On the Bleachers

We believe all sensuality is necessary. A sports podcast through a pop culture lens. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss playoff baseball and why crying is more than okay; WNBA players are openly feuding with their commissioner; when sports coverage gets downright erotic; locker room miming; James Dolan is watching you right now; young Americans increasingly agree that sports betting is bad; and we talk to Alissa Walker, LA journalist covering the massive sporting events coming to the city for her newsletter, Torched.   Links: New eyeglasses give Kiké Hernández a new outlook on hitting (The LA Times) More crying in baseball (Twitter) Yankees: Fix your hearts or die (Bluesky) Napheesa Collier, Cathy Engelbert and a WNBA teetering on the brink (ESPN) Steam Clinging to His Skin (Bluesky) ​​Shedeur Sanders Keeps Making His Biggest Problem Worse (Bleacher Report) How MSG became Maximum Spy Garden under Knicks owner James Dolan (NY Groove) Americans increasingly see legal sports betting as a bad thing for society and sports (PEW Research Center) Torched (Ghost) Fair Games Coalition (Unite Here)

The best revenge is having a solid narrative. A sports podcast through a pop culture lens. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni catch up on narrative fantasy; fans behaving heart warmingly; MLB erasing actual queer allies in baseball; narratives in the baseball postseason; the Lynx will not go quietly out of the WNBA postseason; FIFA’s stance on Israel in the World Cup; Taylor Swift is at NFL games but not at the Super Bowl halftime show… because Bad Bunny is doing it!; how we’re listening to the new album; and an interview with Los Angeles Times sports reporting legend Steve Henson.   Links: Texans RB Nick Chubb Makes Unique NFL History vs. Titans (Sports Illustrated) Jaguars' Travis Hunter sits on defense in 2nd half vs. 49ers (ESPN) Manny Machado Still Thinks Padres Can Overtake Dodgers to Win NL West (Sports Illustrated) Fans behaving… well? (TikTok) Just connecting some dots (TikTok) Head Coach Cheryl Reeve: Minnesota Lynx Postgame Presser | vs. Phoenix Mercury | 09.26.25 (YouTube) WNBA sources: Data doesn't show link between injuries, missed calls (ESPN) MLB censors Liam Hendriks’ LGBTQ outreach in his Clemente Award bio (Out Sports) Trend or coincidence? (TikTok) Fifa banned Russia from international football. Now it must do the same for Israel (The Guardian) Gaza: Top independent rights probe alleges Israel committed genocide (United Nations) Taylor Swift Supports Fiancé Travis Kelce at Chiefs Game Hours After Attending Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco's Wedding (People) Exclusive: Taylor Swift Walks Away From Super Bowl (Rob Shuter / Substack) Bad Bunny Will Headline Super Bowl Halftime Show (NYT)

We’re setting world records, incrementally. A sports podcast through a pop culture lens. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss pole vaulter Armand Duplantis’s incremental world records; Cardi and Stefon’s baby; Stephen A. Smith won’t shut up and you can’t make him; WNBA playoff update; stone skippers are cheating; MLB gestures toward maybe helping young people not blow out their arms, unveils plot to strongarm teams for broadcast rights; the Mariners are bound for the postseason and Dodger Clayton Kershaw is bound for retirement.   Links: How much does Duplantis get for breaking world record? (BBC) French pole vaulter reacts to the buzz around penis that ended his Olympic dream (Metro) Cardi B Is Pregnant! Rapper Expecting Baby No. 4 — Her First with Boyfriend Stefon Diggs (People) Inside Stephen A. Smith’s near-$40M-a-year bonanza as he launches into political prime time (The Athletic) Cheating scandal rocks world stone skimming championships (BBC) A Stone's Throw From Glory (Action Cookbook) Stone Skipping Is a Lost Art. Kurt Steiner Wants the World to Find It. (Outside) MLB To Adopt Scouting ‘Dead Period’ For Draft-Eligible Players (Baseball America) MLB’s plan to take over local TV rights is a huge deal. Here’s why. (Washington Post) A Major League Divorce (Vanity Fair) The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness (Bookshop.org)

Periods, period! A sports podcast through a pop culture lens. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss the status of the Mariners and Sarah’s mental health; Patrick Mahomes’s losing streak and Taylor’s secretive Arrowhead arrival; a Narrative Fantasy Football update; the WNBA playoffs have begun and the StudBudz talk about playing on their periods; FIFA: the most corrupt major event to be staged in the U.S. and that is really saying something; and why we are less likely to see baseball players out in da club.   Links: Sports in Charlie Kirk’s America (Sports Politika) Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead (TikTok) The bust files: How NFL teams break young quarterbacks (The Athletic) The Phoenixity of J.J. McCarthy's First NFL Start (Wide Left / Substack) The Chamber (Amortal) Mike McDaniel: The good news is, I don’t see how it could be worse (NBC Sports) StudBudz commercial (Instagram) Terry Horstman covering the Lynx (Bluesky) The facts and fiction fueling the WNBA's CBA fight (Power Plays / Substack) US cities confront FIFA over World Cup costs (Politico) America is drinking less than ever — and the same is true for baseball players (Yahoo! Sports)

We’re never throwing it back. A sports podcast through a pop culture lens. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss how much it costs to be a football fan; people behaving badly at sports events; Angel’s suspension, Caitlin’s injury, and other WNBA news; and the president went to the U.S. Open.   Links: Why an Etsy witch may have helped the Mariners snap their skid (Seattle Sports) Major NFL games will cost you $631 to watch this season. Are you paying up? (The Athletic) NFL suspends fan who hit DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Jackson (The Athletic)  ​​Travis Kelce Gets Slapped in the Face by LA Chargers’ Teair Tart | E! News (YouTube) I’m too Swift with it (Instagram) Chargers Player Who Slapped Travis Kelce Continues to Troll Him with Taylor Swift Reference (People) SportsCenter’ anchors call out Phillies Karen for taking ball from young fan (Awful Announcing)  CEO who snatched boy's hat at US Open says he made 'huge mistake' (BBC News) Chicago Sky can’t handle the truth — Angel Reese suspension exposes deeper franchise issues (The Athletic) Without Caitlin Clark, WNBA playoff spotlight will be dimmer (The Athletic) The Gentrification of the WNBA (Out of Your League) Disney and the Decline of America’s Middle Class (New York Times Opinion)  Why Donald Trump is Returning to the U.S. Open (Bounces / Substack) U.S. Open Orders Broadcasters to Censor Reactions to Trump (Bounces / Substack) Hey ICE, masks are for cucks (Reddit)

We’re protecting our fortress. A sports podcast through a pop culture lens. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss Travis’s dad spilling all the engagement details; male cheerleaders confound the far right; sports guys with a mental health group chat; almost all the rules constraining Tom Brady are gone; the Micah Parsons trade; and we hold the first-ever Narrative Fantasy Football Draft with ESPN’s Mina Kimes and The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue.   Links: Travis Kelce's father, Ed Kelce, says the couple got engaged almost 2 weeks ago (ABC 5 Cleveland) the real reason for the backlash against male nfl cheerleaders (Out of Your League / Substack) Michael Phelps, Jay Glazer bonded over mental health. It became a star-studded support system (The Athletic)  Tom ‘Brady Rules’ end. NFL to allow Fox analyst to attend production meetings: Sources (The Athletic) Packers become legit Super Bowl threat after trading for Micah Parsons (The Athletic)

Honey Deuces for everyone! A sports podcast through a pop culture lens. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss Taylor saying yes; Big Dumper’s 50 dingers; drinking at the US Open; fake retro jerseys; Serena’s medical disclosure to Vogue; Roger Clemens sucks; and should youth pitchers throw gas? Links: Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married (Instagram) Everything to Know About Taylor Swift's $550,000 Vintage-Inspired 8-Carat Engagement Ring From Travis Kelce (Brides.com) Trump reacts to Taylor’s engagement (TikTok) AFL-CIO congratulates Taylor and Travis on their engagement (Bluesky) Breaking down Cal Raleigh's catcher record, 50-home run season (ESPN) The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail (Front Office Sports) ‘Fauxbacks’ Throw Back to a Retro Uniform That Never Existed (Front Office Sports) Serena Williams Opens Up About Being on a GLP-1 (Vogue)  President Trump demands Roger Clemens be enshrined in Hall of Fame ‘now’ (The Athletic)  On Mindy McCready, and why PEDs aren’t why Roger Clemens belongs outside the Hall of Fame (Beyond the Box Score) How Fast Should Your 12-Year-Old Throw? (The New York Times)

We’re all pro yappers here. A sports podcast through a pop culture lens. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss the MLB Little League Classic; Taylor’s announcement and appearance on New Heights; toxic White House turns off right-wing athletes; UFC TV rights in flux; the NFLPA saga continues; and we talk to Sarah Spain, host of Good Game with Sarah Spain and co-author of Runs in the Family.   Links: Taylor Swift on Reclaiming Her Masters, Wrapping The Eras Tour, and The Life of a Showgirl | NHTV (YouTube) Taylor Swift joins Travis and Jason Kelce on ‘New Heights’ podcast: What we learned (The Athletic) Wait, Is Taylor Swift Teasing a Super Bowl Halftime Performance? (Vulture) Can Matthew and Brady Tkachuk become hockey’s answer to the Kelce brothers? ‘Maybe one day’ (The Athletic) Dana White on UFC’s Paramount Deal: ‘It’s Going to Be Huge’ (Front Office Sports) Not My Masculinity (Karim Zidan’s Version) (Apple Podcasts) Sports Politika (Substack) Matt Schaub: Players/NFLPA must focus on leverage NOW (Go Long) Good Game With Sarah Spain (Apple Podcasts) Runs in the Family (Bookshop) ARod: Decided to start writing my book on lessons learned in business & baseball. (Reddit) The Body Keeps the Score (Bookshop)

Just the life of a couple of showgirls. A sports podcast through a pop culture lens. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss Taylor’s pending major announcement; the crypto memelords behind neon dildos on WNBA courts; the ESPN deal with the NFL; are the Savannah Bananas a threat to baseball?; the first woman to umpire an MLB game; and we talk to The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar about his new book, The Franchise: Seattle Seahawks: A Curated History of the Legion of Boom Era.   Links: Taylor Swift's Life of a Showgirl Reveal Easter Eggs (E! Online)  WNBA fan accused of throwing sex toy faces multiple charges (ESPN) WNBA Player Admits Her Request To Stop Throwing Dildos On The Court 'Didn't Age Well' (Yahoo!) Sports) Crypto group says it orchestrated sex toy tosses in WNBA games (ESPN) The Social Media Trend Machine Is Spitting Out Weirder and Weirder Results (Bloomberg) ESPN is acquiring NFL Network, rights for RedZone in a deal giving the NFL a stake in the network (AP) Sports Journalism Is Dying — And ESPN and the NFL Are to Blame (Wide Left / Substack) Arif’s post about ESPN, the NFL and sports betting (BlueSky) ESPN’s Streaming Era Will Start on Aug. 21 (NYT) What can MLB learn from the Savannah Bananas? A lot, it turns out The Savannah Bananas Make Baseball Boring (Defector) MLB’s first female umpire set to debut; Jen Pawol to be promoted for Saturday’s Marlins-Braves games (The Athletic) jen pawol's path to making mlb history (Out of Your League / Substack) The Franchise: Seattle Seahawks: A Curated History of the Legion of Boom Era (Bookshop)

We LOVE colluding over text! A sports podcast through a pop culture lens. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss what we did on our summer vacation; Traylor finally launches…?; Bryce Harper, man of the people; the NFLPA infiltrated by cynical, greedy fucks; the WNBA All Star Game proves that fun is still possible; Paige and Azzi actually hard launch; Luka loses weight in LA; the focus was on Cal Raleigh and his Big Dumper; and we talk to author Victoria Zeller about writing about sports as a way of writing about life, her beloved Buffalo Bills, and mentally adjusting to winning. Links: The Enni Way (Substack) Effectively Wild Episode 2309: Only a Woman: Ella Black, Lost and Found (Part 1–Ella’s Legend) (Fangraphs) Travis’ epic photodump (Instagram) Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World (Bookshop) Travis’ on-set naps (TikTok) Gunman ‘focused on the NFL,’ went to wrong floor in NYC skyscraper, Mayor Eric Adams says (The New York Times)  Guardians All-Star Emmanuel Clase is team's second pitcher suspended in sports betting probe (NBC News) Rob Manfred has a plan: Tell players they’ve lost billions, and build their trust in him (The Athletic) Sources: Phillies' Bryce Harper cussed out Rob Manfred in meeting (ESPN) Phillies rip MLB for adding Jacob Misiorowski to All-Star roster (ESPN) The “Holy Grail” of NFL Secrets (Pablo Torre Finds Out) We Sparked an NFL Union Crisis. Here’s the Sequel (Pablo Torre Finds Out) We Followed the Money in the NFL Union Scandal. So Did the FBI (Pablo Torre Finds Out) How the Hot Pink Haze of StudBudz Took Over WNBA All-Star Weekend (Sports Illustrated) In Stud Budz We Trust (The Cut) StudBudz Promise to Press Dave Portnoy Over Angel Reese Hatred (Sports Illustrated) Fox Sports Inks Broad Pact With Barstool Sports, Dave Portnoy to Become Regular On-Air Contributor (Variety) Wag Talk ft. Paige Bueckers (Instagram) Behind the Scenes with WAG Talk (TikTok) Luka Dončić 2.0 Has Entered the Chat (Men’s Health) Yankees broadcast was briefly obsessed with Cal Raleigh’s ‘Big Dumper’ (The New York Post) It’s All Worth it For 17 (Defector) One of the Boys (Bookshop) The Prospects by KT Hoffman (Bookshop)

Buy Square Waves today!!! A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss how the Dodgers are and are not addressing the ICE raids and federal terrorism in Los Angeles; the Rafael Devers saga: the drama in Bean Town; Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers’ revenge tour; an update on our reigning NBA champion team; the return of witchcraft watch; a WNBA romance hard launch; and we talk to Kate Spencer, author of All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball, about pickleball, romance, and denim shorts on the court.   Links: Why did Clayton Kershaw add a Bible verse to his pride hat? (Reddit) Square Waves (Bookshop.org) Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between (Bookshop.org) Kiké Hernandez on the ICE raids in LA (Instagram) Nezza says she sang national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium against team’s wishes (The Los Angeles Times) Dodgers say they denied federal immigration officials access to Dodger Stadium parking lots (The Athletic) LA Taco June 20th recap (TikTok) Immigrant City shirts (Angel City)  $4,785. That’s How Much It Costs to Be a Sports Fan Now. (New York Times Opinion) 'Our star': 3B Devers officially signs new deal with Red Sox (ESPN) Rafael Devers meets with Red Sox's owner after refusing position change (Fox Sports) Inside the final hours of Rafael Devers’ Red Sox era: A charter, a blockbuster and a solo Uber (The Athletic) Joon Lee: Red Sox used AI bot to conduct baseball ops interview (NBC Sports Boston) Brad Marchand thanking teammates’ former teams (Instagram) Seattle sports broadcast makes no mention of Thunder’s NBA championship (Yahoo! Sports) Yes, Azzi Fudd Is Paige Bueckers’ Girlfriend (Autostraddle) Christen and Tobin talk about ‘Preath’ (TikTok) All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball (Bookshop.org) Joy & Other Pursuits (Substack)  Icebreaker (Bookshop.org) Alexa Martin’s books (Bookshop.org) You Should Be So Lucky (Bookshop.org) Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ books (Bookshop.org) Andre Agassi Competed at the U.S. Open in Tiny Jean Shorts (GQ)

We’re not hugging Spike Lee. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss Zan’s new book; Sarah meets a couple Mariners; how the Dodgers do and do not reflect the politics of  Los Angeles; baseball players being buds; playoff updates; college athletes are gonna get paid; the World Cup… will it happen?; youth sports, delusional parents, and precarity ruining everything; and we talk to Forever 35’s Doree Shafrir about tennis!   Links: Effectively Wild Episode 2333: Don’t Hate the Player, Hate the In-Game Interview (Fangraphs) Poker Face (Hulu) Square Waves (Bookshop.org) Zan’s book tour schedule (831stories.com) The Enni Way, Sarah’s substack currently going (strategically) insane about baseball Cal Raleigh on MVP race w/ Aaron Judge & if 'Big Dumper' is a good nickname | YouTube Exclusive (YouTube) The story behind Mariners’ Andrés Muñoz taking his cat on road trips (Seattle Sports) Why Does “K” Stand for a Strikeout in Baseball? (Encyclopaedia Britannica) Party in the Diamondbacks pool: Ex-players recount chaos, celebrations as potential World Series splash looms (The Athletic) The Nats’ clubhouse book club is on a journey to Middle-earth this season (The Washington Post) ‘It’s reimagining team travel.’ Why the Dodgers are using two planes on road trips this year (The LA Times) Nats calling up Bruce the Bat Dog from Triple-A ... really (MLB.com) At Nationals Park, a tradition continues and a ballpark becomes a ‘safe space’ (Washington Post) NBA Finals 2025: Tyrese Haliburton, Caitlin Clark and the most powerful friendship in basketball (ESPN) Right-Wing Outlet Claims They Were Denied Press Access to Two WNBA Games (Them) With $2.7 billion settlement approved, college sports' big money era is officially here (NPR) Stars, Stripes, and Double Standards (Sports Politika / Substack) Playing Secretary (New York Magazine) World Cup travel ban fallout is ‘part of what it means to host an event’: State Dept (The Athletic) Parents invest so much in youth sports. Then came Trump. (The Washington Post) Court Date (Substack) Thanks for Waiting: The Joy (And Weirdness) of Being a Late Bloomer (Bookshop.org) Startup (Bookshop.org) Changeover: A Young Rivalry and a New Era of Men’s Tennis (Simon & Schuster) Jannik Sinner’s doping case explained: What three-month ban and Italian Open comeback mean for tennis (The Athletic) The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance (Bookshop.org) Aryna Sabalenka Addresses Her Controversial Comments About Coco Gauff After French Open Loss (People) Cutting Words (BenRothenberg.com / Substack) Morgan Riddle (TikTok) The Best Tennis Apparel and Gear (The Strategist)

We’ll use rainbow tape because we want to! A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss the MLB’s lovable losers; Taylor Swift buying her masters back; athletes don’t need to defend blasting Chappell Roan in the locker room; NHL fans on “touch watch”; this Pride Month, the symbolism is the point; and the shifting relationship between fans and artists/athletes.   Links: Rockies Hit New Low With No Clear Answers in Sight (Front Office Sports) Hannah Keyser’s Rockies post (Bluesky) No assurance of transaction between Reinsdorf, Justin Ishbia despite White Sox investment deal (Sports Business Journal) Taylor’s letter (TaylorSwift.com) Taylor Swift Buys Back Her Masters From Shamrock, Reclaiming Her First Six Albums (Billboard) Taylor Swift ‘Finally’ Owns Her Masters. The Sale Happened ‘in Spite of Scooter Braun, Not Because of Him’: Source (People) What's with the Oilers and this Pink Pony Club song? (Edmonton Journal) Why Are the Boston Red Sox Singing ‘Dancing on My Own’? (The New York Times) Oilers Fans Went Haywire After Connor McDavid Touched Clarence Campbell Bowl (Sports Illustrated) A Brief Recap on NHL Pride (The Daily Californian) Luke Prokop is the first openly gay player under contract in the NHL. And he’s the grand marshal at the Milwaukee Pride Parade. (Wisconsin Public Radio) NHL lifts ban on rainbow-colored Pride Tape, after a player defied it (NPR) Pride progress? As gay pro athletes consider coming out, each announcement makes a mark (The Athletic) Wake Forest baseball coach Tom Walter apologizes for using homophobic slur (The Athletic) Baseball is For Everyone: Mariners Celebrate Pride Month (YouTube) 24 NFL teams have posted Pride Month messages. 8 have not. Don’t read much into that. (Outsports) NFL Pride: Football is For Everyone (NFL.com) Mr. and Mr. Seahawk (NFLshop.com) Dodgers pride night jersey (MLB.com) What's the best way for a music fan to support their favorite artists? (NPR)

Get us on the chicken circuit. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss the Colorado Rockies’ historically bad record; an NBA Finals and Stanley Cup update; reprehensible blowhard writes hockey romance novel; Zan’s new obsession with tennis has us asking: just how evil is Rolex?; Republicans in Congress want sports team owners to pay more in taxes; Democratic presidential hopefuls are coming to a sports podcast near you (but not this one!); and a new women's professional softball league gets a Major League boost.   Links: On Dick Mountain: One Last Season For the Oldest Man in Baseball? (Bat Flips and Nerds) Hurricanes save season, snap 15-game ECF skid with Game 4 win (ESPN) President Trump welcomes Florida Panthers to the White House (Yahoo! Sports) Matthew Tkachuk Explains Why He Feels Bad for Maple Leafs After Beating Them in Game 7 (Sports Illustrated) United States defeats Switzerland to win gold at 2025 IIHF World Championship (NHL.com) Former NHL Enforcer Sean Avery Announces He’s Writing a ‘Sexy and Addictive’ Romance Novel (People) Sean Avery used to mock Dustin Brown about his lisp and wife (NBC Sports) AHL’s Whale Done with Sean Avery (ESPN) Oppenheimer' Actor and Former NHL Star Sean Avery Facing Restraining Order Amid Abuse Allegations (Entertainment Tonight)  Mary-Kate Olsen and Sean Avery Are 'Just Friends' Despite Hanging Out Together Again in the Hamptons: Source (People) Changeover: A Young Rivalry and a New Era of Men’s Tennis (Simon & Schuster) Court Date (Substack) How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis (Front Office Sports) House Bill Takes Aim at Tax Break for Sports Owners (The New York Times) The Billionaire Playbook: How Sports Owners Use Their Teams to Avoid Millions in Taxes (ProPublica) Ambitious Democrats Have a New Game Plan: Yak It Up About Sports (The New York Times) Fame and Frustration On the New Media Circuit (Vulture) MLB Makes Eight-Figure Investment In New Softball League (Front Office Sports)

We’re G🏀NNA WIN! A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss life-threatning medical events on the field; weird food at ball parks; more New Pope content!; Belichick’s relationship is getting the worst kind of attention; and female athletes are finding financial stability on OnlyFans. Links: Angel City’s Savy King ‘stable’ after collapsing on field during Utah Royals game (The Athletic) Baseball’s Viral Concession Craze (Front Office Sports) The 16 Weirdest Food Items Hitting NFL Stadiums This Year (Delish) The Pope at the 2005 World Series (BlueSky) Spike Lee on the new pope (Instagram) SOUND HEALING RITUAL TO HELP AUSTON MATTHEWS SCORE GOALS AGAIN (TikTok) A couple of besties at semis? (TikTok) Pablo Torre Finds Out: The Jordon Rules: A PTFO Investigation (Apple Podcasts) Bill Belichick, Jordon Hudson and the making of a PR disaster (The Washington Post) Women Pro Athletes Are Joining OnlyFans — but It's Not All Spicy Business (Pop Sugar)

If the fit is tight, the house is not white… is that anything? A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss the new pope; the state of Big Events—are they worth it?; rating athletes’ Met Gala fits; dramatic Stanley Cup playoff finishes; Knicks fans are ON ONE; and we talk to Maggie Mertens about her book, Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women.   Links: This online game lets Italians predict the next pope like fantasy football (NPR) Grading Top Superstar Athletes' 2025 Met Gala Fits (with Help from a Pro Stylist) (The Bleacher Report) Charles Barkley and Shaq rate Met Gala outfits (TikTok) When he’s the celebrity, but in his eyes, you’re the star (Instagram) Jalen Hurts on going to the Trump White House (TikTok) Stars’ playoff monster Mikko Rantanen has been unlocked: ‘Mikko put the team on his back’ (The Athletic)  Winnipeg Jets dodge upset, outlast St. Louis Blues in Game 7 (ESPN) Jets tie it up at :03 seconds (TikTok) Normal people talking about the Knicks (Twitter) Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know about Women (Bookshop.org)

We’d also take the Lambeau Leap. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss the breaking of Jeff Skinner’s curse; harmonica national anthems; prank phone calls, we hate them; crying at the most heartwarming moment from the NFL draft; an update on Bill Belichick’s mystifying relationship; and we talk to comedian Tim Baltz about the NBA and pole dancing as an Olympic sport.   Links: The Enni Way (Sarah’s Substack) How a group of older harmonica-playing Korean women has captivated LA hockey fans (NPR) Shedeur Sanders had a custom draft room built for tonight (YouTube) NFL fines Falcons, DC Jeff Ulbrich over Shedeur Sanders prank call (ESPN) Barryn Sorrell surprises Green Bay when picked in 4th round (ESPN) Shannon Sharpe accused of rape in $50 million lawsuit, denies allegations (The Athletic) Fox, Shannon Sharpe Settled Physical Incident With Female PA (Front Office Sports) From Kobe Bryant to Hockey Canada: Athletes and the pursuit of ‘consent’ in the digital age (The Athletic) How the War Over Trans Athletes Tore a Volleyball Team Apart (The New York Times) Bill Belichick Accuses CBS of ‘Selectively’ Editing Awkward Girlfriend Clip (Front Office Sports) Bill Belichek’s interview got awkward (TikTok) Tim Baltz on First Draft With Sarah Enni  The Breaks of the Game (Hachette) Tall Tales: The Glory Years of the NBA, in the Words of the Men Who Played, Coached, and Built Pro Basketball (Bookshop.org) Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association (Bookshop.org) Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards shares surprising pick for his favorite movie after eliminating Lakers (CBS Sports) Anthony Edwards’ Ongoing Legal Battle With Baby Mother Reveals Contentious Text Messages (Vibe)

We’re training for the revolution. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. This week, culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff interviews investigative journalist Karim Zidan about his media venture, Sports Politika, which explores the intersection of sports, power and politics. They discuss the history of UFC; the evolution of politics in combat sports; the alt-right figures who claim it while also being super-bad at fighting; and how the sport can be saved from fascist capture.   Links: Sports Politika (Substack) Welcome to Chechnya, the HBO documentary based on Karim’s reporting In the Red Corner (Substack)

We’re all 80, baby. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss IRL baseball; the WNBA draft; golf “fashion”; and Taylor Swift’s NHL curse. Links: Kanye West on His Proposal to Kim: “If I Wanted It to Be Romantic, I Would Have Gone to a Small Restaurant or Something” (Vanity Fair)  Cal Raleigh dumping someone on the jumbotron during a game (TikTok) '90 seconds of pure joy': Behind Seattle's 'Hot Dogs from Heaven' (MLB) Ranking the best new foods at Dodger Stadium — including the $40 forearm-long hot dog (The LA Times) RFK Jr. said autistic people don’t work or play sports. They say he’s wrong. (The Washington Post) College stars’ surprising WNBA draft decisions all comes down to one thing (New York Post) How will the WNBA approach TCU star Sedona Prince? (The Athletic) Why The Masters told Jason Day to change his outfits for 2025: 'It'll be toned down.' (USA Today) TSwift has apparently "cursed" 4 NHL teams after being presented with a jersey...including my beloved Maple Leafs! (Reddit) The untold story of the curse of the Toronto Maple Leafs (The Leafs Nation)

We celebrate gabbing nonstop for 25+ hours. A podcast about where pop culture and sports culture collide… inspired by the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Culture critic and novelist Zan Romanoff and journalist and Scamfluencers senior producer Sarah Enni discuss the Dodgers at the White House; Alex Ovechkin breaking Gretzky’s goal record; Luka’s return to Dallas was super-emotional; and we take stock of where we’re at in the major sports schedules.     Links: Cory Booker sets a record with marathon Senate speech. Will it rally anti-Trump resistance? (AP) Russian Machine Never Breaks. But Alex Ovechkin Just Broke the Unbreakable. (The Ringer) ‘No different than a married couple’: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom endure (The Washington Post) Life insurance commercial (Sportsnet.ca) ‘He was gonna be our guy forever’: Mavs fans seek closure in Luka Dončić’s return (The Athletic) Freeman’s emotional first at-bat (MLB.com) Here’s why sports media can’t talk about sports anymore (Awful Announcing)