The best way to manage the emotions of Sam Mewis retiring from the game, without a proper final farewell on the pitch, is to revisit the vast collection of her funniest moments off the pitch. Moyes, who was a key part of the U.S. team that won the 2019 Women's World Cup, announced her retirement on Friday after persistent knee and ankle injuries prematurely ended her playing career.
Full credit must be given to US Soccer because they knew that in addition to Moyes' talents in midfield, they had stumbled upon a goldmine of chaotic content. Mewis, along with her sister Christy — and her best friends Rose Lavelle, Emilie Sonnett, Lynn Williams, Abby Dahlkemper, and more — have provided years of comedy that can be treasured forever thanks to the magic of YouTube's NFL archives (and a few other sources). .
“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 that's the mockery of Boston,” Sonnett told reporters hours after the announcement. “If you get the chance to play with Sam, Moyes, this is one of the best things. Not just the production on the field, but also the silly moments, the moments you remember off the field.
“She is one of the best people and the best human beings.”
Mewis hasn't come far in her post-playing life, leading a new women's soccer team in the Men in Blazers, which includes reuniting with Williams for set content. You probably already know the iconography “Having a Good Time” segment from the Snacks podcastbut there are plenty of gems for new fans to enjoy as well.
Here's the best of Sam Mewis, tower of power, and also queen of content.
Let's start with a classic story: Mewis and fellow Masshole Stephanie McCaffrey look to Carli Lloyd for tips to stay in the USWNT. The three can barely keep a straight face as the 5'11″ Moyes tries to climb into an ice bath in a hotel bathtub, already filled to the brim with McCaffrey and Lloyd. “You guys are weird,” Lloyd says. In a way, it's just the tip of the iceberg of chaos.
Of course, one of the most fruitful lines of content for American soccer has been the Moyes sisters combined.
This first sister quiz dates back to July 2010. Highlights include questions about who has a bigger head, Sam forcefully stating that she doesn't like Taylor Swift, and Sam telling her sister, “Don't act like you're showing your feelings, ever.” Oh, and timely questions about twilight.
A full decade later, they meet again for another version of the same discussion – with a recall of Sam's musical tastes. (On a related note, one of my favorite Sam Mewis discussions 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 completely derailed to discuss The National.)
The January camp video featuring a number of different groups of players turned out to be so successful that US Soccer just released a full bonus video of Sam and Christy. They knew the magic they were working with.
“More Mewies content!” Followed by Rose Lavelle saying “I feel like I'm going to regret doing this” is an instant recipe for success.
Aside from American football, a tribute to McCaffrey and Co.'s short-lived side hustle, Sporting Chic. One of the most unexpected things I came up with was thanks to Mewis and McCaffrey's group intermingling with USA Hockey players at a Boston-area training facility, which means double the comedy and mayhem. Maybe I'm the only one who remembers the spinach challenge, which featured former USA Hockey Team captain Megan Duggan cheating by stuffing raw spinach into her pockets, but now you can all try it too.
I've spent a fair amount of time trying to track down random, shorter videos that have been on Instagram Stories, and here are some gems. First, Sam Mewis serenaded Lizzo in 2019, which, in a sea of crazy post-World Cup clips, still lives rent-free in my head.
Mewis has always been very relatable, but as someone who worries about falling behind, this is a winner. I can't imagine walking into a USWNT meeting this late, so the reaction is really understandable.
How about some old school NWSL? Perhaps the most popular piece of Western New York Flash content actually involves Carli Lloyd in a banana suit, but the pairing of Mewis and Abby Dahlkemper in this jelly bean taste test is getting worse (“It's pepper!”) and their increasing angriness. And resentment is so much fun.
Back in American football, getting the microphone is a rite of passage. “Sorry, next time, do you think the hurdles could be a little taller for some of the taller athletes, please?”
And then there's just the decision to get Mewis, Sonnett and Lavelle on Zoom together and make the record.
Perhaps Moise was always ready to be editor-in-chief. “Move with confidence, girls” is the rallying cry here before Christmas carols at camp. The vocals are questionable, but this is the real leader.
The So You Think You Know Sam series is a testament not only to its strength in content, but also to how deeply likable Mavis is as a human being. Five contestants, her sister Christy and classmates Dahlkemper, Sonnett, Lavelle and Williams, try to prove to the camera who is most closely associated with Sam. (The highlight is Lavelle during the final segment with Christie shouting “We're in front, girls, we're in front!”)
Lavelle started with a strong effort:
Then the sonnet:
Here is Dahlkemper:
Podcast co-host Lynn Williams:
And finally, Christy:
Which brings us to “Are you having a good time?” There are goods, there are marks in every match, and frankly, at this point, the Mewis sisters might regret going public with this story with how much they had to hear about this being pressured on them. But there's a reason why this is the one Snacks moment that turned into a classic podcast moment.
(Image: American Football)