Tag: apple-tv

The Highs and Lows of Sports, NBA Playoffs, and Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 10

We talk the highs and lows of sports, the NBA Playoffs, and Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 10 on this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast.

Some of my lows in sports:

  1. Loss to Wabash as the coach at North Miami in the sectional semi final when I was at North Miami.
  2. A loss to Winamac when I coached at North Miami.
  3. Back to back threes against top ranked Illinois Wesleyan as a player in the first half and didn’t get to play in the second half. Lots of really dark days walking to the ONU cafeteria after not playing for Olivet.
  4. Dad camera man yelling at me across the court as I coached a travel league game. Lots of travel ball coaching lows.

High Moments in Sports:

  1. Shot by Jason Yocum to win for North Miami at Culver Military at the buzzer.
  2. 2003 boys state championship as an assistant coach at Vance High School
  3. Bailey Taft three on a baseline out of bounds play with a few seconds to go to coaching at Greenwood to beat Decatur Central.
  4. Come from behind win for Watauga over North Wilkes, whose only regular season loss was to us and then they lost in the state championship.
  5. Another come from behind win for Watauga 50-38 over Myers Park to advance to the NC final four.

Question for discussion: Rebecca asks the owners how much money they really need? Some of the impacts of money on games:

  1. The length of the NBA season, the games, and the best of 7 playoff games.
  2. The NFL (for example the Colts) August 9th first preseason to the last week of January playing once a week, something like 20 weeks before the playoffs. Super Bowl Feb 8th adding another 4 weeks. (25-ish weeks)
  3. NBA: Pacers October 8 preseason to April 13 last game. (26-ish weeks) with NBA Finals starting June 8 lasting through the 22nd. (8 more weeks) So two months longer.
  4. Could the NBA close the gap popularity wise playing 50 games and shortening the playoffs? How much money does anyone really need?
  5. Hope the W can avoid thinking they need to have all best of 7 series and 82 games.

Is there still a David to Goliath in sports?

  1. For me in basketball, the conference winners who receive automatic bids in NCAA give us that a little bit.
  2. Do I care how much more difficult it is for App State to compete with North Carolina in football and basketball?
  3. Regional over National Conferences.
  4. 8 classes in NC basketball.

I was emotionally touched a couple of times in this episode of Ted Lasso. I want to try and analyze the writing and acting. How do shows and film move us emotionally? To help, what moved me in this episode:

  1. Jaimie’s gift to Roy at the Uncle’s Day Party. Realization of best friends. The thoughtfulness of the gift.
  2. Rebecca’s story to the owners about Rupert sneaking in, how much the teams means to the fans.
  3. Ms. Bowen tells Roy he looks unstuck.
  4. Jamie wears Sam’s number for international play.
  5. Nate’s dad tells him he’s brilliant.

Akufo’s argument about phones and cars mine for AI. Where are the flaws in that?

