Hang Up And Listen

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