Hang Up and Listen: The Peg You in the Head With Basketballs Edition
Slate’s sports podcast on the Final Four, Brittney Griner and the NBA, and fired Rutgers coach Mike Rice. Plus: an interview with marathon legend Bill Rodgers.
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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 men’s and women’s Final Four as well as Mark Cuban’s declaration that he might draft Brittney Griner. They also talk about the firing of cursing, shoving, basketball-tossing Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice. Finally, they’re joined by distance-running legend Bill Rodgers, who’s the subject of a pair of new books, Cameron Stracher’s Kings of the Road and the autobiography Marathon Man.
Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:
- Adidas has stopped selling Kevin Ware–inspired T-shirts.
- Michigan’s Mitch McGary is just like David Lee, says ESPN’s Chad Ford.
- Geno Auriemma wants to “get a couple of those players” like Shoni Schimmel and her sister Jude.
- The New York Times’ Jere Longman on the Schimmel sisters.
- Brittney Griner is ready to accept Mark Cuban’s challenge to try out for the NBA.
- In the Washington Post, Sally Jenkins says that “if Brittney Griner gets an NBA tryout, the world won’t end.”
- The New York Times’ Harvey Araton argues that Cuban wants to turn Griner into a sideshow.
- Josh’s Slate story on Ann Meyers Drysdale’s tryout with the Indiana Pacers in 1979.
- Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice was fired one day after ESPN aired videos of him cursing out, shoving, and throwing basketballs at his players.
- Rutgers officials knew about Rice’s behavior long before he was fired, reports the New York Times’ Steve Eder.
- Rice’s players have defended him.
- In Slate, Emily Bazelon assesses Rice’s bullying behavior.
- David Plotz explains why he loved his abusive basketball coach.
- Michael Lewis’ New York Times Magazine article on Coach Fitz, the baseball coach who inspired him to make something of himself.
- Bill Rodgers’ autobiography Marathon Man. (You can read an excerpt.
- Cameron Stracher’s book Kings of the Road: How Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, and Alberto Salazar Made Running Go Boom.
- Bill’s marathon times.
- A history of the running boom.
- Galen Rupp’s silver in the 10,000 meters at the London Olympics was the first for the United States in that race since Billy Mills in 1964.
- The Bill Rodgers Running Center closed in November
- You can get in touch with Bill about the future of the Running Center by emailing brrc@earthlink.net.
Hang Up and Listen’s weekly Captain Kidds:
Mike’s Captain Kidd: The Michigan Wolverines’ rivals have missed out on a huge number of taunting opportunities. Skunk bear!
Stefan’s Captain Kidd: In praise of Brent Petway, basketball-playing Greek-language musical performer.
Josh’s Captain Kidd: Shame on you, basketball players who refuse to attempt full-court buzzer beaters.
Podcast production and edit by Mike Vuolo. Our intern is Eric Goldwein.
You can email us at hangup@slate.com.