Why are straight women yelling “Kiss!” at NHL Games? Talking Heated Rivalry (and much more) with sports journalist Frankie de la Cretaz cover art

Why are straight women yelling “Kiss!” at NHL Games? Talking Heated Rivalry (and much more) with sports journalist Frankie de la Cretaz

Why are straight women yelling “Kiss!” at NHL Games? Talking Heated Rivalry (and much more) with sports journalist Frankie de la Cretaz

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 Sports journalist Frankie de la Cretaz joins me to talk about Heated Rivalry, the queer hockey romance that has straight women yelling "kiss!" at NHL games. We get into what that phenomenon reveals about MLM romance, consent in different queer communities, and the complicated politics of who gets to consume queer culture. We also dive into Frankie's experience defeating Boston's 2024 Olympic bid, the PWHL's ICE funding problem, my Lilith Fair kidnapping story, going to Camp Gaylor, and why Lake Placid's Olympic Village is still a functioning prison. This episode is longer than usual because we kept discovering shared obsessions—I laughed until I cried and learned so much.Timestamps[00:00] Intro: Women yelling "kiss" at NHL games[02:19] Meeting Frankie and Super Bowl hot takes[10:05] Frankie's role in defeating Boston's 2024 Olympic bid[15:53] Lake Placid's Olympic Village-turned-prison (still operational!)[18:34] Olympics as political propaganda and anti-trans victory laps[24:57] USA Hockey's trans ban and the silence of women's hockey players[26:56] The PWHL's Mark Walter problem: funding ICE while having moments of silence[30:02] The NHL's viewership crisis and opportunistic embrace of Heated Rivalry[34:41] The "kiss" chants at NHL games[39:02] Mary's Lilith Fair kidnapping story[47:09] Going to Camp Gaylor and writing about it for Cosmo[50:34] Why the Gaylor community matters beyond Taylor's actual sexuality[57:17] Introduction to Heated Rivalry: the show, the books, the obsession[1:02:03] The brilliant narrative adaptation from books to show[1:04:10] It's NOT a happy ending—they got caught, not liberated[1:09:47] Why straight women love MLM romance (and it's complicated)[1:14:21] Cruising culture, consent, and how it works in gay male spaces[1:28:40] Will sapphic sports stories get the same attention?[1:30:34] Pitching the National Women's Football League as a TV series[1:33:18] What queer sports storytelling should look like going forward[1:35:07] Book recommendations: Kate Cochran, KT Hoffman, Victoria Zeller[1:42:10] The Sochi Olympics, Tattoo, and Heated Rivalry coming full circle[1:47:48] Wrapping up: Subscribe, support, and join the conversationResources & Links MentionedBooks We Recommend:Frankie de la Cretaz. Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League Adam Berg. The Olympics that Never Happened: Denver ‘76 and the Politics of GrowthKate Cochrane. Wake Up, Nat & DarcyKT Hoffman. The ProspectsFurther Reading:Frankie de la Cretaz. Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League Frankie de la Cretaz.“In the Field: An Interview with Sapphic Woho Romance Author Kate Cochrane.” Out of Your League, December 23, 2025. https://www.thefrankiedlc.news/p/in-the-field-kate-cochrane. Frankie de la Cretaz. “Sorry but I Don’t Give a Fuck That the NHL Has Embraced ‘Heated Rivalry.’” Out of Your League, December 26, 2025. https://www.thefrankiedlc.news/p/sorry-but-i-don-t-give-a-fuck-that-the-nhl-has-embraced-heated-rivalry. Want even more resources, deep dives, and behind-the-scenes context on this episode's topics? Patreon members get access to my exclusive newsletter with extended research, additional links, and insights that didn't make it into the show. You can get the weekly newsletter when you join for free. Become a Patreon member →TranscriptFull episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v7jr_E2ipmYT4AWv84N9WXGpR6RQErwXyLfjvUkrzcE/edit?usp=sharing Connect with Mary:Website: www.marymmahoney.comInstagram: @mimimahoneyEmail: MaryMargaret.Mahoney@gmail.comLove the show? Please leave a rating and review! It helps other listeners find Landline.Frankie de la Cretaz Resources:Website: https://www.britnidlc.com/ Out Of Your League: https://www.thefrankiedlc.news/ Book: Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League Instagram | Threads | BlueSkyLandline is an interview-based podcast exploring pop culture and history, hosted by Mary Mahoney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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