Listen to Hang Up and Listen with Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca by clicking the arrow on the audio player below:
Subscribe in iTunes ∙ RSS feed ∙ Download ∙ Play in another tab
Slate Plus members: Get your ad-free podcast feed.
Become a fan of Hang Up and Listen and join the discussion of this episode on Facebook here:
In this week’s episode of Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen, Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca discuss the International Olympic Committee’s decision to allow some Russian athletes to compete in the Rio Olympics. Next, they speak with Tanisha Wright of the New York Liberty about WNBA players’ support of the Black Lives Matter movement and the league’s response. Finally, they examine the psychology of free throws and whether more players should shoot underhand.
Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:
- The International Olympic Committee decided against a blanket ban for all Russian athletes.
- The World Anti-Doping Agency criticized the decision, saying that a state-run doping scheme “seriously undermines the principles of clean sport.”
- The IOC said Russian athletes can compete if they prove they’re clean.
- Alan Abrahamson argued that taking action against a group of people is not in the spirit of the modern Olympic movement.
- In Slate, Emily Tamkin wrote about how Vladimir Putin would spin a Russian ban from the Olympics.
- Russian whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova is also banned from the Olympics.
- The WNBA withdrew the fines it issued to players who wore black T-shirts to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
- Along with other WNBA players, Tanisha Wright refused to answer questions about basketball in a post-game press availability, focusing instead on social issues.
- Wright says her upbringing in an “at risk” neighborhood, which she wrote about in the Players’ Tribune, helped shape her opinions on police violence and race.
- ESPN’s Tom Haberstroh wrote about free-throw psychology.
- DeAndre Jordan talked to J.J. Redick about why he can’t make free throws.
- Episode 3 of Malcom Gladwell’s new podcast, Revisionist History, focuses on NBA players who can’t make free throws and why they won’t shoot underhand.
- Louisville’s Chinanu Onuaku, who does shoot underhand, was drafted by the Houston Rockets.
- Canyon Barry, the son of NBA Hall of Famer and granny-shot advocate Rick Barry, recently transferred to the University of Florida.
Hang Up and Listen’s weekly Canyons:
Mike’s Canyon: Jonny Gomes, the ultra-patriotic former Kansas City Royal, was not invited to the White House for the team’s World Series celebration. He was crestfallen.
Stefan’s Canyon: What to look for in the Olympic team handball competition, from Brazil’s talented women’s team to the group of death for the men.
Josh’s Canyon: Josh wrestles with an old advertisement inviting people to play “golf bowling” (played like golf, scored like bowling!) at the Boston Madison Square Garden.
On this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Stefan, Mike, and Josh discuss Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale’s destruction of the team’s throwback jerseys. Visit slate.com/hangupplus and try it free for two weeks.
Podcast production and edit by Mickey Capper.
Our intern is Laura Wagner.
You can email us at hangup@slate.com.
