Running It Back

Welcome back to Running It Back, the Lessons Learned From Sports podcast! We are eyeballs deep in sports lesson fodder this week, fresh off the Knicks hangover period and diving straight into a brand new World Cup season. We bring you the raw analysis, front-office chemistry checks, and unique banter you love, keeping it completely real as we look at the shifting landscape of modern sports. The 20...

53 years of waiting is officially over. New York is officially Knick-a-bonkers. The gentleman’s sweep of Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs is complete, and Mike and Tarlin are back for Year 6 of Running It Back to unpack the definitive lessons learned from the 2026 NBA Finals. From Jalen Brunson’s masterclass in footwork to the elite grit of the Nova Knicks, we are breaking down how cult...

The dance card is officially set, and we are running it back to 1999! The 2026 NBA Finals are locked in: Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs versus Jalen Brunson’s rough-and-tumble New York Knicks. In this episode—unfiltered and pulled straight from the raw recording captured in "riverside_t_& michael_palmer_media.docx"—Mike completely throws objectivity out the window and goes 1,000% insufferab...

It is almost June, and that can only mean one thing: the NBA Finals are here. On this episode of Running It Back, Mike Palmer and Tarlin Ray sit down to process the immaculate, unexpected vibes of a New York Knicks squad that has defied expectations to play for basketball's ultimate prize. Why is Knick Nation so uncharacteristically quiet right now? Because they know exactly how fragile a postseas...

Bam Adebayo: 83 Points, No Apologies Did that actually just happen? In an era of load management, Bam Adebayo just sent a shockwave through the league by dropping 83 points on the Washington Wizards. Join Mike Palmer and Tarlin Ray for an emergency session of Running It Back as they break down one of the most surreal scoring outbursts in NBA history. We examine whether this was a pure display of p...

Running It Back Super Bowl XL Preview! It’s Media Week 2026, and while the league builds the stage for Super Bowl XL, a coaching "Red Wedding" has left the NFL landscape looking like a chaotic game of musical chairs. In this episode, Mike Palmer and Tarlin Ray break down the fallout of the massive coaching turnover and a Super Bowl matchup defined by redemption stories and "Harvard-style" job inte...

Mike Palmer and Tarlin Ray are back after a crazy weekend of NFL football to do some after action review on the games from the Divisional Round, breaking down each of their QB's performance and prospects heaiding into the conference championships. Is Caleb WIlliams the new King in the North? Can Tarlin recover from CJ Stroud's dismal performance and Bo Nix's broken ankle? How is Mike's "pick some...

Welcome Back to the Gridiron: Hips, Heists, and the King in the North Tarlin Ray is officially back on the other side of major surgery. Seven days after a total hip replacement, he moved from a walker to a cane, and now he is trading the PT exercises for the hottest NFL takes of the 2026 postseason. In this episode of Running It Back, Mike Palmer and Tarlin Ray dive deep into the divisional round,...

Welcome to a high-octane episode of Running it Back, where the lessons of sports leadership meet the chaos of the 2026 NFL postseason. Host Mike Palmer is joined by Tarlin Ray and Isaac Tellechea to break down the systems, the carousels, and the "crocodile tears" defining this year’s quarterback drama. QUICK CHECK-IN Tarlin gives a brief update on his upcoming hip replacement surgery. He is naviga...

The latest episode of Running It Back dives into the "unceremonious" exit of Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers, a move Mike Palmer views as a masterstroke in locker room management. Mike and Tarlin Ray are joined for the first time by Isaac Tellechea, the newest addition to the Running It Back team who will be helping behind the scenes and joining the occasional taping. Isaac jumps right in...

Season 6 Kickoff! Mike and Tarlin are back for a special edition of Running It Back, diving into the biggest sports stories for lessons in leadership, accountability and the struggle for growth. The conversation starts with an update on Mike's Mets (the only thing softening the blow is a wealthy owner) and Tarlin's dog before flexing into three essential topics: WNBA: The Commissioner vs. The Play...

Get ready, fantasy football fans, because we're officially running it back! After a well-deserved summer hiatus, your favorite sports podcasters are back and ready to kick off the NFL season in style. This episode has everything you love: a healthy dose of signature banter, some wild personal updates, and a deep dive into the world of fantasy football—from its surprising origins to the drama of yo...

Get ready for an unfiltered and energetic breakdown of the NBA playoffs as we, Mike Palmer and Tarlin Ray from Running It Back, dive headfirst into the latest on the hardwood! We kick things off by dissecting the Knicks' recent playoff run, asking the tough questions about what went wrong and what's next for Mike's beloved and Tarlin's bandwagon team. Tarlin connects Coach Thibs' firing to a fasci...

Tarlin and Mike are back to chop it up about the Knicks Pacers rivalry through the years heading into the big series starting this week. Tarlin asks in on the Knicks bandwagon. Mike extols Brunson's leadership, doesn't fear Haliburton, the Pacers, Pat McAfee, or even Hans Perez, the firefighter who wore a Haliburton jersey to the midtown New York celebration outside MSG on Friday night. Mike and G...

In this engaging episode, Running It Back takes you on a journey from the iconic to the immediate. We start by commemorating the anniversary of Allen Iverson's "Practice" press conference – a moment that gave us one of the most quotable moments in NBA history. Then, we shift gears to the present, analyzing the ongoing NBA playoffs, the buzz around Tyrese Haliburton, and the contrasting leadership...

Get ready for a high-energy episode of Running It Back! Mike and Tarlin deliver instant analysis of the latest NBA drama: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyrese Haliburton. We dissect the controversial end-of-game moments, the heated aftermath, and the unexpected involvement of family members. Is Halliburton soft or clutch? Is Giannis a philosopher or just tired of the drama? We’re also talking overrate...

Alright, football fans, buckle up for a raw, unfiltered episode of Running It Back! We're diving deep into the shocking NFL draft slide of Shedeur Sanders. Was it his interview style, his play, or the shadow of his outspoken father, Deion, that caused him to drop to the fifth round?   Tarlin and Mike dissect the stats, the interviews, and the generational clash that might have contributed to this...

Alright, sports fans, buckle up for a high-energy episode of "Running it Back"! The crew is back, and they're diving headfirst into the NBA playoffs, where the stakes are high, and the drama is hotter than a five-alarm fire!   The guys kick things off with a little smack talk. Tarlin Ray is feeling the heat in a step challenge, while Mike Palmer is dodging those "microaggressions"! But don't worry...

The trade winds are blowing, and we're breaking down the BIGGEST move since De'Aaron Fox! That's right, folks, Jimmy "Buckets" Butler is heading to the Golden State Warriors, and your favorite hoops heads, Tarlin Ray and Mike Palmer, are here to give you the insider's perspective.   Tarlin was ON this trade from day one, calling it a total UNLOCK for the Warriors. Was he right? Mike, as always, br...

"Best sports docuseries I've ever watched!" - That's high praise from co-host Tarlin Ray, and it's exactly what we're diving into on this episode of Running It Back. We're breaking down Netflix's "Court of Gold," the captivating documentary that takes you inside the Paris Olympics and the quest for basketball gold.   Relive the drama with Steph Curry's Olympic debut, Kevin Durant's pursuit of hist...

We're back with a special Super Bowl LIX preview episode! We've got all the latest news and analysis, including our predictions for who will win the big game. Plus, we're talking about the Luka Doncic trade and what it means for the future of the NBA. Tune in to hear our takes on the following: Our Super Bowl LIX predictions, including our thoughts on the Eagles' and Chiefs' rosters, coaching staf...

Welcome to Running It Back, the podcast that dives deep to find lessons from the latest sports news and its the biggest games. In this episode, Tarlin Ray and Mike Palmer are back as we navigate the NFL playoffs, its head coaching carousel, and explore new sports leagues like TGL and Unrivaled.   First, we break down the NFC and AFC Championship games, highlighting the underdog stories and the pot...

In this special episode of Running It Back, Mike Palmer and Tarlin Ray sit down with Professor Lou Moore, author of The Great Black Hope: Doug Williams, Vince Evans, and the Making of the Black Quarterback. You heard that right, we're running it back WITH OUR FIRST GUEST EVER! Don't miss it!! With Lou's expert guidance, we delve into the rich history of black quarterbacks in the NFL, focusing on D...

In this episode of Running It Back, Mike Palmer and Tarlin Ray dive into the start of the NBA season, keying off of the Mind the Game podcast and reflecting on LeBron and Bronny James' father-son debut and offering thoughts on how Bronny will navigate the league. We also pay tribute to Fernando Valenzuela, discussing his legacy and recent passing. Tarlin shares his insights on key NBA players to w...

In our kickoff to SEASON 5 of Running It Back, Hosts Tarlin Ray and Mike Palmer dive into the exciting world of NFL quarterbacks and their narratives. After Tarlin's "291" anecdote, we start with a New York focus, getting NY Sports fan Mike's takes on the recent trade of Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks and the current state of the Mets. Then we shift gears to analyze "That's My Quarterback..." na...