Welcome back folks. It's episode 11. Amidst the rosy return of fans to stadiums, worldwide, Will leads a discussion as to whether this is truly a delightful thing to witness--or if there are in fact mischievous downsides, lurking in the shadows, to playing in front of an audience. As a critical reminder, the dynamic duo are coming at this from the angle of being self-proclaimed "soulless American soccer fans", fellas that rarely get to grace the beauty of Europe's finest grounds in person, but this is the archetype of many football "hinchas" around the world; their voices ought not be forgotten!

A winding chat begins with discussing states of flow that can be brought on by the ultras' drumming, the impact of whistling and jeering on player psyche, and the seemingly counterintuitive stats that show how the home field advantage has lost its luster--and has even become a home field disadvantage--during the covid lockdown. The two go back and forth piecing together rationales for why this might be the case, why it disproportionately affects some leagues, and why top clubs with new stadiums experience different things than those treading water towards the bottom. Martin invokes the commonly discussed TT Pod notion that some teams play in fear of their own fans, making a living by trying to live up to someone else's expectations and a legacy that was established long before they arrived, plus, how that can hurt clubs that refuse to let go of their more successful past. Our hosts ponder whether football loses all significance if there's no one to partake in the make-believe with the players, no one to give importance to kicking a ball into a net, or finishing somewhere in a table--with comparisons drawn between sport and modern currency--leaving W & M in an existential crisis before the half.

The second half features a total hodge-podge of high level topics, including the idea that pressure from spectators is perhaps what makes the highest level of sport so compelling; these aren't just the best physical specimens, they're the ones that can do it with the world watching. Discussion takes a dive into the idea of emotional contagion as it somewhat relates to the dynamics between players and the crowd, followed by a brief mention of the recent Nice vs. Marseille field invasion fiasco, and ultimately arriving at the question as to whether home field advantage truly comes from the audience, or peripheral factors like sleeping in your own bed the previous evening. The conversation detours for a while to talk cats and broken parking garages, as you'll surely soon learn, until returning to chat referees. Questions are brought up surrounding the simulation of fans via cardboard cutout or broadcast audio overlays, and Will enters an eloquent monologue as to whether or not the silence actually made the game far more peaceful (and arguably, easier to connect to) than ever before. Things tie off with a foray into the away goals ruling from UEFA and its fan underpinnings.

Join us to hear our thoughts on all these items, and more--including a delirious dialogue on heatstroke, Will's adoration for his fellow Liverpool fans, throat-punching for beginners, Martin's disdain for certain feline social gestures, an analysis of how to be bald and break concrete to stop fights (incurring insomnia in those who watch), a fantastic multiple-octave rendition of The Leftovers' heart-wrenching soundtrack, another Harvey Elliot cameo, the return of the Elland Road mafia, leeching parasites, and why holographic spectators is one host's worst nightmare.

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