On April 27, 2026, Jamal Hayden recaps a Knicks’ must-win Game 4 that tied their series with the Hawks 2–2, praising Karl-Anthony Towns’ 20-point triple-double, OG Anunoby’s finishing and shooting, Josh Hart’s defense, and key bench minutes while criticizing Jalen Brunson’s turnovers/hero ball and Mikal Bridges’ struggles and late-game benching; he notes Atlanta’s pressure, coaching adjustments by Mike Brown, and the series shifting back to MSG.

Around the NBA, he highlights Magic leading Pistons 2–1, Spurs–Portland competitiveness with Wembanyama’s dominant stat line and OKC/San Antonio as West favorites, Celtics’ inconsistency yet blowout of the Sixers, Rockets extending a strange series vs. a vulnerable Lakers roster, and Toronto tying Cleveland 2–2, calling the playoffs competitive and the play-in “wonky” but effective. He then grades the NFL draft, praising Cowboys, Eagles, and Ravens, approving Giants’ picks (including pass-rush and OL focus), critiquing the Jets’ trade-up for Cade Klubnik while liking their early selections, and detailing the Lions’ additions (Blake Miller, Derrick Moore, Jimmy Rolder, a small ASU CB, and a Kentucky WR trade-up).

He closes with MLB turmoil: the Red Sox firing Alex Cora despite his track record, criticizing GM Craig Breslow and roster decisions, then blasting the Mets after a Rockies sweep and prolonged losing trend, questioning analytics-driven lineup choices and roster construction under Steve Cohen/David Stearns, and arguing Mendoza should be fired so the Mets can hire Cora.

00:00 Show Open and Rundown

01:07 Knicks Collapse in Game 3

02:54 Game 4 Blueprint

04:08 Brunson and Bridges Under Fire

08:41 Knicks Adjustments and Defense

09:32 Home Court and Game 5 Outlook

15:29 Around the NBA Playoffs

17:03 Spurs Surge and West Picture

21:37 Celtics Sixers and Rockets Lakers

27:20 Draft Recap Begins

27:42 Cowboys Eagles Ravens Winners

29:46 Eagles Draft Praise

30:33 Ravens Hit Needs

30:50 Giants Edge Debate

32:18 Giants O Line Fix

34:07 Jets Draft Philosophy

37:03 Jets Late Trade Critique

37:50 Lions Tackle Plan

38:26 Lions Trade Up Logic

41:26 Lions Secondary Depth

44:21 Red Sox Fire Cora

47:32 Mets Swept By Rockies

51:16 Mets Roster Mismanagement

01:00:19 Fire Mendoza Hire Cora

On the April 21, 2026 episode of Jamal About Sports (sponsored by South River Watch Company), Jamal welcomes back longtime guest Aaron Green to preview Thursday’s NFL Draft and vent about New York sports.

They open with a frustrating Knicks playoff loss, criticizing Jalen Brunson’s hero ball and poor shooting, OG Anunoby’s missed dunk and free throws, Karl-Anthony Towns disappearing in the fourth, ineffective bench minutes from Deuce McBride and Landry Shamet, Mikal Bridges’ inconsistency, Mike Brown’s rotations, and Knicks fans provoking CJ McCollum.

They then rip the Mets’ roster construction and defensive misalignment under David Stearns, complain about an 11-game losing streak, Devin Williams’ shaky closing, and discuss possible manager Carlos Mendoza hot-seat pressure, plus brief Yankees/Aaron Boone gripes. They close with draft principles (avoid trading up, top-10 tight ends, injury/character risks, and overvaluing traits), Cowboys and Lions draft targets/avoids, and a plug for the series Andor.

Host Jamal Hayden recaps Michigan winning the men’s national championship over UConn, praising Dusty May’s team balance and noting May’s roots as a Bob Knight-era Indiana student manager, while criticizing UConn women’s coach Geno Auriemma for a classless postgame accusation after South Carolina snapped UConn’s winning streak.

He also discusses former Nuggets title coach Mike Malone taking the UNC job, viewing it as a pro-style hire amid NIL and the transfer portal. Turning to the NBA, Jamal assesses the Knicks’ final three games and playoff positioning, argues the Mike Brown era hasn’t improved the team, and cites regression from Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges despite a key win over a hot Hawks team powered by late Jalen Brunson.

In MLB, he critiques the Mets’ roster construction and lineup decisions, defends Mark Vientos as the in-house first-base answer, and notes strong early starting pitching and bullpen results despite inconsistent offense and a Soto calf injury.

00:00 Show Intro and Rundown

00:31 Michigan Wins It All

01:49 UConn Coach and Final Thoughts

03:07 Dusty May Manager Roots

05:51 Geno’s Postgame Blowup

06:57 Winning Excuses Bad Behavior

10:49 Mike Malone Takes UNC Job

13:06 Knicks Coaching and Offense

15:35 Playoff Seeding and Schedule

19:59 Towns and Bridges Regression

23:10 Dolan’s Finals or Bust Dilemma

25:45 Knicks Beat Hawks

27:11 Brunson Fourth Quarter

28:48 Knicks Red Flags

31:46 Record Versus Elite

33:01 Mets Early Worries

34:41 Vientos First Base Case

37:33 Roster Construction Rant

43:20 Pitching Bright Spots

45:33 Lineup Fixes Wanted

48:25 Wrap Up And Next Shows

On March 30, 2026, Jamal and guest Chuck Gore cover multiple sports stories, starting with Hamilton College’s Division III ice hockey team upsetting undefeated Hobart 2–1 in overtime to win the NCAA championship.

They then break down UConn’s dramatic comeback win over Duke, including Duke’s late mistake, Dan Hurley’s antics, broadcast reactions, and Final Four picks (UConn-Illinois and Michigan-Arizona; they project Michigan vs UConn or Arizona vs UConn). They discuss college basketball’s declining fan experience due to one-and-done and the transfer portal, then pivot to golf: Tiger Woods’ latest vehicular incident and enabling, plus Gary Woodland’s Houston Open win after brain surgery and mental health struggles, and LPGA standout Hyo Joo Kim beating Nelly Korda again.

They vent about MLB opening the season midweek on Netflix, touch on early Mets/Yankees notes, and finish with the Philadelphia 76ers’ late-season surge, Paul George’s suspension return, Embiid’s health, and playoff positioning.

00:00 Show intro and rundown

00:45 Hamilton hockey stuns Hobart

02:58 UConn Duke instant classic

05:07 Duke villains and memories

09:43 Final shot breakdown

11:50 Final Four picks and bracket talk

12:37 Is college hoops broken

16:15 Tiger latest crash talk

23:51 Gary Woodland comeback win

25:58 LPGA streak and Nelly chase

27:38 MLB Opening Day Rant

29:41 Streaming Subscription Spiral

30:56 Yankees Off Day Weirdness

32:21 Early Season Overreactions

34:31 Mets Bullpen Mismanagement

36:17 Booing and Media Narratives

38:15 Bad Baserunning Decision

39:52 Sauna Phillies Viewing

40:41 Sixers Playoff Push

46:22 Knicks Not Contenders

48:11 Coaching Diversity Detour

51:56 Sixers Schedule Predictions

54:51 Final Wrap and Plugs

On the March 10, 2026 episode of “Jamal About Sports,” Jamal dedicates the show to his late parents, describing how his stepfather Jim Hayden introduced him to football and made him a Lions fan, then outlines the show’s contrarian, humorous approach.

He argues free agency is overrated versus drafting and developing, then lists five favorite NFL moves (including the Bengals adding Boye Mafe and Brian Cook, the Lions signing center Cade Mays, Joseph Ossai to the Jets, and Coby Bryant to the Bears) and five worst (including the Panthers’ Jalen Phillips deal, Raiders paying Tyler Linderbaum, and other costly signings).

He blasts the Lions for signing Isaiah Pacheco despite bigger roster needs. He reverses his stance on the World Baseball Classic, highlights strong rosters (especially the Dominican Republic), and offers Mets lineup/rotation predictions. He criticizes the Knicks’ recent play, praises the Spurs, and picks Celtics vs Spurs for the NBA Finals.

00:00 Show Intro and Dedication

00:40 How Lions Made a Fan

02:26 What This Show Is

03:20 Free Agency Reality Check

06:02 Five Best Signings

10:26 Cade Mays and PFF Rant

16:41 Jets and Bears Pickups

18:30 Five Worst Signings

25:15 Lions Sign Pacheco

30:09 Lions Tight End Depth

30:51 Montgomery Replacement Debate

32:08 Replacing Roy Lopez

34:26 Budget Secondary Targets

36:13 WBC Change Of Heart

37:05 Dominican Roster Breakdown

39:27 Venezuela And Puerto Rico

41:42 WBC Finals And Injury Risk

43:19 Mets Lineup And RF Battle

46:01 June Roster Predictions

48:25 Knicks Red Flags

56:00 Spurs To The Finals

58:01 Wrap Up And Sign Off

Host Jamal welcomes guest Chuck Gora, a diehard Philadelphia sports fan and former Division III football player, and opens with a note of respect for coach Lou Holtz.   

They recap NFL combine takeaways centered on unprecedented speed, discuss several prospects (including Ohio State standouts, tight ends like Kenan Sadiq, and quarterbacks Ty Simpson and Garrett Nussmeier), and touch on rumors around Stefon Diggs.

The conversation shifts to the Rams trading for Trent McDuffie and the Lions dealing David Montgomery to Houston for picks and lineman Juice Scruggs, with concerns about Detroit’s direction. In MLB, they debate the World Baseball Classic’s injury risk and limited U.S. interest, then discuss Phillies optimism, a Phillies–Mets bet, and Mets roster “what ifs” versus the Dodgers’ payroll advantage. They close with NBA finals predictions, praising the Thunder and Celtics, questioning the Knicks, and discussing the Cavs and Sixers.

This week: This version of the USA Hockey team is nothing like the miracle on ice team, the Knicks are still in search of consistency, and some news and notes from the world of Golf.

This week: We break down the Eastern and Western conference leaders in the NBA; the commissioner pretends to care about the tanking problem, and my 3 keys to the Knicks playoff success.

This week: The Super Bowl goes the way I thought it would, the Knicks make a savvy trade, and the Mets are hoping, not planning on 2026 being a good year. And we have our first official sponsor!