Crunching Tackles

What makes a great coach? If you were designing the ideal head coach or manager, what would the blueprint look like? That's exactly what John and Chad figure out this week, as they identify the best coaches in sports and what makes them that way. This week, we discuss:

3:10 — The podcast's King Richard review (available to stream on HBO Max)

7:30 — Why John should watch Hawkeye

8:38 — A look at the college football playoff contenders, and two big name coaches make a team change.

21:55 — THE BIG ISSUE: The blueprints of a great head coach.

As always, make sure to share this episode if you enjoyed it, and give us a follow on all our social media platforms!

You have probably heard about the mysterious circumstances surrounding the disappearance of tennis superstar Peng Shuai, following her accusation of sexual assault against a high-ranking Chinese government official. What do we know so far about Shuai's situation, and how should the sports community deal with regimes like China? This week, we discuss:

1:00 — Pop culture roundup

7:37 — Where is Peng Shuai, why is she missing, and what has the WTA done about it?

18:26 — What is the moral and acceptable way for sporting bodies to deal with powerful regimes like China? Can sports be an avenue for change in China, or should sports cut ties with countries with a pattern of abuse?

As always, make sure to share this episode if you enjoyed it, and give us a follow on all our social media platforms!

How are different sports leagues handling the COVID-19 vaccine? Is it legal and acceptable to mandate that players and staff be vaccinated? What about when an athlete's personal choice hurts their team? This week, we discuss:

1:05 — The Dune book

3:!5 — Marvel's Eternals, and public figures we want in the MCU.

9:22 — What is going on in the NFL this season?

23:27 — Mandatory vaccinations and sports.

As always, make sure to share this episode if you enjoyed it, and give us a follow on all our social media platforms!

Why are sports commissioners so unpopular these days? 

Chad and John take a look at the frustrating alternate world commissioners seem to live in and ask how the position should change. We examine NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's disastrous press conference in response to sexual assault allegations, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's mishandling of the All-Star Game, and much more. 

In a world where empathy and compassion seem to be the best PR strategy, are our sports commissioners getting it all horribly wrong? 

Find out (and hear our thoughts on the World Series) in this week's episode! 

On today's pod, Chad and John discuss the ways social media have changed sports, from the way fans enjoy sports content, to the way the media covers sports, to the way athletes themselves interact on Twitter and other social media accounts. We answer questions like, "Is Social Media responsible for declining TV ratings?" "Does journalism still matter if athletes can talk directly to fans?" and "Why do athletes respond to Twitter trolls?" Before this conversation, Chad gives a spoiler-free review of Dune!

As always, make sure to share this episode if you enjoyed it, and give us a follow on all our social media platforms!

How did sports video games transform the way sports entered mainstream pop culture? What do professional athletes think about playing as themselves in video games? Can EA Sports make a good soccer game without "FIFA"? This week, we discuss:

3:37 — Squid Game, both as a show and as a cultural phenomenon.

9:42 — Our No Time To Die reviews.

12:30 — THE STORY: Sports video games, content streaming and FIFA.

36:30 — JOHN'S VAR CORNER: COVID-19 vaccine mandates for athletes and coaches.

46:15 — CHAD'S VAR CORNER: Jon Gruden leaving the Las Vegas Raiders because of his email scandal.

As always, make sure to share this episode if you enjoyed it, and give us a follow on all our social media platforms!

In a bombshell report, the Athletic detailed numerous sexual abuse and coercion allegations against former NWSL coach Paul Riley. What is the significance of these allegations, and how can these issues be eliminated in the future? Also, breaking news on the podcast as Saudi Arabia finally get their foot into the Premier League ownership club. What does this mean for Newcastle fans? This week, we discuss:

0:57 — Our excitement levels for Daniel Craig's final James Bond performance in No Time To Die.

4:50 — Newcastle United and the takeover by Saudi Arabia.

14:37 — THE STORY: The National Woman's Soccer League and sexual abuse allegations.

40:06 — Part 2: The boys take the role of the Watcher, and correct some historic injustices.

As always, make sure to share this episode if you enjoyed it, and give us a follow on all our social media platforms!

What motivates a team's decisions? It is success, marketing, profit? How do athletes help both the branding and success of a team, and what's the balance between those two objectives? This week, we discuss:

- Branding vs. Success

- Do superteams really work?

- VAR Corner with the Super Bowl halftime show, an athlete tribute, and some James Bond talk.

As always, make sure to share this episode if you enjoyed it, and give us a follow on all our social media platforms!

Barcelona is widely considered one of the two most successful and well-known sporting franchises in the world. That fact makes their competitive and financial collapse all the more significant. Chad and John are back to diagnose the problems Barcelona are facing, and compare that with some of the historical sporting collapses of our time. This week, we discuss:

- Ted Lasso at the Emmys

- A brief book report

- The symptoms and signs of sporting collapse.

As always, make sure to share this episode if you enjoyed it, and give us a follow on all our social media platforms!

Rarely does a US Open tournament begin with as much hype and headlines surrounding it as this years' event. Even more rarely does the competition deliver on every single expectation. The 2021 US Open was packed with stories, both on and off the court, and the boys are here to break the whole thing down. This week, we discuss:

3:37 — Two quick baseball and football stories of the week.

5:53 — Our four minute review of Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings.

9:58 — THE STORY Pt. 1: The US Open Men's Tournament.

21:49 — THE STORY Pt. 2: The US Open Women's Tournament.

37:44 — John's VAR Corner: Danill Medvedev—Gaming King.

39:45 — Chad's VAR Corner: The Manning Brothers take the airwaves.

As always, make sure to share this episode if you enjoyed it, and give us a follow on all our social media platforms!