Hang Up and Listen

Split Zone Duo’s Alex Kirshner, Power Plays’ Lindsay Gibbs, and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh chat about the NFL Players Association’s calls to revoke media access to locker rooms, the controversy surrounding a transgender volleyball player at San Jose State, and the wild week in college football. On the Bonus episode, exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts discuss Pete Rose’s historic and sordid legacy. 

NFL Locker Rooms (2:35): Media access vs. player privacy

San Jose State Volleyball (23:53): The drama surrounding a transgender player

CFB (46:30): Vanderbilt beats Alabama

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Split Zone Duo’s Alex Kirshner, Power Plays’ Lindsay Gibbs, and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh get into playoff talk, first MLB and then the WNBA. Later, they talk about the seemingly impossible task of filling Nick Saban’s shoes at Alabama. On the bonus episode exclusively for Slate Plus members, they discuss the White Sox's historic implosion.

MLB (2:48): Which playoff team should Lindsay root for?

WNBA (21:16): Dijonai Carrington and the start of the playoffs

CFB (42:22): Kalen DeBoer keeps the Tide rolling

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Split Zone Duo’s Alex Kirshner, Power Plays’ Lindsay Gibbs, and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh discuss Shohei’s record-breaking season, Adrian Wojnarowski’s retirement, and the waning passing abilities of NFL quarterbacks. In the bonus episode exclusively for Slate Plus members, the hosts examine whether the SAFE Bet Act could actually rein in sports betting.

Woj (3:09): What comes next for sports scoop culture in a post-Woj world?

Ohtani (24:43): The first man to reach the 50/50 club.

NFL (42:57): The League’s passing offenses are not doing well.

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Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Split Zone Duo’s Alex Kirshner, Power Plays’ Lindsay Gibbs, and the Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh reunite to talk about the U.S. women’s first victory at the Solheim Cup in eight years. They also discuss the Oakland Athletics’ move to Sacramento, and Tua Tagovailoa’s latest frightening concussion. On the bonus episode, Slate Plus members can hear chat about A’ja Wilson’s historic WNBA season.

LPGA (2:12): The U.S. beats Europe at the Solheim Cup.

Oakland A’s (28:07): The Athletics are on to Sacramento, but then where?

Tua Tagovailoa (46:20): The Dolphins quarterback's head injury and future.

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Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Slate contributing writer and co-host of the podcast Split Zone Duo, Alex Kirshner is back in the host chair this week. Joining Alex is the founder of the Power Plays newsletter, Lindsay Gibbs, and Yahoo Sports’ Charles McDonald. The panel comb through NFL Week 1, the American near victories at the US Open, and Angel Reese’s season-ending injury. In the Bonus episode, Slate Plus members can hear a discussion about Deion Sanders' disappointing Buffaloes.

NFL (3:13): The big budgets and big gambles on the current crop of QBs

US Open (23:02): The American Grand Slam drought continues.

WNBA (40:21): Angel Reese’s rookie season is cut short.

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Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Slate contributing writer and co-host of the podcast Split Zone Duo, Alex Kirshner hosts this week’s Hang Up and Listen. Alex is joined by The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh and founder of the Power Plays newsletter, Lindsay Gibbs for a discussion of private equity in the NFL and college football. Later, they break down the National Women’s Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association's new collective bargaining agreement. Plus, Joey Votto’s retirement and the decline of power players at first base in the MLB. 

Football (2:25): Private equity invests in the NFL and CFB.

NWSL (22:55): The National Women’s Soccer League strikes a deal with the Players Association.

Baseball (43:27): Has the time of dominant first basemen and juggernaut teams evaporated?

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Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin reflect on hosting Slate’s sports podcast, which debuted in July 2009.

Retrospective (6:51): How the show attempted to be an antidote to traditional sports talk radio.

Old Afterballs (30:55): Josh on a 1934 battle between a scorpion and a spider. Stefan with an update to “Proud to Be an Astro” from Ball Four.

New Afterballs (51:17): Josh on listener comments after the first episode of Hang Up and Listen. Stefan on a decade and a half of Afterballs.

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Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the Dream Team’s close calls on the road to gold, and the U.S. women’s basketball team’s narrow victory, too. They break down the quick overhaul of the U.S. women’s soccer team, which won its first gold medal since 2012. Finally, they assess whether the visually beautiful and athletically compelling Paris Games restored the Olympics’ luster.

Basketball (4:12): The U.S. men and women survived gold-medal scares from host France.

Soccer (19:25): The new-look U.S. women’s team topped Brazil for gold.

Olympics roundup (34:58): Did Paris help the Games regain their mojo?

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Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Morgan Campbell, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss Noah Lyles’ stunning win in the men’s 100 meters and Sha’Carri Richardson’s silver in the women’s. Slate’s Christina Cauterucci explains the controversy about the women boxers accused of failing a gender-eligibility test. Plus, Olympics potpourri, including NBC’s announcing fails, tennis genius, and archery thrills.

100 meters (2:34): Noah Lyles nipped Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in one of the most exciting races in Olympics history.

Women’s boxing(17:41): Slate’s Christina Cauterucci on the culture-war furor around two women boxers.

Olympics potpourri (34:48): NBC’s 100-meters and gymnastics fails, a scintillating men’s tennis final, and a golden arrow.

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Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Joel Anderson, Morgan Campbell, and Stefan Fatsis discuss the Dream Team’s opening-game win at the Paris Olympics. Gymnastics writer Rebecca Schulman joins to assess whether a calf injury might derail Simone Biles’ quest for redemption. And, the Games’ first scandal: Canadian soccer Spygate.

Dream Team (4:53): Led by Kevin Durant and LeBron James, Team USA crushed Nikola Jokic and Serbia it its Olympics opener.

Gymnastics (18:26): How severe is the calf injury that left Simone Biles limping and crawling during qualifying rounds in Paris?

Soccer scandal (33:45): Canada’s men’s and women’s soccer teams used drones to spy on opponents for years.

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