Hang Up And Listen

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