BBCollective

Latest Episodes:

B3 - "Eddie the Eagle" Jun 02, 2020

Show notes

For the BBCollective’s second post-season bonus episode, Zak presents the story of Michael Edwards, AKA “Eddie the Eagle,” the English Olympic ski-jumper par not quite excellence who most famously captured the world’s attention with his “performance” in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Zak charts Edwards’ rise from humble every-man craftsman to international Olympic celebrity/influencer, and his ultimate transition to British cultural sensation in deep factual and humorous detail.

B2 - The Players League May 26, 2020

Show notes

In our first post-season 1 bonus episode, the Collective experiments with a Dollop-inspired main topic, as Ed discusses the formation, brief existence and enduring legacy of the Players’ League. The league’s founder, John Montgomery Ward, it’s place in the baseball landscape of the 19th century, and the possibility of whether a fully labor-operated league could exist in today’s sporting world provide the focus of Ed’s chronicle.

8. The Last Dance May 19, 2020

Show notes

For our season finale, the BBCollective tackles “The Last Dance,” the acclaimed 10-part ESPN documentary of the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990’s. While Jordan rules as the fulcrum of the conversation, the complicated legacies of Jerry Krause, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson, among others are also all examined in depth. But first, Andrew addresses the NFL’s latest sorry attempt at enhancing the Rooney Rule, Ed amplifies the otherwise under-reported travails of New Orleans sanitation workers in the wake of COVID, and Zak takes Brian Kemp to task for his latest bit of gross incompetence.

7. Paying College Players May 12, 2020

Show notes

On this week’s episode, the Collective discuss the myth of amateurism and the NCAA, with a deep-dive on an exploitative culture where coaches, administrators and sneaker executives reap seemingly endless dollars in salary at the expense of the uninsured, uncompensated “student athletes” that generate the revenue. But first, Ed leads off with an assessment of the inglorious post-career exploits of Curt Schilling, Zak sets the tone for the main topic with a critical look at the immorality of the McDonald’s All-American Game, and Andrew goes all-in at the thought of a resurgent UConn men’s basketball program.

6. The Kentucky Derby May 05, 2020

Show notes

On this week’s episode, the Collective tackles the cultural legacy and social context of the Kentucky Derby, originally slated for this past weekend in it’s traditional first Saturday of May slot but postponed to the fall in the wake of COVID-19. In lieu of picks for the race, we instead pick some very serious nits with regard to the event’s deeply troubled history with issues of race and class, and the immorality in both the gambling culture that envelops the race, and in the abject objectification of the contest’s participants. We open with Ed’s assessment of the career and legacy of Don Mattingly, Zak’s thoughts on the continued rejection of equal pay for women by the USSF and complicity of the federal court system in doing so, and Andrew’s view of the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons teams and their foothold in basketball’s modern history.

5. Rooney Rule/NFL Draft Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

On this week’s episode, the panel examines the effectivity, or lack there of, of the NFL’s Rooney Rule in insuring minority candidates a fair shake in the league’s coaching hire process. The policy’s history, shortcomings and potential improvements are all highlighted. But first, Zak describes the conflicting emotions surrounding the optics of last week’s NFL Draft, Ed considers the NBA’s broader responsibility in their plan for a return in the wake of COVID-19, and Andrew attempts to reconcile how an exhibition golf match may qualify as essential business.

4. The Masters Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

This week, the Bill Bradley Collective discuss the highly troubled discriminatory history of the Augusta National Golf Club and Masters Tournament. Both the club’s racial and gender issues are examined, with a focus examining the club’s inception, the esteemed first African American competitor, the sexist mores that still permeate and finally whether there is any hope for a progressive transition in Augusta National’s values and attitudes. In this week’s rants, Zak considers our sporting world devoid of fans in the wake of COVID-19, Ed calls out the political expediency of Trump encouraging protests against shelter-in-place orders, and Andrew summarizes the aided self-destruction of a once-promising heavyweight contender.

3. Sports Resurrection Apr 14, 2020

Show notes

This week, the Collective presents a “resurrection”-themed discussion in observation of Easter Sunday. In a wide-ranging conversation, the hosts first reflect on the Boston Red Sox, in pre- and post-2004 context. Golf’s two foremost legends and their respective last(?) Masters triumphs are next examined, followed by an evaluation of the talented neophytes occupying NBA backcourts, who we’d rather be watching than projecting in our hopefully soon-resurrected sports world. In addition, Zak buries the the right wing’s efforts to tie COVID-19 to various inane conspiracy theories, Andrew says a eulogy for the XFL (again), and Ed draws comps between two collections of sad sacks from the political and sporting worlds that we are not about to just give away in this summary. Brought to you from the great outdoors, finally together in person and most assuredly in observance of social distancing measures, join us for a fun, eclectic episode.

2. Bill Bradley Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

For this week’s episode, the hosts dive into the athletic and political lives of their very namesake, Bill Bradley. We discuss the superlative collegiate career at Princeton and ten-year NBA run that follows. His second act as U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential nominee is also examined. Also this week, Zak rebukes the myth of cancel culture vis-a-vis John Rocker, Ed considers the charitable efforts of old friend Robert Kraft in the wake of our global pandemic, and Andrew highlights three of the newest inductees to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Come for our rants and the Bill Bradley profile, stay for 1965 NBA Draft minutiae!

1. NFL CBA Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

On this week’s episode Andrew talks about his COVID-19 movie choices (including our first guest as Zak’s wife Laura talks about The Cutting Edge), Ed talks about Bill Simmons and Simmons’ claims about cancel culture, and Zak talks about the NBA holding a tournament championship. The main topic discusses the new collective bargaining agreement in the NFL and its impact on players and the season

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