Engel Angle

Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reflects on the joy and surprises of covering the 2026 FIFA World Cup, sharing why hosting in North America has exceeded every expectation. From Arlington's AT&T Stadium hosting more matches than Los Angeles, Miami, and New York to the hilarious reactions of international visitors discovering bottomless chips, free refill fountain drinks, and ranch dre...

Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is fully converted — the 2026 FIFA World Cup has won him over, and he sits down with British sports broadcaster Andy Kerr to break down everything from England's tournament chances to the legendary Tartan Army taking over South Beach. The two dig into the expansion to 48 teams, the flaws in American youth soccer development, the lasting impact of Brexit, a...

Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram sits down with former U.S. Men's National Team player Eddie Lewis to reflect on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is now officially underway in North America. Lewis, who was part of the legendary 2002 U.S. squad that last won a World Cup knockout match, shares his journey from teaching himself soccer skills with a tennis ball at UCLA to breaking barriers as a...

Join Fort Worth Star Telegram's Mac Engel on this deeply personal Father's Day tribute as he shares the remarkable story of his 93-year-old father, Ted Engel, a Depression-era kid from Staten Island who built an extraordinary life through sheer determination and sacrifice. Mac explores themes of generational toughness, family responsibility, and what it means to be part of America's greatest gener...

Join Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Mac Engel as he shares the highs and lows of meeting childhood heroes throughout his career, culminating in an unforgettable interview with Police drummer Stewart Copeland. From awkward encounters with baseball legends Eric Davis and Dick Vitale to heartwarming moments with Ernie Banks, Mac reveals the unvarnished truth about what it's really like when you f...

Mac has an evolved relationship with the popular Tom Cruise movie, Top Gun, which celebrates its 40th birthday this month. The film came out when Mac was an aspiring movie critic for his middle school newspaper in Indianapolis. As he grew older, and "Top Gun Maverick" was released, his views of the films changed. But a few things still gnaw at him. (Plus, this gives him the chance to tell you that...

Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Mac Engel makes a bold case for why NHL Stanley Cup playoffs deliver the ultimate postseason experience, even though hockey ranks fourth among major American sports. Drawing from 25 years covering everything from Super Bowls to Final Fours, Engel breaks down what makes playoff hockey special - from passionate fans in jerseys to golden goal overtime drama and iconic troph...

Bestselling author Keith O'Brien reveals the untold origin story of Larry Bird's rise from poverty in rural Indiana, including his traumatic departure from Indiana University and near-disappearance into blue-collar obscurity before Indiana State coach Bill Hodges literally drove the streets looking for him. Through interviews with Bird's childhood friends, teammates, and coaches, O'Brien uncovers...

Sports journalist Mac Engel shares two unforgettable stories in this episode of the Ingle Angle podcast: his catastrophic SAT experience as a 2.0 GPA high school student who overslept, forgot his ID, and scored an embarrassingly low 700, and his passionate defense of modern NBA basketball against constant criticism. Engel argues that today's NBA players are more skilled and athletic than ever, but...

Former Texas basketball legend Willie Warren shares his remarkable journey from McDonald's All-American to NBA draft pick to globetrotting professional player across 14 countries including Iran, China, and Kuwait. Warren reveals untold stories about playing alongside Blake Griffin at Oklahoma, his challenging NBA rookie experience with the LA Clippers, and candid insights about overseas basketball...

Mac talks to longtime New York Post sports columnist Mike Vaccaro, who has been in the New York sports scene for more than 20 years. Mike has a new book out, "The Bosses of the Bronx," which covers the long tenure of New York Yankees owner, the late George Steinbrenner. Since George died in 2010, his sons have run the Yankees. When George was in his prime, no owner in sports was more visible or co...

Mac talks to longtime New York Post sports columnist Mike Vaccaro, who has been in the New York sports scene for more than 20 years. Mike has a new book out, "The Bosses of the Bronx," which covers the long tenure of New York Yankees owner, the late George Steinbrenner. Since George died in 2010, his sons have run the Yankees. When George was in his prime, no owner in sports was more visible or co...

Having run a few marathons before, Mac never thought he could complete a triathlon. Not a strong swimmer. On Sunday in Keller, Texas, Mac completed the St. Patrick's Day triathlon - 400 meter swim, 14.5 mile bike ride, 3.1 mile run - that was a total disaster. He also shares his thoughts about the recent LA Marathon "finishers" who received a medal despite not running the entire race. ★ Support th...

Having run a few marathons before, Mac never thought he could complete a triathlon. Not a strong swimmer. On Sunday in Keller, Texas, Mac completed the St. Patrick's Day triathlon - 400 meter swim, 14.5 mile bike ride, 3.1 mile run - that was a total disaster. He also shares his thoughts about the recent LA Marathon "finishers" who received a medal despite not running the entire race. 0:00 — Compl...

Former NFL Network host, and morning anchor at ABC's station in Dallas, WFAA, Marc Istook joined Mac to talk about his career, the state of news media today, and his decision to take the leap to create his own media company. Plus, Mac has some concerns after attending the Lady Gaga concert. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This episode of Engel Angle starts with a complaint — the kind every concert fan has had. Mac Engel went to see Lady Gaga and didn’t hear the one song he actually wanted. Which leads to a broader question: why do artists — and frankly, a lot of people in media — keep changing the rules? That brings in the guest. Longtime North Texas broadcaster Mark Istook, who many viewers recognize from WFAA, jo...

In this solo episode of Engel Angle, Mac reflects on legacy — who gets remembered, who gets overlooked, and why timing matters. Mac opens with a tribute to Academy Award–winning actor Robert Duvall, revisiting Lonesome Dove, The Godfather, and Apocalypse Now, and sharing a deeply personal story about interviewing Texas football legend Sammy Baugh — the man Duvall used as inspiration for Gus McCrae...

Lindsay Graham's story of becoming an unofficial historian as one of the top history podcasters in America is as amazing as it is inspiring and charming. In short time, Graham became the voice of some of the most popular podcasts, including American History Tellers, History Daily, American Scandal, and Business Movers. He's earned shoutouts from Ryan Reynolds, George Clooney and Amy Poehler. Now,...

Mac went to the movie theater to see the hyped new documentary, "Melania," the film about the first lady of the United States, Mrs. Melania Trump. The movie has the same issues as an increasing number of other documentary films, led by "The Last Dance." ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Mac went to the movie theater to see the hyped new documentary, "Melania," the film about the first lady of the United States, Mrs. Melania Trump. The movie has the same issues as an increasing number of other documentary films, led by "The Last Dance." ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Mac's guest is Dr. Alex Kor, whose parents are Holocaust survivors. The late Mickey and Eva Kor survived separate camps until they were liberated; Eva was one of the "Mengele Twins," patients who were used as human experiments conducted by infamous Nazi Dr. Josef Mengela. Dr. Kor has made it a priority to tell his parent's stories, and to educate people about a topic that some survivors fear is be...

The insane state of college sports has its roots in the Olympic games The Winter Olympics is almost here, an ideal time to provide an update of how "we got here" in the highest levels of amateur sports. NCAA football and basketball looks nothing like what built it, and while change is inevitable Mac has one solution to a college sports problem that needs fixing. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Houston's beloved Astrodome needs a solution, and its counter to what should have been done because it's not the American way The city of Houston is once again wrestling with what to do with one of its, and America's, most influential buildings - the Astrodome. It was closed in 2008, and sits there as a storage shed. In this episode, Mac explains why the Astrodome is so important not just to Houst...

Mac brings back something he thought he had lost - an interview with best-selling author Sebastian Junger. In 2024, Junger's book, "In My Time of Dying," which covered his near death experience. There was one part to Mac's interview with Junger that stuck out, and it should resonate with all of us who question a life after our death. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The classic film "Rocky" turns 50 here in 2026, and Mac has an anecdote about meeting a figure from the famous movie that is consistent with some of his other chance meetings with some famous people that he had no clue who they were until later. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★