Episodes
Sunday Dec 27, 2020
Episode 286b: Remember When? 2020, Part 2
Sunday Dec 27, 2020
Sunday Dec 27, 2020
Ben and Courtney wrap up their wrap-up of the uniquely weird year that was 2020 with this episode, which focuses on everything that happened after the pandemic first stopped the tours.
How do we look back on how tennis players handled the stoppage, both as players and as citizens? Is it fair to make generalizations?
And how did we feel about the tennis once it came back?
Also, Courtney is on Twitch, as she mentions several times.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received this year on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we bring you the best shows we can each week, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, Nicole Copeland, Anna Welinder, and Pam Shriver!)
As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Episode 286a: Remember When? 2020, Part 1
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
What was it like to form memories in 2020? For Ben and Courtney, things were far more vivid when we were still able to travel, so this first half of our annual "Remember When" is heavy on January.
Have our thoughts on ATP Cup changed with the passage of time? And how about those donations to the Australian bushfire relief?
Where were we when we realized coronavirus was going to be serious? And how did our outlook on the year and our lives shift?
Part 2, which covers April to the present, out later this week! Happy Holidays!
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received this year on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we bring you the best shows we can each week, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, Nicole Copeland, Anna Welinder, and Pam Shriver!)
As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.
Wednesday Oct 21, 2020
Episode 279: Does Tennis Love You Back? (With Jessica Luther & Kavitha A. Davidson)
Wednesday Oct 21, 2020
Wednesday Oct 21, 2020
Jessica Luther and Kavitha A. Davidson, co-authors of the new book Loving Sports When They Don't Love You Back, join to discuss the lovability of tennis, and the difficulties that fans can still encounter while trying to reconcile the sport and their own personal values.
Issues covered include the continuing grumbling over equal pay for men and women, the evolution of Serena Williams' perceived marketability, what to do with a player whose politics you find objectionable, and how to feel about tennis and other sports continuing to soldier on during a continuing global pandemic.
Also, please vote.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received this year on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we bring you the best shows we can each week, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, Charles Cyna, and Nicole Copeland!)
As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.
Sunday Sep 13, 2020
Episode 273n: 2020 U.S. Open Day 13 - Naomi Osaka's Statement Win
Sunday Sep 13, 2020
Sunday Sep 13, 2020
Naomi Osaka, making herself heard on court and off, won her third Grand Slam title on Saturday at the U.S. Open, coming back from 1-6, 0-2 down to beat Victoria Azarenka in the final.
Ben and Courtney chat about the match, the incredibly impressive way Osaka has found her voice and her game, Victoria Azarenka's reemergence, who the current alpha is in women's tennis, and more.
Also, Courtney gives some parting thoughts on her hopes for the men's final.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent days!
If you'd like to join fellow listeners in supporting our show as we work to crank out daily shows during the 2020 U.S. Open, we've launched an NCR Patreon where you can do just that! Check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, and Charles Cyna!)
As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.
Friday Sep 11, 2020
Episode 273l: U.S. Open Day 11 - Azarenka & Osaka Win Semifinal Showstoppers
Friday Sep 11, 2020
Friday Sep 11, 2020
The women put on an incredible display in their semifinal showcase on Thursday evening at the U.S. Open, with Victoria Azarenka beating Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka besting Jennifer Brady in two spectacular matches.
Nick McCarvel, who was one of the 147 people watching Azarenka-Williams in Ashe (yes, he counted) joins Ben to discuss the experience, the matches, the two finalists set for a Saturday showdown, and what has been a surreal and memorable two weeks in the "ghost town" Grand Slam.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent days!
If you'd like to join fellow listeners in supporting our show as we work to crank out daily shows during the 2020 U.S. Open, we've launched an NCR Patreon where you can do just that! Check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, and Charles Cyna!)
As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.
Thursday Sep 10, 2020
Episode 273k: 2020 U.S. Open Day 10 - Mary Carillo and the Final Fours
Thursday Sep 10, 2020
Thursday Sep 10, 2020
Mary Carillo, NCR's favorite, joins Ben and Courtney for a third time as the U.S. Open gets to the business end of the draws, as we are now down to four semifinalists for both the men and women.
What has it been like calling this completely different tournament from on site at the Open? What have been the unexpected revelations of this new landscape and soundscape? Why does the Chinese restaurant want you to order the fries?
We discuss all eight semifinalists in some detail: Jennifer Brady, Victoria Azarenka, Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka; Pablo Carreno Busta, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, and Dominic Thiem.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent days!
If you'd like to join fellow listeners in supporting our show as we work to crank out daily shows during the 2020 U.S. Open, we've launched an NCR Patreon where you can do just that! Check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, and Charles Cyna!)
As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.
Wednesday Sep 09, 2020
Episode 273j: 2020 U.S. Open Day 9 - Pam Shriver's Distance Learning
Wednesday Sep 09, 2020
Wednesday Sep 09, 2020
Pam Shriver is used to being on the very front lines of tennis reporting for ESPN, running around the grounds of tournaments, hunting down celebrities, coaches, drunk Scottish people on Henman Hill, or whoever else might have something worthwhile to say.
In this very different 2020, Pam is at home during this U.S. Open, staying connected to the coverage from afar as she tries to balance work and family priorities amid this pandemic.
Pam and Ben discuss the 2020 U.S. Open, how it's coming across on TV, the sudden opportunity in the men's draw, Djokovic's simmer, recent tennis politics flareups, and their shared love of the Baltimore Orioles.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent days!
If you'd like to join fellow listeners in supporting our show as we work to crank out daily shows during the 2020 U.S. Open, we've launched an NCR Patreon where you can do just that! Check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, and Charles Cyna!)
As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.
Tuesday Sep 08, 2020
Episode 273i: 2020 U.S. Open Day 8 - Quarterfinals!
Tuesday Sep 08, 2020
Tuesday Sep 08, 2020
With the U.S. Open reaching the quarterfinal stage, where the draws get considerably more manageable to process on a more granular basis, Courtney and Ben reconvene to reset the table for the feasts of tennis cooking for the men and women.
The men's field is ordering off the kids menu, with the men's game tour finally guaranteed a new Grand Slam champion for the first time in six years. Who is best poised to take advantage of this? How will the new favorites, like Thiem and Zverev, deal with the pressure?
On the women's side we discuss a field that includes the Americans Jennifer Brady and Shelby Rogers, the crafty Yulia Putintseva, the remarkable Tsvetana Pironkova, the regal Serena Williams, and the resurgent Victoria Azarenka.
Also! We are uploading video of the recording of this episode to our Patreon as an experiment, if you want to see what it's like to watch NCR instead of just listening!
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent days!
If you'd like to join fellow listeners in supporting our show as we work to crank out daily shows during the 2020 U.S. Open, we've launched an NCR Patreon where you can do just that! Check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, and Charles Cyna!)
As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.
Thursday Sep 03, 2020
Episode 273d: 2020 U.S. Open Day 3 - Wild Women's Wednesday
Thursday Sep 03, 2020
Thursday Sep 03, 2020
Ben and Courtney reconvene on Day 3 of the U.S. Open to recalibrate their forecasts for the top half of the women's draw, which saw top-seeded Karolina Pliskova knocked out, as well as somewhat surprising exits by Alison Riske, Marketa Vondrousova, and Dayana Yastremska.
Who is well-positioned for success going forward? Who looks comfortable in these unusual conditions? Is Naomi Osaka a fair favorite to win it all? And what makes Madison Brengle's approach so delightful?
Also, we discuss some of the early challenges we've encountered trying to cover a Grand Slam from home.
Again, thank you so much for the incredible support for NCR in recent days!
If you'd like to join fellow listeners in supporting our show as we work to crank out daily shows during the 2020 U.S. Open, we've launched an NCR Patreon where you can do just that! Check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, and Charles Cyna!)
As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.
Sunday Aug 30, 2020
Episode 272: 2020 U.S. Open Draw Breakdown!
Sunday Aug 30, 2020
Sunday Aug 30, 2020
Ben and Courtney break down the U.S. Open draw amid a tournament build-up which feels very different to that of a normal Grand Slam, particularly as we aren't even in New York this week.
We discuss the women's draw first, where 2018 champ Naomi Osaka impressed on and off the court during "Cincinnati" but comes in carrying a hamstring injury. What to make of Serena's form since the shutdown? Can Kim Clijsters make an impact? Also, Dayana Yastremska is very much.
On the men's side, after a helpful pronunciation guide to the new "PTPA," we discuss Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Reilly Opelka, Daniil Medvedev, Milos Raonic, Bobby Bautista, and more. Also, hear Courtney's thoughts about night trains!
This is the first of many, many shows we have planned for the U.S. Open, so stay tuned!
If you'd like to support our show during this odd, disruptive year, we've launched an NCR Patreon where you can do just that! Check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backer J O'D!)
As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.