Matthew on when losing is like fish sauce, the NBA's 3-body problem and how the Atlanta Hawks are Swedenborg's Hell. Kris Pursiainen talks today's sports media landscape as well as NBA play-in/playoff topics.

In this very special episode, part 1 discusses LSU/Iowa's Elite 8 blockbuster, the Minnesota T'Wolves fussin' billionaires, the EPL's 3-horse home stretch and the tsunami of sports gambling red flags. In part 2 Matthew interviews a very special guest and announces the show's new name.

The 99th episode centers on the impacts #99 has had on Matthew over the years.

Chris Herring talks Usher, a little NBA and Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. Sometimes titles are throwaways, but this episode's really did cover it all.

In this episode we visit four stories that highlight the age-old truth that $$$ isn't everything: why Malcolm Brogdon may rightfully refuse to be traded to a better team; how the NBAPA appears to have failed Joel Embiid and the rest of its members; Tony Snell gaining sympathies before losing them; and Michael Jordan making on octogenarian widow cry…

The Oakland A's are pure evil. Trevor Bauer thinks casual sex was the problem. Reminders that sometimes Draymond and Kyrie are a story's objects and not its subjects. Crina Mustafa touches on the impact of Canada's RJ Barrett returning home before diving into the structural WTFery of professional tennis today.…

Quis ipsos custodes Draymond? How does Shohei Ohtani's record-setting contract reveal MLB stars are being short-changed financially? How could a QB as accurate as Patrick Mahomes be so off the mark with a failed apology? Then Noa Dalzell joins to talk Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Joe Mazzulla and all things Celtics, plus we explore how, why an…

Today's show centers on reminders of the sports world of the past (Florida State victimized by college football's corruption), the present (the NBA's In-Season Tournament & load-management hypocrisy shows the league couldn't care less about harming bodies) and the future (Juan Soto to the Yankees & Ed Cooley's righteous reaction after a tough Georg…

In which big news about the potential futures of the podcast arrives, and then it's on to stories from the world of sports (and one that isn't) that remind us some traditions are worth keeping in our lives, while others should be discarded as soon as possible with extreme prejudice.

A shout-out to a new marathon record-holder, who came out ahead in the Dame Lillard/Jrue Holiday arms race and an extended talk with Lyndsey D'Arcangelo about the WNBA. What to make of the Aces & Liberty, after Game 1 and moving forward? What's the status of the league's newly announced expansion -- the Bay Area is confirmed, but what about Portlan…

After Matthew spends the first minute of the episode unknowingly on mute, a colorful & comprehensive discussion of the WGA's recent strike success with longtime Law & Order: SVU/Law & Order: Criminal Intent showrunner and Tony Award-winning playwright Warren Leight. As a longtime writer/director/producer and one of the WGA's leading union members, …

If you look, you'll see. Most people don't look. Produced by Stephen Cassidy Jones and Liza Yeager. Edited by Mitchell Johnson, with editorial oversight from Daniel Denvir. Featuring Mark Pilkington, Valerie Kuletz, and Trevor Paglen.By The Dig

From James Harden to Luis Rubiales to Mason Greenwood to Kylian Mbappé to Leo Messi, a series of stories whose headlines sometimes obscure something far greater in the dark depths below

We often define "seasons" in sports pretty neatly & tidily: they start in the preseason & generally end after the last game. But just like land is never as precise as the maps that seek to capture it, the end of seasons can be blurry. We hear from 3 different POVs regarding this transition: Howard Beck on how NBA media's rhythms have changed, Gigi …

Reporter Dharna Noor learns about the Tennessee Valley Authority: the good, the bad, the past, and the future. Produced by Dharna Noor. Edited by Liza Yeager and Mitchell Johnson, with editorial oversight from Daniel Denvir. Support The Dig at https://www.patreon.com/thedig.By The Dig

Consider the carbon output tens of millions of fans produce driving to games to watch teams who take dozens of flights per season on jets that are environmentally a nightmare. The fans whose love & passion allow pro sports to thrive through all kinds of economic downturns repeatedly pay higher prices for lesser access. Most people in sports media a…

Like an episodic dream, today's topics flow in and out of one another: * The NY Times using The Athletic as an end-run about its sportswriters' union * Victor Wembanyama + Britney Spears = ? * When too much NBA is too much NBA * The WNBA lets down its players re: travel -- again * WNBA players use worker power to start a new offseason league * Barc…

With MLB ripping the As out of Oakland, Rob Manfred's chronic dickishness, the scapegoating of Pride Night and overhauling the rules of the game to solve a problem that doesn't exist, Matthew says goodbye to first sporting industry he loved

