Hang Up and Listen

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs discuss Juan Soto’s earth-shatteringly large contract with the New York Mets. They also talk about Lewis Hamilton’s last ride for Mercedes before he moves to team Ferrari, and Igor Shesterkin’s unprecedented new deal with the New York Rangers. For Afterballs, Alex breaks down some of the controversy within college football’s first 12-team playoff. On the bonus episode, available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts discuss expansion teams and how different leagues such as the WNBA and NHL have handled new additions. Soto (2:51): His shocking shuffle over the Queens. F1 (23:18): Lewis Hamilton rolls on from Mercedes. NHL goalies (40:51): Igor Shesterkin sets a new contract record. Afterballs (55:37): Alex on college football's new twelve-team playoffs. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs discuss Iga Swiatek’s and Janik Sinner's doping allegations and the huge implications for international tennis. They also get into this past weekend’s college football chaos and Saquon Barkley and Derek Henry’s running back revival. For Afterballs, Lindsay Gibbs examines the tragic passing of Alabama A&M linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr. after a recent head injury. On the bonus episode, available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts talk about Bluesky and whether big sports media will eventually pivot to the new platform. Tennis and doping (2:37): Do Swiatek and Sinner deserve suspensions? College football chaos (25:50): Flag planting and the mess in the Mid-West Are runningbacks back? (46:57): How long can Barkely and Henry prop up their position? Afterballs (1:03:38): Lindsay on Medrick Burnett Jr’s head injury and death. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh chat about Rafael Nadal’s legacy as one of the all-time tennis greats. They also discuss the NWSL championship which Lindsay attended, the last days of ESPN’s Around the Horn. This week’s Afterball is from Ben, in which he compares the terms of sports commissioners and Supreme Court justices. On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus subscribers, the panel breaks down the new women’s basketball league, Unrivaled. Nadal (3:02): His long and impressive career. NWSL Championship (24:01): Orlando won it all. Sports TV (46:09): Around the Horn ends while Inside the NBA remains. Afterballs (01:01:09): Ben Lindbergh on baseball commissioners vs. Supreme Court justices. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh, and Lindsay Gibbs discuss the 4-hour Jake Paul and Mike Tyson boxing circus. They also talk about changes in regional sports networks, the next chapter in the Chiefs-Bills rivalry, plus an Afterball from Alex on the Winnipeg Jets. On the Bonus episode, available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel gets into the NBA’s continued love of three-pointers. Paul vs. Tyson (2:54): How the main event duped so many viewers. FanDuel takes on RSNs (25:18): How sixteen regional sports networks continue to be reshuffled. Chiefs vs. Bills (43:35): CBS and the NFL want this rivalry to stick. Afterballs (56:57): Alex Kirshner on the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets and their attendance issues. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Disclosure in Podcast Description: A Bond Account is a self-directed brokerage account with Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Deposits into this account are used to purchase 10 investment-grade and high-yield bonds. As of 9/26/24, the average, annualized yield to worst (YTW) across the Bond Account is greater than 6%. A bond’s yield is a function of its market price, which can fluctuate; therefore, a bond’s YTW is not “locked in” until the bond is purchased, and your yield at time of purchase may be different from the yield shown here. The “locked in” YTW is not guaranteed; you may receive less than the YTW of the bonds in the Bond Account if you sell any of the bonds before maturity or if the issuer defaults on the bond. Public Investing charges a markup on each bond trade. See our Fee Schedule. Bond Accounts are not recommendations of individual bonds or default allocations. The bonds in the Bond Account have not been selected based on your needs or risk profile. See https://public.com/disclosures/bond-account to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Alex Kirshner, and Ben Lindbergh are joined by Matt Brown of Extra Points for a discussion of how unified Republican control of the government could allow the NCAA to roll back college athletes’ newly won empowerment. They also talk about the NFL’s international aspirations, possible MLB off-season moves, plus a baseball-crosswords Afterballs. On the Bonus episode, available exclusively for Slate Plus members, Ben and Alex chat about MLS and Lionel Messi’s first playoffs. Trump and the NCAA (2:49): How college sports may welcome more conservative legislation. The NFL Abroad (27:33): How much does the rest of the world really love Football? The Juan Soto Sweepstakes (46:49): Where will the generational hitter land? Afterballs (1:08:03): Ben Lindbergh on the prevalence of baseball in crosswords. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh talk about the dominant Dodgers, why NCAA coaches are hiring lobbyists, election gambling, and the return of Afterballs! On the Bonus episode exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts get into esports, and gaming star FAKER's fifth League of Legends World Championship. World Series (4:47): The Dodgers were good. The Yankees were bad. Olympic Sports (19:23): a group of collegiate Olympic sports coaching associations hired lobbying firm FGS Global. Election Betting (35:58): The potential ramifications of sportsbooks hosting presidential election bets. Afterballs (48:29): Lindsay Gibbs on WTA Finals and Saudi Arabia (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Disclosure in Podcast Description: A Bond Account is a self-directed brokerage account with Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Deposits into this account are used to purchase 10 investment-grade and high-yield bonds. As of 9/26/24, the average, annualized yield to worst (YTW) across the Bond Account is greater than 6%. A bond’s yield is a function of its market price, which can fluctuate; therefore, a bond’s YTW is not “locked in” until the bond is purchased, and your yield at time of purchase may be different from the yield shown here. The “locked in” YTW is not guaranteed; you may receive less than the YTW of the bonds in the Bond Account if you sell any of the bonds before maturity or if the issuer defaults on the bond. Public Investing charges a markup on each bond trade. See our Fee Schedule. Bond Accounts are not recommendations of individual bonds or default allocations. The bonds in the Bond Account have not been selected based on your needs or risk profile. See https://public.com/disclosures/bond-account to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh examine the notable silence from major sports stars on this year’s presidential election. They also discuss Michael Jordan's legal battle against NASCAR, plus the first week of the NBA regular season. In the Bonus episode exclusively for Slate Plus subscribers, the panel reflects on the life and legacy of Fernando Valenzuela and his impact on the Dodgers. A lack of political endorsements (2:48): LeBron remains quiet with one week remaining until the election. MJ vs. NASCAR (21:35): The implications of Michael Jordan’s legal case against Big Race Car. NBA (36:01): Bronny’s first few minutes. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Disclosure in Podcast Description: A Bond Account is a self-directed brokerage account with Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Deposits into this account are used to purchase 10 investment-grade and high-yield bonds. As of 9/26/24, the average, annualized yield to worst (YTW) across the Bond Account is greater than 6%. A bond’s yield is a function of its market price, which can fluctuate; therefore, a bond’s YTW is not “locked in” until the bond is purchased, and your yield at time of purchase may be different from the yield shown here. The “locked in” YTW is not guaranteed; you may receive less than the YTW of the bonds in the Bond Account if you sell any of the bonds before maturity or if the issuer defaults on the bond. Public Investing charges a markup on each bond trade. See our Fee Schedule. Bond Accounts are not recommendations of individual bonds or default allocations. The bonds in the Bond Account have not been selected based on your needs or risk profile. See https://public.com/disclosures/bond-account to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh talk about the New York Liberty’s victory over the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Finals. They also get into Tom Brady’s controversial new ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, and the World Series picture. In the Bonus episode exclusively for Slate Plus subscribers, the panel discusses University of Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett’s retirement announcement. WNBA Finals (10:02): The Liberty bring home the glory Tom Brady (32:38): The broadcaster and now team owner World Series (47:04): Clash of the evil empires (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh discuss Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson and his historically bad start, the sports-wide expansion of playoff seasons, and the latest on the MLB postseason. On the Bonus episode exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts talk about Jessica Campbell, the first woman to coach in the NHL. Deshaun Watson (3:22): The very bad Browns QB Playoff Expansion (23:14): Regular and postseasons continue to grow longer MLB (39:17): Baseball is fun again? (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Disclosure in Podcast Description: A Bond Account is a self-directed brokerage account with Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Deposits into this account are used to purchase 10 investment-grade and high-yield bonds. As of 9/26/24, the average, annualized yield to worst (YTW) across the Bond Account is greater than 6%. A bond’s yield is a function of its market price, which can fluctuate; therefore, a bond’s YTW is not “locked in” until the bond is purchased, and your yield at time of purchase may be different from the yield shown here. The “locked in” YTW is not guaranteed; you may receive less than the YTW of the bonds in the Bond Account if you sell any of the bonds before maturity or if the issuer defaults on the bond. Public Investing charges a markup on each bond trade. See our Fee Schedule. Bond Accounts are not recommendations of individual bonds or default allocations. The bonds in the Bond Account have not been selected based on your needs or risk profile. See https://public.com/disclosures/bond-account to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Split Zone Duo’s Alex Kirshner, Power Plays’ Lindsay Gibbs, and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh chat about the NFL Players Association’s calls to revoke media access to locker rooms, the controversy surrounding a transgender volleyball player at San Jose State, and the wild week in college football. On the Bonus episode, exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts discuss Pete Rose’s historic and sordid legacy.  NFL Locker Rooms (2:35): Media access vs. player privacy San Jose State Volleyball (23:53): The drama surrounding a transgender player CFB (46:30): Vanderbilt beats Alabama (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Split Zone Duo’s Alex Kirshner, Power Plays’ Lindsay Gibbs, and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh get into playoff talk, first MLB and then the WNBA. Later, they talk about the seemingly impossible task of filling Nick Saban’s shoes at Alabama. On the bonus episode exclusively for Slate Plus members, they discuss the White Sox's historic implosion. MLB (2:48): Which playoff team should Lindsay root for? WNBA (21:16): Dijonai Carrington and the start of the playoffs CFB (42:22): Kalen DeBoer keeps the Tide rolling (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Split Zone Duo’s Alex Kirshner, Power Plays’ Lindsay Gibbs, and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh discuss Shohei’s record-breaking season, Adrian Wojnarowski’s retirement, and the waning passing abilities of NFL quarterbacks. In the bonus episode exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts examine whether the SAFE Bet Act could actually rein in sports betting. Woj (3:09): What comes next for sports scoop culture in a post-Woj world? Ohtani (24:43): The first man to reach the 50/50 club. NFL (42:57): The League’s passing offenses are not doing well. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Split Zone Duo’s Alex Kirshner, Power Plays’ Lindsay Gibbs, and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh reunite to talk about the U.S. women’s first victory at the Solheim Cup in eight years. They also discuss the Oakland Athletics’ move to Sacramento, and Tua Tagovailoa’s latest frightening concussion. On the bonus episode, Slate Plus members can hear chat about A’ja Wilson’s historic WNBA season. LPGA (2:12): The U.S. beats Europe at the Solheim Cup. Oakland A’s (28:07): The Athletics are on to Sacramento, but then where? Tua Tagovailoa (46:20): The Dolphins quarterback's head injury and future. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slate contributing writer and co-host of the podcast Split Zone Duo, Alex Kirshner is back in the host chair this week. Joining Alex is the founder of the Power Plays newsletter, Lindsay Gibbs, and Yahoo Sports’ Charles McDonald. The panel comb through NFL Week 1, the American near victories at the US Open, and Angel Reese’s season-ending injury. In the Bonus episode, Slate Plus members can hear a discussion about Deion Sanders' disappointing Buffaloes. NFL (3:13): The big budgets and big gambles on the current crop of QBs US Open (23:02): The American Grand Slam drought continues. WNBA (40:21): Angel Reese’s rookie season is cut short. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slate contributing writer and co-host of the podcast Split Zone Duo, Alex Kirshner hosts this week’s Hang Up and Listen. Alex is joined by The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh and founder of the Power Plays newsletter, Lindsay Gibbs for a discussion of private equity in the NFL and college football. Later, they break down the National Women’s Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association's new collective bargaining agreement. Plus, Joey Votto’s retirement and the decline of power players at first base in the MLB.  Football (2:25): Private equity invests in the NFL and CFB. NWSL (22:55): The National Women’s Soccer League strikes a deal with the Players Association. Baseball (43:27): Has the time of dominant first basemen and juggernaut teams evaporated? (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin reflect on hosting Slate’s sports podcast, which debuted in July 2009. Retrospective (6:51): How the show attempted to be an antidote to traditional sports talk radio. Old Afterballs (30:55): Josh on a 1934 battle between a scorpion and a spider. Stefan with an update to “Proud to Be an Astro” from Ball Four. New Afterballs (51:17): Josh on listener comments after the first episode of Hang Up and Listen. Stefan on a decade and a half of Afterballs. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the Dream Team’s close calls on the road to gold, and the U.S. women’s basketball team’s narrow victory, too. They break down the quick overhaul of the U.S. women’s soccer team, which won its first gold medal since 2012. Finally, they assess whether the visually beautiful and athletically compelling Paris Games restored the Olympics’ luster. Basketball (4:12): The U.S. men and women survived gold-medal scares from host France. Soccer (19:25): The new-look U.S. women’s team topped Brazil for gold. Olympics roundup (34:58): Did Paris help the Games regain their mojo? (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Morgan Campbell, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Noah Lyles’ stunning win in the men’s 100 meters and Sha’Carri Richardson’s silver in the women’s. Slate’s Christina Cauterucci explains the controversy about the women boxers accused of failing a gender-eligibility test. Plus, Olympics potpourri, including NBC’s announcing fails, tennis genius, and archery thrills. 100 meters (2:34): Noah Lyles nipped Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in one of the most exciting races in Olympics history. Women’s boxing(17:41): Slate’s Christina Cauterucci on the culture-war furor around two women boxers. Olympics potpourri (34:48): NBC’s 100-meters and gymnastics fails, a scintillating men’s tennis final, and a golden arrow. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Morgan Campbell, and Stefan Fatsis discuss the Dream Team’s opening-game win at the Paris Olympics. Gymnastics writer Rebecca Schulman joins to assess whether a calf injury might derail Simone Biles’ quest for redemption. And, the Games’ first scandal: Canadian soccer Spygate. Dream Team (4:53): Led by Kevin Durant and LeBron James, Team USA crushed Nikola Jokic and Serbia it its Olympics opener. Gymnastics (18:26): How severe is the calf injury that left Simone Biles limping and crawling during qualifying rounds in Paris? Soccer scandal (33:45): Canada’s men’s and women’s soccer teams used drones to spy on opponents for years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and the CBC’s Morgan Campbell check in on the WNBA at the halfway point of a historic season. They also talk about ESPN’s list of the 100 greatest pro athletes of the 2000s. Finally, they interview Rose Eveleth about their podcast Tested, on the history of sex testing in sports. WNBA (4:19): What’s the story with the new TV deal? How did the WNBA All-Stars beat the Olympic team? 100 greatest athletes(18:45): What’s wrong with ESPN’s list? Are we falling into a trap by talking about it at all? Tested (32:06): The century-long obsession over whether women athletes are really women. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Copa America (7:03): A security breakdown outside the stadium marred Argentina’s 1-0 win over Colombia. U.S. soccer ( 21:19): Will a big-name European replace Gregg Berhalter? Crossword puzzles (34:26): An interview about the art of solving crosswords really fast.  (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and the Ringer’s Bryan Curtis talk about Klay Thompson’s move to Dallas and whether there will ever be another NBA dynasty. They also check in on the state of sports media TV rights, and they welcome Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC. Klay to Dallas (2:38): Is the Golden State breakup what the NBA wants? Sports media rights (19:08): Will the money keep on flowing forever? SEC expansion (33:28): The huge positives and glaring negatives of conference realignment. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Joel Anderson talk to the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas about the 55th pick in last week’s NBA draft: LeBron James’ son, Bronny. Plus, Joel and Josh Levin interview Wil Aaron about racism in baseball in the decades after Jackie Robinson. Bronny James (3:33): LeBron James wanted to play with his kid in the NBA. Will that be good for Bronny? Wil Aaron (20:54): Hank Aaron’s cousin on his frustrating years in minor-league baseball. Afterball (54:06): Stefan on Turkey vs. Türkiye at the 2024 Euros. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin share their thoughts on baseball legend Willie Mays, who died last week at age 93. Morgan Campbell of the CBC also joins to analyze the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials and to look at how the sports world turned on Drake. Mays (3:02): His greatest catch, the racism he faced, and his run-in with Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Track (28:05): Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles roared to victories in the 100 meters.   Drake and sports (46:45): Drake’s NBA “friends” appear to be siding with Kendrick Lamar. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk to Slate contributing writer Alex Kirshner about Bryson DeChambeau’s win—and Rory McIlroy’s heartbreaking loss—at the U.S. Open. Then, Washington Post columnist Jerry Brewer joins Stefan and Joel Anderson to analyze the NBA Finals and discuss his series “Grievance Games.” U.S. Open (2:56): What went wrong for Rory McIlroy. NBA Finals (22:19): Checking in on the Celtics and Mavericks.   Grievance Games (39:17): How sports have “buckled under the pressures of grievance and division.” Afterball (56:29): Stefan on the 20th anniversary of Greece’s remarkable 2004 European soccer championship. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Boston Celtics’ early dominance over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. Stefan and Josh are also joined by journalist Peter Della Penna to talk about the United States’ massive cricket upset over Pakistan. Finally, Butch Reynolds joins to discuss the new ESPN 30 for 30 documentary False Positive on the doping allegation that derailed his life and career. NBA Finals (3:02): Does Dallas have any chance of coming back? Cricket (22:47): How the U.S. pulled off a historic victory. Butch Reynolds (41:53): An interview with an American track legend. Afterball (1:02:08): Josh on Alexander Zverev, who (despite his claims) was not just declared innocent. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by Howard Megdal of the Next to discuss the tumultuous beginning to Caitlin Clark’s rookie season. Historian and author Larry Lester also joins to explain how records from the Negro Leagues finally got incorporated into the major-league record book. Finally, Joel speaks with Arena Football League player Tamatoa Silva about how it felt to watch an entire league come crashing down around him. Caitlin Clark (2:49): Dissecting all the drama surrounding the WNBA star.   Negro Leagues (25:23): What to know about all the new stats, and why it took so long for MLB to add them to the record book. Arena Football League (47:56): A conversation about life on the football fringes. Afterball (59:48): Josh on Dejounte Murray and the greatest NBA quote of all time. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the stardom of the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as well as Draymond Green’s stint on TNT’s Inside the NBA. Michael McCann of Sportico also joins to break down the multibillion-dollar settlement that will likely mark the end of amateurism in college sports. Luka and Kyrie: How the Mavericks duo took over the Western Conference Finals. NCAA: Will the settlement deal actually become reality? And how will the payments work? Afterball: Stefan on Bill Walton, Jack Scott, and the FBI. Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Pacers’ and Timberwolves’ Game 7 wins in the NBA’s conference semifinals. Slate’s Alex Kirshner also joins to talk about Scottie Scheffler’s arrest at the PGA Championship. Finally, they review Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s ultra-conservative commencement speech. NBA playoffs (3:11): Looking back at a pair of historic road victories.   Scheffler (20:18): A bizarre weekend at Valhalla for the world’s no. 1 golfer.   Butker (35:47): The Catholic football player launched himself into a culture war. Afterball (51:53): Stefan on where Giannis Antetokounmpo grew up and what he overcame. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by the Washington Post’s Ben Golilver to talk about the NBA’s conference semifinals. Jackie Powell of the Next also joins to preview all the big storylines leading into the most-anticipated WNBA season ever. Finally, one of the WNBA’s top draft picks in 2023, Maddy Siegrist, explains what the 2024 rookie class can expect in their first year as pros. NBA playoffs (3:29): The Nuggets aren’t dead yet and the Knicks are held together with duct tape.   WNBA (21:25): Caitlin Clark’s debut, the Aces going for three in a row, and the rollout of charter flights.   Siegrist (39:49): The second-year player for the Dallas Wings on adjusting to the WNBA. Afterball (56:22): Joel on the seeming demise of the Arena Football League. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and NPR’s Gene Demby look back at the epic first-round series between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers. They also check in on the chaos inside Deion Sanders’ Colorado football program. Finally, Alex Prewitt joins Joel, Josh, and Stefan Fatsis to examine why Korean basketball players bank in their free throws. Knicks- Sixers (2:25): How New York came out on top and what’s next for Philly.   Colorado (19:03): What happened to all the players Coach Prime booted?   Banked-in free throws (34:26): A deep dive into a mysterious phenomenon. Afterball (49:15): Josh on the Shaq-Kobe NBA (and rap) beef.  (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and Slate’s Alex Kirshner discuss the quarterback frenzy at the top of the NFL draft and Anthony Edwards’ star-making performances in the NBA playoffs. Then, Josh and Stefan Fatsis are joined by cross-country skiing broadcaster Chad Salmela to talk about the remarkable Jessie Diggins. QBs in the NFL draft (4:23): Was the Falcons’ Michael Penix pick a big mistake?   Edwards (18:44): The Timberwolves guard looks ready for the spotlight.   Diggins (34:06): Why everyone should root for the American skiing sensation. Afterballs (56:38 ): Joel on "Machine Gun" Molly Bolin and WNBA. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by writer Tom Haberstroh to discuss Jontay Porter’s lifetime ban from the NBA for gambling. The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh also joins to talk about the scourge of pitcher injuries in Major League Baseball and what MLB should do to get the crisis under control. Jontay Porter (2:51): What his ban augurs for the future of pro sports and betting.   Pitcher injuries (26:17): What is MLB doing about them? Is it too late?   Afterball (47:02): Stefan on why the Ivy League’s best basketball players are transferring. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin, discuss the death of O.J. Simpson and everything his life and his murder trial dredged up. They’re also joined by Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports for a breakdown of the NBA playoffs. O.J. Simpson's legacy (2:05): Reckoning with the meaning of O.J. NBA Playoffs (23:45): Breaking down the upcoming playoff picture. Afterball (41:42): Joel on O.J. Simpson’s long and not so successful sportscasting career. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Chantel Jennings to talk about South Carolina’s victory over Iowa. They also ponder Caitlin Clark’s WNBA future, John Calipari’s reported move to Arkansas, and Tennessee’s decision to move beyond the Pat Summitt coaching tree. Finally, Sam Koppelman joins to discuss Hunterbrook Media’s new report on Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s mortgage company and how Hunterbrook is trying to use journalism to make money in the stock market. South Carolina-Iowa (1:42): How the Gamecocks took down the Hawkeyes. Caitlin Clark and big coaching moves (14:45): How will the Iowa star perform in the pros? And what’s next for the Kentucky men’s and Tennessee women’s basketball programs? Ishbia (34:26): Breaking down a new story on the NBA and mortgage lending and assessing a new journalistic business model. Afterball (55:51): Josh on Sports Illustrated’s 1955 baseball preview, featuring Willie Mays, Leo Durocher, and Laraine Day. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Stefan Fatsis are joined by USA Today’s Lindsay Schnell to talk about the NCAA women’s college basketball tournament and by Buzzer’s Eamonn Brennan to discuss the men’s tournament. Finally, the Washington Post’s Kent Babb joins for a conversation about his profile of Kim Mulkey. NCAA women (5:55): Can anyone beat South Carolina? NCAA men (23:02): Why everyone loves North Carolina State’s DJ Burns Jr. Mulkey profile (38:31): Kent Babb on his reporting process and everything that came after. Afterball (1:00:33): Stefan on chess pioneer Lisa Lane. (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and Ben Mathis-Lilley talk about whether college hoops has passed by John Calipari and why Oakland’s Jack Gohlke became a folk hero. They also discuss Kim Mulkey’s preemptive strike against the Washington Post and what to make of the strange story of Shohei Ohtani, his interpreter, and massive gambling debts.   NCAA tournament (4:06): The strangeness of tourneys that have mostly gone to form.   Mulkey (23:07): The LSU women’s basketball coach goes on the attack … over a story that hasn’t been published.   Ohtani (39:24): Trying to make sense of a very confusing series of events.   Afterball (50:56): Josh on Kobe Elvis.   (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.)   Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the top storylines going into March Madness. They also assess the NFL’s big quarterback moves. Finally, they discuss the greatest Scrabble play of all time and the fascinating Kiwi who made it.   March Madness (5:20): Brown’s Ivy League loss, the possible showdowns in the women’s bracket, and more.   NFL QBs (26:56): Were the Steelers smart to get Russell Wilson AND Justin Fields?   Nigel Richards (41:44): A singular moment of Scrabble genius from a singular player.   Afterball (51:23): Joel on the Mississippi Valley State men’s basketball team’s lone victory and the student announcers who called it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Great Expectations author Vinson Cunningham to talk about the fracas between the LSU and South Carolina women’s basketball teams. They also discuss Steve Garvey, DEI in Florida, and other intersections between sports and politics in 2024. Women’s hoops (3:24): In so many ways, this weekend showed that this sport has the juice. Sports and politics (22:07): How athletes are influencing politics and policy this election year. Afterball (43:01): Josh on the U.S. women’s national team’s Gold Cup victory and what it all means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by NFL reporting legend Peter King to talk about the Chicago Bears’ quarterback dilemma, what he’s seen in his four decades covering pro football, and why Bill Belichick refuses to speak to him.   Justin Fields and Caleb Williams (4:02): What are the Bears going to do?   Peter King looks back (29:48): What stories did he screw up? Which ones does he wish he got to cover?   Afterball (50:38): Stefan on D.C. public school basketball powerhouse Jackson-Reed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss whether court-storming should be banned for good. The Washington Post’s Sally Jenkins also joins to explain why she believes the NCAA is cheapening Caitlin Clark’s scoring records. Finally, they assess the NCAA’s latest legal trouble and what comes next.   Court-storming (4:41): Is it even possible to stop students from rushing the court?   Clark’s records (22:48): The AIAW’s Lynette Woodard and Pearl Moore deserve respect and attention.   NCAA (41:20): How much longer can the house of cards stay standing?   Afterball (56:18): Joel on the precarious existence of the NBA’s G League Ignite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss whether the NBA All-Star Game is fixable. They also talk about whether Fanatics and Nike are destroying the sports uniform. Finally, writer Abraham Josephine Riesman joins to explain the allegations against wrestling impresario Vince McMahon and why they matter.   All-Star Game (3:16): What can the league do to revive what used to be a showcase event?   Uniforms (22:53): Baseball players say their new clothes are the pits. What happened?   McMahon (42:37): What’s next for pro wrestling and the man who’s controlled it for decades?   Afterball (1:01:43): Josh on the time the mayor of San Francisco insulted the 49ers’ backup quarterback. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win over the 49ers, the performances of Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy, and how the new overtime rules played out. CNBC’s Alex Sherman also comes on to explain whether a new multi-network streaming deal will change how we watch sports.   How the Chiefs won (3:41): This Mahomes guy is pretty good.   Overtime (20:07): Did the 49ers screw up by taking the ball first?   Streaming (35:47): What you need to know about the new service and the future of sports TV.   Afterball (51:49): Stefan on the Chiefs’ legendary Black scout Lloyd Wells. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Chantel Jennings to discuss women’s college basketball stars JuJu Watkins and Caitlin Clark. The Washington Post’s Will Hobson also joins to talk about his piece on the broken promises of the NFL’s concussion settlement. Finally, U.S. senator and New York Knicks legend Bill Bradley discusses his one-man show Rolling Along.   Watkins and Clark (4:29): The biggest stars in women’s hoops are living up to the hype.   Concussion settlement (23:50): Retired players with dementia aren’t getting the money they believe they’re owed.   Rolling Along (44:24): Why the politician and basketball star is telling the story of his life.   Afterball (1:03:22): Josh on Zach LaVine, L.T. Levine, and athlete name homophones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the 49ers’ comeback win over the Lions and the Chiefs’ victory over the Ravens. The Washington Post’s Ben Golliver also joins to talk about the spate of high-scoring games in the NBA.   49ers-Lions (3:44): Did Dan Campbell’s coaching moves cost Detroit?   Chiefs-Ravens (18:50): Patrick Mahomes won again. Lamar Jackson flopped.   NBA scoring (35:36): Are all these amazing point totals bad news for the league?   Afterball (56:56): Joel on meeting Andrew Luck at the playground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Kansas City’s win over Buffalo in the NFL playoffs. Adam Duerson also joins to talk about the collapse of Sports Illustrated and ESPN’s Myron Medcalf comes on for a conversation about second-generation athletes (and how they make us feel old).    Chiefs-Bills (5:00): How Patrick Mahomes took down Josh Allen again.   Sports Illustrated (21:49): Is there a path forward for SI?   Second-generation athletes (39:36): Wait, there’s a Jameer Nelson Jr. now?   Afterball (1:02:11): The time Buddy Ryan ran up the score on the Cowboys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the opening weekend of the NFL playoffs. They also talk about the departures of coaching legends Nick Saban, Bill Belichick, and Pete Carroll. Finally, Ben Rothenberg joins to discuss his new biography of tennis star Naomi Osaka.   NFL playoffs (3:17): How did the Detroit Lions franchise turn itself around?   Saban, Belichick, and Carroll (26:03): What do these coaching greats have in common and how do they differ from each other?   Osaka (48:09): A deep dive into a modern sports icon.   Afterball (1:14:22): Remembering Chris Laskowski. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Michigan’s win over Washington in the College Football Playoff. They also talk about Bill Belichick’s future and the Philadelphia Eagles’ decline. Finally, the Athletic’s Chantel Jennings assesses the state of women’s college basketball and the sport’s new TV deal.   Michigan (7:14): How the Wolverines won it all.   NFL (26:01): Why hasn’t Pats owner Robert Kraft made a move yet?   Women’s hoops (50:40): Is the new TV contract a disappointment or a positive step?   Afterball (1:09:43): What was the 2023 Sports Word of the Year? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley to discuss the College Football Playoff semifinals. Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports also joins to talk about the Detroit Pistons’ epic losing streak. Finally, we look back at our 2020 segment on the Pac-12’s #WeAreUnited movement.   CFP semis (5:21): How Michigan and Washington emerged victorious.   Pistons (29:02): How did they get so bad?   #WeAreUnited (51:06): A conversation from 2020 with then UCLA players Elisha Guidry and Otito Ogbonnia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the most important and most memorable sports moments of 2023. They’re also joined by Mark Wright to talk about his podcast The Bison Project, on Howard University’s 1971 NCAA champion soccer team. Finally, we look back at one of our favorite segments from the recent past, featuring … a mystery guest.   Memorable moments (4:41): Damar Hamlin, Michigan sign-stealing, and everything in between.   Howard soccer (21:06): Can a 50-year-old injustice be rectified?   Mystery guest (42:57): Can you guess what sports innovation he came up with? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and Slate’s Alex Kirshner discuss Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension. They also talk about the Washington Capitals and Wizards reportedly leaving D.C. for Northern Virginia. And finally, they examine why every college quarterback is in the transfer portal.   Draymond (4:43): What’s next for him and for the Warriors?   Wiz and Caps (26:12): Are they actually leaving or is this just a classic case of owner extortion?   Portal (45:53): Why so many quarterbacks are switching teams.   Afterball (1:06:58): Joel on North Dakota State’s very lopsided basketball victory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Shohei Ohtani’s record-setting contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. They’re also joined by the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver to assess the NBA’s first in-season tournament. Finally, they discuss Joel’s story about his tenure at ESPN and what it’s become now.   Ohtani (4:31): Did the Dodgers actually get a bargain?   In-season tournament (23:41): Was it a flop or is it here to stay?   ESPN (47:57): What is the Worldwide Leader trying to be?   Afterball (1:08:30): Josh on Bills coach Sean McDermott talking about the teamwork of … the 9/11 hijackers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the Ringer’s Bryan Curtis assess the decision to leave Florida State out of the College Football Playoff at the expense of Alabama. They also discuss Sports Illustrated using AI writers. And Stefan and Josh follow the continuing saga of LSU’s Kim Mulkey and Angel Reese.   Florida State and Alabama (3:50): A total outrage or a totally understandable decision?   Sports Illustrated (21:28): What does the magazine’s AI mess say about the present and future of sports media?   Mulkey and Reese (39:36): The question that went unasked when the LSU basketball star returned.   Afterball (1:00:19): Stefan on the origins of a famous quotation from baseball Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the Michigan football team’s win over Ohio State and Alabama’s last-second victory over Auburn. They also discuss the mystery around why LSU women’s basketball star Angel Reese isn’t playing. Finally, the Wall Street Journal’s Jonathan Clegg explains the huge penalty the Premier League dished out to Everton.   College football (6:31): Why this year’s rivalry week loss was so crushing for Ohio State.   LSU women’s basketball (26:10): What’s going on between star Angel Reese and coach Kim Mulkey?   Everton (48:22): Will Manchester City and Chelsea get hammered next?   Afterball (1:07:17): Joel on the uplifting journeys of Idaho and New Mexico State football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Joel Anderson, and Ben Mathis-Lilley are joined by the Ringer’s Lindsay Jones to talk about the controversy Charissa Thompson kicked up about sideline reporting. They also discuss Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, and whether he’ll succeed at bringing a new leadership style to the NFL. Finally, the Wall Street Journal’s Joshua Robinson joins to assess Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.   Sideline reporting (5:41): Why did Thompson’s admission that she made up reports strike such a nerve?   McDaniel (29:06): Can a humane coach win big in the NFL?   Formula 1 (49L59): How the Las Vegas Grand Prix went from disaster to success.   Afterball (1:07:17): Josh on commercials where athletes celebrate “ordinary people.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Joel Anderson, and Ben Mathis-Lilley weigh the evidence in the sign-stealing case against Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. They also discuss Texas A&M’s decision to fire its football coach Jimbo Fisher. Finally, Josh and Joel speak with writer Megan Swanick about the career and legacy of Megan Rapinoe.   Harbaugh (4:04): Should the coach go down or is he getting railroaded?   Fisher (26:49): How national championship dreams turned into a $76 million buyout.   Rapinoe (44:01): She didn’t get a perfect ending, but she handled her ending perfectly.   Afterball (1:06:36): Joel on Jimbo Fisher, Colby Carthel, and Texas-sized football expectations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Joel Anderson assess the life and career of basketball coach Bobby Knight, who died last week at age 83. They also review Victor Wembanyama’s awe-inspiring opening weeks in the NBA. Finally, the Athletic’s Dan Robson joins to discuss the tragic death of hockey player Adam Johnson, who was slashed in the neck by a skate blade.   Knight (4:39): The legendary coach was a symbol of toughness and egomania.   Wemby (24:45): The French giant is even better than we thought.   Hockey death (45:25): Will a horrifying on-ice tragedy change anything about the game?   Afterball (1:08:39): Josh on the latest abuse allegations against tennis player Alexander Zverev. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Joel Anderson are joined by Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley to assess the latest developments in the Michigan sign-stealing extravaganza. The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh also joins to break down the World Series matchup between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers. Finally, Stefan, Josh, and Joel discuss how to talk about Dwight Howard, the future basketball Hall of Famer who’s been accused by a man of sexual assault.   Michigan (5:52): Is Jim Harbaugh in trouble?   World Series (27:27): These might not be the best teams in the major leagues but it is a great match-up.   Howard (49:57): There’s never been a story like this in the NBA.   Afterball (1:08:55): Stefan on the etymology of the “tush push” and its upstart rival, the “Brotherly Shove.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, are joined by Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley to talk about allegations that the Michigan football team is running a sign-stealing operation. They also discuss flag football becoming an Olympic sport. Finally, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski comes on for a conversation about the National Hockey League’s ban on rainbow-colored Pride Tape.   Michigan (1:54): Are the Wolverines cheating? And what does a guy named Connor Stalions have to do with it?   Flag football (23:12): Will NFL players take the field at the 2028 Games?   Pride Tape (41:54): The Arizona Coyotes’ Travis Dermott defied the ban. What happens now?   Afterball (01:05:41): Stefan on the first woman kicker in college football who’s also a rated tournament Scrabble player. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and special guest Pablo Torre of Pablo Torre Finds Out are joined by Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim to talk about the Ohio State wrestlers speaking out against their former coach Jim Jordan. They also discuss the journalism ethics brouhaha over the Braves’ Orlando Arcia lightly mocking the Phillies’ Bryce Harper. Finally, they assess the rivalry between NBA newsbreakers Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania.   Jim Jordan (4:22): He claims he knew nothing about Richard Strauss’ sexual abuse. A group of Ohio State wrestlers say that’s not true.   Braves-Phillies (26:37): How a locker room joke became an off-field and off-field controversy.   Woj vs. Shams (45:57): Should we care about them and the transactions they report?   Afterball (1:04:00): Josh on the Asian-American tennis players you need to know, including Mackenzie McDonald and Jessica Pegula. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant to talk about the WNBA Finals matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty. Aaron Schatz of the FTN Network also joins to discuss the badness of the New England Patriots and whether Bill Belichick’s job is at risk. Finally, Defector’s Dave McKenna comes on for a conversation about swimmer Diana Nyad and the adversary committed to exposing her as a fraud.   WNBA (3:31): Do the Liberty still have a chance to make it a series?   Patriots (24:26): What’s gone wrong in New England and could Belichick be on his way out?   Nyad (49:21): The swimmer vs. her debunker.   Afterball (1:07:21): Stefan on teams losing football games after failing to take a knee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Kevin Clark of ESPN to talk about Taylor Swift vs. the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills’ rout of the Miami Dolphins. Ben Golliver of the Washington Post also comes on to evaluate the trade of superstar Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks. Finally, golf writer Shane Ryan discusses Team Europe’s blowout Ryder Cup win over the United States. NFL (3:31): Everyone (except Zach Wilson) wins when “Tayvis” hits New Jersey. NBA (25:31): Dame to the Bucks. Jrue to Boston. Who’s the favorite in the East? Ryder Cup (50:56): The golf world went nuts over a man not wearing a hat. Afterball (1:11:41): Josh on athletes and triquetral fractures.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis is joined by writer and podcaster Spencer Hall to talk about a busy weekend in college football. The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh discusses Major League Baseball’s playoff races, and the future of Shohei Ohtani. Finally, Slate’s Nadira Goffe and Defector’s Dan McQuade assess the budding Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce relationship, and a new documentary about Kelce’s brother, Jason. College football (2:30): Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes finally lost, and badly. MLB (20:20): Are the Atlanta Braves the best offensive team in baseball history? Kelce (39:30): Will the Swifties take over the NFL? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay to talk about quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ (possibly) season-ending injury. Gay also discusses American cyclist Sepp Kuss’ historic grand tour win at the Vuelta a Espana and the controversy that preceded it. And finally, the Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant assesses the big storylines in the WNBA playoffs. Rodgers (2:22): Is it too soon to laugh about him doing his own research? Kuss (19:30): Should the cyclist’s team and his teammates have challenged him or allowed him to win? WNBA (38:20): Can anyone take down the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces? Afterball (59:23): Josh on the MLS story of the year: an Argentinian who is not Lionel Messi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Coco Gauff’s big breakthrough at the U.S. Open. They also discuss Texas’ win over Alabama, and whether the Longhorns are back, baby. Finally, the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver joins to assess Team USA’s non-medal-winning performance at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.   Coco Gauff (2:48): Why her first grand slam victory felt so monumental.   Texas-Alabama (26:50): Are the Longhorns rising up or is the Crimson Tide on the way down?   FIBA World Cup (44:49): Why did Team USA flop again? Does it matter?   Afterballs (01:13:15): Joel on Willie Jeffries and Stefan on how Billie Jean King and a deodorant manufacturer secured equal pay for women at the U.S. Open in 1973. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Colorado football team’s season-opening win over TCU. They also talk about how Maryland football coach Mike Locksley is dealing with his son’s posthumous CTE diagnosis. Finally, ESPN’s Elizabeth Merrill joins to explain how the Nebraska women’s volleyball team drew 92,000 fans.   Colorado (4:04): Deion Sanders got the win he needed to sell his vision and himself.   Locksley (28:26): A profound loss and a reckoning with football’s costs.   Nebraska volleyball (45:07): This is what it looks like to invest in women’s sports.   Afterball (1:06:42): Josh on the Cannon Street All-Stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Cannon Street All-Stars dreamed of playing in the 1955 Little League World Series. Their biggest obstacle didn’t come on the field. In the year that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus, these Black 12-year-olds became unlikely civil rights pioneers—and faced the wrath of a white society that wasn’t ready to change. Josh Levin is One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung. This episode was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Sophie Summergrad.  It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.  Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. Join Slate Plus to get the first three episodes of One Year: 1955 right away—and a bonus 1955 story at the end of the season. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads. Sign up now to support One Year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the American stars at the world track and field championships. They also review the documentary BS High, on the Bishop Sycamore high school football scandal. Finally, journalist Semra Hunter joins Stefan and Josh to discuss the latest in the battle between Luis Rubiales and Spain’s women’s soccer team.   Track (5:50): Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles won gold and are shooting for stardom.   BS High (25:45): Looking back at an amazing con and the man who perpetrated it.   Spain (48:34): A fight over soccer, power, and chauvinism.   Afterball (1:08:30): Josh on the FIBA Basketball World Cup, naturalized players, and a contretemps in Cambodia.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Yahoo Sports’ Henry Bushnell to talk about Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory and the turmoil that preceded it. The New York Times’ Kurt Streeter joins to discuss the controversy over The Blind Side. Finally, ESPN’s Luis Miguel Echegaray assesses Lionel Messi’s brilliant opening month with Inter Miami.   Spain (3:27): The story behind La Roja’s World Cup win and everything that came before.   The Blind Side (28:12): Revisiting the book and the movie in light of Michael Oher’s allegations.   Messi (52:56): Could anyone have imagined that his transition to America would go this well this quickly? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and the Atlantic’s Vann Newkirk talk about ESPN’s embrace of gambling. They also discuss the alleged suspension of Baltimore Orioles announcer Kevin Brown for alluding to the team’s recent losing seasons. Finally, Rebecca Schuman joins to assess Simone Biles’ return to competitive gymnastics.   ESPN and gambling (3:30): The Worldwide Leader makes a big bet. Is it too late?   Orioles (23:53): What are announcers allowed to say on team-owned networks?   Biles (42:49): How did she keep her comeback secret? And what should we expect from her?   Afterball (1:06:30): Stefan on Greek second-division soccer club Athens Kallithea FC, fashion, and hooliganism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis talk about the U.S. national soccer team’s early exit from the Women’s World Cup. Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley also joins to discuss the huge shakeups in the Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac-12 conferences and ESPN’s Jeff Passan assesses the fallout from the Major League Baseball trade deadline. Finally, Josh interviews Wimbledon quarterfinalist Chris Eubanks.   Women’s World Cup (2:47): What went wrong for the U.S. women’s national team.   NCAA (26:01): Assessing the most significant week ever in conference realignment.   MLB (49:37): Did the Mets and Angels make the right calls at the trade deadline?   Chris Eubanks (01:07:51): A conversation with one of the most fascinating men in tennis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the Washington Post’s Chuck Culpepper to talk about big wins for Colombia and Australia at the Women’s World Cup. Alex Kirshner of Slate and the Split Zone Duo podcast also joins to discuss whether NFL running backs should go on strike and the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown getting the biggest NBA deal ever.   Women’s World Cup (2:40): The scene in the stadium when Australia thrashed Canada.   NFL running backs (21:34): What can they do to get more respect and more cash?   Big-money deals (42:47): Is there any amount of money that’s too much for a pro athlete to make?   Afterball (1:02:22): Stefan on the world Scrabble championships in Las Vegas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin is joined by the Athletic’s Steph Yang to talk about the opening days of the Women’s World Cup. Author Jonathan Clegg also joins to discuss Lionel Messi’s MLS debut. And the Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay assesses the 2023 Tour de France and the Netflix documentary Tour de France: Unchained.   Women’s World Cup (3:32): What are the main takeaways from the U.S. win over Vietnam?   Messi (20:31): What does success look like for Messi, his club, and Major League Soccer?   Tour de France (40:01): How a close race turned into a rout for Jonas Vingegaard.   Afterball (58:20): Josh on the Kolbe Conative Index. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin is joined by Joel Anderson and Ben Mathis-Lilley to talk about Northwestern firing football coach Pat Fitzgerald in the midst of a hazing scandal. Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim then comes on to discuss Carlos Alcaraz’s win over Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon. Finally, Josh and Stefan Fatsis speak with the Washington Post’s Sally Jenkins about her piece on Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.   Northwestern (5:44): Why Fitzgerald got axed.   Wimbledon (28:30): Is this a changing of the guard in men’s tennis?   Evert and Navratilova (51:03): How cancer diagnoses brought the rivals and friends closer together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver to discuss Victor Wembanyama’s NBA Summer League debut. The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans also joins to talk about baseball stars Elly de la Cruz, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Shohei Ohtani. Finally, legendary New York Times sports columnist Robert Lipsyte comes on to talk about the demise of the Times sports department.   Wembanyama (5:45): What happened with Britney Spears? And what about his iffy debut?   MLB (29:46): A look at the game’s most exciting players.   New York Times (51:06): A Times legend on what comes next for the paper’s sports section. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by TV producer Mike Schur for a special episode: a debate on which sports have generated the best art and made the greatest contributions to culture. Topics discussed include Schur’s Field of Dreams adaptation, whether basketball or football has a greater canon, and if boxing will lose its cultural footprint.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh to talk about Luis Arraez’s run at a .400 batting average. The Athletic’s Steph Yang also joins to discuss the U.S. women’s national team’s World Cup roster. Finally, college golfers Maycee Kay Aycock and Sarah Marshall come on to explain why they stuck with the sport despite shooting some of the worst scores of all time.   .400 (3:14): Why it’s still a magic number in baseball.   USWNT (21:57): Will injuries doom them at the World Cup?   Bad golfers (42:26): How two women from Meredith College became sports heroes.   Afterball (1:02:08): Josh on meat judging. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and Joel Anderson talk about whether the Pelicans should trade Zion Williamson. Josh and Stefan are also joined by the Athletic’s Paul Tenorio to discuss the U.S. men’s national soccer team's wins over Mexico and Canada and the rehiring of Gregg Berhalter. Finally, Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal joins for a conversation about how Vegas became America’s No. 1 sports town.   Zion (4:47): The Pelicans are in a very tough spot.   U.S. soccer (27:35): Why Gregg Berhalter got his old job back.   Las Vegas (56:14): How it went from a sports desert to every league’s favorite destination.   Afterball (01:11:36): Stefan on the World Football League’s very colorful pants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas are joined by the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver to discuss how the Denver Nuggets took a commanding lead in the NBA Finals. Next, Slate’s Henry Grabar comes on to talk about Novak Djokovic’s record-setting French Open title. Finally, Josh is joined by Slate’s Alex Kirshner and the Fried Egg’s Brendan Porath to sort through the PGA Tour’s new deal with the Saudis.   NBA Finals (2:16): What makes Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray a historically great duo?   French Open (26:55): How Djokovic keeps winning.   Golf (49:37): Why the PGA Tour reversed its big moral stand.   Afterball (1:13:34): Josh and Louisa discuss her feature story on how pitcher Daniel Bard lost control, regained it, and lost it again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Jack Hamilton to discuss the NBA Finals. The New York Times’ Tariq Panja also comes on for a conversation about Saudi Arabia’s efforts to lure Lionel Messi and conquer global soccer. Finally, the Athletic’s Zach Buchanan discusses his piece on the pioneering mascot the San Diego Chicken. Nuggets-Heat (3:05): How Miami tied up the series. Saudi soccer (24:18): Can they get Messi? What are they trying to accomplish? The Chicken (42:49): What Ted Giannoulas created. Afterball (1:05:20): Josh on Rodney “Crash” McCray. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Joel Anderson to talk about the Celtics’ Game 7 loss to the Heat. They’re also joined by Mike Simmonds of Luton Today for a conversation about Luton Town’s rise to the Premier League. And finally, writer Sam Miller comes on to discuss the indelible image of Randy Johnson killing a bird with a fastball.   Celtics-Heat (6:49): How Boston came so far, and then collapsed.   Luton Town (28:27): The inside scoop on an incredible underdog story.   Baseball and birds (47:15): Why we’re still talking about a pitch from 2001.   Afterball (1:07:07): Stefan on Tom Wambsgans and Bill Wambsganss and Josh on whether Clarence Thomas could dunk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss the Heat and Nuggets and their stars Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jokic. They’re also joined by writers Dave Zirin and Jesse Washington to talk about the life and legacy of Jim Brown. Finally, Defector’s Maitreyi Anantharaman joins to assess Brittney Griner’s return, Becky Hammon’s suspension, and other WNBA storylines.   NBA (3:10): How Miami and Denver are steamrolling to the NBA Finals.   Jim Brown (24:00): He was a football star, a civil rights icon, and a domestic abuser. How should we think about him?   WNBA (54:25): Making sense of the busiest opening week in league history.   Afterball (1:13:56): Stefan on race, wealth, and baseball in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver to discuss the 76ers’ Game 7 loss to the Celtics and other NBA playoff storylines. Meg Rowley of FanGraphs also joins to assess the terrible Oakland A’s and the excellent Tampa Bay Rays. Finally, the New York Times’ Sarah Lyall talks about reporting on the Westminster Dog Show.   NBA (3:26): How Philly blew it and what to look for in the conference finals.   Baseball (30:15): Are the A’s one of the worst teams in history?   Dogs (52:13): How a breed few people have heard of won Best in Show.   Afterball (1:08:41): Stefan on Joe Kapp, NFL labor pioneer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Slate’s Jack Hamilton and Ben Mathis-Lilley discuss Nikola Jokic’s tiff with Suns owner Mat Ishbia and Kevin Durant’s quest for a third title. They also talk about Alabama’s head baseball coach getting fired in a sports gambling scandal. Finally, they assess Bronny James’ decision to go to USC.   NBA (3:11): The subplots and plot twists of the Suns-Nuggets Western Conference semis.   Gambling (24:58): The NCAA and the pro sports leagues are walking a thin line with legalized betting.   Bronny (47:50): What his decision to play college basketball says about the sport and his future prospects.   Afterball (1:05:00): Josh and Jack on gun violence, sports, and the three Virginia football players who were killed in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver to talk about the Warriors’ Game 7 win over the Kings. The Toronto Star’s Bruce Arthur also joins to discuss the Bruins’ NHL playoffs flop and the Maple Leafs’ historic first-round victory. Finally, Extra Points’ Matt Brown assesses Deion Sanders’ gutting of the Colorado football team.   Warriors-Kings (3:26): How Steph willed the defending champs to victory.   NHL (6:08): Another year, another regular-season juggernaut that won’t win the title.   Colorado football (48:50): Are Deion Sanders’ roster cuts immoral?   Afterballs (1:11:20): Stefan on a Penn basketball star in the transfer portal and Josh on the time a German soccer club signed the entire Cuban national team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Jack Hamilton to talk about Draymond Green, Dillon Brooks, and NBA villainy. Chicago White Sox announcer Jason Benetti also joins to discuss how to call a baseball game in the pitch-clock era. Finally, Talia Barrington comes on for a conversation about same-sex pairs in figure skating.   NBA villains (3:01): The basketball playoffs need bad guys.   Jason Benetti (24:39): “We are covering a different sport now.”   Same-sex pairs (47:10): Is figure skating ready for a monumental change?   Afterball (1:05:24): Stefan on the Athletics’ long history of threatening to move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Defector’s Patrick Redford to talk about the Sacramento Kings’ first playoff win in 17 years. Defector’s Dave McKenna also joins to commemorate the (supposed) end of Dan Snyder’s ownership of the Washington Commanders. Finally, Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim comes on to assess the WTA’s decision to return to China.   Kings (3:21): What it felt and sounded like when Sacramento beat Golden State.   Snyder (23:31): Will D.C. ever recover from his horrific tenure?   WTA (45:47): Is women’s tennis choosing profit over principle?   Afterball (1:07:47): Josh on a remarkable shift in American tennis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton to talk about what went wrong for the Dallas Mavericks and to preview the NBA postseason. Slate’s Jim Newell also joins to discuss Jon Rahm’s Masters win. Finally, they speak with LJ Rader about his Twitter and Instagram accounts Art But Make It Sports.   NBA (4:20): Why did the Mavs lose on purpose? And how is the Western Conference shaping up?   Masters (24:31): What the year’s first major means for LIV and the future of golf.   Art But Make It Sports (44:35): Sports photos + paintings = mash-up magic.   Afterball (1:03:30): Stefan on the baseball Hall of Famer who lived in his childhood home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant to discuss LSU’s victory over Iowa in the women’s NCAA Tournament. Tennis player Matija Pecotic also joins to talk about how he went from a full-time job to victory on the pro tour. Finally, Jody Avirgan discusses his podcast Good Sport and whether sports debate shows are hurting America.   Women’s NCAA Tournament (6:44): The on-court battles and the off-court controversies.   Pecotic (31:00): The star of one of the sports world’s best underdog stories tells all.   Sports debate shows (54:12): What has Stephen A. Smith wrought?   Afterball (01:15:30): Josh on some recent remembrances of Zelmo Beaty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant to talk about Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark. The Washington Post’s Chuck Culpepper also joins to assess the most surprising men’s Final Four ever. Finally, Tom Haberstroh of Meadowlark Media discusses the vitriol directed at NBA referees.   Clark (2:50): The secrets of the Iowa point guard’s success.   Men’s tourney surprises (26:33): Miami? San Diego State? Florida Atlantic?!?   NBA refs (44:20): Who’s responsible for all the rancor?   Afterball (1:07:20): Stefan on the Princeton basketball team’s not-so-sad Sweet Sixteen defeat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, are joined by Slate’s Alex Kirshner to talk about Fairleigh Dickinson’s huge upset over Purdue and Princeton’s run to the Sweet 16. Then, ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez comes on to discuss the historic matchup between the USA and Cuba at the World Baseball Classic. Finally, author David Epstein assesses the legacy of high jumper Dick Fosbury, who invented the immortal Fosbury Flop. Fairleigh Dickinson (2:18): Did the Knights pull off the biggest upset in college basketball history? World Baseball Classic (23:59): What it meant for the Cuban national baseball team to take the field in Miami.  Fosbury (42:41): Where does it rank on the list of all-time sports innovations? Afterball (1:01:32): Josh on Ole Miss women’s basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas talk about what went wrong for the North Carolina men’s basketball team and other NCAA Tournament matters. They also check in on quarterback Lamar Jackson’s standoff with the Baltimore Ravens. Finally, the Athletic’s Nick Miller joins to discuss why the BBC pulled soccer commentator Gary Lineker off the air, and what happened next.   NCAA (5:54): Checking in on the Tar Heels and the sport’s other blue bloods.   Jackson (3:50): Why doesn’t anyone want to give the young star a guaranteed, mega-bucks deal?   Lineker (43:50): The controversy, the resolution, and what it says about the UK.   Afterball (1:00:52): Stefan on whether the Ivy League is ready to change with the times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Washington Post’s Molly Hensley-Clancy to discuss her reporting on the troubles surrounding Ja Morant. ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. also joins to talk about whether Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder will get forced out of the NFL. Finally, they speak to Slate’s Alex Kirshner about the quarterback dilemmas at the top of the NFL Draft. Morant (3:17): What comes next for the Memphis Grizzlies star? Snyder (22:07): The scandals are mounting. Will he finally get the boot? Quarterback prospects (42:07): Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, and the Bears’ big choice at No. 1. Afterball (1:01:05): Josh on podcast ads and the National Council on Problem Gambling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Joseph Goodman of AL.com to talk about the murder roiling the Alabama basketball program. They’re also joined by Jeremy Woo to discuss his Sports Illustrated cover story on French basketball phenom Victor Wembanyama. Finally, CNBC’s Alex Sherman comes on for a conversation about the death of regional sports networks.   Alabama (5:08): Why is star freshman Brandon Miller still playing?   Wembanyama (27:42): Inside the media rollout of the next NBA superstar.   RSNs (48:41): Is the sports TV business model dead?   Afterball (1:11:59): Stefan on a century of complaints about slow baseball games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Kevin Van Valkenburg of No Laying Up to talk about Tiger Woods’ return to tournament golf. Claire Watkins of Just Women’s Sports also joins to discuss the Canadian women’s soccer team’s fight for equal pay. Finally, Michael Baumann of Fangraphs comes on to assess Major League Baseball’s latest rule changes.   Tiger Woods (3:14): His competitors on the PGA Tour think he could win again.   Equal pay (24:46): How the labor battle in Canada is different from the one in the U.S.   New baseball rules (43:43): A pitch clock! Banning the shift! Bases as big as pizza boxes!   Afterball (1:06:19): Josh on ghost runners. Or are they zombie runners? Or something else? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the Chiefs’ victory over the Eagles. They also discuss Kevin Durant’s move from the Nets to the Suns. Finally, the Athletic’s Chantel Jennings joins to talk about South Carolina and its challengers in women’s college basketball.   Super Bowl (4:15): Was the game-clinching holding call the right decision?   Durant (25:22): What’s the Nets’ legacy? What are the Suns’ title chances?   Women’s college basketball (44:32): Can anyone stop the Gamecocks from winning another title?   Afterball (1:04:56): Joel on a potential boycott of Florida schools by college athletes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Stefan Fatsis are joined by NPR’s Gene Demby to discuss the trade of talented, problematic superstar Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets to the Dallas Mavericks, and to preview the Super Bowl match-up between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. Also, Sabreena Merchant of the Athletic helps explain what an unprecedented free-agent frenzy means for the WNBA.    Kyrie Irving (5:05): The perpetually disgruntled superstar is on the move again.   Super Bowl (28:54): After more than half a century, two Black quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, are finally starting in the Super Bowl.   WNBA (48:39): Free-agent moves by superstars Candace Parker and Breanna Stewart signal an era of super-teams.   Afterball (1:07:46): Stefan on Philadelphia’s outdated self-image as an underdog town. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Lindsay Jones of the Ringer to break down the NFL conference championship games, won by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. Joel, Stefan, and Josh Levin discuss the impact of college athletes finally making money through name, image, and likeness rights. Finally, an interview with former Olympian Edie Thys Morgan about Mikaela Shiffrin, who is on the verge of becoming the winningest ski racer of all time.    NFL (3:49): The biggest takeaways from the NFL conference championship games.   NIL (27:49): Is college sports funding declining because athletes are getting money?   Mikaela Shiffrin (50:48): The skier is one World Cup win from tying Ingemar Stenmark’s all-time record.   Afterball (1:06:46): Stefan talks to Leander Schaerlaeckens about Weston McKennie, Leeds, and the U.S. men’s national soccer team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin assess the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. They also discuss Tony Dungy’s history of anti-gay rhetoric, and whether NBC and the NFL should do something about it. Finally, Slate contributor Isaac Butler joins to talk about the rise of American men at the Australian Open and Netflix’s tennis reality series Break Point.   NFL (5:37): The biggest takeaways from the weekend’s games.   Dungy (26:19): Should the ex-coach still be on television?   Tennis (47:49): Who are all these new American stars? Is Break Point worth watching?   Afterball (1:11:37): Josh on Shannon Sharpe, Vernon Maxwell, and NBA fracases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by Bomani Jones to discuss the Cowboys’ blowout win over the Bucs and other storylines from the opening weekend of the NFL playoffs. They also talk about all the high-scoring games in the NBA this season. Finally, Joel and Josh interview pool legend Jeanette Lee, aka the Black Widow, who’s featured in the new documentary Jeanette Lee Vs.   NFL (4:23): Is Tom Brady going to retire? Should he?   NBA (25:42): Why are so many players putting up 50-point games? And is all that scoring good for the sport?   Jeanette Lee (46:47): The Black Widow speaks about her life and career.   Afterball (1:02:33): Joel on the sad decline of Georgetown basketball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Georgia’s win over TCU in the college football title game. They also discuss Damar Hamlin’s remarkable recovery and how the NFL has tried to move on. Finally, they assess the Berhalter-Reyna rift that’s tearing apart U.S. men’s soccer.   Georgia-TCU (2:26): What it’s like to be on the wrong side of one of the biggest blowouts in sports history.   Hamlin (25:10): Watching pro football a week after the Bills safety’s near-death on the field.   U.S. soccer (48:59): The pettiness and sadness of a family dispute that’s gone public.   Afterball (1:07:20): Josh on a college basketball replay controversy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsing on the field during Monday Night Football and what came after. Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley also joins to discuss TCU and Georgia’s thrilling wins in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Finally, author Alex Bellos discusses the Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, who died last week at age 82.   Hamlin (3:26): Is it fair to criticize the NFL’s response to Monday’s on-field crisis?   College Football Playoff (25:52): How TCU and Georgia took down Michigan and Ohio State.   Pelé (46:23): Remembering the greatest soccer player of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Kalyn Kahler to discuss her story on Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ array of hand signals. They also discuss New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s $800 million offseason spending spree and look back at 1972’s “Immaculate Reception” by Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris.   Rodgers (3:00): The Packers QB bristled over Kahler’s well-sourced story on why rookie receivers struggle in Green Bay.   Mets (26:33): Cohen’s lavish spending hit a speed bump after medical concerns over free agent Carlos Correa.   Immaculate Reception (45:08): Why it’s considered the greatest play in NFL history.   Afterball (1:01:42): Stefan on how the New York Cosmos wooed Pele in the 1970s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Argentinian journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo to talk about Lionel Messi’s coronation on soccer’s biggest stage and then continue their conversation about the greatest World Cup final ever. They also discuss a bizarre weekend in the NFL and assess the life and career of college football coach Mike Leach.   World Cup final (3:36): What it means to Argentina and how it felt to watch it.   NFL (28:55): The Vikings came back from how far? The Patriots did what?   Leach (44:08): Why there will never be another coach like him.   Afterball (1:05:12): Joel on Brittney Griner, high school phenom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim to talk about journalist Grant Wahl, who died suddenly over the weekend at the age of 49. They’re also joined by the Atlantic’s Franklin Foer for a conversation about Morocco’s thrilling run to the World Cup semifinals. Finally, they discuss Brittney Griner’s long-awaited return to the United States after a prisoner swap with Russia.   Grant Wahl (6:26): The life and legacy of a great journalist, mentor, and friend.   Morocco (32:01): What their success means for soccer, Africa, and the Arab world.   Griner (49:08): How she got released and what comes next.   Afterball (1:04:31): Josh on Grant Wahl’s Sports Illustrated cover story on LeBron James. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Grant Wahl to discuss the U.S. loss to the Netherlands at the World Cup. Josh and Joel Anderson are then joined by Slate’s Alex Kirshner to talk about the College Football Playoff pairings and Deion Sanders’ move to Colorado.   World Cup (3:43): The positives and negatives of the USMNT’s run to the round of 16.   College Football Playoff (27:50): Who’s in, who’s out, and what to expect in the semifinals.   Deion Sanders (49:25): Was he wrong to leave Jackson State?   Afterball (1:08:47): Stefan on soccer vs. football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by journalist Meg Swanick to preview the U.S. men’s soccer team’s matchup against Iran. Ben Mathis-Lilley, the author of The Hot Seat, also joins to discuss Michigan’s win over Ohio State. Finally, they talk about the Washington Post’s feature on Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.   USA-Iran (4:09): The on-field and off-field implications of the USMNT’s big game.   Michigan-Ohio State (25:53): How the Wolverines took down the Buckeyes again.   Jerry Jones (46:30): How much responsibility does he bear for the NFL’s diversity problems?   Afterball (1:07:46): Joel on the resignation of Stanford football coach David Shaw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Eric Betts to discuss the U.S. men’s national team’s 1-1 draw against Wales. They also discuss the controversial opening days of the World Cup. Finally, they assess the Warriors’ and Lakers' early-season woes and Kyrie Irving’s return to the Brooklyn Nets.   USA-Wales (4:24): How the USMNT fizzled after a promising start.   FIFA (35:06): What’s happening in Qatar, and what the media is (and isn’t) saying about it.   NBA (47:21): What’s wrong with the league’s most star-laden teams?   Afterball (1:07;12): Josh on the next big star in American tennis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Grant Wahl to talk about the World Cup in Qatar. They also discuss the NFL head coaching debut of the Colts’ Jeff Saturday and examine how women athletes are benefitting from the new name, image, and likeness rules in college sports.   Qatar (3:08): Bribery, authoritarianism, and soccer.   Jeff Saturday (24:07): He has no college or pro coaching experience. He’s running an NFL team now.   NIL (43:49): Women athletes are getting paid, but is there a potential problem lurking?   Afterball (59:26): Stefan on the pointed commentary about race in A Wife’s Guide to Baseball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Hannah Keyser of Yahoo Sports to talk about the Houston Astros’ World Series triumph. They also discuss LSU’s win over Alabama and the current state of SEC football. Finally, they assess Herschel Walker’s Senate candidacy.   World Series (5:02): How Houston won it all.   SEC football (26:12): Is Alabama on the way down? And what’s going on with Texas A&M?   Herschel Walker (48:46): What’s motivating the former football star’s foray into politics?   Afterball (1:08:35): Joel on what he wishes Deion Sanders would say about Jackson State and HBCUs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Kyrie Irving and anti-Semitism. They also talk about the continued rise of Deion Sanders and Jackson State. And Claire Watkins of Just Women’s Sports comes on for a conversation about the championship game of the National Women’s Soccer League.   Kyrie (3:09): Is it finally time for the Brooklyn Nets to get rid of him?   Jackson State (28:09): Will the Prime Effect go away when Coach Prime moves on?   NWSL (47:10): The stardom of Sophia Smith and the future of the league.   Afterball (1:03:05): Stefan on a historic match-up between women soccer coaches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh to talk about the Astros-Phillies World Series. They also discuss the decline of Russell Wilson, and possibly Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. And they assess whether Adam Silver’s NBA promotion and relegation talk is for real.   World Series (5:35): How are the Astros so consistently good in the randomness of the postseason?   Wilson (28:00): Is Russ cooked?   NBA relegation (47:00): Could it ever happen?   Afterball (1:04:36): Josh on the key to sports fan happiness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley to review a crazy weekend in college football. ESPN’s Pablo Torre talks with Joel, Stefan, and Vinson Cunningham of The New Yorker about the new documentary 38 at the Garden on Jeremy Lin’s short but brilliant run with the New York Knicks a decade ago. Finally, Joel, Stefan, and Vinson discuss another new documentary, The Redeem Team, about the 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team. College Football (5:25): Alabama vs Tennessee and CFB's explosive offenses. Linnsanity revisited (28:32): 38 at The Garden. Is Jeremy Lin still underrated? Redeem Team (49:28): Lebron, Kobe, Wade's quest for gold. Afterballs (1:09:01): Joel examines which high basketball stars lived up to the hype. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the Warriors’ Draymond Green punching his teammate Jordan Poole. They also discuss 7-foot-4 basketball phenom Victor Wembanyama. Finally, the Athletic’s Steph Yang joins for a conversation about Sally Yates’ report on abuse in the National Women’s Soccer League.   Warriors (4:59): How should the team handle Draymond’s punch? Is he done in Golden State?   Wembanyama (28:24): Can the 18-year-old Frenchman possibly live up to all this hype?   Soccer abuse (49:09): What we learned from the report and what comes next.   Afterball (1:12:20): Stefan revisits cheating in chess and Scrabble.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the fallout from Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussions. They also talk about Aaron Judge’s quest for the American League home run record. Finally, chess champion and poker pro Jennifer Shahade joins for a conversation about cheating allegations in both sports.   Tua (3:52): Why was he allowed to play after suffering an obvious head injury?   Judge (31:50): Is the Yankees star chasing the “real” home run record?   Chess and poker cheating (54:40): What we know, what we don’t, and what comes next.   Afterball (1:14:06): Josh on the real home run record of 1884. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Boston Celtics’ decision to suspend head coach Ime Udoka. They also talk about Roger Federer’s tearful retirement. Finally, Anna Wolfe of Mississippi Today joins for a conversation about Brett Favre and the state’s enormous welfare scandal.   Udoka (4:24): Did the media and the Celtics mishandle the news of his suspension?   Federer (21:01): What makes his relationship with Rafael Nadal so special.   Favre (42:20): How the ex-quarterback got enmeshed in an escalating welfare controversy.   Afterball (1:02:46): Joel on Mississippi, a segregation academy, and a football field. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Joel Anderson, and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham discuss the NBA’s suspension of Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver and Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett’s bizarre decisions. Finally, Josh and Stefan Fatsis speak with Olympic champion Mark Spitz about the new documentary series 72—A Gathering of Champions. Robert Sarver (4:07): Should Adam Silver have done more? Nathaniel Hackett (25:55): What is this coach thinking? Mark Spitz (45:57): One of the greatest Olympians ever remembers the dizzying highs and brutal lows of the 1972 Summer Games. Afterball (1:10:40): Vinson on the greatness of Manu Ginobili. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham discuss the opening weekend of the NFL season and the rise of tennis phenoms Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek. They’re also joined by Josh Levin (same name, different guy) to discuss how he made the final stage of American Ninja Warrior.   NFL (3:10): The cognitive dissonance of a new season.   Tennis (23:27): Why 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz looks like a legend in the making.   Josh the Ninja (47:20): How he conquered his Ninja Warrior demons.   Afterball (1:11:07): Josh on notable moments in Knicks message board history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis speak with Rennae Stubbs of ESPN and Racquet about coaching Serena Williams at the U.S. Open. Alex Kirshner of Slate and Split Zone Duo joins to discuss the start of college football season and the new 12-team playoff. Finally, the New York Times’ Juliet Macur talks about her story on how the Afghan women’s soccer team escaped the Taliban.   Rennae Stubbs (3:24): What she told Serena before and during her grand send-off in New York.   College football (24:22): How the game is changing, and how it’s staying the same.   Afghan women’s soccer team (49:23): The harrowing story of their escape from Kabul.   Afterball (1:11:42): Stefan on American soccer players on rival Scottish teams having the gall to eat dinner together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and Vinson Cunningham are joined by Ben Mathis-Lilley to discuss his new book on college football, The Hot Seat. They also discuss the hype around American tennis star Coco Gauff and review the soccer documentary Welcome to Wrexham.   The Hot Seat (2:14): Why does college football make so many of us insane?   Coco Gauff (24:54): Is the publicity warranted, or is too much for an 18-year-old to handle?   Welcome to Wrexham (47:60): Does the story of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney buying a soccer team make for good TV?   Afterball (1:06:51): Josh on drinking beer through a hot dog straw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and Vinson Cunningham are joined by Defector’s Maitreyi Anantharaman to discuss the WNBA playoffs. Dion Wright also joins to explain what it was like to guard LeBron James. Finally, they talk about Isiah Thomas’ “No Crime Day,” the subject of the first episode of Slate’s One Year: 1986 podcast.   WNBA (2:48): Can Sue Bird lead the Seattle Storm to a fifth title?   Dion Wright (23:39): How it felt to go viral for going up against one of the greatest of all time.   No Crime Day (42:20): A conversation about basketball and athlete activism in the 1980s.   Afterball (1:05:56): Stefan on the agony and ecstasy of watching Pete Carril’s Princeton teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vinson Cunningham and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas to discuss the latest on Deshaun Watson’s sexual abuse case and Serena Williams’ impending retirement. Also, Sports Illustrated’s Julie Kliegman joins to talk about athletes and psychedelics.   Deshaun Watson (5:00): The new Browns quarterback debuted with the team to boos and jeers.   Serena Williams (21:52): The superstar announced in Vogue that she is “evolving away from tennis.”   Psychedelics (35:20): Should more athletes be using them to treat mental health and injury? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham, and Slate’s Henry Grabar take an audio tour of Vin Scully’s broadcasting career. They also discuss the documentary NYC Point Gods. Finally, Josh interviews tennis players Maxime Cressy and Daria Saville.   Vin Scully (2:36): Eight moments from 66 years in the booth.   NYC Point Gods (33:11): Is the new basketball documentary worth watching?   Tennis (48:33): Conversations with two of the most fascinating players on tour.   Afterball (1:16:42): Josh on the Shammgodd—or is it the Pooh Allen? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin is joined by Aram Goudsouzian for a conversation about Bill Russell’s life and legacy; by Grant Wahl to talk about England’s historic victory at the women’s European soccer championships; and by Andscape’s Jason Reid to discuss Deshaun Watson, Kyler Murray, and Reid’s book Rise of the Black Quarterback. Bill Russell (2:21): The basketball legend’s biographer on his impact on and off the court.   England (23:28): How the Lionesses won, and how that victory will change women’s soccer.   Quarterbacks (44:46): The past, present, and future of Black QBs in the NFL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham are joined by Tim Layden to discuss the record breakers of the world track and field championships; by Abe Riesman to talk about Vince McMahon’s scandal-laden retirement from WWE; and by Sarah Larson for a conversation about her New Yorker feature on pickleball.   Track and field (1:30): What’s next for Sydney McLaughlin, Noah Lyles, and the sport as a whole?   Vince McMahon (25:24): Why did he retire now? What’s next for WWE?   Pickleball (47:23): Why is it so popular? Is a billionaire ruining it?   Afterball (1:05:40): Josh on Carl Lewis’ mythical 30-foot long jump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the opening weekend of the world track and field championships. They also talk about why the Angels are so bad in spite of Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout and the Nationals’ Juan Soto dilemma. Finally, Puck’s Julia Ioffe joins for a conversation about Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia.   Track (4:07): Why an American hurdler got a raw deal.   Baseball (25:02): Is Juan Soto crazy to turn down $440 million?   Griner (44:43): Should we be more pessimistic about her fate?   Afterball (1:04:43): Stefan on the Amarillo Sod Poodles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and Ben Mathis-Lilley discuss their proposals for fixing college football. Josh then speaks with Ben Rothenberg about Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon win over Nick Kyrgios. Finally, Joel, Josh, and Ben assess the rising stars of NBA Summer League.   College football (3:26): How will the sport reshape itself in the next five years?   Tennis (27:01): Wimbledon got the final it deserved.   Summer League (53:07): What to make of the Chet Holmgren experience.   Afterball (1:09:07): Josh on the Summer League record for most points in a single game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving trade drama. They also talk about UCLA and USC moving to the Big Ten and assess the verbal sparring between Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon.   Nets (2:26): Could they still keep KD and Kyrie?   Big Ten (24:28): What the latest big move means for the future of college football and every other sport.   Kyrgios and Tsitsipas (45:35): The story behind the ugly tennis squabble.   Afterball (1:10:10): Joel on the latest feats of pole vault prodigy Mondo Duplantis.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Olympic gold medalist Crissy Perham to discuss what Roe v. Wade getting overturned means for women athletes. They also discuss Arch Manning’s decision to play football at the University of Texas and Ohio State getting a trademark on the word “the.”   Crissy Perham (2:56): A champion swimmer on why she’s speaking out about her abortion.   Arch Manning (23:15): America’s leading legacy athlete will be a Longhorn.   The Ohio State University (44:01): Is the school’s love affair with the definite article endearing or annoying?   Afterball (1:02:20): Josh on Billie Jean King’s abortion story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski to discuss the Stanley Cup Finals. They also talk about Dream On, the ESPN documentary on the 1996 U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team. Finally, they assess Nike upon its 50th anniversary.   Stanley Cup (2:40): Inside the match-up between the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning.   Dream On (26:57): Looking back at a landmark moment for women’s sports.   Nike (50:25): How it became a cultural behemoth.   Afterball (1:12:00): Stefan on his daughter, Scrabble, and Steph Curry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham to discuss Steph Curry and the NBA Finals. Then, they review the Adam Sandler basketball movie Hustle. Finally, ESPN’s Kevin Van Valkenburg joins Joel and Josh to talk about the debut weekend of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf.   Steph and the NBA (3:30): The Warriors got back into the Finals with some Curry magic. Can Jayson Tatum summon some of his own?   Hustle (45:35): It’s not just a bunch of NBA cameos.   LIV Golf (1:08:23): Will the Saudis’ money take down the PGA Tour?   Afterball (1:08:23): Joel on Rickey Henderson and Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin assess the back-and-forth NBA Finals between the Warriors and Celtics. The New York Times’ Andrew Das also joins to talk about Ukraine’s loss to Wales in a World Cup playoff match. Finally, they discuss the Oklahoma softball juggernaut.   NBA Finals (3:09): How the Celtics took Game 1, and how the Warriors struck back.   Ukraine-Wales (25:00): An epic sporting event with global consequences.   Oklahoma softball (47:30): A deep dive on a remarkable dynasty.   Afterball (1:08:57): Josh on Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Rafael Nadal, and tennis inevitability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Joel Anderson are joined by Jack Hamilton to discuss the Warriors-Celtics NBA Finals matchup. Bradford William Davis then joins to talk about Josh Donaldson’s suspension for calling Tim Anderson “Jackie” and Tommy Pham slapping Joc Pederson for allegedly cheating in fantasy football.   NBA (2:53): What the rise of the Warriors and the Celtics says about pro basketball team-building.   Donaldson vs. Anderson (22:48): The deeper meaning behind a public war of words.   Pham vs. Pederson (44:43): How a fantasy football dispute spilled over to the baseball diamond.   Afterball (1:05:13): Josh on the “rebuilding year” as a (possibly) dying concept. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Jack Hamilton to discuss the NBA playoffs and Patrick Beverley’s chaotic media appearances; by Alex Kirshner to talk about the war of words between Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher; and by the Washington Post’s Molly Hensley-Clancy to assess U.S. Soccer’s landmark equal pay deal.   NBA (2:07): Will the conference finals get any better? And is Patrick Beverley telling the truth or spinning his own narrative?   Saban-Fisher (27:30): Where did this fight come from, and what’s it really about?   U.S. Soccer (48:53): The anatomy of a historic collective bargaining agreement.   Afterball (1:07:32): Stefan on the death of Roger Angell at age 101. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vinson Cunningham, Josh Levin, and Ben Mathis-Lilley talk about the Mavs’ shocking win over the Suns, the Celtics’ romp over the Bucks, the 76ers’ flameout, and other NBA playoff happenings. They also discuss Tom Brady’s megabucks contract to call NFL games for Fox.   Mavs-Suns (3:05): How Luka Doncic and Dallas embarrassed Phoenix.   More NBA (24:53): With the Bucks and Suns gone, who’s the favorite to win the title?   Brady (48:00): Why does he want to be an announcer? Will he be any good?   Afterball (1:08:28): Ben on Greg Norman, Joe Biden, and what it’s OK to say about Saudi Arabia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vinson Cunningham, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by the New York Times‘ Joe Drape to talk about Rich Strike’s shocking Kentucky Derby win. They also discuss Brittney Griner’s continued detention in Russia. Finally, Shane Ryan joins for a conversation about the Ryder Cup and sports trivia.   Kentucky Derby (2:27): Inside one of the biggest upsets in horse racing history.   Brittney Griner (24:41): What comes next in the diplomatic crisis?   Ryder Cup and trivia (45:39): The evolution of golf’s showcase event, and the theory and practice of sports trivia.   Afterball (1:10:47): Vinson on Draymond Green, NBA ombudsman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vinson Cunningham and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Slate’s Jack Hamilton to talk about the NBA playoffs and the dawn of de facto free agency in college sports. Also, Kalyn Kahler of Defector discusses the NFL draft and her reporting on a rape allegation against an NFL lineman. NBA playoffs (2:03): Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to an easy win over the Celtics. Can Boston turn it around?   College sports (25:07): Name, image, and likeness rights have quickly ushered in a new era. NFL draft (42:26): Edge rushers and wide receivers, not quarterbacks, were the hot commodities in Vegas. Afterball (1:05:40): Stefan on the rise of the “edge”—or it is “EDGE”?—in the NFL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vinson Cunningham, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the decline of the Brooklyn Nets and the rise of the New Orleans Pelicans. They also discuss Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes, and they review the HBO series Winning Time, on the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers.   NBA playoffs (3:55): What’s gone wrong for Brooklyn? What’s going right for New Orleans?   Wimbledon (25:34): Is there any logic to banning individual Russian athletes?   Winning Time (49:08): What the show gets right and what it gets wrong.   Afterball (1:09:52): Josh on hiding in sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vinson Cunningham, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the epic Game 1 of the Nets-Celtics series. They also talk about the Minnesota Timberwolves, young playoff stars, and Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai. Finally, the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh joins for a conversation about near-perfection at the start of the baseball season. Nets-Celtics (3:05): Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, and a whole lot more.   NBA playoffs (26:39): What we’re watching this postseason. Baseball (49:02): The sadness of two perfect games that almost were. Afterball (1:09:34): Vinson on the Timberwolves’ spotty playoff history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vinson Cunningham, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the death of quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Slate’s Jim Newell also joins to discuss Tiger Woods’ dramatic return at the Masters. Finally, they assess the Los Angeles Lakers’ terrible season.   Dwayne Haskins (1:29): How should we talk about athletes who die young?   Tiger Woods (24:57): What comes after his miraculous comeback?   Lakers (47:58): What went so horribly wrong?   Afterball (1:08:17): Stefan on major leaguers who went for 7-for-7 in a single game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Kansas’ win over North Carolina’s in the men’s basketball title game, and the Athletic’s Chantel Jennings joins to talk about South Carolina’s win over UConn for the women’s title. Finally, they talk about Eric Church, and when it’s OK for sports to trump social and professional obligations.   NCAA men (2:21): How the Jayhawks turned it around against the Tar Heels.   NCAA women (22:16): How the Gamecocks steamrolled the Huskies.   Eric Church (46:47): Was he wrong to cancel a concert to go to the Final Four?   Afterball (1:06:51): Josh on a crazy two months in pro tennis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slate’s sports podcast on the NCAA basketball tournaments and U.S. soccer. Plus, an interview with Bomani Jones. NCAA basketball (3:26): After two weeks of upsets, it’s Duke, UNC, Kansas, and Villanova.    World Cup (24:20): The U.S. men’s national soccer team is on the brink of qualifying after a 5-1 win over Panama. Bomani Jones (47:33): Joel interviews ESPN personality Bomani Jones about his new HBO show, “Game Theory With Bomani Jones.” Afterball (1:03:44): Stefan on watching last week’s U.S.-Mexico soccer game in Estadio Azteca. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the top storylines from the men’s NCAA tournament, and they’re joined by the Athletic’s Chantel Jennings for a conversation about the women’s tournament. Finally, they talk about the Cleveland Browns’ trade for Deshaun Watson.   NCAA men (3:07): TCU’s heartbreaking loss, Cinderella Saint Peter’s, and more.   NCAA women (24:34): Why are there more upsets all of a sudden? And has the NCAA really made its tourneys more equitable?   Deshaun Watson (48:23): What should we make of the robust market for a quarterback who’s been accused of sexual misconduct?   Afterball (1:05:24): Josh on Wordle variants for sports fans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by the Ringer’s Bryan Curtis to discuss Tom Brady’s unretirement and other huge quarterback news. Alex Kirshner also joins to discuss March Madness storylines and Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley’s suspension for betting on NFL games.   Quarterbacks (3:36): Brady back to Tampa, Russell Wilson to Denver, Deshaun Watson to … somewhere.   March Madness (23:20): What to watch out for in the men’s and women’s tournaments.   NFL and gambling (47:03): Football, betting, and “the integrity of the game.”   Afterball (1:09:06): Joel on the history of conference basketball tournaments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Yahoo’s Hannah Keyser to discuss the Major League Baseball lockout. They also talk about WNBA star Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia and assess the spectacle of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game.   Baseball (3:28): When will the lockout end? What’s at stake?   Griner (23:16): Why was she in Russia in the first place, and what comes next for her and women’s basketball?   Coach K (46:35): Was this the perfect regular-season ending to his illustrious career?   Afterball (1:07:57): Stefan on Sports Illustrated’s profile of Lia Thomas and the anti-trans, anti-Thomas backlash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham discuss the sports world’s reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They also talk about LeBron James’ plan to play alongside his son Bronny. And ESPN’s Katie Barnes joins Stefan and Josh for a conversation about trans swimmer Lia Thomas.   Russia (2:33): What’s happened so far and what should come next.   Bronny (24:25): Is LeBron putting too much pressure on his son? How good is Bronny anyway?   Lia Thomas (49:47): The UPenn swimmer is setting records amid controversy over whether she should be eligible to compete against other women.   Afterball (1:14:00): Josh on yet another basketball problem that the Elam Ending fixes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Justin Peters for an Olympics wrap-up. They also discuss the Wisconsin-Michigan handshake line scuffle. Finally, Slate’s Alex Kirshner joins to talk about Saudi Arabia’s efforts to start a new golf tour.   Olympics (3:01): Were there any bright spots during these dark Winter Games?   Handshake fight (24:18): Why did things escalate? Should Juwan Howard have been suspended?   Saudi golf (47:00): How a plan to disrupt pro golf fell apart.   Afterball (1:08:23): Josh revisits his thoughts on Ben Simmons and mental health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the Rams’ Super Bowl win over the Bengals. They’re also joined by David Epstein to discuss the decision to allow Kamila Valieva to skate in the Olympics. Finally, they assess the mega-trade between the Nets and 76ers.   Super Bowl (3:36): How Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp led the Rams to victory.   Valieva (23:13): Why is the 15-year-old competing after testing positive for a banned substance?   NBA (45:20): Who won the James Harden for Ben Simmons swap?   Afterball (1:04:27): Joel on Sherman Lewis, who never got the chance to be an NFL head coach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by the New York Times’ John Branch to discuss Chinese-American skier Eileen Gu. They also talk about Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL and ponder the 76ers’ Ben Simmons problem and the Nets’ various conundrums.   Eileen Gu (6:02): What to make of her decision to represent China at the Beijing Games.   Flores (23:40): Can anything change the NFL’s hiring practices?   NBA (43:15): Should we sympathize with Ben Simmons? Can the Nets turn it around?   Afterball (1:04:42): Joel on Jim Brown, Syracuse basketball player. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and special guest Louisa Thomas of the New Yorker discuss the NFL’s conference championship games and Tom Brady’s (probable) retirement. Then, they talk about Rafael Nadal’s record-setting Australian Open victory. Finally, Grant Wahl joins Josh and Stefan to assess the U.S. men’s national soccer team’s frigid loss to Canada. NFL (2:32): How did the Chiefs blow it? Is Joe Burrow as charismatic as he thinks he is?    Tennis (26:32): How Nadal staged the best comeback of his career. U.S. men’s soccer (45:49): Why can’t the U.S. score? Could they miss the World Cup? Afterball (1:06:49): Josh and Stefan celebrate the winner of Hang Up’s goofy sports idea contest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Lindsay Jones to discuss the NFL playoffs. Then, Ben Proudfoot joins for a conversation about Lusia Harris, the subject of his documentary short “The Queen of Basketball.” Finally, they speak with Oliver Roeder about his book Seven Games. NFL (2:21): How did the Chiefs-Bills magic happen? Are Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers done?   Lusia Harris (30:12): The life and legacy of a basketball pioneer. Seven Games (50:24): How machines have changed our favorite games.  Afterball (1:09:30): Josh and Stefan on Hang Up listeners’ goofy ideas to fix sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend. Then they talk about the rise of the Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant. Finally, Defector’s Kalyn Kahler joins for a conversation about nepotism in NFL coaching.   NFL (4:50): Do expanded playoffs mean worse games?   Ja Morant (24:55): Was his block the best ever? Is he the NBA’s next superstar?   Nepotism (44:54): How big of a problem is it, and can anything be done to fix it?   Afterball (1:08:14): Josh, Joel, and Stefan on goofy ideas to fix sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Georgia’s win over Alabama in the college football title game. Then they break down the wild ride that was the Chargers-Raiders NFL regular-season finale. And tennis writer Ben Rothenberg helps unpack the saga of unvaccinated Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. College football (2:44): How the Bulldogs took down the Tide.   Chargers-Raiders (23:08): The game theory behind the crazy almost-tie.   Djokovic (44:12): Why did an Australian court allow him to stay in the country? What’s next?   Afterball (1:07:03): Stefan on the Sports Word of the Year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the College Football Playoff and bowl game opt-outs. ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel also joins for a conversation about Becky Hammon, who chose to leave the NBA to become the head coach of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces. Finally, they talk about the life and legacy of John Madden.   College football (3:33): What are the sport’s real issues and what problems are imaginary?   Hammon (25:15): Why didn’t she get a shot to run an NBA team? Is going to the WNBA the right move?   Madden (48:11): How should the coach and announcer be remembered?   Afterball (1:10:38): Joel on Marcus Williamson and what college football takes from Black athletes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Joel Anderson are joined by ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz to talk about Christmas Day in the NBA. Washington Post health reporter Dan Diamond also joins to discuss the past, present, and future of COVID in sports. Finally, Josh, Joel, and Stefan Fatsis interview Mitchell S. Jackson about his award-winning story on Ahmaud Arbery and running while Black.   NBA (3:37): How did the Warriors and Suns leap to the top of the West? And how are teams dealing with all the positive tests?   COVID (25:51): What should leagues be doing, and what will they do in 2022?   Arbery (45:59): A discussion about the Pulitzer-winning story “Twelve Minutes and a Life.”   Afterball (1:06:04): Josh on the Washington Post’s coverage of Daniel Snyder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley talk about COVID running rampant through every sports league, again. Next, they discuss the end of Urban Meyer’s very brief career as an NFL coach. Finally, Joshua Neuman joins Stefan and Josh for a conversation about Kenny Washington, who broke the NFL’s color barrier a year before Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s.   COVID (3:13): How should leagues and teams respond to the next wave of the pandemic?   Urban Meyer (22:37): Why did the successful college coach flame out of the pros?   Kenny Washington (41:25): Why isn’t the pioneering Black football player an American icon?   Afterball (1:02:30): Stefan on the state of Scorigami. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Slate’s Alex Kirshner talk about the controversial ending to the Formula 1 season. Next, they examine the opening months of college sports’ name, image, and likeness era. Finally, Stefan and Josh are joined by author and chess champion Jennifer Shahade to assess Magnus Carlsen’s latest world title.   Formula 1 (2:46): Who should’ve won the duel between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen?   NIL (22:55): How college athletes are capitalizing, and how it’s changing the game.   Chess (44:28): How Carlsen won, and what’s next for him and for the game.   Afterball (1:04:10): Josh on basketball on the Marshall Islands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi Hang Up and Listen listeners, we thought you'd be interested in this episode of What Next, Slate's daily news podcast. Enjoy! When Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai accused a former Chinese Vice Premier of rape, what came next was darkly predictable: the athlete disappeared from public view while the government scrubbed all mentions of her allegations and censored searches for her name. But few expected the Women’s Tennis Association to strike back, suspending all future tournaments in China and Hong Kong. As the WTA stands up to China - leaving millions of dollars on the table - will other sports organizations follow suit and hold the government to account over its human rights abuses? Guest: Ben Rothenberg, senior editor of Racquet Magazine and host of the tennis podcast No Challenges Remaining. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin break down college football’s playoff match-ups and Brian Kelly’s move to LSU. Insider’s Bradford William Davis joins to discuss the baseball lockout and his piece on the sport using two different balls. Finally, a conversation about sports blowouts. College football (5:29): Does outsider Cincinnati have a chance against Alabama, Michigan, and Georgia?   Baseball (27:22): Will the sport cancel games? And why did MLB have two different balls in circulation?   Blowouts (47:36): What makes some lopsided victories great and others unwatchable?   Afterball (1:04:30): Stefan with more sports musicals. If you enjoy Hang Up and Listen, consider giving the gift of Slate Plus to a fellow Slate fan and they’ll receive all the benefits of membership: unlimited reading, ad-free listening, bonus content, and so much more: Give Slate Plus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk with Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley about the Michigan football team’s big win over Ohio State. They also discuss Oklahoma head football coach Lincoln Riley’s surprising departure for USC and the state of LeBron James and the Lakers. Michigan (2:25): How Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines exorcised their demons against the Buckeyes.   Lincoln Riley (24:05): Explaining an unprecedented college football move. Lakers (47:00): Are LeBron and his team off to a slow start, or are they just bad? Afterball (1:05:04): Stefan on Stephen Sondheim and the dearth of sports musicals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham to talk about Peng Shuai and the future of sports in China. Next, they discuss the resurgent Golden State Warriors. Finally, they review the movie King Richard. Peng Shuai (2:03): Will the Peng case lead the WTA to pull out of China?   Warriors (24:35): How Steph Curry’s squad got its mojo back. King Richard (42:42): Is the new movie about the Williams sisters’ upbringing any good? Afterball (1:02:00): Josh on watching (or not watching) the 1980 Summer Olympics on American TV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Grant Wahl to talk about the U.S. men’s national team’s dominant win over Mexico. Stefan, Josh, and Joel Anderson then discuss how ESPN’s Adam Schefter covered a domestic abuse allegation against Vikings running back Dalvin Cook. Finally, they look into the war of words between the NBA’s Morris twins and Jokic brothers.   USA-Mexico (3:36): Is the USMNT’s big win a sign that the rivalry has shifted?   Schefter (22:20): The journalistic sins of ESPN’s lead NFL insider.   Morris vs. Jokic (48:10): What makes a good sibling Twitter basketball beef?   Afterball (1:06:20): The groundbreaking 1960 documentary on NFL linebacker Sam Huff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Aaron Rodgers’ claims about vaccination and how the Packers and the NFL should deal with him. They also talk about ESPN’s investigation into Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver. Finally, the Washington Post’s Candace Buckner joins for a conversation about the fashion choices of NBA coaches.   Rodgers (2:52): What his interview about COVID and vaccines revealed about the Packers quarterback.   Sarver (26:26): How will the NBA handle allegations of racism and misogyny against one of its owners?   NBA coach fashion (48:22): Should we lament the rise of the quarter-zip and the demise of the suit?   Afterball (1:08:37): Josh on Jameis Winston, Drew Brees, and the athletes we support, tolerate, and disdain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel, Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the ouster of Joel’s old football coach, TCU’s Gary Patterson. They also talk about how the NBA’s new rules are changing pro basketball. Finally, the New York Times’ Kevin Draper joins for a conversation about the Chicago Blackhawks’ cover-up of an alleged sexual assault. TCU (3:06): Why was it time for Gary Patterson to go? Who does Joel want to see replace him?   NBA rules (30:11): Draymond Green is delighted. Trae Young and James Harden aren’t. Blackhawks (44:42): What the team’s investigation revealed about the culture of hockey and sexual assault. Afterball (1:04:30): Stefan on the surprising origins of the “tomahawk chop” music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Defector’s Drew Magary talk about the seeming decline of the Kansas City Chiefs. They also discuss who to root for in the World Series, the Houston Astros or the Atlanta Braves. Finally, they speak with Drew about his book The Night the Lights Went Out: A Memoir of Life After Brain Damage.   Chiefs (3:54): What’s wrong with Patrick Mahomes and the former champs?   World Series (25:47): Is the case against the Astros stronger than the case against the Braves?   The Night the Lights Went Out (46:29): Drew on his traumatic brain injury and what came after.   Afterball (1:07:00): Stefan on the history of the Atlanta Braves’ nickname. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin talk with Slate’s Alex Kirshner about the split between LSU and its coach Ed Orgeron. They’re also joined by Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports for a preview of the 2021-22 NBA season. Finally, Stefan Fatsis speaks with Dave Zirin about his book The Kaepernick Effect.   Orgeron (4:20): Why did LSU part ways with a championship-winning coach?   NBA (29:53): What to expect from the Kyrie-less Nets and the LeBron/AD/Russ Lakers.   The Kaepernick Effect (50:52): Looking back on five years’ worth of athlete protests.   Afterball (1:12:00): Josh on erasing Derrius Guice’s records. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk with Slate’s Alex Kirshner about the racist, sexist, and homophobic emails written by now-former NFL head coach Jon Gruden. Writer Roberto José Andrade Franco joins to discuss Mexican-American soccer star Ricardo Pepi. Finally, Chantel Jennings of the Athletic breaks down the WNBA playoffs. Gruden (4:07): What his emails reveal about the culture of the NFL?   Pepi (209:07): The on-field and off-field significance of the USMNT’s new star.   WNBA (51:47): What you need to know about the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury.   Afterball (1:13:62): Josh on a women’s sports equivalent for “the Jimmys and the Joes.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Tom Brady’s win over the Patriots. Meg Rowley of FanGraphs also joins to discuss the end of baseball’s regular season and the start of the playoffs. Finally, the Athletic’s Steph Yang helps assess the present and future of the National Women’s Soccer League. Brady vs. the Pats (03:09): Did the game live up to the hype? Was there too much hype?   Baseball (28:23): Should we be sad about the lack of chaos or happy about the possibility of chaos to come? NWSL (49:42): What are the allegations, and what happens next? Afterball (1:07:30): Stefan on the oldest players in NFL history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about anti-vaxxers in the NBA. The Washington Post’s Molly Hensley-Clancy discusses allegations that the NWSL’s Washington Sprit have a misogynistic work culture, and Will Bardenwerper joins for a conversation about his Harper’s piece on the potential death of minor league baseball in small towns.   NBA anti-vaxxers (4:36): How should the league deal with Kyrie Irving?   Washington Spirit (26:33): What to do about alleged bad behavior in the National Women’s Soccer League.   Minor leagues (47:27): The consequences of Major League Baseball’s plan to make the minors more efficient.   Afterball (1;08): Josh on the College of Faith football program Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by USA Today’s Marisa Kwiatkowski to discuss the Senate hearing on the FBI’s failures in the Larry Nassar case. They also assess Eli and Peyton Manning’s Monday Night Football debut and discuss whether the 2021 UConn Huskies are the worst college football team of all time.   Nassar case (3:14): What stood out in the Senate hearings, and what will it take for the gymnasts to get closure?   Mannings (23:18): How’d Peyton and Eli do on their first broadcast? Will their show have staying power?   UConn (43:05): How the Huskies became historically bad.   Afterball (59:00): Stefan on the U.S. women’s soccer team’s uncompetitive friendly matches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas talk about Daniil Medvedev’s upset over Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu’s shocking U.S. Open title. They also discuss Jameis Winston, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Cam Newton’s interview with his dad. Finally, they assess the U.S. men’s national soccer team’s rocky opening to World Cup qualifying. U.S. Open (2:25): What to make of Djokovic’s loss, and his response to it. Plus, where did Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez come from?   NFL (31:12): Making sense of pro football’s opening weekend.   U.S. soccer (48:19): How concerning are the USMNT’s on-field struggles?   Afterball (1:06;30): Stefan on Sheriff Tiraspol, the Moldovan soccer underdog that you maybe shouldn’t root for Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Joel Anderson are joined by Spencer Hall to talk about the opening weekend of the college football season. They also discuss Bishop Sycamore, the fake high school that made its way into an ESPN football showcase. Finally, the CBC’s Morgan Campbell joins to assess Canada’s series of sporting triumphs.   College football (1:48): Alabama looks like its old self. But what’s up with Clemson?   Bishop Sycamore (24:37): Where did it come from? Is it unique or a sign of a larger phenomenon?   Canada (40:44): Soccer, track, tennis. What’s behind Canada’s run of athletic success?   Afterball (56:35): Josh on Dutch tennis player Botic van de Zandschulp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin interviews Ben Rothenberg about his reporting on domestic abuse allegations against tennis player Alexander Zverev. Josh, Stefan Fatsis, and Joel Anderson are then joined by Grant Wahl to discuss Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Manchester United. Finally, assessing Rachel Nichols’ fall and Stephen A. Smith’s rise at ESPN.   Zverev (3:50): What are the accusations and how has the tennis world responded? Ronaldo (19:19): Why he’s returning to the club where he became an international superstar.   ESPN (41:57): What we know about personnel moves at the Worldwide Leader.   Afterball (1:06:15): Josh on what might be the longest down and distance in NFL history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Stefan Fatsis talk with track writer Jojo Gretschel about sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson’s last-place finish in her return from a suspension. Former pro basketball player Rod Benson discusses Draymond Green’s revealing conversation with Kevin Durant and the future of athlete-driven sports media. Finally, an interview with Claire McNear of the Ringer about her blockbuster reporting that brought down the new host of Jeopardy! Sha’Carri (5:23): Track writer Jojo Gretschel on Sha’Carri Richardson’s 100-meter flop.   Dray and KD (22:31): Ex-basketball pro Rod Benson on Draymond Green’s revealing interview with Kevin Durant. Jeopardy! (40:57): Claire McNear of the Ringer on the comments that brought down Alex Trebek’s successor. Afterball (1:04:54): Stefan on pro ultimate frisbee.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Major League Baseball’s Field of Dreams game. Writer Jessica Luther also joins to discuss the Deshaun Watson and Trevor Bauer cases. Finally, they review the documentary Malice at the Palace.   Field of Dreams (4:42): Is this kind of nostalgia good or bad for baseball?   Watson and Bauer (26:02): How should leagues handle allegations of sexual misconduct?   Malice at the Palace (46:35): What the Netflix documentary leaves out.   Afterball (1:07:16): Stefan on hockey players fighting fans in 1979. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the end of the Tokyo Olympics. They also discuss NFL players who’ve refused to get the COVID vaccine, and what the league should do about it. Finally, author Simon Kuper explains the tearful end of Lionel Messi’s brilliant career at F.C. Barcelona.   Olympics (3:31): The troubled 2020 Olympics could reset how fans view athletes and the games.   NFL (22:32): Kirk Cousins would rather surround himself with Plexiglas than get vaccinated.   Lionel Messi (42:12): Why did it have to end this way? And what’s next for Messi and his longtime club?   Afterball (57:53): Joel on the tiny countries that bagged Olympics hardware for the first time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the latest in the saga of Simone Biles at the Tokyo Olympics. They also assess the U.S. women’s national soccer team’s semifinals loss to Canada and other stories from the Summer Games. Finally, Jeff Passan of ESPN joins to talk about Major League Baseball’s trade deadline.   Biles (2:31): What are the bigger picture lessons of the gymnastics legend’s Tokyo opt-out? Olympics (23:45): A surprise in the men’s 100 meters and a smile in the men’s high jump.   Baseball (42:34): MLB’s trade deadline was the craziest in history.   Afterball (1:04:55): Stefan on the return of Olympic Channel News, the state-run broadcasting service of the Summer Games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode features Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks and the NBA’s first Black female CEO. After spending 36 years in senior management at AT&T, Cynt pivoted to the sports industry where her values-based leadership has transformed the Mavericks’ culture to emphasize community and employee engagement. Cynt’s authentic and humanizing perspectives shed light on how empathy and technology can help us stay connected and enhance shared experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the weirdness of the Tokyo Olympics being staged without spectators. They also assess the wobbly starts by the U.S. men’s basketball and women’s gymnastics teams. Finally, they examine the implications of Texas and Oklahoma seeking to leave the Big 12 for the powerhouse SEC.  Olympic atmosphere (2:39): The absence of fans has made for a weird start to the Summer Games.   Olympic sports (24:41): Simone Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team stumbled in the preliminary competition.   SEC (47:11): Will Texas and Oklahoma usher in a major realignment in college sports?   Afterball (1:09:12): Josh on baseball broadcast pioneer Mary Shane, the subject of the latest episode of his new podcast series, One Year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slate's new podcast One Year and will introduce you to people and ideas that changed American history--one year at a time. The show is hosted by your Hang Up and Listen host Josh Levin. And our first season covers 1977: a year when gay rights hung in the balance, Roots dominated the airwaves, and Jesus appeared on a tortilla. This episode introduces you to Mary Shane, who made history with the Chicago White Sox as the first woman hired as a legitimate major-league baseball announcer. But in 1977, she had to fight to be taken seriously in one of America’s most sexist industries. One Year is produced by Josh Levin, Evan Chung, and Madeline Ducharme. Mixing by Merritt Jacob. Like this episode? Subscribe to One Year on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by New York Times Tokyo bureau chief Motoko Rich to discuss the troubled run-up to the Olympics. They also talk about the dominance and humility of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Finally, they review Space Jam: A New Legacy.   Olympics (2:53): The Summer Games face positive coronavirus tests, public antipathy, and heat and humidity.   NBA Finals (22:59): How Giannis led the Bucks back against the Suns.   Space Jam (42:50): Just how bad is the Warner Bros. sequel starring LeBron James?   Afterball (1:04:25): Stefan on pitcher Wayne Garland, who flopped in 1977 after signing one of baseball’s first big free-agent contracts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Nicky Bandini of the Guardian to discuss Italy’s victory over England in the Euro 2020 final. Next, they talk about Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chris Paul, and the first three games of the NBA Finals. Finally, they assess the pitching and hitting phenom Shohei Ohtani. Euro 2020 (4:19): Italy beat England but the final was marred by racist and violent fan behavior.   NBA Finals (25:04): Giannis Antetokounmpo is remarkable at a young age, Chris Paul at an old one. Shohei Ohtani (46:22): Is the Japanese pitcher and hitter better than Babe Ruth? Afterball (1:06:41): Josh on the reaction to Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon triumph. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson’s marijuana suspension. Penn State professor Amira Rose Davis joins to discuss Olympic hammer thrower Gwen Berry and Black women activists in sports. And finally, a look at the first week of new name, image, and likeness rules in the NCAA.   Sha’Carri Richardson (02:28): Why is marijuana a banned substance in the first place?   Black women activists (20:59) How athlete protests have evolved and what to expect at the Tokyo Games.   NIL (46:32): College athletes signed a range of deals in a wild first week of commercial rights.   Afterball (1:03:06): Stefan on a Myanmar men’s national soccer team player who protested against the military dictatorship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss NFL player Carl Nassib’s historic announcement. They also talk about the key players and storylines in the NBA conference finals. Finally, they assess the Week in Sports Idiocy.   Nassib (1:55): The significance of an active NFL player coming out.   NBA (24:09): What Giannis Antetokounmpo and Trae Young have in common.   Week in Sports Idiocy (42:19): The Tour de France and the College World Series were prime idiot-spotting territory.   Afterball (56:44): Joel on 17-year-old track star Erriyon Knighton. Podcast production by Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss NBA injuries, Kevin Durant’s heroics, and Ben Simmons’ struggles. Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern also joins to assess the Supreme Court’s decision in NCAA v. Alston. Finally, David Epstein talks about distance runner Shelby Houlihan, who claims her positive drug test came from eating a burrito.   NBA (3:14): What does the data say about NBA injuries? And what happened to the Nets and Sixers?   Alston v. NCAA (24:13): Does this week’s unanimous ruling put the college sports business model in peril?   Houlihan (46:50): The case against the American track star, and why she might be telling the truth.   Afterball (66:33): Stefan on the on-field death of NFL player Chuck Hughes. Podcast production by Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen’s collapse at the UEFA European Championship. Stephanie Apstein of Sports Illustrated also joins to talk about baseball pitchers slathering the ball with goo. Finally, Stefan and Josh interview Jon Wertheim about Glory Days, his new book on sports in 1984.   Eriksen (2:14): The agony of waiting to see if the soccer star was OK.   Sticky stuff (22:28): What will baseball’s powers that be do about the game’s latest scandal?   1984 (43:58): How Michael Jordan, Lakers vs. Celtics, Martina Navratilova, and more changed the sports landscape forever.   Afterball (60:25): Stefan, Josh, and Jon Wertheim on the French Open. Podcast production by Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Sam Anderson to discuss Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets. They also discuss the U.S. men’s national team’s win over Mexico and the retirement of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. Durant (01:52): What makes him unique among NBA superstars.   Soccer (21:44): Is the U.S. men’s national team’s latest victory meaningful or meaningless? Coach K (42:06): Understanding the legacy of a college basketball legend. Afterball (61:06): Josh on Mike Krzyzewski and Abar Rouse. Podcast production by Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about what Naomi Osaka’s French Open withdrawal reveals about athletes and mental health and athletes and the press. They also discuss the spate of atrocious fan behavior in NBA arenas, and Rebecca Schuman joins for a conversation about Simone Biles’ latest feat of gymnastics excellence. Osaka (2:20): How the controversy over her French Open comments played out, and what comes next.   NBA (25:44): Has fan behavior reached a new low or are we just paying closer attention? Biles (45:47): Why her new vault is so amazing, and why judges are undervaluing it. Afterball (63:26): Remembering Lee Evans, who staged a quiet protest at the 1968 Olympics. Podcast production by Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by Shutdown Fullcast’s Spencer Hall to discuss the start of the NBA playoffs and the spate of injuries befalling NBA stars. They also discuss Phil Mickelson’s PGA Championship triumph and Tim Tebow’s possible NFL return. NBA (2:46): How LeBron looks, and how injuries have changed pro basketball’s postseason outlook. Golf (18:30): How the 50-year-old Mickelson did it, and what his victory means for older athletes. Tebow (34:05): Will he make it as a tight end? Is it possible to have a good Tebow take? Afterball (51:04): Josh on the found art of Major League Baseball transaction logs. Podcast production by Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham to discuss the rise of the New York Knicks and the start of the NBA playoffs. The Athletic’s Chantel Jennings also joins to talk about the start of the WNBA season. Finally, Joe Drape of the New York Times assesses the case against racehorse trainer Bob Baffert. NBA (3:42): Does the Knicks’ return to non-terribleness matter? And what are the big storylines going into the playoffs? WNBA (24:42): The return of Sabrina Ionescu and other big news from the league’s opening weekend. Horse racing (42:58): Is the sport turning on Bob Baffert after yet another doping scandal? Afterball (58:39): Joel on Sam Houston State’s football championship. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.  Podcast production by Margaret Kelley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the upcoming NBA play-in tournament. They also discuss the latest brouhaha over violence in the National Hockey League and they assess NFL wide receiver DK Metcalf’s performance against pro sprinters.   NBA (2:49): Why LeBron James hates the play-in games and most everyone else loves them.   NHL (21:21): Does hockey have a cultural problem or a Tom Wilson problem?   DK Metcalf (43:03): He didn’t come close to winning. He still proved something.   Afterball (61:37): Josh on Armando Galarraga’s almost-perfect game, 10 years later. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.  Podcast production by Margaret Kelley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin welcome a trio of guests. Master Tesfatsion of Bleacher Report discusses the NFL draft. Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer explains why moving back the pitcher’s mound could boost Major League Baseball’s anemic offenses. And Rebecca Schuman talks about the leotard, the unitard, and the sexualization of female gymnasts.   NFL draft (3:06): Five quarterbacks got picked in the first round. No one really knows if they’ll succeed.   Baseball (26:09): A minor league is moving the mound back one foot. Will the majors try it next?   Gymnastics (48:48): Why it’s revolutionary that a trio of German women have ditched the leotard.   Afterball (01:06:26): Joel on why high school sports matter, especially for transgender athletes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Tariq Panja of the New York Times to discuss European soccer’s Super League fiasco. Stefan, Josh, and Joel Anderson then talk about Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry’s absurd month. Plus, an interview with researcher Joanna Harper about transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports.   Super League (2:11): Why did it implode? What comes next?   Stephen Curry (26:04): Assessing one of the most incredible months in the history of the NBA.   Joanna Harper (43:45): An interview with the transgender runner and researcher about the science, politics, and culture war around trans girls and women in sports.   Afterball (63:34): Josh on the many grudges of new LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.  Podcast production by Margaret Kelley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Ken Early of the Irish Times to talk about European soccer’s proposed Super League. They also discuss the NFL’s top quarterback prospects and they debate whether Triller Fight Club is the future of boxing.   Super League (2:10): What is this new soccer proposal? Why is it making everyone so mad? Is there any way to stop it?   Quarterbacks (21:40): What we know about Trevor Lawrence and crew, and why so many QBs will likely get picked at the top of the first round.   Boxing (38:52): Are Jake Paul, Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber, Evander Holyfield the salvation for a dying sport?   Afterball (52:19): Stefan on the San Diego Sockers music video “One for the Thumb.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the sports world’s pandemic purgatory. They also ponder what sports feats have still yet to be achieved. Finally, Luke Epplin joins to discuss his book Our Team and the story of Larry Doby, the second player to break baseball’s modern color barrier. Pandemic purgatory (3:11): What to make of the Texas Rangers’ full stadium and the Vancouver Canucks’ 20-plus positive COVID tests. Rare sports feats (20:30): The Padres have, at last, thrown a no-hitter. What achievement can we cross of the list next? Larry Doby (35:37): The first Black player in the American League was a pioneer in his own right. Afterball (54:30): Joel on North Carolina’s JV men’s basketball team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the men’s and women’s NCAA finals and Jalen Suggs’ Final Four buzzer beater. They also discuss Major League Baseball’s decision to move this year’s All-Star Game in response to Georgia’s new voting law, and Arizona State professor Victoria Jackson joins to assess the athlete compensation case NCAA v. Alston. NCAA (2:57): How Baylor and Stanford won it all, and assessing Jalen Suggs’ remarkable shot. MLB and voting rights (26:54): What went into baseball’s boycott decision. Alston v. NCAA (48:18): What we learned in Supreme Court oral arguments, and what comes next for the NCAA and college athletes. Afterball (68:19): Josh on the transfer portal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Gonzaga’s greatness and the Sweet 16 match-up between Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark. Stefan and Josh then try to convince Joel to become a fan of the U.S. men’s national soccer team. Finally, Defector’s Dave McKenna joins for a conversation about basketball legend Elgin Baylor, who died last week at 86. NCAA tournaments (2:18): What’s the secret to Gonzaga’s success? What stood out in UConn’s win over Iowa? U.S. soccer (22:57): What’s not to love about this generation of American men’s soccer talent? Elgin Baylor (45:03): What you need to know about the Washington D.C., College Idaho, Seattle University, and Los Angeles Lakers icon. Afterball (65:27) Podcast production by Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the opening weekend of March Madness. They also discuss the inequalities between the men’s and women’s tournaments, and author Jessica Luther joins for a conversation about the assault lawsuits against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. NCAA Tournament (3:03): A bunch of fun games or just a whole lot of bad basketball? March Madness inequality (20:38): How a viral TikTok video brought attention to NCAA disparities. Deshaun Watson (37:14): How to think about the allegations, and what comes next. Afterball (54:17): Josh on “you don’t need a 3 here.” Podcast production by Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the lead-up to March Madness. They also talk about the controversy surrounding “The Eyes of Texas,” the song the University of Texas plays before and after football games. Finally, they assess the life and career of Marvelous Marvin Hagler. March Madness (01:09): Should the NCAA Tournament be played? “The Eyes of Texas” (21:35): What we know about the song and what the conversation about it leaves out. Hagler (41:00): What made him and his fights so memorable. Afterballs (60:25): Stefan on the etymology of packed and stuffed. Podcast production and edit by Margaret Kelley. You can email us at hangup@slate.com. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the NBA All-Star Game and the state of the league a year after it suspended play due to COVID-19. They also talk about a new report on LSU’s failures to deal with sexual assault claims and allegations about the school’s ex-football coach Les Miles. Finally, Andrew Maraniss joins for a conversation about his book Singled Out, on the plight of the gay baseball player Glenn Burke. NBA (1:55): What has the NBA learned, if anything, during our year-long pandemic? LSU (18:54): How should the school respond to a report laying out its Title IX failures? Singled Out (38:49): What Glenn Burke went through, and what his legacy means today. Afterballs (57:40): Stefan on Muhammad Ali’s activities before his first fight with Joe Frazier and Josh on listeners’ favorite free throws. Podcast production and edit by Margaret Kelley. You can email us at hangup@slate.com. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by FanGraphs’ Meg Rowley to talk about Seattle Mariners president Kevin Mather’s resignation and Fernando Tatis Jr.’s new contract. Alex Kirshner also joins to discuss NBA Top Shot. Finally, they interview Nick Greene about his book How to Watch Basketball Like a Genius. Baseball (2:18): What Mather’s comments reveal about the Mariners and MLB, and what Tatis’ deal says about the Padres and major-league economics. NBA Top Shot (23:38): A collecting craze + an internet-fueled bubble = investment mania How to Watch Basketball Like a Genius (43:24): What game designers, economists, and ballet choreographers can teach us about the sport. Afterballs (61:24): Stefan on Jack Inglis and Josh on a Luka Doncic rookie card. Podcast production by Margaret Kelley and Asha Saluja. You can email us at hangup@slate.com. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas to talk about the Australian Open. They also discuss the NBA’s new G League player development model. Finally, they assess Anthony Edwards’ huge dunk and name their favorite dunks of all time.   Australian Open (04:06): How Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic won and what the future holds for Serena Williams.   G League Ignite (24:50): Jalen Green’s path to the pros could change the NBA and college basketball.   Dunks (44:50): Will Anthony Edwards’ slam stand the test of time? Which dunks will we never forget?   Afterball (01:02:32): Josh on posterization, the word and the concept. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin assess the debate over whether to play the national anthem at sporting events. They also discuss what the pandemic taught us about the mysteries of home-field advantage. Finally, ESPN’s Ryan Smith joins to talk about a lawsuit alleging that the NFL’s concussion settlement discriminates against Black players.   Anthem (3:11): Why the Dallas Mavericks stopped playing it, why they resumed, and what happens next.   Home-field advantage (21:49): How home teams fare in a world without crowd noise.   Concussion settlement (38:22): Inside a lawsuit brought by pro football retirees.   Afterball (60:07): Stefan on “Star-Spangled Banner” debates of the past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the Bucs’ Super Bowl win over the Chiefs. Among the topics discussed: Tom Brady’s latest triumph, the Bucs’ defense, and Patrick Mahomes’ valiant effort in defeat. They also assess the rising conflict between NBA players and the league.   Super Bowl (4:39): How Tampa won, why Kansas City lost, and why we were so wrong about Tom Brady.   NBA (38:03): Why the league’s best players are so upset about the All-Star Game.   Afterballs (56:36): Josh with more on Jackie Robinson’s letter to Bill Keefe and Stefan on Muhammad Ali and One Night in Miami. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the latest NFL hiring cycle, where just one Black coach got hired to run a team. They also assess Australia’s tennis quarantine and discuss whether Curt Schilling will break the baseball Hall of Fame. NFL coaches (01:52): What if anything can be done to get Black coaches more opportunities? COVID (20:52): Sports in Australia vs. sports in the pandemic-ravaged United States. Curt Schilling (35:56): Should writers consider his “character” when casting their Hall of Fame ballots? Afterballs (54:14): Josh on Jackie Robinson vs. sportswriter Bill Keefe and Melissa Kaplan on the Phillie Phanatic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the Packers’ mystifying field goal attempt and the Chiefs’ run for a second straight title. They also discuss the life and legacy of baseball legend Henry Aaron, who died last week at the age of 86. NFL (01:35): What was Packers coach Matt LaFleur thinking? What’s the secret to the Chiefs’ success? Henry Aaron (21:55): Remembering Aaron’s upbringing, his career, his chase of baseball’s home run record, and everything he needed to overcome to be great. Afterball (01:02:24): Stefan on the sad and courageous story of Black baseball players Leander and Jim Turgeson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and special guest Damon Young talk about the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. They also discuss the Brooklyn Nets’ trade for James Harden and Kyrie Irving’s absence. Finally, they review the HBO documentary Tiger. NFL (01:49): Drew Brees, the concussion protocol, and the Chiefs’ gutsy fourth-down call.  Nets (21:51): Is Kyrie Irving just misunderstood? Tiger (41:15): What the two-part doc reveals about Tiger Woods’ life and career. Afterball (59:29): Joel on the time Hakeem Olajuwon wanted out of Houston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Alabama’s win over Ohio State in the college football title game. They also assess how athletes and leagues reacted to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Finally, they discuss the NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend. College football (01:39): What will we remember about this season, and what should we make of the Alabama dynasty? Insurrection (21:29): Why did the NBA and NFL powers that be stay silent? NFL (38:02): The Cleveland Browns won and Nickelodeon made its playoff broadcasting debut. Afterball (52:38): Stefan on Marine AFC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Washington’s win over Philadelphia on Sunday Night Football. They also discuss Alabama and Ohio State’s victories in the College Football Playoff and ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel joins for a conversation about the Duke women’s basketball team opting out of the season. NFL (01:28): Did the Eagles commit fraud in their loss to Washington or was it all just a big laugh? College Football Playoff (19:27): On Justin Fields, Ryan Day, Dabo Swinney, Nick Saban, DeVonta Smith, Najee Harris, Brian Kelly and the other heroes and villains of the CFP. Duke women’s basketball (37:14): Why did the players opt out? What happens next? Afterball (55:58): Stefan remembers Penn Quaker Kevin Warren. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin field listener questions about how sports changed the national response to COVID, whether the pandemic sowed mistrust between owners and players, their personal players of the year, and a whole lot more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the end of college football’s regular season and the College Football Playoff matchups. They also discuss Giannis Antetokounmpo’s decision to re-sign with the Bucks. Finally, they ponder what pandemic-era changes will become permanent and which will be forgotten. College football (2:23) Did the committee get it right? Is it possible to make the sport more equitable? Giannis (22:18): Why did he decide to run it back with the Bucks? Is his decision good for the NBA?  Pandemic-era changes (41:44): How will players, leagues, and fans shift to a post-pandemic age? Afterball (1:00:32): Josh on how Michael Jordan could’ve been a Dallas Maverick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode preview, Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss “The Last Last Dance,” Joel’s special podcast on Michael Jordan’s tenure with the Washington Wizards. Topics discussed include why Jordan chose to go to D.C., how he treated Kwame Brown, and whether Jordan’s time in Washington makes him a more or less sympathetic figure. Sign up for Slate Plus here to hear this bonus episode in full. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of Hang Up and Listen, Joel Anderson tells the story of Michael Jordan's second comeback. How did Jordan end up in Washington, D.C.? Why couldn’t he make the Washington Wizards into winners? And what does the final chapter of Jordan’s career reveal about him as a player and a person? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the latest humiliation of the winless New York Jets. They also discuss the Russell Westbrook-John Wall trade, and Russell Dinkins joins for a conversation about his quest to save college track programs. Jets (03:55): Are they trying to lose on purpose? Should Trevor Lawrence stay away? Westbrook and Wall (23:57): The thin line between NBA superstardom and basketball sadness. Track (39:32): Why are men’s track programs disappearing, and what does race have to do with it? Afterball (58:21): Joel on the end of the Southwest Conference and the decline of the Houston Cougars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the Broncos playing without a quarterback and other NFL COVID chaos. They also discuss the life and death of soccer legend Diego Maradona. Finally, they assess the debut of kicker Sarah Fuller, the first woman to play in a Power 5 football game. NFL (02:03): Should the Broncos have been forced to play? Will the NFL make it to the playoffs? Maradona (22:14): Could there ever be another player like him? Sarah Fuller (40:51): What should we make of her historic achievement and her performance on the field?  Afterball (57:28): Stefan on the “Greek Maradona,” Vasilis Hatzipanagis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by Yahoo’s Seerat Sohi to talk about the latest NBA deals. Jessica Luther then joins Joel, Josh, and Stefan Fatsis to discuss LSU’s mishandling of sexual misconduct allegations. Finally, Grant Wahl comes on to talk about American Prodigy, his new podcast on soccer phenom Freddy Adu. NBA (03:17): What moves will make the biggest impact on the coming season? And is Giannis going to stay in Milwaukee? LSU (21:57): What Yahoo’s investigation revealed, and what should come next. Freddy Adu (44:54): Why was he so hyped? Was his career a failure? Afterball (01:06:43): Joel on Utah high school football amid the coronavirus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by FanGraphs’ Meg Rowley to discuss the Marlins’ hiring of Kim Ng as baseball’s first woman general manager. They also talk about the putrid NFC East and why the sports world has failed to adjust as the COVID crisis worsens. Kim Ng (02:54): Why did it take so long for her—or any woman—to get a job running a major-league team? NFC East (21:55): How pro football’s showcase division got so bad. COVID (39:42): Will the games still go on this winter? And why are leagues still insisting on having fans in the stands? Afterball (57:14): Josh on domestic abuse allegations against tennis star Alexander Zverev. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the differences between election TV and sports TV, and whether election forecasters should be criticized. They also compare how a great sports victory compares to a political one. And they discuss Notre Dame’s win over Clemson and the field-storming that followed. Election TV (4:12): Can cable news learn something from how sports are covered? Sports victories vs. political victories (24:23): Do we prefer landslides/blowouts or the thrill of a last-second win? Notre Dame-Clemson (43:16): A great college football game feels different in 2020. Afterball (58:36): Stefan on the heroism of Nebraska state senator Ernie Chambers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the positive COVID tests for the Dodgers’ Justin Turner and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence. WNBA player Renee Montgomery then joins to talk about the More Than a Vote campaign. Finally, they revisit Ruth Shalit Barrett’s article about rich parents and niche sports, which the Atlantic has now retracted.  Positive COVID tests (03:17): Why are outbreaks spreading in college football? And how have fans responded to Justin Turner’s maskless on-field celebration? Renee Montgomery (23:03): Why she opted out of the WNBA season and how she approaches social activism. Ruth Shalit Barrett (40:52): What lessons should be learned from the Atlantic’s decision to assign the story to Barrett, and then to retract it in its entirety? Afterballs (01:00:56): Joel on Billy Tubbs and Josh on an NFL rule that needs to change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the likely and unlikely heroes of the 2020 World Series. ESPN’s Myron Medcalf also comes on to talk about how the pandemic is affecting college sports “have nots” like UC Riverside. Finally, the hosts are joined by … a mystery guest! World Series (02:02): Where did Brett Phillips come from? And how did Clayton Kershaw transform his postseason legacy? UC Riverside (20:34): Why this Division I school is considering eliminating sports entirely. Mystery guest (37:31): A sports innovator joins the show. Will Joel and Stefan be able to guess who he is? Afterball (55:14): Josh on Andrew Giuliani’s failed lawsuit after he got kicked off the Duke University golf team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh to discuss the World Series matchup between the Dodgers and the Rays. They also discuss Billy Beane reportedly leaving the Oakland A’s and Daryl Morey departing the Houston Rockets. Finally, they assess an Atlantic piece on rich white parents using niche sports to get their kids into Ivy League schools. World Series (02:12): What do the Dodgers and Rays have in common, and what are the differences between baseball’s best teams?  Beane and Morey (21:09): What’s the legacy of the sports world’s best-known analytically inclined executives? Rich parents and niche sports (39:12): On the culture of high-level squash and college admissions. Afterball (58:20): Joel on Derrick Henry, the rare star high school running back who made it in the NFL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Louisa Thomas discuss the end of the NBA’s bubble season, quarterback Alex Smith’s return from a gruesome 2018 leg injury, and the French Open victories of Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek. NBA finals (02:42): LeBron James won his fourth NBA title, this one with the Los Angeles Lakers. NFL (20:29): Is Alex Smith’s return to the NFL an inspiring comeback or a moral dilemma? French Open (37:32): Rafael Nadal won his 20th major and Iga Swiatek won her very first tournament.  Afterballs (52:44): Louisa on the mysterious life of tennis great Alice Marble and Stefan on when athlete deaths start to hit home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Jimmy Butler’s masterful performance in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. They also discuss the NFL’s first big coronavirus outbreak and the opening week of the baseball playoffs. Finally, they’re joined by Chantel Jennings of the Athletic for a conversation about the WNBA Finals. NBA (02:47): What makes Jimmy Butler tick? Will he lead the Heat back against the Lakers? NFL (13:03): How has the league responded to its first big COVID challenge? MLB (25:19): Assessing the weird, unprecedented pandemic postseason. WNBA (37:01): Why are the Seattle Storm so dominant? Afterball (54:11): Josh on the strange endurance of Norm Van Brocklin’s single-game NFL passing yardage record. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the NBA Finals matchup between the Heat and the Lakers. They also discuss why they’re watching college football and life inside the NHL bubble. Finally, they’re joined by Father Edwin Leahy to discuss the documentary series Benedict Men. NBA (02:11): How did the Heat rebuild after LeBron left? And do they have a chance against LeBron now? College football and the NHL (16:22): Why we can’t shake an immoral sport, and what we’ve learned about the pro hockey postseason. Benedict Men (33:44): Why does a critic of big-time high school basketball preside over one of the nation’s top basketball programs? Afterball (47:54): Stefan on Brian’s Song, which has not aged well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the Lakers’ win over the Nuggets and the Seahawks’ win over the Patriots. They also discuss the Big Ten’s decision to play football this fall. Finally, Slate’s Jim Newell joins to assess U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau. Sunday in sports (02:24): Four good teams, two great finishes. Are sports normal again?  Big Ten (20:36): Is it surprising that the conference uncancelled the fall football season? DeChambeau (37:47): What you need to know about golf’s weirdo tinkerer. Afterball (57:01): Joel on Deion Sanders, a bad coaching hire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the NFL’s opening weekend. They also discuss Naomi Osaka’s victory and her outspokenness at the U.S. Open. Finally, they survey happenings in college football, the NBA, and the Premier League.  NFL (02:56): The protests, Tom Brady’s interceptions, and everything else that happened on and off the field. U.S. Open (20:56): How Naomi Osaka found her voice. Sports mania (40:32): What we watched and thought about on one of the biggest sports weekends ever. Afterball (01:00:21): Josh on the worst punts in football history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver to talk about the NBA playoffs. Tennis player Noah Rubin also joins to discuss Novak Djokovic’s disqualification and life in the U.S. Open bubble. And finally, Dom Cosentino of theScore comes on for a conversation about the start of the NFL season. NBA playoffs (01:52): What’s gone wrong for the Bucks? Are the Clippers still title favorites? Should the Rockets build a statue of P.J. Tucker? U.S. Open (22:38): Did Djokovic deserve to get tossed out? What’s going on behind the scenes in pro tennis during the pandemic? NFL (47:56): What will the league’s social justice protests look like, and what will the Patriots and Bucs do on the field? Afterball (01:05:10): Stefan on Stefanos Tsitsipas tweeting his feelings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and special guest Vinson Cunningham of the New Yorker discuss the aftermath of last week’s NBA strike. They also talk about the life and legacy of Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson. Finally, the Athletic’s Lindsay Jones joins to assess the latest reporting on the toxic culture of the Washington football team. NBA strike (01:40): Why did the players decide to come back? What did they gain? John Thompson (21:51): How he changed college basketball. Washington Football Team (41:38): What will it take for the NFL to have a #MeToo reckoning? Afterball (01:04:30): Joel on Cliff Robinson and the 1990-1991 Portland Trail Blazers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin get together for a special podcast on NBA players’ decision to boycott playoff games after the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. They discuss how the strike spread throughout the sports world, whether the NBA season will be cancelled, and how the pandemic might have factored into this unprecedented protest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Stefan Fatsis discuss Luka Doncic’s spectacular performance for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA playoffs. They are joined by David Ubben of the Athletic to talk about the return of high-school football across the country. And Josh interviews Ethan Strauss of the Athletic about declining television ratings in the NBA. Luka Doncic (01:51): The 21-year-old Slovenian is already one of the best players in the NBA. High-school football (18:35): While colleges debate what to do, high schools are plowing ahead with football. NBA ratings (32:35): Are declining TV ratings a sign of big trouble for the NBA?  Afterballs (51:41) Joel Anderson on rape allegations against football player Derrius Giuce. Stefan Fatsis on former NBA benchwarmer and youth-sports advocate Bob Bigelow, who died last week.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the 100th anniversary of baseball’s Negro Leagues. They’re also joined by the New York Times’ Rory Smith to talk about the Champions League. Finally, Louisa Thomas comes on for a conversation about the book Losers: Dispatches from the Other Side of the Scoreboard. Negro Leagues (03:35): How can MLB truly grapple with its segregationist past? Champions League (22:28): The storylines, the upsets, the excellent moments for North Americans. Losers (43:28): What makes a loser? What’s the difference between losing and failing? Afterballs (01:03:15): Joel on the Phoenix Suns and Stefan on the term “student-athlete.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Plus preview, Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley talk about the battle over the 2020 college football season. To help support Hang Up and Listen and listen to every episode in full, sign up now for Slate Plus. Members get to skip the ads and get bonus segments and episodes on many Slate podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the NBA’s strong restart and Major League Baseball’s disastrous season. They’re also joined by UCLA’s Otito Ogbonnia and Elisha Guidry for a conversation about the #WeAreUnited movement. Finally, they discuss Joel’s piece about Liberty University’s attempt to become a sports powerhouse—and why Black athletes have started leaving the school. NBA and MLB (02:42): What the NBA is doing right and what baseball is doing wrong. #WeAreUnited (22:46): How Pac-12 football players came together, and what reforms they want to see in college sports. Liberty (45:34): Can Jerry Falwell Jr.’s school overcome its racist past and present to become a college sports juggernaut? Afterball (01:05:07): Stefan on the Seattle Sockeyes’ romance novel roots. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Plus Preview, Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the spread of COVID in Major League Baseball. What should the Miami Marlins and Major League Baseball do in response to the team’s coronavirus outbreak? To help support Hang Up and Listen and listen to every episode in full, sign up now for Slate Plus. Members get to skip the ads and get bonus segments and episodes on many Slate podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hang Up listeners, we thought you'd enjoy this episode of Slate's daily news show What Next. The NBA has announced an ambitious plan to restart the season more than four months after it was abruptly halted due to the coronavirus. Twenty-two teams have entered the COVID-free “bubble” at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida—a state with some of the highest cases of coronavirus in the country. As long as players and staff remain in the bubble, they will undergo regular coronavirus tests and face strict campus rules. So what’s life like inside the NBA bubble? And what does this experiment say about who gets access to coronavirus testing and results? Guest: Ben Golliver covers the NBA for the Washington Post.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Power Plays’ Lindsay Gibbs discuss the Washington NFL team’s sexist workplace culture. They also examine the WNBA’s rocky preseason. Finally, Joel, Stefan, and Josh Levin discuss anti-Semitic remarks by the Philadelphia Eagles’ DeSean Jackson. Washington and sexual harassment (02:08): Will the NFL force Daniel Snyder to sell? Is that even the point?  WNBA (20:12): The league is facing off-court stories about the shabby treatment of Elena Delle Donne and a revolt against the Atlanta Dream’s co-owner, Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler. Anti-Semitism (40:58): What to make of DeSean Jackson’s comments and the response (or lack thereof) that followed. Afterballs (01:00:06): Joel on Mike Konrad and Stefan on Leeds United. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Slate Plus preview, Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss college football conferences scaling back their seasons. To help support Hang Up and Listen and listen to every episode in full, sign up now for Slate Plus. Members get to skip the ads and get bonus segments and episodes on many Slate podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the sudden move to rebrand the Washington NFL team. They also discuss all the athletes opting out of entering the sports world’s various coronavirus bubbles. Finally, Mina Kimes discusses her new role as an analyst for ESPN’s NFL Live. New Washington team name (02:42): What should we think about the franchise’s decision to finally leave its nickname behind? And what should become of the Cleveland Indians?  Players opting out (23:08): Which athletes are going to sit out as games get back underway, and which have no choice but to play. Mina Kimes (41:47): The Hang Up and Listen legend talks about why she loves football’s X’s and O’s. Afterballs (01:02:17): Stefan on George Preston Marshall’s domed stadium plan and Josh on David Duke and Curley Hallman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and special guest Gene Demby of NPR’s Code Switch discuss Cam Newton’s move to the New England Patriots. To help support Hang Up and Listen and listen to every episode in full, sign up now for Slate Plus. Members get to skip the ads and get bonus segments and episodes on many Slate podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer to discuss Major League Baseball’s labor fight. They also talk about whether the Washington NFL team will ditch its nickname. Finally, they interview hammer thrower Gwen Berry about her battle for Olympic athletes to have the right to protest. Baseball (05:54): Will baseball be back this year? If it isn’t, who’s to blame? Washington NFL team (27:41): Racist monuments are getting toppled everywhere. Will a racist team nickname be next?  Gwen Berry (46:57): The hammer thrower raised her fist on the podium in 2019. What does she think of today’s protest movement? Afterballs (01:09:02): Joel on his father and Bobby Mitchell and Stefan on Detroit boxer Ducky Dietz.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the NBA players who are pushing back against the idea of restarting the season. To help support Hang Up and Listen and listen to every episode in full, sign up now for Slate Plus. Members get to skip the ads and get bonus segments and episodes on many Slate podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the NFL’s about-face on players and social activism. They also assess the different roads taken by the NBA and Major League Baseball to returning to play. Finally, they interview Bao Nguyen, the director of the documentary Be Water, on the life of martial arts legend Bruce Lee. NFL (05:44): Roger Goodell, Drew Brees, Colin Kaepernick, and the changing conversation about civil rights and pro football. NBA and MLB (24:54): There’s labor peace in the NBA and labor strife in pro baseball. What does that say about those two leagues? Be Water (39:31): The latest film in ESPN’s 30 for 30 series is about Bruce Lee, and about racism in America. Afterballs (01:02:56): Josh and Joel on black football coaches and Stefan on a man who could have played in the majors. To help support Hang Up and Listen and listen to every episode in full, sign up now for Slate Plus. Members get to skip the ads and get bonus segments and episodes on many Slate podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about how the sports world is reacting, and how all of us are reacting, to the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. They’re also be joined by ESPN’s Myron Medcalf to talk about college sports, and who is and isn’t speaking out about racial injustice. George Floyd (01:12): What athletes and leagues are saying and doing after Floyd’s killing, and what should happen next. Floyd and college sports (26:16): Basketball coach LeVelle Moton called out his white colleagues for their silence. Will anything change going forward? Afterball (54:27): Joel on George Floyd, Houston high school athlete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Plus episode preview, Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the latest plans to bring back professional and college sports. In the full show, Ultrarunner Zach Bitter also joins to talk about setting a 100-mile world record on a treadmill. Finally, Stefan speaks with Simon Anthony about his experience solving the “miracle Sudoku.” To help support Hang Up and Listen and listen to every episode in full, sign up now for Slate Plus. Members get to skip the ads and get bonus segments and episodes on many Slate podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the final episodes of ESPN’s documentary The Last Dance. Announcer Ian Eagle also joins to talk about the challenge of calling games remotely. Finally, they assess the NFL’s proposed modifications to the Rooney Rule. The Last Dance (01:29): What we learned, and didn’t learn, about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.  Remote broadcasting (22:22): A veteran sportscaster on what it’s like to call a huge sporting event from a studio. Rooney Rule (44:49): Does it make sense to offer teams better draft picks to hire minority coaches and executives? Afterballs (01:01:54): Stefan on 19th century baseball and smoking and Josh on Michael Jordan’s absence from NBA Jam. To help support Hang Up and Listen and listen to every episode in full, sign up now for Slate Plus. Members get to skip the ads and get bonus segments and episodes on many Slate podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the latest episodes of ESPN’s Chicago Bulls documentary The Last Dance. To help support Hang Up and Listen and listen to every episode in full, sign up now for Slate Plus. Members get to skip the ads and get bonus segments and episodes on many Slate podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin check in with ESPN’s Chicago Bulls documentary The Last Dance. They also discuss the latest turn in the U.S. women’s national soccer team’s equal pay lawsuit. Finally, the Hang Up and Listen Quarantine Magazine Club discusses the 1998 Sports Illustrated story “Where’s Daddy?” The Last Dance (02:33): Assessing the episodes on Jordan’s gambling and political stances (or lack thereof). Equal pay lawsuit (22:02): A judge ruled against the USWNT. What happens next? Quarantine Magazine Club (41:24): Looking back at a story on athletes and out-of-wedlock children and the controversy it kicked up. Afterballs (01:00:00): Stefan on Pele’s final competitive match and Josh with another round of pandemic sports trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Hang Up Plus preview, Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by David Roth to talk about the socially distanced NFL Draft. Further in the episode, Lindsay Gibbs of Power Plays joins to talk about when and if women’s sports leagues will come back. Finally, Mike Schur of Parks and Recreation and the Good Place helps us assess the 2020 Name of the Year bracket. To hear the full episode, sign up for Slate Plus at Slate.com/HangUpPlus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss ESPN’s documentary on the Chicago Bulls, The Last Dance. They also talk about whether the NBA’s new development program is a threat to college basketball and assess the state of sports media during the coronavirus pandemic. The Last Dance (05:38): What we made of the first two episodes of the 10-part documentary. G League (22:46): Jalen Green is passing on the NCAA to go pro. What does that mean for the future of basketball? Sports media (37:33): How the pandemic will change sports journalism. Afterballs (53:34): Stefan on his daughter’s Scrabble triumphs and Josh on KO Pete McBride. To help support Hang Up and Listen and listen to every episode in full, sign up now for Slate Plus. Members get to skip the ads and get bonus segments and episodes on many Slate podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the latest on sports and the coronavirus. They also talk with the Athletic’s Ethan Strauss about his new book on the Golden State Warriors, The Victory Machine. And the Hang Up and Listen Quarantine Magazine Club convenes to discuss Bill Russell’s “How I Psych Them.” The pandemic (03:48): ESPN televising HORSE and Major League Baseball’s insane plan to restart the season. The Victory Machine (23:36): The decline and fall of the Warriors’ basketball dynasty. Quarantine Magazine Club (44:29): A conversation about a classic Sports Illustrated piece about sports and psychology. Afterballs (01:01:46): Stefan on SI’s 1963 profile of Bill Russell and Josh with some sports trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the push to bring football back and the psychology around restarting sporting events with crowds. Hurdling champion Dawn Harper-Nelson also joins to discuss how her life has changed now that the Olympics have been postponed. NFL (4:04): Donald Trump wants games to start back up again by August or September. Is that realistic?  Dawn Harper-Nelson (26:25): Our live show guest from December returns for an update on her life and her training now that the Summer Games are off the calendar for 2020. Afterballs (47:24): Joel on Bobby Bowden, Stefan on Fountains of Wayne’s “All Kinds of Time,” and Josh on a 1948 race between old baseball men. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Joe Vardon to talk about the push to get games back on television. They also discuss the HBO documentary The Scheme, and Josh interviews tennis player Kristie Ahn about what an athlete does when she can’t leave her house. Sports on TV (03:16): TV networks have paid billions to televise sports. What’s going to happen to all that money? And will those dollar signs push leagues to get games on TV as soon as possible? The Scheme (18:24): Is the HBO documentary on corruption in college basketball worth watching? And what should we think of its protagonist, Christian Dawkins? Kristie Ahn (39:37): What’s life like for a pro tennis player who can’t be on the court? Afterball (01:02:13): Stefan on the spitball and the Spanish flu pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Tom Brady’s move from New England to Tampa Bay. They also discuss the increasing calls to postpone the Olympics. Finally, they interview rugby announcer Nick Heath, who has taken to providing commentary on ordinary life events. Tom Brady (02:02): Did the Patriots disrespect the legendary quarterback? What can we expect of his tenure with the Bucs?  Olympics (20:38): Why has the International Olympic Committee been so slow to understand the reality of the global coronavirus pandemic? Life commentary (35:19): How a play-by-play commentator adapted to a world without sports. Afterballs (54:50): Joel on claiming unearned national championships and Josh on the fake games played by the 1982 Saints. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Stefan Fatsis talk about the latest on the coronavirus and sports. They are joined by former NFL player Domonique Foxworth and former NFL executive Andrew Brandt to break down the league’s new labor deal. Hall of Fame soccer player Julie Foudy assesses the women’s national team’s equal-pay fight. Finally, they interview Tegan Hanlon of Alaska Public Media about the Iditarod sled-dog race. Coronavirus (02:25): The reality of life without sports has set in. NFL (16:37): Did the players get fleeced by the owners? Women’s soccer (37:52): The U.S. Soccer Federation argued that “indisputable science” proved that its World Cup-winning women’s team was inferior to men. Iditarod (52:36): As the rest of the sports world ground to a halt, the Iditarod mushes on across Alaska. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin get together for an emergency podcast on the cascading shutdowns in the world of sports due to the coronavirus pandemic. They discuss which leagues have handled the crisis admirably and which haven’t and they talk about what to expect in the weeks and months to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by the Wall Street Journal’s Ben Cohen to talk about the latest on the coronavirus and sports. They also interview Cohen about his book The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of Streaks. Finally, they assess a chaotic week in New York professional basketball.   Coronavirus (1:52): When will our sense of American exceptionalism end and reality set in?   Hot hand (19:35): What the latest research tells us about the elusive “zone.”   Knicks and Nets (39:24): James Dolan is beefing with Spike Lee and Brooklyn just fired its coach. Yowza.   Afterballs (59:48): Stefan on team handball and Joel on Carl Crawford. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on Hang Up and Listen each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the rise of Zion Williamson. They also discuss the legends and myths of the NFL’s scouting combine and assess how the spread of the coronavirus will affect sports around the world.   Zion (3:59): Understanding the might and charisma of the teenage NBA superstar.   NFL combine (19:49): Is pro football’s annual scouting carnival actually useful as an evaluation tool?   Coronavirus (36:08): How teams, leagues, and the Olympics might be affected. Afterballs (49:35): Stefan on a historic Penn collapse and Josh on a fateful kick over the uprights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the push for a 17-game NFL season and John Beilein’s short, tumultuous tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Joseph Bien-Kahn also joins to discuss ultrarunner Jim Walmsley’s quest to qualify for the Olympic marathon. NFL (01:42): The pros and cons of a longer professional football season. Beilein (17:31): He was a great college basketball coach. How did it go so wrong in the NBA? Ultramarathon (33:30): Can the world’s best super-long-distance runner hang with the best for 26.2 miles? Afterballs (51:26): Stefan on Little Leagues and major-league nicknames and Josh on segregation at the Sugar Bowl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and special guest Lindsay Gibbs talk about the fallout from the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. They also discuss WNBA free agency and the rise of Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu. Finally, they review the Netflix docuseries Cheer. Astros (03:13): What should we make of baseball players’ anger toward their Houston brethren? Women’s basketball (19:53): What’s the deal with all the player movement in the WNBA? And is Sabrina Ionescu the sport’s next huge star? Cheer (38:16): What makes the Netflix docuseries great and why it’s often disturbing to watch. Afterballs (01:01:00): Joel on the Knuckleheads podcast and Lindsay on the pioneering Immaculata women’s basketball program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the opening weekend of the new XFL. They also discuss the Houston Rockets’ small-ball experiment and review ESPN’s new Michael Vick documentary. XFL (01:57): Is the latest iteration of Vince McMahon’s NFL competitor built to last? Rockets (22:48): Is playing super-duper small a smart idea, a desperate ploy, or a smart idea that’s also a desperate ploy? Vick (37:11): Assessing the quarterback’s contrition 13 years after he pleaded guilty to a dogfighting charge. Afterball (58:02): Stefan on one of Bobby Knight’s most memorable meltdowns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the Chiefs’ win over the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. Stefan and Josh are then joined by the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas to discuss the wins by Novak Djokovic and Sofia Kenin at the Australian Open. Super Bowl (01:31): The great Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to a comeback victory as Andy Reid outcoached Kyle Shanahan. Australian Open (24:34): How Novak Djokovic controlled his mind and body to beat Dominic Thiem, and what you need to know about the latest American woman to win a grand slam title. Afterballs (46:05): Stefan on “Proud to Be an Astro” and Josh on the tragic story of Jim and Martha Tyrer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Kobe Bryant’s on-court and off-court legacies with NPR’s Gene Demby and Lindsay Gibbs of the Power Plays! newsletter and the Burn It All Down podcast.   Kobe’s shocking death (00:50): What we felt when we heard about the helicopter crash, and why his peers thought Kobe was Michael Jordan’s heir.   Kobe on the court (14:09): Why so many fans loved his game and so many didn’t.   The sexual assault allegations and Kobe’s support for women’s basketball (35:48): How the case against him is and isn’t remembered, and how to reconcile it with Kobe’s post-retirement life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about how the Chiefs and 49ers made the Super Bowl. They also discuss the new Netflix documentary Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez. Finally, Fatsis and Mike Pesca interview the greatest Jeopardy! player of all time, Ken Jennings. Chiefs and 49ers (02:49): On Patrick Mahomes, the 49ers’ running game, Andy Reid, and Kyle Shanahan. Aaron Hernandez (20:50): Does the new Netflix doc have any reason to exist? Ken Jennings (36:20): The greatest Jeopardy! player of all time tells all. Afterballs (01:03:02): Joel on Marshawn Lynch and Stefan on the Memphis Kings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and new Hang Up and Listen co-host Joel Anderson revel in LSU’s win over Clemson in college football’s title game. ESPN’s Jeff Passan talks about MLB’s punishment of the Houston Astros. Finally, Daniel Engber discusses his story on a rape accusation against three New York Mets, and how those players were never charged. LSU-Clemson (04:21): How the Tigers from Baton Rouge won it all. Astros (20:34): What signal was commissioner Rob Manfred trying to send with the penalties he imposed against Houston for sign-stealing? Mets (40:52): A woman accused three New York Mets of raping her in 1991. Those players weren't charged. She was forgotten. Afterballs (1:10:05): Stefan on the NBA trillion (or is it a quintillion?) and Josh on a Sporcle quiz that made him sad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Slate’s Seth Stevenson to discuss the Patriots’ playoff loss and the post-NFL life of Rob Gronkowski. ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan also joins to talk about the legacy of NBA commissioner David Stern. Finally, they interview Theo Anthony about his documentary Subject to Review.   Patriots and Gronk (01:39): Why couldn’t Tom Brady and Bill Belichick pull it together this year? And should we pity Rob Gronkowski or feel happy that he got out of the NFL at 29?   David Stern (17:41): How we should think about the legendary commissioner, who had a reputation for meanness but made the NBA a corporate giant.   Subject to Review (42:31): A heady, trippy documentary about replay in tennis.   Afterballs (57:48): Stefan on the origins of “trash panda” and Josh on decibel readings at football games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Spencer Hall to talk about the College Football Playoff. They also interview Matthew Goodman about his book on the CCNY point-shaving scandal, The City Game. Finally, they review the greatest sports moments of the decade.   College Football Playoff (01:45): How LSU destroyed Oklahoma and Clemson squeaked out a win over Ohio State.   The City Game (23:36): A new book about the point-shaving scandal that rocked college basketball 70 seasons ago--and remains relevant today.   Sports moments of the decade (53:42): LeBron, Serena, the USWNT, the Kick Six, and a lot more.   Afterballs (01:18:41): Stefan and Josh on their personal sports moments of the decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the Ringer’s Bryan Curtis to discuss the Dallas Cowboys’ demise. Power Plays’ Lindsay Gibbs also joins to talk about WNBA owner and incoming GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler. Finally, “barking dog” Jason Holt on his moment of basketball glory.   Cowboys (01:24): Why has owner Jerry Jones accepted mediocrity for so long? And what’s next for one of the NFL’s showcase franchises?   Kelly Loeffler (20:17): How will the league and its players handle having a Trump-supporting U.S. senator as an owner?   Barking dog (36:01): Breaking down an iconic moment in sports history and everything that came after.   Afterball (56:41): Josh on Egypt’s squash dominance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Undefeated’s Lonnae O’Neal to talk about Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Sports Illustrated’s Emma Baccellieri also joins to discuss baseball free agency. Finally, author Damon Young chats about the rise of Bronny James.   Lamar Jackson (01:24): What’s the larger significance of this particular black quarterback?   MLB free agency (18:47): Stephen Strasburg, Gerrit Cole, and Anthony Rendon have all signed huge deals. What do those contracts say about the state of the game?   Bronny James (33:50): There’s a lot of pressure on LeBron’s son. Over the weekend, he lived up to the hype. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Banner Society’s Spencer Hall to discuss the college football playoff. The Athletic’s Wosny Lambre also joins to talk about the surging Los Angeles Lakers. Finally, the Wall Street Journal’s Louise Radnofsky explains skaters’ strange obsession with Schindler’s List.   College football (01:53): Why Clemson is mad, how LSU got good, and other playoff-related matters.   Lakers (24:18): Everything is going very well for LeBron and the Lakers. What could go wrong (and when will it go wrong)?   Skating and Schindler’s List (44:56): Why do figure skaters perform Holocaust-inspired routines?   Afterballs (01:00:15): Stefan on a soccer team named after hard liquor and Josh on a Supreme Court justice remembering some guys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a live show in Washington, D.C., Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by NPR’s Gene Demby to discuss the state of sports media. Olympic gold medalist Dawn Harper-Nelson also joins to talk about her comeback as a mother. Finally, Demby, Lindsay Gibbs, and Dave McKenna ponder ethical dilemmas in sports.   State of sports media (01:38): How have our consumption habits changed since the death of Deadspin and the partial zombification of Sports Illustrated?   Dawn Harper-Nelson (16:36): The hurdling champion on the highs and lows of her career and the challenges of returning to the track after having a baby.   Ethical dilemmas (44:12): Would you report on an NCAA violation if you think NCAA rules are immoral?   Afterballs (01:00:42): Stefan on the sad fate of wonderfully named minor-league baseball teams and Josh on a peeing dog at the Egg Bowl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin interviews the Athletic’s John Hollinger about his career inside and outside the NBA. Topics discussed include the rise of Luka Doncic, how Hollinger came up with player efficiency rating, his tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies, and trading Marc Gasol.   Luka Doncic (02:15): How the 20-year-old became a star and how he could keep getting better.   PER (07:55): The birth of the NBA’s most popular all-in-one statistic.   Grizzlies (24:15): The highs and lows of the 2013 and 2015 playoffs.   Marc Gasol (44:17): The ins and outs of trading one of the Grizzlies’ franchise players.   Afterball (51:25): Josh on the inventor of the Nerf football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Nate Jackson to discuss Colin Kaepernick’s workout and Myles Garrett’s helmet smash; the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh assesses the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scheme; and Asif Kapadia talks about his documentary Diego Maradona. Kaepernick and Garrett (02:58): Did Kaepernick hurt his chances to play in the NFL? And what should we make of Garrett’s burst of anger? Sign-stealing (24:59): Did the Astros do anything that other teams didn’t do? How effective is sign-stealing anyway? Diego Maradona (49:49): The director of Senna and Amy on how he made a film about Diego Maradona and what he learned about the soccer legend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Banner Society’s Spencer Hall to discuss LSU’s win over Alabama; by Slate’s Joel Anderson to chat about the NCAA going after Ohio State’s Chase Young and Memphis’ James Wiseman; and by the New York Times’ Lindsay Crouse to talk about runner Mary Cain’s allegations of abuse against Nike and coach Alberto Salazar.   LSU-Alabama (02:17): How the Tigers broke their losing streak against the Tide.   NCAA (22:51): The foolishness of amateurism enforcement is on display in the Young and Wiseman cases.   Mary Cain (43:53): How the young runner’s allegations could change women’s sports.   Afterballs (01:05:16): Stefan on Jeff Bezos and the NFL and Josh on Don Cherry’s “you people” rant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by former Deadspin staffers Megan Greenwell, Tom Ley, and Barry Petchesky to discuss the site’s demise and what caused it. Topics covered include the conflicts between writers, editors, and management; journalism and private equity; and how Deadspin evolved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh to discuss the Astros’ massive World Series comeback. Deadspin’s Laura Wagner also joins to talk about Houston’s front office debacle, and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham assesses Week 1 of the NBA season.   World Series (03:37): How Houston turned it around and how Max Scherzer’s neck undid Washington.   Astros front office (22:34): What the Astros’ arrogance reveals about the culture of baseball.   NBA (39:22): Overreacting to the Warriors’ awful start, rookie Ja Morant’s star turn, and more.   Afterballs (57:16): Stefan on the last gasps of segregation in baseball and Josh searches for a seven-game series without a home win. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Jeff Passan to discuss the World Series matchup between the Astros and Nationals. The Ringer’s Kevin Clark also joins to talk about the Rams’ deal for Jalen Ramsey, and Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl assesses the U.S. men’s national soccer team.   World Series (01:45): How Houston and Washington made it and what to watch for when they square off.   Jalen Ramsey (19:47): Are the Rams outsmarting the rest of the NFL or outsmarting themselves?   U.S. soccer (34:59): Gregg Berhalter’s gotten off to a rough start. Is it time for the USMNT to cut bait and start over?   Afterballs (53:18): Stefan on the genius of @DonZemmer and Josh on a baseball walk-off conundrum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Ethan Strauss to talk about LeBron James’ comments on China; the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh discusses the Nationals’ playoff run and why baseballs aren’t flying as far; and Ed Caesar assesses marathon record breakers Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei.   LeBron, the NBA, and China (02:19): Why the league’s travails are getting worse, and what the NBA can (and should) do about them.   MLB playoffs (20:50): The Nationals’ starting pitching triumphs and the decline of home runs in the postseason, explained.   Marathoners (40:03): How Eliud Kipchoge broke the two-hour barrier and Brigid Kosgei shattered the women’s world record.   Afterballs (58:59): Stefan on CTE romance novels and Josh on shaking press boxes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Joshua Keating to talk about the NBA’s China kerfuffle. ESPN’s Sam Miller also joins to discuss the baseball playoffs and David Epstein assesses Alberto Salazar’s doping suspension and the world track and field championships in Qatar. NBA and China (02:02): How Daryl Morey’s tweet about the Hong Kong protests instigated an international incident and what the NBA should do about it. MLB playoffs (17:29): Does the Nationals’ bullpen strategy make sense? Can anyone beat the Astros? Salazar and Qatar (35:42): Why the legendary track coach got suspended, and what to make of the hot and poorly attended world track and field championships. Afterballs (55:26): Stefan on carrying jockstraps and Josh on a DVR patent war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Allison Benedikt to answer your questions about youth sports. Topics covered include whether and how to teach your kids how to talk trash, how to balance sports time with family leisure time, and whether it’s ethical to watch football if you don’t want your child to play football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Undefeated’s Jesse Washington to talk about the latest allegations against Antonio Brown and the story of a high school wrestler who was instructed to cut off his dreadlocks. The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh also assesses the disappointing Cubs and Red Sox and the surprising Twins. Antonio Brown (01:17): What we should make of the latest twists in the Brown saga, and what the Patriots should be forced to reckon with after signing Brown and then releasing him. Andrew Johnson (21:15): The high schooler went viral after a referee told him to cut his dreadlocks or forfeit his match. Here’s the story behind that story. Cubs, Red Sox, and Twins (36:05): What went wrong for the Cubs and Red Sox and how can they fix their problems? And what went right for the Twins? Afterballs (58:20): Stefan on powder-puff football and Josh on the Cubs on WGN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by SB Nation’s Matt Brown to talk about California’s Fair Pay to Play Act; the New York Times’ Joe Drape discusses Triple Crown winner Justify’s positive drug test; and ex-NFL player Ryan O’Callaghan joins for a conversation about his memoir My Life on the Line. Fair Pay to Play Act (01:54): What does this California legislation mean for the future of college sports and athlete compensation? Justify (21:49): What we know about the horse, its trainer Bob Baffert, and the process whereby a positive drug test got tossed out. Ryan O’Callaghan (39:53): What it was like to be a closeted player in the NFL, and how his life changed after coming out. Afterballs (59:26): Stefan on the Dickerod and Josh on coaches’ wives as “recruits.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas to talk about the women’s and men’s U.S. Open finals. Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley also joins to discuss Antonio Brown’s move to the Patriots and the secrets of the Clemson football program’s success. U.S. Open (01:43): Why does Serena Williams keep losing major finals and how good is Bianca Andreescu? How did Daniil Medvedev come back against Rafael Nadal and how did Nadal hold on to win? Antonio Brown (21:15): Did Brown orchestrate his move to New England, and who’s the most to blame for his breakup with the Raiders? Clemson (41:46): Is the cohesion of Clemson’s title-winning football program impressive, creepy, or both? Afterballs (59:06): Stefan on ambulances on the field at high school football games and Josh on “Faintin’ Frank” Varrichione.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk about the first week of the U.S. Open. Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders also joins to preview the NFL season, and Sheba Rawson of the Timbers Army fan group discusses the dispute over political signage in Major League Soccer. U.S. Open (01:16): How Taylor Townsend and Kristie Ahn had the best week of their careers. NFL (22:19): What should we expect from Baker Mayfield’s Cleveland Browns and Kyler Murray’s Arizona Cardinals? Politics and MLS (38:51): Should MLS ban an anti-fascist symbol? Afterballs (55:43): Stefan on Carli Lloyd and kicking Josh on watching tennis from courtside.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Jake Plummer and Nate Jackson to talk about Andrew Luck’s retirement; Billy Cundiff discusses the Chicago Bears’ bizarre kicker tryouts; and Slate’s Christina Cauterucci helps assess the state of the National Women’s Soccer League. Andrew Luck (01:53): What Luck’s sudden departure from the sport says about him and about football. Kicker tryouts (24:57): The right and wrong to audition kickers at an NFL training camp. NWSL (42:00): WhatSaturday’s huge crowd in Washington, D.C. says about the path forward for women’s pro soccer. Afterballs (59:56): Stefan on female placekickers and Josh on a pitcher who got struck by lightning.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham talk about Jay-Z’s new partnership with the NFL. They also discuss Joseph Tsai’s multibillion-dollar deal to buy the Brooklyn Nets. Finally, they select the words they’d like to ban from the sports lexicon. Jay-Z (2:10): Did the NFL botch its move to bring on the hip-hop icon as a corporate partner or is the league savvier than we think? Brooklyn Nets (20:30): How and why Tsai paid the biggest price ever for a U.S. sports franchise. And will franchise values keep going up? Banned words (32:00): Is “class” the worst sports word of them all? What about “talk about”? Afterballs (48:30): Stefan on football and the heat and Josh on an incident from tennis player Daniil Medvedev’s past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk with ESPN’s Sam Borden about Christian Pulisic’s Chelsea debut. The Gist’s Mike Pesca also joins to discuss Antonio Brown’s feet and helmet issues, and Rebecca Schuman explains Simone Biles’ latest feats of gymnastics virtuosity. Christian Pulisic (01:30): What lessons, if any, can we take from Pulisic’s first Premier League match? Antonio Brown (18:04): What’s behind the Raiders receiver’s odd behavior? Simone Biles (35:57): Whythe greatest gymnast ever is the greatest gymnast ever. Afterballs (52:44): Mike on the joys of good baseball, Stefan on youth sports in 1980, and Josh on running through a brick wall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk about Alejandro Bedoya speaking out against gun violence during an MLS game. The New York Daily News’ Kyle Wagner joins to discuss Jeremy Lin and Carmelo Anthony, and the Omaha World-Herald’s Henry Cordes explains how school’s evade the requirements of Title IX. Bedoya (01:22): On the soccer player’s in-game call-out and how the sports media will cover it. Lin and Anthony (14:15): The former Knicks teammates are both feeling rejected by the NBA. Title IX (38:20): Women’s rowing rosters are growing to an absurd degree, and not because schools love rowing. Afterballs (57:10): Stefan on sports and military-style drills and Josh on Nick Kyrgios. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a feature episode of a new Slate podcast. Subscribe on your preferred podcast player or listen on Slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about ESPN’s stance on mixing sports and politics and LSU’s fancy new football facility. Sports Illustrated’s Emma Baccellieri then joins to discuss the Atlantic League’s role as a laboratory for new baseball rules. Sports and politics (01:19 ): Is it possible to construct a corporate policy on mixing sports and politics or is the problem the existence of a policy in the first place? LSU locker room (19:17): What a $28 million privately funded athletic facility says about the state of college sports. New baseball rules (37:47): Robotic umps! Stealing first base! What can we learn from these independent league experiments? Afterballs (53:30): Stefan on NFL training camp entrances and Josh on a very Louisiana legal case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin interviews Deadspin’s Dave McKenna about his life and journalism career. Topics covered include the greatness of Elgin Baylor and Gary Mays, getting sued by Washington NFL team owner Dan Snyder, and reporting out sexual abuse allegations against Kevin Johnson. D.C. sports and segregation (01:14): How black athletes like Elgin Baylor and Gary Mays were discriminated against and ignored by white-owned media. Music (21:45): Seeing Nazareth at RFK Stadium, the genius of Heavy Metal Parking Lot, and running away to meet Elvis Presley. Dan Snyder (30:33): What it was like to get sued by the owner of the Washington NFL team. Kevin Johnson (41:15): How he was able to remain a public figure despite sexual assault and harassment accusations, and the choices journalists make in reaching out to alleged victims.  Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis talk about how Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep won at Wimbledon. Sam Anderson also joins to discuss Russell Westbrook and the end of an era in Oklahoma City, and John Thorn helps assess Jim Bouton and Bouton’s classic book Ball Four. Wimbledon (01:26): On Novak Djokovic’s incredible win over Roger Federer, why fans don’t love Djokovic, the greatness of Simona Halep, and Serena Williams’ continuing quest for her 24th major. Westbrook and OKC (21:36): Why Oklahoma City fell in love with Russell Westbrook, and how we should think about the last decade for the Thunder. Ball Four (42:50): Jim Bouton’s book exposed the underbelly of baseball, but it’s about so much more than ballplayer carousing. Afterballs (55:38): Stefan on Dick Young and Jim Bouton, and Josh on the Cricket World Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis talk about the U.S. national team’s triumph at the Women’s World Cup; Ethan Strauss joins to discuss Kawhi Leonard’s move to the Los Angeles Clippers; and Louisa Thomas assesses the rise of 15-year-old tennis sensation Coco Gauff. Women’s World Cup (02:41): How the USWNT won its fourth title and what the future holds for the team and for pro soccer in the U.S. Kawhi to the Clippers (21:41): Is his move (with Paul George) to L.A. good for the NBA or a sign of bad times ahead? Coco Gauff (46:57): How theteenager won our hearts at Wimbledon, and why we’re so delighted by tennis prodigies. Afterball (01:04:54): Josh on the Women’s World Cup before the Women’s World Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and Caitlin Murray discuss the U.S. women’s big win over France at the World Cup. Josh, Ben Mathis-Lilley, and Vinson Cunningham break down the big moves in NBA free agency. Finally, Josh and Ben are joined by the Guardian’s Nick Miller to assess baseball in London. Women’s World Cup (01:43): Breaking down the USA-France match and previewing the semifinal between the U.S. and England. NBA free agency (29:14): Why Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving went to Brooklyn and what will become of the Golden State Warriors. Baseball in London (51:32): A Brit on what it was like to watch the Boston Red Sox play the New York Yankees in England. Afterballs (67:35): Ben on the Knicks and Josh on a plane crash in Carroll, Iowa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss the U.S. national team’s win over Spain at the Women’s World Cup. Josh and Joel Anderson are then joined by David West to talk about the NBA draft and the Historical Basketball League. Finally, Josh and Joel assess the plan for the Tampa Bay Rays to play half the season in Montreal. Women’s World Cup (01:24): Stefan reports on his view from the stands in Reims, France. Plus: Did England go too far in denouncing Cameroon? David West (18:50): The NBA all-star on whether the draft should be abolished and how his college experience convinced him to try to establish a professional college basketball league. Tampa Bay / Montreal Rays (38:53): Could a two-city solution ever work in pro sports? Afterball (53:22): Joel on UConn football and Josh on Toby Kimball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Canadian soccer player Diana Matheson to discuss the Women’s World Cup; Sports Illustrated’s S.L. Price talks about agent Rich Paul and Paul’s client Anthony Davis; and the Athletic’s Ethan Strauss ruminates on the possible end of the Warriors dynasty.  Women’s World Cup (2:27): Did we learn anything from the U.S. women’s national team’s two blowout wins? Did the Americans’ celebrations go too far?  Rich Paul and Anthony Davis (21:59): How the agent orchestrated the deal that brought Davis to L.A. Warriors (43:35): Who’s to blame, if anyone, for the injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson? What’s next for Golden State?  Afterball (1:04:34): Stefan on the death of Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Marcus Thompson to discuss the Raptors’ rise and the possible end of the Warriors’ dynasty. Louisa Thomas of the New Yorker also joins to talk about the French Open. Finally, Thompson returns for a conversation about analytics and race. NBA Finals (2:38): Can Kevin Durant save the Warriors’ season? Are the Raptors just the better team? French Open (16:03): How Ashleigh Barty won her first grand slam and Rafael Nadal took his 12th title at Roland Garros. Analytics and race (32:19): Are advanced stats making the league’s front offices whiter? Afterballs (50:32):  Josh on Mariano Puerta’s contaminated water glass and Stefan on Ada Hegerberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz to discuss the NBA Finals. ESPN’s Julie Foudy also joins to talk about the Women’s World Cup, and Ben Lindbergh comes on the show for a conversation about his book The MVP Machine. NBA Finals (2:55): Why the Warriors won Game 2, and how both teams are playing great defense. Women’s World Cup (23:40): How the U.S. stacks up against the world, and how the fight for pay equity will play out during the tournament. The MVP Machine (47:34): The player development revolution in baseball, explained. Afterballs (1:05:01): Stefan on the spelling bee and Josh on aluminum bats as scrap metal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, and substitute co-host by Gene Demby, are joined by Bruce Arthur to talk about the Raptors, Lindsay Gibbs to talk WNBA and Howard Bryant to talk about black players in the MLB. NBA (2:42): Are the Warriors worried about the Raptors? Should they be? WNBA (19:42): Women's leagues have always been an overlooked part of the sports world. But there is some hope for change. MLB (36:15): A conversation about black players in baseball. Afterballs (58:29): Stefan on Bill Buckner and the mistake from the 1986 World Series that he never really lived down.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss to discuss the Warriors and Zion Williamson. NFL retiree and mathematician John Urschel also joins to talk about his book Mind and Matter. Finally, Louisa Thomas assesses tennis player Nick Kyrgios. NBA (4:21): Are the Warriors better without Kevin Durant? Should Zion Williamson spurn the Pelicans? John Urschel (29:14): Why he decided to leave pro football to focus on his math career. Nick Kyrgios (52:10): The tennis star is enigmatic and temperamental. Should he quit the sport? Afterballs (1:10:04): Josh on old people who make lots of free throws and Stefan on the dean of old-man-softball players. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Linda Taylor was a con artist, a kidnapper, maybe even a murderer. She was also America’s original “welfare queen,” the villain Ronald Reagan needed to create a vision of a country being taken advantage of by its poorest citizens. In this new mini-series, Josh Levin reveals the never-before-told story of a woman whose singular life was forgotten in the rush to create a vicious American stereotype. Subscribe to The Queen in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss Kawhi Leonard’s Game 7 buzzer-beater with ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz. Slate’s Joel Anderson also talks about Warriors-Rockets and Blazers-Nuggets, and the New York Times’ Rory Smith analyzes the state of English soccer. Kawhi’s game-winner (1:51): What it was like in the arena when that shot bounced and bounced and bounced and bounced on the rim. Western Conference playoffs (19:10): Do the Rockets have a mental block against the Warriors? How annoying is Chris Paul? How good is C.J. McCollum? Soccer (42:25): An amazing week in the Premier League and the Champions League, assessed. Afterballs (59:18): Stefan on The Professor and the Madman and Josh on the word swatsmith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the Kentucky Derby with Sports Illustrated’s Tim Layden; author David Epstein talks about the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s ruling on Caster Semenya; and Slate’s Nick Greene discusses Kawhi Leonard and Nikola Jokic. Kentucky Derby (2:46): Did officials at the Kentucky Derby make the right call in disqualifying Maximum Security and giving Country House the victory? Caster Semenya (19:14): Everything you need to know about the controversial ruling that could end the Olympic champion’s career as an 800-meter runner. Kawhi and Jocic (40:11): A conversation about two of the NBA’s oddest superstars. Afterballs (58:38): Stefan on a disqualification at the 1968 Kentucky Derby and Josh’s 50 story ideas for ESPN the Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin talks with Aymann Ismail, the host of Man Up, the new Slate podcast about masculinity in the modern world. The two discuss Ep. 1 of Man Up, which features Eric Kelly. Kelly was so successful at fighting off bullies as a kid in Brooklyn, that he grew up to become an Olympic level boxer, until a bar fight ended his career. Subscribe to Man Up in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, or search for Man Up from Slate in your favorite podcast app.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss Warriors-Rockets and Kevin Durant with the Athletic’s Marcus Thompson; the NFL draft with ESPN’s Mina Kimes; and ESPN’s new 30 for 30 documentary The Dominican Dream with director Jonathan Hock. Warriors-Rockets (3:00): Houston is complaining about the referees. Kevin Durant is putting up huge numbers. What else can we expect in the Western Conference semis? NFL draft (17:39): Why did Mina start screaming when the Giants selected Duke quarterback Daniel Jones? The Dominican Dream (34:29): Felipe Lopez was a basketball phenom who didn’t become an NBA superstar. It’s not fair to call him a bust. Afterballs (52:29): Stefan on bat-flipping and Josh on Kevin Garnett’s move from South Carolina to Chicago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss NBA playoff beefs with Slate’s Nick Greene. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski joins to talk about the NHL playoffs. Finally, Sports Illustrated’s Jack Dickey assesses Jeopardy! genius James Holzhauer. NBA beefs (4:07): Durant vs. Beverley.Dudley vs. Simmons. Westbrook vs. Lillard. What’s the best NBA beef, and which postseason beef needs more seasoning? NHL playoffs (24:12): How did the Tampa Bay Lightning get bounced after putting together one of the best regular seasons ever? James Holzhauer (40:52): The secrets of the quiz-show savant who’s destroying the Jeopardy! record books. Afterballs (57:09): Stefan on Kate Smith and the Flyers and Josh on the first player to palm a basketball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss Tiger Woods’ Masters win with Slate’s Jim Newell. The New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham joins to talk about Kyle Korver’s essay on white privilege. Finally, ESPN’s Jeff Passan explains the logic behind Ozzie Albies’ awful contract. Tiger Woods (1:55): His win at the Masters was an all-time great sports moment. Here’s how we’ll remember it. Kyle Korver (24:32): What he got right in his Players’ Tribune essay on race and the NBA and what he left out. Ozzie Albies (44:55): If the young Braves star is happy with the “worst contract ever” then do other players have the right to complain? Afterballs (1:01:09): Stefan on the photographer Robert Riger and Josh on the Claudine Longet Invitational. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the women’s NCAA tournament with Lindsay Gibbs of ThinkProgress. Sports Illustrated’s Chris Ballard also joins to talk about Giannis Antetokounmpo. Finally, Slate’s Jim Newell assesses Donald Trump’s cheating on the golf course. NCAA tournament (2:01): How did Baylor beat defending champ Notre Dame? And what should we make of Baylor coach Kim Mulkey and Notre Dame’s Muffet McGraw? Giannis (25:59): How coach Mike Budenholzer helped transform the Milwaukee Bucks and gave the Greek Freak space to become the NBA MVP. Trump and golf (40:44): Does Rick Reilly’s reporting on Trump’s cheating tell us anything about the president that we didn’t already know? Afterballs(58:50): Stefan on the history of the participation trophy and Josh on burning infields. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Mike Pesca break down the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four and are joined by Lindsay Gibbs of ThinkProgress to discuss the women’s tournament. Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer talks about the new Major League Baseball season. And author Wayne Coffey comes on to discuss his new book, They Said It Couldn’t Be Done, about the miracle New York Mets of 1969. Basketball (2:40): Despite one of the greatest collections of young talent ever, Duke didn’t make the Final Four. Despite a perceived snub of a No. 2 seed, the Connecticut women did.  Baseball (28:14): Major League Baseball has a labor problem: It has stopped overpaying older free agents but isn’t compensating its best young players at market rates. Mets (48:38): Fifty years ago, the New York Mets went from one of the worst franchises in the history of pro sports to World Series champs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss Duke’s crazy NCAA Tournament win over UCF. They also talk about Michigan State coach Tom Izzo’s sideline behavior, and Ian Eagle joins the show to explain how play-by-play announcers call buzzer-beaters. Duke-UCF (1:14): How the Blue Devils pulled it out, and how Zion vs. Tacko lived up to its advance billing. Tom Izzo (14:20): Assessing the national conversation about Izzo’s anger issues and how coaches should treat players. Buzzer-beaters (34:48): CBS’ Ian Eagle describes how he calls game-winning plays and explains the elements of a memorable call. Afterballs(57:32): Stefan on the origins of the term “punch drunk” and Josh on Canadian superjocks and immigration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Ben Mathis-Lilley talk about the field for this year’s NCAA tournament and Zion Williamson’s return to the court. They also discuss the college admissions scandal and the Giants’ move to trade Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns. March Madness (1:55): Did the selection committee get it right? Will Zion dominate the tournament? Should you root for LSU or Yale? College admissions scandal (22:00): The best tidbits from Operation Varsity Blues. Plus: Is the bribery at issue here a massive problem or a minor issue? Odell Beckham Jr. (39:50): Why the Giants traded their best player. (Spoiler alert: It makes no sense.) Afterballs(54:48): Ben on Terance Mann and Sam Malone, Josh on Raycom Sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk about the basketball recruiting scandal at LSU. The New York Times’ Joe Drape also joins to discuss the deaths of 21 horses at Santa Anita Park. Finally, the Ringer’s Bryan Curtis assesses the sportswriter Dan Jenkins, who died last week at age 90. LSU (1:48): Should webe outraged about what we heard basketball coach Will Wade say on an FBI wiretap? Is Wade a villain or a victim? Horse racing (21:53): Why have so many horses died at Santa Anita in such a short period of time? What can be done to stop the epidemic? Dan Jenkins (38:14): What made the sportswriting legend a sportswriting legend. Afterballs (58:30): Stefan on Marxist sportswriter Mike Jay and Josh on the NCAA’s NET rating system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Jemele Hill of the Atlantic to discuss what’s gone wrong with LeBron James and the Lakers. They also talk about Bryce Harper’s $330 million deal with the Phillies and Jason Witten’s return to football after a year in the broadcast booth. LeBron (1:18): We knew the Lakers star would have a tough road in the Western Conference. We didn’t know it would be this tough. Bryce Harper (17:04): Was the Phillies’ record-setting outlay wise or foolish? Will Philly fans embrace Harper or boo him? Jason Witten (29:31): The Cowboys tight end had a rough first year on Monday Night Football. Is that why he’s hanging up his microphone and heading back to the field? Afterballs (45:56): Stefan on Bill Walton and Jack Scott and Josh on a crazy high school basketball ending. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Damon Young to discuss Zion Williamson and the NCAA. ESPN’s Scott Eden also joins to talk about disgraced NBA ref Tim Donaghy and Deadspin’s Dvora Meyers assesses whether breaking should be an Olympic sport. Zion Williamson (1:24): In the aftermath of his shoe explosion and knee injury, should the 18-year-old superstar leave college basketball for good? Tim Donaghy (19:46): ESPN investigated the referee for two years and found evidence that he fixed games. What should we make of his (and the NBA’s) continued denials? Breaking (40:51): If it becomes an Olympic sport, what will it look like and who will profit from it? This episode is brought to you by Capterra. Try it today, for free, at Capterra.com/HANGUP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin is joined by Robert Lipsyte to discuss the settlement between the NFL and ex-49ers Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid. Sean Forman also joins to explain how he built Sports Reference and Tom Junod talks about his article on his father and sports gambling. Colin Kaepernick (3:10): Robert Lipsyte opines on whether Kaepernick or the league emerged victorious and what the next step is for the quarterback. Sports Reference (25:57): Sean Forman’s network of sites gets more than 1 billion pageviews per year. He explains how it got started and how it works as a business. Gambling (44:54): Tom Junod details how illegal sports betting helped bring his father to ruin and brought his family closer together. Afterball (60:05): Josh on the pioneering 7-footer Elmore Morgenthaler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, NPR’s Gene Demby, and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunninham discuss the big moves and non-moves at the NBA trade deadline. They also talk about Steven Soderbergh’s new NBA lockout movie High Flying Bird and the nascent Alliance of American Football. NBA trades (1:25): Anthony Davis isn’t going to the Lakers (yet) and Markelle Fultz is leaving Philly. How does that shift the league’s balance of power on the court and between players and management? High Flying Bird (22:05): A rare movie about sports and business with a pro-labor point of view, and that thinks seriously about race. AAF (39:56): Did this new spring football league learn from the XFL’s mistakes or is it doomed to repeat them? Afterball(51:45): Josh on the best comparison for Zion Williamson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley discuss the Patriots’ putrid Super Bowl win over the Rams. The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis also joins to assess Tony Romo’s performance. Finally, they critique the Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis trade. Super Bowl (1:32): It was a bad game. Very bad. How did the defenses muck things up in such an offense-dominated season? Tony Romo (21:21): The CBS star didn’t have much great material to work with. Did he shine anyway? Porzingis (39:23): Ben says the Knicks’ move to deal their best player was “fandom-destroying.” Some smart analysts disagree. Who’s right? Afterballs (52:55): Stefan on Chip Oliver and Josh on “left, right, left, right, sit down!” This episode is brought to you by Capterra. Try it today, for free, at Capterra.com/HANGUP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Courtney Nguyen to talk about Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open win. The Wall Street Journal’s Louise Radnofsky also joins to assess the U.S. figure skating championships, and the Washington Post’s Candace Buckner discusses NBA players’ feet. Naomi Osaka (6:22): The 21-year-old backed up her U.S. Open victory with a second grand slam title. Has Osaka matured in the last five months, and how should we reconcile her shyness and on-court toughness? Figure skating (22:50): What you need to know about U.S. champions Alysa Liu (she’s 13!) and Nathan Chen. Plus, Gracie Gold opened up about her battle with depression. NBA feet (44:01): Everything you maybe don’t want to know about basketball players’ disgusting toes. Afterballs(58:55): Stefan on the Dane who invented modern team handball and Josh on the biggest feet in NBA history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by The Gist’s Mike Pesca to discuss the NFL’s conference championship games. ESPN’s Steve Fainaru also joins to talk about the collapsing football insurance market, and Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer assesses baseball’s ice-cold free agent market. NFL playoffs (3:51): The Saints got robbed. Does that mean the NFL should institute instant replay for pass interference? Also: Is there anything new to say about the Patriots? Football and insurance (32:44): It’s getting harder and harder for the NFL and other football entities to get insurance coverage. Does that mean the sport is on the verge of collapse? MLB free agency (50:01): With spring training getting closer, superstars Bryce Harper and Manny Machado remain unsigned. What’s going to break the impasse? Afterballs (68:05): Stefan on “good from 70” and Josh on Mike Tice’s Super Bowl ticket scalping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin is here to introduce you to What Next, Slate's new daily news podcast. UCLA’s Katelyn Ohashi wowed the internet this week with a viral video of her college gymnastics floor routine. As Ohashi’s star rises, the U.S. women’s gymnastics program is imploding. Fans of the sport wonder: What is the price of being world-class? Slate contributor Rebecca Schumann joins What Next host Mary Harris to investigate. Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts or sending an email to whatnext@slate.com. Follow us on Instagram for updates on the show. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon, with help from Danielle Hewitt.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by The Football Girl’s Melissa Jacobs to discuss the NFL playoffs. They also talk about the state of black coaches in the NFL and Racquet’s Caitlin Thompson helps assess the career of the (possibly) retiring Andy Murray. NFL playoffs (1:16): What we saw in the divisional round—Pats! Chiefs! Rams! Saints!—and what to expect in the conference championship games. Black NFL coaches (23:18): There were recently 7 black head coaches in the NFL. Now there are 2. What happened, and what should be done to increase minority representation on the sidelines? Andy Murray (36:27): Is the fourth member of men’s tennis’ Big Four really done with the sport? And why does everyone love the three-time major champion? Afterballs (53:51): Stefan on Penn basketball player Matt White and Josh on odd football tiebreakers. This episode is brought to you by Capterra. Try it today, for free, at Capterra.com/HANGUP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Nick Greene to discuss the NFL’s wild card weekend. Jonathan Tjarks of the Ringer also joins to talk about James Harden and Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers assesses Chelsea’s acquisition of Christian Pulisic. NFL playoffs (1:56): Lamar Jackson was bad, Cody Parkey doinked another field goal, and more happening from the opening weekend of the pro football postseason. James Harden (21:30): The Houston Rockets guard is shooting 3-pointers at a record-setting rate. Can he possible sustain this pace? Christian Pulisic (36:38): How much did marketing factor into Chelsea’s decision to sign the young American? And is the English mega-club the right place for the 20-year-old to develop his game? Afterballs(47:25): Stefan on ties (they’re OK!) and Josh on college football’s targeting rule (it’s bad!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin take listener questions in a special year-end call-in show. Topics include which sports movies are the most realistic, what sports story would make for a great season of Slow Burn, and what would happen if women’s sports were the only ones broadcast on television. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Shirley Wang to talk about her dad’s friendship with Charles Barkley. Jane Leavy also joins to discuss her Babe Ruth biography The Big Fella, and ESPN’s Joel Anderson helps assess the Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas documentary 42 to 1. Lin Wang and Charles Barkley (1:50): Why Shirley Wang’s story about their unlikely friendship had such a profound effect on so many people. Babe Ruth (14:20): Jane Leavy explains how the Bambino changed sports and celebrity culture, and how she debunked myths about Ruth’s childhood. 42 to 1 (34:42): Looking back at one of the greatest upsets in the history of sports, and pondering what we should make of Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas today. Afterballs(53:54): Stefan on Babe Ruth’s best nickname and Josh’s continuing Pat Summerall / House of Buggin’ quest. This episode is brought to you by Simplisafe. Start protecting your home today at simplisafe.com/HANGUP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham. They discuss Raheem Sterling and racism in English soccer, the 25th anniversary of the FOX-NFL alliance (with the Ringer’s Bryan Curtis), and Stephen Curry’s comments about the moon landing being a hoax. Raheem Sterling (2:26): How an Instagram post started a much-needed conversation about race, society, and soccer. Fox and the NFL (21:57): Rupert Murdoch’s $1.6 billion deal changed the network and pro football forever. What were the biggest repercussions and missed opportunities? Stephen Curry and the moon (39:10): Does Curry really believe that the moon landing was faked or was he just trying to go viral like Kyrie Irving? Afterballs(51:04): Vinson on the “modern NBA,” Stefan on the origin of the game ball, and Josh on Pat Summerall and House of Buggin’. This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers: SimpliSafe, protect your home today with twenty-four seven monitoring for just fifteen dollars a month, visit simplisafe.com/hangup. Helix, a new kind of DNA testing. Try today for a deep discount at helix.com/hangup.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by NPR’s Gene Demby to discuss Heisman winner Kyler Murray’s impending choice between pro baseball and pro football, the Philadelphia 76ers’ chemistry issues with Jimmy Butler in the mix, and the NFL’s request for new punting proposals. Kyler Murray (2:30): Can the Oklahoma star play both football and baseball at the professional level? Should he try? Sixers (22:27): Joel Embiid is the face of the franchise. Jimmy Butler is a hyper-competitive star. Can they get along and lead Philadelphia to NBA glory? Punting (39:55): The NFL wants to “modernize” punting. What does that mean? And how can we help? Afterballs(49:01): Stefan on poet and baseball writer Tom Clark and Josh on Zach LaVine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ThinkProgress’ Lindsay Gibbs to discuss the Kansas City Chiefs’ decision to cut Kareem Hunt. The New York Times’ Marc Tracy also joins to talk about Alabama’s comeback win in the SEC title game and Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl helps assess Gregg Berhalter, the new head coach of the U.S. men’s soccer team. Kareem Hunt (3:19): The NFL clearly screwed up its investigation into Hunt’s offseason incidents. But what’s a better way to investigate off-field conduct? Alabama (22:51): Backup quarterback Jalen Hurts led the Crimson Tide to victory. Should he be celebrated for his decision not to transfer? Gregg Berhalter (42:20): U.S. Soccer’s hiring process was awful, but how will Berhalter be as a coach? Afterballs (57:27): Stefan on Mongolian knuckle-bone shooting and Josh on the worst season ever by an NFL quarterback. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by SB Nation’s Spencer Hall to discuss Texas A&M’s seven-overtime win over LSU. Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal also joins to talk about the chaos in Argentina surrounding a soccer match between Boca Juniors and River Plate. And Jim Newell assesses The Match between Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. College overtime (1:23): Football players are not built to run around for seven extra periods. Also, 146 points is a lot of points. Copa Libertadores (18:29): What is it about soccer in Argentina that makes violence such an enduring part of the sport, and is there anything anyone can do to fix it? Tiger vs. Phil (33:57): “The Match” was a debacle. What will sports leagues and sports executives learn from it? Afterballs (50:11): Stefan on Olivier Giroud’s meaty French forehead and Josh on the Battle of the Bones trophy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss to discuss Draymond Green’s beef with Kevin Durant. Oliver Roeder of FiveThirtyEight also joins to talk about the World Chess Championship and the Atlantic’s Derek Thompson talks about income inequality in youth sports. Draymond vs. KD (2:40): Will interpersonal strife tear the Golden State Warriors apart, or is this just a small bump on the road to another championship? Chess (22:46): Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana have played eight games, all eight of which have ended in draws. Are we having fun yet?? Youth sports (41:40): Kids from wealthy families are playing sports at increasing rates, while participation is dropping for kids from lower-income families. What’s the solution? Afterballs (1:03:50): Stefan talks to Brin-Jonathan Butler about his book The Grandmaster and Josh on a strange college basketball upset. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Wall Street Journal’s Ben Cohen to discuss Duke freshman Zion Williamson and the video game–like NBA and NFL. Baseball writer Rob Neyer also joins to discuss Bill James’ claim that baseball players are replaceable. Zion Williamson (4:09): After two games, the Duke star looks like the greatest athlete in the history of basketball. Where can he possibly go from here? Sports as video games (19:55): Record-setting offenses in the NBA and NFL owe a lot to NBA Jam and Madden. How far will sports go in mirroring their video game counterparts? Bill James (37:06): The legendary iconoclast said, “If the players all retired tomorrow, we would replace them, the game would go on.” Is he right? Afterballs (58:58): Stefan on the next “next Bobby Fischer” and Josh on the case for NFL running backs to take performance-enhancing drugs. This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers:  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Washington Post’s Rick Maese to talk about the state of the Maryland football program after DJ Durkin’s firing. Slate’s Nick Greene also joins to discuss Buffalo Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman and Bleacher Report’s Mirin Fader explains why WNBA players opted out of their collective bargaining agreement. Maryland (1:07): Maryland suspended D.J. Durkin, then reinstated him, then fired him. Rick Maese explains how the process played out and why Durkin ultimately got ousted. Nathan Peterman (21:18): The Buffalo Bills quarterback is, by some measures, the worst quarterback ever. Why does it bring us so much joy to watch someone who’s so bad at his job? WNBA (36:25): The world’s best women basketball players want higher salaries and better treatment. Will they get what they’re after given that the WNBA perennially loses money? Afterballs (54:27): Stefan on why high school football teams are forfeiting games and Josh on UConn football coach Randy Edsall’s bizarre incentive-laden contract. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Sam Miller to discuss Boston’s fourth World Series title in 15 years. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin also joins to talk about LeBron and the Lakers, and the Ringer’s Kevin Clark explains why NFL coaches are finally getting aggressive on fourth down. World Series (3:31): How the Red Sox won a championship, how David Price got vindication, and how Dodgers manager Dave Roberts got criticized for removing Rich Hill from Game 4. Lakers (21:07): The Lakers are off to a 2-4 start. How is LeBron’s team looking, and what’s the nature of the media scrum around basketball’s biggest star? Plus, why did LeBron’s old team fire its head coach Tyronn Lue? Aggressive NFL coaches (35:37): How coaches stopped worrying and starting going for it on fourth down and going for two-point conversions with increasing abandon. Afterballs (54:57): Stefan on the historical significance of Arizona’s Warren Ballpark and Josh on kicker Morten Andersen’s single “Take It to the Top.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis is joined by Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer and Emma Baccellieri of Sports Illustrated to discuss the baseball playoffs; by author Michael Sokolove and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports to talk about college basketball’s corruption trial; and by writer Liam Boylan-Pett and history professor Louis Moore to discuss Bob Beamon’s record-shattering long jump and his underreported civil-rights protest at the 1968 Olympics. Baseball (1:01): The Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers are meeting in the World Series as the two hottest, and probably the two best, teams in baseball. Basketball trial (23:55): The federal government’s case against three bit players in the business of college basketball player recruiting masks the actual problem with the sport: the NCAA. Bob Beamon (47:43): Sports fans are familiar with Bob Beamon’s record long jump at the Olympics in Mexico City 50 years ago. But his medal-stand protest was overshadowed by that of Tommie Smith and John Carlos. Afterballs (1:05:38): Stefan talks about whether boys should be allowed to play on girls’ field-hockey teams—and a gripping game in which one was. This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers: Simplisafe. Start protecting your home today at Simplisafe.com/HANGUP. Bombas, the most comfortable socks in the history of feet. For 20% off your first order, go to bombas.com/hangup and use code hangup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Yahoo’s Jeff Passan to discuss Red Sox pitcher David Price’s October awfulness. ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle talks about why Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew are staying in Ohio, and Deadspin’s Dvora Meyers assesses gymnast Simone Biles. Baseball playoffs (3:20): Why have David Price and Clayton Kershaw been so much worse in the playoffs than in the regular season? And will the Milwaukee Brewers’ bullpen-first strategy come back to haunt them? Columbus Crew (21:22): The Major League Soccer franchise was supposed to move to Austin. How did Columbus manage to keep its team? Simone Biles (38:48): The reigning Olympic gold medalist is still taking gymnastics to new heights. She’s also getting more comfortable speaking out in public. Afterballs(58:42): Stefan on the UEFA Nations League and Josh on an obituary cliché. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Ben Mathis-Lilley, and Slate’s Joel Anderson discuss Drew Brees becoming the NFL’s all-time passing yardage leader, the UFC fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor,  and college football at the season’s halfway point. Drew Brees (1:49): What does the New Orleans Saints quarterback’s success say about the NFL? And is his persona winning or grating? UFC (18:32): Was anyone seriously outraged by the melee after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s victory? And why weren’t more people outraged by McGregor’s actions before the fight? College football (32:02): Alabama is great again. Is Notre Dame any good? And will UCF ever get a shot at a championship? Afterballs(45:28): Ben on college football and TV commercials, Joel on ESPN’s Junior Seau documentary, and Josh on Alan Page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Deadspin’s Laura Wagner are joined by Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer to discuss the baseball playoffs, and by Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post to discuss New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Plus, a conversation with Jason Gay of the Wall Street Journal about  Gritty. Baseball (1:44): Can “bullpenning” carry the Oakland Athletics past the New York Yankees in the playoffs? And why were the Baltimore Orioles historically bad? Belichick (17:02): Bill Belichick talked to Sally Jenkins about the changing state of football and his obsessive approach to the game—but not his relationship with Tom Brady. Gritty (34:54): The Philadelphia Flyers’ new mascot, Gritty, is simultaneously terrifying and beloved. How did he become an overnight media darling? Afterballs (48:02): Laura on Johnny Manziel’s “letter” to Baker Mayfield and Stefan on the etymology of “bullpen.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Jim Newell to talk about Tiger Woods’ first win in five years. Plus, Lee Jenkins explains why he left Sports Illustrated to take a job with the Los Angeles Clippers’, and Jonathan Hock discusses his documentary 14 Back. Tiger Woods (1:19): It had been 1,876 days since Woods won a golf tournament. Why did it mean so much to see him back on top of the game he’s dominated for decades? Lee Jenkins (22:10): SI’s longtime lead NBA writer decided to leave that gig to become the Clippers’ executive director of research and identity. Why’d he make the move? Also, what’s an executive director of research and identity? 14 Back  (42:15): Jonathan Hock’s latest film is about the rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees and the classic one-game playoff in 1978 in which Bucky Bleeping Dent played a starring role. Afterballs(1:03:00): Stefan on Bucky Dent’s bat and Josh on an American star in Australian Rules Football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss Vontae Davis’ mid-game retirement and Le’Veon Bell’s holdout, Outside Magazine’s Alex Hutchinson talks about Eliud Kipchoge’s new marathon world record, and Aaron Gordon assesses The Athletic as a business and editorial venture. Vontae Davis and Le’Veon Bell (1:25): Davis’ sudden exit from the league and Bell’s refusal to suit up without getting a long-term contract show the limits of player solidarity in the NFL. Eliud Kipchoge (21:27): The 33-year-old Kenyan has won 10 of the 11 marathons he’s entered. Alex Hutchinson explains what makes him so great and how he destroyed the world record. The Athletic (39:31): Will the new media outlet save sports journalism or destroy it? Aaron Gordon’s non-hot take: The answer is somewhere in between. Afterballs(59:47): Stefan on live retweets of high school football carnage and Josh on the pleasures of airplane mode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and guest host Vann Newkirk of the Atlantic are joined by the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas to discuss Serena Williams and the 2018 U.S. Open final. They’re also joined by Slate’s Derreck Johnson to assess LeBron James’ HBO series The Shop. Serena Williams (1:02): What happened in the 2018 U.S. Open final between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, and how we should think about the confrontation between Williams and chair umpire Carlos Ramos. The Shop (44:50): LeBron’s new show debuted with an episode featuring Snoop Dogg, Draymond Green, and Jon Stewart. Is it any good? Afterballs(1:04:05): Vann on men’s doubles and Josh on eight-peats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Deadspin’s Laura Wagner to discuss Colin Kaepernick and Nike. Mark Leibovich also joins to talk about his new book on the NFL, Big Game. Finally, they interview the Washington Post’s Dave Sheinin about his piece on a baseball player who came agonizingly close to making the majors. Kaepernick and Nike (1:21): How cynical should we about this alliance between athlete and corporation? And how surprising is it that Nike struck a deal with the leader of the NFL’s social justice protests? Big Game (16:15): Mark Leibovich spent years chatting with NFL owners and chasing commissioner Roger Goodell and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Here’s what he learned. Brian Mazone (38:14): What goes through a baseball player’s mind when he comes up just short of his lifelong dream? Afterballs (51:46): Stefan on his baller mom and Josh on turnover props. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Jessica Luther to discuss Ohio State’s decision not to fire its football coach Urban Meyer; Stefan talks to John Branch about competitive Rubik’s cube solving; and the hosts play two of their favorite Slate Plus segments from 2018, on the perils of co-ed sports and Chinese NBA nicknames. Ohio State (2:53): What does it say about college football that Ohio State chose to suspend, but not fire, Urban Meyer for his failure to do much of anything about domestic abuse allegations against an assistant coach? Speedcubing (21:35): John Branch talks about the subculture of speedcubing, his son’s fascination with the Rubik’s cube, and the autistic teenager who can twirl a cube faster than anyone in the world. Co-ed sports (40:10): Slate’s Christina Cauterucci joins to discuss the lessons she learned as a 9-year-old girl on a co-ed soccer team. Chinese NBA nicknames (56:10):Stefan and Mike Pesca discuss their favorites. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by The Root’s Damon Young to discuss Jalen Ramsey, Jarvis Landry, and the state of NFL trash talk. They also talk about major rule changes in college basketball, and the Athletic’s Dana O’Neil joins to assess the future of UMBC basketball. NFL trash talk (1:52): Jalen Ramsey gave his honest opinion about a handful of NFL quarterbacks. Should more players adopt his approach? And is Jarvis Landry’s rant what the Cleveland Browns needed? College basketball (24:04): Are the NCAA’s moves to allow players to sign with agents and to test the waters of the NBA draft a step in the right direction? UMBC (38:08): The No. 16 seed made history by beating No. 1 Virginia in the NCAA tournamentT Where can the Retrievers go from here? Afterballs (56:25): Stefan on plaques in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Josh on Marge Schott, and Damon on Zion Williamson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Jim Newell to discuss Tiger Woods’ near-win at the PGA Championship, SB Nation’s Spencer Hall talks about toxic college football cultures, and ESPN’s Sam Miller assesses the effectiveness of shifts in baseball. PGA (2:15): Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship, but all eyes were on runner-up Tiger Woods. Is Tiger really back? And will Koepka finally get his time in the spotlight? College football (20:25): Has DJ Durkin coached his last game at Maryland? And why are we only hearing about the program’s abusive culture now? Defensive shifts (42:25): Shifts have been around for decades, but their use has skyrocketed in recent years. How effective are they? And do they suppress offense or boost it? Afterballs (58:19): Stefan on a recent Scrabble triumph and Josh on a teenage pole-vaulting prodigy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin is joined by Deadspin’s Laura Wagner and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham to talk about Urban Meyer’s possible ouster at Ohio State, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Terrell Owens and Ray Lewis, and the NFL’s new helmet rule. Urban Meyer (1:40): Ohio State has placed its head coach on administrative leave. Does that signal a societal shift in how institutions handle domestic violence? Pro Football Hall of Fame (23:36): Terrell Owens’ solo ceremony was a strange spectacle. So was Ray Lewis’ long speech in Canton, Ohio. What should we make of both players’ performances on stage and in their careers? Helmet rule (40:10): Will the NFL’s new ban on leading with the head change the game or will the league forget about enforcing it once the regular season begins? Afterballs (49:39): Laura stumps for the demise of five-set tennis matches, Vinson revels in watching NBA players destroy small children, and Josh describes the joys of the 2016 Classic Tetris World Championship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live from the airwaves of WRNT, the 50,000 watt scorching (yet fictitious) voice of Boston sports radio….it’s The Dougie and The Donk Show. On today’s episode we take a trip to a fantastical football universe. A new TV special about a notorious 2001 Patriots game asks a lot of crazy questions. Like what if quarterback Drew Bledsoe, the hero of Pats Nation, had been pulled and replaced by benchwarmer Tom Brady? And what if Bill Belichick took over for the Big Tuna? It’s a bunch of malarkey but we’ll give our guest Steve Kornacki a chance to explain before The Donk destroys him. And as always, we’ll take your calls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Dallas Wings star Liz Cambage to discuss the state of the WNBA. VeloNews’ Frederick Dreier talks about the Tour de France. Finally, Keith Barnes of the Mamie Johnson Little League talks his history-making team. Liz Cambage (1:42): The All-Star center has spoken out against basketball's gender wage gap and WNBA officiating. Will the league listen? Tour de France (19:25): What do we know about Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas? Is it good for cycling that the Chris Froome era is winding down? And what should we make of Lance Armstrong’s latest apology? Little League (38:04): A squad representing the Mamie "Peanut" Johnson Little League just became the first all-black team to win the Washington D.C. city championship. The league president explains how they got there. Afterballs(51:15): Stefan on a beloved Boston journalist who wrote about the ravages of the NFL and Josh on what LeBron James Jr. can learn from Michael Jordan’s kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Howard Bryant to discuss the militarization of sports, Slate’s Christina Cauterucci talks about Jaelene Hinkle, and Deadspin’s Dom Cosentino assesses the future of flag football. Sports and the military (1:56): From flags the size of football fields to veterans throwing out the first pitch, sports and the military have become so closely tied since 9/11 that some forget it wasn’t always this way. What do veterans think of these patriotic pre-game displays? Jaelene Hinkle (19:08): Last year, the pro soccer player turned down a spot on the women’s national team because she didn’t want to wear a rainbow jersey during LGBTQ Pride Month. What should we make of U.S. Soccer’s decision to extend her another invitation? Flag football (36:39): The American Flag Football League just concluded its first complete season. As more and more kids are choosing not to play tackle football, is the flag version the future of the sport? Afterballs(56:12): Stefan on the Icelandic club Vikingur Reykjavik F.C. and Josh on Mississippi State’s search for a “ball coach.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Henry Grabar and Josh Levin are joined by Men in Blazers’ Roger Bennett to discuss the World Cup. Racquet Magazine’s Caitlin Thompson talks about Wimbledon. And Sports Illustrated’s Emma Baccellieri assesses the terrible Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals. World Cup (2:33): France won the World Cup with an average age of 25 years and 10 months. Is this the beginning of a French soccer dynasty? Wimbledon (20:12): Is Serena Williams’ remarkable comeback truly unprecedented: Also, Kevin Anderson and John Isner’s semifinal match lasted 6 hours and 36 minutes. Is it time to bring fifth-set tiebreakers to Wimbledon? Should men play three sets instead of five? Baseball (39:40): The Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals are on pace to be some of the worst teams of all time. Is that a problem the major leagues needs to try to solve? Afterballs(55:18): Henry on horse racing tracks and Josh on the bizarre shooting of Cubs shortstop Billy Jurges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nick Greene and Josh Levin are joined by Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl to discuss the World Cup. The New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham also joins to discuss Stephen A. Smith. Plus, an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim about Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.  World Cup (1:25): How will a young French team fare against Belgium’s front three? Will England’s reliance on a set piece–heavy offense end its tournament run? And is Croatia headed to penalties for the third straight game?  Stephen A. Smith (18:20): How did the talking head go from being one of the most hated people in sports media to becoming the face of ESPN? And what’s he really like in person? Federer-Nadal (38:04): Ten years ago, the pair went head to head in the greatest match ever played. The new documentary Strokes of Genius looks back at the 2008 Wimbledon final and their 15-year rivalry. Afterballs(55:22): Nick on a Chilean soccer scandal and Josh on flipping the order of penalty kicks and extra time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley to discuss LeBron to the Lakers, Sports Illustrated’s Luis Miguel Echegaray talks about the World Cup, and the Political Gabfest’s Emily Bazelon assesses the controversy over Luke Heimlich. LeBron (1:16): How will the NBA’s balance of power shift now that the league’s best player is on the West Coast? What does LeBron’s departure mean for Cleveland? And will the Lakers be able to compete with the Warriors? World Cup (27:26): How disappointed should Mexico be after yet another Round of 16 departure? Also, does Russia have a chance to win it all? Luke Heimlich (44:43): The Oregon State baseball star went undrafted after it came out that he’d pled guilty to a sex crime as a juvenile. Should he get a chance to play in the major leagues? Afterballs(1:11:58): Stefan on Pele in America and Josh on a new perspective for the penalty shootout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the World Cup with Ken Early of the Irish Times, the fate of the DH and Major League Baseball expansion with Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer, and killing the NBA draft with Jay Caspian Kang of Vice News. World Cup (2:00): Ken Early joins for a conversation about Argentina’s fall from grace, England’s impressive play, and Neymar’s meltdowns. Baseball (20:20): Ben Lindbergh explains why likely expansion and realignment in MLB will lead to the welcome death of pitchers hitting.  NBA draft (38:27): Jay Caspian Kang talks about how replacing the NBA player draft with an open auction would end tanking and empower players. Afterballs (58:05): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the World Cup with Slate’s Nick Greene and Slate’s Jim Newell joins to talk about golf’s U.S. Open. Plus, an interview with BuzzFeed’s Ken Bensinger about his book on corruption in soccer, Red Card.  World Cup (2:20): Stefan, Josh, and Nick Greene discuss the start of the men’s World Cup in Russia, including exuberant Spanish-language goal calls, the World Cup debut of replay review, and whether American fans should root for archrival Mexico. U.S. Open (25:28): Stefan, Josh, and Jim Newell assess Brooks Koepka’s back-to-back wins at the U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson’s weird, possibly unethical putt, and everyone’s whining about the difficulty of the Shinnecock Hills course. Red Card (43:00): Stefan and Josh interview Ken Bensinger about how the U.S. got involved in investigating FIFA and what it was like to hang out at Sepp Blatter’s house. Afterballs (1:01:12):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin to talk about LeBron James' next stop; by Bruce Arena to discuss why the U.S. missed the World Cup; and by Slate's Jayson De Leon for a conversation about who to root for in Russia. LeBron's future (2:21): Nobody knows where the world's best player will end up. But where should he go? (Josh thinks New Orleans.) U.S. soccer (21:52): Former U.S. men's national team head coach Bruce Arena shares his thoughts on why Team USA missed the World Cup for the first time in 1986. Who to root for in the World Cup (39:28): Slate's Jayson De Leon stumps for Peru. How about Argentina? Perhaps Egypt? Afterballs(57:48):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the NBA finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors and the crazy story of anonymous Twitter accounts linked to Philadelphia 76ers GM Bryan Colangelo. Hockey writer Greg Wyshynski of ESPN joins the show to discuss the Stanley Cup finals between the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights. NBA Finals (3:10): Stefan and Josh talk to Ethan Strauss of The Athletic about the first two games of the NBA finals. Bryan Colangelo (34:27): Stefan, Josh, and Ethan discuss the fallout from the discovery of Twitter burner accounts that revealed details about inner workings of the Philadelphia 76ers. NHL Finals (54:08): Stefan and Josh talk to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski about the Stanley Cup finals between the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton to discuss the fourth straight Cavs-Warriors NBA Finals. NPR’s Gene Demby also joins to talk about the NFL’s anthem policy, and Deadspin’s Laura Wagner comes on for a conversation about her piece “So Who Is Barstool’s PFT Commenter?” Warriors and Cavaliers (2:16): Kevin Pelton explains whether the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics should’ve stopped shooting 3-pointers, how to predict playoff outcomes when teams don’t try their hardest during the regular season, and what to watch out for in the latest Warriors-Cavs championship series. NFL’s new anthem policy (21:46): Gene Demby talks with Stefan and Josh about the motivation behind the NFL’s new stand-or-else national anthem policy and how the league’s players will respond. PFT Commenter and Barstool Sports (41:32): Deadspin’s Laura Wagner assesses why media outlets haven’t revealed Eric Sollenberger’s identity and how his PFT Commenter character helps make Barstool Sports palatable. Afterballs (60:01):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Marcus Thompson to discuss the Warriors and Steph Curry. Bloomberg’s Ira Boudway also joins to talk about legalized sports betting, and John Swansburg helps assess Tom Wolfe’s classic piece on NASCAR driver Junior Johnson. Golden State Warriors (4:20): With Steph Curry looking spry and healthy, can anyone stop the NBA’s best team? And what’s the deal with Curry’s mom fining him for cursing? Legalized sports betting (26:15): The Supreme Court’s huge ruling will change how leagues operate and how fans wager. Bloomberg’s Ira Boudway explains the ramifications. Tom Wolfe on Junior Johnson (44:35): Tom Wolfe’s Esquire piece “The Last American Hero Is Junior Johnson. Yes!” is a classic of new journalism. What did Wolfe get right about Johnson and NASCAR and what did he miss? Afterballs (1:11:40):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and guest host Mike Pesca discuss the start of the NBA conference finals and the debate over the debate over who’s the greatest, Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Stefan talks to Roger Bennett of Men In Blazers about Wayne Rooney’s reported move to America and Roger’s new book, Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica. And Stefan and Mike are joined by Nate DiMeo to discuss his essay in Mike’s new book, Upon Further Review, about the alternate history of tug-of-war. NBA (1:42): Stefan and Mike discuss Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Michael v. LeBron, and Charles v. Shaq. Wayne Rooney (22:04): Stefan and Roger Bennett of Men In Blazers talk about English striker Wayne Rooney’s reported move to D.C. United of Major League Soccer. Tug-of-War (40:24): Stefan and Mike talk to Nate DiMeo about imagining what would have happened if tug-of-war hadn’t been kicked out of the Olympics a century ago. Afterballs (56:01):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis is joined by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin to break down the epic buzzer-beater by LeBron James in Game 3 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference playoffs and by hockey writer Sean McIndoe to discuss the Stanley Cup playoffs. Slate’s Christina Cauterucci and Juliet Macur of the New York Times talk about the exploitative treatment of NFL cheerleaders. And ESPN’s Sam Miller explains how there were more strikeouts than hits in the major leagues in a month for the first time ever. LeBron (3:15): Stefan and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin conduct a forensic breakdown of LeBron James’s seemingly impossible game-winning shot against the Toronto Raptors. NHL playoffs (21:39): Stefan and hockey writer Sean McIndoe discuss the Vegas Golden Knights, the Winnipeg Jets, a rare playoff suspension, and Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins licking his opponents. Cheerleaders (43:50): Slate’s Christina Cauterucci and Juliet Macur of the New York Times talk with Stefan about Juliet’s reporting on the treatment of cheerleaders for Washington’s NFL team Baseballs (1:01:32):  ESPN’s Sam Miller talks with Stefan about the decade-long rise in strikeouts and whether Major League Baseball needs to do something about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Wosny Lambre, and Ethan Sherwood Strauss discuss the NBA playoffs. They also talk about Meek Mill’s release from prison and his relationship with the 76ers, and they ponder quarterback Josh Allen’s old, racial-slur-laden tweets. NBA playoffs (2:20): Josh, Wos, and Ethan assess the state of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the NBA’s most polarizing player, Russell Westbrook. They also examine LeBron James’ latest triumph and check in on the state of the Golden State Warriors. Meek Mill (22:35): Upon his release from prison, the Philadelphia rapper headed straight to the Sixers’ game against the Miami Heat. How did Mill forge such a tight connection with the team, and how did he become a cause célèbre for criminal justice reformers? Josh Allen (37:23): The Wyoming quarterback’s tweets were publicized the night before the NFL draft. Should we care about Allen’s social media misadventures, and how should we think about athletes’ old tweets more broadly? Afterballs (56:00):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss the NBA playoffs with Slate’s Nick Greene. The Irish Times’ Ken Early joins to talk about Arsene Wenger’s departure as Arsenal’s manager, and the MMQB’s Tim Rohan explores the history of the mock draft. NBA playoffs (2:00): The hosts are joined by Nick Greene to assess the first round, which has featured standout play from the Philadelphia 76ers, a shocking sweep by the New Orleans Pelicans, and LeBron James’ efforts to drag a subpar supporting cast past the Indiana Pacers. Arsene Wenger (21:25): Ken Early explains why the legendary Arsenal manager’s tenure went south and what his legacy will be in the Premier League. Mock drafts (40:30): Where did mock drafts come from and how have they eaten the world? Tim Rohan, who did an oral history of the mock draft for Sports Illustrated’s MMQB, comes on the show to explain.   Afterballs (53:25):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss the musical Small Ball with Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell joins to talk about why the NFL is bad at scouting quarterbacks, and The Good Place’s Mike Schur explains his love for Dan Le Batard. Small Ball (1:55): The day after the Rockets’ win in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, general manager Daryl Morey talks about his passion for musical theater, which led him to commission a basketball-themed musical. Quarterbacks (18:00): Why can’t the NFL separate the Akili Smiths from the Carson Wentzes? Bill Barnwell crunched the numbers for ESPN and joins the show to theorize about why the league can’t figure out which signal-callers to draft. Dan Le Batard (37:39): Mike Schur, the creator of Parks and Recreation and The Good Place, discusses why he’s obsessed with the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and what makes it such a special radio show. Afterballs(57:17):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss Patrick Reed’s Masters win with Slate’s Jim Newell. The Toronto Star’s Bruce Arthur also joins to talk about the Humboldt bus crash, and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh helps assess Shohei Ohtahi’s amazing week. Masters (1:36): Jim Newell explains why first-time major champion Patrick Reed is so widely loathed, and they discuss whether we should be repulsed by Reed or feel bad for him. Canadian hockey tragedy (20:43): The bus crash in Saskatchewan that killed 10 youth hockey players and five adults joins a long list of horrifying sports accidents. Bruce Arthur and the hosts talk about the legacy of those events and the special place junior hockey holds in Canadian society. Baseball (31:26): Ben Lindbergh prognosticates about whether Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani can keep up his amazing pitching and hitting. They also chat about Giancarlo Stanton’s slow start and Gabe Kapler’s bizarre managing decisions. Afterballs(51:37):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss the women’s NCAA tournament with Jere Longman and Kara Lawson. Patrick Fort also joins to talk about emergency hockey goalies, and they interview Jack Alexander and Bill Bunten about sports before Brown v. Board. NCAA Tournament (2:20): The New York Times’ Jere Longman and ESPN’s Kara Lawson come on the show for a conversation about the last three games of the women’s basketball tournament, all of which were decided at the buzzer.  Emergency Goalies (29:18): How did a full-time accountant end up playing goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks? Should baseball, football, and other sports have rules that allow non-professionals to suit up in an emergency? Sports Before School Desegregation (43:07): Jack Alexander played basketball for the all-black Ramblers. Bill Bunten played for the all-white Trojans. The two men reflect on sports before school desegregation, and how coaching legend Dean Smith helped integrate the Topeka High School basketball team. Afterballs(56:18):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, ESPN’s Joel Anderson, and NPR’s Gene Demby discuss March Madness. They also talk about the sports world’s response to the police killing of Stephon Clark and how Kevin Love and DeMar Derozan started a conversation about mental health. NCAA Tournament (2:00): Josh, Joel, and Gene examine Loyola-Chicago’s Cinderella run to the Final Four, Duke’s ouster in the Elite Eight, and whether any women’s team other than the UConn matters. Stephon Clark (24:00): The hosts assess the sports world’s response the police killing of an unarmed black man in Sacramento, how activism is different in the NBA and NFL, and what it means that Eric Reid hasn’t yet been signed by an NFL team. Mental health in sports (38:00): Will Kevin Love’s Players’ Tribune piece help change the way we talk about athletes and masculinity? Should Royce White get more credit for starting the conversation about sports and mental health? Afterballs (52:30):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the New York Times’ Marc Tracy to discuss UMBC. Deadspin’s Dom Cosentino comes on to talk about Kirk Cousins’ new contract. Plus: Dave Kindred on covering girls’ high school basketball. NCAA (1:27): Stefan, Josh, and Marc Tracy of the New York Times recap the first weekend of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, including 16-seed UMBC’s historic win over 1-seed Virginia. Kirk Cousins (23:30): Stefan and Josh are joined by Dom Cosentino of Deadspin to discuss whether NFL players and agents will be emboldened by free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins’ groundbreaking guaranteed contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Dave Kindred (40:06): After retiring home to Illinois seven years ago, Dave Kindred began covering the local girls’ basketball team for fun. Then his wife suffered a massive stroke. Dave talks about the experience with Stefan and Josh. Afterballs( 56:30):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis talk with Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley about the NCAA Tournament, Slate’s Jim Newell joins to talk about Tiger Woods’ comeback, and ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz assesses the Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets. March Madness (1:31):Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley chats with Josh and Stefan about how to be a college basketball fan without being a huge hypocrite. Plus: Can Penn become the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 in the history of the men’s tournament? Tiger Woods (19:47):Slate’s golf correspondent Jim Newell analyzes Woods’ second-place finish at the Valspar Championship, discusses Woods’ strange vocabulary, and looks at whether golf courses should be more patriotic. Raptors and Rockets (35:01): Kevin Arnovitz joins for a conversation about the NBA’s (maybe) two best teams. Are Toronto and Houston for real, and what explains their regular-season success? Afterballs (52:00): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest hosts Daniel Engber and David Epstein talk with Carl Bialik about robot line judges in tennis, Mike Pesca joins for a review of NBA tanking, and Florentina Hettinga discusses the science of the Paralympics. Robot umpires (1:47): Carl Bialik discusses the latest innovation in line-calling technology and how it might affect tennis. Tanking (18:25): Hang Up host emeritus Mike Pesca chats about why there’s more tanking than ever in the NBA and what might be done about it. Paralympics (36:09): Sports scientist Florentina Hettinga sheds light on debates over classification in the world of disability sports. Afterballs (45:39): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis welcomes Slate’s Justin Peters and NBC Nordic skiing commentator Chad Salmela to recap the Winter Olympics. And journalist Ben Strauss and sports economist Andy Schwarz examine the government probe of NCAA basketball recruitment. Winter Olympics (1:42): Stefan and Justin Peters recap the final week of the Winter Olympics including the United States men’s curling team gold medal, Canada’s Olympic heartbreak, Mirai Nagasu’s post-skate comments, and more.  Chad Salmela (22:23): Stefan and Justin interview NBC commentator Chad Salmela, who called the dramatic finish of the first-ever American gold medal in cross-country skiing. NCAA Basketball (37:12): Ben Strauss and Andy Schwarz join Stefan to explain the latest developments in the FBI’s investigation into men’s college basketball. Afterballs (57:30) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin is joined by Slate’s Justin Peters and the Wall Street Journal’s Ben Cohen to talk about Elizabeth Swaney, Ester Ledecka, Nathan Chen, and more from the Olympics. PhillyVoice’s Kyle Neubeck also joins to discuss what’s wrong with Markelle Fultz. Winter Olympics (:59): Josh, Ben Cohen, and Justin Peters talk about the United States’ relatively tiny medal count in Pyeongchang and Norway’s enormous haul. They also discuss Nathan Chen’s “quad-ification” of figure skating and the rights and wrongs of Olympic tourism. Markelle Fultz (37:37): PhillyVoice’sKyle Neubeck talks with Josh about the mystery of the Philadelphia 76ers’ No. 1 draft pick Markelle Fultz. Does he have a shoulder injury or has he forgotten how to shoot? Afterballs (55:32) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis talk with Slate’s Justin Peters about the top stories from the Olympics, Jack Hamilton joins to look at the Cleveland Cavaliers’ roster shake-up, and Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl discusses what’s next for U.S. Soccer. Pyeongchang 2018 (1:00):Josh, Stefan, and Slate’s Justin Peters break down the start of the 2018 Winter Olympics, touching on figure skater Adam Rippon, North Korean propaganda, the shameful handling of Russia’s participation in the games, and snowboarding gold medalist Red Gerard.  Cleveland Cavaliers (21:24):Slate’sJack Hamilton joins the hosts to talk about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ deadline deals, and whether LeBron was playing badly to force the team to make a move. U.S. Soccer (38:34): Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated chats with Josh and Stefan about why and how Carlos Cordeiro won the election for president of the United States Soccer Federation. Afterballs (55:36): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis talk with the Gist’s Mike Pesca about the Eagles’ win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. They’re also joined by Jeff Passan of Yahoo to discuss what can be done to fix Major League Baseball’s broken economic system. Super Bowl LII (1:15): The original Hang Up crew discusses all aspects of the Eagles’ thrilling 41-33 victory over the Patriots, including Nick Foles’ excellent play, Doug Pederson’s gutsy coaching, Bill Belichick’s benching of Malcolm Butler, and what’s next for Rob Gronkowski. MLB economics (35:40): Yahoo’s Jeff Passan assesses the different factors leading to baseball’s stalled free agent market, and how players and owners might resolve the stalemate. Afterballs (53:37): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin talks with Paula Lavigne of ESPN and Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley about the Michigan State sexual abuse scandal. ESPN’s Howard Bryant also joins to discuss the Australian Open, and the Root’s Damon Young assesses the NBA’s all-star draft. Michigan State (1:30): Paula Lavigne of ESPN’s Outside the Lines explains what she’s learned about the failures of the Michigan State athletic department to deal with sexual assault cases, and whether it’s right to focus on the school’s football and basketball programs. Australian Open (16:40): ESPN’s Howard Bryant discuss Roger Federer’s 20th major championship, Caroline Wozniacki’s first grand slam title, and how American Tennys Sandgren went from a fan favorite to a pariah in record time. All-star draft (34:55): The Root’s Damon Young helps Josh assess the NBA’s first-ever all-star draft and the seeming implosion of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Afterballs (59:50): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk about the Patriots’ and Eagles’ wins in the NFL’s title games; the New York Times’ Juliet Macur discusses the sex abuse scandal in U.S. gymnastics; and Deadspin’s Dave McKenna helps remember D.C. sports legend Gary Mays. NFL playoffs (1:41): A conversation about the Patriots’ inevitability, the rise and fall of the Jaguars, the state of being Blake Bortles, and the shocking excellence of Nick Foles. Larry Nassar (24:40): The New York Times’ Juliet Macur discusses the power of the victim impact statements from Aly Raisman and other gymnasts, and talks about how the sport should reckon with its massive sexual abuse scandal. Gary Mays (42:52):Deadspin’s Dave McKenna memorializes the one-armed basketball and baseball star, who died last week at the age of 82. McKenna explains how Mays shut down Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor, and how he thrived despite being deprived of opportunities due to segregation. Afterballs (1:00:21): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the Vikings’ last-second win over the Saints and other NFL playoff doings; the Wall Street Journal’s Ben Cohen joins to talk about Trae Young; and Sam Miller comes on for a conversation about a 50-inning baseball game. NFL playoffs (1:35): Stefan consoles Josh about the Saints’ tragic defeat. They also talk about whether Blake Bortles is an elite quarterback and the dominance of the Jaguars’ and Vikings’ defenses. Trae Young (20:15): Ben Cohen explains how Stephen Curry influenced Oklahoma’s freshman superstar and other members of the “Curry Generation.” Fifty-Inning Baseball (37:25):Sam Miller dares to imagine what might happen if a major-league game lasted much, much longer than any game has ever lasted before. Afterballs (59:49): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, former NFL player Nate Jackson, and football writer Melissa Jacobs discuss the NFL playoffs. Then Stefan talks to Spencer Hall of SB Nation about the University of Central Florida’s claim on college football’s national championship. And Stefan talks to soccer writer Jonathan Wilson about Manchester City’s dominance of England’s Premier League. NFL playoffs (1:09): Stefan Fatsis, former NFL player Nate Jackson, and football writer Melissa Jacobs discuss the first round of the NFL playoffs, more controversy over head injuries, a reported rift inside the New England Patriots, and Jon Gruden’s hiring as head coach of the Oakland Raiders. College football (14:35): Stefan talks to Spencer Hall of SB Nation about unbeaten Central Florida’s self-declaration as the national champion of major college football. Manchester City (29:50): Stefan talks to Blizzard editor Jonathan Wilson about Manchester City’s dominance in England’s Premier League, and the chances it can pull off an unprecedented “quadruple”—winning the league title, FA Cup, League Cup, and European Champions League. Afterball (39:51) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Gist’s Mike Pesca to discuss a whole bunch of sports conundrums. Among the questions they ponder: How many seventh-grade basketball players would it take to beat LeBron James? How would you change an NBA court or an NFL field if irregularities were allowed? What’s a more worthwhile career—a few years of brilliance or a decade-plus of mediocrity? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Ben Strauss to discuss why academically rigorous universities like Wesleyan are betting big on football. They also speak with Rick Telander about the life and legacy of hoops legend Connie Hawkins. Division III football (3:09): Ben Strauss joins to assess the trend of elite schools investing big in sports, and what happens on campus when universities prioritize football. Connie Hawkins (23:15): Rick Telander, the author of Heaven Is a Playground, explains how Connie Hawkins—who died back in October—became a mythical figure on the New York playground scene, and why he’s a tragic figure. Afterballs (33:33): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Andrew Brandt to discuss the allegations against Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson; by Chris Nowinski to talk about the NFL concussion protocol; and by Deadspin to assess the rise of fake sports news. Jerry Richardson (1:41): Former Green Bay Packers vice president Andrew Brandt discusses the allegations that the Carolina Panthers owner engaged in inappropriate workplace behavior, and Richardson’s announcement that he’s going to put the team up for sale.  NFL concussion protocol (22:04): Chris Nowinski of the Concussion Legacy Foundation joins for a conversation about the recent spate of high-profile head injuries in pro football, and how to get fans and players and teams and the league to care about the dangers of big hits.  Fake sports news (39:41): Deadspin’s David Roth talks about fake sports news stories populating websites like viralusa.org, as well as the online hoax that had some people convinced that the Washington football team had changed its name to the Redhawks. Afterballs (58:52): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Warren Cromartie and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh to discuss Shohei Ohtani and Giancarlo Stanton; David Epstein joins to assess Russia’s Olympics ban; and Daniel Libit talks about his muckraking site NM Fishbowl. Shohei Ohtani and Giancarlo Stanton (2:10): Former Japanese League star Warren Cromartie assesses how Japanese star Shohei Ohtani will perform in the major leagues, while Ben Lindbergh explains the economics of the Los Angeles Angels’ deal with Ohtani and the Yankees’ trade for slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Russia’s Olympics ban (25:21): David Epstein explains the International Olympic Committee’s move to (kind of) ban Russia from the Winter Games. NM Fishbowl (41:57): Daniel Libit talks about his year-long effort to investigate New Mexico athletics and whether the model could work nationwide. Afterballs (1:05:55): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Jeremy Stahl of Slate, and Howard Bryant of ESPN discuss the rift among NFL players over the league’s plan to donate money to social causes. Then Stefan and Josh Levin talk to Tom Haberstroh of Bleacher Report Magazine about the NBA’s new veganism. And Stefan talks about the forgotten, first black quarterback in New York Giants history, and the perception of black quarterbacks during the civil-rights era, with Louis Moore of Grand Valley State University. NFL protests (2:05): Stefan Fatsis, Jeremy Stahl of Slate, and Howard Bryant of ESPN discuss the rift among players involved in negotiating a deal with NFL management to aid social-justice causes—over where the money is coming from and whether it is mostly aimed at ending more than a year of on-field protests during the national anthem. NBA vegans (21:02): Stefan and Josh talk to Tom Haberstroh of Bleacher Report Magazine about his recent feature on Boston Celtics star point guard Kyrie Irving eschewing meat, and whether slimmer NBA players are better NBA players. Hank Washington (36:20): Stefan delivers an extended Afterball about the first black quarterback in New York Giants history, and then talks about the perception of black quarterbacks in the civil-rights era with Louis Moore, an associate professor at Grand Valley State University who studies African-American and sports history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Spencer Hall to talk about Alabama’s loss to Auburn and Tennessee’s Greg Schiano fiasco; by Vann Newkirk to discuss Alabama’s 3-on-5 basketball near-miracle; and by Bruce Arthur to assess the Grey Cup. College football (1:53): Spencer Hall of SB Nation discusses Auburn’s big win over its rival Alabama, whether the Crimson Tide will get bounced from the College Football Playoff, and the University of Tennessee’s hiring and unhiring of football coach Greg Schiano. 3-on-5 basketball (22:40): Vann Newkirk of the Atlantic helps Josh and Stefan dissect Alabama’s spectacular, bizarre near-comeback against Minnesota in a basketball game in which they played three against five for most of the second half. Grey Cup (38:49): The Toronto Star’s Bruce Arthur joins for a conversation about the Toronto Argonauts’ win over the Calgary Stampeders, and about the overwhelming Canadianness of a snow-covered football championship game. Afterballs (50:30): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Ringer’s Kevin Clark to talk about NFL quarterback play and the Root’s Damon Young discusses Donald Trump’s feud with Lavar Ball. Plus: Slate’s June Thomas joins for an interview with swimmer Diana Nyad.  Quarterbacks (2:00): Kevin Clark comes on for a conversation about Nathan Peterman’s extraordinarily bad debut as an NFL starter, plus the second-year surge of Carson Wentz, and the prognosis for Dak Prescott and Jared Goff. Lavar Ball vs. Donald Trump (21:22): Damon Young helps assess the feud between the basketball dad and the president of the United States. Plus, who’s right and who’s wrong in the war of words between Draymond Green and Mark Cuban about what we should call NBA “owners”? Diana Nyad (43:18): The record-setting marathon swimmer discusses her recent New York Times piece, “My Life After Sexual Assault.” Afterballs (52:02): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl to talk about the race for the U.S. Soccer presidency, and Mike Pesca comes on to talk about NFL celebrations, the Miami turnover chain, and inspirational locker room speeches. U.S. Soccer (1:30): SI’s Grant Wahl talks about the contenders for the top job in U.S. Soccer, why no women are running for the position, and whether promotion and relegation is coming to an American soccer field near you. Mid-Season Whimsy Spectacular (18:33): The original Hang Up trio of Stefan, Josh, and Mike Pesca reunite for a check-in about the state of whimsy in football. Should the NFL get credit for its celebration renaissance? Is the Miami turnover chain amazing, spectacular, or transcendent? Afterballs (44:11): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Chuck Culpepper to discuss a crazy weekend in college football, by Charles P. Pierce to talk about Tom Brady’s weird diet and workout regimen, and by Greg Wyshynski to assess the Vegas Golden Knights. College Football (1:40): Chuck Culpepper of the Washington Post joins for a conversation about Alabama’s predictable dominance, the Big 12’s high-octane offenses, and whether Wisconsin will make the playoff. Tom Brady (15:59): Charles P. Pierce, the author of Moving the Chains: Tom Brady and the Pursuit of Everything, explains how the Patriots quarterback came to embrace weird lifestyle rituals. Vegas Golden Knights (31:54): ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski explains how the NHL’s Las Vegas expansion team got so good so fast, and whether hockey will succeed in Nevada. Afterballs (45:00): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin is joined by Ben Lindbergh to discuss the World Series; by Don Van Natta Jr. and Jeremy Stahl to talk about behind-the-scenes machinations in the NFL; and by Alexandra Starr and Christina Cauterucci to examine sexual abuse in sports. World Series (1:39): The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh comes on the show for a conversation about the Astros’ 13-12 win over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series, as well as Yuli Gurriel’s racist gesture and Major League Baseball’s decision not to suspend him until 2018. NFL (22:31): Slate’s Jeremy Stahl and Don Van Natta Jr. of ESPN discuss their reporting on meeting between the league’s players and owners, as well as Colin Kaepernick’s lack of a role in those conversations. Sexual abuse in sports (41:45): Alexandra Starr and Christina Cauterucci join to talk about Starr’s Harper’s story about sexual abuse scandals in gymnastics, swimming, and other sports, and a new organization that’s trying to fix the scourge of abuse. Afterball (1:01:36): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the World Series and Dusty Baker with ESPN’s Howard Bryant. Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN also joins to talk about the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Alan Siegel helps assess the legacy of the Simpsons’ “Homer at the Bat.” Baseball (1:37): Howard Bryant comes on the show to preview the World Series matchup between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers, and to discuss the Washington Nationals decision not to retain manager Dusty Baker Giannis Antetokounmpo (17:03): Kevin Arnovitz explains how the Greek Freak has taken the leap to become an NBA superstar and what he’s like off the court. “Homer at the Bat” (31:35): Alan Siegel joins for a conversation about the classic Simpsons episode and the new mockumentary Springfield of Dreams: The Legend of Homer Simpson. Afterballs (46:34): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss Colin Kaepernick’s collusion grievance. They’re also joined by Evan Drellich to talk about Houston Astros star Jose Altuve, and by Caitlin Murray for a conversation about the Portland Thorns women’s soccer team. Kaepernick and collusion (1:50): Stefan and Josh assess whether Kaepernick’s grievance against the NFL has a chance of succeeding and what the quarterback has to gain from pressing a collusion claim Jose Altuve (19:36): Former Houston Astros beat writer Evan Drellich explains how the 5-foot-6 second baseman transformed himself into one of the best players in baseball. Portland Thorns (37:25): Freelance writer Caitlin Murray discusses whether the National Women’s Soccer League champions provide a model for success for other women’s pro sports franchises. Afterballs (52:34): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special emergency episode of Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen, Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the U.S. men’s national team’s disastrous loss to Trinidad and Tobago and what comes next for American soccer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss Jemele Hill, Jerry Jones, and Donald Trump with the Ringer’s Bryan Curtis. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan also joins to discuss the baseball playoffs, and Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers talks about Iceland’s World Cup dreams. Politics and the NFL (1:10): Bryan Curtis joins for a conversation about ESPN’s suspension of Jemele Hill, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ directive that his players stand for the national anthem, and the increasing politicization of the NFL. Baseball playoffs (22:52): Jeff Passan talks about Game 4 of the Astros-Red Sox series and the radical shift in how pitchers are deployed in the baseball postseason. Iceland (37:01): Roger Bennett revels in the soccer triumphs of the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup. Afterballs (49:46): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the shifting politics of the NFL protests with Jamil Smith. Bloomberg View’s Joe Nocera also joins to discuss the FBI investigation of NCAA basketball, the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh previews the baseball playoffs. NFL protests (2:24): Jamil Smith joins for a conversation about how NFL owners have tried to co-opt players’ protests for racial equality. FBI vs. NCAA (23:46): Joe Nocera comes on the show to break down the FBI’s investigation into the nexus between shoe companies, assistant coaches, and college basketball players. Why is the federal government sticking its nose into college hoops now, and can anything good come out of this inquiry. Baseball playoffs (41:11): Ben Lindbergh joins to discuss some of the postseason’s top contenders, among them the Cleveland Indians, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Washington Nationals, and the Houston Astros. Afterballs (56:42): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin and Marcus Thompson of The Athletic discuss the wave of protests against Donald Trump’s remarks about the NFL. Then they talk about Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant’s recent Twitter snafu and his fragile psyche. And broadcaster and former U.S. soccer player Marcelo Balboa joins for a conversation about hot, new Major League Soccer team Atlanta United FC. NFL protests (1:35): Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Marcus Thompson of The Athletic discuss a remarkable weekend in professional sports that began with Donald Trump calling protesting NFL players “sons of bitches” and culminated in hundreds of athletes, coaches, owners, and others across sports rebuking the president in a wave of on-field protests and statements. Kevin Durant (27:16): Stefan, Josh, and Marcus assess Kevin Durant’s apparent insecurities—reflected in his new line of Nike sneakers with insoles that take on his critics—and whether it’s possible to be an NBA superstar and also mingle with the public like a regular guy. Soccer (41:13): Stefan interviews three-time World Cup soccer player Marcelo Balboa about Atlanta United FC, the Major League Soccer expansion team that recently drew a league-record 70,000 fans to a game in a new stadium in Atlanta. Afterballs (48:17): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by NPR’s Gene Demby to discuss Jemele Hill and ESPN’s conservative trolls, by HBO’s Eric Raskin to talk about Golovkin-Alvarez, and by Ninja Warrior’s Josh Levin for a conversation about obstacle course stardom. Jemele Hill (1:28): Gene Demby of NPR’s Code Switch comes on the show to explore why ESPN has become a target in the culture wars and the kinds of discussions that happen when people of color become leading voices in the mainstream media. Golovkin-Alvarez (25:43): Eric Raskin of the HBO Boxing podcast explains what made the middleweight fight between Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez an instant classic, and what can be done about scoring controversies in boxing. Josh Levin (46:55): A different Josh Levin comes on the show to chat about what it’s like to appear on American Ninja Warrior and his quest to become an Olympic rock climber. Afterballs (1:01:20): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the New York Times’ Mark Leibovich to discuss the NFL’s opening weekend, by Racquet’s Caitlin Thompson to assess Sloane Stephens’ U.S. Open win, and by Mike Pesca for a debate about the Red Sox’s sign-stealing. NFL (1:08): Mark Leibovich describes his experiences in New England and Dallas during pro football’s opening week, and whether owners are getting closer to dumping Commissioner Roger Goodell. Sloane Stephens (18:38): Caitlin Thompson joins to talk about the rise of the young American women at the U.S. Open, and what to make of Sloane Stephens’ surprising triumph. Red Sox sign-stealing (32:56): Mike Pesca returns to Hang Up to help Josh and Stefan decide whether the Red Sox’s technologically enabled sign-stealing scheme is cheating or gamesmanship. Afterballs (50:09): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by SB Nation’s Spencer Hall to discuss college football. Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders also joins to talk about NFL tanking, and Ed Cunningham explains his move to quit his job as a football announcer for ESPN. College football openers (2:14): Spencer Hall talks about Texas A&M’s crushing loss to UCLA, Howard’s exhilarating win over UNLC, and other scenes from college football’s opening weekend. NFL tanking (21:08): Aaron Schatz explains why and how the Jets, Bills, and Brows are losing on purpose; whether tanking is a sound strategy for NFL teams; and what the league should do to address it, if anything. Ed Cunningham (37:43): The longtime ESPN announcer explains how he came to the decision to quit his job as a college football analyst, why he developed ethical qualms about the game, and why he doesn’t enjoy watching the NFL. Afterballs (57:48): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices