Grading the World

WARNING: UNBLEEPED PROFANITY AND LOTS OF IT Joe Manchin ruins what little Trump had left; Tik Tok, bombs, and parenting; the NFL's international marketing "plan" and how the Rams made out like Raiders; a Jacksonville trifecta of Urban Meyer, Charlie Strong, and Trevor Lawrence; Kyrie Irving's impending half-return, and chasing the carrot of herd immunity.

Technical difficulties, Bill Belichick possibly being a time traveler, Joe hates short passes, the WNBA pay gap, Peng Shuai and money over ethics, ritual and holidays, F1 101 and money over ethics II, the Blazers' plan for Damian Lillard and why he should be Matt's favorite player. 

The death of reproductive rights in the USA, anti-vaxxers eating dirt, Neil Olshey fired for being a jerk, COVID, opiods, college boosters, Antonio the bleep Brown, athletes in mental health crisis. Bonus: Motorama, perhaps the weirdest movie ever made.

...and why it doesn't belong on the Thanksgiving table, Pats-Titans, Jason Garrett and head coach/coordinator dynamics, the business of sports in China and the WTA's failure, Lebron James' busy week, and Aaron Rodgers' COVID toe. Also: is SEO killing journalism?

The beauty of college hockey, the disappearance of Peng Shuai, no justice for Joseph Rosenbaum or Anthony Huber and the horrifying and disheartening reaction from conservatives, the red-hot Patriots and Bill the genius, the value and necessity of elite running backs, NBA GMs cry foul on the Neal Olshey investigation but exactly zero people step up to defend him, and NBA surprises. Donate to WXOJ-F...

We welcome back Dave Hock, our first repeat guest ever, so he can officially forsake Aaron Rodgers. Also: Mayim Biyalik and Ken Jennings, Odell Beckham going to the Rams, Jon Gruden suing the NFL, Daniel Snyder's secret Hotmail account, an admission from Darryl, Adam Schefter digs himself deeper, Cam Newton returning to the Panthers, and Pumpsie Green.

The three of us discover a shared childhood experience, and lots of NFL talk: Mike White Mania, Henry Ruggs, Aaron Rodgers making us all play the 'who knew what?' game, and Odell Beckham Jr. leaving Cleveland. Also: early-season NBA overreactions

Congress blows its chance to help those who need it the most and the Jets are caught shortquarterbacked. Also: Packers/Chiefs and Aaron Rodgers' rightful place on GOAT mountain

Kadarius Toney is the Phoenix rising from the ashes of the Giants' offense, Fall is dead, the Knicks/Celtics opener, the Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving situations, Candace Parker's homecoming title, an apology from Matt to Lamar Jackson, NFL franchises that actually help quarterbacks, and Roger Goodell as Joseph Smith and living in the LDS community. Also, some Netflix: Squid Game, OITNB, Money Heis...

The substitute teaching crisis, Darryl looks at Kyrie Irving through Celtic green-colored glasses, leaky email servers, Freedom of Information laws, ESPN's lack of journalistic integrity, evil chicken sandwiches, the Kadarius Toney roller coaster, and the WNBA finals. Also: Matt reveals his titanic ability to compartmentalize and Joe tries to play the iceberg.

Darryl pulls off the highway on his way to Vermont so we can talk Paul Riley, a Citizen Kane correction, TBIs, the MLB one-game playoffs, Candace Parker, Kyrie Irving, the true victims of anti-vaxxers, an insult to toilets, and the QB baton being passed in Foxboro. Also: Urban Meyer digs a neck-deep hole and Joe makes him a promise.

Brooklyn Harker, Sofia LaSpina, AbbyDiCenzo, the WNBA playoffs, the Ben Simmons fiasco-drama, judging The Process, five rookie QBs, a musical revelation that will change your life, and MLB's final weekend. (Just of the 2021 regular season, not for eternity. That's still at least a couple years off.)

Human, environmental, in the Giants and Red Sox front offices, in youth football, and in Joe's brain. Also: Tom Brady's HGH supplier says Bill Belichick is just another coach, the importance or lack thereof of MLB regular season series wins, and our TV watching habits and histories.

Pantsless interviews, undisciplined Giants, one game playoffs, Penn State's institutional judgment, and the bottom of the NFL barrel.

Traumatic imagery in childrens entertainment, highway robbery, the war on a woman's right to body autonomy, caring for a dying spouse, memories and the legacy of 9/11, the politicalization of public health, government conspiracies and cover-ups, the death of the American Dream, and baseball's gambling and drug scandals.    • Contains adult language • 

Selfish idiots (no not us), Cam Newton and NFL cuts, hanging on too long (also not us), Matt sings the Big Blue Blues, the Met fans respond to Javy Baez' thumbs down, and getting wealthy from NIL endorsements (once again, not us). 

Darryl is back and we cover lots of familiar ground: COVID classroom havoc, the death of baseball, putrid UMass football, NIL implementation, Pats and Giants questions, Yankees/Red Sox, and Joe has a crabby outburst.

With Darryl still in California, Joe and Matt are joined by Nkwa Asonye of Fox61 in Hartford to celebrate breaking Jeopardy news, along with a sadder discussion of Trevor Bauer, framing athletes' mental health issues, the Malice in the Palace documentary, and back to school concerns.

With Darryl off visiting family in San Diego, fellow WMUA Sports alum Dave Hock joins Matt and Joe for corny cornfield baseball, the long-awaited draft abolition debate, and the NFL and NHL's horrendous excuses for sexual assault investigations.   SI article by Jenny Vrentas:  https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/13/the-problems-with-deshaun-watson-nfl-investigation

Gendered language, Joe's new favorite Yankee, NBA moves, Olympic legacies and memories, and the Giants' implosion. Links mentioned in opening segment:https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2020/07/08/how-to-use-gender-neutral-language-and-why-its-important-to-try/ https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/what-is-gendered-language https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/12/15/guide-how-ge...

Joe is finally home and back to rising early, this time to discuss getting old, the NBA draft, Zach Wilson and Gregg Knapp, the Yankees' big deals, Simone Biles, 3x3, and COVID vaccine resistors.

For the first time ever, all three of the gentlemen are in the studio together, and were joined by Deadspin senior editor Julie DiCaro to talk about her book Sidelined: Sports, Culture, and Being a Woman in America. Also: Trevor Bauer, Chauncey Billups, ESPN, Social Media, NIL opportunities, investigative journalism, QB development, the Bulls and Bears, and the Cosby case.

Fried clams, climate change, Red Sox/Yankees, the infantilization of black athletes, Dame Lillard, Bill Cosby, and Trevor Bauer.

While Matt enjoys his Cape Cod vacation, Darryl and Joe have some extra room to babble on about Joe Paterno, the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry, Carl Nassib, the Blazers' mangled coaching search and the Celtics' moves, along with Jennifer Nettles, Robert Plant, Tool, The Jonas Brothers, and the Backstreet Boys (not live on the show, just in stories).

Darryl prepares for his last day and a half as a teacher, the top-heavy NBA playoffs are somehow still surprising, Joe's head injuries, and MLB pitchers gooping up their fingers. Plus: the Muppets and Peanuts