Christian Polanco discusses The Cooligans' new gig! | TSS Extra
Christian Polanco of The Cooligans discusses their summer World Cup tour with major performers and announces a new partnership with Yahoo Sports and Apple TV to provide alternative commentary for two MLS matches. He reflects on his journey with NYCFC and their upcoming Etihad Park stadium.
Summary
Christian Polanco, co-host of The Cooligans podcast, joins Taylor Rockwell on the Total Soccer Show to discuss recent developments in his career. He details his experience on the Breakaway Tour throughout the summer, which combined live podcast recordings with World Cup watch parties sponsored by Bank of America and Visa across 11 U.S. cities. The tour featured performances by Death Cab for Cutie, Ludacris, Jack Harlow, and other artists. Polanco highlights the logistical challenges of coordinating flights and performances with live shows, and shares anecdotes about interacting with celebrities like Jack Harlow (who he learned is a co-owner of Louisville City and Racing Louisville soccer teams) and Ludacris, whom he found to be surprisingly warm and personable.
The primary news discussed is The Cooligans' new partnership with Yahoo Sports and Apple TV to provide alternative commentary for two major league soccer matches: the Campeones Cup match between Inter-Miami and Cruz Azul on September 16th, and Inter-Miami versus FC Cincinnati on October 28th. This marks the first time MLS and Apple TV have offered this type of alternative broadcast option. Polanco explains that they will have control over replays, access to exclusive iPhone camera angles, and can pull up the referee camera at will, with audience members able to influence what's displayed through live comments on their YouTube channel. He emphasizes that their approach will differ from traditional commentary, focusing instead on humor and maintaining the brand identity of The Cooligans rather than formulaic sports announcing.
Polanco discusses his philosophy of comedy in soccer, explaining that their content exists uniquely in the American soccer space because it allows for inclusive banter rather than tribal allegiance. He reflects on the evolution of The Cooligans from their early days filming outside NYCFC games to their current status as a respected media entity. He expresses deep emotional investment in NYCFC's new Etihad Park stadium, noting that the club literally changed his life and that he and Alexis Guerrero are founding members whose names will be immortalized on a brick wall in the stadium. Polanco predicts the stadium will revolutionize MLS attendance and atmosphere, particularly with the ability to attract diaspora communities like Colombians and Central Americans from the Queens area.
About this episode
<p>Our old pal, and yours I hope, Christian Polanco returns to the program to discuss the summer of soccer and live gigs, as well as The Cooligans upcoming foray into live broadcasts for MLS and Apple! </p><br /><p><strong>JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON!</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/totalsoccershow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Check out our Patreon</a>, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, videos, The TSS Scouting Network, and much more.</p><br /><p><strong>WATCH TSS EPISODES ON YOUTUBE!</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Total-Soccer-Show" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">We're posting all our episodes here</a>! Smash like and subscribe etc.!</p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Key Insights
- The Cooligans' comedy exists uniquely in American soccer because it allows for inclusive, healthy banter rather than the tribal allegiance-based humor that would be necessary in established soccer markets like England.
- Polanco experienced severe nervousness early in his comedy career (literally shaking knees) but has evolved to confidence grounded in clear understanding of his purpose: bringing levity to American soccer.
- The new Etihad Park stadium represents a turning point for MLS because it will enable sellout crowds through diaspora appeal—specifically mentioning that Colombian, Honduran, and Guatemalan communities will drive attendance regardless of stadium location.
- Yahoo Sports and Apple TV took a calculated risk by hiring two comedians for official MLS broadcast commentary, a hiring decision that Polanco attributes to the shift in MLS leadership as Don Garber departs.
- The Breakaway Tour required extreme logistical coordination, as The Cooligans had to film live shows immediately after World Cup matches while also accommodating celebrity performances in 11 different cities.
- Polanco credits NYCFC with directly changing his life and enabling The Cooligans podcast to exist, tracing the podcast's origins to filming content outside NYCFC matches starting in 2013-2014.
- The Cooligans' approach to their broadcast will prioritize 'jokes per minute' and audience laughter rather than replicating traditional sports announcing formula or pretending to be conventional commentators.
- NYCFC's move from Yankee Stadium to Etihad Park will eliminate an ongoing source of criticism and visiting team jokes while creating a more intimidating home environment due to the smaller, more intimate stadium size.
Topics
Transcript
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