Crunching Tackles

On Sunday, France and Argentina will face off in the World Cup Final. The knockout rounds of the tournament were filmed with drama, and controversy, and we look back on the previous week's games, and then project forward to the upcoming final. This week, we discuss:

4:54: Brittany Griner has returned to America as part of a prisoner exchange. We discuss Griner's return to the states, who America left behind, and what the cost was to secure her return.

18:03: Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, was caught up a recent controversy when a picture of him in the 1950s emerged showing him at a desegregation of a school in Arkansas. Is this a real controversy, and has any damage been done to Jones' reputation?

32:40: BIG STORY—World Cup Headlines. First, we reflect on the life and career of Grant Wahl, who tragically passed away while covering the World Cup in Qatar. Next, we look back on the previous rounds of action and preview the upcoming final between France and Argentina (37:37).

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The big game in New Orleans is in the books, and the Philadelphia Eagles came out on top! On today's podcast, we discuss the game and the broader implications. We also recap Kendrick Lamar's halftime show, Donald Trump's surprise appearance, and the abysmal state of Super Bowl commercials.

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Elon Musk has led during a tumultuous time at Twitter HQ, and Meta have capitalized on this perceived weakness with their competitor app: Threads. Given the uncertainty around Twitter, we take this opportunity to reflect on how Twitter specifically has shaped the fan sports experience and the way entertainment comes into our lives. We also wonder if Threads, or any other social media app, can steer clear of some of the worst parts of Twitter.

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Television and sports personality Stephen A. Smith has been venturing into a new media space: politics. Now, he's one of the most talked about potential candidates for the Democratic nominee for president. On today's show, Chad and John discuss:

2:30 - We recap the 2025 Oscars, talking about the success of the show, the biggest winners and losers, and the general state of movies in culture right now.

18:50 - We transition to a conversation about the first episode of the newest season of Drive to Survive, and particularly how the show covered the scandal involving Christian Horner last year.

30:40 - March Madness is just around the corner, and we discuss the quiet of the college basketball season so far, as well as discuss some of the biggest stories on our minds going into the tournament.

52:00 - THE BIG STORY: Stephen A. Smith is now being discussed as a legitimate presidential candidate. How did this happen? What would it mean for politics and sports? Do we think he has a real chance?

As always, make sure to share this episode if you enjoyed it, and give us a follow on all your social media platforms!