And we shouldn't be talking about this anyway. 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 unexpected Traylor x The Challenge crossover; Taylor's face on a racecar; Luka living very Demi Lovato life; baseball players lying about their height; Wayne Gretzky loves the 51st state idea; Gavion Newsom throws trans women under the bus; we get the ticktock of an NFL Insider actual IRL showdown; and a conversation about hockey and basketball with The Ringer's Katie Baker.

Links:

• Rob Gronkowski responds to report he's coming out of retirement (The New York Post)

• Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Started Dating Long Before They First Appeared Together, Says Neighbor Wes Bergmann (People)

• The Challenge's Wes Bergmann Recalls Getting Mistaken for His Neighbor Travis Kelce (Us Weekly)

• Taylor Swift is latest celeb to decorate an IndyCar (IndyStar)

• Kyrie Irving on facing Luka Doncic for first time since trade "awkward as sh*t" 😂 (YouTube)

• Men Lie About Their Height—Even Baseball Players (Sports Illustrated)

• On Thin Ice? NHL Braces for Fallout From U.S.-Canada Tensions (Front Office Sports)

• Why Canadians are stung by Wayne Gretzky's silence (The Athletic)

• NYT Gavin Newsom (NYT)

• 'How Many Politicians Curl Up With Their Wife on the Floor?' Twenty years after he posed on a rug, Gavin Newsom can't shake the image. (New York Magazine)

• Jordan Schultz verbally accosted Ian Rapoport at a Starbucks in Indianapolis (NBC Sports)

• The Confessions of Former Adolescent Puck Tease (Deadspin)

• Brandon Tanev continues to see ghosts in annual headshot (NHL.com)

• The Consortium Report: Scouting the Potential Next Class of NBA Owners (The Ringer)

• Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell's tease of Sonics return a whiff (Fox 13 Seattle)

We hope to know in our hearts when enough is enough. 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 Diana Taurasi's retirement; Travis's NOT retirement; we respond to listener pushback about Travis and politics; the NFLPA report cards are IN!; 4 Nations breakdown; an upsetting corner about trans athletes being denied visas; and the Yankees rescind some of their stupid-ass rules; and robots may or may not be coming to baseball.

Links:

• Exclusive: After an Unparalleled Career, WNBA Star Diana Taurasi Announces Her Retirement (TIME)

• Report: Ex-Patriots' Rob Gronkowski Eyeing NFL Comeback (Sports Illustrated)

• a (very brief) history of same-sex kisses in sports (Out of Your League Substack)

• Pat MacAfee's text from sources (TikTok)

• Sure Kevin (TikTok)

• THE GR8 CHASE: Ovechkin scores goal No. 883, now 12 from breaking NHL record (NHL.com)

• US threatens permanent visa bans on trans athletes based on sex markers (The Guardian)

• Nonbinary Runner Nikki Hiltz Is Advancing to Their First-Ever Olympics Semifinal (Them)

• Doubts raised over US travel system during 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics (the Guardian)

• Yanks amend longstanding facial hair policy, to allow 'well-groomed beards' (MLB.com)

• New York Yankees 'Not Trying to Look Like Duck Dynasty,' Per Gerrit Cole (Sports Illustrated)

• Yankees to play Sinatra's 'New York, New York' only after wins (ESPN)

• On This Date: Lasorda's opening act, Frank Sinatra (Medium)

• Néstor Cortés, who allowed Freddie Freeman grand slam, says Yankees, not Dodgers, were better World Series team (LA Times)

The robo ump could cause a unexpected casualty: the TV strike zone box (The Athletic)

We don't spell patriotism without the eh! 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 baseball pants–are they still see-through?!; who hates Joe Buck and why; Deal With the Devil Watch is retired; Taylor and Travis are happy to be losers together; the 4 Nation hockey game slash boxing match; and we talk to The Ringer's Mirin Fader about the Luka trade; making the transition from playing to writing about basketball; enshrining NBA history in her work; the Diana bun; and what fans expect of sports stars and sports writers.

Links:

Blocking Out the Noise, Turning Up the Love (Us Weekly)

The Dream interview with Chris Nowinski (Apple Podcasts)

• USA-Canada rivalry leads to 'mayhem' and 'bad blood' in 4 Nations Face-Off (The Athletic)

• Hector Banana Bread (Reddit)

• The dark side of sports betting and its impact on NBA players: Death threats, racism and Venmo requests (Athletic)

• Mirin Fader (mirinfader.com)

• Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon (Bookshop.org)

DiJonai Carrington, NaLyssa Smith to Be WNBA Teammates After Reported Wings-Sun Trade (Sports Illustrated)

We love being haters. 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 Super Bowl and the halftime show; postseason pool winnings, trophy weddings, and puppy bowl feedback from listeners; Aaron Rogers' numbered days on the Jets; a celebration of Dad (and All) Bods; the Met Gala chooses a theme and it features lots of Black athletes; the NHL's Four Nations tournament; and comedian Josh Gondelman catches us up on what's happening in the NBA!

Links:

• Kendrick Lamar's Fierce and Petty 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show (Pitchfork)

• A video featuring listener Emily's romantic day with Sporting KC's championship trophy (Instagram)

• The Puppy Bowl (Discovery+)

• Patrick Mahomes and the secrets of the Dad Bod: What we get wrong about athleticism (The Athletic)

• Bodies, bodies, bodies: The Mavs shoot themselves in the foot (again) over Luka Doncic, and our obsession with athlete's bodies (Katie Heindl for LockedOn)

• 'Important' 4 Nations Face-Off Can Be NHL's All-Star Antidote (Front Office Sports)

• Josh Gondelman's website, Josh on BlueSky, and his new mini-special!

• What it's like to be traded with Katie Heindl (Spinsters Podcast)

We love our jersey guys. 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 Luka trade; Caitlin Clark passes on the NBA All Star event; the Grammys in review; a fun new segment of all upsetting news!; Kendrick's half-time show; and there's more time to send us questions for a mailbag episode!

Links:

• How the ESPN news/social media machine went into high gear for Luka-AD trade (Sports Business Journal)

• Inside the top-secret trade negotiations that made Luka Dončić a Laker (The Athletic)

• Luka Dončić traded to Lakers from Mavericks for Anthony Davis in NBA blockbuster (The Athletic)

• Ravens' Justin Tucker accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by six massage therapists (Baltimore Banner)

• The Super Bowl could end in a 'three-peat.' Why that matters to a former NBA coach (NPR)

• NBA Star Terry Rozier Under Investigation in Illegal Betting Probe (Wall Street Journal)

• "Let's go to our BetMGM line of the week" (Bluesky)

• Trump Order Set to Ban Transgender Girls and Women From Female School Sports (Wall Street Journal)

• Trump will attend the Super Bowl in New Orleans. He'll be the first sitting president to go (AP)

• How N.F.L.'s Saints Helped Catholic Church Address a Sex-Abuse Scandal (NYT)

• Scamfluencers: Take the Monopoly Money and Run (written by Zan Romanoff!)

• If Books Could Kill

We're gonna be fine when football is over, why do you ask? 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 divisional round games and preview The Super Bowl with The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue; talk about Taylor's fit and her nerves going into the Big Game; we go on a JOURNEY with the Washington Commanders and share the joy of their 2024 season; and a call for you to ask us questions!

Links:

• NFL Daily hosted by Gregg Rosenthal, where you can hear Jourdan weekly (NFL)

• ESPN's Rams beat reporter Sarah Barshop (ESPN)

• Los Angeles Times' Rams beat writer Gary Klein (LA Times)

• Orange County Register's Rams beat reporter Adam Grosbard on BlueSky (BlueSky)

• How Dan Snyder views Commanders' title run from afar: 'He ... hates it' (ESPN)

• Washington Commanders Captain Bobby Wagner is Winning on the Field and in the Howard Classroom (Howard University's The Dig)

• Tickets to see Mina and Jourdan live! (EventBrite)

• Taylor Swift cheered on the Chiefs in a $68,000 outfit and brought back a controversial trend (Business Insider)

• Zan's Scamfluencer episodes about Jack Abramoff (Part 1 and Part 2)

• Video of a railing falling over and Eagles fans nearly piling onto Jalen Hurts (CNN)

We want to be individually dynastic. 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 one baseball writer who denied Ichiro a unanimous Hall of Fame vote; Angel Reese on the cover of Vogue; Unrivaled and athlete solidarity; sports fans rejecting X and TikTok is back; recap the NFL playoff's divisional round and devolve into championship round anxiety!

Links:

How Sports and Fashion Fell In Love (Vogue)

athlete beauty campaigns in the age of transvestigations (Out of Your League - Substack)

Mina Kimes's BlueSky NFL starter pack (BlueSky)

NFL Told Patriots to Shut Down BlueSky Account (Front Office Sports)

Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter by Kate Conger and Ryan Mac (Bookshop)

Why Are The NY Rangers Limiting Their Social Team's Access to Players? (Link in Bio Substack)

The ESPN crew made Patrick Mahomes Sauron (BlueSky)

'This Will Only Make Me Stronger': Mark Andrews Speaks Following Loss (Baltimore Ravens)

We're grateful to be 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 how we were impacted by the wildfires; recap NFL wild card weekend; we give Divisional Round previews as Taylor Swift songs; AJ Brown goes viral for reading; The Athletic journalists want to unionize; a special stupid game about Satan; and the TikTok ban.

Links:

GoFundMe's central page highlighting wildfire victims

Pasadena Humane is caring for animals impacted by the wildfires

LA is burning—should it still host the 2028 Olympics? (Sports Politka / Substack)

Can LA Still Host the Olympics? (Torched)

Zero Percent Containment (Torched)

State Farm cancels Super Bowl ad as LA fires continue (Ad Age)

The Rams improbably went from 1-4 to the NFL postseason. Then disaster struck their city (Jourdan Rodrigue for The Athletic)

The Minnesota Vikings and the Curse of Hope (Wide Left / Substack)

The Painful Camaraderie of Losing (Wide Left / Substack)

Author Jim Murphy Discusses Attention From A.J. Brown Reading His Book (Sports Illustrated)

Searching A.J. Brown's Book 'Inner Excellence' for the Lessons He May Have Learned (Sports Illustrated)

We won't be caught tanking. 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 Taylor's work-themed birthday; we commemorate the End of Eras; no one ate cake on the Netflix Christmas games, but a LOT of people watched basketball; do any NFL games this week matter?; and chess wardrobe drama.

Links:

Taylor Swift Surprised With Eras-Themed Party to Celebrate End of Tour (Billboard)

Everything happens so much (Twitter)

The best NFL QB gifts given to offensive linemen in 2024, ranked (USA Today)

The Most Watched NFL Regular Season Games Ever (Front Office Sports)

How the NFL (and Netflix) Stole Christmas From the NBA (Front Office Sports)

How Magnus Carlsen's jeans sparked a chess controversy (The Athletic)

Scamfluencers: Chess Cheater (Wondery)

We're on #theagenda! 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 hot people dating hot people (who play sports); Joe Burrow and celebrity athlete privacy; Taylor is wagging; Patrick Mahomes and playing through pain; the two-way Heisman winner, and no that's not a sexual thing; 10 documentaries to watch BESIDES that one with Aaron Rogers; and we talk to ESPN's Mina Kimes!

Links:

Yankees newcomer Cody Bellinger's love triangle with Giancarlo Stanton could make for an awkward season (Page Six)

How to Beat a Broken Game: The Rise of the Dodgers in a League on the Brink (Bookshop.org)

The Newlybros Game! Cody Bellinger and Cole Tucker show how much they know each other (YouTube) - 2:51

Wait, Why Was Olivia Ponton at Joe Burrow's House? (The Cut)

NFL Athletes Targeted in String of Home Burglaries Across Midwest (NBC)

Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children's hospital (AP)

The desperate hours: a pro baseball pitcher's fentanyl overdose (The LA Times)

Hoop Dreams (IMDB)

The Last Dance (IMDB)

Pumping Iron (IMDB)

Hands on a Hardbody (IMDB)

O.J.: Made in America (IMDB)

Katy Perry: Part of Me (IMDB)

Madonna: Truth or Dare (IMDB)

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (IMDB)

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (IMDB)

Gimme Shelter (IMDB)

The Mina Kimes Show (featuring Lenny) (YouTube)