's
daunting just in general. It's like such a flood of
(24:46):
just insanity and horror, quite frankly, And so how do
we use the thing that has always been our best
skill and our most important thing and our like our
biggest cudgel. Really, how do we continue to use that
to talk about the things we care about and to
articulate and narrate the world we want to live in,
not necessarily trying to combat everything that we're experiencing right now.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
Well, and to your point of it being a culdual,
I think leagues can use it by telling places, hey,
we're not bringing a team, an expansion team to your city,
a city where women do not have.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Control of their own health care decisions.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
We do not feel comfortable in a sport that drafts
players somewhere where they don't choose to go, where they
will not be in control of what they do with
their bodies. And I think there can be certainly some
discussions about safety and otherwise that can help them use
it to say, you're not getting the revenue and the
attention and the excitement that our league would bring to
you unless you start to address some of the ways
that you're not a safe place for women.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
And also just like provide the games in general.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
The experience and the fanfare and the environment that is
women's sports leagues and games is categorically different, and it's
progressive and it's radical. It always has been, it always
will be. So that's just like almost like a safe
space within a city. Like I'm going, you know, to
the Kansas City game.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
I'm like, I love that I'm going to that game.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
I'm gonna feel safe, I'm gonna express myself and I'm
going to be able to show up with my friends,
my family, whatever that looks like.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
I think those spaces are really important to just to
exist in.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Jail and to protect as more money comes in, as
more owners come in that are from the men's leagues
with the money as opposed to maybe being endemic to
the women's space, making sure that they still protect an
honor and.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Center of the players in the way that it has been.
You are still treated like a target by the far right.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
They love me, and because of the current extremely media landscape,
your name is often invoked as a way to signal
wokeness with tons of literal fake news headlines like Megan
Rappino disqualified from Pro Soccer Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
Which you know not true. How do you deal with this?
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Do you have a strategy Like if a family member's like, hey,
did you see this?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Or if you happen.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Upon something, or if you, god forbid, accidentally read the comments,
which I literally never do, how do you even process
and deal with it? You know? I learned this very
early on after kneeling, and I feel like it was
just such an epiphany for Kaepernick.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
For those who don't remember, yeah, yeah, kneeling with Colin Kaepernick.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
It was such an epiphany moment for me, and it
was like, it's not real. This isn't real for me,
this isn't the world I live in. Sometimes it has
real life consequences, yes, but like the President tweeted at
me two different World Cups in a row, I had
the exact opposite performance in the World Cups and he
basically said the same thing. So I'm like, this isn't
(27:37):
This isn't real. Like the headline that I got kicked
out of a Guy Fieri restaurant that's obviously fake and
like kind of funny.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Too much dobbu sauce.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Yeah, too much, too many bleached tips for both of us.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
I don't know what's happening.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
I look at it like, what is actually happening, Like
some of the stuff. Yeah, Like I've had extra security
at games because there's death threats and we want to
be safe. But I think for the most part, like
a they talk about me because they're scared of me
and they don't like what I say, And I'm like
(28:12):
an avatar for this world that they don't want, which
is where people can be themselves and progressive ideals and
everybody can kind of go about their business, so they
sort of I see myself as like an avatar and
a real person. Like it's like I'm also like, what's
the opposite of wokeness, like a sleepness?
Speaker 2 (28:32):
I'd rather not I'd rather be awake to it.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
But I think my strategy really is just to like
stay rooted in reality. I'm amazing partner obviously in Sue
who keeps me grounded and family and people that I
work with, And I'm also like, what do I want
to say, like, I can't control what happens in the
right wing sort of media sphere or when they use
me or when they don't, or what they say about me,
(28:56):
but I can control what I say, what I'm messaging.
I always feel about the more I am mentioned over there,
the closer I am to the white hot center. That's
usually how it goes. The more that I'm onto something.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Or yes, I feel the same way. There's a certain
site that it's like it always pings me. I have
a Google alert mainly for like this show or to
see if things get picked up. Yeah, and when I
get on there all the time for things unrelated to me,
but they have to make sure they squeeze my name
in there.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
I'm like, I'm in your freaking head.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Yeah, and you're so pissed because I'm getting it right
and I'm hitting you where it hurts, and so You've
got to keep bringing me up and trying to take
me down.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
But to your point, it's not real. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
I think there's also a part of it which I
try to talk about this and like I think is
a real part of social media.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
There's like a huge number of just fake accounts and.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Their whole job is to either start the controversy themselves
or I'm sure they have a list of hot button
words and it's probably like Kaepernick, Manger, Pino, Kaylin Clark, WNBS,
Angel Reese, like whoever, trans athletes, trans athletes, god forbid
the like one kid in Louisiana want to play softball whatever.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
I think, like, those things are very real.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
So it's like, what is really happening, Like, Okay, a
narrative or a headline is popping off, Okay, like where
did it come from? Who wrote about it? What's actually happening?
Where did it originate? Is it real?
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Like is it actually real? You've experienced this a lot.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
We've experienced this around women's sports, especially and particularly in
the W the last couple of years, a lot of
these like headlines started out fake and they have no
and it's like it's not what the players feel, it's
not what actually happened for the players. It's not what's
happening in in arena, it's not what's happening to the fans.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
So I think for us all to be really aware
of that and have a really.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
Healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to social media
in particular, and the social media companies aren't doing anything
really because it's driving numbers and that's sort of what
they care about. They're not really doing anything to stymy it,
so like we have to be aware of it.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Speaking of the aforementioned great partner, SUPERD, let's talk about
the podcast a touch. More episodes airon Thursdays on Apple, Spotify, YouTube,
wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
I just love it so much.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
It's so fun and smart and tackles the tough stuff
and the light stuff.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
What are you learning about yourself?
Speaker 1 (31:26):
The dynamic between athletes and media, the idea of trying
to cover it all but focus on the things that
you care about too, Like, as you become media, what
are you learning?
Speaker 4 (31:36):
Oh gosh, the experience of being a podcaster is so funny,
Like all the time, Soon and I look at each
other and we're like.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
What is happening? Who signed us up for this? And
then we're like, oh my god, we did. It's been
a total learning curve.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
It's been really hard at times because we went from
like being the one interviewed.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
It's so easy to answer questions and.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Say what you think and feel and someone asks you
what you think and feel for us at least.
Speaker 4 (32:01):
Yeah, now I'm having to show up and be like, wait,
I have to like bring up what I want to
say and what I feel, and like, you know.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Round it out, do some research, do some research.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
So we you know, we want ultimately to do justice
to the place that we love the most, which is
women's sports, and we want to talk about it obviously.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
From our perspective.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
I think we both have such a unique perspective just
having played so long, but in this era when it
went from what it went from when I was, you know,
twenty two to what it is now, like we've seen
an unbelievable expansion and growth from from every different metric.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
So like how are.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
We seeing it?
Speaker 4 (32:42):
We know so many of the ins and outs of
like how we got here and how you know, from
five years ago, this is exactly why we're here and
this is where we're going in five years. And then
we want to like be respectful of the players, like
so many of these players are our friends and like
people who we you know, really respect, and it's like
it's hard to be like, oh, this is not playing well,
or I want to see this more or comment on
(33:03):
you know, things that are happening. We don't want to
be the like salacious goss but also like we want
a fun, entertaining show.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
And I think there's room for all of it.
Speaker 4 (33:15):
And I love seeing what's happening just in like the
women's sports media landscape. There's so many players coming in.
Your pod is one of them. I told you that,
I absolutely love it.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Like we need it all.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
We need the commentary, we need the journalism, we need
the entertainment, we need the former players, and so we
just try to like bring our perspective, be honest, talk about.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
The game in a way that we would have.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Wanted talked about, and the things that interest us.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
And then obviously there's our unique relationship aspect about it,
and it's like we're Sharon Vicker's and we're cracking love
and like we're we're doing this podcast together and it's
like the hilarious and we're we're both trying to figure
it out and sort of waiting our way into retirement,
you know, one big step.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
At a time.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
I'm almost always a yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I need us,
Sue to be a me. We have to take one
more break. The conclusion of my conversation with Megan is
coming up. You and Sue are a ridiculous power couple.
Obviously your combined powers are enviable, but it's got to
(34:22):
be complicated too to work and live together and also
to be making sure that you yourself. Do you ever
have to remind folks like, hey, we're two separate people.
Sometimes this offers for me and sometimes it's for her.
And sometimes this job or this opportunity is something I
should do, but I'm not bringing her or this isn't
a right fit for her.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Does that happen a lot?
Speaker 4 (34:40):
Yeah, for sure, and definitely something that we've had to
navigate and evolve and like strategize around. Frankly, over the
course of our relationship. I feel like when we first
got together was like, yeah, we're both just sort of there,
but neither of us like you know, wildly popular or
women's sports was just in a totally different place. And
then for so long we were playing, so we sort
(35:02):
of naturally had this break between who we were and
we got to have a really big individual space. And
I definitely noticed, you know, when we both were retired
and around that time, it was just like I could
see how easy it would be and it would have
been and how much people want that they want Sue
in Meghan. They want, you know, whether it's a power
(35:23):
couple or because we're gay, or because we're.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
Just never Meghan and Sue.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
Yeah, it's always souone Meg. You gotta get the shorter
one in there first. And we've talked a lot both
personally with our couple's therapists, but also with our team
and with the people we do business with, like let's
be really strategic about where this makes more sense for Megan,
where this makes more sense for Sue, and then being
(35:48):
really specific about where the overlap is. And obviously the
POD is such a big part of that. But it's
like I want to have my own life also, and
Sue wants to have her own life alsome there's things
that like she does that I could never do and
would never want to do, and and vice versa, and
just being like really thoughtful about that, so like ultimately
(36:08):
we can get the best out of ourselves and still
have you know, at the end of the day, we're
professional athletes, like our egos are there. We need that
sort of like personal space and time for ourselves. It's
really important and I think just from a personal perspective,
like we're working together.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
That's very different.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
We're used to, you know, being on separate teams and traveling,
So like, where's the time for just myself, for just Sue,
And then where's the time just for us as a
couple outside of work. You know, it's like, especially when
it's this kind of work and it's all kind of
remote and it's like kind of always happening at the
same time, and it can always sort of be happening.
So trying to be really thoughtful about where we just
(36:48):
really put it down and you know, turn the mic
off and get to just be us.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
Yeah, speaking of being you, you got engaged in twenty twenty,
no pressure or anything.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
You're allowed to have a private life. But is there
a date for the wedding?
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Did you already get married and you're just gonna like
sneaky style drop wife in an interview like Tobin and Kristen.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Yeah, right, I know.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
I'm like, have they been married for like two minutes
or two hundred minutes? Right? No, there's there's no date yet.
I know everybody wants the party.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
I get it. I want I totally get it. No,
there's no date. We're not married.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Yet I think if we got.
Speaker 4 (37:22):
Married, we want to own it. And you know, I
hope so just because I'm kill me.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
Also, yeah, I want to see all the photos of
everyone there and all the Yeah, I want the I
want the like live stream wedding like we got with
the World Cup win.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
Where it was just like several days. Who was that
that was? I think it was Yes, Ashlan and Alley Long.
Ashlan and Alley Long.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
We're like the queens of giving us almost like a
forty eight straight hours of like and now we're at
the pool and everyone's mostly dead, and now we're going
a good morning America, and now we're on top of
a bar.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
That's what I want for the wedding. It's just a
small ass.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
Just give us forty eight straight hours of insight into
your personal Oh yeah, exactly what else are you working
on besides the pod? And how do you decide what
to say yes too? Because to your point, you've probably
been asked a million things and your time could be
taken up every moment while also trying to say, like,
hey do I like flowers and bird watching?
Speaker 4 (38:16):
Yeah, I started developing my no button while I was
while I was playing I think you know, having the
experience of twenty nineteen and that like lightning in a bottle,
said yes to so much, don't regret any of it.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
And then I was like, whoa, you cannot say yes
this much.
Speaker 4 (38:31):
This is nuts unless I had like literally four four
other like clones of myself.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Yeah, the twin needs to be more identical.
Speaker 4 (38:39):
Oh that's your gosh, that would that would really I'm like,
it's fifty to fifty, go like, let's just.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
Go for it. I wish, I wish.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
I think now I'm like, what do I really like?
What am I passionate about? What do I really want
to do that I'm going to be excited about spending
my time on. I still have a great partnership with Nike,
which I'm able to get in there and do some
designing and like use the kind of like creative branding
stuff that I love so much. Actually going to the
(39:07):
euro Final with Nike, so that's going to be exciting.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
Cannot wait.
Speaker 3 (39:13):
I think some stuff is just like does it move me?
Speaker 4 (39:15):
You know, like some stuff whether it's it's not really
so much about money. I mean, at some point, like
a certain price tag is like yes, I'm getting on
that plane. But at some points like do I care
about this, Do I like doing this? This is something
that I'm interested? Do I like this person? Do I
like what they're about? I think it's kind of that.
And then it's like I'm framing it right now in
(39:36):
the way of like, yeah, is this going to like
add to my life or is this taking away from
something I actually want to do, whether it's like a
walk or not travel or cooking or doing something else.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
And being thoughtful about.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
Like just carving time out to do nothing I think
is really hard for me and really hard for athletes,
but I'm like getting a little bit better at it
and kind.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Of seeing the benefits that I can have.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
I interviewed this guy years ago, and I took away
this one piece of advice that I really try to apply,
and I'm very bad at it, but I'm working on it,
which is when you say yes to something, make sure
you understand you're saying no to something else. And so
if you want to do it, that's fine, but like
it could like you said, just be no to taking
a walk or taking a nap or watching a television
show you like or something, and so if you do
(40:22):
it too often, you end up saying no to all
those other things that feel unscheduled but only happen if
you don't have something on the schedule.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
So I've been working on that.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
Speaking of we've taken up too much of your time.
So last two, this one's real easy. What's on your
to do list for this decade in your forties?
Speaker 2 (40:38):
What's the big what's the big to do list? Oh,
the big to do list?
Speaker 1 (40:42):
Or something being out there, something huge, something unreachable, something
embarrassing if it doesn't happen because it's such a big want.
Oh gosh, Well, I want to become really good at photography.
I've just bought my first camera, like actually like film camera,
(41:03):
and I'm like looking at it over there.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
I'm like, oh it's hard. I like really don't know.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
What I'm doing, Like like you want to go in
a dark room and all that.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
Yeah, I want to do the whole thing. I want
to like become actually good at It's like you travel
so much.
Speaker 4 (41:14):
You have you know, you got a phone, you take pictures,
they'd never go anywhere. That is like a fun thing
that I want to do. And then oh man, I
mean it's it's like I just still want to do
the world domination thing. I want to be one of
the places and build something that can be one of
(41:36):
the places where women's sports like can really live branding, marketing, growth,
like the creative guidance and sort of like architecture of
this next phase in women's sports.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
That's like what I really am passionate.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
Oh, I'm excited. I just got so excited for you
to do that. Get on it, Okay, And then last question.
Your show always asks people being interviewed bench start cut.
So we're gonna make you do our version, which is good, gooder,
gooddest in honor of good goodest. Okay, so good gooder, gooddest,
Sam Coffee's t shirt, tuck, Lynn Biandolo's leg sleeve, and
(42:13):
Laura Harvey's cooler chair.
Speaker 4 (42:17):
Oh oh man, I mean I'm cutting the legs sleeve
because I'm just like, I don't cut anything.
Speaker 2 (42:24):
Thankfully. We're a little kind of say okay, good good leg.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
Sleeves good, It's fine.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
And then gooder.
Speaker 4 (42:31):
I'm going with the tuck because that's just like so funny.
If the cooler wasn't in here, that would be in
the goodest. The tuck is just so Sam too. It's
like I am ready, prepared, professional, and I'm going to
score some goals and do this.
Speaker 3 (42:49):
I love it so much. It's so good. It's just
like hilarious to me.
Speaker 4 (42:54):
And I love when people have like self expression whatever
that is in a very uniform scenario.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
And then of.
Speaker 4 (43:01):
Course the cooler because she's over there probably motherfucking someone
or another bucks to something or having a winge about something,
or just strategizing, and it's like it's a tough job.
She needs to take a load off. Sometimes it's hot
out there the turf. It's tough, Like she kind of
sit it down so she can get into her brain.
And obviously Harve's best to ever do it, so gotta
(43:21):
go with that the goodest.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
I hope when she sits she liked me goes, oh yeah,
she probably does.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
She's over forty, she's like, oh she's ready, Hi for
a seat, Megan. As you can tell, I could talk
to you for literally hours.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
I'm very proud of myself because I am so obsessed
with you. I both consider you a friend and someone
I will just follow around like a little puppy because
I think you're the fucking best.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
So thank you so much for this time.
Speaker 3 (43:46):
Yeah, thank you so much for having me on Big Fan.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You
can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever.
Speaker 2 (43:59):
You get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are alex Azzie
Grace Lynch, Taylor Williamson, and Lucy Jones. Our executive producers
are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jennie Kaplan and Emily Rutterer.
Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez and Gianna Palmer.
Production assistants from Avery Loftus and I'm Your Host Sarah
Spain
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we've been
tempted to repeat our fortieth birthday every year since we
officially crossed the rubicon, So why not offer that gift
to one of our faves, Megan Rapino. It's Tuesday, December thirtieth,
and this week we're running back a few of our
favorite interviews from twenty twenty five. Today it's our belated
birthday celebration for Soccer Legend, Fashion Icon Podcast or Extraordinary
(00:21):
Inspiration and all around good time. Megan Rapino, the now
retired NWSL and US Women's national team standout, join the
show back in July to talk about turning forty, finding
joy post retirement, what's on her decade to do list,
co hosting a podcast with her Beyonce Soue Bird, what's
lost when athletes don't use their voices, and being.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
A target per Far Right foolishness.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
And since we're reversing time here, feel free to choose
your favorite age to be while listening enjoy my chat
with Megan after the break.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Joining us now it's the belated birthday bitch herself.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
She's one of the most decorated, celebrated, venerated caffeinated, oft imitated,
but never duplicated women's soccer players ever. A three time
Olympian and twenty twelve Olympic gold medalist, two time World
Cup winner and one time World Cup runner up. In
twenty nineteen, she won the Ballendor Feminine, the FIFA Women's
Role Player of the Year, and the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson
of the Year. A three time NWSL Shield winner with
(01:18):
the Seattle Rain who retired her number fifteen jersey. She's
won half of a touch more the podcast with Sue Bird.
She's a passionista, a trendsetter, a tireless advocate and activist,
a former Time one hundred Most Influential People, and a
recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom back when being
president actually meant something. She yiaded her achilles in her
final game, and now she has her site set out
(01:38):
nothing less than world domination. We presume Pino Bird twenty
twenty eight. It's Meghan Rapino Hi Peno, Hi Hi Hi Wow.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
What an introduction.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Oh my goodness, I mean, you got to really cut
that down. There is too much to say about you,
and now you are on the right side of forty
happy belated birthday.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Thank you, Thank you feels good over here.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
It feels good. It really does.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
I used to think old people were lying, and I'm like, no,
I get it now.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
And I was going to tell you my advice.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
For all people who are newly forty, which is basically
that everything other than your body falling apart is better
on this side.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
And you give zero fix. But the problem is you've
always given zero fix.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
So I'm actually slightly concerned about what Meghan Rapino Postborty
is going.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
To be like about probably giving a couple more fix
in different places, which is good. You know, I'm getting
my seasoning is maturing in my older age. But yeah,
I mean I'm still just like, what's happening.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
That's happening? What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Like a fine wine, you could say, which is actually
where you celebrated your birthday?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
In one of my happy places.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
It's where I had my bachelorette, It's where my husband
and I celebrated are pre anniversary before we got married.
Tell us about the fortieth birthday celebrations. Oh it was
Sue Bird did a number on the So let me
tell you. If anybody ever has the opportunity to.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Let Sue plan a trip for them, which you likely
never will, but I will take full advantage.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
It was so nice.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
It was so chill.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
It like you know when like your vacation actually matches
up with the time where you need it, you want it,
It's like it's good you've blocked things out, so like
that was good about it. The weather was perfect. I
mean we did it really chill. It was like one
winery sort of like late morning, early afternoon, pool time,
(03:35):
great dinners every night. Got to experience the French laundry
for the first time.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Incredible.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
You know some of those places, like those fancy dancy places,
like halfway through You're like, I want to eat something else.
I don't want this anymore.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
I always call them a foam in a splooge place
exactly where I'm like, I just food. I don't need
a filminus blooch on every dish.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
I've been saying.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
It's like it ends up being like the foam that
is actually bread, but it tastes like dish, but it
is a burger.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
But like you're like, I'm but very hungry.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Yeah, you're like, what's happening? This was not the French laundry.
The French laundry. Every single bite was amazing, and then
it was just like great people. Some of my closest
friends is more of like a West Coast friend thing.
My sister was there, Rachel, my twin sister, who was
also turning forty, so it was just like lovely. The
whole thing was amazing, so like slow paced and chill
(04:36):
and obviously drank some really good wine out there.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah that's so nice. I love that. What do you
think is the most washed part about you now that
you're forty?
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Man, most washed?
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Gosh, it's probably just like all the working out.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
I'm just like I'm over it.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
I'm fucking over it.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
I'm just like I can still do some stuff like
sometimes I'll go to a Berry's class or I'll like
do and then I'm just like, this is so hard
and something inevitably flares up every time I do it,
and it's like I could do more, and I'm just like, ugh,
my back, why my lower back is the.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Most washing me?
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Geez?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
I also found that at one point, I don't know
the exact day, after long days, I started even when alone,
sitting on a bed and being like oh yeah, oh
getting it just like that verbally making words when I
sit down, Oh, how nice it is to sit down.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
That's definitely the most wash part about me.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Nothing better than getting into bed.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Yeah, what's the thing that still makes you feel the
most young?
Speaker 4 (05:44):
You know? Right now I feel And it took me
a little time to get here after retirement, because it's
not like a skill you can just sort of turn on,
but like the joy of discovering doing something new, or
discovering joy or like even like Soon and I were
like riding the Lime bikes the other day and we're.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Like, what, like this is unbelievable. People ride bikes because
it's fun.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Been like we're just we've been so used as an athlete,
Like you spend all your time, energy and focus on
sort of like doing one thing and you get a
lot of joy out of it. You sort of says
a ton of built in joy. But just like kind
of clearing the space for myself to actually want to
do other things, and like I'm cooking a lot more,
and like I love flowers, and I'm like trying to
(06:32):
get into photography and I'm riding bikes. So it's just like,
I think the experience of finding joy and like having
actual like emotional space for that is like really been
a fun kind of like discovery the last few months
for me.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Yeah. On that note, what do you miss the most
about being a pro athlete? The final?
Speaker 3 (06:54):
The final and the locker room. Those are the two things.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
I think those are the only two things that I'm like,
I really really like you just you can't replicate, you
can't get back. There's nothing like it. And I think
those were like just like the two best parts. Showing
up to the locker room every morning just to shit talk,
just to banter, just to like get the vibes with
(07:20):
the with the players. And then obviously like the very
biggest moments. I've watched, you know, w finals, I've watched
World Cup finals, I've even just like watching the Euros
that are happening right now watching a tennis final.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
I'm like, oh, that is just.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Like and I obviously was lucky to play in a
number of them, and there's nothing like getting to the
moment where this is the point of it, like this
is why you do all the other bullshit that sucks,
and like you're running in the rain not to like
be like, oh I'm disciplined.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
No, that sucks.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
You run in the rain so you can get to
the final and like have that moment though, that's the
only thing I would ever go back to.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I've listened to Glennon Doyle and Aby Wambach on their
podcast and also on your podcast talk to you and
Sue about the high of winning and how it doesn't
last as long as you think it will. It's wonderful,
it's amazing, but even the very next day when you
get up to celebrate even more, you've already lost a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Of the edge from the night before right after the victory.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Does that seem to carry over post sports or can
you find longer satisfaction in the career wins?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
In the life wins?
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Are you learning how to reset your brain so that
it isn't about the build up to the thing and
then when the thing's over there's a letdown.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Well, I'm certainly resetting, reframing my brain and like my
nervous system and all of that. I think I still
for sure have the like thrill seeking because that was
just built in, whether it was a game or a
goal or a tournament. I am finding the I think
(09:03):
the growth part is like seeking out things that have
like a longer tail of enjoyment and of satisfaction and of.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Like comfort in a lot of ways, I.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Think so much of sports is just being on the
edge at all moments, mentally, physically, emotionally, and it's like, yeah,
if you're on the right side of that edge, you're
doing great.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
If you're on the wrong side of that edge.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
And either way, you're pumping cortisol NonStop, which like ultimately
for a lifetime is unhealthy.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Is usual moments, yeah, and it's difficult to sustain. And
I think in the beginning when I first retired, I
just found myself either either wanting those moments even just subconsciously,
or just feeling the absence of like there's no like
roller coaster to ride. But I think being out of
(09:59):
it a little bit more, I'm able to. I think
I've like built this muscle, like even just like going
for a walk or having a slow afternoon, or learning
new skills, or just like the enjoyment of just like
calming down and being in a really different place is
so nice.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Like it's hard.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
You kind of have to like let go of that rope,
float around for a bit, and then before you're kind
of getting I feel like I'm just now sort of
getting on the other side of that and being able
to be like, oh, that's what that means. That's why
a walk is so nice, right, That's why ballads is
so nice.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
So that's why cooking is so nice.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
I'm actually able to like feel that in my body
now way more than I have.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
And it's nice that that happens as we get older
and we do start to appreciate things that we can
do as older people, because you know, you get restricted
down the other stuff. And for you, in particular, your
retirement was so sudden. It wasn't just that you knew
it was coming and this will be my last game,
but due to the aforementioned achilles, eating didn't finish the game,
and then you didn't get to wake up the next
day and be like, oh, do I want to go
(11:03):
for a run in my first day of retirement or chill? Instead,
it was Okay, I'm gonna be in a freaking boot
and do rehab. I don't think you've talked much about
the process of rehabbing the achilles Wowell retired and being like, oh,
I'm not working back toward being.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
A World Cup athlete anymore.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
I'm just working back toward like making my like function
for the rest of my life.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
What was that? Like?
Speaker 4 (11:24):
You know, in one sense, it was like easier that
it happened the way that it did, because I was
still just like there.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
I was like, I have to rehab now.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
I rehabbed probably seventy five percent of what I would of.
I was like, you know, when you're an athlete, you're
like psycho about it, you know, doing every single little thing.
And I was like, I'm gonna do enough, and like
I'm fine, now i can run.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
And I rehabbed a grade and all of that.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
But it almost made it easier because I had a
little bit of structure. I had some like discipline and
some guard rail and some like babying basically still happening
because I had to like you know, get surgery and
show up and getting coached up on the re getting
coached up. And I have you know, an amazing physical
(12:11):
therapist Kyle, who I still work with, who is like
the perfect balance because I just like want to go
in there and yack and like I want to like
do my rehab, but I also just want to like
mess around and stay healthy and and do all the things.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
But it was also like incredibly.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Difficult, because I mean, anybody who's had an achilles, it's
just the first two months just suck.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
You're like in the next twenty years.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Yeah, if you get a shitting.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
Searcher in your Yeah, yeah, O'Malley, who's become the aforementioned
sort of Achilles guy. He has has been for a
long time, does a ton of ton of US pro athletes.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
He did a great job.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
But it's just like you're not weight bearing and you're
either on crutches or the scooter. But even like around
the house was the worst. If something, if something's like
one foot outside of your you know, your range, I'm
just like, ough, now I'm hopping. So that was like arduous,
I think in a time where like I was so
tired and so done and so ready to retire, Like
I really was excited about retiring, and just like having
(13:12):
that burden on the back end was difficult. And then
I think just the actual game, like that is so
I I of course I do not want.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
That to be the last time I ever played.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
I have two really difficult moments and like the last
meaningful times that I ever played for my national team.
Obviously and for the rain in the league, and like
part of it is like so poetic because it's just
like that is so life, and I've had the highest
of eyes and the lowest of lows, So there's something
I really do appreciate about it.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
But like, no, I wanted to play the game. I
was feeling good.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
I wanted to finish out the season and do that,
and I, you know, I don't really feel like anything
was taken from me, because that's what you do. You
go out on the field, and you know, if it
would have happened like the day before or in practice
that week, that would have been even worse. But this
is like you go out and play and there's always
sort of that risk. But yeah, it's like, in a way,
(14:09):
of course it happened this way, and it feels like,
you know, totally perfect that it did. And then in
a way it's like, yeah, I wish I had a
time machine and I don't know, could like it on.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Tape or he'll lift in there or something.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Plenty more with Megan coming up right after this, A
lot of your teammates former teammates have retired in the
time since you left. In fact, we're recording this on
Tuesday ahead of the US women's national team PA Players Ball,
where they're going to honor a handful of players, Tobin Heath,
(14:46):
Becky Sowerbrun, Alex Morgan, sam Us, Kelly O'Hara, Meghan Klingenberg.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
It's just this whole era of players.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
That meant so much to the national team. What's it
feel like on the other side watching someone hang them up.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
It's been so like surreal almost to see, you know,
all of us do this over.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
It's kind of like it feels just like a steady succession.
I mean, I think more than anything.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
I feel pride because every single one of these players retiring,
You're just like, wow, that's like one of the most
influential female athletes in our country and certainly on our program.
And everybody has like their own very unique special story,
and I know them all inside out. Like we played
(15:35):
the bulk of our career together. We did all of
these things together. We built so much together, we fought
through so much, we laughed so much, so many dinners
and locker rooms and games and championships and parties and
all of it. So it's like I don't feel a
ton of sadness honestly, because I'm just like, yeah, this
is this is sort of what happens. I think, you know,
(15:57):
more than anything, I feel like pride and joy and
our generation left the game in such a different place,
and I would argue such a better place than it's
ever been. And like the way that the game is
going now is such a testament to our group's fight
and our group's tenacity and skill and joy and personality
(16:20):
and all of it. We had so many elements that
were needed at that time, and like, just to look
at what's happening now, the success of the national team.
I mean, obviously everybody saw us in Paris, just like
the proudest antis you could ever be being there. Like,
I think we all feel that about the game, and
you can tell, and it's really cool to see all
of us pouring back into it obviously in podcasts and
(16:43):
business and investing and media and commentating and in all
the ways that we're doing it, Like you can tell
how much the game means to us, but also how
much we mean to the game.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Yeah, you know, I wanted to ask you about that
because the US women's national team has stood for so
much more than just great soccer players. Had to fight
for more, and you were a part of a team
that fought for equal pay, the team that threatened to
boycott ahead of the ninety six Olympics to get a
better contract. All these battles over the years, not just
for the current team that was playing, but for the
next generation of players to come. And I think it
(17:15):
also led to a lot of you finding a voice
that you used to speak up for others as well,
whether that's LGBTQ rights or racial justice. And in your case,
you wore Britney Griner's initials to the White House to
draw attention to her detention in Russia. We may never
have a player quite like you when it comes to
being sort of a walking protest.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Maybe we will. I hope we will.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
But it feels like just in general, the national team
as a whole has been quieter of late when it
comes to advocacy. Do you think that's a fair characterization,
And do you think it has to do with specific
players on the team with what's going on in the world,
or do you think with less of a need to fight,
they don't feel that urge for activism overall.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Quite as much.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
I mean, I think the first thing I say, I
hope nobody has to fight like our generation had to
fight or stand up for all the things, so hopefully
that's that's part of it.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I do think that the team has been quiet.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
I don't even think that's like a controversial thing to
say or a thing that you can argue. I think
they absolutely have coming off an era that had like
gigantic personalities, whether it was Alex or myself or Carly
or Hope or Tobin or Press or Kelly, like all
(18:29):
of us had these huge personalities, and then collectively as
a team, we have this huge personality and we have
you know, the equal pay and racial justice and a
different time in the country and all that. So I
think there's naturally gonna be like a little vacuum that
happens where it's like players haven't been able to step
into who they are quite yet. And I think things
(18:52):
have gotten a lot better, Like Okay, you're obviously not
gonna be fighting for equal pay anymore or protesting that
or talking about that, so like that it's a huge
topic that's like the off the table. So I think
I won't say like as things get better, players get quieter,
but like they'll find their things that they need to
turn the screw on and that they need to go
(19:13):
full gas on. And I would always say this to players,
whether it's national team players.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Soccer players, basketball players, whatever.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
Like the more you are involved, the better it's going
to be for you, Like the more you use your voice,
the more you're in on the CBA, the more educated
you are on.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
The business of it.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Because while things have gotten better, of course now it's like, Okay,
this player got transferred for a million dollars, like is
that even enough?
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Like is that market value? Is your salary enough?
Speaker 4 (19:43):
Or the right?
Speaker 2 (19:44):
How much of that are they getting right exactly?
Speaker 4 (19:47):
So I think they'll find their ways into the things
that they care about. And I think they'll also find
that the less they use their voice, the worse it's
going to get for them, or the slow or the
progress is.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Going to be like that, that's just natural.
Speaker 4 (20:04):
So I think that would like if I would have
a warning shot, which is not really a warning shot.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
But like, the less you do, the worse it will
be for you.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
So like, be involved in those things, be involved in
the PA, be involved in in the CBA negotiations, like
be involved in your own brand.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
I always say this like it's yours. Like the players, the.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Game is yours, Your own brand is yours, Your your
ability to control it is yours. It's whether you own
it or not, so like you can either own it
all and have a huge hand in it, or someone
else can own it for you.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
But like, no matter what, like it's yours.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
So I think the more that they're involved and the
more they have time to kind of step into that
and build those voices and find those voices, and honestly,
it takes certain personalities to do that. I mean, I
would argue that m Hayes is the biggest star of
the women's national team right now, and I think she's
happy to do that.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
I also think the players are.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Are happy for that.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Some of the obviously outdod to injury, out do maternity leave,
other players are stepping up. But I just think it's
kind of a mix of all of that. But yeah, again,
the more you use your voice and are involved, the
better the environment is going to be for you.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
And I think something I've been thinking a lot about
as like the larger political landscape is changing so drastically
with the new administration, is that they always warned that
in political times of what feel like calm for those
whose party is in power and who things are going
well for, there does tend to be a relaxing and
during that time, you sort of think everything's fixed without
(21:35):
recognizing that the other side is working double time to
get back. And that's when ree View Wade gets overturned,
and that's when this administration starts taking things back that
we've sort of started taking for granted. So sometimes in
the calm moments is actually when you need to be
working double hard to get things passed while the things
that are in place, the people that are in place
are more likely to be amenable to it. And so
(21:55):
right now it feels like we're so overwhelmed by the
millions of things that are going wrong, and I'm thinking, man,
a couple of years ago, we should have been pushing
for even more of the things that we wanted so
that it'd be harder for them to claw them back,
which is something to consider for women athletes right now
as we worry about like what's what's to come? I wonder,
you know, you're such an incredible voice for progressive women,
pushing us to demand more and expect more.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
And deserve more.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
And I've told you this before, But I look up
to you so much because I need women who are
even bolder than I am, who are even more fearless
than I am, who are even more out ahead of
things than I am, because I feel like I am,
and I still get scared sometimes, or still feel like
I need to step back sometimes. When, if ever, have
you felt scared or nervous about standing up for yourself
(22:37):
or marginalized groups for whom you advocate.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
I mean, I think it's always like in the mix.
Some for sure, you're always sort of like making the calculation.
I think for me, it's like do I believe in
it or not? And if I do, then it's going
to be something that I want to talk about and
I want to stand for and I want to be
there for.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
I think the law larger thing is like strategy.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
So I think that, you know, especially from twenty sixteen
to twenty there was like a particular strategy that was working.
It was bullet it was up front, it was sort
of banging the drama.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
It was explicit.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
Maybe that's not working as well or as much now, Okay,
so how do we shift strategy?
Speaker 2 (23:19):
I mean, I think there's a really interesting.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Opportunity right now for women's sports and for women athletes
and female athletes.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
It's like the.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Tide of the country is sort of moving more conservative,
or you could say that obviously with this administration and
the roll back of everything and just progressive values in general.
And yet women's sports is the most popular thing that's
happening right So everybody seems to be fine with that.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
They love going to watch the basketball games, they love
going to.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Watch the national team.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
So like, what is that opportunity that you can use
as a female athlete to say, like, Okay.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
We're rolling back Row v.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Wade or we're rolling back all of these rights, and
yet you still want to watch me play, and yet
you still want this to happen. You still want your
daughter to have the opportunity and your son to have
the opportunity to grow up in this kind of world.
So like you're still the role model. And I think
that's something that's so special about athletes, like just by
(24:21):
nature of sports, like you're setting the right example, you're
doing the right thing, you're trying your hardest, you're working
with your teammates, you're you know, having respect for other people,
you have discipline, you have joy, you're playing, it's go
for your body, all of these things. So I think
that's how I encourage athletes now, because it is daunting.
I mean, I think it's daunting for me personally, it's
daunting just in general. It's like such a flood of
(24:46):
just insanity and horror, quite frankly, And so how do
we use the thing that has always been our best
skill and our most important thing and our like our
biggest cudgel. Really, how do we continue to use that
to talk about the things we care about and to
articulate and narrate the world we want to live in,
not necessarily trying to combat everything that we're experiencing right now.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
Well, and to your point of it being a culdual,
I think leagues can use it by telling places, hey,
we're not bringing a team, an expansion team to your city,
a city where women do not have.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Control of their own health care decisions.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
We do not feel comfortable in a sport that drafts
players somewhere where they don't choose to go, where they
will not be in control of what they do with
their bodies. And I think there can be certainly some
discussions about safety and otherwise that can help them use
it to say, you're not getting the revenue and the
attention and the excitement that our league would bring to
you unless you start to address some of the ways
that you're not a safe place for women.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
And also just like provide the games in general.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
The experience and the fanfare and the environment that is
women's sports leagues and games is categorically different, and it's
progressive and it's radical. It always has been, it always
will be. So that's just like almost like a safe
space within a city. Like I'm going, you know, to
the Kansas City game.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
I'm like, I love that I'm going to that game.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
I'm gonna feel safe, I'm gonna express myself and I'm
going to be able to show up with my friends,
my family, whatever that looks like.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
I think those spaces are really important to just to
exist in.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Jail and to protect as more money comes in, as
more owners come in that are from the men's leagues
with the money as opposed to maybe being endemic to
the women's space, making sure that they still protect an
honor and.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Center of the players in the way that it has been.
You are still treated like a target by the far right.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
They love me, and because of the current extremely media landscape,
your name is often invoked as a way to signal
wokeness with tons of literal fake news headlines like Megan
Rappino disqualified from Pro Soccer Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
Which you know not true. How do you deal with this?
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Do you have a strategy Like if a family member's like, hey,
did you see this?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Or if you happen.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Upon something, or if you, god forbid, accidentally read the comments,
which I literally never do, how do you even process
and deal with it? You know? I learned this very
early on after kneeling, and I feel like it was
just such an epiphany for Kaepernick.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
For those who don't remember, yeah, yeah, kneeling with Colin Kaepernick.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
It was such an epiphany moment for me, and it
was like, it's not real. This isn't real for me,
this isn't the world I live in. Sometimes it has
real life consequences, yes, but like the President tweeted at
me two different World Cups in a row, I had
the exact opposite performance in the World Cups and he
basically said the same thing. So I'm like, this isn't
(27:37):
This isn't real. Like the headline that I got kicked
out of a Guy Fieri restaurant that's obviously fake and
like kind of funny.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Too much dobbu sauce.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Yeah, too much, too many bleached tips for both of us.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
I don't know what's happening.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
I look at it like, what is actually happening, Like
some of the stuff. Yeah, Like I've had extra security
at games because there's death threats and we want to
be safe. But I think for the most part, like
a they talk about me because they're scared of me
and they don't like what I say, And I'm like
(28:12):
an avatar for this world that they don't want, which
is where people can be themselves and progressive ideals and
everybody can kind of go about their business, so they
sort of I see myself as like an avatar and
a real person. Like it's like I'm also like, what's
the opposite of wokeness, like a sleepness?
Speaker 2 (28:32):
I'd rather not I'd rather be awake to it.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
But I think my strategy really is just to like
stay rooted in reality. I'm amazing partner obviously in Sue
who keeps me grounded and family and people that I
work with, And I'm also like, what do I want
to say, like, I can't control what happens in the
right wing sort of media sphere or when they use
me or when they don't, or what they say about me,
(28:56):
but I can control what I say, what I'm messaging.
I always feel about the more I am mentioned over there,
the closer I am to the white hot center. That's
usually how it goes. The more that I'm onto something.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Or yes, I feel the same way. There's a certain
site that it's like it always pings me. I have
a Google alert mainly for like this show or to
see if things get picked up. Yeah, and when I
get on there all the time for things unrelated to me,
but they have to make sure they squeeze my name
in there.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
I'm like, I'm in your freaking head.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Yeah, and you're so pissed because I'm getting it right
and I'm hitting you where it hurts, and so You've
got to keep bringing me up and trying to take
me down.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
But to your point, it's not real. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
I think there's also a part of it which I
try to talk about this and like I think is
a real part of social media.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
There's like a huge number of just fake accounts and.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Their whole job is to either start the controversy themselves
or I'm sure they have a list of hot button
words and it's probably like Kaepernick, Manger, Pino, Kaylin Clark, WNBS,
Angel Reese, like whoever, trans athletes, trans athletes, god forbid
the like one kid in Louisiana want to play softball whatever.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
I think, like, those things are very real.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
So it's like, what is really happening, Like, Okay, a
narrative or a headline is popping off, Okay, like where
did it come from? Who wrote about it? What's actually happening?
Where did it originate? Is it real?
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Like is it actually real? You've experienced this a lot.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
We've experienced this around women's sports, especially and particularly in
the W the last couple of years, a lot of
these like headlines started out fake and they have no
and it's like it's not what the players feel, it's
not what actually happened for the players. It's not what's
happening in in arena, it's not what's happening to the fans.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
So I think for us all to be really aware
of that and have a really.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
Healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to social media
in particular, and the social media companies aren't doing anything
really because it's driving numbers and that's sort of what
they care about. They're not really doing anything to stymy it,
so like we have to be aware of it.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Speaking of the aforementioned great partner, SUPERD, let's talk about
the podcast a touch. More episodes airon Thursdays on Apple, Spotify, YouTube,
wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
I just love it so much.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
It's so fun and smart and tackles the tough stuff
and the light stuff.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
What are you learning about yourself?
Speaker 1 (31:26):
The dynamic between athletes and media, the idea of trying
to cover it all but focus on the things that
you care about too, Like, as you become media, what
are you learning?
Speaker 4 (31:36):
Oh gosh, the experience of being a podcaster is so funny,
Like all the time, Soon and I look at each
other and we're like.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
What is happening? Who signed us up for this? And
then we're like, oh my god, we did. It's been
a total learning curve.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
It's been really hard at times because we went from
like being the one interviewed.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
It's so easy to answer questions and.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Say what you think and feel and someone asks you
what you think and feel for us at least.
Speaker 4 (32:01):
Yeah, now I'm having to show up and be like, wait,
I have to like bring up what I want to
say and what I feel, and like, you know.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Round it out, do some research, do some research.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
So we you know, we want ultimately to do justice
to the place that we love the most, which is
women's sports, and we want to talk about it obviously.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
From our perspective.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
I think we both have such a unique perspective just
having played so long, but in this era when it
went from what it went from when I was, you know,
twenty two to what it is now, like we've seen
an unbelievable expansion and growth from from every different metric.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
So like how are.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
We seeing it?
Speaker 4 (32:42):
We know so many of the ins and outs of
like how we got here and how you know, from
five years ago, this is exactly why we're here and
this is where we're going in five years. And then
we want to like be respectful of the players, like
so many of these players are our friends and like
people who we you know, really respect, and it's like
it's hard to be like, oh, this is not playing well,
or I want to see this more or comment on
(33:03):
you know, things that are happening. We don't want to
be the like salacious goss but also like we want
a fun, entertaining show.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
And I think there's room for all of it.
Speaker 4 (33:15):
And I love seeing what's happening just in like the
women's sports media landscape. There's so many players coming in.
Your pod is one of them. I told you that,
I absolutely love it.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Like we need it all.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
We need the commentary, we need the journalism, we need
the entertainment, we need the former players, and so we
just try to like bring our perspective, be honest, talk about.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
The game in a way that we would have.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Wanted talked about, and the things that interest us.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
And then obviously there's our unique relationship aspect about it,
and it's like we're Sharon Vicker's and we're cracking love
and like we're we're doing this podcast together and it's
like the hilarious and we're we're both trying to figure
it out and sort of waiting our way into retirement,
you know, one big step.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
At a time.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
I'm almost always a yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I need us,
Sue to be a me. We have to take one
more break. The conclusion of my conversation with Megan is
coming up. You and Sue are a ridiculous power couple.
Obviously your combined powers are enviable, but it's got to
(34:22):
be complicated too to work and live together and also
to be making sure that you yourself. Do you ever
have to remind folks like, hey, we're two separate people.
Sometimes this offers for me and sometimes it's for her.
And sometimes this job or this opportunity is something I
should do, but I'm not bringing her or this isn't
a right fit for her.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Does that happen a lot?
Speaker 4 (34:40):
Yeah, for sure, and definitely something that we've had to
navigate and evolve and like strategize around. Frankly, over the
course of our relationship. I feel like when we first
got together was like, yeah, we're both just sort of there,
but neither of us like you know, wildly popular or
women's sports was just in a totally different place. And
then for so long we were playing, so we sort
(35:02):
of naturally had this break between who we were and
we got to have a really big individual space. And
I definitely noticed, you know, when we both were retired
and around that time, it was just like I could
see how easy it would be and it would have
been and how much people want that they want Sue
in Meghan. They want, you know, whether it's a power
(35:23):
couple or because we're gay, or because we're.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
Just never Meghan and Sue.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
Yeah, it's always souone Meg. You gotta get the shorter
one in there first. And we've talked a lot both
personally with our couple's therapists, but also with our team
and with the people we do business with, like let's
be really strategic about where this makes more sense for Megan,
where this makes more sense for Sue, and then being
(35:48):
really specific about where the overlap is. And obviously the
POD is such a big part of that. But it's
like I want to have my own life also, and
Sue wants to have her own life alsome there's things
that like she does that I could never do and
would never want to do, and and vice versa, and
just being like really thoughtful about that, so like ultimately
(36:08):
we can get the best out of ourselves and still
have you know, at the end of the day, we're
professional athletes, like our egos are there. We need that
sort of like personal space and time for ourselves. It's
really important and I think just from a personal perspective,
like we're working together.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
That's very different.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
We're used to, you know, being on separate teams and traveling,
So like, where's the time for just myself, for just Sue,
And then where's the time just for us as a
couple outside of work. You know, it's like, especially when
it's this kind of work and it's all kind of
remote and it's like kind of always happening at the
same time, and it can always sort of be happening.
So trying to be really thoughtful about where we just
(36:48):
really put it down and you know, turn the mic
off and get to just be us.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
Yeah, speaking of being you, you got engaged in twenty twenty,
no pressure or anything.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
You're allowed to have a private life. But is there
a date for the wedding?
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Did you already get married and you're just gonna like
sneaky style drop wife in an interview like Tobin and Kristen.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Yeah, right, I know.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
I'm like, have they been married for like two minutes
or two hundred minutes? Right? No, there's there's no date yet.
I know everybody wants the party.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
I get it. I want I totally get it. No,
there's no date. We're not married.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Yet I think if we got.
Speaker 4 (37:22):
Married, we want to own it. And you know, I
hope so just because I'm kill me.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
Also, yeah, I want to see all the photos of
everyone there and all the Yeah, I want the I
want the like live stream wedding like we got with
the World Cup win.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
Where it was just like several days. Who was that
that was? I think it was Yes, Ashlan and Alley Long.
Ashlan and Alley Long.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
We're like the queens of giving us almost like a
forty eight straight hours of like and now we're at
the pool and everyone's mostly dead, and now we're going
a good morning America, and now we're on top of
a bar.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
That's what I want for the wedding. It's just a
small ass.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
Just give us forty eight straight hours of insight into
your personal Oh yeah, exactly what else are you working
on besides the pod? And how do you decide what
to say yes too? Because to your point, you've probably
been asked a million things and your time could be
taken up every moment while also trying to say, like,
hey do I like flowers and bird watching?
Speaker 4 (38:16):
Yeah, I started developing my no button while I was
while I was playing I think you know, having the
experience of twenty nineteen and that like lightning in a bottle,
said yes to so much, don't regret any of it.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
And then I was like, whoa, you cannot say yes
this much.
Speaker 4 (38:31):
This is nuts unless I had like literally four four
other like clones of myself.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Yeah, the twin needs to be more identical.
Speaker 4 (38:39):
Oh that's your gosh, that would that would really I'm like,
it's fifty to fifty, go like, let's just.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
Go for it. I wish, I wish.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
I think now I'm like, what do I really like?
What am I passionate about? What do I really want
to do that I'm going to be excited about spending
my time on. I still have a great partnership with Nike,
which I'm able to get in there and do some
designing and like use the kind of like creative branding
stuff that I love so much. Actually going to the
(39:07):
euro Final with Nike, so that's going to be exciting.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
Cannot wait.
Speaker 3 (39:13):
I think some stuff is just like does it move me?
Speaker 4 (39:15):
You know, like some stuff whether it's it's not really
so much about money. I mean, at some point, like
a certain price tag is like yes, I'm getting on
that plane. But at some points like do I care
about this, Do I like doing this? This is something
that I'm interested? Do I like this person? Do I
like what they're about? I think it's kind of that.
And then it's like I'm framing it right now in
(39:36):
the way of like, yeah, is this going to like
add to my life or is this taking away from
something I actually want to do, whether it's like a
walk or not travel or cooking or doing something else.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
And being thoughtful about.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
Like just carving time out to do nothing I think
is really hard for me and really hard for athletes,
but I'm like getting a little bit better at it
and kind.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Of seeing the benefits that I can have.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
I interviewed this guy years ago, and I took away
this one piece of advice that I really try to apply,
and I'm very bad at it, but I'm working on it,
which is when you say yes to something, make sure
you understand you're saying no to something else. And so
if you want to do it, that's fine, but like
it could like you said, just be no to taking
a walk or taking a nap or watching a television
show you like or something, and so if you do
(40:22):
it too often, you end up saying no to all
those other things that feel unscheduled but only happen if
you don't have something on the schedule.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
So I've been working on that.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
Speaking of we've taken up too much of your time.
So last two, this one's real easy. What's on your
to do list for this decade in your forties?
Speaker 2 (40:38):
What's the big what's the big to do list? Oh,
the big to do list?
Speaker 1 (40:42):
Or something being out there, something huge, something unreachable, something
embarrassing if it doesn't happen because it's such a big want.
Oh gosh, Well, I want to become really good at photography.
I've just bought my first camera, like actually like film camera,
(41:03):
and I'm like looking at it over there.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
I'm like, oh it's hard. I like really don't know.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
What I'm doing, Like like you want to go in
a dark room and all that.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
Yeah, I want to do the whole thing. I want
to like become actually good at It's like you travel
so much.
Speaker 4 (41:14):
You have you know, you got a phone, you take pictures,
they'd never go anywhere. That is like a fun thing
that I want to do. And then oh man, I
mean it's it's like I just still want to do
the world domination thing. I want to be one of
the places and build something that can be one of
(41:36):
the places where women's sports like can really live branding, marketing, growth,
like the creative guidance and sort of like architecture of
this next phase in women's sports.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
That's like what I really am passionate.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
Oh, I'm excited. I just got so excited for you
to do that. Get on it, Okay, And then last question.
Your show always asks people being interviewed bench start cut.
So we're gonna make you do our version, which is good, gooder,
gooddest in honor of good goodest. Okay, so good gooder, gooddest,
Sam Coffee's t shirt, tuck, Lynn Biandolo's leg sleeve, and
(42:13):
Laura Harvey's cooler chair.
Speaker 4 (42:17):
Oh oh man, I mean I'm cutting the legs sleeve
because I'm just like, I don't cut anything.
Speaker 2 (42:24):
Thankfully. We're a little kind of say okay, good good leg.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
Sleeves good, It's fine.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
And then gooder.
Speaker 4 (42:31):
I'm going with the tuck because that's just like so funny.
If the cooler wasn't in here, that would be in
the goodest. The tuck is just so Sam too. It's
like I am ready, prepared, professional, and I'm going to
score some goals and do this.
Speaker 3 (42:49):
I love it so much. It's so good. It's just
like hilarious to me.
Speaker 4 (42:54):
And I love when people have like self expression whatever
that is in a very uniform scenario.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
And then of.
Speaker 4 (43:01):
Course the cooler because she's over there probably motherfucking someone
or another bucks to something or having a winge about something,
or just strategizing, and it's like it's a tough job.
She needs to take a load off. Sometimes it's hot
out there the turf. It's tough, Like she kind of
sit it down so she can get into her brain.
And obviously Harve's best to ever do it, so gotta
(43:21):
go with that the goodest.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
I hope when she sits she liked me goes, oh yeah,
she probably does.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
She's over forty, she's like, oh she's ready, Hi for
a seat, Megan. As you can tell, I could talk
to you for literally hours.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
I'm very proud of myself because I am so obsessed
with you. I both consider you a friend and someone
I will just follow around like a little puppy because
I think you're the fucking best.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
So thank you so much for this time.
Speaker 3 (43:46):
Yeah, thank you so much for having me on Big Fan.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You
can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever.
Speaker 2 (43:59):
You get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are alex Azzie
Grace Lynch, Taylor Williamson, and Lucy Jones. Our executive producers
are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jennie Kaplan and Emily Rutterer.
Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez and Gianna Palmer.
Production assistants from Avery Loftus and I'm Your Host Sarah
Spain
Host
Sarah Spain
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.