The Sports-Casters

Steve interviews Jeff Pearlman(00:07:20) from The Athletic. Jeff and Steve talk about a few different political issues in the world of sports before Steve tries to get Jeff to tell him what his next book is about. Also, Emily Kaplan (01:03:21) from ESPN joins Steve to talk about her article in ESPN the Magazine about Auston Matthews. Steve starts the show with a quick update, the book club has a new book, and the show ends with Steve trying to talk about Gord Downie.

Steve interviews Kyle Brandt (00:02:47) from Good Morning Football on the NFL Network. Steve and Kyle talk about the success of GMFB, missing the Jim Rome Show, and talk about Kyle's experiences in New York City. Also, Jeff Passan(01:12:48) from Yahoo! Sports joins Steve to talk about the Major League Baseball playoffs. Steve starts the show with a quick update, the book club has a new book, and the show ends with Steve talking about sharing his passions with Anthony.

Steve interviews Field Yates(00:25:00) from ESPN and the host of the Fantasy Focus Football podcast. Field talks about his time in real estate, working with Matthew Berry, the future of fantasy football and Drew Brees' contract. Also, Jimmy Traina(01:02:25) from Sports Illustrated joins us to talk about a ton of topics. Jimmy talks about Aaron Judge, ESPN and their politics, Howard Stern, Mike Francesca, and the opening week of football season. Steve and Don start the show with 3Things on the first week of the NFL season, update the baseball playoff races, and touch on the US Open. The book club updates Sting-Ray Afternoons and Don makes his NFL picks.The show ends with one last thing about the new Apple iPhone X.

Steve interviews Kenny Albert(00:05:10) from Fox Sports as he prepares for another season calling NFL games. Kenny talks about switching partners, explains why he does preseason games, and takes us behind the scenes of his weekly sit-down with coaches and players. Also, Matt Yoder(00:39:27) from Awful Announcing and The Comeback joins us to talk about the upcoming New Orleans Saints season, gives us a quick state of the union for both sites, and appreciates the brilliance of Drew Brees. Steve starts the show solo and quickly talks about the Chiefs upset of the Patriots. The book club is off this week so Steve can make his NFL picks, and the show ends with one last thing about Narcos.

Steve interviews Will Leitch(00:27:54) from Sports on Earth to chat about his piece on Roger Goodell and the problems facing the NFL. Also, Sean McDonough(01:04:06) from Monday Night Football reflects on his first season in the booth, looks ahead to this season, and reminisces about some of his greatest calls. Steve and Don start the show with 3 Things. The book club announces the Book of the Year, and the show ends with Steve and Don making O/U picks for the NFL season.

Steve interviews Sean McDonough(00:05:20) from Monday Night Football to reflect on his first season in the booth, look ahead to this season, and reminisce about some of his greatest calls. Also, Steward Mandel(00:45:29) from The Athletic joins to talk about the launch of his new website, The All-American. Steward also sticks around to help us preview the upcoming college football season and makes his predications for the playoffs and the Heisman Trophy. Steve starts the show solo and previews a busy week. The book club focuses on "Sting-Ray Afternoons," by Steve Rushin, and the show ends with one last thing about returning to hockey.

Steve interviews Michael Fabiano(00:24:07) from the NFL Network to talk about fantasy football. Also, Aaron Schatz(00:59:28) from Football Outsiders joins to talk about the 2017 Football Outsiders Almanac. Steve starts the show by welcoming Don back and the guys do 3Things. The book club narrows the field for book club book of the year to two, and the show ends with one last thing about Paula falling in love with hockey.

Steve interviews Dan Levy(00:35:00) from Billy Penn to talk Philadelphia sports, the changing sports media, and Carson Wentz. Also, Rich Bocchini(01:16:56) from MLW and the JJ Dillon Show joins to talk about calling hocking and making a run with an AHL team, pivoting to wrestling, his background as a fan, and transitioning to podcasting. Steve starts the show with guest co-host Mike Ableson for 3Things, the book club narrows the field for book club book of the year to four, and the show ends with one last thing about Last Chance U.

Steve interviews Tom Verducci (00:17:15) from Sports Illustrated to talk about his book, "The Cubs Way." Also, Bryan Curtis(01:12:48) from The Ringer joins to talk about a new era of Oklahoma/Texas football, the first year of Ringer, and eating out with his father in law. Steve starts the show with an update on the podcast and previews some upcoming projects, the book club narrows the field for book club book of the year to seven, and the show ends with one last thing about Steve's first year as a father.

Steve and Don interview SL Price (00:23:22) from Sports Illustrated to talk about his series of stories about CTE for theMMQB and Ben Lindbergh(01:01:15) from The Ringer to talk about the increase in home runs and the first 30 (ish) games of the baseball season. Steve and Don start the show with 3Things, the book club has more on, "The Cubs Way" by Tom Verducci, and the show ends with one last thing about the Sabres and Bills hiring new General Managers.

Steve and Don interview Dan Wetzel (00:07:41) from Yahoo Sports and Chris Burke(01:04:37) from Sports Illustrated to talk about the NFL Draft. Steve starts the show bragging about finally getting central air, the book club has more on, "The Cubs Way" by Tom Verducci, and the show ends with one last thing about watching The Sopranos and The Wire over and over again.

Steve and Don interview Jane Leavy (00:26:41) the author of an upcoming book about Babe Ruth and Mike Halford(01:15:30) from Pro Hockey Talk about the NHL Playoffs. Steve and Don start the show with 3Things, the book club updates, "The Cubs Way" by Tom Verducci, and the show ends with one last thing about the NFL Draft.

Steve and Anthony interview Damon Hack (00:23:37) from Golf Channel about The Masters and David Shoemaker(00:45:24) from The Ringer to talk about Wrestlemania. Steve and Anthony start the show with 3Things, the book club officially introduces, "Cubs Way" by Tom Verducci, and the show ends with one last thing about Pearl Jam.

Steve and Don interview Joe Posnanski (00:03:21) from MLB.com about the start of the baseball season and Brett Martin(00:31:26) from GQ to talk about The Sopranos. Steve starts the show on his own, talks about "Cubs Way" by Tom Verducci, and ends the show with one last thing about Wrestlemania III.

Steve and Don interview Katie Baker (00:21:45) from The Ringer about the Cleveland Indians and Mike McMahon (01:06:47) from College Hockey News. Steve and Don are back together this week and start the show with 3 Things. The book club looks back at "Paterno" by Joe Posnanski, and the show ends with Don talking about Nintendo Switch and Steve finding common ground with Roger Goodell

Steve and Don interview Jeff Passan (00:00:0) from Yahoo! Sports about the World Baseball Classic and Blake J. Harris (00:00:00) from the podcast Origin Stories. Steve starts the show on his own, talks about "Those Guys Have all the Fun" by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales, and ends the show with one last thing about The American's on FX.

Steve and Don interview Chris Burke (00:05:10) from Sports Illustrated about the NFL Draft and Justin Barrasso (00:35:45) from Sports Illustrated talks about the WWE. Steve starts the show on his own, talks about "Over Time" by Frank Deford, and ends the show with one last thing about Paula and Colston's relationship.

Steve and Don interview Josh Levin (00:06:27) from Slate Magazine about the Falcons epic collapse and Fred Segal (00:49:58) from Freezing Cold Takes. Steve starts the show on his own, talks about The Last Great Game by Gene Wojciechowski, and ends the show with one last thing about The Sopranos.

Steve and Don interview Luke Winn (00:28:16) from Sports Illustrated about the first half of the college basketball season and John Lopez (01:07:46) from Sports Radio 610 in Houston. Steve and Don also look back on the NFL playoffs, talk about Console Wars by Blake J. Harris, and end the show with one last thing.

Jenkins- 00:05:28 Curtis- 00:39:31

Joe Buck: 15:19 Richard Deitsch: 1:04:01 More info to come

Florentine- 24:28 Miech- 58:58 Description to come

Jimmy Traina: 15:25 Jeff Pearlman: 56:03

On the thirty-first episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Anthony Day (filling in for Don) welcome Rick Telander (Chicago Sun Times) and SL Price (Sports Illustrated). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Anthony chat about the Buffalo Bills getting hosed on Monday Night Football, the UFC at MSG, and the emergence of Patrick Laine. The book club features books by Jeff Pearlman, Joe Buck, and SL Price. The show ends with Anthony talking about committing to Yale and Steve thanks everyone who has helped us create the first 232 episodes of The Sports-Casters. -Rick Telander is making his first appearance (00:18:54) on the podcast. Telander talks about spending the last month following the Chicago Cubs as they made their run towards a World Series championship. Rick tells stories of Eddie Vedder, Bill Murray, and Billy Corgan celebrating the Cubs win. Rick also talks about being the guest editor of the 2016 Best American Sports Writing Anthology. Rick explains why he picked the articles that he did, why he decided to reward long-form journalism, and gives his thoughts on the future of print journalism. -SL Price is making his ninth appearance (00:52:00) on the podcast. Price joins us to discuss his book "Playing Through the Whistle: Steel, Football, and an American Town." Price explains about the stories evolution from the pages of Sports Illustrated to a full length book. Price talks about the people of Aliquippa's reaction to the book, the towns ability to produce star NFL players, and gives more details about Mike Ditka's name.

On the thirtieth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters, hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Sean McDonough (Monday Night Football) and Eric Mirlis (Author). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don talk about the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series, the NFL season at the midway point, and the start of college basketball season. The book club is potentially out of control, loaded with books, and full of giveaways. The podcast ends with Don and Steve giving us one last thing. -Sean McDonough is making his first appearance (0:21:45) on the podcast. Sean joins us to talk about his first season on ESPN's Monday Night Football. Sean talks about working with John Gruden, poor quarterback play in the NFL, and the possibility of flex scheduling on Monday Night Football. Sean also talks about the Cubs winning the World Series, working for the Red Sox when they broke their curse, and calling the 1998 Olympics. -Eric Mirlis is making his first appearance (0:58:09) on the podcast. Eric joins us to talk about his book, "I Was There". Eric explains how the ideas came for the book, discusses collecting all of the different testimonials, and remembers some of his favorite moments spend in the building while sports history was made. Eric also talks about working for a sports ticker, doing media relations for the New York Islanders, and some of his other professional accomplishments.

On the twenty-ninth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters, hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ are joined by special guest Anthony Day. Bob McKenzie (TSN) and Mike Schopp (WGR 550) are today's guests. Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don mix it up with Anthony talking about the MLB Playoffs, another injury filled week in the NFL, and the start of the NHL season. The book club is potentially out of control, loaded with books, and full of giveaways. The podcast ends with Don talking about the new Nintendo, Anthony talking about bad teams in the NFL, and Steve gushes about reaching a milestone in parenting. -Bob McKenzie is making his second appearance (0:28:01) on the podcast. This interview was originally recorded for the brand new Lonely End of the Rink podcast (http://www.soundcloud.com/lonelyrinkpod.com) and features Steve interviewing Bob with his co-host Adrian Dater. Bob talks about the successes and failures of the World Cup of Hockey, the end of Team North America, and the bravery of Gord Downey. Bob also talks about the increased cost of ice hockey in North America and the boring play in the National Hockey League. -Mike Schopp is making his second appearance (0:54:17) on the podcast. Mike talks preparing for his sports radio show, how Jack Eichel's injury changed his plans for the air, and explains why he doesn't like interviews much. Mike also talks about talking phone calls, the mood of Bills fans in Buffalo, and goes back and fourth with Steve about nerdy radio stuff.

On the twenty-eighth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters, hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Jeff Passan (Yahoo! Sports) and Mike Pereira (Fox Sports). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don jump right into the baseball playoffs, talk about OBJ's immaturity, and debate if Connor McDavid is ready to wear the C. The book club is potentially out of control, loaded with books, and full of giveaways. The podcast ends with Don talking about television and Steve giddy with radio drama. -Jeff Passan is making his thirteenth appearance (0:19:26) on the podcast. Jeff joins us live from Cleveland, Ohio where he is preparing to cover the ALDS between the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians. Steve and Jeff talk about the awesome wild card games, Madison Bumgarner's dominance, and Buck's big error. Jeff previews the ALDS an NLDS, explains why he is rooting for David Price and Clayton Kershaw, and explains why he isn't nervous for the Cubs. Before getting into the stadium, Jeff looks back on his book, "The Arm." -Mike Pereira is making his second appearance (0:49:09) on the podcast. Mike talks about Duke Johnson, how each fan base looks at the officials, and talks about why he wrote his book. Mike also talks about his decision to walk off the field and into the front office, sticking up for officials, and working on television.

On the twenty-seventh episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Anthony Day (filling in for Don) welcome Alan Sepinwall (HitFix) and Kyle Brandt (NFL Network). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Anthony chat about Josh Gordon checking into rehab, the end of the baseball season, and the upcoming Ryder Cup. The book club is flush with four books and more information about your chance to win the new SL Price book. The show ends with Anthony talking about the Presidential Debate and Steve taking Paula to his doctor appointment. -Alan Sepinwall is making his first appearance (00:35:55) on the podcast. Sepinwall joins us to talk about his book, "TV: The Book." Alan explains why The Simpsons is the best show ever, talks about debating with his co-author (Matt Zoller Seitz) in his kitchen, and explains the difference between a favorite show and the best show. Allan also talks about this year's new shows, binge watching, and how being a TV critic since his days at the Star Ledger. -Kyle Brandt is making his first appearance (01:15:06) on the podcast. Brandt joins us to talk about his love of Pearl Jam, being on The Real World but never doing a Challenge, and leaving the Jim Rome Show for the NFL Network. Kyle also talks about Howard Stern, the Ultimate Warrior, and bad chicken wings. Steve begs Kyle to revive his amazing podcast called Twenty Questions and Kyle leaves us all with a glimmer of hope.

On the twenty-sixth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters, host Steve Bennett welcomes Don Banks (NFL.com). Steve kicks us off announcing a special abbreviated version of the show. The book club is loaded with four books and big news about a giveaway. The podcast ends with Steve paying tribute to his grandmother. -Don Banks is making his third appearance (0:02:24) on the podcast to talk about the first few weeks of the NFL season. Banks talks about the legacy of Bill Belichick, the Bill Parcells coaching tree, and the early slumping of Aaron Rodgers. Don also talks about a piece he has about the Drew Bledsoe injury that launched Tom Brady's career on NFL.com.

On the twenty-fifth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters, hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Jon Wertheim (Sports Illustrated) and Adrian Dater (Bleacher Report). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don get pumped talk about the first week of football season and look ahead to the second, discuss the World Cup of Hockey, and speculate on the future of CM Punk. The book club is loaded with three books and big news about a giveaway. The podcast ends with Don talking about streaming video and Steve talks about Rich Hill missing out on a chance to pitch a perfect game. -Jon Wertheim is making his fifteenth appearance (0:23:36) on the podcast to talk about his role as executive editor at Sports Illustrated. Mr. Wertheim talks about Sports Illustrated and Twitter teaming up to stream an NFL game, the sudden change of CEO at Time Inc, and the emergence of The MMQB. Also, Wertheim tells us if he thinks Marshawn Lynch is coming back to the NFL, gives his thoughts on CM Punk's future, and recaps the year that was in tennis. -Adrian Dater is making his fifth appearance (01:06:20) on the podcast. Adrian is in Toronto covering the World Cup of Hockey for Bleacher Report. Adrian and Steve talk about Team North America, Phil Kessel's absence, and the return of ESPN to hockey. Dater also talks about Alex Ovechkin threatening to go to the Olympics in South Korea with or without the NHL, his Kiss pinball machine, and Patrick Kane's hairline. Finally, Steve and Adrian make a special announcement.

On the twenty-fourth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Trey Wingo (ESPN) and Matt Yoder (The Comeback, Awful Announcing). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don get pumped up for the start of football season, Steve tries to explain the World Cup of Hockey to Don, and the guys go over the first week of the College Football season. The book club returns to talk about two new books and an exciting giveaway. The podcast ends with Don talking about Stranger Things and Steve tries to put the importance of Drew Brees into perspective. -Trey Wingo is making his fourth appearance (0:23:25) on the podcast. Trey starts off by paying tribute to his friend and colleague John Saunders before taking out some frustration on his alma mater, Baylor University. Trey explains the four stages of the NFL season, talks about the Drew Brees extension, and looks ahead to some of the things he is most excited about during the start of the regular season. -Matt Yoder is making his third appearance (0:47:23) on the podcast. Yoder (now a writer for the comeback.com and awfulannouncing.com) joins us to talks about the start of football season. Matt and Steve gush about the Drew Brees contract, give their thoughts on the 2016 New Orleans Saints, and Matt hypes Michael Thomas. Matt also updates the progress of thecomeback, lays out both sites plans for football season, and talks about sports radio in Columbus, Ohio.

On the twenty-third episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Bruce Feldman (Fox Sports) and Danny Kelly (theringer.com). Reconvening for a special second show of the week, Steve and Don make their over/under picks for the NFL season and close out the show with all kinds of different NFL and NCAA football predictions. -Bruce Feldman is making his first appearance (00:03:55) on the podcast. Feldman joins us to preview the 2016 NCAA Football Season. Bruce talks about the best returning quarterbacks, explains why he is so high on LSU, and talks about a troubling situation hanging over Joe Mixon and Oklahoma football. Bruce also talks about a stacked third weekend of the season, makes his predictions for the playoffs, and talks about how Fox Sports has improved their coverage of the sport with the emergence of Fox Sports One and their other outlets. -Danny Kelly is making his first appearance (00:37:45) on the podcast. Kelly talks about making the jump from SB Nation to The Ringer, reminisces with Steve about some past Seahawks vs. Saints games, and explains his role at The Ringer and how he sees their NFL coverage evolving this season. Kelly also talks about Jimmy Graham's disappointing first season in Seattle, his column on The Ringer about each team's x-factor, and looks ahead to a piece he wrote about the nickel defense.

On the twenty-second episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome SL Price (Sports Illustrated) and Aaron Schatz (Football Outsiders). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don look back at the Olympics, search for any relevant news out of NFL training camps, and agree that Jimmy Vesey is dead to them. Five on Fantasy features a mock draft and podcast ends with Steve and Don paying tribute to The Tragically Hip. -SL Price is making his eighth appearance (00:21:08) on the podcast. Price has just returned from Rio where he was covering the Olympics for Sports Illustrated. Mr. Price explains the logistics of covering the Olympics in Rio, talks about the politics of hosting the games, and explains why he thinks it would be a good idea to have the Olympics in the same place every four years. Price also talks about Katie Ledecky's dominance, Michael Phelps' attitude, and his mission to track down a Russian wrestler that looks like Alex Ovechkin. -Aaron Schatz is making his fifth appearance (01:07:33) on the podcast. Aaron talks about the 2016 Football Outsiders Almanac and helps to preview the NFL season through the eyes of Football Outsiders. Aaron explains how the Browns win the Super Bowl once in every 1,300 simulations and what one of those seasons might look like. Schatz also explains why he likes the Seahawks, why he thinks the Bills will miss the playoffs again, and teases some huge improvements to the Football Outsiders website.

On the twenty-first episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Joe Buck (Fox Sports) and Bryan Curtis (theringer.com). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don look ahead to the start of the Olympics, search for any relevant news out of NFL training camps, and see how many teams in the first College Football AP Top 10 that Don can name. The book club is replaced this week by Five on Fantasy. The podcast ends with Don talking about Freaks and Geeks and Steve gushing about the 2016 New Orleans Saints. -Joe Buck is making his second appearance (0:24:55) on the podcast. Joe talks about meeting Eddie Vedder, reminisces about his Dad, shares a story about calling Vin Scully, and talks about getting into a groove with John Smoltz. Buck also looks ahead to the second season of his show Undeniable, explains why he is so excited for football this season, and talks about twitter trolls and Artie Lange. -Bryan Curtis is making his sixth appearance (01:20:16) on the podcast to catch up and talk about his new job as editor-at-large for http://www.theringer.com. Bryan talks about goals for the site, speculates as to why Bill Simmons didn't go all in with a basketball specific website, and looks ahead to the future of the website. Bryan also talks about covering politics, Oklahoma's dominance over Texas in football, and working with David Shoemaker (aka The Masked Man).

On the twentieth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Anthony Day (filling in for Don) welcome Molly Knight (Author) and Richard Lawler (Engadget). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Anthony chat about the first day of the PGA Championship, the start of NFL training camps, and college football's decision to avoid New Year's Eve in the future. The book club, having just awarded another book of the year winner, prepares to bow out temporarily for Five on Fantasy. The show ends with Anthony talking about Coldplay at Met Life Stadium and Steve talks about the new Ghostbusters movie and the idiots on twitter crying about it. -Molly Knight is making her second appearance (00:18:22) on the podcast. Molly joins us to talk about her book, "The Best Team Money Can Buy." Having just had her book named book club book of the year Molly talks about promoting the book, writing a new chapter for the paperback version, and deciding when to end the book. Molly also looks ahead to her next book, talks about Clayton Kershaw's injury and the Dodgers chances of winning the World Series this year. -Richard Lawler is making his first appearance (00:53:01) on the podcast. Lawler joins us to talk about his job as editor of the popular tech blog, Engadget. Lawler speculates what might come of the next couple of iPhones, Nintendo using their valuable IP's to make applications, and other tech related issues. Richard also talks about sports and technology, upcoming streams of NFL games, and explains how NBC will use tech this summer at the Olympics.

On the nineteenth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Robert Mays (The Ringer) and Mark Simon (ESPN). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don look back at the first half of the Major League Baseball season, recap the All-Star break, and go over some rumors in the world of sports. The book club is a mid-week update from Steve about the status of the weekly shows. The podcast ends with Don talking about playing Pokemon Go. -Robert Mays is making his first appearance (0:24:47) on the podcast. Robert talks about the differences and similarities between Grantland and The Ringer before transitioning into football. Robert talks about being excited about Kevin White, explains why he thinks the Vikings are going to have a good season, and gives Bills fans some hope. Mays also explains why he likes fantasy football, talks about the start of training camp, and offers only a vague clue on his vision for The Ringer's NFL podcast. -Mark Simon is making his second appearance (0:59:26) on the podcast. Mark talks about the San Francisco Giants history at the trade deadline and what that might mean about this season, explains what he would do if he were in charge of the Yankees, and speculates as to what other contenders might do at the deadline. Mark also tells a story from his new book about the Yankees called, "The Yankees Index."

On the eighteenth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Jason Concepcion (The Ringer, After The Thrones) and Steven Hyden UPROXX, Celebration Rock Podcast). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don look back at the NHL Draft, talk about two huge trades to kick off NHL free agency, update the two huge soccer tournaments, and doubt the retirement of Lionel Messi. The book club says goodbye to Steve Hyden's, "Your Favorite Band is Killing Me" and focusses on the new Frank Deford book. The show ends with Don talking about Orange is the New Black, and Steve talks about Bill Simmons new show on HBO. -Jason Concepcion is making his first appearance (0:28:37) on the podcast. Jason talks about attending the Berklee College of Music, underrated guitar players, and finding talent in the subway. Jason also talks about Game of Thrones, appearing on the After the Thrones show on HBO, and clears up some of Steve's confusion about the show. Jason also talks about the NBA, isn't crazy about Buddy Hield being in New Orleans, and as a Knicks fan is ominous about their decision to acquire Derrick Rose. -Steven Hyden is making his fourth appearance (01:06:42) on the podcast. Hyden joins us to talk about his book "Your Favorite Band is Killing Me." Steve and Hyden skip over the Pearl Jam vs. Nirvana rivalry to instead focus on Cyndi Lauper vs. Madonna, Kanye West being a jerk, and the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.

On the seventeenth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Tas Melas (The Starters, NBATV) and Adrian Dater (Bleacher Report). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don talk about the conclusion of the NHL and NBA seasons, LeBron James and Sindey Corsby's legacy, and the exciting soccer being played in the Copa America and European Championship. The book club covers the last few chapters of Steve Hyden's, "Your Favorite Band is Killing Me" and introduces a new book by the great Frank Deford. The show ends with Don talking about his daughter playing soccer and Steve talks about an embarrassing weekend for the USGA. -Tas Melas is making his eighth appearance (00:33:30) on the podcast. Melas stops by to help try and put the Cleveland Cavaliers championship into perspective. Tas talks about LeBron's legacy, the Warriors decision to go for 73, and explains how the series changed after game 4. Melas also explains what the loss means for Steph Curry, talks about some of his favorite picks at the NBA Draft, and looks ahead to the summer for The Starters. -Adrian Dater is making his fourth appearance (01:09:51) on the podcast. Adrian looks back at the Stanley Cup Final and talks about the Pittsburgh Penguins dominance, the play of Sidney Crosby, and the team's overall improvement since January. Dater also looks back on the 2016 playoffs, shakes his head at the St. Louis Blues, and comments on the rabid fan support the Penguins had. Dater also talks about expansion into Las Vegas, the NHL Awards, and speculates as to what might happen in Buffalo during the NHL Draft.

On the sixteenth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Grant Wahl (Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports One) and Dr. Catherine Pearlman (The Family Coach, The Sports-Parent). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don talk about the finals in the NHL and NBA Playoffs before detailing a miserable week for college football. The book club covers the first few chapters of Steve Hyden's, "Your Favorite Band is Killing Me." The show ends with Don talking about advertising on sports jerseys and Steve talking about the good and the bad of the first few days of The Ringer. -Grant Wahl is making his third appearance (0:44:09) on the podcast. Wahl joins us to talk about his Sports Illustrated cover story on Lionel Messi and an exciting summer of soccer in the United States. Wahl talks about sitting down with Messi, his journey with Barcelona that started at age 13, and his excitement to play for Argentina in the United States. Grant also talks about the progress of the United States National Team, the status of the sport in the United States, and the pressure on Jurgen Klinsmann this summer. Wahl also talks about the fall of Mario Balotelli and predicts who will win the COPA America and the UEFA Euro this summer. -Dr. Catherine Pearlman is making her first appearance (1:21:59) on the podcast. Pearlman joins us to promote her new podcast called, The Sports-Parent. Pearlman talks about why she created the podcast, hosting it with her husband (Author, Jeff Pearlman), and how she would like to see it evolve in the coming months. Pearlman also talks about becoming a family coach, the parenting controversy at the Cincinnati Zoo, and gives me advice ahead of having my first child. Dr. Pearlman and I also discuss various issues that sports parents encounter like playing multiple sports, playing a sport on multiple teams, etc.

On the fifteenth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Tom Verducci (Sports Illustrated, MLB Network) and Kenny Albert (NBC Sports, Fox Sports). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don talk about the conference finals in the NHL and NBA Playoffs before detailing a miserable new social media policy for the Buffalo Bills and a weird backtrack by their GM. The book club covers the first few chapters of Steve Hyden's, "Your Favorite Band is Killing Me." The show ends with Don talking about embarrassing NFL jerseys and Steve mocking Tim Cook for claiming to see an iPhone in a 400 year old painting. -Tom Verducci is making his fourth appearance (0:30:28) on the podcast. Verducci joins us to talk about his SI cover story on Vin Scully. Verducci shares details of sitting down with Scully for the articles, speculates on any involvement Scully might have with the World Series broadcast, and shares extra anecdotes that didn't make the article. Verducci also talks about his study of the cliff season for pitchers, Matt Harvey's struggles, and the dominate of Clayton Kershaw. -Kenny Albert is making his fifteenth appearance (01:00:53) on the podcast. Kenny joins us to give a first hand description of the NHL's Western Conference Finals between the San Jose Sharks and the St. Louis Blues. Kenny talks about the stars being stars for the Sharks, the disappointing series for Vladimir Tarasenko, and the buzz for the Sharks in the Bay Area. Kenny also talks about preparing to call the Stanley Cup Final on radio for Westwood One, calling baseball for Fox, and looks ahead to another season calling NFL football.

On the fourteenth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Jeff Passan (Yahoo! Sports, Author) and Jeff Pearlman (Author). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don talk about the NFL Draft, the second round of the NHL Playoffs, and the slow start to the NBA Playoffs. The book club says goodbye the long awaited book by Jeff Passan, and looks ahead to what's next. The show ends with Don talking about earwax (as gross as it sounds) and Steve complaining about not understanding Game of Thrones. -Jeff Passan is making his twelfth appearance (0:26:42) on the podcast. Steve and Jeff talked for years about Jeff's book, "The Arm" and Jeff is finally hear to talk about it. Jeff explains why reporting out of his comfort zone creates his best work, talks about finding injured baseball players who would allow him to follow their lives and explains why procrastinating on his book proposal ended up being a blessing in disguise. Jeff also tells a story about how Jane Leavy helped him land his dream interview for the book. -Jeff Pearlman is making his seventh appearance (01:09:36) on the podcast. Pearlman joins us to give Steve advise about being a father, talk about the future of publishing houses, and making out during Black. Jeff also talks about Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and his USFL book, and becoming a documentary film maker.

On the thirteenth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Greg Wyshynski (Puck Daddy, Puck Soup) and Neil Best (Newsday). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don talk about the first round of the NHL Playoffs, the impact of Steph Curry's injury, and look ahead to the NFL Draft. The book club focuses on the long awaited book by Jeff Passan, "The Arm." The show ends with Don talking about the upcoming video game console announced by Nintendo and Steve talks about the NHL draft lottery. -Greg Wyshynski is making his thirteenth appearance (00:28:23) on the podcast. Puck Daddy joins us to look back at the first round of the NHL playoffs and ahead to the second round. Greg talks about the Kings, Blackhawks, and Ducks all losing in round 1, the future of Bruce Boudreau, and the Islanders big upset. Greg looks ahead to the Penguins and Capitals matchup in the second round, the Blues and the Stars battle, and the chances that the Predators have against the Sharks. Before leaving, Greg talks about his new podcast with Dave Lozo called Puck Soup. -Neil Best is making his fourth appearance (00:56:31) on the podcast. Neil covers the sports media for Newsday and also occasionally covers other things for the paper. Neil talks about his time covering the Rangers and Penguins series, the Rangers stunning exit, and what the future holds for the core of the team. Best also talks about ESPN firing Curt Shilling, the Mike and the Mad Dog reunion, and Mike Tirico leaving ESPN for NBC. Steve and Neil wrap up talking about Cornell hockey and try to understand why they have so many Canadians on the team.

On the twelfth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Damon Hack (Golf Channel) and Ben Reiter (Sports Illustrated). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don talk about the epic collapse by Jordan Spieth at The Masters, the end of Kobe Bryant's career, and look ahead to the NHL and NBA playoffs. The book club focuses on the long awaited book by Jeff Passan, "The Arm." The show ends with Don getting excited about Pearl Jam and Steve explains how periscope is changing the concert experience. -Damon Hack is making his tenth appearance (0:24:00) on the podcast. Damon looks back on Jordan Spieth's collapse at the Masters. Hack speculates on how this might impact the rest of Spieth's season and career. He also teaches us about Danny Willet, explains how the Olympics will impact this year's major schedule, and jokes about writing a game story as the honored guest at a religious right of passage. Damon also uses his expertise as a born and raised citizen of Los Angeles, California to look back at the career of Kobe Bryant. -Ben Reiter is making his eighth appearance (00:57:28) on the podcast to talk about the 2016 MLB season. Ben talks about the juggernaut Cubs, the awful Braves, and the fading Angels. Reiter also talks about the hot starts of the White Sox and Orioles, the ugly start by the Twins, and the panic of the Mets fans. Ben also talks about watching Kobe Bryant's final game at a bar in Hollywood.

On the eleventh episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Jonathan Abrams (ESPN, Author) and Anthony Day (Yale Graduate, National Champion). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don talk about the epic ending to the college basketball season, the start of the Major League Baseball season, and look ahead to the NHL and NBA playoffs. The book club says goodbye "Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution" by Jonathan Abrams and focuses on the long awaited book by Jeff Passan, "The Arm." The show ends with Don geeking on computer gaming and Steve looks ahead to a history making weekend of rock and roll across the country. -Jonathan Abrams is making his first appearance (0:25:15) on the podcast to talk about his book, "Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution." Jonathan talks about how the book focuses not just on the success stories but also the failures. Johnathan talks about the one and done era, its effect on college basketball, and gives the rules he would implement if he ran the NBA. Jonathan also talks about being the biggest baby face at Grantland, writing oral histories, and becoming a New York Times bestseller. -Anthony Day is making his fifth appearance (as a guest) (0:57:41) on the podcast to talk about his new position as the official golf analyst/commentator for The Sports-Casters. After the first day of The Masters, Anthony talks about why Jordan Speith has such command on the course, gives a few golfers he thinks could climb the leaderboard over the weekend, and explains why he still thinks Tiger Woods could win another major. Anthony also talks about his three year run of either going to The Masters or winning the Frozen Four, remembers what it was like to win a National Championship, and talks about the unique aura and drawing power of his National Championship ring.

On the tenth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Ryan Aber (The Oklahoman) and Matt Crossman (NASCAR.com, Southwest Magazine). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don talk about the Final Four in basketball and the Frozen Four in hockey, players from the women's soccer team making a wage complaint, and the hockey writers in Buffalo deciding to nominate Ryan O'Reilly for the Masterson trophy. The book club features "Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution" by Jonathan Abrams and introduces a long awaited book by Jeff Passan. The show ends with Steve talking about the Mike and the Mad Dog reunion. -Ryan Aber is making his second appearance (00:20:45) on the podcast. Ryan covers the Oklahoma Sooners football and basketball team for the Oklahoman and Newsok.com. Aber talks about the Sooners run to the Final Four and how the buzz in Oklahoma compares to the football team's run to the college football playoffs. Aber also talks about Buddy Heild's place on the list of all-time great Sooner basketball players, the matchup against Villanova, and a potential game for the National Championship against Roy Williams and North Carolina. -Matt Crossman is making his sixth appearance (0:46:46) on the podcast. Matt joins us to talk about two articles he has fresh off the presses. Matt first talks about a piece he wrote for NASCAR.com about two paralyzed racers and their families uniting in the face of tragedy. Next, Matt talks about a piece he wrote for the magazine on Southwest Airlines about kids who have lost their fathers to military service and a camping trip they take with other veterans. Also, Matt talks about his business as a freelance writer and he ranks the best Rush songs and the best non-Christmas holidays.

On the ninth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Tim Keown (ESPN the Magazine) and Kevin Armstrong (NY Daily News). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don get ready for March Madness, talk about the abrupt retirement of Adam LaRoche, and look back at the first 8 days of the Gawker v. Hulk Hogan trial including testimony from a former guest of the show. The book club says goodbye to the first book of 2016 called, This is Your Brain on Sports: The Science of Underdogs, the Value of Rivalry, and What We Can Learn from the T-Shirt Cannon by Jon Wertheim and Sam Sommers and stats fresh with a new book called, Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution by Jonathan Abrams. Finally, the show ends with Don talking about Facebook turing into shit, and Steve tries to figure out what Yale hockey means to him. -Tim Keown is making his first appearance (0:24:59) on the podcast to talk about his ESPN the Magazine feature on Bryce Harper. Tim compares Harper to Cam Newton, talks about how Bryce wants to change some of the unwritten rules in baseball, and Harper taking the next step towards being the face of baseball. Tim also talks about his position at ESPN the Magazine, explains why he loves his beat (or lack there of), and hints at a future story about the demographics that make up youth baseball in the United States. -Kevin Armstrong is making his first appearance (0:59:37) on the podcast to talk about his feature in the New York Daily News about the unique basketball gyms in Brooklyn. With the NCAA Tournament set to make its debut at Barclays, Kevin wrote about the windows on the top of roofs, the visiting player benches that don't exist and the unique ways money has been raised in some of Brooklyn's toughest neighborhoods to build new gyms. Kevin also talks about hockey at BC, the front and back page cover wars in New York City, and gives a prediction for the Final Four.

On the eighth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Jon Wertheim (Executive Editor, Sports Illustrated) and Ed Sherman (Chicago Tribune). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don look back at the start of NFL free agency, look ahead to selection Sunday and the NCAA basketball tournament, and talk about an SI cover story on Patrick Kane. The book club says goodbye to the first book of 2016 called, This is Your Brain on Sports: The Science of Underdogs, the Value of Rivalry, and What We Can Learn from the T-Shirt Cannon by Jon Wertheim and Sam Sommers. Finally, the show ends with Don talking about Better Call Saul, and Steve explains why Jeramy Carroll should be the new singer of the Stone Temple Pilots. -Jon Wertheim is making his fourteenth appearance (0:22:00) on the podcast to discuss the book he co-authored with Sam Sommers called, "This is Your Brain on Sports: The Science of Underdogs, the Value of Rivalry, and What We Can Learn from the T-Shirt Cannon." Jon explains how this book is similar to his previous book Scorecasting and how it's different. Jon explains why we love free stuff so much, why NFL quarterbacks aren't as handsome as people think, and why hockey goons would rather fight at home. Before going back to his day job, Wertheim chats about Ronda Rousey, his piece for 60 Minutes Sports on Holly Holm, and keeps us up to date on the happenings at Sports Illustrated. -Ed Sherman is making his eighth appearance (01:02:04) on the podcast. Sherman joins us to talk about the current SI cover story on Patrick Kane by SL Price. Sherman explains why he doesn't think the piece contains a pro Kane or NHL agenda, why SL Price was the perfect person to tell the story, and why it made sense for Sports Illustrated to put Kane on the cover. Sherman objects to the NHL's decision to use the word "unfounded" in their statement and explains why it was a mistake. Before he goes, Ed gives us an update on the status of his website, Sherman Report.

On the seventh episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Tas Melas (NBA Network) and Sean McIndoe (Down Goes Brown). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don look back at the NHL trade deadline, the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and Steph Curry's latest ridiculous game winning shot. The book club formally introduces the first new book of 2016 called This is Your Brain on Sports: The Science of Underdogs, the Value of Rivalry, and What We Can Learn from the T-Shirt Cannon by Jon Wertheim and Sam Sommers. Finally, the show ends with Don talking about math problems on Facebook (I don't know why either) and Steve gives gives up his time to bring on Duane Steinel the goalie coach of the Depew Wildcasts hockey team to talk about his team's dramatic win at Super Sunday. -Tas Melas is making his seventh appearance (00:28:27) on the podcast. Melas stops by to chat about the unbelievable run by the Golden St. Warriors, another ridiculous season for the San Antonio Spurs, and the Oklahoma City Thunder playing third wheel. Tas also talks about the Los Angeles Clippers chances to get in the mix, the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and the future of the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks. -Sean McIndoe is making his fourth appearance (01:01:04) on the podcast. Sean talks about the first Eichel vs. McDavid game and argues with Steve about Sabres fans and why he thinks they aren't as happy with Eichel as they "pretend" to be. Sean goes on to talk about the winners and losers of the NHL trade deadline, looks ahead to the playoffs, and explains why finishing first in the Central division is extra important this season.

On the sixth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Richard Deitsch (Sports Illustrated) and Jack McCallum (SI.com, Author). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don look back at the NBA All-Stat Game, talk about yet another immature moment for Evander Kane, and discuss Ronda Rousey telling Ellen she thought about suicide after her fight with Holly Holm. The book club formally introduces the new first book of 2016 called This is Your Brain on Sports: The Science of Underdogs, the Value of Rivalry, and What We Can Learn from the T-Shirt Cannon by Jon Wertheim and Sam Sommers. Finally, the show ends with Don talking about an awesome new Nerf gun and Steve gives his take on Vinyl and reveals what else is filling his DVR. -Richard Deitsch is making his fourteenth appearance (00:19:30) on the podcast. Deitsch joins us to talk about his exclusive interview with Sean Fennessey the editor-in-chief of Bill Simmons new website, The Ringer. Deitsch and Steve also talk about Michelle Beadle reconciling with the WWE and her strange twitter fight that followed with Mark Madden, the SI swimsuit issue, and the Shaun King and Jason Whitlock twitter fight and what it might mean for old mistakes coming back to haunt athletes in the era of social media. -Jack McCallum is making his third appearance (01:02:04) on the podcast. McCallum joins us to talk about his SI.com piece on the 50 best NBA players in the league's 70 years of existence. Jack was part of a panel of journalists that picked the best 50 in 50 for the NBA 20 years ago. He explains why he decided to update his list, why he included Stephan Curry, and why he dropped players who were on the original list off of this one. Jack also explains why Lebron James is 5, Micheal Jordan is still 1, and reveals who the players were that just missed the top 50.

On the fifth episode of the sixth season of The Sports-Casters hosts Steve Bennett and Don Russ welcome Frank Schwab (Shutdown Corner Blog, Yahoo! Sports) and Luke Winn (Sports Illustrated). Starting the show with 3Things, Steve and Don look back at Super Bowl 50, the career of Marshawn Lynch, and talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs clearing cap space for Steven Stamkos. The book club formally introduces the new first book of 2016 called This is Your Brain on Sports: The Science of Underdogs, the Value of Rivalry, and What We Can Learn from the T-Shirt Cannon by Jon Wertheim and Sam Sommers. Finally, the show ends with Don complaining about Mike Harrington trolling Buffalo Sabres fans and Steve saying goodbye to Daniel Bryan. -Frank Schwab is making his first appearance (0:26:54) on the podcast to talk about the Denver Broncos victory over the Carolina Panthers at Super Bowl 50. Frank talks about what most of us missed when we picked the Panthers to beat the Broncos, the incredible game played by Von Miller, and the end of Peyton Manning. Frank and Steve talk about why people hate Cam Newton, his embarrassing post-game press conference, and look ahead to next season by talking about Frank's way too early power rankings. -Luke Winn is making his ninth appearance (01:16:48) on the podcast. Winn joins the podcast to talk about his latest article in Sports Illustrated about the increased importance of the three point shot in college basketball. Winn talks about Oklahoma's chances to win the National Championship, speculates if their lack of depth or dependence on the three point shot is more likely to sink them, and handicaps Buddy Hield's player of the year chances. Luke also picks his final four, tells us if Duke is going to make the tournament, and chats about Ben Simmons.