Podbit · The Bill Simmons Podcast
Messi scored a hat trick, Mbappé scored twice, Haaland scored twice — all in one World Cup day. Then Messi's goal positioning against Algeria: he didn't even need to enter the penalty area. He just scored from 25 yards because that's what he does.
Where this was said
At 1:53:40 · chapter starts 1:33:13
Dabbundo nominates Germany as the fifth team to watch despite 14-1 odds — their attacking talent is formidable, but their defense has failed them for multiple World Cup cycles and a potential France clash on July 4th in Philly looms. The US bracket situation is laid out: finish first, and the round of 16 is in Santa Clara; win that, and it's Seattle July 6th; win again, quarterfinals at SoFi July 10th. Dabbundo's official prediction is the US wins their first two knockout games — potentially beating Belgium in the round of 16 for 2014 revenge — before running into Spain in the quarterfinals. He notes that with quarterfinals odds at +180, the market implies roughly a 37% chance of the US reaching the final eight. The episode closes with Simmons tipping the Sunday Netflix live show with Zach Lowe.
Bill Simmons noted Brunson has averaged 29 points per game across four straight playoff runs, establishing him as the best player in the Eastern Conference.
The USMNT dominated Paraguay 4-1 in their World Cup opener, with Balogun scoring twice in an unexpectedly dominant performance.
Nobody — not even the most optimistic US fan — thought this game would go the way it did. The US washed away a solid South American team in the first half, with Balogun scoring twice and Pulisic torching their right back. Anthony Dabbundo was there, and he's never been this excited.
Chris Richards completed 83 of 83 passes against Paraguay and also threatened on set pieces. He plays every week on a good Premier League team without fanfare. He's the template for what the US needs more of — not superstars, just more Chris Richards-level professionals.
Chris Richards completed all 83 of his passes against Paraguay — a near-perfect defensive and passing performance described as 'the soccer defender perfect game.'
England's first half under Tuchel was tentative. Then he said forget it at halftime, brought Olise central, and they played an incredible second half. English fans had been crying out for this bravery for years under Southgate's defensive safety-first approach.
France's first half was embarrassing. Their second half showed a ceiling that no other team in the tournament has. Once Olise moved centrally and started involving Mbappé, the whole game changed instantly. France could play like this from minute one — they just choose not to.
Thomas's wife deferred her CrossFit career — she's in the global top 1% of athletes — to put him through law school debt-free. He wants her to chase the dream now; she wants the emergency fund and house down payment first. On a $200K lawyer income with no debt, the opportunity cost is just a few months of slower saving.
Underground calisthenics battles are exactly like UFC meets a rap battle — 150 people crowded around a circle, fighters walking out with masks and chains, nicknames like 'Extra Money' vs 'Calisthenics the Prince,' and people throwing money and betting. The battle set: 100 burpees, 50 muscle-ups, 75 dips, 75 squats with a 65-pound dumbbell. This is the next big spectator sport.
Rico Verhoeven controlled the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion for approximately 10 rounds — and had his appeal upheld when officials admitted the fight was stopped after the bell. The result was never overturned. Rogan calls it either incompetence or corruption, and argues the money behind Usyk made an upset politically inconvenient.
Rogan lays out a blunt case: boxing's 3-judge system is structurally broken, and the judges know who the promoter wants to win. Glory's 5-judge format is the right model. Corruption doesn't have to be conscious — just knowing Usyk is the cash cow is enough to tilt the scales.
With the Usyk-Wilder fight stalling and Fury-Joshua coming too late, the real fight the world wants is the rematch. Rico is a free agent. Usyk vacated his belts. The story is unfinished and both Rogan and Rico know it. His Excellency Turki Alasheikh already called for it ringside — the question is money.
Rico texted Jason Statham during the Canelo-Crawford fight. Statham showed Rico's highlight videos to promoters. Two days later, Rico was on a call about fighting Anthony Joshua. When Joshua pulled out, Rico pitched Usyk himself — Undisputed vs. Undisputed. Usyk said yes in two weeks. The whole thing started with one text.
Every heavyweight who faced Usyk tried to move to the right — straight into his power hand. Rico and Peter Fury identified the obvious solution: move left, away from the left hand, and smother him with size. It sounds simple. Nobody had done it. That one adjustment was the foundation of 10 dominant rounds.
MMA fans boo when fights go to the ground. They love stand-up. Kickboxing is pure stand-up. Yet it barely exists in America while boxing and MMA are enormous. Rogan's diagnosis: no promotion machine. If the UFC got behind kickboxing the way they've built MMA, it would explode. The talent is there — the storytelling machine is not.
A nation of 17 million people gave the world Ramon Deckers, Peter Aerts, Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef, Rob Kamen, Ernesto Hoost, and Rico Verhoeven. Rico's theory: the country is so small that every gym shares knowledge freely. In the US, you need a flight. In Holland, you drive 40 minutes and spar the national champion.
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