Spitting and Sportsmanship: NFL Week 1 Look Back and Anne in Vegas

Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast. Today’s episode is called Spitting and Sportsmanship: NFL Week 1 Look Back, Anne’s in Vegas, and a Los Angeles Staycation. We’re recording on Mon Sept 8, 2025. Anne, you’re fresh off the drive back from Vegas…

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What Happened in NFL Week 1?

  1. Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter spit on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Carter was ejected from the game. 
  • Anne, does sportsmanship matter in professional sports? 
  • Bad sports: Trump, Caitlin Clark, Draymond Green, Luka Doncic
  • As a coach, I encourage good sportsmanship, including not rubbing the opponent’s nose in their loss. Why does this matter?
  • At least in the WNBA, the athletes most of the time allow an opponent to help them up.  
  1. Aaron Rogers threw 4 TD passes and he beat his old team the NY Jets. The Steelers ceiling is probably higher, right? 
  2. The Chargers upset the Chiefs in Brazil. Is it possible the Chiefs are average, that the Chargers can win the division? 
  3. Pete Carroll and the Raiders beat the Patriots in Foxboro. 
  4. The Colts rolled! 
  1. I kept texting you that Daniel Jones has scored on every drive he has ever led for the Colts. They had zero punts! 
  2. I thought Jones’ accuracy was a big difference for the Colts.
  3. Incredible Ravens vs. Bills game. 
  1. The Ravens led by 15 with about 6 mins to go. They had a fumble. They were stopped. 
  2. For the second time of the week, I watched a field goal unit rush onto the field and execute a kick perfectly. (Chiefs did it at halftime) 
  3. Panthers looked bad again. Off target passing. Brice Young turnovers. 

Bets for First Sunday of NFL Season: 

  • About 70% the way through the day it looked like a pretty hard fall from a good streak of gambling, but by the time I went to bed it was an excellent day. 
  1. 1-0 WIN. Steelers Moneyline, Rogers 1 TD, and Rogers 150 yards passing. No sweat token. 
  2. 2-0. Won. Bills Moneyline with a 50% profit boost. 
  3. 3-0. Win. Parlay Josh Allen and Derek Henry rushing TDs + Josh Allen 175 yards. 
  4. 3-1. LOSS. Panthers Moneyline with a 100% profit boost. 
  5. 4-1. WIN. Picked the Broncos to win in my Draft Kings Survivor Pool #1. 
  6. 5-1. WIN. Picked the Rams to win in my Draft Kings Survivor Pool #2. 
  7. 5-2. LOSS. Fever moneyline over Sparks. Mitchell to score 20. 
  8. 5-3. LOSS. Sparks Moneyline, Bueckers 15+, Plum 15+ using a bonus bet  
  9. 6-3. WIN Chicago within 18.5 and Cardoso with 12 rebounds. 

Week 2 Look Ahead: 

  1. We get Anne’s Super Bowl pick Green Bay hosting Washington. 
  2. Seattle at Pittsburgh. I think the Steelers fans will get pretty fired up pretty fast. Pittsburgh ceiling seems higher because they can now score. 
  3. Denver at the Colts. If the Colts handle this, might be time to start getting excited. 
  4. Philly at Kansas City. Whew, Kansas City could go to 0-2. 
  5. Monday night late LA Chargers at Vegas for two teams that got off to a good start. 

Anne, what’s on tap for the LA staycation? 

Click here for WNBA standings. 

Thanks for checking out this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast!

The Last Time We Danced, Worst Days, and the End of Consciousness from the Ted Lasso episode “Beard After Hours”

It’s the last time we danced, thoughts on the end of our consciousness, some of our worst days, and before it gets too somber, fields or courts we’d most like to mess around on for this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast. It’s all inspired by the Ted Lasso episode from season two, “Beard After Hours.”

Beard After Hours Summary and Discussion Questions:

  • This episode is so far from the plot that they actually show us the end of the previous episode where Beard is going to go out and blow off steam after the blowout loss to Manchester City.
  • What do you make of the full moon?
  • What are your London experiences?
  • The football pundits on television address Beard directly. What do you make of that?
  • Nice transition he slams down beer #1 and Mae sets down beer #2 in the pub. Beard told Jane he loved her and she did not say it back.
  • Jane texts beard to come find her. I don’t remember a show with more texting and phone screens in it than this.
  • The three football fans come over: Baz, Jeremy, and Paul. I thought you needed a hug. Anne, do you ever need a hug? They ask three questions: (1) Been to Vegas (2) What’s Ted like? (3) How do you cope knowing consciousness can end in a second? As Beard finishes his answer that it’s all a simulation, there are probably close to 20 beer glasses on the table. We’ll give him 6 and say he’s had 7 on the night.
  • What counts as a date for you? I go with Say Anything: pre-arrangement with a chance for love.
  • They go to Bones and Honey, evidently a reference to London’s Milk and Honey click here. They have kind of a Good Will Hunting scene like when Ben and Matt go to the bar near Harvard. If we were going to remix favorite scenes from TV and film and make a show episode, what would we do? Paul hilarious singing Cher: Would you believe they did such a thing? Why does Mae have all those clothes under the bar? They get in by telling the hostess her flat is on fire.
  • If you could be anywhere, where would you want to be?
  • Beard knows so much about Oxford that he convinces the men they meet they studies at Oxford.
  • Beard keeps making eye contact with a girl in a red dress. He says he learned about Oxford because he listens more than he talks. He does, right?!!!
  • Beard goes into a private room with old TVs in it. He’s drinking at least beer #8. All the TVs are showing the game, then the commentators come on and talk about him again. Beard is thrown out. The woman is out there in the alley. She offers to fix his trousers. She keeps people’s pants and says the rack of trousers is like her memoir. Beard is having trouble hanging on to his keys. Beard says, “In all my happiest memories, I’m single.” Is that love, or do I just have a problem? Woman’s man calls. He seems like a different iteration of Roy.
  • Beard jumps into a garbage bin. The man chases him. He gets on a bus. He has lost his wallet. The man at the hotel won’t let Beard use any phones.
  • Beard runs into Jamie Tartt’s dad and his buddies who have been drinking after the game. Mr. Tartt has a bandage on his eye from what beard did to him before. I had a lesson in fighting three people: try to just fight one at a time attacking to the side. LOL. Tartt picks up a pipe. Jeez. The red dress girl’s (Mary) man arrives and saves Beard.
  • Cheers. Should we start saying that? Or, you be lucky, yah? Beatles song.
  • Jane does love him. The three fans pull up in a limo.
  • Beard sends the guys somewhere and tells them to tell Renee that Beard said it is okay.
  • He brakes his key off in the door. It’s a longggg day. Reminds me of the time I saw the 76ers guard in Indy. Worst days you can remember…Maui, drive home from dad’s funeral
  • Beard prays about Jane. The people in the stain glass appear to be crying because of the rain. Does this episode say anything about love or relationships Turns out he’s in the club.
  • The fans go to the address. Where did you think they were? Have you been on important fields or courts? Market Square Arena, Madison Square Garden, Hinkle, Hoosier Gym. Beard has sent them to Nelson Road, home pitch of Richmond. Queen’s We are the Champions. If you could go onto a field or court, what would it be? I think golf at Augusta for me. Maybe 3v3 at MSG. Fenway.
  • Beards finds himself in a club and dances alone. Dances to “Hello” by Martin Solveig and Dragonette. Last time you danced? Have I danced since I got married 20 years ago? Jane is there! Beard hula hoops.
  • What’s your take on Jane and Beard? I feel happy for Jane and Beard at the end of this.
  • Beard brings the coffee to the coaches in the morning. Ted plays the video from the match over the music to Benny Hill.
  • #WeAreRichmond

NFL Conference Championships Discussion:

  • Washington vs. Philly
  • Buffalo vs. KC

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast!