The SZD Super Bowl 58 preview show

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com

Sometimes, the haters call Split Zone Duo “an NFL podcast.”

Today we prove them right by previewing the Super Bowl in our own way. Joining Alex and Richard is special guest Arif Hasan, publisher of Wide Left, a great newsletter that covers three of the biggest beats shaping our society: the NFL, current affairs, and the Minnesota Vikings. See Arif’s publication below, and follow him @ArifHasanNFL.

Our conversation is wide-ranging and covers the following topics:

The state of the Vikings (Richard could not resist)

Whether wide receiver drops are now cool, as evidenced by the Chiefs having a good offense with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and a bunch of receivers who have cinderblocks attached to their hands

“The Shanahan offense.” At this point, what is it?

The nation’s Brock Purdy affair: Is he good? And why has he become the touchstone of an American culture war over whether he’s good or not?

Taylor Swift should be the end of “distraction” discourse in football. But.

Game picks

One publication note: Alex mentioned in the recording that Swift is suing a college student over a plane tracker. To clarify and be more accurate, as of press time, her lawyers hadn’t filed suit but were threatening that they would.

This episode is for premium subscribers of SZD and Wide Left. Subscribe to SZD’s paid offerings here on Substack and you’ll get lots of podcasts, newsletters, and Q&A opportunities, including these ones just in the past few weeks

Alex’s essay on DJ Durkin, Maryland, and Jordan McNair. Listener feedback comes from this kind subscriber, who says: “i have been obsessed with cfb for a long time. didn’t know about @SplitZoneDuo. then i did. twas @38Godfrey’s Herbstreit episode that brought me in. since then, i wait. and it always exceeds. however, what @alex_kirshner does in the Durkin episode is SUBSCRIBE-TO-THIS level great.” Here’s that Herbstreit episode.

“Is Alabama fucked?” An extensive discussion of the challenges facing a post-Nick Saban Alabama and how the Tide can deal with them.

Godfrey and Ryan Nanni’s “Blind Side” commentary track.

If you haven’t subscribed yet, we’d love to have you. It helps us make the show, but more importantly, we think you are missing out!