Slate's Hang Up and Listen

Josh Levin and Ben Mathis-Lilley are joined by Daniel “Progressive Liberal” Harnsberger to chat about his wrestling persona. The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis also discusses Jamie Horowitz and Fox Sports, and Nick Greene analyzes NBA free agency.

The Progressive Liberal (1:27): Professional wrestler Daniel Harnsberger joins to describe the inspiration behind his character, whether he’s critiquing the Democratic Party, and what it’s like to be the bad guy in wrestling.

Jamie Horowitz (19:01): Bryan Curtis, editor-at-large of the Ringer, comes on the show to assess what the sacking of Fox Sports 1’s Jamie Horowitz means for the channel and FS1’s lineup of debate-based programming.

NBA (35:04): Nick Greene joins to discusses Kevin Durant’s massive pay cut, and whether anything can be done about the massive exodus of talent from the East to the West.

Afterballs (54:04)

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by former NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf to discuss his return to basketball in the BigIG3, his protest of the national anthem, and how Tourette's Syndrome affected his career. Golden State Warriors President Rick Welts also comes on the show to discuss being openly gay in the NBA and how the franchise is grappling with its status as the league’s supervillain. Finally, Slate’s Henry Grabar explains what makes Miami’s new, David Beckham–-backed stadium deal so great and why Las Vegas’ plans for a new NFL stadium will hurt the city and its taxpayers.

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Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Joel Anderson of BuzzFeed to discuss the NBA draft. Graphic designer Todd Radom also joins to debate the merits of updating the NBA logo. Finally, they chat about the perils of playing sports while old.

NBA Draft (2:00): Assessing the latest news on the pro basketball transaction wire, including the implications of the blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade, whether it’s time for the Celtics to go all-in, and whether the 76ers’ rebuilding process has finally paid off.

NBA Logo (18:43): Todd Radom comes on the show to assess whether it’s time to modernize the league’s Jerry West-inspired design or if the logo is too iconic to tinker with.

Playing Sports While Old (33:41): A bunch of players got hurt during the debut of the BIG3 three-on-three league. Is it too sad to watch old people play basketball?


Afterballs (43:12):

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Kevin Draper to discuss the upcoming Mayweather-McGregor mega-fight. Ben Lindbergh also joins to discuss whether major-league baseballs are juiced. Finally, David Gessner talks about his memoir Ultimate Glory.

Mayweather-McGregor (1:28): A conversation with the New York Times’  Kevin Draper about the logistics of the upcoming match-up between boxer Floyd Mayweather and mixed martial artist Conor McGregor, and whether McGregor has any chance of pulling off an unlikely upset.

Juiced balls (13:37): Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer comes on the show to explore the various theories behind why baseball players are hitting more home runs than ever before.

Ultimate Frisbee (30:01): David Gessner discusses his memoir Ultimate Glory: Frisbee, Obsession, and My Wild Youth. Was it a mistake for Gessner to spend the best years of his life chasing a flying disc?

Afterballs (42:21)

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Mike Pesca to discuss the Warriors' NBA Finals win. George Dohrmann also joins to talk about U.S. soccer phenom Christian Pulisic. Plus, an interview with Ice Cube about the documentary Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies. NBA Finals (2:06): A conversation with Hang Up alum Mike Pesca about the Golden State Warriors’ NBA title, Kevin Durant's greatness, and where LeBron James, the Cavs, and the NBA go from here. Christian Pulisic (21:56): George Dohrmann joins to discuss his story on how Christian Pulisic came to be a star, and whether U.S. soccer will learn the right lessons from his development. Ice Cube (38:46): The narrator of the ESPN 30-for-30 documentary Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies explains his affection for his hometown team and how race played a role in the Boston/L.A. rivalry. He also talks about 3-on-3 basketball becoming an Olympic sport. Afterballs (57:03)

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Marcus Thompson to discuss the NBA Finals. Bruce Arthur also joins for a conversation about the Stanley Cup Final, and Sadie Stein comes on the show to talk about Mr. Met.
NBA Finals (1:10): A conversation with Marcus Thompson about the Golden State Warriors' dominance thus far, how the Cleveland Cavaliers might turn the series around, and Kevin Durant's relationship (or lack thereof) with Rihanna.

Stanley Cup Final (17:15): Bruce Arthur examines the series between the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins, assesses Sidney Crosby's performance, and looks at why the NHL won't be sending players to the 2018 Olympics.
Mr. Met (33:57): Sadie Stein explains her ardor for the New York Mets' baseball-headed mascot and examines why he snapped at a bunch of unruly fans.

Afterballs (45:50)

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin are joined by Ethan Sherwood Strauss to preview the NBA Finals. They also talk with Charles P. Pierce about the legacy of writer Frank Deford, and Daniel Engber joins for a conversation about our favorite non-famous athletes.

NBA Finals (1:54): A conversation with Ethan Strauss about what to look out for in the third consecutive finals matchup between the Warriors and Cavs. What will Golden State do in crunch time? Will Draymond Green kick anyone?

Frank Deford (21:25): Charles P. Pierce, who worked with Deford at Sports Illustrated and The National, talks about what made him a great writer and reminisces about his favorite Deford stories.

Non-famous athletes (40:10): Daniel Engber discusses his obsession with Mets utility player Keith Miller, and we talk about our listeners’ favorite non-superstars.

Afterballs (56:50)

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Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin and guest Jane Coaston talk about the NBA playoffs. Sean Singer also joins to discuss Enes Kanter and Turkish politics, and economist Andy Schwarz comes on the show to announce his plan to kill the NCAA’s amateur model.

NBA playoffs (2:42): A conversation about the inevitability of a third straight Cavs-Warriors finals, and whether anticipation for that series has killed the rest of the postseason.

Enes Kanter (15:50): Former Turkish Basketball Federation official Sean Singer explains how Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Enes Kanter became a political activist, and how his conflict with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is perceived in Turkey.

A plan to kill the NCAA (30:50): Andy Schwarz rolls out the HBCU League, which would pay college players and prepare them for the NBA.

Afterballs (49:22) 

Bryan Curtis and Stefan Fatsis talk with Michael Lee about John Wall and the NBA playoffs. Former NFL player Stephen White joins to discuss why quarterback Colin Kaepernick remains unemployed. Bryan and Stefan discuss the NFL broadcasting prospects of retired quarterbacks Tony Romo and Jay Cutler. And Scott Price joins to discuss his recent articles about the declining health of NFL legends Nick Buoniconti and Jim Kiick.

NBA playoffs (2:00): We talk with Michael Lee about the rise of John Wall, the Washington Wizards point guard, and the first game of the Western Conference playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs. 

Colin Kaepernick (12:28): Former NFL defensive lineman Stephen White breaks down the tape and argues that Kaepernick has not found a job because of his decision last year to kneel during the national anthem.

NFL announcers (22:35): Bryan and Stefan discuss the quick hires of just-retired quarterbacks Tony Romo by CBS Sports and Jay Cutler by Fox Sports, and what makes a good ex-jock television broadcaster.

Miami Dolphins (37:13): Scott Price joins the show to discuss his recent Sports Illustrated stories about the dementia taking over the lives of Nick Buoniconti and Jim Kiick, two stars of the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins football team.

Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin talk with ESPN’s Howard Bryant about racism in Boston sports. Damon Young also joins to discuss LaVar Ball and the “black basketball dad,” and David Epstein analyzes Nike’s effort to engineer a sub-two-hour marathon.

Racism in Boston sports (??): A conversation with Howard Bryant, the author of Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston, about the recent racist heckling at Fenway Park and the history of racism in the city and on its sports teams.

LaVar Ball (??): Damon Young of Very Smart Brothas discusses his conflicted feelings about Lonzo Ball’s father and the specific role black parents play in their kids’ athletic development.

Nike’s marathon gambit (??): Assessing Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:00:25 marathon, Nike’s marketing of its Breaking2 event, and whether we’ll see more attempts to break the two-hour barrier.