Senior Writer for The Athletic, Rustin Dodd, and world-class coach Matt Hetherington stop by to explain why table tennis is the ultimate "brain sport." From helping pro athletes sharpen their reaction times to potentially warding off dementia, we explore why you should trade your running shoes for a paddle. With icons like LeBron James, Steph Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sidelined for the 2026 NBA All Star Game, Bulls writer Joel Lorenzi weighs in on whether a "US vs. The World" format or a 1v1 tournament save a weekend that’s lost its soul? Also, the "Quad God," figure skater Ilia Malinin often has math-defying performances, but is his technical dominance making the sport "ugly"? We discuss the evolution of scoring, the legalization of the backflip, and more.

Hosts & Guests

Zena Keita @itszenakeita

Robert Mays @robertmays

Jason Goff @Jason1Goff

Rustin Dodd @rustindodd

Matt Hetherington @mhtabletennis

Joel Lorenzi @JoelXLorenzi

Mix: Matt Shilts

Executive Producer: Maggie Burbank

Producer: Jen Bradley

A Production of The Athletic, Ode Studios, and Banner Studios.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zena and Jason welcome Dave DuFour to break down the final preparations for the Big Game, featuring a special sit-down between Robert Mays and Matt Ryan. Also, Jordy Fee-Platt joins the show to share the incredible "backyard" origin story of Olympic skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle and how his family’s "fun-first" philosophy built a gold-medal dynasty. Finally, we dive into the madness of the NBA trade deadline with The Athletic's Joe Vardon - did your team find a missing piece, or are they stuck in the league's new "two-tier" economy?

Hosts & Guests

Zena Keita @itszenakeita

Robert Mays @robertmays

Jason Goff @Jason1Goff

Dave DuFour @DaveDuFourNBA

Joe Vardon @joevardon

Jordan Fee-Platt @jfeep

Editor: Matt Shilts

Executive Producer: Maggie Burbank

Producer: Stephen Lorenzo

A Production of The Athletic, Ode Studios, and Banner Studios.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame just delivered the shock of the century by passing on Bill Belichick in his first year of eligibility. Is this a case of "Spygate" karma, or is the Hall out of touch? This week, we dive into the fallout of the snub heard ‘round the sports world. Bryson DeChambeau is at a crossroads that could dismantle pro golf as we know it, leading us to ask: Do we even need professional leagues anymore? From the WNBA’s labor war to the rise of "Unrivaled," we explore how player power is breaking the monopoly. Finally, we go deep on "The Unicorn." The Athletic’s Jared Weiss joins us to discuss Victor Wembanyama’s evolution from a basketball prodigy to a civic leader in San Antonio, proving that the most interesting thing about the Frenchman isn’t his wingspan—it’s his soul.

Hosts & Guests

Zena Keita @itszenakeita

Robert Mays @robertmays

Jason Goff @Jason1Goff

Jon Greenberg @jon_greenberg

Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA

Editor: Matt Shilts

Executive Producer: Maggie Burbank

Producer: Stephen Lorenzo

A Production of The Athletic, Ode Studios, and Banner Studios.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.