Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Slate’s Ben Mathis-Lilley discuss the Patriots’ putrid Super Bowl win over the Rams. The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis also joins to assess Tony Romo’s performance. Finally, they critique the Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis trade.

Super Bowl (1:32): It was a bad game. Very bad. How did the defenses muck things up in such an offense-dominated season?

Tony Romo (21:21): The CBS star didn’t have much great material to work with. Did he shine anyway?

Porzingis (39:23): Ben says the Knicks’ move to deal their best player was “fandom-destroying.” Some smart analysts disagree. Who’s right?

Afterballs (52:55): Stefan on Chip Oliver and Josh on “left, right, left, right, sit down!”

This episode is brought to you by Capterra. Try it today, for free, at Capterra.com/HANGUP.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Courtney Nguyen to talk about Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open win. The Wall Street Journal’s Louise Radnofsky also joins to assess the U.S. figure skating championships, and the Washington Post’s Candace Buckner discusses NBA players’ feet.

Naomi Osaka (6:22): The 21-year-old backed up her U.S. Open victory with a second grand slam title. Has Osaka matured in the last five months, and how should we reconcile her shyness and on-court toughness?

Figure skating (22:50): What you need to know about U.S. champions Alysa Liu (she’s 13!) and Nathan Chen. Plus, Gracie Gold opened up about her battle with depression.

NBA feet (44:01): Everything you maybe don’t want to know about basketball players’ disgusting toes.

Afterballs(58:55): Stefan on the Dane who invented modern team handball and Josh on the biggest feet in NBA history.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by The Gist’s Mike Pesca to discuss the NFL’s conference championship games. ESPN’s Steve Fainaru also joins to talk about the collapsing football insurance market, and Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer assesses baseball’s ice-cold free agent market.

NFL playoffs (3:51): The Saints got robbed. Does that mean the NFL should institute instant replay for pass interference? Also: Is there anything new to say about the Patriots?

Football and insurance (32:44): It’s getting harder and harder for the NFL and other football entities to get insurance coverage. Does that mean the sport is on the verge of collapse?

MLB free agency (50:01): With spring training getting closer, superstars Bryce Harper and Manny Machado remain unsigned. What’s going to break the impasse?

Afterballs (68:05): Stefan on “good from 70” and Josh on Mike Tice’s Super Bowl ticket scalping.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Levin is here to introduce you to What Next, Slate's new daily news podcast.

UCLA’s Katelyn Ohashi wowed the internet this week with a viral video of her college gymnastics floor routine. As Ohashi’s star rises, the U.S. women’s gymnastics program is imploding. Fans of the sport wonder: What is the price of being world-class? Slate contributor Rebecca Schumann joins What Next host Mary Harris to investigate.

Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts or sending an email to [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram for updates on the show.

Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon, with help from Danielle Hewitt. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by The Football Girl’s Melissa Jacobs to discuss the NFL playoffs. They also talk about the state of black coaches in the NFL and Racquet’s Caitlin Thompson helps assess the career of the (possibly) retiring Andy Murray.

NFL playoffs (1:16): What we saw in the divisional round—Pats! Chiefs! Rams! Saints!—and what to expect in the conference championship games.

Black NFL coaches (23:18): There were recently 7 black head coaches in the NFL. Now there are 2. What happened, and what should be done to increase minority representation on the sidelines?

Andy Murray (36:27): Is the fourth member of men’s tennis’ Big Four really done with the sport? And why does everyone love the three-time major champion?

Afterballs (53:51): Stefan on Penn basketball player Matt White and Josh on odd football tiebreakers.

This episode is brought to you by Capterra. Try it today, for free, at Capterra.com/HANGUP.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Slate’s Nick Greene to discuss the NFL’s wild card weekend. Jonathan Tjarks of the Ringer also joins to talk about James Harden and Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers assesses Chelsea’s acquisition of Christian Pulisic.

NFL playoffs (1:56): Lamar Jackson was bad, Cody Parkey doinked another field goal, and more happening from the opening weekend of the pro football postseason.

James Harden (21:30): The Houston Rockets guard is shooting 3-pointers at a record-setting rate. Can he possible sustain this pace?

Christian Pulisic (36:38): How much did marketing factor into Chelsea’s decision to sign the young American? And is the English mega-club the right place for the 20-year-old to develop his game?

Afterballs(47:25): Stefan on ties (they’re OK!) and Josh on college football’s targeting rule (it’s bad!)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin take listener questions in a special year-end call-in show. Topics include which sports movies are the most realistic, what sports story would make for a great season of Slow Burn, and what would happen if women’s sports were the only ones broadcast on television.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Shirley Wang to talk about her dad’s friendship with Charles Barkley. Jane Leavy also joins to discuss her Babe Ruth biography The Big Fella, and ESPN’s Joel Anderson helps assess the Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas documentary 42 to 1.

Lin Wang and Charles Barkley (1:50): Why Shirley Wang’s story about their unlikely friendship had such a profound effect on so many people.

Babe Ruth (14:20): Jane Leavy explains how the Bambino changed sports and celebrity culture, and how she debunked myths about Ruth’s childhood.

42 to 1 (34:42): Looking back at one of the greatest upsets in the history of sports, and pondering what we should make of Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas today.

Afterballs(53:54): Stefan on Babe Ruth’s best nickname and Josh’s continuing Pat Summerall / House of Buggin’ quest.

This episode is brought to you by Simplisafe. Start protecting your home today at simplisafe.com/HANGUP.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by the New Yorker’s Vinson Cunningham. They discuss Raheem Sterling and racism in English soccer, the 25th anniversary of the FOX-NFL alliance (with the Ringer’s Bryan Curtis), and Stephen Curry’s comments about the moon landing being a hoax.

Raheem Sterling (2:26): How an Instagram post started a much-needed conversation about race, society, and soccer.

Fox and the NFL (21:57): Rupert Murdoch’s $1.6 billion deal changed the network and pro football forever. What were the biggest repercussions and missed opportunities?

Stephen Curry and the moon (39:10): Does Curry really believe that the moon landing was faked or was he just trying to go viral like Kyrie Irving?

Afterballs(51:04): Vinson on the “modern NBA,” Stefan on the origin of the game ball, and Josh on Pat Summerall and House of Buggin’.

This episode is brought to you by the following advertisers:

SimpliSafe, protect your home today with twenty-four seven monitoring for just fifteen dollars a month, visit simplisafe.com/hangup.

Helix, a new kind of DNA testing. Try today for a deep discount at helix.com/hangup. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by NPR’s Gene Demby to discuss Heisman winner Kyler Murray’s impending choice between pro baseball and pro football, the Philadelphia 76ers’ chemistry issues with Jimmy Butler in the mix, and the NFL’s request for new punting proposals.

Kyler Murray (2:30): Can the Oklahoma star play both football and baseball at the professional level? Should he try?

Sixers (22:27): Joel Embiid is the face of the franchise. Jimmy Butler is a hyper-competitive star. Can they get along and lead Philadelphia to NBA glory?

Punting (39:55): The NFL wants to “modernize” punting. What does that mean? And how can we help?

Afterballs(49:01): Stefan on poet and baseball writer Tom Clark and Josh on Zach LaVine.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices