Hang Up and Listen

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Jake Plummer and Nate Jackson to talk about Andrew Luck’s retirement; Billy Cundiff discusses the Chicago Bears’ bizarre kicker tryouts; and Slate’s Christina Cauterucci helps assess the state of the National Women’s Soccer League. Andrew Luck (01:53): What Luck’s sudden departure from the sport says about him and about football. Kicker tryouts (24:57): The right and wrong to audition kickers at an NFL training camp. NWSL (42:00): WhatSaturday’s huge crowd in Washington, D.C. says about the path forward for women’s pro soccer. Afterballs (59:56): Stefan on female placekickers and Josh on a pitcher who got struck by lightning.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham talk about Jay-Z’s new partnership with the NFL. They also discuss Joseph Tsai’s multibillion-dollar deal to buy the Brooklyn Nets. Finally, they select the words they’d like to ban from the sports lexicon.Jay-Z (2:10): Did the NFL botch its move to bring on the hip-hop icon as a corporate partner or is the league savvier than we think? Brooklyn Nets (20:30): How and why Tsai paid the biggest price ever for a U.S. sports franchise. And will franchise values keep going up? Banned words (32:00): Is “class” the worst sports word of them all? What about “talk about”? Afterballs (48:30): Stefan on football and the heat and Josh on an incident from tennis player Daniil Medvedev’s past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk with ESPN’s Sam Borden about Christian Pulisic’s Chelsea debut. The Gist’s Mike Pesca also joins to discuss Antonio Brown’s feet and helmet issues, and Rebecca Schuman explains Simone Biles’ latest feats of gymnastics virtuosity.Christian Pulisic (01:30): What lessons, if any, can we take from Pulisic’s first Premier League match? Antonio Brown (18:04): What’s behind the Raiders receiver’s odd behavior? Simone Biles (35:57): Whythe greatest gymnast ever is the greatest gymnast ever. Afterballs (52:44): Mike on the joys of good baseball, Stefan on youth sports in 1980, and Josh on running through a brick wall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk about Alejandro Bedoya speaking out against gun violence during an MLS game. The New York Daily News’ Kyle Wagner joins to discuss Jeremy Lin and Carmelo Anthony, and the Omaha World-Herald’s Henry Cordes explains how school’s evade the requirements of Title IX. Bedoya (01:22): On the soccer player’s in-game call-out and how the sports media will cover it. Lin and Anthony (14:15): The former Knicks teammates are both feeling rejected by the NBA. Title IX (38:20): Women’s rowing rosters are growing to an absurd degree, and not because schools love rowing. Afterballs (57:10): Stefan on sports and military-style drills and Josh on Nick Kyrgios. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a feature episode of a new Slate podcast. Subscribe on your preferred podcast player or listen on Slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about ESPN’s stance on mixing sports and politics and LSU’s fancy new football facility. Sports Illustrated’s Emma Baccellieri then joins to discuss the Atlantic League’s role as a laboratory for new baseball rules. Sports and politics (01:19 ): Is it possible to construct a corporate policy on mixing sports and politics or is the problem the existence of a policy in the first place? LSU locker room (19:17): What a $28 million privately funded athletic facility says about the state of college sports. New baseball rules (37:47): Robotic umps! Stealing first base! What can we learn from these independent league experiments? Afterballs (53:30): Stefan on NFL training camp entrances and Josh on a very Louisiana legal case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin interviews Deadspin’s Dave McKenna about his life and journalism career. Topics covered include the greatness of Elgin Baylor and Gary Mays, getting sued by Washington NFL team owner Dan Snyder, and reporting out sexual abuse allegations against Kevin Johnson.D.C. sports and segregation (01:14): How black athletes like Elgin Baylor and Gary Mays were discriminated against and ignored by white-owned media. Music (21:45): Seeing Nazareth at RFK Stadium, the genius of Heavy Metal Parking Lot, and running away to meet Elvis Presley. Dan Snyder (30:33): What it was like to get sued by the owner of the Washington NFL team. Kevin Johnson (41:15): How he was able to remain a public figure despite sexual assault and harassment accusations, and the choices journalists make in reaching out to alleged victims.  Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis talk about how Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep won at Wimbledon. Sam Anderson also joins to discuss Russell Westbrook and the end of an era in Oklahoma City, and John Thorn helps assess Jim Bouton and Bouton’s classic book Ball Four. Wimbledon (01:26): On Novak Djokovic’s incredible win over Roger Federer, why fans don’t love Djokovic, the greatness of Simona Halep, and Serena Williams’ continuing quest for her 24th major.Westbrook and OKC (21:36): Why Oklahoma City fell in love with Russell Westbrook, and how we should think about the last decade for the Thunder. Ball Four (42:50): Jim Bouton’s book exposed the underbelly of baseball, but it’s about so much more than ballplayer carousing. Afterballs (55:38): Stefan on Dick Young and Jim Bouton, and Josh on the Cricket World Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis talk about the U.S. national team’s triumph at the Women’s World Cup; Ethan Strauss joins to discuss Kawhi Leonard’s move to the Los Angeles Clippers; and Louisa Thomas assesses the rise of 15-year-old tennis sensation Coco Gauff. Women’s World Cup (02:41): How the USWNT won its fourth title and what the future holds for the team and for pro soccer in the U.S. Kawhi to the Clippers (21:41): Is his move (with Paul George) to L.A. good for the NBA or a sign of bad times ahead? Coco Gauff (46:57): How theteenager won our hearts at Wimbledon, and why we’re so delighted by tennis prodigies. Afterball (01:04:54): Josh on the Women’s World Cup before the Women’s World Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and Caitlin Murray discuss the U.S. women’s big win over France at the World Cup. Josh, Ben Mathis-Lilley, and Vinson Cunningham break down the big moves in NBA free agency. Finally, Josh and Ben are joined by the Guardian’s Nick Miller to assess baseball in London.Women’s World Cup (01:43): Breaking down the USA-France match and previewing the semifinal between the U.S. and England.NBA free agency (29:14): Why Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving went to Brooklyn and what will become of the Golden State Warriors. Baseball in London (51:32): A Brit on what it was like to watch the Boston Red Sox play the New York Yankees in England. Afterballs (67:35): Ben on the Knicks and Josh on a plane crash in Carroll, Iowa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices