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Episode 141b: Australian Open Day 2: Feel-Good Upset Jan 19, 2016

Show notes

In our Australian Open Day 2 episode, Ben and Courtney talk about three upset losses that cropped up on the day: Venus Williams (who you won't hear from, as she bailed on press again), Rafael Nadal (who was optimistic overall in the face of getting blown away by power with increasing frequency), and Simona Halep, whose loss to Zhang Shuai (who you hear from) revealed an incredibly emotional, humanizing moment for tennis. Seriously, it was pretty cool.
Oh, and our Kickstarter campaign is over, and 596 of you raised $22,050 to support NCR this year. We're blown away as all heck.
As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting platform of choice may be!

Episode 141a: Australian Open Day 1: Fixin' for a Fixin' Jan 18, 2016

Show notes

Through your Kickstarter support, we know you wanted more NCR in 2016, so Ben and Courtney are giving you more NCR in 2016! We'll be doing daily(ish) episodes from the 2016 Australian Open, and golly was Day 1 a doozy! After reviewing some results (you'll hear from winners Petra Kvitova and coach Patrick Mouratoglou, as well as losers Sloane Stephens and super sore loser Benoit Paire), we dive into the story that hijacked the day: the BBC/Buzzfeed reports on match fixing and Tennis Integrity Unit shortcomings. You'll hear from ATP head Chris Kermode as well as TIU's Nigel Willerton in their press conference, then Novak Djokovic. Lastly, Ben and Courtney are joined by British journalist Simon Cambers, who has covered the TIU closer than most anyone. Is this really the bombshell it's being made out to be? We discuss.
As of posting this there are only *HOURS* to go in our massively delighting Kickstarter campaign (over $20,000!!!), so if you haven't yet and might want to, go do it right now! Last chance link here.

As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting platform of choice may be!

Episode 140: Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Draw, Draw, Draw! Jan 15, 2016

Show notes

The draws for the 2016 Australian Open are out, and Ben and Courtney are here to be as sage as possible through what are generally two pretty inspiring, even draws. Does Serena face any players who might be able to derail her, maybe as soon as the first round? And what about Victoria Azarenka, who has looked so good so far and seemed to land in an ideal spot? After more chat on the ladies, can anyone even consider the possibility that Novak Djokovic might lose? And is Bernard Tomic's draw really so good as to justify his Sydney shenanigans. All that, plus Courtney slowly gets caught up on Homeland and Ben is all for vaguely catchy but decidedly clunky propaganda.
There are only a couple of days left in our Kickstarter campaign, so reading this is likely your last chance to be reminded to donate to the NCR cause if you haven't yet and would still like to. Your support has been overwhelming so far (and good lord, the postcard haul will be massive), but if you happen to be a straggler who wants to jump on board before the train pulls out of the station, your last chance is here.
As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting platform of choice may be!

Episode 139: Starting on the Right Foot Jan 12, 2016

Show notes

After the first week of tennis, Ben and Courtney look around to see how things have started in the 2016 season of tennis. As carnage accumulates, things sure look good for Brisbane champions Victoria Azarenka and Milos Raonic, don't they? You'll hear from both of them (and Azarenka's coach Wim Fissette), as well as runner-up Roger Federer. Elsewhere, gosh was Novak Djokovic able to do unspeakable things to Rafael Nadal in that Doha final. Has anyone ever been such a clear favorite heading into a Grand Slam? And has anything ever been as overblown as the reaction to Jack Sock conceding a first serve in a friendly farewell tour exhibition match? We discuss all that and more.
There is now less than a week to go in our Kickstarter campaign, so if you want to support us and get any of our neato rewards before it's too late, don't delay! Your support has been super amazing already, and we can't thank you all enough. If you haven't yet and still want to, you can find out more here.
As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting platform of choice may be!

Episode 138: Wobbly Stars and Fierce Pearce Jan 05, 2016

Show notes

It's our Season 5 premiere! Ben and Courtney are back together in person for the first time since the U.S. Open, and they're ready to tackle the 2016 season. But are any of the top WTA players? With injuries to three of the top-five already, it sure doesn't seem like it. But one player who does seem ready is Victoria Azarenka (9min40sec), who you'll hear from at her first Brisbane press conference.
After a reflection on the demise of BerdycH&M (17min), we're delighted to be joined by one of our favorite Aussies, Linda Pearce of The Age in Melbourne (21 min), who shares some of her adventures in Australian tennis. We try to hide our jealousy over the incredibly colorful tapestry of characters she has to work with. We fail.
With less than two weeks to go in our Kickstarter campaign, we're over 500% of our initial base goal, which is astoundingly awesome. We've rolled out a few new rewards, and a stretch goal for $17,000 (live Periscopes every day of the Australian Open!) so if you want to get in on it before it's too late you can do so here.

As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting platform of choice may be!

Episode 137: Hey, Remember When 2015 Happened? Dec 30, 2015

Show notes

In their 2015 season finale, Ben and Courtney look back at the year that was in tennis. After discussing the retirement and legacy of Robin Soderling this past week, we flip through back the calendar to piece together the year that was through a chronological game of #RememberWhen. From Serena ordering coffee on court to champagne nearly de-eyeing Novak Djokovic, it was a year whimsy and wild moments that quenched our thirst all year long. Tweet us your own #RememberWhen moments to @NCR_Tennis! In a combined, lengthy rant/rave, Ben and Courtney get spoilery on their latest obsession, the Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer. So, don't listen to that if you haven't finished (or started) the show yet.
With less than three weeks to go in our Kickstarter campaign, we're an incredible $10,000 over our initial base goal! You guys are awesome! There's still many cool rewards on offer (including our new #ImJustHereForThePostcards set of four) and lots of time for more of you to join the cause. Even though we've surpassed all our original expectations, the number of donors so far is still under 5% of NCR listener ship, and we'd love to widen the base of those onboard, so we're continually rolling out stretch goals and backers-only content! Join in here.
As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting platform of choice may be!

Episode 136: O Come, All Ye Random Numbers Dec 23, 2015

Show notes

As they deck the halls, Ben and Courtney fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la over Roger Federer's 2016 schedule, which throws out the mold and the clay. Should more players follow his lead and pick and choose more selectively from the all-you-can-eat buffet that is the tennis calendar? Then, we wrap and stick under the tree what you've all been asking NCR Santa for: Take a Number, and lots of it. After a few rounds of lucky numbers, we then soup it up and hold our second annual Secret Santa for the ATP and WTA top 10s (with a couple substitutions). Then Ben raves and Courtney raves and raves and rants and raves some more. Because it's Christmas, and we should all be cheery cashiers Robin Hood-ing when we can.
With less than four weeks to go in our campaign, we thank you for continuing to make our Kickstarter campaign such a success so far! We're already blown away by the totals (over $11,000 as of publishing this episode!) but would love to see a higher percentage of our audience chip in, even if it's just a tiny amount. You guys are helping to make NCR bigger and better, and the tennis world is taking notice. You can support NCR and gain access to exclusive backers-only content here, which includes Ben diving deep into his rave for GeoGuessr. Also, we're offering a new #ImJustHereForThePostcards reward level!

As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting platform of choice may be!

Episode 135: Lindsay Davenport (and Olympic Chat) Dec 16, 2015

Show notes

Who better than 1996 gold medalist Lindsay Davenport to join Ben and Courtney to talk about the Olympics? Well, Lindsay is awesome on anything and everything, but for this Olympics-themed episode as we're on the eve of an Olympic year, Lindsay shares her memories from her various Olympic efforts, her thoughts on how the Olympics have grown in stature within tennis, and the show-and-tell duties that they never tell you about when you're on the podium. Ben and Courtney also discuss various other Olympic issues, including their disruptiveness in the calendar, qualifying rules, and which mixed doubles teams we #RioShip.
And again, we thank you for continuing to make our Kickstarter campaign such a success so far! We're already blown away by the totals, but would love to see more of you become backers at any level, no matter how small. Support and gain access to exclusive backers-only content here.
As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting platform of choice may be!

Episode 134a: Serena Williams is Sportsperson of the Year Dec 14, 2015

Show notes

In a rare emergency episode that is for an indisputably positive reason (neigh-sayers aside), Ben and Courtney discuss Serena Williams being honored by Sports Illustrated as their Sportsperson of the Year for 2015, becoming the first woman to win the award outright in over 30 years, and the first tennis player in over 20 years. To discuss how Serena clinched the honor, we're joined by Sports Illustrated's executive editor Jon Wertheim (host of SI's reinvigorated tennis podcast Beyond the Baseline), who dives into the process of picking the Sportsperson as well as what it's been like to have his entire career overlap so closely with Serena's.
We finish by thanking you guys for the beyond amazing start to our Kickstarter campaign, with you guys more than doubling our base goal in less than a week. You guys are the best, and have opened lots of exciting possibilities for what the show can do next year. It's still going for another five weeks, so if you'd like to join in and get access to some exclusive backers-only content you can do so by chipping in here.

As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting platform of choice may be!

Episode 134: Kickin' Back in the Off-Season. Dec 08, 2015

Show notes

As the off-season starts to get comfortable (and shorter, sadly), Ben and Courtney dive into the mailbag once again to discuss a whole bushel of topics. Is IPTL worth paying attention to for tennis fans? And is it a good proposition for the players who play it, including the lethargic Serena Williams? We also discuss our Hall of Fame ballots, and the legacies of nominees Justine Henin, Marat Safin, and Helena Sukova. Also in questions, we discuss what fair 2016 expectations are for Serena and Djokovic, LGBT issues in tennis, and Andrea Petkovic's doubts about her tennis motivations and what they can teach us all.
Also, in an effort to continue growing and improving, we officially launch our Kickstarter campaign to help support NCR in 2016! You can donate and learn more about our Kickstarter campaign here. Check it out, and thanks in advance for considering us!
As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes or whatever your podcasting platform of choice may be!

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