Hang Up and Listen: The Deflated Balls Edition
Slate’s sports podcast on the NFL playoffs, how the Super Bowl gets produced, and the NHL at midseason.
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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 talk about the Seahawks’ crazy comeback to beat the Packers in the NFC title game and the NFL’s investigation of the Patriots using deflated balls in their rout of the Colts. They also interview Fred Gaudelli, the coordinating producer for NBC’s NFL coverage, about what goes into televising the Super Bowl. Finally, they’re joined by Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski to discuss outdoor games, the surprising New York Islanders, and other goings on in the NHL at midseason.
Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:
- The Seahawks’ Michael Bennett (whose Twitter handle is @mosesbread72) rode a cop’s bicycle on the field after Seattle’s win.
- Advanced NFL Stats’ Brian Burke assesses the Packers’ fourth-down decisions.
- A chart of M. Night Shyamalan’s Rotten Tomatoes scores.
- Mike believes that reports of Seahawks fans leaving the game early have been overblown.
- The MMQB’s Robert Klemko gets the inside scoop on the Seahawks’ fake field goal and onside kick.
- The NFL is investigating whether the Patriots used underinflated balls.
- Newsday reported that the Colts got suspicious after D’Qwell Jackson intercepted a Tom Brady pass.
- USC was fined for deflating balls during Lane Kiffin’s tenure as head coach.
- SI.com’s Michael Rosenberg expresses the anti-Patriots viewpoint vis-à-vis the ball-deflation scandal.
- NBC’s coordinating producer Fred Gaudelli first appeared on Hang Up and Listen in 2013.
- In 2012, Deadspin reported that Gaudelli and NBC had high school players rehearse before the Super Bowl so they could test out their camera positions.
- Also in 2012, Deadspin’s John Koblin explained how “Gaudelli turned NBC’s Sunday Night Football into the No. 1 show on TV.”
- Newsday on how NBC covered the Mueller Report.
- Greg Wyshynski is the editor of Yahoo’s Puck Daddy blog and co-host of the Marek vs. Wyshynski podcast.
- Sports Illustrated’s Tim Newcomb on how the NHL turns a baseball stadium into a hockey rink.
- The ratings for the NHL’s Winter Classic sunk to a record low this year.
- Puck Daddy’s Ryan Lambert explains why the New York Islanders are good this year.
- This year’s leading vote getter for the NHL all-star game: obscure Latvian Zemgus Girgensons.
- Everyone must watch this Latvian rap tribute video to Girgensons.
- Slate’s Daniel Engber investigated possible chicanery in the NHL’s denial of an all-star spot to fan favorite Rory Fitzpatrick.
- The New Yorker’s Ben McGrath and Sports Illustrated’s Michael Farber profiled Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban.
- Subban talks about farting in front of the other team’s net.
Hang Up and Listen’s weekly Sparky the Dragons:
Mike’s Sparky the Dragon: An interview with historian Julian E. Zelizer about the leadership of Rex Ryan.
Stefan’s Sparky the Dragon: The etymology of the word sporteaucrat.
Josh’s Sparky the Dragon: Comparing Pete Thamel’s story about Dustin Johnson to Thamel and Thayer Evans’ profile of Tyrann Mathieu.
On this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca talk to NBC producer Fred Gaudelli about how the network televised Odell Beckham’s amazing catch. Slate Plus members get an ad-free version of this podcast with bonus segments. Visit slate.com/hangupplus and try it free for two weeks.
Podcast production and edit by Mike Vuolo.
You can email us at hangup@slate.com.