Cleats by Dre

Notre Dame's playoff hopes are alive, I make one of my boldest claims ever about this College Football Playoff, and then dive into what it’ll take for the Irish to knock off Georgia in a high-stakes CFP showdown. First, though, it’s time to honor the one and only Rickey Henderson—a celebration of stolen bases, swagger, and the art of being a true leadoff king.

01:20 Rickey

10:40 Notre Dame v. Indiana Recap

15:35 The wild proclamation about this year's CFP field that I challenge you to refute me on

22:00 Looking Ahead To The Sugar Bowl And How The Irish Can (Will?) Win

(Episode art generated by ChatGPT with my best prompting efforts)

In this episode of Cleats by Dre, I preview the inaugural College Football Playoff first-round matchup on a college campus between Notre Dame and Indiana, hosted in South Bend, Indiana. These collegiate neighbors bring new significance to their histories with the stakes higher than ever, as ND looks to break its postseason slump vs. top ten teams while Indiana attempts to prove itself on the national stage. With equally fattened up 11-1 records, there's quite a bit of unknowns here, but I'll run a tale of the tape and make a pick.

(2:10) Quick acknowledgement of the play of the week (from college soccer)

(5:50) Previewing Notre Dame vs. Indiana

(Episode art courtesy of ChatGPT with my finest (free) prompting attempts)

This episode dives into the Mets' blockbuster acquisition of Juan Soto (!!!) and the bold $765M deal that shook the league. After some quick college football updates, I unpack why I think the Mets won the bidding war, analyze the contract, and wax poetic about what it means for the league - and for me as a fan.

(3:10) College Football Talk: Notre Dame, Playoff Seeding, The Tarholes

(12:00) Singing Juan Soto's Praises

(16:45) Why He Chose The Mets Over The Yanks

(27:30) Is The Contract An Overpay?

(38:00) What This Deal Will Mean For MLB Going Forward

(42:05) What It Means For Me

(Cover art created by ChatGPT and my ever-improving prompting skills using my 3 free attempts)

I dive into the struggles of the New York Jets with my fellow neighborhood dad and longtime Jets fan, James. Together, we dissect the team's disappointing season, rank levels of blame, and try to figure out if we want our kids to root for the poverished teams we follow - or if we follow them to newer pastures. Despite the frustration, we explore where Jets fans might still find hope for the future.

1:30 Quick Takes On Notre Dame Football, the Mets, the Knicks, Duke Basketball

12:20 A Cleats By Dre first! In-Studio Interview With My Good Pal James, Starting With His Origins As A Fan

20:35 This Season: How Disappointing, And Who To Blame?

33:00 Going A Bit Deeper Into Defense, Offense And Describing Aaron Rodgers In One Word (SFW)

45:00 Starting To Look Ahead

(Episode art brought to you by free version of ChatGPT using my finest prompting attempts)

Listen in as I dive into what I’m most thankful for this season across my favorite teams. From a RB's electrifying runs at Notre Dame to the Knicks’ historic offensive evolution, there’s plenty to celebrate—but Duke’s struggles and the Giants’ draft drama add a dose of reality (though a former Cowboy will facilitate the next era).

2:30 Notre Dame's Star To Love

8:30 Tough Lessons To Be Learned For Duke

13:30 A Legendary Knicks Team (On One Side Of The Court)

21:10 Giants Readying To Take Their Long Shot

Cover art courtesy of the finest prompting efforts of ChatGPT...

The 3 pointer has taken over the NBA full-stop - thrilling youngbloods and frustrating oldbloods alike. In this episode, we dive into its impact on the game, from strategic brilliance to claims of monotony - and make a call as to what, if anything, the league should do. Is the reliance on the long ball elevating basketball—or causing viewers to tune out?

(1:15) Weekly Roundup: Catching up on our teams: Notes on Knicks, Duke, Notre Dame, Giants, Jets - with life updates mixed in

(20:00) Is the rise in 3 point shots hurting the NBA product?

(23:05) Looking back at the rise of the 3 pointer

(30:25) Causes of the leaguewide surge in 3 point attempts

(32:45) Looking at jersey sales as a proxy for popularity

(37:00) Getting to my verdict

Today I reunite with some of my Duke crew to preview the Blue Devils' upcoming season. Together, we discuss our fandom, dive into key storylines, look at all the newcomers Coach Scheyer has assembled for his third season, and make some - mostly glowing - predictions. Give a listen to the only panel conversation that can range from KenPom ratings to Shooter II Nightclub ratings. Enjoy some college basketball!

(2:38) Intro's and Memories: Blue Devil Joys, Despair, And Its Role In Our Decisions To Enroll at Duke

(14:30) Changing Times: How NIL And Transfers Shape Duke

(25:00) Setting Expectations: Where The Duke Program Fits in the National Picture

(29:40) This Season's Key Storylines To Watch: Defense, Flagg, Scheyer

(40:36) Amin Introduces Us To "Chubby Redick" While Also Learning His Actual Name

(46:08) Key Player Profile: Proctor

(52:25) Breaking Down the Schedule, Predictions & Final Thoughts

In this episode, we cosplay general manager as we review player-by-player the bountiful MLB offseason free agent market - with projected contracts - and make our picks for how to spend Steve Cohen's money. Juan Soto?!?! What about Pete Alonso?!?! And how about a surprise trade?

(1:45) Brief Post-Election Thoughts

(7:05) Reviewing The Mets Circumstances And Needs Heading Into The Offseason

(19:18) Shopping Among The Top 50 Free Agents

(33:00) Recap! (And We Make A Trade!)

In this episode, I explore the impact of narcissistic traits on NBA team dynamics, based on a study analyzing thousands of tweets and profile pictures from the 2013-14 season (be forewarned, Knicks fans). Findings reveal that teams with lower narcissism levels in players tend to coordinate better over time, leading to higher performance and playoff potential. I then ask ChatGPT to identify the most and least narcissist players in today's NBA and see if the findings jive.

(0:00) Intro & Show Update (moving to weekly format)

(3:00) Reviewing The Study "How Narcissists Block Teams from Success"

(10:40) AI Assist: Applying The Findings To Today's NBA Players

Giants lose. Yankees lose. Knicks lose. On the back of a nail-in-the-coffin Jets loss. We, the New York Delegation, request no more sports equinoxes. We need to stagger these L's.

Join me as I commiserate the Jets, Giants, and Yanks one more time before I most likely bid adieu to them until next season.

(0:45) No More Equinoxes, Sports Commissioner Sirs

(7:00) An Apology to Jets Fans

(11:48) Same Old Giants Quarterback Play

(14:42) An Incomplete Yankees Team On a Path To Getting Swept