The Jacobin Sports Show

What do FDR and the current alleged president have in common? What gubernatorial candidate promised voters to make their "wet dreams" come true? It all comes to light in my interview with writer/comedienne/farmer/TN State House candidate Ali Simpson (44:28) on why she's running for office for the first time, what that process is like & what are the main concerns of her & her neighbors in western Tennessee.

First: The Mets losing 2 of their best & most-beloved players in a 24-hour period; Barry Bonds & Roger Clemens missing out again on the HOF is the best kind of good news; MLB scribes should stop carrying water for management, esp. with a work stoppage nearing; and why the Giannis news is awful no matter what team you root for or what kind of fan you are

We open with the significance -- light & dark -- of Pablo Torre breaking the Kawhi/Ballmer scandal, juxtapose Angel Reese's recent comments with another star who said virtually the same thing with no controversy and find more evidence Jim Ratcliffe just straight-up hates the Manchester United women.

Manchester United's men's soccer club has been struggling for a while now. Is there reason to think a renaissance's a-comin'? Or are they just jerking us around? Shwinnypooh of Pod Strickland fame joins to discuss Ratclifee, Ruben Amorim, Garnacho, Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes and more.

Who will win Game 7 of the NBA Finals? Who won the KD trade? On a scale of Three Mile Island to Chernobyl, how much of a disaster is the Club World Cup? Why are tennis players who aren't doping still getting marks against them? Find the answers in this episode!

In which we welcome our favorite sportswriter and ask her: how historically shocking would a Pacers' title rank? After some Finals talk, it's NY, NY the rest of the way -- why we weren't sure the Knicks would fire Tom Thibodeau & why it's encouraging they did. Is Ranger goalie Igor Shesterkin *that* good? Is Ranger GM Chris Drury *that* bad? Also: the new Mets, what one thing we'd change re: sports owners if we could, and more!

The Ringer's Howard Beck talks whether Cleveland should make a move or stay the course, if KD or Giannis are more likely to be traded, whether teams can still plan for 3-5 year runs under the current CBA, if Tyrese Haliburton a bully or a killer & more

Do the Cavs need to make changes after their early playoff exit? Who's more likely to be traded: KD or Giannis? With the abundance of knowledge & perspectives available to NBA fans today, are they any more or less unfair to the players than prior generations? Plus what defines a killer vs. a bully, which is Tyrese Haliburton and more!

A flu-hit Matthew reveals the true villain of the Luka trade, why All-Star Games can never be what they're supposed to be, how the Yankees beard policy is just another beard and more. Then it's a conversation with soccer coach Mike Idland about sharing live sports with your kids and what a coach gets up to during their alleged "off-season."

Seth Rosenthal (The Secret Base) and Matthew talk about the ways working in sports media has changed over the years, how it hasn't, some of the behind-the-scenes truths of that world and what it's like caring about sports as all the world crashes and burns. We also talk about the greatness of this year's Knicks!

In this episode, how Sacramento's firing of Mike Brown pretty much bounces off him while reflecting poorly on owner Vivek Ranadive; how Minnesota put Julius Randle in position not only to fail, but to be scapegoated; why James McAllister was right to slur Spurs fans; why Aaron Rodgers isn't merely a bad QB; and the intersection of chess, pantaloons and sex toys.

Women's college gymnastics coach Diana Gallagher joins the show to talk about the marvel and the madness that was infamous Olympic coach Béla Károlyi. Plus when is your favorite team signing an icon still problematic , how are college football coaches pissing away millions of dollars in salary, why might Paige Bueckers want anything but to be the 1st pick of next year's WNBA draft, and more!