The St. Louis Sportists

Doug, Keith and Ron take on subjects ranging from the malaise of the St. Louis Cardinals to the Wing-T offense in this week's episode. The Cardinals putter along at .500 while continuing to give Miles Mikolas starting assignments. The Milwaukee Brewers seem to have cracked the code for the NL Central and the MLB game at Bristol is compared to the Fyre Festival. The NFL has entered into an agreemen...

Doug, Tom, Keith and Ron put technology to the test to find out why MLB is playing a baseball game at a racetrack this weekend. The major focus this week is on the trade deadline in baseball. Did the Cardinals do enough? What kind of roster logjams do the Cardinals have to contend with now and in the future and how will the looming potential work stoppage impact these decisions? What teams excelle...

Join The Sportists for Christmas in July. Well, not really. But we do need to see Matt Holliday and his newly-wealthy family celebrate the season this winter. Joe, Keith, Tom and Ron dive into the Cardinals' Rocky Mountain Low. Or was it rock bottom in the Rockies? Which players are on the block? And what does this do for Oli Marmol's job security? Friend-of-the-Podcast Khaled Abdallah joins from...

Joe, Doug, Keith and Ron review the first half of the Cardinals' season. While the record and several players are pleasant surprises, questions remain. The group provides updates on online gaming and sports betting, NCAA violations involving Memphis basketball, and the implications of "spot fixing" in sports. The conversation shifts to insights from the MLB draft and highlights from the All-Star G...

Ron has a wide-ranging conversation with St. Louis broadcasting legend Zip Rzeppa. They cover Zip's days at Boston University on the basketball court and in the classroom - with two notable classmates - one with whom he would work with later in life on the air in Boston. They discuss the Zippo Awards, one of the most legendary recurring segments in St. Louis broadcast history. Where did Zip get th...

Joe, Doug and Ron wonder what to make of a Cardinal team that can sweep Cleveland and then be held scoreless over three games in Pittsburgh. A weekend series with the Cubs looms and Miles Mikolas will get the start on Friday, hoping for "soft contact." Doug and Joe share their memories of Dave Parker including a memorable incident with an usher at Busch Stadium. Missouri State moves to Conference...

Ron Cook and Joe Spurlin discuss a variety of sports topics, including updates on Mizzou and Illinois scheduling, the Tampa Bay Rays' playoff stadium concerns, and a mid-season review of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards have shown resilience with 20 comeback wins - is a West County resident's late game superstition playing a role? They also delve into trade deadline strategies for the Cardinals,...

Keith, Jason, and Ron discuss the inconsistent performance of the St. Louis Cardinals - are they the May version or was that just a mirage? Does the WNBA need to do a better job protecting Caitlin Clark? A new feature looks wrap up "loose ends." It's the College World Series in Omaha and it has LSU looking formidable on the field and in the Jell-O Shot Challenge. Klaus comes alive for St. Louis Ci...

Joe, Doug and Ron celebrate The St. Louis Sportists reaching the 1,000-follower milestone by considering several burning questions. What to make of the St. Louis Cardinals and their many positive pieces that have yet to form a complete puzzle? We finally have White Smoke from Aaron Rogers' mud hut and money for the Chiefs to stay in Missouri is a virtual certainty. Does that settle where the Chief...

Tony Messenger, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch joins Ron at The Local House Bistro in this installment of the Conversations series. They cover a wide range of topics from public money for stadiums to why Tony can't watch the Denver Broncos in public. Tony shares how growing up with a father as a coach prepared him to be a columnist and if he believes the Cardin...

Haaaaaaaaaaw! Joe, Doug, Ron and Keith consider if the Cardinals are actually a playoff caliber squad? Are the Rockies so bad that they are legally liable? At what point do you cash in a futures bet? How will history remember the Olaf Melberg era in the annals of St. Louis City SC history? How much can a coach really blame injuries for a sub-par record? Are the SEC and NCAA about to act out a scen...

It's the first all-Ava hosted episode of the podcast as Joe, Doug, and Ron bring some Douglas County to the sports topics of the day including the major question before the surging St. Louis Cardinals - when are Arenado, Helsley and others "off the market?" Juan Soto is jogging, ambling or not going all-out, which would NOT fly if you're an Ava Bear. Keith is "tying up loose ends" which leads us t...

Joe, Keith and Ron take no chances in this week's podcast. From Joaquin Andujar and John Tudor, the guys discuss the current Cardinals and their recent upswing. Will the fans come back? Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe are eligible for the HOF. But it's complicated. The Blues have a big decision to make on a key player and the clock is ticking so loudly Jack Bauer can hear it. The NFL Schedule is out, a...

Joe, Doug, Keith and Ron attempt to recover from one of the most devastating playoff losses in Blues history and transition to other topics. Before they go, they discuss how the timing of the game and how the epic magnitude of Game 7 may have led new fans to the Blues. And with the core back and money to spend, the future looks bright for the Blue Note. The Cardinals show surprising grit as they t...

It's the episode with the Last Call for the ages. (Trust us) Before that, Joe, Doug, Keith, and Ron discuss the extra-physical first round playoff matchup between the Blues and the Jets. The Cardinals continue to confound prompting references to Sarah McLachlan and Robert Palmer. The NFL Draft turns out to be one that will be remembered for years and some of the stories are stranger than fiction....

Now on YouTube! The Sportsists join the video age and check in on the Blues first-round playoff matchup against the Jets. With apologies to the late Dennis Green, it's starting to look like the Cardinals are who we thought they were. The Tennessee saga with Nico is over for now - was it all just a trade? The NFL draft is this weekend with potential drama around a two-way player, a potentially over...

Joe, Doug, Tom and Ron discuss the St. Louis Blues clinching a playoff berth and look ahead to round one against Winnipeg. The Cardinals are keeping things .500 and are surprisingly fun to watch. Doug leads a recap of The Masters and gives a historical perspective for Rory McIlroy's dramatic win. NIL madness descends to chaos the day before the Tennessee spring football game. What could possibly b...

Porter Waggoner would be proud of this episode. Joe, Doug, Tom, and Ron discuss the Blues' playoff prospects and look at what has changed since the Four Nation break that ignited the season-defining stretch run. Don't sleep on the contribution of Jobu. The Cardinals have high highs and odd lows. And Miles Mikolas just gave up another 100 mph exit speed hit off of the Green Monster. Then, the Sport...

Joe, Doug, Keith and Ron take on the topics of the day while name dropping throughout the episode. Damn the torpedo bats, as The Sportists salute Missouri coaching legend Jim Pendergrass after his most recent state basketball championship. The Blues refuse to lose and add an elite college player, the Cardinals show that they can win even if fans don’t show, The Tush Push survives in the NFL … for...

The Sportists predict the season outcomes for the St. Louis Cardinals in over/under style. You can predict along with The Sportists (a list of the questions can be found at STLSportists.com) and hear a very free-flowing discussion of the prospects for the 2025 team. How will injuries, the six-man rotation, and the upcoming front office regime change impact the product on the field and the attendan...

Ron (after two martinis) and Keith (stone-cold sober) report live from the Draft Kings Sportsbook at the Casino Queen on day one of March Madness. There, they get by with a little help from their friends - Dr. Kim Simonds, a die-hard Kansas Jayhawk fan, and Brian Bunte, an Illinois graduate and Ilini hoops expert. They break down the prospects for their schools and Ron and Keith discuss the tradit...

St. Louis and Oakland share a common (and unfortunate bond) - losing beloved sports franchises. In the first episode of the Sportist Conversations, Khaled Abdallah, host of the 40/40 Vision podcast, joins Ron Cook to discuss the recent developments surrounding the Athletics, including their move to Sacramento and the implications for fans and the city of Oakland. He shares insights on the new ball...

Joe, Doug, Keith, and Ron discuss upcoming March Madness, NFL free agency, and St. Louis City SC's breakthrough win in LA. They delve into the world of Tommy John surgery and the link to "general fatigue." Spring training for the Cardinals is winding down and the reset has not produced substantial changes. College basketball as teams prepare for March Madness and the gang considers the fluctuating...

Hosts Ron Cook, Doug Lansdown, Tom Mathis, and Keith Farroll discuss the St. Louis Blues' playoff vs. trade deadline predicament - go for another magical run or be practical for the future? Keith considers the tribulations of a one-legged soccer player and disturbing fan behavior in San Diego. Doug tips off a spirited Mizzou hoops conversation, and the gang realizes that the current team is the mo...

Joe and Ron discuss the current landscape of sports betting in Missouri and the inexplicably stupid decision by Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to push back the start, which reduces state revenue, ignores the will of voters, and possibly helps send the Chiefs and Royals to Kansas. College basketball moves toward March Madness with several teams capable of reaching the Final Four. The Tra...