Episodes
Saturday Jun 30, 2018
Episode 210: Wimbledon Draw 2018
Saturday Jun 30, 2018
Saturday Jun 30, 2018
Together in the Wimbledon Village, Ben and Courtney break down the women's and men's Wimbledon draws.
First, the women, where much handwringing ended with Serena Williams getting the #25 seed. Fair? We discuss. And how do things look for the favorites? And why are those in the know so stoked about Sabalenka-Niculescu.
On the men's side, is it interesting until clear favorite Roger Federer loses? You may find out our opinion on that, though Ben does his darnedest to offer factoids throughout.
As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread! Engage with other listeners!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR210!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!
Tuesday Jun 26, 2018
Tuesday Jun 26, 2018
In advance of the release of the Strokes of Genius documentary, Ben is joined by friend of the show Jon Wertheim, who wrote the book, literally, on the 2008 Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
We discuss what had made this match so exulted and immortal, what it takes to put together a production like this in the disjointed world of tennis, and how the match did (or didn't) change the course of tennis.
The show closes with a cameo by shoeless Ernests Gulbis, who has thoughts on being a second-class Wimbledon citizen as he competes in the qualifying draw at Roehampton.
As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread! Engage with other listeners!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR209!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!
Sunday Jun 24, 2018
Episode 208: Eleanor Preston
Sunday Jun 24, 2018
Sunday Jun 24, 2018
Ben and Courtney go back to their curtain-pulling roots to bring you the wisdom of Eleanor Preston, who works as Media Manager at the Nature Valley Classic where B+C were this week, as well as other various roles in sporting events around the globe.
We discuss credentialing (one of the things we're asked about most), press conferences, diversity in media, and much more. We then finish with a very brief wrap of what's happened on the grass so far.
As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread! Engage with other listeners!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR208!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!
Monday Jun 18, 2018
Episode 207: Nadal's 11th, Halep's 1st
Monday Jun 18, 2018
Monday Jun 18, 2018
Together in Birmingham, Ben and Courtney look back on the French Open, which ended with creative destruction.
But before the "demolition party," there was Rafael Nadal's as-planned crushing of Dominic Thiem. How do we appreciate dominance while not being bored by the inevitable? What progress did Thiem show by reaching his first final? And why should no one be overly impressed by Sascha Zverev's run to the quarterfinals?
On the women's side, what does Simona Halep's break through say about her previous struggles? What has made Sloane Stephens into a perennial contender? And how do we assess Serena's grass prospects?
Then, lots and lots of rants.
As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread! Engage with other listeners!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR207!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!