Hang Up and Listen

Josh Levin and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham are joined by Tim Layden to discuss the record breakers of the world track and field championships; by Abe Riesman to talk about Vince McMahon’s scandal-laden retirement from WWE; and by Sarah Larson for a conversation about her New Yorker feature on pickleball. Track and field (1:30): What’s next for Sydney McLaughlin, Noah Lyles, and the sport as a whole? Vince McMahon (25:24): Why did he retire now? What’s next for WWE? Pickleball (47:23): Why is it so popular? Is a billionaire ruining it? Afterball (1:05:40): Josh on Carl Lewis’ mythical 30-foot long jump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the opening weekend of the world track and field championships. They also talk about why the Angels are so bad in spite of Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout and the Nationals’ Juan Soto dilemma. Finally, Puck’s Julia Ioffe joins for a conversation about Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia. Track (4:07): Why an American hurdler got a raw deal. Baseball (25:02): Is Juan Soto crazy to turn down $440 million? Griner (44:43): Should we be more pessimistic about her fate? Afterball (1:04:43): Stefan on the Amarillo Sod Poodles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and Ben Mathis-Lilley discuss their proposals for fixing college football. Josh then speaks with Ben Rothenberg about Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon win over Nick Kyrgios. Finally, Joel, Josh, and Ben assess the rising stars of NBA Summer League. College football (3:26): How will the sport reshape itself in the next five years? Tennis (27:01): Wimbledon got the final it deserved. Summer League (53:07): What to make of the Chet Holmgren experience. Afterball (1:09:07): Josh on the Summer League record for most points in a single game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving trade drama. They also talk about UCLA and USC moving to the Big Ten and assess the verbal sparring between Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon. Nets (2:26): Could they still keep KD and Kyrie? Big Ten (24:28): What the latest big move means for the future of college football and every other sport. Kyrgios and Tsitsipas (45:35): The story behind the ugly tennis squabble. Afterball (1:10:10): Joel on the latest feats of pole vault prodigy Mondo Duplantis.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by Olympic gold medalist Crissy Perham to discuss what Roe v. Wade getting overturned means for women athletes. They also discuss Arch Manning’s decision to play football at the University of Texas and Ohio State getting a trademark on the word “the.” Crissy Perham (2:56): A champion swimmer on why she’s speaking out about her abortion. Arch Manning (23:15): America’s leading legacy athlete will be a Longhorn. The Ohio State University (44:01): Is the school’s love affair with the definite article endearing or annoying? Afterball (1:02:20): Josh on Billie Jean King’s abortion story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski to discuss the Stanley Cup Finals. They also talk about Dream On, the ESPN documentary on the 1996 U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team. Finally, they assess Nike upon its 50th anniversary. Stanley Cup (2:40): Inside the match-up between the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning. Dream On (26:57): Looking back at a landmark moment for women’s sports. Nike (50:25): How it became a cultural behemoth. Afterball (1:12:00): Stefan on his daughter, Scrabble, and Steph Curry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham to discuss Steph Curry and the NBA Finals. Then, they review the Adam Sandler basketball movie Hustle. Finally, ESPN’s Kevin Van Valkenburg joins Joel and Josh to talk about the debut weekend of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf. Steph and the NBA (3:30): The Warriors got back into the Finals with some Curry magic. Can Jayson Tatum summon some of his own? Hustle (45:35): It’s not just a bunch of NBA cameos. LIV Golf (1:08:23): Will the Saudis’ money take down the PGA Tour? Afterball (1:08:23): Joel on Rickey Henderson and Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin assess the back-and-forth NBA Finals between the Warriors and Celtics. The New York Times’ Andrew Das also joins to talk about Ukraine’s loss to Wales in a World Cup playoff match. Finally, they discuss the Oklahoma softball juggernaut. NBA Finals (3:09): How the Celtics took Game 1, and how the Warriors struck back. Ukraine-Wales (25:00): An epic sporting event with global consequences. Oklahoma softball (47:30): A deep dive on a remarkable dynasty. Afterball (1:08:57): Josh on Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Rafael Nadal, and tennis inevitability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Joel Anderson are joined by Jack Hamilton to discuss the Warriors-Celtics NBA Finals matchup. Bradford William Davis then joins to talk about Josh Donaldson’s suspension for calling Tim Anderson “Jackie” and Tommy Pham slapping Joc Pederson for allegedly cheating in fantasy football. NBA (2:53): What the rise of the Warriors and the Celtics says about pro basketball team-building. Donaldson vs. Anderson (22:48): The deeper meaning behind a public war of words. Pham vs. Pederson (44:43): How a fantasy football dispute spilled over to the baseball diamond. Afterball (1:05:13): Josh on the “rebuilding year” as a (possibly) dying concept. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Jack Hamilton to discuss the NBA playoffs and Patrick Beverley’s chaotic media appearances; by Alex Kirshner to talk about the war of words between Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher; and by the Washington Post’s Molly Hensley-Clancy to assess U.S. Soccer’s landmark equal pay deal. NBA (2:07): Will the conference finals get any better? And is Patrick Beverley telling the truth or spinning his own narrative? Saban-Fisher (27:30): Where did this fight come from, and what’s it really about? U.S. Soccer (48:53): The anatomy of a historic collective bargaining agreement. Afterball (1:07:32): Stefan on the death of Roger Angell at age 101. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices