Crunching Tackles

Everton and Nottingham Forest are facing more financial charges from the English Premier League, casting a shadow on the fairness of the finances of elite soccer. On today's episode, we discuss:

3:50 - THE BIG STORY: Everton and Nottingham Forest are facing charges of financial misconduct. They are not sustainably managing their money and have faced significant monetary losses, and now they are at risk of facing a points deduction as well.

19:50 - Rafael Nadal withdrew from the Australian Open with an injury and then became an ambassador for the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We discuss the moral compromise of this latest move.

24:20 - Among the numerous coaching changes in college and professional football, the biggest are the retirement of Nick Saban and the firing of Bill Belichick. We reflect on the legacies of these two icons of the game.

42:10 - We recap an incredible Wild Card Weekend of the NFL playoffs, look ahead to the divisional round, and conclude the podcast with our Super Bowl predictions.

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

2023 has been a consequential sports year. We've seen aging superstars cement their legacies, young phenoms announce their presence, and Saudi Arabia stage a takeover of multiple professional sports.

We also spent a lot of time this year watching and thinking about film. We've shared a lot of those thoughts on this podcast, but we decided to spend the last half of this podcast talking about the best of what we saw this year.

We hope you enjoy this year-end review of the sporting events and films of 2023!

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

Shohei Ohtani has signed a historic and unconventional contract to play baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Meanwhile, Jon Rahm announced his departure from the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, despite having previously stated that he isn't motivated by money. On today's episode, we discuss:

1:30 - The final College Football Committee Rankings, and if Florida State University has a case to say they were snubbed.

9:15 - The president of the NCAA has announced a new financial structure to potentially compensate student athletes. Will this proposal make things better or worse?

15:00 - The first ever NBA in-season tournament has concluded, and the guys are skeptical about whether this was a successful endeavor.

21:00 - We look at the most recent slate of NFL games.

30:50 - Buffalo Bill's coach Sean McDermott has come under fire for comments he made in 2019 comparing his team to the 9/11 terrorists. How far out of bounds were these remarks?

36:30 - The Bills have also allowed Von Miller to play football despite being released on bail following a domestic violence arrest. We believe he should not be allowed to play, and finally lay out the policy we would like to see all sports teams implement.

41:40 - Jon Rahm has gone to LIV. How will this change the future of golf?

53:00 - We break down Shohei Ohtani's contract and how it might change the way athletes conduct business in the future.

1:03:00 - We review Godzilla Minus One and recommend two other pieces of content for your holiday viewing.

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

Everton Football Club have been hit with the largest sanctions ever given by the Premier League after they were found liable for mismanagement of funds and inability to retain a proper revenue margin. Their 10-point sanction is the largest points deduction the league has ever given. On today's episode, we discuss:

1:30 - A very brief run through the recent slate of NFL games.

5:30 - Alejandro Garnacho scored an all-time great goal for Manchester United against Everton, and Chad wants to make sure you see it!

10:00 - Josh Giddey is under investigation by the NBA for a potential relationship with an underage girl. Has the league handled this correctly so far?

15:10 - THE BIG STORY: We look at what the Premier League found Everton guilty of, if the punishment is fair, and why we continue to have the sense that the Premier League is financially unfair and potentially even rigged.

45:00 - We review Ridley Scott's NAPOLEON.

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

There is no event more prestigious than the World Cup, and the 2034 edition is going to be gifted to Saudi Arabia, as they continue their expansive sportswashing project. On today's episode, we discuss:

7:00 - Jim Harbaugh has been suspended by the Big Ten following evidence that his program was illegally spying on opponents. But we aren't convinced the NCAA rules on surveillance are fair, or even achieve the objectives they are designed to.

28:30 - THE BIG STORY: FIFA have set the stage for Saudi Arabia to get the World Cup, after declaring that South America can't bid for the tournament. How blatant has the collusion with the middle east become? How can conscientious sports fans respond?

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

Our eyes are telling us that athletes look bigger, stronger, and faster than they ever have before, and the empirical data backs that up. On today's podcast, we're looking at the growth of the athletic body and how we can contextualize the modern day elite. We discuss:

1:00 - A few additional thoughts about the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the cultural response.

18:45 - A brief check-in on the NFL season and why all the games seem so unpredictable this year.

25:00 - We've concluded the first season in the MLB with the pitch clock and other rule changes. Did the changes work?

37:15 - THE BIG STORY: Are athletes really more talented than they ever have been, and if so, what's different? How can we compare the current elite to the greats of the past?

1:05:17 - Killers of the Flower Moon review.

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

We're doing something a little different on the podcast today. We'll weave a couple sports stories into this discussion, but we are mostly focused on a frank and raw conversation about the state of the war in Israel, our connections to it, and what we can learn from the cultural response to this conflict.

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 past two weeks, Taylor Swift has been in attendance to see the Kansas City Chiefs, and Travis Kelce, play football. Her presence has in many ways dictated not just sports media, but all of culture. We here at Crunching Tackles have been swept up in Taylor-mania as well. This week, we discuss:

2:20 - What in the world is going on with Jimmy Butler?

4:16 - Video Review in the Premier League has hit a new low. Does the whole system require an overhaul?

22:40 - Chad gives some thoughts on the Ryder Cup and the state of American golf.

27:45 - THE BIG STORY: Taylor Swift!

52:10 - A little bit of pop culture to wind down today's episode.

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

The 2023 US Open saw one of the youngest female champions in Grand Slam history, and also one of the oldest mens champions. We recap the entire tournament and look at what the future for Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic might be. This week, we discuss:

1:45 - Our week 1 takeaways from the NFL season so far.

11:15 - The drama in the Spanish Football Federation in the aftermath of the Women's World Cup that resulted in the firing of head coach Jorge Vilda and the resignation of president Luis Rubiales.

24:50 - THE BIG STORY: Coco Gauff became the youngest woman to win the US Open since Serena Williams, and she accomplished the win that will justify all the hype surrounding her young career. And the next day, Novak Djokovic won his 24th Grand Slam title, cementing his case as the greatest athlete of all time.

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

Michael Oher, the subject of the hit movie The Blind Side, has filed a lawsuit against the Tuohy family who took him in and became the heroes of the film. What is Oher alleging, and how does this taint the beloved film? On this pod, we discuss:

0:45 - John gives a full recollection of seeing Lionel Messi—in person—lift his first trophy on American soil.

6:20 - Novak Djokovic has gotten some revenge on Carlos Alcaraz, beating him on hard court in the Cincinnati Open final. What does this match say about these two and their rivalry headed into the US Open?

9:50 - Wander Franco has been placed on administrative leave by MLB as he is investigated for inappropriate relationships. We look at the bit of information we have so far, and preview what is to come in the coming weeks.

11:30 - Manchester United and Mason Greenwood have announced that Greenwood will not return to the team after the conclusion of an investigation into a domestic abuse allegation in his relationship. While Greenwood has been cleared of all charges, United still made this decision. How is this another example of a public relations nightmare for the club, and is this decision fair to Greenwood?

33:45 - THE BIG STORY: The Blind Side opened 14 years ago to mass acclaim, but new legal filings have thrown a wrench in the story. Is this a feel good story, or an example of white saviorism? We break down the allegations and the legacy of the movie.

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