John. Yes, happy holidays. Happy holidays to you, Will, and happy holidays to all of our listeners. Here it smartly. Happy holidays to all of our listener of Smart Lists, the podcast where Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and I bring on a surprise guest every week with a surprise to the other two.

And then we just there is no format. If you were expecting me to roll out a format, there is none. We just kind of talk until it's done. So. All right. So no new episodes. Somalis, let's go.

Smart bombs, smart lessons presented by AutoZone, America's number one battery destination. Make a donation to St. Jude the next time you visit AutoZone as part of the St. Jude thanks and giving campaign going on all November and December. What do you got in the thermos today, Jason?

Yeah, what is in the thermos? It's more more electrolytes. But what about my super tacky? Oh, Dodgers, oh, Dodgers. Was that a Father's Day gift is like this kind of thing you buy at a sporting good checkout line, you wear new balance as well.

Sorry, Shani's new balance. Not cool.

No, I think not, because I own new balance with the extra cushion wine. Oh, my God. Oh my God. He has new balance. He does. Of course he does. He's got new balance, by the way.

So do I. They're very comfortable. By the way, most days, if Jason walk by you and you didn't know he's an actor, if I didn't know he's an actor and somebody said, guess that guy's profession, I'd say male nurse. Yeah. Or so most days.

What about you drinking Diet Coke at how old are you? 65. Why? Why would you do that? I just turned 50.

You know that. Sean, what do you you're drinking.

It's chatter all the time. I don't have electrolytes. And what's the university that you're you're pimping on your shirt? University of California. You California.

Did you spill some cranberry juice on yourself at the airport and you needed a new t shirt just for the trip?

I ducked into the Hudson News.

Look, I couldn't get the cranberry down fast enough. Do you think he drinks cranberry juice because of yeast infections? Yes. No, it's bladder infections.

Isn't it supposed to be for bladder cleanse, your kidneys, bladder infections, bladder infections. You know, but I can. Have you guys ever had a kidney stone?

I'm going to open up every episode with an ailment I have. No, but I do hear that that's from dehydration. And so that's why I drink a lot of electrolytes. That's right.

By the way, that's really good because you get like spinach at all. Has to do with. I can't remember.

I can't read it. It's called.

Oh, you can't remember. A great story. Definitely make us wait as you try to remember. But know if you guys have never had a kidney stone, it's like I hear it's the worst peeing out of baby.

I can't wait to get back to this. Now listen to. I don't know what to say about her special guest, because I about start with an apology. I want to I'm going to apologize. We're all going to apologize. This person.

I am so in awe of this person. I'm very starstruck, just Boniva and dumbfounded. It's not what.

But, boy, you're going to be embarrassed when Vernon shows up on this show, I, I owe him a huge apology. I owed Justin Vernon, but I did I did a bit that was just had nothing to do with him or his band.

So this person was just in a mood. This person has won so many accolades in their career and it's just piling them on. This person has and again, I'm just I don't know where to start. I'm giddy. This person has been named FIFA Soccer Player of the Year.

Oh, Times has won the following.

Gore has won, I think, two World Cups. This person is a complete badass, is a social activist, is the coolest person. And I'm so excited.

Oh, I've. Yes, please say hello to oh, Meghan Rapino, you guys.

Oh my gosh. I've always wanted to meet you.

A good guy. Such a huge fan. How rare is this?

Good morning to you.

Whatever it is, I've been trying to be quiet over here, but I'm dying and everything.

I'll be able to. Jason's point, we apologize for the the rambling up at top.

And definitely we're going to get back to to Sean's Pakistani stone. Oh, we can't wait.

John Listener, I wish you could see how Meghan has kindly matched her hair color to her tie dye shirt. It is it is something that that is looking great looking for it.

I had a big pod today, so I had to guess I was matching my big.

But I hope that big pod goes well. It must be after hours. But yeah.

It's Megan. So great to meet you. I'm so first of all, I want to say and this is going to date the day that we we recorded this, but I want to say, are you excited because one of your old teams, Leon, is playing in the semifinal. The men's squad is playing the semifinal against Bayern Munich today.

I know. Is that something that you watch?

Are you do you watch any of the Champions League, the dudes?

Yeah, I'm definitely following the Champions League. I missed the game yesterday. I don't know what happened. I don't know where I was. I just blanked on it. I saw the Barcelona disaster. That was crazy. Something to watch at the highest level of international soccer. I was like, oh, God. But I'm a big fan of Leone. Obviously, I played there and, you know, friends with our friendly, at least with the president, there's a alas, he's kind of a character.

And so just and an interesting person. Sports. I always appreciate that. So hopefully they do well.

And not only so you played there, I mean, you only played there for you, but you know those people and you did play there and then you went back and you won the World Cup in Leon.

Right. I mean, how was that?

It was really cool. It was that we played the French team in the quarterfinals. That would have been something if we played them in the finals. And I had this kind of sneaking suspicion that, like, of course, they wanted to win. But the French also really loved our team, too. I feel like we're everything the French want to be like. They want to be more outgoing. They want to be more whatever. But they're just still like a little bit caught in their in their insecurities or something.

So once they were knocked out, I feel like everyone kind of piled on us. And to to do it in a place that I had played in a beautiful stadium in France was pretty cool.

Well, and then you were you were just such a stand out and you you did such amazing things. It was a great team and you stood out on a great team. The thing that I loved the most is maybe my favorite color because you're very famous celebration standing proud in Senegal, like doing that that close, which is so cool.

That's so rad. And I'm you know, I'm such a football fan. So it was great just watching. It was just unbelievable watching that. That was so exciting.

And I always wonder, like, because I can imagine the adrenaline and the rush and the buildup and working so hard and all the years. And then you get and you wanted a couple of times. But that was such a crowning achievement, that 2019 World Cup, it was so tough and you guys played so well, such a great team at the end of that.

What is that comedown like? Is that tough? Is it gradual?

Is it a month later like, oh, you know, this one just felt so different because it just was about so much more than sports. So it's almost like, I don't know, I don't even feel like we had that kind of comedown, because even when the sports were over, like even just with the equal pay stuff in the way the team, you know, sort of acted during the tournament and the way we kind of held ourselves and all the stuff with the president.

And like all, it just felt like it was just a really happy, joyous moment, not only for us, but like for everyone. So I didn't really feel the come down in this one was just kind of nice. You want that feeling to last for a while? Well, what was your comedown like? Well, because yours is from 2010 and last year, right?

The last year, that was the last time it was a come down, an excuse my ignorance period.

We do it all the time, but we do it all the time and we'll assess as we go.

Remind me how things resolved with the hole, the president thing and the equal pay thing and how that how did that whole playing land, the equal pay thing is still ongoing.

We're basically like in the appellate process right now, which is takes him a long time in normal times and the best of times. And so obviously now everything is kind of slowed down, but that's still going so.

So that's an appeal. So so then what was the initial ruling?

So the initial ruling, basically the judge out of California, which we disagree with this, but he ruled on summary judgment for pretty much all of the financial part of the lawsuit and said essentially that we had chosen the type of contract that we wanted and now we're upset that it didn't pay us as much, which in reality, if we could have had the same contract as the men, we would have taken it because it would have paid us three times more.

So essentially, he said we actually made more money, but I'm like we won literally three times as much and played more important games and won two World Cups and all of that. So it was kind of the idea of like we worked twice as hard and earned the same amount of money. And so he's like, oh yeah, you earn the same amount of money. We're like, I don't think that's how discrimination works.

I kind of miss the general premise of discrimination.

So he just ruled on those. There was a couple other like travel and that where the type of hotels we stay and charter planes and stuff like that that were still left open. So those need to be we then need to go to trial or settle on those before we can formally appeal the other ones. So we're kind of working on those right now in the hopes that then pretty soon we can appeal. But then all of the court dates have been set back and because of covid.

So we can't really do anything right now.

And again, forgive me for Jason's ignorance, but I'm going to make sure.

Jason, but you the suit is against U.S. soccer, right? Yes. And they're trying to hold back. Now, what's crazy to me is women's soccer in this country draws far more viewers than men's soccer, and yet they're fighting for the right to pay you less.

And it also seems strange that like that's like saying, well, why don't we just piss off the people who are actually bringing us the revenue that is paying our salaries. Right.

Right. It just doesn't it doesn't add up.

I know it's it actually really is bizarre and just sort of shows that the kind of deep rooted and it things have changed a lot over the last, I don't know, probably eight years or so.

We weren't always this popular, always making this much money. But, you know, the sort of unwillingness to shift or the lack of ability to shift and realize that you're actually underselling this product that wins all the time, particularly in this time as social justice starts to become more of a nationwide conversation and pay equity and women and all of that, I'm kind of like, you guys are just still digging in.

Like, this is really bad business, you know, even just from like a ruthless business perspective, unlike put your money into social causes and like, you know, get behind women and get behind winners and all of that. So especially I mean, we're winning World Cups. We're doing all the things. It's crazy.

It's one of those things that you want to be like, hey, if you were their friend, you'd want to be like, hey, you know what? Even despite what you think, this is going to look really bad for you down the road, history will not reflect well on you the like, even if you and it's crazy, you don't want to pay us.

But even if you don't want to, you should just for self-preservation reasons.

That's what I keep saying. I know. I'm like, listen, I just deserve it because like this I'm good at what I do and the team is good and we do our ratings in this and that. But I'm like even just over the course of these number of years, you know, the stance that they took on kneeling and all that, they've had to walk that back. The whole pay equity issue, it just seems like one PR nightmare after another.

I mean, the last thing they sort of did was I think it was in March, put in their legal brief that just inherently women are like lesser than men. And I was like, oh, God, this can't be the argument you're making, right?

I was like, oh, my God. They said it out loud. This is insane. What are you doing? So this is US soccer. So there's a distinction between obviously Olympic soccer, which is amateur, and none of the athletes get paid. But for World Cup, the athletes do get paid. Is that correct?

So it's different on the men's side. On the women's side. So for the men's side, it is an amateur tournament. I think you can have like two professional players are overage players. It's like an under twenty three tournament as to not take. Over the whole Olympics and make it like another World Cup, so that's what the men do. But for us, it is a fully professional tournament. So we have the World Cup and then the Olympics are supposed to be the year after, but we get paid fully for both.

Gotcha. Yeah. So on the women's side is fully professional. On the men's side is still an amateur tournament.

I got you. And that concludes our interview. Well, no.

Yeah, I don't it seems like it's just real simple math. You know, the television stations that are airing your games, they should just simply look at the ad rates and those are predicated on ratings. And if you guys are getting higher ratings and therefore higher ad rates, you guys should have a commensurate share of that. It just doesn't I don't understand why they would mess around with with solid, indisputable numbers.

And when we say they it's the US soccer what, like Federation?

Federation, OK? Yeah, it's a non-profit like governing body, basically.

Do you have to deal with them on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. And is that weird now and what is that like.

Yeah, it's getting a little icy weather here is I mean I can imagine it's always been kind of awkward because we've always been like Lokey, all this pain on us and like discriminating against us. And so we know that. And now as we've gotten more organized and, you know, our union is really strong now, we kind of have the structures around us to really fight it appropriately. Yeah, it's just difficult because they are still the bosses and it's like that's the only national team we can play for.

But in turn, we're the only players that are going to play for you.

So it's awkward all around, but it seems completely fruitless on their side. Since you guys hold 100 percent of the leverage. All you guys have to do is say, guess what, we're not playing effectively striking. And then they can try to say, oh, we'll just get different players and then they'll go out there and they'll realize, oh, the best players are the ones that are saying that they don't want to play. So they would never field a team of people who didn't know how to play so well.

You just say, guess what, here's the price. And if you don't pay it, you can have these people that don't know how to play very well.

But then they have to keep saying, guess what? And then and then they're going to be like, what? But I think here's the thing, what you guys should be. And that's a game nobody ever wins. Guess what? I guess what? Guess what.

But but you know, what you should do is find a country, find some rogue nation and say the teams and say, you guys want to win the World Cup every time we've got eleven players or you know what, a deep squad of twenty.

Right? Yeah. And here we go.

And and just take it to the highest bidder and have some country that will be, you know, like, I don't know, like Andorra, you know, up in the Pyrenees.

They're like, yeah, we'll have a winning World Cup team that would think that no more of. Yeah, I mean, our contract is coming up. I think our contract is up next year. So that is definitely a time where we're sort of done taking the pay cuts. And that would be before the next World Cup. Right. That's once every four years for.

Yeah, good. I can't wait.

I hope you guys turn the screws on the stick it to them. Yeah. Jason, I'm ready to get in the zone, AutoZone, what are we talking about today? Today, Sean? Batteries, it is getting colder out there. Cold weather is difficult for batteries. All right.

That's why you got to, like, warm up, maybe bring a blanket out there, bring your battery, a blanket. Is that what you're pitching? Or turn up the heat, maybe show up with a cup of hot cocoa.

You could read the battery, a story, you know, like Paul Bunyan or not on their last batteries are proven tough.

They'd like, you know, so most car batteries live outside. That's a seems inhumane and they aren't capable of understanding stories for the well. Never downplay the importance of art.

Jason, I also don't think they drink cocoa, nor should they. So let's not do that. Battery warming pads and thermal wraps do exist, though, and AutoZone has them. So I guess the blanket thing is not totally off. Well, then maybe it just needs a hug. I don't know. No, definitely do not do. That's car battery, Sean. Don't ever hug it.

Are you this way because of your. No, but Sean, the best thing you can do for your car battery this winter is go to AutoZone and get it checked out. AutoZone has free battery testing and free battery charging. They can tell you how well your battery is doing. And if you need a replacement, they can set you up with a great Thrillist battery. Proven tough during last batteries, the batteries, more consumers choose. That's right. At AutoZone, America's number one battery destination.

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Can I ask a dumb, dumb question when I watch soccer, because I last time I played, I think I was like five or six years old and I always watch you guys play and I'm fascinated.

It's you never, ever stop running. Ever.

How many effing miles do you think you run in a game because you only have the game like basketball. You never stop moving either.

But like football, baseball, that's kind of like leisure.

But this is like you don't stop running ever. Don't even mention a lot of walking. A lot of walking. Yeah, you know what I mean. Like walking there.

It's a lot. It's like it's like six to eight depending on your position. It's like six to eight miles a game. But it is just the constant. The field is so big you're constantly running really far to do. What about if we lobby to make it shorter? I wouldn't hate it. I wouldn't.

So it can I ask you one question? So just to get back, it kind of put a final put it to bed about the whole equal pay thing. And not that I want to put it to bed, I want it to be out there and I want you to be win and crush these guys. But at the same time, I watched that documentary about that guy.

Nico Anelka is a very famous soccer player. Yeah, it's great. Yeah, it's cool, right? Yeah. Really French guy.

Interesting, super interesting guy from Paris. And he played for a bunch of different teams. And part of the reason was, it seems to me and correct me if I'm wrong, was that he was a guy who always he valued himself and he was like, I'm a I'm really great and I should play the best plays.

And he ended up at one point he left, he sort of defied the rules and that that was kind of some written and some unwritten about player transfers.

And he decided to leave PSG to go to Arsenal in the French Football Federation, who had groomed him, he'd come up through the French national program, were so pissed off that he did that and and he won because he had a case was like, look, these were my services.

I should be in charge of my services and the law states that I can do this.

They were so mad that when it came time to pick the World Cup team of 1998 that played in France, they didn't pick him for the team. And he was an incredible striker. He should have been on that squad now. They won anyway, but he should have been on that squad and he fell victim. It seems to me a lot, too. He's an outspoken guy, super smart guy, and he was a trailblazer in a lot of ways.

And he was an individual. And I think that, you know, not to embarrass you, but I think that you share a lot of those same traits that you understand your you said it before. You're a great player. You were. That's such an understatement. You're such an incredible athlete. You're such a great footballer and you're such a great role model and you are willing to put yourself out there on the line. And that's got to be scary when it's the president of the United States or fighting U.S. soccer for the equal pay, it puts a target on you a little bit.

Right. And does that ever and sometimes does it feel like you're taking a lot of the weight, but you know that it's the right thing to do because you're opening the door to it. Does that occur to you at certain points? Because I think it takes a lot of courage and I'm truly in awe of what you do.

Yeah, thank you. I you know, it's that when I went out. That was for Meghan Chung. Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead.

Oh, I was like, do tell us the incredible backpack you have to carry. I think it's a little bit of both, to be honest. I think that there are certain personalities and people who are just better suited. And I do think that I have a little bit of that. Nico had a little bit of that because you're very you're different people.

I'm not saying it's right, but.

Yeah, but I do think that there's certain personalities that handle it a little bit better or just more comfortable in it for whatever reason, I think, to being, you know, sort of growing up and maturing on a team full of very powerful women where normally if you're a woman and you're elite and whatever you do, I say this a lot like you're one of the only ones.

You're either the CEO in the office or, you know, you're sort of one of one or one of very few.

And so I think as a as a woman growing up in the world, as a female athlete, I sort of had this unique experience, as we all did on the team of growing up in our own echo chamber where we don't have to live in the world as an elite woman who's one of one. We live in a world where there's twenty three or twenty five of us. And so we kind of get that confidence from each other almost. And so we grow up almost in this bizarre echo chamber of positivity and like encouragement for each other.

And then I don't know. I mean, I think we grew up to like we've had so much media around us all the time since a very young age on this team. We're constantly in the media. We constantly have pressure, because no matter if we're playing a friendly or in the World Cup, we're always expected to win. And that's just kind of the deal when you play on the women's national team. And so we're sort of uniquely suited once we get to these big moments.

I think that's a strength we have actually over a lot of other teams is that we do a lot of media at home. We do a lot. Sponsorship deals, we do a lot of brand deals, we do a lot of appearances, we're kind of constantly out there. And so when we get to these bigger moments, we're a little bit more suited for it. And in terms of like the speaking truth to power thing, I just feel like, you know, being as successful as we've been.

So we have that kind of like positive feedback of like, yes, we're elite. Yes. Brands want to work with us. It's it's like like brands are paying us more to just show up and, like, talk to people than our own federation is paying us to actually go in the damn World Cup like it's it's kind of crazy. And so I think that, like, weird reality of those two things, then we get in front of the federation or whatever it is, and we're like, no, this is not this is not right.

This is not kind of what should be happening. And then the president thing was just. So that was this. Yeah.

How did that resolve? What was the final?

Well, he got distracted looking at another shiny object, probably somewhere else.

Yeah, exactly. I mean, basically, he said what he said, like, you know, basically just shut up and win before you talk. And we were like, hold our beer. You did that.

And then it was kind of like, oh, sorry, I didn't hear anything else from you after that.

After we won. I think actually the the White House, the administration tried to reach out sort of backdoor of like, hey, can we do some kind of like bipartisan like, you know, whatever, because Pelosi had said stuff like, you guys are more than welcome to come to the Hill, I think Schumer as well. So they were like, maybe we can do some kind of bipartisan thing. We're like, we're not fucking going. We already told you and tell you again where I'm going.

It's just but you know what Will was talking about, you know, your courage to be the the figurehead of of something that you're clearly right on at the risk of being a target and having to deal with whatever consequences may come is just, you know, is not unique. But it is rare. But it is it's so needed nowadays, more so it's always been needed, but more so now than ever, I would imagine. And and and for all the young girls that are watching you as well, to see that, you know, we're not we're not a pain in the ass.

We are speaking truth to power. We are right. And there should be no fear about coming forward and saying that you are right when you have the ability to judge whether you are right or you are wrong. Like you're not just popping off. You know, you have a good point. It's vetted and deal with the with the consequences. Whatever they are, it doesn't matter as long as, you know, we're standing up for what is what is correct.

We need that so much today.

And I think I do understand that. And sort of I think especially in the last three or four years, it seems like every time we speak up or I speak up and say something, it's kind of the same people being mad. You know, like even when I knelt, it was like, OK, all of these particular kind of people are mad. I must be doing something right.

It's like it's nobody who looks like me. It's nobody who is like black. It's nobody who, you know, is in sort of a position. Maybe they're marginalized or whatever. So I think I do understand and take very seriously the fact that my voice does have impact and it has outsized impact. I mean, I'm just one person, but for whatever reason, have this platform and live in a country that glorifies sports and glorifies celebrities so that the impact is going to be outsized anyways.

And so basically, all I have to do is, you know, I me be educated and know what I'm talking about, but just say the things because there's a lot of other I feel like when I'm saying these things, I'm saying it for a lot of people that don't have those voices. So it's like that's kind of my responsibility with the impact that I can have and other people will have a different responsibility with the impact that they can have as well.

What was your degree in when you graduated? Because you're a super smart.

Oh, nothing super smart. I did. I think it was sociology and a minor in political science, but mostly like sociology. Those are both super smart. Yeah. Same, same. Yeah.

Yeah. But it's true. Like you speak with such a sort of there's such a clarity in sort of so sober in the way that you talk about stuff and so direct. Yeah. And it really makes sense and it's really easy to identify with and I think it's super important. I think honestly again I know I'm so gushingly like Stursberg, but I just think you're such an incredible role model across the board.

And so what cities best partyin.

Beautiful city. No.

I want to ask you a question about Sue Bird.

Oh. The best, right? Yeah, she's the best, the best, so Sue Bird is also is your partner, but also a phenomenal athlete. And what is that like in a household? You guys constantly compete over everything.

We don't actually constantly compete, but it is just it's just humble pie all day long for me because she's so much more accomplished.

And I am like my mom actually said when we first started dating, she did her obligatory quick Google search. And she was like, well, you used to be a lot more impressive.

Yeah, I was like, well, yeah, you're right. I'm like, oh, it's so cool.

I have we know I've won an Olympic gold medal and she's like, I have four. Yeah.

And your mom's like you're like, we're coming over for dinner. Mom's like, well, it's coming. Yeah.

It's like just this isn't a one a one person thing. Right. We're actually I mean, we're both competitive, obviously, being being athletes, but we very much value leaving that where it is in the sports and just doing other things and getting out of it.

Neither of us are like a Brisley, like the sport all the time.

Yeah, that was my next question. Like because, you know, I always say, like, doctors don't run home and watch reruns of E.R., so I can't imagine you guys ever heard you say that.

I've literally never done for 20 years in prison for 20 years.

OK, I have a lot of those kind of thoughts running through my head. But it's true.

Like you probably don't run home to go just watch endless sports things on TV.

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So you've been playing football as we call soccer, it's soccer, Jason and Sean call it soccer, but we call it football. Yeah, yeah. It's the people who know, you know, the people who know.

So you've been doing it since a very young age at a very high level. And, you know, I have a good friend of mine who we had on the podcast a while ago who played hockey for 22 years professionally. And I knew watching him kind of retire and what that was like that all of a sudden. So you're doing this thing at this highest level and you're still doing it. And like you said, like, you know what your year is, you know what your tournaments are going to play, you know what your season is.

And and that's a very it's a very strange existence, right? Yeah. And then you because it's but it's all you know so far.

Well, to that point, I was thinking that, too, like, you know, you can only watch so many documentaries about sports figures who I would talk about what they're going to do after they can't play anymore. And is that on your mind and what does that look like? Hopefully it's not for years and years because you're young and incredible shape. Thank you. But, you know, do you think about that and what does that look like for you?

Thank you.

Yeah. Yeah, I definitely think about it especially closer to the to the end of it than the beginning of it. And I'm trying to, you know, prepare as much as I can and sort of do other things. I mean, the pandemic, frankly, has been you know, that's been the silver lining for me is is to do a lot more of other things. And what do I like and what what do I not like and how much media do I like?

And do I want to be in sports or other things?

Will you go into politics, please? Yeah. Politics. Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

You say that at least I don't know it seems well but you studied political science.

Please be a senator from California for us and then become president. Where do you live. California.

Where in Seattle right now. And we spend a lot of time like out in Connecticut area, New York area.

That's where SUVs from. But you're from California. From California. Yeah.

So I think about I mean, I think it'll it'll have to be I'm sure it'll be hard.

I'm sure I'll need therapy for it and like, you know, existential crisis like this for sure.

Like that. I have the number for you. Yeah. I think you're going to need that. You know, I get asked the politics question a lot and I do think the mold for politicians is totally breaking apart, which I think is amazing. We need more younger people, first of all, and we just need more people from different kind of walks of life. And it can't just be this sort of entrenched club that that never kind of breaks up.

It seems like a lot, though. I don't know. I can't imagine being, like, vetted and fact checked for my whole life, never thinking I was going to be a politician, then trying to be a politician. They'd be like, all these receipts are not OK. Well, right. But we'll see.

I think that whole sort of puritanical, you know, resume, I think is less necessary in today's day and age as far as like, well, I can't run to be a politician because because I, I smoked grass in tenth grade. Like, I don't I think Trump kind of blew that out of the water. So as long as we're clear headed and common sense and fair, I think you've got a really good shot. There's a flushing. I think that's that's happening.

God willing, smoke, grass, smoke and smoke. That's what the kids are doing. I hear Jason the grass. Jason, what the fuck, man?

There's smoke in the weed. Jason, the guy who's ifone light is always on you and you're like, hey, why is my battery two percent? What's want to talk?

But wait, what you and you're talking about a couple of things that you're learning that you like to do.

What what is one of them like?

Do you want to follow in the footsteps of a Kaepernick who started it, you know, got a deal and maybe in media, anything like that or I do have a lot of interest in sports media and in the storytelling around sports media. I think that such a better job could be done, especially with female athletes, you know, whereas with male athletes, you get a thousand stories every day about everything and that that's what drives the excitement and the fandom of the game.

It's not like people show up to a Lakers game and everyone's a diehard basketball fan, knowing all the players know people just like to be entertained. Right. And so if you know you know the story of, you know, whatever play, not even LeBron James because he's the best, but, you know, like a Jovel, McGee or whatever any of these other players like, you just know so much more about them. You get hooked in the storyline and then all of a sudden you're in the Olympics.

Did a great job of that. Right.

That Roone Arledge thing go on with the Olympics does a great job, but they always do like, you know, I got into football.

I'm a Liverpool supporter because my running partner, Champix, we started watching Champions League and he would say this like sort of eight years ago, and he started saying, oh, this guy's great because he came over. He used to play with this other manager and he started telling me the story I need that these guys were playing.

And once I got into that, once that clicked and I was like. You're going to be used to be the manager at Barisha Dortmund, he won there and then he came to thing and I'm like, you're in? Yeah, the stores are a lot more like four for me. I know you wouldn't know it by looking at me or knowing me that I'm not that huge of a sports follower. Who was Michael Jordan?

Who's Michael Jordan? I was the best basketball player. He's the last dancer. The last dancer. And so but like. Well, that's hilarious. It's got the answer in the title. I must watch it. So I know. So, Scottie, Scotty. So no, but to Will's point, I find those stories fascinating.

Like those documentaries, like about the athlete stories. Sure. The games are interesting to watch and fun to watch.

I don't do deep dives in the statistics of sports, whatever, but I agree with you that people's stories are what fascinate most people. The story behind the story.

Megan, are you too young to remember indoor soccer kind of, yeah, I mean, I know it a little bit, but yeah, I like that myself and I are both too young to know that.

I don't know what happened to that, but it is awesome. I mean, you basically play it inside a hockey ring and you put like Astroturf down on the ice hockey. Soccer, it's just bananas.

I remember arena football that's still around. No arena football is gone.

So I want to ask you the question is usually what Sean asked, but I'm going to ask him because he has it, which is what do you what are you we're not letting him get in there.

I'm not going to let him.

I just want to hang out with you and Sue and me and. Well, me too. So what do you guys do when you hang out? What is your favorite thing to do it?

But everybody wants to know, what do you what do you guys do? What do you actually do when you actually do hats, anything?

No, no pets. I mean, I can't even keep a plant alive. It would it's just like, well, travel so much.

And then, like, a lot of my friends and teammates have pets and I'm like, you're just dropping money into the boarding of the animals in the day care situation.

You don't have to spend a ton of time working out, do you? I bet you don't.

Yeah, we work out a lot, but that's only like a few hours a day. And they are our hobby really is we're pretty big foodies. So, you know, being in Seattle and we spend a lot of time in New York, that's like my idea of a, you know, what do you want to do? Or like what's your ideal night? Like a just a really good pre cocktail. If I'm feeling really feisty, I might start with a Manhattan, but I can only have one because those things are like that.

And then just like a really good dinner and then, you know, the unnecessary stop after dinner, which you never need and you always think that's the smoking grass part something.

Listen to the listening to the rock and roll. You kids.

Yeah, she likes to smoke a lot of grass. I used to. I can't do it anymore. But you laugh too because I laugh.

I laugh all the time. I'm the easiest audience. So does Rapino make Rapini?

You know, I don't like broccoli very much. Campiness good though. Yeah. And I definitely will drink Pinot Noir till the day I die. So yeah. You snuck in there that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We work out but that's only a few hours a day and then you moved like. So can we back up to that.

Yeah. What does one do to work out when you're a top athlete. What do you have to do to maintain that much.

Yeah well I mean I start out with an and sorry again for Reagan. Did you know not not for you. So what are you guys doing to is it just basic cardio or are you guys, you know, pushing weight?

And, you know, we're not pushing a lot of weight. We're more like the we do a lot of Pilates, actually.

I think as you get older, you need to do a little less, but do it a lot smarter than me. So a lot of palletize, a lot of like strengthening of the little muscles, the stretching. We definitely lift weights, but it's more body weight or kind of lighter weight.

Will, what are you going to blast today's today back. And guys, I did well, you know, smart ass. Here's what I did. I did a lot of stretch. I did some neuromuscular trigger point therapy, OK, today for my hips, which is because as you get older, a lot of rubber stuff I do with the spiky ball.

I do a lot of little muscle kind of stuff like that. And I'm getting into I'm fifty.

OK, tell your body, though, that you're working out a bunch, would you? Yeah. Yeah.

Well, Megan, we've taken way too much of your time. This has been so frickin cool. Whatever you want to do, if you're running for any kind of office, whatever you're doing, you've got at least me.

And I think these two guys, as we're sure you're going to announce it here, please announce it here.

Yeah, we will do anything that you ask us to do. You're just so cool.

And thank you for taking the time. It just so much success in everything you do.

Not that you need our good tidings, but you got them and. Yeah. Thank you so much.

It was an honor to have you on the show. Thank you for doing this. Yeah.

I always wanted to meet you so it was really fun for me.

Oh you guys are too sweet. Too sweet. We'll have to do this again. Yes. I announced my presidency run. Yeah. Can't wait. Perfect.

All right. Well, let's figure out with the. Oh, Meghan Rapino. Oh, man. No. Good bye.

Thank you. Thank you. What a rad human being, right?

I really I was so shocked when I was so surprised genuinely when you brought her on, because I really am a fan and what a voice she is not only in sports, but just in the world.

And yeah. And I just hope she keeps that momentum going. In other words, like keeps her pulpit, bully pulpit in front of her, you know, like once when soccer goes away, I'd love for her to still have some sort of high profile position like politics so that she can keep I think she will.

Charging forward with stuff. Yeah. I don't think that when she retires, that's not going to be the last you hear of Megan Rapinoe. She she even knows it about herself, which was really cool when she said, I think there are certain people and certain personalities who that happens to. You know, that she's got a sort of a bigger than life persona. She knows what's right and what's wrong. And she's outspoken and she's got that voice and she's got that swagger and all of that shit.

It's just dope. Yeah. And I say that, know, the kids are saying it for sure. They don't say it anymore. Jason don't. They don't. While they're smoking their grass, they're not like, oh, that grass is dope.

No, no. She's inspirational and so good for young women. Young men.

Yeah. I want my I want my boys to listen to her, you know. Yeah. Anybody. We'll get them a subscription to Smart Lists. I should write. It's expensive but worth it. It's worth it. I hope we have her back again when she wins the next World Cup once the next big competition for them, World Cup hasn't come around for another year.

I think she's for a year's World Cup is. So I guess the Olympics, Tokyo, which was supposed to be this year. Yeah. And they got. So it'll be next summer. Yup, they'll be.

Let's go to Tokyo. That would be so fun. And we'll do we'll do smart lists from Tokyo. You heard it here first, but.

Well that was super exciting for me because I've always wanted to just even meet her, let alone talk to her. That was great.

That was amazing. Great episode, right? How cool was she? Great. Very, very well done. Very, very cool. Ah, cool. Factor's gone up a little bit more. Thank you.

Finally. Thank you. That's what it took. Nice going. Hey Jason.

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