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The NFL divisional round playoffs are here! In the NFC, the Niners are looking for another upset on the road: this time in Lambeau, vs. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. And Matthew Stafford’s LA Rams have a date with Tom Brady and the Bucs, in Tampa. Over in the AFC, Joe Burrow and the Bengals will face a healthy Derrick Henry and the Titans, while Josh Allen and the Bills meet Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship. Mina Kimes takes us inside each matchup, and tells us what she’s watching for in this weekend’s games. 

The NFL longsnapper lives and dies in football’s “game of inches.” These unsung heroes have to aim the ball and get it to the kicker when the game is on the line. But what goes into the art and science of longsnapping? Dave Fleming brings us onto the field and shows us what the world looks like from a longsnapper’s point of view, and shares how these niche players do their high-precision, high-pressure jobs upside down where perfection is the only acceptable standard.

Despite decades of mediocrity, the New York Knicks inspire an almost religious devotion from their rabid fanbase. The Nets may play across town with three of the biggest stars in NBA history, but New York still bleeds blue and orange. That was never more evident than in the 1990s, when you could watch the Knicks fight on the court…figuratively and literally…at Madison Square Garden. Under the direction of head coach Pat Riley, and led by players like Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and John Starks, the Knicks pioneered a style of basketball that was physical, intimidating, and rarely beautiful. Chris Herring, author of Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks, explains how a team known for its tough guy image paved the way for the modern NBA.

Over the summer, Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks was struck and killed by fireworks at a 4th of July celebration in Michigan. It was a tragedy that hit especially hard for Kivlenieks’ friend and teammate, fellow netminder Elvis Merzlikins. The two goaltenders shared more than just their position: they were among just a handful of NHL players from the tiny nation of Latvia. Merzlikins even invited Kivlenieks to live with him and his wife in Columbus. Emily Kaplan joins the show to share the story of their friendship, the tragedy that took one life far too young, and how the Blue Jackets plan to honor their fallen teammate.

The heroics and heartbreak of the NFL playoffs are here! Our Monday QB Alex Smith breaks down all the action from a Super Wild Card weekend that delivered…from Cincinnati breaking its 31-year playoff curse, to the Cowboys finding yet another year of heartbreak as the clock ran down to 0…to the Bills decimating the Patriots. Then, ESPN’s Louis Riddick previews the first Monday Night Wild Card matchup in over 30 years…a rubber match between two familiar NFC West foes in the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.

NFL Super Wild Card Weekend is here! This supersized first round of playoff action has it all. The AFC playoffs will see the Raiders travel to Cincinnati to take on Joe Burrow - who’s in danger from Las Vegas DE Maxx Crosby, the Patriots and Bills grinding through single digit temperatures, and T.J. Watt making a stand, as the Steelers visit the Chiefs. The NFC side of things sets up an Eagles team who may be getting hot at the right time vs. the Super Bowl champion Bucs, a matchup laden with playoff history between the Cowboys-Niners, and Kyler Murray’s playoff debut when the Cardinals play the Rams. Bill Barnwell helps us make sense of every playoff game, under-the-radar player and storylines you may have missed, and what comes next.