Meg Linehan of The Athletic joins Jason to answer the question "What is the Challenge Cup?" Spirit news, predictions, shoe talk, and an injury update from Meg are all part of the chat!

Articles referenced:

Jason on the regular season schedule Jason on the Spirit's new kits Kelyn Soong at the Washington City Paper on Kris Ward

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

Washington Spirit legend and NWSLPA president Tori Huster comes on the show to guide Jason through all things NWSL CBA after the players and league reached a landmark agreement just before the start of preseason.

We talked over the process of getting the CBA done, and went over how the ways the NWSLPA's demands will benefit players going forward. Tori also provided an injury update as she works to return to the field this year.

If you want to support the NWSLPA, please visit SupportThePlayers.net.

Intro/outro music: Jazzaddict's Intro by Cosimo Fogg (201) https://soundcloud.com/cosimo-fogg Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/jazzaddicts-intro Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/hY4yspCQRaM

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

Lori Lindsey joins the show this week to talk about the Spirit's NWSL Championship victory on a micro and macro level, plus we dig into the trade that sent Tegan McGrady to San Diego, Lori's experience playing for Kris Ward with the Spirit, and more!

If you're interested in that merch I talked about near the end of the show, here's the link I was verbally guiding you towards before remembering after recording that I could just link to it in the show notes.

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

Sandra and Claire from Southside Trap are on the show to talk us through what the Spirit can expect from the Red Stars in the NWSL final. Plus, there's a ghost, because that's just a normal Plex Weather thing to happen.

Follow Sandra on Twitter, and check out her work with CBS (including Attacking Third, which has been providing great NWSL content on the daily).

Follow Claire on Twitter as well, and check out this piece she wrote from Louisville, talking tactics with both teams at media day.

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

After being delayed briefly by production problems and then for months by Bad News, the Plex Weather episode that is actually entirely about cicadas is here! 25% of the Spirit's roster — Aubrey Bledsoe, Tori Huster, Anna Heilferty, Andi Sullivan, Jordan DiBiasi, Ashley Sanchez, Paige Nielsen, and then Jordan DiBiasi again — talked to Jason about Brood X, which took over the DMV this summer.

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

Andi Sullivan is back on the show to talk about the Spirit's first playoff win since 2016, Sunday's semifinal against OL Reign, and much more!

If you have the means and want to help out with Set The Expectation, check out their site for ways to get involved!

Plex Weather twitter: @PlexWeather Jason's twitter: @JasonDCsoccer

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

Plex Weather is back, just as the Spirit are back in the playoffs! Jason is joined by NWSL Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch to talk goalscoring, the NWSLPA, baking, and to help preview the Spirit's playoff game (did we already discuss the playoffs? The Spirit are in the playoffs!) against the NC Courage.

Before that, a quick discussion of the latest report from Steph Yang and Pablo Maurer at The Athletic about the ongoing process of the team being sold, as well as just an appreciation of how the Spirit are still going after what has been a bonkers three months.

Here's the piece Jason wrote on Hatch's goals this year.

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

We're back, and with a real game to talk about! But first, still more turmoil, with the Spirit's workplace culture, the Spirit Squadron's protest, the official news of a second forfeit, and a suspension all on the docket in the first segment. Then, Cindy Lara joins the show to help preview KC NWSL, who the Spirit will get to play in an actual, real-life soccer game.

00:00 - 20:27: 1st segment (the bad news) 20:28 - 42:11: 2nd segment (Cindy Lara interview)

Molly Hensley-Clancy's piece on the Spirit's office culture: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/09/22/washington-spirit-workplace-women-nwsl/

Spirit Squadron statement: https://twitter.com/SpiritSquadron/status/1441070213290598409

Listen to Cindy's show The Tea(L) here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0lZfr1n2CW2UyXbMJMVQ7T

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

The Athletic's Steph Yang joins the show to talk about the Spirit's postponed game & the appointment of Ben Olsen as club president.

Follow Steph on Twitter @thrace and find her work covering NWSL at The Athletic. Here's her latest, which also coincidentally uses the word "turmoil" because...well, it's a good word for the Spirit right now: https://theathletic.com/2816877/2021/09/10/washington-spirit-explainer-nwsl/

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

As promised, here are all the relevant articles brought up in this episode, which are must-reads:

Molly's reporting at the Washington Post on the abuse allegations against Richie Burke (content warning: verbal/emotional abuse) and her piece written with Steven Goff on the Spirit's ongoing ownership struggle.

Kelsey McKinney's piece on what went down between Spirit supporters, the team, and event staff at Sunday's game.

The episode of the Butterfly Road podcast in which Lindsey Horan talks about the body-shaming experiences she had playing for Farid Benstiti. (content warning: body-shaming)

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

I referred at least once to this piece from B&RU that I co-wrote with André Carlisle, so let's start there.

0:00 - 9:05: Intro + thoughts on the NC win 9:06 - 29:15: Paige Nielsen interview 29:16 - 40:10: Preview of Sunday's game against Gotham + Outro

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

Plex Weather is back! After some scheduling issues and work on a future episode, the show is back with an "incomplete" episode featuring just Jason. Here's everything discussed:

• Kumi Yokoyama coming out as transgender (here's their interview with Yuki Nagasato)
• The Spirit waiving Natalie Jacobs, and adding Taylor Aylmer and Morgan Goff
• A few points on the last three Spirit games (1-1 at Chicago, 2-1 at KC, and a 1-0 loss at Segra Field to Chicago)
• The upcoming match at Audi Field against the NC Courage

Next week, the show will be back in a normal manner!

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

Jason gets some help to preview tomorrow's Spirit game against the Red Stars, with Washington's #10 Ashley Sanchez speaking from the Spirit side (2:06-21:29) & Claire Watkins of Southside Trap bringing some Chicago perspective (21:50-46:15)

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

0:00-16:03 - Reviewing both of the Spirit's wins last week

(for more on those games, Jason wrote portions of this article about the win over OL Reign, and this one about the Dash game)

16:04-38:50 - Interview with Julia Poe of the Orlando Sentinel

17:45 - Cold brew spill

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

0:00 - 14:56: Look back at Louisville, Segra Field discussion, and USWNT call-ups 14:57 - 41:46: Interview with Jordan DiBiasi

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

No guests, just one rapid-fire segment talking over why there's no guest, looking back at the Spirit's 1-1 draw with Orlando, and previewing today's game against Louisville

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

0:00-7:53: Catching up & discussion of NWSL's handling of recent issues 7:54-30:42: Anna Heilferty interview 30:55-1:04:24: André Carlisle interview about the Spirit and the Challenge Cup

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

0:00 - 6:37: Preseason news discussion (article being referenced can be found here: https://www.blackandredunited.com/washington-spirit-womens-soccer/2021/3/16/22329457/washington-spirit-preseason-2021-img-academy-audi-field-formation-bayley-feist-saori-takarada)

6:38 - 43:36: Interview with Aubrey Bledsoe

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

The NWSL Expansion Draft just happened, so Jason is joined by Susie and André to sort through all of Racing Louisville's picks.

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

00:00 - 42:15: Steph Yang/Spirit 1-2 Sky Blue 42:59 - end: Southside Trap/Red Stars preview

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co

Find out more at https://plex-weather.pinecast.co