Hang Up and Listen on VCU and Butler, the Barry Bonds trial, and Lionel Messi.

Hang Up and Listen on VCU and Butler, the Barry Bonds trial, and Lionel Messi.

Hang Up and Listen on VCU and Butler, the Barry Bonds trial, and Lionel Messi.

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Slate's sports podcast.
March 28 2011 6:12 PM

Hang Up and Listen: The Balls in Court Edition

Slate's sports podcast on VCU and Butler, the Barry Bonds trial, and Lionel Messi.

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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 surprising runs to the Final Four by Butler and VCU, the start of the baseball season, Barry Bonds' perjury trial, and the U.S. national soccer team's 1-1 draw against Lionel Messi and Argentina.

Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:

The New York Times' Pete Thamel on the significance of two mid-majors making the Final Four.
This year's Final Four has the highest combined seed numbers in the tournament's history.
Basketball numerologist Sheldon Jacobson says seeds don't matter after the Sweet 16.
Under Brad Stevens, Butler rarely gets blown out.
Ken Pomeroy's college basketball "experience" rankings.
Two people out of more than 5.9 million in ESPN.com's bracket contest picked the Final Four correctly.
The bracket for "vinquach 3," one of the entrants with a perfect Final Four.
Forbes' annual Major League Baseball team valuations.
Deadspin's leaked MLB financial documents.
Forbes on "baseball's debt disaster."
A recap of the first week of the Barry Bonds perjury trial.
ESPN.com's preview of the second week of the Bonds trial.
Time's Sean Gregory says the Bonds case reveals why we shouldn't have any steroids trials.
Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl on the U.S. soccer team's 1-1 draw with Argentina.
S.L. Price's 2010 SI profile of Lionel Messi.
The New York Times' Jack Bell on 18-year-old American soccer phenom Juan Agudelo.
The U.S. national team now features two players raised in Germany, among other foreign players.

Hang Up and Listen's weekly orchidometers:
Mike's orchidometer: BYU-Hawaii's Jet Chang and Gonzaga's home-court advantage in the NCAA women's basketball tournament.
Stefan's orchidometer: Legislation that mandates the University of North Dakota keep its Fighting Sioux nickname.
Josh's orchidometer: Highlights of the Pittsburgh cocaine trials.

Podcast production and edit by Abdullah Rufus.

You can e-mail us at hangup@slate.com.