Hang Up and Listen

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver to talk about the Warriors’ Game 7 win over the Kings. The Toronto Star’s Bruce Arthur also joins to discuss the Bruins’ NHL playoffs flop and the Maple Leafs’ historic first-round victory. Finally, Extra Points’ Matt Brown assesses Deion Sanders’ gutting of the Colorado football team. Warriors-Kings (3:26): How Steph willed the defending champs to victory. NHL (6:08): Another year, another regular-season juggernaut that won’t win the title. Colorado football (48:50): Are Deion Sanders’ roster cuts immoral? Afterballs (1:11:20): Stefan on a Penn basketball star in the transfer portal and Josh on the time a German soccer club signed the entire Cuban national team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Jack Hamilton to talk about Draymond Green, Dillon Brooks, and NBA villainy. Chicago White Sox announcer Jason Benetti also joins to discuss how to call a baseball game in the pitch-clock era. Finally, Talia Barrington comes on for a conversation about same-sex pairs in figure skating. NBA villains (3:01): The basketball playoffs need bad guys. Jason Benetti (24:39): “We are covering a different sport now.” Same-sex pairs (47:10): Is figure skating ready for a monumental change? Afterball (1:05:24): Stefan on the Athletics’ long history of threatening to move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Defector’s Patrick Redford to talk about the Sacramento Kings’ first playoff win in 17 years. Defector’s Dave McKenna also joins to commemorate the (supposed) end of Dan Snyder’s ownership of the Washington Commanders. Finally, Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim comes on to assess the WTA’s decision to return to China. Kings (3:21): What it felt and sounded like when Sacramento beat Golden State. Snyder (23:31): Will D.C. ever recover from his horrific tenure? WTA (45:47): Is women’s tennis choosing profit over principle? Afterball (1:07:47): Josh on a remarkable shift in American tennis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton to talk about what went wrong for the Dallas Mavericks and to preview the NBA postseason. Slate’s Jim Newell also joins to discuss Jon Rahm’s Masters win. Finally, they speak with LJ Rader about his Twitter and Instagram accounts Art But Make It Sports. NBA (4:20): Why did the Mavs lose on purpose? And how is the Western Conference shaping up? Masters (24:31): What the year’s first major means for LIV and the future of golf. Art But Make It Sports (44:35): Sports photos + paintings = mash-up magic. Afterball (1:03:30): Stefan on the baseball Hall of Famer who lived in his childhood home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant to discuss LSU’s victory over Iowa in the women’s NCAA Tournament. Tennis player Matija Pecotic also joins to talk about how he went from a full-time job to victory on the pro tour. Finally, Jody Avirgan discusses his podcast Good Sport and whether sports debate shows are hurting America. Women’s NCAA Tournament (6:44): The on-court battles and the off-court controversies. Pecotic (31:00): The star of one of the sports world’s best underdog stories tells all. Sports debate shows (54:12): What has Stephen A. Smith wrought? Afterball (01:15:30): Josh on some recent remembrances of Zelmo Beaty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant to talk about Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark. The Washington Post’s Chuck Culpepper also joins to assess the most surprising men’s Final Four ever. Finally, Tom Haberstroh of Meadowlark Media discusses the vitriol directed at NBA referees. Clark (2:50): The secrets of the Iowa point guard’s success. Men’s tourney surprises (26:33): Miami? San Diego State? Florida Atlantic?!? NBA refs (44:20): Who’s responsible for all the rancor? Afterball (1:07:20): Stefan on the Princeton basketball team’s not-so-sad Sweet Sixteen defeat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, are joined by Slate’s Alex Kirshner to talk about Fairleigh Dickinson’s huge upset over Purdue and Princeton’s run to the Sweet 16. Then, ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez comes on to discuss the historic matchup between the USA and Cuba at the World Baseball Classic. Finally, author David Epstein assesses the legacy of high jumper Dick Fosbury, who invented the immortal Fosbury Flop.Fairleigh Dickinson (2:18): Did the Knights pull off the biggest upset in college basketball history?World Baseball Classic (23:59): What it meant for the Cuban national baseball team to take the field in Miami. Fosbury (42:41): Where does it rank on the list of all-time sports innovations?Afterball (1:01:32): Josh on Ole Miss women’s basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas talk about what went wrong for the North Carolina men’s basketball team and other NCAA Tournament matters. They also check in on quarterback Lamar Jackson’s standoff with the Baltimore Ravens. Finally, the Athletic’s Nick Miller joins to discuss why the BBC pulled soccer commentator Gary Lineker off the air, and what happened next. NCAA (5:54): Checking in on the Tar Heels and the sport’s other blue bloods. Jackson (3:50): Why doesn’t anyone want to give the young star a guaranteed, mega-bucks deal? Lineker (43:50): The controversy, the resolution, and what it says about the UK. Afterball (1:00:52): Stefan on whether the Ivy League is ready to change with the times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Washington Post’s Molly Hensley-Clancy to discuss her reporting on the troubles surrounding Ja Morant. ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. also joins to talk about whether Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder will get forced out of the NFL. Finally, they speak to Slate’s Alex Kirshner about the quarterback dilemmas at the top of the NFL Draft.Morant (3:17): What comes next for the Memphis Grizzlies star?Snyder (22:07): The scandals are mounting. Will he finally get the boot?Quarterback prospects (42:07): Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, and the Bears’ big choice at No. 1.Afterball (1:01:05): Josh on podcast ads and the National Council on Problem Gambling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Joseph Goodman of AL.com to talk about the murder roiling the Alabama basketball program. They’re also joined by Jeremy Woo to discuss his Sports Illustrated cover story on French basketball phenom Victor Wembanyama. Finally, CNBC’s Alex Sherman comes on for a conversation about the death of regional sports networks. Alabama (5:08): Why is star freshman Brandon Miller still playing? Wembanyama (27:42): Inside the media rollout of the next NBA superstar. RSNs (48:41): Is the sports TV business model dead? Afterball (1:11:59): Stefan on a century of complaints about slow baseball games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices