The best way to deal with the feelings of Sam Mewis' retirement from the field without a proper on-field farewell is to revisit the extensive collection of her funniest moments off the field. Mewis, who was a key part of the U.S. team that won the 2019 Women's World Cup, announced her retirement Friday after sustained knee and ankle injuries that prematurely ended her playing career.
Give US Soccer full credit because they knew they had stumbled upon a goldmine of chaotic content in addition to Mewis' talents in the midfield. Mewis, along with her sister Kristie—and best friends Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, Lynn Williams, Abby Dahlkemper, and others—provided years of comedy that will stay in forever thanks to the magic of US Soccer's YouTube archives (and a few other sources). will remain a memory.
“Sam is probably one of the best teammates I've ever had and she's also one of the funniest people. I don't know if it's that Boston sarcasm, that 'Masshole,'” Sonnett told reporters hours after the announcement. “If you had the chance to play with Sam Mewis, that's one of the best things. Not just the production on the field, but the silly moments, the moments that are remembered off the field.
“She is one of the best people, the best people.”
Not getting very far in her life after playing, Mewis is spearheading a new women's soccer vertical at Men in Blazers, which includes reuniting with Williams for select content. You may already be familiar with the iconic “Having an Okay Time” segment from the Snacks podcast, but there are plenty of gems for new fans too.
Here is the best of Sam Mewis, the tower of power and also a queen of content.
Let's start with a classic: Mewis and her Masshole colleague Stephanie McCaffrey look to Carli Lloyd for tips on staying with the USWNT. The three of them can barely keep a straight face as Mewis, all 5'10″, tries to climb into an ice bath in a hotel bathtub that is already filled to capacity with McCaffrey and Lloyd. “You guys are weird,” Lloyd says. It's kind of just the tip of the chaos iceberg.
Of course, the Mewis sisters together have been one of the most prolific content lines for US Soccer.
This first sister quiz is from July 2010. Highlights include asking who has the bigger head, Sam aggressively declaring that she doesn't like Taylor Swift, and Sam telling her sister, “Don't ever act like that.” would you show feelings.” ” Oh, and current questions about Twilight.
A full decade later, they met for another version of the same discussion – with a look back at Sam's musical tastes. (On a related note, one of my favorite discussions by Sam Mewis came from her column here at The Athletic about the 2019 World Cup, which started with what was on her playlist at the time and then went completely off the rails to talk about The National discuss.)
A January camp video featuring a few different combinations of players proved so successful that US Soccer just released a full bonus video of Sam and Kristie. They knew the magic they were working with.
“More Mewies content!” followed by Rose Lavelle’s words, “I feel like I’m going to regret doing this,” is an instant recipe for success.
Outside of U.S. Soccer, kudos to McCaffrey and company's short-lived side business, Sporting Chic. One of the most unexpected things to come out of it was the Mewis and McCaffrey combination overlapping with US hockey players at a Boston-area training facility, which meant double comedy and chaos. Maybe I'm the only one who remembers the spinach challenge where former US hockey captain Meghann Duggan cheated by stuffing raw spinach into her pockets, but now you can all experience it too.
I've spent quite a bit of time tracking down random, shorter videos that have been living in Instagram Stories, and here are a few gems. First, Sam Mewis singing Lizzo in 2019, which still lives rent-free in my head in a sea of absolutely insane post-World Cup clips.
Mewis has always been extremely likeable, but as someone who is afraid of being late, this one wins. I can't imagine being late to a USWNT meeting, so the reaction is really understandable.
How about an old school NWSL? The Western New York Flash's most famous plot may actually be about Carli Lloyd in a banana suit, but the couple Mewis and Abby Dahlkemper in that gummy bear taste test that goes from bad to worse (“It's pepper!”), and their growing anger and resentment is deeply gratifying.
Back to US Soccer: Using a microphone is a rite of passage. “Excuse me, do you think the hurdles might be a little higher next time for some of our taller athletes, please?”
And then there is the decision to bring Mewis, Sonnett and Lavelle together on a Zoom and record them.
Maybe Mewis was always ready to become editor-in-chief. “Move with confidence, girls” is the rallying cry before Christmas carols are sung at camp. The singing is questionable, but this is a true leader.
The “So You Think You Know Sam” series is not only proof of its power of content, but also of Mewis' deep sympathy as a human being. Five contestants, her sister Kristie and her teammates Dahlkemper, Sonnett, Lavelle and Williams, all try to prove in front of the camera who is actually closest to Sam. (The highlight is Lavelle during the final episode with Kristie shouting, “We're in the lead, girls, we're in the lead!”)
Lavelle took the lead with a strong performance:
Then sonnet:
Here is Dahlkemper:
Podcast co-host Lynn Williams:
And finally Kristie:
Which brings us to the question, “Are you having a good time?” There is merchandise, there are signs at every game, and honestly, at this point the Mewis sisters may regret letting this story go public because they probably have to be under a lot of pressure to hear how much pressure is being put on them. But there's a reason why this is the one moment from “Snacks” that became an instant podcast classic.
(Photo: US Soccer)