Big Wos of Ringer fame is here to break down what the hell compelled the Mavericks to trade away an MVP level player entering his prime. We get into why Mavs GM Nico Harrison may have done the unthinkable, and whether there are genuine concerns about the Lakers’ new franchise guy. A fine conversation with our favorite bon vivant.

Topics include but aren’t limited to…

* Could history ever validate this decision?

* Apparently I’ve joined the conventional wisdom in hating Adam Schefter’s tweet about the trade

* Are we now secretly rooting for Nico Harrison to somehow win this bad trade?

* Were there cultural tensions between Nico and Luka?

* Why was Nico perhaps ill suited for taking over the reins from Cuban

* How much it annoys GMs when a player gets FAT

* Why is Luka getting fat

* Luka and…beer?

* The issue with Nico being schooled in the Mamba Mentality

* Luka is Zion Williamson with results

* Did the Mavs make a “win now” move?

* Media squeamishness around discussing the DEI issue

* How do we feel about A'ja Wilson’s sneaker release?

And now for something completely different…

Razib Khan, beyond being a fine friend of pod, is an excellent genetic historian. He’s written a fascinating article about how Europe once had a burgeoning civilization…thousands of years before history as we know it began. We just haven’t understood much about a once thriving continent because these societies were largely wiped out by the people who became “Europeans”. These revelations turn a lot of conventional historical wisdom about ancient history on its head.

Quoting Razib:

Neolithic Europe was one of Eurasia’s most advanced regions 5,000 years ago, nearly on par with the Near East, matching India and surpassing China in material terms. In some domains, like gold-work, Europe was the pioneer. We may have forgotten this Europe, but it was hardly a backwater. It was a central engine of world civilization 5,000 years ago.

Through the magic of modern technology, we’re getting new insights into this lost world. With increasing clarity, we’re also seeing just how brutal human life was in pre modernity. It’s not sports or media exactly, but I just had to discuss this all with Razib. I believe it’s important information and I can’t stop thinking about it.

Topics include:

* Where everybody came from

* How nobody is really from anywhere

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Freddie stopped by and we had a great conversation about hating Chiefs dominance despite its evident merits, and all these other aspects of popular sports fandom. Oh, and we discussed his fantastic essay, “After Liberal Cultural Hegemony.” Topics include but aren’t limited to…

* Are NFL dynasties bad for the game?

* Why do we feel sorry for Josh Allen, winner at life?

* Is Josh Allen to blame for what happened?

* Benjamin Solak did not “read the room”

* Travis Kelce Fatigue

* You’re allowed to hate teams as a fan

* Stop telling fans to “appreciate greatness”

* Is the vibe shift bad for our respective businesses?

* What was the period before liberal hegemony ended? What was the point?

Author/Podcaster Nancy Rommelmann stops by to discuss a myriad of subjects both morbid and inspiring. This is the week I am, out loud, sorting out the current cultural moment. Nancy, in all her wide ranging curiosity, is an ideal thought partner in this venture. Topics include but aren’t limited to…

* Freddie’s “After Liberal Cultural Hegemony”

* Last Boys at the Beginning of History

* Will legacy magazines become interesting again?

* What young men see in Trump

* Meghan Markle's dry pie

* Why Mark Halperin has the best political podcast

* Cannibalism

* Why do people do political violence?

* Why is Nancy interested in violence as a writing topic?

Nate Jones and I are both trying to figure out the current moment, an era that more or less kicked off on January 20th. Where’s the culture headed now that Trump is officially in power? What are the implications for athlete/sports culture? How is social media different now versus when we started to use it? Enjoy!

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Great talk that’s anchored by this week’s cancellation of Very Bad Eagles Fan. As WIP host, pod friend Spike Eskin is our ambassador to all things Philly culture, plus a myriad of other pressing topics.

Topics include but aren’t limited to…

* Does the NBA have a “massive negativity problem”?

* The viral Eagles fan who called a Packers fan an “ugly dumb cunt”

* This Eagles fan seems bad, but was the moment contrived?

* We’re cancelling randos off viral videos again

* Philly fans have a negative reputation. Do they like that reputation?

* “History is fake”

* There once was an ancient, burgeoning European civilization that was wiped out

One of my favorite podcasts to date…

Independent NBA Podcast Beast Nate Duncan chastises me over my pronounciation and takes. He also offers his solution to what ails the NBA, but there’s a lot more. Topics include but aren’t limited to…

* Am I right to want hand checking above the arc?

* What good reforms has the NBA made?

* Are 3-pointers even the main issue?

* Does Nate send soup back?

* Is there a way to prevent Jimmy Butler situations?

* Do NFL quarterbacks get paid too little?

* Are dating apps good for society?

* Is it more uncomfortable to strike up a conversation with a random woman in a bar, or a surly athlete you have to interview?

* Nate doubts the power of conservative backlash against Caitlin Clark

As NFL newsbreaker Ian Rapoport told the world on Friday, preeminent sports media critic Ryan Glasspiegel is leaving the New York Post for Front Office Sports. Ryan and I discuss the why of his leaving such an established legacy brand, and segue into the business of sports media coverage. Plus we talk about the lurid Fox Sports sexual harassment allegations, California wildfires, current political cultural moment and more. Enjoy!