Let's Talk with Carl Lee

After lawsuits and discussions within the NCAA, 5 years of elegibility has been granted to players as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, but it's creating an interesting scenario: NFL rookies considering going back for one last year in college football. The discussion then moves to the Cleveland Browns and the QB1 problem it has on its hands. Deshaun Watson is still owed over $40 million on his contract, but Watson comes with some issues, and Shedeur Sanders is showing a lot of talent. Finally, the discussion puts ties everything back to youth sports and a notable shift away from football. New studies have shown that contact football should be withheld until kids are age 14, but participation numbers are showing that football may be on a slow decline as other Olympic sports take hold. Let's talk with Carl Lee, Lisa Otey, Hollis Lewis, and Producer Matt Murphy.

The LA Lakers' sale is raising some eyebrows as questions arise on the standards for selling a professional team. Plus, Jayden Daniels has been making headlines regarding LSU using his image and likeness. Do the modern NIL deals limit his options here? Finally, the conversation moves to professional athletes mentality and the differences between rookies and seasoned veterans. Let's Talk! With Carl Lee, Lisa Otey, Hollis Lewis, and Producer Matt Murphy.

Two-time MLB All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, and three-time NL Manager of the Year Dusty Baker spends an evening with Carl Lee, Lisa Otey, and Producer Matt Murphy talking about his 50+ years playing and coaching in the Majors. From winning the World Series in 1981 with the Dodgers, to catching another in 2022 as the Astros' skipper, Baker talks philosophy, racial tones, coaching All-Star sluggers, and more. Let's Talk! with Major League great Dusty Baker!

Old school vs. New School - Where does safety fall in today's football game? Plus, little WNBA bets between players. Is it a non-issue or is there a bigger systemic problem at hand? Join Carl Lee, Lisa Otey, Hollis Lewis, and Producer Matt Murphy for Let's Talk!

The conversation starts on Notre Dame's Memorandum of Understanding between it and the NCAA regarding the college football playoff seeding. Things turn to a deeper discussion on the career effects of player substance abuse, before heading to Philadelphia, now the basketball home of Lebron James. Is he just doing it for a ring? Will he even fit in? Let's Talk! with Carl Lee, Lisa Otey, Hollis Lewis, and Producer Matt Murphy.

Carl Lee and Lisa Otey welcome boxing legend Christy Martin back to Let's Talk for a wide-ranging conversation that spans her career, her philanthropy, and her personal journey. Martin reflects on being the only female boxer ever to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated — doing so twice, including a 2025 return shoot with Sydney Sweeney wearing the same trunks from 1996 — and draws a parallel between Caitlin Clark's impact on the WNBA and her own pioneering role in women's boxing. She discusses what drove her intensity in the ring, the anger she carried from years of domestic abuse, and the deal she made with God from her hospital bed. Martin also details Christy's Champs, her nonprofit that provides computers, starting-over bins, and gas cards to domestic violence survivors, including an upcoming partnership with AWAY in Raleigh County and a pet-focused fundraiser addressing why 50 percent of victims stay in abusive situations because they cannot bring their pets to shelters.

The discussion gets spirited as the crew dissects ESPN's 2026 Top 10 Quarterbacks list. Then, it's on to more drama in the WNBA. Who deserves respect? Who does not? Where will things go in the future? Also, how does the rising popularity of women's sports affect young women in their pursuit of youth sports? Let's Talk! With Carl Lee, Lisa Otey, Hollis Lewis, and Producer Matt Murphy.

Carl Lee and Hollis Lewis open with a candid conversation on the World Cup and soccer's growing appeal among fans who grew up with football, basketball, and baseball — breaking down the athleticism, footwork, and tactical sophistication they've come to appreciate. The show shifts to the NBA's explosive offseason, covering major trades involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brown, LaMelo Ball, Ja Morant, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George, and whether LeBron James should pursue one final championship run or step away on top. The final and most substantive segment takes on brain trauma in football — prompted by Chris Johnson's ALS diagnosis — with Carl and Hollis debating CTE prevalence, the NFL's delayed response to player safety, the case for eliminating or delaying youth tackle football, and whether annual cognitive testing should become standard at every level of the sport from little league to the pros.

Carl Lee, Hollis Lewis, and Lisa Otey welcome professional basketball player Stephen Verplanken, a Dominican Republic native raised in Belgium who played at Taze Valley Christian School in West Virginia before moving through Glenville State, Southern Illinois, and Weber State on his way to a pro career in Iceland, Spain, and France. Verplanken shares his journey navigating performance anxiety, adapting to Europe's team-oriented playing style, and his recent transition to a graduate assistant coaching role at the University of Louisville. The panel then debates the NBA draft case of Auburn's Naseya Nongoy, who was selected by the LA Clippers under a draft-and-stash agreement before choosing to return to college — sparking a wide discussion on player freedom, the future of the draft, and whether athletes should have more control over their destinations. The show closes on a somber note as Carl reflects on Chris Johnson's public ALS diagnosis, connecting it to broader conversations about athlete health and West Virginia's recent ALS legislation.

Carl Lee and co-host Lisa Otey open with a timely discussion on extreme heat and its effects on athletes and officials, sparked by MLB incidents involving Elly De La Cruz of the Reds and Mariners reliever Trent Thornton during a heat wave. Carl draws on his NFL training camp experience to discuss the old-school mentality around heat exposure, the watershed moment of Korey Stringer's death at Vikings camp in 2001, and how attitudes toward player safety have shifted. The conversation shifts to Carl's weekend in Minneapolis, where he joined a youth football camp and autograph event alongside NFL legends Dante Culpepper and Jim McMahon, praising both for their accessibility and warmth with fans and kids. The show closes with a wide-ranging debate on the evolution of NFL defenses — from the dominant 1985 Bears to today's speed-driven offenses — punctuated by Carl's classic story of his first encounter tackling Walter Payton.