Hang Up and Listen

Josh Levin, Ben Mathis-Lilley, and Slate’s Joel Anderson discuss Drew Brees becoming the NFL’s all-time passing yardage leader, the UFC fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor,  and college football at the season’s halfway point.Drew Brees (1:49): What does the New Orleans Saints quarterback’s success say about the NFL? And is his persona winning or grating?UFC (18:32): Was anyone seriously outraged by the melee after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s victory? And why weren’t more people outraged by McGregor’s actions before the fight?College football (32:02): Alabama is great again. Is Notre Dame any good? And will UCF ever get a shot at a championship?Afterballs(45:28): Ben on college football and TV commercials, Joel on ESPN’s Junior Seau documentary, and Josh on Alan Page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Deadspin’s Laura Wagner are joined by Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer to discuss the baseball playoffs, and by Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post to discuss New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Plus, a conversation with Jason Gay of the Wall Street Journal about  Gritty. Baseball (1:44): Can “bullpenning” carry the Oakland Athletics past the New York Yankees in the playoffs? And why were the Baltimore Orioles historically bad? Belichick (17:02): Bill Belichick talked to Sally Jenkins about the changing state of football and his obsessive approach to the game—but not his relationship with Tom Brady. Gritty (34:54): The Philadelphia Flyers’ new mascot, Gritty, is simultaneously terrifying and beloved. How did he become an overnight media darling? Afterballs (48:02): Laura on Johnny Manziel’s “letter” to Baker Mayfield and Stefan on the etymology of “bullpen.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Jim Newell to talk about Tiger Woods’ first win in five years. Plus, Lee Jenkins explains why he left Sports Illustrated to take a job with the Los Angeles Clippers’, and Jonathan Hock discusses his documentary 14 Back.Tiger Woods (1:19): It had been 1,876 days since Woods won a golf tournament. Why did it mean so much to see him back on top of the game he’s dominated for decades?Lee Jenkins (22:10): SI’s longtime lead NBA writer decided to leave that gig to become the Clippers’ executive director of research and identity. Why’d he make the move? Also, what’s an executive director of research and identity?14 Back  (42:15): Jonathan Hock’s latest film is about the rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees and the classic one-game playoff in 1978 in which Bucky Bleeping Dent played a starring role.Afterballs(1:03:00): Stefan on Bucky Dent’s bat and Josh on an American star in Australian Rules Football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss Vontae Davis’ mid-game retirement and Le’Veon Bell’s holdout, Outside Magazine’s Alex Hutchinson talks about Eliud Kipchoge’s new marathon world record, and Aaron Gordon assesses The Athletic as a business and editorial venture.Vontae Davis and Le’Veon Bell (1:25): Davis’ sudden exit from the league and Bell’s refusal to suit up without getting a long-term contract show the limits of player solidarity in the NFL.Eliud Kipchoge (21:27): The 33-year-old Kenyan has won 10 of the 11 marathons he’s entered. Alex Hutchinson explains what makes him so great and how he destroyed the world record.The Athletic (39:31): Will the new media outlet save sports journalism or destroy it? Aaron Gordon’s non-hot take: The answer is somewhere in between.Afterballs(59:47): Stefan on live retweets of high school football carnage and Josh on the pleasures of airplane mode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and guest host Vann Newkirk of the Atlantic are joined by the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas to discuss Serena Williams and the 2018 U.S. Open final. They’re also joined by Slate’s Derreck Johnson to assess LeBron James’ HBO series The Shop.Serena Williams (1:02): What happened in the 2018 U.S. Open final between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, and how we should think about the confrontation between Williams and chair umpire Carlos Ramos.The Shop (44:50): LeBron’s new show debuted with an episode featuring Snoop Dogg, Draymond Green, and Jon Stewart. Is it any good?Afterballs(1:04:05): Vann on men’s doubles and Josh on eight-peats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Deadspin’s Laura Wagner to discuss Colin Kaepernick and Nike. Mark Leibovich also joins to talk about his new book on the NFL, Big Game. Finally, they interview the Washington Post’s Dave Sheinin about his piece on a baseball player who came agonizingly close to making the majors.Kaepernick and Nike (1:21): How cynical should we about this alliance between athlete and corporation? And how surprising is it that Nike struck a deal with the leader of the NFL’s social justice protests?Big Game (16:15): Mark Leibovich spent years chatting with NFL owners and chasing commissioner Roger Goodell and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Here’s what he learned.Brian Mazone (38:14): What goes through a baseball player’s mind when he comes up just short of his lifelong dream?Afterballs (51:46): Stefan on his baller mom and Josh on turnover props. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Jessica Luther to discuss Ohio State’s decision not to fire its football coach Urban Meyer; Stefan talks to John Branch about competitive Rubik’s cube solving; and the hosts play two of their favorite Slate Plus segments from 2018, on the perils of co-ed sports and Chinese NBA nicknames.Ohio State (2:53): What does it say about college football that Ohio State chose to suspend, but not fire, Urban Meyer for his failure to do much of anything about domestic abuse allegations against an assistant coach?Speedcubing (21:35): John Branch talks about the subculture of speedcubing, his son’s fascination with the Rubik’s cube, and the autistic teenager who can twirl a cube faster than anyone in the world.Co-ed sports (40:10): Slate’s Christina Cauterucci joins to discuss the lessons she learned as a 9-year-old girl on a co-ed soccer team.Chinese NBA nicknames (56:10):Stefan and Mike Pesca discuss their favorites. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by The Root’s Damon Young to discuss Jalen Ramsey, Jarvis Landry, and the state of NFL trash talk. They also talk about major rule changes in college basketball, and the Athletic’s Dana O’Neil joins to assess the future of UMBC basketball. NFL trash talk (1:52): Jalen Ramsey gave his honest opinion about a handful of NFL quarterbacks. Should more players adopt his approach? And is Jarvis Landry’s rant what the Cleveland Browns needed? College basketball (24:04): Are the NCAA’s moves to allow players to sign with agents and to test the waters of the NBA draft a step in the right direction? UMBC (38:08): The No. 16 seed made history by beating No. 1 Virginia in the NCAA tournamentT Where can the Retrievers go from here? Afterballs (56:25): Stefan on plaques in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Josh on Marge Schott, and Damon on Zion Williamson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Jim Newell to discuss Tiger Woods’ near-win at the PGA Championship, SB Nation’s Spencer Hall talks about toxic college football cultures, and ESPN’s Sam Miller assesses the effectiveness of shifts in baseball. PGA (2:15): Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship, but all eyes were on runner-up Tiger Woods. Is Tiger really back? And will Koepka finally get his time in the spotlight? College football (20:25): Has DJ Durkin coached his last game at Maryland? And why are we only hearing about the program’s abusive culture now? Defensive shifts (42:25): Shifts have been around for decades, but their use has skyrocketed in recent years. How effective are they? And do they suppress offense or boost it? Afterballs (58:19): Stefan on a recent Scrabble triumph and Josh on a teenage pole-vaulting prodigy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin is joined by Deadspin’s Laura Wagner and the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham to talk about Urban Meyer’s possible ouster at Ohio State, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Terrell Owens and Ray Lewis, and the NFL’s new helmet rule.Urban Meyer (1:40): Ohio State has placed its head coach on administrative leave. Does that signal a societal shift in how institutions handle domestic violence?Pro Football Hall of Fame (23:36): Terrell Owens’ solo ceremony was a strange spectacle. So was Ray Lewis’ long speech in Canton, Ohio. What should we make of both players’ performances on stage and in their careers?Helmet rule (40:10): Will the NFL’s new ban on leading with the head change the game or will the league forget about enforcing it once the regular season begins?Afterballs (49:39): Laura stumps for the demise of five-set tennis matches, Vinson revels in watching NBA players destroy small children, and Josh describes the joys of the 2016 Classic Tetris World Championship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices