This week, we take another look at the week's news. We touch on Giroud's wonder g0al and the broader importance of these spectacular goals. Then we move into a discussion of Ronda Rousey's somewhat shocking loss. Lastly we discuss the state of NBA, as always. Then it is time for our usual deeper conversation. This week the topic is college recruiting and the strangeness/terribleness of it. It is just a fascinating and potentially destructive process. Lastly, as always, we discuss our I think pieces which touch on this very strangeness in recruiting and the genius of the great athletes.

As always, we start off with some of the news and our thoughts from this past week. To start with we delve into NBA Christmas and questions about what a foul is. Then we touch on cycling convoluted system and proposed changes. Lastly we move into questions of the college football playoffs, UK losing and Calvin Johnson's description of how football breaks down your body. Then we spend our main segment breaking down our wishes for the new year. These bounce between desired champions and personal hopes to wildly optimistic hopes for change. Then, as always, we close with our I think pieces that touch on transcendent athletes and fantasy, respectively.

This week we spend some time talking about the week's news. We touched on the subtle genius of cricket players and intensifying college basketball season. Then we moved on to a discussion of the dismissal of a female soccer player for flipping the bird and the misuse of player power at the University of Minnesota. Finally we move into our discussion of the differences between rebellion, protest and activism and how each plays out in the modern sports world. The big question is where does change actually come from. Then we move into our "I think" pieces that lay out the positive and negative sides of sports.

This week we start off discussing the MLS Championship and move into a conversation about the state of global soccer. Then we spend a few minutes on Bryson Dechambeau and LeBron's SI photo before moving into the main topic of discussion. This week's main topic is the move by major sports leagues to expand into new markets around the globe. We touch on soccer's capacity to reach such wide swaths of the planet as well and the NBA and NFL trying to grow in China and Europe, respectively. Finally, our think pieces touch on unions in sports and penalty shootouts.

This week we step into the intriguing world of sports hall of fames and what real meaning they have. We look at who cares about them and what their significance is for their sports. Then we finally come to ask what would make them interesting to us. Before that we spend some time discussing Steve Kerr's comments on weed, Tiger's return and the MLS Playoffs. Lastly, our "I think that I think" pieces touch on the idea of role models and Pete Rose, respectively.

This week we investigate the strange world of charitable giving and social change actions from professional sports leagues, teams and players. What should we expect from these leagues? What would it take to really get them to invest in transformative change? Would it be better if they just built their own stadiums? We also take some time to discuss Tiger Woods return, momentum, and the NBA, of course. As always we finish off with our "I think" pieces. This week that means touching on sports culture and the standard we hold athletes to.

After some time off, we return to the immediately controversial by digging into the sports world's response to Trump and what he might mean for sports moving forward. Before we do that, we spend a bit of time talking basketball and how we talk about basketball too much. Additionally, we spend a bit of time on cyclocross and football. Lastly, we finish with our I think pieces touching on tradition and the politicization of sports.

This week we take our second trip back into the world of what it means to be a football fan. We also talk about UVA's football scandal that already seems forgotten. We discuss the impending NBA season and our excitement and close out with a discussion of how place defines teams.

This week we start a new series where we invite someone who still watches football to join us to share about what we are missing and respond to our concerns. This week we welcome Stephen, a PhD student at Stanford and avid Pac-10 and SEC fan, to share his perspective. Additionally, we have our regular sections and discuss Nick Kyrgios' public quitting and how we depend on athletes to make the game.

This week we take a long look at identity in sports. We look through the lenses of UK Basketball, fandom and player identity. Identity plays a massive role in how we understand sports. We look into it and then question whether this is healthy or not while questioning our own identification with sports teams in the past (and present).