Le Batard & Friends Network

Something major happened in the NCAA this past Friday, the house settlement. Schools can now directly pay college athletes. MAJOR! Let’s talk about what will happen next. Tanking. Lawsuits. Drama. Transfers. You name it. (18:00) Craig Kimbrel was DFA’d by after one game. Woof. Why did the Braves do this? (28:30) The Rays stadium may be fixed. More and more money being spent to fix The Trop. How fun. (34:30) Michael Jordan is in some trouble. This time in NASCAR. Let’s talk about why he’s in trouble and what could happen. (41:00) NBA expansion. Is it happening or not? Is Seattle and Vegas getting a team or not? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘answer’ as in response as in Thunder as in NBA Finals as in Pacers as in SGA. Oklahoma City rolled in Game 2 like everyone thought they would. Heartbreak in Game 1, but this team knows how to respond. How about the NBA putting the logo on the court digitally? Were you a fan of that? (11:00) Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played one of the best tennis matches you’ll ever see in the French Open final. Amazing tennis. What a comeback. Couldn’t believe my eyes. On the opposite side we have Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka. Gauff won her second Grand Slam. Sabalenka won the first set and then was outplayed. After the match… sore loser times a million. (30:00) Review: Pee Wee as Himself (34:10) Corbin Burnes is done for the season. Another pitcher needing Tommy John. Here we go again. (44:00) I have never seen what happened to Ryan Weathers happen before. Drilled in the head by a throw to 2nd in a warmup. And he stayed in the game after being flat on the field. What? Are the Marlins serious? (49:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Pacers beat the Thunder in a thrilling Game 1 of the NBA Finals. In OKC everyone wears the stadium shirts and sings Titanium by Sia. The arena was loud, but their excitement died down when Tyrese Haliburton hit the game winner. Cason Wallace and Lu Dort did everything they could on defense to keep Haliburton in the Dorture Chamber. Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin were unsung heroes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needed help but Chet Holmgren was not productive and the Thunder couldn’t convert on their turnovers. All that and Iciest Play of the week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The day has finally come. Matthew Coca, my producer, is joining the show for a whole hour! We discuss the NBA Finals. We discuss service-time manipulation. We discuss making stars. We discuss Elon v. Trump! We discuss it all! You can follow him on TWITTER @matthewcoca I am Matthew Coca writing this whole thing hehehehe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘precisely’ as in the Pacers as in Tyrese Haliburton as in the Thunder as in SGA as in NBA Finals. The Pacers did it again. Another comeback win late. How are they doing this? It looked like the Thunder were going to win by 50! And then Tyrese Haliburton hit a game-winner. The Thunder just crumbled in the final 2 minutes. (10:40) The White Sox are for sale, but not really. Jerry Reinsdorf is ready to hand the team over to an Ishbia. Not the Suns owner, but his brother Justin! No later than 2034! (26:30) Review: Mountainhead. (35:00) Aaron Rodgers has joined the Steelers. How fun. The Steelers are suckers. (43:00) NPPOD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jess returns to Mystery Crate just in time for Billy to open up some of her mail that's piling up at the Meadowlark Media studio. The show remembers pitchman Billy Mays and how a certain product almost killed Billy. Later, Chris Cote learns that central air conditioning isn't everywhere, Amin doesn't see the hype around Portillo's and Jess has a new Mystery Crate exclusive Top 5! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone blow the 1998 NBA Finals by promoting their pro-wrestling match... on the court?! Should there be an asterisk?! Is it time for Michael Jordan to relinquish the throne?! Correspondent Neil Punsalan enters a sports marketing wormhole to present Pablo with a box full of evidence, grill eyewitnesses, and put to rest — once and for all — if The Mailman always rings twice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Silver talked about the NBA All-Star Game and guess what? The format has changed again! The game will be on NBC and next season the network has the Winter Olympics! (5:00) Our Thursday guest this week is Pablo Torre and he has joined the show! (27:00) FIFA is slashing prices for the Club World Cup already. Who could have seen this coming? Not even Messi could pull this many fans. Is it the stadium size? (38:00) The Chicago Fire have lapped the Bears and the White Sox for a new stadium! What!? How did this happen!? (46:00) The French Open is going on! Are you watching? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘McOverrated’ as in Connor McDavid as in the Edmonton Oilers as in NOT overrated. The Panthers jumped out to a 3-1 lead and blew it! Leon Draisaitl had the game-winner, McDavid had two assists. And Edmonton has the 1-0 series lead. Who doesn’t love playoff overtime? We will also break down taxes! Who doesn’t love taxes!? (16:00) Rob Manfred met the media yesterday. He had a whole lot to say about some major things. ABS is coming to baseball. Robot umps? Kind of! Automated Ball-Strike System is here in 2026. (22:00) Rob Manfred also spoke on the TV contracts. Where is the next media deal? Could be coming this July. He also had to comment on Pete Rose, Donald Trump, and the impact of the tariffs. (33:05) Review: 500 Days of Summer. (38:00) What is going on with the MLB salary cap? Is it happening? Will it happen? Should it happen? (44:00) NBA Finals are here! Are you excited? (51:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

LeBron called him the smartest hooper alive. Coach K called him an alien. Obama called him for a Hall-of-Fame pickup game (and a historic BBQ). But two-time NBA champion Shane Battier has been measuring the immeasurable inflection points of his career all along — from growing up "mixed, tall and poor"; to puking at Duke, guarding Kobe and witnessing LeBron's GOAT-defining game; to failing at ESPN and building a cabinet of relationships… including his therapist. Pablo cracks open the brain of the legend known as Lego, to find out if he really is human after all. Plus: Patrennessy, Laptop magazine and karaoke. Lots of karaoke. • Subscribe to "Glue Guys" with Shane Battier & Alex Smith https://www.youtube.com/@GlueGuysPodcast • The No-Stats All-Star (Michael Lewis) https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15Battier-t.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We made it to the NBA Finals! The Thunder take on the Pacers (aka Thunder Lite) in what Izzy and Amin predict will be a tight, fast-paced clash of styles series. Everything the Pacers can do, the Thunder can do better. The only time the Pacers have a glimmer of hope is when it comes to coaching and pace of play. The biggest question is, who should guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Everybody? The Thunder have already climbed the biggest mountain, beating Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets, so the Pacers should be an easier hill to climb. Plus, we break down the week's biggest Headlines! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Call our So You Wanna Talk to Samson Hotline at 631-377-4869! It’s So You Wanna Talk to Samson hour! You asked the questions, and we have the answers! First question was about thanking the fans! I forgot to do it! OOOOOF! (5:10) Someone asked me about Canadian teams and how much harder it is to win because of currency change. Is this a real thing? Let’s discuss! (16:00) What’s happening with MLB broadcasts? The Arizona Diamondbacks local broadcast was taken over by MLB and it’s been seamless. Nice. But what happens when MLB makes new TV deals. (26:30) Someone asked me if I could cover gambling and the moves by gambling companies. Or if I have to bow down to the powers that be. (35:00) What happens if the Rays and A’s make the playoffs? Where would they play home games? Can’t be where they both currently play! (43:00) Will the Pirates trade Paul Skenes? NO! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘canned’ as in Thibs as in the Knicks as in James Dolan as in Leon Rose as in Jalen Brunson. After just 5 seasons Tom Thibodeau is out in New York. Eastern Conference Finals appearance? Who cares! Back-to-back 50-win seasons? Who cares! That’s what went down. (15:15) What is happening with the Rays? Are they staying or leaving? Is the Trop being fixed or not? Is Florida giving the Rays money or not? Ron DeSantis is all over it! (23:00) The Orioles are in a bad spot. The team is bad, but on a nice run right now. Disappointing team. Fans aren’t showing up like they have in the past few seasons. (32:50) Review: Luckiest Man in America. (38:00) Wake Forest had to apologize for its head baseball coach after the team was eliminated from the College World Series. Tom Walter was caught on camera yelling an anti-gay slur at a Tennessee player. Uh oh. Consequences? Haven’t seen them. (48:00) NPPOD. Let’s talk the Stanley Cup! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The largest domino hanging over the NBA offseason is Giannis Antetokounmpo, the biggest, sexiest, star on the trade block. Is Milwaukee really prepared to let him go? Stephen A. Smith says the Knicks should make a deal, but would the Greek Freak fit alongside Jalen Brunson? The Heat could hypothetically trade for him, but lately Miami has been all bark and no bite. And are these Raptors rumors real? Would Toronto really trade roller skating legend Scottie Barnes? All the Giannis speculation you can handle on today's episode of Oddball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this season finale of GoalLess... the guys discuss PSG's dismantling of Inter Milan in the Champions League final and whether or not Manchester United vs Tottenham was the worst European final of all time. Also, a look back at some of this season's best bits and our way too early 2025-26 predictions. Thanks for listening this season, see you all this fall! And always remember, of all the unimportant things in life, football is the most important! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We start Hour 2 with your first guest! Dan Le Batard is here! (22:10) Inside the NBA is not going away. Why is everyone saying it? The show goes on! Even if Sir Charles he’s leaving… he won’t! (32:45) Texas Tech is head to the Women’s College World Series all because of NIL money. $1 million. That’s what it took to get NiJaree Canady. And she delivered and took down a dynasty! (39:30) Livvy Dunne Tok to TikTok and had some choice words for autograph chasers. It’s a bad situation for everyone. (46:00) Seattle Sounders want a bigger share of money from FIFA. The clubs are getting huge money. The leagues are getting huge money. But what about the players playing extra games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘preview’ as in Dodgers as in Mets as in baseball as in playoffs. Let’s talk about the 4-game series in June and what it could say for both teams moving forward. Will we see a rematch of last season’s NLCS? I’d also like to talk about Lou Gehrig Day in MLB and what an awful disease ALS is. (10:30) Fredi Gonzalez is back! Our guy! He’s back with the Braves! (18:00) When will we know where MLB games where MLB games will be played next year? Is it ESPN? Is it Apple? Is it NBC? Is it somewhere else!? (31:20) Review: Hacks Season 4. (35:10) Let’s talk about ratings! Everyone is obsessed with ratings. From press releases to cover stories to talking fans. Why are we so into the ratings? (42:30) NPPOD. (47:40) The FBI is investigation the MLBPA and NFLPA. Uh oh! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How often are male friends sincere? Can you work your way into fighting shape? Should parents let their kids get on the juice? What makes a nerd? And how do you do a threesome? Plus: burgling, maquettes, hotel phones, the recognizability of a cursive Z... and The Adventures of Lil' David Samson, prosperity gospel panderer. • Help David Samson raise $50,000 for Parkinson's research https://give.michaeljfox.org/fundraiser/6398662 • Subscribe to "Nothing Personal with David Samson" https://www.youtube.com/@npds • Subscribe to "The Domonique Foxworth Show" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-domonique-foxworth-show/id1642566714 Previously on PTFO: • Is Russell Wilson an Undercover Alien Running for President of the United States? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO5EWTs6GyQ • The Hard Truth About Orgasms in Sports, with Domonique Foxworth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wifyyrtuKDk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The New York Knicks lost in the Eastern Conference Finals and they left us with more questions than answers. Here on Oddball we ask, What’s Knixt? Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson don’t work well together. KAT was not defensively strong. And Brunson is not a happy passer. Can the Knicks run it back with the same lineup? Tom Thibodeau took the Knicks the farthest they have been in 25 years, but is he worth another year? Who could be the missing piece in the Knicks lineup? Giannis Antetokounmpo? Kevin Durant? LeBron James? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Corbin Burnes is hurt. Felt a pop in his elbow. This is bad bad bad news for the Diamondbacks! (5:26) A Yankees fan was hit by a piece of concrete during a Dodgers game this past weekend. How can that happen? What happens next? (15:00) Cooper Flagg reportedly made some huge money at Duke. New Balance paid up. Fanatics paid up. NIL money is something serious. (24:00) NPPOD. (29:40) Zion Williamson is in some trouble. He’s been accused of rape, abuse, mental abuse, you name it. It stems from a previous relationship he was in. What a bad career he’s had to this point. True or not here. Just a disappointment. (93:00) Jackie Caglianone is getting called up. Big time prospect. Is this smart for the team’s future? Should they have waited? (39:00) The online abuse needs to stop. Fans need to stop. We’ve reach a point where enough has to be enough. We cannot accept all the threats being sent player’s, or people’s, way. (51:00) The Marlins DFA’d a player after a 3-error game. Woof. Let’s explain what happened here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices