Hang Up and Listen

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ThinkProgress’ Lindsay Gibbs to discuss the Kansas City Chiefs’ decision to cut Kareem Hunt. The New York Times’ Marc Tracy also joins to talk about Alabama’s comeback win in the SEC title game and Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl helps assess Gregg Berhalter, the new head coach of the U.S. men’s soccer team. Kareem Hunt (3:19): The NFL clearly screwed up its investigation into Hunt’s offseason incidents. But what’s a better way to investigate off-field conduct? Alabama (22:51): Backup quarterback Jalen Hurts led the Crimson Tide to victory. Should he be celebrated for his decision not to transfer? Gregg Berhalter (42:20): U.S. Soccer’s hiring process was awful, but how will Berhalter be as a coach? Afterballs (57:27): Stefan on Mongolian knuckle-bone shooting and Josh on the worst season ever by an NFL quarterback. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by SB Nation’s Spencer Hall to discuss Texas A&M’s seven-overtime win over LSU. Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal also joins to talk about the chaos in Argentina surrounding a soccer match between Boca Juniors and River Plate. And Jim Newell assesses The Match between Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.College overtime (1:23): Football players are not built to run around for seven extra periods. Also, 146 points is a lot of points.Copa Libertadores (18:29): What is it about soccer in Argentina that makes violence such an enduring part of the sport, and is there anything anyone can do to fix it?Tiger vs. Phil (33:57): “The Match” was a debacle. What will sports leagues and sports executives learn from it?Afterballs (50:11): Stefan on Olivier Giroud’s meaty French forehead and Josh on the Battle of the Bones trophy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Athletic’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss to discuss Draymond Green’s beef with Kevin Durant. Oliver Roeder of FiveThirtyEight also joins to talk about the World Chess Championship and the Atlantic’s Derek Thompson talks about income inequality in youth sports.Draymond vs. KD (2:40): Will interpersonal strife tear the Golden State Warriors apart, or is this just a small bump on the road to another championship?Chess (22:46): Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana have played eight games, all eight of which have ended in draws. Are we having fun yet??Youth sports (41:40): Kids from wealthy families are playing sports at increasing rates, while participation is dropping for kids from lower-income families. What’s the solution?Afterballs (1:03:50): Stefan talks to Brin-Jonathan Butler about his book The Grandmaster and Josh on a strange college basketball upset. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Wall Street Journal’s Ben Cohen to discuss Duke freshman Zion Williamson and the video game–like NBA and NFL. Baseball writer Rob Neyer also joins to discuss Bill James’ claim that baseball players are replaceable.Zion Williamson (4:09): After two games, the Duke star looks like the greatest athlete in the history of basketball. Where can he possibly go from here?Sports as video games (19:55): Record-setting offenses in the NBA and NFL owe a lot to NBA Jam and Madden. How far will sports go in mirroring their video game counterparts?Bill James (37:06): The legendary iconoclast said, “If the players all retired tomorrow, we would replace them, the game would go on.” Is he right?Afterballs (58:58): Stefan on the next “next Bobby Fischer” and Josh on the case for NFL running backs to take performance-enhancing drugs.This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers:  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Washington Post’s Rick Maese to talk about the state of the Maryland football program after DJ Durkin’s firing. Slate’s Nick Greene also joins to discuss Buffalo Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman and Bleacher Report’s Mirin Fader explains why WNBA players opted out of their collective bargaining agreement.Maryland (1:07): Maryland suspended D.J. Durkin, then reinstated him, then fired him. Rick Maese explains how the process played out and why Durkin ultimately got ousted.Nathan Peterman (21:18): The Buffalo Bills quarterback is, by some measures, the worst quarterback ever. Why does it bring us so much joy to watch someone who’s so bad at his job?WNBA (36:25): The world’s best women basketball players want higher salaries and better treatment. Will they get what they’re after given that the WNBA perennially loses money?Afterballs (54:27): Stefan on why high school football teams are forfeiting games and Josh on UConn football coach Randy Edsall’s bizarre incentive-laden contract. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by ESPN’s Sam Miller to discuss Boston’s fourth World Series title in 15 years. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin also joins to talk about LeBron and the Lakers, and the Ringer’s Kevin Clark explains why NFL coaches are finally getting aggressive on fourth down.World Series (3:31): How the Red Sox won a championship, how David Price got vindication, and how Dodgers manager Dave Roberts got criticized for removing Rich Hill from Game 4.Lakers (21:07): The Lakers are off to a 2-4 start. How is LeBron’s team looking, and what’s the nature of the media scrum around basketball’s biggest star? Plus, why did LeBron’s old team fire its head coach Tyronn Lue?Aggressive NFL coaches (35:37): How coaches stopped worrying and starting going for it on fourth down and going for two-point conversions with increasing abandon.Afterballs (54:57): Stefan on the historical significance of Arizona’s Warren Ballpark and Josh on kicker Morten Andersen’s single “Take It to the Top.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis is joined by Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer and Emma Baccellieri of Sports Illustrated to discuss the baseball playoffs; by author Michael Sokolove and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports to talk about college basketball’s corruption trial; and by writer Liam Boylan-Pett and history professor Louis Moore to discuss Bob Beamon’s record-shattering long jump and his underreported civil-rights protest at the 1968 Olympics.Baseball (1:01): The Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers are meeting in the World Series as the two hottest, and probably the two best, teams in baseball.Basketball trial (23:55): The federal government’s case against three bit players in the business of college basketball player recruiting masks the actual problem with the sport: the NCAA.Bob Beamon (47:43): Sports fans are familiar with Bob Beamon’s record long jump at the Olympics in Mexico City 50 years ago. But his medal-stand protest was overshadowed by that of Tommie Smith and John Carlos.Afterballs (1:05:38): Stefan talks about whether boys should be allowed to play on girls’ field-hockey teams—and a gripping game in which one was.This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers: Simplisafe. Start protecting your home today at Simplisafe.com/HANGUP.Bombas, the most comfortable socks in the history of feet. For 20% off your first order, go to bombas.com/hangup and use code hangup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Yahoo’s Jeff Passan to discuss Red Sox pitcher David Price’s October awfulness. ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle talks about why Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew are staying in Ohio, and Deadspin’s Dvora Meyers assesses gymnast Simone Biles. Baseball playoffs (3:20): Why have David Price and Clayton Kershaw been so much worse in the playoffs than in the regular season? And will the Milwaukee Brewers’ bullpen-first strategy come back to haunt them? Columbus Crew (21:22): The Major League Soccer franchise was supposed to move to Austin. How did Columbus manage to keep its team? Simone Biles (38:48): The reigning Olympic gold medalist is still taking gymnastics to new heights. She’s also getting more comfortable speaking out in public. Afterballs(58:42): Stefan on the UEFA Nations League and Josh on an obituary cliché. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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