S&P's Why Not Us? — Episode #14

Scott and Peter are back with a loaded lineup. First, Peter introduces the NBA's new flopping crackdown and the "STEM" acronym heading into the season (7:46). Then Scott breaks down the cardiac New York Giants' wild start, including Jameis Winston's historic numbers, Malik Nabers' emergence, and a look ahead to the Saints (9:19). Peter follows with his Jets — a bounce-back win over Cleveland, a rising defense, and a Week 6 showdown in New England (13:48). They zoom out on the NFL: the quiet dominance of the 4-0 Chiefs, Travis Kelce chasing history, and a big Sunday nighter between Dallas and Green Bay (18:11).

The guys pivot to the MLB playoffs, where they've been rooting hard for the Milwaukee Brewers — celebrating a historic sweep of the Dodgers, Jake Bowers' breakout, and the one-and-only Pat Murphy (21:27). They check in on the ALCS, Cleveland's lead, and a weather-delayed schedule (25:50).

In the NBA season preview, Scott and Peter play fill-in-the-blank: the biggest threat to the Knicks in the East (Scott says Boston, Peter goes off the board with Toronto), and what it'll take for the Knicks to return to the Finals (27:31).

Finally, an ode to Snoopy in honor of Peanuts' 75th anniversary — TV specials, Macy's Parade floats, alter egos from the World War I Flying Ace to the Beagle Scout, and a deep dive into Snoopy's baseball career on Charlie Brown's team (35:26). The boys close it out and put Episode #14 in the books (45:50).

Episode Summary

Scott and Peter dive into the NFL (Giants, Jets, and a sliding-doors QB story), preview the MLB playoffs in both leagues, share a World Series wish cast, then hit the lightning round with a Verlander farewell, a historic Rangers goalie goal, and a jersey-number thought exercise. They close with their TV Mount Rushmore picks inspired by The New York Times' top 100 shows of the 21st century.

Connect

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1. Cold Open — Lane Kiffin & LSU vs. Ole Miss Scott opens with the drama of Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for LSU, signing former Ole Miss NFL players, quarterback injury gamesmanship, and a comparison to Bill Belichick's infamous Jets napkin resignation.

2. NFL Week 1 Recap

• Giants dominated Dallas in all three phases. Scott highlights Isaiah Likely's two TDs and Cam Skattabo's running. Playoff odds at 33% per The Athletic.
• Jets beat Tennessee. Peter praises the offensive line (zero pressures on 28 pass-block snaps), Geno Smith's clean game, and three first-round picks making instant impact. Preview of Week 2 vs. Green Bay.
• League-wide: Patrick Mahomes back 9 months post-ACL, Lamar Jackson looking like MVP form, and Derrick Henry quietly climbing the all-time rushing TD list at age 32.

3. Baseball — Final Week of the Regular Season

• AL: Cleveland vs. White Sox in the Central; Houston/Texas tied in the West. Yordan Álvarez chasing a Triple Crown. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s first home run at home.
• NL: Brewers clinch Central, Dodgers win West, Braves take the East. Scott tells the Pete Crow-Armstrong (PCA) story — traded by the Mets for two months of Javy Báez, now the NL MVP lock.
• Local: Aaron Judge out with a calf strain. Yankees–Red Sox wildcard looming. Howie Rose's final weekend of Mets broadcasts. Pete Alonso's return to Queens with two home runs.

4. Lightning Round

• Least enforced rule: Scott picks offensive pass interference on pick/rub routes in the NFL. Peter picks traveling in the NBA.
• Hardest position over the last 5 years: Scott picks MLB catcher (pitch clock, bigger bases, ABS challenges). Peter picks NFL cornerback (pass interference, back-shoulder routes, defensive holding).

5. Pop Culture — Atari 2600's 49th Anniversary Nostalgia deep-dive on classic Atari games: Space Invaders, Missile Command, Adventure, Night Driver, and the Activision Sports series (hockey, skiing, tennis). Peter shares a Polaroid of his near-perfect slalom run. Scott nearly ordered a retro console.

S&P's Why Not Us — Episode Outline

0:00 — Cold open: Australia opener logistics and fan draw debate 1:32 — Show intro 3:45 — Snoopy Bowl recap: Jets vs. Giants preseason finale, OBJ's return 6:54 — NFL team previews: Jets (Geno Smith, Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall) and Giants (Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, David Bailey), Week 1 predictions 10:50 — US Open tennis roundup: Sabalenka, Alcaraz, wrist watch, Shelton, Tiafoe, Gauff, Pegula, Jovic vs. Eala, Williams sisters 17:25 — Lightning round begins 17:40 — Francisco Lindor's Mets legacy and Cooperstown case 19:10 — NHL storylines: Hellebuyck trade request, McDavid's deal, Canada's Cup drought 21:42 — All-time favorite tennis players: Jimmy Connors vs. Roger Federer 27:33 — Mayor Greenhut's Platform: noise enforcement, subway upgrades, libraries, trash bins, theme weeks, bike lanes, theaters

Lineup/Segment 1: MLB (Discussion)

• Current/Rest of Season Storylines (2 each)
• Mets/Yankees (1 storyline we’re watching for both teams)

Segment 2: NFL (Discussion/Conversational-based)

• Final 4 Picks; SB Match-up; SB Winner
• Summer ‘Special’ Pt 4: (Finale: ‘09 Playoffs; ‘10 Playoffs; NYJ fandom- Zoom Out/Spin Fwd), FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST ANDREW ABRAMS

Lightning:

• 2 Hobbies/Activities/Games/etc you’ve always wanted to learn or improve atHobbies we want to improve at

Sections

• MLB Trade Deadline Fallout — the surprises, and what the Mets/Yankees moves mean
• NFL Team Outlooks — one team under pressure, one bounce-back pick from each of us
• Jets Summer Flashback, Part 3 — 1998–2004 playoffs, three games, one gut-punch
• Lightning Round: Most Underrated NY Pro Athletes (baseball & football)
• P.S.: What We're Irrationally Competitive About

In this episode:

• World Cup final wrap — Spain grinds out control-over-chaos win; Messi's late look blocked by Mikel Merino; Emiliano Martínez's 11 saves, a final record. Tournament retrospective: 48 teams, 104 matches, Cape Verde's Cinderella run, Andres Cantor's legendary call, Messi's age-39 send-off, VAR/smart ball controversies, and whether Erling Haaland could be MLS's next big import.
• MLB trade deadline — White Sox surprise first-place run and Sandy Alcantara trade buzz; Red Sox's stunning turnaround (5.6% playoff odds on June 16, now solidly in a wild card spot) and the hunt for a right-handed bat at short (Zach Neto scenario); Hunter Greene as the deadline's biggest What If; Luis Robert Jr.'s trade market with the Phillies as a fit.
• High Horse: Keith Hernandez's Hall of Fame case — 131 career WRC+, the only Hall-eligible first baseman with positive defensive WAR, 11 Gold Gloves, 60.3 bWAR, the Steph Curry comparison for redefining a position, and why the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee (next vote: December 2028) is his path in.
• NFL training camp storylines — Vikings' real QB competition (Kyler Murray vs. J.J. McCarthy), Justin Jefferson's chip on his shoulder after being ranked No. 2, Chargers' new Mike McDaniel/Justin Herbert pairing, and the Rams' defensive overhaul highlighted by the Myles Garrett trade.
• Jets Look Back, Part 2: The 1986 season — Five straight losses to close the regular season, a shock Wild Card blowout of the Chiefs, and the gutting double-overtime divisional round loss to Cleveland (Bernie Kosar's then-record 489 passing yards, two missed field goals, an onside kick, a phantom-ish roughing call, and a 23-20 final that still stings).
• Lightning round: LeBron to Philly — What it means for Sixers-Knicks odds, Joel Embiid, and Scott's long list of Philly sports grievances (Flyers, Phillies, Eagles — Sixers get a pass).
• P.S.: Mini golf — Windmill holes, split-path strategy, multi-level holes debated, sand trap pet peeves, slow groups playing it like The Masters, and the final-hole "give us your ball back" scoring controversy.

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World Cup Discussion: US exit; Remaining Teams; NBA Off-season - who are the big players moving teams. what happens to Lebron; MLB Trade Deadline Predictions; Look at Mets and Yankees; Part 1 of mini-series exploring life as a Jet Fan. Lighting Round: Wimbledon wrap up; PS: Mistakes to avoid if you are visiting NYC