Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay to talk about quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ (possibly) season-ending injury. Gay also discusses American cyclist Sepp Kuss’ historic grand tour win at the Vuelta a Espana and the controversy that preceded it. And finally, the Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant assesses the big storylines in the WNBA playoffs.

Rodgers (2:22): Is it too soon to laugh about him doing his own research?

Kuss (19:30): Should the cyclist’s team and his teammates have challenged him or allowed him to win?

WNBA (38:20): Can anyone take down the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces?

Afterball (59:23): Josh on the MLS story of the year: an Argentinian who is not Lionel Messi.

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Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about Coco Gauff’s big breakthrough at the U.S. Open. They also discuss Texas’ win over Alabama, and whether the Longhorns are back, baby. Finally, the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver joins to assess Team USA’s non-medal-winning performance at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Coco Gauff (2:48): Why her first grand slam victory felt so monumental.

Texas-Alabama (26:50): Are the Longhorns rising up or is the Crimson Tide on the way down?

FIBA World Cup (44:49): Why did Team USA flop again? Does it matter?

Afterballs (01:13:15): Joel on Willie Jeffries and Stefan on how Billie Jean King and a deodorant manufacturer secured equal pay for women at the U.S. Open in 1973.

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Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the Colorado football team’s season-opening win over TCU. They also talk about how Maryland football coach Mike Locksley is dealing with his son’s posthumous CTE diagnosis. Finally, ESPN’s Elizabeth Merrill joins to explain how the Nebraska women’s volleyball team drew 92,000 fans.

Colorado (4:04): Deion Sanders got the win he needed to sell his vision and himself.

Locksley (28:26): A profound loss and a reckoning with football’s costs.

Nebraska volleyball (45:07): This is what it looks like to invest in women’s sports.

Afterball (1:06:42): Josh on the Cannon Street All-Stars.

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The Cannon Street All-Stars dreamed of playing in the 1955 Little League World Series. Their biggest obstacle didn’t come on the field. In the year that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus, these Black 12-year-olds became unlikely civil rights pioneers—and faced the wrath of a white society that wasn’t ready to change.

Josh Levin is One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.

This episode was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Sophie Summergrad. 

It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. 

Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.

Join Slate Plus to get the first three episodes of One Year: 1955 right away—and a bonus 1955 story at the end of the season. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads. Sign up now to support One Year.

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Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the American stars at the world track and field championships. They also review the documentary BS High, on the Bishop Sycamore high school football scandal. Finally, journalist Semra Hunter joins Stefan and Josh to discuss the latest in the battle between Luis Rubiales and Spain’s women’s soccer team.

Track (5:50): Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles won gold and are shooting for stardom.

BS High (25:45): Looking back at an amazing con and the man who perpetrated it.

Spain (48:34): A fight over soccer, power, and chauvinism.

Afterball (1:08:30): Josh on the FIBA Basketball World Cup, naturalized players, and a contretemps in Cambodia. 

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Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by Yahoo Sports’ Henry Bushnell to talk about Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory and the turmoil that preceded it. The New York Times’ Kurt Streeter joins to discuss the controversy over The Blind Side. Finally, ESPN’s Luis Miguel Echegaray assesses Lionel Messi’s brilliant opening month with Inter Miami.

Spain (3:27): The story behind La Roja’s World Cup win and everything that came before.

The Blind Side (28:12): Revisiting the book and the movie in light of Michael Oher’s allegations.

Messi (52:56): Could anyone have imagined that his transition to America would go this well this quickly?

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Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and the Atlantic’s Vann Newkirk talk about ESPN’s embrace of gambling. They also discuss the alleged suspension of Baltimore Orioles announcer Kevin Brown for alluding to the team’s recent losing seasons. Finally, Rebecca Schuman joins to assess Simone Biles’ return to competitive gymnastics.

ESPN and gambling (3:30): The Worldwide Leader makes a big bet. Is it too late?

Orioles (23:53): What are announcers allowed to say on team-owned networks?

Biles (42:49): How did she keep her comeback secret? And what should we expect from her?

Afterball (1:06:30): Stefan on Greek second-division soccer club Athens Kallithea FC, fashion, and hooliganism.

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Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis talk about the U.S. national soccer team’s early exit from the Women’s World Cup. Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley also joins to discuss the huge shakeups in the Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac-12 conferences and ESPN’s Jeff Passan assesses the fallout from the Major League Baseball trade deadline. Finally, Josh interviews Wimbledon quarterfinalist Chris Eubanks.

Women’s World Cup (2:47): What went wrong for the U.S. women’s national team.

NCAA (26:01): Assessing the most significant week ever in conference realignment.

MLB (49:37): Did the Mets and Angels make the right calls at the trade deadline?

Chris Eubanks (01:07:51): A conversation with one of the most fascinating men in tennis.

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Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis are joined by the Washington Post’s Chuck Culpepper to talk about big wins for Colombia and Australia at the Women’s World Cup. Alex Kirshner of Slate and the Split Zone Duo podcast also joins to discuss whether NFL running backs should go on strike and the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown getting the biggest NBA deal ever.

Women’s World Cup (2:40): The scene in the stadium when Australia thrashed Canada.

NFL running backs (21:34): What can they do to get more respect and more cash?

Big-money deals (42:47): Is there any amount of money that’s too much for a pro athlete to make?

Afterball (1:02:22): Stefan on the world Scrabble championships in Las Vegas.

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Josh Levin is joined by the Athletic’s Steph Yang to talk about the opening days of the Women’s World Cup. Author Jonathan Clegg also joins to discuss Lionel Messi’s MLS debut. And the Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay assesses the 2023 Tour de France and the Netflix documentary Tour de France: Unchained.

Women’s World Cup (3:32): What are the main takeaways from the U.S. win over Vietnam?

Messi (20:31): What does success look like for Messi, his club, and Major League Soccer?

Tour de France (40:01): How a close race turned into a rout for Jonas Vingegaard.

Afterball (58:20): Josh on the Kolbe Conative Index.

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