Molly & Jim

Jim Rutledge and Matt Hamilton roll into Hour 2 of today's musical Rutledge & Hamilton, inspired by Fernando Valenzuela's walkout song, Fernando. Jim asks which Packers rookie will end up as this year's breakout player and what will THEIR song be? Metro Kia breaking news drops with UW Athletics Hall of Fame class in 2024, which includes ESPN Madison's own Tarek Saleh! During Throwing Stones, Jim and Matt laud praise on Badgers football's all-time leader in sacks, and Primetime asks which "movie house" they'd most want to live in, what college football team they'd want to re-align in EA College Football 25, and the best college football school song. Jason Wilde joins Jim and Matt on a Wednesday, and he gives some praise for new UW Athletics Hall of Famer, Tarek Saleh, who was inducted in today's HOF class of 2024. Matt also asks Jason today's poll question: will Josh Jacobs or Keenan Allen have a bigger impact on the Packers or the Bears this season, respectively. Jason also shares his worries about rookie running back Marshawn Lloyd's fumbling issues, and he congratulates Jim and Matt being named as finalists for Best of Madison's radio team! Jim and Matt wrap up praising the other members of UW Athletics' Hall of Fame class of 2024.

Jim Rutledge and Matt Hamilton start off following an extended Memorial Day weekend with the return of Wisconsin sports public enemy No. 1, Craig Counsell, to Am Fam Field over the weekend. Jim tells Brewers fans they should simmer down after winning in Counsell's first game back, and he asks Matt what bothered him more about how Counsell left the Brewers: just that he left Milwaukee, or that he went to Chicago. Carlito the Badger-Bear calls in to give his *unique* perspective on Wisconsin sports as a F.I.B., and Jim talks about how he went full commando in his track pants while camping up north for Memorial Day! During What Matt Missed, the guys celebrate the life and legacy of the late, great Bill Walton after he passed away over the weekend. They wrap Hour 1 with some Grateful Dead and whether or note Counsell should be more grateful for: his money from the Cubs, or the state of Wisconsin.

Jim Rutledge and Matt Hamilton roll into Hour 2 and set aside their differences as Wisconsin and Chicago sports fans to give their ode to the late, great Bill Walton. Jim tries to quiz Matt on Walton's athletic achievements, Matt talks about his personal run-in with Walton, and Primetime makes the case that we should've had Walton as Vice President of the United States! Jim looks into some of the Rutledge & Hamilton fanclub's fan fiction, and he uncovers Primetime's *love* for the Twilight movies. During Throwing Stones, Primetime asks about the band/artist the guys would most want to spend their life following, the end of Angel Hernandez's reign of terror as an MLB umpire, and if Cubs fans are already sick of Craig Counsell's analytical style. The guys wrap up on Crosstalk with the Great Dane Huddle, hosted by Molly Brown and Counsell-hater Jesse Nelson. Jim and Matt grill Jesse for his blind Brewers fandom.

Rutledge & Hamilton had an absolutely PACKED guest list this May! Dive back through the full lineup with a special Memorial Day playlist of our new and recurring guests from this month:

Badgers volleyball star Devyn Robinson joins in-studio to talk about her life on and off the court, playing in the Big Ten, and her new role working for ESPN Madison – the new radio home of Wisconsin Badgers volleyball! (0:00-27:34)

David Kaplan of ESPN 1000 makes his debut on Rutledge & Hamilton to back up Jim in his fight against Packers fan Matt Hamilton. Kap talks about how Bears’ future hall- quarterback Caleb Williams will change the NFL’s oldest rivalry for years to come. (27:24 - 43:18)

Standup comedian Ian Karmel joins in-studio. Ian talks about starting out his career as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers' post gameshows, working as one of the lead writers for the Late Late Show With James Corden, the Roast of Tom Brady, and his new book: T-Shirt Swim Club. (43:19 - 1:09:33)

Mark Tauscher calls in for his usual guest spot with Molly Brown and Colin Russo holding down the show. Tausch talks about the Packers’ 2024 schedule release, Jordan Love’s ongoing contract negotiations, and what Jerry Rice said on KBN about what he sees in Love. (1:09:34 - 1:25:33)

Standup comedian and SNL star Jay Pharaoh swings by our studio while in Madison. Jay runs through a number of his incredible celebrity impressions and the origins of his comedy, and he nearly causes Primetime to break the dump button. (1:25:33 - 1:50:43)

Jason Wilde calls in for his usual guest spot with Jim and Matt. Jason talks about Packers fans’ fervor to give Jordan Love a contract extension, the risk versus rewards of signing Love this offseason, and the album titles that best describe his first season as the Packers’ starting QB. (1:50:44 - 2:09:43)

David Kaplan joins the show again two weeks for Round 2 of Packers-Bears rivalry smack talk with Matt. Jim presents Kap with his prediction for Caleb Williams’ first season in Chicago, and Matt convinces him to join on the show’s hot sauce bet for this season's Packers-Bears games. (2:09:44 - 2:21:28)

Host of Unsportsmanlike on ESPN radio, Evan Cohen, calls in to mediate Jim and Matt’s Packers-Bears rivalry debate. Evan relives some of his memories working with “Florida Jim”, playing newspaper QB at the University of (just) Madison, and what’s the most annoying fanbase in the NFC North. (2:21:28 - 2:42:43)

Jim Rutledge is out to start his rainy camping weekend, so Matt Hamilton is joined by Jesse Nelson's from up at the Tundra Trio in Green Bay. Matt and Jesse start the show with a specific area of expertise for Jesse: what are the best and worst foods to eat while driving. Jesse gets into the X's and O's of eating and driving, and they ask the fans what's the hardest to eat: Barbeque, Chinese Food, Spaghetti, or Fondue. They also talk about the lingering contract extension questions for Jordan Love, and Matt says they should hold off until after the start of the regular season if the Packers want to give Love a bag. They also talk about one of the classic driving/lunchroom/cafeteria foods: the Bosco stick.

Matt Hamilton and Jesse Nelson start Hour 2 of this Phish Friday, with the biggest Wisconsin sports of this Memorial Day weekend: Craig Counsell's return to Am Fam Field when the Cubs face the Brewers on Monday. Jesse goes into his acrimony for the "traitor" Craig Counsell and says that this is the most-anticipated Brewers regular-season game in 16 years. Matt tells him to chill out and the Craig did what was best for him by leaving the cheap Brewers ownership. During Poll Dancing, Primetime throws out poll questions about the biggest storylines of this Packers offseason, who would have the most to gain if the Packers win a Super Bowl, and if it's better when a three-day weekend includes Friday or Monday. Jesse is joined up at the Tundra Trio by Green Bay resident Jason Wilde, who gives his thoughts on the stakes of Monday's Brewers-Cubs matchup, the most important storylines of the Packers offseason, and the best vs worst food to eat while driving.

Jim and Matt go off the "most annoying NFL fanbases" topic from this morning's Unsportsmanlike, and they spar over whether the Bears or the Packers fanbase is actually more annoying. Evan Cohen of Unsportsmanlike then joins the show to mediate this annoying debate! Evan re-hashes some memories of Florida Jim and re-lives some of his own most athletic memories in the student newspaper football game at the University of (just) Madison? Evan also claims that Lions fans are actually the most annoying fans in the NFC North after two years of unprecedented franchise success. Jim let's Evan know his prediction for Caleb Williams' record-setting first season as the Bears QB, and his Evan is unimpressed. They also discuss which QB will have a better statistical, and potential MVP, season: Jordan Love or Caleb Williams.

Jim Rutledge and Matt Hamilton get in their feeling today by talking about the most annoying fanbase in the NFC North. Running off a topic from this morning's Unsportsmanlike about annoying fanbases, where Chris Canty and Michelle Smallmon said that Packers fans are well-deserving of their confidence as fans. Jim and Matt spar over whether the Bears or the Packers fanbase is actually more annoying. Evan Cohen of Unsportsmanlike then joins the show to mediate this annoying debate! Evan re-hashes some memories of Florida Jim and re-lives some of his own most athletic memories in the student newspaper football game at the University of (just) Madison? Evan also claims that Lions fans are actually the most annoying fans in the NFC North after two years of unprecedented franchise success. Jim let's Evan know his prediction for Caleb Williams' record-setting first season as the Bears QB, and his Evan is unimpressed. They also discuss which QB will have a better statistical, and potential MVP, season: Jordan Love or Caleb Williams. They wrap Hour 1 with the High Life Dive Bar of the Week: Sportsman Bar & Grill in New Glarus!

Jim Rutledge and Matt Hamilton roll into some more rivalry talk in Hour 2, but first they go deeper into the lore of the fictional All-Pro QB Al Bundy. Jim asks Matt and Primetime if they can get the actor's real name, and Banger from DeForest chimes in with a real deep-cut about the actual actor's football past. Jim runs through a list from ESPN.com, ranking the greatest fictional athletes in movie history. In Throwing Stones, Primetime asks about what animal vs animal fights they'd like to see, the chain gain going away in the NFL, and if Shaq or Sir Charles would be better ask a theoretical CFB analyst. Jim wraps up the show by making a new Rutledge & Hamilton 2024 rule -- always give foul balls away to a kid!

ey even get into what could be some of the root causes of Christian Watson's asymmetric hamstring issue! David Kaplan of ESPN 1000 to talk some more smack in the Packers-Bears rivalry, and he even agrees to join in Jim and Matt's hot-sauce bet for the two teams' games this coming season!