449: Nine World Cups, One Changing World - With Simon Kuper

449: Nine World Cups, One Changing World - With Simon Kuper

For billions of people around the globe, the FIFA World Cup is the ultimate sporting event. But what does the tournament reveal about the world beyond the pitch? This week, we welcome Financial Times journalist and New York Times bestselling author Simon Kuper to discuss his latest book, "World Cup Fever: A Soccer Journey in Nine Tournaments [https://amzn.to/3QcEsmO]." Drawing on more than three decades of firsthand reporting from World Cups spanning Italy 1990 to Qatar 2022, Kuper reflects on how football's greatest spectacle has evolved — and what that evolution says about politics, culture, globalization, nationalism, media, money, and power. Far more than memorable matches and legendary players, we explore the World Cup as a unique lens through which to view modern history itself. Kuper recounts his experiences covering tournaments staged amid political upheaval, examines FIFA's transformation from a relatively modest governing body into a global commercial powerhouse, and reflects on the growing tensions between football's grassroots appeal and the immense corporate and geopolitical forces that now surround the game. Along the way, we discuss how World Cups have served as stages for dictators and democracies alike, why the tournament remains one of the few truly shared global cultural experiences, and whether the event has become more accessible — or more distant — from the ordinary fans whose passion fuels it. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: * Buy Us a Coffee [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable]: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable] * The "Good Seats" Store [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY]: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY] BUY THE BOOK: * "World Cup Fever: A Soccer Journey in Nine Tournaments [https://amzn.to/3QcEsmO]": https://amzn.to/4dV2SKN SPONSOR THANKS: * Old School Shirts.com [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] * Royal Retros [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] FIND AND FOLLOW: * Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable [https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable] * Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ [https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/] * Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com [https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com] * X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill [https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ [https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ [https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/]

448: "A Life's Calling" - With Horse Racing Track Announcer Tom Durkin

For more than four decades, Tom Durkin's voice was synonymous with the biggest moments in horse racing. From the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes to the Breeders' Cup and Saratoga, his soaring calls helped transform great races into unforgettable theater. But as Durkin reveals in his new memoir, "A Life's Calling: The Voice Behind the World's Greatest Horse Races [https://amzn.to/435AJus]," the story behind the microphone is every bit as compelling as the action on the track. In this wide-ranging conversation, Durkin reflects on an extraordinary journey that began as a horse-racing-obsessed kid riding Chicago's "L" train to Arlington Park and eventually led him to become the most recognizable race caller of his generation. Along the way, he recounts the unlikely lie that launched his career, the grind of the minor-league fair circuit, and the national breakthrough that put him on racing's biggest stages. But this episode goes beyond just racing history. Durkin offers a fascinating look inside the craft of live sports broadcasting, discussing the college theater training that shaped his style, the famous "Mayor Daley" notebook where he collected thousands of descriptive phrases, and the relentless preparation that fueled his success. He also speaks candidly about the fear of failure, self-doubt, and anxiety that shadowed his career — even at its highest peaks — and how those challenges ultimately became part of what drove him. Replete with stories about iconic races, vanished racetracks, broadcasting innovation, and a lifetime spent pursuing excellence, this conversation is both a celebration of one of sports' great voices and a revealing examination of the work, passion, and perseverance required to become one. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: * Buy Us a Coffee [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable]: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable] * The "Good Seats" Store [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY]: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY] BUY THE BOOK: * "A Life's Calling: The Voice Behind the World's Greatest Horse Races [https://amzn.to/435AJus],": https://amzn.to/435AJus SPONSOR THANKS: * Royal Retros [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] * Old School Shirts.com [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] FIND AND FOLLOW: * Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable [https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable] * Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ [https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/] * Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com [https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com] * X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill [https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ [https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ [https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/]

447: The US Men's National Team's Rise to Soccer Relevance - With Leander Schaerlaeckens

We dive deep into the strange, fragmented, often unbelievable history of American men's soccer with acclaimed journalist and author Leander Schaerlaeckens, whose new book, "The Long Game [https://amzn.to/3RZglbL]: U.S. Men's Soccer and Its Savage, Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts [https://amzn.to/3RZglbL]," chronicles the U.S. Men's National Team's long, improbable march from global irrelevance to the doorstep of the 2026 World Cup. For generations, men's soccer in America existed as a sporting afterthought: half-forgotten World Cup appearances, unstable leagues, empty stadiums, and a federation that often seemed to be inventing itself on the fly. Schaerlaeckens traces the USMNT's bizarre and deeply American journey from the collapse of the old North American Soccer League and the ill-fated "Team America" experiment, through the make-or-break 1994 World Cup, to today's globally connected generation starring players like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie. Along the way, we discuss the structural challenges that long held American soccer back — from pay-to-play youth systems to cultural indifference — and why the sport's growth in the United States has been anything but linear. The conversation also dives into iconic personalities, locker-room dysfunction, the rise of MLS academies, and the looming tension surrounding the hyper-commercialized 2026 World Cup. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: * Buy Us a Coffee [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable]: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable] * The "Good Seats" Store [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY]: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY] BUY THE BOOK: * "The Long Game [https://amzn.to/3RZglbL]: U.S. Men's Soccer and Its Savage, Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts [https://amzn.to/3RZglbL]": https://amzn.to/4tSAJIS SPONSOR THANKS: * Royal Retros [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] * Old School Shirts.com [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] FIND AND FOLLOW: * Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable [https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable] * Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ [https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/] * Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com [https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com] * X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill [https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ [https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ [https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/]

446: The People's Team: The Strange History of New York's Mets - With Andy Gittlitz

For more than six decades, baseball's New York Mets have occupied a singular place in American sports culture: eternally overshadowed, perpetually chaotic, strangely lovable, and deeply woven into the identity of New York itself. Born in the aftermath of the departures of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants, the Mets quickly became something far more complicated than an expansion baseball team. They became a vessel for outer-borough pride, working-class frustration, inherited heartbreak, and the emotional DNA of National League baseball in New York City. In this episode, we dive deep into that history through an expansive conversation with author A.M. (Andy) Gittlitz about his widely acclaimed new book, "Metropolitans: [https://amzn.to/4nwXhgK]New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People's Team [https://amzn.to/4nwXhgK]." Rather than telling a conventional franchise history, Gittlitz explores the Mets as a social, political, and cultural institution — one shaped by class struggle, labor history, media narratives, urban change, and the shifting identity of New York itself. From the lingering ghosts of the Dodgers to the miracle of 1969, from Shea Stadium dysfunction to the strange mythology of Mets fandom, this conversation explores why the franchise has inspired such fierce loyalty despite decades of collapse, disappointment, and absurdity. We also examine the Mets' complicated relationship with the Yankees, the meaning of "the people's team," and whether the franchise's identity can survive the billionaire-era ambitions of owner Steve Cohen. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: * Buy Us a Coffee [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable]: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable] * The "Good Seats" Store [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY]: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY] BUY THE BOOK: * "Metropolitans: [https://amzn.to/4nwXhgK]New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People's Team [https://amzn.to/4nwXhgK]": https://amzn.to/42BQSHI SPONSOR THANKS: * Old School Shirts.com [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] * Royal Retros [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] FIND AND FOLLOW: * Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable [https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable] * Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ [https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/] * Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com [https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com] * X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill [https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ [https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ [https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/]

445: "Dos a Cero" & The US/Mexico Soccer "Sibling Rivalry" - With Hal Phillips

Next month, the FIFA World Cup returns to North American soil, marking a transformative moment for the sport of soccer on this continent. But to understand the current state of the US Men's National Team as they prepare to host the world, one must first examine their complex and often turbulent relationship with their greatest rival: Mexico. In this episode, we welcome back soccer journalist, historian and Episode 270 guest [https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/listen/2022/7/31/episode-270-us-soccers-generation-zero-with-hal-phillips] Hal Phillips, author of the definitive new book, "Sibling Rivalry: How Mexico and the US Built the Most Contentious, Co-Dependent Feud in World Soccer [https://amzn.to/3PxRbjK]." Phillips' work frames the rivalry with El Tri not just as a series of games, but as a "co-dependent feud" that has fundamentally shaped the national identities of both countries. We trace the narrative arc from the Americans' 1934 World Cup qualifier success in Rome through the grueling 46-year "dark age" where the US failed to secure a single victory against their neighbors. Phillips takes us through the pivotal shifts of the 1990s and the birth of the "Dos a Cero" era, explaining how the professionalization of the American game turned a lopsided regional dominance into an ever-escalating athletic confrontation of equals. Beyond the tactics on the pitch, we discuss the deeper cultural and geopolitical baggage that makes this rivalry unique. From the personal stories of dual-national stars caught between two flags to the economic realities of the "Border War," Phillips explains why this rivalry was the necessary forge for American soccer's survival. As this year's World Cup beckons, we explore whether these two "siblings" are finally ready to step out of each other's shadows and challenge the global elite. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: * Buy Us a Coffee [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable]: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable] * The "Good Seats" Store [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY]: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY] BUY THE BOOK: * "Sibling Rivalry: How Mexico and the US Built the Most Contentious, Co-Dependent Feud in World Soccer [https://amzn.to/3PxRbjK]": https://amzn.to/3PxRbjK SPONSOR THANKS: * Royal Retros [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] * Old School Shirts.com [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] FIND AND FOLLOW: * Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable [https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable] * Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ [https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/] * Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com [https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com] * X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill [https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ [https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ [https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/]