S1 Preview: Finding Freddy

American Prodigy: Becoming Great

Blue Wire

Sports

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 12 November 2020

⏱️ 2 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When Nike signed thirteen-year-old Freddy Adu to a million dollar contract, they thought he could be bigger than Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and LeBron James. As it turned out, however, Freddy never lived up to the hype. Soccer journalist Grant Wahl investigates the impossible expectations that were placed on the teenager, and discusses with Freddy just how much of the blame lies on the media, MLS, and Freddy himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast is brought to you by Coors Light.
0:03.4	Coors Light's the one I choose when I need to unwind.
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0:14.3	Cors Brewing Company, Golden Colorado. Celebrate responsibly.
0:17.2	Do I know you an apology?
0:20.5	No you don't. No you don't. No you don't. I'm going to tell you straight up. Look. In 2003, Nike
0:27.1	signed 13 year old Freddie Adieu to a seven-figure contract. Nike's founder told me Freddie could make a bigger impact on
0:35.8	his sport than LeBron James Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan had on theirs.
0:47.8	But Freddie didn't live up to the hype. Was he a failure? Was it partly my own fault for overselling him? What even happened to Freddie Adieu?
0:53.0	I've had a lot of questions for Freddie,
0:55.0	but he has turned down every single documentary project
1:00.0	looking closely at the details of his career.
1:03.0	Until now.
1:05.0	I had completely decided I wasn't going to do any interviews,
1:10.0	any podcast, anything. I mean, I get bombarded with these things all the time
1:16.4	but they vouch for you my man they do so that's why I'm here right now I'm
1:21.6	I'm Grand Wall and this is American Prodigy
1:24.7	Freddie Adieu. The expectations, it was a lot man and and people don't realize
1:30.4	this but this stuff messes with your mind as a young player.
1:34.4	Everybody's like oh man you know yeah so awesome no it wasn't all it was cracked up to be
1:41.8	episode one of American Prodigy drops November 17th
	...

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