Eggs & Space

Ben convinces Tony why Formula One is a fascinating sport to follow even if one has zero interest in cars: there's magisterial engineering, ridiculous athletic feats (if you're the driver), riveting narratives, and international fanfare... plus, not unimportantly, much of it falls between the NBA and NFL seasons.

Tony and Eli Gordon unpack the myriad reasons why being a San Diego sports fan sucks (believe it or not, the zoo is partially to blame). They also recount positive memories from the Padres, Chargers, and Sockers. Yes, the Sockers.

Tony and Stefan Hoza discuss the shocking deterioration of Carson Wentz in 2020 and reflect more broadly on the gifted QB's relationships with the Eagles' front office and players (while making some comparisons with the Green Bay storyline). They also predict good things for Wentz's next journey in Indianapolis despite him choosing a horrible jersey number.

Tony asks Iván Cruz about his annual road trips to watch the Niners as the two discuss tailgating, annoying fanbases, and the pros and cons of viewing games in-person versus on TV or in bars. They also preview the 2021 squad with a focus on Jimmy G and Trey Lance.

Tony interviews chess enthusiast Ben on why a game that isn't designed to give frequent "joy feedback" is, in fact, the most rewarding. Because "we're all part-time experts at 30 different things" and "live in a world that doesn't require you to have that kind of focus," chess is also an inherently therapeutic act today. Tony also quizzes Ben on what's required to be great at chess, how much a novice can actually learn, why chess flourished during the pandemic, ways to remedy the game's historical gender imbalance, and his reflections on "The Queen's Gambit."

Patriots fans Tyler Scowcroft and Carolyn explain what it's like to love a team everyone despises, offering subtle analyses of Bellichick's aura, the "three iterations of Tom Brady," and more. They also reflect more personally on their fandom from childhood to the present day, concluding with their predictions for the '21 season and their disappointment over the drafting of Mac Jones.

Tony and Marcus Gorman revel in the fascinating sociological time-capsule that is "American Beauty" while analyzing the film's intentional and unintentional comedy 22 years later. Marcus also historicizes 1999 as "the last time that directors were allowed to waste studios' money to make weird ideas."

Tony and Eric Thomas give a brief tour of the apocalyptic NFC West then launch into a multi-faceted analysis on the NFL adding a 17th game. They conclude by predicting a tragicomic end to Tom Brady's career.

Tony and Carolyn Callaghan unpack why Osaka's refusal to give interviews created a multi-layered backlash and symbolizes some deeper trends in the evolving relationships among athletes, fans, and the media.

Tony and Tyler Scowcroft offer strong opinions on Mel Kiper's likeability, the Aaron Rodgers conundrum, some Jaguar named "Luke Farrell," and other highlights of a scintillating draft weekend. Plus, Tyler bashes the Raiders, Tony admits he watched the 7th round, and both get curiously nerdy about scouting lingo.