Takeline

All good things come to an end! On this series finale episode of Takeline, Jason is joined by three of his rotating co hosts, Zach Harper (The Athletic) Jordan Ligons (Spinsters podcast) and Jamel Johnson (Air Buds, Sorry We Love Football), to offer one last round of hot takes on the sports world. Then, super producers Zuri Irvin and Ryan Wallerson join the fray for one last Take Survivor. 

What a sports weekend! The World Series ended with a Houston Astros victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in six games and the Major League Soccer season ended with Los Angeles Football Club’s first championship. Jamel Johnson (Air Buds, Sorry We Love Football) returns this week, alongside guests Will Kuntz (LAFC asst. general manager) and MLB.com’s Will Leitch, who join to take us into the MLB and MLS championships. 

Jason Concepcion joins special guest Jamel Johnson (Air Buds, Sorry We Love Football), alongside The Athletic's Fred Katz and Zach Berman. Fred Katz, Knicks beat reporter, checks in to explain why the team is moving both backwards and forwards. Zach Berman, Eagles beat reporter, joins the show with a temperature check on the Philadelphia Eagles and their chances of a perfect. Jason and Jamel discuss Kyrie Irving and how to combat conspiracy theories. 

Welcome to a NBA and Athletic heavy edition of Takeline. Jason Concepcion and the great Zach Harper, NBA insider extraordinaire for the Athletic, dissect the early season struggles of the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers, then Zach’s fellow NBA Insider at the Athletic John Hollinger joins the episode to share his thoughts on the first week of the NBA season and major storylines for the 2022 NBA campaign. 

It's a soccer themed episode of Takeline this week. Kellyn Acosta, midfielder for Los Angeles Football Club and United Stated Men’s National Team, comes on Takeline to discuss LAFC’s regular season success, preview the MLS playoffs and look forward to the World Cup. Then, we’re joined by Wall Street Journalists Josh Robinson and John Clegg, the co-authors of the new book "Messi vs. Ronaldo: One Rivalry, Two GOATs, and the Era That Remade the World's Game," a deep dive into the careers of the two football legends as their careers enter their respective twilights.

This fall, when the eyes of the world turn towards Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a shadow looms over the tournament, which is one of the most watched events in the world. The sports landscape being co-opted for geo-political and corporate gain is nothing new, but this year's iteration of football's biggest competition may be the most expensive example to date. Pod Save the World’s Tommy Vietor and Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers join forces to unravel the riddle of how to enjoy the game we love while holding the powers that control it accountable for their corruptive policies and practices. On this inaugural episode of World Corrupt, a collaboration from Men in Blazers Media Network and Crooked Media, the two hosts share the memories that helped them first fall in love with soccer, while also looking back into the annals of history at past instances of a phenomenon known as "sportswashing.”

Hello and welcome back to Takeline! Jason Concepcion and Jamel Johnson (Air Buds and Sorry We Love Football podcasts), along with producers Ryan Wallerson And Zuri Irvin, discuss the events of MLB Wild Card weekend and week 10 of the English Premier League. Then Anthony Slater, Golden State Warriors insider for the Athletic, takes the duo through the events and fallout of last week's altercation between Jordan Poole and Draymond Green. 

Hello, and welcome back to Takeline! Jason Concepcion is flying solo this week, but has got a great show lined up for you that spans the sports spectrum from football (soccer) to football (NFL) with some NBA in between. Jake Fischer, Senior NBA Reporter for Yahoo Sports, will joins the pod to discuss the latest transactions and storylines around the association as the NBA preseason picks up. Then Jason reunites with his old coworker Kevin Clark, the Ringer’s senior NFL writer, to discuss the happenings of week four in the National Football League. But first, Super producer Ryan Wallerson and I will talk talk soccer on both sides of the Atlantic, and then he helps me unpack my disappointment over the Mets' late season collapse in Atlanta over the weekend. 

Alongside host Jason Concepcion, comedian and podcaster Jamel Johnson (Air Buds, Sorry We Love Football) joins the show to discuss the fracas from this year's NBA Media Day. Later, NBA staff writer Jared Weiss (The Athletic) joins the show to help unpack situation between now suspended Celtics head coach Ime Udoka. The team held a press conference to announce Udoka’s suspension Friday. Finally, senior NFL reporter Kalyn Kahler (The Athletic) hops on to recap Week 3 of the NFL season.

On this week's Takeline, Jason Concepcion is back and refreshed from vacation and excited to be back at the helm of the show. Tania Ganguli, NBA reporter for The New York Times joins to discuss the investigation into and suspension of Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver, Anna Wolfe, of Mississippi Today, shares her incredible reporting on former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, who attempted to shepherd a proposal to use welfare funds on the construction of a new volleyball stadium for retired NFL player Brett Favre. The show wraps up with MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand, who helps Jason put New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge’s triple crown and Yankees home run record chase into context.