Skimm This

Before Simone and Suni came Shawn Johnson, the Olympic gold medalist who shot to fame during the Olympics 17 years ago. Yup, we feel old too. Shawn joins Blake and Caroline in the studio to talk about fans literally crawling under bathroom stalls to get her autograph, why she couldn’t go back to high school, and her biggest piece of advice to teenaged athletes on the brink of stardom.In this episode of Well Played, we’ll also cover: March Madness 101 and how to fill out your bracket  The Cowboys player beefing with his former teammate  Why Blake has secondhand embarrassment over the WAGs drama in San Francisco  The return of Ted Lasso (with a much-appreciated twist)  A 14 year-old just took the field in a NWSL game (and Shawn has some words of wisdom to share) Shawn’s Instagram: @shawnjohnson Caroline’s Instagram: @cghendyBlake’s Instagram: @blaaakkkketheSkimm’s Instagram: @theskimm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week Blake and Caroline wondered which sports league would take the lead on supporting players’ families, and the Women’s Tennis Association said “allow me.” The WTA clinched a historic win for its players who are now eligible for 12-months of maternity leave, grants for fertility treatment, and more.In this episode of Well Played, we’ll also cover: Yay or nay: the PDA between Kylie and Timothée Chalamet  Why LeBron gave lip readers everywhere something to chew on after scolding Stephen A. Smith  The one caveat behind a massive donation to all competing US Olympic athletes  Why recent NFL trades could lead to uniting Ciara and Norman + justice for gingers Josh Allen’s new salary breakdown to the seconds (try not to cry) Our Send Its of the week including Bill Belichick’s youthful rebrand, the highdiver who’s celebrating – not shaming – her cellulite, and Grandma Kitty, Steph Curry’s no. 1 fan  Caroline’s Instagram: @cghendyBlake’s Instagram: @blaaakkkketheSkimm’s Instagram: @theskimm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Commentators nationwide took a hard look in the mirror when LeBron called out the “weird energy” in sports media, where coverage of NBA players is nothing but negative. Seattle Storm player Lexie Brown joins us in the studio to chat about how that negativity led her to delete her Twitter, how she trained her brain to always see the positive, and why she finally took her own mental health seriously, thanks in part to a partnership with Love, Your Mind. In this episode of Well Played, we’ll also cover: Why one NFL team’s treatment of families was deemed “almost disrespectful”  Whether Travis will keep giving Swifties a reason to pay attention to the NFL  Who Simone Biles gave a heartwarming shout out to  Our top Send Its of the week, including Coco Gauff and Timothée Chalamet matching at the Oscars, Serena trading tennis for basketball, and Paul George’s retirement from podcasting  Follow Lexie: @lexiebrownLexie’s podcast: Full Circle Love, Your Mind resources: loveyourmindtoday.org Love, Your Mind IG: @love_yourmindBlake’s IG: @blaaakkkkeCaroline’s IG: @cghendy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s 2025, so why do we have to tell people to stop stalking women in sports? On the heels of tennis player Emma Raducanu and track star Gabby Thomas sharing their stalking stories, Blake and Caroline discuss why women athletes are at higher risk for harassment, the role social media plays, and how leagues can do better to protect them. In this episode of Well Played, we’ll also cover: Blake and Caroline’s strong feelings about the Yankees’ controversial beard-ban  Who Napheesa Collier gave half of her Unrivaled 1v1 prize money to  Whether JJ Watt will come out of retirement for…an English goalkeeper? A preview of the NFL’s sorority rush week, AKA: the Combine Justin Bieber getting feisty on the ice in a celeb hockey game  Caroline’s Instagram: @cghendyBlake’s Instagram: @blaaakkkketheSkimm’s Instagram: @theskimm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NBA hoped to get fans to care about the All Star Game this year and…it seriously backfired. After only 42 minutes of game time during the 3-hour broadcast, fans were left scratching their heads at the new format, the constant stoppages, and Kevin Hart’s (bad) jokes. Blake and Caroline look to the NHL’s 4 Nations for inspiration on how the ballers can make next year better. In this episode of Well Played, we’ll also cover: Why the NBA revamped the All-Star game format, and why fans still hated it  Wemby and Chris Paul exploiting a loophole in the skills challenge  How the list of the top-100 highest paid athletes in 2024 includes zero women  Women’s college hoops heating up with No. 7 UCONN’s win over No. 4 USC Our top “Send Its” of the week including Saquon pulling a ball boy into the Eagles parade, Lebron ditching the All Star game to work out with his daughter, and the three-peat winner of the dunk contest Caroline’s Instagram: @cghendyBlake’s Instagram: @blaaakkkketheSkimm’s Instagram: @theskimm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the actual Super Bowl game might’ve been boring, Blake and Caroline found plenty to talk about: like Jalen Hurts winning the MVP, Travis Kelce’s post-game walk of shame, and whether or not the Eagles are poised to become a dynasty.In this episode of Well Played, we’ll also cover: Why this was a Super Bowl for haters of all kinds  Decoding Kendrick’s halftime performance  How many times Taylor Swift was shown during the game (hint: not a lot) The women who won the Super Bowl, including the first Black woman coach and Jalen Hurts’ management team  Our top Send Its for the week, including Bradley Cooper’s side hustle, Nike’s first commercial in almost 30 years, and a rapid fire round of fashion police  Caroline’s Instagram: @cghendyBlake’s Instagram: @blaaakkkketheSkimm’s Instagram: @theskimm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Super Bowl week, but the drama in the sports world never stops. Luka Doncic got caught up in what many experts are dubbing the “worst trade in NBA history” while A’ja Wilson and Bam Adebayo hard launched their relationship at the South Carolina alumna’s jersey retirement. After covering big headlines of the week, Caroline and Blake share Super Bowl rituals plus what they’ve got their eye on as the big game approaches.In this episode of Well Played, we’ll also cover: Why Mavericks’ fans haven’t slept since Luka Doncic’s trade to the Lakers Caitlin Clark (potentially) having the fastest jersey retirement since leaving Iowa Why Blake and Caroline are butting heads when it comes to Super Bowl watch habits WTF prop bets actually are and which ones you should care about  Lily’s reactions to what’s on our Super Bowl bingo cards, including how often Taylor Swift will appear on the broadcast and who Kendrick Lamar is bringing out during his halftime show  Lily’s Instagram: @sportsish Caroline’s Instagram: @cghendyBlake’s Instagram: @blaaakkkketheSkimm’s Instagram: @theskimm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s official - the Chiefs and Eagles are Super Bowl-bound. Caroline and Blake break down the controversial fourth-down review that may have cost the Bills an AFC Championship, plus other takeaways from this past weekend’s games. In this episode of Well Played, we’ll also cover: Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs potentially reaching a new milestone Tom Brady’s on-air confession about Nick Foles, aka Big D*ck Nick  An American triumph at the Aussie Open Naomi Girma’s historic transfer to Chelsea FC  Empire State Building, Caroline’s certified op The Knicks’ new sideline sweetie, Timothée Chalamet  Caroline’s Instagram: @cghendyBlake’s Instagram: @blaaakkkketheSkimm’s Instagram: @theskimm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While many NFL fans were swapping conspiracy theories about refs helping the Chiefs get a win, Taylor Swift and Caitlin Clark cozied up in their private skybox. Don’t worry, Taylor didn’t give anything for TikTok lip-readers to call her on as she whispered secrets to her new bestie. Blake and Caroline discuss what she might’ve been saying in the weekend's most widely memed moment.In this episode of Well Played, we’ll also cover: Ryan Reynolds invested in another football club while battling a $400 million lawsuit from Justin Baldoni Coco Gauff’s RIP message to TikTok, plus the role the app has played in elevating athletes in pop culture Caroline casts the four remaining playoff teams as the hot jock, boy-next-door, bully, and shy girl  Brittany Mahomes bounced back to the sidelines after giving birth just days before Saquon Barkley is having a moment and Alex Cooper was there  Our favorite Send Its of the week including Ilona Maher’s broken nose, Josh Allen’s Golden Retriever Energy on full display, and the Lions dirty dancing in the end zone  Caroline’s Instagram: @cghendyBlake’s Instagram: @blaaakkkketheSkimm’s Instagram: @theskimm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Travis Kelce might’ve spilled the beans on when Swifties can expect “Reputation: Taylor’s Version” during his recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. Plus, if you ever wanted to rep your favorite NFL team à la Taylor Swift, now’s your chance thanks to the launch of “Off Season” by Kristin Juszcyzk. In this episode of Well Played, we’ll also cover: How the Cardinals pulled through for the Rams in the wake of the California wildfires Baby Names: Mahomes and Kelces edition  What we know about the man charged with stalking Caitlin Clark in Indianapolis Wii Sports meets the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula dedicate their wins to LA firefighters What Caroline and Blake think Eagles’ wide receiver AJ Brown should’ve been reading instead of “Inner Excellence” The Commanders are heading to the playoffs for the first time in how long? Caroline’s vibe check on Deion Sanders as a potential Cowboys coaching hire and Mike Vrabel taking over with the Pats Caroline’s Instagram: @cghendyBlake’s Instagram: @blaaakkkketheSkimm’s Instagram: @theskimm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices