The GIST of It

Inspired by Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley taking a step back from football to focus on his mental health, El and Steph chat about the history of other athletes speaking out about their struggles and how the conversation has shifted since Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open back in May. Tune in for this important conversation, and stick around for a primer about an exciting tenn...

On today’s episode, Ellen and Steph break down the latest WTF moment from the sports world. Despite having 22 active sexual assault allegations against him, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is on the NFL trade market, with multiple teams interested in trading for him. Ugh. Tune in for the backstory on Watson, why a trade could happen and stick around for an update to a different WTF momen...

Baseball fan or not, you’ll want in on this conversation. On today’s show, Ellen and Steph discuss why the 2021 World Series featuring the Houston cheatin’ Astros and the problematic Atlanta Braves might just be the most despised series ever. Tune in for all the details.  Today’s episode is brought to you by our friends at Campaign Monitor. You don’t need to be a newsletter business to use Campaig...

On today’s show, Ellen is joined again by special guest host Courtney Stith to talk about the opioid crisis in pro sports. After NHLer Jimmy Hayes’s cause of death was attributed to substance abuse, we’re talking about his life, death, and the noble way his family is honoring him.  Today’s episode is brought to you by our pals at FanDuel. Channel your competitive energy into our GIST-exclusive Fan...

On today’s show, Ellen and special guest host Courtney Stith dive deep into the context as well as their thoughts and feelings on the Phoenix Mercury not showing up for the post-game press conference after losing to the Chicago Sky in the WNBA finals on Sunday afternoon. It’s complicated. And instead of a WTF moment, the pair also give a brief NBA regular season preview. Tune in, won’t you? Today’...

We really hate to do this to you, GISTers, but we have yet another coaching scandal to fill you in on. This time, it’s the NFL, with Jon Gruden’s racist and misogynistic emails. Ugh. We also have a WTF from the WNBA, involving the GOAT herself, Diana Taurasi. Buckle up for this one. Today’s episode is brought to you by TWO amazing sponsors.  Wine Rack, your neighborhood wine spot, is THE place to...

It's hockey season! Today, co-hosts Ellen and Steph give you "the gist" on what to know about the NHL season. They talk teams to know, players to watch, their picks and, most importantly, the broader storylines to watch this season. Add that to some storytelling about Scott Moir and women in sports, and it’s a great way to spend your Tuesday. Tune in, won’t you? Today’s episode is brought to you b...

Who needs Instagram and Facebook when hockey stars have Twitter to stir the pot? After Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner accused the NHL of medical malpractice in a tweet and threatened to reveal some spicy stories to back up his claims, Ellen and Steph are diving into what caused his sudden Gossip Girl moment.  Then, they’re sharing a WTF from the NHL that involves — shocker! — San Jos...

How many wild things can happen in one week in the NWSL? Let us count the ways… With another head coach out, a commissioner resigned, and three ongoing investigations into the botched handling of some truly terrible abuse allegations, the NWSL has had quite the week, so hosts Steph and Ellen are going through the timeline of events as they happened and then giving their own thoughts on all the awf...

The WNBA is being disrespected. After the Phoenix Mercury were forced out of their home arena twice, hosts Ellen and Steph are talking about all the ways our favorite W teams are being wronged during this already intense postseason. Then, we’re following up on Tuesday’s WTF moment with an update from the Ukrainian Hockey League. Spoiler alert: it’s bad. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel...

On the field, the NWSL’s Washington Spirit is playing for a spot in the postseason. Off the field, it’s a hot mess right now. But as things continue to worsen, team co-owner Y. Michele Kang is ready to take charge. Soccer fan or not, you’ll want to hear what’s going down in D.C. And in our WTF moment of the week, we’re heading back to the hockey rink to tell you about a deplorable act of racism fr...

On today’s episode of The GIST of It, Steph is joined by guest host Courtney to talk about all things WNBA postseason. From the setup to the favorites to who’s out for revenge, they have everything you need to know before the first round begins. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The GIST has partnered with FanDuel for a GIST-exclusive weekly NFL fantasy football contest, open to everyo...

On today’s episode of The GIST of It, hosts Ellen and Steph are searching for the fountain of youth. After 39-year-old soccer star Carli Lloyd scored five goals in one game last week and 44-year-old quarterback Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes on Sunday, we’re highlighting seasoned athletes who are still thriving even as young stars are emerging. Today’s episode is brought to you by our frien...

Hey!   It’s another heavy episode of The GIST of It. After American superstar gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols testified before the US Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, hosts Steph and Ellen are diving into why they did it, what they said, and what it could mean for the future of amateur sport.   Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The GIST has p...

Show us the money!   On today’s episode of The GIST of It, hosts Ellen and Steph are talking about cold hard cash...and why the U.S. women’s national soccer team is still fighting to make more of it.    With the U.S. Soccer Federation recently making headlines, we’re diving into what they’re now asking of the USWNT and USMNT, their fraught relationship with both teams, and the ongoing lawsuit agai...

No, it’s not Friday: we’ve officially moved The GIST of It to Tuesdays and Thursdays! And today is a very special Thursday indeed: it's the Opening Kickoff of the NFL. Today, Ellen and Steph are getting into all things football with a quick season preview, a look at some of the can’t-miss storylines and they’ll even give their very professional opinions on who will win the Super Bowl.  Thanks to o...

After Naomi Osaka’s exit from the US Open in which she said, "I honestly don't know when I'm going to play my next tennis match, I think I'm going to take a break from playing for a while," co-hosts Ellen and Steph discuss athlete burnout and the Osaka’s unique situation. Add that to a doozy of a WTF moment coming out of the women’s soccer world and you have yourself a podcast. Join us, won’t you?...

After the Ontario Hockey League suspended Montreal Canadiens first round draft pick Logan Mailloux indefinitely for violating the league’s expectation for appropriate conduct by a player, co-hosts Ellen and Steph dive deep into the issues with hockey culture, and broader men’s sports culture. Yes, we’ve been here before and we’ll be here again. Get fired up with us, won’t you? This podcast was mad...

Today, Ellen and Steph chat about Naomi Osaka’s continued push for mental health as her US Open run begins, as well as the disparity in media coverage in one of the most gender equal sports. Then, we’re bringing back our WTF moment to give you an update on the Trevor Bauer situation in baseball.  Warning before you listen: the WTF moment at the end of the episode deals with sexual abuse, so if you...

The Paralympics have begun, so Steph and guest host Vanessa are getting into what makes the Games so important, what’s on the schedule for this weekend, and whether a merge with the Olympics would ever happen. Then they dive into the new college football season and try to explain the most complicated league in sports. Happy listening! Today’s episode is sponsored by our friends at TELUS. TELUS has...

Ellen and Steph were joined by another inspiring athlete on the podcast this week. This time, they sat down with Team USA's Hilary Knight to chat about all things ice hockey including the Women's World Hockey Championships (WWHC), women in hockey media, the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) and the future of women's hockey. Spoiler alert: it’s looking bright! It’s another can...

On today’s episode, Ellen and Steph chat with a very (very) special guest — CanWNT captain, NWSL superstar and Olympic gold medalist — Christine Sinclair. Fresh off the win in Tokyo, Christine shares what the Games were like, how she celebrated and who she received a congratulatory text from before diving into an important discussion about the future of women’s soccer in Canada and what’s next for...

Another week, another deeply disturbing assault case gripping the sports world. As LA Dodger Trevor Bauer faces his accusers in court, Steph and Ellen are back to give "the gist" on the case as it stands, and discuss the star privilege that too many athletes are afforded in cases like Bauer’s.  Warning before you listen: this episode deals with sexual abuse, so if you can’t listen, we’ll see you b...

On today’s episode, Steph and guest host Courtney are looking at two cases of massive abuses of power by coaches in the NWSL and the NHL. It’s a pretty heavy episode, and there are mentions of emotional and sexual abuse, so we totally understand if you can’t listen today. Just have a lovely weekend and we’ll talk to you on Tuesday. Otherwise, on with the show...   Show notes: Washington Post artic...

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...The Olympics are over and it’s time to return to regular sports (until the next Olympics in February, of course). So to get us back on track, Steph and guest host Courtney are giving us a state of the union on all our favorite leagues: WNBA, NWSL, and the like. Hit that play button! Today’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Olive & J...