Episode 469
Small Talk - 1 in 4 NFL players develop brain disease? Football's got a real problem
ESPN Unlimited is raising its price — the subscription is going to $32 a month starting September 17th, so yeah, your streaming bill just got a little more bench-pressy. I also flagged a new study that says approximately one out of every four NFL players develops a brain disease, so player safety isn’t exactly a sideline issue. Oceans hit a record 21.1°C (70°F) last Friday and Saturday — the hottest ocean temps ever recorded — and meanwhile nearly 51,000 wildfires have burned more than 7.8 million acres nationwide, which is way above normal. Fun little poll: nearly half of people say matching traffic speed feels safer than obeying limits, and most admit a ticket threat is what actually slows them down. Oh, and gross alert — steering wheels average 41,600 germs versus 17,400 on a toilet seat, and only 13% of people regularly clean their cars, so yeah, maybe don’t snack in the driver’s seat. And finally, the sad news: Dolly Parton passed away yesterday at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville at the age of 80 — more than 100 million records sold, 49 albums, and a record 26 No. 1 country singles by a female artist; as she once said, "Golly, she looks good for her, ain't she?"
Takeaways:
- We joked that ESPN Unlimited's jump to $32 a month basically means the 'unlimited' refers to how high our bills can go.
- I noted the scary new study saying roughly one in four NFL players develop brain disease, so we can't treat player safety like a sideline issue.
- I'm shook that oceans hit record warmth and we're watching wildfires scorch millions of acres — climate's throwing a tantrum.
- I will never look at my steering wheel the same way again — it has way more germs than a toilet, and most people don't even clean their cars.
- We celebrated Dolly Parton's massive legacy—over a hundred million records sold and she left us with that cheeky line about looking good, golly.
Transcript
Good morning.
Speaker A:It's haystack.
Speaker A:Time for some small talk.
Speaker A:ESPN Unlimited raising its price.
Speaker A:The subscription going to $32 a month starting September 17th.
Speaker A:So apparently the unlimited refers to how high the bill can go.
Speaker A:Football season requires a salary cap in your house.
Speaker A:A new study shows that approximately one out of every four NFL players develops a brain disease.
Speaker A:Player safety not exactly a sideline issue.
Speaker A:I'm glad there's been a focus on it seems like they're making progress.
Speaker A:Oceans have reached record temperature.
Speaker A:As the global Ocean temperature reached 21.1 degrees Celsius, or 70 degrees Fahrenheit last Friday and Saturday, the hottest ocean temperatures ever recorded.
Speaker A:Even the fish are looking for a pool.
Speaker A:And speaking of concerns with climate, wildlife fires are surging across the U.S. nearly 51,000 wildfires have burned more than 7.8 million acres nationwide.
Speaker A:So the number of fires and the number of acreage burned well above normal, a big strain on communities, on firefighting organizations.
Speaker A:It's kind of record nobody wants to see broken.
Speaker A:For sure, speeding is a little bit socially acceptable.
Speaker A:Nearly half of all respondents in a survey say that matching the speed of traffic is safer than obeying speed limits.
Speaker A:And most say the threat of a ticket is what keeps them slowing down.
Speaker A:Speaking of vehicles, steering wheels carry more germs than a toilet.
Speaker A:Researchers found an average of 41,600 germs on a steering wheel, 17,400 on a toilet seat.
Speaker A:Only 13% of people regularly clean their cars.
Speaker A:Suddenly steering with your knees sounds like a hygiene requirement.
Speaker A:And lastly, you've assuredly heard the sad news that the legendary Dolly Parton passed away yesterday at Vanderbilt Medical center in Nashville at the age of 80 after an absolutely historic career.
Speaker A:More than 100 million records sold, 49 albums and a record 26 number one country singles by a female artist.
Speaker A:And few artists in any genre have created that much music or meant that much to so many people.
Speaker B:Well, a lot of people ask me, you know, what I want people to say about me 100 years from now?
Speaker B:I want them to say, golly, she looks good for her, ain't she?
