Slate’s sports podcast on bounties in the NFL, Sports Illustrated’s UCLA exposé, and Bill Simmons’ interview with President Obama.

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In this week’s episode of Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen, Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca discuss the New Orleans Saints’ bounty scheme with ex-NFL safety Nick Ferguson. They also talk about Sports Illustrated’s investigation of discipline problems in the UCLA basketball program and Bill Simmons’ White House interview with President Obama.

Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:

Nick Ferguson’s Facebook page.
Follow Nick Ferguson on Twitter.
The NFL will punish the New Orleans Saints for a bounty program that offered up cash payments to injure opposing players.
Sports Illustrated’s Peter King reports that the Saints’ Jonathan Vilma offered up a $10,000 bounty on Brett Favre in advance of the 2010 NFC title game.
The Redskins and Bills both had bounty systems under Gregg Williams.
Charles Barkley says there are bounties in the NBA.
On SI.com, Michael McCann looks at the potential legal implications of the Saints’ bounty system.
The New Yorker’s Steve Coll says the bounty scheme “sounds on its face like a racketeering conspiracy to commit felony assault and battery.”
George Dohrmann’s Sports Illustrated special report “Not the UCLA Way.”
SI touted UCLA’s “Fab Five”-esque recruiting class in 2008.
Deadspin’s Barry Petchesky calls Dohrmann’s piece “underwhelming.”
Josh's 2007 Slate piece on what's wrong with Sports Illustrated.
UCLA’s Reeves Nelson is demanding a retraction.
The L.A. Times’ Bill Plaschke wrote last year that Nelson enjoys classical music.
ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Peter Yoon says that “UCLA basketball might be OK after all.”
President Obama’s appearance on the B.S. Report with Bill Simmons.
Video clips from the interview.
A complete transcript of the interview.
Obama revealed that Omar was his favorite Wire character back in 2008.
Mike’s 2004 Slate piece on John Kerry’s sports gaffes.

Hang Up and Listen’s weekly Nancy Walkers:

Mike’s Nancy Walker: Vontaze Burfict, king of the red flags and enemy of NFL draft analysts.
Stefan’s Nancy Walker: The sad plight of the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame.
Josh’s Nancy Walker: The scourge of laser pointers at sporting events, including the parent who shined a laser in a player’s eyes at a high school girls’ hockey game.

Podcast production and edit by Mike Vuolo.

You can e-mail us at hangup@slate.com.

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