Hang Up And Listen

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 choi

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