SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
And now it's time for sports.
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SIMON: Pride, Spirit - a new women's soccer champ will soon be crowned. Geno shatters another record. And do dome football stadia deprive us of wintry drama? Talk about obnoxious - it's my sports voice. Michele Steele of ESPN...
MICHELE STEELE: (Laughter).
SIMON: ...Joins us. Michele, thanks so much for being with us.
STEELE: I feel like I have to match your sports voice now, Scott.
SIMON: No, no, no, no. I...
STEELE: OK.
SIMON: You actually know about it.
STEELE: (Laughter).
SIMON: I'm a fan. Look, Kansas City National Women's Soccer League plays its championship tonight. The Orlando Pride face the Washington Spirit - some star power in this final. The Brazilian legend Marta is in for the Pride and Trinity Rodman for the Spirit. Who has the edge?
STEELE: Well, the NWSL - the National Women's Soccer League - it's still a relatively young league. So if you haven't already tuned into a women's game this season, tonight, I think, Scott, is worth the watch. You have both of these teams - the Washington and Orlando squads - really closely matched. And here's the interesting thing. The game is being held in neutral territory for both of these teams...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...For the first time in the postseason. So they'll be away from home for the first time in the playoff. So it's a real pick'em. I wouldn't be shocked to see this go into extra time. And like you mentioned, some fun, talented stars on both sides.
SIMON: Yeah. Let me ask about college basketball now. The legend of Geno Auriemma grows. This is the UConn women's coach. Of course, he became the winningest basketball coach in NCAA history this week - win number 1,217 - 23 Final Fours - yow (ph) - 11 national championships, six undefeated seasons. Can he be called the greatest coach of all time?
STEELE: Well, UConn had a live goat trotted out during the special ceremony honoring Auriemma, so there's no ambiguity...
SIMON: You mean four-footed, right?
STEELE: Yeah, exactly - the animal version.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: So there's no ambiguity about how UConn feels about Geno. They do think he's the GOAT. And I think it's safe to call him the greatest women's basketball coach in our lifetime - right? - 1,217 wins is a record that I think is going to stand the test of time.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: But, Scott, in terms of greatest coach of all time, you know, John Wooden, Vince Lombardi, Red Auerbach - they might want to have a word.
SIMON: Phil Jackson.
STEELE: Phil Jackson - there you go...
SIMON: Steve Kerr, for that matter.
STEELE: ...Doing it with the Lakers and the Bulls. Yes.
SIMON: Yeah, yeah. Look, a really old-school football game on Thursday - the Cleveland Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19 in a snowstorm. Forgive me, 'cause I certainly didn't have to sit through it, but wow...
STEELE: (Laughter).
SIMON: ...It was fun to watch. Is football better in the elements? Also, these teams want domed stadiums now.
STEELE: Yeah, you know, I couldn't feel my feet after that game 'cause I was on the sideline for it. But is football better in the elements? Yes. Yes, it is - just like George Washington intended, for red-blooded Americans to watch football out of doors, in my opinion. You know, there was something magic in Cleveland, Scott. You're surrounded...
SIMON: Oh.
STEELE: ...By 65,000 fans.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: You're in the middle of the dog pound, if you will. And it was that powdery...
SIMON: (Imitating dog barking). Yeah.
STEELE: ...Lake effect snow and just enough wind to make it really look like a snow globe. And Browns' quarterback, Jameis Winston - I'm going to quote him. He said this about the Browns' fourth-quarter heroics - you know, they came back to beat the 8-and-2 Steelers in the closing minutes of the game. He said, quote, "this was an NFL films moment. The snow starts pouring down. My feet start getting heavy because I'm squishing through the snow. Man, that was so good," close quote. And I agree, Scott.
SIMON: It's poetic. Quickly, top college football prospect in the nation quarterback, Bryce Underwood, committed to the University of Michigan this week - reportedly, with a 10.5 million-dollar name, image and likeness deal. College sports has really changed, isn't it? Why does he have to go pro? He is pro.
STEELE: Oh, my goodness. He committed to LSU, but he grew up 30 minutes from Ann Arbor, and Michigan's NIL collective, their boosters, went into overdrive. They made Bryce Underwood a deal he could not pass up. So it's the haves versus the have-nots in college football, Scott - same as it ever was, I think.
SIMON: Same as it ever was. Michele Steele of ESPN, thanks so much for being with us.
STEELE: You bet.
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