Hang Up and Listen

Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and the CBC’s Morgan Campbell check in on the WNBA at the halfway point of a historic season. They also talk about ESPN’s list of the 100 greatest pro athletes of the 2000s. Finally, they interview Rose Eveleth about their podcast Tested, on the history of sex testing in sports.

WNBA (4:19): What’s the story with the new TV deal? How did the WNBA All-Stars beat the Olympic team?

100 greatest athletes(18:45): What’s wrong with ESPN’s list? Are we falling into a trap by talking about it at all?

Tested (32:06): The century-long obsession over whether women athletes are really women.

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Copa America (7:03): A security breakdown outside the stadium marred Argentina’s 1-0 win over Colombia.

U.S. soccer ( 21:19): Will a big-name European replace Gregg Berhalter?

Crossword puzzles (34:26): An interview about the art of solving crosswords really fast. 

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Joel Anderson, Josh Levin, and the Ringer’s Bryan Curtis talk about Klay Thompson’s move to Dallas and whether there will ever be another NBA dynasty. They also check in on the state of sports media TV rights, and they welcome Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC.

Klay to Dallas (2:38): Is the Golden State breakup what the NBA wants?

Sports media rights (19:08): Will the money keep on flowing forever?

SEC expansion (33:28): The huge positives and glaring negatives of conference realignment.

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Stefan Fatsis and Joel Anderson talk to the New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas about the 55th pick in last week’s NBA draft: LeBron James’ son, Bronny. Plus, Joel and Josh Levin interview Wil Aaron about racism in baseball in the decades after Jackie Robinson.

Bronny James (3:33): LeBron James wanted to play with his kid in the NBA. Will that be good for Bronny?

Wil Aaron (20:54): Hank Aaron’s cousin on his frustrating years in minor-league baseball.

Afterball (54:06): Stefan on Turkey vs. Türkiye at the 2024 Euros.

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Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin share their thoughts on baseball legend Willie Mays, who died last week at age 93. Morgan Campbell of the CBC also joins to analyze the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials and to look at how the sports world turned on Drake.

Mays (3:02): His greatest catch, the racism he faced, and his run-in with Commissioner Bowie Kuhn.

Track (28:05): Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles roared to victories in the 100 meters.

Drake and sports (46:45): Drake’s NBA “friends” appear to be siding with Kendrick Lamar.

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Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk to Slate contributing writer Alex Kirshner about Bryson DeChambeau’s win—and Rory McIlroy’s heartbreaking loss—at the U.S. Open. Then, Washington Post columnist Jerry Brewer joins Stefan and Joel Anderson to analyze the NBA Finals and discuss his series “Grievance Games.”

U.S. Open (2:56): What went wrong for Rory McIlroy.

NBA Finals (22:19): Checking in on the Celtics and Mavericks.

Grievance Games (39:17): How sports have “buckled under the pressures of grievance and division.”

Afterball (56:29): Stefan on the 20th anniversary of Greece’s remarkable 2004 European soccer championship.

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Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Boston Celtics’ early dominance over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. Stefan and Josh are also joined by journalist Peter Della Penna to talk about the United States’ massive cricket upset over Pakistan. Finally, Butch Reynolds joins to discuss the new ESPN 30 for 30 documentary False Positive on the doping allegation that derailed his life and career.

NBA Finals (3:02): Does Dallas have any chance of coming back?

Cricket (22:47): How the U.S. pulled off a historic victory.

Butch Reynolds (41:53): An interview with an American track legend.

Afterball (1:02:08): Josh on Alexander Zverev, who (despite his claims) was not just declared innocent.

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Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by Howard Megdal of the Next to discuss the tumultuous beginning to Caitlin Clark’s rookie season. Historian and author Larry Lester also joins to explain how records from the Negro Leagues finally got incorporated into the major-league record book. Finally, Joel speaks with Arena Football League player Tamatoa Silva about how it felt to watch an entire league come crashing down around him.

Caitlin Clark (2:49): Dissecting all the drama surrounding the WNBA star.

Negro Leagues (25:23): What to know about all the new stats, and why it took so long for MLB to add them to the record book.

Arena Football League (47:56): A conversation about life on the football fringes.

Afterball (59:48): Josh on Dejounte Murray and the greatest NBA quote of all time.

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Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the stardom of the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as well as Draymond Green’s stint on TNT’s Inside the NBA. Michael McCann of Sportico also joins to break down the multibillion-dollar settlement that will likely mark the end of amateurism in college sports.

Luka and Kyrie: How the Mavericks duo took over the Western Conference Finals.

NCAA: Will the settlement deal actually become reality? And how will the payments work?

Afterball: Stefan on Bill Walton, Jack Scott, and the FBI.

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Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Pacers’ and Timberwolves’ Game 7 wins in the NBA’s conference semifinals. Slate’s Alex Kirshner also joins to talk about Scottie Scheffler’s arrest at the PGA Championship. Finally, they review Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s ultra-conservative commencement speech.

NBA playoffs (3:11): Looking back at a pair of historic road victories.

Scheffler (20:18): A bizarre weekend at Valhalla for the world’s no. 1 golfer.

Butker (35:47): The Catholic football player launched himself into a culture war.

Afterball (51:53): Stefan on where Giannis Antetokounmpo grew up and what he overcame.

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