On the Bleachers

We’re seeking the light. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss a sports world a-hole using Taylor to wash his reputation; Jason Kelce’s phone smashing incident; the NBA in-season tournament and injury incentives; and it’s official: Bluesky is the new Twitter (cuz sports people showed up).

Links:

The Dave Portnoy School of Image Rehabilitation (Substack)

Jason Kelce smashed the phone of a man who called Travis a homophobic slur (Twitter)

NBA Emirates Cup (NBA.com)

Why NBA Cup already needs innovation and three changes league can make to spice up in-season tournament (CBS Sports)

The NBA In-Season Tournament Will Be A Referendum On The Regular Season (Defector)

World Series champs! How Dodgers validated their dominance (ESPN)

Sports media’s migration from X to Bluesky has accelerated post-election (Awful Announcing)

Mina Kimes’s thread (and another one) with other sports journos to follow on BlueSky 

Sarah and Zan on Bluesky

We lol in all our criminal emails. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss whether Odell Beckham Jr is knowingly creating gay art with his jock strap candle; the WNBA’s controversial championship game; the toxic monopoly at the heart of American cheerleading; millennials committing crimes lol; the Freddie Freeman grand slam, Mookie Betts being assaulted by Yankee fans, and the fifth inning that changed everything.

Links:

Apple’s requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon. Here’s what you need to know (Patreon)

The ‘gayest’ sports promotion of all time might be the jockstrap candle ‘modeled after’ this current NFL player (Outsports)

Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve says series ‘stolen’ after poor officiating in WNBA Finals loss to Liberty (The Athletic)

Revolution Interrupted: Why Has the NBA's Effort to Hire Female Refs Stalled? (Bleacher Report)

Legendary fighter Frank Trigg hated UFC officials. Then he became one (ESPN)

How Cheerleading Became So Acrobatic, Dangerous and Popular (New York Times Magazine) 

The 5-4 Podcast’s episode about Elon Musk’s war on workers (Apple Podcasts)

Dodgers star Fernando Valenzuela, who changed MLB by sparking Fernandomania, dies at 63 (LA Times)

Jaime Jarrin on Fernando Valenzuela (Twitter) 

Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between (Bookshop.org)

The ugly, violent clearing of Chavez Ravine before it was home to the Dodgers (LAist)

Angels’ Spanish-language broadcast at a crossroads as announcers decry treatment (The Athletic) 

Is a Will Smith the key to winning the World Series? (ESPN)

Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam (YouTube)

Yankee Stadium fans ejected for prying ball from Mookie Betts' glove (ESPN)

What’s behind the epidemic of fans throwing things at concerts? (LA Times)

We’re looking forward to actually being at production meetings. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss Traylor at a baseball game; Jason at tailgates; can you do your job better than Tom Brady can do his? Probably!; WNBA finals and Ellie the Elephant’s time to shine; the lack of imagination in celebrating women in sports; and Zan reflects on the death of former One Direction member Liam Payne.

Links:

Kayla & Angel Share Wild DMs, Talk Relationship W/ Travis Kelce & The Pettiest Thing She’s Ever Done (YouTube)

Eras tour book and vinyl announcement (Instagram)

A comprehensive, chronological look back at Travis Kelce's online baseball fandom (Yahoo! Sports) 

Jason Kelce does a bowling ball shot (Facebook)

Men In Gowns Kick Off Saints' Super Bowl Party (NPR)

Tom Brady’s restrictions as an NFL owner (Twitter)

Sabrina Ionescu makes epic game winner to uplift Liberty past Lynx 80-77 in Game 3 of the FINALS (YouTube)

How Do You Dress an Elephant? One Fit at a Time (Sports Illustrated)

Boston's new NWSL team already got a kick in the balls (Out of Your League / Substack)

BOS Nation, a publicity campaign gone wrong and an apology for the hurt it caused (The Athletic)

‘This Is My Whole Life’: How Swifties Became NFL Superfans (Front Office Sports)

Mourning the Loss of Liam Payne (The Cut)

Abuse allegations against Liam Payne (TikTok)

Liam’s tweet (Twitter)

We love to see the big man run. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss Travis’s astrology sign; the picky eater lifestyle; trick plays and thicc picks; journalists access in team locker rooms; and October sports making us stressed!

Links:

Madame Clairevoyant's Guide to the Stars: Astrology, Our Icons, and Our Selves (Bookshop.org)

Grave Digger Surprises Travis Kelce at Birthday Car Show (TikTok)

Holding Kourt - Cara Smith (Podbean)

Travis Kelce Reveals Taylor Swift Has Introduced Him to New Foods: ‘One of the Greatest Things’ (People Magazine) 

Taylor Swift Is ‘Making It Her Mission’ to Help Travis Kelce Get Back in Shape: She Feels ‘Guilty’ (Life & Style) 

Patrick Mahomes throws an INTERCEPTION IN THE END ZONE to Khalen Saunders 😮 | NFL on ESPN (YouTube)

Kameron N. Saunders (Instagram)

Taylor Swift Reacts to Backup Dancer Kam Saunders’ Brother’s Big Play Against Travis Kelce (Us Weekly))

Taylor threatening to off herself whilst watching sports means she gets it (Twitter) 

Taylor Swift’s $16 glitter freckles cause pandemonium for ‘overwhelmed’ business owner (New York Post) 

Taylor Swift’s presence at NFL games is positive for the league, players say in poll (The Athletic)

Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside (Bookshop.org)

Effectively Wild Episode 2221: 50-50 Shot (Fangraphs)

Who belongs in the locker room? (Substack)

Inside the Braves' 'unbelievable' comeback against the Phillies (Yahoo Sports)

Baseball’s Unlikeliest Performance Enhancer: Cologne (New York Times)

We’re back! A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss what happened while the show was on break, NFL storylines shaping up this season, Shohei Ohtani making history, and how thirsting after people doesn’t have to be demeaning.

Links:

Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff 

Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris (Instagram)

JD Vance went viral for ‘cat lady’ comments. The centuries-old trope has a long tail (NPR)

Maggie Haberman On Trump's Turbulent 2024 Campaign (Fresh Air)

Trump Promotes A.I. Images to Falsely Suggest Taylor Swift Endorsed Him (NYT)

Every Game Day Outfit Taylor Swift Has Worn to Cheer on Travis Kelce (People)

What’s Going On With Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce After She Skipped Games? ‘Nothing Has Changed’ (Exclusive) (Us Weekly) 

NFL analyst criticizes Chiefs TE Travis Kelce: ‘He’s been partying all offseason’ (ChiefsWire)

The WNBA players' unprecedented stand against 'biased' reporting (Out of Your League - Substack) 

MLB reverting to old uniforms after player complaints, will also use hometown jerseys for All-Star Game

Hottest Dodger bracket (Linktree)

We’re just here to find love. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss a non-toxic NFL conspiracy, Joe Burrow’s glow-down, Olympics are here!!!, the pop music presidential campaign, athletes and private equity, and we talk about gender, sports, and equity with cultural analyst and author Frankie de la Cretaz.

Links:

Bengals QB Joe Burrow explains viral bleach-blond buzzcut: 'I got bored' (NFL.com)

Why Olympic surfing events are in Tahiti, thousands of miles from Paris (NPR)

The High Stakes of Broadcasting the Olympics (The Town)

Ilona Maher (TikTok)

Faster-Higher-Stronger ’Splainer: The Ringer’s Guide to the 2024 Paris Olympics (The Ringer) 

The Olympic Myth (w Jules Boykoff) (Sports Politika)

Taylor Swift - It’s Time To Go x Better Man live at Gelsenkirchen 19/7/24 (YouTube)

Major news story? Let’s tune in to Nick Castellanos’ next at-bat (The Athletic)

From the Playing Field to Wall Street (NY Times)

The Proud, Fashionable WAGs of Women’s Sports (Vogue)

How stylists are helping WNBA players elevate their drip (Andscape)

America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Netflix)

Being Nikki Hiltz (Runners’ World)

Living Nonbinary in a Binary Sports World (Sports Illustrated)

Tested podcast

The Other Olympians (Macmillan) 

Postcard from Camp Gaylore (Cosmopolitan)

The PR ‘Mastermind’ Behind Taylor Swift’s World Dominance (The Daily Beast)

Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League (Hachette)

Sports makes us cry. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss an arguable new sports “power couple,” elder millennial excellence, the Home Run Derby, stats about female sports fans, and a conversation with Rams beat reporter, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue.

Links:

Liam Payne is back! with Nick Grimshaw on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show (YouTube)

Andy Reid, Trey Smith, Mecole Hardman among Chiefs to join cast of Hallmark movie (NFL.com)

MLB’s Newest Power Couple: Skenes, Dunne Make Waves Beyond Diamond (Front Office Sports)

Livvy Dunne (TikTok)

How Paul Skenes' splinker helped propel him to instant MLB dominance (Yahoo! Sports)

2024 Home Run Derby Full Highlights (YouTube)

Ingrid Andress announces she’s going to rehab (Twitter)

You’re Probably Getting Screwed (Substack)

Iowa State Lawmaker Makes His Pitch in a Pinch (Sports Illustrated)

If You Call Him, He Will Pitch (Effectively Wild)

One of the Hottest Celebrity Wait Lists Is a Golf Tournament (Front Office Sports)

Sports Audio Report: Female Fans (Edison Research Group)

‘Finding Rams’: One year behind the scenes of the NFL Draft scouting process, Part I (The Athletic) 

The Playcallers (The Athletic)

Let’s Ram It (YouTube)

We heed the call  . A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss the Drake curse, national anthem stand-offs, whose idea it was for Travis to go onstage at Eras, Hallmark movies cash in on Traylor, Hard Knocks, feeding Olympians, and fabulous celebrity doctors. 

Links:

Christian McCaffrey Defends Olivia Culpo's Wedding Dress from Stylist's Harsh Critique: 'What an Evil Thing to Post' (People)

Copa América: Argentina hit back after Drake loses $300K bet (ESPN)

Reds & Yankees have a minute-long post-anthem standoff 😅 | ESPN MLB (YouTube)

Baseball Bar-B-Cast (Apple Podcasts)

A national anthem standoff! Mariners' Robbie Ray and Royals' Luke Weaver have lighthearted showdown (YouTube)

MIL@LAD: Kershaw holds six baseballs in one hand (YouTube)

Jason Gets Heckled, Travis Golfs with The Great One and the Kelces London Era | Ep 96 (YouTube)

How Harry Styles Became the World’s Most Wanted Man (Rolling Stone)

Fore Play (Apple Podcasts)

Hallmark teams up with the NFL and Kansas City Chiefs to release a holiday romance (NPR)

Falling for Football (YouTube)

NFL’s Calendar Takeover Continues With Expanded ‘Hard Knocks’ Series (Front Office Sports)

Aaron Rodgers' Egypt trip, explained: Why Jets QB skipped team's mandatory minicamp for vacation (The Sporting News)

Flavor Flav agrees to be U.S. women's water polo team hype man (ESPN)

Maggie Steffen’s Instagram post (Instagram)

The Doctor Tom Brady and Leonardo DiCaprio Call When They Get Hurt (The New Yorker)

Everybody’s Getting Off the Scooter (New York Magazine)

We’re hard launching this show now. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss the Stanley Cup’s adventures, the NBA draft, Joe Burrow bares his back, the NFL owes the Mucky Duck, and DUH the London shows (!!!). We also chat with pro basketball reporter Katie Heindl!

Links:

Reggie Jackson talks about returning to Rickwood field (Twitter)

Florida Panthers party hardy at Elbo Room in Fort Lauderdale after winning Stanley Cup (YouTube)

Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk jumps into ocean with Stanley Cup (YouTube)

22 Things You Might Not Know About the Stanley Cup (MentalFloss)

@KeeperoftheCup (TikTok)

Everywhere the Panthers have been with the Stanley Cup since their championship win (NBC6 South Florida)

The Craziest Places the Stanley Cup Has Visited (CBS News)

How Mexican-Themed Bar La Cita Bridges L.A.'s Diverse Communities (PBS)

Tom’s One Hour Photo and Lab (Instagram)

Buck Showalter shares scouting wisdom: No full beards or pancake rears (Awful Announcing)

Zaccharie Risacher (Instagram)

Matas Buzelis survived his NBA audition. Now he’s ready for the show (SBNation)

Black Woman Says JJ Redick Called Her The N-Word During His Time At Duke; New Lakers Coach Denies Claims (Yahoo! Sports)

Fans in China use 'polite booing' for Sixers' JJ Redick (ESPN)

KENDRICK LAMAR UNITES CRIPS & BLOODS ON STAGE IN L.A.: 'THIS IS UNITY AT ITS FINEST' (Hip Hop DX)

Joe Burrow’s back (TikTok)

NFL ordered to pay over $4 billion in Sunday Ticket lawsuit: Reports (The Athletic)

The royal families (Instagram)

Travis on stage at Eras (TikTok)

Travis Kelce Talks Dating Taylor Swift + Winning Back To Back Super Bowls (YouTube)

Basketball Feelings (Substack)

Scoop Dreams (New York Magazine)

Bad Gays: Violette Morris (Apple Podcasts)

Caitlin Clark’s New Reality (The New Yorker)

The Spy Who Signed Me (30 For 30)

Diana Taurasi Kisses Seimone Augustus (YouTube)

We’re always saying the quiet part loud. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss the Drake curse, the Stanley Cup finals, the Grimace Mets, Jell-O rally shots, JJ Redick, Bill Belichick, an Around the NFL status update, Olympics + billionaires, the pending End of Eras, and a sneak peek at this week’s Patreon episode featuring Sophie Brookover.

Links:

Willie Mays Was the Greatest Baseball Player Who Ever Lived (The Ringer)

Willie Mays is a monument to an era of Black baseball gone but never forgotten (The Athletic)

Drake on Brink of $1M Bitcoin Loss as NHL and NBA Bets Sour (CoinDesk)

What’s the deal with the Grimace Shake? (Reddit)

WFAN’s Sal Licata rips Grimace for stealing Mets’ spotlight: ‘Fat, purple a**’ (Awful Announcing) 

The story behind the most famous Jell-O shots in America (Yahoo! Sports)

How Kentucky's 'Get Weird' mentality got the Wildcats to the MCWS (ESPN)

Bill Belichick Dating a 23-Year Old Cheerleader (TMZ)

Sources: Lakers hiring JJ Redick to four-year deal to coach team (ESPN)

Roger Goodell Rips ‘Below Standard’ NFL Network Broadcasts in Trial Testimony (Front Office Sports)

NFL Declined ESPN Offer to Drastically Reduce Sunday Ticket Price (Front Office Sports)

The World’s Richest Family Is About to Remake the Olympics. Here’s How (GQ)