Pod of Fame

On this edition of Pod of Fame Travel Log, Jim discusses his recent trip to England to attend his cousin's wedding. He saw a lot, ate a lot, and learned a lot. Jim covers a variety of topics, including the major differences between British and American weddings, attending his first Premier League match, delicious English beers with low ABV, the best Indian meal of his life, visiting the Tower of London, the best food he ate at Borough Market, and much more.

Our first NFL Sunday is now behind us and my god, did it feel good for football to be back. First, Jim provides some quick observations from Week 1 (4:05). Then, Jim takes a look at five current players HOF cases and covers what he needs to see from them this season in order to help them inch closer to the goal line we call Canton. Jim discusses Derrick Henry (11:15), Stefon Diggs (18:50), Matthew Stafford (24:45), Khalil Mack (30:42), and C.J. Mosley (35:17).

Jim welcomes New York Times bestselling author Ian O'Connor to discuss his new book, “Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers." Jim and Ian cover a number of topics, including where Rodgers ranks among the best QBs in NFL history, the biggest misconception about Rodgers by the general public, who the greatest Green Bay Packer QB in franchise history is, what Rodgers will most likely do after retirement, and what winning a Super Bowl with the New York Jets would do for his legacy.

Jim is joined by Pittsburgh-based sports journalist Mike Asti to break down the hall of fame candidacy of former MLB catcher Jason Kendall. First, Jim and Mike cover how Kendall's first five years with the Pittsburgh Pirates is comparable to Buster Posey and Joe Mauer's first five years in the MLB (13:04). Next, they discuss Kendall's 112 run season in 2000, how he compares favorably to several pre-WWII HOF catchers, and how he ranks among the best catchers from 1990-2010 (29:01). Finally, they break down just how historic Kendall's games caught numbers are compared to every other catcher to ever set up behind the plate (53:10), before making a final call on whether or not Kendall deserves a plaque in Cooperstown (61:25).

Jim welcomes author Kyle Bandujo to discuss his new book, “Movies with Balls: The Greatest Sports Films of All Time, Analyzed And Illustrated." Jim and Kyle cover a number of topics, including which fictional sports movie moment we would most like to have attended in person, which sports movies belong on Sports Movie Mount Rushmore, how the hell Ryan Gosling's character in Remember the Titans was such a defensive liability following a junior season in which he won five player of the week awards, and much more.

Jim is joined by baseball Twitter personality Mark Shirk to break down down the hall of fame candidacy of former MLB left fielder Charlie Keller. First, Mark and Jim discuss why Keller is one of the more unsung New York Yankees in franchise history (9:40). Next, they cover Keller's performance in the 1939 and 1941 World Series and how Keller compares to the few Hall of Famers who played less than 1500 career games (25:20). Finally, Mark and Jim debate why Charlie Keller never received much love in the AL MVP vote during his career (49:05), before they both state whether or not they believe Keller deserves a plaque in Cooperstown (58:15)

Jim is joined by Adam Darowski, Director of Design and Product Management at Sports Reference, to break down down the hall of fame candidacy of former MLB player Julio Franco. First, Jim and Adam discuss Franco's age 45 season with the Atlanta Braves in 2004 and his unforgettable batting stance (10:30). Next, they cover the 1990 All-Star Game, Minnie Miñoso, and Julio's membership in the Pro Baseball 4,000 Hit Club (16:26). Finally, Adam and Jim attempt to properly rank Franco among the best 2B/SS from 1980-2007 (50:45), before they both state whether or not they believe Franco deserves a plaque in Cooperstown (59:55)

Jim is joined by NFL Writer for CBS Sports, Bryan DeArdo, to discuss the hall of fame candidacy of former NFL running back Eddie George. First, Jim and Bryan discuss George's role as a workhorse running back and where he ranks among the best RBs in Oilers/Titans history (7:15). Next, they discuss George's all-time performance in the 1999 NFL Playoffs, how George compares to Hall of Fame power backs John Riggins, and Larry Csonka, and the 10,000 Rushing Yards Club (15:55). Finally, they deep dive the overlooked statistic of carries and why we should care about 300+ carry seasons (42:30), before making a final call on whether or not George deserves a place in the HOF (49:20).