Tucker Carlson Vs. Ted Cruz, the Finals Goes 7, and the Media A-Team

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and David discuss another Washington Post "reboot," this time for its opinion section (0:41). They go on to offer some low-hanging fruit for ESPN's lackluster NBA Finals coverage and discuss Stephen A. Smith, who was seen playing solitaire during Game 4; a noticeable shift in the norms of Washington, D.C., reporting; and more (10:41). Finally, Gustavo Arellano of the L.A. Times discusses covering recent protests across the greater Los Angeles area, what the national media is missing, Trump vs. California, and more (38:38). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline! Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David ShoemakerGuest: Gustavo ArellanoProducer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel tackle some leftover 'The Simpsons' vs. 'The Cosby Show' thoughts in today's J-School (0:47), before they are joined by Logan Murdock to discuss The Athletic's anonymous players survey, why the NBA keeps finding itself in the crosshairs of criticism, and ESPN's biggest mistake while broadcasting the Finals. Then they talk about Logan's new article for The Ringer, "How the Gen Z Takeover Is Changing the NBA" (10:18). Finally, Bryan and Joel discuss the Los Angeles protests, some big-picture questions, the ambiguous relationship between the press and law enforcement, and more (55:56). Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel AndersonGuest: Logan MurdockProducer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and David parse through the very public Donald Trump–Elon Musk breakup (0:41) before sharing some notes on Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals; Warner Bros. Discovery, which is splitting into two companies; ABC's Terry Moran's suspension; and a hefty edition of "sliding doors" metaphors (15:28). Finally, The Ringer's Alan Siegel joins to discuss his new book, 'Stupid TV, Be More Funny: How the Golden Era of "The Simpsons" Changed Television—and America—Forever' (43:53). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline! Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David ShoemakerGuest: Alan SiegelProducer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel discuss some NBA Finals thoughts, Oklahoma City as a host city, reports of Doris Burke's uncertain future in ESPN's broadcast booth, Cam'ron the journalist, and more (2:47). Then they discuss The Washington Post's puzzling new strategy and Pablo Torre's Bill Belichick–Jordon Hudson investigation (30:05). Then they are joined by NBC's Noah Eagle to talk about the Finals, the NBA on NBC 2.0, and the future of play-by-play (48:22). Finally, Bryan and Joel close the show with some weekend book recommendations and a solemn addition to the Hall of Departed Journalists (1:22:37). Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel AndersonGuest: Noah EagleProducers: Kyle Crichton and Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello media consumers! This week, Bryan and David discuss a bevy of “now they tell us” stories, some from the NBA and some from Washington (1:00), before coining a new segment called the “Pulled Punch Effect” (26:00). Then, they share a few more listener-submitted “sliding doors” metaphors (30:00), before Bryan is joined by Mark Kriegel to discuss 'Baddest Man: The Making of Mike Tyson,' the state of the sports biography, and the present and future status of Mike Tyson in the sports and wider world (45:00). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week, the Media Piss Test, and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices