Crunching Tackles

Last Tuesday, LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the player with the most points in NBA history. This momentous achievement gives us the chance to discuss the significance of the record for LeBron, and his complicated relationship with the man he took the record from. This week, we discuss:

2:30 — Is the European Super League back? A new proposal has revised the original Super League in a continued effort to reinvent global soccer.

15:30 — The Premier League has filed over 100 complaints of financial misconduct against Manchester City. We explain what these allegations mean and discuss the worst case scenario for the club.

21:45 — Chad's final Super Bowl notes.

25:30 — The Brooklyn Nets have offloaded their two superstars to other teams, and we discuss the exodus of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant from NYC to their new teams.

23:30: BIG STORY — LeBron James has the most points in NBA history. What does this record mean for his legacy, his relationship with Kareem, and the sport as a whole?

56:50 — We review the first installment of Break Point, the tennis documentary series on Netflix.

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In many ways, NFL head coaches operate like military generals. They delegate to subordinates, scheme and create tactical plans, and motivate the players they lead. So who are some of the NFL head coaches that resemble specific generals? This week, we discuss:

1:30 — Tom Brady retired from the NFL again, so we say anything that we want to add from the last time we discussed this retirement...exactly one year ago.

14:35 — We preview the Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.

26:00: BIG STORY — Assigning military generals for current and a few former head coaches, including Andy Reid, Bill Belichick, Dan Campbell, and many more.

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January has been filled with headlines about domestic violence allegations against prominent sports figures. Why do we keep seeing more stories like this? Do sports have a domestic violence problem? And how should leagues and organizations punish people with these allegations? This week, we discuss:

2:30 — Netflix has released a new show about tennis, Break Point, as well as the trailer for an upcoming PGA documentary, Full Swing. We discuss the insights these shows will provide and what we are looking forward to watching them.

8:00 — Australian Open 2023 preview.

11:30 — NFL playoff preview.

24:00: BIG STORY — We analyze the facts and responses for three domestic violence situations. First, Trevor Bauer was cut by the Dodgers after his suspension was shortened (25:15). Next, Dana White refused to punish himself after a video surfaced of him abusing his wife (35:00). And finally, Chris Beard was fired as head coach of Texas basketball following an arrest on domestic violence charges (46:15).

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Damar Hamlin suffered a severe and scary injury during Monday Night Football. He suffered cardiac arrest and had CPR performed on him. We are examining this story, the reaction, and the wider conversation of player health in football. This week, we discuss:

0:56: BIG STORY — Damar Hamlin's injury was scary in the moment, and in the aftermath the NFL postponed Monday Night Football. There was an outpouring of support for Hamlin and also for the coverage by ESPN. And this incident continues the ongoing conversation about the risk of playing football and if it is really worth the risk.

42:03 — The USMNT is in crisis, as Giovani Reyna's family publicly feud with Gregg Berhalter, the head coach of the team. We discuss both sides of this story, the personal confessions by Berhalter, and why this is such a bad look for the Reyna family.

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On Sunday, France and Argentina will face off in the World Cup Final. The knockout rounds of the tournament were filmed with drama, and controversy, and we look back on the previous week's games, and then project forward to the upcoming final. This week, we discuss:

4:54: Brittany Griner has returned to America as part of a prisoner exchange. We discuss Griner's return to the states, who America left behind, and what the cost was to secure her return.

18:03: Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, was caught up a recent controversy when a picture of him in the 1950s emerged showing him at a desegregation of a school in Arkansas. Is this a real controversy, and has any damage been done to Jones' reputation?

32:40: BIG STORY—World Cup Headlines. First, we reflect on the life and career of Grant Wahl, who tragically passed away while covering the World Cup in Qatar. Next, we look back on the previous rounds of action and preview the upcoming final between France and Argentina (37:37).

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It wasn't easy, and it certainly wasn't stress-free, but the USA have advanced to the knockout rounds of the World Cup. Chad and John discuss what we can be confident about the team, and where we should be nervous. This week, we discuss:

4:05: The USA navigated their group stage and advanced. We look at the best games, the standout players, and how we match up against our next opponent: the Netherlands.

21:30: We look at the rest of the tournament and see who has impressed us, and who has let us down. We grade our own previous expectations, talk about some teams who have surprised us, and amend our favorites to win the whole tournament.

30:30: BIG STORY—World Cup Headlines. First, we look at the shocking decision by Qatar to ban beer from the stadium just 2 days before the first game. Then, we examine FIFA's response to LGBTQ+ protests, specifically how they stopped players from wearing rainbow colored armbands (35:54). And lastly, we look at Iran, who played a very controversial game against the USA in the wake of mass protests back home (44:00).

54:45: Andor season finale and season review!

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The 2022 World Cup starts in just a few short days, and Chad and John are here to prepare you for the biggest event in the world. Before talking about the games themselves, we first look at the controversies surrounding this World Cup, and the issues fans might face in Qatar. This week, we discuss:

2:40: Reacting to Brittany Griner and the beginning of her prison sentence in a Russian penal colony.

10:38: Kyrie Irving gets suspended and lost his partnership with Nike. Was this punishment enough? And why don't some sports figures think he should have been punished at all?

22:22: The NFL plays in Germany

24:26: BIG STORY—First, we look at the corruption that allowed Qatar to host the World Cup, and the human rights issues that have been part of the building process. We also look at what fans should expect who travel to watch in person. Then (39:44), we break down the groups, the contenders, the underdogs, and how well we should expect the USA to do!

1:01:07: Andor Episode 10 recap and endorsement.

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Kyrie Irving posted a dangerous, antisemitic "documentary" on his Twitter account, and defiantly stood behind his decision for several days. When punishment finally came, he offered an apology, but the damage was already done. What should the Brooklyn Nets do about this situation, and has player empowerment finally gone too far? This week, we discuss:

4:20: Recap of the first four games of the World Series

7:03: Dan Snyder is pursuing new ownership for the Washington Commanders. Is this finally going to solve the image problem for the league? And also, how much is the team really worth?

12:21: BIG STORY—Kyrie Irving promoted antisemitic resources on his social media, and this happened in the wake of a larger conversation about anti-Jewish hatred spewed by Ye (formerly Kanye West), and violence against Jews being at an all-time high in America. We factcheck the baseless claims Irving promoted, and examine what consequences he should face.

56:00: Andor Episode 9 recap and endorsement.

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The NFL season is only seven weeks in, but there have already been plenty of drama and controversy. Three teams have risen to the top of the power rankings, while both teams from New York have exceeded expectations. But speaking of expectations, both the Packers and the Buccaneers have underperformed so far. This week, we discuss:

3:45: Chad previews the 2022 World Series between the Astros and the Phillies, and gives his series predictions.

8:06: BIG STORY—What has been going on in the NFL season so far? We discuss the highlights and the lowlights, and debate who have emerged as early contenders for the Super Bowl.

42:30: Andor discussion of the first seven episodes and our overall impression of the show so far.

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The National Women's Soccer League published a 300-page investigation into sexual abuse allegations throughout the league. The document accuses owners, managers, and coaches or abusing or enabling the abuse of soccer players for a decade. This week, we discuss:

4:14: We open with a conversation about why the NFL's primetime games aren't living up to the hype, and speak again about the league's concussion protocol after there were some agreed-upon changes. 

23:10: BIG STORY—The NWSL Report. What are the most important parts of this investigation? How has the league and players responded? And how can we move forward from these discoveries?

47:22: The Rings of Power Season 1 Finale Recap!

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