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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 this year’s MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and the state of statistical analysis in 2014. They also talk about the first diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in a soccer player and whether children should be allowed to hit the ball with their heads. Finally, they’re joined by Deadspin’s Greg Howard to assess the NFL’s proposed penalty for using the N-word on the field.

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

• Mike is looking for a producer for his new podcast.
• MIT’s Sloan Sports Analytics Conference keeps getting bigger every year.
• New NBA commissioner Adam Silver talked about tanking, the league’s age limit, and other topics.
• The Wall Street Journal examines the latest research on whether the “hot hand” exists in basketball.
• The research papers presented at Sloan include “An Army of Super Relievers: Building the Optimal Pitching Staff.”
• Stefan’s Slate piece argues that children shouldn’t be allowed to head a soccer ball.
• John Branch’s New York Times piece on Patrick Grange, the first soccer player diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
• The head of the Fritz Pollard Alliance claims the NFL will soon penalize players who use the N-word on the field.
• The Seahawks’ Richard Sherman says banning the N-word from the NFL is “an atrocious idea.”
• The opening of ESPN’s Outside the Lines special report on the N-word.
• Greg Howard’s Deadspin piece on ESPN, the NFL, and racial slurs.
• Jason Whitlock and Michael Wilbon discuss the N-word on Whitlock’s podcast Real Talk.
• Whitlock’s column advocating a ban of the N-word.

Hang Up and Listen’s weekly Fritz Pollards:

Mike’s Fritz: Is Tillie Walker the slightest slugger in baseball history?

Stefan’s Fritz: Who should be the official non-FIFA soccer team of Hang Up and Listen? The Isle of Man?

Josh’s Fritz: Mike Trout could be baseball’s first $60 million man. And he deserves it.

Podcast production and edit by Mike Vuolo. Links compiled by Casey Butterly.

You can email us at hangup@slate.com.