All Sports Are Bad

This week we covered the hectic world of the NBA, the league that never sleeps, and all of the off season nonsense that is going on in that universe before going in to our main topic: Amateur drafts. Why they're absolute nonsense, why they have nothing to do with competitive balance, and why they should be illegal. We also dissect our current GM-brained, obnoxiously savvy sports climate that allows for an institution like an amateur sports draft to both exist and thrive.

All sports leagues need attention, but oftentimes these organizations get a little TOO thirsty for our eyes and ears. With that, Jake ranks his thirstiest sports complete with commentary. Think your favorite sport made the cut on this who's who of insufferable attention-seeking? Well then you've come to the right place, because it probably did. We also cover one of the most exciting NBA Finals match ups we've had in years.

In this long lost episode from the ancient days of two weeks ago we covered the Warriors and Kevin Durant, and other player-team relationships gone egregiously sour, among many other topics. Also featured: Some NBA prospect analysis, an update on the Lorena Martin/Mariners situation, and finally some NFL commentary.

This week we discussed the very disturbing situation surrounding Caster Semenya and how she has been a target of discrimination by the IAAF, and their ruling that she must now alter her body chemistry in order to compete. We also talk about the implications of that ruling going forward which may set a precedent in order to discriminate against other marginalized athletes going forward. We also discussed the NBA Draft Lottery, Stephen A Smith's reaction to that draft lottery, and general goings on of the National Basketball Association completely

In this episode we dive into the legacy of Kobe Bryant. Using analytics and basic scouting methods, how does he stack up to the greatest players of all time? Do Kobe stans have an actual claim here or are they all just total weirdos who have a flawed understanding of what makes basketball players great? And what does it say to victims of sexual abuse when you prop up a predator and monster like Kobe Bryant? It's not good, we can tell you that much right now.

We're a full month into the baseball season and that means... well, it doesn't mean that much because a month of baseball isn't actually that much baseball as it turns out. We discuss some of the noteworthy things to happen so far in the season, specifically that Mike Trout is quickly and stealthily climbing the WAR ranks towards being one of the greatest of all time. We also talk about the absurdity of the NFL Draft, the 49ers' decision to take a legitimately horrible person, the NBA playoffs, and the Warriors/Rockets rivalry that becomes more and more insufferable as time passes.

In Episode 17 we had our very first remote guest in Peter Bogren. We dove into the incredibly unfair situation regarding WNBA player salaries, MLB's unwritten rules, and more.

If every media outlet in the world is going to be doing Game of Thrones related content, then we sure as hell aren't going to miss out on this opportunity. Episode 16 is about the current going-ons in the MLB, the NBA, the PGA Tour, and the NCAA. But also it's about Game of Thrones and how Game of Thrones has had an effect on sports coverage as a whole for the last 4 months or so.

This week we've got a special Wrestlemania edition of All Sports Are Bad. Reuben Poling joins us to talk everything about World Wrestling Entertainment from Saudi Arabia, to rampant bigotry, to the lack of employee healthcare, to undead zombie warlocks, to NXT, to the Montreal Screwjob itself, and much much more. This one was a barn burner, folks.

It's our baseball preview episode! This week we went through each division and made our personal picks and standouts. We went over Ichiro Suzuki's retirement and Pete Rose's weird attitude towards him in general. We also covered March Madness and more specifically Tom Izzo's recent antics. And Patrick finally got to rant at length about the hilarious and painful collapse of his Los Angeles Lakers.

Whether or not people want to admit it, the world of sports is chalk full of coded racism. While most leagues and the media outlets that cover them aren't as overt with their bigotry as they once were, they've adapted by using dog whistles instead. This episode covers this topic heavily. We also get into some hype-drags regarding Russell Westbrook, the College Admissions scandal and more!

Fair warning, this isn't actually a podcast about Ancient Aliens. You'll figure that out quickly. This week our main topic revolves around the NFL, specifically the double standard that exists between expectations the owners have for themselves and the expectations players must meet in order to exist in the league. Spoiler alert: It's not fair to the players. Yes, we talk Robert Kraft, and no, we're not worried about a person soliciting a sex worker. Legalize sex work. We also talk some mess about the NFL Draft hype and why Mel Kiper is basically useless. And we take a look at the biggest sports leagues in the country and figure out which ones are closest to a lockout or strike.

This episode contains discussions of topics such as sexual assault, domestic abuse, and violence. In this episode we take a look at the redemption narrative. Jake and Patrick analyze why we as a sports-viewing public love a comeback, but that it’s currently being applied to athletes who are genuinely terrible people as a means to allow them to somehow redeem themselves for their awful past. We also provide an update to the Dr. Lorena Martin and the investigation surrounding her and the Mariners that recently came to a close.

In this episode we review the NFC and AFC Championship games and some of the hilarious and horrendous controversies surrounding them. We also talk about the prospect of the NFL reviewing pass interference and how that may slow the game down and make it less entertaining, as well as instant replay and technology in officiating sports in general. MLB Hall of Fame voting has finished and we talk about the four brand new members of the Hall of Fame.

Episode nine marks a very special episode, our first guest! Reuben Poling joins the podcast and we talk about MLB salaries, financial structures, Kyler Murray, Manny Machado, and why the player's union is probably going to go on strike sooner rather than later. We also dive deep into some NBA Western Conference analysis, more specifically the Dubs, the Nuggets, the Lakers, the Thunder, and that gosh darned James Harden.