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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 freshman sensation Ben Simmons and why the LSU basketball team has struggled despite Simmons’ greatness. Next, they’re joined by Luke O’Brien to discuss the upsets at UFC 196, where Conor McGregor and Holly Holm both lost. Finally, the New Yorker’s David Owen joins the show to explain the recent cheating scandal in professional bridge.
Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:
- Kentucky downed LSU this weekend 94–77.
- Ben Simmons is ineligible for the Wooden Award, perhaps because of a low GPA.
- Yahoo’s Pat Forde says that LSU and Simmons should apologize for their underachieving team, not Simmons’ academics.
- Should Simmons or Brandon Ingram go No. 1 in this year’s NBA draft?
- The New York Times’ Michael Powell on SMU’s recruitment of Keith Frazier.
- Luke O’Brien’s ESPN the Magazine profile of Conor McGregor.
- Nate Diaz, who beat McGregor this weekend, described his body as “fat-boy-off-the-beach-in-Cabo.”
- Holly Holm lost her title fight this weekend.
- Dan Wetzel of Yahoo on why it was a bad night for UFC.
- Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated describes McGregor’s work ethic and training.
- Ronda Rousey admitted she was suicidal after her loss to Holm.
- David Owen of the New Yorker investigates cheating in professional bridge.
- Owen also described the decline of bridge over the years.
- Bridge cheaters caught on video.
Hang Up and Listen’s weekly rear naked chokes:
Mike’s rear naked choke: UFC displacing boxing is similar to Donald Trump sticking it to the Republican Party.
Stefan’s rear naked choke: The NFL has managed to keep Trump from owning a team.
Josh’s rear naked choke: Peyton Manning praises his basketball coach Billy Fitzgerald, even though they weren’t fans of each other when Peyton was growing up.
On this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca discuss Peyton Manning’s retirement and how the NFL star will be remembered. Visit slate.com/hangupplus and try it free for two weeks.
Podcast production and edit by Zack Dinerstein.
Our intern is Julia Karron.
You can email us at hangup@slate.com.
