Matt and Paul are back and this week it's full-blown World Cup fever. But before they get there, the guys dive into the latest San Francisco Giants chaos, including the Rafael Devers drama, the Pride Hat controversy, Tony Vitello's handling of the clubhouse, and whether Buster Posey is secretly staring at the ceiling at four in the morning wondering what he signed up for. Plus, they look at the NBA Draft, react to the Warriors selecting Yaxel Lendeborg, and check in on soon to be former 49er Brandon Aiyuk increasingly bizarre social media saga.

(20:43) Then Matt and Paul welcome back soccer historian and host of the An American Game podcast, Kirk Rudell, for a full-blown World Cup Roundtable. The guys break down the USMNT incredible start to the tournament and ask the question every American soccer fan is suddenly afraid to ask out loud: is this team actually for real? They debate whether Mauricio Pochettino has completely transformed the culture of U.S. Soccer, whether this is the best American World Cup team we've ever seen, and if Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, Folarin Balogun, Jedi Robinson, Chris Richards and company can make a legitimate run. Along the way they hand out awards for the tournament's biggest surprises, biggest frauds, best crowds, best stadiums, best jerseys, and most entertaining teams, debate which dark horse nation nobody is talking about that could crash the party, discuss Scottish fans taking over Boston, does Norway have the most beautiful fans, Mexico and South Korea fans proving soccer might actually solve world peace, and make their Final Four and World Cup champion predictions. If you've caught World Cup fever, this is the episode for you.

(1:13:55) Later, Matt and Paul wrap things up with Pet Peeves, Pet Pleasures, and Best Things They Saw. The guys review Obsession, The Agency, and Widow's Bay, celebrate another great week of television, and somehow find their way back to sports, movies, and the random conversations that make absolutely no sense anywhere else except Beat LA.

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Hosts: Matt Ferrucci & Paul Ruehl

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Website: https://www.beatlapodcast.com/

Matt and Paul are back and this week the sports world is serving up chaos on every front. The guys dive into the San Francisco Giants and ask the question every fan is wrestling with: are they actually worth watching right now? Matt argues that they're still one of the most entertaining soap operas in sports, while Paul breaks down why Buster Posey has managed to break his heart. They discuss Bryce Eldridge, Jung Hoo Lee, whether the Giants should sell at the trade deadline. From there, they hit the NBA Finals, debate whether a Knicks championship would be the last truly great drought-breaking title in sports, discuss the growing LeBron James to the Warriors rumors, the NBA Draft, and preview the World Cup, debating if the USMNT has a realistic shot of making a run.

(30:52) Then Matt and Paul sit down with guest, rock radio legend Tim Virgin, longtime host on 97.1 The Drive in Chicago and KSHE 95 in St. Louis. Tim takes the guys on a hilarious journey through more than three decades in radio, from his early days in Toledo to becoming one of the most recognizable voices in rock radio. Along the way, he shares stories about the wild Los Angeles music scene of the 1990s, partying at the Viper Room, getting a demo tape handed to him by a young Adam Levine before Maroon 5 existed, working as a music executive at Columbia Records, hanging out with David Bowie, and kicking it with Dennis Rodman during the Bulls dynasty years. He also talks about interviewing everyone from U2 to Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, and Dave Grohl, just to name a few. The conversation explores how radio has changed, the best interviews of Tim's career and which rock star smelled the best. It's a fun, behind-the-scenes look at a life spent around rock stars, athletes and some truly unbelievable stories from the golden age of radio.

(1:23:55) Later, Matt and Paul get into Pet Peeves, including people walking too slowly in crosswalks, taking their shoes off in public, TNT's coverage of the French Open, and Matt's campaign to normalize calling people on the phone. In Best Things They Saw, the guys review Audacity, Dark Wizard, Legends, Cape Fear, and the Martin Short documentary, while Paul shares his favorite airplane movie recommendations and a review of The Lost Boys musical. It's a packed episode full of sports, music, nostalgia, celebrity stories, and the kind of random tangents that somehow make perfect sense on Beat LA.

Thanks for listening! Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

Hosts: Matt Ferrucci & Paul Ruehl

Follow, Subscribe & Watch the Show on:

Watch Episodes on YouTube!
Instagram: @beatlapodcast
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Email the show at: beatlapodcast@gmail.com

Follow Matt Ferrucci on Instagram: @matt_ferrucci

Follow Paul Ruehl on Instagram: @llruehlj

Website: https://www.beatlapodcast.com/

Matt and Paul are back with another chaotic Bay Area therapy session, this time joined by one of the fastest-rising Bay Area sports creators on the internet, Dylan Is A Dragon. Before getting to Dylan, the guys catch up on Matt’s bizarre email invite to try out for a professional Greek basketball team, Paul attending what felt like a real-life Succession wedding in Boston, the death of Spirit Airlines, Timothée Chalamet choosing the Knicks over the Met Gala, and a few other signs society may be collapsing in real time.

(9:38) Then Matt and Paul sit down with Dylan Is A Dragon for a full Bay Area sports summit. The guys talk about how Dylan built one of the biggest Bay Area sports communities online from scratch through cinematic Giants, Warriors, and 49ers content, what it takes to grow a sports media brand in the algorithm era, and the weird reality of becoming internet-famous talking about teams that actively destroy your emotional health. From there, they dive headfirst into the Giants. Is this team cooked? Is Bryce Eldridge the savior? Should the Giants tear it down and rebuild? Dylan defends Rafael Devers, pitches the path to a Wild Card run, and explains why he still somehow has hope.

(41:36) The conversation then shifts to the Warriors and 49ers. Is there one last Steph Curry title run left? Should the Warriors go full Expendables mode and reunite the old core? Could Giannis, LeBron, or even Kawhi somehow end up in Golden State? The guys also break down the 49ers draft, Brock Purdy expectations, Joey Bosa possibilities, why Rams fans are soft for complaining about Australia games, and Mount Rushmores of Bay Area sports heartbreak and glory. It’s a hilarious, passionate, and very online Bay Area sports conversation with one of the new voices of Bay Area fandom.

(1:05:51)) Later, Matt and Paul close things out with pet peeves and pet pleasures, including why the NFL Draft belongs at Radio City Music Hall, Andre Agassi unexpectedly promoting the podcast, and Best Things They Saw featuring Beef Season 2 and Your Friends & Neighbors.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

Hosts: Matt Ferrucci & Paul Ruehl

Follow, Subscribe & Watch the Show on:

Watch Episodes on YouTube!
Instagram: @beatlapodcast
TikTok: @beat.la.podcast

Email the show at: beatlapodcast@gmail.com

Follow Matt Ferrucci on Instagram: @matt_ferrucci

Follow Paul Ruehl on Instagram: @llruehlj

Website: https://www.beatlapodcast.com/