Hang Up and Listen: The Good Nat, Bad Nat Edition
Slate’s sports podcast on whether FIFA will ever change, the Stanley Cup Finals, and Bryce Harper’s breakout season.
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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 whether it is possible for FIFA to eliminate corruption amid charges of racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering. They also consult Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski for predictions and analysis ahead of the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals. Finally, they talk about Bryce Harper’s breakout season and Stephen Strasburg’s disappointing start to 2015.
Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:
- Deadspin comments on the ironies of Sepp Blatter’s re-election as “FIFA Emperor-For-Life.”
- UEFA will consider pulling out of the 2018 World Cup after Blatter’s re-election.
- Writer Kwendo Opanga on the role of sponsors in fighting FIFA corruption.
- The battle over FIFA’s future has pitted rich countries against poor ones.
- In FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver explains “how to break FIFA.”
- In the Washington Post, Daniel W. Drezner analyzes the plausibility of important countries forming an alternate soccer league.
- The New York Times explains how Blatter’s base of power comes from a voting bloc of small countries.
- Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski thinks the Stanley Cup finals between the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning will be a perfect matchup.
- The Chicago Sun-Times on how the Blackhawks have managed to succeed in the NHL’s salary-cap era.
- Tampa’s Steven Stamkos could become the highest-paid player in the NHL.
- Sports Illustrated’s Jay Jaffe on Bryce Harper’s incredible 2015 season.
- In Grantland, Ben Lindbergh argues that Harper’s patient approach is the key to his success.
- Bryce Harper was on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old.
- Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is on the disabled list with a neck injury.
- The Washington Post’s Thomas Boswell argues that the criticism surrounding Strasburg stems from his “mental makeup.”
Hang Up and Listen’s weekly inverted W’s:
Mike’s inverted W: With a lull in professional sports, New York sports fans are left with only the Under-20 World Cup for entertainment.
Stefan’s inverted W: a look back at pigeon shooting in the 19th century and where it lives on today.
Josh’s inverted W: Iran’s “court jester” Mansour Bahrami brings a Harlem Globetrotters spirit to tennis.
On this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca discuss the NBA Finals and responses to Klay Thompson’s recent concussion. Visit slate.com/hangupplus and try it free for two weeks.
Podcast production and edit by Mike Vuolo. Our intern is Emma Zehner.
You can email us at hangup@slate.com.