14. Berlin Recap, Breaking News & The New New

0:13I'm Victoria. I'm Giovanna. The game's on. Welcome back to another episode of your favorite football podcast, The Game by the girls for everyone. As you guys know, we've been coming out with one episode a week, but this week we want to do something different for fun. So we are trying out a new format where Tuesdays we'll just be chatting, yapping, things around the league, a lot more of the kind of social side of things. And then on Thursdays, when our normal episodes coming out, we're going to dive a little bit deeper into stats than we've been diving previously because we know there are so many stats loving girls out there and we think it's a really good opportunity to potentially talk to other people about stats and about kind of the more inner workings of the game.

1:02So we're going to try it out this week, next week for a couple of weeks and see how we like it, see how you guys like it and give you a little bit more content to listen to throughout the week without giving you a two and a half hour episode. So we're really excited for the new format. Let us know what you think. And we have an episode coming out on Friday with Taylor Gilmore. She is working on the logistics team for the Super Bowl and for the FIFA World Cup games that are hosted in San Francisco. And she's engaged to a San Francisco 49ers front office recruiter. So super interesting conversation there.

1:38So tune in on Friday for that. And you'll get two other episodes this week, which we are really excited about. Yeah, I think the new format will be exciting. So stay tuned for that. But if you haven't listened to our last episode, Victoria is quite literally jet setting around Europe. I have FOMO. So Victoria went to the Berlin game, Colts versus Falcons, watching this in Dallas on my TV screen. I texted Victoria and I was like, I am jealous. I can't believe you're there. And she was telling me that it felt like a dream. So I can't wait for me to hear about her experience, but for also y 'all to hear about her experience.

2:18So tell me all about it. Okay. It was insane. Cannot recommend it enough. Honestly, it has been the best experience. Like I'm so impressed with the Colts to start on the organization side because they had a fan zone that was in the middle of like three or four bars. They had a stage. They brought out the championship trophy from when the Colts won the Super Bowl. They had players signing autographs. They had places all over the city where you could play games and run drills and catch balls and try field goals. And so that was just super cool. And then they had an NFL shop, which the line was so long for, so long.

3:07But the craziest thing was like the Germans love the NFL, like love, love, love. Like I was honestly shocked and shocked about like everybody that I talked to, like really knows their stuff. And I was like, this is crazy. I met this family on the train and it was a mom and a daughter, maybe 15, 16, and then a dad and they're wearing chiefs jerseys. And I was like, Oh my God, are you, I was like, are you guys from America? And they were like, no, we're from here. We're just huge chiefs fans. They're like, we watch every single game. And I was like, the games are at two o 'clock in the morning. They say, yeah, we wake up to watch the game at two in the morning.

3:42Yeah. And I'm like, I don't think I would do that. Like I watched the Chargers game from two to two 30 last night because I was packing my bag because I had to fly to Paris this morning. So I had to stay up and pack after a long day, but I only watched 15 minutes and then I went to sleep. So yeah, but they like really go hard in the paint. I found a lion's bar, which was crazy. lion's flags big you know when people do like those really chewy like will you marry me i'm really sorry if you have this and you don't think it's tricky but like the giant will you marry me signs yeah yeah so they have like one of those like the like the letters and stuff yes and they like light up yeah yeah so they have one of those it says lions outside the bar they like played games every single night which was so cool so i went in there and like had a beer and like met some people from London that are going to every single game.

4:37So overall, the fans are like really next level. And then the stadium is like, it really did. I feel like I was in a pipe dream. Like I was like, I'm in Berlin. I have a show where I talk about football. I'm going to be able to recap this. Like it was so surreal and so fun. And just like being, I love Europe. like I love Europe and like I love Paris and like Berlin is very similar actually similar vibe to like San Diego I feel like like it's very laid back so okay just like being in Europe and being there and experiencing their culture at the game like maybe you really want to go to a soccer game they call it foosball I learned that from my German guy if you saw my story there's like a guy in it we were dancing at the game and we became like friends while we were there so yeah It was just crazy.

5:34Like the stadium is so different. And I was like, this stadium is so cool. And the guy was like, the stadium is so old. And I was like, it just feels different. Like something about the slope of the seats makes the stadium feel a lot bigger or maybe because it's like pretty much an entire bowl. So I feel like in the NFL, it's not always the entire bowl. Like there's like kind of cutouts, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. And I feel like this was like an entire bowl. and it was filled, absolutely filled, like not an empty seat in there. Maybe there were, I don't know, but it was packed. So that was super cool.

6:11That's what I was curious about. If it was going to be like fully sold out, there was going to be a lot of people. But to your point, I feel like because when there's international games, anybody from any fandom goes to these games just because it's like a once in a lifetime opportunity, which is probably why they're like so packed. Yeah, like all week I saw every single jersey. Like there's not a jersey that I didn't see of like every single team in the NFL. And like people wore Packers jerseys, Dolphins jerseys. Like it didn't matter if you owned an NFL jersey, you were wearing it. Obviously not me.

6:48I had a Colts hat on. But it's definitely not like Falcons Colts. Yeah. It wasn't like Falcons Colts game. Like it would be like in the U.S. People definitely picked teams, but it didn't really matter that much who was playing. And so it's crazy because there's the Miami Commanders game in Spain next week. And I'm like, I don't need to watch that game. I don't care about that game. But it's still probably going to be insane because it's in Madrid and because people of Spain, it's a spectacle. I will say, we got a nice kickoff to Sunday football with this Berlin game. because like on paper, the Colts and the Falcons, I was not excited.

7:34I mean, I was excited because like the Colts have been hot right now, but I was expecting it to be like a decently easy W for the Colts. Yeah. But the fact that we got an overtime game was insane. Yeah. I, okay, personally, I love overtime and I think it's because the Colts are my second team. You know, they're not like my first team that I'm like, okay, we can get overtime. And I'm fit for the drama. Yeah, it's the lines. But for the drama, we can go to overtime. And also I didn't want to leave because I was literally having so much fun. I was like, I don't want to get out of here. And I think since they were my second team, I was like rooting for overtime, but also they were losing and I wanted them to win.

8:17So we needed to go into overtime regardless. Okay. But there's like a couple of things that I have to tell you about the experience that were crazy and so fun. Do tell. Okay. So first of all, there's this German tradition where you, they have a pickle ornament and basically your parent or someone hides the pickle ornament in the tree. And then whoever finds it out of like the kids or whoever's playing the game gets a prize. And I'm telling you this because I was in the beer garden. So basically, I don't know if anybody drives here, but there was a billion people on the train. So you get in on the train and then you walk to the stadium, but between the stadium and the train, there's like some beer gardens.

8:56So I'm in this beer garden, having a beer, setting my fantasy football lineups as one does. And I see this man in a pickle ornament costume. And I'm like, I have to go over to these guys to get a photo for my family because we did this forever. And we're like part German. So I go over and as I'm walking over to ask this guy, like, hey, can I take a picture with you? The guys are like, is that Carly? Is that the Colts owner? Is that the Colts owner? and you were like and I was like I was like me little and I was like me and they knew I wasn't the actual quotes owner obviously but I was like you guys have no idea how big of a compliment that is to me you have no idea that I'm even here just because Carly's here and if Carly wasn't here I probably would not be here so thank you for making my entire life and my entire day no matter what happens next literally so what are the odds like you walk up to somebody because like they're wearing this pickle ornament costume and they call you Carly and you're like stop by talking about her literally every week on my podcast no I know okay and then I met someone one degree away from Carly as in like related like family relations I mean mom and fiance of a Colts player Slay.

10:21I know. So I am, I was really nervous to do interviews because I was on my own. So if you didn't know I'm on this solo. So like I was nervous to do them on my own. I didn't have a tripod. I only have like the sticky thing that goes on the back of your phone with all the little suction cups. And then I had one mic. I didn't bring two mics because I couldn't bring that much stuff. And I had to fit like my portable charger because traveling low, blah, blah, blah, whatever. So I only had room in my bag for one mic. So I'm like, I have one mic instead of two. So like, I can't have one. I have to like pass it to the people as we interview.

10:56Anyway, I'm nervous. And I'm like, you know what, Victoria, like just do at least one because once you do one, you'll feel comfortable and then you can keep, keep going. And so I go up to these women and they look super cute. And I'm like, Hey, like, would you guys be open to me interviewing like the women, there was two men and three women. And the women were like us. And I was like, yeah, I have a podcast. And we, I like came here for the game, but also to like interview some women that are here and gave them like a very brief rundown of what we do. And they were like, yeah. And I was like, what brought you to the game?

11:30And the woman goes, my son's on the Colts. I was like, oh, okay. And you're like, literally, thank you. This is perfect. I know. I was like, what are the odds that like the one group that I end up talking to is the mom and fiance of a player. So the player is Matt Gonclaves or Gonclavis, number 71 offensive lineman on the Colts. It's his first year starting for the Colts and his fiance, Jules, and Jules's mom and Matt's mom. And these people, I will be editing their interview and like putting it up. And then I also was like, Hey, do you think you guys would be opening, like coming on the show?

12:16So we like opened up that conversation for Jules to come on, which I think is so fun, but they were the best people to talk to ever. They were just so nice. They're all from Long Island and my mom's from Long Island. So it was so cool to just like chat with them. And I was like, no way that like, I was nervous. I'm like here alone. We only have, we have like 45 minutes till the game starts. We want to get in early because we want to see all the like procession and everything. And they were the best. So we talked about Long Island. Turns out they're huge Jets fans. I was going to say. So they were huge Jets fans.

12:55And then now everyone's obviously in cool skier and it's only a second year. So they're now like, you know, dual agents, just like I am with the Colts dual agent. But so Jules's dad, his fiance's dad has a Jets grilling Instagram page. And he is what you would imagine a New York football dad to be like, like invites tons of people over to the house. he had the Sistine Chapel painted on his basement ceiling, but with a football. So instead of God giving man life, it's God giving man football.

13:42That is dedication. That is a true fan right there. a like truest of the true fans and i asked like what do you think about like aaron glenn and justin fields right now and we were kind of talking about how the jets suck and he says well listen when you get a headache you don't cut off your whole head so i don't think we need to freak out yet and i was like bet i was like you guys are so freak out jets jets didn't get a win though. I will say, but y 'all need to forget. Yeah. Yeah. So shout out to the whole crew who I interviewed. You guys were the best. It was so fun to chat with you. And I was just like, so great.

14:23And such a blessing that you guys were the ones that I approached and how kind and welcoming you were. And we, we chatted for probably 20 minutes. So it was a really, really nice time. And just so fun to like talk about football, talk about girly things there. They just got engaged. So shout out to you guys. Thanks for chatting with me. It was really like the best little intro into the day. But yeah, speaking of the Jets, I watched the recap without knowing what the final score was. And in my head the whole time, I was like, well, when are the Bears going to score again? So I'm like watching the game and I'm like, I'm watching the highlights and I'm like, I thought this was a close game.

14:58And I get to the end, it's like whatever, two minutes, 36 seconds. And I'm like, oh my God, the Jets blew them out. They won by seven. watching okay maybe it was a old game but yeah they won by seven and i think too because the jets they only had like one receiving touchdowns like justin field only threw one touchdown and it was tabrese hall who caught it their other points quite literally came from it was a kick return and a punt return touchdown yes so they had two special team touchdowns and then one regular touchdown. Holy crap. Yeah. And those two special team touchdowns were like early in the game.

15:44So dare I call it luck for this Jets team? I'm not going to say luck. I don't think it's luck. I think it's luck for Justin Fields. Fair. He did throw an interception as well. Yeah, because like Justin Fields got lucky that his team did the work for him this game. Yeah. but I don't think it's luck for the Jets because the Jets you have to put in a lot of work special teams to be able to do that oh yeah I love a good special teams play like when you run back for 100 yards after a kick return I am amazed let me actually I'm fired yeah no it's like it's so impressive to me and they play the Browns so again they have a short the Jets have a short week this week they go on Thursday night football against the Patriots and this Patriots team has been hot so yeah we'll see but thursday night oh i'm gonna say one thing and one thing only about thursday night football it has been trash absolutely yeah honestly i literally haven't even cared about it no like and i posted on our instagram and i was like honestly we should say screw TGIF and say TGIT.

16:58Thank God it's Thursday because we get football. I take those sentiments back because it has been trash. You're like nothing exciting is happening on Thursday. No. What the last game, it was like the Broncos and the Raiders. Holy moly. I will say I do not want to hear any Gino Smith slander anymore. Didn't you say this last week? Oh, no, you said it in the chat. I was like, I've heard this before. I said this in the chat. I'm saying it here because the Geno Smith slander needs to stop. Is this man kind of trash? Yes. But he put that team on his back and he was injured. Man was hobbling on the field and they didn't take him out.

17:39They did not take him out. They said you're a guy. And he played essentially like a whole quarter of football on like a bad knee. And like you could tell he was physically in pain. Like my heart was like breaking for him. But they were not taking him out. And he kept playing. So I don't want to hear any slander because a man that plays like that through pain earns respect to my book, no matter how trash or how good he is. And that's what I'll say about that. period period speaking of quarterback injuries was this last week okay traveling really traveling overseas really messed you up because who got his arm busted off that was last year dan daniels yeah that was last week oh my god so i got into okay another group that i have to shout out because i did in fact announce that we had a podcast to the entire train coming back and they made a joke and they all laughed.

18:38So if you were on the train coming from the stadium, you know who you are. If you are on our train, Hey, great times, everyone. We were literally so packed in. Like you couldn't, you could not move. Like I was more intimate with some people than I ever needed to be in my life. Like every, like you're just, you cannot move at all. So anyway, there's like this guy from, I think he's from Atlanta, but he was just, you know, given his opinion on the game, which was funny. And we were all like cracking jokes about the NFL too, Scottish guys, and then some like Atlanta guys, and just talking about how we had like seven sacks from Atlanta and like still couldn't win the game and all the drama.

19:20So that was super funny. And shout out to you guys, because that train ride would have been a lot more miserable had we not all been together and talking ball. But then there was another guy that I met on the next subway when I got lost and couldn't figure out how to get back to said Lions bar because I was going to try and watch the game at the Lions bar. And I got lost like four times. I was like, you know, it just happens when you travel. It's just like, honestly, I found a way sketchier area of Berlin than I ever wanted to be in, but we made it out. We made it out and we made it home. So good times.

19:53Anyway, I digress. I'm on the train. The guy sees my hat and says, and he's wearing falcon tree. He says, I don't even want to talk to you. And I was like, don't worry. I'm a Lions fan. I had a Lions. if you guys have seen the off-season white crop t-shirts that have like just the logo in white on them like embroidered on it was that shirt and so I like pulled down my sweater and I was like I'm a Lions fan and and then we started talking about the bills and he was saying that the bills aren't even that good and I was like yeah they are he's like aren't they like four and three and I was like no I was like the bills are six and two what are you talking about so anyway this man was trying to say that the Bills were not that good.

20:33And I said, listen, respectfully, you're wrong. Then I get home and I see, I was going to say, and I see all of the chat on Substack. And then I checked the game and I'm like, oh my God. And Bills fans are freaking out. Like Bills fans are unwell today. It is like, could not be the more opposite of victory Monday. No, there's two bad teams in the NFL right now. It's Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets. When you have this Buffalo Bills team lose to a team like the Dolphins, that's embarrassing. Not only lose, it was 30-13. I don't know if I've said it on the show before, but I believe that Josh Allen needs a better receiver on this Bills team.

21:24And it's really interesting and kind of ironic, too, because before the trade deadline went to November 4th, we talked about all these trades. The Bills made a late push to acquire Dolphins receiver Jalen Waddell. Obviously didn't happen. Jalen stays put in Miami. First touchdown, Tua throws a bomb to Jalen Waddell in like the first quarter of the game. Insane. And Tua, shout out to Tua. You played some good ball. Maybe that brain isn't as much mush as I thought it was. I can't with you.

22:06We want to thank our sponsor, Kuso Cuts. They are the best seasoning blends and sauces, perfect for tailgate season. You guys hear me talk about them every single week, and it's because we love them and we use them. And I haven't been cooking because I've been traveling, but I am so happy that they're at my house when I get back because genuinely, especially after a trip, it's so hard to like cook and take care of yourself. And those are locked and loaded, ready for me, clean ingredients, great flavors. I know my food's gonna be tasting so good when I get home from vacation. So if you wanna cook and match me, because we know the girls love to match, you can use the code TheGameAtCheckout for 10 % off at kusocuts.com.

22:48Thanks Kusos for sponsoring us and supporting us. Okay, so I saw the craziest clip that I just, I kind of want your opinion on it because I was shook. So first of all, Mike McDaniel was a little too happy. Like, yes, you beat the bills. I understand. I understand. That's a big deal. It's a really big deal, but you guys are still bad. Like you had a moment and it was good, but like the celebration from Mike was like, just seemed a little too, like they acted like they won the Superbowl. And I was like, that is so crazy of you guys. Anyway. So you see this, um, this video of the guys are in like the laundry or like, you know, those big trash bins are like gray and they're kind of shaped like a boat.

23:43Yeah. Okay. So there's a bunch of guys like it, like riding in those, like other guys are pushing them. They're like in those like dancing and it's a bunch of NFL players. So they're six foot. Most of the guys in the video are like black guys on the team and they're like dancing and they're like hooplaing and it's this great time over and smiling. It's like, it's like very like masculine, athletic, like a funny moment. And then you see, and then it goes to like Mike McDaniel, like stomping his foot. He just felt out of place. Didn't he? It just, it just felt. He just, it was like, how did this guy get here?

24:33Who invited this guy? Like, okay. That video literally proves my whole point that Mike McDaniel does not have the respect of a head coach. Like, how are you like in the middle? It's different from like when players like celebrate with their head coach, like they pour like the Gatorade on them after a big win and like all this kind of stuff. But like, Mike, let's be so for real. Let's be so for real. Oh, let me, okay. I want to play it for you. Oh, they're in the locker room.

25:15Just wait.

25:22Why is he just standing?

25:28Oh my gosh. He's such a little man too.

25:40so it's like ends up being like really wholesome and cute but i just thought it was so funny just to have like just the whole like dissonance of who the players are and the way they were acting and mike's just like yeah yeah like yeah he quite literally is no no swag that's what it is. Yeah. Yeah. It's like the definition of like a white boy. Very. Yes. Yeah. Okay. Also at the game. Okay. So I became friends with the guy sitting next to me, of course. And he, there's this guy in front of us, very classic white male American probably works at Deloitte clapping like a little too loud like making statements at the game that are like kind of true but like if you're a girl who knows ball you're like okay okay so he's in front of us and as the falcons are like looking like they're gonna win right he's like progressively getting more and more like loud about it but overall like respectful guy like i don't have anything really like that bad to say about the guy.

26:50I'm just like, he's just a very classic male fan. Like he makes statements like this is the most important play of the game, or this is how we do whatever he's saying. But he like progressively gets like more aggressive because they're winning, right? Like, that's fine. We all do that with our team, you know? And, but then the guy next to me says like, he looks at me and looks at that guy. And I was like, if you want to know what football in America is like that guy. That's pretty much everyone. And he was like, oh, and I was like, that's also why dating is very hard in America. And he goes, I get it.

27:26I was like, real. Thanks for getting it. Thanks for validating me in that moment. Yeah. And the way that he looked at that guy, just like, he was like, so it was such an ick for him. And I thought it was so funny. And then he also said he was like he's like in Europe they always tell us that NFL football is very family friendly and he's like you bring your kids all the time and I thought that was really interesting that like that's what there's like a consensus of some sort between some group of people in Europe that it's it's like very and I was like it's family for like people bring their kids for sure but it's not like a family affair and he's like yeah like here at soccer we just have so much drinking like you would never bring your kids and i was like there's a lot of drinking like there's a lot of face paint and drinking but now i'm like i need to go to like a man city game or like a game where something's on the line to like see what it's really like because he's like yeah like you like would never bring your kids and he's like i heard there's just all these kids and i was like yes and no maybe compared to soccer fans but yeah i was like yes and no yeah yeah I would love to go to a PSG game.

28:39PSG is a soccer team in Paris. And they're like really good. And so I would love to go to a PSG game. That would be like my dream. But yeah, no, that is weird that they compare those two. But I want to talk about another head coach. You brought up Mike. There's another head coach that we kind of have to talk about. And then you might have some thoughts. It's your guy on the Lions, Dan Campbell. interesting thing this week he took over the offensive play calling yeah which doesn't i don't know if it happens often i thought this was an interesting story because the offensive coordinator is obviously in his first year with the lions as the offensive coordinator and dan had like a very there was a whole article about it that they did but basically sat him down this past week and had a very honest conversation like, hey, some things need to change and I'm going to take over this role.