The opening scene of this episode is a nod to the opening scene of the film "You've Got Mail". Both scenes feature the song "Dreams" by The Cranberries while the camera focuses on shops opening along a street, passersby carrying bouquets of flowers, and people drinking coffee.
In the locker room scene with Sam's father, he tugs on his earlobes. This was a callback to a scene in Season 1 Episode 2, when Sam says "My dad always used to pinch my earlobes for good luck"
The comment "Shut up and dribble" by fictitious politician Brinda Barot to Richmond player Sam Obisanya when he expressed political views on a social media platform is a real quote from Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham, who said those words about NBA star LeBron James after he discussed his political views in an interview.
Ted's line 'it's kind of like taking a hike with Robert Frost. It could go either way' is referring to Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken.'
Along with the nod to "You've Got Mail" in the opening credits the daisy flowers that Jack compliments on Keeleys desk and her response "daisies are my favorite" is also a nod to the film and Kathleen Kelly's favorite flower being daisies, "the friendliest flower".