Hang Up and Listen

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and special guest Joel Anderson are joined by the Washington Post’s Sally Jenkins to talk about UConn’s loss in the women’s NCAA tournament. They also discuss the men’s Final Four, the Las Vegas Raiders, and NBA hook-up culture. Women’s Final Four: Sally Jenkins joins to explain how Mississippi State broke UConn’s 111-game winning streak, Bulldogs coach Vic Schaefer’s decision to bench Morgan William in the title game, South Carolina’s title game win, and Geno Auriemma’s comments on women in coaching. Men’s Final Four: Breaking down Oregon player Jordan Bell’s self-flagellation after his team’s defeat and the North Carolina-Gonzaga championship matchup. The Las Vegas Raiders: Why the Raiders fit in Vegas, what a new stadium means to the city’s taxpayers, and what the move says about the NFL’s gambling policies.Tinder and the NBA: Weighing in on ESPN the Magazine’s story on how dating apps may affect teams’ performance on the road.

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and guest panelist Jane Coaston discuss the weekend's NCAA tournament storylines and the U.S. women’s hockey team’s boycott. Ben Mathis-Lilley also joins to talk about his Slate article on Jamie Horowitz and Fox Sports 1. NCAA Tournament (2:51): Analyzing the weekend’s thrilling buzzer-beaters, the value of one-and-done programs, and the endearing imperfections of college basketball games. U.S. Women’s Hockey (17:26): Breaking down the debate over Team USA’s decision to boycott this week’s IIHF World Championships as part of their fight for equitable treatment and a living wage.  Fox Sports 1 (27:57): Will Jamie Horowitz’s cable network succeed in his mission to revolutionize sports media one hot take at a take? Ben Mathis-Lilley joins the show to talk about his story on Fox Sports 1.Facebook: http://fb.com/HangUpAndListenEmail: hangup@slate.comShow notes at http://slate.com/hangup 

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca discuss the NCAA tournament and the World Baseball Classic. Mike also announces his departure from the show, and Josh and Stefan send him off with Pesca Jeopardy! NCAA Tournament (5:24): Was the first round of March Madness boring? Is poor seeding to blame? We break down the first two rounds of the tourney and discuss Duke’s loss to South Carolina. The World Baseball Classic (17:16): We talk about Adam Jones’ fantastic catch and the charm of the international tournament. Pesca Jeopardy! (25:58): How well does Mike remember his best quips from seven-plus years on Hang Up and Listen? We find out with a Pesca-specific twist on America’s favorite quiz show.Facebook: http://fb.com/HangUpAndListenEmail: hangup@slate.comShow notes at http://slate.com/hangup 

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca discuss March Madness, the Brock Osweiler trade, and the Washington NFL team’s decision to fire Scot McCloughan. They also talk about the annual video ranking the best hair in Minnesota high school hockey.  NCAA Tournament (3:40): Why isn’t Gonzaga the bettors’ March Madness favorite? Is Villanova getting enough love? We assess the March Madness matchups and potential biases in the NCAA selection committee. NFL Offseason (16:49): An analysis of the game-changing, questionably legal Brock Osweiler trade between the Texans and the Browns, plus a breakdown of the Scot McCloughan firing and how the Washington Post covered it. “All Hockey Hair Team” (31:20): Minnesota native John King creates a video every year celebrating the best hair in Minnesota high school hockey. How does the 2017 lettuce celebration compare to history’s greatest hockey hair videos?Facebook: http://fb.com/HangUpAndListenEmail: hangup@slate.comShow notes at http://slate.com/hangup 

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca discuss Duke’s Grayson Allen and other NCAA basketball matters. Scott Raab also joins to talk about his new book You’re Welcome, Cleveland, and Oliver Roeder of FiveThirtyEight explains how a computer program beat four pro poker players.Grayson Allen and NCAA hoops (2:55): exploring America’s longstanding hatred of white Duke basketball players; Northwestern’s likely maiden visit to March Madness, and the first-ever Ivy League basketball tournament.Scott Raab’s You’re Welcome, Cleveland (21:37): The writer and Cleveland sports fan explains what he got wrong in The Whore of Akron and whether LeBron James would like his new book.How a computer took down the poker pros (33:40): Oliver Roeder explains how poker went the way of chess, checkers, Go, and Scrabble, and what the next challenges are for artificial intelligence.

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca discuss sports parallels for Sunday’s big Oscars mishap. They also talk JaVale McGee’s feud with Shaquille O’Neal, and Ken Early of the Irish Times joins to discuss the decline of Leicester City.Sports and the Oscars (3:07): breaking down the Moonlight-La La Land mix-up, pondering different sports analogies, and discussing whether sports TV would have covered the incident differently. Shaq vs. JaVale McGee (16:43): Do McGee’s frequent bloopers warrant relentless mockery on “Shaqtin’ a Fool”? Where is the line between comedy and bullying? Leicester City (32:11): Ken Early joins to talk about Leicester’s fall from glory, the team’s decision to fire manager Claudio Ranieri, and how the squad can avoid relegation.Facebook: http://fb.com/HangUpAndListenEmail: hangup@slate.comShow notes at http://slate.com/hangup 

Josh Levin, Stefan Fatsis, and Kevin Arnovitz discuss the DeMarcus Cousins trade and the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles, the football team whose fans call the plays. LaVar Ball also joins to talk about parenting and how his three sons will change basketball. Facebook: http://fb.com/HangUpAndListenEmail: hangup@slate.comShow notes at http://slate.com/hangup 

 Josh Levin, Mike Pesca, and Dan Steinberg discuss Patriots players spurning the White House. They also analyze Kevin Durant’s return to OKC and Dolan v. Oakley, and high school coach Kyle Allen joins to explain his effort to revolutionize basketball.Facebook: http://fb.com/HangUpAndListenEmail: hangup@slate.comShow notes at http://slate.com/hangup 

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca discuss the Patriots’ epic Super Bowl comeback and the Falcons’ amazing collapse. Charles P. Pierce joins to discuss Tom Brady, and SB Nation’s Spencer Hall explains why the game was quintessentially Atlanta.

Stefan Fatsis, Mike Pesca, and Josh Levin break down the Australian Open. Tim Layden also joins to discuss the sports ramifications of Trump’s refugee ban, and Rod Smart and Charlie Ebersol talk about the 30 for 30 documentary This Was the XFL.Facebook: http://fb.com/HangUpAndListenEmail: hangup@slate.comShow notes at http://slate.com/hangup

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Jack Hamilton talk about the Falcons’ and Patriots’ conference title game wins. Sports Illustrated’s Chris Ballard also joins to discuss the streaking 76ers, and they assess the Baseball Hall of Fame’s new inductees. Facebook: http://fb.com/HangUpAndListenEmail: hangup@slate.comShow notes at http://slate.com/hangup

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and special guest Nate Jackson talk about the NFL playoffs. They’re also joined by Don Yee to discuss his proposed pro football minor league and ESPN’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss to assess the 35-6 Golden State Warriors.Facebook: http://fb.com/HangUpAndListenEmail: hangup@slate.comShow notes at http://slate.com/hangup

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca talk about the New York Giants’ playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers and Odell Beckham’s pre-game boat trip. They also discuss the legacy of ESPN’s Chris Berman and the 2017 World Darts Championship.Facebook: http://fb.com/HangUpAndListenEmail: hangup@slate.comShow notes at http://slate.com/hangup

Josh Levin and Mike Pesca are joined by the Ringer’s Bryan Curtis to discuss the college football playoffs and the quarterback crisis in the NFL playoffs. They’re also joined by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton to examine the NBA’s sudden surge in triple-doubles.

Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca talk with their favorite guests of 2016: Leicester City beat writer Rob Tanner; Mina Kimes of ESPN the Magazine, author of a profile of Martellus and Michael Bennett; and Ann Beaty, the widow of Zelmo Beaty.Facebook: http://fb.com/HangUpAndListenEmail: hangup@slate.comShow notes at http://slate.com/hangup