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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 are joined by Irish soccer journalist Ken Early to discuss the Champions League and the retirements of David Beckham and Alex Ferguson. Bill Scherr, the head of the Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling, also joins to discuss the impending IOC vote on whether the sport will lose its spot in the Olympics. Finally, they assess whether the arrival of three new college stars can springboard the WNBA to new levels of popularity.

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

• Ken Early’s columns for the Irish Times.
• The Second Captains podcast.
• The Champions League final features a pair of German clubs.
• Jonathan Wilson’s SI.com column on David Beckham’s career.
• Grantland’s Alex Ferguson on the contradictions of Alex Ferguson.
• Bill Scherr’s organization, the Committee to Preserve Olympic Wrestling.
• USA Today on the next steps in wrestling’s bid to stay in the Olympics.
• One of the other contenders is wushu.
• The rule changes that wrestling is making to try to woo the International Olympic Committee.
• The dreaded wrestling ball draw.
• ESPN just signed a six-year extension to its WNBA TV deal.
• Brittney Griner says Baylor coach Kim Mulkey told her to keep her sexual orientation under wraps.
• Penn State women’s basketball coach Rene Portland banned lesbians from her team.
• Elena Delle Donne will play for the Chicago Sky in 2013.
• Liz Cambage has been reluctant to suit up for the Tulsa Shock.
• Skylar Diggins loves Chipotle.
• The WNBA’s new creamsicle logo.

Hang Up and Listen’s weekly wizzers:

• Mike’s wizzer: A collection of thought-provoking articles on baseball cards and race.
• Stefan’s wizzer: Lots of people want to make basketball courts bigger. But let’s talk about the dimensions of squash courts.
• Josh’s wizzer: The jump ball is an atrocity. (Some recent examples.) Let’s try challenge ball!

Podcast production and edit by Mike Vuolo. Our intern is Michael Gerber.

You can email us at hangup@slate.com.