National Football League

Happy Thanksgiving To The People

Updated Jul. 15, 2021 1:00 p.m. ET

By Charlotte Wilder

Listen, I know there are only two rules of The People’s Podcast. And those are that something has to be either fun or funny if we’re going to talk about it. But I’m going to break protocol for a second, because there’s something Mark and I talked about on the podcast yesterday that felt really important.

So please bear with me through a little earnestness, and then we’ll get back to our regularly scheduled, beautifully idiotic programming.

This year has been really painful and very hard for many people in this country. I’m so sorry to those who’ve lost loved ones and livelihoods. Even if you’re lucky enough not to be directly affected by this pandemic, the loneliness and stress of the past nine months still hasn’t been a light burden.

Mark and I started PSP because we wanted to carve out a space where, even if just for an hour and change each week, we could connect with listeners about the dumbest and most delightful aspects of sports.

Sports are not an escape, but they do give us something to kvetch about and celebrate together. They provide an excuse to talk to a stranger in a bar or a client in the elevator after a meeting – we shouldn’t be at bars right now, so in 2020, sports are wonderful ways to keep the group chats firing on all cylinders and thinking about something besides your own life.

Sports are also one of the few things left that everyone, no matter politics or location, can watch at the same time. They might not necessarily bring us together, but they put us in the same place.

Sports are also not essential. Mark and I realized that this spring when the country – except for jobs that lives depend on – shut down. It was a humbling and important shot of perspective. But when sports came back, it became clear how intensely grateful we are for the joy and connection they bring. And the opportunity to make jokes about them and beam those into your ears is not something we will ever take for granted. Sports might not be life-or-death, but community is.

So is delight.

Delight has been sorely lacking this year. But even in the worst times, it is essential. It’s the light that keeps you going in the darkness, and it’s been a privilege to build a show whose entire existence is based on that premise. We are very thankful to every one of The People who tune in each week, who send us emails (thepeoplessportspodcast@gmail.com!!!), and who keep searching for the silly and the sublime despite all the suffering.

Mark and I hope that you’re able to celebrate in some way this year, but mostly that you’re staying safe. Thanks for reading this sappy love letter to you and to sports. Here’s a chaser of funny to wash away the earnest nature of this entire post.

So, in this week’s pod, you can expect:

Our list of the five sports things we’re grateful for. I’m grateful ...

... that Lou Will leaving the NBA Bubble to get wings at Magic City didn’t result in anyone getting sick and can therefore still be hilarious.

... that a giant metal sword is the Korean Baseball Organization’s Korean Series trophy.

... that I went to Gronk’s Beach Party at the Chiefs Super Bowl, because that was THIS YEAR.

... that we got to meet Steve Wozniaki, Michael Jordan’s security guard, during The Last Dance (grateful for The Last Dance in general).

... that the NFC East is in a complete chaotic free-fall.

Mark is just grateful that college basketball is back. Subscribe to his newsletter. Don’t tell him I said this, but it’s really, really good.

We also discuss who we’d invite to our Thanksgiving table once it’s safe to do so again. Here are the stars of the show, but listen to the whole episode to hear who rounds out the party and our reasoning behind each invite.

CHARLOTTE:

Jeff Fisher
Gritty
Mary Carillo
David Ortiz
Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciapara
Joe Burrow
Gardner Minshew
And more!

MARK:

Brandi Chastain
Brett Favre
Doris Burke
Draymond Green
Marshawn Lynch
Jim Tressel
And more!

We also decided which position each Thanksgiving food would play on the football field (stuffing is obviously the quarterback), but that’s too aggressively dumb to write about, so please just listen to the episode if you’re interested.

Which you should be, in my totally biased opinion!

As always, thank you to The People. Hope this pod either provides an escape from your immediate family or some sense of connection if you can’t be with them today. Couldn’t do this without you, and please, as always, send us emails (thepeoplessportspodcast@gmail.com).