Episode 119 - Champion: I Go Where I Belong

CONTENT WARNING: discussions of homophobia and sexual assault. Terrence Blanchard has done it (made Anna and Krista cry) again, this time with his first opera Champion. From the choreography to the gorgeous and heartbreaking performances by Eric Owens and Ryan Speedo Green, the opera was incredibly powerful and moving. The ladies give you their take on it and their thoughts, along with a lengthy discussion of inclusivity (or the lack thereof) in sports.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
And on a happy Sunday, everybody, howny and welcome to the Oppertrash Podcast.
I'm Chrissa, and I'm Anna,and I hopefully my microphone troubles are
are an end on the end,because I got I got but a dedicated
microphone. Okay, now you fancyI Yeah, it's a fancy little microphone.

(00:22):
It'll stand and everything. Unfortunately,when I plug in, uh to
use it, it doesn't register unlessI make it my primary input sound input.
But then when I make it myprimary sound input, it acts like
its crack. Yeah, it actslike it's on crack. And I can't
hear Anna at all. It's likemotherfucker because when I got because when because

(00:45):
when she hopped on Skype, shesaid, good thing you didn't hear me,
because I just let a hell ofa belch I did. And then
ironically, no, the first thingto hear Tony did hear me? Again?
Yeah that is but that is onbrand for us, that you know
very much. So and then wecan when we were testing recording before this,

(01:08):
I remember I'm just gonna blow araspberry and she goes, okay,
cool. So I so when Itested the when I tested the new microphone.
Ray I said, I said,okay, go ahead and blow rasmar
and she did so. Um yeah, so I I it's disappointing, but
it wait, it's disappointing because Ican't podcast with with my microphone. It's

(01:29):
a nice microphone too, but um, I could use this for the Tikie
talkies if I have to do voiceoversor I'm doing Sea and lot like if
I'm doing anything on the Tikie talkie. Uh yeah, oh yeah, oh
yeah, I can get that though, Yes, you can do the thing,

(01:49):
yes, so let me go ahead. So so the big news,
of course, um, other thanthis, I'm sorry. I just got
Google to grow up opera wire andthe Google Doodle today is amen. I
saw that. It's a very firingjodle too. It is as he deserves,
Yes he does. Um. Now, so you guys, you know,

(02:13):
you guys know that I started mynew job this week. So um
so I am so. I amhappy to say that the first week and
the first week of training is downand I left job. It's vastly different
than when I yeah, is vastlydifferent than when I did uh um,
federal loans because one um, thewhether you get like forbearance. Deferment goes

(02:39):
by the lender. Uh and twoum. Not every not all lenders offer
um stuff like that. Yeah,like that, Like it just depends on
Sometimes I'll offer like forty eight months. The standard in on the side was

(03:00):
thirty six months of forebearratts total okay, sometimes some depending on the lender,
it might be up to sixty.It might be up to one hundred and
eighty, it might be up totwy it maybe forty eight um. So
and you can end and you don'thave to worry about like waiting a while
before you get before you get it, you can do it back back m

(03:22):
although the the interest rates are outrageous, like I'm used to seeing the highest
I'm used to seeing apparent plus loans, which for seven to eight percent I've
seen. I Like, there wasa guy that like, we were doing
side by sides with one of theagents and the guy that he was talking
to or no, it was itwas the first the first time I did

(03:44):
side was it was a lady thatwe're listening to her her customer. His
his interest rate was so high hewas he was appruving twenty three dollars a
day of the interests do not want. I'm like, shit, but um,
we're supposed now the the like youknow how like you're like like when

(04:11):
you call when a when a providercalls in for you, you know they
you know, like if it ifthey authenticate, guess their stuff pop up
in your Yeah yeah so if so, our our system for that is old.
And by old, I need Windowsninety eight looking ass old, um
seriously, and it's called the Starsystem, and it just it It is

(04:35):
so fucking complicated, Like when yougo to do a letter, it's so
complicated. Oh my god, Likewe have to have like Monday morning,
we're doing a training, We're doinga training module, like it takes us
an hour to get through. Butit's all about how do you let these
letters just letters? Because yeah,but they're they hopefully by the end of

(05:01):
the year they work out the bugson the new system that they have.
It's called Velocity, and it's supposedto be much much better than Star,
So hopefully they get that done becauseeverybody in my training classes like, hurry
the fuck up with Velocity so Idon't have to worry about Star for tony
more months. Because Jesus Christ,I hate this it's like the notes in

(05:24):
it, Like I'm used to seeingthe notes like lay out nicely, you
know, space and everything. No, in the notes that, like the
the the account notes are smashed together, like it's hard to read, Like
I would have to put it inprint in the print mode to read notes
for it to look you know,any legible. And it's like Jesus fucking

(05:44):
Christ, oh my god. Butyeah, hopefully we get switched to the
new system. I have to luginto a VPN into the Citric system.
Um so um, I don't haveto worry Cris kicking me out. Um,
I don't have For some reason,my the Surf, the little Idol
service server I have did not haveJabber installed Cisco Dabber stalled, So I

(06:08):
need to get that installed before Istart Bubble training next week because fuck you
know that's I wouldn't people take anycalls all if I don't have dabber shit.
But other than that, it's gone. It's gone fairly well. Um,
you know it's it's not it's notit's honestly not bad. Um.

(06:30):
I thought it was gonna be likelike I feel like, you know,
like I have that knowledge from whatI from like the FED side, but
but half the time, like everybodythat everybody's in my train class came but
the bed side, and like we'reall saying like, well on the FED
side did this this? And myand my trainer's like, I've never had
to do with this before because he'salways had like brand new drainee like that,

(06:54):
never don't loans before at all.So he's like, it's interesting to
hear what fed and sizes like.And I said, wow, you're here
some more from us, oh so, but but all at all too.
But to sum up, I like, I like this depiction. Um,
you know it can it can onlyget better from here. Hopefully hopefully Velocity

(07:16):
comes along quicker than you know,super rather than later. And um yeah,
I'm glad that first mark sloop andand and save the day when they
did so yay kay all right,So we do have a dedication though for
this episode, um and this one, this one first, even though it
was alone and prosperous and happy life. Yes, the decation we are making

(07:42):
it's a Harry Belafonte, um,actor, singer, uh, dancer and
activist, super activist. Yes,M one of those people that he never
thought would die. Yeah, itjust seems so yeah. Really, and
he's even even even in his nineties. Yeah he was um but yeah he

(08:03):
if he if there's if there's onlyone thing you remember him for, it's
a banana boat song. M abanana boat song. Um. And his
and and episode was pretty solid.Oh yeah. Yeah. It was where
you see song and and we're tryingto him and you can see that he's

(08:24):
busibly trying not to lose this shitlaughing. I okay, I had this.
I had this old record. Okay, off it's like disy songs,
M H and I and I gothis voice confused with lu Prima because they

(08:46):
do sound alike, Yeah they do. And I thought him, I thought
he sang. I thought Harry Belfontesang the Winnie the Poo song. Huh
yeah, we who winning that littlecuddall stuff with? Yeah, I saw
he said, yet it was LouisBruno. I like, but but you're
right. A sound That's why.That's why about confused, because they sounded

(09:07):
a lot of the way like andwhere I was like, he was not
the Wine of the Boos. AreI think Louis Prima sing I want to
be like here from the jungle book. Oh yeah, because that's because that
would be an easy way to getthe food and confuse because that's more of
a jazzy yeah yeah, oh yeah, but that that uh yeah, because
I was trying because the one Iwas trying to look it up, I'm

(09:28):
like, why can't I find HarryBelafonte sing the Way of foods on her?
Because it wasn't sanky, That's why. Uh but um no, no,
that's that's yeah. And Harry Mellifontewas in Carmen Jones. Oh gorgeous
as hell in Carmen Jones. Ohyeah, fuck who Like I knew he

(09:54):
was a good looking man when hewas younger, but the minute he walked
on screen in that uniform and Iwas watching it with my mother was first
time she's gave me too, bothof us at the same timeline. Damn
oh yeah, like ooh, hordybread party of two, and then we

(10:20):
got salty because we your life.They dumped over his voice and we're like,
what the fuck? Why? Ohdear? Yeah, But we are
dedicating we are dedicating our episode today Do you have a hairdal funding is
more than appropriate given to days givenwhat we are we are talking about today.

(10:41):
Um, so let's seek here.But but we do also have some
news. We have one bit ofnews. Um, some good ass,
some good ass news. Yeah,this is kind of bittersweet because it's it's
a new it's a it's a it'sa new season drop of course, but
the outgoing music director for this operahouse, but is somebody we all know

(11:03):
a lot so um. So theRoyal Opera House Covent Garden has unveiled it's
twenty three, twenty fourth season.So it kicks off with the production of
Des Ryan Bold, directed by Barakovskyand directed by and So Sir Antoniapano Sars,
Christopher Holtman, Christopher Purvis, SeanPanakar, Maria Prunskaya, Kandra Howard

(11:24):
and the Levinpool. Um. Nextup is LaForce Delino and a production by
Christoph Floy Christoph Floy. Um,there's Sondra Ravanofi, Brian Yaka, Igor
Belova Teco and if Geny Stevinski.Um, and then there's going to be
You'll Love Us laid More. Uh, let's see. The cast will include

(11:46):
uh Is Lippa, reid A,Betsian Nadi and Sierra Brin Terrible and Doctor
Flash Sarah Dufran and Boris Pinkasovich.Um Let's See then there is a UK
Mayor of Picture A Day Like Thisby George Benjamin and Martin Krimp, Corinna
and i Nie Meyers, A productionby Janiel Daniel Gento and Marie Christian Zoma.

(12:09):
The opera stars Ema Nicole, NicoleNicoloska, Jacqueline Stucker, boy Morn
Mordal, Cameron Shabatti and John Brancy. Uh See Briga Leto will be conducted
Bunch of La Jones and Rnanda Bellas, Barce Donna Back Stars, Let's Say
Amart Lucien Maartu, Shin Bat,Simon Kingley Side, Stefan pop Samre perego

(12:31):
Erin Morley and Pretty End Day.Um Let's See Jukebox will be conducted by
Andre Calagaro and Edward Reeve. Theopera stars Isabella Diaz, Sarah Dufraine,
Valentino, Puscas, Venakamachia, Gabriellaup Kupsza, Michael Gibson, Ryan von
Davies, Joseph Young, young Man, On Uh, Grisha, Martin Martiosian

(12:54):
and Jamie Wallard Woollard. I'm sorry, Uh, Then there's handles a Jeptha
We'll get any for actually by OliverMers. Lauren's Cummings conducts the Pastor,
Alan Guiton, Dan for France,Alice Coote, Cameron Shabazzi and Brinley Sherritt
him Plato's production of Calvin pad Hereturns with Daniel Oran conducting Alexander Kirshak,
Roberto Lania and to meet your platanushitting they're gonna be in uh, They're

(13:18):
gonna be in uh calv and thenfab Fabio satory and on a prince star
in uh star in pag um let'ssee. And that's the production that Jan
was supposed to be in last year. If had he not got had he
not caught covid again, Um honestStefani Hana pip hand A hip and a

(13:39):
Defan and Lauren Fagan starting the typerules of Hansel and Ritle as conducted by
Mark Wiggle's Worth. That's gonna bearound Christmas, Christoph laid Us, a
new production of Elektra Starry Nandish DeemmaSary Kubiak, Parito, Matila, Lucas
Glinski and Charles Workman um Rusan MantashinAngela kerhu yaritzas Yeah, invisible to kind

(14:01):
of some of your perioste pop andlater, you know, Connie headline lab
lamb oh god, yoh, ohGod, she's gonna be She's gonna be
the the She's gonna do you meanit gets up and and and walks around
and she's dying. Oh lord.Um let's see our scene student Student hit
Student, Vita and Blue and soalternate the two off Tosca. They are

(14:24):
joined board Russell Thomas, Usi,Ivas Off, Gabela, Vivanni Little Big
Testier and Alexei Yeah, Karen KamenSak and Sony and Christopher Will's conduct Um
Bread Terrible, Elizabeth Street, TobySpence and Stephen Milling starting to flee in
the Hollander. So so defat defeatin the Hollander is going to be Brand

(14:46):
Terrible himself. Um m yeah,Heidrich hendmake Nana Nazi conducts um, Let's
see hendra Um. The company willpresent the World Pway of Woman and Machine
by Xa by Eska and Kirsi andKirsi Housley part of the official press release.

(15:07):
The work is a groundbreaking by Naroopera from Mercury nominated artist esca woman
and machine that charts for three monthspirits in the neo natal unit of King's
College hostel when her daughter was bornat just twenty six weeks. That's gonna
be interesting. Um. I speakerWarrian and Ratucci Archui sends a star Madama

(15:28):
Butterfly as conducted by Kevin John.They are joined. They are joined by
Joshua Guerrero, Zip John Beck,Lauri Vasser, Andrew Schwinng Hong Hongni Wu
and Ka and KELLEYA. Shkoza.I don't know what production that would be
out. I would help. Itwould be the good one. Um let's

(15:50):
see I go but seen Achina VassiliVasilisakaya, Poa Brandon Kulcinska, Leona Alex,
Alex and Jema Summerfield Headline Carmon ina new proof in a new production
by Damie Mincio, Antonio Antenna,Manna Karta and Emmanuel Villone conduct. Um.

(16:23):
I think you know what I think. The full opera, the full
version of that is on opera endvideo. We'll have to watch that again.
We'll have to watch that so youcan roll over the cities again.
Those are tities. We definitely wantto see yeah, um, yeah,
do you want to see them?You're like, yeah, I've seen this.

(16:48):
Um Lamore is set to Sarnadine Sierraand Xavier on Ajwaga, alongside archer
Artur Rusk and In and In zoomshim Jacobos said. Gripanzi conducts live.
Red Path performs the title role inthe final performance. I wonder if this
is I'd rather see it as aSimonstone production, because because that was good.

(17:11):
Um Elitor Burke and Harriet Taylor eachdirected new production of Martinew's Alarm de
Coco and Harbison and East Full Moonand March. The operas star Valentine and
Pusquez, Vienna, Acamakia and Cameloso Tennessee. Edward Reef conducts the Britain
Sinfonia. Um Daty Efforts directs thenew production of Vivaldi's A Little Lympiad.

(17:32):
They'll be and here's here's why Isay it's a bittersweet. Okay, here's
why I say it is bittersweet.There will be a farewell gala on May
sixteenth, twenty twenty four for conductorAntonio Propano because he is he. This
is this this season, this comingseason, we last season. He is
the director of the uh of umthe orchestra for the for the Role Opera

(17:53):
House. He is on to thelondon Ville harm Line. So so um
they're going to throw a farewell uhgalala for him. Of course Jonas will
be in there. And speaking ofLeonis uh and final Papano, he's David
Bake, Vickers, Andrea Chene withYonis Calvin, Auntie Sandra and Carlos Alvarez.
Uh. And then of course AlexanderSooti conducts uh kosi fan tute with

(18:18):
Golda Schultz, Samantha Hankey, DanielBella, Andrea Schinn, Jennifer Franz and
Gerald Finlay. That's the on.The season comes to close with Jet with
the Jet Parker's Artist Summer performance.Um. But that is your uh the
Royal Opera Houses twenty three, twentyfourth season. Yeah, the highlight of
it, after the highlight of itwill be uh, the farewell galwa for

(18:41):
Antonio Pabano since this is his lastuh, this is his last season there
um so and then of course youknow, and then of course, uh,
you know it is gonna be inAndrea. He's gonna make it.
He sounds like again. No,no, this is looking well, this

(19:02):
is this is actually the David McVickerversion where there's no guillotine. Oh he's
gonna be disappointed. Yeah, he'sgonna be disappoint Yeah. That that version,
that version that where he played thegayeteine. That was it. That
was in Munich. That was adifferent, different production. But the David
McVicker one does not does not showa guide. It just shows them like
when they at the end of it, when they say you know, umiam,

(19:26):
they they get into a cart andare carted away like they're going to
the guinea. So uh so there'sno depiction of the guillotine. It's just
you know, the implication that theywill be getting. So he didn't get
to play with the guillotine this time. No, darn it, says us.

(19:55):
It's part to God. But whensay when they said, when I
say somebody's the jack all trades,the whole quotes jack of all trades,
master of none to god, jackof all trades, master of none.
He's not a master of deep ah. You know his cold was rushed the

(20:22):
hospital to day after bringing injury playingwith m h God, God help me.
Like it's like that's like that linefrom um, I think I mentioned
as before that my page day calendarsus, I love you but my pages math

(20:44):
and burst page day calendars, andI love you, but you're you're kind
of a nun maass uh. Wellthat is our news though. I mean,
yeah, that that I wanted.I wanted to get that out there
before every bought all about the whereall provinces um schedule so news and Rishan

(21:07):
nanaganry. Yeah, but this iswhy we wanted to come up. This
is the main thing we did.The main thing read there were a review
today is what we watched yesterday onLive on HDA. Oh my god.
We watched of course we we've beenmentioned in this weeks. We watched Terence
Blanchard's Champion yesterday. Holy shit,holy shit two words with a holy shit.

(21:33):
Um it's it's so let's let's justdive right into our and go ahead
and read the rules. You haveto I have Wikipedia, p yeah,
go ahead, yeah, pulled up. There's Emilofi, who's a bass young
Emiofith, who's a bare town Emil'smother, who's a big old nasty hoo's

(21:57):
a mezzo soprano. How Albert Emilstrainer who's a baritone. Kathy Hagan a
bar owner who's a mezzo soprano,and then Benny K and Benny R.
Junior are a tenner. Same dudeu luise Urrio Griffith, Mail's adopted son
and caretaker is a tenor tenor.The dual roles of city donnas run Griffith

(22:19):
and cousin. Blanche is a soprano, Little Emil who's a meal as a
boy a boy soprano. Ring announceris a tenor. And then it's a
chorus of reporters, photographers, hatmakersand men boxing, Caribbean parators and drag
queens. Oh no, it's dragqueen. Oh no, not to drag
queens. Bow Me and christ arelike, fuck yeah, drag qui bright

(22:42):
on the drag boarts, he's moredrag queen. Yeah, okay, so
let's get onto the coaster history.This was written, of course by Parents
Blanchard, with a lobretto by MichaelChrist Christofer uh and it's course based in
the life of boxer Emil griwth Um. This debuted June fifteen, twenty thirteen,
in Saint Louis. This was hThis was at the this is at

(23:04):
a This was a joint production ofopera Saint Louis of the Opper Saint Louis.
And now let me get this right, it was a joint production of
the opposite to Saint Louis and jazzSaint Lewis. Um. And the fun
fact is go ahead and tell her, tell everybody the fun fact, my
boo. Christopher, who wrote thelibretto, was not only Philip Price on

(23:27):
First Seasons of Mister Robot. Hewrote here the screenplay for the movie The
Witches of Eastwick and wrote and directedthe movie Gia Ye and he's got a
fucking pull a surprise for the ShadowBox Ye. So holy shit, yeah
so um so. If you're notfamiliar with Emil Griffith, he was a

(23:48):
boxer in nineteen nineties, in theearly nineteen sixties, um and what happened
to him was that um uh heis uh he held. He was a
professional boxer from the US Virgin Islandswho won world titles in three weight divisions.
He held the world light middleweight,undisputed, welterweight and middleweight titles.
His best known contest this is andthis is really unfortunate. It was a

(24:11):
nineteen sixty two title match with BennyParrat. Prefects won about by knockout.
Parrett never recured consciousness and died inthe hospital ten days later. Um.
But what happened to him later inlife? Um? He started showing signs
early giant and signs of demesia.Um and yeah to meulis yep and uh.

(24:36):
Let's see. After retiring Boxy Griffithto work or at his corrections officer
at the Saccocas Nat detention facility innineteen ninety two, Griffiths was visually viciously
beaten and almost killed on a NewYork City street after leaving a gay bar
here the Port Authority bus terminal.He was in hospital for four months after
the sault. It was not clearif the violence was motivated by homophobia.

(24:56):
Probably was yeah uh, and ofcourse the Griffiths was bisexual. He was
quoted in Sports Illustrated as saying,I like men and women both, but
I don't like that were homosexual,gay or faggott. I don't know what
I am. I love men andwomen, the saying, but if you
ask me which is better, Ilike women. Um. So by with
the preference for women, Yeah,um, let's see he is an a

(25:19):
long time resident of we Hockney,Jersey. Uh Griffith Dige like twenty third
thirteen a care facility and him saidthe York Um his adopted son we Sa
Griffith was his primary caregiver. Um, yeah, he he was. It
haunted him that that the death ofBenny Kidberette haunted him the rest of his

(25:40):
life. And this is basically thestory of the rise and fall of Benny
of um Emo Griffeth. And readingthe synopsis is not going to do in
justice until we tell you what itwas like, um so um, and
I headed read Act one because there'sonly two acts in this, okay,

(26:04):
everyone seen. One begins in EmilGriffiths's apartment in Hempstead, Long Island,
where he's stuggling to dress himself.Suffering from dementia. He is confused and
naunted by his past, which theopera presents in flashback. Louise, his
adopted signing caretaker, reminds him tobe ready for an important meeting with any
Parrett Junior. Late nineteen fifties.Emil is a young and in Saint Thoma's
the US Virgin Islands. He wantsto find his mother, Emilda. Make

(26:26):
his fortune in America as a singerof a baseball player and a hat a
signer. Emil moves to New York. When he finds his mother, she
is confused, not sure which ofher seven abandoned children he is, but
overjoyed hoping to find work for Emil. She takes him to meet Howie Aubred,
a hat man manufacturer. How hesees an opportunity and I feels physically
like a boxer, not a hatmaker. How he decides to train a
mail for prize body, giving uphis other dreams. Neil quickly develops into

(26:48):
a talented aldroid. Lonely, heconfused by his success, and Emil finds
his way to a gay bar inManhattan, whose owner, Kathy Hagan welcomes
him to a frightening and also attractiveworld. Emila fides and revealing the demons
from his past as the boy,his fundamentalist cousin Blench, forcing to cinder
blocks abuff his head, his punishmentfor having the devil inside him, which
gave him his great physical strength nineteensixty two, it made me spanning Parrett

(27:14):
away and for their upcoming fight Parretttauns emialed with the trammatical, a disparage
Spanish word for homosexual. Alone withHowie, Emil tries to talk to him
frankly about why this word hurts himso deeply, for how he just someone
something that no one in the fightbusiness wants to talk about. How he
leaves him and Emil lunder what itmeans to be a man. Emil and
Prett prepared for the big fight.Prett continues to taunt Emil, who ultimately
delivers seventeen blows in less than sevenseconds, which puts her head into a

(27:37):
comma at Beck in Emil's bedroom.In the present, Emal's haunted the ghost
of kid Parrett, who still questionshis old opponent. Mid to late nineteen
sixties, Emil is enjoying a strongwinding streak all over the world, title
stovies and money will him. Heremains to disturbed by the death in Parette.
He tries to bring it up anddenying his only daddy, he takes
a young or I Say you,although everyone including his other Elba, who

(28:00):
remembers her out childhood back the islands, warns from him against it. Early
nae and seventies After the betting,Emil's luck has changed. He's a long
losing streak of matches and beginning toexhibit signs of box of faring or trauma
related dementia. However, realizes thatEmil's days are numbered and tries to consult
him. However, Emil rejects Howieas well as his wife and his mother.
Instead, he looks for comfort backwith Kathy's bar. Outside in the

(28:22):
street, a group of thugs taunthim and pete him, violently exaggerating his
brain to injuries. Back into present, Emil relives then mar the attack.
Leice tries to comfort him by sayingthat it was long ago. In a
near seat park, Emil asked forforgiveness from Benny Junior. Luise tells Benny
that since that evening, Emil hasstruggled to find peace of what he's done
and who he truly is. Backat home, the voices and memories subside.

(28:45):
So from the beginning of this opera, it's like like I cared for
my grandma. I was like oneof my grandma's caretakers for a long time,
and I saw her slowly slip intodementia, and then like towards the

(29:07):
end of her life, it gotworse. Um, So I I'm familiar
with that. I'm familiar with withwith stuff like that. You know,
it can take on many forms,it can take on many things. You
know, it can be it canaffect person many anyways. Um. But
so this this really hit home fromme. Um. But it's just the

(29:30):
It's like every Owens was the olderEmil Griffith. He was Likewens is one
of our favorites, so we werereally biased, but like, oh my
god, like he was incredible.Yeah, like like holy shit, you

(29:51):
know that. I mean for himto portray a man who is suffering from
dementia and is you know, itis in his own mind like that,
it's just oh my god. Yeah, I can't believe that. And Ryan
Speedo Green, we told you lastweek that he won Beverly Souls Awards.

(30:15):
Beverly Souls Award. He deserves it, fucking deserves it. Oh my god.
His performance as the young Ameo Griffithwas just incredible, Like oh yeah,
it just that holy shit. Justand Okay shot out to committe a
Brown for her for her choreography onUs, because she is because she did

(30:37):
the choreography for poor game bass.And she also did the choreography for fire
Shop on My Bones. If youguys remember we we rapped about like the
stuff dance scene in that in thatone, Oh my gosh, she did
like it opens uh with a witha like a card of all dance Civil
Dance on the Virgin Islands. Ohmy god, it's incredible that it was

(31:03):
not just the dancing, it wasthe costuming and the dancing. Oh my
god. Like and she said,and she said she fed off that costuming,
like she kind of based the dancingaround the costuming. Oh my god.
That catches your eye like right away, like holy shit. Um.
And that that's like it gets yourattention, like your attention, like if

(31:29):
you are only happy attention to itup to that point, it kept that
catch your attention completely and hold itfor the rest of the for the rest
of the opera. Um. Andthen of course we meet Emelda. This
bitch, this bitch, this bitch. Yeah, Latagnan Moore is wonderful.

(31:52):
She is. She portrays this womanas like such a bitch because because like,
oh I thought, like she likeshe sees Emel and she goes,
oh, Frankie, it's you,my baby. Boy. But then and
he's like, I'm not Frankie.I'm oh oh oh yeah. And then
and and then she talks about likeand then he's like, you had seven

(32:14):
kids and you left all of themwith different people and and you went off
on your own, like deadbeat mom, dead deadbeat mom. Delocks right there.
Um, and and you can tellshe's like deadbeat mom. But oh
he's got talent. Now I wantto be in his life, you know,

(32:35):
Like yeah, but yeah, shedoes. She does an amazing job.
Like but she she said that,like she she tapped into the fact
that she was not a good person. She tapped into the bad vide and
and and and really and really madeit work for her. Yeah, and
she did. She did. Umand then of course, um, okay

(33:00):
right yeah. Stephanie Blithe our favoriteshe was. She was Kathy the bar
owner. Yeah, Stephanie Blithe.Okay, she is an ally. She
is an LGBTQ ali by the way, so she was she fit perfectly into
the role of any bar owner.And uh, I love how she They're

(33:21):
like they're they asked her about like, oh they're swearing in this. It's
like, I don't care. That'sthat's my thing. Yeah, she's like
that, that's what that's that's partof my thing. Hit me, yeah,
which which tells you like she's likethe Patriot's Stade of this podcast.
She's like the Patriots Sade of thispodcast. Um. But yeah, she

(33:45):
oh my god, she she justshe like it was amazing. She was
amazing in that. Um. Thenof course, um there's the queen.
Fucking awesome. Oh I loved thedrag queens. Needs these needs, this
needs more drag queens, yea queen. Not enough drag queens, I,
um, yeah, not enough dragqueens. Um. So if you're so,

(34:08):
if you're if you're not, ifyou're into opera, but you don't
like drag queens, don't watch thisor or watch it. And uh and
yeah yeah I still do. Imatch yourself, you bitch. Um but
uh, you know, tough butum anyway, uh the the uh like
in the gay Bar, see hetalks about um, you know, his

(34:30):
his cousin Blanche bathe him Sandy weresinnab holding cina watching said the little kid
who was very young a meal.Oh my god, he was. He's
a precious speed. He was aprecious seed. Um and uh and it's
just and then of course, youknow it kind of it kind of flows,

(34:52):
these scenes flow into each other,and pretty soon you see him meeting
up with Benny, with Benny Perette, and of course that word gets from
Manicone Matcone and uh, and ofcourse you know you see what happens at
the end of the first act.That's what happens, is the the seventeen
blows and seventh seconds and it just, uh, that's what haunts that's what

(35:15):
haunts emeal for for years. Um. And you can only imagine, like
when when Actune starts, you canonly imagine that that's probably what happened,
is that is that a Meal hasbeen haunted by by Benny Barrette, you
know ever since that day. Andum, of course you know people keep

(35:36):
you asking, of course, youknow they were, you know, the
reporters, they were saying, ohyou one of these trophies that nada.
What house it feel to kill aman? Now, Howe points out,
and it was mentioned in that inthe previous act that he didn't want to
he was still injured, that BennyParbrett was still injured from the last fight

(35:57):
he had, and it was probablythat a he wasn't this the fight with
Emil killed him. It was probablyjust the probably just like you know,
the straw that broke the camels back. Uh, that the other injuries.
You know, he shouldn't have foughtin that. He should have been in
that fight. Um, had youstay, had he he might have lived
had he not fought, I meantthat night. Um, but it would

(36:17):
actually make a lot of sense becauseclearly there was a lingering injury. Yeah
yeah, Um, but you knowhe spent ten days and then he spent
ten days in the coma before hedied. Um, but he spent like
Emil spent the rest of his lifeor that you know, the rest of
was like before the demension check over, trying to chase the way those demons,

(36:39):
not only the demons of that fight, but the demons of being a
closeted bisexual man. And he hedid get married. They never had children.
He adopted her to human in realin the story is that he that
she had two children from a previousmarriage. He adopted them, but um

(37:00):
he Uh, but the emerician't lastedlong um. And then of course,
yeah, he did get jumped anduh at the end of the toward the
end of the opera. He's likean old he's the older meal is you
know, you can imagine, youknow, it's you see, the depiction
of Eric Owens doesn't does it doesan amazing job of depicting someone in that

(37:24):
in that condition, who is scaredand reliving that nightmare. Um, and
you know, and this is whatbroke us. This is this, this
part the one that broke us.Seeing him meet um, Benny Barrett's son,
Uh is what the we were abit crying parent's Blanchard made us cry

(37:49):
a second time. Yes, youmagniference past with you. Um. He
meets Benny in park he was youknow, he was the son of the
marker and mistakes him for Benny ashe looks like him, and h and
he says it's he said. Hekeeps saying forgive me, forgive me,
and Benny Dinger says, it's notfor me to forgive you. You have
to forgive yourself. And towards theend of the end of the opera,

(38:15):
that's what happens. As as herealizes that he needs to forgive himself for
what happened, he you know,his memories and his and his the voices
start to fade and he goes.It starts off with this is my shoe?
Where does it go? It goeswhere it belongs um, and that's

(38:42):
how it ends. That's how theopera ends, This is my Shoe?
Where does it go? And itcomes full circle because and it will that
that opera just fucking breaks you atthe end towards da it will. It's
just it's like it's much like,it's very it's a very emotional, uh

(39:04):
opera, much like fire Shut UpMy Bones, And of course they're both
based on you know, real lifeguys. But oh my god, like
like he Terrence by answered manages toto like convey that, you know,

(39:24):
those those feelings in such a waythat it's like it's just it's just heartbreaking
and it doesn't makes you cry.It makes you cry at the end of
the opera like totally shit, Ohmy god, like it was. It's
it's emotionally tasting in a good way. When you watch that, it is

(39:46):
uh yeah, I had to takea nap afterward. Yeah, oh my
god. But Yeahswed for doing that. Oh, by the way, we're
shouting out to the ring announcer,he was the best comic relief. What
is this I thought, but Ithought we were getting to the fights on

(40:09):
for this. Uh, who doesthis have to do with box? Yeah?
He was, he was, hewas in good comic relief. But
yeah, it's just like, seriously, if you now, I know for
a fact that, um, itwill be shown on great performances in in

(40:34):
this coming year. I'm not sureexactly when quite well, and I don't
because I don't know what you wantsto see it. Yeah, so this,
well, yeah, she'll be ableto watch that. So and then
like a few months after it's ongreat performances, you'll be able to see
it unmet on demand. So Iwould keep an eye out if you have,

(40:57):
like probably if you have like agood public television station, should I
would keep an eye out for that. Um, we'll let you know.
And and of course I think opperWire will will optate us on like when
that will be, that will comeup on great performances. So we'll let
you know because you have to watch. If it's like fire something about,
you have to watch it. Ohmy god, it's amazing. Um yeah,

(41:22):
ten out of ten, uh wouldwatch it, doesn't care, don't
care if I try again. Itwas it was just it was just mind
blow seriously, just and and justthe I I'm I'm at loss forwards.
I think Anna is too. Yeahit's just h yeah, but yeah it's

(41:43):
and And Terence Blanchward is is intalks with Peter Guild to write thir and
another opera for the mat So yeah, I'm eagerly awaiting that anything he does
so far up to this point,anything he does is going to be spectacular.
So yeah, I mean that thatmeans that man is like fire when

(42:05):
it comes to being in the ship. And I like that he calls it.
He likes he calls it. Hedoesn't call it a jazz opera.
He called it an opera in jazz. And that ship works so seamlessly I
couldn't tell, yeah that it Yeah, it just it did. It's like
the music was so seamless, likeyou couldn't tell that. It wasn't completely
classical, it wasn't completely jazz.It was a beautiful fusion that he did

(42:30):
of music and it was perfect.It was it was perfect. So yeah,
whatever he's doing, keep on doingit. And by the way,
by way, Champion is actually olderthan Fire shop in my bones. This
was actually his very first um.This is actually the very first opera he

(42:51):
wrote, says It says. Intwenty eleven, the Wittaker Foundations it was
provided the initial two hundred thousand aleadership gift needed to fund commissioning and developed
the costs of the new work.Twenty twenty twelve, the Opera Theater received
a one million Challenge Deller Challenge fromthe Melon the entw W. Melon Foundation,
which would underwrite a substantial portion ofthe production costs of Champion, as

(43:13):
well as the Rickie Warden's Oppor twentyseven and the production of Tobias pickers Eline.
Additional support for Champion was provided bythe Fred MCI and at Opera Theater,
the National Endowment for the Arts,Operas Let's the Opera America's Opera Fund,
Emily row Rale Pultzer, Phoebe dentWile, and the Aaron Copeland Fund
for Music. So that all myhod so yes, of course, oh

(43:38):
I love this. This is um. It was Hugues premiere at the Lolroedo
Hilton Center for the Froming Arts WebsterUniversity, ONTs with thirteen the opera second
production with Avids orchestrated by Blanchard atthe Opera Parallels San Francisco in production in
collaboration with SF Jazz on My Birthdayin two thousand and sixteen Febry twenty first
the third production of the opera onMarch fifteen, twenty and seventeen by the

(44:00):
Washington National Opera at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts um
Let's See. There were two differentproductions canceled because of COVID. The BET
announced in December twenty twenty one andthey would stage Champion in April twenty twenty
three. It said, let's seecompose your Blancher and Lobrets Christopher intend to

(44:21):
make revisions for the production. Theannouncement came after mets successful production of Blanche
opera fire Shop of My Bones.Oh Man, I mean seriously like Let's
See. At his premier Champion receivegenerally favorable critical reviews, with respect the
production, direction and performances of thecast. Sell Critics noted the coincidence of
Champion with Thinker and events in theUSA related to violence against gay people,

(44:44):
the tension given to Jack Collins,the first openly gay athlete with a major
mort Marin sports team, and theruling earlier in twenty thirteen, by the
Supreme Court on the defensive marriage act. Um. Let's see m hm uh
yeah, this is uh, theseare some, these are something reviews.

(45:06):
This is the music in times soundedthin and and the dramatic pace sometimes flag,
but overall the sports cinematics will aptuallycomplimented the actual un stage. First
time opera composers most often flounder atdramaturgy and Champion is a bewildering shuffling of
episodes. Only a couple of quasiarias and two stances are indefinably jazzling,
bland charts, blanchers and experience.The vocals writing is evident and instilted.

(45:29):
Words saying and accompaniments have often havea little evident connection to vocal laws,
and eye vamp in place sometimes makesus do underlay from a stinging det um.
Let's see mhm. Champion grades acomplex act your sexuality and a consertive
era and a deep play home ofexport all of the opera centerpiece of aria

(45:51):
for the type of character called whatbeaks a man of man is a repetitive
musical stening of bad music theater dogroll again invite me uh. The keymot
of effect on of breakfas, sexualconfusion, exploitation, and unwanted rule playing
creates a powerful sense of disempowerment.Um. Let's see, um Champion is

(46:12):
a chain of individual umbers. Someof them are predictable than others, and
it could stand to be cut,particularly now to bite me, but it
represents something important for us while notonly in including fresh perspectives, but also
in presenting and Arthur Woodley's would's aMeal a character I loved and will remember,
which is more than any new operascan boast. That's on Washington,
Nash Opera production. But of courseRyan Speeder Green gets uh, um gets

(46:42):
um a lot of uh. It'sgetting a lot of um attention from this
um. Jesus christ this uh,this fucking headline from lum business way from
back to the past thirteen should havesense. Gay boxer sad legend to music.

(47:04):
Oh my god. Definitely in theboxing rings Christopher an evening at the
opera Like ah, I mean,but like like I said, like we
said before, it's it's very veryrelevant today, like you have, especially

(47:28):
especially with sports the way they arewith trans athletes being not allowed Yeah,
like in some instances not allowed toparticipate. Um and of course there are
you know, of coursely they're closetedUM athletes except in like well with it

(47:49):
with um with um respect to inthe in the w NBA, UM there
you know there are they're openly gay. Uh and the w NHL should say,
um, they're openly gay. AndI know if there was a openly

(48:10):
gay there was a completely transgender athleteUM in the w NHL, I believe,
um. And he played Harrison Harrisonsomething Uh, I can't remember.
I can't remember his last name,but he he played for a season with

(48:34):
them and then tired, I believe. But um, um that let's see
and people forget, Oh, peopleforget that too. People forget that there
was an actual transgender hockey player inw NHL and nobody said damn word about
it back then. Um. Youknow the like with that taunting that that

(49:06):
Anny Perette did, you know,calling him my cone. It just reminds
me of um. It just remindsme. It reminds me of what the
black Hawks just had to like sortthrough with the ship they had that went
down with Kyle Beach being uh sexuallyassaulted by their video coach UH and of

(49:27):
course and his teammates taunting him forit, and and Kyle Beach of course
having to go through the uh youknow, the trauma of that and being
in you know, having your therapyfor that. UM and of course the
black Hawks doing nothing, just lettingit go because it was two day,
it was twenty and ten and itwas a great playoffs. It would playoffs

(49:50):
and and asks were more important thanprotecting their athletes, and fuck them.
That's why I'm not a Blackhawks fananymore. UM. But I mean,
you see, you saw the consequencesof what you know, Griffith went through.
It's just his life. His lifejust spiraled after you know what happened.
And you know they're with all respectto to uh works you can play

(50:19):
is kind of like lip service tome. I don't see and this and
and Pride Nights. The NHL pissesme off that that in that instead of
um, instead of letting like playersopt out of not wearing the jersey,
they just decide, oh, ifmoney players doesn't want to wear the jersey,
then none of the players will.You know. It's now some teams

(50:45):
may have made it mandatory that theirplayers wear the jerseys the Pride Night jerseys
in the warm ups, but somehave like are like, yeah, that's
okay because so instead doesn't want towear one because of his religious believes that's
fine. Let sit out. Lethim sit out of warm ups. He
could sit out of warm ups andthen when people wonder why he's out out

(51:06):
of warmups, you know, yeah, seriously, but if you want to
make this place, like the NHLhas said that, we don't make it
mandatory for our team, for theteams to have pride knights or to where
or the players to wear Pride Nightjerseys. We don't make it mandatory.

(51:29):
It's up to the teams, andthe teams don't make it mandatory, even
some of them do, some ofthem don't. But seriously, if you
were trying to make your especially inthe wake of what happened with the black
Hawks, if you're trying to makeyour your your sport more inclusive, so

(51:52):
that gay, so that closeted athletescould come out to their teammates or that
gay uh the LGBTQ. You know, fans can come to a game and
not feel like they're going to beyea, like they're gonna be salted or
or hurld. You know, likethat's that's that at them. Then you

(52:16):
know that's the bare minimum. Okay, I having Pride Night used the bare
minimum. But if you really wantto do something, make the franchises that
make the franchises like donate money toactual you know, to like a local
um. Yeah, you know uhum uh group. You know LGBT group

(52:40):
in their cities. Like I knowin Chicago there is the center of Homestead.
Um. And it works, itworks with and you know it works
with they're in the center. It'sinstead it's in the ustall of boys Town.
Now it's called North Holstein. Um. And let me tell you were

(53:00):
tall Stead. You can go toNorth Austaid. There's gonna be rainbows everywhere,
rainbows everywhere, um, because thatis like that is like the Castro.
It's like Castro Chicago's version of Castroin Zan Francisco. Um. Yeah
um. In fact, he wasit was um oh shit. And I

(53:20):
can't remember his name. Um,I can't remember his name. But he
he took the cup to the kPride Perine. This is CagA Pride Parade.
Okay, back in two thousand andten, he took the cup to
the Pride Pride. Um. Butuh why, but like why you know

(53:45):
this this just brings up for me, you know, the watching champions just
brings up for me the fact thatsports are still not you know, sports
are still like an out like aquote unquote alpha male dominant sport. And
by the way, when I whenI think of alpha males, I think,
is that term alpha in terms ofsoftware? Because the alpha no,

(54:08):
it's not fit for public consumption.They're they're they're full of glitches. They
are they have they have ship missing, they are just they're yeah, they're
full of mistakes. Um. Yeah, they're not fit for que for public
use. They're an not for thepublic. So yeah, you want to
call yourself an alpha male, thatmeans you're not fit for the public.

(54:30):
You know why do you think theycall it beta? Testing means beta means
better, here's a better version ofthe alpha version. Yeah yeah, so
yeah, yeah, it's not callingyourself alpha males because you're just you're just
telling themselves. Um yeah you're theshitty version. Yeah yeah you are.

(54:53):
Um, but yeah, this thisthis alpha male dominated, these alphail donated
sports that these are all bullshit.It is it is and you know,
I we always, we always everyyear like when they bring up prop they
always say, oh I wish,I wish there was a gay hockey player

(55:15):
that would come out. No,as long as shit like what happened in
twenty ten with black Hawnks is stillif there's still a chance for that shit
to happen. No, no,no, it's not gonna be safe for
a gay out, for a gayhockey player to come out. No.
No. So so the NHL alltogether, it needs to get a stack

(55:37):
together, and these franchises need toget their act together. But the people
they hate it on the bits ofSteelers. But what team do you never
hear being involved in that sort ofbullshit? The Steelers? Yeah, hey,
this because you're like from Baltimore orsomething, if you if you like,
But our team doesn't have any ofthat work, any of the course

(56:00):
shit going around. Yeah, becauseTerry and Lynn and Franco and Joe and
Rocky and the set of precedent forbeing classy. Yeah yeah they did.
And it's yeah, now I don'tknow what, maybe like Chucknill's personal opinions
or something, but I know henever or Coward's personal opinions, or even

(56:23):
Tomness, but they don't take theirplayers acting like acting like fools. Remember
what happened to Antonio Brown when heacted a full ye who the Steelers were
like by bitch, Yeah that's what. I'm surprised that Joey Porter was allowed
to come back as a line coach, But then again, his foolitionist wasn't

(56:45):
on the level of Antonio Brown oryou know, James Harrison costing them all
sorts of money being an asshole.So so yeah, it's like, yeah,
I hate the Steelers all you wantfor various reasons. And you know
Roths Burger rothis burger alone is agood reason to hate them. But apartment

(57:05):
but he's like the only scandal they'vehad in how many decades? Yeah,
Okay, the Steelers generally, byand large fucking behave themselves, which shit
like that. So I'm mad.Yeah, I'm mad. The Steelers know
how to be a generally speaking,non problematic team. Boston's like that too.

(57:29):
Ohs, the Penguins generally are too. Yeah, like you never hear
that. You never hear about likethe Penguins or the Bruins having any of
this issues. The Kraken behaves themselves, oh night, behave themselves. Look
when the La Kings are better behated than you. Yeah, like like
they you know what, all ofthe Canadian teams, with the exception of

(57:51):
one, behave themselves. Yeah thatother one. Fuck a Winnipeg fu Olympeg,
thank by, and by the way, thank god they got eliminated in
the first round. That was abeautiful day for the Crack in this year,
just because you know, kracking Crackis a fucking awesome name for a
team. Yeah, thank you,thank you Golden Night, thank you Basic

(58:14):
Nights for your limiting thank you Flowersteam. Yes, wait, does he
even for them? You know,he's he's on the Minnesota the team he's
on. He's with Minnesota this timebecause remember he was with because remember he
was with Chica. It was hethen the Knights and then this black Hawks
and and he cried yeah and thenuh you cry yeah, and then he

(58:36):
went to Minnesota. You got tradedin Minnesota. Thank god? Yeah,
thank god. Yes, he wastoo good for the black Hawks. He's
too good hearted for the black Hawks. He is except for the infamous Max
is a douche mo. Yeah.That was beautiful. I mean, although
that was just guys turpana best disturbingeach other I have if of Um,

(59:00):
Jeff, I am going to fightyou, okay, Jeff giff whatever,
practical graphical in her face, notdraphical. Well well okay, Jeff Giff
whatever. Um a little a littlebit twitch um, but I have one
of those of it's from that.It's from that. Uh, it's from

(59:24):
their classic that showed the roses inher classic. Um, it was the
one where heat they were at thenet. He goes, fuck off you
bitches. I want my favorite onefrom that from that with a Pascal duty
Oh boys, fucking jetto because forsome reason, just probably just because he

(59:44):
could if Jenny Melgan in the backgroundjust flips him off. Oh my god,
I didn't see the fucking bitches thingthough. Oh that was that was
one of the outdoor practices. Yeah, after practices, and I mean yeah,
I mean where the whole thing that'sI mean, Philly's got a reputation

(01:00:05):
kind of for their team. Butyou know what, you know what has
saved Philly's reputation. Huh Gritty GrittyGritty is like gritty has Honest to Bob,
in hindsight, gritty has been thebest decision that the Flyers have ever
made. Yep. Yep, becauseGritty shows up to the pride parades and

(01:00:25):
stuff and participates. He does likegritty all and I mean on the down
side, Gritty those streaking too.Yeah, hello hello. To be fair,
the fact that the flyer that theFlyers chose to back Gritty streaking during
the outdoor game with Yakty Sacks playingon the stadium speakers made it one hundred

(01:00:53):
percent funny. That just proved mytheory, Like Yakety Sacks makes everything one
hundred percent funnier. Yeah. Butyeah, like they're doing it right.
Yeah, they have their mask offgoing out and like showing up for people
helping with like helping with proposals andgames, no matter what the gender of
the people involved are. That's howyou fucking do it. Yeah, that
is how you fucking do it.And I can't believe I'm saying this,

(01:01:16):
but they've earned it. Yeah,do what the Flyers have done. Yeah,
And because like I said, theyare doing it right. Yeah.
I don't I think Iceberg. Ithink Iceberg might have shown up to the
Pittsburgh Ones when I'm not, butI don't think they're like in your like
Iceberg doesn't have the pig mask.God doesn't have like a social media presence

(01:01:36):
like Gurdi does. So yeah,um but you know, but yeah,
Philly, all the NFL, allthe NHL teams, Philly would probably be
the safest place for a gay hockeyplayer to come out. Yeah. I
mean Philly also has the neighborhood,which is really cool. It's just yeah,
it just it just it just it'sdisappointing that, like with all the

(01:02:00):
controversially, like it started with onehockey player, I want to I don't
want to wear this this because uh, against my beliefs, and then the
entire team and then the the entireorganization opts out the team from the from
um more from morn us. Theyusually do it for Military Night for uh,

(01:02:20):
you know, for Kate, youknow, fight can you know,
like uh cancer, uh, foranswer awareness, you know, at the
beginning of the season. Uh,they do it for you know, Saint
Patrick say blah blah blah, butcome on for for Pride Night. You're
not gonna you're gonna you're gonna letone suit. Yeah, you're gonna You're
gonna let one player dictate the restof the players do. Okay, you

(01:02:45):
know, no, no, yousay doctor face. Yeah, No,
It's like if I if I werethe general manager, I'd like, fine,
you know, you can keep yourbeliefs, but if you want to,
but we're gonna participate in this.If you don't want to, you
can sit on bench or you cansee in the locker room. But the
rest of us are going to beout there wearing our pro you put into

(01:03:07):
pride tape on on our sticks andwearing these pride and wearing these uh things.
And I'd like, I said,these organizations they need to step up.
They you know, like the NHL'sthe whole needs to step up and
show support for the LGBTQ community.And the individual teams need to stop up
and show support for them. Youknow, they need to like like said,

(01:03:29):
you know, support the local communities. I know there's a day hockey,
there's a kay Hockey Association in Chicago. I don't think the black Hawks,
Uh, I don't think the blackHawks have really worked them. And
I think the I think they werehella disappointed, and um I would be.
And what happened with Kyle with theCoppy situation, you know that's that

(01:03:52):
is like and and people are likecomplaint are bitching about like you know what
in that situation, they got anew management, the general manager got Alston
the back of Scott Euston. Um. They seriously, they just clean house,
like and trumanti Python forum, thepeople responsible for sacking people who have

(01:04:15):
just been sacked have been sacked.And it was and there was much fucking
rejoicing. Oh yeah, we've beenlike speak answer from Black Hawksman. Fans
have been asking for Sam Bowman tobe kicked out for years. It took
this ship to kick him out,to get him canned. Yeah, where

(01:04:35):
is the whereas Pittsburgh We're just like, okay, so out of note where
we're just gonna shake hand. Yeah, like and we don't we still him.
Well yeah, we know why theydon't shock him because performance wasn't the
way they thought it would be.But the guy's been ours have been that
they aus did have been only beenduchebags around two years. Yeah. So

(01:04:58):
admittedly, while they should have announcedprior to that and they were being the
douche bags, were quite a significantlydifferent reason. Um, at least,
when the Pens need to clean house, they fucking clean house. Oh yeah,
probably because they know Mario's part oderof the team and they ain't nobody
gonna piss off Mario. No,absolutely not. You don't fuck with super

(01:05:19):
Mario. No, that's why everybody, that's why we were also disappointed in
Yoger. Yeah, but um,sucker, we love you. Yeah,
like we were reading for you.We were all reading for you. Yeah,
but um, seriously, like thelike, if you don't know what

(01:05:40):
happened with Kyle Beach and Blackhawks,look it up and despair. Yeah,
it was fucking awful. Yeah,and and and just and you'll know why,
Like I could not seriously, I'msorry, but I cannot be No,
don't apologize. Yeah, I cannotbe a fan of that team,
of a team that went for thatlong. And that was like the year

(01:06:03):
before that happened, the year beforeI became a hockey fan, because I
started watching hockey two eleven, andI had been a Blackhawks fan, like
with the exception of a few months, you know, like from February to
May of twenty eleven, I was, you know, almost exclusively a Blackhawks
fan. So for them to sweptthat under the rug all that time and

(01:06:25):
they're making us love the Joy thejunior reporter, Yes, and then Joey
the senior reporter, yeah, andreporter and patri Sharp and all that come
on and and and and and andand uh and scored ar Timmy Prenaire and
then my god, and but likeplease yes, how God there so I

(01:06:54):
I I'm like, no, youknow, this is this is the last
straw, this last straw. I'mnot doing this anymore. Fuck this and
last year, I'll just abandoned themand put her. Yeah, mainly,
and like Artie, as far ashockey teams go in terms of behavior,

(01:07:15):
it's hilarious, but Petuins generally behavedthemselves. Yeah, it'll be like one
incident or so maybe every couple ofyears where like Latang or making get a
little too drunk and throw up somewhere. But we're not. Yeah, we're
not. After Kane is sunk anddemio oh god. Although although let's let's

(01:07:36):
be honest that the Patrickkaine unicorn maskwill still be fucking clar Oh my god,
yea, the uniform mask and drunkPatrick Kane at the parade. Yeah,
Petrick will always be funny drunk PatrickKane in the twentieth parade because because
when he got on stage he hadjust trying to flash everybody. Yeah,

(01:07:57):
he had just finished throwing up seriouslylike he had just huged right before.
States those moments that that that's justfundy because they're separate and apart from all
the other tea bullshit. You didn'tdid not make Patrick Kane get drunk as
all fun, No, Patrick Caine, Patrick can get drunk as all fun.
Yeah, but seriously, it's aunicorns because no matter who that was,

(01:08:21):
that was that and that was twothousand, that was twenty fifteen.
Now that was majestic. That wassome jested drunken stupidity. Oh that was
beautiful. Although as far as drunkenstupidity goes, I'm still fairly certain the
Phil Bork wins. Oh yeah,I wonder if the st answer no Ah,

(01:08:53):
oh no, And you don't youknow what else you get what the
Bruins have a moment for them todinner, and they had Tucca. They
had Tucca. They had Tucca andhis part in his milk crates and the
milk crates and they had they hadand Tuca apologizing yes he got learned and
grew, yes he did. Andthen of course we had Dida Chara uh

(01:09:18):
cha, who spoke Sefernent languages,had a real had a real estate,
has a real estate, loosens Andhe just ran in the Boston Marathon.
Nice and he was he was madenough to dress for how we in a
giant ass pink rabbit suit. Hewas ruth, he was ralfi, he

(01:09:40):
was he improved. He uh hedressed up in the giant pink rabbit suit.
Now that's a man right there.They can dress up with a pink
rabbit sup frowning. And of course, and of course you know they have
Patrice burs Run. Who who thepatrista hate is? Seriously he you you

(01:10:04):
need to if you have if youhate patreospers Round, you need to have
a legitimate reason. It has tobe a legitimate reason why him, Like
he pet in your front yard orsomething. Yeah, oh he plays with
ruins. That's not a legitimate reason. Okay, why do you hate him?
Why do you hate patroospers Round somuch? You know, he's he's

(01:10:25):
one of those universally well liked,well loved players. And yeah, like
Lake Mario, Yeah like Mario,yes, yes, And by license,
the NHL Playoffs are going on.Please please please, uh please please please

(01:10:46):
Tampa Bay beat the Leaves no,they lost. I'm sorry they lost the
leaves. Please please, please everplaces Toronto in the in the second round
if their asses, because I wantto revel as a as a fledgling,
ruined fan. I want to revelin the schadenfreud of them losing. I

(01:11:08):
mean, it's it's even sweeter whenyou're an Eastern Conference fan and you watch
them just snook great. I wantthat to happen. I am so disappointed
to Tampa Bay for not getting thejob done. It's like Bolts, you
had one job. Please please whoeverthey get in the ground. I hope
it's fucking Boston. I hope Bostonkicks are asked, Yeah, take that

(01:11:29):
to varshe bomb I do. Iwant to be able to yell that.
I want to. I want tobe able to yell to take that to
Varshoe. Um, it's just tonight. I think tonight is Game seven at
six thirty Eastern for Boston in Florida, So I may have to watch that.
I may have to watch that forthe first time in honest on three

(01:11:51):
years. I will sit down andI am contenting sitting down and watching a
hockey game. I haven't watched hockeygame in full in three years, do
the thing, do the thing.So yeah, so I will be rooting
for for the Ruins. Um andthank you Bruins fans, and thank you
Pans fans for embracing me as asa favor Krista. Yeah, you know,

(01:12:13):
they took me in um and andand it's it's I love the fact
that that Boston still has these heated, hated rivalries with with Montreal and Toronto
because the old rivalries that Chicago had, like the old rivalries that we're in
the Western Conference just start there anymore. It's just that they've all fizzled out,
you know. Yeah, the rivalrybetween uh, Edmonton and Calgary isn't

(01:12:36):
the same either. It's kind oflike, yeah, yeah, that's that's
probably Yeah, that's just the onlythe only the only joy I get in
the Western Conference is watching Winnipeg looseyeaheeg um and it's and if you if

(01:12:56):
you want to know why I hatewhen it picks them much because yeah,
well that and it's it's Winnipeg oneand two. I was when I became
a hockey fan, I was anAtlanta Thrashers fan. UH stools the pressures
from Atlanta. They yeah, theywell, the NHL in in general stans
from Atlanta, they had they theywere buyers. But man, they were

(01:13:19):
buyers. They were investors, localinvestors in Georgian and in the Atlanta area,
who offered who offered to keep theteam there. They offered them,
you know, money and and andand to back them. I will buy
them to keep them in Atlanta.But but the deal had already been done
months before, with no one knowingthis until after the fact. Uh that

(01:13:42):
by everyone hates Ryman. Yeah,and and those those offers were rejected.
So they were sent to Winnipeg onMay thirty, first, two thousan eleven.
Uh, they were sent to youknow, they were sent to Winnipeg.
And that that is a dark assday, that Winnipeg. That is

(01:14:02):
a d That was a dark asday. And of course as a as
a Thrashers fan, we were subjectedThrasher fans were subjected to a lot of
hate um from people in Winnipeg whosaid that Atlanta would never have a team
again because not because it's too farsouth, because that's been you know,
disproven, because the floor because ofthe Panthers and the and the and the

(01:14:26):
and the legging Uh, but it'sbecause they were too ghetto. Those were
words they used to ghetto, racistass motherfuckers. Winnipeg's the most re is,
like arguably the most racis city inCanada. The only thing to come
out of Winnipeg is my friend Stacy, and she can't out give us a
citizen. Yes, I feel badfor Jonathan Tavis. He that he's from

(01:14:50):
Winnipeg. You, I mean,Jonathan Davis is a good hockey player and
I feel sorry for him that heto the he's that he had. He's
probably gonna have to retire because ofall the ships, all of the medical,
the medical problems he's had. Butuh yeah, yeah he's from Winnipeg,
so yeah, so yeah, andChris Jerick Cross from Winnipeg. Um

(01:15:15):
okay, so there's three good things. Uh, I love me and Chris
Jericks funny yeah, um but soyou know so, and of course the
people in Whimpeg they refused to acknowledgethat team used to be thrashers. Um
so which all they blocked you Youmade sure that it was always acknowledged.

(01:15:41):
Oh, I acknowledged every fucking time. It was beautiful. She finally blocked
it was Yeah. The Bestshers.Yeah, the best day of my Twitter
existence was the day that they whenthat the that the uh, the Winnipeg
account, the Woodpeg account blocked me. That is my pins tweet you guys,

(01:16:06):
I did you guys? They finallyblocked me. She was a proud
of herself, actually should be.I was. I am brod. I
was proud of myself. You were, Emma and I were dying. Oh
yeah, all of us were intears laughing that day. Oh yeah,
yeah. Emma our friend like fuckingseals. Oh yeah, Emma is our

(01:16:28):
friend. It's from Atlanta. Shebought me into hockey. She was a
Thrasher's fan. In fact, thatwas the year two thousand. Level was
a year graduated from college. Shetook her graduation money and she had plotted
it down on season tickets to theThrashers, not realizing that just that,
but man, that that that weredays from that from the time that she
did that. She even went toeight She wants to the season ticket holders

(01:16:50):
event to see where her seat wouldbe and fight. Yeah. I remember
that day because I because I wasin t I ran the bathroom. I
was in tears, squashed. Shewas stunned to shit, and I was
in tears, just crying my eyesout, like they did it. They
fucking did it. They fucking soldthem and yeah we we just bawled our

(01:17:13):
eyes out. Yeah, when apeg would not be a safe place.
It's not even a safe place forfor sable folks. Like they're they're transit
there. Uh they're transit buses.Yeah, they like they have designated pair
transit buses. They suck their theirtransport for for usable transport ut music.

(01:17:38):
Yeah, you suck, suck,you suck. They're also they're racist.
They they like to they Yeah,yeah they had a black beard. Are
a vacaine and he went racist?Yeah, I mean a vandercaine to be
honest with a douche bag anyways,Yeah, h what ape do she?

(01:17:59):
People worse? I mean for themfor for like former Thrashers players to sit
there and say, when I wasin Atlanta, I nobody recognized me on
the street. Now I'm being mobbedby people and I like it. Really
they were being dicks. And AndrewLadd I will never forgive him for saying

(01:18:19):
that, Oh when we were whenwe were on the road, we always
wish we were you know that whenwe were playing at home, we always
wished around road because they bile crowd. I even asked a former Thrashed player
because I tweeted him this exact question. I said, did you ever feel
that you weren't supported home as aplayer when you were on the Thrashers.

(01:18:39):
Did you ever feel that you didn'thave fans support help? He said,
absolutely not. He said, itmay have been a small fan base,
but it was some of them.They were some of the most supportive and
loyal fans in the NHL. Yeah. And Creeper Bobs well, whenever forgive
him for ruining THEE doesn't ruining orCreeper Bobs me it. Really we had

(01:19:04):
so many good means when they andthe ruined to them all. Yeah,
at least at least we still havecreepy Crosby. Yeah we do. We
are who you do. No,we will all be elaborating. No,
No, that is still one ofmy favorite means. No, we will

(01:19:26):
not be elabrary of that. Butnow that seriously, I mean, like
going back to the original, theoriginal primistis I was making was that the
original my prision point was that youknow, like this this whole incident with
Emeil Griffith with his his life withthis pictures of chicken just kind of just
emphasizes the fact that not only yeah, we still that, like like Anna

(01:19:50):
is an ally, I am Iam under the Yeah, I am under
the aisexual Mralla, I'm broke,so I can't donate as the way I
like too. But I will fighta motherfucker on Facebook for you say,
um, Christa has seen, Yes, she has, she has um.
Like I'm under the I'm I'm clear, I'm under the a sexual umbrella.

(01:20:12):
Anna as an ally I pretty umbrella. I must say. It is um.
It is, it's it's a verylovely umbrella. And then is really
pretty true it is um And it'sjust but you know, and we're and
we're one of those groups are like, oh you're just you know, you
just need it. One good deepdicking and you'll be you'll snap out of

(01:20:34):
it. It's like, um nono like nah nah noah. But besides,
of kie will be from Jonah's calfiman, her brain would probably slow.
Yeah, that wouldn't do anymore.I thought, Yeah, it's not that
i'm it's not that I don't feelsexual attraction at all. I'm specifically what
they called them sexual, which isI have to if I want to be

(01:20:58):
If I feel sexual attraction, itis because I have a deep emotional connection
to that person, like some deepconnection, like a deep feeling to that
for that person. So it's likeshe has many deep feelings in her heart
and her pants. Yeah the pantsare there anyways. Yeah, my pants

(01:21:21):
are on the floor. But no, I mean, I seriously, you
know, I the the NHL andsports, the sports in general need to
step the up. Yeah, AndI had mentioned it was Harrison Brown.

(01:21:45):
I think it was. I thinkit was Harrison Brown. Um was transgender
hockey player. In the end ofwubhl Um he he had transitioned while he
was playing, while he was onthe team, and um, they allowed
him to play to still play withthem. Yeah, he had to separate,
he had separate facilities. They stillallowed him to play with the team.
But then after that season, likehe was tired. But uh,

(01:22:09):
seriously thought, you know, nobody, nobody had a problem with that.
I don't. I don't believe peoplereally, you know, like raise the
issue of like they had, likethey would have now if it did happened
nowadays, they'd be like what that, Yeah, they they're screaming for his
head and but seriously with his hockeysticks, because you know, if they

(01:22:29):
deserve it. Yeah, but yes, just really let them play, Let
them fucking boot in peace. Yeah, what's in their pants is none of
your business. What's in their pantsis none of your business. Seriously,

(01:22:53):
unless they saw something from you intheir pants, then maybe even then it's
kind of a stretch. But seriously, Yeah, you know y'all go to
unisex bathrooms anyway, do you realizethis? Everybody and a ton of motherfuckers
that are complaining about the scrow watchingmash you see drag queens? Yeah,

(01:23:16):
do you not dishonor Jamie Farres workby acting now like you think it's in
terrible Milton Merle who? Who?Who forgets Milton Burrell Wilson. Yeah,
Flok Bolson made a damn good lookinglady. I'm not gonna lie. Oh
yeah, like I'm straight. Idon't like I don't even like my own
boviies like get in the way whenI'm trying to sleep on my stomach.
But Flok Wolson made a good lookingwoman. Yeah, so so so did

(01:23:41):
Pilari and Tom Hanks. Yes,some buddies yes. Also, let's not
for that John Lazamo and Tom fuOh, such a convincing woman that for
years I thought I didn't think thatwas actually him. I know him and
Wesley Sides and patriallys Moto, actorsof the nineties, and they made good

(01:24:08):
ass looking women. Yes, andwas really fucking convincing. Oh my god,
Like he was gorgeous, Peter whenhe trusted cheese shot gorgeous. Oh
my god. Like yeah, sodude, dicks, look if he was

(01:24:30):
gonna knock for Patrick Twasy, it'sgonna not for you. Yes, God
dat don't just honor Patrick Swayzy withus. Yeah, but or you know,
Hurtis. Yeah, I'm like thought, ten Curtiss. Fuck the end
of that movie, like, well, everyone's got there. Yeah, the

(01:24:50):
end of that movie is just soahead of its timely I know. But
yeah, to the point which onemake is you know, thanks, yes,
we will fight you. But thefuck boy of this opera, let's
get back to the opera of theopera was amazing. There you go,

(01:25:12):
if you get a chance to seeit, see it. I think the
boy of the opera was Emil's coachwho encouraged him to keep him. Yes,
also dementia and homophobia. Yeah butyeah, im Annabil's mom for abandoning
seven fucking kids and then like Ican kind of understand, but at the

(01:25:33):
same time just abandon alls out himand split them off with different relatives on
different islands. That's fucking awful.Yeah. Huh you suck man, I
mean clearly she does. Yeah uhbut yeah. That that was our review

(01:25:58):
of Champion, also our little aboutabout the yea of sports. But that
that is our podcast for this week. Guys, we hope you hope you
enjoyed it. Um, we hopeyou learn something. Yes, yes,
oh, but shout out to ourfriend Mandy. We're gonna do she bought
she bought a shirt from us hshe bought Christa's munich fu. Yeah.

(01:26:28):
We've been joking for weeks about thepublic store profits. Go into your fun
for you cause you get arrest ofher groping your discoupman. She thought it
was hilarious. No, now Idon't get arrest of her groping. If
he if he uh, if hereported, if he did not consent to
groping, yea, if he didn'tget the groping. Um, but you

(01:26:49):
wouldn't grope without consent, though Iwould not. You'd end up you get
arrested for something goofy, like runninginto the English or garden screaming about how
everyone's everyone's cold and running out.Yeah you're ache your colds. Okay,
you're running through a rapwaa voice.Everybody's hugging you. Would I would,

(01:27:17):
oh, because I'm not there todo it. Yeah, running their quoting
the loon stitch and then leave.Let's be honest, you get her rest
production some goofy. Would It wouldn'tbe anything you said, just beasly gonna
be ridiculous. Yeah, it would. But the BANDI bought and men bought

(01:27:42):
are our trash shirt is hashtag trashon it. She bought. I don't
want to know who bought the bitchialson you. I'm here two, I
am all the inside jokes from thispodcast. That's the one that requires some
most in that explanation. It doeslike, yeah, who about that?
I know it wasn't my mom becauseshe would have told us. Yeah,
she has bogged as much as wedo. Shirt Come forward, comfort,

(01:28:12):
come forward from Farmard so we canapplug you. Yes, we're not mad,
we're just stuffing I mean, wecould not be loss mad if we
try. We find it absolutely hilarious. We just we just want to know
who the hell bought that and andhow they explained it to their friends.
Yeah, like we we love thatsomebody bought that shirt. Yeah, we

(01:28:35):
would like to applug you personally,So we gotta know who you are in
order to do it really good.Uh yeah, yeah, buyer ships support
my buyers should support the mail fundbecause look, if we do end up
breaking both your niece were not buyingus, we're gonna need stuff from us.

(01:28:56):
We're gonna neil. Yeah, whetherit's here or a Germany, we're
gonn Oh. You've been arrested forunsuccessful haggling at a beer barton. Yeah,
beer tastes like asshole, I'm notpaying for this, your wallet is

(01:29:17):
and you ask them if they checkedyour bottle? Yeah, trying to Yeah,
not like in the hot floor house. You do not pay for You
do not pay for your beer withcash. You have to you get these,
yeah, you do. You getbeer tokens and and you pay for
your beer. Uh that way.So so don't ask me to be like,

(01:29:38):
oh no, I don't have anybeer tookens. Here take my money.
No, y, I'd be It'dbe It'd be that, it would
be me like yeah, like,well I don't I don't have any beer
choken. So if you don't wantto take my money, then I guess
I dreck your for free and Idon't walk out. I would never do
that though, I would never dothat, but stupid me would do that,

(01:30:00):
but smart me would not do that. But now, no, we
we do love you guys for supportingus. Uh however you support us,
whether you listen to her, whetheryou fund us on your on your favorite
podcast platform and spread the word.And by the way, let me see
here, let me see ouch.Um now I have mail pulled up.

(01:30:25):
Let me see here. That's themail. Where's mail there? It is?
Just throw let me see here.Here we go. Um okay,
So we had nine downloads last week. Uh talk the top four countries Germany,

(01:30:47):
India had three downloads. Germany hadtwo. H thanks janus um France,
Yeah, well it's he's in Italylast week actually though, but France
had two and the UK had one. So uh, thank you guys for
for us support me. Let's seelet's see here. So um yeah,

(01:31:09):
so like I said, you'll gogo find us on your favorite podcast platforms
and h then then of course goto our website, go to our website,
our Facebook page to keep playing website. But it's our Facebook page.
Um, and you know it's yeah, yeah, I know that. Um,

(01:31:29):
I don't think Champion is I don'tthink Champion is on uh is listed
on opera video yet? Let mesee. I honestly don't think it is.
Let me just check. I thinknext week we said we were going
to watch the London version of TheLeasier with U Yeah, with the Bring
Terrible as doctor Slash. I wantto see. I want to see that.

(01:31:58):
Let's see, let's see a Championis listed. I'm just curious.
And that's not how you spell itsthere we go up their teams also,
let's see here. No, no, let's see. Um, so that's

(01:32:23):
not it. Um what is this? Yeah, fasst us let's play fast
us. Uh, let's see.Oh I think that is yeah. I
think this is just a clip.Um, yeah, this is Yeah,

(01:32:47):
the trailer for it is on video. It's just yeah, it's just it's
just the trailer for it. Butit's and I can tell you it's good.

(01:33:12):
That's the that's the Oh yeah,there's there's a as there. Um
yeah that but um it's not onthere yet. Franks Green deserved to have
We've seen him in part a fewthings. He deserved to have this leading
role. Finally he did, andhe did do so. Wasn't sucking Albert

(01:33:36):
for a change. Yeah, ohyeah, he's a good as not gonna
lie, but he deserves he deserved. Oh he role, absolutely, that
should what he could do. Ohyeah, um but yeah, yeah that
that's I mean, there're those twoguys. Yeah, and I like it

(01:33:57):
at the end how they came outtogether. They can out together, and
they gave hu they hugged each otherbefore you the back there yep, and
then it was just a big asssmile on he looked like a crowd dad.
He did. Um and of courseat the end he's been one of
our favorites to listen to and inthe backstage for ages. Oh yeah,
Lawrence Brownley did a really good jobhosting I was I was tiny. He

(01:34:20):
was Oh yeah, Ryan Speed andGreen Okay, you did you know that
I was tall? Lawrence Brownley andYanked again were like the same height.
Yes, that's because that's they're bothtiny. They're both tiny, and I
loved Youniqu's outfit. He said,like it's the mix that's the big department

(01:34:42):
up and down Realy. Yeah.He he was like a small I loved
it. He was dressed like inpants in it and a jacket hear me.
Yes, he was dressed in pastedthe jacket that looked like a boxer's
uh you know, like that likea boxer's um robe. It was great,
black and white cool, it was. It was yeah, and then

(01:35:05):
to have to he does but hebut like he's not, no, he
is not he is. He's awesome. He takes no, he does not
um And I like I like thefact that he and Yandy are looking for
new and you know they're not abandoningthe classics, but they are looking for

(01:35:28):
new uh and out of the boxuh oper us like there, you know,
like he they're like Terrence is wayscollaborating with the met for another Can
I have a nap first? Yeah? I love that. Yes, yes
you can have an happen ye coolbut um yeah yeah. And Terence Manser

(01:35:50):
just yeah he he you make differentbastard making us cry again. And it
was absolutely beautiful, like if youget a chance to see it, do
we We We can't recommend it enough. Seriously, it is seriously. Um

(01:36:10):
yeah, so keep an eye outfor for great performances. Well, we'll
keep an eye out on pro rirecywhen they'll when they'll announce when it's gonna
air. Um, so you canyou know, yeah, because it oh
yeah, I mentioned it yea um. But that's it for our show this
week. Next week, like Isaid, we're gonna watch the London version
of Lullisteer with UH with brend Terwith brend TERRBLL as UH as doctor Slash

(01:36:33):
And until then, until next week, guys, stay trash. The love
you guys will ta next week,y'all. Bye. I