34 episodes

The intersection of sports, culture, and politics is at the heart of the new weekly podcast, The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, premiering Wednesday, November 3rd. Hosted by LZ Granderson, formerly of ESPN, now an op-ed columnist for the L.A.Times and a political contributor to ABC News, and Will Leitch, founder of the late website Deadspin, a contributing editor at New York Magazine, and the author of How Lucky, The Long Game dives into the most relevant sports topics of the week to not only break down the games, but the games people play. From vaccination hesitation, to online betting, to all of the wonderful "isms" and "phobias" we've come to know and love, sports not only reflect our culture, they drive our culture. Join Will and LZ as they explore the events on and off the field that collide with the political, business, and social concerns that captivate the American conversation.  
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Long Game with LZ & Leitch The Recount

    • Sports
    • 4.7 • 48 Ratings

The intersection of sports, culture, and politics is at the heart of the new weekly podcast, The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, premiering Wednesday, November 3rd. Hosted by LZ Granderson, formerly of ESPN, now an op-ed columnist for the L.A.Times and a political contributor to ABC News, and Will Leitch, founder of the late website Deadspin, a contributing editor at New York Magazine, and the author of How Lucky, The Long Game dives into the most relevant sports topics of the week to not only break down the games, but the games people play. From vaccination hesitation, to online betting, to all of the wonderful "isms" and "phobias" we've come to know and love, sports not only reflect our culture, they drive our culture. Join Will and LZ as they explore the events on and off the field that collide with the political, business, and social concerns that captivate the American conversation.  
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Buffalo Bills and LAFC are due, an NBA team needs to hire a female head coach, 'The Devil Wears Prada' owes us a sequel, and the Cards must deliver for Will's son

    The Buffalo Bills and LAFC are due, an NBA team needs to hire a female head coach, 'The Devil Wears Prada' owes us a sequel, and the Cards must deliver for Will's son

    On the final episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, Will and LZ reveal the teams they most want to see win a championship next; offer one change they hope will occur in the sports world one day; and explain the single event they'd love to see take place in their personal lives in the future (and no, it's not winning the lottery). Then they wrap up the show with a fond farewell — not goodbye — share a few memorable stories, and talk about what The Long Game and their growing relationship has meant to them.
    Thank you for listening to The Long Game with LZ & Leitch!

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

    • 1 hr 10 min
    NBA Conference Championships preview, sports fans should care more about Brittney Griner, the worst person in sports (continued), and why Michael Jordan is the most miserable superstar of them all

    NBA Conference Championships preview, sports fans should care more about Brittney Griner, the worst person in sports (continued), and why Michael Jordan is the most miserable superstar of them all

    On this episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, Will and LZ break down the NBA Conference Championships and make their predictions; talk about how the sports world would react if a male superstar athlete was incarcerated in Russia instead of Brittney Griner; and after their epic takedown of Skip Bayless last week, the two hosts continue their discussion of the worst people in sports, this time focusing on Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Then, they wrap up the show with their weekly "This Week In Sports History'' segment, explaining that the biggest difference between Michael Jordan and LeBron James is that LeBron is happy, while Michael seems decidedly miserable.The final episode of The Long Game drops next Wednesday. Thanks for listening!
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 54 min
    NBA Playoffs Round 2 takeaways, why the NFL, NBA, and MLB should stay silent on Roe v. Wade, and the worst person in sports

    NBA Playoffs Round 2 takeaways, why the NFL, NBA, and MLB should stay silent on Roe v. Wade, and the worst person in sports

    On this episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, Will and LZ talk about the best moments of Round 2 of the NBA playoffs; explain why it's smart for the NFL, NBA, and MLB to avoid making statements about the Supreme Court's possible repeal of Roe v. Wade; and discuss their choice for the worst person in sports. Then they wrap up the show with their weekly "This Week In Sports History'' segment, going back to 2006 when Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro suffered catastrophic injuries during the Preakness Stakes, which led to a nationwide 8-month vigil as the horse struggled in vain to return to health.
    The Long Game drops on Wednesdays. Listen, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts.

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

    • 58 min
    Jack Flaherty on the fight between the Mets and the Cardinals, a preview of Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs, and the NFL Draft's best and worst moves

    Jack Flaherty on the fight between the Mets and the Cardinals, a preview of Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs, and the NFL Draft's best and worst moves

    On this episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, Will and LZ are joined by Jack Flaherty, star pitcher of the St. Louis Cardinals, to discuss MLB's unwritten rules and what happened in last week's fight between the Cards and the Mets. Will and LZ also preview the second round of the NBA playoffs; nominate the smartest and dumbest moves in the recent NFL Draft; and weigh in on the latest news about the Supreme Court and Roe v. Wade. Then they wrap up the show with their weekly "This Week In Sports History'' segment, going back 41 years to when tennis great Billie Jean King became the first athlete to be publicly outed when she was sued by a former girlfriend for money and property.
    The Long Game drops every Wednesday. Listen, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts.

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

    • 1 hr 6 min
    The NFL Draft is losing its luster, the NBA Playoffs are a war of attrition, and a fierce debate over the Wimbledon bans

    The NFL Draft is losing its luster, the NBA Playoffs are a war of attrition, and a fierce debate over the Wimbledon bans

    On this episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, Will and LZ discuss why the NFL Draft matters less now than it ever has; break down the wild and crazy NBA Playoffs and explain why the next champion will hail from the East; and engage in a hot debate over Wimbledon's ban of Russian and Belarusian players. Then they are joined by Josh Kantor, the organist for the Boston Red Sox, to wrap up the show with their weekly "This Week In Sports History'' segment on the 81st anniversary of the first live organ music played at a baseball game.
    The Long Game drops every Wednesday. Listen, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts.

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

    • 1 hr 10 min
    The high-stakes business of NFL quarterbacks, Daniel Snyder has finally gone too far, and NIL deals are scaring Nick Saban

    The high-stakes business of NFL quarterbacks, Daniel Snyder has finally gone too far, and NIL deals are scaring Nick Saban

    On this episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, Will and LZ discuss why some NFL quarterbacks have more leverage in contract negotiations than ever while others may not get paid what they expect; break down the alleged financial misdeeds of Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder and how Snyder's actions reveal what matters most to the league; and explain why Alabama head football coach Nick Saban is starting to get very worried about student athletes getting paid for their names, images, and likenesses. Then they wrap up the show with their weekly "This Week In Sports History" segment, imagining how the world would be different if George W. Bush was named MLB commissioner instead of Bud Selig.
    The Long Game drops every Wednesday. Listen, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts.

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

    • 1 hr 4 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
48 Ratings

48 Ratings

mb7762 ,

Solid analysis

Great commentary and analysis on American sports and their impact on culture. Show keeps getting better, keep it up!

Activite Pop User ,

Great team!

I have listened to all of the episodes and LZ and Leitch keep getting better and better. Loved this episode discussing Steph, Tiger and LeBron among other things. The pair are not afraid to disagree and sometimes can change each other’s mind. Nice historical perspective too. If you like sports this is one to subscribe to!

Lilmee ,

Trash

Absolutely garbage

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