Mike Fotis joins John to explore the psychology of Urban Meyer.  Then, Neil deMause explains whether it’s “stadia” or “stadiums” and how the St. Louis Rams will finance one. Dan Post Senning of the Emily Post Institute and Awesome Etiquette podcast tells John how to trash talk in a nice way.  Plus, the Playoffs’ Tournament of Names.

Drama dots the sports landscape, from Cooperstown to Oklahoma City to Los Angeles.  John Moe welcomes Nate Corddry and Kelly Dwyer to break it all down, and consider the similarities between the Milwaukee Bucks’ Larry Sanders and Office Space’s Peter Gibbons.

John Moe and Mike Fotis hand out the inaugural “Dunkies” to worthy honorees like Derek Jeter, James Harden, Sacramento Kings owner/possible madman Vivek Ranadive, and nervous Chevy Regional Zone Manager Rikk Wilde.

If you listen closely, you can hear the deep beard envy that facial hair enthusiasts Moe and Fotis have for Harden’s chin blanket.

 (James Harden, relaxing at a football game with a superior beard.)

A jam-packed Home Dunk finds John Moe considering the case of the Chicago Bears’ Chris Conte, the New Yorker’s Kelefa Sanneh talking about the physical toll of MMA, Dr. Matt McCarthy on the NHL’s mumps epidemic, and “Jim Harbaugh” documenting his downward spiral in San Francisco.

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John Moe welcomes former NBA player/current lawyer Len Elmore to discuss athletes and social activism, WNBA star Lindsay Whalen to discuss the globetrotting life of a professional women’s basketball player, and Will Hobson of the Tampa Bay Times to discuss the use of unpaid homeless people as servers at Tampa area sporting events.

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John Moe wants to learn how the new college football playoff is going to work.  Bill Hancock, the playoff’s executive director, tells him.  It involves Condoleezza Rice, a ceremonial hat rack, and Grapevine, Texas.

Later, Christina Kahrl of Baseball Prospectus checks in with an update on baseball free agency, covering Jon Lester, Pablo Sandoval, Giancarlo Stanton, and, um, Richie Sexson.  (Yes, we realize that Christina appears to be calling in from a haunted house.)

All this, plus an update from the Norwegian Men’s Professional Basketball League, on this edition of Home Dunk.

John Moe wants to talk despair and sadness.  Since this is a sports podcast, that means John is going to talk about the Philadelphia 76ers. Pablo Torre joins him to ponder the existential dread they inspire, and they remind you that Ellen is a good show that helps people.

John also celebrates Quarterback Thanksgiving at your house, where all the QBs are recognizable family archetypes.

John Moe interviews fellow writer/podcast host/basketball enthusiast/Seattle SuperSonics mourner Sherman Alexie on this episode.  Among the items covered:

John also talks about power, in the person of new executive director of the NBA Players’ Association and all-around badass Michele Roberts and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and reads Rejected Super Bowl Halftime Show Proposals from his book, Dear Luke, We Need to Talk. Darth.

John Moe chats with the San Antonio Spurs’ Matt Bonner, who is definitely the best redheaded player in the NBA, and probably the only one who’ll praise The Wrens’ Meadowlands (GREAT ALBUM!) in an interview.  They talk about the Spurs mystique, Matt’s sandwich blog, Canadian sub chains, and the Rock On Foundation.  There’s also another installment of the NBA Tournament of Names, where John introduces his Dave Matthews impression to a clearly horrified Mike Fotis and Peter Clowney.

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(This is the stock photo for “basketball mouse”)

Musician and St. Louis native Bhi Bhiman talks with John Moe about his beloved Cardinals and what, exactly, a “guttersnipe” is.  Plus, more on the Adrian Peterson situation, and The Coach checks in with an update on his mouse point guard.

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BHI BHIMAN FAST FACTS:

THE RETURN OF THE COACH: