Hang Up and Listen

Stefan Fatsis and guest host Mike Pesca discuss the start of the NBA conference finals and the debate over the debate over who’s the greatest, Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Stefan talks to Roger Bennett of Men In Blazers about Wayne Rooney’s reported move to America and Roger’s new book, Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica. And Stefan and Mike are joined by Nate DiMeo to discuss his essay in Mike’s new book, Upon Further Review, about the alternate history of tug-of-war. NBA (1:42): Stefan and Mike discuss Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Michael v. LeBron, and Charles v. Shaq.Wayne Rooney (22:04): Stefan and Roger Bennett of Men In Blazers talk about English striker Wayne Rooney’s reported move to D.C. United of Major League Soccer.Tug-of-War (40:24): Stefan and Mike talk to Nate DiMeo about imagining what would have happened if tug-of-war hadn’t been kicked out of the Olympics a century ago.Afterballs (56:01):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis is joined by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin to break down the epic buzzer-beater by LeBron James in Game 3 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference playoffs and by hockey writer Sean McIndoe to discuss the Stanley Cup playoffs. Slate’s Christina Cauterucci and Juliet Macur of the New York Times talk about the exploitative treatment of NFL cheerleaders. And ESPN’s Sam Miller explains how there were more strikeouts than hits in the major leagues in a month for the first time ever.LeBron (3:15): Stefan and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin conduct a forensic breakdown of LeBron James’s seemingly impossible game-winning shot against the Toronto Raptors.NHL playoffs (21:39): Stefan and hockey writer Sean McIndoe discuss the Vegas Golden Knights, the Winnipeg Jets, a rare playoff suspension, and Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins licking his opponents.Cheerleaders (43:50): Slate’s Christina Cauterucci and Juliet Macur of the New York Times talk with Stefan about Juliet’s reporting on the treatment of cheerleaders for Washington’s NFL teamBaseballs (1:01:32):  ESPN’s Sam Miller talks with Stefan about the decade-long rise in strikeouts and whether Major League Baseball needs to do something about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, Wosny Lambre, and Ethan Sherwood Strauss discuss the NBA playoffs. They also talk about Meek Mill’s release from prison and his relationship with the 76ers, and they ponder quarterback Josh Allen’s old, racial-slur-laden tweets. NBA playoffs (2:20): Josh, Wos, and Ethan assess the state of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the NBA’s most polarizing player, Russell Westbrook. They also examine LeBron James’ latest triumph and check in on the state of the Golden State Warriors. Meek Mill (22:35): Upon his release from prison, the Philadelphia rapper headed straight to the Sixers’ game against the Miami Heat. How did Mill forge such a tight connection with the team, and how did he become a cause célèbre for criminal justice reformers? Josh Allen (37:23): The Wyoming quarterback’s tweets were publicized the night before the NFL draft. Should we care about Allen’s social media misadventures, and how should we think about athletes’ old tweets more broadly? Afterballs (56:00):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss the NBA playoffs with Slate’s Nick Greene. The Irish Times’ Ken Early joins to talk about Arsene Wenger’s departure as Arsenal’s manager, and the MMQB’s Tim Rohan explores the history of the mock draft. NBA playoffs (2:00): The hosts are joined by Nick Greene to assess the first round, which has featured standout play from the Philadelphia 76ers, a shocking sweep by the New Orleans Pelicans, and LeBron James’ efforts to drag a subpar supporting cast past the Indiana Pacers. Arsene Wenger (21:25): Ken Early explains why the legendary Arsenal manager’s tenure went south and what his legacy will be in the Premier League. Mock drafts (40:30): Where did mock drafts come from and how have they eaten the world? Tim Rohan, who did an oral history of the mock draft for Sports Illustrated’s MMQB, comes on the show to explain. Afterballs (53:25):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss the musical Small Ball with Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell joins to talk about why the NFL is bad at scouting quarterbacks, and The Good Place’s Mike Schur explains his love for Dan Le Batard. Small Ball (1:55): The day after the Rockets’ win in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, general manager Daryl Morey talks about his passion for musical theater, which led him to commission a basketball-themed musical. Quarterbacks (18:00): Why can’t the NFL separate the Akili Smiths from the Carson Wentzes? Bill Barnwell crunched the numbers for ESPN and joins the show to theorize about why the league can’t figure out which signal-callers to draft. Dan Le Batard (37:39): Mike Schur, the creator of Parks and Recreation and The Good Place, discusses why he’s obsessed with the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and what makes it such a special radio show. Afterballs(57:17):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss Patrick Reed’s Masters win with Slate’s Jim Newell. The Toronto Star’s Bruce Arthur also joins to talk about the Humboldt bus crash, and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh helps assess Shohei Ohtahi’s amazing week. Masters (1:36): Jim Newell explains why first-time major champion Patrick Reed is so widely loathed, and they discuss whether we should be repulsed by Reed or feel bad for him. Canadian hockey tragedy (20:43): The bus crash in Saskatchewan that killed 10 youth hockey players and five adults joins a long list of horrifying sports accidents. Bruce Arthur and the hosts talk about the legacy of those events and the special place junior hockey holds in Canadian society. Baseball (31:26): Ben Lindbergh prognosticates about whether Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani can keep up his amazing pitching and hitting. They also chat about Giancarlo Stanton’s slow start and Gabe Kapler’s bizarre managing decisions. Afterballs(51:37):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis discuss the women’s NCAA tournament with Jere Longman and Kara Lawson. Patrick Fort also joins to talk about emergency hockey goalies, and they interview Jack Alexander and Bill Bunten about sports before Brown v. Board. NCAA Tournament (2:20): The New York Times’ Jere Longman and ESPN’s Kara Lawson come on the show for a conversation about the last three games of the women’s basketball tournament, all of which were decided at the buzzer.  Emergency Goalies (29:18): How did a full-time accountant end up playing goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks? Should baseball, football, and other sports have rules that allow non-professionals to suit up in an emergency? Sports Before School Desegregation (43:07): Jack Alexander played basketball for the all-black Ramblers. Bill Bunten played for the all-white Trojans. The two men reflect on sports before school desegregation, and how coaching legend Dean Smith helped integrate the Topeka High School basketball team. Afterballs(56:18):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin, ESPN’s Joel Anderson, and NPR’s Gene Demby discuss March Madness. They also talk about the sports world’s response to the police killing of Stephon Clark and how Kevin Love and DeMar Derozan started a conversation about mental health. NCAA Tournament (2:00): Josh, Joel, and Gene examine Loyola-Chicago’s Cinderella run to the Final Four, Duke’s ouster in the Elite Eight, and whether any women’s team other than the UConn matters. Stephon Clark (24:00): The hosts assess the sports world’s response the police killing of an unarmed black man in Sacramento, how activism is different in the NBA and NFL, and what it means that Eric Reid hasn’t yet been signed by an NFL team. Mental health in sports (38:00): Will Kevin Love’s Players’ Tribune piece help change the way we talk about athletes and masculinity? Should Royce White get more credit for starting the conversation about sports and mental health? Afterballs (52:30):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the New York Times’ Marc Tracy to discuss UMBC. Deadspin’s Dom Cosentino comes on to talk about Kirk Cousins’ new contract. Plus: Dave Kindred on covering girls’ high school basketball. NCAA (1:27): Stefan, Josh, and Marc Tracy of the New York Times recap the first weekend of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, including 16-seed UMBC’s historic win over 1-seed Virginia. Kirk Cousins (23:30): Stefan and Josh are joined by Dom Cosentino of Deadspin to discuss whether NFL players and agents will be emboldened by free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins’ groundbreaking guaranteed contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Dave Kindred (40:06): After retiring home to Illinois seven years ago, Dave Kindred began covering the local girls’ basketball team for fun. Then his wife suffered a massive stroke. Dave talks about the experience with Stefan and Josh. Afterballs( 56:30):  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis talk with Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley about the NCAA Tournament, Slate’s Jim Newell joins to talk about Tiger Woods’ comeback, and ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz assesses the Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets. March Madness (1:31):Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley chats with Josh and Stefan about how to be a college basketball fan without being a huge hypocrite. Plus: Can Penn become the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 in the history of the men’s tournament? Tiger Woods (19:47):Slate’s golf correspondent Jim Newell analyzes Woods’ second-place finish at the Valspar Championship, discusses Woods’ strange vocabulary, and looks at whether golf courses should be more patriotic. Raptors and Rockets (35:01): Kevin Arnovitz joins for a conversation about the NBA’s (maybe) two best teams. Are Toronto and Houston for real, and what explains their regular-season success? Afterballs (52:00): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices