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

Segment 1: NBA (Discussion) NBA Draft/News; Knicks ‘Mailbag; Segment 2: World Cup Discussion (USA, Overall Tournament); Segment 3: MLB Rookie of the year, Mets Update; Lightning Round (NHL, College World Series, Wimbledon); PS Segment At the Beach.