Matthew Berry Can Fix Your Fantasy Roster

We're in Week Four of the college football season, so we’re sitting down tailgate-style with Jessica Smetana and Lucy Rohden, hosts of the College Football Happy Hour podcast. They’re filling us in on all the Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss drama, recapping that vicious hit in the USC-Oregon game, and breaking down what it means when we crave violence in a football game. And then we’ll hear from former NFL tight end Vernon Davis to learn how a moment of tough love became the catalyst that changed his career. You might recall when 49ers coach Mike Singletary publicly called him out in an infamous post-game speech, but you might not realize just how much being taken to task changed Davis’ trajectory in the league and beyond. He’d go on to be a two-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl champion, and Hollywood actor. We’ll gain insight into his childhood, learn how his passion for the arts off the field fueled the creation of his foundation, and understand how some of his success can be traced back to that one moment of clarity. Show Notes

With an explosive offense and a star quarterback, the Chicago Bears have high hopes for a deep playoff run this year. But will Caleb Williams’ hamstring injury put a damper on the team’s promising season? We’re sitting down with Kevin Fishbain, a senior writer at The Athletic who covers the Bears, to check on one of the highest-ceiling teams in the league. Then, we’re going to talk about something that most elite athletes never even allow themselves to consider: quitting. Lael Wilcox is an ultra-distance cyclist who became the fastest woman to ride her bike around the world in 2024. This summer she wanted to try for the men’s record too, and become the fastest person to cycle around the world. But early on in her effort, a historic heatwave in Europe made it unsafe for her to keep going. How did Lael make the tough decision to stop, and what good came out of it? Show Notes

The NFL is finally back, so we’re talking to friends of the pod Madeline Hill and Charlotte Wilder from “The Sports Gossip Show” about the storylines they’re watching as the new season gets underway, the teams and players they’re most curious about, and how we as fans should deal with off-field drama. Then, as we observe the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, we’ll talk with Craig Woodall about the loss of his older brother Brent, an accomplished athlete who died in the South Tower that day. We dive deep into the role sports, teammates and resilience have played in Craig’s life in the years since and the many gifts his grief has given him. Show Notes

Elle Duncan is back on the show, and this week, we’re prepping for her upcoming trip to Melbourne, Australia, for Week 1 of the NFL season. Elle will be leading Netflix’s broadcast of the matchup between the LA Rams and San Francisco 49ers, which is the first regular-season NFL game ever to be played in Australia. Then, we’re sitting down with Mary Cain. In her prime, she was one of the fastest girls in the country. She signed to run professionally with Nike before she even graduated high school. Mary’s future in the sport looked bright — that is, until 2016, when she suddenly quit. But Mary didn’t just lose interest in running. She says she experienced abuse by her coaching staff at Nike, and that they ignored her pleas for help when her mental health declined. She went on to sue Nike and came out with a memoir about her experience called “This is Not About Running.” Content warning: This episode discusses emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as extreme weight loss practices, self-harm, and thoughts of suicide. Please listen with care. Show Notes

The US Open is in full swing, and injuries have knocked out some of the biggest athletes in the men’s tournament. But there’s no shortage of star power on the women’s side: Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala is on fire, inspiring “Eala-mania” all over the world. To get us up to speed on the tournament, we chat with Giri Nathan, senior correspondent at the tennis outlet The Second Serve. After that, we attempt to answer one of the inescapable questions of our time: Why are so many people obsessed with pickleball? Clare Frank was a firefighter for more than 30 years. When she retired, she stumbled into the game. At first, she didn’t quite get the hype — but like so many retirees who came before her, Clare quickly became captivated by pickleball. In her latest book, “Just One More Game: A Pickleball Quest,” Clare dives headfirst into the world of pickleball to try to figure out how it has become the fastest-growing sport in the United States. Spoiler alert: It’s not just your grandmother’s game anymore. Show Notes