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In this week’s episode of Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen, Josh Levin, Mike Pesca, and Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim discuss how rookie quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson led their teams to the playoffs and Adrian Peterson came up just short of the single-season rushing record. Next, they talk about the victims of the NFL’s “Black Monday,” Avery Johnson’s firing by the Brooklyn Nets, and the volatility of the coaching profession. Finally, Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski joins to assess whether the NHL’s players and owners can reach a last-minute agreement.

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

• The Washington Redskins clinched their first NFC East title since 1999 after defeating the Dallas Cowboys 28-18.
• Rookie quarterbacks Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, and Russell Wilson led their teams to the playoffs.
• Jack Dickey wrote about Wilson’s versatility in the Slate-Deadspin NFL roundtable.
• Adrian Peterson was nine yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s rushing record.
• A graphic of the record-breaking 2012 season on NFL.com.
• ESPN analyst Jon Gruden said Calvin Johnson’s receiving record included “meaningless yards” that “tarnish the record.”
• Andy Reid, Pat Shurmur, Norv Turner, and Romeo Crennel highlight the Black Monday victims. (The firings of Lovie Smith and Chan Gailey were announced after the podcast was recorded.)
• The Brooklyn Nets canned Avery Johnson 24 days after he was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month.
• In March, USA Today charted coaching tenures by city and sport.
• A look at average coaching tenures on the Book of Odds website.
• In Puck Daddy, Greg Wyshynski says the NHL lockout could be over soon.
• Listen to the latest edition of Marek vs. Wyshynski.
• NHL commissioner Gary Bettman sounded desperate when he addressed the media on December 6.
• Jonathan Mahler’s Bloomberg View takedown of Bettman.
• A bench-clearing fight in the SPHL between the Huntsville Havoc and the Mississippi Surge.
• A 17-year-old girl from Xenia, Ohio, will not shave her legs until the lockout is over.

Hang Up and Listen’s weekly Ratchuks:

Mike’s Ratchuk: ESPN announcer Dave LaMont went overboard with his praise of bowl games during the Independence Bowl, but at least he has a Homer Simpson-themed Twitter account.

Jon’s Ratchuk: All aboard the mediocre, hipster-friendly Brooklyn Nets bandwagon.

Josh’s Ratchuk: Rutgers lost the Russell Athletic Bowl.* They’ll probably end up losing financially as well.

Podcast production and edit by Mike Vuolo. Our intern is Eric Goldwein.

You can email us at hangup@slate.com.

*Correction, Jan. 6, 2013: This article originally misidentified the Russell Athletic Bowl as the Rutgers Athletic Bowl.