Crunching Tackles

The Premier League title came down to the final day, but it never really felt close. Manchester City won their fourth consecutive title, and we are here to figure out what all the other teams need to do to challenge the champs. On today's episode, we discuss:

4:26 - We take a look at the NBA Playoffs, focusing on the Denver Nuggets Game 7 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

10:20 - We react to the reports that TNT might lose the rights to the NBA, and what that would mean for Inside the NBA, the greatest tv show in sports.

15:00 - Scottie Scheffler was arrested before his second round of the PGA Championship. We react to the arrest, the cultural context behind it, and why Scheffler continues to impress us.

31:30 - THE BIG STORY: We analyze the Premier League, starting with what City did to win, why Arsenal came up short, and why there don't seem to be many top teams ready to challenge for the title.

51:20 - We end by paying tribute to Jurgen Klopp, who has left Liverpool with a historic legacy.

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Scottie Scheffler won the 2024 Masters Tournament, but he wanted to talk about something different: his faith in God. So we are going to spend some time discussing the various intersections between religion and sports. On today's episode, we discuss:

2:45 - We take a brief look at the collapse of PSG in France and look ahead to a very tense week for Arsenal fans.

8:20 - We recap The Roast of Tom Brady on Netflix. We examine the cultural significance of roasts, Tom Brady agreeing to be part of it, and go through some of the highlights from the night.

27:00 - THE BIG STORY: We talk about Scottie Scheffler and how he credits his faith in God with his on-course success. We examine the role of religion in sports historically, and the various ways athletes have tried to navigate living their faiths publicly in culture.

1:10:00 - We review Shōgun, the excellent Japanese period show on Hulu.

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

As sports gambling continues to dominate our culture, we take a closer look at the issues surrounding sports betting. We react to how the sports leagues and sports media have responded, as well as offer some legislative suggestions on how to fix some of the most problematic issues. On today's episode, we discuss:

1:30 - We start with a really quick look at the NBA Playoffs and the matchups that are sticking out to us in round 1.

7:00 - We dive deep into sports gambling, starting with the lifetime ban issues by the NBA to Jontay Porter. We then look at what leagues, players, and media have done to cause these problems, and what they could do to mitigate the risk. Finally, we offer some suggestions for legislation that could help control gambling.

1:00:17 - We review Alex Garland's CIVIL WAR, and the conversations the film has created in our culture.

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

For the first time in television history, the women's NCAA basketball championship had more viewership than the men's. What does this mean for the future of the game? How important is this breakthrough in the present? On today's episode, we discuss:

8:15 - We start with the women's tournament, talking about South Carolina's dominance, Caitlin Clark's unprecedented greatness, and the breakthrough in attention the women's game has received.

29:40 - We turn to the men's tournament, talking about Dan Hurley and UConn, the changing of the guard in the sport, and if the tournament format needs to be changed.

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

Major League Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani has been implicated in a major sports gambling story concerning his professional interpreter. While it seems like at the moment Ohtani is unscathed, this investigation opens the door into a wider conversation about sports gambling in our culture. On today's episode, we discuss:

3:45 - March Madness Opening Weekend and previewing the Sweet 16! The basketball has been amazing, and we will be recording soon after the national championship game on April 8.

10:00 - THE BIG STORY: Shohei Ohtani's interpreter has confessed to amassing massive gambling debts and stealing from Ohtani to pay off his bookies. MLB is investigating this story, and so are we, as we discuss what we know right now, what we don't know yet, and what this story indicates about the problems when sports and gambling merge.

27:00 - We take the sports gambling story to a wider level, talking about the rise of gambling in our culture, the dangers of sports gambling, and how it makes the roles of athletes, sports leagues, and even politicians trickier to understand.

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

The world's most controversial sport is enmeshed in one of its biggest controversies to date. Christian Horner—the team principal of Red Bull F1 racing—has held onto his job despite a tremendous amount of scrutiny. On today's episode, we discuss:

3:45 - We briefly recap the Oscars, covering subjects like Oppenheimer, Ryan Gosling, Lily Gladstone, and the controversial acceptance speech by Jonathan Glazer.

15:30 - Sports betting has come to North Carolina, and the online platforms are using some very creative ways to get people hooked. We talk about these marketing strategies, the risk of sports gambling, and Chad wins a bet during recording.

29:00 - We check in with college basketball, starting first with the extraordinary season by Caitlin Clark. She's the biggest star in the sport and has even overshadowed the men's game—which we confess we haven't paid that much attention to this year.

37:00 - Christian Horner survived an in-depth investigation this offseason into alleged controlling behavior and inappropriate text messages on his part. Most shockingly, Red Bull has recently suspended the alleged victim of this behavior, and are at risk of losing their elite driver, Max Verstappen.

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

Dune 2 is finally here! After a months-long delay, the much anticipated sequel film has arrived and we are here to break it all down in this special bonus edition of Crunching Tackles.

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The most recent incident of court-storming by a student section in college basketball has ignited a huge debate about the future of this behavior. So we had to way in. On today's episode, we discuss:

8:30 - Everton have been given a lifeline in their continued attempt to stay in the Premier League while facing point reductions due to financial malpractice. Will getting 4 points back be enough to keep them up?

17:15 - We've talked a lot about Saudi Arabia's investment in sports, but they have their sights set on Hollywood as well. We react to this fascinating article about the relationship between MBS and Johnny Depp: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/johnny-depp-mbs-saudi-arabia

33:30 - We discuss why fan storming happens, what makes it dangerous, and seek to find a compromise that will both keep everyone safe and allow fans to express their joy.

54:15 - Chad reviews the first 3.5 seasons of Formula 1: Drive to Survive that he is now actively binge-watching.

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

Super Bowl 58 featured the two longest field goals in Super Bowl history, and two historic comebacks from Patrick Mahomes. On today's episode, we discuss:

6:30 - We break down the game, including the key fourth quarter and overtime drives, and why the 49ers will be thinking about their missed opportunities.

40:00 - We reopen the conversation about where Patrick Mahomes ranks in the history of NFL players.

48:30 - The NFL has been at the forefront of American and world culture this year, and it seems more impactful than in previous years. What is causing this, and how much credit does Taylor Swift deserve?

1:00:00 - We rank the best and worst Super Bowl commercials.

1:12:15 - Disney, Warner Bros., and Fox have announced a new streaming service that will merge their live sports programs. How will this change the landscape of streaming, and is this something sports fans should be excited about?

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

In 2022, the Ontario police and NHL opened investigations into sexual assault allegations against several members of Canada's 2018 Junior World Championship team. This week, 5 members of that team were ordered to surrender to the police. On today's episode, we discuss:

2:50 - The Super Bowl matchup is set, with the Kansas City Chiefs returning to face the San Francisco 49ers. We react to how each of these teams earned their spot in the big game and then preview what we expect to happen on February 11.

25:45 - We recap the 2024 Australian Open, with huge wins for Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner. Are these two the bright spots in tennis' future?

37:15 - Staying in the tennis world, we react to the episode of Netflix's Break Point that featured Alexander Zverev, and why we were uncomfortable with its silence on the abuse allegations currently pending against Zverev. Both Netflix and the ATP deserve huge blame for how this situation has been handled.

50:15 - THE BIG STORY: Carter Hart and four other former World Juniors players are surrendering to police this week to be charged with sexual assault. As we anticipate the press conference announcing the charges early next week, we discuss how these players should be dealt with in the meantime, and what the most likely outcomes are.

58:10 - We review The Zone of Interest and explain why this film is essential viewing for our time.

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