Phantom Island

Faking injuries has been a part of football for decades, though how and when it's used as a tactic has shifted, as has the response it elicits from opponents and league officials. Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss the history of pretending to be hurt, what the NFL and college football have done to combat the practice, and get some on-field perspective from Marshall Newhouse on how players feel about fake injuries. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber, and research on this episode was contributed by Ryan Fortune.

Want to attend the first live Phantom Island show on Friday, November 14 in Athens, Georgia? Click this link for tickets and more details!

The sudden departure of James Franklin from Penn State brings about questions for all kinds of schools, including Wisconsin, Nebraska, Florida, Auburn, Indiana, Virginia Tech, and the Tennessee Titans. (OK, not that last one.) Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni examine what the search will look like for Franklin's successor, his mitigation future, and what schools that haven't made a move yet but might want or need to should be doing right now. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

The University of Wisconsin is home to a normally steadily football team that's hit a stretch of alarming decline, a men's basketball team that's reinvented itself, an incredibly popular volleyball team, and an ongoing dynasty in women's hockey. How do Badger fans juggle the emotions and different expectations of that universe, and why does Minnesota pop up across basically all of them? We talked to Drew Hamm, Nicole Haase, and Kedrick Stumbris to find out. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Not long ago, a college kicker lining up for a 50+ yard field goal attempt sent terror and doubt into the hearts of that team's fans, and an NFL kicker lining up from 60+ yards was a rare sight. Rodger Sherman, author of the Read Rodge newsletter, joins Ryan Nanni to discuss how those trends have changed over the years at both levels, why kicking is unique in its historical assessment, and how we feel about the end of #collegekickers pessimism. (Also: here's Jourdan Rodrigue's story about the changes in the NFL's K-ball rules!) Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey takes questions from Phantom Island paid subscribers and discusses Tony Elliott snatching his job from the jaws of defeat, what Memphis does if Ryan Silverfield leaves, whether athletic directors hesitate to fire coaches they hired to avoid looking bad, how the MAC could change its television options, and a lot more. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Basketball games on aircraft carriers! Baseball at a (very muddy race track)! Multiple iterations of outdoor hockey! Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni review some of the history of sports being played outside their usual settings and look for patterns that explain what makes these unorthodox setups so appealing to the organizers. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Arkansas got stomped by Notre Dame, fired Sam Pittman, and noted that yes, interim coach Bobby Petrino wants the full time gig. Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss what this search will look like for the Hogs, as well as examining how Todd Grantham managed to get fire a week after Mike Gundy's dismissal, what two G5 programs with struggling legends might do next, and some thoughts about the Belichick debacle at UNC. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

ESPN's Bill Connelly joins Steven Godfrey to talk about why Mizzou doesn't get the SEC benefit of the doubt, the blooming FCS to FBS coach pipeline, an early ranking of the Big 12, what to make of Bill's numbers about Indiana, and plenty more. Be sure to order Bill's new book! This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey has a well-documented love of Thursday night college football classics, but the sport and its broadcasters don't seem as invested in these games as they once were. Ryan Nanni brings some numbers to the conversation to show how the Thursday night game has changed and both hosts consider whether the NFL's really to blame. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey takes questions from Phantom Island paid subscribers to explain why being first to market may not help Virginia Tech or UCLA, how to shoot your shot as a school looking to hire a new coach, which game he'd pick to go back in time and attend in person, and how the last year or so of his podcast life has unfolded. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.