Notes for Ted lasso Season 3, Episode 10: International Break

  • Richmond 10 game winning streak. Sam.
  • Nate resigns. International break.
  • Ted comes in after win and they announce international teams. Coach says we all contain multitudes. What multitudes?
  • Dani Rojas morphs into a different player. Sam is stiffed. “I am not your bro.”
  • What do you think of Nathan resigning?
  • Higgins comes in. Edwin Akufu back in town. Is this Super League a thing? College football? David’s could cease to exist all together. Rupert is “The Devil” on Rebecca’s phone.
  • Jade is going to Poland for a few days. Nate ends up going to his parents house.
  • Can I make a list of best scenes?
  • Keeley has her funding pulled at KJPR.
  • How did you like Dani as a hard butt? crushes Van Damme’s chips in the bag.
  • Beard calls Nate the Wonder Turd. Where are you at with Karma? Beard would say, Hey Annie Baby!!!
  • Why did we get this moment with Sam and Rebecca with her saying she thinks he’s wonderful?
  • Rupert waiting in Rebecca’s office for her. Akufo
  • Love the Uncle’s Day Party! Phoebe invites Roy’s best friend Jamie to the party. Where is Phoebe’s dad? Emotional scene because it’s perfect and thoughtful. Phoebe gives Roy a tie dyed shirt.
  • Akufu books a bunch of fake reservations. Brings a food blogger from the NY Times. Akufu can do a lot of voices. He paid off the Nigerian government to keep Sam off the team. LOL: Francis does the pull his hand shake. Slug bugs… Hurts Donut.
  • What is a Chicago style hot dog?
  • Nate can’t sleep and goes to his parents’ house. Nate’s mom just wants him to eat.
  • Rebecca and Higgins. What happened to the kids in Willy Wonka?
  • Keeley drinking in the pub. Has a little talk with Mae. The Midas shits. Shit helps things grow, Love. It’s hard though, being the boss?
  • Once you make it to the top of the mountain, what’s left for you but lighting? (what does that mean?)
  • Team watches international play. Dani kicks a ball into Van Damme’s nose on purpose. Rebecca: we get the matchbook, we get the toy soldier. Touching: Rebecca does her little girl puffing herself up thing. Women working in a men’s workplace. Finally imagines them as little boys.
  • Keeley buys a snow globe for Barbara.
  • Ms. Leann Bowen the teacher. She says Roy looks different. He looks lighter. Less stuck. Emotional moment. I don’t mind cleaning up a mess. I just hope that mess didn’t cause too much damage. Roy thinks of Keeley.
  • Barbara says she likes clothes that tell the truth. Juicy.
  • Top 5 or 10 scene of the whole show? Rebecca speech at the Akufo meeting.
  • “Never talk business on an empty stomach.” Chicago style hot dogs as enjoyed by the likes of Scottie Pippen, MJ, and Obama: Place hot dog in steamed bun. Pile on toppings in this order: mustard, relish, onion, tomato, pickle, peppers, and celery salt. The tomato wedges should be nestled between hot dog and top of bun on one side. Place pickle between hot dog and bottom of bun on the other side.
  • Montage of Nate looking through his childhood things.
  • Akufo kicks out the Russian. Pull the door joke.
  • Nate plays the violin and it’s the background. Beautiful song. He’s really playing the violin and it was his childhood violin. Nick’s insta: OK so this ep of #TedLasso is special for lots of reasons… but mostly because it’s my *incredible* wife playing the piano to Arvo Pärt’s ‘Spiegel im Spiegel’ with me on my old violin from home! The piece was Jason’s idea: literally translates as ‘mirror in mirror’
  • Rebecca: how much more money do you really need. Football isn’t just a game. Jamie wears Sam’s number. Christmas morning the next. Tells a story about Rupert from when he was different. Just because we own these teams doesn’t mean they belong to us. Have I lost access to that part of myself? Akufo loses it, as he has been doing.
  • Nate and his dad have a talk. He believes Nate is a genius. You’re brilliant son. Actor has tears in his eyes. I just want my son to be happy. What makes Nate happy? What should Nate do?
  • Rupert leans in to kiss Rebecca.
  • Roy goes to see Keeley. He has written her a tiny letter. “I was stuck. Stuck in my own shit.” I’m so sorry. I love you. Golden Star song plays.
  • Rebecca comes to see Keeley. You Keeley Jones are a bloody marvel. My money, my choice. Rebecca will fund Keeley. Keeley has slept with Roy.
  • Nate gets in and does the locker room. He leaves an apology note for Will.
  • Barbara comes back! “Done did me no good” songs plays.
  • Team is back together in the locker room.
  • Top moments in sports history.
  • Roy is going to tie dye shirts. Trent wears a Dolly Parton shirt and has a rainbow mug.
  • David Hockney.
  • Rebecca spits on Ted. Make a stand, before you fall. play football.

Unanswerable Questions, Where the Time Goes, and Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 5

It’s unanswerable questions, pie charts of our time spent, and Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 5 on this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast..

If you put your energy into the things you love, the universe puts its energy back into you. -Zava

Anne, I’m coming off watching UConn hammer South Carolina. You’re coming off a big Fortnite win!

In the show Ted Lasso, the great footballer Zava says this: if you put your energy into the things you love, the universe puts its energy back into you. Anne, after I heard that, I wanted to reflect on where I put my energy.

With the help of Microsoft Co-Pilot, I created a pie chart that shows how I spend my time (is this the same as energy?) each 24 hour day.

What were my observations in trying to put together that chart?

  1. Dividing up time might be missing what Zava was after. Putting your energy into something isn’t the same as it’s how you spend your time. I can cut the grass but even on the mower, my energy might be somewhere else.
  2. I was struck by the seasonal and day to day differences in my life. I think especially coaching but also just teaching provide more variety than are in some lives, maybe I’m just thinking of your life, Anne.

Season 3, Episode 5 titled “Signs.”

  • We open with Richmond going 7 weeks without a victory. Coaches office. Roy points to the problem that makes sense most to me. Watching Zava. Rebecca comes in. Still on the edge.
  • Rebecca in a coffee shop. Has her server take that match book. Nice job by the show keeping the narrative thread. Rebecca runs into that guy she dumped. Ring a ding, ding: wedding calling! Saw Hamilton and then, LOL, that guy tells another of his boring stories. I forgot what, Shite in Nining Armor is. The fiance said it by mistake.
  • Jack, Keeley, and Barbara meet in Keeley’s office about more clients. Makes me think a bit of Jerry McGuire conversation. Jerry wanted less clients. Shandy keeps it going. Jack gives Keeley the words to fire Shandy. I find compliment sandwiches insulting. But do I do it? Or if you make it well, does it work? The worst people often think they are the best. Jack’s dad calls it, talent dysmorphia.
  • Coaches office. Trent has an idea. Funny from Ted about the documentarians who won’t intervene. Henry bullying incident at school. Beard and Roy are ready to go.
  • Higgins comes to see Rebecca. He thinks a coaching change might be in order. Rebecca changes the subject and asks Higgins if he believes in psychics. Higgins: the universe is full of things we can’t explain. (fingernails)

I asked Anne for 3-5 unanswerable questions. Here is what I came up with:

  1. Are there intelligent beings not from earth?
  2. Is space infinite? How does that work?

I only came up with two so I asked Microsoft Co-Pilot for a 3rd funny one. Here it is:

If a tomato is a fruit, does that make ketchup a smoothie?

  • Nate calls his mom to practice before calling Anastasia?
  • Shandy gets the firm fired by a client. Keeley fires Shandy. Funny that I felt some Jerry McGuire earlier, because Shandy out of Keeley’s office exactly the scene when Jerry gets fired.
  • Rebecca goes to see the doctor about fertility. No emergency contact. Everyone talks to her about the team. She asks if she can have children. She wants a baby.
  • Team in the weight room. Get some rest. No video games unless it’s Animal Crossing. Zava: You will not win because of me. You will win because you work together.
  • Ted in his apartment. His ex Michelle calls. Ted finds out Henry did the bullying.
  • One of Keeley’s employees, Dan, attempts a joke of quitting. It’s a good sign! Jack goes to Richmond game with Keeley.
  • Zava doesn’t show.
  • Shandy leaves a lamb on a table that keeps pooping.
  • Nate takes Anastasia to dinner. Manager comes out and is so excited to see them both. Jane snickers at something Nate says.
  • Ted says about Zava, “Maybe he’s dead.” Made me laugh.
  • Date not going well. Nate gives a nice speech on what makes it special. Anastasia leaves him.
  • Richmond loses 4-0. Zava retiring. Looks like Doc gives bad news. Keeley says her break up still hurts. Keeley kisses Jack. She kisses her back. Another ill advised relationship.
  • Jade joins Nate. Is it wrong to think maybe she can get him going the right way?
  • Henry calls. If you’re angry, count to ten. If that doesn’t work, do it again. Hip hop song The Message.
  • Ted deals with panic attack successfully.
  • Ted rips the sign. Belief doesn’t just happen because you hang a sign up on the wall. Ted lists envy, fear, shame. You know what I want to mess around with? The belief that I matter. The belief that we all deserve to be loved. The belief of hope. Nice montage! Believe that things can get better, that I can get better. Can’t nobody rip that apart.
  • Jamie tells Roy he’ll see him in the morning. Last shot of the episode is of the ripped BELIEVE sign.

Anne’s off to London!

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

Iconic Sports Venues, Wrightsville Beach, and Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 3

Dear Readers and Listeners,

We had snow on Thursday. Late March snow! This weekend we Torgs went to Wilmington, North Carolina to watch Kate Sears play in the Carolinas Classic All Start game that features North Carolina versus South Carolina. We stayed at a Holiday Inn on Wrightsville Beach that we recommend. I went from scraping the car of ice to getting a little sunburn that afternoon at the beach. Wilmington made a good impression on us. My daughter Charlotte drove down from college to spend the night with us and go to the game. Then she came all the way back to Boone for a night. Charlotte, my daughter Izzy, and I got a workout in at App State before she headed back to college.

My men’s NCAA Bracket took big hits with St. John’s, who I picked to win it all, and North Carolina, who I picked to go to the Final Four, both losing. In the women’s bracket I picked UConn to beat South Carolina in the final. Next weekend, we’ve got the Watauga Women’s Basketball team banquet!

Thank you so much for checking out the podcast and the content on the site!

Best,

Torg

Podcast Notes:

Introduction to be read to open the podcast:

  • Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast! This week we’re doing iconic sports venues, I’m going to talk about our trip to Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, and we’re doing Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 3 in which the Zava starts playing with Richmond. Anne, I added a new feature to podcast. I wrote everyone a letter. Do you think anyone will visit the Torg.com to check it out?

Anne and Bill Life Snapshots:

Anne, give us a snapshot of life for you in LA:

Bill Snapshot:

  1. Went to Wilmington, NC: what the beach is like, the hotel, the game, Charlotte came
  2. Really bad Kentucky Fried Chicken stop on the way home.
  3. NCAA tournament time: Men’s bracket: SJU and NC lose.
  4. Women’s bracket: UConn over South Carolina was my pick.
  5. Banquet is next week. Our sports banquets.

In the show Ted Lasso, the football team is Richmond. They are the Greyhounds, and their home pitch is the Dog Track. I thought that was a pretty good name. It made me want to ask you, what comes to mind when you think of iconic sports venues, either the name and/or the venue itself.

  1. Madison Square Garden
  2. Augusta National
  3. Fenway Park
  4. Hinkle Fieldhouse
  5. Wimbleton (Southwest London)
  6. Wrigley Field
  7. Cameron Indoor
  8. Lambeau Field
  9. Boston Garden
  10. Yankee Stadium
  11. Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 3 titled “4-5-1”

Lots of storylines loaded up in this episode:

  1. Zava comes to the team. Lots of time passes and there’s a winning streak. Richmond–with Lasso, Rebecca and Zava–seem to be on a collision course with Nate the Great and Rupert. Zava doesn’t seem like Rodman anymore. Now I’m thinking James Hardin, Kawhi, Kyrie, Jimmy Butler. Who are the greats who probably live within the team with very different rules?
  2. Jamie struggles with all of the attention Zava is getting. Roy offers to train him. Anne, anything worth getting up for at 4am? When have you been that motivated, sports or other?
  3. We continue with the Collin story of being secretly gay and the last shot of the episode is Trent Crimm, the writer, seeing Collin kiss his boyfriend. What’s Trent to do here? Where is this headed?
  4. Rebecca sees her mom’s psychic who has a vision of a green matchbook and Rebecca having a family. At the end, Sam hands her a green matchbook. What do you make of that?
  5. Ted finds out that his ex-wife is now dating their marriage counselor.
  • Collin in bed. “Your body is temple.” “I know who Zava is.” boyfriend is off to Dubai. “I am a strong and capable man.” Runs into the trash cans. Restarted the intro.
  • Coaches, who do they sit? Who gets moved out of the front? Jamie or Dani? One of the tricky parts of coaching. Starters. What spot? They do all time favorite Julie Andrews characters. Love lists. Not our wheelhouse Anne.
  • Jaimie comes in. Special treatment with big locker and comfy chair. Full house to watch practice. Zava not showing.
  • Shandy still involved. Higgins has a name ready in case he ever DJ’d: damage control. Higgins:
  • Zava meeting Ted: I am an empty vessel, filled with gold. I am your rock. Mold me. Nose to nose with Higgins.
  • Zava wears a white tee shirt with a sun on it. Fancy looking only members only jacket. Zava worked as a kit man at 11. Breath with me. Everyone joins. Zava can exhale for a very long time. “We are now one.” There is no me. There is no you. There is only “the we.” and “the us.”
  • Zava goes in the coaches’ office. Trent is there is his orange tee shirt. He moves the players around on the white board, bunches everyone on defense and himself on offense.
  • Rebecca goes to visit the psychic Tish. Awkward white Russian joke and then Tish made two.
  • Tish, the psychic, says to embrace the flaws and imperfections and in doing so create something stronger. They place their hands on the bowl. Psychic sees a green matchbook. She sees a vision of Rebecca upside down and she’s drenched. What do you think Rebecca’s reasoning for seeing a psychic would be? “You will have a family. You’re going to be a mother.” Hits Rebecca hard and she calls her cruel.
  • Ted asks Roy for the Wordle word. He gives him the wrong one.
  • Jamie comes in to talk to Ted about Zava. Beard calls him ironic. Jamie corrects him and says he’s being hypocritical. Do you want to take on Zava? (Durant, Hardin, Kyrie, Kawhi,
  • Pregame speech: Collin out for Zava. He keeps rolling with, “I am a strong and capable man.” All the while Zava meditating. Reminds me of the character that prays in Hoosiers. “I am ready.” We say that in our visualization.
  • Ted calls. Gets a Trump impression from Dr. Jacob. Pretty good impression. Ted finds out Jacob is around the house. (I did check Charlotte’s team’s score as I went in to talk to team vs. Lake Norman).
  • Ted faces panic attack. Zava scores off the opening pass back.
  • 32.23 field.
  • Richmond climbs in the standings, from something like 17 to 9th. Brings new wave zen approach to the team. Ted checks out what Jacob is doing.
  • Rebecca is checking out matchbooks in her house. What is going on?
  • Jamie hasn’t scored.
  • In professional sports, is it only winning or is there a line? Actually, there really isn’t a problem with this winning and the team seems on board.
  • 36:04. good image.
  • Looks like West Ham with Nate the Great and Rupert are on a collision course with Coach Lasso, Zava, and Rebecca.
  • Zava has muscles.
  • Sam opens his restaurant. It brings a lot of the main characters together. Sassy comes. Ted kind of wallowing in it. Jane arrives. Jamie wallowing in it too.
  • Roy offers to train Jamie. Starts the next morning at 4AM.
  • Shandy eyes Zava. Keeley eyes Roy. Rebecca eyes Sam.
  • Keeley: there are better things ahead than anything we leave behind.
  • Sam hands Rebecca a green match box.
  • Trent sees Collin kissing his boyfriend.

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

The Rewards of Playing Sports, A Diva Athlete List, and Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 2

On this episode we discuss the Rewards of Playing Sports, Wild Card Athletes, and Season 3, Episode 2 of Ted Lasso. It’s the episode where Roy returns to Chelsea and Coach Lasso’s team goes after the mercurial fictional football legend, Zava.

For me, I took note that St. John’s won the Big East tournament since 2000, it’s NCAA selection Sunday. I have so far failed to pump the water out of the pond in my driveway caused by the blocked culvert, Season 3, Episode 2: (I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea

  • The episode opens with a song from Pomplamoose. It’s a song that combines Lizzo’s “Good as Hell” and Bill Wither’s “Lovely Day.” Click here for info.
  • The first big news is that Trent Crimm is going to follow the team and write a book. This makes me think of John Feinstein, who passed away last week and wrote A Season on the Brink. Compare and contrast what Crimm might come up with compared to the book Feinstein wrote.
  • We get the news that a fantastic but maybe wild card, mercurial player is leaving his team. His name is Zava. Anne, I think you knew right away who the player was based on.
  • There is a lot in this episode related to luck or jinxes. We’re got mention of a psychic. Rebecca says Higgins jinxes it when he says there is nothing Rupert can do to get Zava. Ted wishes at 11:11 and so does Danny. I have never heard of that. In the pub, Mae tells the “boys” that their hats are bad luck. Would you say you are superstitious?

If Zava is a wild card athlete, what’s your list of wildest card athletes?

  1. Dennis Rodman – Did wrestling during the NBA finals. Tats. Wedding dress.
  2. John Daly, golfer. Pants. Smoking. What he ate and drank. Anger. Gambling.
  3. Mike Tyson. Biting off an ear.
  4. Ron “Meta” Artest.
  5. Terrell Owens. Sit ups in his driveway while holding out
  6. Lance Stephenson blowing in LeBron’s ear
  7. Chris Andersen “The Birdman” for The Heat. Mohawk and colorful tattoo.

Keeley is up for Zava because he has 50 million Instagram followers. I’ve got the top 10 people with the most Instagram followers. Want to take some guesses? Three strikes and you’re out?

Let’s see how many of the top 10 people with the most Instagram Followers:

  • Keeley and Roy have broken up. It becomes a thing that everyone knows Roy is the one who did it and everyone seems to think it was a big mistake.
  • Anne, Roy and Jamie are teammates. Any guidelines from you about whether Jamie can ask her out?
  • Keeley hires her friend Shandy Fine. Her CFO Barbara doesn’t like it. What do you think Barbara’s deal is?
  • Barbara collects snow globes of the places she’s been. Anne, would you say you collect anything?

What movies featured what could have been stalking but it wasn’t because the interest was reciprocated?

  1. Say Anything – the boom box
  2. Sixteen Candles – Michael Anthony hall the bus, the dance
  3. Sleepless and Seattle – she hears him on the radio
  • Roy and Trent make peace. Roy rips up the article. I thought that end scene was the best of the show. What was it like being back at Chelsea? Roy says it felt sad. Roy can’t enjoy himself. I guess that’s not who I am. Ted: Not yet.
  • Trent says sport is quite the metaphor. Ted says it’s a heck of a nickname too. Anne, what would you say were the rewards of sport?

How would I rank the rewards of my time playing sports?

  1. Go do my job with effort and enthusiasm.
  2. Keep going through failure.
  3. Learning to enjoy the journey.
  4. Ability to handle and use criticism
  • #TorgStories #We are Richmond @tedlasso tweeting

Thank you for checking out this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast!

The Greatest Teams, Blind Dates, and Relationships with Dads

The Greatest Teams, Blind Dates, the Man City Ted Lasso episode, and Relationships with Dads on this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast. Recorded Sunday, January 19, 2025.

Summary and discussion questions for Season 2, Episode 8 of Ted Lasso. The episode was titled “Man City.”

  • We open with Dr. Sharon on a video conference with her therapist. She says Coach Ted Lasso is driving her crazy. It’s clever writing that allows us to hear her evaluation of Ted and herself. Her therapist says Ted isn’t going to make himself vulnerable unless she meets him halfway.
  • Dr. Sharon has a bike wreck.
  • We go to the Coaches office. Ted hasn’t shown up for work. They’ve got maybe the biggest match in the history of the club coming up at Wembley, the FA Cup. Roy leaves too. Beard agrees to let Nate plan training.
  • We start to see more of Jamie’s dad with some weight room texts. We also get the contrast of Sam’s Dad. There’s quite a bit about relationships with Dad. What would you say about your relationship with our dad? How did it work? How did it not work?
  • Rebecca and Sam, who still don’t know they are texting each other in a dating app, make plans to meet. (I haven’t really seen this trope in shows. Have you?)
  • Ted goes to check on Dr. Sharon in the hospital. The doctor thinks they are married. Ted says, “Let me help you out with that sweetheart.” I found this to be one of the funniest (like this example) most emotionally moving (the Roy hug Jamie) episodes of the season.
  • I wish I was keeping track of funniest scenes, best lines, best episode, most emotionally moving moments.
  • Roy needed to go to school for Phoebe. LOL: Phoebe calls classmate an apathetic shart effer. The teacher has a great line: You know the influence you on her. Use it.
  • Ted and Sharon walk home. She left him a bunch of voice notes.
  • Issaac gives a special haircut. Maybe I should call practice training. What if you only have “textual chemistry”?
  • Jamie’s dad planning on coming to Wembley. Higgins in an office. “I try to love my dad for who he is and forgive him for who he isn’t.”
  • Roy in car with Phoebe. Here’s her house. Because of you, I stand up to bullies. Roy goes in for one game of Princess and Dragon.
  • Ted at Sharon’s house. Kind of inspect’s it. “It’s temporary, she says.” What isn’t? Ted responds. Kyrie joke. Get to see Sharon closed up.
  • Rebecca waiting outside the restaurant and not going in. Rebecca and Keeley really good friends. We get the Sam and Rebecca blind date.
Sam and Rebecca go on a blind date
  • Ted calls to check on Sharon. She tells him she was scared about not being able to ride her bike.
  • The team goes to Wembley and Ted tries to recreate the speech from Hoosiers. This is like what they did with the Iverson practice speech. It’s remixed in a really funny way. I did the same last year when we played at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. I even yelled Watauga into the stands like Jamie yelled Richmond.
  • Jamie’s dad wears Man city stuff. Ted breathing exercise. Me too! Ted makes himself vulnerable by telling the staff about his panic attack. Everyone confesses stuff. Do you remember any of the confessions?
  • The announcing before the kickoff is fantastic. Those are real announcers. They refer to Manchester City as one of the great teams of all time. I asked you to name the greatest teams you remember watching. Mine appear below.
  • Nate the great calls the official Mike Dean a name and gets a yellow card. This is a big no no for assistants. The official is a real official and has now moved into working in the replay center. Love how un emotionally he gives the yellow card. Richmond is really routed. This happens. It’s a hard thing to endure and requires some special mental work.
  • Jamie’s dad comes into the locker room and Jamie ends up punching him. It’s a completely humiliating experience and a tough one to apply Higgins’s advice to. Roy hugs Jamie. Beard throws Jamie’s dad out. We’re starting to see that Coach Beard might be a tough guy.
  • Ted is inspired by what he sees Roy do that he goes outside, calls Dr. Sharon and tells her that his dad killed himself when he was 16.
  • Coach Beard essentially tells Ted that he needs to go out and blow off some steam. This sets up the next episode, “Beard After Hours.” This is the episode in addition to the Christmas Special that the writers came up with when Apple ordered two extra episodes. It’s also based somewhat on the actor Brendan Hunt, who plays Beard, his time in Amsterdam.
  • Ted calls out to Beard, “Hey Coach, bird by bird.” This is an allusion to Anne Lamott’s book on writing, Bird by Bird. That line shows me all that is probably there that I don’t see and that they would bring in that book I love is probably a sign that my tastes have great connections to the writers’ tastes.
  • Love what Sam says in his press conference about the loss at Wembley. He’s talking about football and he’s talking to Rebecca. We tried. Did you try? If you try, you can end up losing a lot. Sam gives her his address.

Greatest Teams Ever I Remember:

  1. 1986 Bears Super Bowl Champs: Walter Payton. Mike Singletary. Mike Ditka. Didn’t get Peyton a touchdown in the Super Bowl.
  2. 1986 Boston Celtics: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, and Bill Walton.
  3. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. 72-10. Jordan, Harper, Longley, Pippen, Rodman, Kerr, Kukoc
  4. 2017 and the 2018 Golden State Warriors who repeated as champions: Curry, Thompson, Green, Durant. KD was the 2017 and 2018 Finals MVP. Off ball movement and screening. The shotmaking.
  5. 2007 New England Patriots. 16-0 and lost in the Super Bowl to the Giants. Brady, Moss, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Wes Welker
  6. Honorable mention for me: 1987 Indiana Hoosiers with Knight coaching, Alford, Keith Smart hits the shot, Daryl Thomas, Dean Garrett, Joe Hillman, Ricky Calloway