Hang Up and Listen

Conversation and analysis on the week in sports.

About the Show

A weekly sports discussion show from Slate.

Hosts

The Mavericks’ Meltdown

How Dallas lost Luka and then showed G.M. Nico Harrison the door.

Bonus: Shedeur’s Sad Debut

The Browns’ third-string quarterback looked woefully ill-equipped in his NFL debut.

Mamdani and the Knicks

How New York’s favorite team influenced the recent mayoral race.

Bonus: Project B Wants to Take Women’s Hoops Around the World

LeBron’s new women’s league wants to go global.

A World Series for the Ages

How the Dodgers won one of the greatest showdowns in baseball history.

Bonus: The NWSL’s Star Problem

Top U.S. soccer players are leaving for Europe.

The NBA’s Growing Gambling Affair

How legal prop betting may have set the table for the latest scandal affecting pro basketball.

Bonus: From College Campus to MLB Clubhouse

 San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello becomes the first college coach to jump directly into the majors.

Nate Silver and the NFL’s Year of Parity

The FiveThirtyEight and Silver Bulletin founder joins to discuss the unpredictability of professional football.

Bonus: Ten Strikeouts, Three Homers, One Ohtani.

Ben Lindbergh on the cosmic greatness of pitcher-slugger Shohei Ohtani

How the Ceasefire Keeps Israel in European Soccer

Trump’s peace deal pressed pause on a move to expel the country from UEFA.

Bonus: Penn State’s Coaching Fiasco

The University fired longtime head coach James Franklin after a three-week collapse.

Everything Is Sports Betting

How prediction markets are turning everything from elections to football games into wagering opportunities.

Bonus: MAGA vs. Bad Bunny

Conservatives freaked out over the announcement that Bad Bunny will play the Super Bowl halftime show.

America’s Trumpy Ryder Cup Flop

Kevin Van Valkenburg on the embarrassing, raucous, and painfully American display that was the Ryder Cup.

Bonus: The Lynx Are Out

The top-seeded Minnesota team was eliminated during the dramatic WNBA semifinals.

The Year Without Caitlin Clark

How well have the Indiana Fever and the WNBA navigated a season without the superstar?

Bonus: What’s Behind College Basketball’s New Gambling Scandal?

Thirteen players across six teams were caught colluding with gamblers.

The Chiefs and the Week 2 NFL Panic Button

NFL Playoff panic has already arrived in Kansas City.

Bonus: Phillies Karen Goes Viral

Have we taken bad ballpark Etiquette too far?

When Trump Took Center Court

The president stole the spotlight – and tested the audience’s patience – at the U.S. Open.

Bonus: Australian Football’s Homophobia Problem

Within Aussie football, homophobic language has been commonplace.

Bill’s Chapel Hill Spill

Haters delight in Bill Belichick’s epic fail in his Tar Heel debut.

Bonus: Our NFL Week One Preview

We share our roses, buds, and thorns for the upcoming season.

ESPN Gambles on Streaming

The broadcasting giant rolled out a new streaming app. They still want you to have cable.

Bonus: The Lynx Return to the Top

Minnesota seems destined to recapture its former WNBA glory.

Stalkers: A Hidden Threat to Athletes

 Inside the issue that’s becoming a problem for athletes in every sport.

Bonus: How the Brewers Became the Best

Milwaukee has surprised everyone by putting together a remarkably successful season.

Micah and Jerry’s Dallas Standoff

What the Micah Parsons contract dispute reveals about the Cowboys’ endless cycle of drama.

Bonus: Don’t Bet On the Chiefs

How the ever-dominant Kansas City Chiefs have slipped in the Super Bowl odds.

Trump vs. the IOC

International athletes keep getting caught up in Trump’s immigration policies. Could kicking out athletes draw the ire of the Olympic Committee – and imperil L.A. 2028?

Bonus: The Best (Fictional) Fantasy Draft

The hosts pick the fictional – and real – players they want to get back in the game.

Chaos Inside the NFLPA

A look at the scandalous missteps of the NFL Players Association ahead of a potential labor shutdown.

Bonus: The Dumb But (Sorta) Fun ‘Happy Gilmore 2’

The hosts give their take on the cameo-packed sequel to the iconic ’90s golf comedy.

Golf’s Boring GOAT?

Scottie Scheffler’s consistency makes him one of the greatest since Tiger, but he’s also one of the least exciting.

Bonus: Drafting The Best (and Worst) Sports TV Innovations

We rank the tech that’s changed how we watch the game.

Sinner Mows Down Alcaraz on the Grass

The rivalry reignites as Jannik Sinner upsets Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon finals.

Bonus: Is a Bigger March Madness Better?

The NCAA proposed tournament expansion would mean more money while diluting the competition.

The LeBron and Giannis Loyalty Test

Will the NBA’s biggest stars stay or go?

Bonus: F1 Fever

How a Hollywood blockbuster, plus an explosive season, has kicked the motorsport into overdrive.