Writer and critic Andrea Long Chu wanted to ask everyone in her family one simple question. The Dig Presents is edited by Liza Yeager and Mitchell Johnson, with editorial oversight from Daniel Denvir and Alex Lewis. Support The Dig at https://www.patreon.com/thedig. Listen to the episode of Al Jazeera's The Take featuring Omar Etman and his Dig Pre…

This pod has it all: Elizabeth Adetiba (Salon) on the oppression of & discussions around Caster Semenya & other intersex athletes from the Global South, plus the tragedy of the death of Tori Bowie; Man City's triumph & the anxiety it produces for some; hooray for the Denver Nuggets; the WNBA fails Brittany Griner for the second time; and there are …

Jonah Birch returns to the pod for a special reunion episode, recorded right after the Celtics won on the road to force a Game 7 back in Boston -- during the Philadelphia series, not Miami. We wanted to give you Jonah at his most optimistic, during his golden hour. M & J talk basketball and a bit of this and that in their first show together since …

A sonic memorial to the Black women of the Peoples Temple. Produced and reported by Babette Thomas. Edited by Liza Yeager and Mitchell Johnson, with editorial oversight from Daniel Denvir and Alex Lewis. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/thedig.By The Dig

Acclaimed writer Frankie de la Cretaz joins the show to talk about intersections of gender, sexuality and sports. Why is Lia Thomas posed by some as a threat to women's swimming while Katie Ledecky isn't? What elements specific to swimming make it such fertile ground for transphobia? How is the Biden Administration trying to have its cake & eat it …

Katie Heindl hops on to talk hoops, namely: James Harden & whether he has anything to prove; the FedExForum back door hitting Dillon Brooks' ass on the way out; why even Knicks fans can love Jimmy Butler; how the Big 3 Nets were the Fyre Festival; why sports fans may hold different standards toward their heroes' crimes than fans of other entertaine…

We have as many roads in the United States as we have streams and rivers. Produced by Caroline Kanner and Jackson Roach, with original music by Jackson Roach. Edited by Liza Yeager and Mitchell Johnson, with editorial oversight from Daniel Denvir and Alex Lewis. Subscribe to The Dig Presents, and support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig. Bibliography …

Former D1 goalkeeper & current D1 coach Christina Sarokon joins the pod to talk about what it's like growing up as an elite athlete: how soccer came into her life, when she first knew she had a special talent, the challenges with transitioning from sports-as-fun to sports-as-your-whole-life, the challenges transitioning from being the best player o…

Gaming law & sports betting attorney Daniel Wallach joins the pod as we discuss how: * Dominion could've/should've held out for a bigger settlement with Fox * the corrupt stankness of Daniel Snyder has infested the process of selling the Washington Commanders * a gambling scandal halfway around the world could foreshadow a come-to-Jesus future for …

Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic joins to discuss details of the new NBA/NBAPA CBA, including but not limited to: players being eligible to invest in NBA & WNBA teams -- but not directly; the new medical requirement of prospective employees (potential draftees) at the combine; and the new In-Season Tournament. We also talk about Steph Curry's newest d…

It started with a few cones and a cryptic sign. Produced by Omar Etman. Edited by Liza Yeager, Mitchell Johnson, and Daniel Denvir. Special thanks to Alan Dean, Alex Lewis, and Nihal El Aasar. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig.By The Dig

In this episode: how a fan cursing out Bradley Beal after losing a bet is the canary in the coal mine for the dark side of sports gambling; why this may be the Golden Age of women's sports, and not in a good way; how Mets owner Steve Cohen is like the new vampires in Blade 2; a good deed by a sports owner!; and celebrating a W for labor at Temple U…

The Dig Presents is a monthly series that features original documentary reporting, personal narrative, and other sonic experiments from a wide range of contributors. Produced and edited by Liza Yeager and Mitchell Johnson. If you’re interested in pitching a story to The Dig Presents, email thedigpresents@gmail.com…

On a cold and cloudy winter's day, Brian Menéndez (Baseball Prospectus) stops by to talk baseball, the game that foreshadows summer and warmth. Which World Baseball Classic players have caught his eye? Do our personal politics influence how we root in international competition? Who's the best team? (hint: it rhymes with Lapan) What MLB rule changes…

Soccer coach and essayist Mike Idland joins the show as our focus turns to winter sports: Gary Lineker telling the truth, what a Man City fan is to make of the Premier League threatening to nullify a history, thoughts on the Stanley Cup favorite in general and the New York Rangers in particular & the NFL playing the villain rather than paying Lamar…

In which we struggle with several unanswered/unanswerable questions: what does the future hold for sports fans, digital streaming and cord cutting in light of MSG+'s new flawed model? What the hell are Alabama's Nate Oats and Brandon Miller doing in the wake of a young woman's murder? What makes Damian Lillard a hero for our age? Is billionaires ex…

When LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar this winter as the NBA's all-time leading scorer, will James also become the league's final all-time leading scorer? Are the Denver Nuggets & Philadelphia 76ers good enough outside their MVP-level centers to win a title? What theological truths can one tease out from the resurrection of the Sacramento Ki…

The last time Lyndsey appeared on our pod, she obliterated the record books as far as listeners. This time we talk WNBA teams and free agency. How does the New York Liberty trading for Jonquel Jones increase the chances of Breanna Stewart leaving Seattle for NY? Is there something funky going on in the Dallas organization that keeps leading players…

How does Carlos Correa signing in Minnesota bring schadenfreude to Atlanta fans toward the New York Mets? Is the Damar Hamlin story the biggest drop ever from a this-changes-things event to . . . nothing's changed? Plus Dana White reminds us some animals are more equal than others, does Trevor Bauer deserve a different punishment than if he were a …

We look at every remaining World Cup matchup to determine who we should root for from an ethical perspective (Jonah's knowledge of history really shines through here). Then we shift to LeBron James' odd formality in wondering why reporters didn't construct a platform for him to speak on the recent Jerry Jones story. The show closes with some NBA ta…

Matthew does a solo dive into how FIFA's defense of the Qatar World Cup resembles 1930s Argentinian defenses of Hitler & Mussolini, why the biggest threat to MLB's cabal of owners is the richester one of them all, the reason rooting for the Knicks is like supporting socialism, the NHL's sadly predictable behavior in the Mitchell Miller scandal and …

Are socialists less selfish playing basketball than others? Which early NBA surprise teams are most likely to continue surprising? Why are Matthew & Jonah rooting for different sides in the World Series? Plus sympathy for Tom & Gisele and a challenge to Ye.

The wonderful New Yorker writer Louisa Thomas joins the show as we consider the significance of the interest & lack of more in Aaron Judge's home run chase, bask in the sunny decency of the majestic Roger Federer, consider the legacy of Venus Williams in light of Serena's career, and sympathy for the devil, i.e. Tom Brady.…

Howard Beck (Sports Illustrated; The Crossover pod) joins us as we consider the evolving Ime Udoka story, how Robert Sarver's conclusion in Phoenix could have impacted Boston's with Udoka, why would the Cs issue such a strict punishment but not fire him, morality clauses for owners, how the Brooklyn Nets are a footnote unto a footnote unto a footno…

The NBA slaps Suns' owner Robert Sarver on the wrist after decades of racist/sexist/bullying behavior. Hockey Canada somehow finds a way to embarrass itself even beyond paying hush money to victims of rape. And listener emails wanna know what we make of the Toronto Raptors organization plus how much money can someone have before inevitably becoming…

Matthew & Jonah consider the overreaction to the Queen's death in both sports and the world at-large. That plus feelings re: MLB's new rule changes, the MLBPA joins the AFL-CIO and it's hard to see why that even matters, our admittedly premature NBA feels as far as title contenders, and a reminder that Margaret Court is basically Marge Schott with …

Matthew praises the now-retired Serena Williams as the greatest athlete they've ever seen. We then move on to less admirable characters, including Gilbert Arenas & the bizarre slander directed Giannis Antetokounmpo's way, the callous look of the Buffalo Bills in light of the Matt Araiza rape charges, Barcelona soccer modeling how different the worl…

We share our feelings after the deaths of two sports icons. We lament the continuing grotesquerie that is Pete Rose. Are the Arizona Cardinals racist for telling Kyler Murray he needs to study more? Plus the EPL season gets underway, the marvel that is Sabrina Ionescu and more, including Jonah singing the Hartford Whalers song.…

Why are the Knicks the only team in sports that bans the press from press conferences? How realistic are the Donovan Mitchell trade rumors? How is Russell Westbrook becoming like Jason Voorhees? Plus beating the dead horse that is MLB's All-Star Game and Matthew & Jonah discuss whether it's fair to bodyshame Elon Musk.…

Matthew talks with Jonathan Macri of Knicks Film School fame about life as a working sportswriter. What led Jonathan to trade practicing law for pontificating about basketball? How do the professional demands of the job create incursions into one's personal life? How are the biggest positives & negatives he's encountered in the business one and the…

NBA free agency is underway & we have you covered, including but not limited to: Kevin Durant & Kyrie Irving's long-running soap opera introduces a new twist as both now want out of Brooklyn -- but is either player likely to yield the return the Nets seek?; in defense of Jalen Brunson to the Knicks; where do the Celtics stand after adding Malcolm B…

The NBA Finals are over, but there's plenty to dissect. Jonah tells the story of nearly coming to blows with a Warriors fan at Game 4. Matthew dreams of a better world, one where the athletes and coaches who actually do the work get their hands on the trophy before their billionaire bosses. Plus information on the JSS Patreon page. Please subscribe…