The Long Game with LZ & Leitch

Latest Episodes:

March Madness is eternal, Jerry Jones is a villain, athletes mum on "Don't Say Gay" Mar 16, 2022

Show notes

On this episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, LZ and Will preview the NCAA college basketball tournaments and predict both final fours and tourney MVPs; examine why Coco Gauff is the only well-known athlete to criticize Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, and explain why Jerry Jones is every bit the villain that Dan Snyder is. They wrap up with a "This Week in Sports History" segment about Phil Jackson's tumultuous tenure as president of the New York Knicks, and answer a round of listener questions.

Watch The Long Game with LZ & Leitch every Tuesday at 12:30pm ET at twitch.tv/therecount; on Twitter @therecount; and on YouTube at youtube.com/TheRecount.

Join "The Long Game-Will Leitch Newsletter NCAA College Basketball Tournament Pool" here and win a chance to appear on a future The Long Game episode: Will Leitch Newsletter NCAA Men’s Basketball Pool

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An interview with Sean McVay, the terrifying charges against Brittney Griner, and hating on Coach K Mar 09, 2022

Show notes

On this episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, L.A. Rams and Super Bowl champion head coach Sean McVay stops by to talk about how L.A. is treating him now that he's won the big one, the status of his relationship with Jon Gruden, and his personal connection to the ongoing war in Ukraine, among many other topics. Will and LZ also break down the highly concerning arrest of WNBA star Brittney Griner in Moscow, and after "sports hating" on Coach K, even find a reason or two to praise him. And to honor International Women's Day, they wrap up with a "This Week in Sports History" segment about the lawsuit that finally opened locker room doors to female sports reporters.

Watch The Long Game with LZ & Leitch every Tuesday at 12:30pm ET at twitch.tv/therecount; on Twitter @therecount; and on YouTube at youtube.com/TheRecount.

Happy Birthday LZ!

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Russian athletes are united, Phil Mickelson only cares about Phil Mickelson, and baseball's blowing it (again) Mar 02, 2022

Show notes

On this episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, Will and LZ discuss how the unified reaction of Russian athletes to the invasion of Ukraine reveals that athletes have more power than they realize; explain how Phil Mickelson could have been a hero instead of a pariah; and lament how MLB owners choked the joy out of baseball. Then they wrap up the show with a “This Week In Sports History” segment about the “death penalty” for SMU football in 1987 and why it’s unthinkable that a college football season could ever be canceled again; and with a listener Q&A.

Watch The Long Game with LZ & Leitch every Tuesday at 12:30pm ET at twitch.tv/therecount; on Twitter @therecount; and on YouTube at youtube.com/TheRecount.

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

Baseball's owners have won, Ja Morant for MVP, and free Kyrie Irving Feb 23, 2022

Show notes

On this episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, LZ and Will explain why baseball's owners have already won their labor negotiation with the players; make their case for Ja Morant as NBA MVP, and concede that it's time for Kyrie Irving to play ball in New York City. Then they wrap up the show with a "This Week In Sports History" segment about "The Miracle on Ice" and why it would be perceived much differently if it happened today, and with a listener Q&A.

Watch The Long Game with LZ & Leitch every Tuesday at 12:30pm ET at twitch.tv/therecount.

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

L.A. is the epicenter of the NFL, James Harden's last shot, and baseball is in serious danger Feb 16, 2022

Show notes

On this episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, LZ and Will explain why the NFL loves L.A. and why Matthew Stafford is better than you think; wonder if James Harden is eating himself out of "forcehood", and discuss how MLB owners are underestimating the players. Then they wrap up the show with a great "This Week In Sports History" segment on the 10-year anniversary of "Linsanity", and with a listener Q&A.

Watch The Long Game with LZ & Leitch Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 12:30pm ET at twitch.tv/therecount.

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

You've never heard of the most important player in NFL history Feb 11, 2022

Show notes

On this special episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch: You've never heard of the most important player in NFL history. In 1946, Kenny Washington became the first Black athlete in the modern era to sign an NFL contract, joining the Los Angeles Rams and breaking the color barrier a year before his former teammate at UCLA, Jackie Robinson, did the same in Major League Baseball. Today few people know the full story of the man nicknamed “Kingfisher.”

To discuss Washington’s legacy, Will and LZ are joined by Super Bowl champion and ESPN analyst Keyshawn Johnson; Newsday football columnist Bob Glauber; and Kenny Washington’s grandson, Kraig Washington. The panel also talks about the NFL’s ongoing issues with race and Keyshawn explains why team owners, who are almost exclusively white billionaires, aren’t interested in hiring Black head coaches.

Johnson and Glauber are the co-authors of “The Forgotten First: Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley, Bill Willis, and the Breaking of the NFL Color Barrier” — a book about the league’s first Black players.

Watch The Long Game with LZ & Leitch Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 1pm ET at twitch.tv/therecount. And listen out for our next podcast, which drops on Wednesday, Feb. 16.

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Roger Goodell and the art of ‘saying nothing with empathy’ Feb 10, 2022

Show notes

On this special episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, LZ and Will dissect NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s much anticipated “State of the League” press conference in the wake of former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the league for allegedly racist hiring practices. They explain why Goodell is a PR person’s dream, examining everything from his hand gestures to his facial expressions. They also identify the question that made him noticeably uncomfortable and the answer that was the most insulting, concluding that the NFL is not yet ready for meaningful change.

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

Burrow vs. Stafford and the best QB narrative, why L.A. is not yet an NFL town, and the league’s cynical response to the Brian Flores lawsuit Feb 08, 2022

Show notes

On this episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, LZ and Will delve into all things NFL. They talk about which of the dueling quarterbacks has the more compelling narrative — the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow or the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford; whether Los Angeles is an NFL town now, given it’s home to a Super Bowl contender (oh, and the Chargers); and break down the league’s insincere reaction to former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’ lawsuit, including purely coincidental (yeah, right) head coaching interest in Lovie Smith. The hosts end the show with “This Week in Sports History” and Aaron Rodgers’ surprising playoff futility, and also take audience questions concerning how the Flores lawsuit will resolve and what to expect ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

Join us for our next livestreams on Twitch, twice this Wednesday from the Super Bowl in Los Angeles – at 12:30pm ET and 5:15pm ET.

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Brian Flores’ anti-racism lawsuit against the NFL is just the start Feb 04, 2022

Show notes

On this special episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, LZ and Will talk about former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL and three of its teams, exposing what critics have long argued: there’s an old boy network (of white men) undercutting the league’s publicized efforts to consider and hire diverse candidates. They also break down Bill Belichick’s texting skill; praise Flores’ exquisite timing; and end the show urging NFL players to speak up and show support for Flores’ cause. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is sure to face tough questions from the news media at his “State of the League” address next week, so stay with us — LZ & Leitch will be covering this story every step of the way.

Watch The Long Game with LZ & Leitch Monday, Feb. 7 at 1pm ET at twitch.tv/therecount and listen out for two more podcasts next week as well!

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

How Tom Brady went from hero to villain, the Rams make Deebo cry, and no one cares about the Olympics Feb 02, 2022

Show notes

On this episode of The Long Game with LZ & Leitch, LZ and Will explain why Tom Brady decided to retire and remember when he was actually popular; laud the Rams' ability to "match the muscle" and Joe Burrow's mental toughness; and talk about why the Beijing Winter Olympics has no buzz at all. Then they wrap up the show with a great "This Week In Sports History" segment about Ray Lewis and the mystery surrounding his possible involvement in a double murder; and a listener Q&A.

Watch The Long Game with LZ & Leitch Monday, Feb. 8 at 1pm ET at twitch.tv/therecount.

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

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