Gambling on sports is as old as sports, no doubt. Cavemen must have gambled, somehow, when it came to tossing sticks or what have you. Jumping to the 20th century, we in America had the Black Sox scandal of 1919.

In recent times, however, sports gambling seems to have swept the nation. It is ubiquitous—and as easy as flicking a finger on your phone. FanDuel and other such companies are raking it in. And gambling takes a terrible toll: on individual gamblers and on sports itself.

This is the opening topic of this new sportscast, featuring my main gurus, David French and Vivek Dave.

We move on to the issue of college conferences. Do you know which schools belong to which conferences at this point? Does it make sense for UCLA and Rutgers to be in the same conference? The one school is in southern California and the other is in New Jersey, some 2,800 miles away.

Even in the jet age, that’s a haul.

We also talk about the “coaching carousel.” A head coach jumps from one school to another—one team to another—even before post-season play begins. Is that any way to run a railroad? Is it ethical, admirable?

Other topics include the downfall of the Michigan football coach, the reaction of Notre Dame to its exclusion from the playoff, and the increasing irrelevance of bowl games.

Often, sports issues are societal issues. This point came to mind as I was listening to David and Vivek today.

They are endlessly knowledgeable and a pleasure to listen to. I have decided to open the comments section to everyone (not just paid subscribers). So, if you’d like, weigh on in.

Q&A is the podcast of this site, Onward and Upward. The site is supported by readers and listeners. To receive new articles and episodes—and to support the work of the writer and podcaster—become a free or paid subscriber. Great thanks.

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