Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

And now it's time for sports.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SIMON: The Brew Crew take Game 1 in the World Series, and the NFL prepares to play near Paris amid nationwide unrest. Michele Steele, who writes the Steele Cut Substack on sports and economics, joins us again. Michele, thanks so much for being with us.

MICHELE STEELE: Good morning, Scott.

SIMON: The Brew Crew defeated the Tampa Bay Rays three runs to two. William Contreras was the star of the night - three at bat, two hits, one walk, one RBI. None of these teams has ever won a World Series. This is an extraordinary matchup, isn't it?

STEELE: It really is, Scott. You might not know this, but I got a confession to make.

SIMON: Yeah.

STEELE: My favorite mascot in baseball is Bernie Brewer...

SIMON: Aw. I can understand.

STEELE: ...Mainly...

SIMON: Yeah.

STEELE: ...Mainly because he used to slide from a chalet in the outfield into a literal mug of beer. And he might get to be in a championship parade, finally, if the rest of this series goes the way that Game 1 did. Milwaukee has waited 57 seasons. Tampa Bay, 29.

SIMON: Yep.

STEELE: Game 1 was a nail-biter. It was tight kind of all the way through, but the Brewers' star, Christian Yelich, set the tone early. He tripled in his first World Series at bat. Now, the Rays almost crept back in the ninth when what looked like a game-ending double play was overturned on review. But the Brewers' closer, Trevor Megill, got the last out. And let's not forget Milwaukee also gave us another World Series first last night, the sausage race.

SIMON: Yes.

STEELE: I spoke to a former sausage this week. I'm not kidding you. He told me the races are real. So the fact that the Italian sausage won Game 1, that's an honest outcome. We'll get more sausage racing and more baseball tonight.

SIMON: Well, lots to look forward to. Look, let me ask you about le foot americain. Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are scheduled to play near Paris tomorrow. France has been roiled by protest. Is it wise to play an NFL game when the French police might have to protect the Louvre, not the Saints and Steelers game?

STEELE: I can tell you, Scott, I've been checking in with some folks around the league, and at least people who work for other teams are looking at this game and have their mouths agape a little bit that this is still happening. The NFL just closed its NFL house in Paris today, and this is a day after closing its NFL pop-up shop amid security concerns. The Saints said that the Saints' house has been postponed until Sunday. The Steelers canceled their fan event today outright. So not quite safe enough to sell T-shirts, apparently, but the NFL says...

SIMON: Yeah.

STEELE: Its security chief is on the ground. They've beefed up security for the game itself. French president, Emmanuel Macron, met with Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, and the owners of the Steelers and the Saints this week for two hours. Lots of unrest in France, but in a world of splintered media, sports is a very potent political messenger, and France wants to proceed with this game as much as the NFL does, Scott.

SIMON: WNBA Final - finals Game 4 tips off today. Atlanta 2 to 1 edge over Golden State. But so far, the story has been about Atlanta's Angel Reese, hasn't it?

STEELE: It really has, Scott, and it's a little bit of a Chicago story too.

SIMON: Isn't everything? But go ahead. Yes.

STEELE: It all - all roads lead back to what I still call the Sears Tower. But she was drafted by the Sky. She was traded to Atlanta. She's the youngest in finals history with three straight double-doubles. The Dream have never won a title. So she's chasing Atlanta's first championship, as well. And her take on the series is that, quote, "it's a mental game." That is something that other athletes have echoed, right? The talent is so high once you hit the pros, it really is the mental side of all this that tends to separate players from champions. I interviewed her her rookie year, and I came away so impressed by her composure and her will to win, but Chicago's loss...

SIMON: Yeah.

STEELE: ...Is ATL's gain. We'll see how the next game goes.

SIMON: All right, I'll try and be happy for Atlanta. Michele Steele...

STEELE: Yeah.

SIMON: ...Writes the Steele Cut Substack on sports and economics. Talk to you soon, Michele. Thanks so much.

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