Rachna just hopes Rachel will say no to meldonium. When Maria Sharapova burst onto the scene, she was beloved by all (well not all). She was beautiful, she was talented, and she had more sponsorships than she knew what to do with. But there was always a chip on a shoulder. A thorn in her side. A more gifted player named Serena Williams. Ever heard of her? What would Maria do to be number 1?

Rachel wants Rachna to talk about it! Like many people, Suzy Favor Hamilton spent much of her life grappling with mental illness. Unlike most people, Suzy ran track at three consecutive Olympics. Her disordered eating, anxiety, and bipolar disorder were only exacerbated by mistreatment at the hands of coaches and the stress of competitive running, but she suffered largely in silence. After her retirement from running, Suzy had two careers. One, like mental illness, society doesn’t like to talk about much...

Rachna is going to need Rachel to hold her OWN beer and then get herself another. In 1982, Wade Boggs graduated from the Minor to the Major leagues, where he had a storied career with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Tampa Bay Rays. But perhaps more impressive than his more then 3,000 hits, All Star record, and being a first ballot Hall of Famer, is his infatuation with chicken, rampant superstition, and penchant for drinking more beer than any mortal man can or should.

Rachel is going to need Rachna to watch her head! In 2010, the New Orleans Saints were riding high after their 2009-2010 Super Bowl win. But it was the NFC Championship game, and the unusually violent hits from Gregg Williams' defensive line that caught the NFL's attention. In a two year investigation, the evidence revealed a much more nefarious conspiracy within the New Orleans Saints organization that went all the way to top! 

Rachna needs Rachel to get a grip. Monica Seles was the youngest woman to ever be ranked #1 in women’s tennis. She stayed at the top for three consecutive years, despite intense media criticism for not fitting the mold of the very traditional sport. In 1993, at a tournament in Hamburg, Seles was poised to once again face her arch tennis rival Steffi Graf at semis, but never made it past the quarterfinals after a deranged fan jumped on the court and attacked her; forever altering her game.

Rachel needs Rachna to saddle up! In 1982, Tommy Burns was a lowly stable hand -- until millionaire James Druck asked him to kill his show horse for a cut of the insurance payout. Why not make some hay? From then on, Tommy becomes The Sandman, putting horses “to sleep” and enmeshing himself into one of the biggest scandals in equestrian history.

Rachna is going to need Rachel to step up her friend game. In the late 90s, Dennis Rodman was basketball’s bad boy, and Kim Jong Un was a young student obsessed with the Chicago Bulls. What follows is almost a decade of bizarre fair weather friendship between the misunderstood super star and the temperamental dictator, filled with photo ops, pseudo-diplomacy, and hostage negotiations over Twitter. PLUS, the man who witnessed it all, former Vice Media correspondent Ryan Duffy stops by to give us all the juicy details of his trip to North Korea.

Show notes:

If you’re able to donate, here’s how to support people and groups protesting police violence and working to combat racism and injustice: Go to crooked.com/bailfunds to support community bail funds around the country, and go to crooked.com/changefunds to support 11 groups fighting racism and police brutality. Alright now let’s get back to the show!

Hall of Shame listeners--In light of the protests happening around the country, we're holding today's episode, but look out for a new episode very soon. We want to direct you to a few organizations to support the work for anti-racism and police reform. If you are able, please consider donating, to The Bail Project, the Black Voters Matter Fund, or Campaign Zero. Thanks.

For Rachna, there's no place like home. Unfortunately for her, home is Cleveland where the Browns play.. In 1964, the Browns were World Champions. And then…they didn’t win anything, ever again. Rachna takes us through decades of heart break including the time Browns owner Art Modell took the team away from its city. WARNING: This could be triggering for Cleveland. 

Rachel proves to Rachna that everything is bigger in Texas. Even cheerleading rivalries. After Wanda Holloway’s dream of cheerleading goes unfulfilled, she channels all her energy into sending her daughter, Shanna, to the top of the proverbial pyramid. Standing in her way: Shanna’s cheer rival, Amber, and her mom, Verna. So what’s Wanda to do if not hire a hit man? Will this stage mom stick the dismount or get benched…by the law?