Hang Up And Listen

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

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

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay to discuss  Floyd Mayweather’s win over Conor McGregor, by Ken Rosenthal to talk about the Athletic, and by Robert Lipsyte to assess Clay Travis and ESPN’s supposed liberalism. Mayweather-McGregor (1:30): Jason Gay, who watched the fight while high, explains why fans weren’t unhappy with the experience, and looks at what’s next for the two very rich fighters. The Athletic (16:09): Longtime sportswriter and baseball sideline reporter Ken Rosenthal explains why he signed on with the sports media start-up and why he believes its business model makes sense.  Clay Travis and ESPN (32:54): Former ESPN ombudsman Robert Lipsyte discusses accusations that the Worldwide Leader of Sports is a liberal bastion and the marketing genius of Clay Travis, who has brought the culture wars to sports.  Afterballs (52:24): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis is joined by former NFL player Hamza Abdullah and ESPN’s Howard Bryant to analyze race and sports. ESPN writer Mechelle Voepel and MinnPost.com’s Pat Borzi chat about the WNBA. And director Adam Hootnick discusses his documentary about Texas high-school football, What Carter Lost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Johnette Howard to discuss Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension, tennis writer Ben Rothenberg comes on to talk about Sascha Zverev, and Mike Schur analyzes the Los Angeles Dodgers’ excellence. Ezekiel Elliott (2:16): Johnette Howard joins to review the domestic abuse allegations leveled against the Cowboys running back, if the NFL punishment system worked in this case, and whether the suspension marks a change in the NFL’s treatment of alleged victims. Sascha Zverev (15:14): New York Times tennis writer Ben Rothenberg and Johnette assess Zverev’s impressive defeat of Roger Federer and if the 20-year-old can be the one to finally unseat tennis’ Big 4. Los Angeles Dodgers (27:47): The Good Place creator Mike Schur discusses how the Dodgers got so great, the team’s transition from lousy to good (and rich) ownership, and how fans in L.A. might react to another early postseason exit. Afterballs (47:17): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ProPublica’s David Epstein to discuss Usain Bolt’s loss to Justin Gatlin. The Irish Times’ Ken Early also talks about Neymar’s record-setting transfer, and Josh and Stefan analyze Colin Kaepernick’s NFL exile. Usain Bolt (1:14): David Epstein joins to dissect Usain Bolt’s final competitive 100-meter race, Justin Gatlin’s surprise win, and how the sport is handling its perpetual doping problems. Neymar (19:06): Ken Early assesses the shocking departure of the Brazilian star from Barcelona, the mind-boggling price paid by Paris Saint-Germain, and why he believes the transfer is such a tragedy.    Colin Kaepernick (32:10): Josh and Stefan discuss whether the league is colluding against the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback and whether it would ever be possible to prove such collusion is happening. Afterballs (49:20): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by sportswriter Jessica Luther to discuss girls in baseball. Dan Nosowitz also talks about trends in basketball sneakers, and Scrabble champion Will Anderson comes on the show to recount his victory. Girls in Baseball (1:29): Jessica Luther joins to describe her time covering the elite Girls Travel Baseball team, why girls are dissuaded from playing baseball in high school, and what can be done to increase female participation in the sport. Death of the High-Top (15:53): Esquire contributor Dan Nosowitz assesses Kobe Bryant’s role in the decline of high-top basketball shoes, whether the ankle support actually works, and how sneaker-makers are finding more ways to sell shoes. Scrabble (29:38): An interview with Will Anderson, 2017 the North American Scrabble champion, with analysis of his victory, the debate over Boggle versus Scrabble, and some stump-the-champ anagramming. Afterballs (50:57):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and ESPN’s Mina Kimes are joined by Slate’s Jim Newell to discuss Jordan Spieth’s British Open win. Josh and Mina also dissect Kyrie Irving’s trade drama, and Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley analyzes Hugh Freeze’s ousting as Ole Miss football coach. Jordan Spieth (2:15):Jim Newell joins to talk about how Jordan Spieth avoided a Sunday collapse, how he compares to Tiger Woods, and whether Spieth is cool or dorky. Kyrie Irving Trade Request (13:49): Josh and Mina examine the motivations behind the star point guard’s bid to leave Cleveland, where he could end up landing, and if this means the last of LeBron James’ prime years will be wasted. Hugh Freeze (30:50) Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley delves into the scandal-filled backstory of the Ole Miss football coach’s ouster, which featured gas mask bongs, America’s public information laws, and a vengeful coach named Houston Nutt. Pre-Twitter Viral Sports Stories (45:30): In lieu of afterballs, Josh, Mina, and Ben opine on what notable pre-social media sports sto

Wimbledon (2:15):Howard Bryant joins to assess Roger Federer’s routine victory, Venus Williams’ recent resurgence, and whether the next generation of tennis stars will ever step up to challenge the sport’s veterans. Record-Setting Rookies (16:04): Sam Miller of ESPN discusses the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger and the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, and whether either of the two players can become the new face of baseball. (Sorry, Mike Trout.) 30 for 30 (29:03): Producer Rose Eveleth talks about the inaugural season of ESPN’s new podcast series, featuring episodes on an all-female Arctic expedition and a multi-million-dollar baccarat swindle. Afterballs (46:47) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Ben Mathis-Lilley are joined by Daniel “Progressive Liberal” Harnsberger to chat about his wrestling persona. The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis also discusses Jamie Horowitz and Fox Sports, and Nick Greene analyzes NBA free agency. The Progressive Liberal (1:27): Professional wrestler Daniel Harnsberger joins to describe the inspiration behind his character, whether he’s critiquing the Democratic Party, and what it’s like to be the bad guy in wrestling. Jamie Horowitz (19:01): Bryan Curtis, editor-at-large of the Ringer, comes on the show to assess what the sacking of Fox Sports 1’s Jamie Horowitz means for the channel and FS1’s lineup of debate-based programming. NBA (35:04): Nick Greene joins to discusses Kevin Durant’s massive pay cut, and whether anything can be done about the massive exodus of talent from the East to the West. Afterballs (54:04) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by former NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf to discuss his return to basketball in the BigIG3, his protest of the national anthem, and how Tourette's Syndrome affected his career. Golden State Warriors President Rick Welts also comes on the show to discuss being openly gay in the NBA and how the franchise is grappling with its status as the league’s supervillain. Finally, Slate’s Henry Grabar explains what makes Miami’s new, David Beckham–-backed stadium deal so great and why Las Vegas’ plans for a new NFL stadium will hurt the city and its taxpayers. More information at slate.com/hangup. Sign up for Slate Plus at slate.com/hangupplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Joel Anderson of BuzzFeed to discuss the NBA draft. Graphic designer Todd Radom also joins to debate the merits of updating the NBA logo. Finally, they chat about the perils of playing sports while old. NBA Draft (2:00): Assessing the latest news on the pro basketball transaction wire, including the implications of the blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade, whether it’s time for the Celtics to go all-in, and whether the 76ers’ rebuilding process has finally paid off. NBA Logo (18:43): Todd Radom comes on the show to assess whether it’s time to modernize the league’s Jerry West-inspired design or if the logo is too iconic to tinker with. Playing Sports While Old (33:41): A bunch of players got hurt during the debut of the BIG3 three-on-three league. Is it too sad to watch old people play basketball? Afterballs (43:12): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Kevin Draper to discuss the upcoming Mayweather-McGregor mega-fight. Ben Lindbergh also joins to discuss whether major-league baseballs are juiced. Finally, David Gessner talks about his memoir Ultimate Glory. Mayweather-McGregor (1:28): A conversation with the New York Times’  Kevin Draper about the logistics of the upcoming match-up between boxer Floyd Mayweather and mixed martial artist Conor McGregor, and whether McGregor has any chance of pulling off an unlikely upset. Juiced balls (13:37): Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer comes on the show to explore the various theories behind why baseball players are hitting more home runs than ever before. Ultimate Frisbee (30:01): David Gessner discusses his memoir Ultimate Glory: Frisbee, Obsession, and My Wild Youth. Was it a mistake for Gessner to spend the best years of his life chasing a flying disc? Afterballs (42:21) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Mike Pesca to discuss the Warriors' NBA Finals win. George Dohrmann also joins to talk about U.S. soccer phenom Christian Pulisic. Plus, an interview with Ice Cube about the documentary Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies. NBA Finals (2:06): A conversation with Hang Up alum Mike Pesca about the Golden State Warriors’ NBA title, Kevin Durant's greatness, and where LeBron James, the Cavs, and the NBA go from here. Christian Pulisic (21:56): George Dohrmann joins to discuss his story on how Christian Pulisic came to be a star, and whether U.S. soccer will learn the right lessons from his development. Ice Cube (38:46): The narrator of the ESPN 30-for-30 documentary Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies explains his affection for his hometown team and how race played a role in the Boston/L.A. rivalry. He also talks about 3-on-3 basketball becoming an Olympic sport. Afterballs (57:03) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices