East Meets West Sports with Rick Garcia and Corey Nathan

Rick Garcia and Corey Nathan size up the MLB postseason bracket, from the White Sox's grit to Corey's theory that a Dodgers-Yankees World Series would put the universe back in balance. Then it's football: whether a 1-2 Rams team should worry with Philly and Buffalo up next, the Giants trading for J.J. McCarthy after losing Jaxson Dart for the season, and a three-week check on which hot and cold starts are real. Pop That Culture closes with Raiders rookie Fernando Mendoza's new money-advice series for Gen Z.

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Follow Rick Garcia: @RickGarciaNews on X (Twitter)

Follow Corey Nathan: @coreysnathan on Substack, Threads, Instagram, X & more

Key Takeaways

The Dodgers want cosmic balance. The Rams just want a win.

Rick Garcia and Corey Nathan break down the Rams' 28-6 win over the Giants from Corey's seat at SoFi, weigh what Jaxson Dart's season-ending surgery means for Big Blue, survey a brutal week of quarterback injuries, and take sides on Aaron Rodgers calling out Mike McCarthy. Plus the MLB playoff picture and a 48-year-old college freshman.

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On The Buzz bit.ly/TheBuzz-EMW

Follow Rick Garcia: @RickGarciaNews on X (Twitter)

Follow Corey Nathan: @coreysnathan on Substack, Threads, Instagram, X & more

Key Takeaways:

Dart's out. The takes are in.

Rick Garcia and Corey Nathan run the full Week 1 slate through the Real or Fake machine, check in on Rams panic levels, size up the MLB wild card race, and react to Robert De Niro stepping into Tommy Lasorda's shoes.

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Follow Rick Garcia: @RickGarciaNews on X (Twitter)

Follow Corey Nathan: @coreysnathan on Substack, Threads, Instagram, X & more

Key Takeaways:

Real or fake: this episode delivers. That one's real.

Rick Garcia and Corey Nathan run the full NFL predictions gauntlet, division by division, then dig into the Rams' Australia travel gamble ahead of Aaron Donald's eventual return. They break down MLB's "Hat Gate" umpire controversy, check in on a tightening wild card race, and close with a Pop That Culture look at the 49ers' roster shuffle in Melbourne.

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Follow Rick Garcia: @RickGarciaNews on X (Twitter)

Follow Corey Nathan: @coreysnathan on Substack, Threads, Instagram, X & more

Key Takeaways

Picks are locked, hats are on straight, and the Mets are somehow still having fun.

Rick Garcia and Corey Nathan celebrate Aaron Donald's return from retirement to a loaded Rams defense, break down the Browns' three-way quarterback mess next to Ty Simpson's breakout Rams preseason, question USC's sluggish season opener, dig into Stan Kroenke's $4 billion purchase of the Angels, tour a wide-open MLB wild card race, and close with a Pop That Culture tribute to Dolly Parton on the Tennessee Volunteers' helmets.

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Follow Rick Garcia: @RickGarciaNews on X (Twitter) 

Follow Corey Nathan: @coreysnathan on Substack, Threads, Instagram, X & more

Key Takeaways

Donald's back, Kroenke's building an empire, and the Dodgers still have to prove it in October.

Rick Garcia and Corey Nathan debate Aaron Donald's timeline for coming out of retirement, dig into the eligibility loophole letting NFL castoffs return to college football, and cover Lane Kiffin's exit leaving Ole Miss suspicious enough to call in the FBI. Baseball takes over from there with the wild card picture, the Dodgers' three-peat odds, and a Mets rookie class giving fans something to root for, before Pop That Culture tackles the record-breaking Shohei Ohtani trading card.

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Follow Rick Garcia: @RickGarciaNews on X (Twitter) 

Follow Corey Nathan: @coreysnathan on Substack, Threads, Instagram, X & more

Key Takeaways

One retirement is on hold. One card sold for $11 million. Business as usual.

Mark Walter's SEC Trouble, Jaxson Dart's Meathead Act, and the Fan Rankings That Snubbed New York

Rick Garcia and Corey Nathan open with the storm gathering over Chavez Ravine: with Mark Walter under SEC investigation and reportedly buried in debt, could the Dodgers actually be forced to sell, and what would that do to Shohei's opt-out clause? They run the baseball board from the AL and NL playoff picture to Kyle Tucker's Conforto-level meltdown, debate whether Jaxson Dart's linebacker mentality makes him a leader or a meathead, make the case that Ty Simpson gives the Rams a real succession plan behind Stafford, and close with a Pop That Culture rant about the fan-passion rankings that had the audacity to stick New York and LA at the very bottom.

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Follow Rick Garcia: @RickGarciaNews on X (Twitter) 

Follow Corey Nathan: @coreysnathan on Substack, Threads, Instagram, X & more

Key Takeaways

One owner in SEC trouble, one QB who forgot how to slide, and one fan-passion list that put New York dead last. The audacity.

Aaron Donald's Comeback, a Standing Ovation for a Slide, and the Lakers Get Flipped for Billions

Rick Garcia and Corey Nathan open with the big question hanging over the Rams' defense: will Aaron Donald really come out of retirement at 35 to line up next to Myles Garrett? They praise Jaxson Dart for the smart slide that earned him a standing ovation, hold up Kyle Shanahan's car-crash accountability as a masterclass in leadership, run the baseball division board with the Mets quietly on a roll and the Dodgers slogging through the dog days, marvel at Mark Walter flipping the Lakers for a $2.5 billion profit, and close with a Pop That Culture toast to the return of Ted Lasso.

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Follow Rick Garcia: @RickGarciaNews on X (Twitter) 

Follow Corey Nathan: @coreysnathan on Substack, Threads, Instagram, X & more

Key Takeaways

Aaron Donald's eyeing one more run, the Lakers just got flipped for billions, and Ted Lasso's back to make us Believe.

Rick Garcia and Corey Nathan break down LeBron James taking his talents to Philadelphia on a bargain two-year deal, weigh whether the Eastern Conference has quietly become the one to beat, tour the MLB trade deadline with the Dodgers playing coy and the Mets in full sell mode, dig into the bizarre report that the Mets got caught leaning on AI for in-game strategy, and close with a Pop That Culture look at a Giants running back who really shouldn't be doing backflips.

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Follow Rick Garcia: @RickGarciaNews on X (Twitter) Follow Corey Nathan: @coreysnathan on Substack, Threads, Instagram, X & more

Key Takeaways

LeBron's chasing a fifth ring, the Mets are chasing an algorithm, and a Giant just needs to stick the landing.

Rick Garcia and Corey Nathan preview the Spain vs Argentina World Cup final and Messi's chase for one more title, talk about how the tournament turned America into soccer fans and reconnected divided crowds, spotlight the sportsmanship on display at Wimbledon, tour the MLB standings at the season's halfway point, break down the Dodgers stumbling into the All-Star break with the trade deadline looming, dig into the LeBron James free agency circus and the bizarre "voice note" recruiting pitches, debate the NBA's proposed rule changes, and close with a Pop That Culture look at the world's fastest spider.

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Follow Rick Garcia: @RickGarciaNews on X (Twitter) Follow Corey Nathan: @coreysnathan on Substack, Threads, Instagram, X & more

Key Takeaways

Messi's chasing a crown, LeBron's chasing a ring, and you just need to outrun the guy next to you.