Yes, we are doing this again. We are talking Tom Brady for another Football Episode. Can you blame us? We really just want to continue giving you that Superb Owl content (bonus points if you get the reference). This week, Sam and Serge break down various destinations that were rumored as Tom Brady mulled his free agency decision. Eventually, he ended up with the Buccaneers and the rest is history. But what other teams were on the table? Was Tom Brady the potential successor to Drew Brees under center? Is he "built like that" (according to Serge) for the Eagles? Would this season be any different for the GOAT?

Shootaround: We chat about the absurdity of the Superbowl in the middle of a global pandemic and check-in with the NBA season. Serge tells the advanced analytics kids to get off his lawn. 

A slight departure from our usual format, Serge and Sam take a look at current NBA roster and ask a simple question. What if each player in the NBA was currently in their prime? Does that change a lot? Will some team suddenly become contenders? Who will disappear from the playoff picture? And what does it say overall about our sports science and player longevity. 

Shootaround: As the Superbowl looms, we talk predictions, the improbability of this season even happening and everything else Brady and Mahomes. 

Look, we'll be honest with you. There's a lot we can talk about here, but one of the primary motivators on this was to make fun of the NFL Draft and for Serge to make the Italian hand gestures (you'll know when you hear it). We take a look at the ageless wonder that is Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (!!!) as he heads to his 10th Superbowl. We consider all the other QBs taken before him and what could have been if he landed on say... the 49ers throwing to Terrell Owens and Jerry Rice. 

Shootaround: Serge pretends like he understands the stock market (he doesn't), we laugh at our hedge fund overlords getting owned by reddit memelords and talk a wee bit about the Superbowl showdown between Brady and Mahomes. Yes. Again. 

In the summer of 2007, coming off some of the worst stretch of his career with the Lakers, Kobe Bryant demanded a trade. One likely destination? The Detroit Pistons, the same team that beat the breaks off the Lakers in 2004, ending a dynasty. The proposed package included variations of Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, and some sort of combination of picks. Obviously, the trade never happened and Kobe retired a Laker legend, but what would we say about his legacy if he left the Lakers for the then temporarily dominant East?

Shootaround: Is there no end to this pandemic? The NBA is struggling to keep its players in check and we are facing down a possibility of another postponed season. Also, Serge refuses to acknowledge that the NFL season ever happened.  

This is admittedly one of our sadder episodes. Admittedly even sadder that it's our 28th Episode. Before European players became a mainstay in the NBA, Drazen Petrovic was destined to be the one to shatter the Oceanic divide and become a star. Drafted by the Blazers, joining the Nets and on a trajectory to become the greatest shooter in NBA history, he tragically lost his life in a car accident in Europe. Today, we remember a career that was and that could have been.

The Shootaround: Is James Harden going to play this year? What are some of the NBA surprises to expect this season? What is football even?

A gentle reminder that we will be off until the second week of January when we will return with our second season. Better, faster, stronger... All those things. 

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most known names in football (that's soccer for the uneducated)... But once upon a time, when he was just a promising young prospect, Arsenal had the inside track on signing him. Instead, he ended up in Manchester and the rest is history. But what if Arsenal managed to close the deal.

Shootaround: Danny Ainge may be the greatest GM in the world. Or Not. The NBA may be coming back and the Eagles are still not a football team. 

In a departure for the pod, we take a look at a different sport all together and explore what may be the fiercest rivalry in North America. Sam puts on his professor glasses and explains baseball to Serge. In 2003, the Seattle Mariners almost traded Alex Rodriguez, potentially the best player in baseball at the time, to the Boston Red Sox. If the move held, what impact would this have on the Sox - Yankees rivalry? Would Boston go on to build an even more impactful Dynasty? Would the Yankees, unbridled internal conflict do better than just one ring? What would happen to J-Lo? All of these are important questions Serge manages to ask. 

Shootaround: You know what it is, the NBA Free Agency is upon us and there are many things to discuss. The guys touch about how they feel about Toronto, the most impactful moves so far and Serge revels in the fact that his "white guy FA" prediction has exceeded all expectations (Serge: "Thank you Gordon Hayward and MJ"). And briefly, are the Eagles a football team this week? 

Editor's Note: Because Serge is an idiot, this podcast was supposed to be uploaded on Wednesday, Nov 19th, but it is here now. Please enjoy. 

Eli Manning was drafted by the San Diego chargers, hoping for a little bit of that hereditary "Manning Magic." Instead, they ended up trading him to the New York Giants for Philip Rivers. Two Superbowl wins later, Manning is a New York legend? That's a hard thing to quantify because he mostly had a somewhat run of the mill career in the NFL, punctuated by two big wins when it mattered, with Rivers arguably having a more sustained run under center. But what if the two swapped places on that fateful draft? 

Shootaround: Serge continues to pretend that the NFL doesn't exist since the NFC East is a deteriorating mess. Sam is pleasantly surprised by the Patriots. And both of us rub it into the Texans' fans... Meanwhile in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks are making moves (please redact the Bogdanovic side of the discussion) and Chris Paul is now the best PG in history for FIVE franchises. The madness is just starting. 

In this episode, we bravely go where millions of Twitter users (and Bill Simmons) have gone before. The Oklahoma City Thunder decided to trade James Harden and break up the combination of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka fresh of a trip to the NBA Finals. Despite the team's future being bright, the Thunder made that they can maintain their success with three instead of four. They never made the finals again while also losing, Ibaka, Durant, and eventually Westbrook. But what if they decided to keep it together? 

Shootaround: We dive into politics (regretfully) and talk NBA free agency storylines (get your money, Freddy). 

When Michael Vick was suspended from the NFL for dogfighting. He was just entering his prime, breaking video games, and had people excited for what's to come. And then, he threw it all away. To be clear, we're not here hypothesizing "what if the NFL let this one slide," the punishment was well deserved. We simply consider the career Michael Vick had otherwise had he not carried out his transgressions.

Shootaround: No sports something something makes us a little bored. We talk a bit about the rolling disaster fire that is the NFC East and Sam laments the Patriots not being exceptional for the first time in however many years (seriously, I've lost count). Plus, the NBA is eyeing a very early return.