Diaspora United

Baby Hippo Hipster Courtney Thee Stats and 2024-Year-of-the-Hater Chronographer Andre “DreCarl” Carlisle bring levity and gravity to this podcast highlighting Black women playing the global game of football/fútbol/soccer. Their soccer analysis is as sharp as their quips and they shine a light on narratives/perspectives that traditional sports media misses. In no other podcast can you find the deep discussions about how globally the leagues & federations fail to protect players followed up by “sorry, I distracted myself by zoom zooming…” It’s one of my favorite podcasts and I highly recommend it to both casual fans who want to deepen their knowledge & love of the game and diehard woso fanatics who appreciate the tactical analysis. It’s an important listen for anyone really because we have to be willing to listen & reflect on the hard stuff to fully appreciate & celebrate the triumphs instead of merely wading through the corporate girl-boss who-knows-what-she-believes-cup cotton-candy-fluff that permeates & flattens the narrative of women’s sports. This beautiful game is for everyone, and what Courtney & Andre do with this podcast is ensure that making that space is something we can continue to strive for at the highest level in the women’s game. Dadjoke: why did the striker bring a crayon to the soccer game? So she could draw a foul

With soccer/football/fútbol taking steps forward then steps backwards, this podcast is more needed than ever. Courtney and Andre bring love, humor, critique, caution, and hope to a segment of sport that can build bridges across multiple social divides. I heard the call on a recent episode for more dad jokes, nicknames, and tiredness scales, so here’s a three-in-one (I hope): Courtney’s “tired”-ness scale could rate from… wait for it… unicycle to 18-wheeler (1-18). And Andre could be nicknamed some really tall vehicle… maybe a rocket mover (idk how many wheels they have)? Probably y’all can think of a better example of a suitably tall and well-wheeled vehicle. 😅 Keep on rolling, especially in these rocky times. 💜

This podcast is my first listen every week. I don’t have a ton of people around me that even watch soccer, let alone women’s soccer with a progressive lens, so listening to you guys allows me to access others who love this sport and culture as much as I do. Thank you for the podcast and keep on keeping on.

Why don’t eggs tell jokes? Because they’d crack up. I found this show about 4 years ago when the US was dealing with the fallout from a vile president, Jan. 6th terrorism, a pandemic, and deep racial and class tensions. Courtney and Andre brought themselves - their humor, their joy, their sadness, their full identities - to covering women’s soccer. This show made me so happy starting day 1, and it’s only gotten better since then. They have watched women’s soccer grow immeasurably in the last four years. They have covered it all. They’ve remained themselves. And we love them. Now, as we reenter some dark times, more than ever these are the voices I want to listen to.