Mike Lewis draws from his recent experience as an Illinois Fighting Illini fan to emphasize how hope can rejuvenate one's fandom.

Following a discussion of Illinois' recent victory over Duke on the hardwood, Mike and Doug discuss what caused Lovie Smith to fail at Illinois after leading the Chicago Bears to their most recent Super Bowl appearance.

The two then discuss Nick Saban, Lovie Smith, and why successful college coaches often struggle in the NFL (and vice versa).

In the show's final segment, "mascot expert" Mike breaks down potential consequences of The Cleveland Indians' abandonment of their mascot / team name. This sparks a discussion on "problematic" mascots, the value mascots bring to sports organizations, and the future of mascots in sports.

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Fanalytics is a part of the Professors.fm podcast network - making sense of the world with top scholars.

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